New Jersey Junior mountain bike and cyclocross racing program

New Jersey now has a junior mountain bike development program thanks to Team Bulldog, a New Jersey based mountain biking team, in cooperation with its title sponsor Cycle Craft, today announced the launch of a junior mountain bike and cyclocross racing program for riders between the ages 10 and 19.
The goal of Team Bulldog's Under 19 ("U19") program is to develop the next generation of mountain bike and cyclocross racers in New Jersey.
Team Bulldog U19 is open to young men and women who have a desire to expand their skills, endurance and mental fortitude through mountain bike and cyclocross racing. "We hope to impart to these juniors our core beliefs in sportsmanship, dedication, and camaraderie, as well as success through hard work, having fun, and giving it your best," says Team President and Pro Mountain Bike Racer Brian Lariviere. "
With many western states already offering high-school mountain biking teams and leagues, we believe this a great time to introduce a competitive junior mountain biking and cyclocross program in the northeast. The response has been phenomenal. Despite the freezing temperatures we have already signed up eight juniors for our first season as a U19 squad," reflects U19 Team Manager and USA Cycling Certified Coach Tom Kruse. "The great thing about mountain biking is that it allows individuals to excel and achieve at their own level while participating in a group activity that encourages self reliance, hard work, and sportsmanship. At a mountain bike race nobody sits on the bench," notes Team Bulldog racer and Ages 15+ Team Coordinator Noah Meineke. Prior race experience is not required, but riders must commit to regular team rides beginning in the spring and enter at least four races per year. For further information about the team, please visit www.teambulldog.com/u19.

Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change Introduces Smart Wheel for Bicycle

The clever folks at MIT have developed a smart wheel that could give bicycle riders a 21st century boost.

The new Copenhagen wheel

(Credit: Senseable City Lab)

Unveiled Tuesday at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change, MIT's new Copenhagen wheel is trying to do its part to help the environment by making bike riding easier and more enjoyable. (Easier Yes More Enjoyable that is subjective)

The wheel's battery can store energy as you step on the brakes and then return that power back to help you climb a hill or boost your speed. A sensor inside the hub measures your effort when you ride. As you pedal forward, the sensor tells the wheel's electric motor to give you a boost. When you hit the brakes, the motor regenerates, slowing you down and recharging the batteries. The goal behind this design is to encourage people to bike farther distances, relying less on gas-guzzling transportation.

The wheel can communicate with your i-phone so of course there is now another app for riding your bike.

For the Complete Article Click here

Lance Armstrong Demos his New Radio Shack Kit

Lance's Radio Shack Jersey - with Radio Shack,Trek Nike Swoosh, Nissan Logos Prominent as well as the Livestrong band on the left Sleeve.

Lance Armstrong Book Signing Today in Ridgewood NJ

Lance Armstrong - 7 time Tour de France winner, Cancer Survivor, and creator of The Lance Armstrong Foundation,

a nonprofit organization that assists cancer patients around the world with managing and surviving the disease. Will be at Bookends in Ridgewood NJ Signing copies of his recent book Comeback 2.0 Today November 30th at 7:00 PM

Bookends is Located at 232 E. Ridgewood Ave. Ridgewood NJ 07450 201-445-0726

Hiker-Biker Relations Improving in New York and New Jersey

Hiker-Biker Relations Improving in New York and New Jersey
"I recently witnessed a historic moment when the Executive Director of the New York/New Jersey Trails Conference let the Jersey ORBA folks know that they are removing all anti-bike language from their bylaws and will be trying to develop some joint projects going forward," writes IMBA Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Frank Maguire.
"The relationship between mountain bikers and this influencial, historically hiking-focused organization got a major boost from a Subaru-IMBA Trail Care Crew visit a few years ago.
Great work by Jeff Mergler of JORBA, Michael Vitti of CLIMB and Art White of Ringwood Valley Mountain Bikers kept the relationship moving forward." All three of the mountain bike advocates named above now hold at-large delegate positions with the NY/NJ Trails Conference.

Online Bike Magazine

IMB - Issue 2

http://www.imbikemag.com/issue2/

In issue 2 of IMB we have a look at Steve's recent achievements in Australia at the World Championships we thought we best catch up with him! A 760m downhill street race through a favela in Brazil, bullet ...

