- Hit the Trails in the Austrian Alps with the Four Peaks Race – Next summer will be the fourth edition of the four-day Four Peaks mountain bike stage race (presented by Protective & Bike) and another chance to take in the amazing scenery that makes up the Salzburg and Tyrol Alps in Austria. Four days of racing at Saalfelden, Leogang, and Kirchberg explores some of the Europe’s best mountain biking. From June 15-18, a max of 1,000 riders will tackle a 207km course with 8,143m of climbing. Registration is limited and opens on Tuesday, Nov 24th. Bike-FourPeaks.de
Travel
- Explore wild New Zealand or exotic Chile in 2016 – In the new year H+I Adventures has two new trips to offer: Storm the South Island for an adrenaline junkie’s paradise in New Zealand, the adventure capital of the world over 13 days; or Chile and Patagonia – a first look, for a two-wheeled exploration alongside active volcanoes, through thick araucaría forests, and high up Andean mountain passes. Check their complete 2016 tour program and get inspired to get out there at mountainbikeworldwide.com.
Contests
- Win a Ryder Signed Arion from Fizik – As 2012 Giro d’Italia winner Ryder Hesjedal is on his way out from the Cannondale-Garmin team, Fizik is giving away an Arione R1 saddle signed by the Canadian. With full carbon rails and a composite shell the Arione is an excellent light, performance option. Head over to Fizik’s Facebook to answer a simple trivia question to enter.
- Brompton brings back the Black Edition by popular demand & Adds an Instagram #MyUnSeenCity Mini Video Competition to Win One – After the first run sold out so quickly, Brompton is bringing it back inspired by night-time cycling in cities. Everything but the mainframe is black, with black, white, lime, blue, orange frames available. Relaunched alongside a global social media competition called #MyUnSeenCity, Brompton is asking the public to upload a short 15-second Instagram film of their own ‘unseen city’ and its hidden gems. The ten most liked films will get judged by a legit film industry panel, including director Guy Ritchie, with 3 Black Edition bikes up for grabs and trip to London for the winner. Get the full details at Brompton.com or on their Facebook.
Events
- The 8th Annual San Francisco Bike Expo returns Tomorrow at the Historic Cow Palace – Nov 21st, the SF Bicycle Expo represents the myriad interests of the Bay Area’s cycling community. Whether you’re just finding cycling or have been on a bike your whole lives, the Expo is a great place to support those who share the same cycling interests. In addition to vendors and a swap, there will be a BMX competition called King of SFO, eBike race exhibition, dedicated eBike demo track, kids races and more. Admission is just $5 with free valet bike parking. Doors open at 10am. SFBikeExpo.com
Advocacy & Community
- The Bicycle Friendly Community Program adds Platinum & Gold Communities – Following on the heels of their university rankings, the League of American Bicyclists announced 55 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). This round saw strong growth at the top of the program, with Madison, WI, becoming the 5th Platinum BFC, joining Boulder and Fort Collins, CO, Davis, CA, and Portland, OR, the first new Platinum since 2013. Four communities stepped up to Gold: Austin, TX, San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz, CA, and Tempe, AZ. Check out the full list at: BikeLeague.org.
- SolaRoad Lights Up the Bike Lane – It’s in the Netherlands which isn’t too surprising, but we read over at TreeHugger.com about SolaRoads project which has been running for over a year producing power under our tires. The write up is realistically a bit skeptical, since the financials of his pilot project don’t add up in any way sustainable, but it is interesting enough to warrant a further look at TreeHugger.com.
- Rent a Board with your Bikes on Spinlister – Not really that bike related unless you rent both board and bike at the same time, but it is interesting to see that Spinlister is broadening beyond peer-to-peer bike rental into other action sports equipment, having done so by gobbling up Shurfing.com’s user base. Spinlister.com
- Selle Royal Expands into Utah – The Italian saddle, pedal, wheels, and tool manufacturer is looking to bring 65 jobs to the Ogden area as part of a tax rebate deal that will expand their presence in the US. The new jobs are likely in product development, not production, as Selle Royal tries to tap into the area’s talent pool and outdoor industry draw. SelleRoyal.com
