Administrator and author of Biking Bis. Currently live in the Seattle area; previously Texas, California, Maryland, Georgia and Ohio. Own a Lemond road bike for light riding and Rockhopper for poor weather riding and touring.

Most commented posts

  1. How to enforce 3-foot passing law to protect bicyclists — 51 comments
  2. Washington state lists parks with bike/hike campsites — 20 comments
  3. 10 longest rail-trails for bicycling — John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Washington leads the list — 19 comments
  4. Indiana town says “No” to bicycle tourism — 18 comments
  5. Are bike path bollards an unnecessary hazard? — 17 comments

Author's posts

New leader at Giro d’Italia after team time trial

In case you didn’t get the memo, the Garmin-Barracuda cycling team pretty much owns the team time trial event at the Giro d’Italia.

They won the event in 2008, propelling American cyclist Christian Vande Velde into the maglia rosa. And they won it again this morning, pushing Lithuanian cyclist Ramunas Navardauskas to the overall lead.

Wenatchee, Washington’s Tyler Farrar, the team’s sprinter, found himself in 2nd place overall after the race. Vande Velde rose to 9th place overall. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/09/new-leader-at-giro-ditalia-after-team-time-trial/

Top 10 rails-to-trails states; Michigan is No. 1

Michigan is fast becoming a major destination for bicycle touring, and one of its major draws is its wide-ranging network of rails-to-trails.

Abandoned and out-of-service railroad corridors criss-cross the state, and local governments and “friends of the trail” groups are transforming these into paved and gravel trails for bikes and other non-motorized users.

In fact, Michigan leads the nation in upgrading railroad corridors into bike trails. Its 126 rails-to-trails stretch for 2,379 miles around the state …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/08/top-10-rails-to-trails-states-michigan-is-no-1/

Tragic end for charity bicycle tour on a Georgia road

Two of the three Florida friends who embarked on a 850-mile pledge bicycle tour were laid to rest in separate ceremonies on Saturday.

All three were struck by a motorist on a Georgia highway one night last month. Only one survived.

Todd Metts, Jeffrey Dunn and Kenny Hunt were long-time cycling companions. Metts, a board member of a missionary group, suggested the other two join him on a pledge ride this spring from Washington DC to their homes in Florida….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/07/tragic-end-for-charity-bicycle-tour-on-a-georgia-road/

Crash mars finish of Stage 3 at Giro d’Italia; Phinney down but not out

US cyclist Taylor Phinney survived another day in the maglia rosa on Monday, in spite of crashing in a hotly contested final sprint for Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia.

Australian Matt Goss (Orica GreenEdge) won the stage, with American Tyler Farrar (Garmin) finishing in third….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/07/crash-mars-finish-of-stage-3-at-giro-ditalia/

Cyclists turn out for sunny Bicycle Sunday

A unusual sunny Sunday in Seattle made the first Bicycle Sunday along the shores of Lake Washington a rousing success.

As it has done so for years, the city closed down a 2 1/2-mile stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard — between Seward and Mount Baker parks — to vehicular traffic and turned the street over to bicyclists. Eleven more Bicycle Sundays are planned this summer.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/06/cyclists-turn-out-for-sunny-bicycle-sunday/

‘Panic mode’ for Giro d’ Italia leader after bike crash in Stage 2

This is how @taylorphinney celebrates another day in the lead... on TwitpicWhen he crashed and dropped his chain just 5 miles from the finish line on Sunday, it looked like American Taylor Phinney’s brief spell as Giro d’Italia leader was about to come to an end.

The 21-year-old cyclist on the BMC Racing squad on Saturday had become only the third American ever to wear the overall leader’s jersey in the Giro, and it looked like it might be a one-day event.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/06/panic-mode-for-giro-d-italia-leader-after-bike-crash-in-stage-2/

Where to watch the Giro d’Italia bike race

The three-week Giro d’Italia got underway on Saturday with a victory by US cyclist Taylor Phinney, at 21 only the third American ever to wear the maglia rosa.

Once again, the Universal Sports Network is providing live coverage of the Giro d’Italia. Unfortunately, it might be a little hard to find.

The network is carried …

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/05/where-to-watch-the-giro-ditalia-bike-race-2/

US cyclist Taylor Phinney leads Giro d’Italia

Taylor Phinney became only the 3rd US cyclist to wear the maglia rosa when he won the opening individual time trial for the Giro d’Italia on Saturday.

Now it rests on the shoulders of his BMC Racing teammates to protect the leader’s jersey. The Giro peloton remains in Denmark for two more stages before relocating to Italy for the remainder of the three-week bike race.

The 21-year-old is the son of Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter, both accomplished pro cyclists in their own right. In his early years, Taylor Phinney specialized in track cycling where he won world and national championships. …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/05/us-cyclist-taylor-phinney-leads-giro-ditalia/

Pedal America begins airing this weekend — except in Seattle

A new 7-part public television series that examines bike culture in North America begins Saturday in some major cities, just in time for National Bike Month.

“Pedal America” is hosted by Ira David, a New York City native and avid cyclist who has criss-crossed the country many times on his bicycle to benefit charities and causes in the past.

Aiming to “educate, inspire, and motivate cyclists of all ages to rediscover the basic joys of cycling,” David and co-host Kati Lightholder visit far-flung locations to find examples of bicycling goodness in people and places …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/04/pedal-america-begins-airing-this-weekend-except-in-seattle/

How to support the U.S. Bicycle Route System

Imagine a nationwide network of numbered and marked bicycle routes that directs bike travelers to major destinations in all 50 states — that’s the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

This isn’t a pipe dream. Some routes already exist: Route 1 in Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and North Carolina; Route 76 in Virginia, Kentucky and Illinois; Routes 20 and 35 in Michigan; Routes 8, 95, 97, and 87 in Alaska.

Currently, 40 states (including Washington state) are researching the best bicycle routes to win approval from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials for their addition to the USBRS.

The non-profit Adventure Cycling Association has taken on the job of coordinating and providing technical assistance in this effort among the states. It’s launching a fund-raising drive this month …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2012/05/01/raising-funds-for-u-s-bicycle-route-system/