[*BCM*] MassBike Mid-May Update

[David Watson]

It’s Bike Month & Bike-to-Work Week – There’s No Better Time to Give to
MassBike



What can you do to help MassBike celebrate Bike Month?

  a.. Donate to MassBike now and you’ll be entered to win a great bike from
Landry’s and Cannondale
  b.. Join MassBike or renew your membership today
  c.. Commute by bike


(To join MassBike or get commuter information, see links below)



To donate now, click here

http://www.active.com/donate/summer06



RAIN OR SHINE: May 15 is Redbones BBQ’s Bike Week Kickoff Event



It’s been a tradition for 10 years: each May, throngs of cyclists gather at
Redbones BBQ in Somerville to start Bike Week off right, with delicious
barbecue and vegetarian options (tickets are $15), plus a raffle for amazing
bike prizes. Mark your calendars for Monday, May 15 from 5:00-10:00 p.m.
Proceeds from the event benefit MassBike and NEMBA. Redbones is located at
55 Chester Street, Davis Square, Somerville. THIS EVENT WILL GO ON RAIN OR
SHINE, SO DON’T LET A LITTLE RAIN KEEP YOU HOME!



Click here for MassBike’s Bike Week Information Page

http://www.massbike.org/events/bw2006/



Longwood Bike Night: Tuesday, May 16


The Children’s Sports Medicine Foundation invites you to attend their 2nd
Annual Longwood Bike Night at Children’s Hospital, Ender’s Auditorium, 320
Longwood Avenue, Boston, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Speakers will include Lyle J.
Micheli, M.D., Director of the Division of Sports Medicine, Children's
Hospital Boston, world renowned orthopaedic surgeon and cycling enthusiast,
and Vance Edwards-Orr of MassBike. Topics will include bicycle commuting,
current laws protecting cyclists, and pending legislation.



Pioneer Valley Chapter Scores a Victory!



Long-term commitment to grassroots advocacy DOES pay off: Pioneer Valley
chapter president James Lowenthal reports that after several years of
meetings and correspondence with MassHighway, the shoulders of the
newly-widened Route 9 in Hadley will be 4 feet wide rather than 2-1/2 feet
as originally planned. The new 4-foot shoulders will be much more
bike-friendly than the original narrow shoulders on this busy highway, which
carries more than 40,000 vehicles per day. The additional width will come
from reducing the two motor vehicle travel lanes in each direction from
11-1/2 and 12 feet wide to 11 feet wide each. This change is consistent with
the new Highway Design Manual, which MassBike was instrumental in creating.
Congratulations to the Pioneer Valley chapter, and thanks to MassHighway!



For more information about MassBike’s Pioneer Valley chapter, click here

http://www.massbike.org/mbpv/



Register Now for Bicycling 101 in Boston and Waltham



Want to improve your urban riding skills? MassBike’s Bicycling Skills
classes are a great way to take your cycling to the next level as spring
approaches. We have free evening classes (Introduction to Bicycle
Safety—this has tips even advanced cyclists will benefit from), and
day-long, on-bike classes on the weekends (Bicycling 101 for
beginning/intermediate cyclists, and Bicycling 201 for
intermediate/advanced). Our classes are taught by certified League Cycling
Instructors and cost $40 for MassBike members and riders from MassBike
partner rides, and $50 regular.



Bicycling 101 classes are coming up soon in Boston (Sunday, May 21) and
Waltham (Saturday, June 3). You can also sign up for 201 in Boston (Sunday,
June 25). From beginning to advanced cyclists, these classes will help you
ride faster, better, and safer!



To register for our upcoming classes, click here

http://www.massbike.org/skills/classes.htm



ACTION ALERT:  Contact Your State Rep to Get Our Bills Out of House Ways and
Means!



MassBike has two important bills currently stuck in House Ways and Means. We
need your help to get them out of the committee, so they can be voted on.
The two bills are the Bicyclists’ Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (H.
1411), which organizes the state’s bicycling laws and requires that drivers
look before opening their car doors; and Safe Routes to School (H. 2121),
which would earmark a portion of transportation safety funds to help make it
easier for kids to bike and walk to school.



You can find out more information on the bills here:
http://www.massbike.org/projects/legislation.htm



Please call or email (calling is best!) your State Representative and ask
him or her to speak to Chairman DeLeo of House Ways and Means and Speaker
Sal DiMasi, and urge them to move MassBike’s bills along in the process.
Thank you.



Click here to find out who your State Representative is

http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php



Sign up for the Outriders 2006 Boston-to-Provincetown Ride: Saturday, June
17, 2006



This one-day ride of 128 miles (206 km) is organized by a group of (mostly)
gay and lesbian volunteers and riders. We do the ride for fun and for the
challenge of completing the best one-day bike ride New England has to offer.
ALL interested cyclists and volunteers are welcome to register for this
ride. This ride donates $1 per rider to benefit MassBike's cycling advocacy
work.



Click here to register for the Outriders Ride

http://www.outriders.org/



Ride the Tour de Mac: Saturday, June 17, 2006



Come join Bobby Mac’s friends, colleagues, and admirers to celebrate the
life of a living legend – the irrepressible Bobby Mac!



Bobby Mac has helped hundreds of people in the Greater Boston area become
better cyclists and healthier people – and, to a certain extent, kids
again – as he leads his weekly training rides from Quad Cycles in Arlington
Heights.



Minimum $30 donation requested (for more information, contact
tourdemac at comcast.net). Ride from Quad Cycles, 1346 Mass. Ave., Arlington,
at 9:00 a.m. for the usual 54 mile "Bobby Mac Loop" followed by a
celebration in Arlington Heights.



Commute by Bike



Always wanted to try bike commuting, but didn’t know how to get started?



Click here for commuter information

http://www.massbike.org/skills/work.htm



Join MassBike



If you care about bicycling advocacy, you should be a MassBike member. All
year round, we are working across the state to improve bicycling conditions.
Whether you’re a commuter, recreational rider, or mountain biker, MassBike’s
advocacy efforts help make riding safer and better for you. Please join your
voice with 1950 other Bay State residents and become a member. We truly
appreciate it.



Click here to join MassBike

http://www.active.com/donations/campaign_public.cfm?key=massbike&CFID=749359
3&CFTOKEN=34423737
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