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So, you want to know more about RAAM?

The New York Cycle Club’s March 8th meeting will include a presentation about the Race Across America (RAAM), a ride famous with bent riders because it lets us race.
6pm.
NYCC Club membership and RSVPs required.

“George Thomas, Executive Director of Race Across America (RAAM) and 6-time RAAM finisher, will join NYCC’s March 8 Club meeting to deliver a riveting presentation on Race Across America.”

http://nycc.org/node/49910

Join NYCC and go.

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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Darn it. That’s why I ride a bent.

Darn it.

Yesterday I fell.  Thankfully it was in a bike lane and not in the middle of Second Ave.  But I think I broke a bone in my shoulder.  Maybe the scapula (shoulder bone), maybe that and a bit more.  Tomorrow I’m going to reassess it and (maybe*) go to the doctor. (*As in, “maybe I won’t be a fool, and actually go see the doctor two days after the accident.”)

It happened in a predictable way.

As one does, I was riding fast in the Second Ave. bike lane in the East Village.  Cutting with confidence through the slush and snow and over the ice.  Thought I was the boss, didn’t I?  Feeling sure of my gear — specifically my fat carbide steel studded tires — as one does, before being reminded of how soft one really is…compared to asphalt.  Hit a patch of frozen slush which then lost cohesion.  And suddenly I was flying through the air, with the greatest of ease, down to the street, shoulder first.  Arm, hip, and leg impact next.

That should tell you something: I wasn’t riding a bent.  And it should tell you something else: no matter how good your tires — and I still love my Schwalbe Marathon Winters — they only grip as well as the substance they’re gripping to.  Ice, hey that’s great.  But semi-frozen slush?  Look out.

Now, had I been riding a bent, I would have hit the pavement ass first, and from only two feet off the ground.  Instead, I was riding my beater diamond frame, an awesome Surly Cross Check as I usually do during the messy months, and so my shoulder  had a good six feet to travel down to the streetscape.  Of course, it was exactly as I always tell people; on a DF, it’s usually the upper body that leads in a fall; on a bent, it’s the feet and ass.  You’re better off leading with your feet and ass.

Well, I got up and kept going.  And continued my day.  Saw friends.  Attended a discussion about the nature of reality (you don’t miss this kind of thing when it’s moderated by Deepak Chopra).  Had coffee.  Attended the Downtown Meditation Community’s potluck.  And rode another 15 miles or so on slippery streets.  As a real man (a.k.a. idiot) does.  I still had full rotation of my arm and wrist, didn’t hit my head, nothing obviously broken.  I could support my upper body on the handlebars w/o problem.  But all the while well aware: the body and mind can mask injuries initially (as it’s supposed to do).

Thank God I didn’t tear the merino.  (That’s really amazing stuff.)  And thankfully my 800-fill down sweater was safely stowed in my rear basket.  That would have been a mess.

But today, darn it, the shoulder pain has increased, as it might for a broken scapula.

Friggn-A.  Like I needed a reminder.  If you’re going to fall on a bike — and everyone falls sooner or later — it’s better to fall from a bent, than a diamond frame.  Better to fall towards your legs and ass then towards your head and shoulders.

Go ride a bent.

Update: saw the MD, got X-rays. Nothing broken!  Just bone bruises.  As for tendon or ligament damage, I’m still waiting.  Maybe, just maybe I haven’t blown my swimming season.

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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5,746 killed on NYC streets over 15 years. Please make it stop.

To:
Councilman Eric Ulrich
Queens
E-mail: eulrich@council.nyc.gov

Dear Councilmember Ulrich:

Thank you for dedicating your career to making New York a better place to live and work.

However, I have learned that your office has announced a proposal to mandate bicycle licensing.  Thousands of New Yorkers are likely to be killed and injured by this law, if enacted.  Surely, this is not the consequence you intend.

