Happy Holidays from BIKEIOWA.com!

Posted Dec 21, 2008
8,963

As the pedals turns... 2008 cycling in Iowa triumphs! Check out the 2008 Recap

RIDE SAFE and a have a GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON!
There are still 9 riding days left in 2008! Don't let them go to waste.

Have you noticed that its been a little quiet on BIKEIOWA lately? November and December are always pretty quiet on the site. But there is LOTS happening in the background. BIKEIOWA is getting ready for a major overhaul. A new look, a new feel and lots of new functionality!

The current design has served very well, but it's time that BIKEIOWA uses some newer technologies available. Look for a "BIKEIOWA social community" where YOU play a big part in the site's content (photos, videos, comments, ratings, review, blogs, and more.) Look for a vastly improved Event Calendar with google mapping capabilities. Rest assured, the same kind of content and off-the wall humor that BIKEIOWA has been know for will continue. This rewrite is something I've been laying out for almost 2 years. One of my main goals is to have the most inclusive ride calendar in the U.S.. One that houses every kind of event, weekly rides, races, charity rides, clinics, etc. not to mention a whole new area for destinations (places you can ride your bike to, but not necessarily an organized ride).

I was hoping to implement the new site in February 2009, but I don't think it will happen that soon. There are only so many evenings and weekends!

BIKEIOWA hits 9 years on the web in March! I keep saying we should have a BIG ride on the BIG 10th. Email me if you have some good ideas on this.

Every year BIKEIOWA experiences growth and 2008 was no exception. To date 593 rides were posted on the calendar. 758 News items, 106 Features, 35 links and over 6,000 photos were posted not counting all the gallery links posted by users. 403 new cyclists joined the Ride Reminder list which now tops out at 2,545 cyclists. This is only what BIKEIOWA posted. Then you have all the information that the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation posts, The Iowa Bicycle Coalition, Cycling Update, BIKEIOWA.org, Central Iowa Trails Association, ICORR, Friends of Central Iowa Trails, IDOT, the Bike Shops, and the hundreds of Blogs written by people like you with a passion for cycling.

Oh yeah, it is December isn't it??? ya got me, December had been a horrible month for me on the bike. I was "avid" from January through November. Probably one of my best years for getting in miles. Then December came... and I have not been on my bike (outside) more than 4 times, and have only ridden 3 times inside on a (boring) trainer. While it was not the ice-base we got last year that stayed around all winter long, we got a few good cold spells, some snow, and then the ice layer. That is good, and that means winter cycling can still happen pretty easily. Looking forward to
January 2009!

I've heard the bike shops have been selling record numbers of studded snow tires. That means people are still riding and that is a good thing!

The biking industry sure did get a jump-start when the gas prices shot up to $4.00 per gallon. "Cycling was cool again". Yes, we all knew cycling was always cool. Kudos to those who stuck with it. I've talked to at least 20 people since May who got hooked on cycling whether it be from a recreational or commuting aspect. These people lost weight, got it shape and got others on their bicycle. It is also good to know that BIKEIOWA is a staple in their cycling regimen. It's so cool to hear "We plan our weekends around the rides on the BIKEIOWA calendar".

2008 - What a year! You know what I am talking about. The high gas prices, the floods, the burst housing bubble, the failed companies, the recession, failing, stock markets, government buyouts, layoffs, the war(s) and the elections. Can you believe all this stuff all happened in one year??? Oh yeah, and the push to ban organized bicycle rides in many of Iowa's counties...

Hey, enough of that. Let's continue on how great Iowa cycling was in 2008!

Our state has experienced LOTS of cycling improvements this year even though we rank really low in federal funding for trails and really high for obesity. This is the first year that I have had a hard time keeping up with all the cycling news, trail updates, clubs & groups, and advocacy issues. That is certainly not a bad thing!

