November 2015 activity report
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, November:
November 2
Regular meeting of MORPC’s Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves
November 4
Inaugural meeting of the Safe Routes to School National Conference Program Committee, on which Catherine serves
November 5
Regular meeting of the Mayor's Green Team Transportation Committee, on which Catherine serves
Connect Columbus "Tactical Urbanism" event featuring temporary protected bike lanes
November 6
Columbus Dispatch: "Columbus experiments with protected bike lanes"
Ride with City of Columbus engineers and other officials to preview Summit and 4th Street's new protected bike lanes and provide feedback
November 7
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Minnesota
November 9
Meeting with MORPC's RideSolutions staff to discuss the future of our Ride Buddies program
November 10
Inaugural meeting with Olentangy Paddles to discuss potential partnerships
Scioto Greenways Grand Opening
November 11
Board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
November 12
Program Committee meeting of the Central Ohio Greenways Board
November 14
Year of Yay! with "Biology Class" theme featuring stops at the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park,Café Briosoand Grange Insurance Audubon Center
November 16
Regular monthly board meeting of Yay Bikes!
Lantern TV: "Ohio State off-campus area home to first protected bike lane"
November 17
Inaugural meeting of Central Ohio's active transportation leadership to assess overlapping interests and explore coalition building
November 18
Inaugural meeting with Caitlin Harley of the Ohio Department of Health to discuss mode shift and the state's healthy community plan
General (public) meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
Board meeting of the Central Ohio Greenways Board
Annual Membership Meeting for Community Shares of Mid Ohio, featuring workshops "Social Media 101" and "Fundraising is an Art, Not a Science"
November 19
Tabling at the annual meeting of Downtown Capital Crossroads SID
November 21
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Michigan State
November 24
2015 National Philanthropy Day awards luncheon
Ride with City of Columbus engineers and other officials to preview Summit and 4th Street's new protected bike lanes and provide feedback
November 29
Olde Worthington Partnership "It's a Wonderful Window Contest" Open House with RIDEhome's Yay Bikes! entry
November 30
Regular meeting of MORPC’s Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves
"My feet were moving. I forgot there were cars." — Jamilah's story
Name: Jamilah Tucker
Lives in: Hilliard
Works in: Downtown Columbus
“I only went where the sidewalks could take me.”
A co-worker was championing Ride Buddy, a program Yay Bikes! hosted to teach downtown workers to ride bikes instead of drive. Jamilah was curious. “People were doing it and I was like ‘oh, that looks fun!’”
Riding with Yay Bikes! helped Jamilah see the roads differently.
But she hadn’t been on a bike since junior high and she was scared, never having traveled by bike anywhere besides the sidewalk. “There are all these reasons not to get on a bike. I was nervous about getting hit by a car,” she said. Jamilah needed direction before she felt comfortable riding a bike on her own. Determined, she asked co-worker after co-worker to join her on a downtown bike ride with Yay Bikes!. Finally, a friend agreed.
“Building up to it was the worst,” Jamilah said. She was sweaty and shaking as she tried to remember the mechanics of working the pedals. She climbed upon the seat of a CoGo bike and moved with as much ease as she could muster. “A few minutes into it, my feet were moving. I forgot there were cars.”
“We feel comfortable to ride our bikes at home.”
Soon after, Jamilah found a bike at a garage sale. For $15 she bought it, cleaned it up and made it her own. She rides it regularly with her 11-year-old daughter on her own bike just ahead. They ride the road, mostly to and from the park or around the neighborhood. “It was a good thing to be in that group and to gain education so we feel comfortable to ride our bikes at home,” Jamilah said.
The biggest change was her awareness of bicyclists on the road which she shared with her husband. “We didn’t used to pay attention to bicyclists,” Jamilah said.
“The road was created for moving people.”
Now Jamilah and her husband are aware of the need to share the road. “Not everyone has a car. The road was created for moving people; we have to respect each other.”
She’s grateful for the experience to learn a new approach to getting around downtown every day. While she does not commute to work by bike, Jamilah hopes to start integrating CoGo bike rides into her lunch hour, inviting friends and co-workers along when she can. “My mentality about getting around and paying attention to roads has changed. I wouldn’t have gotten back on a bike without the Yay Bikes! experience.”
Dressing for weather
Shirley Droney, all geared up for a chilly Year of Yay! ride.
When considering how to ride comfortably though all of Ohio's wild weather, two truisms bear repeating—first: "There is no bad weather, only bad wardrobe," and second: "Layer, layer, layer". But when it comes to the particulars of outfitting for rainy, snowy or just plain frigid rides, there are a couple schools of thought:
THE MINIMALISTS
The minimalist view is expressed here and here, and by the following:
"When people ask me for tips on winter bicycling, I have very simple advice: Wear what you would have worn if you were going to walk outside in the winter. If it’s wet, throw on some water-proof pants on top of your regular pants, and that’s it. It’s very simple."
The argument from this camp is basically that people (i.e., marketers and hardcore cyclists) overcomplicate dressing for weather, causing the average person or fair-weather cyclist to balk at the expense of acquiring all the required gear, and/or the stigma of looking too much like a whack-a-doo. They claim that most weather-appropriate cycling gear is already in your closet, and that a trip to the thrift store for wool layers and the like should suffice to get you through most weather conditions—stylishly!
Cue photo of an adorable Dutch cyclist riding her sexy self through a whiteout:
Also, though not explicitly in any article I could find, this side of the aisle gives nod to the so-called "invisible cyclists" among us who ride all year long out of economic necessity, regardless of their ability to afford special gear. Clearly not everyone can afford the luxury of fabrics that wick!