According to the facts from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in the 15 years from 1994 up through 2009, 5,746 people were killed in the five boroughs of New York City in motor vehicle accidents.  Allow me to emphasize that: Five THOUSAND, seven HUNDRED and forty-six.
     Source: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s
     National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s
     “Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia” at
     http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx

Considering that these 5,746 people were killed over a period of _ONLY_ 15 years, the mind boggles to contemplate the thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers who have been killed by our dangerous streets over the decades.

Experts in the field of transportation safety have ample evidence that bicycles and bike lanes create safer streets with fewer accidents to all street users.  The New York City Department of Transportation has
published data showing this is true in New York.

There is also testimony from experts showing that laws which inhibit the wide use of bicycles, such as bicycle licensing and helmet laws, causes a decrease in the number of cyclists (source: Transportation Alternatives).  Since a drop in the number of cyclists creates more dangerous streets for all street users, licensing laws have the unintended effect of increasing mortality — deaths — on city streets.

The 5,746 street users who were killed from 1994 through 2009 must not be ignored.  Being dead, they can not write you or your office, or march to City Hall in protest.  But it is a great injustice to forget or ignore them.

How many more New Yorkers must die, before we reach a consensus that safe streets are important, and that, as a community, we should pursue all efforts that create safer streets?

Bicycle licensing will cause fewer people to bike.  Fewer bikes will mean more dangerous streets.  More dangerous streets will mean thousands killed on New York roads.

New York does not need laws that result in deaths.  What we need, are leaders who will support and advance a readily acceptable truth: New Yorkers need laws that result in quality of life improvements.  We need safe streets.

I hope you will agree.

Please retract the proposal for bicycle licensing.  And please support the construction of safe streets and bike lanes.

Thank you for caring about New Yorkers.

Respectfully yours,

Robert Matson
Member: New York Cycle Club and Transportation Alternatives

cc: Blog.NYCRecumbentSupply.com

# # #

————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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Mandatory: spend 10 minutes to save lives; possibly your own.

In the here-and-now presently-apocalyptic world of Cyclists vs. Shysters, two new fronts have opened.  Read on.

In order to ensure you continue to get life-saving bike lanes, you need to spend 10 minutes today to tell your council member what you think.  (Suggestion: you want bike lanes because they decrease injuries and save lives for ALL street users — motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, skaters, dog walkers, dogs, cats, you name it — and you want them fast, before the next 100 people needlessly die on New York City roads.)

Here are some facts so you better understand just how serious this business is:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811156.PDF
Browse around here: http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCSA
Here’s an article at RecumbentJournal.com on the subject
http://www.recumbentjournal.com/views/columns/item/299-cycling-safety-situational-cities-certainly-scariest.html
See my previous blog entry: Get involved in local politics to improve street safety.

And here are the two stories and what you should do:

New York Cycle Club Alert: Where You Can Help

Issue: Queens Councilman Eric Ulrich has announced a proposal for citywide bike licensing.

Action needed: Email the Councilman (e-mail address: eulrich [at] council [dot] nyc [dot] gov) and tell him why this scapegoating of all cyclists for the bad habits of a few is wrong.  Mention you are a member of New York Cycle Club to show that, all together, we have clout.

Central Park Alert: The past week has seen a ticketing blitz by police directed at Park cyclists running red lights. This has occurred regardless of hour or density of traffic, pedestrian or otherwise, leaving a number of our members with $270 fines.

* * *

Councilmembers James Oddo and Vincent Ignizio (Staten Island, Republican) are demanding new bike lanes be subject to a lengthy and unnecessary review process.

From:
Paul Steely White

Executive Director,
Transportation Alternatives (“T.A.”)

Dear T.A. StreetBeat Reader,

As reported by the New York Post, Staten Island Republican Councilmembers James Oddo and Vincent Ignizio are demanding that all new bike lanes be subject to a lengthy — and highly unnecessary — review process. Councilmembers Oddo and Ignizio’s proposal would put a snarl of red tape and potentially years of waiting time between New Yorkers and life-saving improvements to their streets.

Take Action: http://transalt.org/takeaction/actioncenter/5073

Send Councilmembers Oddo and Ignizio a fax and stand up against a long, drawn-out review bogging down life-saving bike lanes. Tell Councilmember Oddo and Ignizio that New Yorkers need bike lanes. We will not stand for their attack on safe streets.

