JulesFish: July 2012

Tuesday 31 July 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/

cycling bib shorts

The London Cyclist Handbook

A guide to life in the cycle lane Everyone can ride a bike. It?s beautifully simple to get started. But what happens when you want to learn more about it? When you want to learn more about the sort of maintenance you should be doing, what the best cycling gear is or how to get [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/london-cyclist-handbook/

craft cycling

Team RadioShack?s Sophomore Season: Plenty of Reason for Excitement in 2011

The racing?s well underway in the 2011 ProTour season, and it?s clear that Team RadioShack (TRS) means to make its mark during its sophomore campaign. With the team?s well-known founder, Lance Armstrong, announcing his retirement after this year, and already concluding participation in international races for the season, there?s plenty of opportunity for the [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack%e2%80%99s-sophomore-season-plenty-of-reason-for-excitement-in-2011/

cycling ulster

Giro d?Italia Recap Stages 13-18

This great monument of Europe?s three Grand Tours continues to produce exciting racing, a little drama, and a real display of dominance by its current leader as we now complete 6/7ths of the race today (knew those math classes would come in handy some day!). This 94th edition of the Giro, which will ultimately [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/giro-d%e2%80%99italia-recap-stages-13-18/

tour de france

Measuring the Kindness Factor

Over the past several days, Adventure Cycling volunteer, Kerry Irons and I have met with various departments of transportation (DOTs) about designating U.S. Bicycle Routes in their state. Each DOT has their own way of moving implementation forward, based on the philosophy of the department (agency culture, if you will) and the approach taken by the individual(s) in charge of bicycle projects and programs. But time after time, the discussion eventually boils down to cost and benefit.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a transportation network, which will promote bicycle travel -- whether it be across a county line or across multiple state lines. Tourism is a direct result. Michigan DOT hears this loud and clear -- take it straight from Director Steudle in this blog post and short video.

States involved in developing U.S. Bicycle Routes know there are economic, transportation, environmental and health benefits to providing more transportation options to the traveling public. (We're happy to report 41 states are working at some level -- many are at the "planning" stages; and many are making great progress). That said, some agencies are concerned about how designation will affect their project costs now and down the road.

Today, after one such meeting, I tried to retain a sense of purpose. After explaining the benefits of bicycle tourism and the low-to-no cost in USBR designation (staff time is the main cost since the network uses existing roads and trails -- usually in "as is" condition) I realized that as much as Kerry and I could explain these things, there is no substitute to actually experiencing the benefits of bicycle travel up-close and personal. Added to that, we are unable to provide one of the essential reasons why this network is so important to the thousands of cyclists that are anxious to use it. I guess you could call it the "kindness factor."

Huh. How do you explain to non-cyclists (or cyclists that have never toured) how it feels to be really out there -- the bicycle being both your home and your main form of transportation. How do you explain to them how often the kindess of complete strangers will save you from a cold or wet night outside, provide you with vital fluids or nutrition, or offer you money when you can't find an ATM in the middle of nowhere?

It brings me back to why Greg and June Siple, and Dan and Lys Burden started Bikecentennial in the first place. Though Bikecentennial was billed as an event, the essential reason for the route and tour was the desire for people to experience the "real America" in 1976. Today, those who embark by bicycle across the U.S. are looking for that same experience -- and they are getting it.

Take my son (pictured left) for example. He's 17 years-old and is touring with his best friend, Drew (right) and another young man, Ty. The crew started out in Oregon and were immediately blessed with the kindness of new friends along the route. Before long, they met Neal Fisher, a bike traveler from Connecticut, essentially on the same route and same timeline. The four decided to ride together. Through Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota, the four (and sometimes five when my husband rode too) experienced the kindness of complete strangers -- like Tony Braun, pictured above who paid for their hotel and meal. They were especially blown away by the generosity of people in North Dakota -- Neal calls them "benefactors."

Watching this bicycle march across the country and hearing story after story from my son each day has lifted my heart. I realize that this is why I love my job; this is why Adventure Cycling has committed resources to seeing this project through; and that this is why cyclists across America follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@USBicycleRoutes) and donate to our campaigns. And while the "kindness factor" is not a measurable outcome and we can't show the cost benefit breakdown, we know it to be an essential element of bicycle travel.

Top photo by George Schon on Flickr, middle photo by Dan Burden, bottom photo by Neal Fisher.

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/measuring-kindness-factor.html

cycling bib shorts

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 [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-11-%e2%80%93-wet-cold-dry-downpour/

cycling parts

Cascade Bicycle Club?s wish list for safer Seattle streets

Ever since Seattle approved a Bicycle Master Plan in 2007, the Cascade Bicycle Club has issued occasional “report cards” on how well the city is doing in implementing the plan.

The latest Seattle Bicycle Report Card issued last week found that the rate of bicycling in the city has increased as the city installs more …

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/07/31/cascade-bicycle-clubs-wish-list-for-safer-seattle-streets/

tour de france live

CAMPAGNOLO ATHENA EPS

First look at the new electronic drivetrain

Source: http://www.roadmagazine.net/content.php?itemid=6907

cheap cycling gear

Straight from the heart

I am short on time and short on words, but I have these to speak for me…and I’m not sure I need much more. If you want details, Bella has more to say than I do Cycling time: 2:03:02 hrs Distance: 31.69 miles Avs: 15.5mph. ODO: 15069 miles I think that covers it, but in [...]

