Kzoo Bike Week

Our official Bike Week started on Saturday May 9th with a short city ride sponsored and led by the mayors of our adjacent towns, Portage and Kalamazoo.  It's helpful and reassuring to know they are not only supportive but, at least one, is a real enthusiast.  I opted for another event, the Kal-Haven trailblazer, a charity ride to benefit the the Trail organization.  

It is held each year as a kick off to the Bike Week celebrations.

I always make a two day trip of it and ride to the Michigan coast where I spend the night and ride back the next day. Each year at least one other rider will think for a minute then say, "The shuttles aren't running tomorrow, how will you get back?"   Isn't that cute?  

There was also a festival of short films about biking and several organized rides throughout the week.  I had too many conflicts to make most of the events,

but I did get to the more droll events like meeting the local luminaries in charge of designing

the infrastructure of our future.  There again, it is truly inspiring to know that this many people are actively involved in designing a Bike Friendly community.

Not only is it nice, some of these people are determined to reduce the use of cars in the world.

It makes us feel less alone, that professional city planners perceive the world we see.

 I spent Saturday with the club's Bike Camp again ths year.  We had about 30 some people show up for the first day of instruction and rides.   Everybody went through a professional bike fiting to be sure they were adjusted right.

Before going through a controlled course to be sure they have reviewed the basics of stopping, starting, signalling and avoiding rocks etc.

Finally the irony of this post capped off Bike Week.  

Scotty Bud Melvin, a local sportscaster and radio personality, is a long time and well known bike hater.  He made the post above to incite a stream of vitriolic anti-bike rants.  The irony of it all is that the bikers in question are not only completely legal, they are observing every extra safety protocol not required by the law.  The man is a sportscaster, complaining about bikes being ridden on the road.  Where does the moron think Greg Lemond learned to ride?  There's no closed course to prepare anybody for the Grand Tours.  Melvin admires competitive sports like fishing and 12 ounce curls.  His radio station WZUU has a website and a facebook page, @scottybudmelvin is a twitter account.  I'm sure they would be interested to hear public opinion on their sportscaster/program director's public stance against cycling.  If you feel inclined to reward his rant, feel free.