Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "cycle"

Drawing America by Bike: Cycling through the recession

2011-04-19T00:23:41Z

With a string of dead-end jobs taking him nowhere despite having a master’s degree from Rutgers, Eric Clausen decided to ride his bicycle around the country, documenting what he sees and the people he meets through sketches.

“New York is kind of a terrible place for young artists,” the 26-year-old Clausen said. “There’s plenty of art to look at, but there are almost no opportunities. I was kind of miserable and decided to just hit the road.”

He sold almost everything he owned and started in Brooklyn on Sept. 5. He arrived in Sacramento this weekend.

A run-in with a bicycle gang, a fall that cut his arm so badly he had to stitch himself up and a night spent in an improvised shack are a few of the stories he tells in his blog, Drawing America by Bike.

His blog drives the primary funding for the trip, and with a budget of $20 - $30 per week, he said he almost has enough to finish out the journey's remaining seven months.

“If they send me $5, I send them a postcard,” Clausen said, adding that the link to the donation page is on his blog.

He travels light – with three sets of clothing, a few sketchbooks, a metal box of pens and pencils, an iPhone and a few other odds and ends that fit in a backpack smaller than many college students lug for a single day of classes.

“I spend a lot of nights camping, and I find some places through Couch Surfing and Warm Showers, a site like that for cyclists,” he said.

Clausen arrived in Sacramento on his way to Carson City and Reno, after which he will loop back to the coast and head north.

“This is one of the coolest places I’ve been,” he said Monday afternoon. “It’s got a great bike and art culture, and the drivers are really good and make way for you.”

He said bicycle lanes are far more frequent on the West Coast, and the drivers are more aware of cyclists.

Clausen made a stop in Sacramento because he was contacted by Mike Flanagan, owner of local music label Bad Current Records.

Flanagan found Clausen’s blog and started reading because it was something he’d wanted to do, but didn’t think would be practical.

“It’s such an undertaking just to think about doing that,” Flanagan said. “Just to even be able to figure out how you’re going to map something like that and take a year to bike around the States, it’s impressive.”

Flanagan, who knows what road life is like from a musician’s standpoint, offered Clausen a place to stay and shower.

“I trusted him, and he seemed like a good guy,” Flanagan said. “I know that it’s nice to have a place to stay, since you don’t want to have to pay for a hotel just to use a shower and some other amenities. You can’t afford it.”

Clausen joined Flanagan and some friends at Luigi’s Slice in Midtown and spent a lot of time biking around the city Monday afternoon.

“It’s amazing how easy it is to get around here,” Clausen said.

When it comes to sketching, Clausen said he rarely draws the touristy locations, preferring to sketch people and oddball objects he spots on the road.

“I drew some of Joshua Tree (National Park), but I usually just draw interesting people I meet,” Clausen said.

In the photo above, Clausen drew a couple of cyclists he came across in Los Angeles. One woman rode with a birdcage on her handlebars, and a man had a chainsaw stuffed into his backpack.

Oftentimes, Clausen arrives in a town without knowing where he will sleep, but he’s learned to ask about campsites at police stations and from other “bike hobos.”

That was how he met a newly formed bicycle gang in Tennessee.

“I saw these guys out in a front yard,” he said. “They had bikes, and as I got closer, I saw they were all wearing the same thing – army fatigues with cut-off sleeves and jeans shorts and combat boots or flip-flops.”

They had just purchased their bicycles a few days earlier, and they invited him to stay with them – and he eventually spent the night in one of their cars, which was full of fast food wrappers and half-burned incense sticks.

Looking back on seven months – and 7,700 miles – Clausen said the initial challenge was the physical demand of traveling 70 - 110 miles per day, but the later stages of the trip demanded more mentally than physically.

“I don’t listen to music when I ride because I want to hear the cars,” he said. “I end up playing games and making up songs as I ride.”

He also counts things – like alligators in the Florida Everglades. Over a period of an hour and a half in December, he counted 230 alligators sunning themselves.

He said he calls his girlfriend for normal conversation, since he otherwise ends up having the same basic conversations over and over with people he meets on his travels.

The trip will eventually be the basis for a graphic novel he wants to publish, he said. It will be expanded from his blog, which is typically short since he writes from his smartphone.

Having reached the halfway point of the trip, he said he doesn’t think about the future and the uncertainty that lies ahead.

“Almost nothing in my life is certain,” he said. “I’m just enjoying the trip. I always knew I wanted to take a trip and see America, but I never thought that trip would be on a bike.”

