Back in January when I set a 4,000-mile bicycle-riding goal for 2008, I didn't want to have to resort to fulfilling my resolution on New Year's Eve.

Of course, that's what I ended up doing today. 

I completed 4,002 miles in 2008 with a 10-mile ride up to Lewis Creek Park on Cougar Mountain this morning. My son suggested that route, because it's all downhill on the way home -- a good treat for my accomplishment.

Now, I'll probably spend the first week of 2009 cleaning my bicycle. ...   more »

The East Coast Greenway is a 3,000-mile bicycle-pedestrian route from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida.

The route is proposed as an off-road path that links cities along the eastern seaboard. Currently, about one-fifth of the route is on traffic-free paths with more on the way.

But before things get too far along, however, the Greenway wants to establish a set of uniform signs that can be used along its length.

To get some public feedback, the Greenway folks are distributing an online Bicycle Signage Survey that takes 12 minutes to complete (your time may vary) .....   more »

[Update: Tuesday, Dec. 30 -- The driver of the first car turned herself into police Monday night, accompanied by family members and her pastor. Her story to police is that she thought she hit a bicycle in the road, not a person. She was booked on of hit and run, vehicular manslaughter and driving with a suspended license. The driver of the second car hasn't come forward.]

Does anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area take responsibility for their actions while driving?

Authorities in Conta Costa County are trying to solve another hit and run bicyclist fatality, this one on Saturday evening involving two motorists, neither of whom stopped. It follows by a month the hit and run death of bicyclist Mark Pendleton in a rural part of the county.

The latest fatality occurred about 6 p.m. in urban Richmond. Police say Laura Casey was riding her bicycle south on a sparsely populated portion of Carson Boulevard when she was struck from behind and knocked to the ground. Reports the Chronicle:

As Casey screamed for help, several people ran to her aid, officials said, but before they could reach her, a second vehicle hit her and dragged her about 25 feet ...   more »

Here's a book about precarious border crossings, bandits, wars and civil unrest, and big ol' hairy rats.

The latest John LeCarre spy novel? No. It's the latest bicycle tour book from Tim and Cindie Travis entitled "Down the Road in South America."

Don't get me wrong. The book also tells about the wonderful people that the Travises meet on their journeys and the remarkable landmarks and scenery that they experience from the saddles of their loaded bicycles.

I suppose the book is best described by its subtitle, "A bicycle tour through poverty, paradise, and the places in between." ...   more »

The sight of black pavement in my neighborhood this morning was enough to coax me out onto my bicycle after about a week-long hibernation.

Ordinarily I use better judgement about picking my bicycle rides, but we've been snowed in for awhile. And with only a few days remaining to knock out the last 90 miles of my 4,000-mile bicycling goal for 2008, just about any conditions are adequate for a bike ride.

By the end of the day, I was 33 miles closer to my goal. By riding gingerly or walking through sections of slush or carrying my bike over snow dunes at some intersections, it was one of the slowest rides of the year ...   more »

RAGBRAI -- and any other organized bicycle rides -- are welcome again in Crawford County, Iowa.

The county's board of supervisors earlier this week rescinded the ban they instituted in October 2007. That's when their insurance carrier paid $350,000 to settle a negligence lawsuit with the family of a man who died in the 2004 RAGBRAI.

The decision to allow organized bike rides again ends an ugly prohibition that threatened to spill over into other counties. 

The change of heart occurred after the Register's Annual Great Annual Bicycle Ride Across Iowa .....   more »

Looking through some pictures for an end-of-year family photo album this week, I stumbled across some bike ride pictures and realized I had enjoyed many excellent bicycle rides this year.

Here are my 10 favorites (with links if I blogged about it) in no particular order:

Seattle to Portland -- Although my son and I had done Ride Around Washington several times, we had never ridden the 200-mile STP together. He nailed it effortlessly (above) with just a handful of training rides; I chalked it up to his being 17 years old.

John Wayne Pioneer Trail -- With the family out of town for a few days this summer, I took the opportunity to finally ride the rail-to-trail over Snoqualmie Pass. Amazing scenery. I returned in October and met a guy from Oklahoma who was riding his horse 2,000 miles to visit a friend in western Washington.

