Friday, July 30, 2010

Bikie Movie

Wednesday, Aug 11 at 07:00PM

Wednesday, Aug 11 at 09:00PM

Join us as we get some of our post Tour de France cycling fix on with Chasing Legends, a spectacular new cycling documentary.

There is no greater sporting event in all of cycling than the Tour de France. Chasing Legends touches on the rich history, passion and true grit of The Tour as seen through the eyes of Team HTC Columbia along with commentary from Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Eddy Merckx, Lance Armstrong and some of the sports most prolific heroes.The film takes viewers on an absolutely epic ride into the race action using a multitude of high tech, high def cameras mounted on bikes, motorcycles, helicopters and team cars.

Cyclists! Don't miss our 4th annual Bike-In, August 28th in Cal Anderson Park. Read more about it here

Fremont's Buckaroo Tavern, a Seattle landmark, to close

One of Seattle's oldest watering holes, the Buckaroo Tavern in Fremont, will close its doors Sept. 17 and turn off one of the city's iconic neon signs — a cowboy riding a bucking bronco.
Buckaroo's lease was not renewed, said owner Donna Morey, 69, and the historic neighborhood tavern will close after 72 years. Her grandson, though, hopes to relocate the bar in Fremont this fall, though no deal has been finalized, family members said.
Established in 1938, the Buckaroo Tavern is one of Seattle's famous dive bars, and has been around as long as Ivar's. The movie "10 Things I Hate About You," which starred the late Heath Ledger, filmed scenes there, and the rock band Nickelback filmed a music video in the bar.
Mostly, though, it's been known as a neighborhood spot, where the beer menu is split into "cheap beer" and "good beer." There is also "free popcorn and free coffee when the bartender feels like making it," said Christopher Morey, Donna Morey's grandson, who works behind the bar.
Property owners Lars and Nils Christian declined to comment, but according to their liquor-license application, the brothers will open a restaurant and bar called Nils-Sila Pub in the Buckaroo's home at 42nd and Fremont.
During its life, Buckaroo Tavern has had only three owners and has stayed open year-round for most of its 72 years. Morey, who has owned the tavern the past 25 years, throws a Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas potluck for regulars.
Her grandson hopes to take the bar's neon bucking bronc — and all the wood paneling scarred with patrons' heart-shaped carvings, as well as the wobbly pine tables — with him, as he tries to relocate the bar.
Patron Tal Goettling, 44, a stonemason and musician who has frequented the Buckaroo since the late-1990s, said the tavern is "like a clubhouse after work. These are friends and family."

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Monday, July 26, 2010

Stopped @ Dick's

A group of about 15 bicyclists in various stages of nakedness rode from Belltown, through downtown Seattle and on to Capitol Hill on Friday night, where they were stopped by Seattle police, according to one of the organizers.
The ride was part of World Naked Bike Ride, which is meant to dramatize the vulnerability of cyclists in car-dominated cities and to promote nonpolluting transportation, said ride organizer Daniel Johnson. Most cities have their rides in June, but the small Seattle group waited a few weeks until warmer weather, he said.
Police stopped the riders near Dick's Drive-in, and the cyclists complied with their request to stop without any arrests, reports or citations, Johnson said. Further details weren't immediately available from police Saturday.
Police policy in Seattle for events such as the Fremont Solstice Parade is typically for nude riders to be allowed to ride, as long as there are no public complaints.
Johnson argues Friday night's stoppage violated the riders' First Amendment rights.
"This is the first time I'm aware of where SPD has stopped naked cyclists in Seattle without evidence of even one citizen complaint," said Johnson.
Three bicyclists were arrested for indecent exposure in July 2007 at Seward Park, after police received five calls from neighbors.
Friday's route went through Belltown, downtown, Pioneer Square and the Pike-Pine area near the Capitol Hill Block Party.
Some riders were nude, others in costumes, Johnson said in an interview. One person wore a dinosaur suit until it became too hot.
The next scheduled ride is to protest fossil-fuel use on Aug. 7, Seafair weekend, when the city hosts the hydroplane races and the Blue Angels flying team.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

It's about the kids

Streets for All Seattle Kick-Off Party

Thursday, July 29, 7 p.m.


