A new world record.

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. It’s like a tailwind for your inbox.

Here’s what we have today.

• A five-day bikepacking route in the Bartang Valley, Tajikistan

• World record GPS art by bike

• City of the week: Amsterdam, Netherlands

RIDER OF THE WEEK

Sam Westby - Boston, MA, USA

To kick off the newsletter, here’s a little bit about myself. Each week, I’ll feature a new rider. Fill out this form to be featured!

• Trusty steed. 2023 Trek Checkpoint SL5

• Preferred terrain. Road and gravel

• Saddle story. Pictured in June 2020, my friends and I got lucky with a last-minute stealth site on a four-day bikepacking trip in Northern Minnesota. Cold water plunges in the freezing cold Lake Superior, a warm fire, and a crazy moonrise made this site one to remember.

• Next adventure. Writing this weekly newsletter for you awesome people. Riding the GDMBR. Getting a Guinness World Record for GPS art on a bike?

• Join the ride. Follow my adventures on Instagram, TikTok, or Strava

ROUTE ON MY RADAR

The Bartang Valley, Tajikistan

From bikepacking.com.

• 258 miles (415 km)

• 77% unpaved

• Created by Matthew Crompton - instagram, matthewcrompton.com

• Video by Konrad Fersterer - youtube.com

They say you’ll be in a different world cycling the Bartang Valley. It's like Mother Nature went all out on the “dramatic settings” dial. Locals are friendly, often inviting travelers into their homes. While summer is the best time to visit, every trip report I’ve read has said something along the lines of, “that didn’t go as planned”. The route takes riders up steep paths, across flooded rivers, and into the heart of local life.

ACCOMPLISHMENT

David Schweikert Sets the Guinness World Record

After cycling a 982 miles (1580 km) over seven days in the shape of a cross, we have a new Guinness World Record for largest GPS drawing by an individual on a bike! Schweikert used this event to raise money for World Bicycle Relief, a non-profit who donates bicycle to communities that would otherwise not have access to them. Read more in this article from Cycling Weekly. (I’m very tempted to attempt this. I’ll keep you all posted.)

There’s another massive GPS drawing. A father and daughter rode 1343 miles (2,162 km) over 16 days in the shape of a heart ON A TANDEM. The French duo raised €26,000 for Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque Association, a group saving children with heart defects. They have the record for largest GPS drawing on a tandem (Global Cycling Network). 

WHAT I’M WATCHING

Tour de France: Unchained

"Tour de France: Unchained" on Netflix takes you behind the scenes of the 2022 Tour de France. The series came out in June, spotlighting the challenges and strategies of riders and teams across eight episodes. Come for the bikes, stay for the juicy race drama, including the rivalry between Tadej Pogacar vs. Jonas Vingegaard + Primoz Roglic. This documentary is an emotional rollercoaster as the riders compete in the world's most grueling cycling competition.

CITY

Amsterdam, Netherlands

• Bike lanes. Amsterdam has over 320 miles (515 km) of bike lanes. But this wasn’t always the case.

• History. In the 1950’s, 80% of trips in Amsterdam were made by bicycle. By 1970, that number dropped to 20% as cars became commonplace. (It has now recovered to 38%!)

• Civil action. Protests over child fatalities in motor accidents (Stop de Kindermoord) and policy change laid the path for intuitive bike infastructure.

• Liability. In a cyclist-motorist collision, the motorist’s insurance is always* liable to pay for the cyclist’s injuries and damages (*as long as it wasn’t intentional by the cyclist).

• Mob mentality. When you travel in the Netherlands, you will see hoards of cyclists everywhere. Cars take a backseat. There is an unstoppable momentum for bicycle-first infrastructure.

• Read more: The Guardian

Stats for the Nerds

• $5 per year. The cost of the Boston Bike Pass for all low-income residents in a new, city-subsidized pilot program. (City of Boston)

• 1,523. The number of miles in the U.S. Bicycle Route System that are in Ohio. The most of any state. (cleaveland.com)

• $345 million. The new funding approved by the Texas Transportation Commission for bike and pedestrian projects. Six times more than their last call for projects. (KXAN News)

• 26. The number of cyclist deaths in New York City in 2023, the most in the past decade. Residents are urging Mayor Adams to take immediate action and to start cycling. (bicycling.com)

• 1,500. The number of pounds of produce rescued daily (mostly on bikes) by volunteers at Boulder Food Rescue in Boulder, CO. (Boulder Food Rescue)

A Note From Sam

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