Yearly Archives: 2016

National Bike Challenge Charlotte Awards Event

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sumposterSaturday, December 17th, we hosted the Charlotte awards and celebration event at Advent Coworking Space.  We had lots of prize packages to award to top riders and to raffle off to everyone who could attend.  It was great seeing and meeting some of the riders that were on the leader board.  I met the guy who beat me by 60 points for #8 on the Charlotte team.  He rides a lot!

We posted full challenge rankings for the Charlotte challenge as well as for the Charlotte Spokes People Team and Crank Mafia.

fullresultsrankings  These are the full results rankings for the Charlotte Challenge.

csprankings  These are the rankings for Team Charlotte Spokes People.  Join our team next year!

2016summary  This is a summary of the Challenge.

Kevin Caldwell spoke briefly about his masters thesis, which will research bike commuting.  Please contact him at kcaldw19@uncc.edu if you can contribute.

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Milton and Sarah awarded the prize packages.

 

A big thank you to the Bike Benefits businesses who donated prizes.

Bicycle Benefits

Bicycle Benefits

  • img_20161217_203137-01Queen City Bicycles
  • Common Market
  • Legion Brewing
  • Birdsong Brewing
  • Brixx Pizza
  • Blue Blaze

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Spring 2016 CSP Newsletter

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Charlotte

Spokes People Newsletter

April 2016

Special Event:

BIKE! Charlotte and Bike Fest


Bike!Charlotte is from April 29-May17. Almost 3 weeks of events of fun bike stuff culminating up to Bike Fest on Thomas Ave on May 15th. Check the BIKE!Charlotte website (http://bikecharlotte.org/) for details. Keep an eye on our calendar for events throughout the year.


Here are the events we’re hosting:

April 29: 4 – 7 pm: Cycling Savvy Workshop – Day 1 : An adult master class teaching how to drive your bike as a vehicle. Spoke Easy, 1523 Elizabeth Ave.

April 30: 2-5 pm: Cycling Savvy Workshop – Day 2 : bike skills and drills in a closed course. 932 Seigle Ave.

May 1: 1-4 pm; Cycling Savvy Workshop – Day 3: on the road bike tour of Charlotte (Both Class 1,2 prerequisites for Day 3.) Legion Brewing, 1916 Commonwealth Ave.

May 3: 2 – 3 pm: Tues at 2 ride. Advent Coworking, 933 Louise Ave.

May 3: 8 pm: Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride – PMTNR B.O.A.T. Ride: Bikes On A Train! (Meet at 7:30 for safety meeting prior the ride.) Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave.

May 7: 4 – 5 pm: Kidical Mass from Midwood Park

May 8: 2 pm: Sunday Slow Riders – Mother’s Day ride to McGill Rose Garden; Legion Brewing, 1916 Commonwealth Ave.

May 10: 2 – 3 pm: Tues at 2 ride. Advent Coworking, 933 Louise Ave.

May 10: 8 pm: Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride to Charlotte Cycles (Meet at 7:30 for safety meeting prior the ride.) Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave.

May 15: 12-5 pm; BikeFest: Come enjoy this open street festival in Plaza Midwood! Events include Bike swap, Bike Drive for Trips for Kids Charlotte, a Kids Bicycle Roadeo, Bike races – cargo challenge, snail race, track stand challenge, kids crafts and activities, Panel discussions on bike camping, social rides, commuting, Cycling Savvy. 1400 – 2000 Thomas Ave. (behind Zada Jane’s)

May 15: 12:30: Kids Bike and Pet Parade; depart at at 12:45 PM. The Vine, 2101 Belvedere Ave.

Upcoming Event

BikeFest

BikeFest is the original open streets event in Charlotte! This will be the 6th year. Come out and celebrate all things bike. Pump up your tires and enjoy Thomas Avenue free of cars. Volunteers are needed. Email pamlikestobike@gmail.com to help out.

For more details about BikeFest, click here.

 

About Cycling Savvy

Cycling Savvy is a three-day workshop teaching traffic skills and crash avoidance strategies. Workshops are scheduled monthly in Charlotte, and there will be a workshops on April 29-May 1, as well as dates in June and July. Check CyclingSavvy.org for details.

