On Nov. 5, fifty plus mountain bike riders assembled at So. Tahoe's Parks & Rec. HQ's to discuss organizational plans. Representatives from Tahoe City, Truckee, Reno, Carson City, and South Shore were present along with ski area reps from Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe.
There was a general agreement among the attendees to explore the reinstatement of the first mountain bike organization, Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association (TAMBA), that was founded in the late 80's and has been idle for several years. Still to be decided is how to best represent the interests of the different regions within the larger Tahoe/Reno region. The group felt that each region's community make-up, resources, rider interests, types of land managers and property issues are different from each other and it may be wise to consider building individual chapters.
A couple of hot topics of interest were to help build a community mtn. bike park and pump track in So. Tahoe, and to get organized to help the USFS build single track and freeride trails in the Basin.
The next organizational meeting is scheduled for Dec. 15, 6:00pm at the Blue Angel Cafe, located at 1132 Ski Run Blvd. in So. Lake Tahoe. This is an open meeting to anyone with an interest in helping organize the mountain bike community.
Bike Share Program Being Planned
Public bike share programs are springing up in major metropolitan centers around the world and the Tahoe/Reno region is planned to join the ranks. Public bike share is a service in which bicycles are made available for free or at a nominal fee to members of the public who would like to use them for utilitarian tasks or recreation - in lieu of using a motorized vehicle.
Currently in Tahoe there are increasing lodging properties purchasing bicycles and making them available to their guests as an added-value amenity. The So. Lake Tahoe Airport has a fleet of bicycles that are available at no charge to the private pilots who fly in for a day or more. The regional project is conceived as a pilot program to install, manage, and evaluate a bike share program connecting the University of NV with downtown Reno, help make Carson City more bicycle friendly, and connect the communities in the Tahoe Basin.
The bike share project is a collaborative effort by a team made up of Secure Storage Technologies LLC of Reno, who has a secure high tech bike storage system, Tour de Nez Outreach, a bicycle advocate and event producer, and Entersport Marketing, a sport marketing company.
Newsletter to be Archived
This newsletter and all before it will become available for reading with a new feature on our web site TahoeBike.org. Very soon an Newsletter Archive button will appear on the web site's home page and allow you access to all past Tahoe Cycling Newsletters. Over the course of the last couple of years there have been a lot news items reporting about the events and progress Tahoe is making in becoming more bicycle-friendly. Check them out.
South Shore
El Dorado County
Sawmill Bike Path on The Move
El Dorado County Dept. of Transportation (DOT) reports that pre-final plans & specs for Sawmill Bike Path Phase 2A have been completed. The DOT goes on to say that due to funding constraints and the short construction window, they chose to split the job into two phases: A & B. They are looking to construct Phase 2A (from Lake Tahoe Blvd. to Echo View Estates) during the summer of 2011 and to construct Phase 2B (from Echo View Estates to US Hwy 50) during the summer of 2012. Phase 2A was selected first because it is much more straight forward to deliver from a right-of-way, cost, and permitting standpoint.
Lake Tahoe Blvd. Bike Path Inches Forward
The County DOT received a grant in the amount of $450,000 from the Safe Routes to School Fund for the Lake Tahoe Blvd. Bike Path - a Shared-Use Class 1 path running parallel with LT Blvd. and connecting to the So. Tahoe High School. Efforts are underway to solidify the preferred alternative route and then perform environmental surveys with the USFS next summer. They are looking at construction summer of 2013.
NorthShore
Grassroots Sponsorship Program Available
Northstar-at-Tahoe and Giant Bicycles are offering a special grassroots sponsorship program that reaches out to competitive mountain bike athletes eager to conquer goals and share their passion for the sport.
They are looking for athletes who will be ambassadors in the Cat 2 & Cat 1 level categories with riding styles from downhill to cross country for the Northstar and Giant brands. Selected athletes will have the opportunity to purchase a Giant bicycle at a preferred price and offering a package of benefits that includes the following:
- Coaching Clinic
- Northstar-at-Tahoe Mountain Bike Park Season Pass
- Comped Entry Fees at Northstar Sanctioned Competitions
- Discounted purchasing opportunities with participating sponsors
To apply for the Ride Giant/Ride Northstar sponsorship program contact Justin Sweet at justinswett@hotmail.com or for more details visit www.ridegiantridenorthstar.wordpress.com.
November Sightings 
Gary Bell, owner of Sierra Ski & Cycle Works, was seen at the SF Bike Expo Nov. 6 with a booth selling cycling products to the Bay Area's bike culture. The event included many features: swap, expo, cyclo-cross racing, BMX and Dirt Jump contests, and a pump track for kids. Gary was also seen standing under the jump ramp taking photos - awesome aerials.
Joe Hayes, Mountain Man Coach, can be seen guiding weekly mountain bike rides with pals, teaching skiing during the winter, fitness training weekly and more. At 74 years young, Joe embodys the principles and actions of the Tahoe Athlete.
Christian Waskiewicz, owner of Alpen Sierra Coffee, was seen riding solo on the Christmas Valley Downhill. According to Christian, "the downhill is world-class". Christian is an avid cyclist and was also seen with his wife Megan riding around the Lake during the Tour de Tahoe in September.
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