Bike To Work Day – Tempe 2013

Hello cyclists. Happy Bike To Work Day! Did you ride into the office on your two-wheeler today? I sure hope so! In my vast research, I noticed that some cities hold “Bike To Work Day” during the winter or maybe biking to work consists of a whole month instead of just one day. In Tempe, it seems that many residents bike to work or school on a daily basis, month or even year-long, and we are lucky for this luxury because I don’t think I’d see many of us Sun Devils out there riding around on bikes if Tempe received a snowstorm. We are lucky to have amazing weather and over 40 miles of bike lanes. So today, Tempe cyclists, get out there and ride! Or go to work. Whatever.

Ironman Results: Top Ten

Congrats to all of the Ironman Arizona finishers! After a 2.4 mile swim in Tempe Town Lake, 112 mile bike ride on the roads of Tempe and Phoenix and then a 26.2 mile run to complete an IRONMAN, you should all be very proud. Thanks for visiting Tempe and showing all of us what truly great athletes look like.

Here are the top ten men and women of November 18, 2012 in Tempe, Arizona:

Nils Frommhold, the 2012 IRONMAN Arizona Champion

TOP TEN PRO MEN
FROMMHOLD, Nils: 08:03:16
MATTHEWS, Paul: 08:05:01
TOLLAKSON, Tj: 08:07:39
BUTTERFIELD, Tyler: 08:14:44
HAST, Jarmo: 08:16:12
MIKELSON, Ian: 08:19:41
STARYKOWICZ, Andrew: 08:20:39
RUSSELL, Matthew: 08:30:53
RITTER, Christian: 08:35:11
GERLACH, Thomas: 08:36:08

Linsey Corbin, the 2012 IRONMAN Arizona Champion

TOP TEN PRO WOMEN
CORBIN, Linsey: 09:01:44
KESSLER, Meredith: 09:06:44
ABRAHAM, Corinne: 09:15:13
GROSS, Sara: 09:18:07
WEERD, Mirjam: 09:24:30
CAVE, Leanda: 09:24:54 (2011 winner)
CHURA, Haley: 09:28:25
HOMO, Malaika: 09:28:43
WERNICK, Charisa: 09:30:30
SCHWABENBAUER, Kim: 09:30:57

Click here for results.

A Warm Day in Arizona for Ironman Athletes

Usually the Ironman rolls into Tempe just as the cooler weather begins, but today was surely a test of endurance of the true IRONMEN out there, competing in 80 degree temperatures. If you are not familiar with the event, the Ironman is a triathlon, which is a multiple-stage competition of continuous activities such as swimming, biking and running in sequential order proving extreme endurance disciplines. Today, I went to Tempe Beach Park to cheer on athletes from the sidelines and snap a few photos, of course. I can’t wait to hear the results.

Welcome Ironman Arizona

At 7 this morning, the athletes began their goal of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and full marathon, 26.2 miles. The athletes who participate in Ironman’s train extensively, have specific diets, workouts and even personal coaches help them prepare for such a high level of competition.

Bike race on Rio Salado Parkway

When standing at the bike finish line, I saw a coach calmly update his client on his combined time of swim and bike thus far, as the man dismounted his bike and shed the cycling shoe. I noticed a very fast paced mentality where you need to keep moving all the time. As soon as the athlete comes close to the check point, they clicked off the cycling shoe and begin dismounting the bike and give the bike to a volunteer who takes the bike to valet as the athlete prepares for the running stint.

The dismount

I love watching the race and the feeling of inspiration that surrounds me as they pass by. I feel a strong sense motivation and realization that working hard for something is a beautiful thing.

It’s a lifelong goal for some, and a career for others. To all, they show motivation and drive, each has their own personal story, but all want to finish the race.

Close to the bike finish line

Ironman bike race

A quick interesting fact: People come from all 50 United States and many other countries to compete in the Ironman.

That Bike On Campus

I couldn’t walk by this bike on the ASU campus without snapping a photo. I’m usually drawn to unique bikes and this one certainly caught my eye when I was locking up my bike in front of the Computer Commons.