THE "MAXIMALISTS"
There are dozens and hundreds and billions of helpful articles and buyer's guides out there by people who are all-in on cyclist-specific gear for weather. Here's their rebuttal to the minimalists:
"I'm not a fashion victim who's been gulled by marketers or taken for a ride by the bike shop sales staff. I'm a rational adult who is quite capable of making choices based on my own experience and on the advice of other cyclists. My winter cycling equipment and clothing have been evolving for several years, as I discover what works for me, in my particular climate—and more days than not, what works looks like the images [of cyclists in weather-specific gear] you point to with ridicule."
The argument here is pretty simple—the gear works. It was designed to work for cyclists riding in a specific set of circumstances, and it does. So if you want to ride in all conditions, these cyclists say, you will invest in a wardrobe that makes it possible. After all, no matter what you spend it's still cheaper than driving!
THE "YAY 'BIKES!-ISTS'!"
We at Yay Bikes! tend to be a practical bunch, and accommodating of all styles on the spectrum of "gear-full" to gear-free. If it works for you? Great! There are posts here that reflect that attitude, and you should check them out.
Bottom line? Our best advice, in a nutshell?
Regardless of whether you're going for style, function or both: employ extreme measures to protect your extremities! If your hands or feet are cold (and they will be), your ride will be misery.
But of course we always encourage you to make your own informed decisions—by actually riding your actual bike in actual real-world conditions alongside actual cycling friends. We invite you to join us and learn first-hand the tricks that will allow you to go from a fair- to an all-weather cyclist! Our Year of Yay! rides occur on the second Saturday of every month, so together we experience the full spectrum of Ohio weather. Case in point:
We ride in ALL weather!
Good luck out there, friends, whatever you wear! May this be the year you tackle Nov–May!
Oh, and for some additional reading pleasure, see our article on Columbus Underground for some winter riding tips.
Planning for contingencies
Updated Nov 2017
Practicing using the bike and bus racks on the May 2015 Year of Yay ride.
A common refrain among those who exclusively drive to work is that they need access to their vehicle in case of emergency. But several local services—and a touch of gumption—can help you handle the unexpected when your car isn't available. Employ several of the following strategies to put your mind at ease and fully embrace a bicycle commute!
LOCAL SUPPORT SERVICES
AAA Ohio
AAA now offers a Bicycle Breakdown Service as part of their regular membership program! AAA Members can receive a free tow when breakdowns disrupt their ride.
Emergency Ride Home / Taxis
MORPC's Emergency Ride Home program allows anyone who carpools or vanpools, walks, bikes or rides the bus to work a 100% taxi fair (including tip) in the event of unexpected overtime, personal illness or family emergency. Register for free in advance using the link above and use the service up to 4x per year!
Otherwise, there's always Uber and Lyft, of course.
Bike & Bus
What it lacks in speed, COTA's Bike & Bus service makes up for in safety and reliability. Buses are there for you in terrible weather and when you need to extend an almost-but-not-quite bikeable journey.
LOVED ONES
People who like you and know what you're up to in life are usually thrilled for an occasion to help when you hit a snag. (No really, they are!) So, to help them help you: think through the circumstances that would require you to get somewhere quickly—it's probably a shorter list than you were expecting—and, before anything goes awry, draft "Team You". Present each team member with what could be asked of them, in what circumstances, and have them commit (or not) to doing That Thing You Might But Probably Won't Need. Create redundancy on your team by having 2 or even 3 people willing/able to give you a ride, pick up your kids, stay late or leave early, etc. After a commitment has been made, check in periodically to find out if anyone's circumstances have changed, and to notify them if yours have.
COLLEAGUED ONES
If your place of employment has a Wellness Committee, propose that they coordinate an informal network of colleagues willing to support others' active commutes by being emergency contacts. This could be a simple project that launches a wider conversation in your workplace about how to be bike friendly!
FRIENDED ONES
It may not be a "plan" to rely on the generosity of your acquaintances, per se, but in a pinch it's possible that a desperate plea will yield fast results from someone you half forgot existed. It's worth keeping social media in your bag of tricks for dealing with unfortunate surprises.
YAY BIKES!
Join us to become part of a community of cyclists doing our best to manage our crazy bike lives, and sharing what we learn with others.
"Biking gives me freedom." — Cassie's story
“That wasn’t working for me.”
Cassie's social life is full since she found Yay Bikes!. Here she is riding in the annual Columbus Tweed Ride.
Cassie was feeling dissatisfied. She had moved to Columbus from Southern California in 2007 for graduate school and was spending most of her time working. “I was kind of at a point in my life where I was bogged down in work,” she says. She spent the little free time she had cuddled on the couch, watching T.V. in an effort to clear her mind. “That wasn’t working for me. I needed something to change so I could feel happier.” Trolling Facebook in early 2014, she came across a post about Year of Yay! ride. She gave it some thought. “It looked like you could just show up, so I went...by myself.”
“I felt like I did something.”
Cassie arrived to her first Year of Yay! ride in July of 2014 on a new bike she had purchased just a month before. Previously, she had commuted three miles on the Olentangy bike path to OSU, rarely on the road. Though she felt hesitant about jumping into a new experience without anyone she knew, Cassie is a self-described social butterfly so she embraced the discomfort and was excited to try something new.
The group welcomed Cassie with open arms, making sure she never felt alone during her first ride. Many miles later, she was pleased. “When I got home I felt like I did something I wanted to do. My body felt good!”
Cassie’s free time shifted. She ditched the T.V. for a more social kind of relaxation. “I liked going on the ride because it was an easy way to be with a group, but I didn’t have to orchestrate anything.” She immediately decided to become a Yay Bikes! member.
