Ask Your Representative to Preserve Biking and Walking

Posted on January 26, 2012 by aa
Ask Your Representative to Preserve Biking and Walking
Transportation Committee votes on biking and walking funding next week
 TAKE ACTION HERE:  http://www.capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60787356#.TyFP-PYH7cU

On Thursday, February 2, we expect the House Transportation Committee to vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funds for biking and walking.  As a Member of the Committee, your representative is in a key position to save dedicated funding for biking and walking.  Please contact them today and ask them to vote to preserve biking and walking.

The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, the long awaited multi year Transportation bill, eliminates the two largest programs that fund biking and walking infrastructure—Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School.  Without these programs, communities all over the country will lose resources to build the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make biking and walking safe and accessible in your community.

We can’t let that happen.

That’s why we’re working to introduce an amendment that will preserve funding for biking and walking. During Thursday’s vote, your representative could be the key to making sure that this amendment passes in the Transportation Committee. Will you contact them today to ask that they vote to preserve funding for biking and walking in the transportation bill?

Tell them:

  • Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of federal funding.
  • Two out of three pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding.  Ensuring funds for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways help end preventable deaths and make roads safer for everyone.
  • When town centers are biking and walking friendly, business and economic development improves.

Thank you for all that you do to keep bicycling and walking safe and accessible.
TAKE ACTION HERE:  http://www.capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60787356#.TyFP-PYH7cU
Posted in advocacy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Windham World Cup – Race the World – NYSMTB/Root 66 Series

Posted on January 24, 2012 by aa

Windham Race The WorldAs part of the UCI World Cup Mountain Bike race festivities at Windham Mountain, they are pleased to present the third year of the XC, “Race the World” event.  “Race the World” will again be part of the New York State MTB Series  and will also be part of the Root 66 Series.

All XC races will be on Sunday July 1, 2012.  Please see www.racewindham.com for a detailed schedule and more information about the UCI races and other weekend festivities.

The Windham World Cup and “Race the World” events are being organized by the community and are not-for-profit; any net revenue will support community trails for public use.

Registration will entitle you to participate in all World Cup festivities at Windham Mountain including a Friday night Block Party with a 100m time-trial sprint (“Drag Race”) in front of the pub; live music on Saturday night (bands TBA); and a “Big Wheel” race down a steep, paved course (BYOBW). To encourage attendance, and unlike most international World Cup venues, there will be no fees charged to enter the venue or the consumer and tech expos.  To help defray the tremendous organizing costs and to keep the World Cup in the US, a minimal fee for parking – $10 for an entire carload for one day, or $25 for three days – will be charged.  Prize pay out is subject to registration enrollment.

Register on BikeReg here -> Windham World Cup – Race the World – NYSMTB/Root 66 series Online Registration.

Posted in mtb | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross Nationals Championships: Men’s Elite

Posted on January 22, 2012 by aa
Posted in cyclocross | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lippman Park 38 Race: Bring Your Lights!

Posted on January 21, 2012 by aa

The “Lippman Park 38” race will be held on Saturday June 16, 2012. It is the 2nd of 4 races the Renegades MTB Club will be hosting this year. The other three races, Hike a Bike and Phantom Phest will be at Lippman Park in Wawarsing, NY, while the Walnut Mountain Triple Challenge will be held at Walnut Mountain in Liberty, NY.

The Lippman Park 38 is a 38 mile night race. Lights will be needed for the race. If you don’t own lights, they will have some for rent.

The course will be about 90% semi-technical, flowing single track. You can expect 38 miles at Lippman Park to take 5+ hours. Each laps will have about approximately 1000 feet of climbing. The number of laps is still undetermined but as the race gets closer, the Renegades Club will have an update on number of laps. They are trying to keep to as few laps as possible. The course will be ready for previewing the weekend before.

Onsite registration and check-in will begin at 4:30pm and the race will start promptly at 6pm. The registration fee the day of the event will be $30

This race is limited to the first 100 entries.

Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each age group and gender ONLY, with a grand prize awarded to the person who finishes closest to the middle of the pack. There will be no beginner, sport, expert or pro categories, only age groups.

Directions to Lippman Park:

  • From NYS Thruway N and S – Take exit 18 New Paltz, follow 299 W thru NP about 6 miles. At the intersection of Rt 44/55 make a Right turn and go about 10 miles to the junction of Rt 209. Turn Left and go about 2.5 miles till you see the sign for Lippman Park on your Right.
  • From Kingston, NY – Take Rt 209 S and go about 23 miles. Lippman park will be on your Right.
  • From Rt 17 – Take Rt 209 N and go about 16 miles. Lippman Park will be on your Left.