Overnight to Kanaskat -- My son and I had never independently taken an overnight bicycle camping trip together. We rectified that this spring ...   more »

After being struck by cars, robbed, and kidnapped on his worldwide bicycle tour, Okhwan Yoon has reached the southwestern US where he's continuing his solo trek.

Yoon, 46, has been on the road for seven years, travelling through 169 countries on his quest to ride his bicycle in nearly every country on Earth.

The South Korean is quite the media hound, as there are many stories about his travels online. Googling his name, I could follow him into Brazil (where he was struck by a hit-and-run driver), then Central America and Mexico, where an interview appears at YouTube.

After crossing the border and riding to San Diego, he continued to Los Angeles and is now in Tucson, where he was interviewed at the local newspaper ...   more »

When Lance Armstrong comes out of retirement, he really comes out of retirement.

CNN says that Armstrong and girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a baby in June. What's so amazing about this is that the couple conceived without the use of any artificial fertilization.

Armstrong was first diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996. Before undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, he had some sperm stored that was later used to conceive his first three children with his first wife, Kristin ...   more »

While I was trying to gain some traction in foot deep snow on Sunday, I remembered why I had some misgivings about setting a goal of 4,000 miles for 2008.

Ten days left in the year, and I'm 98 miles shy of my goal. It's been snowing for four days and I'm seeing no sign of it letting up.

So I take off for the slowest ride I've ever taken -- 5 1/2 miles in an hour and 12 minutes -- by following the water pipeline trail over to Lake Boren in nearby Newcastle, WA.

The snow on the roads was the consistency of a slurpee, so I could barely push my bike uphill. I made decent time on the packed footpath until that petered out, then I slipped and slid the rest of the way.

A couple of things made this trip worthwhile, though: I gained a real appreciation for snow cyclists like Jill at Up in Alaska (arcticglass.blogspot.com) and realized I could probably hit my 4,000-mile goal if I went back and rounded up the mileages of all my rides.

King County (WA) is getting closer to filling some missing links in its countywide bicycle route network.

The latest proposal is a 17-mile trail that links four other bike paths as it rolls between the Puget Sound and Lake Washington south of Seattle.

Dubbed the Lake-to-Sound Trail, the bike path is designed to intersect the Cedar River Trail, the Green River Trail, the Westside Trail and the Des Moines Creek Trail. It will pass through Renton, Tukwila, Burien, SeaTac, Normandy Park and Des Moines. The trail also visits the Tukwila light-rail station ...   more »

The Tour de Georgia bike race isn't returning in 2009, but a North Georgia town has a plan to boost tourism using bicycles anyway.

Hotels in the historic town of Alpharetta are offering special packages that enable tourists to have bicycle rental, delivery and pick-up all included in their room rate.

The offer enables visitors to ride the bicycles to attractions around town or head out to ride the scenic Big Creek Greenway bike path.

That bike path runs for 6.2 miles through the Alpharetta area and was recently connected to another 3-mile section in Roswell ....   more »

When Mr. McQuire offered Ben Braddock one word of advice -- "plastics" -- in The Graduate, I'm sure he wasn't talking about bicycles.

But a team of students from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, created a bicycle made from recycled plastic bottles to win the Juicy Ideas contest supported in part by Google.

The four industrial design students from ASU competed against 268 teams from 28 colleges to create something of value in 10 days from a "throwaway" item and post a YouTube video (above) that explained their product.

The winners -- Ryan Klinger, of Huntersville, NC; Andrew Drake of Gaithersburg, Md.; Spencer Price of Louisville, Ky.; and Justin Henry of San Diego -- will get a trip to Google headquarters in Mountain View ...   more »

An old hand at helping Lance Armstrong win championships -- he once even gave up his bike to Armstrong -- has been named to the Team Astana roster to compete at the Tour Down Under in Australia.

Jose Luis Ruberia, 35, of Spain bicycled with Armstrong on the Postal Service and Discovery pro cycling teams, participating in some of Armstrong's Tour de France championships.

