MassBike Quick Release 7/2/07

News Briefs

• Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: The MassBike Metro Boston Chapter won a victory by getting the DCR to remove “no biking” signs on the Charles River bike path near the Teddy Ebersol baseball fields. The ban was seriously disrupting bicycle commuters along that section of the path. There’s a catch though – the signs were replaced with a 5mph speed limit. Stay tuned on this one.

• MassBike Helps BikeTown Riders: Bicycling Magazine once again gave away 50 bikes to Boston area residents this past weekend as part of their ongoing BikeTown program. MassBike contributed 50 copies of “Bicycling Street Smarts” (courtesy of Rubel BikeMaps) to help these new riders get off to a good, safe start.

• MassBike in the Press: The Worcester Telegram & Gazette has a great article on bike commuting (“Pedal to the Metal”); Mac Daniel’s Starts & Stops column in the Boston Globe demystifies those 'Bicycles stop on line for green’ signs (“Language Barrier”); and the Globe gets it wrong (sort of) on the Minuteman (“Rage on the bikeway”).

Westfield Rail Trail Public Hearing: July 5

Cyclists, your help is needed! A developer is proposing a project that would level the rail corridor through downtown Westfield and kill the Westfield Rail Trail. Trail construction is scheduled to begin in July 2008.

On July 5th, 7:30 PM a public hearing will be held at Westfield City Hall for a Zone change on the Rail Corridor. This is the first step the developer must go through to eliminate the rail trail.

You do not need to be a resident to come and support the rail trail and speak out against the zone change that would jeopardize the trail. There will be a bicycle and a walking tour of the site from City Hall at 6:45 PM.

Get Local & Get Things Done – Bike Committee Workshop: July 21

Are you interested in forming a Bike Committee in your town? Already on one? If you are want to improve bicycling conditions right where you live, MassBike wants to help!

This workshop will be held in Boston on Saturday, July 21, from 10am-2pm. We’re bringing together experienced bike advocates and those looking to begin advocating in their towns, to swap stories, strategies, best practices, and encouragement. This is part of an ongoing effort to help more committees get started and increase communication among existing committees.

Bicycle committees represent the interests of the local bicycling community, and can act as a resource to help cities and towns make better decisions about bicycling. They’re one of the most important forms of cycling advocacy, local people working on local issues, interacting directly with municipalities, providing visibility for bicycling, helping improve local bicycling infrastructure, and encouraging people to ride their bikes around town.

Registration is free, but limited to 50, with attendance capped at two people per bike committee, so act fast! To register, or for other information on forming a bike committee in your town, email Nadav@massbike.org or call 617-542-2453.

If you can’t make this event or would like us to schedule one in another part of the state, let us know, and we’ll see what we can do later in the year.

Deadline for NPS Grant Applications: August 1

August 1 is the deadline for submitting applications for the next round of Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance Support grants from the National Park Service. This program has provided technical assistance to a number of rail trail and other projects in Massachusetts.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their project with Rivers, Trails, & Conservation Assistance staff before sending in an application. Click here for our staff listing.

For more info, click here.

Mass BikePike Tour: August 16-19

Massachusetts has it all, and the goal of this annual multi-day ride across the state is to celebrate cycling in the Commonwealth. Join us for all the excitement as we explore Massachusetts, coasting through the beautiful countryside of rolling fields, majestic woods, and picturesque towns. This year, our trip begins in Concord, home to Walden Pond, Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, and the Shot Heard 'Round The World, and ends as we parade down Main Street in the bustling town of Northampton, a center of the region's thriving crafts and music scene. Proceeds from the Mass BikePike Tour benefit MassBike!

The ride is limited to 75 cyclists, so register today!

For more info on registration, the route, ride planning, etc., click here.

Upcoming Charity Partner Rides

Granite State Quest: July 14

The mission of the Granite State Quest is to raise funds to conquer childhood cancer. Partnering with the Massachusetts General Hospital, the funds raised by The Granite State Quest will be specifically directed towards pediatric cancer research developed and initiated by the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit of the Mass General Hospital for Children. The MGH team has world-renowned experience in treating leukemia, lymphomas and brain tumors. In its fifth year, the Granite State Quest is a one-day one hundred-mile or fifty-mile bicycle ride throughout southern New Hampshire. Our commitment is to make the Granite State Quest an annual event, thus providing the opportunity for individuals and families to directly participate in the quest to conquer cancer.

