GEARs | Greater Eugene Area Riders

Ride of Silence

shanerh — Mon, 14 May 2012 22:32:27 +0000

The annual ride to honor those killed or injured on our streets, to raise awareness that cyclists are here and to ask that we all share the road. Please join us this Wednesday (May 16th). Starting point will be “The Educational Memorial Plaza” on Bailey Hill Road (nearest intersection is Westleigh St.). Ending point is “The David Minor Theater. Meeting at 6:00 pm to listen to the introduction, instructions, and an invited speaker. Starting time of the ride is 6:30 pm. Helmets are required and lights are recommended.

Everyone welcome. Free of charge. No registration necessary.

More general information: http://www.rideofsilence.org

People on Bikes: 15th & High

shanerh — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:21:06 +0000

Inspired by the BikePortland.org series of “People on Bikes” I’ve been wanting to do the same kind of series here in Eugene. I’m not as good a photographer as Jonathan but I hope to catch some of the same feel of diversity that he has in his series, showing that there isn’t a “cyclist type” but a wide range of different types of folks riding bikes in our community. It’s not “them” it’s “us” even if someone doesn’t ride they might connect with someone they see (as a parent, hipster, businesswoman, student, etc.).

On my ride into work this morning I had a few spare minutes before a meeting so I stopped at the corner of 15th & High to capture some of the bike traffic going by. In these brief 10 minutes I captured about 40 cyclists, here some of them. I’ve numbered them to make commenting on specific photos easier (good idea Jonathan).

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Hope you enjoyed these shots, I know I had fun taking them. I hope to hit a few other spots around town in the coming months. Have a favorite spot? Someplace with some good diversity (Bikulturalism as we like to call it)? High numbers? Good backdrop? Let me know.

A Cycling Filled Thursday Night

shanerh — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:09:40 +0000

This Thursday night you should be at a cycling event. With an evening packed with fun & interesting bike happenings there’s sure to be something that everyone will find interesting. Besides our GEARs General Meeting that will include some great sharing of knowledge there is also the inagural Cycling for Veterans Ride, Bike Touring 101 with the UO Bike Program, and the Pedals & Pint event at the Rogue Public House. Read below to find out more and we’ll see you there.

Now get out there and enjoy the sunshine!!

GEARs General Meeting- Sharing Your Cycling Philosophy
Thursday, 6:30-8:00 pm
Countryside Pizza

Join us this month to explore several cycling topics and explain/describe your individual philosophy as to how you approach them. We have so many accomplished members and what a great way to gain knowledge from them as they share their experiences (secrets?) to promote more efficient and enjoyable cycling! The following five topics can be a “jumping off point” for all of us to share insights and enjoy each other’s company!
1. General Training Plan (Miles per week, Cadence, Mental training)
2. How to train in cycling for a jill (Weight bike/body, Seated vs. standing,Use of markers on the hill, Cadence)
3. Cycle Training Diet (Caloric needs + BMR ProteinFats and Carbs, energy drinks/food)
4. Group cycling vs. Spinning
5. Communication while riding (Verbal & hand signals)

Cycling for Veterans
Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30
Alton Baker Park; Picnic Shelter # 1

This ride is open to all veterans, especially disabled veterans, their friends and families.
Contact: Ree 541.337.3710 stumpy@efn.org

Bike Touring 101
Thursday, 5:30-7:30
Outdoor Program Barn (18th and University)

Considering going on a bicycle-assisted adventure this summer, or some other time in your life? Join the UO Bike Program next Thursday for Bike Touring 101. We’ll go over all the basics and have a lot of time for questions.The event is FREE.

Several of our staff will talk about trips they’ve done, and go over topics including equipment, shelter, food, route planning, preparing and maintaining your body, bike fixin’, and more. We will discuss touring locally, nationally, and internationally. There will be a lot of time for our panel to take questions.
We look forward to seeing you! Let me know if you have any questions.

Pedals & Pints at Rouge Public House Eugene

On Thursday, April 26th the Collins Bicycle Shop and the Rogue Public House are teaming up to host a bike maintenance clinic featuring bike technicians, bikes, tires to practice flat repair and a lecture on basic bike maintenance and safety.

The event will be hosted at the Rogue Public House in Eugene from 5-7pm. The event is free for Rogue Nation members (free sign-ups at the pub) or $10 for non-members, space is limited so please call for reservations.

