Category: Main Page

Four grants support U.S. Bicycle Route System

The proposed 50,000-mile network of bicycle byways called the US Bicycle Route System is getting a $100,000 boost.

The Adventure Cycling Association announced it has procured grants from four foundations to continue its work on the USBRS.

The nonprofit bike touring association has been coordinating efforts to create the bike route system that will connect common destinations for travelers, such as cities and national landmarks.

So far, volunteers and state highway staff in 41 states are working to bring the bicycle routes to life.

They're looking for the most bicycle-friendly roads …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/10/05/four-grants-support-u-s-bicycle-route-system/

Cyclists compete for bragging rights on Mount Diablo

There's an easy (well, maybe not so easy) way to decide who is the best climber among San Francisco Bay Area bicyclists — take the Mount Diablo Challenge.

More than 600 cyclists completed the 30th anniversary of the event on Sunday, some in all seriousness and others for the pure joy of climbing 3,249 feet in 11.2 miles.

The fastest cyclist to the top of the peak that dominates the Bay Area skyline in  Danville was Nathaniel English …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/10/03/cyclists-compete-for-bragging-rights-on-mount-diablo/

Easton to Cle Elum: Bicycling the John Wayne Pioneer Trail where railroading is remembered

Although the John Wayne Pioneer Trail is a rail-trail well-suited for bicycling, the trail head at South Cle Elum is certainly a draw for railroad enthusiasts.

The large rail yard built by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in the early 1900s is preserved there, and a few buildings remain intact. Pedaling into town on the rail-trail gave me a slow-motion idea of the scene witnessed by locomotive engineers.

Lately I've been bicycling different sections of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail east of the Snoqualmie Tunnel. While I don't have the opportunity for a nice through-trip …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/10/03/easton-to-cle-elum-bicycling-the-john-wayne-pioneer-trail-where-railroading-is-remembered/

Record turnout for Levi Leipheimer gran fondo; 3 airlifted with serious injuries

A record 7,500 bicyclists rolled out for the Levi Leipheimer's King Ridge Gran Fondo on Saturday in a ride that unfortunately was marred by three serious injuries.

Police said that wet pavement may have been a factor in both crashes that occurred on winding roads on a particularly hilly section near the Pacific Coast in Sonoma County.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports Kristin Rossi, 43, of Hillsborough was injured in a solo crash at 11:43 a.m.  An hour later at about the same location …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/10/02/record-turnout-for-levi-leipheimer-gran-fondo-3-airlifted-with-serious-injuries/

Celebrities ride bicycles too

Here's a  photo of Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn riding their bicycles one day in Santa Monica.

It's kind of comforting to know that such celebrities as the daughter and mother actresses enjoy heading out for a bicycle ride, even in apparently inclement weather.

Canada's Province website has a long list of celebrities (nearly 100) riding their bicycles accompanied by their photos. Richard Masoner over at the Cyclelicious blog runs a regular feature of “(Famous person) rides a bicycle.”

My only problem with looking at images of “stars” riding bicycles is that it's hard to tell who is really out for a bike ride, and who is out for a photo op.

I also suffer the added difficulty of not really recognizing some of the celebrities …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/10/01/celebrities-ride-bicycles-too/

Bicyclists ride for Joplin and Tuscaloosa tornado victims

A dozen bicyclists are riding across the South to raise money for tornado relief in the cities of Joplin and Tuscaloosa.

Those two cities were devastated by severe tornadoes that took the lives of 51 people in Tuscaloosa on April 27 and 162 in Joplin on May 22.

The 12 on the Present: Hope Tour bicycle ride are aiming to raise $100,000 as they pedal ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/30/bicyclists-ride-for-joplin-and-tuscaloosa-tornado-victims/

Closed to bicycling: No plans to remove sandbags on Green River Trail

A long section of the 19-mile Green River Trail south of I-405 will remain closed to bicycling as flood protection remains in place for the time-being.

Workers installed the 3- to 4-foot high wall of sandbags along the levee-top trail in the fall of 2009. That's when the Army Corps of Engineers reported the Howard Hanson Dam upstream could no longer handle high water, and they'd have to flood the Green River Valley in the event of heavy rains.

Two weeks ago, however, the Corps announced that repairs have been made and they could operate the dam at full capacity this fall and winter.

It looks like the sandbags are going to remain in place for another rainy season ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/29/closed-to-bicycling-no-plans-to-remove-sandbags-on-green-river-trail/

Nevada's 3-foot bicycle passing measure becomes law

Nevada will become the 19th state on Saturday to require that motorists give bicyclists at least 3 feet of space when passing.

Cyclists will celebrate the measure with the “3 Sweet Feet” bicycle ride between the Reno and Sparks city halls that day to draw attention to the new law.

In addition, a “vulnerable users” law that smacks harsher penalties on motorists who cause injury to bicyclists or pedestrians also goes into effect on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Three-foot laws were enacted earlier this year in Kansas and Georgia. Further, a 3-foot passing bill has been approved by the California …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/29/nevadas-3-foot-bicycle-passing-measure-becomes-law/

How serious is urban pollution for bicyclists?

Here's an irony if you commute by bicycle through city streets to improve your health:

A research paper says London bicycle commuters have 2.3-times more black carbon — soot — in their lungs than their pedestrian counterparts.

Bicyclists have long assumed they might be inhaling a little urban pollution when a bus passes by or they get stuck behind a fume-belching delivery van at a stop light.

Now the London-based researchers have put a number on it in a paper presented …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/28/how-serious-is-urban-pollution-for-bicyclists/

Cycle Oregon volunteer still missing after two weeks

Bicyclists will gather for a bike ride this weekend in Portland to help raise awareness about the heart-wrenching disappearance of a Cycle Oregon volunteer two weekends ago.

Mark Bosworth, 54, was last seen leaving a tent area in the host city of Riddle the evening of Sept. 16. He was reported missing the next morning after his tent was empty.

At the time, friends said Bosworth appeared disoriented at times and complained of headaches, although he responded he was “just fine.”

Details about his disappearance and search efforts can be found at FindMark.org. Also, check out the FindMark Facebook page.

Cycling luminaries Greg Lemond and Lance Armstrong recently helped spread the word …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/28/cycle-oregon-volunteer-still-missing-after-two-weeks/