Gifts for Bike Lovers.

The holidays are here, so I thought that I would let you in on my favorite gifts for the bike lovers in my life. All of these gifts (except for number five) I have actually purchased for bicycle enthusiasts ...

1. Walnut Six Pack Holder -- I don't think my bearded manfriend has ever been as popular as when he started riding around town carrying tasty brews on his bike. People ask him ALL the time where he got this six pack holder. Trust me, you wanna be responsible for gifts this awesome.

2. Hans Bagworks Bike Map Wallet -- Being a freshman in college, my brother doesn't have too much to store in this wallet. But he has made a couple friends from conversations about his Hans Bagworks wallet that's made from Adventure Cycling bicycle maps, and that's way more valuable than dolla dolla bills.

Hans Bagworks also lives up to their namesake by making incredible bags!

3. Adventure Cycling Silipint -- I LOVE these things. Seriously. I am the reason we started carrying them at Adventure Cycling -- I love them so much, I convinced our Sales Department we needed them.

A couple years ago, I ran a half marathon and the trophy wasn't a medal or a t-shirt, it was one of these. And now I'm hooked. They are so light, yet sturdy. My friends and I throw them in our bags all the time. It's always nice to show up to a keg event with your own reusable pint glass.

Also, they're silicone so they can do so many amazing things! They can even be used as a pot-holder! Seems like they could quickly become a bike touring staple.

4. Adventure Cycling Trucker Hat -- If you want a super sweet hat and also want to support your favorite bicycle-travel non-profit, have we got the thing for you. These things are flying like hot-cakes, though, so act quickly!

5. Anything from Swift Industries -- I haven't bought anything (yet) from Swift Industries, but I desperately want almost everything they make. (cough, cough, hint, hint, to my loved ones.) They are a two-person company based in Seattle making some insanely rad panniers and bags. It's a Wish List topper, for sure.

You can find a review of a couple Swift bags in the October/November issue of Adventure Cyclist.

No matter what you give or get, I hope you find joy every day in the adventure of this time of year!


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ART. ADVENTURE. AWESOMENESS. wishes to bring enthusiasm to your second and fourth Monday of every month. This column is written by Rachel Stevens, a graphic designer at Adventure Cycling Association

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/11/gifts-for-bike-lovers_26.html

oakley cycling

Meet Adam Reel: Building Bicycle Travel Initiatives


There have been many developments at Adventure Cycling over the past few months. Armed with a new strategic plan, we've launched a new department, called Travel Initiatives that is devoted to the continued development of the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) as well as bolstering bicycle tourism by making bike travel easier and more accessible to anyone traveling in North America. As director of this new department, I am thrilled to announce new staff that will assist the Adventure Cycling team as we work toward our five-year goals. Meet Adam Reel.

Name: Adam Reel

Hometown: Lexington, VA

Schools, Majors, Degrees: Virginia Military Institute, BA English; The College of William and Mary, MBA

Hobbies: I am an avid outdoor enthusiast. Some of my favorite hobbies are cycling, skiing, backpacking, climbing, and fly fishing. I also love playing the guitar and going to concerts!

Little known facts about you:  I grew up riding horses, not bikes.

What's your favorite mode of transportation around town? By bike of course! I love cruising around Missoula's awesome bike-route system on my Surly Long Haul Trucker.

Why did you move to Missoula? The mix of great community and unbelievable outdoor recreation.

How did you come to learn about Adventure Cycling Association? I learned about Adventure Cycling while planning my Transamerican cycling trip during graduate school.

Why do you want to be involved with the U.S. Bicycle Route System? I believe the formal designation of bicycle routes around the country will lead to the advancement of cycling as a viable travel and recreation option.

What do you think is the number one barrier to bike travel? How should we fix it? I would say the number one barrier is the perception by some people that bike travel is beyond their skill level. I don't think there is a single "silver bullet" for a fix. However, Adventure Cycling is actively working on projects that will help to change this perception, such as making bike-travel information readily and easily accessible, making sure accommodations are available for cyclists, and advancing the U.S. Bike Route System. These projects will help to make bicycle travel an option for everyone.

How do you see this work benefiting America? This work is benefiting America by encouraging the continued growth of cycling through the creation of safe, convenient, and designated cycling routes. I see the growth of cycling helping to build a healthier, greener America.

What are you looking forward to most about working here? Definitely coming to work everyday and being surrounded by people who are just as passionate about cycling as I am.

Welcome aboard Adam! We're thrilled to have you. Now, let's get to work!

Photo by Adam Reel.

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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/2012/12/meet-adam-reel-building-bicycle-travel.html

cycling fans

Oliveira Wins the Time Trial Championship in Portugal

Portuguese rider Nelson Oliveira has just won the national time trial championships on the circuit of Pataias in Portugal. Things are really happening for the rider who is in his first year as a professional, riding for Team Radioshack. Just a little over a week ago Oliveira finished fourth in the Tour de Suisse time trial, [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/oliveira-wins-the-time-trial-championship-in-portugal/

cycling plus

The new Blaze bike light has been designed to protect you

Picture the scene. You are a bus driver in London and you want to turn left. You glance around and it looks clear. As you start to make your turn you spot a flashing green light with a symbol of a cyclist on the ground. You look in your mirror and see the cyclist coming. [...]

The post The new Blaze bike light has been designed to protect you appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Source: http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/the-new-blaze-bike-light-has-been-designed-to-protect-you/

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Giro d?Italia Recap Stages 13-18

This great monument of Europe?s three Grand Tours continues to produce exciting racing, a little drama, and a real display of dominance by its current leader as we now complete 6/7ths of the race today (knew those math classes would come in handy some day!). This 94th edition of the Giro, which will ultimately cover [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/giro-d%e2%80%99italia-recap-stages-13-18/

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Amgen Tour, Levi Just Misses TT, Horner Keeps Lead

The winner of the last 3 Tours of California, Team RadioShack?s Levi Leipheimer, who is also the winner of its last 3 time trials in the city of Solvang, just missed his fourth victory in this year?s TT to Garmin-Cervélo?s David Zabriskie by 13 seconds. Levi looked very strong on the first parts of the [...]

Source: http://www.teamradioshack.us/amgen-tour-levi-just-misses-tt-horner-keeps-lead/

giordana cycling