05/11/2011

THTB Inaugural East Meeting Tues., May 17 The Trailblazers will host its Inaugural East Meeting at Anzi Pizza-N-Pasta (and beer) in Locust, next Tuesday May 17 at 6:30pm. We want to make it easier for those on the east side of town to get to a "Blazer meeting to talk about our trails and meet each other. We will give a comprehensive update on the status of the Woodrun Trail project at Uwharrie National Forest. Please come on out and join us. Anzi Pizza-N-Pasta 1618 W Main St Go East on Albermarle Rd/ RT 24/27, Locust, NC 28097 11 minutes east of Sherman Branch Trail (704) 781-0065 Tuesday, May 17 2011 6:30pm Questions? Jim Grover, Past President jgrover@tarheeltrailblazers.com

05/04/2011

May THTB Meeting! Join us Thursday night, May 5, 7:30 PM, at Fuel Pizza, in the Park Road Shopping Center. Cya there!

04/27/2011

Laurel Loop Expansion Continues This weekend we invite the trail gnomes back to Lake Norman State Park to assist in grooming another mile of the Laurel Loop expansion. We'll be there both Saturday AND Sunday (April 30 and May 1) meeting on the fire road off of Wildlife Road. Trail time is 9:00 to 1:00 both days. We are over the half way point on the new trail, the more gnomes we have, the faster we get to open this sweet new section...See ya there!

04/27/2011

Join Us For The Mayor's Ride! Tarheel Trailblazers "Ride to the Mayor's Ride" Where: Queen City Bicycles 1408 East Boulevard Charlotte, NC (Behind Brixx Pizza and Outback Steakhouse) When: Friday April 29th at 7:00 a.m. (ready to roll shortly thereafter) Why: To show your support for cycling in Charlotte

04/21/2011

Trailblazers Launch Maps! At long last, the Trailblazers have maps to call their own! Thanks to club members Dan Burns and Mike Thayer (with a little help from Bill Martin) the club has launched Phase I of the two phase project. Sherman Branch, Lake Norman State Park, the USNWC, Renaissance Park, Col Francis J. Beatty Park, and North Meck Park are now available for download. Simply go to our Trails, page and chose one of these parks and you can download the individual map. Phase II will consist of Anne Springs Close Greenway, Beach Springs (Poplar Tent), Fisher Farm Park, Signal Hill, Jetton Park, the Harrisburg Half and Southwest District Park. We’ll keep you posted as they are released. Look for the maps to start appearing at park kiosks in the near future.

04/15/2011

Eau de Vie Metric Ride Postponed! Due to the forecast of severe storms Saturday, we are postponing the Eau de Vie Metric Ride 24hrs until Sunday April 17th. The forecast for Sunday looks to be beautiful! All times planned for Saturday will be the same Sunday. Day of registration opens at the vineyard 7:30am. The event is non-refundable but if the event date change does not allow you to attend, contact me at nobosherpa@yahoo.com. with your mailing address. I will send your Eau de Vie Metric water bottle, sticker, Chamois Butt'r and a free pass to next year's ride. Look forward to seeing you all there! Cam Fraser Event Coordinator The Eau de Vie, or literally “water of life” ride will begin at the beautiful Daveste' Vineyard in Troutman,, travel through western Iredell County and return to the vineyard. Eau de Vie refers to a distilled sprit but could also be used to describe the Catawba River which provides the water of life to the surrounding communities. Riders will cross the Catawba several times while passing by rural farms, historic Murray's Mill and through peaceful Lake Norman State Park. Upon your return to the vineyard, you are invited to break out your camp chairs or a blanket and enjoy a great post-ride meal. After the meal, stick around for a wine tasting and enjoy music from one of our regional bands Metric century (65mi.) 9AM start Half metric (32 mi.) 9AM start Quarter metric (14 mi.) 10AM start The proceeds from this ride go to the Tarheel Trailblazers. 04/14/2011

2011 Charlotte Mountain Bike Series The 2011 Charlotte Mountain Bike Series is set to kick off on April 20 @ Col Francis Beatty Park. What's the CMBS all about? The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series was developed for two reasons: First to provide new mountain bike racers an opportunity to try mountain bike racing at a grassroots level. Second, for the experienced mountain bike racers the series provides the opportunity to train and test their fitness on a weekly basis. From the first timer to the expert racer, the CMBS has a category for all abilities. When? Wednesday Evenings at 6:15PM Registration Opens at 5:00PM - Onsite registration only April 20th through August 24 Where? The series will rotate each week between USNWC, Col Francis Beatty Park, Renaissance Park, North Meck Park and Fisher Farm. We are working on getting food for the kick-off event at Beatty...details coming soon. Series registration is OPEN - RACE FOR FREE! For those planning to race the whole series, we have once again provided series registration on www.bikereg.com. By registering for the whole series, you will get three free race registrations during the series and we will print your release form for every race. All you have to do is show up, sign your release form and hop on your mountain bike. For more info on this exciting series click here

04/13/2011

Calling all Trail Building Volunteers! The Carolina Thread Trail is pleased to announce that we will be selecting outstanding volunteers to participate in a free trail building school this fall! These individuals will participate in a four day trail school from September 12-15th with Mike Riter from Trail Design Specialists to learn the latest in trail design and management techniques. Upon completion of the trail building school, volunteers will receive a "Trail Master" certification and will be asked to support the Carolina Thread Trail by leading trail building efforts throughout our 15 county region. Applications to become a Trail Master are due by May 6th. Contact Amanda Anderson (Amanda@carolinathreadtrail.org ) for applications and details. Don't miss this incredible opportunity! Trail Masters Requirements: -Attend a four day trail building school with Mike Riter of Trail Design Specialists from September 12th-September 15th. -Commit a total of 40 hrs of volunteer leadership annually for three years to the Carolina Thread Trail. -Must be 18 yrs. of age or older. Thank you for your support and dedication to The Thread! We truly appreciate your help! If you have any questions, please contact: Amanda Anderson - Carolina Thread Trail Grants and Volunteer Coordinator 704.342.3330 ext. 215 amanda@carolinathreadtrail.org More Details: http://www.carolinathreadtrail.org/get-involved/volunteer/

03/25/2011

Destination Ride - Spartanburg, SC The trailblazers, are starting something new. The Divas do a great job of scheduling weekly rides local so we decided to try and have a destination day trip from time to time throughout the year. So here's our first one. Where: Spartanburg, SC(Croft Passage Trail System. 20+ miles of singletrack) When: Saturday April 9th. We will meet at the Shell Gas Station (I think it's a Shell) off I-85 at Sam Wilson Rd (Exit 29) at 9am to consolidate cars and head south. Who: YOU! ALL skill levels are invited. This will be a great time/way to meet fellow riders and go ride a trail we don't get to ride everyday. You don't have to be a member to join us on this ride. You will need to Bring plenty to drink and some nutrition for the ride. We are planning on stopping at a family style restaurant (Cash ONLY) on the way home. I hear it's really good. We hope to see you there, Scott B

02/23/2011

LNSP Trailwork Daze, Part II Ready for spring? Readier for some sweet new singletrack! This weekend we can enjoy a little of both as we invite the trail gnomes back to Lake Norman State Park to assist in grooming another mile of the Laurel Loop expansion. We'll be there both Saturday AND Sunday (Feb 26 and 27) meeting on the fire road off of Wildlife Road. Trail time is 9:00 to 1:00 both days. We should be approaching the half way point on the new trail, the more gnomes we have, the faster we get to open this sweet new section...See ya there!

02/10/2011

Riding Wet Trails... The Trailblazers continue to stress patience during this wet time. Respecting the trails now will result in a better riding experience this spring! If a trail is open, but you encounter mud, do the right thing: turn-around. Spring is coming! Can you feel it?

01/28/2011

IMBA-SORBA Bike Summit, Brevard, Mar 25-27 IMBA-SORBA and its chapters Pisgah Area SORBA and Upstate SORBA are so very proud to announce the very first Southern Mountain Bike Summit in Brevard, NC, March 25th-27th, 2011. It’s a celebration, it’s education, it’s advocacy, and we invite YOU to attend! Our theme for the event is Great Riding in the South (GRITS, yes!), and without you there wouldn’t be GRITS! Without YOU GRITS won’t get better! So, come on over for the greatest mountain biking advocacy event ever held in the Southeast! Keynote address: The Summit kicks off with Keynote Speaker Krista Rettig of Trek Bicycles. Krista is a pistol, a wonderful speaker who is totally committed to getting riders on the trail, particularly women and families. Come listen and learn from this industry leader! Sessions—Friday and Saturday are full of informational sessions led by experts from governmental agencies, advocates, and industry leaders. Learn how to partner with the US Forest Service, how other areas have successfully created trail communities (not just great trails), how to be an effective Mountain Bike Patroller, how to be a more effective leader, and much more! Rides—Pisgah National Forest. DuPont State Park. Trek demos. Need we say more? Silent Auction—Support PAS, Upstate SORBA, and the local Bracken Mountain Trail project by bidding on fantastic merchandise and services. Socials—Hang out with friends, old and new, and talk about, what else? All things mountain biking! Visit www.southernmtbsummit.net for details and to register today!

01/28/2011

News from THE Man! I just signed the Tarheels Chapter Charter. Congratulations and welcome to IMBA-SORBA's growing family of chapters. I look forward to our new relationship and growing strong together. A copy of the signed charter will be mailed to your business address today. We will also scan and place a copy of the signed charter in the Tarheels contact record in our database for which you are the primary contact. Thanks so much. Tom, with help from IMBA's Jason and Rod, will be working with you on the next steps of the integration process. Regards, Mike Mike Van Abel - President & Executive Director International Mountain Bicycling Association

01/19/2011

LNSP January Trail Work Getting close to our first work weekend of the year, January 29 and 30, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, both days. When the IMBA Trail Care Crew visited, we finished roughly .5 miles of trail. WaterbOb currently has another .5 miles machine cut and plans to have another .5 miles cut prior to the January work. With a strong turn out on Saturday and Sunday, we should be able to finish the entire mile by hand. There hasn't been many opportunities to ride, so come on out and build some trail. We will probably end up rescheduling the March work days. SORBA scheduled their Brevard weekend for the same dates and we will have some folks heading that way so we would be short on supervisors. I'll update here when we decide. Looking forward to seeing ya'll out in the woods!

01/07/2011

21st Century Trails 21st Century Trails - Sustainable Development and Management Strategies There will be a Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation 4 day workshop at Reedy Creek Park 2/21-24. Woody Keen of Trail Dynamics LLC will be facilitating this fun and informative event. Please visit the web address listed below for details. www.tarheeltrailblazers.com/documents/TrailManagementTraining.pdf

01/02/2011

Forums Down for Maintenance The forums will be down for maintenance on Monday evening 1/3/11 until mid morning Monday 1/4/11. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

12/17/2010

Freeze / Thaw Cycles With the recent snows, soaking rains and sub-freezing temperatures, a freeze / thaw cycle will take place. What may be rideable in the morning, may not be passable in the afternoon. Be smart! Respect the trail by using good common sense. And as always, we thank you for your support!

11/03/2010

IMBA TCC visits LNSP! The IMBA Trail Care Crew will be visiting Lake Norman State Park on Saturday and Sunday Nov. 20 and 21. If you have never attended at TCC visit, you're in for a special treat. All of you fledgling trail builders and future trail coordinators are encouraged to attend. Details and sign up now at: https://www.imba.com/civicrm/event/info?id=77&reset=1

11/01/2010

Nov Trailblazer Meeting Join us this Thursday evening, November 4, 7:30 PM at Fuel Pizza in the Park Road Shopping Center. This is a very important meeting as we will be voting on the 2011 Executive Board -AND- voting on SORBA membership. Every vote counts! We hope to see you there!

11/01/2010

New LNSP Trail Hours New trail hours at LNSP are 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM, starting Nov 1, 2010.

10/29/2010

Trail Running Event at LNSP On Saturday, November 13th, Team Triumph of Charlotte will host a cross-country running event (5K and 10K)on the Itusi from 9 am until about 11 am if the Itusi is open. The Hawk, Hicks Creek and Norwood Creek loops are the only ones being used - the Monbo and Laurel loops will not be used for the event. There will be no more than 100 participants and all Itusi loops are open to the public during the event.

10/26/2010

The Wounded Warrior Trail Run/Mtn Bike Ride Event The Wounded Warrior Trail Run Mountain Bike Ride Event When: November 13, 2010 Where: Woodrun Trail System, Uwharrie National Forest Why: To support our local veterans Run starts at 9 am Ride starts at 10 am $25 Registration **Proceeds to benefit the Uwharrie Ride Center Trail Project with funds to go toward new trails that are suitable for cycling and running enthusiasts with physical impediments.** Activities Include: 5k or 10k Train Run OR 12k or 24k Mountain Bike Ride Face painting Marshmallow roast Register at www.active.com or www.constantcontact.com For more information, contact info@exploreuwharrie or call 704.322.3559

10/05/2010

Important Recommendation by the THTB The Executive Board of the Tarheel Trailblazers (THTB) has made a recommendation that should be shared with the membership. Please take some time to follow this link and read the explanation to better understand the direct impact this recommendation will have on you and the club. http://www.tarheeltrailblazers.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1286322600

09/29/2010

October Trailblazer Meeting! October Trailblazer Meeting! It's right around the corner folks. Details of place and time as always on the home page. The next two meetings are some of the most important meetings during the entire year. We nominate the executive officers for next year at the October meeting, and we vote in November. We'll also be voting on some additional, behind the scenes website enhancements. Every vote is an important vote! Please think about taking some time out of your busy schedule if you can, and come join us. Good food and beverages, good company, and we usually have a pretty good time.

09/14/2010

Take A Kid Mountain Biking! Take A Kid Mountain Biking! It's that time of year again where we celebrate IMBA's Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day. Last year we had a tremendous turnout, so we are hoping to have another successful event again this year. Once again the event is being put on by REI, Trips For Kids, the Dirt Divas, and the Tarheel Trailblazers. There will be food and drinks, homemade ice cream, and plenty of mountain biking with the little ones. Here are the details: IMBA's International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day IMBA will celebrate its sixth annual International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on Saturday, October 2, 2010. This is a great opportunity for you to "share your love of cycling with someone smaller than you." Talk to your neighbors, co- workers, relatives and friends and bring their kids on a ride. Trips for Kids Charlotte, the Trailblazers, the Dirt Divas and REI are planning a great local event, including clinics and a lunch cookout. When: Saturday Oct. 2nd, 8:30 Registration, 9:00 Ride, Noon Cookout Where: Colonel Francis Beatty Park (meet in tennis court parking lot), 4330 Weddington Rd, Matthews, NC 28105 All riders must wear helmets, sign a waiver at registration and all kids under sixteen must be accompanied by an adult. Now, here's the part where I ask for your help. As you know, we have a regular Tarheel Trailblazers Kids Ride on our local trails, but this ride is much, much more. We need volunteers for the following: Ride leaders, sweepers, etc. Help with possibly organizing a simple skills clinic We could also use an extra grill and some people to help with the food. If you plan on attending, please let me know (post up here, PM, etc.)so we can get an accurate headcount for food, etc. I look forward to seeing a big turnout from the club on this one! See you there!

08/28/2010

New Website Surprise! The Trailblazers have launched a new website! And while it is still a work in progress, we figured we go ahead and roll it out, kick the tires, see what you think. The new site offers links to social networks, FaceBook and Twitter and, the club has launched its own YouTube Channel. We encourage you to subscribe to the channel and submit your own video productions for inclusion. You may have noticed some new photos working their way into the site and we encourage you to submit your photos as well. Just as this club is your club, this site is your site! The green THTB Mobile button will link smart phone users to the trail updates, so you’ll always have the latest trail status at your fingertips. If Twitter is more your speed, following the Trailblazers will get trail status updates and snippets of breaking club news. In an effort to improve the accuracy of the trail conditions, Lake Norman State Park, the Anne Close Springs Greenway and Sherman Branch gate personnel will be posting their trail status directly on our site, eliminating the middle man and improving accuracy. The USNWC has declined our offer at this time, but maybe they’ll come around. In the very near future, a status change on the homepage will result in a Tweet for you Twitter followers. We’ve highlighted the latest club news in the center of the homepage. Visit often for the latest news and updates. We have incorporated our Google Trail Map (thanks Mike T!) into our homepage as well. Now driving directions to a trail are only a click, away! At long last, we have incorporated the (slightly outdated) Trailblazer promotional video. Our video has turned heads at IMBA and has been shown in conferences as far away as Australia! Please note that while our forums have not significantly changed, our forum guidelines have been updated. Please take the time to read and understand them. One new item in the forums, is the Beginners Corner for new riders. Additionally, we have devoted a page to the new rider, also titled the Beginners Corner, where new riders are offered tips on getting started. Many of the site changes are behind the scenes, allowing our administrative staff greater flexibility in making timely changes and updates to the site. And more are to come. Please drop us a line, let us know what you think, what works, what doesn’t, what the site is missing. We’ll do our best to make certain your needs are met. Special thanks go out to Ken and Luke at WingAir, Inc. for designing the look, feel, and operation of the new site and to Eric Troutman, whose database programming still acts as the engine that powers the site. Eric’s skills have been invaluable in creating a site that will live on for many years yet to come. And as always, we thank you for your support! Tom Mathews tommathews@tarheeltrailblazers.com

08/25/2010

XTERRA Run at Fisher Farm Park Sunday, September 5th, Fisher Farm Park will be hosting race #4 in the XTERRA Trail Run Series. Registration and packet pick-up is 7am-8am. Race starts at 8:30am SHARP! If you would like to volunteer please contact me, Mark, at thecyclepath@bellsouth.net or 704-896-3331. This race will be using all of the MTB trail. If you wish to ride you may want to hit up one of our other fine trails in the area! Mark

08/16/2010

2010 Cackalacky Cup Are you looking for something a little different and super fun to do in the dirt? Look no further......... Saturday, August 21 Cackalacky Cup Mountain Bike Time Trial Lake Norman State Park Presented by First Flight Bikes The 2010 Cackalacky Cup presented by First Flight Bikes will be highlighted by two very different mountain bike time trials and a afternoon of fun and games. The first time trial will be a technical time trial held on the four mile Hawk Loop. There will be four different obstacles on the course. The second time trial will be an all out speed time trial. The winners will be determined by the combined times of both time trials. The "technical time trial" on the Hawk Loop will be made up four different race obstacles: two slaloms sections built with six inch cones, a double limbo and an ten foot long skinny elevated only a four to five inches off the ground. Time deductions will be handed out to those hit knock over cones, knock off the limbo stick or do not ride the full length of the skinny. The "all out speed" time trial will be held on the Monbo Loop and will be just exactly as it reads, the fastest to complete the lap. Combined times of the two different mountain bike time trails will take home the coveted Cackalacky Cup trophies. Registration is open! There is no race day registration for the Cackalacky Cup. Online registration will be open until 5PM Friday evening before the race. Start times will be posted on the website Friday evening. This event will be capped at 200 registrants. Lunch is also included in your registration. If you are making plans for the Cackalacky Cup, please remember there is no race day registration. Only pre-registration. We will post all start times on Friday evening. www.charlottemtnbike.com or to register, visit http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=11232 Cheers Neal Boyd

08/13/2010

Trailblazers Awarded $10K Grant From REI The Trailblazers have recently been awarded a $10,000 grant from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) for the expansion of the Itusi Trail System at Lake Norman State Park. Chip, the Pineville store manager, nominated the Trailblazers for this award and the paperwork was submitted by Jeff Archer. The check was received and has been deposited into the club's account. This grant will be used to pay for mechanized building of the second phase of the current Laurel Loop (across the fire road). This should add approximately 3 miles to Laurel and will be built in a similar style to the rest of current trail. The club is still waiting for the state to approve the MOA and then we'll get started. A big thanks to REI and we hope to see ya'll out building some trail with us this fall.

06/07/2010

2010 Anniversary Jersey on sale now Get you 20th anniversary jersey in before the cut off date. June 25. See Trailblazer club news on the forum for more details.

05/10/2010

2010 Catawba Riverfront Classic Sunday, May 23 is the 2010 Catawba Riverfront Classic hosted by the Tarheel Trailblazers and Charlotte Sports Cycling! The 2010 CRC is set to take place at the US National Whitewater Center. This event is held on some of the sweetest singletrack in the southeast. Bring the entire family and stick around after the event to enjoy the many amenities at the USNWC. This event is a fundraiser for the Tarheel Trailblazers and our efforts to build and maintain mountain bike trails in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg region. For more information on the new event schedule for 2010, visit www.charlottemtnbike.cm/riverfrontclassic/riverfront10.htm or directly to the brochure at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/riverfrontclassic/riverbrochure.pdf Thanks! Neal Boyd

05/10/2010

Volunteers Needed for Riverfront Greetings Tarheel Trailblazers We are a week and half away from our biggest fundraiser event of the year, the Catawba Riverfront Classic, Sunday May 23 at the US National Whitewater Center. Its time to step up to the plate....we need help from the entire club. First, please help spread the word about the Catawba Riverfront Classic. If everyone in the club encourages two people two race, we will easily have over 500 hundred at the race. Second, we need volunteers on race day. We can not put this race on without the club membership stepping up to support the race. We have broken the event into a morning shift for the early birds and an afternoon shift for the sleepers. Here are our needs for Sunday: AM Shifts 6 to 8 people for set up @ 6:00AM 6 to 8 people for registration from 7:00AM to 10:30AM 3 people for finish line from 8:30AM to 11:00PM 6 people for course marshals from 7:30AM to 11:00AM 6 people for course marshals on bikes from 9:00AM to Noon PM Shifts 3 to 4 people for registration from 10:30AM to Noon 3 people for finish line from 10:30AM to 1:30PM 6 people for course marshals from 10:30AM to 1:30PM 6 people for course marshals on bikes from 11:00AM to 2:00PM 6 to 8 people for breakdown at 1:00PM The direct link to the event website is http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/RiverfrontClassic/Riverfront10.htm Please email Neal at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com to sign for a shift or the entire day. BTW, this is a great way to meet new members of the club. Hope to here from you all soon. Cheers Neal

04/09/2010

TRAILWORK EVERYWHERE ! Just in case you've been waiting, there are trail work days going on this weekend at Uwharrie, Springs, Fisher Farm and Renaissance. Check the Down and Dirty Trailwork forum for details. We'd love to see you out there. :)

03/30/2010

NO MONTHLY MEETING APRIL 1st The Tarheel Trailblazers' monthly meeting that would normally take place on April 1st has been CANCELLED. Please check this website and its forums for updates throughout April. The next scheduled monthly meeting is May 6th. Thank you. (This is NOT an April Fools joke!)

03/30/2010

Dog Training Classes at Fisher Farm Park Davidson Park & Rec is putting on a Dog Training Class every Tuesday evening (including today) from 5:45pm to 7:45pm through May 4th. Please keep this in mind if you plan on riding there during these times and be respectful of other park users. Thanks! Mark Sullivan Fisher Farm Park Trail Coordinator

01/15/2010

Trailblazer Annual Report 2009 TARHEEL TRAILBLAZERS MEMBERSHIP DRIVE AND YEAR END REPORT Its that time of year again when we ask all of our members to renew their memberships and to encourage the rest of the local mountain biking community to become members of the club. If you joined or renewed at another point in time during the last year, your membership is good for a full 12 months. We just encourage everyone who can to rejoin at this time so we can reduce our membership renewal efforts and better plan our annual budget. The Tarheel Trailblazers’ mission statement is: To provide our members and our communities the best possible opportunities to enjoy mountain biking. We do this by: • Aggressively and diligently maintaining, and improving and protecting the numerous trail systems available for our use in and around the greater Charlotte region. • Being the voice of Advocacy for Mountain Bikers. • Continuously looking for new locations to develop trail systems in and around Charlotte. • Providing a clearing house of information on rides and other activities related to Mountain Biking. To be sure you understand why we really need your continuing support, I’d like to give you a recap of our trail related efforts in 2009 and our ongoing activity to continue to expand our regional trail system. Lake Norman State Park. We provided $10,000 in club funds to complete the majority of the mechanized work on the new 4.75 mile Laurel Loop. Under the direction of the Trailblazers North membership, the new loop was completed and opened on January 2. This brings the total single track mileage at LNSP to 18 miles. Next Steps: Phase IV (b) (approximately 4.5 miles) is flagged and we are seeking funding for the mechanized trail cutting work. North members are also negotiating with the State for a Phase 5 contract which could add an additional 10 plus miles of new trail. This is already a significant regional trail and has the potential to become a major draw for mountain bikers throughout the southeast. U.S. National Whitewater Center. The Center worked extensively with a property owner adjacent to the park to obtain access to land for additional trails. Together with the Center, the Trailblazers managed the layout and construction of the new 4 mile Green Trail on this adjacent property. This new trail provides a great beginner trail experience at the Center, which remains the only trail center in the region where beginners can rent trail bikes. Total single track mileage at the Whitewater Center is now approximately 15 miles. Next Steps: County property adjacent to the green trail has been earmarked for new construction that could soon add 3 to 4 miles of additional new trail. There are also discussions underway to possibly develop alternative style riding at the Whitewater Center. Stay tuned! Southwest Park. The club obtained a $5,000 grant from REI and another $5,000 Adopt-A-Trail grant from North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and also spent $2,000 of the club’s funds to develop and open this brand new 3 mile trail. REI also donated 5 or 6 brand new Navaro bikes to the Dirt Divas who in turn presented them to Trips For Kids for use at the Recreation Center located at this park. This is a huge, multi-organizational effort that has created a fantastic new amenity for this fragile neighborhood, and continues the ongoing revitalization of this community. Try this new trail – you’ll like it! There remains a lot of potential at this trail for a skills area, advanced lines and added mileage. Fisher Farm. The club negotiated a contract with the adjacent landowner (Mr. Fisher himself!) to access additional acreage to expand this trail by over a mile. REI provided a $7,000 grant (yea, them again!!) to pay for the mechanized trail cut as well as needed bridging. Mark laid out an aggressive trail line, Water bOb sliced the dirt, boulders were moved and volunteers dressed the trai

01/14/2010

Annual Report continued Fisher Farm. The club negotiated a contract with the adjacent landowner (Mr. Fisher himself!) to access additional acreage to expand this trail by over a mile. REI provided a $7,000 grant (yea, them again!!) to pay for the mechanized trail cut as well as needed bridging. Mark laid out an aggressive trail line, Water bOb sliced the dirt, boulders were moved and volunteers dressed the trail. Yet to finish are several ravine crossings, signage and final touches. Look for the new mileage to open in the first quarter ’10. This addition will not only enhance the everyday ride experience at Fisher, but also expand the ability to use this trail for training, racing and skills events which are very well accommodated and attended in this “event friendly” setting. Lakewood Neighborhood Skills Park & Trail. The Trailblazers helped negotiate a contract between Trips For Kids and Ben Blitch’s B-4 Construction to build this pump track – skills area – and skills enhanced trail for the Lakewood neighborhood kids. This was done with a grant provided by REI (again!!). The club provided heavy machinery, logistical support, volunteers to assist with the build and will manage ongoing maintenance. This facility was designed to coordinate with a proposed single track trail to be developed as the Lakewood Neighborhood Association finalizes its plans for a greatly enlarged community park. Signal Hill Trail. The North side members have significantly expanded and enhanced this Statesville favorite and are negotiating for an additional trail in the area that would tie together with Signal Hill via the existing greenway. Lots of grant writing and other trail activity going on up North! Our Trails: New Trail Completed in 2009: 11.5 miles Total Trails Built and under Maintenance Contract: 75 miles Trail Approved or Underway: 9.7 miles Proposed Trail Under Negotiation: 22 miles On behalf of the Executive Officers of the Club, I want to thank our extended board members, all of the local bike shops and our other club sponsors (the Dirt Divas, REI, Lomax Tile, Heartwood Tree Service, Charlotte Sports Cycling, Trips For Kids and The Regulators among many others…) for their continued support. I also want to give a special thanks to all of the trail workers who get dirty building, improving and maintaining our trails. I’d like to name names, but I know I’d leave too many out. You all are special – without you, none of this happens! PLEASE JOIN or REJOIN the Tarheel Trailblazers. If you can, please give a few extra dollars and take advantage of your employer’s charitable contribution match program. We are a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable corporation and your donations are tax deductable. Also, plan to do at least a little trail work (you won’t regret it!), and if you have the inclination – please add your talent or time to help advance our goals. Let me or any of our Executive Officers or Trail Coordinators know if you can spend a few hours helping with grant writing, event planning, membership drives, leading a ride or using your map making, website or other technical skills. We’ll plug you in and it won’t hurt! Don’t forget, ask your friends and riding buddies to join the club! You’d be surprised how many people are just WAITING to be asked. Thank you sincerely for your continued support. Jim Grover President, Tarheel Trailblazers

01/06/2010

NO MONTHLY MEETING IN JANUARY We will be skipping the monthly meeting at Fuel Pizza in Park Rd. Shopping Center this Thursday, Jan 7th. Be sure the check the website and forums for the most recent info about the trails, riding and trail work. Instead of going to the meeting, try and check out the newly opened Laurel Loop at Lake Norman State Park. It's 4 1/2 miles of new terrain that is different from the rest of the loops up there. A little tighter and with some added trail features. Happy trails!

10/29/2009

Dirt Divas/Trailblazer Year End Party Come Join Us Dirt Diva/Tarheel Trailblazer Year End Party When: Sat Nov 7 Where: Anne Springs Field Trial Barn Ride: 2 pm Eats: 5 pm

10/08/2009

IMBA - SORBA at Tsali! IMBA is coming to Tsali, NC, Oct. 15-18, and you're invited to join in the special events. Kelly and Collins Bishop of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew are teaming with the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) and SORBA for a weekend dedicated to improving local trails and having fun. The visit features several unique activities including USFS chainsaw certification, a Club Care Workshop, National Mountain Bike Patrol training, a poker ride and lots of other fun events! This is your opportunity to rub shoulders with the IMBA Crew while learning all about trailbuilding. Check out the details below and come join in the fun. You are receiving this email as an IMBA member or contact. Help us get the word out. Please use the "Tell a friend" button below to send this invitation to other area mountain bikers, land managers and trail users. The more the merrier! If this event is too far away for you to attend, we understand. We sent you this email to not just invite you but also let you know about the important work IMBA is doing in your area. Schedule of Events Thursday, October 15 9:00 A.M. 3:00 P.M. USFS Chain Certification—limited to 6 preregistered participants. Friday, October 16 9:00 A.M. 3:00 P.M. USFS Chain Certification Part 2—limited to 6 preregistered participants. 3:00 - 7:00 Registration and Welcome: Rivers End Restaurant, NOC 4:00 Ride with the IMBA Trail Care Crew 7:00 P.M. 7:30 P.M. Welcome at NOC and overview of weekend activities/instructions, Kleinrath Hall. 7: 30 - 9:00 Club Care Workshop, Kleinrath Hall. Saturday, October 17 8:00 AM: Breakfast—on your own 9:00 - 11:00: National Mountain Bike Patrol training Lunch—provided by NOC, Slow Joe’s Pourover Pub. 2:00 Poker Ride at NOC 6:00 Spaghetti Supper provided by NOC, Slow Joe’s Pourover Pub 7:00 Team IMBA/Summit Promo/Tsali plans update, Kleinrath Hall. 8:30 Poker Rewards and Raffle, Kleinrath Hall. Movie to follow Sunday, October 18 Tsali or Jackrabbit Mountain rides—on your own Sign up here: http://go.imba.com/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=105122&autologin=true

09/29/2009

SWDP Work Day and Grand Opening For those of you who are interested in getting a sneak-peek of the new Southwest District Park Trail, here's your chance on Oct 10th.... Come on out and help finish some last minute tasks and ride the trail afterwards. I know this is the same day as the 2009 Tree Shaker 12 & 6 Hour Mountain Bike Challenge but we still have to do some final grooming, trash pick-up and installation of directional signs. This scheduled work day is to prepare the trail for the upcoming grand opening. Then give the new trail a spin or two.... the bridge is in and the entire trail can now be ridden. When: Saturday, October 10th at 9:00 AM Where: Parking lot of Southview Recreation Center (1720 Vilma Street) What to bring: Gloves, eye protection, light snack & water and any of your favorite trail grooming tools (extra tools will be available) Directions: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Facilities/Recreation+Centers/S... The SWDP grand opening/ribbon cutting will be taking place Saturday Oct. 17th at 10:00 AM. This media event will be a great opportunity for the club to shine in the spot light after a year and a half of planning and hard work. Hopefully there will be a big turnout especially with riders in Tarheel Trailblazer and Dirt Diva jerseys? A planned ride with Trips for Kids will happen immediately after the ribbon cutting ceremony. It should be a great day to celebrate and welcome yet another trail addition to our region. Hope to see you on the trail for these two dates! Brian Malec

08/11/2009

Cackalacky Cup, Aug 21-23 Saturday, August 21 - 23 2009 Cackalacky Cup Lake Norman State Park, Troutman, NC Benefiting Bob Kariker and Family Charlotte Sports Cycling is joining forces with the gang from First Flight Bicycles and the Tarheel Trailblazers to host the 2009 Cackalacky Cup. The Cackalacky Cup is a three-day vintage-themed mountain bike festival with a little something for everyone. Mountain bike racing and riding, plus you never know who might show up. The 2009 event will help raise money for the Kariker family. Some of you may or may not know Bob Kariker. Bob and his family live in Statesville, NC. Bob has been instrumental in developing and building many of the mountain bike trails here in the piedmont of North Carolina. He has dedicated an enormous amount of his life to building and maintaining the mountain bike trails we all ride every week. Recently, Bob, a talented machine operator, was working with a Trailblazer crew at the US National Whitewater center when the Ditch Witch rolled over, crushing his ankle. Things have been a little tight for the Kariker family so with the help of the Trailblazers, we decided to dedicate a portion of the proceeds to Bob and his family. We hope you will all come out and support this event. Friday: Open house at First Flight Bicycles and The Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology. Trace the history of mountain biking with over 250 vintage mountain bikes to admire. From Klunkers to Carbon! Saturday: Mountain Bike Time Trials at Lake Norman State Park. Awards will be based on cumulative time of a technical time trial with obstacles on the Itusi Trail and all out speed on the Monbo Trail. There will even be separate categories for those brave soles on their vintage steeds Lunch and special guest presentation will follow the two mountain bike time trials. From 5pm to 8pm, join Jeff, Wes and the gang for open house at First Flight Bicycles and The Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology Sunday: Meet at First Flight Bikes for a guided ride in Pisgah. REGISTRATION IS OPEN: www.charlottemtnbike.com This event is pre-reg ONLY. There is no onsite registration. For more information, visit http://www.firstflightbikes.com/Cackalacky/

