The Herald-Sun Mar 9, 2005 DURHAM — If he sees one or two fresh sets of tire tracks on a wet, muddy trail, Stewart Bryan of the Durham-Orange Mountain Bike Organization gets frustrated. Three or four sets and he’s angry. “Five or more,” Bryan jokes, “and I heat up the branding iron.” As DOMBO’s trail construction coordinator, Bryan knows that even the best-designed trails are more delicate when wet. Keeping the flow of a well-designed trail depends on riders respecting the trail by taking a minimal-impact approach to their rides. But recently, conscientious mountain bikers have noticed more and more […]
Column: Breakfast’s goal is to unify area bike commuters
The Herald Sun February 24, 2005 “Bicycle Commuters Unite” says the flier Alison Carpenter has been passing out recently. She’s trying to get the word out about Durham’s first Bicyclist Breakfast. From 7:30AM until 9AM Friday, bicycle commuters will be stopping by Ooh La Latte Coffeehouse, 1116 Broad St., on their way to work. Who’s invited? Anyone who loves bikes. Carpenter, Durham’s new Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Coordinator, hopes the get-together will become a regular monthly event, something to bring “cohesion, solidarity to the downtown [bike] commuting group.” Bikers’ breakfasts have been successful in towns like Charlotte and Boston, and […]
Column: TTA has rescue plan for bikers
The Herald Sun February 10, 2005 On the one day you forget to carry a spare tube, patch kit, or pump in your pack you feel your front tire roll unsteadily around corners. You arrive at work as the remaining useful psi’s escape with that dreaded hiss. A shard from the broken bottle on the side of the road that you didn’t see until the last minute, catches the sunlight from where it sits halfway in your tire. Anxiety over being stranded at work by a flat tire, a broken chain, or unscheduled overtime is a big reason that people […]
Column: Railroad plan no boost to bikes
The Herald Sun By choice, Caleb Southern doesn’t own a car. He lives and works downtown, walking just about everywhere he needs to go. You might think, then, that he’d be excited about the N.C. Railroad Co.’s proposal to close the railroad crossing at Blackwell and Corcoran streets to automobile traffic. In place of the street-level crossing, the railroad has proposed a 65-foot wide pedestrian underpass. Southern adamantly opposes the plan. “I believe the best solution,” to the imminent increase in train traffic at this crossing “is to improve the Blackwell Street railroad crossing at grade.” Many readers of this […]
Column: Falling just a beneficial part of bicycling
Phillip Barron The Herald-Sun January 11, 2005 9:09 am DURHAM — All cyclists have stories about accidents: the first time, the worst time, the most recent time. Falling, in my opinion, is just part of cycling. For the most part, especially if you’re wearing your helmet, falling isn’t so bad. It gives you the chance to get back up. On the way to work a few months ago, a familiar corner of the last 50 yards of my commute revealed itself as unfamiliar. Rounding the corner, I tried to keep as much speed as possible for the climb up the […]
Column: Bike-friendly community needs planning
Phillip Barron The Herald Sun December 20, 2004 8:49 am DURHAM — Building a bicycling community takes cooperation. Cooperation between drivers and cyclists. Cooperation between municipal and state governments. And, when our community grows, cooperation between the public and private spheres of development. Historically, the model that Durham used for bicycle transportation improvements focused on responding to residents’ requests. Encouraged by cyclists and bike activists, in 2001 the Durham City Council and the Durham County Commissioners jointly established the Durham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. It’s charged with promoting “the full integration of bicycling [sic] into community transportation policies and […]
Column: Proper dress key to wintertime cycling
The Herald-SunDecember 8, 2004 8:17 pm DURHAM — I look forward to winter cycling all summer. The air dries and gets crisp. I feel like I can breathe again after six humid months of holding my breath. The sky is more blue than haze, and with the deciduous leaves off the trees, I can see farther into the scenery of my ride. A lot of cyclists hang up their bikes this time of year and either turn to other sports to get them through the winter or just soften up around the middle. But, for those of us who either […]
Column: New park offers mountain bike trails
The Herald-Sun November 25, 2004 10:37 am DURHAM — Residents of Durham and Orange counties are about to enjoy a new park at half the usual price. That’s because the new Little River Regional Park and Natural Area has land in both counties, straddling the county line. And since we’re sharing the land, we’re splitting the cost of this exciting new project. Opening Dec. 5, Little River is the first joint effort between the Durham and Orange County parks and recreation departments and only the second regional park in the state. At nearly 400 acres, it’s much larger than most […]
SSpots of Time
Phillip BarronOriginally published by BikeReader. Sweet are those moments when all your skills converge and you clear a technical section with more grace than you thought possible. That’s what I call flow. Others call it groovin’ or dialed-in. “’Spots of time’ was the phrase Wordsworth used for such moments,” says Appalachian writer Ron Rash, “but the poet’s words were no better than mine because what I felt was beyond any words that had ever been used before. You need a new language.” I hope you have experienced what I’m talking about. It’s a rush like no other. In the mountain […]
Column: Think safety first when stopped at a traffic light
The Herald-Sun November 9, 2004 2:11 pm DURHAM — This week, I want to answer some of the questions I’ve received. I’ve gotten a lot, and I want to thank all of you who’ve written in to show support for the column. Today, I humbly offer answers to three of the toughest questions you’ve asked. First, Meg Gallagher writes: “When I commute to work from downtown (against the flow of into-the-city traffic), I often find myself at street lights that will only be triggered by a car (especially left turn signals). Rather than wait 10 minutes for the rare car […]