Death to bike lanes?

The Tigard (Oregon) city council just voted to amend city planning codes to NOT require bike paths on specific downtown streets.

BikePortland.org has the details.

In the comments there was a lot of fuss and bother about how Tigard has magically become bike-hostile.

However, the city's planning manage had some very rational sounding reasons for the amendments.

I don't really care for bike lanes. I think they're terrible and often filled with debris. After the winter storms, they are filled with gravel and go from annoying to hazardous. Furthermore, bicyclists just become invisible to cars once in the bike lane.

The best solution is education! Everyone must understand that they are sharing the road and must learn how to do that effectively.

It can be done. Bike lanes are not the answer. They're really only a "band-aid" that make people feel like they're being taken care of.

MTB Short Track #5

It was "casual night" at this week's short track race.

Which was excellent. We had just come back from a weekend camping trip and some camp food was not sitting well with me. After my second urgent trip to the bathroom that day, I had begun to worry about even racing. So the invitation to dress in "casual" attire for the race was a salvation. Or excuse. I could dress in my loudest Hawaiian shirt and just toodle around the course. Yay.

It was scorching hot, too.

But it was a fun time-- lots of noise, cat-calls, cheers and jeers.

Oh-- about Lance

Yeah-- I've kinda had it with Lance-mania. But still. Still... it's a little thrilling to see him do so well in Le Tour.

It's also fun to see local company Columbia plastered all over the jerseys of a ProTour team. But their kit design reminds me of some Underoos I had when I was a kid.

Tillicum Beach

Going on a two-family camping trip to Tillicum beach this weekend.

According to "Kissing the Trail" by John Zilly, there's a short little loop nearby. Close to Yachats/Cape Perpetua.

Well well... maybe I can get in a little trail riding this weekend. I'll feel so guilty sneaking away. They probably won't even notice.

MTB Short Track #3 and #4

Work work work. How does life get this crazy that I'm so messed up so easily? For the past few weeks I've managed to get out and ride maybe one other time besides the short track race. When I don't get exercise I get grumpy. I hate it.

I though that all the riding I did over the winter would add up to something. Apparently not. I though that the "fartleks" that I was doing would confer some badassedness. Nope.

So I continue to suck. But you know what? Monday nights I'm out at PIR redlining and enjoying it. I'm not pissy that I'm not really moving up in the results. I just can't get angry. Is this what keeps me from being a badass? That I'm having fun? Must be. Out in the middle, maybe with less than two laps to go I feel like pulling over and taking a nap or maybe barfing and THEN taking a nap, but at the same time I want just one more lap. And then another. And once it's all over and I've recovered I'd like to go again. Although I'd likely be even slower and good for fewer laps.

What the heck.

So about race #3. I can't really remember race #3 except that my son didn't want to go.

"Will there be a kiddy race that's just one lap?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Eh. I think I'll go watch mom play volleyball."

What a bummer. My race was fun, though. Until my beloved Botrager InForm R saddle's pointy bits RIPPED GIANT HOLES IN MY BIBS!!!!



Oh gosh. I was just sick. Still am. My favoritestest bibs. Pearl Izumi Slice. (Oh, the irony.)

So I made the saddle PAY.


The first photo doesn't really do the point bits justice. They are POINTY.

Once I hacksawed the points off, getting the cover back into place was terribly fiddly. Anyway-- I managed to get it done and while it looked a bit ugly (I hope to remedy that soon) it worked really well for...

Race #4

My son came out again and had a lot of fun. We stayed out after the races playing on the MX course until the OBRA folks were ready to kick us out.

My hacked saddle worked out really well-- I was able to move around WITHOUT my shorts getting ripped to shreds.

I wonder-- why the hell did Bontrager, after spending two years and millions of dollars on creating the most comfortable, ergonomically-correct saddle EVAR -- why did they bung it up by giving the saddle that pointy-ass little cut-out shorts-ripper thing in the back? What good does that do? Why won't anyone think of the shorts!?

Crossniacs kit-- ordered!

Oh, one last thing. Just ordered my Crossniacs kit.

Long sleeve skinsuit (for CX) and a ss jersey for other stuff.

I would like to have gotten some bib shorts too, but...

Money money money.

*sigh*

Anyway, the new design looks really good. I'm excited.