“It’s easier than driving!”
Riding with Yay Bikes! expanded Cassie’s knowledge of hand signals, traffic laws and bike safety, but it also gave her a nudge to be more adventurous on her bike. “It made riding on the road part of the experience and helped me to be more brave to try new routes.” Most importantly, it helped her to feel comfortable to commute the streets of Columbus by bike multiple days a week. “Now I drive only on the weekends.” Without the hassle of managing her car, searching for parking, paying for parking, Cassie’s mornings are stress-free. For her, biking is much easier than driving.
“It’s our duty to teach others.”
Cassie feels confident in her new lifestyle. Soon after her introduction to Yay Bikes!, she was asked to become an ambassador for our How We Roll program. She gleefully accepted the opportunity to teach college students to ride bikes. With ease, Cassie transitioned into a role that has her leading new bicyclists through the streets of Columbus like ducklings following their mother. In the two hours they ride with her, the students’ demeanor goes from stressed and scared to calm and confident. She adores it. “To see someone walk away with something they didn’t have before is really cool”
Armed with her heightened awareness, deep knowledge and passion for bicycle commuting, Cassie takes her role as an educator to the next level. “It almost feels like a duty to teach others how to interact with us [bicyclists] and to know what to expect.”
“I feel like I’m doing something for myself without doing something extra.”
Bicycling has brought a sense of community and a new purpose to Cassie’s life that didn’t exist before. Instead of spending her time watching T.V. at home, she needs to schedule time to herself. “It feels like biking gives me a lot more freedom. I have options.”
In this community of bicyclists, she has made countless friends with whom she explores the city, she has learned new skills that she is sharing with others, she has come to love Columbus and she thinks of it as home. “I’ve built a good life for myself.”
"My bicycle saved me." — John's Story
Name: John Bannon
Resides in: Old Town East
Works in: Easton Town Center @ Trader Joe's
“My bicycle saved me.”
One morning in 2010 John jumped in his old beat up truck, but this time it wouldn’t start. Rushing to get to work on time, he unburied an old mountain bike from its hiding place in the basement. He hadn’t ridden a bike in years except for a short trip here and there. That day he rode from Old Town East to Easton. “It’s 9 miles to work, not a short jaunt.”
John couldn’t afford to have his truck fixed for two more weeks. His best solution - continue commuting by bike. “I experienced this revelation, I don’t need my car. My bicycle saved me.”
“Every time you’re on a bike, something weird can happen.”
John knew he wanted to continue biking, so he started searching for guidance on safe bicycle commuting. “I came across Yay Bikes! stuff that said it will teach me to ride the road.” He soon found himself at the first ever Year of Yay! ride in 2011 on a snowy, slushy January day. Despite the weather, John was hopeful the ride would still go on. “I think these people still ride in the snow,” he thought. And they did.
He participated in the first Year of Yay! ride skeptically. On the second ride in February he considered quitting all together. He remembers the weather was freezing. “At one point I thought I was going to throw up.” But, he made a friend who gave him tips to a more comfortable ride and encouraged him to keep pedaling. “Yay Bikes! came along and it’s like, I can do anything on my bike,” John says. That year he ended up riding 1200 miles. He also made many new friends who would end up being his support system in a time of need.
“I don’t remember getting hit.”
Three years ago today, John’s regular route was under construction. He was traveling home from work, biking through roads at the airport after 10pm on a Sunday night. His last memory was glancing behind him while stopped at a traffic light, the red blinking light attached to his seat flickering on the road. “The good news is I don’t remember getting hit.”
Somewhere near the long-term parking lot entrance, a motorist clipped John’s rear wheel. It sent him spinning. He landed, head first, into the pavement. His helmet cracked in half. “I woke up on my back with my feet facing the curb. I’d done a half turn.”
The rest of his memories are a little fuzzy. What he can remember is the people who were by his bedside when he came to at the hospital. Many of those people he hadn’t met until just a year before when he found himself in the midst Columbus’ bike community.
“That’s the thing about the bike community…”
Following his accident, John posted a photo to his Facebook page from the hospital. Only a few hours later, the first person to visit was a fellow Yay Bikes! member who had also been struck by a motorist less than three months prior. “That’s the thing about the bike community, you know everyone. We all talk to each other.”
The outpouring of support John received from his fellow cyclists was humbling. They helped him get in and out of the hospital, they helped him navigate the legal proceedings and insurance, they helped him get his bike fixed, they helped him get to and from if he needed it. Two weeks later, he needed it. His truck, the same truck that made him a bicyclist, broke down again. Still weary of riding, his Yay Bikes! friends drove John and his bike to work. “I had to ride home,” he says.
“I’m not scared.”
Since his crash in 2012 John has steadily increased his bike mileage each year. Physical limitations from the accident prevent him from commuting as much as he did before, but he does it. He rides to the grocery store, to coffee dates, to meetings around his neighborhood. “I’m skeptical [of motorists] but I’m not scared.”
Frustrated by the frequency of bicycle related crashed and deaths, John knew he needed to do something. Last year he joined the planning committee for Ride of Silence, a silent promenade of cyclists in tribute to riders who have been injured or killed in crashes. “There’s this idea that only cars belong on the road.” He wants to change that. Ride of Silence is a way to pay tribute while educating motorists about the need to share the road. “This whole thing means something.”
Recovering a stolen bicycle
Lock it up, even in a garage!
