Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "biking"

A Step in the Right Direction- El Dorado County reaffirms its commitment to Trails and Trains

2012-02-02T17:29:07Z

El Dorado County Supervisors held firm to a 2011 decision to support the Shingle Plan Compromise at a County Board meeting on January 24, 2012. The plan divides use of the Sacramento Placerville Transportation Corridor (SPTC) into two distinct segments. The area from Shingle Springs up to Diamond Springs has been allotted for the development of a heritage railroad. From Shingle Springs down to the Western El Dorado County line, development will focus on establishing a community trail that will serve local residents and connect to Folsom, thereby expanding our regional trail system.

Trail and train supporters have been at odds for years over use of the SPTC, but the Supervisor's recent decision will bring a rapid reality to the dreams of both trail and train enthusiasts. "Friends of El Dorado Trail are excited that County Supervisors have supported the Shingle Plan with a second majority vote. We look forward to the new joint use section of the SPTC, and are very pleased that the Train Groups will finally have a home and track to call their own," says President Mike Kenison.

El Dorado County and Folsom train volunteers will be working together to bring the historic "big trains" to the more than eight miles of track from Shingle Springs to Missouri Flat Road, and trail volunteers will continue to open the "Trail Priority Section" from Shingle Springs down to Folsom for all users. "Community members are eager to make the important connection to Folsom and on to the American River Parkway, and volunteers are planning workdays and events to get out and build something great for El Dorado County and the Greater Sacramento Region," adds Kenison.

About Friends of El Dorado Trail: Friends of El Dorado Trail is a group of local trail supporters who work cooperatively with the city and county to advocate, publicize and strategize on behalf of the trail.

About the El Dorado Trail: The El Dorado Trail is a multimodal transportation corridor planned to extend the entire length of El Dorado County from the western county line to the Lake Tahoe Basin. Some segments are already completed with Class I Bike Paths; other segments are currently in development, open for use as a natural trail, or are proposed for improvement.

Disclosure: Jessica Bean is a member of Friends of the El Dorado Trail.

Eppie's Great Race: A race with something for everyone

2011-07-22T02:54:41Z

For John Weed, Eppie’s Great Race – now in its 38th year – serves as a new year’s celebration.

The 58-year-old kayak instructor and whitewater guide has competed in the “no-swim” triathlon 35 times. The 38th annual Eppie’s Great Race takes place Saturday along the American River Parkway and is open to athletes of all ages.

Weed said almost 40 years ago, he was hit by a semi truck while on his bicycle.

Before that, he had been an avid runner. He came from a family of runners and in college would run 200 miles per week.

“The doctors told me I’d never walk again, let alone run,” Weed said.

That same year, the Whitewater Slalom was introduced as an Olympic sport. Weed said he watched it on TV while he was in the hospital and decided that he wanted to try kayaking.

He took up the sport after he got out of the hospital. He is able to walk and run now, but one leg is shorter than the other which requires him to use a special seat in his kayak, he said.

His team has placed first eight times in the open division of Eppie’s Great Race and has been in the 40-plus division for the past 18 years. Weed competes in the kayak portion of the race.

Last year, he said he was the ninth-fastest kayaker.

“I feel like it’s my own personal race,” Weed said. “It’s an annual assessment of where I am now and where I once was.”

Weed and the race’s founder, Eppie Johnson, have become good friends since meeting more than 30 years ago.

“The first time I met (Eppie) was when he was learning to kayak,” Weed said. They met in kayaks near the San Juan rapids.

Weed said he knew Johnson’s kayak instructor, who introduced the two of them. Johnson told Weed about Eppie’s Great Race, and Weed signed up for the race the next year, which was the second annual Eppie’s Great Race.

Weed has been on the U.S. National Wildwater Team. The only other Eppie’s Great Race that Weed missed (besides the first) was in 1980 when the race fell on the same weekend as the USA Wildwater National Championships.

Johnson has sponsored Weed in various competitions, internationally and nationally. Most recently, Johnson sponsored Weed in the Great Josh Billings RunAground Triathlon last year.

Weed’s kayak team placed first, and he was the second fastest kayaker in the race by 58 seconds, he said.

For his 36th race, he said he is excited about the electronic chip timing.

Last year was the first year they had the chips, and he said keeping track of the athletes’ times adds a lot more pressure.

“Now everybody knows how they rank with others,” he said. “Every year before that, the biker would blame the kayaker (etc.) … (and) nobody really knew for sure” what their times were except by going off of their own watches.

The race consists of a 5.82-mile run, a 12.5-mile bike ride along the American River Parkway and finishes on the river, where racers paddle 6.35 miles to the finish.

It begins at 8 a.m. at William Pond Recreation Area and ends at River Bend Park (formerly Goethe Park).

Athletes can compete as part of a team, where each person does one leg of the race, or as an Ironman where one person does the entire race.

All proceeds from the race go to Sacramento County Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS), which provides Sacramento County with sports and recreation activities for people with disabilities and impairments.

In 2010, which was a record-breaking year with nearly 2,100 athletes participating, $20,000 was raised for TRS and, to date, nearly $1 million has been raised for the organization.

Water flow in the river, which has been much faster this year because of all of the rain, is expected to be at the same levels as last year, according to a July 8 Eppie’s Great Race press release.

"Based on currently available information, (the Bureau of) Reclamation expects our releases to the lower American River on race day to be about 4,500 to 5,000 cubic feet per second - comparable to that of last year,” according to the release.

“But, it is important to recognize that reservoir operations and releases to the river are based on developing conditions and needs," Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Lynnette Wirth said in the press release.

There will be a prerace expo from 4 - 8 p.m. Friday at River Bend Park at Goethe Park Road and Rod Beaudry Road. The Old Spaghetti Factory will provide a “carbo-load” dinner, Eppie’s Great Race spokesperson Anita Fitzhugh said. For $7 for adults and $3 for kids 12 and under, the dinner includes salad, bread, spaghetti and a drink.

Those who already registered for the race can pick up their race packets, maps and T-shirts. Last-minute race entrants can register at the expo Friday or from 6:30-7:30 a.m. before the race Saturday.

For kids, there is the US Bank Duathlon where 17-and-under participants run 2 miles and bike 5.75 miles.

After the race, there will be an expo and party from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. with vendor booths, live music by local blues band The Hucklebucks and food available for purchase including chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and sodas.

The 30th anniversary plaque that stood at the starting point of the race was stolen a few months ago, and the Eppie’s Great Race Foundation will be raising funds to replace it. Donations will be accepted at Friday's expo or after the race at River Bend Park.

“What we’re doing is we’re asking people to donate some money so we can get a new one: something that can’t be stolen,” Johnson said, adding that he expects it will cost between $3,500 and $4,000 to replace it.

There are 30 different divisions of the race, including a firefighter/police division, family division, women 50-plus and a recently added men 60-plus.

“We have a committee that works all year round and every year, if necessary, they improve on rules, adjust rules.... As far as division in the race we recently even added a men’s 60-plus category because of the interest of men in that age range,” Fitzhugh said.

Johnson said he thinks Eppie’s Great Race has grown to be so popular in large part because of the venue.