Other teammates Assan Bazayev (Kazakhstan), Steve Morabito (Switzerland) and Maxim Iglinskiy (Kazakhstan) all rode in the 2008 Giro d'Italia. ....   more »

If you ask me, a bicycle tour is as good a way as any to commemorate a monumental event.

Ryan Bowen would probably agree, as he's bicycling from Los Angeles to Washington DC to mark the election and inauguration of Barack Obama.

The 22-year-old graduate (shown at left and in the video on the jump) of Occidental College in LA is hoping to interest some other like-minded Obama-supporting bicyclists along the way who might want to join him on the ride into DC.

He told the LA Times that he'd like to have an escort of 50 or more bicyclists by the end of the trip.

"That would be my dream, to roll into Washington with something like that." ...   more »

US-based cycling teams Columbia and Garmin-Slipstream are included among the eight ProTour teams that have announced for the Amgen Tour of California, Feb. 14-22, 2009.

Also competing will be Luxembourg's Astana team, which boasts two-time of defending champion Levi Leipheimer (left) as well as Lance Armstrong.

If invitations are forwarded to domestic teams Rock Racing and OUCH, we'll see a reunion of former US Postal Service teammates spread across five teams ...   more »

The first legitimate snowfall in my area got me to thinking about pedal-powered snowplows.

They have lots of advantages, primarily by transforming the act of snow-shoveling into a good workout for your legs instead of a back-breaking chore. Here are three good ones.

As for this one at left, it's effective as well. Kevin Blake (MrPlowKevin), an engineer at Trek, created it for last year's Specialized Innovate or Die contest. He used parts from an old riding lawnmower and old bicycles and two store-bought snow shovels. 

The plow didn't win the contest (a water filtration bike did), but it certainly looks like a useful machine ...   more »

Usually by the time the Vuelta a Espana rolls around, I'm burned out on the Euro pro cycling scene.

The three-week race around Spain follows the Tour de France by 3 or 4 weeks. That's when all the Tour's post-race doping news is hitting its stride, and I'm fed up with the sport and the cheating cyclists.

Who knows whether this year will be different. The course for the Vuelta is certainly unusual, as it starts in the Dutch city of Assen and the bike race's first three days take place in the Netherlands. Then the peloton passes into Belgium before taking a day off to travel to Tarragona, Spain, to continue the race ...   more »

The New York City policeman who body-checked the bicyclist in this YouTube video has been charged with filing false statements, assault and harassment charges.

The cop, Patrick Pogan, pleaded not guilty earlier today to all charges.

The original charges Pogan filed against the 29-year-old who he body slammed during a July 25 Critical Mass bike ride in New York City were dropped several months ago. ...   more »

Lance Armstrong will be joined by 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro at the Town Down Under next month in Australia.

Pereiro, who won after Floyd Landis was stripped of the championship, will lead the Caisse d'Epargne team, while Armstrong will ride for Astana.

It's the first time that two Tour de France winners have appeared in the Australian pro cycling event.

The 2009 Tour Down Under runs from Jan. 18-25.

What have you done in the past 100 days? I can't say that anything I've done is as exciting as the bicycle touring adventures by Philippe and Leandra Brient.

The couple from British Columbia set off from France on Sept. 1, and so far have visited 13 countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa on their bicycles. (At left they're warming up in Turkey.)

According to their website, Vimax Adventures, the pair have reached Egypt after bicycling across the Sinai Peninsula. It looks like their cyclo-touring will continue after the first of the year.

Philippe and Leandra e-mailed me about their adventures and invited me to check out their website "to give inspiration and information to other cyclists (as others did to us). ...   more »

Cycling enthusiasts -- and Lance-o-philes -- can tune in to the Versus cable network for daily half-hour updates from the Tour Down Under, which rolls out Jan. 18-25, 2009.

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is making his comeback to pro cycling in the South Australia race, suddenly making the week-long stage race more noteworthy that usual.

The times for the Tour Down Under listed on the Versus TV schedule (all times are Eastern time zone...   more »

The Team Garmin cyclists must be licking their collective chops on Saturday after learning that the 2009 Giro d'Italia opens with a team time trial in Venice.

An opening team time trial in the Giro last year put the US-based team -- then known as Team Slipstream-Chipotle -- in the leading position with Illinois-raised Christian Vande Velde in the pink jersey.

