Cyclist Problem in Rutherford County

Rutherford County Public Safety Committee has just brought up the topic of a Cyclist problem on their county roads in their October 26'th meeting. They now join Williamson County in considering cyclists to be a potential problem. Let's not add Sumner to that list! I borrowed the following from Bruce's recommendation on this topic.

You know all these already but here are Bruce's suggested talking points in addressing the Safety Commission:

1) Local clubs are just as concerned about the problem of increased motor vehicular and bicycle traffic on inadequate roads. We encourage the enforcement of laws upon cyclists who break them. Especially target
. . a) riding against traffic
. . b) no lights at night.
. . c) running red lights, stop signs, etc.
. . d) riding in packs so as to impede traffic for long distances.

2) At the same time we'd like to stress our right to the roads. I don't believe a Tennessee County alone has the right to ban cyclists from any public road.

. . a) What may appear to be obstructing traffic can well be the safest cycling practice. When road conditions make it unsafe to pass it is safest for a cyclist to move far enough to the left in a lane to make the overtaking driver consider the situation. A good cyclists will telegraph when it is safe to pass by moving back toward the right. That cyclist will also pull over if obstructing faster traffic for more than a couple of minutes. That seems like a long time to the following motorist but in reality that may be as soon as the cyclists can do so. We need to educated both cyclists an motorists in effective road sharing.

. . b) speed limits may need to be reduced and adequately enforced on narrow roads with limited sight distance. Farm equipment, wildlife, stalled cars and mail carriers also present real dangers when topping a hill too fast.

3) As rural areas get populated existing roads need to be improved to accommodate the increased traffic.

4) Most cyclists also drive cars and contribute to the building of the roads. Bicycles are very easy on the roads so the time we are not driving, we spare the roads.

5) Thank everyone for the opportunity to have input.

FOGBEE vs Dog - Dog Wins Round 1

We decided to enjoy the great weather yesterday on our bikes. Bob M. and Nicole joined us for a ride in the Coopertown area. There is a dog on Sandy Springs Road that chases and comes into the road after cyclists. Yesterday, he got a head start and came out charging into the road and cut in front of me (Phil) hitting my front tire. As you can imagine, this was not good. I went down and was out for a few seconds. I ended up with my collarbone broken in two places and a separated shoulder (road rash as well). In an effort to prevent this from happening to others, a police report was filed.

Our next visit to Bikers Choice will be to get a new helmet and dog repellant. My bike will need to get checked out as well. Although I think that I cushioned the fall for the bike.

Bob and Nicole - I cannot thank you enough for your help yesterday. It helped us get through a bad situation. Thank you again.

Obviously I will be off my bike for awhile, however, I am already thinking about my next ride.

Northeast Corridor Mobility Study report

The Nashville MPO is considering three options for mass transit from Gallatin to Downtown Nashville
1. Bus Rapid Trnasit or light rail that would follow what we all call Gallatin Rd from Gallatin to Downtown. This has the advantage of connecting existing population centers and would have multiple runs during the day. The down side is it would take longer to get from Gallatin to Downtown than the other options.
2. BRT or Light Rail along Ellington Parkway, then connect to Viet Nam Vets/386 to Gallatin. Advantage is there is existing right of way for most of the path. It would be a quicker trip with fewer stops than the Gallatin Rd option but would also have fewer access points.
3. Commuter Rail (Like Music City Star) along CSX right of way. This would only run duing rush hours but would be by far quickest route. Downside is most expensive, have to deal with CSX, and would be into next century getting done.

There was some talk of having bike routes to stations. My only contribution was a plea to be sure they had facilities for bike parking and for bikes on whatever bus or train they eventually got. This meeting was mostly about routes but I don't want them to forget us or they very likely will. One of the possible excursions I'd considered is a bike ride to Lebanon, ride the Music City Star to Downtown, then bike back to Hendersonville. The bike part is doable today but the Music City Star lists only places for two bicycles in the space reserved for wheelchairs and then only if a wheelchair does not show up. That does not exactly encourage bike commuting. From what I can tell there would probably be room for bikes most of the time but I'd not show up expecting to ride with my bike without some prior arrangement.

Anyone interested in more info can find it at this Nashville MPO link.
Bruce

Thanks

Thanks to the Fogbees who spun it last night. See you Tuesday.

NEW Fogbee Jersey

. . . We have a NEW design (just a little and NO it isn't pink). We have better prices, significantly lower minimum order quantities, and significantly reduced lead time. It all sounds TOO good to be true, but we have seen the jerseys (from V-Gear) and the quality is as good as Louie Garneau.

