The Cycling Dude

New Cycling Term Takes Lane on Wikipedia Highway

CYCLE CHIC:

A term that describes the culture of everyday cycling in fashionable clothes. It is generally associated with the utility cycling practised in cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Berne, Basle, Berlin, among others, where citizens practice a high level of bicycle usage. In many European cities, as well as cities in China and Japan, cycling is an everyday transport choice and many cyclists choose to wear their regular clothes, as opposed to outfits generally associated with cycle sport, such as bicycle shorts, gloves and shoes.

Apparetly this is an up and coming trend in cities that are putting money into bicycle friendly infrastructure and facilities.

Get this!

"Citizens are discovering that it is possible to ride in their normal clothes around town."

WOW! Who'd a Thunk it? ;-D

Wikipedia.

A Tip of the Hat to new BikeBlogger Riding Pretty!

A quick tour of her blog indicates that a wonderful new site from California has joined the ranks. ;-D

Riding Pretty is a Berkeley, CA., Cyclist who has designed some really cool Bike Helmet Slip-on Covers for the Ladies (Guys, too, eventually, hee, hee???). ;-D

Tallest Man in World Takes Up Bicycling

Is this cool, or what? ;-D

Thanks to the kindness of strangers this amazing man is learning to ride a bicycle. ;-D

On Sunday, an organization for the disabled in his home village of Podolyantsi, 125 miles west of Kiev, gave Stadnik a giant bike so he can ride to the grocery store in a nearby village. The group also presented Stadnik with a fitness machine.

So what if the President of the country gave him a car, too, just look at the expression on his face in the photo, and in the video. ;-D

Inspiring Story of Persistence Over Pain

This is a story of a cyclist, injured while driving his car, who used his love of cycling to recover:

Greg Sherman shrugs and says really, he's just an average guy.

But an average guy doesn't get hit by a gravel truck, suffer debilitating pain for four years, then complete a dozen "century" bicycle races in as many months.

In a nutshell, that pretty much describes what happened to the Brentwood resident in 2007.

His advice for anyone wanting to do Centuries:

Surround yourself with motivating people. If you do it by yourself, it's a little bit harder.

From the Contra Costa Times -2/18/08:

Bicyclist undeterred by car accident: Brentwood man back in the saddle after years of pain, rehab, workouts.

The Secret Life of Judy Blume

The author is out and about promoting her latest book, and in so doing answered questions for The Independent, in London.

One of the revelations was this one:

In Key West I ride a Conch Cruiser bicycle.

From: My Secret Life: Judy Blume, author - 2/9/08

Easton Sports, Math, Science and the Faster Bike

As of 10 days ago I had not heard of The Futures Channel, of Burbank, Ca..

According to the website it was "founded in 1999 with the goal of using new media technologies to create a channel between the scientists, engineers, explorers and visionaries who are shaping the future, and today’s learners who will one day succeed them.

I received an e-mail that helped introduce me to them:

Hi Kiril,

My name is Jenna and I'm the Head of Distribution at The Futures Channel. 

I came across cyclingdude.com and thought you might be interested in our latest movie, "Engineering Faster Bikes," released on our website this week.  It's a fun, short movie that takes a look at what goes into the bicycle frames that Easton Sports engineers and manufactures.  Please feel free to take a look at the movie when you have a moment.

My best,

Jenna Bowles

Head of Distribution

The Futures Channel

Okay, being the curious sort I went to take a look.

As the video opens, a suspended bicycle frame lurches and twists as two hydraulic pistons take turns driving a 292-pound load onto simulated pedals. Within sixty seconds, the bike frame has been subjected to nearly 18 tons of stress. The test continues non-stop for 21 hours — unless the frame cracks first.

This week, The Futures Channel released its latest micro-documentary, “Engineering Faster Bikes,” which takes viewers inside Easton Sports Research and Development Laboratories where they are engineering high-performance bicycles. And, like the company’s other online movies, it was enthusiastically premiered in math and science classrooms across the country.

The Link to the Full Press Release can be found below.

I have watched the 4 min. 45 sec. video and found it quite interesting.

It is amazing what goes into the making of a bicycle frame.

