Winter Cycling Clinic

We promised you some additional information on the upcoming Winter Cycling Clinic and here it is.  The Clinic is coming up quick (this Sunday) so make sure you chisel out a block of time to join us.

Raise your hand if you'll be bike commuting this winter!

Will you be biking to work this winter?  If so, Activate Omaha needs YOU!

We're coming off the heels of our most successful  Bike Omaha Commuter Challenge ever, and we want to carry the momentum into the winter.

The winter challenge (WBOCC) will be very informal, just giving people the opportunity to log their trips and miles for one big team.  (See the Activate Omaha website for all of the details, and then register at www.cycle-tracker.com/activate_omaha .) 

Here is the important part:  Having the ability to show concrete numbers to the Powers That Be about the number of people riding is worth its weight in gold to us in our quest to make Omaha more bike friendly.  We are getting a good handle on those riding during the warm weather months.  We hope that you will help us by signing up and logging those winter trips and miles, even though it might seem silly to you.

Want to bike to work over the winter, but not sure about what kind of gear you need?  Omaha Bikes will have you covered on that!  We will be hosting a Winter Bike Commuting Clinic on October 23.  More info coming to this space very soon!!

Indoor Trainer Rides

Many thanks to our friend Pete Lieben with the Omaha Pedalers who has once again collected and summarized all of the indoor trainer rides going on at the various Omaha-area bike shops! 

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SO, LET’S RIDE!

Tired of staring at the wall or Wheel of Fortune while pedaling alone mindlessly on your bike trainer? Want a diversion from the gym? How about joining friends and fellow cyclists for rigorous exercise at one of your favorite places—the local bicycle shop! Numerous Omaha bicycle stores offer free cycling training sessions during the winter season.  This is a great opportunity to visit those stores that you always thought you wanted to see but never quite got around to. And…you get a great workout.

Bike Masters
http://www.bikemastersomaha.com/
5265 N 129th St (Corner of 129 St & Fort St)
(402) 964-1080

Wednesdays at 6:00 pm and a Saturday ride at 9:00 am. Bring your bike and trainer. Check for updates and changes at our Facebook page, “Bike Masters Cycling”.  All are welcome.

Bike Rack
http://bike-rack.com/
14510 Eagle Run Dr
402-333-1031

Saturdays meet at 8:15am with riding starting at 8:30am
Wednesday meet at 5:45pm with riding starting at 6:00pm
Sessions will last about 1 hour

What You Need
Your bike and your trainer or rollers.
Cycling clothes and shoes if you use them (Helmets are not required unless you tend to fall off your trainer.)
Water bottle and towel

If you do not already own a trainer stop in to the shop today and let us help you pick one out. Indoor trainers are a great way to keep in biking form all year long. (If you need a trainer, call ahead to see if we have extra trainers available). If you would rather not lug your bike and trainer back and forth to the shop for each session we can also store your bike and trainer in our warehouse between sessions at no cost.

Bike Way
http://thebikeway.com/
15115 Industrial Road
(402) 392-2390

Mondays from 6:00-8:00 pm beginning January 18. Bring your own bike and trainer or call ahead for trainer availability.

Greenstreet Cycles
http://www.greenstreetcycles.com/
1302 Mike Fahey St.
(402) 505-8002

Monday night ride (outside). Meet at 7:15 pm and leave at 7:30.
Also, to keep you flexible and limber, a yoga session Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30. ($5.00 charge)
Will announce indoor winter training later.

Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha
http://www.highgearomaha.blogspot.com/
8410 S. 73rd Plaza (Papillion)
(402) 935-1988

Tuesday-6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Saturday-8:00 am-9:30 pm

These rides are designed for the everyday cyclist from the novice to the expert. Please come out and join us for some cycling fun and maybe a cheesy 80's flick. Bring your trainer. We will have some but call ahead for availability.

2010 Bike De'Lights

Tis the season to don your smart wool, breathable layers, and balaclava and join OmahaBikes on a ride to view the holiday lights. Turn your "ho hum" into "ho ho ho" as we wind around downtown and the surrounding area to take in the spirit of the season after dark. After dark, you ask? Of course! That's the only way to see the spectacular light show. Make sure to bring lights of your own for safety's sake. The more festive, the better. A special prize will be awarded to the "Greatest Holiday Visibility"and "Best Cycling Santa" individuals. It will be too cold, you say? Who knows what weather Omaha will throw our way, but we have planned warming stations along the way. Warm up your fingers and toes with a hot chocolate or (spiked) apple cider at the cafes we will stop at along the way. Please meet us at Delice Bakery in Midtown Crossing on December 10th. We will meet around 6:00pm for a pre-warming get together as traffic and the sun go down with plans to embark at 7:00pm.

Check out the route here.

