I recently heard about the Tour d`Afrique from a traveler who dreamed to someday participate in the organized tour across Africa. I remember thinking, WOW, impressive to think that there are people willing to organize a 12,000 kilometer ride over four months. Then I saw on The Adventure Blog (solid adventure coverage) that the company runs other tours/races and a cool new travel concept they call Dream Tours.

Tour d`Afrique offers their classic race/tour acrossAfrica, but also a route across South America, another from China to Turkey, and one that follows the Silk Route.

The South American route is advertised as a multi-part stage race, and riders can sign up for just one stage or the entire 12,000 kilometer tour. At over 11,000 dollars for the entry fee, I can´t imagine too many people wanting to actually speed their way through such a beautiful section of the world, but if there are riders that compete seriously in this race, it will be one of the more challenging races in the world. Check out the blog updates for the race.

One of the cooler ideas of the company is their new Dream Tours concept, where you come up with your dream bicycle route and present it to other riders in the cycling community. Once there are enough people interested in sharing your dream route, the company will put all the logistics together and actually make the trip happen. Whoever dreamed up the trip from the start will get to join for free.

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The Riding the Spine crew just got ahold of Xtracycle´s prototype Heavy Duty Freeradical.

If there is anybody who could give the new heavy duty version of the Xtracycle a worthy trial run, it´s gotta be these guys. RTS have been finding some of the most obscure backcountry routes across the Americas, encountering landslides, drug traffickers, and 4,000 meter climbs. Even though the traditional Xtracycle is more than substantial for 95% of its riders, the folks at Xtracycle were still down to make a heavier duty model for the other 5% of riders looking to take the Xtracycle that extra rough mile.

The Xtracycle has been aptly marketed as a “sport utility bicycle” and offers stabilit/performance like no other load carrying bike/trailer, etc. Even with a fully-loaded Xtracycle, whether carrrying your groceries, all your camping equipment, or even a kayak, it will still ride like a shortbike. No tug/pull/push that a trailer offers and a lower center of gravity are some of Xtracycle´s more notable features. They are perfect for those looking to live a car free lifestyle! Check out some more photos and a brief review of the new Xtracycle.
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Wheelchair designed from bicycle parts helps people with disabilities in developing regions around the world. Designed originally by CalTech students, it has recently been introduced through a pilot project to people in Guatemala through the non-profit Intelligent Mobility International, who won the Breakthrough Award by Popular Mechanics in 2008 for it´s innovative design. The pilot program has been “working closely with Guatemalans to produce a simple, inexpensive chair made from common materials found worldwide – most notably bicycle parts.”

American-made wheelchairs are available, but in a country where families make an average of $200 per month, it’s virtually impossible to buy a standard, non-motorized wheelchair from the US, which cost around $400 – $2000. And even when they do get an American chair, they rarely last says Dan Oliver (Part of IMI´s design team). “They’re made for hospitals, which have smooth floors,” he explains. “So in a place like Guatemala, which has rough terrain, they tend to break down quickly, in less than a month. And most of the parts are all custom-made, so they have to send away for replacement parts, which are expensive.”
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These fraternal twins started skating when they were 6 years old and have been killing it ever since. Veritable skateboard prodigies, these groms have been winning competitions across the country and have been stacking up sponsorships along the way. You can see how natural their talent is in the video; they clearly belong on skateboards.

In 2008 they were nominated in top 10 for Sports Illustrated Kids of the Year, have made appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and TV/Magazines in the US and abroad. Their sponsors include: Nike 6.0, Powell Skateboards, Glamour Kills, Bones Swiss, Gatorade, Autobahn, Khiro, The 187, PLA, S-One and Sk8nuts.

Will be exciting to see what the Puehse Twins will accomplish in skateboarding over the years. Check out their site for more information.

Also, a few more skateboarding videos that are worth watching:
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I just got home from the USAC Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge, CO. This is the 2nd year they’ve held Marathon Nationals at this high altitude venue. The race course is two laps on a 25 mile technical, high alpine course. It’s fabulous terrain and one of the best run races I’ve done, but the altitude is a huge factor. The race starts around 9500 ft in the town of Breckenridge and tops out above 11,000 ft. The 800 athletes roll out as the start of the 4th of July parade with hundreds of people lining the streets in their lawn chairs, cheering as we cruise by in our lycra.

Flying by…see the front wheel not even touching the ground. Photo courtesy of Liam Doran
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The June numbers are available for the USARA National Rankings.

