Join the St. Petersburg Times Bike Tour Sunday

Hammerhead roadies, weekend warriors and once-in-a-lifetime participants will be swarming all over Pasco County Sunday for the St. Petersburg Times Bike Tour. Proceeds from the Bike Tour
will benefit Chapter VIII of the Police Unity Tour, an organization which
memorializes officers killed in the line of duty.

There will be three options: The 75 mile course challenges the strongest
riders, while the 40 mile course is popular with cyclists who want to test
physical endurance. The 9 mile course promises to be challenging, but
offers participation with less stress.

Unfortunately I am out of town and will be unable to attend this year, but there is always a great support group and the weather this time of year couldn't be better. Get out there and get in some base miles or just challenge yourself.

Sad end for bike thief

In Seattle last week, a 35-year-old podiatrist was apprehended after he alleged took some very high-end bikes for very permanent "test" rides. Jacob J. Bos would schmooze local shop owners into trusting him with nothing more than his name, Jake, and ride off on $5,000 + bikes. He was caught when he left behind a coffee mug with his name on it that police were able to trace back to him with DNA.

Seattle police say they got lucky with the DNA test, but Longview, Wash., authorities believe Seattle cops put a priority on the case.

"Seattle's a big bike-riding area, and I think they took offense," said Kevin Sawyer, a Longview police detective assigned to the case told the Seattle Times. "A lot of prosecutors and cops ride bikes, and it was one of their things."

Turns out the guy was an active member of the Northwest racing scene and none of his friends ever suspected a thing.

"This is like a brilliant kid who has another life," said Dr. Richard Kirkpatrick, who owns the Longview medical clinic that employed Bos . "Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde, it seems to me."

Well on Monday, the story came to a close. Bos hanged himself in a hospital psychiatric ward where he'd been admitted after two previous suicide attempts.

A sad end to a sad story.

[via BikeHugger]

Think 29ers are big? Think again

Found this monster today. It's Blonde Fabrication's 36"-wheeled bike. It's not the first I've seen, but certainly the coolest. Built with 135mm hubs front and rear, the tires must be hand-cut. Looks like fun!

Here it is parked next to a regular, 26" mountain bike.

[via TwentyNineInches.com]

DIY - Homemade bottle opener

I have one of these I got as a gift. The one I have is welded, but Blue Collar Mountain Biking hooks us up with a step-by-step how-to on making your own without welding. Can't wait to try it myself!

Sheldon is my co-pilot

[via Bike Punx]

Where did "Bicycle" playing cards come from?

If you're also a fan of another Tampabay.com blog, Ante Up, this one's for you. The United States Playing Card Company prints many brands of playing cards. One of the most common is Bicycle. Chances are you've seen them around: they've been in production since 1885. The company's Web site has a cool history of the cards and the meaning behind the designs.

The Joker – an American invention dating from about 1865 – has made different appearances in the "Bicycle" line. The first type represented a man on a high-wheeled bike. The bicycle later acquired two wheels of normal size. Then followed a series of playing card kings on bikes. These cyclists wheel past a milestone marked "808." Contrary to some opinions, this number has no mystical meaning. It is merely a reference number distinguishing this brand from others (such as "606") by the same company.

[via Dirt Rag Magazine]

Electronic shifting - is it real this time?

With the Tour of California growing exponentially in exposure and prestige each year, it's no surprise that this week we're seeing some of the biggest names in all of pro cycling hanging out in Cali.

And where there are big-ticket teams, there are sure to be big-ticket toys.

One of the coolest blogs anywhere, Belgian Knee Warmers, has the latest spy shots of Shimano's Dura-Ace electronic shifting system that has been in the works for a few years. Campy has been developing a system of their own and Mavic had an electric system in the '90s.

The electric shifting is not without its successes: Chris Boardman won the prologue of the '94 Tour with a Mavic Zap rear derailleur, and Nico Eeckhout was the first to win a sprint with Campy's 2003 prototype.

So why would anyone need this kind of thing? Think about it: the shifts happen instantly and precisely ever time. The derailleurs would never go out of tune. There would be no cable stretch. The mechanism would be almost entirely maintenance-free. (As long as you remember to change the batteries, that is) Will it ever replace cable-actuated shifting? Of course not, but for big-budget racers, it's a no-brainier.

My prediction: Electric Dura-Ace topping off the Shimano line-up for 2009 with a formal introduction later this year. Electric Campy to follow a year or two later. SRAM? Who knows.

If you want more, CyclingNews.com has some more in-depth looks at both Shimano's system (circa 2006, 2008) and Campy's (circa 2003, 2005)

UPDATE: Bicycling Magazine has a cool video featuring all of the cool features like auto-trim on the front derailleur.

P.S. Adobe has brought the Tour Tracker back to the Tour of California this year. With it you can watch the race live, follow your favorite riders and track the peloton on GPS. Oh, and did I mention it's free? It appears they've worked out all the kinks from last year and it's working great. There is no better way to watching cycling.

