Attention Tolt Riders

Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance was recently contacted by the city of Carnation asking for help in gathering information on biking in the area. An understanding by local governments of the extent and value of mountain biking to their communities is an important way for our sport to continue to achieve successes in advocacy and access. The city's advisory committee has developed this survey, think of it as one more opportunity to be heard!

The survey is not mountain bike specific but if you bike or have biked: Tolt MacDonald Park, Griffin Creek, Snoqualmie Valley Trail or other Carnation areas, please take their short survey at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FV98ZXV

The survey is anonymous and gathers no personal information, and will help Carnation better understand biking needs for the future. Thank you.

Seattle Bike Expo

THIS WEEKEND!
Seattle Bicycle Expo
Presented by Raleigh
Saturday, March 13 & Sunday, March 14
Spectacular new waterfront location:
Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91 in Magnolia
The Seattle Bicycle Expo, presented by Raleigh, is coming up this weekend! Thanks to presenting sponsor Raleigh and all the sponsors who have helped make the 2010 show a success. The show is jam-packed with a slate of fantastic vendors, inspiring speakers, dynamic performers and interesting displays.
• More than 300 exhibits of bikes, gear, travel, health and fitness.
• The amazing World Champion Artistic Cyclist from Germany: UCI World Champion in women's singles, Corinna Hein, plus one of the world's best pairs in men's double, Stefan Musu and Lukas Matla
• Triathlon training with Olympic triathlon coach Gale Bernhardt
• A Dog in a Hat's Joe Parkin
• Mountain bike trials stunt rider Ryan Leech
• Kick back in the Universal Sports viewing lounge - with free popcorn!
• Adventure cyclist, Willie Weir
• The Metal Cowboy, Joe Kurmaskie
• Beautiful handmade bikes from the Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association
• Mobile social & pop culture panel with Bikehugger
• Frazz creator Jef Mallett
• Aerodynamics with Zipp Wheels
• Classic Bike Show featuring a Jack Taylor Bicycle exhibit
• Laurelhurst Juggling and Unicycle Team
• Two days of fun in the Kids Bike Zone
• Enter your photos in the Kenmore Camera Photo Contest
• Food court
• And much, much more!
Tickets
One-day tickets are $10. Two-day tickets are $12. Kids 15 and under are free! Here's a handy coupon to save on up to four tickets in your group.
CLIF Bar & REI Family Feud at Expo
Don't miss our fun family feud game on Saturday at 4:45. We need folks to take our survey to help populate the answers for the game... Be one of the 100 people surveyed by clicking on this link.
Thanks for participating and see you on Saturday evening to find out the most popular answers and chance to win some great free SWAG!

Google's 'starter set' on map for bicyclists

Brier Dudley / Seattle Times

Google engineers who built the company's new bicycle-route mapping service didn't need to look far for inspiration.

The team is based at the Fremont office right alongside the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Bike commuters at Google offices around the country helped the Seattle-based team build and refine the new feature for Google Maps, which is launching Wednesday. That coincides with the National Bike Summit cycling advocacy event this week in Washington, D.C.

The small team built the feature in just five months, adding a new map layer that provides suggested routes for bicyclists in 150 cities across the U.S. It joins the walking and transit directions already provided by Google.

It also comes as maps move to the forefront of the battle between Google and Microsoft. Mapping underpins new locally targeted advertising efforts that may provide the next wave of growth for the search giants, especially as more computing is done on mobile devices that transmit users' location.

Google's bike routes come as Microsoft has been raising the profile of Bing Maps with demonstrations of "spatial search" technology, which blends public photos of places with map imagery to give its maps even more dimension.

The "Bicycling" layer coming to Google Maps isn't a technological tour de force, but it looks like a fun and useful feature for cyclists, especially those visiting a new area and looking for places to ride. It's also been the most requested addition to Google Maps, with an online petition calling for bike routes drawing more than 50,000 signatures.

Google worked with the national Rails to Trails Conservancy to add the group's trail maps, combining them with publicly available bike-route information.

But the maps are still incomplete. Google hopes users will help fill in the gaps, suggest routes and make corrections using the "report a problem" feature.

"We really are thinking of all this data as a starter set," said Shannon Guymon, project manager for driving directions and lead on the bike routes.

Maps display three tiers of bike routes — bike trails such as the Burke Gilman, dedicated bike lanes on streets and roads, and roads without bike lanes that are appropriate for biking.

Routes aren't necessarily the most direct. The system factors in topography and the amount of energy a rider would need to reach the destination.

In other words, it has a built-in hill-avoidance system. Comments added to the code by Andy Schwerin, a former Google engineer who started the project before leaving for a startup, include formulas for calculating the energy used by cyclists.

Google tuned the system conservatively, to provide relatively easy routes for people. That's drawn some flak from hard-core cyclists at Google who tested the system.

"Sometimes we get feedback from Googlers who say, 'You should take this one, it's faster,' but they're more aggressive cyclists than the style we're targeting," Guymon said.

Users can adjust the suggested routes by clicking and dragging them to different roads or trails.

Google is still working on a mobile version. Later the company may incorporate information about services, such as bike shops along suggested routes.

"We are hoping by launching this feature we encourage more bike riding," Guymon said. "Giving this data on the maps makes it seem more accessible."

Tape Worm Time Trial #5

TTT #5 is a timed individual race full of technical challenges and navigation though a small coarse of approx. 6 miles. Bring a friend and get a great start to your mountain bike season. $15 entry Race, food & refreshments. Cash out to top Male/Female.

Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Time: 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Renton WA

Get it.

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!

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

President's Day

This is what it's all about.

Ahem....

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.

SP SB is genius

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.

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."

Aside from the initial douchebaggery, the riding is amazing.

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.

The New Analyst @ FOX

Available February 5th

From our friends at Bones Over Metal

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

During the next four days, we have a remarkable window of opportunity to make WA’s roads safer and save lives. On Monday, our state legislators will consider much-needed changes that would make driving while texting or talking on a handheld phone a primary offense—meaning that police will not have to wait for drivers to commit an additional violation before issuing a ticket.

The citizen group called the Driven to Distraction Task Force that strongly supports these changes. The evidence is overwhelming that driving while phoning and texting are as dangerous as drunk driving, and that current state law has been ineffective in getting drivers to put down their phones while they drive.

We need your help in spreading the word about the legislation to those on your organization’s email lists and networks. Please send the link below to friends and family.

http://www.votervoice.net/groups/driven

It will take them to a site that explains the issues, and allows them to send an e-mail to all the key legislators. We’ve been told that a strong outpouring of email to legislators on this issue could put it over the top.

If you want to learn more about the legislation and why it’s needed, please visit www.nodistractions.org.

Comment to USFS NOW!

Just a few more days to send your public comments to the USFS in support of the bike park at Stevens Pass. Public comment ends Sunday, and we want your support. http://www.stevenspassbikepark.com/

The Kettle Crest Network in the Colville National Forest Needs your Attention

Kettle CrestThe Kettle Crest trail system consists of over 110 miles of unique mostly sub alpine singletrack all currently open to mountain bikes. The Kettle Crest Trail itself stretches for an impressive 40 miles reaching from the Colville Indian Reservation to the North nearly stretching into Canada. Elevation of the trail varies from the bottom of the spur trails ranging mostly 3 to 4 thousand feet of elevation. Kettle Crest itself runs at around 5 to 6 thousand feet in elevation, as the trail constantly climbs up and down various peaks and saddles.

Currently, advocacy efforts are underway in the Colville National Forest as members of Evergreen, IMBA and FTTRC in Spokane are actively engaged in talks involving the future of the forestlands and particularly the Kettle Crest Trail system.

At this point we are working to preserve our access to the North Kettle Crest Trail (#13N) and associated feeder trails:

*
Trail #3 (Edds)
*
Trail #23 (Thirteen Mile)
*
Trail #70 (Barnaby)
*
Trail #13S (Kettle Crest South)


Evergreen needs your help to help determine any other associated and valuable trails in the area to ensure that we have addressed the preservation of this valuable trail network.


Please contact Evergreen Executive Director Jon Kennedy @ EMBA if you have any recommendations or concerns.

Thank you!

2010 Seattle Bike Swap

Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Same location - Magnuson Park Hangar #30

The Seattle Bike Swap, now in its 14th year, is a bike bargain hunter's paradise with up to 100 vendors under the same roof! Expect great deals on new and used bike-related goods, from complete bikes to small parts. You never know exactly what vendors will bring to sell and what treasures you will find. Don't miss this one-day-only sale!

Admission
General Adult Admission is on a sliding time scale:

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. - $5
1 p.m. to 2 p.m. - FREE
Kids under age 15 are FREE all day!

No cash machine will be available on-site. Be sure to bring cash or checks with you, as most vendors won't take credit cards. As always, the best thing to "swap" for goods is cash.

If you ride your bike to the event, be sure to bring a lock - there will be racks available, but they will be unattended.

Best to arrive early because the really good stuff goes fast!

Note: Seattle Bicycle Expo will be held March 13 - 14 at our beautiful new venue, Smith Cove Cruise Terminal 91. More details

Sellers
Anyone with a surplus of road, mountain or track bike stuff (components, frames, clothing and complete bikes) can rent a sellers' space at the Seattle Bike Swap. Due to the high demand, you must pre-pay to confirm your vendor space.

Selling space details:

Before January 31: $50 for a floor space
After January 31, spaces increase to $60. Book early and save!

Each space is a 10' x 10' area; registration fee includes two vendor passes. Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so reserve early! Space does NOT include a table. Tables can be rented for $10.

Contact
David Douglas: 206-769-6575, david.douglas@cascadebicycleclub.org

Cover Boy Troy

It's like a skinny, drunken, mexican George Clooney.

The Best Thing on Youtube today!

Cascade is headed across Puget Sound to Kitsap County! Join us for a bike advocacy workshop presented by Cascade Bicycle Club, this Saturday, January 9. This is our third in a series of workshops to promote bicycling in local communities throughout Washington, and build a strong network of bicyclists as we gear up for this year's legislative session in Olympia.

You can:

Connect with fellow cyclists and partner to promote safe facilities
Discover how to be an effective advocate for bicycling in Kitsap County and statewide
Participate in an interactive discussion and introduction to designing bicycle-friendly communities
Strategize on how you can make a difference using grassroots organizing techniques
Date: Saturday, January 9, 2010
Coffee at 9:30am, Workshop from 10am - 1pm
Silverdale Cyclery, 9242 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale

Optional Lunch and Reception from 1:30pm - 4pm
Silver City Restaurant and Brewery, 2799 NW Myhre Road, Silverdale

We'd like to make sure there are enough coffee and lunch for everyone, so please RSVP to Dave at cyclery@silverdalecyclery.com if you can make it! We hope to see you there and look forward to meeting you.

SOLD OUT! The mmx Test of Metal sold out in 24 minutes, 54 seconds.

What are you doing June 19th?

Sitting home with a sore throat and a fever weird stuff happens. June 20th............ DH in Whistler.

Happy New Year!

Summit / Black Diamond Freeride park

On Deck

Bikies,

It is almost time for the 2010 New Year's Day ride. Will there be ice and snow or
sunshine??

Shake off the dust and mud and bring your bike out and start off the New Year
with a bike ride (rain, snow or shine??). This is the 39th New Year's Day Ride.
We all start at NOON from Enatai Beach (The Bellevue side of the I-90 East
Channel Bridge) and head north towards Evergreen point and beyond... This a
rather short (about 18 miles - it could be shorter for me if the weather is
disagreeable!!) social ride. For most that is "plenty far" on the day after, but for
some it is a nice warm-up for a little more exercise later on.
Many of you are too anxious and start a little fast!! Do try and stay talkable for
the first 12 miles or so and then you can try the big ring..... That means easy on
the flats and the hills – otherwise I will be way off the back........

See ya all there and happy New Year!

Jerry Baker

Fatal Staples Center Collapse Brings Merciful Early End To Clippers Game

Pub Crawl

The 4th annual Recycled Cycled Christmas Sweater Pub Crawl is ON!

Another team tradition, This Saturday the 19th of December, don your ugliest X-mas sweater and meet up 7:30 at The Bit in Ballard

Schedule is as follows:

* 7:30 The Bit
* 8:00 Bad Albert's
* 8:30 The Loft
* 9:00 Connor Bryne's*
* 9:30 The Lock n' Keel
* 10:00 King's Hardware
* 10:30 Hattie's Hat
* 11:00 Zayda BuddysOr
* 11:30 The Smokeshop,
* and we end as always at...
* 12:00 The Old Peculiar


Every 1/2 hour the whistle blows, we move along to the next bar. Requirements for team members are 1 beer per bar (bpb)**, no requirements for guests. Any and all guests are welcome and encouraged to participate. Randy Salamon will be the official whistle blower once again.

