Friday, March 31, 2006

Everyone Has Their Price

When professional cycling was more of a novelty than an actual sport in the US, television coverage amounted to a one hour recap show of the entire three weeks of the Tour de France. During the Lance Era, it reached its height with live coverage of most of the big races and Grand Tours. Now that the "Big Draw" has hung up his bike, what's a boy or gal suppose to do to get their cycling fix?


With OLN's coverage dropping off somewhat, Cycling.tv (an internet TV cycling Channel) has more than picked up the slack. Now comes the announcement of the collaboration of OLN International and Cycling.tv to bring you LIVE COVERAGE of the Giro d'Italia through the Internet. Yes that's right, all three weeks, count 'em 21 days of live coverage all for the low, low price of $19.99.

Don't all reach for your collective wallets at once...

Three Days in April...

Although the cherry blossoms are blooming in Northern Virginia and the mercury is rising well above freezing, spring arrives for me in a different matter and in a different climate. Beginning this weekend with the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 2nd, the Northern (Belgian) Classics have arrived!

As Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett are known to say, these one day races "bring out the hard men." Through wintry conditions which can only be described as perverse, and over multiple sections of jagged cobbles, these races amount to a human free-for-all. Team tactics only come into play for the survivors. Think you'd be up for the challenge?

Profile for the Ronde van Vlaanderen
Copyright www.rvv.be

Big George Hincapie leading the way at the 2002 Paris-Roubaix

Schedule
April 2nd - Ronde van Vlaanderen
April 5th - Gent-Wevelgem
April 9th - Paris-Roubaix

*Be sure to check out OLN or Cycling.tv for television coverage of each race.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

It's Cycling Season in Northern Virginia!


Finally, spring is here!
How do I know? The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in the Tidal Basin.

Temperatures are finally pushing 70.

The sun is out!

Time to hit the W&OD Trail here in Northern Virginia. I'm a member of the Reston Bike Club, too. Check it out. Great rides every weekend.

Let us know where you ride. And you're all always welcome to bike here with me and Mike Armellino, with lunch at his restaurant, Bilbo Baggins, in Old Town Alexandria.

Jan: "...with my usual discipline"


Well, so much for Jan Ullrich in the post-Lance era.
With his "usual discipline"?
Hasn't that been the problem in the past?
Not ENOUGH discipline?
The injury is a shame.
Ullrich's gearing style is a shame.
And Ullrich's training regimen has been a shame.
Even without Lance, and even with a healthy Ullrich, the Tour is wide open this year.
Yet it's almost as if Ullrich is afraid that he'll be exposed without Lance in the Tour.
So, let's see how the spring develops ...

Ullrich Injury Will Hinder Training
March 30, 2006 3:41 p.m. EST
Danielle George - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Berlin, Germany (AHN) - German Jan Ullrich will not be able to prepare for the Tour de France, as well as he would like, because of an injury.
According to BBC, Ullrich recently irritated a knee injury that he sustained in March.
Ullrich says, "When the knee is better I will start to prepare for the Tour with my usual discipline."
The report notes that Ullrich had already decided not to race in cycling's spring one-day classics to ensure he was in the best shape possible to try to recapture his Tour de France crown.
Lance Armstrong has already announced that he thinks Ullrich has the best shot for a Tour de France victory.

Urban Cyclist

If you're thinking that the title of this post sounds a bit oxymoronic you might not be too off base (yes the title is a play on Travolta's 1980s movie of a similar oxymoron, Urban Cowboy). Now without getting into a treatise about whether Bud and Sissy's mechanical bull riding world really fits into the world of real rodeo cowboys, I had to ask myself whether cyclists truly belong in the urban jungle.

In the March 23rd edition of RedEye (story may require registration), the Chicago Tribune's hipper and cheaper (its FREE, and strangely can now be delivered to your home) daily sister paper, they examined the heightening tensions (let's face it, for some its close to all out road rage warfare) between cyclists and drivers.

Copyright 2006. RedEye (Tribune Interactive, Inc. ("TI"))

After I read the article, I was a bit conflicted (almost schizophrenic; "I've never run through a red light on my bike," or "Yes I do see you, no need to pound on the car.") as I debated the staffers' top ten reasons why drivers hate cyclists and vice versa, given that I've been on both sides of that frustration.

