There will be another meeting regarding the Land Use Plan for Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Monday, June 29, 2009 7:00 pm at Amador High School, 1155 Santa Rita Road, in Pleasanton. Meet in the multi purpose room next to the cafeteria.

The June meeting is the "kick off" of the LUP process and we need cyclists to show up. The LUP will set a long-term plan for recreational facilities and resource management at the park.  This will be your ONLY chance to share your ideas on improved bike access until on-site workshops and the 2nd public meeting in 2010.  At the first meeting there were close to 100 cyclists, but no formal way to make a statement. It was great that so many cyclists were in attendance, however in terms of the LUP it didn't mean a whole lot.

A small number of local hiking and equestrian groups have vowed to fight against any new access for mountain biking in Pleasanton Ridge, despite plentiful evidence that well-designed trails can be successfully shared by various user groups, and that mountain biking is a sustainable, low-impact form of recreation.

Take Action! Write to EBRPD

Please join us for our monthly group ride at 9:30 am the 2nd Saturday of every month for a casually paced social group ride at one of the many great parks in the east bay. The next Gala ride is July 11th at Mt Tam.

This no-drop ride is fun and includes most levels - both men and women. Most importantly, we ride together and find camaraderie in the sport. Contact Bruce for more info.

Rides generally last 2 to 3 hours. Ride is free and open to the public and led by experienced local mountain bikers familiar with the trails. Afterwards we regroup for beer and socializing.

Dimond Park Trail Work. BTCEB is partnering with V-O-Cal on Dimond Canyon (west of Joaquin Miller in Oakland) trail work. BTCEB build the Switchback Trail in Dimond back in 1999 and looks to keep the Dimond trails tight and technical. Join us Saturday & Sunday, June 27 & 28 at Dimond Park. Sign-up

 

Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park Land Use Meeting - June 29th 7:00 pm
See story above.

Youth Mountain Bike Adventures - July 18 9:45
All rides meet at the trail head parking lot at 9:45 and end at approx. 2:30. Lunch provided for all!

Check out the group ride calendar and advocacy calendar for more events

California State Parks has announced a proposal to open a singletrack trail for mountain biking in Marin County, on the shoulders of Mt. Tamalpais. The agency plans to allow bicycle use on the 4-mile Bill’s Trail segment, and is soliciting public comments on the project. The commentary period ends on 6-26.

Located within the Mt. Tamaplais watershed in Samuel Taylor State Park, Bill’s Trail winds through native ferns, wildflowers and hazelnut trees.

California State Parks is expected to announce opportunities for bicycling on other nearby routes in upcoming months. The Diaz Ridge Trail, which runs through Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area property, is scheduled to receive a major reroute this summer. This project could produce shared-use singletrack joining State Parks and National Park Service properties.

IMBA has issued a call to action, asking mountain bikers to tell California State Parks that they support the decision to open Bill’s Trail to bicycles. IMBA has an easy to use site to send in your email.

The final design for the Lafayette Bike Park was approved by the Park Commission on April 8th and it sounds like grading will begin in June. There was an article in the Lamorinda Weekly showing the final design plans, which are also available on the Bike Parks web site.

The Lafayette Bike Park will be located in the south end of Lafayette Community Park adjacent to the sports fields. Built on a hill, the progression based bike park will be packed with beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert level table top jumps, berms, and rollers that are gravity fed. Riders will pedal/push to the top and drop in on a selection of fat berms, flowy rollers, and a variety of jumps including hips, kickers, step ups, step downs and more built for both BMX and mountain bike riders to rip it up.

There are still a couple jerseys left at the local bike shops Solano Cyclery, Wheels of Justice, Sharp Bicycle, and Hank & Frank Bicycles who have partnered with us to offer these great jerseys. These make great gifts for your BTCEB pals!

Let everybody know that you are a proud member of one of the oldest mountain biking organizations in the country and you support open access for mountain bikes in the East Bay.

BTCEB can only succeed if you take its future into your own hands. There are many vital roles that we need volunteers to take on and so we've started this wish list for you to do just that!

 

BTCEB Blogger

Like to write? If you're plugged into local mt biking and enjoy writing, contribute to the BTCEB blog. This no muss, no fuss, volunteer in your PJs job is a great way to help the club and get your voice read. Contact Brent for more info.

Ride Leaders
We have a monthly ride gala and we need ride leaders. This monthly no-drop ride includes all skill levels for both men and women. Most importantly, we'll ride together and find camaraderie in the sport. Along with just having fun and enjoying being together outside we help each other progress from amateur to experienced rider. Rides generally last 1 1/2 to 2 hours and are usually attended by both inexperienced and elite riders... so you can imagine, we split into groups and need ride leaders for beginners, relaxed intermediate, and fast paced/advanced. If you can help contact our Group Ride Coordinator Bruce Nikolai.

Bike Shop Liaison
Bike shop liaisons are responsible for maintaining an active relationship with shop management and staff. You job is to brag about BTCEB and let the shop staff know what BTCEB is doing.  If you stop by your local bike shop at least once a month you're already doing most of the work. We'll arrange for you to get our printed material and all you have to do is drop it off. We'll be happy to go with you on your first official visit. Better yet if you work in a bike shop all you have to do is keep your co-workers informed!  Contact Dan for more info.

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Fund Raising
It's great that we have such generous members willing to join our singletrack society for $50 or more. Still we spent more money than we made last year producing our newsletter, maintain our web site, funding our Youth Mountain Bike Adventures program, conducting trail maintenance, sponsor the NorCal High School Mt Biking Racing League, attending conferences and land manager events, helping launch our new Oakland Bike Patrol program, paying our phone bill, providing beer and food for the socials, and helping the other clubs in the Bay Area with special projects. We could us help to write grants and develop unique events like movie theater nights, silent auctions, or special rides. Contact Brent for more info.

And of course make sure to keep your membership up to date and consider joining our Singletrack Society with $50 or more or make a donation any time. All donations and membership dues are fully tax deductible.

Been telling yourself that you want to get more involved with the club? Here is your chance. The next BTCEB meeting will be held on

July 7th at the Round Table Pizza, 3637 Mt Diablo Blvd in Lafayette.

If you have issues about a local park, or suggestions of how the club can be more effective, this is a great way to express those points of view. If you just wish to listen, that's just fine.

The meeting lasts from 7pm to 9pm. Then those that are interested may move to a local bar for informal discussions and beer following the meeting (which is a good enough reason to attend in itself).