As 2010 comes to a close and everyone starts mentally preparing for their New Year’s resolutions, we’d like to take a look back at a year that was quite momentous for the greater cycling community. Cities found a renewed focus on alternative transportation, inventors unveiled new bicycle innovations, and people, companies and organizations across the country displayed unparalleled philanthropy. Let’s take a look back at some of the best stories, covered on this blog and elsewhere, that shaped our tight-knit community (and the World!) over the last year.

• A good place to start is with Bicycles for Humanity (B4H), the grassroots organization that empowers people to improve their quality of life through donated bicycles, who recently announced they shipped a total of 5,215 bikes (along with spare parts and tools) to impoverished African communities in 2010. Check out some of the other accomplishments B4H reported this year at PR.com.
• Along those same lines, an 8-year-old girl in Washington recently made a generous donation. Tori Wollard was one of two winners of the Washington Daily News’ Christmas coloring contest. Her prize: a brand new bike from Wal-Mart. The first thing Tori did when she got the bike: donated it to The Salvation Army so it could be given to a needy girl! When asked what motivated her to donate her prize, Tori said, “I thought maybe a little girl who’s probably the same age as me probably couldn’t afford one.” Now that’s the true Christmas spirit. Read the entire article Washington winner shares the spirit of Christmas (Mike Voss, Washington Daily News)
• There were  four particular bike and helmet related inventions that piqued our interest this year: the Bamboo bike, the Bendy Bike, the TuneBug Shake, and the innagural Bicycle City.
  • Bamboo bikes are manufactured by several companies across the county, but the folks at Bamboo Bike Studio offer something completely different. With firms in San Francisco and Brooklyn, they host weekend classes where people can build a bike made from bamboo themselves! Some say bamboo bikes actually have an advantage over metal-framed ones – they give a smoother ride, thanks to bamboo’s natural ability to absorb vibration (plus you’ll get points for going green). For more information read Bamboo Bicycles Grow in Popularity at Brooklyn Studio (Bradley Blackburn, ABC News)
  • Back in July a designer in Britain invented a revolutionary folding bicycle: The Bendy Bike. Using a ratchet system built into the frame of the bike to allow it to wrap around a pole, the lock can be wrapped through both wheels and the frame. Check out the pictures at DailyMail.co.uk
  • The TuneBug Shake is a portable speaker, with “SurfaceSound” technology. What is that, you ask? It uses a specially designed speaker that turns anything it lays on into a louder, larger-sounding speaker. Tunebug’s Shake is specifically designed to attach to a bike helmet, turning it into a booming speaker! Plus, this will save your ears later pains from those ear buds and relieve you for the dangers of listening to headphones while riding. Read Five fresh gadgets for the tech-minded for more info on the TuneBug Shake (Quibian Salazar-Moreno, Boulder Weekly.com)
  • Bicycle City, South Carolina: We covered this back in November, but wanted to provide an update: According to a report in Columbia’s weekly newspaper freetimes, on Dec. 11, 2010 Bicycle City (located in Lexington, SC) showcased its plans to the public with an all day event including biking, hiking, kayaking, live music, tree planting and organic gardening and much more. We’re happy to see that this is taking off, and we’re looking forward to watching this community develop in 2011.
• In St. Louis, MO the Federal Transit Administration recently said it would award $1 million to the Metro transit agency for bicycle pathway connections along the Mississippi River and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, or Gateway Arch. FTA awards $1M for Arch bike pathway (St. Louis Business Journal)
• The above example is just one of many, many similar stories from across the country where cities and municipalities made moves to expand the use of bicycles in their communities. Read our June 2010 blog post Bikes & Goverment for a look at some of the things that governments are doing to promote cycling.
• If your New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, consider starting 2011 with a bike ride. Spoke-N-Sport Bikes in Sioux Falls, SD is set to host their 24th New Year’s Day Bike Ride. New this year is an added indoor competition that is separate from the regular ride. Competitors will race each other on stationary trainers, and the winner goes home with one of the single speed bikes used for the race. Visit http://spoke-n-sport.com/ for more information.
• There are events like this taking place across the country, but if you can’t find something in your town, don’t let that discourage you. Go out and forge a new path for yourself! Take a new route that you haven’t gone on before. Or maybe add a few miles onto your traditional ride. Whatever you decide to do, be safe and don’t forget to wear your Bell helmet! Enjoy!
• For a look at some of the top cycling-related news out of Britain,  be sure to read the Environmental Transport Association’s Most popular cycling stories in 2010. The Guiness World Record-shattering eight-mile bicycle wheelie is pretty astounding, as is the idea of using the TamTam Flash GPS … expect to see that in 2011.

