Monday, August 27, 2007

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.


Sunday, August 26, 2007

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.

Friday, August 24, 2007

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

Thursday, August 23, 2007

DIY Bike Rack

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

Source: Blue Collar Mountain Biking

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

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

Monday, August 20, 2007

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

Sunday, August 19, 2007

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.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

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

Established in December 2006