Lots of bike commuting news out there for Bike to Work Week. Just remember: you can commute next week, next month and all year, too.
-- The Seattle Times is offering a live online Q&A with two bike commute specialists beginning at noon on Thursday. Ask Chris Cameron (Cascade Bicycle Club) or Every Day (Bicycle Alliance of Washington) any questions regarding the routes of equipment in advance of Friday's Bike to Work Day.
"Rising petrol prices, growing awareness of environmental issues and the popularity of cycling as a recreation sport has fuelled a surge in demand for bicycles around the world."
The story goes on to report a 14.6 percent sales increase in European Union in past five years, as the US climbed 9 percent in same period.
A perfectly executed breakaway with four other cyclists put Slipstream's David Millar, left, in the perfect position for a Stage 5 win on Wednesday at the Giro d'Italia.
But with about a kilometer to go on a 9% climb to the finish at Contursi Terme, the Scotsman's chain broke as he strained to keep up with eventual winner Pavel Brutt (Tinkoff). Millar threw his bike over the barrier in disgust and waited for a replacement to finish the race.
The rest of the peloton finished about 30 seconds later, leaving Italian Franco Pellizotti of Liquigas in the overall lead, with Slipstream's Christian Vande Velde 1 second behind. ... more»
We awoke to roosters crowing Monday morning. They walked down the hill from the house and strutted around our campsite.
Bruce and I climbed out of the tent at 5:45. It took us two hours to get ready, and most of that was just repacking our panniers so that the stuff we'd probably use first was at the top. ... more»
This is amazing! The clouds will part and a warm sun will come shining through here in the Puget Sound region on Friday just in time for Bike to Work Day.
That's not just wishful thinking; that's what it says on Page B8, the weather page of the Seattle Times.
So you can't use the usual excuse of cold, rainy, dreary weather to beg off of commuting to work by bicycle that day.
Check out the Cascade Bicycle Club website if you need information about Friday's events. First, you'll need to know that it's not the Seattle Bike to Work Day here, it's Starbucks Bike to Work Day... more»
Team High Road's Mark Cavendish missed a final kilometer crash to win Stage 4 at the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday.
The UK sprinter passed Monday's winner, Daniele Bennati (Liquigas), in the sprint to the finish. Milram tried to deliver Erik Zabel, but the German sprinter couldn't accelerate to win.
Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) remains in first place overall, with a one-second lead over American cyclist Christian Vande Velde of Slipstream Chipotle... more»
Our first day on the TransAmerica bicycle route started with butterflies in our stomachs, a flurry of goodbyes, and a frantic search for a campground that no longer existed.
My bicycling buddy Bruce and I unpacked the car at the Yorktown Victory Monument, a park that commemorated the surrender of Gen. Cornwallis at the end of the Revolutionary War. You could say it marked the end of the road for the British, and the beginning for us. more»
So I mentioned to my teen-age son this weekend that the Giro d'Italia was underway and an American was in the pink jersey for the first time in 20 years.
We agreed that was cool, but then I predicted than an Italian would probably win the race, because the Italians are crazy about the Giro and their cyclists put out their best efforts for the race..
Always searching for logic, he asked that if the Italians always win the Giro, then "Why don't the French ever win the Tour de France?" (Bernard Hinault was the last Frenchman to win the Tour -- in 1985.)
Without taking a pot shot at the French natural culture, I didn't have any good answers for him. Does anyone? Please leave a comment ... more»
A cyclist in Ohio's Tour of the Scioto River Valley bike tour was killed Sunday when he was struck from behind by a motorist while returning to Columbus. Identified as William Crowley, 57, of Northfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, he is the first traffic-related fatality in the history of the tour.
The TOSRV is one of the oldest bike tours in the US, celebrating its 47th anniversary this year. Started as a father-son bike ride in 1962, the classic bike tour draws some 2,800 bicyclists for the 105-mile bike ride to Portsmouth on Saturday, followed by the return to Columbus on the Sunday.
