Forty years of changes

Posted May 17, 2012
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Here’s how a panel of seasoned local cyclists rate the biggest contributors to the cycling scene in Central Iowa over the last 40 years.

By Carl Voss - Bike Month Coodinator
as printed in Cityview May 2012

In just a few weeks, we’ll bump into an important bicycling milestone in Des
Moines: A bike marathon at the Iowa State Fairgrounds 40 years ago raised
money for what would become the first hard-surfaced trail in Des Moines.

About 250 cyclists finished the 50-mile ride on June 4, 1972, and raised about
$5,000 toward paving a 1.7-mile ribbon of asphalt through Greenwood and Ashworth
parks. For months, radio and television personality Bill Riley, a park board
member, pitched the trail project non-stop. He even hawked the newest writing
technology — felt-tipped pens — for five bucks a pop toward the trail fund.
So what has changed in the 40 years since those early adopters pedaled for
what became the Bill Riley Trail? Plenty.

Here’s how a panel of seasoned local cyclists rate the biggest contributors to
the cycling scene in Central Iowa.

1. RAGBRAI

We’ve been blessed by this wacky, original cross-state ride that started in 1973
with 150 riders (more or less) and exploded into a national phenomenon. According
to one shop owner, “It’s not RAGBRAI by itself that contributes to cycling
here — it’s just one week of riding — and mostly outside of central Iowa. But the
preparation — all the training miles and now lots of charity rides — that’s the
real impact of RAGBRAI.” RAGBRAI.com

2. Development of trails network — 600 miles!

Spin the clock back to 1973 before the 8-foot wide Bill Riley Trail opened. If you
wanted to ride, you headed west on the two-lane Ashworth Road. Corn and
soybean fields started just a few pedal strokes beyond Western Hills. Today, at
least 13 traffic lights dot a favorite training route between 35th Street in West
Des Moines and Waukee.

Fortunately, in the meantime, the trail network has taken root. Polk County
and surrounding counties now boast more than 600 miles of hard-surfaced trails.
In the last five years, county and metropolitan agencies have made huge strides
in connecting the trail network.

Des Moines is also blessed with well-maintained singletrack (soft) trails that
you’d rarely find within the metro area of a city our size.

3. BikeIowa.com

If there’s any other state with a resource on par with BikeIowa.com, we’d love
to hear about it. Although Internet sites dedicated to bikes and biking abound
(303cycling.com is a Colorado example), BikeIowa.com stands alone as a site representing
all types of cycling for a geographic area.
Scott Sumpter created BikeIowa.com in 2000 and has continued to invest 12-

15 hours a week year-round to its expansion. The first year, Iowa cyclists posted
78 events. Fast forward to 2011 when 838 events were posted. On top of events,
900 bike news items and 100-plus features are posted annually.
“It’s great to see that folks still look to BikeIowa.com as their primary resource
for cycling in Iowa,” Scott says.

In the last two years, Scott has logged countless additional hours rewriting
code for changes he’s about to upload. “The improved site will not only showcase
events, but will focus more in destinations, trails and cities. Each trail and
Iowa community will have its own portal.

“It has proven to be quite the challenge to organize all the data in a way that
appeals to all types of cyclists all around Iowa.”

Here are the rest of the Top 10 changes selected by the panel of veteran cyclists:

4. Bike technology

From lighting sets to integrated brakes and shifters to thorn-resistant tubes and
rims that need little truing, technology advancements make cycling today more
enjoyable and reduce maintenance. Bike shops know a lot more about a comfortable
bike fit, too. It all contributes to a ride that makes you smile.

5. Bike to Work Day/Bike Week/Bike Month

In 2003, Scott Sumpter and Angie Dalton McBride organized the first Bike to
Work Day. The event drew 500 participants. (On Page 30, read more about Angie
and Scott, this year’s Bike Advocates of the Year). The event has now ramped up
to a full month of promotions and events. BikeMonthIowa.com

6. More Des Moines-area bike shops

Today, 14 full-service bike retailers serve the Des Moines and Ames area. In the
early 1970s, the bike community had only a handful of small (by today’s standards)
shops. Jim Hoss ran Barr Bicycle from a cozy shop on Keosauqua Way. Irwin’s
Bikes operated out of a storefront in the Drake neighborhood and Modern
Bicycle sold bikes on the east side. In the mid-1970s, Bill Albright opened Bill’s
Cyclery on Southwest 9th Street. Madonia’s Bike Shop had two or three locations
before disappearing. In Ames, cyclists relied on Michael’s Cyclery.

7. Iowa Bicycle Coalition (IBC)

The IBC, organized in 2005, has taken on important lobbying efforts to improve
cycling in Iowa. The first success was to knock down a bill that would have
banned riding on streets and roads with a nearby bike trail. “The efforts of the
Iowa Bicycle Coalition to rally local support has helped preserve millions in funding
for the Central Iowa trails system,” says Mark Wyatt, IBC executive director.

8. Proliferation of bicycle categories/styles

In 1972, you could buy a road bike or better road bike — and little else. ($100
purchased a flashy English-made Dawes 10-speed at Barr Bicycle.) “Today, if you
can describe the bike you want,” says Forrest Ridgway of Bike World, “someone
makes it. There’s been an explosion of bike styles — recumbents, tandem trikes,
mountain bikes, hybrids, cruisers, commuter and tour bikes, triathlon bikes, BMX
bikes for racing, trick BMX bikes. There’s just about every bike style imaginable.
This reflects the diversity of today’s bike culture.”

9. Increased participation by women

When Peg Shelton started biking in 1979, she was an anomaly. “Most of the
women I knew were runners who used bicycling as an extension of working
out,” Peg recalls. “I trained alone — it was hard to find women who even owned
a bike. I finally joined a bike club to meet other people. Today, I ride with the
Wild Women Bike Club, and we have a lot of fun.”

10. Valet bike parking

Bike parking has become wildly popular at public events, opening up more parking
spaces for motorists while providing a secure corral for the two-wheeled
crowd. “We started free providing valet bike parking in 2009,” says Kelly Foss
of the Downtown Farmers’ Market. “Each year more riders realize how easy and
enjoyable it is to ride and park their bike. And bikes have the best parking at the
farmers’ market! We now park an average of 80 bikes each Saturday, May through
October.” Other events that promote bike parking include the 80/35 Concert, Des
Moines Arts Festival, Cityview’s Brewfest and Ingersoll Live! (valet bike service details,
info@dsmbikecollective.org)

What’s next?

Here are five changes our panel of experts suggest to further improve cycling;
1. Acceptance of the bike as a legitimate vehicle on streets and roads;
2. Expansion of bike lanes and sharrows throughout the metro area;
3. Enactment of a 3-foot safe-passing law by the Iowa legislature;
4. Suburban bike master plans and implementation steps; and
5. Improved commuter accommodations (showers, indoor bike storage) at
workplaces.