Happy New Year, Outdoorsy People!

Here's for a successful and joyful new year, full of outdoor adventures and new cool friends. Enjoy the party and have a nice holiday!

Thank you for stopping by and reading this outdoor blog and thanks for sharing your thoughts in the comments.

See you in 2011! :-)

How To Cycle Smart with Heather Higgins

The following advice for cyclists comes from Heather Higgins:

Smart Cycling

I. On The Road

• The same laws that apply to motorists apply to cyclists
  

• Obey all traffic control devices
  

• Use hand signals to indicate stops and turns to other users
  

• Never wear portable music players (cassette players, MP3, etc) while cycling. Your ability to hear motor vehicles and other potential dangers is of utmost importance.
  

• Always Wear a Properly Fitting Helmet
  

II. Traffic Lights:

• Cyclists, just like motorists, must obey all traffic control devices
  

• It takes longer to travel through an intersection on a bike; plan to stop for yellow lights
  

• Avoid cars that run red lights by waiting for the signal to turn green and scan to make sure it’s clear
  

III. Ride on the Right:

• Always ride in the same direction as traffic
  

• Use the furthest right lane that heads to your destination
  

• Slower moving cyclists and motorists stay to the right
  

• Ride at least 3 feet from parked cars
  

• Do not ride on the sidewalk
  

• Always ride single file with the only single exception being that you're using a mirror, traveling a lightly used road, can easily notice approaching cars, and can quickly return to single file (long before car reaches you). This is the law.
  

IV. Ride Predictably:

• Ride in a straight line
  

• Don't swerve in the road or between parked cars
  

• Check for traffic before entering street or intersection
  

• Anticipate hazards and adjust your position accordingly
  

V. Yield to traffic in busier lanes:

• Always use signals to indicate your intentions to switch lanes
  

• Roads with higher traffic volumes should be given right-of-way
  

• Use a mirror to look behind and make sure that you can switch lanes
  

• Left hand turns are the most dangerous; double check these before turning

Read the rest on her blog and say hi to Heather on Twitter.

Ride on!

Happy New Year from Highball Blog

I hope the new year will bring lots of joy to you!

If I were to name what I want to get in 2010 the list would look like this:

• more friends to share my outdoor adventures with
  
• more sunny days during summer and more snow during winter
• more mountain bike trails to be discovered
• more climbing routes to be ascended
• more adrenaline
• more mountaineering tours
• more courage for whatever outdoor activity I'll be performing
  
• more wildlife encounters
  
• less injuries
• less pain in my knees
• less rainy days
• less flat tires on my bike
• less weight... I'm 69 kilos right now and I'm usually 65 (1.78 cm high)

Follow your dreams both on trail and off trail and remember to stay true to yourself. Here's to an adventurous lifestyle, full of thrilling outdoorsy moments! Cheers!

Merry Christmas from Highball Blog

A short message to wish you Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I guess for many of us there's no better way to spend the winter holidays than doing what we like best: adventuring outdoors for our favorite extreme sports.

Be safe!