EL MORRO NATIONAL MONUMENT, N.M. - We passed through several nations today; those of the Isleta, Laguna, Acoma, and Canoncita. They're all pueblo tribes that thrived here before the Spanish Conquistadors and missionaries enslaved them. English is spoken here, but it's not the native tongue.
None of that mattered to us this morning. We awoke out in the desert while there were still a couple of stars in the sky and the sun was brightening the East. We walked back to our bicycles hidden under the railroad trestle and Bruce removed that crudely carved horse's head, given to him in Missouri, from his handlebar pack and set it on the trestle support. I imagine it will startle whoever finds it. ... more»
It will be all Lance all the time on the Versus cable network when the 2009 Tour de France kicks off in Monaco on Saturday.
After a series of 10 one-hour shows on Friday highlighting the all-time best Lance Armstrong stages, Versus will launch its live coverage for Stage 1 at 9:30 a.m. (ET) Saturday.
There will be live coverage in the morning, followed by three two-hour replays throughout the afternoon, followed by a 3-hour "expanded" primetime show in the evening that will be repeated once.
That's 14 hours a day for the "routine" stages. Mountain stages could get 17 hours of coverage in a 24-hour period.
I'm sure that's OK with most cycling fans. Although I try to watch as much of the live show as possible in the morning, I'm often hooked in the evening by the primetime show ... more»
SOMEWHERE IN ISLETA INDIAN RESERVATION, N.M. - When things are going well, I tend to leave things too much to chance ... at least until I'm brought up short by lack of planning and bad decisions.
That's why Bruce and I spent the night in our sleeping bags on a dry wash under the stars next to a railroad trestle. Except for the occasional freight train, the only sound was a soft breeze and the startling yelps of coyotes.
We left the motel late this morning and stopped by Old Town Albuquerque to shop. We looked at jewelry and learned the differences between the Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo styles. We had a lunch of tortillas and beer -- a true meal of champions, and picked up some odds and ends at a K-Mart before finally getting underway at 2 p.m. ... more»
A couple of days ago I stumbled across a bicyclist who is preparing to ride from Vancouver, BC, to New York City with less than 35 pounds -- including his bicycle.
This is no credit card tour, however. The cyclist, Igor Kovse, is geared for full-out camping with a tent, sleeping bag and a pad. He's also carrying tools, clothing for wet and cold weather, a camera and photographic supplies.
Whenever I'm bicycle touring, it's obvious that I'm in serious need of a gear diet. That's why I like to see how the ultralight half lives.
Apparently Igor has been traveling like this for quite a few years. He announced his upcoming transcontinental tour at the Ultralight Biking Yahoo group, and referred people to his Crazy Guy on a Bike touring page for a previous ride from Dushanbe to Delhi that lists all of his equipment ... more»
Another day, another study with something for us to worry about.
Coming on the heels of a report that tied bicycling and infertility, the New York Times reports on a couple of studies that ties bicycling with the reduction in bone density.
That makes cyclists more susceptible to breaks, such as Lance Armstrong's collarbone fracture earlier this year, above.
An encouraging note is that recreational cyclists are not subject to the infertility and bone density problems. The studies looked only at elite athletes who push themselves to the extreme in training and competition .... more»
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - We spent much of today riding on the Turquoise Highway. It looked like plain old blacktop to me.
We left Santa Fe in a light drizzle, which quickly burned off. It was such a mellow Sunday morning that Bruce wore his headphones as he pedalled along. He was spacing out near the center of the road when a car came up from behind and couldn't pass. I expect the driver was afraid of honking and scaring Bruce to death.
I stopped and yelled and waved my arms, and Bruce must have caught the vibes as he looked back and swerved out of the way. He packed up those headphones for the rest of the trip. ... more»
Although I don't keep to a tightly regimented training schedule for bicycling, I usually know my route when I roll down the driveway and I'll stick to it.
Occasionally, though, I just take my bike and head out with no destination in mind. I'm just going out exploring on my bike, or noodling around. Although it doesn't account for many miles in the saddle, it always results in some interesting finds.
