Bike Pittsburgh

BikeFest '08 Ideas

In the interest in getting events and volunteers and everything else that comes along with BikeFest figured out as early as possible this year, I wanted to start this thread and ask for ideas, start taking names of folks interested in helping out in some way/shape/form, and see if any of you are interested in stepping up to organize an event.

BikeFest '08 will start on Friday, June 27th and end Sunday, July 6th. Saturday June 28th the Tour of PA will be riding into town and Sunday the 29th will be the circuit race downtown for the finale.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I'd be up for organizing another populaire/long ride. And July 4th seems to be as good of a day as any....

I'd also be willing to help out with the movie night ride again. That was fun. And since we have a trailer now, I can drag the kids along, too.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I've been kicking around the idea of an "Oddbike Tryouts" event; I'd be interested in getting some fixies, 'bents, unicycles, tall bikes, tandems, etc., in one place, so people can try something other than their usual rides. Maybe a couple of hours of test riding somewhere, followed by a nice parade through town.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

Something like that could work out well with the Bike Swap perhaps...

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I was thinking about a tour of "secret" urban singletrack. I'd need help finding more, but with all the woods we have there should be plenty for a long ride.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I think we should have a BikeFest skill share. Last year we talked about it a little where you could have a How to Track Stand, How to Fix X, How to...etc I am not sure how it could take shape but I imagine some series of workshops? could also happen during/at the bike swap?

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

it would be nice to theme some rides or bikefest itself in honor of Pittsburgh's 250th Anniversary.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

How about neighborhood-themed rides? Show others around your neighborhood and end up at your favorite place to eat or drink. I'm often amazed (not to mention embarrassed) by how little I know about some parts of the city. Maybe that's a way to celebrate Pgh's 250th, by celebrating neighborhoods.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

- possible non organized century
(have a cue sheet and maps, but no support)
- amy wants to do a "womens introduction to racing" clinic.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

Scott and Erok, how long 'til yinz need actual specifics about the event?

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

The deadline to get events in is May 30th. It'll be here before you know it!

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I'm interested in doing Art By Cyclists again.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I'm thinking about organizing a ride related to work that I'm doing for an environmental non-profit. It would be a tour through and around Neville Island, highlighting the worst air pollution sources, and teaching a little about the overall air quality problems we have in Pittsburgh.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I'm thinking about organizing a ride related to work that I'm doing for an environmental non-profit. It would be a tour through and around Neville Island, highlighting the worst air pollution sources, and teaching a little about the overall air quality problems we have in Pittsburgh.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

Eric said...
"I was thinking about a tour of "secret" urban singletrack. I'd need help finding more, but with all the woods we have there should be plenty for a long ride."

That reminds me of some really cool powerline trails on the south side of the mon, between the glenwood bridge and Beck's Run Rd (you can view the terrain in google earth).

You get up into them next to the bridge and the way I've gone takes you out into some old lady's side yard on Beck's Run Rd.

There are also a few trials up in Mt Washington but the last time I tried that, there were so many downed trees all over the place you could barely hike them.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

I could do a Riverview Park MTB ride from my crib and have a BBQ party or something afterward.

Also, I was thinking about doing a few crit-type alleycat style (on the down-low) races around the park road here that is 1.5 or so miles per loop with a decent hill.

Email me if anyone would like to help with the latter. At the very least there would need to be someone to tally laps.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

"south side of the mon, between the glenwood bridge and Beck's Run Rd" a.k.a Hays Very cool place. I didn't manage to get the BikeFest '07 ride organized, but I think it's a great idea!

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

Cool. I now remember the whole strip mining / racetrack thing that was going down back in the day. I had forgotten about that controversy.

The one time I went back there last spring we came up on an abandoned truck that we could not even BEGIN to fathom how it even got where it was. It looked like they just drove it as far as they could up the hill through the woods until it just died.

I remember one really scary steep downhill I was afraid to ride down (rare). The one guy who did ride down it had his disc brakes smoking by the time he got to the bottom LOL.

I broke my chain trying to ride up that one hike-a-bike portion from the photos on that other post.

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

Here are some ideas. Feel free to steal:

Goldsprints
Touring 101 class + overnight trip
BikeSwap (we need help organizing this)
Scavenger Hunts
Bike Movies that maybe aren't appropriate for parks (e.g. I heart Huckabees or Flashdance)

RE: BikeFest '08 Ideas

Lately, the bicycle has been a way to try to hurt myself. Maybe we can have a procession of flagellants, offering their pleas to God that he might spare humanity from the plague.