Bike De'Lights Winter Bicycle Ride

• Friday, December 9, 2011
• Meet at 6:00 PM and Ride at 7:00 PM
• Start/End at Blanc Burgers + Bottles
• 3157 Farnam Street at Midtown Crossing 
• The Route: http://g.co/maps/fmgah

This is the 3rd Annual Bike De'Lights. It is a social ride at a casual/conversational pace enjoying holiday decorated homes and businesses. Participants are encouraged to layer in warm and casual street clothes. Bicycle helmets are REQUIRED.

Enjoy frequent stops along the route to warm up and relax. Children are welcome and encouraged to participate (parents/guardians must be present). The ride will take 2 or 3 hours, depending on how long we stay at each stop.

Bikes are required to have a headlight and (at the very least) a rear reflector. We’re encouraging riders to decorate their bikes with battery operated holiday lights. Check OmahaBikes.org for the route map, updates and reschedule date (in the event of bad weather).

UPDATE: As of 12:00pm Friday, December 9th, the ride is a GO! See you all tonight at Blanc Burgers + Bottles.

CRANKSGIVING!!

It's that time of year again - mark your calendar for one of our favorite events:  Cranksgiving!

Saturday, November 12 · 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Bike Masters (129th/Fort)
Event supporting the Omaha Food Bank.


Those of you who have participated in this event in the past know how much fun it is!   From their website:

It's a race ... of sorts. Each rider gets a list of 10 items that must be purchased, each from a different store. (Where you get them is fine, you just can't get two from the same place.) First one back wins.


After the race, when everything is tallied and totaled, all of the food purchased goes to the local Food Bank.

There's no entry fee -- you'll just pay for what you buy (15-20 bucks). There will, however, be prizes.

You're going to go ride anyway, right? Just pick up some food along the way and help us help a lot of people who don't have the luxury of jumping on a bike 'just for fun.'

Hope to see you there!

DEVOween!

DEVO (kids mountain bike club) is putting together a super fun event on October 15:  DEVOween!

When:  Saturday, October 15 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Where:  Tranquility Park Mountain Bike Trail
What:  Join Omaha DEVO for a fun night time ride for kids of all ages. Bring your lights for a lap or 2 around Tranquility and then to dinner (location TBD, you are responsible for your own food costs). Costumes encouraged and helmets required!!

For more info or to RSVP, check out the OmahaDEVO Facebook Page.  Hope to see you there!

Lucky Bucket Ride - benefitting Omaha Bikes & T.H.O.R.!

The inaugural Lucky Bucket Ride will be on Saturday, October 8 and will consist of 3 riding events to choose from that have something for everyone. In addition, you will not want to miss out on the Lucky Bucket After Party featuring the Nebraska Vs. Ohio State game, free food and of course, Lucky Bucket Brew. All events will start and end at the Bellevue Berry Farm and will benefit two outstanding trail organizations Omaha Bikes and T.H.O.R. (Trails Have Our Respect)


Lucky Bucket Brewery Ride 3:00-6:00pm
Swanson Mountain Bike Ride 4 -6pm
Haunted Kids Ride 6:00-6:30pm

Lucky Bucket After party featuring Nebraska vs. Ohio State Football game 7-11pm

Event Details

Lucky Bucket Brewery Ride $25 -A BENEFIT FOR OMAHA BIKES
Course: Paved bike path/gravel road
Distance: 20 miles
Highlights: Includes Brewery Tour, Free tasting, Free T-shirt, Husker Spirit Award (show us what you've got, heck even paint that old bike red)
Requirements: Helmet, mountain, cross, or hybrid bike suitable for gravel roads

Swanson Mountain Bike Ride $25 -A BENEFIT FOR T.H.O.R. (TRAILS HAVE OUR RESPECT)
Course: Bike path, gravel road, single-track
Distance: 10+ miles (depending on how many laps you do at Swanson)
Highlights: Midwestern Single-track, Free T-shirt (adult sizes only), Husker Spirit Contest
Requirements: Helmet, Mountain bike

Haunted Kids Ride: - FREE
Course: Ride around Bellevue Berry Farm's Haunted Hay-rack Ride route on bikes. (Low Scare Factor, High Fun for the young ones)
Distance: 1 mile
Highlights: Wooded dirt road with the an age appropriate spooky feel for the youngsters
Requirements: Helmet

Lucky Bucket After Party: $10
Highlights: 1 free LB craft beer, NU vs. OSU game, free food, and fire pit
Requirements: 21 & over for craft brew.

***You can purchase this when you register by checking the box at the bottom of the "RIDER INFORMATION" form

***Please note the Lucky Bucket After Party is Limited to 200 people

Additional Features (cost not included in entry fee)
· Hay-rack rides
· Pumpkin picking
· Haunted House


FUN!  Register here:  http://www.raceregister.net/RaceRegister/event?action=view&id=49

Another Great Discover Omaha Ride!!

The "Discover Omaha" bike tours have been extremely well received, thanks to all of the hard work of Kristine Gerber from the I Ride campaign!  So far they have covered South O and Benson, as well as the historic boulevards system.  Not only are the rides scenic, they are choc full of awesome historical information.

Don't miss the last tour of the season, which will take us around the Florence and Minne Lusa areas - it will certainly be a gorgeous one with all of the fall colors!!

Sunday, October 9
1pm - 4pm
Start/End:  Florence Mill, 9102 N. 30th Street

For all of the details, please visit http://www.iridebecause.org/

Volunteers Needed!!

We are working with the I Ride campaign to help the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts earn their cycling badges ... training the next generation of cyclists, if you will.  We need volunteers!!  Duties would include: directing kiddos on the bike obstacle course, helping with basic maintenance demos, leading short bike rides on the trail, and helping make bike blender smoothies! :)  Even if you only have an hour or two to give, we'll take it!!  Email Julie at jharris (at) activateomaha.org if you have questions or would like to help out!!

Boy Scout Bike Jam
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Durham Scout Center
12401 West Maple Road
1 – 3 p.m. Clinic
3 – 4 p.m. Bike ride

Girl Power Bike Festival
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Aksarben Village
Stinson Park at 67th & Center.
1:30 P.M. - 4:30 P.M.

Levis Bike Shop Coming to Town!

Under the category of "This sounds really cool!" comes news that the Levis Bike Shop is coming to town on August 30.  They are promoting their new line of commuter jeans at Urban Outfitter stores around the country.

You can catch them from on August 30 from 4-8pm at the Urban Outfitters store next to the Slowdown, (745 North 14th Street).  Check their website for more info. 

You might also get a kick out of some of the other products they are selling.  I got a particular kick out of the "Bikestache."  (cough*rafal*cough)

OWL Ride Looking For Volunteers!

2011 OwL (Omaha with Lights) Ride Seeking Experience Cyclists to Serve as Ride Right Rangers


The 2011 OwL Ride will soon be here. The first annual ride in 2010 brought out nearly 1,000 riders and registrations this year are ahead of last year’s pace.

The 2011 OwL Ride is scheduled for Saturday, July 16, beginning at 11:00 p.m. For more details about the ride, go to the OwL Ride website at http://owlride.org/event-info/.

Experienced cyclists from area bike clubs and bike groups are being asked to volunteer to serve as Ride Right Rangers (RRRs). For anyone who volunteers to be a RRR, the registration fee of $25 per rider will be waived.

For riders who plan to be RRRs, they do not need to register on the OwL Ride website. A separate sign-up process will used for the RRR’s (more information to be provided later).


As was done last year, all RRRs will be provided an orange reflective vest to identify them as RRRs. RRR volunteers will set examples of safe and responsible riding through their presence on the ride. More information will be provided to all RRR volunteers regarding RRR duties prior to the event.

All RRR volunteers need to available to meet at 10:15 pm 45 minutes prior to the start of the ride. The ride will generally follow the same route as last year, but because of the flooding, the exact starting location is yet to be determined. The “Playing with Fire” concert will be moved to Stinson Park due to the flooding. Because there will not be a downtown event prior to the ride, no bicycle corral is being planned for this year’s ride.

Interested? Email Mark Siepker  at (tram_man@cox.net)

Upcoming Events - May is National Bike Month

Feature Events

May 13 8:30 AM - Mayor's Ride - Bob Kerrey Bridge
May 13 5:30 PM - Family Friendly Bike Ride - Community Bike Shop
May 13 6:00 PM - BBQ Beer & Bikes Bonanza - Crane Coffee

May 14 8:00 AM - Landmark's Race 2 Re-Cycle - Miller's Landing
May 14 8:00 AM - OPBC American Pie Ride - Fairgrounds, Missouri Valley

May 15 11:00 AM - CycleFest - Chalco Hills
May 15 1:00 PM – Ladies & Gentlemen’s Cycling Club - Turner Park

May 17 5:00 PM - Omaha Bikes Handlebar Happy Hour - Liv Lounge

May 18 National Bike to School Day
May 18 7:00 PM - BBC Ride of Silence (Police Escort) - Culver's Trail Head

May 21 7:00 AM - 8th Annual Wear Yellow Ride - Chalco Hills
May 21 8:00 AM - 7th Annual Spoke & Hub Ride - Washington Park, Bellevue

May 22 8:00 AM - Nebraska Tour de Cure - Sarpy County Fairgrounds

May 28 8:00 AM - Ride to Recovery - YMCA, Blair

May 31 6:00 PM - Ladies Bike Maintenance Clinic - Bike Masters

Weekly Rides

Monday 6:00 PM - Ladies Only Road Ride (every monday) - Trek Midtown
Monday 7:15 PM - Casual Urban Ride (every monday) - Greenstreet Cycles

Tuesday 6:00 PM - Cycling Club Women's Ride (every tuesday) - Bike Rack
Tuesday 6:00 PM - Group Ride (every tuesday) - Trek Papillion

Wednesday 6:00 PM - Wednesday Night Worlds (every wed) - Trek Midtown

Thursday 6:00 PM - Cycling Club Road Ride (every thursday) - Bike Rack
Thursday 6:00 PM - Taco Ride (every thursday) - Wabash Trace
Thursday 6:00 PM - TNR Mtn Bike Ride (every thursday) - mtbomaha blog

Saturday 8:00 AM - OPBC Easy Ride - Culver's Trail Head
Saturday 9:00 AM – Bancroft-Bayliss Loop Ride - Bancroft Street Market
Saturday 10:00 AM - Ladies Ride - Greenstreet Cycles

Sunday  8:00 AM – Cycling Club No Drop Ride - Tahazouka Park, Elkhorn
Sunday 11:00 AM - Fast Paced Ride - Greenstreet Cycles

Mayors' Bike Ride!!

We'd love to have the largest group of riders ever in 2011! Join mayors from Bellevue, Council Bluffs, and Omaha!

Spread the word!!

Grab your bike!!

Join us!!

Indoor Trainer Rides

Many thanks to our friend Pete Lieben with the Omaha Pedalers who has once again collected and summarized all of the indoor trainer rides going on at the various Omaha-area bike shops! 

**

SO, LET’S RIDE!

Tired of staring at the wall or Wheel of Fortune while pedaling alone mindlessly on your bike trainer? Want a diversion from the gym? How about joining friends and fellow cyclists for rigorous exercise at one of your favorite places—the local bicycle shop! Numerous Omaha bicycle stores offer free cycling training sessions during the winter season.  This is a great opportunity to visit those stores that you always thought you wanted to see but never quite got around to. And…you get a great workout.

Bike Masters
http://www.bikemastersomaha.com/
5265 N 129th St (Corner of 129 St & Fort St)
(402) 964-1080

Wednesdays at 6:00 pm and a Saturday ride at 9:00 am. Bring your bike and trainer. Check for updates and changes at our Facebook page, “Bike Masters Cycling”.  All are welcome.

Bike Rack
http://bike-rack.com/
14510 Eagle Run Dr
402-333-1031

Saturdays meet at 8:15am with riding starting at 8:30am
Wednesday meet at 5:45pm with riding starting at 6:00pm
Sessions will last about 1 hour

What You Need
Your bike and your trainer or rollers.
Cycling clothes and shoes if you use them (Helmets are not required unless you tend to fall off your trainer.)
Water bottle and towel

If you do not already own a trainer stop in to the shop today and let us help you pick one out. Indoor trainers are a great way to keep in biking form all year long. (If you need a trainer, call ahead to see if we have extra trainers available). If you would rather not lug your bike and trainer back and forth to the shop for each session we can also store your bike and trainer in our warehouse between sessions at no cost.

Bike Way
http://thebikeway.com/
15115 Industrial Road
(402) 392-2390

Mondays from 6:00-8:00 pm beginning January 18. Bring your own bike and trainer or call ahead for trainer availability.

Greenstreet Cycles
http://www.greenstreetcycles.com/
1302 Mike Fahey St.
(402) 505-8002

Monday night ride (outside). Meet at 7:15 pm and leave at 7:30.
Also, to keep you flexible and limber, a yoga session Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30. ($5.00 charge)
Will announce indoor winter training later.

Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha
http://www.highgearomaha.blogspot.com/
8410 S. 73rd Plaza (Papillion)
(402) 935-1988

Tuesday-6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Saturday-8:00 am-9:30 pm

These rides are designed for the everyday cyclist from the novice to the expert. Please come out and join us for some cycling fun and maybe a cheesy 80's flick. Bring your trainer. We will have some but call ahead for availability.

Bike De'Lights!!!!

Are you ready??  Things are a definite GO for Friday night's Bike De'Lights ride!  Omaha's resident cycling meteorologist, CT Thonklin from KMTV, reports that the nasty weather anticipated for Saturday will not be rolling in until the overnight hours, so Friday's fabulous weather should bode well for our evening plans.

Give your bike and your clothing the Clark W. Griswold treatment and join us at Delice in Midtown Crossing anytime after 6pm; the ride will start at 7p.  Don't forget that there is 3 hours of free parking in the MTC parking garages... or better yet, take the bus or just ride there in the first place! :) 

For all of the details, including links to the route, etc., please see the original post.

See you there!

2010 Bike De'Lights

Tis the season to don your smart wool, breathable layers, and balaclava and join OmahaBikes on a ride to view the holiday lights. Turn your "ho hum" into "ho ho ho" as we wind around downtown and the surrounding area to take in the spirit of the season after dark. After dark, you ask? Of course! That's the only way to see the spectacular light show. Make sure to bring lights of your own for safety's sake. The more festive, the better. A special prize will be awarded to the "Greatest Holiday Visibility"and "Best Cycling Santa" individuals. It will be too cold, you say? Who knows what weather Omaha will throw our way, but we have planned warming stations along the way. Warm up your fingers and toes with a hot chocolate or (spiked) apple cider at the cafes we will stop at along the way. Please meet us at Delice Bakery in Midtown Crossing on December 10th. We will meet around 6:00pm for a pre-warming get together as traffic and the sun go down with plans to embark at 7:00pm.

Check out the route here.

For those who will arrival by car, parking is available behind Marcus Theatre. The first three hours are free!

If bad weather comes our way the day of the ride, it will be rescheduled for the following Friday, December 17th.

Have any questions, please let us know!

Bike Boulevards & Greenways

Streetfilms posted this video today. Bicycle Boulavards and Greenways would fit nicely into a well rounded Omaha transportation network.

Can you think of other ways Omaha could change to be a more healthy city and support all modes of transportation more effectively?

Don't forget the Transportation Master Plan Public Meeting is only 8 days away. If you are interested on how the Omaha transportation network will function in the years to come, please plan to attend.

Cranksgiving!!

Mark your calendars for one of the most fun events of the season:  Cranksgiving!

Organized by Bryan Redemske, hosted at Bike Masters (129th/Fort), your mission is to jump on your bike, collect the 10 food(ish) items on the list from 10 different stores and be the first back to the shop.  (Let the West Maple convenience store inventory recon begin!!)

Do it to win, or just do it for fun; either way, it's a blast.  Be prepared to think creatively about how you can haul large, bulky items on your bike -- like, say, large packages of toilet paper.  :)

All proceeds benefit the Food Bank. Check out the Cranksgiving blog for all of the details.  Hope to see you there!

Winter Bicycle Commuting Clinic

Experienced cold-weather cyclists will discuss bike commuting in winter. The clinic will begin with a panel discussion followed by an open discussion addressing such issues as safety, gear, and other tips on how to continue riding through the cold-weather months


Thursday, October 28, 2010
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Barley’s Bar & Grill (1510 Cuming Street)

Cost: FREE (but please RSVP)

Bicycles are welcome.
Presented by Omaha Bikes and the Community Bike Project Omaha

For more information, contact Ananth: ananthkalyan@gmail.com

Allergic to spandex?

Let's face it, not everyone wants to put on some tight fitting spandex, hop on a skinny bike seat, and ride down the trail leaving very little of your anatomy to the imagination. If spandex isn't your thing, but riding your bike in "Classy" attire sounds like fun, then have we got just the thing for you.

This weekend is the inaugural ride of the L&G Cycling Club (L&G stands for Ladies and Gentleman). You can find all the details on the facebook page or on tritter.

The ride starts at 1:00pm this coming Sunday at Greenstreet Cycles. Check the map for route information.

Bicycle Maintenance & Repair Classes

As an icebreaker at the League of American Bicyclists' League Certified Instructor class that I took recently, we were asked what our first bike meant to us. The most common answers from our class of 15 were freedom and fun. You know what doesn't make for freedom and fun? A broken bike!

