Turning a frown upside down

Mechanical Steed

Traversing life's adventures

Happiness is found
-haiku by Nathan Vergin

My feet are ice blocks

My torso is drenched in sweat

Ah, winter biking!

-haiku by me

Wednesday morning I decided to stop sulking and feeling sorry for myself.  Yep, it's cold, icy and windy.  What did I expect?  I live in Wisconsin.  Each winter I hit a point when I'm fed up with riding indoors and become willing to venture outside on longer rides, other than my commutes.  This year, that point came a mere eight sessions on the indoor trainer season.  Let me be clear.  I understand the benefits of riding inside, but I HATE it.  When I can no longer rally myself, even with the best music, I know it's time to layer up and roll out.  I am aware I do have two--make that three choices.  I could a) sit around eating and drinking all winter until I'm so round I don't need a bike to roll  b) actually get back into running, cross country skiing or speed skating or c) say "fuck it" and just ride outside no matter what the conditions are.  I chose "c".

My previous post was on Wednesdays ride.  If you're really bored, you can read it.  I must say, however, the Wednesday ride set me straight.  Several sections of the road were horrible, but I still had fun, and at no point did I want to hold a gun to my head--the way I often feel while riding inside.  Go figure.

The Cat Whisperer, Erin Shenanigans and Cabby at One Barrel

Thursday brought a "love your bike ride" for Valentine's day.  It was supposed to be a large ride for Madison Bike Winter's bike-to-work-week, however, we joked that only the "cool kids" came out--me and three of my riding friends.  A quick loop around lake Monona brought us to Glass Nickel for pizza and then One Barrel for beer.  The four of us sat around listening to a loop of Tom Jones, Neil Diamond and Barry White, trying to drown the music out with more beer.

This is what happens when you drink
on Valentine's day.  

I woke Friday early, almost giddy, since I had the time to spin down to my riding group's coffee clutch gathering.  A beautiful sunrise over Monona bay greeted me and a leisurely ride back with a good friend was the icing on the cake.

Church Coffee Clutch

Friday evening was round two.  Another beautiful ride to Cronometro for the winter-bike-to-week party. Thanks to Scott, we had a nice open space with pretty bikes all around and Bike Benefits supplied us with beer from Great Dane.  I always like these gatherings since it's a time to chat with friends and make new ones.  Come late winter, planning for upcoming rides always sparks me to keep going.

End of the week party at Cronometro

Thumbs up to Fyxation for being a prize sponsor

Saturday found me riding to the East side once again to meet a friend for lunch and a trip to Olbrich Botanical Gardens.  Being a chilly eight degrees for my morning commute made both well deserved.  With my insides warm from good food and an 80 degree room, I had a smile on my face the entire ride home.

All in all, I logged about 115 miles on my knobbies in four days.  Not huge miles but all enjoyable.  Each time I considered driving someplace, the thought was fleeting.  I thank all my friends for providing me with great destinations to ride to this week.  Now if you can just keep that carrot out in front of me, I may become a winter biking convert.

One perfect day

This is, of course, how my nickname came to be

Call me Sandy Bottom Bracket.  Actually, please don't.  Although I find my new nickname--given to me by a female cycling friend--fabulous, I'm not sure if I want it to stick.  This name was chosen for me on one of the messiest rides of the year.  And I loved almost every minute of it.

One of the prints I got to see

Really, the entire day was quite perfect.  After work, I hustled home so I could ride down to the Ellsworth Kelly print exhibit at MMOCA. I've never been a big fan of abstract field art, but with two weeks of clouds weighing heavy on my psyche, I needed a bit of color.  The vivid colored shapes lifted me out of my stupor--but it was his line botanical line drawings and his black and white lithographs that really drew me in.

This is one of my favorites

Needing to spend a bit of time outside, my husband and I then rolled over to one of our favorite bike shops and proceeded to harass a riding friend until she agreed to come out and play--really, no arm twisting was required.  What was supposed to be a quick ride around lake Monona turned into a fit of laughter as we tried to navigate our way through roads covered in 2-3 inches of slush/ice/potholes/puddles.  There were no good lines and I'm sure a snail could have passed us.  A few miles down the road, conditions finally improved.  As I picked up my cadence above five rpms, crunchy, grinding noises started to sing from my bottom bracket--now covered thick with sand, salt and road grime.  And that my friend, is how I got my new name.  The stripe of sand covering my entire backside didn't help.

A lovely road ride

On the way back, I was treated to a high five by another cycling friend coming home from work.  A perfect end to a perfect day.

A few of my favorite things

Our group outside of Lakefront Brewery.  Photo by Stephen Wasmund

There are few things in life I love more than bikes, exploring cool cities, and hanging out with amazing friends--this includes my husband.  Throw in some great food, beer and whiskey and I'm like a kid in a candy store which is also a toy and pet store.

Lunch at Cassablanca

This past weekend started off perfectly with a whiskey tasting at my house.  Cycling friends gathered to help warm the cold winter night.  My thoughts may have been a bit fuzzy, however, when I planned a brewery tour for the following day.  In my defense, we were supposed to do the brewery tour the previous week but a ice/snow storm foiled our plans.

The "morning after" found the six of us jacked up on caffeine, making our way to the lovely city of Milwaukee for a field trip.  You've all heard me gush about my love for MKE--I'm not shy about it.  And although a couple people in the group had spent some time there, we were all on a mission for fun.  This mission included not only beer and food, but also the much needed bicycle (would I post this if it didn't include the beloved bicycle).

Nick working his magic.  Photo by Nathan Vergin

Our first stop provided us with sustenance of a different kind.  Call it eye candy.  The intersection of 36th and Pierce is now the new home for Fyxation--one of the coolest urban bike companies I've ever been exposed to.  Nick Ginster, and his brother, Ben started this company just four years ago.  They made their mark in the cycling community by designing a tire--that some of my fixie riding friends wouldn't trade for anything--called the Session 700.  Jump to the present and they are putting out pedals which have grips-- perfect for riding with street shoes or winter riding, track straps, stems, several types of handlebars--Nick is using one on his Ducati, bar tape, saddles, and oh yeah...they are now putting out frames and complete bikes.  Three gorgeous bikes with names like the Eastside, Riverwest and Quiver.  A cross bike is in the works.  These bikes are an urban riders dream.  Simple and elegant with thoughtful geometry and extras such as low profile fender mounts.  They have just enough bling to make you stand out in a crowd (check out the dropouts and color choices).  It's hard to believe they've only been selling frames for two months.  The word must have gotten out since several of them are already sold out.  But don't fret, Nick has got some sweet connections in Taiwan--he worked in the bike industry there for five years--and more will be rolling in soon.

Take a look at these frog--"qing wa" in Mandarin--dropouts

Fyxation's pedal and strap.
Photo by Nathan Vergin

I first met Nick at the Midwest Handbuilt Bike Show a couple years ago.  His products caught my eye as did his company t-shirt (he used a picture he took of a cyclist in Taiwan and the front simply states "bikes are better").  Nick was such an approachable guy we hit it off right away.  I was so impressed to hear he volunteers at several bike events, including wrenching at RW24 each year.  He has also sponsored my all-female alleycat, Madtown Maidens, for two years.  He lives what he preaches and he's even married to one of the staff members of the Wisconsin Bike Fed!

As with every interview I do, I sent Nick some questions.  Here's your chance to get to know one hell of a industry leader.  Oh, and if you're in Milwaukee, give him a ring, he might just give you a tour too.

Q: What's in your personal stable right now?

A:  So many bikes, so little time. I spend the most time on a prototype Quiver lately. It's gone back and forth between a CX build and city build with fenders a couple times. But as far as the rest of stable there's an Eastside single speed, Milwaukee Bruiser, mid '40s Schwinn cruiser, Kona Chute, Giant AC-1, and Ducati Monster (since it's got two wheels, it counts for the stable, right?).

Q:  What is one of your fondest bike memories?

A:  I have had a lot of great memories riding, but I always feel the best rides are ones you don't expect. While riding out at a ski resort in Colorado with my long time riding cohort Chris and another buddy we had one of those rides. The whole thing started with innocently borrowing his ex-girlfriend's car to spend a few days riding the trails at Breck. On the second day we decided to drive up to Estes park, but while climbing a steep pass the car died, big time. With a ride back to town on a flatbed truck we had a few options. The one that came to Chris' mind first was leaving the car in the mountains and riding a trail "he had heard some guys talk about" across the continental divide and back to Boulder. This was at least a six hour endeavor that would take us above tree line and over the divide, and given the time of day, a bit of a race against dusk. That was enough for the third member of our group to opt out. We promptly got some food and fueled up, headed to the local bike shop for a map and energy bars and left out of town up a steep dirt road. Needless to say it was one of the hardest and most beautiful rides I've ever done. We rode amazing single track above tree line, past mountain lakes and over at least a few unmarked trails. Somehow, we managed to roll back into Boulder at dusk, grab a cold Pacifico and plate of tacos, and settle in to let our sore legs rest.

Q:  What got you into the bike industry?

A:  I've been infatuated with bicycles and motorcycles as far back as I can remember. I rode BMX as a kid, switched to Enduro motorcycles and then to mountain bikes; all the while it had been a dream of mine to put my love for two wheeled travel together with my work. While studying mechanical engineering at UWM I landed an intern position at Hayes Brake in their test lab. That grew from the lab, to product design and eventually I ended up in Taiwan as their Chief Engineer for Asia.

Q:  You run Fyxation with your brother, and your wife works at the WI bike fed, do you ever deal with bike industry overload and what do you like doing when you just don't want to think about bikes?

Nick's Ducati...his other passion

A:  Bicycle overload, what's that? Actually, I love my work and I ride often, but I do have other past times which keeps things balanced. I'm an avid fisherman and we're fortunate to have loads of great fishing within Milwaukee. If you ride the Hank Aaron trail or along the Milwaukee River parkway this summer you're bound to see me fly fishing with my bike locked up nearby. I also have never lost my passion for motorcycles, and currently my motorcycle in the Fyxation shop getting all dialed in for Spring.

Q:  MKE has quite a bike scene and yet it isn't celebrated the way Minneapolis or Portland are. What changes would you like to see MKE make, if any? Are there any cities on your "must ride" list?

Admiring a model of the Hank Aaron trail

A:  The scene in MKE is strong, and I agree it's not as well celebrated as some of the other "biking" cities. Maybe it's our Midwestern tendency not to brag, but Miltown has a lot to offer cyclists. Our bike lanes are expanding, we have a terrific network of inter-urban bike paths, Rays MTB park is here and the rides along Lake Michigan are gorgeous and accessible. A constant challenge for cyclists is dealing with other vehicles that share the road with us. Our auto culture is tuned into looking out for other cars, and often cyclists are seen as secondary road users. The more people that are our there on their bikes, the more cyclists are seen as equal road users. I believe that cities that focus on getting more people riding by building safe corridors for cycling increases the safety of cyclists, not only by giving us designated riding lanes, but also by drawing more cyclists to the streets and thereby increasing drivers awareness of riders. As Wisconsinites we're fortunate to have an organization like the Bike Fed advocating for us. If you're not a member, I would encourage you to join. They're doing great things us every day.

Q:  You've spent quite a bit of time in Asia, how does the urban bike culture differ there?

A:  The urban cycling culture in Asia has undergone a big transformation in many cities over the past decade. For ages bicycles were seen as utilitarian vehicles only. With financial success families would ditch the bike for a scooter or motorcycle, and eventually a car. In many places this created a stigma around cycling and ones prosperity. That has changed a lot recently. I saw this first hand living in Taiwan. When I first started travelling there you would never see people out riding for pleasure or exercise; however, during the time I spent there the number of people riding bicycles exploded. Bike shops popped up everywhere, with companies like Giant and Merida opening concept stores packed with the latest carbon bikes. Urban cycling culture popped up in cities like Taipei, Jakarta and Bangkok--fueled by young riders first looking towards Western trends, but eventually carving out their own culture--and is still going strong. I've had the good fortune of participating in urban riding and fixed gear events in Asia, and I can tell you there an infectious enthusiasm there now.

Q:  What, in the bike industry, has you in awe at the moment?

A:  After more than 15 years in the industry it's hard for me to be awestruck, but I do enjoy how the cycling industry continues to evolve. Fat bikes and 650b are two categories that didn't exist a few years ago, but are seeing explosive growth. Hydraulic brakes for road bikes stand at the edge of becoming a reality. I am also encouraged by the number of people turning towards cycling for transportation. There are a lot of great companies really looking at urban cycling and saying "what makes sense for people that ride for transportation".  In large part this has driven our new road/commuter platform, the Quiver.

Q:  You've done so well in the urban bike accessory business in the past few years, why now did you decide to break into the frame/complete bike business?

The Quiver with the tires that started it all--Session 700
Photo by Nathan Vergin

A:  We have been busy rounding out our component line over the past four years and have gone from two guys and a tire, to an established brand with over 30 components and as you mentioned we're moving into complete bikes. Although bicycle manufacturing is new to Fyxation it's not new for us. I've been involved in design and manufacture of bicycles for other companies for years, so this is a natural evolution for Fyxation. Bringing affordable, quality components to riders has always been our focus and our Eastside single speed and Quiver road/commuter bike fit that mission perfectly. The Eastside combines clean styling and quality components in an affordable package, and the Quiver is loaded with innovative features that make it a perfect commuter platform. My wheels never stop turning and there are a lot of exciting projects in the works at Fyxation, so be sure and stay tuned!

Ending our tour of Fyxation with a mini tour of the Wisconsin Bike Fed office
Photo by Nathan Vergin

Had to end the day with the swings under the Holton bridge
Photo by Stephen Wasmund

Anticipation

My new day planner was opened up about a month ago.  Yes, I still use a paper day planner.  Yes, I am perpetually stuck in the 90's.  Although it is the one thing that keeps me in line for work--I'm not quite sure what words would come out of my mouth if it were misplaced--more often lately, it has become my "book of fun". 

