NEW Lake Ontario State Multi-Use Trail (click on this link for more info)

A new, 3.3-mile multi-use trail along the Lake Ontario State Parkway in Greece and Rochester is officially open. The trail connects the existing Route 390 bike path to the Genesee Riverway Trail. The trail head is on Island Cottage Road, just north of Janes Road.

Construction on the $1.9 million trail began in November 2008 and was completed this week. The trail parallels the north side of the Parkway beginning at the existing 390 Bike Path on the west side of Route 390 and extends 3.3 miles to the Genesee Riverway Trail on River Street in Charlotte. A short section of the trail runs along Latta Road between River Street and the Parkway.

State Department of Transportation Acting Regional Director Bob Traver noted that the new trail offers a scenic escape for pedestrians:
“This trail project takes advantage of wooded areas, views of surrounding bodies of water and wetlands and fits into the character of the Parkway setting. I am pleased with the work that our landscape, environmental and construction groups did to safely design and deliver this capital project.”

Family-style mountain biking in Devon and Cornwall gets a multi-million boost as part of a plan to improve and create trails…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: fashion capital. The blog is also related to: fashion capital.

DC has its first Swine Flu fatality and drug-Resistant Swine Flu Now in Virginia & Maryland, DCist reports.

Prince of Petworth poses the Friday question of the day: Do You Support a Commuter Tax for DC?

Richard Layman’s blog has new bicyling and transportation statistics and some thoughts on park planning.

The Washington Post has a story today on how some Virginians are taking the smoking ban hard.

Our exposure to toxic chemicals begins in the womb, according to a new study covered by Yale’s e360.

A HIGHLY controversial virtual-tour service by Google arrived in Singapore yesterday. And, already, it has polarised Internet users here on whether it infringes privacy.

Street View was launched by the American search-engine giant in the United States in May 2007 and is now accessible for free in more than 100 cities in the world.

Users can embark on a virtual tour in and around the streets of Singapore, enjoying a 360-degree and panoramic 3-D view of roads, buildings and iconic landmarks.

The service is available via smartphones as well.

Singapore is the first country in South-east Asia to get the service. Japan is the only other Asian nation to have it.

While some users welcome Street View, others are not so enamoured of it.

Privacy advocates in countries such as Britain, Japan and the US had complained that images featuring private gardens as well as people sun-tanning, leaving strip clubs or falling off their bikes were captured and made available to all and sundry.

In response, Google started, in July last year, to blur faces and licence-plate numbers.

However, it has been criticised for some poorly-blurred images.

Just last month, Swiss privacy watchdog Federal Data Protection and Information announced that it would sue Google for failing to make human faces and car plates “sufficiently unrecognisable”.

Mr Andrew McGlinchey, Google’s head of product management in South-east Asia, said users who object to certain images can report them by clicking on “Report a Problem” in the bottom left-hand corner of each image on maps.google.com.sg

While concerns will be addressed within 24 to 48 hours, requests for removal will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Mr McGlinchey said that its pictures are taken from public areas, and hence “we prefer not to (remove them)”.

Also, he added that “99.9 per cent of users love” the service. Still, if the images feature private homes, they will honour requests to take them down because of privacy issues, he said.

Marketing executive Sylvia Ng, 24, likes the tool as it helps her plan her itinerary.

“A map is 2-D, so sometimes you can’t gauge the actual distance of the next turn. This can provide landmarks. Also, now I can find the entrance to obscure carparks,” said the motorist.

She has no issue with having her image taken if it was recorded in a public setting, she added.

However, for project engineer Timothy Lim, the idea of having his image splashed online for all to see is “a little unsettling”.

“It feels like Big Brother in the book 1984, where people are watching your every move. I wouldn’t want to be caught doing something embarrassing,” he said.

Google said that images of Singapore streets, which range “in the millions”, were taken between October last year and the beginning of this year.

Cameras perched on top of cars took high-resolution pictures every few metres.

Mr McGlinchey said that the service will be updated “sometime next year” when major construction projects such as the integrated resorts and shopping malls in Orchard Road are completed.

From October, it had also begun using tricycles to record images of small nooks and pedestrian paths which cannot be accessed by cars.

