The Indy Cyclist’s Guide: Fall Creek Trail

If the Monon Rails to Trails project is the centerpiece of the Indianapolis cycling universe, the Fall Creek Trail is its redheaded stepsister. This trail – for the most part – sees far less traffic than the Monon; probably because the latter connects two of the Circle City’s most popular hipster havens, Broad Ripple and Mass Ave. That may also be why the Fall Creek trail is often – to be polite – less well-maintained.

The trail has an “official” length of just over 13 miles (20.9 km), beginning at… well, no one knows quite where it begins, since it’s supposed to connect to the White River Greenway near 10th Street (but doesn’t). An official map shows the trail beginning at the intersection with the Monon half a mile or so south of 38th Street, though the physical trail continues south along Fall Creek until interrupted by construction near Central Avenue. On the northeast, the map shows it ending at mile 11 (actually mile 12) near Skiles Test Park, but in reality it extends to the Boy Scout Road bridge over the creek and a back entrance to Fort Harrison State Park. I’ll be talking about the section between the Monon and Fort Harrison.

Monon Trail to Binford Boulevard

The Monon Trail crosses Fall Creek and the trail on an elevated bridge. An access ramp connecting the trails can be found on the east side of the Monon near the north end of the bridge. Warning: watch for bicycles coming up the ramp! Down on the Fall Creek trail, there’s a small rest area equipped with benches. A cement post a few yards upstream marks this as Mile 6.0 on the Fall Creek Trail. From there, a paved asphalt trail extends in both directions…

…for a while: a little under half a mile up the trail, riders come to 38th Street – near northern Indy’s busiest east-west artery. The trail continues – if you can call it that – east on the sidewalk of the 38th Street bridge over Fall Creek. The broken, poorly-patched concrete sidewalk is studded with utility poles and barely wide enough for two pedestrians to pass. In short, it’s extremely dangerous – parents thinking this would be a good place for a child with training wheels will be shocked to find this on a “hike and bike trail.” Riders turn north to cross 38th at an intersection without a signal before the paved trail picks up on the other side.

The trail briefly follows Millersville Road and the (mostly abandoned) Nickel Plate rails before diving under Keystone Avenue and winding through a small, surprisingly woody area. After crossing the creek on a pedestrian bridge parallel to Binford Boulevard, the trail reaches a parking area just east of the intersection of Binford and Fall Creek Parkway North, at approximately mile 7.5 of the trail. A side trail at 39th Street gives trail users access to the east entrance of the Fairgrounds via a historic limestone bridge and a signal-controlled crossing of Binford.

Binford Boulevard to Skiles Test Park

The 2.25 miles between the parking area and the six-way intersection of Fall Creek Parkway, Emerson, and 56th Street runs between parkway and creek. It passes under 46th, Emerson, and 56th before turning east to follow the Parkway from its intersection with Kessler Boulevard at about mile 10. Watch for a steep, slick climb northbound on a wet wooden bridge under 56th street, and beware of heavy growth of poison ivy in the adjacent underbrush. The pavement in this section is often narrow and rough, with many ridges caused by tree roots. It’s also subject to flooding and mud when the weather has been rainy. Road cyclists generally ride on the Parkway, which alternates between smooth, fresh pavement and broken, potholed asphalt. From Kessler and Fall Creek the trail again runs between the parkway and the creek. This section is wide and smoothly paved, unlike the portion of the trail west of Emerson, with a better surface than the street it parallels. It's curvy and and has lots of little rolling hills. Pullouts along the Parkway about every half mile act as parking areas for the trail, with an official trailhead near mile 12.25 where there's a side trail into Skiles Test Park. Four tenths of a mile up that trail lies another parking area, and the trail continues up a steep (for Indy) hill 0.75 miles to meet 65th street east of Johnson Road.

Skiles Test Park to Boy Scout Road

The Fall Creek Trail continues, passing underneath I-465 – watch for mud beneath the southbound lanes, which never seems to be cleaned – then alongside Fall Creek Road for 0.8 miles to the current end of the trail at Boy Scout Road. The trail crosses the intersection to the sidewalk on the north side of the bridge, at the end of which a trail continues into Fort Harrison State Park. The intersection's crosswalk is clearly marked, but still unacceptably dangerous because of heavy, high-speed traffic and the need to make a sharp right-hand turn from the pavement to the narrow sidewalk. Many cyclists prefer to ride in the traffic lanes instead of attempting the crossing.

The Bottom Line

There are no amenities along the trail beyond an occasional bench at a trailhead. There are no water fountains and no public restrooms anywhere in its length. Water and restrooms are available within Fort Harrison State Park, and there are businesses at the Fall Creek / Emerson / 56th Street intersection – including a Starbucks, a CVS, and Lincoln Square Pancake House.

Unlike the Monon, the Fall Creek Trail is usually lightly traveled. On weekdays, riders may encounter only a handful of pedestrians and cyclists on their trip. Perhaps because there’s less traffic, the trail is not as well-maintained as the Monon, overhanging branches and underbrush are common (be wary of poison ivy in the mix!) and obstructions like mud and fallen trees aren’t removed with such speed. On the other hand, you almost never run into three people walking abreast pushing strollers...

copyright © 2017-2020 scmrak

Why Is Buying a New Computer Such a Hassle?

I don't know about you, but I like having a computer on my bike: I want to know how fast I'm going, how far I've gone, and the fastest I've gone today (for the record, I hit over 42 MPH on a bike outside Austin once). In other words, when my computer goes wonky I replace it...

A few rides ago the CatEye Strada I'd been using started acting up. At first, I was just getting slightly shorter distances than the Ms on the same ride, but pretty soon it was serious. I replaced batteries in both the sensor and the computer, but to no avail (the Strada was, of course, six or eight months out of warranty). So I sucked it up and bought a new on. I went to my local REI and picked up a CatEye Micro Wireless.

Sadly, that was a mistake. CatEyes are always a pain in the tuchus to set up, in part due to those horrid instruction sheets, but this one seemed even worse than usual. After I did get it set up, I just clipped it into the mount for the Strada, left the sensor in place, and took off on a 25-mile spin. According to the Ms's computer, it was 25 miles -- according to the new Micro Wireless, it was a little under 21 (yes, the tire size was correctly set: 2105mm for a 700x25C). That's not to mention that the speedometer read 0.0 for all but a few hundred yards, the average speed was 11.1 MPH, and my alleged maximum speed was 4.6 MPH (a mathematical impossibility with that average). I changed the battery in the computer and installed a new sensor -- on the other fork -- but it didn't make any difference.

Kudos to REI: they gave me a full refund.

So I tried a different tack: A Specialized SpeedZone Sport Wireless that I bought at my LBS. Problems abounded when I opened it: for one, the battery in the computer was dead (it takes years for a CR2032 to go dead without a load). For another, there were no instructions for using the stem mount doodad they'd included -- heck, they didn't even list it in the parts. There was a note on the instruction book, though, telling me to go to www.specialized.com and click on the "support" tab. Surprise, surprise: there is no "support" tab -- there hasn't been one in about five years! So I sent an email to what they call Rider Care asking what size stem the doodad fits... in answer to my question "are there instructions anywhere?" got this back:

"I have included the link to the stem mount for the SpeedZone computers. This is mounted under the top cap. It is a pretty easy installation, you simply need to remove the bolt and top cap, put this mount on top of any spacers you have, and reinstall the top cap and bolt."

Of course, it took 50 hours or so to get even that response... by which time I'd already returned the damned thing (kudos to Matthews Bicycles -- returned, no questions asked). Interestingly enough, in the interim I found a PDF of the instructions, which you can see to the left. Note the "helpful" pictures... NOT.  That's not to mention that I don't have the specs for torque on the stem cap bolt and don't have a torque wrench, either.

Finally, I gave up and went back to REI and replaced the Strada with another one. So far, it seems to work just fine -- and CatEye appears to have gotten the message about their crappy instructions, at least to some point. By the by, jeers to the local Performance store: I was in there Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday -- and the rack of computers was more or less empty every day. They really ought to be ashamed...

But will someone tell me why it is so hard to find a non-GPS enabled bicycle computer? Frankly, I don't need a GPS to tell me where I am, and I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of cyclists don't need a $300 device to tell them how fast they're going. At the other end of the spectrum, I don't know about you but I'm not gonna buy a nineteen-dollar "wireless" bike computer from some weird Chinese company...

copyright © 2017 scmrak

The Amateur Bike Mechanic's Workbench

Park Tool PCS-10

Bicycles aren't really particularly finicky machines. Well-constructed rides can survive benign neglect for quite a while before “demanding” a tune-up, especially if they're rarely used. You’re wise to keep up your lubrication, but you might not notice problems if you don’t ride much. If you ride more than a few times a summer, though, you’re aware that regular maintenance and cleaning are absolute musts. You need a stand for those chores; one like the Park Tools PCS-10 Home Repair Stand.