On Sunday, for example, I headed down the pipeline right-of-way on my Rockhopper and followed it to the dead-end above May Creek. That's where I veered into the woods on a light trail. Not far along, I came upon this vintage US Mail truck rusting back into its elements in the woods ... more»
SANTA FE, N.M. - I seem to keep repeating this in my journal -- "this place reminds me of Annapolis."
Of course Santa Fe doesn't really remind me of Annapolis, but there are aspects that are similar. Same with Taos, Ouray, Ste. Genevieve.
Santa Fe is steeped in the Hispanic culture, Annapolis isn't. Annapolis sits on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Santa Fe sits at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
The similarities? Neither are the largest cities in their states, but they are the state capitals. Both have campuses of the liberal arts St. John's College. A large part of their economies are based on eating and drinking and partying downtown ... more»
How much bicycling is too much if you're trying to start a family?
Lengthy and frequent bicycling -- like more than 186 miles a week -- can cause "significant fertility problems" for men, says a report presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
But bicycling to work on a daily basis wouldn't cause a significant increase in abnormal sperm.
This isn't another urological study about saddle pressure causing male impotence. The current study from the University of Cordoba Medical School finds that tight clothing that holds heat, friction of the testes against the saddle and the stress from hours of high-energy exercise can contribute to inferior sperm quality ... more»
This 2009 Tour de France -- starting Saturday in Monaco -- might seem like old times for viewers, as many of the seven cyclists from the US are blasts from the past.
In fact, the seven spread across three teams has tallied 47 Tours de France among them.
The biggest name is of course Lance Armstrong, 37, who returns to the peloton after a three-year hiatus. A winner of seven straight Tours de France between 1999 and 2005, he needs no introduction. This is Armstrong's 12th Tour start.
Returning to the Tour de France in 2009 for his seventh start is Armstrong teammate Levi Leipheimer, 35, who had to sit out last year because he happened to be a member of the banned Astana team. Remember Let Levi Ride ... more»
SANTA FE, N.M. - Most of the day, I felt that I was no longer cycling through the US, but had slipped south of the border. The Hispanic culture here, mixed with Native American, is very strong.
For instance, after Penasco, we followed a road that reminded me of cycling in the Alleghenies because he rose and fell like a rollercoaster. We passed through some towns, such as Las Trampas, that had a mission older than most of the Colonial era buildings back home in historic Annapolis. ... more»
TAOS, N.M. - We've covered almost 3,000 miles on our cross-country bike ride so far, and I don't remember any place as unique as this. I almost feel like I'm in a different country. Much of the area sits on a plateau, so its flat like Kansas. But it's arid, so there's only dry brush around.
We were back on the road at 6:30 a.m. No ranger hassled us. We had a free night.
We continued on the same road all the way to Antonito, about 15 miles away. We steadily dropped from the woodsy environment to a scrubby sagebrush plain. The small towns we passed, Mogote and Las Mesitas, had many adobe houses. ...
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"I got the call -- from Johan Bruyneel, our team manager at Astana -- that I had been waiting for. As I had feared, his message was that I wasn't going to the Tour this year. Many reasons were given, but all I really heard was that there would be no Tour de France for me.
"Politics seemed to once again be what was holding me back from doing what I love, racing at the top of my sport. Johan gave me many reasons why he couldn't take me, and all of them made sense to me from a political standpoint, but absolutely no sense from a straight up who deserves to go standpoint."
-- Chris Horner writing about his disappointment in not being chosen to ride alongside Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer in the 2009 Tour de France. A native of Bend, Oregon, Horner's Freewheeling column appears in the Oregonian.
Horner doesn't blame Bruyneel, whose "hands were tied.... more»
ASPEN GLADE, COLO. - This is rough terrain, and we crossed back over the Continental Divide and bicycled in and out of New Mexico today. We're still making progress to the Pacific, though it doesn't seem so.
We said our goodbyes to Gunter and Elsa (they said they didn't want to hold us back, although I doubt this because they set a torrid pace), and pedaled south on Route 84 to Chromo. Nothing much going on here except a second breakfast. After leaving the mountains, we're in some high plains here. A landmark, Chromo Mountain, we watched approach for more than 10 miles. We passed it on our right, and continued over the New Mexico border... more»
Those of you who read Adventure Cyclist magazine are probably familiar with the writings of columnist Willie Weir.