While the chance of recovering a stolen bike is slim, it’s not as unlikely as you might think. Here are the strategies we suggest for getting it back:
PROVE OWNERSHIP
It is challenging to (lawfully) retrieve a stolen bicycle, even one you know is yours, without having the serial number that proves you owned it. Write this number down, snap some pictures of your bike and stash both away (i.e., EMAIL IT TO YOURSELF) in case of unfortunate circumstances such as this. Do it NOW! If you’re in Columbus, you can also store this information online through the Bug Your Bike service, which also provides a free RFID chip for your bike that City of Columbus, OSU and COTA officials can scan to help reunite it with you. If it’s already too late for you, check with the shop where you bought the bike to see if they have a record of it; your purchase receipt may also help.
On left: bike before theft. On right: bike after theft.
ENLIST THE POLICE
Report the thefts of your bike to the police using their online system. They likely won't find it, but if anyone else does, you'll want that police report on file. If you do locate your bike, call the police to escort you as you attempt to retrieve it. The internet is replete with stories of people who pretend to buy their stolen bikes only to sprint away on them, but this is a very dangerous practice and not recommended. After your report is filed, call the police recovery room monthly for up to three months (when all bikes in their possession are auctioned). It's always possible your bike has been recovered without having its serial number run against the database of those stolen.
POST TO BIKE SNOOP
Post a photo and details of the theft on the Bike Snoop Facebook group page, members of which keep their eyes peeled for stolen bikes. Group moderator John Robinson also happens to be a great local resource for the poor souls who’ve had their bikes stolen!
POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Post a photo and your story on your personal Facebook page and other social media, as well. It's not unrealistic to imagine that a distant connection might happen upon your bike out there in the wild. It's happened before.
PERUSE CRAIGSLIST
Watch craigslist, for Columbus and surrounding areas. If you see your bike for sale, contact the seller right away with a neutral offer to buy at the listed price. If you have proof of ownership, request a police escort to help you recover the bike. If you cannot prove ownership, consider simply paying out of pocket for the bike. Whatever you do, never attempt to steal the bike back! And don't post that your bike has been stolen—that's a sure way to prevent thieves from posting it for sale.
VISIT (YES, VISIT) 2ND HAND SHOPS
Sad to say, but many second hand shops continue to pay out of pocket for bikes, turning a blind eye to red flags that they’re stolen goods. Check and recheck ReTAGit (multiple locations), Dandy Bikes in the OSU area and pawn shops (Deal Breakers, in particular) for your bike. Second hand shops along a COTA line are especially likely to peddle (ha...) stolen bicycles. If you're lovely about it, shop owners who can put a human face to bike theft might even alert you if they see your bike come in. But be prepared to recoup them what they spent acquiring your bike—it's unfair, yes, but at least you’ll get it back.
A special note about an exceptional shop—Joe Kitchen, owner of Once Ridden Bikes in Clintonville, hates bike theft. Anyone who sells to him has to allow him to make a copy of their driver’s license, and if he finds out he has purchased a stolen bike he will not only help the owner recover it, he will testify in court against the thief. If Joe suspects a bike of being stolen, he’ll do his best to hold the seller there while he calls you and/or the police. If only all shops had such integrity.
NEXT TIME…
The Bike Snoop recommends this page to help you prevent future losses, or at least better handle the fallout. Also, don't forget to look for our bike corrals at community events, where a fence and team of dedicated volunteers keep your bike safe from thieves!
JOIN YAY BIKES!
When someone takes the bike of a friend, it’s personal. Join our community, make lots of friends and boost the number of eyes watching out for ya. You never know who might be the one to recover your faithful steed.
"When I'm biking, I'm saying thank you." — Yolande's Story
Name: Yolande Berger
Resides in: Reynoldsburg
Works in: Downtown Columbus @ the Ohio Department of Education
“Columbus is a bike city!”
Yolande moved to Columbus in 2009. Inspired by the cyclists she saw riding the road, she was immediately compelled to commute by bike.
“I always knew I was going to do this commuter gig, but I didn’t know how,” she says. Fresh from a 1-mile ride to our lunch date at the North Market, Yolande’s enthusiasm for her new-found passion radiates. “Columbus is a bike city!”
Knowing her desire to ride, a friend gifted Yolande a bike soon after her move to Columbus. But, at that time, her physical abilities were limited and riding a bike was out of the question. The bike sat, collecting dust in the garage of her Reynoldsburg home for more than six years.
“Just keep moving your legs.”
Fast forward to early 2015, Yolande’s health had improved and she felt confident from achieving her first half marathon the prior year. At the urging of a friend, she and her 24-year-old daughter found themselves at a Year of Yay! ride in March with an Underground Railroad theme.
That day Year of Yay! travelled from Upper Arlington to Clintonville, through Linden to Sunbury Road where they pedaled uphill before stopping at Ohio History Connection. It was 17 miles in a cold, miserable drizzle. “It was intimidating, but the welcoming and patient community [of Year of Yay riders] made it accessible. I kept thinking, just keep moving your legs.” Yolande pedaled with purpose during that first ride.
“A different face of Columbus.”
Along the way, kids peeked from windows in neighborhoods along the route while business owners cheered from shop entrances. Despite the weather, or perhaps because of it, the group of more than 50 Year of Yay! riders brought the energy of a holiday parade. The community was excited to see them. “You see different face of Columbus when you’re on the bike.”
Her first ride since childhood sent a spark through Yolande. Just a few weeks following her initial ride, she sought out a Yay Bikes! Ride Buddy to help her learn to navigate the roads. The experience riding the busy streets allowed Yolande to gain comfort in the skills, signals and rules of the road she had learned during Year of Yay!. After that, she was hooked.
“It’s a moment of gratitude.”