Quotes from Cycling Savvy students:

“Before taking this class, I had been bike commuting 3-5 times a week for a few years, and felt quite confident about my abilities to ride on the road. But since taking it, my confidence has soared and I have learned a ton about different traffic situations and how to be communicate with motorists. I now have more space and far more positive interactions with motorists I can’t recommend it enough!” – AR

“This class was great! My confidence on the road skyrocketed. If you ride or want to – you should look into this. I was in class with triathletes and daily bike commuters. Everyone learns something!!” – CW

“I have never felt such a sense of equality biking in traffic. Thanks for keeping me and other students safe!” – GF

Cycling Savvy scholarships are available for those in need. Scholarships are funded by CLT Spokes People and Charlotte Bike Benefits. Support local businesses and help to support Cycling Savvy scholarships through the purchase of helmet stickers. New this year are Cycling Savvy helmet stickers, which also support scholarships. Last year CLT Spokes People funded 12 Cycling Savvy scholarships. Please email Pam at pamlikestobike@gmail.com for details about scholarships.

 

National Bike Challenge, 2016 Edition


The National Bike Challenge starts May 1 and goes through September. Sign up for the Challenge and join the Charlotte Spokes People team! Help us get Charlotte on the leaderboard again. Last year, we were in the Top 20 cities based on Challenge points. Let’s show the nation that Charlotte is a great place to bike!  

Click here to join our team: Charlotte Spokes People. http://cltspok.es/winNBC, and come ride with us three times a week:

  • Tuesdays at 2 from Advent Coworking (932 Louise Ave.)
  • Tuesdays at 8 from Common Market Plaza Midwood
  • Sundays at 2 from Legion Brewing.

Bike Benefit Bingo

 Bike Benefit Bingo is returning from May 1st until the 15th. Get your cards at the Advent ride, PMTNR, or Sunday Slow Ride. Some cards also available at some participating locations including Rhino Market, Three Spirits, Queen City Bicycles, Spoke Easy. Suggested donation of $1 goes towards Cycling Savvy scholarships. 

How to play:

Ride your bike to the participating locations and get your card stamped.

How to win:

Bingo players can email finished cards to pamlikestobike@gmail.com before May 15 or drop them off at BikeFest on Sunday, May 15 from 12-5 on Thomas Ave., behind Zada Jane’s. Look for the CLT Spokes People / Bike Benefits / Cycling Savvy table.

New Bike Benefits Businesses

  • Pure Pizza – Central Ave.
  • CLTCH
  • Camille’s Sidewalk Café
  • Tip Top Daily Market
  • Red Clay Cidery
  • Codescape
  • Legion Brewing
  • Bulldog Beer and Wine – South End
  • House of Lemond
  • The Broken Spoke
  • Cast Iron Waffles – South Park & Ballantyne
  • Powderly/Vuchnich CPA
  • One Life Raw Juice Bar
  • Three Spirits Brewery
  • Pasta & Provisions on Park
  • Dr. Tony Peters
  • Abari
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes
  • Sabor – NoDa
  • Sharon Luggage – both locations
  • Inner Peaks – both locations
  • First Ward Beverage

Check out the pocket list (http://cltspok.es/CLTpocketList) on the Bike Benefits website for the full list of businesses and offers. We are the largest program in the country! Support local. Ride your bike for your benefits.

PMTNR

Come ride the Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride. We ride every week at 8 pm from Common Market. The ride is never canceled. Meet your neighbors, ride on the quiet streets of Charlotte at night, discover new Bike Benefits businesses. Support local businesses.

As a refresher, here are the Rules of the Ride:

  • Don’t pass the leader.
  • Ride in one lane.
  • Obey all traffic signals.
  • Communicate.
  • Be prepared to stop at all times.

Upcoming Events

  • Bike!Charlotte is 4/29-5/15
  • PMTNR Bikes on a Train ride is 5/3/16
  • BikeFest is May 15 on Thomas Ave in Plaza Midwood

Contact Us

https://cltspokespeople.org/

CLTSpokesPeople@gmail.com

Please share this newsletter, and as always…

Come ride with us!

Winter 2015/2016 CSP Newsletter

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 Charlotte

 Spokes People Newsletter


Special Event:

Bikes vs. Cars Documentary Showing

The CLT Spokes People ensured a strong start to 2016 by hosting a showing of Bikes vs. Cars, a provocative documentary that is generating a lot of discussion, here in Charlotte. Many of us rode to the showing in freezing temperatures, making an impression on the other moviegoers! We’ll be posting about the film on the Spokes People blog. See the first installment here.

