Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Missing Bike
Hi there cycling cohorts -- Stolen Bike Report:
When: Thursday night in the U-District, right from under my eyes
What: Felt F55, 56 cm, black in color, with American Classic Sprint 350 wheels and a PowerTap hub! Durace Shifters, Fenders.
Who: Contact Josh Gerak at 206-300-0349
Thanks!
When: Thursday night in the U-District, right from under my eyes
What: Felt F55, 56 cm, black in color, with American Classic Sprint 350 wheels and a PowerTap hub! Durace Shifters, Fenders.
Who: Contact Josh Gerak at 206-300-0349
Thanks!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
On Deck
Have you looked at the weather for this weekend??? Are you ready for some sun??? Sunday, February 21 is the first event in the Singletrack Cycles West Side Mountain Bike Series, at Dash Point State Park, in Federal Way. We will starting in the campground area, and there will be parking available in that section, however, make sure you do park appropriately. If you look on the event flier for Dash Point, I have a map from the park that indicates the trails. Please note that on Saturday a different event is going on at the park.
I do not have online registration available for each event, but do offer online registration for a season pass, which will close at midnight on 3/6/10). We will accept cash and checks on event morning. If you want speed up your registration, print the form from the event flier.
Here is the schedule for the series:
· Sunday, February 21
Dash Point State Park, Federal Way
· Sunday, March 7
Black Diamond
· Sunday, March 21
Soaring Eagle Park, Sammamish
· Sunday, March 28
Cookin’ in the Kettles, Whidbey Island
· Sunday, April 11
Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood
· Saturday, April 18
Soaring Eagle Park, Sammamish
Come on out and have some fun.
Again, we have great sponsors. Thanks to Singletrack Cycles, our title sponsor. Other sponsors include Oh Boy Oberto, Old Town Bicycle, Pedal Dynamics, Center Cycle, nuun and Black Diamond Bike,. The Cookin’ in the Kettles event also has local sponsors, Skagit Bicycle Club, Bicycles Northwest and Skagit Cycle.
Link to Seasons Pass - http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9949
See you soon!
Deanna Muller
BuDu Racing - Event Management
www.BuDuRacing.com
206/920-3983
I do not have online registration available for each event, but do offer online registration for a season pass, which will close at midnight on 3/6/10). We will accept cash and checks on event morning. If you want speed up your registration, print the form from the event flier.
Here is the schedule for the series:
· Sunday, February 21
Dash Point State Park, Federal Way
· Sunday, March 7
Black Diamond
· Sunday, March 21
Soaring Eagle Park, Sammamish
· Sunday, March 28
Cookin’ in the Kettles, Whidbey Island
· Sunday, April 11
Fort Steilacoom, Lakewood
· Saturday, April 18
Soaring Eagle Park, Sammamish
Come on out and have some fun.
Again, we have great sponsors. Thanks to Singletrack Cycles, our title sponsor. Other sponsors include Oh Boy Oberto, Old Town Bicycle, Pedal Dynamics, Center Cycle, nuun and Black Diamond Bike,. The Cookin’ in the Kettles event also has local sponsors, Skagit Bicycle Club, Bicycles Northwest and Skagit Cycle.
Link to Seasons Pass - http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=9949
See you soon!
Deanna Muller
BuDu Racing - Event Management
www.BuDuRacing.com
206/920-3983
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Oregon Super D Series
Oregon has like 20 Super D's this year. Washington - 1. Here's a few more:
Oregon Super D Series
Experience the largest multi-race mountain bike Super D Series in the Pacific Northwest
Race 1: Hood River Super D
May 30th, 2010
Race 2: Willamette Pass Super D
June 20th, 2010
Race 3: Oakridge Super D
August 29th, 2010
Race 4: Sandy Ridge Super D
September 5th, 2010
Find out the rest of the story here.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Movie Review in the Seattle Times
In the final moments of "Awesome Land: Women of Dirt," two of the professional female cyclists championed by this unabashedly enthusiastic sports documentary go tearing down a winding, bumpy trail in a forest for the sheer pleasure of it. Afterward, in the waning afternoon light, they head to a beach where they disappear beneath a gathering wave because, well, it feels good.