Just a few months later, Yolande is a proud bicycle commuter motivated by the benefits to her health, the environment and her pocketbook. Each morning Yolande travels from Reynoldsburg to the near east side by car before parking and riding the final 2 ½ miles to downtown Columbus on her bike. Commuting by bike has added a time of quiet reflection and peace to Yolande's day. Removed from the chaos of the typical morning commute, Yolande now rides streets lined with oversized trees and picturesque homes. “The only word I can use to describe how it makes me feel is calm,” she says.
And Yolande is grateful. “I don’t take physical activity for granted. When I’m biking, I’m saying thank you. It’s a moment of gratitude.”
Planning a route
Updated July 2018
Would that route selection were always so easy...
Whether you’re headed to work or the grocery store, your goal is to plan a route that maximizes both safety and sanity. To that end, here are some strategies we suggest:
EVALUATE YOUR PREFERENCES
Assuming you had the knowledge and confidence to ride any street, which features would you prioritize? Some cyclists prefer the most direct path, while others are more sensitive to factors including traffic volume and speed, terrain, presence of bicycle infrastructure, levels of (or perceived levels of) neighborhood crime and more. Sometimes the same cyclist will prioritize different features on different days, depending on how they feel! So, not to leap straight from “planning a route” to “planning multiple routes in both directions”, BUT if you can find not one but several routes to/from your destination you’ll have options when it comes time to hop on the bike.
MAP IT
Maps don't account for your personal preferences, of course, nor do they note factors such as construction detours; they should be considered more a starting point than the final word. There are numerous options for mapping a route online and in the app store, but the best for transportation cycling remains trusty ‘ole Google Maps. Select the bike icon, type in your start/end points—remembering to route the reverse trip as well—and you will be given several good route possibilities. In Franklin County, we are also fortunate to have the Columbus Metro Bike Map, designed by MORPC with input from local cyclists. The map color codes roadways by their "Level of Comfort"—green, yellow or red—and identifies CoGo Bike Share stations, trail heads, COTA Park & Ride locations and more.
INCREASE THE ROUTES ACCESSIBLE TO YOU
If all the routes available to you seem impossible, it may be time to expand your notion of an accessible road. Because when you know the rules and how to safely negotiate traffic by bike, many routes you thought impossible suddenly aren’t. You’ll be amazed at the roads you can ride comfortably when you know what you’re doing! Each month, Yay Bikes! offers our educational How We Roll rides for FREE to members, and we encourage you to check them out.
ASK FELLOW CYCLISTS
Cyclists have at their immediate recall all the thousands of miles they’ve ridden, including all the hazards and workarounds they’ve discovered. Also, they are typically keen on sharing (and sharing and sharing… ;) their knowledge, so you’ll quickly be able to access all sorts of golden nuggets. Join the conversation on our Facebook page or, even better, join us on a Year of Yay! ride to soak up our collective expertise!
PRACTICE
It may make sense to drive a route before you bike it—especially if you’re making a relatively high stakes trip, like a work commute. But driving and bicycling couldn't be more different experiences, so don't be discouraged by how you imagine it will feel from within your car. Invite someone with experience riding similar roads to join you the first time, as it will be more fun and they'll likely have lots of good advice. If you plan to travel during times when the car volume will be high, practice your chosen route on a weekend, or perhaps mid-day. Even if you can’t mimic the precise conditions you’ll encounter on your “real” ride, you’ll feel more at ease having practiced it.
GO MULTIMODAL
In Central Ohio there are a surprising number resources available to support you when it’s too __(hot, wet, tired....fill in the blank...)__ to ride all the way—like MORPC’s Park & Pedal locations, COTA’s Bike & Bus program or Zipcar’s car share program (perfect to pair with a folding bike!). It is likely possible for you to bike at least part of your way to a destination, no matter how far away or how challenging the traffic conditions. Many of these resources can do double duty to save your *ss in an emergency, as well!
FORGO EGO
You will not sacrifice any mythical hardcore cyclist street cred by choosing less trafficked streets or meandering bike paths, or EVEN by driving/ bussing part of the way and biking the rest. Explore potential routes casually by bike and choose the one(s) that make the most sense given your level of skill, comfort in traffic and daily logistics. We at Yay Bikes! are happy to help—it's kinda literally what we do—so join us and jump in!
October 2015 activity report
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, October:
October 2
Two presentations at MORPC's Summit on Sustainability: "Safer Streets & More Trails for a Healthier, More Active Region", Yay Bikes! Director Catherine Girves with Jordan Whisler of MORPC, Darren Hurley of the City of Worthington and Kjirsten Frank Hoppe of MVRPC; and "Driving by Yourself is Lame; We Give SOV a Bad Name", Yay Bikes! Director Catherine Girves with Cleve Ricksecker of Capital Crossroads SID and Bilin Aksun Guvenc of OSU
October 7
Presentation at WTS Fall Luncheon: "All About Biking", Yay Bikes! Director Catherine Girves with Tony Collins of City of Columbus, Beth Snoke of OSU, Letty Schamp of City of Hillard, and Thea Walsh of MORPC
Route vetting ride for October's Year of Yay!
October 8
Regular meeting of Mayor Coleman's Green Team
October 10
Year of Yay! with "Get out the vote!" theme featuring stops at Upper Arlington Municipal Services Center,Franklin County Board of Electionsand the Bosco Center
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Maryland
October 12
Tiffany Dixon hired as Yay Bikes! Marketing & Communications Manager
Ride of Silence planning meeting
October 14
Board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
October 17
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Penn State
October 18
Pedal Instead @ Columbus Marathon
October 19
Regular monthly Board Meeting of Yay Bikes!
