Friday, August 27, 2010

foot trakking #1

It's been going on for awhile - nobody thinks it's related - you be the judge
A human foot has been found washed up on a Whidbey Island beach.
Island County Sheriff's Detective Ed Wallace tells the Daily Herald that a beach walker found the right foot Friday morning. Officials say the foot is small and likely belongs to a woman or a child. They believe it was in the water for less than two months.
Investigators are checking missing reports. DNA tests are pending.
Officials do not believe the foot is linked to a series of human feet found in shoes in recent years in nearby British Columbia waters.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Cyclocross Meeting

Brian Vernor's (Pure Sweet Hell) new film The Cyclocross Meeting is aboutthe currently exploding US cyclocross scene and the emerging Japanesecyclocross scene. The Cyclocross Meeting follows Barry Wicks and AdamMcgrath two top US races in New Jersey and Oregon, and then to Japan, wherethey compete with seven times Japanese National Champion Keiichi Tsujiura,and the up and coming talent Yu Takenouchi. The film screening is presentedby Yakima, Chris King, Giro, and Nuun. The September 16th showing will be atthe Seattle Musical Theater located at the Magnuson Park Community Center inSeattle. Tickets will be available online and Brown Paper Tickets,http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/125551

Friday, August 13, 2010

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

2010 Capitol Forest Classic!!

Come on out for a weekend full of mountainbiking!!


Kids Races

Hula Hoop Contest

Super D

XC Race

Sat will start off with the Super D. GL6 was logged earlier this year and has been open for about a month now. Quite a bit of work has gone into it and it is fast! Like a true Super D, there are ups as well as downs. Apprx 6.5mi long, it'll be a challenge for anyone.

Sun is XC race day. Short course appx 9.5 miles, long course appx 18mi and for those going for open or expert, you'll be doing both the long and the short course for a little more than 27mi. 2/3 of the course is climbing.

Kids Races, Both days!! We had such a great response to the kids races we'll have them both Sat and Sun!!

Hula Hoop contest. See how long you can keep it up!!

Race fees include lunch!

Could use some more volunteers, if you'd like to help out, we'll provide you lunch for that day.

One last thing, if you come out to practice prior to the event, keep in mind, all trails are multi user. YIELD to horses.

Register, see http://www.friendsofcapitolforest.org/ for link to registration site or register at the race. Registration closes at 9!!! Race Meeting 9 Sat, Start Super D, 1030am!!

Questions? respond here, email me, scuba_mountainbike@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , see CFMTB yahoo group or http://www.friendsofcapitolforest.org/

Sunday, August 8, 2010


Bike agenda spins cities toward U.N. control, Maes warns

By Christopher N. Osher
The Denver Post 


Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes is warning voters that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper's policies, particularly his efforts to boost bike riding, are "converting Denver into a United Nations community."
"This is all very well-disguised, but it will be exposed," Maes told about 50 supporters who showed up at a campaign rally last week in Centennial.
Maes said in a later interview that he once thought the mayor's efforts to promote cycling and other environmental initiatives were harmless and well-meaning. Now he realizes "that's exactly the attitude they want you to have."
"This is bigger than it looks like on the surface, and it could threaten our personal freedoms," Maes said.
He added: "These aren't just warm, fuzzy ideas from the mayor. These are very specific strategies that are dictated to us by this United Nations program that mayors have signed on to."
Maes said in a later interview that he was referring to Denver's membership in the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, an international association that promotes sustainable development and has attracted the membership of more than 1,200 communities, 600 of which are in the United States.
Denver became a member of the group in 1992, more than a decade before Hickenlooper became mayor. Eric Brown, the mayor's spokesman, said the city's contact with ICLEI "is limited."
George Merritt, a spokesman for the Hickenlooper gubernatorial campaign, said the group's goal is "to bring cities from all over the world together to share best practices and help create the kinds of communities people want to live and do business in. John Hickenlooper believes collaboration leads to smart decisions."
Hickenlooper has often touted bicycling as an environmentally friendly and healthy way for people to commute to work and has said he hopes more people will do so.
Last week, Hickenlooper upset some auto dealers on the eve of a fundraiser when he lauded the city's B-Cycle bike- sharing program at an event and asked: "How do we wean ourselves off automobiles?"
Maes, at the rally July 26, took aim at Denver's bike-sharing program, which he said was promoted by a group that puts the environment above citizens' rights.
The B-Cycle program places a network of about 400 red bikes for rent at stations around the city. It is funded by private donors and grants.
Maes said ICLEI is affiliated with the United Nations and is "signing up mayors across the country, and these mayors are signing on to this U.N. agreement to have their cities abide by this dream philosophy."
The program includes encouraging employers to install showers so more people will ride bikes to work and also creating parking spaces for fuel-efficient vehicles, he said. Polls show that Maes, a Tea Party favorite, has pulled ahead of former Congressman Scott McInnis, the early frontrunner in the Aug. 10 primary for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Maes acknowledged that some might find his theories "kooky," but he said there are valid reasons to be worried.
"At first, I thought, 'Gosh, public transportation, what's wrong with that, and what's wrong with people parking their cars and riding their bikes? And what's wrong with incentives for green cars?' But if you do your homework and research, you realize ICLEI is part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty," Maes said.
He said he's worried for Denver because "Mayor Hickenlooper is one of the greatest fans of this program."
"Some would argue this document that mayors have signed is contradictory to our own Constitution," Maes said.

