The Bike Writer – July 2011

The Pres Sez

John Chester

Greetings from the wettest month of June in Cincinnati recorded history. As a number of friends pointed out, including our BikeWriter Editor, I seemed to be a bit grumpy the last two moist months. I am proud to announce that after ACTUALLY GETTING TO RIDE MY BIKE IN JUNE, that GRUMPY JOHN went away. Sadly, after a week of headwinds on GOBA, he was replaced by TIRED JOHN. But Tired is an improvement over Grumpy!

I got to ride on Mike Sullivan’s Fusion ride one Saturday and out on one Tomb Ride one Thursday night. (And yes, if you want a guarantee that it will be nice, just call me and have me schedule a meeting so I can’t ride). I still say that there is not much better than a ride with your friends.

As I look at our CCC Calendar, it looks like there are bunch of fun rides planned for Saturday July 9th. I am planning my annual Pendleton County Watermelon Crawl, Jeff Salisbury his sponsoring his Hooters Ride, Spokes in Motion is planning their annual Cluster picnic, and the Little Miami is sponsoring the 10^th annual Chili Repeat. If you can’t find a ride for you on that day, you just aren’t looking hard enough! GOOGLE HARDER!!!! Since I am sponsoring my annual MS fundraiser that night, I have guaranteed beautiful weather for all. (It is always nice for the Hooters Ride and Watermelon Crawl, and it often pours during the evening of JC’s MS 150 Party.) I hope it will be a good day on the bike for all of us.

In June, I rode two interesting Charity Rides – Bike Ride for a Greener Covington, and Ride Cincinnati. (Note – a friend of mine named MaryLinda said they need to change Ride Cincinnati to RIDE CAMPBELL COUNTY, as all but 1/10th of a mile is in Campbell County – just saying….) The Greener Covington Ride had the nicest Swag Bag I’ve seen in a while. Ride Cincinnati raised their ONE MILLIONTH DOLLAR for fighting breast cancer. Congrats to both rides, and I hope to see them around for years to come. It was a fun day on both. The CCC lists all of these Charity Rides on our website– go to “Events and Rides”, then click “Fund Raising Rides”. We are always updating that list. So, if you are participating in a local Charity Ride, be sure to contact us to have it listed.

But there is one SAFETY THING I need to talk about. We will call this my summer 2011 Safety Rant – I saw this on both of these Charity rides, as well as on GOBA and on the Tomb Ride. I also heard about it happening on our No Brainer Ride. So, I see a trend. A Bad Trend. FOLKS NEED TO LOOK WHERE THEY ARE GOING!!!! I am certain our LCIs can phrase this better than me, but FORWARD is where you should be looking. Riding side-by-side and looking and talking to each other is a recipe for an accident. I would suggest that folks look ahead – 12 o’clock, and be scanning from 10-2. Riding and turning 90 degrees to talk to the person next to you is a bad idea. Riding and TURNING AROUND to talk to the person behind you is even worse. With all of the rains we have had this year, much of Route 8, both in Campbell and Kenton Counties, has fallen. If you are not looking where you are going, the road just might not be there! So, pretty please – LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING!!!! This concludes my July Safety Rant. I now return you to your regular Pres Sez sign off.

I hope to see you at the picnic July 24th (rain date July 31st)

Remember – Get on your bike, go for a ride, it’s fun!

Cluster News:

Firecracker Cluster: Jim Tiry

The Firecracker Cluster is pleased to announce that we are inviting all to our All Cluster Ride on Saturday August 6, 2011 at 7:30 am.  This ride will be between 25 and 40 miles with hills of moderate difficulty.

Our cluster party will start at 5:00 pm.  Meal and drinks will be provided but please bring a side dish.  Directions can be found here.

What: Firecracker Cluster Party

When: Saturday, August 6th, 2011, starting at 5:00 pm

What: Firecracker all club ride

When: Saturday, August 6th, 2011, starting at 7:30 am

Thanks,

Jim Thiry (Firecracker Cluster)

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SIM Cluster: The Rock

July 9th is the SIM’s Picnic at Gulf Park in Cleves, Ohio.  A marked 40 mile route will be available for riding starting at 8 AM. Bring a chair and something to share. We’ll have the shelter until 4 PM.

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Northern Kentucky Cluster: Tom Runyan

I am still hoping to organize an all club ride and picnic for mid August. Please watch for an announcement in next month’s newsletter.

