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Escape the rat race
Written by: Jiří Vašek

When you ride a bicycle, you see lots of things that would otherwise escape you in more rapid transportation. Combined with the benefits of exercise, that's a good reason why more and more people are riding bikes. Luckily, the internet can advise biking fans from novice riders to serious cross-country trekkers.

http://www.nakole.cz/home/ An ideal site for occasional and regular biking fans for whom biking is a hobby and combination of relaxation and exploration. The entire site is governed by two categories - touring and traveling, not only in the Czech Republic, but also abroad. You can share your biking experiences in any town in the Czech Republic, and you can read how the biking is in Helsinki or San Francisco. Of course the site will advise you as to which bike to buy, how to take it on a train, where the most beautiful bike paths are, and what books to buy as presents for another biking fan. @@@@@

http://www.cykl.cz/ Also carried as a printed bi-weekly in selected shops, this site takes an entirely different approach to biking. It welcomes you with "news", which stresses information on professional biking, so-called cyclofestivals, and a long list of all sorts of contests, including the best-known bike road races: 4cross, BMX, Cyklokros, Mtb-cross country, Speedtrial, and others. Information under the technology link highlights the lightest carbon frames or the latest developments in Campagnolo electronic shifting. The traveling link describes how to take a bike on an airplane, or how the biking is on the Karakoam Highway, for example. @@@

http://www.bicy.bo.cz/scripts/index.php A presentation of one of the many Czech biking clubs. It currently has only a few dozen members, but hundreds of enthusiasts (mostly in Moravia) take part in its events. Most of the offers - from joint outings, to inexpensive parts or complete bicycle purchases, short-term rentals, or city mass transit transport - relate to Brno. Under the legal advice bookmark you'll find extracts from valid laws that address biking. @@@

http://www.bajk.cz/web/data A well arranged site in terms of graphics and content, with information for biking junkies and amateurs in a reasonable ratio. The editorial staff of this Webzine has about 60 writers, which gives it great variety. You'll be interested in the so-called bike room, where you can chat about your experiences on a bike, the huge second-hand shop with about 2,000 complete bikes, a unique "biking dictionary," and a download link, where you can find screen savers and games. Under the travel book and roads item you will find inspiration for outings in this country and abroad. If you register and enter your e-mail address you can get e-mails with the latest news. @@@@

http://www.e-slovensko.cz/aktivity/58/cyklo-trasy-slovensko Research indicates that Czechs are again starting to vacation in Slovakia. This isn't anything new for biking enthusiasts, as they know all about the 5,800 kilometers of marked bike paths in our eastern neighbors' country. The eSlovensko site not only offers descriptions of most of the bike paths, it also allows you to book lodging on the way. It contains interesting information from Slovak periodicals, which can pleasantly enrich your biking vacation. You can enjoy night views of some castles, an adrenaline-inducing, 700-meter bobsled track in Tatranská Lomnice, followed by relaxation in a salt cave in Žilina. @@@@

novelties:

www.monetka.cz
An internet wallet, with high security and real-time information on transactions, mainly for paying smaller sums. First you have to deposit via bank transfer a maximum of CZK 4,500, which you can then use for on-line payments without any handling fees.

www.prehledslev.cz
A new site that can be useful in searching for extraordinary discounts, special coupons, leaflet events, and customer cards, with which you can save considerable money. Users can also enter for notices of individual events they are interested in.

http://map.env.cz/website/mzp/
This site divides the Czech Republic in terms of topography, administration, and geology. You can find out where mines are, the largest sources of pollution, detailed military maps, digital models and more.