07/08/2009

SWDP Bridge Construction For all of you who would rather swing a hammer instead of a pulaski, here is the project for you... We are calling on volunteers to help move two 30 foot utility poles into place and to help construct a 4 foot wide bridge complete with hand rails across a creek. We will also have some hand tools available if trail work is more your speed (There is still about an 1/8 of a mile of trail that could use some TLC). With that said, there is plenty of work to get this short but sweet trail into shape for the grand opening (yet to be determined). When: Saturday, July 18th at 9:00 AM Where: Parking lot of Southview Recreation Center (1720 Vilma Street) What to bring: Gloves, eye protection, light snack and water and any trail or carpentry hand tools you might want to use. Directions: http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Facilities/Recreation+Centers/S... I'm looking forward to seeing you there! Brian Malec

06/17/2009

July Club Meeting Canceled Due to the July 4th holiday, we will NOT be having a our regulaly sceduled club meeting. Thanks, ThTb

06/10/2009

June 14th Kids Ride! We are on for a kids ride this Sunday at Beatty Park Ride time is 1 PM Meet at the Tennis court parking lot We are alternating between Beatty and Sherman every other ride to give those that live on the East side a better chance of attending. These rides are for aimed at kids (boys and girls) ages 6 to 12 with at least one parent riding along. I have seen 5 yr. olds with better than average riding skills join us so it is not locked in as far as age goes.... older are welcome but will probably find the pace boring.... but can be a great help in working with the younger kids... The next ride will be back at Sherman Branch and will be Sunday 6/28 again at 1 PM Hope the see everyone there, Gramps

06/04/2009

NC Mountain Bike Summit On Saturday, May 30, 2009, a group of NC-based mountain bike clubs (including the host Trailblazers) got together at Lake Norman State Park to exchange ideas and promote a "united front" to land managers. It was great to see folks from across the state get together to share their success stories and provide inspiration for the others in attendance. Darrell McBane (NC state trails coordinator) and Tim Johnson (WNC trails coordinator) joined Casey Rhinehart (LANO Superintendent) to give us the states perspective on mountain bike trails. Notes from the May 30, 2009 Meeting The meeting goal was to establish a North Carolina Mountain Bike Coalition in order to develop a comprehensive mountain bike trails proposal for North Carolina state and local agencies. In order to accomplish this goal, the summit needed to establish a committee responsible for writing this proposal to deliver to State Parks, Wildlife Resources Commission, and other applicable State and local agencies. In consideration of this goal and objectives, the summit produced the following: Mission Statement The North Carolina Mountain Bike Alliance (NCMBA) is dedicated to working with land managers in North Carolina to expand, enhance, and maintain mountain bike opportunities in the state. Organizational Structure The NCMBA is open to all organized mountain clubs, associations, alliances in the North Carolina. There are no membership fees, by-laws, or budgetary requirements or responsibilities. The International Mountain Bike Association and the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (IMBA-SORBA) will assist, advise, and partner with the NCMBA while the NCMBA adheres to its mission statement and the IMBA and SORBA mission statements. The NCMBA will be directed by a steering committee chosen by organized mountain biking clubs, associations, and alliances participating at NCMBA meetings. The steering committee, selected at the May 30th meeting, is: Van Rogers, Western North Carolina Travis Stewart, Central North Carolina Cliff Swanson, Eastern North Carolina Action Items The steering committee is charged with certain responsibilities that grew out the discussions. To create a comprehensive list of mountain bikers needs and desires that should include • Trail construction standards • Desired mileage • Trailhead facilities To create a comprehensive list of what assistance mountain organizations (the NCMBA) can offer land managers that should include: • Trail maintenance guidelines • New standards for best management practices that would consider o Shared use o Regional model trails or ride centers o Risk management A document needs to be created that clearly states what the NCMBA would like to have and what it can offer in return. This document will serve to create solid partnerships with land managing agencies, which, in return, will create more mountain biking opportunities in North Carolina. Other Important Points The NCMBA steering committee will consult with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources to create this document. Darrell McBane, the NCDENR State Trails Coordinator, expressed a desire to assist with this undertaking, indicating that among other things, he would be happy to discuss past problems in mountain bike/land manger dealings and help find solutions to point the way to more positive outcomes for all. It was also pointed out that the steering committee should begin to gather an archive of success stories, letters of recommendation, and photos into a portfolio. Also, SORBA will look into the possibility of creating a NCMBA forum on its website so that the members of the NCMBA can communicate effectively as it works toward accomplishin

05/22/2009

New Green Trail at USNWC! Starting Saturday May 21 come help break in the first beginner loop at the USNWC. Over the past 6 months the USNWC has worked with a neighboring landowner and the Tarheel Trailblazers to create the first beginner biking trails at the center. The gentle grades and pleasant views provide a great place to build skills or add mileage to your ride. The 3 mile lake loop travels on private property through a mutual agreement with the land owner. Please be respectful of our neighbors and stay on the trail at all times. We hope this partnership helps to further future trail expansion efforts. Special thanks to all those who volunteered countless hours on the project. Those efforts were incredible and we are thankful for the dedication. Enjoy and tell a friend or a newbie! Mike Kafsky USNWC

05/20/2009

TFK Charlotte on CBS News! CBS NIGHTLY NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC Trips For Kids Charlotte Mark Stresemann, a correspondent with CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and several of his colleagues visited Trips for Kids Charlotte on Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15, 2009. They filmed children participating in the Earn-A-Bike program, spoke with and filmed volunteers, and interviewed our Re-Cyclery Coordinator. Mark Stresemann's story will air on CBS Nightly News with Katie Co tonight (5/20) @ 6:30. Many Thanks! Trips for Kids Charlotte

05/19/2009

Rescheduled! May 23rd Kids Ride! Our Kids social ride this week is on Sunday May 23rd at 1 PM, at Sherman Branch We are alternating between Col. Beatty and Sherman every month for the rides to give those that live on the East side a better chance of attending. These rides are for aimed at kids (boys and girls) ages 6 to 12 with at least one parent riding along. I have seen 5 yr. olds with better than average riding skills join us so it is not locked in as far as age goes.... older are welcome but will probably find the pace boring.... but can be a great help in working with the younger kids... Hope to see everyone there, Gramps

05/18/2009

Trailwork At Southwest District Park Come on out and see the newest single track in town!!! WaterbOb Karriker has done an incredible job with the machinery on this trail that has been a year and a half in the making. The work will consist of finish work to the trail surface, adding some stone work and constructing a fairly large bridge across a creek. This will be the BIG push to get this trail completed. Hopefully the trail will be open by the end of the month for all to run, hike & RIDE!!! Please mark you calendars for May 23 at 9:00 AM.... Brian Malec You friendly trail designer

05/06/2009

May 6th Race at Reni Postponed! Due to the massive amount of rain Renaissance Park received last night and the current overcast conditions now not drying the trails at all, we will postpone the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series race tonight and find a new date for the event. We apologize for any and all inconveniences and hope we have better weather next week at N Meck Park. Please spread the word to everyone. www.charlottemtnbike.com Don't forget about about Cycle Charlotte and Crank it Up this Saturday evening at Amos' Southend www.cyclecharlotte.org or www.amossouthend.com Cheers Neal

04/29/2009

May 3 Cookout and Social at Col. Beatty Date: Sunday MAY 3rd Time: 10 AM - 2 PM Location: Colonel Francis Beatty Park (tennis court parking area) Address: 4330 Weddington Road What to bring: Your bike, a chair and riding partner Beginners through advanced riders are welcome to join us at the park for a ride and cookout. Bring your bike for a ride on the 6 mile beginner friendly trail and a chair to relax afterwards with other mountain bikers. Rides of all levels will be going on throughout the event and a grilled lunch will be provided (while quantities last) courtesy of the Tarheel Trailblazers. Feel free to bring a friend!

04/24/2009

Trailblazers May Meeting and Social Ride Thursday May 7, 2009 Instead of a normal monthly meeting at Fuel Pizza, on Thursday May 7 the Trailblazers will combine a social ride at Sherman Branch Park with their May meeting at the nearby Bradfield Farms Community clubhouse. Details: 6:30 pm Social Ride at Sherman Branch Park, starting at Bradfield Farms Community Clubhouse on 13200 Peacock Lane, Charlotte, NC 28215. 8:00 pm Meeting at the Clubhouse. This will be an abbreviated meeting but should be of interest to everyone. We'll probably have soft drinks and maybe some snacks. (No alcholic beverages permitted.) Directions to the Clubhouse: From I-485 Exit 41 Albemarle Rd: Go East on Albemarle Road, Left at first light - Rocky River Church Rd. (go past the normal parking entrance to Sherman Branch trail); Go Left on Peach Orchard Church Rd.; and Go Left again on Peacock Lane. Lets see how many we can get out to Sherman on a Thursday evening! Jim Grover President, Tarheel Trailblazers

04/24/2009

CRANK IT UP! BIKE! Charlotte Rolls Into Southend for the inaugural CRANK IT UP! An Evening of Live Music & Cycling Advocacy with live performances by: Bryon McMurry Trio Featuring Bryon and Fitz of Acoustic Syndicate Custom Grass Revue Lindy Dobbins and the Red Velvet Manx Amos’ Southend May 9, 2009 Tickets: $18 ($15 in advance at amossouthend.com) Cycle Charlotte Annual Social Ride departs from Amos’ at 5PM Doors Open at 6PM All proceeds will go to the Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas for trail-building projects in our local communities bike-charlotte.org dirtdivas.net tarheeltrailblazers.com

04/24/2009

Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Kickoff April 29- Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Kickoff The Summer Series is held every Wednesday evening with registration opening at 5PM and the race starting at 6:15PM. Racers will start with their respective category with roughly one minute between each category. The series will once again rotate between five of your favorite local mountain bike facilities around the Charlotte area, Col Francis Beatty, Renaissance Park, N Meck Park, Fisher Farm and US National Whitewater Center. We will visit N Meck Park twice and Fisher Farm Park twice during the series. Each fifth week, the series will take a week off. For more info, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

04/24/2009

2009 BIKE! Charlotte May 1 - 10 2009 BIKE! Charlotte - Wheels of Opportunity The theme for the 2009 edition of BIKE! Charlotte, “Wheels of Opportunity”, was developed to promote the many opportunities the citizens of the Queen City have to integrate the bicycle into their daily routine. Our goal with BIKE! Charlotte is to empower, educate and encourage the populace that integrating the bicycle into your life can be a very simple process and is quite rewarding. Incorporating the bike into you life will pedal your way to better health, saving money, cleaner air, more energy, losing weight, independence, and easier parking. Tons of great events for all to enjoy!!! Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast - May 1 Dilworth Criterium - May 2 Cookouts, Rides Scavenger Hunts - May 3 Bikes on Buses FREE - May 3 - 9 Kids Bicycle Safety Rodeo - May 7 Cycle Charlotte and Crank it Up - May 9 Mothers Day Ride - May 10 Info on BIKE! Charlotte will be posted at www.bike-charlotte.org

04/24/2009

Cycle Charlotte and Crank It Up! Saturday May 9 Cycle Charlotte and Crank it Up Music Festival Experience Charlotte Without a Windshield Cycle Charlotte is a bicycle festival promoting a friendly and safer environment for bicycle transportation in the Queen City. This exciting festival will feature events for people of abilities and skill levels. The ride includes a police supported 13 mile ride through Uptown Charlotte, Fourth Ward, NoDa, Plaza-Midwood and surrounding neighborhoods.. The ride will travel through several of Charlotte’s beautiful neighborhoods and will have rest stops, mechanical support and follow vehicles. After the ride, enjoy the festival atmosphere with variety of food, live entertainment with Custom Grass Revue, Lindy Dobbins and the Red Velvet Manx and Byron McMurry Trio featuring Bryon and Fitz of Acoustic Syndicate and other activities for all to enjoy. Location: Amos' Southend Ride Time: Ride: 5:30PM to 7:00 PM Music Time: 6:30PM until Ride Cost: $20 entry includes the ride, food and entry into Crank it Up at Amos' Southend Registration: http://www.sportoften.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=4107 Contact: www.cyclecharlotte.org or Malcolm McLean at malcolm@carolina.rr.com or 704-572-3488; Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com The Inaugural Crank It UP! Music Festival Rolls into Historic Southend on May 9 Crank It UP! it up is part of Cycle Charlotte but if you choose not to ride, you can come enjoy the live performances by The Byron McMurry Trio, featuring Bryon and Fitz McMurry of Acoustic Syndicate. Also performing --- The Custom Grass Revue and Lindy Dobbins & the Red Velvet Manx. This event is a fundraiser for ongoing Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas trail projects in the Greater Charlotte area and to promote a friendly and safe environment for bicycle transportation in the Queen City. Location: Amos' Southend Music Cost: $18 at the door, $15 in advance at www.amossouthend.com Music Time: 6:30PM until Contact: Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com Amos' Southend is a NON SMOKING music venue!

04/23/2009

May 3rd Kids Ride! The next scheduled Trailblazer kids ride is set for May 3rd.... first Sunday in May. This is during bike week and will be combined with the Trailblazer cook out and social ride being held from 10 to 2 pm at Beatty park Tennis court parking lot. We will do multiple kids rides that day. As a minimum we will start a ride @ 11 AM and one at 1 PM but may add others if there is a group ready to go. There will be lots of treats for all so come on out and help celebrate bike Charlotte week.

03/20/2009

A Perfect Day for Some Trailwork The weather looks sunny and cool for this Saturday, March 21st, so we are going to work on the new Green Trail at USNWC from 9am to 12noon. I know it's short notice, but this is the first of several workdays we will have in order to get this new Beginner Trail open by mid-April. The corridor has been mostly cleared already by some of our dedicated trail crew, so we are at the stage of grubbing out the cut saplings, grading out the trail and opening up drainage areas. Please be sure to wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and gloves and bring some water and maybe a snack. The Trailblazers and the USNWC will supply pulaskis, mcleods and such but feel free to bring your own loppers or hand saws. We will be parking at the compound on the property off of Charlie Hipp Rd. for trail work days only. You can also park at the main Trailhead and walk over if you want to, it's not far. Here are the directions to Charlie Hipp Rd.: - From I-485 take the Moore's Chapel Rd. Exit and proceed through both traffic circles heading towards the USNWC - DON'T turn right after the 2nd traffic circle, but go straight towards the old entrance the the park - GO PAST the old entrance at Hawfield Rd. and take the next Right on Charlie Hipp Rd. (200 yards past Hawfield) - Go through the gate at the end of the paved road and follow the gravel road down to the compound on the right - Park there - If you come later, the gate may be closed but shouldn't be locked - Call me with any questions - Frankie Pietras -- cell 7 0h 4-577-25one7 - For a description of the new trail, see posting under Trail Work

03/03/2009

LNSP 3/7/09 Trail Day Canceled! Due to the current conditions, the upcoming 3/7 Dirt Diva sponsored Trailwork day at LNSP has been canceled... The park received about 4" of rain and 5" of snow so it is very gooey right now plus we will have 2 more freeze/thaw cycles before Saturday.... It appears that due to prior commitments, the best dates to reschedule will be in late April, early May... Please check back for more details!

01/12/2009

THTB News Update Part 3 So in closing, I would like to thank you, our members for your hard work, dedication, donations of time and money as we together are making a difference, a HUGE difference in our community. Our economic times our tough, what better way to help us through it than to contribute to the betterment of the Metro-Charlotte community. It’s membership time. Think about it. Sincerely, Tom Mathews Past President Tarheel Trailblazers

01/12/2009

THTB News Update Part 2 At Southwest District Park, club member Brian Malec has laid out a beautiful 3 mile trail in a distressed neighborhood off of West Blvd. Recent moves by the Charlotte Housing Authority call for the razing of Boulevard Homes (on adjacent property) and in it’s place constructing a mixed use community. The new trail will be one of the first amenities to the park that will also include ballfields. These will complement the Southview Recreation Center, already on site. This is a tremendous opportunity for the club to be in on the ground floor of a community in renaissance. The Trailblazers have received grants totaling $10K (a $5K, NCDENR, Adopt-A-Trail grant and a $5K grant from REI) to construct the trail corridor, once again through a trail construction company. Then we’ll rely on the Trailblazer faithful to finish the trail. Sound familiar? The work Brian and other members have already provided to lay out the trail easily exceeds 200 hours total to date. The Lakewood community has long been forgotten as the construction of I-85 and Hwy 16 has cut it off from easy community access. Trips for Kids, a non-profit organization aimed at getting at risk youth on bicycles has a major foothold in the community. TKF, along with local community groups have banded together to link parcels of land to provide these under privileged kids with a trail to ride within their community. Lakewood in the 1910’s – 1920’s was Charlotte’s, Six Flags. Soldiers would ride the train to the park that included a beautiful lake, boardwalk, Ferris Wheel, food, recreation and relaxation. The park died in the late 20’s as a tornado ripped apart the dam, draining the lake and ruining forever the excitement of the area. To this day, beautiful stone bridges still stand as a testament to the park and an era, gone by. The Lakewood Community and TFK’s were recently awarded a grant through REI that will amount to $12.5K to construct a trail in this community. This is the feel good project of the year! Once again, the Trailblazers will oversee the construction of the trail corridor by a trail construction firm and then rely on you, our faithful membership to groom the trail. Sounds like a broken record, I know, but it’s the wave of the future for trail construction in our area. The community sits on the edge of a proposed CMP&R Greenway and will provide connectivity that the community hasn’t enjoyed in ages. And we’re all a part of it, each and every member of our club… Edward Autry has recently submitted an application for an Adopt-A-Trail grant to NCDENR for the construction of a trail corridor at Park Road Park. The $5K grant would once again allow us to hire some level of trail corridor construction. The new trail would connect with the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. In addition to adjacent trails in the immediate area, this project could result in approximately 12 to 15 miles of stacked loop mountain bike trail in the heart of Charlotte with connectivity to a major greenway. We have recently been contacted by Charlotte Mecklenburg Park and Recreation and informed that our trail at Jetton Park is going to be nominated for a National Association of Counties Achievement Award. The 1.1-mile trail, constructed to allow the physically challenged the opportunity to enjoy the sport of mountain bike on specially designed off road hand cycles, is located in Cornelius. A grant of $10K from Transamerica Reinsurance provided the funding necessary to purchase two of the cycles that are housed at the Cycle Path in Cornelius. We will be providing information to assist P&R with the application process. (Please see Part 3)

01/12/2009

THTB News Update Part 1 One of the biggest problems that we face as a club of volunteers, is dissemination of information to our members. While our website serves us well, especially in the forums, it seems that we come up short when trying to update our membership with club news. And there is a lot of news to share… To begin with, you may know that we are in the midst of our yearly membership drive. In January and February, we encourage club members to renew their membership. This way, we can budget our funds for the upcoming year. And it simplifies the process of when a member is due to renew. The executive board recently added new membership giving levels. We did not raise the basic rates of membership, instead we have added to them and are offering an enticement to raise your contribution. The 2009 membership structure: Basic Membership $20 Fat Tire Family $25 Middle Ring Supporter $40 Trailbuilder $60 Big Ring Supporter $100 Corporate Singletrack $200 Corporate Big Air $500 Corporate Mojo Sponsor $1,000 Contributions at or above Middle Ring ($40) will receive a voucher for a Trailblazer t-shirt. You can register on-line from our homepage or mail in your registration, also available online. As in all things voluntary, we sometimes have a bit of a lag in getting updates and / or upgrades to our website. There may be a few issues with online contributions at certain levels, but our membership director, Emily Sardonas can be reached at membership@tarheeltrailblazers.com. Emily can help you through the process. That said, what happens to our raised funds? Well, recently we have rebuilt our Ditch Witch track machine, purchased two trailers to move our heavy equipment (which includes the aforementioned Ditch Witch, a BobCat, and a Volvo mini-excavator. In addition we have an enclosed trailer that houses our Suzuki 4 wheeler, dump trailers, chainsaws and countless trail tools). Just keeping our fleet of mechanized machinery up and running can be a task in and of itself. Recently (at our December meeting) the club voted to approve the spending of $10K to hire Trail Dynamics (www.traildynamics.com) to punch the trail corridor of Phase IVa at Lake Norman State Park. This new, advanced level trail will be a departure from the feel of the existing Itusi trails (Hawk, Hicks Creek, Norwood and Monbo), as a more narrow corridor and naturally occurring obstacles will elevate the skill level. The corridor will be roughly 3.25 miles in length. This phase will intersect a fire road that will join to a second trail to complete the loop. Next year (2010) we will venture across the fire road (Phase IVb) and complete the loop. The total trail length of Phase IV will be +/- 7 miles, bringing the total available trail at LNSP to approximately 20 miles! This is the first time (other than the point trail at the USNWC) that the club has paid to get trail on the ground. But we feel it is the wave of the future for the Trailblazers. So much so, that Jeff Archer has submitted a Recreational Trail Program grant application to the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources for $75,000 for Phase V at LNSP. 255 acres and upwards of 11.5 miles of additional trail awaits us in this Phase. Once again, the Trailblazers would hire a trail construction company to blast the corridor and then rely on the Trailblazer faithful to groom and apply the finishing touches to the trail. It’s a scene that will become more familiar to club members in the future. (Please See Part 2)

01/09/2009

Membership Drive! New Incentives! It’s time to renew your Tarheel Trailblazer membership! Many of you know that over the last few years we have encouraged our members to renew at the first of the new year. This is basically a means to keep it simple for us as we don't have an automated member renewal notice system. This also helps our budget process. Therefore, we encourage everyone to renew at this time. This is also a perfect time for new members to join. Please don't fret - everyone's membership is good for a full year from when they joined or last renewed! If you want to wait to renew until 365 days since you joined or last renewed, by all means please do so. We just would encourage those that can, to renew now. UPDATED MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: We're adding membership levels this year to encourage giving. Yea, times ARE tough, and we haven't raised the dues for our basic individual and family memberships. But please give a few extra dollars if you can. We will spend it in the right places. (And besides, if you haven’t heard, our past President, current Co-Vice President and several of their cronies have sworn off beer for the first quarter of this year so your money is safe from that fate! Kind of fun to watch 'em suffer too.) 2009 Membership Levels: Basic Membership $20 Fat Tire Family $25 Middle Ring Supporter $40 Trailbuilder $60 Big Ring Supporter $100 Corporate Singletrack $200 Corporate Big Air $500 Corporate Mojo Sponsor $1,000 BECOME A MIDDLE RING SUPPORTER and GET A TARHEEL TRAILBLAZER T-SHIRT Middle Ring Supporters will all receive a Tarheel Trailblazers T-shirt. The shirt is currently in the design phase, but all new and renewing individual memberships that reach the $40 level (including family memberships that pay $40) will get a voucher to receive a T-shirt when they are printed. The T-shirts will only be available for pick up at monthly meetings and at other Trailblazer events; we won't be able to mail these to you. (We’ll do our best to make them easily available, but remember, this is a fundraiser.) (Please note: Our Web page form doesn't yet reflect the new payment levels, but we will get you a T-shirt voucher when you pay electronically at the Middle Ring Supporter level, or above). To encourage corporate memberships we will apply both cash donations and in-kind services toward corporate memberships. We want to be able to recognize our local bike shops and other corporate supporters who give of themselves and their services to support the club. (This will not apply to special fundraisers for the club which provide promotional exposure to our sponsors such as jersey sales and other club fundraising events. Please contact us with related questions or for sponsorship opportunities.) WAYS TO PAY: 1. If you have PayPal, use the Web signup form on the Home Page* (don’t forget to include your family member’s names for family memberships, e-mail and address, etc.! We can’t get you your renewal without it.) (*Once again, our Web page form doesn't yet reflect the new payment levels, but we will get you a T-shirt voucher when you pay electronically at the Middle Ring Supporter level, or above); 2. Mail your check (including family members names, current e-mail, and address…) to: Tarheel Trailblazers 3611 Woody Grove Lane Charlotte, NC 28210 3. Bring your cash or check to our February meeting Thursday February 5th at Fuel Pizza. (By the way, for those still reading, there will be MASSIVE, really MASSIVE incentives for both new and renewing members to attend February’s meeting. More on that in another message – see you there!) The Board, Executive Officers and I want to heartily thank everyone for your support, both financially and otherwise.

01/07/2009

Winter Short Track Races Start Sunday, Jan. 18th **Come check out the newly expanded Short Track at Rennie http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/short-trackhome.htm 2009 Nothing but Noodles Winter Short Track Mountain Bike Series presented by Heartwood Tree Service and the Dirt Divas January 18 & 25, February 1, 8 & 15 ALL SUNDAYS Charlotte Sports Cycling is proud to announce we have landed a new title sponsor and many new additional supporting sponsors for the exciting 2009 Winter Short Track Series at the infamous Renaissance Park Short Track. We will also be introducing a team competition during the 2009 winter series. Team members will score points throughout the entire series with the top three teams winning $$CASH$$. We will be providing space on the course for all of sponsoring teams and clubs. All team members must wear team kits during the race and provide registration with the proper name. Food, fun and fast racing at all events! Nothing but Noodles will be providing many of their famous pasta dishes at each of the events. Nothing but Noodles has two great locations in Charlotte, one on Rea Rd at Stonecrest at Piper Glen and the other on Elizabeth Ave near Presby. Visit the Nothing but Noodles website at www.nothingbutnoodles.com Info on the 2009 Winter Short Track Series has be posted on www.charlottemtnbike.com

01/06/2009

SWDP Corridor Clearing - Saturday, Jan. 10th Anyone want a sneak peek of the soon to be newest trail in town? Here's you chance, but there is a catch.... eat a hearty breakfast, wear some work clothes and bring gloves because we will be clearing the corridor for phase one of Southwest District Park. Approximately 3 miles of trail is pin flagged and ready for clearing. There is a large amount of deadfall on the ground. By clearing much of this debris up ahead of mechanized work, we will speed the process up and get the trail finished sooner. Thanks in advance! -Brian When: Jan. 10th (this coming Saturday) Time: 9:00 AM until ? Address: 1720 Vilma Street (Southview Rec. Center Parking Lot) Check the Forums under Trail Work for directions...

12/18/2008

No Jan Meeting @ Fuel Pizza! 1/1 Ride at LNSP! Because our normal first Thursday of the month meeting date falls on New Years day, WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING AT FUEL PIZZA on January 1. WE WILL HOWEVER have a club ride at Lake Norman State Park on January 1st @ 1:00 instead! Everyone (Members and NON Memebers) are welcome to attend. This will be the first day that the trail direction is reversed for the new year and a good opportunity to have a club gathering OTHER than a normal monthly meeting. Don't go too overboard on New Year's eve and look forward to seeing a large group on the 1st. Further details to follow.

11/21/2008

NO TRAILWORK AT RENNIE ON SUNDAY TRAILWORK AT RENAISSANCE PARK After having a very productive day on Saturday, we have decided NOT to work on Sunday, Nov. 23rd. Hoping to go ride instead! 14 volunteers came out and worked hard to winterize the connector trail between the softball and tennis court parking lots. Check the Trail Work Forum for more info. Thanks.

11/06/2008

TRAILBLAZERS MONTHLY MEETING TONIGHT! Don't forget, the monthly meeting for the Tarheel Trailblazers is this Thursday, Nov 6th, at 7:30 pm at Fuel Pizza in Park Road Shopping Center. Come join us to get up to date on all the upcoming events and also participate in our annual club officer elections!

10/21/2008

IMBA CLUB CARE PROGRAM - NOV. 8th at NEW REI STORE IMBA CLUB CARE PROGRAM When: Saturday November 8, 2008 10:30 am sharp. Where: REI’s new store at Northlake Mall, 9755 Northlake Center Parkway at exit 18 on Interstate 77. Come join the Tarheel Trailblazers as we host IMBA’s Trail Care Crew, Kelly and Collins Bishop, for their presentation of IMBA’s Club Care program. This presentation is specifically designed to help mountain bike clubs develop strategies and methods to become healthy and SUSTAINABLE organizations. Find out how all of us in the mountain biking community can work together and find ways to make our clubs maintain momentum and sustain our efforts to be more effective in advocating for and developing new mountain bike trails. We are encouraging all mountain bikers who are interested in their area clubs and the development of trails to attend. This is particularly important for officers and leaders of area and regional mountain bike clubs. Please come join Kelly and Collins and the Trailblazers for this unique opportunity to share successes and challenges we all face in meeting our goals. Lunch will be served after the presentation and we will follow the program with a group ride for all skill levels at Lake Norman State Park. R.S.V.P. so we can be sure to plan lunch for everyone. RSVP to james.grover@transamerica.com See Directions at: http://www.rei.com/DisplayMap?retailStoreId=115&zoomLevel=9&sessionId=48fc8c96-0369-0005-02b7-75dc-001ec93ccd33

10/21/2008

Trailwork this Saturday - Southwest District Park Come join Brian and the Trailblazers this Saturday, Oct. 25th at 9:00am Google Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=southview+rec+center,+charlotte,+nc&ie=UTF8&ll=35.24646,-80.91671&spn=0.119724,0.163078&z=12&iwloc=A The 2-3 mile main loop was flagged last winter, Park & Rec has approved the layout and we have received nearly $10,000 dollars in grants (thanks REI and the state of NC) to cover the construction costs. The next step is for the trail corridor to be cleared and prepared for mechanized construction in the areas it will be needed. We will begin work on Saturday Oct. 25th at 9:00 AM. The meeting location will be at Southview Rec Center parking lot. (address will follow) This project will continue every Saturday (same time & place) until Thanksgiving unless we finish the main loop before then. If you have never been part of a trail construction crew, we will have a brief mini trail building school before we start each day. If you think riding a trail is fun... Help build one and you'll realize that riding one that you helped to construct is much more rewarding. I look forward to getting dirty with you!!! Brian

10/17/2008

NEW MTB Trails Opening Oct. 24th - Carolina Adventure World Check out their website for more info: http://www.carolinaadventureworld.net/new.htm

10/15/2008

Year End Party - Sunday, Nov. 2nd at Springs Year-End Party for Current Tarheel Trailblazer and Dirt Diva Members When: Sunday, November 2, 1:00PM Where: Anne Springs Greenway at the Field Trials Barn Please join us on Sunday, November 2nd as we CELEBRATE another successful and productive year for our clubs at the Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers Year-End Party! 1:30PM Coordinated trail ride(s) for all skill levels* 4:00PM Delicious BBQ dinner and refreshments (catered by Lola's) *Trail ride groups will depart from the Field Trial Barn promptly at 1:30. - Bring a camp chair, if you wish, for the bonfire. And please bring extra cash for the big raffle to benefit Project Angel, the Dirt Diva initiative that provides bicycles and safety gear to underprivileged kids. ** Trailblazer members please bring $10 for food as this is not included in membership * Please bring FIREWOOD if you have some for the BONFIRE - This event has drawn a big turnout the last few years, so come out and enjoy the day with your fellow riders and trail builders----- Driving Directions to the Field Trial Barn: Take I-77 to Exit #88 Gold Hill Road heading East toward Fort Mill. Road changes to Springfield Parkway. Go 3.1 miles from I-77. You will see a sign for the Anne Springs Close Greenway on the right. Turn in and proceed to red Field Trial Barn. R.S.V.P. required by October 29, 2008, but it really helps with headcounts for catering if you can respond sooner. Please include your name, whether you are a Trailblazer or Diva and let us know if you are bringing a guest. RSVP to: traceylewis@comporium.net Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=springfield+parkway,+fort+mill,sc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=30.957823,42.978516&ie=UTF8&ll=35.033932,-80.916882&spn=0.062408,0.083942&z=13&iwloc=addr

10/15/2008

Trailwork Sat. Oct. 18th at Harrisburg Half See details at the bottom right corner of the Home page

10/14/2008

Oct. 24,25 & 26th at Fisher Farm - National MTB Oktoberfest Oct. 24,25 & 26th at Fisher Farm National MTB Oktoberfest Three Days of Mountain Bike Events! http://www.nationalmtboktoberfest.org/

09/30/2008

Take a kid Mountain Biking Day - October 4th The IMBA and the Tarheel Trailblazers are proud to bring you the "Take a kid mountain biking day" on Saturday, October 4th, at North Mecklenburg Park, from 10AM until 1PM. For more information, please contact club member Mike Slater at 980-387-0588 Please come out and help plant the seeds for a new generation of mountain biking participants!

08/06/2008

October 4 Tree Shaker 12 HR MTB Race The Tree Shaker will be held at the Field Trial Barn at Anne Springs Close Greenway on October 4 from 9AM-9PM. For more info and registration go to www.charlottemtnbike.com

08/06/2008

September 7 Rivers Edge Mtn Bike Marathon The Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon will be held on September 7 at the US National Whitewater Center. This event is a 50 mile mountain bike race and 12 winners will be crowned the Southeast Mountain Bike Marathon champions! For more info and registration go to www.charlottemtnbike.com.

