My son has been riding multi-day group bicycle rides with me since he was 11, but here he is a junior in high school and we've never been on an independent overnight bike tour together.
We decided to fix that cycling resume omission over the Memorial Day weekend with an overnighter to a state park located about 40 miles east of Seattle at the base of the Cascades.
It was a great trip. We had a chance to talk without the distractions at home. My son stoked my ego by blurting out on a hill, “Wow dad, you're calves are cut!” When he rocketed past me seconds later, I returned the compliment.
Although there was an element of last-minute preparations involved, it wasn't one of those spur-of-the-moment S24O's (sub-24-hour overnighter) described last year in Adventure Cyclist magazine by Rivendell founder Grant Petersen …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/28/green-river-valley-overnight-bike-tour-in-western-washington/
My son with energy to spare after our first day's ride to Kanaskat Palmer State Park in western Washington.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/28/end-of-first-days-ride/
The ancient proverb — “He who rides a glass bicycle shouldn't take the bumpy road” — doesn't apply to the glass bicycles hand-sculptured by Leo Lyman.
From his home studio in Wildomar, California, Leo makes a wide variety of small glass bicycle gifts in the styles of road bikes, tandems, recumbents, and more. He even makes glass cake tops; I understand the glass tandem is popular for wedding cakes.
Examples of his work are displayed at his Bicycle in Glass website. I recently asked Leo how he got started making glass bicycle-style jewelry.
“I have been doing the bicycle glass since my son Scott was racing BMX, which has been about 22 years ago,” he wrote. “He then moved up to cross-country and down hill. I used to sell the bicycle glass at the races to pay for his races and accommodations. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/27/small-gift-bicycles-in-glass/
Handcrafted bicycles in glass created by California artist Leo Lyman. See road bikes, tandems, recumbents, BMX bikes and more at Bicycle in Glass.
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/27/glass-bicycle-jewelry/
Italy's Enrico Pellizotti won the ever-climbing 7.9-mile time trial on Monday, but couldn't dislodge Astana's Alberto Contador from the overall lead.
The Spanish cyclist, who just attained the leader's pink jersey after Sunday's stage, finished Stage 16 in 4th place but widened the margin over his nearest rival — Riccardo Riccò — to 41 seconds.
After Tuesday's rest stage, the peloton swings into Switzerland for part of a 90-mile 17th stage from Sondrio to Locarno that has only one climb. Cyclists with a design on a championship will have to look ahead to the mountain stages on Friday or Saturday or Sunday's final stage — a time trial around Milan…
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/27/contador-survives-in-pink-jersey-pellizotti-wins-time-trial/
Surpassing Saturday's winning effort, Emanuele Sella drove a breakaway for all of Stage 15 and survived the six major climbs to cross the finish line with a two-minute gap at Passo Fedaia.
Spain's Alberto Contador, left, fought his own battle among the GC contenders, eventually grabbing a half-minute lead over his nearest rivals for the pink jersey. Five riders sit a minute or less behind Contador, however.
Monday's individual time trial may be the stage that solidifies the lead for an overall champion for the Giro d'Italia, which ends next Sunday. The 7.9-mile race against the clock climbs right to the summit of Plan de Corones, at times taking a 16%, 20% and even 24% gradient to the top …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/25/contador-leads-giro-sella-wins-back-to-back-mountain-stages/
An overnight snowfall in the mountains around Durango left 2,500 bicyclists all dressed up with no place to go on Saturday morning for the 37th annual Iron Horse Bicycle Classic.
The Colorado State Patrol cancelled the popular bicycle road race and bike tour from Durango to Silverton after a foot of snow was measured at the finish line in Silverton and daytime temperatures were only expected to reach the high 30s.
Said race director Gaige Sippy: “We can not have 2,500 cyclists and their friends in Silverton with those weather conditions. Hypothermia in these conditions is a high risk.”
There is a no refund policy in effect and the rides cannot be rescheduled. Other weekend events were not affected as of Saturday morning …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/24/snow-derails-colorados-iron-horse-bicycle-classic/
Italy's Emanuele Sella won the mountainous Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia by more than 4 minutes with a solo breakaway some 30 miles from the mountaintop finish in Alpe di Pampeago.
The high mountain passes on Saturday also served to shake up the overall lead, with Gabriele Bosisio taking the pink jersey, leading Astana's Alberto Contador by just 5 seconds.
On Sunday the real fun begins, though, as Stage 15 features six climbs over 94 miles, including the mountaintop finish at Passo Fedaia. Expect more changes in the overall standings …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/24/bravo-sella-solo-win-on-mountainous-giro-ditalia-stage-14/
Emanuele Sella on Team CSF Group Navigare wins stage 14 of 2008 Giro d'Italia
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/24/emanuele-sella/
Mark Cavendish scored his second win at the 2008 Giro d'Italia of Friday with a commanding two-bike length sprint finish at the walled city of Cittadella.
The 23-year-old passed 3-stage winner Daniele Bennati in the sprint. Teammates on High Road, which is now a US-based team, led out the peloton in the final kilometers.
Although the overall leaders remained unchanged, with Italy's Giovanni Visconti in No. 1, Saturday's stage from Verona to a mountaintop finish at Alpe di Pampeago might shake things up …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/05/23/cavendish-wins-giro-stage-13-for-team-high-road/
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