TheWashCycle

Book Report - Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle

I was recently sent a copy of a new children's book entitled "Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle" by Caldecot Medalist Chris Raschka. 

The book is good, but it hasn't worked it's way into one of our favorites. It's possible that Trike - at just under 3 - is a little young for the book, which is recommended for those 4 to 8. 

The story is about the childhood rite of passage surrounding how to ride a bike. The message is that it's difficult but if you stick with it, you can do it, and once you do you can enjoy it your whole life - which is a pretty good lesson for a kid, but it's a little dry. There's nothing really funny or silly to it, and that's what Trike tends to like. That said, Trike enjoys Rashka's "A Ball for Daisy." 

The art is watercolor, which while impressive, is limiting. There's no way to do details with it, and so our little one kind of breezes over the pictures. Right now he's really into facial expressions and watercolor just doesn't allow for that, but again, maybe when he's older. 

This may be a good book for a kid on the cusp of learning to ride, as it could prepare them for the process (unless you discourage training wheels) or make them excited about learning. It could be a crutch if they get frustrated, to remind them about trying again and again. 

I Never Intended to Be Brave: A Woman’s Bicycle Journey Through Southern Africa

Here's a couple of events for you to attend whether you've been furloughed or not. 

Friday, March 1, 7 pm at REI Fairfax. 11950 Grand Commons Ave, Fairfax, VA

Thursday, March 7, 7 pm at REI Columbia. 6100 Dobbin Rd, Columbia, MD

It’s not often that a woman unexpectedly finds herself bicycling solo through southern Africa and forging her own path through foreign lands—and life, but this is exactly what happened to Heather Andersen. Heather will share her story about following her dream despite society and nearly everyone she loved questioning her safety—and sanity. By trusting her intuition and the kindness of strangers, she was able to see southern Africa up close and personal, much more intimately than on any safari. 

Heather’s memoir I Never Intended to Be Brave: A Woman’s Bicycle Journey Through Southern Africa has won four book awards. Her presentation will include a reading and a slideshow of photos from her southern Africa travels. Books will be available for sale ($15) and signing.

For more information about Heather or her book, go to www.bicyclingheather.com

Holy Spokes!

Holy Spokes! A Biking Bible for Everyone. By Rob Coppolillo. San Francisco: Zest Books, 2013.
197 pages.

Rob Coppolillo, an outdoor sports (climbing, hiking, cycling) enthusiast and writer from Colorado clearly knows cycling and some interesting cyclists – he has a foreword written by Dede Barry, an Olympic medalist, and one of his sidebars is a short Q-and-A with Joe Breeze. The title of the book suggests this book is for “everyone” but it quickly becomes clear it is intended for young adults (which is the usual audience for books from the publisher, Zest Books). The title and blurb on the back cover describe a guide that provides “in-depth information about bike designs, mechanics, and maintenance” when in its 187 pages with text in a large font, illustrations, and a fair number of blank pages, what you get is a detail-light introduction to these topics.

Aside from the writing style, the first giveaway that this book is not really for everyone is that the chapter “What's Your Bike Type?” that describes popular types of bike is followed by a chapter “To Fixie or not to Fixie” that seeks to firm up the target reader's interest in fulfilling any hipster- cyclist impulses. Later the chapter “Putting Your Bike to Work” talks about student internships and opportunities that would only be relevant to someone in high school or college. And there are the references in the discussion of bicycle sizing saddle problems to a man's “junk” that isn't a phrase much
used in writing for many demographics. (OK I guess I'm old.)

Aside: “Junk” is not in the ten page, otherwise highly detailed index – I don't recall reading a book with this thorough an index referencing a book with so little in it.

This book then has a fairly common problem – its “come on” suggests a broad audience in the hope that everyone will buy it – that it might make more sense to describe the intended audience accurately doesn't seem to occur to some publishers (or authors – not clear who controls this). But then is this a good book for a Millenial Generation audience?

Such a person would likely find that this overview of cycling (which is what this is) a fun quick read and so superficial way it describes the usual introductory guide topics (history of the bike, what kinds are there, where to buy, how to size, etc.) is fine despite the lack of detail. My main puzzlement is that it would have made the book much more interesting and useful to say more about the kinds of cycling communities and biking activities that go with the different type of bikes discussed which unlike a greater level of technical details would not have meant increasing the length of the book that much.

In a few places some technical specifics are offered. For example, procedures for determining saddle height and position are explained in detail worthy of The Paterek Manual while other aspects of bicycle sizing are covered haphazardly. One wonders how the author chose those limited areas where he decided to go in for detail.

There are a number of factual errors in the history section, which is odd. One sentence equates a “penny farthing” with a “boneshaker.” Later a sidebar about Major Taylor, the famous African American cyclist from over 100 years ago, says “he was eventually banned by bigoted race promoters,but found a new racing home in Europe” - Taylor could not race in the American south and suffered racist indignities of various kinds elsewhere in the U.S. but was not banned. He rode in France, Germany and Australia in part to escape racism but primarily to enjoy huge racing paydays; in any
event he didn't move overseas.