October 20
Co-sponsored a Candidates Forum with DRAC and Franklin County Consortium for Good Government featuring 6 candidates for Franklin County Municipal Court Judge and 9 candidates for Columbus City Council
October 21
Program Committee meeting of the Central Ohio Greenways Board, on which Catherine serves
Presentation for OSU City & Regional Planning graduate seminar
Strategic Planning Board Meeting of Yay Bikes!
October 23
Ride of Silence fundraiser @ Highball Halloween
October 24
Ride of Silence fundraiser @ Highball Halloween
October 26
Ride Buddy ride with new Yay Bikes! employee
October 27
Presentation at Ohio Transportation Engineers Conference (OTEC): "Case Study: 4th and Summit Streets", Yay Bikes! Director Catherine Girves with Eric Lowery & Brian Hagerty of Stantec and Daniel Morehead & Richard Ortman of City of Columbus
WTS Meet & Greet event
October 28
OTEC, Day 2
Pedal Instead redesign meeting
'Get out the vote!' ride recap
[Ed note: Special thanks to October's ride leader and special guest blog contributor Bambo Francis!] It was a beautiful fall day in October and cyclists were about to enjoy a most incredible day on their bikes. We'd be listening to an Upper Arlington City Council member, various electoral volunteers and the Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections.
Before going any further I must say that, the events of this particular day will not have been possible with the army of selfless volunteers, staff and board members of Yay bikes! they come up with theme ideas for these monthly rides.
We rolled through some of the most picturesque autumn streets, the arch of golden fall color trees formed a corridor on our way towards the Upper Arlington Municipal Services Center to hear Mike Schadek talk about the importance of all local elections, how all elections are important but the local ones are the ones that have direct impact on our day-to-day lives.
Onto our second stop we wound through the streets of Upper Arlington toward the outskirts of the University mingling with the game day (OSU football fans) traffic then an uphill climb on Arcadia Ave. It was fun to see 40+ cyclists smile as they got the top of the hill knowing the most challenging part of the ride was done. By the time we got to the Franklin County Board of Elections, we had been on a few of the very busiest roads in Columbus (Indianola and Morse).
Sherry Girves and Carole DePaola spoke about the importance of early voting and voting in general. Franklin County Board of Elections Executive Director, Bill Anthony Jr wanted everyone to make voting a family affair and absentee voting was one of the many ways we could achieve this goal.
Our third and final stop was the Bosco Center, it was the farthest part of the ride. We ventured mostly on Cleveland Ave. I believed riding on Cleveland Avenue would be unfriendly and frightening, but all together it was a pleasant interesting segment as we made our way to the Bosco Center. Yay Bikes! will be co-hosting a mayoral debate in days to come. Catherine Girves talked about the upcoming debate to be hosted in the Bosco Center. It provides a good venue to see some of the local candidates.
It was good day in the Saddle and I will like to mention a few of the volunteers who helped vet the route. Here's a shout out to Kathleen, Shyra, Catherine, Cassie, Deanne and Rahel. I appreciated your efforts for making this a wonderful ride.
September 2015 activity report
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, September:
September 2
Bread Breaking grand opening event at Whole Foods Easton, at which we were announced as the Q4 wooden nickel donation recipients
Launch event for OSU's Bike Share program
September 4
Registration and packet pick-up Bike the Cbus and Bike the Cbus+
Columbus Dispatch: "Columbus hopeful for state funds to rebuild 3rd Avenue railroad bridge"
September 5
WBNS 10-TV: "Best Bets: Things To Do Around Central Ohio This Weekend"
Bike the Cbus and Bike the Cbus+
Pedal Instead @ Bike the Cbus and Bike the Cbus+
September 7
Pedal Instead @ Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival
September 9
Bikeway Design Planning: State of the Practice, sponsored by ODOT
Board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
Route vetting ride for September Year of Yay!
September 12
Year of Yay!with "Architectouring" theme featuring stops at Columbus Architectural Salvage,MAPFREStadium and Ohio Firefighters Union Hall
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Hawaii
September 15
Introductory meeting with local leadership of Black Girls Do Bike
Ride Buddy ride with Owens & Minor employee
September 16
General (public) meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
September 17
Regular meeting of the COTANextGen Project Advisory Group, on which Catherine serves
September 18
Regular meeting of the CoGo Planning Team
Business First: "People to Know: Catherine Girves"
September 19
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Northern Illinois
September 21
Ride Buddy with Ohio Attorney General Office employee
Regular monthly Board Meeting of Yay Bikes!
September 26
Pedal Instead @ OSU v Western Michigan
September 28
Introductory meeting with the State of New Jersey DOT's Bike–Ped Coordinator
Regular meeting of MORPC’s Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves
September 29
Safe Routes to School Ohio Network: "Workplace Commute" webinar
September 30
Regular meeting of Columbus’s Bicycle Working Group, on which Catherine serves
August 2015 activity report
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, August:
August 1
Ohio State Fair helmet fit for 400 children
August 3
Wrap meeting for the 2015Ride of Silence planning committee
August 4
Leading the 5th x NW National Night Out neighborhoodride
August 5
Route vetting ride for Bike the Cbus
August 6
Participation in 'The Courage toLead'@ Columbus Foundation, a professional development opportunityfor select local nonprofit executives
August 8
Year of Yay! "Food Incubators" ride featuring stops at Food Fort, OH! Chips and The Commissary
August 9
Ride Buddy ride with Grange employee
August 10
Board meeting of the Franklin County Consortium for Good Government, on which Catherine serves
August 12
Pedal Instead redesign planning meeting
Board meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
August 17
Regular monthly board meeting of Yay Bikes!
