Cycling Tips & Stories

According to a New York Times article that has been widely publicized:

Overweight people have a tendency to sit, while lean ones have trouble holding still and spend two hours more a day on their feet, pacing around and fidgeting, researchers are reporting.

The difference translates into about 350 calories a day, enough to produce a weight loss of 30 to 40 pounds a year without trips to the gym - if only heavy people could act more restless, like light ones. . . .

Dr. Levine said that a few months ago the study findings inspired him to redesign his office. His computer is now mounted over a treadmill, and he walks 0.7 miles an hour while he works.

"I converted a completely sedentary job to a mobile one," he said.

The walking is addictive and "terribly good fun," he said, adding that he has had 30 or 40 requests from colleagues at Mayo for treadmill desks like his.

STLToday also reported on the story.

A related study from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that

women who avoid sedentary behaviors such as watching television more than ten hours per week and incorporate a thirty-minute brisk walk into their day, reduce the risk of onset of type 2 diabetes by 43 percent and obesity by 30 percent compared to women with sedentary lifestyles. . . .

Lead author of the study and Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, Frank Hu said, “The message is simple, when you cut back on sedentary behavior, you cut back on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity which lead to serious health risks. Excessive time in front of the TV has been shown to contribute toward bad eating habits, such as eating foods high in saturated fats and increased caloric consumption. Incorporating more physical activity shows the greatest protection against obesity and diabetes; brisk walking, even doing chores around the yard and house can help.”

permanent link to article: "Pacing, fidgeting lead to weight loss; lower risk of Type II diabetes"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/30/2005 10:37:00 PM |comment on this article

Be the guest of HI-Gateway Council, host of the Moonlight Ramble®, and meet bicycling author and racer Mike Magnuson. Mike will talk about his new book HEFT ON WHEELS chronicling his 180 degree life change that was motivated through the sport of cycling. Athletes, cyclists, and anyone interested in fitness will want to come meet Magnuson and here an unforgettable story of addiction, depression and pain, and how he changed it all by racing his bike. Magnuson will inspire just about anyone who ever wanted to turn their life around but didn't think it was possible.

Price: FREE. Attendance Prizes will be awarded.

When: February 14th, 2004 at 7:30pm Valentine's Day, bring a date!

Where: St. Louis County Library Headquarters 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63131

*HI-Gateway Council is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization. The mission of HI-Gateway Council is "To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of the world and its people through hostelling."
permanent link to article: "Bicycle Racer and Author of HEFT ON WHEELS Mike Magnuson to Speak in St. Louis Feb 14th"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/24/2005 08:27:00 AM |comment on this article

MBROnline has an excerpt from the bookThe Mountain Bike Experience about riding in winter:

If you live in an area with four seasons, it's wonderful to watch the year go by on a mountain bike. You see each cycle unfold and blend into the next. When the leaves turn to gold and skis and snowboards come out of the closet around the country, my mind turns to ... riding my bike at night in subfreezing temperatures, on bulletproof ice. Winter, especially, offers exhilarating riding-if you prepare properly. When snow and silence blanket everything, the terrain becomes incredibly beautiful.

In the same vein, CanadaTrails has a nice set of links about bicycling in the cold. permanent link to article: "Mountain biking in winter"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/16/2005 12:19:00 PM |comment on this article

Another good reason for riding a bike (if you're a police officer):

One of three Columbia teens arrested in connection with a recent home invasion and assault escaped police headquarters yesterday afternoon and ran down Broadway with his hands cuffed behind his back, Sgt. Stephen Monticelli said.

Squad cars swarmed the area as police tracked his movements west, but it was Officer Mark Brotemarkle who caught up to the suspect on his bicycle and leapt off to tackle the man at Providence Road and Broadway.

More info in the Columbia Tribune article. permanent link to article: "Columbia, MO, bicycle officer tackles escapee"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/14/2005 01:22:00 PM |comment on this article

Buy a Bike. Show a Bike.
The fourth annual St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's Bike Swap Meet and Classic Bike Show is approaching. On Sunday, February 13, bike vendors of all kinds - from bike shops to individuals - will be selling all sorts of bicycles and bicycle wares for great prices. Admission is $5 from 12:00 - 3:30 p.m. (with an early bird special for $10 starting at 10:30 a.m.) at the old Kmart in Deer Creek Center, 3200 Laclede Station Road, 63143 in Maplewood. For more information visit online: www.stlbikefed.org or call 314-707-5001.

