Bike Path Coming

Bike Path Coming
Originally uploaded by frankshapiro

We've been riding this road and watching the construction progress for a while now. Today, there was this sign. It will be interesting to see if the new traffic pattern helps. No news about estimated completion date.

Cyclocross Race

The Cat 4 Mens results from the Jackson Park race are in. I'm told the race began with 79. 70 finished. I came in 33rd, tired, but undamaged.

Fun With Photoshop

This photo was taken at the Jackson Park Cyclocross race last Sunday.


I didn't like how dark Barry looked and was looking for a different way to lighten him up (pun intended) without washing out the background. This is what I came up with.


More photos from my first 'cross race here. Results of my race are not yet posted.

Reckless Driving Incident

Chicago Bike Racing has this report of a driver intentionally cutting in front of a paceline and braking. It's worth reading the entire post and the comments that follow. Luckily no one was seriously injured and the driver was arrested and charged.

Safety

At the start of the North Shore Century last Sunday, right about here, the group I was riding with was passed by a black Dodge Stratus. Crossing over the double yellow line, accelerating to over 40 MPH and nearly taking out an oncoming SUV before swerving back to the right lane just ahead of the paceline, it was an unnerving start to the day.

That experience, coupled with the events of the last few days, got me wondering about the relative safety of bicycle riding vs. other activities and just life in general. A little net surfing and I came across this interesting chart. The data is from 2003 and is the lifetime odds of one's dying from the specific activity as reported by the NSC.

Of course these are averages and does not account for those of us who ride 6000 miles per year or drive like that moron in the Stratus.

Coloring Book

Taliah Lempert has a new coloring book out. Nice.

1000 Words

Sign
Originally uploaded by joon coming from the old world

This sign says it all.

Glencoe Grand Prix Pictures

In addition to the shots you can see at the Flickr group, Jon informs me that the organizers had a professional photographer shoot some of the races and the photos are available for purchase.

Bad Week

It's been a rough couple of days for cyclists in the Chicago area. On Monday, a cyclist wearing an iPod was trying to ride across some tracks near Burlington and was struck and killed by a train. On Tuesday, a woman was struck and killed by a garbage truck as she rode her bicycle on Chicago's Northwest Side. Police report that she was apparently talking on a cell phone at the time. The driver of the truck was ticketed for making an improper right turn. Wednesday night in Matteson, a XXX Racing-AthletiCo team rider crashed during a race and never regained consciousness.

It's a horrific series of events, a reminder of how fragile one is on a bike and that safety is not something to be taken lightly. My condolences to all family and friends.

Bicycle Arch Entrance

Bicycle Arch Entrance
Originally uploaded by neilcrocodile

Something you don't see every day.

Failed Photos

Last March, I saw Floyd Landis at a picture framing studio in suburban Chicago. I took a lot of photos with mixed results. There was this one shot, though, that I was able to crop and it would have been a really fun shot, but I happened to take it either a moment too soon or too late. Had I noticed just what was next to him, I would have taken a few shots to make sure that he at least had his eyes open. Hope he has better luck with his hearing (pun not intended, but left in anyway). Oh well. At least I got to drink some Three Floyds beer.

Under the Influence of Cycling

USA Today published its ranking of the 25 most influential people of the past 25 years and Lance Armstrong is #8. That ranks him as more influential than Pope John Paul II (#9), more influential than Bono (#10), but not as influential as Oprah (#3).

Also, Floyd Landis was listed as #15 in the list of the 25 biggest sports scandals of the last 25 years.

Greg LeMond was unavailable for comment.

Unattached Rider

Is this for racers without a team or riders without significant others? Either way, I like the 'tude of the copywriter. An interview with the originator is here.

Biking in the Bible Belt

Cyclelicious points to an article that suggests that the town of New Llano, LA might ban the use of bicycles in town. The proposed "no wheels" ordinance will prohibit the use of skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, bicycles, etc. anywhere in the corporate limits of the Town of New Llano with the exception of the individual's private property. The reason? Skateboarders have been tearing up city property. I'm surprised they didn't ban strollers and wheelchairs, too.

This story also reminded me of a short film I saw at last year's Bicycle Film Fest called Biking in the Bible Belt.

New Rule 2

If an SUV blows a stop sign in Highland Park and cuts you off, it does not mean the driver was on the phone, applying lipstick, selecting a song from their iPod, and drinking an iced low-fat soy 1/3 caf 2/3 decaf no foam hazelnut frapadapuccino with one Spenda and a half package of Equal double cupped. It might have been only two of these.

Stop Means Stop

Stop Means Stop
Originally uploaded by frankshapiro

I guess the stop sign alone wasn't doing the job. The additional directions showed up a few weeks ago. As soon as I saw this, the song "No!" by They Might Be Giants popped into my head. Never heard it? Sample here.

New Rule

New Rule: The King of the Mountains jersey should not be available in sizes larger than medium.
With apologies to Bill Maher.

Bicycle Art

Taliah Lempert is an artist in New York City who clearly loves bikes. I love how she describes her paintings which is more a description of the bikes and their owners. And you can see how she "builds" this Seven. And, oh my, she has jerseys!

Downers Grove Through The Rain

Downers Grove through the rain
Originally uploaded by Luke

I saw this picture and just had to show it to you. You're welcome.

Picture From GGP

After looking through the pictures I took at the Glencoe Grand Prix a number of times (and wondering if I should blame the camera or just my inexperience photographing moving cyclists), I decided that this was one of my favorites. The tree with the face is right after turn 2. I like the contrast of the sad "face" on the tree and the determined face on the rider.