It’s Still Summer and We Like It at Passion Trail Bikes

This week’s word on the trail, on Sept 9, 2009

1. Wednesday Wrides: Big Bikes and Other Bikes 5:45pm
2. Tickets for Freedom Riders Movie at Rio Theater, 9/17
3. Ridge Trail Opens Hiking-Only Trail for Bikes, One Day Only Sept 12
4. Waterdog Trailwork – Brushing and Maintenance 9/13 8:30am RSVP’s needed
5. Passion Fall Demo Days! October 3&4


1. Wednesday Wrides: Big Bikes and Other Bikes 5:45pm
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Sunset is at 7:27PM this Wednesday 09/09/09. Twilight ends and near-darkness falls right around 8:10pm.
Next week on Sept 16th the Regular Ride launches at 5:45PM.

So Tom has called a “Big Bike Ride” for today – he’s bringing something with about 7” of travel to abuse. He’d like some company. Bring your armor too. Other riders will be doing the same ol’ same ol’ on the skinny trails of waterdog, so bring whatever bike you have handy.
Approaching a drop in, thinking, is this a big enough bike?

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.

Charles gets a bite and a brew in the Customer Lounge

The BIG BIKES ride will go out at 5:45 PM.
The EARLY ride will go out at 5:30 PM.
The REGULAR rides will go out between 5:45 and 6:00 PM.
The WHITE SOCKS ride will go out at6:00 PM.
The FBG or Fat Bottomed Girl ride will go out at 6:00 PM.
The STRAGGLERS ride may form and start chasing around 6:15 PM.
For future planning, we have the upcoming start times each week for the first wave of 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 to eat plus 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!

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2. Tickets for Freedom Riders Movie at Rio Theater, 9/17
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Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz presents the Santa Cruz showing of Freedom Riders 7 pm Thursday September 17th at the Rio Theatre. This film is a benefit to raise money for our local State Parks district to replace the sign at the entrance of the Wilder Ranch back country.

Tickets are on sale at Passion Trail Bikes for $10, or if not sold out, will be available at the door. All ticket holders will get a raffle ticket. MBOSC will also sell additional raffle tickets in the theater.

Freedom Riders is the story of a core group of riders who evolved from covertly building rough and unsustainable trails, to creating a precedent setting relationship with the Forest Service and creating some of the best Freeride trails in the country. The Freedom Riders story has parallels with the story of the Braille Trail and other trails like it.

MBOSC is presenting this film because we feel it is a story that could resonate in this community and it could lead to some wonderful future possibilities in our local scene. The current state fiscal crisis and the change in leadership in the local district is creating more dialog between land managers and the local mountain bike advocates. They are looking for allies and partners.

Since February, we have been actively working with our local State Parks district to create more legitimate mountain biking opportunities. We are inviting local land managers to the showing of this film and hope that they can see how co-operation between downhill/freeride mountain bikers and land managers has worked in another part of the country.

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3. Ridge Trail Opens Hiking-Only Trail for Bikes, One Day Only Sept 12
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Just a reminder that the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council has obtained a special use permit for one-day only bicycle access to the Skyline Trail in Sanborn County Park, which is currently closed to bikes. AWESOME! Come join Patty and other Ridge Trail supporters for a special shuttled and catered ride along the summit between Sunnyvale Mountain and Borel Hill.

This is a super fun fundraiser ride with lots of support and a really special feeling and vibe to it. Patty will be doing the Intermediate ride, with a white socks pace. To join this fun event, visit the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council’s website to register. You MUST register in advance to get a space on the shuttle!here.

Sanborn County Park future mountain biking trail map

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4. Waterdog Trailwork – Brushing and Maintenance 9/13 8:30am RSVPs needed!
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It’s time for us to do a bit of hedge trimming on some of those shrubby little jersey shredders up at the top of the park. Come on down and give a hand with fall trail maintenance. All we can really do is beat back the brush until we get some weather to soften the dirt. And we need to do that soon, because the first rains will wet down, weight down, and bend over any new growth and drag it over into our faces, and who wants that!?

Come join Patty with a morning of singletrack care. Please RSVP so Patty knows how big of a crew to expect. Send her an email at patty@passiontrailbikes.com. Remember, Sunday Sept 13th, 8:30am. Oh, and we will meet at that time somewhere up off of Hallmark to hit the upper trails, so RSVP to get the trailhead location so you can find us!

Volunteers cut back brush on the top of the Rambler Trail

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5. Passion Fall Demo Days! October 3&4

The event of autumn you do not want to miss!!! Last year we sent out over a hundred demo rides. We expect 2010 bikes from Specialized (many S-works models as well as women’s-specific geometry), Giant, Santa Cruz, IBIS, Maverick and if we play our cards right, Turner. Stay tuned for the exact mix of bike models, sizes, brands and et cetera, but in the meantime, please put it on your calendar!

If you are thinking you might want to bring a new bike into your life, the Bike Doula will be sending out test rides and taking orders all weekend!

Specialized lines up brand new bikes for the PTB Demo Days

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

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, Daryl, Pancho, Will, Peter, Reba and Buster