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Biking News
 Race Accross America comes to Maryland -- Imagine bicycling across the
United States in only 8 days! On June 8th, 2008 cyclists will begin racing day
and night, day after day, from Oceanside California to Annapolis Maryland in
RAAM (Race Across AMerica). Racers, who do not reach the finish in Annapolis by
June 20, are disqualified (DNF).
Join us at Mt. Airy Bicycles, June 16
through June 20, when the RAAM ultra cyclists race into Maryland. In addition to
being Time Station 52, Mt. Airy Bikes is also the location of the 2008 RAAM
Penalty Box, where racers have to wait out their penalty as directed by Race
Officials. Your best chance to be near these phenomenal ultra marathon
bicyclists!
Volunteer staffing is needed for:
- Time Station and Penalty Box tables where race teams check in
- RAAM website monitor to know what penalty time a racer must wait
- Time keeper to track the penalty time served and release the racer
- Communications with Race Officials as required
- Provide hydration and general assistance to race team. (Race crew members
will administer to their racers.)
- Welcome, assist, cheer, empathize, and encourage racers and crew
- Provide local information and knowledge to crew, such as: Motor vehicle
repair and parts shops, RV dump sites, Food services, Health food stores,
Walmart,Supply stores, such as for prescriptions, toiletries, Laundry
facilities, Medical or Dental providers
Volunteer staff are needed
24/7, Monday – Friday. For more information and to sign-up online:
www.BikeRAAM.com or Email Georgia Glashauser or Email Larry
Black at Mt. Airy Bikes 410-795-2929 or 301-831-5151
Volunteers Needed --
No, you don't
need to volunteer for both dates, they are separate events.
The first
event on Saturday June 7th is the celebration of Gwynns Falls Trail / National
Trails Day. They are looking for biking or walking guides or just general help.
Email Kate Mack for
more information.
The second event is Tour dem Parks on Sunday June 8th.
They are working hard to make this a family biking event not to miss. They can
use ride and route marshals and possibly some rest stop help and grill chefs. If
you think you might want to help, email Barry Childress.
Food for Fuel --
The Washington,
DC-based Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has launched an innovative campaign called
"Burn Calories, Not Carbon!" In explaining why you should take the pledge, they
write: "Did you know nearly half of all trips in the United States are three
miles or less, and the vast majority of these trips are still taken by car?
Trails and transit create opportunities to drive less. And choosing to walk and
bike instead is a positive response to the twin challenges of climate change and
expanding waistlines." The organization's goal is to have 20,000 pledges made by
Earth Day, April 22. Go here to learn more and sign up: http://support.railstotrails.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pledge
Cyclists Needed and
Wanted -- I am
associated with the Active Survivor Network and a member of the BBC. Active
Survivor Network is hosting a 3 and a 7 mile run on June 8th at Tide Point in
downtown Baltimore. We have a large contingent of wheelchair athletes that
compete and need cyclists to ride alongside of them to ensure the safety of
these phenomenal athletes on the course. If you are interested or have
questions, please contact me at adelesnowman@hotmail.com.
Regards,
Adele
Snowman
Spin Classes at
Meadowbrook -- Indoor Cycling classes at Meadowbrook Aquatic Center are offered to
members of the BBC. As an avid cyclist (triathlete) myself, as well as a
certified Spinning instructor, I appreciate the benefits of indoor cycling
during the "off season" when it is either too dark or too cold to ride the roads
regularly. Wind trainers and cycling dvds are ok, group indoor cycling is better
and much more fun!
Meadowbrook is the ONLY facility in the area that
offers Indoor Cycling to non-members with no strings attached...you don't have
to be accompanied by a member, you don't have to join the facility after a
couple of classes as a guest, etc. Drop-in fee for a class is $15, BUT you can
buy 10 classes for $100 (one year expiration date). Perfect for cyclists who
don't want to pay a big annual membership fee at a health club to only attend
indoor cycling classes during a couple of cold, dark winter months in order to
maintain cycling fitness.
Susan Sarubin
Tandems Wanted --
Bikes for the
World, a sponsored project of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, seeks
the donation of unwanted, used tandem bicycles. They should be in repairable or
better condition, and can be brought to any of our upcoming September
collections, or to our drop-off sites in Rockville, Tysons Corner VA, and
Arlington VA (call to arrange a time for drop-offs). Although we regularly get
tandem bikes (we recently sent two to Uganda), we currently only have one on
hand, and are loading a shipment for Costa Rica towards the end of the month. I
am asking that the area tandem community consider supporting the program through
the donation of surplus tandem bikes. For further information visit Bikes for the
World.
Bon Ton Roulet
Report -- My friend and I did the Bon Ton Roulet this year. I have talked to a few
BBC types who have done it in the past, and we met a few folks from our area on
the ride, but there might be some of you out there who would be interested in
learning about this ride and consider doing it in the future. Here's the report:
This is a 7-day, fully supported ride in the Finger Lakes region of New York
sponsored by one of the YMCA's in the area. We have done Bike Virginia 7 times
(more BBC'ers are probably familiar with that), and I would say that this tour
was every bit as well-organized and run, but on a much smaller, more laid back
scale. There were a bit less than 400 on the ride. Although you can do motels, I
don't think too many people did that - seemed to be almost all campers, and the
motel transportation service is "outsourced" to some other organization. We
camped at parks and schools. The shower trailer and adequate portable toilets
were always available. Breakfast and dinner were decent to very good (pretty
standard bike tour breakfasts, dinners varied by location/caterer). No lunch is
provided but there are two well-stocked rest stops each day and you can make it
on fruit, PB&J, etc. The rest stops were as good as I have seen on Bike
VA/CAM Tour. Snacks were available at most sites after the ride (hot dogs, etc.)
and a cooler with soda and beer (no beer at the schools) was ever-present
(cash/honor system). There was a party with free beer the last night. We moved
all but one night (only one layover day). The only downside was that there were
one or two places where the campsite was more than a few miles from town and we
never left the camp site in those cases, but some of the towns were accessible
with a walk or short ride. Swimming was available at a few of the towns. They
only provided shuttle buses in the layover town - but you couldn't really expect
them to be able to provide that service everywhere on a budget supported by less
than 400 participants. There was a long/short route each day (except for the
last day). We did the long option all but two days and ended with 373 miles. The
terrain was a mix. One or two days was pretty flat. At times there were miles
and miles of shallow grades to wear you out and some routes included some very
steep, long climbs (tougher than anything in Baltimore County). The shorter
routes avoided some of the punishing climbs. We are middle of the road 13/15
riders and fell into the average to slightly stronger than average category
among the people on the tour. I am told that the exact routes and towns are
varied from year to year. It was 5 hours of driving from Towson to the ride
start in Cortland (I-83/I-81 covered all but a few miles), so it was easy to get
to. I hope some of you were interested in hearing this report and we could
definitely recommend this tour.
Approaching a Horse --
I am writing
you to bring to your attention an increasing problem. Bike riders are posing a
significant safety threat to horse riders in Baltimore County. Bike riders are
ignoring common courtesy, which has a negative effect on the horse and horse
rider that they pass. I want to assume this is the result of the bike riders
lack of knowledge.
When bike riders approach a horse, they should call
out "Passing on the left (or right)". Horses don't always hear the bike(s) and
spook at their approach. If in fact the horse spooks, and the rider falls off,
common courtesy and compassion dictates that the bike rider stop and checks on
the horse rider. Unfortunately, I have encountered a situation where the
opposite happened. Too often I've been passed by a bike zooming along with no
regard to me or my horse.
Please pass this safety message on to your
(Baltimore Bicycling Club) members. We (horses and horse riders) are glad to
share the roads and beautiful countryside with you (bikes and bike riders) in
the sprit of mutual respect and courtesy.
Sincerely yours,
Patsy
McDonald, Esquire
Crossing the Bay
Bridge -- Kane Taxi Service 410-643-1500 ($30 per bike)
Paris West Optical
Discounts -- Paris West Optical offers the following discounts to BBC members: 50%
off eye exams; 25% off all Oakley products; and 20% off eyeglasses, contact
lenses, and sunglasses. They are located at 521 N. Charles Street, one block
south of the Washington Monument. A copy of the BBC newsletter can serve as
evidence of membership.
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