I guess I’ve always known that #bikeschool had a life of its own, but now it’s official.  It’s getting close to three years since @egggman, @bikerly, and I launched the hashtag that rocked the world of Twitter….and it hasn’t stopped since.

Week after week, #bikeschool becomes a trending hashtag on Thursday nights, but that’s only part of its success.  What makes it so amazing is the community that has taken it on as their own.

Whether it’s the rogue classes that occur on a rare week that there is no official class, or the fact that so many people base their weekly schedules around #bikeschool…there’s no denying that it has it’s own identity.

It’s funny, #bikeschool was started by three guys who had never met in person….and barely knew one another.  Nearly three years later, the three originators barely talk (if ever)….but #bikeschool remains stronger than ever.

For the first part of its life, I never missed a minute of #bikeschool…but as it’s grown and been able to stand alone, I don’t get to class as often as I should.  I love attending, but sometimes other things get in the way of me being there.

But it feels so great knowing that it has the power to live on its own and that it continues to bring in new followers all the time.  That is so cool.

So here’s to #bikeschool, the hashtag that has helped connect the cycling community on Twitter…and provided a ton of good times and memories along the way.

Thanks to our amazing community of #bikeschool classmates, and to @steviedexter and @twittyboyd who have been an incredible part of creating the monster that is #bikeschool.

Viva #bikeschool

Many readers will already be using Strava… but it just got better! 

If you have not experienced the wonders of Strava then I urge you to stop what you are doing… yes that means everything… go away and sign up and then come back as your riding experience has just got better. Whenever I try to describe Strava to someone who is not in the know I usually start by saying, “It’s like Facebook but for cyclists… and its better”. It’s a place for riders (and runners) to come together, share rides, routes, pain and glory all packaged in a user-friendly site. Strava increases its user friendliness by incorporating ‘plug and play’ style connectivity for a range of bike computers as well as having superb smartphone apps meaning everyone can be part of the action.

The bike-mad Mark Beaconsfield (@Lycra_Loony) came up with the idea of having LovingTheBike and #bikeschool Strava Clubs for riders everywhere to join and share in the glory of keeping the rubber side down. In my eyes this idea steps Mark up from bona fide cycle nut to gold standard nogging-box genius and will rightly so be entered into the LTB hall of fame!

Although part of the fun of Strava is competing against friends on local routes and roads with the leader boards and ‘segments’ it’s a great tool to measure you performance against others but above all share what you are doing and get some props for the hard work you put in!

With #30daysofbiking just around the corner and people signing up everyday to compete as part of Team #LovingTheBike there is no better time to join us on Strava to keep yourself motivated and put into perspective the amount of riding you can achieve in a month. It’s going to be a hard month and from experience, any way of staying motivated during #30daysofbiking is a bonus as it really is a commitment to your bike, your health and generally having fun.

So whether you are going to be part of Team #LovingTheBike or you just want to connect with bike riders from all over the world, join us on Strava and be part of LovingTheBike and #bikeschool.

Stevie

]]> http://lovingthebike.com/motivation/team-strava/feed 4 http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/kitskitskits http://lovingthebike.com/uncategorized/kitskitskits#comments Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:09 +0000 stevie http://lovingthebike.com/?p=12769 Share/Bookmark

Jersey design is a tricky business… but it’s not THAT hard! 

We are hoping to produce another LovingTheBike.com team kit this year after the success and interest we had in our 2012 edition, which you can see below modeled by The Boss. There has also been a #bikeschool jersey, which captured the imagination of the taco eating, noggin box geniuses of the Thursday night classroom and definitely showed the personality of the group with a much more relaxed design in comparison to the team orientated LTB kit.

This year we are looking to incorporate the #bikeschool and LTB jersey’s together to have a truly global class based cycling team which we can show off on club rides, sportives and races of all disciplines EVERYWHERE. We’d love to see or hear about your ideas for the kit and how we can incorporate the designs.

There are no hard and fast rules to the design but ideally both LTB and #bikeschool would be prominent. Depending on the response we may vote on a design or we may do some collaboration work with the designer to get the perfect kit to show the world who is boss!

Get doodling and show us what you want to be wearing on the roads this year.

