A rememberance of Rob Moorhead

“Anybody ever ride the velodrome?” Rob asked several months ago when he first walked into the bike shop where I work.

He was on his way to work just before our closing time and was kicking around an idea for a new bike. Rob looked just like many weekend riders, fairly unremarkable middle aged guy. As the months went by, he came in occasionally and looked over catalogs for Italian steel bikes and discussed the hostile riding environment in Livingston parish where he lived.

Over the course of several visits, I came to recognize Rob as a seasoned rider who was intelligent as well as risk averse. He knew his rights and at the same time knew how to make sure he was as safe as possible on the road. I learned he was a Veteran and a bagpiper with a local pipe and drum corps. I also learned that he flies medical helicopters often on the night shift, which gave him an excuse to drop-in to the shop in the evenings on his way to work.

Last week, he dropped his bike off for service, a custom titanium road bike with a well-worn leather saddle. This confirmed my suspicions that he was no Johnny-come-lately to cycling. He was training for a 1600 mile charity ride and wanted to make sure his ride was in good shape. Though Rob continued to train on a back-up bike, he called or came by every day to check and see if it was ready. We had been really backed up and every day I had to tell him, “no, not yet. I’ll let you know.” When he came by to check Monday, he brought in pamphlets and cards advertising his charity ride.

As a cyclist and piper, Rob was chosen to ride with a group on the Brotherhood Ride to honor the 411 fallen heroes who died in the line of duty at Ground Zero on 9/11. In addition to riding 60-120 miles a day from Naples, Florida to Ground Zero in New York, the group stops at memorials honoring fallen firefighters and law enforcement, and Rob would play the bagpipes in memoriam. All this was being done to raise money for nonprofits who continue to help the families these heroes left behind.

When I heard about another cyclist death, this time on LA-16 in St. Helena I was saddened as usual; every cyclist and pedestrian fatality is a tragedy, especially since so many could be easily avoided by common courtesy. It was only when I got to the shop on Thursday that I learned it was Rob. I read his name in the paper but I didn’t know the full name of every customer who hangs out at the shop. A coworker at the shop had called his house to let him know we finished tuning up his bike and spoke with Rob’s wife.

In disbelief, I went over to where his Serrota was stowed and read the name on the repair ticket.

Rob was a pretty average guy on the outside, looked like any other rider at a century ride. I had helped him most often at the shop so I wasn’t surprised when I showed the other guys his picture on the pamphlets he left the day before he died, and they said he didn’t look familiar. That was one of the things about Rob; he was pretty unassuming. He didn’t seek recognition for his charity work and only grudgingly discussed his role in the ride when guys at the shop asked him. He was more interested in talking about how he wanted to organize a ride across the state of Louisiana to honor LA’s fallen heroes.

Rob Moorhead was a retired Marine, a retired Federal Law Enforcement Officer, a piper, a AirMed3 pilot, and a husband. Riding his bike on a highway didn’t negate all of that to make him a Cyclist. Every year more bikes are sold in this country than cars, and nearly every ‘Cyclist’ I know owns and uses a car. Why we as a society feel the need to use labels to differentiate ‘Drivers’ from ‘Cyclists’ and treat each other different based on these arbitrary transient brandings to justify poor behavior, I don’t know.

What I do know is a pretty extraordinary member of society was tragically lost before I got a chance to get to know him better. He served his country, served and protected us, and transported people with medical emergencies, and he paid the ultimate price for simply riding his bike.

I hope everyone will consider helping me honor him and thousands like him who have died or been injured at the hands of careless people who often focused too much on texting or making up time and not enough on the road. The 2011 Baton Rouge Ride of Silence will be May 18th beginning from the parking lot across from the Vet School. Before we ride we will honor Rob and others who have been killed or injured with a song by the Caledonian pipe and drum corps at 6:30 and other events as yet to be determined. The ride rolls at 7 PM and will be a silent funeral procession no faster than a rider on a cruiser bike can ride comfortably. For more information please contact RideOfSilence@teamgeauxrace.com or go to www.rideofsilence.org.

Long time coming

A friend recently emailed a link to a LTE from an anti-cyclist NIMBY. The letter, as usual, has ignited a flurry of criticisms on what cyclists should be doing, and narratives on how people just don't understand, blah, blah. I do not give the NIMBY enough credibility to address her wildly skewed views.

Instead, my response to those who consider themselves part of the 'cycling community' (It's a little verbose, apologies in advance):

The laws state cyclist may ride two-abreast, regardless of who is following, passing, or lane-type. 20 cyclists riding single file stretches for over 50 yards while riding two-abreast only takes up 25 yards of lane (three-abreast is only about 10 yards, though some may be uncomfortable riding that close). The roads around AB are not wide enough for a car and cyclist to split a lane (giving 3-feet) without the car crossing the yellow line. Cars who come upon the riders in the DOW group (or other training roadies who are already traveling at speeds in excess of the speed limit) are coming dangerously close to a reckless driving threshold when going fast enough to pass.