The Ohio State Patrol reported that Crowley was hit by the car while riding north in the right lane of US 23 near Piketon at about 7:50 a.m., about 18 miles north of Portsmouth... more»
Just when things were beginning to look really good for Slipstream-Chipotle at the Giro d'Italia, David Zabriskie crashed on Sunday when his bicycle tangled with Alberto Contador's and he was rushed away by ambulance.
An update by Slipstream's directeur sportif Jonathan Vaughters reported that the cyclist from Salt Lake City injured his back in the crash but was able to move his legs. They'll know more when the X-rays come back.
The accident happened along some railroad tracks about 40 miles from the finish, according to CyclingNews. Slipstream, who was defending the pink leader's jersey worn by Christian Vande Velde, and Contador's Astana team were at the head of the peloton chasing down an early breakaway. Contador was able to stay in the race. ... more»
I love it when the unsung, work-a-day athlete suddenly scores it big in any sport. That happened Saturday when Christian Vande Velde earned the maglia rosa at the 2008 Giro d'Italia.
Ever since I started this bicycling blog in 2005, the name Christian Vande Velde has come up repeatedly among US cyclists competing in elite competitions in Europe and the US.
But he never made the headlines. Ever since turning pro in 1998, the native of Lemont, Illinois, has been the guy delivering water bottles to Lance Armstrong, or helping pace Carlos Sastre or Frank Schleck over mountain passes.
Now, at 31, he ends up leading the surviving five cyclists in the Slipstream-Chipotle pack in the team time trial at the Giro d'Italia and wins the race. What's more, it's the first stage, so he earns the maglia rosa, the pink jersey. Further, he becomes the only US cyclist since Andy Hampsten in 1988 to do so. ... more»
The US-based Slipstream-Chipotle put Christian Vande Velde in the lead of the 2008 Giro d'Italia on Saturday by winning the opening team time trial.
It marks the first time in 20 years that an American has worn the leader's pink jersey at the Giro.
The Slipstream squad gained the lead after finishing the 14.6-mile course around Palermo on the island of Sicily in 26:32. Of the teams that followed, High Road and Team CSC each finished 6 seconds off the pace.
Slipstream members David Zabriskie (US) and David Millar (UK) set a torrid pace for the team ... more»
When rookie downtown shopowner Lance Armstrong opens the doors to Mellow Johnny's in Austin today, it will probably mark the biggest grand opening for a bike shop in the history of cycling. At least in this country.
The 18,000-square-foot shop at Fourth and Nueces is located a block from the Lance Armstrong Bikeway that will roll through town. Armstrong originally touted it as a store for bike commuters, but it will stock bikes and gear for everyone.
Armstrong, who wrote about his recovery from cancer in "It's Not About the Bike," told VeloNews:
"It’s more than a place to buy a bike. I want it to be a place where cyclists of all levels come in and are encouraged, inspired, and motivated to make cycling a daily part of life. And of course—a place where racers and enthusiasts can get the best equipment, service, and know-how to go faster—or farther—on their bikes." ... more»
Today's "daily outrage" comes from Australia, where several cyclists in a pack of 50 slammed into the back of a car after the driver passed the group then stopped abruptly.
The hit-and-run driver later called a talk show to give his version.
Among those in the bunch cycling in Sydney were Olympic cyclists Ben Kersten, Michelle Ferris, Matthew White, Kevin Nichols and daughter Kate Nichols, who was injured in the 2005 car vs. bicycle crash in Germany that claimed the life of Amy Gillett and injured other members of the Australian cycling team ... more»
From about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 10 weekend days this spring and summer, city crews will close off a four-mile section of Lake Washington Boulevard between Mount Baker Beach and Seward Park to vehicular traffic.
This makes for a flat, winding ride along a two-lane, lakeside road that is ideal for families. It's also a portion of road to throw in for a longer weekend ride. There's also a two-mile loop around Seward Park, which juts into Lake Washington... more»
Once again, you'll be able to bring live action from the 2008 Giro d'Italia right to your home or office computer with video streaming or text updates.