Stevie

Have you ever stopped to think of all the great things you’d include if you had the power to design your own city?  Well, if you’re a passionate cyclist you’d definitely want that city to cater to your love for the bike, and I know you’d make it as bicycle friendly as possible.

I asked our #bikeschool community this question when I hosted class recently and the responses were awesome.  One of the most interesting replies came from  Vince Marotte who shared this incredible video by Bill Nye.  In it, Bill explains all the cool bicycle related concepts and engineering he would incorporate into his ideal city of the future.

I love his wind tunnel idea, and totally agree that many of these concepts would be much cheaper than building more roads.  Here’s a few other ideas shared by my #bikeschool friends.  Have a look at what they would want to include in their ultimate cycling city and then share your ideas with us as well.

Your Turn

If you could build the ultimate cycling city, what kinds of things would it have?

Top image c/o hk.asia-city.com

If you don’t already know about the absolute biggest and greatest online meeting place for cyclists, then you most definitely need to check out #bikeschool in 2013.  If you don’t know the whole #bikeschool story and what it’s all about, have a quick read through our description of this weekly cycling Twitter chat.

#bikeschool really has taken on a life of its own, and we have the incredible online cycling community to thank for this.  Although I was one of three people who first created and launched this fun-loving cycling chat, I’ve sort of stepped down from the weekly organizing and hosting.  Our #bikeschool community is so strong and dedicated that even in the rare occasion that we cancel “class” for one week, the “students” go rogue and hold the chat anyway.  We’ve also brought on @twittyboyd who has been incredible and works each week at keeping things organized and making sure we always have a great “professor” leading the way.

It’s been a very long time since I ran the show, but last week I sat in as #bikeschool professor….and it reminded me just how amazing #bikeschool really is.

You just never know what will happen during class and our session last week was a perfect example of this.  In response to one of the questions about who people would like to come in as guest professor, @egggman suggested cyclo-cross pro cyclist, @AdamMyerson.  Within minutes, Adam responded and by the end of the night we had him dialled in to host class tomorrow night.

We were also powerful enough last week to get #bikeschool trending as a Twitter hashtag.  I’m not sure what it takes to make something like this happen, but we’ve done it a few times and all I know is it means we’re causing quite a stir in the twitterverse.

One of the coolest things about social media is it allows you to link up with like-minded people from all over the world.  What #bikeschool does is connects people with an incredible group of cyclists who like to joke around, have fun, and talk bikes (and tacos, and thong cyclists, and on and on).

Yeah, it is a cycling chat….but it’s far from a one hour discussion on bike mechanics and equipment.  In it’s almost 3 years of existence, the one thing #bikeschool has never been is boring.  The discussion is always fresh, exciting, fun, and interesting.

If it’s been a while since you’ve attended #bikeschool….I welcome you back.  I can guarantee that within the first couple minutes you’ll be kicking yourself for not coming back sooner.  If you’ve never been to #bikeschool before…stop asking “what is #bikeschool” and join in so you can see first hand what the buzz is all about.

#bikeschool on Twitter: Every Thursday at 9:00PM EST

The wonderful world of LovingTheBike.com is busy ol’ place right now. Darryl, myself and the little band of loyal behind the scene helpers may look like graceful swans above the water… but down below, we’re kicking like all get-out!

As many of you will have seen from time to time we have ‘Guest Professors’ at the official #bikeschool Twitter class (Thursday 9pm EST), all of whom have done an incredible job in what can be a nervous and stressful hour if you’ve never done it before.  I’m sure all of our Guest Professors will attest to the fact it is an enjoyable experience, and we enjoy seeing the personal touches that the ‘Guests’ provide.

Application Process

Until now the Guest Professors that have the lead the #bikeschool class into the obscurities of cycling and every conceivable related topic have mainly been selected after being long-term members of class… and having the minerals to put their Twitterness on the line in the name of #bikeschool.  This post marks the first ‘official’ application process to become a #bikeschool Guest Professor.  There is no wage, no health benefits, but you do get around 364 days a year holiday… so it’s not all bad.

