Sunday, November 22, 2009

Winter Movie and Presentation Series

Want more info about Klunkerz? Click on the flyer.

And for those of you who've been inside too much because our trail are muddy... Get your mountain bike fix HERE! And we'll see you on the 7th.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Break out the Winter Gear and Lights...It's Time to Ride

And the Winners Are....

Well, the Season Finale came and went. Congrats to Pete Skram for winning the Silver Sprocket. Congrats to Joe Perrin for winning the top Patrol Award. It’s Joe’s job to come up with a name for that cool little bike sculpture he’ll have to pass on next year. And thanks to everyone else who made Overland Mountain Bike Club’s introductory season a huge success. Also, a big thanks to each and every Patrol member. We understand the time and commitment that goes into getting certified. We look forward to improving that experience, making it easier to get trained, and supporting the Patrol as is needed.

Events Made Possible By You – Our Members

Here’s a brief list of things that were accomplished this year thanks to you, our members.

Patrol Hours – We logged 623 hours patrolling over 333 patrols. That’s raw hours and not by patroller. According to the last IMBA Patrol Newsletter, that’s more than 300 hours over their top patrol – and yes, we plan on reporting our hours to IMBA from now on.
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day – Spring
Community Classic Bike Tour
Friends of Lory Trail Day
Lory State Park Mountain Bike Fest
Family Bike Fest @ Fossil Creek Park
Summer Slam @ Curt Gowdy
Summer Campout @ Curt Gowdy
The Tour de Fat
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day – Fall
Bike to Work Day Station
Outreach Days at Horsetooth Mountain Park and Devil’s Backbone
Singletrack Social Rides on Wednesdays – A huge success ( I miss them…)
Trail Days – Too many to count… We worked at Curt Gowdy, Bobcat Ridge, Lory State Park, Hewlett Gulch, Horsetooth Mountain Park, and Shoreline ( I’m sure I missed something…)
Trails Team – Our Trails Team got up and running. Lots more to do but the groundwork has been laid.
Stone Temple 8 race support

And don’t forget the collective power we have just getting out and riding our bikes and letting people know who we are and why we’re out there. Thanks everybody! Keep spreading the good word.

Just Because It's Winter...

Well, even though the ‘Season’ is officially over, that doesn’t mean we have to stop hanging out and talking mountain bikes. Here’s some stuff to look forward to:

Night rides – Those of us who’ve done it know how much fun it is. We’ll keep you posted when they happen.
Weekend rides – Weather permitting, we hope to collectively get out and ride a bit. We’ll keep you posted.
Movie Nights – Once a month we’d like to get everyone together to talk mountain bikes, watch a cool mountain bike movie and socialize. Our first one will be in early December.. We’ll be showing ‘Klunkerz’. Invite your friends! Details are in the works. We’ll keep you posted. If you’d like to help organize these, contact Monty Seitz
Trail Team Meetings – We’d like to get that Pineridge Beginner Loop proposal done and start working on other plans for next year. This is a great time to sit down and hash things out. Look for more info soon.

High School Mountain Biking Coming to the Front Range
Thanks to Dave, Eric, and Pete Skram and the Ed Cleary’s for putting in some time to figure out how to help get a mountain bike league started for our high schools. They still need willing participants who can help out with Rocky and FC High. If you know someone or would like to help yourself, let them know.

Get the ‘Skinny’ on the Bobcat Trail Day

Greg Mazu of Singletrack Trails posted up this link to a very successful trail day at Bobcat. Thanks to everyone who came out and worked! http://blog.singletracktrails.com/2009/11/16/bobcat-ridge-volunteer-workday/

Rattlesnakes Hold Party at Red Mountain

Apparently, the parking lot at Red Mountain makes a great place to shake your tail. Check out this article at the Coloradoan and keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re up there. Thanks to Rodger Thompson for the link.

