The earliest bicycles had pedals mounted directly on the front wheel.

The earliest bicycles had pedals mounted directly on the front wheel. In order to increase speeds in the absence of any practical method of gearing, larger and larger wheels were built, culminating in the classic penny-farthing where the wheel could be 1.5m (60") or more in diameter. The name refers to the penny and farthing coins of the time, the former being large and the latter unusually small. Other popular names include high-wheeler, high bicycle and boneshaker, although the latter generally referred to any early bicycle before the invention of the pneumatic tire.

It had only a brief vogue, arriving and departing within a couple of decades, but it has caught the imagination as visually representing the late Victorian. This brief lifetime coincided almost exactly with the birth of cycle sport.

While not a qualifying ride for the Tour de France, the Tour De Cure is a noteworthy cycling event. All across the United States 30,000 riders become reacquainted with their bicycles. For some, it's just a matter of grabbing a few power gels and a bag of granola, filling a Camelback with water and heading out for a 100 mile ride. For others, it's trying to find tubes to fix the flats and WD 40 to dissolve the rust accumulated on the chain while the bike sat in the garage since the last Tour. Most riders are somewhere in between Fit and Desperate. My next ride will be along the shore of the old fishing town Gloucester, Massachusetts. If you would like to donate to our efforts as a sponsor, you may do so online: ADA sponsor page for the E Team. Each mile I ride, each dollar I raise will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. No matter how small or large, your generous gift will help improve the lives of more than 20 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Together, we can all make a difference! Thank you for making a generous contribution to this cause that is so important to me!

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The Shadow is a fictional crime fighter created by Walter B Gibson. The character is one of the most famous of the pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. Made even more famous through a popular radio series, the Shadow has since been featured also in comic books, comic strips,television, and at least seven motion pictures. Regardless, the Shadow is best regarded for its radio years, in which pulp crime fiction received perhaps its most compelling broadcast interpretation.

In the early eighties, Howard Chaykin set comics on their ear with the ground-breaking American Flagg!, a series that didn't just synthesize many of his themes into one cohesive work, but also brought page design, lettering and space into the overall effect of a book in a way that few had attempted. In the mid-eighties, DC tapped Chaykin to reinterpret the classic pulp hero The Shadow for a modern audience.

Even after decades, the unmistakable introduction from The Shadow has earned a place in the American lexicon:

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"

Waldo County, situated in mid-coast Maine along scenic Penobscot Bay, has genuine New England character evidenced by working port towns and quaint rural villages. Visitors are awed by the area's unspoiled beauty. From striking coastal views to sweeping mountain vistas, dramatic natural settings abound. In addition great care has been taken to preserve and refurbish numerous historic landmarks, homes and buildings. Consequently, the Maine of yesteryear is still found here.

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