Sleeping in the Trees


This week's Bike Overnight story comes from Kent "Mountain Turtle" Peterson, who tells us about an amazing accommodation in western Washington where grown-ups get to act like kids (or squirrels?) and sleep in the trees.

"In mid-June," writes Kent, "Christine and I spent our 'virtual weekend' (Wednesday and Thursday) on a few acres of land next to the Raging River at a wonderful place called TreeHouse Point. This place is not far from our home in Issaquah -- just over eight miles as the bikes roll, and almost all of those miles traverse paths designated for non-motorized travel.

"We left home after lunch and were settled into a treehouse known as the Nest by around 3 p.m. At $150 for a single summer night, our stay at TreeHouse Point drained much of our fun fund for the month, but we instantly knew this was money well spent. The land is beautiful, the staff is welcoming, and the TreeHouses are cozy and amazing.

"We spent much of our time exploring the grounds. Paths wind between the TreeHouses and lead down to the Raging River. Numerous spots invite you to just sit and think and wonder. There are nets in some trees which form chairs and platforms. While some of the TreeHouses are huge and quite luxurious, our favorite TreeHouse -- the one that made Christine squeal with delight and say, "Oh, I want one!" -- is a high perch that's just big enough for a single chair and a small desk. It offers an incredible view of the river. 

"Christine and I are already plotting future TreeHouse trips. We know we'll be returning to TreeHouse Point, maybe in the off-season when the rates are lower and we can feel the storms shake the trees." 

Read Kent's story in its entirety, and see more photos of these lofty lodgings, at BikeOvernights.org. There you can also scroll through our archives of posted stories and Photos of the Week -- including this week's image, which comes from the November 8, 2011, tale of adventure titled Rock and Pillar Range, New Zealand, by Paul Smith.


BikeOvernights.org Photo of the Week, 08.31.12.

Top 3 photos by Kent Peterson; bottom photo by Mike Wilson. 

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BIKE OVERNIGHTS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights content from BikeOvernights.org. Previously, from March 2009 through January 2012, Mac posted weekly at Biking Without Borders. He also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to nearly 46,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/sleeping-in-trees.html

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Poll: Team Radioshack Riders in Tour de France 2011

We are only a couple of weeks away from the biggest cycling event of the year. This year’s Tour de France starts Saturday July 2nd and ends Sunday July 24th 2011. This year the team will have to do without Lance Armstrong, but the team still has great podium potential. Which 9 riders do you [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/poll-team-radioshack-riders-in-tour-de-france-2011/

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Boardman 20 Year Anniversary ? Special Edition TK20 Track Bikes ? Pre-Order NOW!

In 1992 Chris Boardman announced himself to the world of cycling by winning the 4km Pursuit in Barcelona (the ?rst British Gold medal for 72 years) and simultaneously inspiring the next generation of great British cyclists. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Chris’s success on the track Boardman Bikes has created the Elite Series TK/20 in a Limited Edition [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/08/03/boardman-20-year-anniversary-special-edition-tk20-track-bikes-pre-order-now

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Chain Reaction Fresh Hops Festival


Come out and support Adventure Cycling at Draught Works Brewery's inaugural celebration of craft beer and sustainable transportation on Saturday, September 8, from 2 to 8 p.m. in Missoula, Montana.

At this fun-filled event, which includes bike helmet giveaways, bike tune-ups, a fleet of wacky bikes, bike safety information, raffles, and live music, Draught Works will craft a fresh-hopped beer with the help of Missoula bicycle enthusiasts!

The hops will be harvested that day by volunteers in Corvallis, MT, and transported to Draught Works by teams of cyclists in a relay-style race. At the brewery, eager cyclists will power a custom-made, bike-operated grain mill to process the grain. Once the grain milling concludes, Draught Works will add the hops and brew a bike-themed ale. Proceeds from the 15-barrel, 30-keg batch will be donated to participating nonprofit organizations including Adventure Cycling Association.

What: Draught Works Brewery's celebration of craft beer and sustainable transportation
When: Saturday, September 8, 2 - 8 p.m.
Where: Draught Works Brewery, 915 Toole Avenue, Missoula, MT, 406-541-1592

 We hope to see you there!

Graphic by Draught Works Brewery.

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ALISON RILEY is the media and publications assistant for Adventure Cycling Association.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/come-out-and-support-adventure-cycling.html

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Why women wouldn?t cycle to work!

Written by: RHODRI CLARK OFFICIAL attempts to get more people cycling look set to fail - partly because women are too concerned about their safety or their image. Men and children appear to have responded to the message that cycling to work or school is good for their health and the environment. But new figures show a 29% drop in women cycling to work, although statisticians warn those figures should be treated with caution - because the numbers are so tiny. Just 0.5% of the female workers said the bicycle was their main transport to and from work. The reduction in female cyclists cancels out a 16% increase in men cycling to work. Overall, 1.4% of commuters normally cycled to work and the Government's target of tripling the number of people cycling to work by 2013 looks unachievable.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyclingchatcouk/~3/83ZMU5XV4uM/

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Top Three Multi-Day Mountain Bike Routes in Colorado

The following is a guest post by David Veibl of CruiserBikes.com:

There is a mecca for almost every interset group; filmmakers flock to Hollywood, wine lovers fly to Tuscany to taste wine, and cyclists band together in Colorado.