The information gathered will be made available only next year.

Mr Ken Low, assistant chief executive for marketing at Singapore Tourism Board (STB), is a fan of Street View.

He said: “It will raise Singapore’s prominence and reach through the Internet. People unfamiliar with Singapore can now get a first look at our city.”

Just 2 days ago I took Google Street View out for a test drive. It’s pretty awesome finally being able to see familiar places on Street View – Up till a few days ago, Google Street View wasn’t available in Singapore. Most of the major roads are covered so far, bu the images look like they were taken months ago. It’s great to know that they’ll be updating the images next year once the integrated resorts and shopping malls are finished. Else, foreign visitors wouldn’t be able to see these buildings on Street View.

On a side note, now we can build an exercise bike and hook it up to Google Street View too! Just like what this guy did: http://hackaday.com/2009/11/11/biking-through-google-street-view/

I’m backtracking here for a sec.  Thanksgiving.  The four-day weekend was much-needed and very welcome.  I wanted to take the four days and go on a bender of sorts — lots of eating, drinking and sleeping.  Not necessarily in that order, though, it would make sense in that order   And, to my surprise, great success!  Anywho, and now that the pictures are off the camera (hence this belated themed post), thought I’d share some of the fun we had.  In the kitchen, at least.

My bro, CK1, had Thanksgiving at his pad this year and offered up the staples of turkey, stuffing and mashed hella’ good potatoes.  Seriously, could have eaten the whole bowl by myself.  So, I decided I wanted to make butternut squash ravioli.  Taking on this task, I realized, yet again, how much I love my KitchenAid.  I love it like I love sporks.  As in, I know it’s not a must-have kitchen gadget like, say, a fork or fire extinguisher.  And, like a good knife, using a KitchenAid makes you feel like a pro.  Martha uses a mixer like this, Emeril uses one, too; I must be channeling Martha and Emeril.  Not.  Sans Martha, I still manged to squeak out some semblence of butternut squash ravioli.

And outside the kitchen, JP and I managed to dust off our bikes and get some exercies and fresh air.  We biked downtown on Thanksgiving night, which was a quick 10-minute ride!  Good to know!  With that ride under our belt, we felt confident we could do it again.  So we did.  On Sunday (or was it Saturday?), we made our way to the beach.  Blue skies and perfect puffy clouds made for some good scenery!

Rounding one of the Jingle Cross course's many corners. (Photo by Michelle Wiese)

Boy, does fear make for a good motivator!

After suffering through last year’s JingleCross Rock, where I came in second-last (to a guy who ran while carrying his broken bike) I made it a point to do more training for this year’s race. And it was a success.

I came in 43rd out of 53 racers this year (although I only recall seeing two riders behind me) but more important than that, I felt I could handle the strain of racing better than last year. Where you place is really out of your control; kudos to everyone who raced that weekend, regardless of how you did. It’s really just by chance the people decided to enter the race I was in; I could have come in dead last if the people who finished behind me competed on another day. (Maybe some people dropped out that I didn’t know about. Or, because of the lap-counting system, they may have finished “behind” me but actually did one more lap than I did!)

None of that really matters, though. My race was about doing as well as I could, and that was it.

I raced on Sunday, the final day. While doing my warmup lap around the course, I was dreading what the conditions would be like going up Mount Krumpet, which I was sure we would have to do since the beginners’ races went up it the previous two days. I fell twice trying to ride one of the “easier” hilly areas! But as it turned out, Sunday’s beginners’ race didn’t go up it.

My wife and mom-in-law cheer me on. (Photo by Michelle Wiese)

I had mixed emotions about that. There was some relief that I wouldn’t have to go up (or down) that muddy mess, but also some sadness because a big part of my training — physically and mentally – had centered on conquering Mount Krumpet. So it was a letdown of sorts.

But the race was still plenty tough though. And the other thing besides the training that was going to get me through it was my support section: my wife Megan, her mom Mary, and fellow Whiskey Riders Michon, Emily and my VeloDuo blogging partner in crime, Michelle!

