Tuesday, July 28, 2009

MFG Season Passes now available
MFG Kick-Off Party at Brouwer's Cafe
Who’s excited for cross????
The MFG crew has been working ‘round the clock in preparation for theseason, and we are now ready to offer season passes for 5 of 6 of our races.The season pass grants you entry to:

9/13: uBRDO Kick-off Cross, Kirkland
10/4: Starbucks Gran Prix, Issaquah
10/10: Cross Clash
10/31: Lincoln Park CX, West Seattle
11/15: Woodland Park GP, Seattle

The season pass is $100 ($50 for juniors) and is available now. Once you sign the waiver to purchase your season pass, you won’t have to sign another waiver for the entire season! We will mail you your series race number by September. Additionally, you will receive a ticket for free entry and complimentary buffet dinner to the MFG Kick-off party at Brouwer’s Café on Wednesday,9/9/09 from 7-10pm. Tickets to the party are limited to the first 50entries, and after that will not be available. Here are the details:
Where: Season passes available at for racers 21 and over racers at Brouwer's Cafe,400North 35th Street. Brouwer’s Café is open noon to 2 am every day and tickets are available as of today, July 28th. (206) 267-1200 How:
Payment by check or cash only (no credit card) made out to Low Pressure Promotions, LLC. Sign a waiver one-time, and you’ll be set for the season.You’ll receive a ticket to the Kick-Off party; limited to the first 50 registrants. Under 21 registration: Minors will not be allowed to enter Brouwer’s Café, even to purchase a season pass. If you are under 21 and would like to purchase a season pass,please email: zac at mfgcyclocross dot com
See you soon! Terry

Monday, July 27, 2009

Thank God for the Helmet

Firefighter charged with shooting at bicyclist
Josh Boatwright • July 27, 2009 12:33 PM

ASHEVILLE — An Asheville firefighter charged with attempted first-degree murder after witnesses said he shot at a bicyclist, made his first appearance today in Buncombe County District Court.

Charles Alexander Diez, 42, apparently fired at the Asheville man after arguing with him about riding his bike on the busy road with his 3-year-old child in a bike seat behind him, Asheville Police Capt. Tim Splain said.

Diez's case is set to be heard on Aug. 17 in Buncombe County Superior Court.

Diez was driving his car off Interstate 40 at Exit 55 at about 11:24 a.m. Sunday when he saw Alan Ray Simons and his wife riding bikes up the road with Simons' 3-year-old son behind him in a bike seat, he said.

“He decided he needed to tell them he thought it was unsafe that they would do that and have their child out there in an area where they had a lot of traffic,” Splain said.

Diez stopped his car and confronted Simons near 1360 Tunnel Road. When Simons began to walk away, Diez shot at him, Splain said.

The bullet blew a hole through the outer lining of Simons' helmet and went straight through both sides of it, but he was not hit.

Simons and others who witnessed the incident took down Diez's registration plate number and called police.

After consulting with the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office, police charged Diez with one count of attempted first-degree murder.

“A matter of an inch or less in either direction would have meant that bullet could have easily killed Mr. Simons,” Splain said.

Buncombe County Sheriff's deputies found Diez's vehicle at his home on Rowland Road in Swannanoa and arrested him. Diez was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting and has no prior criminal record, Splain said.

He has been employed by the Asheville Fire Department since February 1992, according to interim Chief Scott Burnette. Diez has been placed on paid leave during the investigation, Burnette said.

