Mountain Bike Skill

Everyone enjoy an exciting sport of mountain biking, before you ride a mountain bike,you should know some basic skills.

First Things First - Get a Helmet

Tt's simple, Get a helmet and wear it.
Modern helmets are comfortable, stylish and every mountain biker wears one. You can go to your local bike shop and they will be happy to help you pick one out that suits your needs and budget.

Some other safety equipment and accessories that I recommend are cycling gloves (I prefer the full finger style), some sort of hydration system (either a water bottle or a hydration backpack), eye protection or sunglasses, bike shorts with extra padding where it counts, sunscreen, and a shirt made from quick drying material.

Continue through the following exercises.

Pedal Play

Pedal Play - Get Used to Your Pedals
Practice removing your foot from the pedal. Do this first while sitting on your bike with one foot on the ground. Then move on to releasing and replacing your foot while pedaling around. Beginners with toe clip and clipless type pedals will want to spend a little more time here.

Sit and Spin For Proper Fit and Position


Sit on your bike and pedal around.
Your arms should remain slightly bent.
Your seat height should be adjusted so your leg is about 70 to 90 percent extended at the bottom of every pedal stroke.
Keep your body loose and relaxed.
There is never a situation when you should have your knees or elbows locked.

Shifting Gears - Learning How and When to Shift
Get comfortable with shifting the gears on your bike.
Higher gears are harder to pedal and will go faster while lower gears are easier to pedal and help you get up hills.
Next, try to get used to what gears you need to be in to comfortably go up different pitched hills.
As the hills get steeper,
it is best to shift before you get to the hill rather than while you are on the hill.

Stand and Coast - Get to Your Correct Body Position
Spend some time coasting while standing on your pedals without sitting on the seat. Keep your arms bent and don’t lock your knees, put your pedals at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions (horizontal). Next, experiment with shifting your body towards the rear of the bike.
You will want to be in this rear shifted standing position when you coast over obstacles or when the trail gets rough. You should be standing on your pedals with your knees bent and your seat should be between your legs. This is your primary standing position.

Pedal Up - Learn to Pedal While Standing
Get comfortable with pedaling while standing on your bike.
Lift yourself off the seat, stand on your pedals and
crank them around.
Try this in higher gears on the flat and
in lower gears on the hills.

Down a Curb - Do the Drop

Find a curb where you can easily get to the upper level.

Practice standing and coasting straight off the curb from the upper level to
the lower level at a moderate speed.

Stay in position and absorb the drop with your arms and legs.
Try this at different speeds until it becomes comfortable.

Up a Curb - Get Over It

Approach straight at a curb in your primary standing position from the lower level at a slow to moderate speed. Shortly before you reach the curb push down towards the handlebars to get some spring from the front tire and then quickly push your body up from your hands and pull the handlebars up lifting the front wheel up just in time to reach the upper level of the curb. Next, quickly lighten your weight on the pedals if you can and allow the rear wheel to come up to the top of the curb. Absorb any bump with your legs and continue on forward.

BICYCLE MOTO CROSS - BMX

BMX (Bicycle Motocross) is a form of cycling on specially designed bicycles which usually have 20 inch wheels. The sport includes racing on earthen tracks, known as BMX racing, as well as the performance of tricks on the bikes, called Freestyle BMX.

In 2008, BMX racing will enter the Olympics for the first time in Beijing.

BMX Race Men
BMX Race Women
Venue: Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue
Location: Laoshan, Shijingshan District, Beijing
Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue:
A general view of Laoshan BMX venue
A general view

The curved track

BMX cyclist tests the track

China: Olympics Bike Hack

Photo Courtesy Xinhuanet

I kinda like the Olympics. Enjoyment of the Olympics started to go downhill for me when the basketball “Dream Team” was formed. Professional athletes already have enough fame and money if you ask me, why not let some amateurs get some attention for two weeks every four years?

