July 2011 archive
Deep in the bowels of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History — surrounded by 3 million other national treasures — sits a bicycle.
It’s a German-made Reinhardt. The single-speed, 42-pound brute found its way here after traveling 25,000 miles around the world in the mid-1930s as the main conveyance of Fred Birchmore.
Some say he's the original “Fred.” It's possible, depending on which definition of the term you use.
A “Fred” can be a do-it-yourselfer or independent-minded cyclist who doesn't follow the cycling styles or conventions pushed by advertisers. However, it also has evolved to describe a neophyte bicycle enthusiast who buys all the latest gear without having much ability. That second definition….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/18/is-this-remarkable-world-bicycle-traveler-the-first-fred/
Fred Birchmore today… Celebrates 100th birthday in November.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/18/fred-birchmore-2/
Fred Birchmore rode this bicycle around the world. Smithsonian collection.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/18/the-bicycle-bucephalus/
Fred Birchmore on his bicycle, Bucephalus, in Georgia. The collection of the Georgia Department of Archives and History.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/18/fred-birchmore/
An Englishman riding his bicycle the length of Africa is wondering what his next step will be after most of his equipment, except for his bicycle, was stolen from his room in a town in western Kenya.
Peter Gostelow is riding his bicycle to South Africa in a grand expedition called The Big Africa Cycle that he expects will cover 18,600 miles while traversing 25 countries.
This is no record-seeking bike tour. He left England in August 2009. The slow speed of his tour …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/17/trans-africa-bike-traveler-ripped-off-in-kenya/
Englishman Peter Gostelow is bicycling across Africa for anti-malaria projects.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/17/peter-gostelow/
Just when it looked like the HTC-Columbia cycling team had been lost in the mass sprint, Mark Cavendish emerged from behind Mark Renshaw to win his fourth stage at the Tour de France on Sunday.
American Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo) was gaining on Cavendish at the finish, but he didn't have enough distance left to beat him. In interviews after the race, the Wenatchee, Washington, sprinter was clearly disappointed.
Meanwhile, France's Tom Voeckler finished in the peloton to survive another day in the yellow jersey. Certainly he'll lose it in the Alps next week, but that's what everything thought would have happened already in the Pyrenees.
Speaking of survival, Cavendish was luck to be in the stage at all ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/17/survivors-win-stage-and-hold-yellow-in-tour-de-france/
The tradition that the winner on Plateau de Beille continues to win the Tour de France will probably end this year.
Saturday's winner for Stage 14 was Belgian cyclist Jelle Venendert, who started the day in 30th place and had never before won a professional bike race.
Meanwhile, the favorite contenders attacked, marked and matched each other all the way up the final climb. The cat and mouse enabled France's Thomas Voeckler to survive for another day in the yellow jersey. With two flat stages coming up, there's no reason he can't hold onto the jersey into the Alps. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/16/mountain-top-victory-on-stage-14-is-cyclists-first-professional-win/
Surprising stage winner at Tour de France for Omega Pharma
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/16/jelle-vanendert/
The last Tour de France stage set in the Pyrenees throws six category climbs at the peloton in Stage 14 on Saturday.
The cyclists must cross the Col de Portet-d’Aspet (Category 2), the Col de la Core (Category 1), the Col de Latrape (Category 2), the Col d’Agnes (Category 1), and the Port de Lers (Category 3) before racing up the mountaintop finish at the Plateau de Beille (beyond category).
Although individually the ascents are easier than others like the Tourmalet and the Aubisque, taken together…
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/16/tradition-atop-stage-14-a-virtual-bike-ride-to-the-mountaintop-finish/
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