Friday, 31 August 2012
A short cycle to Covent Garden illustrates what I don?t get about transport planning
I?m definitely not an urban planning expert. I know this, because my neighbours are studying it and whenever they get in to a heated debate about it, my eyes glaze over. However, on a short bike ride to Covent Garden there are a number of things that as a cyclist, simply don?t make sense to [...]
The Hungry Cyclist Podcast June 2011 - The White Swan, Hunagrian Restaurant, London
H is for Hungary, and for our eighth visit on our tour of London's global cuisine we headed to the White Swan in North London. To listen to what happened plug in your headphones, find a comfy chair and enjoy.
Amgen Tour, Levi Just Misses TT, Horner Keeps Lead
The winner of the last 3 Tours of California, Team RadioShack?s Levi Leipheimer, who is also the winner of its last 3 time trials in the city of Solvang, just missed his fourth victory in this year?s TT to Garmin-Cerv�lo?s David Zabriskie by 13 seconds. Levi looked very strong on the first parts of the [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/amgen-tour-levi-just-misses-tt-horner-keeps-lead/
Ben Hermans Top Ten at Amstel Gold
Ben Hermans continues to show his strength, intelligence and overall ability in the one-day classics coming in 8th today in a field of quality riders in the Amstel Gold Race, right on the heels of his 12th place in Wednesday?s Brabantse Pijl, just four days ago. For most of the day Ben was seen riding [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/ben-hermans-top-ten-at-amstel-gold/
TdF Stage 3 ? WHY do They do That?
Monday?s 198-kilometer 3rd Stage of the Tour de France, from Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon, France was a long, flat stage that saw a 5-man break jump away from the peloton after just 1-� kms and stay away all day, entertaining – for more than 4 hours – the hope of winning one of the biggest prizes [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-3-why-do-they-do-that/
Bike Science London :: Opening Mid June
We’re delighted to announce the forthcoming opening of our fifth Bike Science Retul precision bike fitting studio in partnership with Velosport. The new studio based in Putney, South West London is scheduled to open on Saturday the 16th of July. More details of the studio and of our new bike fitter Adam to follow over [...]
Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/05/10/bike-science-london-opening-mid-june
USADA and Lance Armstrong
USADA announced: ... Lance Armstrong ... has received a lifetime period of ineligibility and disqualification of all competitive results from August 1, 1998 Read the whole USADA news release August 2012. Not that I know very much about the rules or protocol of international cycle racing but it seems strange how a non-governmental agency in [...]
Bike Respite in Colorado!
As I mentioned in my post last week, I was out of the office for a spell taking advantage of my bike respite benefit. I am fortunate to have secured a spot on the terrific Colorado Wildflowers and Rivers tour for myself and my good friend Elisabeth from Washington state. In short, we had a blast!
We arrived in Denver a day and a half early to stay with a friend, Kelly, and acclimatize our lungs to the lower concentration of oxygen that the Rocky Mountains of Colorado offers. She fed us well and took us on short hikes in her neighborhood with her dog which also served to whet our appetite for the great scenery to come.
Upon arriving at the tour start point in Silverthorne, I finally got to meet Event Director Tammy Schurr. Tammy and I have been working together on the maps for this tour since it's inception as a Family Fun Tour in 2006 and most years since then but had never met in person over that span of time. Our meeting felt like rejoining an old friend after a long absence.
After getting signed in, we set up our tents as rain began to fall on us in the field adjacent to the Silverthorne Recreation Center, our home for the next three nights. By dinner time, the rain subsided and we enjoyed a delicious meal from A Chef's Touch -- our wonderful caterer for the event, introduced ourselves, and had our first map meeting thus beginning a routine we would follow most evenings.
We rose to coffee and a hot breakfast the following morning before hitting the trail for our 18.9 mile out and back ride to Keystone. Many of us went just a bit beyond the turn-around point to find Keystone proper and a little more socializing.
After dinner it was announced a field trip was available via the van to a nearby brew pub, Dillon Dam Brewery, where we could sample the local pours. Sign us up! Both Elisabeth and I enjoyed an Irish Stout and were glad we were not driving or even riding back since alcohol at that elevation hit us a bit harder than usual.
The next morning dawned gray and wet. We would be riding in the rain -- as it turned out -- pretty much all day over the 34.2 miles. A bit disheartening for the second day of riding. We made it through with flying colors though. After a slightly chilling lunch in Kingdom Park, we headed out with our riding companion, John, into Breckenridge in search of lattes and a sweet treat. Clint's Bakery and Coffee fit the bill.
Our third day of riding featured the most challenging stretch of the tour, a climb over Vail Pass on a dedicated bike path. Elisabeth and I gave ourselves permission to stop as much as we wanted to on the way up. We were on vacation after all and we had all day.
We paused to take pictures, catch our breath and generally take in everything around us. On one of these intermissions, a cyclist sailed by on his descent and announced, "You're almost there!" We looked at each other happily and remounted our bikes to begin again.
As we crested the top, Tammy was there to snap our photos and the team cheered us on for those last few pedal strokes to lunch. Smiles broke across our faces as we realized we'd made it and the rest of the day was mostly downhill.
On our layover day we enjoyed a raft trip on the Colorado River with 12 other participants from our group with Colorado Whitewater Rafting, LLC. We were afforded a view of Glenwood Canyon that would be slightly different than the one we would see from our bikes as well as a geology and history talk from Beau, our guide.
Then it was two more days with a total of 52.2 more miles of canyon scenery paralleling I-70 on much less travelled U.S. 6 and intermittent bike paths and an overnight in Gypsum at their recreation center. Our last evening together was filled with entertainment, awards, laughter and group pictures.
We concluded our tour at Glenwood Hot Springs with a soak and a couple of trips down their waterslide for good measure before shuttling back to Silverthorne where our luggage awaited us. Kelly picked us up and we went out to dinner, talking almost non-stop about our adventures on the tour.
I think it's safe to say we had a great time riding our bikes together and I look forward to sharing another tour in the future.
Photos 1-6 and 10 from jenn_bob's photostream on flickr.
Photos 7-9 from twowheeltammy's photostream on flickr.
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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.
We arrived in Denver a day and a half early to stay with a friend, Kelly, and acclimatize our lungs to the lower concentration of oxygen that the Rocky Mountains of Colorado offers. She fed us well and took us on short hikes in her neighborhood with her dog which also served to whet our appetite for the great scenery to come.
A view of Dillon Reservoir from Dillon-Keystone bike path.
Upon arriving at the tour start point in Silverthorne, I finally got to meet Event Director Tammy Schurr. Tammy and I have been working together on the maps for this tour since it's inception as a Family Fun Tour in 2006 and most years since then but had never met in person over that span of time. Our meeting felt like rejoining an old friend after a long absence.
Me and Tammy.
After getting signed in, we set up our tents as rain began to fall on us in the field adjacent to the Silverthorne Recreation Center, our home for the next three nights. By dinner time, the rain subsided and we enjoyed a delicious meal from A Chef's Touch -- our wonderful caterer for the event, introduced ourselves, and had our first map meeting thus beginning a routine we would follow most evenings.
An example of the fine food we were served over the course of the week.
We rose to coffee and a hot breakfast the following morning before hitting the trail for our 18.9 mile out and back ride to Keystone. Many of us went just a bit beyond the turn-around point to find Keystone proper and a little more socializing.
Riding buddy John on Dillon-Keystone bike path.
After dinner it was announced a field trip was available via the van to a nearby brew pub, Dillon Dam Brewery, where we could sample the local pours. Sign us up! Both Elisabeth and I enjoyed an Irish Stout and were glad we were not driving or even riding back since alcohol at that elevation hit us a bit harder than usual.
