Join Scott from BIKEIOWA.com to hear about what's on his radar in the Iowa cycling scene this weekend. #FridayFives is a new series for Summer 2020 and we plan to share fun destinations, events and happenings each week.
1) CIRCLE SQUARE DIAMOND TRAIL MAPS
Circle Square Diamond Art super cool minimalist artwork for fans of mountains and trails. They offer art quality prints (in a range of sizes) of trails in all 50 states. All their maps are white backgrounds with trail lines. Here in Iowa, they have maps available for 8 different trails (including some of our Central Iowa Trail Association, LAMBA and CVAST - Cedar Valley Association for Soft Trails favorites)!
BIKEIOWA has great sponsors, but only one we hope you NEVER have to use: Lederman Bail Bonds. They are the #1 bail bonding company in the Midwest and have the ability to post bail bonds nationwide through a network of 150+ independent agents. The Lederman Family has been in business since 1965. The company is currently owned and operated by four brothers who are committed to improving the industry's standards and practices for defendants, attorneys and the courts.
So… What’s the connection? Josh Lederman (one of the four brothers currently operating the company) is a gravel grinder and has been supporting BIKEIOWA since 2013! THANK YOU, JOSH!
3) CONFLUENCE BREWERY ARTWORK
Confluence Brewing Company recently unveiled a huge mural in their Des Moines Tap Room. The pandemic closure was just the right time to add new life and energy to the tap room through art.
Local artist Maddy Fusco Illustration painted the mural (which pays tribute to Des Moines and the cycling community, as well as the grain, hops and water) for 63 days, from April 8th to June 9th.
Stop in and check it out next time you are near Gray's Lake!
4) FATAL COLLISION NEAR KNOXVILLE
Just before 8AM on Friday, July 31, cross-country cyclist Stephen McDonald, 52, (of Jackson, Wyoming and a former bootfitter at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) was killed near the intersection of Iowa Highway 14 and County Road G44. At the time of this video, crash details had not yet been released.
Scott shares his thoughts about this tragic crash, based on suspected road conditions and sunrise (which should not have impacted the driver’s vision). Scott also shares what he found in the police report, that the driver was Tiffany Turner, aged 33 of Knoxville.
5) CYCLISTS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE
Forty-two states have some sort of Safe Passing Laws. Eight states have no specific laws requiring drivers to safely pass bicyclists. Iowa is home to RAGBRAI and is a “bicycle-friendly” state, but has NO SAFE PASSING LAW!
Scott reminds everyone that it’s not an unusual occurrence for a cross-country touring cyclist, generally a person lit up well and riding in a safe manner, to be killed in Iowa. He theorizes why drivers kill cyclists and what needs to be done to change that.
THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEK ! You can find more information on all of these items by checking out https://bikeiowa.com/
And finally, it's still a pandemic. It's still important to SOCIAL DISTANCE!
If you've got any ideas for future Friday Fives, send us a message!
Have a great weekend, RIDE SAFE and stay healthy!