Bicycling in Bloomington

Mitch Rice’s blog has some recent interesting posts regarding bicycling safety. Among them, he has posted a news release that he hopes the city will send out. It describes sharrows - the new arrows on College and Walnut Streets. I mentioned them in an earlier post.

Thanks, Mitch.

 I will get to the subject of the post below.

I did not ride Thursday through Saturday. Thursday, I was away all day; Friday, I ran a few miles; Saturday, I had some things to do and wanted to watch the time trials in the Tour. Sunday, I rode about 45 miles. A typical ride, a version of the orchard ride - Smith Road, 45, Bethel, Boltinghouse, Old 37 to Hindustan; Chambers, across 37, Dittemore, Bottom, Kinser into town, Rogers to Clear Creek south of town, Fairfax, Schacht, Harrell, Stipp, Moore’s Creek, Rhorer, and Sare. I wanted to ride about 3 hours and be back to see the end of the Tour.

It was a relatively nice morning. The second part of the ride felt cooler than the first. Traffic was very light as usual. I tried to keep my HR in the 130 - 145 range to get some training effect. I focused on relaxed shoulders, feet and knees in the proper position, and keeping a steady pace. However, I regularly lost focus and just enjoyed riding.

The ride was a mixture of training and recreation. It wasn’t torture. I thought about the differences because of some symbols painted on the road for an organized ride. The symbols are similar to Dan Henry’s except they are H’s with the direction coming from the top of right side of the H or from the bar in the H. The symbols are orange. I assume it’s an organized ride but I don’t know what it is. I asked some staff at my LBS about it last year, and they didn’t know.

The ride seems to have all the bad hills in it. For example, it goes up Boltinghouse which is very steep. The ride would not be a lot of fun, except for those who consider torturing themselves as fun. For me, I can make myself train by choosing challenging routes, pushing hard, and doing sprints. But, most rides are mostly recreational - fun to be out on the bike. Choosing a ride that is mostly steep hills wouldn’t be fun and it wouldn’t be training. It would be torture.

But some rides are closer to torture than I might admit. This morning, I rode Old 446 with 10 60 second (more or less) sprints. Each sprint, I went as hard as could so that by the end, I was struggling to keep pace. Most ended with my HR in the low 150s. The last few sprints were very hard. Maybe I do torture myself at times.

 This morning, I changed from using my morning rides as preparation for the season to training for the season. My season is the Hoosier Hills and Hilly Hundred. I will train until the Hilly in October which means I will have a training focus on most morning rides.

Instead of riding Old 446, I went out the same way but after finishing the first part on Old 446 (Knightridge), I turned onto 446 and rode south to Swartz Ridge. Down Swartz Ridge and back up Moore’s Creek to Rhorer, Sare, and home. It’s a little shorter than Old 446 but it has a substantial hill.

I will try to ride this route at least 1/2 of the mornings to practice riding hills. This morning, I focused on tai ji/yin-yang pedaling up the hill. A short explanation - focus on the important parts of the foot and making sure that the yin starts before the yang is expended. It also means that the upper body is relaxed as much as possible when not needed on the steeper parts of the climb. I’ll practice this for a few more rides.

I also used the big ring for riding the flats. Typically, I use the middle ring (3 and 5 cog (17?) for commuting and the middle and 6 cog (15?) for my morning rides. (The 8 cog is an 11, so I’m guessing about the sizes.) This morning, I used the big ring (4 and the 4 and 5 cogs for most of the ride.

This ride has almost no traffic on most mornings. From the time I turn onto Swartz Ridge until I reach Rhorer, I usually see one or two vehicles. It’s a very pleasant ride from the end of Swartz Ridge until the climb begins on Moore’s Creek. This morning, I had to slow because of a fawn at the side of the road. I often see deer, turkeys, and an occasional coyote on Moore’s Creek.

 Sunday, I went to Brown County State Park to ride the mountain bike trails. It was fun to do something different on the bike.

I’m not sure how far I rode. I started on the North Gate Path to the North Tower Loop. I rode the east (windy) side to Aynes Loop. Rode Aynes Loop but returned on same side of North Tower Loop. Then back on the North Gate Path. This combination of loops is about 9.3 miles but because I took the longer way twice on North Tower, my ride was longer.

