UPDATE: Funds are being collected by a Roanoke church to help defray Michael’s and his family’s expenses. Click here to learn more, and to donate.
Michael Sprick & Larry Blakey
Michael Sprick, a touring cyclist from Bad Laer, Germany, was seriously injured last week when he was hit by a Merita bread truck on Rt. 100 in Pulaski County. He’s now on life support at Carillion hospital in Roanoke.
Cyclists rallied to Michael’s aid, notably Larry Blakey, who had been riding with Michael before heading off in a different direction. Police found Larry’s contact information, and called Larry — who immediately flew in from Vermont to be with Michael, whom he had known for only five days.
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Three Cyclists Named to Prestigious Top 40 Under 40 List
Billed as Richmond’s alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion, Style Weekly, a free publication based in Richmond, has named their annual Top 40 Under 40.
Named among of the metro area’s younger movers and shakers were three dedicated cycling advocates: Craig Dodson, Founder of Richmond Cycling Corps, Nathan Burrell, Trail Manager for the City of Richmond, and Amy George, a GIS Systems Analyst for the City.
All three cyclists are members of Mayor Jones’s Pedestrian, Bicycling and Trails Commission.
Congratulations to these outstanding young leaders for their dedication and hard work. It’s truly making a difference.
Roanoke River Rails-to-Trails announced construction of Phases II and III of the Tobacco Heritage Trail will begin in late fall/early winter 2011. Phase II will consist of approximately 2.6 miles of trail in South Boston, which is located in Halifax County. Phase III will connect two segments of existing trail, making 17 miles of continuous trail.
The THT will accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists and horse-back riders.
The construction of these phases of the Tobacco Heritage Trail is part of a larger, regional project by Roanoke River Rails-to-Trails Inc. When complete, the THT will consist of 160 miles of trail, spanning 5 counties in Southside, Virginia.
For more information, visit their website, http://www.tobaccoheritagetrail.org/ or contact THT Trail Coordinator, Rachel Wright (434) 447-7101 or rwright@southsidepdc.org
Crossing the New River, to Bike Route 76 & New River Trail. Photo courtesy of Chris Scott & Shenadoah Mountain Touring
From Chris Scott:
“Next and last 2 days to follow are on Highlands Horse Trail and Iron Mountain Trail. What a journey bicycling along, across, over and around the length of Virginia on a backcountry singletrack based route on National Forest trails.”
Follow Shenandoah Mountain Touring’s blog, and check out their website. Follow @ShenMtnTouring and @chrisscottistan on Twitter.
Join VBF for a weekend of training, strategizing, riding, and fellowship Nov. 11 -13 at Sophia House, near Louisa, VA.
Stay the whole weekend, or just for the main program on Saturday.
Come Friday evening to meet everyone, and have open discussion over drinks and snacks.
The all day Saturday session will include discussions of the Virginia State Bike Plan, state bike routes, the East Coast Greenway, US Bicycle Routes, plans for the upcoming session of the Virginia General Assembly, national policy issues, and the World Cycling Championships in Richmond. We’ll end the day Saturday with a ride on the quiet back roads of beautiful Louisa County.
Stay through Sunday afternoon for VBF’s board meeting, and of course, more riding.
These weekends are subsidized by VBF, so cost is reasonable — with lodging and food included. If you’re not a member already, you can join on the spot.
Registration for the Saturday session is $10 and includes lunch. The entire weekend is $70. To register for the event, click here.
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