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/straight-from-the-heart

cheap cycling gear

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. [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/sebastien-rosseler-wins-overall-in-de-panne/

giordana cycling

Baseball and bikes!

?When you get out in a casual setting and you put on your spandex, people will ride up and talk to you and tell you stuff.? – Betsy Price, the bicycling mayor of Fort Worth If you need to meet … Continue reading →

Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/baseball-and-bikes/

cycling

Kloden Leads the GC after Stage 2 in Vuelta al Pa�s Vasco 2011

Stage 2 and another day in the mountains. The good news? Well at least the weather?s good!
With 45 kms to ride the peloton was following a breakaway group, descending a sweeping, wide and sun-flooded road from Berastegi. The boys of Garmin-Cervelo had the front and were enjoying the pace setting. The breakaway, including Moinard (BMC) [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-leads-the-gc-after-stage-2-in-vuelta-al-pais-vasco-2011/

world cycling

Monday 30 July 2012

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/

cycling gear

Team RadioShack in Franco-Belge and Binche

The Team line-up for the next races:
Circuit Franco-Belge (Belgium) 29/9-2/10/11
Riders: Sam Bewley, Ben Hermans, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Gregory Rast, Jesse Sergent & Evgeniy Shalunov
Director: Dirk Demol
Binche-Tournai-Binche (Belgium) 04/10/11
Riders: Manuel Cardoso, Ben Hermans, Robert Hunter, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Jesse Sergent & Evgeniy Shalunov
Director: Dirk Demol

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-in-franco-belge-and-binche/

cycling accessories

Coast and Castles South ? Day 1

The Coast and Castles South cycle route runs from Edinburgh to Newcastle, via Melrose and Berwick – a total distance of just over 200 miles. It forms a small part of NCN1 – Dover to The Orkneys via London and the east coast (now there's an idea for a future trip!). My company has a [...]

Source: http://cycleseven.org/coast-castles-ncn1-edinburgh-newcastle

cycling clothing

TdF Stage 4 ? Shoot Out at Mur-de-Bretagne

Many thought that today?s 173-km (107.5-mile) 4th Stage going from Lorient to the short but steep ramp up the Mur-de-Bretagne had Philippe Gilbert?s name written all over it. This is exactly the type of course that the current dominant Belgium national champion has built his reputation on. And given his latest form, winning [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-4-%e2%80%93-shoot-out-at-mur-de-bretagne/

irish cycling

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/

nalini cycling

Happy Easter

Source: http://amrcycling.blogspot.com/2012/04/happy-easter-from-cafe-bornhem-gent.html

cycling training plans

Fort Worth gets funds for bike-sharing

A bike-sharing program for Fort Worth, my hometown, took a big step toward reality today with the announcement that the U.S. Transportation Department will provide nearly $1 million to help fund it. The federal money, $941,728 to be exact, will … Continue reading →

Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/fort-worth-gets-funds-for-bike-sharing/

cycling gear uk

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!!!

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-tour-of-austria/

dhb cycling

Exmoor Beast Preview

Considering how near to me the Exmoor Beast is, it may come as a surprise to discover that I?ve never done it. �I?ve never even really considered doing it either. �Why? �Maybe it was the infamous 2009 event when the weather was even worse than it is at the moment, and torrential rain and gale [...]

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/exmoor-beast-preview

2011 tour de france

Ben King Profile

Ben King Profile
Benjamin King (born March 22, 1989 in North Garden, Virginia) is an American professional road-racing cyclist who moves up to Team RadioShack for the 2011 season. �Ben started racing at the age of 14 showing great promise and winning junior national titles before signing with Kelly Benefit Strategies. �He attended college at Virginia [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/ben-king-profile/

tour de france live

Team RadioShack in Franco-Belge and Binche

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-in-franco-belge-and-binche/

cycling training plans

Great Weston Ride 2012

Third time lucky? �So it would appear, as the Great Weston Ride�was finally blessed with some pretty decent weather. �Yep, I know I don’t usually do repeats, but the GWR is on my doorstep, it’s quite a laugh, and it’s not too long…so this was the third year in a row for me, and also [...]

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/great-weston-ride-2012

cycling training

Sunday 29 July 2012

Made In England: The artisans behind the hand built bicycle

Matthew Sowter, a reader of London Cyclist blog, is soon launching a new book around bespoke bike building. With the interest in this topic being high, I invited him along to share some details on the forthcoming book launch. With more and more people wanting bespoke these days, there?s a huge resurgence of frame building [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/made-in-england-the-artisans-behind-the-hand-built-bicycle/

giordana cycling

Bonding on a Bike Ride

This summer I, like thousands of other cyclists across the globe, embarked on a bicycle ride to raise money for a non-profit. In my case, I was riding in RATPOD (Ride Around the Pioneers in One Day) a fundraiser for Camp-Mak-A-Dream, a summer camp for kids and adults fighting cancer. I was not alone in this endeavor as two of my Adventure Cycling colleagues, Alex Campbell and Jim Sayer (with his 14 year old daughter) also participated.

To finish was thrilling, to say the least. The tour around the Pioneer mountains in southwest Montana is 130 miles with two mountain passes and numerous BIG climbs; not to mention we were blasted with 30-50 mile an hour headwinds the last 60+ miles of the ride. I threw another challenge at myself by choosing to ride my cyclocross bike instead of my road bike (don't ask).

I did the ride at the urging of my girlfriend Becky, pictured on the far left. Becky, Martha (center), and I play women's hockey together in the winter months. In the dark, cold month of February, RATPOD seemed far away and so late one night we committed in the parking lot while we loaded our bags into our rigs to go home.

As spring approached, the pressing matter of training kept us in constant contact - trying to meet on this day or that day for a ride, our busy schedules meant we rarely had the opportunity to all be together. Then there was the pressing matter of finding Martha a new bike (her 20 year old roadie just wasn't going to cut it).

On the final weekend before the event, we carved out an afternoon together and had one of the most glorious rides on a road near Missoula with little vehicle traffic, fresh pavement, an abundance of wildlife (including a family of skunks), a big climb to test our legs, and lots of glorious summer sunshine. It set us up for success at RATPOD despite the howling wind and hot temperatures.

I would be remiss to not admit that the final 10 miles of the ride were brutal and I fell into a nasty, whiney slump. While I am not proud of that, I am indeed grateful to these two wonderful women who pulled me back on their wheel and helped me limp to the clanging cowbells at the finish. At the end, we hugged, shed a couple tears and celebrated our accomplishment with a beer -- together.

Bonding with companions, whether touring or participating in an event is just one of the many endearing qualities of bicycling. One I now know personally and won't soon forget.

Photo by Ginny Sullivan

CONNECTIONS is posted by Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling's special projects director and features the cultural, historical, geographical, and human connections created through bike travel. Find out about our award-winning Underground Railroad Bicycle Route.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/bonding-on-bike-ride.html

giordana cycling

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/

world cycling

Our Trail Angel Flies Away

Yesterday, June Curry, an amazing woman and a hero to many thousands of cyclists worldwide, passed away at the age of 91. June's story has been told many times but here's the snapshot:

Living in her home near the small town of Afton, VA, on the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, June was going about her normal routine in the summer of 1976 when she noticed an unusual number of cyclists passing her home going up and down the incline. Being a courteous person, she put out her garden hose for cyclists to fill up their water bottles. Being a social person, June learned that these cyclists were part of a phenomenon known as Bikecentennial. Eventually, she started supplying the riders with snacks and home-baked cookies (the reason she was dubbed the "Cookie Lady"). Then June took the momentous leap to re-purpose a building next to her home as an overnight stop-over for traveling cyclists. The "Bike House" had places to sleep, a full kitchen, and loads of cycling memorabilia and Polaroid photos of visiting cyclists. (There are some good pictures of June and the Bike House in this article in Nelson County Life.)

Over more than three decades, June hosted thousands of cyclists from all over the planet. Her generosity was so great that we named our first formal bike-travel award in her honor -- the June Curry "Trail Angel" Award -- recognizing an individual or group that goes the extra mile (or ten) to help traveling cyclists.

Three years ago, I had the pleasure of riding from Charlottesville, VA to Afton for the purpose of visiting June and thanking her in person for all that she had done. When I arrived, she gave me another gift -- her warm spirit and her many memories of visiting cyclists. The beautiful thing about June and her recollections is that they weren't about her -- they were about all that the cyclists meant to her, how much joy and energy she got from serving them as they traveled under their own power across America. A trail angel, indeed -- we will miss her greatly.

We learned this afternoon that two remembrances are planned to honor June: An "Open Room" on Thursday, July 19 at the Reynolds Hamrick Funeral Home in Waynesboro, VA from 9 am to 5 pm, and a graveside service on Friday, July 20 at 11:00 am at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Greenwood, VA. We will post more information here as we get it, and you can track the latest news at Bike Charlottesville.

Adventure Cycling will also be doing a special article on June in the October/November issue of Adventure Cyclist. In the meantime, you can peruse more stories about June, including this blog post from our own Jenn Milyko and this lovely compilation of bicycle anecdotes from June herself.

Thanks June, for all you did for so many people in the heart of the Blue Ridge. We hope and trust there is someone waiting for you with warm cookies at the entry to bicycle heaven.

Photo: Jim Sayer with June Curry in June 2009 on the porch of June's home in Afton, VA.

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JIM SAYER is the executive director of Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/our-trail-angel-flies-away.html

cycling shorts

Video: Volta a Catalunya 2011, Stage 4 Summary

This video shows the last few kilometres of stage 4 of Volta a Catalunya 2011 which was won by Team Radioshack rider Manuel Cardoso.

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-volta-a-catalunya-2011-stage-4-summary/

pro cycling magazine

Why women wouldn?t cycle to work!

Written by: RHODRI CLARK OFFICIAL attempts to get more people cycling look set to fail - partly because women are too concerned about their safety or their image. Men and children appear to have responded to the message that cycling to work or school is good for their health and the environment. But new figures show a 29% drop in women cycling to work, although statisticians warn those figures should be treated with caution - because the numbers are so tiny. Just 0.5% of the female workers said the bicycle was their main transport to and from work. The reduction in female cyclists cancels out a 16% increase in men cycling to work. Overall, 1.4% of commuters normally cycled to work and the Government's target of tripling the number of people cycling to work by 2013 looks unachievable.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/83ZMU5XV4uM/

cycling games

New version of Bike Doctor: Important update for any existing iPhone users!

This is important for anyone who has the first version of our iPhone app Bike Doctor on their iPhone. We are moving it over to new account, so you need to get the new copy! For a limited time only, you?ll be able to move to the new version for free and then we?ll have [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/new-version-of-bike-doctor-important-update-for-any-existing-iphone-users/

tour de france

Cold, rainy days are best for coffee and cake...

