Category: Culture

Bike to the First Friday ArtWalk

Posted on by RideCoordinator

via: Jim Wilcox of BikeLane:

The Lane Arts Council and Saturday Market will offer attended bike parking for this Friday’s Eugene ArtWalk on Kesey Square in Downtown Eugene. About 20 bike spaces are available. There is no fee, but users must bring their own lock. Bike parking is available from 5:00 PM to 8:15. The ArtWalk runs from 5:30 to 8:00. Here is a map.

For more information on the ArtWalk, click on this link: http://www.lanearts.org/communityarts/firstfriday.php

–Racks loaned via the Eugene Safe Routes to School program and service provided by VeloGuy Mobile Bicycle Service and BikeLane.

Artwalk Flyer

Bikestravaganza: Off the Chainring Tour

Posted on by RideCoordinator

For our September general meeting GEARs is pleased to present Joe Biel and Elly Blue in their Travelling Bikestravaganza!  Please join us on Thursday, September 9th from 6pm to 8pm for a traveling road show of bicycle talk, movies, zines, and transportation activism and advocacy. Elly Blue and Joe Biel will present short videos and a slideshow about Portland, Oregon’s famous bicycle culture and infrastructure, followed by an interactive discussion of the future of transportation infrastructure and advocacy in our town and beyond.

Elly Blue and Joe Biel after talking with local bike advocates at the Twin Cities Zine Fest on July 10, 2010. Photo credit: Sarah Morean.

Joe and Elly are avid bike journalists and filmmakers (not to mention organizing conferences, publishing zines, going on cross-country bike tours…) from Portland.  Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the conversation. Microcosm Publishing will have a table of books, zines, and movies.

Thanks to the generous support of our co-sponsor, LiveMove, this event is free to the public!

Who: Joe Biel and Elly Blue
What: Bikestravaganza: Off the Chainring Tour
Where: University of Oregon

McKenzie Hall, Room 240A

When:Thursday, September 9th

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
They even made a video promo:

Ruth Bascom Ride- Wednesday

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Please join us in a community bike ride to honor Former Mayor Ruth Bascom, who died last week at the age of 84:

Wednesday, Sept. 1      6 p.m.
EWEB Plaza
500 East 4th Avenue, Eugene

Ruth Bascom served as mayor of Eugene from 1993 to 1997. She was the inspiration and driving force behind the creation of Eugene’s riverfront trail, a 12-mile loop on both sides of the Willamette River that includes 5 bicycle/pedestrian bridges.  In 2003, when the final leg of the path was completed, the entire trail was named the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail System in her honor.

Wednesday’s ride is free and open to all.  The ride will start at the EWEB Plaza, 500 East 4th Avenue, and follow the riverbank path for about 10 miles.  It will be a flat, easy, slow-paced ride suitable for riders of all ages and abilities.  Bicycle helmets are required by law for all riders under 16 years of age, and are highly recommended for everyone.

The ride is sponsored by GEARs (Greater Eugene Area Riders).  For more information, contact Sue at 541-345-2110 or sue@eugenegears.org

Please join us in this ride–and pass the word on!

Ruth Bascom Trail. photo: Herman Kreiger

Weekend Event Guide

Posted on by RideCoordinator

There are a lot of great events happening this weekend! Come join the bikecentric fun:

Mountain Bike Oregon– This event is sold out but if you’ve already registered it looks like a fun weekend of Mountain Biking up in Oakridge.  Registration for 2011 will open in 2011 so if this sounds fun be sure and sign up early:

Three full days of unequalled single-track riding in Oakridge, Oregon will leave you both exhausted and replenished. Each day offers supported ride options. The campground is on over nine acres along the bank of the refreshing Willamette River. Hundreds of miles of the world’s best singletrack trails. Three delicious squares meals each day. LOCAL BEER nightly in the FREE beer garden. Free mechanical support. Free demo bikes.