Here is a list of those that commented that they would like to order a jersey. If you still are wanting to order please bring a check to next Saturday's ride or mail to Bob G. a check( address on membership list). We are going to place the order on Nov 16th so we can have the jersey's in early December. Click Here for current Order Status and FINAL design.

Sizing charts on web page. We will order men's and women's. PLEASE SPECIFY Men's or Womens!

We are not going to order shorts/ bibs or socks at this time. We did not have enough socks for the minimum order maybe in the future.

Party?

SEVERAL FOGBEES HAVE RECENTLY ASKED ME WHEN THE NEXT PARTY WILL BE. ANY PARTY SHOULD BE A "JOINT VENTURE" WITH EVERYONE'S PARTICIPATION ; WOULD EVERYONE NOT AGREE? I AM ASKING ALL THE FOGBEES TO POST HERE ASAP AND LET ME KNOW IF THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A CHRISTMAS/NEW YEARS PARTY SOME TIME IN DECEMBER. IT WOULD BE A POT LUCK AND WE WOULD ALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING UP AND TAKING DOWN. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS.

INTERNET TRAINING

Please click here to enroll in Internet Training. Select what interests you. Sorry no drop-ins. I have got to know who plans to attend and what every person wants to study, so enrollment is required.

Please see 11/2/09 note (on registration Web Page) regarding scheduling of these sessions. Also, got to have a deadline to see who wants to do what. Plans will be based on registrations submitted by Wednesday, November 11'th.

Greenway Report - Stones River CLOSURE

Click here for 11/10/09 update from Mayor's Office.

. . . I went for a ride on my local Shelby Bottoms/Stones River greenway to scope out the past several weeks of construction activity on the section by Ravenwood Country Club which has never been officially open but is now more-recently posted with dire warnings of tickets for bikers and all other intruders.
. . . Well, I intruded and found they have widened the roadbed to approx two-lane residential street width all the way from the greenway posted end by the farm gate to the other posted end by the entrance to Ravenwood CC, and they have put down a layer of asphalt on the lane by the Ravenwood side; I guess next week they will pave the river side lane; their paving machines were parked in a cleared area. The two or three caved-in places in the original pavement by the river have been repaired, presumably with culvert pipe. The additional street width was obtained by cutting the trees back along the river side, and placing a foot or more of compacted crushed stone up to roadbed level. They placed the crushed stone right up against the remaining trees so I guess the trees will serve as living retaining walls, a nice environmentally-green concept.
. . . Anyhow, anybody wanting to pedal to PP Dam on a weekday via these greenways may want to consider a Plan B detour around the Ravenwood section.

. . . Cheers! Dave Irvine 11/1/09

TDOT Provides Rumble Strip Compromise

. . . In December 2008 Big Bob became a YouTube movie star as rep's from TDOT watched him negotiate the rumble on SR 109. In the summer Jessica Wilson from TDOT rode with the FOGBEES and cussed out the 31W rumble with the rest of us.
. . . In today's meeting of TDOT, MPO and Bike Walk Tennessee Jessica unveiled TDOT's new rumble strip standard that very nearly meets the December Position Statement of the Middle Tennessee Cyclists.
. . . TDOT has shown leadership in setting a new standard for other States to following in finding a compromise design. We may not like Rumble Strips, but TDOT has offered something we can ride with. More information will follow.

Oh What a Day !

Thanks, Tom, for choosing a great ride route for us today. I liked your weather best. I'd forgotten how beautiful Wallace Rd valley is to ride , especially going uproad so one has time to appreciate the changing of the seasons ( and to listen to the Dollies and Rhondas chirping along the babbling brook ). Kudos to Bob G. for hammering the wind coming down Station Camp and to Dollie who proved pink power prevails at Wallace summit. Indeed we rallied more riders than since the Jack 'n' Back. Man that seems s-o-o-o long ago.

I'm In Tune, And I'm Tunin' In On You !!!

Don't let the short days of winter bring your rpm's to a halt. Gary is spinning once again at the Hendersonville YMCA on Tuesday and Thursday nights @ 6:30 p.m.

Doug and I joined Gary for a sweaty, fun filled hour of spin for the inaugural FOGAREE of the 2009 - 2010 season. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN and WOMEN to join us in the tradition of true FOGBEES.

The best part is you don't have to reserve a bike and post ride refreshments provide an incentive that even the Y doesn't make available.

