I have posted letters and comments in the past about decisions and actions by government officials I did not agree with, it’s only fair I post this letter Mark and I sent complementing Oklahoma City officials on the recent signage installed on city streets designated as local bike routes.  

Dear Mr. Mayor and City Council Members:

We are writing to let you know how much we appreciate the new bike route signage currently being installed in Oklahoma City – especially the “Bicycles Use Full Lane” and “Change Lanes to Pass” signs.

These signs will serve to alert motorists that they should expect to see bicyclists on the road and will enhance the safety of not only the bicyclists, but everyone who utilizes those roads.

It is impressive to see the progress that Oklahoma City has made recently toward becoming more competitive with surrounding municipalities in tourism and attracting new businesses.  The installation of this bike route signage to increase the safety and recreation options of bicyclists fits well with the other improvements being made to enhance Oklahoma City.

In light of the recent multiple bicyclist’s deaths in Oklahoma City, this new signage takes on even more importance as it serves not only to mark designated bike routes but to also educate both cyclists and motorists in safe driving practices and applicable laws.

We are sure you are aware of the act of vandalism last month where a motorist ran down a number of the newly installed signs on Hefner Road.  We would assume that there may also be a minority of motorists who dislike seeing bicyclists on the road and possibly even object to the signage being installed.

However, we can assure you that all bicyclists, and their families, are very supportive of the signage and appreciate your efforts in this project.  We would also assume that nearly all motorists would prefer to see signage making them aware of the fact that there could be bicyclists on the road, than to risk having an accident because they weren’t aware of that possibility.

Thank you again for your efforts in making Oklahoma City a better and safer place for all its citizens.  We look forward to seeing this project continue until all roads on designated bike routes in Oklahoma City have this signage installed.

Sincerely,

Mark & Susan Lash

As must be evident by now, I not only love to ride bikes, but I care a lot about cycling  too.  I care that we have access to ride on roads and trails in our communities and I care that we are safe when doing so.

Over the summer we had three cyclists that were hit by drivers and killed, two within a day of each other and the third just a few weeks later.Â

Also, in an earlier incident where a cyclist was hit and killed by an inattentive driver, the driver was convicted of Negligent Homicide, unbelievably a misdemeanor.  Instead of receiving a possible sentence of one year in jail, the driver received probation and was given 40 hours of community service.  I was outraged at the lack of justice and value given to this cyclist’s life.

I decided to do something with my outrage and became more involved in advocating for the rights of bicyclists.

One thing was to expand the focus of this blog to include more on advocacy, another was to get involved in local efforts to improve bicycling.  Mark and I joined Oklahoma Bicycling Coalition (OBC) and bought “Share the Road” tags for both of our cars.  Additionally, we wrote to our local representatives about the recent deaths and the outcome of the trial noted above.  Small steps for sure, but small steps are the way most things like this get done.

Especially if a large number of cyclists take those same small steps.

This past Sunday we took it a step further and attended the annual meeting for the OBC held in Stillwater.  Although we knew little about the organization, we were excited to find a group of people passionate about cycling, and although they were a small group they had achieved quite a bit over the previous year.

The group is energized and determined to build on the previous accomplishments made as well as to strengthen the OBC voice.  A new logo and slogan have been developed as well as a new website – obc1voice.org – to further the OBC mission:  promoting bicycle access, safety and education throughout Oklahoma.

If we are to make our state more bicycle and bicyclist friendly, we need a strong and clear voice.  OBC can be the umbrella for all our voices to gather and be heard.

I encourage you become a  member of OBC, if you are not already.  The more voices speaking up for the rights of bicyclists – the louder our collective voice – and the more we can achieve.

For the last several months, I’ve ignored my other bike, a 2010 Jamis Aurora Elite, named Condor after Anne Mustoe’s bike. 

The last time I rode her for any significant miles, was our ride across Missouri on the Katy Trail.

To make up for my lack of attention I cleaned, lubed and polished her.  She looks beautiful again.  I love the frame, 631 Reynolds steel, and the color, Blue Smoke.  Reminiscent of some of the classic steel frames of the late 80’s/early 90’s, it reminded me of my first road bike, a 1987 Trek 560 Pro Series.

I bought her in early 1992 for $200.00.  She was a tad small for me, but in pristine condition – and much cheaper than I could buy anything comparable to her (Reynolds 531 tubing, Shimano 105, nice wheels).  Plus, I had been riding a Schwinn Hybrid and as my rides got longer, the more I longed for a road bike.

I loved riding my Trek, putting lots of miles on her until June 5, 1995 when an idiot kid that had just had her drivers license for two weeks ran a stop sign and hit me/her.  The girl’s insurance company paid to replace my bike (considered her totaled).  That was an ordeal since I had only paid $200 for my Trek, they wanted to give me $200 towards replacement.  I fought them explaining I should get a bike with comparable frame and components and ended up getting $1500 replacement cost towards a new one.

Condor reminds me of my Trek, different color blue, but quality steel frame.  Nice and smooth ride.  Beautiful.