Wednesday Video - Frustrated Cyclist

Frustrated Jack Bauer throws his bike in the 2015 Gent-Wevelgem

This week's video goes back to the 2015 Gent-Wevelgem race. It was the windiest race ever, with winds up to 50 miles per hour. 160 cyclists started, but there were only 39 finishers. Luca Paolina won the race, despite the fact that he crashed twice. Many riders were frustrated, especially Jack Bauer of New Zealand. After a rider ahead of him lost his jacket to the wind, it got entangled in Bauer's spokes. He then got off his bike and through it to the side of the road. In the photo above, he has just released the bike and it is flying through the air. The 30 second video below shows the entire episode.

Peter Sagan Wins Gent-Wevelgem

Peter Sagan crosses the finish line first at the Gent-Wevelgem race (Photo: Cycling Weekly)

 

The Gent-Wevelgem race was held on Sunday. This annual classic is part of Flemish Cycling Week, which culminates with the Tour of Flanders next Sunday. Viacheslav Kuznetsov was leading the 150 mile race when Peter Sagan, Fabian Cancellara and Sep Vanmarcke broke away from the pack on a climb, eventually catching the leader. The quartet stayed ahead of the other riders to the end, with Sagan winning the final sprint.

Unfortunately, there was tragedy at this year's race. Belgian cyclist Antonine Demoitie died late Sunday night after crashing in the race. Details are sketchy at this point, but he apparently went down in a crash and was then struck by a motorbike.

The Tube Ball is Growing

It's Getting Bigger!

Our tube ball is now twelve inches in diameter and weighs 23.8 pounds. Please bring in your used tubes. We're trying to set a world record.

Friday Photo - U.S. Women's Team Pursuit Cycling

The U.S. won gold in team pursuit at the recent world championship

March has been a good month for the U.S. Women's Team Pursuit cyclists. They won gold at the recent International Cycling Union Track World Championship in London.This was the first gold medal by U.S. women in any cycling team event. Last week they were named to the U.S. Olympic Team, which will compete in Rio this August.

Members of the team include (left to right in photo):

• Sarah Hammer
• Jennifer Valente
• Ruth Winder
• Chloe Dygert
• Kelly Catlin

Photo courtesy of Team USA.

2016 Orchard Country Bicycle Tour

Maple City Bicycling Club Members at the Amishland & Lakes Ride

This time of year we get a lot of flyers promoting bicycle rides in Indiana and the surrounding states. As these come in, we'll mention them in this blog. The latest one to come in is from the Orchard Country Bicycle Tour.

This tour will be held on Sunday, May 15th. It starts at the La Porte County Fairgrounds in the city of La Porte. La Porte is in the far north of Indiana, about a dozen miles from Lake Michigan. If you pre-register, the cost is only $15. For families of more than three, total registration fee is only $40. There are three route options: 16, 30 or 55 miles.

Wednesday Video - Tasmania: Penguins, Kangaroos and National Parks

The wallabies in the campground didn't seem to fear people

Here's a video featuring Tim and Cindie Travis from DownTheRoad.org touring in Tasmania. It's an old one that goes back to 2007. Cindie & Tim divorced in 2011, but Tim is still bicycle touring. This video shows a lot of Australian wildlife including three baby Tasmanian devils name Danger, Chaos and Destruction. The video is five minutes long.

Area 30 Super Mileage Competition

Looks like Batgirl will be driving the car

On Saturday we sold come cables and brakes to the Area 30 Career Center for their Super Mileage contest entry. The idea is to come up with a vehicle that will get the best fuel mileage. This puts a premium on reducing weight, lowering rolling resistance and minimizing areo drag. From the photos on their website, it looks like the students get a lot of practical experience with a variety of machines. The Area 30 Career Center is located in Greencastle and is affiliated with six school corporations in that area.

If your school or non-profit is engaged in a similar project and needs some bicycle related parts, give us a call at 317-786-9244. We'll be glad to help you out and give you a discount on parts.