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.

March is upon us, and while Punxsutawney Phil, the only true weather forecasting groundhog in the business, saw his shadow back in February predicting  another six weeks of winter, we are already looking forward to the green of Spring. Daylight Savings begins on March 14, St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17 and fun bike rides and tours are popping up across the country.

In today’s edition of Fast Facts Friday we’re discussing some of the upcoming bike rides and tours taking place across the country, with a focus on some of the the more interesting and obscure events. If you know of or are participating in any interesting bike rides or tours coming up, let us know! Just leave a comment below, and maybe we’ll feature you in a future Bell True Fit blog post!

1. The Muddy Buddy Ride is coming to a city near you! From California to Virginia, down to Florida and up to Oregon, the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series is a must for the adventurous. Muddy Buddy is all about having fun (and getting muddy of course) with a friend, family member, partner or co-worker. Teams of two traverse a 6-7 mile off-road course and five obstacles. “At the start of the race, one team member will run and one will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle, find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other through the entire course,” according to the Web site. Funds raised through this meaningful program, benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and allow people with physical challenges to live an active lifestyle. So go get dirty, challenge yourself, support a great cause, get some exercise and get to know someone really well! Visit Muddy-Buddy.Competitor.com to get the “the dirt” on this awesome event.

2. Maybe getting sweaty and muddy with a boss or new girlfriend isn’t your cup of tea … maybe you’d prefer a glass of wine? Geared towards the novice rider, with an epicurean/vinophile bent Napa Valley Bike Tours offers a variety of scenic bike rides through rustic wine country. Since 1987 they’ve been offering single and multi-day guided bike tours, self-guided bike tours, bike rentals and bicycling vacation packages that include accommodations and dining. Sample and purchase wines, wine and dine at some of the best wineries and restaurants, and enjoy an “invigorating sensory experience” as you roll through scenic Napa Valley past rows of vineyards. Visit Napa Valley Bike Tours or become a fan on Facebook to start planning your trip today.

3. Register’s Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) always takes place in the summer, during the last full week of July. Sponsored by The Des Moines Register, this annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, and is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.  RAGBRAI is heading into its 38th year in 2010. A week-long rider fee is $140 and includes baggage transportation, camping accommodations, emergency medical services, daily route maps, entries into drawings for a free bike, and much more. Meals, concerts, parties and events along the way make this scenic ride all the more worth it at the end of every day (after you’ve ridden 75+ miles!). Hurry though, because the entry postmark deadline is April 1, 2009. Visit RAGBRAI.com for more information and check out their blog for interesting updates.

4. Not interested in being confined to the borders of one state? Cycle America offers Cross-State Tours and a Coast-to-Coast journey from June to August. Go from Seattle, WA to Boston, MA crossing over 13 states and one Canadian Province in 64 days. The ride will take you 4,200 miles, averaging 65-86 miles per day through “the lush mountains and forests of the West, across the grasslands of the Great Plains, to the lakes and farms of the Great Lake states and the quaint towns of New England.” The cost is $6,685, and is all inclusive. If a three month bike ride across the country doesn’t quite fit into your calendar or your bank account, you can opt to ride one of the nine cross-state tours for much cheaper (roughly $800 per event). For more information or to reserve a spot visit CycleAmerica.com.

5. Looking for something closer to home, maybe not as long? Then check out The World Wide Bicycle Tour Directory (BicycleTour.com) – a comprehensive directory of bicycle tours and events for both road cycling and mountain biking. They have an easy-to-use menu to help you find bike tours based on country, state, month, duration, and type.

Whichever tour you participate in, be sure to wear your helmet! And be on the lookout for Bell helmets along the way, as many of our models are considered the best. ConsumerSearch.com says the Bell Vela is the best bike helmet for women, the Bell Citi is the best bike helmet for commuters, the Bell Boomerang is the best bike helmet for toddlers, and the Bell Trigger is the best youth bike helmet.

The 82^nd Academy Awards are at 8 ET / 5 PT Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood and the glamour will be in full effect. In honor of this year’s Oscars we’d like to recognize those that we consider superstars by setting positive examples of safety by wearing a helmet! This week’s Fast Facts Friday is a collection of photos from around the web of Oscar-related celebs wearing helmets.

Jake Gyllenhaal is best known for his roles in Donnie Darko, Bubble Boy, The Day After Tomorrow, Jarhead, and Brokeback Mountain (in which he was nominated an Oscar for best actor in 2005). He isn’t nominated for an Academy Award this year, but his older sister Maggie Gyllenhaal is nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in Crazy Heart.

