Rolling on the Right

I recently posted a short piece on safety and rollerskiing. A reader, Dean Woodbeck, replied with his observation about rolling on the right side of the road. This is Dean's post:

"Many of the blogs and websites have repeated these roller ski rules, including to ski in the same direction as traffic. I don't understand this. If you are skiing against traffic, as when you are walking on a roadway, you are able to see what is coming and have the opportunity to react. If a car is approaching from behind, you have no such opportunity. I can't figure out why skiing with traffic is safer."

First, thanks Dean for reading and responding. I am happy someone is reading.

Here are my observations about rollerskiing on the right. I believe that much of the reason is motorist expectations. Motorists expect slow walking pedestrians to be on the left. They expect bicycles and things that are moving faster to be on the right. The two times I have had close calls with cars were both when I was rolling on the left side moving against the flow of traffic. In both cases it is my assumption that the drivers saw me and they thought I was a walking pedestrian. In one case the driver drifted to his right directly into my path. I was going downhill fairly fast and there was also a car following me in his own lane. I was forced to the gravel and brush to my left, took about 2.5 giant steps on my rollerskis before "supermanning" into the weeds. The other time my friend and I had come onto a state highway from a side road. Since there was quite a bit of traffic and we could see my truck parked maybe 400 meters down the road, we decided to just cruise down the "breakdown lane" on our left, stop at the bottom of the hill and then cross to the parking area. It was a pretty good hill and we were going pretty fast. The problem was that there was a yard sale on the lawn of a house on our left. A car was approaching us and the driver pulled into the breakdown lane. If they saw us at all they must not have known how fast we were going. Anyway, both people in the car were looking to their right at the stuff on the yard for sale, not at us. We both moved slightly to our right and whizzed past the car which was coming to a stop. They still never looked at us as we went by. Prior to that I had been waving my arms and poles and they didn't see this either.

Motorists expect to see things moving in the right lane. Motroist closing speed is much greater if you are on the left. For the pedestrian it is easy to move off the pavement. Much harder for the rollerskier.

50 states require bicycles to ride on the right. This is what the motorist will expect, things moving fast are on the right.

I would welcome more discussion here. Please share your observations. It would probably be good to have us all doing the same and safest practice.

Have a good one,

Bert

We Are Not Bullet Proof

The recent tragic loss of Willie Neal, an up and coming biathlete, to a rollerski/automobile collision, should not have happened. Willie was training in Maine. The New England Nordic Ski Association report stated:
MWSC athlete killed while rollerskiing in Fort Fairfield

Caribou, Maine – The Maine Winter Sports Center announced today that William “Willie” Neal, age 20, of Jackson Hole, Wyoming was killed while rollerskiing in Fort Fairfield yesterday. Neal, who had been named to the MWSC Regional Biathlon Team last month, was on a training session with another MWSC athlete, who was not hurt in the incident. Details of the accident are still under investigation, but according to the Fort Fairfield Police Department, the skiers were on the correct side of the road when an automobile struck and killed Mr. Neal. The driver of the automobile had recently graduated from Fort Fairfield High School.

On June 2, Andrey Yarbrough, an employee of the shop here in Bend that operates Webskis.com and Webcyclery.com, was riding his bicycle before work. He was wearing a bright red and white cycling kit, a helmet and was in the bike lane when he was hit from behind by a pickup truck. The driver took his eyes off the road to reach for his cell phone. Andrey is alive because he was wearing a helmet. This week he was released from the hospital and faces months of therapy and recovery. This accident should not have happened.

In both of these incidents these vulnerable roadway users were not violating rules of the road. Even so, they were both vulnerable to motor vehicle operator error. We rollerskiers and cyclists are no match for a collision with a car or truck and as more of us begin to use the roads for recreation or training there are bound to be more stories like these. Oregon has recently enacted legislation to address this situation. The non-profit advocacy group, Oregoncycling.org writes:

“Vulnerable Roadway User”: A European Safety Concept
The concept of “vulnerable roadway user” has been used by planners and safety organizations in Europe to categorize and describe non-motorized roadway users. The label is a nice one because it incorporates the inherent vulnerability of humans who use the roads without being encased in a protective steel shell. Inclusion of the concept of vulnerability evokes a more sympathetic image and focuses on the shared vulnerability of these different user groups. By including vulnerable users within a single term, the requirement for protection is brought to mind to counterbalance the somewhat natural reaction some people have to improving safety by restricting access, such as by restricting bicycle access to freeways or pedestrian crossings or road access…

It was extremely difficult to create an enhanced penalty when further criminal consequences were not an option, but BTA legislative committee member Doug Parrow tweaked our original language to include a non-criminal alternative of a $12,500 fine (up from $750.00) and a one-year license suspension (no license suspension was previously included in a conviction for Careless Driving). Additionally, to create an inducement for careless drivers to improve their driving skill and pay the community back for their actions, a traffic safety course requirement and 100-200 hours of community service were included as an alternative to the fine and suspension – if the program is successfully completed, then the suspension and fine would be suspended.