I was super stoked when NYC did not get the 2012 Olympics. NYC is crazy enough as it is and I can’t imagine hundreds of more thousands of people descending on NYC for two weeks in the middle of a hot, dank month in the summer.

You always end up hearing stories about how excited local denizens get when their city is chosen to host the games. One Beijing cyclist decided to hack his bike to show his enthusiasm for the upcoming Olympics. Via the blog Asian Pop With YeinJee comes this exuberant hacker. I’m not sure I’d be super excited about that top middle ring.

Liu Xiang: Unbearable pain forced me out

BEIJING — Liu Xiang, China's great hope for track glory at the Beijing Games, said he was sorry for his dramatic withdrawal from the Olympics but that he had no choice because pain from a foot injury became unbearable.

There's so many people concerned about me and who support me. I feel very sorry. But there's really nothing I could do," a downcast, disconsolate Liu told China Central Television in an interview aired Tuesday.

A day earlier, Liu withdrew from his heat in the 110-meter hurdles, shocking and disappointing millions of Chinese who wanted to see him defend his Olympic title at home.

Liu appeared pale and tired, wearing a plain white T-shirt rather than the flashy red that has characterized the uniform of China's athletes at the games. A drop of perspiration clung to the corner of his left eyebrow as he spoke in a steady voice inside what appeared to be a white tent.

The official Xinhua News Agency said CCTV recorded the interview Monday night and showed parts of it Tuesday for the first time.

Electric bikes gain speed

The Associated Press
Published: Friday, August 15, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.

NEW YORK — When Honora Wolfe and her husband moved to the outskirts of Boulder, Colo., she wanted an environmentally friendly way to commute to her job as a bookshop owner in the city.

Wolfe, 60, found her solution about a month ago: an electric bicycle. It gets her to work quickly, is easy on her arthritis and is better for the environment.

“I’m not out to win any races,” she said. “I want to get a little fresh air and exercise, and cut my carbon footprint, and spend less money on gas.”

The surging cost of gasoline and a desire for a greener commute are turning more people to electric bikes as an unconventional form of transportation. They function like a typical two-wheeler but with a battery-powered assist, and bike dealers, riders and experts say they are flying off the racks.

Official sales figures are hard to pin down, but the Gluskin-Townley Group, which does market research for the National Bicycle Dealers Association, estimates 10,000 electric bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006.

Bert Cebular, who owns the electric bike and scooter dealership NYCeWheels in New York, said his sales are up about 50 percent so far this year over last. Amazon.com Inc. says sales of electric bikes surged more than 6,000 percent in July from a year earlier, in part because of its expanded offerings.

“The electric bikes are the next big thing,” said Frank Jamerson, a former General Motors Corp. executive turned electric vehicle guru.

They’re even more popular in Europe, where Sophie Nenner, who opened a Paris bike store in 2005, says motorists boxed in by traffic jams are looking for an alternative for short journeys that doesn’t involve navigating overcrowded transport systems.

Industry associations estimate 89,000 electric bikes were sold in the Netherlands last year, while 60,000 power-assisted bikes were sold in Germany.

The principle behind electric bikes is akin to that behind hybrid cars: Combine the conventional technology — in this case, old-fashioned pedaling — with a battery-powered motor.

The net result is a vehicle that rides a bit like a scooter, with some legwork required. Most models have a motorcycle-like throttle that gives a boost while going up hills or accelerating from a stop. On some models, the motor kicks in automatically and adjusts its torque based on how hard the rider pedals.

Although regulations vary by state, federal law classifies electric bikes as bicycles, and no license or registration is required as long as they don’t go faster than 20 mph and their power doesn’t exceed 750 watts.

Price largely determines weight, quality and battery type. A few hundred dollars gets you an IZIP mountain bike from Amazon with a heavy lead-acid battery. For $1,400, you can buy a 250-watt folding bike powered by a more-powerful, longer-lasting nickel-metal hydride battery like those in a camera or a Toyota Prius. At the high end, $2,525 buys an extra-light 350-watt model sporting a lightweight lithium-ion battery similar to a laptop’s.

