While I’ve talked a lot about the Seattle to Portland (STP) ride in the past, I unfortunately wasn’t able to make it this year. Luckily David Bussey did – and completed it in one day. David is a long time friend of JustAnotherCyclist.com, and was also one of the core members of the VeloReviews online cycling community. I’m excited that David agreed to share his experiences from the 2016 STP.

STP where virtual meets reality

By David Bussey

The decision

I ride with a group of guys with an interactive online cycling “game” called Zwift, where you ride your bike in the game, and as you pedal faster thru ant+ speed or power meter and cadence your in game rider rides faster.  This game launched beta in late 2014, I got an invite approval in April 2015, still early in the process. This group of riders races together, does 62 mile weekly endurance rides, and we use an audio app that lets us in essence have “race radio”.  We have gotten to know each other but not IRL (in real life).  Well, late in 2015 we began talking about getting this group to meet up for a ride, maybe STP [Seattle to Portland]. Some had done it in prior years some (myself) had not. We decided to give it a go, and to do the 205 mile ride in one day. What?

Goals

Some goals were thrown around in addition to the one day finish, including a 10 hour finish. To me that’s ride time, to others that’s total time.  Ok really!  A couple of us in the group were somewhat worried as we know that if you go out too fast, bad things can happen.

Training

So we had roughly 10-15 committed riders, and we signed up. We had 2 sag vehicles lined up, a place to stay etc. Just needed training.  Averaging roughly 120 miles per week through winter, much of the work was being done. Thru July I had logged 3500 miles, 80% of which was on the trainer. What about hills? What about long miles?  The weekly 60 mile rides is endurance paced, and hills are done virtually in the game.  I rode Ronde Portland in April, with one of the online new friends, was very sick a week prior so the 7000+ feet of climbing wasn’t pretty but it was accomplished.  Did a CXMTB race in May, and added some 30 mile out door rides (after 25 mile indoor races) thru June, and short track racing weekly.

Decided to do a solo century 12 days before STP to get an idea of fitness, endurance and speed.  Chose a local century course with about the same elevation as STP in 105 miles,  overall it was a great ride,  more stops then I wanted due to course marking issues, ended at 126.5 miles, 5459 ft in 7:33:50, I did the first 100 under 6 hours moving (goal I set) and somehow set 2 PRs in the last 28 miles, but at 16.7 mph even solo, it’s not near 20 mph, but I knew I could go long.  No real taper the week of STP same 100 mile week as usual.

Plans go awry/bus to Seattle

Initially we were going to catch a ride to Seattle with a guy from the online group coming in from Boise, but due to a death in his family he was unable to drive, causing a last minute look at options to get to Seattle.  We ended up on the Portland Wheelmen, a local cycling group, charter bus for $65 and they truck your bike. Rode up with the guy I rode Ronde Portland with. The bus dropped us off at Univ. of Washington about a mile from our hotel. We checked in and went out for lunch and then waited for the rest of the group, coming from Boise and Spokane.

Meeting the group

We came back to the hotel and most of the group had arrived. Again these are people we have never met but as we talk and ride together 3 or more times a week, we know these people very well, so it was more like a reunion than a first meeting. A really nice way to start the weekend. After everyone checked in to the hotel we all went to Performance Bike for odds and ends, ride food, socks etc. Went to Trader Joes for breakfast, bananas etc, oh and we learned about wine in a beer can at Trader Joe’s.

What no sleep (2 am mystery)

Back to the hotel it was time for final packing of saddle bags, jersey pockets, etc,  even some good natured pranks were perpetrated. Then it got real, how do 3 adult dudes divide up 2 queen beds. Turns out the old guy gets the solo bed, sweet!  Well with 3:15 wake up call, is 11:30 too late for bed?  Didn’t sleep till just after midnight. I never sleep well before a big event, even at home, and this would be no exception. It didn’t help that at exactly 2:00 AM we got a loud knock on the door. Another prank? No one took responsibility, but that didn’t help the sleep and 3:15 came with maybe 2 and a half hours total sleep. 

3:15 time to get moving

A quick shower, final pack of bags, bagels with peanut butter and honey, and out in time to load an extra bag into the sag trailer.  The group is all assembled downstairs, including about 20 in all. 16 guys, 3 girls, a newer rider whose longest ride ever was 50 miles, and the sag driver.  We have a quick ride up a small hill then a fast dark descent to the University of Washington parking lot start area.  We got there on time, but found ourselves further back in the sea of flashing red lights than we had hoped.  A few thousand  one day riders.

