Features
-
Marathon Mountain Bike Racing Hits Capitol Forest
By Darren Dencklau For the past two years I have been regularly making the journey from Seattle to Capitol Forest to ride my mountain bike. Located just south of Olympia, Wash., the singletrack in the area is spectacular — both buttery smooth and fast. When I first read about the Capitol Forest 50/100 Mile Race in 2010, I was instantly attracted to the idea of an endurance mountain biking race taking place on such a great trail system. I had to give it a go. Read More
-
Northwest Builds for Bikes
By Katie Hawkins Streets, sidewalks and road sharing, oh my! The Northwest’s transportation needs are being impacted by the ever-growing cycling population, and several cities are on the fast track to incorporating bike-friendly infrastructures into the design of roadways, parking facilities, and public transportation systems. Portland and Vancouver, B.C., are leading the way with ambitious plans for 2030 and 2040, respectively, and King County and Idaho are following close behind. Read More
-
A Slew of Product Reviews
Many companies used to wait for Interbike — one of the bicycle industry’s largest trade shows — to unveil their new products. These days, that’s not always the case, but the event is still a great place to see what various manufacturers and exhibitors have come up with for the next season. Manufacturers send us products year-round to test and review, and while we usually run one or two per issue, we pack a lot more of them in the winter issue, as these can all make for great gift ideas for the bike aficionado. Read More
-
Should You Spin This Winter?
By Kristi Berg, Cycle University Coach Manager We live in a cold and wet climate that doesn’t suit outdoor riding year-round very well. Yes, there are the few hard-core cyclists out there that ride rain or shine, sleet or snow, but for a lot of us we just can’t or don’t want to handle those harsh conditions. One great way to keep your fitness throughout the gray Northwest fall and winter months is to participate in some indoor spin classes. Read More
-
United States Anti-Doping Agency Exposes Northwest Residents
By Joe Zauner If anyone in the Northwest cycling community noticed the sentencing of convicted drug trafficker Joe Papp earlier this month, it wasn’t overtly apparent. The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) and Washington State Bicycle Association (WSBA) listservs that sometimes generate more than 30 emails in a given day had nothing on the topic. But it’s likely that more than a few local cyclists are monitoring the case with bated breath as it continues to unfold. Read More
-
2011 World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships Recap
By Darren Dencklau Close to 70 of the best teams on the planet descended upon Seattle’s Magnusson Park to claim bragging rights of being the best in the world. The city saw five straight days of continuous play, as each outfit fought hard to reach the finals. In the end, a threesome of Canadians earned the sought after title. If I had only one word to summarize the final rounds of the World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships (WHBPC) it would be … intense. If I were given the opportunity to use a second adjective it would be … rowdy. Read More
-
Cross Crusade Goes Beyond the Bike
By Katie Hawkins One state’s crappy weather is 1,000 racers’ gold. The Pacific Northwest is infamous for its wet seasons that seemingly last year-round. Clouds, rain, and mud — to some it’s only good for one thing: cyclocross. That’s probably why Portland’s Cross Crusade is the nation’s premier ‘cross series. Or it could be the music, beer, free food, prizes and all around great time. Read More
-
Yoga for Cyclists
By Julie Westlin-Naigus Most cyclists probably remember their first road bike and the exuberance and freedom felt out on the open road. Never in their right mind did they think about riding 5,000 miles in one year or finishing centuries and perhaps even riding until they almost cried. However, the one thing that cyclists tend to not be proud or even conscious of is their tight hips, the pain in their lower backs, the lack of upper body strength, or the multiple injuries throughout their bodies. Read More
-
How to Master High Speed Corners
By Sylvie Allen Every turn is different, whether it’s bermed, flat, loose, off-camber, etc. When you carve a corner like a Pro it feels fast and smooth, like it should, and good riders will leave their friends in the dust once the cornering starts. This is where you can gain or lose a lot of speed. This article will break down the main skills it takes to carve one of those awesome feeling corners. Read More
