How Short is Two Miles ............................Page 4 Road Testing a Marriage .........................Page 8 Redline Cup ...............................................Page 9 36 YEARS AS THE NORTHWEST CYCLING AUTHORITY WWW.BICYCLEPAPER.COM WINTER 2007 • FREE a CHALLENGE Kevin Chong: Pushing the Limits, One—Mile at a Time BY MELINA LAMBUTH AND AMY ENSIGN nerves or muscles; it happens because of abnormalities in the parts of the Kevin Chong is a man who doesn’t brain that control muscle movement. give up. Living with cerebral palsy Chong’s CP affects his left side, (CP) since a young age, he briefly including his arm, his leg, and his tried to conquer the bicycle as a vision. He doesn’t have seizures. child. Although his attempt at riding Until recently, Chong had yet was enough to scare him away from to test his cycling skills in anything the sport for many longer than a quick years, at the age of I love how fast I bike ride. Just two 21 he was convinced can travel with my weeks before the by a friend to give own power. With my 2007 Seattle to the bicycle another Portland Bicycle chance. In 30 minutes disability, I walk too slow. Classic, Chong’s he had it down. best friend Kirk According to the National Institute Chandler made the suggestion that of Neurological Disorders and they ride in the event together. Not Photo courtesy Arkel Overdesign, Tai Lee and CY•FI 2007 Photo courtesy Arkel Overdesign, Tai Stroke, cerebral palsy is any one of knowing where they were going to Arkel’s seat bag (top left), Waterford Gunnar CrossHairs (top right) and Cy•fi wireless speaker for bike a number of neurological disorders stay and unable to register on the (bottom row). that permanently affects muscle Internet the night before, the two men coordination and body movement. It arrived at the start line and were able typically appears in infancy or early to purchase tickets. With the help of a childhood, but it doesn’t worsen over See “Chong” on page 4 Equipment and Products for all Taste time. It isn’t caused by problems in the BY TAI LEE, BRITTANY SCHOOLEY AND CLAIRE BONIN fork, with traditional bent legs, creates the effect of a RACING Cycling manufacturers never stop coming up a softer, larger tire, without the increase in weight with and developing new ideas or improving on and rolling resistance. International Racing Hit Seattle some already available. Other industries are also The CrossHairs isn’t the bike you could do trying to grab bicyclists’ attention with new gadgets everything on, but it’s the one you could do most BY JOE SALES that they hope you will find indispensable. In things on. Fast group rides, ‘cross racing, gravel trails, surprisingly similar results. preparation for the upcoming holidays and the new centuries, commuting, and light touring are all well The Northwest cyclo-cross season Terry Buchanan, the lead promoter 2008 season, our staff has identified some products within reach of this bike’s capabilities. is well underway, and another wild for Star-Crossed’s host club Hagens that range from practical and comfortable to “feel Frame and fork retail for $1,025. For more and exciting Star-Crossed race has Berman Cycling Team, has developed good” and wireless. information: www.GunnarBikes.com come and gone. There were a few key a winning template for his event: differences to this year’s annual race, night racing under bright lights, loud One Bike to Do Almost Everything Cy•fi—Hi-Fi for Your Bicycle including bringing back the Union music with a DJ, and a loquacious and The Waterford Gunnar CrossHairs manages to The dilemma of using headphones while biking is Cycliste Internationale (UCI) sanction enthusiastic race announcer pumping fill a well-overlooked void in the cycling industry, no longer an issue with Cy•fi’s new wireless bicycle and pairing it with the Rad Racing up the crowd with hyperbole and namely: What bike would you get if you could truly speaker for iPods—the first of its kind. Cy•fi, Hi-Fi for GP the following providing play- only have one? your bicycle, was introduced at the Interbike Show in day to create an by-play reports With its steeper headtube, shorter fork rake, and Las Vegas, Nevada last September, and is the perfect international from around the low bottom bracket, the CrossHairs mimics the ride reason for music-loving cyclists to be excited. The doubleheader in course. Add to and feel of a road bike. However, its cantilever brake portable speaker can be easily mounted onto a bike’s the greater Seattle this a lot of beer, bosses, flat crown fork, and longer chainstays allows handlebars, and allows riders to listen to their favorite area. The Rad GP freely flowing one to run tires up to 38mm wide plus fenders. tunes while maintaining awareness of traffic. has previously in the beer Waterford has a long-established reputation