It's crunch time for holiday presents. This close to the weekend, you're either shelling out for 2-day/overnight shipping or just heading into a store to pick up gifts in person. Still stuck for ideas? Just think about what you wanted as a kid, but updated. Luckily our answer to that is "a bike a bike!" and buying bicycles for your friends or family is luckily something easily done last-minute.

As huge proponents of both bike sharing and cycling wherever possible, we admit that our biggest, big-ticket gift suggestion this year (for anyone, really) is a proper sturdy bike with some style. Fortunately one New York City store specializes in such two-wheelers: Adeline Adeline. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-12-20T10:03:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/4/29/15655/6714

If you've been meaning to go watch the Tour de France action live, you have a stateside alternative. The Amgen Tour of California, set for May 15 to 22, is similar to the Frenchie event, though this one distinguishes itself as the largest cycling event in America.

More than 2 million spectators showed up last year to watch pro cycling teams pedal to the finish line. Even if you're not a big bike-racing fan, the tour is a scenic one, covering 800 miles of Cali roadways, coastlines and iconic spots. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2011-04-29T11:02:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/17/75928/4351

November is a tricky travel month, because the onslaught of cooler weather usually puts quite the damper on any outdoor endeavors. That’s why we say to follow millions of others and head down to Florida. We’re not going to play bridge all afternoon and then head out for the early bird special; we’re going to ride our bicycles. Thanks to retired police sergeant Bubba Barron, we have the BubbaFest Bike Tour. It’s a 200-mile cycling event from Key Largo To Key West, and you don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to do it.

Bikers are encouraged to go at their own pace and make frequent pit stops to swim, snorkel, and snooze away part of the day. The whole course over US Highway 1 is pretty flat, so if you can ride a bike and have some patience, you should have no problem pedaling the approximate 45 miles per day. If you do get a little tired, or just lazy, support vehicles follow the whole time and can give you a free ride. Things kick off on November 7 and wrap up on November 13, with a few layover days to soak in the sun. ]]> kjb 2009-09-17T13:08:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/21/204230/573

If the Wine Road facebook promo we told you about last week drank you in, then you're probably looking for yet another excuse to finally visit California wine country.

Being fans of the "work out, then indulge" travel routine, we say next month's Healdsburg Harvest Century Bicycle Tour is as good an excuse as any to head to the wine roads. The itinerary is flexible: take a 23-, 37-, or 60-mile spin through one of Sonoma County's most scenic roads—which Bicycling Magazine called one of the "7 Greatest Rides on Earth"—then spend the rest of the day (or weekend) exploring the more than 100 wineries nearby.

The July 18 tour starts at 8am in Heraldsburg, and no matter how far you're biking, should be over by 2pm, giving you plenty of prime afternoon hours to hit the vineyard and reverse all those calories you burned off.

Related Stories:
· 23rd Annual Healdsburg Harvest Century Bicycle Tour [Official Site]
· Cali Wine Country Hooks Up Facebook Fans With Freebies [Jaunted]
· Nothing Motivates Better Than The Promise Of A Big Buffet [Jaunted]

[Photo: deszertbuzz] ]]> BS 2009-06-22T09:12:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/12/11551/9874

· 70 Cities Around the World: One time during our travels, we had the (mis)fortune of crossing paths with a World Naked Bike Ride. This Saturday, 70 cities in the northern hemisphere (the southern hemisphere does theirs in March) will host bicyclists in the buff to protest oil dependence. To join in or just station yourself along the route, check out the WNBR's Google map featuring all of the cities and links to their wiki pages for information. ]]> JetSetCD 2009-06-12T16:44:54-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/8/231446/1344

There are two approaches one can take to travel this time of year. You can let the snow and the cold get to you and hunker down indoors, or you can just embrace it and hit the road anyway.

A few thousand enthusiastic athletes will take the later sentiment to the extreme this month as they gear up for the eighth annual Worst Day of the Year Ride. The 18-mile cycle race takes place in Portland, Oregon each February 15, celebrating the all-around bad weather that hits the Northwest this time of the year, culminating in the region's most miserable day.

The city flooded on this date 13 years ago, and way before that, recorded its lowest temperature ever, negative 54 degrees. So participants break out their umbrellas and vow to get in a good day of cycling, rain or shine (hopefully rain).

Lest you think this is some crazy endeavor just for tough guys with a masochistic wish for pneumonia, the Worst Day of the Year Ride comes complete with roadside pick-me-ups like hot cocoa, warm cookies, and a raucous finish line party, with special prizes for those who come in costume.

· Worst Day of the Year Ride [Official Site]
· Bicylcing coverage [Jaunted]
· Weird travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [Worst Day of the Year Ride] ]]> BS 2009-02-09T11:51:02-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/