The Giro rolls across Italy (with brief visits to Austria, Switzerland and France) for 2,105 miles from May 9 -31. It finishes in Rome with a time trial, the first time the bike race has skipped Milan as the finish since 1989 ...   more »

First-time Giro d'Italia competitor Lance Armstrong taped a message for the 2009 course presentation in Venice on Saturday in which he reviewed some of the challenges of next year's bike race.

The press has been saying that Armstrong is racing the Giro d'Italia in May to win, then the Tour de France in July to support his Astana teammate Alberto Contador. But on Saturday he said:

"I know there's a lot of  talk about the pink jersey. I'm excited to race hard, but Ivan Basso is my favorite. ....   more »

A Seattle bicycle rider was killed about 6:30 a.m. Thursday in Renton when a motorist made a left turn in front of him, according to Sheriff's deputies.

The 56-year-old cyclist has not been identified; neither has the 79-year-old Renton man who was driving the car.

No charges have been filed against the driver of the 1997 Lincoln Town Car, although the investigation is continuing ...   more »

Probably the first bicycling resource I used when I moved here 8 years ago was the King County (WA) Bicycling Guidemap.

I downloaded sections of the online version that directed me to regional trails and lightly traveled rural roads over here on the Eastside. For the most part it helped me spend my cycling time riding confidently along, instead of trying to figure out where the hell I was.

The staff is asking cyclists to take a quick survey to tell how they use the map. The bike map survey is available here and takes about two minutes. The deadline is Dec. 19.

States where "bicycle" is a popular Google search word rank higher in literacy, lower in obesity, and tended to vote for Obama in 2008.

Although this red-blue US map may conjure up flashbacks from the 2008 presidential election, it actually shows states where people most frequently Googled the word "bicycle," with red being the most, blue the least, and purple in between.

A programmer has taken this application one step further and created StateStats, which links these results with other ways of ranking states, such as with education, obesity and age   more »

The picture pretty much says it all.

These lovely ladies are featured in a calendar that benefits Bike Works and its earn-a-bike program.

Entitled "Lovely Ladies on Beautiful Bikes," the calendar features some of the Emerald City's many female cyclists riding their mountain and road bikes around town.

You can order the calendar online at Bike Calendar Girls 2009, or show up at the release party at 8 p.m.,  Dec. 12, at Conor Byrne Pub, 5140 Ballard Ave., NW, Seattle ...   more »

Update: Dec. 11, 2008 -- That "No Bikes" marking on El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills has been covered up and will be removed early next week, says the city's Public Works director.

In a letter to Bob Shanteau of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, Richard Chiu explains that the markings were installed to direct cyclists to a bike path through the college. 

"It was brought to our attention that some drivers may act more aggressively towards bicyclist with the markings in place ....   more »

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association is trying to arrange valet bicycle parking for the Jan. 20 inauguration of Barack Obama.

WABA wants to set up three valet stations within walking distance to the National Mall so cyclists can drop off their bikes and hike on over to the inaugural events.

Visitors also will have bicycles in SmartBike DC self-service bike rental program, left, at their disposal. District officials warn, however, that some of the 10 stations might be located in the security perimeter and passage in and out could be difficult.

WADA is working with the district to find the bike valet sites where cyclists can drop off their bikes, receive a claim check ...   more »

Irish cyclo-tourists Simon Evans and Fearghal O'Nuallain began an around the world bicycle expedition in November. They say it's the first Irish circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle.

The cyclists figure that they'll ride through 30 countries on their 17,000-mile trip that they're undertaking to benefit Aware, an Ireland-based organization to support people with depression.

I've read that regular exercise is a good way to fight depression, so I suppose you could say that they're practicing what they preach. Since many people get the blues over the holidays, it might be a good time to check in with them ...   more »

Imagine living in San Luis Obispo, California, and having Team Columbia based in your hometown.

Although cyclists George Hincapie, left, Mark Cavendish, Kim Kirchen, Michael Rogers and others race and train around the world, there must be times when they ride on the local roads around San Luis Obispo.

