What a contest! It took our panel of seven jurors a week to pore over the entries and come up with their top picks. From all reports it was a difficult process due to the large number of excellent entries. As is always the case with juried art competitions, not everyone will agree with the choices due to the subjective nature of the judging process, but we feel confident the strongest work made the top group. One thing is abundantly clear, the grand prize winner was an overwhelming favorite among the jurors; Galen’s elegant and timeless image of pastoral Italy garnered more than double the points of the next nearest entry.

We want to offer our most sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the contest and acknowledge our sponsors for their generous donations to the prize pool.

And finally, congratulations to the winners! We’ll be contacting you soon about your prizes.

—Alan & Michael

Grand Prize — Galen Maynard

I’d like to enter this photo I took in Lucca Italy into your summer contest. I traveled to Munich for work this year, and on the way home I had the chance to visit Italy in late summer. The afternoon light was gorgeous, and obviously cycling is more integrated into daily life in many European cities. Everyone rides bikes for short errands and as a simple mode of daily transportation. I think this photo really evokes the joy of a late summer afternoon in a small Italian hill town. In Lucca, a bike is both a tool and a simple way to enjoy life.

—Thanks! Galen
Dapper Lad Cycles →

First Runner Up — Eduardo Green

That’s what everybody (even policemen) do when the temperatures reach the 100′s in Portland, OR. ;)

—Eduardo Green

Second Runner Up — Bryan Beretta

Oh you said bring a folding “chair”? Oops…

—Bryan Beretta

Third Runner-Up — Ian Nutt

The sun going down on another season of riding… The truth is, summer came and went during a week in late June – Just endless weather rather than endless summer!

—Chapeau, Ian

Fourth Runner-Up — Russ Roca

The photo was taken just North of Trinidad, California. We were riding through a dense gauntlet of trees when down the road there was a heavenly shaft of light pouring through. I waved Laura through and took the photo just as she passed under the light.

—Russ
The Path Less Pedaled

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

Andre Ball — Toti Calo — Ian Hoffman — William F. House — Francois-Xavier Huat — Mia Huth — Nathan Johnson — Ian Rutter — Danielle Stephens — Amanda Zechar

Sponsors and Prize List

Arkel: Metropolitan Handlebar Bag (1)

Banjo Brothers: Market Pannier (1)

The Bicycle Business: Novatec/Salsa Dynamo Front Wheel (700C) (1)

Breezer: Year-Rounder Panniers (1 pr); Extended Trunk Bag (1); Breezer Vest (1)

Calhoun Cycle: Tubus Logo Rack (1); Twin Six T-Shirts (3); VeloVision Magazines (15)

Civia: Hyland Rear Racks (3); Civia Ortleib Back-Roller Classic Panniers (2 pr)

Gold Country Cyclery: Brooks B17 Standard Saddle (Black) (1); Soma AL North Road Handle Bar (accepts bar-ends) (1)

Minnehaha Bag Co.: Canvas Grocery Bag Pannier (1)

Planet Bike: Escape Pod (1); Versarack (1)

Renaissance Bicycles: Renaissance Bicycles Wind Jacket (1)

Rickshaw Bagworks: Large Zero Xpac (Green) (1)

Rivendell Bicycle Works: Sackville ShopSack (Med, Dark Green) (1); Sackville SaddleSack (Sm, Grid Grey) (1); Nigel Smythe Seat Pouch (Green Tweed) (1); Brass Bell (1); Rivendell Cycling Caps (2)

Schwalbe: Marathon XR Tires (700x40C) (1 pr); Schwalbe Water Bottle (1)

Topeak: Joe Blow Turbo Floor Pump (1); One Up Bike Holder (1); Mini 18 Multi-Tool (1)

Wald: Woody Basket (1)

The contest photos are now 100% uploaded. You can view the full set with captions and photo credits in the Photo Contest category, or you can view the full set as a slideshow on our Zenfolio Site. The judges will soon start work on the difficult process of choosing the winners. Good luck!

I took this photo of my brother-in-law and his fiance in Amsterdam this summer. I just love that cycling is the preferred form of transportation in this unique city. My husband and I rented a tandem dutch-style bike for the day and had a blast riding through the narrow streets.

