 Being outdoors in the cool, crisp autumn weather can be a joy and helps with the transition to the inevitable arctic conditions yet to come. True, yesterday I saw some cyclists still biking in shorts and flip flops, but these are the supernatural people of Halloween, not mortals like the rest of us. Here are some tips for safe and comfortable cycling in the fall:
 The rear position on a tandem might just be the best place to be on a bike! According to Sam Waterstreet and Mary Devoto, speakers at the October 15 Evanston Bicycle Club meeting, the stoker, or person in the rear position, does not have to steer, brake, shift, and cannot be blamed for making a mistake! They can luxuriously just sit, pedal, and enjoy the scenery!
 When the Evanston Bicycle Club donates a portion of the proceeds from the North Shore Century to non-profit bicycle related organizations in the Chicagoland area a few are invited to report at a member meeting how they used the funds. At the Sept. 17, 2019 meeting there were feel good stories of empowerment and community inspired by the bicycle from Working Bikes, Friends of Big Marsh, and West Town Bikes.
 Greg Borzo At Earth Rider we are big fans of the Tour de France (TDF), the world’s greatest biking event. But there is an annual ride in Iowa that shares some similarities. According to Greg Borzo, speaker at the Sept. 11, 2019 Chicago Cycling Club meeting, both were:
 For the past two years you might be able to feel better that something might be done about all those cars and trucks blocking bike lanes, that there is a chance for traffic justice—reporting them to the Bike Lane Uprising platform and knowing that each incident is recorded and analyzed. Christina Whitehouse, founder of Bike Lane Uprising, spoke at the August 20, 2019 meeting of the Evanston Bicycle Club and talked about why the platform was created and how the data are being used.  Streetsblog Chicago is the daily news source and advocacy organization for sustainable transportation that addresses transit, walking, cycling, commuter railroad, ride share, and scooters. John Greenfield co-founded it in 2013 and it has expanded with additional staff and free lancers. John was the featured speaker at the August 14, 2019 Chicago Cycling Club meeting and provided an update on the following transportation issues related to cycling.
 Before closing out the 106th edition of the Tour de France, wanted to share some of the trivia learned in listening to coverage:
* The Tour is the world's only major sporting event free to spectators. * Another nickname for the Tour is La Grande Boucle, the big loop. * Each rider is assigned a number, with last year's winner having number one. We can easily see the numbers they pin to their jerseys, still with safety pins. But each rider has a number plate on their seat post which includes a small number representing the number of Tour career stage wins  The 2019 Tour de France has ended, but we are at the start of the Egan Bernal era of cycling. At only 22 years old, he is expected to be a strong competitor for years to come. The final stage to Paris is largely ceremonial but an opportunity for one final sprint, This year it was won by Caleb Ewan, his third stage win in this Tour. Now we experience Tour withdrawal while we wait for next year.
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AuthorSharon Kaminecki comments on adventures in bicycling and other stories Archives
January 2020
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