Bike Intelligencer

• Daily Roundup: New mtb speed record, SF adds bike lane, stolen bikes & more

  PinkBike: A new world speed record on a mountain bike! 131mph, which is just 21 mph faster than I’ve ever driven in a car. SF.StreetsBlog: They’re dancing, and wheely-popping, in the streets of San Francisco, which just got its first bike lane in 3 years, thanks to a partial break in [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2009, 12:57pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• As Seattle Mayor, Mike McGinn Will Keep Riding His Bike

  Number of comments: 2
  SEATTLE — After last night’s Town Hall meeting, I asked Mike McGinn if he was going to ride the horse what got him there — his electric bike — once he took office January 1st. “Definitely!” he boomed out. He might not get to ride everywhere, he noted, but he would [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 3:13pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• The bike is the bond: Riding with the legends on Turkey Day

  FAIRFAX CA — I’ve ridden the annual Turkey Day mountain bike ride, or “Appetite Seminar,” in Fairfax maybe half a dozen times over the years, and each one has been different in its own wonderfully unpredictable way. But Thursday’s edition will top my list for a long time to come. My [...]
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  Posted: November 29, 2009, 12:34pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Happy Thanksgiving from Fairfax CA and the Appetite Seminar

  I’ll be in Fairfax on Thanksgiving for the most fabled Thanksgiving Day mountain bike ride of all, the Appetite Seminar. Hundreds of cyclists all over the hills of Marin, quite the spectacle and a great time to say hello to familiar faces and meet new ones. See you there! [...][...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 11:29pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Cygolite Trion 600 reviewed by someone who paid for one

  Number of comments: 2
  REVIEW POLICY link: In a nutshell, everything we review we have paid for, just like you. Since it’s our money, we don’t review stuff we wouldn’t pay for, which means we’ve done a bit of shopping for you. That doesn’t mean we’re anything like the final say in product ratings, [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2009, 11:26pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Been Waiting for This One: Women of Dirt! With Seattle Premiere…

  Hometown legend Jill Kintner, who missed being World Champion this year by a mascaraed eyelash, will be featured in the worldwide premiere of “Women of Dirt,” a long-awaited film focusing on the world of women mountain bikers. It’ll happen Feb. 5th at the Northwest Film Forum theater on Capitol Hill, [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 9:38pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Pfannberger goes pfooooot….

  Five years ago it was testosterone boosting. Last March it was blood boosting (EPO). Now Christian Pfannberger, a two-time Austrian champion, is banned for life. Let that be an example to all you pros out there who think once is enough and promise never ever to do it again. No, of course [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2009, 6:07am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Washington’s Plains of Abraham gives BI 11 IMBA epics

  The Plains of Abraham, a desolate, stark romp through the death zone of the Mount St. Helens inferno nearly three decades ago, is a miraculous testament to Nature’s ability to resuscitate itself. Now it’s an officially recognized IMBA Epic as well. I’m happy because it gives me another epic to add [...]
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  Posted: November 22, 2009, 8:59pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Weekend Roundup: SF Bike Expo, How to get off with light sentence, Joe Breeze, LA’s “Doorstop Dr.” and more

  Tomorrow is the big SF Bike Expo at the Cow Palace. Since along with the jump competition and usual eye candy there’s a killer swap meet, I will be a lighter cyclist in the wallet this time tomorrow. Also, they just announced Cove Bikes will be showing up. Back in [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 3:24pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Police arrest cyclist: A double standard?

  Number of comments: 3
  Seattle Times: “A 32-year-old bicyclist accused of running over a 6-year-old boy near Pike Place Market on Friday, leaving the child hospitalized with serious facial injuries, was charged today with vehicular assault and hit and run.” Re this incident, where a man on a bike apparently hit a 6-year-old boy in [...]
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  Posted: November 20, 2009, 12:49pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Velo Vidyo: Some tasty bits from YouTube

  Number of comments: 2
  MTBR’s Top Ten YouTube MTB vids: My faves of the list: Chris Duncan showing how to jump, good stuff. He’s right about the elbows. The Klunkerz clip. No. 1 is the much viewed Danny MacAskill urban trials clip. The others are mostly flash and crash. Somehow the list missed my No. 1, the Hans Rey/Steve [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 1:49am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Riders Down: Shorter days, worse weather, more tragedy

  There’s been a spike recently in rider deaths, perhaps a time-of-year thing. Although the usual culprits are cited (right hooks, dump truck carelessness and the ever-popular “still investigating,” meaning the cyclist was not at fault. If the cyclist is assumed to be at fault, police figure they don’t need an [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 4:01pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Landis dreams of BIG comeback, Rebellin must wait it out