Diez was being held today at the Buncombe County Detention Center with a secured bond set at $500,000

Friday, July 24, 2009

ON DECK

Roslyn MTB Festival
July 25-26, 2009 Downtown Roslyn - Roslyn, WA
Presented byRoslyn Cyclery
Big time racing in a pint size townRoslyn is home to much more than "Northern Exposure"; some of the greatest mountain bike terrain also lives here. Many of us got a taste of it in the days of the WIM series, leaving our appetites whetted for fun challenging terrain in a dryer climate. The Indie Series is excited to add Roslyn to our 2009 lineup and we know you are going to love it!
CROSS COUNTRY * POKER RUN
The Roslyn MTB Festival is a community event with all proceeds going to the Roslyn Library. The entire town is excited and ready for mountain bikers to take over the town.
2 Days of Family Fun
REGISTRATION, ALL RACES & CAMPING IS LOCATED AT THE COAL PILES 1 BLOCK EAST OF MAIN STREET - WATCH FOR SIGNS - YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
Schedule
SATURDAY
9:00 AM
Poker Run & Fun Ride
$15.00
SUNDAY
Cross CountryCourse: Approximately 4 1/2 miles with about 800' of climbing per lap.
Categories & Fees:

9:00 AM
Beginners (Categories #18 - #27)
2 laps
11:00 AM
Sport, Clydesdale (Categories #10 - #17, #28)
3 laps
1:30 PM
Open, Expert (Categories #1 - #9)
4 laps

Note: race promoters reserve the right to modify and/or consolidate classes and categories as needed.
Registration
Day-of registration opens at 7:30am and closes approximately 10 minutes before race start.
DirectionsDriving Directions: From 1-90, take exit # 84 (Roslyn, HWY 903). Go north towards Roslyn, approximate 2.5 miles. The start/finish, registration & free camping is located 1 block east of the main Hwy thru town--very easy to spot, watch for signs.
LodgingFree camping is available at the race site in downtown Roslyn.
Race ContactRoslyn Cyclery at 509-649-2863 or Dan Norton @ jackandanathotmaildotcom

I could do this all day.





Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Cyclocross Expo

1st Ever Northwest Cyclocross Expo!
Seattle Cyclocross is pleased to announce the first Northwest Cyclocross Expo Sponsored by New Belgium Brewing

This is not only a celebration of everything cyclocross, it’s an opportunity for riders to look at equipment, talk to manufacturers, and meet racers. Where else can you go and ride bikes from Redline, Raleigh, Kona, Giant, Ridley and more on real cyclocross terrain? Rather than talk about which bike is better or handles the conditions better, why not just come out and ride them all?

Bicycle riders of all levels will be able to look at, touch and try out everything from Northwave shoes, Thule bike racks, Kore components, Limar helmets, Selle Italia saddles, Shimano components and more. Additionally, Cycle University will be on hand holding training clinics and cross demos for riders of all abilities.

Come on out and meet our special guest, Ryan Trebon, the dominant rider on the American scene, who will be holding court, signing autographs and talking with young riders about the excitement of cross racing.

Seattle Cyclocross will be on hand to pre-register racers for the upcoming season, answer questions about the racing series, and share a burger and a beer with you.



>> When: Sat. August 1st 2009

>> Where: South SeaTac Park

Friday, July 17, 2009

Ballard Chamber of Commerce to sue Cascade Bicycle Club

We learned yesterday that Cascade Bicycle Club and the City of Seattle are being sued by a coalition of Ballard industrial businesses, industrial associations and the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. The lawsuit appeals the city's plans to complete the "Missing Link" of the Burke-Gilman Trail, a project that would improve traffic management and allow for improved safety and access for all users -- pedestrians, bicycles, cars and trucks -- through the corridor.
We are deeply disappointed that the suit has been filed, especially given that the prior decision was unequivocally in our favor. In these times of economic turmoil, it's disappointing that the Ballard Chamber of Commerce will waste its members' dues, while improved safety and access in the community are once again stalled.
The appeal process will also likely cost Cascade tens of thousands of dollars, but we will not give up this battle for safety and access for all. Your financial contributions will help make a dent in those legal fees. Please give to the Burke-Gilman Legal Fund today.

