Biking About (5)

    It is snowing today and I will not be doing any cycling. In fact, given that I am a fair weather cyclist, I am sure I won't be riding any more this year. So, I just ran through the wet snow to the garage to take that picture. I learned from it that I cycled 1547 km this year, since I put away the bike last year on Nov. 6. Although this 'series' represents my attempt to keep some statistics about my cycling, it is clear that I am not good at it. I didn't record when I started this 'spring', but it was likely sometime in April, maybe even March.  American readers are reminded that Canada has two 'seasons', July and winter, and that 1547km, is less that 1000 miles (960), I am sorry to learn. 
  While I am at it, I might as well document all of this, since I am as good at record keeping as I am in tabulating statistics. I do little jotting down of things, or keeping notes, so that is why you are learning these personal things here. If Google pulls the plug on "Blogger", however, we will lose all of the valuable posts in MM, and I probably won't even remember where I put my bike.
   It looks like I bought the bike on May 26, 2020, right about the time the plague hit. That means I have had the bike for five years and five months. I first recorded these valuable data on, May 1, 2023, after I had travelled 4574km. (Biking About).
   "Biking About (2)" does not mention me, but it does discuss how cycling affects one's sex life, so you might want to have a look. "Biking About (No.3)" contains the only known photo of the cyclist, so you may not want to have a look. "Biking About (No.4)", is here, and you are looking at #5. Now I will be able to find them next November if "Blogger" and I still exist.

The Bonus: It's Not About Me
   I am rather embarrassed about the pathetic data recorded above, particularly since this just happened: 
The French student, Oscar Delaite, pictured, just did a "Wheelie" for over six hours and travelled 93 miles. You won't believe me, so here is a note and a source:
  "Specifically, 150.4 kilometers (or 93.45 miles) over six hours and 31 minutes, completed in late September. The mark -- "Greatest Distance Covered While Performing a Continuous Bicycle Wheelie" -- is confirmed and in the books. Guinness World Records sent Oscar the congratulatory email on Monday."
"The College Student Who Did a Wheelie --for 93 Miles," Jason Gay, Wall Street Journal, Nov.14, 2025. Here is an article that is not behind a paywall: "Oscar Delaite Shatters Wheelie World Record with 150 km Ride," Matteo, The Cycling Week, Oct. 15, 2025.

STRAVA Art

 Drawing While Exercising
   Strava is an app that combines the internet and satellites to track your routes while exercising. Although I had forgotten when I started using it, Strata just sent me an email congratulating me for being with them since July 2021. I am using the free version and it provides me with all the data I need and more. I am just an ordinary octogenarian who starts up Strata when I go for a bike ride and find it interesting that I have gone X miles averaging X mph and have done so X times. Others subscribe for even more features and share and socialize with Strava users around the world. Occasionally, I get an email from them reminding me to connect with one of my sons in Vancouver if I want to compete or boast about my activities. 
  Recently I read about a woman out in that area who creates art while riding. Apparently others have been as well and you likely have seen examples, so I will keep this short for the few other people who didn't know about it.
   

  That is an example of one of my recent simple routes. The next one is slightly more complicated. If you are creative, you likely recognize that you could choose a route that might result in a picture. I can't draw, so this could be an option for me if I wasn't so tired from exercising -- and if I was more creative. 

Ms Janine Strong, out on Vancouver Island, is more creative and here is one example.

 She has also "cycled out giant bananas and long-haired women in New York, Santas in Victoria, penguins in Campbell River, strawberries in San Francisco..."  More examples can be found on her website under "GPS ART."
  Since you probably were aware of this new artistic development I will supply a few sources which may yield something you didn't know. For example, it didn't take long for people to realize that naughty pictures could also be created if one could figure out an anatomical route.

Sources:
   For the article about Ms. Strong, whose website is recommended, see: "Road is a Canvas for two-wheeled artist; Vancouver Island Athlete Merges Creative Flair with Fitness, Drawing Large Scale Images with GPS," J.J. Adams, Vancouver Province, June 17, 2025.
   For the naughty bits, if you must: ‘The Giant Penis Took Shape Easily, as I Passed Through a Village called 'Three Cocks’: Meet the Artist Athletes Drawing with GPS: From the phallus on a Welsh hillside, to a huge portrait of Chappell Roan, these Strava runners, riders and skaters have been busy …" Chris Broughton, The Guardian, May 25, 2025.
  For an early piece: "Runners and Cyclists Use GPS Mapping to Make Art: Fitness apps and the power of live satellite tracking have allowed runners, cyclists and others to draw hearts, animals, birthday wishes — and even homages to Vermeer — across their local landscapes," Claire Fahy, NYT, Sept. 24, 2022.
  Strava appears to be doing okay, if you want to sign up: "Popular Fitness App Strava Clinches Valuation of More Than $2 Billion:  Strava, whose valuation includes debt, says it acquired cycling app Breakaway," Ben Glickman, Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2025.