Lighter, faster, stronger, that's what the goal is in making the better bike and the buyer, of course, often pays a lot for this quality, strength and speed.

From the recreational rider, to the profesional racer, some people will pay thousands for the lightest, fastest and  strongest, but even the less expensive bike parts get tested and researched to death on their way to the retail stores.

Niko Henderson, an engineer for Easton Sports and his comrades, use science, mathematics, engineering and cool testing techniques to produce what reaches the streets and this fun little video shows just how much you can learn about the process in just under 5 minutes.

The video tells its tale with cool visuals and in clear, simple, language, making for an educational experience for young and old.

Watch: Engineering Faster Bikes.

The Futures Channel is a fascinating, entertaining and educational place well worth steering the interested young skull for of mush towards. ;-D

The press Release, from 10/24/07, is called "Teachers Turn to The Futures Channel to Make Math and Science Relevant".

Math fun and cool? Who knew? ;-D

While I learned to do well in Algebra, after the living hell that was Pre-Algebra, Geometry drove me up the wall... ;-D

Staples to Employees: Bike to Work, a Shower Awaits You!

Okay, so Greg Gutfeld, the host of Red Eye, the edgy late night FOX gabfest, had fun taking amusing jabs at cyclists, on the morning news, with E. D. Hill, this morning ( Something about smelling after a long ride, people having no business wearing lycra to work, and how work is for working, or something like that, hee, hee! ). ;-D

I laughed, and appreciated that the clips with the segment showed a group of cylists happily pedalling away, but was still curious, and so went to the Staples Website to see what the fuss was about.

A bit of snooping around found a Press Release, dated yesterday:

Sept. 24, 2007--Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS), the world's largest office products company, along with the City of Miami and MK Real Estate Group, will host a groundbreaking event for Miami's first green retail building registered with the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The event will take place at the Staples store building site located at 2121 Biscayne Boulevard, on Fri., Sept. 28 at 11 a.m., where Mayor Manny Diaz and Staples Regional Vice President Royce Reed will celebrate the City's progress in sustaining its future through eco-friendly practices.

"Building green is smart growth and with partners like Staples, the City of Miami can achieve its goal of becoming a model city for sustainable living," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.

One of the purposes listed for the new Green Design, is to:

Encourage alternative transportation by installing bike racks and showers.

Yeah, yeah, "Green buildings are environmentally responsible, healthier for the building's users and employees and are more profitable structures", and Staples is proud of its Environmental friendly products, services, and Community Initiatives, but I was hoping to see more from this Press Release about the cycling part ( Maybe that will occur at the Groundbreaking Event? ).

I wonder if they even did any outreach to area cycling clubs, and organizations, to promote their new initiative, and encourage Employees to take up cycling?

 

Robbie Coltrane Encourages Bicycling

According to the artcle in the The Scotsman, he has...

likened interviews to a conversation with someone carrying a gun. So he's currently deploying every diversion, joke, funny accent and trick in the book to avoid getting on with the task in hand.

Well, the task at hand is actually well worth reading about it turns out.

The Scots-born actor is actually here to talk about Robbie Coltrane: B-Road Britain, a three-part travel documentary series that starts this week on STV. The premise is that, 50 years after the creation of the M1 and the M6, the "fat guy from Scotland" shuns our gridlocked motorways in favour of meandering country B-roads in an attempt to discover the true essence of Britain today. His journey takes him from London to Glasgow in a classic Jaguar sports car. Along the way, he takes in everything from a game of tiddlywinks in Cambridge to a cheese-rolling festival in Stilton and a night spent with a group of devout Tibetan monks in a remote Buddhist temple deep in the countryside at Eskdalemuir.

Now, um, you may be asking what this has to do with bicycling?

I'm getting there, I'm getting there! ;-D

there are huge stretches not on the tourist map at all that are absolutely beautiful. There are miles and miles and miles of Britain that are so stunningly beautiful and all you have to do is get in a car or on a bicycle to go and see it."

With Hagrid plugging, even in a small way, the pleasures of Bicycling, will the Potter Mad in Britain hit the road?

