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July 2010
Austin needs bike-sharing like Denver
While walking in downtown Denver last weekend, I passed one of the city’s new bike stations, where you can borrow a bicycle for a small fee.
The city has about 50 of the stations with a total of 500 bikes throughout downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods.
When I first passed the station, two women were wheeling away shiny red bikes with big metal baskets on the front. Only two bikes remained in the racks.
When I passed by about four hours later, the rack was full, a stable of 20 or so snappy looking pedal-powered vehicles ready to be rented.
During the day, I saw several groups of riders pedaling around on the distinctive rental bikes.
Denver launched its bike-sharing program in April, after testing a similar system during the Democratic National Convention in 2008.
Since then, Chicago, Minneapolis and Boston all have started bike-sharing programs.
Users sign up online or buy a 24-hour pass at the so-called B-station. They pick up a bike, ride it wherever they need to go, and return it either to the same station or another official B-station.
A 24-hour pass costs $5; a 30-day pass is $30; a seven-day pass is $20; and an annual membership is $65. Once you’ve got a pass or membership, rides of 30 minutes or less are free. Beyond that, usage fees apply. It costs $1.10 for 31 to 60 minutes; $3.30 for 61 to 90 minutes; $6.60 for 91 to 120 minutes; and $4.40 for every 30 minutes thereafter.
For more information about Denver’s system, go here.
I wish Austin would start a bike sharing program!
I can just imagine stations near the state capitol, the UT campus, Sixth Street, Zilker Park, the South Congress Avenue shopping area, City Hall, Auditorium Shores, the warehouse district, Fiesta Gardens and more.
What do you think? Would you rent a bike?
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Jody Kelly headed to Triathlon Sprint Distance World Championships
The first time I met Jody Kelly, she was preparing to compete in the Danskin Womens Triathlon, alongside both her daughter and granddaughter.
The self-described recovering couch potato with a late-blooming interest in fitness had entered her first triathlon in August 2007, when she was 69 years old.
That was just the start.
More than a dozen triathlons later, Kelly, now 72, milked cows and scampered through foreign cities with her granddaughter, Shannon Foster, during the 16th season of the popular CBS reality show “The Amazing Race” earlier this year. The duo didn’t win the $1 million prize, but chalked up another incredible adventure.
What’s next for Kelly, a personal trainer who specializes in working with elderly clients through her business, Strengthmobile?
She’s headed to Budapest to represent Team USA at the Triathlon Sprint Distance World Championships on Sept. 11-12.
Kelly, always modest, plays down the feat, saying only 17 American women in her age group qualified for consideration by finishing three or more USA Triathlon-sanctioned races.
“I’ll be very slow and will be creamed by the Australians and Eastern Europeans, but I’m going anyway,” she says.
Kelly’s tougher than she’ll lead you to believe. She trains with Tracy Nelson and the rest of the coaches at Tri Zones. She’s paying close attention to technique and race nutrition, and is doing Pilates and power lifting, too.
Age-groupers have to pay their own way to the championships and buy their own uniforms.
To help fund the trip, Kelly has created a Facebook page titled “Jody Kelly Goes to Sprint Triathlon World Championships.” Those who donate $35 or more get the cool T-shirt shown here.
As for Kelly, this is just the warmup.
“Just wait until I’m 75 or 76 when I hope to go again in the next age group!” she says.
Good luck Jody!
(That’s Jody in the photo at the top, with her daughter Kelly Foster and granddaughter Shannon Foster.)
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Triathlete Amy Marsh on her Ironman Lake Placid win
I just heard from Austin triathlete Amy Marsh, who is back in Switzerland to continue training with Team TBB following her weekend win at Ford Ironman Lake Placid.
The victory marked her third Ironman triathlon victory in the last year — she won Ford Ironman Wisconsin last fall and China Ironman this spring.
Pam: Was your plan to take the lead and hold on the whole way?
Amy: “I wanted to swim hard and bike hard because I knew there were some strong runners in the field. I felt great the first 16 or so miles of the run, but then faded a bit. I was pleased with my run as I was able to hold my own and come away with the win.”
Pam: What’s next on your race schedule?
