The eMessenger – Volume 4, Issue 4 – May 12, 2005

Volume 4, Issue 4 – May 12, 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:

* Bike To Work Week 2005
* Mayoral Candidates Talk About Bicycling
* BikeFest! Update
* Two Great Events: Pedal Pittsburgh & Venture Outdoors Festival
* Also Of Interest…
* Upcoming Events

BIKE TO WORK WEEK 2005

National Bike To Work Week is from May 16th through May 20th, and Bike Pittsburgh wants to help you bike to work!

Tired of paying ever-increasing gas prices and parking fees? Want to get in shape for the summer and stay healthy? How about simply breaking your daily routine? Try commuting to work by bicycle! Bike Pittsburgh is making it easy for you. Here’s how:

We’ve arranged three different “Park ‘N Pedal” days and locations around Pittsburgh. Simply meet us at one of the locations (you can park for free all day), and we’ll guide you in to Downtown. There’s plenty of free bicycle parking Downtown! Full details and directions (with downloadable maps) to each of the Park ‘N Pedal locations are on the Bike Pittsburgh website: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org – look for the Bike To Work Week graphic on the home page. Here are the days and locations:

* Monday, May 16th – Flagstaff Hill in Oakland (CMU/Schenley Park)
* Wednesday, May 18th – South Side Park (South Side)
* Thursday, May 19th – Millvale Boathouse (North Side)

Don’t forget your helmet and a bike lock! Our thanks go out to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) http://www.spcregion.org) and Sustainable Pittsburgh (http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org) for helping to make these events possible.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES TALK ABOUT BICYCLING

Recently, Bike Pittsburgh asked three Mayoral Candidates, Michael Lamb, Bob O’Connor, and Bill Peduto questions about bicycling, bicycling infrastructure, and administration policy if they were elected to office. All of the candidates responded, and we have posted their responses on the Bike Pittsburgh website.

Bike Pittsburgh encourages EVERYONE who is eligible to vote on May 17th to do so. Please note that Bike Pittsburgh does not endorse any political candidates in any way. The bicycling community has made great progress in recent years; let’s all help to keep the momentum going towards a more bicycle-friendly Pittsburgh. Forward this newsletter along to anyone who cares about bicycling.

To view all of the candidate’s responses, visit: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org.

BIKEFEST! UPDATE

BikeFest! is Pittsburgh’s first 10-day celebration of all things bicycling! At this time, more than 30 events have been scheduled for BikeFest!, which runs from June 17th through 26th. More events are being added all the time – check out the Bike Pittsburgh website: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org for a list of all of the events.

BikeFest! features events for everyone, including family rides to a Pirates game (check it out and RSVP, group seats are limited), the Zany Umbrella Circus bicycle-themed shows, free workshops, a screening of “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” on Flagstaff Hill, environmental bicycle tours, radical history tours, racing clinics, and much much more! Events are held throughout Pittsburgh with multiple events every day.

Come celebrate with us!

TWO GREAT EVENTS: PEDAL PITTSBURGH & VENTURE OUTDOORS FESTIVAL

As if there wasn’t enough going on in Pittsburgh regarding bicycling, there are two more events just around the corner!

Pedal Pittsburgh is this coming Sunday, May 15th! The ride, which features routes ranging from 15 to 60 miles, is a Pittsburgh tradition. Pedal Pittsburgh is one of the premier bicycling events in the Pittsburgh Region, and has been run for more than 10 years. Each year, over 2000 riders participate! Proceeds from Pedal Pittsburgh benefit the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh (http://www.cdcp.org). For more information, and/or to register, visit: (http://pedalpittsburgh.org).

The Fifth Annual Venture Outdoors Festival is Sunday, May 21st! The Venture Outdoors Festival is a free event where individuals and families can sample the many outdoor activities available in our region. The event features canoeing, kayaking, biking, dragon boating, rock climbing, inline skating, fishing and more. Participants can hone their skills or try these activities for the first time – with experienced instructors to provide guidance – and learn where to enjoy these activities all season long. There will be over 80 different clubs and organizations with exhibits and information about outdoor recreational opportunities in the region. Local outdoor shops will also be on hand selling the latest gear. In addition to the physical activities, there will be an arts and craft section sponsored by the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and tours of the river discovery vessel, the Pittsburgh Voyager. Free parking for Venture Outdoors will be available at Gold Lot #1 (you must enter the lot before 3:00 PM). The festival runs from 10:00am until 5:00pm at North Shore Riverfront Park (near Heinz Field).

ALSO OF INTEREST…

* On Thursday, May 12th, there will be a benefit for Car Free Pittsburgh, with music by Sam McDonough, Oh Seed the Rest, Space Junk, La-Z-Boys; puppetry by Courtney Bat Basura; and spoken word by S. Cannon. 8:00pm, $5-$10 donation requested. Quiet Storm Coffee House in Garfield, located at 5430 Penn Avenue, 15206.

* There has been a recall of Shimano Road Racking Inner Brake Cables – the cable can detach during braking with potentially dangerous consequences. Full details on the recall can be viewed online at: (http://www.outdoored.com/anm/templates/template1.aspx?articleid=1358&zoneid=1).

* From June 3rd through 18th, Pittsburgh will play host to the 2005 Senior Olympics. The cycling events take place from June 7th to 12th and the games are in need of volunteers to help marshal the courses. In particular, for the 20K & 40K RR. Volunteers are also needed for the 5K & 10K TT. If you can volunteer for one or more days, please sign up at: (http://www.2005seniorgames.org/volunteer.jsp).

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.

May 12th – Benefit for Car Free Pittsburgh
May 13th-21st – 2005 Mayor’s Ride: D.C. to Pittsburgh Leg
May 14th – Take a Bike on the Art Side
May 15th – Pedal Pittsburgh
May 16th – Park ‘N Pedal (Oakland CMU/Schenley Park)
May 17th – Urban Bike Tour of Pittsburgh’s Riverfront Trails
May 18th – Park ‘N Pedal (South Side)
May 18th – Ride Of Silence
May 19th – Park ‘N Pedal (Millvale/North Side)
May 21st – 5th Annual Venture Outdoor Festival
May 21st – Bike Around The Bay (Erie, PA)
May 22nd – Bike Maintenance Clinic
May 27th – Pittsburgh Critical Mass
May 29th – Riverfront Kayak & Bike
June 4th – 5th Annual Dash-4-Cash
June 4th – Urban Discoveries: Take a Bike on the Art Side
June 5th – Family Bike & Hike
June 5th – P.T.A.G. Trail Maintenance, Moraine State Park

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, 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.

Posted by erok

Leave a Reply