Bike Bits from Adventure Cycling

[Paul Adkins]

This is a email news piece that I receive every two weeks. You may want to sign up for it yourself.

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Bike Bits Vol. 11, No. 21, November 4, 2009
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This is the 228th issue of Bike Bits, Adventure Cycling's
twice-monthly bicycle bulletin. Bike Bits is delivered to you--and
40,927 other readers--because you've signed up for it at the
Adventure Cycling Association website, http://www.adventurecycling.org.
Bike Bits arrives in text-only format for quick download and includes
links for more information. We want to inspire you to dream, and to
live your own bicycle adventures.

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"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a
bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
-- George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans), English novelist, 1819-1880


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WE HAVE WINNERS!
Adventure Cycling's membership and marketing coordinator Amy Corbin is
pleased to announce the 2009 Bicycle Travel Award recipients. "The
2009 Trail Angel Award goes to Bill and Nancy Nix of Knox, North
Dakota," says Amy. "This couple has created a haven for cyclists
located about 15 miles off of the Northern Tier Route." The recipient
of the 2009 Pacesetter Award is Richard Moeur of Phoenix, Arizona,
for his longstanding commitment to bicycle travel and his efforts to
put the U.S. Bicycle Route System at the forefront of transportation
planning in the U.S. This year's Sam Braxton Bike Shop Award goes to
Bikes@Vienna in Vienna, Virginia. "The service they offer cyclists
of all abilities traveling in the Washington, D.C., area is amazing,"
Amy says. Finally, the 2009 Volunteer of the Year is Charlotte
Dadabay from Adventure Cycling's hometown of Missoula, Montana, an
honor bestowed for her outstanding and timely volunteer efforts for
our membership department this past fall. Each award winner receives
a framed plaque, a pair of shoes from Keen, five pounds of coffee
from 53x11 (see third item below), and a free one-year membership
with Adventure Cycling. "Except for Richard," adds Amy, "who is
already a life member. He'll get a Cyclosource gift certificate
instead." Visit this link to learn more about the awards program:
http://www.adventurecycling.org/outreach/awards/index.cfm


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GOING FOR THE GOLD
Speaking of awards, the League of American Bicyclists has issued its
annual listing of Bicycle Friendly Communities for 2009. Included are
fifteen communities new to the list, along with five states never
before making the grade. Topping the roster with Platinum awards are
the no-surprise-there cities of Boulder, Colorado; Davis, California;
and Portland, Oregon. Among the ten communities earning the coveted
Gold award are San Francisco, Seattle, and the relatively diminutive
Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you click on the following URL you can
find link to a PDF of the entire list of Platinum, Gold, Silver
(Missoula among these), and Bronze award recipients. You'll also
find information about how to nominate your community for
consideration in the 2010 awards.
http://tinyurl.com/yjq594k


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COFFEE IN HIGH GEAR
53x11 Coffee, whose name derives from the bicycle
chainring-to-rear-sprocket gear ratio of the same name, has launched
a nationwide environmental program called the 53x11 CleanUp Crew. Its
mission: encourage cyclists, including bike clubs and teams, to get
out and clean up their favorite riding roads and trails. 53x11 Coffee
sponsors the athletes who organize the groups, sending out
high-octane coffee and trash bags to assist in their efforts. To
learn how you can get involved, go to the following site and then
click on CleanUp Crew:
http://www.53x11Coffee.com


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YOU'LL FLIP FOR THIS VIRTUAL TOUR
Charles Halty wrote Bike Bits recently to pass along the following
information: "I have written an e-Book flipbook about my bicycle trip
from Los Angeles to Montevideo, Uruguay. At my website there is a
link to download the flipbook viewer, which is free. Then there is a
link on the page to open the actual flipbook. All images, regardless
of size in the book, can be viewed larger by right-clicking the image
and selecting 'Zoom Object.' At the bottom of the links page in the
website is a short video showing how the book works. Right now it
works well with Internet Explorer and Windows; I am working with
e-Book Systems to resolve problems with other browsers and Macs. My
website has no commercial value and I get no monies or remuneration;
this is entirely free, no strings attached." Here's the link in case
you'd like to play around with it:
http://www.charleshalty.com/BRGP.htm


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SPRING TRAINING
Adventure Cycling's 2010 California Winter Warmer tour, slated for
late February and early March, makes not only a pleasant cold-weather
getaway for those of us living in the northern climes, but a great
way to get a jump on the cycling season. The weeklong ride, beginning
and ending in San Diego, visits such highlights as the immense
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the historic settlement of Julian,
founded by a band of displaced Confederate soldiers in the wake of
the War Between the States. "While the basic trip isn't overly
difficult, the itinerary is very flexible," says tours director Rod
Kramer. "And the area is chock-full of killer roads with huge climbs
and as much mileage as anyone could possibly want." Over the years
many professional teams have held their spring training camps in the
area, and last year the Tour of California had one of its most
challenging stages at nearby Mt. Palomar. Visit the link below to
learn more about this stellar adventure, now in its third year:
http://tinyurl.com/yhvdl9o


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FIVE QUESTIONS FOR FRED
Here's a link to a great little hometown-paper piece on Fred
Flanders, a 24-year Adventure Cycling member from Helena, Montana. In
the past, Fred has served as a volunteer on our event tours. A
longtime bicycle tourist, Fred is now a confirmed and competitive
athlete--though didn't take up bike racing until he was sixty-five, at
an age when many of his peers take up the rocking chair instead. He
also climbs mountains and skis both alpine and cross-country. Our
kind of guy!
http://tinyurl.com/yztayts


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OREGON: THE LAND BICYCLISTS DREAM ABOUT
According to information posted at the following site, some 90 percent
of avid Oregon bicyclists also own and drive cars. "The statistics
from the report by Inavero Institute, a Portland research and survey
development firm, appear to contradict the contentious belief held by
some motorists and lawmakers that bicyclists don't pay their way on
the roads," says the blurb.
http://tinyurl.com/yzdytwm
By way of inference, this would also mean that Oregon is home to a
lot of motorists who are sympathetic to cyclists' needs and wants,
because there are a LOT of bicycle riders in the state. To get an
inkling of why this is so, click here:
http://rideoregonride.com


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NOT JUST TRAVELING, BUT LIVING ON A BICYCLE
"There were no bands and no cheering crowds to see them off. It
was just an ordinary day in Essen, Germany, in the spring of 2006,
when Mandy Helmis and Benjamin 'Benny' Jacob climbed onto their laden
tandem bicycle and set off on the long road to the east. Not just the
east, mind you. They were chasing a dream to ride a tandem bicycle
around the world, or at least to New Zealand. After that, Africa and
then the Americas. A few thousand kilometers later, they met a fellow
traveler on the road. He looked at them and then at the bike, onto
which they had strapped almost everything they owned, and said, 'I
think you are not travelling. You are living on a bicycle.'" To read
the rest of this inspiring tale from the Times Live (South Africa),
visit this link:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/travel/article160774.ece


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Until next time ... click on http://tinyurl.com/yktfse9 to learn about
a special new stay-and-play (via bicycle) New Orleans visitors'
package.


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Adventure Cycling Association is North America's premier nonprofit
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Route Network, which now includes 38,158 miles. To join, go to:
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[Butidigress]

Paul, thanks for the Bike Bits reference. The piece on Mandy and
Benny was outstanding. I found some YouTubes on them. I used to
backpack a lot and this has inspired me to do something like this the
next time I am on Planet Earth.

Tom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxin3D9FgVs

http://globecyclers.de/