Now do we, cyclists, belong in the urban setting? Although not mapped out specifically in the US Constitution, riding a bike is an activity/freedom entitled to everyone. Groups such as Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and grass roots efforts such as Critical Mass have been set up to fight for our rights on city roads. Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago, has even set out on an agenda to make the city the most bike friendly in the USA. But even though we have the right, should we exercise it? Wouldn't we be better served cycling in areas where the hazard of our next turn is dependent on how much speed we carry into it and the not on the opening of a car door?

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

It's Always Something (with Jan)

If it isn't a couple of extra pounds, or flying off his bike into the rear window of the support car to start the Tour, it's always something with Jan Ullrich, y'know?
Here's the latest:

Former Tour de France winner has knee trouble
Posted at 6:15am on 30 Mar 2006
Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has delayed the start of his season because of pains in his knee. T-Mobile doctor Andreas Schmid says Ullrich's current problems are not related to his injury and subsequent operation in 2002, and therefore he will not take any chance and will only train lightly in the coming days. The German should now start his season with the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland from April 25 to 30.

Ullrich says there's no point complaining. He says he wants to put the knee trouble behind him and get on with a structured build-up to the Tour (de France).

Copyright © 2006 Radio New Zealand Sport

Hey, Isn't That ... ?

Saw this item in the Washington Post's "Reliable Source" gossip column:

Lance Armstrong, perching in the VIP balcony of the 9:30 club for the Monday night Arctic Monkeys show. The cycling champion and eligible-again bachelor, in town for business with his Lance Armstrong Foundation, went backstage to meet the Brit band and pose for this photo with club owner Seth Hurwitz and his wife, Caroline .

Wonder who our boy is dating these days?
Jilted Lady #2 is on the Ellen DeGeneres show Wednesday morning, but I think it's a repeat of an earlier program.
Bigger question, of course, is why do we care? It's HIS life, right? But Sheryl Crow IS oh so cool.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Thank You


Thank you for your payment. Your transaction has been completed, and a receipt for your purchase has been emailed to you. You may log into your account at www.paypal.com/us to view details of this transaction.

Merchandise



The Crank Shop


The Crank Cycling Cap

Produced by
$21.00





Interviews

Kurt Asle Arvesen
Shannon Hutchison-Krupat
Amber Rais - Part I
Amber Rais - Part II
Liz Hatch
Michael Engleman
Shelley Olds
Kris Keim
Jet Tanner
Michael Ball
Kristin Armstrong - Part I
Kristin Armstrong - Part II
JETCycling Juniors
Nicola Cranmer

TSTWKT

"The Shit That Will Kill Them" (TSTWKT)
It was a phrase that was brought to light in Daniel Coyle's book "Lance Armstrong's War," and how Our Boy Lance [Armstrong] used to describe the things he liked.

One way to look at this room was to imagine all the stuff that was not here-the millions of dollars in bike frames, wheels, helmets, and shoes that had failed to pass the through the needle's eye of the Armstrong standards. Everything in here had been sorted, tested, and stamped with the highest mark of excellence, namely that it had officially been designated by its curator as The Shit. That's what Armstrong called something he liked, and when he really liked something, an event which happened perhaps three times a year, he granted that item his ultimate accolade: he said it will kill them.

Here then, outlined in white halogen light, lay the Museum of Shit That Will Kill Them. There, glistening silver on the workbench, were the new Nike shoes with the Texas flag on one buckle and the world-champion rainbow insignia on the other.
The Crankset's list of The Shit is dynamic. As we find new [and better] things, we will update the list; adding and subtracting as we see fit.

Links

Maps & Routes
Bikely
MapMyRide

Teams, Clubs, Riders
World Cup Ski and Cycle
xXx Racing - Athletico
Wolverine Sports Club
Reston Bike Club
Slipstream/Chipotle
Team Vanderkitten
Team TIBCO
Team High Road Sports
Toyota-United
Kurt Asle Arvesen
Liz Hatch
Amber Rais

Racing Resources
Union Cycliste Internationale
USA Cycling
Cycling 101
USA Crits
TrueSport
Chicago Bike Racing
USWCDP
AWTCF
VeloBios

Touring & Cyclosportifs
Trek Travel
L'Etape du Tour
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris - Roubaix Cyclo
Western Spirit
Cinghiale Cycling Tours
Steve Bauer Bike Tours
Celtic Trails
Atlantic Cycling