So ..... let's support Gary and extend the comraderie through the unpredictable weather and food laden holidays. See you there !

New Recruits for our Bumble Bee Group

Halloween Ride images

Thanks to Phil and Lisa for putting this on. Lisa raised the bar for cue sheets. The Depot is a great as advertised. Click below for the images that survived my dropped camera.
Bruce

Springfield Halloween 09 images

Cyclist Test

David Irvine wanted to know if FOGBEES had any cyclists, so he put together this test. I think I know a few that would pass.

New FOGBEE Photoshare Web Site

. . . SnapFish continues to get worse. Many long time users are now blocked from using our Group Room. After trying for several months to get Snapfish to fix THEIR problems, we have given up. Serendipity! We have found a Photoshare Web Site VASTLY superior to Snapfish.

. . . Go to our new site http://fogbees.shutterfly.com/ .

. . . Please set up your FREE account on Shutterfly and join our FOGBEE group. Click here for instruction on our Web Site. When you have time, please move your photo albums from SnapFish to Shutterfly, since we plan to abandon SnapFish.

. . . EVERYTHING is better on Shutterfly.

NE Corridor Mobility Study

The community and business leaders in the greater Nashville area are invited to attend upcoming workshops hosted by the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) regarding the Northeast Corridor Mobility Study. The study is a regional planning effort to analyze future development scenarios and transportation improvements between these communities. Citizens will have the opportunity to weigh in on recommendations and share ideas. The press release is attached.

The workshops begina at 5:30PM as follows:

Hendersonville: November 9, Hendersonville Public Library
Goodlettsville: November 11, Goodlettsville City Hall
Gallatin: November 12, Sumner County Adm Bldg
Madison: November 16, Madison Senior Center
East Nashville: November 17, East Park Community Ctr

Thank you, Deborah Varallo,
Varallo Public Relations, varallo@varallopr.com
615-367.5200 ext 14

New FOGBEE Group

Les thought that since we had "Killer Bees", "Bumble Bees", "Honey Bees", "New Bees", and that Stupid Bee that we needed another category "Boo Bees." Can't show it - you have to click the link. NO, before you ask, this wasn't Doug's idea.

LG Jersey Pick Up

Please contact me if you need a special pick up. My cell and personal email are on the Fogbee member list or you can email bikenwalk@comcast.net. I will have the Jerseys in Springfield Saturday for the Bell Witch Ride. --Doug Depew

Jack and Back Photos

I finally uploaded my Jack and Back photos to the Fogbees group room. I only wish I had taken more. Hope you enjoy them.

Long Sleeve or Sleeveless Jerseys

Update:We Should have art work this week. When I receive the art work I will post on the blog.

Once we have the art work we will start to collect sizing and money for this order. we should have these jerseys in 3 to 4 weeks from the date of order. Please post if you are interested in ordering. This order is being placed with V-GEAR not LG.

(Minimum ordering policy in Blue.)

We ask for 10 of the same item (in any combination of sizes) to place an order and then you may order as little as 1 of anything we produce. Sock minimum is 50 (in any combination of sizes)..

Below are the options and pricing for each option. As of 10/15 we have commitments for 20 pairs of socks the minimum order is 50 pair.
No Sleeves $ 39
Short Sleeves $ 39
Long Sleeve $ 50
Shorts $49
Bib Shorts $59
Socks $ 5.95 ( must have 50 pcs min)

Plus Shipping

THANK YOU TO BRUCE

I want to give thanks to Bruce for a great ride to Red Boiling Springs. Sometimes you cycle for competition, sometimes for speed but once in a while its great to bike for the experience of just the beauty of the ride itself. This was one of those rides and the payoff was one of the best home cooked meals I've ever had. It's a shame we have to wait another year for this trip. I had a great time and appreciate Bruce's efforts.

Photos

Some people are still having trouble uploading pictures to our FOGBEE room on Snapfish. After working with Snapfish for a month I still don't have an answer, but I plan to keep trying OR find a substitute.

Phil and I have uploaded the Fall Foilage pictures to Snapfish. If you want to look at quick PhotoShow click here. I hope to have something better when I have everyone's pictures from which to choose.

Some people on the Fall Foilage Ride may not have access to our room on SnapFish. Please see instructions on our Web Site.

Sent: October 26, 2009
To: Armours Hotel

Dennis and Debbie,

The FOGBEES want to thank you for the great hospitality that you showed us in our October 25’th visit to your B&B. Most of us have stayed in all three of Red Boiling Springs historic accommodations and our universal opinion was the Armour House topped the list. The rooms attractively decorated with their own unique themes were comfortable and inviting. We enjoyed the nostalgia in your period decorations, music, and Debbie’s attire, although only a few of our bicycle club actually remembered it from their childhoods.