 

Featured Ride:

Bicycle Fridays at Park Road Montessori

Last year, CLT Spokes Person Bethanie Johnson started a Bicycle Friday ride at Park Road Montessori. Since then, students, teachers, and parents have gathered to ride their bikes together almost every week. According to Bethanie,

This winter we’re averaging between 8 and fifteen riders, but in the nice months we’ve averaged 18 per week. I think our highest number (for bike/walk to school), was around 30 children–add in adults between 40 and 45. We joke with the kids about the “chance of donuts.” As in, “There’s a 70 percent chance of donuts on tomorrow’s ride.” I sometimes make them, or my co-leader springs for donuts. We’ve had some great parent support, and one parent told me last week it’s the only day her son gets up on his own, “because I have to ride my bike today!” Dick Winters has been on several of the rides and is cooperating with CMS to get new bike racks installed at our school. We’re very excited about that. Trips For Kids ran a booth with us at the fall picnic, and I’ve encouraged parents to get replacement bicycles at the Recyclery because children are always growing out of bikes.

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These kids are the next generation of cyclists!

 

2015 In Review:

PMTNR Recap

Since April 2013, over 10,000 people have ridden PMTNR. We ride every week, and the ride is never cancelled. Sometimes a dozen people ride; sometimes, it’s more than a hundred. Come out for some fun riding your bike, exploring hidden neighborhoods, and discovering great Bike Benefits businesses with us. PMTNR was also mentioned in various publications in 2015. I think the Charlotte Agenda article captured the spirit of the ride best. Click here to read their story.

Largest PMTNR in 2015: 150 riders to Goodyear Skyline Artists exhibit with King of Pops on August 25th.

Smallest PMTNR in 2015: Eight riders in the rain on October 27th.

We always have fun. Thanks for riding with us.

Bicycle Benefits

The Charlotte Bike Benefits program continues to grow.  We are fortunate to have so many bike-friendly destinations and so many businesses that support bike riding.  With 156 participating locations, the Charlotte program is the largest in the nation. This year we introduced Bike Bingo to introduce and highlight Bike Benefits businesses. Bike Bingo ran from May-Oct during the National Bike Challenge.

Ride your bike for your benefits! Here are the last 10 businesses to join the program:

  • Powderly / Vuchnich CPA
  • Cast Iron Waffles – South Park
  • Cast Iron Waffles – Piedmont Row
  • The Broken Spoke
  • House of Lemond
  • Bulldog Beer and Wine – South End
  • Legion Brewing Co.
  • Codescape
  • Red Clay Cidery
  • Tip Top Daily Market
  • Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe
  • CLTCH
  • Pure Pizza – Central Ave.
  • Law office of David Demers

To see a full list of participating business, print off a pocket list.

Cycling Savvy

In 2015, Charlotte has held 10 classes with about 60 students completing the bike workshop. This makes Charlotte the fastest-growing Cycling Savvy location. For those who don’t know, Cycling Savvy is a three-day workshop that helps people learn how to recognize and handle traffic situations to safely and comfortably ride on any road:

  • Day 1: Classroom presentation – bicycle law and safety strategies
  • Day 2: On-bike skills – inside, closed course
  • Day 3: Bike ride of Charlotte.

There will be more Savvy Cyclists in Charlotte’s future.

The next Cycling Savvy class is March 11-13! Take the first step toward confidence to ride your bike anywhere by visiting register.cyclingsavvy.org/groups/north-carolina to sign up.

Upcoming Events

Save these dates!  Mark your calendars!

  • Cycling Savvy Feb 5-7, March 11-13, Apr 29 – May 1
  • Bike!Charlotte is 4/29-5/15
  • PMTNR Bikes on a Train ride is 5/3/16
  • BikeFest is May 15 on Thomas Ave in Plaza Midwood

Please subscribe so you can keep up to date and help us continue to improve your biking in Charlotte


Contact Us

https://cltspokespeople.org/

CLTSpokesPeople@gmail.com

Please share this newsletter, and as always…

Come ride with us!

Bikes vs. Cars: CLT Spokes People Reactions

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bikesvscars

On Monday, January 18, CLT Spokes People hosted a screening of Bikes vs. Cars in Charlotte. 125 of 146 seats were sold, and about 11 people rode bikes to the screening.  Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and helped bring the documentary to Charlotte. The patrons who were there for other movies noticed and commented on the number of cyclists arriving at once. Most people I spoke to seemed to enjoy the movie. Bikes vs. Cars was a provocative film, with strengths and weaknesses noted by the attendees, and I’m glad we all got to watch the movie together.  My intention was to help spur a dialog about how we can all help each other ride more and support riders in our effort to make bike riding a normal and expected daily occurrence.

