Tour De France Blog

Archive for the ‘bicycle racing’ Category

Many bike speed records have been broken by recumbent bikes. Recumbent bicycles were banned from international racing in the year 1934 and they hadn’t seen widespread use until toward the end 20th century.

A recumbent bicycle is a kind of bicycle which places the rider in a seated or supine position and rarely, in a prone position.

Recumbent bikers hold many world speed records for human powered, non-paced types of races. Interestingly, tricycles actually fall into the recumbent bike category and for whatever reason are generally accepted into the main ‘upright bike’ category.

Recumbent bikes are typically classified further by the size of their wheelbase. There are long wheelbase recumbent bikes (LWB), short wheelbase (SWB) recumbent bikes, and (CLWB) compact long wheelbase recumbent bikes.

Each of these types of recumbent bikes also have somewhat different positioning of the pedals and wheels as compared to the seat. With long wheelbase recumbent bikes the pedals are located in between the seat and the front wheel.

Compact wheelbase recumbent bikes have their pedals either above the front wheel or very close to it. And short wheelbase recumbent bicycles have their pedals in front of the front wheel.

Recumbent bikes have several advantages over upright or traditional bikes. Some of these differences are described below:

Health

Recumbent bikes encourage a posture that reduces strain on the body. This makes them great for longer trips. When a bike is comfortable for long periods of time it makes sense that we’re likely to bike farther, right?

A big plus is lower body circulation too. In a recumbent bike our legs are positioned at nearly the same height as our hearts, thus reducing hydrostatic pressure and the heart’s job of circulating blood through those areas.

Stability

Recumbent bikes are much more stable for obvious reasons: with some there are more wheels! Also, recumbent bikes are situated closer to the ground.

Variety

When choosing a recumbent bicycle, riders have many more varieties to choose from than with traditional upright bikes. There are all kinds of variations and degrees of uprightness from which to choose.

There are some disadvantages as well. For one, recumbent bikes don’t allow riders to change positions, such as standing on an upright bike while going down a hill. And you’ll have to boost a whole new set of muscles. Recumbent bicycles use different muscle groups to power the bike than do upright bicycles.

Unlike upright bikes, there is a subculture of recumbent builders who design and build home-built recumbent bicycles. Many times these are assembled of parts from other bicycles, particularly mountain bikes. The frame designs may be as simple as a long steel tube bent into the appropriate shape to hand-built carbon fiber frames. For a good many builders, the engineering of the bikes is as much of a challenge and fun as riding them.

Bill Wallmuller
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/explainedrecumbent-bicycles-faster-and-more-relaxing-98816.html

Made of aluminum and dual carbon fiber chain and seat stays, the racing bicycle provides a dynamic posture to the rider trough it is lightweight and raised seat. For swift turning, the front and rear wheels are closely arranged. The racing wheel forms a teardrop with the tire because of its triangular cross-section, built for greater aerodynamic efficiency. To reduce wind resistance and to add overall efficiency the number of spokes in the wheel is low. But still, when it comes to hill climbing bicycles it is used a traditional box-sectioned rim.

Because of their lightweight and easily moldering, racing bikes rims are made of aluminum. In spite of those properties, some bicycles carbon fiber is used to make the rim, because these rims are lighter but they tend to crack easily and chip when the wheel punctures. This is the reason for which the riders prefer cheaper and heavier wheels for training.

To reduce wind resistance and road friction, the tires are lightweight, narrow and have smooth treads. They are inflated to a pressure of around 8 bars. Many bicycles have a sort of tubular tires that are sewn round the rube and glued to the rim. Recently, cyclists started preferring tubular clincher tires. In spite of this, the opinions regarding the merits and demerits of the two tires still remain divided.

The bicycle use for racing presents a carbon frame, and its components are referred to as a group-set. The frameset, fork, wheel-set, bars, stem, pedals, saddle and seat post are not included in the group-set.

Most racing bike components are made of carbon-fiber. For example, high-end shifters, brake levers, cranks are made of carbon-fiber. Also, stems, handlebars, shoe soles, forks and seat-posts are also made by carbon-fiber. Carbon-fiber is often used because is very light and has a high capacity to absorb vibrations.

