plans

SEATTLE, WA (BRAIN) — The British bike brand Boardman Bikes has appointed its first North American sales direct, Fletch Newland. Newland has worked for FSA and Cervelo in the past

Way to go everyone!

From Livable Streets:

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You voiced your opinion and Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) listened.

Thanks to your support over the past three years, we could see much needed improvements to the McGrath corridor from Somerville Ave to Washington Street around the McCarthy Overpass by next summer.

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Now, as part of the State’s repair project, MassDOT is planning to make additional surface improvements for people to make it safer and easier to walk, bike, take the bus, and drive, when originally the only plan was to repair the structure.

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LivableStreets urged the State to reconsider how they are investing money in this project. Taking our feedback, the State hired consultants to analyze the possibilities. Last week, data and conceptual drawings were presented to LivableStreets and other stakeholders. The drawings showed new and improved intersections, buffered bicycle lanes, designated areas for buses, improved traffic signals, and the closing of ramps and tunnels. 

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With the addition of a new intersection and improved crossings, you would be able to walk and bike along McGrath and get from one side of McGrath to the other safely and more easily, unlike today.

The new ideas presented are because you wrote letters, volunteered, signed postcards, and attended meetings and spoke up. Now we are closer to seeing these much needed improvements.

Thank you Massachusetts Department of Transportation and City of Somerville! 

Today (top); A vision (bottom)

We are also now one step closer to realizing the ultimate vision of taking down the outdated overpass to make our communities more connected and livable, and pave the way for more businesses and jobs.

The work is not complete though… We must continue to weigh in on the plans and there will be public meetings this spring.

Together, we can make these changes happen! Join LivableStreets today. By becoming a member or donating now, you will contribute to helping make these changes actually happen.

 

Thank you,

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Jackie Douglas, Executive Director

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PS -Come celebrate this news and much more at our 3rd annual Spring member meet and greet on April 18!

BikePark Wales have announced that construction of their first-of-a-kind facility is due to begin next month. The park will be based at Gethin Woods, near Merthyr Tydfil, and aims to be the UK’s premier mountain bike destination with trails to suit all abilities and styles of riding. It will also be the UK’s first large commercial bike park.

Using specially adapted vehicles and a new access road, BikePark Wales is set to offer the largest uplift service in the UK, with a capacity for 75 riders. Other plans include a visitor centre with a cafe, bike shop, rental area, Mojo?suspension service centre and pump track. A full time trail crew have been selected to maintain and continually develop the trails, something other trail centres in the UK have often struggled with.

Due to be completed in the autumn, BikePark Wales is a project that dates back to 2008. The team realised that the UK, and South Wales in particular, was desperately in need of a facility of this kind to take the sport to the next level.?

Plans have outlined that within five years the area will feature 14 different trails to suit all abilities. BikePark Wales are keen to note that not all of these trails will be built before the park opens, but they envisage that a good number will be open by late 2013.

BikeRadar have been informed that roughly 40 percent of the trails will be blue graded (moderate), with 30 percent red (difficult) and 20 percent black (severe). Plus, there’ll be a green (easy)?kids’ loop and top-to-bottom family trail. A few of the trails will be best suited to downhill bikes but the majority will be rideable on mid-travel trail machines.

An architect’s impression of the visitor centre

The people behind the idea are Cognation – a partnership between Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly county borough councils and?Forestry Commission Wales. The build is being handled by Back-On-Track,?owned by Rowan Sorrell who’s previously worked on trails at Lee Quarry (Lancashire), Gawton (Devon), Llandegla (North Wales) and the Forest of Dean (Gloucestershire). Rowan is also a?director at BikePark Wales.

The funding is being footed by the European Regional Development Fund, with the rest coming from the Welsh Assembly and partner organisations. Sponsors will include Mojo Suspension/Fox Racing Shox, Swift Credit, Shimano,?Mountain Biking UK?, iXS and Answer.

For more information and further updates on this exciting project, head over to?ChopMTB.com.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan (BRAIN) — Organizers of the 2013 Taipei International Cycling Show, set for March 20-23, are predicting another record year for the expo. An estimated 1,100 exhibitors from 36 countries, fanned out over 3,300 booths and 58,000 square meters of expo space, and 8,000 buyers are expected. Further, the 26th edition of Taipei Cycle will be four shows in one, held concurrently not only with the Taiwan Textile Federation’s Sports and Accessories Expo (SPOMODE) and the 40th installment of the Taipei International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO), but also with the Taiwan International Diving and Water Sports Show (DiWas).  Yuen-Chuan Chao, president and CEO of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which organizes Taipei Cycle, detailed the plans for the 2013 show during a press conference Wednesday for a group of 22 industry journalists — representing 15 countries — invited by TAITRA to tour several manufacturers in Taiwan this week.

