Good news.... Maybe

As I was getting a ride home today, I happened to look over at the keystone trail as I was crossing it in a couple of places in town.  In Sarpy county around 36th st it looks clear and good.  And around 72nd and Pacific it looks as if it has been plowed clear.  I know that NFM cleared the section that runs behind their warehouse.  But maybe all the voices have been heard?  Can anyone else confirm other parts of the trail?

Yet another reason to ride

If you missed Friday's Bike deLight's ride, or would like to get out again and ride there are a few of us meeting on Monday evening in downtown Omaha.

For more info click HERE.
This ride will be laid back, casual and with no pre-determined route.  Come out and join us if you like.

A trendy business cycle

I saw this article in the OWH a few days ago and began to think whether or not downtown omaha has enough foot or bike traffic to keep shop that sells medium- to high-end bikes profitable. I agree there is a gap in bike shop availability and think providing rentals is a different way to increase bike presence downtown. I also think Mr. Swan has some huevos to open a bike shop in this economy. Kuddos to his entrepreneurial spirit! I'm always excited to check out bike shops and am interested in seeing how this bike shop does! Best of Luck!



A pedal-peddling retailer is spinning into north downtown, selling bicycles and related accessories for everyone from racers to commuters and offering bike rentals and taxis to tourists, concertgoers and future ballpark visitors.

The owner and the manager of Greenstreet Cycles hope to tap into several converging trends with their new venture just east of Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, near 13th and Mike Fahey Streets.

The store, which plans to open in March, will be the latest of about a dozen bike shops in the Omaha metro area, plus several large national chains with bike sections, that serve a growing population of cyclists.

More people are turning to cycling as a competitive and recreational sport and also as an environmentally friendly form of transportation. Omaha’s expanding trail system and wellness movements like Activate Omaha are further fueling local interest.

Greenstreet Cycles owner Ben Swan said the downtown area specifically is ripe for serving the biking community, himself included.

The closest shops to his planned store are Olympia Cycle at 1324 N. 40th St. and Re-Cycle Bike Shop at 1902 S. 13th St., which refurbishes old bikes along with selling new ones and trading.

The growing downtown Omaha population, recent completion of connector trails between the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and the Wabash Trace Nature Trail, and various north downtown attractions made Swan more willing to dive into his first retail venture at a time when some retailers are struggling.

The 28-year-old entrepreneur is investing his own money toward half the $150,000 start-up costs. He is working with local banks to secure the remaining financing.

Swan, a native of Des Moines and 2006 graduate of Creighton University, is vice president of Omaha-based RIC, a bank service vendor that provides software, trust asset review and risk management reports to large regional banks. He also is an owner-member of Omaha-based Entrust Settlements, a life settlement broker.

Swan works near 87th Street and West Center Road and lives downtown.

A recreational biker, Swan said he saw a hole in the market: no downtown bike shop. So did an employee of a La Vista bike shop.

Sarah Johnson, a 28-year-old Omaha native, was working at Highgear Bicycle Store at 8610 Brentwood Dr. when she told Swan of her desire to someday own a bike shop in Omaha. She had owned a bicycle and coffee shop in Grand Lake, Colo., before returning to Omaha last March.

“I just want people to get on bikes,” said Johnson, a 2003 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “I feel like a bike evangelist, just going around sharing the joys of biking.”

“She’s just so good with client education,” Swan said of Johnson. “Very charismatic, just somebody you could trust and count on for future service.”

Swan said he knows business and routinely thinks about starting businesses, but he realized he was no expert in cycling or servicing bikes. He asked Johnson to manage the store and also recruited Highgear’s head mechanic, Andy Pedley, 29.

In addition to the three full-time employees of Swan, Johnson and Pedley, the store will add other full-time and part-time positions depending on seasonal fluctuations.

“I knew if I had the right people, I’m just giving them a platform to do what they do best,” Swan said.

Johnson had a special interest in Swan’s planned location: She always wanted to open a store in Dundee or downtown.

The opening of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in September 2008, linking Council Bluffs and downtown Omaha, was “the tipping point” in downtown’s potential for biking culture, Swan said.

Johnson agreed.

“With the pedestrian bridge there, we just saw a huge opportunity,” she said. “We just figured it’s just a matter of time before someone does it, so we’re just excited that it’s us.”

Johnson said they considered spaces at 11th and Jones Streets and 10th Street and Capitol Avenue, but the new 22 Floors building was ideal for its proximity to the pedestrian bridge, trails, hotels, Qwest Center Omaha and the under-construction ballpark.

The 2,000-square-foot store is on the ground level between BBB Skateshop, which is part of the Saddle Creek Records complex, and Goodnights Pizza Bar + Patio, scheduled to open by January.

The three-story building also has 22 apartments, which were fully leased within two months, said Christian Christensen of Bluestone Development.

Christensen, the 22 Floors building developer, said the bike shop complements other nearby businesses. They include the independent theater Film Streams, retailers Urban Outfitters and American Apparel, Blue Line Coffee and Slowdown bar.

And because the bike shop is not just selling bikes but promoting social activities, it especially fits with 22 Floors, he said. The apartments’ first-floor lounge, featuring a flat-screen television, Xbox video game system, pool table and laundry facilities, is meant to encourage socializing among the Generation Y tenants.