  Having served his penalty for doping in the 2006 Tour de France, Floyd Landis now aims to get back into Euro stage racing. What team will he join? Expect the rumor mill to churn back up as trial balloons get sent … Team Radio Shack anyone? Lance & Floyd, reunited? Bicycle.net: [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 3:37pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Food bank ride, Crashing the boyz, Bike licensing & more

  David Longdon: Join David and friends for a Thanksgiving Day Ride to benefit Northwest Harvest, the food bank people. Jacquie Phelan, who’s as good a mountain bike historian as we have these days, recalls crashing the boyz ride back in the day. Great writing, great reading. Yeah that’ll work: The City of [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 1:38pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Kenny Williams joins the fallen

  So now the doping scandals are making their way into the amateur ranks. Kenny Williams, a household name in Seattle-area cycling for years, a cycling instructor and top Masters competitor, is caught using DHEA and owns up to it (be sure to read comments queue). What to say? There’s no point [...]
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  Posted: November 17, 2009, 12:02am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Easton recall, Sam Brown on TV, Part III “Missing Link,” & more

  Number of comments: 1
  Easton recalls bikes because of piece-of-crap stems that break. The saga of Sam Brown, the brilliant slopestylist who took his own life after being arrested for drug trafficking, makes CBC television. Part III in SeattleLikesBikes wonderful series on the Burke-Gilman Trail’s “missing link” in Ballard. There is justice in the world: Palo Alto [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 1:00pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Meet Tyler Farrar, Bike sharing to Silicon Valley? SF Bike Expo update, Bicycle meditations & more

  Number of comments: 2
  Coming up: SF Bike Expo on Saturday, Nov. 21st. Just added: Dirt-jump competition! What’s more is the platinum list of competitors, drawing heavily on the nearby Aptos (Santa Cruz) Mafia of Jump Jivers like Greg Watts (winner of the past summer’s Whistler Crankworx slopestyle competition), Tyler & Cam McCaul, Paul [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 4:41pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Creative ways to make $$ from cycling, the nation’s bike boom, ‘lectronic shifting and more

  Amusing piece from MadConomist.com on how to make money from bicycling. The furniture thing is truly inspired. More on the nation’s bike-commuting boom: New York. San Jose (Cyclelicio.us has a rundown on some others…) Seattle’s increases — up 27 percent from 2005 to 2008 and 29 percent from 2008 to 2009 [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 7:05pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Tale of Two Ryan Leeches

  Number of comments: 1
  What are the chances there are TWO Ryan Leeches in North America, close to the same age, who have made names for themselves in the cycling world? 100 percent. The B.C. trials rider Ryan Leech. The American cyclocross rider Ryan Leech. [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 6:27pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Can Elected Bike Riders Impel Change We Can Believe In?

  Number of comments: 4
  With the election of Mike McGinn as mayor of Seattle and re-election of Council president Richard Conlin, it now looks as though the two most powerful office-holders in the city are, of all things, bike commuters. The third most powerful, newly elected County Executive Dow Constantine, is a bike lover, [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 4:55am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• This One’s Making the Rounds

  Mountain Biking by 198 billed it the funniest mountain biking video ever, which got me to wondering: Is there another funny mountain biking video around? Anywhere? People? Anyway, substitute your fave trail(s) and this one will have you laughing no matter how much it’s weeping outside… [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 6:33pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping

  Number of comments: 1
  Alberto Fernandez De La Puebla Ramos, whose name in Spanish means “I didn’t do it that’s my story and I’m sticking to it,” is suspended for failing a doping test. [...]
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  Posted: November 10, 2009, 6:27pm EST
  by Paul Andrews

• A second look at L.A. physician ‘bike rage’ case

  Bike Radar has a detailed report on the “landmark case” of the LA physician recently convicted for doorstopping cyclists. We see the conviction as significant but not breakthrough, since intent is already (and has been for some time) a judicial threshold for culpability in cycling collisions. A real landmark will come [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 4:12am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Giro to start in New York?