08/06/2008

August 23 Cackalacky Cup Mtn Bike Time Trials The Cackalacky Cup will be held on August 23 at the Lake Norman State Park. The Cup is made up of a technical time trial on the Itusi trail and a regular time trial on the Monbo trail. For more info go to www.charlottemtnbike.com

07/23/2008

Monthly Meeting August 7, 7:30 pm Our next meeting will be August 7 at 7:30 pm at Fuel Pizza located in Park Road Shopping Center

06/11/2008

NO MEETING IN JULY Since the first Thursday in July is on the 3rd, and that is so close to Independence Day, there will be NO MEETING of the regular Trailblazers Club at Fuel Pizza in Park Road Shopping Center during July. The North Chapter may still meet, so please check the forums for that update. We hope you have a Happy 4th of July! The Trailblazers

05/30/2008

IMBA Coming to Asheville! IMBA is coming to Asheville, NC, May 30 - June 8, and you're invited to join in the special events. Kelly and Collins Bishop of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew are teaming with Pisgah Area SORBA for the Mountain Sports Festival and National Trails Day. The visit features a social, trailwork day, group rides and the Mountain Sports Festival. This is your opportunity to rub shoulders with the IMBA Crew while learning all about trailbuilding. Check out the details below and come join in the fun. You are receiving this email as an IMBA member or contact. Help us get the word out. Please use the "Tell a friend" button below to send this invitation to other area mountain bikers, land managers and trail users. The more the merrier! If this event is too far away for you to attend, we understand. We sent you this email to not just invite you but also let you know about the important work IMBA is doing in your area. Schedule: May 30 - June 1: Come hang out with the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew at the Mountain Sports Festival. Friday: 6:00 PM: Social begins at area venue. Trail advocates present slide shows and explain Saturday's work project. 8:00 PM: Door Prizes Saturday: 9:00 AM: Meet at trailhead and sign in 10:00 AM: Workday begins 1:00 PM: Lunch provided 4:00 PM: Workday ends 6:00 PM: Social and Sunday ride signup at local venue 8:00 PM: Door prizes, volunteer of the day award and movie premiere Sunday: 10:00 AM: Group rides led by local advocates at every trailhead in Pisgah Location: Greens Lick trail located in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Parking: Along 479 as well as the two parking areas located in Bent Creek. From these locations, we will provide a shuttle service up Laurel Branch Rd to the bottom of Greens Lick. This is where the registration will take place for those volunteers that did not preregister on Friday night. You must be registered to work on the trail. Please bring: A hard hat (bike helmet will work), work gloves, comfortable shoes and clothes (be prepared to get dirty), safety glasses (if you have them) and a water bottle. Although water will be provided, containers will be limited. Please sign up for this event. For more information, visit: http://www.pisgahareasorba.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=66

05/06/2008

USNWC Trail Maintenance May 17 & 31 *Free Parking for Volunteers* PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 3-Hour Trail Building Event @ USNWC WHEN: 9:00 am-12:00pm –Saturday May 17th / Saturday May 31st WHERE: Meet at the Trailhead in the back of the parking lot HOW TO GET THERE: 820 Hawfield Road Charlotte, NC 28214 http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q= BRING: Durable clothes, water, boots, gloves, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. Could even use some wheel barrows for those adventurous souls looking to haul out some trash. The Trailblazers provide a limited number of cool fire fighting hand tools like the Pulaski, Mattock, and Mcleod to those adventurous enough to try. Actually they are way more efficient and fun to use! The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help maintain the health of the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the upcoming work days will be a reroute near the challenge course, trash removal, and a few drainage issues. Project focus is TBD. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique single-track trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to trails@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help improve the trail experience at the center. Thanks for your time and consideration! *FREE PARKING FOR VOLUNTEERS* - Tell the parking attendant that you are there as a trailwork volunteer Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-392-4954 Cell 704-497-7260 www.usnwc.org mkafsky@usnwc.org

05/06/2008

Riverfront Classic XC MTB RACE June 1 at USNWC-VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! This race is part of the Southern Classic Series. It is a fundraiser for the Club so we need lots of volunteers! Come out and race and then volunteer your time. More info available at www.charlottemtnbike.com.

03/31/2008

Jetton Beginner / Adaptive Trail Dedication! Greetings Fellow Mountain Bikers! The Tarheel Trailblazers would like to invite each and every mountain biker to attend the grand opening of our newest mountain bike trail at Jetton Park (19000 Jetton Road), this Saturday, April 5th at 10:00 AM…This is going to be a huge celebration with many local politicians, county commissioners and various Park and Rec officials from Char/Meck, Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson and other local municipalities… Not only are we dedicating the beginner friendly trail, but we are also introducing off road cycling to the adaptive sports (disabled) community, as we dedicate two off-road hand cycles…The hand cycles were custom built by One-Off Titanium, just outside of Boston, Mass…We were fortunate to have received funding ($10K) for the hand cycles through Transamerica Reinsurance Co. A large turn-out by the mountain bike community would go a long way toward opening doors for more land access in the future…We encourage you to attend (wearing your Trailblazers colors, of course!) and be a part of history as the Trailblazers dedicate the first specific built, adaptive sports trail in the world! Tom Mathews Past President Tarheel Trailblazers TomMathews@tarheeltrailblazers.com

03/20/2008

Mtn Trikes Arrive! The two hand powered mountain trikes arrived at The Cycle Path yesterday and Mark has already put 'em together and they are ready to go! We have planned an outing at the Jetton Park trail this Saturday, March 22nd starting at 10:00 am where the trikes will be available for use. We have asked several adaptive use organizations in the area to try to get some of their interested members out to the park Saturday to try out the trikes. I sure don't see why anyone who has an interest in giving them a try shouldn't go for it. I know I want to. These are hand-built, sophisticated machines that are sure to impress. They have dual Phil Woods hubs up front, Avid BB5 mechanical disk brakes all around (3!), incorporate a gearing reduction ratio of 1350 to 1 and a mid-chassis coupling that allows then to be easily broken down into 2 pieces for transportation. I'd like to ask our members to consider donating some necessary accessories for first time/new riders to use the trikes. We can keep them at the Cycle Path where the bikes will be stored and available for use by physically challenged users. I figure we could use 3 or 4 helmets (Adult SM, Med (2?) and LG) and the same for gloves. We also should have some protective eyewear available. (The Trikes are adjustable to accommodate different sized users, but at this time we are not sure if the trikes will be usable by smaller kids.) If you are interested, contact Mark Sullivan at the Cycle Path (704.896.3331) to make arrangements. Also, there is definitely an opportunity here for someone with some creative ideas about how we can make it easier for the physically challenged users to transport the trikes to and from the trailhead- say with a specially designed "trike rack" or by pursuing donations for a trailer, etc. If someone or a group could take on this challenge, it would be really great! I want to recognize our past president Tom Mathews for his vision and commitment to realizing both the Jetton Trail and the acquisition of the Mountain trikes. In conjunction with Greg Jackson and the Mecklenburg Park and Recreation Department, Tom saw the need for an adaptive use trail and an opportunity for the Trailblazers to make a real difference in our community. We should all be proud, and thankful. Don't forget, the Grand Opening ceremony for the Jetton Park Trail and the formal introduction of the trikes will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday April 5th. This will be a celebration and everyone is encouraged to attend. Jim G. President

03/14/2008

Mountain Trikes Grand Opening 4/5/08 The mountain trikes grand opening will be held at Jetton Park on April 5, 2008, at 10:00 AM. Please join the Trailblazers and Parks and Rec in celebrating the addition of these trikes!

03/14/2008

IMBA Trail School is Coming to NC There are now 3 weekends available over the next few months for you to learn trail building techniques from the best in the business, the IMBA Trail Care Crew. Here are the dates: April 5-6 in Uwharrie Go here for complete info: http://go.imba.com/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=102921 May 31-June 1 in Asheville NC June 7-8 Asheville NC (National Trails Day) Contact Ben Blitch for complete info about the Asheville Trail School: benblitch@gmail.com If you are interested in learning proper trail building and maintenance techniques or if you just wonder why we do things the way we do, this is the place to find out. For those of you who are currently part of a trail crew at one of our local trails, attending an IMBA Trail School is a key part of your education in trail maintenance. It is also a required element in order to become a Trail Coordinator at a new or existing Trailblazer trail. It is a good time, too. They usually feed you lunch one day and go for a ride the other day. Plan on attending both days to get everything out of it that you can. Trust me, you will never look at a trail quite the same after you have been to an IMBA Trail School. There is also an IMBA Club Care session in Uwharrie on April 12 for club leaders and a Skills Clinic for all riders on April 13. See webpage above. Thanks. Frank P. Trailblazer Trail Coordinator

02/22/2008

May 2 BIKE!Charlotte Begins-Mayor's Ride BIKE!Charlotte Begins with Mayor's Ride from Dowd Y to Wachovia

02/22/2008

April 19 6 HR Race Anne Springs 6 HR Grind at the Greenway at Anne Springs Close Greenway, 11 AM-5 PM. Fast, fun singletrack racing! Go to www.charlottemtnbike.com for details.

01/31/2008

9th Annual CSC Winter Training Ride 2/9/08 NEW LOCATION 30, 55 & 70 mile routes 10:00 AM Hickory Ridge High School Fundraiser for the Giordana-Clif Bar Cycling Team. For more info go to www.charlottemtnbike.com.

12/30/2007

Winter Short Track Races 1/27, 2/2, 2/3, 2/10, 2/16 E Blvd Bar & Grill and Heartwood Tree Service presents the Winter Short Track race series beginning January 19 at Renaissance Park. Go to www.charlottemtnbike.com for details.

12/29/2007

2008 Polar Bear Metric Century Date Set! Please join the Rocky River Road Club for the 10th Annual RRRC Polar Bear Metric Century on Saturday, January 12th, 2008! Please note: This years ride will start at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius due to construction at our normal venue. Pre-ride and sag support sponsored by The Cycle Path in Cornelius and Cool Breeze Cylcery in Mooresville You can REGISTER ON-LINE at ActiveZach.com (* FREE Water Bottle to first 200 people to register!): http://www.activezach.com/events/eventDetails.cfm?pEventId=2351&pID=585B5605

12/29/2007

Polar Bear Cyclo Cross Race This is Race #3 in the Winter Cup Cyclo Cross Series. And this will be the first race at Fisher Farm Park in Davidson. See NC cyclo cross at http://www.nccyclocross.com/ for registration and more details.

11/15/2007

USNWC Trail Review -TONIGHT - 6 to 8pm The US National Whitewater Center will have a meeting on December 4th from 6-8pm at the USNWC conference center. The USNWC will share some info about the trail system and listen to input attendees would like to provide about the trails at the Center. It will be open mic style and if you prefer to provide written comments only you can do so at the meeting. The Center is also working on an online survey that will help them gather trail use information, possibly by mid November. Check USNWC.org

10/24/2007

DD and THTB Year End PARTY! Friends, trails, yummy BBQ, cool raffle items…oh, and a big cake! Let’s CELEBRATE another successful and productive year for our Clubs at the Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers Year-End Party, Sunday, November 4th at Anne Spring Close Greenway in Fort Mill, SC! 1:30PM Coordinated trail ride(s) departing from the Field Trial Barn 4:00PM BBQ dinner and refreshments (catered by Lola's) Bring camp chair(s), if you’d like, and your own adult (alcoholic) beverages [NO GLASS containers please…glass and bike tires/tubes don’t play well together, ya know]. And don’t forget to bring extra cash for the big raffle to benefit Project Angel, the Dirt Diva initiative that provides bicycles and safety gear to underprivileged kids. Free for Dirt Diva members + one guest each For Trailblazer members, a $10.00 voluntary donation is requested per person to help defray the cost of that delicious BBQ…and CAKE…so TB funds can continue to go toward stewardship of the many trails they build and maintain for all of us to enjoy. (The Trailblazers are set up a little differently from the Divas). R.S.V.P. required by Nov. 1st, 2007, but it really helps us out with headcounts for catering if you can respond sooner. So, make like a fireman and be a "First Responder." Thanks! Questions about the party: email traceylewis[at]comporium[dot]net DIRECTIONS: Thanks to new construction connecting Gold Hill Rd. directly to Springfield Parkway, it’s now pretty much a straight shot from Exit 88 of 1-77 to the Field Trial Barn: From Charlotte take I-77 S to Exit 88. Go LEFT at the light at the top of the ramp (if coming from the other direction on I-77, you’ll take a RIGHT at the top of your ramp). Continue straight along this lovely new roadway* (don’t be tempted to turn left or right at any of the intersections) for ~3.3 miles and look for the Anne Springs Close Greenway entrance on your right (big stone sign at entrance), Continue ~1/4 mile up entrance road to RED Field Trial Barn on the left. *The new roadway will begin as Gold Hill Rd, then merge with Hwy 21 for a bit, then become Springfield Parkway. Don’t be dismayed by these apparently arbitrary shifts in hwy. nomenclature…just continue on new roadway and you’ll get there!!

10/24/2007

Fall Short Track Series Race No. 1 BANK OF NC SHORT TRACK SERIES - RACE #1 - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27th - HARRISBURG The first of the 5 race series kicks off at the Harrisburg Town Park @ 10:00 am. The trail will be marked and open for pre-riding by 9:00 am. There are categories for all levels of riders. This is a great trail for first time racers to enter a mountain bike race. Registration opens at 9:00 am. Register for all 5 races on Saturday and receive a $10 discount. Registration is also available on Active.com. For directions to the trail see "Harrisburg Half" under the trails tab at www.tarheeltrailblazers.com. To view the race flier and/or print a copy go to www.charlottemtnbike.com and click on the Bank of NC series link. The recent rain has made the trail near perfect. It hooks up, and it's fast. We race rain or shine. All proceeds go to fund polio eradication and Alzheimer's research through Rotary International. Come on out to the Harrisburg Town Park on Saturday and see if you can handle the Harrisburg Half!

10/11/2007

November Meeting NEW LOCATION The monthly meeting on November 1 will be held at Fuel Pizza in the Park Road Shopping Center.

10/01/2007

Harrisburg Half Trail Work Day The Bank of NC Short Track Series kicks off at the Harrisburg Half on Saturday, October 27th. Rick Hoffarth has scheduled a workday for Saturday, October 6th from 9:00-Noon. The trail is very good shape. A few of the berms need some crush 'n' run to be in top form for racing. There are a couple of places where we need to place a few landscape blocks in order to eliminate an off-camber grade in a couple of turns. If you can make it out, bring wheelbarrows, shovels and hard rakes.

09/20/2007

5th Annual Big Stampede and Southside Spanker Road Ride November 11 The Big Stampede and Southside Spanker Road Ride will be held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 11. This is a fundraiser for the Tarheel Trailblazers so we will need volunteers to assist with the ride. Go to www.bigstampede.com for more information.

09/19/2007

2nd Annual Treeshaker 12 HR MTB Race November 3 Presented by Heartwood Tree Service and BikeSource, the event will be held on November 3 from 9 AM - 9 PM at the Anne Springs Close Greenway. Check out all the details on www.charlottemtnbike.com.

09/19/2007

Season Finale Charlotte Mountain Bike Series This Saturday Sept 22 The race will be a N Meck Park beginning at 9:00 AM. For more information go to www.charlottemtnbike.com

09/18/2007

2007 Fall Short Track Series! The Bank of North Carolina, Tarheel Trailblazers and a host of other present the 2007 Fall Short Track race series at The Harrisburg Half! Race Dates: Oct 27, Nov 10* and 17, Dec 1* and 8. *The series will include TWO night races. For more info, see the attached flyer! See ya at the Half!

08/25/2007

2007 Fall Classic Century Tarheel Cyclists 2007 Fall Classic Century Come on out for this fall classic! For those of you riding the MS150 it will be a great warm up. The proceeds help support The Spokes Group (www.thespokesgroup.com) Location: Waxhaw Elementary School Distance: 35 miles, 62 miles & 100 miles Saturday, September 8 Registration: 7:00 AM Start: 8:00 AM Full Century 8:30 AM others Fees: Pre-registration: Ride $20.00 Membership & Ride $30 Day of event: Ride $20.00 Membership & Ride $30.00 Register online at active.com Technical Support: Bolt Brothers Cycles More info: www.tarheelcyclists.org/FallCentury.htm Dwight McKnight 704/364-0730 President@TarheelCyclists.org This ride will be fully supported with rest stops staffed by Boy Scout Troop 118 and SAG support by our members. A great lunch is provided by of several of Waxhaw's local restaurants: Bridge & Rail, SouthSiders, and Mama Lenas. All riders will be given a meal tickets good for the day of the ride. Save time on the day of the event by registering online at active.com.

08/17/2007

Car Break-ins at USNWC Please be advised - DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES VISIBLE IN YOUR CAR - at the US National Whitewater Center trailhead parking lot. Several cars were reported broken into on Friday, Aug. 17th in addition to other recent car break-ins at that location.......

08/15/2007

Tour de Jetton On Monday, August 20th, officials with Charlotte Mecklenburg Park and Rec will be in attendance to ride the new trail at Jetton park. Jim Garges, the new Director of CMP&R will be on hand to ride with us and see first hand what it is that we do as a club... You as members not only of the Trailblazers, Dirt Divas, and PASA, but as the mountain biking community, are invited to join us for our ride. The time is 2:00 - 4:00 and CMP&R will be providing refreshments for all riders... This could be a really big day for our club and the future of mountain biking in the Metro-Charlotte area. I realize that the timing probably couldn't be worse (Monday afternoon, August heat) but a strong turn-out would be beneficial to us all. If they like what they see on 20 acres, who's to say that 220 acres isn't in our future? Check your schedule, grab your favorite club jersey, and make plans to join us this coming Monday, August 20th, 2:00 - 4:00 PM at Jetton Park... And as always, we appreciate your support!

08/15/2007

Help Needed For Riverfront Race! Yo Trailblazers!!!! HELP...HELP......HELP!!! It's that time of the year again, the Catawba Riverfront Classic is this weekend at the US National Whitewater Park. The Riverfront is a fundraiser for the club and we need your help in making the event a success. We plan to use the entire loop for the race. For the most part, the trail is in great shape but there are a few spots that need a little TLC. Action Items: We need a person to lead trail work on Saturday morning at 8:30AM. I am planning to be at the park on Friday and Saturday after lunch to mark course. I plan to get the bulk of the trail marked on Friday so people can pre-ride the race course. If you would like to help with trail marking or can lead trailwork, shoot me an email at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com. We plan to use the fire road that crosses the carpet trail as the start of the race(it needs to be trimmed back). Racers will start at the bottom of the fire road hill and climb towards the parking lot, then descend the hill once it opens up on the power lines, cross the culvert, turn left onto the gravel entrance and into the beginning of the single track. We will use the same finish the Cowbell crew used. Once you come onto the power lines, near the end of the trail, instead of turning left and the fast descent through the tight cutover under the power lines, participants will stay straight and descend the fast gully(old burned out truck ravine) and head straight towards the parking lot on the outside of the gravel. This will eliminate two way traffic on the entrance to the trails. The finish line will be in the parking lot, beside the entrance to the trail. For those classes racing multiple laps, the participants will U-turn and head back down the gravel entrance for their second and third laps. Day of the event. We plan to be at the park by 7:00AM for set up. We need club members for set up, to run registration, park cars, fill water coolers, assist with finish line and results, preride the course and serve as course marshals. Course will basically just ride the course during the race helping anyone who may be hurt or watching for people cutting the course. We will have EMS onsite. Plan for the day: 7:00AM Club members arrive 8:00AM Registration Open 9:00AM First set of races 3:00PM Begin Breakdown of the course. 4:00PM Drink a cold beer at the Eddy!!! If you can't help the whole day, we appreciate any and all time spent helping at the race. Come on out for half day. Last be definitely not least, encourage a friend to come out to the race. If every member in the club encouraged just one person to participate in the event, we could have a huge turnout. Info on the event can be found at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/2007RiverfrontClassic.pdf The course is absolutely great condition and it looks like its going to be nice this weekend. Thanks a bunch. I look forward to seeing everyone this weekend. Cheers Neal

08/14/2007

Tour de Tots for Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital 9/8/07 Tour de Tots at NE Medical Center for Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital - For 2007, Charlotte Sports Cycling, the Tarheel Cyclists and the crew from NE Medical Center are teaming up to host an event that offers something for all cyclists. We will be offering four different routes for the 2nd Annual Tour de Tots ride: a full century(100 miles), a metric century (62 miles), a half metric (31 miles) and 5 mile family fun ride. LOTS of rolling hills, great training for MS 150 or a good warm up for Bridge to Bridge. After the ride, stick around and enjoy a full catered meal of hot dogs and hamburgers and homemade fixins.

07/30/2007

7th Annual Giordana Crossroads Classic August 1-5 The event this year will feature a $30k+ purse and five exciting races over five days in five different NC Cities: Aug 1 - Mocksville Aug 2 - Salisbury Aug 3 - Statesville Aug 4 - Charlotte Aug 5 - Winston-Salem Pre-registration is highly recommended at www.bikereg.com and www.active.com. For more info go to www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com

07/29/2007

Southern Classic Race Series is coming to USNWC Be sure and make plans to attend the Southern Classic MTB Race Series at USNWC on Sunday, August 19th, 2007! This is the first time that the series race has been held at the new venue and it is sure to be best yet with all of the Whitewater Center's facilities that are now available including The Eddy Restaurant and Bar, rafting and kayaking, climbing, and finally, restrooms. We will post the race flyer link here soon. Here is the Series schedule for now: http://www.paulsracing.com/SouthernClassic/Southern_Classic.htm

07/25/2007

The Cackalacky Cup August 25, 2007 The Cackalacky Cup (formerly Crossroads Festival) presented by First Flight Bikes will be at the Lake Norman State Park on August 25, 2007. The event will include a time trial on the Monbo loop and a technical time trial on the Itusi loop. For more info go to www.charlottemtnbike.com or www.firstflightbikes.com.

07/24/2007

Dirt Divas Road Ride August 25, 2007 Dirt Divas 3rd annual Road Ride - Pedaling for Patricia August 25, 2007 at Waxhaw Elementary, Waxhaw, NC. This year's fundraiser will not only benefit the Club, but the National MS Society and the Club's Treasurer, Patricia Boudreau, who was diagnosed with MS this year. 30 and 60 mile options. Register at Active.com

06/29/2007

USNWC TV Documentary A new documentary about the US National Whitewater Center entitled "Take it Outside" will air this Sunday, July 1 at 2pm and 6pm. Catch the film on your local PBS (WTVI) station. We hope you enjoy this film, it has been in the works for a long time. You will see pre-construction photos and interviews, phase by phase construction footage, and incredible shots from the completed site. We would like to thank everyone for their support throughout this process.

06/26/2007

Trailblazers Awarded REI Grant The Trailblazers will be receiving a check for $5,000 from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) as benefactors in their grant program. The money is earmarked for the future trail system in Mt. Holly. A great deal of appreciation goes out to Jeff Smith and Brian Hynes for their efforts in the grant process. Special thanks also go out to Joey Norman, outgoing Outreach Coordinator at REI. Joey has been instrumental in assisting the Trailblazers awareness in the outdoor community. Best of luck in your future endeavors, Joey! As a side bar to this good news, Trips for Kids also received a $5,000 grant from REI that will go toward the purchase of 13 bicycles, to be housed in the northern part of the county at Fisher Farms. The grant will assure that virtually all underprivileged kids will be able to ride a bike on the TFK outings. Congratulations to Harry Johnson and Paula Frickie who have spent countless hours assuring that TFK Charlotte is a success.

06/25/2007

Final Jetton Push! Our final push to complete the trails at Jetton Park will be this Saturday, June 30, 9:00 – 12:00…In addition to the Trailblazer faithful, the Dirt Divas AND Trips for Kids will be joining us… We will be grooming the final ½ mile of trail, moving crusher-run to a glass covered switchback climb, finishing construction of a banked turn, closing some of the maintenance short cuts, a little chainsaw action and a few other special projects… We will have the Bobcat and Ditch Witch on site to load gravel, dirt, etc., and the Quad (our 4 wheeler), complete with dump trailer will be moving the gravel to the worksite, so we’ll be keeping the back breaking work to a minimum…. It should go very quickly and allow everyone time to ride not only our newest trail, but if you’re from the south side of town, it would be a perfect time to check out Lake Norman State Park in Troutman, Fisher Farms (Davidson) or North Meck Park (Huntersville)…And Poplar Tent isn’t that far away, either… We will be in need of loppers, Pulaski’s and McLeod’s, so if you have a few extra tools, please bring them…Long pants (poison ivy is bad in one or two places, but we have completed work in those areas), gloves, a hat, sunscreen, water and a snack are recommended… We hope that you can take a few minutes out of your summer to give a little back to the sport that you cherish! And as always, we thank you for your support! (To Jetton: Take I-77 to Exit 28 (Cornelius)…Go EAST on Catawba Avenue. Turn RIGHT onto Jetton Road….The park entrance is approximately ¾ mile on your LEFT…The trails are ACROSS Jetton Road from the park entrance…There is a weekend parking fee at Jetton, but if you tell the guard that you’re part of the trail crew, you should be allowed to park for free…A second option would be to turn RIGHT off Catawba Avenue onto Old Jetton Road, park at the Harris Teeter and ride/walk to Jetton and the trail head.)

06/12/2007

Lake Norman Excursion Fundraising for the American Red Cross Lake Norman Office Saturday, July 21, 2007 40, 65, and 100 mile Routes 12 Mile Family Fun Ride The Lake Norman Excursion Ride has a long tradition among North Carolina cyclists. The ride was created by long time cyclist Mr. Dwight Calloway of Calloway Homes. Originally the ride ran from Denver along the beautiful shores of Lake Norman and offered a 100 mile circumnavigation of the lake. This year's routes are more rural / scenic routes through Iredell, Rowan and Catawba counties, because circumnavigation of Lake Norman isn't practical until more work is done on bikes lanes along the larger more developed roads. (see below for links to actual routes). The new routes will follow a few of the proposed roads on the Lake Norman Bike Route (LNBR); a regional bike circuit encompassing Lake Norman. Now in the planning stages, the main spine around the lake is intended to be 70 miles, with approximately 80 miles of excursion routes throughout the Lake area. Participating in this ride will also serve as advocacy to raise awareness for this important project,so that in the future we may again circumnavigate the lake.

05/23/2007

IMBA Trail Care Crew Coming to Tsali IMBA is coming to Tsali, NC, June 2-3, and you're invited to join in the special events. Anna Laxague and Jason Wells of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew are teaming with SORBA and the United States Forest Service for a weekend dedicated to improving local trails. Come celebrate National Trails Day with IMBA. The visit features an IMBA Trailbuilding School, an evening social and a group ride. This is your opportunity to rub shoulders with the IMBA Crew while learning all about trailbuilding. Check out the details below and come join in the fun. You are receiving this email as an IMBA member or contact. Help us get the word out. Please use the "Tell a friend" button below to send this invitation to other area mountain bikers, land managers and trail users. The more the merrier! If this event is too far away for you to attend, we understand. We sent you this email to not just invite you but also let you know about the important work IMBA is doing in your area. Schedule: SATURDAY (National Trails Day) 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM: IMBA Trailbuilding School classroom session at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) Kleinrath Hall. Lunch at NOC 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM: IMBA Trailbuilding School field session at Tsali. 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM: Volunteer Dinner and "Around the World with IMBA" at the NOC (slideshow starts at 7:30) outside by the river. SUNDAY 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: IMBA Trailbuilding School field session at Tsali. 1:30 PM: IMBA/SORBA Group ride. Please RSVP for this event. spencer@imba.com For more information, please contact Walt Bready.

05/14/2007

THTB Lake Norman Chapter... Yup...that's right. The TTB LKNM/JR. chapters will have it's first official meeting on Thursday May 24 at Sho Mars in Mooresville. That's exit 33 close to Cool Breeze Cyclery. Meeting starts around 7:30 PM. All ages welcome Directions: From I-77N Rt. @ exit 33 Lt. @ next traffic light Look for ShoMars straight ahead to the left Call The Cycle Path for more information Mark Sullivan 704-896-3331

05/08/2007

Trailblazers Release First Official Map The Trailblazers have received their fist shipment of our USNWC trail map! We hope this will be the first of an inclusive library of all of our trails. We will be selling the maps ($2 each) through the USNWC and your favorite local bike shop. We are currently working on our second map, Col. Francis Beatty. Many thanks are in order for the volunteers that have donated their time and talents to make the USNWC map a reality: Dan Burns has done a tremendous job of taking the raw GPS trail information and including it in a map that is accurate, informative and stunningly beautiful. Ivan Konermann has spearheaded the effort as project manager and has collected the GPS trail data. Cathie Docherty has donated the action image of Patty Smith as our cover photo. And special thanks to Mike, Lance and Jeff at the USNWC who bent and rolled with us to get make this dream a reality. Check them out at you LBS...

05/07/2007

Fat Tire Music Festival June 16th The Fat Tire Music Festival will be on Saturday, June 16th, 2007 in east Charlotte. It will be a day of great LIVE MUSIC from local bands including The Moonshine Racers and The Accentrix to name a few and the proceeds will benefit the trail building efforts of the Tarheel Trailblazers. Check out: http://www.myspace.com/fattiremusicfest for more info. Ticket information coming soon......

05/01/2007

BIKE! Charlotte 2007 BIKE! Charlotte 2007 is set to begin this Friday, May 4 with the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast. Please help us spread the word about this important event. While the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast may be a short ride, it's the impact that makes this event so important. The event will once again start at the Dowd YMCA at 7:30AM and head into Uptown Charlotte for breakfast provided by Lola's at the Wachovia Plaza. BIKE! Charlotte is ten days of bicycle-related events and promotions used to encourage families, friends and colleagues to break out the bike and integrate it into their daily routine. This ten-day event will be held Friday May 4 and run through the following Sunday May 13. The theme for the seventh annual event is "The Power of the Pedal." Whether used for transportation or recreation, bicycles are efficient, nonpolluting modes of travel with great health benefits. The intention of the 2007 edition of BIKE! Charlotte is to empower the citizens of Charlotte to incorporate the bicycle into their life. Whether you are pedaling to better health, to save money, for cleaner air, to have more energy, for losing weight, independence, easier parking, or to have just plain fun -- you can get there with "The Power of the Pedal". The 2007 event features a diverse agenda of exciting activities and promotions for all to enjoy, many of which are free. This year's festivities will kick off Friday with the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast in Uptown Charlotte. Saturday, the events are in full swing with Dilworth Criterium, bicycle safety rodeos, and bicycle rides. During the weekdays, many of the local bicycle shops are hosting bicycle maintenance clinics that address different ways to keep your bike in top shape. The second weekend of BIKE! Charlotte is once again full of great events and highlighted by Cycle Charlotte. Cycle Charlotte is a bicycle festival in Uptown Charlotte starting at the Dowd YMCA with three supported bike routes and live music. Whether you are a beginner, an avid rider, or just happen to own a bike that's been hanging in the garage for a year, there is an event for you during BIKE! Charlotte. Break out the bike and head to a BIKE! Charlotte event. A detailed list of BIKE! Charlotte events can be found at www.bike-charlotte.org or check out the BIKE! Charlotte special section in the Charlotte Observer on Wednesday, May 2. For more detailed information on the week of events, contact Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com or CDOT bicycle planner Ken Tippette at 704-336-2278.

05/01/2007

Sherman Branch Grand Opening Celebration! Saturday, May 5 The Tarheel Trailblazers will hold a grand opening celebration at Sherman Branch on Saturday, May 5th, in conjunction with BIKE! Charlotte... We will offer guided rides between 9:00 and 11:00 AM, followed by lunch - burgers and hot dogs - from 11:30 - 1:00 (provided by the Tarheel Trailblazers). This event is open to the public! Bring your friends and family and show support by joining in the fun and celebrate the opening of this wonderful new, ~10 mile trail. Most of the arrangements have been taken care of, but if you can volunteer with leading rides, food prep and/or clean-up, it would be greatly appreciated. Directions: From Pineville: Go 485 (Outer Loop) go to Albermarle Rd. exit. turn left towards Albermarle, take fist left on to Rocky River, go about 1 mile, turn left into field at mailboxes after you pass Camp Stewart Rd. From Harrisburg: go 485 (Inner Loop)to Harrisburg Rd., Exit 39, turn right onto Harrisburg, go about 1 mile to Camp Stewart Rd. and turn Left, follow until road dead ends into Rocky River, turn left, go 200 yds, turn left into field. Due to the limited available parking, we are requesting Trailblazer members to park at the Bradfield Farms Swim Club…A detailed map for the parking lot location is here: http://www.tarheeltrailblazers.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/nph-YaBB.pl?num=1177446765/21#21 We look forward to seeing you this Saturday for the celebration!

05/01/2007

Mayor's Ride to Breakfast BIKE! Charlotte is set to begin this Friday, May 4 with the Mayor’s Ride/Bike to Breakfast. Please help us spread the word about this important event. While the Mayor’s Ride/Bike to Breakfast may be a short ride, it’s the impact that makes this event so important. The event will once again start at the Dowd YMCA at 7:30AM and head into Uptown Charlotte for breakfast provided by Lola’s at the Wachovia Plaza. For additional details of events, please visit: www.bike-charlotte.org

05/01/2007

May Trailblazer Meeting! May 3, 7:30 PM Dilworth Neighborhood Café Join us as we kick off BIKE! Charlotte 2007, with the monthly Trailblazer meeting. Come meet and greet your mountain biking brothers and sisters in a relaxed atmosphere, as we discuss the issues that are important to you, the mountain biking public! As usual, there are many topica to discuss, especially – BIKE! Charlotte!

04/26/2007

USNWC Trails Closed after 3pm Monday 30-April On Monday, April 30th we have a large group booking the entire facility from 5-11pm. In preparation we had been considering full closure to the public on that day in preparation for the evening arrival. We would like to remain open to the public for at least part of the day and are willing to leave the facility open until 3:00pm. Please post as appropriate that trail users have to be off premises by 3:00pm on April 30th. After that point it will be very hectic as we prepare for nearly 2,000 visitors in a small time period. Thanks for your cooperation and please contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-391-3900 Cell 704-497-7260 www.usnwc.org mkafsky@usnwc.org

04/23/2007

Road to USNWC IS NOW PAVED! The long and dusty road to the Whitewater Center is now as smooth as asphalt. It was apparently done in one day on Tuesday, April 17th. Now we can all breath a little easier on our way to the long and dusty trail!