Swan said the bike shop plans to offer spin classes, social bike rides and “gold sprints,” in which bikes are raced in place at entertainment spots like bars.

Jason Kulbel, one of two record label executives who run Slowdown and developed the neighboring complex, said the bike shop is a modern and like-minded business for the area, which is seeing more cyclists.

“There’s a crew of bikers that one of our bartenders is in,” Kulbel said. “They come to the bar a lot, and I see them riding around on the weekends a lot. I think there’s a bike culture, even though it might be small, around here.”

“Bikes are cool right now,” he said.

Activate Omaha, an exercise advocacy group, said 693 bike commuters logged more than 129,000 miles between mid-May and mid-August in the Bike Omaha Challenge.

The League of American Bicyclists, quoting the Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey, said 0.55 percent of Americans use bicycles as their primary means of getting to work. That’s up 36 percent from the first survey in 2005 and 43 percent since the 2000 Census.

The metro area can support another shop, said Miah Sommer, store manager at Highgear Bicycle.

Highgear is moving from 8610 Brentwood Drive to 8410 S. 72nd Plaza in Papillion for higher visibility, Sommer said.

The store, which shares the same owners as the Trek Bicycle Store at 7214 Jones St., also will change its name to Trek when it opens at the new location Feb. 1, Sommer said.

“I think there’s still enough to go around for everybody,” he said. “There are so many people biking now than when I started here six years ago.”

Swan said everyone from his bankers to his landlord has been eager to give advice on the new store. A fellow cyclist is designing the logo, Johnson said.

“Everybody is just bending over backward to make this happen,” Swan said. “I don’t think it would be like this in another city.”


Where: 1310 Mike Fahey St.

Size: About 2,000 square feet, with retail space covering about 1,100 square feet

Opening: March 1

Employees: Three full-time positions and additional full-time and part-time positions with seasonal fluctuations

What: Bicycle equipment and service store that also will lead free social rides, offer spin classes, rent bikes for rides on nearby trails and the pedestrian bridge, and provide three-wheeled bike taxis that transport two to four people to downtown destinations


Contact the writer:
444-1183, christine.laue@owh.com

Bike De'Lights Holiday Lights Tour TOMORROW (12/18)

Temperature wise, it looks like Friday, December 18 is going to cooperate with the first annual Bike De'Lights Holiday Lights Tour (more info). It will still be chilly, but not crazy cold.

So tell your boss you don't want to go to his stinking Christmas party, but would rather ride your bike in the cold, don your gay apparel and join us at 7:30pm 7:00pm (or earlier for some pre-ride refreshments at Glo) at the Marcus Midtown Crossing Theater at Midtown Crossing, near 33rd and Farnam.

If your bike isn't sufficiently decked, I'll have some extra sleigh bells on hand if you want jingle all the way.

For last minute ride updates, follow @BikeOmaha on Twitter.

Hello Omaha, I love you, but you're bringing me down.

(This has nothing to do with anything, but it looks cool right? But tell me what the front brake is doing)

Mod may have just posted on this, but since it's a fresh grumble on my mind, I thought I'd give my two bits on the state of trail clearing.

I had to turn around and go get my car while riding to work today. Living in mid-town and working near 84th and Giles gives me few choices for direction. There is 72nd and 84th. Both are unwise to ride when roads are clear, but now, when covered in all this gray and white cold stuff, it's down right nonsense. On my winter commuter, I figure I am going about half the speed I would normally be riding. That makes riding streets twice as dangerous - and just a nuisance to drivers who are already freaked out because they find their wheels slipping while texting and eating french fries. Mmmm french fries.

The Keystone is my only option. I had no issue getting there from 35th and Dodge and getting on the trail right North of Center. It was actually plowed -- for about 80 yards. Then snow became about 18 inches deep. I walked for a bit, hoping it would clear, but alas I trudged back, got on my bike, almost got hit by a bus, rode home and got my car. Since it was plowed this little bit, I know it can be done. This is totally not Lynskey.

Ok, obviously, there are not many of us out there riding. But when I see crews clearing park trails in Elmwood and the park at Aksarben village - trails that go in circles - I get a bit frustrated. I would like the choice to ride to work, but when it does not even become an option because I cannot access trails designed to get me throughout Omaha. Come on, you're bringing me down.

Snow on Omaha trails

I'm not sure if this is the right place to send stuff but I figure if enough of us send something then it will get to the right people.

Follow the link and submit your request for snow to be removed from our trails.

Velo Garage Sale TODAY

Some of you may already know this, but Bike Masters is hosting a Velo Garage Sale today. Do you have some old bikes or bike parts you want to sell? Swing by Bike Masters between 5:00 and 6:00 and check it in. 10% of any sales does go back to Bike Masters, but that's common with most hosted garage sales.

Call 964-1080 if you have questions. The sale goes from 5:00 till 8:00 tonight only. I was over there last night, and there are some good frames and used bikes already set up to sell.

I'm heading over after work and adding my wife's early 1980 Schwinn mountain bike to the sale items. That frees up a bit more space in my garage.

So is anyone else annoyed at Omaha?

