This is a very big deal in Europe, where at least one key pro bicycle rider has been linked to allegations that he may have a secret motor installed in the tubes of his bike that crank at very fast speeds.
The problem is serious enough that Tour de France riders are going to have all their bicycles so checked this year..
Hmmm. I could use this.
Here’s an Italian video with English subtitles that explains how it works
On a bike ride this week with Chris Olivero, we got talking about the proper fit for a bicycle, how even the slightest adjustment can affect not just comfort but performance.
Chris had just had her bike fitted from Fraser Bicycle. So when I got home I dug through my YouTube vids and found the one I did a couple years ago when I got me Trek Madone 5.5 road bike and visited the shop.
Bike fitting is not cheap. But after spending a bunch for a bike, whatever it costs to make sure it fits us properly is an investment for your riding future. Here’s the vid:
Several days a week, I ride the Paint Creek Trail near my house. Several nights a week, my wife and I take our dog for a walk down the same trail.
Lately, we’ve been noticing a lot more cyclists riding at night, thanks to the unbelievable bright LED bike lights they have that might up the trail for 100 feet ahead of them.
I have never ridden at night, except for an annual Bike the Lights ride each Christmas season along Hines Drive in Wayne County.
Looks fun. Any night riding regulars out there who;d care to share their advice and after dark riding experiences?
This has been a rough season for me so far, thanks to serious knee problems that have had me limping around lately and having a rough time riding.
It’s been enough to make me worry about being able to train enough for the Michigander, though now I’m in southwest Georgia visiting my son’s family and trying to get in enough ri ding to tell me whether I can do the training.
So far, so good. On a ride with my eight-year-old grandson tonight, we almost ran over this six foot Timber rattlesnake on a street in his subdivision.
The snake didn’t bother us, so, after snapping this picture, we didn’t bother it, either.
And so far, the knee has been stiff but okay enough to ride.
Got up early this morning and headed for the Everglades, the Shark Valley Trail to be specific, deep in the Everglades National Park, about 30 miles due west of Miami and 70 miles east from where I’m staying in Naples.
I found it via Google, searching for “bicycle rides, Everglades,” and couldn’t have been happier. The trail is a 15 mile loop via a paved path closed to all traffic but bikers, hikers and a tram that hauls folks around on tours. The cyclists ride counterclockwise and have to pull to the side and stop as the trams, headed clockwise, pass.
But I found that to be no big deal as I was stopping a lot anyway to take pictures of the scenery and, of course, the alligators. I passed at least 50 of them, most six to seven footers, most no more than 10 feet away from my bike. The gators were basking in the sun right on the trail itself in several places.
Since I knew they can move as fast as 20 miles an hour and have pretty explosive speed when jumping, I was pretty taken aback at first, until I realized that mutual respect was called for. I could pass by but if I stopped the bike and came closer, those big old reptile eyes seemed to become very alert.
One of them, right on the trail’s edge, had his moth wide open, something the park rangers say they do to cool off.
The 15-mile ride was one of the most pleasant I have ever taken. The temps were in the low seventies and the bugs haven;t hatched out yet.
