Cross Country

Cyclo-cross or Cross Country or CX, was originally invented to help European road racers stay fit during the fall and winter. It includes off-road sections that forced racers to carry their bikes while running, and then remount swiftly for the next stretch of road.

It take place in the autumn and winter and consists of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5  km or 1.5–2  mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount. Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. The sport is strongest in the traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium (and Flanders in particular), France and the Netherlands.

A cyclo-cross rider is allowed to change bicycles and receive mechanical assistance during a race. While the rider is on the course gumming up one bicycle with mud, his or her pit crew can work quickly to clean, repair and oil the spares. Having a mechanic in the "pits" is more common for professional cyclo-cross racers. The average cyclo-cross racer might have a family member or friend holding their spare bike.

Happy New Year 2012!

Good news American bike sharing systems more than doubled in 2011

Here are the current US bike sharing systems list, ranked by number of stations.

   1. Washington/Arlington, DC/VA: 140 stations
   2. Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN: 115 stations
   3. Miami Beach, FL: 70 stations
   4. Boston, MA: 61 stations
   5. Denver, CO: 52 stations*
   6. Madison, WI: 27 stations
   7. Broward County, FL: 20 stations
   8. San Antonio, TX: 20 stations
   9. Boulder, CO: 15 stations*
  10. Washington State University - Pullman, WA: 8 stations
  11. Chicago, IL: 7 stations
  12. Omaha, NE: 5 stations
  13. University of California - Irvine: 4 stations
  14. Des Moines, IA: 4 stations
  15. Tulsa, OK: 4 stations
  16. Louisville, KY: 3 stations
  17. Kailua, HI: 2 stations
  18. Spartanburg, SC: 2 stations

The Washington's Capital Bikeshare was the largest system for the second straight year, but it will begin to face more serious competition in 2012 and 2013 as a number of new cities begin to launch their own networks. Baltimore is expected to launch with 30 stations next year, Chicago may build up to 300, and most notably of all: New York is moving forward with a 600-station behemoth system.

Source: greatergreaterwashington.org

Merry Christmas!

Hubless BMX Concept Bike Clip

Check this out...

Hubless BMX Concept Bike by Bradford Waugh

I found this on the web and it's pretty awesome. It is called Hubless BMX Bike by Bradford Waugh. Instead of using some sort of magnet, the Hubless Road Bike Concept pictured will use geared rollers for a smooth ride. More interesting than the hubs, the crankset is hooked up to a roller which will power the hubs.

Huge Bike Jump into a Pond

Check out this cool video, couple teens build a ramp and use it to jump or fly into a pond. I wonder if they have insurance.