If you are interested in leading a CCC ride please contact your cluster leader so that they can get your ride officially listed on the calendar thus making it a legit ride and getting it covered by the club’s insurance. Just posting a ride to the ride line does not legally make it a CCC ride thus you lose some of the benefits. Being a ride leader is not complicated and it can be very rewarding. If you have any questions about leading a ride or if you want to have a ride posted on the calendar, have any suggestions or questions about the Northern Ky Cluster, please contact me at the following: http://www.cincinnaticycleclub.org/contact-us/

Ride safe, Tom Runyan

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Little Miami Cluster: Fred Ferguson

We are getting great turnout at all of the weekly LMC rides. There are speed groups to accommodate just about everyone.

We have also been recently experimenting with adding an “extended” Saturday Breakfast ride (option) with a distance of around 63 miles (metric century) for those who can sustain a 17mph avg. The regular 42 mile SBR has not changed and is pulling in 40-50 riders weekly. If you are interested in trying the extended SBR email Fred (lm@cincinnaticycleclub.org) or Ralph Hirshberg and we will get you added to the email list. This new optional ride starts at 7am, so that we can join the regular SBR riders for breakfast at Rosies around mile 42 (ish).

On June 23, the riders at the Thursday Bishop’s Ride were visited by three Jamis Pro riders who were in town for the 3 day Criterium Series that started on Friday in Madeira. The fast riders in the “A” group got to ride along with the Jamis pros for a cool experience. The Bishop’s Thursday ride is pulling in a lot of riders and has been sporting 5 different speed groups. The LMC has two all cluster rides coming up.

Be sure to mark your calendars and save the dates.

July:

Since we are speaking of the Chili Ride, let’s discuss the Chili Repeat.

The Chili Repeat is a rerun of the popular Chili Ride and will be on Saturday, July 9. There is no cost to ride the Chili Repeat and there are no rest stops. But there are quick marts along the route and there will be FREE food at the Finish Line compliments of Kevin Armstrong and one of his clients.

Make sure you save the date and come out and enjoy some of the best rural routes in Cincinnati.

August:

On Saturday, August 13 we will be hosting the Caesars Creek Ride. This is a wonderful scenic ride that starts near the beach on Caesars Creek Reservoir. Last year’s ride featured scenic routes, multiple ride distances, and food at the finish line. Donations were accepted to benefit Juvenile Diabetes.

Have a great month of cycling everyone. See you on the road. ~ Fred

Sunday July 24, 2011–The Club Picnic

John Chester

Note – The Rain Date is Sunday July 31, 2011 (After all of this year’s rain, we are including a rain date). Check the CCC Forum on Sunday morning if it looks like rain.

WHAT: The 2011 Club Picnic and Rides. The Club provides the basic picnic supplies, burgers, dogs, ants. You bring a side dish to share. BYOB for ALL BEVERAGES.

WHO: CLUB MEMBERS, their families, and each member may bring a guest

WHERE: Izaak Walton League, 544 Branch Hill Loveland Road, Loveland OH 45140. Note –the parking lot can hold about 50 cars. If we get more, drop your food off and then go and park up in Loveland and ride the trail down. The Izaak Walton League is about 2 miles south of Loveland. Or even better, RIDE YOUR BIKE TO THE PICNIC!!!

WHEN:

• 8:30am – Doors open for sign in and food drop off
• 9am – Morning Rides of approximately 25 and 50 miles
• 1pm – Lunch. Plenty of time to come by after church for a 1 PM lunch!
• 2pm – Afternoon Ride

We note that much of the Little Miami Bike Trail is COVERED, so even if it is hot, an afternoon ride in the shade can still be fun in the middle of July!

HOW: When you sign in, we will take a count, and then go buy hot dogs and burgers while you are on the morning ride. For those of you who wish to go to Sunday services, please email: President@CincinnatiCycleClub.Org and we will ensure that there is food for you, and then you can go for a ride on the trail in the afternoon.

THE 2011 CCC BAKE OFF:

We will be holding the FIRST ANNUAL CCC PICNIC CONTESTS for APPETIZERS, SIDE DISHES and DESSERT!

Bring your dish to share before the ride. We will give you a number for your item. Everybody in attendance gets one vote per food group. The winner in each category gets a free 2012 CCC membership or National Ride. NOTE – YOU CAN WIN IN ONLY ONE CATEGORY, and WIN ONLY ONCE PER YEAR (as we might do this again at the January 20112 annual dinner if it goes well)

Suggested alphabet split:

• A–F: Appetizers
• G-R: Side Dishes
• S–Z: Desserts

(Although if any A-F or G-R folks want to bring a dessert instead, we would be just fine with that idea!)

