Photo of the Day (3.1.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

When I think about bicycles in the mountains, it tends to immediately remind me of the Tour de France. I picture an aerial camera shot of the riders, decked out in colorful jerseys, struggling up some ridiculously steep mountain pass. Flickr user kyAnosaUm also had cycling on his mind when he took this photo he describes as “Huge Bicycles on the Pyrenees.” I know several Tour de France stages run through the Pyrenees – perhaps there’s some connection here? In any case I love the setting and the random bicycles – it makes for quite the intriguing visual.

Have any photos you’ve taken in the Pyrenees? Or maybe just in the Poconos? Why not add them to the Gadling photo pool on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Got what it takes to wear the yellow jersey?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Every cyclist dreams of pedaling through l’Arc de Triomphe and claiming endless glory. Short of that, there is nothing wrong with viewing the action first hand. Great Explorations has put together two trips for the coming year that deliver the latter (to ride it yourself, you have to earn it).

The first itinerary offers great views of at least three stages of the race, including the mountain stage finish at Le Grand Bornand, the individual time trial at Annecy and finish at Mt. Ventoux. The second itinerary takes you to Paris, where you can view the finish at along the Champs Elysees from balconies overlooking the course.

Both trips feature small groups with expert guides and carefully selected local restaurants. Best of all, you can ride the Mt. Ventoux stage ahead of the pros. We’ve all dreamed of this. Now, you can test your time against the pros! Start training immediately (after you book your trip, of course).

Play chicken in Helsinki traffic

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I was pretty impressed by Helsinki‘s public transportation, which was more than ample with trolleys, subways and buses. There were few SUVs, and the bike lane was rarely empty. While the Finns got the ingredients right, the mixing was … well … suboptimal.

The least menacing of the interesting transportation overlaps involves the bike lanes and sidewalk. Neither is clearly defined, and I almost got clipped by a cyclist my first day on the ground. And, that wasn’t the only Finn to take a shot at me. Of course, this is tame compared to the streets, in which cars, buses and trolleys jockey for position.

I actually saw a trolley, bus and car jammed in traffic, while a pedestrian walked straight into a guy wearing headphones while riding a purple woman’s bike. From my spot on the small patio in front of the Klaus K Hotel, I was able to enjoy the misfortune of others. But, I almost lost my arm at the hands of an errant cyclist while taking the few steps back to the front door.With Satan traveling the roads, what chance does any pedestrian have?

I snapped this shot with my Blackberry. This was the taxi in which I rode while in Helsinki over the summer. Needless to say, I did pause for a moment before getting in.

Ecotourism comes to Cambodia

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Mountain bikers can reclaim wilderness that once belonged to illegal loggers and poachers. Hidden in the foothills of Cambodia‘s Cardamom Mountains, the village of Chi Pat is now home to a mountain biking experience that is unparalleled in trail and impact.

This new program is the result of cooperation among Wildlife Alliance (formerly known as Wild Aid), Asia Adventures (a Cambodia-based adventure travel company) and the villagers of Chi Pat. Off-road cycling tourists are expected to bring a sustainable source of income to the villagers while exposing guests to some of the world’s last remaining virgin wilderness.

Chi Pat is two hours from Phnom Penh by boat and is portal to old logging routes, undulating trails and streams and shallow rivers. Ride through bamboo thicket, rain forest and hills while gazing upon waterfalls, bat caves and waterfalls. A lucky few will see rare wildlife, such as elephants.

Simply by mountain biking in Chi Pat, you can help the villagers reclaim their home from years of abuse by illicit tree-choppers and hunters. Merely enjoying yourself has never been so powerful.

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[Photos thanks to Asia Adventures]

King bed comes with wheels at some hotels

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Hotels naturally have trouble going green. Think about the really granular details of how they operate; there’s a lot that you might miss. How often do you see a bar of soap you used once replaced with a new one? Rolls of toilet paper are swapped when only a fraction is used. You have the option to use sheets or towels more than once, but the choice is yours … and how often to you choose to shower green? Nonetheless, some properties are making progress.

Several hotels are now offering two wheels instead of four. The Bowery Hotel in New York, Gansevoort South in Miami, James Chicago and Element in Lexington, MA have picked up stylish bicycles to entice guests to pedal rather than drive. Bikes from Jamis and Trek are included in this fusion of social responsibility and conspicuous luxury. Gansevoort, committed to matching the bikes’ aesthetic with that of its Miami backdrop, has opted for bikes from Puma-that glow in the dark.

Of course, the biggest problem that environmentally-friendly programs face is behavior. Hotels are loathe to force guests to change their behavior. And, who can blame them? No company wants to roll the dice on customers’ willingness to adapt. So far, the results seem positive. Element has had to order another nine Trek hybrids.

The jury’s still out, but let’s all cast a vote for pushing pedals.