Although he calls Seattle his home, Weir spends much of his time traveling the world by bicycle. As he tells it:
"I'm not an avid bicyclist, but a traveler who discovered the bicycle."
Weir has compiled his best Adventure Cyclist writings into a book, "Travels with Willie," that's available in paperback for $15 at the Willie Weir website, or as a download for a donation.
The former actor explains that the digital download book is offered in the spirit of live theater that often has a "pay what you can" performance.
"If it inspires you or someone you know to get on their bicycle and explore the world, then it has served its intended purpose." ... more»
PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLO. -We hooked up with a German couple on the road today who taught us about a new health drink, although we have yet to try it while cycling.
We packed up early at the hostel in Durango and took off. Anymore, I always feel better being back on the road, no matter how much I needed a rest day. Today we're following a new map behind the clear window in my handlebar bag. We're long-finished with the traditional Bikecentennial maps -- that route veered north somewhere after Pueblo. We're on the Great Parks South Bicycle Route Extension map.
It's good to know that we're back on a route found suitable for bicyclists, although it's disconcerting to have California as our final destination and not be chasing our shadows in the morning. ... more»
The seesaw battle for the lead in the Race Across America finally landed in Dani Wyss's favor Thursday evening as defending champion Jure Robic had to stop to serve 60 minutes of penalties just 55 miles from the finish line in Annapolis, Maryland.
Instead of serving his time at the Mt. Airy, Maryland, time station, however, Robic and his crew decided to quit. Wyss, who is recorded as arriving at that time station at the same time, proceeded down the road to victory in Annapolis.
"Jure was the fastest cyclist on this years RAAM. On the last time check TS51, he came few minutes before Dani Wyss. Because of the penalties, issued controversially, because of the rules not aplied always in the same manner and because of not issuing penalties to others, Jure and his crew decided not to finish the race as 2nd, but step out of it on TS51.
"Today it was written the history of RAAM. Jure and Dani staged the toughest fight ever and on the end the fastest didn't won.
"Expect more in next days when we will be relaxing before traveling back home."
It's a shame that the closest and possibly greatest RAAM ever had to end on a sour note. It's amazing to consider that a 3,100-mile race could come down to just minutes separating these two endurance athletes until one of them bailed out .... more»
Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador is the choice to lead Team Astana's 9-man squad at the 2009 Tour de France this year.
Citing his 2007 Tour de France championship and victories at all three Grand Tours, team manager Johan Bruyneel writes at the Astana website:
"... It's hard to find a better stage race rider than Alberto. He has worked very hard, earning the right to represent our team as the leader this July." .... more»
The Mad as Hell Bike Ride Across the US was an aptly named endeavor.
Jim Gafney was a 65-year-old computer engineer from Chula Vista, California, who took off on a cross-country bike ride in April to collect signatures on a petition to protest the bailouts and encourage the President and Congress to act more responsibly in these tough economic times.
Family and friends say he was upset about the government's actions during the recession and was going to deliver the petition to lawmakers in Washington DC. He hoped to have 1,000 protesting cyclists accompany him into the nation's capital.
Gafney wasn't allowed to finish his bike ride, however. ... more»
DURANGO, COLO. - Note to self: If you're touring by bicycle, stay on the bicycle.
We've just returned from a strange and troubling adventure involving our reliance on a pickup truck we borrowed for the day. We're all safe and sound, but it could have turned out much worse.
Bruce and I had planned to take today off and take a $25 guided tour to the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings, about an hour's drive away. The hosteler said we could do it cheaper if we rented a car, and what's more, a German hostel guest, Christiane, could go with us and make it back by her 4:30 bus ride out of town.
A guy from across the street who hangs around to drink the coffee here did that one better, and offered us the use of a pickup truck he had just purchased from a local mining company. We took him up on the offer...
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Update: The leading solo men in the Race Across America plowed across Ohio on Wednesday at times within sight of each other as they prepared to enter mountainous West Virginia.
After Jure Robic and Dani Wyss passed through the Chillicothe time station at the same time, a punctured tire briefly sidelined Robic who was passed by Wyss. According to the time station splits in Athens, Robic arrived 3 minutes ahead of Wyss.
With Robic's 60 minutes of accumulated penalities, however, the Slovenian is actually in second place with less than 450 miles to go ... more»
If you're a bicycle enthusiast in Seattle and want to see how the other half lives down in Portland, you can check out the documentary "Veer" this Thursday at Columbia City Cinema.
The film by Gregory Fredette and Jason Turner looks at the bicycling culture of Portland [see trailer at left].
It stars the Sprockettes, earnest bicycle advocates and dozens of cyclists who use the streets of Portland to get around by bicycle.
The documentary has been accepted for viewing at several film festivals and won for Best Documentary at the Calgary Underground Film Festival ... more»
DURANGO, COLO. - I can't imagine a better day bicycling, even though it did include several hours on a narrow gauge railroad.
The climb up Red Mountain Pass is a monster. It's a 13-mile ride from Ouray and rises from 7,706-foot elevation to 11,018 feet. It took us 3 and a half hours, partly because of the climb and partly because of the scenery - which we were all too happy to admire as we caught our breath.
We climbed switchbacks out of Ouray, which was surrounded by lofty cliffs, and followed the roaring Uncompagre River, which had cut the hell out of these mountains. We could see old wooden miners' cabins clinging to the mountains, and passed several slides where ice had recently scoured out everything in its path. .... more»
The wheels of justice are catching up to those two hapless co-defendants involved in the theft of Lance Armstrong's bike in Sacramento during the Tour of California in February, as some ironic details emerge.
The man charged with taking the three bicycles -- including Armstrong's one-of-a-kind time trial bike -- from the Astana truck has pleaded no contest and will be sentenced to a 3-year prison term on Monday.
The man who pleaded no contest to receiving the stolen property already has been sentenced to a 3 years, suspended, and 90 days in jail.
Three years in prison might seem a little harsh for taking a bicycle, but the Sacramento Bee reports the theft suspect, 40-year-old Lee Monroe Crider, has a police rap sheet that goes back 21 years in Sacramento. He was on probation for a bike theft at Sacramento State. ... more»
Endurance cycling junkies no doubt are enjoying the contest between Jure Robic and Dani Wyss being played out this week as the Race Across America nears the finish line.
But the real action of RAAM takes place behind the scenes in the team vans and the riders' own heads.
And that's where filmmaker Stephen Auerbach takes viewers of his new documentary, "Bicycle Dreams." [Trailer above] It's the story of the solo division competitors during the RAAM in 2005, one of the most tragic years since the race began in 1982.
Auerbach and his film crew got unprecedented access to the cyclists and the crews .... more»
After 2,100 miles, Slovenian wonder-cyclist Jure Robic maintained his lead in the grueling Race Across America as he was first to pull into the Effingham, Illinois, time station Tuesday morning.
But something is different at this point in the race as four-time RAAM champion Robic defends his title; a 39-year-old cyclist named Daniel Wyss followed him into the time station by only 81 minutes.
It's probably one of the few times that anyone has been this close to Robic this late in the race during his wins in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
Wyss, a 39-year-old cyclist from Switzerland, won the race in 2006. He might just be waiting for a chance to slip ahead of Robic during a sleep break or wrong turn over the last 1,000 miles. .. more»
OURAY, COLO. - You never know what fellow travelers you'll find when you break camp in the morning.
After leaving the Elk Creek campground we rode along the Blue Mesa reservoir shore and crossed a bridge to Sapinero, which is more of a cafe and filling station than a town. We stopped for another breakfast there. When we were getting ready to spin off, we met a group of college-aged folks who were walking from West to East to protest nuclear weapons. They asked us to "join their circle" as they held hands and looked for inspiration for the day ahead. I was inspired by being on my bike, instead of on foot.
Just as we left Sapinero, we picked up another bicycle tourist -- Frank -- who told us about all the problems he'd encountered. Just like the guy in Golden City, Mo., this guy was starved for conversation and talked nonstop. ... more»
Lance Armstrong peers from the cover of the VeloNews Tour de France Guide: "7-time champ and his team of superstars defy all challengers."
Alberto Contador looks out from Cycle Sport America: "Don't mess with the Spanish stage race superstar."
