We haven't been blessed with great riding weather this spring, as you all know. Rather than getting frustrated and staying indoors or even worse riding wet/muddy trails you should take a trip over to the mtb trail at Ohio and Erie Canal Reservation. 

OECR is holding up beautifully to the weather and it's in perfect riding shape right now.  Right now it's the o­nly trail in NE Ohio that's ridable. 
Go check it out! 

Michael Vandeman faces charges of Assault With A Deadly Weapon after attacking cyclists o­n a fire trail in California.





Read full article: 'Loony Mountain Bike Critic Finally Cracks'

EDIT: Hours are 10 - 3         

     Mark o­n your calendars Saturday, June 19^thto attend the Trek Factory Demo Tour that will be making a stop in Hartville, Ohio at Quail Hollow State Park. This demo is designed to provide you a chance to ride the best bicycles from Trek and Gary Fisher firsthand, with both road and mountain bikes o­n hand.  Available bikes include: Madone 6 Series, Remedy 9.9, Fuel Ex 9.9, Top Fuel 9.8, Scratch, Gary Fisher Cronus, Superfly, Superfly 100 and Rumblefish. You will need to bring along your driver’s license and a major credit card to be able to ride. There is no charge to ride the demo bikes.

Visit http://www.clevelandbicycleweek.org/ to learn all about Cleveland Bike Week which runs from May 15th to May 23rd.  All sorts of events are o­n the calendar.  There will be something for everyone: from enthusiasts to beginners. All experience levels are welcome!  Check out the Bike Week website to learn all about it.

Cars and vans with nonpermanent items such as bicycles and luggage carriers on the roof will no longer be classified as tall vehicles and charged higher tolls o­n the Ohio Turnpike.  Full story.

Blue Sky Bicycles at 565 E. 185th St., in Euclid is our newest supporting shop in the area. Featuring Jamis, Redline and KHS bikes; Blue Sky is rider owned and operated...

Read full article: 'Looking at Blue Sky!'

Check out this YouTube video advocating for a bike path o­n the innerbelt bridge. Listen to the message, it's spot o­n and also fits with the message CAMBA has been distributing for years in regards to mountain biking.

There are instructions o­n how you can take action o­n this issue. We urge you to do so!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GP3XJquJ_8

You can get more information from Green City Blue Lake here... GCBL Innerbelt

Wednesdays - February 3, February 10

The Winking Lizard in Peninsula

Challenge yourself o­n o­ne of the best trainers out there, have fun, and help a great cause! Click for more...



Read full article: 'Rock and Roll Trainer Night Rides'

Cuyahoga County Probate Judge Anthony Russo writes an article for The Plain Dealer explaining his vision of Cleveland Metroparks' role in the development of our lakefront.  Click here.

Deer Hunting season is upon us again. The mountain bike trails will be closed at West Branch State Park the following dates:

November 21st and 22nd
November 30 - December 6th
December 19th and 20th
January 9th - January 12th.

On another note, be sure you're using caution when riding during small game season at WBSP. Wear bright colored clothing and ride in groups if possible. Be safe and stand out so hunters are aware of you. Remember to share the resource, and have fun!

A new organization has recently started for climbers in Northeast Ohio.  Many mountain bikers are also climbers, so we thought we let you know that they are having their Fall meeting at Kendall Cliffs Climbing Gym in Peninsula o­n Tuesday, November 17th at 7PM.  Topics will include access to climbing in Brecksville, liability insurance for Climbers in Cleveland Metroparks, and more.  Visit their website for complete info: www.NEOCC.wordpress.com or find them o­n Facebook.

At 10,000+ feet, against the misty backdrop of a former sleepy mining town, Leadville, Colorado, 1400 cyclists line the starting line, including several from Ohio. For many, it will be the most difficult race of their lives. For some, a bragging right to say they raced alongside the best in the world. Some imagine victory. Most hope only to finish. But everyone will count.

On October 22nd, experience a One Night Event in movie theatres nationwide featuring the debut of “Race Across the Sky” – a documentary covering the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 bike race, one of the most intense endurance races of all time - and candid conversations with Lance Armstrong, Chris Carmichael, Dave Wiens, and other elite and amateur cyclists who overcame extreme challenges to participate in this grueling race. To view the movie trailer...read on...


Read full article: 'One Night Event in movie theatres nationwide - Leadville 100...the Movie'

With a National Park right here in our own backyard, you might want to consider viewing the PBS series by Ken Burns "The National Parks: America's Best Idea".  The video of the series is available o­nline.  Ken Burns produces some epic documentaries (others include Baseball and World War II), so this promises to be great.  Maybe they'll mention CVNP?  Watch and find out.

High school mountain biking will take a step toward becoming a more mainstream sport o­n October 1 with the new The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) forming. The organization will promote and facilitate interscholastic high school mountain biking in the US.  Read the full story at Cyclingnews.com.

The trails will be closed on Sunday September 27th from 12:30pm until about 3:30pm. This is due to the OMBC race that will be occurring on the trails. We will be out on Saturday the 26th at 9am if you wish to give us a hand. We will be flagging the trail and doing any last minute trail preparations that may be needed.

A cycling music video that any bike geek is sure to love.

As a big thank you to supporting local mountain bike advocacy and trail building our friends at Dirt Rag magazine are offering a free subscription to anyone who joins CAMBA above the basic membership level.

You must send it your membership form, or join o­nline in the month of July to receive this very special offer. You also qualify if you renew your membership in July. This offer o­nly applies for memberships at or above the $35 level.

The folks over at Dirt Rag Magazine could not have summarized this benefit ride better. Check out the Dirt Rag Magazine article for more details to help an amazing organization “Change Through Chance” charity that provides horse therapy to children with special needs.   Dirt Rag Magazine

Today in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar confirmed that the park would receive about $7.8 million in federal stimulus money this year.  Read more by clicking here.

Are you aware of all of the hard work that's being done to make Cleveland a more bicycle friendly city? If not, check out this recent report o­n Cleveland Bike Week and a summary of the Cleveland 2010 Active Transportation Plan.

Don't underestimate the potential for Cleveland to become a part of the model for bicycle transportation, and recreation. There is some serious attention o­n this, and it's very exciting to think about how the CAMBA vision of 100 Miles of World Class Trail fits in.

Bike Authority is now a dealer of Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles. If you're looking for a new ride check out the line up at Ellsworthbikes.com or contact a sales associate at Bike Authority for more details.

Working in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, IMBA's Trail Solutions and six other trail contracting firms have built 30 miles of amazing singletrack, the Allegrippis Trails, at Pennsylvania's Raystown Lake. A grand opening -- featuring group rides; free demonstration bikes from Cannondale, GT and Trek; and plenty of great food -- is slated for May 9.  From what CAMBA has heard, these trails are an absolute blast and are different from most of PA's trails.  Instead of being tight and rocky, they are faster, smoother, and flowing.  No doubt many mountain bikers from Cleveland will be checking these trails out this summer!  Click here for more information.

The person I bought my first "real" mountain bike from has opened his own shop...

Read full article: 'New Bike Shop!'

Every year I tell you about this great festival in Pennsylvania...


Read full article: 'The Bash!'

Here's an interesting website created by some local cyclists to promote the cycling lifestyle in the Buckeye state.  CarLessOhio.org

They also have a link to the Cleveland Planning Commission's website and some great information for local cyclists including maps of current and proposed bike paths and lanes.  Click here.

Did you know the North American Handmade Bicycle Show is coming to Indianapolis this February 27-March 1?  In the past this show has always been o­n the west coast so it's pretty cool to have it come out our way.  There a number of CAMBA folks already planning o­n making the trip.  Why?  Check out these pictures and we think you'll understand.

Just a quick reminder to support your local bike shops this holiday season.You still have a few shopping days left before Christmas and our CAMBA sponsors have lots of great gifts in stock. In this volatile economic climate it is even more important to spend your dollars locally. These shops are not only sponsoring CAMBA and the mountain bike movement, but all types of other cycling initiatives and events locally. Not to mention they create jobs and keep tax dollars in our communities. Do your part, SHOP LOCAL!

Happy Holidays!

Don't let the cold weather stop you from riding this winter.  Check out Dirt Rag's latest articles o­n cold weather riding.  Click here, here, and here.

Dirt Rag is publishing a series of articles o­n their blog about winter riding over the next few weeks.  We thought you might be interested.  From Dirt Rag: "Cold Weather Riding: It's All In Your Head"

Please keep in mind the MTB trails at West Branch will be closed during deer gun hunting season. The dates are; November 22nd and 23rd, December 1st thru 7th, 20th and 21st, and 27th thru 30th.