Presented By:

July 4, 2009

TEAM NAME/ POINTS
1. Nature Cure 193.00
2. Berlin Bike 180.00
3. Checkpoint Zero/Inov-8 131.00
4. Alpine Shop 127.00
5. Vignette 122.00
6. Shake-A-Leg Miami 101.00
7. Eastern Mountain Sports 88.00
8. Citgo/Gray Goat Multisport Team 87.00
9. Team Peanut Butter 79.00
10. Werewolves of Austin 76.00

UPDATE: TWEET/ROUNDTHEOUTSIDE: He’s done it! Riaan Manser has completed his 5000km circumnavigation of Madagascar by kayak, alone and unaided. Take a bow Mr Manser!
-Wed. July 8, 2009

One of the more impressive adventures I´ve come across in a long time. South African kayaker, Riaan Manser is on route to become the first person to kayak, alone and unaided, around the world’s fourth largest island – Madagascar.

His journey began at the eastern port town of Tamatave, heading north and traveling counter-clockwise around the island. He departed in August 2008 and has covered all but 200 of the 5000km journey. He expects to complete this expedition July 11th.

He has been TWEETing his progress and keeping up a site with photos, updates, and a progress map.

Previous to his kayak trip, he had circumnavigated Africa on his bicycle, a 36,500 kilometer trip that took him through 34 countries in just over 2 years.

Way to go Riaan!!! We are cheering you on as you paddle your last miles. Very impressive adventure.

With Primal Quest less than 7 weeks away, I’ve been feeling the pressure to bring all my skills up to par. My mountain biking fitness and skills are already honed in since I’ve been focusing mostly on 24 hours mountain biking races in the last few months and pulled off a win in my last race. But, I can’t say that much about my running fitness. I’ve only been running short distances lately since I’ve been recovering from cracked ribs from a crash at the mtn bike race. I feel like I’m running like an elephant despite my lightweight frame. It’s amazing how cycling specific muscles take some time to adapt to running. Still, I feel that I have enough time to bring my running up to par in time for PQ. I just need to stay disciplined and put in the hours. That’s why last night after a longer than expected work day, my girlfriend (Sylvie) and I ran for 2 hours at night and got home at midnight. It’s not always easy to balance all of life’s responsibilities so that’s why I use all hours of the day to train, work or take care of personal things. Unless you’re lucky and don’t have to work, most adventure racers are in the same predicament. I also need to increase my paddling distances in the coming weeks and dust off my map skills. I hate to admit it but I haven’t looked at a map since the World Championships in November 2008. Like all skills, if you don’t use them, you lose ‘em. I’ll be exploring with a map in hand from now on.

So, to take advantage of the long weekend and to kick off my long distance trail running sessions, tomorrow I’m running the first 26 miles of the Angeles Crest 100 mile race course with my business partner, Christian Burke of FeedTheMachine and SportMulti, Eric Sullivan (Sully) of team Salomon / Crested Butte who is visiting from Colorado, and Sylvie my regular and fast ultra running partner.
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Mark your calendars! Untamed New England, the 3 day, non-stop adventure race will begin at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel on July 9th. Race disciplines include; trekking, biking, paddling, ropes, navigation and conservation projects. Untamed Adventure is proud to be a part of the Adventure Race World Series this year, organizing the only qualifier in North America. Teams from all over the world will be traveling to New Hampshire to compete for entry into the Adventure Race World Series Finals in Portugal.

After an award winning debut edition last Summer, the Untamed New England Adventure Race joins with premiere races from around the planet in the Adventure Racing World Series (AR World Series). Podium finishers at Untamed New England will battle for over $10,000 in prizes and qualify for the World Championship race being held in Portugal in December 2009.

“We’re excited by the opportunities this opens for our race, for the New England region, for the American and Canadian teams who deserve a World Championship Qualifier on their own home turf, and for the environmental causes we promote;” observed Untamed New England Director Grant Killian.

9 races around the globe host races as part of the AR World Series. In all of the races, teams compete non-stop for days of biking, trekking, paddling, orienteering, and other challenges. With this announcement, New England adds its name to this list of adventure destinations and participants in Untamed New England will explore the wilderness terrain of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Our website http://www.untamedne.com/ will have a live race portal tracking the progress of the teams and reporting all the exciting news as it happens on the race course throughout the three days.

Over the coming weeks leading up to the 2009 edition of Primal Quest, we will be following Team nuun-FeedTheMachine as they prepare for this epic event in the Badlands of South Dakota. We will discuss their gear, training, nutrition and more from one of the top teams (the team, DART-nuun, finished 4th in 2008 PQ Montana) in adventure racing.

Meet Team nuun-FeedTheMachine:

Cyril Jay-Rayon (Team Captain):
Cyril started DART Adventure Racing (In the early years, the team was known as Dirtworld Adventure Racing Team) in 2002 with Ryan VanGorder (aka RVG) and Jean-Francois Guertin (aka Frenchy). After retiring from XC mountain bike racing in 2001, he was looking for another sport to quench his competitive spirit. He found it one day while walking through downtown Hood River, OR. “I saw all these athletes milling around a grassy knoll with all sorts of gear strewn around gear bins. I asked one of them what they were up to and he explained what adventure racing was all about and that they were about to embark on a 24 hour adventure through Hood River’s amazing terrain – as part of the Balance Bar 24 hour National series. At that point, I knew I had found my new sport. I immediately thought adventure racing was an amazing concept that combined so many sport disciplines with the added components of extreme endurance, navigation, team work, and strategy. Talk about lighting up all the senses! ” explained Cyril. The following year, he was back in Hood River to compete in his first 24 hour race with RVG and Frenchy. They were hooked for good after the race. The rest is history … they are still racing today with abandonment and child like exuberance. “I get to travel to spectacular places around the world with a team of like-minded and dedicated athletes. I can’t ask for anything more!”
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With the start of the Red Bull X-Alps 2009 just a little over two weeks away, several of this year’s participating athletes gave their take on strategies, the competition, the course and more.

LLOYD PENNICUIK (AUS)

Q: What do you think of this year’s route?
LP: I think this race is incredible and the route is really exciting with most of the famous peaks in each country.

Q: Who do you think are your main challengers?
LP: For me its pretty much everyone, because I have virtually no experience in the Alps.

Q: What are your strategies for coping with the exhaustion of the event?
LP: Eat often but not too much.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most about this year’s race?
LP: Some good flying hopefully but meeting people is always the best.

Q: What are you dreading the most about this year’s race?
LP: I am really worried about maybe getting a minor injury that could put me out.

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The Yukon River Quest is the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world. Except for two mandatory rest stops totaling 10 hours, paddlers race non-stop over approximately 740 kilometers (460 miles) from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Held annually in the north during the last week of June (around the summer solstice), it is a true “Race to the Midnight Sun”. The YRQ is widely recognized now as one of the toughest ultra marathon paddling events on the planet, where the world’s best paddlers gather to compete.

2009 Official Winners & Special Awards

• 73 teams started the 2009 Yukon River Quest and 56 teams finished
• This was the 3rd largest field in the 11-year history of the event
• The women’s tandem canoe and tandem kayak records were broken
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AWM has been keeping tabs on the Tour Divide Race this year, the insane, self-supported 2,745 mile off road race from Banff, Canada down along the Continental Divide to Mexico. The coverage has been incredible, using SPOT Messengers, we can track all the riders progress LIVE, and the Tour Divide site also offers frequent podcasts and news from riders as they reach their various checkpoints.

Unfortunately, the most recent news is the kind of news you never want to hear:

Shortly after the Indiana Pass, Jill Homer encountered an ambulances carrying Pete Basinger after he collided with a truck head on. They let her into the ambulance briefly to speak with Pete and later makes a distressed call-in from Platoro with the news.

[Pete Basinger was] probably going 25 mph hit head on.. by a truck, in ummnh in a pretty remote area, they were trying to get him to an area where they could lifeflight him , they actually let me in the ambulance to talk to him, he was alert, he seemed to be in good spirits, ummh, but I dont´know what´s wrong, the extent of his injuries, i´ve called, since i´ve got to Platoro, tried to call all the local hospitals and haven´t been able to get any information, and uh I´ve just I´ve been kind of distraught…..
-Jill Homer from TD Site

We are anxiously awaiting news on Pete, and hope he is doing well.
UPDATED: He has been released from the hospital in Pueblo with broken bones but no critical injuries.

Matthew Lee finished with an unofficial time of 17d23h45m, with Kurt Refsnider finishing close behind. Chris Plesko is nearing the border as is Jacy and Tray Petervay on a tandem.
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The winner of Design21SDN´s Power To the Pedal Contest: The Pedal Power Pack, by Ben Decherd

This product combines elements of two very separate concepts to create a product which has multiple target group opportunities. Simply put, the product is a small power supply unit that recharges by attaching a bicycle.
Using design aspects of a stationary bike trainer and a portable power supply, the product offers consumers a way to power small everyday electronic devices during power outages.

The first possibility for use is in disaster relief. By offering a portable and renewable power source, families and communities can attempt to achieve some comfort in times of distress. A rugged and industrial look, as seen in this particular presentation, makes the device good for use in disaster zones.

The everyday consumer is another target group of this product. A less industrial look than used for the disaster relief version could allow this device to enter the home of the average consumer. A possible user could be the bike enthusiast who, instead of buying a traditional bike trainer, is attracted to the possibility of living a more sustainable life. Instead of wasting the exerted energy of indoor training rides, the consumer can get a return on the hard work. This device can save him or her money on electricity, offer a more eco-friendly lifestyle, and give users a better understanding of the true energy needed to power everyday electronics. The wide range of opportunities for this device and the simple steps need to use the product, would support its success in the market.
Quoted from Design21SDN

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