Cycling is Exciting

My husband and I got caught in a dust storm last night coming home from the gym on our bikes. For those of you who don't know what a dust storm looks like, here is an example:

Ok, so maybe it looked more like this:

Sometimes cycling is an adventure.

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Photos courtesy of bowers95713 and cobalt123

Bike Italy!

Is anyone else following the husband and wife team over at Path Less Pedaled? I found them about a month ago and have been living vicariously through them ever since. They are touring around the country on their bicycles, meeting interesting people and having adventures.

And it appears that cycle touring is becoming more mainstream. Lonely Planet is getting in on the action (again) with new guides for Britain, France and Italy. I can't wait to get my hands on one (or three).

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Bicycle photo courtesy of killermonkey

Used Wheels Available Now!

Is anyone in the market for a new bike? There are currently some great deals on craigslist. With a little TLC and a few things added to them, they could be fabulous!








Vintage Sears All-Sport 3 Speed: $75















Schwinn Suburban Bike: $95












Western Flyer Fairway 3 speed: $40

Save the Planet...

If you are in the mood for a biting, hilarious commentary on modern cycling*, click here. You won't be disappointed!

Photo courtesy of La Xtina

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*Thanks to Copenhagenize for the link.

Bike Literacy

I'm thinking about checking out one of these cycling related books. Has anyone read any of them? Or can anyone recommend one that they loved that discusses cycling infrastructure, history, etc?

I think I'm most interested in Pedal Power and Pedaling Revolution; we aren't even close to some European cities in the number of trips taken by bicycle but I am interested in how U.S. cycle commuting has evolved (and continues to evolve) over time.







Bicycle: The History











Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities













The Cyclist's Manifesto: The Case for Riding Two Wheels Instead of Four












The Practical Cyclist: Bicycling For Real People











Pedal Power: The Quiet Rise of the Bicycle in American Public Life

Take the 1W2W Challenge!

Do you currently bike to work, the gym or to do errands? Are you planning on starting once it cools down? If so, then join the 1 World 2 Wheels community*!

This is a great resource; here are some stats from the site:

- "Just 3 hours of bicycling per week can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by 50%."

- "The U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips."

- "60% of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operation, before pollution control devices can work effectively."

Check it out!

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* Thanks to Charles for the heads up on this community!

Tension

Photo courtesy of r.f.m ll

I started out writing this post as another reminder to follow the traffic rules when cycling. But what I found when I started digging around news articles from around the country is that there is a whole lot of animosity towards cyclists.

Part (all?) of this animosity comes from cyclists not obeying the law and riding responsibly. That is indeed one of my biggest pet peeves both as a cyclist and as a driver. But does it seem to be more than that to any of you? It seems like cyclists really piss people off. Why is that?