Whether you have been a ‘lurker’ at the back of the #bikeschool class for many months, attentively checking in but not participating or you are first in the queue outside the classroom and always bring an apple to class we want to her from you.  The beautiful nature of Twitter allows individuals to have their voice, but some just never get heard above the murmuring lunacy of others.  Well, we want to hear YOUR murmuring lunacy!  It’s what makes #bikeschool special.

Nobody need not apply

Leave us your application forms in the comments below, but try to keep it to this format:

Name:

Twitter account:

#bikeschool member since:

Likes/dislikes:

What type of murmuring lunacy can you bring to #bikeschool?:

Please do not worry if you are new to #bikeschool, you are still eligible to become a Guest Professor (maybe even more so!).  We want to keep the class fresh and accessible to everyone, so get your applications in and we’ll be in touch!

Stevie

Firstly I’d like to say thank you to everyone who was involved in last week’s #bikeschool session. Despite me being slightly dozey for the first 20 minutes due to the ridiculous way this planet spins and affects our time zones, I had a great night and you, the class, not only came up with some great answers, but also some great questions in the little freestyle section we had. Well done every one, A+.

Following last week’s class I thought it would be good to reward you all for all your effort week after week. Nothing too fancy though, no gold medals, kisses from podium girls or Champagne (notice how I didn’t call it French Champagne… gggrrr that annoys me!). No, this reward is a bit more like those stickers you used to get from the dentist when you’d been a good little rascal and not cried too much when they poked you with their pokey things. You remember right? Those stickers that said, “I’VE BEEN BRAVE TODAY” with a picture or a toothy dinosaur or “DON’T RUSH WHEN YOU BRUSH” with a toothbrush personified. You were proud of those stickers. You wore it as a badge of honour. You taped them to your book bag when they ran out of sticky stuff and you loved the tactile sensation and the smooth shininess. THAT is what I’m giving you…the simplistic, child-like pride of a sticker that you earned.

Alright, maybe I’m overselling this a little but we honestly want you to wear the new #bikeschool Twibbon with pride and show it off to all of you friends. As a #bikeschool class member you are part of an elite group and we want you to be able to feel the part of #bikeschool whenever you use you social media, not just on class nights. It’s true, when the class started it was designed as an hour-long session once a week, but that could not be further from the truth now. If you don’t believe me (and if you haven’t done this already) add a #bikeschool search column to your Twitter client of choice and see how much action it gets during the other 167 hours.

So I present to you… your #bikeschool Student Twibbon:

Of course it obviously comes up a little smaller on your Twitter avi but if you click the image it’ll take you straight to the Twibbon site and you can add this to your Twitter and/or Facebook profiles.

And for those of you who have been privileged enough to be awarded the position of #bikeschool Professor in the past we have a special Twibbon for you. We will be having more Guest Professors through the year so there is alway the possibility of earning another badge!

So whether you are at class every week or only able to drop by for a session every so often, you are still able to wear the #bikeschool Twibbon with real pride and spread the word.

I hope you enjoy the new addition to your avatar and see you all in class.

Stevie

As we hurtle through February (seriously…!? Where has the year gone already!?) and head onwards towards what we all hope to be fresh Spring weather followed by a hot dry Summer, competitive thoughts begin to flood the brain.  Whether it be beating your friends up the local climb on a Sunday morning, setting a gold medal time in a sportive or starting your first 100 mile ride…we all get that competitive bug and it’s great to feel part of a team when you are doing it.

[Ed: Please remember when attempting a long distance ride such as a 100 miler, it's the starting that's the hard bit! Getting around and finishing will take care of themselves, your friends will help you, it will be ok. Just make sure you get out there and do it!]

After interviewing Canadian Olympian Lauren Campbell (@gunzycampbell) last week in the first of our 2012 Talks series and seeing the great interaction everyone had with her as #bikeschool professor last week, I realised that 2012 is going to be a competitive year for lots of people.  So what better way of making the most out of 2012′s competitions than in stunning #bikeschool team kit made by Groucho Sports.

The #bikeschool jersey was designed by our very own @BobRidesABike and we want to see these jerseys competing all over the globe.  After all…#bikeschool is all about making WORLD CYCLISTS UNITE. You can pick up your #bikeschool jersey for just $45.95 directly from Groucho Sports and as those that have already purchased will testify, they are superb quality.  Groucho Sports also produce the LovingTheBike jersey and shorts which you can see below.

