BTCEB Buzz, March 2021

The BTCEB Board of Directors has unanimously approved the resumption of the pop-up group ride program.  Effective immediately members of BTCEB will be able to schedule pop-up rides similar to how we had run them pre-COVID-19.  Rides will follow the most current state, county, local, and park system restrictions in addition to other guidelines as adopted by the Board.  At this time we are limiting group rides strictly to the “pop-up ride” format with up to 10 riders (including the ride leader) per event.

Here’s a full list of the adopted group ride guidelines:

BTCEB IS OPERATING UNDER STRICT COVID-19 OPERATING RESTRICTIONS as provided the the California Department of Public Health, relevant county and local health departments, as well as relevant park system guidelines as defined for adults participating in non-contact outdoor fitness and sports activities. 

COVID-19 preventative measures are vital to protecting health and wellbeing, and to minimize pressure on the frontline services. We all have a role to play in adhering to the Public Health orders and guidelines, therefore we require that you observe the following: 

Do not join a BTCEB Group Ride if you are feeling unwell or are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, difficulty breathing, fever/chills, muscle pains, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat or new loss of taste or smell.

• You should not come to a BTCEB Group Ride if you have been specifically tested for a possible COVID-19 exposure and are waiting for your test results. If you test positive for COVID-19 within 7 days of being at an in-person BTCEB event you must report this via email to the club Board of Directors at board@btceb.org within 24 hours of receiving your positive test notification.
• Show consideration for others by respecting the mandated physical distancing requirement of 6 feet and wearing a face covering when this is not possible especially at the beginning, end or during extended breaks in the ride.
• CDC recommended face masks must be properly worn [mouth + nose] while waiting to join up on a Group Ride and when not participating in the activity (e.g mid-ride breaks, mechanicals, etc).
•  No sharing of drink bottles and other personal items and equipment.
• Shared food or beverages will not be provided at club events unless they are single serve items.  Food or beverage consumption must strictly adhere to physical distancing requirements of more than 6 feet.
• Please observe posted/documented limits for the number of people allowed for a given group ride.  At this time no more than 10 riders (including the Ride Leader) are permitted on a BTCEB Group Ride.  Please be sure to RSVP to any ride announcement or post to ensure that sufficient space is available in a ride.
• Do not spend time any longer than necessary in close proximity to other riders particularly as rides begin or end.
• Give careful consideration to your fitness, prevailing trail conditions, and expected skill level required when choosing to join a BTCEB group ride.
  
  Persons not respecting physical distancing guidelines after reasonable requests from Group Ride Leaders or other members will be asked to leave the BTCEB Group Ride.  Ride privileges on BTCEB Group Rides may be revoked by the club Board of Directors for continued failure to follow these guidelines.

Stay tuned to the BTCEB Meetup Events page for the next Pop-Up Ride near you!

And if you’d like to organize a Pop-Up Ride please contact ride@btceb.org with your request and we’ll get your ride posted for you.

The BTCEB 2021 Nominating Committee is proud to announce the following positions have been filled at our February Board meeting.  Included where available is an introductory note from the winning candidate.

President: Jerott King

The president presides at all meetings of the Board of Directors.  He or she shall generally supervise, direct, and control the business and officers of the corporation. He or she leads the Executive Committee, provides support for all other BTCEB committees, and participates in those committees as needed. Jerott King was re-elected president in a landslide.

Vice-President: Mirek Boruta

The Vice-President performs the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President and also acts in a leadership role for the organization. Having grown up in Castro Valley next to Lake Chabot, I’ve been a mountain biking enthusiast for over 20 years. I currently reside in Oakland and work at CLIF Bar, both in finance and marketing.
 
I’ve been a biking and triathlon coach for over a decade, having introduced many people to mountain biking and the beautiful trails we have in the East Bay. Currently, my best riding buddies are my 9 year old son and 7 year old daughter. Being able to take them outside, especially in these current times, and riding JMP or the new pump track has been one of the greatest joys.

Secretary: Tom Holub

The Secretary creates and maintains all official records of the BTCEB, including the Book of Minutes, the Annual Report, and any Notices required for BTCEB business.  Tom was unanimously re-elected.

Membership Director: Yvette Skinner

When the BTCEB’s acting Membership Director moved out of state, the Board members knew that his term of service would be over by the end of 2020.  He was gracious enough to continue the role till the end of the year but the clock was ticking.  

