MetaFilter posts tagged with cycling

CX!

the man of twists and turns — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:58:01 -0800

Last February, the cyclocross world championships came to Louisville, Kentucky - the first time it had been held outside Europe. HIGHLIGHTS: Championship Highlights Women's Elite Men's Elite Men's Under-23 FULL RACES: Elite Men's Elite Women's Junior Men's And much more in the sidebars. CX, previously: Mud, sweat, and tears, Extreme Cyclocross, More Fun Than Going Shopping

TEAM GAMERA!

the man of twists and turns — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 20:46:25 -0800

Gamera II is the University of Maryland's Human-Powered Helicopter. So far it has remained aloft for 65.1 seconds and reached an altitude of 9.4 feet, not quite enough to win the AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Human Powered Helicopter competition. Last summer, Gamera II hovered for nearly a minute, and later on set a world record. A subsequent altitude test ended in a hard landing, (via). How Hard Is A Human_Powered Helicopter? Human Powered Helicopters: Straight-Up Difficult AeroVelo is also working on a human-powered helicopter. previously

Biketown, USA

mathowie — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:22:13 -0800

What happened to a place in Michigan when cars were banned for 115 years?

Park Tool's bicycle repair help and education pages

cog_nate — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:58:23 -0800

Major bicycle tools manufacturer Park Tool maintains a neatly sorted bevy of repair, maintenance and technical information articles. Their lead mechanic Calvin runs a video channel that includes -- among many other things -- on-the-road bicycle repair tips. Even more bike info (new bike assembly procedures, road and mountain bike positioning charts, thread concepts, drive train troubleshooting, etc.) is available on the miscellaneous topics page. Don't forget to check out the bicycle mechanics language spreadsheet!

Two wheels bad, four wheels good

unSane — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 04:18:23 -0800

Following a parent-governor meeting at North Downs Primary School last Thursday, pupils will be banned from cycling and walking to two primary school sites over fears it would be too dangerous.

The nitty gritty of how to keep the roads rolling

MartinWisse — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:58:18 -0800

"Hans explains there is a policy to keep certain routes clear. Since all streets in Dutch cities are categorised (also because of the ‘sustainable safety’ policy) it is very clear which streets are main routes that must be cleared. In the past, the cycle paths were not really thought important. But there were many complaints about it and the policies shifted slowly towards clearing the cycle paths more as well. Hans: “Especially when the city was elected Cycling City of the Netherlands in 2011, the department of public works felt it was our moral obligation to give the main cycle routes the highest priority. Now the cycle paths are cleared at the same time as the 8 main routes for motorised traffic.” -- Cycling blogger Mark Wagenbuur explains how one Dutch city, 'S-Hertogenbosch, deals with keeping the cycle paths clear during winter.

I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Poe.

entropone — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:24:48 -0800

After a few weeks of well-reported rumors that Lance Armstrong was going to confess, he publicly admitted to years of doping in the first of a two-part interview with Oprah Winfrey. The NYTimes called it "a confession without an explanation". Bicycling Magazing breaks down what he did and didn't say. And the ever well-versed Bonnie D. Ford said, "Beware the sudden conversion." Betsy Andreu, who had been hounded and harassed by Armstrong for years for reporting that he heard him admit to PED use to a doctor in 1996, was angry at Armstrong's avoiding the topic. Of course, his reticence could be due to significant legal problems surrounding confession, perjury, and a federal whistleblower lawsuit against him. What do the fans say? Twitter was blazing. Part I can be seen on Youtube links. Part II airs tonight at 9PM EST on the OWN, available streaming on the internet.

Garmin's Edge

mathowie — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:54:29 -0800

Garmin, the well-known navigation company also makes bike computers. Today they unveiled a GPS-enabled bike computer that adds bluetooth to pair with your phone (and piggyback on your network connection). The resulting product video featuring Garmin's pro team riders is a little Hollywood and a little silly showing riders competing virtually against each other but paints a pretty impressive picture for real-time stats, weather, maps, and data sharing among cyclist friends. More at Wired's Gadget blog and a complete review at the DC rainmaker cycling site.

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it, if you live.

nowhere man — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 07:45:30 -0800

"I thought the matter over, and concluded I could do it. So I went down and bought a barrel of Pond's Extract and a bicycle." "Taming The Bicycle" by Mark Twain.

Bicycle racing photography

OmieWise — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:25:39 -0800

The bicycle racing photographs of Timm Kolln. Tour de France 2009. The Peloton (previously). Racing polaroids. Roubaix. Jens Voight. Luis Ocana. Juan Antonio Flecha on a Winter Ride. Stage 9 2010. At the races. Bicicletas Zeus. Lo Stelvio. Federico Bahamontes. [Side scrolling photography site, your forbearance is appreciated.]

The Long, Balanced Haul

Chinese Jet Pilot — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:01:12 -0800

Cargo bikes, long a mainstay in the Netherlands and emerging as an automotive alternative in the U.S. (via bike-friendly Portland), come in many flavors: Longtails, longjohns, cycle trucks, porteurs, trikes and the traditional Dutch bakfiet. Will a cargo bike transform your life?