First, an arcticle from The Plain Dealer discusses Cleveland Metroparks recent decision to halt the rebuilding of Hogsback Lane.  The article should be particularly interesting to residents of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood and Lakewood. The park cites lack of available funds as the primary reason for their decision to delay the rebuilding until at least 2011.  Second, the New York Times has an excellent article and a great video about Dave Wiens' victory over Lance Armstrong during this year's Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.  It's great to see anything mountain bike related getting some coverage in a national publication like this.

CAMBA has a new webmaster...

Read full article: 'New CAMBA Webmaster'

Team Spin Bike Shop has been forced to cancel their weekly Wednesday night cyclocross race series due to circumstances beyond their control.  They are working to find a new venue for the race and we'll let you know if they find o­ne.

West Branch State Park has asked us once a again to remind everyone that hunting season starts September 1st. That date starts out with small game. They advise people to at least wear orange.

Read full article: 'Hunting Season Starts up again at West Branch'

If you want to get two-for-one at Mohican, this is the o­nly way to do it...




Read full article: 'Mohican Tandem Ride Report'

John F. Seiberling, an eight-term Ohio congressman whose advocacy of public lands helped to create Cuyahoga Valley National Park, has died.  In the early/mid 1970's, Congressman Seiberling worked tirelessly to push the needed legislation through congress to create the park.  The political hurdles associated with the creation of a new national park have always been huge.  Without his efforts, the area today known as Cuyahoga Valley National Park would probably be a patchwork of state and local parks interspersed with housing developments.  Thanks in large part to Seiberling, today we have 30,000 acres of connected green space from o­ne rim of the valley to the other within 15 minutes of two large metro areas.  Click here to read more about his efforts and creation of CVNP.

The Parker Hannifin Chainless Challenge is being held today and tomorrow in the Cleveland Metroparks Brecksville Reservation. Teams of up to five engineering students from quite a few different universities have been working for a year o­n human/hydraulic powered bicycles that will be judged and raced.  The bicycle entries must meet criteria for reliability, manufacturability, and cost effectiveness, but the big constraint is that the motive of power for each bike has to be hydraulic. That means no chain connection between the chainwheel and the freewheel cogs is allowed.  Teams are competing for a total prize purse of $25,000.

From GreenCityBlueLake...


Bike commuters in Cleveland should have plenty of spots to park their bikes in the near future thanks to a new law requiring all parking lot operators in the city to install at least o­ne bike parking spot (and associated bike racks) for every 20 car spots.

Cleveland City Council passed the law in June, which applies to lots both existing and new. Read more here.

The o­ne-mile Segment o­ne of the Towpath Trail—from Old Harvard Road to Steelyard Commons—stepped closer to reality as organizers presented their preferred alignment o­n Tuesday at the Zoo. The public has 30 days to weigh in before the Towpath Trail Partnership Committee finalizes the alignment and moves ahead with detailed designs.  Click here for the full story from our friends at GreenCityBlueLake.

The city of Eastlake recently bulldozed BMX trails built o­n city property.  Eastlake Service Recreation Director Mike Semik said that liability issues forced the city to demolish the ramps.

Meanwhile, in Parma another park is slated for destruction. The property, owned by Catholic Charities, is near a remote area of Cleveland Metroparks West Creek Reservation where a 52 year old woman was recently murdered.  BMX riders received a letter stating that “the property owners will be dismantling the ramps at the request of the Parma Police Department”. 

Read full article: 'BMX park bulldozed, another on the verge…'

" 'The number of territory markers predicted road rage better than vehicle value, condition, or any of the things that we normally associate with aggressive driving,' says [Colorado State University psychologist William] Szlemko. What's more, o­nly the number of bumper stickers, and not their content, predicted road rage... Szlemko suggests that this territoriality may encourage road rage because drivers are simultaneously in a private space (their car) and a public o­ne (the road). 'We think they are forgetting that the public road is not theirs, and are exhibiting territorial behavior that normally would o­nly be acceptable in personal space,' the researcher says."  Click here for the full article.

On Saturday, May 24th, head downtown to the Galleria at Erieview and watch some of the top pro flatland riders in the nation battle it out.  Flatland is a freestyle BMX riding style performed o­n smooth flat surfaces that do not include any ramps, jumps, or grindrails (more here o­n Wikipedia).  If you've never seen this style of riding before, check out this video.  The event runs from 10am-4pm with the amateur finals at noon and the pro finals at 1pm.  Admission is free for spectators!

Despite rain and colder-than-normal temperatures, 363 students rode their bikes to school o­n Monday morning for the first day of Bay High School Bike To School Month sponsored by Century Cycles. A total of 543 students at Bay High School have signed up to participate in the program, out of a total school population of 820.  Click here to read more about it.

Ohio RideShare is a service to help people in 13 Ohio counties find people to carpool to work with. They are expanding this to bicycle commuters with a new service called OhioBikeBuddies.

"Would you like to ride your bicycle to work but think you’d feel more comfortable if you had a riding companion? OhioBikeBuddies is an o­nline matching service that can help you find fellow bike commuters. Here’s how it works"  click here

CAMBA would like to congratulate Century Cycles, Eddy's Bike Shop, and Spin Bike Shop for being selected as Top 100 retailers for 2008.  They have been voted as the leaders among the 5000 specialty bicycle retailers in the US.  All three shops are also CAMBA sponsors.  Click here for the complete list.

How do you want your CAMBA news?  Email or RSS?  How about getting alerted just o­n new CAMBA related events from our calendar?  CAMBA has recently upgraded our web site to support the latest news syndication technology.

Read full article: 'New ways to get the latest CAMBA news!'

Remember spending time o­n the basketball court playing HORSE as a kid?  BIKE takes the same idea and applies it to freeride mountain biking and the court is Ray's MTB Park.  About 30 of the best riders will be there including people like John Cowan, Jeff Lenosky, and Aaron Chase.  Qualifying is Friday, February 8th and finals are Saturday evening.  The park will remain open the entire weekend, so you can ride with the pros!  Click here for more information.

Dirt Rag Magazine and Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park are teaming up to host a Women's Weekend at Ray's Indoor Park in Cleveland, Ohio, February 22–24, 2008. This will be a great opportunity for women to come out and learn some new skills from the pros, try out some new bikes, and have a great time mountain biking indoors in the dead of winter.

Read full article: 'Women's Weekend at Ray's MTB – Feb. 22-24'

Click here for more info!

Our friends from the Michigan Mountain Biking Association had their Mountain Kids trailer stolen recently.  Pretty disgusting stuff.  Read more here and contact the MMBA if you have any information.

An invitation from Trek WSD and Bike Authority: Women's Night Out.  Come join special guest speaker Chris Garrison from the Trek WSD Demo Team and Bike Authority staff for a LADIES o­nly night of fun and information....

Read full article: 'Trek and Bike Authority Women's Night Out Invitation Feb 25th 6-9pm'

Sure, it's definitely tempting to hit the trails......but actually, it's the worst time to ride singletrack since the trails are still saturated with rain and snow melt. Riding right now under muddy/wet conditions does nothing but cause tremendous damage to the trails, leaving ruts and further encouraging the erosion process (not to mention trashing your bike!).



Read full article: 'When the winter weather gets warmer......'

We've got new information o­n the urban freeride clinics at Ray's MTB Park.  Join pro-rider Shaums March at Ray's Indoor MTB Park o­n Friday, January 11th for a 1 day "closed session" clinic o­n street/urban/freeride skills.  Shaums and other pros including Jeff Lenosky will be o­n hand to help dramatically improve your skillz.  Prices for locals will be $185 or $175 if you have a  season pass.  That price includes lunch and a full day's worth of instruction.  They have also added Saturday 3 hour coaching sessions for groups of up to 3 people for $150 ($140 for season pass holders).  Visit http://www.madmarchracing.com/ for more information.

The gate to the parking lot by the Soccer fields at Huffman is locked for the year, but the trail is still open to ride.  You'll need to park at the Regan Park parking lot to ride the trails.

Long time Eddy's bike shop employee and all around good guy, Jason Kuhn, is travelling across the United States. You can follow his travels by clicking here. Good luck Jason!

Saturday October 27th 10AM-4PM at the mountain bike trailhead.  You can ride the new Fuel EX, Top Fuel 69'er, Fisher HI Pro and even Trek and LeMond road bikes!

Hunting season is upon us.  As most people know, the trails at West Branch are within the park hunting area, so don’t be surprised to see hunters.  As always, West Branch is CLOSED during all deer gun seasons.  No matter where you ride, be careful during deer gun season, since most state parks allow hunting and you don’t want to be out there while this is going o­n.  Read o­n for dates.

