Team RadioShack Line-up for Tour de Romandie

Team Radioshack is ready with their team for the 2011 edition of the Swiss race Tour de Romandie, which runs in the French speaking part of Switzerland. Tour de Romandie (Switzerland), 26/04 – 01/05/2011 Riders : Fumiyuki Beppu, Jani Brajkovic, Manuel Cardoso, Ben Hermans, Geoffroy Lequatre, Dmitriy Muravyev, Sébastien Rosseler & Haimar Zubeldia Directors : [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-for-tour-de-romandie/

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Team Radioshack Line-up in Tour of Austria

Team Radioshack is ready to ride in the 63rd edition of Tour of Austria (Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt), which takes place July 3-10, 2011. Team Radioshack will start with a team of relatively young riders: Matthew Busche, Robbie Hunter, Ben King, Michal Kwiatkowski, Geoffroy Lequatre, Tiago Machado, Gregory Rast & Jesse Sergent Director: José Azevedo Go [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/team-radioshack-line-up-in-tour-of-austria/

cycling clubs

Cycling and Happiness

What impact does cycling have on our state of mind, our emotions and our general sense of happiness? Firstly, the act of cycling or any physical exercise can definitely help to create a ‘feel good effect’. Medical people talk about certain chemicals, such as Serotonin, which are released when cycling. These are free mood enhancing [...]

Source: http://cyclinginfo.co.uk/blog/6682/cycling/cycling-and-happiness/

castelli cycling

Finding a Balance With Shooting, Editing, and, You Know, Cycling

Adventure Cycling?s first annual Bicycle Travel Video Contest is open, organized in conjunction with World Cycle Videos. Between now and the submission deadline of February 28, 2013, we will feature guest blog posts from our volunteer judges with insights and tips for creating inspiring bicycle-travel videos. 

The following is a guest post by Michelle Cassel and Ryan McAfee, two friends, journalists and avid travelers who impulsively decided to leave everything behind to travel America by bicycle. Please welcome America ByCycle:


America ByCycle On Assignment from America ByCycle on Vimeo.

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I know what you're thinking -- there are a lot of commas in that title. Just know that they're there for emphasis.

You might also be thinking about creating videos on your bike tour and posting them to your web log, or "blog" as the kids call it these days. Well great! That's why we're all here. All of these amazing filmmakers and adventurers are here at Adventure Cycling Association to give you their insight into how to make those videos on your blog possible, dare I say watchable, even! You've learned how to make a bicycle touring video, you've learned what tripods to use, and you've learned the art of storytelling thanks to the other bloggers and judges so far.

But how can you do it? How can you balance your time between riding, shooting, and editing? Can you figure it out with the Pythagorean Theorem? No one really knows for sure. Ancient cyclists say that there are many ways, and that they've been passed down on secret documents that only a select few have ever seen.

And as luck would have it, we at America ByCycle have come across those ancient documents and have translated them for you in great detail! Unfortunately we're having trouble locating them at this time, so here are some alternatives that we could think of off the top of our heads.

Preparation, Not Expectation

Be prepared. The boy scouts are, so why shouldn't you be? As long as you've got the most basic tools to be a cycling filmmaker (camera, computer, editing program), you'll at least be ready (to attempt) to match your expectations for producing videos along your incredible journey. Whether or not you can ACTUALLY match them is another story (trust us). If you expect to be publishing a new, well-produced video every day, think again. Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself can lead to huge problems including stress, fatigue, and worst of all, less cycling. The best thing you can do is have your camera readily available (and tripod, if you've got one) and make sure you're fine with sitting in front of a computer and editing, even if that means you're inside your tent.

Bend, Don't Break

Remaining flexible with your content creation is an absolute necessity. Some days require more cycling, and some days require more shooting and/or editing. However, don't let your quest for a fully-edited video or a certain shot or landmark get in the way of a better story. Yes, your sunset was beautiful, but was it more interesting than that group of ninja clowns playing Cribbage behind you? Probably not. Don't sacrifice your unique experience for getting the "perfect" shot. Some of the best video we've ever gotten was from those unexpected encounters. Let the trail decide where you go and what you shoot. And seriously, if you see any ninja clowns playing Cribbage, SHOOT VIDEO OF IT!

Every Day You're Hustlin'

In order to keep it fresh and not burn yourself out by working too much, do a little bit of everything each day. Start off with some morning shooting, bike for a little bit, and then finish the day with a little more shooting and editing. Blasting out 70 miles leaves little time for anything else other than stuffing your face and going to bed. In our case, the times we bicker with each other the most are the times we're doing all cycling or all editing. We fall behind with our videos if we're only cycling, and we never get anywhere if we're only editing. That being said, a couple days of only one or the other are fine, just don't let that mountain of footage get too big! (Psssst -- it's not a real mountain, it's a metaphor.)