Most models can go at least 20 miles before plugging in to recharge. Although the cost of electricity can vary, fully recharging the battery on a typical model costs less than a dime.

Jamerson, the former GM executive who has become a staunch advocate for electric transportation, believes this is only the beginning for electric bikes.

“The public at large needs to understand that it is the right thing to do to move to electric transportation, and electric bikes and electric scooters will allow you to do that, to get that familiarity,” he said.

Electric motorcycles and scooters

Electric motorcycles and scooters are vehicles with two or three wheels that use electric motors to attain locomotion.

Generally, the source of power for the electric motor has been batteries, but development in fuel cell technology has created several prototypes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Electric motorcycles and scooters are rising in popularity because of higher gasoline prices. Battery technology is gradually improving making this form of transportation more practical.

Advantages of electric over gasoline power:
1.The fuel costs for electric power are approximately 25% the cost of gasoline power (US, mid-2008; see Electric car, "Running costs" for the calculation)
2. Nearly silent.

3.Environmental friendly (no exhausted gases at point of use)
4.Using grid power to charge batteries causes less pollution than gasoline scooters; the amount of emissions caused depends on the sources of the electricity used.

5.No trips needed to a gas station-- can be recharged at home.

6. Lower maintenance costs and fewer maintenance activities; for example, there is no need to change the oil. 7.Can be ridden indoors.

Disadvantages:
1.Up front costs are higher than for a comparable gasoline powered motorcycle or scooter.

2.Shorter range before refueling.

3.Longer "fill up" or recharge time.

4.Lower maximum speed at similar price points.

5.Electric power outlets are often not conveniently located near streets or driveways. It is often difficult or impossible to bring the battery into an apartment, for example, for recharging.

6.Battery capacity can be as low as 20% on a cold winter day with -20 °C (lead battery)

Fans take victory ride with Kristin Armstrong

Lt. Gov. Jim Risch declared the day 'Kristin Armstrong Day'

Less than one week ago, Olympic cyclist Kristin Armstrong was racing outside Beijing, winning the women's time trial more than 24 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

Saturday, her victorious ride through Downtown Boise was more leisurely, but had an intensity all its own. This time, admirers, not competitors, were the ones trying to stick close.

Gold medal tucked into the back pocket of her cycling jersey, riding the same bike on which she won the time trial, she led a throng of thousands - the mayor's office estimated 1,700 bikes and many more people - on a ride from the Downtown Boise YMCA to the steps of City Hall.

Among the riders were 8-year-old Caleesta Carpenter, a slip of a girl in a silver helmet and Hello Kitty T-shirt, and her dad Jacob.

"I have two daughters and have raised them on my own," said Jacob Carpenter. "Armstrong is the kind of role model I want them to have."

The girls want to be bike racers, and Caleesta is already talking about training.

"That will mean riding my bike in the park. A lot," she said.

At City Hall, Armstrong received many honors, including the Key to the City from Mayor Dave Bieter, who asked her to autograph the back fender of the red '69 Schwinn he rides to work. She obliged.

"I'll never wash this bike again," quipped the mayor.

Lt. Gov. Jim Risch was also on hand and formally proclaimed Aug. 16, 2008, "Kristin Armstrong Day" across Idaho.

Standing in for the ticker tape of a traditional hero's parade were some 500 white T-shirts given to the crowd, emblazoned with a photo of Armstrong biting the edge of her medal.

That medal is the first Olympic gold brought home by a Boisean.

But Armstrong's long history in town, as a triathlete and a teacher at the Y before she became an Olympian, meant that the celebration had an unassuming, hometown character - one that might be harder to come by in another kind of city or around another kind of athlete.

United Dairymen of Idaho, one of Armstrong's sponsors, was handing out chocolate milk, after all. It is Armstrong's favorite recovery drink.

