Archive for November, 2009

Nov 27 2009

Road Bikes Can Be Thoroughly Customized These Days

Published by admin under Road Bikes



Anyone even slightly serious about cycling should consider buying a custom made bicycle rather than a mass produced type that you can buy off the rack in places like Walmart and other discount stores. A custom made bike is designed for one individual only and manufactured their exact measurements. A good fit means and immensely improved experience for the rider and optimum performance based specifically on how that individiual’s body moves. Off the rack bicycles are only made in few sizes and finding a perfect fit is practically impossible. This results in a shorter shelf life of the bicycle due to it’s owner working harder to compromise for the ill fit and wearing out the bicycle’s components because of improper use.

Before you set out to find somewhere to make your custom-made bicycle it is definitely a good idea to decide what type of cycling you intend to be doing as your goals as a cyclist will influence many of the design decisions your bike manufacturer will make. Several questions you need to ask yourself : What kind of terrains will you be cycling on? If you are cycling for exercise or recreational purposes what’s the fastest you think you’ll want to go? Custom made bicycles are especially important for athletes because the right fit ensures peak biomechanical efficiency, giving the rider that extra edge.

Custom bicycles also give cyclist the opportunity to express their individuality. While some riders are only interested in the performance, for others the style of the bike takes precedence. While it’s possible to customize the look of performance based bicycles such as mountain and racing bikes, it’s the beach cruisers, lowriders and choppers that can be transformed into the most original fashion statements. Most manufacturers also sell a variety of accessories and components in a huge range of colors and materials. This makes it easier for riders to make individual style statements with their bicycles.

As a result of the resurfacing of custom bicycles on a major scale, there are now are large selection of manufacturers to choose from. Most can be found online, allowing customers the option of browsing the many styles and options before they make their decision. If you are looking for a customized bike but have no local shops then many online manufacturers will give you step by step instructions on taking the correct measurements, this means riders can still provide them with the correct information they need to make sure the bike is a perfect fit.

By: Alison Addy

About the Author:
Alison Addy is the editor of http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com. Keep reading about bicycle frame geometry and bicycles at his web.



Caffeinated Content

No responses yet

Nov 15 2009

Road Bikes World Races: The Tour de France

Published by admin under Road Bikes



The Tour de France is the BIG one; it’s the World cup and the Olympics all in one. It has it all, the high mountains, the wind swept northern planes and the heat of the south. It also has the world’s media, all the top teams and riders and millions of cycling mad fans watching. The other “Grand Tours” of Italy and Spain are as exciting, sometimes more so, but they don’t have the thing the Tour has, that unique Tour ness, that unique French ness.

How it started.

It all started in 1903, when the French daily paper, L’Auto wanted to sell more than its competitor, Le V

No responses yet

Nov 11 2009

Professional Cycling

Published by admin under Cycling



Purists in the cycling world will tell you that road cycling is the classic and arguably most beautiful manifestation of cycle sport. Professional cycling is perhaps most famously associated with the Tour de France, a three week bicycle race around France, covering roughly 3,500 km over 21 days. The race was born in 1903 and has been run every year since, excepting for a four year gap caused by the instabilities of the First World War and a seven year sabbatical prompted by the Second World War.

Recently Lance Armstrong has elevated the level of exposure enjoyed by cycle sport, especially in the English speaking world, through his heroic fight against testicular cancer and his record seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France. To put this into perspective, one should remember that only five men before Armstrong have managed to win as many as five Tours, never mind seven. And the Spaniard Miguel Indurain was the only one of these riders to manage five in a row.

Cycling Teams

To be cycling in the Tour de France is to be competing at the pinnacle of professional cycling, and it is only the most talented and dedicated athletes which make the cut into professional cycling teams. Each of these professional cycling teams is managed by a cycling manager who coordinates the riders’ race calendar and publicity appearances. The director sportif is another major player within the team setup and it is this individual’s job to direct the tactical assault launched upon a race by his team leader and supporting riders. Tactics play a massive role in determining the victor when it comes to road cycling, therefore the more cohesive an approach taken by the team, the better the race results will be for the team and the sponsors.

