Volume 4, Issue 7 – August 29, 2005

“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:

* Exciting Changes At Bike PGH!
* Newsletters Get New Names
* Bike PGH To Partner With MapHub
* Free Ride Adult Basic Bike Mechanic Classes Staring Soon
* Event Spotlight – “Wheeling Through History”: A Historic Bike Tour of the North Side
* Upcoming Events

EXCITING CHANGES AT BIKE PGH!

August has been a banner month for us here at Bike PGH! We are pleased to announce our new Executive Director, Scott Bricker. Scott’s passion, knowledge, and vision are already making a huge impact on our organization. We now have three people on staff, including Erok Boerer (also one of the Free Ride Shop Coordinators), and David Hoffman (our founding Executive Director). David is also working at the National level with the Thunderhead Alliance (http://www.thunderheadalliance.org) with Bicycle and Pedestrian advocacy.

We are working very closely with both the City of Pittsburgh and the Port Authority of Allegheny County. Some of our recent work with the City included adding a new sign to the City’s current roster that reads, “Watch For Bicyclists”. The new signs are already appearing on City streets, most recently in the South Side along the newly opened on-street section of the South Side Trail. We are also working with the Port Authority to help them expand, improve, and enhance their “Rack ‘n Roll” program of bicycle racks on buses. Additional bike racks on buses will begin appearing in the first half of 2006.

Look for more details on these exciting projects in the coming months and in our next printed newsletter. The next print version of our newsletter will be finished and mailed to all Members very soon, and will also appear at many local bike shops, coffee shops, and restaurants in the coming weeks.

NEWSLETTERS GET NEW NAMES

No, you’re not misreading the title of this email; we have decide to go with a different title for our two newsletters. Our in-depth, quarterly, print newsletter will be known as The Bike Pittsburgh Messenger. And as you’ve probably figured out by now, our free, monthly email that gives a quick-hit, rundown (sorry for the negative images those words invoke) of all Pittsburgh bicycling goings-on is now the eMessenger. Cute, huh?

BIKE PGH TO PARTNER WITH MAPHUB

Bike PGH is proud to partner with MapHub to provide an online interactive map of Pittsburgh that promotes safety and accessibility for bicyclists all over the city. MapHub is a public and participatory platform for documenting and sharing information about one’s community. MapHub provides users with an online interactive map of the city of Pittsburgh. Registered users can contribute to the map by adding objects and comments, such as locations of bike racks or points where accidents have occurred, at any location on the map. Hubs are formed around neighborhoods, advocacy groups, and common interests to support collective representation and action throughout the city.

MapHub will go live on September 5th and will feature 2 hubs sponsored by Bike PGH. We at Bike PGH are very excited about our partnership with MapHub. We hope that our members will find uses for the web-based tool in promoting respect and safety for bicyclists. Starting September 5th you can access MapHub at: (http://www.maphub.org).

What differentiates MapHub from other similar services is that it is a grassroots effort. MapHub was created by a collective of artists, engineers, designers, and activists over the course of 3 years. The majority of work has been, and continues to be, on a volunteer basis. Their priority is to provide access to mapping tools that are often only accessible to those with greater social and financial means. They are committed to working closely with advocacy groups such as Bike PGH and neighborhoods to amplify their voice in public discourse.

FREE RIDE ADULT BASIC BIKE MECHANIC CLASSES STARING SOON

The Free Ride (http://www.freeridepgh.org) Recycle-A-Bike will be holding Adult Basic Bike Mechanics classes. Classes are held every Monday, from 7-9 pm beginning September 12th and ending October 17th. The course is six weeks, giving each student 12 hours of class time. In the class, students will help repair and recycle bikes for our shop.

* September 12 – Tires, Tubes, and Flats
* September 19 – Bearings and hubs
* September 26 – Cables, Housing, and Brakes
* October 3 – Shifters and Derailleurs
* October 10 – Cranks and Bottom brackets
* October 17 – Wheel truing

The course is designed to give students the basic knowledge that they need to move onto more complex repairs and systems. Since each class builds off of the previous one, it is recommended that you take the course in full, although you may attend the classes of your choice. Bring yourself, a willingness to learn, and a pen and paper if you want to take notes. You may also bring in your own bicycle to work on (it’s a good chance to tune it up), but your bicycle must be similar to the course material (simply ask the instructor). The full course is $30, or you may take individual classes for $6 each. You must also pre-register because class size is limited. To register, call (412) 731-4094 or email: (freeride@bike-pgh.org).

EVENT SPOTLIGHT – “WHEELING THROUGH HISTORY”: A HISTORIC BIKE TOUR OF THE NORTH SIDE

Join the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh (YPA) and Bike PGH for their first collaboration!

This easy-paced ride will showcase portions of five historic North Side neighborhoods of the City of Pittsburgh, each with its own distinctive characteristics. Neighborhood organizations, private citizens, preservation groups such as Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, and the City of Pittsburgh have worked tirelessly to rehabilitate large portions of these areas. In addition to a variety of private homes and stately mansions, the tour will highlight places of worship, cultural attractions, a historic park, and portions of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

To sign up for this event, visit the Young Preservationists Website at: (http://www.youngpreservationists.org). You can register online or download and mail in a registration form. Registration Deadline is Friday, September 9th.

This event is just one of the many offerings of YPA’s “Places and Spaces: the Regeneration of Preservation” conference presented in collaboration with Preservation Pennsylvania, Sustainable Pittsburgh and 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania. Event fee will be waived for conference attendees. This project supported in part by a Seed Award from The Sprout Fund.

Event Day: Saturday, September 17th
Event Location: Eliza Furnace Trail, Golden Triangle Bike and Skate Rentals
Event Time: 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Event Fee: $12 for Bike PGH and YPA Members, $15 All Others

UPCOMING EVENTS

Here is a 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.

September 4th – Rowlesburg, WV’s Great Mountain and Valley Pedal and Paddle Day
September 10th-11th – That Dam Ride To Confluence & Tour de Confluence
September 10th-11th – The Endless Encounter xc VI Racing Weekend
September 11th – P.T.A.G. Trail Maintenance, Frick Park
September 16th-18th – SugarRunEvents 2005 Bike Tour and Races
September 17th – “Wheeling Through History”: A Historic Bike Tour Of The North Side
September 30th – Critical Mass

Become A Member! Bike Pittsburgh is Western Pennsylvania’s premier bicycle advocacy, awareness, and safety organization. Membership is our most important source of financial support. You can help us to continually transform the Pittsburgh Region into a better place to cycle by becoming a Member starting at only $25 per year ($15 for students/limited income). 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.

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

“The Bike Pittsburgh eMessenger” is an electronic newsletter published about once a month. Previous issues of “The eMessenger (formerly called The Leader)” can be found on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the section called “Newsletters”. Bike Pittsburgh, Inc. does not rent, sell, or make available any personal information, including email addresses, which 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. score 650 good credit amerchant credit colorado services account cardstate real schoole washington accredited estatecredit lab abbott unionusa alaska federal credit unionconnecticut aircraft union creditcredit 0 offers card balancecard p retail account credit merchant Map