MassBike Quick Release 4/4/08

Action Alert: Environmental Bond Bill Lobby Day, April 9, 2008

The Coalition for the Environmental Bond (MassBike is a member) is organizing a rally and lobby day in Boston to urge the Legislature to pass the Environmental Bond Bill before the end of the legislative session in July. The day’s events run from 10am-1pm on Wednesday, April 9 th, and you can attend any or all of the events, including a visit to your representatives at the State House.

In January, MassBike testified before the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture in support of H.4446, otherwise known as the Environmental Bond Bill. This bill authorizes the state to issue bonds in order to fund capital programs under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). Why is this important to you? The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), is part of EOEEA, and the bill will provide DCR with funding to maintain bike paths, bridges, parks, parkways, and more. This could include the Charles River Paths, the Southwest Corridor, the Longfellow, Harvard, and BU Bridges, the Cape Cod Rail Trail, and the Norwottock Rail Trail among DCR properties most heavily used by cyclists.

We urge MassBike members to support this effort and make a strong showing for bicyclists!

Click here for more information about the rally and lobby day http://www.massbike.org/news/action_alert_040108.htm

Volunteer Night: Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Do you enjoy hanging out with fellow cyclists, conducting sparkling conversation, and eating pizza with a refreshing Harpoon beer or soda? Then you won’t want to miss Volunteer Night on Tuesday, April 8, from 5-8pm. It’s a chance to have some fun and help MassBike with a few easy administrative tasks. The more help we get from volunteers, the more time MassBike staff can spend making bicycling better. Just let us know you’re coming so we know how much pizza to order! RSVP to dorothy@massbike.org or call us at 617-542-2453.

Our office is located at 171 Milk Street, Third Floor, in Boston’s Financial District. The closest T Stations are Aquarium and Government Center.

For more info, click here
http://www.massbike.org/about/vol_night.htm

Bicycling Skills Classes: Register for Spring/Summer Classes

MassBike’s class schedule is bigger and better than ever! From our Bicycling Safety Workshops to our Better Bicycling Skills classes and more, we’ve got plenty of options for you to become a better and safer cyclist. Get comfortable riding around the city, or get ready for a big charity ride. Bicycling Safety Workshops are FREE 2-hour classroom sessions, and are a prerequisite for our 4-hour on-bike Better Bicycling Skills class ($45 MassBike members, $60 others). All classes are taught by certified League Cycling Instructors. Classes this month:

Bicycling Safety Workshop : April 8 (Somerville); April 9 (Boston), April 23 (Cambridge)

Better Bicycling Skills : April 12 (Somerville); April 19 (Boston); April 20 (Cambridge)

We also offer on-site bicycling education for your business, from our 1-hour Bicycle Commuting for Everyone, a fast-paced introductory workshop, to our full classroom and on-bike classes. Contact Shane Jordan, Director of Education and Outreach, for details.

Click here for information, class schedule, and registration http://massbike.org/skills/classes.htm

MassBike Spins Ride Series: April Rides

MassBike Spins rides are designed to be low-key and fun, for novice and experienced cyclists alike. Mileage is usually under 20 miles, often less, and the pace is pretty leisurely. Some rides have a special theme, others include some education, and all of them are fun!

Art and Architecture , presented by Urban Adventours: Sunday, April 6, 2008

Dorchester Ride Home , presented by DotBike: Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Greenway Ride , presented by Urban Adventours: Sunday, April 13, 2008

Earth Day Ride : Saturday, April 26, 2008

Click here for more information about the rides http://www.massbike.org/resources/rides.htm

Friday Movie Nights in Jamaica Plain

Get in the mood for the spring biking season!  Ferris Wheels Bike Shop and Boston City Councilor John Tobin are bringing movie night to the Curtis Hall Community Center at 20 South Street (first floor meeting room), Jamaica Plain.  The three-movie theme is “bicycles on the silver screen,” just in time to inspire Boston residents to get on a bike and get in shape.

Friday, April 4:        American Flyers, starring Kevin Costner (1985).  Cyclist Marcus Sommers persuades his unstable brother David to come with him and train for a bicycle race across the Rocky Mountains. Features great views of the Rockies and an insight in the tactics of bicycle races.  PG-13.

Friday, April 18:       Breaking Away, starring Dennis Quaid and Dennis Christopher (1979). F our teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have graduated from high school, are not sure what they want to do with their lives. One of the boys is obsessed with cycling and seeks to find himself through competitive cycling. Academy Award winner. PG.

Friday, May 2:         The Flying Scotsman, starring Jonny Lee Miller (2006). Based on the true story of Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree who, in 1993 as an unemployed amateur, broke the world one-hour record on a bike of his own revolutionary design, which he constructed out of scrap metal and parts of a washing machine.  PG-13.

All movies will start at 6:30 pm.  Free.  Popcorn and soda will be available.  All movies are rated PG or PG-13, defined by the rating board of the Motion Picture Association as “parental guidance suggested” (PG) or “parental guidance strongly cautioned” (PG-13).

For information, contact Ferris Wheels Bike Shop, 66 South Street, 617-524-BIKE or Councilor Tobin’s office, 617-635-4220.

Boston Bike Film Festival: Call for Entries

Organizers of the Fourth Annual Boston Bike Film Festival have asked filmmakers with a cycling habit to submit their work to be shown October 17-18, 2008, at the historic Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. The event is a fundraiser for local cycling advocacy groups, including MassBike. Film concepts from last year's festival ranged from home moving by bike, to a group of roving BMXers looking for the ultimate empty pool to ride in, to guerrilla bike mechanics.

Among the benefits available to acclaimed and amateur filmmakers, the Festival continues to offer a chance to get their films in front of audiences who are intrigued and influential to the quality of cycling nationwide. "We keep tweaking it every year, and this year, we’ve even lowered our ticket prices, based on audience polls," said Cat Bryant, executive director of the BBFF. "I think we have found our niche; the Boston bike community has shown so much enthusiasm for this event."

Types of films shown at the BBFF include animated shorts, digitally enhanced clips, and feature length documentaries. Festival information and details for submissions can be found at www.bostonbikefilmfest.org, which will soon include clips from last year's festival.

Mass BikePike Tour Seeks Ride Leaders and Sag Driver

The Mass BikePike Tour, August 14-17, 2008, is looking for ride leaders and a sag driver. In return for taking on one of these critical volunteer positions, not only will you be able to be part of the fun, but we will also waive the $300 registration fee and give you all the swag that we can come up with. 

Each of the daily ride routes (30, 50 or 65 miles) has a Ride Route Team Leader. Ride leaders are responsible for making sure cue sheets are clear, landmarks and food store are noted, and proposed signage is adequate. In addition to being available on the tour dates, we prefer people who have experience leading groups, good people skills, and love to have fun.

Sag drivers need to have a car and have much the same responsibilities as ride leaders.  Contact Bruce Lederer at bruce@MassBikePke.org with questions or to volunteer.  A more detailed description responsibilities can be found at http://www.MassBikePike.org/RideLeaders.html.

Interested it being a participant?  Go to www.MassBikePike.org.  All proceeds benefit MassBike.