Coaching Services
Vision Quest Coaching
To The Top

Shops
Black Sheep Cycles
Yojimbo's Garage

Cycling News
ROAD Magazine
Cyclingnews
PezCycling News
VeloNews
BikeRadar
Daily Peloton
Eurosport - Cycling
Bicycling
Fixed Gear Fever

Blogs of Note
Bike Snob NYC
Trust But Verify
Rant Your Head Off
A Life Behind (Handle)Bars
Its All In Your Headset
Pip Files
ROAD Mag
Neil @ ROAD
Cycling Fans Anonymous
The Virtual Musette
Podium Cafe
Wunnspeed
Large Fella on a Bike
OUCH Procycling
She Cycles By the Seashore
Suitcase of Courage

Videos, Photos, & Multimedia
Graham Watson Photography
Stephan Vanfleteren - Flandrien
Timm Kolln Photography
Kurt Jambretz
Kurt Harvey
Jonathan Devich
Cor Vos
Liz Kreutz Photography
Fixed Gear Gallery
Fyxomatosis
Cycling.tv
USA Crits
World Cycling.tv
The FredCast
ZIPPcast

Other Cycling Related Links
Elemental Action
Urban Velo
Lance Armstrong Foundation
Road Bike Review
MTB Review
YourCycling
YourMTB
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
The Paceline
Le Tour de France
Cycling Revealed

Online Cycling Resources
Speedgoat
Colorado Cyclist
Competitive Cyclist
Chicagoland Bicycle
World Cycling Productions
Velogear
ProBikeKit
Lickbike
Performance Bike
Bike Nashbar
BikeRide

Food, Wine, & Beer
Stephen Cooks
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Benziger
Guinness
New Belgium
Trappisten van Westmalle

About Us

"A Shared Passion for Cycling, Discovered at the 2003 Tour de France Reinvented for the Internet."


We began this blogging venture humbly enough; through a series of long and drawn out email exchanges. Three years after we participated in a Trek Travel tour that saw us tackle the Pyrenees in the final week of what many argue to be the most competitive and memorable Tour de France to date, we decided to take on the blogosphere. We have many to thank who have contributed to our growth, but we'd be remiss if we didn't thank those of you who have randomly happened upon our site and come back time and time again.

Special Thanks: Mike A., Amber A., Sue H., Dan M., Leo C., Amy K., Katie W., Sean W., Pip G., Liz H., Kathleen K., Amber R., and Kris K.


Media Credentials
2007 CSC Invitational
2007 Interbike
2008 Amgen Tour of California
2008 CSC Invitational
2008 US Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships
2008 Interbike


Featured In

Photobucket


Profiles
53rd Tooth (Aaron M) - I began my cycling passion like many American suburban kids, with my first crack at freedom. At a spry 12 years of age and toting a 30lb, '85 Schwinn World Sport, I explored all the wonders of Hershey and Central Pennsylvania.

Realizing quickly that I was not satisfied with merely touring the countryside I began challenging other neighbor kids, dogs, motorcycles and even school buses to any "race" they were willing to enter or as in most cases, not even aware they were participating in. As such, I spent my working hours wrenching at the local shop and began real racing in high school as a USCF junior. It was then that I drew inspiration from the great American riders of the day: Phinney, Grewal, Hampsten and of course Lemond.

Like most kids racing bikes in the 80's, I found himself often training alone and having few to share my passion. It was those times of solitude that forged my personal and physical development into the person I am today.

Having given up cycling for 10 long years while navigating the rigors of corporate life, I returned to the bike in 2002 a hefty 225lbs. It was Lance Armstrong's "Its' Not About The Bike" that helped me turn the corner. Newly inspired and motivated, I began regular training in 2003, lost 60lbs and joined fellow Crankset bloggers in achieving one of my childhood dreams, attending the Tour de France.

Since 2004, I have returned to regular racing and in 2007 began a tradition kicking off the season somewhere I have not been before. My inaugural trip included Northern CA, Portland, OR and Seattle. In 2008, I plan to continue this tradition somewhere in the American West.


Tour of '03 (Steve K) - It's hard to believe that my Trek 5200 will be six-years old in 2008. But then, it's hard to believe that I will be 10-times older than my bike in 2008.