The BTCEB’s membership list is managed through a third-party website that is neither user friendly nor up to date.  To get even basic information from it requires someone familiar with spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel, which I am used to working with.  I volunteered to take over the role temporarily until the elections to get a feel for the work.  

When it comes to numbers, I think that most mountain bikers have the air pressure in their rear shock dialed in to just the right PSI but numbers in a spreadsheet are just not that interesting.  I suspected this role would not have many takers.  A couple other folks had expressed interest in the VP role so I felt confident that changing roles would not leave an unfilled position so I threw my name in the hat for Membership Director.

Our membership management database clearly shows a need for cleanup and improvement.  We rely on the website to send renewal notices to people whose membership has expired and this does not seem to be happening reliably.  In my time in this role I hope to get a better understanding of our database and improve its function.  There’s many other tasks that are important to this role but managing our membership is a critical first step.

Community Outreach Director: Ben Brunetti

The Community Outreach Director seeks to promote mountain biking among new and interested parties, and manages BTCEB’s ride and education programs. He or she also leads outreach efforts to underrepresented communities, youth, women, and LGBTQ+ populations.  We welcome Ben as he transitions from the Trails Director role into Community Outreach Director.

Trails Director: Chris Wikler

My name is Chris Wikler, and I am excited to be serving as the new BTCEB Trails Director. I grew up riding in the East Bay hills, training in them during my time in the NorCal league, and falling back in love with them as I sought to get out of the house and ride to new places as COVID-19 hit. With so many more people enjoying and playing out in our incredible parks, the need for more trail work and expansion of access to mountain bikes became ever more clear to me— and I wanted to dive right in to that work. I learned to love building trail at a Boy Scout camp in Mendocino County, the Wente Scout Reservation, and look forward to bringing my experience working on singletrack there to our amazing parks and open spaces in the East Bay as the BTCEB trails director. I hope to get out and move some dirt with you soon!

Advocacy Director: Scott Bartlebaugh

I’ve been the BTCEB Lead Trail Steward for Crockett HIlls since 2018 and have grown the volunteer effort there year over year reaching 530 volunteer hours in 2020.  I have also been active in advocacy for the BTCEB and currently serve as one of our two members on the CAMTB Advisory Council and also on the EBRPD Trail User Working Group as one of two cycling stakeholders.  I’ve been active in BTCEB communications with the EBRPD Trails Development group the last 3 years. 

Last year I participated with other recreational park users related to the Elizabeth Echols campaign for EBRPD director.  Additionally I’ve worked to increased posts to the BTCEB social media feeds, contribute routinely to the BUZZ, and partnered with Jamuel Starkey on the Virtual Gala Rides to help increase BTCEB presence, membership, and community.  I’m in contact with several groups and individuals working to increase mountain bike access.

Each time we roll out on a trail it’s an advocating opportunity whether we realize it or not. Mountain bikers need to be more active in communicating to land managers and participating in the public process.  The rate of progress and apparent lack of progress are maddening. The explosive growth rate of mountain biking and park user overloads during Covid have resulted in increased user group conflict and made the demand for trails more evident. 

It’s critical that the mountain bike community work together to make the most of the opportunity during this time of unprecedented demand to increase bike access and ally with other trail users to improve trail experiences for all users.

​The BTCEB was founded to advocate for bike access and I would like to see us further improve our advocacy efforts, effectiveness, priorities and results as an organization. We’re all advocates and you’ll be called on to do your part.  Answer the call.

Board Member At-Large: Mattie Terzolo

When I was 4 years old, I did something bad (no one involved remembers the original offense) and my parents took away my beloved bike as a punishment. Sobbing uncontrollably in a heap on the floor, I could only mutter “my bike…my bike” for hours. Out of fear they went too far, my parents walked the punishment back and never resorted to that again; they truly understood how sacred that bike was to me. 

While it is unknown whether I would have the same emotional reaction to not being able to ride my bike as an adult, I can say with certainty that I am still very passionate about getting out on my bike.  Now more than ever I am grateful for the access to nature and incredible trails we have in the East Bay.

​I joined BCTEB to help maintain and expand access to nature for mountain bikers in the East Bay – with the hope others will enjoy the trails as much as I do.

Board Member At-Large: John Roberts

I finally joined the BTCEB Board in a formal sense after already being fully engaged amongst its ranks for seven years.  I have been advocating for mountain biking during this time, and my trail work history is twice as long.  I am also a member of the Oakland Bike Patrol, and Friends of Joaquin Miller Park.  

