Gear Review: Planet Bike Borealis Gloves

Planet Bike Borealis winter gloves

Approx. cost: $25-35

Cold hands, I do not like. These gloves, I like.

..I also like 

those SmartWool socks I'm wearing in these photos..

Features I like:

• 4-fingered style: dexterous yet cozy.
  
• Neoprene cuff: comfortable yet seals.
• Wind and WATER proof.
• TWO, count 'em, TWO places to wipe snot and spit on BOTH gloves. I like to keep my snot and spit SEPARATE, thanks.
• No pink flowers.

Temperature rating (according to my body):

• Teens- fingertips start to get cold after an hour if I don't move them.
  
• 20s, 30s- heavenly!
• 40s- a bit warm, but that's fine by me!
• 50s- too hot.

Downfalls:

• It's easier to get hot in these, probably due to their waterproofing.
  
• I find them still a little sweaty inside the day after a ride.
  

CONCLUSION: I love these!

Gear Review: studded bicycle tires

Nokian Mount & Ground studded 26" x 1.9" mountain bike tires 

(Note: NOT "Extreme" Nokian studded tires)

Approx. cost of a pair: $100

Unlike many of my gear purchases, I didn't 'over think' this one. It was snowing and I walked into my local bike shop and bought whatever studded tires they carried. I needed them then and there. I flinched at the price, but I reminded myself that I would be paying four times as much to stud a car.

On my ride home, I was initially a little bit disappointed-- but I shouldn't have been, I just had some misguided expectations. On that first day I was trying to bust through fresh piles of 6" snow. Busting through thick powder requires wider, fatty 4" tires or walking. The tires I had bought were barely 2" and certainly not meant for that.

However, once I started riding these tires on packed snow and ice, 

I really began to understand their benefits.

THIS is the kind of road these tires conquered:

(see photo to right)

I could ride on top of a sheet of ice and snow as if I were velcro. It made me absolutely giddy.

Also note that tire pressure plays a large role in tire performance-- I rode on the minimum tire pressure, if not lower.

In the end, the tires performed and I got great use out of them. Also, since I only need to use them for a short time period of the year, they should last a long time.

However, I did notice that Jill up in Alaska gave these tires a poor review. She's practically worn them out just in one season-- but Jill trains for things like the Iditarod Invitational (for BIKES), rides hers on asphalt and she lives in ALASKA. I use mine for about 2 weeks a year and hardly on bare road. From her blog:

Today I went ice biking on the frozen Mendenhall Wetlands. I've owned my 29" Nokian studded tires for about two months now and I can't say I'm real thrilled with them... full post here.

Conclusions

• Great for packed snow and ice
• Not great in powder
• Great for a few weeks a year
• Not great for long winters
• Perform better with lower tire pressure

Government Mountain Ride

The land had a sexy wetness to it,

having just stepped out of the shower.

Post-Car Adventuring, for the JOY of it

Post Car Adventuring provides "ideas and information for car-free trips to (mostly natural) areas commonly thought be to inaccessible without a personal vehicle." Visit their blog or buy their newly released book on adventuring in the San Franciso area.



From the authors:

The goal is not ideological environmental asceticism and/or anti-car militancy, but pleasure while engaged in environmentally and socially-responsible practices– in-line with what the environmental philosopher Kate Soper has called a ‘hedonistic environmentalism’ where human happiness and comfort is not ground under a radical-Jainist wheel of self-abnegation in the interest of decreasing personal carbon footprints.

--Post Car Press

Thank you!! I don't know if I could have said it better. Through my self-reflections and reporting on this blog, I've come to articulate to myself that the kind of bike commuter, environmentalist, friend and person that I want to be (but haven't always been) isn't self-flagellating. Interestingly enough, it's not only an inward paradigm shift, but a fight against an environmentalist stereotype that is inaccessible and elitist. It's incredibly annoying to borrow a suburban for whatever reason, only to have car-driving folk crow, "Ooooh! You drove an S.U.Veeeeee," in victory, as if the entire reason I ride my bike all the time is just to spite them. How about this:

Maybe I LIKE riding my bike.

Maybe I find it enriching.

And maybe I can eat more cookies.

a REAL snow ride

On my internet wanderings, I came across Jill's blog, Up in Alaska. Jill is a journalist and makes riding a bike in impossible conditions, possible. Perhaps her most intriguing accomplishment has been completing the 350 mile Iditarod Invitational in 2008-- and then writing an honest and intimate story on her blog and in her book afterwards.