One of those occasions will occur on a Saturday the week before the Tour of California, when team owner Highroad Sports sponsors Pedal to Pier, beginning at 8 a.m. Feb. 7, at Avila Beach.

Mere mortals (recreational cyclists) can join members of Team Columbia ...   more »

The Raccoon River Valley Trail in west central Iowa has been dealt a setback in its bid to becoming the nation's longest looping trail.

Already 56 miles long, another 33 miles of trail-building was in line for a state grant until it was diverted to help pay for disaster relief from Iowa flooding earlier this year.

The trail partly uses the old "Milwaukee Road" railroad right-of-way (same at the John Wayne Pioneer bicycle trail in Washington state). When complete, it will be 89 miles long, including the 72-mile loop.

Iowans are very familiar with the famous line from the movie "Field of Dreams":  "Build it and they will come." Local bicycling advocates say the new trail will be a boon to bicycle tourism in the region ...   more »

I didn't count, but it seemed that 1 in 5 SUVs that passed me on my bike ride Saturday morning either had a tree strapped to the roof or sticking out the back.

If I had seen this guy bringing home a Christmas tree on his bike, I would have stopped and applauded.

He's riding with a Xtracycle attachment, which extends his load carrying capacity of his bicycle. I'm betting that he uses it for more than hauling Christmas trees.

Uploaded by RJL20 at flickr.com.

The latest wit and wisdom from Portland's Joe Kurmaskie, the Metal Cowboy. I've picked some of my favorite "You-might-be-a-cyclist if's:"

-- You own more tights than a children's theater performing Peter Pan.

-- You ring that bell for legitimate safety reasons, but the joy it brings seeing morning dog walkers seize up and scatter like quail is a nice fringe benefit.

-- When styling professionals ask what product gets your hair to do that, you answer, "Helmet." ...   more »

That tired old proposal about bicycle license fees has been broached again, this time from James F. Vesely, editorial page editor at the Seattle Times.

He proposes that bicyclists pay a $25 annual fee for owning a bike. It would make us members of the world of transportation, he writes, "rather than free riders on the tax rolls."

Like so many of the previously misinformed, he writes about the benefits of  bicycle pathways and bicycle lanes that are bestowed upon bicyclists by "the remarkable generosity of Puget Sound taxpayers." ...   more »

There might not be a better opportunity to further the cause for bicycle paths, bike lanes and similar projects for a long time.

When President-elect Barack Obama made a pitch on Saturday for a massive public works construction program to jump-start the economy, he said some spending would go to projects aimed at conserving or expanding energy supplies.

He also talked about creating jobs "by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s."

Infrastructure? Conserving energy supplies? To me, that says funding bicycle trails, bicycle paths, bicycle racks, marked bicycle routes, and more.

I don't know if that type of "infrastructure" is in Obama's plans right now, but it should be. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is seeking signatures on an "Economic Recovery Petition" that encourages spending on bicycle and pedestrian projects. It reads ....   more »

There's no photo-finish in determining the largest bicycle-making nation on Earth. China wins by a huge margin with 87 million bicycles produced last year, about two-thirds of all bikes made.

That's nearly a three-fold increase in the past decade, notes the Financial Times. In fact, it's the only country among top bicycle producers to see any increase in that period, according to figures compiled by Earth Policy Institute.

The biggest fall came in the United States, where production dropped from 6 million in 1997 to 300,000 in 2007. But the good news is that a cadre of small companies with a handful of employees continue to make handcrafted bicycles in the U.S. ...   more »

Even though I still take frequent bike rides, this is the time of year that I'm not so interested in laying down a lot of mileage. This is when I slow down to explore and poke around, maybe learn some roadside or trailside history.

Cougar Mountain, which lies a few miles east of my house, is a good destination for this. I've written about the old coal mining industry that thrived there at the turn of the century; this past week I've been learning about its role in the Cold War defense of Seattle.

Today the mountain is a mix of flashy, big box homes and golf courses and the 3,000-acre Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. Although the park's trails are closed to bicycling, the two Cold War-era military bases are accessible by short dirt roads from residential streets ...   more »

It's always a good idea to support your local bike shop, but that's especially the case now.

