Most communities require that bicyclists use some type of front and/or rear bike light on their rides after dark. In addition to the legal aspects, it's just plain common sense.
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WADA) reports that half of all bicycling fatalities occur after dark involving bicycles without lights, although only 3% of bike rides occur at night.
To raise awareness about nighttime safety issues, bicycling associations are giving away free front and rear bike light sets. I've spotted upcoming giveaways in Washington DC, Seattle and Portland. ... more»
There's a bicycle path in northern Pennsylvania called the Pine Creek Rail Trail that meanders 62 miles along a river that passes through a valley aptly called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.
The Rails to Trails Conservancy conducted a survey there last year that proves the adage heard in the movie Field of Dreams: "Build it and they will come."
The survey found that not only do they come, but they contribute to the local economies. While the trail has cost about $12.6 million to build since 1995, the Pine Creek survey determined that visitors spend from $5 million to $7 million a year, most of which is spent in the local communities along the trail.
Leaving aside the aesthetic or fitness benefits of a trail, that economic impact should encourage all communities to take those old bike trail plans off the shelf, dust them off, and start spreading the crushed limestone or asphalt... more»
Instead of complaining about all the trash along a section of a bike path, members of the Mid-Valley Bicycle Club in Corvallis, Oregon, are taking matters into their own hands.
Ten cyclists met at the bike path along 99W, and in little more than an hour had picked up 20 large garbage bags of crap from along the one-mile stretch. Among the items they found was a stripped down bicycle frame, which they're considering upgrading into a new bike.
Good deeds like these aren't isolated to Corvallis. Bicycling groups all over are joining "Adopt-a-trail" campaigns in communities to keep their trails clean ...... more»
A bike ride among some friends along the 57-mile New River State Park trail in Virginia ended in tragedy recently when a rock slab broke loose from an overhang and killed a cyclist.
Park officials say the rock fall "appears to have been an isolated natural act." It's the second time since the abandoned railroad bed was converted to a trail that someone has been killed by a falling rock.
According to reports, Sudie Jenkins Hatcher, 48, from High Point, N.C., was riding with friends in the Austinville area of the trail on Oct. 20. A slab from a rock overhang broke loose, rolled down a hill before it tumbled through the air and struck Hatcher ... more»
Every year the organizers of the Tour de France choose an actual Tour stage for a "recreational ride" that allows cycling enthusiasts to test out their bicycling chops.
It's called L'Étape du Tour Mondovélo, and in 2008 it's scheduled to roll out Sunday, July 6, over the Stage 10 route from Pau to Hautacam.
This is like no ride along the bike path at the local park. This year's l'etape is a 102-mile ride in the Pyrenees over the Col de Tourmalet and finishing at the Hautacam ski resort... more»
Nearly 2 dozen Southern California wildfires that have destroyed more than half a million acres of vegetation caused so much smoke that bicycling in the area this weekend definitely wouldn't be a healthy exercise.
Riding in the yellow jersey at the 2008 Tour de France might require a little less individual effort than in previous years.
The route and daily details released by bike race officials on Thursday shows there will be no starting prologue, and one of the two individual time trials will be shorter than usual.
The 2008 Tour de France rolls counter-clockwise around France from Saturday, July 5 to Sunday July 27, 2008. Along the way it will pass 2,170 miles of French countryside, except for a brief one day stop in the Italian Alps ... more»
Updated: The cyclists on the Discovery Channel pro cycling team are scattering to the four winds.
Spain's Alberto Contador, right, and California's Levi Leipheimer, left, have both confirmed they're following team manager Johan Bruyneel to Kazakhstan-based Astana.
Those are some big guns for Astana. Contador won the 2007 Tour de France and Leipheimer finished in 3rd. The Santa Rosa resident also won the Tour of California in 2007 and won the US National Championships this fall ... more»
Two bicyclists -- Lee Anne Barry (left) and Thomas Hoskins -- were killed in South Carolina on Sunday when they were struck by an SUV as they were bicycling the final leg of a cross-country ride.