If you're grouching, grumping or puzzling about riding in winter conditions where you are-- I recommend a visit to Jill's blog for a snowy perspective.

*Photo from a recent post by  Jill.

A Snow Ride

Walla Walla's winter coat.

CCY Junior Cycling Team Update

Our 2008 cyclocross season in review:


And a sneak peak at a rough sketch of our team jersey:


Visit the team website HERE!

UPS Delivery by Bike!

This was posted on EcoVelo and I could NOT pass up posting it!

UPS Delivery By Bike! Salem, Oregon

BRING IT!!

This is me saying, "BRING IT!!" to the snow.

*(My satisfaction with my new studded snow tires has been increasing.)

19degrees, ice, snow-- great day for a ride!

A few days ago I tried and failed to go for a ride. First I took out the cyclocross bike and tried busting through the piles of snow on the sidewalk. Nope. The tire tread was too small and it quickly turned into a snowball donut. Then I tried the Surly/Xtracycle, recently hooved with studded tires. Again I tackled the same mountainous sidewalk. Nope. TODAY I noticed that the area of cleared road was much wider. I donned my long johns top and bottom, Carhartts, 2 pairs of wool socks, full leather boots, a wool sweater, a down jacket, a wool hat, wool scarf, Planet Bike fleece-lined waterproof gloves, a helmet and glasses and tried again.

Success!

While I was a bit disappointed last time in how the studs performed in "lumpy snow conditions" (they didn't seem to offer improved performance over my regular touring tires), they absolutely rocked on hard packed snow and ice. I felt gloriously confident in my traction. I think real snow riding will have to require a real snow bike, like Surly's Pugsley, which accepts tires up to 4 inches wide for riding in sand and snow. Mine are only about 2 inches.

My toes quickly got cold, so the ride was short. Next time I'll have to toss some heat packets in there.

This (above) is what most of the road looked like: thick ice and dry snow.

Happy 60th Birthday, Mom!

Hi, mom!

Thank you for being a WONDERFUL mom,

I am BLESSED to have you.

I love you!

Happy, happy birthday to you!

ILY

x

Unfortunately, I don't ski, but--

You can't say I didn't TRY. I even got studded tires for my Surly. Review pending..

US Gran Prix of Cyclocross, Portland

There isn't any footage of myself racing, but I ran around taking footage of the Elite fields-- mostly the women, since I can relate better and thus they were more exciting for me to watch.



The energy was festive and positive. There was a crowd gathered at a tricky section just waiting for someone to eat mud, and we'd all go, "OOOH!" or "YEAAAHHH!!" together but then immediately cheer them back up the hill, "Go get 'em! Go! Go!" Then you ring your bell, sip your beer, and eat your waffle.

Shall we get FESTIVE?

= Hmmmmm?

Bike to Yoga

When others discover that I ride my bicycle to get around (as opposed to one of those motor vehicle thingies) I try to emphasize the enjoyment of it or even how 'enhanced' my life feels. Riding to and from my yoga class is a wonderful example. Yoga has been lovely for restoring happiness to my back after riding so much over bump-ba-bumpity cyclocross courses and such. The class is even lovelier when I arrive and depart on my bicycle. My blood is moving and my nose chilled when I walk in the door. When I ride home, my shoulders drop and relax and my back is cheered.

Riding to and from yoga is just such a wonderful addition to the class-- I would be sad if I had to sit still in a car afterwards.

Laziness averted!

The other day I had to set up our first indoor team practice for my junior cycling team. I had to haul 2 trainers, 2 rollers, 2 spare wheels, my bike and my laptop.. I figured it would be easy to "cop out" and borrow the Suburban from Debi and Jim. Well, I peeked out the window and-- no Suburban! Looks like my scheme to be lazy wasn't going to pan out.





Loading up the trailer went remarkably smooth. I made a sort of bicycle and blanket layered cake. And once I started rolling down the street in the delicious Fall air, I was glad that the Suburban wasn't there-- because I would have been missing out.

Wee!

A short slideshow/video of the race can be seen HERE!

Woo!

• Woo! I won the Washington State Cyclocross Championship race!
  
• It was weird. 
  
• I went into the first barrier too fast as usual.
  
• Got back into the group and thought, "I can go faster than this."
  
• I took off.
  
• The course was super fast and played to my strengths.
  
• Crashed twice.
  
• Each time I fell a passing racer asked, "are you okay?"
  