Way to go - assclowns.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Monday, July 13, 2009

busto

is going to be glad to see me. i think. bringing coffee, should be something we can make money to drink off of...i hope. SOOOOOOOJJUUUUUU makes me happy and drunk. 2 weeks and i am out.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Check your bank accounts!

I know there are some bicyclers on the board so I'm sending a warning to anyone who has ever done business with Bike Nashbar. I noticed four unauthorized purchases on my credit card. A Google check shows that many folks who purchased bike equipment through Bike Nashbar had the same four purchases listed. They are all from the same firm. Either Nashbar was hacked or they sold the info including credit card numbers to those people. I called all the scammers and had the fees reversed. If you bought anything from Bike Nashbar ever there is a chance you will be getting these purchases assessed. Profitggl.com - $39.95 each month forever. Fedgrant - $7.95 each month forever. NetworkAgenda - $9.95 once Reb-Mill - $2.29 once Here is the site:

http://www.complaintsboard.com/?search=Nashbar

detailing the situation. My Nashbar purchase was one time about a year ago. The fees started showing up in May. I still have not heard a thing from Nashbar. Additionally, they send me a monthly catalog and weekly emails. They have a "discontinue literature" feature on their website. I have filled it out three times and they keep coming. I changed my address to the Seattle Jail and they keep coming. Ironically, they have good products and a good price and fast shipping. Even with that I will never do business with them and suggest nobody else should.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Rider Down

One dead in car-bike collision near Aurora Avenue North
Picture
Seattle police traffic collision investigators at the start of the fatal collision scene at Aurora Avenue North and Dexter Way North. (Casey McNerthney/seattlepi.com)

A bicyclist was killed Wednesday night after colliding with a car on an Aurora Avenue North off-ramp.

The man was struck about 10:20 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the Dexter Way North off-ramp. The driver was taken to Harborview Medical Center with minor injuries, Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick said.

The driver may have been impaired, but police did not offer many details Wednesday night.

"We do have somebody in custody, but again, traffic collision investigators have not even started their investigation yet," police spokesman Mark Jamieson said immediately after the collision. "I anticipate they'll be out there for several hours at least while they investigate this."

The Dexter Way North off-ramp and some southbound lanes of Aurora Avenue North were closed early Thursday morning.

Medics were initially called to Dexter Way North and Aurora Avenue North. It was not clear if the cyclist had been on Aurora, but it is legal to ride there. For more information, click here.

The riders age and name were not released early Thursday.

Picture
The Dexter Way North off ramp was closed early Thursday morning while police investigated a fatal collision between a bike and car. (Casey McNerthney/seattlepi.com)

A Call to Action

We need your help to expand mountain bike access in Washington State. Like most non-profits, we are struggling in the economic downturn and are at risk of losing future trail projects that we've worked so hard to develop.
From now until July 15, the Evergreen Board of Directors will match every donation, dollar for dollar, up to $14,600. Help protect and create mountain biking opportunities by donating to Evergreen today and help us reach our goal of raising $29,200 through this challenge.
The last few years have been a time of growth for Evergreen and mountain biking in Washington. We've been instrumental in developing projects such as:
Mid Fork Snoqualmie, North Bend.
Duthie Hill, Issaquah/Sammamish (in progress).
Paradise Valley, Woodinville.
I-5 Colonnade, Seattle. Even more exciting are the projects that we're working to develop such as the South Fork Snoqualmie area and the Kent Skills Park, to name just two. In the coming weeks we'll go into detail about the projects we're developing and the advocacy work we do. Today, because we're asking for your financial support, we want to provide you with answers to two questions. 1) Why does Evergreen need my donation? 2) Where does the money go?
Why Does Evergreen Need My Financial Support?The short answer is that the current recession hit us at a time of growth and new opportunities. Evergreen has always been a very efficient and lean operation, so when our sources of revenue are impacted, there isn't much fat available to trim, and our only option is to reach out to our generous supporters and ask for help. Evergreen receives support from four major sources. Our bread and butter has always been membership dues and donations from individual mountain bikers. This portion of our financial base has remained stable, but now it needs to grow. Our second revenue source is skills classes such as our popular Bootcamp program for new mountain bikers, and this program remains strong. Our other two sources of revenue have been significantly impacted by the economic downturn. Corporate support is down, as many of our generous business partners are forced to cut back. Government funding through grants is also down sharply as many trail programs are being cut at the state and local levels. Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), State Parks, and King County have had to cut programs that Evergreen has been involved with.

Where Does the Money Go?
There are two separate ways Evergreen spends money. The first is projects such as Colonnade and Duthie Hill. Funding for these projects comes from grants and government agencies, and does not come from our operating budget or membership dues. In the case of Duthie Hill, we received two grants from King County to build the park. In addition to the grants, we will also be launching a Duthie-specific fundraising program similar to what we did at Colonnade. The second category is Everything Else Evergreen does, and we do a lot. John Lang and Jon Kennedy are your program staff and they work hard to run an ambitious organization on a lean budget. We only spend about 15% of our operating budget on overhead and administration. I'm going to go into detail about how your Evergreen office staff spends their time. It is important to us that you know what Evergreen does and how hard our staff works, so that you can determine for yourself that we are deserving of your support. We could ideally use another staff person to fully exploit all of our opportunities, but right now our focus is on preserving the capacity we currently have so that our current projects can be sustained.
John Lang, your Executive Director, is responsible for:Fundraising
Grant research, writing and reportingCorporate sponsorship developmentTrails project contract negotiations Outreach
NewsletterAdvocacy alertsWebsite developmentCorporate outreachMembership Development/Support
Member supportBike shop outreachTrailhead eventsRace community outreach Events Planning
24 hour raceEvergreen film nightAnnual meeting/partyAdvocacy
DNR trail building standardsDNR Sustainable Recreation Work GroupDNR Reiter ForestDNR Snoqualmie Unit Advisory Committee (SUAC - Tiger Mountain)Issaquah recreation planningRedmond recreation planningSouth SeaTac trails issueWilderness issuesOlallie Classification And Management Plan (CAMP)McDonald MountainProject Development
Redmond dirt jumps Redmond trail opportunitiesParadise Valley Conservation AreaTacoma Mountain Bike ParkColonnade phase 3 feasibilityKent Mountain Bike ParkSouth Fork Snoqualmie - phase 2Current Project Oversight
Duthie Hill Mountain Bike ParkColonnade drainage projectSouth Fork Snoqualmie - phase 1Olallie mountain bike trailsPartnerships/Planning with Local Mountain Bike GroupsFinance and Administration
Budgeting and monthly financial tracking Supervise staffSupport board of directors at monthly meetings
Jon Kennedy, your Communications Director, works on:Advocacy
Tiger/local DNRSnoqualmie Unit Advisory Committee (SUAC - Tiger Mountain)South SeaTac and South Correctional Entity (SCORE)MTB guidelines on DNR landsWhatcom Trails Coalition supportReiter ForestDNR Recreation Advisory CommitteeGeneral advocacy response and issuesEducation
Bootcamp
Manage team scheduleManage instructorsWeb postings and outreachManage attendee issues and PaymentsFacility relations with State ParksProgram development Member Outreach & Development
Member services Fundraising Communications
Monthly newsletterWebsite updates and managementAdvocacy AlertsForum monitor/replyEvents Management and General
Evergreen also has Mike Westra, Project Manager, and Josh King, Crew Chief. Both Mike and Josh are funded from project-specific budgets and are not supported through Evergreen's general operating budget.As you can see, this is a lot to do for two people, and it's highly productive work. Any one of the advocacy, trail development, or land manager opportunities and issues can take years to move forward. If we take our eye off the ball, for even a moment, we may miss out on a new trail opportunity or risk losing an existing riding area. It is slow, hard, sometimes frustrating work, but as Evergreen has demonstrated through our recent successes, it is important and worthwhile work. If we bring in enough donations to keep doing what we are doing, we will get more places to ride throughout Washington.

Donate Today and Leverage Your Investment!The Evergreen Board of Directors has committed to matching each donation up to $14,600. On top of that, Evergreen further leverages your money through government matching grants and the power of you, our volunteers. Please donate by July 15 and see your donation doubled through our matching challenge. Help us meet our goal of bringing in $14,600 that will be doubled to $29,200 so that Evergreen can keep creating and protecting mountain bike opportunities. If you have already donated during this matching challenge, thank you! Your gift will help ensure that mountain biking in Washington has a bright future. You will continue to receive this series of emails that provide a look under the hood at the workings of Evergreen. There are three ways to donate:
Click here to securely donate online with a credit card.
Mail a check, made out to Evergreen, to 418 NE 72nd Street, Seattle, WA 98115. Please include your mailing address and email so we can send you a tax receipt.
Call the Evergreen World Headquarters and pay via credit card. (206) 524-2900 Thank you for your ongoing support!
Sincerely,
Justin Vander Pol, and the entire Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance Board of Directors

Cyclefest Outdoor Cinema


Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Location: Warren G Magnuson Park, on the lawn next to the theaterRain or Shine! (Tour screening will move inside to theater if it rains)
Family Treasure Hunt & Bike ParadeRyan Leech ShowStreet Sprint Racing
Plus the Tour de France on the Big Screen, under the stars…Free!
Join Cascade Bicycle Club and fellow cyclists at the biggest Tour de France inspired festival on the west coast! This annual family-friendly event is a great place to relax with your buddies over a summer picnic. We've lined up some new events to make Cyclefest the go-to summer blockbuster bicycling event in Seattle!
Kids kick off Cyclefest this year with a Magnuson Park Bicycle Treasure Hunt! Following the hunt, kids can strut their stuff in the kids’ bicycle parade. We have also lining up a very special attraction this year - Ryan Leech, world-class Norco mountain bike stunt rider. Later in the evening, racing action heats up with head-to-head road sprints by some of the fastest sprinters in the area!
Great brews will be on tap in the New Belgium Beer Garden to wash down tasty food from Seattle Sausage Company and Athena's Gyros. At dusk (approx 9:15 p.m.), the racing takes off with one of the Tour de France's most exciting stages shown on a 15' x 20' inflatable screen. Stage 16 from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice is guaranteed to be exciting, with a finish in the high mountains!
While you're at Cyclefest, be sure to also check out the fun booths and a very special Tour de France Poster exhibit, presented by Alliance Francaise de Seattle. As always and just like the Tour itself, attendance is totally free!
Cyclefest Schedule of Events
6 - 10:30 p.m. Beer Garden & Food booths open6 - 8 p.m. Bike Art table & Treasure Hunt6:45 - 7 p.m. Kids Parade7 - 9 p.m. Cycle University Street Sprints 8 - 8:30 p.m. Ryan Leech Show 9 - 9:15 p.m.Drawing & instant prizes9:15 - 10:30 p.m. Tour de France on the big screen
Ongoing: Bike safety checks by Bothell Ski & Bike; Tour de France poster exhibit presented by Alliance Francaise de Seattle; drawing to win a new road bike; food booths and New Belgium beer garden.
Enter the Cyclefest Drawing
LAST year's prizes included:
2007 Lapierre S-Lite 500 road bicycle (value $4,000)Lapierre bicycles are ridden by the Pro's in the Tour de France. The 07' S-Lite 500 is an outstanding bicycle that features a full Shimano Ultegra group and other top level components. And one lucky winner will get their hands on one tonight!
FSA RD-600 wheelset (value $800)
Two passes to the sold-out 2008 RSVP
Drawing tickets will be sold at the event - $5 each or three for $10 - just look for a ticket seller or stop by the Cascade booth.