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I’ve been planning on writing this piece for a few weeks now, but struggled with finding the right way to go about it. Wouldn’t you know it, before I got my act together and sat down and finished the thing, badass mountain biker   Stacey , posted something very similar to the draft I had begun. I considered scrapping my piece altogether, but after more consideration, I thought maybe I could build off of what Stacey had started. So what is this popular issue? I’m calling it self-deprecation. Stacey calls it our need to apologize.  “I’d love to come, but you might be waiting for me at the top of the climbs…”   “I’m not sure I can handle that descent...”   “I’m racing, but my goal is just not to be last...” [Read more at Machines for Freedom]

Bicycle Touring - DC to Pittsburgh to Toronto from Levi on Vimeo .

Port Townsend from Raleigh Bicycles on Vimeo .

Your guide to the fattening They say that there are seven stages of grief. I went through all of them when I heard that plus-size tires would be the ‘next big thing’ in the bike industry. You know–shock and denial, pain and guilt, angry-as-hell muttering and throwing of crap at the wall. Photo by Van Swae But you can’t stay mad forever. I mean you can, but if you do you usually wind up living under a bridge, coaching a troupe of dancing rats. So, I resigned myself to getting some answers to the following questions: What the hell is “plus-size” anyway? What are these bikes supposed to do well? What are their limitations? What kind of rider might like a plus-size bike? Is this the end of ‘normal’ mountain bikes? Why are we also getting new fork and rear axle standards?  Ryan Palmer,  Bike magazine’s  gear editor, and I headed out on a cross-country journey to find those answers. It was like “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” or maybe “The Fellowship of the Ring” minu

Former  NYC   DOT  Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan says a nimble,  tactical-urbanism-style  approach was key to her success. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams) Last week, former New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan spoke to a packed house of enthusiastic urbanists in Seattle as part of a Seattle Department of Transportation ( SDOT ) speaker series on the future of city transportation. Sadik-Khan is something of a celebrity in the alt transportation world for her role in implementing major positive changes to New York City streets under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Introducing her to the crowd,  SDOT  Director Scott Kubly said, “It’s not an overstatement to say she changed how the entire country thinks about transportation.” [Keep reading at Next City]

2014 Arizona Trail Race from Aaron Johnson on Vimeo . In April of 2014, about 17 of us lined up along the desolate Mexican border in Arizona, and headed north in a race across the deserts, mountains, forests, and canyons of Arizona, headed for Utah. This is the story of how my race unfolded. The Arizona Trail Race is a self-supported mountain bike race along the famed Arizona Trail. Starting at the Mexico border, there are two distance options: 300 miles to the Picketpost trailhead near Phoenix, or the full traversal to Utah, more than 750 miles. There is no race organization, there is no support; you carry all your own gear, and must be completely self-sufficient. Resupply is allowed only at any commercial establishment. Read more about the race here: http://www.topofusion.com/azt/race.php Huge thanks to Joe Polk at MTBCast for providing the call-in audio for the narration. MTBCast is a podcast that offers racers a way to call in and leave messages, sometimes the only commu

2013 Colorado Trail Race from Aaron Johnson on Vimeo . The 2013 Colorado Trail Race. Self-supported mountain bike race from Durango to Denver, 550 miles. July 21, 2013 Race info: www.climbingdreams.net/ctr/ Filmed and edited by Aaron Johnson. www.mowglimedia.net Music: "Around the Block" by Pretty Lights www.prettylightsmusic.com "Holocene" by Bon Iver http://boniver.org/ "The Stable Song" by Gregory Alan Isakov http://gregoryalanisakov.com/

California Sierra Trail Race from Aaron Johnson on Vimeo . From the mind of Sean Allan comes the California Sierra Trail Race, a self-supported bikepacking race in the Tahoe region of California. Beginning and ending in Auburn, CA, the route traverses historic 19th Century mining trails and roads, winding its way slowly up the foothills and dropping down into Lake Tahoe. It then follows the Tahoe Rim Trail around the lake, over 100 miles of some of California's best singletrack, before making its way back down towards Auburn. At 430 miles and 70,000 feet of elevation gain, the route is a monster, but rewards those who attempt it with incredible scenery and riding. This film showcases the second running of this race, in July of 2014. Turnout was incredibly low, with only 4 starters, and the goal of this film is to generate awareness of this amazing course so more people can experience it. This year's racers: Jack Anderson Aaron Johnson Jeremy Noble Greg Levitsky A

MONTANUS - The COLD VEIN from MONTANUS on Vimeo . The call of the mountain is even stronger during winter, when the snow breaks the tree-tops and the cold weather freezes the bones. During this time, when most people put their bike to rest, an adventure between two Italian buddies began. They aimed to search for the COLD VEIN, that vein which come back to pulsate in the winter wilderness. This was an experience that brought Giorgio and Francesco to find more than what they were searching for. A journey through their own limits, where what is important, is not the width of the tires but the extent of the horizons. The video is dedicated to Walter Belli, a dear friend who had a bad injury during a DH session and who is still fighting every day with the wilderness alive in his heart. Self filmed with a Canon 500D (2009), a GoPro HERO4 and a “no brand” alluminum tripod. Aerial filming by APR Italia. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. Music: Ark Life - "Some Unheroic Hi

Introducing the Rocky Mountain Sherpa from Rocky Mountain Bicycles on Vimeo .

