| ROUTT COUNTY RIDERS NEWS ~ DECEMBER 2009
"We unite all bicyclists in Steamboat Springs and Routt County to create a fun, healthy and safe bicycle friendly community benefitting local citizens and visitors, alike."
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Greetings!
Below is a report from the December RCR meeting held at the Bud Werner Library on December 7, 2009.
The work of the Routt County Riders club continues to move forward rapidly. Please read on to review the work being accomplished! |
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RCR CONTACT INFORMATION
www.routtcountyriders.org
President: Robin Craigen
Vice President: Lisa Shafer
Secretary: Scott Schlapkohl
Treasurer: Paul Strong
Exec.Director/Admin: Jackie Brown
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BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESS (BFB) PROGRAM
Look for an e-mail very soon regarding the 2009 Routt County Riders Bicycle Friendly Business applications as well as a commitment application for 2010! The BFB program helps business plan for how they might participate in cycling related events and help achieve community cycling goals at the same time.
This will be a great opportunity for businesses to contribute to the many RCR events, support the cycling community and be recognized for the partnership. If you have a Bicycle Friendly Business get in touch about enrolling in the program. A committee is currently being formed to work with local businesses. Please contact Jackie if you are interested. |
 DOWNHILL / FREE RIDERS / GRAVITY MOUNTAIN BIKING
Jim Schneider from the Steamboat Ski Resort attended this RCR meeting to discuss gravity mountain biking.
The discussions of freeride/gravity trails began several years ago and is currently moving forward. The ski area has hired Gravity Logic (who built trails in Winter Park) to report the feasibility of a freeride trail system at the ski area. They have received the report back from Gravity Logic and although cannot provide the entire report highlighted positive points such as Steamboat having good lodging capacity, good lift systems and trails, and suitable terrain. A few noted challenges included the population in Routt County and the other bike parks that already exist on the route from Denver to Steamboat.
The Ski area is now working on the new Trails Master Plan that they will try to get approved by the Forest Service. They submitted a first draft and will finish a second draft before offering it to the public. They will present the opportunity for the public to give input in the new year.
Jim expressed that the next step for Intrawest is an economic analysis. Their core business is winter and he feels that if they can get extra capital in the summer time they could get the buy-in they need from their parent group.
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ROUTT COUNTY RIDERS WEBSITE
RCR is currently in the process of overhauling the Routt County Riders website. Exec. Director Jackie Brown and RCR President Robin Craigen continue to work with Melanie Levy, the website designer in hopes to launch the new site early in 2010. Jackie and Robin have received a test version of the home page and are working with Melanie on updates and content.
This new design will offer a content management system, which will allow quicker and easier updates to the website. New features will include an event calendar, photo gallery, RCR blog, improved online membership registration, commitee updates, cycling forum and more!
We will continue to inform everyone with progress as we have additional details. |
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BIKING DESTINATION TASK FORCE
Grant Fenton, the Task Force Committee Head, brought together all of the major players in Routt Count to come up with a plan on how to make Steamboat a biking destination.This task force includes a representative from the City, County, BLM, Forest Service, Ski Area and Routt County Riders.
The objective of this Task Force is to bring all of the decision makers together to create a vision and purpose to move forward on the idea of Steamboat becoming a biking destination.
First steps being taken are to get ideas on what our collective vision for Steamboat as a biking destination might look like in 5 - 10 years. If you have a vision of your own and wish to have input please email any ideas that you may have ASAP!
The next step of the group will be to take an inventory of what already exists within the biking community. Their next step will be put together an action plan
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MULTI-MODAL ADVISORY GROUP
The Routt County Board of County Commissioners recently concluded the acception of letters of interest from Routt County citizens desiring to fill seats on the Routt County Multi-Modal Road Advisory Board. Advisory Board members will be responsible for developing policies to recommend to the Board of County Commissioners including, but not limited to: road striping, parking, signing, and sweeping along with other transportation issues. There are 10 seats open on the advisory board, each of which has a designation appropriate to which public sector the member will be representing. The Advisory board will meet once per quarter beginning in January. |
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GRANT WORK
We are in a "holding pattern" for the Moose Draw/Agate Creek Trail grant until they announce grant awards in March. Keep your fingers crossed!
The CDOT Safe Routes to School Non-Infrastructure Grant was submitted prior to Thanksgiving. This is an educational grant request for $16,500 to develop programs and materials for the Strawberry Park and Steamboat Middle School "Campus". Included in the program will be a School Bike Rodeo, a kid-friendly walking and riding Map to and from school, and a "Green Steamboat Kids" campaign that will track walking and riding to school and calculate the reduction in harmful emissions by reduced driving. Grant awards will happen in April, so stay tuned.
The CDOT Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Grant was put on hold. This grant is for capital projects, and our focus was on the crossing at East Maple and McKinley Streets (near the High School) and sidewalks near the crossing. CDOT has a minimum request of $50,000 for this grant, and City Officials could not add enough to the project to equal the minimum amount. We were short by about $20,000 and would not qualify. We may revisit this grant again next year.
SEEKING NEW GRANT PROJECTSt grant project in writing:
1. What is your project? Is it a mountain bike trail? A town bike path? Bike racks for a park? A kids program? No project is too small or too large.