04/19/2007

Cycle Charlotte 2007 * A Safe Streets Bicycle Celebration * Experience Charlotte without a windshield! Be a part of the 2nd annual one-of-a-kind urban cycling adventure on Saturday, May 12, 2007, 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. The Dowd YMCA, located at 400 East Morehead Street, will host this year’s festival which includes a bike safety rodeo, free helmets for kids, vendor booths, live music from the popular Gigi Dover band and lots of free food for participants. Choose a 3-mile family fun ride or 13 and 24 mile touring rides on some of Charlotte’s most beautiful streets. This year, cyclecharlotte and the YMCA will highlight the health benefits of everyday cycling. Over 500 people enjoyed the inaugural ride in 2006. Hopes are that the crowd on May 12 will exceed 750 individuals and families. Register on-line at: www.cyclecharlotte.org. Tonia Bendickson, well-known newscaster at WBTV-3 returns as emcee sharing the stage with special guests City Councilman Pat Mumford, County Commissioner Jennifer Roberts and other dignitaries who advocate safe streets for all vehicles. cyclecharlotte was originally inspired by the life example of Todd Weaver, a popular bicycle commuter who was tragically killed two years ago leaving as survivors a wife and two young children. Proceeds from the Cycle Charlotte celebration will be used to donate bicycles to the C-M Police Department, safety awareness programs of B.I.K.E.S. of Charlotte Mecklenburg, and Community Outreach for the Dowd YMCA. OrthoCarolina is the title sponsor for the second year in a row. We also have the endorsement of the Center City Partners and a move to a great location in the Uptown area … the Dowd YMCA! * * * Contact persons: Malcolm McLean - malcolm@carolina.rr.com Jane Cacchione - jane.cacchione@ymcacharlotte.org Martin Zimmerman - martinzimmerman8@yahoo.com

04/19/2007

Summer Race Series One week and counting……until the start of the seventh annual Christenbury Eye Center Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series. The 2007 series is proudly presented by the Tarheel Trailblazers and will kick off on Wednesday, April 25, at the US National Whitewater Center. The rotation of the series will be USNWC, Beatty, Renaissance, and N Meck Park and will take a break every fifth race, totally sixteen exciting races. New for the 2007 event, the singlespeed category. In order to add the singlespeed category, we had to change a few other categories. There will not be a Masters category but we have changed the age requirements of the Beginner and Sport Categories. The age break downs for the Beginner and Sport Categories will be 19 – 39 and 40+. All other categories are the same as previous years. One other change is the entry fees. Since the inception of the series, the entry fee has been $10, and the one day NORBA license being $3. This year, the entry fee is going to be $12 for those who have an annual NORBA license, with the option of the one-day NORBA license being $3. If you would like to purchase an annual NORBA or USA Cycling Mountain Bike license, visit www.usacycling.org . Not only do you save money purchasing the annual license, you receive lots of great benefits including a substantial secondary health insurance policy. For more membership info, visit https://www.usacycling.org/forms/Member_Guide.pdf If you would like to register for the entire summer series, online registration is available at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1440559 Registration is broken down into those who hold an annual NORBA License/USA Cycling Mountain Bike License and those who want to purchase one-day licenses. You will still have to fill out an event wavier at each and every race. For directions, dates, rules and all other pertinent information on the summer series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com Special thanks to the 2007 event sponsors: Christenbury Eye Service, Tarheel Trailblazers, US National Whitewater Center, Meck County Parks and Rec, Huntersville Parks and Rec, Endurance Magazine, BikeLine, SouthPark Cycles, Bicycle Sport, Bicycles East, The Spirited Cyclist, Cycle Path, Ultimate Bike, Cool Breeze Cyclery, Gaston Bicycle and Service, REI, BikeSource, iRide Cycles, Sun and Ski Sports, First Flight Bicycles, Lucky Cycles, Middle Ring Cycles, Bolt Brothers, KONA, Fox Racing, Shimano, Giodana, SockGuy, Clif Bar, Trek, Gary Fisher, and Easton Sports. More to come very soon! See you on the bike. Neal www.charlottemtnbike.com

03/30/2007

Opening of "Figure 8" Completes USNWC Trail I wanted to thank all who came out to help over the last several months on the Figure 8 trail. Over this week several people have volunteered time and my staff have put in some long days doing final prep work. We are happy with the enormous amount of energy put behind this part of the project and even more thankful for not having to haul telephone poles, rip rap, or gravel anymore (at least for the near future). Nicely done. We have an awesome trail available to us now and I am happy to say not only did we hit our opening date, but we are opening early. That’s right - get on your bike and hit the trails on Saturday and try a fantastic advanced trail that has some great trail features. One day early of our projected opening date of April 1st! If I only could I would set up a golden spike and have Frank drive it in on Saturday morning. He has been great to work with and we have learned so much from his consistent involvement in the project. Thanks need to go out to so many people of some I just know faces and I apologize, but I hope to see you on the trails sometime enjoying the fruits of your efforts. Cheers to all and happy riding. Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center

03/30/2007

Figure 8 Loop and Restaurant/BAR Opening Sat. March 31st at USNWC The long-awaited openings of the Figure 8 Trail Loop and the Restaurant/BAR at USNWC are finally here! The Figure 8 Trail Loop is opening 1 day ahead of schedule and the restaurant/BAR will be open for the weekend with its official full-time opening on Mon. April 2nd. Come enjoy riding a challenging re-construction of the famous Figure 8 Trail Loop that was once in the most remote part of the park. It is now a black diamond option off of the existing North Trails Loop with narrow bridges, rocks, drop-offs and roots galore. After your ride enjoy a snack, a meal or a cold one at the restaurant/BAR in the main building. A big Thank You! goes out to the many people who contributed much time and effort to making this difficult but rewarding trail building experience come to completion. Thanks especially to Mike K. of the USNWC for his tireless efforts in pulling together materials and resources and for putting in many back-breaking hours with his crew and volunteers to make the huge bridges that were needed to span the drainages a reality. His patience and creativity while working with the Trailblazers on these unique structures is much appreciated. Be sure to check the OPEN or CLOSED status of the trail on either the Tarheel Trailblazers' or the US National Whitewater Center's website when there has been recent rainfall. We make efforts to update the posting by 10:00am each day. So get out and ride! Frank P.

03/28/2007

Monbo Opens at LNSP! From Ranger Casey Reinhardt: The MONBO LOOP (Phase III) of the ITUSI trail opened today a little after 8 am. TRAIL CLOSES AT 6:30 PM during March. It will stay open until 7:30 pm during April and May. The Monbo loop is about 900 feet shy of 6 miles in length. The original two phases of the ITUSI are 6.7 miles (including the Hawk, Norwood Creek and Hicks Creek loops). The Hawk loop is the original trail minus the Hicks and Norwood loops. On behalf of NC State Parks, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to ALL of the volunteers that made this possible. Bob and Jeff deserve special recognitions. This entire project would be non-existent without their leadership, dedication, professionlism and unselfishness. We all owe them a steak dinner. They have sacrificed countless weekends away from their families on top of working 60+ hours per week in their paying jobs. In my 25 years in the parks and recreation field,I have never known two individuals that have done more for the public, the environment and trail users than these men. Thanks Bob and Jeff. You build beautiful and sustainable trails. I also want to recognize and thank Mike Hamm, Lee Hentz, Ross Dowswell, Big Wes, the Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas for their continuing support and volunteer efforts. You are all a great bunch of folks and we look forward to working with you for many years to come. Enjoy, Casey

03/14/2007

New Itusi Trail Hours Currently the Itusi trail at LNSP closes at 6:30 PM, through the month of March. Starting April 1 and through May, the trail will stay open until 7:30 PM.

03/07/2007

Final Monbo Workday! bOb and Jeff have completed the machine work this past weekend in preperation for our 3/10 work day. For this weekend, we have 2 projects to complete. 1) Finish the tread work on the machine cut trail. 2) Rock armour 4 or 5 gulleys to reinforce them against erosion. These projects will use the rock that was harvested last month along with the gravel that was transported into the woods. After that, it is just a matter of getting the inspections done and the signage up (both responsibility of the state)..........and then RIDE. The Monbo Loop will be able to be ridden on the work day, by volunteers, but remains closed until the inspection process is complete. So let's get another HUGE turn-out for the last trail day on the Monbo! Once again, the Mooresville Starbucks will be supplying coffee and Cool Breeze Cyclery will provide a BBQ lunch! Then it's time to ride the Monbo! 13 miles at LNSP!

03/02/2007

Workday At USNWC this Saturday, March 3rd 9am-1pm We will be working hard on completing preparation of the Figure 8 for opening by April 1st. Come out, lend a hand and have some fun. The trail will probably be too wet to ride on Saturday, so come out and help us get things ready for a (hopefully) drier Spring! Frank P. If you can come please attend the Trail Day this Saturday: ---------------- PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 4-Hour Trail Building Event WHEN: Saturday March 3rd from 9:00 am-1:00pm & Saturday March 24th from 9:00 am -1:00pm WHERE: Meet at the USNWC River Center of the @ 9:00 am (Main Building) HOW TO GET THERE: 820 Hawfield Road Charlotte, NC 28214 http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q= BRING: Warm clothes, water, boots, gloves, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. Wheel barrows have been of great use to bring as well in help placing materials on the trail. The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help maintain the health of the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the March work days will be to prepare the remaining 1.5 mile section of the Figure 8 Loop for opening on April 1st. This construction will consist of clearing new trail, causeway construction, and armoring several parts of trails. Additionally several other trail needs could use attention. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in such a short period. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique single-track trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help in the final stage of trail connection. Thanks for your time and consideration! Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-391-3900 Cell 704-497-7260 www.usnwc.org mkafsky@usnwc.org

02/28/2007

New Meeting Location! This is a reminder that the March 1st meeting of the Tarheel Trailblazers will take place this Thursday (7:30 PM) at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, 911 E. Morehead St. We will be holding a “State of the Trails” forum, so please plan to attend to learn and contribute to this discussion. We have many interesting and exciting projects on board and we need you to make them a reality! In addition, we’ll have the latest in Trailblazer socks, pint glasses, hats, and a few jerseys…So plan on attending and checking out our new location at the Dilworth Neighborhood Grill! And as always, we thank you for your support! -tom

02/21/2007

Feb 24th LNSP Workday! From Jeff Archer: bOb and I have been working hard for the past month to make sure we have plenty of work for ya'll next Saturday (Feb 24th)! We were hoping to have all of the machine work done but came up just a little bit short. We will meet at the Itusi Trailhead Parking Lot trail head parking lot at 8:30 and then car pool to the work areas. We have 5 big tasks to accomplish on Saturday: 1)We are going to send 4 crews (3 people per crew) out to do the final corridor clearing. You will be using loppers to clear branches back to the required 6' width and 8' height making sure to take into account the spring growth and weight of the new leaves. You will also be making sure the trail is clear of debris as well. Not terribly strenuous work and it will be a great way to see a big chunk of the trail. 2)Finishing the 100 yards of 2 way trail that will connect to the road. The section has been cleared but no tread work has been done. This will take a pretty good sized crew who want to get their hands dirty. 3)Finishing 2 sections of machine cut trail. This moves along pretty quickly and consists mainly of root removal, back slope work and beautification. There is also a small section that has not been machine cut and could be finished by hand if we have enough bodies. 4)Rock harvesting for a a couple of rock armoring projects. We have a couple of area with a good number of rocks that need to be brought out of the woods on sleds, loaded on a truck, taken to the other side of the trail and then taken by sleds/wheelbarrows into the woods. 5)There will also be a trailer load of gravel that needs transported into the woods. There is a GPS map @ http://www.firstflightbikes.com/lake_norman_trail.htm if you want to check out the end result. Bring your bikes. All volunteers will be able to check out their handiwork after trail work. Please remember that the Monbo Loop is still not open any time except on work days. If you have and questions, give me a shout @ jeff at firstflightbikes.com. Hope to see in the woods! Jeff FFB Special thanks in advance to the Dirt Divas, REI and Joey Norman, Starbucks for some of their fine brew, and to all who are planning on attending! And of course, we owe a ton of gratitude to Jeff and bOb for their efforts over the past five years to make the trail a reality...Opening the remainder of the Monbo trail at LNSP will be a boon for the area and truly result in a destination trail for the region. And don't forget that all volunteers receive a pair of Trailblazer socks for their efforts! See ya on the trail! -tom

02/14/2007

Trailwork Day at USNWC PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 3-Hour Trail Building Event WHEN: Sunday Feb 18th from 9:00 am-12:00pm WHERE: Meet at the USNWC River Center of the @ 9:00 am (Main Building) HOW TO GET THERE: 820 Hawfield Road Charlotte, NC 28214 http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q= BRING: Warm clothes, water, boots, gloves, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. Could even use some wheel barrows for those adventurous souls looking to haul out some trash. The Trailblazers provide a limited number of cool fire fighting hand tools like the Pulaski, Mattock, and Mcleod to those adventurous enough to try. Actually they are way more efficient and fun to use! The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help maintain the health of the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the February work days will be to connect the remaining 1.5 mile section of the Figure 8 Loop. This construction will consist of clearing new trail, bridge construction, and armoring several parts of trails. Additionally several other trail needs could use attention. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique singletrack trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help in the final stage of trail connection. Thanks for your time and consideration! Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center Work 704-391-3900 Cell 704-497-7260

02/12/2007

MT. Holly Meeting POSTPONED! Tonight's meeting at Mt. Holly has been postponed to allow us to schedule a better meeting where we will have more time to discuss the issues. Hopefully, cooler heads with an eye toward the vision of trails on the site will prevail... Sorry to pull the plug on this issue in the 11th hour, but a face to face with all interested parties will better serve the situation. Thank you for your support of the Trailblazers and this important issue! Tom Mathews

02/12/2007

POSTPONED: A Call To Action For Mountain Bikers! This meeting has been postponed to give us more time to present the issues. Stay tuned! Thank You! The Trailblazers have been working on plans to develop about 15 miles of mountain bike trails on Mountain Island Lake in Mt. Holly for about 2 years now. We have $60,000 in grants for this project and are working on more, but we can't seem to get trail construction started due to disagreements with the local division of the NC Forest servce, who manages the land. The Mt. Holly City Council has requested the Trailblazers make a presentation to them at the City Council meeting to discuss the open project issues. They have also invited the Forest Service, along with the previous mayor, Brian Hyatt,who asked us to build these trails. He remains a big supporter. The meeting is this Monday, February 12, at 7pm at City Hall, 131 South Main Street in Mt. Holly. For a map see: http://www.ci.mount-holly.nc.us/images/mainstreet.pdf Please attend the meeting and show your support for this important project. We do not understand why we are encountering such opposition on conservation land when mountain biking is allowed on US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, and NC Parks land, along state and local government land across the nation. We are confused why there are such special standards in this case. Bring a bike helmet so they know what you are there to support. Unfortunately some people in the Mountain Island Lake organization have come out in opposition of this project due to misinformation and may come to the meeting to try and sway the council. They have gone so far as to write a letter to the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the organization that funded the purchase of the land. That is interesting because they also helped purchase Dupont State Forest, a mountain biking mecca. We need to have a presence! Thank You, Brian Hynes, Jeff Smith, Tom Mathews

02/10/2007

Uwharrie Land Management Plan Uwharrie National Forest Proposed Land Management Plan Available for Public Review and Comment The Uwharrie National Forest Proposed Land Management Plan is now available for public review and comment. The Proposed Plan is the result of a collaborative effort among the USDA Forest Service, numerous members of the public, and other local, state, and federal agencies. "I'm proud of this plan as much for what it represents as a community effort as for what it represents as a change in direction for forest management," states Marisue Hilliard, Forest Supervisor for the National Forests in North Carolina. "The public has worked with us to build this Plan every step along the way." This Proposed Plan focuses around three main themes: 1. Restoring the forest to a more natural ecological condition: For example, reducing the amount of loblolly pine plantations in favor of reestablishing longleaf pine forests or oak-hickory forests. 2. Better managing heritage resources: The historic and prehistoric sites and artifacts found on the Uwharrie would be protected, but we would also use them to provide opportunities for research, teaching, and interpretation. 3. Providing outstanding and environmentally friendly outdoor recreation opportunities, with excellent trails and facilities: Our focus for this program would be on improving the conditions of the horse and off-highway vehicle trails in the Badin Lake area and working to complete the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail. Another big change called for in the Proposed Plan is the designation of 32 Special Areas on the Uwharrie National Forest, comprising a total of 5,391 acres, including areas with unique or rare botanical, zoological, geological, historical and archeological, scenic and/or recreational values. They also include the best examples of more commonly encountered ecological systems, such as intact oak/hickory forests. People may submit comments on the Proposed Plan for a 90 day period starting February 15th. The Proposed Plan, along with several related documents, is available electronically at: http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/uwharrie_plan/. Hard copies of the Proposed Plan or any other of the other documents may be requested by e-mail at: comments-southern-north-carolina@fs.fed.us; Or, make a written request to: Proposed Land Management Plan NFsNC/Uwharrie National Forest 160A Zillicoa Street Asheville, NC 28801 A final decision on the Proposed Plan is expected in the Fall of 2007.

02/06/2007

Winter Short Track MTB Series WINTER SHORT TRACK MTB SERIES Final two races of the series – Saturday, Feb 10 and Sunday, 11 2007 Weather looks great for the two races this weekend. Check out the photos of the previous events at Renaissance Park http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventthumbs?event=0GOV002Z Event Info: www.charlottemtnbike.com Hotel Info If you are coming from out of town and need a place to stay near the park, the Holiday Inn at 321 W Woodlawn Rd has given us a special rate for Saturday evening of $69.99, normally $89.99. Just mention Charlotte Sports Cycling. The number for the Holiday Inn is 704.523.1400. Special Treat This weekend, our Shimano regional tech rep is going to be at the races this weekend with a couple of demo bikes built with the new Shimano XTR. Come on out and give the new XTR a try, it's FREE! Also, we are working on getting the Monster Energy Drink Truck out to the event. They will be bringing out all of the latest and greatest drinks from Monster. If you haven't participated in the short track series, it's an absolute blast! We've had great numbers at the first three events. After each the events, we will have hot chili from East Blvd Bar & Grill and vegetable soup from Charlotte Sports Cycling. The short track is a great place for anyone and everyone to give mountain bike racing a try. We've had huge junior categories at the first three events. Invite a friend and come on out. After the race on Sunday, the 11th, we will head over to East Blvd Bar and Grill for the series ending party. Free appetizers will be served from 4:00PM to 6:00PM. ATTENTION: We just found out the Athletic Complex at Renaissance Park is currently under construction. Participant parking will be located in the first parking lot on the left. All four gates leading to the middle of the softball complex will be open. Cheers Neal Charlotte Sports Cycling 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com www.charlottesportscycling.com

02/01/2007

Trailblazer Meeting Postponed! Due to inclement weather, the February Trailblazer meeting has been postponed until Thursday, Feb 8th, 7:30 PM at Jack's on 7th Street... Please pass the word....

01/31/2007

Trail Work at the USNWC Join us this Saturday, February 3 as we work toward the completion of remaining 1.5 mile section of the “Figure 8”. This construction will consist of clearing new trail, bridge construction, and armoring several parts of trails. Additionally several other trail needs could use attention. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique singletrack trail system at the USNWC. Please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Your efforts will help in the final stage of trail connection.

01/31/2007

Trail Work at LNSP The Trailblazers and Dirt Divas have a huge trail work day at Lake Norman State Park, scheduled for February 24th in conjunction with REI. We’ll meet at the Itusi trail head parking lot and shuttle to the Monbo trail. We have a goal of a 100 volunteers to really put a dent in the remaining 1.5 miles of trail. Remember, the Monbo trail has been largely constructed with mechanized equipment, and we will be grooming the trail. Starbucks Coffee will be on hand to distribute coffee and bottled water. Rumor has it that Starbucks will donate $10 per volunteer. That could be a significant fundraiser for the club. In addition, the Trailblazers will be offering each volunteer a pair our new SockGuy Socks. Mark your calendars and come out on the 24th.

01/04/2007

Winter Short Track Series! Kick off for the 5th Annual East Blvd Bar & Grill Winter Short Track Series This year, the event is presented by Heartwood Tree Service, the Dirt Divas and Charlotte Sports Cycling. The series will consist of five races, Jan 20 and 28, Feb 3, 11 and 17 all held at the infamous Renaissance Park short track. If you haven't ever participated in the short track series, come on out and give it a try, it's an absolute blast! It takes in elements of mountain biking, BMX and a road criterium. After each event, we will have hot food from East Blvd Bar & Grill. We have added a new category to the event, Junior Girls. The short track is a great place for kids to give mountain bike racing a try. Invite a friend and come on out. Big thanks to our series sponsors, East Blvd Bar and Grill, Heartwood g Tree Service, Dirt Divas, SouthPark Cycles, Bike Line, Bicycle Sport, Lucky Cycles, Ultimate Bicycle, Bicycles East, Sun and Ski Sports, Cool Breeze Cyclery, Bolt Brothers, BikeSource, Hawley Company, Michelin, Allen Racks, SockGuy, Fox Clothing, Giordana, Kona, Park Tool, Caribou Coffee, Monster Energy Drinks, Prudential Carolinas Reality, Endurance Magazine, Clif Bar, and Meck County Parks and Recreation. For more info on the series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

01/03/2007

Doin' The Monbo! From Jeff Archer...See y'all on Saturday morning? Did anyone out there make a New Year's Resolution to get more involved in the community and get some volunteer hours in???.......boy, are you in luck!! We will be resuming construction of the Monbo Loop starting January 6 and working every Saturday and Sunday until it is finished. The Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers will once again be helping us out on a monthly basis and have scheduled January 6 and February 24 so far. The Monbo Loop is about 6.25 miles long and will bring the total mileage of the Itusi Trail to about 13 miles. We have finished approximately 4.5 miles of the loop so there is just about 1.75 miles left to groom plus a few rock projects. Just imagine being able to ride 13 unique miles this spring.....now is the time to make it happen. bOb spend the past week getting some machine work done so we will have plenty of handwork to do. Finishing the machine-cut tread is much less back-breaking and is very rewarding since you can move forward rapidly. No more spending 2 hours on a 20 foot long section! We will still be meeting at the old homestead site, through gate #9. If you enter the park through the main gate on State Park Road, just continue past the existing trail head to St. Johns Road, take a right on St. Johns and the gate is a couple hundred feet up on your right side. You are able to ride the Monbo Loop on the day that you volunteer but keep in mind that the Monbo Loop is NOT open. It is a $145 trespassing ticket and unfortunately, several folks have found out the hard way. See ya in the woods!

12/20/2006

LNSP Closed on Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to everyone, especially our trail volunteers. FYI Lake Norman State Park and the Itusi Trail will be closed on Christmas Day. Entry by foot, bicycle or any other means is not allowed. Please allow park staff this one day to spend with their families. If conditions allow, the trail will be open at 8 am on Tuesday, December 26th for your riding enjoyment. Park Staff

12/12/2006

Trips for Kids Clean Up! All of you have been especially invited to get your hands dirty for a couple of hours next Saturday December 16th. Trips for Kids Charlotte will need help in our annual bike clean-up & repair. We will have all the mountain bikes that we have used during the year at the Re-Cyclery and will stage the bikes so that we will not be spending very much time.... I'm guessing 3 hours max. We will meet at 10:00 am at the Re-Cyclery which is located off of North Davidson at 15th Street. The shop is in the basement and can be accessed behind the " Area 15" building. Parking is available on 15th Street or in the grassy lot beside the building. We would like to leave as much space as we can at the rear of the building for the bike trailer and and the bikes. Please respond to this e-mail if you can make it. The more that show up, the quicker we're done. Thanks so much. Harry Johnson (rain date is Sunday the 17th, in the afternoon... )

12/11/2006

Car Break-in at USNWC Forwarded from a fellow rider...Heed his warning... I thought I would spread this disturbing news to you and you may decide to send this out to the trailblazers as a warning. Last Thursday 12-7-06 at 3:00 PM, I was riding at USNWC with 3 other guys for roughly 1 hour. In the time we were on the trail, my Expedition was broken into and a single credit card was stolen out of my wallet, which had been hidden in the center console. The perpetrator used a screwdriver of similar device and jammed it into the lock on the driver side door, breaking the lock and gained access to the SUV which has an alarm that was armed. In addition, when we left the parking lot for the trails… there were people around. We parked close to the bathrooms on the back side of the gravel lot roughly 100 yards from the kiosk and trail head. Whoever did this had some serious balls to pull this off in the middle of the day. My credit card had 3 charges that evening totaling only $58 and all the charges were in the vicinity of RT 16 Brookshire Freeway. Fortunately, I was able to cancel the card quickly once I got home and called the stolen card dept. with MasterCard. Hopefully this guy tried to use my card again after I reported it stolen and was caught, but who knows. I think it would be a very good idea to inform USNWC and the rest of the trailblazers of this event and encourage patrons to be on the lookout and also not to carry a large quantity of valuable items in the vehicles when they go to the park. In this case, the only thing of value in my truck was my wallet, and I will be carrying that in my camelback from now on.

12/05/2006

December Trailblazer Meeting The December meeting of the Trailblazers is scheduled for this Thursday (12/7) at Jack's on 7th Street...We have plenty of interesting news to discuss, the club continues to grow and expand, with some really cool happenin's on the horizon... We will have jersey's, hats, Harrisburg Half sox and many other Trailblazer items for sale…A great way to pick up a gift for that someone special... Don't forget the BIG trail work day, scheduled for this Sat (12/9) at the USNWC (Catawba) where bridge and trail construction will be taking place to work toward completion of the "Figure 8". Time is 8:00 am at the trail head... If you can't attend on Thursday, the Trailblazers wish each and everyone a safe and happy holiday season!

11/02/2006

New Directions to DD/THTB Party! Due to ongoing development and construction in the Fort Mill / ASG area, the directions to the Field Trial Barn have changed!! Hope it'll be a beautiful fall day again, just like last years' Year End Party. Hope to see you there!!! New Improved Directions!!: From Charlotte take I-77 South to exit 90. Turn LEFT at the light at the bottom of the ramp. Continue through 5 lights for 1.3 miles and turn LEFT onto US-21 Business. ('Times TurnAround' Gas and convenience store is on the corner.) Continue for 1 mile. There is a new road pattern and traffic light. Turn Left at the light (still on Bus. 21) and continue about another .75 mile. At the white fence and white house on the right, turn LEFT onto Springfield Parkway. Go 1.2 miles. Just after passing the new "Springfield" neighborhood on the left, you'll see the ASG entrance sign on the Right. Turn RIGHT. Continue ~ 1/4 mile on this gravel road and you'll see the RED Field Trial Barn up ahead on the left. (When you are on Springfield Parkway, if you come to a fork in the road, you've gone too far.) Thanks, Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers

10/20/2006

DD & THTB End of Year Party! Dirt Divas & Trailblazer's Year End Party -- and Ride !!! Host: Dirt Divas & Tarheel Trailblazers Location: Anne Springs Greenway FIELD TRIAL BARN Springfield Parkway, Fort Mill, SC View Map When: Sunday, November 5, 1:00pm Yep, it's time to CELEBRATE another great year for our Clubs! The Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers are co-hosting a Year-End-Holiday Party, complete with a mountain bike ride, dinner, and fabulous prizes!! (We don't know what the prizes are yet, but we're sure they will be fabulous!) All activities will be based from the Field Trial Barn (NOT the Dairy Barn). o Coordinated trail ride(s) will start at 1:30pm. o BBQ dinner and refreshments (catered by Lola's) will be served at 4:00pm. Ride and socialize with other Dirt Divas, Trailblazers and friends; we'll have drawings for prizes and announcements. The 2007 Membership Directories will be distributed to DD members and the all new 2007 Dirt Divas Calendar will be available for purchase by all. BYO adult (alcoholic) beverages; NO GLASS please. This event is free for Dirt Diva members, and each member is welcome to bring a guest. Trailblazers are requested to make a $5/person donation to defer costs (our membership isn't devised to include party costs).. Friends, Mountain Biking, great food, door prizes, what more could you ask of a Year End Party?? Hope to see you there!! R.S.V.P. is required by Nov. 2nd. Contact president@tarheeltrailblazers for your reservation. Directions: From Charlotte take I-77 South to exit 90. Turn LEFT at the light at the bottom of the ramp. Continue for about 1.3 miles and turn LEFT onto US-21 Business. ('Times TurnAround' Gas and convenience store is on the corner.) Continue for 1.8 miles. You will pass the Elementary School on the right. At the white fence and white house on the right, turn LEFT onto Springfield Parkway. Pass the High School on the left and continue for about 1 mile. Turn RIGHT at the large Anne Springs Close Greenway entrance sign (just past the Farmers Market stand on the left). This is a gravel road. The RED Field Trial Barn should now be within your view up ahead on the left.

10/19/2006

IMBA News! IMBA Board Election and Report Card Voting is Underway We need your participation in two important online voting campaigns. Make your voice heard! Board Elections IMBA is pleased to present three new nominees, and three candidates for renewed terms, for election to our Board of Directors. The Board is elected by IMBA’s membership. Although this is an uncontested election, your vote is important to affirm our status as a membership-based nonprofit. Only members current with their annual dues are eligible to vote. Members may vote through this anonymous online form, or by mailing/faxing a paper ballot, distributed in the Fall edition of our printed newsletter Trail News (Vol. 19, No. 3). Paper ballots must be postmarked on or before the Nov. 1 deadline. You may vote for as many as six candidates. Voting is anonymous. Voting will end midnight (MST) on Nov. 1, 2006. Report Card The 2006 IMBA Report Card is just around the corner and we're calling on riders to submit commentary and grades for their home regions. The report card grades create buzz, and can spur the press, land managers and other leaders to take action in your locale. We need your input to shape this year's report, and to provide accurate information about local-level issues affecting riders. Last year's report recognized Scotland as a global superstar, and pointed to Virginia as a leader among U.S. states. In addition to using our online form, you can send an e-mail to communications manager Mark Eller (markeller@imba.com) with Report Card Comments "[STATE/PROVINCE/NATION]" as the subject. Tell us how bike access is shaping up in your neck of these woods. Voting will end midnight (MST) on Nov. 3, 2006.

10/19/2006

Hiking Event at Col. Beatty, Oct 21st Mike Daly, our contact at Park and Rec (Col. Beatty), has requested that mountain bikers refrain from riding at Col. Beatty, this Saturday, Oct. 21st between the hours of 8:30 and 9:45 am, as there will be an organized "hike event" at the park. I know that most of us avoid city park trails on the weekend due to large numbers of walkers/hikers on the trail, so I wouldn't think this would be an issue with our riding faithful. We appreciate your respect of the request...

10/18/2006

More Racing @ the Half Hey, Everyone! Last Saturday's races were great. Everybody had a great time. The turn out was probably normal for the first race in a new series at a new trail, but a little smaller than we are used to at most mtb events in our area. With the rain this week and cool temperatures, the trail should be in great shape again this Saturday. With all of the berms finished and "ridden-in" we are sure to see more great racing. Last week we gave away FREE CUSTOM HARRISBURG HALF SOCKS (by SockGuy), provided by the Tarheel Trailblazers, to all who registered. This week, October 21st, there will be more FREE SOCKS, and WATER BOTTLES provided by the Cabarrus Convention & Visitors Bureau. October 28th will feature night racing, and every registrant will receive a FREE CUSTOM BLACK HARRISBURG HALF T-SHIRT provided by Extreme Car Wash & Lube on Poplar Tent Road in Concord. And...Papa John's Pizza and Zaxby's will, again, provide FREE PIZZA, and CHICKEN WINGS & TENDERS. If you didn't make it out last Saturday, come on out this weekend. And, TELL YOUR FRIENDS! We have competition this weekend with the Tree Shaker 12 Hour MTB Challenge at Renaissance Park. My friend and mentor, Neal Boyd, is putting this on, and it will certainly be a great event. BUT, not everybody has 12 hours to race this weekend. The races at H/2 are comparably short, but fast. Spread the word and let people know racing is happening in Harrisburg. Thanks, again, for your support with the Harrisburg Trail and the race series. Many of you have helped build the trail and maintain it since we began construction last October. Even if you're not a racer, come on out and check out the action. It is great racing! ....One last thing, remember we are RACING FOR A CAUSE: the proceeds from the race series go to ROTARY INTERNATIONAL'S WORK TO ERADICATE POLIO WORLDWIDE. See you @ the Half! Rick rickhoff@bellsouth.net Bank of North Carolina Short Track Mountain Bike Series October 14, 21, 28, & November 11, 2006 Town Park • Harrisburg, North Carolina

10/18/2006

Tree Shaker 12 Hr Mtb Race The Tree Shaker 12 Hour MTB Challenge is this Saturday, October 21st! Don't miss out the most exciting event of the fall. We've had people all over the southeast contacting us about the event. Snail mail and online registration is now available at www.charlottemtnbike.com or http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1372946 Detailed info including maps, directions, schedules and accommodations is also posted on the event website. The event will be held from 9AM to 9PM at Charlotte's oldest mountain bike facility, Renaissance Park. While Renaissance Park may not have a lot of challenging climbing, the trails at the park will create a unique demanding endurance test of the mind and body. We plan to have ten different categories at the event, including, solo male, female, and single speed, duo male, female and single speed, and three person male, female, coed, and masters. The course will be a longer version of the 6.2 mile loop at the park, more than likely totaling around eight miles. We have the entire facility to ourselves, so we plan to use it. We have plenty of paved parking for everyone to set up the most elaborate of team tents and of course, places to stretch out your back. We will have both port-a-jons and indoor restrooms, bike wash station, neutral mechanical support, free food tent, beer gardens, and live music. Prizes and trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each category. All team members will receive prizes and trophies. Prizes are being donated from our event sponsors, Heartwood Tree Service, BikeSource, SouthPark Cycles, Clif Bar, Giant, Specialized, Fox, SockGuy, Kona, Giordana, and Gary Fisher. We picked up a few new sponsors including SourceBurn and hopefully Pabst Blue Ribbon(still in the works). For more info, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com if you are interested in getting emails about upcoming events, join the even list serve on the website.

10/13/2006

Southside Spanker on the Northside! The Southside Spanker on the Northside will be held on November 12 in conjunction with the Big Stampede at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Last year, the club cleared a nice chunk of change from the event. If you don’t like to do trail work but want to help out the club, here’s your chance. We have several needed items for the event: Brochures: We need help getting the brochures out. Neal Boyd has the brochures at SouthPark Cycles. We need helping passing the brochures out to other shops and to any and all events that are taking place over the next couple of weeks. Gorilla marketing is cheap but it’s time consuming and you can’t do it alone. There’s and event this Saturday in Davidson where we need help passing out the brochures. Volunteers for the event. On Saturday afternoon November 11, we’ll need three to four people to help Neal mark the course. On Sunday, we need quite a few volunteers to help run registration, man rest stops, serve as sag support, serve food, and to help set up and break down. We need around 30 to 40 people to help with the event. Lola’s will once again be serving their infamous BBQ for lunch…It freakin’ rocks!! We will not be able to run this event with your help, PLEASE get involved, it’s easy!

10/10/2006

Short Track Racing at Harrisburg The new Bank of North Carolina Short Track Series is scheduled to begin this coming Saturday, October 14th. Registration opens for all categories at 9:00 am. The first wave goes off at 10:00 am. Event parking will be inside the park across from the Library, and off of Robinson Church Rd. at the site of the restored historic post office right next to the railroad tracks. Check the race flier on www.charlottemtnbike.com for a complete listing of all race categories and times. If you need directions to the Harrisburg Town Park, check the Harrisburg Half under the Trails tab on the Trailblazers home page. All of the proceeds from this race series go to Rotary International's fight to eradicate polio and to local service projects of the Rotary Club of Southwest Cabarrus. A new feature in MTB racing in the Charlotte area will be short track racing @ NIGHT in Harrisburg on October 28th! Registration opens at 4:00 pm. Races begin at 5:00 pm. Reminder: NORBA requires all racers to have both FRONT and REAR lights. Come on out and race this weekend! Bring a friend... and race for a cause. Thanks. Rick rickhoff@carolina.rr.com

09/28/2006

Trailwork at USNWC Oct. 7th Please come and join members of the Trailblazers and the USNWC on Saturday, Oct. 7th from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. Meet at the new trailhead off of Hawfield Rd. We will be working to get the rest of the 1 1/4 miles of trail connectors grubbed out (cut-off saplings dug out) and also work on final grooming of the trail tread. Once we get Phase III of the connectors grubbed, we will be able to get the Bobcat and the new dozer blade back in there to handle some of the heavy benching in a couple of sections. Bring your long pants, boots, workgloves, eye protection, a snack and water. If you have any dirt digging tools like mattocks (Pulaskis) or heavy rakes (McLeods), bring them, as well as loppers or a folding saw. The Trailblazers will have a lot of hand tools available also. Thanks and see you there! :D Frank P.