Six years ago, 2003, when I bought my 5200 following a bike accident that totaled my Trek 1300 and nearly totaled me, was a watershed year for me. And it was all about the bike. I recovered from the accident, trained hard for my first of two Trek Travel tours along the Tour de France, triumphantly climbing in the Pyrenees with my eventual Triple Crankset teammates. A year later, I returned to France with Trek Travel for the first week of the '04 Tour. I also attended the Grand Depart in London in 2007. But for me, it's all about the Tour of '03.

Professionally, I'm a journalist, a teacher and a mentor. I have taught for 18 years, the last nine at George Mason University.

I have been a journalist since I wrote my first story for the school newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966.

I have worked for the Milwaukee Journal, Wisconsin State Journal, South Bend Tribune, Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Crusaders (of the World Hockey Association), Enterprise Radio/The Sports Network, the Stamford Advocate, Tennis magazine, the Lansing State Journal, USA Today, and a number of long-gone dot.com startups during the heady boom days.

And my proteges, if I can call them that, number in the many dozens throughout the media world.

Oh -- and I believe that it is Lance Armstrong's big heart that has carried him to his victories on and off the bike. As long as I can believe that, I can believe in the value of a career and life spent in sport.


Granny's 30 (Lenny B) - Among my many and varied interests are cycling and writing. I am deeply passionate about both. Strangely enough, neither has come very easy to me.

I had such a horrible crash as a small child that I did not attempt to ride again until the 6th grade. From that point forward, you could say that I have had a love affair with two-wheels. When I was not out on my bike, I could be found tearing apart or putting back together other bikes. The frames and parts found in my parents’ basement today are a testament to that fact.

Around the same time that I began riding again, a young rider named Greg Lemond had just won the U23 World Championships. Following his career was my entry point into the sport of cycling, but I never participated in organized racing until I was past my cycling prime. Today, a healthy curiosity about racing has me lining up on the road and in the nearest velodrome.

In regard to writing, I am not a trained journalist. My writing strikes a creative bent in the form of short stories, at least when I not writing for my day job in clinical research. Although I have yet to be published for my creative writing, I have authored several abstracts and papers, and been published in a well-known peer reviewed medical journal.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Everyone Has Their Price

When professional cycling was more of a novelty than an actual sport in the US, television coverage amounted to a one hour recap show of the entire three weeks of the Tour de France. During the Lance Era, it reached its height with live coverage of most of the big races and Grand Tours. Now that the "Big Draw" has hung up his bike, what's a boy or gal suppose to do to get their cycling fix?


With OLN's coverage dropping off somewhat, Cycling.tv (an internet TV cycling Channel) has more than picked up the slack. Now comes the announcement of the collaboration of OLN International and Cycling.tv to bring you LIVE COVERAGE of the Giro d'Italia through the Internet. Yes that's right, all three weeks, count 'em 21 days of live coverage all for the low, low price of $19.99.

Don't all reach for your collective wallets at once...

Three Days in April...

Although the cherry blossoms are blooming in Northern Virginia and the mercury is rising well above freezing, spring arrives for me in a different matter and in a different climate. Beginning this weekend with the Ronde van Vlaanderen on April 2nd, the Northern (Belgian) Classics have arrived!

As Paul Sherwen and Phil Liggett are known to say, these one day races "bring out the hard men." Through wintry conditions which can only be described as perverse, and over multiple sections of jagged cobbles, these races amount to a human free-for-all. Team tactics only come into play for the survivors. Think you'd be up for the challenge?

Profile for the Ronde van Vlaanderen
Copyright www.rvv.be

Big George Hincapie leading the way at the 2002 Paris-Roubaix

Schedule
April 2nd - Ronde van Vlaanderen
April 5th - Gent-Wevelgem
April 9th - Paris-Roubaix

*Be sure to check out OLN or Cycling.tv for television coverage of each race.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

It's Cycling Season in Northern Virginia!


Finally, spring is here!
How do I know? The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in the Tidal Basin.

Temperatures are finally pushing 70.

The sun is out!

Time to hit the W&OD Trail here in Northern Virginia. I'm a member of the Reston Bike Club, too. Check it out. Great rides every weekend.

Let us know where you ride. And you're all always welcome to bike here with me and Mike Armellino, with lunch at his restaurant, Bilbo Baggins, in Old Town Alexandria.

