No theme this week, just great photography.

I hope you enjoy this set and check back each week to see what shots get picked. Be sure to check out the Flickr page to see all the awesome bike shots shared by our extremely talented contributors.

“Rainbow Sharrow” © gregraisman

gregraisman – Website: Getting Around Portland

“Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brasil” © Paulo Rafael

Paulo Rafael

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© All images are subject to Flickr Copyright Rules.

By submitting images to the Suburban Assault Flickr group, you are allowing the limited, non-profit, non-commercial usage of your images, as described by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, for non-commercial use on this non-commercial blog. In return you will receive FULL photo credit and links to your Flickr Photostream.

Jason Rides Over Lake Lavon Dam

My Goal:
This is my fourth year to ride in the Richardson WildRide! Against Cancer rally. Previously, I rode the 16 mile loop in 2010, the 40 mile loop in 2011 and the 40 mile loop in 2012. This year my goal was to complete the 64 mile loop. This might not seem like a big deal to some of those weekend warriors out there who do 64 miles before breakfast – but let me give you some perspective. If you read this blog, you’ll know that I’m a practical cyclist who only rides for fun or transportation. I am not athletic, I don’t ride for sport, nor do I even own a ‘proper’ road bike. Most of my longer rides are 14 mile (each way) commutes to my office, and my last, longest ride was last year’s 40 mile WildRide loop.

So, the 64 mile loop was a big deal to me.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to ride it alone. My buddy, Jason, who just got back into cycling this year, decided to join me. I was glad, because he was just the motivation that I needed to complete the task. Jason rides a lot, but hasn’t completed a 64 mile ride either.

The Start:
Like the previous 3 years, the start of the rally was really impressive. There were hundreds of cyclists at the start, arranged in staging areas for each group of riders (64,40 and 16). You can see the difference in types of riders as you move from the fully-kitted 64 mile group at the front, all the way to the more casual 16 mile group in the back. With our baggy shorts and heavy, fat-wheeled bikes, Jason and I looked a little out of place waiting in the 64 mile staging area. With all due respect to those in tight shorts, who ride super-slick road bikes – we just don’t ride that way. Quite frankly, until this 64 mile ride, I didn’t think there was ever a need.

The Ride:
It’s very impressive watching the start of this rally, where you see a huge mass of riders rolling down Plano Road. As always, with fresh legs and high spirits, I really enjoy this part of the ride. This good feeling kept up for the first 20 miles of the ride, so much that we skipped the first rest stop. By the time we reached the second rest stop, just past Lake Levon dam (which happened to be the 40 mile loop turnaround) we were still feeling pretty good.

This was the point at which we needed to decide to push on and do the 64 mile loop, or turn back. We pushed on.

Hello Misery:
Since this was the first time for both of us to venture out this far, we didn’t know what to expect. Unfortunately, we were greeted with a couple of really nasty rolling hills. We still had some good strength, so they weren’t too bad. Facing them on the return trip was a problem. Beyond that, the extended 24 mile loop took us deep into open country, where there were some amazing views.

We started to get tired.

On those long country roads we were exposed to some nasty wind, paired with the late morning sun. Our baggy shorts were sails and our bikes felt like they were loaded with bricks. The energy level dropped fast. By the time we returned to the rest stop at Lake Lavon dam, our bodies were starting to shut down. Bonk was hitting us hard and we still had 20 miles to go. We drank and ate as much as we could at each remaining rest stop, but recovery was getting harder and harder as we pushed to get back to the start. The last few miles were the worst, but ultimately we made it back.

It wasn’t a fast ride – an average of 14MPH – but we succeeded with our goal (and we weren’t DFL).

To add insult to injury, we had the brilliant idea of riding to the rally, which meant we had to ride back home. That was the worst 2.6 miles of my life.

Would I Do This Again?:
As we were making our way up Shiloh Road, hitting all headwind, we were saying never again. But, since we’ve had a day to recover, our thoughts go back to those riders wearing skin-tight shorts, rolling on ‘proper’ road bikes and had practiced on prior weekends. Perhaps, if we are better prepared, we would do it again.

Here are my pics from the ride. Click here to see the entire set.

