News and opinion from your bike guys

Prairie Roots…

I stumbled across Leeroy Stagger, a songwriter from Saskatoon Canada in 2006. He’s great. I also discovered an interesting scene there with other artists like Five Star Homeless, The Deep Dark Woods, and The Cracker Cats to name a few. Their local genre is described as Prairie Roots, a blend of Rockabilly, Honkytonk, Roots, Country, and North Americana.
Here’s a sample, enjoy…

Five Star Homeless-

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=103444665

The Deep Dark Woods-

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=34558309

Cracker Cats-

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=40295886

& LeeRoy Stagger-

http://www.myspace.com/leeroystagger

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If you missed it, check out the last post that was sent to me by a friend. It’s about a community bike shop in North Philly-tj

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Stage 17; 08/02/2008 Dark Regions Ride…

This week we’re going to do a flat ride with a couple of twists We’re going the increasingly popular area between Coxton, Newton, and Ransom to ride through a beautiful, densely wooded road with about 1 ¼ miles of unpaved surface, and then return on some familiar ground.

I know the bridge entering Coxton claims to be out for a month. It’s OK. Checked on it 07/31 and is OK. 40.7 miles. Shorter options on this route too…

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/465938173800

Former WB resident Alejandro sent me this…

http://pdn.philly.com/photo/audio_slides/bikeshop/index.html

A tradition continues this Sunday, July 27th… Join the group of cyclists who will celebrate the conclusion of the 95th Tour de France with a 40+ mile ride through some of the most scenic local roads. Hope you can make it!

When? This Sunday, July 27th

Luzerne/Lackawanna Jaunt; start time is 10:30am New Course through Milwaukee,Falls, and surrounds…

Where? Cooper’s Seafood Waterfront 300 Kennedy Blvd. Pittston 44.92 miles

Here’s a copy of the course. You can print out a cue sheet of the ride from this Webpage…

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/pa/pittston/1186093394

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Stage 16; Saturday 07/26/2008, 7:30 am Start…

This Week’s Directions for the SMR…

We’re headed for a cruise up along the river on Rt. 92 this week. The main group will go as far as the the boat launch with return. Option to hit hills or ride up to Falls too. 29.35 miles.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/394033178

Youngest Tour Rider Remounts After Harrowing Fall…

John-Lee Augustyn, the youngest rider of the 2008 Tour de France was the first rider of Stage 16 to reach the teardrop summit of the Col de la Bonette.
Check out his spectacular crash on the descent…

http://www.cycleto.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=412

John-Lee will be looking for a new sponsor since South Africa’s Barloworld (an industrial group representing Caterpillar, Avis and other activities in SA) has decided to withdraw from cycling following the admission of Spaniard Moises Duenas Nevad to doping during the TDF.
Here’s a little Wiki bio on John-Lee Augustyn…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John-Lee_Augustyn

A Fan You May not Always Recognize…

It’s Tour de France time. Naturally you would expect nearly every riding enthusiast who stops by a bike shop during the race to share who their favorite rider is, or to ask a question about tactics or equipment.

Increasingly though, we meet up people who are not the classic riding enthusiast but have become a fan of the Tour de France. They may casually ride a bike. They may not ride a bike at all, but they love the 3 week long French production which is the Tour de France. It has become a ritual for them and they love it as much as a cyclist who rides 150 miles or more each week. And their conversations are interesting. They’ll share a story like having been stationed in France with the US Army, or marveling over the lush French countryside, or mimicking Brit Phil Liggett’s unique stylings of the days’ events. For many it is their ‘Arm Chair’ vacation!

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So, So Talented; Fionn Regan…

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13833092

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Mocanaqua
In 1778, a young Frances Slocum was kidnapped by Delaware Indians from her home near Forty Fort. Raised with the customs and language of the Delaware, Slocum was renamed “Mocanaqua,” meaning “little bear,” and later married a chief of the Miami tribe. For 59 years her brothers searched for her, only to find her in 1837. By that time she was so accustomed to the Indian way of life she found her brothers’ way of life odd.