It was really motivating and heartwarming hearing them all cheer for me as I made my way around the course. When you’re in the racing mode, all you think about is keeping those pedals turning, watching what’s ahead of you and trying to maintain as much of an effort as you can without blowing up. And when you hear the cheers, it really does inspire you to go that little bit harder.

The most nerve-racking part of the race was the start. I used to be really anxious and nervous just waiting for the actual start of the race, to the point where I’d gag and dry-heave. I think when you go through these things enough, though, you can kind of keep your emotions in check because you know what to expect. And the fear wasn’t as bad as it had been in the past; I felt like the training I had done prepared me to deal with the suffering that was to come.

When the race started, we all took off and I can remember seeing almost everyone else going faster than me, and people who started behind me going around me. I fought off the urge to fight to stay with them because I knew I’d overdo it and blow a gasket. So I tried to ride at my fastest yet most comfortable pace possible, and not worry about the people going past me. Through probably the first 3 minutes I could tell I was going harder than I would have liked, though, and I knew I couldn’t keep that up the whole race. I also remember trying to ride through the first patch of mud but having to put my feet down because the person in front of me had to stop too; I suspect there was a traffic jam here. And after that was the first set of barriers, followed by a steep run-up.

Pushing my way up the runup, with Emily, Michon and Michelle behind me probably yelling for me to hurry the hell up! (Photo by Megan Lee)

It was here that I finally settled down and prepared for the next half hour or so of sustained effort. After pushing my bike through the run-up, I had trouble riding along the muddy hillside and had to run (jog really) while pushing my bike. It was a chance to catch my breath before remounting and going down a small hill to the rest of the course. (On the second lap I tried to ride through this area again, to no avail. I fell here, just like I did twice during warmups. But it didn’t hurt; hey, it’s mud!)

With many ziz-zags and turns on the course, I had opportunities to look back and could see that a few people were still behind me, some of them catching up to and passing me, and a couple drifting further back. It actually was a relief of sorts knowing I wasn’t dead last, but it also made me feel like a rabbit or carrot for them to chase. And I didn’t like being in that position.

A new fear had been created to motivate me.

I looked down at my bike computer and did some computing. At the pace I was riding, I would have to do three laps. It was a familiar thought process; I went through this same situation on practice rides. So now I knew what to expect, and I dug in and rode on.

Heading to the finish line! But then out for another lap. (Photo by Michelle Wiese)

This was where it got fun. I was breathing hard but used to the effort, I was wearing the right amount of layers so that I wasn’t overheating (like last year), and I was delighted to see and hear cheers of my name along the course. Michelle, Emily and Michon were running around the course finding places to cheer me on! So that was a fun surprise.

And I knew that as I got back toward the start/finish line, Megan and Mary would be there to keep the cheering up. (Megan is seven months pregnant, so no running around for her right now!)

So it went for about 37 minutes as I did my laps around the course. One other accomplishment: I completed a full lap before I myself started getting lapped by the race leaders! I don’t think that happened last year. And the nice thing was that as I heard people coming up on me, they still said (or panted) “on your left” or “passing” and I moved off to the side to let them through and gasped “go ahead.” Still heard “thanks” from them too! And in tight twisty areas where I knew people were coming up behind me, I made sure to give them plenty of room to get by. The camaraderie between racers is great, no matter the difference in skill levels — another reason I love being a part of all this.

Finally, I was on the home stretch and my bike computer went past 35 minutes. I saw the race official motioning that I was done racing, and I saw my crew waiting for me at the finish line.

I couldn’t not smile.

I made my way off the race course and was greeted with cheers and high-fives from everyone — what a great feeling! This was what made all the effort and training worth it. I wasn’t collapsed and exhausted at the end of the race and I could look back fondly at it all.

The rest of the day I enjoyed wandering around and watching the other races, especially as riders fought their way up Mount Krumpet. I’m still a little disappointed I didn’t get to go up there, having done the beginner’s race.

Maybe, just maybe, I might skip the beginner’s race next year to ensure I get to tackle Mount Krumpet. And based on how things went this year, I think I know what I have to do to get ready for it.

