4th Annual ORS Century Ride

Rachel Senechal blogged up a few photos from the 4th Annual Onion River Sports Century Ride held yesterday (July 28, 2007), including the below one, at the Montpelier Matters blog, here.

Cyclists at the Barton Food Stop during today’s Onion River Sports Century Ride.

[photo by Rachel Senechal at Barton Food Stop (via Montpelier Matters blog)]

Member Diary: Dream Bicycle

*Updated*: go to *Update* below the fold (or photo)

The day prior to the official opening of the FreeRide Montpelier bicycle cooperative, although I did not then own a bike and also had not ridden in a very long time either, due to my long-held passion for bicycling I joined as a member — thanks in part to the sliding fee scale.

Early this past Tuesday evening I arrived back in Montpelier via bus from an out of state visit with a friend as well as family members for the last three weeks (July 3rd thru July 24th).

During my third week of visiting, I stayed with one of my cousins for two nights.

He had become the owner of a bicycle that had formerly belonged to a mutual aunt of ours whom had given it to his sister whom then gave it to him and, which he gifted to me last week.

My cousin is an Ironman Triathlon competitor. He used this particular bike for training prior to his triathlon last year, however he now has his own bike and wanted to keep this one in the family.

The bicycle is a Univega Modo Vivere. At least compared to what I was formerly use to using, it is one fine bike.

Volunteers Needed for ORS Century Ride

We need volunteers to work at the Onion River Sports Century Ride THIS Saturday.

We need help out at the Montpelier Recreation Field: two people from 1-3pm and one person from 3-6pm. to congratulate riders, record times, help with the BBQ, clean up and tear down.

We need one person to help at the North Wolcott Food Stop from 12:15 to 2pm to set up food, drinks, table and tent, hand out food to riders as they arrive, encourage riders, clean up and take down. (Food and drink to be picked up at ORS on Langdon Street and transported to North Wolcott)

We need people to bake cookies! Oatmeal, date, molasses, peanut butter and other yummy cookies! The cookies can be dropped off at the Library on Friday, July 27 or ORS on Langdon Street.

If you can help us out please let me know.

Thank You!
Rachel Senechal
223-3338

Bikes, not Nukes!

SOLAR ROLLERS BIKE THRU VT TO SHUT DOWN VT YANKEE!
Aug. 14 - Sept. 1, 2007
By riding through every county in VT, Solar Rollers hope to:
Educate Vermonters regarding real VT Yankee facts (VT Yankee is
dangerous, dirty, expensive and destructive)
Urge Vermonters to contact their legislators in support of clean,
renewable energy
Urge legislators to deny the re-licensure of the 34-year-old plant,
now running at 120% of its original design capacity and shut VT
Yankee down
Talk about real green alternatives to nuclear power.

Join the Solar Rollers for a day, a weekend, a week or the entire trip!

Along the way you will help distribute informational flyers, speak
with local media, and talk with residents of every county in Vermont,
while enjoying the recreational opportunities epitomized by the
“Vermont Ain’t Flat” bumper-sticker.

For more information or to join us, contact:
The Solar Rollers - reporter@montaguema.net.
David Detmold- 413.863.8666 (Southern VT)
Robin Cappuccino -802.533.2296 (Northern VT)
Debra Stoleroff- 802.476.3154 (Central VT)

Ways You Can Get Involved:
Ride with us! … for a day, a weekend, a week or the entire trip!
Organizer a Public Meeting … in your town the day we arrive to
discuss the issues of nuclear power and green alternatives
Arrange an Evening Potluck … for informal discussions
Offer a Place for Tired Cyclists …to shower and rest their weary
bones (inside or out — Solar Rollers will have tents)
Sponsor a Solar Roller … your financial contribution will aid in
our outreach and education efforts in VT this summer
Document the Journey … videographers are welcome to help us
continue our efforts in a digital format
Blog About the Solar Roller Tour on the VT Yankee Decommissioning
Alliance website … to broaden outreach and communication
Create an easy-to-carry-and-present Street Theater performance… for
those great moments on town greens

Draft Itinerary:
Tues, Aug 14:
9 am- VT Yankee Nuclear Power plant, Vernon
11 am Brattleboro - Bennington (approx. 38 mi)
Wed, Aug 15: Bennington - Chester (approx. 55 mi)
Thurs, Aug 16: Chester - Springfield - White River (approx. 41 mi)
Fri, Aug 17: White River - Rutland (approx. 35 mi)
Sat, Aug 18: Rutland - Middlebury (approx. 38 mi)
Sun, Aug 19: Middlebury - Warren (approx. 39 mi)
Mon, Aug 20: Warren - Randolph (approx. 50 mi)
Tues, Aug 21: Randolph -Chelsea - Barre- Plainfield (approx. 40 mi)
Wed, Aug 22: Plainfield - Stowe (40 mi)Morrisville (approx. 50 mi)
Thurs, Aug 23: Morrisville - Hardwick - St Johnsbury (approx. 35 mi)
Fri, Aug 24: St. Johnsbury - Lyndonville - Island Pond (approx. 30 mi)
Sat, Aug 25: Island Pond - Newport - Troy (approx. 40 mi)
Sun, Aug 26: Troy - Glover (approx. 35 mi)
Mon, Aug 27: Glover - Enosburg area (approx. 45- 55 mi)
Tues, Aug 28: Enousburg area - Swanton (approx. 26 mi)
Wed, Aug 29: Swanton - Grand Isle (approx. 30 mi)
Thurs, Aug 30: Grand Isle - Burlington (approx. 25 mi)
Fri, Aug 31: Burlington - Montpelier (60 mi)
or Burlington-Waterbury (approx. 48 mi) and bike to
Montpelier Sat, Sept 1

