Tour de Bicycling Blogs 10: Prague, Toronto and London, Oh My!

Ladies, and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Cyclists, and non-cyclists!

Welcome to the 10th edition of The Tour de Bicycling Blogs!

(My apologies for going over 13 months since the last one!)

I thought it would be appropriate to get a start on my 5th Anniversary a month early by re-introducing the Tour, in this my 900th Blog Entry. ;-D

Do U Bicycle?

There are a growing number of Bloggers with sites dedicated to the proposition that bike riding is good for you and fun.

In various ways we all provide commentary, and opinion, reports about events, and news, write reviews, stories, and travelogues, share photographs, and spread the word about the wide variety of websites of interest to anyone who rides a bike.

BikeBloggers spread the word, and the word is BICYCLE!

This ongoing series is about bicycling, and bicyclists...Recreational Bicyclists, Bike Commuters, and Activists.

It is about those of us whose blogs are devoted to writing about our bicycling escapades and about anything else cycling related that catches our attention.

Expect to read my own thoughts about some, or all, of what I bring to your attention.

Let's saddle up, and ride!

1. Grant Podelco is an American journalist, living and working in Prague, who likes to cycle, among other pursuits.

He's been cycling seriously since 2005 and blogging since February and though his posts have been few, they make up for it in quality, and interest, especially the ones with photos.

Grant's Prague Blog is about the adventures of him and his "cycling buddies" in and around Prague, sharing "all sorts of unusual things out on the trails that he writes about and takes photographs of.

In his sidebar are links to the Google Maps of many of his rides, and an entertaining slideshow of photos.

A. In his 1st entry he wrote about himself, his January and Febuary rides, and plans for the rest of the year, adding a few picures including one of himself, and a friend.

About 1 ride he writes:

Apart from living through the hill climb, the most interesting part of the ride occurred as I was resting on a park bench near the beer garden. Some shabbily dressed Czech dude walked slowly past me. He stared hard at me and then at my bike, and then back at me. I stared right back. He ambled away. I must learn how to say "What the **** are you staring at?" in Czech. This happens all the time. Maybe he couldn't believe I actually intended to ascend the hill on my Univega. Or maybe I just look funny

Read: The first 500 kms are the toughest.

B. Here in the states cyclists are used to seeing the occasional Deer, or Horse Crossing Ahead signs on a ride, but I don't think anyone has seen the 2 Grant discovered. ;-D

Read: More photographs to bide the time between rides.

C. Readers will remember the recent posts I and Gwadzilla wrote about Civil Discourse with Motorists. ;-D

Let Grant entertain you with his adventures and thoughts about sharing the road in his neck of the woods.

Czech it out: Are Czech drivers the worst in the world?  ;-D

2. Open Hand/Open Eye is the Toronto Blog of John and Allison who write about many things including cycling.

A. To continue on the theme of sharing the road here is a thought provoking little essay by John:

I frequently hear people describe cycling in the city as dangerous, frightening, and nerve-wracking. Frightening, yes, Nerve-wracking, absolutely. But cycling, in and of itself, does not pose any particular dangers. Cycling simply makes you vulnerable to the really dangerous traffic on the streets: the two to nine-tonne steel bombs, otherwise known as cars, SUVs, and trucks.

Read: An important distinction.

B. On the subject of Traffic Rules for Cyclists John has a lot to say:

Motorists who complain about cyclists seem to have two principal beefs. Some argue that cyclists take up space that "rightfully" belongs to cars, and that cyclists simply get in the way of what they view as "legitimate" road users. Others point out that the rules of the road apply to all of us. Unfortunately, the first view tends to inform the second: many motorists don't just want cyclists to obey the rules of the road, they want cyclists to obey the rules as they understand them, or even as they invent them.

Read: Real and Imaginary Traffic Rules for Cyclists.

C. On the subject of signs John has some creative ideas for some useful ones he'd like to see:

Read: Some signs I would like to see...

I 'd like to end this edition with a Shout Out to a Birthday Boy. ;-D

3. Andrea, of Velorution, has been BikeBlogging a month longer than I have and the Blog and Bike Shop are both well known in London.

A wonderful mix of news, rides, opinion, humor, shop and product promotion, and more, with lots of pictures and the occasional video thrown in, his place has evolved a lot in 5 years from its humble beginnings.

Cyclists from all around the world read both our blogs, and here are some examples of why folks check in with his:

A. With regards to sharing the road ( Yes, yes, I know, I seem to be preoccupied with this subject today, don't I? ;-D ), Andrea has some choice words for the British Prime Minister and shares a video that, um, shows a rather unusual way of sending a message to Motorists, hee, hee! ;-D

Read: What I would like to do to Gordon Brown.

B. Andrea has a quiz he'd like you to take and then he will explain to you why he believes that "British Transport Authorities are intellectually challenged."

Read: Saint Pancras of Shame.

C. Folding Helmets???

Andrea shares a Times of London review of this product.

According to the Stash Website this award winning product has yet to reach American shores.

The comments to the post were mixed in response and I have tossed in my 2 cents in response to one remark:

RE: Name one person who’s life a helmet has saved? You can’t.

Um, Tom...

Yes, I can.

ME. ;-D

Read: Stash Foldable Helmet.

Well, that's it for this edition!

I am not ready to re-open the old Carnival registration link that once could be used to submit articles for inclusion in the Tour.

For now, if you have 1 or 2 posts you are particularly proud of, from November, and wish to maybe get a few more eyeballs checking them and by extention, the rest of your BikeBlog out, send the links to the e-mail in the sidebar, and I'll include them in the next edition.

The Tour de Bicycling Blogs is BACK! ;-D