(Updates bike stops)The Mercer Island police department has been kind enough to get back to me regarding where they're targeting stop-sign enforcement and what bicyclists should consider as a full stop.
Mercer Island police Cmdr. Leslie Burns says the department will concentrate its enforcement actions at locations where they get the most complaints.
For bicyclists running stop signs, that's been at 84th Avenue SE and SE 24th Street (the entrance to Luther Burbank Park) and the four-way stop at SE 24th Street and West Mercer Way. ... more»
A recurrent theme of the 2007 Giro d'Italia is becoming Alessandro Petacchi wins the stage and Danilo Di Luca retains the lead.
It was true again on Thursday for the essentially flat, 126-mile race from Udine to Riese Pio X; Petacchi posted his fourth stage win of the three-week Giro and Di Luca accepted the overall leader's pink jersey for the 10th time.
As Di Luca holds a gap of 2-minutes-24 -- or more -- over the field, it's beginning to look very likely that he'll hold the pink jersey all the way to the finish in Milan on Thursday. ... more»
Mercer Island is warning that police officers will issue tickets to bicyclists who don't stop at stop signs on the island.
It's part of a crackdown that is also to involve ticketing motorists who unsafely pass cyclists, particularly on the twisting Mercer Way loop around the island.
The island has been the stage for conflicts between bicyclists and motorists for years. Situated in Lake Washington between Bellevue and Seattle, the island is a thoroughfare for bike commuters passing through on the I-90 bike lanes. A narrow road that encircles the island is a popular loop for cyclists out for a spin. ... more»
Two-time Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni beat the field Wednesday on the mountaintop finish at Monte Zoncolan, one of the steepest climbs in Europe.
Riding with two other cyclists on the final stretch of the climb, Simoni put overall leader Danilo Di Luca into difficulty but couldn't finish him off as Di Luca struggled across the line in 4th place, 31 seconds behind Simoni.
The day's highlights played out on Monte Zoncolan, merely a 6.2-mile long climb that averages an 11.9% gradient, with a maximum of 22%. The mountain came at the finish of the 88-mile Stage 17 that started in Lienz, Austria. ... more»
The outdoor camp enables children, such as my developmentally delayed daughter, the opportunity to experience a typical week-long summer camp.
In spite of their disabilities, children like my daughter still like to be active and do things that other kids do. At left she's enjoys riding a trike at a recent family camp. ... more»
Stefano Garzelli has won the Giro d'Italia (in 2000) and won sprints to the finish; but he has never chalked up a solo finish, until Tuesday.
The Italian caught up with a breakaway about 23 miles from the finish, then attacked them on the Bannberg climb with 18 miles to go. Since the 33-year cyclist for Acqua & Sappone started the day 20 minutes back, race leader Danilo Di Luca didn't see a threat and let him go .... more»
The most difficult stage of this year's Giro d'Italia was marked by a 23-year-old cyclist winning the stage and the beleaguered leader gaining time on his rivals.
Riccardo Ricco of Saunier Duval won the Giro's 15th stage, crossing over three mountain passes before the mountaintop finish at Tre Cime Di Lavaredo.
Meanwhile his team leader, Gilberto Simoni, lost some of the time that he had gained on Saturday against overall leader Danilo Di Luca of the Liquigas team. Simoni dropped to 3-minutes-19 behind Di Luca, even though he climbed one place to fourth. ... more»
The early favorites pressed Giro d'Italia leader Danilo Di Luca in Stage 14 on Saturday, as three of them gained time on the Italian cyclist.
Stefano Garzelli won a seven-man sprint at the end of the 119-mile race from Cantu to Bergamo that included former Giro winners Gilberto Simoni and Paolo Savoldelli.
Di Luca finished at the head of a chase group racing into Bergamo in a stage that capped two mountains .... more»
Even though Bjarne Riis admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the 1996 Tour de France, he won't lose the title because of the pro cycling's 8-year statute of limitations.
At least the Union Cycliste Internationale should adopt using an "*" after his name and other cheaters as in:
"* -- Admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs after the statute of limitations had expired, therefore the title remains on the books but means nothing."
Former Danish cyclist Bjarne Riis said he's willing to give up his 1996 Tour de France title after admitting on Friday to taking a medicine chest full of performance-enhancing drugs.
So who would be worthy to receive it? We might have to go pretty far down the list of finishers to find someone.