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

• Ride Leaders for a 25 and a 50 mile route
• BBQ Grill – Chief Burger Flipper
• Shopping – assistance Sunday morning

Queen City Bike looking for Executive Director

Lead the Revolution

Queen City Bike (QCB) is a non-profit organization that promotes bicycling as a safe, healthy and environmentally wise means of transportation and recreation in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. Queen City Bike’s all-volunteer membership creates and implements bicycling education and advocacy initiatives throughout the year.

The new Executive Director will work with the QCB Board and active members to lead the group’s fund raising, membership development and program work. Good communication, administration, fund raising and organizing skills are a must.

QCB Activities Include:

• Working closely with City/County government agencies to adopt bike-friendly policies
• Monitoring the 2010 Comprehensive Bike Plan
• Building a coalition of individuals, organizations, and businesses that promote bicycle transportation
• Organizing Bike Month each year in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati
• Partnering with and supporting other local alliances
• Encouraging people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to ride bicycles for fun and practical purposes alike
• Presenting bicycling workshops

Skills Needed:  Specific skills needed include experience in the following:

1. Fundraising, grant proposal writing and foundation relations,
2. Building a membership or coalition,
3. Communicating and working well with an active Board and membership,
4. Managing and motivating volunteers and staff,
5. Working with City and County officials as well as community organizations

Major Functions/Responsibilities:

• Increasing, strengthening and diversifying the organizations funding sources to make QCB financially sustainable
• Developing strategies for building membership
• Leading members in advocacy work
• Organizing the evaluation and recognition of 2012-2013 Bike Friendly Destinations
• Developing partnerships with transportation/community/health/environmental groups and other appropriate organizations
• Sustaining and strengthening community and public relations
• Meeting regularly with and reporting to the Board of Directors
• Attending public meetings relevant to infrastructure changes and local transportation issues
• Directing the Bike Friendly Destinations Program and building a coalition of businesses and organizations within the Bike Friendly Destinations Program to leverage their support for bicycle transportation

Major Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Direct experience in non-profit management
• Experience in grant writing and development
• Good business writing skills
• Strong oral communication skills
• Ability to lead meetings and training sessions
• Background knowledge on bicycles as transportation, such as parking requirements and needs of bicycle commuters
• Ability to connect with all kinds of people; as effective in a business meeting as in a neighborhood association meeting
• Self-motivation

We expect the Executive Director to use a bicycle for a significant part of her/his transportation needs related to this program. If you will be unable to do so, please explain in your cover letter.

Compensation: 11 month consulting contract, July 2011 – June 2012:  $14 per hour, approximately 20 hours per week

Applications: Please send a resume with a cover letter and two one-to-two-page writing samples to queencitybike09@gmail.com.

To learn more, visit our website at www.QueenCityBike.org

BIKE LAW 101 – Numbers, Crashes and Lessons from 2010

By Steven M. Magas, The Bike Lawyer

I’ve had this concept in my head for a long time – to really take a hard look at bicycle crashes in Ohio. Specifically, fatal crashes. Finally, the sun, moon and stars have aligned in such a way as to make this possible. While I am still working on the final version of the first annual Review of All Ohio Bicycle Fatalities – some thoughts, and lessons, are slowly emerging.

OHIO – ON A NATIONAL LEVEL

Bicycle fatalities have decreased sharply over the past 30 years. In 1975, the worst year on record for bicycle fatalities, 1003 cyclists were killed in the United States. While the national 2010 numbers are not out yet, in 2009 there were 630 riders killed in the U.S. – a decrease of almost 40%.

There’s more to those numbers, however, which should concern cyclists today. In 1975, KIDS dominated the statistical analysis. Of those 1003 cyclists killed on the roads, 675 of them [a whopping two-thirds] were under the age of 16. There were 323 “adult” fatalities. However, in 2009, 87% of the 630 cyclists who died on the roads were over the age of 16 – 545 riders. So despite a 40% decrease in fatalities, ADULT fatalities have increased from 323 in 1975 to 545 in 2009.