This is a required event for all team members.


*if there is a show at Conor Brynes, we will double up at the Smoke-Shop.
**late arrivals will be given the oppurtunity to double-up. Or not.

Rider Down

Brooklyn cyclist and DJ Solange Raulston, 33, was killed in a collision with a truck this past Sunday while lawfully riding her bike westbound on Nassau Avenue. The truck sideswiped her at the intersection of McGuinness Blvd. She was unresponsive and was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she died. No charges were filed against the driver.

In a cruel twist of fate, the collision coincided with a mock funeral for the bike lane on Bedford Avenue, which was removed by the DOT on December 1. Though the lane was briefly resuscitated by after-hours activists with rollers and spray-paint stencils, the DOT made clear its intention to re-sandblast the 14-block stretch of markings after the weekend's rain. The site of Raulston's collision was two blocks from her home, and less than three miles from the former bike lane.

Detractors of the bike lane have argued that there is no place for bikes on Bedford because it is too busy and congested; because there are too many businesses and schools; because local women may dress "immodestly" and offend some of the more conservative residents of the neighborhood.

While bike lanes are still no substitute for alert, attentive, smart bicycling habits, they are instrumental in calming and slowing down traffic as a whole, as well as conditioning motorists to watch for cyclists. Unappealing as it may be for drivers to lower their speeds and increase their awareness, it is a crucial practice that is even moreso in school zones when children are present, as well as businesses that see a heavy pedestrian traffic. It is also far more preferable to see a scantily clad woman in one's neighborhood than one injured or killed by an automobile.

Perhaps a bike lane could have saved this woman's life; perhaps there was nothing that could have been done. Either way, in light of this tragedy, the DOT needs to continue extending, not hobbling, its bike lane network.

Most of us will never know the thrill of riding our bikes around the city, weaving in and out of traffic (obeying the rules of the road of course). The only time that any of us come close to riding a bike is more than likely the gym than the local avenue. Enter the Emerald Sprints, the best of both worlds, a fixed position road bike with a twist. The rules are simple: you and another get on competing bikes and from the word "go," you pedal your butt off until a reader board in the background indicates the winner.

December 16th, Brouwer’s Cafe is teaming up with Emerald Sprints to have a bike off. The idea makes perfect sense for Brouwer’s, since both the general manager (Ian Roberts) and the bar manager (Nat Pellman) cycle around town before and after work. Registration with a chance to win over $100 in swag is free and starts at 10:00 PM. Those of us with less enthusiasm to participate in this two-wheeled event are welcome to stop in and watch while sipping on some discounted Cazadores Tequila or New Belgium brew.

10:00 p.m. // Brouwer's Cafe // 400 N. 35th Street // (206) 267-2437 // FREE

Carnage in Bend

Newberry Heritage Park Master Planning Process

Kitsap County Parks Department is developing the master plan for Newberry Heritage Park. Newberry Heritage Park (NHP) will eventually encompass 1000 acres, 75% of which must remain in a natural state. This means that the park will use primarily for trails and passive recreational use. There is already 20 miles of trails in the park for mountain biking and other use.

At this point in the process, the County is taking suggestions on use. Local riders and
www.kitsapmtb.com are urging people to let the County know that passive use, including trail riding, is preferred. They are not collecting demographic information at this time, so all comments are welcome.

Please e-mail County planners at NewberryHill@co.kitsap.wa.us and let them know that trails and trail access are important.

The master planning process is scheduled to be complete sometime in June 2010 and submitted to the County commissioners

Duthie Hill from Walter Yi on Vimeo.

Fornication Friday

Liver Splitting Holiday Goodness

So glad I'll be out of town for this one. Riding Syncline and Post Canyon with Granola friends has got to be easier on your body than an "All You Can Drink" deal. Unghh.



Throw on your best duds and come out to celebrate the holidays with your favorite G-town friends!
All you can drink!
All you can eat grub brought to you by the Husky Deli!
DJ Hefe and Paco dance party fun all night long!

Just $50! Tickets are limited! So get some now!
Get yours at the 9lb Hammer or Georgetown Records.