–DAVE

I'm done! And I still had energy to pick up my bike! (Photo by Michelle Wiese)

This year’s Jingle Cross Rock in Iowa City took on a Woodstock vibe with muddy conditions, blaring music and good times had by all. The music wasn’t live but the racing was. The three day event/Children’s hospital fundraiser ($25,000 raised – VeloNews) was an entertaining success.

As you may already know if you follow this blog, Dave entered Sunday’s Cat 4 race. I chose to spectate and cheer him on instead of racing this year. I kept going back and forth for the last few months on whether to race or not, and finally ended up wimping out since I hadn’t been practicing and wasn’t feeling fit enough to enjoy myself. Excuses, excuses, I know. There’s always next year.

The muddy conditions of this year’s races made for some entertaining spectating and a showing of grownups looking like children after an afternoon making mudpies turned mudfight. The best viewing area was at the bottom of Mount Krumpet looking up a steep, muddy hill where riders had to carefully descend down a rutted-out muddy track, then steer into a sharp, right turn at the bottom without wiping out or losing control.

People were sliding all over, falling down, having mechanical problems and getting mud stuck in places before unknown. The singlespeed race on Sunday had a team wearing bikinis and speedos who were gallivanting through the course including a couple riding a tandem bike. At one point, a few of the bikini girls hopped off their bikes for some fun in the mud and one yelled, “Pyramid!” They proceeded to make a muddy-people-pyramid and cheered on the other riders.

The elite races were a great showing of the skill and athleticism of the participating men and women. As they raced around the course at impressive speeds and navigated through slick areas and steep switchbacks with ease, it was quickly evident that these ARE the elite.

This year was my third Jingle Cross Rock. Every year has gotten bigger than the one before. Hopefully the fun-filled sport will continue to grow and hopefully I’ll get off my lazy butt and get training so I’ll have the guts to enter a race next year. 

- MICHELLE

I haven’t had a whole lot to write about lately.  I’ve haven’t been on the bike since Saturday… and it is driving me crazy.
 
Saturday’s ride was mediocre.  My legs felt great and I felt like I could have ridden forever, but my lungs were betraying me.  They started protesting the cold air almost from the beginning.  By the time I reached the end of the first lap, my lungs had finally started to cooperate, but my right hand started cramping up seriously bad.  I couldn’t even squeeze the break or shift gears.  Rather than getting myself into trouble, I decided to go ahead and stop.
 
I had planned to go back on Sunday, but it rained all day Sunday.  The people who unofficially oversee the trails ask people to not ride them when they are muddy so they don’t get rutted up, so I took the day off.  On Monday, it rained in the morning, snowed in the afternoon, and sleeted in the evening, so getting out and riding through the neighborhood wasn’t going to happen… especially since I live smack in the middle of the shopping mecca of the city and holiday shoppers are in full feeding frenzy mode.  The last 2 days, the roads have been icy so I haven’t ridden.  There is more snow in the forecast for tonight and more for tomorrow.  It is my hope that we’ll get a decent base layer of snow that will still be around on Saturday so I can go ride the trails in the snow this weekend.  If it is starting to melt, I probably won’t go because I’ll end up tearing up the track.
 
My time hasn’t gone completely to waste though.  I’ve been going to the gym and working out.  I’ve also started thinking seriously about participating in the Livestrong Challenge in Austin for 2010.  This isn’t a ‘no brainer’ for me when it comes to making a decision.  I’ll be involved one way or the other.  I’m just trying to decide if I am going to try to ride in it.  It is a little intimidating for me to think about.
 
Why?
 
First off, I haven’t ever ridden a bike race of any kind.  I’m not sure that this is technically a bike race and isn’t more of a big group ride, but it is close enough.  Second, I don’t own a road bike yet.  If push came to shove, I would ride it on my mountain bike, but I expect I’ll have a road bike well before then (the Austin ride isn’t until next October).  Third, even the shortest ride is further than I have ridden to date.  Granted, I have nearly a year to train and get ready, but from my chair this very second, it is an intimidating thought.  Plus, I’m the type of person that if I’m going to do something out of my comfort zone, I’m going to do something WAY out of my comfort zone… which means signing up for the 90-mile ride.
 