Jan: "...with my usual discipline"


Well, so much for Jan Ullrich in the post-Lance era.
With his "usual discipline"?
Hasn't that been the problem in the past?
Not ENOUGH discipline?
The injury is a shame.
Ullrich's gearing style is a shame.
And Ullrich's training regimen has been a shame.
Even without Lance, and even with a healthy Ullrich, the Tour is wide open this year.
Yet it's almost as if Ullrich is afraid that he'll be exposed without Lance in the Tour.
So, let's see how the spring develops ...

Ullrich Injury Will Hinder Training
March 30, 2006 3:41 p.m. EST
Danielle George - All Headline News Staff Reporter

Berlin, Germany (AHN) - German Jan Ullrich will not be able to prepare for the Tour de France, as well as he would like, because of an injury.
According to BBC, Ullrich recently irritated a knee injury that he sustained in March.
Ullrich says, "When the knee is better I will start to prepare for the Tour with my usual discipline."
The report notes that Ullrich had already decided not to race in cycling's spring one-day classics to ensure he was in the best shape possible to try to recapture his Tour de France crown.
Lance Armstrong has already announced that he thinks Ullrich has the best shot for a Tour de France victory.

Urban Cyclist

If you're thinking that the title of this post sounds a bit oxymoronic you might not be too off base (yes the title is a play on Travolta's 1980s movie of a similar oxymoron, Urban Cowboy). Now without getting into a treatise about whether Bud and Sissy's mechanical bull riding world really fits into the world of real rodeo cowboys, I had to ask myself whether cyclists truly belong in the urban jungle.

In the March 23rd edition of RedEye (story may require registration), the Chicago Tribune's hipper and cheaper (its FREE, and strangely can now be delivered to your home) daily sister paper, they examined the heightening tensions (let's face it, for some its close to all out road rage warfare) between cyclists and drivers.

Copyright 2006. RedEye (Tribune Interactive, Inc. ("TI"))

After I read the article, I was a bit conflicted (almost schizophrenic; "I've never run through a red light on my bike," or "Yes I do see you, no need to pound on the car.") as I debated the staffers' top ten reasons why drivers hate cyclists and vice versa, given that I've been on both sides of that frustration.

Now do we, cyclists, belong in the urban setting? Although not mapped out specifically in the US Constitution, riding a bike is an activity/freedom entitled to everyone. Groups such as Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and grass roots efforts such as Critical Mass have been set up to fight for our rights on city roads. Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago, has even set out on an agenda to make the city the most bike friendly in the USA. But even though we have the right, should we exercise it? Wouldn't we be better served cycling in areas where the hazard of our next turn is dependent on how much speed we carry into it and the not on the opening of a car door?

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

It's Always Something (with Jan)

If it isn't a couple of extra pounds, or flying off his bike into the rear window of the support car to start the Tour, it's always something with Jan Ullrich, y'know?
Here's the latest:

Former Tour de France winner has knee trouble
Posted at 6:15am on 30 Mar 2006
Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has delayed the start of his season because of pains in his knee. T-Mobile doctor Andreas Schmid says Ullrich's current problems are not related to his injury and subsequent operation in 2002, and therefore he will not take any chance and will only train lightly in the coming days. The German should now start his season with the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland from April 25 to 30.

Ullrich says there's no point complaining. He says he wants to put the knee trouble behind him and get on with a structured build-up to the Tour (de France).

Copyright © 2006 Radio New Zealand Sport

Hey, Isn't That ... ?

Saw this item in the Washington Post's "Reliable Source" gossip column:

Lance Armstrong, perching in the VIP balcony of the 9:30 club for the Monday night Arctic Monkeys show. The cycling champion and eligible-again bachelor, in town for business with his Lance Armstrong Foundation, went backstage to meet the Brit band and pose for this photo with club owner Seth Hurwitz and his wife, Caroline .

Wonder who our boy is dating these days?
Jilted Lady #2 is on the Ellen DeGeneres show Wednesday morning, but I think it's a repeat of an earlier program.
Bigger question, of course, is why do we care? It's HIS life, right? But Sheryl Crow IS oh so cool.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Thank You


Thank you for your payment. Your transaction has been completed, and a receipt for your purchase has been emailed to you. You may log into your account at www.paypal.com/us to view details of this transaction.