  Start the Giro d’Italia in America? In New York? Little Italy? A criterium? Would Lance try to organize another slowdown? I can’t wait… I mean, what would BikeSnobNYC say? More coasting backwards: Easton Bell, joining Shimano, SRAM and Mavic, says sales are in the tank, down 11.3 percent for 3Q. “On the [...]
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  Posted: November 07, 2009, 12:00am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Riding to Win

  Number of comments: 4
  They snickered when Mike McGinn started off his campaign by showing up at cycling events with “MIKE BIKES” stickers. How quaint. He’s going after the funny-hats-and-clicky-shoes vote. It was a startlingly unconventional way to build a base, campaigning in a bike helmet and blazer. But McGinn knew something that cyclists have [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 11:10am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: SRAM takes hit as well, LA’s ‘Dr. Doomcycle’ is guilty, Paris’ bike-sharing

  Number of comments: 1
  SRAM cannot elude the downturn. Doesn’t have to give numbers but says it is “in that same ballpark” as Shimano’s negative 25 percent. Is the bike biz in Portland defying gravity? Certainly the Rose City tends to look through rose-colored glasses. Latest case in point, from BikePortland.org: the Oregon Handmade Bicycle [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 4:23am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Fat Cyclist & Fit Cyclist, Semenuk, Bike sales s-l-o-w

  Fat Cyclist hangs with Fit Cyclist. Early Christmas presents are on sale at Ric Hjertberg’s Wheel Fanatyk, especially Ghisallo wood rims! We repeat: Brandon Semenuk is redefining the expression, “Go Big!” Shimano sales down 21 percent in 3rd quarter. Mavic sales down 14 percent. Dismal as both sound, read the links. The issue [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 5:53am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: So many syringes, so little time

  Doping scandals aplenty, Velo News reports. They’re taking another look at 2008 Giro d’Italia samples for CERA, undetectable previously but now testable. The same may happen for the 2009 Giro and Tour as testing catches up with ever newer, previously undetectable substances. “The report also outlined a new blood doping practice [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 4:26am EST
  by Paul Andrews

• Let There Be Justice

  Number of comments: 1
  I was out of town and unable to attend the Traffic Justice Summit at Seattle’s City Hall a couple of weeks ago, but thanks to great work by the folks at Seattle Channel, a video has been posted on the Web. The presentation also will broadcast on TV via Seattle [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 1:01pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Thule responds: No recall planned

  Thule’s communications manager, Karl Wiedemann, has gotten back to us re our recent reports on T2 rack failures. Essentially what happens is that the outer most tray (spar) slides off the rail (backbone) while the car is in motion, potentially creating all kinds of havoc, from bike damage to collisions [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 5:35am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Vote for … a cyclist?

  Should a cyclist vote for a political candidate simply because he or she is a fellow cyclist? Obviously the answer is no. Otherwise we would have voted for George Bush, an avid and by most accounts fairly adept mountain biker. The problem was, as much as he loved to ride, Bush [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 5:27am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Missing Link tomorrow, Ells retreat, Tribute to Rider Down and more

  Tomorrow is “We Are The Missing Link,” a testimonial gathering to get the Ballard part of the Burke-Gilman Trail connected. Meet at Shilshole Avenue opposite 17th, just west of the Ballard Bridge. Yes it’s one ugly intersection. There’s an apres party as well. More at SeattleLikesBikes. You don’t have to [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 10:10am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Needle marks and double embolism

  More allegations of doping against Jan Ullrich. More assertions of denial from Jan Ullrich. “On Monday, German magazine Der Spiegel cited a police investigation report which states Ullrich went to Madrid 24 times between 2003 and 2006 to see doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, the man at the center of the Spanish probe [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 12:21am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Team Astana says move along, nothing to see here

  Contador and Team Astana say they have nothing to hide. Quote: “This year’s Tour de France was remarkable for the fact that no riders tested positive during the race.” Still haven’t heard from Lance on this, but then, he’s no longer with Astana… [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 11:45am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Weathering the NorCal storm

  Number of comments: 1
  BikeRadar was at Biketoberfest in Fairfax, Marin County, last Saturday too. Great report from Gary Boulanger, the “US editor” with the French name. More than $14,000 was raised for advocacy causes, and a superb time was had by all. You can’t beat October weather in NorCal. Most of the time, anyway. [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 11:43am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Traffic Justice Summit: A great start to a heroic campaign

  Good comments queue in the Cascade Bicycle Club advocacy forum re Wednesday’s Traffic Justice Summit in Seattle City Hall. We’ll post a link to Seattle Channel video when it becomes available. Meanwhile, SeattleLikesBikes notes how statistically, BikesDontLikeSUVs… [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 11:33am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• 2010 Tour de France trash-talking already under way!

  Lance says his main rival in the 2010 Tour de France will be Alberto Contador. Bert says his main rival will be Andy Schleck. The Tour is what, 9 months away? And the gamesmanship is already in full play. And speaking of being coy, Lance still hasn’t made up his mind [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 6:22am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Velocide: Death on a bike, even as loved ones testify

  While loved ones of cyclists killed in car collisions testified at Seattle City Hall yesterday… With a sobering reminder posted outside … Cyclists were mourning the death of Mary Yonkers by hit-and-run trailer truck in San Mateo CA. Far away geographically, perhaps, but united in cause. Best of luck to Seattle’s Cascade [...]
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  Posted: October 15, 2009, 5:24am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Can you spare a couple of hours for the Traffic Justice Summit?

  More motivation to attend today’s summit, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Seattle City Hall: BikePortland: Good links and commentary on Texas tandem mowdown. Yes it was an unfortunate accident, but hey, it’s vehicular manslaughter any way you cut it. SeattleLikesBikes is tracking bike deaths statistically. Even a casual glance shows that most [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 11:06am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: From using to running, a sorry scene

  Confessed doper and former King of the Mountains winner Bernhard Kohl continues to name names. The latest: physician Marc Schmidt, team doctor, who “oversaw the doping practices.” Schmidt vehemently denied the charges. And the beat goes on… Unconvinced that the 2009 Tour de France was as squeaky clean as it seemed, [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 10:36am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Weekend Roundup: Biketoberfest in Marin, Pedals trump heli, Male cyclists are sexier and more

  Number of comments: 1
  SF Streetsblog: Bicycle beats chopper in Sao Paulo, Brazil … don’t you love it! Cyclelicio.us: Bike guys are sexier than any other sports guys. And if anyone should know, it’s Yokota! Get your tickets now online for the Race Across the Sky one-night movie event Oct. 22. The feature depicts this year’s [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 1:48pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: More UCI-French squabbling

  The French and the UCI are fighting again … bring out the Ritalin! UCI fires back at French anti-doping authority accusations: Did not! Did not favor Lance, Bert & Astana! But the French aren’t backing down. Saying they’re really really skeptical of 2009’s “squeaky clean” Tour de France, the AFLD announced they [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 1:40pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Nothing to disclose (alas!)

  Number of comments: 1
  Regarding the FTC’s new mandate that “bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service,” we consider it worth repeating Bike Intelligencer’s review policy. The reason we head our reviews with the tag “by someone who paid for one” is [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 5:38am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Did Lance, Alberto & Astana get preferential treatment?

  Team Astana, including stars Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador, got preferential treatment when it came to drug testing, two leading French newspapers have reported (linked by Bicycle.net). This is part of an ongoing snit between the UCI, the international cycling governing body, and French anti-doping authorities over the rigorousness of dope [...]
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  Posted: October 08, 2009, 4:38am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• A Chance for Cycling Justice

  Number of comments: 1
  Seattle’s Cascade Bicycle Club, the nation’s largest local cycling club with more than 11,000 members, continues to do yeoman advocacy work on behalf of cyclists mowed down by careless— and uncaring — drivers. At City Hall from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14, the club will host a traffic [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 6:04am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Wood wheels, new national high school MTB org, outrage in L.A.

  No one knows bike technology better than Seattle’s Ric Hjertberg. So when Ric goes from carbon fiber (FSA) to wood fiber (Ghisallo), you know something is afoot. The media missed the story at Interbike 2009, but Ric brings us up to date on his blog, Wheel Fanatyk. BikeRadar: On the heels [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 5:44am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Thule T2 rack failure: Company responds helpfully

  To its credit, Thule has responded to the case of Andrew Sell, who lost a bike off the back of his vehicle when the rail it was mounted to slid off the strut on his T2 rack. We ran a post on Andrew’s mishap and documented similar episodes from other [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2009, 5:25am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Lance’s coyness, Tyler rools! Fixie Love and more

  Well now Lance has himself in a pretty pickle. With the Tour of California moving to May to avoid the freezing wet of last April’s racing, Lance now has to decide between the Giro d’Italia and the Tour d’Cali. I’m sure his heart is in California but he has Team [...]
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  Posted: October 02, 2009, 6:19am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Warning! Thule T2 rack failure exposed

  Number of comments: 2
  Alert! Another report of a Thule T2 tray sliding off a rear hitch rack has been logged on the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance Yahoo! egroup list. Lots of comments have come in regarding this failure, which has been reported before. Here’s the latest, from the list: I was driving home from Whistler [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 11:35pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: More Interbike, This Day in Doping

  Interbike 2009 dribblings … Attendance a mixed bag. Overall attendance declined, but buyer numbers were up. Exhibitors were said to be happy, so that’s good, because if the exhibitors aren’t happy, then the booth bimbos aren’t happy, and if the bbs aren’t happy, well, you know… Great video from Mountain Bike Action [...]
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  Posted: September 29, 2009, 11:12am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Ex-mtber wins road worlds, Cali parks stay open, Interbike leftovers and more

  Number of comments: 1
  California’s decision not to close state parks is great news for mountain bikers. Common sense in this case was aided by the stat that for every dollar the state spends on its parks, it takes in about $3. That and the fact concessionaires were contacting their lawyers over breach of [...]
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  Posted: September 28, 2009, 6:35am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Interbike 2009 wrap: In search of a showstopper

  Number of comments: 1
  Another edition of Interbike has come and gone, and a good time was had by all. Lots of 29ers, lots of carbon, lots of improved this and streamlined that. But if there is anything that Interbike 2009 will be remembered for, it’s that there isn’t anything Interbike 2009 will be [...]
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  Posted: September 27, 2009, 6:09am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Interbike 2009: 29er anyone?