I’m not actually worried about getting a bike.  I’m not even that concerned with getting ready to be able to do a 90-mile ride by next October.  More than anything, I’m more concerned with the humidity difference between where I live and Austin.  I’ve been to Austin many times and I always have a tough time breathing there due to the heaviness of the air.
 
One way or the other, I’m going to do it.  It may not be pretty, graceful, or even viewable in mixed company, but I’m going to do it.  I’ll be signing up as a part of Team Fatty for Austin.  I’ve already ordered my Team Fatty jersey.  Now I just need to get signed up with Team Fatty Austin and start fund raising.
 
Oh, and getting my ass back on the bike.  Need to do that too.

Take your normal muddy cross country bike ride on a cold, windy, winters day.

Now tip it up at a 45 degree angle and turn up the heat – Welcome to central Portugal !!!!

Now is the perfect time to downhill mountain bike in Portugal. BTT as it’s called here is a well organized sport catering for all ages and abilities.

Close to Miranda do Corvo in the quaint  mountain village of Gondramoz there is a purpose built starting ramp from which you hit the trail as marked out on the nearby notice board in Portuguese and English, so no excuses for getting lost.

If your tired after a mornings frantic downhill why not stop off at one of the many pria fluvials “river beaches” before trying another route.

The trails are free to ride, there are small cafes and local rustic restaurants in the area so what are you waiting for.

The nearest bike shop is in Miranda do Corvo ( at the bottom of the hills which form the Gondramaz trail)  close to the large fountain which acts as a roundabout. If you want serious parts or MB upgrades then Decathalon in Taviero has a wide selection of spares, tyres tools and a bike repair centre.

Although Portugal is well known for its packs of road racers zipping along local roads the mountain bike scene is less well known. If you like competitive high speed downhill races, more technical trial style riding  or the fun of trying out the urban events which are regularly held here.

The organized events are fun they are also remarkable value with usually a hearty lunch or dinner included. They have paramedics on hand and free transport for you and your bike to the top of whichever mountain you are going to use.

Accommodation is readily available locally from 20 Euros per night for a single room. You can take your bikes on the high speed trains from Porto or Lisbon airports. All it take to enjoy the best of this area is a little planning. We are happy to make recommendations.

Check this link for local biking information.

http://massacriticapt.net/?q=blogue/centro-de-btt-das-aldeias-do-xisto-penela

Check this link for Portuguese and European  biking information.

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.massacriticapt.net&langpair=pt|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8

The venerable Takoma Theatre on 4th Street NW, near the same-named Metro station, may soon be dust. The Takoma Theatre Conservancy is raising alarms about the Jan. 22 Mayor’s Agent hearing on demolishing the place.

The District Department of the Environment is teaming up with area CVS/pharmacy outlets to distribute free reusable shopping bags ahead of the Jan. 1 deadline, when DC retailers begin charging customers 5 cents for every disposable bag. Click here for more information about where to pick up your freebee.

Andaman Islands, Creative Commons Attribution License

For those  feeling that – despite the obvious environmental boons – the bag ban is a big pain in the backside, consider this: even the tiny Indian Ocean territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are launching a plastic bag ban starting next week.

DC Streets Capitol Hill has a nice little roundup of news stories on road and transit projects stuffed into Congress’s pending jobs bill.

Recycle + Help a Needy Neighbor - There are a couple of coat drives this weekend that offer a worthy way to make space in your closets:

The organization Fathers Rock is collecting gently worn or new coats this Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM at the Metropolitan Police, Fourth District Station, 6001 Georgia Ave., NW. The coats will be given to families living in area shelters.

This offer is a little more specious, since donating a coat gets you a 20 percent discount off of new purchases – hardly incentive to reduce your carbon footprint. But ’tis the jolly shopping season …  so, here’s the skinny: To get your discount, bring a coat to donate to Urban Chic’s Georgetown outlet. The coast will go to the Women’s Housing Coalition. Urban Chic, 1626 Wisconsin Ave. NW, b/t Reservoir Rd. & Q St. 
Thru Dec. 8. Thurs.-Sat., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m.

In a tribute to city fauna, Congress Height’s The Advoc8te shot a deer … on video.