Coppolillo has an interview with his publisher that gives some insights into who he is, and there are some sample pages to look at as well.

By Michael N.

Bike Snob NYC book signing at Bethesda, Maryland Barnes & Noble

I may have shown a smaller segment of this talk before, but I think this is it in its entirety.

Book Report: Holy Spokes

Holy Spokes: A Biking Bible for Everyone, is a new book publishing next month that covers everything from finding the right bike to learning how to survive on mountain trails and city streets.

In this wide-ranging new biking guide, Holy Spokes: A Biking Bible for Everyone, cycling expert and author Rob Coppolillo explains how bikes work, why bikes matter (especially today, when gas is expensive and interest in green living is high), and how readers—whatever their level of experience—can engage in a range of biking experiences from biking on mountain trails, competitive racing, city exploration, to just basic transportation. Relaxed and informal, Holy Spokes features in-depth information on the history of cycling, bike types (including a handy guide to help find the right bike for you), maintenance and mechanics, how to join a race, and how to stay safe on the roads and trails. Professional cyclists and travel experts alike also offer insider information on common cycling pitfalls, and great ideas about how to pursue your passions while on two wheels. 

I have already flipped through a copy and it has a lot of good reference material. Perhaps better for a new cyclist/commuter than an old hand, but easy to grasp.

A copy is yours if you agree to write a book report about it for the blog and are the first person to respond in the comments. The book will not be sent to you in the mail. You will have to come to Washcycle International Headquarters to pick it up.

Merckx 525 Book Review

By Michael Roy

In college, I had an Eddy Merckx poster on my dorm room wall, a freebee from Mirroir du Cyclisme, a cycling magazine that I purchased while in France in the summer of 1978.  That year, I saw the finish of the Tour de France and the start of one of the “classics.” I missed Merckx by a year—he retired in 1977.  I knew he had been the best ever, but I’d never seen him race.

It’s entirely possibly nowadays to follow European cycling, on the internet and even on TV, but I have always wanted to learn more about cycling’s history.  To that effect, earlier this year I purchased two Velopress books—Paris-Roubaix:A Journey Through Hell and The Spring Classics. These are large-format coffee-table books with many pictures and text telling the story of these races.  I enjoyed them immensely, so I was happy to be given the opportunity to read and review Merckx 525, another in Velopress’s series of large-format coffee-table cycling books that features the career of Eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist of all time.  The book covers Merckx’s career from the amateur ranks through his retirement as a professional, listing his 525 career victories, with full-page photographs and text discussing some of the biggest victories, as well as some non-victories.  If you are looking for a coffee-table type book of this sort, you’ll enjoy this, as I did.  I’ll keep it in the family room to peruse from time to time, along with my other Velopress books.

 This book is what it is—a coffee-table book with lots of photos and not so much text.  It is not a biography.  It contains no new information about Eddy Merckx, so far as I can tell.  It covers only Merckx’s cycling career, and (other than to list them) does not discuss some of his victories, omitting any discussion of his final Tour de France victory and several of his Giro victories.  Of course, this is inevitable; after all, it wouldn’t be possible to write about all 525 victories (though his Tour and Giro victories would stand out among his many victories and would seem to merit some discussion).  The text is not always the best-written (Velopress’s Paris-Roubaix and The Spring Classics are better-written), but it is still a good read because the stories are always compelling, featuring some of Merckx’s greatest achievements, the efforts of his rivals to beat him, and his rivals’ reactions when they so often could only watch in awe as Merckx seemed unbeatable.  (According to the book, he won 525 of the 1800 or so races he entered.  One can only imagine what it must have been like to start a race as a top rival, knowing you were likely racing for second place.)  The photos are excellent, although there could be more of them.  Unlike the photos in my other Velopress books, all of the photos are full page, so there are fewer of them.  Unfortunately, some of them are of such quality that they do not warrant full-page treatment.  I’d have rather seen more photos, even if they were smaller.

Any cycling fan would enjoy this book. 

Merckx 525 celebrates the unmatchable career of Eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist ever and the most dominant athlete of the 20th century. Known as “the Cannibal” for his insatiable hunger to win, Merckx gobbled up 525 race victories, an unrivaled legacy lionized in this once-in-a-lifetime homage.

Merckx 525 is the first book authorized by Eddy Merckx and the only book he says offers a truly complete record of his bike-racing career.

Book Report: Merckx 525

Once again, here's how book reports work. The first person to reply in the comments that they are willing to do it will get the book - on the condition that they write a review of it. Please do not screw this up for future readers. If you aren't going to read the book and do a review, don't ask for the book

Merckx 525 celebrates the unmatchable career of Eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist ever and the most dominant athlete of the 20th century. Known as “the Cannibal” for his insatiable hunger to win, Merckx gobbled up 525 race victories, an unrivaled legacy lionized in this once-in-a-lifetime homage.

Merckx 525 is the first book authorized by Eddy Merckx and the only book he says offers a truly complete record of his bike-racing career.

