United States

Bike Training For the Triathlon

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If you have never done a triathlon but are interested in competing in one you will find it to be one of the most gratifying accomplishments you have ever had but you will also find it to be one of the most challenging. Every time a triathlete attempts a tri they are asking their body to test its limits and that is saying a lot. If you are getting geared up for the tri and all the training that will take place you would be better off making sure you focused on the bike more than anything else. The bike is what will make or break your tri. The swimming can derail you and you donâ€™t want a bad run either but the bike is sandwiched in their making it incredibly hard and pivotal to your success. Here are a few tips that will make your biking a breeze at the next tri.

Find Your Equipment Now

Donâ€™t start training with a new bike or new bike shoes a month out of the tri. Itâ€™s bad form. The rule is you should be very comfortable with everything you are using on race day. The last thing you need is a bike you donâ€™t understand or a helmet that doesnâ€™t fit the way you want. These things will derail your efforts on the tri. Make sure you pick out what you want and what you need early on. Donâ€™t make the mistake of waiting too long. You could be paying for it later.

Start Early

People think because itâ€™s the bike that they can wait till the last minute before they get out there and hit the trails. Donâ€™t make that mistake. Training for the bike takes months and a ton of work. Donâ€™t sell yourself short. It will end up hurting your time in the end.

Filed Under: Bicycle, Cycling, Sports Tagged With: sport, Triathlon, United States

Bike Boom of the 1960s and 70s

Bicycles fell out of favor with a general public for a time after the 1890s bike boom. Bicycles were considered only fit for children and a toy. Bike riding as recreation had yet to take hold, and with the practical new motorized ways to get around in cities, adult cycling fell out of favor.

It made reasonable sense that bike riding to work or to get across town would face at least ebb around the turn of the century. Mass transit systems were starting to be put in place in the great cities of the world. Hopping on a subway to get to a 12-hour factory shift seemed like a far better prospect than expending the energy to ride a bike. The conditions of roads also left something to be desired. Paving was still in its infancy. And if a rider took a spill off of his or her bike the resulting injuries were far more likely to lead to something serious.

The popularity of cycling rose and fell with necessity. Bikes as a form of transportation enjoyed a brief spike during the Great Depression as economic necessity deemed it necessary to find an inexpensive manner to travel. In more modern times, it is similar to Cuba importing millions of bicycles after the collapse of the Iron Curtain. Without oil subsidies from the Soviet Union getting around on a bike seemed like a far better prospect that getting behind a car and pushing.

The final transition in the story of the bicycle in the United State took place in the 1960s and 70s. It was a perfect storm of innovation, economic crisis and population demographics coming together. From 1972-74 more bicycles than automobile were sold in the United States. A Mideast oil crisis caused gas prices to spike, bike technology allowed for tricks such as the wheelie and baby-boomers were coming of age. The bicycle had made a comeback. With millions in the hand of the public it had established its staying power for decades to come. The next innovation would be the invention of the mountain bike.

Filed Under: Bikes, Cycling Tagged With: Bicycle, Cycling, United States

The Risk of Texting and Biking

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Texting and driving is a major issue facing people all of the world. For a brief instant people take their eyes off of the road in order to text a friend of family member. That moment they take their eyes off the road could be catastrophic. While it’s an issue that the media is addressing, there is also a little known issue that is starting to creep up and that’s texting and biking.

Texting and biking isn’t as large a problem as texting and driving but it is an issue. The text message has become such a part of our lives that people really believe they can just take their eyes off of whatever they are doing and answer it. This includes while they are biking. For some reason that text message alerting you to the newest sports betting sites, friends activity or event sports score plays such an important role in a person’s life that they are willing to risk their safety for it.

It is a good idea to remember that if you are out biking and receive a text message to pull off the side of the biking trail or road. Taking the risk to answer the text message while biking could cause you to swerve into traffic, hit a tree or fall off your bike. Statistics show that bike accidents can be just as fatal as car accidents and often times can be prevented.

The key to prevention when it comes to texting and biking it to raise awareness that a problem even exists. Many people don’t even realize that they are putting themselves and others at risk by answering that text message while biking. Next time you get that text message consider the environment that you are in and if it’s safe to answer it. Remember whatever that text message is about, it isn’t worth risking your safety over!

Filed Under: Bicycle, Bicycle Parts, Cycling, General, New Bikes Tagged With: Bicycle, Cycling, Segregated cycle facilities, Sports, Text messaging, Texting while driving, Traffic collision, United States

Bike Craze of the 1890s

The popularity of the bicycles has been fairly consistent in the Western world, but the the public did not truly embrace cycling as a past time until the dreams of designers caught up with designs. Prior to the 1890s, bicycles had been novelty acts. After all riding on a bike that offered a terribly unpleasant due to a rigid frame and risking concussion because the front wheel was so evaluated off the ground where more than just inconveniences.

Two major advances changed all this, brought in the advances that would lead to the modern bicycle and create the largest bike craze to date. A chain driven transmission and improvements to the gear ratios transformed bicycles from difficult to conquer to easy as, well, riding a bike. By 1895 the chain driven design had been largely perfected. One of the first well known bikes to use this design was called the rover, developed by British inventor John Kemp Starley. The ease of the ride and the improved safety measures led to the bike earning the nickname of the safety-bike. Soon the large front wheeled bikes seemed more a nuisance and hazard.

The design improvements created a high demand for bikes in Western Europe and the United States. As the public fell in love with bike riding it created a need for another innovation. City road would have to be paved to accommodate the legions of bike riders taking to the streets.

This bike craze also paved the way for other modern bike amenities. In New Jersey, bike manufacturer H.B. Smith Company opened a bike trail between its headquarters in Smithville, New Jersey and the city of Mount Holly, New Jersey. About 3,000 riders took place on a ride between the cities on Sept. 13, 1892. The bike craze continued as Coney Island, New York and the World Colombian Exposition in Chicago were soon featuring bike trails. The popularity of bicycles remained fairly consistent until a new invention threatened.

By attaching an internal combustion engine, the bike could become a motorcycle.

Filed Under: Bicycle, Cycling Tagged With: Bicycle, Cycling, United States

Schwinn Bicycles

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As the post World War II generation, the nicknamed Baby Boomers, head into retirement catering to their recreation activities has become an important market for companies. Cycling remains a popular activity even into retirement age for the first generation in history. While the technological advances of modern mountain bikes has something to do with the staying power of the recreation, a large part of the staying power of the bicycle with the Baby Boomers is that they grew up with bicycles, and as a result bike riding became ingrained as an activity.

Part of the aging process is fondly recalling the past. And for children of the 1960s, the past likely included owing or seeing friends own a Schwinn bicycle. Schwinn targeted the child and youth market by advertising on popular children’s shows of the era. The Schwinn company had an active presence on the Captain Kangaroo Show. Captain Kangaroo would often long for his own Schwinn bicycle on the show, which caused it to be the top item on many Christmas and Birthday wish lists. Schwinn was so successful with this type of adverting that parents groups objected to the manner in which the show was marketing Schwinn bicycles. Schwinn responded by getting a Schwinn dealer character to become a regular guest on the show.

It was not enough to create a demand for the bicycle. The product had to offer enough features to make it both fun and memorable. In 1962, Schwinn designer Al Fitz noticed a growing trend in the California youth market. People were including their own designs to bicycles by replacing the manufacturers’ handle bars with motorcycle handle bars. The resulting bikes could dip off the ground and perform the wheelie trick. From this observation, Fritz helped design the Schwinn Stingray bicycle. Stingray sales soon took off and an icon was born.

By 1965 the Schwinn Stingray had become a top seller and in both the United States and foreign markets. As young cyclists performed wheelies, they would be paving the way for a lifetime of riding.

Filed Under: Cycling, Sports Tagged With: Cycling, Schwinn Bicycle Company, United States

Baltimore County Plans to Improve Bike Trails

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Baltimore County has drafted plans to improve biking and walking paths that will make it easier for people to reach cities, colleges, and train stations without relying on motor vehicles. The county gathered much of the information needed to suit the needs of residents by holding four meetings in the county’s residential areas.

The current draft includes plans to create paths specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists. This would create a safe option for those who do not want to use roads that used by motor vehicles. The plans will also increase the number of designated pedestrian and bike paths, making it possible for individuals to travel throughout the county without using cars, trucks, or other motorized vehicles.

Baltimore County also plans to install more bike racks and improve sidewalks.

Making the area friendlier to pedestrians and bikers will require a consider amount of effort. Residents have already started pitching in to make plans a reality. Volunteers currently remove trash and other debris from existing trails.

There is some concern about pedestrian safety on trails that also allow bikes. Some residents have complained that the bicycles present a danger to those walking along the paths, especially during darker times of the day such as early morning and dusk. Complaints are most commonly directed at heavily trafficked trails, such as the Trolley Line No. 9 trail that stretches from Edmonson Ave. to Oella Ave.

Regardless of what planner decide to do about traffic problems on trails, one thing is certain: encouraging more people to use bikes will improve congesting on city roads. Many people in the area drive to train stations, park their vehicles, and then commute to work via rails. An improved system of bike trails would make it easier for commuters to leave their cars at home. This would not only relieve congestion on the streets, but also require fewer parking spaces at the stations.

Filed Under: Cycling, Riding Clubs, Riding Trails Tagged With: Automobile, Baltimore, Baltimore County Maryland, Bicycle, Cycling, Maryland, Trail, United States

Bicycle Safety was good Business

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Bicycles have numerous benefits to the health. Exercise a component often forgotten in American life is one. Getting outdoors is another benefit, as getting people off the couch and into nature for sunlight and recreation can have benefits to morale that cause unquantifiable health benefits. Despite all the positive health benefits of bicycling as recreation, all of the exercise and clean air a person can handle cannot make up for the injures suffered during a bike accident.

Historically speaking , bicycle safety has been one of the reasons why bike riding did not take off initially. The earliest of bikes were built to be only functional. Engineers were not beholden to any type of safety regulations because lawmakers barely knew about the then new technology let alone how to regulate riders. As a result, new designs were built for whatever the customer demanded rather than worrying about the best interests of the riders. In the nascent stage of cycling the sport was considered to be the reckless hobby of daredevils. The Victorian values of the mid-nineteenth century frowned upon women taking part in such a precarious endeavor.

Seeking speed over safety riders took on any innovation that would turn them into speed demons, often dead, crippled or injured speed demons but that was an accepted part of cycle racing in the early stages of the sport. Perhaps to the chagrin of cycling purists of that era, bike riding became more widespread. And as a result the economic interests of manufacturers meant appealing to a wider audience.

While the chivalrous might have been willing to accept death as a consequence of riding a bike the general public preferred a smoother ride. The 1880s saw the launching of the safety bicycle, and the name included the appeal. It was safe to ride, at least by the standards of the day. While future innovations such as helmets or lights had yet to be implemented, simply including safety in the design proved to be good for the business of cycling. And as business boomed it ensured further bicycle safety enhancements.

Filed Under: Bicycle Tagged With: Bicycle, Bicycle racing, Sports, United States

Bike Crazes 1819-1880

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Bicycles remain a popular form of recreation, transportation and exercise nearly 200 years after the debut of its earliest direct ancestor. The staying power of the device has much to do with its ability to change and adapt to the needs of new generations of bike enthusiasts. The advent of new forms of bikes that greatly improved on the designs of its predecessors can be tracked through “bike crazes” that struck throughout history.

The first bike craze is often associated to the first popular bike. The dandy horse found great commercial success as fad around 1819. The shock of seeing a man made and powered mode of transportation in an era where horse drawn buggies were the norm provided enough initial interest in the vehicle to trigger the first bike craze. The Baron Karl Von Draise bike, which went by many names, was popular enough to start an interest in cycling, but the bike craze surrounding the dandy horse died rather quickly. Municipalities helped to stomp out the craze by banning or restricting the devices. As the craze died down, engineers worked on new designs.

By the 1860s another craze was launched due to the innovation of adding pedals to the frame of the dandy horse. France caught bike fever as inventors such as the Olivier Brothers and Pierre Michaux set up a partnership, which led to the first mass production of the bicycle. By 1868 the bike craze had spread across Europe and the United States. While the bicycles looked fun and where certainly an innovation, the stiff wrought iron frame and the wooden wheels surrounded by iron tires created an ride that resembled an earthquake in that era.