I am the first to hold cyclists and motorists equally accountable for following the rules of the road. This woman and many others around the Alligator bayou and river road area are frustrated because they are inconvenienced by our presence. We are adding to the marginalization of cyclists by complacently segregating ourselves to these distant rural areas, content with driving further and further (for most of us Simon, Roberto) from civilization to areas that are 'safe'.

The author of the letter to the editor is wrong on many counts though she will find support with the majority of readers. Until we stand up for our rights THROUGH OUR CYCLING ACTIONS we will continue to be treated as oddities. Legislation has given us many rights but if we want to be ACCEPTED as valid road users we must act like valid road users

Of course this means we follow the rules of the road, that is the simple part -- stopping at stop signs, signalling turns, etc. We also need to realize that, as a minority, our emotional actions speak volumes. Always wave to passing vehicles no matter what the situation. If you feel threatened, get a plate number and report it, and still wave as they pass. Coming across to the public as kind helps everyone on a bike be treated more courteously.

The most important part of standing up for our rights through our cycling actions is the most difficult. The number one thing we can do as cyclists to end the marginalization of the bicycle as a toy is to ride IN TOWN. Studies show the more bicycles are present in traffic, the safer cycling is in the area, period. Sure, group rides are more scenic in the country, and there are fewer cars, but many of Baton Rouge's roads are great places to ride too. I know there are traffic lights, multiple lanes, drivers are crazy, roads have potholes, yada, yada, yada, bleeeh!!! There are plenty of excuses for NOT riding around town but if you're not going to do it then don't whine when you have to drive 45 minutes more to ride without people harassing you.

The surrounding areas are becoming more and more developed whether with the impending Casino on river road or the Audubon bridge in St. Francisville. You're naive if you think things are going to stay like they are and there's always going to be some secluded place to ride. What happens when AB gets sold to someone who is not bike friendly, or starts some kind or commercial enterprise??

Keep driving further and further away and see how that works for you in 10 years, or take a stand today through your riding habits and lay the groundwork for a larger and stronger cycling community in the decades to come.

Recapitulation

Wow. Just wow. Nothing like an incredible 4-day experience to change one's entire perspective on, well, everything.

I went in thinking I had a grasp on what the League of American Bicyclist is, what they do, what an LCI is and what they do, how a [critical] mass bike ride has to behave, etc. Nope. Not at all. Not even close.

I've returned with a new understanding of:
education--what might work and what will not,
LCI certification--why it matters and when it doesn't
structure of organizations--how do they function and how great and powerful can they become
funding sources--its not voodoo, or maybe that pin just got removed
the LAB--their role, limitations, and scope
Safe Routes to School and other programs that are begging us to help (and take their money to do so)
Careers--people do, in fact, make a living doing this stuff AND its not voodoo either!
-and so much more.

I'll talk more about several of these at the next BRASS meeting, Thursday, June 25, 6:30 Carver Branch Library, 720 Terrace Avenue.

Bike party!

Exhaustion

Here I thought, 'I won't have time to ride much with all these great sessions!!'

8 hours continuously on the bike later and, well, San Jose Bike Party has done me in for the night. No reports to give other than I will sleep peacefully.

Don't worry though, I have about 8 pages of notes from today I can't wait to share, just not righ nwwww...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Look for Baton Rouge Bike Party soon...

Exposition

We're here to become better ambassadors of the sport, of the activity, of the bike. What a great way to start a conference. The mixer allowed me to speak with many other activists, enthusiasts, and planners who came from PA, CA, LA, MN, NV, WA... who all face the same challenges we face in BR and many of them have overcome those challenges to flourish with funded, staffed programs, active members, and political success.

Lots of ideas have been planted and the conference has not yet started.

Look in the upcomming BRBC newsletter for a more in-depth coverage of the keynote speech by Dylan Casey of Google who used to domestique for USPS. He's an incredibly perceptive intelligent man who has the vantage of pro-racer, college grad, Google employee, and all-around great guy.

I know, less ponderous, more Pollyanna. Maybe it's the beer.

Arrival

Leaving the Airport, I was struck. Well, rather, I was struck by how I wasn't struck. Crossing the street to the bus stop to take the, ahem, FREE municipal shuttle to the Cal Tran Metro station more than one car stopped for me to cross in the cross walk. I didn't know what to do. There were 4 lanes of traffic waiting on me alone to walk for no reason other than they were supposed to.

It took me longer to notice the lack of humidity.

Preparation

San Jose is mere hours away. Flying out of BR and then again into DFW I was struck as always by the seemingly endless curving lines of houses filling miles and miles of property with the all-American single family home. Sprawling Neighborhoods where mom and dad drop the kids off to school before commuting an hour each way in separate cars.

How can cycling enrich their lives?

How can I reach out and improve their quality of life with a mere bicycle?

I don’t know yet. I have ideas, I know what I would want in their shoes. I know what I DO want in their shoes.

It has to be a combination of what we need, what we want, and what will work. Only when we compromise can we be successful.

It’s not ideal, but it’s a start.

I hate that.