Read full article: 'Hunting season is here, note the trail closures'

Newsnet 5 has a nice story of Mark Radford's road to recovery o­n their website.  Mark was injured at West Branch o­n Labor Day weekend, 2006.  Click here for the story.

Bike Authority, a CAMBA Affiliated Retailer, wants to let everyone know about several great bikes they have o­n sale.  Read more to get all the details o­n these sweet rides!



Read full article: 'Bike Authority CAMBA sale!'

Bass Lake Taverne and Mountain Road Cycles invites you to join us o­n Sunday, September 23 for an afternoon filled with beers, brawts, bikes and Browns football. Join us for a leisurely cycle through the mid-section of the Maple Highlands Trail then for food, refreshments and a beer tasting at Bass Lake Taverne as we watch our Cleveland Browns take o­n the Oakland Raiders.

Read full article: 'Bass Lake Tavern and Mountain Road Cycles Present: Beer, Brawts, Bikes, Browns!'

Great news for the freeriders out there!  Seven Springs (only a few hours from Cleveland) will be featuring lift-serviced downhill mountain biking starting September 1st of this year! After catching a ride to the top of the mountain o­n the high-speed six-passenger chairlift, riders will descend the mountain for nearly a mile.  Looks like this is just the start of a new gravity park at Seven Springs.  Click here for more information.

The City of Kent is considering a whitewater park in a stretch of the Cuyahoga that flows through downtown.  Sounds like a great idea and o­ne that would pair nicely with 100 miles of world-class trails stretching through the Cuyahoga Valley!

If you are wondering what other uses 100 miles of world-class trails in Northeast Ohio would have or asking what else it could do for the area, consider the Burning River 100 and the Buckeye 50K.  The Burning River 100 is a 100 mile running race that will take place here o­n August 4th. The Buckeye 50K is a 50K trail run o­n the Buckeye trail being held July 14th.

Read full article: 'Volunteers needed for trail running events'

Spin Bike Shop, a CAMBA affiliated retailer, has opened a new location in downtown Willoughby.  Visit www.spinbikeshop.com for address, phone, and store hours.  Stop in and check out the new store!

An article in The Plain Dealer discusses the efforts of local cyclists to get a velodrome built in Cleveland.  Read the article here.

The Big Valley Race promoters are organizing a helmet drive to help the Boy Scouts complete a cycling merit badge.  If you have a used helmet, you can donate it at either Bike Authority or Solon Bicycle.  The helmets are needed by June 19th.  Click here for more information.

Check out some cool events coming up at o­ne of our affiliated retailers - Bike Authority!

Read full article: 'Cool events at Bike Authority'

CAMBA member Paul Dowd is participating in the Pan Ohio Hope Ride to raise money for The American Society's Hope Lodges. Click Here if you'd like to help him reach is goal of $2650.  After the ride Paul will draw o­ne name from the list of doners who will win a pair of sweet Rudy Project Sunglasses!

Click here for more information o­n the Hope Ride

For those of you out there who also ride the road, Bike Authority has begun weekly pace rides from the store in Broadview Heights.  The rides are broken into three groups: A (22mph+), B(19mph),  and C(16mph).  Bike Authority's Mike Vanucci is leading them and several Team Lake Effect members will be in attendance.  Visit www.bikeauthority.com for more information.

CrankMail is "The definitive voice of cyclists in Northern Ohio" and a group of area cyclists have recently banded together to basically relaunch the magazine.  CAMBA has been featured in the past in various articles and stories.  Stay tuned as we work them to incorporate more mountain bike related stuff in the magazine.  In the mean time, visit www.crankmail.com and check them out.

ClevelandBikes hosts commuting rides downtown, led by experienced ride leaders, every day during National Bike to Work Week, May 14-18, with rides continuing o­n the final Friday of every month, May through September.

Read full article: 'Join ClevelandBikes on its annual “Bike to Work” rides'

April 20-22 is our annual Spring Sale - stop in for deals on all types of bikes and gear. And if it's not on sale, CAMBA members get 10% off anyway!

Check out www.eddys.com for the details!

Mountain Road Cycles has opened a second location in Chardon. They are celebrating with a big sale this weekend!!!


Read full article: 'Mountain Road Cycles opens second store!'

An article published in today's Plain Dealer discusses Performance Bike's plan to open two stores here in Cleveland.  CAMBA would like to remind you that support from our local bicycle shops has been an important factor in our success over the years.  We encourage you to consider this when deciding where to shop for bikes and accessories.

It’s Springtime again, and that means riding!
The Cleveland Sight Center Tandem Bike and Hike program has posted their ride schedule for the year. The program, under the guidance of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park staff, allows vision-impaired riders to ride with sighted captains. No tandem experience is necessary to be a captain – we will train you to make sure you are comfortable with your passengers.

Read full article: 'Cleveland Sight Center Tandem Hike and Bike Program'

The lead story in the business section of Tuesday's Plain Dealer was an article o­n the mountain bike park that is planned for Midtown Cleveland (near East 55th and Euclid).  The article states that midtown is looking to spend over $1 million o­n the park.  CAMBA is mentioned and CAMBA's Mike Farley is quoted in the article.  We don't have much info beyond what's in the article at this point, but we'll let you know when we do.  Is this a great time to be a mountain biker in Cleveland or what?!?!  Click here to read the article.

A Groundhog was recently spotted at Ray's Mountain Bike Park.  Seems he saw his shadow and predicts a little more than six weeks of "riding the inside".  Ray has also presented a challenge...

Read full article: 'Ray's Groundhog!'

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's administration won a $12.84 million line item in the city’s five-year capital budget, released this week, to improve conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.  With this, the city will be able to fund some of its major bike projects like a downtown bike station, a multi-purpose trail at Dike 14, and a host of bike routes, lanes, and off-road trails (paved, in this case).  Read more here.

We've added another article in our New to Mountain Biking section.  This article describes how to prepare yourself and your bike for a ride at Ray's Indoor MTB Park and it's intended for all skill levels.  Click here for the article.

The 3Ride competition at Ray's MTB Park returns again this year.  The event will be held o­n the weekend of February 10th.  We don't have many details yet, but we do know that a new stunt will be built that will require riders to drop from the Gary Fisher XC loop into the expert jump loop.  All the stars will be there again this year including guys like mult-time World Champion Brian Lopes and Santa Cruz Syndicate member Jamie Goldman.  To top it all off, it happens right here in Cleveland!  Stay tuned for more details or visit www.raysmtb.com.

Our friends at EcoCity Cleveland have been having a lively exchange with ODOT about including a bike lane o­n the new I-90 bridge over the flats which is part of the BILLION dollar Innerbelt reconstruction project.  Let's see...if they gave a tenth of a percent toward construction of trails, that would be about a million dollars.  The ballpark figure for having a contractor construct trails is about $10k per mile (we're talking about dirt trails for hiking or mountain biking, not asphalt or crushed limstone).  That would result in about a HUNDRED miles of new trails.  Incredible!

We occasionally like to tell everyone about cool sites we think might be of intereste to mountain bikers in Cleveland.  O­ne of those sites is GreenCityBlueLake.  The site was developed to serve the sustainability community of Northeast Ohio by EcoCity Cleveland, a nonprofit organization that has been at the center of sustainability activities and creative planning efforts in Northeast Ohio since 1992.  The site often has interesting news o­n bicylce commuting and cycling-related projects such as the towpath extensions.  They also have a nice newsfeed, which we think is a great feature that all sites should have.

A public service announcement from CAMBA.

If you drive a road colored vehicle please drive with your lights o­n.  It seems that every other car is some form of grey or blends in with the varied road surfaces here in Northeast Ohio.  Please take this extra measure of safety to protect yourself.

Tune into MSNBC's "Your Business" this Sunday, December 3rd at 7:30AM for a feature segment o­n Ray's Indoor MTB Park.  ‘Your Business’ is a thirty minute program that discusses stories, information, and advice to help entrepreneurs grow their business.  The program will also be available for viewing at www.yourbusiness.msnbc.com after the air date.  In case you missed it, the park has now been featured in literally dozens of print articles and many TV shows including Fortune, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and now MSNBC.

As always, the mountain bike trails at West Branch State Park are closed for deer gun season.  This year's dates are Monday, November 27th through Sunday, December 3rd and December 16th and 17th.  These dates apply statewide, so you'll want consider staying off the trails at any place where hunting is allowed during this time or wear a LOT of bright orange.  Click here for more.

New 29'ers and cool bikes for Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park at Bike Authority!  Read more!

Read full article: 'News from Bike Authority!'

2007 is going to be a choice year for MTB’s!

Read full article: 'New Bikes @ Eddy's this Fall!'

If for some reason you can't make it to CAMBA's Annual epic trip to Lake Hope next weekend, check out this great outdoor action sports film festival  in Akron. 

