Cycling Bike Maps Sites

I recently found a pretty good Web Site while planning for some rides up north for this summer in New England and other venues. Check out this site at Rubel BikeMaps.  Another great site for cycling maps listed below is the Adventure Cycling Association Web Site.

Here are some other biking map sites:

AIDS Action Ride – now called Mass Red Ribbon Ride, annual August ride benefits AIDS organizations. 
American Lung Assoc. of Mass. – Sept. ride to Cape Cod; June X-state ride benefit clean air & healthy lungs. 
Association for Public Transportation – works for improved public transportation; author of Car-Free in Boston. 
Adventure Cycling Association – national bike route system; maps, tours, info, accessories.
Bike and the Like – Bike tours of popular New England locations; Profits to bicycle advocacy groups.
BikeAttorney.com – Andrew Fischer –lawyer, cyclist, & bicycle advocate– represents cyclists in legal cases.
BIKEMAP.COM – (Steve Spindler Cartography) map design, extensive bikes-on-transit info. 
Bikes-on-the-T information – take your bike on the MBTA commuter-rail and Boston subway.
Boston Bike Film Festival – Annual film festival benefits MassBike and Hub on Wheels. 2006 dates Oct 20-21. 
CapeCodBikeGuide.com – Cape Cod bikepaths & trails, bike shops, trailheads, and directions. 
Ciclismo Classico – Adventure travel tours: Italy & New England; transforming lives through active travel.
Charles River Wheelmen – premier recreational touring club in eastern Massachusetts.
Craig Ripley Studios – Art Prints (for sale) celebrate the inspiration, freedom and exhilaration of cycling.

I Knew we should have taken that last left !!

Bike Florida 2012 “Forgotten Coast Tour” March 24th – 30th

Adopted from Bike Florida and Capital City Cyclist

Starting from Tallahassee, Florida-Quincy-Wewahitchka-Apalachicola-Medart-Ending in Tallahassee., Florida

Bike Florida’s Forgotten Coast. This  Tour ”is a week long, fully supported bicycle tour showcasing Florida’s scenic back roads and charming destinations.  The Forgotten Coast Tour takes cyclists around the Apalachicola National Forest and bayside along a section of the Panhandle known as the Forgotten Coast. “

Ken Foster 2012 Ride Director

Things You See Cycling In South Florida

Our group from Flying Wheel Bike Shop in Royal Palm Beach Florida went for a 65 mile early morning ramber along the Atlantic route (A-1A) on Sunday January 29th. Low and behold, on the beach was a downed airplane.

"Honey There Is A Plane On Our Beach" Photo by Palm Beach Post

Florida Bicycle Touring Calendar February 2012

Check out the main Web Site of the Florida Bicycle Touring Calendar here:

Some great rides coming up this February:

Just Another Day In The Park !!

February 2012

	4 (Sat)	Gainesville FL	Brevet Series North: 300 km
	5 (Sun)	Fort Lauderdale FL	RIDE with HEART
	11-12	White Springs FL	Suwannee Sweetheart Cycling Weekend
	18 (Sat)	Hastings Flagler Estates FL	Country Cruise II
	18-19	Sebring FL	Bike Sebring
	18 (Sat)	Frostproof FL	Orange Blossom Festival Bike Ride
	19 (Sun)	Boca Raton FL	Boca Tour
	19 (Sun)	Honeymoon Island-Dunedin FL	Oakley Transitions Wish 100
	25 (Sat)	North Port FL	Piggy′s Revenge
	25 (Sat)	Tallahassee FL	Matt Beard Ride
	26 (Sun)	Everglades City FL	Stay n Play Everglades Ride

Loop The lake Bike Ride 2012

Bicycling Tour Network: National Tour (Cycling) Rides

Looking to plan some bike rides this year. Then check out this site from the National Tour (cycling) Directors Association.

The Bicycle Tour Network is a “new resource from the National Bicycle Tour Directors Association, highlighting tours run by our members – dedicated cycling-event professionals. You can search for a tour by the geographic area you’d like to explore, or the time of year you want to ride – or just look through our listings until you find the right event for you. The Bicycle Tour Network is a service that matches touring cyclists with the best tours available. The Bicycle Tour Network is provided by the National Bicycle Tour Directors Association (NBTDA), an organization of bike-tour professionals founded in 1990. Collectively the Bicycle Tour Network represents hundreds of multi-day, non-competitive bicycle tours”. Here are over 100 rides you may want to check out. Click on the link to get to the main page and get more information.