• The second time my handlebars twisted 30 degrees out of alignment.
  
• Yanked 'em back.
• Finished the last lap with my handlebars 10 degrees off.
• Dropped the Cat 4 field by a minute.
  
• Caught all the Masters Women that started 30 seconds ahead except one (then I crashed).
  
• I ripped my favorite knee warmers!! BOO!!

What you think you're doing

Don't let what others think you are doing

affect what you think you are doing.

Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee Agenda

BPAC Agenda
November 12, 2008

Call to Order

Approval of the Minutes

First Order of Business: Gary Mabley, special visitor
Review of Bike Plan, Walk-Through for Instituting Changes, Work Session Format

Old Business
A. Bike Map 10 Minutes
Walt Keyes

B. Bike Racks 5 Minutes
Downtown Locations

C. Audible Signals 3 Minutes
Progress Message from Frank Nicholson 

New Business
A. Bike Licensing 10 Minutes
[If this topic is not covered in Bike Plan work session]
Proposals / Suggestions from WallaWalla2020 (copied below)

1) Make licensing voluntary. The Bicycle Alliance of Washington has determined that licensing is restrictive and acts as a barrier of use. Enforcement of mandatory licensing is an undo burden on law enforcement and not having a license does not pose a safety risk.

2) Make licenses available, as a service, for $3 for a three year period. Licensing has helped law enforcement return abandoned bicycles. Limiting the license to three years allows information to be updated.

3) Establish a Bicycle Advocacy Fund that is funded through multiple local grants on a matching fund basis, i.e. $1.00 per license.

4) Designate Bicycle Ambassadors to distribute licenses and safety information, i.e. Bicycle shops, qualified individuals.

5) Leverage Bicycle Advocacy Fund through application to state/federal grants taking advantage of local participation scoring on grant applications.

6) Limit Bicycle Advocacy Fund to a three year trial focused on a specific project, i.e. improvements to Mill Creek Recreation Trail which has been established as the top priority by the BPAC.

7) Establish a goal of 1150 licenses for trial period.

[Gary Bainter] Regarding item #1, making licensing voluntary, this would take away an important tool officers have when we suspect that the bike may have been stolen. Additionally, as I stated previously, the licensing process helps us return bikes to their owners and the cost for a bike license is not much more than a latte.

Cyclocross in Ephrata

Cyclocross is weird. This weekend was totally unlike the last. There were so many hairpins (or hazards, depending on how you look at it) to slow you down, I could barely even begin to work hard. And while last week my "hammer" outweighed any gains the other women made in the corners, this week the scale tipped the other way. That's the beauty of cyclocross. I got served and it's time to 'round these corners with more HUTZPAH.

HUTZPAH! I think that's my new "race word."

Pursuit of by-product

"Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities."

-Aldous Huxley

Sitting-addicts

I came across this in Aldous Huxley's novel, Island.

Context: Will, the main character, asks Dr.Robert why he, a doctor, was working in the fields earlier that morning.

"I do muscular work, because I have muscles; and if I don't use my muscles I shall become a bad-tempered sitting-addict. With nothing between the cortex and the buttocks. Or rather with everything-- in a condition of complete unconsciousness and toxic stagnation. Western intellectuals are all sitting-addicts. That's why most of you are so repulsively unwholesome... Spongy seats for spongy bottoms-- at home, in the office, in cars and bars, in planes and trains and buses. No moving of legs, no struggles with distance and gravity-- just lifts and planes and cars, just foam rubber and an eternity of sitting..."

A little poetry for a fall ride

Fall Time by Bicycle

Fog dewing face

November chilling cheeks

Ears glowing red

Legs pumping warm

Bike Lights

I'm a big fan of Planet Bike's red rear bike light, "Super Flash" (or better yet, "Super Flash STEALTH"!). It's got the best everything (flash mode, brightness, mount, long battery life) and a reasonable price ($30). Also, Planet Bike gives 25% of profits to bicycle advocacy AND, more importantly, 4 of their 5 employees ride Xtracycles. AND I just got some SICK (that means "awesome") winter gloves by Planet Bike that I'm really excited about. Review pending.

And if you really want to Geek Out, you can watch this comparison of 3 different rear lights, including the Super Flash:

Anyway.
I have yet to come across a front light that I would recommend (that doesn't cost a ton of money). I did find it quite ingenius, or maybe obvious, that Planet Bike included this information on their website:

(Just a sampling..)






