It will be all Lance all the time on the Versus cable network when the 2009 Tour de France kicks off in Monaco on Saturday.
After a series of 10 one-hour shows on Friday highlighting the all-time best Lance Armstrong stages, Versus will launch its live coverage for Stage 1 at 9:30 a.m. (ET) Saturday.
There will be live coverage in the morning, followed by three two-hour replays throughout the afternoon, followed by a 3-hour “expanded” primetime show in the evening that will be repeated once.
That's 14 hours a day for the “routine” stages. Mountain stages could get 17 hours of coverage in a 24-hour period.
I'm sure that's OK with most cycling fans. Although I try to watch as much of the live show as possible in the morning, I'm often hooked in the evening by the primetime show …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/03/watching-the-2009-tour-de-france-start-with-14-hours-a-day-on-versus/
A couple of days ago I stumbled across a bicyclist who is preparing to ride from Vancouver, BC, to New York City with less than 35 pounds — including his bicycle.
This is no credit card tour, however. The cyclist, Igor Kovse, is geared for full-out camping with a tent, sleeping bag and a pad. He's also carrying tools, clothing for wet and cold weather, a camera and photographic supplies.
Whenever I'm bicycle touring, it's obvious that I'm in serious need of a gear diet. That's why I like to see how the ultralight half lives.
Apparently Igor has been traveling like this for quite a few years. He announced his upcoming transcontinental tour at the Ultralight Biking Yahoo group, and referred people to his Crazy Guy on a Bike touring page for a previous ride from Dushanbe to Delhi that lists all of his equipment …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/01/the-incredible-lightness-of-being-an-ultralight-bicycle-traveler/
Another day, another study with something for us to worry about.
Coming on the heels of a report that tied bicycling and infertility, the New York Times reports on a couple of studies that ties bicycling with the reduction in bone density.
That makes cyclists more susceptible to breaks, such as Lance Armstrong's collarbone fracture earlier this year, above.
An encouraging note is that recreational cyclists are not subject to the infertility and bone density problems. The studies looked only at elite athletes who push themselves to the extreme in training and competition ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/01/bicyclings-impact-on-bone-density/
Here is Igor Kovse on the road somewhere between Dushanbe and New Delhi on a bicycle tour last year. Note the absense of panniers. From his website “On My Bicycles.”
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/07/01/ultralight-bicycle-touring-set-up/
Although I don't keep to a tightly regimented training schedule for bicycling, I usually know my route when I roll down the driveway and I'll stick to it.
Occasionally, though, I just take my bike and head out with no destination in mind. I'm just going out exploring on my bike, or noodling around. Although it doesn't account for many miles in the saddle, it always results in some interesting finds.
On Sunday, for example, I headed down the pipeline right-of-way on my Rockhopper and followed it to the dead-end above May Creek. That's where I veered into the woods on a light trail. Not far along, I came upon this vintage US Mail truck rusting back into its elements in the woods …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/06/30/one-sunday-spent-noodlin-around-on-a-bicycle/
How much bicycling is too much if you're trying to start a family?
Lengthy and frequent bicycling — like more than 186 miles a week — can cause “significant fertility problems” for men, says a report presented to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
But bicycling to work on a daily basis wouldn't cause a significant increase in abnormal sperm.
This isn't another urological study about saddle pressure causing male impotence. The current study from the University of Cordoba Medical School finds that tight clothing that holds heat, friction of the testes against the saddle and the stress from hours of high-energy exercise can contribute to inferior sperm quality …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/06/30/new-study-too-much-time-on-the-bicycle-can-lead-to-infertility/
This 2009 Tour de France — starting Saturday in Monaco — might seem like old times for viewers, as many of the seven cyclists from the US are blasts from the past.
In fact, the seven spread across three teams has tallied 47 Tours de France among them.
The biggest name is of course Lance Armstrong, 37, who returns to the peloton after a three-year hiatus. A winner of seven straight Tours de France between 1999 and 2005, he needs no introduction. This is Armstrong's 12th Tour start.
Returning to the Tour de France in 2009 for his seventh start is Armstrong teammate Levi Leipheimer, 35, who had to sit out last year because he happened to be a member of the banned Astana team. Remember Let Levi Ride …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/06/29/us-cyclists-at-2009-tour-de-france-are-an-experienced-bunch/
Louisiana has joined the list of states where motorists are required to give bicyclists a 3-foot margin when passing.
The legislature passed the bill earlier this month and a reader informed me yesterday that Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the bill into law on Thursday.
That's not all. The bill (HB 725) contains language that specifically makes harassing bicyclists a crime:
“It shall be unlawful to harass, taunt, or maliciously throw objects at or in the direction of anyone riding a bicycle.” ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/06/29/louisiana-governor-signs-3-foot-rule-for-bicyclists-outlaws-harassment/
“I got the call — from Johan Bruyneel, our team manager at Astana — that I had been waiting for. As I had feared, his message was that I wasn't going to the Tour this year. Many reasons were given, but all I really heard was that there would be no Tour de France for me.
“Politics seemed to once again be what was holding me back from doing what I love, racing at the top of my sport. Johan gave me many reasons why he couldn't take me, and all of them made sense to me from a political standpoint, but absolutely no sense from a straight up who deserves to go standpoint.”
— Chris Horner writing about his disappointment in not being chosen to ride alongside Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer in the 2009 Tour de France. A native of Bend, Oregon, Horner's Freewheeling column appears in the Oregonian.
Horner doesn't blame Bruyneel, whose “hands were tied….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/06/27/quote-why-chris-horner-isnt-racing-in-2009-tour-de-france/
Those of you who read Adventure Cyclist magazine are probably familiar with the writings of columnist Willie Weir.
Although he calls Seattle his home, Weir spends much of his time traveling the world by bicycle. As he tells it:
“I'm not an avid bicyclist, but a traveler who discovered the bicycle.”
Weir has compiled his best Adventure Cyclist writings into a book, “Travels with Willie,” that's available in paperback for $15 at the Willie Weir website, or as a download for a donation.
The former actor explains that the digital download book is offered in the spirit of live theater that often has a “pay what you can” performance.
“If it inspires you or someone you know to get on their bicycle and explore the world, then it has served its intended purpose.” …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/06/26/willie-weir-publishes-more-bicycle-travel-stories/
Adventure Cycling Association Trail biking Rails to Trails Conservancy League of American Bicyclists
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