“Merckx 525 is a unique collection of exclusive photographs, including some that even I had not seen before. It is the only work authorized by me…and the first truly complete record of my accomplishments.” — Eddy Merckx

Presenting a dazzling trove of recently discovered photographs not yet seen outside of Europe, Merckx 525 is an all-encompassing embrace of Merckx’s career from promising youth in Belgium, to fabulous darling of Europe, to mud-splotched, hardened veteran of the bike-racing wars. Revealing photographs from private collections, the Merckx family, and European newspaper archives,Merckx 525 sheds new light on the greatest cyclist of all time.

With authoritative text and keepsake production values, Merckx 525digs deep to reveal the man behind the legend, cycling’s incomparable Eddy Merckx.

 

Monday Afternoon Commute - Beatty for Council?

Good afternoon

• There are quite a few stories about how drivers are parking or driving in the not-yet-completed L Street Bike lane. I kind of think this is much ado about nothing at this point. And look, I'm no defender of drivers in bike lanes, but (1) they aren't finished yet, (2) in some cases the signs haven't been changed yet (3) even when finished, there will be some lag time between that point and when drivers are fully informed about them. I think we all knew that there would be drivers in the bike lane for some time after the construction starts. But once the safe-hit flex posts are installed, I suspect you'll see less of this, until then it feels a little like fishing for a story. Once it's finished there should be a period of light enforcement (warnings and such) and then some ticket writing, but until then, some patience is probably needed. Here's more about the cycletrack that recognizes the temporaryness of this problem. 
• Challengers for District Council At-Large seats were asked for several positions on issues - including mandatory helmet laws. "Cooper, Swain and Wilcox support a law. Beatty opposes, calling it a “freedom issue.” Grosso would “have to think about it more” before deciding."
• Broadneck Pennisula Trail moves forward.
• The Pucher/Buehler book on City Cycling is now out. 
• Banning texting while driving might actually cause accidents as drivers contort themselves to hide their texting. "The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 3 of every 4 states that have enacted a ban on texting while driving have seen crashes actually go up rather than down."

Thursday Morning Commute - There's an app for that

I apologize for the weirdly timed and light blogging. I've been working the 1am to 1pm shift this week, so my day is all out of whack. 

• Bike thieves in Damascas caught on video. [Also, theft is not vandalism]
• A phone app will help guide you through all the steps you should follow after a bike crash. It's New York specific, so the race is on for a law firm to modify it for DC, VA and MD. 
• Tyler Hamilton's tell-all book about Lance Armstrong and doping in pro cycling hits the shelves
• This gruesome story isn't really a bike story. I guess you could stretch it by saying that cyclists provide greater "eyes on the street" because they're moving slower, but I'm not sure that's what this is. 

Monday Evening Ride - Less bussing

Happy Labor Day. When I was a kid, this was always the last day before school started, so it always had this air of pending doom. Now it doesn't feel that way anymore, even though I'm still going to work tomorrow.

• A new NoMa apartment building, only blocks from the Met Branch Trail, will include a bike workshop.
• Richard Layman proposes rerouting the Met Branch Trail off of 8th NE and onto 9th. I'm not sure I see the need, but I think making 9th a bicycle boulevard and converting the alley along the NW side of Franklin into a bike connection are two good ways to complement the Trail. I remain hopeful that some day the trail can be routed along the CSX tracks in the section.
• The current state of the Suitland Parkway Trail.
• "East end of Interim CCT just got a makeover. Brush cleared back, graded, bench repaired. Thanks MCDOT"
• More on Arlington's new green bike lanes. And Arlington County PD was recognized as having the best traffic safety program in Virginia, for municipal police departments with 301 to 450 sworn officer, in part because of their bicycle and pedestrian safety initiative.
• The Friends of Long Bridge Park submitted a petition to the Arlington County Board asking that funding be provided for, among other things, "a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the George Washington Memorial Parkway to the Mount Vernon Trail."
• Many cyclists = good environment for smoothie shop.
• Arlington Public Schools is enforcing its rule "that reserve bus transportation for students a mile or more away from their elementary school and 1.5 miles or more away from their middle or high school, "those inside the walk zones must walk, bike or otherwise find their own transportation to school." Some parents are not pleased "They argue that forcing their children to walk to school — sometimes over busy roads — risks their safety." Sounds like a lot of new supporters of Safe Routes to Schools. 
• Bad bollard replacement.
• "Vienna Police have arrested a man for allegedly intentionally striking a cyclist with his vehicle after a dispute on Maple Avenue while both were in motion."
• "FABB, GMU, and Fairfax County have been meeting over the past month to plan the Fairfax Bike Summit to be held on October 27."
• More photos of Metro bike parking. 
• The Two Rivers development, which will include a new section of the WB&A Trail, may undergo some changes.
• Another review of Just Ride. There is some good advice there, but personally I enjoy tracking my miles. But then, I'm an engineer and I can never get too many metrics.
• US DOT recognizes that transportation plays a role in health and fitness. 
• "Once the highway network is completed, an estimated 15,000 additional people will switch from driving to biking. And that, say officials, will have a direct impact on the environment, public health and finances. The bike highway alone is expected to save Copenhagen's health care system some $60 million a year."