Read full article: 'Banff Radical Reels Film Festival in Akron'

Personally, I get a bit tired of that daily downer known as The Plain Dealer and their uncanny ability to focus o­n everything negative.  Fortunately, there is a news source in our area that is focusing o­n the good stuff and it’s called CoolCleveland.com.  Check out www.coolcleveland.com and see what they have to offer.  While you’re there, subscribe to their weekly e-newsletter.  The site and the newsletter are full of information about all the cool events that are happening in this great city.

MetroParks, Serving Summit County manages nearly 9,000 acres with 120+ miles of trails, including 33.5 miles of Bike and Hike (maybe you call it the ‘Hike-a- Bike’) and 16 miles of Towpath.  Since voters approved the last levy in 2002, Summit MetroParks has acquired more land and built more trails (click here for details).  CAMBA asks that Summit County mountain bikers consider supporting this levy for a number of reasons...

Read full article: 'Vote ‘Yes’ on Issue 18- MetroParks, Serving Summit County Replacement Levy'

Thanks to our friends at the Ohio Bicycling Federation, the Better Ohio Bicycling Bill goes into effect o­n Thursday, September 21, 2006.  While there is a lot of legal stuff in the bill, there are a couple of key points to the bill that all cyclists should be aware of...


Read full article: 'Better Ohio Bicycling Bill is now in effect!'

I had a chance to ride the completed Gary Fisher XC loop yesterday.  Fantastic!  What a blast to ride!  It's a little less than 1/2 mile and it really does get the heart rate up after a couple laps.  The whole thing feels like a roller coaster ride o­n your mountain bike...


Read full article: 'Ray's MTB Park Offseason Update #2'

The Plain Dealer's architecture critic, Stephen Litt, takes a look at the two new towpath bridges built by Cleveland Metroparks.  Click here for the article.  Pricey, but they sure look nice!

The Medina County Bicycle Club is sponsoring a free Labor Day Century ride, September 4th. As listed on the Ohiobike.org schedule.

We will hit south Brunswick, Valley City, Litchfield, Spencer Lake, West Salem, Mechanicsburg, Lodi, Seville and Wadsworth. Registration starts at 7am with a mass start at 8. It is at Plaza 71 parking lot at the northwest corner of sr18 and Windfall Drive. It is two blocks east of I-71 on 18. There is a Dunkin donuts in the corner of the parking lot...

Read full article: 'Catch the Cheap Century'

Talk about amazing.  The folks from Pinkbike.com got to go o­n a heli-biking trip to test out some new bikes from Cannondale.  Maybe this should be next year's CAMBA trip?  Click here for the article.

Floyd Landis, Pennsylvania native and former national champion mountain biker has become the 3rd American to win the Tour De France!  Floyd even raced in Ohio at the infamous Di Di Mau race.

Great Job Floyd!

On Sunday, August 6th, and Sunday, August 13th, Martin Luther King Boulevard in Cleveland will be closed to anyone who isn't walking or riding a bike.  A very dedicated group of individuals worked hard to make this happen and CAMBA sends out a big THANKS to them for making this event happen.  Visit www.walkandrollcleveland.com for more information.

Thanks to our friends at the Ohio Bicycle Federation, cyclists in Ohio have better and more uniform laws to protect them o­n roadways.  The Better Bicycling in Ohio bill, known as House Bill 389, makes Ohio laws regarding cycling conform more closely with the Uniform Vehicle Code (UVC). The OBF worked for years as a member of the National Committee o­n Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances to make the UVC more cyclist friendly. Now, Ohio law will follow the UVC.  Read all about it by clicking here.  CAMBA sends out a huge THANK YOU to the Ohio Bicycle Federation for their hard work!

Congratulations Matt Weeks o­n winning the Ohio Time Trial Champsionships.  He had some heavy competition and finished 1st overall! Matt is o­ne of the CAMBA Lake County Representitives.

Great Job Matt!

CAMBA members Tim Weidenkopf, Jon Phillips, Duane Yerse, Steve Costell, Mike Farley, and Brian Ramsey are featured in a Glucose magazine article about mountain biking in Tennessee.  The article tells the story of a trip that has become a Spring tradition for many of them.  Click here to read the article and click here to get a FREE subscription to print version of the magazine.

Read full article: 'Women's Get Out and Pedal Tour'

A quick tutorial o­n how to ride 'em. Click here to read more.

243 people took the time to complete the CAMBA survey a few months ago.  All the results have been tabulated and are posted for everyone to view.  Click here to see the interesting results in exciting pie chart format.  MUCH thanks to Crow for putting this survey together.

For twenty o­ne years, civil war has plagued Sudan. The longest civil war in history has displaced more than 4 million people from their homes, and claimed the lives of 2 million others.

See what two students are doing about it.

http://www.cycleforsudan.com

Normally, I would steer clear of an issue like this since it's not related to mountain biking.  However, the Internet is the critical tool for CAMBA today and it has also been a key to our success so far.  Indirectly, this really is an issue that is important to mountain biking and I think it's important to spread the word o­n this issue.

From Google: The Debate over Net Neutrality

From Park Tool Company 5-7-06 (visit www.parktool.com for more information):

Congratulations to

Solon Bicycle of Solon, Ohio o­n being named the first recipient of our Park Tool Distinguished Service Award. Park Tool developed this award to recognize shops who are dedicated to providing excellent repairs and service regardless of their size. O­nce the contest was announced, we sent out requests for stories about dealers who went above and beyond the call of duty to provide excellent repair service. There was an immediate outpouring of affection for Solon bicycle and its owner Dan Sirkin. Customers used terms like "lovingly taken care," "all about people," and "first class operation" to describe their experience with Dan and his staff...

Read full article: 'Solon Bicycle Receives Service Award!'

So I just had the opportunity to check out Ray's Indoor MTB Park and get a preview of the incredible stuff they're building over at the park.  I'd like to tell you about some of the cool jumps they're working o­n, but I've learned over time that this crowd doesn't care much about that.  Instead, I'll talk about the REALLY big news and that's the new Gary Fisher XC Loop (and you'll have a chance to try it for FREE)...

Read full article: 'Ray's Indoor MTB Offseason Update #1'

Merlin will be licensing o­ne of the most popular full suspension designs ever, the Ellsworth Truth. The bike will be called the Merlin ICT full suspension, and should be available late summer.

Bike Authority now stocks Stan's Tubeless Systems for converting non-tubleless rims into tubeless.

And Hammer energy foods will be in-stock this week. Hammer is quickly becoming the product of choice for endurance mountain bike racers.

Stop in and check it out!

www.BikeAuthority.com

The 4th Annual bike event to benefit the Earth Force youth program in Western Pennsylvania will be o­n Saturday May 20, 2006.  The ride will consist of 10, 30, 50 mile bike rides around Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie and Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA.  For more information visit www.earthforce.org/lea or email bab@lea.earthforce.org  or call 814-835-8069.

This is the last week/weekend that Ray's Indoor MTB Park will be open until the Fall.  Head o­n out and get a ride in while you still can.  Special hours are currently in effect, so check the website (www.raysmtb.com) before you go.  CAMBA would like to thank Ray for a second amazing year at the world's o­nly indoor mountain bike park.  We can't wait (well, maybe we can) for the fall and all the cool new stuff at the park.  See you o­n the trail this summer, Ray!

The Trek/Gary Fisher demo wagon will be at Ray's MTB Park on Saturday, April 1st. Check out the latest and greatest. Normal admission prices apply. Visit www.raysmtb.com for more info.

Here's an update from the organizers of the Midwest Mountain Bike Festival

Read full article: 'Midwest Mountain Bike Festival'

If you ever talk to Ray, you know that he’s always thinking of the next cool thing to do to his Indoor MTB Park.  Last summer, Ray reworked the entire park and dramatically improved the feel and flow.  Now he’s introducing a whole new cross country section to the park...

Read full article: 'Ray’s MTB Version 3.0: Cross Country'

Last weekend's 3ride Pro Invitational at Ray's Indoor MTB Park was an awesome event.  It was awesome to see all the mountain bike celebrities right here in Cleveland.  I think the best part of the event was the pumptrack.  Watching all these guys race head to head at speeds that I can't even imagine was pretty amazing.  Having everyone gathered around the track and cheering really added some drama to the event...

Read full article: 'Ray's 3ride results and recap'

 

Eddy's Bike Shop, a supporter of CAMBA, was designated as a Top 100 bike retailer in the U.S. (out of 5300 shops!). Congratulations to Eddy's! and all the crew at Eddy's Bike Shop!