“The key is the format, the venue. The American River Parkway is Sacramento’s jewel. And the whole thing is on the parkway system. People love that,” he said

One thing that has changed over the years is the individual athleticism, Fitzhugh said.

“It is interesting (that) our number of Ironpeople, Ironwomen, Ironmen – that division really is growing at a very rapid pace compared to teams. We’re finding that more and more people are wanting to take on the entire race themselves,” she added.

One athlete who will be switching from competing on a team to competing as an Ironman is Folsom resident David Lockwood.

The 28-year-old was the cyclist for his team last year. Lockwood said his work as a coach and trainer at Folsom City CrossFit has prepared him to do the whole race.

“I feel like I’m in shape. I feel like I have a good chance of doing well,” he said. However, “if there was a swim involved, I would reconsider doing an Ironman.”

Lockwood said he enjoys the scenery of the course.

“You can’t beat the course.... It’s beautiful – whether you’re running or kayaking or biking, that trail is awesome.”

He also said he liked the variety of people who take part in the race.

“You (see) all different walks of life as far as athletes go,” he said. “I was riding next to kids on mountain bikes and … guys with track bikes … everybody was out there. It’s kind of an everybody event.”

For more information on Eppie’s Great Race 38, click here.

Get ready to hit the pavement: May is bike month

2011-05-05T00:15:48Z

Oil your chains, pump up your tires and get geared up for Sacramento Bike Month. May is bike month in Sacramento, and there are many bike-related activities and events going on in the region whether you’re an advanced bicyclist or a recreational rider.

May is a good month for biking, and it’s the perfect time to campaign for bike awareness, according to Sacramento Area Council of Governments co-chair Sonja Atkins.

“I think it’s about getting people out there for their health, for air quality, to save money and for safety,” Atkins said. “There’s so many pieces to this puzzle, and it’s such a great mode of transportation that I see is important in many realms.”

The campaign, in its sixth year, was put together by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), the Sacramento County Department of Transportation and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) to promote bicycle awareness in the Sacramento region, according to SACOG spokesman Erik Johnson.

“It’s important to Sacramento because we are a growing region, and as we’ve grown we’ve expanded the types of bicycle amenities we have in our community,” Johnson said. “This is just one way of showing people that they have other options other than driving.”

During the month of May, people can register and begin logging their bike miles for Sacramento either as an individual, family or as a team. This year’s goal is to reach more than 2 million miles. With more than 7,000 participants signed up this year, the events going on, and the pedal saver program, where local stores and restaurants offer discounts to bikers, there is a lot of incentive to get out there and bike, according to Atkins.

“I think it brings people together and people start talking to one another more. People that are around town start talking about events to see or things to do on the weekend around biking. it shows you the fun and excitement of what you can do on a bike,” Atkins said.

There are tons of events going on in the area throughout the month and plenty of opportunities to ride. So grab your bike and hit the streets, and don’t forget your helmet.

“Bicycle Dreams” film screening
Crocker Art Museum
216 O St.
Thursday, 7 - 9 p.m.
$6 members, $12 non-members
Ticket info: crockerartmuseum.org
The Crocker Art Museum is partnering with the Bicycle Film Fest to showcase “Bicycle Dreams,” a documentary about the intense 3,000-mile bicycle race, Race Across America. The film features cyclists racing from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Many enter the race, but few finish. Filmmaker Stephen Auerbach will also be present for a question-and-answer session following the film.

Vélo & Vintage
Hot Italian
1627 16th St.
Saturday, 8:30 - 10:30 p.m.
Free to the public
More information: Vélo & Vintage Facebook page

When fashion and bicycling collide at Hot Italian for bicycle month, the result is Vélo & Vintage. The fashion show will feature vintage bikes and vintage and current fashion on two wheels at Hot Italian, a restaurant that is all about bikes. The event, in its second year, will feature fashions from Krazy Mary’s Boutique and The Sugar Shack.

Bicycle Film Festival Launch Party
Crocker Art Museum
216 O St.
Thursday May 12, 5 - 9 p.m.
Free with museum admission
More information: Bicycle Film Festival Launch Party at the Crocker

Get ready for the Bicycle Film Festival a day early by heading out to the Crocker courtyards. Sponsored by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, the event will feature bicycle film shorts, bike art and bike workshops. There will also be a barbecue hosted by the Crocker Café and music from DJ Billy Lane.

Bicycle Film Festival
Fremont Park and Hot Italian
1515 Q St. (Fremont park is across from Hot Italian)
Friday and Saturday, May 13 - 14
Various times
More information: http://www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/sacramento

This is the one film festival in Sacramento dedicated to everything bikes. The festival will feature free full-length films in Fremont Park from around the world and through time. The film festival will take you to Brazil to learn the art of BMX; to Japan, a biking country that is constantly on the go; and to show mountain biking around Zurich. Watch art be created by bicycle. Catch a flick about competitive bike tricks, mini bikes and urban bike shorts.

Friday, the pre-party will be held at Hot Italian, and the post-party will at Sol Collective featuring Phono Select DJs, Sierra Nevada on tap, custom bikes and music. The DJs return to the park on Saturday for Music in the Park, and Hot Italian will close out the festival with its Bicycle Film Festival after party.

NorCal AIDS Cycle
Sacramento Valley
Thursday, May 12 - Sunday, May 15, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
More information: http://norcalaidscycle.org

The seventh annual NorCal AIDS Cycle will kick off on Thursday to raise money and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Cyclists will ride 330 miles through the Sacramento Valley, the Sierra foothills and other areas in the region for the charity. You can either register to participate in the event, or sponsor a registered biker. The challenging four-day volunteer-based race will be fun for spectators, and it’s for a good cause.

Tour de Cluck
Central Park in downtown Davis
401 C St., Davis
Saturday, May 14, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
More information: http://www.tourdecluck.org

In Davis, chickens and biking go hand-in-hand. The second annual Tour de Cluck is not your average bicycling event – it features a bike crawl along the trails of Davis with pit stops at chicken coops. The event will benefit the Davis Farm to School programs. Fun events in the park include the chicken-inspired art and workshops, the Davis Farmers Market, the Bicycle Hall of Fame and a silent auction. Chicken suits are optional.

Amgen Tour of California
Various locations
Sunday, May 15 - 22
More information: http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com

The Amgen Tour of California is the largest cycling event in America, according to its website, and it is a race modeled after the Tour de France. The eight-stage tour that begins at the California-Nevada border and ends in Thousand Oaks. It makes its Sacramento pit stop for stage two on Monday, May 16, ending at the State Capitol.

This is the biggest event for bike month because it is the the most anticipated, according to Sonja Atkins, SACOG co-chair. In its sixth year, the event founded for cancer awareness brings out some of the most notable professional cyclists. The excitement of seeing the cyclists, the race and the routes is what will brings people out to cheer. The tour spans Northern and Southern California and has various pit stops along the way, including Lake Tahoe, Auburn, Modesto and San Jose.

