The Blue Ridge Bicycle Club’s 20th annual Artie Levin Memorial Ride, a September favorite of southwest VA cyclists, has joined forces with Bike MS to become Bike MS Best of the Blue Ridge, Sept. 27-28, 2008. Artie Levin was Roanoke’s own physical fitness celebrity, television host, and newspaper columnist. He was also an avid cyclist, and dynamic BRBC member, who did a lot to promote cycling in southwest VA. Held in his honor, “The Artie” is a weekend-long fun event featuring a century ride, food, and live music. For details and to register, see the Bike MS website. Proceeds benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Update: the Roanoke Times has more on this year’s Artie Levin and Bike MS ride.
For 2008, the Governor’s Conference on Greenways, Blueways, and Trails, the 54th annual Virginia Recreation and Park Society Conference, and the 10th annual BikeWalk Virginia Conference will be merged into one event October 4-7 in Richmond. It will be the largest conference ever held in Virginia focusing on outdoor recreation, trails, and non-motorized transportation. Conference details are available at the BikeWalk Virginia website.
VBF urges all bike advocates to attend, but mostly, to encourage your local officials and staff to attend — especially those from your regional (MPO) planning authorities. There is no better opportunity to network with people from state agencies like DCR and VDOT, to gain knowledge about best practices, and learn how to move your local projects forward.
Let’s be clear: at VBF we’re non-partisan in the Republican vs. Democrat sense. Both are well-represented on our Board. The only “party” we belong to is the pro-bicycling one!
Many of you may be asking, “Which candidate best represents our interests as cyclists? Is Obama the bike candidate?”
Last week Obama met with bike industry leaders , and went on a bike ride, seizing the usual photo ops. Fox News has more on Obama’s adventures in bicycling.
But how much of this is lip service, and how much is geunine concern for bicycling and transportation issues? [continue reading…]
Something for every rider: a 25-mile Family Ride; a 27 mile Short Ride; a 40-mile Historic Ride; a Metric Century; a 72 mile Metric Century Plus, and a challenging , 100 mile English Century with just enough hills to give you a workout. Ride through Virginia’s history among Civil War battlefields and historic sites.
The 2008 Heart of Virginia Century and Bike Festival is RABA’s premier annual event, sponsored by the Town of Ashland, the Hanover Mental Health Association, and Hanover Habitat for Humanity.
The Between the Waters Bike Tour is an ecotourism event highlighting the natural beauty of the Cheasapeake region. Featuring both Chesapeake and Atlantic shores, with views of marshes and barrier islands, the ride offers 25, 40, 60, and 100 mile options on the flat back roads of the Delmarva Peninsula.
The event is a creation of Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore (CBES), a nonprofit organization working to “support balanced growth while enhancing our quality of life and preserving our natural resources” on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Proceeds help support the organization. Registration begins June 20, 2008; check the CBES website for details.
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