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In any mechanism like bicycle, motor, watercraft or water boat, handlebars are important mechanism that drives your passion. It is a steering tool that maintains your balance when you drive it towards your way. It is also believed handlebars also support a portion of the rider’s weight on the bicycle or any driving mechanism. It is also somehow equivalent to the steering wheel mechanism used in four wheeler vehicles. You cannot think of a bicycle without a handlebar. If it removed you cannot drive it. This is one such essential part of bicycle that drives your bicycle wherever you want. Handlebars are specially designed for all different kinds of bicycles in different styles. It is manufactured keeping in view the different types of riding styles for any kind of riders.

Generally handlebars are made of aluminum alloys but it also made of some other metals. These metals can be steel, titanium, carbon fibre or some other alloys. Today you will varieties of handlebars to choose for your bicycle but earlier there were not much option to choose. Some of today’s most used types of handlebars are Drop, Flat or raiser, Upright or North road, Touring or Trekking, Triathlon or aero, BMX, cruiser, Moustache, Ape hangers and Recumbent. Drop handles have shallow or deep drop used on road or track bicycles. It has flat top section which brings more comfort to hands. Drop handlebars also have sometimes two or more longitudinal indentations. Raiser or flat bars are standard bars used for mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes. It is straight but slightly bent towards rider.  

Upright is also known as Townie because it has seen an upgrade in popularity on some of hybrid models and city bikes. Actually these are bars are swept back facing towards the rider. Touring type bars are known as “Butterfly” as it seen as broken figure of eight arrangement mounted horizontally on the stem. This bar allows rider to have comfort in their hands and also get an upright position. Triathlon or aero handlebars are specially designed for racing bicycles and time trial bicycles. Pursuit bars also popularly known as bullhorns because the bars are designed to look as curve up and forward just same as horns. This bar is named after the discipline of track racing where it was originally used at first. BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles and are more rise than straight also has a cross brace to provide rigidity and strength.

As BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles similarly cruise bars are used on cruiser bicycles. It appears to be long and slope towards the rear of the bicycle to allow riders to have comfortable sitting in upright position. Moustache bars resemble their name very well. The design of this bar is curve forward from the stem and then also back towards the rider. This designed came in concept from the school children in Japan as semi drop bars. Recumbent bicycles have lot in variety and so do not equipped with handlebars. It appears nowhere in the bicycle.

roby john

In any mechanism like bicycle, motor, watercraft or water boat, handlebars are important mechanism that drives your passion. It is a steering tool that maintains your balance when you drive it towards your way. It is also believed handlebars also support a portion of the rider’s weight on the bicycle or any driving mechanism. It is also somehow equivalent to the steering wheel mechanism used in four wheeler vehicles. You cannot think of a bicycle without a handlebar. If it removed you cannot drive it. This is one such essential part of bicycle that drives your bicycle wherever you want. Handlebars are specially designed for all different kinds of bicycles in different styles. It is manufactured keeping in view the different types of riding styles for any kind of riders.

Generally handlebars are made of aluminum alloys but it also made of some other metals. These metals can be steel, titanium, carbon fibre or some other alloys. Today you will varieties of handlebars to choose for your bicycle but earlier there were not much option to choose. Some of today’s most used types of handlebars are Drop, Flat or raiser, Upright or North road, Touring or Trekking, Triathlon or aero, BMX, cruiser, Moustache, Ape hangers and Recumbent. Drop handles have shallow or deep drop used on road or track bicycles. It has flat top section which brings more comfort to hands. Drop handlebars also have sometimes two or more longitudinal indentations. Raiser or flat bars are standard bars used for mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes. It is straight but slightly bent towards rider.  