Capitol Bike Fest
State Capitol
1315 10th St.
Thursday, May 20, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Capitol Bike fest will feature booths about bicycle care, maintenance, recreation and more. The event is put on by cycling organizations and local bike shops in Sacramento. There will be plenty of fun activities, music to hear and ice cream to eat. There will also be free bike safety checks. There will be T-shirts available for those who have been logging their miles and a chance to win prizes and be entered in the bicycle raffle. Bring a printout of your miles to get your T-shirt and your bike for a good time.

Race for the Ring
Raley Field
400 Ball Park Drive, West Sacramento
Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m.
$40 per team
More information: Race for the Ring

Rogers Jewelry’s Race for the Ring returns for a third year. The race benefits the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, and 100 percent of the proceeds go to the charity. Participants racing can bike, walk, run, or operate a vehicle through downtown Sacramento guided by clues sent via text message to find the “ring” and have a chance to win more than $35,000 in prizes. It’s like television’s “The Amazing Race.” Participants will have the chance to win diamond jewelry from Hearts on Fire and A. Jaffe, jewelry from Pandora, and watches from TAG Heuer, Tissot, Seiko and Bulova.

Sacramento Bike Swap in the Park
Fremont Park
1515 Q St.
Sunday, May 22, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Free

The Sacramento Bike Kitchen and the Friends of Fremont Park will host their Spring Bicycle Swap Meet in Midtown for bicycle month. The event is free and open to the public. There will be deals on used bikes, parts, and clothing from other Sacramento bikers just like you. You can reserve a space for $10 to sell your own old bikes, parts and clothing. Proceeds from the event will benefit nonprofit organizations the Sacramento Bike Kitchen and the Friends of Fremont Park.

For more of the month’s bike events and information on bike month, check Mayisbikemonth.com.

After almost dying of Lyme disease, Sacramentan heads to World Triathlon Championships

2010-09-06T01:00:04Z

Four years after she almost died from Lyme disease, Pamela O’Kane is one of three Sacramento women competing for Team USA at the World Triathlon Championships this week in Budapest, Hungary.

It’s the second year in a row she’s qualified for Team USA. The 49-year-old lecturer from CSU Sacramento hopes there will be many more such adventures to come.

It’s a far cry from how things looked in the spring of 2006. With her kids grown, a job she liked, and a love of athletic pursuits like running, swimming, and biking, she should have been on top of the world. Instead, she started experiencing weird symptoms her doctors couldn’t explain.

She lost weight and muscle mass. She developed facial pain, jaw problems, difficulty speaking. Then trouble walking, twitching in her face, tingling in her arms and legs. Her doctors variously thought it might be multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or ALS. They could do nothing to help and her condition continued to deteriorate. By early December, there was doubt she’d live to see Christmas.

Then, O'Kane developed an ear infection and was given antibiotics. The medicine cleared up more than her ear problem. Suddenly, her whole body felt better. Within a week, she took part in a 5K race. (“Didn’t do very well,” she said. “But I crossed the finish line.”)

Although her physical progress didn’t last, the incident provided an important clue. Her mother and sister researched on the internet. What medical condition mimics diseases such as MS and ALS, and can be affected by antibiotics? The answer they stumbled upon: Lyme disease.

In early 2007, O'Kane saw a Lyme specialist in the bay area, who began treating her not only for Lyme, but for several additional tick-borne diseases. It was not an easy road. There were episodes of muscle seizures, speech difficulties, and generally feeling horrible. There were ups and downs in finding the right medications--some would help for a while, and then seem to lose their effectiveness. She spent time in a hospital, and then needed to re-learn how to walk.

It was during this time she knew she needed a goal to focus on, something to keep her going through the difficult days. One day, she decided to start training to climb Half Dome, the rocky peak in Yosemite National Park. She kept that image in her mind, as she worked through the hard, hard times of Lyme treatment. In August 2008, she accomplished that goal.

She kept training. In 2008, O’Kane completed her first-ever half-ironman race. In 2009, she climbed Half Dome again, and also competed with Team USA in the Aquathon event in Australia. (“It was the first time I’d ever had a passport. The first time I’d ever left this country.”)

This week, she’s in Budapest, Hungary, once again with Team USA, to compete in the ITU Triathlon World Championships. Her category is Women age 45-49. She’ll do the Aquathon (a run/swim/run event) and the Sprint/Triathlon (swim/bike/run).

(Two other Sacramento woman have qualified for Team USA in different age brackets, O’Kane’s sister, Denise DeTrano, and her friend and training partner, Janet Trippet, a teacher at St. Francis High School.)

It would be tempting to assume that O’Kane's health problems are behind her. Surprisingly, that’s not true. While Lyme treatment helped immensely, she still must cope with residual neurological difficulties.

“I make involuntary moaning sounds while I’m running--can’t help it,“ she says. “And I often have lots of shaking and trembling. I get strange looks from the other athletes. But you know what? That’s their problem, not mine.”

O’Kane has a message for other Lyme patients: “You can fight this disease. It’s hard, but you can do it.”

O’Kane will compete in Budapest on Sept. 8th & 11th, and then do some sightseeing with her traveling companions. (“None of this put-off-until-tomorrow stuff anymore. I want to travel now!") She'll return in time to take part in the Sacramento Lymewalk & Picnic on Sept. 25. (11 a.m., McKinley Park, 601 Alhambra Blvd.)

The Sacramento event is part of the 2010 CALDA Lymewalks, six events throughout the state in September and October. Sponsored by the California Lyme Disease Association, the walks are meant to raise awareness of the disease while raising money for Lyme research. For more information about how to participate, go to www.lymedisease.org.

Race for the Rock 2010

2010-06-07T06:46:42Z

Downtown Sacramento was a blur of baby blue T-shirts Saturday during the 2nd Annual Race for the Rock. More than 250 two-member teams competed for bling in the scavenger hunt, in which clues were sent via text message. The grand prize was a $20,000 Hearts on Fire diamond ring donated by Rogers Jewelry. Proceeds benefited Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services (SFBFS).

Unlike many other nonprofit fund raisers, donors got the ball rolling, not the charity.

"We wanted to do something that brought the community together and where people could have a good time," said Calvin Curtin of Rogers Jewelry. After deciding to do a scavenger hunt, Rogers chose SFBFS as its community partner.

"We told them we would put up all the money and prizes if they help us with the logistics," said Curtin. "(SFBFS) provided the volunteers. They are the ones who really stepped up to the plate."

Participants ran, biked and roller-bladed through the Grid. Obviously, speed was key, but knowledge of Sacramento landmarks and monuments also was vital. Bernadette Behar and Sue Dwyer-Voss discussed their strategy before the race began.

"I do a lot of urban walking," Behar said, "and I'm armed with a tour book of downtown."

The event kicked off at 10 a.m. on the west steps of the Capitol, with Mayor Kevin Johnson sending the first text message. Within two minutes, the plaza was empty. Checkpoints along the way included the Crest Theatre and the Convention Center.

It was all over by noon, with participants gathered on the patio of House Restaurant for lunch and the awards ceremony. The Detours, a local band, entertained the crowd with its mix of country and rock.

In keeping with the competition's text-messaged clues, that's how winners were contacted. Participants anxiously watched their cell phones for the announcement. The winners of the diamond ring were friends Andy and Steven.

Asked how he felt, Steven said, "I can't describe it," as he shook with excitement. The team said they would sell the ring.

