Check out Brita Climate Ride—a five day supported tour from New York City to Washington DC in September to call for renewable energy and solutions to global warming.

This event is the first of its kind. It starts in the urban landscape of Manhattan and passes through rural woodlands in New Jersey, pastoral Amish country in Pennsylvania, and equine estates in Maryland before arriving on the steps of our Capitol in DC. Along the way, expert speakers will address the riders, discussing the solutions to our climate crisis.

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In the frigid arctic tundra of Taiwan, few animals can survive the constant battle against the elements. One animal however, has shown time and time again the determination it takes to thrive in sub-zero temperatures and harsh winds: the Xtracycle.

Here the Xtracycles are shown in their long daily march in search of food. When their journey is completed, they will have traveled across the entire pacific ocean to arrive in the abundant feeding grounds of Oakland, California.

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A new xtracycle user sent us this picture of some up-high footsies he made for his grandkids. We always love seeing this stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Radish on the way to Taichung, by way of Taichung port, originally uploaded by xtracycleinc.

So we’ve got this great new bike prototype, but it’s too big to fit in our host’s car. We need to get it from the place it was born (Dajia 大甲）to downtown Taichung (台中). So whaddayado with a bike, Moe? Ya ride it!

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Just finished reading Earth Abides, on the recommendation of a friend.  It’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi about the survivors of the next big plague (right here in berkeley, no less.  I used to live within a stone’s throw of the hero’s house.).  It’s written pretty insightfully for 1948, with a good amount of humility for what the real world has to offer.  Themes of the breakdown of car culture really resonate with some of the more extreme calls for aggressive transport revolution these days.  The rest of the book review aside, it was fun to speculate along these lines as a bike aficionado, and compare the antagonist’s search for motorized transport with out own explorations into bike travel.  The bike-mounted human is an animal that can survive failed states and natural disasters pretty well.  Granted, a lot of the tools are prohibitively specialized, but all in all it’s a machine you can do a lot with.  I’m just glad I don’t have to go by dog-powered cart, as the hero does.

images.jpeg, originally uploaded by xtracycleinc.

The time has come, the walrus said, to sell that stinky thing. 

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 This is big mountain camping.  This is the official announcement for the Tour de Plumas, june 27-30. For those of you wanting, begging… nay, pleading to know what the trip is, refer to the belowmentioned writeup of the previous trip.  We are repeating the trip with some minor changes to the route and itinerary to make the whole shebang a little less grueling and a little more wahoo-esque.  Basically it will be a long mountain bike trip covering a lot of elevation, with long climbs and some short sections of technically challenging stuff.  We will eat may calories and see some of the untamed logging trails of the Sierra Nevada.  The schedule is as follows:  We will leave on the evening of thursday the 26th (five hour car ride), then ride and camp for the next three days and nights.  We will ride down and return to the bay area on Monday the 30th.  If a majority of those interested think that three days of riding is simply too much fun to be had at once, we may abbreviate the trip by a day.  The itinerary gives each day a long climb, a neat showpiece downhill, and a pleasant camping spot. What’s expected gear wise?  Food for three days, summer camping gear, four liters of water capacity, a mountainally functionable bike that can carry all that stuff reliably.  We of course recommend the Xtracycle.  Front shocks are nice but you can probably do without if you have to.  Knobby tires will help.  Our Fearless Leader will provide maps and guidance for the lost-prone.  You’ll be expected to cover the cost of your food, and we may allocate responsibility for one meal between everyone, if the numbers are right.   Email peter at xtracycle dot com if you’re interested in joining this ride.  We’re leaving from Oakland, so if that seems doable for you, give it a think-over.  We’ll provide a more detailed list of required gear and expectations of basic human decency as a group member. Yeah. I mean yeah.  Really