News « Cycling Around The World – the Blog

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Dec 4th, 2010
  • Category: News
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Adventure Cycling invites you to enter your most stunning photos — highlighting the beauty, adventure, and inspiration of bicycle travel — in our 2nd Annual Bicycle Travel Photo Contest.

They’re looking for beautiful photography representing the diversity and spirit of bike touring. Your original digital images, capturing of all aspects of bike travel, are eligible for the competition.

They are especially interested in images that showcase the wide range of bike-touring experiences: road and dirt riding, rural and urban settings, scenery, people, and the emotions. For some examples, check out the Adventure Cyclist feature (pdf format) on last year’s winners.

The winner’s image will be printed in the March 2011 issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine — reaching over 50,000 people worldwide. The image will also be featured on Adventure Cycling’s website, adventurecycling.org, which is visited by more than a million people annually. The first place winner will also receive a two-year membership with Adventure Cycling and a $100 gift certificate for the Cyclosource store.

To enter up to five (5) images, upload your photo(s) to Adventure Cycling’s Contests Flickr™ group and tag them with Adventure10.

More on http://www.adventurecycling.org/photocontest/

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Nov 23rd, 2010
  • Category: Destinations, News, On the road
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I just finished a new tour report on our Cycling Around The World pages. It tells you all the details of latest trip that started in September this year. We started in Fresno and ended in Tom’s Place in the Owens Valley ( Eastern Sierra). We covered more than 700 kilometers in two weeks. We crossed fabulous Yosemite National Park and battled up the equally famous Tioga Pass. The weather was great, the weather was very hot and on the last days we even had snow!

Below are some pictures to wet your appetite. Want more? See our California pages

Giant trees in Sequoia NP

Tunnel Viewpoint Yosemite NP

Fixing a flat tyre along I395 (Eastern Sierra)

Bad weather on Tioga Pass Road

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Sep 12th, 2010
  • Category: News, Reviews
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Hama has introduced a new mini-pod that can be clamped on the handlebars of a bicycle (or motorbike) so that you can record your ride on video or take pictures .

The Hama Bike pod comes complete with a small ball-head and ¼-inch thread, for a suggested reatil price of  €14.99.  Dutch cyclists and photographers can order it trough site like www.cameraland.nl or www.cameranu.nl, otherwise have a look at the Hama website for retail addresses.

Road movies made easy
Ever thought about filming a movie on your next leisurely bike trip? Nothing could be easier! The “Bike Pod” clamp tripod from Hama makes it possible. The bracket is designed for all profiles up to three centimetres in diameter and can be instantly fixed and loosened, similar to a cable tie.

The light, 40 gram tripod has a ball head and a ¼ inch thread, suitable for small digital cameras and small camcorders. Anything heavier than e.g. a Canon Powershot G11 ( amore bulky compact camera ) will probably tip over. Don’t try your DSLR!

On the road review.

The Bike Pod indeed as very easy to attach to your bike. Although the inside is covered with a anti-slip surface attaching it to the plain metal of your handlebars will not always work. It tends to tip over and using an extra piece of rubber (e.g. a piece of old tube) will be needed to ensure a steady position will riding. The cable tie system really makes it easy to setup and remove withing seconds!

Images

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Jul 13th, 2010
  • Category: Destinations, News
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As I have visited South Africa two times my anttention was particularly drawn to these pages about South African every day bicycle culture.  SA is great country to travel around by bicycle but not a lot of people seem to do so.  Yes we’ve have seen mountain bikers and road racers (mostly white South Africans) but only very few other South Africans travelling by or using a bike. You may want to check out our travel reports

Stan Engelbrecht and a friend and fellow bicycle enthusiast, Nic Grobler, and started a project investigating South African bicycle culture, and the lack of cyclist commuters out there on our roads.

They want to raise the funds to turn this project into a self-published full-color hard-cover photographic book They’ll be shooting the entire project from their own bicycles while traveling around the country – this will enable them to meet everyday South Africans out there while they use their bicycles.

Bicycle Portraits from Bicycle Portraits on Vimeo.

Through publishing this book, they want to be able to assist the underprivileged cycling community through their project – be it teaching bicycle maintenance skills, providing necessities like helmets, tires, tubes, locks…

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Jun 1st, 2010
  • Category: News
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I live in the Netherlands where in the past years the elctric bicycle has become more and more popular. On a recent bike and camp trip around the Norhern provinces of my country we were overtaken several times by speeding seniors on their powerbikes! Although we were working hard on our heavily loaded bikes and riding 20 km per hour average.

Of course you will still have to pedal because, at least here in the Netherlands, electric support stops when you reach a speed of 25 km per hour. Beyond that speed you enter there range of small “motorbikes” with other legal requirements.

Browsing the web I stumbled upon the power bike made by Optibike. See  the stunning video on this page where a rider conquers Pikes Peak in the USA climbing 7000 feet /  2130 m in 19 miles / 31 km just in one hour and 30 minutes!

Also have a look at this video (language is Dutch) were a electric bike simply beats a whole pack of hard core racers on one of Belgiums infamous cobble stoned climbs.

And then finally there is Guim Valls Teruel, He’s aiming to be the first person to ride around the world on an electric bicycle. OK, he’s probably carrying a ton of batteries and a heavy solar panel but now I’m very sure that the electric bike will change the future of around the world cycling!