Other prizes included diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, watches, bikes, gift cards and a GPS for a bike.

Kelly Siefkin of SFBFS summed up the day.

"It's a unique opportunity to spread the word about different organizations and businesses," she said. "And it's really fun."

For more information, visit racefortherock.com.

Photos:

1. Winners Andy and Steven

2. Race for the Rock crowd

3. Bikes

4. Dwyer-Voss and Behar

5. SacPress sign

Leipheimer ready to repeat as Tour of California champion

2010-05-15T04:13:13Z

The Amgen Tour of California doesn't begin until Sunday, but Levi Leipheimer already is heavily favored to win.

"I think it will be a wonderful race," cycling commentator Phil Liggett said at a news conference Friday. "Levi Leipheimer will still win, but what the hell."

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong echoed that sentiment about the winner of the last three Tours of California.

"If I were looking at it like an analyst, I would say that Levi, Dave (Zabriskie) and Michael Rogers are the big three," Armstrong said. "I guarantee you that Levi will kick (Mark) Cavendish's ass on hills."

Cavendish would do the same to him on sprints, Leipheimer said under his breath. He noted that in previous years the race was held in February, but that professional cyclists' fitness is at a higher level in May.

Leipheimer pronounced himself "ready and here to win it again."

Andrew Messick, president of co-sponsor Anschutz Entertainment Group Sports, presented Mayor Kevin Johnson and County Supervisor Roger Dickinson with yellow jerseys. Johnson praised the tour for bringing $8 million to local businesses. He vowed to keep Armstrong's bike safe and promised never to wear spandex.

Armstrong's time-trial bike was stolen after the race prologue last year, but returned three days later. He said this year he would keep the bike in his hotel room, instead of in a trailer, where it was stored last year.

Leipheimer and Armstrong will be racing on the newly formed Team Radioshack, which Armstrong said is similar to last year's Team Astana. Six of that team's riders remain, two have changed. Armstrong said one of his goals is for his team to win first place.

"We're going to support Levi," he said. "It's like his Super Bowl."

For more information on road closures in Sacramento, visit: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/26944/City_readies_for_rolling_street_closures_and_thousands_of_spectators_this_weekend.

For a bird's eye view of the first stage and stage one information, visit this article: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/26951/Birds_Eye_View_of_AMGEN_Race.

To view team rosters, visit: www.sacramentopress.com/headline/26484/Amgen_Tour_of_California_teams_announced.

For stage maps and other information, visit amgentourofcalifornia.com.

The race will be broadcast on the Versus Network for several hours daily.

Photographs:
1. Left to right: David Zabriskie, Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Andy Schleck
2. Lance Armstrong
3. Phil Liggett, foreground: Levi Leipheimer (left), Lance Armstrong (right)
4. Mark Cavendish
5. Left to right: Andrew Messick, Kevin Johnson, Roger Dickinson
6. Fabian Cancellara
7. George Hincapie

Cycling is great until it's not!

2010-05-13T16:24:29Z

Do you remember the feeling of riding a bike for the very first time? I do.

I can recall the feeling of freedom, of gliding through the air under my own power, of the wind rushing past my hair and face. That was a magical feeling that can only happen once – the first time I learned to do something. But more than that, it is one my best childhood discoveries and memories. My entire body was uplifted and carried magically through space and time, and I felt that the whole world was mine and mine alone, until I crashed because I didn't know how to stop the bike.

Do you remember the first hard crash on your bike, leaving your knees bloody and your palms numbed and bruised from hitting the pavement? I most certainly do and still have a scar on my knee to show for it. I was 11 when I learned how to ride a bike and still have not mastered the art of bike riding.

Cycling is pleasurable, until it's not, as I'd like to say about most things in my life. It is like that, isn't it? Something is good until it's not anymore, but it definitely has the potential to be good again. Take bike safety, for instance. One moment you are riding along, not a worry in the world, and the next thing you know a truck pulls a left turn and swipes you off the bike lane, dumping you on the sidewalk, and there you splay and squirm in pain while the offender takes off. Well, this didn't happen to me, but to my brother-in-law, and luckily another motorist came along to rescue him.

If you are an avid cyclist, then you'd have your shares of injuries resulting from a driver's inability to share the road or see you in the bike path or in the gutter, eking out a space for yourself.

It's not easy either when a cyclist stays in traffic to make a left turn at the intersection when the light sensor does not pick up the weight of the bike, or drivers not being mindful of cyclists and not seeing them.

I am NOT an avid cyclist. In fact, I am somewhat of a fair-weather cyclist, as I have observed that most Americans are – are we not? I don't see hordes of bike commuters like in China or Vietnam here in Sacramento, not even in Midtown where it is so hip and popular, and not even in Davis where there are more cyclists per capita. Would I like to ride more? You bet I would, and who wouldn't?

But here lies the problems for me. According to City-Data.com (http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Pocket-Sacramento-CA.html), residents in my Pocket/Greenhaven neighborhood travel an average of 35 minutes each way to work. Mass transit and bike routes are intermittent and incomplete, lowering my desire to ride my bike and lifting the thing onto the bus racks, and hopefully getting to work in West Sacramento an hour and a half later versus a 15-minute drive from the Pocket.

According to the City-Data's pie chart of transportation modes to work, a whopping 76 percent of commuters drive alone (I was one of the guilty ones). About 15 percent of commuters carpool, 2 percent get there by bus and the remainder work from home and fall into the "others" category.

What about riding bikes to the grocery stores and on weekends to neighborhood coffee shops where the traveling is a mere two miles?

It's fairly safe in the Pocket neighborhood, just as long as I don't venture to Freeport Boulevard or spend too much time on Florin Road, riding to my bank for instance – which has no bike rack.

"Frivolous expenditure!" I can just hear the bank's execs or property managers barking their displeasure in the board room. Once there were two of us cyclists standing in front of the bank, sharing a laugh that we could lock both of our bikes together since there are no bike racks or structures to lock our bikes to.

Since May is Bike Month, I am venting and saying that walking and biking on the south side of town, as is with most places in Sacramento, can be a bit undesirable at best, and this perpetuates the vicious cycle of car dependency. Our city's infrastructure engineers and developers have not made this area walkable or bike-friendly, with the exception of the exclusive gated communities along Pocket Road.

I am stopping now at an intersection in Midtown, watching the invincible cyclists riding up on my passenger side and blow through the red light. They usually look so free and effortlessly disappear behind a sea of brake lights. I seldom witness this but it still makes me cringe every single time that I do!

I admire and envy their athletic ability and riding skills, but I know that a car can easily open a door and send them flying without helmets before they can brake or swerve. It is beautiful to watch them ride, until it's not, until some careless drivers talking on their mobiles suddenly veer to score a parking space for the Second Saturday Art Walk. My teenage son is an avid cyclist, and I am keenly and painfully aware of the risks he takes every day he goes on his rides.

It really hurts when someone goes down! Can we just please share the road, pay attention, and be courteous to one another? I am both a driver and a cyclist and really would love to feel safer out there when I ride my bike. And when I drive, I'd really love it if the cyclists, when in doubt, make sure they are visible and make eye contact with me. I can use some work on this myself, and I am just sayin...