Iowa - Land of oceans? mountains? exotic places? Not quite, but we do have a trails system that is second to none. We have small friendly rural towns, we have a navigable grid-work of paved and gravel roads. We are building and connecting more trails each year. I still cannot wait until the two 100 mile loops of paved trail is completed in central Iowa. Small business are poised for action along the trails. Cycling destinations are becoming a reality with each connection, each new business, each promotion. This is what we have.

These are the people places and things that I'm thankful for! There are many items carried over from 2006 and 2007, but I'm still thankful for them, and it's my list! Ha!

How about YOU? What are you thankful for? email Biker@bikeiowa.com and I'll post to the list!

ADVOCACY

Iowa's media coverage on cycling. this gets better and better each year
The Polk County Trails and Greenways Advisory Committee - making Polk county a better place to ride your bicycle
MPO Trails Round table Committee - planning trail priorities for years to come!
Finally - Being GREEN is cool.
Safe Routes to School program - getting more recognition each year!
Cities starting to sign off on the Complete Streets program
Iowa Bicycle Coalition - continually doing great things!
Iowa Bike Summit - A weekend of education
Beaverdale's street-scape program and their bicycle task force to make Beaverdale a bicycling hub
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation - one trail at a time (boy do they have patience!)
The growing activism by individuals across the state. Here are a few: Carl Voss, Mark Wyatt, Ryan Hanser, Walter Githens, Doug Reichardt, Bill Throckmorton, Lisa Hein, Richard Brown, Mark Ackleson, Joe Galloway, Jason Parkin, Kim West, Mary Moore, Casey Calmes, Angie Dalton, Brian Potteroff, GPickle, Todd Gillihan, Mike Lustig, Jeff Mertz, Will Anderson, Tina Mowry, Brian Duffy, Rob Versteegh, Craig Stafford, Forrest Ridgeway, Justin Bruce, Brian Loring, Steve Schurtz, Chuck Offenburger, Kevin Cooney, Todd Redenius, Pat Boddy, Andrea Chase, Craig Cooper, Ward Budweg, Kevin Tiffany, Julie Hugo, Randy Kramer, Steve Fuller and Dave Milburn. Really these are a select few. As you read through BIKIOWA news and features from 2008 there are so many more than made a difference!
Creation of the FOCIT (Friends of Central Iowa Trails)
LIVESTRONG Ride

CYCLING AS TRANSPORATION

Bike To Work Week - a record year!
Des Moines Bicycle Coalition
Des Moines' gets bike lanes!
more Bike rack installed
Bike Route signage
Record number of People using Bus Bike Racks
DART Bike & Ride Program
Liberty Bike Station
Iowa City Bicycle Library
Another great year for commuter-style bicycle from all of the bike mfgs

TRAILS

All the trail repairs after the Iowa floods
Ankeny to Woodward Trail (initial funding goal met. $400k+ to go!)
Walnut Trail Connector (MAJOR hub in Des Moines area)
Jason Parkin's Happy Trails Series on T.V. 8
Trestle To Trestle Trail
Gray's Lake bypass
IMBA's Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
Mississippi River Trail
Vision Iowa Grants
Lime Creek trails
Raccoon River Trail Association and their great marketing
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation's Trail website - keeps getting better
Google trail maps on the Iowa Bicycle Coalition
Lot of Trail funding dollars getting approved and allocated
Center Trails always rock!
Sycamore mountain bike trail - back to life
All the work CITA does
7 Oaks mountain bike tail near Boone - a love hate relationship
Beaverdale trails revitalization project
Banner Pits mtb Trails
ICORR's work

RACING

Iowa's Racing Scene (road, mountain and especially cyclocross)
Urban Rides & inner-city races
New race promoters
cyclocross (again!)
Hy-Vee triathlon
The Sunday mud-fest at Jingle Cross
Still thinking fondly of 2007's mud-fest at Spooky Cross
Trans-Iowa
Des Moines Dirty Duathalon
24 Hr Mtb Race
Cycle-de-Mayo
Renegade cyclocross
Cranksgiving
Quarter-Rage
Iowa Games
The Bike Support at the Des Moines Marathon the Big Creek triathlon

