BMX debuting as Olympic sport

This is BMX's first year on the Olympic program, one of three new sports to be featured in Beijing this summer. It is viewed by some as an effort to build an X-Games type edge into the Olympics. Beijing's track is a supercross track which starts on a 30 foot ramp. The races ride over about 20 jumps during the 40-second race. Samantha Cools of Airdie, Alta., is a strong possibility in BMX for Canada. The US hopefuls are Kyle Bennett and Donny Robinson, and other medal contenders are Michal Prokop of the Czech Republic and Marc Willers of New Zealand.

London Mayor asks Londoners to "dust off dormant bikes"

London Mayor Boris Johnson is encouraging Londoners to dust off their bikes and ride in London's Summer of Cycling, in the wake of rampant childhood obesity among Brits, as well as an increase in heart-related deaths.

The Mayor was promoting London Freewheel, part of the Summer of Cycling, which encourages Londoners to use their bicycles. Up to 100,000 people are expected to hop on their bikes to ride past the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and other sights.

Only half of Londoners who have access to a bike have used one in the past 12 months.

Ottawa's 20-year bicycle plan given green light!

The 20-year bicycle plan recently approved by Ottawa city council aims to improve cycling facilities in Ottawa, making commuting easier and making the city more attractive for tourists (who already account for 13% of bicycle trips). Phase I includes:

$8.1 million for 81.6 km of bicycle lanes
$9.1 million for 165.7 km of paved shoulders
$6.2 million for multi-use pathways
$1.6 million for new initiatives and enhancements to existing programs

Phase II includes bike parking and lockers and permits bike paths to be built on an as-needed basis, and has a budget is $60-million.

Recumbent trikes fast, practical

Recumbent Trikes are the wave of the future: low to the ground, they are fast and aerodynamic. However, with three wheels they also provide a stable platform for carrying larger groceries and bulkier items, tasks that previously meant a trailer if you wanted to use a bicycle. There are two configurations, "tadpole" with two wheels at the front and one at the rear (upper photo), and "delta", the other way around (lower photo).

The seating position in recumbents is more comfortable, with no pressure spots, and no neck strain. The conventional wisdom is that riding low as recumbents do makes it harder for traffic to see them, but those who ride trikes say that the get far more attention as a "different" vehicle, and as a result they are safer than on a bicycle.
A few of the best trike manufacturers:
Catrike
Terratrike
Greenspeed

For more info, please contact the author.

Bicycle trailers are all the latest rage!

With increased gasoline costs, bicycle trailers are catching on as a way to take the kids to soccer, and even to pick up the groceries! Once parents retro-fit a trailer onto the back of their bicycle, they can wheel around town, and many parents believe it brings them closer to their kids while giving them exercise. “My kids are closer to me on a bike and they talk to me,” said Summer Spinner, from Eugene, Oregon. “We have much better conversations than we do in a car.”

Read the complete article in the Register Guard here.