Since I am a cartographer, and a founder of Cartography for Nonprofits, (http://cartographyfornonprofits.org/) I've made a map called Safe Bike Map and invite you to collaborate with me on this civic project at: http://bit.ly/8YtOiB. Help me map the dangerous areas for biking, suggest alternatives for cyclists, and reccomend improvements to the city and county (Mapping Tutorials included). Please pass on your cycling's tips and tricks so we can survive riding on the streets of Sacramento. I am including in my article some pictures of the White Bike on L Street, recently displayed in memory of William Detore, who died in a biking accident. I sincerely hope that we Sacramentans won't ever have to see this bike again around town.

Here are some helpful links for cyclists and pedestrians.

www.sacregion511.org/videos/freedom-to-mobility/

sacbikekitchen.org/

www.sacbike.org/

www.peopleforbikes.org/

www.railstotrails.org/

Amgen Tour of California teams announced

2010-05-08T01:27:01Z

Amgen Tour of California teams were announced Friday morning. The roster includes seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong as well as Levi Leipheimer, winner of the last three consecutive Tour of California races, among others.

The Sacramento Press will continue to cover the Amgen Tour of California, which rolls through the city Sunday, May 16. This will include a pre-race press conference May 14 and race day coverage.

The following is a press release about the team announcement, via Bob Burns of the Sacramento Sports Commission.

The world-class roster of teams and cyclists scheduled to participate in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California has been announced by race presenter AEG. An internationally sanctioned, professional cycling road race, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will host 16 teams, comprised of 127 riders, from 23 countries for the fifth-annual race taking place May 16-23.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will bring an exceptional concentration of cycling talent to compete across more than 800 miles of the state of California from Nevada City to Thousand Oaks, home of race sponsor Amgen. Attracting an unprecedented field of riders from around the world, cyclists hail from countries as far away as Belgium, Finland, Spain, France, Germany, New Zealand and Sweden.

“We are proud of the powerful and talented group of international and domestic cyclists set to participate in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “From Tour de France champions to Olympic medalists and world champions, this field is one of the best that has ever competed on American soil. The growing reputation of the Amgen Tour of California has resulted in a very accomplished field of cyclists, which should make for a great race.”

The field will include riders from well-known teams such as Team RadioShack, Team HTC-Columbia, Quick Step, Team Saxo Bank and Garmin-Transitions, who will all be competing to take the title in the overall team competition. Some of the notable riders planned to begin the race in Nevada City, Calif. on May 16 include:

Team rosters are subject to change.

Tour de France Overall Podium Finishers
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack; first 1999-2005, third 2009
Andy Schleck (LUX), Team Saxo Bank; second 2009
Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack; third 2007

Tour de France Stage Winners
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack (22)
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team HTC-Columbia (10)
Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step (6)
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank (5)
Stuart O’Grady (AUS), Team Saxo Bank (3)
Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Team RadioShack (3)
Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank (3)
Heinrich Haussler (GER), Cervélo TestTeam (1)
David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Transitions (1)

World Champions
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack
Lars Boom (NED), Rabobank
Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step
Janez Brajkovic (SLO), Team RadioShack
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank
Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team HTC-Columbia
Tom Leezer (NED), Rabobank
Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Team RadioShack
Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-Highroad

Olympic Medalists
Lance Armstrong (USA), Team RadioShack
Theo Bos (NED), Cervélo TestTeam
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank
Levi Leipheimer (USA), Team RadioShack
Bret Lancaster (AUS), Cervélo TestTeam
Stuart O’Grady (AUS), Team Saxo Bank
Hayden Roulston (NZL), Team HTC Columbia

Current National Champions (by country)
Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-Highroad, Time Trial
Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step, Road Race
Matti Breschel (DEN), Team Saxo Bank, Road Race
Lars Ytting Bak (DEN), Team HTC-Columbia, Time Trial
Andy Schleck (LUX), Team Saxo Bank, Road Race
Stef Clement (NED), Rabobank, Time Trial
Jeremy Vennell (NZL), Bissell, Time Trial
Janez Brajkovic (SLO), Team RadioShack, Time Trial
Fabian Cancellara (SUI), Team Saxo Bank, Road Race
George Hincapie (USA), BMC Racing Team, Road Race
David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Transitions, Time Trial

American Stage Race Champions
Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack), 2007-2009 Amgen Tour of California
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions), 2009 Tour of Missouri
George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team), 2007 Tour of Missouri
Janez Brajkovic (Team RadioShack), 2007 Tour de Georgia
Tom Danielson (Garmin-Transitions), 2005 Tour de Georgia
Lance Armstrong (Team RadioShack), 2004 Tour de Georgia
Chris Horner (Team RadioShack), 2003 Tour de Georgia

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California roster includes the following 16 professional cycling teams. The seven ProTour teams compete regularly on the UCI’s ProTour race calendar, including the Grand Tours of Europe – Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

Pro Tour Teams

1.) Garmin-Transitions (USA)

Steven Cozza (USA)

Thomas Danielson (USA)

Ryder Hesjedal (CAN)

Robbie Hunter (RSA)

Thomas Peterson (USA)

Peter Stetina (USA)

Matthew Wilson (AUS)

David Zabriskie (USA)

2.) Liquigas-Doimo (ITA)

Francesco Bellotti (ITA)

Francesco Chicchi (ITA)

Davide Cimolai (ITA)

Manuel Quinziato (ITA)

Peter Sagan (SVK)

Ivan Santaromita (ITA)

Brian Vandborg (DEN)

Elia Viviani (ITA)

3.) Quick Step (BEL)

Carlos Barredo Llamazales (ESP)

Tom Boonen (BEL)

Kurt Hovelynck (BEL)

Kevin Hulsmans (BEL)

Nikolas Maes (BEL)

Andreas Stauff (GER)

Jurgen Van De Walle (BEL)

Maarten Wynants (BEL)

4.) Rabobank (NED)

Lars Boom (NED)

Stef Clement (NED)

Steven Kruijswijk (NED)

Sebastian Langeveld (NED)

Thomas Leezer (NED)

Paul Martens (GER)

Grischa Niermann (GER)

Maarten Tjallingii (NED)

5.) Team HTC-Columbia (USA)

Lars Ytting Bak (DEN)

Mark Cavendish (GBR)

Bernhard Eisel (AUT)

Tony Martin (GER)

Mark Renshaw (AUS)

Michael Rogers (AUS)

Hayden Roulston (NZL)

Tejay Van Garderen (USA)

6.) Team RadioShack (USA)

Lance Armstrong (USA)

Janez Brajkovic (SLO)

Christopher Horner (USA)

Levi Leipheimer (USA)

Jason McCartney (USA)

Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ)

Yaroslav Popovych (UKR)

José Luis Rubiera Vigil (ESP)

7.) Team Saxo Bank (DEN)

Matti Breschel (DEN)

Fabian Cancellara (SUI)

Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)

Juan José Haedo (ARG)

Stuart O'Grady (AUS)

Andy Schleck (LUX)

Andre Steensen (DEN)

Jens Voigt (GER)