The Versus cable network is offering a live video feed from the bike race across Italy via Cycling.tv. The $29.99 offer includes the live feed and daily highlights, as well as this year's Milan-San Remo and Tirreno Adriatico. Sign up at the Versus-Cycling.tv Giro package site.
The one catch is that the offer doesn't include any Sunday stages, as they will be televised by Versus on cable during Cyclysm Sundays. Dates and times for Giro coverage on Cyclysm Sundays: 4 p.m. May 11, May 18 and May 25 and 3 p.m. on June 1 (all times are ET.... more»
Rumors about the excellent bicycle touring opportunities in my big back yard, the Pacific Northwest, will be confirmed by the latest set of maps published by the Adventure Cycling Association.
The Washington Parks bicycle route is an 870-mile double loop within easy access from Seattle. One loop takes in the Olympic Peninsula in the west. The other climbs over and around the soaring Cascades in the east.
The routes take in three national parks -- Olympic, Mt. Rainier, and North Cascade -- along with wild ocean views, tranquil islands, steep mountain passes, and orchards and vineyards. ... more»
Although it's only May, George Hincapie says he'll defend his title in the upcoming Tour of Missouri scheduled Sept. 8-14.
Hincapie won the inaugural Missouri stage bike race last year as a member of the Discovery Channel pro cycling team. He's now a member of Team High Road, officially registered in San Luis Obispo, California.
Hincapie recently finished the Tour of Georgia, where High Road teammate Kanstantin Sivtsov won the race with a decisive attack on Brasstown Bald .... more»
The Baseball Hall of Fame has a home in Cooperstown, and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame is based in Cleveland. What about cycling?
The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame is currently housed in a temporary space in Somerville, New Jersey. The directors are seeking a new home for the hall after its original location of some 20 years was sold for redevelopment.
The Hall displays bicycles, jerseys, photos, trophies and other memorabilia of more than 100 years of US cycling history. It also celebrates the sport of cycling by inducting Hall of Famers every year and coordinating annual bike races ... more»
Read Gillian's personal message in comments below...
Touring bicyclists who benefitted from Gillian Hoggard's hospitality on the hot, dry plains of eastern Colorado in recent years are paying her back.
After a wildfire swept across her home and property last month and destroyed everything in its path, a "reforestation fund" has been set up and at least one work party is heading to her land near Ordway.
It's heartening to see touring cyclists come together to lend a hand to someone whose efforts on their behalf earned her the "Trail Angel" award from Adventure Cycling Association... more»
In spite of an early prohibition, Giro d'Italia organizers are allowing the Astana pro cycling team into the three-week race that begins Saturday in Palermo.
That means US cyclist Levi Leipheimer will race in the Italian classic, along with teammate Alberto Contador, who won the Tour de France last year. (No word on whether the Tour de France chiefs may change their position on Astana.)
Only three of the 22 teams are sending US cyclists to the Giro this year; most of the US riders are members of the Slipstream team. In addition to Leipheimer, other US competitors are Jason McCartney of Team CSC and Jonathan Patrick McCarty, Danny Pate, Christian VandeVelde and David Zabriskie, all of Slipstream... more»
One of the most compelling on-the-road bike journals has rolled to a halt as Nevada photographer Rick Gunn completed his around the world bicycle trek this past weekend.
The Tahoe Daily Tribune has set some of his many photos to a slideshow, left, and music that it published online today.
The 44-year-old photographer started his journey at the Golden Gate Bridge in July 2005, returning 34 months later. Along the way he covered 25,811 miles on his 90-pound loaded bicycle, visited 33 countries, and camped out more than 800 times ... more»
Ron W has posted more than 280 photos of fully loaded touring bikes "at work" that have been submitted by their proud owners. The bikes are identified -- everything from the Seven Vacanza to the Surly Long Haul Trucker -- and you can see how they're packed.