We hope you all had a great 2010 and have an even better 2011. Happy New Year!

Christmas is only a few days away, yet it seems that many still have some last-minute shopping to do (What’s new?). While Bell products are affordable year-round, during this time of year stores across the country are marking down prices and offering some great deals on helmets and other cycling and skateboarding products. Here’s a roundup of some of some best Bell products out there:

Sports Basement offers Bell bike helmets at a discounted price. Always on sale, these discounted Bell mountain bike and road bike helmets are 30 to 60% off! Check out the selection at SportsBasement.com

Bell helmets (like the Adrenaline Black Carbon, pictured right) and other products are sold in most bike shops, sporting goods stores and mass retailers including Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Sears and  Kmart.

Maybe a new helmet didn’t make the Christmas list this year? If that’s the case, Bell offers a number of other useful accessories for bicycle riders or skateboarders.

Got an uncomfortable bike seat? Consider replacing it with a Bell  GelTech Seat  (pictured left) or simply cover with a new, cushy seat pad.

Need a reliable way to inflate bike tires? Consider a sturdy Bell tire pump. Need to keep your bike safe and secure in public? Check out our assortment of locks.

Doing some night riding? Don’t forget a light! Bell offers some powerful light systems that will illuminate any path.

Maybe there are new parents in your family? Well, even the youngest tyke can enjoy a bike ride with our child carriers, including the Bell Cocoon Child Carrier Seat (pictured right). This ultra safe, secure and comfortable bike seat includes a high back, 5-point harness, high-visibility rear reflector, a molded spoke guard and much more.

Know someone who commutes on bike through high-traffic areas? Consider getting them a Bell bike mirror so they can be more aware of their surroundings.

Maybe one of your friends or family members is planning a road trips and wants to bring their bikes along? Consider a Bell car rack.

Need some stocking stuffers? A Bell Emergency Bike tool or Bell bike bag would work. And our durable water bottles and hydration packs would be just the right fit.

Of course we offer a wide variety of helmet options for the kids, in boys and girls styles. The Rex line comes equipped with our True Fit technology, ensuring the easiest fit ever. The girls will love the Rex Earth First helmet(pictured left) and the boys will  shine with the Blazing Star version (pictured below right).

If you’re not sure where to go in your area, call 1.800.456.BELL and a customer service representative will help you find a store near you or visit our Where to Buy page to find a list of locations where Bell products are sold.

We hope that these suggestions give you some ideas for those last minute gift purchases. We’d love to hear what Bell products you decide to give, or if you receive any as gifts this year. Let us know by leaving a comment below. And of course, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Bell Sports!

Winter. It’s that dark(er) time of year when temperatures drop and people scurry about, shielding themselves from the rain, sleet and snow. Outdoor physical activity is down to a minimum (besides maybe jumping in puddles while donning rain boots) and – let’s be honest – lighting the fireplace and hunkering down is often how we spend down time.

There is, however, a portion of our society that take on the elements head first. No, we’re not talking about skiers or snowboarders (although they too surely are cold-weather warriors) … We’re talking about bike riders!

Some of them commute to work carrying briefcases and laptop bags while braving the cold. Others take joy in competing in cycling events while battling the rain and snow.

While December 21, 2010 marks the official first day of winter, there has been some bone-chilling weather over the last few weeks. So, in an effort to help get prepared for winter bicycling outings, here are some basic tenants for cold-weather bike riding:

1) Always wear a helmet. While this really goes without saying, it is just so important each and every time you ride a bike. The winter months can, and will, provide additional hazards: wet, slippery roads, less hours of sunlight, and less room for bikes on the road (due to snow banks or puddles). These are just a few of the added cautions to be aware of when riding during the winter, and shouldn’t deter anyone from taking their two-wheels to the street. Rather, they should shine some light on the necessity of wearing a helmet during every season.

