Fun – GEARs

Category: Fun

Blackberry bRamble Special Offers

Posted on May 20, 2013 by RideCoordinator

Take advantage of one of two specials being offered for the Blackberry bRamble until JUNE 6 ONLY:

Special Offer #1
This is a deal you can’t pass-up! Feast on dinner the night before the ride. After dinner, Eilee Thalheimer, author of Bicycle Sojourners, will share with you the joys of touring and her experiences touring in Oregon. Then ride the Blackberry bRamble Sunday morning wearing your newly designed event jersey (click HERE to see jersey), all for $99. You save $29 and you’ll be supporting the city’s adaptive cycling program. Click HERE to register.

Special Offer #2
Okay, so you can’t do the ride because you’re volunteering on Sunday, August 4 or you have other commitments. You can still enjoy the Saturday’s dinner feast plus the event jersey, both for $60. After dinner, Eilee Thalheimer, author of Bicycle Sojourners, will share with you the joys of touring and her experiences touring in Oregon. You save $29 and you’ll be supporting the city’s adaptive cycling program. Click HERE to purchase.

Remember the Bike Celebration is open to all (no admission charge) and is on Sunday after the ride. We will have eclectic music, jugglers, demos, competitions, a skateboard contest food and vendor booths. Relax at the the Ninkasi Beer Garden with wine too. At 4pm many prizes will be raffled including a bike frame set, a set of wheels, a complete bike, gift cards and more.

Bike Maintenance Class by CAT

Posted on October 29, 2012 by RideCoordinator

Bike Maintenance Class: Fix Up Your Bike!

Bring in your bicycle, give it a full tune up with supervision from our professional staff and ride away with confidence. People with no mechanical experience learn side by side with people who have much experience. Everyone can benefit regardless of what bike they ride and how they use it. During the class enjoy a great discount on new parts!

A wheel building class is available for people who want in depth knowledge of truing, tensioning and assembling wheels. Our seamstress, Glynn, teaches sewing classes that include the construction of a waterproof waxed canvas backpack.

We have weeknight and weekend classes available, each with 3 consecutive sessions. There is a maximum of 5 students per class, so register early!

Weeknights: Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 6:30 — 9:00 pm (7.5 hours) $45;
Weekend: Saturdays Nov 17th, 24th and Dec 1st 9am -Noon (9 hours) $50

To register email ebw@catoregon.org or call (541) 683 3397

Center for Appropriate Transport
455 W 1st Ave

People on Bikes: 15th & High

Posted on April 24, 2012 by RideCoordinator

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).

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

Posted on April 23, 2012 by RideCoordinator

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

Tree Planting by Bike

Posted on April 2, 2012 by RideCoordinator

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

Tree Planting By Bike — A Portland Tree Planting by Bike- photo: Greg Raisman

Upcoming Events This Week

Posted on February 24, 2012 by RideCoordinator

Besides the usual weekly rides there are some other items of interest coming up over the next week. As usual all these, and more, can be found on the Community Bike Calendar.

Bike Willamette Campaign
Friday, February 24th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Agate Alley Laboratory Restaurant banquet room, 2645 Willamette Street

After three steering group meetings (join these meetings if you want to!) we have settled on six areas that merit our most immediate attention:
– Identifying and collecting contact information for supporters of the campaign
– Identifying and collecting contact information for business and property owners along south Willamette St.
– Identifying and collecting contact information for the existing organizations which will support our goal
– Developing our key messages for letting people know what we are about and gaining their support
– Establishing our resource library of information, documents, published articles that relate to this project
– Planning some fun events for our group and for Willamette Street

We will spend significant time in small groups working on the above tasks.
There will be a sign-up sheet for speaking to city council at one of 8 city council meeting in the next few months. We’ll re-cap a couple of meetings with Eugene Planning staff that occurred this week.
News: Both the Amazon and the Friendly Area Neighborhood Association Boards have sent letter to the city staff supporting the inclusion of bike lanes on any new design for Willamette St.
Join the Bike Willamette Campaign Google Groups email list for inter-group communications. Head to this web address and join the Bike Willamette Google Group – you’ll be able to send email to and receive email from the whole group. <http://groups.google.com/group/bikewillamette>

Paul Moore for Bike Willamette Campaign: 541-954-3843
P.S. We’re still meeting at 9:05 am on Saturdays in front of Arriving By Bike to cruise on Willamette St. and then converse over a hot drink or food along Willamette.

Bike Industry Job Fair hosted by Collins Cycle Shop
Sunday, February 26th, 12-5pm.

Collins Cycle Shop will host a job fair for those interested in a career in the ever growing cycling industry. Employment opportunities include working in a bicycle shop, manufacturing, shipping and receiving, warehousing, mechanic school, independent sales representative, fabrication, design and more.

The purpose of this event is to create a network for those interested in working in the cycling industry. Although there may not be immediate openings available, we will share resumes with employers seeking qualified help. The following employers have expressed interested in attending this event: Specialized Bicycles, Morgan Hill CA, Giant Bicycles, Newbury Park CA, Cyclone Bicycle Supply, Portland OR, Seattle Bicycle Supply, Seattle, WA, City of Eugene, Bicycle Transportation Program, Castelli Cycling Clothing, Portland, OR and Garmin, Olathe, Kansas. Those interested in job opportunities are encouraged to submit their resume to onsite HR staff.
Music provided, courtesy of Skip Jones.
Bicycles and other merchandise will be relocated temporarily in order to accommodate space for this event at Collins Cycle Shop, 60 E. 11th Avenue, Eugene. Sales will resume on February 27.

City Council Meeting- Public Input on Ped/Bike Master Plan

Monday, Feb. 27th, 7:30 p.m. City Council Chambers

This is the last meeting before the Ped/Bike Master Plan goes in front of the Council for approval on March 12th so this is the last chance to comment in support of the Plan. This is also a good time to make comments about the Street Repair Review Panel and recommend that the next “pothole bond measure” match mode share and provide better funding to active transportation projects (expand funding for path repair and in the right-of-way bike/pedestrian improvements)

Bicycle Appreciation Day (BAD)

Thursday, March 1, 11am-3pm, 13th & Kincaid, Lillis Business School, UO Campus

Time to get your bike ready for spring riding! Bring your bike, as volunteers and Bike Program mechanics will be doing minor repairs and adjustments for free. Co-sponsored by the UO Bike Program and UO LiveMove. FREE!

Foot and Pedal: The Relationship Between Oregon’s Land Use Laws and Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Planning
Friday, March 2, 2:30-3:45, Walnut Room of the Erb Memorial Union (EMU), University of Oregon

The panelists will discuss the importance of creating robust systems of bicycle and pedestrian networks in our cities, and how Oregon’s land use laws help local governments create those systems. They will also identify changes that could be made to current laws in order to make bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning easier. Finally, they will explore the difficulties that economic realities can cause, even despite perfect planning.

Panelists: Shane MacRhodes, Program Manager, Safe Routes to School – Eugene School District 4J; Emily Jerome, Deputy City Attorney, City of Eugene; Reed Dunbar, Associate Transportation Planner, City of Eugene Public Works; Mia Nelson, Willamette Valley Advocate, 1000 Friends of Oregon.

PIELC 2012: New Frontier!