Your home and your great hospitality was an unexpected treasure for those of us who peddled 60 miles from Hendersonville and it epitomized our vision of what makes an outstanding B&B.

Tom & Sharyn Evans

JERSEYS have ARRIVED

Doug now has jerseys until Bell Witch Ride.

Please POST (or send e-mail to Fogbees@gmail.com) how you want to pickup your jersey and $4 refund per jersey. I will have them Thursday & Friday. Doug will have them over the weekend.

Pedal power anthem

I don't know for sure but I think this is in Italian. Even so the images are worth the watch. From David Irvine who monitors the European cycling scene.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6KXSBITrGM
Bruce

Holloween Card from GARY

The embed doesn't work with MS IE. You'll have to visit

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/6kWMsqHzxbMCylNt5IAv

3-FOOT PLEASE Jerseys

The Murfreesboro Bicycle Club is ordering some short-sleeve 3-feet jerseys and can get them for $50 if 10 people order.

http://www.shop.3feetplease.com/category.sc?categoryId=2

Contact Sarah Lovett silovett@comcast.net by November 5th.

. . . Leslie A. Meehan, MPA

My goodness, do I percieve a possible tail wind of approximately 10- 12 mph for the fall foilage tour ? I'll believe it when I see it ! Either way , looking forward to a colorful time with the FOGBEES original tour.

Little River Challenge 12 Hour Race

The Fogbees had a great showing at the Little River 12 Hour Challenge this past Saturday and here is a little post of how the race went...

The race had 19 participants from all over the country including some of the best long distance racers in the United States. The 12 hour race had 8 people racing in it including Paul Carpenter from Illinois(one of the top ultramarathon racers in the US as we soon found out). The race started at 8:05 AM and the experienced riders took off at a 20 mph pace leaving Tom Jennifer and I all by ourselves. About 15 miles in we picked up another rider(Tom Casson from Illinios...an experienced ultracyclist) who stayed with me for the rest of the ride.

We passed the 33 mile checkpoint at a good 15 mph pace and everything was going well until mile 36 when I was drafting off Tom alongside a cornfield when a yellow lab dog ran out after Tom. I hit the dog squarely and crashed my bike damaging the front wheel. We limped back to the 60 mile checkpoint where I borrowed a wheel from the man we were riding with and off we went.

At the 90 mile checkpoint Tom Casson and I split off from Tom and Jennifer and raced on. When we got to the 120 mile checkpoint, we were lapped by the leader, Paul Carpenter(who was now 60 miles ahead of us). At this point we switched from the 60 mile loop to the 8.5 mile loop(which was significantly flatter and faster). Tom and Jennifer continued to ride strongly and got to the 120 mile checkpoint just behind us and also started riding the 8.5 mile loop.

The sun set around 6:15 and while it was never warm during the daylight, the temperature was getting really awful once it got dark. At this point, other racers were starting to drop out due to exhaustion and cold, but Tom and Jennifer continued on and I raced together with Tom Casson. Jennifer ended up being the solo female winner with a total of 137 miles completed and Tom matched her mileage total and I ended up in 4th place in the 12 hour race with a total of 154 miles.

As a reference point though to show how good the people above us were, the winner of the 12 hour race, Paul Carpenter, rode 231 miles in the 12 hours managing an unbelieveable 19.25 mph pace, the 2nd place finisher, Tom Gee from Paris Tn rode 222.5 miles, and the 3rd place finisher, Dave Buyens of Florida rode 197 miles. The winner of the 24 hour race, George Hiscox of Jackson Tn road an incredible 367 miles over 24 hours.

Tom Jennifer and I are all in agreement that next year we will once again do this event and try to better our times. While it is difficult to stay on the bike for 12 straight hours, I am amazed at how quickly it went and also how quickly I have recovered from the ride. It would be fantastic if we could convince a few more Fogbee riders to join us for this ride next season.

END OF WEEKDAY RIDES???

