MY VIEW: Bicycling in the Greater Cedar Rapids Area – You CAN Make a Difference
By Doug Wagner
Recently, more attention has been paid to Cedar Rapids’ efforts to become what is known as a bicycling-friendly city. An application is forthcoming from the Cedar Rapids City Council to be recognized as Iowa’s second bicycle-friendly city, with Cedar Falls being the first.
According to the article from iowa.com, “The city must take steps to promote bicycling by focusing on what … (was) called the five Es: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement and evaluation and planning.”
I’ve been hitting the roads and trails a lot more lately. From the point of view of a local novice rider, let’s take a look at the most important of these“E’s,” Engineering and Education.
Engineering
Whether this means roads, trails or both, there’s plenty to do.
Trails
For the most part, the Linn County Trails System, of which Cedar Rapids’ trails are a portion, is in good shape. Nearly all of the Sac and Fox Trail and portions of the Cedar Valley Trail are still heavily damaged and not ready for use.
Last year I surveyed the heavy damage on the Sac and Fox and found large rocks and even boulders where trail beds used to be, trees down, and inches to feet of sand covering the former trail bed. Maybe the most dramatic sight were a number of large tree limbs caught in the supports for high-voltage lines near the Cedar River…ten feet above the ground and higher!
This year, I’ve traveled the Cedar River Trail from its closure near the Eighth Avenue Bridge to the point where it joins the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. The trail is in good condition and there are many riders, rollerbladers and walkers/joggers. The premiere portions of this trail are the Cedar Lake Loop and the portion along McCloud Run, Iowa’s only urban trout stream.
The Cedar Valley Nature Trail is a destination trail. So far, I’ve ridden from the southern trailhead to Robins and back as part of a 21 mile, roundtrip ride. The grade changes are gentle, and at times, you can barely tell whether you’re pedaling a gentle incline or decline.
Find a way to become involved in the planning or financially supporting the construction or reconstruction of the trails…this will pay off big in the end!
Roads
Riding bicycles on the streets of Cedar Rapids is a completely different story. The roads in Cedar Rapids are awful. While there may be a number of “bike friendly” streets as far as width, the horrible condition of many roads can leave either your bicycle or body worse for wear. Even if the roads are straight, there are so many potholes, pits and patch bumps, a rider is frequently forced to either weave gently to avoid destroying bike or body, or do exactly that. The first thing to be done is to patch roads effectively and resurface roads with an eye toward the wear and how it might affect bicyclists.
Education:
Rule #1…buy a helmet and get it fitted.
According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute:
The “typical” bicyclist killed on our roads is a sober male over 16 not wearing a helmet riding on a major road between intersections in an urban area on a summer evening when hit by a car.
Head injuries account for more than 60 percent of bicycle-related deaths, more than two-thirds of bicycle-related hospital admissions and about one-third of hospital emergency room visits for bicycling injuries.
A very high percentage of cyclists’ brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 percent.
Maybe the most important statistic they offer is that non-helmeted riders are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders.
There are a couple of fairly complete local websites for bicycling education and events. One is a Rockwell Collins-focused site at bike2work.us and the other is the website for the Hawkeye Bicycle Association (HBA). Still, there could be a better public relations campaign, combining the efforts of HBA, the Linn County Trails Association, the City, the County and other organizations to educate the novice bicyclist, like me.
Once you have a grasp of the trails, etiquette and organizations, where does one go to find out more about bicycles and equipment? Most local bike shops lead you to national sites…the best way to become more informed is to slide into the peloton (Note: cycling lingo) and ask those whom you are riding with.
So, you’ve decided to hop on the old Schwinn and hit the pavement. If you’re interested in shorter rides (up to five miles) at a leisurely pace (less than 10 m.p.h.), then you’ve got all you need beneath you. Just make sure it’s tuned up and the tires are at their optimum pressure. Most convenience stores have an air hose and a tire pressure gauge for you to use for free.
If you’re interested in longer rides or rides at a more challenging pace, make sure you invest in two things: padded cycling shorts and an attachable rear-view mirror. Having taken rides both with and without the padded cycling shorts, I can vouch for the importance and usefulness of them. A $50 investment will make you want to go, “ahhhhh.” The mirrors can either be handlebar or helmet-mounted and are critical if you are riding city streets.
Bicycling is a relatively inexpensive, low-impact and easy way to get exercise in the greater Cedar Rapids area. Make sure you start slowly, improve your stamina gradually, follow the rules of the road, respect walkers, other riders and vehicles, and you’ll be rewarded not only with the health and fitness-related benefits, but by a view of the great outdoors that is unparalleled. Meanwhile, support Cedar Rapids’ efforts to become a bicycling-friendly city by getting involved in planning activities.
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