Slate updated its video of the stupidest bike lane in America.  Oh yeah. That's dumb.

larger view

 After participating in the Cuero Wildlflower Ride earlier this month, I wanted to go on another. The Fiesta Wildflower Ride in San Antonio started and ended at the Retama Park racetrack parking lot on Sunday morning, April 20.

 I was not quite ready for the century ride and the 65-mile route was a bit much for me right now so I opted for the 40-mile course. A few dozen other people made the same choice, although there were a number of hardy souls who tackled the longer courses.

 Our 40-mile ride winded through Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties and included rural roads, residential areas and (briefly) some major highways. Riders gazed at horses, cows and goats grazing in the fields. We even spotted some buffalo in a fenced-in Comal County pasture. Later, we encountered a couple of young skateboarders and a few Sunday morning sidewalk joggers.

 Rest stops were situated every 10 miles and offered water, Gatorade, fruit and cookies. Restrooms were also available. At the rest stops, I saw all the riders who had passed me by earlier.

 Most of us had, at least, 10-speed bikes but there were a few variations. A couple of riders chose recumbent bikes as their mode of transportation and one ambitious dad rode a bicycle built for three. He had his two young sons pedaling on seats behind him and then had a small trailer attached with a bicycle-helmeted toddler inside. Noticing this arrangement at a rest stop, one rider shook his head and said in half-jest, "well, he brought that on himself." I knew what he meant as the course included a couple of rather steep uphill climbs.

 At the finish line, I was handed a ride pin and a Popsicle. Food and refreshments were available as returning riders congratulated each other and compared notes on the ride.

 Next up are rides in Columbus and Schulenburg in May. Anybody wanna come with me?

- Eric

Reading this post saddened me. Ernie, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I always get a little queasy when I hear about someone dying this way.

I think most of us who ride on the road do whatever we can to keep ourselves safe. We wear helmets, ride with traffic, obey laws, use lights and reflectors and just plain pay attention. If you're not sure about the rules of the road, check out this page. The Victoria Police Department also keeps a stack of bike safety pamphlets in the lobby.

Even if you follow all these rules, tragedies, like what happened to Ernie's friend, can happen. We're on tiny bikes and largely at the mercy of drivers in vehicles that outweigh us many fold. Drivers need to remember that bikes are part of traffic. There's no reason to cut as close as close as possible to a bike or to curse at riders. And like cyclists, drivers need to pay attention to the road.

If you're interested in a share-the-road reminder, try this. So cute! I might consider getting one.

I drove up Highway 77 on my way to Fort Worth on Thursday, so I got a wildflower preview. I lived through a Texas spring, so I was stunned by the fields speckled with as much color as Jackson Pollock's studio floor.

Saturday's ride was spectacular -- and made better by the fact we were on bike, without a barrier of glass between us and the flowers. Plus, my pretty yellow bike has flowers, so I totally blended with the landscape. Oh -- and we saw a donkey a goat, ponies and cattle.

The community support for the Wildflower ride is amazing. I don't want to think about how early the volunteers wake up, but somehow they're perky and helpful. Besides snacks (I love peanut butter!) the rest stops had tubes for flat tires and first aid kits.

Eric and I did the 32 mile ride. I ride my bike around Victoria, so in the past few months I've gotten used to flat rides. This route was not flat. But that's good. The extra incline made me feel like I earned a big lunch and an afternoon beer.

I'm sure Eric will have impressions he wants to share about the ride. I definitely recommend it. What rides do you recommend in the area?

 Well, another Cuero Wildflower Bike Ride has come and gone and I was happy to once again take part in it.

 The morning began with cool temperatures but once we got started, riders - and the weather - warmed up. It was "Chamber of Commerce" weather, making a perfect day for a bike ride out in the country. Local law enforcement officers halted traffic downtown so we could make it safely through and members of the Anchor Club provided refreshments and much-needed support along the way. I especially appreciated the warning signs held by members at the railroad crossing. Support was also available in the form of a first aid kit, bicycle pump and extra inner tubes at the church on Schlinke Road. I hope none of our fellow riders needed them but it was great having those available, just in case.

 I had signed up for the 49.5 mile ride but at the first rest stop, my ride buddy, Leslie Wilber and I were to part company. Leslie chose the 31.7 mile route and was to take the left fork in the road while I was to take the right fork. Well, I didn't feel like riding alone so I joined Leslie for the 31.7 mile route and I'm glad I did for the roads had little traffic and the colorful wildflowers were magnificent.

 I could add more but I will stop for now and give Leslie a chance to add her thoughts about the ride. Also, I would invite any of you other riders that took part in the Wildflower Bike Ride to share your stories about it.

-Eric 

If you like bikes you might have seen this clip on Slate.

Let me (speaking for Leslie, not necessarily Eric) say the evil civil engineers who come up with these designs should be punished with an eternity of walking through Wal-Mart parking lots.

This is not the only micro-distance bike lane, though. I moved here from Boulder, Colorado a place known for problems in the DA's office and bike friendliness. Even with the great network of paths sometimes lanes would end suddenly somewhere... bad. With big trucks.

Still, I'm a bike-lane fan. Lots of drivers don't want to share the road. Bike lanes help make us more visible. Plus, they send the message that, yes, bikes belong on the road to all those who would yell, "Get on the sidewalk!"

What's your take on bike lanes?