For those who will arrival by car, parking is available behind Marcus Theatre. The first three hours are free!

If bad weather comes our way the day of the ride, it will be rescheduled for the following Friday, December 17th.

Have any questions, please let us know!

Winter Bicycle Commuting Clinic

Experienced cold-weather cyclists will discuss bike commuting in winter. The clinic will begin with a panel discussion followed by an open discussion addressing such issues as safety, gear, and other tips on how to continue riding through the cold-weather months


Thursday, October 28, 2010
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Barley’s Bar & Grill (1510 Cuming Street)

Cost: FREE (but please RSVP)

Bicycles are welcome.
Presented by Omaha Bikes and the Community Bike Project Omaha

For more information, contact Ananth: ananthkalyan@gmail.com

Winter riding is just around the corner

Recent LCI graduate Butch Johnson of Cycle Works in Lincoln talks to News Net Nebraska about commuting in winter.

Guerilla Trail Crew Spirit hits Washington!

From the Safe Routes to School National Partnership: an article from the Washington Post about how schools are dealing with the massive snow removal issues. Does this story sound familiar?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/15/AR2010021503735_pf.html

Guerrilla Trail Crew takes action

We have mentioned the Guerrilla Trail Crew before on Omaha Bikes.  This weekend the Guerrilla Trail Crew took matters into their own hands and made a difference.  If you use Omaha trails, and want to make a big difference on keeping them available year round for everyone that uses them for transportation and recreation, then stop by the Guerrilla Trail Crew blog and see how you can help out.

These guys are awesome.  Now were did I put my extra snow shovel.

Indoor Training Rides

I just got a fantastic email from the Omaha Pedalers Bicycle Club that summarizes all of the indoor training rides going on at the various bike shops. Thanks to Mark, Pete, Joel and whomever else with the OPBC helped put this together!


Local bike shop indoor training programs. (Information provided by bicycle shops)

Bike Masters http://www.bikemastersomaha.com/
5265 N 129th St (Corner of 129 St & Fort St)

Indoor cycling season has started with two weeknight rides, Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:00 pm and a Saturday ride at 9:00 am. Bring your bike and trainer. Check for updates and changes at our Facebook page, “Bike Masters Cycling”. All are welcome.

Bike Rack http://bike-rack.com/
14510 Eagle Run Dr, Omaha, NE 68116

Training Schedule
*Saturdays meet at 8:15am with riding starting at 8:30am
*Wednesday meet at 5:45pm with riding starting at 6:00pm
*Sessions will last about 1 hour

What You Need

*Lots of energy (There will be no yawning allowed at the Saturday morning sessions.)

*You will need to bring your bike and your trainer or rollers.
*Cycling clothes and shoes if you use them (Helmets are not required unless you tend to fall off your trainer.)

*Water bottle and towel

If you do not already own a trainer stop in to the shop today and let us help you pick one out. Indoor trainers are a great way to keep in biking form all year long. (If you need a trainer, call ahead to see if we have extra trainers available). If you would rather not lug your bike and trainer back and forth to the shop for each session we can also store your bike and trainer in our warehouse between sessions at no cost.


Bike Way http://thebikeway.com/
15115 Industrial Road

Mondays from 6:00-8:00 pm beginning January 18. Have a few trainers at $5.00. Call ahead for availability.


High Gear (Trek) Bicycle Store http://highgearomaha.blogspot.com/
8610 Brentwood Drive (Moving soon! See their website for details!!)

Winter workout schedule
Tuesday-6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Saturday-8:00 am-9:30 pm

These rides are designed for the everyday cyclist from the novice to the expert. Please come out and join us for some cycling fun and maybe a cheesy 80's flick. Bring your trainer and climbing block if you have one. We will have some available at a nominal fee but call ahead.

Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha http://trekomaha.blogspot.com/
7214 Jones Street

Winter workout schedule

Tuesday night - 7 p.m.-8:15 p.m.
Thursday night - 7 p.m.-8:15 p.m.
Saturday morning - 8:45 a.m.-9:45 a.m.

For each session, we'll have demo trainers available for rental for just $5 available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can, of course bring your own trainer as well. It's best to arrive about 15 minutes early to get your bike set up and ready to go.We'll do 60- to 80-minute workouts each time, so bring a couple of water bottles and a towel. It's going to get sweaty.

Xtreme Wheels
19277 Conifer Lane, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
(712) 388-0800

The store is closed for a winter break. Winter training sessions begin on Jan 18th. Call then for info (712) 388-0800.

Call for "Bike the Freeze" Photos!

Ok, all of you tough cookies ... and you know who you are ... here is your chance!  From the Streetsblog network:

"It's time for another Streetsblog Network slide show. This time, in honor of the frosty weather enveloping much of the country (and the world), we're looking for your pictures of cycling in inclement conditions. Snow, ice, extreme cold -- we know that you're out there riding in it. At least some of you....


