It’s that time of year again; pumpkins and apple pies and costumes abound. In light of the oncoming Halloween holiday, and for the sake of honoring it in an environmentally-conscious and bike-related way, we thought it’d be nothing short of perfect to show you what one amazing designer can do with a ton of old bike tubes.

The photo at the top of this post caught our attention on Klean Kanteen’s Facebook page, and took us to Ecotuerre, where we quickly learned more about what we were looking at. The costume above is a modern rendition of a Joan of Arc Suit of Armor, fashioned with a papier-maché bodice covered by woven inner bike tubes.

We’re betting this isn’t something just anyone could make as a costume at home, but it got us thinking: What kinds of things could you make with old bike tubes? Let us know in the comments section below!

Found on Klean Kanteen’s Facebook Page

Photos, The Cycling Buzz bike, bike tube, costume, Halloween

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.

Tyler Farrar clinched the win in Colorado Springs today and Tejay van Garderen defended his Yellow Jersey. Exciting times as the Pro Cycling Challenge heads into the weekend!

Active Lifestyle, Events, Photos, The Cycling Buzz Colorado, race, road race, USA Pro Cycling Challenge

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.

Tejay van Garderen reclaimed his lead at Beaver Creek this afternoon! The cyclists started off Stage 4 with a monster climb, heading back over Independence Pass for a second time and getting a second look at the thousands of enthusiastic fans lining the road up and down. Elevation was the name of the game today, with much of the 97-mile course above 9,000 feet. And finally, faced by a steep climb to a difficult finish at the Beaver Creek ski resort.

We were lucky enough to be joined by Shannon Galpin of Mountain2Mountain—a cause near and dear to Osprey’s heart—and her furry friend, Bear. Digging the Osprey puppy love!

Active Lifestyle, Events, Photos, The Cycling Buzz Colorado, race, road race, USA Pro Cycling Challenge

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.

Congratulations to Tom Danielson! He blazed through the finish line first to a roaring crowd in Aspen today. The epic Gunnison to Aspen stage features two of the highest climbs in professional racing, the 131-mile Queen Stage—the longest stage of the entire week—and a monster 12,000-foot summit on the famed Independence Pass before a wild descent into Aspen. Needless to say, it was an exciting day of racing!

Active Lifestyle, Events, Photos, The Cycling Buzz Colorado, Racing, road racing, USA Pro Cycling Challenge

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.

Tejay Van Garderen won the second Stage of the Pro Cycling Challenge, speeding through the finish line in on Mt. Crested Butte. Stage 2 was one of the shortest stages of the week—at 99 miles. Riders first had to tackle 65 miles of short, but challenging climbs over Cerro Summit and Blue Mesa Summit, which made for early launch pads for the breakaway specialists. Then the cyclists visited familiar territory with a Sprint Line in Gunnison, a second Sprint Line in Crested Butte and finally the nasty 2-mile climb to the dramatic finish on Mt. Crested Butte.

Active Lifestyle, Events, Photos, The Cycling Buzz Colorado, race, road race, USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Today marks the start of The USA Pro Cycling Challenge — so it’s only fitting that we have what Osprey Packs Assistant Product Line Manager Chris Horton calls “Osprey’s hippy van” all set for this year’s cyclists to ride up Lizard Head Pass for Stage 1 of the race!

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Tyler Farrar crosses the Stage 1 finish line in Telluride, Colorado. Photo: Chris Horton

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is the biggest and most challenging bike race ever held on U.S. territory. This year, it’s back with a vengeance. Starting August 20, for seven consecutive days, some of the best cyclists from around the world will take on 683 miles of the Rocky Mountains and ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful cities. Osprey is proud to be the official pack sponsor of the Challenge and will be bring you photos from each day’s events right here on the Osprey Bike Blog.

Tyler Farrar won Stage 1 of the second annual USA Pro Challenge today. The opening stage was anything but tame, with challenges hitting cyclists right away. Starting with a 5-mile loop that encompasses most of Durango, Colorado, the riders headed up hill and out of town and toward Telluride. After a second Sprint Line in the town of Dolores, racers started the gradual canyon climb that lasted more than 30 miles, eventually taking them up and over Lizard Head Pass at 10,222 feet. After the climbers’ first test of the week, they blazed down a 15-mile descent into the narrow streets of Telluride to finish stage one and the first 125 miles of the race.

Congratulations to Farrar and all of the riders who showed us what they had today, we’re excited for a full week of these kinds of performances!

Active Lifestyle, Events, Photos, The Cycling Buzz Colorado, Racing, road racing, USA Pro Cycling Challenge

Ever get that nagging feeling that the grass is greener on the other side? Do you sometimes catch yourself looking ever so slightly at other bikes in the neighborhood? Then it might behoove you to explore this infographic created by REI to make sure you’re in the right bike relationship.

Have fun with it!

Active Lifestyle, Pedaling Change, Photos bike, cyclist, infographic, REI

Stephen Matthews catching the last rays of the day.

I was invited along for a weekend of riding in the Kamloops by a small crew led by Seb Kemp, who was writing a story on the Loops for Dirt Magazine, and Reuben Krabbe, who was capturing the images for the article. I had not been to Kamloops in a long while, focusing my travels on other parts of BC, and more exotic locales in the previous few years. I feel strong ties to that arid part of the province though, having spent many weeks there in the early days of my freeride career, shooting for the New World Disorder movies and getting into the youthful trouble that seemed to follow our film shoots around in those days.

Read more…

Osprey Athletes, Photos, The Cycling Buzz bike, freeeride, joe schwartz, kamloops, mountain bike, mountain biking, Osprey Bike, Osprey Packs, travel

We’re very fond of this entirely entertaining and in some cases sorely accurate poster, which we found via Loving the Bike‘s Facebook page. We love the idea of measuring the cycles of your life in terms of your bike fancy, so take a look at it and ask yourself: where are you in the Cycles of Life?

Every Wednesday on Ditch Your Car we’ll be bringing you just another reason to spend more time on two wheels. Be it a photo, a statistic or an inspirational video, we want to keep reminding you about why riding is great!

Active Lifestyle, Ditch Your Car, Photos Cycles of LIfe, ditch your car, Loving the BIke