Got $550? You could improve your lap times in the pool with a full body swimsuit but after next spring you won't be able to compete in it.

Link to article on MSNBC

Want to be a part of choosing a new list of seven natural wonders? This project was started in 2007 and voting will continue through 2011.

To cast your votes visit

http://www.new7wonders.com/

This race is somewhere between adventure racing and boot camp.

Packing a bike is pretty simple. There are a few important things you'll want to do and most airlines require you do some of these things. First it's the list of important stuff. Then come the photos which I know you're going scroll to right away. Read the things below anyway. Some are for the safety of your bike and it may become severely damaged if you don't do these things.

1. Take the pedals and handle bars off.
Why? Because it makes the bike more narrow. Most airlines require this and it won't fit in a standard bike case or bike box if you don't.

2. If you have air shocks let the air out.
Why? Because the bike wont be in a pressurized area of the plane. Bring a shock pump (not a tire pump!) with you so that you can fill them with air again and make sure you have a chart so you know how much air to put into the shock.

This is a shock pump.

The pressure amount is generally determined by your weight and riding style. If you don't have a pump or don't feel comfortable pumping up your shock bring it to bike shop at your final destination. They will have this stuff on hand. I did this when I went to Moab because I didn't have the pump in the photo above at that time. I also didn't have a chart but they looked it up on the internet and got everything set for me. Don't ride a bike with a shock that doesn't have air pressure in it. You can dammage the shock.

3. After you remove the front and back wheels put spanners in place in the rear dropouts and the front fork/shock. If your bike box happens to get crushed it could destroy the frame or fork (squish them!). You can get these at bike shops. They get them when new bikes are shipped to them for the same reason you need them.



Rear dropouts with spanner to keep the frame from getting squished.

Front shock with spanner to keep it from getting squished. It's unlikely when packed like this but I do it anyway.

4. Let the air out of the tires. Why because they take up too much space in the case when they are full of air and also because most airlines require it.

Ok, now put it all in the bike case. This bike case has straps to hold the frame in place. You don't want it moving around and banging into everything else in the case. If you're using a box or case without straps stuff foam around the sides to keep the frame in place.

Notice a few things here. I didn't disconnect the cables for the brakes and shifters from the handle bars. I just turned the handle bars perpendicular to the frame. I also didn't remove the bearings from the steer tube. I just put a plastic bag over and used a rubber band to keep it in place.

Add salt, pepper, pedals, front shock (rigid fork if desired), seat and post then simmer over medium heat.


Notice the white foam I used in places where parts will be touching. I do this so that the bike wont get scratched up. Yes, I know it's already pretty beat up but there was a time two days before it was brand new and I hadn't ridden it yet...





Add another layer of protective foam and top with tires. Make sure you let the air out of the tires!





Top tires with another protective layer of foam for a delicious bike sandwich.





Locked and loaded!





Notice this bike case has wheels and a pull strap. Consider trying to carry a packed bike around and remember that you can't leave the airport with one of those carts.

Road bikes are a bit different because of the amount of space drop down bars take. Here is the process for that.


First put the spanners in place so the frame and fork wont get damaged. I know you don't really need it for the fork when packed like I'm doing it but I do it anyway.










Now put the frame in place and secure it with the straps. Again, I didn't disconnect the cables from the bars. If the cables wont reach to place it this way you may have to remove them but it's unlikely.







Add seat and post, pedals and fork.







Now for road bikes you'll have to remove the axles. This is because the the drop down bars stick up so far that the box wont close with the axles on. I put them in a plastic bag so the grease doesn't get all over the foam.







Make a bike sandwich.







Done!







Ok, that's my story on packing a bike for shipping or bringing it on a plane. Happy trails!

Now I have to go put my bikes back together.






Possible questions -


What size bikes are they?
The bike is a large frame 29'er. The cyclocross is a 53cm but it will hold larger frames.


In the bike sandwich photo it looks like there is no way that the top will cover all that. Is that for real?
It's an illusion because of the angle of the photo. It fits.


That mountain bike chain is rusty as hell and it looks like it's all full of road salt. There is also rust on that crosscheck and some salt too. Are you some kind of sicko?
I had to ride them to work. Get off my back! :)


I see a primal quest sticker on the box. Did you race in that?
No, Stephen Regenold did. We borrow gear back and forth occasionally.
His Primal Quest Article

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is conduction a survey for Complete Streets. For those unaware Complete Streets is a movement where citizens are asking planners and engineers to design better streets to accommodate bicycles, pedestrians and bus riders. For the most part roads have been designed only to accommodate automobiles. Many don't have sidewalks for pedestrians, access for people in wheelchairs and the streets are too narrow to accommodate bicycle traffic and cars at the same time safely and without conflicts. Because of this we had user conflicts and major safety problems.


Click here to take the online survey on the MNDot website.


Click here for more information on Complete Streets.

Over a hundred scuba divers set a world record in Basildon, Essex, England for the most people to watch television under water. What did they watch? A soccer match.

I found this when I was looking for something else today. I don't remember what I was looking for because I forgot when I was digging around the film website. Whatever my mission was it's lost forever.


The film is about the bike-centric culture in Portland, OR and it follows cyclists intimately over a one year period.


I wouldn't mind seeing this shown in Minneapolis.





Official Veer Website Link

I don't really know what to say about his article. That's not true. I think it's dumb. The article states that 15 out of 1,000,000 people have heart problems in a triathlon. The numbers me wonder wonder if 15 people out of one million wouldn't have problems anyway. And if they wouldn't have them because they weren't competing and training would the one million people who weren't active now have heart problems? I'm thinking that many, many more would have problems. Yes, people should get checked out by a doctor (I guess...) but what is the lasting effect of comments like that on the general public, much of which is sedentary? Then the writer goes on to add this bit, "It’s quite frightening - there are hundreds of people thrashing around. You have to keep going or you’re going to drown." It's called swimming. You have to do that in water or you will die. It's a pretty simple thing to understand. I'm sorry your parents didn't tell you important stuff like that when you were 5 years old. Exactly how old were you when you finally figured it out anyway?


Dumb.


Boston Herald Article

I found this video on the MORC website. The person on the bicycle is a Jeff Frings. He's a FOX News photographer who has mounted video cameras to his bicycle to prove that some people just can't share the road and that some police aren't aware of what the laws are.

I found a great article for action photography tips on The Gear Junkie website. Good tips and great photos!

The Gear Junkie Website Article