Bikeable Communities workshop, Andover MA , May 30

Register Now!

Contact Betsy Goodrich

Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
978-374-0519 Ext 21
egoodrich@mvpc.org

 

2013-05-30T09:00:00-0400
2013-05-30T12:00:00-0400
Bikeable Communities Training Workshop
120 Main Street, North Andover, MA, 01845, US
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=dfj78ieab&oeidk=a07e7f9nafg76034deb

 

Bike Travel Film Festival May 20

The 4^th Annual Ciclismo Classico Bike Travel Film Festival is on May 20th at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, benefiting Massbike . This year, our Grand Jury Prize winner is a fascinating story of a 23-year old Boston mother of three who cycled the globe in just 15 months – in 1894! We also explore Iran, Scotland, Germany, and the wilds of Swampscott. North Shore filmmaker Anthony John Bonner’s film, “The Broken Necklace,” kicks off the festival!

We also feature a Cookie Showcase of the area’s best bakeries.  One lucky attendee will win an amazing door prize – a spot on one of Ciclismo Classico’s “More Miles for Less” tours – a $2600 value!  We’ll also be raffling off an eclectic collection of cool bike jerseys to outfit you for your next ride.

This year’s festival will also feature the winning entries from the first-ever Bicycle Travel Film Contest, which is sponsored by Adventure Cycling and World Cycle Videos.

Details:

Monday, May 20^th, 2013

Regent Theatre, Arlington MA (7 Medford Street)

Social hour 6:00 PM; Films begin 7:00 PM

Tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the door

www.ciclismoclassico.com/filmfest

BikeMaine special offer to North Shore Cyclists

Special offer to North Shore Cyclists members

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine has launched a new, week-long bicycle ride, BikeMaine, that will run from September 7-14, 2013, and we want your club to be involved from the start We are offering the following incentives to bike clubs between now and May 31st:

• If 5 or more members of your club register, each will receive a complimentary BikeMaine jersey ($75 value) when they arrive at BikeMaine in September.
• If 10 members register, each registered rider receives a free BikeMaine jersey and we will send a check in the amount of $875 to your bike club (once the cancellation period has ended on July 15th).

You can choose how to spend the money: reduce everyone’s registration fee by 10%, use it to pay for transportation costs to Maine, or add a free rider! Make sure to have each of your club members use the following promotional code when registering so we can track any incentives that they or your club may earn. Sign up soon!   This offer ends on May 31^st or as soon as the remaining 150 spots are filled. Visit bikemaine.org for more information today, and bike on!

Sincerely,Kim True, BikeMaine Ride Director

kim@bikemaine.org

Bicycle Coalition of Maine
P.O. Box 5275, Augusta, ME 04332
info@BikeMaine.org | 207.623.4511 | www.BikeMaine.org

Why Join NSC?

Greetings:

I am asking you to support our Club by paying your $15 yearly dues. You can easily pay at http://www.nscyc.org/JoinNSC

Two questions come up regularly, and I thought I should best answer them. Why do we need an operating reserve? First, we have an operating reserve that helps us to purchase products, pay our expenses, and support the Blazing Saddles Century. Without it, we would have to regularly borrow funds to pay for larger, up-front expenses. We have been fortunate to be able to expand our club donations program to community and cycling groups. This past year, we substantially increased our donations to MassBike, League of American Cyclists, and similar organizations.

Also, people wonder what benefits they receive from our membership. Most important is our liability insurance coverage from League of American Cyclists. Fortunately, we use safe riding practices so our insurance usage is quite low. You can read about the coverage at http://www.amerspec.com/lab/brochure-faq.pdf. Every year, we pay an insurance fee based on our membership. The best way to insure that you are covered is to be a member.

We also have other benefits.

*Food and beverages at Club meetings.

*Significant subsidize the annual Fall Banquet through membership and proceeds from the Blazing Saddles Century. We have previously charged $35 per person. Our actually charges per person is closer to $65.

*Subsidize food and beverages at Club picnics and social events.

*Support purchasing of clothing and other items.

*Website support, email, and other technical needs such as PayPal and Square to allow easier payment options for members.

*Supplies for rides including paint for road markings and other needs.

*Permitting and other fees.

*Affordable Century: Our Century fees for riders are significantly lower than many others because of volunteer support and prudent fiscal management. We keep this low to support cycling in Essex County.

*Free membership for youth under 18 and for those under financial hardships.

So, I hope you will join and receive these and other benefits. More information is located at http://www.nscyc.org/JoinNSC.

See you on the Road!

Jeff Cox

2013 Spring Meeting

Hello—

It was great to see nearly 70 members at our Spring meeting tonight in Topsfield. The Gould Barn was full.