4:45 race start, almost

There are so many riders for STP that they stagger the start in waves so as to not have a traffic jam causing a walking start to the ride. The announcer, a young lady all hyped up beyond normal coffee, was “entertaining” the crowd like a DJ at a concert. “Just bring out the band” we think, while waiting for the official release of wave one.  The start countdown is finished and the slow roll towards the start begins, looks like we made the first wave, but she calls a stop and a rope is brought up to stop the group, with us now on the start rope first row for wave two.  10 minutes to wait which it turns out was a blessing as we would have virtually free roads until we caught those in wave one. More DJ style banter untill they again start the countdown for wave 2. Finally we start with our large group, including a couple ringers (can you have ringers in a charity ride?) that our fastest rider pulled together for his 10 hour goal.

Police escort dark descent

It’s 5am, cloudy and very dark as we descend the twisty roads from the University down to the road that goes around Lake Washington. It’s fast. It’s dark. There are many intersections and within a mile or so we are already passing the rear of the first wave.  Thankfully the Seattle police have basically shut down every intersection of this descent, allowing cyclist to quickly traverse what otherwise would be a bit of a hairy situation if we had traffic to worry about on these unfamiliar dark roads. The first rest stop comes quickly at 19.3 mph.  We make a quick stop for bananas and water.  At this point we have lost one in the group, and one with the goals is already off the front. The next 20 miles will take us to the first climb of the day. 

Group stays together mostly (one speed 23mph)

The strongest rider in the group that’s still together makes the statement “I will suck anyone’s wheel, any time any place”.  Well this comes in handy in the next 20 miles as we find a recumbent rider who only has one speed: 23 miles per hour.  He is always in front and never wanted help. He makes the perfect wheel for our group to suck.  Even with our large group 23 is a fast pace, still tolerable, but at stop lights and in the back of the group, we begin to ask how long we can keep this pace and still finish reasonably strong.  With the climb looming the topic is at the forefront.

Discussion of a split protected rider

We average 21 mph from the rest stop to the climb, between our group and the recumbent things are moving right along, but there is still talk of a split, as even drafting this is a fast pace and any gap requires work to close.  The protected rider and I decide to let the group go. The deal is the protected rider was not wearing yellow, but she was 5 and a half months pregnant. That’s right.  50 miles into a 205 mile double century and we are riding with a woman with child.  She is a strong rider to start, and has been riding weekly centuries for the last few months. She just wants to keep her heart rate in a lower range than the fast pace we have been moving, and I personally just don’t want to blow up and just finish.  She is an amazing rider with the skills and intuition of a racer, although she has never raced except in the game.  So her friend and the 2 of us let the rest of our group go as we start the climb. At this point we think we may reconnect with the rider that dropped in the first hour of the ride.

Half way

Even without our group we find some real strong riders along the way to help pull. One guy in particular was maybe 65 and as strong as a horse.  We were happy to meet up with him. The little motivations that keep things moving.  There were some nice long off the road sections, one on a long reclaimed railroad trail, and one through a section of the Lewis-McChord military base.  Nice to not have to worry about cars traffic etc. even for 20-30 miles. We also met back up with the other girl from our group, she had sealer leaking from her tubeless tires and we caught her at a rest stop mechanics tent.

The halfway point is Centralia Washington, 102 miles in. We arrive around 11:30 AM. Our average speed for the first half is 19 mph,  5 hours 21 min ride time, good for any century not to mention the first half of a double.  As we are eating a bit of lunch the protected rider looks at her bike and says, I think my seat is loose.  She touches it and it falls off straight to the ground.  We all start laughing at how her husband installed her saddle. We check our phone app, find my friends to see where our dropped rider was, and somehow he is ahead of us, back with the main group.  Come to find out later he skipped a couple of rest stops to catch back with the main group.  A couple of restroom breaks, more chamois cream, and we are off for the second 100 miles.

Lots of stops

The next 50 miles takes us to Longview, many punchy hills of various lengths, none a big deal individually, but one after another they burn a few matches.  This section of the ride we spend a lot of time pulling groups of riders, riders who don’t want to or can’t work, but as we have the protected rider with us we stop for every rest stop on the course.  I was fine with this, as I wanted to reapply as much chamois cream as possible.  Before we know it we are in Longview, heading across the big bridge climb over the Columbia River to Rainier, Oregon.  We find it Interesting that in Washington the ride directions are painted on the roads. For some reason Oregon will not allow such markings, as such turns are marked on placards hung on posts, etc.  This may be a county rule as other rides I’ve done in Oregon have painted markings on the road.