This probably jives with your own observations and experiences, eh? For me, I was 18 in 1975 and rode my bike everywhere for the years leading up to getting my driver’s license. Second and third cars were still somewhat rare in that era. We rode all over town as kids – leaving after breakfast and sometimes not quite making it home for dinner. I can’t imagine kids today doing that. Bike riding, in general, is way down in the kid population today, while adult riding has never been MORE popular [unless you go back to the 1890’s, and that’s a “whole nother” column to write…]

Ohio has always ranked, statistically, in a group of states in what I see as the “second tier” of the fatal crash universe. The “Big Three” are always Florida, California and Texas – with Florida leading the way by far. 40% or more of all U.S. cycling fatalities occur in those three states each year. Florida and California typically have more than 100 fatalities each. Texas is in the 50-60 range. Other states that normally have significant numbers are New York [40+], North Carolina [30+] and Illinois [20+].

This “second tier” is a group of states that normally have 10-20 cycling fatalities. This group includes Ohio, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia.

Ohio has a LOT of cyclists – a lot of very active bike clubs and a lot of national and regional rides and cycling activity. We may not have the weather of CA or FL or SC but we definitely have a passion for cycling passion that matches ANY state!

OHIO – CRASH HISTORY

Ohio averages around 15-16 fatal crashes per year. I thought that this figure was not so large that studying each fatality would not be impossible – at least for one guy who also had a “real” job. Since I have handled close to 300 “bike” crashes and thousands of auto crashes over the past 29 years, I figured I had the skills to look at these crashes, figure out what happened, see if the police “got it right” in their analysis and see if there were any lessons to be learned.

By 2010, the digital age has snuck up on even Ohio to such a degree that much of the  data I needed was as close as my computer. There are more than 800 police and sheriff jurisdictions in Ohio – each one with the power to investigate crashes, write crash reports and make decisions about fault, negligence, and traffic code violations which can dramatically impact the rights of each crash victim.

Today, some of these police departments allow you to download crash reports from their websites [of course, the “On” button on the computers of some of these departments has a thick coating of dust… but, I digress…]

The first problem I faced in looking at the 2010 fatal crashes was simply FINDING them. Fortunately, the Ohio Department of Public Safety has been very helpful. As a result of extensive digging, I now have 250+ page reports for each year from 2005-2010. These reports list EVERY crash report in Ohio in which a “bicycle” or “pedalcycle” was listed as an involved vehicle – more than 12,000 crashes in the last six years!

In each of these reports there was one line of data for each crash. Some of the data was clear – listing the date, time and location. Some of the data was numeric – how many people were injured or killed. Some data was numerically coded – so a 1 might mean “sunny” in the weather column and a 37 means “bicycle” in the “Unit Type” column. By going through and finding each crash with a “1” in the death column I was able to track down the fatal crashes for 2010.

The report also helped figure out which of the 800 or so police jurisdictions had prepared the actual report. What I wanted was not just statistical data, but the original report, along with all witness statements, photographs and any accident reconstruction analysis performed by police. Fatal crashes “tend” to be investigated more thoroughly than injury crashes by more senior crash investigators.

THE RESULTS

The State of Ohio has not yet finalized its data for 2010 – they are still adding things up! However, from what I have received so far I can tell you a few things:

• So far, there have been 11 bike deaths reported for 2010 – 9 men and 2 women. Average Age- 43.6. Median Age – 39. One under age 16.
• There were two hit/run deaths in Columbus – Jeff Stevenson and Trent Music. Both were struck at night. The driver who hit Mr. Music was found shortly after the crash. The driver who allegedly struck and killed Mr. Stevenson was charged with two felonies a few weeks ago after DNA evidence on her car matched up with Jeff.
• Two deaths occurred while cyclists on a bike path were crossing a road to get back to the bike path. One was clearly the rider’s fault… the second I’m not so sure about.
• Five deaths occurred in the dark. Riders were ALL poorly lit. Three were clearly the car driver’s fault. Five were clearly the bike rider’s fault. Three were blamed on the bike rider… but I have questions…
• The youngest rider was 11-year-old Dakota Farrow who was killed on 8/27/10. If you simply read the media reports you would think this young man simply rode into traffic from his driveway. However, by reading the report I learned that the motorist who ran into Dakota had his right [driving] foot in a BOOT cast because he had fractured it some weeks earlier. He claimed to have a doctor’s note “at home” which allowed him to drive. The driver was not charged and case was written up as being young Dakota’s fault…
• One rider, Michelle Kazlauski, was killed on the Pelotonia fundraiser ride. Michelle was part of a group of riders being directed by police through a stop sign at a T-intersection. State troopers were holding up traffic to allow the riders to move through, but one fellow couldn’t stop. His brakes “failed” and he drove past the trooper and into the intersection, hitting and killing Michelle. He was charged with, and plead guilty to, vehicular manslaughter. His 90-day sentence was not served – the judge allowed him to do six days of “community service” instead of three days in jail and suspended the remaining 87 days of the sentence.