Upright is also known as Townie because it has seen an upgrade in popularity on some of hybrid models and city bikes. Actually these are bars are swept back facing towards the rider. Touring type bars are known as “Butterfly” as it seen as broken figure of eight arrangement mounted horizontally on the stem. This bar allows rider to have comfort in their hands and also get an upright position. Triathlon or aero handlebars are specially designed for racing bicycles and time trial bicycles. Pursuit bars also popularly known as bullhorns because the bars are designed to look as curve up and forward just same as horns. This bar is named after the discipline of track racing where it was originally used at first. BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles and are more rise than straight also has a cross brace to provide rigidity and strength.

As BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles similarly cruise bars are used on cruiser bicycles. It appears to be long and slope towards the rear of the bicycle to allow riders to have comfortable sitting in upright position. Moustache bars resemble their name very well. The design of this bar is curve forward from the stem and then also back towards the rider. This designed came in concept from the school children in Japan as semi drop bars. Recumbent bicycles have lot in variety and so do not equipped with handlebars. It appears nowhere in the bicycle.

roby john

In any mechanism like bicycle, motor, watercraft or water boat, handlebars are important mechanism that drives your passion. It is a steering tool that maintains your balance when you drive it towards your way. It is also believed handlebars also support a portion of the rider’s weight on the bicycle or any driving mechanism. It is also somehow equivalent to the steering wheel mechanism used in four wheeler vehicles. You cannot think of a bicycle without a handlebar. If it removed you cannot drive it. This is one such essential part of bicycle that drives your bicycle wherever you want. Handlebars are specially designed for all different kinds of bicycles in different styles. It is manufactured keeping in view the different types of riding styles for any kind of riders.

Generally handlebars are made of aluminum alloys but it also made of some other metals. These metals can be steel, titanium, carbon fibre or some other alloys. Today you will varieties of handlebars to choose for your bicycle but earlier there were not much option to choose. Some of today’s most used types of handlebars are Drop, Flat or raiser, Upright or North road, Touring or Trekking, Triathlon or aero, BMX, cruiser, Moustache, Ape hangers and Recumbent. Drop handles have shallow or deep drop used on road or track bicycles. It has flat top section which brings more comfort to hands. Drop handlebars also have sometimes two or more longitudinal indentations. Raiser or flat bars are standard bars used for mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes. It is straight but slightly bent towards rider.  

Upright is also known as Townie because it has seen an upgrade in popularity on some of hybrid models and city bikes. Actually these are bars are swept back facing towards the rider. Touring type bars are known as “Butterfly” as it seen as broken figure of eight arrangement mounted horizontally on the stem. This bar allows rider to have comfort in their hands and also get an upright position. Triathlon or aero handlebars are specially designed for racing bicycles and time trial bicycles. Pursuit bars also popularly known as bullhorns because the bars are designed to look as curve up and forward just same as horns. This bar is named after the discipline of track racing where it was originally used at first. BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles and are more rise than straight also has a cross brace to provide rigidity and strength.

As BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles similarly cruise bars are used on cruiser bicycles. It appears to be long and slope towards the rear of the bicycle to allow riders to have comfortable sitting in upright position. Moustache bars resemble their name very well. The design of this bar is curve forward from the stem and then also back towards the rider. This designed came in concept from the school children in Japan as semi drop bars. Recumbent bicycles have lot in variety and so do not equipped with handlebars. It appears nowhere in the bicycle.

roby john

June 30, 2006

The Plateau area is one of the trendiest areas of Montreal, so I decided to explore it a little further after my discoveries of Old Montreal. From my hotel I hopped into the subway at Place d’Armes and took the blue train north to Sherbrooke. I enjoyed a wonderful stroll through the St-Denis neighbourhood, considered by many to be the most typical of Montreal’s neighbourhoods. Hundreds of street cafés, restaurants and funky boutiques line the street.

The streets in the area are characterized by duplexes or triplexes that have the typical Montreal exterior staircases in the front, many of which are used as comfortable places of rest and relaxation by the local residents. Many of the houses also feature small balconies on the upper floors, most of which are accompanied by small bistro tables and chairs for the outdoor enjoyment of the apartment residents.

