Tag Archives: bike

The Loop to be paved on the East side of the Santa Cruz South of Camino Del Cerro

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The Loop will be paved from Silverbell Wetlands to El Camino Del Cerro in early January, 2014
The Loop will be paved from Silverbell Wetlands to El Camino Del Cerro in early January, 2014

Bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel along the east side of the Santa Cruz River between Silverlake Road and Ina Road – more than 13 miles – and cross only two streets at-grade when Pima County completes a paving project on The Loop in January.

Personally, I think this new stretch is one of the most exciting sections of the loop if you are into bird watching as it will go past the Sweetwater Wetlands.    I have had many memorable experiences exploring in this area.  The one ride that comes back most vividly is of thousands of migrating birds taking flight as I rode past.  The flock would fly a few hundred yards before landing and by that time I would be approaching again and they would take flight.  This went on for nearly a mile.

The other crossings are separated underpasses of the main roadways.

Paving of a 12-foot-wide path is expected to begin next week to connect The Loop on the east side of the Santa Cruz between Sweetwater Drive and El Camino del Cerro, the last unfinished segment between Silverlake and Ina.

Bicyclists and pedestrians using the east bank will have to cross Congress Street and El Camino del Cerro at-grade. Underpasses on the route allow car-free travel at Silverlake Road, Starr Pass Boulevard, St. Mary’s Road, Speedway Boulevard, and Grant Road.

The path is being installed by the Ashton Company and is expected to be completed in January.

Bicyclists and pedestrians can travel on The Loop on the west side of the Santa Cruz between Silverlake Road and El Camino del Cerro, crossing at-grade on Congress Street. At

El Camino del Cerro they must travel on/along El Camino del Cerro in the on-road bike lanes or off-street pathway to the east side of the Santa Cruz to continue north on The Loop.

Pima County is developing The Loop around metro Tucson with links to Marana, Oro Valley, and South Tucson for residents and visitors on foot, bikes, skates, and horses.

When completed, The Loop will total 131 miles and connect the Rillito, Santa Cruz, and Pantano River Parks with the Julian Wash and Harrison Greenways. The Loop connects to parks, trails, bus and bike routes, workplaces, schools, libraries, restaurants, hotels and motels, shopping areas, and sports and entertainment venues.

 

First High Scool Race is in the books

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Arizona, you have made me proud.  Across the nation NICA is spreading from state to state.  So far Utah has the record for the most athletes in the inaugural race with over 200.  Arizona is now number 2 on the list with 170 athletes. Just for a second, imagine how incredible that is.  Imagine how great it will be.  Tell you friends with high school aged kids there’s a new game in town and it is fast and fun.

I must admit that I had concerns coming into this race.  There was some frustration that Tucson did not have the first race as planned.  I understand that the logistics just did not come together, but it created some lingering concerns about how the race was going to run.  A three hour drive to the race with a lot of that in Phoenix traffic did not set a great tone.  Finally, when I arrived and discovered that an athlete on our team forgot his bike(not saying who-he’s already miserable enough about it), I was really questioning what I was doing there.  It did not get any better when it became clear that the layout of the campground was not going to lead to much interaction between teams.

An easy registration of our teams, a great dinner and a comfortable nighttime camping temperature and the anticipation of the first high school mountain bike race in the history of Arizona had me off to a good start on race day.  At the coaches meeting hearing how many details were taken care it was clear that this was just another race, something NICA has been doing for a long time and not just some thrown together ride in the desert.  As team after team started to populate the staging area and I saw hundreds of bike enthusiasts the energy started to flow.

This course was really well designed for the el grupo riders. It was not that technical and the temperature was hot,  not unlike our normal practice conditions.  The trail was wide with plenty of room for passing.  We had only 2 girls racing from El Grupo They finished in 1st and 4th places.   In the freshman race we just missed the podium and 1st-6th place were separated by under a minute.  In the sophomore race we cleaned up with a 1,2,4 finish.  We had a large group of sophomores and juniors who raced in the varsity race and we had a third place podium.   In the all around Tucson High/El Grupo finished in 3rd place.   That excluded the points from a 1st, 3rd and 4th place finish that we’re the regular ElGrupo team( we are two teams in one….or is it the other way)

My favorite finishers are often those who don’t win the race or even come close to the podium, but show a character in finishing the race.  There were two racers in particular who caught my attention.  One of the athletes was on the course when two recreational riders came around a corner and crashed into her.  The riders just left her and continued on their way.  She tweaked her hand, but finished with one hand.  My favorite was racer 600.  He finished the race with a broken chain, using his bike like a scooter.  He had every opportunity to pack it in early, but choose to cross the finish line. This is the type of character that I feel is the truest winner in life.  The persistence to stick with it when it’s hot, miserable, things are breaking.  600,  get a huge ATTABOY!!!

