I’d been hearing rumors and plans for a while now but a recent Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN) story confirmed that this is no rumor! Here is a bit of the low down.

Ray’s was the first indoor mountain bike park in the world when it opened in 2004 in Cleveland, OH.

To help with the Milwaukee location Ray’s MTB has partnered with Trek Bicycle for this gigantic expansion

The Milwaukee Park site currently under major construction. It will be in a 110,000 square foot former Menard’s store on the north side of Milwaukee.

Plans are to have it open Fall through Winter with opening ceremonies scheduled for November 2010

Ray’s will offer XC, freeride, dirt jump, park bike and BMX all under one roof.

Sounds great!

What is a bit funny to me is that I tried to figure out a way to do this way back in 1990 or so when the old Gimbel’s Warehouse on the Milwaukee River was standing unoccupied for several years. It was 9 stories tall and had forklift ramps throughout. I envisioned a 7-story park with the ground lever being retail with a bike shop, juice bar, restaurant, massage therapist, bike messenger biz and several other related businesses. Wish it had come to fruition! Well, at least now we have Ray!

There will be a new website just for the Milwaukee Park but, for now, check this out:

http://www.raysmtb.com/new/index.html

and the Cleveland location:

http://www.raysmtb.com/index.php

also, here is the complete BRAIN article on the Trek connection:

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/4176.html

Director of Communication

The Bike Fed is now accepting resumes for a Director of Communication. This career-building opportunity offers the ideal candidate a chance to lead external communications and mobilize bicycle support throughout the state. ??The position is 40 hours/week and can be based out of the Bike Fed’s Madison or Milwaukee office. Benefits include health, dental, and vacation time plus an excellent work space in either downtown Madison or downtown Milwaukee.

Submit a cover letter and resume by 5pm Monday, February 22

Click here for the full job description and contact information

Director of Membership & Development

The Bike Fed seeks a highly motivated and organized Director of Membership & Development to recruit new members, retain the Bike Fed’s existing 3,500 members, and engage members in the Bike Fed’s work to make biking in Wisconsin safe, fun, and convenient. This exciting position plays a central role in building momentum to make Wisconsin one of the best places in the country to be on a bike. ??The position is 40 hours/week and can be based out of the Bike Fed’s Madison or Milwaukee office. Benefits include health, dental, and vacation time plus an excellent work space in either downtown Madison or downtown Milwaukee.

Submit a cover letter and resume by 5pm Monday, February 8. Late applications may still be considered.

Click here for the full job description and contact information

Bike Walk Safety Instructor

The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin (Bike Fed) is seeking a Bike/Walk Safety Instructor to support Milwaukee ‘s Safe Routes to School program. Safe Routes to School is an innovative national movement to stop the growing trend of childhood obesity by drastically increasing the number of children who bike and walk to school. ??The position is 20-35 hours/week and is based in Milwaukee . Hours will be scheduled between 8am – 6pm Monday – Friday with occasional Saturdays required. The position is part-time, limited-term employment paid at $10/hour and does not include benefits. ??Employment begins April 12 and ends in October.

Submit a cover letter and resume by 5pm Monday, February 19

Click here for the full job description and contact information

Jessica Wineberg Binder??Wisconsin Safe Routes to School Network Organizer?Wisconsin@saferoutespartnership.org www.saferoutespartnership.org/wisconsin

Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
1845 N Farwell
Suite 100
Milwaukee , WI 53202
414-431-1761

www.bfw.org

P.S. Save the date for our annual Wisconsin Bike Summit on April 21 and 22. Join hundreds of fellow bike supporters to make Wisconsin one of the world’s best places to be on a bike.

?

Here is the Press Release from The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.

REPORT: BICYCLING A KEY CONTRIBUTOR TO WISCONSIN’S ECONOMY
MADISON — Recreational bicycling is among Wisconsin’s top outdoor activities in terms of economic impact, and increasing bicycling has the potential to deliver impressive health benefits and savings, according to a new report from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The report, produced by the CHANGE program of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, estimates that the economic impact of recreational bicycling in the state exceeds $924 million. Of this amount, $533 million is annual direct spending while an additional $391 million is due to indirect and induced effects, such increased purchases of supplies and labor by restaurants and hotels serving cyclists. These indirect and induced impacts may also occur on an annual basis or may extend over a longer time-frame.

Combined with previous estimates of the state’s bicycle manufacturing, sales, and services industry, this means bicycling generates more than $1.5 billion a year in total economic impact, according to the report. By comparison, deer hunting in the state generates $926 million, according to the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. And in a 2001 report, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism estimated the impact of snowmobiling to be just under $250 million.

Bicycling’s economic impact is not surprising given the predominance of the sport, say the report’s co-authors, Maggie Grabow, Micah Hahn, and Melissa Whited, all graduate students in the Nelson Institute’s Certificate in Humans and the Global Environment (CHANGE), a National Science Foundation-sponsored training program whose purpose is “to instill cross-disciplinary learning and prepare students to take on complex real-world environmental challenges of our times, ” according to CHANGE director, Professor Jonathan Patz. .

“According to the Wisconsin Outdoor Recreation Plan, 49 percent of Wisconsin residents enjoy bicycling for recreation, making it among the most popular outdoor activities in the state,” the trio writes. “State residents generate approximately $388 million in economic activity while enjoying Wisconsin’s extensive network of bicycle trails and scenic country roads and participating in bicycle races, rides for charity, and tours.”