Barre Bike Run Update

Hey all.

I got a couple of quick responses to go take a look at the bikes today
from Colin and Robin, and those two, plus a dog, plus my friend Josh
who works for the city of Barre, made for a full car. But we did have
a look at the bikes and it seems like there is a pretty good
selection. Lots of department store-level bikes, but also some pretty
decent bikes as well. One that stood out for me was a steel frame kids
Jamis mountain bike.

We came back with two bikes — I had my bike rack in my trunk — which
are now at the space. There’s a Raleigh mixte that I think has some
potential (ignoring the tacoed front wheel), and a Univega frame with
a chunk of one of the seat stays sawed off (I assume to remove a bike
lock). The Univega can at least be used for parts.

The plan now is to set up a time when we can go get the rest of the
bikes. Josh has a truck and will  likely have access to a trailer at
some point in the near future. So we have to now set up a time to get
the bikes. I was thinking the weekend of August 4th — how does that
work for everyone interested?

–Greg

Barre Bike Run

Hey all.

I just spoke with my city planner friend over in Barre, and we can
have the confiscated bikes if we want them. The only issue is that
it’s an all-or-none deal. So we need to clear out 40 bikes from a
garage up on Route 14. I haven’t seen the bikes myself, but I’ve heard
they are of mixed quality. I hope to get up there to have a look
sometime in the next couple of days.

So, is anyone still interested? Also, does anyone have access to a
truck? My roommate’s bit the dust a couple weeks back so I’m out of
luck in that regard.

–Greg

Wheel Lacing Party

As soon as we get out QBP account I’m planning on getting some spokes
and building up some wheels. The procedure is pretty simple, but a
bit time consuming. I use this tutorial from Sheldon Brown which,
although it seems complicated to read is really fairly simple once
you get started. It probably takes 45 minutes to an hour to lace your
first wheel, and I found it much preferable to do that job sitting on
the couch with a beer. So if anyone wants to experiment with building
some wheels I’m proposing a lacing party. Get some rims, hubs, and
spokes, and come over to my place. we can have some beers and lace
some wheels, then true them up at your leisure on one of the wheel
stands at the coop.

There are plenty of wheels at the coop with broken spokes and whatnot
that could be rebuilt for the cost of 36 spokes, but it is easier for
truing to start with new rims. Anyone who wants to do this let me
know, and we can figure out what spokes (and rims and hubs if
necessary) are needed and do a group order. I think spokes are
cheaper in boxes of 100, so if it turns out that any of us are using
he same sizes we might save a few bucks.

Matt

Benefit Concert this Thursday!

 

Benefit Concert! — July 19

 

July 19th @ The Bethany Church (basement)
6:30 pm to 10:00 pm

 

Sh! The Octopus (Detroit Indie Rock)
How to Stay Alive in the Woods (NEK weird indie folk)
The Mountain Wolves (Montpelier’s favorite Mountain Goats cover band)

 

Suggested donations $10 to $0 (or bikes/parts/tools)…sliding scale.

Tubular Tire mini-workshop

I’ve never had to deal with mounting tubular tires before, and
probably neither have most of you, but I recently got a bike with
tubular tires, and they need replacing. So I figured I might as well
share the experience. Are you’re interested in seeing how tubular
tires go on, or maybe you’ve got an old set of tubular rims that
you’d like to breathe new life into by gluing on some new tires. Let
me know if you’re interested, and I’ll try to arrange a time when all
interested parties can get together.

If you don’t know anything about tubular tires, but would like to
here’s a some online resources:

Sheldon Brown Glossary entry on Tubular Tires:
http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_tp-z.html#tubular

Jobst Brandt on how to mount a Tubular:
http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/mounting-tubulars.html

Bike Forums “Totally Tubular” thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=154679

-Matt

Because Sometimes Two is Too Many

From Bill Merrylees and the Montpelier Unicycle Club:

Our weekly unicycling meets right down the street in the parking lot of the senior center. In the winter we meet on sundays for indoor riding at the rec dept gym there on Barre Street, so maybe we can set up something for any of your members who’d like to try it out. Our website is www.vtunicycle.com .