Posts

Showing posts from January 27, 2008

Think you ride a lot of miles? Check out this site...

Danny Chew is well known in the Pittsburgh area for the Dirty Dozen ride. He has competed and won RAAM , The World's Toughest Bike Race! Check out his riding log. In 2006 he passed 600,000 lifetime miles. He has been riding an average of 15,500 miles a year. Here is the site...

Bike Routes in Gahanna, OH

Tricia sent out the designated bike routes in Gahanna. Unfortunately they are not well marked. But she has put them on bikely.com for all to see. If you are having trouble seeing the maps, you can remove the Explore panel by clicking the "^" tab which will hide the panel. To see the cue sheet, select Show->Cue Sheet. I think by default it comes up in Satellite mode but I prefer Map mode. These are the north/south routes: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gahanna-route-from-Stygler-Rd-on-west-side-of-Walnut-Creek-to-Go http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gahanna-route-from-Cherry-Bottom-Rd-to-Creekside http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gahanna-route-from-Johnstown-Rd-to-Taylor-Station-Rd-via-Bryn-Ma These are the east/west routes: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gahanna-Route-from-Clark-State-to-McCutcheon-Rd http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Gahanna-route-from-Havens-Rd-to-Agler-Rd-via-Olde-Gahanna-and-Cr http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path

Organized Bike Tours This Summer - UPDATED 03-03-08

We are in the process of organizing a tour of Columbus for September. It is tentatively called Ride the C-Bus. The website is www.ridethecbus.com GITAP - Grand Illinois Trail and Parks The BON TON ROULET or “Let The Good Times Roll,” celebrates its eleventh seven-day voyage throughout the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State by bicycle. A non-competitive cycling adventure, The Bon Ton Roulet will challenge riders of all ages and abilities. And when you’re done, expect exciting new friendships, a wealth of visual memories, and a great sense of accomplishment! From Columbus Outdoor Pursuits 36TH WOODSTOCK • Saturday, April 12 7:30-9AM. Jersey Baptist Church, 13260 Morse Road, Pataskala, 9 miles east of I-270 at Harrison Road. Parking and registration in back lot. Traditional first TOSRV training ride. 100/50/30 miles on relatively flat terrain. Columbus Outdoor Pursuits Budget Tour. $2 members, $4 non-members. Tricia Kovacs 614/476-9093. 41ST SPOT • Saturday, April 19 7:30-9AM

Is it time to clean the bike?

I have been riding in crappy weather for the last few weeks and have neglected the drivetrain. Not a good thing to do and I think that it is time to clean it. I use some of the Finish Line products. and found they have good tips on their website for maintenance. Bike Fit and Comfort Position your seat height, so that when you sit on the bike and have your foot at the lowest point in the pedal stroke, there is still a slight bend in your knee. Full leg extension will cause your hips to rock when you pedal. Too much bend in your knee will keep full pedal power from getting to the pedals. And, incorrect positioning will lead to discomfort and leg cramps over long rides. Position the seat forward or back, so your knee is directly over the pedal when you have your foot and pedal in the "3 o’clock" position. Handlebars should be approximately shoulder width wide and be positioned at about the same level as your seat. Maintain a slight bend in your elbows when riding to absorb shock

Myths and Milestones in Bicycle Evolution

Ever wonder when bicycle technology was invented? This is a great site that chronicles the developments of bicycle technology. The site...

Bike Snob NYC - Blog

The writer for this blog says, "While I love cycling and embrace it in all its forms, I'm also extremely critical. So I present to you my venting for your amusement and betterment. No offense meant to the critiqued. Always keep riding!" The blog...

"VINTAGE LIFE CYCLES"

CANADIAN & VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT BICYCLE BICYCLE RESTORATION GETTING STARTED GUIDE The site...

Old Ten Speed Gallery

One man's trash is another man's Ten-Speed. This page is meant to be an outlet for those in the bicycling community who are committed to preserving a bygone era of mass produced low-grade technology. It is meant to celebrate the purest of passions, the transportation method of a most sensible sort, the greatest occupier of space in garages and basements the world over, the beloved and oft misrepresented Department Store 10-speed of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Worse than a Hummer?

Image
I didn't think that there was a vehicle larger than the Hummer. Well, I was at Sam's Club and I noticed a International Harvester Tank Jr was in the parking lot. So I took pictures. And found the website. It is $90000. And I am sure the towing capability is because you need to pull a refinery behind you to fuel it.

What about the train?

