Bike Hugger 

I’ve been testing an iPad, on loan from Mac Create, for the past few days with a focus on, travel, blogging, and biking (topics familiar to Bike Hugger readers). It is like a giant iPhone/iPad Touch and for those wondering what you’d do with this “third device,” we took it with us to a bike race.

That’s what I think the iPad does well. It’s a more portable Mac, intended for consuming media and some light media creation. Also think of it as another computer that you can share family photos, or the finish of the race, without standing around a desktop or laptop. Just hand it over and wait for a while to get it back.

Before the race, I checked the flyer, weather, and maps. The 3G model isn’t out yet, so on-the-road use was limited. I don’t know if he did that on purpose, cause he don’t need no iPad, but Andrew had a Verizon Aircard streaming Paris Roubaix. Despite a new iPad, I wasn’t doing that. Innovation has it’s limits. In this version of the iPad, at least.

The bike is always interesting. Doesn’t matter if you’re riding, in a bike shop, or standing on a corner at the bottom of a hill with a stop/slow sign. As I wrote earlier, we spent at day at the Olympic View Road Race. In the morning, I corner marshalled turn 4 (directing traffic to protect the peloton).

Bottom of a s-turn hill with a 180-degree turn.

Pedal-Driven celebrates and debates mountain biking as a legitimate and sustainable outdoor activity. Due to release mid-2010.

We normally don’t cover local racing too much, that’s not our blog beat, but it’s worth noting the growth of Womens’ Racing in the Northwest. Yesterday, at the Olympic View Road Race, I watched the Womens’ 1/2/3 race for the last lap. Suz Weldon bridged to the break and then drove it to win a long, tough competitive race. As impressive a win as I’ve ever seen.

Later at the race finish I heard her say,

“now I need to go home and put a boob in my baby’s mouth.”

She had a baby last Fall and is out winning races this Spring. Word.

From the Bicycle Roadside Finds photo pool, a chalk road angel.

Uploaded by Adrienne Johnson (still a bozo : ) | more from the Bike Hugger Photostream.