Biking About (No.4)

    

    Back in November 2023, I put away my bike and the odometer displayed the number 6009. Although the weather is nice now, I probably will not be riding it again this year. We leave for Vancouver today for two weeks and it is likely I will be shovelling rather than biking when I return. 
   I took this picture yesterday and it looks like I pedalled just over 1400K during our brief summer period. It appears that I did about the same distance last year. I probably could have gone farther if I had one of those fancy Spandex biking outfits. 
   The main purpose of this post is that it provides me with a record of my summer cycling accomplishments and it gives you something to read which doesn't involve the American election.
   For more fascinating details see: "Biking About (No.3) and this one. To see if biking affects your sex life read, "Biking About." It had no affect on mine. 

The Badminton Library

 More Reading For This Time of Darkness

    There is not one book in this library about badminton.  As you may have noticed, I sometimes write about books which are published in a series and this one is known as The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes. It consists of around thirty volumes, most of which were published in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It you are a sporting type, this series will be of interest. If you are not, it still may be, since the sports and pastimes of the past were more eclectic and include such things as punting, coursing and falconry. One title in the series: Dancing: A Handbook of the Terpsichorean Arts in Diverse Places and Times, Savage and Civilized. 

   Badminton was the name of the Duke of Beaufort's house and he is associated with the publication of the series. If you are interested in both sports and book collecting, this would be a good place to start. The books abound in various editions, but a sophisticated collector will opt for an elegant edition, such as the one above which was noticed on the Christie's auction site.

   It is the case, however, that many of these books are now available to read via the marvellous invention, the Internet. As the weather worsens and we no longer go outside to participate in sports, we can at least sit inside and read about them. A list of the books is provided below, so you can look them up and buy them on AbeBooks or elsewhere. Also, hints are offered about how to access them for free online. As both events and days turn darker, the readings provided will keep you diverted until at least December, when the 'real' winter begins.

The Bonus:
   For those of you with shorter attention spans, I offer The Badminton Magazine of Sports and Pastimes which was published during the years from 1895-1923. The interesting articles found within it, will keep you going for the rest of this year

Here are some samples from the TOCs:

Cycling for Women
North-Country Hunting for Ladies
Bicyling in Barbados
Cycling in the High Alps
Hunting in India
Elephant Hunting in Nepal
Skating Gossip
The Sport of Rajahs (by Baden-Powell)
Otter Hunting With Cycle and Camera

And there is Canadian content:

The Stikine River: The Route to the Klondike
Canoeing for Pleasure and Sport in Canada
A Black Bear Hunt in Northern New Brunswick
Sport on the Prairie (1892) by Viscount Kilcoursie

   Here is what happened to the poor Viscount:

To read the magazine (which is also searchable) see: The Badminton Magazine of Sports and Pastimes.

Sources for the Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes

   The Wikipedia entry for the Badminton Library is a good one. It is from that source that I provide the titles. Back in 2008 the Valuable Book Group published a collector's guide and information about it is found on The Wayback Machine in the Internet Archive, which is a marvellous repository for all the things that have been dropped from the Internet.  Have a look at it. Although google abandoned its project to digitize everything, some of these titles were made available and are found on https://books.google.com/. (search by the series title.)

Volume 1: Hunting                                            
Volume 2: Fishing: Salmon & Trout                  
Volume 3: Fishing: Pike & Coarse Fish
Volume 4: Racing & Steeple-Chasing
Volume 5: Shooting: Field & Covert 
Volume 6: Shooting: Moor & Marsh
Volume 7: Cycling
Volume 8: Athletics & Football
Volume 9: Boating
Volume 10: Cricket
Volume 11: Driving
Volume 12: Fencing, Boxing & Wrestling
Volume 13: Golf 
Volume 14: Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Rackets & Fives
Volume 15: Riding & Polo
Volume 16: Mountaineering
Volume 17: Coursing & Falconry 
Volume 18: Skating & Figure Skating
Volume 19: Swimming
Volume 20: Big Game Shooting I
Volume 21: Big Game Shooting II 
Volume 22: Yachting I
Volume 23: Yachting II
Volume 24: Archery
Volume 25: Sea Fishing
Volume 26: Dancing
Volume 27: Billiards
Volume 28: The Poetry of Sport 
Volume 29: Motors & Motor-Driving
Volume 30: Rowing & Punting 
Volume 31: Athletics
Volume 32: Football
Volume 33: Cricket

   For those of you who are old fashioned and who have access to the Western Libraries, some of the above are available in hard copy. For example, there is a copy there of: Dancing : A Handbook of the Terpsichorean Arts in Diverse Places and Times, Savage and Civilized.