Colorado is chock-full of scenic trails, bike-friendly towns, and bicycle enthusiasts. Every summer, countless cyclists install bicycle racks to their cars and head for the Rockies for some of the best bicycle tours of their lives. In fact, we saw a lot of cyclists making their way into the state when Colorado hosted the 2012 USA Pro Challenge at the end of August.

That's because Colorado has a lot to offer cyclists -- mountains, flat land, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, paved trails, unpaved trails, woods, plains, and so much more. It?s the perfect place to embark on a multi-day tour! There are many great bike routes around the state, including trails that span over a hundred miles. If you ever make your way to Colorado (or, even better, live there), you should try to make your way to one, or all three of the best multi-day mountain bike routes in the Rockies:

Great Divide Mountain Bike Route -- 548 miles


You had better install some top-quality mountain bike tires and wear a good helmet, because this bike route is the longest off-pavement bike route in the world! It?s 2,745 miles long (548 miles in Colorado alone), and it stretches from Canada all the way to Mexico. It passes right through Colorado and some of its most scenic cities, including Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, and Platoro. Colorado is also home to the route?s highest point (a whooping 11,910 feet), which is situated at Colorado?s Indiana Pass, near Platoro.

Colorado Trail -- 486 miles


This trail really takes you through Colorado. If you complete the entire trail, you will have gone through the big city (Denver), the backwoods, and beautiful mountain towns like Durango. The trail?s lowest point is in Denver at 5,500 feet, and it goes all the way up to 13,271 feet in the San Juan Range (a little bit more than halfway to Durango). Its difficulty level ranges from moderate to expert, depending on which part of the state you?re in. If you?re looking for an easier ride, you might want to start in Durango, and zoom all the way down to Denver. The Colorado Trail is maintained by the Colorado Trail Foundation.

Tabeguache Trail -- 144 miles


Western Colorado is mostly made up of raw land, and what better way to explore it than to ride the Tabeguache Trail? Pronounced ?tab-a-watch?, the Tabeguache Trail offers all kinds of scenery, including woodlands, mountains, and deserts. Be careful, though, because the area between Whitewater and Placerville is believed to have the largest population of bears and mountain lions in the Rockies. The trail?s highest point tops out at 9,500 feet. If you ever ride this trail, be sure to bring a map!

Have you ridden any of these trails? Please share your stories, tips, and photos!

Top and middle graphics: Adventure Cycling Association
Bottom graphic: ColoradoScenicByways.com

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DAVID VEIBL of CruiserBikes.com specializes in selling cruiser bikes and accessories. He recently launched a blog! Check it out on his site.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/08/top-three-multi-day-mountain-bike.html

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2013 Bicycle Travel Video Contest


I've been corresponding with Blanche van der Meer for the past 6 months on launching an online video contest to celebrate the booming trend in bike touring and travel documentaries. Blanche moderates the very successful WorldCycle Videos group on Vimeo, which has attracted more than 1,500 submissions! She has seen first-hand the growing enthusiasm for bicycle-travel videos.

In collaboration with WorldCycle Videos, Adventure Cycling's first Bicycle Travel Video Contest will begin accepting submissions on January 2, 2013. Now is the time to check out the submission categories and begin production, whether you plan an autumn bike overnight video shoot, tackle your footage from a past adventure, or set up an interview with a bicycle traveler who inspires you to document their passion and story in a portrait piece.

From January 2 through February 28, 2013, video submissions will be accepted in the following categories:

  • Best Long Distance Tour Video: Submit your best narrative or experimental video about a long-distance bike tour. Submissions must not exceed 7 minutes in length.
  • Best Bike Overnight Video: Submit your best narrative or experimental video about a 1-2 night bike tour. Submissions must capture the experience of a 1-2 night tour, not 1-2 nights of a longer tour, and must not exceed 3 minutes in length.
  • Best Portrait of a Traveling Cyclist: Submit your best narrative or experimental video portrait of a touring cyclist. Self-portraits are acceptable. Submissions must not exceed 5 minutes.
All videos will be considered for the Bike Travel Spirit Award, which will be awarded by the judges to the video that best captures the spirit of bike travel and touring.

All videos will also be eligible for the People's Choice Award, which will be awarded to the video with the most "likes" on Vimeo.

Over the next few months, we will share guest posts from our star-studded line up of judges with tips on telling bike-touring tales through video, along with some of their favorite pieces. These volunteer judges are all avid cycle-tourists and/or videographers and look forward to your submissions, they include:

We can't wait to see the amazing places, experiences, and people that you've captured by video!

To get the full details on the contest, visit adventurecycling.org/videocontest.

Photo courtesy of Blanche van der Meer and WorldCycle Videos

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NEWS, NETWORKING, AND NEW MEDIA is posted by Winona Bateman, Adventure Cycling's media director, and highlights cool media (articles, videos, photos, etc.) and meet-ups related to Adventure Cycling and bicycle travel. Writing a story about bicycle travel or Adventure Cycling Association? You can contact Winona via email: pressATadventurecyclingDOTorg. Visit our media room, view our news releases, or follow us on Twitter.


Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/09/2013-bicycle-travel-video-contest.html

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