The Netherlands

Recommended viewing: the difference between Holland and the Netherlands

Now that StradE BianchE is behind us - the race was Saturday and Italian Moreno Moser (Cannondale) won - we have another year to learn how to spell that Italian race correctly (the mispellings were rampant and entertaining).

We can now move on to dispelling another common error - please don't use "Holland" for the Netherlands.

This link above came from my dear-old friend Annelies yesterday, who is Dutch but lives in Belgium now. Annelies and I lived together in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, oh about 24-years ago. Having friends who live around the world is a pure joy and broadens my life and knowledge tremendously.

I have fond memories of the influence of food and language between the Netherlands and Indonesia while living in Indonesia (a previous Dutch colony). Like many travelers I also have a love of geography and zanny facts (12 below from National Geographic and other sources) and make constant discoveries of how misinformed I can sometimes be.

• Netherlands is the most densely populated country in the world, followed by Belgium, then Japan.
• If it were not for the massive dikes and sea walls to hold back the sea, 65% of the country would be flooded daily. More than 2,400 kilometers (1,491 miles) of dikes shield the low, flat land—almost half of which lies below sea level.
• 60 percent of the country is farmed, with super-efficiency, by just 2 percent of the workforce. Only the U.S. and France export more agricultural goods. Products: Grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits; livestock; tulips.
• Amsterdam is the capital and largest city. Rotterdam is the world's largest and busiest general-cargo port.
• According to Forbes.com Amsterdam was the 17th most visited city in 2012. Tourism is a big industry in the Netherlands.
• Three of the top 10 most famous paintings in the world are by Dutch Artists. Night Watch (Rembrandt), Girl with a Pearl Earring (Johannes Vermeer), and Starry Night (Vincent van Gogh). I have been fortunate to see all three.
• The story of Hans Brinker, the little boy who held his finger in the dike, is complete fiction. A story created by American Mary Mapes Dodge in 1865 (the year our Civil War ended and our 13th amendment was passed to end slavery. I guess she needed a distraction).
• Some well-known Dutch cuisine include: hutstop (beef stew), erwtensoep (split pea soup), bitterballen (meatballs), pickled, salted herring, smoked eel, Edam, Leiden and Gouda and Limburg cheese, ontbijtkoekm and poffertjes (cakes), and my favorites - pancakes (for dinner!) and speculaas cookies!
• I am an American who lives in the United States, they are Dutch who live in the Netherlands (no caps on the t). 
• The average height of American males is 5ft 10in, the average height of Dutch males is 6ft 1in. And thus why I probably should move to the Netherlands, since the average height of males in my family is 6ft 7in (that's not a joke).
• Dike vs dyke: According to grammarist.com, in American and Canadian English, dike is the preferred spelling of the noun referring to (1) an embankment used to prevent floods, and (2) a low wall dividing lands. Dyke is the preferred spelling in all other main varieties of English, but in America means a lesbian. 
• Netherlands and Nederlands - same country, again, it depends who is saying it. 

A map of the Netherlands. Nice to look at, really difficult to pronounce click image to enlarge

A photo by NASA shows the dikes as long white lines holding off the North Sea. By the look of this map, commuters would need a bike and a boat to get anywhere.

Connecting geography to cycling

Spring means the Classics in the world of cycling and the Netherlands has Amstel Gold - 14 April 2013, the only Classic held within it's borders. The Blanco Pro Cycling Team is a Dutch professional cycling team. Eighteen of their twenty-nine ProTour riders are Dutch. Nineteen of their twenty Continental team riders are Dutch. I like the idea of a semi-national team, in a time when so many teams are of mixed nationalities.

Niki Terpstra (OPQS) is the current Dutch National Road Race Champion. We should all know the name Marianne Vos - the current Olympic Gold Medalist, World CX, World Road, World TTT Champion, Dutch National Road and CX Champion. Makes me wonder why anyone else dare show up to race when she is listed on the roster. Marianne Vos is arguably the best female cyclist of all time, (Marianne Vos: Is she the world's greatest cyclist? By the BBC).

Spring is 17 days away and tulip bulbs will be blooming soon enough. We can thank the Dutch in the Netherlands for that.