The following are some comments (lightly edited for clarity and brevity) shared by people who saw the film. These are examples of the lively and thoughtful dialog among Charlotte bicyclists!

 

Join the dialog by sharing your comments with us at: pamlikestobike@gmail.com.

If you missed the showing, you can watch Bikes Vs. Cars online on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bikesvscars.

Bottom line: We all win when people ride bikes.  

Lexi Watt: “You own a car, not the street. The street belongs to all of us. It’s not war. It’s a city.” –Bikes vs. Cars. Thank you Pamela Murray and Ryan Stachurski for promoting this film showing. The worldwide bike community is an eclectic, beautiful one. Hope to see it grow….  It’s nice to see bikes acknowledged, in some capacity or another, as a solution. As a way of life.”

Pamela Murray: “Bikes are a solution and a way for me and many others. It’s great to see so many at the movie.”

Stephen Gilbert: “I’ll say Charlotte’s got more work to do towards improving bike transportation, but wow, I can’t even imagine living in San Paolo or LA.”

Amanda Jill: “Charlotte is at a critical point in its development. The population is growing rapidly and if Charlotte wanted to do it, it could become the bike capital of the US. Weather works in its favor and people are active here. I think many would come to enjoy bike commuting if we had some great elevated trails like the old one in LA in the movie. Charlotte simply isn’t laid out for cars. (As obviously the best laid cities can’t keep up). I hope the bike movement is embraced. Keep riding. Every time you ride you help spread the word that streets are for people and that includes people on bikes! They didn’t even discuss how biking fights obesity and improves mental health! Lower health care costs no matter who gets elected! Ride ride ride!”

James Coleman: “Wonderful film. Should be required viewing for all government officials.”

Kristina Blake: “I’d love to see LA refurbish and open parts of that bike highway back up. Charlotte may not be known as the best cycling city, but we’re ooodles ahead of some of what we saw tonight.”

Amanda Jill: “Charlotte has a dedicated community. We actually came in 20th place in the country in the national bike change last year, a competition where individuals log their miles and represent their city. The competition starts in May if you would like to participate in 2016! smile emoticon www.nationalbikechallenge.org This is one way to have a voice and show our nation that Charlotte bikes! Join the Charlotte Spokes People team if you choose to sign up to get in on our local competition as well.”

Steve Doolittle: “Thanks Ryan…..makes one reflect on the global crisis we are all headed toward as the number of cars on the planet doubles….and as gas prices plummet encouraging even more driving…..”

Christine Weber: “Best comment i heard ‘I learned that there’s a Pamela Murray in every city.'”

Kim Brown: “My takeaway was that cities should install a complex series of tightropes to ease car traffic congestion.”

Trudy N. York: “Had a great time. I found it very informative! ?”

Todd Blake: “My overarching takeaway was that any under-represented group within a society needs to represent themselves in order to affect change. The folks São Paulo had to do that and at one point even commented that they needed to get organized. Though my wife and I agreed the change that happened may have been partially been due to the fact that the government feared being in a documentary.”

Kar In: “Thank you Spokes People!. 1) good movie – I was pumped after: wild (riding) characters, interesting histories, messy cities; 2) after sleeping over it: extremes were exposed; after soaking those up, I am eager to know how the DCs, the Portlands, the Viennas, and Paris’ are doing it. 3) Applied to Charlotte: yes, we are a city hitting adolescence: there is potential here, and I didn’t become US citizen because I thought every elected official was trapped in the Koch Brother lasso, but because citizens can work constructively with them (which I am crossing my fingers for with HB232). Compared to other cities CLT advocacy is small in numbers, but persistent and on the right path. I don’t think there is a war and definitely not with the car industry but if there is an industry that needs education it is DEVELOPERS – we have to get our elected officials to make them act according to smart planning ordinances 4) re: “organized” as an advocacy group – I think in the movie when the group sporadically protested in front of the mayor’s house on Sunday after the disgusting accident, it was in order – they were under shock and just did what their humanity told them to; I also think it had an impact: the mayor send down his son (their age) and let them talk out their emotion. Soon after, Sao Paolo got bike lanes although previously the city council said it was “very difficult”. Not saying CLT bike advocates don’t need to be organized, but occasional outrage is ok. Otherwise constructive dialogue with decision makers is better.”

 

Stay tuned for the CLT Spokes People review of the Bikes vs. Cars film!

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