I am here to ensure mountain biking is a great family sport and hope you can join me on this journey.  Mountain bikers can be independent and go in different directions, so, I will finish with this quote from U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant: “Numbers together can accomplish what twice their number acting individually could not perform.”

Board Member At-Large: Josh Church

In this position contributors who do not hold one of the officer or named director positions may also participate in the BTCEB board with full voting rights and will contribute to the committees they are assigned.  Josh moves over from the reconstituted Publicity and Education Director position (now Community Outreach Director) to become Board Member At-Large.

by John Roberts

More park use and reduced trail work is a recipe for trail deterioration. Covid has people flocking outdoors. For example, EBMUD staff reports a 60% increase in trail permits. Purchases of outdoor equipment has skyrocketed. Heightening such usage concerns, are Covid restrictions imposed for larger organized volunteer groups. The resulting trail deterioration is evident at Joaquin Miller Park (JMP).  Nevertheless, the Covid vaccine is now becoming available to the most vulnerable.  This has just started to mitigate some health risks enough, that BTCEB organized a larger work party. 

The momentous event was held on 3/28/21.  BTCEB Board member and JMP trail steward Tom Gandesbery organized the sign-up site which was shared with members of Friends of JMP, Oakland Bike Patrol, and BTCEB.  All three organizations were well represented.  Four trail projects were selected such that work pods comprised about three volunteers each.  This facilitated Covid social-distancing.  Tom also briefed the volunteers on safety, stating: “Do not stand any closer to someone than your tool can swing”.  He dramatically demonstrated this by rotating 360 degrees with a tool in hand.  He then showed how it is possible to use tools without having to raise them above waist height, again for safety reasons. 

This project was unique because emphasis was placed on using deadwood scavenged from the park.  Not only did this save money and helped mitigate other risks, it also allowed for the creative side of the volunteers to generate garden-like aesthetics to the finished product.  More importantly, the repair work on top of the upper Palos Colorados trail made for a more sustainable trail and safer riding.  In addition, the work on Sequoia Bayview trail also ensured emergency equipment can be made available to various areas of JMP.  The amount of trail users thanking the volunteers that day was persistent.

BTCEB thanks its volunteers for generating a great working environment.  With Covid protocols, volunteers made an extra sacrifice but also had a more profound impact on that day.  This work goes beyond any one group, and it is work that all park users stand to appreciate and benefit from.

By Advocacy Director Scott Bartlebaugh

Austin McInerny and Scott Bartlebaugh from BTCEB and Helen Gilbert Snyder from the El Cerrito High Mountain Biking team are representing mounting biking at the EBRPD Trail User Working Group.  This working group is a collection of over 30 trail stakeholders including mountain bikers, hikers, equestrians, dog walkers, conservation interests, other land managers, Bay Area Ridge Trail, and a few others. 

The group stems from the public review process and user conflict discussions in the Sibley McCosker Land Use Plan review process several years ago and the 2019 Board Trails Workshop. lt’s aimed at finding narrow trail stakeholder consensus on recommended solutions to reduce conflict and improve user experiences on new trails.  User conflict has been cited as a significant factor hindering the expansion of the trial systems.

It’s one factor but not the only one.  The acreage of the park district increased from ~65,000 acres in 1995 to ~125,000 acres today.  During that same time just 12.5 miles of narrow trail were constructed and most of that was at Crockett Hills. 37% of that acreage currently is still in landbank status, not open to the public, and won’t open under until it goes through land use planning. 

The discussion has been structured with various stakeholders presenting their perspective followed by discussion of how other users relate to that perspective and then possible solutions to conflicts.  Hikers presented in November and mountain biking presented in February. Mountain biking was presented as a range of desired trail experiences including cross country, flow, features, and technically challenging trails.  Of the trails open to mountain bikes there are very few with features or technical challenge. 

A history of little change over decades, a lack of technical challenge, staff land use plans including bike access not being supported by the board, and mountain bike community participation in the public process yielding little contribute to increased trail poaching, social trail building and user conflict.  This is further amplified with the explosive trail use growth by hikers and bikers during Covid. 

​The next meeting will focus on equestrians, followed by conservation interests, and then a couple of meetings focused on consensus solution recommendations.  Options to apply to existing trails but that will be a separate advocacy effort if scope holds to new trails.  Hopefully this will be a step to meaningful change in East Bay Regional Park District Parks.