Mountain-biking documentaries are hardly rare, yet rarely do they convey the kind of heightened experience of being alive that the women athletes in "Awesome Land" so clearly feel. Many of the cyclists shown engaging in their extreme sport are past and present champions of women's downhill racing and related competitions in dirt jumping and free riding. But, on film at least, they spend little time talking about their personal victories, preferring to celebrate their inclusion in an activity gradually gaining respect in a male-dominated field.
Names like Tammy Donahugh, Stephanie Nychka and Cierra Smith may not mean much outside of biking circles. But those athletes and other top-rated female cyclists get a lot of exposure in "Awesome Land," demonstrating considerable skills racing over tricky terrain in natural settings, as well as on synthetic courses. Most of the film is really just watching the riders go down or over course after course, which indeed gets visually monotonous but holds one's interest because of the racers' pluck and courage.
Even if one doesn't find racing particularly interesting, there is a lot to be said for watching people do what they do out of pure commitment and passion. Occasionally, one of the cyclists will talk about the future of women's mountain-bike sports, how respect and rewards will build over time as athletes push the envelope of what's possible. In the meantime, the racers aren't going to wait for that day — they're too busy enjoying their own rush.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Portland Bike Plan goes before City Council, but can the city afford it?
The 2030 Portland Bicycle Plan, envisioning a future when 25 percent of trips are made by bike, is expected to coast to approval when it goes before the City Council on Thursday.
It's easy to green-light America's most ambitious investment in bicycling when it would be funded down the road. But according to city transportation officials, the plan to build 681 miles of new bikeways over the next 20 years will eventually cost $613 million.
By comparison, the MAX Green Line cost $575 million, and all transportation projects in the metro area add up to about $630 million a year.
Portland Mayor Sam Adams doesn't flinch at the estimated cost. He talks of making neighborhoods more livable, transportation more affordable and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
"Can we do those things without this bike plan?" Adams said. "I think it would be very difficult."
Critics think the mayor and cycling advocates are dreaming. For starters, the plan would require a new steady revenue stream.
"They want to make bicycling more attractive than driving for all trips of three miles or less," said John Charles, president of the libertarian Cascade Policy Institute. "Nothing they do is going to make that happen for most people."
The plan calls for an expansive interconneted bicycle network, new street designs and an array of education programs. It also mandates studying "funding concepts" in coming months.
Some ideas – licensing and registration fees for bicyclists, a citywide sales tax on new bikes and advertising in bike lanes – would target just cyclists. But a proposed "green transportation" bond would ask everyone to pay.
Even with the economy dragging, the bike plan is optimistic about property-tax increases because "Portland residents have repeatedly shown strong support for funding sustainable or green spaces initiatives."
With hope, some city officials point to Washington County. There, voters have repeatedly approved new property taxes to build 123 miles of bike lanes through the Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program. Of course, that 25-year-old road tax has always benefited more than one mode of commuting.
From the widening of Oleson Road to the Verboort roundabout, every improvement includes sidewalks for pedestrians and bike lanes (or at least wider shoulders) for cyclists. "Everyone chips in," said county spokeswoman Anne Madden, "and everyone benefits."
By 2012, the Washington County program's $555 million in property-tax revenue is expected to have completed 111 projects on what were narrow farming roads a century ago.
By contrast, the 2030 Portland Bike Plan for the most part calls for separate funding sources for two-wheeled commuters.
Portland's first Bicycle Master Plan was adopted in 1996. With only modest investment, the bicycle network has since doubled to more than 300 miles and bike commuting has boomed.
Last fall, the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey data showed 6.4 percent of Portlanders reported bicycling to work in 2008, a big jump from 4 percent the year before.
The 2030 Bike Plan projects an uptick of 400 percent. To do that, the city is trying to appeal to Portlanders say they who want to commute by bike but don't think it's safe enough.
Through years of surveys and public outreach, PBOT has categorized 60 percent of residents as "interested but concerned" in bike commuting.
Where the 1996 plan emphasized bike lanes on busy streets, the 2030 plan proposes 314 miles of new separated bikeways and 256 miles of new bike boulevards with low automobile traffic that link to key destinations. It also calls for more bike parking and increased maintenance budgets.
The new plan offers a heavenly two-wheeled vision of Portland in 2030 – "a clean, thriving city where bicycling is a main pillar of the transportation system and more than a quarter of all trips are made on bicycles."
It also quotes H.G. Wells: "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia."
But one might think of George Orwell after visiting the city's official bike plan web site, which encourages visitors to "click here to express your support."
Oppose the plan? Have legitimate concerns about it? Sorry. No link for you.
Since the public comment period opened in October, the Portland Bureau of Transportation city has received 202 comments. Only 17 have been "clearly against" the plan.
Still, given the city's shaky transportation budget and the fact that the so-called "Copenhagen on the Willamette" already is considered a world-class bicycling city, some wonder if the plan is even needed.
Charles wonders why, when technology and culture are changing at a rapid pace, Portland is planning 20 years into the future. He compared it to a business in 1980 committing to 20 years of IBM typewriter purchases, unaware that the computer revolution was on the horizon.
Near Charles' office in Raleigh Hills, Southwest Scholls Ferry Road turns treacherous once Washington County's bike lanes and wide shoulders stop at the Portland city limits.
Although a multimodal property tax such the one supported by Washington County voters isn't in the bike plan, one city official said Portland is exploring the possibility of "something similar."
At the same time, Geller said there will several opportunities for future federal funding. When Congress undertakes the reauthorization of the surface transportation bill, for example, the city is expected to ask for $25 million for a citywide bicycle boulevard program.
More than $600 million for bicycle improvements "is definitely a big number and I appreciate that," Geller said. "But in transportation dollars, it goes a long way." By contrast, he said, "It would build only about 12 miles of urban freeway."
It's easy to green-light America's most ambitious investment in bicycling when it would be funded down the road. But according to city transportation officials, the plan to build 681 miles of new bikeways over the next 20 years will eventually cost $613 million.
By comparison, the MAX Green Line cost $575 million, and all transportation projects in the metro area add up to about $630 million a year.
Portland Mayor Sam Adams doesn't flinch at the estimated cost. He talks of making neighborhoods more livable, transportation more affordable and reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
"Can we do those things without this bike plan?" Adams said. "I think it would be very difficult."
Critics think the mayor and cycling advocates are dreaming. For starters, the plan would require a new steady revenue stream.
"They want to make bicycling more attractive than driving for all trips of three miles or less," said John Charles, president of the libertarian Cascade Policy Institute. "Nothing they do is going to make that happen for most people."
The plan calls for an expansive interconneted bicycle network, new street designs and an array of education programs. It also mandates studying "funding concepts" in coming months.
Some ideas – licensing and registration fees for bicyclists, a citywide sales tax on new bikes and advertising in bike lanes – would target just cyclists. But a proposed "green transportation" bond would ask everyone to pay.
Even with the economy dragging, the bike plan is optimistic about property-tax increases because "Portland residents have repeatedly shown strong support for funding sustainable or green spaces initiatives."
With hope, some city officials point to Washington County. There, voters have repeatedly approved new property taxes to build 123 miles of bike lanes through the Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program. Of course, that 25-year-old road tax has always benefited more than one mode of commuting.
From the widening of Oleson Road to the Verboort roundabout, every improvement includes sidewalks for pedestrians and bike lanes (or at least wider shoulders) for cyclists. "Everyone chips in," said county spokeswoman Anne Madden, "and everyone benefits."
By 2012, the Washington County program's $555 million in property-tax revenue is expected to have completed 111 projects on what were narrow farming roads a century ago.
By contrast, the 2030 Portland Bike Plan for the most part calls for separate funding sources for two-wheeled commuters.
Portland's first Bicycle Master Plan was adopted in 1996. With only modest investment, the bicycle network has since doubled to more than 300 miles and bike commuting has boomed.
Last fall, the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey data showed 6.4 percent of Portlanders reported bicycling to work in 2008, a big jump from 4 percent the year before.
The 2030 Bike Plan projects an uptick of 400 percent. To do that, the city is trying to appeal to Portlanders say they who want to commute by bike but don't think it's safe enough.
Through years of surveys and public outreach, PBOT has categorized 60 percent of residents as "interested but concerned" in bike commuting.
Where the 1996 plan emphasized bike lanes on busy streets, the 2030 plan proposes 314 miles of new separated bikeways and 256 miles of new bike boulevards with low automobile traffic that link to key destinations. It also calls for more bike parking and increased maintenance budgets.
The new plan offers a heavenly two-wheeled vision of Portland in 2030 – "a clean, thriving city where bicycling is a main pillar of the transportation system and more than a quarter of all trips are made on bicycles."
It also quotes H.G. Wells: "Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia."
But one might think of George Orwell after visiting the city's official bike plan web site, which encourages visitors to "click here to express your support."
Oppose the plan? Have legitimate concerns about it? Sorry. No link for you.
Since the public comment period opened in October, the Portland Bureau of Transportation city has received 202 comments. Only 17 have been "clearly against" the plan.
Still, given the city's shaky transportation budget and the fact that the so-called "Copenhagen on the Willamette" already is considered a world-class bicycling city, some wonder if the plan is even needed.
Charles wonders why, when technology and culture are changing at a rapid pace, Portland is planning 20 years into the future. He compared it to a business in 1980 committing to 20 years of IBM typewriter purchases, unaware that the computer revolution was on the horizon.
Near Charles' office in Raleigh Hills, Southwest Scholls Ferry Road turns treacherous once Washington County's bike lanes and wide shoulders stop at the Portland city limits.
Although a multimodal property tax such the one supported by Washington County voters isn't in the bike plan, one city official said Portland is exploring the possibility of "something similar."
At the same time, Geller said there will several opportunities for future federal funding. When Congress undertakes the reauthorization of the surface transportation bill, for example, the city is expected to ask for $25 million for a citywide bicycle boulevard program.
More than $600 million for bicycle improvements "is definitely a big number and I appreciate that," Geller said. "But in transportation dollars, it goes a long way." By contrast, he said, "It would build only about 12 miles of urban freeway."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
TapeWorm Time Trial
Hello Tapeworm fans! Meet at Philip Arnold Park on Jan 30th. Pre ride 11am.
The Tapeworm is the major trail near Seattle in the city of Renton. It’s been there for about 12 years and consists of about 6 miles of combined trails on a few acres of land. It’s tight, twisty, fast, slow, and above all super technical. Not many can complete the trail without dabbing. Fastest time wins.
6 miles of racing, fastest time we’ve clocked is somewhere around 45 minutes. Singlespeeds and hardtails are king usually, but run what you brung.
$15 gets you race, bbq, pasta and refreshments. Cash prize to the winner for men’s and women’s!
There is no cross or football on the 30th, so be there.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Evergreen Advocacy Action Alert!
Take action now on these three important issues to make your voice heard!
Help Preserve Access to Tokul West & the Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Back in September 2009, Weyerhauser put a piece of property near SE 39th Place (near the Snoqualmie Valley Trail) up for sale. This is a particularly important parcel because of the access to trails near Tokul West. King County tried to acquire the property but was outbid by a private land owner who has effectively blocked access to the SVT and the adjacent trail network at Tokul West.
Evergreen respects the right and wishes of private land owners but would like to see the county make access a priority. They are currently negotiating an easement with the land owner.
Please take a moment to email the recipients on the list to your right. Let them know that we are asking that the public right-of-way be restored and that King County take any and all necessary actions to restore and maintain legal access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail via 39th Place. You can use the letter below to copy and paste or add your own message.
____________________
(MAKE SURE TO ADDRESS LETTER INDIVIDUALLY TO RECIPIENTS LISTED ON THE RIGHT)
The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance wishes to express its concerns over the loss of access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail via SE 39th Place due to the recent sale of property through which the access road crosses and actions of the new landowner. Residents in Fall City and trail users from throughout King County have used the SE 39th Place access road for years. Loss of access to the trail would be a serious blow to the access of one of King County's frequently used regional parks, the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
The SE 39th Place access road is the sole connection between the Fall City Park and the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. There is substantial parking at the Fall City Park for trail users including hikers, runners, bicyclists and equestrians. Trail users access the Snoqualmie Valley Trail by crossing SR203 at the crosswalk installed by the WSDOT specifically for access to the trail, continuing on SE 39th Place, and then onto the gravel access road, which terminates at the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. Trail users have been exploring this area since 1911 when the Fall City Milwaukee Railroad Station created what is now known as SE 39th Place. Freight and mail services used this road as a connection between Fall City and the train stop. Later, an unofficial dump was accessed from this road; long-time residents still refer to it as the dump road. In the 1970's the Milwaukee Railroad went out of business, the tracks were torn up and the right-of-way came under the jurisdiction of King County Parks, later to become the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
The access road from the end of SE 39th Place to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail is a public right-of-way. We therefore request that King County take any and all necessary actions to restore and maintain legal access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail via 39th Place.
As this issue is very important to the the mountain bike community, we respectfully request that you keep us informed.
Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME HERE)
____________________________________
Please contact Evergreen Executive Director Jon Kennedy if you have any recomendations or concerns.
Thank you!
Address to:
King County Council Members
Bob Ferguson
Larry Gossett
Larry Phillips
Julia Patterson
Jane Hague
Pete Vonreichbauer
Reagan Dunn
Jan Drago
Kathy Lambert
Jeff McMorris
(Jeff is with Kathy Lamberts office)
Local Mayors
Will Ibershof(Duval)
Lee Grumman(Carnation)
Matt Larson(Snoqualmie)
Fall City Community Association
Tim Marshall
Parks
Fall City Parks Commission
Sammamish Parks Commission
Help Preserve Access to Tokul West & the Snoqualmie Valley Trail
Back in September 2009, Weyerhauser put a piece of property near SE 39th Place (near the Snoqualmie Valley Trail) up for sale. This is a particularly important parcel because of the access to trails near Tokul West. King County tried to acquire the property but was outbid by a private land owner who has effectively blocked access to the SVT and the adjacent trail network at Tokul West.
Evergreen respects the right and wishes of private land owners but would like to see the county make access a priority. They are currently negotiating an easement with the land owner.
Please take a moment to email the recipients on the list to your right. Let them know that we are asking that the public right-of-way be restored and that King County take any and all necessary actions to restore and maintain legal access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail via 39th Place. You can use the letter below to copy and paste or add your own message.
____________________
(MAKE SURE TO ADDRESS LETTER INDIVIDUALLY TO RECIPIENTS LISTED ON THE RIGHT)
The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance wishes to express its concerns over the loss of access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail via SE 39th Place due to the recent sale of property through which the access road crosses and actions of the new landowner. Residents in Fall City and trail users from throughout King County have used the SE 39th Place access road for years. Loss of access to the trail would be a serious blow to the access of one of King County's frequently used regional parks, the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
The SE 39th Place access road is the sole connection between the Fall City Park and the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. There is substantial parking at the Fall City Park for trail users including hikers, runners, bicyclists and equestrians. Trail users access the Snoqualmie Valley Trail by crossing SR203 at the crosswalk installed by the WSDOT specifically for access to the trail, continuing on SE 39th Place, and then onto the gravel access road, which terminates at the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. Trail users have been exploring this area since 1911 when the Fall City Milwaukee Railroad Station created what is now known as SE 39th Place. Freight and mail services used this road as a connection between Fall City and the train stop. Later, an unofficial dump was accessed from this road; long-time residents still refer to it as the dump road. In the 1970's the Milwaukee Railroad went out of business, the tracks were torn up and the right-of-way came under the jurisdiction of King County Parks, later to become the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
The access road from the end of SE 39th Place to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail is a public right-of-way. We therefore request that King County take any and all necessary actions to restore and maintain legal access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail via 39th Place.
As this issue is very important to the the mountain bike community, we respectfully request that you keep us informed.
Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME HERE)
____________________________________
Please contact Evergreen Executive Director Jon Kennedy if you have any recomendations or concerns.
Thank you!
Address to:
King County Council Members
Bob Ferguson
Larry Gossett
Larry Phillips
Julia Patterson
Jane Hague
Pete Vonreichbauer
Reagan Dunn
Jan Drago
Kathy Lambert
Jeff McMorris
(Jeff is with Kathy Lamberts office)
Local Mayors
Will Ibershof(Duval)
Lee Grumman(Carnation)
Matt Larson(Snoqualmie)
Fall City Community Association
Tim Marshall
Parks
Fall City Parks Commission
Sammamish Parks Commission
Thursday, January 14, 2010
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