8.) BMC Racing Team (USA)

Chad Beyer (USA)

Marcus Burghart (GER)

Chris Butler (USA)

Mathias Frank (SUI)

George Hincapie (USA)

Alexander Kristoff (NOR)

Jackson Stewart (USA)

Simon Zahner (SUI)

9.) Cervélo TestTeam (SUI)

Theo Bos (NED)

Joao Correia (POR)

Philip Deignan (IRL)

Heinrich Haussler (GER)

Jeremy Hunt (GBR)

Brett Lancaster (AUS)

Oscar Pujol Munoz (ESP)

Dominique Rollin (CAN)

10.) Bissell (USA)

Rob Britton (CAN)

Daniel Holloway (USA)

Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA)

Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA)

Peer Latham (NZL)

Paul Mach (USA)

Jeremy Vennell (NZL)

Kyle Wamsley (USA)

11.) Fly V Australia (AUS)

Jonathan Cantwell (AUS)

Jai Crawford (AUS)

Benjamin Day (AUS)

Charles Dionne (CAN)

Aaron Kemps (AUS)

Bernard Sulzberger (AUS)

Jay Robert Thomson (RSA)

Phil Zajicek (USA)

12.) Jelly Belly Presented by Kenda (USA)

Jonathan Chordoff (USA)

William Dicknson (AUS)

Michael Friedman (USA)

Charles Bradley Huff (USA)

Jeremy Powers (USA)

Kiel Reijnen (USA)

Will Routley (CAN)

Bernard Van Ulden (USA)

13.) Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA)

Ryan Anderson (CAN)

Jesse Anthony (USA)

Dan Bowman (USA)

Alex Candelario (USA)

Reid Mumford (USA)

Neil Shirley (USA)

David Veilleux (CAN)

Scott Zwizanski (USA)

14.) SpiderTech Powered by Planet Energy (CAN)

David Boily (CAN)

Guillaume Boivin (CAN)

Lucas Euser (USA)

Martin Gilbert (CAN)

Kevin Lacombe (CAN)

Bruno Langlois (CAN)

Francois Parisien (CAN)

Andrew Randell (CAN)

15.) Team Type 1 (USA)

Davide Frattini (ITA)

Ken Hanson (USA)

Aldo Ino Ilesic (SLO)

Christopher Jones (USA)

Valery Kobzarenko (UKR)

Javier Megias Leal (ESP)

Thomas Rabou (NED)

Scott Stewart (USA)

16.) UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis (USA)

Christopher Baldwin (USA)

Matthew Crane (USA)

Marc De Maar (NED)

Max Jenkins (USA)

Karl Menzies (AUS)

Andrew Pinfold (CAN)

Rory Sutherland (AUS)

Bradley White (USA)

Stages for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California include:
Stage 1: Sunday, May 16 – Nevada City to Sacramento
Stage 2: Monday, May 17 – Davis to Santa Rosa
Stage 3: Tuesday, May 18 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Stage 4: Wednesday, May 19 – San Jose to Modesto
Stage 5: Thursday, May 20 – Visalia to Bakersfield
Stage 6: Friday, May 21 – Palmdale to Big Beak Lake
Stage 7: Saturday, May 22 – Los Angeles Individual Time Trial
Stage 8: Sunday, May 23 – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills

For more information about the Amgen Tour of California, please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Photographs one and two credit Anthony Bento. Photographs three and four by Jonathan Mendick.

Celebrating cycling history and heroes

2010-04-24T01:25:15Z

The first bicycle was used as a replacement for a horse, required a saddle and was propelled like Fred Flinstone's car.

According to University of California, Davis, Bicycle Program Coordinator David Takemoto-Weerts, an early bicycle-like invention was a "Draisine," a 19th-century invention of German forest ranger Karl Von Drais, for whom the the proto-bike is named. Similar machines were tweaked by engineers until bikes evolved into what we use today.

Takemoto-Weerts helped facilitate the purchase of a Draisine, part of the Pierce Miller collection that U.C. Davis bought in 2000 for a little under $400,000. It is now one of the dozens of historic and modern bikes displayed at the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame, which will open Saturday morning in downtown Davis.

The mission of the organization, which has been in the process of moving from Somerville, NJ, for nearly a year, is "preserving the history and heroes of cycling in the United States," said Treasurer and board member Ray Cippolini. Besides being a museum, it's also a member-based organization and cycling and fitness advocate, according to its website.

Fourteen different cities were initially interested in hosting the Hall of Fame, but it was narrowed down to two: Davis and another city in North Carolina. U.S. Bicycling hall of famer and board member Ernie Seubert described why the Hall of Fame came to Davis.

"Davis won out because of its passionate (cycling) community," he said. "This is going to be vastly improved; we have the backing of the town."

That's evident when looking out the windows of the building onto Davis' Third Street, a major bicycle thoroughfare. The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame sits in a three-story building, formerly a teen center, on one corner of Central Park, which is home to the Davis Farmer's Market. Near the park, the number of bicycle commuters seems to outnumber the cars.

In addition to featuring a range of historical bikes, some nearly 200 years old, the building also contains modern biking memorabilia, medals, photographs, trophies and unicycles. One room is filled with more than 100 plaques for the the 128 Hall of Fame inductees.

Inducting someone into the Hall of Fame is a two-part process, Cippolini explained. Inductees are nominated by a Hall of Fame committee, then voting takes place. Nominees may include former competitive cyclists from road or track racing, off-road riders (which includes BMX, mountain bike and cyclocross riders) and non-competitive cyclists who have contributed to the sport.

Then all the members of the U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame Board, which expanded last month to include the board of the Davis-Based California Bicycle Museum, vote for a nominee. So does every inducted hall-of-famer, and a number of journalists, Seubert said.

He and others noted their favorite piece of Hall of Fame memorabilia: Greg Lemond's bicycle and 1986 Tour de France yellow jersey. Lemond was the first American winner of the Tour de France and also ran a successful bicycle company, which is now part of international company Trek Bicycles.

Cippolini said his favorite items are in the exhibit on hall of famer Marshall "Major" Taylor, an African American track cycling champion who become an international cycling star even while facing racial prejudice. The exhibit includes Major's century-old bicycle as well as photographs.

"He was recognized at a time in this country when there was a lot of bias toward him as a person, but not toward him as an athlete," Cippolini said. "He was recognized for the great athlete he was, even overcoming the social bias at the time."

At 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Davis Mayor Ruth Asmundson and three Hall of Fame inductees will celebrate the Hall of Fame's opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sunday morning, Davis will host the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer ride, which gives amateur riders a chance to ride a stage of the Tour of California. It will be led by American cyclist George Hincapie.

The U.S. Cycling Hall of Fame is located at 303 B St. in Davis.

First Sacramento tweed ride a grand success!

2009-11-09T17:43:27Z

At 9:00 am, nearly a hundred cyclists showed up for Sacramentos first Tweed Ride sunday for the all day neighborhood bike ride. Amazing as the idea gave birth just a little over a month beforehand. Thanks to powerful internet networking the idea traveled fast and soon the restaurants that accepted to participate got what they reserved, a lot of love from the enthusiasts dressed in fine vintage tweed.