Bike to Shop– Join BikeLane, Market of Choice, PeaceHealth and PacificSource Health Plans for the Bike to Shop Challenge. Stop by Market of Choice at 29th and Willamette, Saturday 11 AM to 4 PM for a chance to win $150 in prizes, healthy food tastings, information on staying healthy, classes on bike maintenance, bike safety, commuting and shopping by bike. Drawings for the “Most Loaded Bike” contest.  Special thanks to Wheel Works, VeloGuy and Arriving by Bike for their support of the bike classes and prizes. More information HERE

via flickr: carfreedays

Kidical Mass Adaptive Rec & Swim Ride– Saturday, Noon at Hilyard Community Center (2580 Hilyard).   It’s the last ride before school starts, let’s make it count! We’ll be meeting at the Hilyard Community Center to check out some of their cool adaptive bikes, do a ride around the neighborhood, and then end up back at Amazon pool where we’ll get a special FREE & EARLY entry into the Rec. swim! Come check out a family tandem, a handcycle, or other interesting adaptive bike- you can even take it for a spin on our ride! Then join us for a special Kidical Mass swim and BBQ! Hot Dogs, buns, and fixings will be provided (as well as the grill), bring along a food or drink item to share if you can!  Thanks to the City of Eugene Hilyard Community Center and Amazon Pool staff for supporting the ride!
Register HERE so we can make sure we have enough food and pool passes

Adkins Car Free Party

Car Free Party–  Celebrating three years of being free from personal motorized vehicle trappings the Adkins family is hosting their annual car free party again this year.  Come celebrate with tunes, smiles, laughs, stories, and Oakshire beer. Just be sure and leave that fossil fueled vehicle at home… I mean they even have their own bike rack out front and no driveway so it only makes sense. If you want to bring something – bring it, if not, that is OK too. Bring your bike lights and a friend though.
Saturday night, 7:30 p.m.  180 N. Polk St.

Bike Move– There is a Bike Move scheduled for Sunday August 22nd. The Liebhardt Family, 2 adults and 2 kids, are moving from South Eugene – to Lower River Road neighborhood. We’ll be moving a lot of furniture and boxes of stuff. Annette and Steve will have everything packed up and ready to go. So bring your work bikes, cargo racks, trailers, Xtracycles, or other hauling devices, and tie-down straps and lets do the Bike Move. We need everyone we can get. We are planning to get going by 10AM or so. Fuel and refreshments will be provided. Contact Paul for more details 541-255-2478 or Paul (at) eugenegears.org.

Bike Move

Friday- Another Good Day to be a Biker

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Every day is a great day to be a cyclists but this Friday is National Bike to Work Day and the City of Eugene, the Business Commute Challenge, GEARs, and BikeLane will be celebrating throughout the day.

To kick it off there  will be free coffee from 7 AM to 6 PM at Gary’s Coffee (525 High) and Eugene Coffee Company (18th and Chambers) and Campbell Center for cyclists with a bike, helmet and reusable cup. Sponsorship for the free coffee is provided by participating coffee shops, GreenLane Sustainable Business Network and BikeLane.

Also, that morning from 7-9 you can get coffee from Rally Coffee Roasters and waffles from Off the Waffle at the DeFazio Bridge as part of the Business Commute Challenge- make sure you’re registered at commutechallenge.org

At the end of the day, cyclists can meet at Adam’s Sustainable Table (30 E. Broadway) from 5-7 for more food and fun. Ninkasi, Bikelane, Bikestation and Adam’s Sustainable Table are sponsors. Cyclists must have ridden that day to offset the CO2 produced
making beer. There will be entertainment, contests for road humor, and prizes. For more info on that event see www.bikelanecoalition.org

Sure everyday could be Bike to Work Day but why not celebrate for those who it is and bring more on board by showing them what a great time it can be when we get together and celebrate!

Board Nominations for GEARs

Posted on by Paul Adkins

The GEARs Nominating Committee has come up with our Executive Board Nominations for 2010. We are very excited to have the volunteer effort and commitment of these folks to help in reaching toward our mission. Here they are. Their bio’s are included below and the election will take place at the General Meeting on November 9th, 8pm at the Keystone Cafe. There are no Board positions that are contended.