“We are very good, but we want to be better,” said Brian Hansen, the head of Copenhagen’s traffic planning section.

the man of twists and turns — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:54:57 -0800

In Bike-Friendly Copenhagen, Highways For Cyclists: 'Every day, one-third of the people of Copenhagen ride their bikes to work or school. Collectively, they cycle more than 750,000 miles daily, enough to make it to the moon and back. And city officials want even more people to commute, and over longer distances. So a network of 26 new bike routes, dubbed "the cycling superhighway," is being built to link the surrounding suburbs to Copenhagen.'

Don't go up there! You're a silly cyclist.

pie ninja — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 08:05:18 -0800

Silly Cyclists: The Video Series. Silly Cyclists was created by Gaz, a cyclist from London. The series features footage from Gaz and other cyclists showing silly, stupid, or extremely ill-considered decisions by cyclists around the world. Each episode features a top-ten countdown of Silly Cyclists, followed by a Savvy Cyclist. Highlights in the episodes include footage from bikers all over the world, including clips from as far away as Wellington, NZ. Special episodes include a look at silly cycling in Lucas Brunelle’s documentary Line of Sight, and the Best of Episodes 1-9 and the Best of Episodes 10-19.

Lance Armstrong ends his fight against the USADA

Bluecoat93 — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:29:58 -0800

"There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now." Lance Armstrong ends his fight against the US Anti-Doping Agency. This will most likely lead to a lifetime ban from competitive sports and possibly the loss of his 7 Tour de France victories.

28 seconds. Living to write about it.

kneecapped — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:15:21 -0800

Ex Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant (previously previously previously) reveals struggle with alcoholism, and his thoughts on cyclist's death in new memoir, 28 Seconds. CBC radio "The Current" interview, and CTV tv interview. Allan Sheppard, the deceased's father, asks people to scrutinize Bryant's story.

Not A Crime

TheWhiteSkull — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 13:18:46 -0800

Montreal Cops Chase Skateboarders Other classic short films about sport from the National Film Board: 60 Cycles Soccer I'll Go Again Football Story And as a bonus: Log Driver's Waltz

The Grand Tour of MTB

aganders3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 11:18:08 -0800

The 2012 Tour Divide kicked off on the 8th of June. This grand tour takes self-supported cyclists from Banff, AB CA to Antelope Wells, NM, USA along the North American Continental Divide. Riders must endure 4418 km (2745 miles) of dirt and gravel, with over 60,000 meters (200,000 ft) of climbing. If you want to win - plan on riding 16+ hours a day. Participants are now spread across the route, with the leader approaching the Colorado border.

Road to Valor

IanMorr — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:55:01 -0800

Gino Bartali achieved fame by winning the 1938 Tour de France, but what he did on his bike during the war is what made him a real hero. The linked Sports Illustrated article is an excerpt of the new book Road to Valor. Bartali also won the Giro d'Italia in 1936, 1937 and 1946 After being unable to defend his Tour title in 1939 because Italy didn't send a team, Bartali returned to the Tour in 1948

Round the World in 80 Days. Well, nearly

MuffinMan — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:42:22 -0800

Mike Hall, a 31 year old British man, has just cycled 18,000 miles around the world unsupported. In 91 days and 18 hours. The previous unsupported record was 163 days, held by Vin Cox. The previous record for a supported trip was 106 days. Hall celebrated his 31st birthday on arrival in Greenwich, London, today. He did not find the 200 miles a day the record required easy going. Apart from breaking his bike while riding in Albania, he suffered no real issues while riding through 20 countries. Hall was racing in the World Cycle Racing Grand Tour, which left London on the 18th February. The next fastest competitor is still in India. If you're interested, his charity donation page is here. Amazingly, he hasn't actually raised that much cash.

Canadian Ryder Hesjedal wins Giro D'Italia

smudgedlens — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:43:09 -0800

Canadian Ryder Hesjedal is cycling’s rising star Like many "rising stars" Ryder Hesjedal has been struggling for many years to attain this honour. Today his efforts are realized with his win of the Giro-Ditalia.

How to Not Kill a Cyclist

Blasdelb — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:45:36 -0800

It’s National Bike to Work Day today [in some cities], and maybe you noticed a lot of cyclists on your commute this morning. If you didn’t—and you’re a driver—that’s cause for concern. A plea for safety from cyclists to motorists. How to Not Kill a Cyclist How to Drive Around Cyclists (PDF)

Meditation At Gunpoint

The Whelk — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:46:48 -0800

Cartoonist and Essayist Tim Kreider on the soothing effect of dangerous situations. (NYT)

Drafting Like A Boss

klausman — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:59:19 -0800

How to do 55 mph on a bicycle

Team Rwanda

domnit — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:56:58 -0800

Philip Gourevitch tells the story of Team Rwanda, the national cycling team that is helping the country and the team members to escape their tragic history. Tom Ritchey's bike org Project Rwanda created the team in 2007, hiring coach Jock Boyer and recruiting five athletes. The riders, children of the 1990s civil war and genocide, now earn a good salary from the sport they love, and are providing for their families, starting businesses, and bringing pride to their country and villages. Watch (and root) for Adrien Niyonshuti mountain biking in the 2012 Olympics. (via)

BOY - a short film

IanMorr — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:24:15 -0800

Prasanna Puwanarajah's moving short about a Velodrome carpenter, BOY was the winner of the British Airways Great Britons 2012 competition. Behind the scenes.