We’re doing our part to help support cycling in town thanks to the help of many talented contributors. The Bike To Work Challenge is a result of those talented people- and things are really starting to heat up. The sponsorship brochure is out and we welcome inquiries from potential sponsors. We think the evolution of the challenge and the related web site are really going to put a lot of eyes on Columbus as a leader.

Thanks to Ray for being so quick at posting these images. I have borrowed them from his blog.

Sponsor Brochure - Page 1

Sponsor Brochure - Page 1

     Traffic Skills 101 Course

Improve your bicycle handling and traffic skills to become a competent cyclist for Bike to Work Week or spring recreational rides. Topics include: bicycle & clothing selection, traffic laws, practice cycling safely in traffic & on multi-use trails, crash types & handling skills to avoid them, group riding and flat tire repair. Course is taught in classroom and on Columbus low & medium traffic streets.

Participants bring their own bicycle and must wear a bicycle helmet.

Ages: 16 and older, ages 14-15 may enroll if a parent/guardian also enrolls in the same class.
Fee: $60 for 12 hours instruction

Wednesdays, March 17 & 24 @ 6:30-8:30PM
Saturdays, March 20 & 27 @ 10AM-2PM 
Randy Dull, rdull@columbus.rr.com 614-313-2471
David Jeffords, djeffords@att.net 614-476-9093
Location: Greenovate, 9 East 2nd Ave, Columbus

Women Only Class
Sundays, April 11 & 18 @ 1–6PM both days
Meredith Joy, meredith@yaybikes.com
Juana Sandoval, juana@alum.mit.edu
Location: OSU area

Saturdays, April 24 & May 1 @ 10AM-5PM
Ken Cohen, ken@subverita.org 614-538-0595
Mike Reed, mike@yaybikes.com 614-348-9800
Location: OSU Bevis Hall, 1080 Carmack Rd, Columbus

To register: Contact instructor for class session to request registration form.

Site updates are complete. Some things have changed- hopefully for the better. I’ve made every attempt to preserve the database content in between the time I started in on this and tonight- had to sync up the data. Do let me know if you are missing anything.

There will undoubtedly be issues- hopefully minor.

The previously attached documents- well, I will have to go back and fix those. There is an easier way to post images and documents now (hopefully easier…). By doing that you can upload an image or linked file and do it right in the editor (inline, versus as an attachment after the fact).

As promised I will be doing some massive updates on the site this weekend. It will load faster, be easier to use, contain vastly fewer bugs, and will have some cool surprises too. I will throw up a maintenance splash page for a bit while doing the heavy lifting… to prevent all hell from breaking loose.

Some parts of the site are going away, some parts are changing, some features will be on temporary hiatus. Don’t worry, these were mostly underused sections… and will be redone smarter and added back in at a later date.

Thanks!

2010’s Bike 2 Work Challenge

You are invited to join our 2010 planning process! We meet weekly on Tuesdays from 7-8:30pm at the Yay Bikes! office (82 East 16th Ave). You are not required to attend every meeting to be involved; contact Austin to learn more and join the mailing list.

Our committees are:

• Data: Writes the rules of the game and allows us to evaluate our impact
• Info/Promo: Creates promotional materials and the packets of information for Challenge participants
• Sponsorship: Solicit cash donations and prizes for winning teams
• Outreach/Education: Presents B2WW at organizations to encourage their participation, educates people on how to cycle to work, and gets businesses to participate in the Bicycle Friendly Business program
• Events: Coordinates the Kick-Off & Award Ceremonies
• Media/PR: Promotes B2WW

We hope you’ll give some thought to where you belong on the planning team and come prepared to share your ideas! Also, please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Bike Month activities via our friends at The Enrichment Association (just put “Bike Month” in the subject)!

Quarterly Women’s Cycling Forums

Women in the United States bike far less than men; we represent a huge potential area of growth for bicycling. To tap this potential, Yay Bikes! will host four conversational forums for women cyclists and wanna-be cyclists in 2010. At these events we’ll gather data on what cycling means to us, how we experience cycling in Columbus, and what our vision is for cycling in this city. This information will be used to develop a women’s cycling agenda with specific outcomes to be pursued in 2011. Save the following dates and join us:

• February 28, 2-5pm [RSVP here]
• May 30, 2-5pm
• August 29, 2-5pm
• November 14, 2-5pm

Yay Yoga (For Cyclists)!

Mountaintop Pose

Yogi Diana Pearson has agreed to teach a yoga class* that addresses the body issues specific to cyclists! The course begins Feb 13, 10:30am to 12pm at Summit on 16th. Classes are $10 each and will run for as long as we have interest! RSVP to Diana to join the class.

When asked how this will be different from a regular yoga class, Diana said, “Cycling, although a noble and wonderful passtime, brings with it issues related to the hips and lower back that can lead to serious pain and inflexibility if not balanced out. Specifically, cycylists tend to have short hamstrings and longer quads. This imbalance can cause torn hamstrings or blown out knees. The idea of this kind of class is to help cyclists protect their bodies so they can enjoy their sport and prevent injury.”
*Mountaintop yoga bike poses not featured…yet…!

Andrew Hulvey, Emerging Advocate

Andrew Hulvey

One goal for Yay Bikes! is to support people as they become advocates for the kind of cycling they’d like to see in Central Ohio. Starting this month, we’ll highlight the successes of these “emerging advocates” in this new  feature. First up: Andrew Hulvey!

Andrew has been on the cycling scene in Columbus for more than two years, working as a Pedal Instead volunteer, organizing and leading Critical Manners rides, and generating conversation on our forums. But over the past few months, Andrew has stepped up in a big way to become the primary voice for Yay Bikes! online (see his consistent, intelligent, and open-minded commentary as “lifeontwowheels” on Yay Bikes!, The Dispatch, ColumbusUnderground, and many others). His quest to understand and articulate the needs of local cyclists recently culminated in an outstanding analysis of the Hilltop Mobility Plan and subsequent relationship building on Columbus’s West Side.