Sunday March 14, 2010
Each spring a series of one-day historic bike races help shape the field and define the leaders for the coming season of professional cycling. In rain, on cobblestones, in the mud, in the mountains, with spectators screaming all the way. These are the Spring Classics -- legendary races that have been run in some cases a hundred years or more -- where some of cycling's most memorable performances have been seen. You have the chance to follow them over the next month and a half via lots of streaming over the web - don't miss out.
- Milan - San Remo, March 20
- Ghent - Wevelgem, March 28
- Tour of Flanders, April 4
- Paris - Roubaix, April 11
- Amstel Gold Race, April 18
- Fleche Wallonne, April 21
- Liège-Bastogne-Liège, April 25
Learn about all the these historic, tradition rich Spring Classic races here.
Additionally, Lance Armstrong will race at least a few of the Spring Classics, according to Team Radioshack manager Johan Bruyneel, including Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, the Amstel Gold Race, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. During most of his career, Armstrong has avoided the brawling classics in order to train or ride in other events more in line with getting ready for July's Tour de France, so it should be fun to watch him in these conditions.
Links
Thursday March 11, 2010
Have you ever heard of silvercog.net? It's a cool site, and a cool concept. At the site, anyone can submit a design for a cycling-themed t-shirt with the basic requirement that it contain the silvercog word or logo in it. Each quarter, a winning design is selected through popular vote, and the designer gets $100 plus a chance to see their artwork put onto a really swell shirt then sold through the silvercog.net online store.
Stefan Downing is the owner of the site, and he's started it less than a year ago to combine three things that maybe seem to flow naturally together.
"I am a t-shirt fan, as well as a bicycling fan," he says. "I have been in the cycling industry for over 10 years and know that there are a fair amount of cyclists that have graphic design skills. I thought that tying all of the elements together in a contest format would make for a unique place to go."
The current contest closes March 31, so check out the designs here and make your vote if you're interested. The entry that appears on this page was submitted by Kim Giovanni, and is one of about a dozen in the competition.
Links
Monday March 8, 2010
Philadelphia--the city of brotherly love is also home to the Pedal Co-Op, an innovative business that celebrates both bike culture and environmental awareness to fill a unique niche.
"It's an environmentally friendly hauling service," says founder John MacDuffie "Woody" Woodburn. "We use bikes with trailers attached to haul compost, recyclables, moving stuff, bread, you name it."
The co-op uses a fleet of trailers mounted to 80's and 90's era steel frame mountain bikes to service the recycling and compost needs of their 80-85 clients, which range from small businesses to larger supermarkets. Other serves include package pick-up and delivery and even delivering croissants to coffee shops every morning from a local bakery.
"My favorite part of the Pedal Co-op is riding. Riding around the city, being a part of something awesome," says Jason Rivera, one of the co-op's haulers.
Click here to find out more on this great story about people making a difference, filling a need and having fun in the process.
Links
Friday March 5, 2010
My buddy Harold met this guy on the train. He scores major points for ingenuity with his improvised system for carrying his stuff while riding: clipping the handles of his shopping bag through his chin strap.
This is just one in our collection of funny bike photos. Following that link takes to you a full-sized version of this particular photo, plus lots of other funny ones.
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