Bike Route Planning and The Goose Chase;

June 23, 2011 School, or at least some schools, has been out for a couple of weeks.  The organized ride season is well on the way all around the country, pick one and support it, or at least your local bike to work day.  There are municipalities all around the country that are now, finally, discussing usable bike paths, bike lanes and programs attempting to get catchy slogans to remind our motoring public that this is the season of more bicyclist out on the streets.  As a thought, why were these discussions not held prior to now?

My local mini metropolis, Centennial Colorado, a southern border of Denver has been working on the blending of the motoring public, with bicyclist, walkers and joggers for more than eighteen months and is putting together a fantastic master plan.  Like all Municipalities should, in a poor economy, they are attempting to connect routes and paths that already exist and flow in and out of neighboring municipalities.  Kudos to them for a well thought out plan rather than a knee jerk reaction.  I’m not saying other cities around the nation or even Colorado are not doing this but I do see plenty of headlines to the theme of “the village council of Badonkadonk" is starting discussions on improving bicycle traffic”.  The Centennial master plan is even looking at bicycle commuters to see if it is feasible to get best routes for direct travelling.  That, though very difficult, is fore thought just to think that progressively.  Luckily, cyclist around the world are a self surviving group that find away to accomplish their needs in a safe as possible manner with or without a towns assistance.

Another benefit of having a well laid out bicycle system is being able to hold your own event.  A neighboring village, Greenwood Village, just held their 16^th annual Goose Chase.  This has been a popular Run, Walk and Bike event for the recreational athlete for the past sixteen years.   It has been a fun event that the city is proud of and has been a combined effort of the City, Wells Fargo Bank, and the chamber of commerce and many other supporters and volunteers.   This year, of all years, it was not well attended mainly due to a late start on the organization.  I said “of all years” because this was one of the best well marked courses they have had in years.  The course was in and around the Cherry Creek State Reservoir operated by the United States Corps of Engineers which included a beautiful ride over the top of the dam which served up beautiful views of the mountains and down town Denver.  The course then went out on city streets which had wide clean bike lanes.  You then twisted down, across and up through the Denver Technology Center (DTC), Over Interstate I-25 and down around the Comfort Dental Amphitheater and through the Greenwood Plaza office park.  All these interesting sites prior to going along the edge of fabulous homes, up to a State highway, also known as Belleview Avenue.   This is where it was very impressive this year.  The city had one lane totally coned off to major traffic giving the cyclists a long safe ride back to almost the finish.   The only real downfall was, there appeared to be a confusion on the 45 mile loop as to circle the reservoir twice and then through the city or, circle the reservoir, through the city, and around the reservoir again.  We had friends that did it both ways and seemed confused.  All in all it was a good ride, good weather, good company and a very good lunch.  The lunch was not all that healthy for that type of an event but it was good.  If you missed it this year, think about it for next year.  If the operation comes off the same way and gets the word out much sooner this will be a good, relaxed, low effort ride to get your kids introduced to group rides.  Speaking of kids, my tall kid did the thirty mile with me; we started thirty minutes after the forty five milers and he finished about twenty minutes before the first rider on the forty five.

As far as your municipality goes if they have a pro-active engineering department that is looking out for you’re cycling safety and connivance, call or email them with a simple thank you.  If they are not pro-active or just getting their talks started join in, get your thoughts and two cents in there, it beats complaining that nothing is being done.

Till Next Time

Ride Safe, Ride Fast As You Can, But Ride.

“G”

The Elephant Rock a Reason to Have a Training Partner

I am old, I am plump, but on June 5, 2011, I had my butt kicked by much older and some plumper bicyclist.  The scene of this embarrassment, The 2011 Elephant Rock (www.elephantrockride.com).  A great ride and party to welcome in the new summer season of Colorado cycling.

I figured that since I can no longer ride with the tall kid I could turn my attention to the short kid as a riding companion.  I figured what the heck, he wants to be part of our riding, has a nicer than mine bike, why not.  The Elephant Rock had a 32 mile loop which was as long as kids under 14 were allowed to ride.  He had rode 29 miles before so I signed us both up for that loop and the tall kid for a 62 mile loop with some friends he enjoyed riding with.  The 32 mile loop started with a 4 mile climb of which I guessed to be a 12% grade but was probable more like a true 6% grade.  Since the short kid, like the tall one, does not seem to understand that long inclines are difficult, I was a good Dad and said “I will see you at the top”.  The last I saw of him was when he was passing the lead riders about a quarter of the way up.  Next time I saw him he was clapping for me at the finish line.  The tall kid had left with our friends that we rode a little bit with last summer.  Connor enjoyed riding with them because he was as fast as they were.  A year makes a big difference, after the nice lunch, our friend Ron said that they were looking forward to the tall kid riding with them.  They saw the back of his jersey at the start and it just kept getting smaller, till he was totally gone.  A year really does make a difference.  The tall kid did his 62 miles with an average of 17.2 mph. 

All of this brings me to me.  No I have not ridden the miles I wished I had at this point but we have a 32 mile loop that gets the distance in.  Throw in some of the old fat person intervals and compete against the clock and I should be good right?  Re-think that brainstorm………….theory is good but in reality it is not there.  I had plenty of time to think this over, believe me at an average speed of a blazing 9.8 mph you have time to think.  Not only think but over think.  There were thoughts that if I was alive at the end of this, I was done with cycling.  I was done with the false plateaus, the sick humor of putting a 100 yard stretch of a real 12% grade, in the middle of a 5 mile climb.  Then the thoughts drifted in and out of, I lost my kid…………did he miss a turn, is he lost, did the State Patrol pick him up.  I’m a bad, bad parent.  There was humility, an elderly lady, more elderly than me, in a tie-dyed DRESS, on what appeared to be a beach bike with gears, passed me multiple times, usually going uphill.  The defining moment to top it all, being passed (on that real 12% grade) by a heavy set women, of my seniority pushing her bike up the hill.    Yes, she walked by me pushing her bike up the hill.   That was time for me to get off and give in to walking.

As I walked up that last 25 yards to the false plateau I was convinced that a training partner is the only way to go.  Someone who you can’t cheat with, a person that dangles that carrot in front of you and forces you to push and pick up the rpm’s just a little bit more.  Turn those old fat person intervals into real intervals to get an actual improvement not a presumed improvement.  Yes I have greatly improved this past couple of years, but you can only do so much on your own.  I have assisted the tall kid to the best of my abilities and now it is time for someone else to refine and take him to the next level.  This I understand, but when it comes to ourselves, we always attempt to do it without help and that does not always pan out.

As far as the ride finished, it was a great time, beautiful scenery, great people to be around which made a beautiful day of a two day event.  As far as the climbs go, my bad, this is Colorado and Denver the Mile High City.  The Mile High mark is on the Capitol steps and to leave there you need to go up, in any direction.  A ride in Colorado is a climb no matter where you ride.  But to top the day off, I could not be a prouder parent of how the tall kid and the short kid performed, they gave me much, much pride.

Till Next Time

Ride Safe, Ride Far, Ride Short, But Ride

“G”