Let me pose another question. If Omaha can't take care of clearing snow from it's current bike paths, how is it to manage bike lanes when those lanes are pushed to the curb?

For five years now every time it snows the Keystone (in Douglas County) rarely gets cleared (Ralston somehow get's there section clear). I bring this up because once again the Keystone is covered in drifts of snow. As a four season commuter and one half of a one car family I find this annoying. Now I understand we received a lot of snow but having grown up in Lincoln, a town who's bike paths get cleared before the streets, I find this unacceptable. The difference? Lincoln's bike paths, I believe, fall under the jurisdiction of the parks and rec department. Who is responsible for Omaha's trails?

Okay, enough lip service from me, I'll shut up now and keep riding my bike rain, sleet or snow. We cyclists persevere, we always do.

Bike De'Lights RESCHEDULED

Bike De'Lights rescheduled for Friday, December 18.

The quantity of snow on the trails and streets that we will be using, along with the forcasted single digit temps on Friday, would make this a difficult ride for casual riders.  The extended forcast for the 18th looks much better, and most of the snow should be off of the streets and trails by then.  See you on the 18th.

Last minute ride?

So I've seen the weather forecast but just out of curiosity does anyone want to go ride at Tranquility?  I'll be free after about 4pm.  Post a reply if your are interested.

gravel grinder saturday

First called weekend, who's up for some gravel grinder to Springfield,NE they have one of those old school soda machines. Meet up at Scooters next to ak-sar-ben around 9ish leave 9:30ish. Go get some awesome soda from old school machine (I never had soda from this place chances are it might be bad) . We will have south wind to to push us home...40 plus miles post if you like to go... that means you ... yes you reading this post....
change of plans 2:30 jewell bring your climbing legs

Wind Chill

That first day of wind chill in the teens is brutal. Who else rode in today?

ROLL CALL!

Ride Tonight

From T-bone...

Since we haven't done many of these this year we thought tonight would be perfect. Meet at the Blue Line downtown (749 N 14th St) at 6pm and roll at 6:15pm. We'll ride the paved trails over to Manawa and do a lap or two then head back downtown. If the moon is bright enough we might do a "no-lights" lap.

how sweet is this

Pedal-powered x-mass tree check it out

2009 Bike De'lights ~ Your Invited

Bike Omaha is inviting You (The Pedal Omaha community), to the first annual Bike De'lights ride.

Who: You and your family on bikes

What: A sub 10-mile social ride

When: Friday, December, 11th at 7:00pm (bad weather reschedule date Dec. 18th)

Where: Ride starts at Midtown Crossing Marcus Theatre at 3201 Farnam St (Meet Inside)

Why: To spend time with friends enjoying the lights and activity of downtown Omaha

Up-to-date information can be found at the Bike De'Lights post on Bike Omaha

What's it feel like

to get the hurt layed down on you by a guy on a fixed gear pursuit bike with slick tires and one brake? Like this.

The kids came out to play and it was awesome. I love people that ride bikes.

Anyone caught a glimpse of this jive?

All You Haters (Suck My Balls) from nixbros on Vimeo.

sort of mix between lil jon, weird al, and the hipster olympics?

Brev M

Anyone caught a glimpse of this jive? Looks spiffy!!!

Brev M

Show your support

Please CYCLE to MAT

Friday, November 20, 2009
2:30 p.m.

To join
MAT and U.S. Senator Ben Nelson

add the first 8 of 32 new replacement buses to MAT’s fleet.


Bus Bike Rack Demonstrators needed!!! Reception to follow.


R.S.V.P. Linda Barritt
lbarritt@omamat.org
341.7560, ex 2300
Metro Area Transit 􀁺 2222 Cuming Street
Park: west side of MAT building in the 24th Street parking lot

Ride out to Cranksgiving

For all of you living in Midtown that would like to ride out to Cranksgiving. Here's the deal meat at hy-vee on 50th and Sadlle Creek around 9:45 am get some breakfast/maybe just coffee roll out around 10:30. Mostly keystone and some neighborhood shortcuts get to bike masters, pedal eat soup go home.... Sounds good I thought so... see you there

Not a local story, but sounds familiar...

gravel grinder saturday

The forecast calls for awesome weather this weekend if you want to get some miles in Saturday Morning on some Iowa gravel. Meet at scooter's location @old market at 8 am. Rollout 8: 30ish 50-60 miles you will need .50$ to get across the Bellevue toll bridge.. all are welcome.
p.s. here the route

Halloween - lets ride

Tomorrow is Halloween. Many of us will be getting our kids dressed and ready to make their candy collecting rounds tomorrow night. But before you get your kids ready to trick-or-treat, maybe you should get some time in on your bike. That way you can eat an extra peanut butter cup (or 10) without feeling too guilty about all those calories.

If you’re available from 10:30am till 3:00pm tomorrow, you can bring your bike here, and participate in the second annual Spooks On Spokes ride. The ride/race will take place throughout this general area.

Similar to an Alleycat race, this event incorporates all types of urban and suburban riding. Part of the adventure is the unknown. You won't know what you're in for until the race begins. Expect mildly difficult terrain, mileage and challenges. Terrain will be mixed, therefor road, mountain or comfort bikes will work. Expect the unexpected, but expect the event to last between 2 and 4 hours depending on your skills.