Each of these cases is as unique as the people involved. Each presents it’s own story to tell. At this year’s Ride of Silence in Columbus all were remembered and honored.

• Melissa Cornell – 5/12/10 – Marietta, OH
• Jeff Stevenson – 5/21/10 – Columbus
• James Chapple – 7/5/10 – Brunswick, OH
• Lawrence Furniss – 7/24/10 – Trumbull County
• Alex Martin – 8/4/10 – Montgomery County
• Michelle Kazlauski – 8/24/10 – Columbus
• Dakota Farrow – 8/27/10 – Licking County
• Thomas Spurgin – 9/1/10 – Champaign County
• James Trammel – 9/20/10 – Clermont County
• Istvan Takaca – 9/29/10 – Cleveland
• Trent Music – 11/16/10 – Columbus

Good Luck & Safe Riding!

Steve Magas

Helping Prospective Riders

Jim Lindner

I received an email from a prospective rider and responded today. As my response seemed to cover a lot of information about the club, and my ride, I thought it may be useful to others who know perspective riders who would not be able to start with the rides they do as an experienced rider…..

Hi Jim,

I just bought a bike and was searching online for a mellow way to get started. Could you tell me more about the Cincinnati Cycle Club? I’m interested in joining, since having more structured rides will probably get me out more often. I’m excited to start but from reading over the website I feel like there’s more I need to do and buy before I can join these rides.

Thanks,

Xxxx

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Xxxx,

My CHCC Decaf Ride (At noon on Sundays) is designed for you, as are some versions of other rides within our club. I missed responding before yesterday’s ride. It would have been a good get acquainted ride, as we had more than the usual number of stops and plenty of discussion of available casual rides. Your riding ability would and will be accommodated on my ride.

This week my daughter who will be 7 by next weekend rode attached to my bike on a trailer bike, (She almost always pedals, and lives for the ice cream stop) while Steve trailered his 2 1/2 year old daughter who slept most of the way, but added my daughter to the trailer for the last mile or so. We had two women with us, one over 60 who started riding after hip replacement last year. She has become quite the enthusiast and enjoys riding with others and us. She is a much better rider than she admits to herself. The last rider we had was on our second ride with us and she is new to the area. She is younger and lives and works near the CVG airport.

As far as what else you need to buy, you need a helmet for our rides and a water bottle. If you show up without a helmet I can’t include you. If you don’t have a water bottle I will pass public drinking fountains, and watch you close to be sure you don’t get dehydrated. I am a regular commuter, who my wife would argue has plenty of bike related gear. I often lead the Decaf in comfortable street clothing so new riders won’t feel out of place.

For such a short casual ride with SAG (Fatigue, Emergency, or Breakdown – Bike and Rider Pickup) available, you do not need additional gear. The first additional things you will want, to participate in more rides, will be a spare tube, bike shorts, and a small air pump. You can decide what additional things as you do more riding. It sort of depends on what you think you need at that point. I’m sure other riders will help you out.

Some other notes are that the Cincinnati Cycle Club weekly rides allow visitors, but our insurance only covers members and your first ride with us. I therefore will encourage you to join after your first ride as it is not expensive and I think a good value. You will enjoy discounts at many bike stores, on our national rides, and free picnics, if you choose to join us. Official (insured and subject to club rules) rides will be on www.cincinnaticycleclub.org. A link on the home page directs you to “The Cincinnati Ride Line”. This web location is used for last minute announcements and non-CCC club rides. I don’t guarantee that these will be social rides. Read the descriptions close (and maybe make a phone call) as some are race group rides, where it may be a challenge to the riders to leave the new rider in the dust.

If riding for the first time on any ride it may be best to contact the ride leader ahead of time (as you have done here) and when you arrive identify yourself as a new rider. It is usually recommended that you arrive at least 15 minutes early to sign in and unload your bike. My ride is a little too casual to worry about that, as I (coming from church) am not always that early as a ride leader.

Ask Mr. Cranky:

In case you missed me last month, my friends call me Mister Cranky. Each month I will try to offer worthless advice to your insincere cycling questions. And if I don’t get enough questions I’ll just make up some to help you get over the fear of asking me something I cannot answer. So if you have a few worthless questions about riding a bike you have come to the worst possible place for advice.