WELL IT LOOKS LIKE WEATHER, LACK OF DAYLIGHT AND THE WINTER TIME BLUES HAS PRETTY MUCH PUT AN END TO THE TUES. AND THURS. RIDES. I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO RIDE THROUGHOUT THE FALL AND WINTER ON SATURDAY'S/SUNDAYS WHEN THE WEATHER PERMITS. AS FOR THE FOGBEES WHO SPIN AT THE YMCA IT LOOKS LIKE CLASSES ARE IN FULL SWING. IF YOU ARE SPINNING DURING THE WEEK COULD YOU POST WHAT TIME SO WE CAN STILL BE TOGETHER AS A GROUP. ALSO, LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE WANTS TO DO THE FOGBEE SPIN AT 6:30 PM AND WHAT DAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS. MOST OF US IMPROVED OUR FITNESS SPINNING LAST FALL AND WINTER. SEE YOU AT THE "y" OR ON SATURDAYS/SUNDAYS.
. . . Gary

Public Meeting for SR109: Thursday Oct 8

Attached is a flyer about an important upcoming public meeting regarding the design of improvements to Highway 109 in Wilson and Sumner Counties. The meeting is hosted by TDOT and will be held on Thursday, October 8th from 5-7pm in the Gallatin City Hall.

I've had the opportunity to sit down with Jessica Wilson, TDOT bike/ped planner and Michael Choate, TDOT project manager for Highway 109 in the last year to discuss bike/ped facilities. From what I can remember, the shoulder on Hwy 109 will be generous - at least 8 feet and there will be ped facilities considered in the appropriate areas near the cites.

However, I strongly encourage the Veloteers, the FOGBEES, the Murfreesboro Bicycle Club, Harpeth Bicycle Club, Bike Walk Tennessee, Walk/Bike Nashville, the bike shops and any others to come out to this meeting. TDOT has been very receptive to comments regarding the need for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and the more opportunities to encourage designs to take into account bike/ped transportation the better.

Unfortunately I will be out of town at an MPO retreat hosted by TDOT and may not be able to attend. Please let me know if you have any questions,

. . . Leslie Meehan

Night Riders

We ain't afraid of the dark!

Trouble with SNAPFISH

Snapfish Customer Service: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 5:14 PM
Subject: Why are some of my friends told in the "Uh-oh message" that they no longer have access to FOGBEE room [Incident: 091007-000266]

Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.If this issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may reopen it within the next 7 days.Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

Hello Tom,Thank you for contacting Snapfish Customer Support.I'm sorry for any inconvenience. This might have resulted due to a temporary technical problem on our site. Please re-invite your friends to join your group room. They should access the group room normally this time. If you have any further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Thanks,
Rajesh Snapfish Customer Support

Lisa has verified that now she can access the FOGBEE room.

FOGBEES do the Jack 'n' Back in style

Congrats to all 22 who participated in the ride To Jack 'n' Back for Multiple Sclerosis !

The FOGBEES raised over $10,000 in contributions for the 15 th Annual Mid TN event. Our efforts and involvement helped set new standards with the highest number of riders ever ( 885 ) and largest total dollars ( $ 558,000 ) to date.

We had our challenges and a few disappointments; however, the overall experience was well worth doing again next year, don't you think ?

Jack 'n Back Photo

. . . Ride's over. One rider in the FOGBEE group left due to medical problems, and two due to weenie problems, but most made the loop with out difficulty, many in a cold 57-deg hi before the rains (on a day the was forecasted at 73-deg, sunny and with ZERO percent probability of rain.) With such accuracy imagine climate forecasting.
. . . However, many were snapping pictures. Time to share. Click here for instructions. We'll collect the best and put together a PhotoShow that you can send to friends and family.

. . . Lori is okay. She finished the ride on Sunday with her son.

Wounded Warrior and Alabma ride images

Thanks to the Wounded Warrior ride we got off on schedule and had great ride on to Alabama. The second half of day one and all of 2 and 3 were in great weather. Dave Irvine and I walked some of the hills but David Buckman peddled them all. My greatest fear, crossing the Tennessee River at Decatur, AL, was no problem because work on the bridge, had traffic slowed to my pace. My one missed turned revealed a hitherto unknown country store so it was a good miss. I'll trade a couple of miles out of the way for a store in the midst of nowhere. Images are on Snapfish here. Photo show:
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Uu3pN4jR

INTERNET Training

I have been asked on several occasion to have training sessions in our Internet tools: Blogging, MapMyRide (mapping, creating Cue Lists, and loading into the Blog), PhotoShows/SnapFish/ Flickr, etc. The training would be in my home theater with its 100" screen. You can bring your laptops and connect to my WiFi so you can follow along with "hands on" lab work. I wouldn't be able to schedule anything until mid-November when the weather is snotty.

Please post if this training is something in which you are interested.