Get Organized

Put all of your camera/shooting gear in a place that's dry, padded, and easily accessible. Dump your footage into folders that correspond to each day/event you've shot. The more organized your footage is, the less time you have to spend figuring out file locations. This leads to a more streamlined work process. And most importantly, BACK UP your data. Use a cloud service like Google docs, buy an extra hard drive, hire a droid, do anything and everything to ensure that you will not lose your footage. Like the saying goes, if you have two you have one, if you have one you have none. If you have none you have problems.

Step Away From the Lens

There's no point going on an adventure if you're only going to experience it through your camera. From our personal experience, we've learned it's a good idea to put down the camera once in a while and actually absorb the world around us. You can shoot gig after gig of an event or a beautiful place in which you're staying, but the lasting impressions come from direct interactions with your environment. I'm not saying you should skimp on shooting, but just remember take a few moments for yourself and look through your own eyes! We can't stress this enough.

Weather the Storm

"Whether" (get it?) it's a literal or figurative storm, make sure that you're making the best of a bad situation. If you're caught in a storm, film yourself getting rained on (as long as the camera's PROTECTED). It shows your vulnerability and helps you learn new ways of shooting. As Tom Allen pointed out, conflict can really drive your story and be the most compelling footage for your viewers. Embrace how terrible it is and show everyone. It can actually be cathartic as well as incredibly fascinating to watch. Taking something that could be a momentum killer (like a flat tire) and turning it into a part of your narrative helps you stay in control of the situation, leading to better video. When life gives you lemons, add it together with your pre-existing avocados and make guacamole!

Learn to Keep Learning

You don't have to be an amazing editor to tell a great story. The same goes with shooting. The key is to continue to work on your storytelling as you ride and learn what's working and what isn't. Experiment with different camera angles. Get out of your comfort zone, because it's there that you learn the most about yourself and your capabilities. Challenge yourself to tell a different story each time. Literally stop and smell the roses, and then film yourself smelling those roses. How was your framing? Was it out of focus? Now you'll know next time what you need to do to improve it. No one ever says "I especially enjoyed the part in your video where it was really shaky, then it went dark, and then it was hard to tell what was going on." But then again, the Blair Witch Project made like 250 million dollars. I'm not kidding.

Have Fun

Girls just want to have it. The Beach Boys will have it until her daddy takes the T-Bird away. I mean, fun is important. And I'm not going to sit here and pretend that every minute of producing a bike touring video is like eating a love pizza topped with children's laughter; it's REALLY difficult. Michelle and I have had to take a break from our current tour to de-stress and take time for editing. As I'm writing this, our last piece of new content on our site was almost 2 months ago! My point is that you can really end up making your tour the most fun experience you've ever had, or you can make it the biggest pain in your butt (it will most likely be both). Either way, as long as you're having fun while you're traveling then it's worth it. Whether you make one video or crank out weekly episodes when it's all said and done is up to you; just know that when you're having fun so are your viewers. Now get out there and shoot, edit, and you know, BIKE!

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Michelle Cassel & Ryan McAfee of America ByCycle are cycling the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route, capturing the stories and spirit of the route on video. You can follow their trip by tuning into the video series they are producing from the road.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/12/finding-balance-with-shooting-editing.html

world cycling

Kloden Leads the GC after Stage 2 in Vuelta al País Vasco 2011

Stage 2 and another day in the mountains. The good news? Well at least the weather?s good! With 45 kms to ride the peloton was following a breakaway group, descending a sweeping, wide and sun-flooded road from Berastegi. The boys of Garmin-Cervelo had the front and were enjoying the pace setting. The breakaway, including Moinard [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/kloden-leads-the-gc-after-stage-2-in-vuelta-al-pais-vasco-2011/

