Ride Clinics Schedule
Date Time Clinic Type Level Location Description Comments
9/4/2010 10:00-10:15 Training All West Rock,
New Haven		 West Rock Mountain Bike Clinic Instruction will take place during the ride with the leader providing instruction and practice as different situations occur. See full info below.
10/2/2010 9:00-9:15 Training All Doc's Coffee Shop, Westport Principles of training, the physiology of training, developing a program for in /offseason. Cold weather riding. Post Early Bird discussion over coffee by Bob B
West Rock Mountain Bike Clinic
Tom Ebersold

On Saturday, September 4, 2010 we are inviting all those interested to this unique mountain bike clinic, especially those road cyclists looking to take their mountain bikes off road for the first time. This ride is tailored for you. During the ride, the leader will instruct riders in how to ride off-road, including riding safely over trail obstacles.

West Rock is the ideal place to try mountain biking because the rougher trails are mostly flat, meaning you can practice riding on a technical trail without the added challenge of climbing and descending a hill. The trails are also relatively uncrowded, which reduces the likelihood of encountering other trail users. We start off on a flat woods road that anyone can ride and then progress to a flat area of single track that has roots and rocks to ride over before transitioning to a gravel road, and then climbing up the ridge on Baldwin Drive, the paved road the runs nearly the length of the park.

We will finish the ride on the Red Trail, which is a mixture of technical single track and ends as an easy woods road. After returning to the parking lot, there will be the option for a second short loop on the White Trail before returning on the Red Trail. There are numerous opportunities throughout the ride to avoid the rougher trails, or simply bail out and head back on the familiar reassurance of paved streets.

While the full ride is 14 miles, riders can choose from a variety of shorter distances, and can also extend their ride if they wish a longer route. Instruction will take place DURING the ride with the leader providing instruction and practice as different situations occur. Bring all necessary food and water as there are no stores available in the park.

Meet time is at 10:00 and we begin at 10:15. Directions to the start: From Route 15, Exit 60; head south on Route 10. Right at next light onto Benham St. Left at T-int. to Main Street. Right into parking lot at curve in the road.
Complete Streets and the Complete Streets Statute
Ray Rauth

For several years urban planners have been extolling the virtues of "Complete Streets." What are they? Simply stated, a complete street, or road, provides facilities for all users – bicycle, pedestrian and transit – as well as motorized vehicles.

If you look around your neighborhood, unless you live in an older development, you will see nothing but car-friendly design. There are no sidewalks or side paths, there will be no lanes or street markings for cyclists nor will there be any signage suggesting that cyclists are welcome and that motorists should be on the alert for them.

Shoulders, which serve as bike lanes particularly for transportation cyclists, are seldom swept; they contain glass and debris. Storm drains are ubiquitous and often have gratings of an obsolete style which easily endanger the cyclist. Even if the drains have the newest grates, featuring a short distance between cross stays and stays with a circular cross sections, the drains will be debris catchers. Eventually their base tilts leaving a little pinch-flat trap or, worse, a big pothole as the drain succumbs to erosion.

Connecticut's recently enacted statute, commonly referred to as the "complete streets law," (it's actually titled "An Act Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Public Act 09-154") helps a lot.

The language in the law is very helpful for us heroes of the asphalt. For example, Section 1.(b) states "Accommodations for all users shall be a routine part of the planning, design, construction and operating activities of all highways, as defined in section 14-1 of the general statutes, in this state." User is defined as "motorist, transit user, pedestrian or cyclist," and a highway is "...any state or other public highway, road, street, avenue, alley, driveway, parkway or place...opened to public travel..."

Section 1. (c) Specifies that not less than one percent (of funds received for highways) be spent for ...bikeways and sidewalks..."

And Section 2 is devoted to establishing an oversight committee, the "Connecticut Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, (CBPAB) which is administratively under the DOT, but reports to the Governor and the Transportation Committee."

Taken altogether this gives us cyclists a powerful set of tools in our long struggle for safe access to our roadways.

Ray Rauth is the SCBC Community Relations Representative and currently Chair of the CBPAB.
Connecticut Public Transportation Commission Testimony by Ray Rauth
Commissioner Gail Lavielle,

Thank you for the public meeting of the Connecticut Public Transportation Commission in Danbury on April 20. Below are my comments for the meeting.

Transit Oriented Development is a splendid idea because it encourages mixed zoning and bicycle and pedestrian friendly neighborhoods. However, I am concerned that the two proposals that I have looked closely at – Georgetown and Norwalk –both generate significant increases in traffic. Thought must be given to development that takes cars from the roads – not which adds them in.

All rail parking should include sheltered, both open and secure, parking for bikes. Cyclists will pay for secure storage. Bike parking costs a small fraction of the money spent for car parking in high rise garages.

I'm a complete believer in controlling traffic with modern tolls. However, care must be taken to protect the citizen from unwanted effects.

Multi-use trails combined with bicycle and pedestrian street and road access are an absolutely necessity in today's world. Other states and communities have benefited from making their streets and roads bike/ped friendly. The new "Complete Streets" act (PA 09-154) mandates that Connecticut does so also. Our state currently ranks 42nd in the League of Bicycles rating of the states.

Finally intermodal access is critical.

Thank You,

Ray Rauth
SCBC Community Relations Representative and Chair of the State Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board
(This testimony was Ray's private opinion and not specifically endorsed by these bodies.)
Safety Issues
Sound Cyclists promotes safe biking and starts each ride with a brief review of safe riding procedures. All cyclists are required to wear ANSI-, SNELL- or CPSC-approved helmets during any club ride.
For specific state laws on bicycling in Connecticut, click here to download a PDF.
If you are also interested in the state bicycling laws in New York, click here.
For bicycle laws throughout the United States, click here.
For hints on safe bicycle riding, click here
Reporting Bad Roads
If you see dangerous road conditions within the State of Connecticut while out riding, click here to report the condition. It is important to know that this link is for reporting state road conditions only. These are roads with route numbers. Report bad town road conditions directly to the appropriate town.