09/05/2006

September Meeting Agenda Trailblazer Agenda – 07 SEPTEMBER 06 Welcome Visitor Introductions Minutes of the July Meeting – Available Online Treasury Report – Frankie Membership – $20/individual, $25/Family, Corp/$100. Bill Austin – Reni – July 16th – tragic loss for all. Moment of silence… NO AUGUST MEETING – Apologies for anyone that may have attended. Too many conflicts. November Elections 3.1 The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee prior to the 1st of October each year. 3.2 The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of officers at the October meeting at which time the slate shall be opened to nominations from the floor. 3.3 The Slate of Nominees shall be published in the newsletter or mailed to the members on the roster at least fifteen days prior to the November club meeting. New Land Acquisitions –Jetton – PRC agenda – Approved on June 13 – handicap accessible…Rec’d Contract from Huntersville on Holbrook’s Road property – Dump Trail – Advanced level trail. Catawba – Re-opened August 27TH! – Mike Kafsky - Entry through new Hawfield Road entrance. Park in SE corner of parking lot. Trail starts at kiosk. Current hours dawn to dusk. Trail closes when wet, check website. Mount Holly Update – RTP Grant – Present Letter from NCDENR…Pending environmental compliance. Renni – Mason Zimmerman? City Park to be constructed on old Coliseum lot. MZ is an ally, selling green Loop at City Park bracelets with the Trailblazers as the benefactor of the proceeds for the Preservation and Enhancement of the Trails at Renaissance Park. Stand to lose approximately 1.5 miles of softball loop. Hope to reconstruct new trails to replace. Autocross donations. Sherman Branch – Jerry Adams – New CMP&R Contact – 4.5 miles have been constructed! Working toward a parking lot… Jetton Park – Construction begins fall of 2006 – Wheelchair accessible LNSP – Construction of Monbo Loop resumes in late fall. Trail length ~13 miles Huntersville – Dump Trail, Pump Track? Cane Creek Update – Neal Boyd – cleared $1,000 Summer Series Update – Neal Boyd Endurancefest Update – Tim Long Diva Update – PASA Update - Trail Maintenance Renaissance – Frank Beatty – Doug North Meck – Tom/Kim Poplar Tent – Jerry Fisher Farm – Mark LNSP – ? Springs - Jeff MacConahy Bobcat – working on acquisition of new blade and trailer. Red Jerseys – On order! Sold ~70 Limited Edition Big Stampede Ride – CMS – Nov 12, 11:00 AM – Fundraiser. Need VOLUNTEERS! Website - Migration to new ISP has been fruitful. Contribute! Shops - Sport/Ultimate – S. Park – Cycle Path - B. Source – Lucky Cycles – Black Sheep – Bike Line

09/05/2006

Final 3 Summer Races! The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will visit the US National Whitewater Center this Wednesday(Sept 6) for the first of three summer series make up races. The trail is officially open and in great shape. It's getting dark a little earlier, so the race will start at 6:00PM. Please make sure to get there in time for the early start. We will park at the US National Whitewater Center. See below for directions. The parking lot off Heavy Equipment School Rd. is NOT open! USNWC Directions: I-85 to Sam Wilson Rd exit, turn north off the exit, 1st left on Performance, Right on Moores Chapel, 2nd left on Hawfield (says it's a dead end) pavement will turn to gravel, then you will see the US Whitewater Center. We now have very clean restrooms and running cold water. Please remember if you are using I-485, you need to exit onto Wilkinson Blvd and travel to Sam Wilson Rd. On Saturday morning September 9, we will host the second makeup race at Renaissance Park. The race will start at 10:00AM with food to follow. Saturday morning, September 23 will host the series finale at N Meck Park in Huntersville. The event will start at 10:00AM with food and the awards ceremoney to follow. Bonus prize for the last three races of the series. SouthPark Cycles and Shimano have given us a set of Shimano XT Tubeless Disc Wheels to raffle. All you have to do is come to one or more of the last three races and you will be entered in the raffle. If you come to all three, your name will be in the drawing three times. For more info on the series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com

09/01/2006

Lake Norman Adventure Race & Clinic Imagine combining mountain biking, trail running, orienteering, and paddling into one continuous adventure. All you need are sneakers and a bicycle. We’ll provide the expertise so that you can learn the skills for success in adventure racing! - A short afternoon race designed for everyone to finish. Activities will include mountain biking, orienteering (map and compass navigation), and paddling. - Morning clinic taught by local world-class adventure racers - Written skills outline for essential skills in navigation, gear, teammates, food, training, race preparation, race schedules, first aid - Discount coupons and door prizes from Great Outdoor Provision Co. - Fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association One day clinic and race on Saturday, October 28, 2006. 8:30-12:00 skills clinic and 1:00-3:30 race. Recommended donation is $60; pay what you can. 100% of profits will be donated to the American Diabetes Association. 10% discount for any groups. Bring your friends! Or come by yourself and we’ll create teams of 2-3 people. Beautiful location at Lake Norman State Park, I77 at exit 42. Contact: Doug Gray, 704.895.6479. Pre-registration necessary. All details are at www.action-learning.com/adventure

08/31/2006

Mt. Holly Grant Approval Jeff Smith is happy to report that our 2006 Adopt-A-Trail application has been approved by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The $50K grant is to be used for construction of 15 miles of "natural soil trails" in the Don E. Carmichael Conservancy, in Mt. Holly. Pending approval by the Division of Purchase and Services for environmental compliance, we hope to be starting trail layout this fall, followed by construction this winter. Mt. Holly will be making a contribution of $10K toward this project and we will be working with Trail Dynamics to build the trail corridor, with the Trailblazer volunteer faithful finishing the trail through grooming (much like LNSP)... You can find the letter of approval, here: http://bucketboys.servebeer.com/thtb/images/grant_approval.pdf

08/26/2006

USNWC Trails Set To Open 8/27!!! It’s been 18 months in coming, but the mountain bike trails at the USNWC are set to reopen on Sunday, August 27th! We will be utilizing the southern +/-6 miles of the park, until which time we complete the reconnect that will allow us access to the northern area of the park. Please take a moment to read and understand the guidelines that will be posted at the trailhead. The USNWC and the Trailblazers wish to make your ride an enjoyable experience for all. And thank you for your patience as we have worked through the temporary closure with great results. We look at Mike Kafksy and his staff as new partners and are excited by the possibilities of our relationship. Please utilize the parking area at the White Water Center, by turning RIGHT onto Moore’s Chapel (from Performance Drive), the taking the second LEFT onto Hawfield. The trailhead is in the southeastern corner of the parking lot. New trail map can be found, here: http://bucketboys.servebeer.com/thtb/images/USNWCMap.pdf

08/16/2006

Group Ride at Fisher Farm Park There will be a group ride at Fisher Farm Park in Davidson on Thursday, Aug. 17th at 6:30 PM. All age groups and skill levels are welcome. This ride is sponsored by Davidson Park & Rec. and the Tarheel Trailblazers (us). Meet in the parking lot at the end of the gravel driveway. See the "Trails" tab for directions. If you have any questions or wish to help out, please call me (Mark Sullivan) at 704-896-3331.

08/09/2006

Development of the Coliseum Property Information on the Development of the Coliseum Property Guest Speaker this Thursday, 8/10/06 7:30PM at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill (911 Morehead Rd, Charlotte, NC) **All Are Welcome - Free** Find out what the future holds for runners and cyclists at City Park (the new vision for the old Charlotte Coliseum). Mason Zimmerman, Senior VP of Pope and Land (the owners of the Coliseum and 170 acre surrounding property)-and fellow runner and mountain biker- will be talking about the future recreational plans of the property, including uninterrupted cycling, running, and walking routes without traffic! This development will be something charlotte has never seen and will impact the athletic community in a very positive way. We will also be answering any questions about Endurancefest(www.endurancefest.com) and we'll have registration forms for Endurancefest on hand along with a few give-aways like commemorative Endurancefest T-shirts. Join Sharksbite Road Runners for the Thursday night run beforehand at 6:30PM at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, then hang out afterwords for food, drinks, and good information. Please forward this to friends and anyone you feel may benefit from this information.

08/04/2006

Cane Creek Cup Series Comes to Catawba! The Cane Creek Cup Series stops at Catawba Riverfront Park, home of the US National Whitewater Center on August 20, 2006. As the largest fundraiser of the year for the Trailblazers, we are looking for volunteers to assist in any number of ways, from registration to timing & scoring, to course marshals, you name it, we’ll need it! All interested individuals should contact Neal Boyd at: nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com The race brochure and registration form can be downloaded here: http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/RiverfrontClassic/2006RiverClassic.pdf We’ll look forward to seeing you at the races!

08/01/2006

Limited Edition Tarheel Trailblazer Jerseys! You've asked and we've responded! A special edition THTB jersey, this time in a RED to BLACK fade... We are offering the mesh jersey with full zipper front in Men's and Women's sizes (we must have a minimum of 10 jerseys of each style to complete the order)... Jerseys are available to members of the Trailblazers and Dirt Divas for $50 each...Non members are $65 (that covers the jersey AND $5 off a Trailblazer membership)... Order deadline is Friday, August 18th...Please follow the link below to view the order form:

07/31/2006

NO August Meeting! Just a reminder that due to the many conflicting events scheduled for August 3rd, there will be NO August Trailblazer meeting...See y'all on Sept. 7th, 7:30 PM at Jack's on 7th Street!

07/31/2006

REI Grand Opening Rides and Events The Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas have been invited to a Community Bike Ride hosted by REI, the outdoor clothing and gear company, to celebrate the Grand Opening of their first store in the Charlotte area, at the Carolina Place Mall. Morning Community Bike Ride Saturday August 5, Morning 7:30am – 9:30am (Ride starts at 8am) Meeting Place: Pineville REI, located at the Carolina Place Mall (near Dillards) Summary: This event is a community ride to be held Saturday morning Aug. 5th of the Grand Opening Weekend. Bring your mountain bike; the ride will be a modified urban assault, going from the REI Pineville store to McMullen Creek Greenway and back (around 9 miles). REI has invited the Tarheel Trailblazers, Dirt Divas and Trips for Kids (who agreed to change their scheduled ride for this event). All participants meeting at Pineville REI site at 7:30am, ready to ride at 8am, ending the ride at 9:30am. Will do “Big Check” presentation upon arrival at new Pineville store, just before opening (9:45am). Sunday Aug. 6th from 12 - 3pm, the Dirt Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers will have an information booth on site at the upper level of the REI store to promote both clubs. (FYI -- just 2 weeks ago, 34 volunteers from REI and 11 Trailblazers descended upon the trails at the USNWC (Catawba) to re-route a drop onto the "Trail of Joy" and to work on a new connector to link the south side of the park with the 2-miles of sweet single track on the north side. A big thank you to the REI crew and to the Trailblazer faithful, who gave up their Sunday afternoon and flocked to the park on (very) short notice!) If there are any questions about the ride or REI's Grand Opening events, please contact: Joey Norman Outreach Specialist Pineville REI 106 704 444-2629 jnorman@rei.com

07/28/2006

EnduranceFest! EnduranceFest Sports Event and Music Festival Hosted by City Park September 2nd, 2006 at the Coliseum. What makes EnduranceFest different? It's a full day of excitement for athletes from many different sports. Runners, Mountain Bikers, Cyclists and Multi-Sport Athletes will all find challenge in one or more of the separate events. Participants may do one event or combined events. The mountain bike course actually goes INTO the coliseum at one point! Other activities and entertainment include, live music, great food from local restaurants and hotel, micro-brewed beer from a local brewery, soft drinks, endurance drinks and bottled water, local artists, prizes including cash, some free hotel rooms given out, running gear, cycling equipment, gift certificates, trophies and medals. There is literally something for everyone, and will be the last event held at the Coliseum. EnduranceFest kicks off with an expo, bike demo, registration and packet pick-up with all-you-can-eat pre race dinner on Friday, September 1st and then the three individual events take place all day Saturday, September 2nd. Info at www.endurancefest.com or 704-507-9337. Tell everyone you know!

07/28/2006

Catawba Workday! PLEASE JOIN THE TEAM FOR: WHAT: 3-Hour Trail Building Event WHEN: Sunday August 6th, 2006 / 8:00am-11:00am WHERE: Meet at NALL or at the back of the USNWC Parking Lot at 8:00am. HOW TO GET THERE: Directions Below BRING: Plenty of water, boots, pants, and a garden tool such as a shovel, pick, pruners, or metal garden rake. The Trailblazers provide a limited number of cool fire fighting hand tools like the Pulaski, Mattock, and Mcleod to those adventurous enough to try. Actually they are way more efficient and fun to use! The trail system at the USNWC exists because of volunteer support. Become a part of the USNWC trail system and help reconnect the trails. Under the direction of the Tarheel Trailblazers the volunteer goal of the August 6th trail event is to gather the majority of support from the heartbeat of the project including USNWC, Liquid Designs, and Rodgers Dooley. Please come, grab a friend and lend a hand for a few hours. It is truly amazing what can be done in 3 hours as shown during the last trail event. Speared on by REI the last trail event provided 49 volunteers including 35 from REI, 4 from USNWC, and 11 from Tarheel Trailblazers. With the knowledge of the Trailblazers, volunteers gain an understanding of sustainable trail building techniques and add to the unique singletrack trail system at the USNWC. ASAP please RSVP to mkafsky@usnwc.org if you and any others will attend. We will have to prepare for the number attending. Please join in reestablishing the USNWC trail system. Your efforts will be a strong step in meeting the goal of reconnecting the 11 miles of trails. Thanks for your time and consideration! DIRECTIONS: From Uptown Area: 85 South Exit 29 - Sam Wilson Rd Right at end of exit ramp heading North Take first left on to Performance Rd Travel about 1 mile and turn right into office entrance at 4200 Performance Rd Hit a stop sign? Went a few driveways too far. Turn around. Anyone meeting here will depart for the site at 8:00pm if you want to meet at the site continue directions below To Meet at the Site: Continue down Performance Road Turn Right at Stop Sign onto Moores Chapel Road Travel about 1/2 mile and turn left onto Hawfield Road Follow Hawfield all the way into the site (Hawfield becomes a rough gravel road) Bear left at power lines and meet at the far end of the big gravel parking lot. We will group here and head out on foot with tools in hand. Sincerely, Michael Kafsky High Adventure Program Manager US National Whitewater Center

07/20/2006

Bill Austin Donations Please make donations payable to: The Tarheel Trailblazers 3611 Woody Grove Ln. Charlotte, NC 28210

07/14/2006

Test test

07/11/2006

Update from Booty Headquarters! 24 Hours of Booty is almost here! Thank you for all you are doing - fundraising, spreading the word about the event, and offering to volunteer. We are planning another amazing event for you this year. Here are the latest updates. 24 HOURS OF BOOTY FUNDRAISING PRIME! Do you know how professional cycling races spice things up? They throw in a prime! (pronounced "preem," for no good reason). A prime is an intermediate sprint during the race for some sort of prize. The announcer rings the bell as the pack comes through the start/finish area to let them know that a prime is coming up. On the next lap, the first rider over the line wins the prize. You are a fundraiser in this 24 Hours of Booty pack, and the bell is about to ring! Keep your eyes on your email box and get ready for details! FUNDRAISING GOAL AND JERSEY LEVEL AWARDS Thank you for the amazing work you have done so far. Please know that your efforts are doing incredible things for the cancer community, locally and abroad. Keep up the great work! We still have a long way to go to reach that $400,000 goal! If you missed the July 1st Jersey Level cutoff, don't worry. You can still qualify for all Jersey level awards all the way up to July 21st, and up to August 4th to qualify for the top 3 fundraisers ("Podium Fundraisers") and top fundraising team ("Team Prize" recipients)! The top fundraiser will also receive the highly coveted Booty Cup trophy and a 2005 TREK Madone Bicycle to be presented just prior to the start of the Bank of America Criterium! FUNDRAISING Q & A Wondering where to mail offline donations or to whom your donors should write their checks? Can't remember the fundraising level details? Starting your fundraising now and need a quick sample solicitation letter to plug in to your emails? All these questions and more can be answered at our fundraising webpage. http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/fundraising.php REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JULY 21 It's not too late to register for the 24 Hours of Booty, as an individual or as a team. The registration deadline is July 21. There will be no registrations accepted after this date, so go ahead and sign up now! TRAINING FOR 24 HOURS OF BOOTY If you wish to do some training for 24 Hours of Booty, you'll want to follow a plan that best represents your goals, ability level, and willingness to train. Per4mance Training US Cycling Elite Coach, Chad Andrews, has developed a training plan that can assist you in reaching goals of 4, 8, 16, or 24 hours of riding at the 24 Hours of Booty. There is a link to his plan on our F.A.Q. page: http://www.24hoursofbooty.com/faq.php#twelve Remember, you are not required to have any particular goals for 24 Hours of Booty; you can just come out and ride for fun and join the excitement! FESTIVITIES We've got some exciting things planned for this year's event. In the next few weeks, we'll be giving you some details about music, food, vendors, and noteworthy appearances from special folks, including a special visitor from the Lance Armstrong Foundation! VOLUNTEERS We have received many kind offers to volunteer. Thank you! For folks who have already emailed us, we'll be sending you important information very shortly. If you would like to volunteer at 24 Hours of Booty, please send an email to: volunteer@24hoursofbooty.com. All volunteers will receive a very cool 24 Hours of Booty t-shirt! Thank you for all your support of 24 Hours of Booty! Spencer and the 24 Hours of Booty Staff 24 Hours of Booty 100 N. Tryon Street, Suite B220-235 Charlotte, NC 28202-4029 704-839-6103

07/04/2006

July Trailblazer Meeting Yes, it's that time again! The July Tarheel Trailblazer meeting will be THIS THURSDAY, July 6 at 7:30 at Jackalope Jack's. Come early for some food/drink/socializing...

06/26/2006

9th Annual TFL Mountain Bike Challenge On Saturday, September 30, 2006, the 9th Annual TFL Mountain Bike Challenge Ride will be held at pristine DuPont State Forest in Henderson and Transylvania Counties, NC. All proceeds go towards Henderson County Partnership for Health’s Tobacco Free for Life program and our mission to prevent tobacco use by the youth of Henderson County, NC through education, awareness and community collaboration. The Challenge will feature three courses: Advanced ~ 25 miles (approx. 3,500’ of climb), Intermediate ~ 10 – 15 miles (moderate climb) and Beginner/Family Fun – 3 - 5 miles (minimal climb). The first 200 registered riders will get a TFL Hincapie jersey (opt out available). Entry fees are $55 for pre-registered rider with jersey and $35 for pre-registered riders without jersey. Pre-registration deadline is Sept. 20. Event day registration is $65 per rider with jersey (if available) and $45 per rider without jersey. Event will be held rain or shine. Registration will be held 8:00 to 9:15 a.m. and the ride begins promptly at 9:30 a.m. All riders will receive a boxed lunch from Atlanta Bread Co. Back by popular demand is our Challenge silent auction! More than $2,500 worth of items have already been donated, including a Giant Trance, valued at $1,200, donated by Bikeways. Bring cash, checks or credit card…there will be lots of good stuff! For additional information and/or registration forms, contact Event Coordinator – Amy Williford at 698-4600 or tobaccofree@p-f-h.org. You can also register for the TFL Challenge on active.com: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1335153

06/22/2006

Final Cowbell Update Cowbell Challenge – June 24th You have probably seen the updates be here are a few points about this years race you need to know: Last Call For Regstration Without A Late Fee If you register the day of the event there is a late fee. Don’t fret, the late fee will go to charity. There is currently still registration online and will be registration available here at SouthPark Cycles. Volunteers still needed We are still looking for a few more volunteers to help with the event. Mostly for parking, registration etc. If you are able to volunteer please email Connie connie@therightwordz.com. Cowbell Challenge Video Michael “Dolby” Lee will be producing a Cowbell Race Video. We will be prebooking orders for the video at the race. Expected cost is around $30. Action Photos By Charlotte Sports Photo That’s right, we know everyone likes to see themselves on film. Charlotte Sports Photo will be out there again taking action shots of all the racers. Photos will be available for purchase. Pre Race Dinner and Pre Registration Packet Pick Up Tomorrow night (Friday June 23rd) is the dinner and pre registration packet pick up. Dinner will be catered by Chef Bruce Stewart of Lolas/Center City Catering. From 6 to 9 at SouthPark Cycles from 6 to 9. All registered Racers (and significant others) and Volunteers are welcome. All others are welcome for dinner for a $20 donation. We will also start the bidding for the silent auctions and chain guessing game. Cowbell Challenge Socks This year we had some great socks made to help raise extra money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. $15 for 1, $25 for 2, $40 for 4 Chip Timing Same folks that did the Burn 24. Everything worked flawlessly at the race a couple of weekends ago Winners Jerseys This year we have jerseys for all of the first place finishers in the 12 hour race Cowbells – as usual we have cowbells for the top 3 in each category. Silent Auction – This year we will also have a silent auction starting Friday with all kinds of good stuff (frames, clothing, etc). All proceeds go to LAF. Guess The Number of Chain Links – kind of like beans or pennies in a jar but were logically using chain links. $1 will get you a guess. The winner will get a 18” Kona Unit 29er frameset. All proceeds go to LAF. Avoid the late fees and lines by preregistering online and picking up your packet on Fridays pre race party and packet pickup. For All of the info www.cowbellchallenge.org Thanks

06/19/2006

Itusi Trail Work Hey guys It is time for a little Itusi lovin'. The park staff has been trying to leave the trail open a little more often and it is beginning to take its toll. Bob has marked quite a few areas that need some work and we are going to try and knock a few of them out next weekend. We will meet at the trail head on both Saturday 6/24 and Sunday 6/25 at about 8:00 AM (to try and beat the heat). If we can fix some of these problem areas, the trail will be more weather-proof which would allow for fewer trail closures. If you miss this one, we will have another one during the last weekend of July, August and September. Early October will bring the new season of trail work on the Monbo Loop. I took the GPS unit out to make a track of the new loop and there is right at 1.5 miles that needs to be finished. The Monbo Loop definitely has a bunch more up and down than the current trail and there are 3 nice downhills that will be great fun. Just remember that the new loop is not open yet but with a good turnout in fall, we may be riding it in early '07. See ya Jeff Archer FFB

06/13/2006

Uwharrie Trail Maintenance What - Uwharrie Trail Maintenance and prep for trail creation. When - Sat 06/17/06 @ 10:00am - Running late (Catch up with us on Supertree) Where - Uwharrie Wood Run Trail - (Meet in parking lot) What to bring - your hard working cycling body :) Want to give back??? Help Frank Murray, the Wheelmen and the UMBA clean up the Woodrun Trail System and set out flags for 5 new routes. Yep 5, you know like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That would make 7 total trails to create a network of routes from. Can you say Epic! However we need your help so we can turn the routes and plans over to the USFS for public approval. Deborah Walker is the USFS Ranger and is extremely helpful with keeping our interests in order. The ball is in our court now. If you would like to voice your interest in seeing improvements on new and existing trails the Uwharrie USFS # is 910-576-6391 Brian Bristol EMail: brianbristol@middleringcycles.com Phone: 704-322-3559 Toll Free - 1-877-MDL-RING Web: www.MiddleRingCycles.com

06/11/2006

IMBA Defense Fund Can you believe mountain biking is still attacked as an illegitimate use of trails? First, we were accused of speeding erosion. Then, we were labeled a “dangerous menace.” IMBA is dispelling these false allegations and reopening trails—but a new danger looms. Liability concerns now pose a significant threat to our sport. That’s why I’m asking you to please donate to IMBA’s Legal Fund today. Contributors of $35 or more will receive the hardcover chronology, Stumpjumper: 25 Years of Mountain Biking, signed by Ned Overend. Our goal is simple: Use the clarity of the law and the power of IMBA’s 35,000 members to defend mountain bikers’ rights. The Legal Fund helps support three crucial areas of IMBA’s work: Spearhead the development of risk management resources Defend against daily attacks on local trail systems Influence legislation that determines access for mountain bikers Please donate now or read more about the Legal Fund at IMBA.com. As I write this letter, National Forests in Montana, Colorado, West Virginia and California are considering banning bikes from hundreds of miles of great riding. Your contribution will help ensure that IMBA’s rapid response team is ready to act with an effective action alert when disaster strikes in your region. Your donation to IMBA’s Legal Fund will help expand and improve our role as mountain biking’s guardian. We’re confident you’ll feel your tax-deductible donation is a savvy investment in the future of our sport, please contribute today. Thank you for your continuing generosity, Jenn Dice IMBA Government Affairs Director

06/11/2006

Cannonballs RIDE FOR PRIDE Join the members of the Cannonballs Cycling Team for the 11th annual RIDE FOR PRIDE. This supported ride is designed for all levels of cycling enthusiast - from families and recreational riders to experienced distance challengers. Each rider is free to set their own pace, and select the distance they will be proud to complete. Ride Date: Saturday August 12th, 2006, rain or shine. The 100k & 50k rides begin at 8:00a.m. the 16k ride begins at 9:00a.m. Ride Distance: Choose either a 100k which is approximately 62 miles, a 50k which is approximately 31 miles, or a 16k bike route which is approximately 10 miles. All routes will be marked and volunteers will be stationed to guide and support you. Ride Location: All riders will begin and end at Liburdi Dimetrics, 404 Armour Street, Davidson, NC. DIRECTIONS: From Charlotte; travel I-77 North to EXIT 30 (Davidson Exit); Turn RIGHT onto Griffith Street. Turn LEFT onto Beaty; Turn LEFT onto Armour. Proceeds will Benefit: Trips for Kids - Charlotte www.tripsforkidscharlotte.org & the M/S Society http://www.nationalmssociety.org Registration Fee: Fifteen ($15.00) per person (ONLINE http://www.cannonballs-cycling.org, check or money order) before August 4th, 2006 or twenty ($20.00) afterwards or day of ride. Kids under 12 years of age ride for free when accompanied by a paid adult rider (18 years of age or older). Registration/Check-In: Register by mail or on the day of the ride from 7:00a.m. The Cannonballs Cycling Team will help provide a positive, memorable, and enjoyable experience by catering to your ride needs. Aid Stations: Food and liquids will be available for riders to rest, refuel and recuperate. Support: SAG vehicles will cruise the course to support all riders and transport weary riders back to the starting point. Mechanical Support: Sponsoring Bike Shops will provide mechanical support. All riders are encouraged to bring an extra tube. IMPORTANT NOTICE: ANSI or SNELL approved helmets are required for all riders.

06/06/2006

Collier Lilly Ride for Life This Saturday, the 3rd Annual Collier Lilly Ride for Life will take place at Davidson College in Davidson, NC. Last year, we had close to 450 people attend the event. We will have three well marked routes on lightly traveled roads with reststops loaded with food and drink. After the ride, enjoy the sounds of one of Davidson's up and coming new bands and enjoy a food from Fat Boys. Ride participants will receive an event T-shirt and a pair of SockGuy socks. For more info, check out www.collierlillyride4life.com

06/06/2006

Clt Mtn Bike Series This Wednesday, the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will visit Col Fancis Beatty Park. Beatty is a great place to bring out beginners, yet challanging enough to wear out the experts. Come on out, the weather is going to be great. www.charlottemtnbike.com

06/06/2006

Cowbell Challenge 12 Hour Cowbell Challenge - June 24, 2006 June 24th is just around the corner, and you know what that means, the arrival of summer and the Cowbell Challenge! Join us from 10 am to 10 pm at the US National Whitewater Center. We're happy to report that this year's races will have electronic timing, managed by the great folks from Young and Associates (same folks that were at the Burn 24). Top three finishers in all categories receive one of the highly prized cowbell trophies and great prizes. First place finishers in all 12 hour categories also go home with exclusive Cowbell Challenge winners, jerseys provided by Sugoi Performance Apparel. And everyone who pre-registers is guaranteed a Cowbell Challenge t-shirt, and as always, we have a new cow design created this year by nine-year old Ian Rogers of Waxhaw, NC. Join us for the pre-race packet pickup party at SouthPark Cycles on Friday, June 23 from 6 to 9 pm. Pick up your race packet, sample great food and brew, catch up with old friends and meet some new ones, and get a preview of the auction items. The race features a long LeMans style start (with prizes to the male and female fastest starters provided by Charlotte Running Company). Lights are required after 8 pm. Check out www.cowbellchallenge.org for all the details, and go to www.active.com to register online. If you?d rather register the old fashioned way, drop by SouthPark Cycles, 5121 South Boulevard in Charlotte, or download a registration from the website and mail it in.

06/02/2006

Charges Against Bus Driver Dismissed The following account of the June 1 trial of the bus driver charged in the cycling death of Todd Weaver, is by Martin Zimmerman of B.I.K.E.S. Hello all. I just got back into my emails after returning from the trial this afternoon and putting some housekeeping business to rest. Yes, this was a huge disappointment. Here is how it went as I saw it: In addition to Mark and two sons, Dan Faris from BIKES and myself were present and one other person I did not recognize from one of the bike clubs. That was all from the bicycle community. Only a few others in the court room. This was the primary case of the afternoon and lasted for about 1 hour. The first witness was the police officer who wrote up the report on the accident. Speed of bus, speed of bike (28.9 mph at point of impact), evidence of tire skidding tracks (none), condition of bicycle, length of downhill slope, time of day, traffic volume. That sort of thing. Next key witness - the law enforcement officer who delivered the warrant, and who took the witness stand did not explicitly state in the warrant what constituted a traffic violation or what the carelessness was on the part of the busdriver. The judge read the warrant word for word and pointed this omission out to all present. I am not sure the judge really had much of a choice but to call an end to it simply based on the faulty warrant. Now the video. My statement to the news media emphasized the point that the official CATS video which was taken from the front of the bus as the accident unfolded (and which Mark Weaver was able to view before today's trial) was just.... a video, and that the judge admitted to this. But this video dominated the court proceedings and was replayed about six-seven times stopping when necessary to look closer at details. I won't get into all of what we saw except to say that the District Attorney's lawyer failed to realize how important it was to disect this video and to counter point-by-point the defense lawyer who obviously was relying on it to make his client's case. In essence his defense was that his client obeyed the traffic laws and took adequate precautions while turning despite glare in the front window of the bus and shadows across the road from harsh 5 p.m. sunlight. Since Todd was clocked at an estimated 28 mph and the driver was moving at an estimated 10 mph as he turned from a complete stop, the implication, although not pushed by the defense lawyer, was that Todd was not paying attention, and in effect was traveling at 3 times the speed of the bus driver. Suffice it to say that the District Attorney's lawyer failed miserably by not responding as anyone,myself included, would assume. You can easily imagine what this did to Mark. He met in private with the DA's attorney briefly afterwards and then joined me outside the buiding to talk to the media. He said to the newsmedia that the family will meet to decide what to do next in terms of whether or not to take civil action. If you saw him you could see how composed he was, but I can assure you that his feelings were otherwise. The driver appeared distraught afterwards, and my heart bleeds for him. I think it is important to keep in perspective that he was not under the influence of alcohol or other subsance abuses and that it is fair to assume this was not an intentional act on his part. This particular incident may well have been a tragic story that began and ended in less the 5 seconds. In my statement to the media I tried to emphasize that the general public lost an opportunity to understand the vulnerability of bicyclists on our streets, even when they are riding intelligently and carefully. Bus drivers and others are not yet vigilant of cyclists' presence, even in broad daylig

06/01/2006

USNWC Road Dispute The Trailblazers have and continue to support the WW Park. It is a most unfortunate issue for both parties that has recently come about. We as a club look forward to the reopening of the Mtb trails as well as the opening of the WW Park itself. Any theorizing about the location of a possible new road would be premature and based solely on conjecture. As a club we are going to wait patiently for a decision to be made by the USNWC, the land manager of the park. Once we know more, we will work closely with the white water park to minimize any possible trail conflicts.

05/31/2006

Trial of Bus Driver Hello Cycling Friends... Todd's brother, Mark Weaver, shared some important information with me and I want to pass it along to the club members. Peter Gilchrist, Charlotte- Mecklenburg's district attorney, commented that the many letters he received concerning Todd Weaver really made an impression on him. He really views Todd as a special person who made a difference as a father and friend to all in the community. Your letters made a difference!! The trial for the prosecution of Jerry Miller, the CATS bus driver, is scheduled for the afternoon session on June 1. Most importantly, all cyclists are encouraged to attend the trial. Our presence will demonstrate that cyclists have a right to share the road. The outcome of this case will set a precedent for punishment of motorists' selfish actions toward cyclists. If the driver gets off with no jail time a precedent will be set: A cyclists is a mere speed bump in the road! That session starts at 1:30pm on June 1st. The time the actual trial starts depends on how the schedule plays out that day. Room #2203 – Judge Moore District Courts Building 700 E. Fourth Street. The courthouse is on the other side of the fountains from the City-County Government Building. The doors are on the side of the building, facing the courtyard. Please note that all this is subject to change as late of the day of the trial. Let's show we care! Please pass this information on. Laura

05/31/2006

Trailblazer Meeting This Thursday Don't forget! Tarheel Trailblazer meeting is this Thursday, June 1 at 7:30 at Jackalope Jack's on 7th street. Come on out and learn about our local trails!