This year’s Board of Directors:

President: Ron Chambers
Patrol Director: Bill Heisterman
Vice President: TBD
Treasurer: Josh Shafer
Website Director: Kevin Cullen
Communications Director: Kory Swanson
Todd Thibodeau
1 open seat - TBD in email election

Please note: The Board of Directors meets often during the offseason. If you'd like to join us or have info or ideas for us, please let us know.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

High School Mountain Bike League Info

Here's some exciting stuff from Kate Rau about High School Mountain Biking in Colorado:


Colorado Outreach Events
Thanks to those who participated in recent Colorado League outreach events. Some of the most common comments heard:

“It is about time this comes to Colorado."

“Wow, how cool, I wish they had this when I was in high school!”

The Press Release distributed Thursday, October 22 created a buzz according to the numerous Colorado League visitors at VeloSwap. Scores of people dropped by the Colorado League booth, including several teachers who are excited to form teams. Thank you, VeloSwap, for your
support!

The Inaugural Bácaro /Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride/ with Tom Danielson, Team Garmin-Slipstream was certainly memorable: 62 riders, 32˚F temperature, snow, a brisk pace and a plentiful gourmet Italian meal. Thanks to Fabio Flagiello and Bácaro for choosing the Colorado League as the benefactor for this new Boulder tradition. We appreciate the support provided by the Boulder TREK store, Full Cycle, FasCat Coaching, Colorado Athletic Club, Wheat Ridge Cyclery, Pro Peloton, Cycle To, Vermarc, and SMBA. * We strongly recommend attending Fabio’s next ride at Bácaro!/*

*Upcoming: *Full Cycle, 1795 Pearl Street will host a festive Colorado League informational event on Wednesday Novemaber 11th, 6:30 PM.


*2. General Schedule of Events*

April 24, 2010: Cylcefest Dinner with Dave Wiens (Denver)

June 2010: Leaders Summit (Training for Head Coaches, Asst. Coaches, and Ride Leaders)

August 2010: Beginner/Intermediate Rider Camps

August 2010: Team Training begins

August 2010: Team Registration opens

September 2010: Races 1 & 2

October 2010: Race 3 & CO State Championship


*3. Ways to Contribute*
A big thanks to those who donated their hard earned cash and valuable time to the organization, thus far. The pedals are turning and we need more of you to demonstrate your interest by making a contribution no matter how small. Please help us share your passion for the sport by
supporting us in these efforts. Donations can be made at www.coloradomtb.org and are tax deductible. All the work on the Colorado League, thus far, has been voluntary and we are making the Colorado League the best it can be.


*4. Join a Committee*
We are very grateful to those who are championing the Colorado League such as *Matt Tomasko*, *Max Bradley*, *Herschel Goldberg*, *Mark Eller*, *Ron Gager*, and *Leslie Bohm*. Please consider joining one or more of the following subcommittees:

*/Venue Committee/ *Help us locate, inspect, and choose four or five
courses perfect for young high school racers

/*Special Event Committee*/ Help us produce high quality outreach and fundraising events, such as movie screenings and a classy benefit dinner

/*Outreach Committee*/ Host an outreach event in your local area at a school or bike shop

*/Development Committee/ *High school racing is funded primarily by the passionate stakeholders who want to bring the benefits of cycling into our schools -- help us connect with potential donors and sponsors

/*League Rider Committee*/ 8th-11th graders who would like to represent this movement

*/Race and/or Camp Volunteer/ *League events will count on your help in areas such as course marshaling, registration, venue set-up and take-down, and scoring

/*Coaches Committee */ Those interested in being a Head Coach, Assistant Coach or Ride Leader, please let us know which school(s) you would like to work with

_We thank those who have expressed interest in joining the Colorado
League's* Board of Directors*._ Our application process is under review and will be announced by year's end.

Colorado League on Facebook
*Are you a Facebook user? Search and join the group "Colorado High School Cycling League" as an additional source for League news.

For more information about high school mountain biking visit: www.coloradomtb.org and www.norcalmtb.org

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

This Week - Abbreviated

Hey All,
Not much time to get this done...sorry. I'll post it to the blog but it's also below.