Hadleigh Farm, the venue for the Olympic mountain biking cross-country events, will be opened to the public after the Games after a planning application was approved.

A Castle Point Borough Council planning department spokesperson confirmed to BikeRadar that the plans, originally proposed by Essex County Council and landowner The Salvation Army, had been greenlit.

The park post-2012 will not just be geared towards mountain biking but the whole community. The cross-country course, currently set-up to test the skills of the world’s best cross-country racers, will be adapted to make it suitable for all abilities, while a wider network of trails and paths will be developed for cyclists, runners and walkers.?

A new visitors centre will be built which will house a caf?, changing rooms and equipment hire as well as a space where the Salvation Army can base a training centre.

As well as the adapted mountain biking course, there will be a separate ’skills area’, a space measuring 2,850 square metres with rock obstacles and jumps. Plans suggest it will be built within an individual area rather than interconnecting trails.

A beginners section measuring around 500 square metres will see a looped section of trail built for children and adults looking to practice basic mountain biking skills.

Over 300 people turning out to hear the outcome of the planning application and while its approval is fantastic news for mountain bikers, not everyone welcomed the news. One local resident urged the council to reconsider the plans for the? trails that will cover the entire park, with objections including a desire to “retain the country environment” and that “blind bends” on the trails “creates potential accidents between horse riders, dog walkers, hikers and walkers, with cyclists”.

There is no news yet on when the park will re-open to the public.

The Olympic mountain bike events begin on Saturday 11 August and the women’s race with the men following the day after. For a full guide on the events, take a look at our comprehensive guide or check out the course video below.

Looking for a mountain bike event to start training?towards? Enjoy the thought of three days cross-country enduro in wild Wales? This year sees a new event for 2012, a follow-up to the infamous TransWales and Kona Mash-Up. It’s the Ritchey TrailMasters, powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport.

To be held on 17-19 August 2012, TrailMasters?will be a three-day event filled with classic cross-country trails and challenging timed sections. It’s open to solo riders and teams of three, so get a bunch of mates together and head to the heart of Wales for this enduro challenge.?

More than 220km of riding will be covered, plus 7,000m of climbing and six stages. However, if the three days are too much or you don’t have much time to spare, you can go along and take part in the day rider event (Saturday), enjoying the ride as well as the atmosphere.

TrailMasters is based in Llanwrtyd Wells, which has seen the birth of many world-renowned events (the Man versus Horse marathon, Real Ale Wobble and World Bog Snorkelling Champs, to name but a few). It was also the site of the first UK mountain bike centre, which was opened more than 25 years ago.

Timed sections will test your speed, stamina and technical skills

The riding

The course has been designed by John Lloyd, who has been doing endless amounts of riding and guiding in the area for the past 12 months while creating the route. He’s planned the TrailMasters course to include the hidden gems the area has to offer.

The course combines linking stages (untimed long-distance rides) with special off-road time trials. The aim is to cater for those who want to see what the area can offer as a cycling destination while appealing to more competitive riders with the races.?

Expect some challenging ups and downs in the linking stages, and some fast, flowing, fun-packed special stages that will test riders on technical skills as well as stamina and speed.

Linking stages won’t be timed and will be combined with time trials?

‘Off the bike’ time

The TrailMasters planners are going to be putting some extra attention on the ‘off bike time’. The event village in Llanwrtyd Wells will be open throughout the day and will have an extended program of fun rides, test courses, fun runs, kids activities and films – all to entertain the support crews and families who come along to enjoy the weekend!?All these activities will be free of charge.?

In the evenings there’ll be a bar, music, films and technical seminars to cater for tired mountain bikers who’ve finished the day’s riding. Again, all these activities will be part of the entry fee.

To find out more about TrailMasters and see who else has signed up for the event, click?here.

And if you want to enter but don’t think your fitness is quite up to scratch, check out our BikeRadar?Training Plans?– we’ll have some mountain bike specific ones coming very soon!

Find mountain bike holidays in Wales with MuchBetterAdventures.

Looking for a mountain bike event to start training?towards? Enjoy the thought of three days cross-country enduro in wild Wales? This year sees a new event for 2012, a follow-up to the infamous TransWales and Kona Mash-Up. It’s the Ritchey TrailMasters, powered by Mercedes-Benz Vito Sport.

To be held on 17-19 August 2012, TrailMasters?will be a three-day event filled with classic cross-country trails and challenging timed sections. It’s open to solo riders and teams of three, so get a bunch of mates together and head to the heart of Wales for this enduro challenge.?

More than 220km of riding will be covered, plus 7,000m of climbing and six stages. However, if the three days are too much or you don’t have much time to spare, you can go along and take part in the day rider event (Saturday), enjoying the ride as well as the atmosphere.

TrailMasters is based in Llanwrtyd Wells, which has seen the birth of many world-renowned events (the Man versus Horse marathon, Real Ale Wobble and World Bog Snorkelling Champs, to name but a few). It was also the site of the first UK mountain bike centre, which was opened more than 25 years ago.

Timed sections will test your speed, stamina and technical skills

The riding

The course has been designed by John Lloyd, who has been doing endless amounts of riding and guiding in the area for the past 12 months while creating the route. He’s planned the TrailMasters course to include the hidden gems the area has to offer.

The course combines linking stages (untimed long-distance rides) with special off-road time trials. The aim is to cater for those who want to see what the area can offer as a cycling destination while appealing to more competitive riders with the races.?

Expect some challenging ups and downs in the linking stages, and some fast, flowing, fun-packed special stages that will test riders on technical skills as well as stamina and speed.

Linking stages won’t be timed and will be combined with time trials?

‘Off the bike’ time

The TrailMasters planners are going to be putting some extra attention on the ‘off bike time’. The event village in Llanwrtyd Wells will be open throughout the day and will have an extended program of fun rides, test courses, fun runs, kids activities and films – all to entertain the support crews and families who come along to enjoy the weekend!?All these activities will be free of charge.?

In the evenings there’ll be a bar, music, films and technical seminars to cater for tired mountain bikers who’ve finished the day’s riding. Again, all these activities will be part of the entry fee.

To find out more about TrailMasters and see who else has signed up for the event, click?here.

And if you want to enter but don’t think your fitness is quite up to scratch, check out our BikeRadar?Training Plans?– we’ll have some mountain bike specific ones coming very soon!

Find mountain bike holidays in Wales with MuchBetterAdventures.

DIEPPE, NB (BRAIN) Wednesday April 18 2012 2:44 PM MT— — Mike’s Bike Shop is expanding in the Dieppe Business and Technology Park on a 2.56 acres lot that is being acquired from the City of Dieppe. Plans are to have the new 14,000 square foot building completed and fully functional by the end of July 2012. The retailer has been working closely with the city’s Economic Development Corporation for the past 2 years to plan the expansion in Dieppe.

Trek World Racing’s Willow (Korber) Rockwell announced, today, despite her best efforts to return to the sport of mountain biking she will retire from the sport.

Rockwell planned a 2012 season comeback after taking the 2011 season off to have her daughter, Raven Starr Rockwell, however, she described the reality of the situation is nothing like she had imagined. In this past week Willow has decided, definitively, that it’s time to stop racing for good and focus on her new family.

Rockwell placed 54^th, 17:07 back from Maja Wloszczowska at the opening round of the World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. In training, after that first race, Willow says she found herself needing to be honest about being able to push herself so hard whilst also being the mother of a new-born baby.

Willow released a statement, which in part said: “After much soul searching, and many tears, I have decided to end my mountain bike racing career. I committed to racing for 2012 before having my child. There was no way I could have predicted the changes that have occurred within me. Thank you for your support during this time of intense decision and transformation. I especially thank my Team Manager Martin White ley and my team, Trek World Racing, for understanding that sometimes life has other plans. Enjoy every moment on the bicycle, for every moment adds up to create your life!”

The 34-year-old’s career in the sport can only be described as illustrious. She won two bronze medals at the World Championships, as well as numerous Continental and National Titles, and was ranked as high as No.2 in the world on the UCI rankings in 2011.

She served as an ambassador for Trek and Gary Fisher bicycles since joining the Subaru-Gary Fisher team in 2005. Rockwell, went on to join Trek World Racing at the beginning of last year, and planned a rigorous two-year stint of international racing that was to lead up to this summer’s Olympic Games.

“It’s true that we are sad not to see Willow racing in our team colors again, but it is equally true that we are fully supportive of her decision, and we are grateful for every day we had Willow with us on the team,” said Trek World Racing owner, Martin Whiteley. “Eternally positive and a great spirit, she will be missed not only from our family, but from mountain bike racing in general.”

Willow’s retirement is effective immediately and she will not appear at this weekend’s World Cup event in Houffalize, Belgium or next week’s Sea Otter Classic, as previously planned.

Trek World Racing has no plans to replace Willow for season 2012. Her husband Myles Rockwell continues with the team in his role as downhill rider liaison.

LONG BEACH, CA (BRAIN)—Brian Keate invites cycling community members to get in touch with their inner Urban Cowboy when he holds the grand opening for his second bike shop, Long Beach Cyclery, on Saturday, Dec. 3