On Sunday I published the “Ultimate top 10 list of Top 10 bicycling lists.” Later I realized that I really didn't care for “No. 9, Top 10 Bicycle Websites.”
That list of bicycle websites was assembled by lovetoknow.com. It might work for some people, but in retrospect I don't think these are the best websites for bicyclists who regularly read this blog. It had only one or two websites that I check regularly for information.
So here's the BikingBis list of Top 10 Bicycling websites. These are the websites that I visit most frequently and find the most useful. There are lots of good websites that aren't on this list, but these keep more to the theme of this blog. As always, the decision of the judges is final.
No. 1 — Sheldon Brown — Bicycle Technical Information: Sheldon visits all the bicycling issues faced by beginning or advanced cyclists. This is essentially an online bicycling encyclopedia. If you can't find the answer to your question, you probably haven't looked hard enough.
No. 2 — Crazy Guy on a Bike: Webmaster Neil Gunton furthers the life and lore of bicycling touring by offering a place where all bicycling adventurers can share their stories. The website opened to the public in 2001 and currently has more than 1,800 online bicycle tour journals, as well as helpful how-to articles. Lots and lots of pictures.
No. 3 — BicycleSafe.com: Michael Bluejay's website illustrates the most common ways to get hit by cars, and the most common way to avoid them. He examines, for instance, the right hook, door prize, red light of death, etc. Read these and learn them. They make sense.
No. 4 — Adventure Cycling Association: Founded as Bikecentennial, this is the group that started it all by mapping out the TransAmerica Bicycle Route in time for the nation's bicentennial celebration in 1976. A membership is required to access some of the bike touring information at the website, but the forums, bike bits newsletter, how-to articles, journal links and companions-wanted ads are all free. The website also tells about its 20 mapped bicycle routes and dozens of guided tours and events for 2008.
No. 5 — Jim Langley — Bicycle Aficionado: Another website with lots of easy-to-follow tips on cleaning, repairing, and riding a bicycle. Among other things, Jim spent 10 years as the technical editor at Bicycling magazine.
No. 6 — Ken Kifer Bike Pages: This is the ultimate bicycle riding and touring website. The website not only tells the ins-and-outs of bicycle touring and camping, but gets inside head of the regular bicyclist and explains the lifestyle. Sadly, Ken was killed by a drunken driver in 2003; the website had been kept alive by BikeForums.net.
No. 7 — Bike Forums: This is the mother of all bicycle forums, with lively discussions on advocacy, mechanics, classic and vintage bicycles, cyclocross, 50+ (age not miles), mountain cycling, road cycling, touring, training and nutrition and many more.
No. 8 — CyclingNews: This is my one-stop shop for bicycle racing news, especially for the pro cycling teams and major European races. They send correspondents to file minute-by-minute results for any race that I've been interested in tracking. Also daily news and features, and gloves-off reporting on the doping issue.
No. 9 — League of American Bicyclists: Formerly League of American Wheelmen, this nonprofit was founded in the 1880s to lobby for better roads for bicyclists. Now it lobbies to make those roads safer. Although there's a lot of organization news, it also reports on major advocacy issues across the US. A helpful “take action” section tells how to start a club, speak to elected officials, share the road, and encourage friends and employers to support bicycling.
No. 10 — Cascade Bicycle Club: This is probably of limited use to those outside western Washington, but this is my list, so I'm including it. The website tells about the club rides and bicycling events it sponsors, as well as the bicycle education and advocacy issues it's working on. The community forum hosts discussions on many of thoses issues. This is one of the largest and most active bicycle clubs in the US. It's certainly worthy of a look by other bike club members for ideas.
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