Cycling Tips & Stories

Bike & Build organizes cycling trips to raise money for affordable housing projects (like Habitat for Humanity). The long-distance trips make their way across the country, stopping every now and then to spend a day working on a housing project. permanent link to article: "Bike & Build"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/28/2004 11:36:00 AM |comment on this article

A KCStar Earth Day article focused on Mary and Terry Rouse:

Terry's green streak is focused on bicycles as transportation. His bikes — he has had quite a collection over the years — have gotten him to the office for 15 years or more.

“I can't even remember when I've driven to work,” he said. . . .

Every day, Terry, 56, rides his recumbent bike from the couple's home near the University of Kansas Hospital to his workplace in Overland Park — about 15 miles each way.

permanent link to article: "KCStar Earth Day article focuses on bicycle commuter"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/25/2004 08:20:00 AM |comment on this article

The New York Times [possible registration required] has a fascinating article on how technology is being used to improve Lance Armstrong's times:

"Little interaction effects and race equipment can lead to big gains or losses," said Bart Knaggs, president of the Postal Service racing team.

The effort began with experiments in November in a wind tunnel at the University of Washington. On April 22, Armstrong plans to race with his new equipment for the first time this year in the United States during the time trial stage of the Tour of Georgia. . . .

"We brought all the key suppliers together and made them understand there has to be a holistic connection between Lance and his equipment," Knaggs said. "The body and the bike have to be thought of as one."

In that equation, he said, the body is clearly the dominant factor.

Nike's Project Swift designers said that the rider's body accounted for as much as two-thirds of the total air resistance created by a bicycle racer. The other third comes from the bike itself.

Total resistance is a combination of air resistance and mechanical resistance from tires, gears and bearings.

A shorter version of the article is available here (no registration required). permanent link to article: "Technology making Lance even faster"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/22/2004 08:49:00 PM |comment on this article

Mileage options: 10, 27, 62, 100
Start: Finley River Park in Ozark, MO (near Springfield)

Entry Fees: Kids 12 and under ride free!
Early Entry (before July 17): $40 per person
Later Entry (after July 17): $50 per person

Breakfast and lunch provided to all cyclists. Ride benefits Kids Across America, a sports camp in Branson, MO, for inner city youth. For more information, visit www.kidsacrossamerica.org. Registration available through active.com.

More info: 417-266-3125 or bike@kidsacrossamerica.org
permanent link to article: "4th Annual 2004 Ozarks 100, August 14"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/18/2004 07:39:00 PM |comment on this article

A Kansas City infoZine article talks about Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's plan to get state employees eating less and moving more:

After being diagnosed with diabetes last spring, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) started exercising, eating healthier and lost more than 90 pounds. Now Huckabee is leading the way to trim pounds from his state employees and hopefully health care costs from the Arkansas budget. . . .

"The issue of health has to become a lifestyle," Huckabee said in a telephone interview. Eating habits already have started changing in his Little Rock, Ark., office. Instead of pastries, co-workers now bring in fruit and vegetable trays. His office held a contest: whoever walked the most steps in a month using a pedometer was rewarded with the best parking spot for two weeks.

More and more states are waking up to the perils of obesity because of the skyrocketing effects on their health care expenses, which already eat up a third of state budgets. Obesity now costs states almost as much in medical expenditures as tobacco-related diseases, according to an Issue Brief by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.

permanent link to article: "Arkansas governor loses pounds, saves money cycling: Obesity costs states about as much as tobacco-related diseases"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/16/2004 10:34:00 AM |comment on this article

During the week of May 17-21, 2004, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) will challenge residents throughout the Kansas City region to abandon their cars and bike to work as part of the second annual Bicycle Commuter Challenge (BCC).

More than 230 bicyclists pedaled 7,765 miles during last year's competition and even more are expected to accept the challenge this year. Participants must register by May 14, 2004.

The goal of the BCC is to reduce traffic congestion, help keep the air clean, and improve personal health. Participants will report their miles biked when they arrive at work each day. The winning team and individual will be those with the most miles biked to work. MARC representatives will present awards at the Kansas City Corporate Challenge (KCCC) awards banquet in July to the first through third place teams and individuals. Winners will receive prizes including binoculars, pedometers, water bottles, gift certificates, sports bags, bicycle repair kits and more.

To organize this region-wide competition, MARC teamed up with KCCC and Johnson County Transit (The JO), which is offering free transit that week to bike riders who want to use the bus for a part of their trip to work. The event is free and open to all residents of the eight-county metropolitan region (Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri and Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte in Kansas).

The BCC is a fun and competitive arena for citizens to explore different modes of transportation. Commuters who wish to combine bicycling with public transit will be encouraged to do so and provided information on bus routes that accommodate bikes. All JO buses are equipped with bicycle racks and many KCATA routes now also have racks. Information on bus routes can be found on the web at www.kcata.org or by calling 816/221-0660.

The goal of the Explore KC public education campaign is to increase the number of citizens that bike or walk to work, to school and for exercise. Partnering with Corporate Challenge increases participation in the BCC while exposing a new audience to bicycle, pedestrian, environmental and health messages. MARC is also sponsoring the Corporate Challenge bike race May 22 at the Kansas Speedway.

For rules, registration, and contact info, visit the BCC web site. permanent link to article: "2nd annual Kansas City Bicycle Commuter Challenge May 17-21, 2004"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/16/2004 10:32:00 AM |comment on this article

Erin Teeter, a fourth year med student at UMKC, is the subject of a KCStar story today.

Teeter described the triathlon as an experience-based sport, in which competitors identify their strengths and weaknesses, and then design the best training regimen.

“My first one I didn't train enough, my second one I trained too much,” she said. . . .

Teeter's final year in the 18- to 24-year-old age category will be 2005, and she'd like to use the Ironman Brazil competition that year to qualify for the world championship, Ironman Hawaii.

permanent link to article: "UMKC med student and triathlete"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/04/2004 04:06:00 PM |comment on this article

The East Coast Greenway is a planned 2600-mile bike/hike trail along the east coast stretching from Canada to Florida. The greenway is 20% complete now and will be 80% complete by 2010.

When are we going to get something like this in the midwest? permanent link to article: "East Coast Greenway"
posted by Brent Hugh at 4/01/2004 08:54:00 PM |comment on this article