We’re not sure if Maggie rides a bike, but Jake sure does. We’re excited to see him staying safe in a Giro helmet when he’s riding the streets.

Photo courtesy JustJared.BuzzNet.com

 Matthew Broderick is best known for his role in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He also starred in the 1999 movie Election which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing. These days he keeps his pant leg rolled up so it won’t get caught in the chain, and wears a Bell helmet for safety.

Photo courtesy Cyclelicio.us

Matt Damon is best known for … ummm, well, he’s been in a TON of popular movies including Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Rounders, The Bourne series, The Departed, and 2009’s Invictus. He is actually nominated this year for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Invictus. We’re definitely glad to see he’s staying safe with a Bell Helmet.

Photo courtesy ShowHype.com 

Hugh Jackman is known for his role as the slashing, side-burned X-Man Wolverine. He hosted the 81^st Academy Awards last year to rave reviews. He isn’t nominated for an Oscar this year, and he’s not hosting the awards show either, but when we found photos of him wearing a helmet while riding his mountain bike we had to share.

Photo courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

Carey Mulligan is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in An Education.

Here she is seen sporting a helmet as she rides on the back of a motorcycle with boyfriend Shia LaBeouf, also protecting his valuable head with a helmet.

Photo courtesy DailyMail.co.uk

Have you seen or know of any other celebrities that wear a helmet? Please share with us by leaving a comment below!

As a provider of safety helmets for a variety of sports from professional to novice for adults to toddlers, we take pride in bringing innovation to our customers to create a safer experience on the hill, bike path, slopes, or just out on the driveway!

Bell True Fit helmets are designed for biking, however the Bell family also offers customized helmets for a variety of activities including power sports,  bicycling, and … skateboarding. Normally we blog about bicycling and all of the elements that surround it, however over the course of February 2010 we’ve been discussing skateboarding, in particular Tony Hawk, a whole lot.  

Since February 1, 2010 we’ve given away two Bell Hawk skateboarding/BMX helmets, and two versions of the new video game Tony Hawk: RIDE – one for X-Box 360 (congrats @MomMostTraveled) and one for Nintendo Wii (congrats @davesniadak).

While we don’t have the ability to give everyone a helmet or video game, we do have one more game/helmet combo to give away to a random – and may we add, in our opinion, lucky – twitter participant. Today marks the end of our third and final giveaway contest, and we’d like to say CONGRATULATIONS @MissingLynxx. You have won a new Bell Hawk helmet and Tony Hawk: RIDE for X-Box 360!

Thank You – everyone – for participating in our February twitter contests. We hope you’ll stick around to read our blog, and just want to say: be on the lookout for future contests!

Sincerely,

The Bell True Fit Team

Bicycle riders are a dedicated bunch. They ride to work and school in the rain and cold – over bridges, through tunnels and down freeways (where legal). Some choose to ride for the health benefit, while other’s ride for the environment’s benefit. Many ride for the sheer pleasure, and others ride out of necessity. At Bell Sports, we are inspired by those who bike long distances to get where they need (or want) to go. Today’s Fast Facts Friday is in honor of those who take their bikes on busses, trains and other transit options. So without further adieu, here are some transit-related bicycle facts from around North America:

1) Bike riders in New Jersey are thankful there is no extra charge for bicycles brought aboard NJ Transit vehicles, and no permit is required. NJ TRANSIT provides free parking capacity for about 2,300 bicycles at stations and park/rides, and bikes are allowed on NJ Transit trains, busses and light rail. Be sure to check the schedule though, because bicycles like BART, bicycles are not allowed at all times. (NJTransit.com)

2) The Seattle and Tacoma, Washington area is conveniently bike friendly, and bicycles and transit are highly encouraged. Bicycles are welcome on all Sound Transit Express buses, Sounder commuter rail, Central Link light rail and Tacoma Link light rail vehicles and stations. Each Central Link Light Rail car has mounting hooks for two bicycles, and the Sounder commuter rail has bike storage areas where riders are encouraged to secure their bikes using tie-downs in the bicycle priority storage area. (SoundTransit.org)

(IndependentStitch.typepad.com)