Bicycle shops that were flying high over the summer when gasoline was $4 a gallon are now struggling as petrol prices drop and the economy heads south.

When you shop, maybe you can find a good deal at a discount store, but what will happen when you need to find someone to tune-up or repair your bicycle and all the small bike shops have closed?

I'd been thinking about the case of a New Haven bike shop owner who had to close one of his stores when I received an email from Mike, the blogger over at bicyclespokesman.com. He said he's trying to start a campaign among cyclists to support their local bicycle shops this holiday season. ...   more »

When members of two Virginia bicycle clubs showed up on Afton Mountain a few weeks ago to hand over donations to "Cookie Lady" June Curry, a reporter from public radio station WVTF recorded her comments.

In a radio report, Sandy Hausman tells how the Bike House got started and how June gained her nickname, "Cookie Lady," way back in 1976.

Now, bicyclists who passed through years before are offering their help. June said:

"Ever since I had my stroke, when I've really needed help, I've got it from bikers. I feel like I owe all of you a great deal ...   more »

Daily route maps are available for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California so you can scope out the best vantage point when the cyclists roll past on Feb. 14 - 22.

This will be the 4th edition of the California bicycle race which has flourished in spite of funding woes of similar U.S. races. It marks the domestic return of Lance Armstrong to professional cycling and the opportunity for a three-peat championship for his teammate Levi Leipheimer.

There are a few changes in the overall race that were made since the host cities were first announced in July, although the host cities and number of cycling days remains the same.

The opening Sacramento bike race is no longer considered Stage 1, but is a 2.4-mile prologue ...   more »

The loss of the Tour de Georgia for next year was sad news. But the Oregon Pro Cycling Classic is setting out to prove that there's good news for the sport of cycling as well.

Known for the past six years as the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, the race is undergoing a makeover that will expand it to seven days and raise its difficulty in an attempt to rival the Amgen Tour of California.

The $50,000 event is listed on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar from May 11 - 17, 2009 ...   more »

C'mon. There's enough road rage out there without bicyclists turning on each other.

But that's what happened in Madison last week, reports the Wisconsin State Journal. According to police reports, Colin O'Brien, owner of Madison's Cronometro bike shop, was attacked one evening after suggesting that a couple of other bicyclists "get a light" after they passed him.

The man and woman had the decency to announce "on your left" when they passed, so they should have known that they needed to light up their rides after dark. Instead, the man shouted "mind your own business." ...   more »

As we roll into the end of 2008, it might be a good time to check out some bicycle-themed calendars for 2009.

Of all the offerings, one of the most popular -- at least for browsing -- is the Cycle Passion 2009 calendar produced in Germany. The calendar offers photos of professional female cyclists unencumbered by typical cycling garb.

Other calendars feature Seattle's legion of women cyclists, legendary mountain biker Jacquie Phelan, bike culture expressed in exotic locales, and the annual cycling scenery masterpiece by Graham Watson.

That's Sabine Spitz, above, on the cover of next year's Cycle Passion calendar. Among her other accomplishments, the German cyclist was mountain bike champion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (see the mountain bike on the floor behind her?) ...   more »

The 2009 Tour de France is a sure thing for Lance Armstrong.

The 37-year-old returning professional cyclist confirmed his plans to the Associated Press from the Canary Islands where he's training with the Astana pro cycling team.

That's Armstrong, right, and teammate Levi Leipheimer taking a break from surfing during the team training. (More pictures at Twitpic.)

Armstrong initially announced in September that he'd come out of retirement to race at the Tour de France and other races in 2009. Lately, however, he said that didn't feel welcomed by the Tour organizers and was a little fearful of fan reaction on the road. ...   more »

This holiday weekend I took a virtual state-by-state bicycle tour around the U.S. by reading about all the exciting week-long bicycle tours that are available in 2009.

I dug up more bike rides than ever -- 133 bicycle tours in 45 states -- to update the BikingBis.com list of Across State Bicycle Tours.

That's kind of a generic title for the list. Although a few are patterned on RAGBRAI and actually go from one side of the state to the other, most are high-attendance, week-long rides that simply explore a region of the state by traveling the backroads ...   more »