The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Can mountain bikers be green?

Phillip Barron The Herald Sun DURHAM — Many mountain bikers pick up the sport as another way to spend time in the woods. But not all trails let an environmentally conscious rider enjoy the ride. Improperly built trails soon develop deep ruts in the ground and can damage sensitive vegetation, especially if those trails are carved through low-lying areas that stay wet. Perhaps worse are the poorly constructed stunt zones where deep holes are dug or wooden structures are built hastily. If built of untreated lumber, these structures quickly rot becoming both neighborhood blight and safety hazards. Trails like these […]

The Outspokin’ Cyclist: Some athletes lose sight of sportsmanship of biking

Phillip Barron The Herald Sun Jan Ulrich and Ivan Basso lost their bids for the yellow jersey to Operation Puerta before this year’s Tour de France even began. Operation Puerta isn’t a new contender for victory; it’s a six-month doping investigation and arguably the most significant doping scandal of bicycle racing. Thanks to OP, thirteen professional riders were kicked out of the race and more than forty others are involved in a continuing investigation. Around the same time Operation Puerta’s news was breaking, Lance Armstrong was wrapping up his latest victory. He settled a libel suit with a British newspaper […]