This is a step in the right direction of encouraging driver awareness of other roadway users. Behavioral change, however, will take time. Unfortunately there will be more encounters and injuries before there will be much change.
I know that I will be following the advice of friend and fellow masters racer John Broadhead. John has suggested the following guideline for those of us out rolling on the roads:

Prepared by John Broadhead of the Craftsbury Nordic Center, Craftsbury Common, Vermont

1. Wear helmet at all times.

2. Ski with traffic on the right side of the road.

3. Ski single file.

4. When skiing in a group the last person in the line calls "car back.” This is very important because skiers farther up the line probably won't hear a car coming due to the noise generated by the group.

5. Any time a car comes from the rear, all skiers in a group or individuals skiing alone cease skating step and double pole, ski classic, or stop skiing all together and get as close to the edge of the pavement as possible. Do not resume skate skiing until you are sure there is not another car coming from behind.

6. Avoid skiing in large groups, which makes it difficult for cars to pass. Spread out into several smaller groups.

7. Be particularly vigilant when a car is coming from behind and another car or skier is approaching from in front. If necessary, step off the road completely. ?
8. When you stop skiing, all skiers in group, including the coach, should get entirely off the pavement.

9. Car drivers are much more familiar with bicycles on the road than roller skiers. The more a skier acts like a responsible bike rider with regard to behavior, following rules of the road, and the space he or she occupies, the more likely a car will pass safely, without incident. Few drivers can relate to the amount of space a roller skier takes up while skating.

To this I must add, choose your roller ski venue with great care. I try to avoid busy roadways if at all possible. The best place to train is a place where there are no cars. This can be a park, bike path or in our case, a housing development in this depressed housing market that has roads, but no houses, thus, no traffic. I am also about to start using the nicely paved roads in my neighborhood after 7:00 PM when most people have arrived home from work. Traffic in these neighborhoods is also slow.

Pick your terrain carefully. Avoid steep downhills that end in stop signs. Master the “snowplow” on rollerskis. This is done with the feet spread wide, knees bent and from this position, lower the hips while pushing out against the platform of the rollerskis. This is a good way to start a steep downhill and prevent excess speed.

I know it may not be much of a fashion statement, but I try to wear one of those fluorescent lemon yellow vests, or bright white t-shirt so that I am as visible as possible.

I offer all this in hopes that it helps all of us to have a safe summer of happy training.

Have a good one,

Bert

Wax Wisdom

The following wax tips were not prepared by me alone. A few years ago SOLDA wax was imported and distributed by Torbjorn Karlsen. Torbjorn, along with Gordie Lange, traveled, coached and waxed for many of the best cross country athletes in the country. A segment of this post appeared in Fasterskier.com in 2004. I am editing and re-sending it because I believe there is a great deal of basic wax wisdom here. Again, much of this is the work of Torbjorn Karlsen:

Have Fast Skis In Any Conditions From The First Day On Snow

The following guideline is meant to help you simplify waxing and have fast training skis from the first days on snow. Some wax companies are recommending numerous applications of this and that before you add a high number of layers of the next wax before moving to the next one…We have tried this (10-20 layers of wax) in our own racing as well as in World Cup and Olympic competitions. It’s in most cases a big waste of time, energy and money. There is a limit how much wax a base can absorb - so why add water to a bucket when it’s already full?

Our goal is to have the fastest skis without spending all night in the garage or wax room trying to accomplishing this. Join us if you agree and like this approach:

Training Waxes
There are three waxes that will give you great training skis in most conditions. We recommend that you start using these three waxes for you training needs in most all snow and temperature conditions. Learn to use these waxes, and then add 1-2 waxes for typical or extreme conditions
in your area. These three waxes are also a great start for your race-wax kit:
SOLDA PERFORMANCE RED: This is a low fluoro wide range wax with a fairly low melting point that runs well in most snow conditions with snow temps from 27F to 14F.
SOLDA UF7: This wax has a similar temperature range to the Performance Red, but with just a bit more fluorocarbon additive. It is still very reasonably priced and runs a bit better than the red in the cold end of the snow temperature range.
SOLDA TECHNO GREEN: This is a hydrocarbon wax for conditions that are colder and drier than the waxes mentioned above. Recommended for snow temps of 14F down to -4F, it comes in a 500g block for $20.00
If conditions are generally warmer than those listed above consider adding SOLDA PERFORMANCE YELLOW to the arsenal. It runs in snow temps of 33F to 27F.
For very cold conditions you might add SOLDA F15 Blue to the wax box. It is a terrific base hardener in a mid-fluor wax.