Source: http://amrcycling.blogspot.com/2012/03/cold-rainy-days-are-best-for-coffee-and.html

padded cycling shorts

Boardman Elite Series ? Available NOW at Bike Science Bristol

We’re very proud to announce the arrival of the Boardman Elite series of bikes at Bike Science Bristol. With Tour de France stage wins, Tour de France yellow jersey wins, multiple hour record rides and Olympic gold, Chris Boardman has a palmares unequalled by any British rider. Since retiring from competitive racing, Chris worked along [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/04/18/boardman-elite-series-available-now-at-bike-science-bristol

cycling holidays uk

Andreas Kl�den Wins Stage 3 of Criterium Int?l 2011

Team RadioShack?s Andreas Kl�den (GER), continued to show his strong form this spring by winning Sunday?s final 7.8 kilometer individual time trial stage at the Criterium International in France, by 4 seconds over second place finisher Bradley Wiggins (GBR) of Team Sky. Third place went to Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) of Leopard-Trek, 10 seconds [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/andreas-kloden-wins-stage-3-of-criterium-int%e2%80%99l-2011/

skinsuit cycling

TdF Stage 15 ? Sprinters Rule

Covering 193 kilometers, or 120 miles of pedaling in today?s 15th stage, the Tour revisited 2 cities in the southwest of France that it?s come through many times in the past, Limoux at the start and Montpellier at the finish. Montpellier near the Mediterranean shore holds fond memories for the 2 Robbies on Team RadioShack [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-15-sprinters-rule/

british cycling

Kl�den 3rd Horner 4th After Day One of Basque Tour

Team RadioShack?s Andreas Kl�den (GER) continuing to display exceptional form this season came in 3rd today with ?The Shack?s? Christopher Horner (USA) close behind in today?s 150-kilometer mountainous first stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pa�s Vasco, Tour of the Basque Country in Northeast Spain. This first of 6 stages was deemed by some [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-3rd-horner-4th-after-day-one-of-basque-tour/

cycling bib shorts

Saturday 28 July 2012

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 : Alain Gallopin & [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-for-tour-de-romandie/

cycling games

Let your soul guide you along the way

This week’s rides are�serendipitous�things, organised at short notice, and not planned in any real way. �This time around it was Martyn wondering if anyone from the ACG was likely to be around to ride this morning. �Yes, as it happens. �Me. �Which is great for me because currently I’m preferring to ride in company, and [...]

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/let-your-soul-guide-you-along-the-way

winter cycling jackets

SOLE Thin Sport Cycling Footbeds ? CLEARANCE ? SAVE 33%

All SOLE heat moldable footbeds – SAVE 33%.
The SOLE Thinsport footbeds can be custom shaped using a standard home oven for a custom fit to your feet. Great for offering extra support for riders with flat feet, pronation issues or weak glutes. Select one size larger than your normal UK foot size and trim down [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/07/04/sole-footbeds-clearance

tour de france

Worn Chain Rings and Worn Cassettes

How to spot when your chain, chainrings and cassettes need changing. It’s easy to take the approach to bike maintenance of riding the bike until it doesn’t work (in this case, chain starts slipping). Then try and fix it yourself� or take to shop. For my commuting bike, this is often my attitude. I often [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5508/bike-maintenance/worn-chain-rings-and-worn-cassettes/

dhb cycling

Bike fitting in London

The best bike shops, cycle cafes and events are listed in the Love London section of the London Cyclist Handbook. Today, I wanted to share one of the pages from that section that will appeal to road cyclists. If you are having aches and pains while cycling, then the chances are it is not fitted [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/bike-fitting-in-london/

womens cycling clothes

Rast Within Inches of Podium at Paris-Roubaix

Beautiful blue skies, unseasonably warm shirt-sleeve temperatures, knowledge crowds thickly lining the roads, hard to see how it could get much better for the 109th running of the 258-kilometer (160 mile) Hell of the North. It?s been named that mostly because of the 27 cobbled sectors (51.5 kms) that the riders bounce over on [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/rast-within-inches-of-podium-at-paris-roubaix/

cycling machine

Pina heaven

Last month I was lucky enough to take a trip to Treviso in Italy to see the start of stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia. Among the state of the art carbon-fibre superbikes there were pretty special machines from an iconic Italian brand ? Pinarello. Pinarello, of course, supply fantastic machines like the Dogma 2 [...]

Source: http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/06/13/pina-heaven/

free cycling

Heat relief for RAGBRAI arrives with torrential thunderstorms

The triple digit heat that plagued the 10,000 bicycle riders in the 40th Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) was erased on Wednesday by overnight thunderstorms. Although touted as one of the easier RAGBRAI's in terms of terrain, the weather appears to present the biggest challenge on this year's 471-mile bike tour. Iowa is in the midst of a severe drought that threatens ...

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/07/26/heat-relief-for-ragbrai-arrives-with-torrential-thunderstorms/

live tour de france

Video: Volta a Catalunya 2011, Stage 4 Summary

This video shows the last few kilometres of stage 4 of Volta a Catalunya 2011 which was won by Team Radioshack rider Manuel Cardoso.