Executive Board Nominations:

Sue Wolling -President
Sue has been a GEARs member since the club was founded in 1991. She likes relatively long rides (40-90 miles), but really doesn’t care about speed as long as she’s home by early afternoon. She hopes GEARs can welcome riders who seek exercise, fun and friendship, no matter what pace. While Sue loves recreational cycling, her real passion is bicycling as transportation. After learning about bike advocacy on the Eugene Bicycle Committee, she established the Eugene Bicycle Coalition, which merged with GEARs in 2008. Sue hopes that GEARs can help develop safe, efficient bikeways, education and incentives to promote bicycling, and a culture that makes people choose to hop on a bike, whether to get to work/school, run errands, or for fun on the weekend.

Price Armstrong -Vice President
Price has been a cycling activist since his days as an undergraduate working as the lead coordinator for the community bike program at Hampshire College. Since coming to the University of Oregon, he has had the privilege to work with the Bike Loan Program, the transportation student group LiveMove, and as a Graduate Assistant for the Sustainable Cities Initiative. With climate change, an obesity epidemic, and a unstable energy costs upon us, Price cannot think of a better way to spend his time than with GEARs, advocating for active transportation options. He is currently a Masters of Public Administration student with a concentration in transportation policy.

Richard Hughes -Treasurer
Richard has been a member of GEARs since 2007 and Treasurer for the last year. Also he has been instrumental in directing the Bike Rewards Program, in which retailers offer discounts to members. This program alone has been responsible for a significant increase in our membership. Retired in 1994 as a senior manager in L.A. County Government, where he was responsible for a staff of 300, collecting and accounting for $50 million annually. Richard has lived in Ashland, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Tehachapi and now Eugene for the last 8 years.

Sarah Thorpe -Secretary
Sarah is eager to start working with GEARs this fall. Sarah recently finished her internship with the City of Eugene Transportation Planning and is looking forward to continuing her work with Eugene’s bicycle community with GEARs. She graduated with a BA in Planning, Public Policy and Management from the UO this June, 2009. Sarah grew up in Ashland, OR, and is a proud member of the Eugene Concert Choir.

Shane Rhodes -At Large (also: Newsletter, Website Director)
Shane Rhodes is the Program Manager for SRTS at Eugene School District 4J. He has worked in the bicycle industry since 1995 as a cargo-bike courier, League of American Bicyclists Instructor, and as an advocate for cyclist and pedestrian issues in Sevilla, Spain, the Bay Area of California, and Eugene. He serves on the cities Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and would probably be a transportation policy wonk if he didn’t think real change comes from the grassroots. When not riding between meetings to make Eugene a better town for families to choose active transportation he can be found gardening with his wife Melissa, daughter, Isadora, and their four chickens.

Gary Cook -At Large (also: Ride Coordinator)
Gary has been cycling in and around Eugene for 36 years on the same bike. He knows the roads and streets well. He has been a GEARs member for about fifteen years.

Paul Adkins -At Large (also: Advocacy & Education Director)
Paul joined the GEARs Board in the Spring of 2008. With a background in communications and marketing, he works at Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life; on their website and community outreach. He earned a BFA from Kent State University in 1995, and led mountain bike tours for years before moving to Oregon in 2007. Now, Paul and his wife, Monica, live car-free with their four young kids: Rainy, Torrent, Dare, and Sanguine. Paul lived in Atlanta, one of America’s worst biking towns, as well as a few of America’s best biking towns: Palo Alto, San Francisco, Missoula, and now Eugene. Paul also serves on the Board of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance in Portland.

There are many other volunteer opportunities within GEARs. If you think GEARs should be working on a particular issue, please bring it to our attention. The best way to get involved is to attend a general meeting and/or ride and let others know your interest. We really do appreciate all the help we get.