—Danielle Stephens
Danielle Ashley Photography

On a sunny Saturday in August my daughter and I rode across town on our new city bike path, stopping to feed ducks along the way. We also stopped in front of the old City Hall for this photo op. I rode a 1980 Schwinn 12 speed and she rode a 2008 Schwinn 21 speed.

—Dave

There is a certain joy in bike touring New Zealand solo, especially
when you get the camera’s self timer just right. Photo taken on Canal
Rd, MacKenzie Basin, New Zealand

—Patrick

It was the beginning of summer. An hour earlier she had walked across a stage to receive a diploma, the capstone on two years of graduate study. He had started to notice her around campus during that last year, and was glad when they started hanging out. Now, he was taking her down town to their first dinner with her family. Sunshine and opportunity seemed endless.

—Eric Saner

Summer to me is going to the park with my kids. A ride to a park up in the mountains is even better! In this case, it was via our Bakfiets cargo bike and vintage Schwinn Breeze.

—Brad Woods

My bicycle is an original paint 1939 Schwinn Motorbike taken on the bridge that was built in 1923 to cross the Boise River.

—Ron Smith

Summertime on the east side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Me and my brother were on our way south to Santa Cruz.

—Nathan Johnson
The Friday Cyclotouriste

I took this picture on my morning commute. As you might guess it is my favorite part of my ride. To the left is Monterey, CA.

—Kimberly

This is a photo of my brothers descending Dillon Pass in Badlands National Park, South Dakota, on September 13, 2009. They are ridding a Surly LHT and a Surly CC. We were on our way to ride the Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills of South Dakota and stopped to ride through Badlands National Park. Thanks to you and others for sharing all the cycling photos.

—Jack Rayburn

This was taken on a trip my husband and I took to Montreal in early June. We brought our bikes on the train from Toronto to Montreal. In this photo we are riding up Mont-Royal in Montreal. The weather was a bit nasty – it was spitting rain off and on all day. But there were also periods of sunlight and in the park the scenery was great, so it was worth it.

My husband was riding the first bike I ever made – an old Peugeot I painted and named “Yeager” after Chuck Yeager – the first person to break the sound barrier. It’s a great utility bike that has seen many things!

—Kate

Touring the central California coast

—Zachary Elgart

Seen while biking Clear Creek Canyon trail, Sevier Valley, Utah, one morning this past summer: three old compadres carrying on a gentle three-part conversation as they glided on by.

—Imaginary Bicycle

This was taken on the way home from a S24O last summer.

—Matthew

This shot is of Betsy and I in Austin Texas, July 2009. We are riding on the Bike and Hike trail that is in downtown Austin and runs along Lady Bird Lake [Town Lake]. The trail is a hard pack crushed stone surface, that makes about a 14 mile loop. The temperature was about 104 the week that we were there! We are riding our “suit case” bikes I built for traveling.

—Mike
A.N.T.

The photo was taken while I was riding as part of the 2009 4K For Cancer Team, a group of young people riding across the United States to spread awareness, raise funds, and foster hope in the fight against cancer. As we rode west along a desolate road in Utah, this pre-WWII Ford appeared on the horizon and I was struck by the contrast between the decades-old gasoline powered machine and our brand new human powered vehicles. If you look closely, you can see the driver giving a cheerful hello for the camera!

—Conor

The week before this picture was taken, it was absolutely freezing here in Michigan. With one last gasp of summer, the warm weather came roaring back for a day so it was off to our local trail for and end of season joyride. It was amazing to see just how many people were out with the same mentality and the trail was filled with bikers, skateboarders, runners, rollerbladers, and power walkers also enjoying the weather. This spot was one of the few places where the trail calmed down a bit for a pic.

—Mark Garzon

This summer on a trip to New Orleans, I took this pic of my Gary Fisher on Fulton Street. The French Quarter is a great place to ride!

—Mike Folks, San Antonio, TX

My wife Heleen en daughter Ruth on a bike in Holland.

—Gert-Jan Rodenboog, the Netherlands