Going through emails and found this one, which I don’t *think* I ever blogged out:

Why do so many drivers think “roads were made for cars, don’t you know that??”

It’s a natural social condition, but one that can be changed (though some people will always persist in thnking the big guy has the rights). For example, for the longest time, higher education was for the able-bodied only, as was access to many public buildings and businesses.

Think of any exclusionary situation or any powerful vs. powerless situation; the ones in the position of power simply don’t understand what the problem is. It’s no problem for them, so why should it be a problem for anybody else? WHy are we disrupting the “natural” “right” hierarchy of things?

With bicyclists in the minority, any time drivers are hangin’ round they’re going to be agreeing with each other about those annoying cyclists and building their own, self-supporting definition of rights and privileges.

CHanging laws has a seriously limited effect when the public opinion is ingrained (think South and segregation). I’m ready to meet and strategize for becoming a slow but inexorable force towards changing that “roads are for cars and bikes aren’t vehicles” mindset Think about the stuff that’s worked for other minorities. We have one significant advantage over many other minority groups – the non-cyclists can become cyclists.

Rode in Richmond today. FUn folks, even though mostly I rode by myself. I started out in a group, then saw Rickey going the other way (coming back from the early version of the ride; there’s a “breakfast” and “lunch” option, but I overslept the 5:30 wake-up call I’d need to get there from Baltimore.
If you tell people you’re out there to try to make 8000 for the year, they don’t treat you like a newbie, even if you’re on a hybrid
Saw Rickey pretty early on, heading back, & turned around to say howdy… then took wrong turns before I caught up to ‘em. All the roads look familiar … but all those attempts to memorize the route ten years ago helped.
Found green arrows in the road and followed them until I hit 25 miles, then came back. Lots of rolling hills and big big farms; Sort of like Illinois but more mixed deciduous in between.
Most people were riding alone or in little groups. I didn’t see any pacelines except our little clump starting out. However, there was a constant flow of riders.
There’s a strategy: make THE ROUTE… and when there are always people on it, cars expect you there. Drivers were very civilized.
Time to play games iwth the nieces/nephews!

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,448747,00.html

Here’s a concept that I’ve often considered while riding: it’s better for people to have to *think* sometimes, instead of being able to drive vegetatively, directed by signs and lines and what have you.
Of course, in America, that would be horribly inefficient… more thoughts will ferment…

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=548634 was route one (minus 3 miles that I zipped out and back because I got there before 7:30)… Then it was to Mahomet via Old Church/Rising Road/Left at Rising and RIght at the road past Bondville… then back via Ford Harris and Henslet Road, to Lincoln… then back West out to ST. Boniface, and back… with a few extra laps around restaurant parking lots or riders… 100.4 miles. I think not too much chafing, wchich is pretty good considering how little I’ve ridden the Trek, which rode very nicely since Scot’s “quickie.”

Never ridden that far, that late in the year… maybe a 1/1 metric isn’t out of the question! I understand there are those who do one 12/31 as well for a “leaving/entering” concept, which of course I could do b/c of my schedule, if the weather is at all cooperative.

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… this is awe-inspiring to me… woman simply blocks cars from going onto bike lane in China. This is courage!!! Critical Mass, take notes!!! … from Cycleicious, from Gwadzilla…

http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20061027_1.htm

http://www.activelivingbydesign.org/

C’mon big biz, let’s market this thing… if we live longer we can spend more!

Today was mildly slimy. Packed trainer into bike with backpack and bags of clothes because I’m going to the indoor training ride after work. That many changes of clothes ends up taking lots of space.

It’s drizzling – just a tad heavier than a mist, so it’s enough that I wished I worn the techamphibian shoes (for professional waterfall climbers, especially when I slipped all over the pedal getting into the toe clips. Still, with the layers under the rain suit, I’m perfectly comfortable and cruising happily.
Yes, I’m going to be a little late; no, I’m not going to hurry in the slime.

I reflect that being unique has its advantages as I reckon that bus driver and I didn’t go through the reverse chicken routine (“you gonna go?” “I dunno, you gonna go?”) because s/he knew that the lady on the skateboard bike didn’t blow through four-way stops.

Green Street’s quiet. Cop with lights between Wright and Sixth. Small prayer that it’s something trivial. I make it through both lights on one green.

