This Saturday (December 1st) Richmond Cycling Corps will be launching its new youth space, the RCC Youth LAB (Learning Around Bicycles).  The lab will be 2,500 sq feet of unique design connected to Richmond Bicycle Studio. As RCC says in their email announcement, “Youth LAB is yet another step in bringing Richmond the MOST successful and revolutionary cycling-based outreach program ever produced.”

They’ll also be relaunching the Richmond Bicycle Studio, RCC’s full-service bike shop.

“Beer, fresh roasted oysters, and other snacks will be provided.  We’re keeping this event FREE– but are asking for donations in any amount when registering for tickets. Please join us for an exciting night at Richmond Bicycle Studio.”

Click here for event details and to reserve tickets.

Over at Richmond.com, Phil Riggan updates us on the semi-annual conference the East Coast Greenway Alliance held in Richmond last weekend.

A delegation of cycling advocates from all over the East Coast visited Richmond this past weekend all said they were very impressed with the area’s trails and outdoor opportunities and they planned to come back again. 

The Fall Trail Council meeting for the East Coast Greenway met in Richmond this weekend at the Virginia War Memorial and three Richmond area trails (Belle Isle, Cannon Creek Greenway and Ashland Trolley Line) were designated as sections of the trail of networks that runs from Maine to Miami.

I wrote a column about the ECG a couple of weeks ago in the T-D and here at RichmondOutside.com. The ECG’s website has some great resources for bikers and hikers who might want to explore the ECG in Richmond or anywhere along the Canada-to-Key West pathway.

Check out Phil’s piece here.

Pedestrian bridge east of Gunn’s Run on the Virginia Capital Trail

There always seems to be news on the Virginia Capital Trail front, and last week’s newsletter from Executive Director Beth Weisbrod is no exception.

Weisbrod also offers a couple of trail-construction updates: The 13-mile Sherwood Forest section continues to take shape east of the Charles City Courthouse. And soon, we will announce a date for the groundbreaking for the ten mile New Market Heights phase. By this time next year, we should have over 37 miles of paved, dedicated multi-use trail to enjoy between Eastern Henrico County and James City County. That will be something to celebrate. The remaining phases–Varina and Richmond Riverfront–are still on schedule for a 2014 completion.

Great Shiplock Park in Richmond

I caught up with Jake Helmboldt, Richmond’s Pedestrian, Bicycle and Trails coordinator, last week to talk about a book on Richmond cycling history that he wrote a foreword for. We also talked about a new bike rack initiative that bike commuters and other two-wheel lovers might see bearing fruit by next summer.

Helmboldt said he and local realtor, Scott Garnett, have been batting around the idea of custom bike racks using the “RVA” logo. He said there had been talk of an art competition to create bike racks, but “we’re trying to come up with something more modest and more affordable and easier to execute. ”

Helmboldt mentioned the Elwood Thompson‘s “Real Food” bike rack as an example of how the RVA rack would look, but there’s a twist. Garnett suggested having each city district — The Fan, Manchester, Arts District, Museum District, etc. — get it’s own unique rack incorporating the RVA logo.

That, Helmboldt said, would “distinguish a particular area while at the same time having the unified theme of RVA. Someone who’s not from here, or even if you’re from here but you don’t know where the arts district is, there’s some commonality in the street furniture within the district.”

One of the next steps is talking to local fabrication company Tektonics about the cost of making a mold. Helmboldt is hoping to pursue some kind of public-private partnership to pay for racks. He said he has about $25,000 in his budget for bike parking, but that that would get eaten up quickly by the cost of the custom fabrication.

There are a number of bureaucratic hurdles between where they are now and actually installing these racks (getting them past the urban design committee, for instance), but the hope is for a launch by sometime later next year.

Post and ring racks in Toronto.

In the meantime, you’ll be seeing more of the “post and ring” racks going up on parking meters around town.

“We’ve got  probably 100 racks for our public works guys to be installing probably this month and into November,” Helmboldt said.

Richmond.com has a short blurb today on the League of American Bicyclists awarding Richmond their Bronze level distinction as a bike-friendly city. The group comes out with the list every year. They also awarded VCU their silver distinction among bike-friendly colleges and universities. VCU is the only Virginia school on that list.

Scrolling through the list of cities, it looks like there are probably a couple of hundred at the Bronze level. Richmond was the only Virginia city added to the list this year, but places like Roanoke, Harrisonburg and Alexandria were named Bronze recipients in the past. The only Silver Virginia town is Charlottesville. There are no Gold or Platinum Virginia towns (heck, the only Platinum towns, overall, are Boulder, Co.; Davis, Ca.; and Portland).

According to the League website, “the Bicycle Friendly Community Program provides incentives, hands-on assistance, and award recognition for communities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle Friendly Community welcomes cyclists by providing safe accommodation for cycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation.”

It would appear Richmond has a ways to go before it reaches the next levels of bike friendliness, but this award is certainly a sign that Richmond is headed in the right direction.

Endorphin Fitness had such a positive response to their first MTB skills clinic in Forest Hill Park that they decided to do another one. This time, though, things get even better. Endorphin will also have Scott Bicycles on site at West Creek doing a demo day for road and mountain bikes. And once again, they are graciously donating all proceeds to Richmond-MORE, the local mountain biking and trail building advocacy group.

Spike Toler before the Coqui Cyclery opening in April.

Last Wednesday a devoted member of the Richmond cycling community passed away unexpectedly. If you’ve ridden the trails or the roads in Richmond over the past decade, chances are you ran into Spike Toler even if you didn’t know her personally. More recently she and business partner Clint Kronenberger opened Coqui Cyclery on Semmes Avenue near Forest Hill Park and Crossroads Coffee on the South Side.

I didn’t know Spike well, but, as a fellow cyclist, I’d certainly spoken with her often, seen her around and shot the bull with her at Coqui. My encounters were nothing but pleasant ones. It’s a terribly helpless feeling when someone you know dies, and nothing you do will bring them back. But on Wednesday, anyone who’s interested can ride in Spike’s honor. Here are the details from local cyclist Woody Elliott:

Ride for Spike! Wed Oct 17.
For any and all that want to join in a cool ride around the JRPS. Jump in where you want…
5:30 leave from Coqui. Then we continue on to Reedy Creek by 6:00. Continue down Buttermilk to arrive at Tredegar at 6:30. Then on up North Trail to Pumphouse parking lot by 7. Finish at Crossroads and hang out.

This might be the best weekend of the year if you’re a Richmond-area cyclist/fan of cycling. On Saturday there’s Richmond’s first Gran Fondo, the Sports Backers-produced Martin’s Tour of Richmond. Riders can choose between 29-, 59- and 102-mile options. All ride distances end at the Richmond International Raceway Complex for a party, complete with band, food and drink.

Credit: Sports Backers

But wait, there’s more! Also going off on Saturday, and continuing through Sunday is the Richmond Festival of ‘Cross. On Saturday, racers in a dozen categories will descend on Bryan Park in search of cyclocross glory. On Saturday, they’ll hit the cobbles of Chimborazo Park for some more dirty fun.

If you’ve never heard of cyclocross, or you’ve have and always wondered what it is about, this is a great chance to see it up close. You’ll get a look at some of the best riders in the area. Racing starts from at 9:30 and runs to about 3:30 each day. Food and drink will be available to purchase.

If you’re still on the fence about riding in the inaugural MARTIN’S Tour of Richmond, it’s time to hop off, put on your shoes and clip in. The entry fee for the event will go up by $5 on September 16.

The first-ever Tour of Richmond cycling event is scheduled for Saturday, October 6, 2012. The Gran Fondo will feature a full 102-mile loop around Richmond as well as a 59-mile option and a 29-mile option. The full 102-mile course starts and finishes at the Richmond International Raceway complex, which is the site of the post-ride party for all three distances. The 59-mile course starts at the J. Sargeant Reynolds Goochland Campus, and the 29-mile course begins at Patrick Henry High School in Hanover. The post-ride celebration will feature live entertainment, beer, and a barbecue dinner for all participants.

The full course will pass through eight jurisdictions in and around Richmond. All finishers will receive a finisher medal, and a t-shirt. Additional awards will be distributed to the top three male and top three female finishers.

Read More

In her email newsletter to subscribers, Beth Weisbrod, executive director of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, offers some needed perspective in the recent heated debate between Richmond-area bicyclists and drivers. Check out what she has to say, and, if this is a subject you’re interested in, a good place to make your voice heard would be at the Times-Dispatch’s “public square” debate — Tuesday, September 18, 7 p.m. at the Times-Dispatch office. 300 E. Franklin St.

From Weisbrod’s newsletter:  

This week is Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week. Unfortunately, cycling safety has been in the news a lot lately because of a spate of recent bike fatalities in the region. Emotions are running high in the ongoing tensions between cars and cyclists, with both sides appearing more polarized than ever. From angry name calling to conspiracy theories, drivers and riders are focused on demonizing the other. We’re firmly on a third side.

Most people reading this are both a motorist and a cyclist, and understand the issue is less about bikes and cars, than it is about people. Bad decision makers, law breakers, distracted people, and thoughtless jerks use roads, whether they’re driving, walking or pedaling on them.

One reason the Virginia Capital Trail is so widely supported is that people will feel much safer on this separated trail. With cars no longer in the mix, they will be. It’s exciting to think about 52-miles of a dedicated path and the worry free riding we can do on it. When tragic accidents happen on unfriendly roads, everyone feels a building sense of urgency to hurry up and finish these projects. We want the whole region to be more bike friendly, and would love to see hundreds of miles of separated trails, now.

That will help tremendously. But even the most progressive cities have bikes and cars sharing roads together. Boulder, Portland, and Amsterdam all incorporate at least some areas where a stripe is all that separates cars and bikes. And those cities, too, have the same simmering tensions we’re experiencing as our cycling culture grows.

We can work to pass laws, make safer infrastructure, and educate the public on how to use it. We should never stop moving ahead on those issues. But when it comes right down to it, the center of this conflict isn’t about what kind of wheels are under you. Mostly, it’s about sharing and knowing how to get along.