Maryland Senior Olympics bicycling competition


We now have an e-group for persons interested in the Maryland Senior Olympics bicycling competition. The group will be used for announcements of events, training information, and discussion of matters related to the MSO cycling competition. Members can post questions, comments and ideas related to MSO cycling competition.

Senior Olympic competition is for athletes 50 years of age and older, however, the e-group is open to anyone.

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Six-Pack Rides


All are welcome on the Six-Pack Rides. We meet every Tuesday (weather pending) @ 10PM @ Charles & Read Streets. Generally, we meet up, take a few long rides, but our destinations are parks and open places where we can hang out and drink a few beers. We try and stay out of bars so we can just hang out on our terms and cheaply. We don't super promote it because it should still be a relatively intimate number of people (below 25, I'd hope), so we can have fun and not attract a ton of attention. We do hope that people of all skill levels attend, but we don't ride slow--like critical mass. It's a good chance to ride at night and make connections. Last night was fun and quick--good times all around.
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Boulder sheriff decries 'bicycle safety' bill approval


BOULDER, Colo. — A bill that clarifies cyclists' rights and seeks to better protect them from aggressive drivers has been approved by the Colorado Legislature and is headed to Gov. Bill Ritter's desk for a final decision.
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Provisions of the bill would require drivers to give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing, allow vehicles to cross double-yellow lines to pass riders safely and allow cyclists to ride two abreast as long as they don't impede the normal flow of traffic.

But while bicycle advocates are celebrating the victory and anticipating a final approval by the governor, the Boulder County sheriff said Tuesday that the law would make cyclists virtually immune to prosecution.
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"There's really nothing now that requires them (cyclists) to yield or move over," Pelle said. "This bill gives them full access to the road."
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[Baltimore Spokes: Look at it this way, we build expressways to improve safety and to get a certain class of road user off the local streets. Now imagine having laws so you would be found at fault in an accident simply because you were not driving on a expressway. Sounds ridiculous, right? Then why do people try and do the same thing to cyclists? Laws that micro manage where you can ride and would like you to do something for courtesy do not belong in the same class of laws that determine who is at fault in an accident. ]

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2009 Bicycle Friendly States


Additionally, the League is announcing its inaugural round of Bicycle Friendly States. Four states have been awarded the coveted designation and two states received an honorable mention: Washington (Silver), Wisconsin (Silver), Arizona (Bronze), Minnesota (Bronze), Delaware (Honorable Mention) and Maryland (Honorable Mention).

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Catch phrases


[Note: Edited out some of the more controversial positions.]

Who am I?

* Vehicular Cyclist
* Pedestrian on Wheels
* Scofflaw Cyclist
* Safety Nanny Cyclist

“Every evening before I go to sleep, I kneel at the side of my bed and repeat the following mantra exactly seven times: ‘Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles’.”

“I fare best when I stay the heck out of the way.”

“During my morning commute, I like to sing ‘Same Roads – Same Rights – Same Rules’ to the tune of ‘Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s off to work I go’.”

“I prefer to ride integrated with other traffic on sharable roads, sharable width lanes, and bikeable shoulders.”

“I like to ride separated from other traffic, preferably on substandard, congested, slow, and dangerous bike lanes, gutters, sidewalks, paths, and whatever other bike ghettos I can find.”

“I go somewhere to ride.”

“I ride to go somewhere.”

“We need more education, more regulation, more law enforcement, to make sure everyone is riding safely and properly.”

“I prefer to ride like a grown-up.”

“I believe in the magical powers of white paint to protect me from the evil cagers.”

“The only law I follow is the law of the jungle: the strong survive and the weak get eaten.”

“I’m not afraid of traffic, I am traffic.”

“The laws of physics trump the laws of the state every time.”

“My legitimacy as a road user is threatened by all the meek, immature, and criminally insane cyclists out there.”

“A collision requires that two people make a mistake – all I have to do is make sure I’m not one of them.”

“Where I live, there’s a fantastic network of bike paths that will take me anywhere I need to go – they’re called roads.”

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Mapping Municipal Improvements suggestions


For a new project I'm working on (using google maps, earth, and mapping features) I [this bloger] need input from Baltimore area residents who know of areas, places, and things around them that could use improvement by the public works/DOT/ other city agencies.

I [this bloger] want to focus on more trivial, but not necessarily less important features of city life. Poorly-lit areas, poorly maintained public transit stops, knocked over signs, fading bike lanes, overflowing parking lots, etc.

Basically, anything that makes Baltimore harder for you to live and work in as a pedestrian, cyclist, student, or safe driver is fair game. Fill in some basic information on the issue : Location (or general location), reason for report, and how you think it could be improved.

I will be personally visiting and documenting highlighted areas, and profile them in a way that makes it easier for people to contact city government about it.

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