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

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

Enough said. Here’s to enjoying a weekend on two wheels. Happy Friday!

Found on Chelsea Bella’s Bicyclette on Pinterest.

Active Lifestyle, Advocacy, Ditch Your Car commuting, fun, weekend

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

A group of Osprey team members, friends and family hit the trail for a Sunday ride at Stoner Mesa in San Juan National Forest, Colorado. After 26.5 miles—more than half of that climbing—the crew stopped for a quick photo and some much-needed refreshments.

Cheers to finding some singletrack in your neck of the woods this week!

Active Lifestyle, Osprey Life mountain biking, mtb, Osprey team, SW Colorado

In Copenhagen, Denmark, half of its residents already commute to work by bike. While this may seem like a feat in and of itself—and while it is a pretty remarkable one at that—Copenhagen city planners don’t want to stop there. According to an article in The New York Times, the head of the city’s “traffic planning section,” Brian Hansen, says this: “We are very good, but we want to be better.”

Read more…

Active Lifestyle, Advocacy, Bike Europe, International, Lane Love, The Cycling Buzz bicycle, bike, bike superhighway, Copenhagen

Keep it local is a statement typically seen in regards to food — but it seems equally as fitting for the transportation funds that contribute to each community’s safe bike routes and bicycle structure systems. The problem facing local bike funding is this, according to peopleforbikes.org:

“During recent negotiations on a new transportation bill, the House of Representatives proposed drastic cuts that would hurt bicycling. Their plan would allow states to take federal transportation funds that make roads safer for bicycling and divert them to other uses, without any input from communities like yours.”

The proposed bill would eliminate the funds necessary for your local community to propose and flesh out ideas for safer bike transportation, which would basically halt any future concepts and eliminate the potential for further growth and increased bike transportation options. Of course that’s not something any of us want, so here’s what you can do, right now: Follow this link to the peopleforbikes.org page that explains everything in a nutshell. Then, get in touch with your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative by going here and entering your local information. You’ll be able to write an email urging government to take back the proposal, and send it all via the second link listed above. Send it now to take action and keep bike funding local!

PHOTO Via: peopleforbikes.org

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, Advocacy, Ditch Your Car, Pedaling Change bike funding, ditch your car, government, transportation