There are some cool apps out, from an ICE (in case of emergency) app that turns your screensaver into a list of your emergency contacts, to a heart rate monitor, and a few other usual suspects. Check out GCN pick of the best cycling apps out there…
YouTube pranksters, TwinzTV take on bike thieves in this latest episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tufnWwV2J5I
Does your city make the list?
The Global Cycling Network has a great video on how to improve your cycling this off season. What do you want to achieve next season? Here’s some tips on how to make it the best off season ever.
This does not surprise me. When I was over in London last year, we took a walk to a local pub. My daughter and I counted the cyclists we saw on the way there and on the walk back. We counted over 110. Most of them looked like commuters.
They are everywhere. There’s no shortage of cyclists in the center of London mixing it up in Trafalgar Square, thick with taxis and buses. We also came across a string of cyclists in a mid-week time trial on a rainy day out in the country.
My local city, Charlotte, much much smaller and much less traffic, and with very few cyclists comparative to London averages 1-4 deaths a year. The bustling, chaotic and sprawling London which is thick with cyclists has had just 8 fatalities so far this year. That seems mighty low.
I rode in London in the 90’s while living there, commuting to work, but it wasn’t smack bang in the middle of the city, though my wife and I took a few weekend trips into a busy part of town. We were a bit nervous at first but got over it quickly and I don’t remember any close calls, not like here.
Certainly the cycle lanes contribute to safety, but I’m pretty sure the sheer number of cyclists on the road dramatically raises the awareness of drivers, and makes them more cyclist-sensitive. Whereas here, they look but don’t see.
What you see is strongly influenced by what you’re looking for, and around here most drivers are just not expecting a cyclist, aren’t looking for them and consequntly don’t see them.
And when they do see them, reactions vary from: from curiosity, “OMG! WTF is that?” to amazement, “cool, look a cyclist!!” …and to anger, “What the hell is this kid doing with his toy on the roads?!!”
I’m sure there’s many lessons we can learn from London.
London Crowned as Strava’s Most Active Cycling City
After an aborted Tour and cancer treatment, Ivan Basso (Tinkoff-Saxo) pulls the plug.
“Every athlete knows that his light will not shine bright throughout his career,” said Basso, who won the Giro in 2006 and 2010. “Inevitably, at some stage it will start dimming and it’s the sign of a wise athlete to know when the moment has come to turn it off.”
http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/10/news/ivan-basso-37-retires-from-pro-cycling_387160
Fun rides can be extremely dangerous. I’ve done a lot and seen quite a bit. Unfortunately Levi’s GranFondo on Saturday saw more accidents than usual… 16 emergency calls, 5 people transported by ground ambulance to local hospitals, 1 by REACH helicopter.
Tragically, one rider never made it.
Edward Lund, a rider in Levi’s GranFondo, was killed on Saturday when he lost control on a descent with some tricky corners. It sounds like the organizers took all reasonable precautions. But no matter the circumstances; it’s always up to each of us to ensure our own safety.
“Muhney [the rider behind Mr Lund] heeded the advice of a course marshal who had warned him to be extra careful on that stretch of the course, and he was “a little harder on the brakes” because of it, he said.
One of the challenges of that stretch is that alternating strong sunlight and dark shade made it difficult at times to see the shady curves, he said. But he added that organizers appeared to have tried to compensate for that with a number of road flares.”
More on Levi’s GranFondo on Saturday:
Road.cc reports:
“Seventeen bike brands have announced a joint recall of over 1.5 million bikes. The recall affects disc-braked bikes and the problem is the front quick release skewer, which can enter the disc rotor when fully opened.” – Road.cc
Brands recalling bikes:
Access
Breezer
Cannondale
Civia
Diamondback
Felt
Fuji
Giant
GT
Haro
Jamis
Novara
Norco
Raleigh
Ridley
SE Bikes
Specialized
Full details on the recall at quickreleaserecall.com
Here’s how the action unfolded in Richmond at the UCI Road World Champs. Sagan keeps a low profile during the race, then….
I took an early evening spin on the trainer last night. Good to see Zwift, the indoor cycling software, is expanding their course selection beyond the fantasy island, and going real world. Here’s some screenshots from the Zwift Cycling World Championship Course in Richmond VA.
Harold Palmquist is a Gulf War veteran. When he lost his job as a truck driver, he lost his home and was out on the street with his beloved 9 year old dog Daisy. Homeless shelters would take in Harold, but not Daisy, and he wasn’t about to abandon Daisy.
Finally he chanced across a shelter that would accept pets, the Phoenix shelter “Veterans and Their Pets,” which also offers food and veterinary care for pets.
Now Palmquist is raising money for the shelter, and awareness for the plight of many veterans, by riding his bicycle across America.
If you’d like to help Harold and Daisy in their goal, you can donate via their Go Fund Me page.
