The one reason why I support St. Jude and participate in the St. Jude Bike Ride

The one reason why I support St. Jude and participate in the St. Jude Bike Ride
By:  Michael Lander

The St. Jude 24-hour team relay bike ride is one of many
fundraising events that are hosted by St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital whose primary mission is to make
every effort to save the lives of children like Alexandria.

Everyone has their own reasons as to why they do the St. Jude 24-hour team relay bike ride.  My reason is simple.   I do it for children like Alexandria.

Alexandria Whittington was born on Oct. 8, 1985. 

By the time that I met this sweet, precocious child, she was about 4 years old and she had already endured years of treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for leukemia.  She had been diagnosed with it when she was still just a toddler.

Alexandria never knew many days when she wasn’t being poked, prodded, and being stuck with needles.  Even though she had some good days, these were often followed by many that were very difficult and challenging, but that was her life, it was all that she ever knew, and she faced it with a strength and courage that I had never seen before or since.

Long before I knew her, my then girlfriend, Martha, had already become close to Alexandria and she would often make visits to see her and her mother whenever she could.  It was during these visits that she found out just how artistic, smart, and insightful that she was, which she thought was well beyond a child of her years.

Like most children, Alexandria enjoyed playing, whenever she could, but as Martha discovered, her playing was sometimes just a little different than other children. 

One time, as Martha was talking with her mother, she suddenly felt a very sharp pain on the back side of her hand.  When she looked down, it was Alexandria who innocently looked up at her and told her that she was just putting the IV into her just like the nurses often did to her at St. Jude.

After almost two years of dating, Martha and I became engaged and we set a date to get married in December 1991.  There was never any question in either of our minds who the flower girl would be and Alexandria was excited over the prospect of doing this and being a part of our wedding party.

Alexandria was as excited as we were to be
the flower girl in our wedding, which took
place in December 1991.

The year following our wedding was an especially difficult and harrowing time for Alexandria and her family.  In spite of the wishes and hopes of everyone, Alexandria’s condition did not seem to improve.

When she became really sick, one night she said she saw an angel and she watched it as it walked around her floor at St. Jude.

Shortly after she had that experience, on March 4, 1993, little Alexandria’s body could no longer fight the cancer that had ravaged it, and she was gone.  When I was told about her passing, I thought about the angel that she talked about and I found some comfort in the thought that this angel took her to a place where she no longer hurt or felt any more pain.

So you ask, why do I support St. Jude and participate in the St. Jude bike ride?  The answer is simple.  I do it for children like Alexandria.  I do it in her honor and in her memory.  I do it for families like hers and I do it to help raise money for all the great work that St. Jude is doing in saving children’s lives, which is provided without any financial cost to their families.  

I also do it so that St. Jude may one day find a cure so that no other Alexandrias in the world will ever have to face what she did now and in the future.

The Bikesmith offers mobile bicycle repair service and more throughout Memphis

The Bikesmith offers mobile bicycle repair service and more throughout Memphis
By:  Michael Lander

The Bikesmith, which is owned and operated by Jim
Steffen, has been in business about a year and it offers
a distinctively unique bicycle repair service throughout
Memphis.

The Memphis metropolitan area has about a dozen bike repair shops, but Jim Steffen has taken the model of a bike shop and turned it inside out. 

He has done this with his own bike shop, The Bikesmith, which is quite unlike any other.

Steffen began his mobile bike repair shop about a year ago and his business is unlike the conventional brick-and-mortar bike shops in and around our city because it isn’t the customer who comes to him, but it is Steffen in his brown Bikesmith truck that often comes to the customer. 

“I pick up bikes from people’s houses or I work at their houses.  A lot of what I offer is convenience.  I want to make it easier for everyone.  It can be hard to get your whole family’s bikes to the store for tune-ups, but I can come to you,” Steffen said.

Because he is able to provide his bike repair service anywhere, Steffen feels like that he has become a local bike shop to Memphians across the city, regardless of where they live.

