Watch Out For This Bill In The Hawkeye State

 Call me a paranoid conspiracy theorist.  But whenever I hear about any proposed bicycle-related legislation, especially in a “red” state, I translate “public safety” as “anti-bike.” 

At least, that was my reaction when I learned about HB 637, introduced two weeks ago in the Iowa State Legislature. If passed, it would effectively ban cycling on the country roads—one of the most appealing features of The Buckeyes State.

The bill includes this:  “a person shall not use a device on a roadway with a speed limit above 25 miles per hour.”  The bill’s definition of devices includes electric personal mobility devices, along with pedestrian conveyances such as wheelchairs, scooters and skateboards. And bicycles.

Given that most rural roads have speed limits greater than 25 MPH, the bill, if passed, would effectively make a ride in the countryside illegal. 

But it seems that whoever wrote the bill also wants to put a stranglehold on urban couriers and delivery workers:  “While using a device, a person shall not carry a package, bundle or article that prevents the person from keeping the person’s handlebars at all times.”

If what I have mentioned so far doesn’t sound ominous enough, consider that the bill also would require that all devices brake in a way that allows skidding.  Whoever wrote that part of the bill has never been on one of the mentioned “devices,” for anyone who has knows that safe stops don’t include skidding.  All modern bicycle braking systems—caliper or disc—are therefore designed for controlled stopping power.

The worst thing about the bill is that it mandates a criminal record for anyone who violates the ban on “devices” on roads with 25MPH+ speed limits. An infraction would result in a “simple misdemeanor” charge that carries a sentence of up to 30 days in jail and fines of nearly $900.

Fortunately, the bill’s passage has stalled, at least for now. The Legislature Public Safety Chair said it “needs more work” but offered no other insight into its possible future.

No More Ice Puns, Just Cold,

 Early this morning the temperature dropped to -2F (-18.9C) in my corner of the world. And the wind gusted to 30 MPH (50 KPH).

What Does He Call It?

 Why do some of us name our bicycles? Well, for some of us—for me, anyway—bicycles are companions in our journeys.  Thus, our bicycles have stories, and it only seems fitting that anything with a narrative, or narratives, should also have a name.

Our bicycles’ sagas include epic rides and errands, life-changing events and daily routines. Also, our bikes have, if you will, their origin stories, whether with robots in a Southeast Asian factory or a craft shop in Portland.  Or, in the case of one machine, specifically a “skyscraper” bike, its conception, if you will, took place in a Midwestern university’s engineering class.

Wynn Grame “saw an image” of a double-decker bike like the one he built “and it just stuck in my head.” Once friends donated bikes, he recalled, he “just had to do it.” And so his class project, and current mode of transportation, began.

From cutting up the frames to taking his first ride, Grame’s build took six weeks during which he squeezed in shop time while working on his summer internship and on weekends.

Sometimes, our bike stories include learning something new, whether about a custom in some place where we take a ride or a skill which may or not be related to the bike.  In Grame’s case, it was something essential to the origin of his bike:  Before he started building it, he had never welded.  Not even once.

I have seen “crane” or “giraffe” bikes like his, but have never ridden one.  So it was very interesting to learn that, aside from the “cool” factor, there are benefits to riding his creation. It “offers excellent visibility on the road,” he explained, “because cars can see you immediately” and are “very cautious around you.”  Hmm…Does that make “blinkies” and reflective clothing unnecessary?

I’ll take his word for it and give him “props” for building a bike.  But with so many interesting stories already part of its identity, I wonder whether Wynn Grame has given his bike a name.