Tulips in my neighbors garden last May

I hope you learned at least one new fact from this travel post. I enjoy creating simple geography lessons because every time I go to Europe, no one knows where the heck Colorado is located! We're east of Las Vegas baby, over the big mountains. And we eat Rocky Mountain Oysters - just kidding! (What are those?)

p.s.
Please note (Willie) how I did not even mention beer in this entire post, although they have that too, obviously, or they wouldn't have the Amstel Gold race. [Amstel brewery was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam, named after the Amstel River, it was bought out by Heineken International in 1968 and produces 36 million liters of beer a year]. But since I'm back on the topic of beer, I forgot to mention in my post two days ago that 21-year old American Joe Dombrowski's favorite meal is pizza and wine, not beer - what are they teaching that kid in Europe? He's probably using a fork and knife to eat his pizza these days as well, which according to New Yorkers should always be folded and eaten by hand! Vive la cultural différence.

Related posts by Pedal Dancer: 2013 Cycling Classics race calendar

And from 303Cycling.com: Boulder based Bikes Belong studies the Netherlands for Better Bike Cities. Also view Cycling Tips: Strade Bianche in Photos

Beer Update!

The most awesome beer map ever has moved into your neighborhood

The Beer Map has spread across the Front Range of Colorado, now you have a better chance of finding a beer in your neck of the woods. Thanks again Jeremy Schwartz for your hard work on this project.

Link: The coolest Beer map of Denver & beyond breweries and pubs ever!

Breweries along the front range of Colorado

Related posts by Pedal Dancer: Best Beer Pubs and Breweries in Denver

Recommended Reading: Joe Dombrowski

Read: Cycling's Road Forward - Can Joe Dombrowski ride out of Lance Armstrong's shadow? By Rick Maese in The Washington Post

"...With dark-framed glasses and unassuming presence, Dombrowski looks more like a computer analyst than a world-class athlete. It wasn’t long ago that he was simply riding his bike on weekends along Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park. As he kept getting faster, opportunities opened up, prompting him to leave his home near Warrenton, abandon his studies at George Mason University and uproot his life."

Joe Dombrowski of Team Sky (read his team rider profile)

In the past two to three years I have intentionally snapped as many photos as I could of three particular athletes because I thought, I will want these later when they are big. Well big came soon for Tejay Van Garderen, Peter Sagan and Joe Dombrowski.

Joe Dombrowski in Aspen 2012 ©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Joe said "sure" when I asked him if I could take his photo, he paused calmly ©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Joe Dombrowski   ©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Christian, Tom, George, and Joe doing alright at the startline in Aspen ©Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Winner of the best young rider at the 2012 USA Pro Challenge   ©Photo by Karen of PedalDancer.com

And from the 2012 Tour of California

Joe Dombrowski (Bontrager-Livestrong)   ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein for PedalDancer.com

Joe Dombrowski climbing at the 2012 ATOC    ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein for PedalDancer.com

Col de la Madone, France

In this recommended reading article, Joe Dombrowski now lives and trains in Nice, France, and frequently rides Col de la Madonne. I have never ridden this climb so I refer to others who have.
Pez Cycling ride report: Top Rides: The Col De La Madone! With lots of great pictures of riding in the area near Nice, France. 
Cycling Challenge: Col de Braus and Col de la Madone
Climb by Bike page: Col de la Madone climb
 

Profile of the Col de la Madone climb. Red = lung-busting muscle-ripping steep.

Location of Col de la Madone in France. A long way to ride for a nice view of the sea.

“When you watch the Tour de France on TV, is it just because it’s entertainment? Or is it the beauty, seeing these guys suffering and struggling up mountains over the course of three weeks? There’s a beauty in pure human performance, isn’t there?” he said. “I think that’s what’s so great about cycling." ~ Joe Dombrowski

For sure there will be more of Joe Dombrowski to come ...

Related Posts: Image of the Day: Joe Dombrowski and The Sky was blue (with the team in Belgium 2012)

2013 Cycling Classics race calendar

Spring is in the Air

My favorite cycling races of the year are upon us. I will admit I like these races because all the action and glory happens in one day. And because I like to see who has their game on, who is in form early-season, although these races can be seen as the season for many of us. I also like the scenery - I admit it. The Landscape of the Italian races or the tradition of the cobbles - these races are the best. Ah spring is in the air. I just wish more people would discover the world beyond the Grand Tours (Giro, Tour de France, Vuelta).

