2011 archive

Promotional video of 2011 Tour de France

The 2011 Tour de France in 3-minutes and 40-seconds.

[Warning: May cause motion sickness or the desire to dip a 6-inch wide brush in yellow paint and stripe one of your regular bikes routes.]

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/29/promotional-video-of-2011-tour-de-france/

US cyclists line up for 2011 Tour de France — updated

While Lance Armstrong's presence at the Tour de France is certainly part of the past, 10 Americans will line up when the peloton rolls out for Stage 1 on July 2.

It's one of the biggest represetations of US cyclists I can remember, and it reflects not only the old timers but some fresh faces.

Leading that group of veterans is George Hincapie, 37, above, of Greenville, SC. Now cycling for BMC, this will be Hincapie's 16th Tour de France. That ties retired Dutch cyclist Joop Zoetemelk's record ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/28/us-cyclists-line-up-for-2011-tour-de-france-updated/

Bicycle lane construction gets bigger bang for the buck

Last winter I wrote about a report that found construction of bike lanes and paths in Baltimore created more jobs per $1 million than road construction.

The author of that report, Heidi Gerrett-Peltier, has expanded her research to 58 projects in 11 cities, including Seattle, and found that her original findings hold true.

“Bicycling infrastructure creates the most jobs for a given level of spending,” she writes in Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts.

The report compares job creation for road construction and rehabilitation, building new multi-use trails, widening roads to include bikes lanes …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/27/bicycle-lane-construction-gets-bigger-bang-for-the-buck/

A great no-raingear day for a bicycle ride in Pacific NW

With a number of major bicycle rides coming up in western Washington in the coming weeks, a lot of cyclists hit the road all over the Puget Sound on this no-raingear Sunday.

I took a spin down to Black Diamond and hooked with cyclists heading the same way almost immediately.

Some are training for the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (July 9-10), while others are looking ahead to the Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party (RSVP, Aug. 5-6 or Aug. 6-7). ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/27/a-great-no-raingear-day-for-a-bicycle-ride-in-pacific-nw/

Georgia becomes 18th state with 3-foot passing law

Although the Georgia General Assembly this year enacted a law requiring that motorists give bicyclists three feet of space when passing, the hard work for Georgia Bikes! is just now beginning.

The statewide bicycle advocacy group is launching promotions to ensure that motorists know about the law that goes into effect July 1.

The information campaign includes public service announcements and a series of “3 Feet 2 Pass” bicycle rides scheduled in six cities over the July 1st weekend. Says Georgia Bikes! executive director Brent Buice:

“We recognize the new law will only be useful …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/25/georgia-becomes-18th-state-with-3-foot-passing-law/

Georgia joins 3-foot to pass states

Georgia enacted House Bill 101, requiring motorists to give bicyclists three feet of clearance when they pass. Goes into effect July 1, 2011.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/25/georgia-joins-3-foot-to-pass-states/

Young Austrian wins 2011 RAAM cross-country bike race

Austrian ultracyclist Christoph Strasser rolled into City Dock at Annapolis shortly after midnight on Thursday to win his first Race Across America.

The 28-year-old had just finished a 2,989-mile cross-country bicycle race across the US, covering the distance in 8 days, 8 hours, and 6 minutes. That's an average speed of 14.94 mph.

As he rolled across the finish, his 19 competitors in the RAAM solo men's division (under 50) were spread along the route all the way back to somewhere between Effingham, Illinois, and Sullivan, Indiana. Two others had dropped out.

Some 10 hours after finishing, Strasser's closest challenger, US ultracyclist Mark Pattinson …..

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/24/young-austrian-wins-2011-raam-cross-country-bike-race/

Christoph Strasser

28-year-old Austrian wins 2011 Race Across America. Website: Christoph Strasser

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/24/christoph-strasser/

Take this bicyclist out to the ball game

It is refreshing to see a front page story about bicycling in the local newspaper that doesn't invoke the  “bikes vs. cars” debate in the headline.

The story is about Darren O'Donnell's amazing venture to travel by bicycle to all 30 major league baseball parks this season and watch a game.

Like many in Bellingham, Washington, O'Donnell is a bicycling enthusiast. He's also a baseball fan. In fact, he's looking for a front office job in baseball and figured this would be a great way to introduce himself to management.

O'Donnell is about halfway through his cross-country trek by bicycle, visiting the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Florida Marlins after meandering the western US.

Next he'll head north to Atlanta, then Cincinnati and Cleveland ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/21/take-this-bicyclist-out-to-the-ball-game/

Chase Field

Darren O'Donnell visits Chase Field in Phoenix, one of 30 ball parks he plans to visit in 2011.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/21/chase-field/