For the past 15 years, my day planner has been black.  This year, however, I went with a hideous shade of purple.  Why not, it fits my mood...playful and wacky.  At least no one will take it by mistake.  Since I've unwrapped it, I have had the pleasure of writing in a ton of upcoming bike adventures.  I must admit, I'm getting a bit giddy.  2013 is shaping up to be one hell of a year. 

Already I've gotten to do some winter riding with the Madison Bike Winter crew and next week holds a field trip to Milwaukee to test ride some of Fyxation's new bike line (and drink good beer).  With a bike trip planned to Mallorca early spring, followed by two gravel road races, Madtown Maidens 3, Riverwest 24 sign up, and rides with the Church of the Spoken Wheel (I'm really looking forward to the bacon ride), I am sure to enjoy this late winter and spring more than any before. Now, I just have to get some more butt miles in to survive all of this!  Here's to you reader, I hope you have a wonderful 2013...filled with your own two wheeled adventures.

The Magic Carrot

Holiday Light Ride with Madison Bike Winter

Yummy espresso drinks are a great bribe

Yummy beer is too!

I can't deny that last night I had a dream about biking in shorts and short sleeves.  Oh what I wouldn't do to roll effortlessly through farmland surrounded by green with sweat dripping off my brow.  Alas, it's January and layers are "in".

I promised my riding group I would enjoy winter--or at least pretend to.  I must say that having friends to ride with, places to meet up and drinks to enjoy--be it good coffee or good beer--helps immensely.  Just yesterday, my husband and I made a trek over to the East side of Madison to steal some warmth from Olbrich botanical gardens and top it off with a rich lunch.  It made riding home, against strong winds, very tolerable.

I consider these destinations a bribe.  Although once I'm out there on my bike I'm happy, I usually need something to get me out in the first place.  For that, I thank my husband and friends for planning fun events and stops.  If it weren't for you all, I may just cocoon up under my toasty comforter until spring.

I WANT DAVE BACK!

This is one of the major road-to-bike-lane crossings on University avenue.  I had to haul my bike over the snow pile to get onto the path heading East.

It's been nine days since Madison got hit with between 17-21 inches of snow--depending on which side of town you're on.  Nine days and most bike lanes are still full of snow and ice chunks.  Nine days and some of the bike paths on the West side are still covered with 2-3 inches of mush.  Nine days and plates of ice two inches deep still cover many of the side roads.  Hey, I'm not stupid.  I understand this snowstorm was extremely difficult on the city workers...but come on guys, this has happened before and I've never seen the roads in this condition for such a long period of time.  The only person I can blame is Paul Soglin, Madison's mayor.  Paul is a guy who loves to brag about being "bike friendly".  He also loves to talk about how he started the bike movement in Madison.  As most winter cyclists know here, he is also the guy that threatened cyclists lives by writing one of the worst blog posts I've ever read in waxing America.

Let me back up a bit.  When my husband and I first moved to Madison, we quickly fell in love with the plethora of cycling options and the commitment Madison had to becoming a platinum bike city.  Our mayor at the time, Dave Cieslewicz, not only put needed funds into expanding our commuter paths/lanes, traveled to Europe and the West coast to study bike friendly cities in hopes of adopting their practices, but he also supported the winter bike community (he shows up to Madison Bike Winter activities).  Dave had a vision of making Madison a more livable and healthy city.  He was, and is still, dedicated to environmental initiatives and wellness programs.  He sees what Madison could be.

Since Dave was voted out, and Paul was voted in--this is where I shed a few tears--Madison has dropped drastically in our bike friendly rankings.  We used to place in the top three.  This year, we fell to seventh place in bicycling magazine.  I can only guess this is partly due to Paul's "I know best and you can't teach me anything" attitude.

Here is a main commuter path next to Old Middleton road.  Several cyclists, including my husband, called the city to report it having 2-3 inches of mushy snow with ice underneath.  The city still hasn't plowed it.

Here is the same path just down the road but in Shorewood.  Notice any differences?

A few days ago, I took it upon myself to write formal letters to the city of Madison and Middleton expressing my concern for cyclists and pedestrians.  I explained why it's so important to have bike lanes clear and even gave specific street examples.  The city's reply was:  "I will have someone check these out.  I am not familiar with these particular paths.  On street bike paths are very difficult to maintain.  Some are too close to parked vehicles for us to properly clear and it is very hard for us to get sand on them as cars tend to blow the material off."  All of the street examples I gave them have only bike lanes and no parking areas. They were also all major bike routes for people commuting into the city.  As of today, none of the lanes have been touched.  In fact, with the recent 2.5 inches of fresh snow, they are even worse.