It was great to see so many people who read this blog, follow me on Facebook and have my shared passion for cycling.  Thanks to all who came up and introduced and reintroduced yourself.  It made me feel like this is a real community that we are growing together.   If there was one thing I would have done to improve the event and league would be to introduce everyone and see how we can get the teams to interact more.  Please accept this as my invitation to come to Tucson and ride with our team.  I have this vision where these kids have a chance to show each other the best trails in each other’s backyards all across Arizona.

It’s well after 9 on Sunday night as I’m finishing up this post.  Samuel, my son, is exhausted, but still has homework to do and is plugging away.  These are student athletes and  NICA is just like any other school sport( except better because they get to use a bike).   The dedication both on the bike and off is very commendable and my helmet is off to everyone who raced this weekend.

Finally, thank you to all the staff and volunteers who made this run so smooth this weekend and who made the league a possibility.  Also, to all the financial sponsors. Unfortunately, this is not a cheap sport and can’t happen without the all mighty buck.  Thanks to those who choose to invest your money in something that will make the community, State and all of us better off.

 

What happens when a cyclist breaks his back?

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There is going to be one less road hazard this weekend on the roads of Tucson. The Dodge Bridge, just south of River is getting some new asphalt. For years a 3 plus inch wide separation between curb and road has beckoned tires like a streetcar track.

The gap is clearly visible between the green bike lane and the curb. Crews power washing in preparation of the new concrete.
The gap is clearly visible between the green bike lane and the curb. Crews power washing in preparation of the new concrete.

Earlier this summer a county employee caught his tire in the crack and had a severe collision with the ground. It was because of this that the county finally took action to have it repaired. They were aware of the issue for the past 6 years, but were told by engineers that it could not be remedied due to drainage issues. Apparently, as a result of this tragedy, they were able to discover a fix for getting water off the bridge and closing the gat. It is sad that this summer someone had to break their back in order to get the county to take action.

Do you know of anywhere in the area that the road posses a risk to cyclist? Let me know and I’ll inform Pima county. If enough of us are vocal, we will see change.

Another At”tack” near Catalina Highway

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This following is from a letter I was CCéd on about another incident of tacks on the road near Catalina Highway.  This time on Snyder.  Just a reminder, we have created a fund that has $2,869 dollars for info that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) putting tacks on the road.  If you want to donate to the fund, contact me, Damion Alexander, at damion@damionalexander.com or call 520-977-5664.  If you have info on the tacks call the Pima County Sherriff dept.

Tack bike #2 August 25th 8am
Another tack in the road on August 25,2013

My wife and I  both flatted from silver colored tacks while riding our road bikes @ 8am today on Snyder Rd. We estimate that we ran over the tacks 1000 yrds west of Catalina hwy. There is no shoulder on this road, we were riding approximately a foot from the edge of the road when we both heard the tires clicking and then went flat. We did not see anyone near the road or a parked car etc, or someone capable of throwing them. Cyclists ride this road everyday, we would assume the tacks were placed on the road recently.

We have also had flats from gold colored tacks thrown on the bike shoulder on Catalina hwy northbound near Snyder earlier this spring. This is the first tack incident that we know of in this area since the tacks issue appeared on the tv news a few months ago and a reward  offered. The silver colored tacks are virtually impossible to see on the road while riding.

Regards

Brian

Tuesday/Thursday Morning Ride

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For many years a small band of dedicated cyclist have met on the SW corner of Kolb and Sunrise at 5:30AM to attack the hills in Fairfield.  This foothills community is a hidden gem for cycling. The roads are well maintained by the HOA’s, the streets are wide, and deed restrictions prohibit cars from parking in the street and driveways. The climbs have nicknames like “puke hill” and are well named with grade in the 20% range.

