2009 archive
Flying the colors of the Mellow Johnny's bike shop team, Levi Leipheimer won Stage 1 of the Tour of the Gila bike race on Wednesday.
Although he's a member of the ProTour team Astana, he and teammates Lance Armstrong and Chris Horner had to wear the “neutral” jerseys to compete in national-level race, according to UCI rules.
A representative from race title sponsor SRAM reported that Armstrong finished in the top 10. He wrote on his Twitter website: “Didn't feel so bad myself for first race back after the crash.”
Armstrong has been on the mend from a crash during a bike race in Spain last month in which he broke his collarbone. He's planning to compete in the Giro d'Italia that begins May 9. …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/leipheimer-wins-stage-1-of-tour-of-the-gila-lance-armstrong-is-8th/
Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner and Lance Armstrong posed with their Mellow Johnny's jerseys before the start of the Tour of the Gila. Because the five-stage race is a national-level contest, they could not represent their ProTour team — Astana. Seen at ImageShack.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/leipheimer-horner-and-armstrong/
The Hood Canal Bridge will be closed for repairs for six weeks beginning Friday, but there will be limited service for bicyclists who want to cross the waterway.
Bicycle riders can use a free passenger-only ferry between Lofall on the Kitsap Peninsula and South Point on the Olympic Peninsula that runs every 30 minutes.
The catch is that the ferry can take only five bicycles at a time, and they must arrive by shuttle bus from nearby park-and-ride lots (bicyclists cannot ride directly to the ferry). Those shuttle buses can only carry three bicycles per trip.
Shuttle and pickups
On the Kitsap Peninsula (east) side, the bicycle riders can catch the shuttle bus at Port Gamble Park & Ride lot at the old waterfront mill site in Port Gamble. It's right off State Route 104.
On the west side in Jefferson County, bicyclists cannot use the Shine Pit Park & Ride (the one marked for cars) because of a dangerous road into the parking lot. Bicyclists must use the Olympic Gateway Visitor Center at 93 Beaver Valley Road (or State Route 19), where they will pick up a Jefferson County transit bus to the South Point water shuttle.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says there will be bicycle racks at the Port Gamble Park & Ride and the Olympic Gateway Visitor Center Park & Ride (none at the Shine Pit because bicycles aren't allowed there). ….
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/bicycling-around-that-hood-canal-bridge-closure/
When I found this washout (at left) along the Cedar River Trail back in January, I was afraid the trail would be closed for good or another good gully-washer would take out the rest of the river bank.
So I was surprised when I returned there Tuesday (right) to find tons of rip-rap had been dumped along the stream channel to prevent it from eroding away.
Great job for the King County Parks to jump on this problem before it got worse.
The 17-mile Cedar River Trail runs from Renton to Landsburg along the historic old Burlington Northern Railroad grade …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/your-king-county-nickels-and-dimes-at-work-for-rail-trails/
“There's really nothing now that requires them (cyclists) to yield or move over. … This bill gives them full access to the road.”
That's an interesting reaction to passage of Colorado's bicycle safety bill from the county sheriff who oversees Boulder, a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/quote-bicycle-fear-and-loathing-from-boulder-sheriff/
Bicyclists who want to use the Hood Canal ferry while the bridge is under construction can ride directly to the water shuttle docks in South Point or Lofall. Previously, bicyclists had to use the passenger shuttles to get to the docks. More info at PTLeader.com.
Bicyclists must catch a shuttle from Shine Pit Park and …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/hood-canal-bicycling-alternatives/
A little ol' 5-day stage race based in Silver City, New Mexico, has suddenly taken on international significance with the arrival of Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner as competitors.
The trio literally found out on Tuesday afternoon that they were cleared to ride the 23rd edition of the Tour of the Gila bike race that runs Wednesday through Sunday in southern New Mexico.
Also in the peloton will be Floyd Landis and Rory Sutherland, riding for the OUCH team. Because Armstrong, Leipheimer and Horner compete for the ProTour level Astana team, they cannot compete as Astana members in the national-level race. The three will be wearing jerseys from Armstrong's Mellow Johnny's bike shop in Austin.
The details of UCI giving them permission to race weren't worked out until Tuesday afternoon …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/tour-of-the-gila-turns-into-a-monster-race-with-armstrong-in-peloton/
Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner will compete from Astana, but cannot wear the Astana jerseys.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/29/logo-for-tour-of-the-gila/
It's an encouraging sign that bicycle fatalities across the U.S. dropped for a second straight year in 2007 to 698 deaths, representing a 9.5% decrease from the previous year.
Of course, one fatality is too many.
Could it be that bicyclists and motorists are becoming more aware of each other and willing to share the road? We can only hope.
The annual report on bicycle fatalities from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration runs a few months behind, so we'll have to wait to learn if bicycle fatalities continued to drop in 2008 …
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/28/bicycle-fatalities-dropped-in-2007-10-states-with-the-most-and-least/
What do you do if you want to take a week-long across-state-bicycle tour of your home state but nothing is offered?
You create your own tour. A handful of members of the Arkansas Bicycle Club earlier this month routed their own 350-mile bicycle tour, without sag support, evening meetings, insurance forms or continuous “on-your-left” warnings.
The self-supported bicycle tour left North Little Rock with four bicyclists on April 13, and after picking up and dropping off riders throughout the rainy week, returned to Little Rock with two cyclists on April 19. Six bicyclists rode all or part of the route.
You may not think this is a big deal, but the 10,000-strong RAGBRAI got its start with relatively humble beginnings. ..
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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/04/27/do-it-yourself-arkansas-across-state-bicycle-tour/
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