Yeah, before you get excited, that last one costs $400.

Okay, yes I did drop $100 a few months ago for a Down Low Glow.. but that was for SIDE visibility and so I could be COOL.

Also, while we're on the topic- there is a light I'm interested in that runs on MAGNETIC power. You may have heard of DYNAMO lights: lights that get power either from a reel rubbing against your tire or a special hub installed in your wheel. The main disadvantage of these has been that they would turn off when you stop riding (but you still need to see! ..or be seen) but this problem has been worked out and dynamos now usually know how to store power for while you're stopped. The magnetic light has this figured out as well, with the added plus that there is no increased friction from a reel rubbing your tire! Hoorah! However, I don't know much about how BRIGHT these lights are. It's a Danish product and those Danes are more about practicality than about overkill like us Americans.

More from Spokane

A musical slideshow from last weekend's race:

Cyclocross Race Report: Riding Fast in Spokane

The most fun I've had on a 'cross course yet. Probably because it played to my strengths. Comments I heard afterwards, "that wasn't a cyclocross course, that was a criterium!" or, bleary-eyed, "that was a hard course.." and gasping, "that was FAST."

Yes, so I liked the course. There was still fun singletrack, crazy bumpy twisting corners, sandy turns, two barriers ON the run-up and more... but there was also a sweeet uphill stretch of pavement. Excuse me, roadie coming through.

I also felt like I was playing "Cops and Robbers" for the entire race. I was in a group with two other women and we kept trading the lead like dice rolling out of a Yahtzee jar. As time wore on, though- any lead that was won by smartly maneuvering a corner or barrier was eventually outweighed by the hammer that struck on the run-up and the pavement-- if I may be modest. That was, needless to say, deeply satisfying. Previously a cop, hunting down the fugitives, I was now the robber making the escape. I couldn't become complacent, though. I kept pushing hard on my strong sections and played it safe in tricky sections. Riding slow in a sandy corner is a far less risky investment than riding it fast and eating it.

I also caught one of my junior riders, Phillip, who started 30 seconds in front of me in Men's B. Phillip has been a real challenge for me in hard workouts, and I think the only reason I caught him was because I was playing with two rabbits and he had none. It was a highlight of the race, though, when we tore up the run-up side-by-side with our local crowd on top of the hill encouraging us all the way. But then we hit the pavement and ol' coach's endurance paid its dividends.

I quite like this sport. I still have a LOT to learn, which only adds to the appeal. I only hope that I can carry this renewed vigor into road racing as well.











Photo Right: Alex, Phillip and I pose with our JAMIS Supernova cyclocross bikes.

Visit Bikery Racing: CCY Junior Cycling Team

A video/slideshow from the weekend will be posted there soon!

The other things that happen at practice

Jake and Joseph, members of the CCY Junior Cycling Team, were captivated by a Quite Large orange spider during practice and obligingly posed for the camera.

2 People and a Pumpkin on a Bicycle

The other day my friend Lina and I were both preparing to go to our friend Lish's birthday party. Lina, like myself, happily rides her bike to get places. Unfortunately, when leaving the house, Lina discovered that she had a flat tire! She thought about walking to Lish's. No worries, I said. I'll come pick you up! And so me and my pumpkin did.

I love my Xtracycle!

Hmm, yes.. another day at the office..

I've got my file box, my binders, a floor pump, a jacket and I don't know what else.


Oh, another commute to work. Yes, let's see-- 7 wheels to work on, a bucket of cleaning supplies and a new Park Tool floor pump.

If I hadn't concluded this before, I am officially not just satisfied, but impressed, by how much the Xtracycle can carry A) For its size, B) For handling like a regular ol' bike whilst unloaded, and C) For handling almost like a regular ol' bike whilst loaded. My reliance on a bicycle for commuting has been made possible by this conversation starter. HMM, maybe I should start a Guest Book for all the people that stop to ask, "so is that a converted tandem or something?"

Walla Walla Cyclocross

Video footage of the cyclocross race at Charles Stanger's farm is posted on the Bikery Racing blog! Check it out.

Pears

I meant to post these with the Bennington Lake panorama video, but had trouble uploading. Here they are now.

Explore Bennington Lake. You'll find a curious concrete funnel. If you're 9 years old, or me, the air of the place will take you far away from where your feet actually stand. It's in this alternate universe that I found these pears so fascinating. 






 There is a pear tree at the top of the ledge..

..and another apple tree down the way.