05/08/2006

Charlotte Adventure Sports Festival May 13 U.S. National Whitewater Center Hosts Charlotte Adventure Sports Festival May 13 Charlotte, NC – The U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) hosts the Charlotte Adventure Sports Festival on Saturday, May 13, 2:00 – 8:00 pm at Latta Park in Dilworth. The first of what is slated to become an annual event, the festival brings together athletes, outdoor outfitters, and gear vendors for a celebration of outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and healthy, active living in keeping with the mission of the new USNWC facility scheduled to open in Charlotte on June 15. Kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and other sports will be featured prominently as Latta Park becomes outdoor adventure central for the day. A family area will include activities to appeal to the young outdoor enthusiast in everyone, including tricycle racing sponsored by Bicycle Sport and fun activities for kids and families. On the concert stage, performances throughout the day will include Americana artist Dave Childers and the Modern Don Juans, rock and roll newcomers The Sammies, and local bluegrass favorites the Moonshine Racers. Local restaurants including Mac’s Speed Shop and Dilworth Neighborhood Grill will be serving their specialties all day. Tickets are on sale now through www.bandtastic.com/USNWC and local retailers Jesse Brown and Bicycle Sport. Adult admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door and includes beer, wine, food, and entertainment. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult. Event sponsors include Sun & Ski Sport, Girl Scouts, REI, Bicycle Sport, Sugoi, Jesse Brown, Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Bud Select, 106.5 The End, 96.1 The Beat, Lazyday.com, LKNFun.com, and Sports Connection. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world’s premier outdoor recreation and environmental learning center. Opening in June 2006, the Center features the only multi-channel recirculating whitewater river on the planet, along with mountain biking trails, a climbing center, challenge courses, a conference center, and more. Situated on 300 acres of Catawba riverfront wilderness 10 minutes from center city, the Center has been designated as an Olympic training facility by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Visit www.USNWC.org. Tickets are on sale now through [url]www.bandtastic.com/USNWC[/url] For more information, contact: Lance Kinerk, U.S. National Whitewater Center (704) 372-9695

05/08/2006

Charlotte Adventure Sports Festival May 13 U.S. National Whitewater Center Hosts Charlotte Adventure Sports Festival May 13 Charlotte, NC – The U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) hosts the Charlotte Adventure Sports Festival on Saturday, May 13, 2:00 – 8:00 pm at Latta Park in Dilworth. The first of what is slated to become an annual event, the festival brings together athletes, outdoor outfitters, and gear vendors for a celebration of outdoor recreation, environmental stewardship, and healthy, active living in keeping with the mission of the new USNWC facility scheduled to open in Charlotte on June 15. Kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and other sports will be featured prominently as Latta Park becomes outdoor adventure central for the day. A family area will include activities to appeal to the young outdoor enthusiast in everyone, including tricycle racing sponsored by Bicycle Sport and fun activities for kids and families. On the concert stage, performances throughout the day will include Americana artist Dave Childers and the Modern Don Juans, rock and roll newcomers The Sammies, and local bluegrass favorites the Moonshine Racers. Local restaurants including Mac’s Speed Shop and Dilworth Neighborhood Grill will be serving their specialties all day. Tickets are on sale now through www.bandtastic.com/USNWC and local retailers Jesse Brown and Bicycle Sport. Adult admission is $20 in advance and $25 at the door and includes beer, wine, food, and entertainment. Children under 12 are free with a paying adult. Event sponsors include Sun & Ski Sport, Girl Scouts, REI, Bicycle Sport, Sugoi, Jesse Brown, Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Bud Select, 106.5 The End, 96.1 The Beat, Lazyday.com, LKNFun.com, and Sports Connection. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world’s premier outdoor recreation and environmental learning center. Opening in June 2006, the Center features the only multi-channel recirculating whitewater river on the planet, along with mountain biking trails, a climbing center, challenge courses, a conference center, and more. Situated on 300 acres of Catawba riverfront wilderness 10 minutes from center city, the Center has been designated as an Olympic training facility by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Visit www.USNWC.org. Tickets are on sale now through www.bandtastic.com/USNWC For more information, contact: Lance Kinerk, U.S. National Whitewater Center (704) 372-9695

05/01/2006

USNWC Update Trail Coordinator, Frankie Pietras has been busy laying out the route for the new connector trails at the USNWC. Sounds like Frankie is excited to be back out in the woods at Catawba…Look for more updates and information on the start of the re-connection process in the very near future…The current plan will call for three independent teams to work three sections, simultaneously… Several individuals have already expressed interest in helping our with the process, and you’ll be hearing from us soon…As always, if you’re interested in being involved in the process, please contact me at: president@tarheeltrailblazers.com From Frankie: “I've been out to the USNWC 4 times now since April 11th, doing trail scouting. So far I have flagged: 1) The potential trail corridor from the proposed kiosk site near the parking area down to the spot where they want us to pop out next to the channel. 2) also from the "pinch" area between the river and the WWC back up to where we would connect back into the Trail of Joy. *Note this area has dramatic side slope and large trees similar to the New Point Trail! 3) From the spot where we would re-enter the woods after riding along the lower channel, I made it about halfway to the point of where we would re-connect to the old trail near the Figure Eight. * We are going to have to re-visit the Heinous Hill again. I have done my best to switchback down it as best I could. On Tuesday, I met with Michael Williams (project architect) on-site for the first time since our initial tour. We looked at the switchback down the Heinous and the "creek" crossing below their big dam. This is where we once had a bridge that is now gone. We discussed the need to replace that bridge and the possible need for a second one if we cannot ride across the little "dam" that holds the containment pond below the big dam. I suggested that they try to do "utility pole" bridges like at North Meck due to the relative ease of access for the pole-carrying vehicles. (Doug S. has always endorsed that type of bridge when appropriate due to their simplicity once the poles are put in place.) Michael said Duke Power would be setting light poles soon and he would try to see if they could set poles for the bridges at the same time. It appears that the original plan to run the trail up the slope of the amphitheater that overlooks the competition channel has been put on the back burner for now. The logistics of getting back down to the trail from up there has created issues that I don't think they are ready to deal with yet. So the primary trail for connecting to the Figure Eight will be just inside the wood line on the north side of the WWP.”

05/01/2006

Charlotte Mountain Bike Series It's time, the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series is set to kick off this Wednesday at the US National Whitewater Center. We will still use the south entrance off Heavy Equipment School Rd until the park is open to the public and the new trails at the north end of the park are reconnected and ready to ride. I went today(Sunday) to work on the trails, I must say, they are in great shape and ready to race. Bring a newbie out to the series. Pass the info around to all of your riding pals. New for this season, sixteen races as opposed to twenty. We will make the rotation of each park, USNWC, Beatty, Renaissance, and N Meck, then take a week off. We will have one double points race during each four race rotation. The double points races will be announced the day of the race. Two new categories, Super Sport Men and Expert/Super Sport Women. Both of the categories will race the same distance as Sport and were created to allow better competition throughout all categories. Any and all categories will be combined due to lack of participation. If you plan to race the summer series as an Expert, specifically the men, you must purchase an annual NORBA license. NORBA licenses can be purchased at www.usacycling.org The women's category is a combined category so you can race as an Expert or Sport or any and all Expert women can race down a category with the men. We are also working on food sponsors for entire series. We would like to line up food sponsors for each and every event. Last be definitely not least, we have picked up many new sponsors this season. Most all of the local bike shops are back on board, plus Shimano, Trek, Kona, Continental Tires, SockGuy, Gary Fisher, Nike, Bontrager, Easton, Clif Bar, Serfas, Fox, Giordana, and many more. Support your local shops. BTW, if you are using I-485 to reach USNWC, exit onto Hwy 74/Wilkinson Blvd and travel south to Sam Wilson Rd. For updated info on the series, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com See you at the races! Neal Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc. 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com

05/01/2006

Beginner Women's Mountain Bike Clinic Saturday, May 6, 9:30 – 12:00 at Colonel Francis Beatty Park For women only, by women only Ladies….. * Have you wanted to start riding on the trail, but don’t know where to begin? * Have you tried riding with “guys”, only to get left behind, hurt or lost? * Do you want to hone your mountain biking skills? If you said “yes” to any of these, please join the DIRT DIVAS for a true-beginner WOMEN ONLY skills clinic. All attendees and instructors are women. In a no-pressure learning atmosphere, we will discuss the basics of mountain biking, from the female perspective. We will practice specific skills to get you riding the single-track trails, including shifting gears, weight shifting, overcoming roots and logs, and bike basics. Bring your mountain bike, helmet, water, small snack, and comfortable riding clothes. Meet at the Tennis Courts parking lot at 9:30. There is no cost for the clinic, and you do not need to be a Dirt Diva member. Girls 15 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Afterwards, we’ll join the TARHEEL TRAILBLAZERS for a cookout and ride in the park. See www.dirtdivas.net for more information, or email ride@dirtdivas.net

05/01/2006

Cycle Charlotte! Todd Weaver was an avid cyclist with bicycle commuting as an important part of his life. After his untimely death in a traffic accident, his family and friends wanted to be sure that he was not forgotten. Cycle Charlotte is dedicated to promoting a friendlier and safer environment in Charlotte for bicycle transportation, teaching bicycle safety for riders of all ages, and heightening driver awareness of the SHARE THE ROAD concept, and supporting “bike-friendly” changes in the Charlotte Area Transportation Plan. Experience Charlotte without a windshield and have a one-of-a-kind urban cycling adventure. Come to E. 7th Street in Uptown, across from Imaginon on Saturday, May 13, from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. for - Cycle Charlotte. Join this family-friendly extravaganza offering a free bike safety rodeo for kids, helmet and raffle giveaways, and three riding options. Choose a 2-mile family fun ride, or 10 and 25 mile recreational rides on some of Charlotte's most beautiful streets. Watch unicyclists, acrobatic cyclists, and live music by Gigi Dover and the Amy Broome Trio. Come for all or part of Cycle Charlotte and participate in the finale for the annual BIKE! Charlotte 2006. www.cyclecharlotte.com for all of the details

05/01/2006

Charlotte Rat Ride Saturday, May 20th 2006 Are you a mileage junkie? Are you interested in a new challenge on your bike? Have you ever thought about riding all the trails in Charlotte in one day? Well, here is your chance. In the spirit of the SBD Rat Rides of years past Jon Carmack and myself will be leading an all day endurance ride of all the official Charlotte area trails. And yes, we will do all options. The ride will be free of charge and self-supported. So, come prepared with your bike tuned up and ready to ride. What you will need to bring: - Mountain Bike (in good working order with a comfortable saddle) - Helmet (To protect your noodle) - Water (and plenty of it) - Trail Food (such as trail mix, sports bars and gel shots to eat throughout the day) - Bicycle Tubes and Tools (in case you get a flat or need to make minor adjustments during the ride) - Money to pay for riding at Poplar and Ann Springs (each place is $3 to ride) and lunch Optional Items: - Sunscreen - Gloves - Butt Butter or Body Glide (To prevent monkey-butt. I strongly suggest you use one of these two products. They really work and saddle sores on a long ride are no fun) The order of the trails that we’ll ride will be: - Poplar Tent - Fisher Farm Park - North Mecklenburg Park - Renaissance Park - Ann Springs Greenway - Francis Beatty Park Date: Saturday May 20th, 2006 Starting Time at Poplar Tent: 8:30am (That means everyone has paid the fee and signed the wavier and we’re on the trail riding at 8:30am) Finish Time at Francis Beatty: 6pm (or when we’re done) There will be time (30 extra minutes) between riding North Meck and Renni to pick up and eat lunch. Everyone is invited to attend. If your not sure that your ready to do 40+ miles of trail riding then join us for part of it. The beauty of this is that everyone can participate in some or all of it. Hope to see ya there. Contact Michael Storm benzmonkeyboy@yahoo.com

05/01/2006

Mayor's Ride! BIKE! Charlotte starts this Friday with the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast. We hope everyone plans to attend the annual Mayors Ride. The ride starts at the Dowd YMCA on Morehead St and ends, with breakfast from Lola's, at the Bank of America Plaza at Trade and Tryon Street. It's a short ride but THE most important ride you could do during the year. Break out the bike and your club or team jersey and head downtown Friday morning. A great excuse to lay out of work for an hour or so. The ride starts at 7:30AM. Represent your cycling club and the bicycle community by joining the Mayor for this eventful ride.

05/01/2006

Summer Race Series Kick-off, take two! The Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series will get rolling this Wednesday, May 3 at Col Francis Beatty Park. The weather is looking great for the event. The event will start promptly at 6:15PM. Registration will be located on the first road to the left in the park, the road to the tennis courts. Parking will be a bit of problem so park on the street, just past the first the left. Bathroom facilities are available at the park. See you on Wednesday. www.charlottemntbike.com

05/01/2006

Bash at Beatty! Join your fellow Trailblazers as we grill out from Noon to 2:00PM and ride the park. This event is used as a member recruitment tool so by all means, invite a friend to the park and introduce them to club members. We do need a little help on this event. If you have a grill and can bring it to the park, just let us know. Neal Boyd will be breaking out a Christmas gift from his father, the Thermos Grill 2 Go, Fire + Ice. He's never used it, so keep our fingers crossed that it works! We need a six to ten people who can volunteer to cook and a couple extra grills. We also need a couple people who can set up a table for member recruitment. I will be bringing pretty much everything we need, tables, chairs, paper products and of course, the food. Five gallons of tea and five gallons of Gatorade will be provided. If anyone has a hook-up at a bottler and get a get a couple cases of free drinks, just let us know. Neal Boyd nboyd@carolina.rr.com

04/10/2006

Bike! Charlotte The City of Charlotte Department of Transportation, Charlotte Area Transit System and Charlotte Sports Cycling are once again joining forces to host one of Charlotte's most healthy and inspiring events: Bike! Charlotte 2006. This event is set to take place Friday May 5 through Sunday May 14. Bike! Charlotte is 10 days of bicycle-related events and promotions used to encourage families, friends and colleagues to break out the bike and incorporate it into their daily routines. Whether used for transportation or recreation, bicycles are efficient, nonpolluting modes of travel with great health benefits. The theme of Bike! Charlotte 2006 is, "Choose Your Route." Whether it's a route to better health, to save money, cleaner air, have more energy, losing weight, independence, easier parking, or to have just plain fun -- you can get there on a bike! The 2006 event features a diverse agenda of exciting activities and promotions for all to enjoy, many of which are free. This year's festivities will kick off Friday with the Mayor's Ride/Bike To Breakfast in Uptown Charlotte. Saturday, the events are in full swing with road and mountain bike rides, bicycle safety rodeos, and bicycle demos. During the weekdays, many of the local bicycle shops are hosting bicycle maintenance clinics that address different ways to keep your bike in top shape. The following weekend is once again full of great events but highlighted by Cycle Charlotte. Cycle Charlotte is a bicycle festival in Uptown Charlotte with three support bike routes and live music. Whether you are a beginner, an avid rider, or just happen to own a bike that?s been hanging in the garage for a year, there is an event for you during Bike! Charlotte. Break out the bike and head to a Bike! Charlotte event. A detailed list of Bike! Charlotte events will be posted on the web and/or will be listed in the Observer on May 3. For more detailed information on the week of events, contact Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com or CDOT bicycle planner Ken Tippette at 704-336-2278. The event's Web site can be found at www.bike-charlotte.org. Spread the word!

04/10/2006

Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Kick Off April 26 The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series is set to kick off on April 26 at the US National Whitewater Center, see below for info on the park. We will still use the south entrance off Heavy Equipment School Rd until the park is open to the public and the new trails at the north end of the park are reconnected and ready to ride. New for this season, sixteen races as opposed to twenty. We will make the rotation of each park, USNWC, Beatty, Renaissance, and N Meck, then take a week off. We will have one double points race during each four race rotation. The double points races will be announced the day of the race. Two new categories, Super Sport Men and Expert/Super Sport Women. Both of the categories will race the same distance as Sport and were created to allow better competition throughout ALL categories. Any and all categories will be combined due to lack of participation. If you plan to race the summer series as an Expert, specifically the men, you must purchase an annual NORBA license. NORBA licenses can be purchased at www.usacycling.org The women's category is a combined category so you can race as an Expert or Sport or any and all Expert women can race down a category with the men. We are also working on food sponsors for the entire series. If possilbe, we would like to line up food sponsors for each and every event. Last be definitely not least, we have picked up many new sponsors this season. Most all of the local bike shops are back on board, plus Shimano, Trek, Kona, Continental Tires, SockGuy, Gary Fisher, Nike, Bontrager, Easton, Clif Bar, Serfas, Fox, Giordana, and many more. What does this mean, lay off mail order, stop by your local shop, and let them know you appreciate their support by patronizing their business. If it wasn't for our local shops, we wouldn't have anything for prizes. For updated info on the series, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com See you at the races!

04/10/2006

U.S. National Whitewater Center The U.S. National Whitewater Center, an adult size playground in the form of a 300-acre outdoor adventure center with the restless soul of Catawba River at its core to wake us all from remote control. The world's premier outdoor recreation adventure center, opening to the public on June of 2006. It's hands-on, feet-on, full-body contact. Climb, bike, run, canoe, kayak and raft with nature as your soundtrack along with the pounding of your heart, just 10 minutes from downtown Charlotte. Drawing its life from the green-clad Catawba, the Whitewater Center is the world's only multi-channel re-circulating river, powered by 7 Swedish custom designed pumps that push 526,000 gallons a minute through Class III and IV whitewater with hell holes and ten-foot surf. Only your adrenaline moves faster. Its four channels can be modified to fit the diverse levels of kayakers, canoeists and rafters. It's a different experience every time you run it. (How much of life can you say that about?) When you're not rasslin' the river, you got plenty of other outdoor challenges facing you. Staring down at you, a 4-story competition grade-climbing wall. Eleven miles of wilderness trails for mountain biking, hiking and running, a boathouse with the Catawba River for sculling, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Also on tap: a 20,000 square-foot lodge and conference center for group or corporate fun and games. For more info, check out www.charlottewhitewater.com

04/01/2006

Mountain Bike Summit! Here's a reminder that in celebration of Bike! Charlotte, the Tarheel Trailblazers May meeting has been moved to Tuesday, May 9th, at Pepperoni’s Pizza in the Park Road Shopping Center! (There will be no meeting at Jack’s this month!) Gathering time is 7:00 PM and the Trailblazers invite all members and non-members to attend a nite of free pizza and presentations by the Dirt Divas, the Piedmont Area Singletrack Alliance (PASA) and the Trailblazers! Bring a friend, see how your club got here, where we’ve been, and where we’re going! So join us for a fun filled night, meet your fellow brother and sister mountain bikers, enjoy some free food, and celebrate Bike! Charlotte, 10 days of events geared toward pedal power! Hope to see EVERYONE there!

03/14/2006

USNWC Trail Reconnect Representatives of the USNWC, the Trailblazers, Charlotte Sports Cycling, and Liquid Design (the USNWC architectural firm) met Tuesday afternoon (3/14/06) to discuss the trail re-connect at the Whitewater Park (USNWC – formerly Catawba). Several topics were discussed at length and the mood of the meeting was very upbeat and positive. The group will meet again in the very near future to walk the site and discuss the specifics of the trail construction project. The plan is two-fold: Prepare the park for the start of the Summer Race Series and completion of the reconnect for the opening of the park in June. There will be plenty of work to go around and we will be contacting Boy Scout Troops concerning possible Eagle Projects. Worker Bees needn’t be active Trailblazer members (although we would encourage your membership) they just need to be willing and able to feel a piece of ownership of the trail system at the USNWC. A group of Trailblazers have been contacted to form the nucleus of the re-connect team and several other interested parties will be approached in the near future. If you have an interest in being involved with the re-connect project, please contact Tom Mathews at: president@tarheeltrailblazers.com This is going to be an awesome blending of outdoor recreation. The USNWC is going to provide amenities that will indeed make it a world class destination, not only for paddling, but for mountain biking, climbing, trail running, hiking, camping, the list goes on and on…And through it all, there will be the feel of the old Catawba, so challenging but so compelling…Be a part of it, join us as we re-open the trails and welcome a new partner into the fold!

03/09/2006

Duke Power Awards Grant Duke Energy Volunteer Grant "paves the way" at Lake Norman State Park! A $1000 grant has been awarded to the Tarheel Trailblazers by Duke Energy (the former owners of Lake Norman State Park) to assist in mechanized trail construction on Phase III of the Itusi/Monbo Trail. The Volunteer Grant was submitted on behalf of the Trailblazers by a Duke Energy employee/ Tarheel Trailblazers member. This money will help speed up the trail-building process, which to date has been all voluntary and extremely labor intensive, by assisting with the procurement and upkeep of mechanized trail building equipment. While a final completion date has not been set for Phase III at Itusi, with the aid of grants like these, the club is optimistic that the trail will be completed much sooner than originally thought. When complete, the Itusi trail will be approximately 13 miles long, elevating its status in the mountain biking community as a true destination for epic mountain bike rides.

03/01/2006

C-DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Workshop Charlotte Department of Transportation Are you just a passenger? Or will you help steer Charlotte’s transportation future? · Do you get frustrated sitting in traffic? · Is there an intersection that really bothers you? · Are you tired of hitting the same old pothole everyday? · Would you be happier if your child could bike or walk to school? · Do you wish Charlotte had more bicycle facilities? · Ever wonder if Charlotte could be a more pedestrian friendly community? · Did you know that City staff is recommending $3.5 Billion be spent over the next 25-years to address these issues? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to learn more about Charlotte’s first, comprehensive 25-year transportation plan, known as the Transportation Action Plan (TAP), and get involved. How can I get involved? Everyone in Charlotte is impacted by at least one of the transportation improvements the TAP requests – whether it’s congested roads, potholes, a need for more transportation choices, neighborhood traffic calming, bicycle and pedestrian access or transit. Here’s how you can learn more, get involved and help steer Charlotte’s transportation future: Read the TAP. Take a quick, transportation priorities & funding survey. Tell us what issues are important to you, and which ones you believe deserve funding. Attend a workshop on February 18 or 25, or March 18 or 25. Learn more about the TAP, ask questions and provide your unique perspective. Invite others to participate. Forward this e-mail. Invite friends, co-workers and neighbors. Help get others involved. Visit http://cdot.charmeck.org for workshop logistics and directions, to take the survey and for a draft of Charlotte’s TAP. If you have any questions not answered in this e-mail, or on the CDOT Web site, please contact Dan Gallagher, CDOT Transportation Planner, at 704.336.4984. Charlotte Department of Transportation

03/01/2006

March THTB Meeting and More! Join us this Thursday evening, 7:30 PM at Jack’s on 7th Street, for the March Trailblazer meeting! As usual, we have a load of items to discuss to enrich your trail riding experience. So plan on joining us for our monthly get together…Everyone is welcome! Upcoming Trail Work Events Saturday, March 4 Trailwork at Lake Norman State Park's Itusi Trail. 9:00 am – 12:00pm WE NEED YOU AND A FRIEND to dedicate a few hours to help with a very important trail work project at Lake Norman State Park which will add many miles of new single track to the existing trail system. Why? The Itusi Trail is under contract with the Park Service for 13 miles to be completed by spring 2006. Most importantly, only a few hours invested in trail work contribute to endless hours of riding enjoyment! Directions: 1. Take I-77 North to either Exit 36 Mooresville or Exit 42 Troutman. 2a. From Exit 36 (Hwy 150) Mooresville: Left off the ramp onto 150 and go 2 miles. Take a Right on Perth Road (toward airport). Go approximately 5 miles and take a Left onto State Park Rd, following the brown Lake Norman State Park signs into the park. 2b. From Exit 42 Troutman: Left off the ramp and go ~ 3 miles to Troutman. Take a Left on Perth Road, following the brown Lake Norman State Park signs. Take a Right on State Park Rd., which will lead into LNSP. 3. Once in the park: Follow the small "Trail Work" signs, taking a Right onto St. John's Rd. and another right onto a dirt road which will lead to the Tool Shed. Bob Karriker or another trailwork coordinator will meet us there and we'll follow the yellow arrows to the trail work site. If you arrive and we've gone, just grab a tool, sign-in on the registration sheet and follow the yellow arrows to meet us. Saturday, March 4th, 9AM The Harrisburg Half The Winter Short Track Series has come to an end. It is time for another MAJOR workday at the Harrisburg Trail. The remaining work to be completed is berm building. This is the fun stuff! In the past 2 weeks the major berm in the middle of section 1 (the big one) has been nearly completed as has the off-camber stretch of trail below the large culvert-crossing in section 2 (about 25 feet). Left to be completed are berms 1 & 3 in section 1, the berm in section 2 and finish spreading crush & run in sections 1 & 2. Please bring wheel barrows, shovels, McLeods or tampers, extention cords, sledge hammers (I only have one). If enough of you let me know you are coming, my wife and I will provide our famous home-made chicken noodle soup and bread. Let me know if you're planning to come: rickhoff@carolina.rr.com or 704-488-6000-cell. Trail Work Details What to bring: First off, bring your bike and gear for a ride afterwards if conditions permit. Bring hydration (your camelback) and a snack, you'll need it while you work. Bring work gloves. Wear boots and layered loose fitting clothing. Tools will be provided.

02/14/2006

IMBA Coming to Clarks Hill, SC, March 25 The International Mountain Bicycling Association is coming to Clarks Hill, SC, and you're invited to join in the special events (schedule below). Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Nat and Rachael Lopes, will partner with the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association (http://www.sorba.org) and the US Forest Service (http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/) for the grand opening of the Forks Area Trail System (FATS). Volunteers and guests will arrive at the trail at 9 a.m. for a work party where volunteers will finish the final portions of the trail. The ceremony will be followed by a bicycle tour of the trail. IMBA has received funding from the National Forest Foundation (http://www.natlforests.org/) to work in 10 National Forests in 2006 to promote volunteerism and foster a stronger trails community. Sumter National Forest has been chosen for this distinction due to the model trail system the FATS represents. Approximately 100 SORBA members from 8 states are expected to attend. The joint effort between Long Cane Trails, LLC, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, the USFS and the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association of the Central Savannah River Area (SORBA-CSRA) has resulted in the construction of the longest singletrack trail in South Carolina located in Sumter National Forest.

01/30/2006

New Trails At Sherman Branch From the Charlotte Observer, 26jan06 Club Wants To Create Bike Trails On Site Of Future Park MICHELE WAYMAN mwayman@charlotteobserver.com Someday, a swath of land in eastern Mecklenburg will be a county park. But until then, members of the Tarheel Trailblazers club want to create build miles of mountain biking trails on the 200-plus acres next to Bradfield Farms. The club has built five mountain bike trails in the Charlotte area. Members said a good example of what they'd like to build off Camp Stewart Road is their trail at Col. Francis Beatty Park in southern Mecklenburg. Residents at an East Park district community meeting held at the Bradfield Farms clubhouse Thursday night said the future park is already used. People bike and walk existing trails, ride all-terrain vehicles but also dump trash. Biking club vice president Jerry Adams said the soil is good and the topography is ideal to build beginner to advanced bike courses. He said volunteers have spent hundreds of hours walking the land so far and estimates that the volunteer work at project end would be worth about $500,000. The trails would be about 2 feet wide. If the park and recreation commission approves the trails, the 6- to 8-mile system could be complete in as early as two years. If it works out, Adams said the group would like to become part of the park's master plan. Resident Ron Howell said he supports the bike trail plan as long as residents can share the trails. Club president Tom Mathews said he encourages residents to use the trails, and club members building and riding trails can act as a deterrent to miscreants. "We are eyes out there," he said. Howell also said there have been hunters on the land. Park and recreation staff confirmed that hunting is not allowed. Other residents are concerned about access. Bradfield Farms Homeowners Association president Doug Morris' backyard faces the property, and people already cut through to get to the land. He would like a wider buffer between houses and the trail. Parking would be available in a lot off Camp Stewart Road, but the club and neighborhood may work together on building safe access points within the neighborhood. Linda Morris wondered about safety on the trails. Smith said it is hard to plan for accidents, but people are encouraged to not use the trails alone. The county bought the land in 2001 for $3,092,000, according to land records. It was set aside for a district park but construction is not yet planned, funded or scheduled, said East District general manager Andra Eaves. She said a district park usually includes areas for active recreation, such as ballfields, but park leaders would meet with residents before creating a construction plan. The Trailblazers agree to avoid three areas -- a wildlife area that's home to Hooded Warblers and Kentucky Warblers, both uncommon birds to Mecklenburg; two fields where birds nest and a pond where the largest Common Musk turtle in the county was found. The East District Advisory Council likely will vote Feb. 16 on whether to recommend approval or denial of the project to the Park and Recreation commission. The commission could decide as early as March 14. Questions or comments: (704) 568-4044 or eavesar@co.mecklenburg. nc.us.

01/30/2006

Feb Meeting Agenda Trailblazer Agenda – 02 FEB 06 Welcome Visitor Introductions Minutes of the Dec. Meeting – see the website Executive Board Meeting – Frankie Pietras House, Jan 16th – Posted on Website Treasury Report and Budget – Frankie Membership Renewals – Due Now! Upping membership dues to $20/individual, $25/Family, Corp as yet TBD. Mission Statement Provide our members the best possible opportunities to enjoy Mountain Biking. We do this by: • Aggressively and diligently maintaining, and improving and protecting the numerous trail systems available for our use in and around Charlotte. • Being the voice of Advocacy for Mountain Bikers. • Continuously looking for new locations to develop trail systems in and around Charlotte. • Providing a clearing house of information on rides and other activities related to Mountain Biking. Work With Divas To Establish The Social Side Of The Club January 26th Banner Day! –Jeff Archer / FFB in Statesville awarded $15k grant for purchase of mechanized trail equipment. LNSP is still working on purchasing a piece of mechanized equipment of their own! On same day Ingersol Rand (Chris Nixon – Nuker) won approval for donation of a Bobcat to the Club! New Land Acquisition – Sherman Park Trail – Last hurdle cleared on Jan 19 – hoping for final approval very soon… Mount Holly Update – Jeff Smith Cycle Charlotte (Todd Weaver Memorial Ride) – May 13th - John Williams BIKE! Charlotte – May 5 – May 14 – May 6, Divas Skill Clinic at CFB, followed by Trailblazer Social and group rides Winter Race Series Update – Neal Boyd Jerseys – Unpaid jersey money needs to be collected! Diva Update – Single Speed Clinic? Trailwork Sessions: LNSP, Phase III – 9:00 AM Sunday; Fisher – Each Sat and Sun, Harrisburg – Rick Hoffarth Grants/Fundraising – Brian Hines/Laura Smith? Trail Maintenance Renaissance - Rick Beatty – Doug North Meck – Holding up well following rains Poplar Tent – Jerry Fisher Farm – Mark LNSP – Springs - Website - Continue to tweak and make improvements – president’s blog is coming Ongoing Archival of Important Documents – If you have any vital documents, please forward either in e-format or we will scan them. Shops - Sport/Ultimate – S. Park - Bart – B. Source – Lucky Cycles Sweet Rob/Cory – Black Sheep – Ethan /Arleigh – Bike Line

01/25/2006

Share the Road Campaign From Bart Stetler of South Park Cycles [bart@southparkcycles.com] For those of you who may not know, I have been working with Martin Zimmerman of BIKES on a share the road campaign with CATS and other local media. On Monday I attended the Bicycle Advisory Committed meeting at the government center uptown. There was a presentation by a CATS representative about the Charlotte area transit system and bicycle use & safety coordination. There are a lot of great initiatives within in their program and 1 in particular you all should be aware of. It looks as if we will have a share the road message placed on the outside of all Charlotte city buses (over 300) and this will be a PERMANENT message placed on the buses. We are currently working with CATS on a logo and should see this message rolled out before Bike Charlotte in May. During Bike Charlotte we are also working to have multiple Public Serivce Announcements for a Share The Road Campaign on television, radio and print to help promote driver awareness of cyclists on the road. We want the impact of this message to be as great as possible. If you know anyone in these media industries that may be able to help promote our message, please have them give me a call or email.

01/03/2006

3rd Annual Short Track Series Charlotte Sports Cycling and the Dirt Divas are teaming up once again to host the most exciting event of the new year, the Sir Edmond Halley's Cup presented by Heartwood Tree Service. If you haven't yet participated in one of the short track series races, its one of the most unique, thrilling races of the year. The short track is a combination of mountain bike racing and a road criterium. The course travels over fast single track with banked turns, a gravel road, a parking lot and a little bit of sidewalk, great for roadies and mountain bikers alike. The series will consist of five events, Jan 21 and 29, Feb 4, 12 and 18 and will all be held at the infamous Renaissance Park Short Track, rain, snow or shine. All events are very spectator friendly. All events will feature 13 categories, including two new categories: Super Sport Women and Single Speed. Super Sport Women was created for the women not quite experienced enough to race Expert and for the fast road women without a NOBRA license. Weekly, we will award nice trophies for the top three finishers. For the series, participants will battle for cash and/or prizes from our great list of sponsors. We will have one double points race and a "Money Grows on Trees" promotion, both announced at random the day of the event. The Money Grows on Trees is a promotion brought to you by are sponsor, Heartwood Tree Service and consists of a $50 bonus for each category winner the day of the event. We will have tons of great food from Halley's, coffee from Caribou Coffee, music and fast racing at each and every event. We will also have a heated area to keep your fingers and toes warm while you're watching other races. Come on out and see what its all about. Check out www.charlottemtnbike.com for registration, event schedule and all other pertinent information. Sponsors for the 2006 event include: Sir Edmond Halley?s, Heartwood Tree Service, Dirt Divas, Kona, Caribou Coffee, SockGuy, SouthPark Cycles, BikeLine, Lucky Cycles, Bicycle Sport, Bicycles East, BikeSource, Ultimate Bike, Giordana Apparel, Source Burn, Fox Apparel, Easton Sports, Charlotte Sports Cycling, Tarheel Trailblazers, Per4mance Training Center and Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation. For sponsorship opportunities with the short track series, contact Neal at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com.

12/23/2005

LNSP Closed for Christmas Merry Christmas to everyone, especially our trail volunteers. FYI Lake Norman State Park and the Itusi Trail will be closed all Christmas Day. Entry by foot, bicycle or any other means is not allowed. Please allow park staff this one day to spend with their families. We hope everyone gets a new bike for Christmas. If conditions allow, the trail will be open at 8 am on Monday December 26th for you to enjoy. Park Staff

12/15/2005

Harrisburg Short Track Workday! Calling All Trailblazers! An official Tarheel Trailblazers workday at the Harrisburg Park is scheduled for Saturday, January 7, 2006. Meet at the pavilion at 9:00 am. We have four major berms and two culvert crossings to build. Equipment Needed: Shovels and McLeods. I only have two of each. I need wheel barrows (at least 3). I only have one. Mark Sullivan is working on more re-bar spikes for us. Communication Needed: If you are planning to come out on January 7th, I need you to confirm this with a simple email. Just send me your name and an indication that you'll be there. With this information I will be able to determine more precisely what we need and make the necessary preparations –all of this to make the best use of our time. Directions from Charlotte and I-77: I-85 North, take Exit 42 (Rts. 29 & 49) stay right at the split on to Rt. 49. Follow 49 into Harrisburg ~5 miles. Turn right at stoplight intersection of Rt. 49 and Morehead (to the left) and Sims Blvd. (to the right). Landmarks: at this intersection there is a cemetery on your left, a Circle K gas station across on your left and a Wachovia branch on your right. Follow Sims Blvd and it turns into the park road. Follow the park road to the back of the park. The road ends in the parking lot next to the pavilion. Robinson Church Road (from Charlotte into Harrisburg). Turn left off of Robinson Church Road on to Rt. 49. At the next stoplight, turn left onto Sims Blvd. Follow the rest of the directions above. Questions? Need more information. Email me at rickhoff@carolina.rr.com

12/05/2005

Dirt Diva's Descend on Fisher Farm Park Dirt Diva Trail Work Day at Fisher Farm Park (December 10 @ 8:30am-12:00pm) You have another opportunity to get involved in working on the trails. Mark Sullivan of the Tarheel Trailblazers has been heading up Phase II at Fisher Farm, so we will be helping him finish it off. Directions to Fisher Farm: Take I-77 to exit 30 and head into Davidson. Take a Right on 115 and then a Left at the light, turning onto Davidson Concord Rd. Take another left on Grey Rd. Follow Grey Rd. and it will turn into Shearers Rd.Go a couple of miles until you see the park on the right. Turn right into the park and follow the gravel road past the farmhouses and park in the field. Mark will meet you there. Or follow orange flags to the work site...

