News

A query came into the website asking help on biking through the winter. Gary’s answer would seem to have value to a lot of our riders especially considering the time of year, so we’ve posted it for everyone’s convenience. Any readers who have their own suggestions or experiences are urged to leave them in the comments section. 
I highly recommend studded tires. When I was younger and more reckless, I used to ride in the winter without them, but would occasionally take a spill on ice. I feel much more confident with studs. The downsides are that the tires are heavy and have lots of rolling resistance  My ideal setup is to have one bike with studs (for days with freezing weather) and another without, for the warmer days. Studded tires are no better than knobbies on snow; what they’re really meant for is to deal with ice.
I would look for tires with carbide-tipped studs. A couple of companies (Innova and North45) make tires with steel studs, but those can wear down completely in a single season. The carbide studded tires cost more, but can last for several years (I’ve been using one pair for four years now).
Studded tires are expensive. In the past, I’ve been able to save money by ordering from www.starbike.com, a German online retailer. But you usually have to put together a very large order to avoid crushing shipping fees, and I have no idea if the exchange rate is still favorable. I think Towners carries studded tires locally, but I don’t know about other shops.
I’ve ridden several years with plain glasses, but started using goggles last year since my eyes water in temperatures below 15 degrees or so. I had to do some experimentation to find goggles that wouldn’t fog over. If you’ve had problems with fogging in the past, I would stay away from cheap goggles. I use a pair of Scott goggles with an anti-fog coating that seems to work well and that fits over my prescription glasses. They even have a tiny fan that turns on in high humidity conditions. (That might be overkill — it’s my understanding that the amount of moisture in one’s breathe is highly variable and you might not fog up in conditions that would bother me.)
Keeping my feet and hands warm is a big problem for me (but might not be for you). I use these Bar Mitts on my road bike:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=bar+mitts
But if you have a flat-bar bike, a good pair of mittens will work nearly as well. If not mittens (which interfere with dexterity), I would recommend “lobster gloves” like these:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=lobster+gloves&rh=n%3A3375251%2Ck%3Alobster+gloves
If you use non-clipless pedals, I would recommend warm-weather boots in the coldest conditions. If you use clipless pedals, then you can buy winter cycling shoes (they tend to be quite expensive — $200 to $300) or neoprene overshoes. Some people cycle in the winter with clipless sandals and heavy socks, but I’ve never tried that.
You might also want to take a look at the icebike website:
http://www.icebike.org/Default.htm
The content hasn’t been updated in several years, but there is still some useful information there. Also, there’s a related icebike mailing list that is still active:
http://www.icebike.org/icebikelist.htm
Hope that helps.

There were two exciting announcements at the workshop. First, Rochester was awarded Bronze-level status from the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community program – the only city in the state other than NYC to receive a BFC designation. Second, the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency announced the much-anticipated Transportation Specialist position, funded by the Center for Disease Control. This position focuses on engaging, organizing and educating the community to achieve public policy and practice changes that promote active transportation in Monroe County.  Click here for more information about the position and application process.
Here is the list of local priorities that were developed at the workshop. The Rochester Funding Profile and slides from the presentation can be downloaded from the Advocacy Advance website. Click the links below for additional Advocacy Advance resources:

• Economic Benefits of Bicycling Infrastructure
• Best Practices for Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees
• Navigating MAP-21 Campaign resources

On Monday, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued an interim guidance to state departments of transportation on the Transportation Alternatives program (TA). The guidance provides specifics for state agencies and resolves any ambiguities in the complex legislative language. Read more about the good and bad news for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Thank you again to the workshop hosts:
City of Rochester, contact: Erik Frisch
Genesee Transportation Council, contact: Rich Perrin
Rochester Cycling Alliance, contact: Scott McRae
Senator Kristen Gillibrand, contact: Sarah Clark
We encourage you to continue collaborating with workshop participants. Contact the Rochester Cycling Alliance for additional notes from the workshop and to get involved in local advocacy efforts. To learn about your important role in New York’s Navigating MAP-21 state campaign, contact Brian Kehoe, Executive Director of the New York Bicycling Coalition.
Thank you from the Advocacy Advance Team:
Brighid O’Keane, Alliance for Biking & Walking
Darren Flusche,   League of American Bicyclists

We hit a new plateau of public service last week with the RCA Bike Corral at Greentopia.  Many scores of cyclists visited, parked their bikes, and had their pictures taken (and their bikes memorialized for security purposes) and got to enjoy Greentopia confident that their bikes were in good company.
We met many people, and have already begun enjoying the consequences.
For example, one visitor was pointed to some city officials and within days a rough patch of trail was improved.
More to come….
 

The legislation is expected to be signed by Governor Coumo.

On another note, there will be a D&C article on bike commuting that will run this Thursday. Patty Singer from the D&C interviewed Erik Frisch, Bill Collins and others for the article. Check it out.

Scott