Most days the ride follows the same path. Territory to Via Velazquez, South to Via Colorado to the top of the hill, Loma Del Bribon to Camino De Carillo, North on Tanuri to Via Velazquez, East on Valle Di Cadore, SE on Territory, North on Via Velazquez, NE on Paseo Otono, SE on Via Sempreverde, cross the street to Valle Di Cadore and do the reverse to Camino de Carillo and Via Colorado and back to Bashas. Depending on who shows up there is usually extra credit to be earned in Sabino Canyon. This group has met year round for many years. Urban mythology says Mike Solan started the ride, but after retirement and not having anywhere to go, he quickly abandoned the group for sensible rides when the sun is in the sky.

Occasionally, the ride is altered to climb the other hills in the area or head out east for more miles and less climb. The group is open to anyone who shows up. They ride at a steady pace, but will usually regroup at the top of every climb. Many of the homes look the same in the area and it is very easy to get turned around, so it pays to look at the map in advance.

photo

5:30 is early. During the winter it is cold and often the sun is just coming up as the ride is finishing. The price professionals are willing to pay in order to get in a bike ride. One of the best rewards is watching the sun come up from ridge top streets.

sunrise

What is your pain threshold?

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There is a part of me that does not want to write on this subject.  It’s not that I’m embarrassed that I hurt, feel it’s unmanly to admit it or think people don’t care.   As an ambassador for all things bike I really do not want to put anything out there that is a negative reflection on riding, and the occasional (perhaps daily) truth is that riding a bike can beat your body.  As with any pain in life you can learn from it and become strong, or let it own you.

Years of riding have allowed me to become familiar with the “normal” gripes my body has.  Each ride starts with pain.  It almost always starts in my shoulder and then moves to my knee, groin, or lower right back.  Occasionally I have some issues in my Achilles or foot.  Just for good measure and equally annoying itch from my kit or feeling the helmet is too tight or loose or pressing mercilessly on my head.  I do not think I have ever been on a ride where some of these do not happen.  

What an amazing testimonial for getting on a bike.  If that was the end of the story I’m sure I would have abandoned the bike years ago.  However, I discovered something along the way.  Almost every pain is mental.  If I keep spinning and don’t think about it, it goes away.  Yes, it is often immediately replaced with one of the other woeful feelings, but that also soon disappears.  Some rides it is only 5-10 minutes to work through the issues, other days it seems to last over an hour.  If I ride for over an hour, I will hit a stretch where the only issues are my lungs burning from the effort or my legs searing in pain.  Even when that happens if I switch gears I can often move the sensation to another muscle group.

It has almost become a game for me.  OK, this is no fun, lets see if I can make something else hurt that will be a little easy to deal with.  One of the great joys of riding a bike is the ability to learn how much your body can endure.   When new to the sport it is often difficult to tell the difference between being sore and being in pain.  If your body is anything like mine there are all sorts of parts that I “feel”.   

I would not recommend pushing hard through everything.  I’ve been down that road this year.  During the 24 hours in the Old Pueblo I had a new sensation in my Achilles. It was a strain I had never felt before and I ignored it for the race and paid for it for months to come.  At the time I was riding every day and was unwilling to take any time off.  My take away is that if you have known pain, and have worked it out before, you are likely able to do so on each ride.  If I discover completely new sensations, I will back off.  It is a balancing act as my mind likes to do whatever it can to slow me down and learning the difference takes time and an understanding and study of your body.

The best tricks I have learned for breaking through the pain barrier is to be one with the pain,  breath deep into the area of discomfort and be active.  If you resist the pain it only will become stronger.  Allow it to flow through you and move onto the next and hopefully less annoying pain.   Deep breathing through the nose with the mouth closed while focusing on the area that is bothersome is how I work through most pain.  Feel it in the abdomen as the chest should not distend on inhale. In your minds eye focus on the pain, see the air entering the area and releasing the pain like a cool breeze blowing the irritation away.  Above all, stay active.  It is far better to be sore than in pain.