This year's Swap includes many new elements:

* Bike fittings by Tim Ray. He will measure you correctly so you know what size bike to buy.
* An educational area
* Fun activities such as a Huffy toss and a human-powered blender for you to try.

A Classic Bike Show will also take place. Show your classic bicycle in one of three categories: Stingrays, Pre 1944 War, and 1945-1975. Just $5 per entry plus admission. Prizes will be awarded. The public is invited to vote for their favorite entry and could win a Gary Fisher mountain bike donated by Maplewood Bicycle. Contact Dan Schmitz 636-271-2600 or dan@elabelinc.com for more information on the classic bike show.

"This swap meet is the best way to find great bargains on cycling equipment all under one roof" says Bob Foster, chair of the Bike Fed. "We want to support the cycling community every way we can and one way to do that is to offer them the best deals in town."

Thanks to Summit Realty again for its generous donation of the retail space.

Contact: 314-707-5001 or swapmeet@stlbikefed.org

A non-profit, all-volunteer organization, St. Louis Regional Bike Federation shares a vision of a bike-friendly region that covers Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Louis Counties and St. Louis City. Its vision includes, but is not limited to the ideals of: bicyclists have a right to safe, well-planned roadways; proper equipment and training is important to safe riding; and education of cyclists and motorists is needed.
permanent link to article: "The fourth Annual Bike Swap Meet in St. Louis Feb 13th"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/12/2005 08:33:00 AM |comment on this article

The GirlBike web site has a fascinating set of tips about touring with kids, by Beth Boose. On her list is this gem:

Ride behind and to the left of the last child . . . Staying to the left keeps cars that much further away from your little tax deductions. If you're behind you can keep an eye on them; also gaining additional character building nag time. Put the slowest up front, that way you won't have to worry about a strung out pace line.

permanent link to article: ""You should have gone before we left the house!""
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/10/2005 04:10:00 PM |comment on this article

Several models of Adams Trail-a-Bikes are being recalled:

The CPSC says Norco Products Ltd. has received two reports of hardware falling out of the hitch assembly, and one report of a minor injury.

The recall involves the Adams Trail-A-Bike or Adams Slipstream sold under the following models: Starter, Folder, Shifter, Shocker, Ultimate Tandem, Deluxe Folder, Me 2 and Original. "Trail-A-Bike" or "Slipstream" is printed on the top tube of the bicycle attachment and "Adams" is printed on the chain guard.

The product resembles a children’s bicycle without a front wheel and has an elongated top tube that stretches to attach to the seat post of an adult bicycle, creating a tandem.

permanent link to article: "Adams Trail-a-Bikes recalled"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/07/2005 05:41:00 PM |comment on this article

Marjory Ward of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin forwards this ode to winter bicycling by John Coleman, a Madison bicycle advocate:

as down i bike the isthmus path
i smile at lines of cars and laugh
and though the wind blows down my crack
i thank for once it's at my back

but when i finally hit the street
a slippery mess is what i meet
of bike lanes, some they smile and gush
but what they be today is slush
and as the snow into i sink
it seem to me sometimes they stink

now drivers swipe me smile from face
as in my lane they chug and race
in dreams of future rides i think
of peace and quite on missing link

(The Missing Link is a bike path that is under construction in Madison.) permanent link to article: "Winter bike poetry . . ."
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/07/2005 02:57:00 PM |comment on this article

The following pages on MoBikeFed.org have recently had a number of updates and revisions:

• Bicycling skills and safety
  
  
• MoBikeFed advocacy resources -- particularly the sections on Missouri laws and statutes and bicycle-related statistics.
  
  
• MoBikeFed motorist contact letter
  
  
• Missouri bicycle and pedestrian laws
  
  
• Proposed Missouri cross-state bicycle routes--shoulder maps -- a new and much more accurate version of the map showing shoulder width and type on Missouri highways
  

permanent link to article: "Many MoBikeFed.org web pages updated"
posted by Brent Hugh at 1/02/2005 11:03:00 AM |comment on this article