The next morning dawned gray and wet. We would be riding in the rain -- as it turned out -- pretty much all day over the 34.2 miles. A bit disheartening for the second day of riding. We made it through with flying colors though. After a slightly chilling lunch in Kingdom Park, we headed out with our riding companion, John, into Breckenridge in search of lattes and a sweet treat. Clint's Bakery and Coffee fit the bill.
Our wet bikes in Breckenridge.
Our third day of riding featured the most challenging stretch of the tour, a climb over Vail Pass on a dedicated bike path. Elisabeth and I gave ourselves permission to stop as much as we wanted to on the way up. We were on vacation after all and we had all day.
Vail Pass bike path.
We paused to take pictures, catch our breath and generally take in everything around us. On one of these intermissions, a cyclist sailed by on his descent and announced, "You're almost there!" We looked at each other happily and remounted our bikes to begin again.
As we crested the top, Tammy was there to snap our photos and the team cheered us on for those last few pedal strokes to lunch. Smiles broke across our faces as we realized we'd made it and the rest of the day was mostly downhill.
Elisabeth (foreground) and I summitting Vail Pass!
On our layover day we enjoyed a raft trip on the Colorado River with 12 other participants from our group with Colorado Whitewater Rafting, LLC. We were afforded a view of Glenwood Canyon that would be slightly different than the one we would see from our bikes as well as a geology and history talk from Beau, our guide.
Then it was two more days with a total of 52.2 more miles of canyon scenery paralleling I-70 on much less travelled U.S. 6 and intermittent bike paths and an overnight in Gypsum at their recreation center. Our last evening together was filled with entertainment, awards, laughter and group pictures.
The 20-strong group that was Colorado Wildflowers & Rivers 2012.
Our support team. Thanks a million!
We concluded our tour at Glenwood Hot Springs with a soak and a couple of trips down their waterslide for good measure before shuttling back to Silverthorne where our luggage awaited us. Kelly picked us up and we went out to dinner, talking almost non-stop about our adventures on the tour.
Capturing a moment on the Eagle River.
I think it's safe to say we had a great time riding our bikes together and I look forward to sharing another tour in the future.
Photos 1-6 and 10 from jenn_bob's photostream on flickr.
Photos 7-9 from twowheeltammy's photostream on flickr.
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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/bike-respite-in-colorado.html
Oliveira Wins the Time Trial Championship in Portugal
Portuguese rider Nelson Oliveira has just won the national time trial�championships on the circuit of Pataias in Portugal. Things are really happening for the rider who is in his first year as a professional, riding for Team Radioshack. Just a little over a week ago Oliveira finished fourth in the Tour de Suisse time trial, [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/oliveira-wins-the-time-trial-championship-in-portugal/
Team RadioShack Stars Come Out for Basque Tour
As in past years, the stars are in alignment and ready to shine for the 51st running of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pa�s Vasco, or the Tour of the Basque Country in northeast Spain. All of the riders of the entered teams have been announced for the 6-day romp in the steep Pyr�n�es Mountains including [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-stars-come-out-for-basque-tour/
Baked Beans Bend, New Zealand
This week's Bike Overnights story comes from Kiwi promoter of personal adventure Paul Smith -- who, along with his friend Mike Wilson, accomplishes a true S24O (sub-24-hour overnight). In fact, it's more like a sub-16-hour overnight.
"Wednesday morning, 8:30," writes Paul. "As usual, I arrive at work on my bike. Unusually, though, my bike is loaded up with luggage. At the end of the working day I'll leave on my bike. But today I won't be going home to my family. The luggage on my bike is my overnight camping gear. Tonight I will be staying at Baked Beans Bend in Wellington's Belmont Regional Park. I wouldn't call it a campsite. It's nothing more than a small flat grassed area raised slightly above the Korokoro stream. But if drinkable running water and shelter from the the northerly wind are classified as 'facilities,' then Baked Beans Bend is well-equipped."
After Paul meets up with Mike, the two pedal past the congestion of "one person per car" commuter traffic that's apparently as common in Wellington as it is in U.S. cities.
"We soon arrived at the entrance to our off-road excursion -- an ugly industrial area. But this was the gateway to the Korokoro stream trail that would lead us up into Belmont Regional Park and glorious isolation.
And so why is it called Bakes Beans Bend? Paul isn't really sure. But he is certain that breakfast the next morning was better than baked beans: "This wasn't a wilderness ride by any stretch, which had its advantages -- our breakfast was at a local cafe and coffee roastery. Two espressos and garlic mushrooms on focaccia. After that came 30 minutes of road riding, and then I waved goodbye to Mike."
And Paul was back at the office by 8:30 a.m. sharp. "Today, though, there were fewer strange looks from my co-workers.
"'Did you have a good night?' one of them asked.
'I sure did.'"
Read Paul's story in its entirety at BikeOvernights.org. While there you can take a look at our current Photo of the Week, which comes from the popular August 30, 2011, post Dreams of Herons on the I&M Canal Towpath, by Bob Morgan.
Top 3 photos by Mike Wilson.
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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to nearly 46,000 readers worldwide.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/baked-beans-bend-new-zealand.html
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Take a bow
I’m feeling guilty about the lack of mileage going on this month. �It’s so hard to get decent riding time in during the summer holidays. �I’ve not been on the bike since Sunday, and although the ACG are due out on Saturday I didn’t fancy the idea of a week between rides. �The only way [...]
Video with Lance Armstrong: Is there a Cure for Cancer?
Jules organised for his mate Jim Stynes to catch up with cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. Jim is going through his own cancer treatment at the moment. For more information on Jim’s story go to http://www.reach.org.au or for more information on cancer visit http://www.cancerinstitute.org.au
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-with-lance-armstrong-is-there-a-cure-for-cancer/
Reader Giveaway: Ortlieb 30th Anniversary Panniers
Ortlieb has been making panniers used by touring cyclists for 30 years. Many of you probably have a pack or two in your gear stash.
"From the Amazon to the Austrian Alps, from Antwerp to Zurich: Ortlieb promises high quality and value outdoor equipment for all requirements, all weather and all terrain."
As part of their 30th anniversary celebration, Ortileb is offering some limited-edition, customizable pannier sets. You can order these special "Around the World" panniers through August 31st, choosing from a variety of continents and countries.
Ortlieb was gracious enough to donate a set of the U.S. design for our U.S. Bicycle Route System fundraiser in May. Now they are offering a North America pannier and 30th-anniversary water bottle (pictured below) to one of our lucky readers.
To be entered to win, simply leave a comment before midnight (Mountain Time) on Wednesday, 8/15/2012, telling us where you want to go on your next bike tour. Anonymous comments will not be eligible to win. The winner will be chosen at random on Thursday and announced here.
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MEMBERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS is typically posted every other Friday by Amy Corbin, Membership and Marketing Coordinator. Membership Highlights spotlights the various benefits of membership, our accomplishments thanks to member support, and even interviews with some of our most passionate and dedicated members, both individual and organizational.
"From the Amazon to the Austrian Alps, from Antwerp to Zurich: Ortlieb promises high quality and value outdoor equipment for all requirements, all weather and all terrain."
As part of their 30th anniversary celebration, Ortileb is offering some limited-edition, customizable pannier sets. You can order these special "Around the World" panniers through August 31st, choosing from a variety of continents and countries.
Ortlieb was gracious enough to donate a set of the U.S. design for our U.S. Bicycle Route System fundraiser in May. Now they are offering a North America pannier and 30th-anniversary water bottle (pictured below) to one of our lucky readers.
