Fairfield, Iowa - 2nd best place to bike?

Featuring the diversity of our group, as reported by our local Danish bike ambassador to Fairfield regarding health, food and exercise;

"You should know that most Danes do NOT EVER use their cars if we can bike the distance, hence we grow up biking at least 15-30 miles/day from the time we begin school. No self respecting Dane would EVER give his/her kid a ride to school. From the time we turn 7, we're just handed our rain gear and off we pedal in the sun, the rain and the snow. We're Vikings, after all."

Copenhagen Cycle Chic

"By the way, the current Danish Prime Minister is a keen competitive biker who aims to bike at least 50 km/day (with his body guards, naturally). It creates quite the stir among foreign heads of state when the Danish contingent arrive in cities like Brussels for a NATO meeting and then take off on their fancy racing bikes after the meetings.

Copenhagen's Best City for Cyclists goal - BBC link

No wonder the Danes are such happy people with all the biking we do....

Oh, and I should add that the daily biking is not the only thing that keep the Danes so happy. With all the biking we do, as well as the yummy chocolate and pastries we consume on a daily basis, you will rarely see a fat Dane as we're always out there burning calories on our bikes."

Bike On,

Kristina aka "The Dane"

Thanks to Greg and Kristina for their contributions to this post.

Feist 200

For the last 18 years our fearless leader has orchestrated a bike odyssey of a double century ride on a dedicated route from Fairfield, to turn around near Bushnell, Illinois and return to Fairfield. Supportive riders join in at Denmark for The Middle One Hundred miles, to escort the core group through Ft. Madison, Dallas City, La Harpe and Good Hope. The ride begins at 3:00am and sometimes does not end until midnight that day. Truly, not a ride for everyone.

Rather a spiritual journey possibly only comparable to a ritualistic native American peyote ceremony.

Reported this year;

"Despite a demoralizing headwind, a t-storm, incessant showers, a torrential downpour in Dallas City, a near capitulation right then and there, flat tires, slow leaks and the usual will-sucking power of the double century itself, the sole proprietor of Feist Bikes and myself finished in the midnight hour w/ flair, style, panache and a bellyful of Clif Blocks.

None of this would have been possible for Jeff and I without the steely resolve of Gordon Shackleford and his superb stoker, Jenny Ravey, who pulled us back into the game and took the heart out of the middle century. Thanks to the 'terrible two on the Trek T2000 tandem."

Mark A. Smith

"p.s. Jeff claimed this was the best ride ever, but he always says that. Hyperbole aside, the man looked strong, felt strong, smelled strong...great job, Jeff!"

Performance

With the aerodynamic build of a hockey player, I'm a bike geek, yo!

It's all about Performance!!



Tom

video noted by Tim

Bicycle Timelapse