Weather Resistant Smartphone Holder
Posted by Adam Flaherty          blog.makezine.com

For those of you who love using your smartphone while cycling in the rain, there’s this nifty hack from North Carolina maker jalexartis. After mounting your handset using your favorite method, cut the top off a plastic bottle, then make a slit down one side to accept the mounting hardware. [via BickHacks]

Bicycle Sports Shop’s Beginner Mountain Bike Ride Series
Austin Ridge Riders
THERE’S STILL (3) THREE RIDES LEFT IN THE BICYCLE SPORT SHOPS MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE SERIES!
Our good friends at Bicycle Sport Shop have been hosting Beginner Mountain Bike Rides for several months. There are still a few rides lieft in the series so act now and RSVP for the next events before all the slots are filled! You can register online on their website.

Mountain Bike Classes, Clinics, Training, etc.
Austin Ridge Riders
The BEST way to improve your mountain biking skills is to ride, ride, and RIDE some more!  But even better is to ride with experienced riders who can provided practical tips while you are physically on the trail. It just helps everything fall into place and there is something about riding with a group that makes you push yourself.

Austin women are fortunate to have the Ride Like A Girl series during the summer months but what to do, what to do after…

The Superman Ride/Race
Fort Worth Mountain Bikers’ Association
Get ready, we’re going straight into a funky town MTB marathon… “THE SUPERMAN”
What: The Superman; a long mtb ride/race. One lap @ Gateway Park, then ride to Sansom park via the dirt paths of the Trinity Trail, ride a full lap at Sansom, then ride back to Gateway. Whoever wins will be known as “Superman.” There will be two checkpoints that will serve as pit stops. Each rider will receive a “zip tie” at the checkpoints.
When: DECEMBER 4th, the day after Gateway Workfest, @ 9 A.M.
Where: Start and Finish @ Gateway Park, Fort Worth, TX (FWMBA trailhead)
How much: Entry fee will be FREE, however, each rider will be required to…

The Zen of Bikes and Bridges
by katiejo            Austin on Two Wheels
Pedaling within the hustle and bustle of the big-city life in Austin I’ve discovered a few places that feel like an oasis in an exhaust-fumed desert. Places that exude serenity, and have the feeling of timelessness, like all motion stops around me when I’m there. …

IBDs Squeezed as Suppliers Battler for Share
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
By Lynette Carpiet
TAMPA, FL—University Bicycle Center sold more than 300 pairs of Specialized-branded cycling shoes last year. Shoes were one of its biggest categories with Specialized, according to Carlos Mirabal, vice president and manager of the Tampa, Florida, store.

That made his decision to drop Specialized particularly difficult, but he felt compelled to after he was presented with an ultimatum by his Specialized sales rep.

“This is the first time they said you have to drop Giro shoes if you want us to take…