Emergency?

Happy Memorial Day. It was a beautiful day here in SoCal. The kind of day that should be spent outside (preferably on a bike). I hope that it was a safe, fun and happy holiday for all of you.

I had some business to take care of today, but I did manage to get a 22-ish mile ride in. It was a variation on a ride a do quite frequently. A loop from my neighborhood out to the water and back through downtown. There was a stiff headwind most of the way (how does that happen on a loop?).

My mind wanders sometimes when I ride, especially if it is a route that I could navigate in the dark. Today I was wondering how many riders (or runners) carry ID with them. If you were unfortunate enough to be injured and unable to tell responders who to call, or even what your name is, would they be able to figure it out by checking your pockets? This isn't something we plan for, but we should.

I was doored once several years ago and I ended up with a concussion. I never lost consciousness, but I sure did lose my marbles. There is a significant period of time that I have no memory of. It turns out that when I was in the emergency room and they were working on me I gave them incorrect information about a number of things: my birthdate and the phone number for my emergency contact person (for some reason I had perfect recall of her old phone number and no recollection of the current one!). This caused significant delay in her notification.

After that experience I started wearing a dog tag around my neck (like a military one). It has my name, birthdate, allergies, and emergency contact information. This was quite useful the next time I was hit by a car (I was in much worse shape). There are a lot of ways you can do this for yourself. You could simply write it on a piece of paper and put it in your pocket, carry your driver's license, buy a product like RoadID (here). There are many options that I haven't even mentioned, but pick one and do it. And buy one for your loved ones who run or ride. It's important!

Another thing you can, and should, do is put ICE in your phone contacts. It stands for In Case of Emergency, you put in the number you want them to call if you are injured. It is my understanding that this is a trick that police and other emergency personnel will check. Read about the history of this concept here.

This is what mine looks like (the silicone bumper is wearing thin...) get yours now and Wear It!

Traveling

One of the reasons I started this blog is that I have a strong desire to become a bicycle traveler. I see the bike as a great way to be outside (my favorite place), view the place I have decided to visit (what's unique about being inside a building?), develop a better understanding of the lives of the people who live there (anywhere). The method almost forces one to have interactions with local people and it gives the traveler time to contemplate.

I have taken several hiking vacations. The kind where you walk from village to village and your belongings are delivered to your next destination. I have fully enjoyed these trips, but I like the idea of being free from the constraints imposed by that type of plan. To be able to have everything you need (or can carry) with you, and the freedom to change plans at any time is very appealing to me. Of course there are trade-offs. It also means you have to deal with the whims of mother nature, the mechanical set backs when they occur, and the limitations of not planning. But I cherish the special encounters with random people who remind me of the generosity and kindness in this world. I believe it makes me a better person. It certainly renews my soul.

And you get to exercise too :)

I am in the midst of becoming this type of traveler. I am in the planning stage. I hope to use this forum as a way to express my deep interest and enthusiasm, as well as a resource to others. I would love to hear from others who have been down this road and have tips and words of experience to offer.

For me, bicycle traveling will provide a way to relax and enjoy my time away from the responsibilities of my work-a-day life. It will not become my way of life, but it will influence my way of life. I already own several bikes, ride regularly, and travel quite a bit, but I want to bring these elements together and create a new alchemy: LikeyBikey's travels (and tales).

Riding in the Sharrows

Sharrows may be new to you. I first heard of the concept just over a year ago when they were first placed and implemented in Long Beach California. Now they have come to my neighborhood. So far I really like them!

Sharrow is a made-up contraction of the words "shared" roadway" lanes. I'm not quite sure of the lexicon, but Sharrows (shared roadway lanes) are the modern version of the bike lane. The difference is that they are not placed at the extreme right of the road and out of the car lane (placing bicyclists in the dangerous "door zone"). Instead they are placed IN THE ROAD. This can actually be safer for the bicyclist.

There are a few variations on the markings, but generally are made up of a bicycle with 2 forward-pointing chevrons above it. Here are some examples:

When I first learned about the concept I was a bit skeptical because I have been hit by a car before and can speak from experience, it hurts (my spine was broken, my face was broken, and my shoulder was dislocated). I'm a little shy about making drivers mad at me by brazenly riding in the "car lane." However, what I have since learned is that having the road markings visible and riding right over them legitimizes my existence. It shows anyone who can see that I am exactly where I should (and have a right to) be.