The rooflines of in this neighbourhood are also very unusual: dormers and fake mansards add interest to the architectural mix.
The atmosphere is very relaxed, artsy and bohemian. I continued my walk west on a small street call rue Roy and came across a Mexican restaurant called “La Iguana” that also has a small outdoor sitting area. Every since my earlier trip to Mexico this year I have developed a taste for authentic Mexican food and La Iguana with its Mexican flair pulled me in.

I sat down at a comfortable table in the corner with a perfect view of the restaurant and the street outside. Unfortunately, the sky was clouding over and shortly after another tropical thunderstorm was unleashed on the city, the third one today.

To find out more about this restaurant I asked the owner, Fred Saunders, who jointly owns the restaurant with his wife Julie Chiasson, to join me for a bit. Over a mojito he started to tell me about La Iguana and how it all came about. Fred and Julie have travelled numerous times to Mexico together and fallen in love with the country and its flavours. Fred mentioned that they have visited many places on the coast, including Acapulco, Ixtapa, Playa del Carmen as well as Cozumel. Fred and Julie both enjoy scuba diving and have been enjoying underwater adventures in Mexico for the last four years.

They started dreaming of creating their own Mexican restaurant and finally three years ago, they opened “La Iguana”. Fred mentioned that it is open seven days a week for dinner and also opens Friday for lunch. Every Thursday to Saturday they feature live Cuban music that entertains the crowd with hot Latin rhythms. Fred mentioned that La Iguana also provides a catering service and a musician rental service for two to 21 musicians, a new service which they started a couple of months ago.

Fred further explained that the restaurant receives many guests from various hotels and tourism establishments. Just a week earlier, La Iguana hosted the British racing team which was in town for the Montreal Grand Prix. Fred mentioned that they referred to their experience at La Iguana as the “best Mexican food they have ever had”.

La Iguana is actually quite a small restaurant. It seats 64 people in total, including the tables on the sidewalk and the enclosed terrace which is also heated in the winter. Fred indicated that there are many nights when he has to turn away 50 to 60 people since he simply does not have the capacity to accommodate all the guests. For this reason he and Julie came up with the idea of opening another “La Iguana”. The second location will be downtown, and even beyond that Fred and Julie’s dreams extend to opening more locations, later on even in Ontario and different parts of Canada. Their dreams are to open a chain of “La Iguana” restaurants that will bring their concept of Mexican food to Canadians from coast to coast.

Big plans are in store for the new edition of La Iguana which is scheduled to open next spring in downtown Montreal. The new restaurant will be more spacious and feature a grill, allowing guests to order a whole fish hot off the grill. In addition it will also house a museum with authentic artifacts that will be provided by the Mexican Embassy. In addition, the new location will showcase live iguanas and live parrots to create an authentic Mexican atmosphere.

Talking about the history of La Iguana, Fred shared with me that right from the start the restaurant got good reviews. Their interesting dishes and plentiful portions might have something to do with it. Fred indicated that their fajitas and burritos are extremely popular. Ceviche, an authentic Mexican dish with seafood marinated in lime juice and coriander has also become a favourite. La Iguana’s Camarones Acapulco consist of a half a pound of giant shrimps in garlic butter with orange zest and flambéed with Grand Marnier. This signature dish is a crowd pleaser and looks like a sun with yellow rays.

Fred describes the cuisine at La Iguana as upscale Mexican and adds that the wine list is extensive with bottles ranging in price anywhere from $28 to $800. In addition, he and Julie have gone on research trips to Mexico and come back with 35 different types of Tequila that are all privately imported, another unique feature of La Iguana.

