November 2023

The Best Cycling Rain Gear to Keep You Riding

From Bicycling.com

WITH THESE WATERPROOF JACKETS, BAGS, FENDERS, AND MORE, A SUDDEN DOWNPOUR SHOULDN’T CANCEL YOUR RIDE.

BY VANESSA NIRODE

While no cyclist I know especially enjoys riding in the rain, there’s no reason that you can’t do it without getting yourself or your stuff wet. There’s a wide range of waterproof rain cycling apparel available, as well as packs to protect computers and other valuables – and gadgets and gear to ensure you can see and be seen even in the heaviest downpours.

I personally exercise a heightened level of caution when cycling in the rain to take into account roads being potentially slippery and foggy windows and inadequate windshield wipers making it more difficult for motorists to see me. For me, all the best rain gear adds something in the way of waterproofness or safety to my ride, or, whenever possible, both of those things.

The Best Cycling Rain Gear

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

The best gifts for cyclists in 2023 – for every budget

From BikeRadar.com

Finding cycling gifts for the two-wheeled enthusiast in your life just got a lot simpler

If your loved-one is into cycling, you’re probably aware that it’s a dangerously acquisitive sport. Shiny new things power the average rider almost as much as the joy of getting out on the bike.

We’ve trawled the web and asked the BikeRadar team to bring you a bunch of cycling gift ideas.

We’ve got ideas for someone who loves bikes but is impossible to shop for, frivolous gifts for those who seemingly have everything, novelty cycling presents that are a little bit silly, and even some for more serious moments such as fixing punctures at the side of the road.

Best cycling gifts under £20

If you’re on a budget or just looking for something small for your cycling friend, there are plenty of excellent cycling gifts under £20, from books and films to small accessories that will make their time on and off the bike more enjoyable.

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

The True Cost Of Cycling & Buying All The Gear

Are you just getting started with cycling or thinking about getting into the sport? Alex and Ollie are here with our ultimate beginner guide. They cover all the things you need to become a road cyclist, including what to look out for when buying a bike, helmet, kit and all the other essentials you’ll need to enjoy riding your bike to the fullest!

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

New Santa Claus Lane Bikeway makes long awaited connection along the South Coast

From Keyt.com

By

CARPINTERIA, Calif. – A new bikeway is open along the south side of Highway 101 on the western end of Carpinteria to make a safe connection between the city and Santa Claus Lane in the county.

Cal Trans, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), city and county leaders were united in this plan, which has been a priority project for years, but it took collaboration on many levels.

The county’s long term planning goals first listed this project back in 1977. It’s in a tough spot with several jurisdictions, Union Pacific Railroad and the Carpinteria Salt Marsh in the area.

Marjie Kirn, Executive Director of SBCAG said,   “I gotta say I think this makes Santa Claus Lane so much more accessible. It makes riding your bike or walking to Santa Claus Lane easier than taking your car.”

This is one of the wider paths ever built as a “bikeway.” It has room for bikes, scooters, skateboards and pedestrians.

Photo by Clayton Cardinalli on Unsplash

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

Focus on these 5 key areas of training to become a better road cyclist

From BikeRadar.com

By

With all its terminology and techniques, road cycling training can seem complicated.

But there are only a handful of areas of road bike training you need to focus on, whether you want to complete a sportive or increase your average speed.

In this guide, we identify the key areas of road cycling training

  • Endurance
  • Climbing
  • Sustained efforts
  • Sprinting
  • Recovery

We explain why they matter and suggest workouts to improve your ability in each area.

We’ve spoken to coaches Matt Clinton and Pav Bryan, and Wahoo sport scientist Mac Cassin, to simplify road cycling training for you.

5 keys areas of road cycling training

1. Endurance

Cycling is an endurance sport. Even track cyclists will do base training when they’re not competing to improve their endurance and receive the additional benefits of long, slow rides.

Zone 2 riding increases the amount of oxygen you can deliver to your muscles, which helps you ride at higher intensities for longer, and enhances your ability to use fat for fuel, reducing your risk of bonking.

Therefore Bryan, of Coach Pav Cycle Coaching, says almost every rider, not just those targeting ultra-endurance cycling events, will gain from working on their stamina.