3) In Washington D.C. the Union Station Bike Transit Station is the first secure bike parking facility of its kind on the East Coast. The station, which  opened on October 2, 2009, was built by Mobis/Bikestation with funding from DDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation, but local bicycle rental company Bike and Roll is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the transit center. Bike and Roll employees staff the parking area from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, providing rentals, repairs, and retail assistance in addition to the daily parking area. Staffers can also help potential members sign-up online in person at the station. Memberships currently cost $96 for a full year, or $12 per month. Membership cards allow users 24/7 access to the parking area. (DCist.com)

4) Regional Transit of Sacramento, California offers bike racks on buses, bikes on trains and bike lockers at 15 light rail stations. This is similar to BART, or Bay Area Rapid Transit, which offers a dedicated “bike space” to riders … but remember bikes are never allowed on the first train and are not allowed during peak commute times. Folding bikes are welcome at all times, though! (BikesOnBart)

5) The City of Chicago and the Active Transportation Alliance sponsor numerous bicycle related events throughout the year including Bike the Drive, Boulevard Lakefront Tour, Veggie Bike and Dine, Bike to Work Week, Bike Town Bash, and Chicagoland Car-Free Day. Visit  ActiveTrans,org for a full calendar of events. The CTA, or Chicago Transit Authority has indoor, sheltered bike parking at 83 stations providing security and weather protection. The CTA also has options for travelling to O’Hare and Midway airports with your bicycle. (CityOfChicago.org)

6) And for those who drive, but need  a convenient way to transport your bike(s), Bell offers bike racks for your car! The locking, three-bike rack makes it a cinch for three friends (or family) to drive to their favorite biking destination. (Target.com)

Are there any interesting transit-related bike options in your area? If so, tell us about it with a comment below!

One of the most touching weeks for bicycle news, to date. Our hearts were filled with joy in hearing all that people are doing to promote bicycling – cheaper lunches? A poetic tale of riding through the rain? Helping to heal those ailed by illnesses? Yes, these are all stories that made the news last week. To hear more of the stories that either put a smile on our faces or made us put on our thinking helmets, check out this week’s post of news from around the world.

• January 29, 2010: Want discounts on restaurants just for riding your bicycle? Move to Long Beach (for one day, at least)! To Encourage Bicycle Commuting, Cyclists Get Lunch Deals in Long Beach (Zach Behrens, LAist.com)
• January 29, 2010: Honking In Traffic is a thought provoking story that points out the often forgotten population of people who ride bicycles not necessarily for pleasure, but out of necessity. The Invisible People on Bikes Right in Front of Our Eyes (Sarah Goodyear, Streetsblog.org)
• January 28, 2010: On the same day as President Obama’s State of the Union address, the Alliance for Biking & Walking also spoke out – on the lack of federal and state funding for bikers and walkers. A Bike-Ped State of the Union: 9.6% of Trips, 1.2% of Federal Funding (Elana Schor, DC.Streetsblog.org)
• January 28, 2010: “La Chanson de la Seine” – And the similarities between Tucson and Paris through the eyes of a rainy bicycle ride. Bicycle ride in the rain reminds her of a walk down the Seine (Barbara Russek, Arizona Daily Star)
• January 27, 2010: On Wednesday, India opened a 6,000-square feet building houses over 200 models of the top bicycles from all over the country and the world. India’s first bicycle mall opens in Pune (Staff Writer, Thaindian News)
• January 26, 2010. As shown with the Bell True Fit, a bicycle helmet doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive to keep your noggin safe. Study: Cheap bike helmets offer same protection as expensive ones (Desiree Ferenczi, ConsumerReports.org)
• January 26, 2010: Chinese officials acknowledge the need for bicycling to make a comeback in Beijing. Back to the Future, by Bicycle (Sarah Goodyear, SF.Streetsblog.org)
• January 26, 2010: Pam Emison, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, found strength through bicycling. M.S. slows athlete down – but not much (Josh Wimmer, WhiteBearPress.com)
• January 25, 2010: Professor Jan Helgerud and co-workers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have found several ways to help improve a chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient’s overall fitness and quality of life – through cycling on a stationary bicycle, using one leg at a time. Cycling to Better Health, One Leg at a Time (Staff Writer, ScienceDaily)
• January 25, 2010: Los Angeles police detectives arrested two men last week who were in charge of a Los Angeles bicycle-theft ring and recovered several stolen bicycles and parts, among other things. Detectives Bust Bike-theft Ring Downtown (Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Police Department, Ethiopian Review)

Wearing a helmet is the best way to protect your noggin when riding a bicycle, however injuries and accidents are best avoided when the bicycle rider knows his or her surroundings, understands proper bicycle etiquette, and has a finely tuned bike. In today’s edition of Fast Fact’s Friday we’re offering up some nuggets of information on bicycle repair, quality bicycle products and bicycle efficiency.

