The Circle City Bicycles blog contains info on bicycles, cycling events, pro racing, bicycle touring, and just about anything else cycling related. Since our bike shop is located in Indianapolis, we focus on biking in the Midwest, but cycling fans anywhere in the world should find this blog interesting. We try to post daily Monday through Friday, but we occasionally miss a day. Each Friday we try to have an interesting bicycle related photo.
What does he do with the horse when he reaches the other side?
This Friday's photo comes from Leap Local, a travel magazine. It matches up travelers with local guides around the world. Kirsten Koza, a Canadian travel writer, took a mountain biking trip to Kyrgyzstan, despite a Canadian government advisory to avoid all unnecessary travel to that country. She had several guides, and they took good care of her. When they had to cross rivers, they hired nomads on horses to take her and her bike across the river to the other side.
Riding the rails by bike (Photo courtesy of Coast Weekend)
This week's weird bike is a very practical, four-wheel, four person, recumbent that operates on railroad tracks. These bikes are operated by the Oregon Coast Railriders during the summer. For $20, you can take an 11-mile, two hour round trip from Bay City to Tillamook. The grads is very gentle, and there's no way you can take a wrong turn. The railcars have the right of way at track crossings, just like regular trains. At the end of the line, the railcars are turned around on a special section of track that rotates, so they don't have to be lifted. Here's a video of the trip:
Prepare for water landing (Photo courtesy of FunnyPica)
Here's a photo of a young superhero learning to fly. You can tell he's a superhero by the cape - No one else wears a cape these days. When learning to fly, it's a good idea to do your takeoff over something forgiving like water instead of concrete - Just in case things don't go according to plan. I think this guy is about ready for splashdown.
This video is a short one, only 13 seconds long. It features a Tyranosaurus Rex riding a highwheeler. It's amazing that when you put the "Tyrant Lizard" on a bicycle, he doesn't seem threatening at all. In fact, he looks happy. That's what cycling can do for your mood, whether you are a dinosaur or a human.
From the website of LikeCool comes a giant, rideable Tyrannosaurus Rex named Sue. Apparently it was once for sale through Craigslist in Portland. Here are some facts and figures for this amazing creation:
12 feet long, 8.5 feet high and 5.5 feet wide. this is the approximate size of a 12-year old T-Rex.
Weighs 98 pounds and can accommodate riders up to 200 pounds.
Has 9 speeds and can cruise at 7 miles per hour with a top speed of around 15 mph.
The seat is five feet off the ground
The head can move from side to side and the arms can move as well.
It can be disassembled and transported in the bed of a pickup truck
I couldn't find any information on what the asking price was on Craigslist.
Taking a break at the south end of the Natchez Trace Parkway (Photo credit: Capital City Cyclists)
If you are looking to do some long distance bicycle touring without a lot of vehicle traffic, the Natchez Trace Parkway might be right for you. It starts in Natchez, Mississippi and ends south of Nashville, Tennessee. Commercial traffic is banned from the parkway, and traffic is generally light, except around the towns of Tupelo and Jackson in Mississippi. There are a number of interesting things to see along the way. These include three Indian mounds, a couple waterfalls and the site of Meriwether Lewis' death and grave. You can also get off the parkway to visit other sites, like the birthplace of Elvis Presley in Tupelo. If you have any questions about Elvis' humble origins, visiting his birthplace should put those to rest. The home only had two rooms, and his parents were so financially strapped they had to give it up just a few years after Elvis was born.
The parkway roughly follows the path of the Natchez Trace. The trace was used heavily by early travelers who had taken goods down the Mississippi to sell in New Orleans. Until steamboats became powerful enough to move upstream against the river's current, they had to walk or use horses to return home. This route became the Natchez Trace.
Every twenty to thirty miles there are restrooms, and often a short hiking trail. I recommend stopping for the hiking trails. They are generally short, but interesting. At one of these I saw the only alligator I have ever seen in the wild (From a distance, fortunately). If you don't mind primitive camping, you can make this a low-cost trip. There are three free campgrounds open to RVs or tent campers, and five free campgrounds open to bicyclists only. If you prefer something more civilized, there are numerous bed and breakfasts along the parkway. The only negative thing about cycling the parkway is that sometimes you have to go a few miles away from it to find a restaurant or grocery store, so you need to plan things out pretty well. For help with that, be sure to visit NatchezTraceTravel.com.
Here's a video that shows a number of still photos from the Natchez Trace Parkway:
DINO mountain bike race at Potato Creek State Park
If you are interested in mountain bike racing, be sure to check out the DINO (Do INdiana Off-road) website. They put on mountain bike races at various locations throughout the state, including:
Brown County State Park
Versailles State Park
Potato Creek State Park
Winona Lake
Muscatatuck County Park
Southwestway Park
They have a wide range of classifications, including first time, casual, elite, fat bike, Clydesdales (riders over 200 pounds) and more. This weekend they will have their 24 Hours of DINO race at Versailles State Park.
Here's a video that shows the start of a race at Southwestway Park:
