ROS State Ed Bldg 5-16-12

Albany’s 6^th Annual Ride of Silence was on Wednesday, May 16 starting at 6:00 PM and 6:30.

Cyclists gathered at Albany’s Corning Preserve/Boat Launch and at West Capital Park/NYS Education Building for a silent tribute to riders killed or injured while cycling on local roads.   The 20 riders were accompanied by a bicycle police officer from the University at Albany.

The slow-paced procession left the Corning Preserve/Boat Launch at 6:00 p.m. and then visited Jose Perez’s bicycle on Broadway at Quay St.  The 12-mile round-trip route then met up with riders near the NYS Education Building and visited two more fatality sites.  We finished up with two flat tires and a refreshing downpour as we cruised in town on Central Ave.

The Ride of Silence, which is held during National Bike Month, reminds us all – cyclists and motorists – to be considerate on the road for the safety of all.  The ride also shows respect for those who have been killed or injured while cycling.

The first Ride of Silence was organized in 2003 to honor a Texas cyclist killed by a bus. Events are now held across the nation and in other countries, including Australia, Canada, and Scotland. For a list of locations and more on the history of the event, go to http://www.rideofsilence.org.

Across the nation, more than 600 cyclists are killed on the road every year.  Local fatalities for whom there are ghost bikes include the following:

• Nicholas Richichi, 53 – Oct. 19, 2007, Fuller Rd., Guilderland
• Diva De Loayza, 40 – June 6, 2007, Western Ave., Albany
• Alan Robert Fairbanks, 72 – Oct. 29, 2006 (later died), Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail and Route 5S, Rotterdam
• Jose Perez, 60 – Aug. 3, 2006, Quay St., Albany
• Joel Melnikoff, 49 – July 3, 2006, Rt. 32, Bethlehem
• David Ryan, 32 – June 29, 2004, Riverview Rd., Rexford
• Robert Zayhowski, 43 – July 16, 2000, Rt. 66, Sand Lake

Ride of Silence 2013 will be on May 15, 2013.

Bike Expo 2012 – Vendor Area

The organizers of Bicycle Expo 2012 extend a big THANK YOU to all our vendors, co-sponsors, and supporters.  We are particularly grateful to the hundreds of visitors who attended the event and supported the vendors.

As we look back over the past four months of preparation, we are pleased with the help from our friends both in the cycling community and in the city government.  The mayor, the director of special events, the city clerk, the chief and officers of Albany Police Department, the Department of General Services staff, the Mayor’s Office of Energy and Sustainability, the Albany Common Council, the print news media, and several radio and television stations all supported us in presenting the second annual Bicycle Expo to the Capital Region.  Several major sponsors provided the funding and in-kind services to expand promotion throughout the community.

Our auction prize donors provided an invigorating aspect of Bicycle Expo 2012.  With our “you-do-not-have-to-be-present-to-win” policy, we had great participation from our guests.  One hundred percent of the proceeds will go toward Albany Bicycle Coalition’s programs in the community.

The Crowd Enjoys Expo

The Albany Bicycle Coalition is proud to have presented such a worthwhile event. This event could be the springboard for advancing bicyclists’ rights, policies, and amenities in Albany.   Albany Bicycle Coalition’s objective remains that of having the Capital District declared “Bicycle Friendly.”

When you come to be Bicycle Expo 2012 this coming Sunday,  May 6, visit our vendor/sponsors.  A partial list includes the following:

• Albany Bike Rescue
• Albany Office of Energy and Sustainability
• Albany Police Department
• Ama’zin Ladeez Jewelry
• Bettie’s Cakes
• Broadway Bicycle Company
• Capital Bicycle Racing Team
• Capital District Transportation Authority/ipool2
• Capital Car Share
• Catskill Cycles
• Crafts of Egypt by Albert Barsoum
• Downtube Bicycle Works
• Eastern Mountain Sports
• L.L. Bean
• Leanna’s Designs
• National Intercollegiate Cycling Associations
• New York Bicycling Coalition
• Pine Hills Neighborhood Association
• SIGMA-Germany
• Tierra Coffee Roasters
• Troy Bike Rescue
• Waddell & Reid
• WAMC Radio
• Windham World Cup

. . . and, of course, the Albany Bicycle Coalition

FOR MORE INFO – CONTACT: Ride Leader Paul Winkeller, winkp@nycap.rr.com

++++++

The first annual Capital Region Arboretum-to-Arboretum Bike Ride will take place on May 19th at 9:00 am. (Rain date May 20th).

The Landis Arboretum in Esperance and the Pine Hollow Arboretum in Slingerlands are partnering for a Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club (MHCC) sanctioned ride that will be a 75 mile loop between the two arboretums. Details about the ride can be found at MHCC’s website:

http://webmhcc.org/rn/modules.php?name=Ride_Calendar&file=ride_report_fancy

The event begins at 9 am sharp at the Pine Hollow Arboretum (PHA) office at 16 Maple Avenue in Slingerlands. Riders will bike to the Landis Arboretum where there will be a brief “half time” ceremony and break before returning to the Pine Hollow Arboretum.

This event has been created to raise awareness of the relative proximity of the two arboreta and the work each non-profit organization is engaged in to protect, study and educate the general public about the importance of each groups’s unique and highly diverse upstate New York natural forest landscapes.

The ride begins at 9 am in Slingerlands, and the pace will be in the range of 15-17 miles per hour. Each rider will be provided a cue sheet with detailed directions.

The ride has been scheduled in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of Landis’s Signature Plant, Book, Bake and Artisan Sale. The Landis Plant Sale is scheduled for both May 19th and 20th. The sale is open from 10am to 4pm. The plant sale will feature thousands of hardy and unusual trees, shrubs, and perennials. In addition, thousands of used books on gardening and other topics will be sold. Local artists will also be selling their unique crafts and nature related art. Homemade bake goods will be available to munch on while you shop. The sale is open free to the public.

Cyclists’ purchases will be transported to Pine Hollow Arboretum for pick-up at the end of the ride.

For more information on this ride please contact PHA Board Member and Arb To Arb Ride Leader Paul Winkeller at winkp@nycap.rr.com For more information about the Pine Hollow Arboretum please visit pinehollowarboretum.blogspot.com

For more information on the Landis Arboretum Plant Sale please contact Fred Breglia, Landis Arboretum Director at fred@landisarboretum.org or call 518-875-6935. Visit www.landisarboretum.org for a complete listing of programs and events for scheduled for 2012.

Bethlehem Bike Month Event

It’s not all about the race.

1. Ride a marathon with three time Tour de France winner Greg Lemond at 8 Am.
2. Take the kids on tour of Cambridge between 2:30 and 3PM.
3. Bid on art in a silent auction for one-of-a-kind piece by former pro, Doug Dale.
4. Check out the steller expo all day. Find the booth with chocolate milk. It’s awesome!

More Here, Tour of the Battenkill

Today, amateur racers battle for their place on the podium. I played the official’s role. Told racers when they crossed the center line. Wrote down their number as they were dropped from the peloton. There were tons of flats. One older gentleman had two flats and a tire around his neck. He wasn’t in our group so we didn’t stop.

The course is filled with steep climbs, sand pits, stones the size of fists, and high winds. It will be great to see the invitational race tomorrow. My camera’s ready, is yours?

Click here to be a marshal.

There are approximately one hundred and fifty road marshal posts to fill for Saturday’s race, and Sunday’s race has about sixty road marshal posts.  Right now organizers have a greater need for marshals on Saturday, but need help for Sunday’s race also,  according to Carrie Gray Volunteer Director of the Tour of the Battenkill.

Marshals are a vital part of every bicycle road race. They help ensure the safety of the event by keeping spectators, recreational cyclists, cars, children, and stray animals out of the way of the competitors, race caravan and official vehicles. A more complete description can be seen here from procyclingtour.com.

This is is a great opportunity to see the action of one race from the Great American Cycling Series. Racers from all over the world will be competing for the title of Battenkill. I’ve heard a British race team is to arrive on Friday for the event. It’s an international race, want to help?

America’s largest one-day Pro/Am cycling race. Racers compete over 62 miles of rolling terrain on both dirt and paved roads as they travel through the world famous Battenkill Valley. Set in early spring, the race starts and finishes in the scenic village of Cambridge, New York and courses through covered bridges, family farms, and rural villages along the many challenging backcountry roads that traverse Southern Washington County, New York.

The 2011 edition played host to over 2,500 amateur and professional cyclists from throughout North America and dozens of nations worldwide. From Battenkill website.

Did we mention three time Tour de France winner, Greg Lemond will be there?

The event will take place Friday, April 27th from 10:00am to 9:30pm at the Colonie Center Mall. We will be meeting and greeting, talking about our 2012 Bike EXPO and giving valuable information on cycling in the Capital District. To talk about riding safely, a few of our League of American Bicyclists certified bicycle safety instructors will be there to talk to you. See you at L.L. Bean!

For more information please contact us!

ABC Information/Sign-In Booth – Bike Expo 2011

We now have verbal approval from Albany to use the area in front of the Washington Park Lake House just off Madison Avenue at New Scotland Ave.

• Date – Sunday, May 6, 10 AM – 4 PM
• Location – Lake House in Washington Park
• Rides – An in-city tour of Albany’s bicycle amenities and an in-park ride for novice cyclists and children.
• Vendors – We will have bicycle groups, bicycle shops, food vendors, and other organizations related to bicycling and urban living.

With this great, central location, we are hoping to attract cyclists, vendors, exhibitors, and visitors to the park – which will be in full bloom for the Tulip Festival (May 12 and 13).  We will have access to the car-free roadways for a family friendly traffic skills ride.

This event will be Albany Bicycle Coalition’s main sponsored effort for 2012 and for Bike Month 2012 – a chance to bring riders and families into contact with each other and with organizations and companies involved with cycling and sustainable living.