One-Day Classics

Milano-Sanremo - 17 March 2013

Spring Classics
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - Harelbeke - 22 March 2013
Gent-Wevelgem - 24 March 2013
Tour of Flanders - 31 March 2013
Paris-Roubaix -7 April 2013
Amstel Gold - 14 April 2013
La Fleche Wallonne - 17 April 2013
Liège–Bastogne–Liège - 21 April 2013

Fall Classics
Clasica Ciclista San Sabastian - 27 July 2013
UCI Worlds - 22-29 September 2013
Il Lombardia - 6 October 2013

Belgian Semi-Classics (not on the UCI WorldTour):
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - 24 February 2013
Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne - 24 February 2013 canceled due to snow
Scheldeprijsf - 3 April 2013
De Brabantse Pijl - 10 April 2013

Italian Semi-Classic (not on the UCI WorldTour)
Strade Bianche - 2 March 2013

UCI World Championships Road
UCI Worlds - 22-29 September 2013

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An explanation of the one-day races

La Primavera

• Milan-San Remo (Italy) – La Classicissima, Milano-Sanremo opens the Classics season every year. It is called La Primavera (Italian for the spring), the race was first run in 1907. It should be called "Il Longets" (The Longest) because it certainly is at 298 kilometers long.

Cobbled classics (4)

• Gent–Wevelgem (Belgium) - the first 'Spring Classic' in the season, began in 1934, the parcours include the famed Kemmelberg climb.
• E3 Harelbeke (Belgium) - named after the road it is raced upon, was first held in 1958, pronounced “ay-dree press harold bek” (give it another try).
• Ronde van Vlaanderen (Belgium) – Tour de Flandres, or Tour of Flanders in English, or Vlaanderens mooiste ("Flanders's most beautiful") started in 1913, this race is both hugely popular and prestigious in Belgium.
• Paris–Roubaix (France) – called La Reine ("Queen of the Classics") or l'Enfer du Nord ("Hell of the North"), or La Pascale. The race is traditionally one week after the Ronde van Vlaanderen, first raced in 1896 on Easter Sunday. P-R is all about the pavé, which is indeed massive and rutted.

Ardennes classics (3)

• Amstel Gold Race (The Netherlands) – the newest race of the Classics was first run in 1966.
• La Flèche Wallonne (Belgium) – first run in 1936, Walloon Arrow is traditionally held in the wooded Ardennes region, mid-week between the Amstel Gold and the "Monument" Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
• Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium) - the oldest one-day race on the calendar, begun in 1892. Another newspaper race.

Spring Classics (4+3 =7)

• Spring Classics = Cobbled classics + Ardennes classics. The Spring Classics are traditionally held in late March or April in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. There are only 2 men that have won the "Triple in the same year - Davide Rebellin in 2004 and Philippe Gilbert in 2011.

The Monuments (5)

The five "Monuments" are a different combination than the seven "Spring Classics", the Monuments add the beautiful terrain of Italy. Only three riders, all Belgians, have won all five races in their career - Roger De Vlaeminck, Rik Van Looy and Eddy Merckx; none in the same year. The Monuments are grouped as:

• Milan-San Remo (Italy)
• Tour of Flanders (Belgium) (Ronde van Vlaanderen)
• Paris–Roubaix (France)
• Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Belgium)
• Il Lombardia (Italy) – the only race considered a Monument, but not a Classic, the race is held in October. Known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves" and initially called the Milano–Milano (1905). The race was renamed to Giro di Lombardia in 1907, and then Il Lombardia in 2012.

Nicknames for the Classics
Paris-Roubaix = Queen of the Classics (La Reine), The Hell of the North, La Pascale
Amstel Gold = [no nickname]
La Fleche-Wallonne = The Walloon Arrow
Liege-Bastogne-Liege = La Doyenne (the oldest/old lady)
Milan-San Remo = La Primavera (the spring), Sprinters' Classic, La Classicissima
Ronde van Vlaanderen = Flanders' most beautiful
others:
Paris-Nice = Race to the Sun
Tirreno-Adriatico = Race of the two Seas
Il Lombardia = Race of the Falling Leaves

Video: The Classics on SBS (Cycling Central) 2013. 120 years of tradition!