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-volta-a-catalunya-2011-stage-4-summary/

descente cycling

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 [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/07/23/olympic-road-race-weekender-were-at-the-box-hill-festival-of-cycling

cycling gear uk

Heat relief for RAGBRAI arrives with torrential thunderstorms

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/07/26/heat-relief-for-ragbrai-arrives-with-torrential-thunderstorms/

cycling gear

Friday 27 July 2012

Tributes to Bradley Wiggins

I hope our French, Australian, Italian, Dutch readers will forgive this little post tour indulgence in Wiggins mania. I promise it won’t last much longer, though if Cavendish wins the Olympic road race… Bradley Wiggins on the podium. Bradley Wiggins. Photo credit ASO / Credit Press Sport The four jerseys – Peter Sagan (green / [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5493/procycling/tributes-to-bradley-wiggins/

descente cycling

Cycling is on the up. Why?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/teq5Ot1ugKg/

winter cycling jackets

Giro d?Italia Recap of Stages 11 and 12

Stage 11, Wednesday, 18 May, Machado Finds No Level Terrain
The profile for the route, covering 144 Kilometers (89 miles) on the east coast of Italy, looked like the cutting teeth of an abused crosscut saw and probably felt like it for the racers. The jagged, irregular climbs ? four category 4 mountains – kept [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/giro-ditalia-recap-of-stages-11-and-12/

tour de france

TdF Stage 15 ? Sprinters Rule

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tdf-stage-15-sprinters-rule/

2011 tour de france

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 crashed [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/yarosolav-popovych-out-of-the-tour/

cycling trips

Tour de France 2011, Stage 1 Report

And so it begins, the 98th edition of the greatest show in cycling, a 3,436-km (2135+ mile), 21-stage professional cycling race consuming almost the entire month of July as well as most of the geography of France. That distance is the span from New York to California. The claim is that it is [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-france-2011-stage-1-report/

padded cycling shorts

Photos of Bradley Wiggins

Some photos of Bradley Wiggins from the Tour de France and other races. 2012 Tour De France Photo by: Petit Brun Bradley Wiggins in Yellow Photo by: Photo by: Petit Brun Close up of Wiggins in Yellow. Froome in front. Looks like Nibali on his wheel. A classic mountain stage situation. photo by Kriblack - [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5435/cycling-photos/photos-of-bradley-wiggins/

le tour de france

SOLE Thin Sport Cycling Footbeds ? CLEARANCE ? SAVE 33%

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/07/04/sole-footbeds-clearance

cycling plus

Team RadioShack Moves 3 into Paris-Nice Top 10 after Stage 6

In Friday’s race of truth, the individual time trial at the 69th running of Paris-Nice, Tony Martin of HTC-Highroad, as expected by many, laid down a devastating effort over the 27 kilometer course, beating the next competitor by a full 20 seconds and scrambling the general classification from the previous day’s posting. However, Team RadioShack [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-moves-3-into-paris-nice-top-10-after-stage-6/

cycling in london

Video: Interval Training with Team RadioShack Part 2 ? Viatcheslav Ekimov

Part 2. The Team splits into three groups of six, to work on interval training. With Viatcheslav Ekimov.

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-interval-training-with-team-radioshack-part-2-viatcheslav-ekimov/

cycling fans

Tour de France 2011, Stage 1 Report

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-france-2011-stage-1-report/

cycling

Andreas Kl�den Finishes 2nd at Paris-Nice 2011

Team RadioShack’s Andreas Kl�den added to his long and impressive list of palmaires today, finishing in 2nd place in the overall general classification of the 8 days of the storied Paris-Nice race. On a cold and rainy day, on some very slick roads in the south of France, the experienced 35-year old finished the [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/andreas-kloden-finishes-2nd-at-paris-nice-2011/

cycling holidays uk

Thursday 26 July 2012

Great Weston Ride 2012

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/great-weston-ride-2012

cycling accessories

This Tour de France was over in the first week

Looking back, this Tour de France pretty much ended the day Bradley Wiggins slipped into the yellow jersey way back on Stage 7.

He had sat quietly in 2nd place all week, 7 seconds behind the overall leader Fabian Cancellara who won the prologue, while the sprinters crashed and battled for stage wins. Then on …

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/07/21/this-tour-de-france-was-over-in-the-first-week/

cycling exercise

Press Camp (Part 2)

More gear from Press Camp featuring Ridley, Assos, NeilPryde and Clif Bar

Source: http://www.roadmagazine.net/content.php?itemid=6880

best cycling shorts

Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Stage 1, Zumarraga to Zumarraga

The last few kilometres were all that I managed to see of today?s stage 1 of the Pais Vasco and coverage was intermittent even then as the cameras cut back to the finish line rather than following all the action.
But when the focus was on the riders what a stage this was.
Let?s be clear. Chris [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/vuelta-al-pais-vasco-stage-1-zumarraga-to-zumarraga/

pro cycling magazine

Baseball and bikes: A follow-up

The Fort Worth Cats baseball club is a business that could benefit from the patronage of cyclists ? if the club makes an effort to accommodate them. LaGrave Field, home of the Cats, is on a spur of the Trinity … Continue reading →

Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/baseball-and-bikes-a-follow-up/

cycling clothes

By the way...

Source: http://amrcycling.blogspot.com/2012/03/by-way.html

tour de france route

Rididng with the Bike Tech 24 boys

Source: http://amrcycling.blogspot.com/2012/03/rididng-with-bike-tech-24-boys.html

cycling routes

Tour de France?Without Lance

A few years ago the Tour de France experienced a time of transition. For seven years Lance Armstrong stood on the podium wearing the yellow jersey. When he announced his retirement we all new things would change. Americans loved being represented by such a dominant champion.
The years between his retirement and comeback were interesting. We [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-france-without-lance/

cycling routes

Exmoor Beast Preview

Source: http://www.thecyclingmayor.com/exmoor-beast-preview

winter cycling jacket

Herne Hill, Going for Gold

Medals won by Tommy Godwin at the 1948 Olympics Herne Hill velodrome in south London is the only surviving venue from the last London Olympics in 1948. I don't take a great interest in track cycling. Going round in circles, especially indoors, is the very antithesis of what I enjoy about cycling. However as I [...]

