Aug 08 2011

Ski all year long with the Skizee

On a recent trip to Canada, my dad met a guy who is a partner in a venture called Skizee.

Knowing that I am interested in alternative transportation, Dad got me a web address for the Skizee and so I looked it up online. It is like a ski – snowboard – skateboard version of the Ridekick. Whereas the Ridekick is a self-propulsion system for bikes, the Skizee does the same thing for skis.

It’s almost like an infinite chairlift. Next stop… wherever!!

Take a look at the video and imagine the possibilities:

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/08/08/ski-all-year-long-with-the-skizee/

Aug 01 2011

Time for Sustrans in America

If you’re not familiar with Sustrans or the UK National Cycle Network, then you’re not familiar with one of the most valuable tools available to mankind.
Okay, so I may be guilty of a slight bit of hyperbole, but Sustrans truly is amazing. Basically, it’s all about sustainable transportation in Great Britain and bicycle transportation plays an important role in the equation.

The Sustrans link I have provided here is to an interactive trail map. In a recent email I received from Sustrans’ Information and Trading Officer, Sam Howard, I discovered that, “Approximately  one third of the National Cycle Network is made up of traffic-free cycle routes.” The only problem with the interactive Cycle Network map is that I could literally spend all day perusing it. Between my obsession with the UK and my love of bike trails, the map has an almost hypnotic draw.

England’s Sustrans provides an active way to
view the scenery and history of the UK.

If you haven’t had enough statistics yet, the bikehub.com website reveals that, “420 million journeys were made in 2010 on the National Cycle Network, of which 204 million were on foot and 216million were by bike.” So that means that, despite what so many naysayers are spouting here in the U.S., a national trail network gets use and easily pays for itself economically, environmentally, and physical fitness…ly?!

And Sustrans and its interactive map is exactly what I’ve been trying to pitch to my congressmen lately. A network of trails is great, but we also need a unifying body to consolidate all the resources and to get the word out. What good is a network of trails without the people to use them?

I would love to hear from any of you who have experience with Sustrans or would like to see something similar in the U.S. Heck, even if you don’t think it would work, I’d like to hear from you and your reasoning as to why it wouldn’t. Don’t be afraid to leave a comment below. You can do it anonymously or loudly and proudly.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/08/01/time-for-sustrans-in-america/

Aug 01 2011

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/08/01/hello-world/

Jul 31 2011

Nature is the Key to Happiness

I have often cited the important role that trails play in overall health and well-being. And I have specifically discussed how trails seem to have an incredibly positive effect on mood and attitude.

For a quick dose of nature’s medicine,
find a nearby trail.

But I also attributed a lot of that positive force to the healthful benefits of exercise. It turns out, I was only partially correct; and that’s good news. Because if exercise was the only good aspect to trails, then people could get the same results by working out in a gym.

But a relatively new study out of the University of Rochester shows that being outdoors and surrounded by nature may play an even bigger role in the positive effects of trails on our mood.

The study was carefully conducted to neutralize the exercise-effect by comparing people who walked indoors with those who walked outdoors. It became fairly obvious that nature and the outdoors environment played a significant role in boosting people’s morale. This is not to downplay other factors such as exercise and social interaction. Many studies have shown that these are also important factors in happiness and contentment. However, it would appear that Mother Nature may play the most significant role of all.

So when you’re feeling down and need a quick pick-me-up, just hit the trail. You’ll soon be feeling the effects of exercise, social stimulation, and, best of all, nature’s own magic elixir.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/07/31/nature-is-the-key-to-happiness/

Jul 28 2011

A Coordinated Trail Network

I recently met with a representative for Senator Michael Bennet. I was scheduled to meet with Senator Udall in June, but was unable to make it to Washington D.C. as planned.

At my recent meeting with Representative Bennet’s assistant, I asked him to deliver the following letter to Colorado Senators about assisting me in developing a coordinated network of trails in the United States:

Dear Senators Bennet and Udall,
Thank you for the opportunity to present you with my ideas.I am confident that you will find this information useful and worthwhile.
I am a retired public school teacher and currently producea non-profit website and blog at trailsnet.com. As a lifelong bicyclist andtrail-user, I believe that the United States has one of the most incredible andextensive systems of trails in the world. I also believe that this system is vastlyunder-utilized and often unheralded.
Thirteen years ago, I had the opportunity to ride theTrail of the Hiawatha in Idaho. It is easy for me to remember this eventbecause my daughter was one year old and my father was in his mid-seventies.This was a pivotal moment in my life, because I had not realized that suchtrails existed that would allow three generations to explore history, nature,tunnels and trestles while sharing valuable time together and getting anabundance of fresh-air and exercise.
I began to research trails on the Internet and had adifficult time finding any information about the vast network of trails that Iwas starting to discover through travel, word-of-mouth, and extensive research.So I decided to develop my own website to help people find trails. I wasespecially interested in highlighting family-friendly trails that could be usedfor both recreation and transportation.
The more I researched, the more I discovered an abundanceof such trails. Now, after thirteen years of trail sleuthing, I have good newsand bad news. The good news is that there are not only thousands of greattrails out there, but there are also a multitude of websites devoted to helpingpeople find these trails. The bad news is that there is very little coordinationof the various trail entities and websites. The other bad news is that there isstill a lack of information (at least coordinated, comprehensive information) availableto potential trail users. The trails exist, but most people do not know aboutthe trails. And many of the websites devote the majority of their time andresources to mountain bike trails than the utility trails that are useful tomost Americans. In fact, most of the trail websites still do not even have aspecial category dedicated to multi-use, accessible trails such as rail-trailsand canal trails.
As I travel the country, riding and researching trails, Iam constantly amazed that people aren’t aware of the wonderful trails locatedright in their back yards. Once these people are made aware of the trails, theylove them and use them prodigiously. And think of what that means for ourcountry. With increased trail use, comes decreased obesity, decreased traffic,decreased fossil fuel use, decreased sedentary lifestyles, decreased pollution…
What would it take to vastly increase the use of ourAmerican trails? Surprisingly, it would take very little. In a word, it wouldtake coordination. The trails alreadyexist in abundance. The organizations such as American Trails and Rails toTrails Conservancy already exist. The websites such as Traillink, Everytrail,and Alltrails already exist. The government agencies such as the ForestService, National Park Service, and Department of Transportation already exist.What is missing is the coordination between these entities; and another missinglink is any type of coordinated communication to the general public. There isno synchronizing body to bring these various agencies together.
It would not take a great deal of funding to provide thecoordination needed to bring this issue to the forefront. In fact, it would takevery little if any federal government funding. For a relatively small level offunding, we could educate Americans about the trails that are available. Wecould organize the systems that currently exist so that our trails arediscovered and utilized to their maximum potential. We could help individualstake advantage of the health benefits of our trail system and small businessestake advantage of the economic benefits of nearby trails. Studies have shownthat trails have a far-reaching and positive impact on the communities throughwhich they pass, but many of these communities have no idea how to takeadvantage of such opportunities.
I would like to help develop a system that allows us tocoordinate and make use of our current trail system to a much greater extentthan it is currently being utilized. Whether this program is funded throughstate government, federal government, corporate sponsors (REI, Trek, Microsoft,etc.),  non-profits (Rails toTrails Conservancy, American Trails), website sponsors (Expedia, Trails.com,Google) or private donations, it is time to introduce the American people tothe incredible resources already located within their country, state, and community.
I would greatly appreciate your help in getting thisinitiative off the ground. Colorado has a rich history of outdoor recreationand environmental stewardship. Wouldn’t it be great if Colorado’s electedrepresentatives took the lead on this issue? It is one of those rareopportunities to make a substantial impact with very little governmentspending. And the impact would be far-reaching including: recreation,transportation, environmental responsibility, healthy lifestyles, and jobcreation.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this issue. Ilook forward to hearing from you about helping to create a new direction forone of America’s greatest yet most underutilized assets. Please contact me forfurther ideas, information, and suggestions. I greatly appreciate theleadership you two have provided for our state and country. I am proud to haveyou as Colorado’s elected representatives.
Respectfully yours,
Kevin L. Purdy

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/07/28/a-coordinated-trail-network/

Jul 21 2011

Why do you ride your bike?

I recently found a quote that aptly describes why I love bike trails. It also illustrates a different biking philosophy than the norm:

“Moving fast is not the same as going somewhere.”  – Robert Anthony

What does that have to do with biking and trails?

I think it has a lot to do with my biking style and that of many other rail-trail riders.

It seems like most bikers I meet are into speed. They are more concerned with getting from point A to point B… quickly. Whether they are on a road bike or a mountain bike, they are sprinting down the straight stretches and blasting around corners. If they are riding with others, they are concentrating on the competition of going faster than the next guy. How many people can I pass, how quickly can I get “there?”

That’s what I see on the roads, and that’s what I see on mountain bike trails. But when I’m on a destination trail (rail-trail, canal trail, distance trail) I see the opposite. People are riding for the joy of riding.  Their priorities seem to be to enjoy:

enjoying a Wyoming rail-trail

  1. the scenery of the trail
  2. the outdoor experience
  3. the camaraderie
  4. the fresh air
  5. the relaxation
  6. nature
You’ll notice that nowhere on that list are the words speed, competition, or thrill-seeking. 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against those pursuits. My point is, “It’s nice to have somewhere to go where you can get away from those things when you want to relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy the great outdoors. There’s enough stress in everyday life without also forcing it into your vacation, hobby, or leisure pursuit.
So where can you go to find such peaceful and tranquil trails? Well for starters, here’s a list of states with links to their premier destination trails:

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/07/21/why-do-you-ride-your-bike/