Riding for Renewable Energy and Climate Change

Extreme skier and global cooling consultant Allison Gannett tells us why she is riding in the 300-mile Brita Climate Ride.

Allison Gannett is participating in the Brita Climate Ride to help raise awareness about global climate change. As a World Champion extreme skier fighting to save our snow, a champion ultra mountain bike racer fighting to save our singletrack, and an award-winning global cooling solutions consultant, latching on for the from New York City to Washington, D.C., was a no brainer. This 5-day charity bike ride from September 26 - 30, aims to raise awareness of climate change and the need for renewable energy legislation. The 300-mile ride is open to anyone and it’s a great event for experienced riders and novice cyclists (there are currently only 40 spots left. Register at ClimateRide.org). In my quest to make a difference, I’ve turned my passion for racing mountain bikes and cycling into a mode of long-haul transportation. Initially I looked for techy solutions, such as creating a solar powered hybrid SUV that got 100 miles per gallon. But I quickly realized that the carbon footprint of manufacturing a car can exceed 100 tons per vehicle, which virtually offsets any carbon footprint savings from the increased gas mileage. The answer? Drive less. But how to do it? I decided to try to ride my bicycle to my work events around the U.S. instead of renting a car. I needed to be able to carry my work clothes and computer, all without panniers or a trailer. My first attempt was a 6-state swing, spending two weeks on the East Coast with nine days of riding. My route: Colgate University, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-New York City-Boston-New Hampshire-Vermont, and back through New York via the Adirondacks to my starting point in Hamilton, New York. Gannett is an extreme freeskier and mountain biker who lives in Crested Butte, CO. Ever wondered how to get exercise while working? Try bike commuting in a more serious way - I’ve never had more fun or seen an area in more detail. My favorite parts were the extensive bike paths in New York City, touring East Coast cheese farms, and the windmills near Colgate University. East Coast riding is beautiful and the upcoming Climate Ride includes world class cycling in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington DC.

Back to Brita Climate Ride. I’m looking forward to another multi-day bike tour, as I have been mostly mountain biking through the wildflowers in my hometown of Crested Butte, Colorado. Climate Ride is a supported bike tour (they use Priuses and veggie-oil vans to get your luggage from camp to camp with as minimal of a carbon footprint as possible). But I plan on riding self-supported to decrease my carbon footprint further.

You don’t have to be an ultra mountain bike racer to do Climate Ride, so get on your bike and join me for this adventure! I’m looking forward to doing my climate solutions presentation while on the ride and I hope you can join us.

Well, cheers to those riding their bikes, whether for work or for fun. And special kudos to bike commuters everywhere. Learn more about how to make a difference at these three sites: www.AlisonGannett.com, www.ClimateRide.org, www.saveoursingletrackfoundation.org.

Panther/Mountain Lion Update for Bergen County

There have been no additional sightings of the panther/mountain lion—however, the state DEP is taking the matter more seriously. They have closed the Boy Scout Camp to all traffic for now. I got a call from the Ranger giving me a ‘heads up’ that if anyone is caught in the camp (for now) they will be arrested for trespassing. They are trying a variety of methods to eradicate the problem. Stay tuned..

German brothel offers discounts to cyclists

A Berlin brothel has come up with a novel way to offset the impact of the global economic crisis and target a new group of customers at the same time - offering a discount to patrons who arrive on bicycles.
Read the full article Here

Astana team announces Tour de France lineup

Astana announced its lineup for the Tour de France on Thursday, with the team built around 2007 winner Alberto Contador and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong will lead the team in the Tour de France. Hopefully without the issues that arose with Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault in the 1986 Tour.

In a glitzy presentation on its Web site, the Kazakh team said the two stars will be backed by past Tour podium finishers including Andreas Kloeden of Germany and American Levi Leipheimer.

The selection has been widely awaited by many cycling fans because it suggests who team manager Johan Bruyneel believes Astana should build its team around for this year's Tour. Bruyneel coached both Armstrong and Contador during their Tour wins.
Six riders were already almost certain to be selected, including Russian Yaroslav Popovych and Spain's Haimar Zubeldia.
Astana also selected Kazakh rider Dmitriy Muravyev, Portuguese rider Sergio Paulinho — a strong Contador ally — and Gregory Rast of Switzerland.