Amy: “My coach and I are still discussing the plans for the rest of the season. I will be racing Kona this year. I raced there in 2005 as an age grouper so this will be my first attempt at Kona as a pro. I may do one more Ironman or a couple of 70.3s before Kona, but we’ll see.”
Pam: When are you coming back to Austin?
Amy: “I’m heading back to Austin at the end of August but probably won’t be staying long. I will most likely be going back to Thailand with Team TBB to get ready for Hawaii.”
Thanks for the update, Amy, and congratulations on the streak of victories.
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Jack Hanna used pepper spray on grizzly; will it work for me?
It’s nice to know that bear spray works — on cubs, anyway.
I’m headed to Glacier National Park in Montana in a few weeks for a week of camping and backpacking. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about the grizzlies.
This report from the Associated Press about TV host and zoo keeper Jack Hanna makes me feel a little better. I think.
Hanna was hiking in Glacier National Park with a small group of people Saturday when they encountered a mother bear and two cubs on a narrow trail.
The group backed to let the trio pass, but one of the cubs charged.
Hanna unleashed a can of pepper spray, designed to deter bears, on the 125-pound baby. It took three bursts from the can, but the little fella finally got the message and fled.
Ironically, Hanna had recently filmed a message for the National Park Service, encouraging hikers to carry the spray.
You don’t have to convince me — my husband and I carried a can while backpacking in Yellowstone National Park a few years ago (we didn’t have to use it), and we’ll do it again.
I’ll also leave the eau de trout cologne and huckleberry necklace at home.
Who’s backpacked in grizzly country? Any tips?
(The photo above from the U.S. Geological Survey shows a grizzly bear rubbing on a tree in Glacier National Park. Federal scientists have documented the largest population of grizzly bears in Montana, a sign that the threatened species could be at long last on the rebound.)
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Goose (and more) on the trail
UPDATE 3:25 p.m.
I just got back from an interview at Lou Neff Point on the trail. On the way there, I spotted this nutria in Barton Creek; on the way back I spotted thong guy showering off at Auditorium Shores. (I opted not to photograph him.)
Banner day!
Anybody know this goose?
It’s been standing in the middle of the trail down below the Hyatt Regency, staring me down and making scary squawky noises.
I had to wait 3 long minutes the other day for it to stroll off the trail as I commuted to work. It looked like it wanted a beak full of calf muscle, and I didn’t feel like explaining the attack to an EMS crew.
Anyone ever have a bad goose encounter on the trail?
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Amy Marsh wins Ironman Lake Placid
Chalk up another Ironman triathlon victory for Austin triathlete Amy Cottrill Marsh.
When Marsh surged out of Mirror Lake during Ford Ironman Lake Placid, she was already leading by 1 minute 40 seconds over 2008 champion Caitlin Snow.
By the time she finished the bike portion of the event, she had pulled nearly 20 minutes ahead of the next closest competitor, Lisa Marangon. Snow snuck back into second place after the marathon leg of the race, but Marsh still won by an impressive 17 minutes.
Marsh’s final time for the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run was 9 hours, 27 minutes and 30 seconds.
It’s the third Ironman title in the last year for Marsh, a former collegiate swimmer who grew up in Rochester, N.Y., moved to Austin in 2001 and started racing triathlons in 2002.
She won Ford Ironman Wisconsin in September 2009, then took first place at China Ironman in March 2010.
She trains with Team TBB.
Marsh was among 2,612 athletes who participated in Ironman Lake Placid, which finished on the Olympic Speed Skating Oval in downtown Lake Placid.
For more information about the race, go here.
I’m hoping to reach Marsh by phone today, so check back for a word from her.
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Trek Women’s Triathlon training party on Tuesday
Thinking about entering the Trek Women’s Triathlon this October?
Everyone’s favorite designated last-place finisher and series spokeswoman Sally Edwards will share motivational tips and hand out training materials at a free party scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 27 at Bicycle Sport Shop, 517 S. Lamar Blvd.
That’s Edwards, above, at last year’s Trek Women’s Triathlon in Austin.
The triathlon itself — a cool half-mile swim, 12-mile bike and 3.1-mile run/walk — is scheduled for 7 a.m. Oct. 3 at Walter E. Long Park at Decker Lake. It’s essentially the same course as the Danskin Women’s Triathlon.