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Paris-Nice vs. Tirreno-Adriatico

Paris-Nice begins this weekend, and although it leads out the real race season, it is not considered a true Spring Classic. It is one of those races created because two newspapers wanted to increase readership.Paris-Nice is an eight-day stage race in France and overlaps the 7-stage race Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy. In 2013, the races will compete for top-billing riders. Typically Paris-Nice has been the chosen race to prepare for the Giro d'Italia in May, but take a look at the line-up for Tirreno-Adriatico this year, I bet that race director is thrilled.

Paris-Nice - 3-10 March 2013
(Riders include: Robert Gesink, Philippe Gilbert, Tejay van Garderen, Ivan Basso, Andrew Talansky, Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, Rui Costa, Nairo Quintana, Thomas De Gendt, Nicholas Roche, Roman Kreuziger, Thomas Voeckler, Marcel Kittel)
Tirreno-Adriatico - 6-12 March 2013
(Riders include: Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Cadel Evans, Joaquim Rodríguez, Vincenzo Nibali, Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish, Matt Goss, André Greipel, Moreno Moser, Andy Schleck, Fabian Cancellara)

Be sure to watch the Big 7 this Spring

In addition to keeping track of Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, my recommended races to follow live include Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. I also enjoy watching the Strade Bianche over the beautiful white roads of Italy through Tuscany and into Sienna. (Read: Word of the Day: Strade Bianche By Pedal Dancer). Or a race preview Strade Bianche Preview: A Dusty Loop Towards Siena By Douglas Ansel

For links to live race viewing, tune into Steephill.TV:
Strade Bianche (Mar 2)
Paris-Nice (Mar 3-10)
Tirreno-Adriatico (Mar 6-12)
Milano-Sanremo (Mar 17)
Tour of Flanders (Mar 31)
Paris-Roubaix (Apr 7)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Apr 21)

But first we need to dispel a misspell -

Dear world, BianchI is a bike brand. As roads (stradE) is plural, so too is white (BianchE) @stradebianche
— Matthew Conn (@matt_conn) February 27, 2013

Look - its a dusty white road in Italy, where they have so many you must use the plural.

una strada bianca - white road

delle strade bianche - white roads (plural)

lo sterrato - dirt trail, or unhardened road

bianchi - does not apply to the race other than team Vancansoleil-DCM rides Bianchi bikes.

More information

A brief history of our American racing and an interesting point made by John Wilcockson in Peloton Magazine: The U.S. Needs One-Day Classics. A topic I am interested in - the dying art of the American road race - at least road races appear to be dying here in Colorado.

We need to look to Europe if we want the Classics and last year when I was fortunate enough to go see Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in Belgium/France, it was an all time high for me as a cycling fan and traveler. This year I will be content to watch online. Dan Wouri always seems to capture my whacky life in a tweet. This was his tweet after Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne was recently canceled due to snow.

Without #KBK my morning is lost. Is there some other badly pixelated, foreign language webstream I could watch as a Plan B?
— Dan Wuori (@dwuori) February 24, 2013

If you plan to travel to Belgium to watch the races, you'll find some good information on the SPRING CLASSICS guide page by Pedal Dancer. Including previous posts, videos of some of the famous bergs & climbs and lots of links to others who write about cycling in Belgium. Oh and the beer! (yup, I'm still on that theme).

To view the UCI WorldTour calendar, please visit the CALENDAR OF RACES and EVENTS guide page by Pedal Dancer. For more race dates please go to 2012 - 2013 UCI Road Calendar, or for a very extensive map of all races please visit Recommended: Race Calendar by The Inner Ring.