Armstrong said her fellow world-class riders often ask her why she lives in Boise.

"It's my little secret. But if they were here today, they'd know why," she said. "I know I would have gotten support coming home with a medal or not."

Emily VanSickle, 9, and her mom, Sandra, rode their bikes to the Y Saturday.

Emily was one of the lucky 500 who got a T-shirt, and she put it on immediately. Her history with Armstrong goes way back, to when Armstrong taught her to swim.

When Emily heard Armstrong had won the time trial, her reaction was, "Hey, isn't that Kristy from the Y?"

Emily, who likes to study history in school, had no idea that her old teacher was such a serious athlete.

She just remembers that Armstrong was fun - a teacher who brought a giant floating ball to the pool on the last day of class and challenged Emily to jump on top.

She didn't quite make it - but she tried.

Anna Webb: 377-6431

Cycling Mountain Bike

List of Events
On the program of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing 2008
Mountain Bike

• cross-country Men
• cross-country Women

Athlete numbers:
30 women and 50 men will be competing in Mountain Biking at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Mountain Bike:
Each athlete who meets the selection criteria in an individual event qualifies his/her NOC for a place in this event. Within the target athlete number of 500 athletes, all of the athletes who have qualified and whose participation in one of the cycling disciplines has been confirmed will have the right to enter other cycling events provided that the limits for participation per NOC and per event are not exceeded.

QUALIFICATION TIMELINE - Mountain Bike
8 – 11 March 2007
Continental championships, America, Villa la Angostura (ARG)
23 – 25 March 2007
Continental championships, Oceania, Thredbo NSW (AUS)
28 – 29 July 2007
Continental championships, Africa, Windhoek (NAM)
2 – 6 August 2007
Continental championships, Asia, Zaarour (LIB)
15 November 2007
Deadline for the submission of requests for TripartiteCommission Invitation places by all NOCs
31 December 2007
UCI ranking by nation
11 January 2008
Confirmation by the UCI to the NOCs of the number ofqualifications obtained
20 June 2008
Confirmation from the NOCs to the UCI that they will be taking up the places obtained
7 July 2008
Reallocation of unused places by the UCI as TripartiteCommission invitations and reserve places
23 July 2008
Deadline for the Beijing 2008 Organising Committee to receive entry forms submitted by the NOCs

Phelps wins 10th, 11th golds of Olympic career

2008-08-13 11:04:47 GMT2008-08-13 19:04:47 (Beijing Time) from SINA.com

BEIJING - For Michael Phelps, it's not enough to just set a new standard. He has to demolish the old one. Winningest Olympian ever? He's two golds past that already and not finished yet, just over halfway to his goal of breaking Mark Spitz's record seven in a single Olympics.

World records? In a sport measured down to the hundredths for a reason, Phelps sets a pace to crush one of them by more than four seconds.

Even when his goggles malfunctioned during the first race of a golden morning in China, the gangly, 23-year-old American squinted through water-filled lenses on the way to, yes, a world record. Of course, he was none too happy to beat it by only six-hundredths.

So un-Phelps-like.

"In the circumstances, not too bad I guess," he said with a shrug. "I know I can go faster."

No wonder his competitors realize they're merely swimming for second.

Monumental challenges for mere mortals seem almost inconsequential to Phelps.

"He is just a normal person, but maybe from a different planet," said Russia's Alexander Sukhorukov, fresh off a thrashing by the Phelps-led Americans but still good enough to have a silver around his neck.

On Wednesday, Phelps swam into history as the winningest Olympic athlete ever with his 10th and 11th career gold medals — and five world records in five events at the Beijing Games.

A day after etching his name alongside Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis with gold No. 9, Phelps set a standard all his own when he won the 200-meter butterfly. An hour later, he swam the leadoff of a runaway victory by the U.S. 800 freestyle relay team, which shattered the old world mark in becoming the first team to break the 7-minute barrier.