The event starts after each person is given a manifest. The manifest consists of a list of checkpoints they must find. There will be a 15-minute period to ask questions before the race begins. Each item on the manifest will be revealed after solving a puzzle or riddle. After studying the manifest all participants are released at 11-AM to begin the adventure. Event ends at 3:00-pm Sharp! Categories are: Teams of 2, Geared and Fixed/Single Speed bikes. Participants choosing to compete as a team must remain within 50-feet of one another at all times. Halloween costumes are encouraged, but not expected or required. Your choice.

Be sure to check out the official website for all the details.

Drop me an email at underdahill AT gmail DOT com if you want to meet up for coffee somewhere along the way. I plan to swing by Bike Masters on the way there, so that determines my route to the start area a bit.

Polo this sunday?

Is anyone not going to Spooky Cross want to do some polo Sunday?  I've been ichin' to try it out.

Upcoming Weekend Bike Events

This Saturday October 31st is the second annual Spooks on Spokes scavenger race. This event is a blend of scavenger hunt, alleycat and adventure race rolled up in one. I'm not charging an admission fee, but I'll accept donations from anyone willing (to cover event insurance of $90). Check out this LINK for more details. For those who run their own blogs, please spread the word about this event or copy the details to your blog if you wish.

Also, the following day, Sunday November 1st is Spookycross. A cycloross race on Living History Farms in Urbandale Iowa. There's no excuse not to be out on your bike this weekend.

Commuting in the rain...

Is like cyclocross. Initially it sounds like a bad idea until you get out and do it. Then it's AWESOME!

Chrome and Coffee (Beer)

The ever so cool, ever so tank-like, and ever so functional Chrome Bags brought itself to Omaha with the large thanks going to the good guys at Bike Masters for setting it up. We met at the always good Blue Line, but I didn't have a lick of coffee. I think I drank a diminishing drip of it for about 4 hours earlier in the day, so I figured I should steer clear and find beer. The crowd was full of pedal power and I didn't see a crying eye in the bunch.

The 2010 product line was shown, questions were answered, and raffles were raffled.

This guy I know (me) was there and took a couple of pretty pointless pictures. But without hesitation, I post them for the good of the good. Yay!

Images from Chrome and Coffee Publish Post

race across the sky

Posted from MTBomaha

If you don't blog it, it didn't happen

Rafal and Mod making smores at RF and Rox's wedding.

It was fun to see so many bike peeps at the wedding. However, I don't think any of them biked there. FAIL! .... including me, but I couldn't figure out how to hook my camper to my bike. ;-)

Sorry for the terrible picture quality.

Bike Commuting 101

I read Outside magazine and thought this article has useful content, albeit there is more product/gear advertisement than I would prefer.

The Original SUV
Bike Commuting 101
The Age of Bike Commuting is upon us. Across the nation, gridlocked cities are carving out cycling lanes, installing racks, and otherwise embracing pedal power. To help you make the switch, we've exposed the most common whines for what they are: stall tactics. Read on—and the truth will set you free.

Excuse #1: It's too dangerous
The Truth: That really depends on you. If you seek out less traveled routes, and ride wisely and defensively, odds are very good that your commute will be unremarkable—in the nice, pain-free way. Cycling-safety research is not yet at motor-vehicle levels, but studies have produced heartening results. The Transportation Research Board reports an average accident rate of one per every 16,750 miles for bike commuters, and one study by the UK Department of Transport found that roughly 19.9 million miles were pedaled per cycling fatality there. So ride intelligently among cars, wear a helmet—Lazer's Genesis RD ($175; lazerhelmets.com) features the best, and most comfortable, fit system we've used—and, at night, light yourself up for maximum visibility. In back, mount a flashing red taillight, like Princeton Tec's Swerve ($30; princetontec.com). Up front, you want a headlight with a flash mode. We prefer a powerful rechargeable unit, like Light & Motion's 200-lumen Stella 200 ($270; bikelights.com), but if that seems like overkill for your ride, check out Princeton Tec's 50-lumen EOS Bike ($45).

Excuse #2: It rains too much in my town
The Truth: It's easy to keep dry and warm on the bike. In rainy Portland, Oregon, plenty of folks cycle through winter in thrift-store wool and waterproofed leather boots. Fenders, of course, are a must—and you can't beat Velo Orange's aluminum models (pair, $48; velo-orange.com). For outerwear, though, some of us prefer high-tech fabrics. The Showers Pass Elite 2.0 ($230; showers­pass.com) is a highly breathable, waterproof eVent jacket with lots of venting and smart details; the optional hood ($25) fits under a helmet. Gore Bike Wear's Countdown Gloves ($80; gorebikewear.com) laugh at rain and wind. The Showers Pass Hybrid Zip-Off ($100) soft-shell trouser converts to knickers. And Merrell's leather Chameleon Trek Gore-Tex ($140; merrell.com) is a storm-proof town-to-trail shoe that's great for flat pedals.

Excuse #3: I don't have the time
The Truth: Cycling may be faster. Clock your circuit both ways, at the normal times, and see. But even if the car or train wins, consider this: If you have time for cardio work, you have time to ride. Swap out that spin class for the real world. It's a fair trade. A study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that, for new commuters, cycling just 3.7 miles at low intensity only three times a week increased external power and oxygen uptake as much as a training program. Imagine if they really committed to the commute.

