The person reputed to be the first mountain bike enthusiast in the US has been missing for seven months and is believed to be a victim of murder.

John Finley Scott, 73, is considered one of the earliest mountain bike pioneers by the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, located in Crested Butte, Colorado.

All the way back in 1953, Scott used a Schwinn World diamond frame, balloon tires, flat handlebars, derailleur and cantilever brakes to build his "Woodsie Bike." That was 20 years before ...   more »

Last year's winner of the Tour of California, Tour de Georgia and Tour de France has pretty much ruled out professional cycling this year, Floyd Landis said in an interview at ESPN.com.

The pokey pace of his doping case means he's written off the 2007 season, even if he's vindicated.

I'm glad Landis has stayed motivated the past few months and held onto the prospect of cycling this year, but it doesn't seem much of a surprise that this case has dragged out so long. ...   more »

Organizers for the 2007 Breakaway to the Beach MS150 bicycle tour are changing the route for the first time in 12 years.

The Breakaway -- touted as the largest bicycling event in the Southeast with 2,500 riders -- ended tragically last year when 15-year-old Rachel Giblin and her brother, Tommy, were struck by a passing pickup truck pulling a trailer. Rachel died.

Instead of taking a two-day route from Columbia to North Myrtle Beach, this year the Breakaway to the Beach starts, overnights and finishes at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The fund-raiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society is scheduled for Sept. 15-16.

Anne Marie Forbes, president of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, told me about the change of plans ...   more »

The Withlacoochee State Trail's 46-mile length makes it the longest rail-trail in Florida and a great route for bicycling.

Featured as Trail of the Month by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the path runs between Citrus Springs in the north and Trilby in the south in an area generally between Tampa and Orlando.

While the trail is open to all, its path through small towns, ranches and natural areas of the Withlacoochee State Forest means bicyclists have the trail all to themselves for long stretches ...   more »

Italian cyclist Ivan Basso's first race appearance in a Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team jersey will be at the Tour of California, where he'll ride against former teammates on Team CSC.

Basso, who once again is aiming to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same year, hinted that he'll ride the Tour of California (February 18-25) in support of another Discovery team newcomer, American Levi Leipheimer.

You can be sure that all eyes will be on the 29-year-old from the opening prologue in San Francisco to the finish in Long Beach to determine his level of fitness and how well he gets along with his new team ....   more »

Newspapers in California are beginning to pick up on the proposed legislation that would require motorists to give bicycles three feet of space when they drive past.

A story, "Cyclists like push for safety in bill" (that unfortunately quotes just one cyclist), printed by several MediaNews newspapers around the state reports that the same opponents to an earlier version of the bill that was defeated last April are lining up again.

From what I read, here's the major argument posed by the opponents: ...   more »

Just when I think I'll be wearing my rainjacket for the rest of my bicycling life, we get hit with a day like this -- sunny, temp in the high 40s, calm, did I mention sunny?

After suffering through weeks of windstorms, snowstorms, freezing temperatures and rain, lots of rain, cyclists up here by the hundreds emerged into the sunshine for their rides on Saturday.

Here's what I enjoyed on today's bike ride ...   more »

Something from the insider shop-talk department:  Two bicycling blogs have been nominated for this year's seventh annual Weblog Awards.

Up in Alaska has been chosen in the Best Sports Blog category. Jill mentioned it in her ride post on Thursday, then let the matter drop.

Fat Cyclist has been nominated in the Best Kept Secret category for the best underrepresented weblogs. Fatty's gone to the opposite extreme and is begging people to vote for his blog. A flashing advertisement on his site shouts, "I need validation." ...   more »

Looks like the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin might be searching for a new executive director.

The Wisconsin bicycle advocacy group's executive committee has removed Darwin Ward, executive director since the fall of 2002, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. No explanation was given for the removal.

Members were surprised by the action and some were disturbed by the way it happened....   more »

Here's one of the best reasons for towns to support bicycling -- those sweaty, sunburnt cyclists usually have money in their wallets and they're hungry, thirsty and looking for some off-bike activity.

Small towns across Iowa know this; they compete to be named host cities to 10,000-plus cyclists on RAGBRAI every year.

Cumberland Mayor Lee Fiedler knows it too; he's busy convincing downtown businessmen that the opening of the Great Allegheny Passage will deposit some 250,000 hikers and bicyclists on the city's doorstep this year and they need to keep businesses open on weekends. ...   more »

The French anti-doping authority has dismissed proceedings against Spanish cyclist Oscar Pereiro for failing two doping tests during the 2006 Tour de France.

He showed them a note from his doctor. End of story. Everything is forgiven.

Last week a French newspaper reported the leak that Pereiro tested positive for the banned substance salbutamol (an asthma medication) during the Tour ...   more »

This year's RAGBRAI -- Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa -- is going to be the flattest bike ride ever.

Organizers issued that good news when they announced the host towns for RAGBRAI's 35th annual rolling party across Iowa, scheduled for July 22-26.

Following a 478-mile west-to-east route, RAGBRAI will start this year in Rock Rapids ...   more »

You can turn your steel, carbon fiber, aluminum or titanium bicycle into a "woody" with the addition of these wooden fenders.

Cody Davis of Bend, Oregon, has been making these wooden bike fenders in his garage for about three years now after getting involved in furniture wood working just for fun.

I stumbled across his website -- Woody's Custom Cycling Fenders -- recently and e-mailed him to learn more about how he got into it and how his fenders are made ....   more »

Dan Sheret goes over the equipment he must pack when he leaves on his around the world self-supported bicycle tour -- Ability Trek 2007 -- in June.

Panniers. Satellite phone. Water filter. Freeze-dried meals. Below-knee prosthesis for the right leg.

You see, the North Carolina man underwent an amputation of his lower right leg about five years ago because an ankle injured in an accident would not heal correctly. That didn't stop him from bicycling cross-country in 2003, and it won't stop him from bicycling around the world beginning in June 2007.

Sheret is a long-distance endurance amputee cyclist whose problem has turned into his strength and an inspiration to all ...   more »

We're not talking entry level bike mechanics here, although that job is demanding enough. A Washington state bicycle advocacy group and the nation's leading bicycle racing publication are looking for new bosses.

VeloNews is looking for an editor-in-chief. The position oversees the biweekly bike racing magazine and website. The editor is in charge of pretty much everything and everybody on the news side of the publication. The successful candidate must be deadline and detail-oriented.

The position is based in Boulder and some travel to worldwide cycling events is anticipated. ...   more »