To be entered to win, simply leave a comment before midnight (Mountain Time) on Wednesday, 8/15/2012, telling us where you want to go on your next bike tour. Anonymous comments will not be eligible to win. The winner will be chosen at random on Thursday and announced here.
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Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/reader-giveaway-ortlieb-30th.html
Cycling is on the up. Why?
There are always indicators in life that that tell you that a particular industry is doing well and the fact that WD40 has entered the cycling market with its Anti friction dry ptfe and Fast acing degreasers is a shore case of telling you cycling is on the up. I wonder why cycling is doing so well? In UK and London were I am it is booming with more and more bike shops opening on every street corner. It reminds me of the mobile phone boom when there was a mobile phone shop on every street corner then big business got in Involved and then disappeared the small independent shops. Cycling is differently on the up you could say I am a product of that I am out at least three times a week racing against me self trying to beat the time I did last time I was out on my bike, or in the winter I am on the turbo trainer even this blog is a result of the cycling boom. You just need to look and the number of cyclist in Richmond Park on any given Saturday or Sunday morning or the huge numbers using TFL super highways every weekday rush hour to see how popular cycling has become.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/teq5Ot1ugKg/
It?s my birthday! Cue the mandatory cycling cards!
Today is my 25th birthday! The 24th to the 25th is a big one ? it?s like transitioning from plastic pedals to metal ones. One day perhaps I?ll even use clipless. Fortunately, my family is on hand to provide me with artwork for my birthday blog post, with the above brilliant card! It?s funny because [...]
Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/its-my-birthday-cue-the-mandatory-cycling-cards/
Team RadioShack?s Stable of Champions
Most of the National Road-Race and Time-Trial Cycling Championships around the world are now complete and once again, Team RadioShack has an impressive list of performances, many from some of its younger riders. From countries spread as far across the globe as The USA, Slovenia, New Zealand, Portugal, and Japan, many of The Shack?s team [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack%e2%80%99s-stable-of-champions/
Yarosolav Popovych out of the Tour
Yaroslav Popovych will not take the start of stage 10 in the Tour de France. Since Sunday Popovych has fever. As the rest day didn?t bring any amelioration, the team decided not to let him start in Aurillac. The former Tour de France stage winner will undergo some extra tests today. In stage five Popovych [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/yarosolav-popovych-out-of-the-tour/
Losing Leslie -- A Sad Week for Cycling
It's been a sad week for cycling, but if you think I'm writing about Lance Armstrong, you would be mistaken. I'm deeply saddened by the death of Leslie Bohm, one of the best people I've met since taking the helm at Adventure Cycling seven years ago.Leslie was a one-of-a-kind guy who could make anybody feel good, with his big smile and positive personality. Most recently, he owned and ran Catalyst Communications, which was a pioneer in direct marketing for the bike and outdoor industries. Earlier, in the 1970s, he started up Eclipse Bags, which became a producer of front packs, panniers, and other products for bicycling and motorcycling. He was an avid cyclist and bike traveler, who rode on many continents, from North America to Europe to Asia. In fact, Leslie was one of the first Americans to ride through China when it reopened to tourists in 1981.
You can read more about Leslie's illustrious life in this excellent piece in Bicycle Retailer, but one other highlight was how he was so instrumental in building the bike industry and community. Of course, he was a generous supporter of Adventure Cycling. But more importantly, through his work, he helped spur the growth of independent bicycle dealerships -- those great shops where we buy the best in bikes and gear, and where people who are passionate about cycling tend to gather. He also helped build up organizations that have made biking more pervasive and powerful in America. He was a founder of Bikes Belong, the bike industry's trade association that has become such an influential advocate for putting more people on bikes. Ever the innovator, he sparked the idea to have 1,000 shared bikes at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 2008, raising the visibility of cycling even further.
I will miss Leslie's contributions to the growth of cycling, but most of all, I'll miss Leslie's infectious good spirits and the joy he brought to the world. If you're in or near Boulder, Colorado, on September 2 and want to pay homage to a terrific person who did so much for biking, you could do no better than attend Leslie Bohm's memorial service. Farewell and thanks for a wonderful life, Leslie.
Photo of Leslie Bohm used courtesy of Bicycle Retailer & Industry News.
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JIM SAYER is executive director of Adventure Cycling Association.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/losing-leslie-sad-week-for-cycling.html
Team RadioShack in Scheldeprijs and Grand Prix Cerami
Here is an overview of the Team Radioshack line-ups for the next races: 99th Scheldeprijs / Schoten (Belgium), 06/04/11 Riders: Fumiyuki Beppu, Sam Bewley, Manuel Cardoso, Ben King, Robbie McEwen, N�lson Oliveira, S�bastien Rosseler & Bj�rn Selander Director: Dirk Demol Grand Prix Cerami / Frameries (Belgium), 07/04/11 Riders: Sam Bewley, Manuel Cardoso, Ben Hermans, Ben [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-in-scheldeprijs-and-grand-prix-cerami/
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Shack Sets Powerful Roster for The Tour of Switzerland
The 9-day long, 75th edition of the Tour de Suisse starts on Saturday, June 11th, and as usual, it promises to be a real shoot out, with many of the sports elite stars making their annual pilgrimage to the land of private banking, precise time pieces and great chocolate as the traditional tune up for [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/shack-sets-powerful-roster-for-the-tour-of-switzerland/
The 10 best books about bicycling
Bicycling and books are two topics that I can get pretty excited about. So a combination of the two is sure to catch my attention. Such an instance is an online compilation by the editors of Bicycling magazine of the … Continue reading 
Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/the-10-best-books-about-bicycling/
Levi Leipheimer Maintains 2nd in Catalunya 2011
Today?s 5th stage of Spain?s venerated Volta a Catalunya was about as mountainous as a route can be and still not be officially classified a full on ?mountain stage.? Starting in El Vendrell and finishing some 206 kilometers (128 miles) later in Tarragona, the route profile of this year?s longest stage had the look of [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/levi-leipheimer-maintains-2nd-in-catalunya-2011/
TdF Stage 11 ? Wet, Cold, Dry, Downpour
In the last flat 167.5-km sprinter?s stage before the Tour de France climbs into the Pyr�n�es tomorrow, the cyclists raced mostly southwest from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur, France on a chilly wet day that saw some welcomed caution on slick roads. No serious crashes, no one hurt, just good racing. After only a few minutes on [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-11-%e2%80%93-wet-cold-dry-downpour/
Olympic Road Race Weekender : We?re at the Box Hill Festival of Cycling
If the excitement of the first ever British Tour de France winner and Cav winning on the Champs Elysees�wasn’t enough, next weekend sees the worlds best riders including both Mark Cavendish and Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins racing on UK soil. Come and see both riders in action at the focal point of the [...]
Photos From The Working Burgundy Wine Harvest 2011
This year while taking a break from running gasronomic cycling holidays for DuVine Adventures I picked grapes for two weks. For over 2000 years this anchient havest take place producing some of the greatest wines in the world. Back breaking...
Fancy a mega super sportive this weekend?
It?s probably just coincidence but if you swap the third and fourth letters of the biggest climb in the Wiggle Super Series Mega Meon around, it becomes Buster Hill. Truth be told Butser, as it?s called when un-anagrammed, isn?t a proper killer climb, but coming 30 miles into both the 95-mile Epic and 72-mile Standard [...]
Source: http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/06/26/fancy-a-mega-super-sportive-this-weekend/
TdF Stage 3 ? WHY do They do That?