11/10/2005

UMBA Trail Days Hi everyone! Thanks for your past interest in and support of UMBA's trail development efforts in the Uwharries. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to invite you to join us for a trail care day. We'll be out on November 20th and December 4th, weather permitting. We had planned to get out November 13th, but just couldn't get our schedules to jive. Visit the www.rideumba.com for more details. Let me know if you have any questions. If you haven't heard, the USFS is in the process of revising it's Forest Plan for the Uwharrie National Forest. Several of us have been attending the meetings and are doing our best to make sure that the "desired conditions" for mountain biking in the Uwharries are kept on the table. Among the "desired conditions" we're pushing are: completion of the planned Wood Run MTB Trail System and "improved" camping facilities near the MTB trails. Check the UMBA message board for more details as they develop. If you can join us for a little trail work and a little more riding, please do! If you can't make it, we understand and will accept good vibes instead. Have a great day! Don Childrey

11/08/2005

Volunteers at the Southside Spanker Trailblazers We are in need of volunteers this weekend at the 2nd Annual Southside Spanker. All of the proceeds for this weekend will go towards future trail building projects. We need volunteers for the following: Help marking the course on Saturday afternoon. Registration from 9:30AM to 11:00AM Rest Stop Locations: 10:30AM - 2:00PM (roughly) Sag Support (mechanically inclined and car with back rack a must) 11:00AM - 2:00PM Follow vehicle to pick up course markings. Serve food at the finish. If anyone has a contact at a local grocery store and/or anywhere that may provide snacks and/or fruit for the ride, please let me know ASAP. We are looking for fruit and snacks for the rest stops and for the finish. Bruce Stewart of Lola's is providing the BBQ and fixins for the post ride meal. So the next time you?re in uptown, visit one of fellow mountain biker Bruce Stewart's eating establishments: Tic Toc or Lola's. Both restaurants are located on N Tryon St, near 8th Street. Please let me know if you have a food contact or can volunteer for a couple hours on Sunday. Email me at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com Cheers Neal Boyd

11/04/2005

IMBA Singletrack Update: RTP Grants * 29 STATES NEED LEADERS TO HARVEST RTP DOLLARS In case you missed the big news, the 109th Congress has dedicated $370 million to the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). The RTP legislation mandates that each state "shall establish a state recreational trail advisory committee that represents both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail users, which shall meet not less often than once per fiscal year." Find out if you live in one of the 29 states that need an RTP leader here: http://www.imba.com/resources/grants/rtp_mtb_rep.html Everything you need to know about harvesting RTP money can be found online on IMBA's RTP Toolkit pages: http://www.imba.com/resources/grants/rtp_campaign.html

11/02/2005

November Meeting Agenda Trailblazer Agenda – 03 NOV 05 Welcome – Tom M Visitor Introductions Minutes of the Sept. Meeting - Nikki Treasury Report – Frankie Membership - Update of membership renewals – Dan 2nd Annual Southside Spanker on the Northside – Big Stampede – 11/13/05 Volunteers needed – Neal Boyd Divas – Joint Party w/TTB on Nov. 6th at AS Field Trials Barn - $10 to TTB Members Trailwork Sessions: Fisher Farm Phase II, LNSP, Phase III, Harrisburg Short Track Monnt Holly Update – Jeff Smith Election of New Officers for 2006 – Treasurer – Frankie P, Sec – Jennifer D, VP – Jerry A, President Tom M. HTFP (Catawba) – Still Closed New Land Acquisition – proposal made to conservancy group on 10/26. Met little opposition. Jerry Adams conducted, did a great job. Vote in November. Jerseys – Final nite for re-order. Vests – no…Everything else, on track Website - Calendar / Forums Grants / Fundraising Trail Maintenance Renaissance - Rick Beatty – North Meck – dodged a bullet Wamer – FreeRide??? Poplar Tent – Jerry Fisher Farm – Mark LNSP – Tom Springs - PASA to look at relationship Shops - Sport/Ultimate – S. Park – B. Source – Lucky Cycles – Black Sheep – Bike Line

10/27/2005

Dirt Divas/Trailblazers Holiday Party! Sunday, November 6, 1:00pm to 6:00pm Anne Springs Greenway Field Trial Barn, Fort Mill, SC It's time to celebrate!! The Dirt Divas and the Tarheel Trailblazers are co-hosting a Year-End-Holiday Party, complete with a mountain bike ride, dinner, and fabulous prizes!! (We don't know what they are yet, but we're sure the prizes will be fabulous!) All activities will be based from the Field Trial Barn (not the Sports Complex). Coordinated trail ride(s) will start at 1:30pm; BBQ dinner and refreshments will be served at 4:00pm. Announcements and a Raffle on-going, plus 2006 DD Directories will be distributed to members. BYO adult (alcoholic) beverages; NO GLASS please. Trailblazer members are requested to make a $10 donation to cover costs of the event (sorry folks, we just aren't budgeted for a gala event such as this!). Please R.S.V.P. to Tom Mathews at: flyinelvis@mindspring.com by Nov. 3rd. Thanks!!! Directions: From Charlotte, I-77 South to exit 90. Turn left at the light at the bottom of the ramp. Continue for about 1.3 miles and then turn left onto US-21 Business. Continue for 1.8 miles and then turn left onto Springfield Parkway. Continue for about 1 mile and turn right at the Anne Springs Close Greenway entrance (across from the strawberry fields). The field trial barn should now be within your view.

10/27/2005

Southside Spanker Heads North! SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH BIG STAMPEDE AND SOUTHSIDE SPANKER ROAD RIDE Bring your bike, old bike parts, and a little cash to Lowe's Motor Speedway on November 13. Spencer Lueders, Charlotte Sports Cycling, and the Tarheel Trailblazers are all teaming up to organize the biggest cycling event of the fall. As a cycling enthusiast, what more could you ask for? The opportunity to buy and sell parts, bikes, clothing and accessories and a supported ride with great food. Highlights include: 20,000 square feet of space in the NASCAR Busch Garage for individuals, teams, clubs, shops, and manufacturers to buy and sell cycling gear; order your booth now! www.bigstampede.com 25 & 50 mile supported "end of season" ride with food to follow - celebrate the end of the season with proceeds going to the Tarheel Trailblazers! For more info, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com or www.tarheeltrailblazers.com Brochure is here: www.mindspring.com/~t_mathews/SpankerBrochure.pdf

10/24/2005

Ride To Read RIDE TO READ PRESENTED BY: MOE’S SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2005 Of last year’s Ride to Read participants, 97 percent said they would do it again! We hope to see you out this year. EVENT INFORMATION: The Ride to Read offers the Charlotte community an opportunity to come together on November 5, 2005, for a day of cycling and family fun, benefiting child literacy and supporting people with disabilities. Push America and the Steele Creek YMCA have partnered together for this event to help champion their causes and benefit the local Charlotte community. Following the ride, a fall festival celebration will take place with plenty of food from Moe’s, music from K104.7-FM Cool Songs and other fun activities for everyone to enjoy! WHO BENEFITS? The whole community! A portion of all proceeds will be awarded to the Steele Creek YMCA Project Starfish, which provides vital literacy skills to first and second grade Charlotte Mecklenburg students. Your participation in this event will also help to enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities through the programs of Push America. REGISTRATION: www.pushamerica.org COST: $20.00 for pre-registering online DISTANCE: 20/40/60 Miles and a special “Family Fun Ride” ***This event is fully supported with sag and will take place rain or shine.*** david w. adickes l push america director of special events P.O. Box 241368, Charlotte, NC 28224 704-504-2400 ext. 123 (P) 704-504-0880 (F) dadickes@pushamerica.org ~ www.pushamerica.org ABILITIES TEAMWORK EMPATHY INTEGRITY

10/17/2005

Farewell To A Fallen Rider My sincerest condolences go out to Todd Weaver’s family and friends. Todd was a friend and frequent visitor to SouthPark Cycles. I sold him his first road bike and talked to him frequently about commuting by bicycle. He truly loved riding a bicycle. While this is the most imaginable thing that could happen to a friend and fellow cyclist I personally cannot discourage people from riding bicycles or commuting. I will however, do all I can to make Charlotte a better and safer place to ride and recommend you help to do the same. Todd always brought the lighter side of things and smile when he visited. His weekly visits will surely be missed. I would like to share an email I received from him last week. It brought tears to my eyes to read it this morning as I am sure it will do to you: Dude I wish I could commute 5 days a week! It’s awesome! Check out my numbers since I began riding to work! It’s amazing! Time 41 hours 58 minutes 1 sec Miles 718.99 Avg 17.13 # Rides 32 Let me know when you get those winter gloves in stock! Later! Todd “Secret Shopper” Weaver Farewell to my friend and fellow cyclist Todd Weaver, you will surely be missed but not forgotten. Bart Stetler “We are tremendously saddened by the news of the death of Todd Weaver, who was struck and killed while riding his bicycle Friday, October 14, 2005. Links with vital information about the accident, involving an off-duty CATS bus and driver, can be found at the following links: http://www.toddweaver.org/ http://www.toddweaver.org/charlotteobserver.html http://www.toddweaver.org/wcnc.html

10/14/2005

US National Whitewater Center The US National Whitewater Center under construction off I-85 on the Meck/Gaston County line is opening in the spring of 2006. If you want to know more about this project, they are hosting a happy hour fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 5:30-? at Mac`s Speed Shop, 2511 South Blvd. There will be door prize giveaways (including a Giant mountain bike), drink specials, music from the band Clifton, and Whitewater representatives on hand to answer questions. The event is open to anyone, so bring friends & coworkers. RSVP to Megan Hanks at megan@usnwc.org for $10 admission, which includes drink tickets. Admission at the door is $15.

10/13/2005

The Big Stampede is Coming! The "Big Stampede" Southeast Bike Expo and Swap meet is coming to Lowe's Motor Speedway, Sunday, November 13. The Expo and Swap opens at 9:00 am AND, the Trailblazers are sponsoring 25 and 50 mile road rides! The ride kicks off at 11:00 AM, and all proceeds will go to support the trails in our area! More details to follow soon, but we will be in need of volunteers to assist in the ride. Please contact Tom Mathews at flyinelvis@mindspring.com, to volunteer!

10/13/2005

Jersey Reorder - Just Around the Corner! That's right! We will be accepting preorders for our second round of jerseys in the next couple of days! We will be offering the following: Men's Standard Jerseys - $50.00 Women's Micro Mesh Jerseys - $50.00 Wind Vest - $45.00 Long Sleeve Thermo Jersey - $55.00 The order form will be availiable on the website soon!

10/10/2005

A Word From the 2006 Presidential Nominee I feel that the Trailblazers currently stand at a crossroads. We need a new infusion of strong leadership. New blood. We need strong guidance and direction to keep the club gaining momentum, staying and plotting the course. We have many MAJOR projects on the horizon. These include but are not limited to: 1) The re-opening and reconnection of Catawba 2) Construction of trails at Mount Holly 3) Acquiring 250 park acres for new trails in the northeast side of Charlotte 4) Construction of a new 1 mile short track in Harrisburg 5) Phase II trail expansion in Davidson at Fisher Farm Park 6) Phase III trail expansion at LNSP (Itusi) 7) Construction of trails at Elon Children's Home 8) Lend guidance and assistance to a group in Salisbury who have 200+ acres for development 9) Construct an advanced skill trails in Huntersville (possible Freeride?) 10) Plus the on-going maintenance of Renni, Col Beatty and N. Meck Strong leadership and the ability to place the proper people in the proper spot will be key. As many of you know, I live in Huntersville, and I work in Mooresville. The distance makes it difficult to make meetings in downtown Charlotte w/P&R. I will be a delegator, and administrator. I can’t afford nor do I intend to micromanage each and every aspect of the club, but I will rely on you the responsible members of the Trailblazers to keep me abreast of the issues. We are going to step up and run the club properly. We will have a budget to abide by. We will be actively pursuing grants, fundraisers, and other sources of income for the club. We will expand current and create new committees. And here’s the deal: EVERYONE, male or female has something they can contribute to the club. No matter how small and insignificant it may seem, there are holes to be filled. I will be asking each individual to step up and double/triple/quadruple their efforts over the next 12 – 18 months. We all hear the excuse that if “I work on the trail, when can I ride?” Just think for a minute: How did that trail get there in the first place? Who made the sacrifice of their ride time to give YOU a place to ride. These trails didn’t just fall like manna from heaven. Volunteers, which is what each and everyone of us are, make all this happen. Step up, take charge, leave a legacy behind for the next generation… I’m constantly asked: “What will the club do for me?” Paraphrasing a leader that has gone before us, “Ask not what the club can do for you, ask what you can do for the club”. Tom Mathews - Nominated President, 2006

10/10/2005

2006 Board Members Nominated The following individuals names were placed into nomination for the year 2006: Treasurer - Frankie Pietras Secretary - Jennifer Dilworth Vice President - Jerry Adams President - Tom Mathews These names will be voted on for the 2006 riding season, commencing January 1, 2006 - Dec. 31, 2006, at the Trailblazers November meeting 11/3/05. Please plan on joining us at Jack's on 7th Street, at 7:30 PM.

10/03/2005

Tsali Named IMBA Epic Ride! From Tsali to the Seven Summits: 2005 Epic Rides Unveiled The latest additions to IMBA's Epic Rides program have been unveiled: - Left and Right Trails, Tsali, North Carolina - Syllamo Trails, Mountain View, Arkansas - Loon Lake Trail, McCall, Idaho - Tahoe Rim Trail, Lake Tahoe, Nevada - The Seven Summits Trail, Rossland, British Columbia Check out the new additions, along with 32 other classics: http://www.imba.com/epics/2005_epics.html

09/21/2005

IMBA Report Card Voting IMBA's online report card voting is underway. The evaluations are done by U.S. State, Canadian Provinces and a nation-by-nation analysis. It only takes a few clicks to register your vote, so make your voice heard! IMBA's annual report card begins with voting by IMBA members. Input from club leaders, state reps and IMBA staff also factors into the final grades. West Virginia received the highest mark in last year's poll, due to boundless riding opportunities, a dedicated network of IMBA-affiliated clubs and strong support among government agencies. Your vote will help determine the head of this year's class! visit here: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/09_05/09_16_2005_report_card.html

09/18/2005

Oct 22 - 12 Rounds of Renni Endurance Mtn Bike Race We are still working on the details for the 12 Rounds of Renni but wanted to send out a little detail. This races stands to be an event of epic proportions. The will start at 10AM and complete at 10PM. Participants will race for approximately eight hours in the daylight and four hours in the dark. Info for the even will be posted soon at www.charlottemtnbike.com

09/16/2005

IMBA Trailbuilding Schools in WVa Henlawson, WV September 22-23 Saulsville, WV September 24-25 Davis, WV October 6-9 Dear IMBA friend, The International Mountain Bicycling Association is coming to West Virginia and you're invited to join in the special events. Each visit features an an IMBA Trailbuilding School and trailwork. All events are FREE! This is your opportunity to rub shoulders with the IMBA crew while learning all about trailbuilding. Check out all the details belowand come join in the fun. Please help us get the word out and forward this invitation to other area mountain bikers, land managers, and trail users! View the complete Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew schedule: http://www.imba.com/tcc/schedule.html Apply for a Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew visit to your area by November 1: http://www.imba.com/tcc/visit.html

09/15/2005

Sept 17 - Charlotte Mtn Bike Series Season Finale This Saturday (9/17) will host the season finale for the Summer Mountain Bike Series. The event will be held at Renaissance Park and is open to everyone. $10 for NOBA licensed riders and $13 for those who do not have a license. The races will start at 11:00AM. Food will be served after the race and the awards ceremony will follow the end of the last race. Come on out! For more details: www.charlottemtnbike.com

09/14/2005

Free Bikes! Take a Kid Riding on Oct. 1 It's not too late to register for Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day on Oct. 1. Did you know that IMBA clubs and individual members who register for the Oct. 1 celebration are eligible to win $100 and $50 IMBA Gear Certificates,redeemable for clothing and equipment at IMBA's online store? IMBA-affiliated clubs who host an event are also eligible to win a grand prize: three youth-sized mountain bikes. Click here for tips on organizing an event: http://www.imba.com/resources/kids/10_tips.html Be sure to register your event here: http://www.imba.com/resources/kids/registration.html

09/08/2005

IMBA Singletrack Update - Sept 2005 IMBA NATIONAL NEWS: * Bush Rides IMBA-Built Singletrack in Idaho President George W. Bush spent a vacation day mountain biking at the new Tamarack Resort in central Idaho in late August. The 25-mile Tamarack trail system was designed and built by IMBA. The president rode 16 miles, sampling many of the singletrack trails that have earned Tamarack a reputation for world-class mountain biking. For more on the president's mountain biking, read this USA Today story on the IMBA News Wire: http://www.imba.com/news/mtb_news_wire/08_11_05_mtb_bush.html * New Transportation Bill Promises $370 Million for Trails The U.S. Congress has approved a new five-year federal transportation bill that will increase federal grants for singletrack. Most important, the Recreational Trails Program will grow to a total of $370 million over five years, $144 million (64 percent) more than the previous transportation bill. Read more here: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/07_05/07_29_trans_bill.html * Congress Gets Behind Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day: Oct. 1 For the second year in a row, IMBA's Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day -- held Oct 1 this year -- has gained support from the U.S. Congress. For information and advice on planning an event, visit http://imba.com/resources/kids/index.html * Sept. 24 is National Public Lands Day: Register for Prizes National Public Lands Day will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005. Whether it's new trail construction or routine maintenance, involving your group in National Public Lands Day will help solidify mountain biking's prominent position in the trails community. BOB Trailers will donate two trailers to the cause and to inspire more volunteer trailbuilding -- but you have to register with IMBA to win. Register your club's event here: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/08_05/08_11_npld.html * NORBA/IMBA Trail Tune-up Grants Awarded Ten $500 NORBA/IMBA Trail Tune-up Grants have been awarded. Winning projects ranged from urban freeride parks to improvements to country trail systems. To see who grabbed the loot, click here: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/07_05/07_20_norba_grant.html * CLIF Bar and IMBA Award $6,000 in Grants Fifty-eight CLIF Bar/IMBA Trail Preservation grants, totaling $29,000, have been distributed since the program was established in 2001. This year's winners can be viewed here: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/09_05/09_01_clif_winners.html * Bikes Fly Free Update America West has dropped the Bikes Fly Free benefit to IMBA members. Frontier, however, is still honoring the program. Details here: http://www.imba.com/membership/bikes_fly_free.html * Donate to the IMBA Trailbuilding Fund "The greatest innovation in mountain biking is the trail," says mountain biking pioneer Gary Fisher. Please help IMBA add more sweet singletrack by donating to the IMBA Trailbuilding Fund. Click here: http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/dotoimtrfu.html * IMBA Trail News Freeride Issue Goes Big The third edition of IMBA's Freeride Guide -- sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bicycles -- will arrive in mailboxes over the next few weeks. Look for informative trailbuilding articles, information about working with land managers and stacks of color photos. The Freeride section of IMBA.com will be upgraded shortly, and already offers dozens of articles: http://www.imba.com/resources/freeriding/index.html

09/08/2005

Nominees for 2006 Executive Board The Trailblazers Executive Board met on September 7, 2005 and has started the process of gathering nominees for election for 2006. The nominating committee will present their list to the membership at the next meeting, October 6, 2005. At that time, nominees will be accepted from the floor for inclusion in the election that will take place on November 3, 2005. The elected officials will fill these 4 seats on the board: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer If you are interested in serving as a board member for the 2006 physcal year, please contact Nikki Boyce at nboyce@carolina.rr.com.

09/08/2005

Cane Creek Cup Series Race The Cane Creek Cup Race Series finale is coming to Historic Tuckaseegee Ford Park (formerly Catawba Riverfront Park) on Sunday October 2. Teh race flyer in now available on our homepage... We will be meeting at Catawba on Sunday, Sept 18, @ 10:00 AM to prep the course for the Cane Creek Series Race on 10/2. Set-up of the course will take place on Saturday, 10/1 at 10:00 AM... Volunteers are needed for both days... The course will be open for pre-ride on 10/1... We will also need volunteers for the race on 10/2...Please contact Nikki Boyce at nboyce@carolina.rr.com to volunteer...

08/21/2005

Itusi Trail Run On Saturday, August 27, 2005 from 8:30 AM until approximately 10:30 AM, Lake Norman State Park will host a trail run. The event will be held on the Itusi Mountain Bicycle trail if it is open. If the Itusi trail is closed, the run will be held on the Lakeshore trail. Please be aware that during these times there may be race traffic, aid stations and race signage on the trail. To register for the run, please visit the following website: http://www.racescapes.com/eventdetail.asp?70 Park Staff

08/21/2005

Phase III at LNSP Trail building is scheduled to begin in PH III Sat 17 Sept , 9:00 am. The first task will be to clear the ground ( rake & blow ), tweak flag lines and remove any downed trees / debris. If all goes well , we should be hard at tread work by the first of October. Let's do this thing folks ! This is going to be a really sweet 6.5 mile addition to the Itusi. I can hardly wait to ride it. Dang, I think I'm gettin excited. Please make note of my new email address! Bob Karriker waterbob@earthlink.net EarthLink Revolves Around You.

08/17/2005

Dirt Divas Skill Clinic with Jackie Phelan Hello Fellow Mountainbikers… The Dirt Divas have exciting news to share with all of you!!! Jacquie Phelan, a pro mountain bike racer, a founder of NORBA and founder of WOMBATS, is coming to Charlotte, NC on Sunday, August 28th. In the early 1990’s Jacquie founded WOMBATS to offer women a gentle introduction to her favorite sport. She has organized and taught hundreds of women’s mountain biking workshops. Jacquie writes for various magazines and publications, and continues to promote women’s mountain biking all over the world. She is visiting from Fairfax, California in Marin County, one of the first mountain bike communities in the United States. We are excited about her visit and want YOU to participate. You are invited to attend the Dirt Divas’ 1st Annual Dirt Camp featuring Jacquie Phelan! If you are interested in: Learning basic riding and bike handling skills from a pro-mountain biker… Learning riding and bike handling skills to take your riding to the next level… Learning teaching techniques so you can help teach others how to ride… Learning racing tactics and strategies from a pro-mountain bike racer… Then please join us for a skills clinic and lunch at Renaissance Park in Charlotte on Sunday, August 28th! Sunday, August 28th 9:00am - 11:30am Beginner/Intermediate Skills Clinic at Renaissance Noon - 1:30pm Lunch and Talk w/ Jacquie - at shelter at Renaissance 2:00pm - 4:30pm Advanced Skills Clinic If you can’t join us for a skills clinic and lunch, then join us for a skills clinic only or lunch only. If you are interested, please complete the attached flyer and return to the Dirt Divas by August 19th. A limited number of spots are available for the skills clinics. The following fees apply: Skills Clinic and Lunch - $30.00 members (women) Skills Clinic and Lunch - $35.00 non-members (women and men) Skills Clinic only -$20.00 Lunch only - $15.00 For more information, please contact Laura Smith Williams at lsmith48@carolina.rr.com. As always, looking forward to riding with you in the woods, Dirt Diva Laura Smith Williams

07/27/2005

Beatty Race Posponed! WOW, The heat is on! After riding at Orr Rd Business Park tonight in the amazingly hot weather, I came home to found out tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter and more humid. I called several of our regulars in the mountain bike series to get input and came to the conclusion that we should postpone the mountain bike race. I know some of you are tough but tomorrow's heat is dangerous. Riding for an hour in a 100+ degree weather is one thing, but to race and really push your body hard in this kind of weather could be detrimental to your health. The last thing we need is someone having a heat stroke during the race. Please help me spread the word, tomorrow?s race at Col Francis Beatty is postponed. Sorry desert dwellers, I know you were looking forward to in this crazy heat. Please help spread the word. Cheers Neal Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc. 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com

07/24/2005

TTB Jerseys Have Arrived! The brand new 2005 Tarheel Trailblazer Jerseys have arrived and they were definitely worth the wait. Special thanks go out to Neal Boyd for assisting in the design and placing the order, to Ben Rhodes for his role in landing sponsorships, to the many wonderful sponsors who helped us make the jersey available at a steal of a deal. And last but not least, to Jerry Adams for taking the time to sift through the hundreds of pieces of apparel and arrange delivery. You can pick up your jerseys at the next two Wednesday nite races (Francis Beatty, 7/27, and North Meck, 8/3) and at the August Trailblazer meeting on 8/4. Check the ride forums to see where Enoch may be during the week, if you'd like to attempt to rendezvous with him at a trailhead near you…

07/20/2005

IMBA Singletrack Update 1. IMBA NATIONAL NEWS * IMBA Testifies in Congress on CA Wilderness For the second time in a nine-month period, IMBA was asked to testify before the U.S. Congress regarding proposed Wilderness. On July 14, IMBA's Jim Hasenauer provided testimony on the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act (S.128/H.R. 233), a bill that threatens to ban mountain biking from 170 miles of singletrack trails. Read more: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/07_05/07_14_imba_testimony.html * Support Needed for Bike-Friendly VA Wilderness Bill Working closely with the Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC), IMBA has forged an inovative bike-friendly agreement that will protect parts of the Jefferson National Forest in southern Virginia as Wilderness, but keep trails open through alternative designations. Please consider writing a letter in support of this bill, a model of compromise that could be replicated in many states facing Wilderness-imposed bans. Read more: http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/07_05/07_07_virginia.html * Grand Teton National Park Comments Needed by Aug. 1 IMBA and the National Parks and Conservation Association (NPCA) urge mountain bikers nationwide to ask for improved bicycling in Grand Teton National Park and the Jackson, Wyoming, area. A new transportation plan is in the works, and public comments must be submitted by Aug. 1. Contact Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and voice your support for the Improved Alternative 4 transportation plan with IMBA's template at: http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/07_05/07_14_grand_teton.html * Oregon Clubs Offer Innovative Proposal for Mount Hood The Oregon Mountain Bike Alliance (ORMBA) and IMBA have released an innovative proposal that would protect the undeveloped lands of the Mount Hood National Forest using a combination of diverse land protections, rather than a federal Wilderness designation. The ORMBA/IMBA plan includes a detailed map covering all the lands in the "Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act," proposed in 2004 by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden. For details: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/06_05/06_14_mount_hood.html * North Dakota Air Force Base Partners with IMBA The Airman Leadership School at Minot Air Force Base will team with IMBA to build trails. "We're teaching service men and women to build fun, sustainable trails and they just love it. Plus, they take orders really well," says North Dakota rep Ron Luethe. Similar agreements with other Air Force bases are on the horizon. Visit the North Dakota Cycling Federation website for the latest news: http://www.ndcycling.com/ * L.A. Times Says Adirondack Cyclists Could be Snakebitten According to the L.A. Times, a pro-rattlesnake, anti-biking group is seeking to keep bikes out of the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest, in New York's Adirondacks region. Protected by state law, rattlesnakes are considered a threatened species in New York. Cyclists say that riding on 5 miles of trails at Split Rock is a trivial risk to the rattler population. Bikes are allowed in 1.3 million acres of Adirondack wild forest and excluded from 1 million Wilderness acres. Read more here (requires registration): http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-apn-rattlesnake-range,1,8554 6.story?page=1&ctrack=1&cset=true&coll=sns-ap-science-headlines * Kona Freeride Grants Awarded Seven 2005 Kona/IMBA Freeride Grants have been awarded, thanks to Kona Bicycle Company's generous support. The clubs will each receive $1,000 cash grants to help create new freeriding, downhilling, and dirt jumping opportunities. To find out which clubs made the cut, and to see how they plan to spend their money, visit this page: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/06_05/06_23_kona_winners.html

07/11/2005

Suspicious Person on LNSP Bike Trail Lake Norman State Park staff received a report that there was a white male, about 6 feet tall, with a baseball cap, located in the woods near the trail about 1/2 way through Phase I on Wednesday, July 6 between 4 and 5 PM. The man reportedly had a bow and arrow. The man didn't respond verbally when the biker asked him what he was doing. Obviously it is against park regulations to have a bow and arrow in the park. Rangers are also very concerned about the safety of trail users. If you see any suspicious activity on the trail, or anywhere else in the park, please report it to park staff. The office number is 704.528.6350, and there is an answering machine. If the situation is a true emergency, you may call 911 and they can contact us. Thank you for your assistance! Park Ranger staff

06/28/2005

Gaston Gazzette, Mt. Holly Trails Mount Holly may get new biking trails BY DANA HAYDOCK Gazette Staff Reporter MOUNT HOLLY — Mountain biking enthusiasts could ride a new set of trails in Mount Holly as early as this fall. The city of Mount Holly approved a lease agreement with the city of Gastonia Tuesday to lease 437 acres known as the Donald E. Carmichael Environmental Conservancy located on Mountain Island Lake. The city plans to make an agreement with the Tarheel Trailblazers, a non-profit mountain biker’s club, to build and maintain trails on the site. “I’d like to think people can be riding out there as soon as this fall,” said Jeff Smith, a founding member of the club. “We need to clean up the existing trails, put bridges over creeks and put directional signs up.” The lease carries a fee of $1 per year. Duke Power rights of way as well as existing trails worn from illegal riding over the years will serve as easier routes. The club will connect those with thinner trails that will be more challenging, Smith said. Smith envisions 15 to 20 miles of trails. “If we have 15 to 20 miles of trail it becomes a destination,” he said. The project is part of a larger vision to use open space along the Catawba River, including the U.S. National Whitewater Center, to create a corridor of natural outdoor recreation facilities known as the Catawba Outdoor Center. The Trailblazers already maintain about 30 miles of mountain biking trails in Charlotte in partnership with Mecklenburg County. The club used its equipment and supplies to build the trails on Mecklenburg County park property. They maintain trails at Renaissance Park near downtown, Colonel Francis Beatty Park near Weddington, North Mecklenburg Park in Huntersville, Fisher Farm Park in Davidson and Catawba Riverfront Park where the whitewater center will be built. “It’s been a positive relationship,” said Mike Cozza, spokesman for Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation. “They demonstrated a recreational interest that we weren’t tuned into to begin with.” Club members are trained according to the International Mountain Biking Association standards for trail construction. Smith said they use the existing contours of the land to avoid creating erosion problems. “We don’t like to cut down trees,” Smith said. “We like to create a thin ribbon of trail going through the woods.” The city of Gastonia bought the land on which the trails will be built for $9.4 million in 1999 from a developer who planned to build a lakefront subdivision. The purchase was intended to protect water quality in Mountain Island Lake from which 95 percent of Gaston County residents get their water. You can reach Dana Haydock at (704) 869-1819.

06/28/2005

Lake Norman Times: Fisher Farm Park Phase I trail complete at Fisher Farm By Emily Chaffin Tom Mathews takes the option of riding over a boulder and a log descent at the new two-mile bike trail at Fisher Farm Park outside of Davidson. Mathews helped trail coordinator Mark Sullivan to design and layout the trail. The Tarheel Trailblazers will begin construction of the second bike loop in the fall. As Mark Sullivan pedals his bike past a blur of trees, he sees one in particular and decides to stop. "The trail definitely goes past this tree for a reason," Sullivan said. Sullivan coordinates the construction of the mountain bike trails at Fisher Farm Park, located off Shearers Road in the Davidson ETJ. He and a handful of volunteers went out to the park almost every weekend in the fall and winter to construct the two-mile loop that comprises Phase I of the bike trail. Sullivan said that the tree with its wide-reaching branches, looked as though it could hug you. He knew early on that he wanted to make the tree a part of the ride at Fisher Farm. When he designed the trail, Sullivan realized it was more than a trail he was designing. He wanted to build an experience for riders to enjoy. When people think about a place they visited, "they remember the experience," Sullivan said. Phase I of the trail is now open to bikers. Sullivan plans to begin work on a less-technical second loop this fall. The section that Sullivan and volunteers recently completed contains several technical options for advanced riders -- a drop over a large boulder, log bridges, a rock garden, and a wooden ramp. The trail winds around land that slopes up from a creek. Because of the water, Sullivan tried to keep the trail to elevated areas with good drainage. Where there were a couple of wet patches, Sullivan and volunteers made use of slabs of broken concrete on the property to buffer the trail against erosion. A sign at the head of the trail asks bikers not to use the trail up to 24 hours after rainfall. Sullivan also said not to be afraid to use the front brake. "It does up to 80 percent of the braking," he said, "and when you lock up the back tire it tears up the trail." Sullivan has one other bit of advice. "Ride it like you stole it," he said, smiling.

06/26/2005

MT. Holly Agreement Charlotte Observer 6/26/05 Volunteers to start work on long-rumored Mount Holly trail this fall DÁNICA COTO Staff Writer Forget the bike rack and lengthy car trip. Gaston County will get its first official mountain bike trail by the end of the year, so beginners and serious riders alike won't have to drive far for a spin. In the fall, volunteers expect to start building the trail in Mount Holly just west of Mountain Island Lake as part of the future Catawba Outdoor Corridor greenway. They'll first clear existing trails that bike riders trespassing on private property have carved out, which amount to about 7 miles, said Jeff Smith, an engineer who's designing the trail. He's also the former president of the Tarheel Trailblazers, a Charlotte mountain biking group working on the project. "When the snakes and mosquitoes subside, we can get out and start making some trails," he said. It'll likely take between one and four years to complete what Smith hopes will be about 20 miles of family-friendly trails as well as loops that challenge the advanced rider. Rumors of the trail surfaced about three years ago, but nobody thought it'd come to fruition, said Jack Moore, president of the Gaston County Bike Club. He estimates that the county has hundreds, if not thousands, of bike riders. "It'll be really nice to have some new trails," he said. "I'm anxiously awaiting." Mount Holly city officials pushed for the trail after plans for a $25 million U.S. National Whitewater Center were finalized. Crews have already started construction on the center, which will be north of where Interstate 85 crosses the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County and will offer an artificial river with adjustable rapids. It's expected to open next spring. "As Mount Holly continues to grow, (the corridor) will be a tremendous niche for the city," said Danny Jackson, community development director. The trail will be built on about 440 acres of the Don Carmichael preserve, which Mount Holly officials are leasing from the city of Gastonia for $1 a year. City officials want the trail to extend north to N.C. 16 and connect to Dutchmans Creek as well. The Tarheel Trailblazers got involved soon after the city announced its plans, said City Manager David Kraus. "They came to us and said, `What can we do to help?' " he said. Meanwhile, bikers will have to strap bikes to their cars and search for trails outside Gaston County. One of the closest trails, Catawba Riverfront Park, was closed for safety after construction on the whitewater center began.

