Juggling with bike and dog...

For the past 15 years, I’ve observed more and more bike riders combining cycling and trying to hold their dogs on leash. It must be a deep-seated craving for wanting to multitask at all costs. Fitting too many activities in a finite amount of time, or perhaps wanting to show up one’s bike skills to the rest of us. 

Still, I’m of the opinion that if “bikejoring”, as it’s called, might look like a fun and clever activity it’s unfortunately generally practiced carelessly, putting both the dog and the rider at risk. Observing whether the rider is attentive to the dog's condition, using proper equipment, and choosing safe routes are supposed to mitigate the risk, but in the vast majority of cases, nothing guarantees a secure ride, so I do question the riders’ judgment. 

Just like the fact of driving a car with a dog on lap, the legality of riding a bike on a public street or roadway while having a dog on a leash, varies by state and local laws in the US. Only California explicitly prohibits biking with a dog on a leash due to safety concerns as it’s considered unsafe if it impedes control. Other states have no specific laws against it but may enforce general reckless cycling or animal endangerment statutes, only New York City considers biking while holding a leash risky and police may issue fines. 

A few places allow it but may require the leash to be of a certain length. As far as Utah, my state goes, there’s no statewide law explicitly prohibiting riding a bike while holding a dog on a leash. Just imagine doing this in Park City when there’s snow on the ground (as the photo illustrates, I’ve seen it more than once!) Fortunately, several countries explicitly prohibit riding a bike while holding a dog on a leash, considering it a traffic safety or animal welfare violation. 

Germany requires cyclists to always have "both hands on the handlebars unless signaling." Holding a leash violates this rule. Holland, the world’s number one bike country requires that cyclists must maintain full control, and holding a leash is often deemed unsafe. Police can fine riders under general endangerment rules. Some Swiss cantons explicitly ban biking with a leashed dog. In others, police may penalize it under "reckless cycling" statutes. 

Down under in Australia, in states like Victoria and New South Wales biking with a leashed dog can result in fines for "not having proper control" of the bicycle. In Sweden, the law requires that the cyclist must always have full control over the dog to avoid endangering themselves, the dog, or others. Some countries like Finland, Canada and the U.K. are more washy-washy as they respectively stipulate that the dog is well-trained and runs calmly and that a hands-free bike leash attachment is used. Now you know the deal. 

Use your common-sense and if you have some, don’t do it!

Back home to France, in minutes!

Yesterday, I enjoyed watching the 14th stage of the Tour de France, that happened to end up in my home valley, nestled in the French Alps, right next to the Swiss border. 

This was the 22nd time Morzine was chosen as stage city for this prestigious cycling competition. The battle between the two contenders for that big event was nothing short of epic and kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Since I had not been in Morzine since 2019, I was also equally impressed, if not shocked, by the enormous surge in construction that has been filling the few available open spaces since that time.

What used to be a bucolic community has now become wall-to-wall concrete and asphalt. According to my friends, construction isn’t going to stop anytime soon as money remains the name of the game.

This makes me profoundly sad, yet at the same time, I’m happy that Park City has good zoning laws in place and an aggressive open space purchasing policy to keep unbridled growth at bay!

Tour de France Unchained on Netflix

We just finished watching the eight episodes of the Netflix series “Tour de France: Unchained”, and we loved it (see trailer below). This first season featured seven teams—including Jonas Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma team—during the 2022 Tour de France. 

This documentary is the cycling’s version of Drive to Survive that followed a number of Formula 1 drivers during its five seasons, dating back to 2018. 

It was produced by the same team that made Drive to Survive and features plenty of race footage, as well as behind the scenes clips, including Tadej Pogačar’s battle with Vingegaard the eventual winner of the 2022 edition. (Pogačar’s UAE team Emirates, however, did not agree to be featured in Unchained). 