In the market for a new ride?  If so, Ray's MTB Park will be hosting the Giant Bicycle Demo Fleet at the park this Saturday and Sunday (1/14-1/15).  Also at the park will be Giant-sponsored pro rider Jeff Lenosky.  He'll be hanging out and riding at the park all weekend.  On Sunday around 2PM they'll be raffling off Jeff's pro-bike.  Visit www.raysmtb.com for more information.

So maybe you’re thinking “3Ride Competition at Ray’s?  Why would I go to that?  I just ride cross country.”  Well, you might want to rethink that o­ne because Ray has lined up an amazing list of mountain bike SUPERSTARS including guys like Hans Rey & Brian Lopes (both multi-time WORLD champions).  Best of all, they’re going to be right here in our backyard!  Check out some of guys competing at the event…

Read full article: 'Ray’s MTB Park lands the SUPERSTARS for 3Ride Comp'

I've always been plagued by lower back and leg pain while riding and racing, but I've recently had great success with a bike fitting system called Wobblenaught.  If you are interested please click "read more" below.

Read full article: 'The Perfect bike fit?'

We just received the details o­n this year's competition at Ray's MTB Park-the 3Ride Pro Invitational.  The event is o­n Saturday, February 4th and you can come out and ride with the pros o­n Sunday, February 5th.  This o­ne promises to be really cool.  They're going to have three main events: a time trial through the sport course, a timed run through the Gary Fisher Pump Track, and a Jump/Style contest.  The overall winner will walk away with a cash prize of $3000 and the overall prize purse is $10,000.  Read more about the event by clicking here.  Visit www.raysmtb.com for more information o­n Ray's MTB Park.

 
Bike Authority, a huge supporter of CAMBA, was just designated as a Top 100 bike retailer in the U.S. (out of 5300 shops!).  The formal announcement will be made in January. Congratulations to Sherman and all the crew at Bike Authority!

Cleveland's own Joe Prisel placed 9th in a jump competition held at the indoor skatepark at Woodward West in Tehachapi, California (click here for more). This event drew the best group of jumping talent from around North America and concluded the "SoCal Super Tour".  Joe competed against guys like Aaron Chase and Darren Barrecloth.  In case you didn't know, Joe designed and built many of the jumps at Ray's MTB Park and also regularly works at the park.  Nice job, Joe!

Speaking of new ideas that could easily happen here in Cleveland if someone wanted to run with it...  The City of Coatesville in southeastern Pennsylvania is conducting a feasibility study to develop a new indoor velodrome and cycling complex (click here for the article).  They are looking at including a BMX track and MTB trails along with the Velodrome.  We've got millions of square feet of unused indoor space in this city, so why couldn't this happen here?  The answer is it could happen, if someone has the will and the desire to lead the project.  Noticing a theme?  Cleveland has the potential, but we need more people (perhaps you?) to step up and execute o­n these ideas.

Now this is really cool.  Looks like some mountain bikers in Prague (Czech Republic) decided to build an Olympic-calibre four-cross mountain-bike park (click here for pictures and here for the story) right in the middle of the city.  What's even more interesting is how little elevation was required to make the course.  Seems like something that could easily be done in Cleveland, doesn't it?  How cool would it be if we had our own Olympic-caliber four-cross course in our own backyards?  Everyone would say it would never happen or it would fail o­nce it did, but they also said that about Ray's MTB Park.

* TAKE A 10-MINUTE MOUNTAIN BIKE SURVEY

Researchers at the University of Colorado, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Padua in Italy want to know about you and your mountainbiking. The survey will help IMBA show land managers what kinds of riding experiences riders enjoy. Please take about ten minutes to answer the questions.  This is the most comprehensive survey o­n mountain biking I have taken to date.  Click here for survey.

 

Hey, you not-so-smart people riding at West Branch during gun season and ignoring the "Mountain Bike Trails Closed" sign, this o­ne is for you!  The trails at West Branch are in the park hunting zone.  When people hunt during deer gun season, they bring guns! Shocking, isn't it?  If you see the trail is closed, do not ride because you might get shot!  How can we make this any more simple?  Click here for the hunting season schedule.

Construction is underway o­n two 800-foot-long pedestrian bridges that will send users of the Towpath Trail over (rather than across) Warner and Granger roads.  The total price tag now stands at $6.15 million, which is almost triple the original estimate of $2.3 million.  Is it worth it?  The following article from The Plain Dealer explores some of the controversy surrounding the project:

2 bridges to take Towpath over traffic

This weekend, GT Bicycles will have their entire 2006 mountain bike lineup available for demo rides at Ray's MTB Park this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (November 18th-20th).  There is no charge to demo the bikes, but the normal admission price to Ray's still applies.  Call the park if you have questions.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is the most serious forest health issue facing Ohio's forests today.  You can help prevent the spread of this non-native insect pest of ash trees by not moving firewood...

Read full article: 'Did you know moving firewood is illegal?'

Trek Demo Tour Stop is Saturday, November 12th (weather permitting) from 10am – 4pm for all local riders & Northern Ohio Trek retailers at West Branch State Park...

Read full article: 'Trek Demo Day!'

FREE FOOD!
This isn’t a ruse like Trainwreck used on his last post…

It’s true, the American Red Cross will give you FREE punch and cookies on a comfy couch in exchange for one pint of blood. Plus, I've included important recovery info for athletes who donate. Now is the time to do it. It couldn't be easier.


Read full article: 'OK, this is the last time I'm going to tell you...'

I stopped in at the Century Cycles in Solon o­n Friday......and wow!.  Couldn't believe the deals they had o­n all kinds of gear, including a whole table stacked with all kinds of top-notch shoes......including Sidi, Answer, and some nice Lake winter shoes!.  You gotta check it out.........so be sure to stop by before this store location closes (in January).  Check this LINK for store address info.

Hey CAMBA Members!

Eddy’s has a few upgrade kits still available that you might be interested in.  Here’s the deal:

• XT Dual Control Shift/Brake Levers
• 9speed, Hydraulic XT Front & Rear Calipers, Standard 6 Bolt Rotors
• XT Front Derailleur
• XT Rear Derailleur
• Hydro Hoses & Shift Cables/Housing

$599 installed, $499 DIY.  Take 10% off the parts price either way with your CAMBA card.  As of today, there are 3 kits left … one at each of the following stores:

Stow 330-688-5521 - North Olmsted 440-779-1096 - Willoughby Hills 440-943-2453

Thank you for a great summer … and watch for a possible Trek Demo Day at West Branch in early November!

This Tuesday, October 18th is the opening day for Ray's Mountain Bike Park.  We stopped by again this weekend for another look at the place before it opens.  All we can say is wow!  The SRAM lounge is now complete and fully "decorated" complete with elk (or deer or something) heads o­n the walls, big screen T.V., and christmas lights.  The overhead lounge is also finished and has a nice view right over the wall ride.  The Subaru "pools" (or whatever they're called) are like a park within a park and will add a whole new dimension to your riding.  Enough babbling from us...come out to Ray's and see for yourself!  Click here for more info.

CAMBA is looking for someone that is good with Flash to help design/program a cool looking intro page for the CAMBA website. If you know someone that would like to help out or if you can, send an email to webmaster@camba.us.

I'm posting this early so that you can ponder it for awhile. I am STRONGLY encouraging all of you able-bodied athletes to plan on donating blood at the end of this riding season. It is a good time to do it since the racing and training are going to start tapering off. ...And most of you can easily tolerate giving up one little pint of blood, while there are many people who really need it a lot more (you've probably given more than that if you rode the rocks in PA this year). I will be posting blood drive locations, as well as important blood donor recovery information for athletes (to clear up some misconceptions). Please think about it - if it were you who needed the blood, you know darn well that your friends and family would line up down the block to help you out. Look for an update around Nov. 1st.

CAMBA member Dan (a.k.a. DakotaJockey) posted a little bit of poetry to the CAMBA message board.  He calls it the "Ode to Trainwreck" (Trainwreck is Bill Braum, CAMBA President) and we thought it was so hillarious, that we had to post in o­n this site...

Read full article: 'Ode to Trainwreck'

This past weekend, I had a chance to get a sneak preview of what’s new for 2005-06 season at Ray’s MTB Park.  In summary, just about everything is new!  For details, read o­n…

Read full article: 'CAMBA Exclusive! Ray's MTB Park '05-'06 Preview (Photos added)'

I came across my OTHER copy of "The Mountain Bike Way of Knowledge" by William Nealy.

Read full article: 'This makes falling off your bike funny!'

Here's a great article o­n how Oregon keeps obesity in check (unlike other states):

CNN article

By Sherman McKee, Owner of Bike Authority in Broadview Heights. 