My Steel Truckster

Riders Arriving

The Back Of The 64 Mile Staging Area

Riding Down Plano Road

Crossing The Lake Lavon Dam

No Turning Back

Open Country

Organizing a National Bike To Work Day, Bike Commuter Energizer Station is quite a challenge. Organizing 5 of them is nearly impossible without the right partners and volunteers. This being the second year, we’re still trying to figure everything out – but we’re getting better.

Let’s Start With Last Year:
Bike Friendly Richardson member Jenny Rilling, and myself decided that we needed to set up a rest stop for bike commuters in our town of Richardson. Because Jenny was a BikeDFW board member, we were able to partner with them, who in turn, connected us with a few sponsors, including Richardson Bike Mart the Dallas Area Rapid Transit folks. Richardson Bike Mart provided us a bike mechanic to help out with bicycle safety checks and DART gave us a place to set up at one of their local train stations. We managed to pull in a few other sponsors and had great success providing breakfast, beverages and swag for bike commuters coming through Richardson.

This Year:
With such great success with last year’s Richardson stop, BikeDFW (of which I am now a board member) wanted to set up multiple stations this year. Coincidentally, DART was also wanting to set up multiple Bike Commuter Energizer Station. I got an email from Dan Dickerson with DART asking if we were interested in partnering with them. Obviously, we did. Dan, using his connections, contacted several local cities in the Dallas area. Of that list, Plano, Garland, Dallas and Bike Friendly Richardson (representing Richardson) wanted to participate. BikeDFW was also working with Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, who also wanted to set up a Bike Commuter Energizer Station.

Dividing Up The Tasks And Organizing:
Because I was the initial contact for DART, I became the liaison between DART and  BikeDFW, and most of the organizing for this event was done via email. This being only the second event like this in our area, and the fact that I am organizationally-challenged, there were many challenges. Fortunately, Dan was very organized and I had a team of great support with BikeDFW. My friend Eliot, with Cycling Savvy DFW, even suggested that I set up a Google Doc spread sheet and share it with the team, which was a lifesaver.

The Art of Finding Sponsors:
Finding sponsors is one challenge. Asking them to give stuff to our event is another. My hat is off to people who need to do this on a regular basis. The lesson that I learned is that you have to get an early start. Plus, you need to communicate by phone or face-to-face. When asking by email, you’re most likely going to get overlooked.

Fortunately, we were able to manage getting local bike shop sponsors, including Plano Cycling and Fitness, Richardson Bike Mart (Richardson), Richardson Bike Mart (White Rock), Don Johle’s Bike World and Oak Cliff Bicycle Company to do the bicycle safety checks at each station.

Also, KIND Healthy Snacks, Clif Bars, Re-Geared, Cycling Savvy DFW, Generator Coffee House, Neuro Energy Drinks and Zang Triangle Apartments also helped out.

Volunteers:
This was yet another challenge. Although DART and the local cities were bringing out volunteers for each station, it was quite difficult to pull in BikeDFW volunteers. This was mostly because of scheduling issues (getting folks to take time off on a work day) or bicyclists wanting to actually ride to work on Bike To Work Day. Fortunately, some great folks stepped up to help run each station.

Special Thanks:
I plan on adding a complete list of volunteers and sponsors, as soon as I get all the information in. Until then, here are the ones at the top of my head:

SPONSORS:
Arthuro Garza (KIND), Clif Bars (Jeanine Romine), Kasey Smith (Neuro Energy Drinks), Rachel Spire (ReGeared), JimD (Generator Coffee House), Zang Triangle Apartments, Waco Moore and Eliot Landrum (Cycling Savvy DFW)

LOCAL BIKE SHOPS FOR SAFETY CHECKS:
Plano Cycling and Fitness (Plano), Richardson Bike Mart (Richardson), Don Johle’s Bike World (Garland), Richardson Bike Mart (Downtown Dallas), Oak Cliff Bike Company (Oak Cliff)

DART: EVENT CO-SPONSOR/ORGANIZER:
Dan Dickerson and his team of great volunteers from DART – Chris Walters, Steve Biba, Shaun Tooley, Jennifer Jones, Charylene Crayton, Jennifer Hall (and more).