This was the fourth cross-country bicycle tour for Barry. She had survived a coma as a youth and later founded the Brain Injury Greatest Journey (B.I.G. Ride) to raise awareness that people with brain injuries can continue to live life in a meaningful way.
The 43-year-old North Carolina resident certainly demonstrated to the very end that she could live a full life and give meaning to the lives of others .... more»
When two life-long friends finished their cross-country bicycle tour last month, they could look back and honestly say they had left their mark on the route behind them.
Steve Cash and Ben Kelchlin didn't leave behind graffiti or trail blazes, though. They planted trees.
The pair planted 103 trees on their meandering 5,391-mile bike tour from Eastport, Maine, to Neah Bay, Washington. They planted trees in parks, elementary schools, and the yards of strangers who showed them kindness on the road... more»
Using a wobbly bicycle, peasant farmer Kalifan Keita is traveling from village to village around Mali to test children for malaria and distribute drugs to those who are sick.
Irin News, a UN publication, says Keita is a volunteer in one of 18 communities that are part of a pilot project being run by the non-governmental organisation [NGO] Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a malaria-endemic region of Mali.
"He is achieving in Mali what the government and decades of Western aid have largely failed to do ... more»
The Lance Armstrong Foundation has filed a trademark infringement suit against a Tulsa man who sells BarkStrong and PurrStrong dog and cat collars.
The collars are too similar to the bright yellow LiveStrong bracelets, the foundation says. The cancer support group founded by bicyclist Lance Armstrong has sold 65 million of the bracelets at $1 each.
Chris Ohman, founder of Animal Charity Collar Group Inc., defends himself in the Tulsa World newspaper, saying the collars aren't bright yellow like the LiveStrong bracelets and they glow in the dark, something that the LiveStrong bracelets don't do... more»
Being distracted with other stuff, I completely missed the DVD release of the cycling flick "The Flying Scotsman" in mid-September.
Earlier this week I stumbled across it after taking a stroll to my local video rental store, snatched it up, watched it immediately, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The movie is based on Graeme Obree's autobiography, "Flying Scotsman; Cycling to Triumph through My Darkest Hours." Obree set the one-hour bicycling record, twice, in the early 1990s in spite of battling officials at the Union Cycliste Internationale and the demons inside his head... more»
Piece by piece, the proposed 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway bike trail is coming together.
The latest section to be designated for the Maine to Florida bicycle route is about 11 miles of the Bronx River Trail (about half is complete) between White Plains and the Bronx. The unfinished portions are in the planning stages.
When complete, the East Coast Greenway will stretch from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, with the ultimate goal of being off-road and traffic-free. About 21 percent of the trail is open to public use... more»
Ever since kids arrived on the scene in this household, fall has been the time of year when my head starts feeling congested and before I know it I'm suffering from a cold.
But considering myself a hard-core cyclist, I ride my bike through my illness. Then, more often than not, the cold turns into bronchitis or a sinus infection and that's the end of my fall bicycling for a couple of weeks.
I've run across some recommendations lately at UltraRob's Adventures blog and from trainer Chris Carmichael about how to prevent and control those colds and at least keep them from turning into something worse... more»
If you're pedaling through North Portland on your bicycle and feel some hunger pangs, you might want to swing by the "bike-thru" window at the Little Red Bike Cafe.
Only open a couple of months, the breakfast and lunch cafe will feed anyone who wants some homemade goodness in the form of sandwiches, baked goods, ice cream and locally roasted coffees. But cyclists do get that 50-cent drink discount that others don't.
Owners Evan and Ali explain all the trials of opening a restaurant and feature their tasty menu offerings at the Little Red Bike Cafe blog. Don't read it on an empty stomach. ... more»
An importer is recalling about 5,700 disc brakes typically mounted on mountain bikes.
Perigeum Development, doing business as Formula Brake USA, is recalling the Oro disc brakes because the brake's lever can separate, causing loss of braking ability. Six reports of failures have resulted in no injuries.