The scramble to amass the finer vintage look was on and the final result a best dressed contest showed us the need for such an event. The enthusiasm was contagious as was the creative impulse for both vintage bike and dress alike.

Many cities have such a ride already in place. New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Chicago to name a few.

Erin and Rick Houston organized the ride with great care and the stops were spaced out perfectly so we all could admire such a great turnout. The ride started at the Sacramento Bike Kitchen with Old Soul Coffee to give us the kick we needed.

First stop the Capital for a group photo. More than 80 perhaps close to 100 cyclist on the steps of the dome of all things poitico. Then a nice slow paced ride to Onespeed Pizza for some breakfast where we peacefully took over the fine eating establishment. The restaurant was literally encased with over eighty+ fine bicycles. Riding a Yellow Schwinn tandem for three, One speed creator Rick Maham was also on hand to see first hand the ever increasing bike culture paying tribute to Ricks own love for fine food, bikes and good companionship. If you havent you simply must check out this place and if you can, ride there on your bike.

Our next destination was the famed Bon Lair pub on 37th and J st. It was the perfect place to have a pint and feel a bit Scottish. Again the bikes and great beer gave the feel of a wonderful Dutch or Danish neighborhood.

Next stop was a wine tasting at Revolution Winery Sacramento's one and only urban winery. Great people with a passion for wines and it showed. It was here where we had our best dressed contest and handed out prizes, As Rick Houston said so elequently "after all we are all winners".

Feeling the need for more Carbs our next Stop was Hot Italian where we gorged on wonderful pizza and drank Racer 5 from exotic hand blown pitchers. Hot Italian is yet another great eating establishment that embraces the bicycle as a viable mode for a day on the town.

Finally last call at the Rub. Thats Rubicon for those that frequent the grand daddy of riding destinations.

ALL in all it was simply marvelous to see so much enjoyment on the greatest machine ever created by man.

Sacramento to be part of 2010 Amgen Tour of California

2009-10-23T05:17:30Z

At about 9 a.m. Thursday, three-time Amgen Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer announced via a "tweet" that he was going to defend his title in 2010. It was part of a high-profile Twitter conversation started by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that went something like this:

"@schwarzenegger: Great news for American cycling fans and CA. The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be better than ever. @lancearmstrong will you join us?

@lancearmstrong: Absolutely! @schwarzenegger, I've decided to ride the #Amgen Tour of California in 2010. Can't wait. What about you @levileipheimer?

@levileipheimer: I'll definitely be racing the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, defending my title."

Then at 4:30 p.m., the defending champion spoke at a press conference for the 2010 race at The Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento.

"It was a lot of fun being in the announcement today on Twitter, so I feel like I'm really a part of the race," Leipheimer said to a crowd of about 50, which included the mayors of Sacramento, Nevada City and Davis, and local legislators.

"Right from the fall of 2005, when we first announced the Tour of California was going to happen, I felt like this was something that I needed to be involved with, and I think that's been the secret to my success the last three years," he added. Leipheimer has won the last three Tours of California.

Mayor Kevin Johnson also expressed excitement that Sacramento be will be involved in the tour again. In addition to hosting the pre-race team presentation and gala on May 14, downtown Sacramento is where the first stage of the tour will conclude May 16, after a start in Nevada City.

"That allows us to have four or five days of activities and make it a really special weekend event," Johnson said. "We're going to have about 70,000 spectators that will participate over the weekend. This event brings in $8 million dollars, and that is very significant."

He also addressed last year's "hiccup": During the race, Lance Armstrong's time trial bike was stolen in Sacramento. The mayor joked that although the chief of police had promised tighter security, riders should bring their own locks, just in case.

Davis's Mayor Dr. Ruth Uy Asmundson and Nevada City's Mayor Reinette Senum said they were honored that their cities were part of the race as well.

A big change in the 2010 tour is that it will be held in May instead of February.

"We did it to showcase the state of California in a better way," said Andrew Messick, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group and tour director. "There's a lot of terrain you can't get to on a bicycle in the wintertime."

Moving the tour dates also means that it will overlap with the peak of the European cycling season. As a result, it is unclear whether Europe's top racers will choose the Tour of California over the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy).

"There are probably some Italians who will end up going to the Giro, but I don't think that we're going to see any impact because of the two races conflicting," Leipheimer said. "(The Tour of California) is better preparation for the Tour de France in July."

Leipheimer, Armstrong, and most of last year's Astana team will ride together, but have moved to the newly-formed Team Radioshack. A 2007 Tour de France doping scandal, near financial collapse and a talent overload (three of the top four 2009 Tour de France riders) sent many former Astana riders elsewhere for 2010.

Sacramento Bike Games

2009-03-30T04:56:51Z

Bikes, beer and beards - all were in abundant supply this weekend at the second annual Sacramento Bike Games, which lasted all of Saturday evening.

A select group of people received phone calls Saturday morning from the event's organizers telling them where to meet up for the first event, a skid-stop competition held on the American River Bike Trail at noon.

After that, the action moved to Discovery Park, where the Pick Up, Footdown and Trackstand events were held. While Footdown and Trackstands have been explained in previous articles in this storyline, Pick Up is probably unfamiliar to readers. In Pick Up, objects of successively diminishing size have to be picked up by players riding past them, without dismounting from their bicycles. Saturday's game started with two-liter soda bottles and ended with dimes.

Julio Villa, winner of Saturday's Footdown event, said the games “were a lot of fun. It was pretty tiring but totally worth it. I'm looking forward to next year's games, when I will totally crush the competition."

The Games were informal, with anyone who had paid the $6 entry fee and received a spoke-card 'ticket' allowed to participate in any event. Many people attending brought their own supplies of food and beer. Organizers, who were mostly regular participants of Sacramento's semi-illicit games of Bike Polo, kept track of wins and scores on notebooks and pieces of cardboard.

Besides the games, there was a barbeque of vegan hot dogs at Discovery Park. However, the meal was sadly marred by a shortage of buns. "It was totally weak, all that competition made me so hungry and I was fittin' to eat, even though the dogs were vegan," Villa said.

Around 3 p.m., the games moved again, this time to downtown Sacramento for the Bike Polo tournament. Teams were picked by shuffling the spoke cards. Held in a parking lot at an 'undisclosed location,' Polo lasted for about three hours before the games moved for the last time to a house in the Mansion Flats neighborhood for the final event - Bike Jousting.

The competitors arrayed themselves at opposite ends of a driveway lined with spectators. Their lances were made of three-foot lengths of PVC pipe tipped with pillows secured in place with copious amounts of tape.

"Everyone was drunk," said one spectator of the chivalrous cycling. "People were up on balconies, cheering like Caesar at gladiators."

No word yet has come from the event organizers about next year, but a continuation of the games seems likely.

Nice Racks Appearing in Sacramento!

2009-02-12T02:08:38Z

Sacramento's newest bike rack is just in time for this weekend's Amgen Tour of California. There it sits, on the corner of 19th and O, right outside of Zuda Yoga Center. The smell of fresh concrete, a green metal masterpiece, new paint - it's the real deal.

