SportsHost - Sport and Hobby News

Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 Compact
Comfied-up carbon offers a smooth ride

Wheels4Life - A Hans Rey Charity
Providing low cost bikes for people in the developing world.

The Evolution of Aero
I remember a hot, muggy day in Savannah, Georgia, way back in 1983. The state time trial was an event I had looked forward to for a long time. I had trained really hard for it, and always enjoyed the test against the clock. This particular year, I showed up with a secret weapon, and I planned to blow everyone away with it. The secret weapon was a first-generation funny bike. No more “Eddy Merckx style” for me. Now this bike was super radical compared to the bike I had ridden at this TT …

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24 Hour Mountain Bike National Championships Aug. 2 in Wisconsin
The USA Cycling 24 Hour Mountain Bike National Championships are set to kick off August 2 as a part of the 24 Hours of 9 Mile at 9 Mile County Forest in Wausau, Wis. Reigning champions Chris Eatough and Pua Sawicki are set to defend their Stars-and-Stripes jerseys in the male and female solo divisions. The open four person and duo winners for both males and females will also be awarded national titles as well as the top mixed male and female teams in duo, four person 18 and under and master four person 30 and over.

Bike Tourist Newsflash

Paul Sanchez “Soloride”, a 10,000 mile bike tour around the perimeter of the U.S.A for the children with learning disabilities has put a out a video documentary about the trip and its purpose. The more people who see this video and rate it, the more money it will raise, and hey, it is free! Enjoy this teaser for a more in depth interview with Paul! it is 8 wishes in 30 days help the cause! http://8wishes.com/ More to come!

MTB Nationals Conclude with Downhill, Short Track and Super D
Jeremiah Bishop brought home his second national title in the month of July, winning the pro menandrsquo;s short track contest on the final day of competition at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, while 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championship silver medalist Katie Compton earned the pro womenandrsquo;s victory. Adam Craig also added to his list of national titles winning the super D competition as Gerritt Beytagh and Melissa Buhl took home national titles in pro menandrsquo;s and womenandrsquo;s downhill.

Yellow Triangle

A heart-warming tale from the CTC’s updates, which reports a mother’s story about her son’s management of Asperger’s Syndrome.

“My son Will has Asperger’s Syndrome which for him manifests itself with deep depression and anxiety. Earlier this year at an appointment with his psychotherapist, he asked Will to express himself by colouring-in paper to convey his feelings. He coloured the whole page black and used sharp, thick, heavy lines to represent his anxieties but in the bottom corner of the page was a small yellow triangle. The psychotherapist asked “what does this represent?” and he replied “riding my bike”.

Will explained that when he is out riding his bike, everything seems ok and manageable. As a result, we decided that we should ride bikes as a family and we now have at least one long bike ride a week.”

I think that Will is certainly on to something good there. Not only a productive way to help manage Asperger’s Syndrome, I think the yellow triangle feeling can be enjoyed by all bike riders, in the right time and place.

An Experiment In Front End Geometry: The Baseline
In this post I will detail the “baseline” for the handling characteristics that all other comparisons will be measured against. Keep in mind that this is my opinion. Your “baseline” for handling may differ from mine, but we all need a reference point here, so this is it. The OS Bikes Blackuck has been set up […]

Necessary Accessories
The beginner mountain biker can get a little overwhelmed when they first walk into a bike store to buy their first mountain bike and all of the mountain bike accessories they will need to start riding. Find a list of all the mountain bike accessories one needs to get started.

On the Right Path: Scenic and Serene Ocqueoc Falls Offers Biking Satisfaction for Big and Little, Young and Old.
Before our mountain bike ride along Ocqueoc Falls Pathway, we walked over to take a look at the cascade itself, one of only two natural waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula. From the parking lot off M-68, it’s a short stroll to this series of rock ledges where the Ocqueoc River quickly descends six feet.

Iran by Bike - Episode 134
The Amateur Traveler talks to Friedel from TravellingTwo.com about a bike trip around the world. This episode focuses on the most hospitable country that have come to so far: Iran. Learn about ancient ruins, Tehran picnics, where to find kabobs and how to find something else when you get tired of them. News 2007 - No […]

Bike Tourist Podcast Show #1
This is a short introduction to what is going to be the Bike Tourist Podcast. General information and contacts. Check the links for downloading the software described on the show. Happy Cycling!

