Bike sex man placed on probation

A man caught trying to have sex with his bicycle has been sentenced to three years on probation.

Robert Stewart, 51, admitted a sexually aggravated breach of the peace by conducting himself in a disorderly manner and simulating sex.

Sheriff Colin Miller also placed Stewart on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.

Mr Stewart was caught in the act with his bicycle by cleaners in his bedroom at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr.

Sheriff Colin Miller told Stewart: "In almost four decades in the law I thought I had come across every perversion known to mankind, but this is a new one on me. I have never heard of a 'cycle-sexualist'."

Source: BBC News

One Day in Doha

Everyday I saw this bike parked in front of a shop in Najma. I was told that this is a way of preventing the bike from being stolen...i.e. by taking off the saddle. And what can I say about that custom-made horn..... priceless!

Knee Injury Checklist : Are You At Risk?

Knee problems are caused by one of four things:

1. Riding too hard, too soon: Don’t get impatient. It’s going to be a long season. Pay attention to your body.

2. Riding too far: Your body is not a machine and cannot always cope with your ambitions. Increasing your average weekly kilometres by more than 60km over less than two to three weeks can put you at risk.

3. Spinning too slow: Save the big ring climbs and sprints for later. Get comfortable at high rpms and you’ll be flying when everyone else is at the physio.

4. Seat too low: It can feel powerful but it loads the patella and is probably the most common cause of knee pain.

If this info comes too late and your knees are already complaining, start your rehab!

Source: Australian Cyclist- Fitness.

Harley Davidson

Source: Poster courtesy of Jim Langley-Bicycle Aficionado.

Hubs, Spokes & Rims

Folks devote a lot of attention to frames and gears but if you are going to suffer a tour-ending mechanical failure, the overwhelming odds are it will be a wheel problem that turns you into a pedestrian. From a simple flat tire, to a broken spoke, to a potato-chipped rim, your wheels are the most vulnerable parts of your bike.

To read more, please download the article here.

Source: The Adventure Cyclist – by Sheldon Brown.

The 100th post

The century post!! ...yeaa!!

Cycling in Malaysia

‘BABU’ Muscarella is new to Kuala Lumpur but instead of familiarising himself with the public transportation system, he cycles everywhere.The 28-year-old Mexican belongs to Cyclown Circus, a group of westerners who has made the city its base for several weeks and commutes on their trusty and showy bicycles.

You might think they are foreigners on a shoestring holiday with lots of time on their hands, hence they cycle everywhere. Indeed, Cyclown members lead a carefree lifestyle but they try to convey a strong ecological warning: human addiction to petroleum. So, everywhere they go, they promote cycling as a sustainable means of transportation.

It started when its founding member Channing “Dr Durak” decided to see the world on his bicycle upon finishing high school in Texas. He first criss-crossed the United States and Mexico, then hopped over to Europe and Asia. He was soon joined by other like-minded individuals. Covering some 40,000km over six years, the informal group has attracted close to 150 people who travel with it for an unspecified time period.

Muscarella joined the group in Bangkok, Thailand, early this year after completing his master's degree at the University of Miami. From Bangkok, the group cycled south into Malaysia and travelled along the west coast, making stops in villages and small towns.

“Wherever possible, we hitch a ride with lorries. It will take us longer if we depend solely on the bicycle. We cycle about 30km a day but we don’t move every day. If we like a place, we might stay longer,” explained Muscarella.

The group perform circus tricks and play their brand of jazz music to generate income to pay for meals and essentials like bicycle parts and medical aid. Each member carries his own tent and they camp in parks or open spaces. They also accept free lodging from acquaintances. In Kuala Lumpur, they got connected with the arts community of Central Market and helped out at art exhibitions and performances, engaging the crowd with tips on juggling and music from home-made instruments.

The group also initiated the first Critical Mass event in Malaysia. Critical Mass is a global movement which originated in San Francisco in September 1992 when 48 cyclists got together on the last Friday of the month to cycle home en masse in response to the growing traffic gridlock. From then on, the group kept growing and the idea spread to other parts of the world.

On July 27, 40 people rode their bicycles into Kuala Lumpur city centre to raise awareness on the growing number of cars on the roads. Muscarella believe the inaugural ride inspired many and is optimistic that the motion for change has been set.

“Cyclists are often scoffed at by motorists as a traffic nuisance but we want to send out the message that cyclists are the traffic,” said Muscarella, who participated in his first Critical Mass ride 10 years ago in Mexico.

He added that mass cycling grabs public attention and creates awareness that cycling is a sensible choice and gets motorists caught in jams to ponder the benefits of cycling.

“For me, the enjoyment of driving is outweighed by the frustration of getting stuck in a traffic jam. The bicycle is non-polluting. You don’t have to pay for parking, fuel, costly maintenance and insurance.”

Many think the humid weather and poor cycling infrastructure discourage cycling in the city but Muscarella actually finds Kuala Lumpur a promising city for cycling.