Look - it's Tom Boonen in the 2012 Ronde van Vlaanderen on the Kwaremont©Photo by Karen of PedalDancer.com

Look - Philippe Gilbert is just hanging around before a ride in Kortrijk ©Photo by Karen of PedalDancer.com

Related posts:
2012 Tour of Flanders
2012 Paris-Roubaix
Stories from Belgium
Word of the Day: Strade Bianche
Word of the Day: Passista, Scattista, Velocista

2013 American Tour Race Calendar

Dates of 2013 American Tour Races

American Tour races in the USA 2013 dates (no they are not on the World Tour):

April 14, 2013 Tour of the Battenkill, Cambridge, New York
May 1-5, 2013 Tour of the Gila, Silver City, New Mexico
May 12-1, 2013 Amgen Tour of California, State of California
June 2, 2013 American Cycling Classic, Philadelphia cancelled
June 2, 2013 Philly Cycling Classic, Philadelphia 
August 2-4, 2013 Tour of Elk Grove, Elk Grove Village, Illinois
August 6-11, 2013 Tour of Utah, State of Utah
August 19-25, 2013 USA Pro Challenge, State of Colorado
September 14, 2013 Bucks County Classic, Pennsylvania

American Tour race in Canada 2013 dates
September 03-08, 2013 Tour of Alberta Alberta, Canada

Also See:

2013 Colorado Bike Events and Races
2013-14 Colorado Cyclocross Calendar
2013 Cycling Classics Race calendar
2013 UCI WorldTour Race Calendar

2013 UCI WorldTour Race Calendar

2013 -  UCI WorldTour Race Dates

 

Dates of 2013 UCI WorldTour Races

 UCI WorldTour Calendar - 2013

Date	Events	Country
22 Jan-27 Jan 2013	Santos Tour Down Under	Australia
03 Mar-10 Mar 2013	Paris - Nice	France
06 Mar-12 Mar 2013	Tirreno - Adriatico	Italy
17 Mar 2013	Milano - Sanremo	Italy
18 Mar-24 Mar 2013	Volta Ciclista a Catalunya	Spain
22 Mar 2013	E3 Harelbeke	Belgium
24 Mar 2013	Gent - Wevelgem	Belgium
31 Mar 2013	Ronde van Vlaanderen / Tour des Flandres	Belgium
01 Apr-06 Apr 2013	Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco	Spain
07 Apr 2013	Paris - Roubaix	France
14 Apr 2013	Amstel Gold Race	Netherlands
17 Apr 2013	La Flèche Wallonne	Belgium
21 Apr 2013	Liège - Bastogne - Liège	Belgium
23 Apr-28 Apr 2013	Tour de Romandie	Switzerland
04 May-26 May 2013	Giro d'Italia	Italy
02 Jun-09 Jun 2013	Critérium du Dauphiné	France
08 Jun-16 Jun 2013	Tour de Suisse	Switzerland
29 Jun-21 Jul 2013	Tour de France	France
27 Jul-03 Aug 2013	Tour de Pologne	Poland
27 Jul 2013	Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian	Spain
12 Aug-18 Aug 2013	Eneco Tour	Belgium
24 Aug-15 Sep 2013	Vuelta a España	Spain
25 Aug 2013	Vattenfall Cyclassics	Germany
01 Sep 2013	GP Ouest France - Plouay	France
13 Sep 2013	Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec	Canada
15 Sep 2013	Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal	Canada
06 Oct 2013	Il Lombardia	Italy
09 Oct-13 Oct 2013	Tour of Hangzhou	China
16 Oct-20 Oct 2013	Tour of Beijing	China

More Information:
 
For UCI World Tour rankings, results, news, and races, find more information on the UCI website.

UCI World Championships Road: UCI Worlds - 22-29 September 2013 

Also see: 2013 Cycling Classics race calendar

Also see: Recommended: Race Calendar by The Inner Ring

Photos from the Week & Breaking Away

Winter Snow and a Bike Show

Some of my favorite photos from a week in Colorado.

We finally had a big snow storm in Denver. This was the view of my local Washington Park as I drove into downtown Denver on Sunday afternoon to visit the NAHBS. Attendance at the bike show was dampened this year because of the winter storm, but the show was interesting and I learned lots. On a side-note, can I just mention - I love Facetime - how fun it was to take my Mother, sitting in California, on a visual tour of the snow accumulated outside my house this weekend.