giordana cycling

9 Indicators that Bicycle Travel & Tourism Are Booming


On Tuesday, we issued a news release about the phenomenal growth of bicycle travel and tourism around the globe. Bicycle travel is taking over! Here are 9 new indicators that this is true:
  1. European Bike Tourism Generates 44 Billion Euros Annually: In September, researchers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands found that bicycle tourism (including day trips and overnight trips) generates 44 billion Euros (or about $57 billion). The comprehensive study indicates that the bike-tourism sector generates 2.3 billion cycle trips in Europe every year and also takes visitors (and their money) to rural areas that are not often visited by other tourists.
  2. Greater Global Interest in Bike Tour Business: This year at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, there were more bike tour operators than ever. There were also many tour operators, which have focused traditionally on walking and trekking tours, that are now edging into bike travel as an alternative (and growing) revenue stream. Companies also noted stronger demand for their bike-tour offerings. KE AdventureTravel, based in England, has seen classic bike journeys such as Bhutan?s Thunder Dragon Ride and Nepal?s Pokhara to Kathmadu attract double the numbers that they did in 2011. KE has also added a variety of new road and mountain biking tours in Rajasthan (India), Toubkal  (Morocco), and Phuket (Thailand). In the European bike tourism study, researchers surveyed hundreds of bike tour operators on the continent and found that they were seeing rising demand for cycling adventures, whereas demand was flat in 2009.
  3. Bigger Bike Route Networks in Development: Around the world, countries, states, and provinces are creating bigger and better bicycle route networks for use by locals and to attract tourists. In Quebec Province, La Route Verte ? a system of urban, suburban and rural bikeways ? has grown over the last five years from 4,000 km to more than 5,000 km. In Europe, work has accelerated on establishing EuroVelo, a 70,000 km continental system of bike routes; the goal is to complete the network by 2020. In the U.S., agencies and non-profits have begun creating an official U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). In the last two years, eight new U.S. Bicycle Routes have been approved, and 41 states are now involved in planning, implementing, and signing routes. At the state level, agencies are developing unique route networks, some which will dovetail with the USBRS. For example, last year, Oregon quadrupled the number of routes in its statewide scenic bikeway system and is researching and mapping others. The states of Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are working to develop a bike route system around all of Lake Michigan. Also, in the Great Lake region, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust recently announced that the Waterfront Trail, which extends along the shore of Lake Ontario, will now extend westward to Lake Erie, connecting 27 new waterfront communities along a signed, mostly on-road route.
  4. More North America States and Provinces Studying Bike Tourism?s Economic Impact: Until now, only two states in the U.S. (Wisconsin and Colorado) had conducted in-depth studies of the economic impact of biking and bike tourism. In Wisconsin?s case, researchers found that bike tourism generated an impressive $924 million from in-state and out-of-state visitors. In 2012, three more states began economic impact studies, which will be completed in 2013: Oregon, Michigan, and Arizona. A new study of the economic impact of La Route Verte, the provincial cycling network in Quebec Province, is also underway.
  5. U.S. Bike Events Expanding, Re-branding: Attendance and fundraising at large multi-day bike events ? like RAGBRAI (Iowa), Ride the Rockies (Colorado), and the popular Bike MS events ? are surging. In fact, the national organization of bike-event directors has re-branded itself as the Bicycle Tour Network (BTN) and, in November, experienced the largest turnout ever at its annual conference in Denver, Colorado. The BTN has begun conducting an economic impact survey of its member events and hopes to draw in smaller tour operators as part of the network.
  6. States Investing in Bike Tourism Public Relations: In a clear indicator that states and tourism bureaus are realizing the financial value of cycling tourists, 2012 witnessed the rollout of major investments by Oregon and Minnesota in TV spots, websites, and other public-relation devices to draw traveling cyclists to their states. Particularly notable were videos produced for Oregon by the global ad firm Wieden+Kennedy, and for Minnesota with the backing of a unique consortium of health, tourism, and non-profit organizations. The race for the most bike-travel friendly state is on!
  7. Rural Communities Invest in Bike Tourism: Over the last several years, more rural communities have discovered that attracting cycle-tourists is a low-cost, high-yield proposition. Adventure Cycling Association has documented the efforts made by many small communities ? from Twin Bridges, Montana to Monroeville, Indiana ? to develop special facilities for visiting cyclists. The most recent to come to its attention is a unique partnership in Pittsburg, Kansas, to develop a cyclists? visitor center on the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.
  8. Bike Tourism-Related Sales Take Off in the U.S.: In October, the influential trade journal, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News reported on the substantial increase in sales of gear and bikes for touring in its story, ?Touring market racks up mileage at retail.? The same article also noted that bicycle travel is becoming especially popular with a younger demographic.
  9. Non-Profits Set New Records: Cycling non-profits with a stake in tourism have enjoyed remarkable success in membership and activity in 2012, from the re-branded Bicycle Tour Network to the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) to Adventure Cycling Association. Adventure Cycling's membership reached an all-time high in 2012 at 45,225 members and it recently reported records in all the major revenue categories ? including memberships, map sales, and tour sign-ups ? a trend it attributes in part to the new boom in bicycle travel.
Photo: From the 2012 Visiting Cyclists Gallery on Flickr, by Adventure Cycling Association.

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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/2012/12/9-indicators-that-bicycle-travel.html

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Fitting Hyperglide sprockets on a six-speed Uniglide freehub

A stack of used Hyperglide cassette sprockets and various spacers. The single 13T is the threaded locking sprocket from a Uniglide cassette. NB since I created this post I have seen that 7 speed Uniglide cassettes are availabe from SJS Cycles – not sure how I missed them. However, their cost including postage is almost [...]

Source: http://cycleseven.org/fitting-hyperglide-sprockets-on-a-six-speed-uniglide-freehub?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fitting-hyperglide-sprockets-on-a-six-speed-uniglide-freehub

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