Thousands of bicyclists are rolling along country roads and trails in the US this week in two major week-long bicycle tours.
Some 2,000 cyclists are tackling the second stage of the Denver Post Ride the Rockies on Monday, as about 3,000 bike tourists are zipping along the flatter Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure in northern Ohio.
This is the 20th anniversary for GOBA, and organizers wanted to commemorate the bike tour with an attempt to set a Guinness Book of World Record for largest bicycle parade, set last year in Taiwan with 1,901 bicycles.
The GOBA attempt in Wellington on Saturday fell short of the mark with 1,023 riders …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/16/ohio-bike-tour-just-shy-of-world-record-7-passes-in-ride-the-rockies/
First day of Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure; attempt for longest bicycle parade fell short.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/16/world-record-attempt/
It looks like Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde is back in good form after winning this year's Dauphiné Libéré, which makes him a favorite at this year's Tour de France.
Last year's No. 2 Tour de France finisher Cadel Evans finished in second, followed by US's Levi Leipheimer in third.
Valverde and Evans, the Australian team leader of Silence-Lotto, are headed …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/15/valverde-wins-2008-dauphine-libere/
The miles and days click by, and solo RAAM leader Jure Robic is making his way to Hamilton, Ohio, just 505 miles from the finish in Annapolis.
The Slovenian ultra-athlete is averaging a steady 14.5 mph and is about 14 hours ahead of his nearest rival, David Haase. At left is a video of him greeting a fan in Missouri, about 500 miles ago.
Many of the solo and team riders have suffered cold and rainy conditions overnight as they race their bicycles across the US. One, Caroline Van De Bulk of Canada, is still riding after crashing in the fog. She cracked her helmet and skinned up her knees, but she's still riding. Her comment is typically brave, like all the RAAM riders:
“At least the pain in my right knee is distracting me from the soreness in my left!” …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/15/raam-leaders-crossing-ohio-annapolis-finish-by-monday/
The Flying Wheels Summer Century bike ride is a great way to experience the suffering and joy of cycling in a very short time.
The suffering comes on the steep climbs that interrupt the 45-, 70, and 100-mile routes. The joy comes in reaching the top and pedaling along rolling country roads that pass pleasant Northwest Washington rural scenery.
It's been a few years since I've done the Flying Wheels, and I'd forgotten what a great ride it is. The rest stops are every 15- to 20-miles and are well stocked. Most of the roads have good shoulders or have very little traffic. A bonus this year is that the weather stayed dry; we even had a little sun.
Some 3,100 of us rolled past the Marymoor Velodrome in Redmond on Saturday to start the ride. Organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club, they tout it as Washington's largest century ride and a great warm-up for their Seattle-to-Portland bike tour that happens July 12-13 …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/15/flying-wheels-summer-century-bike-ride-stays-dry/
Cascade Bicycle Club's annual tune-up for Seattle to Portland bike ride.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/15/rural-cycling-on-flying-wheels/
In the past week I've seen two news stories about bicycle riders who were killed when they fell into traffic after slamming into a car door opened by a motorist in a parked car.
On Monday, Clinton Miceli, 22, was killed as he was riding his bicycle in the bike lane on La Salle in Chicago, hit an open SUV door, fell into traffic, and was struck by a car. Miceli was an art director at Plan B ad agency.
On Thursday, Stanley Wang, 67, was killed as he rode his bicycle on Main Street in Moorestown, New Jersey. The driver of a parked pickup truck opened his door, Wang slammed into it, fell into traffic, and was struck by a passing car. Wang was former general counsel of Comcast.
While its usually a violation to open a car door into traffic, that doesn't prevent people from doing so. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/13/two-bicycle-riders-killed-in-door-zone-this-week/
Ride about four feet from parked cars. See Door Zone.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/13/getting-doored-on-a-bicycle/
Heavy rains and flooding in Wisconsin have prompted organizers of the Great Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin River (GRABAAWR) to move this year's staging area to another location in Prairie du Chien.
Road closures by the Wisconsin DOT, especially in hard-hit south central portions of the state, may require other changes during the bike tour (June 21-28) that will be announced at nightly rider meetings.
Participants who are taking motor coaches from the finish in Prairie du Chien to this year's start in Eagle Lake will be affected by the changes announced Thursday. The staging area has been moved from the Jaycees Shelter on St. Feriole Island near Villa Louis to higher ground at Bluff View Middle School, 1901 E. Wells St., Prairie du Chien. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/13/grabaawr-bike-tour-in-wisconsin-makes-changes-due-to-flooding/
Ironically, the 2008 jersey labels a bottle, “Got Water?”
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/06/13/jersey-for-2008-grabaawr/
Adventure Cycling Association Trail biking Rails to Trails Conservancy League of American Bicyclists
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