for The initial idea behind this design was to let been part of garden, which crafting great steel bikes. With their Gunnar brand cyclists listen to their music without the danger of the national US is situated in the they emphasis value without skimping on the quality. headphones, and to offer an easily accessible speaker Gran Prix (USGP) most spectator- The CrossHairs comes with Waterford’s OS2 tubing, with the highest sound quality. Cy•fi gives riders a series, but Photo by Joe Sales friendly part which is a large-diameter, thin-walled version of True different day-to-day biking experience by eliminating changes to the Rad Racing junior racers dominate of the course, Temper’s “air hardening” OX Platinum tubing also earbugs, so the neighboring bicyclists, pedestrians, racing calendar the Cat 3 Event. giving partiers used by Waterford for its custom bikes. The value and even drivers may hear what’s playing. meant that the series would not visit a close view of both the barriers comes from less-expensive TIG-welded construction Riders like Jeff Lotman, CEO of Global Icons and Washington state, but rather make a crossing and the finish line. It’s a and standardized sizing and paint. founder of Cy•fi, won’t have to compromise their love dual appearance in Portland, Oregon combination that attracted over 400 All these technical details add up to an incredible of music while biking anymore—they can have both in early December. With back-to-back racers and about 2,000 very loud, and riding bike. A quick ride through Pike Place at the same time! Lotman, who is a devoted bicyclist, Star-Crossed and Rad GP, racers enthusiastic race fans. Market’s old brick roads proves the CrossHairs’s understood the importance of being aware of his and fans were greeted with great With all the adult-themed incredible ability to soak up broken pavement. The racing opportunities at two events spectator fun, it would be easy to OS2 tubing keeps the bike’s weight down while that couldn’t be more different in forget that Star-Crossed is incredibly See “Products” on page 7 providing solid ride qualities. The flat-crown lugged atmosphere and venue. Yet, at the See “Cross” on page 5 end of the weekend, they produced NEWS BTA Board Selects New Executive Director Seattle Bicycle Master safety-education portion. The goal is to triple commuting by bike during that period. COURTESY BTA Born and raised in Monroe, NY, Scott Plan Approved The city has budgeted $27 million for cycling received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sci- projects, although some large projects listed in Monday, October 22, 2007 — The Bicycle ence from the State University of New York in On November 5, The Seattle City Council the plan would require an additional $240 mil- Transportation Alliance’s Board of Directors has Albany. He moved to Portland in 1994 to work unanimously approved the 10-year Bicycle lion. Priorities set in the plan include building selected Scott Bricker to be the new Executive at Metro as a Transportation Planning Intern and Master Plan (BMP). This comprehensive road the Ballard Golden Gardens link, the Ship Canal Director. This comes following pursue a graduate degree. map proposes the addition of 118 miles of Trail, and the Queen Anne bridge. a nationwide executive search He received his Master’s in new bike lanes and 19 miles of trails, build- Later this month, the city will consider send- process that involved the Board Urban and Regional Plan- ing overpasses and bridges, the development ing $7 million to take care of the Burke-Gilman of Directors, members of the ning from Portland State of bike boulevards, the addition or widening “missing link.” BTA staff and the community University in 1998 and was of bike lanes, and the creation of signage to The complete plan can be found at www. at-large. The search committee hired by the BTA later that increase awareness. The BMP also includes a seattle.gov/Transportation/bikemaster.htm. received 13 applications from year. As the BTA has grown, around the U.S. and Canada and he has served as Education interviewed four. Manager, Education Director, Serving as the interim Ex- Policy and Education Direc- Sydor Inducted to the Championships cross-country ecutive Director following the tor, and Policy Director until Hall of Fame podiums, and many National departure of Evan Manvel, becoming Interim Executive Champion titles, among Scott has worked for the BTA Photo courtesy of BTA Director. As Policy Director, Three-time cross-country World Champion others. For 13 consecutive for nine years. He has been part Scott Bricker Scott successfully lobbied Alison Sydor was inducted into the Mountain years, she never finished of its transformation from a three-person local the legislature to pass bills in the 2003, 2005, Bike Hall of Fame last September.