You may think that it still will be difficult to recharge your batteries in faraway places? Yeah, I guess  you’re right now. But when I started cycling around the globe I had almost no electric equipment with me. And nowadays I carry two digital cameras, a mobile phone, and a lot of other stuff that runs for weeks or even longer without recharging! So that will also change for the elctric bikes!

electric bike around the world

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Apr 19th, 2010
  • Category: Destinations, News, On the road, Reviews, Tips
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Canals, houseboats and bicycles are all part of the furniture in Amsterdam. Anyone who has visited the city will tell you that, round here, the humble cyclist rules the road.

Cycling lanes are as important as major motorways and official figures from the I am Amsterdam organization estimate about 600,000 bicycles circulate amongst the 750,000 inhabitants. Amsterdam is ideal for bike holidays because it is so flat!

Many Amsterdam hostels and accommodation providers are geared up to be cycle friendly. All the main attractions are close-by and with an estimated 600,000 bikes in circulation, residents know that cycling is the most authentic and convenient way to experience the city thanks to the huge cycle lanes and road signs.

So, to join in with the other pedal pushers, and stay at stay at one of the Amsterdam hostels They’ll kit you out with accommodation and transportation all in one go.

And best of all, you have up to the 30th April to be in with a chance of winning your bike rental for free!

And while you are there, why not expand you bicycle adventure beyond the capital. Like Amsterdam, the rest of the country is best seen from a bicycle saddle.

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Jan 24th, 2010
  • Category: Destinations, News, Reviews
  • Comments: 6

Tags: book, holland, netherlands

New photo book by American photojournalist Shirley Agudo

The Dutch are bicycle crazy, but never before has anyone captured the essence of the Dutch cycling culture – until now. American photojournalist Shirley Agudo – a long-term resident of the Netherlands – captures it all in her new book full of surprising and humorous images. Depicted are people transporting ‘anything and everything’ on their bikes – from tables and mattresses to the wildly popular bakfiets overflowing with children – along with witty and bizarre bike designs, and the practical (and not so practical) side of a country having more bicycles than people.

Old, young, barely-walking and, yes, even naked cyclists have been captured in all their glory in Shirley Agudo’s fascinating volume of photography and facts about the Dutch cycling mania.

Shirley and contributing photographers Trevor Waldron, Ben Deiman and Max Rubenacker take us along some of the 29,000 kilometers (18,000 miles) of bike paths and into the heart of Amsterdam and other Dutch cities to show us how pervasive, practical and incredible the Dutch cycling culture really is. It’s all here – the history, the infrastructure, the mentality and the global reputation of a culture gone completely mad about bikes.

Makes a great souvenir for anyone who has been cycling in the Netherlands or a great gift for someone who is planning to do so.  Included are practical ‘Rules of the Road,’ ‘The Lowdown on Fines,’ and many more handy tips, plus a wealth of cycling-related websites. Available now at bookshops throughout the Netherlands and www.bicycle-mania.nl. For international orders, please see www.hollandbooks.nl.

Planning to visit the Netherlands by bike?  Then a visit to this website is an absolute must.

ISBN 978 90 5594 698 3, 180 pages, 150 photos, published by XPat Media with Scriptum.
20 x 20 cm, Paperback, Price € 16

dutch cyclist moving a matress

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Jun 26th, 2009
  • Category: Destinations, News
  • Comments: 1

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While pedalling around the globe, biking through cities sometimes is hard to avoid. Generally this part of the trip is hardly a pleasure. Chaotic traffic, the absence of traffic rules, the exhaust fumes can make it a real battle to pedal through many of the big towns around the world.

But now The Travel & Leisure Magazine published a list of The World’s Top Biking Cities.  The list includes Copenhagen, Portland (USA), Munich, Montreal, Perth, Amsterdam, Seattle, Paris, Minneapolis (USA) and Bogota. Obviously this list was created from the perspective of the recerational and commuting cyclist.

But nevertheless it is g0od to know that these cities have facilities such as of separate bike lanes, bicycle-parking facilities, lower speed limits for cars, bike-specific traffic signals, underground parking garages built for bikes and cycling maps for visitors and much more.

So at least you know that cycling through these towns is going to be a lot easier. Any more suggestions for bicycle friendly cities? Please comment below…

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Jun 20th, 2009
  • Category: Fun, News
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Tags: festival, film

The best movie is being out there on your own bicycle, of course. But for those living around New York,  or going there the BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL 2009 from JUne 17-21 may be worth a visit.  Too far out? Have a look at their website

“The Bicycle Film Festival is a celebration of bicycles through film, art and music. This year is going to be awesome!!! Make your plans to get to the New York festival now!…”

  • Author: admin
  • Published: Jun 19th, 2009
  • Category: News, Tips
  • Comments: 1

Tags: iphone, maps, navigation, News

Just in time for the summer bicycle-riding season, outdoor retailer REI has launched a new iPhone app that helps consumers monitor and share their biking experiences.

The new application is part of the REI “Bike your drive” campaign that encourages consumers to get out of their cars and onto their bikes. The app, called the Bike Your Drive mobile application, is a free, REI-branded interactive tool that enables consumers to track, view and share their biking stories.

Read it all at DMNews

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