What Cycling Stereotype are you?

In this comic strip of common cycling archetypes, cartoonist/columnist for Kenny B nails some rider stereotypes and comes up with some product branding that are now on my list of must haves (checkout archetype #6) and #5 is dead-on for most of the runcible spoon crowd

From some of the comments on the site I don't think the people of boulder get the joke, but from my perch in NJ it is Damn funny. It's hard not to look at some of these charecterizations and see your riding buddies.

Enjoy - Kenny Be's guide to summer's terrifying two-wheeled creatures

Missy Giove, ex-biking champ, arrested over 400lbs of pot

Former mountain biking world champion Melissa "Missy" Giove was ordered held on $250,000 bail Thursday after federal authorities said they seized more than 200 pounds of marijuana from a truck she was driving in upstate New York.
Giove, 37, and Eric Canori, 30, of Wilton were charged Tuesday with conspiring to possess and distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.
Nearly 400 pounds of pot were seized from the truck and from Canori's home outside Saratoga Springs, 25 miles north of Albany, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Canori was ordered held on $500,000 bail at the detention hearing Thursday. Giove and Canori were also ordered to surrender their passports, attend all court appearances and notify authorities of any changes in phone number or address should they post bail. Judge David Homer also imposed travel restrictions on both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Belliss had asked for no bail, saying Giove and Canori are flight risks, but Homer cited the pair's lack of criminal history and family and business ties to their communities.
Authorities learned of Giove and Canori's plans last weekend when Illinois State Police pulled over a woman driving a truck and trailer loaded with about 220 pounds of marijuana, DEA spokeswoman Erin Mulvey said. Authorities completed the delivery to the Albany area, where Mulvey said Giove picked up the vehicle and trailer.
Giove is accused of then driving north and following Canori to his home, where some of the trailer's contents were unloaded.
Giove was later arrested at nearby Saratoga Lake, authorities said. A search of Canori's home turned up more than 150 pounds of pot and more than $1 million in cash stashed in a closet and the basement, the DEA said.
In court Thursday, public defender Tim Austin said the drugs and money were planted in Giove's truck, possibly by police.
Giove, nicknamed "The Missile," was the downhill world champion in 1994 and won World Cup season titles in '97 and '98, then captured national titles from 1999-2001. One of the sport's first mainstream female stars, she retired from downhill racing in 2003.

The 2009 US open of Mountain Biking - Mens Downhill Event

The Amateur downhill contest was stopped when the storm that had loomed on the horizon finally hit the mountain late in the afternoon bringing thunder, lightning, and rain.
The storm shutdown lift service and delayed the racing action for about an hour.

The amateur race was continued after the storm had passed leaving those left to complete their runs at a disadvantage.
Earlier racers were riding a course that was dry and had relatively good traction.
The remaining racers were faced with a muddy wet course quite different from what they had previously practiced and qualified on.

The Pro racers had the time and resources to change their tires.
Monster Energy Teammates Sam Hill and Brenden Fairclough switched to spiked tires giving them the traction they needed for their 1st and 3rd place finishes respectively.

Afterwards I had an opportunity to speak with Sam and Brenden and ask a few questions.

RYB: How did you feel about your final run?
Hill: It was okay, enough for a win but I think the change in condition had the times about 5 seconds slower than they would have been.
Fairclough: It was an average run; even with spikes the traction was a bit sketchy.

RYB: You have raced all over the world what did you think of the course at mountain creek?
Hill: I enjoy riding on the East Coast.
Fairclough: I think Mountain Creek is a great example of rocky New England riding.

2009 is Sam Hill's third victory at Mountain Creek he also stood at the top of the podium in 2004 and 2005

Video:



Additional Links:
Official Results
Pro Top 10

Cykel: A Plug-in Electric Bike Sharing Concept

Cykel is a plug-in electric bike sharing system designed for a wide range of users and topographies. The concept was inspired by the popular bike share programs found throughout Europe. It functions on either pedal-power or fully as an electric bike, which opens up transportation to wide range of users.
Read the Full Atricle at: Treehugger.com

Steve Larsen Dead at 39

Mountain Biker, Road Cyclist, and Tri-athlete Steve Larsen collapsed and died last month on May 19th during a training run.
Larsen who was 39 he leaves behind his wife of 16 years, Carrie, and their five children: Amalia, 13, Massimo, 11; Gunnar, 4; and twins Marco and Matteo, 2. Survivors also include his mother, Connie Larsen, of Bend, his father Tom Larsen of Davis, Calif., and two older brothers, Michael Larsen, of Bend, and Tom Larsen Jr., of Salt Lake City.

