Volume 3, Issue 13 – November 11, 2004

“A Newsletter Published by Bike Pittsburgh to establish Pittsburgh as a city that is increasingly safe, accessible, and friendly to bicycle transportation.”

In This Issue:

* Kids’ Bike Repair Day At Free Ride!
* Cool Holiday Activity! Wheel Wreath Workshop
* Volunteers Needed For New Segment Of Trail In Frick Park
* Adult Bike Maintenance Classes At Free Ride!
* Butler-Freeport Trail Flood Damage Update
* Upcoming Events

KIDS’ BIKE REPAIR DAY AT FREE RIDE!

Do you have a love of coasting brakes, 12″ tires, training wheels – or kids? Then come to Free Ride’s kids’ bike fix-up marathon!

Help us restore a mountain of neglected kids’ bikes to their former glory in time for the holiday season. These bikes will either be donated to charity organizations or sold at very affordable prices just in time for some lucky youngsters to pedal into the New Year with a trike or bike of their very own!

We can use all of the help that we can get. Even if you are unsure of your mechanic’s skills you can be of great use – most bikes need very basic tune ups – air in their tires, oil on their chain and some tightened up bolts, and they are ready to hit the road!

So come to Free Ride – located at 214 North Lexington Street inside Construction Junction – on Sunday, November 21st, from 11:00am until ??? and lend a hand.

Event Day: Sunday, November 21st
Event Location: Free Ride! – 214 North Lexington, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Event Time: 11:00am – ???
Cost: $FREE!

COOL HOLIDAY ACTIVITY! WHEEL WREATH WORKSHOP

This event is sponsored by Bike Pittsburgh and The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (http://www.pittsburgharts.org) and benefits The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. Wheel into the holidays with the most uniquely unusual wreaths ever imagined. Using wheels from donated bicycles destined to be disassembled and/or discarded, we will recycle and refashion them into amazing holiday wreaths using traditional and non-traditional materials. The finished products can grace your door or wall, or be given as gifts to your favorite outdoor enthusiasts. Ages: teens through adults. Instructor: Mary Brenholts.

These fabulous creations will challenge your pre-conceived notions of creative explorations, adventure, and art!

To sign up for this event, call Bike Pittsburgh at: (412) 576-5982.

Event Day: Saturday, December 4th
Event Location: Free Ride! – 214 North Lexington, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Event Time: 10:00am – 2:00pm
Cost: $25 Bike Pittsburgh, PCA, & Venture Outdoors Members, $30 All Others

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR NEW SEGMENT OF TRAIL IN FRICK PARK

Learn IMBA (http://www.imba.com) trail building practices as we replace a problematic section of trail. Goodies to be provided by bike shops and other sponsors. Tools will be provided, but bring your own work gloves. Pack something to munch on as well as well picnic a bit afterward. Please RSVP to Sean Brady: (sbrady@VentureOutdoors.org) or call (412) 255-0564.

David Biber, of Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group (PTAG), and Karl Rosengarth, our PA International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) representative have received approval and support from Citiparks and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to build a new trail section to replace an environmentally bad downhill in Frick Park. The replacement will be usable in both directions, more exciting to ride and best of all – sustainable. This enterprise will again hopefully prove to the city and other user groups that mountain bikers can be a positive force in our community. In IMBA fashion, every yard of the trail will be marked in November, plotting exactly where the top of the bench cut will be located. Bench Cutting and turn-building will create two major switchback turns, and hundreds of feet of bench will need to be built. But the dirt seems loose so the digging and packing should be reasonably quick.

Event Day: Sunday, December 5th
Event Location: Lower Frick Park via Overton Street, Regent Square
Event Time: 10:30am- 3:00pm
Cost: $FREE!

ADULT BIKE MAINTENANCE CLASSES AT FREE RIDE!

Free Ride! is offering basic bike mechanic classes for adults. The classes are part of a 5-part series and will be offered Monday nights beginning at 7:00pm at the Free Ride! Recycled Bike Shop. Free Ride! is located at 214 North Lexington Avenue in Point Breeze (inside the Construction Junction warehouse).

During the Course, students will use their skills to help rebuild a Free Ride! bike. The cost is $25 per person for all 5 classes or $7 per class. Please pre-register at Free Ride! during open shop hours: Saturdays 1:00-5:00pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00-10:00pm. You can also register by phone at (412) 731-4094 or e-mail: (freeride@bike-pgh.org).

The class schedule is:

* November 22: Tires, Tubes, Basic Bike Maintenance and Safety
* November 29: Brakes
* December. 6: Shifting and Derailleurs
* December 13: Bearings: Wheel Axles and Headsets
* December 20: Truing Wheels

Event Days: Monday: November 22nd, 29th, December 6th, 13th, 20th
Event Location: Free Ride! – 214 North Lexington, Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Event Time: 7:00pm
Cost: $25 for all 5 classes, or $7 per class

BUTLER-FREEPORT TRAIL FLOOD DAMAGE UPDATE

The following news appeared in Valley News Dispatch on November 8, 2004:

“The Butler-Freeport Trail’s flood damage, costing about $350,000, will be reimbursed by federal and state money.

That development gives trail officials hope that the trail could be reopened next spring.

The trail was among numerous casualties of September flooding that caused $54 million in damages statewide, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.”

The complete article can be found online at the Valley News Dispatch: (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_270510.html). Note that you will have to obtain a User Name and Password (free) to read the Valley News Dispatch’s articles online.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Here is a short listing of upcoming cycling events in the Pittsburgh Region. For complete details, visit the Bike Pittsburgh website: www.Bike-Pgh.org and click on the “Events & Activities” section.

November 20th-December 18th – Tour de Thailand
November 21st – Kids’ Repair Day At Free Ride!
December 4th – Wheel Wreath Workshop
December 5th – Trail Building In Frick Park
December 12th – 15th Annual Punk Bike Enduro

There’s plenty of Mountain Biking, too! See the “Regularly Scheduled Events” area at the top of the Events & Activities page on the Bike Pittsburgh website.

Post the miles that you ride on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the Community & Classifieds area! Just send us your monthly mileage, and if you want your name to be available as an email link to: miles@Bike-Pgh.org

Become A Member! Bike Pittsburgh is Western Pennsylvania’s only cycling advocacy, awareness, and safety organization. We rely on your support for many of our activities and initiatives. You can help us to continually transform the Pittsburgh Region into a better place to cycle by becoming a Member starting at $25 per year ($15 for Students). With your tax-deductible Membership Donation you will receive a Membership Card good for discounts with participating organizations that share Bike Pittsburgh’s vision, priority invitations and/or discounts to special Bike Pittsburgh-sponsored events, and the satisfaction that you really are helping to make a difference for all of us. For complete details, go to the Bike Pittsburgh website: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org and click on the Become A Member! section.

“The Bike Pittsburgh Leader” is an electronic newsletter published about every three weeks. Previous issues of “The Bike Pittsburgh Leader” can be found on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the section called “The Leader”. Bike Pittsburgh, Inc. does not rent, sell, or make available any personal information, including email addresses, that you may send to Bike Pittsburgh. If you would like to be removed from the distribution list, simply email: remove@Bike-Pgh.org and request to be removed. credit no 5 personal loan checkfast cash 8 loan 6 paydaypayday cash loan 6 cashcash loan 7 payday90 loans constructionsavings bad loan account creditloan bank no account paydaybank account loan payday Map