This Google maps mashup, focusing on metro DC trails, bike facilities, and dangerous intersections (among many other things) was posted to a local listserv this morning. Its already garnered a good number of useful improvements and contributions. Maybe you can add your own? If you’ve got a Gmail (or other Google) account, it’s super easy. Just click and go.
Category: Cycling Page 23 of 34
Today was National Bike to Work Day, and in DC we did it in the rain. 
WABA set up a few meeting points around the metro area, and I stopped by the one in Rosslyn. For some reason, I bothered registering this year (I usually don’t, as I don’t need any more t-shirts), and ended up winning a nice $40 bike lock for my troubles. Turnout was what one might expect for a light-rain day: the usual hardcore group, weekend racers, and the brave friends that didn’t bail on them. A shame that it wasn’t a nicer day – I hope those that bailed will give it a crack next weekend. Really, there’s much to be said for the pleasure you get flying past the barely moving traffic on I-66 or Lee Highway.
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Speaking of biking to work, the best of those that do are currently racing the sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia, one of the “Grand Tours” of pro racing. If you’re interested in following along, Cyclingfans.com is a resource without comparison for online video and audio feeds. You can take one of the video feeds (from, say, Norwegian television) and match up the Eurosport feed in whichever language you choose (I’ve switched between English and Spanish (it really is a good way to learn some new words and whatnot)). If you care enough to talk about it, jump over to the overhauled PodiumCafe (a completely new look, ajax-based commenting, etc.). The Giro stage coverage is generally run between 9 and 11am EDT, Sunday stages are available on Versus, and the race goes through June 1st. Give it a look.
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There’s an interesting article on the efficacy and saftey of bike lanes over at the BikePortland site. I’m a vehicular cyclist – that is, I act like a car on the road – and thus am pretty sympathetic to the article that BikePortland is rather upset with. That said, I realize that not everyone is comfortable going wheel to wheel with multi-ton vehicles, and bike lanes help address that. Anyway, it’s an interesting discussion.
As part of the lead up to the pro U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic that took place in Arlington this past weekend, teams from the three United States military academies lined up for competition in the Service Academy Shootout (presented by Northrop Grumman, naturally). The format was a team time trial around a 12.5km course starting at the U.S. Air Force Memorial, passing around the Pentagon, and then on a loop through Crystal City before returning to the memorial. 
The Air Force men’s A team won, with the Navy men’s A team just a minute behind it, and the Navy B team not too far behind that. For the women’s comp, I believe it was Army, Navy, Air Force. The official results are appended, but you’ll note that they’re not entirely clear.
The Air Force men’s team looked, how do you say it . . . PRO. Seriously equipped and in good form. The Navy guys lacked the aero kits (in fact, one Navy guy seemed to have forgotten his Navy kit entirely), but were scrappy as hell. Army turned out en masse, and cleaned up in the sprint competition, taking first and second place. I’m honestly unclear on how the scoring worked, but this Air Force story reports that Navy ended up winning the day with the most points.
The Air Force team did manage to pull off a decidedly un-PRO move when one of the guys ran into a curb and launched his bike into the air. Even better than hitting a curb at slow speed? He was going uphill. D’oh. I can’t believe that we’ve not seen pictures of it yet, as at least one local reporter/photographer was standing right there, and I understand a local news camera was on it, too.
The most impressive crash of the day, however, was in the shootout sprints, in which I learned that there is the right way, the wrong way, and then the Army way, to win a sprint.
Photos from the Service Academy Shootout are available here. (Apologies for the lack of finishing shots – those are in the same place as my pro race podium shots). Official results are available after the jump.
As part of the racing action in Crystal City this past weekend, the organizers set up a 200 meter sprint competition in a “shootout” format. This involved two riders starting from a dead stop and sprinting for the line, 200 meters away. The winner advanced to the next round. So this is what the two guys below were trying to do.
Andrew Christian, riding for the Naval Academy, missed a shift and went down, while Nickolas Shamrell, riding for West Point, unsuccessfully tried to avoid the same fate. And yet the sprint was still contested by both riders, and one of them won. To see how, check out this gallery showing the sequence of events.
(For more on the Service Academy Shootout, including photos, click here.)
Saul Raisin raises a water bottle in salute to the members of the Armed Forces who have sustained traumatic brain injury in the course of their service. Saul’s Rasin Hope Foundation is dedicated to traumatic brain injury research and support.
Photos from the U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic Crystal Ride (a charity ride benefiting the Raisin Hope Foundation) are up. You can see select shots here, and a raw stream of (generally) unedited photos here.
(I’m trying something new with the select shots, using a flash gallery I’ve exported straight from Lightroom. Not sure if I like it or not.)
Sebastian Haedo of Colavita-Sutter Home won the 2008 U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic in a sprint with the help of teammate (and 2007 winner) Kyle Wamsley. 
Alex Candelario of Kelly Benefit Strategies took third. The 150km circuit race saw a few breakaway attempts, but all were shut down quickly, with Symmetrics’ Andrew Randell earning the Most Aggressive rider jersey for an all-out flyer on the final lap, getting caught only in the last 400 or so meters. This was the first UCI rated (Cat 1.2) race in the DC area within (my) memory. Hit the jump for the race-winning sprint.
If you’re in the area, and want to check out some pro racing, make some time to come down to Crystal City for the U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic (previously the Crystal City Classic). Pro race starts at 11:45a, and finishes somewhere around 2:30p. The course will take the riders around the U.S. Air Force Memorial and through Crystal City on a 12.5km circuit. Free. Details (including maps of course) here.
(If you were out there for the charity ride benefiting the Raisin Hope Foundation, and are looking for pictures, please check back soon. Thanks.)
Update: So, if you go to the race website, you’ll see a list of “media sponsors” on the right hand side. Washington Times, News Channel 8, Cyclingnews.com, etc. But if you search “U.S. Air Force Cycling Classic”, who comes up well before any of them? I do. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Update II: For pictures of the finishing sprint of the race, check here.
You’ve got the stupidest bike lane in America!
(NB: Personally, I’m not a fan of bike lanes. To me, roads are bike lanes. But I do understand that bike lanes can encourage the less brave (stupid?) among us to use their bikes for transport, so I reluctantly support bike lanes . . .)
Arlington’s Phoenix Bikes – a non-profit community-run bike shop – will be presenting its “First Annual Bike Show” in Ballston tonight.
Phoenix Bikes’ First Annual
B I K E S H O WMay 1st
7 – 9 pm
NRECA Building
4301 Wilson Blvd
near the Ballston MetroJoin us, and guest MC Walter Tejada, as we celebrate one year of community cycling with food, drinks, music and more.
Sip on a bike-blended smoothie,
View rare, beautiful and extraordinary bikes,
Bid on silent auction items,
Enter the raffle to win a Legnano single-speed or PB bike customized by you,
and…
Support Phoenix’s youth & community programs!$20 in advance
$30 at the doorRSVP today at http://phoenixbikes.bikeshow.googlepages.com/
Please pass the invitation on, and check out our shop on the morning news – Fox5 April 7th
Phoenix Bikes is a non-profit community bike shop, serving youth and cyclists in Arlington, Virginina.
Located in Barcroft Park, Phoenix Bikes works with middle and high school mechanics
to recycle donated bicycles back into the community.Our programs give teenagers the opportunity to develop business skills, become leaders, and have fun. Visit us to volunteer, meet the mechanics, or find a bike!
4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive, Arlington, VA, 22204 (703) 575-7762
I think I’ll be heading there to check it out. I hope a few of you can make it, too.