It's only 1-1/2 weeks until the beginning of this year's Tour de France in Monaco on July 4, and it's still unclear whether Astana will start the race with an absolute team leader. If you were in charge of Astana and facing this decision, who would you pick? See the poll at right. ... more»
ELK CREEK, COLO. - This is one of those days that I'd been looking forward to ever since we started planning the trip. We crossed the Continental Divide under our own power at the 11,312-foot Monarch Pass. I knew all along we could do it; I just didn't know how hard it would be.
Now, sitting at the hot and dry Elk Creek National Park Service Campground, I realize that we must have been in better shape than I realized. Bruce says it was easier than the hills in Virginia and Kentucky
We hit the road at 7, leaving the Ponderosa campground at about 8,500 feet. We made 7 miles to Garfield, at 11,000 feet, in about an hour. It took us 90 minutes to cover the last 6 miles to the pass. ... more»
Some 2,000 cyclists left the Seattle Center on Sunday for the LiveStrong Challenge ride through Seattle and the eastside cities of Mercer Island, Bellevue, Redmond, Newcastle and Renton.
Together with the runners, the group raised nearly $900,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The most money -- $143,963 -- was raised by blogger Elden Nelson's team -- Team Fat Cyclist: Fighting for Susan.
The cyclists faced a grueling day. Although a partial cloud cover promised to keep temperatures lower, there were plenty of climbs the cyclists had to deal with.
Participants were even greeted by The Devil, above, on the first major climb of the day. Later on, the cyclists faced the toughest climb through the Monteaux neighborhood that connected to Lakemont Boulevard on Cougar Mountain ... more»
MAYSVILLE, COLO. - The climbing begins in earnest today, but we start with a long, cold, downhill after crossing the Silver Bridge, touted as the world's highest suspension bridge. The winding road takes us back down to the elevation of the Arkansas River.
Along US 50, huge red outcroppings of rock towered over the road. The river rushed alongside. We could hear it as we pedaled upstream on the gentle grade. Down here we could look up the valleys sometimes and see snow-capped peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
We stopped for snacks in Texas Creek and Cotopaxi. Several groups of rafters passed us, shouting and throwing bucketsful of ice cold water at each other. We talked to a woman who was drinking a cup of coffee to prepare for guiding her first group of rafters today. She was a little nervous. ... more»
Temperatures in the low 60s didn't deter painted bicyclists at Fremont Solstice Parade on Saturday.
Keeping warm under 8 ounces of body paint, the cyclists celebrated the first day of summer along with thousands of onlookers who jammed the parade route in the Seattle neighborhood of Fremont.
Although a few wore a strategically placed loincloth or pasty, most only wore their paint. While some just covered themselves in one color from head-to-toe, others painted themselves in elaborate wardrobes or costumes.
It's a lot of work, and many showed up at Hale's Ale for the painting to begin at 7 a.m. The parade didn't start until noon. ... more»
Early arrivals for the LiveStrong Challenge bike ride check out the LiveStrong Village at the Seattle Center on Saturday.
Some 2,000 cyclists and runners have raised more than $700,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
They'll hit the streets Sunday morning for 5K runs or bike rides of up to 100 miles.
Those bike riders will pass through Seattle, cross the Lake Washington bridges and head into the hills on the Eastside before heading back to the Seattle Center finish line. ... more»
ROYAL GORGE, COLO. - So there I am posing at the side of US 50 with a horned antelope skull balanced on my helmet. Is it wacky altitude weirdness of just giddiness about being on the road again?
Probably the latter. We left Pueblo early and steadily headed toward a line of blue mountains ahead of us. As the morning wore on the mountains grew and finally enveloped us as we progressed into the Rockies.
We stopped at Penrose at 21 miles, then lunched in Canon City 15 miles later. About a mile outside this town, we both geared down to our grannies and just started climbing. To paraphrase Dorothy, we weren't in Kansas anymore ... more»
I've seen some poorly paved bicycle paths, but this one is the worst.
Actually, the canyon the cyclists are pedaling into is a 3D sidewalk art creation intended to slow down bicycle riders on the Regents Canalway in Islington, north of London.