Wolves in the Throne Room



Awesome band out of Olympia, too bad they never seem to play in the States as often as they play in Europe.

Go Looney

I hope this girl wins in St. Wendels:

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Cross/Bike Swap: Sign up for Cross series, sell your old cross gear, support Wick and win a raffle prize. Both Seattle Cross Series promoters will be there to answer questions and give you the inside scoop on this years offerings.


About the Cross Swap and Used Bike Sale:
Date: August 7, 2010
Time: 10am - 3pm
Location: West Seattle Cycle University, 4550 Fauntleroy Way SW, Seattle WA 98126

The Cross Swap will allow cyclists the opportunity to rent a space to sell or swap their old, new, or gently used bike gear. There will also be a consignment option available for people who don't want to rent a space. All types of bikes and bike equipment will be welcome. You can also sign up for the Cross Series, preview the latest Cross gear from Vendors and start talking smack about the upcoming season.

Consignment:

Drop off your bike and equipment at the West Seattle Cycle University location July 14 through August 6. Establish a price you would like to get for your items. Cycle U will tag the bikes and equipment with the price and have it available on August 7 for the Swap and Sale. There will be a 20% consignment fee deducted from all bikes and equipment sold. If your bike or equipment does not sell, you can donate it to the Major Taylor Project. All donations are tax deductible.

Any items that do not sell may be left at Cycle University. We will leave them available for sale as consignment items, or you may pick up unsold items at the West Seattle Cycle University location as early as Aug 8th. You may also decide to donate your items to the Major Taylor Project at any time.

Rent a Space:

Costs are $10 for a 5ft x 5ft and $20 for a 10ft x 10ft space. Register at the West Seattle Cycle University location. Sellers who rent space are not charged the 20% consignment fee for items sold the day of the Swap and Sale.

Raffle:

Local vendors have donated bike frames and equipment to benefit "Wick." Wick has been an area race promoter for 20 years. Wick is a close friend of Cycle U and one of the founders of the Seattle CX scene. Currently, our friend is 4 weeks out of the ICU unit and back to his old self, but the bills keep coming! Help a brother out.

Please direct questions on the Swap to Brad Loetel, West Seattle Cycle U manager: Brad@CycleU.com

Thank you,

Craig Undem

Cycle University
Your Fitness is our Passion
http://www.cycleu.com/
1-800-476-0681

Monday, August 2, 2010

Cyclists: We Have Met the Enemy -- and He is Us

By Kevin Kasowski


Earlier this year, I had the dubious distinction of being cited (rightfully) for blowing through a stop sign on my bike. After getting over my indignation, my penance – taking a three-hour "Share the Road" safety course (in lieu of a $240 fine) – was one of the best things I've done lately in terms of enhancing my own self-preservation.

Since then, I've been paying much closer attention to my own riding habits, those of my fellow cyclists -- and those of drivers. And I have to say, fellow cyclists, we've got "issues". When I drive to work, I see hundreds of other cars; of those, maybe one or two on any given day are piloted by drivers who are acting like idiots. When I bike to work, I see half as many cyclists – but at least a quarter of them are blatantly flaunting basic principles of safety.

Today, in fact, I had my first experience of "bike path" rage. As I was cruising along the Springwater Trail, which is shared by bikes and pedestrians (including many kids), I passed an elderly gentleman riding at a leisurely pace. At this same moment, another cyclist (you know who you are if you're reading this) whizzed past me at what must have been 40 mph – even though yet another cyclist was coming in the opposite direction and there was really only room for three bikes on the eight-foot wide path. When I pointed out to this guy that this was "not a good place to pass" I got an earful of self-righteousness back and ended up in a near shouting match as he sped on down the path.

If going 40 mph in a car isn't legal on many arterials and all neighborhood streets, how is it safe on an eight-foot wide bike path? Would cyclists tolerate a motorcycle blowing by them at that speed? Are there speed limits for bikes? If not, there should be.

If we want more people to ride bikes, we have to create a safe environment for all cyclists and hold the "rogue" cyclists among us accountable. A mandatory $5 per bike registration fee, contingent on passing a mail-in safety test, would generate millions annually for bike safety education and enforcement programs that are long overdue, not to mention maintenance of bike lanes and bike paths that primarily benefit cyclists.

Imagine if we managed our road system the same way we manage cyclists – no rules, no cost, no accountability. We'd have mayhem. And as more and more people in Portland take to the wheel, that's what we'll get if we don't change the system, and soon.