Lynn at Organic Mania is campaigning to send Diane McEachern, author of Big Green Purse, to the Copenhagen climate talks. Click here to learn more about the OM candidate.

City Fix DC alerted me to this news: This weekend, the Bicycle Film Festival comes to DC.

And so it begins . . .

The first day of my life as a non-bike commuter.  Where do I go from here, when bike commuting was such a big part of my “green” identity?

http://www.hedcycling.com/wheels/

been checking these out as i need new racing wheels… and if they’re good enough for chrissie, they’re good enough for me!!!  can’t wait to see my baby on these

Instead of biking straight home the past two Tuesday nights, we took some fun detours.  Last week we went to Sweet Art for some cupcake deliciousness.

The moon has been rising very early lately (before 4pm).  I biked to last night’s destination (a pizza place) under a gorgeous full moon in the dusky dark blue sky.  Although there are plenty of times that I wish I had it, last night being one, I generally don’t carry the camera because it is just one more thing to lug around.  I enjoyed the moon very much in the moment.

On the way home, we biked through Tower Grove Park.  It’s a bit risky in the dark because it’s hard to see all of the speed bumps.  However, the dark has advantages: two raccoons scurried across our path, and a bit later, something large swooped right in front of us!  We think it was an owl.

The lovely, although chilly, evening, complete with full moon and owl, provided a great backdrop for the ride.  As I pedaled up our alley, it seemed an appropriate ride to cap my 4 years and 5 months of bike commuting.  Le sigh . . . .

Whats great on a rainy, cold day? A cup of Starbucks that is! I however didn’t get a picture , mostly because I enjoyed it while entering school, and most schools have rules, rule 1# no technology, lame…

When I got home after a short rainy day I opened the cupboard to find a snack. Mom bought me some new granola bars from giant eagle today! but I didn’t wanna eat one already… So I looked for some left overs and found a jar of almond butter. My cupboard currently has 3 jars of almond butter, 2 jars of peanut butter, and one jar of soy butter. one of the jars of almond butter had about a tablespoon left, and the peanut butter even less. So looks like I have 2 jars of nut butter for oats in a jar! Today’s jar contained 1/2 scoop whey, 1/2 cup oatmeal, and 1tbsp almond butter. A fun and easy snack to kill that one or so tablespoons of butter left in yo jar!

Aside from oats in a jar, rainy days, Starbucks, etc… I GOT A STREET BIKE! We bought it Sunday and hopefully will be getting it tomorrow! I’m so excited to learn how to ride! My dad rocks, he is so good to me, and loves to see me succeed. More importantly is our great relationship together, he’s like a really good friend to me, and more importantly a great dad . I look up to him because of his strength and will power to be in the shape he is at 50+. He withholds the determination to oversee the physical setbacks he received in the past and workout like he never even received them. And most importantly his love for his family, and friends. What a powerful, respected person!

Biking Jacket

It’s called a spin class. Spin classes offer an amazing avenue to fitness. It’s a furiously fat-burning exercise that is dangerously addictive!

• 1 You have to pay for them which will motivate you to  be present.
• 2 Once you are there you generally have a good time and a great workout.

What is spinning?

Spinning is an exercise class performed on stationary bikes, usually set to adrenaline-inducing music and led by a hyper instructor. You’ll be led enthusiastically through a virtual ride on flat roads, hills and sprints and you’ll often be getting up and out of that saddle to really work it.

Why is it so good?

Spinning burns so much energy by getting the heart rate way up. Spinning is also a form of resistance training so you’re building some great muscles to replace the fat you burn off. I have found that you build  nice, long, lean muscles because the work is short and intense, not heavy and prolonged.  Because it’s a low impact sport, spinning is suitable for just about anyone. A spin class is basically designed to mimic a regular outside ride, but not your slow, meander around the countryside kind of ride, but a toning, fat-burning one. In a class you’ll have the long, flat rides for endurance and the hills to pump your heart rate up and tone the thighs. A few sprints will be thrown in to get your heart to pump just a little more. The ride will be guided but you can adjust the resistance on your bike to suit your level.