State line it’s gonna happen

At this point in Rainer it’s starting to feel like this is going to happen. It seems so close with 50 miles yet to go.  Still stopping at rest stops every 15 miles or so, again I blame the protected rider. After every stop it’s the same thing: pull onto the road, pass riders and each latches onto our train.  I’m sure they were less than excited each time we pull off at the next stop.  At this point roughly 30 miles to go, I’m really starting to feel the fatigue, the many matches, and these girls are so strong, taking 5-10 minute pulls, yet they don’t seem to be cracking one bit.  I keep going to save face if nothing else. 

St. Helens 30 miles is it over coke adds life

The rest stop at St. Helens Oregon High School was the last big rest stop.  30 miles from the finish, lots of food, nice grassy hill to relax, eat and talk about our progress this far, knowing that our group is about 10 miles up the road. More pep talking, and some Coca Cola just like the Pro Riders drink.  Truth be told if I had been solo, I may have been close to an Uber finish, but can’t do that,  so close.  And the saying on my coke can was “all I do is win”.

Last hill to St Johns

We leave St. Helens with 20 miles to the last real hill on the ride, the run up to the St Johns Bridge.  Our pace continues at the same level, till the bridge brings things to a very slow climb, all matches are gone. Just working with determination only, and not being willing to quit, even the protected rider is doing this, I must keep it going.

No escorts stop lights galore

Once into St Johns, it’s a mostly flat ride in to the finish. Unlike the police presence in Washington as we left Seattle, Portland seems like they don’t care much that this ride comes through the city, except for the party at the finish at Holiday Park in the Lloyd Center district. It seems as we head into the finish we hit every single red light.  More annoying than anything, as at mile 190 plus you are ready to be finished.  The last 5 miles we average 14.5 mph with all the stops.

The finish

The end of the ride comes with a final stop, across the street from the finish, we see no reason for it, we were stopped manually buy a guy holding a stop sign like a road work flagger might have. Might have been for the photographers to be ready, we were baffled. On the go we ride into the finish chute, we can hear our group yelling from behind the barriers as we come in, I make sure to sprint so the photo is awesome, and I don’t want to be “chicked” by the protected rider and her friends.

The fastest in our online group was in the fastest 4 of the ride, he finished the 204 miles in 10 hours 5 minutes total time, ride time of 9 hours 31 minutes, with 2 flats fixed during his stop time. His average speed was 21.5 mph.  Our main group averaged 20 mph ride time, and the protected rider group final ride time was 11 hours 5 minutes, average of 18.7 mph.  Pace dropped slightly the second half, but overall a great ride with some great friends, real or virtual.

Post event Sunday breakfast (glad I’m not riding today)

Sunday morning we all got together for a post ride breakfast.  There were 20+ and we had a great time, remembering the ride the day before, all glad to not be riding this day.  Making plans for next year, for other meet ups of the virtual group even our next online ride in two days time. The rider off the front has had many 150 mile races this summer most faster than the STP pace he set.  The protected rider went on in August to “Ride Idaho” a 400+ mile multi-day ride at 6.5 months pregnant, in fact she is still riding with our online Zwift group, likely till the last day we are all guessing.  Our online group still rides together 50-100 miles a week, racing and chatting as we put in our training miles for our next real life adventure.

TeamODZ.com

zwift.com

https://www.strava.com/activities/643415681

I avoided riding with headphones for a long time. I simply wasn’t that comfortable with my ears covered – especially in busy San Francisco traffic. I had experimented a couple of times with riding with one earbud in. But this invariably lead to me either hearing only half of the music, or switching back and forth between stereo and mono settings on my iPhone. Neither of these options were particularly appealing.

However, after a little shopping on Amazon I came across the Far End Gear XDU stereo earbud. It plays both the left and right stereo channels it a single earbud.

Until I lay my hands on a super-awesome smart helmet with magical bone-conducting wireless audio, a single earbud is the only legal option in the state of California and many other jurisdictions. I’m aware of the performance gains of music from hours on the indoor trainer with headphones on or stereo blasting. But in traffic safety and legal concerns have to come first.

All that puts the single earbud situation in a weird place. I want to be able to block out enough noise to hear the music without interfering with environmental and situational awareness. This product strikes a good balance.

In the music quality category, the Far End Gear XDU actually performed a lot better than I had expected. When attached to my iPhone, I didn’t feel like either the left or right stereo channel was lost. In fact, it sounded almost identical to a single earbud on stereo headphones with the phone’s audio set to mono. Of course, without requiring me to actually change any settings.

The music had a great frequency range and even a rich, deep bass response. Much better than I’d expect from any earbud.

I’ve only been using it for a few weeks so I can’t really speak to the durability of the product. Some of the online reviews mentioned cord failures. However, what I found online more than anything were compliments on the manufactures amazing customer service.