Nectar Lounge, Fremont

$10 - $25 - $50 suggested donation

Over the past three months our Streets for All Seattle coalition has grown in strength and size: more than sixty organizations have endorsed the campaign, 100+ volunteers have been trained and thousands of people have signed on in support of the vision. Just as important, our elected leaders have reiterated their support for SFAS's goal of $30 million dollars in annual dedicated funding for pedestrian, bicycle and transit investments. Still, we know that our voices will need to be actively engaged in the budget process, which is why your support is so valuable.


Please join us for this special evening featuring:

• Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and members of the Seattle City Council

• Streets for All Jeopardy, featuring members of the Seattle City Council

• Music by Hot Bodies in Motion, To the Sea and C-LEB

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Last NW Cup on deck this weekend

Courses are decided upon.

Last chance to shred the Dry Hill trails for the year as Round 4 of the 2010 NW Cup comes to a close on July 23-25.

Also, Saturday night we will have a carbo-loading pasta dinner at the Red Lion with random movies to get you focused for the next morning. We'll probably do the raffle at the party as well, which will be limited to 200 people. We'll have more details soon.

Fresh tracks for await everyone for the final round.
I promise I'll get the pre-ride video's up as soon as possible this time. I had technical difficulties last time.

Here's the Schedule:

Friday
10am Registration opens
1pm Open Practice (all categories)
4pm Registration closes
6pm Practice closes

Saturday
9am Registration opens
9-1pm Cat 3 & Cat 1
1pm Registration closes
1-5pm Cat 2 & Pro

7pm Series Wrap-up Dinner & A Movie (or two)!!

Sunday
8-9:30am One practice run for all racers
10am Pro Seeding Runs
11am Racing Starts
Awards immediately following racing.
Register on-site only at this point.

Entry Fees:
Friday-Sunday $65
Saturday & Sunday $55

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Local Kid @ Nationals

Spencer Paxson (Team S&M Young Guns) had a breakout performance, finishing seventh. The Seattle-based rider, age 25, was psyched with his race. "This is the best performance of my career, definitely," said Paxson. "I raced Colorado Springs last weekend and had a good rhythm and tried to repeat everything today, but a little more aggressively. I was super motivated because it was nationals and I felt great."

Bend to Host MTB Marathon Nats in 2011, 2012

If Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski wants to defend his 2010 MTB marathon 
championship in 2011, he'll do it in Bend, Oregon. Photo by Courtney 
Johnson/Porter PhotoIf Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski wants to defend his 2010 MTB marathon championship in 2011, he'll do it in Bend, Oregon. Photo by Courtney Johnson/Porter

Bend, Oregon will host the 2011 and 2012 Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships.
The annual event, which crowns 24 national champions in marathon mountain biking, has been held in conjunction with the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, Colorado for the past four years. Its move to Bend for 2011 and 2012 will mark the seventh and eighth USA Cycling National Championship events held in the cycling-friendly city in a four-year period, according to USA Cycling officials.
“We are very excited to further our relationship with Bend,” said Kelli Lusk, USAC’s national events director. “Bend is one of the most popular hotbeds for cycling in North America. Based on our previous experience there, as well as on the community’s outstanding enthusiasm for the sport, we’re confident our members will have an exceptional national championship experience.”
The city of Bend has also hosted USA Cycling’s 2009 and 2010 Juniors, U23 & Elite Road National Championships and 2009 Cyclo-cross National Championships. In December, it will play host to Cyclo-cross Nationals again. Then the 2011 and 2012 editions of the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships will also take place in Bend.
The 2011 and 2012 Marathon Mountain Bike Nationals will start and end in Bend’s historic Old Mill District. The race course will provide a combination of technical sections and miles singletrack, according to a USAC release. Competitors will gradually climb for 25+ miles toward Mt. Bachelor before looping around and returning to town on a fast and fun descent.

“As a community, Bend is honored and excited to host USA Cycling’s Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships,” said president and CEO of Visit Bend, Doug La Placa.
The event will be held sometime in September of each year, according to LaPlaca.
Marathon-length mountain bike courses range from 60 to 100 kilometers.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Would you like to see more and better trails completed around Washington? This month offers four opportunities to testify in person about the projects you want to see funded by the state.


The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program provides funding for constructing and rehabilitating dozens of trails each year - in this challenging time for the budget, you can make a difference for trails by speaking out. You can read a full list of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition's proposed projects on their website.