“It is small and the terrain is mostly flat. The traffic is generally slow, hence it’s not that dangerous. Bangkok, with its four-lane roads, is a worse place for cycling. Of course, it will really help if there are dedicated lanes for bicycles,” he said, adding that when a critical mass is reached, there will be no excuse for authorities to ignore the need for such basic infrastructure.

Chi Too participated in the cycling event to find out if it is feasible to cycle in the city.

“I live in a part of Cheras that is only 7km from the city centre and I am seriously considering cycling over other forms of public transportation. The Critical Mass event provided the chance to experiment whether urban cycling could work for me,” he said.

“We may have come across as a nuisance but that was the only way to raise the visibility of cyclists as another road user,” he said.

He admitted that negotiating the traffic was dangerous but hoped that the event would gain momentum and lead to reforms, such as the inclusion of cycling as part of the city’s transportation system.

Source: The Star Online : Lifestyle - by Hilary Chiew

Classic Bikes

To view more vintage bicycles, click here.

Source: Bicycle Quarterly.

Pedal-powered washing machine

CYCLEAN : Pedal-powered washing machine prototype. For more info, click here.

Source: CYCLEAN

DIY Bike Rack

2 'U'-bolts + brackets & an old hubs = voila!!....a Bike Rack.

Source: Blue Collar Mountain Biking

Fashion on Wheels

About 35% of the population i.e. half million people riding their bike to school & work in Copenhagen everyday. Check out some chicks on bike!

Source: Cycle Chic: Copenhagen Girls on Bikes

Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team to Fold at End of Season

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, which counted 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador along with Levi Leipheimer and Yaroslav Popovych (third and eighth place respectively overall in the TdF) on its roster, has announced it will fold at the end of the year.

Though disappointing to many, the news comes as no surprise. Tailwind Sports, the team's owner, has been aggressively seeking sponsors since February, when Discovery Channel announced it was ending the corporate partnership with Tailwind Sports.

"We were in talks with a number of companies about the opportunity and were confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen, however, to end those discussions," said General Manager Bill Stapleton, in a Tailwind press release announcing the decision.

The inability of Tailwind Sports to find a new sponsor for the Discovery Channel team -- a group which has had unparalled success in professional sports, with eight Tour de France victories in nine years -- says a lot about the climate in professional cycling today. Sources say Tailwind was looking for $45 million for three years, and there are very few companies ready to shell out those kind of heavy bucks just to risk a PR debacle when some rider tests hot on a drug test.

Source: About.com: Bicycling- David Fiedler

Fend For Yourself

Self-made bike fenders made of 24" x 18" coroplast advertising sign & few dozen of 8" nylon zip ties.

Source: Ken Peterson's Rendonneuring Page

Surviving a Thunderstorm

A PREPAREDNESS GUIDE for severe weather is published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service. The following is our adaptation of that guide to specifically address cyclist concerns. National Weather Service has reviewed and approved this adaptation.

In general . . .

• Cyclists on the road are most at risk from thunderstorms if they are under or near tall trees, are on or near hilltops, or are themselves high points on flat terrain (such as crossing an open field).
• Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall.
• Rubber-soled shoes and rubber tires provide NO protection from lightning.
• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning. Look for safe shelter immediately!
• When skies darken, look AND listen for increasing wind, flashes of lightning, sound of thunder
• Lightning remains a danger even when a thunderstorm is dissipating or has passed by.

When thunderstorms approach . . .

• If you are on a hill with exposure to the sky, try to head downhill, seeking out an overhanging bluff or a valley or ravine where you can lower your exposure.
• Move to a sturdy building or shelter if there is one within reach (such as an underpass, a large barn, a store or railroad station). Do not take shelter in small sheds or under isolated trees.
• However, get to higher ground if flash flooding is possible where you are (such as by a creek bed).

If caught outdoors and no shelter is nearby . . .

• Find a low spot away from trees, fences, and poles. Make sure the place you pick is not subject to flooding.
• If you are in the woods, take shelter under the shorter trees. (Lightning is more likely to strike the tallest trees.)
• If you feel your skin tingle or your hair stand on end, dismount fast, get away from your bike, and squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands on your knees with your head between them. Make yourself the smallest target possible, and minimize your contact with the ground.

Source : League of American Bicyclist. Photo courtesy of www.mark-ju.net.

The Danger of Being Right-Handed

Okay - quick. When you reach down for your water bottle to take a drink when riding, what hand do you use?

If you're like 90% of the population, you probably use your right hand. That is fine, except for the fact that your left hand is one that is then controlling the bike. And that means if you have to hit the brakes fast and hard in a quick emergency stop, you're going to be mashing down on your front brake only and can easily throw yourself right over the handlebars of the bike.

So, try to get in the habit of using your left hand when reaching for your water bottle, or fiddling with the zipper on your jacket, or whatever you might be doing when you're on your bike.

Just another bit of safety advice for you. It's a noble public service, I know, so please, no applause.

Source: About.com: Bicycling- David Fiedler

The Bicycling Paradox: Fit Doesn’t Have to Mean Thin

Andy Hampsten, the former pro cyclist, the only American ever to win the Tour of Italy, the first American ever to win the grueling Alpe d’Huez stage of the Tour de France, does his best to discourage casual riders from signing up for the cycling trips he leads in Tuscany.