The cloth covering on the wire doesn’t only enhance strength and help avoid cord tangles. It also has reflective threads in it that increase visibility at night.

The only complaint I do have is that, in certain positions, the wind noise is transmitted into my ears in a very noticeable way. I think this has more to due with… well… physics than any design flaw in the product.

All in all, if you do want to listen to music while riding, the Far End Gear XDU stereo earbud is a great, safe and legal option at a very reasonable price.

The 2017 Salsa Vaya has some updates over previous model years, and one of those is the introduction of a Claris 8 speed build. The bike is being sold as a “road adventure and light touring bike.” I started looking to build up my own touring bike out or Eloise – my vintage Motobecane. As the price point for the SRAM build I was looking at crossed $1000 I started to recall my long unfulfilled desire to own a Surly Long Haul Trucker. That lead me to my favorite local independent bike shop Huckleberry Bicycles. The staff there, continuing their long run of really good service and sound advise, turned me on to the Salsa Vaya.

The cyclocross and gravel scene is influencing all aspects of the cycling world, and the Salsa Vaya Claris is no exception. Stopping power is provided by Hayes CX mechanical disc brakes front and rear. These required a bit more force on the brake levers than I expected to stop the bike, making me wonder how well they will perform in a fully loaded descent. For commuting around town, however, I was able to quickly adapt.

The ample frame and fork clearances provide more than enough room for even the knobby 700x40C WTB Nano tires my build came with. And as a touring bike it is adequately equipped with the appropriate number of eyelets and braze-ons. There are midpoint braze-ons on both the inside and outside of the forks, and a mount point on the bottom of the down tube.

All Vayas have front and rear clearance for 700c x 50mm tires, or 700c x 45mm with fenders. Dress up your Vaya with some knobby treads or take comfort to the next level with the current crop of high-volume road tires on the market.

http://salsacycles.com/culture/vaya_updated_for_2017_in_stock_now

One of the first things I did was mount my trusty Tubus Cosmo rear rack. This stainless steel rack will probably outlive me, and serves me well both for carrying camping gear and the daily commute. Fitting the Tubus on was a little tight, with the forward tube of the rack hitting against the bottom of the seat stay. While Tubus has a solution to this in the form of a bolt-on extension, I opted to keep my rack as low on the bike as possible. There is absolutely no issue with the disc brake clearance however.

The Tubus Nova lowrider rack for the front is still on order so I’ve yet to see how that will fit on. I’m not really expecting any problems though.

The first word that came to mind when I started riding the bike was comfortable. The compliant steel frame and relaxed geometry, coupled with the high volume 700x40C tires made for an incredibly smooth ride. Even the pothole laden San Francisco streets felt smooth. The fairly upright frame geometry puts you in a riding position that is relaxed. I feel like I could sit and pedal this bike all day – exactly what you need in a touring bike.

The other surprising first impression I had was that the bike felt fast. I have a general expectation that a touring bike will be… sluggish. That was not at all the feeling I had on the first couple of rides. Once I mounted my Garmin it became apparent that the bike is not truly that fast. But the overall sensation was of a bike that is just plain fun to ride. I’ve also got a pair of Continental Touring Plus tires on order to use for the daily commute and paved road touring that will undoubtedly speed things up a bit.

I would very much caution against ordering one online without riding it first though. The geometry and riding position make this difficult to size by the numbers. I normally ride a 52cm road bike, but it took a 54 or 55 to feel comfortable on the Salsa Vaya.

This is quickly turning into one of my favorite all-around bikes. It is a solid ride that manages to feel both comfortable and sporty. I can’t wait to get this thing loaded up with camping gear and head out on some gravel mountain roads.

Redmond, WA company Coros Wearables is launching a new helmet that comes with more than the usual bells and whistles. The product, launched on KickStarter, has been dubbed the Coros LINX Smart Cycling Helmet. In a nutshell, it is a bunch of useful technology stuck into a bicycle helmet. If you are going to wear a helmet, you might as well use one that comes with a smartphone app.

I personally have been experimenting with listening to music while riding recently, so this just happened to pop into my awareness at the right time. Recent laws in California – and common sense – mean that riding with both ears covered is illegal as well as dangerous. I recently decided to order a single-earbud device that channels both stereo channels into one ear which seemed a reasonable compromise. I haven’t yet received it yet so I’ve no idea if I’ll like it or not.

The Coros LINX Smart Cycling Helmet takes a different approach however. It uses bone conducting technology to transmit sound without covering the ears – either one of them. Bone conduction of sound is not new, and has had both success and failure in the past. However, I don’t recall anyone yet combining it into the helmet though.

Sound waves are converted into vibrations delivered through your upper cheekbones. The Cochlea receives the vibrations, bypassing the ear canal and ear drum. For cyclists this is super important because that means you can hear audio AND hear your surroundings as you ride, such as cars and other potentially dangerous obstacles.

http://www.coros.com/technology/

It goes beyond a simple combination of helmet and bone conducting headphones, however. It also has an embedded microphone for on-ride calls. The company advertises the ability to make and receive calls directly from the helmet, as well as listening to your music and hearing route cues and directions over the music while riding. There are even hints of a rider to rider communication feature with your buddies on the same ride.

In addition, there is a “G-Sensor” embedded in the helmet. This will call a “loved one” if a crash is detected. Presumably this will all happen through the smartphone app that is you install on your phone. Available for iOS and Android, the app is slated to have GPS functionality and, presumable, a way to tell it what loved one to call should the helmet hit the ground hard enough to trigger it. I haven’t yet been able to find a ton of details about the app, although KickStarter supporter units are slated to ship as early as November.

Last but not least, there is a remote device. Again, this presumably will interact with the smartphone app. And obviously it will take up a little real estate in your bike’s cockpit which, for many of us, is in short supply. That being said, I can see this being fairly handy if the functionality is what one would expect and I can flip through my songs.

Despite my love/hate relationship with bicycle helmets in general, this is one of the KickStarter projects that I actually decided to support. That means I’ll be getting one of these in my hot little hands before most folks. So, stay tuned for an actual review once the product arrives.

If you’ve been living in a car-centric world like most of the US, this picture guide to bikes for car owners can help you understand the different styles. Bikes are just as varied – and maybe more so – than cars. That can make selecting a bike a bit confusing, especially for first time buyers. Most of us have ridden a bike as a kid, but if there has been a gap of a decade or more since you have thrown your leg over a bike, then you are probably in the “first time buyer” camp. When you are a kid you probably just begged your parents for whatever the other kids had. As an adult your decision making process is probably a bit different.

Or maybe not…

At any rate it can be helpful to think of the different bikes in a context of something you already know – different cars. So, here’s your picture guide for bikes. A side-by-side cheat sheet.

Photo Credits

• ^{Bugatti Veyron: By M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18977524}
• ^{Pinarello Dogma F8: By Glory Cycles from Greenville, SC , USA – Pinarello Dogma F8 with Shimano Dura Ace Di2 and Enve 6.7 Wheelset, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35770697}
• ^{NASCAR: By Brian Neudorff – Flickr: 2012 Kobalt Tools 400 in Las Vegas, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20447454}
• ^{Specialized Time Trial Bike: By Sander.v.Ginkel – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33669142}
• ^{Supercharged AMC Javelin: By CZmarlin – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4734163}
• ^{Fixie: https://www.flickr.com/photos/8barbikes/17879972211}
• ^{VW Golf GTI By Thomas doerfer – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11485173}
• ^{Cannondale CAAD 10: By Tonidigital – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19150934}
• ^{2014 Honda Accord: By EurovisionNim – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46186672}
• ^{Urban Commuter Bike: Public Domain. https://pixabay.com/en/bike-city-bicycle-transport-town-755308/}
• ^{Mazda MPV: By Mytho88 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3248663}
• ^{Xtracycle EdgeRunner: From manufacturer.  http://www.xtracycle.com/edgerunner-27d-2016/}
• ^{Ford F150: By Bull-Doser – Own work., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41140621}
• ^{Bakfiets style cargo bike: CC BY 2.5, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11449277}
• ^{Winnebago: By Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia – Minnie Winnie, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25652128}
• ^{Fully Loaded Touring Bike: By Keithonearth – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12780229}
• ^{Ford Model T: By LibertyGroup25 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31039900}
• ^{Pennyfarthing: By Agnieszka Kwiecień (Nova) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14059}
• ^{Grave Digger Monster Truck: CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=142563}
• ^{Fat Bike: Ross Del Duca / JustAnotherCyclist.com}
• ^{2005 Jeep: By Tranquilize at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10471719}
• ^{Specialized Epic Mountain Bike: By Cartemere – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10324181}

Five days ago I ran across an article in the San Francisco examiner titled “Time to mandate bicycle licenses.” I did my obligatory eye-roll and read the article. It was the same arguments we hear over and over again:

• Don’t get mad at me, I’m a cyclist myself
• Cyclists need to be held accountable
• Cyclists need to be treated the same as (those poor) motorists

Funny the article was titled “Time to mandate bicycle licenses.” As if the idea hadn’t ever been suggested before, but now is different. Now is the time.