As the bike craze began to die in France it remained in England, mostly due to another technology tweaking. English engineers raised the front wheel to help increase the speed and improve the ride. The craze remained in effect in the United States, as the Columbia bicycle company was founded and began mass production. By 1880, the bicycle had captured the public’s imagination, but the best was yet to come.

Filed Under: Bicycle Tagged With: Bicycle, England, Pierre Michaux, United States

San Antonio Gets Money for Campaign Directed at Cyclists and Motorists

The Texas Department of Transportation has given the City of San Antonio $276,000 of federal money to fund a bicycle safety campaign as a part of the current “Get Cyched” advertisements. The money will be managed by San Antonio’s Office of Environmental Policy.

Texas law grants motorists and cyclists the same rights. Many people, however, misunderstand the current regulations that dictate how everyone on the road must follow.

Motorists often become angered by bikes on the road because they slow down the flow of traffic. The problems, however, are not one-sided. Many cyclists feel that they are immune to road rules. They frequently run stop signs, fail to make turn signals, and ride in the dark without lights. The new campaign will address these problems.

The advertising program, however, will have more hurdles to overcome than simply letting people on the road know what rules they have to follow. As biking has become a popular alternative to using gas-guzzling cars, trucks, and SUVs, many motorists find themselves outraged by the increasing number of bikes on the road. This can lead to a type of road rage directed solely at cyclists.

That rage is somewhat understandable. After all, who hasn’t felt frustrated while stuck behind a bike? Even residential roads have speed limits that are higher than most cyclists can reach. This creates an angering situation for motorists who suddenly find themselves stuck in an unexpected delay. This problem is further exacerbated on large roads. Spotting a biker who runs stop signs, rides on the wrong side of the road, and commits other flagrant violations of the law makes many drivers angry beyond belief.

Forcing cars to slow down could create traffic nightmares in congested cities, which could lead to more accidents and angry outbursts.

This may be the only situation where “separate but equal” works well. Creating a designated bike lane on popular roads could solve many problems. San Antonio’s advertising campaign, however, should help ease problems on the road at least a little bit by educating more people about the law of the road.

Filed Under: Bicycle, Bikes, Cycling, General Tagged With: Bicycle, Cycling, Road rage, Roads and Highways, San Antonio, Speed limit, Traffic, United States

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Warns of U.N. Plot in Denver

Dan Maes, the Republican gubernatorial candidate for Colorado, warns voters that a newly implemented bike sharing program is part of a United Nations plot to slowly take control of the United States.

Maes statements were directed at Denver’s mayor, John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who supports the B-Cycle sharing program. The program has about 400 bicycles available for rent throughout the city, making it possible for people to get around without relying on motor vehicles.

It is hard to imagine that many voters will actually take this conspiracy theory seriously. Maes, however, notes that even he had no objections to the program until recently, when he learned that it is part of a U.N. initiative. B-Cycle is supported by grants and private donors. There are no known connections to the United Nations.

According to Maes, Hickenlooper’s support of the bike sharing program comes from his collaboration with the U.N. Denver does have a contract with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), which Maes mistakenly believes is a U.N. group. In reality, the group was created during a meeting at the U.N. building in New York City, but the U.N. has no control over ICLEI.

Over half of the ICLEI members are American cities. The group gives city leaders the opportunity to share innovative ideas that will improve their communities.

Even more ridiculous is the assertion that Hickenlooper is responsible for entering a contract with ICLEI. Denver entered into an agreement with the group ten years before Hickenlooper’s election.

The fact of the matter is that bike sharing programs have significant benefits. They ease traffic congestion, give tourists an easy way to explore cities, and can even reduce air pollution by giving people an alternative to motor vehicles. Bike sharing programs also make it easy and affordable for people in Denver to use bikes when they want to without having to worry about the responsibility of upkeep.

Looking through the comments left about the story on the websites of Colorado’s newspapers, it is obvious that most people find Maes’s comments laughable.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Colorado, Denver, John Hickenlooper, New York City, Republican, United Nations, United States