Rogue Ales Public House
844 Olive Street
Eugene, OR97401
(541) 345-4155

Ride With Richard

shanerh — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:41:08 +0000

Please join GEARs President, Richard Hughes, this Saturday for a 10 to 12mph pace ride, leaving Cafe du Hall, 5th & Willamette, at 9am. We’ll head out the South Bank Path to Orchard Point and return the Fern Ridge Path for a total of 28 miles(see attached map). The ride is relatively flat at 267 feet of elevation gain. This is a great spring ride for those beginner-novice riders wanting something pretty mellow but with a bit of distance.

We’re starting at Cafe du Hall to remind you that they are a supporter of GEARs and offer a discount to members. See LINK for other retailers offering discounts. Also we will pass by Bagel Sphere on this ride, which is also a supporter.

Willie Weir Returns to Eugene

shanerh — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:07:19 +0000

Come join us, the Outdoor Program as we host Willie Weir and Any Port in a Storm: Cycling & Wild Camping Through Portugal.

Willie Weir will tell us stories of amazing, scenic, low-trafficked roads and vineyards as far as the eye can see. Wild, dramatic coastline, glacial valleys, as well as ancient cities paved in cobblestone. In crisscrossing the bicycle-friendly country of Portugal, Willie and his wife Kat consumed large quantities of port, wine and cheese, and lived to tell the tale. And they didn’t break the bank either but they were accosted by a herd of sheep, frightened out of their minds by a still unknown beast and almost blown off a dune into the Atlantic! Even if you never plan to set foot (or tire) in Portugal, you’ll want to come out and be entertained and inspired by Willie’s stunning images and storytelling.

https://www.facebook.com/events/376307519075885/

Free for UO Students & OP Coop, $5 general

Co-sponsored by LiveMove

Date: Friday, April 13, 2012, at 7 PM
Cost: Free for UO Students and OP Co-op; $5 General
Location: 180 PLC Hall, UO Campus (1415 Kincaid St.)

Tree Planting by Bike

shanerh — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:51:57 +0000

Celebrate Oregon Arbor Week on bikes! Join Friends of Trees Eugene and plant native trees in Jefferson Park along the bike path through the Lane County Fairgrounds, and street and yard trees in nearby neighborhoods. Join us this Saturday, April 7, 10am-1pm, Amazon Path, near the Fairgrounds.

Event begins at 10am with a speech by Mayor Piercy and the City of Eugene receiving it’s Tree City USA award. Then we will break into teams and plant 25 trees in the park and another 40-60 street and yard trees in adjoining neighborhoods. We will have one or two teams planting neighborhood trees by bike, so let us know if you have bike trailers to bring and ride if you can. There will be a barbeque hosted by Northwest Natural with food and drinks for all after the trees are planted.

For more information, contact Erik Burke at ErikB@FriendsofTrees.org or 541-632-3683

A Portland Tree Planting by Bike- photo: Greg Raisman

GEARs Letter to Council Regarding Capstone Project

shanerh — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:07:18 +0000

The following letter was sent to City Council today as requested by the GEARs Board at their March meeting:

The Honorable Mayor Piercy and City Councilors,

GEARs (Greater Eugene Area Riders) Cycling Club welcomes increased housing in Eugene’s downtown core, as proposed in the Capstone Student Housing Development–but we would like to ensure that Capstone’s transportation impact honors the City Council’s adopted Vision, Goals and Outcomes. For this reason, we recommend the following conditions for approval of Capstone’s MUPTE application:

Require State-of-the-Art Bicycle Parking: For such a high-profile development in a city known nation-wide for its level of bike theft, we’d like to see not only the required number of bicycle racks, but rather a comprehensive bicycle parking system of a quality comparable to the structured auto parking planned. An example of such bicycle parking is BikeStation, as described athttp://home.bikestation.com/what-is-bikestation

Require Separate Apartment Rent from Parking Space Rent: Provide students an incentive to save money by leaving their cars at home. This will make the apartments more affordable, reduce the pollution and traffic associated with hundreds of students’ cars, and leave students more money to spend at downtown businesses. Unused parking spaces might then be available to lease to others who live, work or shop downtown.

Reduce the Number of Parking Spaces: With the University within Capstone’s “20-Minute Neighborhood”, and excellent options for walking, bicycling and transit, there is no need for as much auto parking as Capstone has proposed. Auto parking should be reduced to the minimum required by Capstone’s lender.

Improve bicycle access from UO: Well-designed bicycle infrastructure will encourage students not only to ride bikes, but to do so safely and legally. Recent improvements on Alder Street provide an excellent example of the type of infrastructure that can “normalize” bicycle travel. A similar design on 13th Avenue would serve Capstone residents and their neighbors well.

We encourage you to use this opportunity presented by Capstone to shape downtown Eugene’s transportation future in a way that meets the needs of current and future residents. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

–
Richard Hughes
President
Greater Eugene Area Riders Cycling Club (GEARs)

http://eugenegears.org/
PO Box 10244
Eugene, OR 97440
541-933-5542

GEARs Awards Local Groups $2,500 For Bike Education

shanerh — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:50:26 +0000

GEARs has awarded $2500 in mini-grants to promote bicycle education and safety. Recipients of the 2012 mini-grants are Safe Routes to School, Nearby Nature, the University of Oregon Outdoor Program, the City of Eugene “Sunday Streets” program, and St. Vincent dePaul’s.

Applications for GEARs mini-grants totaled over $16,000, reflecting a huge need for bicycle safety in the Eugene area. Mini-grant funds will be used to provide bicycle parts, lighting, and locks for students and low-income people, purchase bicycles for bike safety classes in the Bethel School District, and install a 24-hour “Bike Fixit” station on the University of Oregon campus.

GEARs also has offered free registration in its “Confident Cycling” classes to organizations that applied for mini-grants. These classes provide both classroom instruction and on-the-bike practice in riding safely and legally on city streets. For more information on GEARs Confident Cycling classes, see http://edu.eugenegears.org/classes.

Celebrate St. Patty’s Day At Evviva

shanerh — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:00:38 +0000

GEARs General Meeting: March 17, 6-8pm
Evviva Training: 960 Charnelton, next door to Hutch’s

Luke DeMoe, Evviva’s manager, has invited GEARs members to an interactive evening that will be sure to make this St. Patty’s Day one of the most memorable! We are invited to learn about and take part in several activities along with soft drinks and snacks.
•    Byron and Caitlin Gold will give us information on their
very popular Crossfit class
•    You are invited to bring your bicycle (700c tires) and participate in a session using the Computrainer, which is computer-generated training.
•    We will move over to Hutch’s to look at Retul, their Bike Fitting station.
•    We will find out about CycleSole, which are form fitted insoles that are made to fit you shoe and riding style.
•    Eric Taylor, Hutch’s manager, will be on hand to answer bike or accessory questions. You can make purchases using your GEARs Rewards Discount.
•    Soft drinks and snacks will be served.
We are most fortunate to have this unique opportunity. Please let us know if you would like to attend and if you would like to bring your bicycle and participate in the Computrainer.  RSVP to Garry Swanson garry@eugenegears.org or Call 541-218-5271

UO Bike Program To Install Five Self-service Bike Repair Stations

shanerh — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 01:47:40 +0000

It’s been so great to see the energy grow on the UO campus with both the LiveMove student group and the UO Bike Program continually pushing for positive changes to the campus area for cyclists. The latest news from the Bike Program involves some assistance from GEARs Education to help them purchase five self-service bike repair stations and to create educational material for the campus area. We look forward to continuing to work with these student groups to grow cycling in our community at large!

—–News Release—-

The University of Oregon Bike Program is leading a project to install a network of five self-service bike repair stations around the UO campus, to support and encourage bicycle transportation for our campus community. The Bike Program has received $7,000 in support from the UO Sustainability Center’s Student Sustainability Fund, and $750 from the Greater Eugene Area Riders to pay for four stands and educational materials. A fifth stand will be paid for with funds left over from a grant for another project from the Associated Students of the University of Oregon, which came in under budget.

The stands, which will be installed in central, high-visibility locations on campus, will provide bicycle users with air, tools, and a stable spot to hoist their bike for maintenance. Each station will include an info panel with bike repair and safety information, as well as directions to our campus DIY repair shop in the Outdoor Program Barn. Web resources will include new how-to-fix-your-bike videos produced by the UO Bike Program in partnership with Erb Memorial Union Marketing and the Oregon Daily Emerald.

“It will be great to see these repair stands around campus as reminders of the university’s commitment to sustainability and active transportation. We all see reminders of our societal commitment to cars every day. I think this project sends a strong message about our priorities as a community,” said Ted Sweeney, the student coordinator of the UO Bike Program. “People need to be able to trust their bicycles to get them where they need to go every day, and knowing that tools and air are always nearby might give some the confidence they need to start commuting by bike.”

The Bike Program is working with staff in the Department of Campus Planning and Real Estate to approve the final siting for the FixIt stands, and hopes to install the network by the end of spring quarter 2012.

More about the UO Bike Program: The University of Oregon Bike Program, a branch of the UO Outdoor Program, works to connect students with bicycles. Since 2008, the student-run program has offered low-cost bicycle loans, a free do-it-yourself bike maintenance shop, and related classes and events for the UO Community.

For more information, please contact Ted Sweeney, UO Bike Program Coordinator. bikes@uoregon.edu, (503) 737-4419