Green or Clark? Green or Clark? Not sure one is faster…
I will follow that van, that very interesting van with two bikes on the front and strange anomalies in the paint job and who knows what on the roof. Ah, he is turning, so I shall turn.
I’ve bonded with this van. Clark, it shall be. And I shall never see him again, as he gently accelerates forward… another unrequited bond…

Red light at Springfield and he’s in the left lane, I’m in the right. I get to check out the bicycles in the front, which are much like the van. INteresting colors and definitely not new.
Green light. The venerable object accelerates even more gently through the intersection than I do. It’s several hundred yards later when I glance over, and he’s easing by me. What will our interaction be? Silly? Ambiguous (always, but how much)? Warm? Too warm? Cool?

He lifts his hand from the steering wheel and makes a slow, almost solemn gesture: a peace sign.

My heart sings “Amen.” My smile covers the whole lane. Can he know that yes, I’m riding because I can’t stomach buying gasoline without extreme provocation, because I really believe it contributes to the greed and carnage we are so thoroughly insulated from? Oh, probably not, but MAYBE. Maybe my drizzly self has brought him some joy, too. If I weren’t the klutz that I am, I would have returned a gesture, but I’m a both-hands-on-the-bars rider.

and yes, I know, this is kinda like a 13-year-old with a crush on the lifeguard, reading all kinds of things into the tiniest gesture, but one lives in hope

Oh, let’s bring it back. Let’s unite for peace. Let’s communicate our unity, admit to a tiny bit of hope. I am going to practice. Even toting trainer and backpack, I should be able to make the secret sign. Let’s make it not so secret.

Why blog: So I can post this link to an eco-bra that you can pluck your shopping bag out of, if you’re of the padded-bra-wearing persuasion. Now that’s thinkin’ green!!! THey must have had Grist in mind when they invented it.

Whew! Now that’s off my chest, and I can go back to work! Just had to tell somebody…

Assorted cargo challenges HERE. Not an Xtracycle among them!

… here’s the rest of the interrupted post, with a few gaps filled in, I hope.

Recently the news announced that a Meijer’s (big box store I think I have darkened twice in my life because it’s on North PRospect) will be built at the corner of Windsor and Philo Roads in Urbana.

While some folks were simply rolling eyes and saying “all we need is anotehr big box store!” and mourning the apparent “progress” of the “blighted Philo Road business district” to a “Philo Road Strip Mall,” it occurred to some of us that perhaps we should take the bull by the horns and see if we could at least budge things in our direction. To wit: encourage the Meijer’s folks to make their store bicyclist-friendly.

We start many rides out at Meadowbrook Park. This is going to increase traffic dramatically, and of course bicycles have not really been included in the road planning. I am told that this is largely because the planning happened before things like the Bicycling and Pedestrian Advisory Commission happened; I will believe this, rejoicing, when (if) I actually **see** something actually, physically DONE that makes way for active transportation… but yes, it can happen; I know it has.

If the store had a sheltered, secure place to park bikes and a way to get to the store without wandering, invisibly across parking lots and dodging distracted drivers, it could be a veritable *hub* for cycling and end up being a more desirable starting point instead of less. Imagine being able to drop in for munchies after the ride! I’ve already heard from one rider that Meijer’s has more kinds of Clif bars than Wal-Mart. If they stocked tubes and CO2 cartridges they’d have our loyalty forever (Okay, Miss JOnes does not indulge in Clif bars, as they give her gas, but perhaps they have PowerBars, too?)

So! I am going to compose a Publisher document, since I just went to a little workshop on using it, explaining that many citizens of Urbana are Greenthinkers who would enthusiastically swarm to Meijer’s on their respective skates, cycles, and shoes, buying useless plastic items and superfluous regalia en masse. Or something like that.

Have yet to put ‘puter on Gazelle. Rode Xtra today ’cause I’m going to the inside ride tonight and that enclosed chain isn’t going to go on a trainer, methinks! Longing for a Tray Bien so I can carry the blue bike on the red bike.

Only the blue spoke light worked most of the time, so I ddin’t look too much like a wannabee constabulary. On bumpy spots, the red and red/blue ones did their thing. It was also much later and rainier quieter than usual. We’ll see how things go when campus is more active

The Gazelle’s sizes of everything are Dutch, so it took research to determine what tube & tire size will work, even though the current ones are fine.

The forum on bikejournal is livened up with a “tourtoise/hair” contest between this turtle and HRLaughed, who has decided he wants to catch up to me in mileage (which has something to do with me daring him to do it) by the end of the month and reach 8000 for the year. I’ve got 350 miles on him but he’s going to try to do 70 today… but that’s for bikejournal

Now, for that publisher file…