I met a number of riders, especially since I might have been going the wrong direction on North Tower on my return. But, it was far from congested. I’m never sure on mountain bike trails if there is a preferred travel pattern. If I was going the wrong way, I apologize to the other riders whose rides I impeded. 

The trails are in great shape and allow for good riding. They are well designed and have the appropriate levels of challenges. The Aynes Loop has a long climb, little tighter trails, and a few more obstacles than North Tower. I would have tried Hesitation Point but I don’t know what a classification of “difficult” means. If it’s a steeper, harder climb, I would try it. If it’s much more technical, then I wouldn’t because my riding skills need to improve to ride more technical paths.

After the ride, I noticed that my hands were more tired than my legs - braking too much. I plan to go back at least once more this season.

Postscript

Monday and Tuesday I rode Old 446. The mornings were very cool for the summer. It’s a pleasant change from hot weather riding. The traffic seems to be increasing indicating vacations may be over.

After a week off, I lose some biking skills, especially pedaling. I found that Tuesday I was much better able to spin than Monday. It’s good to be back in the normal daily routine.

 I didn’t post anything last week because I didn’t cycle all week. My grandchildren were visiting so I didn’t have time to ride. For various reasons, I drove to campus most days, too. However, I have three topics concerning Biking in Bloomington that I would like to share.

Another Bicycling Blog

Last week, I discovered another Bloomington bicycling blogger - Mitch Rice. Mitch’s blog - Biking the Hoosier Uplands - describes many rides similar to those I take south of Bloomington. Mitch also has the same appreciation for the joys of biking around Bloomington. It’s a good read.

Improving the Bloomington Bypass

Two additional bicycling issues regarding bicycling safety showed up last week. First, a member of the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission sent me a description of the State’s plans to upgrade the “bypass” around Bloomington’s east side (SR46). The plans will make it more difficult to use the road as a bicyclist or to walk along it as a pedestrian. The wider road, bigger turning radii, and other features will create more of a barrier between the east and west sides of the bypass for pedestrians and cyclists. The planned design is more appropriate for 1950 than 2007 which is consistent with much that happens in Indiana.

The bypass will have sidewalks but they will be within inches of the road. The high-speed traffic will discourage pedestrian use because pedestrians will have to walk so close to speeding cars. To quote from the document: “City standards for primary arterial streets call for sidewalks to be separated from moving traffic with an eight foot wide tree plot.  INDOT’s current design for the bypass has a maximum of twenty four inches separation, with many sidewalks directly attached to the curb.” Also, I wonder where the state will push the plowed snow - on the sidewalk? The City pushes snow on the sidewalks to discourage pedestrian traffic in the winter. I guess that’s how Hoosier government officials solve the wrong problem.

New Bike Lanes

Sometime recently, signs were painted on the right lanes of College and Walnut streets that seem to indicate that these lanes are for bicycles. The signs include a bicycle and 2 chevrons. I assume that indicates a bike lane. It’s seems wonderful that the City has taken 1 of 3 lanes from the cars and given it to bicyclists. However, during the day these lanes are usually blocked by double-parked delivery and construction vehicles. These vehicles create problems for bicyclists and the newly-designated lane does not solve that problem.

Overall, will the new bicycle lanes increase bicyclists’ safety? I don’t know but I am cautious. Bicyclists will have to learn to use the middle of lane; not the right side. By using the middle, bicyclists state that it’s their lane. Cars will need to pass bicyclists in the left or center lanes. When cars want to turn right, they will have to pass the bicycles similar to how they pass cars. If both drivers and bicyclists learn the appropriate use for the lane and how each should behave, it could be a success.

I am pessimistic because I don’t think either group knows how to use the lane appropriately and safely. It looks like an opportunity for the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission to start a community education project. Someone needs to teach bicyclist and drivers about using the bike lanes.

 Saturday,  July 14 Saturday, I rode a little more than 81 miles. It was at least 10 more miles than my previous long ride. I rode it with my daughter who is training for an Ironman and needed to ride 90 miles on Saturday. She rode a loop before I joined her. Our average speed was 14.8 mph. The distances were PRs for both of us, so the average speed was good (in my opinion).

The ride was similar to one we did earlier this summer, except when we got to the Forest, we went to the Forest headquarters to get water. My water bottle flew out of the cage when I hit a bounce at the bottom of Boltinghouse. It opened and the water spilled. We also added an out and back on Clear Creek Trail and we didn’t go out to the water treatment plant. At the end, we added my standard Old 446 ride (about 13 miles) to reach the target miles.