Lots of students ride bikes to campus and this was no exception. Do you ride a bike to school? I sure do!

How to Survive Tour de Fat

New Belgium’s Tour de Fat is coming to Tempe this weekend and it’s a bike event you don’t want to miss! The event shines awareness on the environment and riding your bike instead of driving a car, and of course fun costumes and BEER! This will be my third Tour de Fat and I wanted to share some tips so you can have the best time ever this year!

Tour de Fat has arrived in Tempe!

When: Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, Event starts at 9 a.m., Bike ride is at 10 a.m. and the event lasts until 3 p.m.

Where: Tempe Beach Park: 80 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281

Dress up for Tour de Fat!

These robots went all out for Tour de Fat!

The Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Bring your bike! Don’t forget a bike lock.
• Get there early. It will be crowded because look how much fun you’ll have!
• Dress up! If you don’t wear a costume, you are more likely to stand out. Most people wear a fun costume of their choosing- there’s no rhyme or reason. Get creative! Think of Tour de Fat, as early Halloween!
• Bring your ID, some cash and sunscreen. These items will be important if you want to drink New Belgium beer and avoid getting a sun burn- yes even in October it’s still hot and sunny in Tempe.
• Drink water and bring some with you.
• Eat breakfast! You will be better off having eaten something than if you were to start drinking beer in the heat on an empty stomach.
• Check out your bike the day before. You don’t want a flat tire or busted chain during the bike ride.
• Call all your cyclist friends and invite them! The more the merrier!

Avoid the hassle. Don’t drive your car.

Don’t:

• Drive: This is a biking event that encourages you to “trade in your car for a bike”. So ride your bike or take the light rail there. The parking lot will be pretty full, especially the later you arrive.
• Ride your bike like you’re in a race. There will be many people in the bike ride and it’s best to ride to a leisurely speed to avoid injuries.
• Bring pets, unless you have a bike basket for them to ride in. They could get hurt being in a crowd of cyclists.

Check out the New Belgium website for more information! See ya there!

Thank you New Belgium!

 

Free Hotdogs for ASU Cyclists

Today on the Tempe campus at ASU, volunteers were giving out free hotdogs and t-shirts to students who commute by bike or use public transportation. I was lucky enough to ride right by the tent where this was all going down! If you are near the MU, look for this gold and maroon ASU tent and a line of people waiting for hotdogs.

I dismounted my bike and a volunteer handed me a t-shirt and a menu for Dave’s Doghouse to redeem a free hotdog. They even added a healthy squirt of ketchup and some relish- my favorite toppings! It was delicious.

Cyclists were encouraged to register their bike with ASU and given any information they needed about cycling on campus. It’s smart to register your bike so you have documentation proving that the bike is yours- just in case!

Biking On Campus

Two weeks of the fall semester is underway and I’ve seen tons of students commuting by bike around the Tempe campus. It just warms my heart! Or maybe it’s the fact the temperature is still lingering in the three digit temperatures and probably will be for quite awhile still to come.

But anyways, it’s good to see lots of students on bikes. So many actually- I sometimes can’t find a bike rack with an empty spot on the Tempe campus. Maybe it’s when I’m on campus that is just really busy or possibly more and more people are making the choice to ride a bike for transportation.

One morning last week, I rode around for awhile looking for a spot to park my ride. I finally found an open spot and locked it up with two locks: a thick cable woven through my tires and a Kryptonite U-lock to seal the deal. It’s important to secure your bike with two locks in order to discourage bike thieves from tampering with it. Many other students have a method that works for them, but because I have been a victim of theft in the past, I now take these precautions. I even saw some bikes leaning on their kickstand and locked with a U-lock through a tire to prevent the bike from moving. As this technique can probably work, it does leave many other parts susceptible to be broken off or stolen. I am no expert, but just stating an unintended possibility of locking a bike this way- especially in a town that is known for bike theft.