For registration and more info, go to http://www.granitestatequest.org/.

Tri-State Trek: July 20-22

The Tri-State Trek takes cyclists on a three-day 270-mile bicycle ride from Boston to NY, across some of the most beautiful and challenging terrain in the Northeast, to end ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. Join us for our fifth annual TST by riding, volunteering, or just cheering. We need more cow bell!

This ride reaches out to all demographics. Trek Riders are moms from Colorado and New York businessmen. Bike messengers from Boston ride with college students from New Jersey. Our youngest rider ever was 17; our oldest is 61. Some riders will pass within a few miles of their houses on the ride; others will come from as far as California and Washington!

We understand that not everyone can join us for a 270-mile ride. Riders who would like to be a part of this event, but cannot make the full weekend commitment can join us for our Day One or Day Three. But the link that all TST cyclists share is that we understand that we have the power to affect change.

For registration and more info, go to http://www.tristatetrek.com/.

ALA Autumn Escape Bike Trek: September 14-16

Join the 23rd annual Autumn Escape Bike Trek, presented by the American Lung Association of Massachusetts.

Over 300 cyclists will take part in this fun, 3-day, 160-mile "at your own pace" tour along Cape Cod, MA. There is also a 2-day, 105-mile option available. The rides start in Plymouth and ride to Sandwich and then Brewster. Here, riders can participate in a cyclocross clinic and will enjoy a lobster dinner and the annual Autumn Escape Bike Trek ceremonies, sure to bring lots of laughs and great memories and maybe even a few tears. The ride concludes in Provincetown.

We provide SAG support, hands on medical support, luggage and bike transportation and police details. We also provide air-conditioned transportation back to both starting points. Join the Autumn Escape Bike Trek and ride for someone who cannot. Ride for someone affected by lung disease such as COPD, lung cancer, or asthma. Or just ride for yourself and enjoy the beautiful scenery while making some new friends.

The registration fee for the 3-day ride is $75.
The registration fee for the 2-day ride is $55.
The fundraising minimum for both is $500.

For more registration and more information, go to http://www.mrsnv.com/evt/home.jsp?id=1500.

6th Annual Foundation Fifty-Five Charity Bicycle Ride: September 16

The Dick Melloni Youth Foundation (DMYF) kicks off the fall season with its annual Foundation Fifty-Five Charity Bicycle Ride to be held on Sunday, September 16, 2007.

The ride begins at the quaint Onset Harbor Pier in Onset, MA and proceeds through 55-mi of Upper Cape Cod’s most beautiful cycling and ending with festivities that include therapeutic massage, prizes, and a grand all-you-can eat pizza party . Ample parking, clearly marked routes, maps, sag wagons, mobile tech support and first aid are provided. Rest stops have food, water and rest rooms.

Registration is $40 plus $250 in minimum fundraising contributions. All participants registered prior to August 1, 2007 that meet the minimum fundraising requirements receive a professional quality cycling jersey with cool sublimated graphics unique to this year’s event and a totebag filled with useful and fun bicycling items. Late registrations are accepted, however, at that time jerseys are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can register online at www.BikeReg.com or www.Active.com.

The proceeds from this fundraising event will directly support established DMYF programs for youth, including the “Lids-4-Kids” bicycling helmet safety program, the DMYF Child Literacy Program, and our “CARBS” (Children Always Ride Buckled Safely) Program to promote child car seat safety.

For more info, go to http://dmyf.org/_wsn/page6.html.

Pedro’s Festival: July 13-15

PedrosFest is a three-day multi-event festival, for bike riders of all ages and abilities, from July 13-15 in Hancock, MA.

Featuring hundreds of miles of trails, downhilling at Jiminy Peak, a freeride park, and road rides.

The Luna Chix - Alison Dunlap, Roz Puleo, Stephanie Goodell and Anne Noga - will be there, as well as Trek VW pro rider Sue Haywood, with trials demos by Jeff Lenosky.

Don’t miss the Clif Bar Activities Arena, bicycle artwork for kids, a Trek Tour de France Lounge, Ride-In movies, skills clinics & seminars, bands from Gibson Guitars, beer garden, gourmet food, a huge new bike expo and demo bikes, night rides, kids’ rides, women’s rides, and more! Not to mention camping with hot showers.

For more details, including registration, click here.

Bike to the Sea/REI Trail Building Day: July 21

Help Bike to the Sea build the first 1,000 feet of the Northern Strand Community Trail!

Bike to the Sea has teamed up with REI of Reading, Massachusetts to sponsor a trail building day on July 21 at 9:00 am at the new Thomas Rossetti Park on Tremont Street in Everett.

This first 1,000 feet will link Everett’s new Thomas Rossetti Park with the new Seven Acre Park and the new Madeline English School. This linkage will create an area of over 10 acres of outdoor space in one of Boston’s most built out suburbs directly adjacent to the Malden River and the River’s Edge project.

The Northern Strand Community Trail is a nine-mile recreational trail that, when complete, will connect the city of Lynn with the cities of Saugus, Revere, Malden, Everett and Boston and the bike paths on the Mystic and Charles River.

The trail building day will take place July 21 at 9:00 am at the new Thomas Rossetti Park on Tremont Street in Everett. Lunch will be provided at 12 noon. Bring gloves, sturdy shoes and a good attitude. Rain or shine, extreme weather events excepted. Check our web site and email list for updates. Visit our new Google map for a satellite image and directions.

Catch MassBike at the George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor: July 29

Barney's Bicycle and the Seven Hills Wheelmen present: the sixth annual George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor, an uphill time trial!

Sunday, July 29, 2007, 10:00 a.m.
Main & George Streets in downtown Worcester, MA.

See how fast you can pedal up one of Worcester's steepest hills, a 500-foot quad-buster where "the Worcester Whirlwind," 1899 world cycling champion Major Taylor, used to train. The average grade is 18 percent.

Open to ages 12 and up.
Entry fee $15.
Helmets required.
One rider at a time against the clock.
Register online HERE.
Race-day registration: 8:30-9:45 a.m.
First rider starts at 10:00 sharp.

Medals will be awarded in various age categories for males and females, plus a tandem category.

Proceeds benefit the Major Taylor Association, Inc., which is building a statue of Taylor at the Worcester Public Library in Salem Square -- the city's first monument to an African-American.

Enter the raffle to win a 24-speed Giant OCR3 road bike from Barney's, or a custom, limited-edition Major Taylor cycling jersey, or other cool stuff. Prize list and raffle tickets HERE.

You can order raffle tickets online or by mail: $5 per chance, or three for $12, or six for $20. Or get them at Barney's Bicycle, 165 Chandler St., Worcester. Prize drawing will be approximately 1:00 p.m. July 29, at the conclusion of the George Street Bike Challenge. You do NOT have to be present to win.

Last chance to buy a Major Taylor cycling jersey ($79) HERE.

More information, including last year's results, click here.

Boston’s 2nd Annual Tour de Farms Bike Tour (a MassBike Spins Ride): August 11

Please join Farm Aid and Boston area cycling and farming organizations for the 2 nd annual Tour de Farms bike tour.

The Tour de Farms will showcase innovative urban farms and food projects that are strengthening Boston's local and sustainable food system. Riders will visit an urban farm in Roxbury, a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and greenhouse in Dorchester, a new community farm in the Blue Hills Reservation and Boston’s oldest commercial farm. Riders will sample fresh, locally grown food, learn of the benefits of local agriculture and how they can actively support these efforts. The ride will go through the neighborhoods of Roxbury, Dorchester, Brookline, Mattapan, Milton and the beautiful Blue Hills Reservation.

The Tour de Farms is a free event and all are welcome. New this year, the tour will offer a shorter option of approximately 15 miles of mainly flat terrain. The longer of the two loops, approximately 25 miles, includes some moderate hills. The ride will start and finish at Boston’s Franklin Park, beginning at 9:00am and concluding by 1:00pm.

Pre-registration is required. For more information about the Tour de Farms and to pre-register, contact Mark Smith at Farm Aid, 617-354-2922, or via email to mark@farmaid.org.