[photo courtesy of Belgian Knee Warmers]

How to lock your bike - the right way

Carlton Reid, of QuickRelease.tv and the SpokesMen podcast fame, put together an extensive examination of what were the most effective and safest means of locking his bike. He points out the most important thing to remember: no lock can secure a bike 100%, it only buys you time. How much time is up to equipment and methods.

One interesting tip I never considered: the tighter your lock is around frame/wheels/post/whatever, the more difficult it is for would-be thieves to fit their tools through it. When using a hydraulic car jack to smash a lock, that can make a big difference.

Anyway, check out QuickRelease.tv for the complete story.

[via Cyclelicious]

Mayor Iorio joins Seminole Heights ride

The first Seminole Heights Bike Club ride was held this weekend through... well... Seminole Heights, of course. The group was founded by cycling advocate and resident Alan Snel and some 60 rides showed up on a beautiful morning for the first ride. They were joined by Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, who praised the neighborhood's cycling friendliness and touted Tampa's latest cycling improvements.

For more, check out Alan's blog or BikeCommuters.com

[Photo courtesy of Alan Snel]

Wisconson college has a velo-lution

RIPON, Wis. (AP) — A tiny liberal arts college here hopes it has found an answer to a nagging shortage of campus parking: a bicycle giveaway.

If incoming freshmen promise not to bring a car to campus for a full year, Ripon College will give them a Trek 820 mountain bike, a helmet and a lock — a $400 value.

"We're a residential college with a beautiful, historic campus in the middle of a small town," said President David Joyce, an avid cyclist. "Paving it over was not an option I was willing to consider."

He hopes the 1,000-student campus' "Velorution Program" will protect it from building more parking lots.

"We obviously live in a car culture. That's not about to change," Joyce said. "But if a significant number of students learn that a car isn't a necessity at this stage of their lives, that's good enough for me."

Last fall, for the first time in Ripon College history, the number of parking permit applications exceeded the 400 permits available, Joyce said. The city approved a measure to close overnight street parking on every street through and adjacent to the campus.

The college, founded in 1851 and located about 70 miles northwest of Milwaukee, teamed with Fond du Lac/Oshkosh Cyclery, Trek and other companies to start the bicycle program.

Friends, trustees and alumni donated about $60,000 to buy 200 bicycles to give away to an expected 300 incoming freshmen, said Cody Pinkston, a spokesman for the school.

Historically, about 100 freshman arrive without cars, so accepting the bike will be a "no-brainer" for them, he said.

"There is not a strong bicycle culture here with students. That is what we are trying to engender."

Scary incident in Seminole County

Seems this incident took place last week near Orlando. It just shows that while there are plenty of cyclists who ignore or disregard the law when cycling, it is clear that the law is also often ignorant of the best practices of cycling.

Scary things on Florida Avenue Saturday morning during the Lakemont group's weekly sprint down the rural road. Apparently a Seminole County Sheriff's deputy driving a marked Chevy Blazer was sitting alongside the roadway in wait for the group's routine jaunt. When the group of more than 20 cyclists passed, he pulled out and drove next to the paceline, proceeding to use his vehicle to try to herd the group further toward the edge of the road. Not only did he violate the 3-foot law, he almost caused at least one of the riders to go down. Our Chain Gang sources report that someone in the group called the sheriff's office to complain and a female lieutenant said she would speak to the deputy. Hats off to the administator if she did take the time to educate the deputy that he was violating the law and imperiling people who were not in violation of the law.

[Reposted from The Chain Gang]

Spoke N Word endorses...

'Nuff said.

What do you think about when out on a ride?

Something has to take your mind off your aching rear on a century ride. St. Petersburg Times columnist Jeff Klinkenberg says he thinks about the wildlife he sees, hills and his own mortality after suffering a stroke after a ride in 2006.

I am traveling light, on a 16-pound bike, with a hard-boiled egg, four energy bars, a banana and a cell phone in the rear jersey pocket. I've clamped two bottles containing Gatorade below the saddle. My goal is to ride 100 miles in a day.

I straddle my carbon-fiber Orbea, clip my shoes into the pedals, head north into the wind.

Do bluebirds know they are mortal? They probably don't dwell on it, concentrating on the moment of living. A half dozen males - Thoreau described them as "carrying the sky on their backs" - flit past. I flit along with them. On my bike I always feel like I'm flying, not in a jet, mind you, but in a modest biplane. Speed kills.

Read more of Jeff's take on how a long ride can put life in perspective.

What do you think about when out on a long ride? Do you dwell on nagging worries or do they glide away with the wind? Do you distract yourself with music or embrace the solitude? Share your thoughts!

NAHBS links, photos and goodies

Looks like the North American Hand Made Bicycle Show was a HUGE success. There were so many people trying to get in the door the fire marshal declared capacity and was limiting access. Then, so many people showed up by bike that the 500 indoor spots were full and so many were locked up outside they were getting "towed" by security.