For a summer ride, the weather was reasonable. It was cool when we started but it got warmer over the morning. The heat was tolerable. The traffic was much heavier than any recent ride. Saturday mornings have more traffic than Sundays, when I typically do my long rides. However, at no time did the traffic affect our ride. We both enjoyed the ride.

My summer rides are aimed towards being prepared for the Hoosier Hills Tour in September and the Hilly Hundred in October. I plan to ride both this year.

For the past 3 years, I started training for these rides in late July or mid-August. Last year, I had only one 40 mile ride by this time and didn’t have any 50 mile rides until the third weekend of August. Since I’m already ahead of previous years, I can do a few off-road rides between now and Hoosier Hills. Next Sunday (weather permitting) - either Wapehani or Brown County for an off-road ride.

This was an easy week for riding. Old 446 Monday and Tuesday, a run on Wednesday, and hill repeats and a little detective work on Thursday. I’m off today because a 75 mile ride is scheduled for tomorrow.

Yesterday, as part of the ride, I tried to follow a Bloomington Bike Route that goes from nowhere to nowhere, as far as I can tell. It starts at the corner of Jamie and Rhorer, winds through Sherwood Oaks, and appears to end at Sherwook Oaks Park.

 It might go up the hill to Olcott Park but no sign indicates it. At the exit of Olcott Park on Canada St, I found a sign that indicated the Route goes along Canada but it was facing the wrong direction. The Route ends at the intersection of Sare Rd and Canada St. There is no apparent reason why it would be considered a bike route except to increase the bike route miles and spend money on signs.

 This is the third in a series about riding conditions in Bloomington. The previous posts are Riding on Bloomington Streets Part 1, Addendum to Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 focused the on street conditions and Part 2 focuses on traffic management and their affect on bicyclist and bicycling.In Part 3, I describe the bike paths, bike routes, and bike lanes in Bloomington.

Bike Trails. Bloomington has 2 real bike paths. The major trail is the Clear Creek Trail and its partner, the Bloomington Rail Trail. The Clear Creek Trail is paved and reasonably maintained. All bicyclists can use it but during some periods, many pedestrians (runners and walkers) are on the trail. The Bloomington Rail Trail is mostly gravel and suitable for fat tire bikes only. There are plans to extend the Rail Trail into downtown Bloomington. 

The map on the bottom of the Bloomington page of Indiana Trails website shows additional Bloomington bike trails. As far as I know, these are wide sidewalks and not real trails. Most riders would not notice them as bike trails. Designating sidewalks as trails is a strategy used by Bloomington city government to promote Bloomington as bike-friendly but it’s a weak effort. One trail that parallels the railroad tracks on the east side is poorly maintained and almost dangerous. On a recent ride, I found blind spots, mud, overhanging thorn bushes, and poison ivy on the trail. Bicyclists need to be aware of the hazards and the possibility of unseen pedestrians.

Bike Routes. Bike routes in Bloomington have no apparent function. They are scattered throughout the city. The map makes them look organized. They are organized to make a nice map but not for riding.  For example, there’s a bike route on a three lane, one-way street that carries most traffic in and out of town. Not really a safe place to ride.

The streets are no different than other streets - they have the same hazards and traffic management problems as described in the earlier posts. There is no reason to use them. It’s also a part of Bloomington’s attempt to do little but promote itself as bicycling-friendly.

Bike Lanes. There are a number of bike lanes throughout the city but they do nothing to improve cycling in Bloomington and are actually dangerous to use. Two one-way north and south streets (Lincoln and Washington) have bike lanes from 7th Street to Hillside Street. The lanes are used primarily to store road debris and for traffic control. They provide nothing useful for bicyclists. At the intersections, cars turning right have to cross the bike lane. This leads both drivers and bicyclists to unsure how to approach intersection.

A very dangerous traffic pattern occurs on Lincoln St at the intersections from 3^rd to 7^th Sts. The right lane is right turn only. Cars need to cross over the bike lane to turn right. Even worse, the bicyclists have to cross the right lane into the left lane to go straight. A more stupid design is not possible.