I attended the handmade bike show (NAHBS) in Denver this weeked, and yes, I did site Brian Worthy all 3 days (I forgot to take a picture!). However the highlight of the weekend for me was overhearing Mark Niemeic of Mavic say, "That would be my take home bike, if I had a choice." "Which bike?" I interupted, "Which one would you pick?" "The real bike from Breaking Away," Mark repeated. Whaaaa. It's here?! "Yes, I'll take you to it." And so he did. And I want it too.

The Breaking Away movie Masi bike

Mark explained that the owner builder of Gangl bikes was the owner of this treasure, one of three bikes used in the movie. Although I would like to think I could get on this bike and ride 60 mph behind a semi-truck, my favorite three wish I could take home bikes from the show were:

1. This Cielo bike outfitted with Shimano Ultegra, Tanner custom leather saddle bags, Continental Contact tires, and a Brooks saddle. Not over the top yet functional, although far too nice to leave chained to a bike rack.

2. This prize winning work of art urban bike by Cherubim by Shin-Ichi Konno.

3. And the Breaking Away Masi "Mamma, Pappa" bike. Of course I had to come back to this bike, wouldn't you want this bike sitting among your collection!

Breaking Away (film release 1979): I couldn't resist - Enrico Gismondi's 1978 Masi bike on video - oh the memories!

A bit of Trivia: Although the movie was filmed at the track where Wayne and Dale Stetina (Uncle and father to Peter Stetina of Garmin-Sharp) raced a similar lap format race in college called the Little 500, the movie was filmed while the pair were off racing in Europe. Their younger brother Jole and Father Roy were extras in the road race segments of the Breaking Away movie. Wayne's IU college roommate Gary Ribar filled in as double for the main character in the movie and was the actual rider on the Masi behind the semi-truck. Today Wayne Stetina is a V.P. with Shimano.  

More Trivia: Andy Hampsten was not in the film, although he was born in nearby Columbus, Ohio, and was only 17 years-old at the time the movie was filmed. The Stetinas grew up in Cleveland, Ohio but attended Indiana University. The movie was filmed at the University and the final track race was filmed at Memorial Stadium on the IU campus, where the well-know Little 500 was held. The stadium was demolished 4 years after the filming of the movie (summer of 1978). Wayne Stetina disclaims the movie was based on his story.

More Trivia: John Vande Velde, father of Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Sharp), and a three-time national champion in the individual pursuit and a two-time Olympian on the track, was also an extra in the movie Breaking Away. He was one of the bad guys on the fictional Italian Team Cinzano.

On second thought, I'd also like to take home Andy Hamspten's Giro winning bike. And Andy Hampsten. I hear he can cook Italian food and I bet he can tell some good stories.

A smiling Andy Hampsten and his Giro winning bike at NAHBS

Or ride one of these wooden bikes:

Handmade wooden bikes on display at NAHBS

The NAHBS had a really fun party at Blake St Tavern on Friday night hosted by Gates Carbon Drive and Oskar Blues to benefit Bike Denver and Trips for Kids. I witness my friend Scott Christopher (of Bicycle Colorado) put together a bike in about 10 minutes during a competition among mechanics. The place was packed to capacity with a fun mix of so many friends I have met over the years and many more new friends I met that night. It was fun to see everyone at a party versus a race.

Even Brian Worthy was in this crowd. promise.

But before going to the party I had an excellent beer 1-block away at River North Brewery because sorry, Oskar Blues makes terrible beer. Best Beer Pubs and Breweries in Denver

Delicious beers in a row that night at River North Brewery

Europe got lots of snow this week as well and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in Belgium was canceled due to so much snow the road were deemed unsafe for riders. It was only the third time the race had ever been canceled in it's 68-year history (1986, 1993, 2013).

This was my favorite photo taken by someone else this week. A photograph by Paddy Sweeney of Velopeloton of the church in Saint Savin, France, just down the road from the Col du Tourmalet (and so many other great climbs):

Click through to see it's majesty: Cote de Saint Savin by Paddy Sweeney

Up that valley to the left - Col du Tourmalet; Up that valley to the right - Luz Ardiden; Straight to the left - Hautacam; Hang a sharp right - Col du Soulor; Stay put - heaven.