Monday?s 198-kilometer 3rd Stage of the Tour de France, from Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon, France was a long, flat stage that saw a 5-man break jump away from the peloton after just 1-� kms and stay away all day, entertaining – for more than 4 hours – the hope of winning one of the biggest prizes [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-3-why-do-they-do-that/
DAVIS PHINNEY FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER
Will Include BMC Racing Team
Police cracking down on cyclists in London?s parks
A few weeks back, I was trying to become a little less pasty, by catching the sun near the Highgate Ponds in Hampstead Heath. Being a people (and bike) watcher, I observed the number of cyclists pedalling past. All of them were riding respectfully around pedestrians, but you could see it was frustrating for pedestrians. [...]
Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/police-crack-down-cyclists/
Team Radioshack Line-up in Tour of Austria
Team Radioshack is ready to ride in the 63rd edition of Tour of Austria (Internationale �sterreich Rundfahrt), which takes place July 3-10, 2011. Team Radioshack will start with a team of relatively young riders: Matthew Busche, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Tiago Machado, Gregory Rast & Jesse Sergent Director: Jos� Azevedo Go [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-tour-of-austria/
Go nuts for our Wonderful Pistachios competition!
We’ve teamed up with Wonderful Pistachios to give two lucky readers the chance to win a tasty (and practical) cycling pack. This fabulous prize includes a Wonderful Pistachios cycling team jersey, a pair of cycling gloves and a year?s supply of Wonderful Pistachios* to provide you with some tasty post exercise snacks! Wonderful Pistachios say [...]
Source: http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/06/27/go-nuts-for-our-wonderful-pistachios-competition/
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Mohsen Awarded Hunrgy Cyclist Wheel of Approval
Words by Al Humphries for London's World of Food an A to Z Be not alarmed by the snarling, growling figure who may approach your table at Mohsen, the Iranian restaurant in Olympia. For it is likely only to be...
Voigt still battling at USA Pro Cycling Challenge
A couple of days before the start of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, 40-year-old Jens Voigt was asked about retirement. “That is not in my vocabulary. Sorry.”
The RadioShack cyclist demonstrated what he meant by that statement on Thursday when he took a solo victory on the 97-mile Stage 4 by nearly 3 minutes.
The …
Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/08/23/voigt-still-battling-at-usa-pro-cycling-challenge/
Tour De Wallonie ? Team Radioshack Bounces Back
After facing a great many challenges during the Tour de France earlier this month, Team Radioshack (RSH) needed to demonstrate they could still field a squad ready and able to compete at the front of the peloton. The team did just that in the five stage Tour De Wallonie, which concluded today in Thuin, Belgium. [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-wallonie-team-radioshack-bounces-back/
Amgen Tour of California ? The Day After
The only thing bad about the Amgen Tour of California, with it’s beautiful scenery, world-class competition, excellent organization and stage selection, is that every year…it has to come to an end.� For a rabid cycling fan, the worst day of most big stage races is the day after it’s concluded.� You wish it could go [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/amgen-tour-of-california-%e2%80%93-the-day-after/
Why is the cyclist the villain?
This really chaps my hide. A bicyclist ? who happens to be a friend and fellow blogger ? was riding his bike at night on a major Fort Worth thoroughfare, Camp Bowie Boulevard, wearing a helmet and with lights front … Continue reading 
Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/why-is-the-cyclist-the-villain/
TdF Stage 13 ? The Mighty Col d?Aubisque
Today?s 13th stage, a short mountain course starting in Pau, climbing over the mighty 1,709 meter Col d?Aubisque and finishing in Lourdes, France, saw many of the general classification contenders taking a bit of a break over the 152.5-kilometer, or 95 mile trek. After such a grueling first 2 weeks it was well deserved, even [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-13-the-mighty-col-d%e2%80%99aubisque/
Sebastien Rosseler Wins Overall In De Panne
After riding pretty quietly for the first 3 stages, Team RadioShack?s Sebastien Rosseler (BEL) decided to put the hammer down and ate up the pavement in the afternoon?s individual time trail at the 3 Days of De Panne, beating the field by nearly 14 seconds on the 14.7-kilometer course with a time of 18:31.83. Not [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/sebastien-rosseler-wins-overall-in-de-panne/
Team RadioShack?s Stable of Champions
Most of the National Road-Race and Time-Trial Cycling Championships around the world are now complete and once again, Team RadioShack has an impressive list of performances, many from some of its younger riders. From countries spread as far across the globe as The USA, Slovenia, New Zealand, Portugal, and Japan, many of The Shack?s team [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack%e2%80%99s-stable-of-champions/
Armstrong says ?enough is enough? ? won?t fight doping charges; USADA says it will strip him of Tour de France titles
Lance Armstrong dropped his fight on Thursday night against the doping charges lodged in June by the US Anti-Doping Agency. He did so without admitting to the allegations that he used banned substances and improper methods to gain an edge in the sport of cycling to win an unprecedented seven Tours de France. Although his attorney wrote a letter to USADA that it cannot "retroactively punish" Armstrong, the loss of his seven Tour de France championships is a very real possibility. ....Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/08/23/armstrong-says-enough-is-enough-wont-fight-doping-charges/
Videos: How to Pack Your Panniers
Adventure Cycling teamed up with America ByCycle to produce this short video full of tips on how to pack your panniers. Watch it now for help with your upcoming long-distance cycling adventure or bike overnight. Or, use it to fuel your bike-touring plans for next season!
For another perspective (with a bit of the same advice), check out this sweet little how-to-pack-your-panniers animation that was created by one of our interns (the talented Luke Regan) a few years ago.
For another perspective (with a bit of the same advice), check out this sweet little how-to-pack-your-panniers animation that was created by one of our interns (the talented Luke Regan) a few years ago.
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NEWS, NETWORKING, AND NEW MEDIA is posted by Winona Bateman, Adventure Cycling's media director, and highlights cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) and meet-ups related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel. Writing a story about bicycle travel or Adventure Cycling Association? You can contact Winona via email: pressATadventurecyclingDOTorg. Visit our media room, view our news releases, or follow us on Twitter.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/videos-how-to-pack-your-panniers.html
Video: Lance Armstrong Talks About the Cuts on Cancer Research
Video from cnsnews.com where Lance Armstrong talks about the cuts on cancer research.
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-lance-armstrong-talks-about-the-cuts-on-cancer-research/
I is for Iran - Eating London A to Z Video Post
We ventured west this week, to Olympia, in order to try the Iranian restaurant, Mohsen. Here is what we found.
Monday, 27 August 2012
A little bike racing advice?
I have been asked several times what advice I would give the up and coming cyclist. �Cycling is a beautiful sport. �Not only does it promote health and wellness, but it is also completely liberating. �When approached properly, it is a sport that has longevity and challenge. �It has purity and depth that not many other sports can give. Should you race? �If you want to. �If not, just challenge yourself each day with a goal, even if that goal is to do a local century or beat your friends...
Source: http://alisonstarnes.com/a-little-bike-racing-advice/
Hill Climb Training
In the UK, hill climbs are generally short time trial races up hills. They can last from anything between 2-10 minutes. Though there are also longer hill climbs of 10+ KM. Some races, like up Mount Washington, Alpe d’Huez can take over 30 minutes. Training for hill climbs requires getting fit to race at this [...]
Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5818/training/hill-climb-training/
Potpourri in Virginia, Part 2: TransAmerica Trail and USBR 76 Signage
This is the second part of the Potpourri in Virginia post I began last week.
I recently received a call from a confused cyclist on the TransAmerica Trail in Lexington, Virginia. She didn't know if she should follow the TransAmerica Trail map and narrative she had in her hand or the sign she saw up the hill. I wasn't sure either, this was the first I'd heard of new signage going up in Virgina.
Her call prompted me to review the two routes to see where the differences are so we can be sure to make cyclists aware they have a choice.
In my review of the Virginia Bicycling and Walking map, I only saw two differing stretches across the entire state: Lexington to Vesuvius and through the town of Radford. Here is what I found out about both situations.
