One Wild Ride...

http://www.taulard.net/video/id/787

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO7bhwWPH2k

Mtn Bike Action September issue is now available with one beautiful ride on the cover...and the goodness doesn't stop there!

"Cannondale has always been the leader in design and manufacture of proprietary components. This commitment totally frees designers to go at it without being limited to use off-the-shelf components and standards. The Rize is a showcase of Cannondale SI, starting with the 3D-forged BackBone. Other SI stunners include the Lefty Max Carbon fork, Hollowgram SL cranks, Headshok SI headset/stem and the Lefty SI hub. It is a shame to mention each part so briefly, because they all deserve a test of their own"

Other Places

http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2008/07/27/opinion/editorials/doc488bdef007f70310402909.txt

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/372600_ballardbridge29.html

Dear relatives and friends:

I am extremely happy to let you now I have been invited to attend The President's Remarks in Honor of Colombian Independence Day on Tuesday, July 22 at 1 PM. at the East Room of The White House. I will be part the Colombian embassasy delegation. I never dreamed that my testimony of NO SUCH THING AS IMPOSSIBLE will give me such honor.
I am going to make sure I take a copy of the book with me.

Regards,
Jairo

La Vuelta de Acadiana Stage Race this weekend!

Just letting everyone know that the weather will be nice and hot now that the storm has passed (sigh of relief). Pre-registration closes Thursday July 24th at 7pm sharp ($8 late fee). Juniors race free, but should still pre-register online. For more information, download the race bible here:
http://cajuncyclists.bicycleracing.com/PBR/docs/RaceBible.pdf

You can register here:
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6347

Pick up your packet early at Precision Bikes.
Neutral water given at the feed zones.
Will have free spagetti for lunch after the road race.
Days Inn - $46.95 for double. 337-769-8000

Hope to you there! Have a great day and Thanks in advance for the support!
Any questions - 337-940-1418

Our Biking Future Depends on YOU

http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/planning/highway_safety/bike_ped/ladotd_bikeped_meeting.pdf

A reminder that today July 22, from 6-7:30 pm the Louisiana Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting at the Casino building, City Park, to gather input on a statewide bike/ped master plan.

Please try to attend to offer your thoughts on the needs of New Orleans' bicycle/pedestrian network, and of course- make sure that the Greenway is incorporated into the State's master plan.
for more info:

http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/planning/highway_safety/bike_ped/masterplan.asp

Cullen Talley goes to Ironman Lake Placid

Hello to all,

I wanted to send you a note and give you some of the info on this Sunday's race in the event you'd like to track my progress. We are in Lake Placid, NY for Ironman USA for my third Ironman. For those that can't remember the insanity, that is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then a marathon (26.2) miles for a grand total of 140.6 miles under the power of your own body. The course here is one of the most difficult in North America because of being in the Adirondack Mountains. We have a nice swim in Mirror Lake right in town, then we have a "Beast" of a ride that includes some really difficult climbs and some downhills that we could reach nearly 50mph traveling down, and then a marathon with a lot more hills that this Louisiana Boy is used too. In any event, I have 3 other guys I train with racing and our wives supporting us as well as my Mom and youngest Brother Christopher, so we'll be well cared for.

On Sunday you can track my progress at http://ironman.com/events/ironman/lakeplacid under the track and athlete coverage. You can search by my name or Bib number which is 676. The race starts at 7am Eastern/6am Central and I hope to finish in under 12 hours, but my nutrition, equipment, mother nature, and personal effort will dictate that.

I hope you all have a wonderful day on Sunday and please send me some prayers, energy, positive thoughts, whatever you'd like and then when you wake up you can think "Wow he is just starting the swim and then when you are figuring out what to have for dinner you can think I hope he's done."

Thanks to all for the kind words and well wishes

Cullen

Our guy Chris Clark won Bronze Sunday at New Orleans state criterium championships. Great Job! Go Team PedalPlay!!!

Jason Betz Joins PedalPlay's Team

Scott,

First, I want to again say thank you for extending me the offer of sponsorship. You and I both know that because of my uncanny ability to destroy bicycle components, there could be no better sponsor for me than PedalPlay. I will certainly do my best to be a great representative for your shop.