T.A.’s legal committee is fast at work on an official answer to this nonsense. Meanwhile, before other Councilmembers begin blaming every other traffic jam on bicyclists, we need you to tell Councilmember James Oddo that obstructing the installation of bike lanes will only make our streets more dangerous for cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike.

On Manhattan’s 9th Avenue, a parking-protected bike lane and its accompanying pedestrian islands reduced injuries for everyone by 56 percent. That’s drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists, all safer because of a bike lane. Because bike lanes make streets safer for pedestrians and drivers too, their timely installation is integral to making our streets safer for everyone.

T.A. needs your help to defeat this attack on bicycling before it gets started. Stand up for your right to bicycle in a safe lane! Send an e-fax to Councilmember Oddo now!

Paul Steely White
Executive Director,
Transportation Alternatives





Councilmembers Here!

Not sure who your councilmember is?  Find out here: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

To e-mail your councilmember, find their name and e-mail address below.  You could also pick up the phone and call their office.  I’m not certain how to address them, but try “Your Honor” — can’t be too far off — and let me know how that goes.

MATHIEU EUGENE                      mathieu.eugene@council.nyc.gov
GALE BREWER                             gbrewer@council.nyc.gov
FERNANDO CABRERA                fcabrera@council.nyc.gov
MARGARET CHIN                          chin@council.nyc.gov
LEROY COMRIE                             comrie@council.nyc.ny.us
ELIZABETH CROWLEY               ecrowley@council.nyc.gov
ERIC MARTIN DILAN                   Edilan@council.nyc.gov
JULISSA FERRERAS                      jferreras@council.nyc.gov
LEWIS A. FIDLER                          LFidler@council.nyc.gov
HELEN D. FOSTER                        foster@council.nyc.gov
Daniel R. Garodnick                        garodnick@council.nyc.ny.us
James F. Gennaro                             jgennaro@council.nyc.gov
VINCENT J. GENTILE                   vgentile@council.nyc.gov
SARA M. GONZALEZ                   Sgonzalez@council.nyc.gov
DANIEL J. HALLORAN                dhalloran@council.nyc.gov
VINCENT IGNIZIO                        Ignizio@council.nyc.ny.us
ROBERT JACKSON                       rjackson@council.nyc.gov
LETICIA JAMES                            ljames@council.nyc.gov
PETER KOO                                    pkoo@council.nyc.gov
G. Oliver Koppell                 okoppell@council.nyc.gov
Karen Koslowitz                   Koslowitz@council.nyc.gov
BRAT LANDER                     lander@council.nyc.gov
JESSICA S. LAPPIN              lappin@council.nyc.gov
Stephen Levin                     slevin@council.nyc.gov
Melissa Mark-Viverito           mviverito@council.nyc.gov
Darlene Mealy                     darlene.mealy@council.nyc.gov
Rosie Mendez                      rmendez@council.nyc.gov
JAMES S. ODDO                  joddo@council.nyc.gov
ANNABEL PALMA                 apalma@council.nyc.gov
Domenic M. Recchia, Jr        drecchia@council.nyc.gov
JOEL RIVERA                       Joel.Rivera@council.nyc.gov
Ydanis Rodriguez                 yrodriguez@council.nyc.gov
JAMES SANDERS, Jr             jsanders@council.nyc.gov
LARRY B. SEABROOK            cmseabrook12@yahoo.com
ERIC ULRICH                       eulrich@council.nyc.gov
JAMES VACCA                      jvacca@council.nyc.gov
JIMMY VAN BRAMER             jvanbramer@council.nyc.gov
ALBERT VANN                      avann@council.nyc.gov
Mark Weprin                        MWeprin@Council.NYC.gov
RUBEN WILLS                      Ruben.Wills@council.nyc.gov

Stand up for safe cycling, today.

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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Scepticism.

This video is making its way around the recumbent community.  Suckers?