The brakes, manufactured by Italy-based Formula SRL, were sold at bicycle specialty stores ... more»
"Take a ride you won't forget, On my bicyclette; Fast as lightning and so much more, It's a traveling metaphor."
These are the opening lines to the theme song for "The Bicycle Men," a musical comedy opening in London soon.
The show stars Dan Castellaneta, best known as the voice of Homer Simpson. In the musical he plays Steve, an American tourist who crashes his bike and "encounters the twisted inhabitants of a sinister French village," ..... more»
The family of a 15-year-old Rachel Giblin who died in a fund-raising bike tour in South Carolina in 2006 is suing the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
The lawsuit alleges that ride organizers promised traffic control and police protection that didn't materialize, and they routed part of the ride along a stretch of narrow and busy highway that was unsafe for bicyclists.
The Breakaway to the Beach bike tour is just one of about 100 MS fund-raiser bicycle rides in 48 states. Those bike rides raised $67 million in 2006 to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis. .... more»
So Oscar Pereiro is the new winner of the 2006 Tour de France* after cycling officials stripped Floyd Landis of the title and handed it to the Spaniard 15 months after the finish of the race.
Standing on the podium in Paris on July 24, 2006, I'm sure the only dream of a Tour de France win for the Caisse d'Epargne rider involved efforts in 2007 or 2008.
Little did he know that in less than a week, the beaming American standing on the top step of the podium would be accused of doping and eventually be stripped of his yellow jersey. ...... more»
About a month ago I wrote about a Georgia firefighter who planned to ride his bicycle cross-country to raise money for the families of the "Charleston 9," nine South Carolina firefighters who died battling a blaze.
The cyclist, Laddie Williams, finished up the ride over the weekend. He shared the 2,600 road miles between Palm Springs, California, and Charleston with his sidekick, Scott Rousseau of Outspokin' Bicycles. The 120-mile-a-day pace included many obstacles, including an accident with a hit-and-run driver close to home. ... more»
Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel is set to take over a similar job at the dope-plagued Astana pro cycling team.
For those keeping score, four cyclists -- Alexander Vinokourov, Andrey Kashechkin, Eddy Mazzoleni and Matthias Kessler -- on Astana were implicated in doping allegations last year. Astana left the 2007 Tour de France in disgrace after the charges against Vinokourov.
Bruyneel was sought out to use his wit and wiles to win some trophies for the Kazakhstan-based cycling team, as well as implement anti-doping measures employed in 2007 by Team CSC ... more»
The National Park Service is suspending commercial downhill bicycle tours of the Haleakala volcano on Maui for 60 days as it studies ways to make them more safe.
A series of fatalities and injuries on the tours prompted the park service action. Cyclists coasting downhill have crossed the centerline and run into oncoming traffic, as well as missed one of the many switchbacks on the 38-mile winding route to the bottom.
Typically, tourists pay $100 to $150 for a van ride to the parking lot at about the 10,000-foot elevation of the dormant volcano. There they mount their rented bicycles and coast down the road ... more»
This week's resolution to ban RAGBRAI bike rides from Crawford County's roads could set a precedent that might be felt across Iowa.
Supervisors at a couple of surrounding counties say they'll look at banning the ride, and the issue is expected to come up at the November meeting of the Iowa State Association of Counties.
The board chairman at neighboring Monona County told a local newspaper that he wouldn't be surprised if all of Iowa's other 98 counties passed similar measures, but others said they wouldn't support such a measure..... more»
Floyd Landis is taking his doping case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to overturn the ruling that threatens to ban him from cycling until Jan. 30, 2009.
There are no more appeals left for Landis after the Swiss-based court hears the case.
Landis announced his appeal from his defense-fund website, the Floyd Landis Fund.
“Knowing that the accusations against me are simply wrong, and having risked all my energy and resources – including those of my family, friends and supporters – to show clearly that I won the 2006 Tour de France fair and square, I will continue to fight for what I know is right." ... more»
When I first saw the story about the two guys riding their bicycles to every Burgerville fast food joint in the Northwest, I thought I'd be reading a cross between "Super-Size Me" and "Breaking Wind Away."