CITY CO-SPONSORS:
Ann McGinnes and her team (City of Garland), Renee Jordan (City of Plano), Max Kalhammer, Kevin Lefebvre, Kimberly Mackey (City of Dallas)

VOLUNTEERS:
Jonathan Braddick, and his team (names to come) (Oak Cliff), Michael McNair (Garland), Jared Cook (Garland), Robert Cherry (Garland), Joshua McNeely (Richardson)

BIKEDFW: EVENT CO-SPONSOR/ORGANIZER:
Marc Mumby (Akard), Jenny Rilling (Richardson), Anita Mills (Oak Cliff), Michael Freiberger (Plano), Warren Casteel (Multi-Location Support)

Pics Of The Event (Richardson and Garland) See full set here:

Richardson

Richardson

Richardson

Garland

Garland

No theme this week, just great photography.

I hope you enjoy this set and check back each week to see what shots get picked. Be sure to check out the Flickr page to see all the awesome bike shots shared by our extremely talented contributors.

“I got a “nice bike” shout out on my way home from class. Thanks, fellow cyclist! Right back at ya! Also, you made my evening ” © Simply Bike

Simply Bike - Website: Simply Bike

“!elcycib” © Elios.k

Elios.k - Website: Getty Elios.k

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© All images are subject to Flickr Copyright Rules.

By submitting images to the Suburban Assault Flickr group, you are allowing the limited, non-profit, non-commercial usage of your images, as described by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, for non-commercial use on this non-commercial blog. In return you will receive FULL photo credit and links to your Flickr Photostream.

Mark your calendars! Friday, May 17, 2013 is National Bike To Work Day. IF there is ever a day to ride to work, make it this day. Think about the positive statement we’ll be making as cyclists, safely using an alternate form of transportation throughout the DFW Metroplex.

Based on the great success in Richardson last year, BikeDFW and DART have partnered up to host 5 Bike Commuter Energizer Stations in:

GARLAND - Downtown Garland Station (Partnered with The City of Garland)
DALLAS - Akard Station (Partnered with the City of Dallas)
OAK CLIFF - Jefferson St. Viaduct (Partnered with Bike Friendly Oak Cliff)
RICHARDSON - Arapaho Station (Partnered with Bike Friendly Richardson)
PLANO - Intersection of Bluebonnet & Chisholm Trail (Partnered with The City of Plano)

DATE: Friday, May 17, 2013
TIME: 6:30-9:00 am

If you are in the area, please stop by. Also, let them know on Facebook.

MORE DETAILS TO COME.

EVENT SPONSORS:

KIND Healthy Snacks - on Facebook (All Stops)
Clif Bars - on Facebook  (All Stops)
Neuro Energy Drinks (Akard Stop)
Re-Geared - on Facebook (Akard Stop)
Generator Coffee House - on Facebook (Garland Stop)
Zang Triangle Apartments - on Facebook (Oak Cliff Stop)

Plano Cycling and Fitness - on Facebook (Plano Stop)
Richardson Bike Mart - on Facebook  (Richardson and Akard Stops)
Don Johle’s Bike World - on Facebook  (Garland Stop)
Oak Cliff Bicycle Company - on Facebook (Oak Cliff Stop)

ALSO: There will be other stations available:

Dallas Bike Works will have coffee and doughnuts and free minor repairs from 7:30 – 9:30am at White Rock Creek Trail where it passes under NW Highway (opposite the shop on Lawther). Facebook Event here.

The City of Fort Worth will have food and beverages and a bike share station set up at the Inter-modal Transit Center from 7:30 – 9am. There will be group rides to the Fort Worth event starting from various locations (map).

I firmly believe that if cycling is to become more mainstream, more women – of all ages – need to ride. This week’s theme is “Saviors of Cycling”.

I hope you enjoy this set and check back each week to see what shots get picked. Be sure to check out the Flickr page to see all the awesome bike shots shared by our extremely talented contributors.

“BSA Factory Rider” © overly curious bystander

overly curious bystander

© hector.acuna

hector.acuna - Website: Hector Acuna’s Website

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© All images are subject to Flickr Copyright Rules.

By submitting images to the Suburban Assault Flickr group, you are allowing the limited, non-profit, non-commercial usage of your images, as described by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, for non-commercial use on this non-commercial blog. In return you will receive FULL photo credit and links to your Flickr Photostream.

