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New Belgium's Tour de Fat bike festival dates for 2008

Chicago added, two dropped from 2007

The wild and wooly New Belgium Brewing Co. bike festival and freak show known as Tour de Fat is back on the calendar in 11 cities this summer.

Chicago was added to the list, but Flagstaff and Missoula were dropped.

The makers of Fat Tire beer will be visiting Chicago, San Francisco, Truckee, Seattle, Portland, Boise, Fort Collins, Denver, Durango, Tempe and Austin (dates below).

This is the eighth year that the cycling circus is touring the western US. Festival goers often dress in costume and decorate their most fun bikes in an opening parade. There's musical and acrobatic entertainment. There's also plenty of beer…

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/09/new-belgiums-tour-de-fat-bike-festival-dates-for-2008/

Trek trying to drop Greg LeMond

Trek Bicycle has filed a lawsuit to get out of its contract to produce bicycles for LeMond Cycling.

Trek president John Burke cites a “troubling pattern of inconsistent business dealings” with Greg LeMond, the three-time Tour de France winner.

That “troubling pattern” includes LeMond's habit of speaking his mind about doping in the sport of cycling. It also probably includes the lawsuit against Trek that LeMond filed on March 20. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the lawsuit charges Trek with:

“…failing to adequately market the LeMond-branded bikes and accuses the company of favoring products with the Lance Armstrong brand, at the expense of LeMond's products.” …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/08/trek-trying-to-drop-greg-lemond/

Bicycle commuting pays in one California county

Ten novice bicycle commuters will earn up to $200 a month in reimbursements and incentives this summer simply by riding their bikes to work.

In addition, the 10 bike riders get $100 for a helmet, a lock and a tune-up at their local bike shop, and a free two-day League of American Bicyclist Road 1 training session.

In return, all the cyclists have to do is agree to ride their bikes from, through or to eastern or central Contra Costa County at least twice a week to get to their jobs from June through September.

This brilliant project to demonstrate the benefits of bicycle commuting is the work of 511 Contra Costa

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/08/bicycle-commuting-pays-in-one-california-county/

Bicycle love between the covers of a book

Here's another bicycle book, entitled Bicycle, reviewed recently at Bookslut.com.

Most of the books I own about bicycles tell about their history, how to fix them when they're broken, or where and how to travel with one on an extended tour.

In other words, very nuts and bolts. Bicycle by Paul Fattaruso sounds more metaphysical …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/07/bicycle-love-between-the-covers-of-a-book/

Tulips missing from this year's Tulip Pedal bike ride

A cold spring delayed the main tulip bloom for the 27th annual Tulip Pedal up in Skagit County on Saturday.

Even so, bicyclists found it convenient to pedal in bunches as a strong wind raked the course all day long.

Cyclists on the 40- and 20-mile routes reported seeing plenty of white and yellow daffodils in roadside fields, but blooming tulips were few and far between.

Now, if it's daffodils you like, check out the Daffodil Classic next Sunday in Orting. Sponsored by the Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club, it features loops of 40, 60 and 100 miles …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/06/tulips-missing-from-this-years-tulip-pedal-bike-ride/

Spring comes to Great Allegheny Passage


Bruce Friedland at bpfphotography

Three dates marked the march toward spring this year along the 150-mile long Great Allegheny Passage:

Feb. 2 — Punxsutawney Phil poked his head out of his groundhog hole to proclaim more winter.
March 20 — The sun passed over the sun's equator, marking the vernal equinox; commonly known as the first day of spring.
April 3 — Crews pried open the doors to the 3,294-foot-long Big Savage Tunnel, which had been closed for the winter.

The final act marks the annual opening day for a continuous 318-mile bicycle path comprising the C&O Canal towpath and Great Allegheny Passage all the way from Washington DC to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. Tradition holds that the Tunnel Troll accompanies the first cyclist to pass through, bringing blue skies and smooth paths …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/05/spring-comes-to-great-allegheny-passage/

World cyclist biking through New Zealand

From the looks of Daniel Lang's Project VELAIA website, this is an ideal season to be bicycle touring in New Zealand. Not too hot. Not too cold.

Lang is a 22-year-old, self-described “velosopher, environmentalist, and often minimalistic outdoor adventurer” who is nearly 16,000 miles into an around the world bike tour.

His website is worth a look for the wonderful pictures, like the one above, as well as the stories the German traveler is spinning from the road…

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/04/world-cyclist-biking-through-new-zealand/

Live video from Redlands Bicycle Classic

The Redlands Bicycle Classic, which runs today through Sunday in southern California, is featuring live video from the start house for the 5K men's and women's time trial.

Among those racing are Tom Danielson (above, Slipstream), Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing), Rory Sutherland (Health Net) and Chris Baldwin (Toyota). Among the women, High Road, Webcor, Value Act Capital, Aaron's and Cheerwine are supplying strong teams.

The four-day event isn't just for watching pro cyclists. If you're in the area and would rather ride than watch, you can jump onto the Redlands Bicycle Classic Rotary Ride. It offers 6- to 60-mile bike tour options throughout the countryside. Also, public races for ages 3 and up are offered on Saturday morning. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/03/live-video-from-redlands-bicycle-classic/

Tour of America bike race, maybe next year

As many predicted, the 2008 Tour of America tentatively scheduled for this fall has been cancelled. Organizers of the prospective cross-country bicycle stage race are now looking ahead to the fall of 2009.

Frank Arokiasamy, a management consultant, had unveiled plans for the bike race at last year's Interbike Expo in Las Vegas. The bike racing press immediately considered it an extreme long shot.

Meanwhile, the 2008 Tour of Virginia has been cancelled and the Tour de 'toona has been knocked back to just one day …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/03/tour-of-america-bike-race-maybe-next-year/

Text this: “Bicyclist ahead, get off the cell phone”

A University of North Carolina – Greensboro professor and bicycle advocate faces at least six weeks off the bike after he was struck by a text-messaging motorist.

Mark Schulz is lucky. He could be dead. The motorist struck him at about 35 mph, knocking him to the ground. He suffered a concussion, shattered kneecap, crushed vertebrae, broken ribs and a broken sternum.

Police said Schulz was doing everything right when he was hit at 10 p.m. on March 26; he wore a reflective vest, helmet, and front and rear lights. That doesn't help if the driver isn't looking …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2008/04/03/text-this-bicyclist-ahead-get-off-the-cell-phone/