Olympic Road Race Weekender : We?re at the Box Hill Festival of Cycling

If the excitement of the first ever British Tour de France winner and Cav winning on the Champs Elysees wasn’t enough, next weekend sees the worlds best riders including both Mark Cavendish and Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins racing on UK soil. Come and see both riders in action at the focal point of the [...]

Source: http://blog.bike-science.com/2012/07/23/olympic-road-race-weekender-were-at-the-box-hill-festival-of-cycling

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Andreas Klöden Wins Stage 3 of Criterium Int?l 2011

Team RadioShack?s Andreas Klöden (GER), continued to show his strong form this spring by winning Sunday?s final 7.8 kilometer individual time trial stage at the Criterium International in France, by 4 seconds over second place finisher Bradley Wiggins (GBR) of Team Sky. Third place went to Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) of Leopard-Trek, 10 seconds [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/andreas-kloden-wins-stage-3-of-criterium-int%e2%80%99l-2011/

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Cycling destinations outside of London

If you want to break out of London for the weekend then where can you cycle to? That was the question posed to me by London Cyclist reader David. Below I post some of the classic destinations along with route suggestions where possible. Feel free to add your comment if there?s a cycling destination you [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/cycling-destinations-outside-of-london/

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Hurry, only one week left to save 50% off every issue of Cycling Plus!

Subscribe to Cycling Plus this month and you can save a massive 50% off every issue in our huge summer sale! That’s just £2.25 an issue instead of £4.50! Cycling Plus is packed with unrivalled, expert reviews of the latest road bikes and gear, inspirational routes and rides from the UK and around the world, [...]

Source: http://magazine.bikeradar.com/2012/07/27/subscribe-to-cycling-plus-and-save-a-huge-50-in-our-summer-sale/

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Tour de France Stage 14 ? The Big One

A beautiful day for a bike race! Blue skies and nice weather (a bit warm) greeted the cyclists at the start line in the city of Saint-Gaudens within sight of the mighty Pyrénées in the south of France. The 169-kilometer course had a shark?s tooth profile and with lots of categorized mountains, a bunched-up group [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/tour-de-france-stage-14-the-big-one/

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Brain concussion & collarbone fracture for Jani Brajkovic

6 July 2011 ?Team RadioShack?s Jani Brajkovic (27) suffered a race-ending injury in a day filled with more than ten crashes in Wednesday?s stage 5 of the Tour de France. Brajkovic touched wheels with another cyclist on the narrow roads of northern France and came down hard on the pavement, appearing to be momentarily [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/brain-concussion-collarbone-fracture-for-jani-brajkovic/

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Team RadioShack?s Stable of Champions

Most of the National Road-Race and Time-Trial Cycling Championships around the world are now complete and once again, Team RadioShack has an impressive list of performances, many from some of its younger riders. From countries spread as far across the globe as The USA, Slovenia, New Zealand, Portugal, and Japan, many of The [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack%e2%80%99s-stable-of-champions/

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Measuring the Kindness Factor


Over the past several days, Adventure Cycling volunteer, Kerry Irons and I have met with various departments of transportation (DOTs) about designating U.S. Bicycle Routes in their state. Each DOT has their own way of moving implementation forward, based on the philosophy of the department (agency culture, if you will) and the approach taken by the individual(s) in charge of bicycle projects and programs. But time after time, the discussion eventually boils down to cost and benefit.

The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a transportation network, which will promote bicycle travel -- whether it be across a county line or across multiple state lines. Tourism is a direct result. Michigan DOT hears this loud and clear -- take it straight from Director Steudle in this blog post and short video


States involved in developing U.S. Bicycle Routes know there are economic, transportation, environmental and health benefits to providing more transportation options to the traveling public. (We're happy to report 41 states are working at some level -- many are at the "planning" stages; and many are making great progress). That said, some agencies are concerned about how designation will affect their project costs now and down the road.

Today, after one such meeting, I tried to retain a sense of purpose. After explaining the benefits of bicycle tourism and the low-to-no cost in USBR designation (staff time is the main cost since the network uses existing roads and trails -- usually in "as is" condition) I realized that as much as Kerry and I could explain these things, there is no substitute to actually experiencing the benefits of bicycle travel up-close and personal. Added to that, we are unable to provide one of the essential reasons why this network is so important to the thousands of cyclists that are anxious to use it. I guess you could call it the "kindness factor."

Huh. How do you explain to non-cyclists (or cyclists that have never toured) how it feels to be really out there -- the bicycle being both your home and your main form of transportation. How do you explain to them how often the kindess of complete strangers will save you from a cold or wet night outside, provide you with vital fluids or nutrition, or offer you money when you can't find an ATM in the middle of nowhere?


It brings me back to why Greg and June Siple, and Dan and Lys Burden started Bikecentennial in the first place. Though Bikecentennial was billed as an event, the essential reason for the route and tour was the desire for people to experience the "real America" in 1976. Today, those who embark by bicycle across the U.S. are looking for that same experience -- and they are getting it. 




Take my son (pictured left) for example. He's 17 years-old and is touring with his best friend, Drew (right) and another young man, Ty. The crew started out in Oregon and were immediately blessed with the kindness of new friends along the route. Before long, they met Neal Fisher, a bike traveler from Connecticut, essentially on the same route and same timeline. The four decided to ride together. Through Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota, the four (and sometimes five when my husband rode too) experienced the kindness of complete strangers -- like Tony Braun, pictured above who paid for their hotel and meal. They were especially blown away by the generosity of people in North Dakota -- Neal calls them "benefactors." 


Watching this bicycle march across the country and hearing story after story from my son each day has lifted my heart. I realize that this is why I love my job; this is why Adventure Cycling has committed resources to seeing this project through; and that this is why cyclists across America follow us on Facebook, Twitter (@USBicycleRoutes) and donate to our campaigns. And while the "kindness factor" is not a measurable outcome and we can't show the cost benefit breakdown, we know it to be an essential element of bicycle travel. 


Top photo by George Schon on Flickr, middle photo by Dan Burden, bottom photo by Neal Fisher.


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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/07/measuring-kindness-factor.html

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