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February Ride Like A Girl at Rockville Hills
February 1, 2020
9:15 AM to 12:30 PM
Meet at 2149 Rockville Rd · Fairfield, CA
38.248528, -122.132222
The Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay (http://www.btceb.org) invites you to our monthly Ride Like a Girl group ride at Rockville Hills Regional Park in Fairfield.
We had too much doubt about the trail conditions at Briones. So we're going to Rockville. We love Rockville.
There’s something for everyone. Lots of single track. Despite the name, Rockville, it’s not all rocks (although there are rocky sections that you can ride, we can session, or you can walk).
BTCEB hosts a women-only mountain bike ride on the first weekend of the month. The intent of the ride is to have fun! and to meet other women who love to mountain bike. We offer ride groups for ALL SKILL LEVELS, from novice to intermediate to advanced. All rides are ‘no-drop’ rides (we won’t leave you behind or let you get lost) and are fully supported. A novice rider should be able to ride 8-10 miles on hilly fire roads for 2.5 hrs.
Parking is very tight, so try to carpool. And be ready to park in residential neighborhood spaces or along Rockville Road near the park entrance.
Meet time: 9:15 am. This will give you time to sign in, unload your bike, etc.
Roll time: 9:30 am.
For more details RSVP on Meetup. See you there!
Leap into Trail Work at Crockett Hills
Saturday February 29, 2020
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Mark you calendar for Saturday February 29th for trail work at Crockett Hills. With support from the EBRPD Crockett Hills park supervisor David Kendall, his staff, and the Trail Development department we'll be having a trail work day at Crockett Hills Regional Park.
The day will run from 9 am to about 1 pm. Look for a Meet Up notice in mid February and RSVP if you plan to attend so that we can plan for enough tools and lunch.
No experience necessary. Your participation in work days like this demonstrates to the park district that mountain bikers care about having access to trails and are willing to put in sweat equity. This is important to advocating for increased mountain bike access to narrow trials and more trail construction.
BTCEB Volunteers have contributed 850 hours to Crockett Hills trail work in the last two years. Work days like this are significant portions of those efforts.
BTCEB via Facebook
Finally, if you want to hear about other last-minute news, such as demo rides, and volunteering opportunities, "like" and follow BTCEB's Facebook Notification Page, and also request to join BTCEB's Facebook Discussion Group.
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REPORTS
January Gala Ride Update
by Mike Udkow
Guess what? There was no rain for our January 11th Rockville Gala ride. In fact, we had great sunny weather. Some 40 riders enjoyed the amazing trails, along with the beer and other post ride goodies.
Thank you Teri and the Rockville volunteers for keeping the trails in such great shape. And a special thank you to Ellen Wilson, our reliable premiere novice ride leader! She knows every rock and root in the park!
Because of the unpredictable February weather, no formal Gala ride has been scheduled. Instead, weather permitting, let's plan on POP-Up rides throughout the month. To schedule a ride, send the ride info to: info@btceb.org. Please be sure to include your phone number. And I'll post the ride details it on Meetup.
Tentative Gala Ride Dates and Locations
by Mike Udkow
Here are the expected ride dates and locations for the club gala rides for 2020:
- Mar 14 - China Camp
- Apr 4 - Fernandez Ranch (JMLT)
- May 9 - Crockett Hills EBRP
- Jun 13 - Wildcat/Tilden EBRP
- Jul 12 (Sunday) - China Camp
- Aug 8 - Joaquin Miller Park (Oakland)
- Sep 26 - Fernandez Ranch (JMLT)
- Oct 11 - Crockett Hills EBRP
- Nov 14 - Rockville
- Dec 12 - Deer Park
As always look for them to appear on the BTCEB Meetup Events page and here in The Buzz as the dates approach and the ride details firm up.
Update: EBRPD Ward 1 Director Appointment
by Scott Bartlebaugh
 The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) appointed Elizabeth Echols to fill the director vacancy created when director Whitney Dotson retired mid term. A pool of 12 strong applicants was refined to 4 finalists by a subcommittee from the board. The 4 finalists were Normal LaForce, Elizabeth Echols, Bruce Beyaert, and Neil Tsutsui.
The selection process was completed at the January 7th board meeting consisting of interviews with the 4 finalists, public comments, board comments, and then a board vote.
All of the finalists except Bruce Beyaert intended to run for the Ward 1 director position in the November 2020 election. Over 40 persons made public comments with the largest number supporting Norman LaForce. Mr. LaForce, a Sierra Club lawyer, has a history of opposing mountain bike access in the parks and using legal suits or the threat of suits to try to affect park policy and actions. Neil Tsutsui is an environmental science professor at the University of California Berkeley and currently serves on the EBRPD Public Advisory Committee. Elizabeth Echols has over 20 years of experience in public policy at the state and federal levels. Of the 4 finalists Neil Tsutsui appeared to be the most bike/recreation friendly of the applicants.Following the public comments the directors made a round of comments. Colin Coffey and Dee Rosario both supported Neil Tsutsui citing his diversity while Ayn Wieskamp, Barbara Lane, and Dennis Waespi supported Elizabeth Echols citing her state and federal experience being highly valuable in obtaining funding for the EBRPD. When the formal vote was taken the board voted unanimously for Elizabeth Echols.
Ward 2, Dee Rosairo, Oakland, Ward 4, Ellen Corbett, San Leandro, in addition to Ward 1, Elizabeth Echols will be up for election in November 2020. I urge you to be active in these elections as the EBRPD directors have a strong influence on park bike access policy and park priorities.
Although directors are elected from a single ward they have influence over the entire district making each director a factor for bike access and relevant to you if you're interested in bike access in the EBRPD.
As a 501(3)(c) organization the BTCEB cannot state a preference for candidates but can conduct voter education activities. The California Mountain Biking Coalition (CAMTB) is a 501(c)(4) organization and can participate in elections and BTCEB will look to work with CAMTB as appropriate.
The BTCEB plans to meet with Director Echols to discuss mountain biking and the EBRPD.
On a sad note Director Whitney Dotson (retired) passed January 8, 2020.
Link to final applications for additional applicant information.An audio recording of the board meeting can be found here.
If you're not sure what EBRPD ward you live have a look at the park district map.  BTCEB Membership Drive
by Mike Udkow While membership on our Meetup site continues to grow to over 3,900 followers, membership in the BTCEB, your mountain biking organization, has been lagging.
To grow, to survive, and to represent the mountain biking community, we need your support. Your membership dues support our Gala rides and our RLaG program, pays for our insurance, helps to support NorCal High School MTBing and supports trail work at China Camp, Rockville, Fernandez and Crockett. We are hard at work developing the JMP Pump Track. Our Board of Directors meets bi-monthly to discuss all topics relevant to local mountain biking.Membership levels start at $30, with a $15 student/hardship level. Lifetime membership is $500.
Aside from the dues, we truly need and value your membership.
And speaking of membership. As a BTCEB member Columbia Sportswear invites you to the Columbia Sportswear Employee Store.
A few times a year BTCEB members will receive an email with an invitation to shop at the Columbia store in Richmond to take advantage of discounts on clothing, shoes, and merchandise.
The next opening for BTCEB members to the store will be from February 7 thru March 1, 2020.
Members will receive an email with their invitation. Bring a photo ID and your BTCEB membership card as well as the invitation to shop at the store.
Please join or renew today at www.btceb.orgSee you on the trails!
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From the Dusty Trail . . .
Crocket Gets Early Valentine's Day Present
by Yvette Skinner
Loving our trails BTCEB style! Mountain bikers take care of the trails they ride. Our brave and fearless leader, Scott, scheduled some work days at Crockett Hills Regional Park this winter while the dirt is wet enough to be workable.
Scott testing the berm work at speed.
An intrepid crew of dirt workers (Scott Bartlebaugh, David Sturgis, Yvette Skinner, Tim Christol, and Ben Brunetti) showed some love to Sugar City trail, cutting in drains and rebuilding eroded berms.
More trail work days are scheduled for the winter while the dirt is still workable. See Scott's article below for more details and come join us!.
Danville Riders: Vote YES on Y!
by Dave Hammond  Attention mountain bikers in the Danville area. A Yes Vote on Y on March 3rd by Danville Voters will set into motion the protection of one of the most beautiful properties in the East Bay and will open miles of new mountain biking trails to the public on land that has been privately held and inaccessible.
The Magee Preserve property is a 410 acre ranch with around 5 miles of existing fire road and double track trails spanning two main ridgelines and some beautiful tree covered, seasonal creek canyons. The property shares a boundary with the existing EBRPD Sycamore Open Space, a 361 acre preserve above Sycamore Park in Danville with frustratingly limited trails.
A Yes Vote in March will trigger EBRPD taking 213 acres of the Magee property and adding it to the Sycamore Open Space expanding trail opportunities and creating a true destination for mountain bikers.
EBRPD will also hold a conservation easement over an additional 130.8 acre with more existing and new trails planned.
The town of Danville will spend upwards of $2 million on a Paved Trail connector along Diablo Road, also on this Magee property. What makes this property so special beyond the breathtaking beauty is the easy access points and the mid-level ridgelines at around 900 ft of elevation in contrast to Las Trampas or Diablo elevations.
Talk to your friends in the Danville area and encourage them to Vote Yes on Y. Check it out here.
CAMTB Update – Connecting with Riders and Building Support
by Yvette Skinner 
CAMTB Goals
The ink is barely dry on the articles of incorporation for the California Mountain Biking Coalition. The newly formed 501(c)4 organization was created with these five goals in mind:
1. Provide a collective, statewide voice for mountain bikers.
2. Engage proactively with State, Regional and Federal Agencies to further the CAMTB Mission, while cultivating strong partnership opportunities.
3. Track legislation and planning efforts that affect trail access in California with actionable recommendations and potentially draft legislation.
4. Create an effective place to share our knowledge base and best practices between member clubs.
5. Foster a positive image of mountain biking to decision makers and the general public to emphasize education, diversity, and healthy lifestyle choices.
CAMTB was honored to be named as one of Trailfork’s Advocates of the Year for 2019.
“There are many individuals and groups doing great work in their own respective regions but California has been missing a unified voice to help coordinate mountain bike advocacy efforts statewide. The California Mountain Bike Coalition was formed to do exactly this.”
Corporate and Individual Sponsorship
CAMTB is seeking support from corporate donors, MTB clubs, and individuals to support their mission. As a 501(c)4 organization donations are not tax-deductible as one of CAMTB’s goals is to assert political influence in Sacramento and other elections across the state.
Jins Eyewear and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company have invested their financial support to help CAMTB get off the ground and running.
The following MTB clubs have already joined as CAMTB Partners:
San Diego Mountain Biking Association
Redwood Empire Mountain Bike Alliance
Access 4 Bikes, Marin
Concerned Off-Road Bicyclists Association
San Francisco Urban Riders
Share MTB
Lowelifes Respectable Citizen’s Club
Mount Wilson Bicycling Association
Furthermore, currently ninety individuals have become part of CAMTB’s “Founders Wall.”
Join the Conversation on Slack!
CAMTB uses the Slack platform to stay connected to mountain bikers across the state.
Discussion topics are kept organized using “Channels” such as #advocacy-policy or #trailbuilding. Subscribe to channels covering topics of interest and download the Slack app for your smartphone. Read up about the latest legislation impacting California’s outdoor recreation or learn about new trail building opportunities across the state. One the channels is aptly name #introductions where new folks can post a quick note to say “Hello” and connect with like-minded riders.
Get connected with CAMTB:
On the web: https://camtb.org
Email: info@camtb.org
Phone: 916-312-2682
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAMTB.org/
Slack: https://camtb.slack.com Alameda's Almanac Beer Co. 15% Discount
by Damian Fagan
Greetings BTCEB members! I am an avid mountain biker (generous description) and thrilled to be part of the BTCEB family. I co-founded Almanac Beer Company in 2011, currently located in Alameda on the former Navy base.
As an avid homebrewer and food geek, I had long been drawn to the incredible agricultural bounty at my local farmers markets, often brewing with ingredients purchased there. The inspiration for the brewery was derived from the same "farm to table" ethos we've all come to love living in the Bay Area. Nothing goes better with bikes than beer! (after the ride of course!). I am happy to sponsor the BTCEB and extend a 15% discount to all BTCEB members in the Almanac taproom. Just mention to the bartender when you settle up that you are a member of BTCEB and they will apply your discount.
------ Reminder: As a BTCEB member, you can receive a 10 percent or higher discount for parts at many of the bike shops in the East Bay. You just have to ask. Thank you to the many bike shop sponsors for your support!
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ABOUT BTCEB
BTCEB is a one-stop shop. We defend access rights. We lead volunteers to build sustainable trails and repair historic trails. We host social rides. We teach underprivileged kids to ride. We fund youth mountain bike race teams. The list goes on because as riders we can do more together than individually. If you have not already, please consider joining us as a member. Many bike shops in the East Bay grant a 10% discount on bike parts to BTCEB Membership Card holders. It is just another benefit of joining BTCEB. Thank you to all the East Bay bike shops that support our efforts both on and off the trails!
CONTACT US
Do you have a good ride story, trailwork report, or other bike trail news? Tell us about it. Please send a paragraph with 150 words or less with a pic (under 10MB please) and/or link telling us about trailwork, rides, events, or any good mountain bike effort to bring our community together, etc. Please send via email to our editor Jamuel Starkey (with pictures if possible) at: buzz@btceb.org
BTCEB BOARD MEMBERS Mike Udkow, President
information@btceb.org
Jon Running, Membership Coordinator
membership@btceb.org
Yvette Skinner, Vice President
Dan McAvoy, Secretary
Alan Enrici, Treasurer
Henry Mitchell, Trails Coordinator
Dave Wolden, Director of Youth Programs (YMBA)Amy Arcus, Director of Women's Programs
Tom Gandesbery, Member-at-Large
Tom Holub, IT Chair |
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