Typically a pro cycling team will consist of a team leader, a team captain and several domestiques, otherwise known as team workers. Depending on the race, there may be one or two team leaders, a strong sprinter for flat races, or a strong climber for the tougher terrain. In essence the team leader is the rider within the team who is most likely to win the race. The team captain will generally be the most wily or tactically experienced rider; it is his job to coordinate the team so as to set up the best possible tactical position from which the team leader can succeed in his duty of winning. The domestiques play a vital role in supporting the team leader. They do this by sheltering the leader from prevailing winds and getting food and drinks from the team’s backup vehicle.

Battlefields of Cycle Sport

Pro cycling teams compete on the Pro Tour, which includes the three week long tours of France, Italy (Giro de Italia) and Spain (Vuelta a Espa

No responses yet

Nov 05 2009

Sportfishing Enjoyment For Beginners and Enthusiasts

Published by admin under Sports Enthusiasts



Whether you are an avid fisherman or a newcomer to the sport, you will have a great time fishing with an experienced guide in the waters around Jacksonville, Florida. A charter captain can take you on a productive fishing trip in the protected saltwater of the St. Johns River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, an area locals call the Mayport Jetties. You may also venture to the natural and artificial reefs near Jacksonville Beach and Amelia Island.

When you go on a charter fishing trip you can bring your own rod and reel or use the tackle that is provided. After you and your friends take your seats seasoned hands can help you set up your hooks and line. If you want they will instruct you on the fine points of the sport. Before you know it you will be catching king fish, speckled sea trout, king mackerel, tarpon, and cobia. If you don’t know a weakfish from a sheepshead, the captain or crewmembers will tell you what you’ve got on your line and show you how to bring it in. If your line gets tangled or you lose your bait, the helpful crew will set you right back up. They will even clean your fish for you, making your catch ready for the grill! (Of course, you are free to release any fish you don’t want.) From start to finish the crew takes care of the dirty work so you can spend your time catching fish.

A veteran, licensed fishing guide knows where and when to fish so you are not wasting your time. If you’re looking for a guide in the Jacksonville area, check out their fishing reports before your sign up for a charter. A captain’s fishing reports will give you an idea of his or her skill, experience, and knowledge about local waters. The more years a guide has spent locally the better they will know the fine points of the sport. You can have a fun time even if you don’t catch anything, but it is a much better day if you haul in the fish. And it’s not a matter of luck; an experienced guide is your key to a great day on the water.

You can join other people on a big fishing boat or charter a smaller boat just for you and two or three friends. A typical trip lasts four to six hours; shorter trips can be arranged for families with small children. For extra fun try a night fishing trip on the St. John River, with a glowing green light to draw in the fish. If you want to be on the water but don’t care to fish, you can charter a captain to take you on a pleasure cruise in the Jacksonville waters.

Like with any nature activity, you don’t know what you are going to encounter when you head out onto the water. You just have to find a good fishing guide and head out for an adventure. Once you go, you will probably be back for more.

By: Chris Robertson

About the Author:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Jacksonville Fishing.



Caffeinated Content

No responses yet

Nov 04 2009

Olympic Nations – Who Is Who?

Published by admin under Olympic Cycling



Who was the first athlete elected president in the world?

Marcus Stephen is the first sportspeople elected head of state in the world. Nauru’s president since 2007, Stephen was one of the Third World’s most famous weightlifters in the 1990s. From 1990 to 1994, he won four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. “I am proud of my achievements in weightlifting and what I have done for Nauru”, said Stephen. In 1999, he won a silver medal at the World Cup in Greece. He was elected Nauru’s sportspeople of the year many times. For this reason, he had many fans in his island, one of the smallest nations on Earth, with an area of 21 square km and a population of about 9,500. One of the most influential leaders in the history of Nauru, Stephen was elected congressman in 2003. Unlike George Weah ( the former footballer who lost the presidential election in Liberia), Stephen Marcus made his dream come true on December 19, 2007, when he was elected president by Parliament. “Marcus Stephen was sworn in as new president after a vote on Wednesday afternoon. It is official, Marcus Stephen is president. He holds the reins now and has appointed a new cabinet”, said Nauru’s consul to Australia Martin Hunt.

Who is the most famous sportsperson in Montenegro?

Alesandar Radovic, who is one of the greatest water polo players in the world. He work very hard every day. His efforts paid back during the 2007 Universiade in Bangkok (Thailand), when Montenegro won the men’s water polo gold medals for the first time. It won 11-8 over Italy in the final match. Radovic excelled in that historic game. Certainly, he can already be counted among the world best athletes of his generation. Currently, Radovic is a symbol of Montenegro, the newest country in the world.

