Cycling Adventurer: Links

The Cycling Adventurer
Links	Introduction

The links contained on this page have been "farmed" over some years, and concentrate on bicycling and the activities associated with bicycling. They have been divided into groups that hopefully will enable anyone to find their way to interesting and worthwhile information. Obviously, there is a bias towards my favourite form of cycling — touring — along with a bias towards Tasmanian links because the island off the southern tip of Australia is my home base.

There are links to several bicycle forums or discussion groups. I cannot guarantee that the content of these forums or any other page will conform to your perception of decency or behaviour. Most have responsible moderators who keep tight control; some are less moderated, with a resulting deliterious effect on content.

If you come across a website that you think might be useful and worth posting here, email me by using the Contact Me link. Please note that I won't post links as a matter of course without a thorough inspection of the linked sites, particularly with a view to them fitting my ideas on cycling. Offers of reciprocal linking will be welcomed, but again subject to the other sites' credentials.

Categories

Forums
Advocacy
Cycling Touring
Mechanics
Randonneuring
Bike Shops
Bike Hire
Training/Racing

Blogs
Oddities
Funny Bikes
Bike Trailers
Equipment
HPVs

	Forums
:	BikeForums	A well-organised set of forums covering just about every imaginable form of cycling. Lurkers are welcome, subscription is free, and an upgrade of USD$25 clears your screen of advertising.
:	Bikelist.org lists	This contains a range of lists that include the Internet-BOB (iBOB), Touring and Frame Builders discussion forums. It is hosted by Seattle cyclist Alex Wetmore, and contains a wealth of information in the searchable archives.
:	BikeJournal	This is a particularly well-run site that enables you to log all your cycling miles, gain a comparison with others, and to discuss all things bicycling on its forum.
:	Bicycling Forums	Bicycling magazine is a popular magazine among road-racers, but there are several useful forums for other cyclists among the list on this page. These include Maintenance, Fitness and Long Distance.
:	Advocacy
:	Bicycle Tasmania	Bicycle Tasmania (BikeTas) is a small advocacy organisation that is always struggling for members to follow through with its activities. This is a comprehensive website that details a range of activities, ranging from organised rides through to advocacy issues. Membership can be also be arranged through this site.
:	Ken Kifer	One of the great tragedies in cycling was the death of Ken Kifer when he was hit while riding his bicycle by a drunk driver (who was later sentenced to 20 years' jail). Ken had strong views on cycling advocacy, and his pages survive as a legacy to his pioneering work in providing cyclists around with the world with web-based practical advice based on extensive experience.
:	John Forester	John Forester is the author of "Effective Cycling" and other books that deal with government perception of cycling, and cycling safety. His style is often abrasive, but his principles generally are sound and worth following.
:	Bicycle Fed'n of Australia	This is the national cycling advocacy organisation that takes the State bodies such as Bicycle Tasmania under its umbrella.
:	Michael Bluejay	An interesting take on "How Not to Get Hit by Cars" and "Effective Cycling" by Micahel Bluejay.
:	Cycle Touring
:	Machka	This presents cycle touring from a woman's perspective, and includes journals of trips in Europe and Australia.
:	Crazyguyonabike	This is one of the most amazing cycling sites on the net. It is hosted by Neil Gunton, and has become a repository for hundreds of travelogues and journals by touring cyclists around the world. It is a resource for entertainment and information from people who have "done it". Take particular note of a journal by Wayne and Kristina Carpenter about their adventures through Asia; the writing is excellent and the photography fabulous!
:	Bicycle Touring 101	This site was a spin-off from the crazyguyonabike site. It was created by Jamie Noble to try to consolidate the "how-to" information on one site. I am not sure about the site's organisation, but there is plenty of very useful stuff for novice and experienced cycling tourists.
:	Ken Kifer	The comprehensive nature of the late Ken Kifer's cycling life is such that anyone contemplating touring should consult his website that lives on despite his death. His philosophies on life, based on the writings of Thoreau, also are thought provoking.
:	Giro Tasmania Route	This web resource was created by Helen Beggs and Brad Phillips before they moved to Victoria to continue their careers. It is the single resource that is needed to tour Tasmania by a route that virtually circumnavigates the island. It has tips on everything you could imagine, including realistic distances on each day.
:	Discover Tasmania	This is the Tourism Tasmania site. Unfortunately, it is overloaded with graphics and takes a long time to download on dial-up. Nevertheless, it contains the information you might need to plan and book a cycle touring holiday in Tasmania.
:	Adventure Cycling	The American organisation that helped make cycle-touring a mainstream activity with its Bikecentennial Tour. It now offers maps and advice for touring all across North America. Members are entitled to even more information through magazines and access to non-public sections of the website.
:	Bike Maintenance
:	Sheldon Brown	Sheldon Brown is one of the United States' better known non-racing cycling identities. His information pages on bike maintenance are legendary and worth browsing to pick up all sorts of tips on how to keep your bicycle purring along.
:	Park Tools	This commercial website is for the high-quality US tool maker, Park Tools. Look for the "Repair Help" tab on the side menu and you will be presented with a comprehensive guide.
:	Randonneuring
:	Machka	Machka (Charlene Barach) is one of North America's most experienced female long-distance event riders, having finished four 1200km randonnees, numerous shorter ones, two 24-hour races, and over 100 rides of 100 miles or longer. Her advice and journals of events are based on hard-earned experience.
:	Ultra Marathon Cycling	This is an American organisation that promotes very long-distance competitive cycling and randonnees. It organises the annual Race Across America (RAAM) and various 24-hour races. Its pages contain a range of information on how to ride those distances, with particular emphasis on training and body management.
:	Audax Australia	This is the umbrella organisation for long-distance road and off-road events in Australia. There is a national calendar of events, as well as other resources.
:	Bike Shops
:	McBain Cycles	This is my Local Bike Shop (LBS) which has looked after me for around seven years in the supply of bikes and equipment. The website is a bit lightweight, but the staff are more than happy to help out face-to-face.
:	St Kilda Cycles	This is a Melbourne bike shop that specialises in stocking bikes and equipment for the touring cyclists. The shop also is the exclusive Australian importer of Schmidt dynohubs and Busch and Muller lights and dynamos. Mail orders are taken, with a P&H cost of $10.
:	Dean Woods Direct	It's hard to believe that a bike shop in Wangaratta in country Victoria could be successful and competitive, but that is the internet and mail-order business. I've just started using this site with its good pricing and fast service. The stock range isn't particularly comprehensive, but still useful.
:	Bike Hire
:	Island Cycle Tours	As the title suggests, this is a tour company, but also hires good quality mountain bikes for short and long-term uses.
:	Bike Hire Tasmania	This is a subsidiary of Ray Appleby Cycles in Hobart and Launceston, and offers quality short and long-term bike hire.
:	Training and Racing
:	Analytic Cycling	If you are so wrapped up in your cycling science, then this is the site for you. Key in various parameters to get figures on how you can perform at a higher level.
:	Cycling Australia	The parent body for bicycle racing in Australia. This link will provide you with the latest news and information of licence fees.
:	Calculator	Another site that enables a range of calculations to be made about bicycles.
:	Blogs
:	Chris Lewthwaite	I met Chris when he toured Tasmania several years ago. As a frequent poster on various forums, he is forthright and knowledgeable in his cycling. He lives on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, and regularly does battle with mad-driver traffic there. But his main interest is in touring. His blog keeps us in touch with all manner of cycling matters.
:	Kent Peterson	As mentioned in the Touring list, Kent Peterson is something of a legendary figure in long-distance bicycle riding. He now works in cycling advocacy and posts regularly about his experiences and his advice for all types of riding.
:	Oddities
:	Chunk Bike	Never heard of the incredible cycling couch? Well now you will if you go to this website and follow the adventures of two guys on a couch. It puts a new meaning on the saying "couch potato".
:	Funny Bicycles
:	Chunk Bike	This web site has been around for a long time, and shows how an adventurous mind and welder can create bikes that no-one ever though possible, let alone ride. I want one... or two.. or five!
:	Bicycle Trailers
:	Bikes At Work	Bikes at Work set the standard for heavy-duty bicycle trailers. Their products have been used to move furniture and other chattels between units. The company also makesa variety of tailorable trailers up to lengths suitable for towing canoes and kayaks. This site is well worth a visit.
:	Equipment
:	Cobbworks	This business is famous for recycling plastic buckets to make the Oyster Bucket pannier system for bicycles. It's so simple that most people could make a pair if they tried, but at only $80 from Cobbworks, why bother?
:	HPVs
:	HPV Directory	A directory of Human-Powered Vehicles with categories for recumbents, watercraft and handcycling.

Top of Page