Bicycle Fatalities USA National Parks

米国国立公園事故死２００７年−２０１１年

According to National Geographic, the leading cause of accidental death in US national parks is drowning. That accounted for 37% of all fatalities, in American national parks, between 2007 - 2011.

Every year some 275 million visitors head to US national parks.

Last summer, two of those were mauled to death in bear attacks in Yellowstone. While animal attacks generate big headlines, they account for just 0.6% of all deaths.

The other causes were:

23%: Motor Vehicle Accident
18%: Fall
4%: Exposure (to either heat or cold)
3%: Plane Crash
2%: Avalanche
1% Bicycle Accident
0.9%: Poisoning
0.6%: Animal Attack

Ride safe, be prepared.

The deadliest parks in terms of fatalities were:

65 fatalities: Lake Mead Recreation Area
42: Grand Canyon
42: Yosemite
31: Glen Canyon Recreations Area
29: Golden Gate Recreation Area
28: Denali

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This Week in World Cycling News 6 May 2012

今週のサイクリング２０１２年０５月０６日

Bike to Work Day Transportation Alternatives

Tour of Britain: Route chosen is the toughest yet, say organisers BBC

Cycling notebook: City rolls out bike program downtown Houston Chronicle

Cycling initiatives are favourite green policies of Greater Manchester candidates Guardian

Route Verte Vélo Québec

Invitación: Flashmob por un aire limpio Bicitekas

商务部：欧盟对华自行车反补贴调查属滥用贸易救济措施 Caijing

幅３メートル未満の歩道、自転車通行原則ダメ　警察庁規制強化 Sankei

New Giro director wants to make race more friendly Yahoo

Last Week's Cycling News


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Kyoto Fixed Gear Bicycle

京都のフィクシー

Whenever we see a fixed gear bicycle, we realize, again, that we are old.

No, not old old, but we are a middle-aged bourgeois commuter riding a mass-produced reasonably-priced Taiwanese cross bike.

And we love it. It takes the rain, the beating, and even our clumsy attempts at tuning it up.

Aside from replacing the tires once, periodic derailleur adjustments, brake pad replacement, we have done no major repair work. It keeps on rolling, day in and day out, six years on.

A fixed-gear bicycle, or "fixie," is a bicycle with no freewheel.

Simply translated, that means it cannot coast; without pedaling the bike will stop.

Thus, when the rear wheel turns the pedals will and must move in the same direction. Braking is thus done by stopping pedaling; as a result, many fixies are sold without brakes (the Japanese police frown on this).

It is also apparently possible to ride backwards.

The bikes have a clean look - no derailleur, no brakes, no wiring - and popular among young men but we still don't get it.

No coasting? No handbrakes?

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Kyoto Kamo River Spring

京都鴨川春

Spring finally came to Kyoto last weekend.

And the city poured outside, to parks and the Kamo River.

These photos were taken just north of the bridge that crosses the river at Imadegawa, east of the Imperial Palace and Doshisha University.

It is where the Takano River and Kamo River come together and form the Kamo River (different Chinese characters, same pronunciation).

It is moreover a popular spot for picnics and cycling.

The picture above right shows the place where the two rivers join. There are small concrete steps in the river, which children (and adults) use to hop across the water.

Below left shows the path in the foreground, Mount Yoshida in the distance.

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Kyoto Traffic Public Awareness Campaign

交通安全啓発活動実施中京都上京区

In front of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, a battalion of middle aged men in bright yellow reflective vests were passing out public safety packets aimed at cyclists.

Of the fifty or so men working the street, the man who sidled up to me was polite and chatty and funny. He was a Lions Club member - as they all were - and explained the purpose of the campaign and then handed me not one but two packets.

The package included the de rigueur tissue pack, a reflective sticker, a pink and white pen, a pack of Q-tips, and the pamphlet pictured at right.

The pamphlet features the Kyoto Asto Dreams women's baseball team's star pitcher Kawabata Yuki riding a bike and making a pitch for the use of helmets.

The campaign is co-sponsored by the Lions Club, the Kamigyo Ward Kyoto Police, Kamigyo Ward Office, and the Juraku Center for the Severely Disabled.

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Kyoto Bicycle Storage Lot

京都三条乗千本保管所

The dreaded bike grave.

Near the intersection of Senbon - Sanjo, just south of JR Nijo Station (the rail line runs above the fence), is the storage area for towed bicycles.

Back in the day, we made three trips to the deep south of Kyoto to retrieve our beloved mountain beater bike after it had been towed.

We paid a fee, were told which section of the storage area the bike was parked in, and set out under the hot sun to find the bike.

It appears that the city now has a lot more centrally located.

Parking in Kyoto is still a problem - for pedestrians mainly, who have to navigate around bicycles piled up on sidewalks - but is much much improved compared to even five years ago.

Moreover, the city still posts advanced warning notices telling of the arrival of the tow truck, usually two or three days prior.

Still, there is nothing quite like returning to the place the bike was parked, find it gone, and then having to make a trip to the tow lot, tail between legs, and fork over 2300 yen to get back the bike.

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Kyoto Mt. Hiei from Takano River Bridge

京都比叡山高野川自転車

The Takano River and the Kamo River join north of downtown Kyoto, at Demachiyanagi, and form the Kamo River (different kanji).

Both photos were taken on a bridge that spans the Takano River near Kitaoji.

The day was blustery and cold for late April.

The photo above right shows Mt. Hiei, on top of which sits Enryakuji Temple.

The photo below is looking straight up the river towards the hills to the north.

The area is close to Kitayama and other points in northeast Kyoto, such as Shugakuin Villa.

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