That's why the Community Bike Project Omaha has started a series of 12 bike maintenance and repair classes to teach you the skills you need to keep your steed in tip-top shape and to learn how to mend it when it's not. Whether you want to learn how to fix a flat tire or how to adjust your hub cones, we've got a class for that. We love nothing more than helping to empower people so that they feel the freedom that comes with the confidence and independence of working on your own bike, all in a stress-free, hands-on, fun learning environment.

Our next upcoming class is on Brakes, something we all could probably use help with! Here's the list of all our classes, which run every other Tuesday at 6pm and are held at our Shop at 525 North 33rd Street:

2010
10/10 Pedals, Saddles, Seatposts, Handlebars, and Stems
10/26 Brakes
11/9 Derailleurs
11/23 Chains & Chainwheels
12/7 Hubs and Quick-Releases
12/21 TBD

2011
1/4 Headsets
1/18 Cranks, Bottom Brackets
2/15 Wheelbuilding
3/1 Wheels—Truing & Dishing
3/15 Frames
TBD: Tires & Tubes

All classes are taught by experienced local bicycle mechanics who will mix instruction and discussion with hands-on practice. You can bring your own bike or use one of the bikes we'll have set up at the Shop. Cost is a suggested donation of $10/class. Space is limited, so please RSVP for any class you'd like to attend by emailing me at matt@communitybikeproject.org. If you have any questions or would like us to cover a topic you don't see in the list above, please email me.

Thanks to OmahaBikes for helping us get the word out about these classes!

Matt Martin
Community Bike Project Omaha

Volunteers Needed This Sunday!

Bike-friendly non-profit Emerging Terrain is hosting a fall harvest dinner this Sunday, October 3, and could use your help. If you haven't heard about it, here's a description from their website:

Stored Potential

Repurposing the Mid-Century Grain Elevator

As Midwest metropolitan landscapes undergo change — from agrarian to suburban — the systems of earlier settlement become obsolete; farmsteads, rail, grain silos, etc. Many of these are demolished to make way for the new, with the exception of the mid-century concrete grain elevators and their assembled silos. Thick, heavily engineered construction renders them too expensive for demolition. These structures, with their economic condition and cultural narrative, are opportunity for compelling regional land use discourse.
Emerging Terrain is spearheading a collaborative endeavor to re-purpose a derelict, yet iconic, historic landscape structure as contemporary cultural awareness. Designers, artists, etc. will submit ideas for 20’ x 80’ images to hang on the exterior of a vacant grain elevator near downtown Omaha. Concurrent with fall harvest, a dinner table at the base of the elevator will host an epic dinner to celebrate the exhibition.

How You Can Help

The fall harvest dinner is this Sunday, October 3 at the grain silos at 3407 Vinton Street (at the end of the Field Club Trail). Emerging Terrain is encouraging guests to bike or walk to the dinner, and will be providing bike parking for guests, so that they can ride right to the site, park their bikes where the bikes will be monitored, and go enjoy the dinner. They need volunteers to help out at bike parking. (GreenStreet Cycles will also be providing a pedicab from the parking lot along the trail where those who need to drive will park.)

Bike parking will be available between 12:30pm and 5pm and volunteers are needed then. If you have some time and can help out, please contact Matt Martin (matthewsmartin@gmail.com or 402-305-1111) and let him know when you can be there. If you haven't seen the banners up on the silos yet, it's pretty amazing--and you'll be helping out a great public art project.

Thanks!

BYOKTMTB?

What exaclty is BYOKTMTB you might ask. It stands for Bring Your Own Kid Mountain Biking Day.

To honor IMBA's national holiday, THOR is celebrating Bring Your Own Kid Mountain Biking Day.

This is a chance to bring the whole family out for a fun, guided ride, followed by some awesome food and drinks. It's the best way to introduce your kids to the most fun they'll have on two wheels!

Manawa has been off limits all year because of flooding but we are finally able to ride the short loop, and we want to celebrate. The short loop is perfect for the kiddos and first time riders. It's flat and fun! After the ride, head across the street for some grub and good times on the Dream Land playground, which was designed by children! It's huge!

We hope to see you and your family. Bring 'em all. The more the merrier.

If the trails are too wet to ride, we'll ride the paved trail instead. Keep an eye here and Face Book for details.

Click here for the flyer.

We could use volunteers. Please contact Dave Packard at 402-926-9696 or David.A.Packard@usace.army.mil.