Carolina Tarwheels

For Lisa Watts, an East Coast Greenway Alliance staffer, writing about the trail was simply not enough. She had to get out there and see it for herself, all 3,000 miles of it, only 1/3 of which is off-road. So she and a girlfriend set out in early May and 2 months later they made it to Maine. Hear her story here: the hills, the thrills, and fortunately, not the spills.

There's a reason why the ancient practice of Yoga has survived for centuries and is flourishing today. To an outsider, the obvious reason is physical - stretching to increase flexibility, and improve posture and balance. What is not obvious are the psychological benefits - how a positive mindset can help us cope with feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, aggression and depression, and to become more relaxed and content.

Steve is actively involved in walking, bicycling, and greenway master planning in the Carolinas and Virginia. He works for Alta Planning and Design, an international consulting firm with an office here in Durham that includes planning, design, and engineering services for active living infrastructure. In this talk, he describes trails in our area, and shares a plethora of resources - trail maps, NC DOT Traffic Volume maps, Strava heat maps, and a trail planning guide - all available online. He also reports on the status of planned trails, like the proposed Triangle Bikeway connecting RTP and Raleigh along I-40.

Popular on the West Coast, Europe and Asia, electric bikes are healthy, convenient, green, economical, and just plain fun. We visited Don Tuttle and Diana Tucker at their new Pedego Electric Bike shop at Southpoint, and found out why eBikes are a good choice for commuters, city dwellers, baby boomers, or anyone who just needs a little more "oomph" to get around on a bike.

From the glacier-sculpted coast of Maine to the beaches of New Hampshire and Cape Cod, New England offers a variety of terrains and scenic views. Molly takes us on a virtual tour starting "down east" at the Sunrise Trail, shared with all-terrain vehicles, cross-country skiers, and snowmobiles; and continuing along the coast to Portland, Portsmouth, Boston, and Providence; then eastward via the spur route to Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod. The route features side-trips to Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Amtrak offers bike service for some routes, and there are ferries serving ports all along Cape Cod, and from Portland to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. So there are lots of opportunities for creative trip-planners.

In his 10 years of service as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician, Captain Howard has responded to lots of accidents and heard the accounts of victims and bystanders. In this lively presentation, Jeff shares with us his experiences and tells us how to avoid accidents and what to do if they happen anyway. Some Terminology Cardiac Arrest - occurs when the heart stops beating, and there is no pulse. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), for cardiac arrests, consists of chest compressions at a rate of 100/minute (to the beat of the Beegees song, "Stayin' Alive") Anaphylaxis - a life-threatening allergic reaction that can cause shock, a sudden drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing. Ask the person if he or she is carrying an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen, Auvi-Q, others) and administer immediately. Call 911. An antihistamine pill, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), isn't sufficient to treat anaphylaxis. Durham One - Non-Emergency number (919) 560-4600 established by the Durham Emergency Communication Center (DECC) to free up 911 lines for life threatening or in-progress emergencies. Recommended First Aid Kit Roller Gauze - sometimes called "cling", a 4" wide strip of elastic gauze for wrapping open wounds. 4 by 4 - an individually packaged square of gauze, 4"x4" Non-Latex gloves Triangular bandage (2) - a loose-weave cotton cloth in the shape of a triangle that can be used as a sling, folded into an absorbent pad, or as a wrap to hold a pad in place. Water - for irrigating abrasions (road rash), from your water bottle An inner tube can also serve as a sling - drape it around the back of your neck. You should have two loops dangling down either side. Put your forearm through the loops.

Cyclocross, a cross between road biking and mountain biking, is a popular sport in western Europe and in recent years, the US. Kim Bailey has participated as a racer and as a mechanic in a pit crew. Here she shares the thrills and spills of racing, "pitting", and taking it all in as a VIP spectator at the World Championships of this gritty, demanding sport.