SAPOLIL CELLARS!

Sapolil Cellars is as excited as we are to become a CCY Junior Cycling Team sponsor!

Bill and Abby, of Sapolil Cellars, are enthusiastic cyclists that make some tasty wine. Their tasting room is also home to a packed schedule of blues and grooves. Here are some upcoming events at the Sapolil Cellars tasting room, downtown on Main St.:

October

Fridays, October 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st
Featuring Sapolil Cellars’ own Latin Infused Jazz trio ‘Papa Loves Mambo’. 7 – 10 p.m. Sapolil Cellars Wines by the Glass, and Specialty Chocolates by Petit Noir. No Cover.

Saturday, October 11th
Special Engagement, co-sponsored by the Walla Walla Blues Society. Sapolil is proud to present Son Jack Jr. Delta Blues. The Real Deal. He combines great fretwork, solid vocals, and highly original songwriting. Visit his website at www.sonjackjr.com, 7 – 10 p.m., No Cover.

Saturday, October 18th
Coyote Kings Live! ROCKIN' BLUES AND BLUESY ROCK ~ SMOKIN' HOT!
Robin Barrett and “Mondo Mike” Cook, along with The Queen of Blue-Eyed Soul, Michelle "Mush" Morgan on vocals, and Professor Pete Crawford on keyboards. 8 – 11 p.m., No Cover.

November

Thursday, November 6th
Mike Wagoner, lead of the The Mike Wagoner Band will be playing solo, 7 – 10 p.m. Call it organic folk rock . . . think Neil Young meets acoustic Led Zep with a little bit of Wille Nelson country, a touch of Van Morrison soul mixed with a unique blend of roadhouse blues, western swing, fresh originals. No Cover.

Friday, November 7th
Exclusive ‘1st Fridays’ with Dr. Mark Brown. First Fridays of every month, this extraordinary musician offers genius talent with our baby grand, precise accompaniment with a trumpet, often times with a harmonica, and most often with perfect vocal accompaniment. 7 – 10 p.m. No Cover.

Saturday, November 8th
Coyote Kings will be recording a new CD, Live @ Sapolil!
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this live recording of their distinctive and energized Rockin’ Blues and Bluesy Rock – Smokin’ Hot! No Cover. It all starts around 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 15th
The Mike Wagoner Band. This is a trio with rich vocals and an amazing range of material. The show includes organic folk rock, a unique blend of roadhouse blues, western swing, and many fresh originals. No Cover. 7 – 10 p.m.

Fridays, November 14th, 21st, 28th
Featuring Sapolil Cellars’ own Latin Infused Jazz trio ‘Papa Loves Mambo’. 7 – 10 p.m. Sapolil Cellars Wines by the Glass, and Specialty Chocolates by Petit Noir. No Cover.

December

The 2nd Annual Winemaker's Event is currently being planned for Saturday, December 6th. Details will be sent to our mailing list soon, and posted on-line after that. Attendance will be limited to 50 seats.

SeaTac Cyclocross

Weekly practices out at the farm has left me antsy to race, so I hopped in Justin's car (our lovely Allegro Cyclery mechanic) to Seattle and raced the "mountain biker's course" at South SeaTac on Sunday. I got a great taste of cyclocross that left me ready for another lick.

Things I expected:

• I started slow and timid, but gained confidence throughout the race.
• I didn't have the guts or experience to pass on singletrack, so I tried to take all the chances I could get to blow around riders.
• 30 minutes was too short for my taste.
  

Things I did not expect:

• I felt comfortable at the barriers.
• Despite not having practiced it, my run up was pretty good. A spectator even shouted, "hey, we've got a runner!" in response to my performance.
  
• One of the run-ups is called the "thigh master." I didn't think it was so bad.
  
• While I took a longer, 'safer' route, the sand pit was no problem.
• Not being able to clip while my cleats were clogged with sand cost me a lot of time.
  
• The announcer called me the "Lightening Bolt from Whitman" which I enjoyed.

Other conclusions:

• I wish I had started racing cyclocross in September.
  

Will I be racing A women or B women in the Inland Cyclocross Series? (includes our home races)

• A women.
  

Local Cyclocross!

Directions, times and other information on the upcoming cyclocross races in Walla Walla has been posted on the CCY Junior Cycling Team blog! Check it out!

'Round Bennington We Go

A few days ago I got my friend Matt off his butt and around the lake on his bike. I think that soon he will figure out that riding a bicycle at length, repeatedly and consistently has its benefits and pleasures. I believe that our ride around Bennington was persuasive. We took a few moments to enjoy our surroundings..

