Free Republic

Trials riding is a test of talents in maneuvering a standard road or mountain bike over rugged trails and uneven obstacles. Several well known riders are continually raising the bar for each other to compete outside of organized events. When it comes to combining talent, guts and a bit of insanity, Italian thrill seeker Vittorio Brumotti is traveling the world and becoming wealthy with his extraordinary balance and cycling mastery.

In Oregon, a state known for its avid bicycling culture, the state Legislature’s approval of the first bike tax in the nation has fallen flat with riders. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the sweeping $5.3 billion transportation package, which includes a $15 excise tax on the sale of bicycles costing more than $200 with a wheel diameter of at least 26 inches. Even though the funding has been earmarked for improvements that will benefit cyclists, the tax has managed to irk both anti-tax Republicans and environmentally conscious bikers. BikePortland publisher Jonathan Maus called it “an unprecedented step...

Southern California police are searching for a motorcyclist who was involved in an alleged road rage incident that injured one person on Wednesday. Around 5:45 a.m., witnesses driving southbound on State Road 14 near Newhall Avenue in Santa Clarita, California, filmed an altercation between the motorcyclist and the driver of a silver sedan, according to California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Joshua Greengard. In the video, the motorcyclist appears to try to kick the sedan on the right. In response, the sedan veers to the left and briefly collides with the motorcyclist before losing control and crashing into the highway divider wall....

<p>At least one business on Ocean Boulevard was closed throughout much of Memorial Day weekend, prompting a complaint to the NAACP.</p> <p>That business, the restaurant and bar at the Second Avenue Pier, was shut down from at least Friday through Sunday, The Sun News found. Anson Asaka, associate general counsel for the NAACP, confirmed they received a complaint.</p>

Poor, poor Pronto.Seattle’s beleaguered bike-share system is not long for this world. Its last day of operation will be Friday. After a weekend in purgatory, work crews will begin taking down and packing up the program’s 54 stations and 500 bikes on Monday. That process will last about two weeks, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) said.

Mike Pence has great resolve on one thing once he becomes Veep ... exercise. We got Pence on Captiol Hill Tuesday and it seems he's not putting the bike he regularly rides into storage. It creates an interesting problem for the Secret Service if Pence ventures out into the open. President Clinton famously jogged around the Lincoln Memorial and the Potomac ... a big security challenge. We're guessing the subject of stationary bikes will come up soon.

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES (FRANCE) (AFP) - Robert Marchand is chasing another world record when he jumps on his bike to compete in the senior hour endurance on Wednesday. Make that uber-senior -- for, while still sprightly, the Frenchman is 105 years old and racing in a category all of his own. Three years ago he managed to ride 26.927 kilometres (nearly 17 miles) at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome outside Paris, a record for someone aged over 100.

After decades of offshoring, established bicycle brands and entrepreneurs are bringing bicycle manufacturing back to the United States as overseas costs rise and companies realize the value of "local for local" production. Kent International will roll out approximately 350,000 bikes at its Manning, S.C. factory, but expects to produce about 500,000 bikes in the U.S. in 2017, and has set a target to ramp up to more than 1 million bicycles by 2020. From hand-crafted boutique brands to high-volume manufacturing and assembly, dedicated U.S. bicycle makers are reshoring bike production to the U.S. A confluence of factors including rising offshore...

Determined was a good word to describe Jillian Bearden, who won the women’s 106-mile race in 4:36.07. Bearden, who is transgender, rode for the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance — SAGA — to promote gender inclusion within cycling. Saturday marked the 36-year-old’s first El Tour, which is Southern Arizona’s largest participatory sporting event.

Wilmette Police "are seeking to check the well-being" of the 49-year-old, they said in a brief press release. Police were called after O'Connor "left the Wilmette area" for a bicycle ride at 0600 local time on Sunday, and had not returned after more than a day. No more information is currently available, police say. O'Connor became a global star in 1990 with the worldwide hit Nothing Compares 2 U, a song written by Prince. She has recorded 10 solo albums but has also made headlines with controversial outbursts throughout her career. In 1992, she ripped apart a photo of Pope...