Yesterday, the plot thickened…

What I didn’t realize at the time is the author of the op-ed piece, Joel Engardio, is also running for the San Francisco board of Supervisors (District 7). And as often happens in politics, there is someone with a different view. This differing view was also expressed on the pages of the San Francisco Examiner by a man running for a District 1 board seat. His response?  Cyclist licenses: Great crankbait, bad policy.

Mandatory registration, license and insurance could ease ongoing resentments between cyclists and motorists. Cyclists will get more protection while motorists will be glad they aren’t alone in being held accountable on the road.

Joel Engardio, arguing in favor of bicycle licensing

Licensing bicycles and their riders won’t help make our streets safer or healthier. It won’t help pay for badly needed infrastructure and programs. In fact, it would probably make things worse for everyone.

Andy Thornley, arguing against bicycle licensing

However, Engardio also brings in the topic of bicycle insurance, which Thornley does not specifically respond to. I also am going to set this topic aside for now, as I plan to write a piece about insurance for cyclists shortly. I also think it is wise to separate the two issues, because the are in fact very very different.

Licensing for bicycles is something that has actually been actively tried and extensively discussed. We have real data to show that it simply does not provided the benefits that those advocating for it hope.

For one thing, the idea of accountability is simply laughable. Putting a little tag on the back of my bike with a number in no way makes me more accountable to the laws than I currently am. The fact that you can easily see my face as I’m on my bike probably makes me more accountable than were my sneering mug hidden behind the reflections on a windshield. A license plate on a vehicle adds traceability to the vehicle itself, not to the person driving. Moving violations are given to drivers, not cars. There are obvious exceptions to this (parking tickets for example) but the point is it is no easier, or more likely, for me to be stopped and ticketed should I break the laws simply because of a license on the back of my bike.

Bicycle licensing is a great campaign statement. It is one of those things that just seem “so obvious” to the folks out there that don’t ride bikes. It is a very subtle us against them inducing statement that has become all too common in politics today. Engardio’s statements imply that he wants bicycle licensing to increase the safety of the roads. He is relying on this common sense gut feeling to make people falsely assume that it will makes our roads safer. He provides absolutely no reasons why it would make things actually safer.

Instead, he peppers in a bunch of anecdotal stories

Currently, bicyclists experience a lot more risk than well-insured car drivers. Seaman recently hit a car door that had opened into a bike lane he was riding in. His injury required 34 sessions of physical therapy. His bike had substantial damage. Yet his auto and home insurance didn’t cover his bike accident (not all policies do). He was on the hook for thousands of dollars in expenses.

But the glaring fact here is that this story has absolutely nothing to do with his argument. The type of accident described above wouldn’t even be covered by the type of insurance mandated for motorists by the state of California. In fact, in the above example it is arguable the the liability insurance mandated for the driver that opened his/her door into the bike lane should have been paying for poor Seaman’s injuries.

Bodily Injury Liability — Pays for medical expenses, legal expenses, and judgments against you when you or your car are involved in an accident that causes the injury or death of another person.

Collision — Covers the damage to your vehicle resulting from a collision, regardless of who is responsible. Collision coverage requires the payment of a deductible by the insured.

http://www.lohmanandlohman.com/Auto-Insurance-Basics-Liability,-Collision,-Comprehensive.c383.htm

Based on the above story, it seems Engardio actually wants cyclists to have more mandated coverage than motorists do. He seems to want cyclists to be on the hook for liabilities caused by the negligent actions of other drivers.

Or maybe he just wanted to stir up people’s emotions about the perceived dangers of riding a bike and related the only bike crash story he knew. You know, because no one reads things critically any more anyhow, right? The plot thickens indeed…

Brooks England has added two new helmets to their iconic line of saddles, bags and clothing. These are currently being release in pre-order on their website, and are expected to ship by spring of 2017.

Both helmets will be released in two sizes, M (53-58cm) and L (59-62cm).

The ISLAND, our first Commuter Helmet, and the HARRIER, our first Road Helmet, are currently in development. Soon they will be in pre-production, the full commercial release being planned for Spring 2017

https://www.triboom.com/brooks/project/brooks-helmets

Brooks England Island bicycle helmet

The Island offers vents front and back, but a smooth, solid top that differentiates it from the standard road helmet style. Lines curve over the ears, connecting the front and rear vents. The helmet is clearly geared towards the casual, urban commuter, bringing “…Brooks style to the urban rider.” This is actually a segment of the market that may arguably have the greatest likelihood to ride without a helmet.

The helmet is slated to be offered in white, teal, mud grey and black. It has an MSRP of $150 US / £120.00. However, the Island is not yet available in the United States, having only passed the applicable European certifications for retail sale of bicycle helmets at this time. US certification is expected within a couple of months of this articles original publication of August 2016.

Brooks England Harrier bicycle helmet

In contrast to the cycle-chic ethos of the Island, the Harrier helmet has more of a road cyclist look.

For the sportive rider, Brooks offers the Harrier – the Brooks aesthetic applied to road helmet design.  A combination of aerodynamics and light weight for a sleek appearance offering secure performance and comfort to the road or gravel rider.  Four cooling channels provide ample airflow, ensuring rider comfort on road and off while the compact form slices through the air with ease  Key features include the size adjustor fit system and attractive Brooks copper branding. 

The Harrier has an MSRP of $200/£160.

Purchasing from Brooks England

Brooks is launching these helmets via Triboom, an online platform allowing purchase direct from their website. Feeling a lot like Kickstarter and other crowd-funding sites, there are a limited number of “pre-production” helmets available, on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, those opting in to the Triboom platform will reportedly be able to help influence the product decisions of these helmets going forward.

Those participating in this early adopters program should see their helmets ship in time for Christmas.

If you are one of those folks that choose to wear an adult bicycle helmet, maybe what you really need is a Brooks saddle under your bum and a Brooks helmet over your head.

Adult bicycle helmet laws draw no end of passion on both sides. We don’t call them the “bicycle helmet wars” for nothing. But until recently I was under the mistaken belief that there were few – if any – jurisdictions in the United States that actually had laws regarding adult usage of bicycle helmets. This belief was shattered on a recent trip to Washington state where, coincidentally, two totally different people completely unconnected made comments about King County Washington having a helmet requirement for adults.

Me being Mr. Skeptical of course went to the one and only authority as soon as I got home – Google. I was admittedly surprised.

Washington State adult bicycle helmet laws

My search turned up a page on the Washington State Department of Transportation website listing jurisdictions in Washington state with bicycle helmet laws. There were two things that jumped out at me.

First, apparently Washington State has not state-wide law regarding bicycle helmets for either children or adults.

Second, there are a ton of counties and/or cities that do have adult bicycle helmet laws.

Third, of all the jurisdictions with laws, a surprisingly small number (2) are targeted exclusively at children, while the vast majority of them (33) target all ages

I started off assuming there were no laws anywhere in the United States regarding adults and bicycle helmet use. I found 33 examples – in one state alone – of where I was wrong.

Clearly I needed to do some more research.

Nation wide adult bicycle helmet laws

There were actually not one but two assumptions I had made that were proving wrong. First, I assumed the majority of all states had laws regarding children’s bicycle helmet usage (For the duration of this article, I’ll lump all laws that require bicycle helmets for youth under any age from 12-18 as “children’s helmet laws.”) According to data compiled on the website helmets.org, there are only 21 states with state-wide mandates for any age groups. Of those, the vast majority are for children aged 16 years and younger. California, Delaware and New Mexico require helmets for riders 18 or under. Massachusetts and New Jersey, 17 and under. West Virginia, New Work and Louisiana require them for ages 15, 14 and 12 respectively. I was correct that no state anywhere in the US has any laws on the books requiring adult bicycle helmet usage.

My shock at the number of adult bicycle helmet laws in place in cities and counties within Washington state – 33 – was easily explained however. It just so happens that Washington state has far more adult bicycle helmet laws than any other state. Again, according to all-ages helmet requirement data compiled by helmets.org,  there are currently 67 laws on the books. Just to reiterate, 33 of those 67 are in Washington state. The next highest – Missouri – has only 14. All told, there are 15 states that contain jurisdictions with adult bicycle helmet laws on the books.

A note about helmets.org

Some readers may be surprised to see me site data from helmets.org. The website is, after all, an advocacy group promoting the usage of bicycle helmets. Justanothercyclist.com has a history of being against bicycle helmet advocacy efforts, and questioning the common wisdom about what protection is actually provided. With that apparent contradiction admitted, helmets.org is very clear about presenting data and encouraging folks to draw their own conclusions.

Our own belief, of course, is that a cyclist should wear a bike helmet. We are helmet advocates, after all.

In 2010 we saw an increase in blog posts from cyclists who do not believe you should wear a helmet. They challenged the conventional wisdom that helmets are necessary to reduce brain injures. That has continued now for the intervening years. The positive experience with shared bicycle programs has raised basic questions about the need for helmets, and some riders are reconsidering.

http://www.helmets.org/shouldi.htm

While I may not agree with their particular stance, I fully support their forthright presentation. Distinguishing data from beliefs is something increasingly rare. Not only in the “helmet wars” but in all things humans seem to disagree on on the internet.