Interestingly, it showed the different race directors’ working style and coaching philosophy including those of my countrymen that seem to have their work cut out for them… 

We loved this series, make sure to watch it if you can! 

A remarkable gesture on the Tour de France

As it has become a part of our daily routine this summer, we were watching the 18th stage of the Tour de France and we really were moved by the heart-stopping moment when Yellow Jersey’s Jonas Vingegaard almost bit the dust and miraculously stayed on his bike, 

This incident was followed by a similar skid and fall by Tadej Pogačar his next competitor, and while he seemed to ride on, Vingegaard showed great sportsmanship as he slowed to allow the Slovenian to catch up, the two-time champion stretched out a hand to thank his rival before reinstating their race.

Then, as if the law of Karma materialized in full force, Vingegaard brilliantly led out by team-mate Wout Van Aert, on the final climb to Hautacam, ended up winning the stage! 

I’d simply wish we’d see many more gestures like that one these days, and would love to see that exceptional kind of behavior extended to our politicians as well. That would herald the dawning of a bright day in our current, somber world!

The “Tour de Charm”

This year, we’ve been watching the Tour de France by streaming it each afternoon, as if we lived in France and have had a pleasurable experience so far. 

As usual, camera work and the editing are great, even though NBC, where we get the delayed reporting from, doesn’t care about telling its viewers too much about the scenic beauties of France and focuses much more on the race nuts and bolts, its few “Anglo” racers, and fails to delve into the intricacies of the strategies and tactics this complex sporting event uses.

That’s a part of the “Tour” keep on learning about as we go and will probably never become experts on the subject, but a bit of remaining ignorance will be fine. 

Of course, we also get caught into the spectators’ excitement, frenzy and unruliness at the top of most climbs, as well as the variety of colorful characters that pepper the gallery... We love to recognize a few of the places where we grew up or have traveled to when we were in France, and this part is always the “cherry on the cake”. 

As sport people we respect and admire what these guys are producing on a daily basis, yet don’t envy them one bit. When all is said and done, this is the best advertising piece France could dream of, and we’re proud of seeing our home-country showcased in such a classy way!

Pit stop at the Tour de France

Just because we’re older, we often wonder how bike racers relieve themselves on the Tour de France, as we realize that no one is strong enough to “hold it” for more than four or five hours. 

Of course TV never delves into the details of that quintessential natural need, so most of us are left wondering how racers do it. If catching a racer in the act isn’t common, it’s simply because it’s forbidden to do it, willy-nilly, in front of the public.

Those who forget can be fined from 50 to 150 euros and a few of them have had to pay that fine. That said, there are three general techniques available for peeing during the race. 

The first one is the organized pit-stop along the way. This happens when a group of cyclists agree to stop at the same time, in an area free of spectators and offering some privacy (trees, bushes, forest). If they do it, they rely on an implicit rule that no one will break-away during such a pit-stop. 

Then, there's the “peeing-as-you-ride” technique that was quite common in the old day but that is more and more replaced by the collective stop we talked about earlier.. For those well-balanced risk takers that are ready to do it on their bikes, they’ll try direct the spray towards the shoulder of the road, providing there is no one to see them, or no one standing in the way. 

Sometimes a team member can help maintain the balance at the risk of getting sprayed himself. 

Obviously, there remain the option of doing it inside one’s pant remains. By cold weather it will provide a welcome, short lasting warming sensation and otherwise the temporary discomfort should be largely eclipsed by the huge efforts the race demands. 

As for “Number Two”, that’s much trickier. A stop behind a bush may be “de rigueur” even though there are exception to that outdoor-rule: In 2014, French racer Arnaud Démare spotted one of the many RVs standing alongside the road, knocked at the door and successfully borrowed the toilet. 

Earlier in 1986, Greg LeMond being sick did it in his pants and managed to win the Tour in the end. 

So, the morale of that story is “always remain creative and leave no stone unturned!”

Remembering how to change a tire

Two days ago, I experienced a flat while riding my bike.