Other notable observations:

• Wisconsin is recognized nationally as a top destination for bicycle tourists and was again named second in the nation in 2009 by the League of American Bicyclists.
• Non-residents are estimated to spend 6.4 million days a year bicycling in Wisconsin and generate more than $535 million.
• In all, bicycling supports an estimated 13,193 jobs in the state.

“People do not realize that bicycling is a big business in Wisconsin,” said state Rep. Spencer Black (D-Madison), a leading bicycling advocate, for whom the report was prepared. “It really is a big part of our economy, in many forms.”

The report’s authors also calculated the potential economic value of increased bicycling as a replacement for short automobile trips. They estimated that improvements in air quality and the health of Wisconsin adults could yield annual savings valued at more than $400 million.

“By incorporating physical activity into the lives of sedentary Wisconsin residents, bicycling to work could save approximately $319 million a year from reduced morbidity and healthcare costs,” they explain. “In addition, fewer cars on the road would result in a decrease in air pollution by fine particulate matter and ozone. This would not only reduce health problems such as asthma and chronic bronchitis but would further reduce health care costs by almost $90 million annually in Milwaukee and Madison alone.”

Increased bicycle commuting also could help Wisconsin meet its goals in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the students say.

A follow-up study of the demographics of current and future cyclists will help target investments in bicycling infrastructure to maximize the potential benefits.
Among other things, the report recommends aiming bicycling improvements at younger people. Studies in Europe suggest that designated bike lanes and smooth roads on primary thoroughfares that are the most direct routes to major destinations provide strong incentives to this age group to commute by bike.

The report also recommends that future investments, ideally within the next two decades, focus on bicycle paths and traffic signals to accommodate Wisconsin’s aging population. The researchers emphasize that although investments should be targeted at younger riders, a safer infrastructure will ultimately encourage people of all ages to spend more time bicycling.

The report, “Valuing Bicycling’s Economic and Health Impacts in Wisconsin,” draws information from more than two dozen published sources. It is available free online at www.bfw.org.

http://www.dirtragmag.com/web/article.php?ID=606

entitled How to Make a Ski Bike (by Noah Koerper).

Since I have the old skis and I am hitting Dave up for his old Ralph race frame it seems like we will be able to get one of these bag boys built. I wonder if they would let us ride one at Alpine Valley?

I put some miles on the Shark and I had quite a few others try it to get their opinion as well. On my first ride on the Shark I intended to go around the block, just to check it out. I was having so much fun I ended up riding for about 45 minutes. It is really smooth to ride and turning is a blast. One of the most impressive features is how fast you can stop. With your weight in the center of the bike, and lower, you can haul down to a stop extremely quickly. The low CG makes turning a breeze as well. Also, the easy seat adjustment made it very simple for other to try it out. The sizing is extremely flexible.

Nick is working with us to finalize the Schlick Shark for production. We look forward to working with him on this project and value his expertise.

The Kim West Radio Cycling Show Blog

The Kim West Radio Cycling Show Pocast on KXNO

The Kim West Radio Cycling Show on iTunes (Will open iTunes)

Fellow songwriter Brianna Lane will also travel the entire tour by bicycle as the opening act. Bolstered on much of the route by a few other cyclist friends, Mulvey and Lane will travel with all their gear, without a support vehicle.

Good luck, Peter and Brianna!

Dave called and said he’d be going to check out the custom motorcycle show at the Harley Museun is I decided to head down on the Smitty to meet him. I was interested to see his finished Teesdale MTB he just finished building as well.

The show at the Harley Museum was OK. Lots of bikes and Harley types walking around on what ended up being a beautiful day. There were probably 70 or so show bikes and several hundred visitors’ bikes parked on the Museum grounds.

After hanging at the museum for a bit we rode through downtown Milwaukee to Water St. because we thought the block party would still be going on but that event was only Saturday night. What was going on was Dave Cook’s “Worlds Shortest Poker Run” so we got to check out more motorcycles that were in town for the Milwaukee Rally. Some pretty cool rigs including one of Dave Cook’s that uses a Manitou MTB rear shock as part of the front fork. Sweet!

I left Dave who was going to his sister’s to eat dinner and went home to chef up some steaks for the family and then headed to Cook Customs shop party for more Motorcycle action.

Sydney rode her Trek 820, a nice old steel version, and I rode a Smitty.

The event was co-chaired by Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and John Burke of Trek Bicycles. who had the following goals for running the event:

•    To allow bikers, runners, skaters, walkers and even families with strollers to enjoy six miles of Madison streets normally reserved for motor vehicle use
•    To establish Madison as one of America’s most bicycle-friendly cities
•    To bring the community of Madison together for a fun, community-affirming event
•    To invite Madisonians to consider adding non-motorized means of travel to their daily lives
•    To bring Madison residents downtown to patronize stores, boutiques and restaurants
•    To invite people to discover neighborhoods in a safe, family-oriented way
•    To point out the vital role roadways play in recreation, transportation and the overall health and welfare of our community
•    To enable citizens to see the city from a whole new perspective and pace

Syd enjoyed the bike obstacle course, the Art Cart where she made a bubble wand , tracing our feet on the street and riding through the tunnel where there were musicians playing. She also was thrilled that there is a Jimmy John’s on State St. because that is her favorite sub shop and we had lunch there.

I enjoyed the time with my daughter!

It would be great to see an event like this in Milwaukee. If you have ideas on how this could happen shoot me a note to greg@schlickcycles.com