Bicycles and Des Mones (Des Moines, Denver: insurance, how much, living in)

[Palli]

I am seriously thinking about relocating to Des Moines (I work in insurance and the idea of living in a city like Des Moines seems quite appealing especially after reading a lot about it). I don't see much information about biking in Des Moines. I ride my bicycle virtually everywhere year round and I plan to keep doing that out there. How much of a hassle would that be. The weather is not a problem.

I have read of some long bike paths out side of town (one I saw was like 80 miles, another 25 miles or so). What kind of condition are these in? Do people use them? Is it possible to access them from bicycle paths in downtown Des Moines? Dirt or paved?

What is downtown bicycle infrastructure like? Paths or bike lanes? If there are paths, do they offer access to downtown from the outlying areas? Are paths interrupted by roads every block or 2 (like Lincoln, NE) or can you get a straight shot without road interruptions (like Denver, CO), or even worse is it like in Albany, NY where there is one path next to the river and it is pretty, but is of no use for getting around town. Could one ride a bike via paths from Drake U to downtown?

Folks out there sound like they're mellow and friendly and would probably be open to sharing the road with bicyclists, but I would rather be on a bike path with no interruptions.

I am equally a roadie and a mountain biker, depending on the weather, path, and my mood.

[rmyers412]

Check out www.bikeiowa.com. Great website for trail info and maps.

[Tek_Freek]

You will find mixed feelings about bikes in the DSM Area. There are very few bike lanes here. The cities don't seem to be very concerned about adding them, either. There are bike trails galore and they are used.

Riding in winter can be a challenge. Not because it's cold, because of snow and ice.

There are a lot of drivers that aren't happy with bike riders in the area. I am one of them. The reason is the attitude taken by some groups here regarding riding on busy city streets. They feel (and probably rightly so) that they have as much right to be on the streets as automobiles do. By law I believe that is correct.

The problem lies in the fact that these same people also feel it's okay to take up an entire lane even during rush hour, and the majority don't use mirrors to monitor traffic behind them. This in my opinion is stupid, plain and simple. I realize they are trying to make a point, but all it takes is one distracted driver, or one drunk driver and we are going to have some dead and injured riders. Pretty steep price to pay for making a point.

I'm sure if one of the "militant" riders sees this I'll get flamed. So be it. At least I'll live through the summer.

[Luke9686]

Biking isn't as popular in Des Moines as some places, but you can find places to ride. Most of the trails are paved trails, so if you are into off road trails, they are hard to find. It would be tough to bike from the Drake area. There aren't any real bike lanes. You think there would be around campus, but that is not the case. Also, the Drake area doesn't have a reputation for an area you would want to ride a bike, especially after dark. Although, there are areas of Drake revitalizing so that may have changed now.

[Ben Around]

Palli--"Folks out there sound like they're mellow and friendly and would probably be open to sharing the road with bicyclists"

I haven't lived in Iowa for awhile, but when I did, one of the few things I disliked about it was that cars (pickups!) are king, and they have cowed every other form of transportation (walking, bikes, transit) into accepting second class status. When driving down isolated two lane paved roads, I've been honked at, even though I always ride on the right, and the motorist had plenty of room to pass me. In town, I've been cut off and glared at for simply riding my bike down the street. In one small town, several years ago a disabled man regularly rode his motorized scooter down the street to go downtown (there were no sidewalks) and people complained to the city council to get an ordinance passed. The mayor said "why doesn't he just go over to the park to ride around in that thing?"

Iowa's a great state with lots of good people, but they have a blind spot when it comes to accepting other modes of transport. Never had these problems in the other 4 states I've lived in.

[Tek_Freek]

In one small town, several years ago a disabled man regularly rode his motorized scooter down the street to go downtown (there were no sidewalks) and people complained to the city council to get an ordinance passed. The mayor said "why doesn't he just go over to the park to ride around in that thing?"

Id forgot about that. An embarrassment to the state if ever there was one.

[Nicnatros]

Since it sounds like you are talking specifically about the downtown Des Moines area...

No there are not any actual bike lanes that I know of. But drivers are sane here, unlike drivers in larger cities like Chicago or NY. Many of the DART/METRO buses now are outfitted with bike racks on the front of them. If it's not rush hour you will probably be fine riding around downtown. There is a massive amount of trails throughout the city and also on the outskirts. There are tons of recreational riders in the area and the trails are very popular. Therefor they are also well maintained.