Masi Guy - Down for the Count
Please read and not think this is spam. Masi Guy. A beloved bicycle industry writer, blogger and guro - Tim Jackson. Hit the boards on the track earlier this week. He sustained a concussion, a broken rib and nearly severed his right thumb clean off. At the moment he has a blood clot […]

Ride Denver Bike Trails and Paths
See Denver by bicycle. A city bike trail network of paved, off-road paths covers 850 miles, with trails along rivers, creeks, recreation areas and on into the mountains.

Teaser: My new Rain Bike
Finally! A quality US made steel rain bike with a high quality disc wheelset, pure road geometry, and still sub 20lbs! Lots more to come here….

Extraordinary Alaska cruise excursions

On the Klondike Highway outside Skagway, I biked down a mountain past rugged cliffs — my hands hurt from squeezing the brakes so often.

Eco-towns: Green, with hints of Brown

The green towns of the future run into more opposition

FORD, a one-pub hamlet between the South Downs and the sea, is home to just 1,400 people. They are lucky: with its winding river and views of Arundel castle, the village is beautiful. Soon, many more might enjoy its charms. The settlement has been shortlisted as the site of an “eco-town”, comprising 5,000 homes, shops, schools, offices and a power-plant. Residents are aghast, and have banners in their gardens saying so.

In all, 13 quiet spots are being considered for eco-towns (see map). The government has promised five by 2016 and up to five more by 2020. Some will provide up to 15,000 homes. At least 30% of the dwellings will be “affordable”. Carbon neutrality, green space and reliance on bikes and buses are said to justify the “eco” tag. The chosen sites will be announced in early 2009. …

Dual-Directorship for the Southeast Collegiate Cycling Conference
USA Cycling and the Southeast Collegiate Cycling Conference welcome new leadership with the appointment of Dave Brown and Nathan Haslick as conference co-directors. Brown and Haslick will share the director roles of the Southeast Collegiate Conference, which encompasses Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida. Brown will focus his efforts on the spring collegiate road season while Haslick will manage the fall mountain bike and cyclo-cross seasons.

A Realistic Electric Bike Solution

I know there are plenty of EcoGeeks who may debate me on the “realistic” part of this, but here is an idea for an electric bicycle that I definitely dig. Look out Aerorider, you’ve got some competition…sort of.

Called the Bricycle (after creator Brian. har. har.), the vehicle is a completely enclosed 21-gear tricycle with electric assist. Opposite the Aerorider, the Bricycle has two wheels at the back and one in the front. A rider pedals away to move the light-weight frame, but will be able to get some extra oomph with 48 volts of electric assistance at the front wheel.

Brian wanted to come up with a greener way to travel his 12 miles to work, but in a way that doesn’t expose one too much to the elements. That is exactly what I love about this electric bike – a rider can get to work without getting too sweaty, thanks to the electric assist for hills and too-hot-to-pedal days, and can arrive without being soaking wet from rain or fog, or filthy from the dirt and grime of the road. In addition, valuables like purses, laptops, and more can be stored inside with the rider to protect them from weather damage.

It is slower – yet far less toy-ish looking – than an enclosed electric motorcycle, but a more car-like option than many other electric bikes…and hopefully not as frighteningly expensive as the Aerorider or many other electric bikes tend to be, though some are getting cheaper. I venture to guess that a lot of people would find this a reasonably sheltered way to get to work while getting some exercise and staying at least mostly fresh.

The specifics are still under development, as is the project as a whole. But I congratulate ecogeeky Brian on developing his own solution to the daily grind of commuting.

Via AutoblogGreen, Endgadget, Bricycles.com

Sportworks Insta-Gater Rack
The Insta-Gater truck bed bike rack from Sportworks that firmly holds a bike with both wheels still attached. A product review of the Insta-Gater truck bed bike rack. A Versatile truck bed bike rack for bikes of all sizes and weights from BMX to downhill.