No such deal here. Brent Krebsbach of Redmond, Wash., and Paul LaFrance of Wasilla, Alaska, are visiting a chain of restaurants in Washington and Oregon that strives to do the right thing toward its customers and employees.
Krebsbach and LaFrance bicycled more than 500 miles in four days to visit all 39 Burgervilles in Oregon and Washington.... more»
A $350,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit stemming from the death of a cyclist on the opening day of RAGBRAI in 2004.
After admitting no wrongdoing in the case, Crawford County turned around and passed a resolution banning RAGBRAI from using its county roads because the county chooses not to maintain them to bicycling standards.
RAGBRAI officials said they'll honor the ban. "Most places want RAGBRAI." ... more»
I've always been reluctant to jump on a corporate bandwagon to support a cause, but this one makes so much sense that I think it deserves recognition.
It's the 2-Mile Challenge sponsored by Clif Bar. Essentially, it encourages people to ride their bicycles instead of drive their cars on trips within a radius of 2 miles from home, which accounts for 40% of all urban travel.
According to a video on the 2-Mile Challenge website, if 1 million people replaced a 2-mile car trip with a bicycle ride once a week, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 50,000 tons per year. more»
Feeling a little beleaugured by traffic or poor road design on your morning bicycle commute or ride to the store?
Rest assured that somewhere in the US, seven cities are being honored in 2007 by the League of American Bicyclists as new "bicycle friendly communities" for their efforts to integrate bicycles into the fabric of city life.
Certainly leading the list in terms of population and impact is New York City. Others receiving the Bronze-level designation are Lexington-Fayette County, Kentucky; Liberty Lake, Washington; Santa Clarita, Cal., and Spartanburg, S.C.
Two cities received the higher ranked silver award. They were Santa Cruz, Cal., and Steamboat Springs, Colo..... more»
There's a little ol' 10-mile bike ride that's held every October in Central California that draws hundreds of bicyclists. In spite of the ride's short distance, it takes the fastest rider more than 45 minutes to reach the finish line; for others it can take more than two hours.
It's the Mount Diablo Challenge, a 10.8-mile slog up a San Francisco Bay Area landmark that gains 3,240 feet. Cyclists suffer a 6.9% gradient over the last four miles.
On Sunday, 976 bicyclists made it past Devil's Elbow and all the way to the summit. I tip my helmet to all of them, from Christopher Phipps, 37, of San Francisco who finished in 45:48 (14.1 mph) to Paul Phillips, 41, of Alamo, who crossed the finish line in 3 hours 5 minutes... more»
The Wall Street Journal reports that custom bicycles -- with pricetags upwards of $10,000 -- are the new rage for bike makers seeking to push up their bottom line.
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe says that "simple cycling" is the way to go. The style manifests itself in the line of easy-to-ride bicycles that use the automatic shifting Coasting system developed by Shimano ... more»
How many frontiers are left? A 40-year-old British man has completed a 46,000-mile journey around the world completely under his own power by bicycling, rowing, hiking and rollerblading.
The man, Jason Lewis, was just 26 years old when he and a friend set out to circumnavigate the globe without relying on engines, motors or wind power such as sailing; no tramp steamers to carry them across oceans or trains to cross deserts.
Along the way he broke both legs when he was hit by a car while rollerbladding in the US, was attacked by alligators, snakes and pirates, and headed off alone when his friend dropped out ... more»
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy continues adding bicycle trails to its Hall of Fame. The latest is the Pinellas Trail, which runs 34 miles from Tarpon Springs to South St. Petersburg in Florida.
A bike path in sunny Florida is certainly something to dream about for someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest. But according to the conservancy, this trail has more going for it than the weather.
The trail passes through parks populated by waterfowl and trees heavy with Spanish moss. It parallels the Gulf Coast and crosses several tidal waterways... more»
I missed a couple of things while I recovered from the narcotic stupor following my prostate surgery. One was coverage of the Interbike 2007 trade show. Another was George Hincapie's announcement that he was joining T-Mobile cycling team.
