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Design your own bike online for free

February 22, 2010 in Cycling, Triathlon | No comments

I haven’t had a chance to tool around with this yet but once I have a little free time I am all over it! If you use the tool, let me know how it works!

Anyone who likes bicycles has at some point probably fantasized about it – getting their own one-of-a-kind custom-made bike. There are oodles of independent frame-builders out there who will gladly accommodate such fantasies, but their services generally don’t come cheap. Building a high-end bicycle from scratch definitely requires a lot of skill, and even designing one isn’t something that just anyone can do… or is it? BikeCAD, a free online applet, guides users through designing their own road, mountain, tandem or recumbent bike. They can then take their finished design to a builder, or even attempt to build the thing themselves.

via BikeCAD lets you design your dream bicycle online, for free.

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Bike tour to benefit non-profit focused on ending poverty housing

February 15, 2010 in Cycling | No comments

Ride from Niagara Falls to New Orleans, June 18- August 8 to help raise funds and awareness to end poverty housing–benefit is for the Fuller Center.

“Chris Cosby leads a group of cyclists through the 115 degree heat of southern California on the Fuller Center Bicycle Adventure, 2008?. Photo submitted by Katherine Fuller.

The Fuller Center is a non-profit organization who’s goal is to end poverty housing. Their Bicycle Adventures help to raise money and awareness of the need for adequate shelter for all people worldwide. This year’s ride is from Niagara Falls to New Orleans, June 18th through August 8th. Click here for more information and to register for this event.

via Bikerumor | All The Best Cycling News, Tech, Rumors and Reviews!.

About the Fuller Center:

The Fuller Center for Housing is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. By forming partnerships with local organizations, The Fuller Center provides the structure, guidance and support that communities need to build and repair homes for the impoverished among them. Read the Fuller Center’s Mission Statement and Foundational Principles.

The Fuller Center was started in spring of 2005 by Millard Fuller and his wife Linda, who co-founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976. Fuller set out to expand his missionary vision by returning to his roots at Koinonia Farm, a cooperative community dedicated to peace and service in rural southwest Georgia. A new mission statement was issued at Koinonia – also the birthplace of Habitat – dedicating The Fuller Center as a Christ-centered, faith-driven organization witnessing the love of God by providing opportunities for families to have a simple, decent place to live.

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2010 Spring Thaw at St Michaels, MD | Potomac Pedalers Touring Club

February 10, 2010 in Cycling | No comments

Looks like a nice season starter ride on the Eastern Shore of MD, sponsored by the Potomac Peddlers Club Touring Club (yes, it’s a very obvious Drupal site) but pulled off for efficient functionality.

I’ll be keeping an eye on other rides they offer this year.

PPTC will host a repeat performance and partner with Eastern Tandem Rally to show off wonderful Eastern Shore cycling. Meet cyclists from throughout the East Coast. Four days of riding: no hills, sparse traffic, wide shoulders.

Roads near the water afford splendid scenery among world class environmental ecosystems.

Enjoy the famous ferry ride to Historic Oxford, MD for lunch and exploratory cycling.

What’s included?

  • Thursday and Friday ice cream social welcome party -wine and cheese – Friday lunch at Old Salty on Hooper Island
  • Sumptuous and healthy Saturday lunch and dinner in St Michaels
  • Maps – cue sheets – Saturday night entertainment – Mechanical assistance – AM Yoga
  • Lodging – on your own, with special rates at the host motel (hurry-this fills up fast)
  • Free unlimited continental breakfast with new additions including Belgian waffles

2010 Spring Thaw at St Michaels, MD | Potomac Pedalers Touring Club.

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The Tour of Africa, stage one update from Bike Rumor

January 21, 2010 in Cycling, awesome | No comments

Man, I love the Tour D’Afrique group. Bike Rumor has a little write up on stage 1 of the current (actual) Tour of Africa–the picture really makes me envision myself there.

On their journey through ten African countries Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, the riders travel past ancient temples, through game reserves teeming with wildlife, across deserts and the foothills of legendary Mount Kilimanjaro, alongside the rugged and biblical landscape of Ethiopia’s Simian Mountains and through Botswana and Namibia’s most magnificent wilderness areas. The journey takes approximately 120 days of which 96 are cycling days, averaging 125 km each day.

via Bikerumor | All The Best Cycling News, Tech, Rumors and Reviews!.

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New running shoes: Mizzuno Wave Rider 12 and A new road bike for Sara!

November 28, 2009 in Cycling, Running, Training, gear | No comments

I have decided to try a new pair of running shoes to see if a little more support will take care of the ankle pains I am having, so I purchased Mizzuno’s Wave Rider 12. It was not easy to abandon a newly purchased pair of running shoes–these items are not cheap, but in the interest of injury prevention Sara helped me rationalize the need to try something else.

I have sent an e-mail to the Kahru company to see if they offer any kind of return on the shoes–I’ll let you know if I hear anything from them. I think they are good shoes and my left is totally fine but my right does slightly pronate and the Kahru Fluid ride is truly a neutral shoe with no arch support–so the high arches and slight pronation on my right foot were amplifying in the Kahru’s.

I am falling a little behind on the marathon mileage but hopefully the shoe change helps solve the ankle issue and this possible ongoing cold goes away so I can get back on track.

Other exciting news: We just bought Sara a road bike today, we purchased a Fuji Team Carbon bike from Performance bikes in Rockville. We got the bike at over 50% off the original MSRP, which made the deal way too sweet to pass on. She doesn’t have race pedals and shoes yet, we’ll get those closer to the summer once she is comfortable riding again. We are picking the bike up tomorrow and heading out for our first ride as a couple–I’m stoked!

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First training ride of off season–learning cold weather lessons

November 9, 2009 in Cycling, Training, Triathlon | No comments

Garmin Connect – Activity Details for Rock Creek – North

Saturday morning was cold, now I have been a bike commuter for the last 6 years but only started riding for endurance and sport last year–so this was my first chilly weather ride in cycling gear (I only owned warm weather cycling gear, til after this ride).

First lessons learned–my bike shoes really do have vents in the bottom–my toes were numb for an hour after the ride. Later that night I went with Sara to Performance Bikes and picked up some shoe covers and some full fingered winter riding gloves.

More lessons to be learned I’m sure….

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Livestrong 2010 ride dates announced

October 30, 2009 in Cycling | No comments

The Livestrong ride 2010 dates are now online, registration opens on December 1, 2009. I am going to be taking on the challenge in Philly. Once I register I will let you know the distance. If you are interested in riding, let me know–maybe we can start a fund raising team!

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Tumblr: The easiest way to Blog? true

October 28, 2009 in Cycling, Social Media, Tech, Web, multimedia | No comments

As I was reviewing David Gillespie’s slideshow deck titled Digital Strangelove – or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Internet (please click the link and take a few minutes to review–well worth it), which is an amazing slide deck discussing the Intention Economy–what the Web is going to be–check it out and enjoy!–he noted an online application called Tumblr…

So, I took a brief break and ended up on Tumblr, creating a micro blog platform in under a minute, Tony K’s into the Ether. My goal is to have the Tumblr posts feed into Tony K’s got something to Say. This site will still be primary vehicle for writing but Tumblr allows a very easy way to post my “lifestream“, shorter updates and thoughts, pics and events, it integrates to Facebook so my friends can keep up-to-date and it sends my notes to Twitter (finally, I have a way to interact with Twitter that is not a forced activity just because I work in online communications!). One thing that really struck me was the capability to upload posts via e-mail–this single item has kept me hooked since 6am. Finally, a way to get rich content from various experts within an organization without having to train or change anything they do, think about what this can do for a more robust integrated online outreach strategy…

The barrier to entry is removed, so there is nothing left but to engage and let the ideas flow.

I encourage everyone to check out Tumblr–it doesn’t constrain you like Twitter and does not make everything about the destination, like Facebook–it is yours.

As part of my effort to gain sponsorship from a bike company (or a local shop: Conte’s, City Bikes, The Bike Rack, Bonzai, Revolution Cycle, Capital Hill Bikes–Jamis, Felt,, Trek, Giant, Scott and to establish an in-kind services relationship (free online communications strategy and outreach  for  Tour D’Afrique and the sponsoring bike company) I will be using Tumblr as a keystone in the creation of my outreach strategies

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More on super awesome bike tours: Tour D’Afrique, LTD

October 25, 2009 in Cycling | No comments

OK, I am still seeking sponsorship–seriously, consider me your two wheeled ambassador of good will & adventure. I am going to work out my initial strategy and plan to target U.S. bike makers–have one you would like to see sponsor me, let me know by leaving a comment below. Facebook folks you can follow and comment on Tony-K.org.

I have been doing some more reading on the organizing company’s (Tour D’Afrique, LTD) site and have learned they have several tours they organize and they have thought about the time and money issue a bit–each tour can be done as a whole or in stages. With the staged approach I would like to note to potential sponsors, this does not change my offer to be your advocate and brand ambassador on these rides but it does mean we can have even more time and locations to help build your brand and increase your audience/customer base….

The Silk Road Tour, is part of the their Epic Tour series, they also have started a Dream Tour series–design your own and make it part of the tour services they offer, currently in Beta–there is one Dream Tour posted–the amber route (St. Petersburg to Vienna).

Tour D’Afrique also has a foundation–I am really becoming enamored with this company.

The Tour d’Afrique Foundation is an integral part of our company vision. The foundation was set up at the same time as the Tour d’Afrique Bicycle Race/Expedition to fulfill key elements of our mission:

  • To give something back to the people and the communities of the areas that we pass through on our cycling tours.
  • To raise consciousness about bicycles as an alternative and, in many ways, better and more beneficial means of transport.

To fulfill these objectives the company has focused on:

  • donating bikes to individuals and organizations in Africa
  • supporting bicycle advocacy and promoting projects that protect the environment
  • encouraging participants in the tour to raise funds for their favored charity whether in their home country or in Africa or both

When it comes to raising consciousness about the bicycle as an alternative mean of transport, we feel that simply by having riders complete the 12,000 km journey year after year, the Tour d`Afrique makes an impressive and significant point about bicycles and their potential use. To quote the writer Iris Murdoch; “The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.”

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Awesome bike tour: if time and money were no object

October 24, 2009 in Cycling | No comments

Check out this bike tour posted on Bike Rumor, the Silk Road Open Tour open as a race and tour (for us mere mortals). Anyone want to sponsor me, I will provide daily coverage and marketing opportunities—seriously anyone? Jamis, Trek, Giant, Cervelo, Felt, Travel Agencies, USAID, UN?

Ride your bike in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Marco Polo and Genghis Khan across the most famous trade route in the world, the Silk Route.

silk-route-bicycle-tour-mapThe Silk Route epic tour is offered as a bicycle tour and a race, you can do either.  It’s put on by Tour d’Afrique Ltd., who since 2003 have put on the Tour d’Afrique, Orient Express and Vuelta Sudamericana bike tours and races.

The Silk Route carries you from Istanbul to Xi’an, with elevations ranging from below sea level to more than 3,600m (11,800ft) through the Taldyk Pass in Kyrgyzstan.  During the nearly 10,700km (6,649 miles) and 114 days of riding, you’ll pass through markets and civilizations that have been around for more than 2,000 years.  The route traces the steps of soldiers, merchants, monks and adventurers through some of the highest passes and harshest deserts as they created powerful political and trade routes as far back as 138 BC.

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