Source: http://cycleseven.org/herne-hill-going-for-gold

skinsuit cycling

Congratulations Green Edge Cycling

Source: http://amrcycling.blogspot.com/2012/01/congratulations-green-edge-cycling.html

cycling plus

Go nuts for our Wonderful Pistachios competition!

Source: http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/06/27/go-nuts-for-our-wonderful-pistachios-competition/

giordana cycling

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Second chance to get a USBRS cycling cap!

During the Build It. Bike It. Be a Part of It. campaign, Walz Caps created this limited edition cycling cap for us to give to our donors. We had limited quantities at the time. If you missed out, now you have a second chance to get a U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) cycling cap and support Adventure Cycling, thanks to Walz Caps and their Caps for a Cause campaign.

This sleek, fully sublimated cycling cap, made of Walz's popular wicking material, will be the perfect addition to your cycling kit (if you don't have the matching jersey, you can get it here). Their cycling caps are stylish and functional and work well both on and off the bike. Walz Caps are individually made in the United States, which ensures that each Walz cycling cap is of the finest quality. And, for every USBRS cap sold, Walz Caps will donate $5 to support the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

"Many of our customers are touring cyclists, and we receive lots of photos and emails of them using our caps on their rides," says owner Michael Gilstrap. "We felt that by helping build the U.S. Bike Route System we would not only be assisting our customers but helping to enhance these routes for all cyclists to enjoy and explore." Adventure Cycling thinks so too!

Thanks, Michael and Walz Caps, for continuing to support the U.S. Bicycle Route System and Adventure Cycling.

Visit the Caps for a Cause website and purchase your USBRS cycling cap today!

You can also check out Walz Caps on Facebook and Twitter!

--

SUPPORT ADVENTURE CYCLING is written by Amanda Lipsey, development director for Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/second-chance-to-get-usbrs-cycling-cap.html

cycling shop

Planet X Demo Bike Clearance ? Bag a Bargain NOW

We’re clearing out our entire stock of Planet X and On-One demo bikes. New and nearly new bikes at bargain prices. What’s more, we’ll include a FREE Level 1 bike fit with each bike if you collect from our Bristol Studio. Watch the website next week for BIG news about our new brands.
Planet X Stealth [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/04/07/planet-x-demo-bike-clearance-bag-a-bargain-now

cycling holidays uk

Mirza Ghasemi (Iranian Aubergine Dip) - Eating London A to Z

Mirza Ghasemi (Iranian Aubergine Dip) Here is a recipe from Mohsen Iranian restaurant. Aubergines are considered a staple in Iran, not dissimilar to our potato. They are used in numerous recipes an this simple recipe is for a tasty dip...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/thehungrycyclist/~3/wMFJr7OlPPo/mirza-ghasemi-iranian-aubergine-dip-eating-london-a-to-z.html

cycling plus

Take that, Dallas!

I?ve written several posts about Fort Worth?s extensive and growing network of bicycle trails and designated lanes along city streets, as well as at least one about how that compares to Dallas. The point is that Fort Worth has pressed … Continue reading →

Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/take-that-dallas/

cycling clothes

Levi Comments: Radioshack?s Leader in Tour de France

There has been plenty of speculation in the media and among fans regarding which Team Radioshack rider will lead the team in it’s efforts in the upcoming Tour de France. Even though Lance Armstrong is no longer riding professionally, the team still have several profiles who would fit the bill.
In an recent poll on this [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/levi-comments-radioshacks-leader-in-tour-de-france/

womens cycling clothes

Video: Interval Training with Team RadioShack Part 2 ? Viatcheslav Ekimov

Part 2. The Team splits into three groups of six, to work on interval training. With Viatcheslav Ekimov.

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-interval-training-with-team-radioshack-part-2-viatcheslav-ekimov/

pez cycling

RAGBRAI bike tour celebrating 40th birthday this week

You know how it goes: One day it’s just a small event with a couple of hundred people along for the ride. Then the next thing you know it’s 40 years old with thousands of bike riders joining in.

In a nutshell, that’s the history of RAGBRAI, the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

…

Source: http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/07/23/ragbrai-bike-tour-celebrates-40th-birthday/

cycling gear

Zubeldia Top 10 at San Sebasti�n

Team RadioShack?s highest placed finisher in the Tour de France, Haimar Zubeldia (ESP), finished 7th today in the 237-kilometer (147-mile) Cl�sica Ciclista San Sebasti�n contested in Basque country in the north of Spain. Omega Pharma Lotto?s Belgium star Philippe Gilbert continued his amazing streak this year walking away from some 20 top riders bunched [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/zubeldia-top-10-at-san-sebastian/

cycling team clothing

Coffee with Alasdair

This morning I had coffee with one of our visiting cyclists, Alasdair Sinclair. He is a British man cycling across the country on a combination of our TransAmerica and Lewis & Clark Bicycle Trail routes. By the time he reached Missoula he was ahead of schedule and so took a couple of rest days here.

Why coffee with Alasdair? It began last spring when our routes & mapping email box started to fill with notes from one address in particular, Alasdair's. It was apparent by his comments, questions and feedback that our correspondent was studying both the maps and gps waypoints quite carefully. We responded to items that needed immediate attention and filed others away in our addenda queue to be amended at the next update.

