In The Habit of Biking?

This photo, taken in New York, was captured by Stacy in Flickr.

Rent A Bike In Barcelona

This Flickr pic was taken by pro photog MotivSucher who titled the photo "Rent A Bike - In Barcelona". I'd rent one! (Click the pic to see it in its full glory.)

Donner Lake, California

Flickr's Abdur took this shot at Donner Lake, California, while on a camping trip with friends. Just check out that Trek! No wonder it's in front! ;-)

Oceanside, California

These photos, taken in Oceanside, California in November 2009, are compliments of Snapshot_Fanatic of Flickr. (Click on the pics to view them in more detail.)

A little bit of attention and this will be good in no time!

What is this!?!

They say it's the creaky gate that lasts longest on its hinges...

(I noticed the old man's hat goes well with the bike!)

The distinctive shape of the bike! (Taken in Colorado.)

Osaka, Japan

The photos and description used in this post is from Flickr's Kaoni. Here's an excerpt from his experience in Kumatori and Osaka, Japan.

"...As I stepped outside the sun was rising, casting its golden light across the immaculately clean streets of Kumatori. I found the bike pictured above waiting for me. I gotta say, a leisurely ride through the neighborhood, which included a beautiful park, was an awesome experience.

The details, the people, the architecture, the smells and sounds, and the feel of the breeze…all of these are unique to riding through town instead of being walled off in a car or by the hull of a bullet train, and gave me a truly rewarding perspective that I’ll never forget."

Venice, Italy

Excellent photo taken by Josh in Flickr, October 2009, Venice, Italy. The make of bicycle is called "Happy Line".

El Cajon Race 2006

This photo was taken in El Cajon, California, April 2006 by Flickr's MS4Jah. He had come upon the race unexpectedly. Click the photo to see it in its original size, in excellent detail.

Shop Sign

I love this photograph! The bike with the flowers and sign, and the surroundings. Pretty! It was taken by VintageDesignSmith on Flickr. Here's her description:

"I took the photo in Cambria, California in front of one of the many

cute little shops. I thought it was very creative of them to use the

vintage bicycle as an "Open" sign, it certainly got my attention!"

Thanks for the permission to use it!

The Lanterne Rouge — Last, But Not Least

In the early days of railway trains, a specific carriage was attached to the rear of the train to provide the crew some shelter while carrying out inspections and from this last carriage a red lantern was hung. As long as the red lantern could be observed it meant that none of the cars had become detached from the train. In French, this was called the Lanterne Rouge.

Today, the Lanterne Rouge is the name given to the cyclist who places last in the Tour de France. And this isn't a dishonour! Not in the slightest!

From the very first Tour de France in 1903 the Lanterne Rouge was in effect. It was actually a distinction for a cyclist to attain this title as it reflected his determination, perseverance and endurance throughout the race. It was also better monetarily to place last than second-to-last. In addition to his salary, the Lanterne Rouge was paid appearance fees (reportedly sizeable) to ride in exhibition races held across Europe after the Tour de France was over, which races also included appearances by the winner and other riders who earned other titles.

Through the years cyclists actually competed for last place. They would hide at points along the route or feign injury just to clock the longest time it took to cover the course. However, there is a set time in which the course must be covered. A cyclist couldn’t be ridiculously slow in arriving at the finish and claim the title. If his time fell outside the limit, he'd be disqualified entirely from the race.

I couldn't quite determine if the Tour organizers still have regard for the Lanterne Rouge. Googling didn't turn up too much and most of what I've learned came from a sports journalist's blog about it. Whatever their view, the title still draws alot of admiration for the cyclist who claims it, as was a Dutch cyclist's experience this year when he had the title until he crashed and a Belarus rider won it in the end. Nevertheless, he was still a hero in his homeland.

It is interesting that a last-placed cyclist is not a poor rider. Neither is he someone who's usually good but happened to have a bad ride during the Tour. The reality is that that very rider may have won one of the 21 stages, which is a very good achievement. Also, since cycling is a team sport, he would have worked hard for the sake of a team member for most days of the race.

And it is after doing all of that, and coming in last of all, that he's very much admired in his home country for becoming the Lanterne Rouge.

Jimmy Casper (France) was the Lanterne Rouge of 2004

Performance-Enhancing Apparel

Here's a really entertaining video from cycling clothing manufacturer Pearl Izumi.

An official is at a press conference announcing the discovery of performance-enhancing apparel which makes cyclists go faster and keep them comfortable on the bike through hot or cold weather. It's so professionally done with the presenters seeming so serious, it makes it really funny! Take a look.