A spokesman for British Waterways told the BBC that the "canyon" was commissioned to remind bicyclists to slow down and avoid pedestrians... more»
PUEBLO, COLO. - We decided to lay around and do nothing for the day. We had covered so many miles the past couple of weeks, we were feeling just plain tired.
The news that a controversial liberal radio talk show DJ -- Alan Berg -- had been gunned down had upset our hosts. Anyway, we just didn't feel right overstaying ... more»
As one string of endurance bicyclists heads east across the United States on skinny tire bicycles, another group is heading south along the Great Divide on fat tire bikes.
The first group are cyclists competing in the Race Across America (RAAM) that I wrote about Wednesday. They're racing 3,100 miles cross-country and will begin arriving in Annapolis late next week after 8 to 10 days in the saddle.
The mountain bicyclists on Tour Divide are going almost as far -- 2,700 miles from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. They're traveling without support crews on mostly dirt roads, however, and must carry their own shelter, water and food.
Last year's Tour Divide winner, Matthew Lee, finished the route in an amazing 19 days and 12 hours ... more»
The Scottish bicycle traveller who holds the world record for fastest circumnavigation of the Earth is taking his BBC audience on a bicycle tour of the Americas.
As I write this, Mark Beaumont is returning from his ascent of Mount McKinley (Denali) in Alaska by foot.
Over the next seven or eight months, the 26-year-old bicycle adventurer will pedal the coastal mountain ranges all the way to Argentina where he'll summit Aconcagua in the Andes.
PUEBLO, COLO. - It's after midnight, and Bruce and I have just finished making basic overhauls and installing new parts on our bicycles. We used the "bicycle workshop" in the shed behind the home of our newfound friend -- a 14-year-old in a house full of biking enthusiasts.
We got a late start this morning from Ordway after our epic 124-mile ride the day before. Fortunately the air had cleared this morning and we continued on good, old Route 96. In all, we'd ride this road for 241 miles, all the way from Dighton, Kansas.
We first saw the Rockies -- just a blue strip along the horizon -- at Olney Springs and continued effortlessly into Pueblo, the biggest town on our trip and about our halfway point.
We made our way into downtown and found the YWCA (yes, women's) where our guidebook listed another hostel. Wrong again ... more»
Four-time Race Across America winner Jure Robic, left, of Slovenia took off from Oceanside, California, on his bicycle at noon Wednesday to defend his title against 23 other men entered in the solo division of the 3,022-mile cross-country race.
He's expected to finish sometime on Friday, June 26, when he pulls into City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland.
This is the 28th running of RAAM, the amazing uber-endurance bicycle race that's the longest, and probably the most difficult, bicycle race in the world.
Four solo women and one man over 60 started their trans-America uber-endurance bike race at noon Tuesday; the 2-person, 4-person and 8-person teams will leave Oceanside on Saturday ... more»
ORDWAY, COLO. - Most of western Kansas and eastern Colorado was closed this Sunday, so we did the only thing we knew -- we kept pedaling.
After patching up two flat tires just after sunrise, we rode out of town and back to the flat terrain. Everything was closed in the first town in Colorado -- Towner. Same at Sheriden Lake ...
So when we finally got to Haswell, thirsty and parched, there was nothing but bad water and what little water we had in our bottles. No bathroom. No shower. The only store in town was closed. Nothing to do but jump on our bikes and press on.... more»
The 2,000 participants in the inaugural LiveStrong Challenge in Seattle this Sunday might be disappointed to learn that Lance Armstrong won't be appearing at the charity bicycle ride.
Instead, Armstrong announced Tuesday that he and teammates Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner will be racing at the Nevada City Classic that day.
Responding on his Twitter account to a discouraged fan, Armstrong wrote:
"I hear ya. If it weren't for the TdF then I'd be there. Have to get some racing in prior to the big race. Tough to balance it all." ... more»
Sometimes when the planets align correctly and all other conditions are just right, we have the perfect storm of recreational bicycle tours. It's a good thing.
Such is the case this weekend.
If you live in Washington state and you can't find a ride this weekend, then you aren't trying very hard.
I count eight organized bicycle rides this weekend from Seattle to Winthrop to Walla Walla. Seven compete for our attention on Saturday, while the LiveStrong Challenge has Sunday all to itself when 2,000 hit the roads in the Seattle and the Eastside.