It seems he did a similar journey in a Cadillac for a Documentary, 4,000 mile tour of America, 14 years ago.

The full piece is here:  Touring classic By Tim Randall - 8/11

A Bicycle Built for 15

Crazy, Crazy
Give me a reason do
I'm amazed at the whole silly crew
It looks a stylish carriage
I can imagine the amount of stareage
Still you all look sweet
Upon a seat
Of a bicycle built for 15

Poem inspired by the original song. ;-D

Squeeze in a Bike Ride in Orange County

There is a very nice article, with links to other related pieces, on the SqueezeOC Magazine Website, that encourages the locals to get off their butts, and ride. ;-D

Good to see I'm not the only one doing so! ;-D

Two wheels on an open road at 22 mph with the wind blowing your hair. That's the thrill of road cycling in Orange County.

With its myriad roads boasting cozy bike lanes, smooth pavement and scenic vistas, O.C. just might be the king of the road for cycling.

Read the article here.

Number 1 In Google Personal Cycling Pages!

Over at Google Directory I discovered something very cool today...

Guess who is # 1 In Google Page Rank for Personal Cycling Pages!

Since I don't know how to capture the image I'll have to do the next best thing:

1. The Cycling Dude - 
Kiril Kundurazieff's site, dedicated to commentary, news, opinion, reviews, stories and travelogues about cycling on the west coast of the USA.

2. The Mad Dog Media - 
News and cartoons from the demented mind of Patrick O'Grady.

3. Mike Munk's Bicycling - 
Designed to inform, educate, entertain, and inspire cyclists of all levels. Instruction, photos, touring information, humor, safety articles, favorite routes and links.

4. Ryan Leech - 
Official site of stunt, freestyle, and trials rider. Includes profile, multimedia, schedule, bike specifications, and journal.

5. Just Riding Along - 
Mountain biking and general cycling weblog of author based in Dorking, Surrey, UK. Contains information about riding, equipment, photos and reviews.

6. Roger Kramer's Favorite Cycling Tours - 
Articles and photographs of bicycle tours Roger Kramer has taken in the United States and Canada, as well as helpful touring tips.

7. Josh Putnam's Cycling Pages - 
Cycling information including brazing your own bicycle frames, touring equipment, cycling photography, and other do-it-yourself information.

8. Bike to Shine: Bicycle Touring - 
Introspective articles and observations about the art of traveling by bicycle. Includes photographs of southern Utah.

9. Ozbiker.org Australian biker news - 
The ramblings and observations of an Australian biker that can see the social engineering that's taking place in what was once a proud and free land.

10. Bill's Mountain Biking Wallpapers - 
Wallpaper images from mountain bike trails in the San Francisco Bay Area.

VIEWING IN Google PageRank Order - Top 10 as of 430pm Pst today.

Considering today is April Fool's Day.... This is pretty cool! ;-D

I have no clue how long I've been #1, or how often, but will bask in the glory for however long it lasts. ;-D

I heartily encourage you to check out the other folks on the list.

Thanks Al and Squeeze OC!

Checking my Stats, this evening, I came across a mention of the Dude in a Local online/e-mail publication put out in association with SqueezeOC  Magazine, on BestOCevents.com.

The March edition of The Al Freeman/SqueezeOC Events Newsletter has a section called Save the Date and Quick Takes, and one entry made my day. ;-D

May 5-6 – Bicycling junkies will flock to Fiesta 150 Ride and Fiesta Party. Starting in Irvine at the Amtrak Station and head to Del Mar, stay overnight and Fiesta mucho, then ride back Sunday. C’mon, you can make it…..info at www.ocw.com. Also, these are the folks that put together the Amtrak Century 9/8/07 from Irvine to San Diego, and back via a private Amtrak Train.

And, while digging for this info... I ran across a site every local bicycling enthusiast should visit, at www.cyclingdude.com/ -- it’s in a blog format, with loads of information about CA clubs, local routes, etc.

Thanks Al ! ;-D

Podcasting Equals Bicycling Times Creative Expression Squared

In the 4 years I've been BikeBlogging I've seen the niche evolve in so many wonderful ways as more folks join the ranks.