2) Dress in layers to stay warm and be prepared to get wet! As detailed in the sketch below, there are a few necessary clothing items: 1) a water/wind proof jacket, pants and gloves, 2) warm socks, 3) waterproof boots or cycling shoes with neoprene booties. Having some sort of ventilation in your water proof jacket is important so that your skin can breathe as you crank and work up a sweat. In the case that you end up soaked, it’s good to have a change of clothes folded away in your bike pannier.

3) Make sure you have the appropriate winter gear: 1) Wear a helmet cover. 2) Sunglasses or goggles are great to keep your eyes protected from the extreme cold and rain or snow. 3) Wear reflective tape on your jacket. While many bike riders do this already to be better seen at night, cold days mean fogging mirrors and frosty windows in cars. Visibility is generally lower during the winter, which means that some sort of reflective tape is necessary. 4) A bell and a light. These are two things that any bike commuter should already have. 5)  Front and rear fenders. The absence of these means the rider will get continuous spray of watery slush as they pedal along. And if you forgot your change of clothes, then you might end up walking into work or school with a brown stripe up your back.

4) Be aware of the conditions. Unlike summer when the roads are dry and the weather is sweet, winter means wet, potentially slippery roads. 1) Test how slippery the road is. Quickly accelerate your back wheel to see if it grips or slips. While going slowly, try applying your back brake fully. This way you will get a feel for how much traction there is. 2) Brake carefully, and plan for it to take longer to stop. Be prepared to put a foot down on the pavement if necessary to help stop. In snowy and wet conditions, pump the brakes frequently to keep rims clear.

5) Find out more about bike safety and best practices for riding during the winter at the official website for the city of Toronto: Toronto.ca/cycling; the ultimate source for winter cycling: AllWeatherSports.com/winter; a website for everyday bicyclists: BicyclingLife.com; a top blog and online publication for product reviews and news in the outdoors world GearJunkie.com; and a website celebrating Earth-friendly foods and community living DeliciousEarth.wordpress.com.

Be sure to share your winter bicycling tips in the comments section below.

Image courtesy of Toronto.ca/cycling

(Photo Courtesy of Columbia Missouri Cycling Cooperative)

Like just about every other holiday, Thanksgiving makes for a great excuse to go for a bike ride. While many people see Thanksgiving as a time to relax, eat turkey, and watch football, we in the cycling community see it as an opportunity to go out and spin!

If the weather in your area is cooperative this Thanksgiving, consider taking a pre or post-meal ride to get your juices flowing. The fall weather might make for a brisk ride, but it’s important to get at least 20 minutes of exercise every day! 

Not only does a Thanksgiving bike ride help you work off some of those calories from all that food, but it is also a great opportunity to really see some of the autumnal changes in the landscape.

Besides just rolling through the neighborhood or taking a ride to the local park, there are a number of fun and charitable cycling events on (and around) Thanksgiving across the country every year. Here are a few of the most interesting rides we’ve found for Thanksgiving 2010:

• Since 1999, New York City cyclists and bike messengers have raised food for the city’s homeless the week before Thanksgiving. Cranksgiving rides are designed to test your skills and speed navigating city traffic. They also test the sharpness of your wits as you navigate the aisles of grocery stores searching for specific food items. Once you’ve found them and made your way through the checkout lines and finished the ride, all of your food will be donated to a local homeless shelter. Cranksgiving is a charity ride, and anyone can participate. It’s been happening for over 10 years in New York City, and has spread to cities across the country. Visit Cranksgiving.org for a list of dates, locations and more information.
• The folks over at Trails.com came up with The 5 Best Thanksgiving Bike Rides including bike trails in New York, Texas and California. Palisades State Park offers great views of NYC, Bray’s Bayou takes riders through downtown Houston and into the countryside (plus, it’s usually warm!), and Big Sur (California) offers picturesque views of the ocean from the Pacific Coast Highway running from Carmel to Santa Barbara. Click the link to find out the other top rides.
• Cape May, New Jersey offers a number of dazzling sights and sounds. Jane Kelly of the Cape May Times lays out ten things she is thankful for on a Cape May Thanksgiving Bike Tour. Included in this list are breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, appreciation of open space, sunsets, and the harbor. Find out what else along Cape May makes this writer particularly thankful at A Cape May Thanksgiving Bike Tour (CapeMayTimes.com)
• On the 19^th, San Jose Bike Party is holding their November Ride, dubbed Hot August Lights from 8pm to 1am on the 20^th. They are encouraging participants to deck out their bikes with lights, and are holding a contest for the most “Lighted Up” bikes. Prizes include spoke lights from Monkey Electric, safety lights from Bike Glow, and much more. Visit SJBikeParty.org for more information.