“All of our trips are designed to satisfy experienced riders,” Mr. Hampsten writes on his Web site. To train, he suggests, “you should ride at least 100 miles a week for at least 6 to 10 weeks” on routes with “as many hills as you can find.”

So I had an image of what our fellow cyclists would look like when my husband, son and I arrived in Castagneto Carducci for a cycling vacation. They would look like Mr. Hampsten, who at age 45 remains boyishly thin and agile, bouncing with energy.

I was wrong. For the most part, our group consisted of ordinary-looking, mostly middle-age men and a few middle-age women.

These were serious cyclists. One of them was Bob Eastaugh, a 63-year-old justice on the Alaska Supreme Court who said he rode mostly to stay in shape for his true passion, downhill ski racing.

And our trip was challenging. The longest hill was 15 miles, the steepest had a 15 percent grade, the longest one-day ride was 90 miles, and the terrain was never, ever flat. It is hard to imagine that a group of middle-age adults could have handled an equivalently difficult 10 days of running. What, I wondered, made bicycling different?

It turns out that others, too, have been struck by the paradox of bicycling fitness.

“When I first got into cycling, I would see cyclists and say, ‘O.K., that’s not what I perceive a cyclist to be,’ ” said Michael Berry, an exercise physiologist at Wake Forest University. Berry had been a competitive runner, and he thought good cyclists would look like good runners — rail-thin and young.

But, Dr. Berry added, “I quickly learned that when I was riding with someone with a 36-inch waist, I could be looking at the back of their waist when they rode away from me.”

He came to realize, he said, that cycling is a lot more forgiving of body type and age than running. The best cyclists going up hills are those with the best weight-to-strength ratio, which generally means being thin and strong. But heavier cyclists go faster downhill. And being light does not help much on flat roads.

James Hagberg, a kinesiology professor at the University of Maryland, explains that the difference between running on a flat road and cycling on a flat road has to do with the movement of the athlete’s center of gravity.

“In running, when you see someone who is obviously overweight, they will be in trouble,” Dr. Hagberg said. “The more you weigh, the more the center of gravity moves and the more energy it costs. But in cycling, there are different aerodynamics — your center of gravity is not moving up and down.”

The difference between cycling and running is like the difference between moving forward on a pogo stick and rolling along on wheels. And that is why Robert Fitts, an exercise physiologist at Marquette University who was a competitive runner, once said good runners run so smoothly they can almost balance an apple on their heads.

Even Mr. Hampsten has been surprised by the cycling paradox. He recalls a woman from San Diego who went on one of his trips. “She was quite overweight,” he said, and even though she claimed to be an experienced cyclist, he worried that she would have trouble keeping up with the group. He was wrong.

“She rode so well,” Mr. Hampsten said. “Her cadence was very efficient. I was just amazed and delighted.”

As for the effects of aging, serious recreational cyclists do slow down, but they are not penalized as much as runners by the passing of years, Dr. Hagberg said. It’s because cycling, while grueling, is not as demanding as running.

“The best example of that, in a bizarre way, is the Tour de France,” Dr. Hagberg said. “What runner could go out six hours a day for three weeks and not be totally trashed after a day or two? That’s a microcosm of the aging issue.”

Still, even the best serious recreational cyclist is almost a different species from a professional rider. How much faster, our touring group asked Mr. Hampsten, would a professional rider go up that 15 percent grade during a race? About twice as fast as the fastest in our group, he replied.

And how about recovery after racing? Mr. Hampsten used to compete in 100 races a year, including the Tour de France, and he would recover by going for a long, relaxed ride. It sometimes took him three hours of cycling to warm up after a hard race. Then he’d continue for another two hours.

But recovery does become a limiting factor for professional cyclists, Mr. Hampsten said. It’s why most professional riders can no longer win long, multiday races after age 32.

“It’s almost eerie that at 32 years, you stop winning,” Mr. Hampsten said. “The endurance seems to stay, but recuperation doesn’t come around.”

When Mr. Hampsten retired, he was 34, “and I hadn’t won a race in two years.”

Now, he estimates, he is 80 percent as fit as he used to be.

But 80 percent for Andy Hampsten is still impressive. As soon as our cycling tour ended, he headed out on a fast ride that included a long hill to the town of Suvereto, taking a road with 187 switchback turns.

“It is my favorite road to ride,” he said.

Source: The NY Times: Fitness & Nutritious, by Gina Kolata

Use Tennis Ball Grips to Ease Soreness, Numbness

Touring cyclist Christopher Madden lives in Washington, D.C., and was out riding recently when he spotted another cyclist with two wooden balls mounted as grips on the ends of his bar end extensions. The cyclist told Madden -- who has had problems with numbness and soreness in the palms of his hands and fingers on longer rides -- that these wooden balls, about the size of tennis balls, allowed him to maintain a more comfortable hand position that had eliminated hand numbness and soreness for him.