 1) The most efficient animal on earth in terms of weight transported over distance for energy expended is a human on a bicycle. The most efficient machine on earth in terms of weight transported over distance for energy expended is a human on a bicycle. To keep your bike in efficient condition be sure to give it a tune-up at least once a year, or every few months if you ride every day. (BikeWebsite.com)

2) Long-time cyclist, author and contributor to The New York Times and The New Yorker Robert Sullivan offers four basic, bicycle etiquette tips that every bike rider should adhere to: Stay off the sidewalks, ride in the direction of traffic, use signals and stop at lights. (MotherNatureNetwork.com)

3) An estimated 124 million bicycles were manufactured worldwide in 2007, and the vast majority of all bikes sold worldwide (82 percent) are manufactured in two countries: China (71.8 percent or 89.0 million units) and India (10.0 percent or 12.4 million units). (InterBikeTimes.com)

4) Need a suggestion on purchasing a new mountain bike? According to ConsumerSearch.com the best “entry-level cross country race bike” is the Kona Kula, the best “trail-oriented mountain bike” is the Giant Trance X2, and the best “mountain bike for serious riders” is the Gary Fisher Roscoe 3. (ConsumerSearch.com)

5) Looking for a good bicycle repair shop near you? BicycleRepair.com lets you browse bicycle repair shops by popular cities, by most popular bicycle repair shops, and by the top rated bicycle repair shops. (BicycleRepairUSA.info)

By the way – if you’d like to check out a great video on self-bicycle tuning basics, go to BicycleTutor.com. Do you have a bicycle repair video or tip to share? Post your tip below!

My oh my – what a crazy-cool week for bicycling! Last week’s news discussed hot topics such as four-wheeled bicycles, cycling insurance, bike videos, a promotion for female cyclists and tips for how to become a “badass” on your bike. Need we say more?! Check out last week’s bicycling stories that made headlines, below!

• January 4, 2010: What good are two tires when you can have four?! Join My Quadracycle Gang (J.S. Holland, LouisvilleMojo.com)
• January 5, 2010: Did you know that bicycle insurance that is similar to auto insurance already exists in England, Australia, and New Zealand? Bicycle insurance: Coming to America in 2010?, nor sleet, nor gloom of night keeps Marshall cyclist from pedaling to 2 jobs (Lindsay Caron, BikePortland.org)
• January 5, 2010: “Empire,” is a yet-unfinished film about everything that is “fun, scary and exciting” about bicycling in the Big Apple without brakes. Cycling on Camera, in New York and Beyond (J. David Goodman, New York Times)
• January 5, 2010: One city looks at the multiple benefits of this investment in years to come by investing in bicycling. ENVIRONMENT: Cycling can boost the area’s riches (Scott Macrae, Rochester City Newspaper)
• January 5, 2010: What’s this season’s first competition on The Biggest Loser? – A bicycling competition where couples have to ride 26.2 miles on stationary bikes, the same distance as the marathon that finalists ran at the end of the previous “Biggest Loser” season. The Biggest Loser Has Even More to Lose (Cynthia B., Gather)
• January 5, 2010: The Social Bike Business program creates jobs through locally manufactured transportation bicycles for disadvantaged people. Led by One Street, a global bicycle advocacy organization, the program is underway in Prague, Budapest and Los Angeles. Brewery Broadens Social Bike Program (Press Release, PPOL: News)
• January 7, 2010: What are the ‘Three Ps’, you ask? – Priority statements, potential policies & potential programs, of course! The ‘Three Ps’ of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Beverly Majors, Oak Ridger)
• January 8, 2010: Great tips for beefing up your bike status! How to Become a Bicycle Badass (Scott Indrisek, Asylum)
• January 8, 2010: One writer’s opinions and ideas toward women and bicycling. COMMENT: Forget blokes, it’s women we want to get on bikes (Carlton Reid, Bike Biz)
• January 9, 2010: One way to combat trends of peak oil, declining material living standards in America (and much of the rest of the Western world), and global environmental stresses? Bicycling! Guest commentary: Bicycling safely into the future (Robert C. Cluster, Daily Camera)

With an unwavering cold snap tightening its grip on the nation, even the most dedicated of cyclists, skateboarders, in-line skaters and outdoor extreme sports enthusiasts can become inclined to stay indoors.