Clausen leaves Sacramento Tuesday and said he expects to be in Carson City on Wednesday. To see him describe his route and a little bit of his travels, watch the video below.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @brandon_darnell.

Auburn Cycle Shop Rides Again

2010-10-06T00:09:07Z

Literally rising from the ashes like the mythical Phoenix, C & E Auburn V-Twin, Incorporated is making a comeback. The new location at 12015 Shale Ridge is just blocks away from where the Auburn 49er fire burned the old shop to the ground. The C & E Auburn V-Twin grand reopening is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16.

Owners Carlo and Emma Lujan exemplify the “can-do” spirit often attributed to bikers. One day at a time, with quiet dignity and sheer determination, they have achieved the daunting task of starting over again. The Lujans said they are really excited to be “back in the saddle” again.

“We want to invite the entire community to our reopening, and a special invitation is sent out to all the experienced riders who may not be acquainted with C & E V-Twin,” Emma Lujan said. “Our losses from the fire were minimal compared to those who lost their homes. The battle to rebuild our motorcycle business often seemed impossible, but we never let ourselves give up.”

The new C & E location features a modern showroom aptly supported by a fully equipped Harley-Davidson parts department. An awesome clothing and accessories section is also an exciting new addition. Carlos Lujan, an experienced motorcycle and machine shop mechanic, said he is excited to show off the new fully equipped service department and machine shop. “Mild to Wild” tune-ups and customizing options, upgrades and engine rebuilds are just some of the services available.

The Lujans are avid supporters of the local riding community.

“They definitely care a great deal about the Auburn community and the customers they serve,” said longtime area resident and Service Manager Jimmy Hatch. “I have watched them give back over the years by sponsoring the Gold Country Toy Run for the past 14 years. They also enthusiastically promote the CHP Andy Stevens Memorial Ride and the Welcome Home Vets Project, among others.”

The Open House will feature the world’s fastest motorcycle with Chris Carr, and Bob Grimes with his awesome drag bike. In addition, there will be barbecue, two bands will perform, and several raffles for “goodies” will be held to add to the fun.

The new C & E facility features 10,000 square feet of motorcycle heaven and an additional 3,000 square feet for future expansion.

49er Fire Facts:

In addition to the motorcycle shop, the August 2009 fire also burned 67 homes and six other businesses and scorched 350 acres.

When the fire swept through C & E V-Twin store, it destroyed everything except the 20 motorcycles thanks to a handful of employees and customers who risked their lives to rush into the burning building.

Eighteen customers’ motorcycles as well as Carlo Lujan’s 1936 Knucklehead and Emma Lujan’s 1956 Panhead with Sidecar were saved. The rest of the 10,000-square-foot building burned to the ground, along with many precious items such as Emma Lujan’s Signed 105th Harley Davidson Anniversary vest, Miles Anderson's race items and Emma's seven antique Harley-Davidson wristwatches.

Sunday Funday GrubCrawl

2010-07-29T07:25:34Z

Rollin' on the BikeCrawl
The latest "bicycle-themed" Grubcrawl is Sunday. Aug. 1st, promptly at 4:30 starting @ Bikes and Bites, 12th & J st, Downtown Sac..... Grubcrawlusa.com in partnership with Bikes & Bites presents one of many Bikecrawls, rollin' spot to spot enjoying free appetizers and drink specials all night long! Soooo,....Bring your cycles, trikes, and appetites! Join us @ Pyramid, Brew It Up, Table 260,...and other Sacramento Hot Spots. See ya there!

Rent-A-Bike or bring your own!
Bring your tour cycle, beach cruizer, road or mountain bike, or tandem to the starting venue at 4:30 pm, your reservation and your appetite!

Or for a small additional sum, rent a ride from the fleet of rental bikes: which includes both men’s and women’s classic single speed beach cruiser style bikes, a combination lock, front and rear light set, an optional helmet, and a front-mounted basket. Call to reserve: (916) 705-0452 or visit 1013 12th st. @ Bikes & Bites.

Jump in our Pedicab!
Don't wanna ride onder your own power? Why use your OWN legs when there are plenty of young, energetic pairs of other peoples pedal pumpers to propel you and your friends around the Grubcrawl route. Dial-a-Bike Pedicab provides free, door-to-door transpo between restaurants and back to your car at the end of the night! Ride in style with Jake (pedicab guru) a fit, fun, upbeat, & young driver,...just be sure to tip him for his prompt and professional service!