This got Madden thinking about how he could replicate the set-up for himself, and while riding the next day, he found two tennis balls alongside the path. He took them home and voila! 45 minutes later, the tennis balls were installed on the bar extensions of his own bike.

"The tennis balls are the perfect size and shape for a secure but relaxed and comfortable grip," says Madden. "Plus, there are many different comfortable grip positions as I rotate my hands and wrists around the tennis balls. I do most of my riding with a relaxed grip on the tennis balls and only drop back to the bars when I need to brake or shift."

Other Positive Features of this Set-Up

Madden has since ridden over 150 miles with the new grips and had no problems with the tennis balls coming loose. He noted the following other features about this set-up:

• Contact is spread over a large smooth curved area so you won't get any numbness or soreness.
• When you hit big bumps the tennis balls collapse because they have no air pressure in them but instantly spring back to provide excellent shock absorbsion.
• The surface of the balls don't get slippery when wet and provide for excellent gripping.
• In case of a crash the tennis balls will cushion any contact with the bar end extensions.

Source: About.com: Bicycling- by David Fiedler

Tire Rotation

It is common for a front tire to outlast a rear tire by as much as three to one. Rear tires have more weight on them, and also have to deal with drive forces. This disparity in tread life is exacerbated in the case cyclists who rely on their rear brake.

Well-meaning cyclists, even some mechanics who don't know any better, sometimes try to deal with this by swapping tires, putting the less worn front tire on the back wheel, and moving the worn-but-usable rear tire to the front. The idea is to equalize the wear on the two tires, but this is a serious mistake, don't do it!

The only time tire rotation is appropriate on a bicycle is when you are replacing the rear tire. If you feel like taking the trouble, and use the same type of tire front and rear, you should move the front tire to the rear wheel, and install the new tire in front.

The reason for this is that the front tire is much more critical for safety than the rear, so you should have the more reliable tire on the front.

If you have a blowout, if it is on the rear tire, you have a very good chance of bringing the bike to a controlled stop. If your front tire blows, you can lose steering control, and a crash is a real possibility.

Source: Harris Cyclery- Sheldon "Put the good one in front" Brown

The Flying Scotsman

Check out this movie, a true story based on the life of Graeme Obree, a Scottish and remarkable cyclist who broke the world one-hour record on his handmade bike back in 1993. Brilliant!

Source: YouTube.

Laughter

Dr. Lee Berk and fellow researcher Dr. Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University in California have been studying the effects of laughter on the immune system. To date their published studies have shown that laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.

Source: Humor.com

Caffeine

Caffeine is a legal stimulant which can be an endurance aid for activities of > 30 minutes duration. It is a member of a group of compounds called methylxanthines found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, chocolate, cocoa beans, guarana, and cola (kola) nuts and similar to the asthma medication theophylline.

During prolonged exercise, the onset of fatigue correlates closely with the depletion of muscle glycogen stores (and is delayed if glycogen is spared). The metabolism of free fatty acids (FFA) as an alternative energy source can lead to decreased use of muscle glycogen. Caffeine can increase blood FFAs, and it is felt that this is its major method of action. In one study, caffeine produced a 50% increase in FFA at 3 to 4 hours. This effect was seen after 300 mg of caffeine (an average 6 ounce cup of brewed coffee contains 100 - 150 mg of caffeine but a Starbuck's 8 oz cup contrains 250 mg!).

There is speculation that some of its benefits may also be related to its central nervous system effect as a stimulant, and a recent study has demonstrated a direct positive effect on the muscle fiber itself via a mobilization of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum with a reported 7% increase in power output over a 6 second cycle exercise task.

In one controlled study, subjects were able to perform for 90 minutes to fatigue as compared to 75 minutes in controls (a 20% increase) after the drinking the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee or 6 caffeinated colas 1 hour before, even though values for heart rate and oxygen uptake were similar in both groups. Another study, looking at performance with acute altitude change (4300 meters), demonstrated a 50% increase in performance with caffeine supplements. How this would help at lesser elevations, riding in the Rocky Mountains for example, is not clear.

The suggested dose of caffeine for the recreational rider is 5 mg per kg of body weight (range 3 - 9 mg/kg) taken 1 hour before the ride although some riders take smaller doses periodically throughout the ride itself.

But there are potential side effects. Caffeine can cause headaches, insomnia, and nervous irritability. In addition it is a diuretic (can cause an increase in urinary water loss) and can lead to dehydration. However the biggest negative is that in high concentrations it is considered a drug and is banned by the US Olympic Committee and US Cycling Federation (to exceed the US cycling Federation's legal limit for caffeine - urine concentration of 12 micrograms/ml - one would have to ingest 600 mg of caffeine (6 cups of coffee) and have a urine test within 2 to 3 hours). Fortunately the ergogenic effects can be achieved well below these limits.

Habitual use will induce tolerance so a period of abstinence is recommended for several weeks before the event. The bottom line is that most endurance athletes consider caffeine useful if used correctly.