Race registration is open at www.trekwomenstriathlonseries.com. Entry fee is $85. The race is open to all women ages 14 and older.
For more information, call 1-877-221-9665 or email info@trekwomenstriathlon.com.
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Maggie’s Hope fund-raiser this weekend
A gala dinner, tennis demonstrations, 10K and 2-mile runs and stand-up paddling are all part of a weekend fitness event to benefit Maggie’s Hope, a non-profit organization that funds treatment and therapy for children with autism.
Fox 7 television news anchor Loriana Hernandez founded the organization after her 5-year-old niece Maggie was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The weekend kicks off with a lakeside gala featuring live music by Rick Trevino and a silent auction at the Rough Hollow Grille, starting at 6 p.m. Friday, July 23. Tickets for the dinner are $125 each. For reservations, email lisa@prolinkplanet.com, call 512-289-5887 or make a $125 donation to Maggie’s Hope, referencing “Rough Hollow” in your order.
Fitness activities are planned for 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday, July 24.
On the agenda? Free yoga with Lifetime Fitness; the Jack & Adam’s Hope Hill Challenge, a very hilly bike ride of 6, 12 or 18 miles; stand-up paddling; a gluten-free food fair; an autism resource and health expo fair; a 10-kilometer run and a 2-mile fun run; and tennis clinics. Activities are free; donations will benefit Maggie’s Hope.
At 1 p.m., Lakeway World of Tennis will host a tennis expo by stars Melanie Oudin and Sloane Stephens.
For more information about the Dell FOX 7 Fit Weekend or to sign up for the run, ride or tennis clinic, go here.
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Mountain biking in Colorado
They call it mountain biking in Central Texas, and we’ve got some top-notch trails on the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Emma Long Metropolitan Park and Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park.
But I’d like to know what it’s like to ride off-road in the real mountains of Colorado — the Rocky Mountains.
I’m in Breckenridge, Colo., today, doing just that.
I’m probably gasping like a guppy as we speak, trying to suck as much oxygen as I can out of the high-altitude air I’m breathing.
I wonder if all those miles I’ve put in cycling to and from work will come in handy?
I’ll let you know when I get back.
What’s your favorite mountain bike trail? Does mountain bike riding in Austin stack up to riding the Rockies? Am I going to get my butt kicked today?
Have any tips for me while I’m up here? I’ll be spending the next few days camping in a pop-up trailer at Rocky Mountain National Park with my sister and her husband.
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Apply for Austin’s version of Biggest Loser contest
Update: The Parhams will launch the contest at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. at the Westlake Performing Arts Center, 4100 Westbank Drive. (No appearance at PromiseLand West.)
Need a little extra motivation to reach your weight loss goals?
Austin is getting its own version of “The Biggest Loser” contest.
Phil and Amy Parham, former contestants on the NBC television reality show, will help kick off the “Becoming Austin’s Biggest Loser” contest — described as a six-week journey of physical and spiritual renewal — on Aug. 1.
Fifty Austin contestants will be chosen to participate in the contest, hosted by RunTex and PromiseLand West. Each one will get a medical assessment, nutrition plan and personal trainer.
To apply to be a contestant, go here. Click on the Biggest Loser logo to download an application.
Each contestant who completes the free six-week contest gets free running shoes from RunTex. The winner gets a wellness gift package that includes a gym membership and gift certificates worth more than $2,000.
The Parhams will launch the contest at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Aug. 1 at the Westlake Performing Arts Center, 4100 Westbank Drive.
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Biking the Kal-Haven Trail
While vacationing in Michigan recently, I rented a bike and checked out the Kal-Haven Trail, a 33.5-mile multi-use trail that runs from South Haven to Kalamazoo.
Awesome!
The bike rental cost $14; entry fee to the trail was $3, which I slipped into a drop box at the trailhead in South Haven.
The route, part of the Rails-to-Trails program that converts old railroad tracks to hike-and-bike (and cross country ski and snow mobile) trails, stretched out long and straight from the quaint little resort town on Lake Michigan where my mom lives.
I rolled past the Black River, over a wonderful covered bridge, past fields of blueberry bushes and into the woods.
I know Texas has trees, but it doesn’t have trees like this, which grow tall and thick and spread their shady arms overhead like a protective umbrella.