Join the Leisurely Cyclist and the Avid Biker alike as we embark on this "Riders Romp" to the best eats & drinks Sac has to offer! We pedal "en-masse" to 5 of your favorites; for FREE APPETIZERS, DRINK SPECIALS, PRIZES, and other GIVEAWAYS,... spending about an hour at each location. REGISTER NOW!

See what Sac Media Moguls have to say about the previous BikeCrawl:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/11162/Tour_de_Sac_ends_with_Pub_Crawl

Wheeeew! Thank Gawd! It will cool off for the Bikecrawl this Sunday. Not only are we starting in the shade of the city after the heat breaks, the Delta breeze off the river makes this Crawl the coolest place to be in Sac! As we slide from one air-conditioned venue to another, cooling the engines with refreshing drinks and recharging the system with tasty appetizers,... The outside temp. will steadily drop... while the fun and excitement inside grows and builds, with prizes and givaways, meeting and eating with the popular party crowd. Have to work Monday??? Don't worry!!! We pull up to our last destination, 9:00 or so, for scrumptious snacks and a nightcap. If you gotto go then, in order to get to work in the morning,..say goodnite and be home before 10:00pm!! For those who can stay out past curfew, Grubcrawl is taking it till last call and you can party with us all night! Reg. now @ Grubcrawlusa.com or call (916) 730-0977.

Written & Posted by

Cline Moore, GrubCrawl Founder

Amgen Tour of California teams announced

2010-05-08T01:27:01Z

Amgen Tour of California teams were announced Friday morning. The roster includes seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong as well as Levi Leipheimer, winner of the last three consecutive Tour of California races, among others.

The Sacramento Press will continue to cover the Amgen Tour of California, which rolls through the city Sunday, May 16. This will include a pre-race press conference May 14 and race day coverage.

The following is a press release about the team announcement, via Bob Burns of the Sacramento Sports Commission.

The world-class roster of teams and cyclists scheduled to participate in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California has been announced by race presenter AEG. An internationally sanctioned, professional cycling road race, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will host 16 teams, comprised of 127 riders, from 23 countries for the fifth-annual race taking place May 16-23.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will bring an exceptional concentration of cycling talent to compete across more than 800 miles of the state of California from Nevada City to Thousand Oaks, home of race sponsor Amgen. Attracting an unprecedented field of riders from around the world, cyclists hail from countries as far away as Belgium, Finland, Spain, France, Germany, New Zealand and Sweden.

“We are proud of the powerful and talented group of international and domestic cyclists set to participate in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “From Tour de France champions to Olympic medalists and world champions, this field is one of the best that has ever competed on American soil. The growing reputation of the Amgen Tour of California has resulted in a very accomplished field of cyclists, which should make for a great race.”

The field will include riders from well-known teams such as Team RadioShack, Team HTC-Columbia, Quick Step, Team Saxo Bank and Garmin-Transitions, who will all be competing to take the title in the overall team competition. Some of the notable riders planned to begin the race in Nevada City, Calif. on May 16 include:

Team rosters are subject to change.

Tour de France Overall Podium Finishers
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack; first 1999-2005, third 2009
Andy Schleck (LUX), Team Saxo Bank; second 2009
Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack; third 2007

Tour de France Stage Winners
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack (22)
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team HTC-Columbia (10)
Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step (6)
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank (5)
Stuart O’Grady (AUS), Team Saxo Bank (3)
Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Team RadioShack (3)
Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank (3)
Heinrich Haussler (GER), Cervélo TestTeam (1)
David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Transitions (1)

World Champions
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack
Lars Boom (NED), Rabobank
Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step
Janez Brajkovic (SLO), Team RadioShack
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team HTC-Columbia
Tom Leezer (NED), Rabobank
Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Team RadioShack
Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-Highroad

Olympic Medalists
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack
Theo Bos (NED), Cervélo TestTeam
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank
Levi Leipheimer (USA), Team RadioShack
Bret Lancaster (AUS), Cervélo TestTeam
Stuart O’Grady (AUS), Team Saxo Bank
Hayden Roulston (NZL), Team HTC Columbia

Current National Champions (by country)
Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-Highroad, Time Trial
Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step, Road Race
Matti Breschel (DEN), Team Saxo Bank, Road Race
Lars Ytting Bak (DEN), Team HTC-Columbia, Time Trial
Andy Schleck (LUX), Team Saxo Bank, Road Race
Stef Clement (NED), Rabobank, Time Trial
Jeremy Vennell (NZL), Bissell, Time Trial
Janez Brajkovic (SLO), Team RadioShack, Time Trial
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank, Road Race
George Hincapie (USA), BMC Racing Team, Road Race
David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Transitions, Time Trial

