Student Bike

by Anne Macquarie

I ride an eighteen-year-old black Trek road bike everywhere. It’s my commute bike, errand bike, road bike. It’s comfortable and I like it. I’m attached to it. But now, I’ve seen the future and my old bike might not be in it.
When I was up in Portland last week I stopped by the Museum of Contemporary Craft and saw some really nice custom bikes – prototypes for what might become the city bikes of the future, designed and built by some of the country’s finest bike crafters, including Ziba Design, Signal Cycles, Ideo, Rock Lobster Cycles, Geekhouse, Quixote Cycles, and more. The occasion was a competition to “design and build the ultimate modern utility bike”.
Here are some pictures:

This little green bike was designed and built by students at the university of Oregon. Judges called it fresh, creative, and the ideal campus bike

I loved this bike, second place prize winner designed and built by  Rob Tsunehiro of Tsunehiro Cyles and Silas Beebe of ID+. Its slightly retro look disguises some cool features, like a headlight attached to the stem right below the handlebars that casts light in a 360 degree arc, paniers that in some magical way become huge when you open them up, and  – this is my favorite – the frame paint is retroreflective, so the whole bike glows at night. Imagine seeing that if you’re driving down the road at night (It probably wouldn’t be a good transportation choice for a cat burgler though.)

There were lots more. The winning bikes will be at the Museum of Contemporary Craft until the end of October. Here’s the museum’s website: http://museumofcontemporarycraft.org/

For pictures of the bikes and their makers, go here: http://oregonmanifest.com/challenge/

These bikes make me happy. I hope some of them go into commercial production – Mr Tsunehiro and Mr Beebe, you hear me? – before I’m too old to ride my bike anymore.

Carson City Library will host South Lake Tahoe author Andrew Homan on Tuesday, September 20th at 6:00 p.m. Homan has written a riveting account about one of America’s most famous athletes, Bobby Walthour Sr. The book, Life in the Slipstream: The Legend of Bobby Walthour Sr., is about a great American professional cyclist nearly forgotten by time.

Life in the Slipstream chronicles Bobby Walthour’s rise from a lowly bicycle messenger in Georgia to a two-time national and international cycling champion. Prior to World War II bicycle racing was a hugely popular spectator sport in the United States. Walthour’s career parallels the surging popularity of the bicycle in America. This biography depicts his life against the backdrop of the bicycle craze that swept America in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

From the Carson Valley Trails Association:

Volunteers are needed for these upcoming trail building days for the Genoa area trails project:
•  Friday, September 16
•  Tuesday, September 20
•  Friday, September 23
•  Thursday, September 29
•  Friday, September 30
Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Meet at Sierra Canyon located 0.5 mi. north of Genoa, west on Centennial Dr. to Snowshoe Ln. Park at the junction of Centennial Dr. and Snowshoe Ln.

No previous trail building experience needed! Work for all or part of the day.

Bring: lunch and water, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, sunglasses and sunscreen. CVTA will provide hard hats and tools.

QUESTIONS? Contact Jeremy Vlcan at 775-722-8784 or jrvlcan@aol.com.

Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park, Spooner Lake

From Ranger Bill:
More trail workdays are coming up on the Hobart Link Trail – the first of which is Saturday, September 17th. I will be going up Lakeview Rd with parents, teachers and kids from Fremont Elementary in CC to work on the bottom part of the trail. We’ll be working on the section of trail that cuts diagonally across the lower part of sunflower hill to the northwest. If there’s anything that annoys you about mule ears (the sunflowers) this will be you chance to take a whack at them! It is a somewhat rocky slope as well so there will be some rock and rolling…

Help would be greatly appreciated as most of these folks have probably had little experience with trail building. Those with some fitness and a bit of experience would be very helpful to set the example but all are welcome.

We will meet at Lakeview Gate in the Lakeview subdivision just north of Carson City. Simply follow Hobart Rd uphill till you get to the gate. Same plan – leave about 8am from the gate, work till 3pm-ish and head back. Bring long pants, gloves, work shirt, lunch, water, sun lotion, etc. We will provide the tools and direction for the school folks. I think it will be a fun day with all the kids there so please consider coming. SUV’s helpful for transport…

Max adding the finishing touch to a switchback on the HLT

Friday, Sept 2nd – Hobart Link Trail Workday
From Bill the Ranger:
This trail will be a beautiful and fun multi use but mostly mtn biking alternative to the steep, hot, dusty Sunflower Hill Rd. The trail is close to half done and we are excited to be building the first trail in the park primarily designed for biking so please join us!