No. 2 that year was Jan Ullrich. No way. With 7 Telekom teammates already admitting to taking banned performance boosters, and doctors saying they readily dispensed them, is anyone serious about giving Ullrich the title? ... more»
It should probably be no surprise that 2006 Italian time trial champion Marzio Bruseghin won the uphill time trial at Stage 13 of the Giro d'Italia on Friday.
The effort was good enough to win, but not to unseat Danilo Di Luca from the overall lead. Di Luca finished in third place in the 7.8 mile time trial, just 8 seconds behind Bruseghin.
US cyclist Dave Zabriskie (Team CSC) finished in fourth place in the time trial, 19 seconds behind the winner. ... more»
Racing for Germany's Team Telekom in the mid-1990s must have been something like: "Fill up your water bottle, take your EPO injection, and get back on the bike."
Bjarne Riis, winner of the 1996 Tour de France, is the latest former Telekom team member to admit to doping; he confessed publically Friday to taking EPO, human growth hormone and steriods from 1993 to 1998.
Erik Zabel and Rolf Aldag, two long-time T-Mobile (Telekom) cycling roommates, are disclosing that they doped with the banned blood-boosting agent EPO in the mid 1990s. They're among 7 Telekom cyclists who admitted to doping this week. ... more»
Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca has been a major force during the first half of the Giro d'Italia, and with a win in Stage 12, he shows that he plans to have a major impact on the second half of the race as well.
Di Luca won his second stage of the Giro on Thursday, and regained the pink leader's jersey, which he will wear for the fourth time during Friday's time trial.
American cyclist George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) and Aussie Robbie McEwen (Davitamon Lotto) did not start Stage 12, presumably to rest up for the Tour de France. American David Zabriskie (Team CSC) is still in the race, making a play for the lead group on one of the climbs. ... more»
If you enjoyed commuting to work by bicycle last week, you might to interested to know that there are some companies that support their bike commuters monetarily year-round.
Some bicycle-friendly firms pay a stipend, others reduce health-care charges, while others help pay for, or even give away, a commuting bike.
Here's a list of six companies recently listed in Business Week ("Who's Pushing Pedal-Pushing) and some I've written about in the past. .... more»
Chalk up Alessandro Petacchi's third stage victory at the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday, credited to a textbook leadout by his team and a big crash at the finish line in Pinerolo.
Among the dozen or so riders going down were race leader Andrea Noe, who quickly got back on his bike and rode across the finish.
World champion Paolo Bettini also remounted to finish after going down, although the crash spoiled another attempt at a stage win. ... more»
There's a free, 11-page bike maintenance and tune up guide available online if you're looking for some basic do-it-yourself information.
The Gear Up! 2007 Bicycling Guide is produced by sports equipment retailer Sun & Ski and offers suggestions on when, where and how to lube your bike. It can be downloaded as a .pdf document.
A one-page chart near the front also suggests bike checks and services that should be performed ... more»
Italian Leonardo Piepoli powered through an elite group of climbers, including two teammates, on the steep finish at Santuario to win the 10th Stage of the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday.
Another Italian, 38-year-old Andrea Noe, finished early enough to take the overall lead in the three-week race, becoming the third Liquigas cyclist to wear the pink jersey this year.
American George Hincapie (Discovery Channel), riding in his first Giro, joined a six-man breakaway and gained enough time on the peloton for a while to be the "on the road" virtual leader. .... more»
Team Milram pretty much controlled the latter part of Monday's Giro d'Italia Stage 9 for sprinter Alessandro Petacchi.
They chased the breakaway, determined when the breakaway would get caught, perfectly led the peloton through the streets of Lido Di Camaiore, and watched as Lampre cyclist Danilo Napolitano took the win.
The Italian was one of the cyclists who set up right behind Petacchi. The other opportunists included .... more»
Norwegian cyclist Kurt-Asle Arvesen slipped past Italian Paolo Bettini in front of a 21-man breakaway to win Stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday.
Discovery Channel's George Hincapie found himself in the break that escaped from the peloton in the Apennines early in the day. Although he and teammate Jose Luis Rubiera couldn't turn that good luck into a ... more»
Floyd Landis finally got to the witness stand on Saturday to testify -- I assume to no one's surprise -- that he did not take performance-enhancing agents to win the 2006 Tour de France.