Online registration via BikeReg can be found here -> Lippman Park 38 Race Online Registration.

Posted in mtb | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NY/NJ Trail Conference Winter 2012 Meeting in NYC

Posted on January 21, 2012 by aa

NY/NJ Trail ConferenceThursday, February 9: Annual Winter Meeting in New York City, at The Assembly Hall, Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Event is Free but advance registration is requested!

Click here to RSVP and make a donation or call the office at 201.512.9348 x26.

Schedule

Afternoon Hikes
#1: Mid-Manhattan Walk, meet at 3pm

Meet New York Hiking Club Leader Bob Ward and co-leader Victor Scelzo at 25 Street & Fifth Avenue, by the World War I Eternal Light Memorial at 3:00pm for a walk through Lower Mid-Manhattan. We will learn about the statues of Madison Square Park and some of the buildings around it as well as interesting facts about the area. One story tells how a courageous lady saved the American Revolutionary Army from defeat by simply stalling the pursuing British Army. This is a continuation of last year’s walk; it will end up at the Community Church in time for the Food, Drink, and Social hour.

Watch for additional hikes to be scheduled.

Afternoon Workshops

3:15-4:15 pm
Making Trail Maps
Learn how Trail Conference maps are created and how volunteers are involved.

4:20-5:30 pm
Van Cortlandt Park Trails
Friends of VCP’s Executive Director Christina Taylor will review the path that her organization has taken to improve the trails of Van Cortlandt Park in partnership with the Trail Conference and which can easily be replicated in other urban parks and forests.

Early Evening Activities

5:30-6:30 pm
Food, Drink, Social (Please RSVP!)

6:30 pm
Business Meeting
Chris Connolly, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trail Conference, will preside.

7:15 pm
Keynote Speaker: Alan Via 
Author of The Catskill 67 – A Hiker’s Guide to
the Catskill 100 Highest Peaks under 3500’

Recently published by the Adirondack Mountain Club, The Catskill 67 – A Hiker’s Guide to the Catskill 100 Highest Peaks under 3500′ is an introduction for hikers and other mountain enthusiasts to the origin of the Catskill 100 highest list, and to a unique range of peaks largely unknown to the public.

Alan Via is one of a very small handful of hikers and bushwhackers to have completed both the Adirondack 100 and Catskill 100 peaks. He is a multiple-round, regular, and winter 46er and 35er, and Northeast 111 completer. Alan has led hikes for the ADK, AMC, 3500 Club, and Taconic Hiking Club for 35 years. He was Albany ADK’s Outings Chair for 14 years, main club committee chair for 24 years, and was named the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Distinguished Volunteer in 2006.

via http://www.nynjtc.org/content/winter-2012-meeting

Posted in advocacy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Deal Struck for Connection in New York – Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Posted on January 20, 2012 by aa

Just a few weeks ago, we posted a story to the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) TrailBlog about the imminient completion of the Dutchess Rail Trail in New York, one of the final acts in office of outgoing Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus.

The completion of the Dutchess Rail Trail was set to draw attention once again to the possibility of connecting the Dutchess to the remarkable Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, and on to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail on the opposite side of the Hudson River.

Though the Dutchess is separated from the Walkway Over the Hudson by just one mile of disused rail corridor, the cost and complexity of negotiating a land deal with CSX Transportation Corp., which owns the disused corridor, had drained many supporters of any optimism that the link would happen.

Not Steinhaus, however.

“I believe there will be a meeting of the minds sometime next year that will finally allow for the acquisition of that final piece of property and the linkage between the [Dutchess Rail Trail] and the Walkway to become a reality,” Steinhaus told the Poughkeepsie Journal at the time.

Rail TrailThey turned out to be words of great prophecy. Yesterday, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., stood at a podium set up at the Walkway’s eastern gate to announce a deal had been struck to purchase the land from CSX for the creation of a rail-trail.

The announcement of a deal to purchase the relatively small section, in the city of Poughkeepsie near College Hill Park, makes real what has long been a dream of trails advocates, business people and residents – a complete trail system from Hopewell Junction to the town of Lloyd, taking in some of the region’s most scenic landscape and communities.

CSX has agreed to sell the eight-tenths of a mile stretch to Walkway Over the Hudson, a non-profit organization, for $1.15 million. The Dyson Foundation will provide $500,000, with $600,000 having been raised through recreational and environmental grants. CSX will donate $100,000 as a credit at closing. Preliminary work on the connection is expected to begin soon.

It is expected that the completed trail system will provide an enormous boost for tourism and economic development in the Poughkeepsie and Highland areas.

Since the Walkway opened in October 2009, it has drawn more than 1.2 million visitors and pumped more than $30 million into the local economy.

RTC’s own Karl Wirsing visited the area last year, and says the new connection will further enhance the great benefits of the existing trails, for visitors as well as locals.

“The view from the Walkway Over the Hudson really is spectacular, and the whole trail system there is a huge draw,” he says. “When the connection is complete, it will make for an incredibly scenic trail adventure. The river, the hamlets and towns, the scenary – it’s a wonderful place to explore. And all this within 70 or 80 miles of New York City.”

RTC offers its heartiest congratulations to all the community groups and individuals who have worked so hard over the years bringing this tremendous vision to fruition.

Photos courtesy of the Poughkeepsie Journal

via A Great Moment for Trails as Deal Struck for Connection in New York – RTC TrailBlog – Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

Posted in advocacy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Look at the Airborne Delta CX Cyclocross Bike

Posted on January 20, 2012 by aa

The Airborne Bicycles Delta CX  is one of the best cyclocross values that I have come across. It’s great spec features:

  • Airborne’s Disc-Specific Cyclocross frame/fork
  • Carbon fork
  • SRAM Apex 10-speed group
  • FSA Gossamer BB30 46/36 Cranks
  • Alex RACE 24 Wheelset
  • FSA bars, stem, and post
The Airborne Delta CX come in size: 50, 53, 55, 57, 59. The retail price is $999.95.
Airborne Delta CX

The word Delta means change,and that’s what the Delta cyclocross bike means to us at Airborne. On several levels.

First, it’s a change in product direction for us. It’s not a mountain bike. Several of us are mad about ‘cross racing here; having logged countless hours in cold fall/winter weather training for and racing CX. When the decision was made to finally do a ‘cross bike, we ran headlong at it…sort of a Le Mans-style start.

Second, it’s a change in the way ‘cross bikes are made. This is one of the first bikes to take advantage of the new UCI rules allowing disc brakes for ‘cross racing. No more crudded-up canti brakes; no more wheels that can’t move from all of the mud. We believe this ruling will change the entire sport of ‘cross; opening it up even more for the masses and folks on a budget. We believe in it so much that we ditched the canti mounts altogether.

Some may think its a bold move. We prefer to call it “vision”.

Third and finally, the Delta is our first bike with a BB30 bottom bracket. This is one of those things that most of us dismissed as “marketing-gimmick” until we spent a lot of time with it. BB30 is smooth. It’s stiff. It’s easy to service. And we think it’s here to stay.

For those of you who aren’t quite the ‘cross fanatics we are, but just want a great bike for commuting or riding in foul weather, we have you in mind too. The Delta has mounts for both fenders and a rack. While the geometry is great for ‘cross, its also just as well suited for a commuter or foul-weather bike.

We’ve grown quite fond of SRAM road groups here at the office, and the APEX group performs just as well as its more expensive Rival and Force brothers. The SRAM Double-Tap shifting system is probably one of the most intuitive systems to use as far as we are concerned.The 36/46 FSA Gossamer crank coupled with a wide 10-speed range in the rear means this bike is as equally at home off-road as it is climbing your own mini-Ventoux on the way to the office.

A custom EVO carbon fork with plenty of mud clearance rounds out what we feel is one of the best bangs for your buck on the market.

Posted in cyclocross | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Airborne Bikes Flight Crew Application

Posted on January 20, 2012 by aa

2012 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Airborne is now accepting applications for the 2012 Flight Crew!

You: A rider with the personality, social media presence, and communication skills to represent Airborne as a member of the 2012 Airborne Flight Crew. Think of it as being a “Citizen Brand Ambassador-at-Large”. Airborne is not looking for racers specifically, but if you happen to race, that’s OK. If you are already on a team and have a commitment to ride their product in 2012, this gig isn’t for you.

Us: We build best-value-in-class bikes aimed at the entry level of the high-performance market. Our bikes appeal to two kinds of riders: folks on a budget who want to get serious about cycling, and/or established riders who want to try a new discipline but want to check it out before sinking thousands into a dream rig. Airborne is sold direct to riders online. See our website http://airbornebicycles.com for product info.