PHOTO BY SHANE MCCAULEY At 6-foot-8, Don Ward is an imposing figure in L.A.'s bike scene. He's the creator of outlaw rides and a powerful voice in the fight for more bike lanes. BICYCLING: You once organized a race between cyclists and a commercial jet. Seriously? Don Ward:  Los Angeles  shut down a section of Interstate 405 in 2011 to remove a bridge, and the city was up in arms. People called it "Carmageddon." Jet Blue created a promotional flight between Burbank and Long Beach. A friend suggested the race. We won by 77 minutes. What did that show about promoting cycling events? It's the same thing I learned working for an automative ad agency:  Sexy and fast  captures people's attention. [Keep reading at Bicycling]

Blueprint: 29+ and 27.5+ Bikes – Innovation or Industry Scam? A no-bullshit video investigation into the bike industry's latest wheel sizes Video by Dan Barham What’s the deal with 29+ and 27.5+ bikes? When we first caught wind of the new breed of 29+ and 27.5+ bikes, we were as suspicious as any rider. So, we started asking questions: why have these new standards emerged? Are the new wheel sizes simply a way for industry big wigs to convince consumers to buy new bikes? We flew around the country visiting the folks who are putting the new wheels to work at Rocky Mountain in Vancouver, Canada, SRAM’s Development Facility in Colorado Springs and Trek’s World Headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin.  Trek and Rocky Mountain are only two of a handful of brands announcing 29+ and 27.5+ bikes. You’re going to be seeing more of these plus-size bikes, and you can be damn sure that we’ll have more to say about them. Rocky Mountain’s 27.5+ Sherpa Rocky’s Sherpa is a specializ

Cyclists riding double file on a narrow rural road. Riding double file deters unsafe same-lane passing in narrow lanes and makes the cyclists as visible as a car from the front and behind. [Mike Dayton photo] Group rides are extremely popular among recreational and competitive cyclists. Although social interaction is a major incentive to ride in groups, so is safety. One technique cycling groups use to reduce the risk of collisions is riding double file, particularly in narrow lanes and when approaching intersections. This article discusses how riding double file can deter common crash types and what group cyclists should consider when choosing their position on the roadway. [Keep reading at BikeWalkNC]

Helinox Table One from Helinox on Vimeo .

Carrying enough water on longer rides can be a problem, especially for touring cyclists in the southwest, but also in other parts of the country where potable water sources are far apart. We designed the  Mojave cage  to fit 32oz Nalgene bottles or 40oz Kleen Kanteen stainless steel bottles. Regular tall bike bottles usually hold between 20oz and 25oz. The design is based on our standard size retro cages which we find are better than most cages in keeping bottles secure even on rough terrain. You may notice that the mounting tab has 5 holes. This allows you to mount the  Mojave cage  in three positions, higher or lower as best fits your frame. You can also mount it on newer frames with three water bottle screw bosses. We think the three attachment point system is a great idea and you'll see it on some of our future frames. One caveat, the Kleen Kanteen bottle is pretty tall, about 29cm with the sport top. It may not fit inside the main triangle of smaller frames. The Nalgen

Introducing the Rocky Mountain Sherpa from Rocky Mountain Bicycles on Vimeo . We're excited to announce the new Sherpa overland bike. Bikepacking has been around for a long time, but the Sherpa puts a Rocky Mountain twist on the concept. We wanted a bike that could tackle more challenging terrain and would let us get a little rowdy—even loaded down for multi day self-supported adventures. The Sherpa will carry you and your gear to the ends of the earth, far from the nearest Strava segment and through whatever ambitious backcountry route you didn’t know you were planning. http://www.bikes.com/sherpa Music: AdamCaptured — Desert Wind

Boa's 2014 Ride That Changed it All from Boa Technology on Vimeo . Follow our 2014 Ride That Changed it All contest winner Nick Gibb on his journey to the Leadville 100 MTB Race.

GEAR   /   TOOLS CRANK BROTHERS BIKE MULTI-TOOL Don't haul your bike to the shop when it breaks down. Carry the  Crank Brothers Bike Multi-Tool  with you instead. This cycling-focused tool offers 16 functions, including a CO2 inflator, a chain tool compatible with 8, 9, and 10 speeds, #0 and #1 spoke wrenches, hex wrenches ranging in size from #2 to #8, both phillips and flathead screwdrivers, and T-25 and T-10 torx bits. The various tools snap into place using magnets, and thanks to its compact design, it's easy to throw in a seat bag or hydration pack. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00MIJZG00/uncrate-20

ride the forgotten path from john buno on Vimeo . a bike packing trip from mawab to mati.