Now he's added the FLT Gallery Profiles Page that features examples of the photographic work of touring cyclists and links to their websites. It's about more than the bike. It's about where the bike can take you .... more»
Bicycling along the Cedar River Trail between Renton and Maple Valley, I often pass this old two-story building across the road that's home to a compost and landscape material business.
It's the biggest and most imposing structure in the suburbs that are sprawling into the rural area between the two towns, and I always thought that it was the former site of a school, or a county jail or something.
When I took the time to ask at the Renton History Museum a few weeks ago, I learned it's another remnant of the once-lucrative coal mining industry that drove commerce in the hills east of Seattle ... more»
A 1952-vintage Schwinn bicycle that carried Donald Deer and his family all around Evansville for a half-century was stolen from outside a McDonald's recently.
While that Schwinn might be a museum piece for some, it was just a way to get around town for Deer, 64.
The local newspaper tells how Deer won the bicycle as a fourth grader by penning the winning fire safety slogan (Fire prevention week is OK, but let's make it a practice every day)... more»
Two outstanding communities for bicycling on the Olympic Peninsula -- Bainbridge Island and Port Townsend -- have been named among the 11 new Bicycle Friendly communities by the League of American Bicyclists.
The others are Colorado Springs and Durango, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota (all silver level), and Arcata, California, Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlottesville, Virginia, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Oxford, Mississippi, and Sitka, Alaska (bronze).
Seattle cyclists are familiar with Bainbridge Island for hosting February's Chilly Hilly bike ride, above, when more than 4,000 bicycle riders take the ferry and jam up a 33-mile loop around the island.
Port Townsend, also a ferry stop on the Olympic Peninsula, is a destination for bike touring enthusiasts who enjoy stress-free rural roads. ... more»
If you're a bicycle commuter, or would like to be, May is certainly your month.
Communities across the US are sponsoring bike-to-work activities in May to urge people out of their cars and onto their bikes. In many places that support evaporates quickly, but by then it's hoped that commuters have been inspired to ride their bikes regularly.
Many month-long bike commuter contests begin today. Other dates to remember are National Bike Week from May 12 - 16, and Bike to Work Day on May 16 (other dates in some locales). Check the League of American Bicyclists Bike Month Events page for local listings.
Five dads are pedaling out of Lansing, Michigan, this August to begin a five-day, 758-mile bicycle tour to Washington DC.
That might not be an epic bike ride, but these guys who will be riding 150 miles a day aren't exactly ultra-athletes. And they'll be tackling some challenging terrain as they pass through Pennsylvania.
The five are undertaking the Equal Parenting Bike Trek to call attention to the need for children to have equal time with both parents, who are willing and fit, after a divorce. They maintain that parents also have the right for equal time with their children ... more»
The Cascade Bicycle Club is rallying support to preserve a future abandoned rail bed as a main link for off-road bicycle travel through Renton, Newcastle, Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland.
In a scheme that gets more complicated as time goes on, the Port of Seattle plans to buy the 42-mile Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad right-of-way for future use as a commuter corridor with rail and a hike-bike trail. The devil is in the details, though, as the Port wants the rail line to have priority over the trail, while King County wants the uses "coequal."
Cascade warns that the Port's position leaves the possibility of a trail in doubt.
"However, the Port of Seattle and the King County Council’s latest plan would give the Port of Seattle veto authority over a future trail, and subordinates trail construction to any “transportation use” – which does not include bicycle commuters on a trail." ... more»
Portland has become the first large US city to achieve the Platinum-level as a Bicycle Friendly Community, following only Davis, California, with the designation. The announcement was made Tuesday by the League of American Bicyclists.
Congratulations go to a wide group of activists, politicians, bureaucrats and even the local bike blogger who kept their eyes on the prize in recent years and helped push bicycling into the mainstream of the city's transportation and culture.
Let's hope it gives bicycling enthusiasts elsewhere the incentive to do the work to get their cities added to the list of Bicycle Friendly Cities that currently stands at 72 ... more»
If you filed a 2007 tax return, and I hope you did, you'll be receiving an economic stimulus tax rebate one of these days soon. Consider bicycling when you're thinking about ways to spend that money.
