A few months ago now, Carlton Reid from BikeBiz and Quickrelease.tv announced a video contest, I Want to Ride My Bicycle that anyone can enter over on YouTube.
It's a fun contest and there are some pretty cool prizes for the winner. According to Carlton, "The competition winners get Shimano schwag, including top-end components. The competition is also sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Co. of the US, maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale." Sweet!
Get in your entries!!! You have until next week. August 30, to be exact. That gives you one more weekend to film your video.
Now, I won't be doing a video....but for an extremely cool reason. I'm a judge. Little ole me. Seriously. And I'm not the only one (did you think Carlton would leave this all to me and my wacky ways?). My fellow judges humble me....Carlton will be there....and David Bernstein from The Fredcast and Spokesmen Podcast....and Tim Grahl from Crooked Cog Network....and my friend Tim "Masiguy" Jackson...AND...get this...Phil Liggett (yikes!)....AND (yes, there's more)....Bob Roll! HOW did I end up in this great company? I have no idea! I'm just happy to be included.
Now, it actually does get a little bit cooler. We aren't all going to be around the world watching videos and emailing in our favorites...oh, no....we'll all be together at the bicycle trade show, Interbike, next month (Sept. 26-28). Voting together. Me. Phil. Bob. Masiguy. David. Carlton. Tim. All together. I'm speechless....ok, seriously, y'all know me...when it comes time to voice my opinion I will not be speechless....but for now, I'm just happy to be included with this group.
So get in your videos! There are 126 so far....so start thinking of your own Tour Day Neighborhood, film it and get it in.
Showing posts with label Tour Day Neighborhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tour Day Neighborhood. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Bike Riding Alive and Well
After this year's The Tour Day France, I wondered what the impact of all the drug stories would be on cycling, in general. I'm sure there were similar thoughts at other bike companies and bike industry rated companies.
This weekend, I was pleasantly surprised during a road trip and now I know - bike riding in the US is just fine. I don't know how many youngsters are going to turn to bike racing, but bike riding is just fine.
I was traveling down Rt. 95 from Massachusetts to Connecticut (and back) this Saturday. I went to visit my best friend and her family - I don't get to see her much since she lives in Boulder, but she visits family in CT a couple of times a year and I never miss an opportunity to see her.
As I was driving down the highway, with the music on, enjoying the absolutely perfect day (blue skies, big puffy white clouds, clear air...and traffic that wasn't stopped!), I started to notice something...bicycles...everywhere. No, people weren't riding them (we're on the highway remember) but they were being carried in twos, threes, fours, fives and even, in 2 cases, six bikes at once! It seemed like every 10th car or so had bikes attached. All kinds of bikes - mountain bikes, kids bikes, road bikes - all sizes and shapes. I couldn't believe the volume of bikes I saw all the way from Mass, through Rhode Island and through CT.
It was reassuring to see all those bikes and think about all the fun adventures people either had had over the last week with them, or were headed to have on vacation with them that weekend. I just hope that when these groups got home they would ride as much as they did on vacation - take a Tour Day Neighborhood every day - or at least on the weekends, when there is a little more time.
When I got to CT, we took my friend's little boy to a big, huge park with ponds and bike paths and he started to count the bike riders that went by us...1...2...3...4...he got up to 10 before he got distracted by the lily pads (hey, lily pads are cool to a kid who isn't five yet). But, still, we were only in that particular spot for 10-15 minutes and I counted 20 people on bikes riding around the park. Again, good reassurance that bike riding is just fine!
This weekend, I was pleasantly surprised during a road trip and now I know - bike riding in the US is just fine. I don't know how many youngsters are going to turn to bike racing, but bike riding is just fine.
I was traveling down Rt. 95 from Massachusetts to Connecticut (and back) this Saturday. I went to visit my best friend and her family - I don't get to see her much since she lives in Boulder, but she visits family in CT a couple of times a year and I never miss an opportunity to see her.
As I was driving down the highway, with the music on, enjoying the absolutely perfect day (blue skies, big puffy white clouds, clear air...and traffic that wasn't stopped!), I started to notice something...bicycles...everywhere. No, people weren't riding them (we're on the highway remember) but they were being carried in twos, threes, fours, fives and even, in 2 cases, six bikes at once! It seemed like every 10th car or so had bikes attached. All kinds of bikes - mountain bikes, kids bikes, road bikes - all sizes and shapes. I couldn't believe the volume of bikes I saw all the way from Mass, through Rhode Island and through CT.
It was reassuring to see all those bikes and think about all the fun adventures people either had had over the last week with them, or were headed to have on vacation with them that weekend. I just hope that when these groups got home they would ride as much as they did on vacation - take a Tour Day Neighborhood every day - or at least on the weekends, when there is a little more time.
When I got to CT, we took my friend's little boy to a big, huge park with ponds and bike paths and he started to count the bike riders that went by us...1...2...3...4...he got up to 10 before he got distracted by the lily pads (hey, lily pads are cool to a kid who isn't five yet). But, still, we were only in that particular spot for 10-15 minutes and I counted 20 people on bikes riding around the park. Again, good reassurance that bike riding is just fine!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tour Day Neighborhood and a little rant
I've struggled with what to write today. A sport that I love to watch is in chaos. I knew this before Le Tour started. I wrote about it. I swore I wouldn't get caught up in it. But, then, as the grand lady of all tours came closer, I found myself drawn to it again. I wanted to watch the great scenery. I wanted to see the athletic feats unfold in front of my eyes. And, yes, I wanted to hear Bob Roll's commentary. I looked forward to it all again.