Is there a particular Thanksgiving bike event in your city? Do you have a favorite autumn bike ride? Let us know in the comment section below!

We love to see people, communities, and organizations taking the time to make bicycle safety and education a priority. It’s even more exciting when they go a step further and offer free helmets to make their efforts even more impactful. It seems every week we find another organization stepping up to the plate to make sure that children are equipped with the knowledge and equipment to be safe bike riders. Here are a few of the recent bike, bike helmet, and other bike item giveaways:

• In Grand Haven, Michigan, “A $2,000 grant from the Neel Foundation is giving participants of the Love INC Tri-Cities Love Links Bicycle Ministry program a solid head on their shoulders.” What exactly are they doing to ensure a “solid head”? They’re using the money to purchase 300-400 Bell bicycle helmets! The way it works is that Love Links will be able to give away helmets when people come to the ministry for bicycles. Bikes are distributed to people twice a month — from May to the end of this month, so get on down there! The bicycles are given away based on a voucher system. Clients go to Love INC’s headquarters, 1106 Fulton Ave., to obtain a voucher. From there, they take the voucher to one of the many bike giveaway dates. “Not everyone takes (the helmets), but we encourage them to,” program coordinator Charmaine Velik said. Visit Love INC bicycle program gets dollars for helmets for more info. (Alex Doty, Grand Haven Tribune.com)
• The “Halloween Haunt” Grand Opening celebration of the Valley Health Center Milpitas, took place on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 143 N. Main St. in Milpitas. In a twist on the traditional Halloween fair, this healthy haunt event had free kids activities, free trick-or-treat, and free food, as well as free health and dental screenings for adults and kids, including vaccinations. Kids also learned about bike safety and got a free bike helmet by attending the bike safety seminar from 1:15 to 2 p.m. (thanks to the Santa Clara Family Health Plan). Read more:  COUNTY CURRENTS: Celebration of New Valley Health Center (Dave Cortese, MercuryNews.com)
• Recently, members of the St. Augustine Kiwanis Club in Florida, along with Crookshank K-Kids (their youth services group), sponsored a program on bike safety and gave each first grader at Crookshank Elementary a helmet. The club hopes that the helmets get the youngest students off to a safe and responsible start, developing healthy habits in terms of bike safety. “Keeping students safe while riding their bikes is an important priority for the St. Augustine Kiwanis Club.” Now that’s the spirit! Kiwanis Club distributes bike helmets at Crookshank, (The St. Augustine Record)
• Taking a cue from our Minneapolis Bike Cop friends Mark Klukow and Mike Kirchen, the Pratt Police Department (in West Virginia) is now passing out free bicycle helmets to local children. Pratt Police Chief Eric Eagle said the Greater Charleston Pilot Club and local McDonald’s restaurants are teaming up with the police department to provide helmets for town residents. He said the Pilot Club will provide the helmets, which the police department will distribute. Police will also distribute McDonald’s meal cards to children wearing bike helmets. Pratt police giving away children’s bike helmets (Staff, The Charleston Gazette)

We’re also conducting a bike-helmet giveaway right now too! It’s easy to enter for your chance to win a free Bell true Fit helmet: Simply follow us on twitter at @BellTrueFit and you’ll be automatically entered into our drawing for a free helmet once we reach 900 followers! Visit Bell True Fit Twitter Contest: Round 2 Complete, Round 3 Underway for more details

We’ve reached more than 800 followers on twitter, and as promised the time has come to select a follower (at random) to receive a free Bell True Fit helmet!

