It’s fun keeping my non-technical-oriented eye on some of the new ideas emerging in the world of bicycle design. The epicenter of cyclo-innovation, at least in our part of the world, is the itinerant North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), the fifth annual version of which took place in Indianapolis a few weeks ago. Exhibiting this year were more than five dozen independent bike builders ranging from A (Adams Custom Fabrication of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) to Z (Zullo Tizino of Verona, Italy). And what a show it was, I am told.
Dynamic Bicycles, Inc., which was not involved with the show, claims its Synergy model, already on the market, is the world’s first internally geared, drop-bar road bike. “The result is a bicycle that will appeal to road enthusiasts, commuters, light touring, and event riders alike,” the company claims. The Nulla concept bicycle from designer Bradford Waugh might not yet be ready for prime time, but can you imagine riding it? You wouldn’t have to worry about your shoelaces or loose clothing getting caught in the spokes, that’s for sure. (On the other hand, what are you going to clothespin your baseball cards to?)
Feeling green? Check out the Bamboo Bike from California-based Calfee Design (a company that was represented at the NAHBS). This bicycle sounds like the real thing--although it occurs to me you might want to avoid touring on it in central China, or you could wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of a panda bear munching on your two-wheeled transportation. Finally, have a look at the Couchbike. Mount a satellite dish on the armrest and it could be the answer you’ve been seeking to that age-old question: How can I go on tour without missing my daytime episodes of Judge Judy?
And here I thought I was pretty cutting-edge when I finally got my first fully suspended mountain bike last summer.
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Adventure Cyclist Magazine
In our recent Annual Member Survey, Adventure Cyclist magazine was, by far, the number one reason for being a member of Adventure Cycling. Our magazine, published 9 times a year, looks at bicycle touring from all angles, including gear reviews, inspiring adventure stories and how-to hints. Some of our most recent issues have included topics like; Top Ten Tours, Biking Six Continents , and a look at A Decade on the Great Divide .
If your not a member and you want to see what all the hubbub is about, you can request a free sample issue.
And, if you want to get the scoop on what we’ve been doing over the past year here at Adventure Cycling, check out our latest video, with a updates from a few of our staff.
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The Membership Highlights feature will appear weekly and spotlight the various benefits of membership, what we have accomplished thanks to member support and even interviews with some of our most passionate and dedicated members, both individual and organizational.Check back each Friday for a new post!
If your not a member and you want to see what all the hubbub is about, you can request a free sample issue.
And, if you want to get the scoop on what we’ve been doing over the past year here at Adventure Cycling, check out our latest video, with a updates from a few of our staff.
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The Membership Highlights feature will appear weekly and spotlight the various benefits of membership, what we have accomplished thanks to member support and even interviews with some of our most passionate and dedicated members, both individual and organizational.Check back each Friday for a new post!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Welcome! March 26, 2009
Winona here, media director for Adventure Cycling. On Wednesdays, I will cover some of the stories about Adventure Cycling that have appeared recently in the national and regional media, highlight our videos (and cool videos made by others), and mention intriguing Flickr groups, cycling blogs, and the like. So here goes.
2008 was a great year in the media for Adventure Cycling. We were featured in numerous stories about the growth of bike touring and gas-free travel such as this delightful New York Times piece, "Vacation Plans that Avoid the Pump," which highlighted bicycle travel and travel by mule drawn wagon. The Adventure Cycling Route Network also got a ton of coverage, as did the emergence and approval of a plan to create a U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). This story hit nationally in an AP piece by Calvin Woodward, "New Interstate Roadmap Takes Shape for Bicyclists", appearing in publications like USA Today, and more.
Of course, as we gear up for the 2009 season, we will continue to publicize our work on the USBRS, our route network, guided tours, and the enormous spiritual and physical (and economical) value of bicycle travel.
In recent news, The Huffington Post picked up a sweet little story about Twin Bridges, Montana (population 400) which sits on the TransAmerica Trail, and their efforts to create a campground specifically for cyclists. ForbesTraveler.com published 10 Great American Bike Trails by Jeff Wallach which included coverage of our Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, TransAmerica Trail, and Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. It's a cool piece (although we're not so sure about the sub-headline, "Scenic trips for ten-speeds and more"). Plus, they've posted a short slideshow of all the trails that they covered in the article.
Speaking of photos, Adventure Cycling is now on Flickr! Check out our Flickr profile and groups. We have groups set up for people who have taken our guided cycling tours, ridden our routes, Bikecentennial participants, and more. There are some fantastic photos already posted! We hope to import our Flickr content into our Facebook page soon, but apparently the various FB Flickr apps are having some problems right now - we hope they resolve them soon! It's easy to join and get involved on Flickr. Learn more about Flickr and how to join in.