The PCS-10 is considered a portable stand because it folds for storage and transport. It suspends mountain, hybrid, cyclocross, gravel, tri, or road bikes (cruisers and recumbents, too) from a top-mounted clamp that grasps tubes ranging from 7/8 to 3 inches in diameter. Lift height ranges from 39 to 57 inches, high enough to position most bikes for easy access to any component. A cam-operated, padded clamp locks the bike in place while the three-point leg system keeps everything stable. Loosen a pair of quick-release clamps, fold the legs, and the PCS-10 collapses to a compact 41” tall, small enough to lean in a corner. The quick-releases are the stand’s chief difference with the less-expensive PCS-9.

The clamp is the heart of the PCS-10. Padded jaws, three inches wide, grasp any tubing gently – seat, top, down, head; or the seat post for a carbon frame. It closes with a slick cam arrangement to avoid over-tightening; and the whole mechanism rotates through a full 360° to lock the bike at any angle. The PCS-10 comes disassembled in a large, 25-pound box with the tools needed for assembly. The included instructions are, sadly, a little tough to follow. They are, however, printed in four languages… Assembly takes fifteen to twenty minutes, much of which is spent flipping the paper back and forth between text and illustrations.

When assembled, the PCS-10 is an engineering marvel. It’s sturdy – its three-point stance makes it nearly impossible to tip over – and versatile. You can mount the bike in any position, rotate it while clamped in place, and raise and lower the stand easily. The footprint is large when opened (for stability), but once folded the stand is about the size of a smallish golf bag.

Park accessories for the PCS-10 include a couple of work trays for tools (got one), a paper-towel holder (got it), a wheel truing attachment (need one), and a nylon carry bag. Fun fact: Park has trademarked this color of BLUE (their caps).

copyright © 2017 scmrak

Indy's Monon Trail: Love It? or Hate It...

If you live anywhere near Indianapolis you know about the city's Monon Trail, even if you haven’t ridden a bicycle in thirty years – maybe even fifty years. It’s that rails-to-trails project that follows the abandoned Monon Railroad tracks from just east of where Mass Ave meets 10th Street downtown to a current terminus in northern Hamilton County. As of this writing, it’s officially 19-plus miles long, ending near IN 32 and US 31 in Westfield. A bit more than ten miles of the Monon are in Marion County, where the trail is generally considered the jewel of Indy’s bike paths. Some local cyclists, however, say it's a rhinestone at best.

Here are some reasons to avoid the Monon

Safety: Between the south end and where the trail crosses White River north of Broad Ripple, there are at least twenty at-grade street crossings, ranging from sleepy 17th Street to six lanes of fast-moving traffic at 38th Street. That includes a bizarre three-corner crossing of Westfield and Riviera in downtown Broad Ripple. Cyclists and pedestrians are routinely struck or just missed in many of the crossings, which are marked simply by signs saying “Pedestrian Crossing” and “Monon Trail,” plus the occasional blinking yellow light. Only Kessler Boulevard and Fairfield Avenue rate bridge crossings, which use former Monon railroad bridges. Besides the ever-present danger of car-bike accidents (there are already ghost bikes at 20th and 75th), stopping for a street every two blocks plays hell with your average speed…

There's an equally frustrating set of street crossings in downtown Carmel, with three street crossings in 1/8 mile including very heavy Main Street traffic. Amenities: Although water and bathrooms are more common in Hamilton County (starting with a  nicely-appointed rest station where the trail crosses 96th Street), trail users coming from downtown will not find water along the trail until the entrance to the Deaf School at 42nd Street (3.6 miles) and won’t find a public restroom until Canterbury Park at 56th Street (5.2 miles). A few bike repair stations are scattered along the trail (e.g., at 52nd Street and the Fall Creek bridge), but the tools and pump have often been stripped or destroyed. Emergency telephone stations can be found at regular intervals south of 38th Street.

Hanging a little over the center line, Blondie?

Traffic: It goes without saying that any cyclist hoping to make good time should avoid the trail on weekends and around lunchtime. Through SoBro and Broad Ripple the trail is crowded with pedestrians, some of whom walk in groups of four or five abreast. Children and, to a lesser extent, dogs often dart into the path of unwary cyclists. You need to be especially wary around venues like Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station, where BRICS patrons have been seen wandering blindly around the path nursing their ice cream headaches.