As I say every year, EVERY month is National Bike Month – we all know that. However, it’s nice that national organizations like The League of American Bicyclists (who originated National Bike Month) and People For Bikes, are focusing their efforts on May – one of the best months to bicycle – just so that they can get some good traction and be more effective with their messaging.

Speaking of messaging, they’ve even come up with some helpful things (pdf) that advocates can post on Facebook and Twitter. Here are a few:

• Where will the ride take you? Join us this Bike Month to find out! [link]*
• Bike Month is here! What’s your favorite way to celebrate cycling?
• What are your favorite places to ride in [your community]?
• Do something different this Bike Month. Download the League’s BIke Month Bingo card and join the fun! bikeleague.org/bikemonth
• Are you grabbing your morning coffee on two wheels this morning? What’s the best thing about Bike to Work Day this year?
• Hopping on your bike instead of the bus to school this morning? Let us know how your celebration of Bike to School Day is going!
• Honor the past and empower the future of women in cycling! Join the Cyclo- femme movement and spread the word!
• More than 80% of bike commuters say they feel healthier & less stressed. How has biking improved your health?
• Average annual operating cost of a bicycle? $308. A car? $8,000. How do you spend the extra cash?

You can download League of American Bicyclists promotional materials here.

Even People For Bikes is doing a great push for National Bike Month. Their Roll Together  - with two wheels or four wheels, let’s build the next generation of safer roads where we can all roll together  - campaign is pretty impressive.

Well, I hope you get to take part in National Bike Month, and that you get a chance to enjoy a good ride or two (or 31).

As a father, I find it especially great when I see pics of dads riding with their kids. This week’s theme will be “Riding With Dad”.

I hope you enjoy this set and check back each week to see what shots get picked. Be sure to check out the Flickr page to see all the awesome bike shots shared by our extremely talented contributors.

“Feeling the sun warming the brain and off for more adventures” © rperks1

rperks1 - Website: Ocean Air Cycles

“thisishowwerolled” © rhymeswithbombs

rhymeswithbombs

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© All images are subject to Flickr Copyright Rules.

By submitting images to the Suburban Assault Flickr group, you are allowing the limited, non-profit, non-commercial usage of your images, as described by the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, for non-commercial use on this non-commercial blog. In return you will receive FULL photo credit and links to your Flickr Photostream.

I was heading home down Arapaho Road in Richardson, when a small group of cyclists caught my eye. This wasn’t the typical lycra clad, roadie group that you see running a training ride through my town. Instead, it was a bunch of regularly dressed, casual cyclists making their way to the DART train station.

Since I was so captivated by this, I had to turn around and meet them. These riders were not associated with any bike club or group. They were just a bunch of friends taking the train into Dallas to be part of tonight’s Critical Mass. They were nice enough to let me shoot a pic of them.

I hope to see more of these folks riding around town.

I’m a new fan to bicycle podcasts this year. As I was mentioning my discovery of the Outspoken Cyclist, a friend pointed me to another podcast that I might like even more: The Sprocket Podcast.

Based out of ‘The People’s Republic of Portland”, hosts Brock Dittus, Aaron Flores and (yet to be heard by me) Brandon Rhodes “bring you somewhat irreverent conversations about the intricacies of thinking locally with a global perspective, and enjoying the best that life has to offer along the way. This includes day to day life, food, alcohol, bicycles and alternative transportation, arts and culture, communication and the Internet, camping and travel, and many other things!”

Sure, it’s not all about bikes. But to me, it’s a lot about why I ride – simplifying the good life. Talking about arts, culture and alcohol is pretty cool, too.

Of course I’m late to the party. They’ve been producing the show since 2010 and on their 126th episode (as of this post). As with my other ‘bike’ related podcasts, I’ve been playing serious catch-up. I’ve decided to only limit my listening to this year’s episodes – which is enough to get a good sense that I relate to the content, enjoy the hosts and their guests and have become a true fan of the show.

If you like the idea of simplifying your life and see yourself as a practical cyclist, I strongly recommend that you subscribe and listen to The Sprocket Podcast. Click here to get to them on iTunes.