Photo courtesy: Bryce Toole
Ripping Gypsy (RG): Hey my name is Bryce Toole. I live in Orlando Fl. Guess my profession would be living life to its fullest!
VM: “At what moment in your bmx career did you decide that you wanted to ride long distance?”
RG: I believe it was the summer of 05′, I was staying in Pittsburgh with Bobby Valentine and Greg Smee. One evening Bobby was like, “hey man im outta here” I was living with him at the time and was like….”well im coming with”. We jetted back to the house, packed a rough sack,which was a change of close and bam, Bobby,Greg, and I were off. It was a wild bmx cycle to Akron Ohio. Camped and rode the free concrete park for a few days. Ever since ive had this bug of adventure.
VM: “What was the biggest obstacle in achieving your first long distance ride, and how did you manage that?”
RG: Biggest obstacle would have to be either the countless flats, or the hills. Seeing that we were on bmxs’, it was gnarly.
VM: “What made you decide to stop in Pittsburgh?”
RG: I love Pittsburgh. The people, history, and what better of a way to get there,via bicycle.
VM: “What are you going to do when you get here, this time?”
RG: See all my buds. Definitely going to Primanti’s and getting a cold one and a sandwich. Were going to ride some bmx trails hopefully and pedal around Oakland hollering at some chicks hahaha. All around, just have a blast.
VM: “What’s next?”
RG: Well… I asked Bobby if he was able to ride some with me on the next leg of the trip out of Pittsburgh, and its looking like it could happen. Im stoked! Its going to be due west from Pittsburgh, over one of the many infamous bridges, and on to the open road.
Id like to thank,
Matt and Charlie at Profile Racing
The Cottles at OBMX
James at Mr.Bikes & Boards
Brain at ESPN
DNA Energy Drinks
And My Mom, Momma Toole!
You can follow the trip at therippingypsy.blogspot.com
Frick Park Trail Workshop
Lots of organizations (Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and Friends of the Pittsburgh Urban Forest) are mobilizing to improve the trails of Frick Park, with the help of a Conservation Grant provided by REI. The techniques discussed will be instrumental in maintenance workdays in the future. Please pre-register by sending an email to Peter Greninger!
Click for larger image
With so much planning, we were almost disheartened to hear about the impending thunderstorms supposed to happen in the middle of the afternoon, yesterday. Luckily, there wasn’t any thunder, rain came down in short spurts, and there was a phenomenal sample sale on rain gear at one of the vendor booths.
the rain washed away the sidewalk chalk
Thinking about all the planning that had gone into it, we really wanted to see the effort manifest in a bunch of giggling, bike-riding children. With previously certified coaches and first aid staff, about 2 months ago we joined the League of American Bicyclists as a club, applied for liability insurance and seperate insurance certificates for the event. We scheduled a build party for the obstacles, drafted the design and layout of four obstacles, and purchased the materials about a month ago. With volunteers from Venture Outdoors, Thick Bikes, and Knobby Meats; we came together to construct a small barrier, a teeter totter, a ramp and short drop, and a zig-zagging platform.
We made a tear-off flyer for online and posting in local shops, worked with local organizations (like PORC) to create a buzz, organized a list of volunteers for load-in (Precision Electric, thank you!) and the day of the event (MJ), printed out extra liability waivers, purchased wristbands, sidewalk chalk, tape, and water soluable crayons for face-painting. Wilderness Voyageurs loaned us a half dozen kids’ bikes and helmets from their rental fleet, too.
We scheduled the rodeo to operate during the peak hours of the festival (from 12-4pm) just next to the bike path in Point State Park, and the storms came and went until about 2:30. That last hour and a half, we had about 40 kids clamoring to get signed up for the bikes!
MJ juggles getting the parents and kids organized.
With each lap around the rodeo, the kids learned new skills, and kept going until they were tired. There were a couple of gentle falls, but no scrapes or bruises.