1) Lexington to Vesuvius. The signed USBR 76 route here is on state highways on the north side of I-64/81. This is the original Bikecentennial TransAmerica route. Since that time we have moved the route to south of I-64/81 due to a combination of factors -- primarily increased traffic, but also more paved road availability in the rural settings we prefer to use. One site on USBR 76 worth visiting is Cyrus McCormick's farm near Raphine. It features beautiful grounds and a tour of the inventor's home site.
2) Radford. Interestingly, neither our current route nor the Virginia USBR 76 is the original TransAmerica route. USBR 76 uses SR 177 and we route cyclists through Wildwood Park on a bike trail and on smaller roads through town. It is not immediately clear if the TransAmerica route ever used SR 177. Unless you need services in town, it is recommended to stay on our route, there is no compelling reason to follow USBR 76 in this instance.
This set of instances serves to bring forward a larger conversation. As more states begin to designate and sign or map their U.S. Bicycle Routes, we'll need to be aware of all places they coincide or diverge with the Adventure Cycling Route Network. It is a situation that will heed further attention to process and communication with bicycle and pedestrian programs across the country.
Top photo from thenoodleator's photostream on Flickr
Caption: A USBR 76 sign found in Virginia.
Second photo from daveandlolo's photostream on Flickr
Caption: An original BikeCentennial sign found in Lexington, Virginia.
Third photo from thanh.ha.dang's photostream on Flickr
Caption: bicycle trail under freeway approaching Wildwood Park in Radford , Virginia.
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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.
I recently received a call from a confused cyclist on the TransAmerica Trail in Lexington, Virginia. She didn't know if she should follow the TransAmerica Trail map and narrative she had in her hand or the sign she saw up the hill. I wasn't sure either, this was the first I'd heard of new signage going up in Virgina.
Her call prompted me to review the two routes to see where the differences are so we can be sure to make cyclists aware they have a choice.
In my review of the Virginia Bicycling and Walking map, I only saw two differing stretches across the entire state: Lexington to Vesuvius and through the town of Radford. Here is what I found out about both situations.
1) Lexington to Vesuvius. The signed USBR 76 route here is on state highways on the north side of I-64/81. This is the original Bikecentennial TransAmerica route. Since that time we have moved the route to south of I-64/81 due to a combination of factors -- primarily increased traffic, but also more paved road availability in the rural settings we prefer to use. One site on USBR 76 worth visiting is Cyrus McCormick's farm near Raphine. It features beautiful grounds and a tour of the inventor's home site.
2) Radford. Interestingly, neither our current route nor the Virginia USBR 76 is the original TransAmerica route. USBR 76 uses SR 177 and we route cyclists through Wildwood Park on a bike trail and on smaller roads through town. It is not immediately clear if the TransAmerica route ever used SR 177. Unless you need services in town, it is recommended to stay on our route, there is no compelling reason to follow USBR 76 in this instance.
This set of instances serves to bring forward a larger conversation. As more states begin to designate and sign or map their U.S. Bicycle Routes, we'll need to be aware of all places they coincide or diverge with the Adventure Cycling Route Network. It is a situation that will heed further attention to process and communication with bicycle and pedestrian programs across the country.
Top photo from thenoodleator's photostream on Flickr
Caption: A USBR 76 sign found in Virginia.
Second photo from daveandlolo's photostream on Flickr
Caption: An original BikeCentennial sign found in Lexington, Virginia.
Third photo from thanh.ha.dang's photostream on Flickr
Caption: bicycle trail under freeway approaching Wildwood Park in Radford , Virginia.
--
GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/potpourri-in-virginia-part-2.html
Baked Beans Bend, New Zealand
This week's Bike Overnights story comes from Kiwi promoter of personal adventure Paul Smith -- who, along with his friend Mike Wilson, accomplishes a true S24O (sub-24-hour overnight). In fact, it's more like a sub-16-hour overnight.
"Wednesday morning, 8:30," writes Paul. "As usual, I arrive at work on my bike. Unusually, though, my bike is loaded up with luggage. At the end of the working day I'll leave on my bike. But today I won't be going home to my family. The luggage on my bike is my overnight camping gear. Tonight I will be staying at Baked Beans Bend in Wellington's Belmont Regional Park. I wouldn't call it a campsite. It's nothing more than a small flat grassed area raised slightly above the Korokoro stream. But if drinkable running water and shelter from the the northerly wind are classified as 'facilities,' then Baked Beans Bend is well-equipped."
After Paul meets up with Mike, the two pedal past the congestion of "one person per car" commuter traffic that's apparently as common in Wellington as it is in U.S. cities.
"We soon arrived at the entrance to our off-road excursion -- an ugly industrial area. But this was the gateway to the Korokoro stream trail that would lead us up into Belmont Regional Park and glorious isolation.
And so why is it called Bakes Beans Bend? Paul isn't really sure. But he is certain that breakfast the next morning was better than baked beans: "This wasn't a wilderness ride by any stretch, which had its advantages -- our breakfast was at a local cafe and coffee roastery. Two espressos and garlic mushrooms on focaccia. After that came 30 minutes of road riding, and then I waved goodbye to Mike."
And Paul was back at the office by 8:30 a.m. sharp. "Today, though, there were fewer strange looks from my co-workers.
"'Did you have a good night?' one of them asked.
'I sure did.'"
Read Paul's story in its entirety at BikeOvernights.org. While there you can take a look at our current Photo of the Week, which comes from the popular August 30, 2011, post Dreams of Herons on the I&M Canal Towpath, by Bob Morgan.
Top 3 photos by Mike Wilson.
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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to nearly 46,000 readers worldwide.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/baked-beans-bend-new-zealand.html
16 TEAMS CONFIRMED FOR USA PRO CYCLING CHALLENGE
Defending champ Levi Leipheimer headlines all-star field
Having fun in Pleasanton
Did you have fun? One of my favorite questions post race is, “well, did you have fun?”.� I never know how to interpret it.� If I didn’t have fun, then I am slightly offended, maybe even a little defensive.� Fun is relative.� Fun is hard to find when going 150% of your threshold chasing others around in circles on a blistering day where you would rather be at the beach.� Not that I know anything about this.� Fun is sometimes found in the sweat and pain, yet sometimes it just...
The Morning?s Half-Stage at De Panne
Team RadioShack?s Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) hung tough today in cold, wet conditions to take 7th place in a furious bunch sprint finish to the 111-kilometer half-stage of the 3 Days of De Panne. With the unusual two event closing day format, like the Criterium International, this first half-stage started early and was over by noon. [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/the-morning%e2%80%99s-half-stage-at-de-panne/
Team RadioShack Line-up for Tour de Romandie
Team Radioshack is ready with their team for the 2011 edition of the Swiss race Tour de Romandie, which runs in the French speaking part of Switzerland. Tour de Romandie (Switzerland), 26/04 – 01/05/2011 Riders : Fumiyuki Beppu, Jani Brajkovic, Manuel Cardoso, Ben Hermans, Geoffroy Lequatre, Dmitriy Muravyev, S�bastien Rosseler & Haimar Zubeldia Directors : [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-for-tour-de-romandie/
Kl�den or Horner Could Win Tour of the Basque Country
Today?s 4th stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pa�s Vasco, Tour of the Basque Country in Spain, was predicted by many to be the decisive battle in the mountains that would reveal the one or two riders that could stomp down on the field and make this race their own. And while it was dramatic [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-or-horner-could-win-tour-of-the-basque-country/
Young Team Radioshack Fans
Keegan (6) and Quinn (2) Barry from El Dorado Hills, CA cheer on team RadioShack at the finishing circuit of Stage 2 Amgen Tour of California in Sacramento. The Barry family made a weekend out of the planned TOC?s festivities by heading up to Lake Tahoe to take in Stage 1 and the start [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/young-team-radioshack-fans/
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Team Radioshack Line-up in Tour of Austria
Team Radioshack is ready to ride in the 63rd edition of Tour of Austria (Internationale �sterreich Rundfahrt), which takes place July 3-10, 2011.