I don’t speak Russian, so I don’t know what President Yeltsin is saying.  However, I didn’t see a single image of him on a recumbent.  Therefore, I assume the video is a joke.  If someone can provide evidence of the contrary, send me the evidence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FwJ3acaQjDE

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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staying in shape over the winter

Cripes it’s cold in New York right now. You Minnesotans probably consider us wimps.  But I’m not listening.

I’m still out and riding every day but I must confess: it’s not on a recumbent. I’m riding my “fast beater bike,” a Surly Cross Check with 40mm Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tires (got ’em for sale if you want ’em). I find it easier to balance the Cross Check on the slushy stuff and I just can’t stand making a mess of my Rans Rocket so, for now, I’m unbented.  Unfortunately, this means my recumbent muscles are at risk of getting weak.

So, how do I stay in shape over the winter?

In my daily “commuter” cycling — I’m usually in a rush.  Combine that with studded tires and you’re talking a workout.  I also get in some walking and hiking to keep those muscles awake.

Above all else, though, I swim.  Winter and spring are the racing seasons for U.S. Masters Swimming and I swim every weekday and enter roughly one meet per month.  That keeps the cardio strong.  And since my event is the individual medley, the various kicks work a wide range of leg muscles.

Of particular note, though, is that I like jumping rope, whether while running or in place.  It’s amazing cardio exercise, but also great for the legs.  I particularly like that I can test the strength of my individual legs by jumping just on one leg, then the other, and then work harder on the weaker leg.

I know people who like lunges.  And burpees are great (and hard) too, though I tend to lose interest after a short time (probably because they’re so hard).  And lunges sometimes hurt my knees.

And if, after all that, you’re feeling cabin fever but don’t want to mess up your bent with all that salty slush, well, then just go out for a cold weather jog.  You’ll feel wonderful when you get back home.  And you’ll feel even better once those warm April days hit.

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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Do you ride a bike? No? Then don’t introduce laws that effect cycling.

Let’s hear it for more responsible law making: lawmakers shouldn’t be permitted to introduce (or vote on?) laws unless they know something about the subject.  I.e., A New York City city council member shouldn’t be permitted to introduce laws that effect bicycling unless he/she actually rides a bike.

It’s blatantly unjust that lawmakers try to create laws against things they dislike, but which they know nothing about.  A law maker should be personally aware of how dangerous the roads are for cyclists before he/she attempts to make them still more dangerous.

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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Loaded Tours Ready to Ride (LTRR)

A friend just sent me a nice link with a list plus details for off-road bike tours.  The list is missing New York’s Erie Canal Tow Path, but otherwise it looks like a very nice bunch of rides.  For us New Yorkers, the relatively nearby Great Allegheny Trail sounds fantastic.  I know the Alleghany Mountains a little bit, having spent six days backpacking through them, and can attest to the area’s beauty and generally good weather.  Best of all, for recumbent riders, many of these rides are on rail trails or canal tow paths, so you may expect some fairly flat riding.

Bicycle Tours On Car Free Paths
http://www.bicycletouringoncarfreepaths.org/Bicycletouringoncarfreepaths/Welcome.html

So…what are you waiting for?  Spring?!  🙂

Best,
Robert
————
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson

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Recumbent Bike Winter Sale (but first this news)

News:

|| Hilarious article about New York City recumbent riding ||
|| in Recumbent Journal. ||
Recumbent Journal, Sunday January 9, 2011
“Big Apple Traffic, Cobbles Hobble Bentrification” by Chris Malloy
http://www.recumbentjournal.com/views/columns/item/287-big-apple-traffic-cobbles-hobble-bentrification.html

** Studded Winter Tires **
I’m trying to keep studded tires in stock through February.  That said, every Schwalbe dealer in the country is backordered.  I still have 26″ studdeds and 700c studdeds.  Get them while it’s cold.