Racing waxes
SOLDA has a number of great and unique race waxes for a lot lower cost than any competing brands. We race and wax skis every weekend and is convinced that SOLDA is as fast as and often faster than the competition. It makes sense to have the fastest skis at the lowest cost. In addition to the waxes we mention above, we would also ask you to read about the following waxes on www.webskis.com to see if they work in conditions you would be racing in. This is
what you should look up:

HPO5 in Powder or Spray
A unique and great Fluorocarbon. Designed for relatively cold snow we never go to a race without this wax.
Fluoro 100 Powder or Spray
100% Fluorocarbon makes this wax superb in warm temperatures and high humidity (over 60%).
PowerJet 2 and 4
Fluorocarbons especially formulated for colder (PowerJet 2) or dryer (PowerJet 4) conditions

S-30
A must for very cold, abrasive snow conditions. It can be mixed with HP05 or used as a finish layer to harden bases in dryer conditions.

Dirty or dry bases
If your ski bases are dirty, clean them first with wax remover (SOLDA ECO 2000) and then apply one layer of basic cleaning wax or travel wax, for example SOLDA HC.1 Yellow or Universal Base. Scrape while the wax is still warm and then brush. Add one more layer of the same wax if your bases appear dry. Spend a little more time (2-4 minutes per ski) ironing in this second layer with the iron on a low setting. Move the iron slowly from tip to tail. Let the ski cool before scraping and brushing. Then apply one layer of today’s training wax. Dry bases can also be treated and waxed with SOLDA HC 28 Hydrocarbon or HC27 Fluor Carbon. We typically prepare them with HC28 when we expect to be skiing on cold and dry snow. We prepare the bases with HC27 if we expect moist or humid conditions.
Keeping your skis maintained with the SOLDA waxes discussed will assure you fast skis every day. Skis that glide well are more fun, your movements can become more efficient and training and racing more successful.
Happy skiing

Bert

Review of Spring

There is no perfect place. Some locations come closer than others, yet all the areas of "ski country" I have seen have certain locales which, on certain days, are near perfection. At Proctor Academy in Andover, NH there is Elbow Pond, a small glacier carved lake where one can paddle a kayak early in the morning fog and see the top of Ragged Mountain in the sun. Lake Placid has the trails at Mt Van Hovenberg that wind through tall, old sugar maples and are often dusted with that 2 inches of fluffy snow that is squeezed out of cold air. Crested Butte, Colorado, has those crystaline days when it is -15F, no wind and everything sparkling. In Carbondale, Colorado, there is the early morning scent of cottonwoods by the roaring fork river where I remember looking down at dusty running shoes having just raced my buddy on the "Tick Ridge" run. Many of you know the feeling on the trails in Hayward, Wisconsin when the Birkie course has just been groomed and you are the first ones out for miles of corduroy in the northern hardwood forest. Don't forget the shimmering hills and blue shadows south of Ketchum, Idaho at sunrise after 6 inches of new snow in February.

A few of us have been able to experience a moment or two here in Oregon this spring. This was a May day in the Three Sisters Wilderness with some of the Bend WebTeam and friends. The pictures are worth the proverbial 1000 words.










WebTeam member Win Goodbody of Portland, Oregon writes:

May in Oregon was some of the best crust skiing I have ever seen - for four
weeks straight. Here's a few pics from fun in the Crater Lake neighborhood.

Enjoy!

Win










I await your record of recent adventures to share with posterity ;-)



Have a good one,

Bert

Summer Updates

June 10th and although we had 2+inches of hail and slush come down in the parking lot at the shop yesterday, we really are tying to get on with warm weather training.






Aaron Tarnow is here on his road bike racking up the miles on central Oregon chip-seal. Aaron also has been spending time in his kayak and on the mountain bike too.




I have been in my slalom boat for some after work exercise and have been able to participate in three races since March. I have another Oregon paddler who is in my age group and is keeping me on my toes. So far he has won two and I have one one in the battle of the Northwest Cup FOG (fast old geezers) class.




If any of the good people out there on the WebSkis Team have photos or stories they want to post, feel free to send them to me and I will get them up. I hope to have some rollerski stories to share soon.

Have a good one,

Bert

Ah June

Here we are in June, the month of weddings, reunions, graduations, summer vacation. It is green and warm in most places. Here at the shop the bike guys are attending races on weekends and nordic skiers all over the country have been upgrading their rollerskis with new wheels or adding that new pair of classic skis to the collection.

If you are close to Bend, I am going to have a rollerski demo day this coming Sunday, June 14. The location will be at the Alder Creek Kayak shop parking lot, 805 SW Industrial Way, Bend, Oregon. http://local.yahoo.com/info-22062212-alder-creek-kayak-and-canoe-bend-bend. Time, 9 AM to 1 PM. I will have skate and classic skis. If you are interested in trying out a pair of Pro-Skis rollerskis you should come with good boots that fit, bike helmet, gloves and your poles. Poles for rollerskiing are the same length as poles for snow skiing. If you are prone to falling, knee and elbow pads might be a good idea. If you are prone to falling a lot, full body armor might be recommended, or maybe if you are a member of the "frequent faller program" you might think about running and hiking as training alternatives.

Enjoy early summer. It would be good to see folks, even if you are not looking for new rollerskis.

Have a good one,

Bert