In my opinion there are two types of spin classes:

• Cheesy, Loud, Bad Music Type offered at most commercial gyms. Some girl screaming at the top of her lungs dancing on her bike to bad techno music trying to motivate you but coming off about as cheesy as it gets. The classes are too big with too many different levels of spinners. Goals are not the same and you may not be reaching your desired level of fitness or work out because of this.

OR

• The type of class I’m a BIG advocate of. I belong to a place in Denver called Breathe.  Breathe is a small intimate private group focusing in Yoga, Spin & Art. Here we have small classes consisting of 7 spinners (breathers as they call us). There are 2 spin instructors who are cyclist themselves and have a passion for biking in general. I can honestly say these spin classes are the most challenging, motivating, training oriented spin classes I’ve ever participated in. It’s rewarding and I look forward to it 3 times a week- yes this includes Saturday mornings which can sometimes be a bear!

I have always been athletic but the idea of a hot, overcrowded, meat headed, smelly gym does not exactly motivate me. I’m not rolling in dough to have an in home private gym with a personal trainer and it’s too cold and icy to run outside. I started spinning in September when I got a coupon incentive for Breathe Denver. Since I’ve been going at this rigorous schedule I have noticed a tremendous difference. I’m using muscles I’ve never worked out before and I have those calf muscles that you can see with heels on!!! If you are a female you understand.  I have also found that I get up easier in the am and have more energy and less stress. Several people in my class have lost quite a bit of weight and are now die-hard spinners. For me, I strapped on the skies last weekend anticipating the “first runs of the season leg burns” but they never came! Spinning has allowed me to get in great shape and is training me for this spring’s bike season. Breathe also offers an outdoor riding club which I’m looking forward to! Everybody in my class is an above average spinner at this point so our workouts are different every time and peaking our fitness levels. It’s a great alternative to the norm exercise routines and IF spinning at the right spot, can be a great exercise experience.

There is most certainly a spot like Breathe near you- I highly encourage you to try it out

There’s an excellent post on the NY Times Spokes blog about the crackdown on cyclists in Philadelphia. I completely agree w/ Wiley Norvell at Transportation Alternatives. The goal should be to encourage civil cycling through education and enforcement of existing traffic laws. Trying to ban fixies or inveighing against all cyclists is ridiculous. NYC is not perfect, but Philly really should follow some of the transportation policy changes that Bloomberg administration has implemented.

We celebrated Black Friday on local trails… just before the snow hit.

Derek & Tessa joined in on the fun…

Tessa draws her camera as much as I do. Maybe more.

Mitchell shreds the gnar on his mom’s bike. Wow!

The snow fell on Saturday. We accumulated about 5″ at the house.

We built a snowman (actually it was a snow-woman) with the neighbor’s kids.

Sunday- Spur of the moment Palm Cayon run

We didn’t see another rider on the trail all day. And it was PERFECT! I was too busy riding to stop and take many photos…

Situated about 120 km north of Vancouver on the Highway 99 is Whistler, acknowledged as the ‘Natural Year-Round Playground.’ With its soothing mountain air, pristine clear lakes, and luxuriant emerald forests, Whistler is a mecca for a host of recreational activities during both winter and summer.

During the winter, Whistler becomes a sought after destination for enjoying skiing and other activities like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and sleigh riding. When comes to summer activities, the activities that can be enjoyed here are endless from golf, tennis, and staking to boating, fishing, and canoeing. Aside these activities, Whistler renders world class facilities for mountain biking.

As per the level and expertise of bikers, different types of mountain biking trails are available in Whistler, such as, downhill tracks, technical single track, cross country, paved valley track, and wide single track. For novice, one of the best trails to start with would be the 35 km long Valley Trail. This trail serves as a commuter trail, and a bike riding through it leads to some of the picturesque lakes, parks, and neighborhood destinations.

Another popular biking trail in Whistler is Lost Lake Park, which is surrounded by pristine alpine lake. Located within easy reach of almost all facilities in Whistler and Blackcomb, Lost Lake Park consists of a series of mountain trails, each of them rendering single as well as wide single track with plush nettle. This trail is most suitable for beginners who want to take mountain biking lessons quite easy. However, the trails found in the park are not only for beginners but also for advanced riders. For riders seeking adventure and fun, the park offers trails such as the Frank Zappa single-track.