Construction on a bike highway — hoped to connect communities to make high-speed, emissions-free commuting possible — is underway in Germany. But with funding in question, will this bikers’ dream still come true? […] The cost-benefit relation presented by the RVR is optimistic: Benefits equal nearly five times more than costs. Figures indicate the bike autobahn would save €11.5 million yearly on medical expenses due to the health benefits of greater physical activity and reduced pollution, while it would also save €6.3 million through prevented accidents. But money is lacking to complete the project, estimated at €184 million. For the...

I find most all vehicles interesting somehow -historically, artistically, or the technology- but was always more of a 'car guy' than into bikes. I've ridden a little but never actually owned a street bike of any sort. So forgive me if I'm out-of-it but I never even heard of the 1981-83 'Honda Motocompo' portable motorcycle until last week, just stumbled across it on the net.  Seems to have quite a following, and the dandy lil' 50cc scooter-ish thing was meant to be ordered along with new cars (in Japan) too, where it could be purchased as an option- it fit neatly...

I've seen some bike tricks, but not like this. Although the music needs to change. It's depressing.

With less than 1,000 motorcycles sold in the U.S. last year, the Royal Enfield brand has a somewhat underground presence. But the newly hired Milwaukee team — equipped with years of experience at Harley-Davidson Inc. — plans to change that. Royal Enfield last month announced it has set up a North American headquarters for distribution and sales in Milwaukee, with Rod Copes, former head of global sales and customer service for Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG), at the helm as president. Copes' team set aggressive distribution goals for the end of 2016, looking to serve the middleweight motorcycle market as...

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A cyclist in Minneapolis never saw what hit him, but a witness said it was a vicious attack. Mackenzie Jensen has a fractured jaw after someone threw a chunk of concrete at his face from a passing vehicle. Jensen was biking on 41st Street in south Minneapolis Friday afternoon when it happened. He wasn’t doing anything wrong when police say a man drove by in a white Bronco, hurling a concrete chunk the size of a brick at Mackenzie’s head. Police say witnesses saw the man wore a glove, his hands protected from the rough cement. While...

Police Issue Warning After Cyclists Randomly Attacked In Minneapolis MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Random attacks against bicyclists in Minneapolis are prompting warnings Sunday from police. We’ll warn you, there are disturbing photos with this story as someone’s been throwing chunks of concrete at bikers. Two people were hit on Friday in separate incidents, including 20-year-old Mackenzie Jensen of south Minneapolis. He was biking on a quiet south Minneapolis block of 41st Street when officers say he was attacked out of the blue. A woman who was hit was in the same area. The female victim was grazed with the chunk of...

(Photo: Victory Motorcycles, website) A Minnesota company appears to have beaten Harley-Davidson to the punch by unveiling its first electric street motorcycle. Medina-based Polaris Industries, makers of Indian and Victory motorcycles, has this week revealed its “Empulse TT” high-performance sport bike, which runs without gas and has a top speed of 110mph. The Pioneer Press reports that with the Empulse appearing in Victory dealerships by the end of the year, Polaris has secured a key advantage over competitors Harley, whose Project LiveWire motorcycle won’t be brought to market until battery technology has improved enough to allow for longer driving distances....

Several cyclists were injured Saturday morning after crashing into a dead alligator that was blocking a Weston road. The cyclists were riding on State Road 84 near Indian Trace Road in Weston, according to city officials. That's when the first riders hit the animal, causing a chain reaction crash. Broward Sheriff's Office FIre Rescue transported four of the injured cyclists to area hospitals. They have not been identified, and their conditions were not released.

Secretary of State John Kerry suffered a broken leg in a bike accident in France early Sunday, and will return to the U.S. for treatment, the State Department said. The cycling accident occurred near Scionzier, France, about 25 miles from Geneva, where Kerry had been holding nuclear talks with Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif. Kerry was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Geneva in a stable condition, and is said to be in good spirits. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Kerry had suffered a broken femur, but is expected to make a full recovery.

A drunken New Smyrna Beach bicyclist whose drive-through order at Taco Bell was rejected because he wasn't in a car refused to leave the restaurant then tussled with police, according to an arrest report. Gabriel Harris, 33, was charged with resisting an officer with violence in the late-night incident and was out of the Volusia County Branch Jail on $1,000 bail, records show.