What: Complete and send us the 2012 Airborne Flight Crew Application form. The link is below. Note: You’ll need a copy of Acrobat Reader 8.0 or higher. If you don’t have the current version, it’s free and you can download it here (for PC) or here (for Mac, Linux or other OS).

How: The PDF form will allow you to check boxes and fill in blanks with your information. Once you’ve competed it, save the completed form, attach it to an email, and send it to us,  FlightCrew@airbornebicycles.com

Criteria for selecting new members will be based on social media presence, personal presentation, riding and community involvement. Entrants who do not already have a blog or some other online presence will not be considered. Entrants who make the semi-final cut will be contacted for a final phone interview with us before we make our final decisions.

Why: As an Airborne Flight Crew member, you agree to talk about Airborne via social, in-person, and other media. You will become part of the Airborne development & marketing processes, with confidential & first-peek info on new models and developments and the opportunity to add your insight and feedback. You may also be asked to test-ride new bike prototypes in development and even appear in photo or video shoots from time to time, with travel paid if required.

Please note that any Airborne-related ideas or content you produce while a member of the Flight Crew becomes ours to use on a nonexclusive basis.

In exchange for talking about us, you get:

An Airborne bike of your choice, with the chance to earn a second one based on performance.

Assorted gear, kit, and other schwag.

Your picture, bio, and social media feed posted for all to admire on the Airborne Bicycles website and Facebook page.

The chance to hang out with us and your fellow Crew members in the Airborne Flight Crew Top Secret World Headquarters & Clubhouse. We will also have some smaller regional gatherings that you will be invited to.

When: Right now. Entries close midnight, Sunday February 19th 2012. Finalists will be announced within a couple weeks of the closing date. If you are not already a fan of Airborne Bicycles on Facebook, we strongly encourage you to “Like” our page so that you can stay up-to-date on all of the developments.

Where: Just click the link for the 2012 Flight Crew Application/Entry Form (PDF). You can fill it out online, or save to your desktop and open in Acrobat Reader 8 or higher.

Thanks and good luck!

via – Airborne Bikes Flight Crew Application.

Posted in cyclocross, mtb | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Downhill Mountain Bike Spills in the Snow

Posted on January 19, 2012 by aa
Posted in mtb | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New stats on bicycling’s benefits | People for Bikes

Posted on January 19, 2012 by aa

(PeopleForBikes.org – Posted on Nov 8, 2011) Biking is pretty freaking awesome. Odds are you agree with this statement. Besides the fact that it’s fun, why is it awesome? Well, it’s good for our economy, environment, and health. It creates jobs and reduces healthcare costs. It makes us happy and enriches our communities. If you ride a bike, the myriad benefits are hard to ignore.

But for those naysayers out there who haven’t ridden a bike since they were kids, the benefits of bicycling aren’t so obvious. In lieu of the actual experience of riding, we have to encourage them with facts and statistics that make the case for biking.

Lately, a bunch of new studies have come out on the benefits of bicycling. Here’s a summary of our top picks. Share them with your favorite naysayer when you have the chance. That is, after you get them out for a bike ride.

Bikes are good for the economy

• A University of Cincinnati study estimated that houses within 1,000 feet of Ohio’s Little Miami Scenic Trail are worth an extra $9,000.

• Another study found that three bike paths in Central Florida bring $42 million in annual spending and 516 jobs to the area’s economy.

Bike facilities are good for cities

• After New York City installed protected bike lanes on Columbus Avenue, bicycling increased 56%, all traffic crashes decreased 34%, speeding decreased, sidewalk biking went down, vehicle traffic flow remained the same, and double parking decreased.

• Bicycling in Salt Lake City—which has recently added 50 miles of bikeways—increased 27% from 2010 to 2011.

Biking is good for our health

• University of Wisconsin researchers estimated that if Midwesterners ran half of their short distance errands (less than five miles round trip) by bike instead of by car, they would avoid 1,100 deaths each year and save $7 billion in healthcare costs.

With a new study pegging the cost of obesity-related diseases at an extra $48-66 billion per year by 2030 (thanks to the additional 65 million obese adults we’ll have in the U.S. by then), bicycling’s benefits should warrant attention from everyone—whether they ride bikes or not.

For more statistics on the benefits of bicycling, visit our parent organization Bikes Belong’s Stats Library.

Posted in advocacy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment