Lately I haven't offered much in the way of feedback on interesting cycling stories, but I will do my best to entertain now.  I will give you a little of my own while sharing some from the outside world.

It may surprise you that I don't follow the headlines of professional cycling much.  I believe in the "All politics is local" approach, except in this case it's "All cycling is local."  I have shared this thought with you before; what impacts us most is what's going on inside the local community.  Following TBRA, Bike/Walk Tennessee, Walk/Bike Nashville, governmental policies, area bicycling clubs and shops, etc. is much more important.  We should not get so caught up in the headlines of things that have absolutely no impact on our lives here at home.  I prefer to focus more on what's within reach, and once I've taken that pulse then I'll move on to a wider lens.

What I find sad is everything is getting reduced to a 140 character Tweet or Facebook post.  It began with newspaper headlines which led to the "sound bite" in television, and now we have 140 characters.  The reduction in thoughtful reading and comprehension is destroying our capacity of deep thought.  Yes of course I use Twitter and Facebook, but I do so with the intent to engage, entertain and keep you abreast of what I'm doing (hoping you're interested!).  The scary part is the younger generation communicate largely by Tweet, Facebook or text message - mostly the latter two.

I refuse to have the interest level in my passion or any other important topic to be whittled down to such narrow depth.  Moreover, I am unable to fully communicate what's in my heart if I keep the details to myself.  By now you realize I am incapable of giving bullet points.  Instead, I believe the details matter and ought to be said.  Sharing the full context of a mood, a moment, or an idea allows you to create your own feelings to farm for a fruitful harvest in a different way than I have for myself.  My experience is my own, and yours should be your own as well.  Don't take my word for it, but instead go live it yourself and pass it on!  If it stops with me or you then what good is it?

I realize the interest is much less about me and more about what I see and experience.  I share it with the hope your eyes will be opened and you'll feel a spark to tackle bigger goals.  If my offerings are not sparking thought or action by others then I have to reassess my own energy expenditure.  In other words, I am counting on you to take action and make a difference for yourselves and others.

I was reflecting upon the many nice places I visited in 2010: Madison, WI - Banner Elk, NC - St. Louis, MO - Indianapolis, IN - Austin, TX - Lake Tahoe - Golden, CO and Bend, OR to name just a few  There are even more beyond those highlights, and each one has its own unique story behind it.  I have been working on a Bend report lately, so you can expect that very soon.  As for 2011, I am already cooking up even better destinations!  There are several opportunities coming up that I'll explore and share with you.  Instead of being envious try to find a takeaway to benefit you, and if possible expand your horizon and explore for yourself!  It's not a vacation if you make it a normal occurrence; instead it's a lifestyle, so go for it.

Now time to get back to what I originally intended.....

Austin man finishes a bike race his heart donor never got to
This is an incredible story from Texas and involves my friend Andrew Willis, the promoter of the Thursday night Driveway Series there in Austin.  The death of a racer at a race you're promoting is every promoter's worst nightmare.  I was at a race in Tupelo years ago that a good friend promoted and he experienced a death there too.  It was a numbing experience for the entire community there, and goes to show we all should count our lucky stars more often.

Belmont launches bike share program
By now you have hopefully heard of this program through our friends at Halcyon near 12 South.  Belmont has been in the news under a negative cloud lately, but this is one thing they should be applauded for doing.  Check out there program here on their official Belmont Bikes page, and go here to a video story on Channel 4 News.

Nashville Bike Share Program
Remember, our city launched a program this past fall too!  This is the first free public bike rental program in the state of Tennessee.  No word yet on its success or shortcomings, but either way this is progress for bicycling.

Bicycling & Walking in Tennessee - Fact Sheet
Our state is spending more transportation dollars than the national average, but we are far behind in safety and safe routes to schools spending.  Plus, we are more obese than the national average.  The brightest note is we aren't getting killed as often because we're bicycling or walking.  One of the biggest holes I see is that bicycling laws are not covered in the motor vehicle driver manual or on the driver's test to acquire a license.  Creating an awareness at that level alone would have a tremendous positive impact on how bicyclists are treated in Tennessee.

After accident, mayor of LA is a bike advocate
When it becomes the big man's priority, things change.

Reading, Writing and Riding – Lees-McRae creates first cycling minor
This university in the mountains of North Carolina is way ahead of the curve on this one.  Leave it to small private liberal arts schools to recognize the value of the bicycling within the fabric of our society.  I don't have the official papers to prove it, but I think my life qualifies for a doctorate in this field of study!

Riding is My Ritalin
Here's a story many parents may be able to relate to from a cyclist at Marian University in Indianapolis.  Adam Leibovitz is an accomplished collegiate racer who has endured ADHD throughout his childhood, but the bicycle is helping him to overcome the problem.  After having raced against him many times and seen him race on the track I can confirm his concentration on the bike is outstanding.  Remember his name for the future!

Back in Among the Wheels
All I can say is you should read Alexi Grewal's website and keep up with his regular posts about his racing comeback.  That dude has got some incredible stories!  To start I recommend reading "Dans Mes Chassures."

Cyclocross Crash Bloopers
As I was getting close to attending Bend for cyclocross nationals this video came close to scaring me away.

5 athletes who blew their endorsements
One could argue the only things these five men lost was their dignity and the respect of millions of people.  If they were ever truly worried about losing endorsements over their real life problems then they never were worthy of admiration to begin with.  Time will tell right?  Life is more about redemption than anything else, and I for one hope they all are successful in that regard.

Sleep deprived? Your looks may suffer
Not only will our diet and exercise help us to look and feel healthy, but getting plenty of sleep each night can make a difference too.  The more interesting thing about this article is to scroll through all the comments below.  They ripped both photos to shreds pretty much.

The Racing Post - December 2010
This is a cool publication from the folks down in Texas.  Read page 8 titled Rally Report - Hugel Recount by Jacob Dodson.  I have heard about this mammoth climbing ride from several friends in Austin, and after riding many of those same hills I can verify this is the beastliest of efforts!  Jacob gives a good description of the suffering, and apparently is so tired he cannot separate paragraphs!  It's an unsanctioned ride that takes place every November and attracts a huge turnout.  They simply line up and go and tackle every single climb in the hills of west Austin.  If the info I received is correct then Nashville's very own Gray Skinner "won" the ride this year!

Total Cyclist talks with Bob Roll at 2010 24 Hours of Booty
Watch this interview by Chad Andrews to hear Bob's thoughts on many topics, but the most interesting take is on the issue of race radios at the professional level.  You can forward ahead to the 3m:20s mark to hear what he has to say.  Another cool story from Bob is at the 5:20 mark when he talks about the Giro d' Italia Gavia pass stage in 1988 when Andy Hampsten took the pink jersey and held on for the overall victory.  Those 7-11 guys were the true pioneers of American cycling.

Giro 1988: Andy's Epic Day
Now hear it from the man himself, incredible! ".....they knew damn well I was going to attack."  Against freezing temps, snow and amazing conditions Hampsten did what any reasonable bike racer would do - he attacked!  Read the story, soak up the details, see the photo - feel your jaw drop. 

In the end, he still gets emotional talking about it.  This is why we race our bikes.