Mar 02 2012

Trail Funding Alive… For Now

In today’s email, from Kevin Mills of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, there was a glimmer of good news. For now, it looks like trail funding is back on the table. I am very happy and proud that both Colorado Senators Udall & Bennett not only voted in favor of the proposed amendments to reinstate trail funding, but they also became co-sponsors. See, all those letters to congressional delegates paid off. Thanks to all you for contacting your Senators. Together, we made a difference.

trail sign

The future of trails is looking up.

So here’s a portion of the email from Kevin Mills:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday filed a new version of the federal transportation reauthorization bill that is expected to secure enough votes to proceed to a floor debate.

This new Senate bill includes a number of changes that are significant to supporters of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) and our many partner organizations working to secure continued funding for walking and biking infrastructure.

Most notably, the Reid draft includes the addition of a modified version of the bipartisan amendment cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), to provide greater local access to Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School funds.

This marks an interim victory for proponents of trails, bicycling and walking, as one of two amendments we have been seeking is now largely reflected in the bill advanced by Senate leaders of both parties.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/03/02/trail-funding-alive-for-now/

Feb 28 2012

Bike Power for Your Smart Phone

Charge Your Phone on the Trail

Many of you trail riders love your electronic gadgets. And you have found that cell phones are especially handy while navigating long trails. You use them to take pictures & video; they come in handy as GPS units for trail navigation; smart phone apps such as Motion X, Bike Maps & Trailsare nice also; and don’t forget little apps such as calculator, flashlight, currency converters &  weather programs.Heck, some of you even use them for crazy things like communicating with others… what a concept!!

logo for Bike2Power company

visit bike2power website

But as you have found out on occasion, there is one problem with smart phones on the trail. They are not blessed with unlimited power. Think about how many times you’ve run out of phone juice while out wandering the bike paths? I learned, early on, to have back-up power. For example, my Mophie battery power case comes in extremely handy for day-long trips. In most cases, it lasts just long enough to get me to the end of the day/trail. But it has drawbacks. For example, it has limited power and many peripheral phone devices don’t work with the power case surrounding my iPhone.

One possible solution to the power drain is a product called SpinPower by Bike2Power. By attaching SpinPower to your bike, it harnesses the power of your tire rotation to charge your cell phone. It works with both the Android and the iPhone and looks as if it’s easy to hook up. It can be used with almost any type of bike, but the website seems to be especially keen on using it while riding smooth trails. Although it can be used on road bikes, I get the impression that is not the ideal situation. It would also work fine on a mountain bike, but is not recommended for rough, bumpy trails. It would appear that rail-trails, urban trails, suburban trails, and park trails would be ideally suited for using Bike2Power’s SpinPower products.

 

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/28/bike-power-for-your-smart-phone/

Feb 25 2012

Trailsnet Moves to Web 2.0 by Allowing Users to Add Their Favorite Trails

The General James A Van Fleet State Trail in Florida is our newest trail on trailsnet. And here’s the best part… for the first time in trailsnet history, I wasn’t the one to add it. That may not sound like such a big deal, but it’s huge. It will greatly change the dynamics and the capabilities of the trailsnet website. In essence, we went from trail information being added by one person to a site with trail information being added by potentially thousands of people.

cartoon of internet browsing links

add some trail links

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; and our first step was recently taken by Steve of Florida Biking. I would like to thank Steve not only for adding information about the General James A Van Fleet State Trail, but also for providing suggestions and helping me negotiate that first user-generated trail on trailsnet. If you get a chance, click  on that trail link above and check out the Van Fleet Trail in Florida. I especially like some of Steve’s photos. They are a good example of how each trail has its own personality. How many other trails have alligator caution signs and what I believe may be alligator eggs. (Am I right about that, Steve?)

Add Your Favorite Trails

Now it’s your turn. I’d love to see other trails added to the trailsnet website. I still have quite a few bugs to work out and a lot of additions to make. For example, the current configuration only allows for United States trails to be added (sorry Barry) and barely half of the states are on there for right now. But believe me, that will all change. Over the next couple months, I’ll add the rest of the states; then I’ll work out a way (I haven’t quite figured out how it will work yet) to add the rest of the world. In the meantime, I welcome any comments, questions & suggestions.  As always, the best way to get those to me is in the comments area below.

To add a trail, just click on the “Add a New Trail” button on the horizontal menu bar directly above this post. (not the submit trail data… that’s for editing trails that are already on the site) You will have to register as a new user, but it’s a pretty simple process and doesn’t ask for too much information. Don’t worry about how much information you have right now. You can always add more later if you like. Of course the more information you add, the better. But every little bit helps. If you have photos, feel free to send those, too. Anywhere from one to ten photos is ideal. Unfortunately, photos that have large digital footprints won’t be able to be uploaded because of size restrictions.

I look forward to seeing some user-generated trails added to trailsnet. Thanks in advance for your help and input.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/25/add-favorite-trails-to-trailsnet/

Feb 23 2012

Paris Bike Tours

Sure it’s fun to ride the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia and the Santa Ana River Trail in California. But sometimes it’s just nice to hop on a bicycle and tour Paris, France. Especially when it’s with friendly, knowledgable local guides.

That’s just what you can do with Paris Small Bike Tours

bicycle rider with food in basket

oui, oui to French bike tours

. Join Vlad and his friendly staff for a Paris bike tour in small groups, for all ages. Discover Paris as an insider with an insider. Vlad’s guided bicycle tours are an excellent way to learn about the “must see” attractions, hidden gems and historic sites of the gorgeous City of Lights.

Maybe you can even talk Vlad into directing you to some awesome French trails. Tell him Kevin from trailsnet sent you.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/23/paris-bike-tours/

Feb 23 2012

Ralph Travels

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not.” – Ralph Waldo Emersontrail through deciduous forest

“Where’s Waldo?”  – Mrs. Emerson

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/23/ralph-travels/

Feb 22 2012

Trail Definition: What is a Trail?

How many miles of trails are there in the United States?

I posed this question to the Trails and Greenways forum on Yahoo Groups. And the ensuing discussion was incredibly informative and eye-opening. The short answer to my question was, “Nobody knows for sure what the total trail mileage in the U.S.” However, I was pleased to note that many people in the group agreed that it would be good to know that figure for numerous reasons, not the least of which is trail funding.

However, another very important question arose from the original trail mileage question. And that question was, “How do you define trail?” Some members wanted to know if little park trails that were mainly built to get park users from point A to point B (gazebo to pond for example) were considered trails. Would the C & O Canal Towpath be considered a trail?

How do you define trail?

trail bridge over stream

trail or no trail?

So I wanted to ask the trailsnet readers how they would define trail. Not to steer the conversation, but to help get it started, I’ll throw in one of my trail criteria. (or would that be criterion?) Keep in mind, this is just my opinion, so feel free to disagree. I think that any pathway that is physically connected to a road such as a sidewalk or bike lane should not be considered a trail. However, any connector trail or park trail, no matter how short, should be considered as a trail. (unless it is physically connected to a road)

So now it’s your turn. Using the comments option below, please share your definition of a trail.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/02/22/trail-definition-what-is-a-trail/