Excuse #4: I need to look nice at the office, not be Sweaty Commuter Guy
The Truth: You can keep your riding to the cooler months—or use a little strategy to roll all year long. No shower at the office? Keep washcloths, deodorant, etc.—some even use baby wipes—in your desk and freshen up at a bathroom sink after a five-to-ten-minute cooldown. Cold water on your hands helps lower your core temperature, and a glass of ice water and a fan at your desk do wonders. You don't have to change clothes, either. Moisture-wicking and waterproof-breathable performance fabrics have made their way into stylish designs, so not only can you avoid the wardrobe shuffle; you might just improve your look, too. Nau's waterproof, four-button Riding Jacket ($200; nau.com) looks like a slim-cut blazer from Savile Row. Dunning's button-down Performance Shirt ($125; dunningsportswear.com) repels moisture brilliantly. Outlier's very light and urban 4Season OG Pants ($180; outlier.cc) shed all things wet and greasy but breathe freely. And if you can do jeans, don't ruin your Levi's. Swrve makes très cool cycling denim: seamless crotch, articulated knees, and a little bit of stretch ($100; swrvecycling.com). For shoes, you want waterproofed leather, like Blundstone's Rugged Lux 550 ($160; blundstoneus.com).

Excuse #5:It hurts when I ride

The Truth: That's easily fixed, but your bike might not fit you. Here are the five keys to a plush ride, according to le grand French constructeurs of old.

FIT: To eliminate back, neck, and wrist pain, your saddle should be close to even with your bars. And if the distance between the two doesn't feel right (meaning you're neither scrunched up nor overstretched), nothing will.

MATERIAL: Lightweight chromoly steel is springy (absorbs shocks), strong (is very hard to bend or crack and, unlike carbon, will never break), durable (will most likely outlive you), and practical (is easily repaired).

SADDLE: Leather takes on the shape of your derriere for years of untroubled riding. We love two models with anatomical cutouts, the Brooks B17 Imperial ($142; brooksengland.com) and the Selle An-Atomica Titanico LD Watershed ($180). The Titanico is softer out of the box but will reach the end of its life sooner. Not into leather? Top pick: the WTB SST ($60–$140; wtb.com), a padded shell with a cradling shape.

BARS: Make sure your wrists aren't bent awkwardly. Drop bars offer several hand positions. The Nitto Noodle ($54– $65; rivbike.com) is a favorite.

TIRES: Bigger equals superior comfort, traction, stability, and versatility. You don't want to go any lower than 28mm in diameter, and 32 to 40mm is more like it. And don't pump them to capacity; try 75 percent of max to start, and then experiment.

Excuse #6: Comfort Level

The Truth: Here it is, straight from GRANT PETERSEN, of Rivendell Bicycle Works. Because who better than the godfather of modern utility cycling to help you stop making excuses and get off the gas?

Chain-smoking salarymen in Tokyo, ladies in Amsterdam, and oldsters in Oxford grab a bike when they want to go somewhere. But they don't necessarily ride for health or to be good stewards of the planet. In Japan, the car is the slow, high-hassle, expensive way to move. Europe's urban centers predate the car and tend to have short, bike-friendly commutes. Bicycling is the path of least resistance in these cases, so it's easy to be virtuous. But in America, it's so easy to be bad. You almost need superpowers to be good. Rah-rah rants about the joys of pedaling, the health benefits, and the wide selection of commute-worthy bikes are all but powerless within a pro-car infrastructure. If they worked, we'd be right up there with the best bike-commuting countries, where 40 to 70 percent ride daily. Our score: 0.48 percent. Our problem is partly a lack of government-imposed disincentives—like the much higher fees and operating costs associated with owning a car in many other countries—but there's also our genetic proclivity to conserve energy whenever possible, like a little Lucifer on your shoulder constantly jingling the car keys. Since it's unnatural, even masochistic, to impose your own disincentives, find another way to break the car habit and get the bike habit. Breaking habits is hard but not impossible, and you have to give a new routine time to take root. The first step is making it easy, and one way is to get a suitable bike. Start when the weather is best, because it's not easy for bike commuting to take root in the hot, muggy summer or dark, cold, wet winter, when it's so hard to resist the comfort of a temperature-controlled sedan, listening to your favorite tunes and sipping coffee. But in time you may come to love riding through all four seasons. Nasty streets and sleet? Bring it on! Whatever you do, just make it so you're driving less and pedaling more. The more you do it, the easier it gets. And if all those far-flung folks can do it, so can you. You may have a harder system to fight, but it's a good fight.

Bike Commuting 101: Lock This Way

RELAXED? Kryptonite Evolution Mini ($62; kryptonite.com)

NERVOUS? Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit ($100) and, for your saddle and front wheel, KryptoFlex 1007 Looped Cable 7' ($12)

Street Safety 101

1. NO BIKE LANE?
Take the rightmost third of the lane.
Own it, and, please, be very predictable.
Ignore impatient honkers; don't engage hostile ones.

2. IN THE BIKE LANE
Watch out for car doors and pedestrians.
Never swerve into traffic; brake hard, in-line.
Pass cyclists carefully with "On your left!"

3. AT INTERSECTIONS
Never assume a car won't hit you while it's turning.
Take the lane after a visual check and hand signal.
Move slowly to the right once you're through.

And Finally...Don't Be an Idiot!
Blog Maestro Bike Snob NYC wants you to keep a few things in mind.
You're not saving the world: Ever hear a V8 gurgling and think, What a space-consuming, earth-fouling fascist? Well, if you think you're doing something special by riding a bike, you're just as toxic. Smug is worse than smog.
Ride Like a Grown-Up: In a big city, bikes are faster than cars and motos. While straddling such a formidable machine, act like it. Riding effortlessly through traffic makes a point; riding against it, a.k.a. "salmoning," makes you look like a moron. And forget the sidewalk. If you want to be taken seriously, ride in the street.
Know Your Bike: It's OK not to be a mechanic. But you need to know how to fix a flat and should be ready to do so at all times. Riding without equipment and knowledge is like not wearing underpants—not in the good, sexy way but in the disgusting, chafing way. Have a patch kit, tube, and pump, and know how to use them.
Don't "Reclaim the Streets": Think the car is your adversary? That's defeatist. Bikes were here first: Charles "Mile-a-Minute" Murphy was setting records when cars put out only slightly more horsepower than Angela Lansbury on a charity ride. The road is (still) yours.

Daughter orphaned after truck kills both Parents. No Charges Raised!

Tragic story from Texas.  God forbid any one try and mess with them.

"Texas’s governor recently vetoed a law that would mandate a safe passing distance for cyclists, saying it was unnecessary."

Check out the article on Urban Velo

Bike There option on google!!

Dudes and dudettes, I don't know if this old news but I have been wanting this function for years!

I'm excited.  I hope that it works.

12-Minutes of your time

Boulder Bike Story from Bikes Belong on Vimeo.

This video is worth at least 12-minutes of your time. If you, like me, want Omaha to be more than it is then we need more people involved. Dynamic, engaged and committed individuals to bring Omaha into the "bike friendly" realm.

Trying to understand USAC licensing.

The last time I was licensed to race was in 2001, which was to race MTB that year. My confusion (and complaints) are in regards to racing Cyclocross under a MTB or Road license. I recently raced my first CX race and thoroughly enjoyed it. Enough so that I'd like to race a couple more this season. One issue holding me back is that the license costs $60 and expires this December. So I plan to get a 2010 license, but I notice that I have to choose between Cat-3 MTB-CX or Cat-5 Road-CX. What? I have to buy two licenses ($120) if I want to race Road, MTB and CX next year? If that's true, that's BS. Since I only plan to race a 1 or 2 road races, a couple MTB and a couple CX races a year, the cost doesn't justify a yearly license. But the major hang-up is that without a license I'm forced to race Cat-5, which in CX is only a 30-minute race. I'm 40+ and would prefer to race a longer race, perhaps with masters, which is where I think I belong (even though most masters kick my a$$).

Could someone explain the USAC "system" to me? I've read through their poorly designed web site and I can't find answers to my questions. Also, why restrict non-yearly license holders to shorter racers, for example the cat-4/5 CX race I was in last week. And, do I have to buy two licenses if I want to race road, cx and mtb next year?

Maiden Voyage

I had forgotten how much fun it is to ride SS. Winds can be a lot more annoying and steep hills take a lot more effort, but it's just so simple. This bike is also a bit more responsive to steering input than the Surly LHT I ride.

I have one pretty steep hill on my commute to work. It's on Mercy road between 75th and 78th. Riding up that this morning was the first time I can remember having to pedal with my upper body in a long time. I was pulling pretty hard on the bars to get enough pressure onto the pedals to keep them rotating. Good times.

I wont be riding this on days when I have to commute loaded down with a weeks worth of clothes and such but I'll probably choose it for most other commuting days. Oh, and it will definitely be my preferred Alleycat bike. ;-)

No wonder we're obese...

Fifteen year ban on riding or walking to school? Come on! Saratoga Springs is a chill town too, that's where Serotta is.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,559460,00.html

Another salvaged frame

I got this frame/fork/crankset/stem from a friend for free. It sat in my garage for a while. After reading Scott's articles about his Schwinn Le Tour II, I decide to build it into a SS for casual rides/commutes.

I had to invest about $120 in a seat post, brakes, brake levers, cables, and bar tape, but everything else was stuff I had in the garage.

I think it turned out pretty good and that's one less bike frame in the local landfill.

 

 

 

Cranksgiving Omaha 2009

Bryan Redemske just posted details about the Cranksgiving 2009. Hope to see all of you there. Maybe I'll even race this time instead of pulling a trailer.

B.O.L.O. (Be On the Look Out)

Some jackass (white male, 40-55 yrs old, brown hair) in a early to mid 90's blue Dodge Dakota pick-up turning left across traffic, nearly clocked me yesterday around 5:30 at Pacific and the Interstate on ramp.  The fucker wasn't looking where he going, literally, and he didn't even stop or slow down after he finally did see me.  Very scary situation.  This guy has no idea and is gonna get some one hurt.