I just finished watching “The Program” – a dramatized version of the events of Lance Armstrong. The movie itself credits its inspiration to David Walsh and his book “Seven Deadly Sins.” Somehow I had been aware of this movie and had (incorrectly) assumed that it was another in the line of documentary works that come out since the Oprah Winfrey interview with Lance Armstrong. After watching, however, I realized this was a bit different.

This movie was a dramatization in that there were actors playing all the roles. The astute cycling fans will recognize the moments of actual footage scattered throughout the production. But there is no denying that Lance Armstrong, Frankie and Betsy Andreu, Johan Bruyneel and other key figures were played by actors. That sets it apart from the majority of the films published since Lance Armstrong’s admissions.

While the story is populated with actors, it maintains the documentary feel, depicting real-world events accurately enough that those familiar with the story will recognize them. One of my complaints, however, would be about how much they tried to capture in this film. The 1 hour and 43 minute runtime attempts to represent the entire career of Armstrong – from entering as a pro to the present day. With a scope that ambitious the writers had to pick and choose from some of the “key moments” in the story, and undoubtedly many of you will be frustrated by many of the omissions (more on this later).

Those omissions can do a lot to shape the representation of the story, and to this I’ll actually give the writers and directors credit. The Program actually came off, to me, as reasonably unbiased. Controversial figures such as Armstrong and Landis are portrayed as neither sympathetic nor villainous characters. If there is a “hero” at all in this, it would be David Walsh. His story starts out verbally supporting the up and coming young Lance Armstrong, to being suspicious of his performance, to coming out in the minority decrying apparent doping, to final vindication. Which is not surprising. This is, after all, essentially a film adaptation of his book “Seven Deadly Sins.”

I’ve actually not read Walsh’s book, and I can’t help but wonder if some of the omissions from the story that felt glaring to me are a result of the representation of facts in that book.

Other than a mention by name in one scene, Tyler Hamilton is completely absent from the story. The email accusations by Floyd Landis during the 2010 Tour of California are represented by a single, fictitious scene of Landis going into an office proclaiming “I want to confess.” (Never got to hear “We like our word. We like our credibility.”) Greg Lemond isn’t mentioned, and the ongoing assault on Betsy Andreu was simpy implied in the film by a single conversation between Armstrong and his lawyer.

All in all the movie was watchable. For those not as familiar with the history of the story, it may in fact be quite educational. However, from my perspective it comes off as the Cliff Notes version – which is to be expected when you try to compress over a decade into just over 90 minutes.

I’m glad I watched it, but I doubt I’ll ever watch it again. And if anyone asks me for a recommendation I’ll probably just give a “meh.”

At the time of this writing, The Program is available for streaming on Amazon.com – where it is included free for Prime membership holders. It is also available on DVD from Netflix.

Not too long ago I I related to you the ‘Feel good story of the day‘ that I’d stumbled upon on Facebook. It is an epic tale that should have been titled Michael and the well ridden bicycle. Our intrepid hero Michael had run into a lovely lady and her bike in need or repair. Well, there is now a second part of that’s story. That’s right – Michael actually connected with the bike’s owner and lived up to his word.

Loose front wheel nut, both brakes seized, no changeable gears, loose rack, very tight bottom bracket, unbelievably cruddy chain, three spokes broken on the back wheel which was out of true. The only new parts were the spokes

Michael Glan

The bike had some easily identified maintenance issues – things that clearly showed the miles this bike had endured. I couldn’t help but wonder how a modern bike would have held up under the same usage.

Michael jumped in to get this baby running a little more smoothly for Helen:

First clean the chain then rebuild the back wheel

Then get the brake cables and mechanisms freed and lubricated, free [up] and lubricate the bottom bracket, secure all loose nuts and fixings, lube the chain.

 Finally adjust the gears. It had an unusual Sturmey Archer 4 speed hub gear. Setting these correctly is fiddly

Helen picked up the bike this morning and did a test ride up the road, she returned with a smile from ear to ear! She wanted to pay me but I said I would only accept a bottle of cider.

Michael Glan

Big thanks to Michael for not only sharing this story, but perfectly personifying the essence of what it means to be a true member of the cycling community. There are some fantastic organizations that help community members keep their bikes ridable. However, it is the one-on-one personal interactions that leave lasting connections. Not only for the people involved, but also for the people that witness.

Michael’s followup came at the perfect time for me. I was struggling with the news of a couple of deaths here in San Francisco. I also had my normal struggles with how certain elements of the cycling community react when these sorts of tragic events happen. It was the exact time I needed to hear something positive to counteract our fixation on the negative.

Thank you Michael. And Ride on Helen!