Well, with all this talk of tasty delicacies I was getting hungry and I wanted a chance to sample some of La Iguana’s food first-hand. I decided to order the La Iguana Special: a large platter featuring stuffed jalapeños, guacamole, potato skins, cheese quesadilla, chicken wings, nopales (cactus) and flautas (egg rolls), served with sour cream and a spicy sauce. This dish gave me a great overview of La Iguana’s cuisine and I savoured the tastes of Mexico. Then Fred surprised me with Shrimps Acapulco, one of La Iguana’s signature dishes featuring huge shrimp in a Grand Marnier sauce. My appetite was more than satiated but I just had to try La Iguana’s fried icecream for dessert which was a sinful and delicious way to cap off a very satisfying meal.

After some relaxing and listening to the live Cuban music I thanked Fred and headed out into the warm summer night. I walked down Boulevard St. Laurent, or “The Main”, Montreal’s principal north-south connection that divides the city into an eastern (mostly francophone) and western (mostly Anglophone) part. The many restaurants were filled with people and street life was animated. I walked through the pedestrian area on Prince Arthur Street, another popular restaurant area, to head south to Sherbrooke Street, one of Montreal’s main east-west thoroughfares. From there I made it to St. Catharines Street, the headquarters of Montreal’s famous Jazz Festival.

Montreal’s Jazz Festival is in its 27th year and over the course of two weeks from June 28 to July 9, 2006 more than 400 concerts will have been held, the vast majority of them free. B.B. King’s 80th Birthday Event was held on June 28. It is the largest jazz festival in the world and a true signature event for the city, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. The festival is centered around Place des Arts and the Complexe Desjardins and with my packed schedule over these next few days tonight was my only chance to get a sneak peak at Montreal’s Jazz Festival. The crowds in front of the main stage and on St. Catharines were filling the streets as far as the eye could see and the audience were swaying to the rhythms of Afrodizz, Montreal’s best Afrobeat group, in front of a huge audience at the Scène General Motors .

What started 27 years ago as the dream of jazz aficionado Alain Simard has become the world’s biggest jazz festival that has featured stars like Ray Charles, Chick Corea, John Lee Hooker, Dave Brubeck, Muddy Waters, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Chuck Mangione, Tony Bennett, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, George Benson, Holly Cole, Al Jareau and hundreds more. This years lineup included a tribute to Paul Simon, appearances by Dave Brubeck, Brad Mehldau, Etta James and The Neville Brothers. More than 2000 musicians will be coming to town to excite the crowds.

With African rhythms swirling through my head I strolled back slowly to my hotel, reflecting on Montreal’s superb qualifications as one of the world’s major festival cities. I needed to catch enough rest for my early morning bicycle tour of Montreal.

For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/montreal_laiguana_jazzfestival.htm

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-montreal-part-8-mexican-delights-at-la-iguana-and-a-peak-at-the-montreal-jazz-festival-93293.html

Mountain biking, as the name suggests, is a biking sport in which bicycle-riders ride along mountain trails. Biking through a mountain terrain is pure fun, but it also has its share of adventure and excitement. The best-known locations for biking in mountainous surroundings have unpaved surfaces and so you need to be an expert biker to truly experience the thrill.

History

Since their invention, bicycles have been used on all terrains, including rugged mountainous territories. However, it was not until 1970s that biking in the mountains became an organized sport. Groups of bicycle-riders from different parts of the United States played a pivotal role in the evolution of this thrilling biking-sport – experimenting with bikes of different makes and modifying them so that they could take the rigors of riding in the uneven, craggy mountainous lands.

The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, however, bestows the honor to a group of bikers in Marin County, California. The group (consisting of famous names in this field like Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Keith Bontrager and Otis Guy among others) undertook bike-ride down Mount Tamalpais (Mt Tam) on old 1930s and 40s Schwinn bicycles retrofitted with advanced brakes and fat tires.

The first ‘proper’ mountain bike was built by Joe Breeze in 1977. The present-day mountain bikes are based on the bicycle first marketed by the MountainBikes Company. The frame of this particular bike was built by Tom Ritchey and it was accessorized by Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly.