Seemingly impervious to fatigue, he set a blistering pace of 1 minute, 43.31 seconds that got the Americans rolling toward a winning time of 6:58.56.

"Come on! Come on!" he screamed at teammates Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay.

The previous record of 7:03.24 was set by the Americans at last year's world championships. Russia took the silver, more than five seconds behind the Americans, who mainly had to make sure they didn't get in the water too soon. Australia won the bronze.

"Safe start! Safe start!" Phelps yelled at Berens before he dove in.

After a six-gold performance at the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps needed only five days in Beijing to surpass Spitz, Lewis, Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina and Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi as the winningest Olympian ever.
"I'm almost at a loss for words," Phelps said. "Growing up I always wanted to be an Olympian. Now to be the most decorated Olympian of all time, it just sounds weird saying. It started setting in a little bit after the butterfly. I was just trying to focus on my next race, but I just kept thinking, `Wow, greatest Olympian of all time.' It's a pretty cool title. I'm definitely honored."

Phelps has three more chances to stretch his lead before he leaves China. He'll swim in the 200 individual medley, 100 fly and 400 medley relay.

"There is still something left in the tank," Phelps said. "I've got three races left, so there had better be something left in the tank."

In his signature stroke, the butterfly, Phelps was second at the first flip, then pushed it into another gear, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he literally sailed along atop the surface. He finished in 1:52.03, breaking his mark of 1:52.09 from the 2007 worlds.

Phelps barely smiled as he looked at the board, breathing heavily and hanging on the lane rope. Hungary's Laszlo Cseh really pushed it at the end, but settled for silver in 1:52.70. Japan's Takeshi Matsuda took the bronze in 1:52.97.

Phelps rubbed his eyes and said climbing from the pool, "I can't see anything." A pair of leaky goggles kept him from even seeing the wall as he touched.

"My goggles kept filling up with water during the race," Phelps said. "I wanted 1:51 or better."

Still, he had two more golds and two more records before lunchtime, leaving him just three wins away from beating Spitz's record in the 1972 Munich Games.

"There is nobody in our sport that can win like he wins," U.S. head coach Eddie Reese said. "He is not just winning, he is crunching world records."

British swimmer Simon Burnett provided his theory to Reese when they ran into each other in the cafeteria.
"He was saying to me, 'I think I've figured out Michael Phelps. He is not from another planet; he is from the future. His father made him and made a time machine. Sixty years from now he is an average swimmer, but he has come back here to mop up.'"

Phelps is also keeping pace with Spitz on the record front. Spitz set world standards in all his wins at Munich; Phelps is now 5-for-5 in China.

"I'm pumped about our relay," Phelps said. "It's the most fun thing to be in a team environment and be part of a relay. It's cool when you get four Americans who all swim well together. Everyone has to play their part or it's just not going to happen. We've been lucky that we've been able to do that."

The Americans are sure lucky to have Phelps, who is already recognized as the greatest swimmer ever — sorry, Mark — and plans to keep competing at least through the 2012 London Games.

After another trip to the medals podium, he flipped his flowers to mother Debbie, tears pouring down her face as she proudly watched from a front-row seat with her two daughters.

Everyone wanted to get a look at history, including the U.S. men's basketball team. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony were among those cheering on Phelps from poolside seats. James posed for pictures with Phelps' mom.

Three worlds records fell before Phelps even walked on deck the first time. By the end of the morning, six new marks were set. It was impossible to win gold without putting up the fastest time in history.

So much for concerns that morning finals would hurt the competition.

In the semifinals of the 100 free, Australia's Eamon Sullivan and France's Alain Bernard played takeaway with the record Sullivan set two days earlier.

In the first heat, Bernard won in 47.20 to knock down Sullivan's mark of 47.24 from the leadoff leg of the memorable 400 free relay. That record lasted all of two minutes. Sullivan won the second heat in 47.05, setting up a thrilling showdown in Thursday's final.