I also missed the unveiling of the 2008 Tour of America -- a Tour de France-style cross-country bicycle race from New York to San Francisco.
Overall, it sounds like a cool idea for a coast-to-coast stage bike race. Dammit, if the French can do it, why not the Americans? But some of the details are just mind-boggling. And after reading some coverage from VeloNews (Friday's Foaming Rant "Detour of America) and Bicycling (The Boulder Report "Tour Day What?"), I wondered if we'll ever see such a race.... more»
Silent for more than a week on Floyd Landis losing an appeal on doping charges, Lance Armstrong now says he doesn't understand how the arbitration board arrived at its 2-1 decision.
"When you are giving someone the death penalty, which they essentially did, you cannot tolerate shoddy work, which they clearly did. I don't understand that type of rationale. I don't understand the verdict.
"It's tough for Floyd; it's tough for cycling. But at the same time, it's also really tough and unfortunate for the fans of all athletes. You never know when you're in that position, when an athlete's in that position, and you want to make sure that everything's done right." ... more»
The guy at the corner grocery watched me walk across the parking lot in the rain.
"Where's your bike?"
"In the garage, where it's happy," I told him.
Five days after my radical prostatectomy, I'm happy with the bike in the garage too. Considering my soreness and catheter, I can't imagine riding it anytime soon .... more»
Most communities require that bicyclists use some type of front and/or rear bike light on their rides after dark. In addition to the legal aspects, it's just plain common sense.
There's a bicycle path in northern Pennsylvania called the Pine Creek Rail Trail that meanders 62 miles along a river that passes through a valley aptly called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.
Instead of complaining about all the trash along a section of a bike path, members of the 
Every year the organizers of the Tour de France choose an actual Tour stage for a "recreational ride" that allows cycling enthusiasts to test out their bicycling chops.
Riding in the yellow jersey at the 2008 Tour de France might require a little less individual effort than in previous years.
Updated: The cyclists on the Discovery Channel pro cycling team are scattering to the four winds.
Using a wobbly bicycle, peasant farmer Kalifan Keita is traveling from village to village around Mali to test children for malaria and distribute drugs to those who are sick.
Being distracted with other stuff, I completely missed the DVD release of the cycling flick "The Flying Scotsman" in mid-September. 
Ever since kids arrived on the scene in this household, fall has been the time of year when my head starts feeling congested and before I know it I'm suffering from a cold.
An importer is recalling about 5,700 disc brakes typically mounted on mountain bikes.
"Take a ride you won't forget,
The family of a 15-year-old Rachel Giblin who died in a fund-raising bike tour in South Carolina in 2006 is suing the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
So Oscar Pereiro is the new winner of the 2006 Tour de France* after cycling officials stripped Floyd Landis of the title and handed it to the Spaniard 15 months after the finish of the race.
About a month ago I wrote about a Georgia firefighter who planned to ride his bicycle cross-country to raise money for the families of the "Charleston 9," nine South Carolina firefighters who died battling a blaze.
This week's resolution to ban RAGBRAI bike rides from Crawford County's roads could set a precedent that might be felt across Iowa.
Floyd Landis is taking his doping case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to overturn the ruling that threatens to ban him from cycling until Jan. 30, 2009.
A $350,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit stemming from the death of a cyclist on the opening day of RAGBRAI in 2004.
I've always been reluctant to jump on a corporate bandwagon to support a cause, but this one makes so much sense that I think it deserves recognition. 
Feeling a little beleaugured by traffic or poor road design on your morning bicycle commute or ride to the store? 
There's a little ol' 10-mile bike ride that's held every October in Central California that draws hundreds of bicyclists. In spite of the ride's short distance, it takes the fastest rider more than 45 minutes to reach the finish line; for others it can take more than two hours.
Where's the bicycle market headed?
The guy at the corner grocery watched me walk across the parking lot in the rain.