As I was stopped by the side of the road, I did my very best to remove the rear wheel, take of the tire as well as the tube and put the whole package back together.

All along, the operation wasn’t smooth and was rather an unmitigated struggle. Sure, I had not experienced a flat for at least two years and didn’t remember how to efficiently proceed.

Clearly, I should regularly refresh my memory by watching a video on the subject prior to riding season, but that’s a lot easier to remember when it's too late and I am up against the challenge.

As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Park City’s good Samaritans

We were about to have another wonderful bike ride this morning, until half-way in our itinerary I experienced a flat. I don’t know about you, but I despise having flats when I ride.

So, here I am, taking the rear wheel apart, struggling to separate the tire from the tube, other cyclists very nicely stopping to ask if I needed help, a proud, self-reliant “no thanks!” as an answer, then more struggle in trying to fit the tube inside the tire and the whole assembly inside the rim. I then proceeded to inflate the repaired tire with my measly, portable pump.

A passing motorist must have seen me battling my bike, returned to where I was, riding his electric bike with a heavy-duty foot pump in hand, just saying “That’ll be a lot easier with this one!”

A lot easier it was, and in much less time it would have otherwise taken me, I had put 90 psi inside the tire. All this to say that I found it very much heartwarming to see so many folks stop, asking if I needed help, and that one man, who didn’t ask for anything, return expressly to help me with a wonderful solution.

This makes me think that my Parkite neighbors are terrific, we are lucky to live there, and that I must double-down in returning such a good deed!

What makes biking fun…

I love to ski, walk and hike in the mountains, but cycling is even more special.

I’m talking about both mountain and road biking. On a bicycle, one can really cover a lot of ground in very little time, enjoy fantastic scenery and see countless and minute details that are totally missed while driving or being a passenger inside a car.

The thing that I like most though, is that it’s not a linear sport, with the variety of efforts that need to be produced and the variety of sensations afforded by just pedaling on flat areas, working hard on climbs, relaxing while coasting and getting thrilled during fast descents.

Again, this is true with both forms of cycling, but I must admit that mountain biking offers even more options like keeping up at high-speed with a winding single-track and clearing all kinds of unexpected obstacles!

Then, what’s holding me from not biking more? My past falls and injuries of course; these have made a searing impression on me. I’m not a fan of mechanical problems either, like flat tires or broken chains, but I should also remember that all roses have thorns...

How to fall “right”

During my very active life, I’ve been in accidents on multiple occasions and fallen countless times. It happened on the road, inside farm vehicles, on bikes and of course, while skiing.

All along, I’ve either been very lucky or did the right things to escape death or permanent injury. This has led me to think that there might be, if we can help it, a right and a wrong way of falling.

What I think I’ve subconsciously learned through a plethora of falls was to totally relax myself and fall like a sack of beans. It’s true that every time I’ve fallen, my consciousness level was heightened to an amazing degree, so there’s some room left for some fast thinking, like choosing to avoid a dangerous impact area.

This, I believe has saved me from dying or becoming totally incapacitated. This said, most trauma specialists will advise people to lean forward into the fall in order to have some control over the desirable direction of the impact, whenever possible to fall sideways, on the butt and thighs.

Of course, try to protect the head, rolling to the side in a ball to further spread the impact… I guess, the list goes on, but on your upcoming fall, always try remember the above but by all means remain relaxed and make sure to take the few nanoseconds preceding the impact to wish yourself good luck!

The bike quandary

Because I’m advancing in age and perhaps also because I have bit the ground and bitten the dust too many times while riding, I’m not as enthused as I used to straddle my bicycle when winter is over.

Yet, against all odds, that just what I did on Wednesday. I only a rode a short 3 miles, but I was happy to have broken the spell and reconciled myself with my two-wheeler.

Another reason beyond age and painful falls is the fact that bike riding is fraught with technical situations like tire problems, drive train issues and a myriad of pesky little details that contribute to making the experience filled with potentially annoying incidents.