Tuesday Night, October 20th, Cyclocross at New Belgium. Fun to ride. Fun to watch. Bring $20 to buy a t-shirt to support local young rider, Skyler Trujillo in his bid to make the national team

Wednesday Night, October 21st, Final Group Ride. Meet at 5:30. For those who want to ride a bit longer, bring a light. We'll break into 2 groups. Weather permitting, of course. Social hour at Josh’s afterwards

Monday Night, October 26th, Season Finale followed by the 2nd Annual Costume Cruise. We’ll be eatin’ pizza, handin’ out awards, laughin’ at each other’s costumes, and then heading out for a cruiser ride around town. Make sure you have lights and some dough.

Saturday, Halloween, Bobcat Trail Day. Meet at Bobcat at 8 a.m. and help with maintenance and some cool new alternate lines. Food will be provided. Bring water, wear boots, gloves, a snack and your charming personality.

Still looking for a winner for the Patrol Competition this month. Who's going to pull it off. You've got all weekend to get 'er done.

--Kory

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

January in October? What's going on?

This just in from the Arctic Tundra that has become October along the northern Front Range of Colorado…

Yep, a day late and a dollar short…but still a ton of valuable info, nonetheless. Hope you’re all feeling toasty. I’m just happy I got a mountain bike ride in on Friday with Joe before Mama Nature got her months mixed up…

Anyway, here’s what’s happening with the club and around town.

Trails Team Meeting Tonight
Care about the trails you ride? Join the Trails Team tonight at Café Vino to discuss trails maintenance, trail building, trail projects on the burner, etc. Hope you can make it. Meeting starts at 6:30 and as always, Café Vino has one of the best beer and wine menus in town.

Cross Races Continue to Be a Huge Success
Cyclocross races at New Belgium got started with a bang. Three more weeks of great racing and spectating await. Kids races start promptly at 4:20 so that daylight does not become an issue. Several club members beat themselves up last week at the first race including Bill Heisterman, Jim Fu, and Covey Potter. Racing is $5 but you might as well bring an extra $20 and purchase a really cool long-sleeve t-shirt in support to young Black Sheep Jr. racing phenom, Skyler Trujillo, who’s working to make the national racing team. All proceeds from the t-shirts will go to support Skyler’s bid to make the team. T-shirts provided by Overland Mountain Bike Club, an official race sponsor, and designed by local artist, Amanda Acheson of Acheson Art.

The County Needs a Bit of Fire Assistance
Volunteers have been requested to assist with public education during a Prescription Burn in the Indian Creek area at some point between Mid-October and Mid-November. Weather conditions will define when and if the burn can occur and volunteers able to assist will have to be on-call. Duties to include sitting at the Blue Sky Trail and alert landowners to prescribed fire in the valley. All volunteers will have a radio and will be working with Natural Resources staff and the burn boss on when land owners and recreators can use the area.

If you are interested in this opportunity please contact CJ Cullins, Volunteer Program Coordinator, for further information. (970) 679-4552 or ccullins@larimer.org

Warm Someone Up
With the cold weather blasting in, wouldn’t it be nice if you could help someone else keep warm? Well, you can! Our friends at Recycled Cycles are collecting warm clothing in exchange for a $10 gift card to Recycled Cycles during the month of October. Limit 1 gift card per person.
Bring any warm clothing down to Recycled Cycles at 4031 S Mason. If you have any questions, contact Brent Straw, manager at (970) 223-1969.

Fort Collins RioSwap
Our friends over at Your Group Ride have organized the first annual Fort Collins RioSwap this Saturday evening at the Rio. Here’s the 411:

I want to invite everyone to the first annual Dia de los RioSwap or Day of the RioSwap. It's going to be an all inclusive bike swap and party. Entry to the Agave Room as well as table reservations are free. The only thing you pay for are the drinks. Come out on Saturday Oct. 17th from 6:00pm to 10:30pm to buy some stuff, sell some stuff and celebrate the bike. Word on the streets is that there will be a couple of pros on hand including a National Champion or two. For questions or to reserve a table visit: Your Group Ride for more info. Remember this isn't only a bike swap its also a party with a fully functioning bar. The Agave Room is located upstairs from the Rio Grande Mexican Resturant, at 143 Mountain Ave. Fort Collins. The door to the Agave Room is just west of the main entrance. The Fort Collins Bike Co-op will be on hand to recycle your unwanted and worn bikes, parts and accessories (including tires and tubes). If you can't sell it donate it! Spread the word!