Types

Bikers usually engage in four different kinds of cycling tours in the mountains:

1. Cross-Country (or XC) biking is the most familiar type mountain riding sport and naturally has the maximum number of followers. The sport involves riding between points or in loops. It includes ascents and descents on different terrains. (Cross-Country racing competitions are different from cross-country biking). A typical XC bike weighs some 22-28 lbs and it has 0-4 inches of suspension travel front and rear.

2. Freeride is the other popular type of biking in mountain trails. It restricts the biker with no specific rules rather allows the rider to do ‘anything and everything’ – downhill rides (without clock), jumps, stunts – that require skill and are hence meant for professionals. Freeride biking requires the rider to assemble the bike as per convenience and style, but these bikes are a bit heavier (weighing between 30 and 40 lbs) and are amply suspended (generally has 6 inches of suspension front and rear).

3. Downhill, as the name suggests, involves riding mountain bikes downhill. It is generally associated with racing-oriented downhill riding. Downhill biking does not require the rider to pedal up the hill. The bikers along with their bikes are transported up the hill with the help of a truck or ski-lift. The downhill climb is indeed challenging including jumps and drops as well as physical hindrances. Tough mentality, physical strength, swiftness and mounted heavy bikes weighing some 40-50 lbs make you eligible for these races.

4. Trials riding, which is quite similar to skateboarding, involves hopping and jumping over obstacles with your bike. It demands great sense of balance and control. The riders make use of special bikes that make use of 20″, 24″ or 26″ wheels fitted to small, low frames.

The following tips will prove helpful if you are planning a bicycle-trip in the rocky, hilly terrains for the first time:

1. You must have stamina and endurance to bike down a mountain.

2. Selection of a superior quality bike, especially one that perfectly meets your type of mountain riding is also very crucial.

3. You cannot avoid minor cuts and bruises but you can certainly prevent major mishaps by resorting to precautionary measures, buying yourself some protection in the form of helmets, knee-caps and elbow-caps. A good pair of goggles will also prove handy.

4. Special competitions are organized by various mountain bikers’ groups and you can join in with them. If you choose to go on your own, you will need to collect all relevant information – routes, rules, et al.

5. Whether you go with a bikers’ group or go biking all by yourself, you must remember to carry your equipment kit so that you can take care of all your bicycle-repairs.

Robert Sheehan
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/mountain-biking-for-the-adventure-loving-lot-92136.html

Although the precise origins of the connection between sports and international relations remain obscure, all cultures have participated over the course of history in different physical contests that fostered cultural exchange and contributed to their citizens’ political discourse. The ancient Egyptians swam, raced, wrestled, and played games with balls. The ancient Greeks held large athletic festivals, including the Olympic Games that drew athletes’ attention from all over the ancient world. Two of the very first ‘nations’ to engage their athletes in sport competitions, were the Greeks and the Romans. They competed in various athletic events like chariot races, or throwing the javelin, often relying on the participation of animals, or on the use of mechanical contrivances, a tradition continued into modern times in sports such as dog racing, horse racing, and shooting.

During the Middle Ages, the cultural isolation imposed by the feudal system and religious doctrine that opposed the use of the body for play hampered the development of organised sport in the Western world. For many centuries, contests between knights in tournaments that emphasised military skill were among the only forms of approved, public sports. In the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, games and exercise attained renewed popularity. As had been the case in ancient times, however, politics and social class circumscribed activity. Sports that required wealth or leisure, such as polo or falconry, were the province of the upper classes, affluent nations, while inexpensive, massed sports, such as soccer, took root among commoners and underdeveloped countries.

The late 19th century witnessed an expanding belief in sport as useful recreation and as a mean of interconnectivity between people and nations, while in industrialized societies equipment was standardized, local and national organizations were set up to govern play, and a doctrine of character-building declared sports to be a necessary endeavor for men. The revival of the Olympics in 1896 and the blossoming U.S. intercollegiate athletic system boosted many forms of amateur, or unpaid sports at the same time that professional sports (such as baseball, boxing, and bicycle racing) drew large numbers of spectators. Sports that were traditionally played only in specific countries became by legislative act or general acceptance, national sports, like baseball in the United States, bullfighting in Spain and Mexico, cricket in England, and ice hockey in Canada.