__The_Third_Saturday_Grant’s_Tomb__bent rides are now joint rides with the Metro Area Recumbent Society and the Appalachian Mountain Club.  Cool, eh?  New York Cycle Club members will also soon be (officially) joining in.  I’m rather pleased about this because it broadens participation in the ride and welcomes the “bent curious” as well as the “simply bent.” 🙂  If you haven’t been out for the ride in a while, I hope to see you soon.  It’s a wonderfully pleasant training ride that is right outside our doors.

^^ Tours ^^
I plan to lead a week-long tour upstate this summer.  The route is beautiful with magnificent views (that’s bent rider speak for “expect hills”).  I’ll have more details in the spring, but I tell you now so, if you’re interested, you can start training…now.  Days will be 60 – 80 hilly miles.  I’d be interested in hearing from prospective participants as to whether they’d prefer to rough it with a fully-loaded tour or stay at hotels or B&Bs along the way.  Advantages to both.

(For indoor training, I recommend the 1-Up trainer:
http://www.1upusa.com/bike_trainer.html)

## Trikes ##
I still don’t know what to make of them for urban riding, but I’ll tell you, that new fast-folding Gecko from HP Velotechnik is really something else and it’s priced to move (but is still made in Germany).  If most your riding is on greenways or country roads, do not overlook them.

HP Velotechnik trike designs continue to be somewhat unique for many reasons, not least of which is that their trikes have a surprisingly high seat height compared to other brands.  The Scorpion fs, for example, is the same head height as a Corvette.

Everyone loves trikes on greenways and bike paths.  Do we have enough bike lanes in NYC now for trikes to feel safe on the roads?  Maybe soon.  At any rate, they outsell two-wheeled bents everywhere else in the country so I’ll be bringing them in as fast as people want them.

— Help Stop the Backlash against Cycling —
NYC’s boom in cycling has lead to some backlash from a very vocal minority.  Some of their complaints are justified (about cyclists violating road rules).  But some are dangerously wrong-headed and involve fabrications of fact (there’s a group saying the Prospect Park West (Brooklyn) bike lane makes the street more dangerous and they want it removed.  Truth: the accident and speed data shows it’s made the street dramatically safer).

Last week, the NYC Dept. of Transportation announced at the NY Cycle Club meeting that it is taking the politically necessary route of working with the police to enforce road rules for cyclists at the same time that they remain fully committed to building out hundreds of miles of bike lanes.

Please: Ride according to the road rules.  Join Transportation Alternatives (www.transalt.org).  And follow TA’s lead in taking action to preserve and improve the cycling boom in the city.  This is important for improving the quality of life for all city residents.

That’s all folks.  Have a great winter!

All best,
Robert

———-
Robert Matson

Tel: (646) 233-1219
Hours: M-F, 10am-6pm; Sat-Sun. by appointment.

copyright 2011 Robert Matson
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Urgent: More Prospect Park West bike lane hearings and protests. Get out there.

This THURSDAY, JANUARY 20th at 6:30 PM, Brooklyn cyclists need YOU!



This just in from Transportation Alternatives:



* * *


Just because there's slush on the ground and you may not be riding along PPW lately, the lane still needs your show of support. 

This THURSDAY, JANUARY 20th at 6:30 PM, DOT will report on its PPW findings and we are certain that many, many bike lane opponents are set to come and speak against the lane; We need YOUR voices and bodies there! 

PPW is tremendously safer now and works better to accommodate all its users. Don't let selfish desires and dangerous double parking rule the room. 

Come out and support PPW.

http://www.facebook.com/l/6ddeaiEgxDGxcnI_RUQLbeVpGLQ;www.streetsblog.org/2011/01/18/this-week-one-more-chance-to-defend-the-ppw-bike-lane/#comments

PLACE:
OLD FIRST REFORMED CHURCH
729 CARROLL STREET
(CORNER OF 7TH AVENUE)
BROOKLYN, NY 11215

A G E N D A

- Presentation by representatives for the Department of Transportation on their
findings and recommendations regarding the Prospect Park West bicycle lanes and
traffic calming project installed in Summer 2010.
--------------------



Park Slope Anti-bike activists are still trying to get rid of the bike lanes.  Get involved.

Best,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2011 Robert Matson