Who is the best volleyball player in the world?

Hector Soto. Birthplace: Puerto Rico. Volleyball champion Soto is an iconic figure in Puerto Rican sporting history. He is creative and efficient. Under his brilliant direction, Puerto Rico finished sixth at the 2007 FIVB World Cup . It defeated teams such as Japan (3-0), USA (3-1), Egypt (3-0), Tunisia (3-0) and Spain (3-0). Soto was top scorer of the FIVB World Championships for two years consecutivly. At the 2007 NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship, the Puerto Rican national team won the silver medal. Led by Hector Soto, Puerto Rico defeated Cuba 3-2 (26-24, 11-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-11). “I think the first set took a lot out of us mentally. We came back too relaxed. “, said Soto. He also gave Puerto Rico its first international title: the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games in Cartagena (Colombia). In the match for the 1st place Puerto Rico won their first ever gold medal after a 3-0 victory over the Cuban team. Cuba had won 9 of 15 Central American and Caribbean Championships.

Who is the best basketball team in Africa?

During the FIBA African Championship for Men in 2007, the Angolan team placed first. Antonio Carvalho, Olimpio Cipriano, Miguel Lutonda and Emanuel Neto are the best-known names on the team.

Who is Guennadi Touretski?

This man is the coach of greatest swimmers in the world. “Swimmers must be strong as weightlifters and have the lightness and the flexibility of Bolshoi dancer at the same time”, Guennadi said in an interview with sportswriter Camillo Cametti.

Who is the best athlete in South Korea?

In 2006, a new star emerged to the world: the swimmer Tae Hwan Park, who won three gold medals at the Asiad. After South Korea’s Tae Hwan Park won the gold medal in the 400m free at the FINA World Cup in Australia.

Who is the best handball team in the world?

For many reasons, Germany. It is currently world champion. “We were simply the best team” said Christian Schwarzer, one of the stars of the German team.

Who are the most popular sprinters in Tuvalu?

They are Kasifa Galuega, Puaita Ketepu, Mileneta Lepeni, Manos Lito, Faiva Namoliki, Malietasi Tulaga, Penani Tumau, Fuliga Vaega (100m, 200m, 4x 100m relay).

Who is the best basketball player in Asia?

Yao Ming (China). Why ? For many reasons. Yao Ming is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A national hero in China after leading them to the Olympics in Sydney (Australia). In 2006, he became top scorer of the World Cup in Tokyo (Japan). As a member of the Chinese men’s basketball team, Yao Ming won the silver at the 2002 Asiad. ” I love the atmosphere of the Asian Games. It is also a place where China’s rivalry in basketball with Korea and Japan is renewed every four years. I went through a lot to play in the NBA, but if I had to choose between playing in the NBA and playing for the Chinese national team, I would choose the national team”.

Who is the best runner in the United States?

Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat. Born in Kenya (Africa) but moved to the United States at the age of 22 and took up citizenship in 2004. Last year he won two gold medals at the IAAF World Cup.

Who is Iraki Tsirekidze?

He is a judoka from Georgia (European country). This sportsperson is currently world champion.

Who is the most famous table tennis player in the United States?

Gao Jun. She played many times China, where she was born. In 1994, she became an American citizen. During an interview, she said: “There is a big difference in table tennis between China and the United States. In the U. S. , a lot of people play for fun, more like a basement sport. After I retired from the Chinese national team I thought my career was done. I am grateful for the opportunity to play for the United States and I hope I can win a medal for the U. S. ” Gao Jun is champion of the Americas (singles).

Who is Irving Saladino?

Panama’s Irving Saladino caused a sensation when he won the gold medal in the long jump at the 2007 World Championships in Japan and was named Panamanian Sportspeople of the Year. This was the best performance by a Panamanian male athlete since 1948. He became the first sportsman from Central American to win a gold medal. Under the leadership of Saladino, Panama has always been on the medal table at each international competition since 2006.

Who is the most famous wrestler in Mongolia?

Naranbaatar Bayaraa Mongolia’s Bayaraa won silver in the freestyle 55kg class at the World Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan).

Who is Julio Velasco?