I received this via email - Did you know that the $134 million used to create the 161/I-270 interchange in New Albany could have built and launched rail service from Columbus to Dayton all while creating jobs and revenue for the state? Pissed? You should be! As many of you may know, my dear friend Andrew has taken on the valiant charge of lobbying for rail service in the state of Ohio. The road, or track so to speak, to rail service is a long haul marked with several major initiatives to slap Ohio government into the reality that such service is desperately needed. Andrew has posted an online petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/OhioHubPlan/ This takes 1 minute to sign and you can even do so anonymously. The petition will be given to the powers that be during their April legislative summit. The crazy guy is trying to get everyone in Ohio to sign it before that date (I figured a few out-of-staters couldn't hurt!). Your name matters! Please sign and pass along to anyone

Bicycling and the Law

When I was at the Winter Riding Seminar, Chris passed around a book about Bicycling and the Law. I ordered it and will give a book report when I get a chance. Bicyclelaw.com is a web site that offers bicycling accident advice for cyclists including those injured by motorists, unsafe conditions and defective cycling products. At this site injured cyclists will find information about what to do after an accident to best protect their rights. Contact information and cycling links of interest are also provided. In addition, at Bicyclelaw.com, you will find informative and sometimes entertaining articles of interest to cyclists. "This Cycling Articles" section is a potpourri of interviews, advice, rumors and stories of interest to cyclists provided by various authors. Check back every week or two for new content. Bob Mionske is the author of the book.

Sunday Ride Recap

I was planning on a group ride starting at my house, but the weather was crappy and people cancelled. So I cancelled the ride. I was talking with Tricia and she mentioned that COP has a Sunday afternoon ride starting from Jefferson Park in Gahanna. GAHANNA HEAT OF THE DAY • Sundays 2:00 PM CLASS B, C. From Gahanna's Jefferson Park on Clark State Road, 1/2 mile east of Reynoldsburg-New Albany Road. 30 to 50 miles depending on weather and daylight. We'll try to get some good views, avoid Rt, 161 construction, and keep the rollers moderate. Steve will lead the B's and Dick will sweep. Steve Hewitt stevehewitt(at)gmail.com 614-323-1030; Dick Seebode 740-201-3312 There were only three of us at the start. 32 degrees was reason I suppose. We headed east on Clark State, turned south on Waggoner and the left onto some country road. We headed north on Mink for awhile. We crossed 161 and continued north. I was not feeling very good so Tricia and I headed west. Of course there was a h

Most expensive bicycle lights I have ever seen, also the coolest and brightest.

UPDATED A comment was left about the comparison of the B&M lights and the L&M arcs. Unfortunately I cannot afford the B&M lights to compare to the Arcs. I purchased the Arcs at my local LBS after careful consideration of the competition. I have not found a brighter light on the market. 675/550 lumens for 3 hours. They are very bright. If you live in Columbus and want to see the lights in action please come out to the Tuesday Night Ride at 7PM at Goodale Park. I routinely have oncoming cars slow down because they can't figure out what I am. I also freak out other riders because they think that a car is overtaking them. A good site to view light comparisons is Eddy's Bike Shop . Ray Busch & Müller Sportsline - Made in Germany Big Bang - $975 As bright as a car headlamp For cross-country tracks and road traffic The very first gas discharge headlamp that also meets the requirements of German StVZO luminosity more than 140 lux Special CAD reflector Up

Renegade Radio

Fed up with Columbus's not-too-progressive radio choices, a group of wannabe broadcasters struggled for seven years to start up a station where liberal talk would rule. Now you can finally hear it—provided you're in the right place BY RICHARD ADES / DECEMBER 27, 2007 Carol Fisher said she nearly drove off the road the first time she heard Simply Living's new radio station. "I almost had to pull over because it was so fresh, so clear," said Fisher, one of the green-minded group's more committed volunteers. "It was like hearing clarity when there's been nothing but static around you from every media." Fisher obviously was waxing metaphorical about the station's political clarity, as listeners are likely to hear quite a bit of static on the new WCRS. Because it's a low-power FM station, its signal will be hard to grab in many parts of Central Ohio. But Marilyn Welker, Simply Living's director, isn't complaining. She's just glad t

Saturday Ride Recap

I talked Tricia into riding down to the Winter Riding Seminar put on by Chris Luers from Restoration Bicycle . I rode from my house in Blacklick to Gahanna and met her at the McDonalds parking lot. We rode Agler to Westerville to Weber. Then we headed south on Indianola and turned onto Hudson. Down to High and to campus. The temp was around 28-32 degrees. The seminar was interesting because it covered practical application of equipment to winter/cold weather riding. Chris had examples of clothing and used our bikes as examples of proper winter weather riding equipment. The seminar was three hours long and I started to get a chill from sitting so long and cooling down from the ride. It always seems colder once you stop for awhile and head back outside. It was still overcast and in the low 30's. We headed back on a similar route. Total mileage was 31.5 miles.

Want to tour the Lake Erie shore by bike?

Lorain County Heritage and the Lorain County Visitors Bureau welcome you to the Back Roads and Beaches bike and multi-sport tour of Lorain County. Here you'll find miles of rolling, rural roads with beautiful scenery ranging from pastoral farmland and forest to the nautical flavor of the Lake Erie shoreline. The Back Roads and Beaches route was formed to provide the most scenic and low-traffic roads and bike paths that lead riders through some of Ohio's best landscape. The route highlights some of the area's most relevant history, culture and arts and cutting edge environmental initiatives. You'll find the entire route has bright green bike route signs to guide you easily on your way.