Long ago but in not so far away Idaho, Joe Kurmaskie got the nickname Metal Cowboy from a blind rancher.
Since then he's traveled near and far by bicycle, reporting his adventures through a series of humorous books, lectures and magazine articles.
His latest book is “Mud, Sweat and Gears.” It tells the story of how he involved his wife and three kids in a trans-Canada bike tour…
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/14/more-family-bike-travel-adventures-with-the-metal-cowboy/
As someone who is challenged by a track stand at a stoplight or a bunny hop over a stick in the road, I was astounded by the wonderful performances of the artistic bicyclists from Germany at Saturday's Seattle Bicycle Expo.
If synchronized swimming can be an Olympic sport, so should this. In fact, artistic cycling is a popular UCI-licensed sport in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
The Cascade Bicycle Club brought the reigning World Champion in single artistic women, Corrina Hein, to Seattle for the expo, along with leading men's pair competitors Stefan Musu and Lukas Matla.
The UCI competitions …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/14/balance-grace-and-skill-on-a-bicycle-artistic-cycling/
This weekend's Seattle Bike Expo, the largest consumer bicycle show in the US, has landed at yet another location this year.
The Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91 in Magnolia is the new home for the all-things-bicycling show, open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Here's a link for easy bicycling and driving directions. Car parking (2,500 capacity) costs $5 and the exhibition hall is about a half-mile walk; a shuttle bus also will run during the show. Secure bike parking is provided by BikeWorks right at the entrance.
From the Eastside, I'll probably head across …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/08/2010-seattle-bike-expo-same-show-new-location-web-coupon/
Take it from me; don't poo-poo the bike ride over to Poo Poo Point on Tiger Mountain east of Seattle.
After easily tackling the Chilly Hilly bike ride Sunday on Bainbridge Island, I made the quick decision a couple of days later to pedal my Rockhopper over to the launch point for those paragliders I've seen soaring south of Issaquah.
Quickly checking my Green Trails Map for Tiger Mountain, I saw the trailhead of the old logging road was at 1,400 feet elevation and my destination was 1,780 feet. I should have looked at the route more closely, instead of rushing out of the house. Or, checked with the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance wiki for Poo Poo Point. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/04/bicycling-to-poo-poo-point-on-tiger-mountain/
Right on the heels of the record-breaking Chilly Hilly presented Sunday by the Cascade Bicycle Club, I stumbled across news that a couple of charity rides in Central Washington have been canceled in 2010.
The biggest shock came from the Mike Utley Foundation, which was canceling its popular Dam2Dam bike tour in Wenatachee because of economic stresses.
On a somewhat better note, Group Health Wine Country Trek and Group Health Yakima Ridges bicycle tours in the Yakima area have been discontinued after 8 years because the events fulfilled their funding targets for a community skateboard park ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/03/01/dam2dam-among-charity-bike-rides-canceled-in-2010/
There comes a point on some organized bicycle rides when I wonder what I'm doing there.
That point came very early on the 2010 Chilly Hilly ride on Sunday as I stood in line with several thousand other cyclists and wondered if I was ever going to make the ferry to Bainbridge Island for the start of the ride.
But I came to understand what I was doing there — to enjoy the camaraderie of 6,000 fellow cyclists — later on down the road.
The promise of partly sunny skies had organizers expecting record numbers for the 37th annual bike ride sponsored by the Cascade Bicycle Club. The 33-mile tour marking the end of winter is a rite of passage for bicyclists in the Seattle area, and more tend to take those rites when the temperature is in the 50s.
In fact, Sunday was such a great day that Cascade reported 6,028 riders participated this year, an all-time record for the ride.
In spite of arriving early, we missed the first first ferry ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/28/record-breaking-2010-chilly-hilly-bike-ride/
This Sunday's Chilly Hilly marks the traditional launch of the recreational bike ride season in the Pacific Northwest.
Presented by the Cascade Bicycle Club, the 33-mile bike loop around Bainbridge Island isn't that long compared to most organized bike rides.
It becomes more of a challenge, however, when you factor in the 2,875 feet of elevation gain over a dozen steep climbs, the possibility of cold and wet weather and the fact that this is the first time some riders have had their bicycles out of the garage in several months.
This Sunday's weather on Bainbridge Island certainly aims to damage Chilly Hilly's reputation as an ordeal to be survived ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/24/chilly-hilly-bike-ride-forecast-partly-cloudy-not-real-chilly/
The drive to make bicycling safer hit severe roadblocks in three state legislatures last week.
The bad week started in Virginia where a bill to require cars to give bicycles 3 feet of clearance failed on Monday in the House of Delegates by a 54-43 vote.
Then on Tuesday, Washington's state's “vulnerable user” bill died when it failed to meet a Senate deadline for transfer to the House. On Thursday, the South Dakota Senate rejected a 3-foot passing law by a 10-24 vote.
It makes us wonder what bicyclists have to do to protect our safety out on the road. Keep demanding changes in the laws, I suppose ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/21/bicyclists-face-uphill-battle-for-legal-protections/
Some nattily attired bicyclists are planning to take to the streets on Sunday for Seattle's first “tweed bike ride” and they're inviting anyone to join in.
Dapper attire, preferably tweed, is highly encouraged. In fact, the invitation states that lycra is forbidden — “We're trying to be British.”
If you're wondering what to wear, check out the gentleman at left from a recent San Francisco bike ride shot by juicyrai at Flickr.com or other images from the SF Tweed pool.
Attendees are invited to gather at the Cal Anderson Fountain at noon on Sunday for tea, followed by a mellow group ride …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/21/seattle-getting-all-tweedy-for-sunday-bicycle-ride/
You better start practicing your bicycle jousting skills, your two-wheeled balance and your good humor as the New Belgium Brewery's Urban Assault Rides are coming to 13 cities in 2010.
Essentially, a two-person team sets out to visit 11 checkpoints around town to complete a challenge at each location. There's no route. The team to complete all 11 obstacles in the shortest time wins.
Three cities have been added to the Urban Assault Ride tour in 2010. The 13 are:
Tucson — April 18
Berkeley — May 2
Seattle — May 16
Portland — May 23
…..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2010/02/19/new-cities-for-2010-urban-assault-rides/
Adventure Cycling Association Trail biking Rails to Trails Conservancy League of American Bicyclists
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