In 2009 a pair of sheepherding dogs attacked and gravely injured a mountain biker during a race, a high-profile example of something that happens often as cyclists pedal along land that shares boarders with sheep ranchers. The shepherds use dogs to keep away natural predators, but they often mistake cyclists for threats to the heard and attack them. Now some ranchers in Colorado are trying to do something about it - they’re finally training dogs to coexist with cyclists. How? By getting people to ride bikes around them until they get used to their presence. Sounds like a nice weekend job for some kids in Colorado, make sure to stock up on bandages for your first few days on the farm. Plus, you know this will backfire for the ranchers. The first circus bear to ride his unicycle into the herd will get to enjoy an incredible buffet.

I could watch this video 50 times. Cyclists have been working to popularize the sport of cyclocross for years. Joey here may have done it all alone in a few seconds. I think Joey’s okay, too.

via GetOutdoors

Mission Workshop is the brain child of the same guys who started Chrome. They sold Chrome several years ago and waited out the non-compete clause, and when the time was right they launched Mission Workshop.

The Mission Workshop evolution has been similar to Chrome’s. Start with bags (you don’t have to deal with size runs and colorways like clothing), then move into apparel, maybe eventually footwear. The gear is a bit more upscale than Chrome, and it’s all made in the U.S. while Chrome has moved much of their production overseas.

The situation is a bit like my friend Chris who was trying to sell a canoe that he built. It took him ages to make the canoe, but he said that he wanted to sell it because he’d learned from all his mistakes and would be able to make the second one much better.

Not that it’s fair to always compare Mission Workshop to Chrome, they’re gear is extremely well made and their style would fit in anywhere. And Chrome also makes fantastic gear. And now they’ve making high end jackets. Their waterproof offering sells for about $400 and the Merino jacket is $255. Check out the photos of the models wearing them and always looking at something much cooler than the photographer.

So…anyone want to buy a canoe?

As much as you might want to make fun of a guy for entering a sport where the word “Extreme” is still thrown around, you have to give a pass to ‘Extreme’ unicycler (I know, I know) Lutz Eichholz. Or at least I hope that’s his name. I don’t speak German so it may simply be the name of his website. He’s one Red Bull sponsorship away from the big time unicycling. Man, I wonder what this guy could do with two wheels.

Jay Petervary rode his bike 3,000 miles across the country in the Race Across America and set the record for a solo unsupported trip by making it in 13 days. He did buy food along the way and refill his water bottle, so in this case ‘unsupported’ means that he didn’t have a van or even a friend on a bike following alongside. So the door’s still open for someone to carry all their own water for two weeks on a cross-country bike trip…anyone want to jump on that one? Anyway, he became the first guy to conduct the race without any support, and he spent his nights sleeping in car dealership parking lots and behind bike shops. I hope he had fun, because he’s planning on taking another trip next month, this one along the Great Divide route for 2,745 miles.

via Wend