Source: cptips.com- Cycling Performance Tips/ photo courtesy of uncp.edu

How green is that iPhone?

At the end of June Apple will launch its first major product since Steve Jobs 'A Greener Apple' statement. So how green will the iPhone be?

Like everyone else we don't know what's in the iPhone yet. It debuts June 29th. But we already know how green a phone can be. Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola have both removed some of the worst chemicals from their phones and identified extra toxic chemicals they intend to remove in the future -- even beyond the minimal legal requirements.

Nokia and Sony Ericsson have a global take-back policy for their phones and accept their responsibility to reuse and recycle the phones they manufacture. That saves resources and helps prevent old phones ending up as e-waste dumped in Asia.

To read more, click here www.greenpeace.org

Source: Greenpeace.org

Le Mond vs Fignon 1989

One of the most interesting duel in the Tour is between the American Greg Le Mond and the homeboy favourite Laurent Fignon in the 1989 Tour de France. Le Mond managed to beat Fignon by 58 sec to take the Yellow Jersey in the last Time Trial stage before they went to Paris. He eventually won the Tour by 8 sec.

I guess it was the first time that we ever seen the aerobars, aero helmet and of course, oakley specs being used and worn in the Tour de France. Technology has actually helped Le Mond to win the stage and the Tour!! Same thing that Nike, Giro & Trek did for Lance in the last few years, . Ah....those Americans!!

I just love the 80's Tour with the 7-11, Super-U, PDM, Carrera, Cafe de Columbia, Fagor team etc. competing for the Tour. And these LeMond-Fignon & Roche-Delgado duel were the most memorable 'dog fights' that I ever seen on the Tour! Its the stuff of legends!

Source: YouTube

Roche vs Delgado 1987

I remember watching this on TV back in 1987! One of the greatest duel in the history of Tour de France between the great Irish Stephen Roche (2nd best after Sean Kelly , of course) and the Spaniard Pedro Delgado on to La Plagne stage. Back then, Tour de France was not covered on daily basis but only shown on ABC Wide World of Sport every week. The 1987 Tour was eventually won by Roche because he is a better time trialist than Delgado who failed to gain more time during this stage. Delgado later won the tour in 1988.

I was inspired to take up cycling after watching this!

Source: YouTube

Cycling headphone

Just riding a bike in a busy city is dangerous enough but riding while not being able to hear the cars, buses, people and hundreds of other obstacles is downright suicidal. But I still see plenty of people on their bikes wearing the standard white iPod earbuds which are basically designed to effectively block out the noises around them.

The Slipstreamz let you enjoy your music when riding while still allowing you to hear the traffic around you by positioning the earbuds outside your ear which allows ambient noises to be easily heard. The Slipstreamz are designed to be attached to the straps on a cycling helmet which is what holds them in place over your ears and also allows them to block the wind both reducing noise and preventing your ears from freezing on a cold winter morning.

Source: OhGizmo

Sleep more when you train

"1/3rd of Americans get 6 hours of sleep a night or less when they really need at least 8 1/2," says James Mass, Ph.D. If you are training, says Maas, shoot for 9 hours. Between the 7th and 8th hour, you go into your last phase of REM sleep. "That's when your mind really restores and repairs itself," he says. Miss that phase and your reaction time and concentration suffer. The best way to work up to the right amount of sleep is to add 15 minutes a night until you start waking up feeling alert and energized all day. Bicycling Magazine, Nov 2001

Source: Bikyle.com- Cycling Tips/ Photo from wordpress.com

The Doctor

Check out a custom-made Kuota bike by a fan to honor Valentino Rossi aka 'The Doctor' the 7-times MotoGP champions. MotoGP fan might recognize the #46 on the head tube.

Actually, I accidently found this photo on the net while googling for VR. In fact, the colour scheme made the bike looking not bad at all. Well, Im not sure whether he rides bicycle (he do play football!) but after all he is an Italian...no?

Source: PezCycling News

The reason why cycling shorts should be black

Source: Cucina Testa Rossa Blog

Seinfeld

The green Klein hanging on the wall by the bathroom is not Jerry's. It is actually Michael Richards' (Kramer) bike. Jerry doesn't ride.

Source: Blue Collar Mountain Biking.

Eat your breakfast cereal

Research shows that people who start the day with cereal eat less fat throughout the day, get more vitamins and minerals and have lower cholesterol levels than those who skip it. Plus, people who live to be a 100 or more tend to eat breakfast regularly. Bicycling Magazine.

Source: Bikyle.com- Cycling Tips

Cover your headset on the roof rack

If you transport your bike on the top of your car then wrap a rag around the top and bottom parts of your headset before you start driving. Otherwise, the high velocity of the car will flush the grease right out of your headset.

Source: Bikyle.com- Cycling Tips

American Chopper

Check out this beauty built by Orange County Choppers (OCC) for Lance Armstrong and his Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF).

The process of building the bike was shown on the Discovery Channel's American Chopper show last year or maybe in 2005 (i don't really remember when) and the bike was presented to Lance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno who has his own theme bike by OCC as well. I think, the bike was sponsored by Nike to honor Lance 5 times Tour de France victory which was carved on a cover plate but later on was altered after he won his 6th. The Yellow & Black paint symbolizes the Livestrong Foundation color theme.

