Open Streets Coming to SLC

Salt Lake City and Bike Utah are partnering to bring Utah it's first Open Streets event event on Saturday, May 4th.

Are you wondering what an open street is? Well, the Open Streets Project temporarily closes a street to automobile traffic, so that people can use it for walking, cycling, playing, dancing, etc... Basically, it's a huge street party that cars aren't invited to. For several hours on May 4th, Broadway Ave (300 S) in SLC will be car-free.

The concept started in Bogota, Columbia in 1976 where on each Sunday and holidays certain main streets are closed for several hours to auto traffic for the use of pedestrians. These weekly "ciclovias" are used by approximately 2 million people.

Here in the US of A, there are currently 80+ communities that participate in some form of Open Street event.

If you are interested in learning more, or if you want to help, there is a kick-off on Thursday, Feburary 7th at Squatters Pub from 4 pm to 7 pm.

It sounds like a lot of fun. Let's go do what our parents always told us not to do and play in the street!

First Ride of the Year

Early last week I got a text from my good friend, Greg asking if I wanted to ride on Saturday if the weather was good.

As you can see in the photo collage below, the weather was fantastic. We grabbed our friend, Scott, and took off for a planned 30+ mile ride.

Well, a couple of flats shortened our distance, but it still was great to get out so early in the year. Apparently we weren't the only ones with the same idea. While we were sitting at an intersection, a club group of about 20 guys comes up behind us. Pretty good to get thay many out on a club ride in February.

I also took out a couple of items that I recieved at Outdoor Retailer for a test ride: Smith Optics PivLock V2 glasses, and a LifeProof bike mount. Full reviews on both products are coming soon. But, let me quickly say that both worked great! I love the glasses, and the mount securely and conveniently held my phone.

If this is what 6 more weeks of winter looks like, I won't complain.

I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle

Five students of a Zen master was back from the market on their bicycles. As they dismounted, their master asked : Why are you riding your bicycles?"
Each of them came up with different answers to their master's query.
The first student said "It is the bicycle that is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that my back has escaped the pain of bearing the weight"
The master was glad and said : " You are a smart boy. When you become old you will be saved of a hunch back unlike me"
The second student had a different answer. " I love to have my eyes over the trees and the sprawling fields as I go riding"
The teacher commended : "You have your eyes open and you see the world"
The third disciple came up with yet a different answer : " When I ride I am content to chant 'nam myoho renge kyo'"
The master spoke words of appreciation " Your mind will roll with ease like a newly trued wheel"
The fourth disciple said : "Riding my bicycle in live in perfect harmony of things"
The pleased master said " You are actually riding the golden path of non-harming or non violence"
The fifth student said " I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle"
The master walked up to him and sat at his feet and said "I am your disciple!"


-author unknown

With all of the stories going on about doping - both of the cyclist, through Floyd's emails, and the bicycle, with the Gruber Assist - the world of cycling is being shaken fairly hard. If the accusations prove to be true, Professional cycling is in for a upset that that could potentially be the end of Professional cycling as we know it.

Cycling, however, will survive.

The vast majority of us don't have a racing license, and have never lined up at a starting line at a UCI sanctioned race, let alone the local Thursday evening criterium. We ride our bicycles to the store for groceries. We commute to work by bicycle to save gas. We ride for the environment. We go on long rides on weekends with our local club. We ride by ourselves. We participate in charity rides to raise money for causes that we hold dear. We ride in the park with our kids. We sneak in short rides during the week because we don't want to take away from the precious little time we have with our families. We ride as a way to deal with stresses in our lives. We ride because going fast down a hill is the closest we will ever be to truly flying like the birds. We ride to loose weight. We ride to test ourselves. We ride to test our limits, and push ourselves beyond them. We ride as an escape. We ride for the companionship of friends. We ride for the solitude, to be alone with our thoughts. We ride across the country. We ride around the block. We ride to live. We live to ride.

We don't do these things because of some Pro, we do this because we love to ride.

Don't get me wrong. It is sad and disappointing when your favorite Pro cyclist is caught doping, but you're not going to sell your bicycle if it happens. You'll get back on the bicycle, and ride.

"I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle"

Bicycles and video games

Yesterday I saw on the cyclelicio.us blog that there is a company that is going to be introducing a wii exercise bike controller and video game bundle in early 2010.

According to what I read about it, you ride the exercise bike and control your on-screen character to clean up the planet. It also says that the bike can be used as a control for Mario Cart. My first thoughts when I saw this is cheap, flimsy, more than likely overpriced, and yet another peripheral in an ever increasing list of wii peripherals. I'm also guessing that there isn't any decent resistance on the Cyberbike either.

Seeing this made me think that cycling hasn't really had the best of relationships with gaming. I can only think of, or find a handfull of games that have cycling as a central focus.

Just in case you think that the Cyberbike is the first exercise bike-shaped video game controler, Fisher Price came out with this several years ago. The Fisher Price Smart Cycle is a stationary bike designed for 3-6 year old kids where they pedal to learn, and race. Funny thing is that the kids are on a bicycle, but they are racing cars on the screen.

For the more grown up set, there actually was an arcade game that you controled through pedaling. Prop Cycle.

I have actually seen - and played this at an arcade. You are controlling a flying bicycle/glider on the screen which you have to pedal and manuver to pop baloons in a canyon-type environment. Control is awkward and difficult. Not surprisingly, you don't see too many people playing this.

I could only find a a few game titles for PC and game console systems: A downhill mountain bike race, your chance to be the directur sportif of a pro tour team, and an obscure road racing game from Japan.

Downhill Domintaion was made for the PS2 back in 2003. I remember my local bike shop had this on the TV in the corner of the room, with the controls on the counter. Gameplay was simple, point the bike downhill, hit jumps for tricks, pummel your opponents.

For the PC, there is Pro Cycling Manager, a real-time simulation where you take on the role of Directur Sportif for a Pro Tour cycling team. You can see if you can do a better job than Johan Bruneel by telling your cyclists when to attack, wether to chase down a breakaway, or let them go because they won't affect the GC standings. A new verison is released each year to coinside with the Tour de France. All the current pro teams, and pro riders are depicted.

The last one is the hardest to find. It was never released in the US. Cycle Race: Road Man was made for the 8 bit Nintendo system back in 1988. If you know where to look, you can find it, and an emulator that will allow you to play it on your computer. Cycle Race is a multi stage race around Japan. Team members are out there to help you with repairs to the bicycle, or power ups in the form of extra energy.

There may be more out there, but this is all that I could find.

In my opinion. Cycling itself is the ultimate game. Why would you want to sit in front of a screen, when you can be outside riding. Maybe that's the actual reason why there isn't several more cycling games.