August 19
General (public) meeting of the Downtown Residents Association of Columbus, on which Catherine serves
August 22
Grove City's "Bike With Mayor Ike" Ride
Pedal Instead @ Grove City EcoFest
August 26
This Week Community News: "City launches green EcoFest"
Regular meeting of the Central Ohio Greenways Board, on which Catherine serves
Final regular meeting of the Blueprint Columbus Community Advisory Panel
August 29
Final route vetting & VIP volunteer ride for Bike the Cbus
August 30
Board meeting for Franklin County Consortium for Good Government, on which Catherine serves
August 31
Regular meeting of MORPC’s Community Advisory Council, on which Catherine serves
'Architechtouring' ride recap
[Ed note: Special thanks to September's ride leader and special guest blog contributor David Curran!]
First of all - a big thank to the almost 70 riders who showed up for the September Year of Yay! ride! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I thought the ride went well despite it going long and having what I was told was a record number of flat tires and maintenance issues. This was not a record that I had hoped to break.
A big thank you to Molly Patterson and Columbus Architectural Salvage for hosting the first stop on our ride. It was great seeing so many bicycles scattered all over the front lawn. Some of my favorite comments were "I had no idea Columbus had something like this" and "Discovering this place is going to cost my husband and I a lot of money". This shop is really unique and I wish more people in Columbus were aware of it.
Maddy Davis was our guide for the tour of MAPFRE Stadium. Another big thank you to Maddy for cheerfully leading a group that was almost double the size I guessed it would be. It was an interesting experience to be in the stadium without the crowds and the noise of a game day. Getting to tour the locker rooms and stand on the pitch was a real bonus. Since the tour went long, some opted to head back after this stop.
One funny highlight of the ride for me was on our next leg through east campus. While going down 11th Ave, we passed a pre-football game college party on the front lawn of a house. They saw us coming and several came to the streetside and jokingly held out their red solo cups as an impromptu beverage station for the bike tour going by.
The ride got longer as we had more maintenance issues on the next leg of the ride and had an extended stop on Michigan Ave. Kudos to everyone who helped out with maintenance. Additional thanks to everyone for their patience as we worked to get going again. Since the ride's progress was slow at this point, more opted to head back after this impromptu stop as well.
Once we got going, the final 12 continued to the Toledo & Ohio Central Railroad Station at Broad and Starling. This is the last remaining downtown station in Columbus. Since we weren't able to tour the inside, I would encourage everyone to visit it if they are ever downtown during the day and have a few minutes to walk in. It's been well taken care of and the main waiting room has the original ticket windows and some railroad memorabilia and photographs.
The final 7-mile leg back to Whole Foods was without incident and was quickly followed by a well-deserved refreshment. Thanks to everyone who helped out as leads and sweeps and to Ken for planning a great route!
Bike the Cbus 2015 video
Bike the Cbus is our annual ride to encourage exploration of Columbus neighborhoods at the speed of bicycle. Ray George, Yay Bikes! Board Chair, discusses the growth and future of the event, now in its eighth year.
Aerial footage provided by AirGo Media LLC.
'Food incubators' ride recap
Cyclists sample some delicious OH! Chips during a stop on the ride. Photo credit: Bryan Barr
Already warm, the day started as a typical August morning. Despite the heat, about 70 cyclists were gearing up for the monthly themed ride Year of Yay! has become. Amongst us were children and some Year of Yay Bikes! first-timers. 9 miles later, we arrived at Food Fort. Several food trucks were heading out to start their day as we arrived. Jen Gable, Food Fort Administrator, opened up one of the garage doors allowing us the cool of inside and an opportunity to replenish our water bottles. Jen described how Food Fort and ECDI rent out storage and prep areas for the businesses, as well as providing business loans to get them off the ground. During the kitchen tour, Jesse and Katie of Nellie's Natural Ice Pops were in there readying a batch of popsicles. We would be seeing them and sampling their wares at the last stop!
Onward to our next stop which took us through central city to Franklinton. In a small unassuming building next to Franklinton Gardens, some of the town's tastiest potato chips are born. Brian Thornton, founder/creator of OH! Chips, welcomed us with his traditional pirate flag and bowls of chips for sampling. He walked us through the chip-making process—100 pounds of potatoes comes out to a surprisingly small amount of chips after all is said and done. Also on display was his first fryer—a donut fryer he bought off Craigslist. He had started off at Food Fort with that fryer until demand outstripped his capacity there, necessitating the need for the factory.
The final stretch of the ride was almost entirely on the Scioto Greenway Trail. The shaded portions and forested quiet was a welcome change of pace from the streets. In front of The Commissary, Asian Persuasion Food Truck, one of Columbus' newest trucks, was ready with some delicious Filipino food. Jesse and Katie were back with a cooler full of popsicles in refreshing flavors. Inside, JC's Just Chili had dropped off a tureen of amazing gazpacho for anyone to try. It was delicious. Karen (filling in for Commissary founder Kate Djupe, who was on a much needed vacation) invited the group to explore the space and explained some of the upcoming events and cooking classes.
Finally the group returned to Whole Foods, where more eating, drinking and good camaraderie took place. It's going to take a couple of rides to work off all that was eaten that day...yet another successful Year of Yay! Thank you, John.
How advocacy gets done, Yay Bikes!-style
During the past 6 weeks we have led more than 40 transportation planning and design professionals -- via the Connect Columbus project and MORPC-funded professional development rides with Columbus Public Service, MORPC and ODOT employees -- on educational rides throughout the city, in groups of 1 to 5 people You read that right. MORE THAN 40 TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS.