During the 20th century, sports took on an increasingly international flavor aside from the world championships for individual sports, like soccer’s World Cup, large-scale international meets, such as the Pan-American Games and the Commonwealth Games, were inaugurated. Sports have correspondingly become increasingly politicized, as the boycott of the 1980 Moscow games by Western nations has shown, or the retaliatory boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles games by Soviet-bloc nations, an exchange brought on by Soviet actions in Afghanistan.

Despite the difficulties that rose over the past, sport events are considered today a great opportunity for individual countries to promote their cultures, politics and trade. The new terms of globalization and international relations came into the scene of economic evolution and affected sport’s politics, regulations, communication and society as a whole, by using sports mass acceptance as a dominant tool for international negotiations and cultural exchange.

Jonathon Hardcastle
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/examining-international-relations-in-the-realm-of-sports-through-history-58208.html

Brake rotors are the rotating discs on the Mercedes-Benz disc brake system. They are mounted on the Mercedes Benz drive train and provide a clamping surface for the brake pads. When you step on the brake pedal, the foot pressure is transmitted hydraulically by the master cylinder to a push rod connected to the caliper-driven brake pads. Depending on the foot pressure input, the caliper then squeezes on the brake rotors and retards the motion of the car.

The disc brake system of the Mercedes Benz works in principle like the brakes on a bicycle. But, since cars need more braking power, the caliper in the disc brake assembly clamps on the rotor to apply restraint on the wheels instead of a caliper tightening on the wheel itself. Aside from improved braking power, the Mercedes Benz disc brake assembly spares the wheels from the resulting friction.

Operationally, the brake rotors are exposed to high heat condition. Most Mercedes Benz brake rotors are made of cast iron to withstand the heat and friction against the brake pads. But the chronic contact between the two makes them highly disposed to regular replacement and maintenance. Brake pads are one of the maintenance items in a Mercedes Benz that require periodic replacement, while brake rotors often have a long service life.

Replacement brake pad sets are categorized as per drive applications. Brake pads with harder and less aggressive compounds are designed for Mercedes Benz cars used in city driving. Using this kind of friction material on performance cars can result in brake fade. Race cars, or performance Mercedes Benz cars for that matter, are fitted with a brake pad set lined with soft and more aggressive friction material like asbestos, Aramid, etc. Driving style and preferences are often valid considerations when deciding on brake pad replacement.

Because most brake pads are equipped with aggressive friction compounds, brake rotors are periodically flipped to make rotor wear even. However, turning the brake rotors can reduce their ability to temper heat in the high-friction operating condition. Heat buildup between the brake rotors and the brake pads can “warp” or reshape the brake rotors, causing thickness variations. When this happens, you get a pedal pulsation, and sometimes, a jolt in the steering wheel. When the brake rotors get worn over time, they do not only get thin but lose the heat ventilations on their contact surface. This ventilation exhausts friction heat via the holes that are cross-drilled on the discs.

Aftermarket Mercedes Benz brake rotors can have fins or drills hollowed out of them that are meant to dissipate heat at greater amounts, preventing rotor warping and brake pad wear. These usually go to the front brake rotors, which carry more of the weight load of the car and are faced more frequently by hard braking operations.

There are also slotted discs. This type can be the most ventilated brake rotor. However, slotted discs are more appropriate for Mercedes Benz earmarked for racing and hard drive applications. The slots on the brake rotors, while reducing considerably the possibility of heat buildup, can wear out the brake pads easily. They are nonetheless reliable in preventing the brake pad material to stick on the discs and reduce the braking power of the assembly. When looking for Mercedes brake rotors, these design considerations can let you do away with the largest of requiring premature replacements.