Anyway, on to the goodies:

Bamboo fiber composite frame from BME. Not ridable yet, but very close. [via Cyclelicious. Flickr photo dump here.]

Ed Litton's 1930’s era Campy shift bits. One lever opens the skewer, the other pushed the chain to a given cog as you backpedal. The serrated dropout taken from a bike of the same era keeps the serrated axle aligned as it rolls across during shifts. The original one speed death kiss. [via UrbanVelo. Amazing, drool-inducing photo galleries]

Renovo built this wooden by creating hollow shapes and bonding them together. The complete bike weighs 17-20 pounds. Because wood's fatigue life exceeds that of metal and rivals carbon's, the Renovo bikes are heirloom quality bikes that will last multiple lifetimes. Wood doesn't rust, and the wood is sealed inside and out. [via Cyclelicious]

Naked Bicycles' redonkulous fixed gear features pinstriped wooden rims, some amazing tube shapes and incredible details. It was the early favorite for Best In Show. Follow the link for more on this amazing ride. [via BikePortland.org]

Plus, check out some Flickr galleries here, here, here, here and here.

Ok, excuse me while I clean the drool off my keyboard.

New Seminole Heights Bike Club formed

Got a note this week from fellow Tampa Bay cycling blogger Alan Snel. He wanted to report his blog is back up and running, but at a new address: alansnel.blogspot.com.

He also wanted to let the community know about a new venture of his: the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club. The group is already hard at work on the details. The group will host its first club ride February 16 with special guest bicyclist Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and her husband Mark Woodard. Meet at 1203 East Powhatan Avenue at 8:15 AM and the ride will begin at 8:30 AM.

Find out more about the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club at Alan's blog.

If it's February, it must be NAHBS!

The National Hand-made Bicycle Show is shifting into the big ring this year, moving to a new venue in bike-crazy Portland, Ore., and threatening to destroy another keyboard of mine as I drool over pics of some of the most beautiful bicycles ever built.

There will be dozens and dozens of exhibitors, from Portland's own Ahearne Cycles ("Hand Built With Love and Fury") to Zipp Wheels. Representing Florida is Gainesville's Villin Cycle Werks [link is down for now -Adam]. Just search for "NAHBS" on Flickr and you'll understand why I'm so excited.

There will also be seminars on framebuilding and fit (natch) as well as "How To Work The Media". I'll tell you what, if anyone wants to send some stuff my way to "test", I'm all for it. Stay tuned for all the latest from one of my favorite bike events of the year.

[photo via Vanilla Bicycles]

Will South Florida ever be bike friendly?

Miami is not known as a cycling town. Despite great weather, flat terrain and an easy to navigate grid, there is almost no cycling infrastructure and no cycling advocacy groups. According to the Miami New Times, the city possesses only one bike lane, and it is still under construction.

New groups such as the Bicycle Planning Advisory Committee are having a tough time changing attitudes:

The members, mostly middle-age professionals, are a quirky bunch of civic do-gooders, and they are genuine — sometimes even passionate — in their desire to bring better biking to Miami. But after some 200 meetings over the course of 22 years, BPAC has little to show for all of its efforts. Its handful of victories — getting bicycles on Metrorail, better accommodations on the Rickenbacker Causeway, a few lanes here and there — is like a sprinkle of powdered sugar on a pile of manure.

One of the biggest problems is that while cycling advocates tend to be upper-middle-class professionals, those who depend most on bicycles are the city's poor.

Ricardo Ochoa, who owns the Cuba Bike Shop at 2930 NW Seventh Ave., arrived two decades ago from Colombia. He worked for most of that time as an accountant before taking over the shop five years ago. Working with bikes, he says, showed him a different America.

"You know, this business makes me upset, because fixing bikes, I see the poverty, man," he says, absently tinkering with the brakes on a rusty BMX. "I see these people from Overtown with these bikes. I can't believe the extent of the poverty. Here, to be a poor person, you need a car, a cellular [phone], all these things. In other countries, if you're poor, you're just poor, that's it."

Read the whole story about Miami's cycling scene at the Miami New Times.

Sheldon Brown: 1944-2008

What more can be said than the world has lost a true innovator and one of its most passionate cyclists. Sheldon, you will be missed.

Were you Amped for the Super Bowl?

Bet you never thought cycling would have anything to do with the Super Bowl.

The folks at Amp Energy Drink hooked up 42 stationary bikes to 160 high capacity batteries, got a few hundred cyclists to pedal for four days and generated an estimated 244 kilowatt hours. All of that electricity was uploaded to the local power grid, with 37.2 kwh offsetting the first 30 minutes of Fox's Super Bowl broadcast, and the remaining 207 kwh powering the attraction's lights, sound and entertainment. Even  Super Bowl superstar Joe Montana got in on the action:

AMP Energy Event - Joe Montana - Watch more free videos

Check out this .pdf or the link above for more details.

[via Bike Hugger]