BTCEB presented our yearly volunteer and advocacy awards at our News Years party on January 23rd (with some 50+ folks in attendance).

Noreen Irving from Team Quattro Formaggio was awarded a BTCEB branded, Jersey, arm warmers, socks, and water bottle for raising almost $3K with her "Just for Fun" 24 hour race team last year. The rest of her team, Steward  Irving, James Jacobson, Jay Murphy each received $50 certificates from our sponsors at Solano Avenue Cyclery, Hank & Frank Bicycles, and Sharp Bicycle. Also receiving $50 certificates were Becky Brain, for her volunteer work at countless BTCEB functions and events, John Conkell, for his patient and generous support at the Gala rides,  Graham Wright for his advocacy work in Pleasanton Ridge, Bob Mammon for his many, many years of YMBA support, and Henry Mitchell for his numerous hours of trail work and support.

Thanks to our members who are passionate enough to support the trails they ride on!

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 on February 13 and starts in Mill Valley and climbs up Mt. Tam. We will gather in the main plaza behind the Depot Cafe and Book Store 87 Throckmorton Ave in Mill Valley. Start meeting at 9:00 we hit the trail promptly at 9:30. Our route will be up railroad grade which is a great route for beginners as well as more experienced riders.

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.

East Bay Regional Park District posted their trail survey for the Pleasanton Ridge Land Use Plan. Over the summer the District sought public input from park visitors on how they use the park and suggested changes people would like to see in the new LUP. When asked the primary purposes for visiting Pleasanton Ridge, 40% of the respondents said to mountain bike! Read the full survey and results.

Your continued input is critical! EBRPD wants to hear from you and will be reviewing the e-mails and letters you submit on a regular basis. Cyclist are encouraged to email plan_pleasantonridge@ebparks.org or write;

EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
c/o Julie Bondurant, Senior Park Planner
2950 Peralta Oaks Ct., P.O. Box 5381
Oakland, CA 94605

EBRPD will host a series of public workshops during the development of the Land Use Plan. Notices for these meetings will be posted on their website and distributed to people on their e-mail and postal mailing lists.

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 EBRPD and let them know you want access to narrow trails in Pleasanton Ridge!

BTCEB replaced a number of post and rails along the fences on Sequoia Bayview in Joaquin Miller Park. A number of fences had fallen down and really made the park look worn and neglected. We bought all the materials and had about 10 members on hand to tear out the old rotten post and put in new ones. It made for a big improvement. Thanks to our members who are passionate enough to support the trails they ride on! Please plan on joining us for another work day this Fall & Winter.

The East Bay Regional Park District is seeking public input about it's parks, facilities and trails from an online survey. It's long, but has a ton of opportunities to let them know "cyclists want more access to narrow trails". Please take the survey.
www.ebparks.org/onlinesurvey

 

The final design for the Lafayette Bike Park was approved by the Park Commission last year. However an EIR needs to be completed before construction can begin. The timeline for receiving final permits is estimated to be Summer 2010 and construction is estimated to begin in Fall 2010. There final design plans are 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.


Pro BMX rider Ruben Alcantara road trips a secret trail

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!

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.

Communications Director
BTCEB's current Communications Director has a fancy new gig as the Director of Communications for San Jose State. We hope he gets fat and out of shape on his daily commute. It would serve him right for putting family and work ahead of BTCEB. But of course it still means we need a new Communications Director no matter how fat he gets. So if you're interested in helping put together our quarterly newsletter, create marketing materials, i.e. brochures, special event materials, electronic newsletter, etc., write and place press releases, and post to our FaceBook and web sites, drop us a note at info@btceb.org or call 510-530-MTBK .

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, 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 at 7:00 pm on Tuesday March 2nd at the Sports Basement in Walnut Creek 1881 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, CA 94598.

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 and includes FREE pizza. 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).