Trail Day at Devil’s Backbone
One more trail work day is on the books for Devil’s Backbone. It’s this Saturday, October 17, 2009 9 am- 2pm. RSVP to Sean Paul at mailto:teleportal%40yahoo.com if you plan on attending. As always, wear sturdy shoes, bring some gloves, a snack and water.

CSU Working on Trails Website
This past summer, CSU received a new contract to create a public trails website using the data they have collected in the past few years for all of Larimer County trails. In developing the actual web interface, CSU seeks public input on what people like, don’t like, expect, etc., of a variety of existing trail websites. This is where they’d like your assistance. Michelle Kinseth, a graduate student working on this project, has developed a survey instrument that asks users to evaluate some existing trail websites elsewhere in the country. We want to hear what people think of them. The results of the surveys will help guide us in developing the interface for the Larimer County trails project. If you are interested in taking the survey, please let Michelle know and she will send you the necessary links. Email: cotrails@warnercnr.colostate.edu
CS would LOVE to have your input, as you are the real trail users and hopefully will be the ones who USE this site in the future! Thanks very much for your consideration. If you want to be kept up to date on other aspects of the project, or if you want to become more involved, please let CSU know. It would be nice to hear back from you!
And now the calendar:
(As always, check the Overland Mountain Bike Club Calendar for updated info)

Tuesday, October 13th
Trails Team Meeting at Café Vino at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 14th
Social Ride at Maxwell weather permitting. All riders welcome. Social hour at Josh Shafer’s afterwards. Rumor has it someone will be bringing some tasty sausages for the grill… As always, please bring something to share – food or beverage wise.

Saturday, October 15th
Trail Day at Devil’s Backbone. See contact info above.
Fort Collins RioSwap at 6 p.m. See info above.

Important Upcoming dates:
Monday, October 26th
– Season Finale, Costume Contest and Cruiser Ride 6:30 until… At New Belgium Brewery. Bring $5 for your own pair of cool Overland MTB Club socks.

Saturday, October 31st – Trail Day at Bobcat Ridge. 9 a.m.
And that’s about all…well, almost…

As the season winds down and the Board of Directors begins planning for next season, please send us your suggestions about what you’d like to see in the future. We’d love to have as much input as possible from the membership in order to help guide our decisions making.
So far, the October Patrol Contest seems to be in the hands of Pete and David Skram. They each have 3 patrols on USFS lands. Can't somebody beat Pete?

Mountain Bike Jersey Order - Several of you have expressed interest in purchasing one of the 3/4 sleeve mountain bike specific jerseys with the Overland Logo. Minimum order is 5. Cost is right around $70.00. Please let Kory know if you'd like to order one.

And, a loud ‘Happy Birthday’ goes out to Joe Perrin today as he turns….hmmm…I’m not exactly sure. Less than 50, I think...

See you on the trails.

Monday, October 5, 2009

More Cyclocross. Weekly Blog Below.

Hey All,

A little addition to this week's blog. Didn't get this until the afternoon off of Your Group Ride.

The rest of this week's blog is below this one. Read on.

Cheyenne CX races
Here is what came through the emails. I remember it costing only $5 last year. Clear Creek Park is accessed coming from the south by exiting I25 at Exit7 (College dr) head east and the the first left (Southwest Dr.) pass under the interstate and park is on the left. CCC contact: cheyennecyclingclub (at) gmail.com for more info.