The series of budget hearings kicks off Monday in Tacoma - we suggest arriving an hour early to sign in, since Governor Gregoire will be in attendance. Here are the meeting details for four hearings around the state:

July 19 - Tacoma, 7-9 PM, (UWT-William W. Phillip Hall, Milgard Assembly Room, 1900 Commerce Street)

July 21 - Everett, 7-9 PM, (Everett Community College, Parks Building, Multi Purpose Room, 2000 Tower Street)

July 27-Vancouver, 7-9 PM, (WSU-Vancouver, Administration Building Room 110, 14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver)

July 29-Spokane, Time TBA, (Spokane City Hall, City Council Chambers, 808 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

What you Could do

I'm sorry but Neely is too fukkin' funny

Bring the Gold

Enter the Sandman

What’s In A Name?

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.”

With this one verse Shakespeare was able to summarize the central struggle and aching tragedy between two young lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. When in the Park, one can’t help but ask the same question. With signs displaying trail names like Fatcrobat, Heart of Darkness and Angry Pirate posted throughout the place, one must ask, “What’s in a name?”Let’s find out shall we?

Angry Pirate – when one of the trail builders knocked over a wasp’s nest during construction of this trail he was rewarded with a nasty sting below his eye. As you can imagine, the eye swelled up and one of the remedies was to wear a patch. The patch prevented further irritation to the eye and allowed the builder to return to work, albeit in a grumpy state and bearing a striking resemblance to a buccaneer.[1]

B-Line – named after the type of detonating cord that was used to remove some tenacious tree stumps during construction of the trail. Fire in the hole!

A-Line – after B-Line was built and named, it just didn’t seem right to not have an “A-Line”.

Crank It Up – the crew was going to call this trail C-Line but thought they’d better break the pattern. Good decision.

Crack Addict[2] – if Flavor Flav were to ever watch someone ride this trail he’d be compelled to ask, “Yo Chuck, they must be on the pipe, right?” Well in this case you can believe the hype … this is one scary ride!

Downhill mountain biking ... just as addictive and twice as expensive!

Ho Chi Min – before a redesign this trail went straight down the middle of Olympic Run where it was channeled through an extended section of swampy ground. The moist dirt allowed for the surrounding grasses to grow to a height of over six feet and created legendary humidity in the middle of summer. It didn’t take long for a “tour of duty” through this microclimate to draw comparisons to the trail of the same name in Southeast Asia![3]

Heart of Darkness – staying with the Vietnam theme, this trail was named after the movie of the same title[4]. As you may already know, Heart of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse is a documentary that examines the production of Apocalypse Now and the struggles that director Francis Ford Coppola had to overcome before bringing his ambitious project to completion. The following quote from Coppola probably summarizes the content of the film, “We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane.”

Devil’s Club – the namesake of this trail is the broad-leaved plant that flanks the woodwork in the forest. Devil’s Club, or Oplopanax horridus, as your annoying friend with the botany degree calls it, has a woody stem covered in stinging spines. There is no need to have sympathy for this devil!

Old School – a nod to the hallowed North Shore, one of the inspirations for the Park and the genesis of ultra-technical and consequential riding.

Fatcrobat – named after a chubby trail builder with the capability of defying gravity with his amazing balance and uncanny knack for athletic stunts, thus proving once and for all that you can afford to weigh three spins as long as you have the skills!

Longhorn – legend has it that in a bygone season the trail crew was offered an awesome deal on refreshments at one of the local bars. As you can imagine, the crew got into the habit of frequenting this place after work. As it turned out, however, the bar had a couple of accountants with overly sharp pencils who started taking notice of the affect that this sort of bro-deal had on the bottom line. Well, the low rates got rescinded for the next season and the team started hanging out at The Longhorn in response. In order to give their new pub some pub, they planted a flag in the Park!

A thirsty rider!

No Joke – a reference to the fact that underestimating this trail would be no laughing matter. Kind of like listening to Kathy Griffin or Whoopi Goldberg do standup … there’s nothing funny about it!

Original Sin – this was the first trail cut in the virgin forest of the Garbanzo Zone. Just like Adam found out in the Garden of Eden, once the forbidden fruit gets picked, all bets are off!

That’s it for now everyone but next week we’ll continue the name game and give you the lowdown on the likes of Dirt Merchant, Samurai Pizza Cat, Monkey Hands and other fine trails. Until then, enjoy the flow!
[1] Good news, scientists are rapidly closing in on the degenerative gene that compels certain people to exclaim the word “Aaarrrrgh” after each and every reference to the name Angry Pirate. It is believed to be the same gene that makes people say “D’oh” after each mistake. If this is you, stop now before it’s too late!