Rain, snow, and below freezing temperatures in many areas are threatening crops, causing deadly ice storms and delaying flights. But it’s not all bad in these frosty times – the cold weather is great for all the winter sports enthusiasts out there!

Skiing and snowboarding are two winter sports that get the most attention, but they’re not the only winter activities available for snow-lovers to partake in. There are many other exciting cold weather activities for people of all ages.

The winter months of December, January and February can also mean sledding, ice skating, and snowball fights. And how about winter bicycling?

Winter mountain biking has become an exhilarating way for the avid cyclist to push his or her limits and continue riding throughout the winter months. Biking.com suggests winterizing your bike with bigger tires for better traction in the snow.

Not quite ready to tread through the snow on tires? Snowshoes were thought to have been invented some 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, but only in the past few years have many American schools (mostly, but not exclusively in the Northeast) started offering snowshoe programs in their physical education classes to help combat obesity. Snowshoeing is also a preferred method of hiking to great powder for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. (Wikipedia)

Back in November we detailed The Necessity of Skiing & Snowboarding With a Helmet. Some other winter sports that require or suggest wearing a helmet include speed skating, ski jumping, bobsledding, snowmobiling, ice hockey, and luge.

In coastal areas where the elevation is too low to snow during the winter months, surfing is a big attraction for passionate surfers and spectators alike because of the large waves created by all the storms.

People flock to Half Moon Bay, CA, almost every winter to see daring professional surfers take on 20-50 foot waves at Mavericks – all for the chance to win $150,000! Also in the water, fisherman are in luck during the winter thanks to ice fishing and swimmers with guts can find enjoyment in ice swimming.

Still not satisfied? OK, well we’re officially out of ideas…But if you have one in mind – or if you have a favorite winter sport pastime – please feel free to share! All in all, no matter what hobby you decide to take on this winter, please stay safe and warm!

Source: Sun Valley Online photo of the day, courtesy of Jim Figge

Hopefully all your cards have been sent, your house smells of fresh pine needles and colorful lights are shining brightly in and outside your home, because today is Christmas Eve! Everywhere, people are busy singing carols, doing last minute holiday shopping, wrapping gifts and getting ready to spend quality time with their families and loved ones. The eggnog may very well have already started flowing, the ugly sweaters in full effect and children across the United States are anticipating a busy morning of digging through stockings and tearing through apart wrapping paper.

Indeed, the Holidays are heartwarming for everyone, including us here at Bell Sports. This is in part due to some of the aforementioned holiday customs (who doesn’t enjoy a hearty ugly sweater party?!), but also because of all the new bikes being rolled out this season.

We spoke with Santa earlier this month, and he said that, traditionally, a bicycle is one of the first things on many children’s wish lists. Of course, we made sure Santa had our phone number so he could place orders for True Fit Helmets to go with all those bicycles! We thoroughly enjoy the thought of children across the land jumping on a bike for the first time and starting what hopefully turns into a healthy lifetime hobby.

For some tips on how to properly teach your little one how to ride a bike, check out REI’s expert advice. They suggest the most important consideration when teaching a child to ride is that you keep it fun. Some children will pick it up faster than others, and patience is key. For more information, including the proper way to wear a helmet, check out REI’s Teaching a Child How to Ride a Bike.

Another fun and exciting thing to do around Christmas, specifically, is to bake cookies and leave them out near the fireplace with a glass of milk, so as to build anticipation for your little ones. But rather than making them wait up all night to catch a glimpse of ol’ Saint Nick, why not actually track Santa on his journey around the world this Christmas Eve? NORAD, the bi-national military organization responsible for the aerospace and maritime defense of the United States and Canada has been tracking Santa’s Christmas Eve journey’s for more than 50 years. You and your children will easily be able to find out where Santa is at anytime on Christmas Eve at NoradSanta.org.

Also, in case you missed our holiday helmet giveaway that took place last week, we are extending the holiday spirit post-holiday – we’ll be giving away more free goodies early in the New Year! Check back soon for your chance to win!!

On a final note…regardless of what Holiday you celebrate (it doesn’t matter if there are sugar plums dancing around in your head or Latkes on your plate), we at Bell wish you a very Happy Holiday!!