Spooks on Spokes

Cyclistas,

Check it. Last year I organized a cycling event called Spooks on Spokes. It's an adult (18+) cycling scavenger hunt /alleycat-style race (ride) that has participants following a manifest to find various locations where items are retrieved and/or tasks performed. Last year I had roughly 30 participants. I originally intended to have this event Oct. 10th but I wasn't able to pull it off due to a time crunch. After participating in Sean29'ers alleycat last Sunday I've decided to go forward with this event and try and have it October 31st, halloween day.

The entry fee is FREE, but donations are accepted to offset the expense of event insurance (a buck or two will help, but is not expected). Due to the nature of this event I have to have liability insurance.

There will be prizes (or awards) for top three finishers in geared and fixed/SS categories.

Stop by the Spooks On Spokes blog and feel free to comment and vote on a preferred start time.

dinner and the movie

If you are going to The waiting for the "Sunday in Hell" and you riding you bike. I have last minute idea. Meet at wohlenr's around 5:15 rollout to the hommy innn around 5:30 get some food and drinks at the hommy inn and head out to TWR.... See you there bring lights for the way back home. if you have question call me five ten nine nine nine 6. You can meet us at the hommy anytime... before we roll out around 7:00 pm... toodles

Oh what a day for an alleycat

So the weather looks amazing, with temps in the low 70's and sunny, Prizes have been donated by Bike Masters, The Trek Store of Omaha, and The Bike Way.  Thanks to "The D" it looks like we will have spoke cards as souvenirs.   Now I just need helpers to show up at 11 am and people to show up to participate at 11:15.

Hope to see y'all there.  And don't forget about A Sunday In Hell at The Waiting Room later that night.

Final Days for Oh What An Alleycat!

Just a reminder that if anyone is wanting to help out with the event, manning a check point, please show up around 11:00 am.  I have a few people but still could use an extra hand or two.

If you show up and we don't need your help, you are more than welcome to ride.

See ya there!

Last Minute Bike Ride (Tonight)

My Wednesday night activities got cancelled, so I'm going to get out and enjoy the lovely weather for a few hours. I thought some of you might want to join me.

If you would, be here by 5:30-5:45 tonight and we will head down town for some easy riding.


View Wednesday Ride in a larger map

Hope to see you there,
Bob

Cyclocross weekend. Anyone have an insight?

I'm kicking around the idea of entering my first cyclocross race the weekend of October 3rd and 4th. The Nebraska Cyclocross Weekend races. My question is for those who've competed in this race in past years. Firstly, how laid back is this race? Are we talking costumes, beer zones and shenanigans? Or is it skin suits and carbon wheels all the way? I ask this because I'm not interested in the latter. Beyond what the nebraskacyclingnews.com site shows, there is very little information out there.

Anyone got the skinny??? Mod?

Last bacon ride of the year

Well that time of the year is here no more bacon, technically last day for awesome mounds of bacon is the 27th of September but there is already full dockets of events for that day alley cat, Sunday in hell curing the Oktoberfest blues you name it. So that means the last ride out of Omaha for some bacon will be this Sunday 20th starting at 6 am @ wohlners roll out 6:10 am. Gravel glory and bacon await all are welcomed. see you there....
p.s. the lied pedestrian bridge is closed we will have to find an alternative way home. here the proposed route if you have any questions about the route leave a comment
p.p.s here is the queue sheet for the way home

Countdown Begins!

Let the two week countdown begin!  The weather looks pretty good.  I've been getting some good feedback from people talking about the alleycat.  I've also been getting in touch with some of the locations and everyone is being pretty cool about it.  Let's all hope for good weather.  I'm also lookin forward to Sunday in Hell afterward.  It should be an awesome day.

Omaha Kicks Ass!

Why? Well let me tell you. While riding home through Aksarben Village tonight I stopped at a red light, then rolled through when it was clear. Unbeknownst to me one of Omaha's finest was behind me and didn't even bat an eye about me rolling through a stop light. I thought I was busted for sure. Try doing that in Sarpy County.

Then I saw a guy bust out a full on hardcore right hand turn signal for him and his wife. Pretty sweet.

cycling caps

While spending some time at Black Hills I ran an idea of pedal-Omaha cycling cap by Mod and Lucas, they said hey sweet caps are always cool to have if they are cool looking and what not. Coincidentally half of snappy caps was sitting right there and was supportive of the idea. Snappy caps is local company (okay Lincoln local enough) operated by Skip and his wife. Lucas, defacto art/photo/graphic designer guy agreed to work up some logos for the design...
The question I have for you would you be interested in buying one of the caps if they were made. If so please leave comment...
Last bacon ride of the year is coming stay tuned.

Bike Rentals and Bike Sharing in Omaha

Most people reading and writing for Pedal-Omaha want to see more people on bikes hitting the streets of Omaha. One alternative to riding your own bike is to rent or borrow one.

Within the past couple of weeks, news of two new programs offering bike rental and bike sharing in Omaha has caused a buzz.

Starting with a soft launch a few weeks ago, the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau began renting six Trek Lime bikes and four kid's Trek M200 mountain bikes to visitors of downtown Omaha. Read more about the bike rental program here.