  It’s hard to know what to make of the 29er explosion on display at Interbike this week. Most boutique manufacturers are coming out with 29-inch models, and Lenz even was showing a 29er downhill bike — 7 inches of long travel (really long when you consider the bigger wheels) with [...]
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  Posted: September 25, 2009, 4:17pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Interbike 2009: Carbon copying

  Following up on our previous post re the carbon conniptions at Interbike, some random links: The belt drive gets a thumbs up. Some folks questioned my skepticism about the Gates carbon drive system, pointing out its proven service for motos, lawnmowers and the like. I say give me a year with [...]
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  Posted: September 24, 2009, 4:22pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Interbike 2009: Carbon rising

  Number of comments: 2
  When it comes to cycling, carbon, which used to be called carbon fiber, which was actually a technical implementation of plastic, is becoming the new metal. From the early 1990s days of carbon road frames that pioneering manufacturers like Watsonville, CA-based Kestrel and big-name companies such as Look and Trek built, [...]
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  Posted: September 23, 2009, 1:15pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Mayor McGinn wouldn’t ride like Nickels drives

  The Stranger: Analyzing how “Bikin’ Mike” McGinn, the mayoral candidate who actually commutes downtown by bike each day, might cope with a traditional mayoral schedule. Interesting take, but in using existing mayor Greg Nickels’ car-biased schedule as a model, the article assumes McGinn would adopt a similar approach to his official [...]
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  Posted: September 22, 2009, 8:43am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Interbike, Bikes Belong chip in $50,000 for Vegas cycling

  Improving Vegas bike access? Wonderment of wonderments… Interbike and Bikes Belong, which is a national coalition of industry retailers and suppliers, are ponying up $50,000 over the coming two years to improve bicycling conditions in Las Vegas, host of the annual Interbike trade show. Bike lanes, trip counters and other enhancements are [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:44pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping is baacck! Shimano, Valverde

  Shimano says 1 strike yer out! Anyone caught doping is automatically expelled. That’s all well and good, but again, the problem here is with the UCI governing body. If its tests selectively, and if it looks the other way when it finds irregularities, cyclists have nothing to fear from Shimano. The Shimano [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:41pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup returns!

  I’m on the road to Interbike and have only sporadic connectivity. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it. Anyway, the bike world’s big wheel keeps on turnin’ … IMBA is coming to the Point Reyes National Seashore this weekend for trail work with Chris and Leslie Kehmeier of the Subaru Trail [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2009, 8:35pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Ride Review: A seldom ridden gem in the Entiat

  Number of comments: 3
  Last fall when Jim and I rode up Pyramid Peak, at 8,350 feet arguably the highest point open to mountain bikers in Washington State (Angel’s Staircase and Tiffany Peak are close competitors), Jim kept looking one ridge over and muttering to himself. “Dude, we’ve got to do Grouse Pass,” he said. It [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2009, 11:14am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Tiger Mountain trail closed for year

  They’re back logging again on Tiger Mountain, which this time means that the Northwest Timber Trail is closed for the year. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The logging was not supposed to start till after Oct. 15, the beginning of the trail’s seasonal closure (till April 15). But with the economy [...]
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  Posted: September 09, 2009, 11:07am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Early Interbike Watch: Race Face, Cove Bikes, Watch26.tv

  PinkBike: Cove Bikes spy shots of its 2010 line, basically tweaking the quiver. They’re all here, the STD, the Hummer, Sanchez, G-Spot, Handjob … all well and good, but Foreplay for an MX bike? Aren’t the gromz kinda young? Well I guess that’s one way to start a conversation… Race Face [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 6:36am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Cleaning up after the long weekend

  PinkBike has video of the Worlds, including Brit legend Steve Peat’s long-awaited triumph. Peaty may be the only guy I’ve seen on a podium drinking more champagne than he sprayed, but to those who know and love the guy, they’d expect nothing less. If you want to know why Peaty was [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2009, 6:22am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Communing with the Whistling Pigs: Interlude in Entiat

  Before the weekend’s rains hit, Jim Lyon and I took a day to do some classic high-country mountain biking, the kind everyone did before Whistler, North Shore and Galby changed the mountain-bike scene. We must have run across a dozen marmots (whistling pigs) in the meadows, waddling languidly around and [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2009, 11:52am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Peaty Wins Worlds! Evil’s Steve Smith 10th, Issaquah’s Luke Strobel 39th

  Finally, after a nonpareil career where the only vacancy in the trophy case was the world championship, Steve Peat outclassed a stellar field to earn his first striped jersey. The powerful Brit led a brilliant top 5 — Greg Minnaar, Mic Hannah, Fabien Barel and Sam Hill — in Canberra, [...]
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  Posted: September 06, 2009, 3:28pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Jill Kintner takes silver at Worlds!

