Plainville Greenway Alliance

Here's our fearless PGA member (and blog creator), Merrill Gay in his shiny new velomobile, at rest. Take a good look, because he will not be at rest for much longer, as he is about to leave on a trip across the USA with other velomobilists from here and abroad. It's not all by pedal power, however; there is a small electric motor on board to help power the velomobile uphill or on level ground if one is feeling tired one day. I imagine there will be many tiring days, as they are doing this trip averaging 130 miles per day. Please keep Merrill and his fellow riders in your thoughts and prayers for a fabulous and safe journey. Maybe we can expect a personal report (with photos) upon his return. In the meantime, you can follow his progress here .

This is what the smart woman rode back in the day when the bicycle was new. It was known as the "safety bicycle". The guys liked a little more of a risk, so they rode the "high wheeler", alternatively known as the"bone shaker", or the "penny farthing (the larger wheel in front being the "penny", compared to the smaller wheel in back being the "farthing", both coins of the realm in the UK at the time of the introduction of the bicycle). These photos are of cyclists today who still like to ride these things. They were taken at a recent event in Southington. Whatever sort of bike you prefer doesn't matter, so long as you ride. If you ride on the trail, watch out for that gap in Plainville (known as the "hole in the donut"). If you ride on the road, ride safely and be: PREDICTABLE, ALERT, VISIBLE and ASSERTIVE (PAVA)!

OK, so maybe he doesn't look exactly like this, but you get the idea. Local radio host and newspaper pundit, Colin McEnroe, has started a new column in Bicycling Magazine, titled "Fits and Starts". In the first of this series, he writes about buying his bike from our own Steve Cole at Renaissance Cyclery here in Plainville, and how he took Steve's advice about using the multiple gears that were a mystery to Colin. Click here for the full article.

Enjoy a six day, fully supported tour of trails in Pennsylvania. This is a great chance to find out what rails-to-trails are all about and to share the experience with cyclists of different ages and experience. Click here to find out more. There are rumors that the 2012 Sojourn may be right here in Connecticut. Keep checking here for details.

Check out Ken Byron's story in the FRI, 25 MAR 2011 edition of the Hartford Couran t about how the Legislature used the meager funds generated by the Greenways license plate program to reduce the budget deficit and what is being done to restore those funds.