We had lots of adults and even a unicyclist practice on the obstacles. The kids came back after they did other things at the festival, even played on the obstacles when we were packing up!
All in all the event was a success, and we’re prepared to do more, hoping to partner up with existing races to give a family-friendly atmosphere to the bicycle community.
Photo Courtesy of Jon Suzuki
A student athlete I had the privilege of coaching in California, while working with the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, is graduating High School. She’s still picking out her field and using some of her summer to find her school of choice while riding her bike.
I’ll be riding with her and her riding partner part of the way on their trip through the East Coast, and helping spread the word about her progress along the way. Please consider donating to the charity she’s chosen to gain awareness and support with her ride for the Conservation Fund. Here’s Charlotte:
“The plan:
Lyla and I are taking four months to bike across and around the US of A. The general plan is to ride South to LA, East through Texas and along the Gulf, and North up the East Coast, through the Capital, and up to Boston/New York. It should be about a six thousand mile ride. We will be traveling through as much of America’s wilderness as possible, in the spirit of The Conservation Fund. We haven’t entirely mapped out our route yet, and we’re definitely open to suggestions and advice.
The goal:
We are aiming to raise $10,000 for The Conservation Fund through this page and through offline donations. Fundraising will continue all the way through the end of our trip next May.
How You Can Help:
Every dollar counts and is much appreciated! Help us raise $10,000 for The Conservation Fund by donating <a href=”http://community.conservationfund.org/ConservationBikeTourUSA“>directly on the website</a>, or make a check out to The Conservation Fund with the “for” note marked “Conservation Bike Tour USA.” Tell everyone you know. If you are interested in sponsoring Lyla and me with resources for the ride itself, contact me (Charlotte) directly at cperryhouts at gmail.com.”
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Time: 8:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Washington Blvd Oval, Pittsburgh, PA
Description: Introductory Clinic to Bike racing for Women
Registration will begin around 8:15-8:30am at the oval. Cost is $20 which includes a one day non-competitive permit and insurance. Bring a lunch & water.
All levels of experience are welcome, we are anticipating anywhere from 15-30 women at the clinic, to be split into groups by experience level. We will spend the first half of the session going over fundamental cycling skills, including proper use of gearing and braking, and will gradually introduce more advanced skills tailored to the group, including group riding and pacelining. Depending on the interest of the group, we may even finish with a 3-4 lap “race”.
Any questions, feel free to EMAIL Coach Suzanne Atkinson, MD.
Team Page: http://racing.steelcityendurance.com/
BTWD: May 21, VO Fest: May 22
Well, its happening – everything you can squeeze into the few days of decent weather before it gets sticky humid and or perhaps regardless of that… because, heck, its still fun to ride in the rain. And we have been quite lucky to have a spell of mild weather, lately.
We are also supporting Bike Pittsburgh to bring you a Bike To Work Day kick off to the Car Free Friday campaign, with a bike commute check-in station (similar to the Energizer Stations in the SF Bay Area) on Friday morning 7-10am at Merson Courtyard on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. We will be coordinating with Thick Bikes to perform quick, light repairs and offering coffee and and bagels to make your morning commute extra fun. Next month (June 18th), we are coordinating with BikePgh again, to host events during the East liberty Car Free Friday, for women, starting in Shadyside and riding through town and finishing with a really neat homemade craft swap at Tazza D’Oro Cafe.
To celebrate the outdoors, Venture Outdoors will coordinate with a bunch of local organizations to bring the public some really fun events, unique exposure to the outdoors, and a host of enthusiastic opportunity. Velomuse is proud to work with this fabulous organization, in bringing the first kids bike rodeo to the park. We’ll be right between the two primary bike paths of Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt Birdges in Point State Park from 12-4pm on Saturday 22nd of May, set up with some bright pink (not my favorite) boundary tape and some handmade small obstacles for the little ones. If you plan on participating in the PORC ride, please also plan to be present for your child to participate in the bike rodeo.