American Stage Race Champions
Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack), 2007-2009 Amgen Tour of California
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions), 2009 Tour of Missouri
George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team), 2007 Tour of Missouri
Janez Brajkovic (Team RadioShack), 2007 Tour de Georgia
Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions), 2005 Tour de Georgia
Lance Armstrong (Team RadioShack), 2004 Tour de Georgia
Chris Horner (Team RadioShack), 2003 Tour de Georgia

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California roster includes the following 16 professional cycling teams. The seven ProTour teams compete regularly on the UCI’s ProTour race calendar, including the Grand Tours of Europe – Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

Pro Tour Teams

1.) Garmin-Transitions (USA)

Steven Cozza (USA)

Thomas Danielson (USA)

Ryder Hesjedal (CAN)

Robbie Hunter (RSA)

Thomas Peterson (USA)

Peter Stetina (USA)

Matthew Wilson (AUS)

David Zabriskie (USA)

2.) Liquigas-Doimo (ITA)

Francesco Bellotti (ITA)

Francesco Chicchi (ITA)

Davide Cimolai (ITA)

Manuel Quinziato (ITA)

Peter Sagan (SVK)

Ivan Santaromita (ITA)

Brian Vandborg (DEN)

Elia Viviani (ITA)

3.) Quick Step (BEL)

Carlos Barredo Llamazales (ESP)

Tom Boonen (BEL)

Kurt Hovelynck (BEL)

Kevin Hulsmans (BEL)

Nikolas Maes (BEL)

Andreas Stauff (GER)

Jurgen Van De Walle (BEL)

Maarten Wynants (BEL)

4.) Rabobank (NED)

Lars Boom (NED)

Stef Clement (NED)

Steven Kruijswijk (NED)

Sebastian Langeveld (NED)

Thomas Leezer (NED)

Paul Martens (GER)

Grischa Niermann (GER)

Maarten Tjallingii (NED)

5.) Team HTC-Columbia (USA)

Lars Ytting Bak (DEN)

Mark Cavendish (GBR)

Bernhard Eisel (AUT)

Tony Martin (GER)

Mark Renshaw (AUS)

Michael Rogers (AUS)

Hayden Roulston (NZL)

Tejay Van Garderen (USA)

6.) Team RadioShack (USA)

Lance Armstrong (USA)

Janez Brajkovic (SLO)

Christopher Horner (USA)

Levi Leipheimer (USA)

Jason McCartney (USA)

Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ)

Yaroslav Popovych (UKR)

José Luis Rubiera Vigil (ESP)

7.) Team Saxo Bank (DEN)

Matti Breschel (DEN)

Fabian Cancellara (SUI)

Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)

Juan José Haedo (ARG)

Stuart O'Grady (AUS)

Andy Schleck (LUX)

Andre Steensen (DEN)

Jens Voigt (GER)

8.) BMC Racing Team (USA)

Chad Beyer (USA)

Marcus Burghart (GER)

Chris Butler (USA)

Mathias Frank (SUI)

George Hincapie (USA)

Alexander Kristoff (NOR)

Jackson Stewart (USA)

Simon Zahner (SUI)

9.) Cervélo TestTeam (SUI)

Theo Bos (NED)

Joao Correia (POR)

Philip Deignan (IRL)

Heinrich Haussler (GER)

Jeremy Hunt (GBR)

Brett Lancaster (AUS)

Oscar Pujol Munoz (ESP)

Dominique Rollin (CAN)

10.) Bissell (USA)

Rob Britton (CAN)

Daniel Holloway (USA)

Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA)

Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA)

Peer Latham (NZL)

Paul Mach (USA)

Jeremy Vennell (NZL)

Kyle Wamsley (USA)

11.) Fly V Australia (AUS)

Jonathan Cantwell (AUS)

Jai Crawford (AUS)

Benjamin Day (AUS)

Charles Dionne (CAN)

Aaron Kemps (AUS)

Bernard Sulzberger (AUS)

Jay Robert Thomson (RSA)

Phil Zajicek (USA)

12.) Jelly Belly Presented by Kenda (USA)

Jonathan Chordoff (USA)

William Dicknson (AUS)

Michael Friedman (USA)

Charles Bradley Huff (USA)

Jeremy Powers (USA)

Kiel Reijnen (USA)

Will Routley (CAN)

Bernard Van Ulden (USA)