(It's also here on YouTube.)

:-D

Comebacks

To see the entire photo, close the bar by clicking the white arrow at right.

Alberto Contador, 27 years old, born in Spain, turned professional in 2003. The following year he rode the Vuelta a Asturias, customarily held in Spain in early May. Early in the race, he began feeling unwell, fell down and went into convulsions. He was diagnosed with a disorder of the central nervous system and had to have brain surgery. There remains a scar that runs from one ear over the top of his head to the other ear. After recovery, he won stages in major races and twice won the Tour de France, in 2007 and this year, 2009.

Greg Lemond is a retired American professional cyclist. At the age of 18 he won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in Argentina. In 1984 he placed third in the Tour de France, second in 1985 and won the race in 1986. In April the following year, he was out hunting with his brother-in-law, who accidentally discharged his shotgun, hitting Lemond and riddling his body with pellets, with two of the bullets lodging in the lining of his heart. After surgery came two years of recovery. He entered the Tour de France in 1989 and won, and then for a third time in 1990.

Joop Zoetemelk was born in Holland in 1946. He turned professional in 1970, riding for a Belgium team. That year he placed second in the Tour de France. In 1974 he crashed into a car at the finish line of a race in France, cracking his skull and coming close to death. Afterward he contracted meningitis. In 1975 he entered the Tour de France and placed fourth. He went on to place second in the Tour de France six times, and won it in 1980.

Ottavia Bottechia was an Italian, born in 1894. He was one of nine children and attended school for one year. He owned his first bike after joining the Austrian army during the first World War. He was taken prisoner but escaped.

At the end of the war, he obtained his own bicycle and began to enter and win races. In 1922 he was invited to join a professional team. It was then that he was taught to read. He won the Tour de France in 1924.

The Business of Cycling — Sponsors

It's been fascinating learning more about the sport of cycling—and I don't only refer to being in the saddle. I mean the business aspect of it. I always knew lots of money was involved, but I wasn't aware of how many players there really are in the sporting world and they aren't just the ones you see on the court, in the pool or cycling on the road. David Walsh's book From Lance To Landis, gives an interesting insight into this. It has to do with Sponsorship.

A company, say, a sport clothing company, eyes a talent in a particular sport and offers him a sponsorship contract. With all eyes on him as he parades around in their shoes and shirts, their sales will naturally increase, which is desirable for the company. Included in the contract is an agreement that the sponsor will pay him a princely bonus should he win this or that competition in a specified period of time.

The sponsor may not want to have the responsibility of actually paying out such a hefty bonus themselves, so they make a deal with another company which specializes in covering the "risk" that the athlete may very well win the competition.

This company works out the odds of the athlete winning the event and charges the sponsor a premium, which is really a small percentage of the total winnings offered to the athlete.

It reminds me of insurance companies—you pay them a yearly premium so that in the [highly] unlikely event that your house burns down, they will hand you a cheque many many times the amount of the actual premium, so you can get your life back again. Except that if your house does burn down, they must first investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss, before they go forking out any money.

Interestingly, a Texan company underwrote the risk of Lance Armstrong's winning the Tour de France four more years in a row, after he had already won twice in a row. The total prize money offered to the cyclist was US$9,500,000.00 with the sponsor paying a premium of US$420,000.00 for the company to cover the risk. Armstrong actually won five more times.

This book is another fine read. It is written by a respected sports journalist and provides a good insight into what goes on behind the scenes in the cycling world.

Britain's Skyride

British Sky Broadcasting is the UK and Ireland's main satellite television company, and they have put alot of support into British sports. They've just put together a brand new cycling team, Team Sky, and are recruiting top and promising cyclists with the aim of producing a British winner of the Tour de France within their first five years (beginning 2010). British Cycling is the governing body for British racing.

These two organizations teamed together to produce "Skyride" — a one-day mass-participation event in the summer of this year, to promote cycling by closing the streets of the inner cities to allow the residents to come out and enjoy a day of riding. Five cities participated and tens of thousands of persons took part in the event. Pro racers from the British cycling team supported the event and rode with the crowds.

How terrific!!

To see the entire photo, close the bar by clicking the white arrow at right.

Pro British cyclists

A street in London.

Cycling through Admiralty Arch.

Cycles of all kinds

Bicycle—The History

Bicycle—The History is a fine book, if I ever read one. It would make a great addition to your bookshelf. The author traces the origin of the bicycle, its development into the two-wheeler we know today, different types of cycles and the various purposes they served, for example, use as a utility-type vehicle and also for recreation and competition. And it's chock full of fascinating pictures, sketches and posters.