Editor's note: this article has previously appeared on this website.  We are posting this as a reminder for you to consider what Sherman has to say before you open the catalogs.  Remember that your membership discount often makes the price you pay at local shops even lower than mail order.

As an active member of the local cycling community, I would like to appeal to you to support your local bicycle retailers...

Read full article: 'Why buy from your local retailer?'

With all the recent rain, it's important that everyone remembers the importance of respecting your trails by staying off them for a day or two after a heavy rain. Not o­nly does your bike get trashed, but riding wet or muddy trails causes a lot of trail damage. Keep in mind this can reflect poorly o­n mountain bikers (to park management).....in addition to requiring a lot of [unneccesary] extra trail work (by volunteers)...

Read full article: 'If you're leaving a rut, you're a pain in the butt'

Remember the news item two weeks ago about the Santa Cruz Hellride?...

Read full article: 'Ohio rider gets to ride with Marla!'

Article submitted by CAMBA member Brian Jay: 

I think it would be good to have a link o­n the CAMBA front page, much like Ray's, to Rusty's - I am trying to get ahold of him so we can make it "official"...

Read full article: 'I think we need a new sponsor.'

While the Tour de France is going o­n, Spin Bike Shop will be showing the tour live everyday.  The shop will open at 8:15 every day except Mondays and show the tour o­n a 57" TV.  It will repeat all day long.  In conjuntion with this they are also holding a silent auction o­n some cool items...

Read full article: 'Watch the Tour live at Spin!'

We ran across this very cool article about Hans Rey and Thomas Frischknecht (two legendary pro mountain bike riders) o­n the Alta Rezia Freeride Tour, a transalp odyssey throughout Switzerland and into Italy.  The article also includes some spectacular photos.

From Cyclingnews.com: Hans Rey and Thomas Frischknecht o­n the Alta Rezia Freeride Tour

An Athens area mountain biker needs your help.  If you've ever ridden the trails at Lake Hope please consider donating.  I know that Mindy has built trail alongside of Caleb...

Read full article: 'Ohio cyclist could use some help.'

WHAT?!!  Despite some mountain-bikers’ disdain for the 4-wheeled trail user, they are not all out to spoil the environment and ruin our trails. Such accusations have been leveled against our own human-powered 2-wheelers o­n more than o­ne occasion, so take note...

Read full article: 'Take a Lesson from the 4-Wheelers'

CAMBA member Jenifer Kwasniewski was featured in the Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine o­n Sunday, June 5th.  She talked to the PD about single-speeds, 24-hour racing, and other topics.  Nice job, Jen!  Click here for the article.

Ray's MTB Park has decided to close up completely for the summer. The good news is that it looks like we're all going to benefit since it's going to allow Ray and his crew to stay 100% focused o­n rebuilding the park for the Fall. This almost makes us look forward to the cold weather!

Read more at: http://www.raysmtb.com/

Saturday, May 21, 8am
Cleveland Sight Center Tandem Ride
This is a monthly towpath ride (every 3rd Saturday) starting from Hunt Farm on Bolanz Rd. in the CVNP (that's South of Peninsula). Volunteer as a sighted tandem captain for folks with impaired vision. No experience necessary - there is a brief orientation from 8am-9am for volunteers. Drinks, snax, and tandem bikes provided. Ride 'til noon (the latest). Fitness levels vary greatly - distance is generally determined by the stoker. Helmet required. Any questions call Jeri Rask at the Sight Center - 216/791-8118

Did you know that May 2005 marks the 49th anniversary of National Bike Month in the US?

Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, and locally by ClevelandBikes, events include Bike-to-Work day this Friday, May 20.  While commuting o­n your bike during rush hour may not seem to be the most relaxing activity,...




Read full article: 'National Bike-to-Work day this Friday!'

Sherman and the staff at Bike Authority asked us to pass o­n the word that they've expanded their lineup of mountain bikes and accessories in time for the good weather.  The list includes lots of cool stuff like...

Read full article: 'Bike Authority expands mountain bike offerings'

A rather informative site...

Read full article: 'Blue Collar Mountainbike Dot Com'

Came across this o­ne in my travels...

Read full article: 'Might be a better buy than Sahara or Miss Congeniality II'

Marla Streb has taken a new direction in life...

Read full article: 'Check this out!'

Created in 2003 by the editors of Bicycling Magazine, BikeTown was designed to see how giving someone a bike could change their world.  For 2005, Cleveland has been selected as a BikeTown city.  O­n Tuesday, March 8th, the BikeTown coordinator visited Cleveland and spent the day with Lois Moss (co-owner of Century Cycles).  Lois sent us a recap of the visit to share with everyone...

Read full article: 'BikeTown Coordinator Visits Cleveland'

Our friends at Spin Bike Shop asked us to pass o­n the word that they are now an official dealer for Turner Suspension Bicycles.  Turner o­nly makes mountain bikes and they are considered some of the best the industry has to offer.  Turner adds even more depth to Spin's mountain bike lineup which also includes Santa Cruz, Kona, GT and some really sweet racing hardtails from Felt.  Spin is a CAMBA supporter and offers a discount to CAMBA members.  Stop by their store in Lakewood when you have a chance or visit http://www.spinbikeshop.com

Bike Authority's big 11th annual "Blast into Spring Sale" is NEXT week, March 9th - 13th.

Read full article: 'Bike Authority Spring Sale!'

A new and unique license plate will be available for Ohio motorists beginning March 23.
The auto license plate will feature a bicyclist o­n the left side, and the words "Share the Road" at the bottom...

Read full article: 'New Share the Road License Plate Available March 23'

Now here's an article that's sure to warm the hearts of all mountain bikers.  This also might do some good things for the image of mountain biking.

"He's obsessed with it," McKinnon said. "He now likes to do nothing but work out o­n his bike, and he does it with a frenzy that is reserved for people like Lance Armstrong."...

From the Baltimore Sun: Presidential hobby with a thrill

In their continuing effort to be o­ne of the classiest retailers out there...

Read full article: 'Speedgoat raffle!'

Ray's Indoor MTB Park, in association with pro street rider Joe Prisel, is proud to announce the revolutionary “King Of Rhythm!” to be held o­n February 5th at Ray's Indoor MTB Park facility in Cleveland, Ohio. Participate or be witness to a day of style, technique, and rhythm as three classes will battle it out to become the King of Rhythm!

Read full article: 'Indoor Freeride and Jump Competition at Ray's MTB'

Talk about publicity!  Ray's Indoor MTB Park has been in the Plain Dealer, Crain's Cleveland Business, many bike magazines and now USA TODAY!  The print article (in today's sports section) includes a picture.  You can also check out the article o­nline:

From USA Today:Biking in a controlled environment

East coast racers have this wonderful resource...

Read full article: 'Another one of my favorite sites.'

A link to a site with diaries from cross country racers Sue Haywood, Jeremiah Bishop, and others.  Enjoy!

Read full article: 'Still bored? Two Wheel Tales dot com'

The folks from Pinkbike.com hosted a trip from  St. Catharines, O­ntario (located about an hour south of Toronto) to Ray's MTB park a few weeks ago. Almost 40 of them joined the bus trip to Cleveland! Read all about it:

From Pinkbike.com: Cleveland Rocks Mountain Biking

By Mike Farley, CAMBA Founder and Advocacy Director

If you check this website o­n a regular basis, you’ve probably read o­ne or more of the articles that have been posted about the big races and rides in the surrounding states.  I thought I’d post something about a ride that is a little closer to home: Ray’s Mountain Bike Park…

Read full article: 'Adventures and Freeride Aspirations at Ray's MTB Park'

CAMBA's biggest sponsor, Bike Authority, is having a huge sale and asked us to let everyone know.  Local shops like Bike Authority are the o­nes giving us the support we need to make CAMBA a success and we encourage all mountain bikers to support them in return.  Check out the details of their sale here:

http://www.bikeauthority.com/salecoupon.html

An article with some valid information...

Read full article: 'Winter riding. A reminder.'

Please remember to use your CAMBA discount this holiday season...

Read full article: 'A holiday message from CAMBA.'

At long last!!!  Ray's MTB Park is having an open house (no bikes!) this weekend.  Stop by and check the place out.  Opening day is set for Friday, November 26th.  Also, Ray's website (www.raysmtb.com) now has a complete details o­n pricing, directions, and rules. 

Also, CAMBA needs help painting our section of the wall, please send an email to farley@camba.us if you're interested in helping out.

Want to see what all the fuss is about?  Go to Ray's website and watch the recently released video and check out the new photos while you're at it.  If this doesn't get you fired up about giving Ray's MTB Park a try, you may want to check your pulse.

http://www.raysmtb.com

The Cleveland Metroparks levy passed yesterday by a pretty significant margin.  A big thanks goes to all those mountain bikers who voted for this issue!

From The Plain Dealer: Voters show support for park issues

CAMBA would like to welcome Mountain Road Cycles to the CAMBA sponsor and member discount program.  Mountain Road Cycles is located o­ne mile east of Chagrin Falls off East Washington St., behind Hunan By The Falls.  CAMBA members receive 15% off all accessories and certain bike discounts (see Jacob at the shop for more details).  Remember: You must present your current CAMBA membership card at the shop to receive your discount.  For all of the great member discounts you receive as a CAMBA member, please click here.

You may have noticed that the Ohio fall hunting season is here. Many of us ride in public lands and state parks that allow hunting, and that includes West Branch State Park. From now (October) through January, hunting season is open for fowl, small game, and deer. Various animals have different open hunting dates, but here are some highlights to keep in mind:

Read full article: 'Riding During Hunting Season'

We had another chance to check the progress at Ray's Indoor MTB Park this week.  The beginner and sport sections are getting close to completion and Ray's crew has just started to build the expert section.  Without even seeing the expert section, we're already chompin' at the bit...

Read full article: 'Update: Pictures of Ray's Indoor MTB Park'

I received this from Eddy's Bike Shop.  If you're interested in some winter riding clothing check them out. We always encourage people to support all the local bike shops that support CAMBA.  To see a list of all the local businesses that support our cause check out the "Member Discounts" link...

Read full article: 'Use your CAMBA discount'

As many people know, the Cleveland Metroparks will soon be taking over control and management of West Creek Preserve in Parma.  The Metroparks is also considering mountain biking as an activity that may be allowed in West Creek Preserve (see article here).  This represents very significant progress and could lead to the first legal single-track mountain bike trail in Cuyahoga County...

Read full article: 'Issue 120: Preserve The Cleveland Metroparks'

Here's a pretty good article by Bob Downing of the Beacon o­n our trails at West Branch. Although not entirely accurate (mileage, etc.), it's a good article that reflects positively o­n CAMBA and all our efforts at West Branch and other state parks.

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/2004/10/03/living/9787483.htm?1c

Winter is not far off so this starts to make riding a bit more difficult.  Fortunately, Clevelanders have nothing to fear this winter...

Read full article: 'Coming Soon To Cleveland: Ray's Indoor MTB Park'

On the evening of Tuesday, August 3rd, Mark Berkman, an avid cyclist, died in the Cleveland Metroparks Bedford Reservation after veering into o­ncoming traffic.  It is always a terrible thing to lose a fellow cyclist.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mark Berkman.  As a reminder to all, please be careful out there...

From Cleveland.com: Outdoorsman died doing what he loved

President Bush is relieveing stress in the most positive way...mountain biking of course.  Back page of the front section, in the Cleveland Plain Dealer today.  Funny, the pic almost looks like our own Jim Olander.  Who would have known the President would be riding the same rig as Jimmy?  I wonder if he likes those fancy Shimano lever shifters too? Click 'Read More' for the picture!

http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/109092577661191.xml?nnusa

Read full article: 'Bush takes another header!'

Bill Braum and myself participated in the Wilderness 101 backcountry mountain bike race last weekend in Pennsylvania.  It was such an amazing race that I had to put it down o­n paper while it was fresh in my mind.  If you're interested in reading about a 101 mile mountain bike race then please read o­n...

Read full article: 'Wilderness 101 Race Recap'

Although it's not related to mountain biking, we thought you might find this interesting...

Last Wednesday, Mayor Jane Campbell, City Councilman Joe Cimperman and Natalie Ronayne, the city's Director of Parks, Recreation and Properties, finally made good o­n their promise to construct a skate park for skateboarders and inline skaters in the city of Cleveland with the ramps they purchased from last year's Gravity Games...

Read full article: 'Cleveland's First Skate Park'

Just a reminder that Sherman is having a huge summer clearance sale from July 15th through the 18th. This includes significant savings o­n bikes, clothing/apparel, and parts/accessories.

Please check their site for store hours and directions; http://www.bikeauthority.com

From bicycleretailer.com

Nude Ride To Protest Oil Dependence A Bust

JUNE 15, 2004 -- LOS ANGELES (BRAIN)--It had been billed as a cycling nude-fest, but it turned out to be fully-clothed bust. This past weekend the World Naked Bike Ride attracted about a dozen riders and a score of cops, including fully clothed and fully armed bicycle cops, a mobile command center and a parked paddy wagon, reported the Los Angeles Times...

Read full article: 'Nude ride is a bust!'

Next time you see your local land manager or politician, you can tell him or her that even President Bush rides a mountain bike (however, nobody is sure how well)!

From Velonews.com: Bush biffs while mountain biking

On Saturday, May 1, Bob Bachtel, an experienced bicyclist and a long-time member of the Stark County Bicycle Club, was struck and killed by a vehicle while participating in a bicycling event in Dayton, Ohio...

Read full article: 'Information about May 1, 2004 bicycling fatality'

Lake Metroparks will be hosting the annual Earth Day Bike & Blade Expo this Sunday, April 18th from 11AM-4PM at Lake Farmpark.  CAMBA will have a table set up at the event along with many other area shops and clubs.  There will also be a bicycle swap shop, speakers, and demonstrations.  Admission is FREE for the Expo and Swap Shop.

For more info, please visit: http://www.lakemetroparks.com/

The "New to Mountain Biking" section of the CAMBA website is pretty much complete.  If you are new to mountain biking or if someone you know is new to mountain biking, this section is a must read:

Click here: New to Mountain Biking

This year the Outdoor Life Network will sponsor the games, which are scheduled to be in Cleveland September 15-19.  Maybe if we keep having events at Chenga, we could have a few CAMBA members ready to compete by then?  Do they allow mountain bikes o­n the half-pipes?  Read more at Cleveland.com:

Force of Gravity Games will return

Great news if you commute by bicycle: RTA plans to have bike racks installed o­n all buses within a few months.  Read more at Cleveland.com:

Bicyclists to roll again: All RTA buses to get racks

Here's an interesting story from 89.7 WKSU radio we thought you'd might like to listen to:

Cleveland Metroparks Criticized for Not Buying More Land

Last month, the Ohio Department of Transportation attempted to remove bike lanes from the Euclid Corridor.  In the upcoming week, several community meetings o­n the Euclid Corridor Transportation Project will be held.  Each meeting will include a presentation by RTA and ample time for questions...

Read full article: 'Euclid Corridor Transportation Project Community Meetings'

This Monday, February 2nd, Cleveland Bikes is having their first bike-to-work day.  They would like to encourage those of you who don't normally ride in the winter to get out there and try it...

Read full article: 'Your Chance To Prove How Hardcore (Or Maybe Insane) You Are'

By Sherman McKee, Owner of Bike Authority in Broadview Heights. 

Editor's note: this article appeared last year here o­n this website.  As you think about gearing up for Spring, consider what Sherman has to say before you open the catalogs.  Remember that your membership discount often makes the price you pay even lower than mail order.

As an active member of the local cycling community, I would like to appeal to you to support your local bicycle retailers...

Read full article: 'Why buy from your local retailer?'

A few of us have been warned by rangers about driving through the "do not enter sign," in the parking lot instead of driving all the way down to the boat dock and back up to the parking area.  While this may not appear to be a big deal, especially in the winter, it apparently is to the park.  If everyone can take an extra 20 seconds to follow the traffic signs it will go a long way towards keeping the peace and our trails free of controversy. Thanks everyone!

A strange, bike-related story we thought cyclists in Cleveland might find interesting:
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/2678485/detail.html

Ride Wrapup: Michaux State Forest Oct. 29 – Nov. 2nd, 2003

It was decided some time back in February that this weekend would be the o­ne for a fall technical rock ride.  Michaux State Forest has lots of this type of riding with trails like Graveridge and Three Mile trail, famous east coast technical playgrounds...

Read full article: 'Michaux State Forest trip.'

Just when you thought it was over...

From the Plain Dealer: Radio DJs' Remarks Incite National Concern for Cyclists

Youth Outdoors, a non-profit organization that introduces urban kids to outdoor adventure experiences, needs help fixing their fleet of bikes. 

Please join me for the fix-up session TODAY, Wednesday, September 24, from 5:30 until approximately 7:30 (or dark) at the Rocky River Metroparks Reservation at the Tyler Barn. The repairs are mostly just brake and gear adjustments, cleaning, etc. Nothing major.

As both a Youth Outdoors volunteer and CAMBA member, I know how much the group has appreciated our work o­n the bikes in the past. Please respond to my email mindykuth@yahoo.com if you are coming.
Thanks!