Important specifications of racing bikes:

1. Wheels: equal diameter, between 70-55 cm, have a minimum of 12 spokes

2. Maximum length: 185 cm

3. Maximum width: 50 cm

4. Saddle length: between 24 and 30 cm

5. Distance between the bottom bracket spindle and ground: between 24 and 30 cm

6. Maximum internal distance: between front fork ends 10.5 cm and of the rear stays about 13.5 cm.

7. Maximum weight: 6.8kg

Yes, the true is you do only get what you will pay for, so get the best bike you can possibly afford. Always a good idea is to look around the magazines and the online shops and manufacturers sites and also dont forget your local bike shop until you get what you looking for, but be careful not to make your friends too jealous!

George Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/cycling-and-aerodynamic-efficiency-56892.html

Sales of BMX bikes are increasing faster than almost any other type of bicycle. BMX bikes can be seen on every street, sidewalk and even in their natural habitat, off-road. Even if you never leave your house you’ve certainly seen such bikes on TV. Sure, you probably know what a BMX bike is, but what you probably don’t know is what exactly differentiates a BMX bike from other bikes. We’ll tell you how they’re different.

We’ll start with their origin. It’s quite simple, really. Bikes remained pretty much the same for many decades after they were invented, but the popularity of off-road motorcycle racing, or motocross, during the 60’s changed that. Kids saw the pros racing around on their dirt bikes and taking them off dirt ramps. They wanted to be like their heroes so kids imitated them on their bikes, which, at the time, weren’t made for such rough-housing. It didn’t take long for bike manufacturers to catch on and start manufacturing bikes made specifically for the rigors of racing and jumping off-road. Soon there were sanctioned bicycle motocross (BMX) all over the country. The BMX segment of the market grew and grew and continues to expand today. And of course most the kids (and adults) you see on these bikes don’t ever race and probably don’t jump them off anything more daring than a curb. Still though, BMX bikes are made to take a beating.

Now, to discuss the physical attributes of the BMX bike which makes it different from other bikes. The particular features can be narrowed down to the frame, the wheels/tires, the brakes, and the gears.

The frame on BMX bikes is designed to be very light so it can be easily maneuvered and very strong so it can withstand the stresses of jumping and racing. The light weight of a BMX frame is also important because a lighter bike can save you valuable seconds in a close-fought BMX race. Aluminum and chrome-moly steel are the two materials most favored by BMX’ers. Regular bikes are usually made from cheap grades of steel prone to rusting or even breaking when put under a lot of stress.

Another distinguishing feature of BMX bikes are their wheels and tires. Most BMX bikes have 20″ rims, of course they can also be purchased in other sizes. There is the 12″ size for young children just learning to ride. These days kids are learning to ride bikes before they learn to read! The next size up is the 16″ wheel. These bikes are mostly used by kids from the ages of 8 to 12. Once they enter the teen years, most kids ride the 20″ bikes. This is the size favored by many adults and pros, as well. There are BMX bikes with even larger wheels or in-between sizes but they aren’t as popular.

The tires on BMX bikes are different from conventional road bikes. They’re knobby to give them excellent traction on dirt trails and tracks. In fact, they’re very similar to mountain bike tires, just smaller.

Speaking of mountain bikes, such rides often have as many as 21 gears! Road bikes and beach cruisers typically don’t have that many but they do range from 3 to 18 speeds. BMX bikes, on the other hand, have just one gear. They have one sprocket up front and one on the back wheel. That’s it, they use just one gear because they’re made for all-out sprints and to have precise control for freestyle tricks.

Another feature which differentiates BMX bikes from conventional bikes are their brakes. BMX bikes often have just a rear brake. Having a front brake increases the likelihood of accidentally using just the front one and causing an accident. Plus, racers don’t need the extra braking power because they don’t want to slow down! A BMX bike made for doing tricks will have a front brake, though.

BMX bikes also usually come with pads to protect the rider during accidents and wrecks, which can happen a lot during races. Most racers don’t bother with pads, though, they’re too cool for that. If the bike does have pads, they’re usually on the top bar, handlebar clamp, and the handlebar crossbar.

BMX bikes are a booming business, and their popularity has increased across almost all segments of the market. You can often see BMX riders on televised competitions and commercials. BMX bikes are being ridden by all sorts of people, from professional riders to five year olds just having fun, adults who never grew out of them, and everyone in between.

BMX bikes are available in a range of sizes to accommodate all types of riders and all ages. They also have many specialized features to suit a variety of uses. There are, of course, a wide range in prices, too. If you are considering buying a bike for yourself or someone else, your best source of information are the people at your local bike shop. There’s also tons of reliable information online. The two main issues you need to consider are how the bike is going to be used and how much you are willing to spend. From there it’s up to you.

Gregg Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/an-in-depth-look-at-the-ever-popular-bmx-bikes-66426.html

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

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