Suggested workout

Bryan recommends spending as much time in zone 2 as possible for multiple hours: four to five hours is a good target for amateurs to build towards.

It’s easiest to stay in zone 2 by training with power and tracking watts on your bike computer.

But if you don’t have a power meter, Bryan suggests using a heart rate monitor or rating of perceived exertion while applying steady force to the pedals.

Photo by Coen van de Broek on Unsplash

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

How To Choose The Right Bike Lights

With winter upon us and the days getting ever shorter, bike lights are an essential cycling accessory. Not only do bike lights help road users see you, but they can also help you see! Manon takes you through the different types of bike lights and how to choose which ones are right for you. From wearable lights to rear lights, we are here to help you keep cycling through winter…

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

CalBike Announces 2024 California Bicycle Summit, Advance Sessions

From CalBike.org

by

CalBike will hold its next biennial California Bicycle Summit in San Diego on April 18 to 19, 2024. The Summit is an inspiring gathering of advocates, planners, transportation agency staffers, and elected officials who care about creating a more bikeable, walkable California. Sessions will include presentations and workshops from some of the most influential thought leaders in active transportation and transportation justice, leading discussions on how we transition to a more just, sustainable transportation system. And no Summit would be complete without bike tours, networking opportunities, movie screenings, and more.

A crossroads for climate and livability

This is a crucial time for the active transportation movement. As the pace of climate change accelerates and damage from severe weather accumulates, our window to decarbonize our transportation system shrinks. Our Summit theme for 2024 is Crossroads, because our state and our society stand at a crossroads.

We can choose the path of adaptation and mitigation, or keep building freeways as the planet heats. We can walk toward more just and sustainable systems for bringing safety to our streets, or we can continue down the path that leaves many Californians unsafe when they bike and walk. As we gather together at the Summit, we’ll strategize how to move California toward a more equitable and sustainable future.

We hope you’ll join us in San Diego to help shape the future of a movement that is crucial to our future. Register by December 15 to secure your tickets at our early-bird price.

Read more

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

CicLAvia—South LA presented by Metro – December 03, 2023 at 09:00 AM

From Ciclavia.org

CicLAvia—South LA

On Sunday, December 3, we’re opening up streets connecting Leimert Park and Historic South Central so you can jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate, and enjoy the route however you want. Our routes are welcoming to people of all ages and abilities! This CicLAvia is presented by Metro.

Be sure to join our email list and check back here soon so you don’t miss any event news and updates.

 

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

This Bike Changed Cycling Forever, But How Fast Is It Now?

The original super bike? Cervélo launched their first aero bike in 2002, which changed the whole bike industry, and led to the Cervélo S3, made famous by the one and only Dan Lloyd! Si looks back at the history of Cervélo and compares Dan’s 2010 Tour de France bike to his modern Canyon Aeroad. How different is this 13 year old aero machine to today’s super bikes?

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments

Where L.A. City Is Quietly Removing Bike Lanes and Adding On-Street Car Parking

From LA.Streetsblog.org

By Joe Linton

Six streets where LADOT added motorist parking at the expense of bicyclist safety. And the city wonders why traffic deaths keep increasing?

Los Angeles City has been removing bike lanes. The practice probably is not widespread, but that is difficult to verify as the city does these removals with no notice, no reporting.

Generally the city Transportation Department (LADOT) removes bike lanes to add more on-street parking.

There’s a pro-car double standard at play here. It can take months, sometimes years, of community outreach to add bike or bus lanes. This often means watering down projects. After significant outreach processes, recent worthwhile projects on San Vicente, Venice, and La Brea were whittled down to just 60, 75, and 40 percent of the respective initial plans. (Those projects got built. Often bus/bike/walk projects that would remove some parking are quietly declared “infeasible” and never even vetted by communities.)

But adding parking and removing bike lanes? That can be done with no public process whatsoever.

For many of the projects listed below, there is no public record, no public vetting of proposals, no community outreach, often not even a public announcement of what has been done.

This post focuses on permanent changes to streets, but temporary LADOT bike lane removals are also not uncommon. SBLA reported on a 2020 temporary removal of the Jefferson Boulevard bike lane.

Photo by Dário Gomes on Unsplash

Read More

in Featured  by Forsyth 0 comments