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Nothing New Just Tried and True…

Here are the Directions for This Week’s SMR…

The Saturday Morning Ride is headed south this week. Join us as both courses wind their way down the W. Kirmar Parkway to Vandermark St.
The shorter ride will continue through Newport, and into Nanticoke. We’ll cross the river, head north on Rt.11, and return to the city.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/430129424

Shorter Ride; 26.37 miles

The longer option will continue down lower Middle Rd. through Glen Lyon, Glen Lea, Mocanaqua, cross river @ Shickshinny, and return to city on Rt. 11

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/954538117819

Long Ride; 38.18 miles

17th Juillet, LAVELANET, France (AP) - Saunier-Duval team withdraws from Tour de France after Riccardo Ricco tests positive for EPO.

Who Made the Grade? Cobra’s strike on Super-Besse…
Italy’s Riccardo Ricco (nicknamed Cobra) made good on his Pre-Tour promise of a stage win on Thursday as the TdF (Tour de France) wound its’ way through the Massif Centrale to a mountain top finish at Super-Besse.
The stage was very spirited as teams attempt to control the front while individual riders try to slip-off to gain time and glory for themselves.
A couple of things have stood out thus far in this year’s edition of the TdF…

• The rivalry among the French-based teams is fierce this year. Sylvain Chavenel and Thomas Voekeler in particular have pushed the KOM (King of the Mountains) point’s competition and apply a certain pressure, (team sponsors television exposure) to other rival French squads.

• The beautiful countryside of Brittany. Brittany is the home of Tour de France king, Bernard Hinault who I am sure had a hand in selecting this year’s route that passes through the small villages and hamlets between the Seine and Loire rivers.

• Kim Kirchen may be a new Grand Tour threat. Team Columbia’s Kirchen has had a good season and his star is rising. We’ll see what happens when the race gets to the more major climbing stages

• All things American. Team Garmin-Slipstream, Team Columbia-High Road, Christian Vandevelde, George Hincapie, Bob Roll, Felt Bikes, and Cannondale bikes show that the Americans remain in the mix of today’s peloton. How about a stage win team America?
• Lots of spills in the feed zone and other. That should calm down heading into next week.

Stay tuned in for more. The Tour de France never dissappoints.

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Here are the directions for this week’s Week SMR…

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/287607126608

OK, we’re headed back to a route everyone seemed to enjoy last year. The group will first head over the Carey Ave Bridge, through Plymouth, to Rt 29. We’ll turn off Rt. 29 @ Chase Rd. to Chase Corners, across Dallas, then finally down 8th Street heading back to the city.

Distance will be a little more than 35 miles. 7:30 start time.

Sorry about not posting today. I know some of you look forward to the rant.

Nice ride up along Coxton today. A small group split and continued their ride on some beutiful roads to add extra mileage.

Speaking of Coxton, did you know?…

• Charles Lindbergh made an emergency landing at the Coxton Rail Yards in 1928.

• Legend also has it that a man named Campbell escaped capture and torture from Native Indians by leaping off the ledge to his death. We ride past past Campbell’s Ledge on our Coxton loop. Campbell’s Ledge is near the confluence of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna rivers.

Hypocrite; that’s me!..
SMR Tip #4; Come to ride.
“Prepare the night before and get your pre-ride ritual established so that when you arrive you are set to have an enjoyable ride”-this author.

I was a victim of my own list of rules to ride by last weekend. A Raleigh 3-speed refurb. that I had been slacking off on was now scheduled to be put on a moving truck that Monday. Time was running out. I had done the companion bike to this one and the owner requested a similar type of restoration.

At 7:25am I put down the tools being used on the English Racer (a misused term that actually refers to a Raleigh type 3-speed, not a 10-speed) and turned my attention to dressing and the daily maintenance that I normally do to my own bike before each ride.

Notice the time is now 7:25am. How’s this dude going to get his HUD together to leave with the SMR ride group in five minutes? I scrambled to find but one arm warmer, (kind of like the missing sock in the washing machine) that my bottles were dry as a bone, and would later find out that I was running on 50 psi this day.

