Our routes & mapping and IT teams have collaborated to create a new resource for cyclists touring on the Adventure Cycling Route Network: linked at the our temporary road closures page is the new Adventure Cycling Fire Map. (You can also find the "Forest Fire Map" link on the right hand navigation of all our route pages on our website.)Every year, a few of our routes are affected by forest fires, usually when the smoke reduces visibility to the point where local authorities close the roads. This new tool utilizes a Google map which has been overlaid with the entire Adventure Cycling Route Network. In addition, the map is linked to the United States Forest Service GeoMAC fire incident database.
The perimeters of every fire in the U.S. are updated daily, and displayed on the map with our routes. Riders can easily zoom-in to fires near their route and click on the fire icon to get more information. The link in the balloon will direct users to a website with the latest status of the fire. If there is a closure on the intended route, contact information can be utilized to call local agencies for detour information. There is also information on wind direction and speed, which can be used to estimate smoke coverage.
This new resource should help cyclists plan ahead and avoid delays imposed by natural disasters. We hope to add flood, weather and snow depth overlays in the future, making the map even more useful. Please give the new Adventure Cycling Fire Map a try and let us know what you think.
Cheers, and enjoy your ride!
This new resource should help cyclists plan ahead and avoid delays imposed by natural disasters. We hope to add flood, weather and snow depth overlays in the future, making the map even more useful. Please give the new Adventure Cycling Fire Map a try and let us know what you think.
Cheers, and enjoy your ride!
Photo by Alaskan Type I Incident Management Team. Photographer: John McColgan, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service.
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A special GEOPOINTS BULLETIN posted by Alison Riley.
Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/07/fire-map-adventure-cyclings-hottest-new.html
In the last few years, more and more people are starting to realise that we really need to think about changing the ways we get around, so that they are a lot more "green". The electric car seems to be the vehicle really being pushed, but for those of us that know that the majority of electricity is produced from burning fossil fuels, it is a sub-standard idea and the bike still remains best (I don't know if I have to claim the bike is best on a cycling blog, but never mind). If you live inner city like I do, you'll probably know that bikes can get stolen quite regularly. So what are our options, when it comes to the question 'where do we keep our bikes?' Obviously, indoors is the first place I would keep my bike, but I live in a house in which the front door enters straight into the living room and it can very annoying and often messy (during the wetter and muddier months) to store my bike indoors, especially when the three other people I live with, like the place clean and junk free, which for some reason, regardless of my opinions, includes my bike. So I have been pressured into leaving my bike outdoors, which is the last thing I want to do. Not only because of the possibility it could be stolen, but also because it cost me quite a lot of money (for a recent graduate) and I wouldn't like it to seize up due to rust and other conditions caused by the weather. 
Cadel Evans finally achieved success in his seven-year battle to win the Tour de France on Saturday as his main rivals fell off his pace in the individual time trial in Grenoble.
I have a question can London really be ever, a commuter friendly city for cyclist? After watching the video of cyclist commuting on the streets of Copenhagen streets, it becomes clear why cycling commuting works in Copenhagen. It?s a culture it a way of life. Every need of cyclists has been considered, cycling is for all skills levels in Copenhagen some as young as 4 years old are riding to school, you have 50% of women cycling and even the motorist have a better understanding of cycling as they would have being cycling from a very young age themselves. ?It just great I am totally sold? 
The cyclists in the peloton are likely to feel a little light-headed on Thursday, and it won't be from the exhilaration of riding in the Tour de France.
Over the last few years cycling as a sport and leisure activity has boomed in the UK and Ireland and indeed across the world. Cycling is said to be the fastest growing participant sport and families are getting out on their bikes and enjoying some quality time together whilst many other people are hitting the trail centers across the UK and there seems to be an abundance of Sportive to enter too. Whilst a growing number of people are enjoying their bikes and riding at home, many have still to experience the challenges and thrills of riding their bikes abroad. Europe has many great cycling destinations and Andaluc�a in southern Spain has a great year round climate for riding. A little over 2 hours 30 minutes from most UK and Ireland airports and you can be landing at Malaga airport on the Costa del Sol. Spain is a familiar destination of many travelers but what most cyclists don?t realize is that it also has some of the best riding Europe has to offer. Whether you are new to the sport, male or female, young or old, novice or mega fit experienced rider, a mountain biker, road cyclist, tri-athlete, familys or leisure riders.
This post was inspired by a fellow cyclist that had his bike in a standard shed not locked to a thing not even the garden rack, ?Stolen? �2000.00 worth of bike gone, by spending less than �50.00 to secure his bike a bit better he would of most properly still have his bike. I don?t know where you keep your bike but a lot of people keep their bike or indeed bikes in a shed or garage, unless you have these on your home alarm system, if you have a home alarm system that is, your bike could be easy pickings for any bike thief.