Opinions
-
Ghost Bike
By Joe Kurmaskie It fit me like a glove. As if I’d worked with one of those professionals who sizes riders, matching them to the perfect bike for their height, weight and bone length. Meticulous, exacting, often humorless ... The Bianchi arrived unannounced — a solid cardboard box on the porch and a formal envelope sporting a return address from a law firm out of the Midwest. My heart skips a beat whenever lawyers get involved ... in anything. Read More
-
In the Draft
By Maynard Hershon When I started cycling (on a too-tall borrowed bicycle), I realized I could ride OK. I could roll along as well as most people and climb better than many more experienced cyclists. I had aptitude, as my mother might’ve said. I read the magazines and haunted shops looking for a bike of my own. I bought what was then called a neo-pro bicycle, an entry-level racing-style road bike. At that point, I knew enough to buy a bike, cleated shoes and a pair of wool shorts, but my cycling education had only begun. Read More
-
The Selfish Act Of Riding A Bicycle
By Joe Kurmaskie While tuning up my wife's bike, her daily commute as a school teacher about to begin, one of the neighbor kids stood off to the side for a few minutes, looking like he wanted to ask me something. That or use the bathroom. We were standing in the August sun, tools and tubes and tires spread out from the carport to the grass. "Why do you guys ride your bikes so much?" Not why do you love riding your bikes so much? Not what does it feel like to ride so much? He'd gotten to the root of it. Read More
-
RAGBRAI, Almost
By Maynard Hershon It’s Sunday afternoon, the last day of the Tour de France. I was supposed to be in Iowa today, visiting friends and preparing to ride the last four days of RAGBRAI, but my trip fell apart Monday evening. This was the plan: My bike and I would board an Amtrak train, the California Zephyr, here in Denver at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. I’d get off in Osceola Iowa on Sunday morning, the 24th. At the Amtrak station my trip came apart. Read More
-
The Worst and Best of Us
By Joe Kurmaskie Those first moments after discovering that your bike has been stolen, those are the ones that hang out there in suspended animation. Time slows down, and not in a hip Hollywood action montage kind of way. Disbelief mixes with confusion that reluctantly gives way to the dawning realization that you’ve been pinched. You go through a compressed version of the five stages of grief right there on the street, or the Safeway parking lot or your own backyard. This is followed by any variation of the “people suck” dance. Mine involves swearing as I kick something, then spitting at the ground. Read More
-
I See by Your Bicycle — Part Two
By Maynard Hershon I promised another article on how bikes and riders look to me. Here it is. If it points an accusing finger at you or your bike, I apologize for any hurt feelings. These are the observations of an old roadie who has been watching cyclists and their equipment for decades but sometimes gets it wrong. Read More
-
“Staycation” In The Saddle
By Joe Kurmaskie Summer in the Pacific Northwest is where you want to be on a bicycle. Period! Everyone comes to ride from somewhere else, so much so that we have our own month-long festival in Portland: Pedalpalooza. When the rain clouds clear you realize that you are right where you want to be; Mt Hood is visible in the distance, there’s long days and short nights, the coast calls you to skip work and ride, there’s wine country, winding river rides and the sublime desert just on the other side of the Cascades. Read More
-
I See Your Bicycle...
By Maynard Hershon When I stop, post-ride at cyclists’ gathering places, and see bikes leaned against walls and parked in racks, I often imagine who is riding each of them. I have a picture in my head of what a genuine rider’s bike looks like. I’m not talking about ones used for urban transport or hauling a trailer. I’m talking about those used for recreational rides, loops ridden for fun or fitness, or as preparation for events or races, bikes used for sport... Read More
-
The “Things-I-Used-To-Do”
By Joe Kurmaskie If you’re anything like me, a good bike ride not only clears your head and moves your blood around, but it can put you into the best of trances. The bike acts like a perpetual meditation machine. When I come back to Earth I either think I have “the next great thing,” or a bunch of broken thoughts that make me happy, or at least engaged. Either way the bike helps tap into something. That’s where I came up with my “Things-I-Used-To-Do” list. Read More
