Bike Bits Vol. 1, No. 14, February 22, 2000
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This is the fourteenth issue of Bike Bits, Adventure Cycling's on-line
bicycle bulletin, published bi-monthly. You've received Bike Bits
either because you checked the box for updates when signing our guest 
book or because you enrolled for Bike Bits at the Adventure Cycling 
website http://www.adv-cycling.org  All Bike Bits bulletins are 
delivered in text-only format for quick downloads.  When we know an 
appropriate link to an e-mail address or website, we'll include it 
so you can quickly request more information.
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"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing 
himself."  --Tolstoy
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GRUMBLE STRIPS 
Bicycle Colorado is a non-profit organization in Salida, Colorado that 
works "to promote and encourage bicycling, increase safety, improve 
conditions and provide a voice for cyclists in Colorado." Under the 
leadership of Executive Director Martha Roskowski, Bicycle Colorado has 
been particularly active in the fight to protect Colorado's scenic 
secondary roads from the destructive application of rumble strips.  
They are trying to carry their effort to the federal level, and offer 
a sample letter on their website. The URL is 
http://www.bicyclecolo.org/write_the_feds_on_rumble_strips.htm 
They also offer a handy link to Project Vote Smart, which will get you 
the addresses of your own senators and congressman.
*****

BENT OVER IN SEATTLE
Larry Diskin and Brian Martindale of Adventure Cycling's Tours 
Department just returned from the Seattle Bike Expo with good news for 
recumbent riders. Recumbents are currently one of the hottest markets 
in the industry. Mainstream manufactures are making quality recumbent 
bicycles now and within the next few years there will be a plethora of 
related products to choose from. At this Expo, there were actually more 
recumbent bikes on display than any other style of bike --no kidding. 
If you are intrigued by the notion of a recumbent bike, a good place to 
start gathering information is the Recumbent Cyclist News, which has 
been publishing its newsletter since 1990. They have a presence on 
the web, as well, at http://www.recumbentcyclistnews.com/
*****  

ODYSSEUS ENCHAINED
Two of the riders on Odyssey 2000, Tim Kneeland and Associates' around-
the-world-in-366-days tour, have a web site at http://www.worldriders.com 
It's loaded with photos from the road, as well as daily journal entries. 
The group has ridden through Central and South America, and is now in 
South Africa. Check this site for regular updates. 
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YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART
Heart rate monitors are the fitness technoids toy du jour. Using an HRM 
properly lets the user make great improvements in the efficiency of his 
or her training. This technology, until recently available only to 
world-class, professional athletes, is explained by Fred Matheny in an 
articulate piece on Asimba. Check it out at
http://www.asimba.com/go.nd/asm2Control/pgMainRedir?ac=951114&ed=527587
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THE TOUR DE WHAT? 
Bicycle racing is not everyone's cup of tea, and it isn't necessarily 
ours, but we do get excited about the Tour de France. We also 
appreciate good writing when we find it too, and here it is provided 
by Samuel Abt, writing for the International Herald Tribune. Go to
http://www.iht.com/IHT/SA/00/index.html for an archive of his articles.
*****

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
If you're looking for great cycling opportunities this summer, check 
out Adventure Cycling's revised and updated Tour and Event Calendar at 
http://www.adv-cycling.org/calendar/  Likewise, if you are a tour 
organizer and need a place to market your event on the web, this is 
the place to be. The listings are free, and entering your information 
onto the calendar couldn't be simpler. Click on the link above to go to
the calendar. 
*****

PRESSURE FITTINGS
The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute is the principle voice for helmet 
safety in the U.S. They recently added a page to their website devoted 
to a novel and potentially useful helmet design innovation. Created by 
Gina Gallant of Prince George, B.C., Canada, the helmet features 
pressure switches inside the helmet and LED's to inform the user when 
the helmet is fitted correctly. For a complete discussion of the 
advantages of this new design, check out the Institute's site at 
http://www.helmets.org/webdocs/galant.htm
*****

URBAN SCOURGE REDUX
In the last issue of Bike Bits we reported that Oprah Winfrey was 
proposing to do a show on outlawing cyclists from city streets. (See
Bike Bits, Vol. 1, No. 13) That idea has since been dropped, according 
to a report in Bicycle Retailer and Industry News. The industry
publication reports that "Word went out across the bike industry 
immediately about the show. People were urged to write and protest
the idea. The topic called for discussing possible laws to limit 
where a person can ride a bike in a city." Apparently, many people 
did write in protest: the topic last appeared in a "killed" show 
topics folder on Oprah's web site.
*****

End Bike Bits Vol. 1, No. 14
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