My bike suffered a minor issue today, as when I unlocked the bike I noticed my chain had popped off. I normally don’t like to get very dirty, but I knew my bike was an important element in getting me from place to place for the remainder of the day. So I manned up and stretched out the greasy chain until I thought it was back in place. Hooray! I actually fixed something! Or so I thought….until I began to ride. The chain was moving alright, but it was making all kinds of clinking sounds that continued even after switching gears back and forth. At least I made it to my next class. I guess I’ll deal with it later.

So as soon as class let out, I unlocked my bike and rode it clink-clinking my way to the other end of campus and paid the guys at the Bike Co-op a visit. They were pretty busy today, so I guess others were having bike issues, also.

Luckily the chain was an easy fix for the bike experts on campus. They saved the day and sent me on my way to my next class. Thanks a bunch!

Register Your Bike With ASU!

If you ride your bike to campus, you have probably seen many other students cycling to class, as well. Because ASU is a haven for students on bikes, unfortunately it’s also a bike thieves’ playground.

In other blog posts, I have recommended ways to protect your bike from theft, but a simple way to document that your bike belongs to you – is to register it with ASU. It only takes a few minutes to enter your bike’s information and ensures you have proof that your bike is yours!

To register your bike with ASU:

1. Visit https://cfo.asu.edu/bike-regform
2. Enter your information and bike’s serial number
3. Upload a photo of your bike
4. Add any distinguishing features of your bike

• EXAMPLE: My bike has a pink bell, white basket and a zebra striped seat.

If for some reason you need to report your bike stolen, this information will be very helpful in trying to locate it and get it returned to you. Trying to recall exactly what your bike looked like or the serial number could be difficult after the fact. Help yourself out and register your bike! Good luck cyclists!

That Bike On The Street Continues…

I saw this shiny, red road bike locked to a bike rack outside the ED Farmer Building on the ASU Tempe campus today and couldn’t help but snap a quick photo. It stood out to me amongst the variety of bikes I had seen on campus. This red bike’s handlebars are wrapped in white tape, which also matches the seat, for a more custom look. Being that it’s the first day of school, many students are pedaling their newly acquired two wheelers around campus. Be sure to lock up your bike and secure any removable parts to prevent bike theft, which is all too common in Tempe. Got a cool bike? I may see it around town and add your prized possession to a future edition of “That Bike On The Street”! Follow my blog to stay posted and thanks for reading!

It’s a Hard Bike Life for Me

It always amazes me how the mind of a bike thief works. My bike means so much more to me than it will to the thief for the part they stole. For the last three months, I have used my bike to get everywhere- to work, the store, to meet a friend for a drink- simply because I can’t afford to fix my car. I actually am starting to enjoy commuting by bike- I save lots of money on gas, get some exercise and don’t add more pollutants to the air. Luckily, most places I need to go aren’t too far away. The reason I purchased a bike a few years ago was to make getting around Tempe much easier and it’s been wonderful! But nothing seems to stop a bike thief. They are out looking for an opportunity. As much as I think I take precautions to avoid this, I’m not as careful as I should be. I guess I thought it wasn’t really fair to spend extra time whenever I need to lock it up to make sure all parts are secure and double locked. But even so, my bike has been the victim of theft many times on the Tempe campus or light rail stations, but also now in front of my own apartment. This time it was my seat that went missing, which makes a bike ride very uncomfortable. I also noticed that my cup holder was cut, not missing, but only tampered with. It just gets so very discouraging! I don’t really want to buy anything cute or expensive for my bike to make it stand out to a thief or anyone else walking by my bike.

But I guess when parking my bike at home, I should just carry the bike up to my third floor apartment to minimize theft risk to almost zero. I can handle a little more exercise! Plus it’s worth the feeling of insurance that my bike will be there when I need to get to work or school in the morning.

I sort of wish there were bike theft detectives to help with this problem because police really are too busy to worry about this and have a very low recovery rate for stolen bikes and probably also for parts. Tempe is one of the worst cities for bike theft. I don’t even have to look it up! (See my video interview with the Sgt. Stewart, Tempe police officer.)

So I’m back at the tireless circle of what prompted me to start this blog- theft. Ugggh! What’s a cyclist to do? It’s sad to say but nothing more than vent and take more action against bike theft in the future.