Team Radioshack will start with a team of relatively young riders:
Matthew Busche, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Tiago Machado, Gregory Rast & Jesse Sergent
Director: Jos� Azevedo
Go Team Radioshack, Go!!!
Team Radioshack will start with a team of relatively young riders:
Matthew Busche, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Tiago Machado, Gregory Rast & Jesse Sergent
Director: Jos� Azevedo
Go Team Radioshack, Go!!!
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-tour-of-austria/
J is for Japan - Eating London A to Z
For the letter J wanted to know if there was more to Japanese food than sushi & sashimi, and if so could we find it within the M25. J is for Japan: an A to Z of World Foods of...
Chris Horner out of Tour de France 2011
Chris Horner appears to have broken his nose and suffered a concussion with the nasty crash on stage 7 of the TDF that separated the main field about 37 mi from the finish. A concussion is a “jarring” of the brain caused by head trauma with the severity often being related to the time of [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/chris-horner-out-of-tour-de-france-2011/
Johan Bruyneel Sums Up the Tour de Crash
In a post-race interview with Eurosport after Thursday?s Stage 12, Team RadioShack?s Director Johan Bruyneel summed up the frustration and disappointment felt by the entire team and its fans with the numerous calamities that have befallen the group so far at this year?s Tour de France. With the months of preparation and hard work [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/johan-bruyneel-sums-up-the-tour-de-crash/
Share Adventure Cycling With Your Community
These memberships offer a one year subscription to Adventure Cyclist magazine, which the library will then add to their periodicals section for anyone to read.
By participating in this Adopt-A-Library program, you are saying that getting the next generation of cyclists on the road is important. You are saying that you believe in the transformative power of bicycle travel, and you want everyone in the U.S. to have the opportunity to stumble across it while combing the shelves of the local library. Not convinced? Check out this inspiring challenge/reminder from Willie Weir.
If you are looking for the perfect way to pass along your love of cycling, share some inspiration with the community you love and give the gift of adventure to your library.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/share-adventure-cycling-with-your.html
Not for the faint of heart
IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. — The climb up 14,265-foot Mount Evans on the highest paved road in North America has got to be one of the toughest bike rides in the United States. I drove up Mount Evans on Thursday in … Continue reading 
Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/not-for-the-faint-of-heart/
Take a bow
I’m feeling guilty about the lack of mileage going on this month. �It’s so hard to get decent riding time in during the summer holidays. �I’ve not been on the bike since Sunday, and although the ACG are due out on Saturday I didn’t fancy the idea of a week between rides. �The only way [...]
Team Radioshack Line-up in Tour of Flanders 2011
Team Radioshack is ready with their line-up for the Tour of Flanders 2011, which will start in Belgium on the 3rd of April, 2011.
This is the official line-up:
Riders: Fumiyuki Beppu, Manuel Cardoso, Robbie Hunter, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast, S�bastien Rosseler
Directors: Johan Bruyneel & Dirk Demol
Official race website: http://www.rvv.be/en
This is the official line-up:
Riders: Fumiyuki Beppu, Manuel Cardoso, Robbie Hunter, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast, S�bastien Rosseler
Directors: Johan Bruyneel & Dirk Demol
Official race website: http://www.rvv.be/en
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-tour-of-flanders-2011/
Team RadioShack Line-up in Denain and Amstel Gold Race
Team RadioShack Line-up in Denain and Amstel Gold Race
Grand Prix de Denain (France), 14/04/2011
Riders: Sam Bewley, Philip Deignan, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Nelson Oliveira & Jesse Sergent
Director: Dirk Demol
Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands), 17/04/2011
Riders: Philip Deignan, Ben Hermans, Markel Irizar, Geoffroy Lequatre, S�rgio Paulinho, Gregory Rast, Jesse Sergent & Haimar Zubeldia
[...]
Grand Prix de Denain (France), 14/04/2011
Riders: Sam Bewley, Philip Deignan, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Nelson Oliveira & Jesse Sergent
Director: Dirk Demol
Amstel Gold Race (Netherlands), 17/04/2011
Riders: Philip Deignan, Ben Hermans, Markel Irizar, Geoffroy Lequatre, S�rgio Paulinho, Gregory Rast, Jesse Sergent & Haimar Zubeldia
[...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-denain-and-amstel-gold-race/
Muravyev Rides Strong at Three Days of De Panne
Team RadioShack?s Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ) made his presence felt in the opening stage of the 35th running of the Three Days of De Panne, staying with a 4-man breakaway that somehow kept clear of a peloton loaded with expectant sprinter?s teams. Dmitriy crossed the finish line 3rd behind the winner Omega Pharma-Lotto?s Andr� Greipel [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/muravyev-rides-strong-at-three-days-of-de-panne/
Saturday, 25 August 2012
An Authentic Meal
Today's guest post was written fresh-from-the-saddle by Amie Thao, who is wandering around the world on a little blue bicycle -- 12,400 kilometers and counting:
Feeling apprehensive, we left our bikes and bought train tickets to Italy's famous sinking city, Venice. Within ten minutes, we felt that all the canals and gondolas and charming alleyways in the world wouldn't negate the crowds, inflated prices, and trinkets.
Putting aside our cycle-touring hats, we vowed to be good tourists. To that end, we skipped the supermarket and headed to a restaurant for lunch. We looked forward to settling into our corner table and writing a batch of postcards.
Before long, we were interrupted by a voice; a demanding, nasal, unmistakable, American voice.
"WHO. MAKE. PASTA?"
She was one in a group of five. To her travel companions, she said, "I want homemade pasta." To the waiter -- an older man with white hair -- she repeated slower and louder, "WHO. MAKE. PASTA."
He seemed confused. She tried again, "WHERE. PASTA. MADE?"
There were more American tourists in Venice than I've seen in 12,500 kilometers. This woman fit the stereotype of loud, rude, entitled, and ignorant. As her compatriot, I wanted to stand up, clear my throat, and apologize for my country.
Instead, I concentrated on the handwritten menu. Many dishes were priced at 7euro ($8.50); it was not exactly a fancy establishment. I didn't see any signs of homemade pasta. Olli and I cringed as she continued to berate the waiter in caveman English.
I admit it, I disliked this woman, but I also felt a shred of empathy. I imagined how she and her friends came to Venice. If they were average Americans, this two-week, maybe three-week holiday was all they got for a year of work. Of course they were searching for something exciting.
Maybe they spent two days on an airplane, then hours and hours staring out train windows, going from one hotel and must-see place to the next, "doing" Rome, Florence, Sicily, and looking for an authentic experience.
Perhaps all they wanted was an authentic meal. To them, this meant homemade pasta.
We'd been in Italy for a month, but had yet to have homemade pasta. One of the things we did have was this: A message composed of 140-characters from a man who invited us to stay at his house saying, "my grandmother will cook for you."
Alessandro, while preparing for a bike trip to India, found us on Twitter. For the past two days, his Nonna (grandmother in Italian) fussed over us, implored us to eat more, and offered to wash and iron our t-shirts and socks. As promised, Nonna cooked for us. So did Alessandro's mother, Franca. We were treated to risotto, huge bowls of salad, and yes, pasta.
But it wasn't homemade.
A week earlier, we stayed with Lisa and Andrea for four nights in the hills above Verona. In addition to their jobs, they helped on their family's farm, harvesting fruits and vegetables and making jam and preserves for the year. All of our meals contained something homegrown. For dessert, we visited a farm shop in a nearby village and bought gelato made from the milk of the cows who lived there.
Still, no homemade pasta.
Last month, we stayed with a man I met on my last trip, Marco. During our week-long visit, we swapped recipes. Curry and fried rice for him; spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino -- the way his family has always made it -- for us. He described the other Minali food traditions, "During holidays, there are ravioli all over the kitchen -- 12 pieces for each person in the family."
There it was, homemade pasta, but we didn't have any.
These recent experiences came to mind as we sat transfixed by the exchange at the next table. The jostling went on for a while before the waiter turned the situation around with more grace than I could have.
"The gnocchi and ravioli," the Venetian waiter explained, "are handmade at the restaurant."
"But," he said, "the spaghetti is not old." He repeated the "not old" theme until the woman chuckled and said, "I deserved that."
Our meal of spaghetti and pizza was unremarkable. But our neighbors, displaying another American stereotype, repeatedly exclaimed, "WONDERFUL. Isn't this just wonderful?"
I wanted to give them a glimpse of Italy as we had experienced it. The Italy of Nonna, Franca, Alessandro, Lisa, Andrea, Marco, and many others.
Traveling by bike has allowed us to slow down and be surprised. We have time to let experiences unfold without forcing them. We leave our expectations of people and places at the border and let them reveal themselves to us as they are.
I still cringe when I remember the WHO-MAKE-PASTA woman, but then I tell myself, 'Hey, that could have been me in a different life' -- a life without a bicycle.
Photo by Amie Thao
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AMIE THAO and Olli Tumelius are currently cycling across Europe and Asia. Their blog, International Supper Club is a collection of stories from people they meet, 100-word dispatches from life on the road, articles about food and cycling, and random ephemera.
Feeling apprehensive, we left our bikes and bought train tickets to Italy's famous sinking city, Venice. Within ten minutes, we felt that all the canals and gondolas and charming alleyways in the world wouldn't negate the crowds, inflated prices, and trinkets.
Before long, we were interrupted by a voice; a demanding, nasal, unmistakable, American voice.
"WHO. MAKE. PASTA?"
She was one in a group of five. To her travel companions, she said, "I want homemade pasta." To the waiter -- an older man with white hair -- she repeated slower and louder, "WHO. MAKE. PASTA."
He seemed confused. She tried again, "WHERE. PASTA. MADE?"
There were more American tourists in Venice than I've seen in 12,500 kilometers. This woman fit the stereotype of loud, rude, entitled, and ignorant. As her compatriot, I wanted to stand up, clear my throat, and apologize for my country.
Instead, I concentrated on the handwritten menu. Many dishes were priced at 7euro ($8.50); it was not exactly a fancy establishment. I didn't see any signs of homemade pasta. Olli and I cringed as she continued to berate the waiter in caveman English.
Maybe they spent two days on an airplane, then hours and hours staring out train windows, going from one hotel and must-see place to the next, "doing" Rome, Florence, Sicily, and looking for an authentic experience.
Perhaps all they wanted was an authentic meal. To them, this meant homemade pasta.
We'd been in Italy for a month, but had yet to have homemade pasta. One of the things we did have was this: A message composed of 140-characters from a man who invited us to stay at his house saying, "my grandmother will cook for you."
But it wasn't homemade.
A week earlier, we stayed with Lisa and Andrea for four nights in the hills above Verona. In addition to their jobs, they helped on their family's farm, harvesting fruits and vegetables and making jam and preserves for the year. All of our meals contained something homegrown. For dessert, we visited a farm shop in a nearby village and bought gelato made from the milk of the cows who lived there.
Last month, we stayed with a man I met on my last trip, Marco. During our week-long visit, we swapped recipes. Curry and fried rice for him; spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino -- the way his family has always made it -- for us. He described the other Minali food traditions, "During holidays, there are ravioli all over the kitchen -- 12 pieces for each person in the family."
These recent experiences came to mind as we sat transfixed by the exchange at the next table. The jostling went on for a while before the waiter turned the situation around with more grace than I could have.
"The gnocchi and ravioli," the Venetian waiter explained, "are handmade at the restaurant."
"But," he said, "the spaghetti is not old." He repeated the "not old" theme until the woman chuckled and said, "I deserved that."
Our meal of spaghetti and pizza was unremarkable. But our neighbors, displaying another American stereotype, repeatedly exclaimed, "WONDERFUL. Isn't this just wonderful?"
I wanted to give them a glimpse of Italy as we had experienced it. The Italy of Nonna, Franca, Alessandro, Lisa, Andrea, Marco, and many others.
Traveling by bike has allowed us to slow down and be surprised. We have time to let experiences unfold without forcing them. We leave our expectations of people and places at the border and let them reveal themselves to us as they are.
I still cringe when I remember the WHO-MAKE-PASTA woman, but then I tell myself, 'Hey, that could have been me in a different life' -- a life without a bicycle.
Photo by Amie Thao
--
AMIE THAO and Olli Tumelius are currently cycling across Europe and Asia. Their blog, International Supper Club is a collection of stories from people they meet, 100-word dispatches from life on the road, articles about food and cycling, and random ephemera.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/an-authentic-meal.html
A Bizarre Mechanical Problem
Cycling up Kirkstone Pass Last Sunday, I felt a loud clunking of the gears. Involuntarily I found the only gear to work to be the lowest – the 28 sprocket, but it was much noiser than usual. Thankfully, I didn’t mind being in the 28 sprocket, if it had been any other gear, I might [...]
Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5768/cycling/a-bizarre-mechanical-problem/
What do you do to prevent your bike being one of the 26,000 stolen last year?
More than 26,000 bicycles were reported stolen to the Metropolitan Police last year, up a third on five years ago, BBC London has learned. That?s bad news and the report does not get any better as you read on: Only 4% of bikes recovered Most people never report a stolen bike so potentially over 100,000 [...]
Kl�den, Horner Finish One, Two In Basque Tour
Team RadioShack?s Andreas Kl�den (GER) and Chris Horner (USA) finished off a great week of racing in warm and sunny Spain with powerful time trial performances that set them at the top of the general classification after the concluding 6th stage of the Tour of Basque Country today. Kl�den fell just shy of winning [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-horner-finish-one-two-in-basque-tour/
Recap: Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen)
Hills are bad enough, Pave is not a preferred surface for cycling. Put the two together and you have a punishing prospect for a cycle race. And so it is with the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Thrills, spills leg-pain, guts and all out exhaustion are guaranteed in every running of this World Pro Tour race. Falling [...]
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/recap-tour-of-flanders-ronde-van-vlaanderen/
It?s my birthday! Cue the mandatory cycling cards!
Today is my 25th birthday! The 24th to the 25th is a big one ? it?s like transitioning from plastic pedals to metal ones. One day perhaps I?ll even use clipless. Fortunately, my family is on hand to provide me with artwork for my birthday blog post, with the above brilliant card! It?s funny because [...]
Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/its-my-birthday-cue-the-mandatory-cycling-cards/
Poll: Who Should the Team Ride for in Tour de France 2011
Team Radioshack have just announced their line-up for the upcoming Tour de France, and there are no big surprises. Just a roster with very strong riders and several race favorites.
Who should the team ride for as leader in the General Classification?
Cast your vote here:
http://www.teamradioshack.us/polls/poll-who-should-be-team-leader-in-tour-de-france-2011/
Who should the team ride for as leader in the General Classification?
