2009 archive

Handing out bicycle advocacy “stimulus” money

The bicycle suppliers and retailers who make up the nonprofit Bikes Belong Coalition have been busy doling out grants to reward grassroots organizations that are making life better for bicyclists.

Two rounds of grants have been handed out to 11 locally oriented bicycle advocacy groups recently. Not only is it cool to see that their good work is being supported, but it's interesting to see what's going on around the country for bicyclists.

Maybe some readers will get an idea for grant-worthy projects for their clubs.

The latest are 5 REI/Bicycle Friendly Community grants of $10,000 to $20,000 handed out in collaboration with Bikes Belong and the League of American Bicyclists. Earlier, Bikes Belong handed out $50,000 …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/21/handing-out-bicycle-advocacy-stimulus-money/

Bikes Belong Coalition

Logo for Bikes Belong, a group of bicycle suppiers and retailers.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/21/bikes-belong-coalition/

Find 104 recreational bicycle rides in California here

After receiving well-deserved criticism from a reader about the timeliness of my bicycle ride calendars, I got to work Wednesday to bring them up to date for 2009.

I started with the list of California recreational bike rides and discovered I had 104 listings to update. I checked on all the links and was able to update about 80% with dates for 2009. Many clubs and organizations haven't set dates for their late fall rides yet.

So the California Bike Ride Calendar for 2009 is pretty much up to date. Next comes an overhaul of the Idaho, Oregon and Washington bicycle calendars, in that order.

Updating those California bike ride lists always brings back pleasant memories from when I lived there in the '80s and '90s. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/19/find-104-recreational-bicycle-rides-in-california-here/

Midnight Express poster

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition is hosting the Midnight Express bike ride in April… it's a 50-mile ride in the moonlight.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/19/midnight-express-poster/

Armstrong to race Leadville 100 again in 2009

P>The mountain bike race that lured Lance Armstrong back to professional bicycle racing is calling again.

Armstrong has registered for the Leadville 100, scheduled to roll out of the mountain town in Colorado on Aug. 15, about three weeks after the end of the Tour de France.

The Summit Daily News also reports that Floyd Landis may take a shot at the Leadville race this year as well.

The match-up between Armstrong and Landis had been one of the most bally-hooed in cycling in 2007 as both were out of the picture ….

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/18/armstrong-to-race-leadville-100-again-in-2009/

Washington's 3-foot buffer bill for bicycles passes House

A Washington state bill that would give bicyclists 3 feet of clearance from passing motorists has passed the House by a 63 to 32 vote.

The legislation has been passed along to the Senate, where it was transferred to the Transportation Committee.

You can follow the bill's progress in a feed in the upper righthand corner of my Northwest Cycling page …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/18/washingtons-3-foot-buffer-bill-for-bicycles-passes-house/

Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route ready by winter 2009/2010

The Adventure Cycling Association is planning to make available a series of maps for its newly charted 2,500-mile paved-route along the Pacific Crest by the winter of 2009-2010.

Named the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route, it runs between Sumas, Washington, on the Canadian border and Tecate, Mexico, through some of the most beautiful scenery in the western US.

The Adventure Cycling staff researched the route last summer. A GIS (geographic information system) specialist will begin mapping the route soon, making it the nonprofit's first to be mapped with GIS technology.

In addition to the on-road route, the final map package will include food, camping, lodging and other services along the way.

In spite of passing through the difficult terrain in the Sierras and Cascade ranges, I'd expect this to become one of Adventure Cycling's most popular routes.

The bicycle route will visit Northern Cascades National Park, Crater Lake National Park …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/18/sierra-cascades-bicycle-route-ready-by-winter-20092010/

Two US teams among 20 picked for Tour de France

The teams of US cyclists Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde, David Zabriskie and George Hincapie have all been chosen for the 2009 Tour de France, which starts July 4.

Astana (Armstrong and Leipheimer) was omitted from the Tour de France in 2008 because of the previous years' doping transgressions. Remember Let Levi Ride? He didn't last year.

This year that distinction falls to Fuji-Servetto …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/17/two-us-teams-among-20-picked-for-tour-de-france/

Cannondale recalling bicycles without plastic discs

The Cannondale Bicycle corporation is recalling 1,300 bicycle sold since October because they're missing the plastic spoke protector discs on the rear wheel.

Although no falls or injuries have been reported to Cannondale, the discs are required to prevent a poorly adjusted chain from shifting into the rear-wheel spokes and causing a sudden stop.

The Cannondale “Six” model bikes with the missing discs are Six 5 Compact…

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/17/cannondale-recalling-bicycles-without-plastic-discs/

Cannondale recall

Cannondale is recalling 1,300 bicycles sold since October because they don't have a spoke protection disc mounted on the rear wheel. More info at US Consumer Product Safety Commision.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/03/17/cannondale-recall/