The same doesn’t apply to skiing, as much as that sport is also burdened with equipment and adjustments of all kinds, but once one gets on the slopes, the likelihood of problem is minimal compared to what happens with biking.

This is probably why nothing beats walking or hiking when it comes to recreation and piece of mind. This say, I’ll be good sport and I remain open as well as willing to start this new riding season!

Three generations…

The Tour of St. George is a road bike race available in a variety of lengths.

First there’s the 35 mile version (56 km), then a stretched 50 mile (80 km) and finally for the fearless, there’s a full100 mile (161 km). We decided to align the 3 generations that our family counts in the 35 mile course, by including Finn (11 years old), his Dad (40), and the Grandpa (yeah, that’s me at a mature 71).

Even though St. George is located in the far southern corner of Utah, it was freezing, this morning, at the 8 am start time, just a measly 43 degree F (6 degree Celsius), but we managed to overcome that grueling hurdle and worked together as a strong and efficient team.

What's remarkable is that Finn finished 1st in his age group (up to 14) and that we all made it, together, to the finish line. What's next? Fifty miles in 2020?

Time to train for the race!

Next Saturday, I’m registered to race on my road bike along with my son and my grandson.

The race takes place down in St. George, in the middle of Utah’s southern desert, where the weather is still nice and warm, but where 35 miles is still 35 miles to ride. This will be fun...

The only problem is that I haven’t trained that much and I am a bit worried of being able to pull it off without being totally exhausted and suffering from a real pain in my rear end.

As of today, I still have to gradually train from 19 to 35 miles. Wish me good luck !

Finish in Park City for the Tour of Utah

We aren’t too much into spectator sports, but we made another exception to go to Main Street, Park City and watch the final and 6th stage of this year’s Tour of Utah that traditionally ends with a spectacular climb on Park City most picturesque historical street, loudly cheered by thousands of enthused spectators.

This is the 10th year Park City has served as a host city, and the seventh time it has hosted the final stage of the Tour. We do our best not to miss this event if we’re in town.

The atmosphere is festive, sponsors have booths where they liberally distribute the usual and fun schwag, it’s loud and we found a great spot where to sat in the shade while people-watching and following the race on a giant TV screen.

This last stage was a tough one, under 85 degree temperature and with 10,000 of climbing spread over some 78.2 miles with a climb to 9,700 feet at Empire Pass, just above Park City.

At the end, Joseph Dombrowski, an American, won the stage while Ben Hermans, a Belgian, won the Tour before the Canadian James Piccoli.

We returned home happy and fully satisfied and that’s good!

One year sans Tour de France

As Egan Bernal won the Tour yesterday on the Champs Elysee, this will have been the first time in many years that we haven’t watched one single day of that epic event that galvanizes people all over the world.

While we watched some of the women world cup soccer games, the Tour de France failed to glue us to our TV screen, even for replays.

We heard about each stage on the radio morning news, but that was it. Put this perhaps on the fact that the sport has been blemished by doping or also that we are not into watching sports, but that’s the reality and we don’t feel either good or bad about our lack of supportive interest.

Maybe next year?

Two-wheel safety concerns…

Last year, I fell from my road bike, hurt my right shoulder and broke four ribs. I had broken three other ribs before, while skiing, but that was in 2004, and that last time, instead of taking me six week to be back on my skis, I had to wait five full months to feel totally healed.

This accident threw ice water on my love for biking and, as a result I rode sparsely last year, so much so that I had not even sat on my bikes this year and it took my grandson visiting me this past weekend, along with his brand new road bike, to get me back in the saddle. I must report that all went well and after on two occasions with him no rib was broken or even bruised!

Today, I ran into that picture a Swiss friend just sent to me, that suggested a much safer way to ride a two-wheeler. I have to try this setup before summer is over. Can anyone spare a pair of used Vespa tires?

