Mountain biking, one of safest sports today: Gary Fisher

Known worldwide as the father of mountain biking, Gary Fisher is a passionate advocate of the sport, which he says is much safer that other sporting activities such as soccer or fuel sports like motor racing.

On his maiden tour to India, Fisher says the country has probably one of the best natural habitats in the world to tempt the youth to “bomb down” off-road mountain trails.

“With mountain biking, the original reaction is like, are you crazy, that sounds insane. But with the advent of trek bikes which are practical and easy to ride the scenario has changed,” says Fisher who launched a premium bike by Firefox during his visit here.

While Firefox Bikes says it targets selling 3000 bikes per year of this collection, Fisher believes the sport has immense scope of exploration and appears to be popular in the corporate market as well.

“There are huge chances of one being hurt while playing soccer when a player hits the ball with his head but with the advent of new technology bikes mountain biking is comparatively safer,” he says.

Business Line : News / Sports : Mountain biking, one of safest sports today: Gary Fisher

Bat-inspired tech lets blind man ride mountain bike

A blind college student has successfully ridden a mountain bike down a trail with the help of bat-inspired technology that provides advanced warning of obstacles in the path so the rider can steer around them.
Dan Smith lost his sight a year ago due to Leber’s Optic Neuropathy, a rare condition that leads to loss of vision when cells in the optic nerve die, causing it to stop relaying information from the eyes to brain.

Bat-inspired tech lets blind man ride mountain bike - FutureTech on NBCNews.com

Village Dirtbags collecting bikes

With a name that makes them sound less than upstanding, the Village Dirtbags has a holiday mission that reveals a patriotic spirit and heart of gold.

For the seventh year, the mountain biking enthusiasts are collecting bicycles and helmets for children of military members stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
“The guys really look forward to this,” organizer Roger McConnell said of the bicyclists who make up the group.
This year, they hope to give away as many as 125 bikes and helmets.
“I think we’re pretty close to that mark,” he said.
The Village Dirtbags — their motto is “More than cycling” — began the program by giving out 12 bikes the first year. In 2011, they handed out 100.

Village Dirtbags collecting bikes : Vandenberg

Dirt Derby on Facebook

North Korea Has Found a Secret Unicorn Lair, Apparently - Global - The Atlantic Wire

Alexander Abad-Santos-

"Archaeologists of the History Institute of the DPRK Academy of Social Sciences have recently reconfirmed a lair of the unicorn rode by King Tongmyong, founder of the Koguryo Kingdom," reports the — wait. Stop. UNICORNS? That's an actual snippet from a report from the Korean Central News Agency, the state news agency of North Korea and fine, okay, we totally understand that this might be a retaliatory joke in response to China getting fooled by The Onion naming Kim Jong-un the Sexiest Man Alive or something.

But experts don't lie, do they?North Korea Has Found a Secret Unicorn Lair, Apparently - Global - The Atlantic Wire

The Spirit of the Old Eighteen lives!

The Flag for "The Battle for Gonzales"

In 1831, Mexican authorities gave the settlers of Gonzales a small cannon to help protect them from frequent Comanche raids. Over the next four years, the political situation in Mexico deteriorated, and in 1835 several states revolted. As the unrest spread, Colonel Domingo de Ugartechea, the commander of all Mexican troops in Texas, felt it unwise to leave the residents of Gonzales a weapon and requested the return of the cannon. When the initial request was refused, Ugartechea sent 100 dragoons to retrieve the cannon using peaceful means. The soldiers neared Gonzales on September 29, but the colonists used a variety of excuses to keep them from the town, while secretly sending messengers to request assistance from nearby communities. Within two days, up to 140 Texians gathered in Gonzales, all determined not to give up the cannon. On October 1, settlers voted to initiate a fight. Mexican soldiers opened fire as Texians approached their camp in the early hours of October 2. After several hours of desultory firing, Mexican soldiers withdrew.[1] Although the skirmish had little military significance, it marked a clear break between the colonists and the Mexican government and is considered to have been the start of the Texas Revolution. News of the skirmish spread throughout the United States, where it was often referred to as the "Lexington of Texas". The cannon's fate is disputed. It may have been buried and rediscovered in 1936, or it may have been seized by Mexican troops after the Battle of the Alamo.

Freeride Mountain Biking in BC

With unprecedented access to land, British Columbia is home to more mountain bike trails per capita than anywhere else in the world. From old growth rain forests to barren grasslands, BC's diverse landscape allows for every variety of trail to exist in one place. In BC, you can experience the evolution of mountain biking through the trails. From beaten down jumps on a vacant lot to massive back-country booters; from first descents that have never seen the tread of a tire to machine-made masterpieces. These trails connect all mountain bikers, and in BC, trail builders are the force that bring all riders together.

Vader dies in bike crash

Virginia Vader

 Be careful because you never know when it will be your last ride.  I hope she loved bikes.

A Bend doctor has died of injuries she sustained in a June 12 bike crash, Bend police said.
Virginia Vader, 60, was riding her bike in the northbound bicycle lane south of the Century Drive and Reed Market Road roundabout when for an unknown reason she crashed her bike. Police say there was nothing to indicate what caused the crash, and there was no vehicle or pedestrian traffic in the area that would have contributed. Vader was wearing a helmet, and was taken to the hospital for treatment of what police call “significant injuries.”
Vader, a pathologist with the Central Oregon Pathology Consultants, died several days later.
Sgt. Brian Beekman said single bike fatalities are unusual, and the cause of Vader’s crash could not be determined. Beekman said a friend who was biking with Vader and who witnessed the crash did not see anything obvious that would have caused it.
According to the Central Oregon Pathology Consultant web site, Vader had been with the organization since 2002.

No relation to Stretchy Pants Vader

Bend doctor dies in bike crash | | The Bulletin

Charlie Kelly's Mountain Bike Hubsite

Charlie Kelly's Mountain Bike HubSite

Fall, 1977. This photograph was taken in Fairfax by Jerry Riboli before the start of the first cross-country
"Enduro" race, promoted by Alan Bonds. From left, Fred Wolf, Wende Cragg, Mark Lindlow, Robert
Stewart, Chris Lang, James Preston, Ian Stewart, Charlie Kelly, Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Eric Fletcher,
Craig Mitchell, John Drum, Roy Rivers, Alan Bonds.

Charlie Kelly's Mountain Bike Hubsite

BMX 16ft Full Pipe Loop - Red Bull Full Circle

Real riders stand on the handlebars.