  The good news at the World Championships is that Seattle’s Jill Kintner beat arch rival Melissa Buhl. The bad news is neither could keep up with the local, Ozzie Caroline Buchanan. Taking nothing away from Buchanan, this was a case of a good rider having the local-knowledge advantage and managing [...]
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  Posted: September 06, 2009, 3:23pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• More on hate crimes against cyclists

  In Portland, a hate crime against a cyclist: BikePortland.org is reporting additional details in the arrest for first-degree assault of Wayne Conrad Thompson, who viciously backed over Michael Luther, who was riding a bike. “he cyclist had been knocked out of his shoes and his helmet was a few feet [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 3:28pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Critical mass, protecting Kettle Crest for mountain bikes, Bicycle film fest

  BikeHugger has video of the West Seattle Bridge Critical Mass, riding one of the busier elevated roadways in Seattle. Police escort helped prevent incidents. Tim Banning reports on MTBR.com regarding the 2009 Kettle Crest Advocacy Fest, aimed at protecting a prime singletrack haven in eastern Washington from being turned into wilderness. [...]
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  Posted: September 05, 2009, 4:47am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance: Issues and bikes get full airing at Duthie

  Number of comments: 2
  The good, the bad and the better all got plenty of air time last night at perhaps the biggest communal gathering ever of the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance at Duthie Hill, which by the way is coming along nicely as a miniature Whistler mountain bike park in the Issaquah highlands. Upwards [...]
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  Posted: September 02, 2009, 3:26pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• In Toronto, a hate crime against cyclist

  Number of comments: 2
  New York Times: A former attorney general for Ontario has been charged with killing a bicycle courier in a road rage incident that is simply hard to believe. Michael Bryant, apparently a tough enforcement official when he was in office, hit the cyclist, who apparently held onto Bryant’s car in an [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 6:16pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Always something new in Marin’s hiker-biker wars

  The mtb wars in Marin continue apace. KTVU provides a video report (linked by Cyclelicio.us) updating tensions between mountain bikes and hikers. The report winds up being fairly sympathetic to the biking side, which is something of a surprise. Typical mainstream reports slant the blame toward the bikers. One bromide does [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 1:37pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Ride and Prejudice, Part II: When an error goes viral

  The links are flying on a (supposedly) new study that (supposedly) found drivers are to blame for 9 out of 10 bike–car accidents. This situation cries out for journalistic followup, but for now let’s see if we can clear the air a bit. A Toronto study we reported on (along with [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 4:25am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Rossland bike fest, Portland bike arrest, Fluidride Cup No. 5, Alice B. Toeclips is baaaccckk!

  Rossland, B.C.’s first fat-tire festival will take place this weekend. How cool is that? I spent a few days last summer in Rossland and was blown away, not just with the widely worshipped Seven Summits epic ride but all the close-to-town tech stuff. Rocky, steep, challenging, with hucks, structures and drops, [...]
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  Posted: August 31, 2009, 4:11am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Ride and Prejudice: Causalities and casualties in cycling accidents

  Number of comments: 1
  Not a good week for two–wheelers on the road. First off, we all know Ozzies are nuts, but running down a fellow cyclist and leaving the scene? If cyclists become just like other drivers once they get behind the wheel — and let’s face it, there is a certain psychology [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2009, 6:37am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Planning for bikes, Crankworx numbers up? SF Bike Expo and more

  SeattleLikesBikes: Why planners need — really need — the reality check of actual bike riders. “One intersection that looked fine on paper turned out to be a spot where a new streetcar track would be a nightmare hazard for cyclists.” Bicycle Retailer: Crankworx attendance was up despite crappy weather. Really? It [...]
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  Posted: August 27, 2009, 2:30pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Evergreen Alliance calls for the question

  The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, in the midst of member turmoil and a leadership shakeup, has reached out to followers to submit questions and raise concerns before next Tuesday’s Town Hall summit at 6 p.m. at Duthie Hill Lodge. Contact information is on the Evergreen Web site. “We’ve received a great [...]
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  Posted: August 27, 2009, 11:59am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Terrorism? Cyclists don’t need T-word to combat driver animosity

  Are car drivers anti-cycling “terrorists”? SeattleLikesBikes says yes, sometimes: “Personally, my car was killing me before I started bicycling. The lack of exercise had me on track for a heart attack. I’ve made great strides, from being unable to climb 3 flights of stairs without being out of breath over 5 [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2009, 11:11am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Bikin’ Mike leads for mayor of Seattle!