The surprise is that Landis was present, but unaware, when his business manager made that infamous call to Greg LeMond threatening to make public the story that LeMond had been sexually abused as a child.
Apparently they were sitting apart at dinner on Wednesday night, and Landis saw Will Geoghegan make a short phone call. Soon thereafter he got a call back but didn't answer it. Later, Geoghegan appears shaken up and tells Landis what he did. ... more»
Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi scored his second stage win at the Giro d'Italia bike race on Saturday, beating a crowd that included Norway's Thor Hushovd and Italy's Paolo Bettini.
That marks 21 Giro wins for the bicyclist known as "Ale-Jet" since his first in 2003 and emphasizes the fact that he's definitely recovered from a kneecap injury he suffered ... more»
This hardly ever happens, but sometimes the breakaway does stay out in front until the finish line.
Two cyclists celebrated that rare good luck on Stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia on Friday, when Colombia Luis Felipe Laverde (Ceramica) won the stage and Italian Marco Pinotti (T-Mobile) took the leader's pink jersey.
It marks the first time in the 2007 that a member of the Liquigas team -- primarily Danilo Di Luca -- didn't don the pink jersey at the end of the day. Di Luca sits in 3rd place overall, 4-minutes-12 in back of Pinotti ... more»
Sunny skies, crisp temperatures. What's not to like about a bicycle ride on a day like Friday in the Puget Sound, even if you are commuting to work?
Thousands of cyclists took to the streets in the Puget Sound this morning to participate in the 2007 Bike to Work Day.
The Cascade Bicycle Club was looking for 10,000 people to ride to work. Cities across the nation were looking at similar numbers on a day when gasoline prices set a record for the fourth straight day. ... more»
Floyd Landis wanted a full and open hearing to defend the accusations that he doped during the Tour de France so the public could judge the veracity of the evidence against him.
What viewers got on Thursday was a tawdry peep show that had little relevance to the accusations, but revealed much about the depths that each side would sink to gain an advantage.
It happened when three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond was called to testify about a phone call he'd had with Landis soon after the doping allegations surfaced last year. ... more»
It looks like Friday's Bike to Work Day weather forecast in the Puget Sound calls for sunny skies with a 100% chance of spinning bike tires.
You can check for weather updates here (and this being Seattle, I encourage it), but there's no rain forecast until early Saturday. Temperatures range from a low of around 45 Friday morning to highs in the 60s during the day with increasing clouds.
If you plan to join the projected 10,000 people who will bike to work on Friday in the Puget Sound area, here are some things to check..... more»
The Giro d'Italia returned to a bike race for the sprinters on Thursday as Germany's Robert Forster (Gerolsteiner) won by charging out the pack and holding off Thor Hushovd in Frascati.
Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca held onto the pink leader's jersey; cyclists for the Liquigas team have held onto the overall lead for the entire bike race so far.
The 107-mile Stage 5 routed the peloton from Teano to the outskirts of Rome with a fairly level course that saw just one climb. ... more»
The US Anti-Drug Agency vs. Floyd Landis is now available in live video streaming and with video replays of previous testimony.
Simply, follow this link to the Floyd Landis case website, then follow the instructions there. On Wednesday, viewers were directed to a login page at Courtroom View Network where they logged one using a "Username" and "Password" provided on the Floyd Landis website.
I'm not repeating the username and password here, because they're different than the ones offered initially on Monday and might change again. However, problems encountered on Monday appear to be resolved. ... more»
Danilo Di Luca prevailed on the 10-mile climb into Montevergine Di Mercogliano at the end of a rain-slicked, 95-mile Stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday.
The Italian was in a group of 20 that battled up the curvy mountain road, and he attacked Riccardo Ricco, Damiano Cunego and other noted climbers in the last 600 feet for the win.
His Liquigas teammate, Enrico Gasparotto, lost the pink jersey to Di Luca after going down in one of the many crashes that marked the rainy stage that started in Salerno. ... more»
You may have already seen this ad popping up on billboards and buses in the Puget Sound region asking motorists to give cyclists 3 feet of space when passing.
It's an awareness campaign aimed at motorists and funded in part by a federal grant given to the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation in 2006.
Several states, Texas is the latest, have put the 3-foot clearance law in the books. But the state of Washington has had it in another book for awhile, the Washington State Driver's Guide. ... more»
Like the banner says, May is National Bike Month. And Monday through Friday is National Bike Week. Let's go ride our bikes.