Merchandise



The Crank Shop


The Crank Cycling Cap

Produced by
$21.00





Interviews

Kurt Asle Arvesen
Shannon Hutchison-Krupat
Amber Rais - Part I
Amber Rais - Part II
Liz Hatch
Michael Engleman
Shelley Olds
Kris Keim
Jet Tanner
Michael Ball
Kristin Armstrong - Part I
Kristin Armstrong - Part II
JETCycling Juniors
Nicola Cranmer

TSTWKT

"The Shit That Will Kill Them" (TSTWKT)
It was a phrase that was brought to light in Daniel Coyle's book "Lance Armstrong's War," and how Our Boy Lance [Armstrong] used to describe the things he liked.

One way to look at this room was to imagine all the stuff that was not here-the millions of dollars in bike frames, wheels, helmets, and shoes that had failed to pass the through the needle's eye of the Armstrong standards. Everything in here had been sorted, tested, and stamped with the highest mark of excellence, namely that it had officially been designated by its curator as The Shit. That's what Armstrong called something he liked, and when he really liked something, an event which happened perhaps three times a year, he granted that item his ultimate accolade: he said it will kill them.

Here then, outlined in white halogen light, lay the Museum of Shit That Will Kill Them. There, glistening silver on the workbench, were the new Nike shoes with the Texas flag on one buckle and the world-champion rainbow insignia on the other.
The Crankset's list of The Shit is dynamic. As we find new [and better] things, we will update the list; adding and subtracting as we see fit.

Links

Maps & Routes
Bikely
MapMyRide

Teams, Clubs, Riders
World Cup Ski and Cycle
xXx Racing - Athletico
Wolverine Sports Club
Reston Bike Club
Slipstream/Chipotle
Team Vanderkitten
Team TIBCO
Team High Road Sports
Toyota-United
Kurt Asle Arvesen
Liz Hatch
Amber Rais

Racing Resources
Union Cycliste Internationale
USA Cycling
Cycling 101
USA Crits
TrueSport
Chicago Bike Racing
USWCDP
AWTCF
VeloBios

Touring & Cyclosportifs
Trek Travel
L'Etape du Tour
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Paris - Roubaix Cyclo
Western Spirit
Cinghiale Cycling Tours
Steve Bauer Bike Tours
Celtic Trails
Atlantic Cycling

Coaching Services
Vision Quest Coaching
To The Top

Shops
Black Sheep Cycles
Yojimbo's Garage

Cycling News
ROAD Magazine
Cyclingnews
PezCycling News
VeloNews
BikeRadar
Daily Peloton
Eurosport - Cycling
Bicycling
Fixed Gear Fever

Blogs of Note
Bike Snob NYC
Trust But Verify
Rant Your Head Off
A Life Behind (Handle)Bars
Its All In Your Headset
Pip Files
ROAD Mag
Neil @ ROAD
Cycling Fans Anonymous
The Virtual Musette
Podium Cafe
Wunnspeed
Large Fella on a Bike
OUCH Procycling
She Cycles By the Seashore
Suitcase of Courage

Videos, Photos, & Multimedia
Graham Watson Photography
Stephan Vanfleteren - Flandrien
Timm Kolln Photography
Kurt Jambretz
Kurt Harvey
Jonathan Devich
Cor Vos
Liz Kreutz Photography
Fixed Gear Gallery
Fyxomatosis
Cycling.tv
USA Crits
World Cycling.tv
The FredCast
ZIPPcast

Other Cycling Related Links
Elemental Action
Urban Velo
Lance Armstrong Foundation
Road Bike Review
MTB Review
YourCycling
YourMTB
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
The Paceline
Le Tour de France
Cycling Revealed

Online Cycling Resources
Speedgoat
Colorado Cyclist
Competitive Cyclist
Chicagoland Bicycle
World Cycling Productions
Velogear
ProBikeKit
Lickbike
Performance Bike
Bike Nashbar
BikeRide

Food, Wine, & Beer
Stephen Cooks
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Benziger
Guinness
New Belgium
Trappisten van Westmalle

About Us

"A Shared Passion for Cycling, Discovered at the 2003 Tour de France Reinvented for the Internet."


We began this blogging venture humbly enough; through a series of long and drawn out email exchanges. Three years after we participated in a Trek Travel tour that saw us tackle the Pyrenees in the final week of what many argue to be the most competitive and memorable Tour de France to date, we decided to take on the blogosphere. We have many to thank who have contributed to our growth, but we'd be remiss if we didn't thank those of you who have randomly happened upon our site and come back time and time again.

