Ever been doored? It is actually illegal

I was once witness to a car dooring. My friend was pedalling past stationary traffic less than a metre ahead of me, when suddenly a passenger opened their door, knocking my friend off his bike. Miraculously he didn?t have a single scratch. His back wheel was completely buckled. It turns out that the passenger had [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/secure/ever-been-doored-it-is-actually-illegal/

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Bike Ride in Madison, Wisconsin

As I mentioned in a blog post a few weeks back, this month I traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, for the annual meeting of NACIS (North American Cartographic Information Society) and stayed an extra day so I could do a bike ride.

Some good ideas were shared in the comments of my original Madison day trip post. Though they all sounded enticing, a local cartographer and NACIS member, Glen, offered to take me on a ride through some of his favorite countryside. Glen and I were joined by a third cartographer, Hans, who hails from The Netherlands, adding an international flair to our trio. Rest assured, this will not be my last trip to Madison, so I will keep the other suggestions in mind for future opportunities.

University of Wisconsin Arboretum
It was a beautiful and blustery day as Hans and I walked into Machinery Row Bicycles to rent our bikes, locks, and helmets for the day. The process was smooth and quick; and, before I knew it, Glen arrived and we were on our way.

Stopping for coffee
A most important piece of business for me on any ride is to caffeinate early -- Glen was happy to oblige by stopping at a coffee shop within the first couple miles. Once this was accomplished, we were off to begin our ride around most of Lake Monona. Our route took us through lovely old neighborhoods, on some fantastic bike paths, and on rural roads with a few short, busy stretches of road (see map above).

Ranger Brian saved the day
We had a second stop at the E Way Trailhead for a quick snack before riding onto the Capital City State Trail. While stopped, we noticed that Hans' rear wheel had a broken spoke. We all looked at it gravely, scratched our heads, and wondered out loud what we should do. At this point we were about halfway through the ride, so there was really no sense in turning back. As we each ate a snack, a park vehicle pulled in to service the restroom at the trailhead. Hans inquired of the driver if he might be able to help. Brian -- our favorite Wisconsin Park Ranger -- appeared with a roll of duct tape. It was applied to connect the loose spoke to a connected one and we were ready to be off on our ride once again.

Great bicycle pedestrian bridge facility in Fitchburg

Our next stop was lunch at the Great Dane Brewery in Fitchburg, where burgers were enjoyed all around. From there we rode to and through the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. The rustle of leaves provided a pleasant soundtrack as many had already turned and fallen. After exiting the arboretum, we pedaled the last few miles across the east end of Lake Wingra and straight into downtown Madison, returning to the bike shop where our adventure began that morning.

No matter how great the conference is -- and this one does not disappoint -- all the sitting and eating over three days can be rather tiring. A bike ride with pleasant companions was just the ticket. I was entranced by the rural nature of so much of our ride. The rolling prairies, scrub trees, and waving grasses were just right to restore balance to this cartographer and prepare me for the return trip home.

Top photo: Glen, Hans and Jenn on Capital City State Trail.
Top three photos by Jenn Milyko
Bottom three photos by Glen Pawelski
Map courtesy of Hans van der Maarel


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GEOPOINTS BULLETIN is written by Jennifer 'Jenn' Milyko, an Adventure Cycling cartographer, and appears weekly, highlighting curious facts, figures, and persons from Adventure Cycling's Route Network with tips and hints for personal route creation thrown in for good measure. She also wants to remind you that map corrections and comments are always welcome via the online Map Correction Form.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/10/bike-ride-in-madison-wisconsin.html

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Ever been doored? It is actually illegal

I was once witness to a car dooring. My friend was pedalling past stationary traffic less than a metre ahead of me, when suddenly a passenger opened their door, knocking my friend off his bike. Miraculously he didn?t have a single scratch. His back wheel was completely buckled. It turns out that the passenger had [...]

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/secure/ever-been-doored-it-is-actually-illegal/

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Team RadioShack in Critérium du Dauphiné

June 5-12, 2011 Team Radioshack will participate in Critérium du Dauphiné, France. Team Radioshack’s young star Jani Brajkovic won the race in 2010 (Read more here…) Needless to say he is once again on the team, as he is eager to defend his title, and with him he has a strong team of both young and more [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-in-criterium-du-dauphine/

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Mirza Ghasemi (Iranian Aubergine Dip) - Eating London A to Z

Mirza Ghasemi (Iranian Aubergine Dip) Here is a recipe from Mohsen Iranian restaurant. Aubergines are considered a staple in Iran, not dissimilar to our potato. They are used in numerous recipes an this simple recipe is for a tasty dip...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/thehungrycyclist/~3/wMFJr7OlPPo/mirza-ghasemi-iranian-aubergine-dip-eating-london-a-to-z.html

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Donning the Bike Overnight Hat

I'm happy to announce that I have recently been entrusted with overseeing and organizing Bike Overnights, IMHO one of the most promising new programs we've launched at Adventure Cycling in years.

As you can read at my Bike Overnights profile, over the years I've worn quite a few hats for Adventure Cycling, nee Bikecentennial. This is a new one I'm really excited about putting on, because I think Bike Overnights has the potential to introduce hundreds, thousands of neophytes to the joys of bicycle travel.

If someone tries out an overnight, he or she might be on the road to a future cross-country ride. Or not ? there's nothing wrong with sticking to the shorter rides. We just want to see people out there doing it!

Take a look at the Categories column on the right-hand side of the Bike Overnights home page. You'll see that so far, fewer than half of the states in the U.S. are represented. We need rides in Iowa, Wyoming, Hawaii, New Jersey, and so many other states. And I'd love to publish a story about someone doing a winter-camping bike overnight. A tale about a weekend ride to a high-school reunion. We're also looking for gear gurus, camp-cooking connoisseurs, and travel-tip trippers.

You get the picture. Be creative, and join in the fun. You don't need to be a professional writer or photographer. Just a Bike Overnighter with a desire to share the inspiration.

Muchas gracias
to media director Winona Bateman, web developer John Sieber, graphic designer Derek Gallagher, and former work study student Alison Riley for getting this program up and the wheels rolling. Not to mention the many contributors who have already taken part. Now we're depending on you and other cyclists to help us take it to the next level. You can submit trip stories via the online form or by sending an email to bikeovernights@adventurecycling.org.


Photo by Michael McCoy.

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BIKING WITHOUT BORDERS is posted every Monday by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling?s media specialist, and highlights a little bit of this or a little bit of that ? just about anything, as long as it?s related to traveling by bicycle. Mac also compiles the organization's twice-monthly e-newsletter Bike Bits, which goes free-of-charge to more than 42,000 readers worldwide.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2011/11/donning-bike-overnight-hat.html

cycling equipment

Video with Lance Armstrong: Is there a Cure for Cancer?

Jules organised for his mate Jim Stynes to catch up with cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. Jim is going through his own cancer treatment at the moment. For more information on Jim’s story go to http://www.reach.org.au or for more information on cancer visit http://www.cancerinstitute.org.au

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/video-with-lance-armstrong-is-there-a-cure-for-cancer/

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