13.) Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA)

Ryan Anderson (CAN)

Jesse Anthony (USA)

Dan Bowman (USA)

Alex Candelario (USA)

Reid Mumford (USA)

Neil Shirley (USA)

David Veilleux (CAN)

Scott Zwizanski (USA)

14.) SpiderTech Powered by Planet Energy (CAN)

David Boily (CAN)

Guillaume Boivin (CAN)

Lucas Euser (USA)

Martin Gilbert (CAN)

Kevin Lacombe (CAN)

Bruno Langlois (CAN)

Francois Parisien (CAN)

Andrew Randell (CAN)

15.) Team Type 1 (USA)

Davide Frattini (ITA)

Ken Hanson (USA)

Aldo Ino Ilesic (SLO)

Christopher Jones (USA)

Valery Kobzarenko (UKR)

Javier Megias Leal (ESP)

Thomas Rabou (NED)

Scott Stewart (USA)

16.) UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis (USA)

Christopher Baldwin (USA)

Matthew Crane (USA)

Marc De Maar (NED)

Max Jenkins (USA)

Karl Menzies (AUS)

Andrew Pinfold (CAN)

Rory Sutherland (AUS)

Bradley White (USA)

Stages for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California include:
Stage 1: Sunday, May 16 – Nevada City to Sacramento
Stage 2: Monday, May 17 – Davis to Santa Rosa
Stage 3: Tuesday, May 18 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Stage 4: Wednesday, May 19 – San Jose to Modesto
Stage 5: Thursday, May 20 – Visalia to Bakersfield
Stage 6: Friday, May 21 – Palmdale to Big Beak Lake
Stage 7: Saturday, May 22 – Los Angeles Individual Time Trial
Stage 8: Sunday, May 23 – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills

For more information about the Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Photographs one and two credit Anthony Bento. Photographs three and four by Jonathan Mendick.

"Ride for Earth" Practical Cycle Grand Opening Celebration

2010-04-22T08:31:52Z

Practical Cycle is celebrating Earth Day its Grand Opening in Old Sacramento today. Tim Castleman and his son, Cassidy, are teaming up to sell, rent, and service electric and Made in USA bicycles and tricycles. After being shocked by the tragic events of 9/11, and inspired by a life threatening battle with prostate cancer, Tim set out to make a difference in the world. “I decided to put it all on the line and follow my heart, instead of just trying to survive.”

"Practical Cycle is different than traditional bike shops,” says Cassidy, a 23 year-old business student and solar professional, “Our mission is to make cycling more practical for everyday people. No spandex… No funny shoes… No problem!!!”

Practical Cycle features electric bikes designed to make cycling more accessible to anyone who doesn’t ride now because of hills, distance, health reasons, knee problems, aging, or the inconvenience of having to shower and change at work. An electric bike is just like a regular bike with a built-in motor to provide additional power. Riders can pedal normally and only use the motor to help out on hills and headwinds, or use the motor all the time just to make riding easier.

Practical Cycle also offers a wide variety of Made in USA specialty cycles to fit the needs of virtually anybody, including electric and non-electric bicycles, tricycles, tandem cycles, vending cycles, hand-powered cycles, personal activity vehicles and more.

To celebrate their Grand Opening, Practical Cycle is offering a 10% discount on their entire inventory and free one-hour bike rentals until 5PM. At 7PM there will be a group "Ride for Earth" to Discovery Park. Everyone is invited and encouraged to bring their own bikes, but Practical Cycle will provide free rentals for the event. Afterwards fresh-squeezed, organic Lemonade will be served and The Rubber Band will perform live music at 8PM.

Sacramento to be part of 2010 Amgen Tour of California

2009-10-23T05:17:30Z

At about 9 a.m. Thursday, three-time Amgen Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer announced via a "tweet" that he was going to defend his title in 2010. It was part of a high-profile Twitter conversation started by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that went something like this:

"@schwarzenegger: Great news for American cycling fans and CA. The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be better than ever. @lancearmstrong will you join us?

@lancearmstrong: Absolutely! @schwarzenegger, I've decided to ride the #Amgen Tour of California in 2010. Can't wait. What about you @levileipheimer?

@levileipheimer: I'll definitely be racing the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, defending my title."

Then at 4:30 p.m., the defending champion spoke at a press conference for the 2010 race at The Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento.

"It was a lot of fun being in the announcement today on Twitter, so I feel like I'm really a part of the race," Leipheimer said to a crowd of about 50, which included the mayors of Sacramento, Nevada City and Davis, and local legislators.