Meet at: Lakeview Gate in Lakeview subdivision just north of Carson City – follow Hobart road uphill to gate. We will gather here and caravan up to the work site.

Time: 8am – 3pm

Clothing/misc: long pants, work shirt, hat, water, lunch, sun lotion, boots

Tools/supervision: Parks will provide

Transportation: you may drive your 4×4 or team up with another volunteer

Exit time: we should be finishing up at roughly 3-3:30pm and then caravanning out.

And on the following day…

Donna and Charlette hiking to the worksite on Aug25th

Saturday, September 3rd -Sierra Canyon Trail
From Jeremy Vlcan:
Park at the junction of Centennial Drive and Snowshoe Lane by 8 a.m. and walk up Snowshoe Lane to the kiosk and trail.
Centennial Drive is 1/2 mile north of Genoa.
If you’re late, follow the trail behind the kiosk and walk almost one mile up to the end of the trail where we are working.

No experience needed. Work as long as you like. Cold drinks provided. Bring a lunch.

Required work wear are long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses for eye protection, hiking shoes and work gloves. Tools and hard hats are provided.

Work days through September are posted at http://www.carsonvalleytrails.org/Programs-Calendar.html

Help build the Sierra Canyon Trail that connects to the Tahoe Rim Trail and Carson Valley Discovery Trail!

Volunteers are needed to help the Carson Valley Trails Association build the Genoa Foothill Trail project. Trail building work days are scheduled for the following dates:
Saturday, August 20
Thursday, August 25
Tuesday, August 30
Friday, September 2
Time and location for all of these work days:
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sierra Canyon, located 0.5 mi. north of Genoa, then west on Centennial Dr. and north on Snowshoe Ln. Parking is at the junction of Centennial Dr. and Snowshoe Ln. No previous trail building experience needed. Work for all or part of the day. Volunteers must wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, sturdy hiking shoes or boots and glasses or sunglasses. Hard hats and tools are provided. Bring water and lunch.

Hobart Link Trail

On Friday September 2nd Nevada State Park Ranger Bill Champion is organizing a trail work day on the new Hobart Link Trail. We helped Ranger Bill on two fun, overnight backcountry camps last year, and though we’re not camping this time out, this will be just as fun and rewarding.

I plan on helping the CVTA on August 25th and Ranger Bill on September 2nd. If you would like to join me on one or both of these days please contact me at: jeffpotter@musclepowered.org

Thanks

We're having fun, where is everybody else?

July 16, 2011 3 – 7: p.m.
Red House at Silver Saddle Ranch
Carson River Road, Carson City

Just a reminder that the Picnic is this Saturday from 3-7 p.m. at the Red House at Silver Saddle Ranch.

Bike ride/Hike from 3 to 5:30 pm, followed by potluck picnic. Bring a dish to share and something to grill. If possible, bring a place setting to avoid adding to the landfill. No alcohol allowed, drinks will be provided.

And add this to your calender!

Muscle Powered Board Meeting
July 20, 2011
6 p.m. Social and No host beer and dinner
6:30 p.m. Meeting
High Sierra Brewing Company
302 N. Carson Street
Carson City, NV

Want to find out what Muscle Powered is up to? Did you indicate you were interested in volunteering? Have a great idea for a project? Well now’s your chance!!

Come at 6 pm. Get yourself a beer and/or a bite to eat, and socialize before the meeting.

For more information contact;

Kelly Clark: in2theblue@att.net
or
Donna Inversin: d_inversin@yahoo.com

The Carson City Parks and Recreation Department, Open Space Division, invites the public to join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Fulstone Wetlands. Walk the new 0.6-mile path around the site, through the wetlands observation area, and along the street frontage landscape improvements.
Friday, June 17
4:00 P.M.
Fulstone Wetlands – located on the north side of
Northridge Dr, intersection with Russell Way.
Parking is available at the Boys and Girls Club.
Any questions, please call (775) 887-2262.

A few details from their website:
The Carson Valley Trails Association invites you to join us as we celebrate the kick-off of the Genoa Foothill Trail Project on Sunday, June 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Eagle Ridge Trailhead (located 1.8 miles north of Genoa off of Jacks Valley Rd. on Adams Ranch Rd. – look for the green water tank). CVTA board members and volunteers will staff an information table from 9 to 5 and provide information about the Genoa project. Free refreshments will be available. CVTA vests and t-shirts will be available for purchase.

If you would like to help with trailbuilding, meet at the trailhead at 9 a.m. Bring lunch and water and wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses. Hard hats and tools will be provided.

Come on out and help an outstanding trail organization kick-off a fantastic trail.