The rebates are $600 for an individual, $1,200 for a couple and an additional $300 per child.
The economists are worried that people will use the rebates to offset the higher costs of gasoline, thus benefitting the oil companies. We know that nothing sticks it to Big Oil like riding a bicycle.
If you don't want to put that check into savings, I came up with a few ideas on spending it on your bike:
1. Take a fully loaded bicycle tour. If you have the proper gear, you can roll right down the driveway and be on your way ... more»
The 2008 Tour de Georgia bike race certainly didn't follow any script.
It was full of surprises. Among them:
1. Fifty-one US cyclists rode in the 120-man peloton.
--Not one US cyclist won a stage. Not one US cyclist wore the yellow jersey. (Jason McCartney of CSC did win KOM.)
Interestingly, when Slipstream-Chipotle -- a team with 8 US cyclists -- won the Stage 4 Team Time Trial, it was Australian Trent Lowe who crossed the finish line first. That's how he ended up in the yellow jersey after the next stage.
2. The peloton hosted two former Tour de Georgia champions and many veteran contenders, including the winners of February's Tour of California and last fall's Tour of Missouri.
-- It was 25-year-old Kanstantin Sivtsov, right, from Belarus who made the decisive move on Brasstown Bald on Saturday. He passed 23-year-old Trent Lowe and 10-year cycling pro Levi Leipheimer to capture the stage and eventually the Tour.
3. Team High Road dominated the Tour, with three stage wins and four yellow jerseys.
-- If you had told me that before the race, I would have expected South Carolina's George Hincapie to be wearing the yellow jersey ... more»
That bike-sharing rental program called SmartBike DC is set to start next month in the nation's capital with 120 bicycles available at 10 spots around the city.
Operated by the Clear Channel outdoor advertising company, it's the first such project in the US and will be similar to other advertising-based bike rental programs in Paris, Lyon, Rennes and Barcelona, Spain. London is expected to get on board by 2010.
San Francisco will host a SmartBike program in the future, and Clear Channel is negotiating in Chicago and Portland ... more»
I committed a real "Dewey Defeats Truman" blunder at Biking Bis on Saturday when I named Trent Lowe at the overall leader of the Tour de Georgia following the Brasstown Bald stage.
It was Kanstantin Sivtsov (Belarus) of Team High Road who actually captured the overall lead after powering ahead of Trent Lowe and Levi Leipheimer in the final yards on the mountain.
I had listened to and watched the video stream of the end of the final stage, rushed to file a story on the results, then logged off for the day as I undertook to catch up on my one-person parenting duties while my wife is out of town. Big mistake.... more»
In spite of what appears to be an Australian invasion controlling the Tour de Georgia after Friday's stage, the US favorites have climbed in the standings for a battle on Brasstown Bald on Saturday.
Aussie Richard England, right, riding for the Bissell cycling team, challenged and beat countryman Rory Sutherland (HealthNet) in a sprint to the Stage 5 finish line in Dahlonega on Friday.
Meanwhile, Slipstream's Trent Lowe, also from Australia, donned the yellow jersey although he's in a tie with two teammates. Lowe finished first in Slipstream's winning team time trial on Thursday, so he gets the honor of wearing the yellow ... more»
Here's another way Bolivia's Highway of Death gets its name:
On Thursday, a Toyota Land Cruiser packed with 12 passengers plus a driver plowed into a group of bicyclists on a Downhill Madness bike tour who had just set out on their journey down the Unduavi-Yolosa Highway.
Twenty-two-year-old cyclist Tom Austin of the UK was killed in the collision. The SUV then rolled 300 feet down an embankment, killing eight more people inside. Two bicyclists and five people in the SUV were injured .... more»
This is a hit-and-run driver story with a happy ending; at least the bicyclist victim is alive to talk about it.
I wrote about this case back in February, shortly after a motorist hit the Fircrest, Washington, bicyclist, dragged her and her bicycle to the side of the road, then drove off and disappeared into the morning twilight.
The Slipstream-Chipotle team used its horsepower to win the Team Time Trial at Road Atlanta on Thursday, Stage 4 of the 2008 Tour de Georgia.
Greg Henderson held onto the yellow jersey, however, in spite of his Team High Road's 3rd place finish, less than 4 seconds behind. Astana finished in 2nd place, about 2 seconds behind. Team CSC finished 4th.
The win by Slipstream helps to set up former Tour de Georgia winner Tom Danielson in a good position ... more»
"Outside" magazine sent out a newsletter recently naming 15 century bike rides (listed below) around the US this spring and summer for enthusiasts to train for and ride.
Interestingly, it didn't label them "The Best," the "Most Difficult," the "Most Scenic," or the "Best Provisioned." It just directed us to choose one of these rides and start training. OK. Will do.
Three of the rides are on the Pacific Coast. If you're interested in bike rides in the Pacific Time Zone, I've listed 97 rides for California, 69 in Washington and 30 in Oregon on the BikingBis monthly bike calendar pages ... more»
Lots of bike commuting news out there for Bike to Work Week. Just remember: you can commute next week, next month and all year, too.
A perfectly executed breakaway with four other cyclists put Slipstream's David Millar, left, in the perfect position for a Stage 5 win on Wednesday at the Giro d'Italia.
We awoke to roosters crowing Monday morning. They walked down the hill from the house and strutted around our campsite. 
This is amazing! The clouds will part and a warm sun will come shining through here in the Puget Sound region on Friday just in time for Bike to Work Day.
Team High Road's Mark Cavendish missed a final kilometer crash to win Stage 4 at the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday.
So I mentioned to my teen-age son this weekend that the Giro d'Italia was underway and an American was in the pink jersey for the first time in 20 years. 
A cyclist in Ohio's Tour of the Scioto River Valley bike tour was killed Sunday when he was struck from behind by a motorist while returning to Columbus. Identified as William Crowley, 57, of Northfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, he is the first traffic-related fatality in the history of the tour. 
I love it when the unsung, work-a-day athlete suddenly scores it big in any sport. That happened Saturday when Christian Vande Velde earned the maglia rosa at the 2008 Giro d'Italia.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of
Bicycling along the Cedar River Trail between Renton and Maple Valley, I often pass this old two-story building across the road that's home to a compost and landscape material business.
Communities across the US are sponsoring bike-to-work activities in May to urge people out of their cars and onto their bikes. In many places that support evaporates quickly, but by then it's hoped that commuters have been inspired to ride their bikes regularly.
Five dads are pedaling out of Lansing, Michigan, this August to begin a five-day, 758-mile bicycle tour to Washington DC. 
The Cascade Bicycle Club is rallying support to preserve a future abandoned rail bed as a main link for off-road bicycle travel through Renton, Newcastle, Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland.
Portland has become the first large US city to achieve the Platinum-level as a Bicycle Friendly Community, following only Davis, California, with the designation. The announcement was made Tuesday by the League of American Bicyclists.
If you filed a 2007 tax return, and I hope you did, you'll be receiving an economic stimulus tax rebate one of these days soon. Consider bicycling when you're thinking about ways to spend that money.
The 2008 Tour de Georgia bike race certainly didn't follow any script. 
2. The peloton hosted two former Tour de Georgia champions and many veteran contenders, including the winners of February's Tour of California and last fall's Tour of Missouri.
That bike-sharing rental program called SmartBike DC is set to start next month in the nation's capital with 120 bicycles available at 10 spots around the city.
In spite of what appears to be an Australian invasion controlling the Tour de Georgia after Friday's stage, the US favorites have climbed in the standings for a battle on Brasstown Bald on Saturday.
The Slipstream-Chipotle team used its horsepower to win the Team Time Trial at Road Atlanta on Thursday, Stage 4 of the 
"Outside" magazine sent out a newsletter recently naming 15 century bike rides (listed below) around the US this spring and summer for enthusiasts to train for and ride.