"Right from the fall of 2005, when we first announced the Tour of California was going to happen, I felt like this was something that I needed to be involved with, and I think that's been the secret to my success the last three years," he added. Leipheimer has won the last three Tours of California.

Mayor Kevin Johnson also expressed excitement that Sacramento be will be involved in the tour again. In addition to hosting the pre-race team presentation and gala on May 14, downtown Sacramento is where the first stage of the tour will conclude May 16, after a start in Nevada City.

"That allows us to have four or five days of activities and make it a really special weekend event," Johnson said. "We're going to have about 70,000 spectators that will participate over the weekend. This event brings in $8 million dollars, and that is very significant."

He also addressed last year's "hiccup": During the race, Lance Armstrong's time trial bike was stolen in Sacramento. The mayor joked that although the chief of police had promised tighter security, riders should bring their own locks, just in case.

Davis's Mayor Dr. Ruth Uy Asmundson and Nevada City's Mayor Reinette Senum said they were honored that their cities were part of the race as well.

A big change in the 2010 tour is that it will be held in May instead of February.

"We did it to showcase the state of California in a better way," said Andrew Messick, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group and tour director. "There's a lot of terrain you can't get to on a bicycle in the wintertime."

Moving the tour dates also means that it will overlap with the peak of the European cycling season. As a result, it is unclear whether Europe's top racers will choose the Tour of California over the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy).

"There are probably some Italians who will end up going to the Giro, but I don't think that we're going to see any impact because of the two races conflicting," Leipheimer said. "(The Tour of California) is better preparation for the Tour de France in July."

Leipheimer, Armstrong, and most of last year's Astana team will ride together, but have moved to the newly-formed Team Radioshack. A 2007 Tour de France doping scandal, near financial collapse and a talent overload (three of the top four 2009 Tour de France riders) sent many former Astana riders elsewhere for 2010.

BikeCrawl II

2009-08-20T23:19:57Z

Rollin' on the BikeCrawl II
The 2nd "bicycle-themed" Grubcrawl is Wed. Aug. 26, promptly at 5:30 starting @ Bikes and Bites, 12th & J st, Downtown Sac..... Grubcrawlusa.com in partnership with Bikes & Bites presents the second of many Bikecrawls, rollin' spot to spot enjoying free appetizers and drink specials all night long! Soooo,....Bring your cycles, trikes, and appetites! Join us @ Brew It Up, Sofia's, Three Fires @ the downtown Marriott, Table 260,...and other Sacramento Hot Spots. See ya there!

Rent-A-Bike or bring your own!
Bring your tour cycle, beach cruizer, road or mountain bike, or tandem to the starting venue at 5:30 pm, with $25 and your appetite!

Or for an additional $15.00 borrow a ride from the fleet of rental bikes: which includes both men’s and women’s classic single speed beach cruiser style bikes, a combination lock, front and rear light set, an optional helmet, and a front-mounted basket. Call to reserve: (916) 448-1799 or visit 1013 12th st. @ Bikes & Bites.

Jump in our Pedicab!
Don't wanna ride onder your own power? Why use your OWN legs when there are plenty of young, energetic pairs of other peoples pedal pumpers to propel you and your friends around the Grubcrawl route. Dial-a-Bike Pedicab provides free, door-to-door transpo between restaurants and back to your car at the end of the night! Ride in style with Harmon (the owner and pedicab guru) and his crew of fit, fun, upbeat, & young drivers,...just be sure to tip them for their prompt and professional service!

See what Sac Media Moguls have to say about the previous BikeCrawl: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/11162/Tour_de_Sac_ends_with_Pub_Crawl

Wheeeew! Thank Gawd! It will cool off for the Bikecrawl this Wed. Not only are we starting in the shady of the city after the heat breaks, the Delta breeze off the river makes this Crawl the coolest place to be in Sac! As we slide from one air-conditioned venue to another, cooling the engines with refreshing drinks and recharging the system with tasty appetizers,... The outside temp. will steadily drop... while the fun and excitement inside grows and builds, with prizes and givaways meeting and eating with the popular party crowd. Have to work Thursday??? Don't worry!!! We pull up to our last destination, 9:30 or so, for scrumptious snacks and a nightcap. If you gotto go then, in order to get to work in the morning,..say goodnite and be home by 10:00pm!! For those who can stay out past curfew, Grubcrawl is taking it till last call and you can party with us all night! Reg. now @ Grubcrawlusa.com or call (916) 730-0977.