What do people like about the trail?

On August 28, I'm scheduled to give a program for the noon Kiwanis in Goshen. I've given two presentation to the Elkhart Optimists in the past month, so the framework will be the same. However, instead of talking about who uses the trail, I'm going to change that section to why people like the trail. Here are the main reasons:

1. It's safe. Numerous people have told me how much they enjoy biking when they don't have to worry about sharing the road with cars because they don't trust the drivers to see them and respect them. Who can argue with the fact that we've had three cyclist deaths in Elkhart County this year. A neighbor of mine refuses to ride on the road. She loads her bicycle into the back of her car and drives to Abshire Park to ride the trail. Other adults who ride on the road have children or grandchildren who are too young to do so. When I ride with my grandson, who is five, we ride the trail. Ironic, isn't it, that today people praise the safety of the trail that opponents said would a magnet for crime, drugs and vandalism.
2. It's flat. Railroads were built with a grade of two percent or less. For that reason, their abandoned roadbed makes an ideal place for most riding. I know that some cyclists like the challenge of hills. Fine, enjoy them all you want. Most people enjoy flat lands. The Pumpkinvine, built for the most part on an old railroad bed, is flat. How flat is it? The verticle rise between Middlebury and Shipshewana is about 60 feet over about six miles, or 10 feet per mile. That's flat.
3. It's cool.  Where we were able to put the trail on the old Pumpkinvine right of way, it's tree lined and shady. On the hottest days this year, it would feel 10 degrees cooling riding in the shade compared to riding in the sun. ___ Percent of the trail is tree lined. The trees also provide a windbreak on windy days.
4. It's interesting. You see all ages of people walking and riding, a variety of bicycles and riding styles. You also see wildflowers, wild turkeys, deer, birds, dogs and a variety of farm animals -- horses, cattle, sheep and at CR 1150W -- camels. You see 19th century farming with horses, like a spread out version of Conner Prairie. Soon there will be buffalo west of CR 37.

Those are the main reasons people like the Pumpkinvine. 

Bike ride statistics through the years

PV Bike ride statistics
Year	Number		Difference		Percent change
2000	225
2001	245		20		8.89%
2002	405		160		65.31%
2003	484		79		19.51%
2004	615		131		27.07%
2005	651		36		5.85%
2006	780		129		19.82%
2007	885		105		13.46%
2008	826		-59		-6.67%
2009	1025		199		24.09%
2010	823		-202		-19.71%
2011	916		93		11.30%
2012	1313		397		43.34%

 

CR 35 to CR 37 is ready to ride

Another 1.4 miles of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail is done. Well, at least it is rideable. They still have to do some work on the parking lot along CR 35 and shore up the shoulders. Otherwise, it looks great. Actually, it has been rideable for about three weeks. I've ridden it three or four times and always meet someone. What a wonderful short cut into Middlebury. It will be so nice when the section from US 20 to Wayne St. is done next year.

Construction from CR 35 to CR 37

Today, June 6, 2012, the workers had laid a base asphalt to within .25 miles of CR 35.  The asphalt was still warm when I rode it.  I talked to the workers, and they said the base would be done by the bike ride.

I saw six bikers and six walkers in the time I was there. Three riders came up CR 35 and turned into the driveway south of the trail, and I had to tell them they were in a driveway. I asked them where they were from and they said Louisville, Kentucky and Wabash, Ind.  The proceeded down the trail.

Another two riders came by and since they were on road bikes, they didn't try to go on the gravel. They were from Syracuse. One couple walked from CR 37 to CR 35 and back.

The last four photos in this album are from today.Asphalt between CR 35 and CR 37

April 1 along the Pumpkinvine -- Middlebury to Shipshewana

People

Camels west of 1100 W

 Remnants of the Valley Line Interurban

Posting photos on Google Earth

One of the ways that we can let others know about the trail system in our community is through photography.  We do that through our Trail Talk newsletter, our website, Facebook posting, our membership and bike ride brochures, this blog and presentations to groups. Two national and international showcases are Google Earth and Traillink.com. I encourage all photographers to upload the trail photos to these sites. Google Earth does not accept photos of people you can recognize.

Middlebury to Shipshewana - TrailLink.com

Goshen section -- TrailLink.com

Panoramio & Google Earth Accetance Policies

Bike ride registrations

As of Saturday, June 2, we had 804 preregistered for the bike ride. Normally, we get 50 percent of the riders preregistered, so if that pattern held, we'd be over 1,500 at the ride. We have to think the proportions will be smaller, but you never know.

We've been scratching our heads trying to figure out what has caused the increase.  Here are some ideas:

• We increased the late registration fee from $5 to $10, but we had the same policy last year.  
• We've put brochures on the trail for the first time, and a lot people have been picking them up. That would point to larger local participation, which we will be able to tell by comparing addresses of registrations with previous years.
• Opening Middlebury to Shipshewana has give much higher visibility to the trail. Again, that would point to greater local participation.
• We have a billboard between Goshen and Elkhart for the first time. 
• We have over 700 Facebook fans compared to 500 a year ago.
• We've had a color newsletter the last two issues.
• Goshen received the Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists in Sept. 2011.
• Danny Graber reminds me that this is the first year we've had a no-extra-cost online registration and that we've had many more online registrations as a result. That could be a major factor.

The dinner ride numbers are nearly double from a year ago, and we did nothing different in promoting it.

All of that increase comes without the normal promotion we receive from the Bicycle Indiana Events publication that we advertise in each year, but this year it hasn't been published yet!