I passed a few runners and other cyclists close to town, but the farther away from South Haven I pedaled, the fewer folks I saw. I rode 15 miles out, then turned and came back the same 15.
No hills, no traffic, no stoplights, no cars to deal with — just miles of limestone/slag path, a herd of baby frogs and the occasional swam of mosquitoes.
There’s also a quirky little museum in a train car and a little shop that bakes up fresh cinnamon rolls along the way.
Next time, I’m going all the way to Kalamazoo! Folks at the bike shop told me a shuttle service will pick you up and bring you back to South Haven for $6 a person.
What’s your favorite bike trail? Where is it?
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Renovations at Bastrop State Park
One of my favorite area parks is getting a tuneup.
Cabins, campsites and other facilities at Bastrop State Park, 35 miles east of Austin in the Lost Pines, will be retrofitted to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a press release from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Six of the 13 cabins and 10 of the 78 campsites at the park will close Aug. 1 and will remain closed at least until the end of the year.
The rest of the 5,926-acre park will stay open for day use and camping during construction.
The park’s swimming pool also will be renovated. It will close after Labor Day for leak repairs and resurfacing. The project should be finished by March 31, 2011, according to the release.
The electrical system in the park’s dining hall will be modernized, too, and the golf pro shop will be repaired. A temporary building will handle golf operations from Nov. 1 until the project is complete early next year.
The work is part of more than more than $2.6 million in repairs at Bastrop State Park, built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
For more information on the park, call 512-321-2101 or go here.
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Needed: Fit folks
Every Monday in the Austin American-Statesman, we feature someone who loves to stay fit.
We call the feature Fit Folks, and it includes a photo of the featured person and a short explanation of what they do to stay fit and why they love it.
I’m looking for people who would like to be featured.
If you’re interested, write a short description (150 words or less), describing how you stay active and why you love it. Include your age and a photo of yourself, preferably doing whatever it is you love to do to stay fit.
I need submissions from people of all ages, but I’m especially interested in those from younger folks.
You can either email the submission to me at pleblanc@statesman.com, or snail mail it to Pam LeBlanc, Austin American-Statesman, 305 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704.
Thank you!
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Fitness fairs this weekend
We’ve got two big fitness fairs on tap this weekend — one at the Toney Burger Center, and another at the Texas School for the Deaf.
Obesity and diabetes rates are especially high in the Hispanic community. With that in mind, an Austin organization is planning a Fitness Feria to help Spanish-speaking families learn how to get their children involved in sports programs.
The event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 8 a.m. until noon Saturday at the Toney Burger Center, 3200 Jones Road, and specifically targets a Spanish speaking audience.
“It’s not because parents don’t care about them, but because they are largely uniformed about what to do to help their kids,” says organizer Oné Musel-Gilley.
Families will follow an “Olympic pathway” that leads them through hands-on sports demonstrations and exhibits that explain what it takes to get involved in local sports programs. Parents can learn about free sports camps, training and fitness activities, how to get athletic mentors and scholarships, and the importance of practice, mental discipline, and healthy lifestyles. Volleyball, cycling, running, baseball, swimming, cheerleading, golf, football, karate and soccer all will be represented.
For more information go to www.FitnessFeria.com.
Another free and open to the public health and fitness fair is planned for the same day at the Texas School for the Deaf.
The 2010 National Health & Fitness Expo is scheduled for 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday in the auditorium at the school, 1102 S. Congress Ave. Donations for the School for the Deaf Foundation will be accepted.
Visitors can get free samples, free demonstrations, discounts and glimpses of the newest products.
Vendors include House of Pain, Tan It All, Naturally Fit, Max Muscle, Fitness Training Studios, Egg White International, Swoll-up.com, Tap Out Nutrition, BSN, M Fit Foods, Smoothie Factory, Champion Nutrition, Elegance N Grace, Family Health Chiropractic, Minuteman Press, Animal World & Snake Farm, Johnson Diversity, Fitness N Motion and Natural Fitness Productions.
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Fitness freebies!
Help! I’m drowning in a pile of fitness books and DVDs and need to clear off my desk.
To win the following items, post a comment here, telling me what you want and why you deserve it. I’ll pick winners in a week or so.