If you are interested in such things as these, see also my American Sportsman's Library.

Cycling

The Dirty Kanza

   It is still raining. Before I did the last post on Inbreeding, which is also about cycling, I was reading a major U.S. newspaper when the image above popped up. I realize that the sudden appearance of such things is usually related to searches one has done when shopping. But, not having requested a tourist brochure from Kansas, I was curious about events in Emporia and had a look. I suppose now I will be getting more ads from that state.  One does have to acknowledge the Jayhawks for their marketing creativity.

   The adventure has to do with cycling and I guess I should have thought of that since I recently did do some online shopping for a bike. I really can't travel there at this time and you probably can't either, but if you can, here is what is going on in the Gravel City. 

Cycling

Emporia, Kansas is home to an avid cycling community, and the surrounding Flint Hills offer some of the best and most challenging gravel cycling opportunities in the nation. We’re nicknamed Gravel City for a reason! Emporia also hosts the Dirty Kanza, known as the “World’s Premier Gravel Grinder” each year on the Saturday after Memorial Day. More than 2,000 riders come from all over the United States and many foreign countries to race through 200 miles in the beautiful Flint Hills.

Ride the Flint Hills

Whether you’re training for a gravel cycling competition like the Dirty Kanza 200, or you want to take a leisure ride and just enjoy the outdoors, the beautiful Flint Hills of Kansas is the place to be. While traveling through the Flint Hills you can enjoy 40 grass species, native stone fences, hundreds of wildflowers, 150 species of birds, barns, bridges, historic towns, breathtaking views, and quiet serenity.

Inbreeding

   It is a rainy day and I just read these sentences: 

"With a bicycle, the world would have expanded dramatically for fin-de-siecle Victorians, particularly as bikes became increasingly affordable, bringing new experiences and opportunities, and perhaps even new romantic liaisons. Sociologists now credit the bicycle with a decrease in genetic faults associated with inbreeding in the U.K. , and as early as 1900, the U.S. Census Office identified the invention as a game-changer: 'Few articles ever used by man have created so great a revolution in social conditions as the bicycle."

   I thought the comment about inbreeding an interesting one and had never associated cycling with consanguinity, so I went looking for some of the 'sociologists' who have found a relationship between the rise in cycling and the decline in sexual activities among those who are related. The search turned out to be more difficult than I thought and the subject of inbreeding, like just about any subject these days, is not without its controversial aspects. 

   I did find some support, however, and have no reason to doubt that cycling, like the back seats of cars, may have affected sexual relationships. William Manners writes in The Guardian about how cycling changed society: 

One unexpected way it did this was in the field of genetics. For the majority of those living in rural areas, owning a bicycle dramatically increased the number of potential marriage partners, as for the first time they possessed their own means of travelling beyond their local communities. The widening of gene pools which resulted from this process means that the biologist Steve Jones ranks the invention of the bicycle as the most important event in recent human evolution.

     I did track down Professor Jones, a well-respected geneticist, and, indeed, he does write  in The Language of Genes that, There is little doubt that the most important event in recent human evolution was the invention of the bicycle.

    Although it is still raining, I decided to stop searching and write this. If you need more proof, have a look yourself.

Sources:

   The sentences which led to the search are found in: Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Wheels, by Hannah Ross.

    The article by Mr. Manners: "The Secret History of 19th Century Cyclists: The Early Days of the Modern Bicycle Brought Not Just Joyful Escape for the Masses, But Proved a Catalyst for Wider Social Change, The Guardian, June 9, 2015.

The Bonus: 

  In The Guardian article one also finds these quotes:

Hobsbawm wrote:

If physical mobility is an essential condition of freedom, the bicycle has probably been the greatest single device for achieving what Marx has called the full realisation of being human invented since Gutenberg, and the only one without obvious drawbacks.

And H.G. Wells said:

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.