  With nearly half the ballots counted, “Mike Bikes” McGinn is the front-runner in the race for Seattle mayor, leading another challenger, Joe Mallahan, and incumbent Greg Nickels in a squeaky three-way dogfight separated by about 2 percentage points (and only around 1,000 votes) near the 25-percent mark. Of the three, Mallhan [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 2:10am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Cranktrix, Lance to do Ironman, Riders Down, Texting while crashing

  Great video of best tricks at Crankworx, with Greg Watts’ 360 whip and single flip whip losing out to Andreu Lacondeguy’s 360 flatspin seatgrab indian air. MTBR has more… Bicycle.net: Lance’s next throwdown: The Ironman triathlon in Kona. This is great stuff, bringing international attention to niche sports typically followed largely [...]
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  Posted: August 19, 2009, 1:34am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Old cyclist guys, Seattle Bike-In, David Byrne coming, Leadville & Crankworx wraps

  Number of comments: 1
  Today’s heroes: Septuagenarian cyclists still going strong, an inspiration to all of us callow sexagenarian cyclists. Mark the calendar: Seattle Bike-In is this Sunday at Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill. Cycle Killer, qu’est-ce que ce? On September 28, David Byrne will be at Town Hall with his new book, Bicycle Diaries. [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2009, 2:39am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Kokanee Crankworx Slopestyle 2009: Wuz Semenuk robbed?

  Number of comments: 2
  Brandon Semenuk must wonder what it’s going to take for him to win in his home town of Whistler. In a surprise Kokanee Crankworx 2009 Slopestyle outcome Saturday, Greg Watts, a tricks specialist from the Santa Cruz-Aptos cabal in California, upset Semenuk, who was fresh off his second straight Crankworx Colorado [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2009, 11:50pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Change is afoot, er, apedal, at Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance

  The Puget Sound region’s leading mountain bike club, the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, is undergoing some Obama-like “change you can believe in” as a result of membership turmoil we reported on last month. The latest shocker: Executive director John Lang is resigning as of Sept. 1. Lang’s arrival in the spring [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2009, 8:30pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• A two-fer at Crankworx for Jill Kintner

  Wow, can Seattle homey Jill Kintner get any higher? Following up on her stunning win in the dual slalom last weekend at Whistler, Jill completely crushed her competition in the Giant Slalom yesterday (Friday) above Whistler Village. When we say “crushed,” we mean smoked. Pummeled. Bashed. Destroyed. Her final margin: A [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2009, 4:36am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• In Whistler for Crankworx 2009

  …but wishing I could be in two places at once, as long as the other one was Leadville Colo. Some quick links, then I gotta go RIDE! PinkBike has the rundown on the big Slopestyle course tomorrow. It may be tamer than last year, but that’s probably good. Too many crashes last [...]
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  Posted: August 14, 2009, 3:00pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Pivot Firebird: The Gold Standard

  [...]
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  Posted: August 13, 2009, 12:08am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Tiger Mountain update: Leave Iverson A-L-O-N-E!!

  The trails got a light dusting of rain Saturday night/Sunday morning but barely showed a trace by afternoon. Hey, who’s doing trail work up there? They weenied out one of my favorite step-ups, the lower bridge at Iverson, and are in the process of smoothing out the jumpy final section on [...]
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  Posted: August 10, 2009, 3:22pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Lance’s Chances: Shoulder status?

  Number of comments: 1
  You have to credit Lance Armstrong on one point: He doesn’t make excuses. Since declaring his shoulder a non-factor just a couple of weeks after “Home Depot” hardware surgery drilled and screwed and plated it together again, the subject has not even come back up. Watching videos of interviews and the [...]
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  Posted: August 10, 2009, 11:30am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Crankworx: Another title for Jill! But rain…?

  It’s the biggest mountain-biking week of the year in Whistler, building to the prime Slopestyle competition in the bike universe, and August being August, we have to keep our fingers crossed on the weather. They keep moving the dates of Crankworx around, sometimes early in the summer, sometimes late. I’ve [...]
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  Posted: August 10, 2009, 11:00am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Lance’s Chances: Leadville looking better all the time

  Number of comments: 1
  Lance Armstrong is now King of Colorado, sending a message to Dave Wiens re Saturday’s Leadville 100 joust. Lance is looking real strong, dusting the field at the Colorado state mountain bike championships in Snowmass. Wiens did not compete. There’s some simmering resentment that Lance, who has a house in Aspen but [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 11:48am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Sunday roundup: Win for Susan day, MTB Hall of Famers, Oregon Cycling demise?