“Being mobile means I can be a neighborhood bike repair store for any neighborhood in Memphis,” Steffen said.

Even though Steffen has only been in business for a year, he has many years of experience of working on many different kinds of bikes.

“I’ve worked on all types of bikes that include cargo, triathlon, road bikes, and more,” Steffen said.

The Bikesmith is open for business every day, but his hours change to allow him to schedule appointments with people at a time that is convenient for them. 

On Sundays, he can be found at the east end of the Greenline at Shelby Farms, (near Shelby Farm’s Bike Rental at the intersection of Farm and Mullins Station Rd).

Gary Jewell is among the many customers that he has had at Shelby Farms.

“I turned to him to replace a tube for my tire while I was on the Greenline and I thought he provided good service, at reasonable price, and was really a pleasure to do business with,” Jewell said.

Most of the business for The Bikesmith involves making
house calls, but Jim Steffen can be found at the east end
of the Shelby Farms Greenline (at the intersection of
Farm and Mullins Rd) on Sundays.

In addition to working near the Greenline, and making house calls, Steffen has also been available at various cycling events that occur in the Memphis area throughout the year.

“I’ve been honored to be part of a variety of events, especially the St. Jude Ride and I’m looking forward to being part of it again this year,” Steffen said.

Before Steffen started his business he worked at a digital printing company and today he is living his dream.

“I’ve dreamed about owning a bike store for a long time and I have slowly been taking steps toward fulfilling that dream,” Steffen said.

The Bikesmith is currently a one-man operation, but he would love nothing more than to expand his operation to include his dog, Steamboat, who he’d love to join him and keep him company.

Other than the love that he has for Steamboat and for working on bikes, he also has a real passion for bicycling.

“I love everything about biking.  I’ve done Ironman and centuries, as well as mountain biking for years and I also just love riding my cruiser on the Greenline, too,” he said.

Steffen is very optimistic and happy about the future for himself as well as for the city of Memphis.

“I’m just so excited to see Memphis become more bike-friendly and to see more bikers out there riding,” Steffen said.

As more people take up cycling for themselves, they should take comfort in knowing that there will be a smiling face and a helpful hand from The Bikesmith, if they ever need him.

To read more about The Bikesmith, click on this link to the peopleforbikes article, entitled, “Rolling Repairs:  A Mobile Bike Shop in Memphis” and you can also check him out on facebook, YouTube, and on Vimeo.

Cyclists find support from Memphis Mayor and many on the city council

Cyclists find support from Memphis Mayor and many on the city council
By:  Michael Lander

Bike trails in and around Memphis are immensely popular,
especially with those who would prefer not to ride on city
streets.

If cyclists in Memphis are looking for allies and supporters, they really don’t have to look very far.

Inside the Memphis Mayor’s office and the Memphis City Council chamber, cyclists will have no trouble finding those in elected positions who support them.

This support could not be made any more evident than by Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton himself.

Since he took office as the city’s interim mayor in 2009, his administration has actively pursued an aggressive plan to make cycling initiatives one of its priorities. 

He began his term by appointing the city’s first bike and pedestrian coordinator, Kyle Wagenschutz, and so began the monumental task of transforming the city and our streets, offering us new ways of getting around, and giving us new and better ways that we can begin to see ourselves and our city.

In less than six years, Memphis has gone from having no bike lanes at all to having 60+ plus miles of them and more are expected in the years ahead.  All of this has led the city from being labeled as one of the absolute worst for cycling to one of the most improved in the nation.

With what has already been done, efforts are continuing to be made to make Memphis city streets safer and more accessible to cyclists and others seeking alternative ways of getting around town. 

There are many scenic bike and pedestrian trails in both
Memphis and in surrounding areas that are easily
accessible and are often connected to on another.

As much as Wharton and his administration have done for cycling in our city, it is difficult to know if there will be a significant shift away from this if he does not win his bid for a second term in October.

Wharton is currently seeking re-election and there are six others vying for his position as city mayor.

Councilmen Harold Collins and Jim Strickland are two of the Memphis mayoral candidates who will be on the Oct. 8 ballot.