The latest thing to hit the Trail is apparently Podcasting.

A couple of months ago a friend told me I should try it myself sometime this year, and I've added a program to the computer, and got a headphone/microphone, so don't be surprised if I try to join the ranks before the year is out. ;-D

I have yet to listen in to any, though I have begun another list in the sidebar.

As regular readers know I've written a bit of poetry, and a short story, over the years. ;-D

Well, it appears we may have added another creative writer to the ones I've introduced you to in the past. ;-D

Fritz, of Cyclicious, has written about the Podcasters among us, and is wondering who listens to them.

Among the many comments left to his post was one by David Bernstein, of The FredCast Cycling Podcast, who wrote a poem, in response to Fritz's question about having time to listen, that is just too good not spread around:

Here is where I listen (with apologies to Dr. Seuss):

I do so like these podcasts, Fritz
My favorite shows have become big hits
I like to listen anywhere
I have heard them everywhere

I like to listen in the car
Because I need to drive so far
I will listen on a plane
I also listen on the train

I do sometimes listen on my bike
Although this the cops do not much like
I often listen while I do the dishes
I do this to fulfill my wife's wishes

If I take my two dogs for a walk
Inside my ears the podcast hosts do talk
I sometimes listen while I shave and brush
Unless my kids are sleeping, then I must keep things hush

I do so like these podcasts, Fritz.
Try them, try them . . . even if only in little bits.
To your iTunes you should go real fast
Listen to many, but begin with The FredCast!

Well, David, your site has been added to the sidebar! ;-D

Read the post by Fritz, here.

Road Wars Special Report on NBC LA Affiliate

Channel 4 in Los Angeles had a segment on its 11pm news this evening that, inflamatory, and misleading, trailer, and title ( ROAD WARS! ) aside, was a bit of a pleasant surprise in its treatment of cyclists.

It featured Monica Howe, the Outreach Co-ordinator of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting, and Mike Clark who works at KFI Radio, and also bike commutes, to present the Cyclist point of view ( The law says we can use the streets she says. It can be dangerous out there he says. ), with scenes of them in traffic, and an ignorant non-cyclist to say we all belong on the sidewalk !

What I especially liked was the discussion of expanding Class 1 Trails in LA COUNTY, like in Davis, the mention of using the LA River, and the little history lesson ( With photo! ), about the ancient "Bikeway" route, from Pasadena to LA, the Pasadena Bikeway, an elevated precursor of the freeway, for bicycles, in use in 1898.

It did not catch on way back when, and decades later became part of the Pasadena Freeway. ;-D

I know there's a lot we'd all have liked to see in the report, but hey, attention grabbing blurb, and title, aside, it was an okay piece in my view.

Cycling in Interesting Media Places

How many instances in some fashion, in non-cycling specific media, are there, every month, of mentions of the Bike, bicycle, bicycles, bicycling, bicyclists, Bikes, cycling, and/or cyclists,  and in what context?

By this I mean that the stories are most likely NOT solely about Cycling events, issues, and law, if at all.

Why not report on any stories I find?

I've been doing it, off and on, for the mainstream Blogosphere, and am finding that similar mentions show up in mainstream media publications as well.

So here is the 1st such find:

Steve McKibben is an edumicator who returned to the classroom after vacation, and found emptiness, and silence.

When I walked back into school early Monday, it was dark and empty. Our staff had been hard at work stripping floors and shampooing rugs, and there were chairs stacked akimbo in the halls.

I poked my head into some classrooms, and teachers had been busy rearranging; their walls were barren of student art, and there were boxes of supplies piled mysteriously in the corners.

The photo lab was dismantled, the kiln had not yet been vented, and there were computers pyramided in the cafeteria.

But most disturbing of all was the pall of silence.

Perhaps it was the jet lag, but one of the first thoughts that popped into my head as I wandered through the deserted building was a paraphrase of the classic Gloria Steinem quote: a school without students is like a fish without a bicycle.

This is a wonderful little article by someone who can't wait to get back to the job of filling up the minds of Young Skulls. ;-D

Read the full piece:

North Lake Tahoe Bonanza ( 8/13 ): Creative Environment for Education.