Designated during the 1976 Bicentennial, the TransAmerica Trail extends 4,200 miles from Yorktown, Virginia, to Astoria, Oregon; passing through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Meet the good people at Grace Episcopal Church who have provided hospitality and fellowship to bikers for the past 14 years.

In addition to the spine route from DC through Richmond to Wilmington, there's an alternate route that forks off from Richmond to Williamsburg, Norfolk, and along the coast to Wilmington.

Tendons connect muscle and bone, and we don't notice them until they get damaged or injured. Healing is a slow process because of low blood supply. Recent injuries can sometimes be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and ice, whereas older injuries, greater than 6 months, are best treated with minimally-invasive procedures, physical therapy, and high-resolution ultrasound monitoring. Dr. Berkoff is an MD, board certified in Emergency Medicine and Sports Medicine, who practices full time at UNC Orthopedics and specializes in tendon injuries. He treats amateur and professional athletes. At one time he ran a custom bike business doing professional bike fit and design, and was a cyclist and triathlete. Glossary acute - tendonitis is acute, onset less than 2 months ago. chronic - tendonosis is chronic, lasting more than 6 months. cytokine - substances secreted by certain cells of the immune system that have an effect on other cells. deep tissue massage - focuses on deep layers with slow firm strokes - painful but can be beneficial. degenerative tissue - a change of tissue to a lower or less functionally active form. eccentric - stress on a tendon from the "downstroke" of a lifting exercise - painful but can restore degenerative tissue. fenestration - poking lots of closely spaced, tiny holes. Perforation. FIFA 11 - a warm-up program for soccer players developed by an international group of experts, designed to reduce injuries. hamstring - one of the three posterior thigh muscles (back of thigh). inflammation - a localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a result of infection, irritation, or injury. iontophoresis - uses an electrical field to deliver cortisone through the skin and into underlying tissues. IT band - iliotibial band, a tendon that connects thigh muscle to the the tibia, the major bone in the lower leg. Levaquin - an antibiotic medicine - like other drugs in its class, an uncommon side effect is tendonitis. ligament - tough, flexible, fibrous connective tissue that connects bones or cartilages or holds together a joint. microspheres - used to slowly release growth factors into tissue. nitroglycerin - a vasodilator medicine that opens blood vessels to improve blood flow. patellar tendon - works with the muscles in the front of the thigh to straighten the leg. plyometrics - maximum intensity interval training. prolotherapy - an injection to create an inflammatory response, to restart the healing process. PRP - platelet-rich plasma extracted from patient's blood - red and white blood cells are removed. PT - physical therapy. quadriceps - "quads", muscles at the front of the thigh. rice - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation - conventional therapy for sprains - not particularly effective. rotator cuff tendons - provide stability to the shoulder. sclerotherapy - procedure used to reduce or collapse veins. shock wave therapy - a painful noninvasive treatment that uses high-energy acoustic waves. stem cell - an undifferentiated cell capable of reproducing into specialized cells. tendinopathy - tendon disease. tendon - a flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching a muscle to a bone. tendonitis - acute tendon injury accompanied by inflammation. tendonosis - chronic tendon injury with degeneration at the cellular level and no inflammation. Tenex - a minimally-invasive procedure for removing degenerative tissue. ultrasound - uses high frequency vibration for medical imaging and treatment. UTC - Ultrasound Tissue Characterization Tracker - produces high resolution 3D image

As cyclists, we know all too well what happens when we don't take proper care of our skin - saddle scores, itching, sunburn, and for many of us, skin cancer. Dermatologist Elizabeth Ju tells us how to prevent and treat skin ailments, and the importance of sunscreen on every ride.

Ann Groninger is an avid cyclist, bike safety advocate, and expert on North Carolina bike law. She handles personal injury cases and advises clients in an area of law and insurance that is often poorly understood. Sadly, in some cases, insurance coverage is inadequate to take proper care of victims and their families. Ann strongly recommends that we all check our CAR insurance policies - UnInsured and UnderInsured coverage - and see that it is "maxed out". Something else that we may not be aware of - HOMEOWNERS insurance may come into play in an accident when a motor vehicle is not involved.