When asked about their position on cycling, and the continued expansion of bike lanes and trails throughout the city, both indicated that they are in favor of it, but for Collins that comes with some reservations.

“I am for bike lanes in areas where they are more likely to be used.  The Shelby Farms and Overton Park areas are ideal; however, to place bike lanes in communities that typically do not use them, …. and where traffic builds up, is not smart,” Collins said.

Unlike Collins, Councilman Reid Hedgepeth is not as concerned about the placement of bike lanes as much as what is done about them beforehand.

“I support cycling and bike lanes, but I believe neighborhood input and traffic studies are necessary,” Hedgepeth said.

Councilman Myron Lowery could not agree with him more.

“Bicycle lanes are good, but city government should be talking to communities before putting them in,” Lowery said.

For many years now, Memphis has been identified as being
one of the cities in the country with a disproportionate
number of people who are overweight and obese.  The
bike and pedestrian trails offer a possible remedy for
Memphians who want to lose weight and get into shape.

Other city council members expressed their unqualified support of cycling, with the notable exceptions of Councilmen Joe Brown and Berlin Boyd who failed to respond to numerous requests for a comment on this issue. 

Councilman Kemp Conrad was one who offered his unequivocal support of them.

“Bike lanes and trails are great and are a low-cost tool both for attracting/retaining people in Memphis and promoting a healthy lifestyle.  I live near the greenway and greenline and love to ride there with my family.  I was also a huge supporter of the Harahan project and got the sky cop cameras placed on the greenline,” Conrad said.

Councilman Bill Morrison expressed other benefits that he sees of bike lanes and trails.

“I believe it is vital to continue the growth of these projects and promote not only alternative means of transportation, but also to attract young professionals into our city,” Morrison said.

Councilwoman Janis Fullilove sees other benefits that cycling can bring to a city like Memphis.

“I support having more bike lanes and trails since we have an obesity problem in our city…. and it would be great for people to get out and ride instead of driving or riding all the time,” Fullilove said.

Councilwoman Wanda Halbert also supports cycling in Memphis, and agrees with Fullilove on the health benefits, but she thinks that more should have been done to inform Memphians about bike lanes beforehand.

With an ever-increasing number of bike lanes and trails
throughout Memphis, cycling has really grown in popularity
and it is expected to do so as further improvements are
made in the future.

“I believe a health and education initiative should have accompanied the creation of bicycle lanes that would promote and encourage bicycle riding, (especially family bicycle riding).  A health, educational, and promotional program would have helped to encourage the use of the lanes,” Halbert said.

Fullilove and Councilman Edmund Ford pointed to other cities that have experienced some success with cycling.

“I support cycling because I saw how successful it was in other places that I have been to like Copenhagen.  I saw many people there who rode and saw how we should be able to offer the same opportunities here,” Ford said.

Fullilove was impressed with what she saw closer to home.

“When I was in Washington, D.C., I was just overwhelmed to see how many people took bikes instead of driving their automobiles,” Fullilove said.

As supportive as council members are of bicycle lanes and trails in the city, several of them are less enthusiastic about having bike lanes placed directly on Riverside Drive itself.  

The city withdrew plans for installing any bike lanes on Riverside, pending further study, after objections arose in a public meeting on Mar. 26 where city engineers revealed two final design plans for that road.

For Halbert, the biggest concern that she has is the potential problem that bike lanes could have on the flow of traffic on Riverside.

In spite of construction and enhancements currently underway
at Shelby Farms Park, it is still a very popular spot for cyclists
and others in Memphis.

“I believe that busy streets such as Riverside Drive and Southern Ave. could include bike lanes if they do not reduce vehicular traffic lanes.  Those are exceptionally busy streets and can potentially cause a traffic nightmare, which we have seen, especially during big events,” Halbert said.

Other council members may be open to bicycle lanes on or near Riverside Drive, but they feel that public involvement is needed before any further actions are taken.

Ford is among those who have taken that position.