Some people absolutely love the trail

Long open stretches can be found, if that’s your bag. Take, for instance, the wooded trail adjoining Marott Park and the Blind School north of Broad Ripple, with only a stoplight-controlled crossing at 75th Street to break up the 2¾ miles between 65th and 86th Streets. Up in Carmel, busy street crossings are made safer by bridges (Carmel and City Center Drives) or underpasses (116th, Meridian, and 146th). There's also park access along or near the trail for much of its length (Canterbury, Broad Ripple, and Quaker Parks).

Ice cream riders really have no excuse not to stop at BRICS, and restaurants can be found at almost every street crossing between 52nd and White River, with dozens easily accessible in the Broad Ripple area – though there are far fewer in the industrial sector between 10th and 38th. Speaking of industrial areas; if you like the smell of heated wood, Wooley Lumber’s kilns at 30th Street will warm the cockles of your heart. Local art abounds in the murals on trail-side buildings between 52nd and 54th, as well as lots of unusual backyard art in trail-side homes. Jordan YMCA users enjoy an easy-access entrance to the trail at about 82nd Street.

The bottom line

Overall, the trail is well cared-for – better than the city’s streets a lot of the time. It’s so well cared-for that other trails in the city suffer greatly by comparison: ride the Fall Creek Trail some time and you’ll probably find fallen limbs and low-hanging vines, even in the sections that are passable (which rules out much of the section between 56th and Keystone). After the same storm, the Monon is quickly swept of fallen twigs and leaves like a street in Singapore.

One thing that bothers me as both a cyclist and a driver… after a “young girl” was struck by a car at the 111th Street-Monon crossing, the Indianapolis Star said,

“The intersection is marked as a crosswalk with yellow flashing lights with a pedestrian-crossing sign. Once pedestrians or bicyclists stop, determine it's safe to cross and proceed into the crosswalk, they have the right of way under state law. Traffic must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks by slowing down or stopping.”

From long experience, I’m aware that many drivers are unaware of that section of the traffic code; and a frightening few are “aggressively” ignorant. Given the popularity of this trail and the dangers to its users from inattentive drivers, why Indianapolis refuses to use traffic signs such as the one shown at right at the Monon (and other at-grade crossings) remains a mystery to me.

copyright © 2017-2019 scmrak

Who Wins When a Bicycle and Car Collide?

Ever wondered? Well, as of just last week, I can tell you from personal experience. But I won't: instead, I'll just show you a couple of pictures for comparison...

This is what happens when someone bumps into your truck in an apartment complex parking lot...

...and this is just some of what happens when someone chatting on a cell phone cuts off a cyclist while making a right turn across a bike lane:

...Any questions?

copyright © 2017 scmrak

You, Too, Can Be Seen with a Flashy Taillight

Planet Bike Blinky SuperFlash Rear Bike Light

If you ride a bicycle in traffic, you've probably noticed that many urban drivers aren't bike-friendly. It's not (usually) hostility, it's distraction: they don't shift to attack mode upon seeing a cyclist, they simply don't see us. A wise rider does whatever it takes to be noticed by folks thumbing iPhones or wiping goo off Baby's chin while driving. Flashy jerseys are a passive method; but in enemy territory, by which I mean most urban settings, you'd better take active measures. My first rides in the city where I used to live (Houston) were nerve-wracking, so I dropped into my LBS for something that would attract attention before my rear wheel disappeared under a bumper. My choice? A Planet Bike Blinky SuperFlash Light for rear mounting.

The SuperFlash is a small three-LED light in a plastic housing with padded clamps for either seatpost or seatstay. Installation takes a couple of minutes and a screwdriver. The housing is about three inches high, one inch wide, and one inch thick; shaped like a keyhole. Two LED lights are located on the vertical, with a third, focused by a parabolic mirror, in the center of the round top. A pair of AAA batteries (included) power the light or you can buy one that recharges from a USB plug for about twice the price. Including the batteries, total weight is fifty grams. The light has is a three-position switch: off, steady, and flashing. When flashing, the bottom two LEDS blink at one rate, while the upper LED flashes at a different, faster pattern. Planet Bike says that batteries will last for 50 hours with steady use, and 100 hours flashing. Mine lasted more than two years before I had to replace them. Some users claim that the light can pop out of the mounting on rough surfaces, but mine snaps in place and stays there. It's not certified waterproof, so rainy weather may cause problems. This is a heckuva bright light: I wouldn't be caught dead (well, actually I probably would be) riding in most cities after dark, but I use this for daylight rides on "share-the-road" streets and marked bike "lanes" (the "dirty bike stripe"). I've had almost no close calls from the rear with it working (wonder if I can mount one on the front?), because even in bright light the irregular flash pattern and that super-bright red upper light get a driver's attention. I've seen these on bikes while driving, and even in broad daylight they're noticeable from several hundred feet away. On gray days, I've been known to mount mine on the back of my helmet to get it up level with drivers' eyes.