Somewhere along the way, Alasdair mentioned he would be keeping a blog. I added the address to my feed reader so I could follow his progress. This is always one of the highlights of the summer for me, to follow a few bicycle traveler's blogs and ride with them vicariously. You can check out his journey, too, at 2012 Cycling Across America.

In addition to his desire to see some of America, Alasdair is also raising funds for the Smile Project, a group that aids children and young adults in developing countries by correcting facial deformities such as cleft palette and cleft lip. (He is still accepting donations if you're interested in supporting the cause.)

When Alasdair reported he was just about to Missoula, Carla and I decided we wanted to acknowledge the time and efforts he put forth in sending us corrections and feedback. This is invaluable information for us to receive and much appreciated. And while a cup of coffee is only a small token of the appreciation we have for him, we hope he realizes the impact his feedback has on the community of cyclists who use our maps.

In our morning chat in the bright summer sunshine, Alasdair related to me some of his other travels and how he came to be a traveling cyclist. We discussed the Adventure Cycling maps and routes, how they are made and updated as well as paper vs gps navigation. Sadly, his gps gave up the ghost about a week into his travels so much of the work he put into organizing them for himself was for naught. He was able to salvage them somewhat by using them in the evenings on his netbook to plan ahead. In the end though, the paper maps seem to be serving his purpose just fine.

It was lovely to connect face to face with someone I had been emailing with, and it renewed my energy and enthusiasm to return to my desk for another day of mapping. Thank you Alasdair, may you have mostly tailwinds in your future!

--

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/2012/07/coffee-with-alasdair.html

cycling clubs

The sad end of ?Ollie?s Wild Ride?

I never met Ollie Scheideman. But I admire his spirit and his tenacity. And I?m sorry that he?s no longer with us. In 2009, the retired dentist from Chico, in northern California, was several weeks into an 82-day cross-country bicycle … Continue reading →

Source: http://jimsbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/the-sad-end-of-ollies-wild-ride/

cycling routes

Good News in Vancouver, Bad News in DC

Greetings from Vancouver, British Columbia and Velo-City 2012, the international conference focused on all things bicycling, from urban bike facilities to bike touring. There is amazing energy here, and all across the world (literally), biking is booming. Biking is popular for transportation and recreation. It's in demand in big cities and small towns. It's getting significant support from national and local governments.

So early this morning, on a conference call with my colleagues at America Bikes -- the national coalition working for better policies and resources at the federal level in the U.S. -- it was truly disappointing to examine the apparently final new federal transportation bill which will be voted on by Congress as early as tomorrow.

Below, I've pasted the America Bikes statement regarding the bill, but in brief, it's a very bad bill. It will cut investments in biking and walking as much as 60-70%. In some states, which choose to opt-out of biking and walking programs, the bill could mean eliminating 100% of all federal investments. That would mean zero or very limited investment in safer bike lanes, paths, and safer routes to school for millions of kids, and more dangerous streets in general.

If this bill is passed and signed into law (as seems likely), America's cycling groups will have to work harder than ever at the state and local levels to improve cycling conditions.

We appreciate everything everyone has done to maintain any support for cycling at the national level (it helped stave off complete elimination of any national bike/walk program). While this outcome seems bleak, I can assure you, based on my experience here at Velo-City and my experience traveling around the country -- meeting thousands of people and hundreds of groups pushing for better cycling -- that we in the American cycling community, along with our many partners, shall overcome this obstacle and we shall continue to make bicycling an even more vital part of the U.S. transportation and recreation systems.

AMERICA BIKES STATEMENT ON FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL
June 28, 2012

The America Bikes coalition -- representing the nation?s leading bicycling and walking groups -- and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership oppose the new transportation bill, which would nationally cut funding for biking and walking projects by 60 to 70 percent.

We are deeply concerned that bicycling and walking programs suffer large and disproportionate cuts in funding in the new bill. Programs that save lives and dollars are eliminated.

The full extent of cuts to biking and walking funding will be determined at the state level and may be even deeper. We will continue to work in states and local communities to support safe, accessible streets.

The new transportation bill is a bad bill for biking and walking.
This bill:

Cuts available biking and walking funds by 60 to 70 percent. Biking and walking programs are combined into a single program, Transportation Alternatives, with drastically reduced funding.

Eliminates dedicated Safe Routes to School funding. The bill eliminates dedicated funding for the massively popular and cost-effective Safe Routes to School program, which helps make walking and biking to school safer for millions of American schoolchildren.

Weakens local control. The new transportation bill allows states to opt-out of half of the funds potentially available for small-scale biking and walking projects. Whereas the bi-partisan Senate bill allowed local governments and planning entities to compete for 1% of transportation funds, the new bill allows states to opt-out of the local grant program completely.

Makes biking and walking compete with new, expensive eligibilities. Eligibilities such as road uses and environmental mitigation have been added to Transportation Alternatives, making it harder for local communities to compete for funding for local biking and walking projects.

This two-year bill represents a major step backwards in transportation policy for transportation choices and healthy physical activity. Despite this temporary setback in national policy, bicycling and walking will continue to grow and gain support, and Americans will continue to demand safer, more accessible streets and communities. Going forward, biking and walking will return to a central place in America?s transportation policies and programs.

JIM SAYER is the executive director of Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/06/good-news-in-vancouver-bad-news-in-dc.html

castelli cycling

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 [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/amgen-tour-levi-just-misses-tt-horner-keeps-lead/

tour de france route

Tuesday 24 July 2012

London Cyclist Handbook FAQ

It?s been just 24 hours since we?ve launched the eBook and we?ve already sold over 100 copies. There?s a few questions that have been popping up, so I thought this would be a great place to answer them all. Question 1: Is it possible to buy a hard copy? Currently, the London Cyclist Handbook is [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/london-cyclist-handbook-faq/

cycling clothing uk

Bradley Wiggins wins Tour de France 2012

As Bradley Wiggins was interviewed by the Champs Elysees after finally wining the great race, Ned Boulting commentated that Wiggins and his Team have set so many historical precedents in the past few week, he must be running out of suitable quotes. But, though Wiggins may be sometimes short with journalists, he never seems short [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/5431/articles/bradley-wiggins-wins-tour-de-france-2012/

cycling equipment

A Taste of Cycling in Italy

If you have a friend who lives in Italy, you visit Italy.

That's were I've been for the past three or so weeks: Como, Italy. It was a trip for the books; a trip of a lifetime. When a co-worker asked how it was, I simply answered, "Amazing."

"Amazing, huh? Not just, 'great' or even, 'awesome?' Amazing?"

"Amazing."

"Did you do any cycling?"

"Just one day."

You see, my best friend, Lisa, isn't a cyclist, which is totally fine. (Luckily, some of my other passionate hobbies include wine-drinking, pasta-eating, and lake-side-chillin'.) But Chris, Lisa's boyfriend, is definitely a cyclist. And when they greeted me at the airport, Chris was holding this sign:

I knew we would go riding at least once ...

And if you only get to go on one ride in Como, climbing to the Madonna del Ghisallo Church comes as the highest recommendation.

Chris read the history of the church aloud and became more excited by each highlight: Home to the Patron Saint of Cyclists, a signature summit of the Giro di Lombardia, filled with historic cycling memorabilia, holds an eternal flame for fallen cyclists, was established over 1300 years ago as a sanctuary for those seeking refuge. I knew that this was some place that I had to see.

The climb was steep, but the reward was huge. Walking inside the chapel was nothing short of breathtaking.

The history and love of cycling was palpable. An eternal flame leads you to candles you can "light" (plug into a socket) for a cyclist you know who has fallen. Beside the candles is a guestbook that I couldn't help perusing through. Cyclists from all over the world have come to this chapel to worship in their own way.

Outside of the tiny building, the views and statues were both monumental.

I was especially impressed with the statue of a fallen cyclist and another with his arm raised to the heavens. The piece conveyed so much emotion and even provided it's own refuge for those seeking shade.

After having some espresso at the cafe near the chapel, we discussed our next move. Our plan was to climb up and coast down, but at the top, something in the air inspired us to ride up another hill nearby, just so we could fit in some of those iconic Italian hairpins I had heard so much about.

The whole experience was surreal and perfect. A ride that inspires is more than I could have asked for.

Thanks to:

Chris for being amazingly patient and enthusiastic.

Lisa for living in such a beautiful place.

And I would be remiss if I did not genuinely thank the guys at Run and Bike, Como for their help in getting me set up to ride. Showing up at a bike shop, not knowing the language, trying to rent a bike and shoes is a difficult task that could easily be dismissed as nonsensical, but these guys were rockstars. Not only did they get me set up with a sweet rental bike, they let me borrow a pair of their OWN shoes at no extra charge! (Let's let the fact that I wear the same shoe size as Italian men slide.) Thanks, Run and Bike, for my sweet get-up.

All photos taken by Rachel Stevens (except one Instagram photo that Chris Beddows took of Rachel). The photo of Eddy Merckx's champion bike was taken for Sarah Raz in hopes of inspiring her on her own epic bike travels.

--

ART + ADVENTURE = AWESOMENESS wishes to bring enthusiasm to your Mondays every other week. This column is written by Rachel Stevens, a graphic designer at Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/a-taste-of-cycling-in-italy.html

cycling events 2010

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 [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/ben-hermans-top-ten-at-amstel-gold/

winter cycling gear

Video: Interval Training with Team RadioShack part 1 ? Viatcheslav Ekimov

Part 1. The Team splits into three groups of six, to work on interval training. With Viatcheslav Ekimov

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-interval-training-with-team-radioshack-part-1-viatcheslav-ekimov/

winter cycling gear

The Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders), Sunday April 3, 2011

Warning: Cycle Crazy Week Ahead!
A high of 13 degrees Celsius with showers in the morning becoming cloudy in the afternoon. That’s the forecast for Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) on the ProTour circuit. One of the five so called “monuments” in the sport, this 95th edition of the race will see [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/the-ronde-van-vlaanderen-tour-of-flanders-sunday-april-3-2011/

craft cycling

Team RadioShack Line-up in Crit�rium International and Gent-Wevelgem

The Team Radioshack line-up for the next races:
Crit�rium International (France), 26-27/03/11
Riders: Matthew Busche, Ben King, Andreas Kl�den, Tiago Machado, N�lson Oliveira, S�rgio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych & Bj�rn Selander
Director: Alain Gallopin
Gent-Wevelgem (Belgium), 27/03/11
Riders: Fumiyuki Beppu, Robbie Hunter, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Robbie McEwen, Dmitriy Muravyev, Gregory Rast & S�bastien Rosseler
Director: Dirk Demol

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-criterium-international-and-gent-wevelgem/

cycling plus magazine