Dwyane Thomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/brake-rotor-key-part-of-mercedes-brake-system-111547.html

Freehold, New Jersey, the child hood home of Bruce Springsteen, was introduced to America by his song My Hometown describing his thoughts about his hometown.
Today it is a town with a revamped downtown that mixes the best of mom and pop establishments, fancy eateries, and Victorian houses.
Freehold has caught on to the sidewalk dining craze, and on warm summer days and evenings, tables along tree lined, brick paved Main Street are packed with patrons. A town as diverse at it is old, with its trendy dining spots, historic sites, shopping, and bed and breakfasts, Freehold is a great day or weekend trip for those who love history, architecture, and of course, food!

Freehold, one of the nation’s oldest cities, with numerous monuments and landmarks familiar to people all over the country, enjoys a past that is rich in American Revolution History. A walking tour of downtown Freehold is a must. Many of the Victorian buildings along Main Street date back to the 1800s. The American Hotel, built in 1824, is rich with history. The hotels most famous visitor was Abraham Lincoln, who stopped here on the way to the White House in 1861. The American Hotel has recently been purchased by a new owner and plans are underway to revamp it.The oldest building in Freehold is St. Peters Episcopal Church, built in 1683. Check out the old cemetery. you will be fascinated by dates going back to the times of the pilgrims.

The Freehold area has sometimes been referred to as the “largest little city” in NJ. In addition to the downtown area with numerous shops and restaurants, the area boasts of many top attractions, including:

Freehold Raceway, The nations oldest and fastest daytime half-mile harness racing track. It was first opened in 1853, and is the only operating daytime harness racing track in America. It operates from mid-August to May.

Freehold Raceway Mall – A super regional mall, it is the third largest shopping mall in the state of New Jersey. A major expansion by 100,000 sq/ft is planned for 2007.

Center Playhouse – Conducts activities and programs to educate and entertain its patrons.

Metz Bicycle Museum – A step into the Metz Bicycle Museum in Freehold is truly a stroll through history. The Museum houses one of the world’s finest collections of antique bicycles, dating from the 1850’s to the 1950’s. Hundreds of bicycles are artfully displayed.
Boneshakers, high wheelers, quadricycles, tricycles, ordinaries, safeties, children’s bikes, trick bikes, and many more unusual and one-of-a kind cycles make up this fascinating collection.

Battle view Orchards – An example of why New Jersey is known as the Garden State. A great place to take the kids to pick your produce. Each year from May to October, Battle view, which borders on Monmouth Battle State Park on Wemrock road off Route 33, offers pickers the chance to select some of the areas best fruit.

Monmouth Battlefield State Park – One of the largest battles of the American Revolution took place in the fields and forests that now make up Monmouth Battlefield State Park. A reenactment of the June 1778 battle is held every year with authentically dressed troops camped out in the park and situated in the fields for fighting.

(c) Copyright Frank Dalotto

Frank Dalotto
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/freehold-the-largest-little-city-in-new-jersey-79997.html

Harley Davidson is a famous brand of motorcycles, and it all started back in 1901 when a young man by the name of William Harley crafted a blueprint of an engine that would fit onto a bicycle.

In 1903 the very first Harley Davidson motorcycles were made available to the public when William Harley and his friend Arthur Davidson produced one built as a racing motorcycle. It was purchased by one of their childhood school friends, Henry Meyer. During this time, the Harley Davidson production plant was nothing more than a crude wooden shed with the words “Harley Davidson Motor Company” scratched across the front door.

1905 was an important year for Harley Davidson, as they hired their first full time employee and one of their motorcycles won a race in Chicago, putting them on the map in a sense. Years and years go by, and the 1950’s find Harley Davidson’s winning races, being featured on magazine covers with Elvis Presley, and becoming a household name among race and motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere.

In 1983 the Harley Owners Group was formed, and was referred to as H.O.G. It became the largest motorcycle club in the world to be sponsored by a factory. In a mere six years, the club had grown to include more than 90,000 members. In 1987, Harley Davidson became listed on the New York Stick Exchange, and owners everywhere realized what a wise investment they had made!

More years pass, with Harley Davidson inventing new motorcycles on a regular basis, winning more races, and selling more motorcycles than any other manufacturer. In 2006, Harley Davidson appointed the first authorized dealer of their motorcycles in China.

Today, Harley Davidson produces a wide variety of motorcycles that come in all different styles, shapes and colors. Harley Davidson not only makes recreational and sport racing motorcycles, they also make touring bikes. The Ultra Classic Electra Glide is the king daddy of them all, loaded with extra features and offering the ultimate in comfort. It even comes with an advanced audio system!

While Harley Davidson is most well known for their motorcycles, they also produce a full line of accessories to compliment their motorcycles. Some of the available accessories include sidecars, saddlebags and pouches, chrome covers, windshields, seats, mirrors, backrests, hand controls and sissy bars.

They also make a full line of clothing including leather goods, warm, cold and wet weather gear, helmets, gloves, jackets, vests, shirts, pants, boots, eyewear, as well as racing attire. There clothing accessory line is available in a wide range of sizes for men and women, as well as children.

If you are in the market to buy a Harley Davidson, you’ll be able to find one no matter where you are in the world. Harley Davidson has dealerships in over 60 countries, and as a company employs more than 9,000 people.

Joe Goertz
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/the-history-of-the-legendary-harley-davidson-motorcycles-61432.html

When you’re going to try a new sport, you don’t want to rush out and spend a lot of money on brand new equipment until you know whether or not you’ll continue with the activity. If you’re going to take up biking – mountain biking, touring, racing, whatever – there’s quite a bit of gear that you can get at second hand which will serve your purpose.

You do have to be careful about the bicycle itself, however. In biking it is all about the bike. If you buy one that is a poor fit, it will spoil your ride and you’ll be tempted to give up the sport without giving it a fair chance.

Once you’ve found you enjoy bike riding, however, you’ll want to expand your horizons. The best way to do this is to get a bike rack for your car, so that you can go exploring your entire state – or even further afield!

You may wonder why you should buy a bike rack when you can just as easily stick your bike into the back of your car whenever you want to go somewhere. Well, you’ll soon find that it’s a hassle to try to fit your bike into the cramped trunk of your car. You’ll probably have to take off one of the wheels, you might scratch the bike as you’re trying to get it in or out of that confined space, and then you’ve got to put the wheel on again. If you’ve got an SUV you can put the bike in the back with greater ease – where dirt and oil from the wheels can damage your upholstery, and where the bike can rattle about making irritating noises.

No, the bike rack is the way to go. There are two main designs: the type that goes on the roof of the car or SUV, and the type that is attached to the rear of the car.

Find A Discount Bike Rack

Once you’ve decided on which kind of bike rack you want – and you have to give consideration to the safety of the roof rack over the rear mount, and whether or not you will have the strength to lift the bike up onto the roof by yourself – you’ll want to get the best bike rack you can in your price range.

Now, here’s where common sense comes in. Lots of people buy tons of equipment for a new sport, try it and decide they don’t like, and so have a ton of equipment, with little use, to sell or give away. You can pick up quite a few good deals this way.

Keep an eye out for advertisements in your local paper. There’s also plenty of sites on the Internet that offer discount and new bike racks for sale.

Being a savvy shopper is simply a matter of using common sense. Do research to know what you want, and compare prices so you know you’ll be getting a good deal on the bike rack of your choice. The internet is an excellent source of information in this regard. There’ll be product reviews, message boards where people chat about the various types of equipment – including bike racks, and shopping malls where you can compare prices.

If you’re an impulse buyer….you’ve got to learn to curb that tendency! You’ll be a lot happier if you wait a few days, do your research, compare your items, to ensure that you get the best car bike rack your money can buy at the price you want to spend.

Alastair Hamilton
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/discount-bike-racks-your-key-to-safe-journeys-87459.html