Visit the Fleet Foxes website for more music that will sweep you away to a place smelling of leather and hay. They will be playing at the Moore theater in Seattle on October 19!

Preparing for Rain

The fenders have officially been living on my commuter for a few weeks now. I took my fenders off for the summer and after the first reminder of rain, they scampered back on.

The rain had only been teasing.

We've had a dry, dry fall so far and I haven't really had to deal with commuting in the rain and looking presentable afterwards. You see, dressing for rain as a recreational/competitive cyclist (at which I have more experience) is completely different than dressing for bicycle commuting. First of all, you're working much harder (we presume) on a recreational ride and secondly it doesn't matter if you show up to the coffee shop with a mud face and sopping shorts. The added tricks of bicycle commuting is that you don't want to be sweaty, soppy or muddy. We presume.

Keeping the mud away isn't terribly difficult. Some cool fenders and mud flaps should keep the dirt off your slacks. However, sweat and sop pose the problem. A lot of rain wear is not terrific at ventilating. If you're not wet from rain, you're wet from sweat! Also, vanity must be considered. A lot of rain wear is just plain geeky and how are we going to promote bicycle use if you look like an astronaut?

I've been thinking for a long time about getting a "rain cape" such as one made by Carradice in the UK or stocked by the Center for Appropriate Transportation in Eugene, OR. A rain cape is basically a poncho that is looped over your handlebars, to create a sort of portable tent over yourself. This keeps your torso and thighs dry, but your lower legs can still be vulnerable to road spray. Booties and spats, as stocked by CityBikes in Portland, OR solve that problem too. 

It seems to me that the cape/spat combo should keep you dry without cooping you up in a hot, sweaty rain jacket and pants. So why am I writing about these products theoretically instead of having already purchased and tested them? First, I'm wondering what details a 'cycling

 specific' rain cape will have to make it worth $70 instead of a cheap basic poncho. Second, while I see the value in high-visibility yellow, I'd like to look at least halfway chic on my bicycle.

"Does anyone here like bicycles?"

Last Friday I walked around the lunch room of our local high school with flyers for The Bikery (a repair shop for youth to learn bike mechanics and critical thinking skills and have a chance to earn a bike) and as I approached each clump of kids I asked, "does anyone here like bicycles?"

It was interesting to watch their eyes flicker across the faces of those chewing on chicken strips around them. Does Jane like bicycles? Does Joe like bicycles? Do I like bicycles? A representative of the group would finally commit, "Well, what kind of bicycles?" or "No, not really." Then most everyone agreed. Sometimes fingers were literally pointed across the round table, "hey, don't you like bicycles?" I slide the flyer their direction. Well. We're starting a bike repair club..

Bicycle/Pedestrian Meeting

Points of interest from the latest Walla Walla Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting:

• We're updating our bike map! I am just giddy about this. Walt, the cool guy who draws up the maps, gave me a proof to mark up. It made me feel special. I'm meeting with folks next week to talk about getting sponsors to sign on to have their place of business marked on the map for tourists. The hot topic is whether this poses a conflict with the Chamber's promotion of businesses. Whatever, I'm just excited about having a big colorful map laying on my dining table to draw on with highlighters and pencils.
• There's bicycle parking congestion at the Farmers Market! I am giddy about this too. I like that this problem exists to solve. The frustrating part is that the consensus is that the City and Downtown Foundation are NOT willing to give away ONE motor vehicle parking to allow space for TWELVE bicycles.
• There will now be time allotted for public input at the end of each meeting. I have to admit, I didn't really understand how it worked before-- but you are always invited to join us and pipe up on what's important to you!
• I've got homework! It's time to take a look at the 2005 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and UPDATE it. I feel lucky to be in on this process so early during my time on the committee.

NEXT MEETING: November 12, 11:30am

Not from Walla Walla? Surely your town or city has a Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee! If not, then you can start one!

CCY Junior Cycling Team T-Shirts!

Here is the PREVIEW* of our CCY Junior Cycling Team T-SHIRTS!:



Remember, if you donate $100 or more in our Adopt-A-Racer program, you'll qualify for a free CCY Junior Cycling Team t-shirt to sport your team pride! You can print out the donation form HERE or stop by Allegro Cyclery on 15 S. Spokane St. in downtown Walla Walla.

*subject to change!