Overall, it's a fine safety device for urban riders. The eye-catching flash pattern and superbright light should catch the attention of distracted drivers, day or night. The light may be a bit expensive, but so's major surgery.

copyright © 2016-2017 scmrak

A Beginner's Guide to Houston's Terry Hershey Trail, Part 1

OK, so you're not one of the bony types who hang out in the break room at the office hitting up all their co-workers for a pledge to this year's 180-mile BP MS150 between Houston and Austin. You don't own a single item of Spandex®, and your bike weighs about the same as a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. That doesn't mean you can't get out on your bike and enjoy the fresh air while you get some exercise. If you live or work near Houston's Energy Corridor, you have a great opportunity right at your doorstep: the Terry Hershey Trail.

Managed by Harris County Precinct 3, the paved trail follows the banks of Buffalo Bayou from the foot of the Addicks Dam (at George Bush park) to a terminus at the Sam Houston Tollway (Texas 8), a distance of some 6.5 miles. In 2013, the county added an arm to the trail that provides access to the Addicks Park-n-Ride lot. The main trail is separated  into five more or less equal sections by major north-south streets: from the West, they are Eldridge parkway, Dairy Ashford Road, Kirkwood Road, and Wilcrest Drive.

Section 1 - Bush Park to Eldridge Parkway

The trail runs along the south side of Buffalo Bayou through a lightly wooded area. There are several bridge crossings at small drainages: watch for a "step" of up to an inch where the path meets the concrete pad (the precinct fills these occasionally, but they soon redevelop). At about one mile, a footbridge across the Bayou (see right) leads to the 500-acre Terry Hershey Park on Memorial Drive. That path loops back to meet the main Hershey Trail just west of Eldridge, about a one-mile loop. There are drinking fountains (human and dog) along the loop trail and even a shower to help cool down runners.

The west end of the so-called "anthill," used by fat-tire enthusiasts, parallels the paved trail off to the right (south) through this section. After a rain, be wary of heavy mud coating the trail in spots where the off-road trails veer to the side and uphill.

Parking is available north of the Bayou on the west side of Texas 6. To reach the trailhead, you must cross the Highway 6 bridge on a narrow, one-lane sidewalk. Parking is also available at the park on the north side of Memorial as well as along Memorial Mews south of Memorial. Restrooms, water, and picnic tables are available at the park; only picnic tables can be found at the western end and a water fountain near the zero mile marker.

Section 2 - Eldridge Parkway to Dairy Ashford Road

The trail runs along the north side of the Bayou from the east side of Eldridge to the other end. Eastbound cyclists can reconnect with the main trail by crossing the Bayou on the Eldridge bridge (only wide enough for one bicycle!) and turning left to loop under the roadway. A restroom with drinking fountains sits just east of Eldridge, and you can also connect with a bicycle route that follows Enclave Parkway. This section of the trail is also mostly flat, though there are a few slight inclines and several sharp turns. Parking is available at Dairy Ashford on the south side of the Bayou; to reach the trail you must cross the bridge either on the road surface (not a good idea) or on an open sidewalk. At the west end, some folks park in the Kendall Library lot on the northwest corner of Eldridge and the Bayou (preferably when the library is closed). There are no restroom facilities in this section, nor is there water. Benches and picnic tables can be found all along the paved trail.

There is access to the Robin Trail, a 1.8-mile loop (mostly crushed granite) at the east end of the Dairy Ashford parking lot. The Robin Trail connects with a city bicycle lane on Briar Forest Drive, about half a mile south. If mud's your thing, you can connect with the dirt trails through the woods on the south side of the Bayou by dropping down the banks on the east side of the bridge.

Trail Etiquette

Cyclists must yield the right of way to everyone, even if they're hogging the trail. Watch for loose dogs (in defiance of park rules) and new moms weaving around with strollers while texting. Be safe: announce your presence to pedestrians and other cyclists before passing, and never stop and stand on the trail.

Coming Next: The rest of the trail...

copyright © 2016-2017 scmrak