2008 was a great year in the media for Adventure Cycling. We were featured in numerous stories about the growth of bike touring and gas-free travel such as this delightful New York Times piece, "Vacation Plans that Avoid the Pump," which highlighted bicycle travel and travel by mule drawn wagon. The Adventure Cycling Route Network also got a ton of coverage, as did the emergence and approval of a plan to create a U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS). This story hit nationally in an AP piece by Calvin Woodward, "New Interstate Roadmap Takes Shape for Bicyclists", appearing in publications like USA Today, and more.
Of course, as we gear up for the 2009 season, we will continue to publicize our work on the USBRS, our route network, guided tours, and the enormous spiritual and physical (and economical) value of bicycle travel.
In recent news, The Huffington Post picked up a sweet little story about Twin Bridges, Montana (population 400) which sits on the TransAmerica Trail, and their efforts to create a campground specifically for cyclists. ForbesTraveler.com published 10 Great American Bike Trails by Jeff Wallach which included coverage of our Underground Railroad Bicycle Route, TransAmerica Trail, and Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. It's a cool piece (although we're not so sure about the sub-headline, "Scenic trips for ten-speeds and more"). Plus, they've posted a short slideshow of all the trails that they covered in the article.
Speaking of photos, Adventure Cycling is now on Flickr! Check out our Flickr profile and groups. We have groups set up for people who have taken our guided cycling tours, ridden our routes, Bikecentennial participants, and more. There are some fantastic photos already posted! We hope to import our Flickr content into our Facebook page soon, but apparently the various FB Flickr apps are having some problems right now - we hope they resolve them soon! It's easy to join and get involved on Flickr. Learn more about Flickr and how to join in.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Biking Without Borders: An Introduction
Hi, I’m Michael (better known as ‘Mac’) McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. This column is one of several we at the organization are launching to coincide with the arrival of spring--which, of course, heralds the beginning of the cycling season in so much of North America.
Having helped organize the Bikecentennial ride in 1976, I’ve been working for Adventure Cycling about as long as a person possibly could have. So, you might say I’ve gained some perspective. Today I’m in the unique position of working from my home in Idaho, beyond the borders of Adventure Cycling’s home state of Montana. (Okay, the two states do share a boundary more than 500 miles long, so admittedly it’s not like I’m writing from outer Botslovia.) Because of this fact, and also owing to the nature of the projects I coordinate for the organization--from compiling the Bike Bits e-newsletter, to writing the Waypoints column for Adventure Cyclist magazine, to cycling in far-flung destinations like South Australia to gather materials for feature stories in the magazine--we’re calling my contribution Biking Without Borders.
I vow to do my best to post something relevant and interesting (and occasionally thought-provoking) here every Monday. I might tell you about an around-the-world tour in progress, speculate on the pluses and minuses of some new mountain-bike widget, or introduce you to a largely unheralded person doing great things for cycling in her small community in Arkansas.
Riding, and writing, without borders, that’s me. So please, try to remember to have a look now and then and let me know how I’m doing. In the meantime, I’m hoping to take advantage of a remarkable spring cycling opportunity in Yellowstone National Park, which is basically in my backyard … if only it will stop snowing!
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Biking Without Borders is written by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
Having helped organize the Bikecentennial ride in 1976, I’ve been working for Adventure Cycling about as long as a person possibly could have. So, you might say I’ve gained some perspective. Today I’m in the unique position of working from my home in Idaho, beyond the borders of Adventure Cycling’s home state of Montana. (Okay, the two states do share a boundary more than 500 miles long, so admittedly it’s not like I’m writing from outer Botslovia.) Because of this fact, and also owing to the nature of the projects I coordinate for the organization--from compiling the Bike Bits e-newsletter, to writing the Waypoints column for Adventure Cyclist magazine, to cycling in far-flung destinations like South Australia to gather materials for feature stories in the magazine--we’re calling my contribution Biking Without Borders.
I vow to do my best to post something relevant and interesting (and occasionally thought-provoking) here every Monday. I might tell you about an around-the-world tour in progress, speculate on the pluses and minuses of some new mountain-bike widget, or introduce you to a largely unheralded person doing great things for cycling in her small community in Arkansas.
Riding, and writing, without borders, that’s me. So please, try to remember to have a look now and then and let me know how I’m doing. In the meantime, I’m hoping to take advantage of a remarkable spring cycling opportunity in Yellowstone National Park, which is basically in my backyard … if only it will stop snowing!
--
Biking Without Borders is written by Michael McCoy, Adventure Cycling’s field editor. It appears weekly, highlighting a little bit of this or a little bit of that--just about anything, as long as it’s related to traveling by bicycle.
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