Source: photo from Wikipedia.com- Lance Armstrong Bike

23 Tips for the Best Cycling

About 90 million American adults ride a bike at least once a year, nearly 30 million cycle regularly for recreation, and a few million even commute by bicycle, according to a recent article in American Demographics. Those numbers may rise in the next few years, thanks to federal legislation that encourages local communities to build cycling into their transit plans. That's good not only for the environment, but also for the nation's health, since cycling is one of the best forms of exercise around. It gives the heart and circulatory system a workout; it puts little stress on joints (except perhaps the knees); it can burn 400 to 700 calories per hour; and if you own a bike, cycling is free and can be done just about anywhere.

Here are some steps you can take to improve cycling performance, safety, comfort, and enjoyment:

Use your head

1. Absolutely crucial: always wear a helmet. Of the nation's 800 annual cycling deaths, head injuries account for about 60%. If all cyclists wore helmets, perhaps half of these deaths and injuries—especially in children—could be avoided. Choose a bright color, and make sure the helmet fits properly. It should sit horizontally on your head and shouldn't move about.

Do the right thing

2. Brake right. To exert optimal pressure, brake with your hands at the ends of the levers. For a quick stop, as you press the brakes firmly, slide your buttocks to the very back of the saddle. This will keep the rear of the bike down so that you don't flip over the handlebars.

3. On a long downhill, don't stay on your brakes. That may overheat the tire's rim and could cause a blowout. It's safest to "feather brake"—that is, tap the brakes, applying intermittent pressure. This is wise in wet weather, too.

4. Don't pedal in high gear for long periods. This can increase the pressure on your knees and lead to overuse injuries such as biker's knee. Shift to lower gears and faster revolutions to get more exercise with less stress on your knees. The best cadence for most cyclists is 60 to 80 revolutions per minute (rpm), though racers pedal in the range of 80 to 100 rpm.

5. Going uphill, shift gears to maintain normal cadence. On a long hill, conserve energy by staying in your seat.

6. When cycling at night or when visibility is poor, wear brightly colored, reflective clothing, and use your headlight. In fact, wearing bright colors is a good idea at any hour. Also consider a rear strobe-type light (attached to the bike or your belt) to enhance visibility at night.

Easy rider

7. Make sure your bike fits. Handlebars, saddle, wheels, gears, and brakes can all be adjusted to match your size and riding ability, but the frame has to fit from the start. To find the right frame size, straddle the bike and stand flatfooted: on a road bike, there should be one to two inches of clearance between your groin and the top tube. On a mountain bike, the clearance should be two to three inches or even more.

8. Position the saddle right to protect your knees. At the bottom of the stroke, your knee should be only slightly bent. If your knee is bent too much, the seat is too low, and you will lose stroking power and strain your knees. If the knee locks when extended, or if you have to reach for the pedal, the seat is too high, which can also stress the knee. The saddle should be level.

9. Position the handlebars correctly—one inch lower than the top of the seat. Drop handlebars (preferable because they allow you to change your riding position) should be about as wide as your shoulders or slightly narrower. Some cyclists who suffer from neck or back discomfort may prefer upright handlebars.

10. To avoid saddle soreness, get the right seat. The hard narrow seats on racing bikes can be particularly uncomfortable for women, who tend to have widely spaced "sit bones." Special anatomically designed saddles—wider and more cushioned at the back—are easy to install. Gel-filled saddles or pads or sheepskin pads can ease the pressure and friction.

11. Change your hand and body position frequently. That will change the angle of your back, neck, and arms, so that different muscles are stressed and pressure is put on different nerves.

12. Don't ride in the racing "drop" position (with your hands on the curved part of the handlebars) for a long time. This may cramp your hands, shoulders, and neck.

13. Unless you're an experienced cyclist, don't use those special aerodynamic handlebars—shaped like an upside-down "V"—which let you lean forward on your forearms and thus reduce wind drag and increase your speed. These increase the risk of injury.

14. After a long uphill, don't coast downhill without pedaling. As you climb up the hill, lactic acid builds up in your muscles and can contribute to muscle soreness. By pedaling lightly but constantly while coasting downhill (even if there's little resistance) you can help remove the lactic acid.

15. Keep your arms relaxed and don't lock your elbows. This technique helps you absorb bumps from the road better.

16. Wear the right shorts if you cycle a lot. Sleek cycling shorts have less fabric to wrinkle or bunch up, so there's less chance of skin irritation. For extra protection, choose cycling shorts with special lining or padding to wick away perspiration and no seams at the crotch.

17. Don't wear headphones. They can block out the street sounds you need to hear in order to ride defensively. Cycling with headphones is a misdemeanor in some areas.

Good road sense

18. Ride with traffic, obey all signs, and give right of way to cars.

19. Use hand signals to alert drivers to your intentions.

20. Try to make eye contact with drivers as you pull into an intersection or make a turn, so they know your intentions and you know that they've seen you.

21. Don't ride side by side with another cyclist.

22. Watch out for storm drains, cattle guards, and rail-road tracks. They're all slippery when wet. And if you don't cross them at a right angle, your front tire may get caught.

23. When cycling in heavy traffic, on a narrow road, or on winding downhill roads, ride in the lane with the cars, not to the side, where you're not as visible and may get pushed off to the side. Of course, if a car wants to pass, move out of the way.

Source: Foundations of Wellness, wellnessletter.com

How Efficient is Cycling? - Here is an Egg-Planation.

A bicyclist burns about 25 Calories per mile. One large egg supplies 80 Calories.

A cyclist can travel about three miles on the energy of one egg.

A person walking would require three eggs to go the same distance.

A loaded bus requires the equivalent of two dozen eggs for each person it carries three miles.

A train requires the equivalent of three dozen eggs for each person it carries three miles.

A car that gets 12.5 miles per gallon requires the equivalent of seven dozen eggs to carry one person three miles.

Even if you double the miles per gallon and double the occupancy a car will still use the equivalent of twenty-one eggs to make the trip -- more than twenty times a bicycle.

Source: Crazycolor.com- Office Survival

Safety Cycling Tips for Group Riding

Here is some tips on cycling etiquette, or rules of the road, which should to be followed for safety. Here are the key ideas:

Teamwork - Give a helping hand, watch for problems (loose straps, loose equipment), and help each other to be safe and enjoy the ride.

Be Predictable - Group riding requires even more attention to predictability than riding alone. Other riders expect you to ride straight, at a constant speed, unless you indicate differently.

Communicate - Use hand and verbal signals to communicate with members of the group and with other traffic.

Hand Signals - Hand signals for turning and stopping are as follows: Left are straight out to signal a left turn. Left arm out and down with you palm to the rear to signal slowing or stopping. And, for a right turn, put your right arm straight out (in areas where this is legal) or put your left arm out and bent up.

Verbal Warnings - Along with hand signals, verbally warn cyclists behind you of your changes in direction or speed. The lead rider should call out "left turn," "right turn," "slowing," stopping," etc. Announce a turn well in advance of the intersection, so that members of the group have time to position themselves properly.

Announce Hazards - When riding in a tight group, most of the cyclists do not have a good view of the road surface ahead, so it is important to announce holes, gravel, grates, and other hazards. Indicate road hazards by pointing down to the left or right, and by shouting "hole," "bump," etc., where required for safety. Everyone in a group should be made aware of hazards. However, not everyone needs to announce them.

Change Positions Correctly - Generally, slow traffic stays right, so you should try to pass others on their left. Say "on your left" to warn the cyclist ahead that you are passing. If you need to pass someone on the right, say "on your right" clearly since this is an unusual maneuver.

Watch For Traffic Coming From The Rear - Even when you are occupying the proper lane position, it often helps to know when a car is coming. Since those in front cannot see traffic approaching from the rear, it is the responsibility of the riders in back to inform the others by saying "car back." Around curves, on narrow roads, or when riding double, it is also helpful to warn of traffic approaching from the front with "car up."

Watch Out At Intersections - When approaching intersections requiring vehicles to yield or stop the lead rider will say "slowing" or "stopping" to alert those behind to the change in speed. Each cyclist is responsible for verifying that the way is clear before enter the intersection.

Leave A Gap for Cars - When riding up hills or on narrow roads where you are impeding faster traffic, leave a gap for cars between every three or four bicycles. This way motorists can take advantage of shorter passing intervals and eventually move piecemeal around the entire group.

Move Off the Road When You Stop - Whether you are stopping because of mechanical problems or to regroup with you companions, move well off the road so you don't interfere with traffic. It is usually best for the lead rider to pull forward in the stopping area and for other riders to pull in behind the rider in front of them. When you start up again, each cyclist should look for, and yield to, traffic.

Ride One Or Two Across - Ride single file or double file as appropriate to the roadway and traffic conditions and where allowed by law. Even where riding double is legal, courtesy dictates that you single up when cars are trying to pass you if the lane is wide enough for them to safely do so.

Wait At Turns - If the group becomes at all separated, even by a few dozen meters, someone should wait at the turn until the next rider arrives at the intersection, and so on until all riders have made the turn.

Two At The End - For safety and as a courtesy, if the group spreads out, the last two people should adjust their speed to ride as a pair. If either should need assistance they will have a helping hand.

Source: International Bicycle Fund

Clean your helmet

"To make a stinky helmet fresh again wear it in the shower! Get a good shampoo lather going on your head, put your helmet on and massage your scalp with the helmet for a few minutes. Then, give it a good rinse."
Tom Smith, NY

Source: Bikyle.com, Cycling Tips.

Reload quickly!

After a long ride be sure to reload your energy stores in a hurry. Otherwise, you will be sluggish and hungry for the rest of the day. So, within twenty minutes of finishing your hard ride, drink a full glass of a good carbo and protein reload drink like Metabolol. You will feel the difference in a hurry.

Source: Bikyle.com, Cycling Tips.

Aotearoa

Fancy touring the the South Island, New Zealand?
Well, this is how it looks like when biking on one of its busy road! With the currency exchange of 2.6 Ringgit Malaysia against 1 NZ Dollar (as todate), it looks like touring NZ will be much cheaper than the Australia or Europe Tour if only you could get a cheaper flight ticket, of course.

NZ is one of the safest place to tour, so-cyclist-friendly and so clean as if as pollution is non-exist. Many interesting places to visit from Fox Glacier to Queenstown, and from Kaikora to Otago Peninsula. It's a heaven for outdoor sports enthusiasts. And check out the Southern Alps on the backround of the photo... fyi, that will be the background view throughout the South Island tour. Amazing huh?!

Source: Photo courtesy of Independent Cycle Tours NZ website.

Durian- King of Calories!

Yes, it's that time again...Durian Season is back!! For durian lovers, here is some facts that you need to know. I have no intention to stop you from eating it but to remind you the risk that you are taking if you eat it too much.
Ok... 1 piece (ulas) of durian, you'll get:

Nutrition Facts Calories 357 (Kilojoules 1493) % DV** Total Fat 13 g 20% Sat. Fat - 0% Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Sodium 5 mg 0% Total Carbs. 65.8 g 22% Dietary Fiber 9.2 g 37% Sugars - Protein 3.6 g Calcium 14.6 mg Potassium 1059.5 mg Note: A dash indicates no data is available.

*Refuse: 68% (Shell and seeds (for raw fruit))

Fat	117 cals (30%)
Carbs.	263 cals (67%)
Protein	14 cals (4%)

EXERCISE REQUIRED
To burn the calories in this food you can do any of the following exercise. 98 mins of Walking 41 mins of Jogging 29 mins of Swimming 54 mins of Cycling

So, let say u 'accidentally' eat 2 pieces (ulas).... then just multiply it by 2 for how long that you need to exercise to burn off the calories! So, if you eat 1 fruit, does it means that you need to do an IronMan to burn the calories off??......well, you do the math ok?

Source: CalorieKing

Go for the burn…calories that is

Regular bicycling is a great way to loose weight and improve your physical fitness. A 150-pound person burns 410 calories while pedaling 12 miles in an hour. A 200-pound cyclist burns 546 calories while going 12 miles in an hour—almost the equivalent of a Big Mac®

Source: League of American Bicyclist

Death by Pain Reliever Cream!

A 17-year old high school track star recently died after accidentally overdosing on an over-the-counter muscle-pain reliever containing methyl salicylate. It appears that she applied an excessive amount of the cream on her body, not realizing that methyl salicylate can be absorbed through her skin and can lead to toxic levels in her blood. The toxic levels of methyl salicylate led to the same catastrophic effects seen when taking a fatal dose of aspirin.

Source: About.com: Fitness- Kidney Diseases Guide Brian Lipps, M.D.

Durian- King of Fruits

The durian (IPA: [d̪uˈɾi.ɑn]) is the fruit of trees of the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits,"the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and a formidable thorn-covered husk. Its name comes from the Malay word duri (thorn) together with Malay suffix that is -an (for building a noun in Malay), meaning "thorny fruit."

Actual, there is no 'direct' relation between Durian and Cycling but in case that you are riding your bike and accidentally found durians at the side of the road, tie the durians on the top and both sides of the rear rack with a bungee cord that will press them securely to the rack (see above picture- btw that is steve's leg)...and you are good to go!

Source: definitions by Wikipedia.

777 miles in 77 days by 7th July

Four friends will end up in London at the start of the Tour de France after cycling between seven former prologue cities. And it's to raise money for World Bicycle Relief and Jole Rider

The friends call their cycling group ‘allsevens’ and aim to put 200 bicycles into Zambia via World Bicycle Relief this year.

“The outpouring of support has been tremendous,” said Nigel Taylor, one of the four team riders. “When we started we thought 100 bikes would be a challenge; now we think we can achieve double that.”

Taylor, of St. Louis, and three friends – Chris Davey of Bath, England, and Bert Berla and Mark Neuman of St. Louis – plan to ride 777 miles across 7 countries in 7 days, visiting 7 Tour de France Prologue cities on their way to London, where this year’s Tour kicks off on July 7: 07/07/07.

Taylor and Davey conceived the ride as a challenge, and very quickly saw its potential.

“We wanted this to be more than just another ride,” Taylor said.

“We immediately began to research possible fundraising and awareness opportunities.” In the US, the group is raising contributions for World Bicycle Relief; in England, for Jole Rider, a charity which refurbishes used donated bikes and then gives them to secondary schools in Gambia.

World Bicycle Relief provides culturally appropriate bicycles to those who need them, including establishing assembly and maintenance training in the countries in which it serves, and working with manufacturers to improve indigenous bicycle technology. The current programme provides bicycles to volunteer, community-based HIV/AIDS caregivers in Zambia at a cost of $109 per bicycle.

Source: Bike For All