Dear Mr. Cranky,

I’m confused about what type of computer I should buy for my bike. What are your recommendations?

Hal

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Dear Hal,

There are several things to consider when buying a computer for your bike. Do you need GPS with mapping and turn-by-turn directions? Do you want to record your activities and analyze them on your home computer? Do you want to monitor power output and/or heart rate? If you want any of these items, you will need to look at the top end computers from companies like Polar and Garmin. If you are interested in after ride analysis be sure to consider the software used for the analysis. While Garmin’s 500, 705 and 800 give you tons of data during the ride, the analysis software that comes with it is lacking in features.

Polar’s analysis software is more detailed but some of the computer’s user interface is far from being simple to operate. Just about all computers will give you distance, odometer, time, speed, average speed and clock with an auto start feature. The next step up will generally include wireless capabilities, cadence and heart monitor.

Since the electronics by most of the major manufactures are quite reliable the choice comes down to looks and display size once you have decided on the features you desire. So before you buy a bike computer list all the features that you must have and then compare the various brands. Once you have locked in on a specific model ask around the club rides to see if someone has that specific model and get their opinion.

Personally I am waiting for that next generation Acme bike computer that comes with a bottom bracket motor that will give me pedaling assistance whenever the speed drops below 10 mph or the grade goes above 4%. And since the computer has GPS it will always turn on the motor prior to any city sign or known sprint point. If listing features and shopping sounds like too much of an ordeal you can use my quick list below to help you pick out your computer.

By Age:

• If you are 60+ you don’t need a computer because electronic gizmos are too complicated.
• If you are 50 – 60 you need one with a 7 inch display so you can read the numbers.
• If you are 30 – 50 you want a computer with Bluetooth so you can listen to music and answer telephone calls while checking email.
• If you are 12 – 30 you want a computer that can text and surf the web while monitoring your Facebook page. It also has to be able to stream HD – 3D movies on a 2 inch screen and also be able to capture the entire ride in HD video for uploading after the ride.

Still undecided? Maybe using the career guide will help.

• If you are a Stock Broker, you want a computer with an altimeter that only displays positive grades even when things are going downhill fast.
• If you are a Manager, you need a computer without any buttons because once you start riding you wont have anyone there to tell you which buttons to push.
• If you are a Nurse, you need a computer that has a very loud beep for each heartbeat and one that will mount vertically on the bar where your camelback bag is hung on.
• If you are Doctor, you don’t need a display on your computer because the nurse will be able to read it for you.
• If you are a Professional Geek, you need a computer with lots of functions and memory because you like to go back and look at all the numbers and spend hours analyzing the readouts only to realize you still need to lose 20 lbs.
• If you are in Sales, you need a computer with a big display because you only care about the number you are about to see, after all everything else is old news.
• If you are in Marketing, you need a computer that displays Kilos because you like telling everyone how high your numbers are.
• If you are in Consulting, you don’t need a computer because you are more interested in analyzing the other guy’s computer and results to see how well he is doing.
• If you are in Project Manager, you want a computer with GPS so you can tell everyone when it’s time to sprint.
• If you work for the Police, you need a computer that has a Kryptonite lock computer mount and a GPS tracking device built in.
• If you work in IT, you need a computer that runs on Solar or battery power, has redundant speed and cadence sensors and is liquid cooled because you know it will crash at least once a day.
• If you are an Ebay-er, you have a computer that is also a tablet/mp3 player/cell phone/HR monitor that retailed for $400 but you purchased for $15.
• If you are an Hourly worker, you want a computer that only displays elapsed time.
• If you work in HR, you need a computer that analyzes the group as a whole and recommends which 5% of the riders to drop on the next ride.
• And of course if you are VP or above you don’t need a computer because there is an entire team willing to tell you how fast you are going.

Happy Cranking,

Mr. Cranky

Do you have a question you need help with? Ask Mr. Cranky by sending a self addressed email to AskMrCranky@gmail.com and watch for a response in an upcoming newsletter.

Disclaimer: The advice provided on Ask Mr. Cranky is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice from a knowledgeable bike shop or cyclist. Neither the individual contributor or the Cincinnati Cycle Club nor anyone else connected to this newsletter can take any responsibility for the results or consequences of any recommendation.

Share the Road License Plate now available for Hoosiers

Hoosiers – Display your pedal passion on your plate

The Bicycle Indiana license plate is available to order click HERE to go to the BMV website and order yours!