I think it started with the wooden clunk  of Brendan stacking a few small fallen logs across the windward opening of the tarp. The sun had just dunked below the ridge across the meadow, and hoping the wind would die down with it, we were about to crawl into our sleeping bags for the night. Suddenly we weren’t young professionals—or even responsible adults—anymore. We were kids. Sneaking off alone in the woods on our bikes. Running away from home for a Tuesday night. I’d felt it coming on for a couple of hours, pedaling my bike up the winding new trail, tramping around the woods looking for our campsite and then constructing the weather-proof equivalent of a blanket fort. The simple, little-kid joy of exploring and camping out seemed to sprinkle on us like Tinkerbell’s pixie dust. [Keep reading at Adventure Journal]

First things first. I am fine, my bike is fine and luckily I didn’t have my kids on the bike. After more than six years of daily bike commuting, I was hit by a car. Or more accurately, my bike was hit by a car with me on it. Yesterday morning I was riding my box bike to work and was less than a quarter mile from where I park my bike when I was struck by a young woman on the University of Arizona campus. [Keep reading at Bicycle Tuscon]

San Antonio B-Cycle , by most measures, should be a national model: first bikeshare program in Texas, one of the first in the nation, and after four years its network of 55 stations and 450 bikes is set to expand to 76 stations and 650 bikes with a $1.2 million  Texas Department of Transportation  (TXDOT) grant. Nearly every neighborhood surrounding downtown will have stations by the end of 2015. [Keep reading at Rivard]

REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Paris is destined to become the “world capital of cycling,” or at least, that's the grand ambition  declared recently  by Paris City Hall. While Amsterdam and Copenhagen may not be sweating it just yet, the French capital is indeed taking bicycle transportation more seriously than ever before. To underscore that effort, the city has just announced a €150 million ($164.5 million) program over the next five years that aims to make Paris far easier, safer and more attractive for cyclists. [Keep reading at CityLab]

The Nickel Tour:  100 million Americans rode a bike at least once last year, but only 14% take two or more rides weekly. Let’s talk about why. People for Bikes , a national cycling advocacy organization, has just released the results of the most comprehensive  cycling survey  in recent memory. The biggest  take home statistics  from the survey, based on the online responses of 16,000 adults: 100 million Americans (34 percent of the population) went for a ride at least once in the last year. Forty-five million of those bikers made at least one ride as a means of transportation, rather than recreation, but only 14 percent of bikers take two or more rides each week. That’s not because they don’t want to:  53 percent said they would like to ride more, but don’t. Why? [Keep reading at Urbanful]

Off the Grid from Cinelli Official on Vimeo .

A “ghost bike” is placed in memory of Marcia Deihl, who was killed in a crash in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on March 11. (Rachel Zimmerman/WBUR) BOSTON  Last month, Marcia Deihl, a songwriter and community activist out for a bike ride on the first warm day after a brutal winter,  was struck and killed  by a dump truck outside a Whole Foods in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A white “ghost bike” now memorializes her death. Aspiring photojournalist Christopher Weigl, just 23, was also  killed in a bike accident : Wearing a helmet, and traveling in the bike lane near Boston University, Weigl collided with a 16-wheel tractor trailer when the truck made a wide right turn in the winter of 2012.  [Keep reading at Common Health]

The National Forest Explorer (NFE) is the ideal bike for long days of spirited riding on dirt roads. While designed to carry a small load over the wheel for day supplies, the NFE also handles well with low-riders and a rear saddle bag for overnighting. Unlike many heavy "adventure bikes" or "gravel grinders" sold by larger manufacturers, the NFE is light and responsive, built with a double-butted TrueTemper front triangle and 4130 rear triangle. The geometry is optimized for experienced riders who prefer nimble handling and light steering input. The fork is brazed & lugged with a handmade direct-mount disc tab and a beautiful bend that helps soak up washboard roads. The fork is brazed and lugged with a handmade direct-mount disc tab and a beautiful bend that helps soak up washboard roads. For more information about the history of this bike, check out  this article in Out There Monthly. [Elephant]

A perfect unit made of two exclusive materials: Each V1-Walnut is milled from a solid piece of walnut, supported by a high-quality aluminum core. Every handlebar is unique thanks to the natural grain of the wood, which has been finished with a special varnish. The minimalist design is completed by end caps made of anodized aluminum. These reinforcements and the treated wooden surface guarantee many years of fun with your V1-Walnut. With a diameter of 31.8mm, V1-Walnut fits almost any standard suspension and brings a unique and timeless look to your fixie or singlespeed bike. Your new handlebar performs well regarding its weight, too: With just 285 grams, it’s a real lightweight, ensuring an exclusive riding experience. [Lenkr]

acme08 / flickr San Francisco is moving forward with a plan to add protected bike lanes on Polk Street, one of the busiest cycling corridors in the city, but the decision didn't come easy. The  San Francisco Examiner  reports  that the plan endured about 2.5 years of debate. At the center of the dispute was an objection to the loss of on-street parking spaces by local merchants (our emphasis): [Keep reading at CityLab]