He was one of the most successful coaches in Italy. A native of La Plata (Argentina), Julio Velasco was born on February 9, 1952 to Julio Raoul Velasco Fernandez and Edith Blake Schiaffino. He admires Mario Vargas Llosa, the famous writer from Peru. In the early 1980s, he was assistant coach of the Argentinean men’s national team. Of Peruvian, British and Italian origin, Velasco went to Italy in 1983, where he coached the Tre Valli Jesi Club. From 1985 to 1989, he won many Italian crowns. Under his direction, Italy won the FIVB World Champions (1990) and other international tournaments. Velasco was coach of the best volleyball country’s best volleyball players:Andrea Lucchetta, Andrea Zorzi, Paolo Tofoli and Lorenzo Bernardi. He believes that Italy’s volleyball league is a model for the world. “It’s not right to give too much space to the national team and too little to the clubs. Without the club coach, there would be no volleyball. It is he who brings in young athletes, even keeping them from opting for basketball or an engineering degree. We have to give space to all of them and avoid what happened in the United States, where, with no national championship tournament, new blood was lacking and once the superstar cycle was over, the national team plunged from its once top ranking. This doesn’t happen in Brazil and Italy, where the resources are inexhaustible precisely because there are big national championships”.

Who is Laure Manaudou?

She is the best French swimmer of all times. Olympic gold medalist Laure Manaudou won three gold medals at the 2006 European Cup in Helsinki (Finland).

Who is Thiago Pereira?

He has won more American gold medals than any other swimmer. This sportsman has won an unprecedented six gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games. He won the gold medal in the 200m medley, the 400m medley, the 200m backstroke, the 200m breaststroke, the 4×100m frestyle and the 4×200m freestyle. Pereira was born on January 26, 1986 in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Who are the greatest field hockey teams in the world?

Hockey women: Holland, China, South Africa, Japan, Argentina, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia.

Hockey men: Great Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Canada, China, South Korea, Argentina, USA, India, South Africa and Pakistan.

Who is Churandy Martina?

Like Marc Burns (Trinidad & Tobago), Dudley Dorival (Haiti), Kim Collins (St. Kitts and Nevis) and Asafa Powell (Jamaica), Churandy is one of the best sprinters of the Caribbean. He came 5th in the 100m and 200m at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka (Japan). He is an athlete from the Netherlands Antilles.

Who is Yukio Peter?

Peter was born and grew up in the Federation States of Micronesia, a nation made up 607 islands and cays in the Western Pacific Ocean. He is one of the best weightlifters in the Third World. Under the direction of Paul Coffa (weightlifting coach), he won a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Peter’s sports career began in 1998 when he was just 13 years old. His dream is to become an Olympic champion. Currently, he works very, very hard. In nearly all of his interviews, he has been described as very friendly and modest. He once said: “For one year or so I used to watch the lifters training under Paul Coffa through the window and every time I was asked to join. I used to run away as I was a very shy boy. One day I was taken into room and I watched the lifting from the inside. From that day I joined the weightlifting group and have never looked back. ” For many reasons, he is a model and an ambassador of sport.

Who is Mfon Udoka ?

She is one of the greatest female basketball players of the world. Udoka was elected to the 2004 All-Star Team. She was born in Nigeria.

Who is Rafd Zyad Almasri?

He is perhaps the best swimmer in the Middle East. Rafd is from the Arab nation of Syria. He won the gold medal in the 50m freestyle at the Asiad held in Qatar in 2006.

Who is Franciela Chana Masson?

She is one of the greatest female handball players of the world. Chana has been playing since 2002 in Europe (Germany and Denmark). Like Sandra Pires (beach volleyball), Roerio Sampaio (martial arts) and Robert Scheidt (sailing), she was born in Brazil.

Who is the best water polo team in the world?

Croatia. It won the gold medal at the 2007 FINA World Championships in Melbourne (Australia). The Croatian water polo team defeated Hungary 9-8 in the final. The winners were: Zdeslav Vrdoljak, Sanir Barac, Miho Boskovic, Damir Buric, Frano Vican, Andro Buslje, Mile Smodlaka, Teo Dogas, Igor Hinic, Maro Jokovic, Aljosa Kunac, Pavo Markovic and Josip Pavic.

Who are the best female basketball players in Mali?

Certainly, Hamch

No responses yet

Search