Here's a rundown (also available on the June Bicycle Ride Calendar at BikingBis):
Saturday
-- Painted Cyclists Solstice Parade: Leave the spandex at home for this ride. Participants in the annual Fremont parade ride au naturel beneath about 8 ounces of paint ... more»
TRIBUNE, KAN. - We're walking back from dinner at the Cactus Patch restaurant, and realize we're riding through history. We're in the town of Tribune in the county of Greeley. The next town down the road tomorrow will be Horace. Follow the bouncing ball. What did Horace Greeley write in the New York Tribune? "Go west young man!"
We started heading West early in the morning after a torrential downpour struck at 4:30. We ate and washed up at the church (still open, as promised) and hit the road at 6:45. After a few miles the terrain opened up more than before, if that's possible.
Not a lot between Utica and Tribune. We'd spot a grain elevator on the horizon, pedal for awhile, then see small clumps of trees to the south and north of it as we got closer. These were the towns with the parks. We'd pedal for another hour or more before reaching the town. ... more»
Research from England shows that bicycling is on the decline in that country as kids spend more time in front of the TV and computer games.
A report by Kellogg's finds that one home in three doesn't have a bicycle, and half the parents responding to a survey says riding a bicycle isn't important for kids today as when they were growing up.
In fact, one of every five parents in London won't bother to teach their kids how to ride a bicycle. And half the parents said they simply don't ride a bicycle anymore themselves.
While the Guardian newspaper was alarmed at this decline in bicycling, I wondered if there are similar trends in the US ... more»
UTICA, KAN. - How many times have I heard people complain about driving across Kansas because it's soooooo boring?
Chalk up another reason why bicycle touring is the best way to see the country. Kansas, by bike, is anything but boring. For one thing, you get to stop at all the small-town cafes.
I have a notion that many of these towns where we've stopped lately -- Bison, McCracken, Ransom, Utica -- are all frontier towns. Each is surrounded by hundreds of square miles of wheat farms and pasture. The highway we're on runs past the southern edge of town. The grain elevators are one or two blocks north on Main Street, sitting on the railroad tracks. Main Street has the post office, cafe, bar, and grocery store. These towns boast the only trees on the landscapes ... more»
LA CROSSE, KAN. -- We're sitting here writing at our journals at a picnic table that's about 30 miles south of the geographical center of the US.
We clicked off a lot of miles today, and I am tired and a little sore, but I feel like I could charge across more than 100 miles of Great Plains tomorrow morning.
We left Hutchinson early in the morning and made it to Nickerson early enough to run into a couple, ages 58 and 52, who spent the night in the home of a stranger who was worried about them camping in the park with tornado warnings broadcast. They too were amazed by how many people help the bicycle tourists... more»
Try as he might, Australian cyclist Cadel Evans couldn't shake Alejandro Valverde as he tried to make up the 16-second margin that separated him from the yellow jersey in the final stage of the Dauphiné Libéré on Sunday.
No. 2 Evans attacked at least four times on the last climb, the St. Bernard-du-Touvet. Each time he was marked by Valverde and No. 3 Alberto Contador of Team Astana.
Stef Clement of the Netherlands won the stage in Grenoble, followed across the line by Garmin's Timothy Duggan of Boulder, Colorado ... more»
EL MORRO NATIONAL MONUMENT, N.M. - We passed through several nations today; those of the Isleta, Laguna, Acoma, and Canoncita. They're all pueblo tribes that thrived here before the Spanish Conquistadors and missionaries enslaved them. English is spoken here, but it's not the native tongue. 
It will be all Lance all the time on the Versus cable network when the 2009 Tour de France kicks off in Monaco on Saturday.
SOMEWHERE IN ISLETA INDIAN RESERVATION, N.M. - When things are going well, I tend to leave things too much to chance ... at least until I'm brought up short by lack of planning and bad decisions. 
Another day, another study with something for us to worry about.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - We spent much of today riding on the Turquoise Highway. It looked like plain old blacktop to me.
Although I don't keep to a tightly regimented training schedule for bicycling, I usually know my route when I roll down the driveway and I'll stick to it.