Today marks the start of a free bike share program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, using eight donated bicycles, including a tandem bicycle. Read more about the bike sharing program here.

If you rent a city bike, or happen to be a UNO student or faculty member and try out the shared bikes, please come back here and post a comment letting us know how it went.

Sigg Bottle Exchange

Apparently, Sigg aluminum bottles contained BPA until about a year ago. The company refused to talk about their liner materials until forced to just recently. If you've got an older one and want a new BPA-free one, check out these links for exchange information.

http://www.mysigg.com/bulletin/
http://mysigg.com/bulletin/august2008.html

These pages take a minute to load, probably due to heavy traffic.

Another great posting on craigslist.

Check out this posting for a bike for sale on craigslist.  I really hope this is a joke.  Enjoy.

put your mouth where your rack is

Hy-vee doesn't mess around nice new rack. Good job hy-vee. Sorry for crappy pic quality

CALLING ALL RIDERS...

Alright so here is the dish:   SAVE THE DATE OF September 27th, 2009.  I've been planning an alleycat event for about a month and I am officially launching the blog today. HERE is the blog.  I'm hoping for good weather and a good turn out.  I do need some help to pull this off so if you are not wanting to participate in the event please let me know if you can help. I have the start point listed and more details are to come.  There is a marathon going on downtown but we should be able to avoid it.  Festivities afterward such as Upstream (food and some tasty beverages) and then A Sunday In Hell at the Waiting room, Eh, MOD?

Manawa ride

Hey, I know it's last minute but if anyone is interested I'm going out to Lake Manawa tomorrow (Sunday Aug 30th), I should be out there by 10am. If anyone wants to meet up at the bridge and ride out there, I should be there around 9:30 and I'll wait for a few minutes just in case otherwise I'll hopefully see some people out at the trail. Should be a good day for a ride.

Mr. Furley style

34lb. load made for an interesting ride home after a New Belgium Abbey and Trippel.

BIG

WIDE

TURNS

Thanks

Thanks for all of you that showed up and rode yesterday. It was awesome day to spend on bike. Sorry about mechanicals for some people those always suck. Looks like the platte bridge will be closed for while. There will be more in future maybe not bacon but some food for sure... Stayed tuned.

Scott took pictures and wrote about his adventure... Enjoy.

Since we're on the topic of parking.

I was once again thrilled to arrive at Hy-Vee only to find the one available parking spot had been taken while the rest was reserved for Bar-B-Que parking.

If you're interested in getting one of the few bike racks in Omaha given back to bikes, write Hy-vee, the store is Omaha #1, 51st and Center. I thanked them kindly for providing a bike rack and asked that they allow it to be used for it's intended purpose.
Needless to say the trip was still a success. Fresh veggies from local farms (corn and bell peppers are looking good), chicken breast and a bottle of 10 year Speyburn Highland single malt.

RD, you might need to swing by after the ride Sunday.

Movie Night, 5 week countdown

There's talk floating around of a pre-movie mini-crawl. We're thinking, start in Dundee at Blue Line/Dario's, swing in the Homey, then the Sydney, etc. in Benson. Should be a fun night with some Lincoln lads coming up too. Oh yeah, James has made up some nice screen printed posters which he'll have a few of as well.

More and Better Bicycle Racks Please

Here's a nice little piece on a simple infrastructure improvement that could get more people to commute by bicycle.
Slate.

More Bacon More gravel

Update, for those of you who want to ride a 100 here's what I was thinking please let me know if you are interested and comment on route
We will be riding out to Platte for some bacon on Sunday morning. The meeting place will be Wohlner's parking lot, Meet around 6:00 am leave 6:10 am. Here's the route . Will meet up with Lincoln peps and eat some bacon.
Anyone is welcomed the weather looks perfect we should be back noonish.
I know some people would like to ride more than 70 miles on Sunday. If that is the case please comment and I will find another 30 miles for us to ride. Couple of other things:

• Do you have to have cross bike? (No you can ride your road bike it will not be that pleasant)
• What if I don't live in Midtown ( You can meet us at Springfield that gives you several options of getting back home leave a comment if you have any questions)
• What if I don't want to ride more than 70 miles (Here is the cue sheet for the original route)
• Can I just go and ride MTB @platte (sure just meet us at the tower around 8:30ish or not that's cool too)

In case you didn't know the GLGA is 2 weeks away I'm driving there day of in morning with JP . If you need ride let me know we can coordinate something

More bits from Madison

New Fisher Lane CX/Commuter, sliding rear dropouts, budget price.

Triton gets new paint, the photo doesn't do the color justice

New Grity City, super raw, bmx parts, lock it to a pole when you're too drunk to ride home.

New paint for the T1, I think this bike is actually sold with brakes so you can use it on the street, not just the velodrome.

E-bikes, these were super sweet and will probably be the bridge to get people on bikes in Omaha. Giant has offered e-bikes for a while now. They're pedal assist so no throtle. Twenty mile per hour speed governor. The battery re-charges under braking. Guess it's like a Prius with pedals. Got hills? No problem.

My favorite bit from the show, Birki's for your hands. Cork and rubber on toes and your fingers.

Three new Districts, one new belt drive, two new chain drive. I like the drop bar version, I'm a sucker for gum hoods.