The League of American Bicyclists is a clearinghouse to find out about many -- but not all -- of the events going on this week across the US. It's a good place to start looking for events in your area.
One of the biggest draws of bike "month" and bike "week" is "Bike to Work Day." Here in the Seattle area, that's going to be Friday, although bicycle commuter events are happening on different days elsewhere. ... more»
(Updated) The US Anti-Doping Agency vs. Floyd Landis hearings, which began Monday, will be made available for viewing online at the conclusion of the days' proceedings.
Almost from the start, the Landis defense team has sought total visibility for the process used to try athletes for doping allegations. Making the videos available through Courtroom View Network is the latest manifestation of that. ... more»
It's been more than a year since Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi won a stage at the Giro d'Italia, but he did it on Monday without a leadout from his Milram teammates.
Since he injured his kneecap in Stage 3 last year, you'd have to look back to 2005 for a Giro stage win by the "Ale-Jet," who still holds the most Giro wins among active cyclists.
Petacchi won 6 stages of the Giro in 2003, 9 in 2004 and 4 in 2005. Even with his current dominance, he has a long way to go to match the record of 42 Giro wins held by Mario Cipollini, who won his last Giro stage the same year that Petacchi won his first. ... more»
After months of previews, the long-awaited Floyd Landis Show hits the courtroom this morning at a public arbitration hearing expected to last a couple of weeks at Pepperdine University in Malibu.
Landis will be fighting for his cycling life against charges issued by the US Anti-Doping Agency that he doped during the 2006 Tour de France.
It will be the first time that such an arbitration hearing to determine an athlete's future will be open to the public. I'm hoping to read informative first-hand coverage online, and I'll be looking specifically to the cycling press. ... more»
The cycling world might be beset by countless doping inquiries, but for a few moments on the island of Sardinia on this Mother's Day Sunday, everything seemed as it should be.
The Giro d'Italia peloton had chased down a five-man breakaway with about 3 miles to go in the 126-mile stage from Tempio Pausania to Bosa, and the sprinters were lining up.
Italian sprinter Allesandro Pettachi sits behind his leadout riders from Milram, whose speed stretch out the peloton. Taking advantage of the situation are Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto) sitting on Pettachi's back wheel and Paolo Bettini (QuickStep) sitting in McEwen's slipstream ... more»
Saturday was the first day this year that Seattle closed a 4-mile stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard to car traffic so bicyclists could ride free and safe along the lakefront road (see schedule below for more dates).
I pedaled over and saw all stripes of cyclists taking advantage of the car-free day -- called Group Health Bicycle Saturday & Sunday -- provided through the cooperation of Seattle Parks and Rec, Group Health, and the Cascade Bicycle Club.
Several were strong riders, stumbling upon it by accident, as they incorporate this stretch into their loops around the lake. But the majority were slower recreational bicycle riders ... more»
Those of you who have been regular readers of Biking Bis will know that my friend Bruce and I took off on a cross-country bicycle tour beginning on May 13, 1984.
We each kept journals of our impressions at the time, and I first started publishing those journal entries -- day-by-day -- when this blog started back in 2005.
If you've seen them before, then please pardon my repeating them again. But more people come to Biking Bis every year, and I think some of the touring cyclists among you might enjoy reading our adventures from Virginia to California. ... more»
The Liquigas cycling team, captained by Italian Danilo Di Luca, won the opening day team time trial at the Giro d'Italia on Saturday on a twisting course around the island of Sardinia.
While teammate Enrico Gasparotto finished first and received the pink leader's jersey, Di Luca will get the same time, putting him 16 seconds ahead of former Giro winner Paolo Savoldelli and the Astana team.
Di Luca has been named among the possible winners of this wide-open Giro d'Italia. The odds-on favorite of the race, Gilberto Simoni, finished 1-minute, 28 seconds behind with the Saunier Duval team. Another favorite, Damiano Cunego, fared better with Lampre, which finished 42 seconds behind the leader. ... more»
Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond is scheduled to participate in next weekend's Tour de Cure activities at Marymoor Park in Redmond.
The one-day bike ride on May 19 is a fund-raiser for the American Diabetes Association. Ride participants who have raised and submitted $2,500 or more by Saturday, May 12, will each receive two invitations to a reception held by LeMond on the evening of May 18.
Although LeMond makes his home in Minneapolis, he makes business trips to the Seattle area about every six weeks or so to visit the LeMond Fitness company headquarters ... more»
Who's going to wear the pink leader's jersey on the podium in Milan at the close of this year's Giro d'Italia? It's anybody's guess.
Defending champion Ivan Basso was a sure favorite until he dropped out, and American Tyler Hamilton (Tinkoff) wanted to make a strong try for it until he was yanked out.
What's left are the winners from 2000 through 2005, and a host of young talent. The race begins Saturday and runs through June 3. ... more»
Memo to the US Anti-Doping Agency: You do not ask someone who has just won the Tour de France to rat out a former teammate who has won it 7 times and whose reputation is up there somewhere next to Mother Theresa.
But, according to Floyd Landis, the USADA lead attorney Travis Tygart approached Landis' attorney Howard Jacobs with such an offer last year.
Landis said Thursday that Tygart had told Jacobs that Landis could walk away from these doping allegations with "the shortest suspension they've ever given an athlete" if Landis could provide information on Lance Armstrong. ... more»
Is there a way to improve the detailed maps of the passage to the Pacific Coast charted by Lewis & Clark's Corps of Discovery more than two centuries ago?
The Adventure Cycling Association says there is. Five years after printing the first set of Lewis & Clark Trail maps for bicycles, the bike touring organization has reprinted the maps with improvements. The updates include:
-- More cycling-friendly routing in places, including off-road bike paths and freshly paved rural roads; -- More accurate elevation profiles; -- Added alternative gravel routes; -- Updates to route services, which now include libraries ... more»
Attention bicycle travelers: Remember to call home often this summer on your wide-ranging forays into back-roads America.
Poor Clive "Les" Ruddle of Aldbourne, England, didn't keep in touch on his way down the Pacific Coast and touched off a search by Oregon state police. One British paper says he "sparked an international manhunt."
The Englishman had flown to Seattle in mid-April for a bike tour from Port Angeles, Washington, to San Diego. He last contacted home on April 30 ... more»
American cyclist Tyler Hamilton has been suspended from the Tinkoff Credit Systems team until his involvement with Operacion Puerto is "sorted out."
Hamilton and teammate Jorg Jaksche already had been dropped from the starting roster of the Giro d'Italia, which begins Saturday, because their names had been associated with Eufemiano Fuentes, the doctor targeted in the Spanish blood-doping probe. ... more»
Congratulations to the five new cities added to the League of American Bicyclists list of Bicycle Friendly Communities.
The League announced that Austin and San Luis Obispo were added to the silver level on the list, and LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, were added to the bronze level in the latest round of awards.
Cities on the list get there by proving that they provide safe accommodations for cycling and encourage their residents to bicycle for commuting and fun. ... more»
Texas is getting closer to joining a handful of states that require motorists to give bicyclists at least a 3-foot gap when they pass.
The Texas Senate tentatively approved a bill on Tuesday that not only requires the 3-foot gap on two-lane roads, but yielding a full lane to bicycles on four-lane roads.
But just to put cyclists back in their place, the senators also approved an amendment that eliminated the mandatory passing distance requirement on two-lane roads without paved shoulders, because -- as Republican Sen. Kim Brimer is quoted -- "Bicyclists don't belong on those roads." ... more»
As you can see from the NOAA map at left, any cross-country bike route is going to take cyclists through the so-called Tornado Alley.
When I was researching yesterday's article on "Bicycle touring safety in Tornado Alley," I asked the Adventure Cycling Association, which publishes maps covering 36,000 miles of bicycle routes in the US, what they suggest.
Julie Emnet, Adventure Cycling's development director, has this advice:
"Generally, you can see bad weather and potential tornadoes from a long distance away ... more»
Maybe the biggest news about this year's Giro d'Italia -- starting Saturday -- isn't who is riding in it, but who isn't.
American cyclist Tyler Hamilton, fresh off a two-year suspension for doping, is not on the starting roster released Monday. Also last year's winner, Ivan Basso, won't be returning to protect his title.
Last January, I wrote about how George Hood of Illinois set a mark for the Guinness World Records Book by cycling for 85 straight hours on a stationary bicycle.
Unfortunately, Hood recently found out that the Guinness folks invalidated the entry because of sloppy record-keeping. ... more»
Italian cycling star Ivan Basso has told prosecutors that he was involved in the Operacion Puerto blood doping scandal.
Update: May 8, 2007 -- At a press conference, Basso said the blood was his but he never used it. "It was only attempted blood doping." See more at CyclingNews.
Basso, until last week a member of the Discovery Channel cycling team, met with Italian anti-doping investigator Ettore Torri and agreed ... more»
The tornado that quite literally wiped Greensburg, Kansas, off the map on Friday struck about 50 miles south of Larned, one of the longed-for stops on the TransAmerica bicycle route across the Great Plains.
While our hearts go out to those suffering in the twister's aftermath, let's consider some ways to stay safe in tornado country while pedaling through on bicycle tours.
First, the safest locations touted for shelter during tornadoes might not be available to bicyclists out on the open road. Time and again, the experts say that if you're caught out in the open during a tornado, the safest place to be is lying flat in a ditch or low area. ... more»
American cyclist Chris Horner of the Predictor Lotto team got to wear the yellow leader's jersey going into the the final stage -- an individual time trial -- of the Tour of Romandie on Sunday.
Horner, 35, finished 7th in the 12.6-mile time trial around Lausanne, on Sunday, dropping to a 5th place finish overall. ... more»
Lance Armstrong, the world's most famous cancer survivor, will help kick off a cancer fund-raiser bicycle ride -- Tour of Courage -- in Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 21-23.
The seven-time Tour de France champion's visit to Canada comes about a week before he arrives in Portland to attend the LiveStrong Challenge on September 29-30.
Armstrong, who appears in the Discovery Channel's special broadcast "Living with Cancer" at 8 p.m. (ET) later this evening (Sunday), is busy with cancer fund-raisers and awareness events throughout the summer. In addition to events in Calgary, Philadelphia and Austin, he's bicycling in RAGBRAI to help draw attention to cancer as an election issue. .... more»
What is it about Copenhagen and Amsterdam that puts between 33% and 40% of its commuters on bicycles everyday?
It goes beyond the fact that the terrain is mostly flat. Nancy Keates tells about some of what they're doing in an article, "Building a Better Bike Lane," that appeared in Friday's Wall Street Journal. Among them:
-- Amsterdam has built five new bicycle parking garages, and one is in the works for 10,000 bikes at the main train station. ... more»
Not all college students are heading off to summer jobs or fooling around at the beach this summer.
For instance, more than two dozen students for the University of Illinois are cycling 4,000 miles cross-country this summer to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. And a Purdue University sophomore plans to ride cross-country with the American Lung Association to raise money for asthma research.
They're just an example of college students who are joining cross-country bike rides this summer to raise money for charity.... more»
You'll be able see the Graeme Obree story on the big screen beginning Friday if you live in Seattle, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Toronto or Washington DC.
Those are the "selected cities" where theaters will show "The Flying Scotsman," a movie about the Scot who twice broke the bicycling world record for distance covered in an hour.
Here in the Seattle area, theaters showing the movie this weekend are AMC Pacific Place 11, Renton Village 8 and Lakewood Town Center 12; Regal Bella Botega 11, South Sound Cinema 10, Alderwood 7 Cinemas, and South Hill Mall 6; Landmark Metro Cinemas; Bellevue Galleria Stadium 11; and Galaxy Tacoma 6. ... more»
Warmer weather and longer bike rides are right around the corner for many of us, which means sore, blistered butts are also around the next bend.
It's easier to get an idea how to avoid saddle sores when you understand what causes them. Basically it all starts with logging miles.
Even for cyclists who distribute their weight between the handlebars, pedals and saddle, there's a good deal of friction between the butt and the bicycle seat that irritates the skin. This is bad enough, and you'll want to start treatment right now. ... more»
The other day I greeted a neighbor as I coasted into my driveway after a bike ride. We exchanged pleasantries, and I told her I'd just returned from a ride out May Valley Road.
"Oh, we don't bicycle out there anymore. It's too busy." This from a woman who thinks nothing of heading off to Austria for a bike tour with her husband.