In Whistler, beginners can also take advantage of the Whistler Interpretive Forest’s network of trails that are exclusively designed for novices, such as Highline, Far Side Trail, Riverside Trail, and Ridge Trail. Some excellent trails are available around Cheakamus Lake, which in turn is a part of the spectacular Garibaldi Provincial Park. However, the trail is packed with hikers during the summer season.

For intermediates, Whistler has some excellent options for mountain biking in the form of Trash in Function Junction, Big Timber trail in Kadenwood, and Green Lake Loop that runs across the eastern side of the Green Lake, from Lost Lake Park to Wedgemount. There are also a couple of trails, especially for intermediates, outside the boundaries of Whistler like Brandywine Falls cross country trail that runs through the Whistler Interpretive Forest, which in turn consists of a blend of double and single tracks.

Whistler is also home to a continuum of expert trails including Industrial Disease. Also, Whistler boasts of a good number of epic trails such as the 42 km long the Flank Trail and the Rainbow Trail.

Apart from these, Whistler has to its credit some excellent parks that are exclusively designed for mountain biking. Of which, one of the most popular is the Whistler Bike Park, whose highlights, among many others, are over 200 km of lift serviced trails as well as mountainous pathways, jump park areas, access lifts including Whistler Gondola and Garbanzo Chairs, and dirt trails via canopied forests. Dirt Jump Park, within the Rebagliati Park, is also a great facility in Whistler for mountain biking. Above all, an association operates here exclusively for the development and maintenance of trails in Whistler, namely, Whistler off Road Cycling Association (WORCA.)

Despite anything, your mountain biking holidays in Whistler is not complete without taking a mountain bike riding through Comfortably Numb, which is the longest as well as most challenging single track trail in Whistler. However, a ride through this trail is recommended for technically advanced and experienced bikers. Among the highlights of the trail are long climbs, challenging rock faces, elevated bridges, and picturesque views.

There are certain prerequisites in order to make your Whistler Mountain biking holidays perfect and enjoyable. First of all, a clear plan must be devised for enjoying mountain biking in Whistler. Determination of your budget for your mountain biking holidays is another thing to take into consider for a perfect mountain biking holiday in Whistler.

Equally important for mountain biking holiday is packing, ie, you should bring all necessary equipments such as bike, helmet, knee and shoulder pads, and apparels that go with the climatic conditions of the regions. A lot number of rental shops are in the vicinity to supply necessary equipments for an enjoyable mountain biking.

A plethora of mountain bike friendly hotels and resorts can be found across Whistler and Blackcomb regions. There are also some resorts and hotels, providing excellent packages for a perfect mountain biking vacation. Packages are mostly inclusive of assistance of expert staff, guided camps, and private lessons.

As I contemplate my life, I wonder what the last 23.5 years have been all about…

I heard a great phrase reducing the infamous VO2max score to only one factor determining endurance potential.

The ticket to the party only gets you in the door.

On that note, here are my conclusions:

I’ve always done just enough to keep the dream alive. I haven’t broken the barriers, pushed the limits, screwed the screw too tight enough to:

a) make the dream reality, or

b) kill the dream and realize it wasn’t meant to be

Every kid wants to win the Olympics or play in the NHL.  But not every kid does or can.  So what is the separation?

I don’t know.

But I think my goal in the next year is to figure that out…

Here, I leave you with some wisdom from Simon Whitfield.

::SAdamson

Here is 3 of 5 (watch video # 1 & 2 below). Stay tuned over the next 2 days to learn more about the project launching in January 2010. There will be five videos total, all about five minutes long. Blessings, and if you have one extra minute, perhaps you could post this to your Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or other social networking pages. Thanks ahead of time and stay tuned! SJD 

isn’t this a brilliant idea?  cyclists and drivers everywhere should be rejoicing.  this isn’t the dedicated bike lanes that we need, but it’s a great safety device and one that makes you think.

the only thing better would be if the laser light was powered by pedaling…

thanks to Jeremy Murphy for the cool find!

i wonder if this is pedal powered?