This $9 Cardboard Bike Can Support Riders Up To 485lbs

Izhar Gafni has designed award winning industrial machines for peeling pomegranates and sewing shoes. He’s also a bike enthusiast who’s designed a lot of carbon fiber rigs. But one day, he’d heard about someone who’d built a cardboard canoe. The idea drilled its way into his consciousness, and ultimately, led him to create a cardboard bike called the Alfa.

The Alfa weighs 20lbs, yet supports riders up to 24 times its weight. It’s mostly cardboard and 100% recycled materials, yet uses a belt-driven pedal system that makes it maintenance free. And, maybe best of all, it’s project designed to be manufactured at about $9 to $12 per unit (and just $5 for a kids version), making it not only one of the most sustainable bikes you could imagine, but amongst the cheapest, depending on the markup

Source: fastcodesign.com
Click here to read the Full Article

Be careful cycling out there!!!

These guys in Colorado went out for a routine Sunday morning ride this morning and came across a guy that obviously has a problem with cyclists!

Notice, they ride on the far right shoulder and give plenty of space to pass.

Good for them to keep their cool and not further aggravating the situation.  Yes, you might be right at that point but the guy still outweighs you by 4,000lbs+ at that point.

Why can’t folks give us at least 3ft to pass?

Please share this with all of your cycling friends as another warning lesson!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFM5QiAd3QA]

Ride Report for 2012 Hotter ‘n Hell 100

This years HH 100 was my second century ride and second HH 100. Last year it was 109 degrees and I finished in 10 hours, about seven hours on the bike. This year I prepped harder and felt I was better prepared to finish faster. I did not finish…

Early Morning Start

At the 90 mile point I cramped so bad I had to sag in, damn. I had a fore and aft sound system on my bike and had the Air Force Hymn all cued up to play on a continuous loop when I got to Sheppard. I also had an Air Force flag on my Camelbak, an Air Force jersey, and was going to switch to an Air Force ballcap for the ride through the base. The whole spring and summer I was anticipating the ride through Sheppard, and I crapped out!!! That was a huge disappoinment and next year I will crawl through there on my hands and knees if it comes to that. The weather was so much cooler and we had plenty of cloud cover, but oh man the wind was a killer. That final turn on to the highway, dead in to the wind for the southbound finishing leg was brutal. A lot of people finished, a lot did not. There was no Hell’s Gate this year due to the new 100 mile routing. They were supposed to put up Pyro Pete at the 70 mile rest stop but I did not see him.

Crossing the tracks at Iowa Park

Unlike last year there was not an early start, but it was cooler so that was OK. I have to admit I really enjoyed last years early start from the standpoint of riding in the dark and then through dawn in to daylight. That was really cool. The flyby for the start was not jets, I’m pretty sure they were turboprop T-6 Texans, they might have actually been the old rotary piston powered birds. But I don’t think the Air Force keeps any of those anymore.  At some of the rest stops there was a very long waiting line for water or porta potties but with so many riders that can’t be helped. The rest stops were fully stocked with food, water and Powerade; and the volunteers were super helpful and friendly. I don’t know how much trauma there was but right after the start, six and a half miles out on the road to Iowa Park a rider went down hard. He was lying in the middle of the road bleeding with what looked like head and or facial injuries. I am a physician but emergency responders were just arriving so I continued on.

Still thinking I will actually finish!

If you wanted photos, the Marathon photo folks were out in force! I actively sought them out and really hammed it up for photo ops! Some people think they are too expensive but their job is hard and it takes a LOT of work, and photographers, to take and process all those photos. It’s not a cheap weekend in any case and I popped for the $75.00 full CD of photos and highlights and consider it a bargain. One of the highlights of the drive to and from Wichita Falls is a stop in Stephenville at the Hard Eight BBQ. There were lots of bikes in the parking lot, too, both going on Friday and coming home on Sunday. The hell with carbo loading, at least some cyclists prefer to sausage, brisket and rib load! OK, fifty weeks left to train for next year. I’m out for a ride.

 

Michael Guerra,M.D.
Kerrville, Texas

Conquer the Coast Ride in Corpus Christi, TX

The 9th Annual Conquer the Coast Ride benefiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Athletics invites you to join their ride on September 22, 2012 starting at Whataburger Field, Corpus Christi, TX, United States

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Angela Hanley, coordinator of Conquer the Coast Ride  to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.

Conquer the Coast Ride 2012

Why join the Conquer the Coast Ride?
It’s the premiere cycling event in South Texas and offers a ride along the Texas Coast like no other.

How long has the event been around?  
2012 is the 9th year for Conquer the Coast

What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
It was originally started as a fundraiser for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Athletics and to raise awareness for cycling, those are still two of the main components of the event.

How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
Islander Athletic fund and bike safety programs for youths and adults.

Do you hav a map of the start facility showing registration point, parking, all toilets, water/snacks, start line?
Venue Maps: http://ventidev.com//wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CTC.pdf
CTC-Start-Finish

Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
A lot.  You’re talking about 65 miles that go thru six different communities and two counties.  There’s a core group of ten volunteers that work about six months out of the year, and then over 200 additional on the day of the event.

What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Seeing families that have never had anything to do together as a group make this not only an annual outing, but a part of their everyday lives.

What is the average number of participants per year?
How many riders do you assist during the average race?  It’s started out with a couple hundred and has grown to over a 1,000 the last few years.

What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?(prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o))
We once had a rider get arrested and thrown in jail because he punched a ferry operator that wouldn’t let him get on the ferry because it was already too crowded.

What can folks do to support you and your mission?  
Sign up, enjoy the ride and tell their friends!

What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
Coordinator and liason between the event owner (CC Chamber of Commerce), event manager Ryan Sanders Entertainment and volunteer steering committee. I just try to put the right people in the right place and let them go.

If you had to come up with a David Letterman style top 10 about the race, what would it read like?
Top Ten Things You Get to See and Do at Conquer the Coast

10) Ride the “Toughest 18 Miles in Texas” from Port Aransas to North Padre Island (there is usually a STIFF southeast breeze in your face the whole time)
9) Eat a Whataburger in the hometown of…………..Whataburger
8) Ride past one former (Naval Station Ingleside) and one current (Naval Station Corpus Christi) military installations
7) Ride over the JFK causeway overlooking Marker 37 and “Snoopy’s”
6) Ride thru the Corpus Christi Marina
5) Finish inside Whataburger Field, the home of the Corpus Christi Hooks, Double-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros
4) Ride down beautiful Ocean Drive and the mansions that line it
3) Ride over the Harbor Bridge and look down on the Texas State Aquarium
2) Ride over the Harbor Bridge and look down on the historic USS Lexington
1) See a dolphin or two while riding on the Port Aransas Ferry (if you don’t get arrested for punching the boat operator)

Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
This year there are a few new things.  We are honoring long-time cycling leader Donny Kloster who was killed in a cycling accident a few years ago.
We will select a different member of the cycling community each year that has the same vision as Donny and let them lead the race from the start.  For the finish, it’s actually going to end INSIDE Whataburger Field this year with a big party on the outfield grass.

 

Thanks Angela for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!

Click here to view the event details of the 9th Annual Conquer the Coast Ride 2012