With this milestone, we’re also donating five brand new True Fit helmets to Bike Cops for Kids in Minneapolis to help them in their effort to connect cops and kids using bike safety, helmets, and bikes.

City Hall, Down Town San Jose

Big thanks to everyone who re-tweeted and encouraged friends to follow. You all really are the engine that keeps us moving forward in making new connections.

OK, so the winner of Round 2 is … drum roll please … Toni Patton (@Totally_Toni). Congratulations!

Thanks for participating! Please pick a Bell True Fit size, and whether you’d like a boy’s/men’s or girl’s/women’s helmet (visit our Products page for helmet options), and then DM us your email on twitter so we can get your address to mail your free new helmet!

We still have two more rounds of free-helmet giveaways to complete, and we hope that everyone will continue to re-tweet for the chance to win.

For Round 3, when we reach 900 followers, we’ll donate five helmets to San Jose Bike Party – the organization dedicated to building community through bicycling.

Let there be bikes! SJ Bike Party

If you missed our posts on the first and second rounds, here’s how it works: Follow @BellTrueFit on twitter and be automatically entered to win a new Bell True Fit bike helmet!

Each time we reach another 100 followers, we’ll randomly select one of our followers to send a new Bell True Fit helmet to! Plus, each time we reach another 100 followers we’ll donate five helmets to an organization that is dedicated to helmet advocacy and bike safety. We’ll be giving helmets away when we reach 900 followers.

So keep on tweeting, and please encourage your followers to follow @BellTrueFit so we can reach our goals that much sooner!

Here’s what you can tweet: Follow @BellTrueFit – we’re giving away True Fit bike helmets as we reach 900 followers! Please RT http://bit.ly/amXY8A

And be sure to check out the San Jose Bike Party on facebook and twitter @SJBikeParty as well.

Top O’ the morning, err, evening to you and happy St. Patrick’s Day! While most of the 2010 parades took place over the weekend, today is the public holiday on the island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).

St. Patrick’s day is widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat.  (Source: Wikipedia.org)

We’re not going to go into the specifics about the history of the holiday, as you can find that elsewhere on the Web, but here are a few options for some of best bicycling (and non-bicycling)-related events taking place across the US.

Photo found on TransitMiami.com courtesy Ocean View Rickshaw

For anyone looking for a fun time out, there are food and beverage specials, as well as bicycle rides and marathons in just about every city and every town. We hope you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year and in years to come with a bicycle ride! Let us know how you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by leaving a comment below.

Even during the busy holiday week bicycling was as hot as ever in the news! So hot, in fact, that it’s even listed as one preschooler’s New Year’s resolution. Other news from this past week? New product announcements, diehard riders all over the world and cycling charities!

• December 28, 2009: Daron Robertson works two jobs and pedals to and from work every day and in all weather. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night keeps Marshall cyclist from pedaling to 2 jobs (Eric Crump, The Marshall-Democrat News)

• December 28, 2009: CYCLE Kids has been working with inner-city schools in metro Boston and New York City with a goal to adapt an activity kids love — cycling — into a curriculum that ingrains within both kids and their families long-term healthy lifestyle habits. Bicycling As Antidote To Childhood Obesity (Julianne Idlet, wbur.org)

• December 29, 2009: The nominees are now up for year’s “Exploits of the Year” on the Bicycling website. Did your favorite cyclist make the cut? Bicycling’s Exploit of the Year (James Startt, Bicycling)

• December 29, 2009: Former cyclist and Manhattan Publishing Executive João Correia is now back in top racing form after losing 60 lbs. Back in Racing Form After Dropping the Fork (Alex Williams, New York Times)

• December 30, 2009: Included in this list of the best outdoor activities people should partake in throughout 2010? Both mountain biking and road cycling! What’s on your outdoors learn-to-do list for 2010? Here’s where to start (Mike McQuaide, Seattle Times)