Special Thanks: Mike A., Amber A., Sue H., Dan M., Leo C., Amy K., Katie W., Sean W., Pip G., Liz H., Kathleen K., Amber R., and Kris K.


Media Credentials
2007 CSC Invitational
2007 Interbike
2008 Amgen Tour of California
2008 CSC Invitational
2008 US Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships
2008 Interbike


Featured In

Photobucket


Profiles
53rd Tooth (Aaron M) - I began my cycling passion like many American suburban kids, with my first crack at freedom. At a spry 12 years of age and toting a 30lb, '85 Schwinn World Sport, I explored all the wonders of Hershey and Central Pennsylvania.

Realizing quickly that I was not satisfied with merely touring the countryside I began challenging other neighbor kids, dogs, motorcycles and even school buses to any "race" they were willing to enter or as in most cases, not even aware they were participating in. As such, I spent my working hours wrenching at the local shop and began real racing in high school as a USCF junior. It was then that I drew inspiration from the great American riders of the day: Phinney, Grewal, Hampsten and of course Lemond.

Like most kids racing bikes in the 80's, I found himself often training alone and having few to share my passion. It was those times of solitude that forged my personal and physical development into the person I am today.

Having given up cycling for 10 long years while navigating the rigors of corporate life, I returned to the bike in 2002 a hefty 225lbs. It was Lance Armstrong's "Its' Not About The Bike" that helped me turn the corner. Newly inspired and motivated, I began regular training in 2003, lost 60lbs and joined fellow Crankset bloggers in achieving one of my childhood dreams, attending the Tour de France.

Since 2004, I have returned to regular racing and in 2007 began a tradition kicking off the season somewhere I have not been before. My inaugural trip included Northern CA, Portland, OR and Seattle. In 2008, I plan to continue this tradition somewhere in the American West.


Tour of '03 (Steve K) - It's hard to believe that my Trek 5200 will be six-years old in 2008. But then, it's hard to believe that I will be 10-times older than my bike in 2008.

Six years ago, 2003, when I bought my 5200 following a bike accident that totaled my Trek 1300 and nearly totaled me, was a watershed year for me. And it was all about the bike. I recovered from the accident, trained hard for my first of two Trek Travel tours along the Tour de France, triumphantly climbing in the Pyrenees with my eventual Triple Crankset teammates. A year later, I returned to France with Trek Travel for the first week of the '04 Tour. I also attended the Grand Depart in London in 2007. But for me, it's all about the Tour of '03.

Professionally, I'm a journalist, a teacher and a mentor. I have taught for 18 years, the last nine at George Mason University.

I have been a journalist since I wrote my first story for the school newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1966.

I have worked for the Milwaukee Journal, Wisconsin State Journal, South Bend Tribune, Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Cleveland Crusaders (of the World Hockey Association), Enterprise Radio/The Sports Network, the Stamford Advocate, Tennis magazine, the Lansing State Journal, USA Today, and a number of long-gone dot.com startups during the heady boom days.

And my proteges, if I can call them that, number in the many dozens throughout the media world.

Oh -- and I believe that it is Lance Armstrong's big heart that has carried him to his victories on and off the bike. As long as I can believe that, I can believe in the value of a career and life spent in sport.


Granny's 30 (Lenny B) - Among my many and varied interests are cycling and writing. I am deeply passionate about both. Strangely enough, neither has come very easy to me.

I had such a horrible crash as a small child that I did not attempt to ride again until the 6th grade. From that point forward, you could say that I have had a love affair with two-wheels. When I was not out on my bike, I could be found tearing apart or putting back together other bikes. The frames and parts found in my parents’ basement today are a testament to that fact.

Around the same time that I began riding again, a young rider named Greg Lemond had just won the U23 World Championships. Following his career was my entry point into the sport of cycling, but I never participated in organized racing until I was past my cycling prime. Today, a healthy curiosity about racing has me lining up on the road and in the nearest velodrome.

In regard to writing, I am not a trained journalist. My writing strikes a creative bent in the form of short stories, at least when I not writing for my day job in clinical research. Although I have yet to be published for my creative writing, I have authored several abstracts and papers, and been published in a well-known peer reviewed medical journal.