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Many of you have been asking if Target Training will be offering their winter training program for SCBC members - so here we go again!
For the third year in a row, Target Training is again offering their winter training program for SCBC members. The details of the program are noted below. You can register for one or more of the six session series. Each registrant will also receive a coupon good for $20 off a bike tune up at Target Training. The Monday evening sessions will be held at their Greenwich location; the Wednesday evening sessions will be held at their Westport location.
Three series of 6 sessions per series. One session per week.
- WHERE: Greenwich location can accommodate 10 riders, and Westport location can accommodate 15 riders.
- WHEN: Monday @7:30pm in Greenwich (1374 East Putnam Ave Greenwich, CT 06870. (203) 990-0028) -OR-
- WHEN: Wednesday @7:30pm in Westport (772 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880. (203) 227-6177)
- COST: $20/session = $120/6 week series
TT gives participants $20 coupon, good towards bike tune up at Target Training (regular tune up price is around $85, before the $20 coupon
You need to bring your own bike.
Each cyclist needs to have a training skewer on their bike when they come - if you do not have one it can be purchased at any shop or TT for about $15. This will save everyone time/hassle from changing skewers at start/end of each session.
Class Schedule
To sign up, see links below and follow the prompts.
The first session will run the week of Nov 28th to the week of Jan 2nd
The 2nd session will run the week of Jan 9th to the week of Feb 13th
The 3rd session will run the week of Feb 20th to the week of Mar 26th
Should you have any further questions, please contact Eneas Freyre at Target Training.
ENJOY! Additionally, this training series would make a great Holiday Gift for your significant other.
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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to lead a ride? What it would involve? What skills you would need? Do you have a great ride you'd like to share with the club?
Come to the Ride Leader Meeting on Thursday, September 15th at Norwalk City Hall at 7:00pm. You will meet experienced ride leaders and learn how you too can become a leader!
Ride Leaders are the life blood of the club and we always need new leaders to keep the club moving!
Don't be shy! Join us on Thursday, September 15th and who knows, you could be leading your favorite ride this season! |
| Next Skills Clinic of the Season |
| Our next skills clinic of the season will be held on Sunday, September 18th. Details to follow. |
 Report an accident or unsafe condition on any road – in the State of Connecticut, not just state numbered highways by clicking here. If the accident or condition is on a local road the DOT will report to local authorities, if justified. You can also use this link to access the on-line bike map. It shows cross state routes, the East Coast Greenway, and has a suitability index for roads (state highways only).
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. |
| 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.) |
| 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. |
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