In just a few months, you’ll be able to tell the world you’re a cyclist even when you’re driving – and, at the same time, support safe cycling throughout the state.

Bicycle Indiana’s I Share the Road license plate will be available January 1, 2012. Put one on your vehicle for $40 above the usual cost of your plate and the state will send $25 to Bicycle Indiana to support its efforts to improve bicycling in Indiana.

Learn more about the license plate, sign up to receive updates and indicate your interest in reserving a low plate number by filling out this form License Plate. And thanks to all of you who signed the petition to help make this happen.

Questions? Read this Q&A from the BMV: BMV Notes

Safety and Education: Rider and Ride Leader Responsibilities Update

Jim Lindner

It’s been a while since we’ve updated rider and ride leader responsibilities.

I have heard it said that the roads are free to anyone to ride on, so we must accept all who wish to ride on Club rides. This may in a sense be true, but certain expectations exist when riding with a group. We have for years posted these expectations on our web site. I congratulate the Club and Steve Wegener for expanding the club’s value to its members beyond previous expectations with our new insurance. With this increased value I feel it is appropriate that the responsibilities are increased. It is my hope that most of you will feel that the changes I am about to mention are to your benefit and worthy of your support.

The Club has for years had a liability insurance that covers the volunteer leadership including ride leaders. Steve guided us to switch to LAB insurance that provides some accident insurance to all members on Club Rides. Obviously, this is not a replacement for personal accident insurance, as it will only cover member’s club activities. It also may cover invited first time visitors to Club Rides. To be able to take advantage of this coverage the insurance underwriter and the Cincinnati Cycle Club has some expectations. Most of these expectations have not significantly changed from previous club procedures, but are more important as their value has increased. These should be written into our website and I expect our web site will soon catch up with these changes, if it has yet to do so by publication time. The BOT will regularly review the status of it’s coverage, so you may in future years want to check if we have continued this benefit, but so far I applaud the decision to include it in our expenses.

For a ride to be an Official Club Ride it must be listed on the CCC web site calendar. This requires approval of a cluster leader and therefore is not as easy as listing on the non-club ride line. Listing on the ride line does not make a ride an “Official Club Ride”,

Riders must be signed in on the insurance provided single-line/youth or adult/multi-line waiver, at least on their first club ride, and must wear a helmet.

In case of an injury accident the insurance company needs to be notified ASAP. Provided for you to report an accident are a 24-hour phone number (1-800-566-7941) and an online Incident Report is available at their website. A PDF of the Incident Report is available in their Event Package and should printed for use at all national events.

I am asking Ride Leaders to take on the responsibility of reporting directly to the insurance company. Please let me know of Incidents as the club officers have been asked to confirm the membership, or first time visitor and “Official Ride Status” for incidents that occur. I likely will not in a single phone call be able to ask enough questions to fill out the form. The PDF version can be faxed incomplete, but do get whatever witness information you can at the time of the accident to better fill out the form. Without witnesses or a ride sign in it may be difficult to confirm a rider was on an Official Ride. I also have discovered it may not always be easy to confirm that a rider was or was not on their first visitor ride. The obvious solutions are to improve our whole club record keeping to include first time rider list or to “officially” not “re-invite” non-members on our rides.

Such changes would need to come from the BOT of the CCC.

Due to a sudden increase in accidents on club rides, I am asking that incidents be more closely monitored and that ride leaders take the special precautions of asking riders to report areas and incidents of concern to the ride leaders. I am also asking that the ride leaders mark and/or warn their riders of problems that are reported. I have also considered that we may need to talk to public officials to get hazards fixed. If you are unwilling to report problems yourself or feel that a request from a club official will get a better response please let me know. I will need detailed information in order to communicate a problem to the officials.

No request for changes in ride formats have yet been made. I have some concerns about how some of our rides are structured, and if we can, or should at this time, attempt to make them safer. My concerns are not new, and may have been discussed before, but as they are related to safety, and we seem to have had an increase in accidents, I will introduce the subject and review ride formats for discussion at the next BOT meeting to see if we should make changes. If your ride format appears different in some way from other rides you may want to consider if it needs to change or if you, a ride leader, or a cluster leader may want to be at this meeting. I would like to hear why you feel this variation is of benefit to your ride and the club. It is my preference that we continue to support as many rides for different rider types as possible, so please do not assume I want to eliminate your ride format. If I feel your ride format is for some reason not as safe as others within the club, it will be discussed and if the BOT has suggestions these will passed on to the Cluster Leader for their review. As always all members are invited to the BOT meeting July 14th as input is appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim Lindner

(513) 742-2411

Coach OB: Drinking and Spinning

I hope this article finds you well, enjoying the hot weather and staying hydrated!