When these bike lanes were first developed, I talked to a member of the Bloomington Bicycle and Pedestrian Safegy Commission about the problems the lanes created. He said that many things the Bloomington city government does for bicyclists are stupid but at least they recognize that they should be thinking about bicyclists.

Another dangerous bike lane is on Jordan St between 3^rd and 7^th. The traffic goes around a small island. Bicyclists in the bike lane are threatened by both cross traffic and traffic exiting from a parking garage.

A few years ago, I called the city to ask them to keep the lane clear of debris and fix the low spots that trapped water, debris, and mud. They said they didn’t exist. When the street was being repaved a few years ago, I called the city to ask them to fix the drainage and debris problems. I was told it would be done. It wasn’t. During the winter, the bike lane dams freeze creating additional hazards for bicyclists.

Overall, except for the Clear Creek Trail, the attempts by the city government to improve conditions for bicycling in Bloomington are stupid and dangerous. Bicyclists should not assume that bike lanes and bike routes are safe and in fact, should consider them somewhat dangerous to use. Fortunately, the streets are relatively safe, although dirty, and there is little need to use the bike routes and lanes.

Sunday, I rode a tick less than 59 miles. I planned to ride about 50 miles but during the ride, I decided to add a short out and back to increase the miles and the average speed. I rode out 45, Bethel, Boltinghouse, Old 37, Anderson, Bean Blossom into the Morgan Monroe Forest, Hindustan, Chambers Rd, across 37, Dittermore, Bottom, Kinser Pike, south through Bloomington on Rogers, Clear Creek, Fairfax, Schacht, Harrell, Stipp, out to the water treatment plant and back, Moore’s Creek, Rhoher, and Sare.

Some observations:

Weather - generally a nice day. On Anderson and up Bean Blossom, there was a lot of mist and fog. I had to take my glasses off to see. From Hindustan until I reached Bloomington, the weather was similar to a June Day. In Bloomington, it started to get fairly hot.

Traffic was light. No cars passed me until I was on the road leaving the Forest. Then, a car passed me three times - on the Forest road, at the end of the Forest, and on Chambers Rd. I almost felt stalked. Two cars passed me on Bottom Rd. On the south side of Bloomington, there was little traffic.

Bikers - I saw more bikers today than usual. (I’ve noticed that the number of riders increases when the Tour starts.) More unusual, I saw four bikers riding without shirts. When I was climbing Bean Blossom into the Forest, 2 shirtless riders came down the hill. Both had enough stomach to make me wonder. On Bottom, I passed a shirtless rider on a recumbent trike. On Rhorer, a shirtless rider wearing long pants.

Longer ride, faster pace - this was sorta a “duh” experience. I first checked my pace south of Bloomington. I finished 45 miles at 15.2 mph. Not bad considering Bloomington lights, etc. generally slow the pace. When I got to Handy, I noticed that my pace had dropped to 15 mph. I decided then that if I rode out to the water treatment plant, about 5 flat miles out and back, that I could increase my overall pace for the ride. I kept a steady pace out and back. When I turned off Rhorer at Jackson Creek School, my pace was 15.3 and 57 miles. Because I chose to ride 5 extra flat miles, I was able to have a faster overall pace. If I hadn’t done the extra miles, I’d guess that my pace would have been 14.8 or so. The hills around Bloomington affect my average speed considerably.

After the 58 mile ride on Wednesday, I rested yesterday. I didn’t ride but I took a long walk and I biked to work. I guess it qualifies as a rest day. Today was a recovery day. I took an easy Old 446 ride and biked to work. The distinction between rest and recovery is not clear.  

To me, rest days are days off the bike. Recovery days are on the bike but little effort. I much prefer recovery days because I enjoy the time on the bike. Rest days are needed when I’m tired but I miss the time spent on the bike. I am in no way addicted to riding. I am off the bike for long periods for a variety of reasons. But, when the weather is nice and I have the time, I often regret that I need a rest day. 

Today had some unusual weather – patchy fog. However, the patches were no more than 100 yards long. In the fog, my sunglasses got wet; in the sun, I needed them. And both could happen in a 1/4 mile.

Today was also unusual for the traffic – much heavier. In fact, I had to make a jug-handle turn from 446 to Moore’s Pike (right, u-turn, and cross the road). I’m usually willing to take the appropriate position on the road to make left turns but the heavy stream kept me from finding a place to get to the left side of the lane.   

Overall, it was nice to have a morning ride.