Here is a "nicely" plowed street.  The ice chunks force cyclists into traffic.

This all raises an important question.  With the budget issues we are facing, will cyclist and pedestrian safety be thrown out or completely disregarded?  As cities like Minneapolis and Boulder continue to put funds into improving their infrastructure for year round riding, will we drop even further down in rankings?  Let's hope Paul gets his shit together and learns from what Dave was trying to do.

Mending and Prepping

As I sit here, still nursing this stupid head cold, while my fellow riding friends are out on trail, I am setting up a plan for my winter training.  In normal years, my "winter plan" would have started in November.  This year, not unlike last, old man winter is late to arrive.  There are, however, rumors that snow--big snow-- is on it's way for later this week.  For me, this means running season has arrived along with more yoga, weight training, and more work on balance and posture.  I had a few false starts this year when I thought winter had settled in, but each time was foiled by warmer temps...and everyone knows my road bike won't stay inside in good conditions.

For those reading this post in hopes of finding a training program for them, keep searching.  As a trainer and cycling coach, I am the first to say no one is the same and no one benefits from following one program designed for all.  The only advice I give across the board is:  a) Take some time off the bike.  Even if the weather allows you to train on the bike year round, your body will thank you for partaking in some cross-training--preferably in the upright position.  b) Posture and balance can help prevent injuries in the future.  Taking a couple months during the "down" season to find discrepancies in the body and even them out to the best of your ability will make you stronger and healthier as you ramp up the miles.

For some of  this "repair" work on myself, there is one piece of equipment I hate and love at the same time.  I was introduced to the foam roller about ten years ago by a 45 year old track racer.  The first time I used it, tears were streaming down my cheeks and I'm pretty sure I threw up a bit.  The track racer laughed and said "Good.  That means you need it...now keep doing it several times each week."  When I'm compliant, it makes an enormous difference.  It has helped me battle a mild case of compartment syndrome, it keeps my Morton's neuroma at bay and it allows my shoulders to go into a semi-normal placement.  My husband and I even have a short one we take when traveling.

I'm including an introductory foam roller routine to follow for those who are interested.  You can pick a roller up at most running stores or get one on line.  I suggest getting a denser one to prevent quick break down, however, the basic white ones still work well--especially for those who are sensitive to pressure.

Happy winter everyone and I hope to see your tracks in the snow soon!

Do The Right Thing

"Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination."  -Confucius

Spencer Black and his wife, Pam, biking along the Pacific coast

Weather you know it or not, we, as cyclists are in the middle of a giant tug-of-war.  Yes, by sheer numbers, we are growing and trying our best to reclaim our space on streets (that our tax dollars pay for).  At the same time, the funding that provides us with safe routes to school and work is being stripped away at an alarming rate and is instead being applied to more "practical" things, like highways.

Thursday, February 2nd, will go down in my book of shame.  At 8:09am, the House voted against saving funding for projects such as:  safe routes to school/work, traffic calming, bicycling infrastructure, rail trails and safe bridge crossings for cyclists and pedestrians.  We lost this vote to the GOP 29-27, however, three Republicans voted to save it (Petri-WI, Johnson-IL and LoBiondo-NY).

You know how people say "I'll always remember where I was when JFK was shot"?  I will never forget where I was when I heard we lost the vote.  I was sitting in the Chicago public library, searching to see what happened with this vote, when I cam across Brent Cohrs' piece at www.chicagonow.com.  It was as if a giant fist slammed into my gut.  I couldn't breathe.  I wanted to cry.  I knew that with this one vote, we went back in time at least 20 years...if not more.  Until today, I have not had the emotional strength to write about my feelings surrounding this event.  Now, that my head has cleared a bit, I feel the need to touch on it in a different way.

In this piece, I don't want to spend too much time focusing on the vote since there has already been great articles written (see Dave Cohrs' post and Dave Schlabowske's post on the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin blog ).  Instead, I want to focus on the local politicians who are busting their asses to improve cycling in WI and throughout the country.

During the 2012 WI Bike Summit--held here in Madison last week--Rep. Tom Petri was recognized and awarded for voting against his party in support of saving the bike funding.  Although I commend Petri for doing so--and hope other republicans follow suit--I am amazed the folks who work daily to improve cycling infrastructure don't get awarded more often.  In my eyes, there are so many politicians that "do the right thing" and rarely get applause.