La Vuelta Puerto Rico January 27, 2012 January 29, 2012 Canary Islands Discovery February 11, 2012 February 18, 2012 California Desert Escape February 19, 2012 February 24, 2012 Coast 2 Coast March 09, 2012 April 30, 2012 Charleston’s Plantations & Sea Islands March 15, 2012 March 18, 2012 Bike Florida March 24, 2012 March 30, 2012 SC Lowcountry 6 Day Vacation March 25, 2012 March 30, 2012 Carolina and Georgia Low Country March 29, 2012 April 02, 2012 SC Lowcountry 6 Day Vacation April 01, 2012 April 06, 2012 Charleston Plantations & Quaint Towns April 02, 2012 April 05, 2012 Bali Paradise Ride April 09, 2012 October 14, 2012 Carolina and Georgia Low Country April 12, 2012 April 15, 2012 Cycle North Carolina Spring Ride April 13, 2012 April 15, 2012 Southern Outer Banks Vacation Tour (6 Day) April 15, 2012 April 20, 2012 Charleston’s Plantations & Sea Islands April 19, 2012 April 22, 2012 Spring Tune-Up Ride 2012 by BRAG April 20, 2012 April 22, 2012 NC Wine Country Tour April 21, 2012 April 22, 2012 NC Heartland Vacation April 23, 2012 April 27, 2012 North Holland Adventure- Bike and Barge! April 28, 2012 May 05, 2012 Northern Outer Banks 5 Day Vacation April 30, 2012 May 04, 2012 North Carolina Wine Country Tour May 05, 2012 May 06, 2012 Chesapeake Bay 6 Day Vacation May 06, 2012 May 11, 2012 Undiscovered Wine Country May 06, 2012 May 11, 2012 Charleston – Beaufort -Savannah May 07, 2012 May 13, 2012 Charleston Plantations & Quaint Towns May 07, 2012 May 10, 2012 Southern Outer Banks Vacation Tour (6 Day) May 13, 2012 May 18, 2012 Chesapeake Bay 6 Day Vacation May 13, 2012 May 18, 2012 Alabama’s Magnificent Bicycling Adventure – AMBA 4 May 19, 2012 May 26, 2012 Inside Passage Tour May 19, 2012 May 27, 2012 Sweet Country Roads May 20, 2012 May 25, 2012 California Central Coast May 20, 2012 May 25, 2012 NC Heartland Vacation May 21, 2012 May 25, 2012 Charleston –Beaufort – Savannah May 21, 2012 May 27, 2012 Mississippi River Ride May 23, 2012 May 28, 2012 Southern Shenandoah 5 Day Vacation May 28, 2012 June 01, 2012 Charleston’s Plantations & Sea Islands May 31, 2012 June 03, 2012 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia June 02, 2012 June 09, 2012 Bike Ride Across – Scenic Utah June 02, 2012 June 17, 2012 Pedal and Paddle June 02, 2012 June 03, 2012 Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska June 03, 2012 June 09, 2012 Maritime New England Bike Tour on Coastal MA June 03, 2012 June 08, 2012 Northern Tier Tour June 03, 2012 August 17, 2012 Northern Shenandoah 6 Day Vacation June 04, 2012 June 09, 2012 The Great Alaska Highway Ride June 04, 2012 June 28, 2012 Peloponnese Messinia Tour June 04, 2012 June 11, 2012 Hazon Cross USA Ride June 07, 2012 August 16, 2012 Allegheny Passage- C and O Bike Adventure-Bike and June 09, 2012 June 16, 2012 Ride The Rockies June 09, 2012 June 15, 2012 Oklahoma FreeWheel June 10, 2012 June 16, 2012 Touring Ride in Rural Indiana June Bicycle Rally June 10, 2012 June 13, 2012 Badlands National Park to Wounded Knee Tour June 10, 2012 June 14, 2012 Sunrise Bicycle Tour June 15, 2012 October 17, 2012 Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure (GOBA) June 16, 2012 June 23, 2012 GReat Annual Bicycle Adventure Along the Wisconsin June 16, 2012 June 23, 2012 Door County Week June 17, 2012 June 22, 2012 Pedal the Coast June 17, 2012 June 23, 2012 Cyclades Tour June 18, 2012 June 28, 2012 Family Multi Sport tour Charleston area June 18, 2012 June 21, 2012 VA Multi-Sport Vacation June 19, 2012 June 22, 2012 Bike Virginia June 22, 2012 June 27, 2012 Bike the Border Bicycle Tour June 22, 2012 June 24, 2012 NUMB Ride for Hunger June 23, 2012 June 27, 2012 Bike Ride Across – Northern Utah June 23, 2012 June 30, 2012 Pedal Across Lower Michigan June 23, 2012 June 29, 2012 Blue Ridge 5 Day Vacation June 24, 2012 June 28, 2012

The Heart Rate Monitor Book For Cyclists By Sally Edwards and Sally Reed

The Heart Rate Monitor Book For Cyclists written by Sally Edwards and Sally Reed is an easy to read and useful book for anyone trying to use heart rate training zones  to assist in their cycling routine. After 20 years on the bike I think I almost have it figured out. Almost.