The book shows that the early efforts of inventors—and the responses they received—were quite comical at times. When a determined German inventor named Karl von Drais displayed his design in France, a newspaper reported that "it was no more practical than the mechanical wings" which another German inventor exhibited the previous year. The Journal de Paris concluded that it was of no practical value. I wonder what they would say if they could see it now.

When things are in the early stages of development, they tend to be clumsy and awkward. The early bikes were very heavy, weighing over 50 pounds, since the frame was made of wood and the wheels were iron. I can't imagine the kind of ride that would give!

What surprised me most, is that the bicycle is really a recent invention. Quite recent. The very first design that set the stage for the bicycle was made 192 years ago. The real turning point though, came 50 years later, when mechanical parts (pedals and cranks) were applied to make riding more effective. And the rest of its development from there is easy to imagine.

For a vehicle which is so popular in sport and useful in everyday life, I find it surprising that it began really taking shape as recent as, what, 1867.

Another interesting thing I learned from the book is that there was a longtime interest in producing a vehicle that would not necessitate the use of animals, such as horses, to provide the power. The early sketches show what look like the beginning of the automobile, and not a bicycle. It seems as if it simply did not occur to the earlier inventors that a human could remain balanced on a vehicle with two wheels that were not side-by-side. So the designs were always so that the vehicle would stand on its own.

Karl von Drais was the one who presented this new design—that of a machine with one wheel directly in front of the other with no other support on its sides. Interestingly, it mentions that it isn't clear how von Drais came up with his idea.

Although it has struck me that it's a late invention, what surprises me even more is that the ancient Egyptians hadn't been the ones to come up with the original bicycle design. What with their being such masters of engineering with some of their accomplishments still puzzling present-day experts, I would have thought that if there was anyone to design something with two wheels lined up one behind the other, that balances and carries a human being forward with little effort, it would be the guys from Giza.

But that's all in the past now. I'm just mighty glad that when my parents thought me up, the bicycle was already perfected.

Book rating: 6 Treks! (Oh wait, it only goes up to 5!)

Can A Person Ever Get Tired of Cycling?

No, never. You always just keep pedaling.

Photo reproduced by the kind permission of Graham Watson, cycling photographer.

(Photo is of Mark Cavendish, Stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse 2009.)

Tour of Poway–Riding A Century

by David (my cousin)

My first century (100-mile) road bike ride!

Alan, Walter and I did the 24th annual "TOUR OF POWAY" fun ride together, it took us just under six hours to do 100 miles averaging 17 mph.

The weather turned cold, cloudy and windy that morning with a possibility of rain. But none of the more than 2,000 riders seemed to mind.

The ride started at 7:00 a.m., but we left 15 minutes late because I had to find where to pickup my number patch and fill out a waiver. I'd registered just a few days before the ride and my patch was in will call.

The ride started off flat for the first mile (not quite warmed up yet). Then came a steady 4.5 mile climb on a narrow Poway road up to Highway 67 – it was good that this road was closed going east for the ride. Then it was a steady 6-mile climb on Highway 67 to Ramona.

After going around the outskirts of Ramona, we stopped at an Aid Station for snacks, beverages and restrooms before going 13 miles downhill on Highway 78 to Escondido. We came to a point around 35 miles where we could turn left and do the balance of 50 or 62 miles, or turn right and do the 100 miles.

After a short conversation we decided that we could do the 100 miles and Walter said we should do a slower average speed (a century pace) to complete the ride. Our average speed was around 19 mph at this point.

The ride then took us through my city of San Marcos (yes, I wanted to go home but didn't), then scenic Carlsbad. When we got to the coast we went south to La Costa, then turned to go through Rancho Sante Fe Estates, Carmel Valley, and Rancho Bernardo. This is where I hit a rise in the road for an underground drain lid. I must've hit it going 30 mph or so and my rear wheel spoke broke at the hub. My rim was now wobbling out of alignment at this point 15 miles before the end. But it was still rideable with some brake rub. Great, but now my average speed was dropping!

Alan at the finish line.

We made it back though, without any other problems.

The ride was a good course on a cool and windy day. And I'm glad it did not rain. I didn't notice very many flats. It seemed as if they swept the road of any debris in preparation for this ride.

This was Walter's first century too, and Alan's second. We'll see if maybe this is not the last!

David

From Me: Thanks David, I enjoyed this experience very much!

Custom-Designs

Happily, there's a love of cycling in our gene pool. My cousin sent me an email this week:

I just purchased a custom road bike — a Waterford RS-14, made to fit, choice of color, and built to my specification of parts. It took about six weeks to get the frame, and a week or so to get the parts and to build it. I really like it alot, its kinda built with performance and comfort in mind, with an emphasis on durability.

The wheels were custom built at the bike shop where I ordered the bike and came out real nice. Its not lightweight by any means at just over 20 pounds. But it's quicker off the line and maintains a good speed, so far I have been able to average 2-3 mph faster than the previous bike.

Handling is top rate, it's especially more stable on descents at high speed. I've already put 170 miles on it in less than two weeks. I plan on doing a 62 mile (or metric century) this coming Saturday with Alan and 2,000 other riders, called "the Tour of Poway".

Looking forward to how it does.

Road Racing - Live

The Vuelta a España and the UCI Road World Championships which raced this month, showed live on the Internet. Our cable television package offers two ESPNs, one Fox Soccer Network, the Speed Channel and the NFL.

Three of them show football (soccer) all the time, one focuses on auto racing and the last on American football. One of the ESPNs varies its football programming when there's a tennis Open, a golfing championship and the Tour de France.

The Tour de France is the third most-watched sporting event in the world; it's broadcast live each day when that day's stage has two hours of cycling left, then comes a half-hour recap at night.

Cycling's other races get no coverage on the sports channels that are available to us.

An Internet search quickly turned up results for live broadcasts, including free ones. A website called cyclingfans.com posted several to many links to websites which were showing the race live. The quality was really very nice! For my wobbly, so-called 'high-speed' connection, the quality was so nice, that the real offering from the broadcast channels must have been pretty exceptional.

I really appreciated the efforts of the folks behind the websites who are such devoted fans of the sport, for making this info easily available.

Mirror, Mirror ...

A Useful Addition

An addition I've always found necessary when riding is a rear view mirror. You're continuously aware of what's ahead of you and what's behind—all in one glance.

There are a number of mirrors which mount in a variety of ways. Some fit into the hollow handle bar, or clamp on somewhere at the front of the bar.

The one I have on my bike attaches with a velcro strap and it seems the manufacturers chose the strongest velcro ever invented, to ensure this mirror stays attached. It has become part of the handlebar and is neither cumbersome nor intrusive. I've found them all to be like that.

What To Wear?

I decided to purchase a cycling jersey, for the first time in my life. Up 'til now, the customary T-shirt or polo jersey was the standard riding wear, however, when I began to make plans to participate in a 50-mile ride, I sought to prepare myself to be as physically comfortable as possible. This suddenly made Tees and polos unsuitable.

Following this year's Tour de France made me aware of a Colorado-based company called Pearl Izumi, which manufactures cycling apparel. I looked them up on the Internet and noted the type of material used — 100% Polyester. Great! Everybody on the planet makes and sells these so I figured once I got a sports jersey that was 100% polyester, I'd be a happy cyclist. Not so. I quickly learned that not all 100% polyesters are created equal.

All of the jerseys in the sports stores I visited were marked 100% on the little white label, but they were all remarkably different in texture. One of them made me drip with perspiration by just looking at it on the rack! They were also very inexpensive, suspiciously too inexpensive. So I went back to the Internet and looked at the variety from Pearl Izumi on Amazon. I chose this one:

This is the Women's Symphony Cycling Jersey. I loved this colour and ordered one. In fact, I got another type of blue, not as gorgeous as this one, but still very nice-looking. This one's also marked "100% Polyester" on the little white label, but unlike the others in the stores, has a soft breathable texture. It's very well made and fits perfectly. It really does wick perspiration away from you, keeping you cool as you concentrate on battling the hills.

The Symphony cost me US$25.00 — this was pleasantly surprising because I made a trip to a couple bike shops and the jerseys there cost US$63.00 and up. Of course, they were all printed up like mad, with logos and team names.

Speaking of teams, Izumi also has this one:

I love it! This design belongs to my favourite team. Ironically, I particularly like that their name and sponsors' logos do not appear on the jersey. I'd be somehow very reluctant to wear a replica of a team's exact outfit. Compared to the Symphony I bought, this design costs US$89.95!

These days I've been wondering how come it costs more than three times as much to buy a garment with a team's design on it. Unless this comes down by 70% in price, I'm not sure I could afford it coming anytime soon to a mailbox near me.

(Note: The manufacturer's sizes and Amazon's "Merchant's Sizing Chart" are different. For the correct fit, order using the manufacturer's sizes.)