Bike Hugger 

Since every other blog in the universe has posted on it, I thought I should as well. Maybe I’ll take a different tack than others.

Anything pertaining to cycling lifestyle is of interest around here and we, like other cyclists, took umbrage last week as this video circulated. McHenry’s speech is ugly and insulting, but it’s also incredibly lame and that’s what offended me most deeply. When a motorist runs down a cyclist because “bikes are stupid,” he may be using violence in place of argument, but at least there’s violence. McHenry’s got nothing. Bear with me while I expound.

First, let us take note of Rep. McHenry’s intellectual method of critiquing the Democrats’ provision in the energy bill.

A Ti commuter by Von Nicholas – a brown fork that matches the decals and the bracket to mount the tail light to the rack also attaches the fender so there is no need for the stays to hold the fender in place.

See more Eurobike photos uploaded by Novara.

from the Bike Hugger Photostream.

When I picked up my son from soccer practice recently he asked me, “why do you always pick me up on the Bettie?” And I replied, “because it’s not a car and it’s fun.” He nodded and smiled.

This week when the children go back to school they’ll also ask me to not bling the bell when I drop them of at or embarrass them in any other way … “embarrassed, I asked? What other kids get dropped off by bike?” They’re all in SUVs, how boring!

Cascade’s Big Urban Bike Ride is coming up on September 16. The Cascade Spawning Cycle is offering 5 different loops this year, benefiting Big Brother Big Sisters a BBQ, and a bike stun course at the finish.

BikeRadar.com is at Eurobike and has snapped some shots of the hot new Dahon Folder. Can’t wait to check to the new gear when BikeHugger rolls into Vegas for Interbike 2007!

For those of you that race into the Fall and winter, Kruger’s Kermesse is coming up and it’s not only a great race, but a social happening with a beer garden and fun for the whole family. For me though, racing on manure-splattered roads near farms has always made me nervous, like I’d get some butt-bug, like Tom Danielson did.

Ya know Fixies have passed the tipping point into the mainstream when they make the “weekend activities” section of a local newspaper … check this article from the Daily Utah Chronicle and these words of advice

“Watch out for hills,” Sjodin said. “You gotta man up if you’re going to ride a ”fixie’ to the U.”

Man up … fixies are “manly.”

Someday we’ll ride in Alaska again and on the roads of Denali National Park, like this photo

on an Adventure Travel Bike.