Here's your chance to show unbelievers how fabulous cold-weather riding can be. Or, if you're watching from the sidelines, go ahead and snap a few pictures of some of the bundled-up folks you see braving the freeze.  Send your JPEGs to sarah [at] streetsblog [dot] org, or tag them with "winterbikes" and "streetsblog" in Flickr. Get them to me by Wednesday, January 13, and we'll post the results soon after."

Go for it! 

Trail Condition Photos - 12/31/2009

After two large snowfalls within a couple of weeks, it seems the Omaha Parks Department has plowed some metro bike trails. In most places, a significant buildup of packed snow and ice still remain, and almost nowhere will you find bare pavement. The photos below are from Thursday, December 31, 2009. There's been a few more inches of snowfall since then, so I'm not sure of trail conditions at this time.

While having the paths clear of drifts is a significant improvement over no maintenance, a cyclist must still exercise extreme caution and be prepared to ride very slowly, and perhaps walk over some areas. I, for one, will still ride studded tires as long as there is snow or ice anywhere, so I find the trails passable. Depending on the purpose of my ride, I may choose nearby streets over the snowpacked trails.

Turner Boulevard Trail

Turner Boulevard Trail at Harney Street

Keystone Trail

Keystone Trail at College of St. Mary, just north of Mercy Road.

Bridge crossing on Keystone Trail at College of St. Mary

Bridge crossing on Keystone Trail south of Pacific Street.

Sidewalk connection totally blocked on Keystone Trail at 72nd Street. Note plowed path through the grass connection to shopping center parking lot.

Field Club Trail

I only glimpsed the Field Club at Leavenworth Street and it looked to be in similar condition to the other metro trails.

Trail Condition Updates

Please comment below to share your updates to trail conditions. Also, please consider using Twitter to help communicate with the Omaha cycling community. Tweet your updates and photos of trails to @OmahaCyclist and the news will be retweeted.

Snow Removal Issues

Report snow removal issues regarding streets and sidewalks here.

The Parks Department handles snow removal on trails. Maybe the Omaha Mayor's Hotline is a good place to start for reporting trail issues.

Trail Plowing

I have some follow up information regarding some investigating I did about trail plowing.

It is the Parks Department that plows the trails.  Budget limitations are an issue, as 6 full time positions had to be eliminated by the end of 2009.   Here are the priorities for plowing:

The 15 Community Centers
City Right of Ways (sidewalks) that are near schools
Overpasses near schools
Lewis and Clark Landing and the Riverfront
Major Trails
Park Trails

I did pass along what I considered to be the main message that "you all" would want me to say:  the major trails are used not only for recreation, but also for transportation.

The list of priorities for plowing reflects active living at its finest; while I'm sure many cyclists wish that the major trails were higher on the list, the Safe Routes to School Coordinator in me is glad that the city is looking out for the school kids ... many of whom do not have any choice but to walk to school, even when the snow is piled up. 

Safe riding, everyone.  I know that there are many of you that have been out there battling the elements, and we salute you!  Keep posting your winter riding stories - you are sure to inspire someone else to give it a try! (It's worked on this weather weenie, I can tell you that!)

Never doubt the power of this message: "If that person can ride in the snow, I can surely find a way to ride when it is nice." 

Photos and Video from the 2009 Bike De'Lights Holiday Lights Tour

Almost 30 people of all ages showed up at Glo Lounge at Midtown Crossing for the first annual Bike De'Light Holiday Lights Tour. We rode about 10-15 miles and viewed millions of lights at Turner Park, houses in the Field Club neighborhood, the Conagra campus, and the Gene Leahy mall in downtown Omaha.

After an extreme cold snap in Omaha, the weather cooperated by providing temperatures in the upper 20s and a light wind. The roads were still a little damp, and some side streets still had a slush from last week's snow storm, but no ice or dangerous slick spots were encountered.

Special thanks to Midtown Crossing security for helping with traffic control on Farnam Street, and to the Glo Lounge, 13th Street Coffee and the Blue Line Coffee Shop for working to serve almost 30 people looking for a warm drinks and spirits.

Video





Click here to view the video at YouTube.

Photos

Winter Commuting Routes

There has been a lot of talk the past couple of weeks about the challenges of winter bike commuting on unplowed trails and streets. Snow removal has been an issue for all modes of active transportation in the past week.

I'd like to get a sense (albeit an unscientific one at this point) of trail usage by winter bike commuters. My gut tells me that the Keystone is probably the most used by far, but I don't want to make that assumption. Can we get a roll call going here on this topic? The information may be helpful as we engage people in conversation about trail plowing issues.

It seems to me that this might also point to the need of a more formal study on this topic. One group college students + lots of coffee = legit data!