  Great idea from David Schloss at BikeHugger: International “Win for Susan” day, in memory of Susan Nelson, Fatcyclist.com’s wife, who died recently from cancer: “This happens to be the day of the Philly Livestrong Challenge. Wear your Fat Cyclist gear, LiveStrong bracelet or clothing, homemade signs, or other item to signify [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 11:42am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Carnage on the Roadways: Be safe out there!

  Number of comments: 2
  A 26-year-old male cyclist hit a car which was turning left into a driveway on the south side of Northeast 45th Street in Wallingford (Google street view here). The cyclist was taken to Harborview with life-threatening injuries. The Seattle Police Department is investigating. As someone who rides this route nearly every [...]
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  Posted: August 08, 2009, 1:11pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Could Seattle get a mayor who actually rides?

  Number of comments: 2
  It could happen, if we elect Mike McGinn. As noted here earlier, McGinn is a dedicated cyclist who understands bike issues and culture. For much of the campaign he’s been considered a long shot, but a new KING TV poll puts him third, with 15 percent of voters and growing. [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 11:25pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Weekend Roundup: Bike smut!? Interbike update, Mavic sales down and more

  Number of comments: 1
  Lots of bike stuff going on in Seattle this weekend, including the Bike Smut/Cycle Porn yeah whatever premier of “Cycle Bound.” I admit to being totally clueless on this stuff. I looked at the previews and they’re not porn, they’re not erotic, they not even sexy, it reminds me of [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 12:42pm EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• A death in the bike family

  Bike blogs and Twitter feeds have been laden with sympathy the past couple of days for Fatcyclist over the loss to cancer of his wife, Susan. Elden says it best with his own post. I do not know Elden or Susan Nelson but like all of us in the cycling [...]
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  Posted: August 07, 2009, 6:37am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Behind Cascade Bicycle Club’s snub of Bikin’ Mike

  Number of comments: 1
  Mike McGinn, the bicycling candidate for mayor of Seattle, must wonder what you have to do to get a bike club’s endorsement. McGinn rides his bike everywhere, including commuting daily downtown from his Greenwood home, he shows up at bike rallies like Bike to Work Day with his “Mike Bikes” [...]
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  Posted: August 06, 2009, 5:24am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Daily Roundup: Naked cyclists! Crankworx, iPhone apps, kewl Portland, naked cyclists! and more

  Boy…dog days of August. Not much news to round up! But here goes… Let’s start with the always reliable wakeup call, NAKED CYCLISTS! Usually naked riders in Seattle paint themselves…and this is probably why. My take: If a mother from Everett finds offense, she shouldn’t be comin’ to downtown Seattle. O [...]
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  Posted: August 06, 2009, 5:09am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Lance shows off Leadville 100 ride

  Number of comments: 1
  Lance tweets his mountain bike but doesn’t tell us what make/model it is (maybe it’s proto!): “mtb is insane. First ride on the new SRAM XX as well. Hands down best shifting I’ve experienced on a mtb.” From the photo it looks to be a close cousin of the Top Fuel [...]
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  Posted: August 04, 2009, 6:04am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Kranked “Revolve”: A review

  “Revolve,” the Kranked kidz latest mountain-biking DVD, has its moments. I mean, a blind guy riding the jumps at Whistler? Maybe sight is overrated on the extreme stuff! Some Coast, B.C. footage is spectacular, and the whole thing with groms building X ramps and criss-crossing back and forth over the jumps [...]
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  Posted: August 04, 2009, 5:19am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• This Day in Doping: Vinny is back!

  Bicycle.net reports that Alexandre Vinokourov is set to return from his two-year ban prompted by drug-soaked Tour de France stages in 2007. Vinny made headlines recently by claiming Team Astana was “his,” which may well prove to be true, as no one else seems to want it. By the way, doesn’t [...]
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  Posted: August 04, 2009, 4:01am EDT
  by Paul Andrews

• Transportation Summit This Friday in City Hall

  Calendar time: At City Hall this Friday a transportation summit will look at Puget Sound’s future transportation matrix, and how bike and other alternative forms will figure in. Here’s Cascade Bicycle Club’s take. Please come and share your views! Town Hall: 
Visioning the Puget Sound Region’s Transportation Future. 
Part III – [...]
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  Posted: August 03, 2009, 7:24am EDT
  by Paul Andrews