[2] Crack Addict was built in 1997 by Dave Kelly. At the time, Dave was a one-man band; forming both the patrol and trail crew! Since things were pretty quiet in the Park back then, he built C.A. as a secret trail that he could reserve for personal enjoyment. Eventually it got discovered by a bunch of pesky locals and the trail found its way onto the map.

[3] History lesson time boys and girls; The Ho Chi Minh Trail ran through The Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), Laos and Cambodia. It was one of the main arteries that provided supplies and manpower to the resistance forces during the Vietnam War (1959 – 1975). The “trail” was actually a complex network of hiking routes, crude roads and bike paths as opposed to a singular, well-defined trail.

[4] Heart of Darkness has gone through several route changes over the years. Next time you ride up the gondola, look for a tiny singletrack and a bridge over a small creek. This is the original H.O.D. bridge built by Dave Kelly 13 years ago!

It's getting good

I'm not a huge fan of road racing but it's more due to being soured on it from the local scene than anything else. On the big stage (which, all should remember, is about as far removed as a local softball league v. MLB) I am amazed by the athleticism and courage and power that the riders display. This preamble is my justification for watching the Tour. And it's been really good so far. And it just got better:

"Renshaw, the lead-out man for British sprinter Mark Cavendish, was shown by television pictures trying to headbutt the Garmin-Transitions rider from New Zealand three times in the final 400 metres of the home straight.
Cavendish then raced ahead towards eventual victory, his third this year on the race and 13th in three participations, with Renshaw then seen trying to block Dean's sprinter, Tyler Farrar, as the American tried to come up the inside of the barriers.
Top race official Jean-Francois Pescheux said after the race: "Renshaw was declassified immediately but we have decided to also throw him off the race.
"We've only seen the pictures once, but his actions are plain for all to see. This is a bike race, not a gladiator's arena."

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Monday, July 12, 2010

Commute to Seattle Meeting

Join Commute Seattle for a panel discussion about why bicycle commuting to downtown Seattle is important to building a livable, economically viable, and sustainable city.

Speakers include Mayor Mike McGinn, Councilmember Rasmussen, Sandra Woods from SDOT, Chuck Ayers from Cascade Bicycle Club, Ref Lindmark from King County Metro, bicycle commuters just like you, and other speakers too.

Panelist will discuss recent bicycle infrastructure projects throughout the city, downtown bicycle commuter amenities, and the future of bike commuting to downtown.

Vendors will also be on hand to provide bike commuter information. Attendees receive a raffle ticket for cool prizes!

Event details:

Wednesday, July 14th
11:30am - 1:15am
Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room (5th & Cherry)
RSVP to info@CommuteSeattle.com

Friday, July 9, 2010

A Case for Seperated Lanes

VANCOUVER -- On the same day that Vancouver city council is to consider a plan to make separated bike lanes on Burrard Bridge permanent, the city says it has recorded the millionth cyclist since it began the bike lane trial nearly a year ago.


The city says magnetic counters that register metal bike wheels clicked past 1,000,000 just after 10 p.m. Wednesday.


The news appeared timed to support a city staff report advocating spending $2 million to make permanent -- and even widen -- the westbound bike lane on the bridge roadway and the eastbound lane on the sidewalk.


The city says there's been a 24 per cent increase in cyclists on the bridge since the lanes opened on July 13, 2009. It says 200,000 more bicycle trips were recorded on the bridge than before the lanes went in place, and that between 500 and 800 cyclists an hour cross the bridge.


In the meantime, however, vehicle traffic on both Burrard and Granville bridges has not changed, nor has pedestrian traffic on Burrard. In other words, the same amount of pedestrian and vehicle traffic has had to deal with less space on the bridge.


In an emailed statement Mayor Gregor Robertson said the numbers show the bike lane trial was a success.


"This is a remarkable achievement," he said. "Over one million riders in less than a year shows that when you build safe, protected bike lanes, people of all ages will come out and use them. The Burrard Bridge bike lanes have been a big success and helped make cycling and walking over the bridge safer for thousands of people every day.


