Seeking More Singletrack at Passion Trail Bikes

This week’s news and info on May 26, 2009:

1. Could This Really Happen??? Bike Access to Singletrack in Marin’s SP Taylor State Park
2. Wednesday Wrides: Singletrack! Pizza Party! 6:30pm
3. Lead a Crew and Build Singletrack at Waterdog on National Trails Day 6/6 9:00am


1. Could This Really Happen??? Bike Access to Singletrack in Marin’s SP Taylor State Park
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Bill’s Trail Switchback

Please Support Historic Opportunity for NEW Mountain Bike Access in Marin County, California

California State Parks has announced a proposal to open singletrack for mountain biking in Marin County, on the shoulders of Mt. Tamalpais. The agency plans to permit bicycle use on the 4-mile Bill’s Trail segment and is soliciting public commentary on the project.

“I’m urging mountain bikers across the country to send comments in support of this project,” says IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. “It’s hard to imagine a more important location than Marin, where mountain bikers have worked incredibly hard to regain access to the very trails that helped bring our sport into the world.”

Please Take Action!

This landmark opportunity is the direct result of more than three years of partnership building with the parks department by IMBA California,  Access4Bikes and the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin. A successful opening of Bill’s Trail will set the stage for bicycle access to several other singletrack trails in Marin, which is widely considered to be one of the birthplaces of modern mountain biking. Despite its historic role, Marin has seen precious few opportunities for mountain biking open to the public in recent years.

Additional Information

Located within the Mt. Tamaplais watershed in Samuel Taylor State Park, Bill’s Trail winds through native ferns, wildflowers and hazelnut trees. It averages a reasonable 7-percent grade, and its six switchbacks provide riders with multiple views of the surrounding landscapes. While it is expected that bike access on Bill’s Trail will be limited to alternate days at first, the parks department states that this stipulation will be open to further review.

California State Parks is expected to announce opportunities for bicycling on other nearby routes in upcoming months. The Diaz Ridge Trail, which runs through Mt. Tamalpais State Park and Golden Gate National Recreation Area property, is scheduled to receive a major reroute this summer. This project could produce shared-use singletrack joining State Parks and National Park Service properties.

A small number of local hiking and equestrian groups have vowed to fight against any new access for mountain biking in Marin County, despite plentiful evidence that well-designed trails can be successfully shared by various user groups, and that mountain biking is a sustainable, low-impact form of recreation. “I think that, broadly speaking, the community of trail users in Marin is ready for this,” says IMBA California Policy Advisor Tom Ward. “We have seen great success with our volunteer mountain bike patrol program there. Mountain bikers care deeply about protecting the gorgeous trails and natural areas in Marin, and we will continue working with like-minded groups.”

Take Action! Tell California State Parks you support their decision to open Bill’s Trail to bicycles. The commentary period ends on June 26.

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2. Wednesday Wrides: Singletrack! Pizza Party! 6:30pm
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Sunset is at 8:21pm this Wednesday 05/27/09. Twilight ends and darkness falls right around 9:15pm. Next week the Regular Ride launches at 6:30pm

This week we are falling back to the old standby of having pizza delivered. Some sanity must be preserved around here occassionally, and this is one way of doing it. So join us for a great tour of our awesome local singletrack, and enjoy the good things in life!

This week the FBG ride is once again going up to Waterdog and we will sample more than one of the delightful ribbons of dirt we have to choose from, albeit at a calm and measured pace. See departure times and descriptions below or on our website.

P. L. E. A. S. E. . . . P. U. T. . . . L. I. G. H. T. S. . . . O. N ! ! ! !

Please remember to put a light on your handlebar and have a blinky ready for the ride back to the shop! CA vehicle code requires it. Don’t get caught out on the streets in the dark! Also, a reminder that we need to be super conscientious about stopping at stop signs and lights, yielding to pedestrians, and operating our bikes predictably and responsibly while on the roads and trails. Let’s be safe and kind out there.

For all the details about what makes each group listed below unique, please refer to this webpage. If your questions aren’t answered there, you can also email us for info at info@passiontrailbikes.com.

All rides start pedaling from the shop: Passion Trail Bikes, 415 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002 650-620-9798

Riders queuing up for the launch of the Wednesday Wride

The EARLY ride will go out at 6:15 PM.
The REGULAR rides will go out between 6:25 and 6:35 PM.
The FBG or Fat Bottomed Girl ride will go out at 6:35 PM.
The WHITE SOCKS ride will go out at 6:35 PM.
The STRAGGLERS ride goes out at 6:45 PM.
For future planning, we have the upcoming start times each week for the REGULAR ride posted on our Community Calendar

Note we may not have leaders for each ride but usually someone knows their way around. All groups will meet back here at Passion Trail Bikes right around dark for the usual story telling & beverage enjoyment. We will have stuff for the BBQ along with some carbo laden side dish, chips and fatty snacks and EANABS to pair up with the Devil’s Canyon Brewery’s Full Boar Scotch Ale, Silicon Blonde Ale, and Little Devil Root Beer. We will hang out until about 10pm, so come on down, even if you can’t make the ride! Passion Parties are better with YOU in the mix!

Riders enjoying one of Waterdog’s great trails

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3. Lead a Crew and Build Singletrack at Waterdog on National Trails Day 6/6 9:00am

Construction plan for a complex retaining wall, culvert and sitting bench on the north side of the lake.

The next workday is National Trails Day on Saturday June 6th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. We will be working to complete a segment of the new trail on the north side of the lake, including building some retaining walls and installing culverts, and preparing a bridge site for construction of the footings and staging the timbers prior to bridge construction.

REI is working to help recruit volunteers for this project and we are expecting a LARGE TURNOUT. We need volunteers who have helped build trail before and are comfortable guiding a small crew on one of these projects. EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Please see if you can make the time to help out on June 6th and RSVP ASAP. Patty will have to cut off volunteer sign ups if she doesn’t have enough helpers to manage the turnout, so please let her know right away if you can make it.

To get involved and get more details on this exciting workday, please send Patty an email at patty@passiontrailbikes.com and let her know you can pitch in. She will get back to you with more information on the the projects she has planned. Thanks so much!

Read back issues of the Passion Trail Bikes Community e-Newsletter on our website

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To contact us, email us at info@passiontrailbikes.com, or call the shop at 650-620-9798.

Happy Trails, the PTB crew
Charles, Patty, Berry, John, Bret, Sterling, Daryl, Peter, Reba and Buster