“I am not against bike lanes or an alternative plan being developed.  I just don’t like how the Riverside Drive reconfiguration issue was presented to the public without community involvement.  I represent many of the residents who live near Riverside Drive and I want everybody to have the chance to be heard and to be involved in the decision-making process,” Ford said.

Hedgepeth would prefer a more cautious approach before the city makes significant changes to the iconic roadway.

“I would like to make sure that all possible options are evaluated to ensure the safety of cyclists and motorists on Riverside Drive.  The one lanes verses two lane configuration should be further explored,” Hedgepeth said.

Collins is opposed, himself, to the bicycle lanes on Riverside, but may be open to alternative proposals.

“I would prefer not to have bike lanes on this roadway.  Perhaps it could be built adjacent to the sidewalk instead,” Collins said.

Shelby Farms has added four bike repair stations
throughout the park with one of these pictured on the
left.  These stations provide a raised bike stand, an air
pump, and a few tools for minor repairs.  Conway
Services helped to provide funding for these.

Lowery is one who believes that a compromise on this issue may be reached.

“Bike lanes should not be on Riverside Drive, but I have proposed that these should be put beside the walkway in Tom Lee Park instead of on Riverside Drive itself,” Lowery said.

Conrad thinks that the bicycle lanes on Riverside Drive could remain one of several viable options, but that more work is needed to find the best solution.

“I believe that bike lanes should be an option there, but that the pilot configuration was not ideal either for bikes or cars.  Bikes should definitely have a place there and I think the administration needs to put the work in to find the best configuration that allows for bikes and cars to co-exist along Riverside,” Conrad said.

Morrison is optimistic about a long-term solution being found for cyclists on Riverside.

“I believe in the future we will need to return to some capacity of bike lanes in this area.  The original approach may not have been the best, but I believe over time the benefits of bike lanes in this area will be significant,” Morrison said.

Fullilove is fully supportive of bicycle lanes on or near Riverside, herself, and would like to see it happen.

“I do support bike lanes somewhere in the vicinity of Riverside Drive.  We have a beautiful view and I think that people should be able to take advantage of it.  It is a plus for the city of Memphis,” Fullilove said.

Memphis Police Department sees many benefits of the bike patrol program for its officers and the community

Memphis Police Department sees many benefits of the bike patrol program for its officers and the community
By:  Michael Lander

MPD officers can frequently be seen patrolling downtown areas
on bicycle in Memphis and, in this case, are being accompanied
by public safety officers.

Riding a bicycle can be a very healthy activity, and it can be great recreational fun for those who do it, but for some in the Memphis Police Department it is actually a part of their job.

Even though bike patrols with law enforcement officers date as far back as 100 years ago, according to Memphis Police Department (MPD) Public Information Officer, Sgt. Karen Rudolph, the program did not actually begin in our city until the mid-1990’s.

Today, there are currently 350 to 400 certified bicycle officers who are qualified to patrol Memphis City streets.

In the 20 or more years since its implementation, the program has appeared to have been well-received by the general public and those MPD officers who have participated in the program.  Officer Antwan Suttle is one of them.  He is also a Memphis City Police Cyclist Instructor.

“I enjoy the opportunity to do bike patrol,” Suttle said.  “Cycling is a very good method of cardiovascular activity that helps me to maintain my fitness goals…. and I get the opportunity to work out while being paid to do so,” he added.

MPD officers on bikes are a common sight at special events in
the city like the Cooper-Young Festival, which is usually held in
September of each year.

Other than the health benefits to him and his fellow police officers, Suttle views the bike patrol program as giving him an opportunity to engage people in the community in a positive and more direct way.

“Bike patrols put you up close and personal with the community.  Getting out of the patrol car and engaging citizens on a bike is an excellent public relations tool and it gives people in the community an added sense of security just knowing that we are there,” Settle said.

That is a sentiment that is echoed by MPD officer Kevin Barrett.

“Bike patrol is a great tool in community oriented policing.  There is no barrier between police and citizens.  It allows for more personal interactions with the community that you cannot get in a patrol car,” Barrett said.

