In this May 22, 2013 issue…
Get Ready for Summer! Signup for Saturday’s Cycling Confidence Class
Highway Director Speaks in Athens, GOHS Issues Statements Afterwards
Down the Road and Elsewhere: Firkin Friday for SORBA Trails; Athens Group Ride
Slide Show: 44 Things You Will Only Understand If You Ride in NYC
click to read this weeks’ newsletter. You can also sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox or read archived copies of the newsletter.
BikeAthens Newsletter for April 24, 2013
Matthew Epperson and Lindsey York in front of the new bike repair stand at the Daily Coop
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Learn Bicycle Maintenance in March Using Your Own Bike!
Sponsored by BikeAthens & The Hub Bicycles
All cyclists (women & men) are invited to attend four basic bicycle maintenance classes in March. No experience is necessary.
These hands-on classes will be held at the BikeAthens Bike Recycling Program (BRP) shop, each Thursday in March, from 7PM – 9:00PM. Registration is required because of shop space!
Class #1 will focus on bicycle lubrication and tire maintenance. Supplies and tools will be available to work on specific items taught that evening. In Class #2 students will learn how to deal with roadside emergencies and repair. Class #3 will focus almost entirely on brakes and how to make adjustments and repairs. The last Class #4 will deal with shifting, gears and adjustments. By the end of the courses students will have developed keener awareness of bike systems that may be ineffective or unsafe and skills to address these concerns to keep their bikes running well.
LOCATION: Bike Recycling Program shop is in the Chase Park Warehouse, 129 Tracy St., Athens. See map.
CLASS SIZE: Limited to 12 because of shop space. Classes are first-come, first-served, but a waitlist will be maintained. See “REGISTRATION” below.
COST: Donations to the non-profit BikeAthens Bike Recycling Program (BRP) will be appreciated. Suggested donation: $15/class; $60/course. Non-profit BRP collects donated bikes, refurbishes them, and gives them to social service agencies for their clients who are transportation-challenged. BRP has been serving the Athens community for 10 years. Donations may be made by cash, check or PayPal (http://bikeathens.com/give/).
| CLASSES |
DAYS |
DATES |
TIMES |
LOCATION
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TOPICS |
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#1 |
Thursday |
March 7 |
7:00 – 9:00PM |
Lubrication, Tires | |
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#2 |
Thursday |
March 14 |
7:00 – 9:00PM |
Emergency repairs | |
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#3 |
Thursday |
March 21 |
7:00 – 9:00PM |
Brake systems | |
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#4 |
Thursday |
March 28 |
7:00 – 9:00PM |
Shifting, gears |
WHAT TO BRING TO CLASS: Working on bikes can get you dirty and greasy, so dress comfortably and appropriately for working with your hands, AND bring your own bike! Shop aprons, gloves, tools and clean-up materials will be provided.
INSTRUCTOR: All classes will be taught by Brian Molloy, owner of The Hub Bicycles, 1220 S Milledge Ave., Athens. An experienced teacher, Brian holds several certifications as a professional mechanic and has been the Jittery Joe’s Pro Cycling Team Head Mechanic since 2003.
REGISTRATION and/or QUESTIONS: To register, e-mail Tyler at administrator@bikeathens.com, RE: Basic Bike Maintenance Course. In the e-mail, please leave your name, an email address, and a phone number so that BikeAthens may communicate with you about any questions, last-minute changes, and to confirm your attendance. Thanks!
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Jason Perry put together this fast motion video of the Holiday Bikes for Kids (HB4K)
And don’t forget, the Holiday Party is tonight (Wednesday)! http://www.facebook.com/events/306565109450133/
The BikeAthens Board of Directors is proud to announce that BikeAthens has received a grant of
$63,300 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). Using these grant funds,
BikeAthens will conduct 48 bike safety seminars throughout the coming year. The seminars will
target 4 groups of Athens citizens most in need of bike safety education: middle school students,
UGA student groups, DUI violators, and the motoring and cycling public. BikeAthens safety
classes will help GOHS in its goal to reduce bicycle related injuries and fatalities.
A vast majority of local bicycle accidents involve cyclists that are not wearing helmets, and
riders over the age of 30 are three times as likely to wear a helmet as a cyclist under 30.
Nonetheless, bicyclists under 18 years of age account for 30% of Georgia’s bicycle fatalities. To
address this problem, BikeAthens will use a portion of the GOHS grant funds on helmets that
BikeAthens will distribute at their safety seminars and at other public outreach events during the
year. In addition to bike helmets, BikeAthens will also distribute bike lights in an effort to make
Athens cyclists visible to all. BikeAthens and GOHS expect that making bikes and their riders
brighter will reduce the number of accidents that occur during times of low light.
To ensure that BikeAthens will provide the most effective bicycle safety education, a portion of
the GOHS grant funds will go towards training BikeAthens staff in the latest bike safety
techniques. The grant will also provide monies for travel to state and national conferences, such
as the National Bike Summit. BikeAthens staff will use the information they learn at these
trainings to implement best practices to make Athens cyclists safer.
Finally, the grant will fund an Executive Director for BikeAthens. Having a full-time employee
will allow BikeAthens to more efficiently and effectively implement its new safety programs.
The Executive Director will develop the curriculum for the safety seminars and work with local
partners to make sure the programs reach as many Athenians as possible. As an organization,
BikeAthens hopes the partnership between GOHS and BikeAthens will make Athens safer for all
road users: cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists alike.