Sally Edwards and Sally Reed

This eleven Chapter, 277 page book, is a good basic text for someone starting cycling and training using heart rate monitors. While the two authors mainly ride indoor bikes (they live in Washington State ) their information, nonetheless, is still useful. One review wrote

2011 Cycling: Year in Review

It’s that time of year when you get to look back at your individual cycling accomplishments and reflect on what you did and did not do. So with that in mind, here are some stats of what was completed by this senior cyclist for 2011.

***

Miles bicycled:  4,960

Cycling trips completed:  130

Calories burned (approx.):  320,411

Pounds lost:  0

Century Bike Rides completed:  4

Metric Century Bike Rides completed:  4

Total  Hours on bike: 327 hours

Averaged 3 rides per week

Averaged a little less than 100 (96) miles per week

Averaged about 32 miles per ride

That is a 6 percent reduction in total mileage ridden fr0m 2010. Must be getting old.

***

Yearly Century Bike Rides

• Adapted From Active.com

              By Jim Rutlage

CTS Pro Coach and co-author of The Ultimate Ride.

Read a review about this book I previously posted here. 

Find Your Century Identity:

I Can Do This!

“The beauty of centuries is that 4,000 people can push off from the starting line with goals ranging from finishing 100 miles for the first time, to breaking their previous best time” Then there are people who race to finish in four hours. Yeah, don’t you hate those guys. Well that’s not me. I am more of a six hour century rider.

“More experienced cyclists and those who normally ride more weekly hours or miles can handle more centuries per year, with less recovery time between each, than novice riders. To figure out where you fit in, check out the table below”

	# of 100-mile rides in previous year	Weekly training hrs	Avg speed on endurance rides
Rookie	0	3-5	12-14 mph
Charity Rider	1-2	4-8	14-15 mph
Century Regular	3-5	8-10	15-17 mph
Group-ride Groupie	6-10	10-12	16-18 mph
Racer	12+	12-20	18-21 mph

Florida and Georgia Bicycle Touring Calendar January 2012

Check out the main Web Site here: http://www.floridabicycle.org/cgi-bin/fbtc-main.cgi. Some great rides coming up this January:

January 7 (Sat)

Gainesville FLGainesville Cycling Club 200K Brevet
Shortest in a series of four events required to qualify for Super Randonneur. 125 miles. Jim Wilson (352)373-0023. See website for details, rules, equipment advice, and recommended accommodations.
WWW: http://gccfla.org/brevet/brevets.html
Email: Click to compose
Last update 2011-10-03 Ride ID 1418 posted by Gainesville Cycling Club (33)

Not Florida In January !!

January 8 (Sun) 

Boca Raton FLTour of Boca
Come join the fun with the 2011 Tour of Boca rides, sponsored by the Boca Raton Bike Club and the City of Boca Raton and recreational services. Tour beautiful Boca Raton with a 15 mile, easy-paced, police escorted bicycle ride beginning at Patch Reef Park, 2000 NW 51st St/Yamato Rd. (just west of Military trail). Registration: 12:30PM; Ride starts: 1:00 pm; Registration fee $2.00. There is a rest stop for refreshments midway through the ride. Promote safe cycling while spending a pleasant afternoon with family and friends. Children must be at least 10 years old and must be accompanied by an adult if under 14. No baby seats. All riders are required to wear helmets. A limited number will be provided. For those who are unable to complete the ride we also supply a SAG wagon( support vehicle). For more information, call Call 561 391 6109 or visit http://www.bocabikeclub.org/.
WWW: http://www.bocabikeclub.org
Email: Click to compose
Last update 2011-08-03 Ride ID 1363 posted by Boca Raton Bicycle Club Inc. (116)

January 14 (Sat)
Alachua FLTour de Felasco
The Tour de Felasco is an off-road bicycle tour, held each year on the second Saturday in January. Featuring 50 miles of rolling terrain (plus optional mileage for a metric century), cyclists experience the best single-track trails in north central Florida. Challenges include rolling hills, long distances, creek crossings, and log bridges. Registration opens October 1 at 6:00 A.M. Registration fee includes park entrance fee, t-shirt, sag stops, hot lunch, and pre-ride and post-ride snacks. Registration fee is $50. This ride accepts 400 riders, and typically fills in within a few hours.
WWW: http://sanfelasco.net/tour.shtml
Email: Click to compose
Active.com Online Registration
Last update 2011-08-21 Ride ID 1391 posted by Friends Of San Felasco (198)

Road Cycling Training For Hill Climbing When You live In Florida

Modified From Active.com

“You are scanning the event calendar and find a cool event you’d like to do. It is a beautiful route with loads of climbing”. The biggest concern you have is that you live in Florida. There is not a hill to be found anywhere except for the  I-95 over passes. The highest hill in Florida  I believe is Mount Dora, Florida. It is at about 226 feet above sea level.

So the question you have to ask your self “is it possible to prepare for a hilly event when you live in a flatland like Florida? The short answer is “yes.”

Florida Hills Via My Garmin

Here are seven training tips from Active.com that you can implement now, that will make a difference when you finally hit those hills: