2009 archive
As a boy growing up in Houston, one of Walter Cronkite's jobs was as bicycle delivery boy for a drugstore.
In an interview with Playboy magazine in 1973, he talked about that job playing a part in his understanding of the terrible prejudice in the city at the time:
“… This time I was the drugstore delivery boy; I did bicycle deliveries and we had a couple of blacks who used motorcycles for more distant orders. They were both great guys. One of them was a particularly close friend of mine–as close as you could be in the environment of Houston at that time. ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/18/bicycle-quotes-walter-cronkite/
Cervelo's Heinrich Haussler found Friday's Stage 13 to be a lucky stage for him as he survived a day-long breakaway in the 2009 Tour de France to win the bike race to Colmar.
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The day's rain seemed to dampen the contest for the yellow jersey. For the 6th straight stage, there was no change in the overall classification as Rinaldo Nocentini continued in the lead.
Levi Leipheimer's unfortunate withdrawal because of a broken wrist suffered in a crash on Thursday led to the only major change in the standings, as everyone below him moved up one spot.
Saturday's 124-mile stage from Colmar to Besancon has a couple of Category 3 climbs, so it's doubtful that the rivals like Nocentini, Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins or the Schleck brothers will attempt anything….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/17/stage-13-lucky-for-all-day-breakaway-at-tour-de-france/
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/17/heinrich-haussler/
American cyclist Levi Leipheimer withdrew from the 2009 Tour de France on Friday with a broken wrist.
He suffered the break on Thursday's run-in to the finish in Vittel. Since the crash occurred within 3 kilometers of the finish line, the rider on the Astana team didn't lose any time.
Leipheimer was sitting in 4th place in the overall battle for the yellow jersey, 39 seconds behind the leader. I'm sure he'll be sorely missed by teammates Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, who sit in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
Team manager Johan Bruyneel said the team will have to change its tactics over the last week with Leipheimer gone …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/17/leipheimer-abandons-tour-de-france-in-4th-place/
Denmark's Niki Sörensen brought home a solo breakaway victory at the Tour de France on Thursday on a day that many thought would see a fifth stage victory by Columbia's Mark Cavendish.
Although the 131-mile route from Tonnerre to Vittel sported several small climbs, Stage 12 was well-suited to the sprinters in the peloton.
In fact, several early attacks by riders were pulled back by the peloton. It wasn't until relatively late in the race — with 50 miles behind them — that a 7-man breakaway finally escaped. ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/16/soloing-to-stage-12-win-at-tour-de-france/
Nicki Sorensen of Team Saxo Bank won a stage of 2009 Tour de France.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/16/nicki-sorensen/
Thousands of bicyclists passing through Chehalis, Washington, this past weekend on the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic rode bicycles sporting high-tech materials and components unheard of just a few years ago.
Their route passed within 20 miles of tiny Pe Ell. That's where the rusting frame of a bicycle that employed cutting-edge technology for 1902 was recently re-discovered.
The find unlocked a dark family secret and prompted descendant Alfred Duane Tietjen to write a book, “Restoration,” about the bike and his efforts to restore it. It's interesting how a piece of rusting junk can reveal so much.
That bicycle, the Hill-Climber, is believed to be the first production model in the US to boast multiple-speed gear ratios ……
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/16/restoring-the-hill-climber-first-multiple-gear-bike-produced-in-us/
The century old photo shows Hill Climbers on display in San Francisco about 1903.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/16/hill-climber-bicycles/
Bicycling tends to lend itself to do-it-yourself projects — DIY panniers, DIY tall bikes, DIY bike trailers. Now, we can add DIY bicycle lanes to the list.
Dan Koeppel writes in Bicycling magazine about an experiment in DIY bike lane painting last summer in Los Angeles.
“Do-it-yourself bike lanes are illegal, perhaps dangerous, potentially damaging to the cause of legitimate bike advocates everywhere—and really, really effective.”
Koeppel accompanies a group of bicyclists who are frustrated by the city's inaction on bike infrastructure that's approved in planning documents but never sees the light of day ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/15/do-it-yourself-bicycle-lanes/
The Columbia cycling team proved on Wednesday that they can prevail in the sprint regardless of how many rival teams try to unseat them.
In spite of Team Milram trying to uncouple the Columbia train rolling into Saint Fargeau, the US-based cycling outfit set up Mark Cavendish for another stage win just ahead of Washington's own Tyler Farrar on Garmin.
The victory marked the Brit's fourth in the 2009 Tour de France and the eighth in his career. In winning, he equaled the British record of eight Tour stage wins held for more than 30 years by Barry Hoban.
While Hoban won his stages over a period of nine years, the 24-year-old from the Isle of Man accomplished it in three years of racing the Tour de France….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/15/record-tying-stage-11-for-columbias-cavendish/
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