Quality in the Details

A day at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show

Quality and Accessibility

There is no doubt that true craftsmanship and excellence is on exhibit at NAHBS this year in Denver. As I walked the hall yesterday, each booth brought new discovery. Quality is found in the details at this show. Don't breeze through the offerings, take the time to savor the craft and look closely.

The North American Bicycle Show has a great feel to the show

Second only to the quality of the products found at the show, is the accessibility of the persons behind the products. You will see the builders in the isles talking with customers, attendees, and media. Their enthusiasm evident by the fact that they are not found in the back of their booths, but out among the admirers and enthusiasts, ready to answer your questions and share their knowledge.

2013 North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Denver, Colorado

Get ready to see and talk bikes!

Just don't go expecting to locate your good friend who is male, about 6 foot tall, thin like a cyclist, age 35-55 and wearing jeans, a plaid shirt and a black jacket - everyone looks like that! No matter, just roam on your own.

I witnessed a visiting media member so thrilled to see a handbuilt wheelmaker she kept explaining "we came from Berlin, from Berlin." I also watched as an American offered a gift of tea to Japanese pedal maker MKS, sharing that it was "an honor to have you in our country." I met local Chris Connor of Connor Cycles who came to bikes after a history of building guitars and furniture but now builds his bikes in wood to "capitalize on the ride and beauty," he explained.

Everyone has a story at this bike show. I had long conversations with builder James Wolf of Boo Bicycles who specializes in bamboo and mixed metal bikes. I talked with founder Steve Bilenky of Bilenky CycleWorks from Philadelphia, PA, who has been creating custom road and tandem bikes for years. Steve Chang of Calfee Design demonstrated again what I learned before in dealings with Calfee - they have great customer service and quality work. Be sure to check out his Douglas Fir bike.

Not to be missed is the Moots booth. Their well designed mountain, road and cross bikes are well-known favorites, but for this show they have a couple fun themed bikes on display that are a hit. Also stop by Festka Bicycle Company, visiting from the Czech Republic, they have a unique style. There are also plenty of saddle, wheel, component, and apparel makers, as well as material salesmen at NAHBS. And the beauty of Paragon Machine Works, or the incredible Cielo Cycles in the Chris King booth.

Ingenuity and hard work are evident in the details

Compared to Interbike the show is smaller in size but much bigger in bang for your buck. Most of what is on show at Interbike can be found in your local bike shops. Nowhere else had I seen such a genuine mix of roadies, mountain bikers, cyclocross racers, townies, commuters, tandem riders, touring cyclists, trackies, leather craftsmen, metal workers, wood carvers, restorers of old bikes, builders of new bikes, and all those who support our bike habits.

This show is truly unique and we are lucky to have it right here in our backyard in Denver, Colorado. It won't be here next year, so see it while you can. [In 2014 the NAHBS will be located in Charlotte, NC]

Photos from Day 1 of 3 at NAHBS click any image to enlarge

Chris King precision components at NAHBS

A bike made of Doulgas Fir and Uganda Fig Tree bark from Calfee Design

Calfee Design Douglas Fir Bike

Another wood and bamboo bike builder is Boo Bicycles out of Fort Collins.

Boo Bicycles booth at NAHBS

James Wolf of Boo Bicycles

The colorful display of Gangl Custom Cycles

A tea offering across a table of MKS pedals

MKS pedal on display

Steve Bilenky of Bilenky CycleWorks

A Bilenky travel bike - ready to go with you anywhere.

A packable bike from Japanese builder Silk Cycles.

A wood carved beauty from Yacht builder Sano Magic

Sanomagic wooden bike

Brooks saddles and bags

Brooks finest from England

Yipsan Bicycles on display at NAHBS

The magnificence of Cielo Cycles

Victoria Cycles classic urban bike

Two of the fun Moots bikes

Moots Trail Maker bike - everything you would need to forge your own trail through the woods!

More to come later today ....

It is time to head back to the show for day 2 of 3. I hope to see you there! Category Awards will be given out at 1pm today on the show floor.

For more detailed reviews on the bikes - please read the excellent reports being generated daily from James Huang and Josh Patterson at the show: BikeRadar.com 2013 NAHBS

Also read: Photos from the Week & Breaking Away By Pedal Dancer