I don't deny that a lot of riding--especially without proper conditioning or an ill-fitting bike--can cause pain, numbness and other problems.
I also don't deny that long hours in the saddle--especially if that saddle is wrong for the rider--can cause discomfort and even dysfunction in the genital area.
But it seems that every few years someone manages to whip up hysteria about how cycling causes sterility or worse. Back in the day, some of us used to joke that those folks were right and we indeed had "bike balls."
Yes, cycling can make you radioactive down there! ;-)
In a few posts, I've complained about poorly-conceived, -designed and -constructed bike lanes and paths. They lead to nowhere and expose the cyclists to all sorts of hazards.
Sometimes those hazards are embedded in the lane or trail itself. Among the worst are railroad tracks, especially if they run parallel (or nearly so) in proximity to the cycling route. Ideally, tracks and lanes (or paths) should cross at right (90 degree) angles or as close to it as possible.
If the tracks cross at a more oblique angle, the tires can graze against the rails, or get lodged against them, and send the cyclist tumbling to the ground. That's happened to at least half a dozen riders on the Centennial Trail where it crosses the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe tracks in Arlington, Washington, 64 km north of Seattle. At that point, the trail crosses the tracks at an angle of less than 45 degrees--or near the one o'clock position. (A 90 degree angle crosses at the 3 o'clock position.)
Recognizing the problem, the Arlington City Council has just awarded a contract to realign the trail so that the trail, which heads north, would turn east about 15 meters (50 feet) from the tracks so that it can cross at a 90 degree angle.
City engineer Ryan Morrison says the project will take about two to three weeks, and that it will timed to coincide, as best as possible, with improvements Burlington Northern-Santa Fe has planned for that same area. That means the work will start around late May or early June.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the coronavirus might keep you from getting the new bike you want.
The other day, I wondered whether quarantines or containment zones might keep us from doing some of our regular rides--or force us to re-route them.
Now I've learned that bike races, just like other sporting events can be affected. The Sea Otter Classic, which had been scheduled for next month in Monterey, California, has been rescheduled for 1-4 October.
Of course I understand organizers' reasons for re-scheduling the event. And, given that Italy is basically under lockdown because of its virus outbreak, it's no surprise that this year's Strade Bianche and Milano-San Remo one-day classic races have been postponed. So, I wonder whether upcoming "classics" further north in Europe, such as Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix will also be affected, as the scope of the outbreak is spreading and France has banned gatherings of 1000 or more people.
If those races are postponed or cancelled, what will happen to the Giro d'Italia, which runs in May, or the Tour de France or Vuelta a Espana if the epidemic engulfs those countries.
David Lappartient, the president of the Union de Cyclisme Internationale, says that canceling the Giro or the Tour would be a "disaster" for cycling. He seemed more optimistic about the prospects for the Tour, not only because he's French, but also because the worst of the crisis may pass before the race starts.
The Tour's grand depart is scheduled for 27 July--a week earlier than normal--because of the Tokyo Olympics, which themselves may be postponed.
Perhaps the Sea Otter won't be the only major cycling event in October after all. Or, to put it another way, the World Series might not be the only Fall Classic this year!
