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Bicyclists won't take backseat on Blue Ridge Parkway proposal

The National Park Service wants to manage the Blue Ridge Parkway “as a traditional, self-contained, scenic recreational driving experience.”

That might be fine for some, but unfortunately it doesn't consider the growing number of bicyclists who ride parts if not all of the 469-mile road along the crest of the eastern mountain chain in Virginia and North Carolina.

Under a new draft management plan proposed by the National Park Service, the managers wouldn't have to accommodate these human-powered users of the parkway …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/12/08/bicyclists-wont-take-backseat-on-blue-ridge-parkway-proposal/

German bicycle tourist still in coma; going home

A German bicycle traveler is returning home from the US soon, in spite of his comatose condition.

Michael Sprick has been hospitalized in Roanoke on life support ever since he was struck by a delivery truck on a Virginia highway on Oct. 8. The driver was fined $500 on Tuesday.

In spite of being thousands of miles from home, friends he had made during his travels in the US have gathered around to lend support. That support hasn't slackened as the days turned into weeks turned into months.

If not for the tragic results of the crash, this would be a feel-good story about the bicycle community pulling together …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/12/07/german-bicycle-tourist-still-in-coma-going-home/

Adventure Cycling trends show growing interest in bicycle touring

When the Adventure Cycling Association convened its local members in Seattle last year, at left, I had no idea we were part of the largest bicycling organization in the US.

But the nonprofit created to chart a cross-country bicycle route to celebrate the nation's bicentennial in 1976 has grown to 44,000 individual members who benefit from its mapping, tour hosting and bicycle transportation advocacy roles.

The Missoula, Montana-based nonprofit announced its results for the past year and past decade on Tuesday. During the past 10 years, membership has grown 19%, map sales are up 48% and its annual budget has soared to $4.1 million, a 65% increase from the beginning of the decade.

To me, these are all hopeful indicators …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/12/07/adventure-cycling-trends-show-growing-interest-in-bicycle-touring/

Bicyclist wants to thank fellow riders who saved his life

The survivor of a life-threatening bicycle crash during a century bike ride in Oregon last summer wants to find and thank the bicyclists and passersby who saved his life.

Jim Phillips, 68, says he's alive today because of the cyclists who stopped on a screaming downhill descent during the Pioneer Century in Clakamas County on June 4 to give him aid.

“… it turns out I was bleeding profusely internally.  Had I laid there, I don't know how long, I would have suffocated had I not gotten out of there,” …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/12/06/bicyclist-wants-to-thank-fellow-riders-who-saved-his-life/

Livestrong host cities announced for 2012

The Livestrong army next year will return to the same three cities it  occupied in 2011 for its charity bike rides to raise money to fight cancer.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation is presenting the Team Livestrong Challenge series in Davis, California, in June and in Philadelphia in August.

The series wraps up in the foundation's hometown of Austin for the 15th annual Ride for the Roses weekend.

Supporters also will be able to raise money for Livestrong at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in May and …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/12/02/livestrong-host-cities-announced-for-2012/

English bicycle touring circa 1963 in Mayberry

An old episode of The Andy Griffith Show unearthed on YouTube (see inside) shows us how bicycle touring hasn't changed that much over the years.

We still use essentially the same gear and learn about different cultures through our travels.

The proper English bicycle tourist of 1963, as portrayed by Hollywood, traveled with much the same gear as you'd find on a touring bike today — bike fenders, bike racks, a luggage system, head gear and cycling clothes.

In this case, however, the front rack supports a wire basket, the rear rack a small suitcase and a pannier that looks like a canvas briefcase. The head gear is a flat cap …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/12/01/english-bicycle-touring-circa-1963-in-mayberry/

Accommodate bicyclists when installing rumble strips, say Feds

Roadside rumble strips might be helpful to vehicle traffic on the open road, but they can be annoying and dangerous to people riding bicycles.

That's why three bicycling advocacy groups are publicly thanking the Federal Highway Administration for issuing guidelines this month to advise crews to consider bicyclists when installing the strips.

The statement was issued by Adventure Cycling Association, Alliance for Biking and Walking and the League of American Bicyclists.

The three had been seeking changes to road design rules that resulted in rumble strips that had created hazardous conditions for cyclists.

The photo above shows a length of Biking Across Kansas this year where bicyclists …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/11/29/accommodate-bicyclists-when-installing-rumble-strips-say-feds/

The ultimate blend of bicycle travel and coffee love

Where do we get the inspiration for a long-distance bicycle tour?

Englishman Anthony Watson didn't go any further than his morning cup of coffee.

Watson brewed his love of the bean into a full-blown bicycle expedition from England, through southern Europe and Turkey to the birthplace of the coffee plant, Ethiopia. He's sharing his adventures and discoveries for the past 7 1/2 months at his blog, Bean on a Bike.

While many touring bicyclists …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/11/29/the-ultimate-blend-of-bicycle-travel-and-coffee-love/

Passersby pedaling to keep Christmas tree alight

The Christmas tree lights already are shining in many town squares, but I was glad to see at least one city is using bicycle-power to keep its árbol de Navidad illuminated.

The warmth generated at the Mexican city park might not come from the Christmas lights on the tree, but the 15 volunteers who are pedaling at its base.

Visitors are pedaling to keep the tree lit in the city of Puebla, which is hosting a “Sustainable Christmas” fair this year.

The bicycles are attached to generators that charge two batteries ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/11/28/passersby-pedaling-to-keep-christmas-tree-alight/

Route announced for Ride Around Washington 2012

A rainy winter day is a perfect time to ponder a bicycle ride across the dry side of Washington state.

That's the destination for Ride Around Washington 2012, announced last week by the Cascade Bicycle Club.

The 400-mile supported bicycle tour rolls out Aug. 5-11 through the Ponderosa pines to the wide-open hills of the Palouse and back again. Along the way, riders will spend a couple of nights in western Idaho.

My son and I bicycled previous RAW tours that individually visited these regions. The roads …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/11/27/route-announced-for-ride-around-washington-2012/