In the early 1970s, Raleigh's business community opposed restrictions on development, but after Crabtree Valley Mall opened and experienced recurrent floods, they realized it was not in their best interest to develop flood-prone areas along streams and rivers. City planners recognized the importance of preserving these areas not only for storm-water runoff and sewer lines, but also for water quality, wildlife, parks, recreation, and transportation. Vic Lebsock was the chief Greenway planner for the city of Raleigh for 25 years. In that time he implemented a farsighted plan that recently included 34 miles of new trail along the Neuse River in north Raleigh. There are now 115 miles of bike trails in Raleigh, and along with the American Tobacco Trail, the Triangle section of the East Coast Greenway is 94% complete for 72 miles from Durham to Clayton.

The city of New Bern and the MS Society put the fun back in fundraising. There's something for everyone - 2 days of biking on scenic, rural roads; good food, camaraderie, and entertainment. All this while raising 2 million dollars each year for the National MS Society.

A morning ride in rural Orange county - fields, pastures, meadows, barns, country stores, and churches - all for the cause of supporting bike organizations and infrastructure. Hear from the riders and volunteers who make it happen.

Rob and Kaleb's team finished in 5th place, without mishaps and without much sleep, and raised 30K for MS

Costumes, games, stunts, skits, music, beer, food trucks, Dr. Seuss bikes - it's like Mardi Gras on 2 wheels with proceeds going to 3 local nonprofits: Bike Walk NC, the Triangle Spokes Group, and the Durham Bike Co-Op.

Rob Fontes and Kaleb Naegeli are about to embark on a cross country relay race, on a team with 8 riders. Hear what they have to say before the big ride. In Part 2 we will hear from them after the ride.

Where there are no bike lanes, we mostly ride on the right side of the lane, but by law in all 50 US states, we are entitled to use the full lane. NC State researchers George Hess and Nils Peterson conducted a study of road signs to find out how to best communicate this to the public.

From the colonial capital of Williamsburg to the modern capital of Richmond, this new trail follows the James River along a scenic path that offers something for everyone. Meet some of the people who made it happen, and who participated in the recent Cap-to-Cap bike ride.

Branson Kimball, randonneur, on the Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) event, a 90 hour, 760 mile round trip from Paris to the Atlantic Coast. Riders are required to reach check points on a fixed schedule, regardless of weather conditions and without much sleep. Bon courage, Branson!

This year Brandi Tuttle stepped up to lead the Gears and Cheers Bike Ride, an annual MS fundraiser held at the Grove Winery near Burlington. Hear about the challenges of taking on the leadership role and working with the MS Society to coordinate the activities of vendors, vineyard staff, and volunteers. Find out why this is more that just another volunteer gig for Brandi.

How does this sound for a challenge: finish 70% of a 2,900 mile greenway connecting Canada to Key West. That's the mission of Dennis Markatos-Soriano and his staff. Each day, as the trail comes together, piece by piece, it provides a car-free path for many of us to bike, walk, jog, or skate; to work, work-out, or play. It gets us out of the house, out of our cars, and into a more healthy life style.

For eight years now, the volunteer-run Durham Bike Co-Op has given out helmets and locks, and enabled hundreds of folks, young and old, to earn bicycles by helping out at the shop, where they learn to care for bikes and do simple repairs. This year, on the Martin Luther King holiday, the Tarwheels teamed up with the Co-Op staff to work on bikes and assemble chain locks. Hear some of what the participants had to say on this frigid afternoon in January.

Paul Smith talks about riding at the front of the pack, beer and smoozing in Las Vegas as a reporter at Interbike, the 2015 World Championships, and the interesting and fun people he has met along the way.

Bike advocate and safety instructor Ken Kaye talks about touring rural North Carolina, using train travel as part of bike tours, safety equipment, pacelines, and good road manners.