This post is the result of watching my son, Samuel, ride through a Migrane for 20 plus miles during a team practice.  As we were ending the ride and he said it was by far the worst experience he has experienced on a bike.  I said, “the only good thing I can say at this time is if you are able to push through this, there is really no limit to what you can do”.  On the next ride, and every practice since, he has been a completely different rider.  He has been staying with the team and even pushing the pace on Mt. Lemmon and A Mountain.  He said to me on one ride as our lungs and legs  were searing”Papa, after experienceing that pain, I know what I’m dealing with now is temporary”.

August 2013 BAC meeting

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What is the BAC?

The Tucson/Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee?

The Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee (TPCBAC) was established to serve in an advisory capacity to local governments on issues relating to bicycle recreation, transportation, and safety.

The TPCBAC is involved in promoting the development of a safe bicycling environment in the City of Tucson and Pima County.
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The following is a brief summary of the August, 2013 meeting.

Tucson Police Report: There were 13 incidents in the past month with one fatality. The fault was found to be that of the cyclist as the rider reportedly was looking down and hit a semi truck. Half of the incidents were cyclists colliding with cars and the bike left the scene. The report came from the automobile driver.

Pima County Sheriff Ryan Roher said some reports of tacks are still coming in, but not as many as before. The reward for info leading to the arrest and conviction of the at“tack”er is now at $2,869. There was a fatality on Mt. Lemmon in July and it was determined that it was result of the cyclist missing a turn.
Appointments- Beth Scott left and she was the rep to the downtown task force. Naomi is the new rep. Citizen transportation advisory committee, CTAC, appoints Colin as BAC representative.

Street Car update from Joe Chase, streetcar construction manager.
Status of Sharrows on 4th. Contractors installed incorrectly and when they removed the paint they destroyed the asphalt. It was an error by the contractor who did not put them where they were supposed to go and the cost of cutting out the existing patches and replacing them will fall on the contractor. There are large sections of 4th Ave. curb that are not red and no parking is allowed. Park wise will start ticketing in the next week. The city might put up some signs or stencil that was not part of the original plan because the large swaths of no parking might confuse people. There is also some fire zones as well. Those parking in the fire zone will be towed, those in the red will be ticketed. Matt Zoll asked about enforcing the 18 inches from the curb parking and Joe said he will look into it. Loading zones on Park are still being worked on.
The green Boxes are all in on University and 4th. Construction crews are still waiting on the final paving downtown. When that is complete a 30 day curing period will be needed. The time line looks solid for late October completion, possibly earlier.
The Bike detection system on the corner of University and Park will be activated this week. Some glitches are anticipated to get it fully dialed in. BAC members had concerns about the intersection. Since this corner has always been a 4 way stop, there is some fear that drivers will be gunning it to make the light and this may pose a threat to peds and bikes. The priority of the light was not known, but it is detection based.
The Cushing street bridge opening day is going to be early to mid September. There is concern with the connection with the loop and no one has a plan for what can be done. It definitely does not work with bikes using trailers. BAC members expressed a strong desire to see ADOT address this issue.
How will streetcar testing work? Most of the testing will be at night to have the as little impact on traffic as possible. First tests will not be on power, just towed. Each car needs a burn period to make sure it is operating correctly. The first car should arrive in Tucson on the 29th of August. All 8 cars will need to be tested prior to being put into service. The first public rides will be next year.
Granada is having a fix to make it better for bikes.
Broadway will be stenciled and have the green bike lane markings in late September or early October.
Putting a Bike box at Time Market is waiting on Tucson Fire.
PSA were filmed last week and will be coming to a media source near you in the near future.
Summary: Most construction will be finished in late October and Tucson will have a streetcar in 2014.

Two videos were presented on two different loops in Marana.
Both have some issues and the summary of those problems will be created and sent on to the Town of Marana. The sharp u-turn and ramp on the Loop North of Cortaro was the greatest concern. The following links are from the presentation.

www.screencast.com/t/5xARwbiXdp
www.screencast.com/t/LxuJmN3vZfC

Downtown links presentation with Kiley: A 50 million voter approved project connecting Aviation Freeway to I-10. The actual cost is not closer to 85 million and it might not be enough to finance the project. The new freeway will parallel the train tracks for the most part. Kiley called this project a “Zombie” road. The idea started at the time we had rotary phones and they just keep coming back over and over. The project was presented to make connectivity for all modes of transportation, but it appears it is not really addressing all bike/ped issues. On the positive side, Union Pacific railroad has agreed to be whistle free in the area. Also, some areas will be removed from the floodplain. The next meeting will be next Monday at Parkwise if you want to put in your 2 cents.
Projects that were on the bond survey that relate the most to the Bike community
Ann Chanecka, City Bike/Pedestrian Coordinator checked out Brownsville Texas night time Cyclovia and Huston’s Bike share program over the summer. How do we get great ideas, we see what is working other places. The city has had lots of requests for bike parking and still have many more to give away. Do you know a business that needs Bike parking?

