The votes are in, and it’s now time to crown the 2012 top dogs of the cycling blogs.  Although cycling blogs from all over the World were able to be voted on for each of the 6 categories, our Crank Honors results are primarily based on the audience that we bring in.  Now, our Loving the Bike traffic is at an all-time high and we had more votes come in this year than in the first two years combined….but the results are still representative of our following.  So the results might not be representative of the entire cycling population, but they are a fantastic indication of what our followers dig the most.

The most important thing as far as I’m concerned is that we celebrate all the great work done by my fellow cycling bloggers, and highlight some of those that have stood out to all of you.  We are part of a great online community of cyclists, and I personally know how much time and effort goes into putting out a blog…so to me, we’re all champions.

I hope you also discovered some new cycling blogs that you didn’t know about before, and will continue to support all of us.

Okay, here we go.  These are the blogs that received the most votes in each of the six categories.

Favorite Road Cycling Blog

Blog: Red Kite Prayer

Location: USA

Crank History: Red Kite Prayer had previously been in the running, but for the past two years it has been Cycling Tipswho’s come out on top.  They have knocked off a Big Dog to win this category.  Congratulations to Padraig and his crew.

About: “The work you see on Red Kite Prayer had its beginnings on another blog, Belgium Knee Warmers. BKW was created to comment on the passions of a few devoted cyclists. From arcane details of race preparation to the best way to wash a bike, the contributors to BKW wrote about their knowledge and experiences.”

Favorite Lifestyle Cycling Blog

Blog: London Cyclist Blog

Location: England

Crank History: This is the first year Andreas and London Cyclist Blog has made the podium in this category…..and they did so with a vengeance.  London Cyclist Blog received more votes than any other blog in any of the six categories.  Congratulations.

About: Andreas has two passions – cycling and blogging.  He says if you these two things got together and had a baby, it would be a website.  Hence, London Cyclist.

Favorite Mountain Bike Blog

Blog: Mountain Biking Girl

Location: Canada

Crank History: This is another first time winner, and congratulations to Mountain Biking Girl for coming out on top amongst a group of male mountain bike blogs.

About: Mountain Biking Girl, Teresa, blogs about her adventures on her bike, both local and not so local.  She seeks out new trails whenever she can and shares her experiences.  She also gives the odd review on gear along the way.

Favorite Travel Cycling Blog

Blog: The Path Less Pedaled

Location: Originally from the US

Crank History: The Path Less Pedaled has been a Crank Honors contender in the past, but this is their first year emerging as the Top Dog in this category.  Congratulations to Russ and Laura.

About: “As our travels continue to evolve and change, our mission of democratizing bike travel has held fast. After three years, we know how enjoyable it is to travel by bike and we know that there’s no wrong way to do it – and we want the rest of the world to see what we see. Traveling by bike is fun, exciting, an opportunity to eat whatever you want – and a surprisingly easy way to bolster small economies. Join us as we show you all the many reasons why you want to hop on a bicycle.”

Favorite Women’s Cycling Blog

Blog: Bike Shop Girl

Location: USA

Crank History: Bike Shop Girl, aka Arleigh Jenkins, is the only repeat winner in this year’s Crank Honors.  Congratulations for being the favorite blog in this category for two years in a row.

About: Arleigh has 12 years of bicycling industry experience, and is a Pro bike mechanic, fit guru, and lover of everyone that rides a bicycle.  Bike Shop Girl’s mission is “Helping women find their way in cycling”.

Favorite Commuter Cycling Blog

Blog: Chasing Mailboxes

Location: USA

Crank History:  This is another first time win and congratulations to “Gypsybug” and Chasing Mailboxes for gathering up the most votes in this category.  This was the tightest race of all six categories with a really close battle between Commute By Bike, Culture Cycles, Bike Commuters, and Chasing Mailboxes.

About: Chasing Mailboxes is about using the bike for commuting, transportation, fitness, and recreation.  They live a car-lite lifestyle and sometimes escape the city to go bicycle touring.