Being an active citizen in my neighborhood and state, I have either spoken with or written dozens of politicians expressing my concerns for bike/ped safety.  In doing so, I have made a few enemies but have also made many friends.  I think a few of them see my number come up when I call and know what the conversation will be about.  Some of these civic leaders that I admire, and will gladly give a standing applause to are listed below highlighting a few of their projects.

I have to start with Spencer Black.  Spencer and I are not only neighbors but we also serve on the WI Bicycle Federation Board of Directors together.  Although we don't ride together (he's an afternoon rider and I'm an early morning rider), we see each other enjoying the wonders of two-wheeling frequently.  

For those of you that live in Wisconsin, you probably know that Spencer served 26 years on the Assembly.  He retired just over a year ago--many had to fight back tears--but hasn't stopped working for the state and community.  His life is dedicated to helping the environment and improving cycling conditions.  He served on the Governor's Bicycle Council, helped passed legislation setting up the state's trail system and a new complete streets law, chaired the committee on Balanced Transportation which initiated the first significant state funding for bicycle facilities, worked on "dooring" legislation making it illegal to harm a cyclist by carelessly opening doors and requested that studies be done to show the financial gain the cycling industry brings to Wisconsin.  If this isn't enough, he and his wife, travel around the country biking together.

Brett speaking to cyclists that are riding to oppose bike budget cuts

 

Brett Hulsey is not only my state rep but also a friend.  He's one of my "go to" people when I have a question about local environmental issues and almost always shows up to my bike events.  Brett took over in the assembly when Spencer retired (he holds Spencer's old seat).  When running for this position, he could often be spotted on his bike bringing yard signs and fliers to those that wanted them.  Brett also serves on the country transportation board with hopes of improving the bike/ped infrastructure in Dane Country and throughout the state.  The picture above shows Brett at the first Bikers Against Walkers Budget ride around the capital following the news that Governor Walker would be cutting an enormous amount of funding for state bicycle projects.  I have to say a special "thank you" to Brett for also speaking at my first all women's bike event last year!

Dave Cieslewicz

I couldn't write this piece without talking about Dave Cieslewicz (formerly known as "Mayor Dave" in Madison).  I moved to Madison when Dave first took office and was so thankful to have a mayor that supported cyclists.  Coming from Minneapolis, I can't help but make comparisons to Mayor Rybak.  I asked Dave what bike projects he's most proud of and he quickly responded with this:

"Probably the biggest thing I'm happy about in all the biking stuff we did was put $50 million in the capital budget over five years for bike and ped improvements. It was the first time we had ever established a budget category for these projects and we boosted the funding. I don't think you'll find too many cities (and none our size) making this kind of financial commitment. And it's infrastructure that will make the casual biker feel safe enough to commute on a regular basis."

In 2007, he launched the new Platinum Bike Initiative and created the Platinum Bike Committee.  In 2010, he, along with Kathleen Falk and several other local leaders, traveled to Europe to study several cities bike infrastructure.  Their hopes were to bring back ideas that could be applied to Madison and Wisconsin.  Since then, Madison has adopted "bike boxes" and "sharrows" to help keep urban riders safe while in traffic.

If the above projects aren't enough, Dave also started the B-Cycle bike share program with Trek and 20 by 2020--an initiative to get people in Madison to take 20% of their trips by bike by the year 2020.

Kathleen Falk

 Finally, I'll talk about Kathleen Falk who is the former Dane County executive and is now running for governor.  The first time I met Kathleen was at the Saris gala--the largest fundraiser for the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation.  She was dressed up and yet still on a bike that shows how you can power electronics through the wattage the bike produces.  Kathleen is a true environmentalist.  She leads through example and was one of the top users of the B-Cycle bikes in 2011.  When plans for the highway 12 project from Madison to Sauk City were being made, she insisted that a bike path be put along side it.  At the time, I questioned this.  Now, I can't believe how many cyclists, walkers, roller skiers and inline skaters use it.  The phrase "Build it and they will come" fits this scenario perfectly.  Because she supports cycling as a positive means of transportation, I know that if she becomes governor, she will continue to improve Wisconsin's bike friendly legacy.

Each person and action is a drop in the bucket, but together, we CAN make a difference.  I urge you to take a moment and thank your local politicians who support bicycling.  More importantly, I ask you to volunteer with organizations that improve cycling, like the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation.

*Just as I was finishing up this piece, I received a post stating that the Cardin-Cochran Amendment had just been accepted as part of the base Senate transportation bill, MAP-21.  If this ends up becoming law, it will ensure that local governments, school systems, and metropolitan planning organizations are able to access funds to make bicycling and walking safe and accessible.  Please go to the League of American Bicyclists for more information and write your senator stating that you support this!

Don't call us old--call us masters!

Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

                                               -Mark Twain

Lennard Zinn entering the sand pit

I love it.  The dictionary definition of "master" as an adjective is:  Having or showing very great skill or proficiency.  So just by being a cyclist over the age of 35, I am considered a "master".  Of course the other definitions are:  The captain of a merchant ship or a man who has people working for him.  Neither of which I would like to be associated with.

Although most professional racers fall into the "senior" or "elite" categories, it's becoming more common to see women and men kick some serious ass above the age of 35.  The term "masters" is no longer seen as the first nail in the coffin.  In fact, some of the strongest cyclists I know--ones that could ride circles around me--are in their 50's and 60's.  Look at Raul Alcala.  He won the Mexican time trial championship at age 46.

Masters lining up for the start of their race

This past weekend the national cyclo-cross championships fell upon Madison/Verona, Wisconsin.  Droves of people of all ages and abilities came here to show what they've got.  Although the elites in their 20's got most of the fame and glory, I was most interested in watching the masters.  This wasn't just because it's my age category.  They are also beautiful racers to watch.  Long gone are the days of testosterone driven madness where everything is considered a sprint.  No, the masters tend to calculate their moves a bit more.  They know their bodies.  They often realize that holding back sometimes is just as important as hammering all out...and when they go all out, they dance on their peddles.

Dennis Bean-Larson, owner of Hell Yes clothing and Fixed Gear Gallery

For those of you not familiar with cyclo-cross, I'll give you a brief history.  Cyclo-cross began in the early 1900's in Europe.  It was designed to lengthen the training season for cyclists and allow them to ride into early winter.  By forcing the cyclists to ride through pastures and climb over fences it not only kept the riders warm but also improved their bike handling skills.  The first cross championship was held in Belgium in 1910.  From that point on, it spread to Switzerland, Luxembourg, France and Spain.  It didn't really catch on here in the States until the 1970's and only became popular here in the 90's.  The bikes are very similar to road bikes, however, they use knobby tires.  Since the courses tend to be full of mud, water and sand, bikes often times have to be hosed off or switched out during races due to malfunctioning components.  The course consists of a 1.5-2 mile loop where the racers have to make their way over obstacles, up and down steep hills and over different types of surfaces (grass, water, pavement, dirt etc.).  The goal is to get as many laps in as possible in an allotted amount of time.  No other bike race taps into the anaerobic system like cross does.  Think of it as an all out energy expenditure for 30-60 minutes.

Monique Karlen (45-49 category) tearing it up on the course

A few of the racers I was following during nationals agreed to be in this piece.  All are in the masters category and all of them are stronger than most 25 year old cyclists I know.  Dennis Bean-Larson, owner of Hell Yes clothing and Fixed Gear Gallery, talked with me about what pulled him to the sport.  He's only been racing cross for a few years but he has been cycling for decades. One of his main draws is the safety factor. His idea is if you fall on a cross course the chances of getting hurt are a lot slimmer than if you take a spill on the road.  Mud and grass are softer than asphalt!  That's one of the reasons you see so many cross riders over the age of 60--Dennis is 67 by the way.  I just have to add that Dennis rides fixed all winter long--in Michigan--now that's tough!

When I asked Lennard Zinn, frame builder, writer, and racer extraordinaire, what he thought of the course this weekend he said, "It was really cool!  In Boulder we don't get conditions like this.  It's usually dry, hard packed and fast or snowy and icy."  Lennard also talked about what a great family sport cross is.  He often times sees parents racing/training with their kids because the travel distance to races is often quite short.  Lennard was racing in the 50-54 age group and it was great to see his field swell to over 50 racers.

Lennard coming out of a slick turn

Monique Karlen, one of our hometown sweethearts, not only had a great race but also got a ton of media attention.  It's so nice to see women get this kind of attention in a sport.  I sent here a couple of questions to get her perspective on being a female in the masters category:

As a female masters rider, do you feel there is enough being done to get other women out there?

I think as fitness opportunities increase more women are finding cycling in general (and also cyclo-cross.)  In terms of racing there has been a big increase in beginner women (cat 4) in all disciplines over the last several years but races are primarily split by ability level and not age. I do think it would be nice for race promoters to offer a Masters women category as participation increases across the board. I was a competitive runner first and did not discover cycling until I was 35 so started as a master’s racer and have always been racing against women mostly younger than I am.  This said, I know many women over 40 who still are very competitive at the elite level and with women half their age.

As more women of all ages get interested in riding and racing they can join women’s only groups and teams to learn more with a low intimidation factor. Women are generally encouraging and supportive of one another and always happy to get more women into racing and riding. There is still the issue of “equal pay for equal work” and even the top women in pro cycling are not able to make a living or support their racing with payouts and sponsorships not being equal to the men. If race promoters want to attract more top women racers they have to offer equal payouts at minimum.