2. Provide an estimate of the project cost. What would it take to make this project happen?
3. Is there a timeline for your project? What is the project urgency? most appropriate proja) Who will benefit from the project? Does it affect a few or a lot of people?
b) Is the project realistic?
c) Can we find a potential donor that matches the project?
Please submit your Grant Project Ideas to Johanna Hall by emailing information to: johannafleck@gmail.com. Deadline to submit your idea is January 7, 2010.
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STEAMBOAT RIDE - 4 -YELLOW
The Livestrong Ride has been renamed Ride 4 Yellow to avoid identity conflicts with the Livestrong Foundation. Event planning is moving along and latest updates can be seen at the event website www.ride4yellow.com.
An application was submitted to the Forest Service and seems to be going well. The committee is meeting at least once a month and continue to progress with planning.
The Livestrong Committee which is a subcommittee of Routt County Riders is always looking for additional help.Please contact Committee Chair, David Nagel, if you are interested in serving on this committee. |
| MEMBERSHIP REPORT
Routt County Riders is now focusing on 2010 memberships. RCR Membership Committee Chair, Ben Clark, and Exec. Director, Jackie Brown, have plans to meet in December to continue plans for 2010.
Memberships for 2009 are now expired and you can sign up for 2010 membership which is due buy June 1, 2010. Please contact Jackie to join or find out the status of your membership to RCR. Online registration is available on the Routt County Riders website.
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INCLUSIVE ADAPTIVE CYCLING
Access Anything and STARS would like would like to co-chair a committee for adaptive cycling for people with disabilities to include an "Adaptive Riders Category" to Steamboat Cycling Events in 2010. Their appearance at this meeting is to gain interest, support, and ideas from the Routt County Riders group.
The longterm goals are to have all cycling events (recreation and competition/ downhill and road) in Steamboat to be open and available to athletes with disabilities, to have an annual 3 to 4-day "camp" for instruction, and to stage Steamboat as the premier Colorado and US destination for adaptive cycling.
A motion was presented and carried to have a new Adaptive Cycling Committee within Routt County Riders. Andy Kennedy will head this committee. Please contact Andy or Executive Director, Jackie Brown if you are interested in joining this committee. |
Vice President and Bike To Work Week Chair, Lisa Shafer proposed the idea of forming a Bike to Work Week Committee.She has been doing BTWW for the past 3 years with success but believes it could be much better with more folks involved. Many aspects of BTWW are already in place but it would be nice to have a committee to not only make it a better week but a better month with an event every week of June as well as every day of BTWW. Please contact Lisa if you are interested in joining this committee.
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2010 ROUTT COUNTY RIDERS JERSEY
The 2010 RCR Jersey will go into production this Winter and the new design is shown above. This jersey will run for the 2010-2011 seasons and should be available in April.
A proposal was made at the October meeting for a second "freestyle" jersey be created for 2010. This idea is on hold as of now until further progress on the freeride trails.
Ad spots are already booking up - if you are interested in taking a spot you need to move quickly. Please contact Jackie Brown for information.
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STEAMBOAT TRAIL MAPPING
Vice President and Mapping Committee Chair, Lisa Shafer, reported that there will be a map made by this coming summer! This map will include all of the legal trails.
The committee has gathered an inventory of the trails and are currently working on a grant to get the mapping software. The cost of the software is around $5000, but with the grant would only be $3500. Their next step is to get the parameters of the map and then working on sponsorship for the rides. |
BIKE SWAP 2010
The date for the 2010 Bike Swap is Saturday, May 8th and the event will be held at Olympian Hall. Katie Lindquist, the Bike Swap Coordinator, has began work on this event and is looking for volunteers to assist with planning. Overall, the membership would like to see this event become a "Bike Fest." If you are interested in joining the committee for the Bike Swap, please contact Katie. |
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BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY RENEWAL
The committee for the Bicycle Friendly Community renewal has been established and had a meeting this past month. They reviewed the previous application and discussed ideas of items that have evolved or change since the last application. The committee has plans to meet again in January and the Committee Chair, Janet Hruby will report back regarding their needs from the membership group. |
TOUR DE STEAMBOAT
The Tour de Steamboat is set for July 17th, 2010.
We are looking forward to sunny skies, warm temperatures and great riding again in 2010. Even though our event has grown over the years it remains limited to 500 riders keeping the event intimate, safe and manageable.
The tour is a benefit event for the Sunshine Kids Foundation, an organization which helps young cancer patients enjoy a time of fun and recreation during their cancer treatment. The Tour de Steamboat donates 100% of its proceeds to the organization. Every year as title sponsor Kent Eriksen Cycles donates a frame to be raffled off, also doanting 100% of the proceeds to the sunshine kids.. Tickets for the bike frame will be available on the T.our de Steamboat site and are available to anyone, need not be present to win. Check back in January for details on this exciting and positve way for a chance to win a custom titanium road frame. Reistration opens January 1st, 2010 so check it out and join us for a ride and a great benefit. All details will be updated in January at www.tourdesteamboat.com |
Next RCR Meeting
Monday, January 11, 2010
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Bud Werner Memorial Library
Library Hall Meeting Room |
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Please contact us with any questions or if you are interested in the Routt County Riders organization, membership or volunteering. Also, RCR jersey's are still available to members for just $55!
Jackie Brown
Routt County Riders |
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