Paving planned on Keys highway

Cyclists preparing for rides to Key West might want to factor into their plans the paving operations that will begin on U.S. 1 in Marathon from Nov. 6 into mid-December. The state Department of Transportation reports:

To perform this work safely, it will be necessary to close lanes of traffic and bike paths at different times and locations. Work will be done in stages to lessen the effects of construction on the community. Lane closures will occur during non-event days. The department will make sure that traffic flows safely through the work zone. ... Information about this and other FDOT construction projects in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties can be found at www.fdotmiamidade.com.

Don't mess with big trucks

The death of that young cyclist in Winter Park this week should be a reminder to us that big trucks are dangerous for a cyclist even in the best of circumstances. You have to remember that the driver's blind zone is bigger and that the truck has to make wider turns than the vehicles most of us drive. Don't ever pass a truck or a bus on the right! It was for good reason that truckers used to paint "passing side" on their left rear and "suicide" on the right rear. There's other good advice here from Keri Caffrey, the Orlando blogger and co-creator of the CyclingSavvy curriculum.

Florida study confirms drivers give gal cyclists a break

When Brit researcher Ian Walker reported his finding that cars passed helmeted cyclists closer than they did riders without helmets, it was news I didn't want to believe. Now, though, a study at the University of North Florida has confirmed some of Walker's findings:

• Riders in cycling gear get a smaller passing margin than riders in ordinary clothes.
• Men get a smaller passing margin than women.

The Florida study of 2,000 passing incidents, paid for by the state Department of Transportation, did not address the helmet question. But it did take into account the relative widths of traffic lanes. That will be significant for pending road improvements. Engineering assistant professor Thobias Sando and his co-author, R. Moses, reported, "lateral spacing between motor vehicles and bicyclists is highly influenced by the width of the outside through lane. ... outside through lane widths less than 13.5 ft could result in a significant decrease in lateral spacing...."

There's a short take on the Florida study at Bike San Diego.  The 97-page report may be downloaded here.

Firetruck hits, kills bicyclist

Updated
It's hard to say whether Cullen Detamore would have saved his life if his bicycle had had brakes. But you do have to wonder. You also have to wonder about drivers of really big trucks making right turns around someone as vulnerable as a lone guy on a bike. Read more at the Orlando Sentinel.
Here's a map of the location.

Cyclist finds new view of life

Bruce Weber, nearing the end of his cross-continent bike ride, writes in the New York Times that the 4,000-mile trip has helped him find a new way to think about life. I won't spoil his story by summarizing here, but you can find it in the Times Travel section. Of course, you don't have to ride ocean to ocean for for a bike to open your eyes. You might start by biking to work tomorrow. The weather promises to be as glorious as it was Sunday.

Riders wipe out in Bill Bone final turn

Bill Meyers shot some remarkable photos in the last minutes of the Bill Bone Pro Am race at Hobe Sound over the weekend. Trying to get permission to use one here, but meanwhile, see the series at Facebook. Peter Schuetz analyzes the shots as follows:

It looks to me like the trigger happened in the fourth picture with the two riders on the outside of the turn. Black-Helmet-No-Glasses squeezed past Gold-Glasses who was clamping his REAR brake which caused the back wheel to slide. When back wheel slides all control is gone. Maybe that's a Cat 4 error you wouldn't see in a more experienced rider but others say the higher cats crash in the same spot anyway. When a front rider goes down there are always lots of bikes piling up because it's hard to stop at 30+ mph. I'm surprised no one broke a collarbone, especially Red-White-S-Works who snapped fork.

Orange-Blue probably made the same mistake as Gold-Glasses: rear brake only causing skid and slip. In pic 6 you can't see Orange-Blue's right hand but you see his left hand is not on its brake lever. Other racers are braking through the turn so he must have been on the brakes too which means right brake lever only. In pic 8 you can see two of his right fingers still on the lever as he hits the ground. Two riders passing him on each side as he falls are using both brake levers for better control. They stay upright because their back tires didn't skid.

It's a good lesson in extreme braking that applies to more than just racing. I've needed maximum braking to avoid hitting cars that turned into my path without warning as I'm cruising along. Most cyclists are overly afraid of an endo over the handlebars from too much front brake when a skid fall from too much rear brake is much more likely as these pictures show.

How to brake was covered in the LAB Road Bicycling 101 course and I disagreed with their instruction to ease up on the front brake when the rear skids. That might avoid a slide but reduces slowing rate too much in emergencies. You should do most or almost all braking with the front brake. Motorcycle racers are the experts in two wheeled braking and they know that your focus should be on the front wheel which has 80% of the braking power. Letting up on the rear brake avoids rear skids without the dangerous reduction in slowing rate that happens by letting up on the front brake. Endos can happen but are almost always from applying brakes abruptly instead of quickly and progressively.

Bike paths generate economic activity

Urban bike trails are paying off in Central Florida. Maybe we ought to be building more down here. Read about it in the Orlando Sentinel. Ludlam Trail, anyone?

Antelope cyclist talks

NBC caught up with Evan van der Spuy, the South African mountain biker who was hit by that running antelope. He looks no worse for the wear, though he says he was unconscious for a while.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

We're told, by the way, that the dramatic video of the collision has had 10 million hits on You-Tube.

Come to Gables Bike Day, Oct. 23

Adding up commuter costs

Lifehacker makes the case for commuting by bicycle, in an article called The True Cost of Commuting.

Would you buy a bike with wheels of steel?

Co. Design

This stunner is the brainstorm of designer Ron Arad. "The ultimate surprise is that it worked the first time," said Marcus Hearst, director of the design department at Arad's studio. Read more at MSNBC.com

Bike lanes in plan for Islamorada

The state Department of Transportation set a public meeting for Oct. 19 to air plans for resurfacing 4.5 miles of U.S. 1 in Islamorada and including bicycle lanes.  Here's their announcement:

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Six will hold a public information meeting about two roadway projects along State Road (SR) 5/Overseas Highway/US 1 within Islamorada, Village of Islands. The limits for one of the projects are from Jerome Avenue (Mile Marker 81.4) to Whale Harbor Channel (Mile Marker 84.0). The limits for the other project are from Whale Harbor Channel (Mile Marker 84.0) to the entrance of Smugglers Cove (Mile Marker 85.6). The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19 at the Founders Park Community Center, located at 87000 Overseas Highway in Islamorada. The meeting will provide property owners and interested parties an opportunity to speak to team members and review the proposed enhancements.

The proposed work for this project includes: resurfacing the roadway to extend the life of the road, modifying the typical section to include bicycle lanes, reworking the northbound shoulder area along the project corridor to create a 10-foot wide paved shoulder that can be used as a through lane during emergency evacuations. New signs, pavement markings and minor drainage enhancements will also be included. Construction for both projects is expected to start in January 2013 and last about 365 days. The estimated construction cost of both projects is $7,900,000.

Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or persons who require translation services (free of charge), should contact Brian Rick at (305) 470-5349 or in writing at 1000 NW 111 Ave., Miami, FL 33172 or by e-mail at brian.rick@dot.state.fl.us. For more information on the Public Meeting, please feel free to contact Project Manager Danny Iglesias at (305) 470-5289 or by e-mail at danny.iglesias@dot.state.fl.us.

Ricky racers rack up road rash

That faithful reader named "Anonymous" tweaks my ear for not reporting what I think most of you knew before I did -- that a hard-charging pack of riders took a spill on the Rickenbacker Causeway yesterday during their regular early-morning ride. Normally I don't report here what's already been pretty well-covered in other local media, but perhaps I should rethink that. It would, for instance, give me an extra chance to tell you what I think as well as what I learned.

So here's what I think: Those guys and gals have almost nothing to do with mainstream bicycling. If anybody tries to hold them out to you as examples of cycling's dangers, tell them it's not the sport that's dangerous, it's the rider who blows by other road users without a warning or even the kind of margin of life we demand of motorists. I suspect that the riders in that group know the risks they're taking, and that's why you don't hear them complaining about water on the road or whatever it was that started the Wednesday morning pileup.

I'm grateful that the injuries appear not to be serious; a broken limb or worse would have been a talking point for all who want to relegate bikes to the playground. So ride on, readers, and let's really do share the road with generous courtesy.

Adding motor to your bike could mean trouble

Various friends from time to time have urged me to buy a motor for my bike, and I've always resisted. Basically I'm comfortable with the speed my legs can achieve. Now here's reporting from upstate about the legal implications of motorizing your two-wheeler. Not so smart, in many cases. Read on in Florida Today.

Antelope clobbers cyclist

This is a few days old, but too good to pass up.

Racing dropped from Gables Bike Day schedule

The Bill Bone Pro-Am racing series has cancelled plans for a street race in Miami on Oct. 22 and one in Coral Gables on Oct. 23. When Gables Bike Day organizers were informed the last week of September, they were told that unexpected expenses were the reason. I haven't been able to reach the series promoter, Keri Burns, to ask for more of an explanation.

Plans for Gables Bike Day are filling out nicely, though. There's been broad participation by the Coral Gables Rotary, the city's downtown Business Improvement District, and many individual businesses. You can "like" the event at Facebook to get timely updates. 

M-Path closer to completion

A sizable crew from Community Asphalt is laying pavement today on the M-Path south of SW 80th Street. Most of the work today is between the Dadeland Station shops and the new bridge across the mouth of the Snapper Creek Expressway. There's also a realignment of the path north of SW 67th Avenue, so riders can cross closer to US 1 and be seen from S. Dixie Highway.

The new M-Path Extension extends through Metrorail's Dadeland North Station and alongside U.S. 1 to N. Kendall Drive, then along the fence at Dadeland South Station to connect with the South Dade Trail below Datran Boulevard.

Path improvements at the south station include a crossing island on Dadeland Boulevard, easier access for northbound riders, and a greatly improved ramp into the South Dade Trail that will help riders headed both south and north.