And over and over, we've heard how the experience of riding with us has helped participants reconsider their approach to infrastructure design, as well as how they've been inspired to make these rides standard operating procedure for all transportation professionals, both locally and throughout the state. Here's just a taste of the feedback we received:
"[My favorite part of the ride was]...being able to see the integration between the designs on paper, the cyclist themselves, and the driver interaction and how it all comes together. There are definitely eye opening things when riding out on the streets first hand and I would recommend all designers/operations people experience it to have that background knowledge."
Wow. See THIS is how infrastructure advocacy is done, folks. One intimate ride at a time, with the teams who determine what is designed and what is funded. Getting professionals out on bikes, making connections between designs on paper and the lived experience of bicycling -- well, it just makes all the difference. So this is what we do at Yay Bikes!. It's why we're unique.
It's also why we ask for your support. Because teaching people well takes something more than a brochure or a video or a list of tips. It takes a thoughtful, meaningful interaction that fosters learning and growth. Which is, admittedly, quite the investment of organizational resource -- but one that we can already see will prove long on returns for Ohio's bicycling community.
Follow the links to read more about our Connect Columbus and ODOT rides.
YB! leads professional development ride with ODOT safety team
On July 21, 2015, Yay Bikes! ride leaders Catherine Girves and Meredith Joy, along with trusty sweeps Steve Puhl Jr and Julie Walcoff, led a group of 8 Ohio Department of Transportation professionals on a tour of bicycle facilities on Columbus' South and East sides. This group represented the Safety Team, aka the folks determining which safety projects -- including bicycle infrastructure projects -- throughout the state will receive funding. Most of them had ridden trails but not roads, and a couple hadn't ridden a bike since childhood, so this ride proved the first urban riding experience for our group.
Split into 2 groups of 4, the cyclists rode a challenging 10-mile (or 12-mile, if they were in the accidental wrong-way group!) route beginning at the Grange Audubon Center and hitting the following streets: Front, Main, Grant, Town, Parsons, Livingston, Ohio and Champion, Oak, Washington, Gay, Broad, 3rd, Fulton, High and Whittier. Along the way, they got to experience sharrows, bike lanes to nowhere, bike lanes in door zones, unmarked narrow lanes, freeway on- and off-ramps, multi-lane one-ways and more. As well as the overwhelming heat of the day and, of course, the typical sights, smells & sounds that make bicycling so damn lovely. Everyone was heroic! Everyone was also very very hungry when we sat down to share our delicious post-ride meal at El Arepazo.
Here's some of our early feedback from the ride:
What was your favorite part of the ride?
Trying the different bicycle treatments like the sharrows, the bike lanes and bike boulevard to see how each performed.
...being able to see the integration between the designs on paper, the cyclist themselves, and the driver interaction and how it all comes together. There are definitely eye opening things when riding out on the streets first hand and would recommend all designers/operations people to experience it first hand to have that background knowledge.
Stopping periodically to discuss various aspects of the ride. It helped solidify or reinforce important design and riding concepts in my mind.
What did you learn?
I learned there is a huge difference between a good designed bike lane or facility and one that is just thrown in last minute to a project to make it a complete street ... The narrow bike lanes, especially next to parked cars, was a huge eye opener. Also, understanding why the rider must own the lane for their safety was an eye opener on the City streets. Most of my bike riding experience has come on the bike trails or residential streets.
Was there anything different than what you expected?
I felt way more comfortable riding through downtown and the various other streets than I thought that I would.
It was a lot less scary than I thought it would be.
I didn't expect to feel so comfortable riding downtown streets. I think it helped that we rode as a group with a calm, experienced ride leader.
We at Yay Bikes! are honored to have hosted such a thoughtful group of professionals on this ride, and look forward to more such rides with professionals throughout the state. Thanks to ODOT (and let's not forget MORPC!) for investing in these training opportunities.
'Keeping it cool' ride recap
[Ed note: Special thanks to July's ride leader and special guest blog contributor Kathleen O'Dowd!]
It can be"hot in the city", but we knew how to keep our cool and find ways to stay cool! With around 70 cyclists in tow, we headed out from Whole Foods with confidence that relief from the heat was in sight.
Our first stop was the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, where we learned that Ohio State is a major player in this field of research. Thanks to Geoff Dipre, PhD student at the center, who helped coordinate our tour. We learned about the ecological stories that ice cores tell, and were very tempted to sneak into the room-sized freezers to cool off! Many of us plan to make a return visit for a more extended tour of the facility, and to see the ice cores first hand. After sharing their research efforts, Geoff and a fellow climate researcher joined in the rest of the Year of Yay ride!
7 miles later, it was time to refresh with a dose of Graeter's Ice Cream. Cyclists were invited to take a self-guided mini-tour, to learn about the Graeter's process for creating their Strawberry Chocolate Chip ice cream, or whatever flavor they care about. . . but who cares about anything but Strawberry Chocolate Chip. . . shrug! Mostof the group chose to simply indulge in some creamy goodness. Thanks to the crew there who stepped up to serve us.
Next stop was Zauber Brewing Co., and a tour with brewer and fellow cyclist Geoff Towne. (Is this the cycling tour of the Geoffs?) Initially opened as a small alley-side growler fill station in 2012, it expanded into a beautiful bar. Bike friendly, there was plenty of room for the almost 70 bikes that invaded the Grandview patio space. We even "lost" a few cyclists at the brewery, after they decided to relax there for a few.
The rest of the Year of Yay crew returned to Whole Foods. We gathered over pizza and Zauber beer on tap, brought to you by Year of Yay! A fun time. . . well, a fun time was had by all. Oh, and we stayed cool!
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