"Before the bike lanes were in place, only the most dedicated cyclists used Burrard Bridge. Now it's become a popular route for families, seniors, kids — it's a safe and fun way to get into downtown or head towards Kits beach."


However, a staff report dealing with the $2 million retrofit of the lanes notes that cycling in winter time still remains low in volume. However, they noted findings from a University of B.C. cycling safety study show that fewer accidents have taken place since the barriers were put in place. In the five months before the trial four cyclists were hurt badly enough to be taken to hospital. In the same period after the trial began, only one cyclist required emergency care, and that was because of a collision with a wrong-way cyclist.



Thursday, July 8, 2010

On Deck.....

White River Revival @ Greenwater
Saturday – July 10, 2010

THIS EVENT IS A FUNDRAISER FOR A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE MOUNTAIN BIKE COMMUNITY
100% of the proceeds from this race will be going to help defray the medical costs of “Wick”, long time are race promoter.

Wick, as we all know him, has been an area race promoter for 20 years. He is the host of the famous “Wednesday Night World Championships”, board member of Seattle Cyclocross, and Kore Component representative, has served as an integral part of our racing community . Currently our friend is in the ICU unit where he is battling a monumental infection that could keep him there for some time.

PLEASE HELP GIVE BACK TO SOMEONE WHO HAS SHAPED MOUNTAIN BIKING AS WE KNOW IT, SUPPLIED US WITH COUNTLESS RACES, AND SERVED AS A DEDICATED MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY.

Set in the idyllic shadows of Mt. Rainier, The Revival offers a rainbow of colorful fast, fun, and challenging cross country mountain bike trails creating a course that brings the mountain back into mountain biking and making you feel blessed. From the White River to the Green Water, you’ll get it all here including creek crossings and some of the best downhill around.

It’s fun, it’s beautiful, it’s challenging, and it’s for a good cause! Please join us.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.ragnarokracing.com

AND

Fat Tire Farm Fluidride Cup Round #3 Mt Hood July 9-11

The weather forecast is calling for 70-80 degrees and sunshine all weekend at Mt Hood Ski Bowl in Government Camp for the Fluidride Cup Technical DH Round #3, presented by Fat Tire Farm in Portland. The top of the track is now open after hours of shoveling snow banks courtesy of Todd Olsen, Eric Loney, and a number of other northwest rippers, effectively doubling the vertical drop from the last race. The dirt is rumored to be in perfect condition after last weekend’s rain, and the last bit of snow melt…things are shaping up for an epic weekend!

The FAT TIRE FARM is kicking down big time for this event, with extra cash for the Pro Class. The Evil Men’s DH will boast a $1,000 1st place purse, while the Loeka Women’s Pro DH will offer a $500 1st place purse.

MAXXIS is hooking it up for amateur riders, with a Maxxis Minion 3c for the winner of every class! This is an $80.00 prize – and there is one for every amateur category.

There is a NEW CATEGORY 2/3 woods section which has been added to the bottom part of the course, making the CAT 2/3 track, long and challenging. The most technical woods portions of the track will now offer line options for riders of varying abilities. There have also been a few changes to the Pro Track for 2010, with the re-introduction of the log step down at the bottom of the woods.

REGISTRATION:

Online registration closes Wednesday 7.08 at midnight. On site registration is also available at the following times:

FRIDAY: 10:30am-6pm

SATURDAY: 7:30am-6pm

SUNDAY: 7:30am-8:30am

Race Registration is $49.00. Lifts are $34 for 3 days (Friday-Sunday), $24 for 2 days (Saturday-Sunday) or $10 for race day only.

PRACTICE TIMES:

FRIDAY: 11am-4pm. All Categories.

SATURDAY: CAT 2/3 8am-12pm. CAT 1/PRO 2pm-6pm.

SUNDAY: 8am-9:15 with racing beginning at 10am.

All categories will take one race run. Pro and Cat 1 Juniors will have a qualifier Sunday morning to decide starting order for the final.

We couldn’t make this happen without our sponsors, so be sure to support these great companies: FAT TIRE FARM, BIG TREE BIKES, CLIF BAR, LOEKA, BRASHER’S AUTO AUCTION, DAKINE, ALPINESTARS, EVIL BIKES, ARROW RACING, PINKBIKE, MAXXIS and BETTER LIFE HEALTH AND FITNESS.

Evidently something is going on at 6 PM tonight

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Monday, July 5, 2010

Friday, July 2, 2010