Biking Bis - Bicycle Touring and More

More Bike Touring at TransAmerica Bike Tour 1984 ...

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 11 May 2006 11:12:52 -0700

You can read the journals my friend and I wrote on our 1984 cross-country bicycle tour. See the index at TransAmerican Bicycle Tour.

Cyclist killed in TOSRV bike ride in Ohio

Gene Bisbee — Sun, 11 May 2008 20:08:20 -0700

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...

Washington Parks maps released by Adventure Cycling

Gene Bisbee — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:50:13 -0700

North Cascade Highway

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. ...

TransAmerica cyclists helping Ordway "Trail Angel"

Gene Bisbee — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:46:02 -0700

Gillian Hoggard

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...

Around the world bike odyssey ends for Nevada photographer

Gene Bisbee — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:26:05 -0700

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 ...

Profiles at the Fully Loaded Touring Gallery

Gene Bisbee — Sun, 04 May 2008 12:34:18 -0700

The Squeaky Brake Pad
at flickr.com

If you like seeing what bicycles other touring cyclists are riding, then Fully Loaded Touring Bicycles on Tour is one of the best places to go.

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 ....

Dads bicycling for equal rights for divorced parents

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 01 May 2008 05:00:00 -0700

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 ...

5 ways to spend that tax rebate with bicycling in mind

Gene Bisbee — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:46:26 -0700

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 ...

9 more (including 1 cyclist) die on Bolivia's Highway of Death

Gene Bisbee — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:59:05 -0700

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 ....

"Outside" names 15 century bike rides

Gene Bisbee — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:26:11 -0700

"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 ...