This lack of a barrier seems to be a big plus for the officers and the people in the community, as well, and Rudolph said that officers frequently receive favorable feedback from residents who see the bike patrols in their communities.  They express their appreciation to them for being there.

Even though some people might not notice them, there are
often bike patrol officers on Memphis City streets.  Several
bike patrol officers were among those in attendance at the
bike gate grand opening ceremony at Overton Park on
April 19, 2014.

For most precincts in the city, Rudolph said that the bike patrol is an additional duty for them, but that some officers who work in areas such as downtown do patrol on a very consistent basis.  They also work all special events in the city and in many midtown areas, among others, she said.

One of the added benefits that Settle sees with the bike patrol program is that it isn’t quite as noticeable and attention-getting as a police squad car or on a motorcycle can often be.

“The element of stealth and surprise that a bike officer is able to achieve is a great added feature,” Settle said.  “I can recall several situations where my partners and I have arrested individuals for attempting to break into vehicles and thefts from residences.  The suspects had no clue that we were there until it was too late for them to get away,” he said.

In order for a police officer to be on bike patrol, Rudolph indicated that there are certain requirements that they must first meet beforehand.

Bike patrol officers regularly patrol downtown and they can be
seen throughout the year and are trained and able to ride at
night.

“An officer must be off probation and they must complete a rigorous mandatory 40-hour police cyclist course with endurance rides up to 36 miles,” Rudolph said.  “These officers are tested on bike handling skills, drills, ascending and descending stairs, firearms training, nutrition, cycling at night, just to name a few,” she said.

The bikes that are currently in service and used by the MPD bike patrols are Raleigh, Trek, and Specialized.  The Specialized Rockhopper 29-inch wheel mountain bikes are the newest ones in their fleet and the police department is looking for grant opportunities to supplement and replace their older and more outdated bicycles.  All of the bikes that the department’s bike patrol uses are maintained by MPD officers.

Because of the ongoing and continuing need for police officers and for people in the community to work, cooperate, and to support one another, the police departments bicycle program may be one of the better ways to help make that happen.

This program offers a unique way for Memphis’ finest to be able to meet and to interact in a more direct and approachable way with those in the Memphis community while continuing to serve and protect it.

2015 St. Jude Ride is expected to be bigger and better than ever

2015 St. Jude Ride is expected to be bigger and better than ever
By:  Michael Lander

The St. Jude team relay bike ride begins on Friday evening at
6:00 p.m. and runs for 24 hours until Saturday evening at 6:00. 
This year the ride will be on Oct. 23-Oct. 24, 2015.  Only
one cyclist for each team is on the route at any given time,
which is approximately a 3-mile loop on Riverside Drive.

Once a year hundreds of them gather along the Mississippi River in Memphis with their bicycles, and for 24 hours they ride on relay teams for the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

These cyclists are drawn together for St. Jude Ride, a 24-hour team relay bike ride, which will take place this year along a portion of Riverside Drive on Friday to Saturday evening, Oct. 23 – 24.

Even though the cyclists who participate in this event are of different ages, skills, and abilities, they all share one thing in common and that is their support of St. Jude and its lifesaving work on behalf of the children who receive treatment there. 

Lee Bobo is the event director for the St. Jude team relay bike ride for the second year.

Everyone who signs up for the St. Jude ride is on a team and “we have solo teams, duo teams, and teams of up to 12 people,” Lee Bobo said.

The St. Jude bike ride had 305 cyclists in 2014 and the event
director, Lee Bobo, is hoping to have at least 500 for the
upcoming ride in October this year.

There are no limits on how teams are formed except that they are limited to a maximum number of 12 people.  They can be made up friends, families, co-workers, members of various clubs or other organizations, or a combination of all these and more. 

The upcoming 2015 team relay bike ride will be the fourth of its kind hosted by St. Jude, and it's something that Bobo is very much looking forward to and is excited about.  More than anything, she finds the whole experience of this event as something that is extremely fun and rewarding.

