Monthly Archive: September 2008
Now that all the hoopla about Lance Armstrong's return to pro cycling is over, it's time for a new round of drama regarding whether he'll be eligible to ride in the Race Down Under.
The Australian bicycle race rolls out from Jan. 20-25, but UCI rules require that cyclists coming out of retirement be available for unannounced testing for six months prior to returning to competition.
Armstrong re-enrolled with the US Anti-Doping Agency on August 1, making him eligible to race on Feb. 1. He notes that his agent notified the UCI in mid-July …
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/30/eligibility-question-arises-for-armstrong-to-race-in-australia-love-letter-from-france/
The final results are in, and the League of American Bicyclists has added 10 new cities to its list of 96 Bicycle-Friendly Communities.
The League also granted four-year renewals to 19 cities that previously had been named bicycle friendly. In the biggest announcement, Boulder, Colorado, was elevated to platinum level, joining Davis, California, and Portland, Oregon, in those lofty heights of the friendliest of friendlies.
I've already reported Seattle's choice as a gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community while they hosted the international Pro Walk / Pro Bike Conference earlier this month. Other cities added for the first time ….
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/30/10-new-cities-labeled-bicycle-friendly-boulder-goes-platinum/
A couple of months ago I was lucky enough to receive two books to review from bicycle travelers Tim and Cindie Travis (at left in Guatemala).
After reading the first one, “The Road That Has No End,” I'm relieved to report that, indeed, their bicycling travels may never end. That's good, because their first travelogue is a great read and I'm looking forward to more.
Tim and Cindie embarked on their around-the-world bicycle travels from Arizona in 2002. Essentially, Tim got Cindie interested in bicycle touring, they lived frugally and saved up their money for five years, quit their jobs and headed out to tour by bicycle for seven years.
If you check out their website, Down the Road, you'll see that the seven-year plan has been scrapped and they're on the road for the long term. ….
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/29/tim-and-cindie-traviss-bicycling-adventures-have-no-end-fortunately/
Tim and Cindie Travis are joined by friends in Guatemala. The globe-trotting authors of “The Road That Has No End” were frequently taken in by families as they traveled through Central America. From their website, Down The Road.
Posted on:
September 29, 2008
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/29/tim-and-cindie-travis-with-friends/
Italian cyclist Alessandro Ballan deflated the attempt by fellow countryman Paolo Bettini to win a record three-in-a-row World Championship at Varese, Italy, on Sunday.
Ballan attacked a dozen cyclists in a breakaway near the finish of the 161-mile road race to take the gold medal by 3 seconds over the group.
Bettini finished nearly 5 minutes behind. Had he won on Sunday, he would have been the first cyclist to win three road race championships in a row. Spain's Oscar Freire, one of only four cyclists to ever achieve 3 championships in his career and the only one currently riding, finished in Bettini's group. …
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/28/ballan-upsets-bettini-at-world-cycling-championships/
A notation on a desk calendar I saw this morning reminded me that one year ago I took a short ride on a gurney into an operating room to have my cancerous prostate removed.
Looking back, it also was a relatively short road back to bicycling, although at the time I worried whether I would ever be able to sit on a bike saddle again. As it turned out, I was able to ride the 2-day, 200 Seattle to Portland bike ride with my son less than 10 months later (here we are with our patches).
In the past year, I occasionally receive e-mails from men who are about to undergo prostate surgery or who have recently undergone the operation. Because they read this blog, they're interested in how the surgery will affect their bicycling. Here's how it affected my riding. …
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/27/how-i-returned-to-bicycling-after-prostate-surgery/
My son and I celebrate finishing the two-day event.
Posted on:
September 27, 2008
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/27/finish-line-for-seattle-to-portland/
As of Saturday, there should be no question as to the best female cyclist in the world.
Nicole Cooke of Great Britain won the women's World Championship road race in Varese, Italy, earning the right to wear the rainbow colored jersey for the next year. That's in addition to the Olympic gold medal she won for women's road race at the Summer Games in Beijing in August.
Of the six US women in the 86-mile race around Varese, Amber Neben finished the highest at 22nd place, 1:46 behind the winner. Neben won the world championship in individual time trial on Wednesday.
The 2008 UCI World Championships end Sunday with the men's road race …
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/27/nicole-cooke-is-world-cycling-champ/
The fastest human on two wheels is:
Lance Armstrong — No. Alberto Contador — No. Sam Whittingham — Yes.
The Canadian bicyclist achieved a decade-long quest by pedaling his kevlar encased recumbent bicycle at more than one-tenth the speed of sound last week in the Nevada desert.
The achievement earned for him the $25,000 .deciMach Prize for human-powered speed.
Whittingham exceeded 82 mph in a run Sept. 18 at Battle Mountain, Nevada, on a stretch of flat highway popular with cyclists attempting the record …
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/26/new-record-for-human-powered-vehicle-110-speed-of-sound/
Volunteers are needed to count bicyclists and pedestrians at certain intersections in town and cities across the state of Washington next week.
The state Department of Transportation is taking the tally to set benchmarks to track progress toward the state's goal of encouraging people to get out of their cars.
The DOT and the Cascade Bicycle Club are looking for volunteers to count people bicycling and walking on paths, bike lanes, sidewalks and other facilities on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and 2 (that's Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).
Volunteers can go to the DOT website at www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/Bike_Counts.htm or contact the Cascade Bicycle Club at organizer@cascadebicycleclub.org or calling 206-957-0689. …
Continue reading »
Permanent link to this article: http://www.bikingbis.com/2008/09/25/counting-bicycle-commuters-in-washington-state/
Loading tweets...
Recent Comments