• December 30, 2009: The interesting looking Chariot Skates were designed as a combination of skiing and bicycling. Chariot Skates: half rollerblade, half chariot (Keffan Dolly, SlashGear)

• December 30, 2009: Edited by Evan Schneider and published by the nonprofit Wolverine Farm Publishing, this cycling almanac receives rave reviews from Biel in this post. Book review: The new issue of Boneshaker cycling almanac (Joel Biel, BikePortland.org)

• December 30, 2009: The Rock Hill Bicycle Club ventured out New Year’s Day for a 20-mile bike ride known as the Chilly Chili Ride. Rock Hill bicycle riders to brave chill on New Year’s morning (Shawn Cetrone, The Herald: Rock Hill)

• January 1, 2010: Now Sacramento people have more room to roam around on their bikes! Latest Miner’s Ravine Trail segment completed (Staff Writer, Sacramento Bee)

• January 2, 2010: What was one preschoolers New Year’s resolution? “I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.” Healthy New Year’s resolution for kids (Staff Writer, Tehran Times)

Today is New Year’s Day, and while that means it is the first day of 2010, there are many other firsts taking place today as well. At Bell, for instance, this is our very first post of the New Year! In order to celebrate this special day, we’ve pulled together some New Year’s Day facts and firsts for your reading pleasure.

1. On New Year’s Day, people in certain countries gather on beaches and run into the water to celebrate the New Year (sometimes known as polar bear plunges). Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States and Australia are the most popular countries for this. (Wikipedia)

2. On January 1, 1968, Evel Knievel crashed his bike while attempting to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the first time. When he awakens from a 28-day coma, he credits his Bell helmet with helping to save his life. (Bell Sports)

3. In 1908, for the first time, a ball was dropped in New York City‘s Times Square to signify the start of the New Year at midnight. (AllExperts)

4. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) based in Portland, Oregon, hosts an annual New Year’s Day bike ride that has been going on for more than 50 years!

5. The song typically heard streaming through television sets as soon as the ball drops at the stroke of midnight on January 1 is called Auld Lang Syne and originated as a Scottish poem. The title of the song translates into English as “old long since” (Wikipedia)

Another mainstream notion synonymous with New Years is making a resolution. What’s your resolution this New Years? Perhaps it’s getting out on your bicycle more often? Whatever promise it is that you’ve made for yourself in 2010, let us know below! Oh, by the way….Happy New Year!!

It’s Christmas and it’s a Friday. What more could we ask for? How about some facts full of goodwill and charity? In today’s edition of Fast Facts Friday,  we’re focusing on some of the heartwarming acts of kindness that coincide with this specific holiday. From serving hot meals to the less fortunate to donating gifts to charities across the country, Americans seem to have a penchant for helping those in need during Christmas and the holiday season.

1. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department (today) is holding its annual Christmas Bicycle Program, which provides low-income children with a free, newly refurbished bicycle and helmet. This year they’ll be handing out roughly 450 new bikes and helmets. (Santa Maria Times)

2. For each of the 12 days leading up to Christmas, the Disneyland Resort does some MAJOR goodwill, including: sending military care packages, gift and food donations and hosting holiday parties. In all, more than $12 million in cash and in-kind goods will have been donated by the Disneyland Resort and its cast members in 2009. (Disney Parks Blog)

3. In the Green Bay, Wisconsin, area the Salvation Army-Fox Cities Christmas Program is providing 2,008 households with assistance this year. Thanks to record-breaking giving for the Toys for Tots program there are more than 15,000 toys waiting to be handed out. That’s up 40% from last year! (WBay.com)

4. The largest charitable donation in history came from the second richest man in the world Warren Buffet, who donated nearly $31 billion to the Gates Foundation in 2006. (FiveCentNickel.com)

5. In a survey conducted by 3BL Media 82% percent of respondents said it is important to donate money and 79% had done so already in 2009. 90% of respondents said they will donate more in 2010. (3BLMedia.com)

Did you make any charitable donations in 2009? Do you have a favorite cause or charity you donate to? If so, we’d love to hear about it! Just leave a message below!

Merry Christmas from all of us at Bell Sports!!!