My first race under the PedalPlay flag went very well. That is, if slamming into a tree super hard while warming up, and flying over the bars into rocks on a screaming fast downhill section is considered going very well. Even with the carnage, I managed to finish in fourth place, which in the SERC series meant standing on their five deep-podium. (Well, next to the standard podium.) The race started at the top of Cheaha Mountain, which is Alabama's highest point. The first half of the course was mostly downhill, which was both extremely fun and fear inducing. The fear came not from the speed, but the realization that there had to be some serious climbing to come. The second half of the race HURT. I'm not sure if I'd ever climbed that much in a race before. Three laps meant three times the agony. When it was over, I was completely wasted. Lungs, legs, and heart were well done. I can't wait until next year!

I am attaching a few pics for you. The first four are from Bump 'n Grind at Oak Mountain, the next two are from my first SERC race at Raccoon Mountain in TN (DNF), and the last are from Cheaha Mountain.

My sincere thanks again go out to you for the sponsorship.

Jason Betz

Tour de Ouachita Bicycle Tour

Last year some of your club members came up to North Louisiana for this great ride, please join us again this year for The Tour de Ouachita!!!

Tour de Ouachita Bicycle Tour
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008

Start - 8:00 a.m.
Entry Fee: $30 before 9/29/08 ...........$40 after 9/29/08
Location: West Ouachita High School, West Monroe, La.
Course description: 15, 24, 40, 66 mile routes, hills of Ouachita Parish, country roads
Additional Information: Rest Stops, Sag,Longsleeve tshirts to first 100 entries
Proceeds to be donated to the Salvation Army Christmas Program

If you would like an application, please email me. run4evr_99@yahoo.com

Thank you, Liz Rambin, Monroe, La.

Hi Everybody,

MORE GREAT NEWS from Melissa Guilbeau, Urban Transportation Coordinator,
Infrastructure Planning Division, of the Department of Public Works:

Not only do our reports of physical problems or safety issues with roads, lanes
and paths (or the lack thereof), really matter, but if DPW receives a more detailed report from a citizen, which Melissa refers to as a Condition Assessment, it is EVEN MORE LIKELY to lead to MORE IMMEDIATE ACTION. So YOU have the VERY REAL OPPORTUNITY to be an INSTRUMENT for POSITIVE CHANGE!

Melissa also mentioned in another email, that DPW welcomes the helps of volunteers to do these condition assessments, because it increases their ability to discover problems and develop plans to respond to them. You are actually giving DPW the INFORMATION and AMMUNITION that they need to improve YOUR RIDE!

So where do YOU ride? What problem(s) with your route(s) really concern you? As soon as you have a little extra time to spare, do the following when you go out to ride:

1) Bring paper and pen with you.

2) Ride your route in "pieces". Note EVERYTHING (or the lack of) about each section that is a safety problem. Do this in stages for you entire ride.

3) Write up your detailed condition assessment, carefully noting the exact location(s) you are referring to, and email it to: "Melissa Guilbeau" MGuilbeau@brgov.com

4) Go into the system, at https://brgov.com/apps/crs/ to generate a report number. Refer to the letter that you are sending Melissa in the comments section. This will be a record of your Condition Assessment.

Voila! YOU ROCK! And hopefully, many riders and citizens will benefit from your efforts.

Of course, if what you have time to do is make a quick call to 3-1-1 or (225) 389-3090, to report one particular thing, YOU STILL ROCK! cuz every report is helpful to DPW in assessing where improvements are needed.

My Condition Assessment is on the bottom of this post. Not anything great, but it might give you a few ideas. :-)

Safe Riding, Sam

www.khsbicycles.com/09_green_08.htm

Good column by Jared Janes in today's Advocate with Mark Martin and Sam
Pourciau from BRASS:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/24407554.html

District Criterium is this weekend

Hi everyone,

Please join us at NOMA for Colombian Independence Day this Sunday, July 20, from 1-4 p.m. We'll have Latin music by the fabulous Rumba Buena, authentic Colombian dancing, an assortment of Latin-American beers, frozen margaritas, Colombian snacks and more. Best of all, it's free to Louisiana residents.

A flyer is attached--feel free to send it around to anyone you know who might be interested. If you haven't seen The Baroque World of Fernando Botero yet, this would be the perfect day to do so. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I'll hope to see you here sometime soon!

Best,
Jim

James J. Mulvihill
Director of Communications & Marketing
New Orleans Museum of Art

504.658.4106 [work]
504.658.4199 [fax]
713.249.2261 [mobile]

1 Collins Diboll Circle, PO Box 19123, New Orleans, Louisiana 70179

www.noma.org

Hey Everybody,

The district crit is just six days away and I wanted to send out some additional information. First I want to thank Eddie Corcoran Allstate Insurance for his generous donation of $250 towards cash primes. All of the groups (except juniors) will have a second lap cash prize from the Cat 1,2,3's $75 to Cat 5's $25.

Second we will open the race to one day licenses for Cat 5 and Masters, they can compete for prizes but are not eligible for the district championship medals.

Third I wanted to encourage all racers to visit the New Orleans Museum of Art after the race, they are hosting a Columbian Independence day celebration starting at 1:00 with live music, beer and margaritas in the main lobby(see attached). So if you want to cool off after the race, this is the place. Remember that preregistration ends Thursday, so register at www.bikereg.com to avoid $10 for late entry.

See you all Sunday!
Jay Scheib
www.midsouthmasters.com

The LAMS tttx4 scheduled for August 9, 2008 in Baton Rouge is being moved to Saturday
September 6, 2008 at the same location. A revised race flyer will be posted @
www.TigerCyclingFoundation.com on Monday morning.

This will place the Team Time Trial Championships and Individual Time Trial Championships
on back-to-back weekends.

BRASS Memorial Ride on July 12th

In order to participate in the BRASS Memorial Ride on July 12th, the
Saturday Intermediate Ride will head to Farr Park instead of Alligator
Bayou. We will meet at Albertsons on Blue Bonnet at 7:30, clip in and
ride to the River Road, turn south to the Split, turn around at the
split and head north to Farr Park to meet with Mark Upton for 9 AM.
We will complete the Memorial ride then head back south. From there we
can decide if we want to do a loop or head back to Albertsons. Hope
to see you there, we need to support bicycle safety in Baton Rouge.

Chris LeMoine
242-7833

Greetings All,

We have just received word that WBRZ will be filming for broadcast our memorial/protest ride this coming Saturday, July 12, unless some unforeseen breaking news bumps us.

Please plan on attending the ride, bring the kids, bring a friend, tell everyone you know. The more people we have the better.

For those of you who have either or both of the new BRASS t-shirts (" May Use Full Lane" neon yellow or Same Road - Same Rules - Same Rights" white) please wear one or the other.

The ride starts at Farr Park (6402 River Road), travels up River Road, and ends at the Centroplex. Anyone who wishes to attend should. Those who do not wish to ride the entire route may certainly join the rideat any point along the route.

Mark E. Martin
Baton Rouge Advocates for Safe Streets
bikebr.org
brsafestreets@hotmail.com

presented by


8th Annual Giordana Crossroads Classic
Nine-Day Criterium Event
Nine days of bike racing in nine different North Carolina Cities
July 25 – August 3, 2008
www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com
$55,000+ Purse

Charlotte Sports Cycling is proud to announce we have teamed with several NC based cycling teams and sponsor Giordana Cycling Apparel to bring nine days of criterium racing to the Piedmont and Foothills of North Carolina. The eighth annual event will feature nine criterium races held July 25 – August 3 and will visit nine different North Carolina cities: Taylorsville, Lenoir, Morganton, Mocksville, Concord, Salisbury, Statesville, Harrisburg, and Winston-Salem. This exciting nine-day race brings an incredible amount of energy to each downtown as professional and amateur cyclists alike will fill the streets with color, excitement, and speed as the racers battle in the daily criterium events.


Charlotte Sports Cycling President, Neal Boyd says, “The Cities have really embraced the cycling event and provided a tremendous amount of support for the nine-day race”

The nine-day event will kick off Friday evening July 25 in the quaint Town of Taylorsville, NC. Taylorsville, nestled in the Foothills of North Carolina, will be entertained by the first ever bike race to travel the streets of the community. The Giordana Crossroads Classic will stay in the Foothills of NC with events in Lenoir on Saturday evening and Morganton on Sunday.

Monday will give the cyclists an opportunity to rest and gear up for six consecutive days of racing. The racing will resume in the beautiful Downtown of Mocksville, NC with a criterium event that raises money for the United Way. Wednesday, Crossroads promoters are bringing back a classic course with an event in Downtown Concord. The .4 of a mile course is flat and super fast race venue.

Thursday evening, the Giordana Crossroads Classic will make its way to the City of Salisbury with one of the most unique courses during the nine-day event. The course in Salisbury is a “figure-eight” loop that is exciting for the race participants and spectators. The City of Statesville will play host to the cycling community on the second Friday evening during Crossroads. Statesville is the only City to host an event all eight years of the Giordana Crossroads Classic. Harrisburg, NC will host its first ever criterium event in the Town Center Plaza on Saturday. Town Center Plaza is beautiful mixed use development in the center of Harrisburg.

The Giordana Crossroads Classic is anchored by the Hanes Park Classic NRC race in Winston-Salem, NC. The Hanes Park Classic has been a staple on the southeast racing calendar for many years and is in its second year on NRC calendar. Professional men will race for $15,000 and the women will race for $7,500.

July 25 – Taylorsville, NC
July 26 – Lenoir, NC
July 27 – Morganton, NC
July 29 – Mocksville, NC
July 30 – Concord, NC
July 31 – Salisbury, NC
August 1 – Statesville, NC
August 2 – Harrisburg, NC
August 3 – Winston-Salem, NC

The beauty of the Giordana Crossroads Classic is all events are within a short drive of the next race. We, here are Charlotte Sports Cycling, tried to organize an nine-day event that any and all cyclists could afford, lots of great racing within a short drive.

For start times, race categories, registration, course maps, directions, hotel rates and all other pertinent information, visit
www.CrossroadsCyclingClassic.com

Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc.
2022 Dembrigh Lane
Charlotte, NC 28262
nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com
www.charlottesportscycling.com
www.charlottemtnbike.com

*SHARING THE ROAD WITH BICYCLES*

*I recently looked up what the current La. Drivers Manual says about bikes, and it's not bad. It might be worth carrying a few copies of this to give to angry motorists:*

*SHARING THE ROAD WITH BICYCLES*

Louisiana Revised Statute 32:199: All children under the age of 12, when operating a bicycle or is a passenger on a bicycle, must wear an approved helmet with head straps when on a public highway, bicycle path or other public right-of-way.

Bicycling is a healthy form of recreation for many people, while for others it is an important form of transportation. Bicycles have the same rights to use public roads as automobiles and must follow the same traffic laws as other vehicles.

Many drivers find it hard to know how to react to bicyclists riding in the street. For the safety of both drivers and bicyclists the following precautions should be taken while driving and bicycling.

*Driving Safely near Bicyclists*

*Approaching and passing bicyclists:*

Increase following distances behind bicyclists because bicycle-stopping
distances are shorter than automobiles.

• Be aware that bicyclists not traveling in the extreme right of the lane may be trying to avoid gravel, debris, bad pavement, sewer grates and other obstacles.

• Be cautious of bicyclists moving legally into the center of the lane because of road hazards or into the left lane because of a left turn.

• Avoid passing between a bicyclist and an oncoming car on a two-way roadway. Slow down and allow oncoming vehicles to pass. Then move to the left to allow plenty of room to pass the bicyclist safely.

• A three foot distance must be present between the passing automobile and slower traveling bicyclists.

• Give bicyclists the entire lane when they are passing parked cars. They need the space to avoid opening doors.

• Use caution when passing bicyclists because the air current created by a passing automobile may cause bicyclists to have an accident.

• If you are pulling a trailer, allow for extra passing room when passing bicyclists.

• Extra caution should be used when motorist are near bicyclists in wet, windy, or icy weather.

*Turning near bicyclists:*

• Drivers who are turning left must wait until oncoming bicyclists pass. Accidents occur when turning drivers do not notice the bicyclists in the flow of traffic or misjudge their speed.

• Do not swing in front of a bicyclist to make a right turn. Making a right turn after overtaking a bicyclist is also a cause of accidents. Drivers should slow down and stay behind the bicyclist, or LOOK ONCE, THEN AGAIN. MAKE SURE YOU SEE THE BICYCLE AND KNOW ITS SPEED BEFORE YOU TURN.

• Speeds of bicycles are hard to judge; they can vary from under 10 mph to over 35 mph. Good

communication and eye contact between auto drivers and bicyclists are needed to prevent accidents.

*Watch for bicyclists and use caution in hazardous conditions:*

• When opening your car door into traffic, look first for bicyclists.

• Railroad crossings can cause bicyclists to slow down and possible zigzag in order to cross the tracks.

• Metal or grated surfaces may cause a bicycle to be less stable than a car. Bicyclists should slow down and move to the center of the lane to allow room for handling the uneven surface.

Drivers should be prepared for the reaction of a bicyclist who is less experienced and may swerve to correct for the new surface.

• Long open highways and bridges, trucks creating windblasts can move a bicyclist out of his or her path of travel.

• Children on bicycles may not be aware of their surroundings. Drivers should be aware that the children may make sudden movements or change direction.

• Especially in Louisiana, inclement weather conditions create high winds and slippery surfaces that can cause extreme problems for bicyclists. Because these conditions create stability problems for all vehicles, drivers should allow more following distance for bicyclists.

*Bicycling Safety:*

• Always wear a helmet.

• Use hand signals and eye contact to communicate your actions with other drivers on the road.

• Obey the instructions of official traffic control signals and signs. Stop
at stop signs and for stoplights just like a motor vehicle.

• Ride on the right hand side of the road with traffic. If you are making a
left hand turn, ride on the left side of the turn lane. You may ride in center of lane to avoid hazards.

• Be predictable by riding in a straight line and following traffic laws.

• Yield to pedestrians on crosswalks and on sidewalks.

• When riding at night, bicycles must have a white front light and a red rear light or reflector visible from the rear.

• Carry no more persons than the number for which the bicycle is designed and equipped.

• Two cyclists may ride side-by-side, but it is safer to ride in a single file line.

Rick

BR roads not safe for bicyclists

Hi everyone, Be sure to check out Ed Cullen's piece from June 29. Let him know you appreciate his ongoing support for bike safety issues in Baton Rouge, by leaving a message if you are so moved:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/columnists/atticsalt/22192659.html#comments

Cannondale Sports Group Pledges $200,000 to Bikes Belong

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Cannondale Sports Group Pledges $200,000 to Bikes Belong

Bethel, Conn. – July 01, 2008 – During the recent Bikes Belong board meeting, Cannondale Sports Group (CSG) President and CEO Jeff Frehner pledged an additional $200,000 to support Bikes Belong and its mission to get more people riding bicycles more often. This contribution will be an annual donation of up to $200,000—in addition to membership dues—that will begin in July 2008. It is another step in CSG’s commitment to strengthen the bicycling community through advocacy.

"We are very grateful for this additional donation from Cannondale Sports Group, which will be managed by our Bikes Belong Foundation,” said Tim Blumenthal, Bikes Belong Executive Director. “It will fund two innovative, timely projects.”

A total of $125,000 will help Bikes Belong work with its national non-profit partners to enhance the crucial efforts of state and city bicycle advocacy groups. The remaining $75,000 will back a new Bicycle Facility Design Standards Project that will help professional transportation planners and engineers build seamless, convenient, and appealing cycling routes.

“It is important for us to support programs that are helping to make bicycling a bigger part of our daily lives,” said Frehner. “When we work with and contribute to organizations like Bikes Belong and their partners, we are helping to make the cycling environment better for all bicycle riders.”

CSG has made a commitment to support bicycle advocacy by maintaining current efforts and further developing new partnerships. The $200,000 pledge comes just weeks after CSG announced that Cannondale Bicycles would renew memberships in Bikes Belong and IMBA.

Petition for safe bike trails.

Your signature is valuable and makes a real difference. Please encourage others to sign the petition as well. To do that, just forward the text below to everyone who might be interested:
------- FORWARD THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS -------
Hi,
I wanted to draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed:
"Baton Rouge bicycling: Same road - Same rules - Same rights"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/BRLABiking?e
I really think this is an important cause, and I'd like to encourage you to add your signature, too. It's free and takes less than a minute of your time.
Thanks!


http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/BRLABiking?e