"Records don't mean much," Sullivan said. "They don't win medals at the end of the day, unfortunately. But it gives me confidence that I can swim my own race under pressure."

American Jason Lezak, who chased down Bernard in the relay, advanced to the final with the sixth-best time, 47.98. The other U.S. swimmer, Garrett Weber-Gale, failed to advance.

Then it was Federica Pellegrini's turn in the women's 200 free. The Italian broke the mark she set a day earlier in the semifinals, winning gold in 1:54.82. The old record was 1:55.45.

Sara Isakovic of Slovenia claimed the bronze in 1:54.97, and China's Pang Jiaying thrilled the home fans by passing Katie Hoff on the final lap to take bronze in 1:55.05.

Hoff's disappointing day wasn't done.

In the 200 individual medley, she again finished in the first spot that doesn't give a medal. Australia's Stephanie Rice completed her IM sweep with another world record, her time of 2:08.45 erasing the mark of 2:08.92 set at the Australian trials in March.

Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe took the silver in 2:08.59, also below the previous world record. Natalie Coughlin of the U.S. won the bronze in 2:10.34, her third medal of the games, beating Hoff by 34-hundredths of a second.
"It's a big surprise for me," said Coughlin, who only began swimming the IM a few months ago. "Any medal in an event that is not on your (regular) program is great."

The glamorous Rice, wearing big green earrings that matched her country's colors, added to her victory in the 400 IM.

Then there's Hoff, who looked to be one of the big stories of the game when she qualified in five individual events — the same number as Phelps.

The 19-year-old, who says Phelps is like a big brother, has yet to match his success in the water. In her first two races, Hoff settled for a bronze and a silver, which look pretty good after Wednesday. Now, she's got only one more event — the 800 free — to win an individual gold.

"I went out there and I raced tough and that's all I can do," Hoff said. "It was definitely a tough day, but I think I handled it pretty well."

An inspiring Olympic story came to an end in the semifinals of the 200 breaststroke.

Eric Shanteau, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the U.S. Olympic trials and put off surgery until after the games, failed to advance to the final.

He finished sixth in his semifinal heat and 10th overall, 13-hundredths of a second out of the last spot into the final.

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima, trying for his second straight sweep of the breaststroke events, cruised along as the top qualifier at 2:08.61. He already won the 100 with a world record after taking both golds in Athens four years ago.

2008 Beijing Olympic - Spain talks tough after Olympic embarrassment

Spanish sport officials have called on Maria Isabel Moreno to name and shame her doping products supplier after the rider became the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games' first doping positive yesterday. Spanish sports minister Jaime Lissavetzky pledged to find and prosecute those involved in doping at a press conference in Beijing, China.

"We are going to hunt down these shameless people who harm our athletes," Lissavetzky said. "We are going to clamp down totally and will take the toughest action."

Spain Minister of sports Jaime Lissavetzky,
President of the Spanish Olympic Committee Photo ©: AFP

Spain Minister of sports Jaime Lissavetzky
reacts during a press conference Photo ©: AFP

Moreno was tested only hours after arriving in Beijing on July 31, and returned to Spain later that evening after telling her Spanish team she was suffering from an anxiety attack. The cyclist had been slated to contest both the women's road race and tomorrow's time trial.

"She was quite different after being tested," Spanish Cycling Federation secretary general Eugenio Bermúdez said. "She was crying all the time and she insisted she wanted to go home."

Moreno's non-negative caps off a month of highs and lows for Spanish cycling. While the nation's athletes have claimed both the Olympic Games men's road race victory and won the Tour de France, it has had to contend with the positive tests from Manuel Beltrán and Moisés Dueñas at the Tour and now Moreno's Olympic Games positive.

"I ask you Maribel, looking you in the eyes, 'who gave you the substance and where did you buy it?'," Lissavetzky said.

Spain launched one of the largest doping investigations in international sport, name Operación Puerto, in 2006 but the investigation has been shrouded in controversy. Only three cyclists – Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi, and Jörg Jaksche – have been handed suspensions following the investigation, despite a long list of athletes being connected with the investigation.

The investigation had been shelved in 2007 by Judge Antonio Serrano, but pressure from world sporting authorities forced the re-opening of the case in February. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) attempted to have the blood bags connected to the investigation turned over to it in April, however Serrano wouldn't share evidence with the private body, as he's not required to under European Union laws.

Cycling Out Of The Olympics?
CyclingNews and most news sources around the globe are picking up on comments recently made by WADA chief Fahey, who noted that along with weightlifting, cycling could see its head on the chopping block and out of future Olympic Games. From the Associated Press (but pulled from CNews): "Some sports such as weightlifting have a pretty bad record and that is demonstrated time and again with numerous athletes from that sport. I think weightlifting understands, as cycling understands, that there is a huge risk for both those sports if the cheating is continued and continued to be exposed. There is no sport that anybody can suggest is doping free. But there are some sports that have had a history, and I would suggest there's a level or a culture [of doping] that has developed in some of those sports."Moreno's positive sure is a good step in the right direction! If anything else goes awry for the bike world in Beijing, it'll take an act of awful cheating from the track and fielders et al to deflect attention. How sad.

Spanish basketball team poses for offensive picture in 2008 Beijing Olympic

Spain's Olympic basketball team in 2008 Beijing Olympic posed for an advertisement prior to the Games which appears to show all its players slanting their eyes, a move that could offend its Olympic hosts in Beijing. The ads, for a Spanish courier company, appeared in the Spanish-language newspaper La Marca.

As the uproar over the picture has grown today, more information about the advertising shot has come to light. The New York Times reports that Spain's basketball team is sponsored by Li-Ning Footwear, a Chinese company founded by Li Ning, the final torchbearer who was hoisted along the top of Beijing National Stadium during the Olympic Opening Ceremony finale. The ad reportedly references the Spanish team recently extending their contract with the footwear giant for another four years.

The Spanish-language paper El Mundo has a piece debating whether the ad was racist that basically calls out the British press for trying to smear Spain's good name. But they miss the point. Whether the picture was made in good fun is irrelevant. It was a ridiculous idea that was bound to upset a lot of people.

It's baffling that nobody involved in the picture -- from the photographers to the players -- even seemed to consider that this ad would be looked at negatively. Did it not occur to somebody that it might not be a good idea to mock an entire continent before the world's largest athletic competition that, by the way, happens to take place on that continent. Were they not aware of an invention called "the Internet" that allows pictures taken in Spain to be transmitted all over the world for the eyes of everyone?

And now that the inevitable controversy has hit, they're still defending themselves when a simple, "the ad was in poor taste, we apologize" would have sufficed. This story would be slowing down if the Spanish Basketball team had apologized immediately. Now it's just picking up steam.

The Organization of Chinese-Americans has released multiple statements condemning the picture. George Wu, deputy director of the group, said, "it is unfortunate that this type of imagery would rear its head during something that is supposed to be a time of world unity." Response in Beijing has been muted so far.

Madrid is thought to be one of the frontrunners to land the 2016 Summer Games (the site will be announced next year). Could this controversy hurt Spain's chances of landing another Olympics?

Interestingly, the Spanish basketball team took on China tonight, winning 85-75 in overtime. No word on whether Pau Gasol was on the receiving end of any elbows from Yao Ming. The Chinese crowd did have a message for the Spaniards though, booing vigorously during the game.

What is a "Pocket Bike"?

A pocket bike is a two wheeled motorized device that has a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and that is not designated or manufactured for highway use. Pocket bikes do not include an off-highway motorcycle as defined in section 436 of the Vehicle Code.

Pocket bikes are thrilling, exciting, and a tons of fun when ridden safely, but they are also motorized, high speed racing vehicles. Just like any other sport, there are precautions that everyone should follow to ensure they are having fun and being safe!