May is almost over, already?!?

Today is Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those who lost their lives while protecting our country in some form or fashion.

I would prefer that we consider that cost to our society more carefully before sending people to wreak havoc on the lives of citizens of other countries who have not done anything to us, of course. I would prefer that our country do a better job of caring for those who have suffered injuries--physical and psychological--than our government does.

I don't get to make those decisions, though. I vote for candidates who feel similarly when I can, but too often, I'm also voting more against a candidate with even larger problems.

Today is also a marker that May is almost over. Our second Cycling Savvy class went off well, although I hadn't made comments about it here until now. All four of our Tour students were women, which was only a little bit remarkable. All four got their boundaries stretched a bit, which was good, given that all were smiling at the end of the day.

Memorial Day is also the date for the Mayor's Hike, Bike, and Paddle event. Jenn and I were invited to ride our tandem with another two tandem teams, and decided it was time to get that bike out of the garage for a bit. The Mayor's Ride is always something of a challenge--for much of the ride, cyclist traffic is very heavy and very disorganized. Managing a tandem with total rider and bike weight of four hundred pounds around little kids zigging and zagging at random can be a bit nerve-wracking. Best strategy I've found is to sit back and not try to ride fast--just go with the flow and be mindful of "threat vectors" presented by all riders in the vicinity.

It was actually fun, though, to get out with Dave and Diane and Asher and Dennis. Lunch afterward, at Against the Grain, was more about camaraderie than about the food, although the food wasn't bad. We had a LOT of fun zinging jokes and comments around the table.

After lunch, Jenn wanted to ride the Big Four Bridge, since the Indiana side is now open. We had hopes that the crowds common on the Big Four would be diminished a bit, since the Mayor's Hike, Bike, and Paddle had just happened, but the Big Four was still crowded. It's a great linear park, with vistas over the Ohio River to enjoy. Managing a ten-foot-long bike weighing four hundred pounds in crowds of pedestrians, any one of whom quite capable of stepping sideways into my path with no notice, is even more nerve-wracking than the Mayor's Ride experience. The ramp from the bridge to Jeffersonville is marked with a lane divider. Most folks seem to heed it. To stay on my side of that line (and not interfere with oncoming walkers or cyclists) I found myself descending at less than three miles an hour.

Such speeds are fine for enjoying a linear park. I love that the Big Four is open, and consider it a wonderful linear park in many ways.

If I am going to ride a bicycle across the river to get where I am going, however, I find the Clark Bridge far less stressful and more time-efficient. I sincerely hope that the Clark Bridge is not taken away from cyclists as an option, as the city seems to be finding ways to make two-wheeled pedestrians out of cyclists at every opportunity.

Cycling Savvy class coming up!

It's almost time for our May Cycling Savvy class! As I type this, we have five registrations completed, for a class that has a maximum of ten students.

We (Jenn and I) are excited to be presenting this class. The last one was so much fun, we're doing it again, and have yet another date on the schedule (with more to come).

Action request--please read and comment!

I am not generally one to "cry wolf." I don't like hyperbole, as a rule.

I don't think I'm overblowing the potential significance, here, though.

First, a little background: A woman I encountered through the magic of that book of faces social site was cited not once, but three times over the last several months. Her offense? Driving her bicycle in a manner that shows awareness of safe traffic movement. She was using the right lane on US27 between Nicholasville, Kentucky and Lexington, Kentucky, as she rode to work and back.

Apparently a lot of motorists took umbrage at the gall of a mere cyclist who would use the road as a vehicle operator, and called the police in effort to have her removed from their exclusive domain of fast motoring.

A week or two ago, the Jessamine County Attorney filed to gain an injunction against this cyclist, in effect forcing her to NOT drive her bicycle to work.

As a side note, not that it matters a whit to the situation at hand: Cherokee Schill, the cyclist in question, has a car, but it's old and unreliable. She had some sort of problem maintaining her license in some other state, and is temporarily ineligible to carry a driver's license in Kentucky. As I said, this doesn't change things at all--she still has to get to work to support herself and her two teenagers.

Last week, the judge who was asked for the injunction turned down the request, which was a small victory for Ms Schill--she can still drive her bicycle to work on US27. There remains a trial over the citations, coming in August.

This trial has potential for real consequences affecting cyclists in Kentucky (and perhaps elsewhere). Under the collection of Statutes in KRS 189, a cyclist has the right to a full lane as a vehicle operator. If Jessamine County's charge against Ms Schill succeeds, we could lose a lot of that right.

If she wins, cyclists in Kentucky get another jurist's support. We need that support.

There is a legal defense fund. Please donate. Your right to ride on public roads may be affected by the outcome, so donate accordingly.