What changes do you notice in your riding as you get older, both good and bad?

As I get older I notice that my body takes much longer to recover after workouts so I am not able to train as intensely as I used to. As well cycling is a high-risk sport and any injuries take longer to heal. A positive thing about being older as a racer is that I think mentally you are more grounded and have realistic expectations of yourself and can channel the nervous energy differently. Racing can be more fun as you take the pressure off yourself to perform as you once used to and focus on having fun each time you ride! You are thankful for the days on the bike and each day you ride is a good one.  I also see women who begin to race in their 30’s, 40’s and beyond have the enthusiasm of a younger racer because they are not burned out and are really excited about learning something new and feeling good and getting fit.

Monique after her race

I have to say that watching the races this weekend has been an inspiration.  I may have to reconsider my plans for giving road racing a shot again next year and switch to cross!

I want to thank Monique, Dennis, and Lennard for taking time to share their thoughts with me.  Also, a huge thanks to Nathan Vergin for taking pictures at the race and riding down with me!  To see more of his amazing work go to:  www.flickr.com/photos/nathanvergin/

Bicycling and the Art of Zen

Zen

A handlebar designed by Japanese artist Kosuke Masuda



Being present.  Finding a rhythm between my peddle strokes and breath.  Feeling the slight temperature change between the valleys and hilltops.  Smelling the thawing earth, decomposing leaves, distant cow pastures and the occasional dead skunk.  Seeing the countryside pass by at a rate fast enough to put miles behind me yet slow enough to absorb the details.  Hearing the call of spring peepers, cicadas, and sandhill cranes.  This is why I ride...and often times solo.

I've never been one for seated or still meditation.  For some reason I can't settle into it.  It's like wearing an ill-fitting pair of bike shorts for me.  Instead, I find I can relax into a meditative state while hiking or biking.  Travelling well known routes, ones that I haven't used a map for in years--my bike just seems to guide the way and my mind is allowed to release.

On these days, when everything seems to be "right", poetry sometimes floods my brain.  For a few years now, I've chosen to embrace this and have written quite a bit of Haiku while on two wheels.  Often times I allow it to drift out of my mind before I get home to a notebook and pen.  It's not really about writing it down, it's more about the "dance" I'm having with nature.  As a child I fell in love with Haiku.  The simplicity of it appealed to me as well as the non-rhyming nature.  I am also a lover of nature and Haiku tends to flow with it quite well.  The masters Basho, Busan and Issa all come to mind...writing about the fleeting moments that one cannot grasp.  While on my bike I often times feel this way.  I know that what I'm experiencing will never be repeated in the same sequence.  I could see the same oak tree daily on a ride and it will look different every time depending on the light, wind, time of year.  Instead of mourning this, I am trying to flow with it.  Once in a great while, a Haiku will stick with me.  One that I've never been able to shake is:

Grasshoppers please stay

out of my wheel spokes

you make a big mess

One I recently wrote on my first winter ride of the season is:

Winter wonderland

snow crunching beneath my tires

two tracks left behind

Here's one from Michael Rasmussen:

  Shadow emerges

cool morning soft light sharpens

chase myself Westward

And finally a piece from Basho (translated into English).  It's not on cycling but since I pass cranes almost daily on my rides it makes me smile.

The crane's legs

have gotten shorter

in the spring rain

When I raced and trained for specific events I tended to take myself too seriously.  Always thinking about the future and never truly enjoying what was going on in the present.  Basho wrote, "Make the universe your companion, always bearing in mind the true nature of things--mountains and rivers, trees and grasses, and humanity--and enjoy the falling blossoms and the scattering leaves."  

In 1999-2000 I lived in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.  I had the pleasure to train and work with many top triathletes.  I remember two sisters that both competed in Ironman competitions around the world.  Both trained seriously and paid their dues.  One of them went on to place well in just about every race she did while the other often struggled.  The difference I think was not in their training but rather in their mindset.  The one that consistently performed well seemed to "play" instead of train.  She received great pleasure in all movement and I rarely saw her without a smile. On the other hand, her sister beat herself up if she didn't do well in a race or during training.  I could tell that she was always making calculations in her head and followed her schedule to the letter...even if she didn't feel like training that day.  I have known many other athletes that seem to follow these patterns and only in the past six or seven years have I allowed myself to soften in my training as well.  The funny thing is that not only do I enjoy exercise more but I think I've actually become a better rider because of it!  It's as if a large sum of weight has been lifted off of me and I now have a new found freedom.

I can't say that I follow this "light" way of thinking all the time.  I succumb to pressures like everyone else.  I consider this all a learning experience and if I can improve just one day by being "here and now" it is all worth it.