Frederick Bicycle Coalition

UPDATE: Tonight’s meeting time has change to 7:30

Tuesday, February 14th at 7pm 7:30pm, FBC will be presenting our pump track proposal before Frederick City Recreation and Parks. Come out and show your support for a cool bicycle facility.

What is a pump track? A pump track is a dirt play ground for bicycles, providing a continuous loop with banked turns and rolling mounds of dirt. This allows riders to travel without pedaling by utilizing momentum to keep moving. Pump tracks are used by bicycle riders of all ages to develop essential skills in a low risk environment while also developing fitness. Pump tracks are inexpensive to build, take up a small footprint in the park and require very little maintenance making them ideal for city parks.

The meeting will be at the Talley Rec Center at Baker Park, 121 North Bentz Street, Frederick, MD 21701.

The Frederick Bicycle Coalition is proud to host Frederick’s Second Annual Ride with the Mayor event. Mayor McClement will join us as we ride from the gazebo behind the William Talley Recreation Center to the Harry Grove Stadium to watch the Frederick Keys take on the Potomac Nationals. All participants will receive a free general admission ticket to the game! All ages are welcome; however, we ask that children under the age of six either ride in a trailer or in a tow behind bicycle. Registration will begin at 12:45pm and we will leave for the stadium at 1pm. Come out and join us!!!!

Here are the details:

Where – William Talley Recreation Center (121 North Bentz Street, Frederick, MD)
When – Sunday, August 28, 2011
Registration – 12:45pm
Leave for Stadium – 1pm

Please ride responsibly and wear a helmet

It is time for the 2nd annual Brunswick Bicycle Festival and best of all it is FREE. Last year several of us did a beautiful road ride to the event from downtown Frederick and enjoyed some music and food. Check it out!

Brunswick Bicycle Festival

Join us at Railroad Square in Downtown Brunswick, Maryland
(a bike friendly town) for the SECOND annual Brunswick
Bicycle Festival. There will be activities, food,
and music.

Sample Activities: Bike Rodeo for Children, Hill Climb, and 5 Mile Loop Ride (things for non-bicycle riders as well)

Music by: Hard Swimmin’ Fish, Flat Foot Sam & The Educated Fools

Location: Railroad Square near the MARC train station,
on mile marker 55 of the C&O Canal. Easy access to the towpath for bicycling.
One mile to the Brunswick camp ground (also on the towpath).

Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Date: Saturday, August 20, 2011
Admission: FREE

For more information visit
www.BrunswickMainStreet.org

Check our latest news letter for the latest happenings. Read it online here, sign up for the newsletter on the right side of the home page.

OK folks, it has been a long time coming, but new trail is getting built in Emmitsburg, MD and they need your help! Corridor clearing will be taking place August 13th and they are hoping for a good turn out to show their town council there’s excitement for the project. The complete project will be a stacked loop system and they’ll be breaking ground on the first piece of a multi-phase project.

Where is Emmitsburg? It is north of Frederick, MD and the trails will be built on the town reservoir property which is situated on the same ridge as Gambrill and the Frederick Watershed so expect similar terrain. Want to know more about the project? Check these recent articles: Frederick News Post, The Gazette

Date: Saturday, August 13, 2011
Time: 8am- 1pm
Location: Rainbow Lake on Hampton Valley Road. Google Maps link.
Contact: Tim O’Donnell- todonnell@emmitsburgmd.gov – 301-447-3839

The second annual Tour de Frederick will be happening August 12 – 14, 2011. The weekend of bike includes guided rides, a Frederick Keys baseball game, history tour, meals and an ice cream social.

Sign up at www.tourdefrederick.com or read more about the event in the recent Gazette article.

Local mountain bike club MORE will be having 3 women’s mountain bike rides at the Frederick Watershed on June 17th. There should be something for everyone with a downhill specific ride as well as moderate and casual cross country rides. Full details here.

A message from The Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Dear Maryland Cyclists,

The Maryland State Highway Administration SHA is posed to make one fo the most anti-cycling decisions in the last few decades.

Tell Maryland officials not to reject simple actions that make cyclists safer on the state’s roadways!

After years of careful research and debate, the federal Department of Transportation has approved signs that say “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” for lanes that are too narrow for a car to safely pass a bicycle in the same lane. Experienced cyclists know that it is safer to use the full lane on these roadways, but motorists often don’t. These signs would both give notice to motorists to be aware of the potential presence of cyclists taking the lane, and would provide greater clarity than the common, but ambiguous “Share the Road” sign. These signs make the roadways safer for cyclists.

But the Maryland State Highway Administration wants to block the use of the signs in Maryland, so that most cyclists will continue to ride on the extreme right side of the roadway–even on roads where doing so is more dangerous than using the full lane. And some drivers will continue to be surprised—and sometimes angry—when cyclists do use the full lane. Maryland law explicitly allows cyclists to use the full lane when doing so is safer than keeping right, but some state officials do not seem to agree with the law. And they are expressing their own disagreement by disapproving a sign that makes us safer.>

Sadly, this decision is coming at the end of the distinguished career of SHA Director Neil Pederson, who retires this week. A cyclist himself, Mr. Pederson has often pushed his agency to accommodate cyclists. Because the decision seems to have been made at a lower level, we do not know whether Mr. Pederson has been fully informed or not. We also do not know whether Governor O’Malley, who has been actively promoting Cycle Maryland in recent weeks, is aware of or supports this anti-cyclist decision by his Highway Administration.

Please CLICK HERE to email Governor O’Malley, MDOT Secretary Swaim-Staley, SHA Director Pederson, and the MDOT and SHA Bicycle Coordinators:

1. Asking them to reverse SHA’s staff decision, and approve the use of the R4-11 “Bicycles may use full lane” sign so that cyclists and drivers alike will realize which roads are most safely ridden using the full lane, and>

2. Thanking Neil Pederson for his years of service and asking the Secretary and Governor to ensure that he is replaced by someone with a commitment to making Maryland’s roads safe for all road users.

Click here to email these officials. A sample email is provided, but feel free to customize the text to suit your needs.

Thank you,
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association