EVERCHANGING CULTURE

The whole BIKEIOWA community
the Cycling network of friends on Facebook
Big Wheel Rally
New riders, who ride and become involved
Google maps and all the site who utilize them for route, trail and destination promotion
increasing activism by lots of new individuals this year
BIKEIOWA sponsors
The crazy kids doing the gravel rides
www.Cyclingupdate.com
Cup'O dirt Challenge
Dennis Grelk's blog and extreme cycling
New Belgium Beer
New Belgium the company and what they stand for
The words and photos of Squirrel's blog - Cycling lifestyle
ELITE Trainers at Kyle's bike shop
alley-cat urban-style rides
single-track - anywhere
Single speed, 29ers, fixed gear and commuter bike popularity
Julie for putting up with me!
Women's Mountain Biking Clinic
Punk Rock Cycling - all woman racing team
Des Moines Cycle Club continues to grow
ACME - club of baggers
Watching Google change the world
Iowa Bike Shops
more New Iowa Bike Shops
Gravelo
Graham's attention to detail
Team Skin - always a pleasure to party with
The Iowa Beer Ranger
CycleSound
the (old) kids on Team Mate
My old neighbor Will and his ever-growing cycling passion
Mary's Sunday School Rides
Fenders are cool
Fixed gears are cool
Custom bikes are cool
Bad Monkey's are cool
Bike Country's Christmas Light ride
Kim West Radio Cycling Show
Trail clean-up days
Big Wheel Ingenuity
BLOGS
Lake County cyclists - the Ankeny Club
"Real Bikers Pedal" - bought realbikerspedal.com
Craig Stafford - The Trails Ambassador
Baggers
New Baggers
Rob Versteegh and all the does
Joker Chuck - at a ride near you!
Jesse G, Kale H, Bob M, Jerome, Kyle S, Taylor W, Steve & Scott R, Lane A., M Gumm, JJ and and all the others who made RV's Renegade Cyclocross a HUGE success this year! Still looking for that January cross race RV!
R Bennett - Krewe Bead Whore, New Belgium Lover
Arkel panniers and Surly racks
Stevie Fry's photos and just spending time with the FryGuy
Cycling LUV
Team Barfly
Bus Driver Bill
Bill Rumme's insights
Iowa City cyclists
Peeps - A sugary meal
Weekly rides - all kinds
B&Bs on the trails
TACO ride - the big one on the Wabash
TACO ride - the small one on the Center trails
Monthly Hosts
El Mariachi
post-ride Tacos

EVENTS

Ride of Silence
Thanksgiving Turkey Ride
Track & Back
Big Wheel Rally
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
Pumpkin ride
Degree Ride
Spooky Woods Ride
RAGBRAI
TOMRV
Gravel Centuries
MS 150
Leap Frog rides
Charity Rides
Party rides and pub crawls
BikeWorld Expo
Team and Club Rides
Br. Bob Memorial Ride

OTHERS LISTS OF THANKFULNESS

Email your list to Biker@bikeiowa.com to be posted

Here is that cool little riff from Specialized again!

WHAT I'M NOT THANKFUL FOR

Brian Duffy getting laid off from the Des Moines Register (trails advocate, RAGBRAI co-chair and avid cyclist)
Jason Parkin getting laid off from KCCI (trails advocate and avid cyclist)
The Iowa Association of County's push to ban organized rides without insurance for the wrong reasons (but it did help cyclist band together!)
Cyclist are still getting inured and killed by motorists
Lack of prosecution for motorists who kill cyclists
Lack of a response from the State of Iowa regarding increased cycling accidents
Cyclists who don't have lights after dark
Cyclists who don't wear helmets
Monthly Hosting Fees

Happy Holidays to you, your family and all your bicycles!

Here is a recap of the past year's Holiday Features

2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Like the "Love 2 ride" ornament? - Get a set of 4 for $22.00 here