*We had reports from officers. We ran at a minor financial loss in 2012 but are financially sound.
*Because of our current financial balance, it was agreed to waive membership fee for officers because of their work for the Club.
*Any member that has financial issues around membership should speak with the President, Jeff Cox , at jeffrey.cox2@gmail.com or (781) 632-9723.
*We have 330 members–an increase of 20 members in March alone.
*We began taking membership and clothing orders charges via credit cards. This option was well received.
*We discussed all our rides, heard great reports on charity rides, and safety lecture.
*Look for more information on Emmaus Ride and the North Shore Diabetes Ride in the future. We are hoping to have 40 NSC members support the Diabetes Ride on May 19 this year.
*Look for a Paceline training to be offered by North Shore Cyclists this season.
*The Century will be held again this year with credit card payment options. Look at our the website for more information.
*The Turtles (slower riders) have an ad hoc ride on some Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings. Please contact Jimmy White for more details.
*We are anticipating several bike tours offered by members to Vermont, Canada, and the Berkshires this season.
*Winter riding will continue until April when the POTHOLE INSPECTION TOUR begins the first Sunday of April. Watch your email for charges and pick-up rides.

All in all, a great meeting! This is a special time to be in our club.

Don’t forget, your club’s leadership wants to support your ideas. This past couple of seasons, we have added several new weekly and Sunday rides and regular winter rides based on people’s interests. I would love to see various meet-up rides, a new daytime weekly ride, and opportunities for continued outreach to youth. Anything is possible. Let’s help make your idea a reality. This is a “yes” club.

I am proud to be your President.

See you on the Road!

Jeff Cox

North Shore Cyclists Winter update

Greetings Cyclists:

Today, we had our North Shore Cyclists Board meeting in preparation for our Friday, March 15 Spring meeting.

CLUB BUSINESS

*Heard reports from officers. We ran a slight operating deficit in 2012, but our finances are sound.

*Agreed to using Point of Sale option via credit card for memberships and club activities. Look for ability to use your credit card at all meetings and events.

*Agreed to Sponsorship policy if need develops.

*Heard about our PalPay system for membership renewals and web transactions.

*Anticipated that there will be 11 reoccurring rides per week during the cycling season.

*Heard that all Clerk reports have been completed and Club Liability Insurance from League of American Cyclists is paid for 2013.

BLAZING SADDLES CENTURY

*Agreed that the date for the 2013 Blazing Saddles Century is Saturday, August 17, 2013.

*Agreed to 500 rider cap for the Century.

*Agreed to using 2012 course for 2013 Century.

*Agreed to same costs as 2012.

*Agreed to placing flyers in bike shops for Century to promote Club and Century ridership.

*Agreed to opening web registration for Century by Spring meeting (March 15).

SPRING MEETING PROGRAM–MARCH 15

*Agreed to hear brief updates on Tour de Cure and Emmaus rides.

*Agreed to have Bicycling Safety and Courtesy session led by Gordon Harris.

Our current membership is 316.

See you Friday, March 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Gould Farm in Topsfield.

Jeff Cox

Here’s to 30 years! A group to call my friends.

I joined NSC in late 2007.  I had been dealing with back issues for a couple of years. My doctor had suggested using a stationary bike to help strengthen my legs and butt, after all, his professional diagnoses was … “… you have no ass!” I was on the stationary bike for several months. I then dug out my Schwinn Hybrid and started to ride outside. 

The following spring I bought a flat bar road bike. I rode by myself until late August when I decided I was ready to ride with others and joined NSC.

I packed up my bike and headed over to Wakefield for my first Thursday night ride. I introduced myself to several of the riders who all were real friendly and talkative. They explained the arrows painted on the road asked me if I ever rode in a pace line, which I had not.  Everything was going well when someone asked what my average speed was. I had been working on my speed and was proud to tell them I usually average 10 – 12 mph on a ten mile ride! Well, I knew that was the wrong answer because a veil of silence slammed onto the group! I told them I would do my best to keep up but don’t wait for me. They didn’t!  The ride started from the south end of Lake Q, back then. Before we reached the north end of the lake, the end of the pace line was barely visible. I took the shortest route available, about ten miles, and arrived back at the start just about the same time the rest of group was returning from their twenty mile ride! One of the riders said (I won’t mention Bill Cioni by name) “Boy whatever happened to the guy in the red shirt? We dumped him before we turned into Comverse!”  I was tugging my red shirt and pointing at myself, while the others we laughing and trying to let Bill know, discretely, I was standing right there. I stuck out the rest of the year riding with the group working on my speed and finishing many rides by myself. Paula, Jim, Tom Buske, Dave West and yes even Bill Cioni were all very supportive.

That year I rode my first 37 mile ride on a Saturday and spent a lot of time in a granny gear. The spring of 2009, I rode my first Metric Century in the Tour de Cure and later that year did my first PMC. I even shed the fenders and the carrier on my bike!  I could not have found a better group of cyclist to ride with and to call my friends.  

 

-Tim DeRosa