Matt Zoll with Pima county Bike/Pedestrian: Matt had so much to report that I did not get it all.
The county has received $600,000 in federal and $40,000 in County funds for educations and safety outreach. The money will be spent on working with schools, bike ambassador, and safe route to schools. About 60 schools are working on bike to school programs and walk to school events. The schools are 70 percent city 15 percent county and the rest in other municipalities. Ingnacio will be is at 43 schools this year with the Safe Routes to School Program. Homer-Davis is getting lanes and traffic calming (Did you know Chuck Huckleberry went to school there). Happens chuck went there. 60-70 people per month are taking public classes offered and another 50-60 Lots of loop projects have been completed and it is about 2 years for completing of the loop if all falls in place with fed regulations. 3 bike lane projects worth noting are Alvernon and Aviation Highway, Camino de la Tierra north and the project on Mary Ann Cleveland is waiting on the gas utility. Bike ambassadors are out there teaching people how to do simple repairs on the loop at the new tool and pump stations. With all the new riders hitting the loop some people don’t know some basic bike skills like pumping a tire, so the ambassadors went to mechanic courses. Also, put there to possibly protect tools from theft. Jr. El Tour, boys and girls club, establishing program at the south side of town. 40% of kids in the area live in poverty and many in extreme poverty. Martha Lemon worked out a new MTB manual and it will be used for some beta testing in the classes being offered and other communities are asking for it as well. Snyder to Catalina highway on Houghton construction is complete. Harrison road bike lanes from Harrison to Sabino High is in planning and might go to construction next year.

PAG: A call for a citizen group to look at how to spend one million buckaroos for bike/ped funds. September 12th is the cycle traffic discussion. The Strategic highway safety plan on the state is currently being rewritten. September 12th is the cycle traffic discussion. The old plan did not address bike/ped, but the update may give an opportunity for us to be a part of the plan. ADOT has the final decision, perhaps not the most transparent, but perhaps we will be heard.

Facilities: Cat Tran on Copper and MTN had a collision with a bike. Cat Tran was parked at a sign that clearly says no cars, but is also a stop.

UA: New bike path on the west side of Highland garage from Helen to Mabel that gives cyclist a way of avoiding Mountain and Helen. UA BAC has 35 people on the committee. Several sub committees have been formed.

Living Street Alliance: The next Cyclovia has been set for April 6, 2014. Some plans are in the works for a ride to the pitch at FC Tucson. PAG car free days are coming and just for recording your ride you can win some fab prizes.

What is BikePilgrim.com

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For some time I have considered writing a blog, but have found that Facebook was adequate for telling the story I wanted to share and easy to use. Most of this tale has been told with Photos and The Damion Alexander Team Page has over 10,000 images in over 100 albums. Most of my narrative has been about the cycling community in Southern Arizona. Being a part of this community is one of the most fulfilling experiences I have discovered in life. Even though the page is mine, it is not really about me. It is about you. I love the diversity, the politics, the potential for what our community can be. Facebook has been a wonderful platform for sharing photos, but I am going to try and expand into more depth on many of the issues that I see are key to making Tucson a better cycling community.

Why call it BikePilgrim.com? Bike is exactly what it looks like. Most of this blog will deal with Bike related topics. Pilgrim is defined as a person who journeys, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion. That is a concise summary of what the bike is to me. There is no place I feel more connected to God and the Universe than on a bicycle. Many friends have said on many a Sunday ride that they are in their church. I choose to attend that Church daily.
I’m hoping that many of my riding buddies will contribute to the blog with both ideas and comments. I expect it will be a little raw at first, but look forward to polishing it as we go.