Bike Friday this Friday! Hub on Wheels just around the corner
If you haven’t been to one of Boston Bikes Bike Fridays yet, you’re missing out. Join a horde of commuters pedaling into the city and enjoy free breakfast at the City Hall Plaza–all before the usual 9 am work day begins! There will be plenty of people–including the UA crew–hanging out, talking about bikes, and enjoying free food before returning to the daily grind.
We’ll also be able to take registrants for the Tour de Farms at City Hall Plaza. Sign-up on Friday or sooner to reserve your spot for this awesome annual agricultural ride. There are only two Bike Fridays left this summer, so make sure you don’t miss out on this morning party for people that love bikes.
It’s also not too early to start thinking about Hub on Wheels, the annual ride through the (car-free!) city streets of Boston. We’re currently taking reservations for hybrid rentals, and always encourage you to book early for a discount and to guarantee we have a bike for you. There are three different distances available, so all types of riders are encouraged to participate in this unique event!
Grow green on the Tour de Farms
Explore sustainable food by bike on our 4th Annual Tour de Farms!
Riders at the Copley Sq. Farmers’ Market
Have you heard the term localvore? Do you like incredibly fresh, seasonal produce? Being a localvore means choosing to help the environment by choosing to buy local food with a minimal carbon footprint. Pick which sounds better, an heirloom tomato picked the day you buy it or a tomato that has sat in a truck for a few hundred miles?
Farm stop on Tour de Farms 2009
In an effort to show people how easy it is to eat locally, we’re sponsoring our fourth annual Tour de Farms. It’s a guided tour of urban gardens in Somerville, community farms in Waltham and Newton, and Boston’s oldest commercial farm. You’ll also get a chance to sample fresh, locally grown food and learn more about the benefits of local agriculture, and how you can actively support these efforts.
Tour de Farms 2009 departure
The ride will have a moderate paced leg of 15 miles and then a faster paced section of 20 miles for more advanced riders. The ride will be led by experienced riders including the UA crew and there will be technical support in the case of flat tires – but please be sure to bring extra tubes and tools. We’re also offering rental bikes for those who would like to participate but don’t have their own bicycle. Be sure to register for the ride in advance, as it has sold out in past years.
A major Trek and an adventurous Ride
This weekend there are two great rides raising money for great causes. This Friday is the beginning of the Tri-State Trek, a three-day long ride from Boston to New York to raise money for ALS research. Every summer people from all over the country come together to ride 270 miles through three states to raise money towards finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It’s an inspiring ride to say the least.
Also this weekend, on Saturday, July 24 the Alzheimer’s Association is hosting their annual Memory Ride to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. They’ve currently reached just over half of their fundraising goal and are looking for more support. 
For participants of both rides Urban AdvenTours is offering 10% of bike rentals AND 10% off pre-ride tune ups. Just mention that you’re a participant when reserving a bike or dropping yours off and we’ll make sure you get set up.
It’s supposed to be hot and sunny this weekend, so be sure to stay hydrated during your ride–whether it’s 270 miles or just to the grocery store and back.
Ride out to Redbones’ Tour de France Breakfast with Urban AdvenTours
Meet up at the Urban AdvenTours headquarters at 103 Atlantic Ave on Thursday, July 22 at 8:15 to ride out to Davis Square for Redbones’ Tour de France Breakfast. Join some of the Urban AdvenTours crew for a fun ride out through Cambridge and Somerville followed by a great breakfast and an exciting Tour de France stage at Redbones.
The first two people to meet up at Urban AdvenTours for the ride get free “I ‘bike’ Somerville” t-shirts. Breakfast begins at 9am and costs $8.00 per person, which includes Redbones’ Signature Free Bicycle Valet Parking.
The breakfast will begin at 9:00, as does the live Tour coverage of Stage 17 from Bagneres-de-Luchon through the Pau High Mountains. Enjoy a buffet of scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit, yogurt, juice, coffee and more. After fueling up and watching some exciting racing, you’re in the race too! For more information about the breakfast visit www.redbones.com or call 617.628.2200.
Riding for a cause this weekend
If your inner cycling philanthropist wants to come out this weekend, there are a number of options.
On Saturday, July 17, Bike MS presents the next ride in their summer-long New England series, the Minuteman Ride. This time riders will be biking around historic Concord, near sites from the start of the American Revolution. Anyone participating in the ride are eligible to receive 10% off any Urban AdvenTours bike rental for the ride and 10% off pre-ride tuneups.