So if you haven’t added either the #bikeschool inspired jersey or the LovingTheBike team shirt to your collection yet, get with the program and show your support.  We want to see these jerseys at as many events of rides as possible this year and if you start sending in some real corkers, we’ll dedicate a whole page just to your competition photos.  Make sure you let us know how you get on with any challenges you have this year, we are all here to help!

Head over to Groucho Sports and pick up your team gear and let’s see how many points we can score in the Union Bicycliste International!

Stevie

We’ve had a great week at LovingTheBike Towers and I’ve particularly enjoyed the our time on Twitter with the #bikeschool gang. We had some absolutely fantastic answers to the questions at last Thursday’s class so I thought it was only right we put some of the up to celebrate your individuality and genius.

Shameless appeal…

Firstly I’d like to remind people that I am looking for a sponsor to pay for me to travel across the United States of America. @Lycra_Loony is also going to come with me from Australia so if you are willing to help out please make sure you have deep pockets and long arms. We would obviously need to be supplied with bikes in every state we visit so it’d be nice of you owned a bike brand too. #Justsayin

Who inspires you to get on 2 wheels? #bikeschool

Great to see you with the Wouter Weylandt Twibbon too @MTBandTreegrrl!

…how would you explain CYCLING to an extra-terrestrial watching out #bikeschool Twitter stream!?

An early contender for Tweet of the night from @noteon

A late entry via #homework from @readyforplanb but a lovely idea.

What are the benefits (if any!) of winter & what can we do to make the most of it? #bikeschool

And the picture….

If you could issue EVERY rider across the world with 1 piece of kit… what would it be. You can be brand specific #bikeschool

Rookie or Pro… we all suffer from this @Rosee_bikebar

…who would the #bikeschool class want me to try & interview? #bikeschool

Cool name and interesting looking bloke… I will definitely try to get hold of @gouldgeorgia. Thanks @jayrides4cancer

And finally…

Last week we started a competition to come up with a new #bikeschool tagline. After a week of voting I’m proud to announce @twittyboyd has stormed the field and taken the win. She is the lucky recipient of a hamper from @GUEnergyLabs and a gift card from @RoadID. Well done to Marty; the new #bikeschool tag line is…

WORLD CYCLISTS UNITE

Stevie

We had a great #bikeschool session last week; good attendance, great answers and no injuries. If you couldn’t be with us then you missed a corker as always but you can always catchup with the #bikeschool questions and answers by going back through the Twitter timeline HERE. As the evenings professor I asked for ideas for a new #bikeschool catchphrase.

We hadn’t meant to entice you all in to doing our work for us and assisting with the creative process of running #bikeschool or LovingTheBike.com but with so many great answers we decided it was probably only right that we offer up a prize for all your hard work… So don’t let me ever hear any of you saying The Boss, The Hoserhead and the dancing monkey don’t look after you!

Below are some of the answers from the night that we have picked for you to vote on. There is the possibility for some late entries to make it into the line-up but the closing date for new entries will be Wednesday 1st of February 2012 at Midnight GMT. Have a read of the tweets below and vote on which one you think should become a #bikeschool catchphrase to help spread the love.

Option 1 – @noteon

Option 2 – JuiceLee337

Option 3 – @PinkChickRunner

Option 4 – @twittyboyd

Option 5 – @johntrendler

Option 6 - @jenfairfax

Option 7 – @lizbon

We have a great prize pack for this competition from two of our #bikeschool sponsors GU Energy and RoadID. Up for grabs is a GU Energy Flavor Mix pack and a $35 RoadID gift card which will keep you on the road for longer and safer whilst you do it.

Time to Vote:

To vote all you need to do is leave a comment below and let us know which option you think is the best and most suited to #bikeschool. If you have your own idea that is entered below before the closing date it may be entered into the competition but this will only be after a shortlist has been decided on. Please don’t vote for ideas left in the comment section, only votes for ideas above with OPTION numbers next to them are eligible for the competition. The closing date for votes is Sunday the 5th of February at Midnight GMT and the winner will be announced shortly after that.

Good luck to everyone and thanks again GU Energy and RoadID… let the voting commence…

Stevie