You may not know this but the bike perfectionist rages inside of me when tire labels are mounted carelessly, or when bike computer wire runs are not coiled just so, or when air pressure is not topped off before a ride. (I feel better after having shared that with you-). Those established rituals began long ago when I was just a kid riding, racing, and just learning about this hobby that we all share.

So this week I promise to arrive early and come “Ready to Ride!”-tj

Banshee Ride this Weekend…

The traditional Banshee Ride is back! Join the group this Sunday, June 29th as this ride heads up the Mid-Valley, regrouping at Forest City, and then continues onto Stillwater Dam with a turnaround, then down the World famous “Simpson Stretch” and back to the city of Scranton.
Hope you can make it-

Banshee Ride
Sunday, June 29th, @ 10:00am
Banshee Irish Pub & Restaurant
322 Penn Avenue Scranton

Here are the directions for this week’s SMR…

7:30am start time!

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/989468648319

Note: This is the ride that had an incorrect road listed last time we tried this route. It has been corrected. We’ll try this again. Some of the familiar hills; Oberdorfer, ‘Nail’, Green Rd., etc. (There will be some options, shorter, more flat). 31.01 miles.

Let’s see, in the past month man opens bike shop, man falls head over heels in love (again) with an Almost Famous blonde, (again) and according to a reliable source plans to spend this summer in a swank California coastal community.

The new bike shop owner is Lance Armstrong, who opened Mellow Johnny (Lance’s twang term for the Maillot Juane, the Tour Day France’s yellow leader’s jersey) last month in Austin, TX.

Goldie Hawn’s daughter Kate Hudson is the new blonde in Lance’s life. The pair have been spotted lately in public. Will a Trek Madone be in Kate’s future?

The swank California community where Lance is rumored to be spending this summer is Santa Barbara California. -source; James Bond of Cycling

Add to that…

Do you feel that some of the press Lance recieves in his personal life trivializes his accomplishments in cycling and the war on cancer with the Livestrong Foundation? Read more in this recent NY Times article…

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/fashion/22lance.html?ex=1214884800&en=f83785219a75f506&ei=5070&emc=eta1

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Saw Them, Thought You Might Like Them!…

That was the Sim Redmond Duo, composed of Sim Redmond and Jen Middaugh, who opened for friend and spring’s ‘Bike Social’ musician Charles Havira, last week at River Street Jazz Cafe. Great harmonies!…

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=75737795

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Here are the directions for this week’s SMR…(special request from the peanut gallery)…

The Saturday Morning Ride is headed south this week. Join us as both courses wind their way down the W. Kirmar Parkway to Vandermark St.
The shorter ride will continue through Newport, and into Nanticoke. We’ll cross the river, head north on Rt.11, and return to the city.

Shorter Ride; 26.37 miles

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/430129424

The longer option will continue down lower Middle Rd. through Glen Lyon, Glen Lea, Mocanaqua, cross river @ Shickshinny, and return to city on Rt. 11
Long Ride; 38.18 miles

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/pa/wilkes-barre/954538117819

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Team High Road to be ‘One Tough Mother’s’ in This Year’s Tour…

Team High Road announced this week that it has signed a 3 year sponsorship deal with Columbia Sportwear of Portland, Oregon. Team Columbia as they will be known, will make their inaugural appearance July 3rd at the Tour De France. The deal includes sponsorship of both men’s and woman’s teams.

Imagine the fun that a marketer could have, (as they have using Columbia’s Chairman ‘One Tough Mother’ Gert Boyle in past ad campaigns) with the cycling team? Tough as nails sprinter Mark Cavendish would get my vote as a poster boy for a joint ad campaign!-tj

Add to that…

Team Slipstream just signed on GARMIN and Saab as corporate sponsors. Riis Racing will also be hoisting new corporate sponsorship with the introduction of Saxo Bank.

Are the dark days of Pro Cycling starting to pass? Interestingly, Team High Road, Slipstream, and Riis Racing have been at the forefront of the new athlete doping controls and testing. Seems like a change may be coming-tj