Reid’s Ride
Next up is the sixth annual Reid’s Ride on Sunday, July 18, where riders will pedal for 28 miles from Lynnfield to Cape Ann, MA. The ride is a fundraiser for the Reid R. Sacco Memorial Foundation whose mission is to support clinical and scientific research into finding more and better treatments — and someday a cure — for the cancers that predominantly strike adolescents and young adults. If you’d like to rent a bike from us for the ride, we’ll deliver to the starting line and pick it up at the finish line, free of charge. Just call us soon to reserve!
Also on Sunday is the CYCLE Kids 3rd Annual Tour de France Party at Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge. Keep and eye our for your friendly neighborhood BioBus out front of Middlesex too! For a ticket price of $35, you can watch the 14th stage of the Tour while enjoying food and beverages from Middlesex and Harpoon. Compete in an indoor time trial and participate in a raffle and silent auction. All proceeds from ticket and raffle sales help CYCLE Kids fight childhood obesity in metro-Boston schools.
There are plenty of great bike events coming up, so there’s no excuse for a boring weekend. Get out and ride!
Tour de France predictions with the UA crew
The Tour de France started a few days ago and being the bike lovers we are, everyone at Urban AdvenTours is excited to follow cycling’s most prestigious professional race. For those of you new to cycling, the Tour is a three-week long race that covers approximately 3,600 kilometers of France’s beautiful countryside, including the French Alps, and finishes in downtown Paris.
All of the sport’s best riders from around the world compete. Here’s some of our staff’s picks for who’ll wear the yellow jersey:
Cole: After last year’s political drama between Spaniard Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, tensions are high for this year’s Tour. Last year’s top three finishers–Contador, Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, and Armstrong–are this year’s favorites.
The difficult parcours (that’s French for “course”) this year, including a Stage 3 featuring many stretches of cobblestone roads, will allow luck to play a greater role in the overall outcome than in years past. One slip on the cobbles could lead to a race-ending injury for any rider. Andy Schleck is lucky to ride with cobblestone aces such as Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O’Grady at Saxo Bank, who will likely keep their team leader well-protected.
Alberto Contador
I think the widespread desire to topple Alberto Contador as reigning king of the cycling world combined with the Andy Schleck’s improvements as a time trialist and the sheer strength of his Saxo Bank team will put the Luxembourger on the top step of the podium when the race reaches Paris.
Chris: While I don’t have a pick for the winner, this year I will be commemorating through a “Tour de DANCE.” That’s right. A non-stop cotton-eye-joe until the race has been won!
Niko: Contador for the win!
Kyle: I think the person with the best chance is Contador, but I don’t think he’ll win by as much as he did last year. I don’t think Lance Armstrong will podium. I’d like to see one of the Schlecks win, but Contador is the overwhelming favorite.
The most exciting time to watch will be between Stages 14 and 17, when riders are going through the Pyrenees — it’s going to be a huge suffer-fest. And Stage 3′s over 200 km of cobblestone will prove to be an early General Classification shake-up in the tour. The sprint stages will be lacking some zest this year with Boonen and Haussler missing the Tour due to injury (be it Cavendish’s fault or not), but still look for head-to-head sprints against Thor Huschov, Tyler Farrar, and Mark Cavendish to make for a very close race for the green jersey.
Garrett: I’d like to see an American win again. Anyone but a Spaniard.
Clearly, Tour tensions are high and our staff will be following closely. After all, bikes are our thing and this is one of the biggest international cycling events in the world.
Independence Day in Boston + Bikes
Boston is America’s birthplace, so the festivities for America’s birthday are one-of-kind here. Our city bike tours take you by all of the famous landmarks from the American Revolution and our nation’s early beginnings–a perfect way to relive the exciting history from the time of the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride.
Here at UA we’re celebrating the Fourth by sponsoring another Paul Revere Ride to Freedom. The 25-mile ride covers many historic landmarks, since it takes riders all the way to Lexington and Concord via the Minuteman Bike Trail to see the battle greens where the first battles of the Revolutionary War occurred.
Looking for a way to watch the amazing fireworks display on the Charles River Esplanade, but don’t want to deal with the scores of people on the T? Rent one of our bikes to take less crowded side streets or to cross the river and watch the show from the less congested Cambridge banks.
There are a number of ways that Urban AdvenTours can help you maximize your Fourth of July in Boston. Whether you’re visiting and want to join all the festivities or whether you’re a local who wants to keep it low key, come ride with us for a “wheely” good time.