Simple bicycle maintenance

My French friend Jacques is a consummate sportsman. Even though he's getting close to 70 years of age, he keeps on teaching skiing in the winter, and during the rest of the year, whenever he isn't busy working around his house, he sometimes hikes but rides a lot and logs some 8,000 miles a year on his road bike.

So as we were talking over the phone yesterday, I asked him which kind of cleaner and lube he was using on his bike; he simply answered: “Ordinary motor oil! I don't even degrease and clean the chain; every 500 km, I wipe it clean then apply some fresh motor oil and that's it.”

As for me, I've gone online and visited countless forums to find out what the best degreaser and lubricants were, without even finding a definitive answer among thousands of finicky opinions.

Jacques also told me that he systematically changes his chain at the beginning of a new riding season (8,000 miles). Jacques has spent his career in the ski and the bike industry, so he's quite knowledgeable.

In contrast, after I had bought my new bike at REI and put less than 1,000 miles on it, I was advised to change the chain, because it had build-up “too much play”, the following season, as I was taking advantage of the store “free tune-up” on my bike first anniversary.

This goes a long way in showing the terrible mentality of that establishment and the thousands of possible ways marketers come up to squeeze money out of consumers.

To ride or not to ride again?

On Wednesday I muster the willpower to get my road bike out and rode again for the first time since my accident more than 6 weeks ago. I was a bit apprehensive while walking my bicycle out of the garage, but once I hit the street, it was as if I had never stopped using it.

During my short, 5 km ride, I thought about the pluses and minuses of getting back on two wheels. I came up with this:

On the negative side, biking, just like skiing, is equipment intensive and requires a lot of preparation just to get going, like slipping on special clothes, helmet, gloves, eye-wear, getting water ready, checking the bikes for air, etc.

It's also extremely equipment-dependent (maintenance, transmission problems, flat tires, etc.)

Finally it's not a super safe sport, especially as we get older (vicinity of cars, falls, collision with people and animals, etc.)

On the positive side, it's obviously fun and part of our long, beautiful spring, summer and fall seasons, here in Park City, whether it's on a road bike or on fat tires.

In addition, we just can't stop simply doing something because there's some danger associated with it, living alone, is eminently dangerous.

Finally, we own the bikes and they're anxiously waiting for us inside our garage!

To ride or not to ride?

After a bad accident like the one I just suffered over a month ago, I've been asking myself the question, should I ever ride again?

The corollary would be that if I don't, I might as well do nothing, stay in bed and wait to die. Not an acceptable proposition.

Then, I haven't even mentioned the options: Road vs. mountain-bike, easy routes vs. tricky ones, etc.

This, as you can't see is quite complicated and since I'm not yet fully recovered, a final decision will have to wait a little bit longer...

Terrestrial “black-holes”

This black-hole story is no space adventure, but rather a simple reminder to remain extremely careful at all times everytime we ride our bicycle.

First, just picture a bike path that narrows into a tight road under-path, shared with a small creek. Like any underpass, even with some light, it's quite dark, making visibility quite challenging especially on a bright, sunny day.

That's where I got my wife and me into, this past Friday as we were getting back into the saddle for the first time, this season. As it narrows to about 4 foot wide at the entrance to the tunnel, the path is now covered with wood planking, with the tunnel wall on the right-hand side and a 4-foot concrete fence on the rider's left.

This is how I entered the underground passage, without much visibility, and failing to see that the creek had overflowedm, covered the narrow boardwalk with 6 inches of water.

I almost instantly felt my bike slipping from underneath me, my right shoulder hitting hard the concrete wall to the right,  bouncing me even harder  to the left, while getting me off my bike before I hit my rear chest with full force  the cement fence to my left.

The end result when that flying prowess was over amounted to 4 broken ribs, which was consistent with the 4-foot wide path and the 4-foot concrete parapet. Ouch!