The Sacramento-themed bike rack, which has a depiction of a bicycle inside the State Capitol Building, was installed earlier this morning. The work of art already had a blue bike locked to it this afternoon.

Zuda's owners, spouses Anne Marie Kramer and Bill Prysock, had been actively "trying to get a bike rack installed" outside their business for approximately six months, said Yoga Coordinator Amanda Johnson.

Johnson added, "We are proud to have it since we have a lot of students who bike to their yoga class."

Recently, the Department of Transportation agreed to take over the issue of bike parking, and according to the Sacramento Bee, the city plans to install about 100 more.

Jerry Way, City Director of Transportation said to the Bee, "We are adding a good-looking parking asset that will accommodate no less than two bicycles at a time." He also said that in some cases they will be larger and hold more bikes.

One week left to support mountain biking in national parks

2009-02-11T06:48:25Z

It's always been a struggle for me when I bring my bike to Yosemite or any other national park. Because of the difficulty of siting any kind of mountain bike trail, you're stuck on the paved roads with the Winnebagos and tour buses. Frankly, that scares the snot out of me. I wind up riding in places I shouldn't be, and that's bad too. The International Mountain Bike Association has been working for years to improve off-pavement bicycle access in National Parks and many other places. The Park Service has finally come up with a proposed new policy which will make it a little easier to site some trails in national parks. There is one week left for you to get your comments in on the new rule. You can read more about it and find a sample letter at the IMBA web site.

On the Sacramento front, SAMBA has been fighting for local trails for five years now. The newly updated American River Parkway Plan provides for an off-pavement bicycle trail network in between Parkway miles 2 and 6. These areas are known as Woodlake and Cal Expo. We could have up to 6 or 8 miles of trails in these areas, mostly on existing roads that are used by rangers and the folks who maintain the power lines. There is still some legislative work that needs to be done, so those trails probably can't happen until 2010, and even then there are some conditions we will have to meet regarding signage and buffer zones. SAMBA will be working on that over the next few years and needs your help.

These trails are going to be a great spot for family riding and also for people who are new to the sport. The terrain is mostly flat, and there are very few places--actually, no places--that require expert skill or nerves of steel. What folks in Sacramento and everywhere do need is more fun ways to get exercise that don't involve driving up to the mountains or out to the coast. Keep the fun local, and save the gas. Visit SAMBA on the web to get more info and the latest events.

Alley Cat Racing in Sacramento

2009-01-15T00:39:40Z

Friday evening, you may have run into a crowd of cyclists pedaling their way downtown, uptown, and back again. The racing term for this group is a peloton. These rather enthusiastic riders were in the midst of the Sacramento Alley Cat bike race.

The Alley Cat is an unsanctioned bike race, checkpoint-to-checkpoint, where the emphasis is placed not on speed, but on knowing the layout of the city. Races are always open course, taking place in street traffic.

40 riders took off for the five checkpoints of the race which stretched from Lucky Lefty's on 16th Street all the way to West Sacramento and back.

Many others who came chose not to race, but remained at Lucky Lefty's, watching a bike-trick exhibition in the parking lot next door. Most people attending planned to go to the Sacramento premier of Macaframa, a feature-length film of track bike riding and tricks, being held at the Crest Theatre.

Alley Cat racing originated in the bike messenger community of Toronto in 1986, but it has since spread all over the world, with races being held from Atlanta to Australia, and of course, Sacramento.

While bike messengers are the driving force behind the production and organization of these races, non-messengers are free to enter and participate. Most participants ride fixed gear track bikes, and while most are welcoming to newcomers, some look down on people riding geared or single speed bikes.

The Alley Cat was largely organized by Lucky Lefty's, a streetwear boutique that recently opened up in the space formerly occupied by the Kehlet Typewriter company.

Are any of our readers bicycle racing enthusiasts? What do they think of this sort of bike race? Did anyone see the race or stumble into the midst of it?

Photos courtesy of Timothy Mar.

Help is on the way; The grand opening of the new Sacramento Bike Kitchen

2009-01-02T18:01:00Z

Its party time come this Second Saturday. You see the Sacramento Bike Kitchen has a new center and we are throwing a grandopening party. The Bike Kitchen otherwise known as SBK is a nonprofit org(501(c)3) with the intention of keeping you on your bike and more importantly creating more advocates who create a more bike friendly community, one bike at a time.

Heres how it works. For a small fee you can have someone show YOU how to fix and maintain your bicycle. A sort of teach a man to fish philosophy. We survive on donations such as unused bikes and bike parts. Unused, tools, and bike stands are gladly accepted as well. 2 hats we are wearing is the recycler and educational center for all things cycling. We are made up of bike advocates who simply want to accelerate the bike boom in Sacramento. Less cars and more bikes will make Sacramento a happier place to be.

Safety classes, how to fix a flat, as well as how to adjust your brakes will be part of our tools in creating a better biking Sacramento. Your old parts will be recirculated into your community, creating affordable quality bikes on the streets which will intern create a demand for new bikes and so it goes. The only people that should fear us are the big box store owners who sell poorly made bikes that are not even fitted to the rider. (boy do we have stories)

Our new building is at 1915 I street, on the tracks between H and I The space is well, spacious with high ceilings. The exterior is Ivy covered industrial with a big roll up door.

So come to our grand opening this Second Saturday. Refreshments will be available. We only ask you to ride your bike and if you would like to, donate to the common good a bike that is just gathering dust . We will find someone who badly needs a good affordable mode of transport. Our help is yours.

See you at the party.

go to www.sacbikekitchen.org for more info

Old Sac a destination and meeting place for cyclists

2009-01-02T17:51:23Z

Working downtown out of Old Sacramento I am noticing a significant rise in bike traffic here. Be it a meating place and/or hub for riding the American River bike trail. Many do not know that this gem known as the American River Bike Trail ends or begins here depending on your POV. Rumours on the club scene are an organized ride from Old Town Folsom to Oldtown Sacramento are being planned.

It behooves the planners for old town to cater to cyclists as they bring cash and credit cards to old town. Cyclist by and large are quiet adding to Old town ambiance, dont polute and love Oldtown charm. Steamers coffee, a popular destination and resting spot for area cyclists have no outdoor seating as the price for permits are too steep at this juncture.

Why are the powers that be making it so hard on the businesses of oldtown to draw in tourism? There are also a few choice vacant buildings that wouldbe perfect for a bike shop. Anyone interested let me know here.

Pedal pedal click click marketing

2008-11-03T22:25:18Z

So one night a few months back, I was sitting in traffic on J street and noticed a Chevy Suburban towing a billboard advertising for a soft drink product. I was a little pissed that this vehicle was driving around burning gas and clogging traffic, but it spurred another idea. Build a better way of doing this in a little more responsible way. How do you advertise your product and not annoy people or make them feel like you're creating traffic jams? The solution was to buy an existing product and rework it a little with the help of a signage company.

Out of this came a bike trailer and bicycle with custom made "wraps". PLease look at the photographs and notice the complete custom build for the trailer.

This piece will be zig-zagging around town, in bike lanes when possible, and burning zero gas. Pedal Power!

In addition, you can get an introduction flyer from the cyclist if you would like to learn more about The Sacramento Press.