SANTA FE, N.M. - I seem to keep repeating this in my journal -- "this place reminds me of Annapolis."
How much bicycling is too much if you're trying to start a family?
This 2009 Tour de France -- starting Saturday in Monaco -- might seem like old times for viewers, as many of the seven cyclists from the US are blasts from the past. 
SANTA FE, N.M. - Most of the day, I felt that I was no longer cycling through the US, but had slipped south of the border. The Hispanic culture here, mixed with Native American, is very strong.
Louisiana has joined the list of states where motorists are required to give bicyclists a 3-foot margin when passing.
TAOS, N.M. - We've covered almost 3,000 miles on our cross-country bike ride so far, and I don't remember any place as unique as this. I almost feel like I'm in a different country. Much of the area sits on a plateau, so its flat like Kansas. But it's arid, so there's only dry brush around. 
"I got the call -- from Johan Bruyneel, our team manager at Astana -- that I had been waiting for. As I had feared, his message was that I wasn't going to the Tour this year. Many reasons were given, but all I really heard was that there would be no Tour de France for me. 
ASPEN GLADE, COLO. - This is rough terrain, and we crossed back over the Continental Divide and bicycled in and out of New Mexico today. We're still making progress to the Pacific, though it doesn't seem so.
We packed up early at the hostel in Durango and took off. Anymore, I always feel better being back on the road, no matter how much I needed a rest day. Today we're following a new map behind the clear window in my handlebar bag. We're long-finished with the traditional Bikecentennial maps -- that route veered north somewhere after Pueblo. We're on the Great Parks South Bicycle Route Extension map. 
Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador is the choice to lead Team Astana's 9-man squad at the 2009 Tour de France this year.
DURANGO, COLO. - Note to self: If you're touring by bicycle, stay on the bicycle. 
DURANGO, COLO. - I can't imagine a better day bicycling, even though it did include several hours on a narrow gauge railroad.
The wheels of justice are catching up to those two hapless co-defendants involved in the theft of Lance Armstrong's bike in Sacramento during the Tour of California in February, as some ironic details emerge.
OURAY, COLO. - You never know what fellow travelers you'll find when you break camp in the morning. 
ELK CREEK, COLO. - This is one of those days that I'd been looking forward to ever since we started planning the trip. We crossed the Continental Divide under our own power at the 11,312-foot Monarch Pass. I knew all along we could do it; I just didn't know how hard it would be.
Some 2,000 cyclists left the Seattle Center on Sunday for the LiveStrong Challenge ride through Seattle and the eastside cities of Mercer Island, Bellevue, Redmond, Newcastle and Renton.
MAYSVILLE, COLO. - The climbing begins in earnest today, but we start with a long, cold, downhill after crossing the Silver Bridge, touted as the world's highest suspension bridge. The winding road takes us back down to the elevation of the Arkansas River.
ROYAL GORGE, COLO. - So there I am posing at the side of US 50 with a horned antelope skull balanced on my helmet. Is it wacky altitude weirdness of just giddiness about being on the road again?
PUEBLO, COLO. - It's after midnight, and Bruce and I have just finished making basic overhauls and installing new parts on our bicycles. We used the "bicycle workshop" in the shed behind the home of our newfound friend -- a 14-year-old in a house full of biking enthusiasts.
ORDWAY, COLO. - Most of western Kansas and eastern Colorado was closed this Sunday, so we did the only thing we knew -- we kept pedaling.
The 2,000 participants in the inaugural LiveStrong Challenge in Seattle this Sunday might be disappointed to learn that Lance Armstrong won't be appearing at the charity bicycle ride.
TRIBUNE, KAN. - We're walking back from dinner at the Cactus Patch restaurant, and realize we're riding through history. We're in the town of Tribune in the county of Greeley. The next town down the road tomorrow will be Horace. Follow the bouncing ball. What did Horace Greeley write in the New York Tribune? "Go west young man!" 
Research from England shows that bicycling is on the decline in that country as kids spend more time in front of the TV and computer games.
UTICA, KAN. - How many times have I heard people complain about driving across Kansas because it's soooooo boring?
LA CROSSE, KAN. -- We're sitting here writing at our journals at a picnic table that's about 30 miles south of the geographical center of the US.