In my neighborhood they have been slowly appearing on streets that are frequently used by cyclists. I have begun riding further outside the "door zone" and into the "roadway." What I have found is that when I am riding on a road with sharrow markings the cars just give me a wide birth and pass on by. No honking or threatening with close buzzing. But if I try to ride like this in a part of town that does not have sharrows the drivers treat me very differently. I am more likely to endanger myself by trying to get out of their way. I have come to really like having them around and hope the city hasn't finished placing them. I'd love to see more.

Have you seen a difference in driver behavior as a result of roadway markings?

Where do you ride?

My favorite rides are ones that offer scenic vistas. Anything pretty. Costal, mountainous, flat with row after row of grapevines, hilly and full of wildflowers. I could go on, but the point is visually pleasing. This is not always easy to find, especially if you live in a city.

Usually I walk out my front door, saddle up and start pedaling. I chose my route based on distance (I prefer a loop instead of out and back), difficulty (it's pretty hilly in these parts), and scenery. There a certain spots on my favorite routes that I can easily picture in my head: the Fort Rosecrans Cemetery and the boats in the harbor as I cross over a bridge are examples.

Sometimes when I am riding on a beautiful day and the sights seem particularly special, I think of other people I know who live in different places, and I wonder what they see on their daily rides. I feel like they would love my rides as much as I do.

If I were the sort of person to meditate, these are the images I would conjure. Just thinking about how I feel when I'm on one of these rides can bring my blood pressure down several points. Do you have images in your mind of your favorite rides? Where are they?

San Diego Century

This is an annual fund-raising event for the San Diego Bicycle Coalition. It starts/stops in Encinitas, CA. There are 3 routes and I rode the shortest one - 37 miles. It is a well organized event and the weather was perfect, cool and over cast.

I like to support organized rides because it is a way to contribute to the fund raising efforts of important causes. Often the route is one I can and do ride for free on my own. But I don't see my entrance fee as paying for the route, the SAG or the band - I see it as motivation for myself (possibly stretch the miles I would do on my own) and supporting the community.

I don't ride this area very often but it is actually a very nice route. I'm always glad to have a reason to place my wheels on new turf. TFTR (Thanks for the Ride)!

Bike to Work Day 2011!

I had a chance to check out the Bike to work Day 2011 in San Diego this morning. There were several pit stops around the city and they each had something a little different. My favorite was at the San Diego Zoo. The nice folks at this station were proud to tell me they do this every year and have many repeat customers. They take a picture of all the riders and then post them all the next year.

Each stop had some good swag from the local commuter program and some had additional goodies from the good people running the pit stop. This year there will be an after party! Pedal on over to Adams Ave. Bikes and celebrate, details can be found here.

 LikeBikey wishes everyone a safe and happy Bike to Work Day!

Notes on Nerdiness

I recently celebrated my inner nerd. In fact, I enjoyed my nerdy moment so much I'd like to share it with you. I went on a little vacation to Paso Robles, Ca., where I successfully combined some of my favorite things: travel, bikes, technology, and wine. I had never spent any time in this area before but I had heard it is a good place to ride bikes. It is also known for it's wine production. I took my bike and planned to investigate.

I enjoy maps and like to record routes by gps. I do this with my iPhone, and I'm so nerdy that I use several different applications for this purpose and then upload the files to a few different websites specializing in this sort of geekiness. In the process of trying to decide where I should ride my bike, I discovered that these tools can be used for the opposite purposes just as easily and are perhaps more useful this way. What I mean is that I can find a route created by someone else in the area I want to ride, download that map to my phone and use it as a navigation tool. It provides location identification (shows you where you currently are on the map) in relation to where the route goes. This is an easy way to explore somewhere you've never been and prevent you from getting lost.

It is awesome! and has opened all sorts of doors for me in terms of feeling free and safe to explore new places. I made a couple of videos of the rides I took. They don't do justice to the true beauty of the area, but do give a sneak peak.