Sunday March 14th – 9am to 1pm
4 21st St, Richmond, CA
37.931499, -122.350425

Looking for a chance to give back? Come on down to Dirt World Bike Park in Richmond on Sunday March 14th from 9am – 1pm to help perform maintenance on their dirt jumps and pump tracks. 

As you might imagine the park has been getting lots of laps during lockdown. Gloves, masks, water, and closed-toed shoes will be a must. COVID-19 protocols around masking and physical distancing will be in place.

Dirt World is hard to miss but can be tricky to find parking.  Try 20th Street in the Richmond Greenway just north of 20th St at Ohio Ave intersection.

Please reach out to BTCEB Trails Director Chris Wikler with any questions. Hope to see you there!

By Scott Bartlebaugh

The hills are alive and the grass is starting to take off.  The trails are in decent shape due to a relatively dry winter, the cattle being grazed in other pastures to the east and south, riders asking about conditions and giving the trails some time to dry out and some great drain work by Dave Sturgis and Tim Christol.  A gravelling trial was done on Wood Rat just east of the tunnel.  That area was getting particularly slick mud even with the addition of drains that addressed the standing water.  We’re only doing solo or very small groups (3 or less) until the park district allows to get back to the 10 or less small groups and larger work days which probably won’t happen till Contra Costa and Alameda counties reach the yellow COVID-19 tier.  Goldfinch trail closure will probably be coming very soon due to nesting eagles assuming they make another return.  Hopefully we’ll be back to having larger work days and can pick up again on Goldfinch in the fall.  The park supervisor is close to getting a rollover gate installed at the south side of the tunnel in the next few months.

by Mike Udkow

While membership on our Meetup site continues to grow to over 4,000 followers, membership in the BTCEB, your mountain biking organization, has been lagging comparatively.

To grow, to survive, and to represent the mountain biking community, we need your support. Your membership dues support our Gala rides and our RLaG program, pays for our insurance, helps to support NorCal High School MTBing and supports trail work at China Camp, Rockville, Fernandez and Crockett. We are hard at work developing the JMP Pump Track.  Our Board of Directors meets bi-monthly to discuss all topics relevant to local mountain biking.

Membership levels start at $30, with a $15 student/hardship level. Lifetime membership is $500.

Aside from the dues, we truly need and value your membership.

Please join or renew today at www.btceb.org

See you on the trails!

Emergency Trail Work Never Ceases

By John Roberts

The most basic need at Joaquin Miller Park (JMP) is to quickly clear dead fallen trees blocking trails. Such trail obstructions can tempt users to socialize bypass trails, or to climb over the logs, which can be risky for vulnerable park users. Oakland Bike Patrol (OBP) tackles some of these projects directly. OBP Lead Patroller Mike Kowalewski rides with a first aid kit, maps, tools, and a foldable hand saw for instant response to moderate-sized trail blockages like the one shown above at the JMP Meadow.

For larger trail blockages, the OBP acts as eyes and ears in the park, reporting quickly to the BTCEB trail care crew who can then plan a response using small key groups of volunteers to attack larger trail issues.

Foremost among trail maintenance volunteers is local legend Henry Mitchell, the retired former Trails Coordinator of BTCEB. He is pictured below after he recently limbed a tree and re-opened the Harold Ireland trail.

Henry also helped buck a large tree near the Sequoia Horse Arena.  This effectively re-opened access on a road that is a key return route for emergency vehicles. All these trees were reported by the OBP. 
 

by Scott Bartlebaugh

Here’s an article from pinkbike regarding bike access and federal wilderness areas.  While we don’t deal with federal wilderness areas here in the East Bay there are some points that do relate to access debates here:  “Given that research has overwhelmingly shown that mountain biking has a negligible impact on trails (less impact than horses), the more significant effects would be social.”, “If user groups can compromise on a solution, it would have to be a solution that doesn’t catastrophize or turn a nuanced situation into an all-or-nothing fiasco.” 

The EBRPD Trail User Working Group is aimed at addressing the bigger social issue and seeking solutions through compromise and coalitions.  The outcome is uncertain but there are more allies at the table this time. 

So when you’re out on a trail and you come across another user keep in mind that expanding access does involve compromise and coalitions.  Each encounter with another user is an advocacy opportunity.  We can choose to try to build an ally or not.  The path is still hard but do we want to make it harder?  Consider putting yourself in their shoes or saddle even if that perspective may be beyond what you consider reasonable.  That’s a big ask.  We’re not going to convince them all.  Do what you can when you can.