“The most rewarding part for me is seeing so many groups of people coming together for this one mission,” Bobo said.

That mission for Bobo is an enormous undertaking, but the payoff is huge since the money that is raised goes toward research and treatment.  It can offer hope for children and their families when they are confronted by one of the most difficult and challenging circumstances that they could ever face.

The St. Jude bike ride has cyclists with vastly different skills
and abilities and those who come to watch will have the
chance to see cyclists on everything from unicycles, hybrids,
road bikes, and even those bikes specifically made for racing.

"St. Jude Ride is a great way for cycling enthusiasts to not only push themselves to the next level, but do so while supporting a great cause," Chris Boysen said.  Boysen is the Sr. Vice President of ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and a regular participant in the St. Jude Ride.

"Fundraising events like this are critically important because the majority of St. Jude funding comes from individual contributions.  Because of events like the St. Jude Ride, the Memphis Walk/Run for Childhood Cancer in September, and the St. Jude Marathon in December, we are able to ensure that families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food.  The only thing families should worry about during this time is helping their child live," Boysen said.

The St. Jude Ride started in 2010 by Ann Leatherman who wanted to do it in appreciation of St. Jude and in honor of her daughter, Eliza.  Eliza was a St. Jude patient who successfully won her battle against a life-threatening disease.

The first year, it was a century ride that was called the ‘St. Jude Give Thanks, Ride’ and “the first committee was made up of mothers, aunts, and relatives of patients who wanted to give back to St. Jude,” Bobo said.

“The event was so successful that it became an annual event.  The next year, (in 2011), St. Jude decided to change it to the 24-hour model to make it a unique event especially for Memphis,” she added.

Since they made that change, the event has grown from 186 cyclists in its first year in 2011, to 280 cyclists in 2012, to 305 in 2014, and Bobo said that the goal now is to have at least 500 participants in 2015.

For some, the St. Jude ride is a big family event and, while small children
under 12 years of age are not riding in the event themselves, some of
them do have their own bikes with them like their parents.
(Photo:  Courtesy of Lee Bobo)

Click on this link to register for the 2015 event:  http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ride_home

This year, Bobo and her 10-person committee is planning to create a more festival-type atmosphere, which she hopes will attract more spectators and enable them to enjoy the event, along with the cyclists.  In order to do this, they are plan to set up risers where spectators can cheer on the riders throughout the day and night.  They will also be able to purchase a wrist band that will allow them to eat at the hospitality tent.

With the exception of these changes, and moving the event from late September to late October, Bobo said that cyclists will find much of what they have known will remain the same for this upcoming ride in the fall.

The ride will remain a team relay event, which means that only one person on a team can ride at any given time over the 24 hours that it takes place.  Team members can decide for themselves when they want to ride and they can switch off as they wish.
 

Many of the participants in the St. Jude ride pitch tents and spend
the night in one of the best locations in all of Memphis - in Tom
Lee Park.  (Photo:  Courtesy of Lee Bobo)

 
As in previous rides, cyclists will be required to wear a helmet and they must have a headlight and tail light on their bicycles, which must be turned on from dusk until dawn.

When they aren’t riding, cyclists can hang out and eat with their friends and/or family, cam out in Tom Lee Park, and listen to live musical performances late Friday night and throughout most of the day on Saturday. 

After the ride, teams will be recognized and will receive awards for the most money raised as well as those on the solo, two-person, and larger teams who complete the most number of laps on the 3-mile loop of Riverside Drive. Tracking is done with timing chips that each cyclist must have on them.

Long before cyclists ever show up for the ride, Bobo and many others behind the scenes spend countless hours planning and preparing for an event of this magnitude.  These efforts begin immediately after the current year’s event is over.
 

When cyclists are not out riding for their respective teams, many
of them find some time to talk, eat, rest, and some even have a
little time to play with the kids.  (Photo:  Courtesy of Lee Bobo)

 
“It takes a full year to plan, execute, promote, and work with all of our participants who sign up,” Bobo said.    

“I have a wonderful committee of 10 people…. and we have about 40 volunteers who come out and help from setting up, taking down, and everything in between.  It is a huge production to put together a 24 hour event like this and we appreciate all the help we can get to make it happen,” she added.

For those who might be interested in volunteering, they can contact Lee Bobo at Lee.Bobo@stjude.org and she will send them the sign up information.

The St. Jude Ride relies heavily on the help of its volunteers, and the hospital itself relies on the generosity of those who are willing to give.  Because of them, St. Jude is able to continue to provide the care and treatment to critically ill children, which it is able to provide at no cost to their families.

After riding, some cyclists find nothing more relaxing than just
sitting along the river bank and looking out on the Mississippi
River, which can be especially nice with the sun setting on
Friday evening.  (Photo:  Courtesy of Lee Bobo)

The hospital was founded in 1962 by Danny Thomas and it was his vision that no child will ever be denied treatment at St. Jude based on race, religion, or a family’s inability to pay.

"I think it is amazing that our founder, Danny Thomas, had the foresight to create a place where no child is denied treatment....  particularly during the 1960's - the height of a tumultuous time in Memphis," Boysen said.

As for Thomas' vision, the only way that it can become a reality is through its many fundraising efforts and the 24-hour relay bike ride is one of the those ways.  Last year’s ride raised $140,000.

For many, like Boysen, it is an honor for them to work at ALSAC, which is the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude.

"I have been here 20 years and it is so rewarding for me to be able to play a small part in this beautiful mission to help raise the necessary funds to operate the hospital and save the lives of thousands of children battling cancer," Boysen said.

As for the ride, there may be no better way to have fun with friends, family, and fellow cyclists for up to 24 hours while helping the children of St. Jude and their families. 

With the changes that have been made, it should be a much bigger and better event for the cyclists and spectators alike this year.

Cyclists can find reasons when and why to listen to music while riding

Cyclists can find reasons when to listen to music while riding
By:  Michael Lander

Music can make for an even more enjoyable experience
for some cyclists, especially those who are out on a bike
ride by themselves.

If you look around, it’s almost impossible not to notice it.

It seems like just about everywhere you go you see people with earplugs, earbuds, or headsets on, who appear to have tuned out the rest of the world and who’ve retreated into their own world of music.

In a way, it almost seems like we now live in a time that may put a new twist on what Timothy Leary was talking about when he said we should turn on, tune in, and drop out.

With so many of us plugged into our own music these days, it should really come as little surprise to anyone that there'd be cyclists who'd want to do the very same thing as everyone else.

As unsafe and dangerous as some people might think that it is for cyclists to ride and to listen to their music, it may very well be that cyclists have the support of some researchers and the law to back them up as to why they can and should be able to do it.

Contrary to what many people might think, with the exception of a handful of states around the country, it is completely legal for a cyclist to have a set of earplugs or earbuds in, or to have a headset on while they are riding their bike.  Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas are among the states that allow it.

Cyclists are just one of many, that includes runners and walkers,
who like to be outside, getting some exercise, and who want to
do all that while listening to the music that they love.

 
This is not to say that just because you legally can do something, that it necessarily means that you should.  The law can’t always protect us from everything, including ourselves, nor can it do that when we demonstrate any lack of common sense or good judgment on our part.

In all fairness to cyclists, though, it must be said that they aren’t the only ones around the streets listening to music.  It is not uncommon, for instance, to see people walking or running who are often doing the very same thing themselves, not to mention those who are in cars, trucks, and on motorcycles. 

In some cases, the only difference between the cyclist and the motorist is that the motorist may also be talking on a cell phone and/or jamming to some music without necessarily having something stuck in one or both of their ears as they are driving down the road.

Currently, there seems to be very little evidence that definitively proves that listening to music while cycling actually increases the risk of harming oneself any more than it would be for those who are walking or running on or near the road.  The real danger, though, may come from certain situations or settings, when a cyclist really needs to be able to hear what is happening around them. 

It is an especially bad idea to wear earplugs, earbuds or headsets whenever you are riding with other cyclists on a group bike ride or when you are on an extremely congested and busy city street.

Most cyclists tend to avoid using earplugs, earbuds, or headsets while on
group rides since it can make it difficult to hear other cyclists as they try
to communicate and worn one another of actions that they may be taking
or potential hazards that they may come up to.

When riding with other cyclists, it’s always very important to be able to hear what they are saying and what hazards that they might be trying to warn you about.  It is for this reason that cycling event organizers routinely discourage the use of anything that might prevent you from hearing other cyclists who may be around you. 

Cyclists, or anyone else for that matter, should never listen to their music at a level that prevents them from hearing what is happening around them. This is as important on the bike and pedestrian trails as it is on the city streets.

Permanent hearing loss can occur at a sustained level of 85 decibels and cyclists can really get into trouble whenever they attempt to drown out the noise around them by turning up the music even louder.  Repeatedly doing this can result in permanent hearing loss. 

Instead of risking the chance of hearing loss, or being oblivious to the sounds around them, cyclists do have a few alternative solutions that are well-worth considering. 

One of the first options you can try is to leave one earplug/earbud in and taking the other one out, (preferably the one in your left ear since it’s in the direction of the road), or you can try turning the music all the way up and putting the earplug or earbuds around your neck. 

You can also try installing portable speakers or you might want to look into a set of headphones that are specially designed specifically for cyclists and their safety in mind. 

Even though some people might see some risks of listening to music
while riding on the city streets, cyclists need to be just as cautious
and careful, if not more, when they are on bike trails since there are
many runners, walkers, and other cyclists sharing the same small
area with one another.

Either way that you go, any one of these options should enable you to listen to your music while helping to minimize some of the risks that might come with trying to listen to your music while riding.

For those opposed to cyclists listening to any music at all, Josh Levin, in his article “Not Right in the Head – Listen up, cyclists:  Riding with headphones is incredibly dumb,” offers some of his thoughts as to why he thinks that cyclists should not ride with anything at all in or over their ears.

Coming to the defense of cyclists who do want to listen to music while they’re riding is Sociologist, Dr. Katrina Jungnickel, from the University of London, and Dr. Rachel Aldred from the Planning and Transport School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Westminster. 

In their research, “Cycling sensory strategies:  How cyclists mediate their exposure to the urban environment,” they found that “in contrast to media representations of the ‘iPod zombie cyclist’ who (is) plugged into a mobile audio device, (who) lumbers insensitively and dangerously through the urban landscape,” that the cyclist actually uses the music as a way to comfortably adapt and cope with the environment around them. 

Jungnickel and Aldred concluded that their research found that “cyclists are just as consciously aware, if not more, of their sensory engagement as other transport users and they engage in sensory strategies that manage their exposure to it.”

As nice as it can be just to ride and listen to some of the sounds around you, or to be left to your own thoughts, music can make a ride so much more enjoyable when you are riding all alone. 

In spite of what people might think, there is little evidence to
suggest that, in most instances, there is a significant risk or
danger for cyclists who like to listen to their music verses
those who don't.

Music can be smoothing, inspiring and uplifting and it can help to motivate you on a long and difficult bike ride.  Sometimes, it can even help to take your mind off of just being tired or sore, to focus more on the cool rhythm and beat, lyrics, or the melody of the music and it can even boost your overall well-being.

With the right music, coupled with the enjoyable experience of a bike ride, it can be a surefire way to increase your serotonin and dopamine levels, and when you combine this with the surging levels of endorphins that come from a strenuous physical activity like a bike ride, it can really make for a potent recipe or cocktail that can help you find your proverbial happy place.

For all the arguments raised against having music playing on a bike ride, there does seem to be equally compelling and legitimate reasons why, for the most part, it might not be such a terrible thing.

The bottom line is that each and every cyclist needs to know where they will be riding and whether or not they will be riding alone or with others before deciding if they should pull the earplugs, earbuds, headsets out and ride.