Mushrooming population on the eastside of Lake Washington has pushed up traffic on this road in the past 15 years. But for a johnny-come-lately like myself, it's still a fun, winding road for a spin. ... more»
You could say that the month of May is the beginning of the prime bicycling season. It's marked by two nationwide bicycling events:
The Ride for Silence on May 16 commemorates bicycle riders who have died or been injured while using public roads; and,
The Bike to Work Day on May 18 (May 17 in some locations) celebrates bicycle commuting and encourages all sizes and stripes of workers to ride their bike to work that day. ... more»
It looks like Levi Leipheimer is back in the driver's seat for the Discovery Channel pro cycling team after Italian cyclist Ivan Basso, left, asked to be released from his contract to fight doping allegations.
Leipheimer, of Santa Rosa, California, was considered to be the next team boss until Basso came on board last fall. Basso rode in support of Leipheimer during the latter's successful Amgen Tour of California in February, as the Italian cyclist was preparing to win the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
A reopened doping investigation in Italy, however, has prompted Basso to drop his Discovery contract. ... more»
(Updates bike stops)The Mercer Island police department has been kind enough to get back to me regarding where they're targeting stop-sign enforcement and what bicyclists should consider as a full stop.
Two-time Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni beat the field Wednesday on the mountaintop finish at Monte Zoncolan, one of the steepest climbs in Europe.
This weekend, my son and I are riding our bicycles in the Stanley Stammpede, a charity bike ride to benefit the 
The early favorites pressed Giro d'Italia leader Danilo Di Luca in Stage 14 on Saturday, as three of them gained time on the Italian cyclist.
Former Danish cyclist Bjarne Riis said he's willing to give up his 1996 Tour de France title after admitting on Friday to taking a medicine chest full of performance-enhancing drugs.
Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca has been a major force during the first half of the Giro d'Italia, and with a win in Stage 12, he shows that he plans to have a major impact on the second half of the race as well.
Sunny skies, crisp temperatures. What's not to like about a bicycle ride on a day like Friday in the Puget Sound, even if you are commuting to work?
The San Francisco Bay Area celebrates Bike to Work Day today. I'm struck by a group of remarkable bike commuters and especially one in particular.
You may have already seen this ad popping up on billboards and buses in the Puget Sound region asking motorists to give cyclists 3 feet of space when passing.
It's been more than a year since Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi won a stage at the Giro d'Italia, but he did it on Monday without a leadout from his Milram teammates.
After months of previews, the long-awaited Floyd Landis Show hits the courtroom this morning at a public arbitration hearing expected to last a couple of weeks at Pepperdine University in Malibu.
Those of you who have been regular readers of Biking Bis will know that my friend Bruce and I took off on a cross-country bicycle tour beginning on May 13, 1984. 
Three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond is scheduled to participate in next weekend's Tour de Cure activities at Marymoor Park in Redmond.
Who's going to wear the pink leader's jersey on the podium in Milan at the close of this year's Giro d'Italia? It's anybody's guess.
Memo to the US Anti-Doping Agency: You do not ask someone who has just won the Tour de France to rat out a former teammate who has won it 7 times and whose reputation is up there somewhere next to Mother Theresa.
Congratulations to the five new cities added to the League of American Bicyclists list of Bicycle Friendly Communities.
As you can see from the NOAA map at left, any cross-country bike route is going to take cyclists through the so-called Tornado Alley. 
American cyclist Chris Horner of the Predictor Lotto team got to wear the yellow leader's jersey going into the the final stage -- an individual time trial -- of the 
Lance Armstrong, the world's most famous cancer survivor, will help kick off a cancer fund-raiser bicycle ride -- Tour of Courage -- in Vancouver, British Columbia, on September 21-23.
What is it about Copenhagen and Amsterdam that puts between 33% and 40% of its commuters on bicycles everyday?
Not all college students are heading off to summer jobs or fooling around at the beach this summer.
You'll be able see the Graeme Obree story on the big screen beginning Friday if you live in Seattle, Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Toronto or Washington DC.
Warmer weather and longer bike rides are right around the corner for many of us, which means sore, blistered butts are also around the next bend.
The other day I greeted a neighbor as I coasted into my driveway after a bike ride. We exchanged pleasantries, and I told her I'd just returned from a ride out May Valley Road.
You could say that the month of May is the beginning of the prime bicycling season. It's marked by two nationwide bicycling events:
It looks like Levi Leipheimer is back in the driver's seat for the Discovery Channel pro cycling team after Italian cyclist Ivan Basso, left, asked to be released from his contract to fight doping allegations.
