More cycling coverage
June 20, 2011
My Turn: Husband hangs up his mountain biking pedals
In the last four years, my 42-year-old husband has had three mountain biking-related surgeries. He's had more busted fingers, dislocated shoulders and other injuries than I can recall.
May 23, 2011
Gear
Roy Wallack: Bicycles are getting artsy smartsy
Creative bicycles, long a favorite subject of student industrial design contests, are busting out of art college and onto the streets. This year, there's been an explosion of creative frame designs across the cycling spectrum — road, mountain, electric, commuter — that are nothing short of sculpture on wheels. And unlike a lot of artsy inventions that are good only for mounting on a wall, these two-wheeled wonders not only work but also offer some innovative functional capabilities not seen on bikes with the century-old diamond-shaped frame.
October 18, 2010
Gear
Roy Wallack: The big deal about 29er bicycles
Wes Williams was right. In the late 1990s, the tiny custom-bike builder in Crested Butte, Colo., developed a cult following for his odd Willits mountain bikes with their weird, 29-inch wheels — 3 inches taller than those on standard bikes. He told everyone that "29ers" would take over the industry some day. When mountain-bike icon Gary Fisher rolled out his own 29ers, his dealers laughed at him — until customers started clamoring for the monster-truck tires that fly over rocks, mud and sand so much faster and easier than little wheels. Today, big wheels have become the hottest story in the bike world. And Williams has a mile-long waiting list for his prestigious, all-titanium 29ers.
October 4, 2010
Gear
Roy Wallack: The latest in bike racks
Recession — what recession? So say makers of bike racks, who claim that the tough economy has encouraged more people to take up healthy, inexpensive activities like cycling. For those who would rather drive to the start of a century ride or an off-road trailhead, these innovative new bike carriers are loaded with convenience and security features to get you rolling faster and safer.
September 20, 2010
Gear
Roy Wallack: Pricey 'performance' clothes do their job
"I simply can't believe that the world needs a $50 T-shirt," said my editor, forever banning reviews of "high-tech" clothing in this column. Well, in the eight years since that conversation, high-tech's gone higher and attitudes have mellowed. "Performance" clothes for sports and fitness are everywhere, and a few of them actually work. A few examples are below — including a $99.95 T-shirt.
November 2, 2009
Bikes and cars: Can we share the road?
Mandeville Canyon Road is a two-lane, dead-end road that twists and climbs for six miles through a quiet Brentwood neighborhood. "It's perfect for bicycling -- like honey to bears," says Jeffrey Courion, former public policy director for Velo Club La Grange, a bicycle touring and racing club.
November 2, 2009
HEALTH
Bicyclists should stay on the defensive to stay safe
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that the following were five of the most frequently reported fatal bike-vehicle accidents from 2004 through 2008. Here, our urban cycling experts outline the best ways to avoid them -- and offer some other safety tips besides.
November 2, 2009
L.A.-area biking resources
Biking resources
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Advocacy, resources and safety classes for cyclists in Los Angeles County.
May 7, 2007
The trial of the century
Pedaling a bicycle through the morning cold and fog is easy for the first mile. But there are 102 more miles to go on the Solvang Century.
April 9, 2007
Cycling in the hot seat
WHEN urologist Dr. Irwin Goldstein declared in 1997: "There are only two kinds of male cyclists -- those who are impotent and those who will be impotent," many bike riders scoffed. Saying the equipment housed in their spandex shorts worked just fine, they optimistically kept riding. Several prominent urologists dismissed Goldstein's claims, saying that they were based on a small sample of riders and that the cardiovascular benefits of cycling outweighed any risk of impotence.
July 23, 2007
Off-road on one wheel
"THAT'S crazy," a hiker says, watching a line of unicyclists make its way up a hill in Simi Valley. It's midmorning on a recent Saturday, and after riding up an easy fire road, the cyclists spin down a steeper, narrower trail, dodging rocks and ruts and flying off ledges with only their balance to save them.
March 23, 2009
FIRST PERSON
On track for a fast ride
Speeding across a hill of wooden planks as steep as a black-diamond ski run, I pedal a bike with no brakes.
January 8, 2007
For a bike and body in sync
SWEAT glistens on 24-year-old triathlete Lauren Robertson's forehead as she pedals a bicycle hooked up to a computer measuring her power output. As Ashton Johnson, co-owner of Sundance Cycles in Agoura Hills, adjusts the seat and handlebar height on Robertson's bike, the computer gives direct feedback on how changes affect pedaling power.
January 8, 2007
A bicycle built for you
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA roads are full of them -- cyclists shrink-wrapped in colorful Lycra, pedaling custom bicycles that cost more than their first cars. And their numbers are increasing by the day.
October 1, 2007
Fitness
Now, snow is optional
FLYING off a rocky buttress, the mountain biker soars through the air, experiencing a few seconds of adrenaline-heightened sensory awareness before coming back to earth -- or in this case a wooden ramp -- with a bike-jarring thump.
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