BABES News and Notes

Gerry Frierdich begins long recovery

Gerry "Chief" Frierdich, a regular rider with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Soceity and a noted photographer with Crafty Eye Photography in St. Louis, is continuing his long recovery and rehabilitation after his bicycle was struck by a pickup truck on Aug. 19, 2007, along South Green Mount Road in Belleville.

In an effort to help Gerry, the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society is teaming up with the Touring Cyclist bicycle shop and friends and relatives of Gerry to put on The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride on Sunday, June 1, at Central Junior High School in Belleville, Ill.

He has paralysis from the chest down. He can move his forearms, but has no fine motor movement in his hands. His diaphragm is weak, but building his strength back will help him breathe easier, said his sister, Robyn Weilbacher.

Family and friends have set up a Web site, Chiefgetwell.com, which offers regular updates about Gerry's condition. You also can e-mail a message to Gerry through the Web site.

In addition to the ride, friends of Gerry are selling the T-shirt shown at left. The shirts are $15 for adults (sizes S, M, L, XL and XL) and $12 for children (sizes S, M and L). To place an order, contact Sandy Gore at 4gores@charter.net or 618-277-5129. So that your order doesn’t get delayed, please specify the number of shirts and sizes. Payment will be due when your order is picked up. You can get more information about the shirt and Gerry at the Chief Get Well site.

Please keep Gerry in your thoughts and prayers during his difficult recovery.

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Although we update this page from time to time, our freshest news can be found in our Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society News and Notes e-mail newsletter, which we send to people on our mailing list.

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BABES member writes book

The Rev. Robert F. Molsberry, who has ridden with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society from time to time, has written a second book about his cycling experiences as a paraplegic: "Tour de Faith: A Cyclist's Lessons for Living."

Here's how the book's publisher, Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, describes it:

Tour de Faith shares powerful lessons about community, discipline, challenges, mortality, and more as pastor Robert F. Molsberry reflects on his experiences in the annual Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). Each year, the race attracts tens of thousands of riders, including political candidates, governors, Hollywood celebrities, and renowned cycling champions Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond. In Tour de Faith, Molsberry offers a progressive Christian perspective on life in the fast and slow lanes of the twenty-first century.

Bob participated in RAGBRAI for the first time in 1974. In 1997 he was left paraplegic after a near-fatal accident. He returned to ride RAGBRAI for the eighteenth time in 2006. Bob is director of administration at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and a transitional pastor at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Belleville.

The book is available through the publisher or through Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.

Bob wrote a 2004 book about his experiences as a paraplegic, "Blindsided by Grace: Entering the World of Disability," and that is also available online.

Monroe County bicycle ordinance

In 2000, Monroe County passed an ordinance requiring permits for rides of more than 50 people. Most of our rides that go into Monroe County have fewer than 50 people and therefore do not require permits. But we are posting the ordinance (PDF file) in case the BABES ever has a ride of more than 50 people going through the county or in case we are questioned by law enforcement officers about our presence in the county.

Perceptions of a 101 Critical Days Survivor

Air Force Col. W.A. Malec of O'Fallon has submitted this story about his June 12, 2005, accident near O'Fallon, Ill. The good news is that after two surgeries, two hospital stays, two infections and more hours
of physical therapy than he can count, he's almost as good as new. He lost 10 pounds, the hard way, and hasn't gained it back since. He hasn't been back on his bike yet, but he looks forward to crossing that bridge this spring.

By Col. W.A. Malec

The big “101 Critical Days of Summer"* clock had barely started ticking when I became an early statistic. As is my custom, I had read the summer safety articles and messages from the senior leaders, cautioning on the dangers of summer and encouraging one and all to “be safe”. Somewhere in the back of my mind I probably thought, “…but not me!”

Admittedly, 101 Critical Days was not the first thing on my mind as I set out for an early Sunday morning bike ride on the largely deserted streets and roads around O’Fallon, Illinois. A long bike ride is a great way to clear your head and contemplate the day and week ahead.

Fortunately for me, over the years I’ve picked up some of the planning and organizing skills that are key to effective operational risk management. I didn’t actually pull out and run my ORM checklist during my pre-departure phase, but I did rundown a mental list of what to take on my ride.

I had figured out long before the Air Force and the DoD mandated it that a bicycle helmet was absolutely essential to any bike ride. I added biker gloves and safety glasses to keep dirt and bugs out of the eyes. The mouth tends to get pretty parched out there so I took along a bottle of my favorite sports drink and a wash cloth for occasional brow wipes. Last but not least, I hooked my cell phone to my waist band just in case I needed comm connectivity while out and about.

As I pedaled away I had no inkling of the unexpected adventure that waited just ahead. It’s funny how stuff can happen so quickly and have such a potential long-term impact.

One minute I was pedaling contently down a quiet paved country road and the next…“trouble”. Trouble came in the form of three dogs that came running through an open area off to the right headed toward me. This was quite unexpected since I had been down this same road the day and week before with no dogs sighted.

“Danger Will Robinson!” Personal risk management kicked in, and the acronym A-C-T with it: Access your environment for hazards; Consider your options; and Take action to live. As I said, it was a pretty tranquil environment until Fido and his pals, a Lab-like mutt and two smaller white and black bundles of fur, headed my way, barking as they came. I immediately reviewed my options.

I never considered stopping, as I wasn’t feeling the love, and figured I had the superior speed and agility necessary to make a successful escape. I shifted into overdrive and pedaled my old Schwinn for all she was worth. The dogs gave chase! As I transitioned into super drive I must have looked like a modern day Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow fame.

Once I reached warp speed I never saw two of the dogs again but one of the white and black mutts was persistent and kept up an impressive pace. He positioned himself just forward off my left handlebar in the center of the road, periodically glancing back and yapping as he raced all out.

Even at this point I thought I was home free, thinking it was just seconds away from leaving the pooch in my dust. What happened next still causes me to wake up at night with cold sweats. Instead of breaking off the chase, Bowser abruptly angled right and slid up under my front tire in a canine "hara-kiri."

SPLAT! One second I was cruising along in getaway mode like Bonnie and Clyde and the next I was sitting in an ugly heap. “Take action to live” kicked right in. Bowser beat feet back where he came from and left me screaming like a banshee in front of his neighbor’s farmhouse.

It happened so fast that I still can’t replay the tape in my mind with any detail. I must have landed pretty hard on my left shoulder ‘cause when I stood up my whole left side seemed to be compressed down about six inches lower. Even with adrenaline pumping my breathing was labored and my left side from ankle to shoulder was reminiscent of the old Beatles’ tune, Strawberry Fields Forever.

My “brain bucket” had done its job…it shattered into pieces but there was nary a scratch on my cranium.

It was obvious that I needed to get to a hospital real soon and wasn’t going to be riding my bike there. Despite my loud wailing, no one ever emerged from the farmhouse to see what was the clatter or call 9-1-1. Fortunately my wife was just a cell phone call away.

Bless her heart, within a few long minutes she swooped down on me like Florence Nightingale in our Ford Explorer turned “Jolly Green.” She quickly loaded bike and me, and hustled without delay to Scott Air Force Base Hospital ER.

My left lung was collapsed, probably pierced by one of my two broken ribs. The left clavicle was broken right through in two places, necessitating two surgically inserted stainless steel screws to get the shoulder lined back up. They put a drain tube in my chest cavity that stayed in place 3-days and a brace around my neck that hampered my movement and vision for 2-weeks. No skull damage was found, a testament to helmet wearing. Five days post-accident I went home.

The moral to my story…plan for the worst. Bad, life-altering, things can happen P-D-Q so you’ve got to be ready. A little attention to detail up front can save a lot of pain, agony, or worse later. Your very life could depend on it!

-------------------------------

*NOTE: The 101 Critical Days of Summer run from the
beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend to the end
of the Labor Day Weekend. Safety statistics have
shown that this timeframe has traditionally been a
period of increased mishaps, especially those
occurring in off-duty activities.

Rules of the Road

In recent years, members of the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society have seen lots of violations of Illinois cycling laws on Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club rides, Hostelling International featured events and, unfortunately, BABES Wednesday Evening Rides. Under Illinois law, you must ride as far to the right of the road as safely possible. Riding two abreast is allowed as long as the normal and reasonable movement of traffic is not impeded. Keep in mind that it doesn't take much to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic on narrow country roads. Riding three or more abreast is prohibited except on bicycle paths or parts of roadways set aside for bicycles only.

In 2008, it is also the law that motorists must give at lease three feet of clearance while passing a bicycle. Bicyclists also may extend their right arms to signal a right turn.

For a breakdown of Illinois cycling laws, download this PDF file from the League of Illinois Bicyclists: http://www.bikelib.org/education/bikelaws.pdf.

Submit an article

If you want to write about your favorite bicycle adventures or vent off some steam about a cycling issue, you're invited to submit a story. You may e-mail the story to us. Photos and graphics are welcome, but be sure they are either in JPEG or GIF formats so they can be posted on the Web site.

We do request that that all articles are in good taste.

Articles and opinions on this page are not necessarily the views of Roger Kramer or www.rogerkramercycling.org.