One of the most frequent questions I am asked as a coach and avid cyclist is what I drink before, during and after riding. No way around it, as athletes we need to consume more water than the average not-so active person. Even on days when it is not approaching 90 degrees, I drink about three or four 32 oz. containers of water during the day. On those extra hot days, I will go through an additional one or two bottles. I will also add a lemon wedge to my day bottle. The added citrus helps your body retain vitamins and minerals that might normally get flushed out should you over-hydrate.

When I leave for a ride, I start off with two bottles of an electrolyte drink, such as Hammer Nutrition’s Heed. This also has complex carbohydrates for energy while pedaling. When these are gone, it is straight water in my bike bottles. On average, I drink one bottle per hour and on hotter days, one bottle every 45 minutes. If I stop during the ride, I will get a Gatorade or similar drink.

As soon as I am finished with my ride, I consume 20+ oz. of water. Within 10 minutes of climbing off the bike, I have my recovery drink, Hammer Recoverite. The market is full of different recovery drinks; find one that works for you. I prefer Recoverite because I like the taste and it contains a balanced mix of carbs, electrolytes and whey protein.

Now that you are in-tune with your hydration let’s tune-in to the importance of a good spin. Keeping a high cadence is paramount to a cyclist. A great target cadence is about 85 to 95 rpm. Whether you are riding 20 miles, or 120 miles, your legs and the rest of your body, will profit from not mashing the gears. Granted, there are times when you need to slog it out, like pushing over that 15 second steep climb.

In general though, your legs will stay “fresher” and you will not have to work as hard if you maintain a higher cadence. You can save your leg muscles from over-working and over-straining by keeping a high spin. So, if you can travel the same distance, save a few heartbeats AND save power for when it really matters, why not?!?

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at coachob@coachob.com, I will be more than happy to answer them in my next article.

Eat Well! Sleep Well! Ride SMART!!!

Coach OB

Whatever your goals, Coach OB has the experience and resources to help you improve your cycling abilities. Coach OB Has custom plans designed specifically to fit your goals with a custom built training program to fit into your schedule.

Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering seeks cyclist input

Survey of Bicyclists Crossing I-71 via Martin Luther King Drive or Lincoln/University Aves.

In 1998, the City of Cincinnati installed a signed bike route along Lincoln and University  Avenues (to encourage timid cyclists onto a lower speed/lower volume street) and re-striped Martin Luther King Drive from Reading Road to Victory Parkway with a wide curb lane (creating space for faster cyclists to share a lane with motor vehicles).

In June 2011, the Department of Transportation and Engineering (DOTE) restriped M. L. King with designated bike lanes based on recommendations of the Cincinnati Bicycle Transportation Plan, adopted by City Council in June of 2010.

We are seeking feedback from existing cyclists about their experiences before and after the re-striping of King Drive.  You can enter your answers on the following website: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BC2KVZ2.

Thank you for your time and contribution to making Cincinnati a better city!

Robert Vickrey, P.E.

Acting City Engineer, Department of Transportation and Engineering

Future CCC Members in Training

Several CCC members sponsored riders in the St. Jude Trike-A-Thon that took place in May 2011 at the Holy Cross Child Development Center in Fairfield, OH.

CCC Commuter Challenge

Don Burrell

The second quarter is up and the Commuter Challenge is still in business, so your commuting miles may now be forwarded to me at dburrell@oki.org . We had a slow start from the first quarter, so, if you didn’t submit miles in April, they will also be welcome now. The attached table is as of July 1 deadline.

The record rainfall during the last three months probably put a damper on those of us who avoid riding in the rain. My bike trips to work during bike month (May) were only four, but I got two of them in during bike week. CCC member Frank Henson posted a Bike Month wrap up on the Queen City Bike page. Highlights are that it was the most successful celebration yet for Cincinnati.

The Bike Friendly Destinations program was begun and gained 40 participants, who encourage employees and customers to bike, thru the work of Jess Linz. Metro and TANK again offered free rides on Bike to Work Day for cyclists using the bus racks. Bike to baseball drew around 14 bike commuters to see the Reds. Downside: the CCC’s Ride of Silence had to be cancelled due to scheduling problems for Fountain Square.

So get on your bikes and ride – and turn in your miles.