I've enjoyed the Tour right up until yesterday. Watching with heartache when Rogers had to abandon, watching Vino bleed through his bandages and keep plugging along through the crosswinds, watching the young pup Contador win a stage and seem like he was playing with the field and, of course, watching Vino come back from all the blood and stitches and win two stages. Yes, I was cheering in my living room at the sheer wonder of it all.
Yesterday was a tough, tough day. A tour without Vino, a Cofidis rider being taken away and then the grand slam....my friend and fellow cycling fanatic, Reva, called and asked if I heard what happened at the tour. Yes, I had heard about the Italian and Cofidis...but, no I hadn't heard the proverbial cherry on top..the yellow jersey pulled out of the tour, after winning that day's stage. I hadn't heard that; it was a good thing I was sitting down when she told me. Not positive dope test, just yanked for lying to his team.
Now, we could go back and forth all day long about who is guilty, who may be guilty and who is innocent. But, I'm just too jaded to do that. Yesterday, I was done, totally done with cycling. That's it - fini!
But, today, I looked at my bike in the corner and thought...it's not the bike's fault. I loved riding my bike around my neighborhood as a kid. I lived on a very rural road and found myself riding further and further from my house as I got older. It was a great freedom. I lost that when I went to college in the city (no, I am not a city rider...I admire messengers more than I can say but it's not for me personally), got a car and had friends that lived in places too far to ride my bike to. When I came to Kryptonite, I got the bug again and got a new bike that I love. I still don't ride that often - life is busy, busy, busy. But, I know why I like riding when I actually do it.
I like "getting somewhere" when I'm out. When I walk, I get a couple of miles. When I ride I get 3 to 4 times that far; see more things. I love looking at people's gardens, watching kids in yards, and dogs and squirrels and such. When I go out it is a true "Tour Day Neighborhood," not a training ride.
So, pro cycling puts a black mark against 'cycling', but we as the every day bike riders can still make sure that kids find the love of bike riding. It's not all about the pros. It's about all of us bike riders - there are a ton of us out there. Start your own Tour Day Neighborhood today. Don't sit around and stew about the 'state of the sport'. It's only the state of the pro sport that is in shambles. The state of bike riding is as great as it has always been.
As Bob Roll said, it's about freedom, which is "just another word for two-wheeled self-propelled nirvana". Get out and ride your bike. Get out and tour your neighborhood. What do you see? Let us know. Share your neighborhood adventure with us all. Let's get out and see what's around us, as we see it on our bikes, not from the car, not what we see on the television with the chaos in France, but in our own neighborhoods.
I've enjoyed the Tour right up until yesterday. Watching with heartache when Rogers had to abandon, watching Vino bleed through his bandages and keep plugging along through the crosswinds, watching the young pup Contador win a stage and seem like he was playing with the field and, of course, watching Vino come back from all the blood and stitches and win two stages. Yes, I was cheering in my living room at the sheer wonder of it all.
Yesterday was a tough, tough day. A tour without Vino, a Cofidis rider being taken away and then the grand slam....my friend and fellow cycling fanatic, Reva, called and asked if I heard what happened at the tour. Yes, I had heard about the Italian and Cofidis...but, no I hadn't heard the proverbial cherry on top..the yellow jersey pulled out of the tour, after winning that day's stage. I hadn't heard that; it was a good thing I was sitting down when she told me. Not positive dope test, just yanked for lying to his team.
Now, we could go back and forth all day long about who is guilty, who may be guilty and who is innocent. But, I'm just too jaded to do that. Yesterday, I was done, totally done with cycling. That's it - fini!
But, today, I looked at my bike in the corner and thought...it's not the bike's fault. I loved riding my bike around my neighborhood as a kid. I lived on a very rural road and found myself riding further and further from my house as I got older. It was a great freedom. I lost that when I went to college in the city (no, I am not a city rider...I admire messengers more than I can say but it's not for me personally), got a car and had friends that lived in places too far to ride my bike to. When I came to Kryptonite, I got the bug again and got a new bike that I love. I still don't ride that often - life is busy, busy, busy. But, I know why I like riding when I actually do it.
I like "getting somewhere" when I'm out. When I walk, I get a couple of miles. When I ride I get 3 to 4 times that far; see more things. I love looking at people's gardens, watching kids in yards, and dogs and squirrels and such. When I go out it is a true "Tour Day Neighborhood," not a training ride.
So, pro cycling puts a black mark against 'cycling', but we as the every day bike riders can still make sure that kids find the love of bike riding. It's not all about the pros. It's about all of us bike riders - there are a ton of us out there. Start your own Tour Day Neighborhood today. Don't sit around and stew about the 'state of the sport'. It's only the state of the pro sport that is in shambles. The state of bike riding is as great as it has always been.
As Bob Roll said, it's about freedom, which is "just another word for two-wheeled self-propelled nirvana". Get out and ride your bike. Get out and tour your neighborhood. What do you see? Let us know. Share your neighborhood adventure with us all. Let's get out and see what's around us, as we see it on our bikes, not from the car, not what we see on the television with the chaos in France, but in our own neighborhoods.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
LiveStrong Day, 2007
Today is LiveStrong Day. Join the Lance Armstrong Foundation in wearing yellow today. And, for your own good health, get out and enjoy a nice ride on your bicycle - your own little "Tour Day Neighborhood".
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