Mindy Kuth

Click "Read More" below for directions to Rocky River Metroparks Reservation and Tyler Barn

Read full article: 'Bike Wrenching - Help Youth Outdoors'

Car Gear would like to offer CAMBA members 10% off all Yakima and Thule racks as well as a 15% discount o­n installations. Car Gear carries a full line of Yakima and Thule products and we also carry trailer hitches and a variety of other vehicle accessories geared to get you and your stuff safely and securely down the road. Check us out at www.akronracks.com or call Rich at 866-RACITUP.

Volunteers needed to work various stations at two, upcoming Lake Metroparks events.  The first is the Triathalon/Biathalon to be held Aug. 10 at Fairport Harbor beach and the second is the Hemisphere Adventure Race (formally the Grand River Eco Adventure Race) to be held at Fairport Harbor beach/Painesville Township Park (and who knows where in between?) o­n Sept. 7.  Positions to fill include course monitoring, timers, stats, handing out t-shirts, marking bodies, water stops, intersections, etc.  The Tri/Bi needs people as early as 7:00 for registration and the Hemisphere Race needs people by 8:00.  Free event t-shirt and snacks for volunteers.  Please contact Beverly at bcaduff@lakemetroparks.com or call her at (440) 256-2150 to sign up or for more info. 

A house subcommittee has voted to cut all funding for bike paths and other pollution-free transportation programs.

For every bike commuter who proudly pedals to work under the mantra "one less car," Congress has a message for you: Get back o­n the highway where you belong, burning fossil fuel like a real American. That goes for you, too, you traffic-hazard pedestrians. Click here for the full article.

Here's a great picture of some of the damage done to the CVNP by the flooding.  If the water did this to the railroad bed, imagine what happened to the towpath!

Thinking about a towpath mission to keep in shape?  Think again.  As of Wed. 7/23, the park had everything roped off--visitor center, parking lots, towpath, etc.  This rider doesn't know exactly when they are going to open again, but the phone number is (440) 526-5256.

P.S. they were closed as of 7/24 as well

Note: Some large mountain bike trail building projects use federal money to fund their construction.  This issue affects all cyclists.

In a controversial move, a House subcommittee voted o­n July 11 to eliminate federal funding for bike facilities from the 2004 budget. The committee redirected the money to highways instead.

Funding for the popular Transportation Enhancements program was zeroed out in the 2004 federal budget by a House Appropriations subcommittee o­n Friday 7/11. The bill increases highway funding to $34.1 billion, an increase of $2.5 billion over 2003 levels, in part by entirely cutting funding for Enhancements, and severely reducing money available for new transit projects and Amtrak.

A vote by the full Appropriations Committee may happen o­n Monday, 7/21. America Bikes and its partners are mobilizing cyclists to ask Congress to restore full funding for this important program.

Click here to find out how YOU can take action

Due to a flood of e-mails, phone calls and letters, Clear Channel Communications and WMJI-Majic 105 in Cleveland have agreed to help correct the wrongs that their broadcasts caused last week.  Negotiations are underway and Clear Channel has agreed to a number of items revolving around:

• Running Public Service Announcements o­n all six of their stations in the northern Ohio market.
• Donating a substantial amount of money toward local bicycling causes.
• Helping with programs and events such as Safe Routes to School and public safety education.
• Supporting and promoting the America Bikes agenda with national and local politicians.
• Public apologies from those DJs who offended all of us with their anti-bicycling comments.

Read full article: 'Clear Channel Responds Regarding WMJI'

WMJI is now sending out a "blanket" reply message to anyone who emails them.  Whether or not cyclists in the area will be satisfied by the response remains to be seen.  Click o­n "Read more..." to see the message.

Read full article: 'WMJI Responds'

While CAMBA is not a road bike club, we are all cyclists and many of us ride the road in addition to mountain biking.  It's pretty disturbing when we see things like this. 

The following message was received from Lois Cowan, co-owner of Century Cycles:

Tuesday morning, the morning radio show o­n WMJI-Majic 105 read an e-mail from a listener saying that bicycles should not be o­n the roads in the Cleveland Metroparks.  At least o­ne of the DJs told listeners who were in cars to do things like:

- speed past the bike, pull back into the lane and slam o­n your brakes.
- speed past the bike, open your passenger door and put o­n the brakes.
- yell and/or honk at all cyclists as you pass in your car.
- throw things out your window at cyclists.

Read full article: 'WMJI-Magic 105 DJ Comments Infuriate Cyclists'

(Washington DC) Supporters of bicycling, walking and healthy communities cheered today as Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN) announced the introduction of a bill to fund Safe Routes to School and create more bikeable and walkable communities. “This bill encourages children and adults to reacquaint themselves with the joys of human-powered transportation,” said Oberstar.

Read full article: 'CONGRESSMAN CHAMPIONS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL'

Mike Farley, CAMBA president, helped to further our cause by being a part of a news article taped recently at West Branch with segment #1 shown tonight o­n channels 19/43.  Check out segment #2 tomorrow evening and stay tuned to the CAMBA website for the two segments in case you missed them o­n t.v.  David Rottman did a nice job and the tape shows some great shots of West Branch.  Thanks, Mike, for your part!

Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation yesterday in the U.S. Senate that would extend the transportation fringe benefit in the tax code to people who commute to work o­n their bicycles. The transportation fringe benefit is an incentive to get more people to use alternative modes of transportation for commuting to reduce traffic congestion, pollution and wear and tear o­n the roads.

Read full article: 'Bicycle Commuter Act Introduced In U.S. Senate'

Support Your Local Bicycle Retailers By Sherman McKee, Owner of Bike Authority in Broadview Heights.  As an active member of the local cycling community, I would like to appeal to you to support your local bicycle retailers.

Bike retailers see more and more cycling purchases going to the internet. It’s not always as a matter of price (most shops usually match any realistic deal prices), but more out of convenience. Sadly, out of 4200 shops is the U.S., 750 went out of business last year alone. If this trend continues, more and more local shops will not be around for the advocacy and high level service that cyclists have come to rely upon . Internet retailers and Ebay sellers take your credit card orders and PayPal payments, and mail order companies are quick to answer the phone for orders, but have you ever seen a LOCAL event sponsored by any of them? After all, isn't that where real advocacy begins...locally?  (click "Read more...")

Read full article: 'Why buy from your local retailer?'

We recieved this press release from TrekAnalyst.  They're announcing the launch of a sports training and mapping web site, which users say “puts the fun back in training”. The web site uses GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) technology to let athletes track, analyze, and compare their workouts.  (Click "Read More...")

Read full article: 'TrekAnalyst Launches Sports Training Web Site'

Fred Oswald of the League of American Bicylists is profiled in an article in the Plain Dealer.  Click o­n the following link from the February 25, 2003 Plain Dealer: Spokesman for fair laws.

Saturn Cycling will be sending their Cyberbike display to the Cleveland Auto Show March 1 - 9 and they are looking for a local cycling fan to assist them o­n the weekends.

Cyberbike is a virtual racing game that uses LeMond racing bicycles connected to a large screen television unit.  A  race announcers calls the race and Comutrainer software simulates real racing action.  Participants learn what it is like to race as a cycling professional.  Members of Saturn's pro racing team will be o­n hand o­n the weekends  to sign autographs and give riding and racing tips.

Saturn is looking for a local cycling fan to act as a host for the display and help manage the participant registration.   The assistant will work both weekends.  Saturday March 1 & 7 from 2 p.m. - 11 p.m.; Sunday,  March 2 & 8 from 11a.m. - 8 p.m. and o­n Friday, March 7 from 2p.m. - 11 p.m. Saturn pays $12.50/hour.

For more information contact Barbara Shively at bshively@mindspring.com or 303-443-7020.

Since it doesn't look like this Winter is going to let up anytime soon, here's some quick articles from Bicycling.com o­n riding when it's cold and snowy:

Riding o­n snow
Winterize your bike
Best Winter Tires
Keep Toes Toasty

For even more information, check out the Icebike website:

http://users.rcn.com/icebike/

Don't let Winter get you down.  Get out there and ride!!!

Now's your chance to let Congress know how you feel !!!  Visit this website and take the pole, and let them hear our collective voice!!  VOTE FOR YOUR RIGHT TO EXERCISE.           

Bikes Belong, an organization with the mission of putting more people o­n bikes more often, and America Bikes, a coalition of national cyclingorganizations focused o­n the reauthorization of TEA-21 (a federal highway bill that has many cycling related provisions), urge all cyclists to log in and fill out the 2nd Annual Bicycling Magazine survey o­n bicycle usage, voting habits, and related topics. The data collected will be used to make an impression o­n Congress during the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., in early March. Log in using the link below, then start filling it out.

Click here to fill out the survey.