Here’s both of the flyers:
2010poster
and ours:
Click for larger image
Lastly, Dirt Fest hosted by Dirt Rag magazine is happening simultaneously this weekend at Raystown Lake. IMBA will be on hand to host a IMBA Pennsylvania Summit. Too bad we can’t have clones so we get to experience everything!
Bike Pittsburgh is kicking off Car Free Fridays with a host of Bike to Work Day Energizer stations, on May 21st.
Port Authority is partnering up on the Can the Car Campaign
Velomuse is working with Thick Bikes, to bring a fun, educational pit stop to the Carnegie Mellon University Campus, in the Merson Courtyard, from 7-10am.
PA Walks and Bikes Summit recap
A few days have passed since the end of the PA Walks and Bike Summit in Harrisburg, and I am glad that it happened. The opportunity needed to be made to discuss the important issues at hand, to learn where our strategic weaknesses are and develop repor with our legislators. One can not stress enough the importance of having cyclists communicate their presence to their legislators while we are growing in numbers. Senator John Pippy made time to talk with us, while we met with the staff of a couple other members of the Transportation Committee, Jay Costa and Jason Markosek. Pennsylvania is lucky to have rugged hills, vast countryside, a close-knit community, and a length of trail that extends all the way to our Nation’s Capitol. There are so many people that come out of the woodworks to act as ambassadors for the sport, the environment and the longevity of a sustainable economy. From developing junior athletes, to retaining new cyclists; Pennsylvania has it all. As a recent transplant, I have tried to take every opportunity to experience all that she has, and a year isn’t yet enough. And I feel indebted.
Ron Miller talks about Safe Passing laws
We share a common thread: as our natural resources become threatened, health concerns surmounting, and our nest eggs becoming less of a reality – we want to do something now, however small. We’re tired of asking forgiveness for what we would naturally do, and we’re calling for permission once and for all. It’s time.
WHAT CAN YOU DO? We want to be able to ride down the road without getting buzzed, and without causing a 15 mph backup on the road. We got a similar response from several legislators, about the conflicts that this bill brings up, and that we may need to make an amendment as the end of the session nears. Tell your legislators that you are here, you have an opinion, and we need to work together. Find out who your legislator is; and write a letter (they keep them on file), send an email, make a phone call. Be heard.
Harrisburg Bicycle Club
Many thanks to the Harrisburg Bicycle Club for showing us what its all about, and all the wonderful advocacy clubs (also linked above) that donate their blood, sweat and tears for something that is near and dear to their hearts.
PTAG trail work at Hartwood Acres.
reposted from Bike Pittsburgh:
Love mountain biking in Frick Park? PTAG needs a Frick Park Trail Steward
The Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group (PTAG) protects and encourages shared use trail access in Western Pennsylvania. They are especially concerned with the many single track trails used by mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians.
Each park they work in needs a Park Steward to work with the land manager and organize workdays and rides. There are also other on-going projects to GPS the trails, create trail system maps, build information kiosks and generally spread the word about responsible trail use. Park Stewards work with the land manager to develop a trail maintenance plan and then organize workdays in the park to make improvements.
Some (and there are more depending on the park) of the responsibilities a
PTAG steward has are:
- to work with the Park manager, introduce yourself and ask how you (and PTAG) can help make the park better
- keep abreast of all of the single-track for down trees and muddy spots.
- plan a big work day or two per year
- conduct regular maintenance
- decide where trails are redundant and close them
- develop a long-term vision for a park, basically how someone from another city would use Frick for the first time to get the full experience
- be aware of illegal trail activity, and inform the park manager of that activity
- work with the other park volunteer groups to make sure our community (mt bikers) are playing nice with other groups
- Not a paying position.
If you’re interested in this responsibility, please contact Eryn Hughes ateryn@velomuse.org