Please contribute photos, text and financial donations to this website. We hope http://www.rememberstevelarsen.com/ will become a lasting and positive refuge for Steve's family and friends.

Lance Armstrong Crashes during opening stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León

Lance Armstrong crashed hard in Monday’s opening stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León and was transported by ambulance to a hospital in nearby Palencia, Spain.

The crash occurred on a narrow road as the peloton was ramping up its speed to reel in two attacking riders with about 20km to go in the 168.3km first stage from Parades de Nava to Baltanás in northern Spain.
Race organizers and the Astana team doctor confirmed that the seven-time Tour de France champion had broken his right collarbone.
Astana team leader Johan Bruyneel said on his Twitter feed there were no complications in the break, and suggested Armstrong could be riding soon. "Clean collarbone fracture," Bruyneel said. "Should be fast recovery." The injury typically takes between a month and six weeks to heal fully.

"I've never had this happen before; it's pretty painful," said Lance as he left the hospital. "I feel really miserable."

After falling off his bike, Armstrong sat in the grass beside the road, his right shoulder slumped and his wrist resting on his right thigh. When help arrived, he motioned toward his right shoulder. Armstrong eventually walked to the ambulance and climbed into the back.

So what about the Tour de France? "We are confident he can still race the Tour de France, of course. He will be off the bike, but he can still do condition training." said Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens.

---

Video Footage of Crash

Lance Armstrong's one-of-a-kind bike stolen after race

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race.

Lance Down Under and on Versus

The Tour Down Under
For the first time ever, VERSUS will brings viewers coverage of the Tour Down Under to commemorate Lance Armstrong's return to professional racing.
Watch Lance’s comeback from the beginning as he starts his road to the Tour de France on the beautiful streets of Adelaide, Australia.
Coverage Begins Sunday January 18th for Full Schedule goto the Versus website
Watch the last stage on Versus.com! Saturday, January 24th @ 10PM

Benepe's Bike Blog: Hundreds Ride in Frigid Weather to Honor Fallen Cyclist

Benepe's Bike Blog: Hundreds Ride in Frigid Weather to Honor Fallen Cyclist

Lance Amstrongs Return to Cycling

In case you were wondering if the rumors were true here is Lance's Official Statement

AUSTIN, Texas – September 9, 2008 – Today, Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and cycling champion, released the following statement regarding his return to professional sports:
“I am happy to announce that after talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. Millions more will suffer in isolation, victims not only of the disease but of social stigma. After the passage of Proposition 15 in Texas, a $3 billion investment in the fight against cancer which is helping to make this disease part of the national dialogue in America, it’s now time to address cancer on a global level.”
Mr. Armstrong will discuss his cycling program and an international LIVESTRONG strategy on September 24th in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative.

Lance seen at an Art Gallery

Lance Armstrong has definitely helped to bring cycling into the Mainstream. Sometimes referred to as the Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods of Cycling (All Nike Sponsored Athletes). His story and performance (7 straight tour wins after surviving cancer) are both inspirational and motivating (Remember DodgeBall)
A recent testament of him as a pop culture icon is the inclusion of Lance Armstrong in the iGoogle Artist Themes available for your iGoogle Desktop
Get yours at: http://www.google.com/help/ig/art/gallery.html

New Jersey Trail Survey Results

Lance Armstrong will ride in Leadville Trail 100:
The rumors are true: Lance Armstrong is scheduled to ride in the Leadville Trail 100's mountain bike race in August 2007. Yes, that Lance Armstrong,, the seven-time winner of the Tour de France. Leadville Trail 100 race director Ken Chlouber confirmed, after speaking with Armstrong's coach, that the race was on Armstrong's schedule.

http://www.leadvillechronicle.com/home.php?content=article&article=1910