Cast your vote here:
http://www.teamradioshack.us/polls/poll-who-should-be-team-leader-in-tour-de-france-2011/
Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/poll-who-should-the-team-ride-for-in-tour-de-france-2011/
Bike Respite in Colorado!
As I mentioned in my post last week, I was out of the office for a spell taking advantage of my bike respite benefit. I am fortunate to have secured a spot on the terrific Colorado Wildflowers and Rivers tour for myself and my good friend Elisabeth from Washington state. In short, we had a blast!
We arrived in Denver a day and a half early to stay with a friend, Kelly, and acclimatize our lungs to the lower concentration of oxygen that the Rocky Mountains of Colorado offers. She fed us well and took us on short hikes in her neighborhood with her dog which also served to whet our appetite for the great scenery to come.
Upon arriving at the tour start point in Silverthorne, I finally got to meet Event Director Tammy Schurr. Tammy and I have been working together on the maps for this tour since it's inception as a Family Fun Tour in 2006 and most years since then but had never met in person over that span of time. Our meeting felt like rejoining an old friend after a long absence.
After getting signed in, we set up our tents as rain began to fall on us in the field adjacent to the Silverthorne Recreation Center, our home for the next three nights. By dinner time, the rain subsided and we enjoyed a delicious meal from A Chef's Touch -- our wonderful caterer for the event, introduced ourselves, and had our first map meeting thus beginning a routine we would follow most evenings.
We rose to coffee and a hot breakfast the following morning before hitting the trail for our 18.9 mile out and back ride to Keystone. Many of us went just a bit beyond the turn-around point to find Keystone proper and a little more socializing.
After dinner it was announced a field trip was available via the van to a nearby brew pub, Dillon Dam Brewery, where we could sample the local pours. Sign us up! Both Elisabeth and I enjoyed an Irish Stout and were glad we were not driving or even riding back since alcohol at that elevation hit us a bit harder than usual.
The next morning dawned gray and wet. We would be riding in the rain -- as it turned out -- pretty much all day over the 34.2 miles. A bit disheartening for the second day of riding. We made it through with flying colors though. After a slightly chilling lunch in Kingdom Park, we headed out with our riding companion, John, into Breckenridge in search of lattes and a sweet treat. Clint's Bakery and Coffee fit the bill.
Our third day of riding featured the most challenging stretch of the tour, a climb over Vail Pass on a dedicated bike path. Elisabeth and I gave ourselves permission to stop as much as we wanted to on the way up. We were on vacation after all and we had all day.
We paused to take pictures, catch our breath and generally take in everything around us. On one of these intermissions, a cyclist sailed by on his descent and announced, "You're almost there!" We looked at each other happily and remounted our bikes to begin again.
As we crested the top, Tammy was there to snap our photos and the team cheered us on for those last few pedal strokes to lunch. Smiles broke across our faces as we realized we'd made it and the rest of the day was mostly downhill.
On our layover day we enjoyed a raft trip on the Colorado River with 12 other participants from our group with Colorado Whitewater Rafting, LLC. We were afforded a view of Glenwood Canyon that would be slightly different than the one we would see from our bikes as well as a geology and history talk from Beau, our guide.
Then it was two more days with a total of 52.2 more miles of canyon scenery paralleling I-70 on much less travelled U.S. 6 and intermittent bike paths and an overnight in Gypsum at their recreation center. Our last evening together was filled with entertainment, awards, laughter and group pictures.
We concluded our tour at Glenwood Hot Springs with a soak and a couple of trips down their waterslide for good measure before shuttling back to Silverthorne where our luggage awaited us. Kelly picked us up and we went out to dinner, talking almost non-stop about our adventures on the tour.
I think it's safe to say we had a great time riding our bikes together and I look forward to sharing another tour in the future.
Photos 1-6 and 10 from jenn_bob's photostream on flickr.
Photos 7-9 from twowheeltammy's photostream on flickr.
--
GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.
We arrived in Denver a day and a half early to stay with a friend, Kelly, and acclimatize our lungs to the lower concentration of oxygen that the Rocky Mountains of Colorado offers. She fed us well and took us on short hikes in her neighborhood with her dog which also served to whet our appetite for the great scenery to come.
A view of Dillon Reservoir from Dillon-Keystone bike path.
Upon arriving at the tour start point in Silverthorne, I finally got to meet Event Director Tammy Schurr. Tammy and I have been working together on the maps for this tour since it's inception as a Family Fun Tour in 2006 and most years since then but had never met in person over that span of time. Our meeting felt like rejoining an old friend after a long absence.
Me and Tammy.
After getting signed in, we set up our tents as rain began to fall on us in the field adjacent to the Silverthorne Recreation Center, our home for the next three nights. By dinner time, the rain subsided and we enjoyed a delicious meal from A Chef's Touch -- our wonderful caterer for the event, introduced ourselves, and had our first map meeting thus beginning a routine we would follow most evenings.
An example of the fine food we were served over the course of the week.
We rose to coffee and a hot breakfast the following morning before hitting the trail for our 18.9 mile out and back ride to Keystone. Many of us went just a bit beyond the turn-around point to find Keystone proper and a little more socializing.
Riding buddy John on Dillon-Keystone bike path.
After dinner it was announced a field trip was available via the van to a nearby brew pub, Dillon Dam Brewery, where we could sample the local pours. Sign us up! Both Elisabeth and I enjoyed an Irish Stout and were glad we were not driving or even riding back since alcohol at that elevation hit us a bit harder than usual.
The next morning dawned gray and wet. We would be riding in the rain -- as it turned out -- pretty much all day over the 34.2 miles. A bit disheartening for the second day of riding. We made it through with flying colors though. After a slightly chilling lunch in Kingdom Park, we headed out with our riding companion, John, into Breckenridge in search of lattes and a sweet treat. Clint's Bakery and Coffee fit the bill.
Our wet bikes in Breckenridge.
Our third day of riding featured the most challenging stretch of the tour, a climb over Vail Pass on a dedicated bike path. Elisabeth and I gave ourselves permission to stop as much as we wanted to on the way up. We were on vacation after all and we had all day.
Vail Pass bike path.
We paused to take pictures, catch our breath and generally take in everything around us. On one of these intermissions, a cyclist sailed by on his descent and announced, "You're almost there!" We looked at each other happily and remounted our bikes to begin again.
As we crested the top, Tammy was there to snap our photos and the team cheered us on for those last few pedal strokes to lunch. Smiles broke across our faces as we realized we'd made it and the rest of the day was mostly downhill.
Elisabeth (foreground) and I summitting Vail Pass!
On our layover day we enjoyed a raft trip on the Colorado River with 12 other participants from our group with Colorado Whitewater Rafting, LLC. We were afforded a view of Glenwood Canyon that would be slightly different than the one we would see from our bikes as well as a geology and history talk from Beau, our guide.
Then it was two more days with a total of 52.2 more miles of canyon scenery paralleling I-70 on much less travelled U.S. 6 and intermittent bike paths and an overnight in Gypsum at their recreation center. Our last evening together was filled with entertainment, awards, laughter and group pictures.
The 20-strong group that was Colorado Wildflowers & Rivers 2012.
Our support team. Thanks a million!
We concluded our tour at Glenwood Hot Springs with a soak and a couple of trips down their waterslide for good measure before shuttling back to Silverthorne where our luggage awaited us. Kelly picked us up and we went out to dinner, talking almost non-stop about our adventures on the tour.
Capturing a moment on the Eagle River.
I think it's safe to say we had a great time riding our bikes together and I look forward to sharing another tour in the future.
Photos 1-6 and 10 from jenn_bob's photostream on flickr.
Photos 7-9 from twowheeltammy's photostream on flickr.
--
GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/bike-respite-in-colorado.html
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