CHEYENNE CYCLOCROSS SATURDAY'SOCTOBER 3, 10, 17, 24
TIME: 4 -6 p. m. LOCATION: Clear Creek Park
A & B Level Racing- Prizes- Fantastic course for all levels- Big time CX Racer? Come out and compete with the best in Cheyenne in an all-out "pain fest"- Never done it but wnat to try it? Come see what CX is all about and have a blast with other riders!!!-Want to watch? Come watch our racers in the most heart pounding 45 minutes imagineable!!! CYCLECROSS IS A SPECTATOR SPORT SO BRING THE FAMILY FOR AN INCREDIBLE AFTERNOON OF BIKE RACING ACTION!!! DON'T FORGET YOUR COWBELL

Great Day for the Kids and this Week's Shenanigans

Take a Kid a Great Success
Another great event has passed and another week enters the fray. Good Monday morning to you all, albeit a bit of a wet one. Hope you found a little time to get out and hit the dirt this past weekend. The kids did and sure had a great time. Check out the gallery at the Coloradoan for a few photos of Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day and the article that made it into the Sunday news. If you don’t get the paper, Overland had a nice little pic on the front page as a lead-in to the article. Nice to get a little press. Thanks to everyone who came out in support of the kids on Saturday. It’s great to see all the smiling faces and hear the kids whoopin’ it up. Makes you want to be a kid again, don’t it? Maybe that’s why I still ride my bike…

A huge thanks to Take a Kid Sponsors: TWEEK'd Gear, Backcountry Provisions, Fort Fun, Recycled Cycles, Road 34, Full Cycle, Lee's Cyclery, REI, Phoenix Cyclery, IMBA, Colorado State Parks, Liberty Commons Athletics, and of course, New Belgium Brewery

New Board Members
Congrats to Todd Thibodeau and Bill Heisterman on being elected to the Overland Board of Directors. They don’t know what they’re in for yet, but they’ll soon find out. Once again, the board can’t do it all. If you have ideas, programs you’d like to see started, etc, let the board know and get involved.

Overland Supports Cyclocross
The New Belgium Cyclocross Series starts this Tuesday. We’ll be there in support. We could use a handful of people to come help with the kids races. If you can help out, let me know. We’ve also contributed some funds to help with kid prizes and a few lucky riders will walk away with some of the hot new Overland socks. If you’re looking for specifics, go to Your Group Ride. It’s well stocked with info for racers, parking, etc. Also, Overland is helping send Skyler Trujillo to U.S. Cycling camp in order for him to have a shot at earning a spot on the national team. T-shirts will be available at the cyclorcross series. All proceeds go to helping Skyler get there.

Join Georgia
Georgia Gould leads a cross clinic tonight if you’re interested in finding out what it’s all about before you show up to race tomorrow night. Info is HERE. The cross races are good fun and lots of folks do them on their mountain bikes.

Tidbits
A new online bike magazine has hit the intrawebs.

If you raced the Oval this summer, standings have been released and can be found HERE.

And now for this week’s happenings…

Monday,October 5th: Cyclocross Clinic with Georgia Gould, Board Meeting for Overland.

Tuesday, October 6th: New Belgium Brewery Cyclocross Races start at 4:20 p.m.

Wednesday, October 7th: Singletrack Social, 5:30 p.m. at the Maxwell parking lot. All levels of riders welcome. Social hour afterwards. Please bring something to share.

Saturday, October 10th: Crankin’ Contest. Meet at the Spring Canyon Bike Skills Park at 1 p.m. Be ready to ride. (Weather permitting, of course) RSVP to the email that Kory sent on Monday if you plan on attending.

Looking into next week...
The Trails Team meets at Café Vino on Tuesday, October 13th at 6:30 p.m. This committee’s really looking at getting some great stuff accomplished. Come on out and help out if you can.

Oh, can’t forget October’s Patrol contest: Get out and patrol the trails on Forest Service lands. Whoever gets the most patrols in on Forest Service land, wins a prize. So far, nobody has stepped up, but I’m sure somebody will.

Here’s hoping for dry trails and sunny skies. I ain’t ready for snow and cold just yet…