- ”The No Om Zone: A No Chanting, No Granola, No Sanskrit Practical Guide to Yoga,” by Kimberly Fowler.
- ”The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health,” by Robert O. Young and Shelley Redford Young.
- ”Fit in 5: Total Body Tone,” a DVD.
- ”Dance and be Fit: Carnaval Workout,” a DVD.
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Vancouver separated bike lane
Check out this video from Vancouver, where they’ve installed a separated bike lane.
Do you think a separated bike lane would work in Austin? Why or why not?
Where should it be?
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Trail running with Andrea Fisher
I’ve been on vacation the past week, but this morning I was back in Austin, running on the Barton Creek Greenbelt with pro triathlete Andrea Fisher.
We met at the Gaines Creek access point, just above Twin Falls.
Here’s what I saw when I parked my car at 7 a.m. this morning:
Yuck. Overflowing trash cans.
Once Andrea and I crossed Twin Falls, though, the terrain was beautiful and mostly litter free.
I haven’t done much trail running before (except to catch up to my pals when I lagged behind while taking photos during hiking trips), so this was a new experience.
Other than the bump on my head from where I ran into a low-hanging tree branch (doh!), I loved it.
The ground is softer than pavement, so running is easier on the joints. It takes all your concentration to avoid falling, so before you’ve had time to notice, you’ve gotten in 3 or 4 miles. (Confession: I did fall this morning. Once. And I’m unscathed, except for my ego.)
Trail running is typically a little slower than road running, too, and that made me happy. Otherwise I couldn’t keep up with Andrea.
And the scenery! The creeks are flowing, everything’s green and you’ve got to keep an eye out for snakes, so you won’t get bored.
Check next Monday’s paper for an article on the ins and outs of trail running.
In the meantime, congrats to Fisher. She and husband Jamie Cleveland, who own Hill Country Running Co., are expecting their first child in February.
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Star Ranch hosts group skinny dip
I rediscovered the joys of skinny dipping a couple of weeks ago, when I stripped off my swimsuit and plunged into Lake Austin after an early-morning water ski session.
I promise I was discreet. Oh what a feeling!
For those who prefer their skinny dipping with lots of other like-minded folks, the Star Ranch, a nudist resort 20 miles east of Austin in McDade, will host a group skinny dip at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 10.
Last year, 155 people crowded into the resort’s pool, sans clothing, for the event, part of an attempt by the American Association for Nude Recreation to set a new world record for skinny dipping.
The folks out at Star Ranch love this sort of thing. For the last 13 years, they’ve hosted a Bare Buns Fun Run, encouraging people to sprint across the grounds wearing nary a shred of clothing.
When they are not running around or hopping into pools in the buff, the residents are dining at their own Nekkid Lunch Cafe, playing darts, tennis, sand volleyball, shuffleboard or horse shoes, cooking in the community kitchen or hiking the 112-acre property’s wooded trails. The resort also hosts holiday potlucks, costume parties, chili cookoffs and bakeoffs.
Star Ranch was founded in 1958 as “The Sahnoans at Tara Park” nudist camp. The club incorporated in 1972 and adopted the name “The Sahnoans at Star Ranch.” Sahnoan is a Native American word meaning “healthy one.”
Today it has RV and motor home sites, rental cabins and plenty of space to pitch a tent.
The gate fee will be reduced from the usual $25 to just $5 per person for the July 10 skinny dip. Background checks will be done on everyone who enters the property. Anyone who wants to be in the pool for a group photo will have to sign a release.
“Security will be tight,” says Star Ranch representative David Phillips. “If someone gets up to the pool or is seen around the grounds looking like a Hippie Hollow ogler, he’ll be shown the gate.”
For more information on Star Ranch, go to http://www.starranch.net/index.htm.
The photo above by the Associated Press shows skinny dippers at the Whispering Pines Nudist Resort and Campground in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., taking part in the American Association for Nude Recreation World Record Skinny Dip.
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Long-time Davis Mountains camp participant dies
Folks who’ve attended the Davis Mountain Fitness and Training Camp in West Texas over the years will remember Charlie Olgilvie, who held the record for oldest camp participant.
Word came from fitness camp president AnnMarie Olson that Olgilvie died July 3, at age 93.
This from her email:
“Charlie’s son and daughter, Brian and Marsha were with him at the end. Charlie had remained active until the past month, and both the Deckers and Peggy Fink had visited with him in recent months.
A service is being planned in Fort Worth. Charlie’s ashes will be scattered at a service at his Ranch in east Texas, as well as in Missouri where his wife Reva is buried.
.
Charlie attended Camp from the 1980s to 2009 and shared his love of Native American life with all of us. His “Running with a Bone” lecture at camp remains a favorite.”“
I got to meet Olgilvie six years ago when I went to Fort Davis to attend camp. For years, he stayed in a tent, even when others bunked in air-conditioned cabins. He loved to cycle.
He was well loved by campers and will be missed.
Here’s a link to an article I wrote about the fitness camp. Olgilvie is quoted in the article.
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Texas gets its own Ironman triathlon
Austin triathletes looking for a place to test their endurance won’t have to go far starting next spring.
The inaugural Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas is set for May 21, 2011 in The Woodlands, just north of Houston. It becomes one of 25 Ironman events around the world, in locations including Australia, China, Brazil and Germany.
To officially finish, athletes will have to swim 2.4 miles in Lake Woodlands, cycle 112 miles through the rolling farmland east of the city, and run 26.2 miles through The Woodlands, all in under 17 hours.
They also have to fork over a lot of money. It costs $600 to enter the race, which is a qualifier for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
Registration is now open here.
(The photo at the top by the Associated Press shows the start of the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in 2009.)
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Win book about cyclist Cavendish
In honor of the start of the Tour de France, I’m giving away a copy of “Boy Racer: My Journey to Tour de France Record-Breaker” (VeloPress, $21.95) by Mark Cavendish.
A sprinting specialist in the world of cycling, Cavendish is riding for the American cycling team HTC-Columbia in this year’s Tour.
He was born on the Isle of Man and written off as “fat” and “useless” in his youth. He won six stages of the 2009 Tour de France and four stages in the 2008 race.
Post here, telling me why you deserve this book. I’ll pick winners next week.
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Tour de France kickoff party
Itching to chalk up the streets like a real Tour de France fan? Want to dress like a wacky European bike racing junkie? Craving a crepe or baguette sandwich?
The 97th Tour de France kicks off this weekend, and the Austin bike shop owned by seven-time tour winner Lance Armstrong is hosting a celebration.
Highlights of Saturday’s bash include a photo booth where you can pose with other cyclists in the race peleton or climbing the French Alps, a “King of the Mountain” climbing wall, hourly raffles for bike gear, music, a painting wall, music, adult beverages and a Publicité Caravan that will shower guests with trinkets, samples and toy makers. Beer, wine and champagne will be available, and the store (which has a new Radio Shack Store inside it) will stay open until 9 p.m.
Oui!
When it gets dark, the tour prologue and the first individual time trial will be shown on a big screen in the parking lot.
Festivities are scheduled from 6-10 p.m. Saturday at Mellow Johnny’s, 400 Nueces St. For more information call the shop at 473-0222.
The TV at the store will be tuned to the Tour throughout July. “Come in for a coffee and see what the owner has in his legs,” screams a flyer announcing the events.
Another party is planned for Stage 17.
Let’s hope Armstrong is still in it by then.
(That’s our man, above, doing his thing in the Tour de Suisse last month.)
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Texas town cracks down on group bike rides
A small town in North Texas is cracking down on group bicycle rides.
Under Bartonville’s newly expanded public events law, any group of 10 or more bicyclists must apply 45 days in advance and buy a $50 permit in order to roll through town, according to an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Read the entire article here .
The town doesn’t just hate cyclists, either. The law, approved June 15, also applies to groups of 10 or more walkers or runners.
I can hear it now. “Call the cops! I just saw 11 joggers trot by!”
City officials say they’re just trying to make their town safe for drivers and cyclists.
That’s a load of unwashed cycling shorts.
Intentionally or not, Bartonville is promoting a sedentary lifestyle and discouraging people from exercising. Officials there apparently forgot that cyclists — and walkers and runners — pay taxes that fund road construction.
I hope the amnesia doesn’t spread.
The new law understandably has Fort Worth area cyclists ticked off. Some are talking about boycotting the tiny town, population 1,500.
I doubt they’ll miss much.
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