06/16/2005

The Future Is Bright! Jeff Smith informs us that the City of Mount Holly has agreed to a lease for the property owned by the City of Gastonia and Managed by the Forestry Service (6/13). Part of the agreement is to have the Trailblazers build and maintain the trails. At this time, no formal agreement has been made between Mt. Holly and the Trailblazers, but that should be forthcoming very soon. Once we are in agreement with Mt. Holly, we can begin to map out trails and develop budgets. Thanks to Jeff, Ray Broome, Frankie Pietras, Kim and David Rodden and all who have contributed to the Mount Holly effort. As has been bantered around on the General Board, the June 14th presentation to the Park and Rec commissioners went extremely well, better than any of the 14 or so that attended, could have dreamed. The term "model volunteer organization" has to go a long way when it comes directly from one of the commissioners, especially when Catawba falls under his jurisdiction! All feedback, both in the meeting and during conversation in the hallway following the presentation was very positive. Looks like we have met the right people, and in particular, Greg Jackson – a fellow mountain biker and park staff employee, who introduced us to the commissioners. Kudos for Jim Grover who found the right man for the introduction! Chris Fernandez did an awesome job with his PowerPoint presentation and playing of Dolby's promotional video. It appeared many of the commissioners were in awe of the preparation and professionalism of our group. The future is bright!

06/10/2005

TTB Presentation to Park & Rec The Trailblazers will be making a presentation to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Park and Rec Commissioners on Tuesday, June 14th. The Commissioners start their meeting at 6:00 pm and most attendees will be there at the start. We are scheduled for 7:00 pm - though we could go off anytime between 6:45 and 7:15 depending on how the agenda flows. The purpose is NOT to list grievances or requests, but to update the Commissioners on who we are, what our history and long partnership with P&R has been, what value we bring to P&R and the community, etc. The presentation will include our video and is limited to 15 minutes unless the commissioners extend by asking questions. It will be valuable to have as many officers/committee chairs there as possible as out Director of Public Relations, Chris Fernandez (who will be making the presentation) plans to introduce those board members in attendance. The meeting will be held at the P&R Department Administrative Office Building, 5841 Brookshire Blvd., just North of uptown. The entrance to the meeting room is on the left side of the building - not the front entrance. Please mark your calendar and plan on attending the meeting. We need a strong show of support, and YOUR presence would be greatly appreciated.

06/02/2005

Vance Price - Ride for Recovery Date: Sunday, July 10th, 2005 Ride: 37 and 62-mile options, SAG vehicles provided Pre-Registration: Go to http://www.dirtdivas.net/rideRecovery.htm for pre-registration info Registration: 7:30am Ride Starts: 8:30am Cost: $15 (preregistration by July 2nd), $20 (day of event) (additional donations accepted!) Rest Stops: 2 on the 37 mile option, 3 on the 62 mile option -Fully Supported with Rest Stops and Refreshments -Proceeds to Cover Medical Bills Sponsored by the Dirt Divas, a Charlotte based mountain biking club for women. Additional support/sponsorship provided by: Bolt Brothers Cycles of Waxhaw, Ultimate Cycles, Harris Teeter, Wendys, Team Roadkill and The Rank Riders cycling clubs and a host of others! * Ride benefits Vance Price, a 14 year Gastonia City Fireman & medic. Vance has devoted most of his working career to helping others, often in life threatening situations. Vance is also an extraordinary cyclist, who has given back to the cycling community by sharing his knowledge and inspiring others. * On April 12, Vance was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in Gaston County, & spent three weeks in intensive care. As we wish Vance continued success toward a full recovery, this ride is an expression of love on the part of his friends, & a celebration of recovery for anyone that has gone through a challenging period, be it physical or emotional. All proceeds from this event will go toward his extensive medical bills. Click here for the Pre-Registration/Waiver Form and Ride Flyer: http://www.dirtdivas.net/rideRecovery.htm or http://www.dirtdivas.net . "Vance, you've helped us become better riders -- now it's our turn to help you recover fully and get back on the bike soon!!" The Dirt Divas Please come out to ride and support this worthwhile cause!! ~~~ ~O ~~ _-\_<, ~ ( )/'(*)

06/01/2005

June 1st Race PPD Due to Rain! Well folks, looks like we will have to postpone the June 1, Renaissance Park Mountain Bike Race. It has rained all morning at the park and based on the local radar, doesn't look like its going to let up anytime soon. Please help spread the word. Next week, the mountain bike series will visit N Meck Park in Huntersville. www.charlottemtnbike.com Working on a special treat for the race next week.

05/17/2005

TTB Jerseys For Sale at Catawba Race! We will again be pre-selling the TrailBlazer jerseys at this weeks race, Catawba, 6:15 PM...Please bring a check or cash for your purchase... For more details on pricing, sizing and ordering, please see the link on our homepage!

05/16/2005

IMBA Singletrack Update 1. IMBA NATIONAL NEWS: IMBA AND NPS REACH BREAKTHROUGH AGREEMENT If you've been enjoying the fine spring weather, you might have missed big news out of Washington, D.C. IMBA and the National Parks Service (NPS) recently hammered out a 5-year agreement designed to boost mountain bicycling opportunities in NPS units. All the scoop can be found at http://www.imba.com/resources/agencies/nps.html WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE IMBA/NPS DEAL Newspapers, magazines, IMBA members and supporters from around the globe had good things to say about the IMBA/NPS agreement. Read their reactions at http://www.imba.com/resources/agencies/nps_feedback.html NPS LOOKING FOR PILOT PROJECTS In the wake of the recently announced IMBA/NPS agreement, IMBA members are being asked to suggest pilot projects for the NPS to review. IMBA and the NPS will work together to select final candidates in late 2005. Learn more at http://www.imba.com/resources/agencies/nps_pilot_idea.html TEN $500 NORBA/IMBA GRANTS AVAILABLE Ten Trail Tune-Up Grants are available to mountain biking groups seeking to jump-start trail improvement projects. To learn more, visit http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/05_05/05_02_norba_grants.html SUPPORT IMBA'S LEGAL DEFENSE FUND Your donation to IMBA's Legal Defense Fund will help shape fair trail use policies and end discrimination against mountain bikers. http://stores.yahoo.com/imba/caledefu.html 2. REGIONAL REPORTS: SANTA MONICA TRAIL THREATENED (INCLUDES VIDEO) Canyonback Trail is a critical access point to the Westridge-Canyon Back Wilderness Park, in Southern California's Santa Monica Mountains. IMBA and the locally based Canyon Back Alliance hope you'll view a streaming video clip, and learn how to take action to save this important resource. http://www.imba.com/news/action_alerts/04_05/04_28_santa_monica.html 200 NEW YORK LAND MANAGERS LEARN FROM IMBA The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew has worked with more than 200 state and local land managers in New York in the past year. Four regionally focused outreach efforts, organized in partnership with the New York Office of Recreation and Parks, proved an effective way to bring IMBA's experts together with key decision makers. Read more athhttp://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/04_05/04_29_ny_trail_mgnrs.html IMBA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH VIRGINIA STATE PARKS The State of Virginia and IMBA have forged an agreement to promote and protect mountain biking in the Old Dominion state. Additionally, the Richmond chapter of MORE received a "Local Hero" award at the Governor's Greenways, Blueways and Trails Conference, held May 2. http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/05_05/05_13_virginia.html SUGOI DIRT SERIES HITS PACIFIC NORTHWEST In the past four years, the world-class coaches of the Sugoi Dirt Series mountain bike camps have given hundreds of women new skills and confidence on their bikes. This year, the Whistler, British Columbia-based Dirt Series will spread their love for the sport farther than ever before. Eighteen camps (15 are women-only) are being held across B.C., Alberta, the U.S. Pacific Northwest and the Bay area. Each runs on a two-day format and includes morning skill sessions followed by afternoon rides. The program also dedicates time to bike fit and maintenance, trail etiquette, and offers a host of opportunities to demo new gear. There's a limit of 36 riders per camp, and the participant to coach ratio never exceeds 6:1. Details at http://www.dirtseries.com or 604-905-8876.

05/16/2005

You think we have trail building issues? Hiked up there this past weekend. Lot's of difficult trail relocation has been done there in the past years. Interesting read on red tape and procedures to accomplish this difficult job. Just hiking it hurts! http://www.tehcc.org/stairway.htm

05/04/2005

Rough and Tough Biker Social! It's Bike Week and the Tarheel Trailblazers are hosting a Rough and Tough Biker Social at Jack's on 7th St. at 7:30pm this Thursday, May 5th. Don't be scared. There will be appetizers served, so don't miss out! Come and meet with your mountain bike buds and catch up on what's happening on dirt...... Tonight, the 3rd race of the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series is at Renaissance Park on Tyvola Rd. Come early and be ready to race at 6:15pm. Weather conditions could not be much better....... Hope to see you soon! The Trailblazers

05/03/2005

Charlotte Mommies Bike & Skate Sale Accepting gently used adult and children's: bikes, skates, scooters, bike trailers, jogging strollers, cleats, safety pads, Other sporting and safety equipment. Bring tagged items to the rec center between 3 PM and 7 PM Friday, June 3 (pls visit site for tagging info) 60% of the money collected goes to the consignor, 30% goes to CharlotteMommies, 10% will go to a local charity. Proceeds will be mailed to consignors after the sale (probably 2 weeks after). With over 1,200 members, CharlotteMommies is the first site of The Mommies Network, a 501c(3)not-for-profit organization founded by a stay-home mom with a vision of connecting women throughout her community. We provide a safe, secure, FREE place for mothers to find support and encouragement from other mothers and to empower them to be better women, parents and community leaders. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you very much for helping us out here! Regards, Suzanne Johnston CM site admin (and the proud owner of a new bike w/ a seat for my son...Happy Mother's Day to me!!!) www.charlottemommies.com/bikeskatesale Sat. June 4, 11am-4pm FIRST WARD REC CENTER 610 East 7th Street

05/02/2005

IMBA Signs Breakthrough Agreement IMBA Signs Breakthrough Agreement with National Park Service For Immediate Release 05-02-05 Contact: Pete Webber, IMBA communications director pete@imba.com 303-545-9011 If you've ever tried to enjoy a National Park by mountain bike, chances are you've been disappointed. With some notable exceptions, America's premier park system is closed to off-road riding. That's going to change with a new five-year agreement just signed by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the National Park Service. For the first time, National Park Service leaders in Washington, D.C., have formally recognized mountain biking as a positive activity, compatible with the values of our National Park system. A benefit to millions of bicyclists is the potential opportunity for new access to hundreds of dirt roads in National Park units that have been closed to bicycling. While National Park Service rules require a lengthy process to open singletrack to bicycle use, appropriate dirt roads may be opened with a more straightforward administrative process. "This agreement represents a true breakthrough for mountain biking," said IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel. "It opens the door for individual park units to partner with mountain bikers and investigate new riding opportunities on a case-by-case basis." "The National Park Service is committed to increasing public awareness of outdoor recreational opportunities in the national park system that promote health and fitness," said Karen Taylor-Goodrich, the Associate Director for Visitor and Resource Protection."And mountain bicycling in authorized areas can be an excellent way to enjoy America's outdoor heritage in a manner that is compatible with resource protection." As part of the agreement, IMBA and the Park Service will initially partner on two pilot projects to be selected later this year. The projects will bring mountain bikers and park officials together for on-the-ground teamwork and serve as models for future collaboration. Additionally, IMBA will provide technical and volunteer assistance to National Park units that are interested in improving their off-road cycling opportunities. IMBA programs such as the National Mountain Bike Patrol, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew and the IMBA club network can now apply their stewardship skills to our National Parks. Mountain biking can be a solution to many challenges facing National Parks today. Bicycling gets people out of their cars; away from congested roads, parking lots and trailheads; and out into the fresh air. Mountain biking can also encourage more active exploration of parks and counter the societal trend toward obesity. So what does the future hold? While mountain bikers shouldn't expect a revolution of new singletrack in National Parks, the partnership signals an encouraging direction for the future. With enhanced communication and cooperation between IMBA and the National Park Service, mountain bikers can anticipate that cycling opportunities in National Park units will continue to improve. The National Park Service manages 384 parks, monuments, battlefields, buildings and recreation areas and more than 80 million acres of U.S. public land. In 2004, National Parks hosted more than 276 million visitors. In 2002, IMBA formed a partnership with the Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance program of the National Park Service. Rivers & Trails helps communities build trail and greenway systems, restore rivers and wildlife habitat, and preserve open space. Their work largely focuses on urban and suburban locations, where demand for trail networks is the greatest. Visit IMBA's National Park Service Resource Page for the text of the agreement, speaking points, NPS parks with great riding, and other resources.

04/26/2005

Mayor's Ride Mayor's Ride/Bike To Breakfast And BICYCLING Magazine's BIKE TOWN Award of 50 Bicycles Everyone is encouraged to attend the Mayor's Ride/Bike to Breakfast on Friday, April 29. This year's event will be highlighted by BICYCLING Magazine's BIKE TOWN award of 50 bicycles to selected recipients. In addition to local media, North Carolina Public Television will be covering the event. This is a good opportunity for cyclists to show their support for bicycling in Charlotte and the region. The event begins at 7:30 am at the Dowd YMCA (400 E. Morehead St) and ends with a free breakfast at Wachovia Plaza. Help get the word out and feel free to invite others.

04/26/2005

LNSP Trail Maintenance Day Saturday, May 7 will be our trail maintenance day. There are a couple of trouble spots that will be fixed. Meet @ 8:30 in the trail head parking lot. Please remember that the trail will be closed during the working hours so if you come out and help, the trail will be open sooner! Jeff Archer 704.878.9683 jeff@firstflightbikes.com

04/26/2005

Mt. Holly Trail Update From Jeff Smith, Trail Coordinator at Mt. Holly: The City of Gastonia and the City of Mt. Holly are currently negotiating an agreement to allow Mt. Holly to use the Gastonia property for recreation. We will be sharing the land with the NC Forestry Department who is the official land manager. They will be using the property as an educational forest and will manage and harvest the timber from time to time. We will have to coordinate various trail closures during harvest time, but they will be limited to small areas (40 acres) and will only occur every once in a while. The Trailblazer sub-committee (Frank P., Ray Broome and friends from Mt. Holly and me) are working on a plan to indicate trail layout, construction, phasing and budget. We hope to present our plan to Mt. Holly soon and see if they can aid in the funding of the trail development. We met with the Mt. Holly Economic Development Committee last Monday to tell them about the TBs and about our plans. They are working to raise money for Greenway development and we are an integral part of their plan. They were very impressed with our efforts and we look forward to partnering with them in the future.

04/19/2005

2005 Summer Race Series Looks like the 5th Annual Charlotte Mountain Bike Series is going to start out with beautiful weather on Wednesday, April 20. The series will kick off at Historic Tuckaseegee Ford Park(Catawba), future home to the US National Whitewater Center. The park is unfortunately closed to the public during construction for liability purposes but will be open for insured special events, to insured event participants ONLY. Please be aware if you ride at the park while closed, you are trespassing and subject to prosecution. The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6:15PM. The series will once again be sanctioned through NORBA. The race entry fee is $13 for adults and $8 for juniors with a $3 discount if you hold a current NORBA license. If interested in purchasing a NORBA license, visit www.usacycling.org All expert riders must have an annual license. For more info on the series, check www.charlottemtnbike.com

04/19/2005

2005 Bike! Charlotte Right around the corner, 2005 Bike! Charlotte, April 29 - May 8. The theme for the 2005 event is "Cycling is For Everybody". The ten-day event is set to kick off on Friday morning, April 29 with the Mayor's Ride/Bike To Breakfast. At the Mayor's Ride/Bike To Breakfast, we will also hold the presentation for the Bicycling Magazine Bike Town USA bicycle giveaways. This short five mile ride is probably one of the most important bicycle rides you could participate in a Charlotte. It's five miles short and we have FREE breakfast provided by Just Fresh and 2005 Bike! Charlotte t-shirts for all cyclists. The ride starts behind the Dowd YMCA at 7:30AM with breakfast at 7:45AM and the Bike Town presentation at 8:00AM. Support future cycling in Charlotte, make plans to be at the Mayor's Ride/Bike To Breakfast. For more info on Bike! Charlotte events, check out www.bike-charlotte.org Other Upcoming Events: April 23-24 ? Charleston Race Weekend ? 2 days of crit racing http://www.lowcountryvwracing.com/2005_flyer.pdf April 23 - World Impact 50K/100K Bicycle Ride & 5K Run www.gracecovenant.org April 29 ? May 9 Bike! Charlotte ? Cycling is for Everybody www.bike-charlotte.org May 7 - Dilworth Criterium http://www.squadravecchio.com/dilworth05flier.pdf June 11 - Collier Lilly Ride for Life www.collierlillyride4life.com June 25 - Cowbell Classic 12 Hour Mtn Bike Race More info will be available soon. July 29-30 ? 24 Hours of Booty www.24hoursofbooty.com Help spread the word. Neal Boyd Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc. 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com

04/16/2005

Official Position of the Trailblazers Recent television and print media stories have presented individuals as representatives of the Tarheel Trailblazers and our board of directors. In what has been a very emotional period of time for mountain bikers that love and enjoy the challenges that Catawba offers, it is our understanding that the press has somewhat distorted the factual portions of statements made by these individuals. These stories have portrayed the Trailblazers Board of Directors in a somewhat compromising light. As a board, we are embarrassed by statements that could ultimately jeopardize the trails at Catawba and other projects currently in the works. The Trailblazers recognize the construction of the Whitewater facility will ultimately shed a positive light on our chosen sport of mountain biking. Offering amenities that we would never have the ability to procure as a volunteer organization, the construction of the park will result in a World Class facility, not only for whitewater enthusiasts, but mountain bikers alike. Our representatives have met with the CWWP and Charlotte Mecklenburg Park and Recreation, and agreed to the closure of Catawba during the construction phase of the facility. Understanding that patrolling of the 10 miles of trails to make certain that no one strays into the construction zone would be virtually impossible (and ultimately our responsibility - in this, the land of litigation), we support the construction closure. The construction of the CWWP facility will open new doors to the mountain bike community, not only at Catawba, but across the Catawba River in Mount Holly, and hopefully elsewhere in the metro-Charlotte region. We are currently working toward the approval of mountain biking opportunities at Mount Holly, Mecklenburg County, Harrisburg, and trail expansion in Davidson How we interact with Park and Rec and the folks at Charlotte Whitewater will go a long way toward the construction of new trails, elsewhere. You may not realize it, but the smaller municipalities (Davidson, Mount Holly, Mint Hill) along with Charlotte Park & Rec conduct workshops for their land managers, and our name has already come up in one situation, where we were branded as “renegades”. This does nothing for our standing in the communities where we wish to expand our trail system. Our representatives will work hard to negotiate supervised events to be held at the Catawba facility, with reasonable advanced notice and agreement between representatives of the Trailblazers, CWWP and Park & Rec. The Trailblazers are at crossroads as a club and it is time for the club to step up and reorganize our way of doing business. Our current board of directors (president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer), are the ultimate decision makers of the club. We are in the process of laying the ground work for a steering committee of individuals that can assist in the decision making process. Comprised of individuals with expertise previously unavailable to our club, this committee will result in a series of checks and balances that will keep our direction more focused. The Board of Directors has appointed Neal Boyd as official liaison between the Trailblazers, CWWP and Park & Rec. Neal's voice will be the official appointed position of the club and no one else will speak in an official capacity. Unfortunately, while we feel that this is a significant step in the right direction, we cannot regulate individuals that wish to serve in an un-official capacity as “club representatives” to the media. To this end we have written a letter clearly stating our official position on the construction of the Whitewater Park, and forwarded copies to CWWP, Park & Rec and the news media. The Trailblazers are striving to be more communication oriented, not only within the structure of our club, but with the CWWP and Park & Rec as well.

04/15/2005

2005 Summer Race Series Hope everyone is gearing up for another great year of mountain bike racing with the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series, now entering our fifth season. The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series is set to kick off April 20 at Historic Tuckaseegee Ford Park(Catawba), future home to the US National Whitewater Center. Yes, the park is closed to the public during construction but will be open for special events, to event participants ONLY. Please be aware if you ride at the park while closed, you are trespassing and subject to prosecution. The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will be held on Wednesday evenings at 6:15PM. The series will once again be sanctioned through NORBA. The race entry fee is $13 for adults and $8 for juniors with a $3 discount if you hold a current NORBA license. If interested in purchasing a NORBA license, visit www.usacycling.org All expert riders must have an annual license. One major rule change: We will have six double points races during the 2005 season. Two will be random and announced on race day while the other four double points races will be held the last four regularly scheduled races of the season. The best eighteen finishes will be scored in the final results, basically you will be able to drop or miss two races with no worries. The rotation of the races will be HTFP, Beatty, Renaissance and N Meck Park in Huntersville. Please note the week of July 20 and 27, the rotation will be switched. Renaissance on July 20 and Beatty on July 27. For more info on the series, check www.charlottemtnbike.com BTW, Shimano has given us a set of XT wheels and a XT crank for prizes. The prizes will be given away by raffle just for entering the races. The more your race, the better chance you have of winning the prizes.

04/15/2005

IMBA Trail Grants Available In 2005, a variety of IMBA cash grants are available to groups seeking to jump-start their trail improvement projects (listed below). Visit http://www.imba.com/resources/grants for details. Kona/IMBA Freeriding Grants: IMBA-affiliated groups in North America can apply for seven $1,000 awards to support the development of freeriding, downhilling, and dirt jumping projects. The application deadline is May 1, 2005. NORBA/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants: Now in its seventh year, NORBA/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants fund projects that create or improve trails used for mountain bike racing. The $500 grants can also be used to improve trails for race training and recreational riding, but race courses receive the highest consideration. Applications are due by June 1, 2005. IMBA/CLIF Bar Trail Preservation Grants: IMBA-affiliated clubs are invited to apply for $500 cash grants to support trail restoration and preservation work. Projects must promote environmental education and inspire conservation in the mountain biking community. Forty grants totaling $20,000 have been distributed since the IMBA/CLIF Bar Trail Preservation Grants program was established in 2001. The application deadline is July 1, 2005.

04/14/2005

Davidson Earth Day Celebrate Earth Day the Davidson Way Come to the Davidson Town Green Saturday, April 23 for Earth Day-vidson, a festival celebrating our community’s active role in protecting natural resources and preserving open space. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. enjoy fantastic food, multi-cultural music, hands-on children’s activities, a climbing wall, raffle, and displays by the Town and various earth-friendly organizations. Admission to the festival is free. Davidson Lands Conservancy (DLC) and the Davidson College Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) are hosting Earth Day-vidson in recognition of Davidson’s recent EPA “Smart-Growth” award. According to Davidson Mayor Randall Kincaid, “Communities define smart growth differently. We feel that smart growth embodies a number of important principles: preserving open space and other parts of our heritage; requiring that subdivisions have a variety of housing types; preserving our economic and social diversity; preserving our downtown; and connecting our streets, making it possible for people to walk and ride bicycles.” The vision for Earth Day-vidson originated with the EAC and is being developed in partnership with DLC. “Earth Day-vidson is a non-profit event produced by a team of dedicated activists, both students and town residents, volunteering their time for a better world. It wouldn’t be possible without the many committed volunteers, sponsors and exhibitors participating to celebrate and educate people about the principles of environmental responsibility in our community,” said Vicki Blaney, DLC board member and co-producer of the festival. If you would like to volunteer, donate or participate as an exhibitor or vendor, please contact Mitze Bender, DLC office manage at dlc@davidsonlands.org or (704) 892-1910. The daytime festivities on the Town Green will be followed in the evening by a Green Ball on the Davidson College campus, also to benefit DLC. Contra Dance for Conservation Don’t miss Davidson College EAC’s Green Ball, the lively culmination of Earth Day-vidson, on Saturday, April 23, from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Chambers Gallery on the college campus. The Green Ball, a square/contra dance with live music, cash bar, silent auction, desserts and coffee, brings both college and community together to raise funds for lands conservation. You don’t have to bring a partner or be a professional dancer to contra dance. All dances are taught beforehand then prompted by a caller once the music begins. Dance to the live music of Ben Nelson and Company Bluegrass, then quench your thirst with beer, wine or soft drinks from the cash bar. The silent auction features a weekend at the beach, a day at the spa, a limited-edition nature photograph and many other exciting items. Be there early to place your bids. Tickets are $10 per person and will be sold at the door. Students may contact Liz Dover at lidover@davidson.edu or (704) 894-5404 to purchase tickets in advance. For updates and additional information visit the DLC web site at www.davidsonlands.org

04/13/2005

Vance Price Seriously Injured in Motorcycle Accident From and email received this morning: Hi all, 4:30 am here and I just left Vance Price in the ICU at CMC. Janet's sister and dad had just arrived and we had a hard night as Vance had a motorcycle accident at 8pm and sustained multiple injuries, leaving him fighting for life. Many fractures including several spinal, and bruising of lungs and brain. The prognosis is guardedly optimistic...no real trauma to the spinal cord...he was mighty lucky. But he did not look like our Vance. Janet held up really well, they both are strong people, but could use our prayers and positive thoughts in the coming days. The fact he is so strong is in his favor, but he has a hard road ahead of him. I hope they have some help on hand when he wakes up this morning and tries to climb out of that bed. Update 11:30 AM Accident happened on Vance's way home from work last night around 8:00 pm. He laid the bike down and skidded (maybe under a vehicle). Not sure if he was involved in the initial accident or if he just rounded a turn and was confronted by something already in progress. He is in the Trauma/ICU unit at CMC hospital. At last word, his vital signs were stable. He has a small bruise on his brain. there will be more tests reqd. to determine the seriousness. Both lungs are bruised and He is on a respirator. He has numerous fractures: Ribs, neck, and maybe a knee. There are no signs of internal bleeding. He has a lower back bone that has been compressed. His spinal cord is intact and I think I heard that he is able to move. I realize that statement is vague. There is a CT scan scheduled for 10:00 am today. Since he is in ICU, we can not send flowers or anything at this point in time. Janet's sister and Dad are with her, and may our prays be too! 12:45 PM The ct scan has revealed no serious head injuries. Right now Vance can only get four 15 minute visits a day, so those are pretty much restricted to family. Janet is headed home to rest and bathe and then return to CMC, but she will welcome any friends who want to visit her outside the ICU. A fruit basket from "Their Cycling Friends" will include the wishes of all.

03/23/2005

Kona/IMBA Freeriding Grants Available Mountain bike groups looking to develop technical riding will again benefit from a grant program focused on building challenging trails. In 2005, Kona Bicycle Company and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) will award cash grants to fund the development of freeriding, downhilling, and dirt jumping projects. IMBA-affiliated clubs in North America are invited to apply for seven $1,000 awards. The application deadline is May 1, 2005, and the grants will be awarded in June. Funding for the program comes from Kona and the Kona/IMBA Bowling Party, an annual Las Vegas fundraiser held during Interbike, the bicycle industry trade show. The program's goal is to speed the development of freeriding opportunities on public land. Grants may be used for a variety of purposes, including gaining land manager approval, addressing liability concerns, trail and stunt construction, trailhead kiosks and signage, and freeride organization building. The Kona/IMBA Freeriding Grants program builds on Kona's time-tested support of mountain biking advocacy. Kona has been a leading IMBA corporate supporter since '94 and has developed several creative fundraising projects, including the Kona Buck-A-Bike program, the ongoing Kona Bro Deal program (which asks all bro deal purchasers to become IMBA members), and the highly successful bowling tourney, which recently celebrated its seventh edition. Application Details: http://www.imba.com/resources/grants/kona_fr_grant.html

03/02/2005

March Meeting! Come out to Jack's Bar and Grill on 7th St. this Thursday, March 3rd at 7:30pm for the Tarheel Tailblazers' monthly meeting. There has been a lot happening lately, so we'll have a lot to talk about. Here's a sampling: -Catawba Riverfront Park (HTFP) will be closing to the public March 20th except for special events (races) for the construction of the Whitewater Park -Trailwork day at Renaissance Park coming soon -Trailwork weekend going to Lake Norman State Park coming up soon -Fisher Farm Park Phase I nearing completion -Trailblazer T-shirt Closeout Sale at the meeting - $5.00 each! (Lizard Skins and Socks available also) -Membership Drive continues... (membership coordinator expected to attend) -Karaoke after the meeting if you dare to challenge Cory.... Bring a friend and come talk it up with the local MTB community! Thanks for your support and we'll see you at Jack's!

02/25/2005

Catawba News Frank and Bart, The decision has been made jointly by Char. Whitewater Park and this dept. to close the park to public bike riding effective Sunday, March 20th. The exception would be approved, organized, and supervised events(rides) by the Tarheel Trailblazers Club. We will be posting signs next week to this effect. Please assist us by placing a notice on your website and spreading the word through other methods as well within your club. P&R will be sending out a Public Service Announcement next week to this effect which the media outlets will likely pick up... We would also like to get your list of events that you want to conduct by the first of next week if at all possible so we can include them in the signage we post at the site. Thanks for working with us and your patience throughout the process. We hope that this is a workable compromise. When the park re-opens in approx. 12months we will have the premier facility in the Southeast for Mtn. Bike riding. Please stay in touch. C. Blaine Gregory, CPRP, CPSI General Manager Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department 6301 Beatties Ford Road Charlotte, NC 28216

02/17/2005

Trouble Brewing at Huntersville Business Park From Jim Mead, President of the Rocky River Road Club: Following this past Tuesdays ride at the Huntersville Business Park, Steve Dallas (see Steve's note below) from the RRRC and Neal Boyd with Charlotte Sports Cycling had the pleasure of talking to an officer with the Huntersville PD, who had been directed to issue citations to cyclists. We owe Steve and Neal a big thanks for their diplomacy, which helped diffuse the situation somewhat. However, I talked to both the officer and his Captain this morning and it is clear that the days of cyclists taking up 1/2 of the road and riding w/o lights are over! The following expectations were conveyed to me this morning: 1) ALL CYCLISTS MUST HAVE A REAR FLASHER AND A FRONT HEADLIGHT. 2) CYCLISTS MAY NOT OCCUPY MORE THAN A SINGLE LANE OF THE ROAD AT ANY TIME. The HPD considers Reece Blvd a 4 lane rd, so we get 1 lane. 3) ALL CYCLISTS MUST GO IN THE SAME DIRECTION. The reality of the situation is that this training ride is in violation of a Huntersville and a state ordinance, both of which carry a $100 fine if you are cited. The Captain said we should expect to see the HPD at tomorrow's ride (2/17). Hopefully we can meet their expectations and continue to use the HBP as a winter training venue. Please make every effort to pass this message on to anyone who attends the HBP training rides. Jim Mead President - RRRC From Steve Dallas: Jim, this is basically a summary of what we discussed last night on the phone after the ride: Detective Andrew Dempski of the Huntersville Police discussed the riding situation in the business park with me and Neal Boyd. The observations and expectations as I understand them are as follows: 1. Overall, the group is too big and the riders are too many abreast, taking up too much of the road. The concern is for rider safety and motorists. 2. The cyclists should ALL have lights. I am not sure as to whether both front and rear lights are mandatory, but we can check with the Huntersville and/or State requirements. In any case, lights are cheap and available. 3. The riders should all be going the same direction. Even though we thought it might be safer for "dropped" riders to ride counter-clockwise, this creates problems for motorists since they have to both pass cyclists, and dodge the ones coming head on. Although I cannot cite the specific ordinance, there was a potential last night that citations could have been written for "contest of speed", violating event and parade ordinances, and riding without lights. There were no direct complaints from property owners or tenants, so I guess rider behavior in parking lots is not an issue this year, but the actual riding is the issue. I assured Detective Dempski that our club would do everything we could to cooperate, and I know Neal Boyd will do the same, so that we can keep riding.

02/03/2005

February Meeting Agenda Trailblazer Agenda – 03feb05 Welcome – Tom M Visitor Introductions Minutes of the January Meeting - Nikki Treasury Report – Frankie Membership - Update of membership renewals IMBA TCC visit to LNSP Trail Maintenance Renaissance - Pel Catawba – Frankie North Meck – Tom M Beatty – Tom W Poplar Tent – Jerry Fisher Farm – Mark Back Yard – Scott Trail of Higher Education - Jerry Mint Hill - Jerry Elon - Frankie Springs - Mount Holly – Frankie Night Rides Winter Race Report Website Grants / Fundraising Divas Shops

01/24/2005

IMBA Trail School Weekend/LNSP Well...I don't know about y'all, but I had a blast this weekend at the IMBA Trail School at LNSP. Many thanks to Bob Karriker, Jeff Archer and Larry Hyde (THE park ranger) for hosting and coordinating this weekend. Also many thanks to the TCC of Chris and Jill for coming to this area once again. For all who missed Friday and Saturday...well y'all missed working with some mechanized equipment. They had on hand a Ditch Witch mini-skid steerer, a Toro Dingo and a midsized excavater. POWER TOOLS ! ;D Bob was able to take care of some water drainage issues with the Ditch Witch on Saturday as well as adding some rock armoring and rock chokes to slow inexperienced riders down. Thanks to all the club members that braved the cold to come out, too. At least have attending the school were club members. A personal thanks to Chris and Jill for setting some time aside to come and visit Fisher Farm Park. Director of Davidson Park and Rec. Steve Fraher met all attending at the park as we took the "Grand Tour". I'm very pleased to report that the trails got lots of compliments from the TCC as well as some great suggestions! Pictures to come very soon. Stay posted... Mark

01/24/2005

IMBA Weekend! (From LANO) Boy it sure was nice to see a great group at the IMBA weekend. I was a real morale boost to spend the weekend with like-minded people and talk about trails. It is something you miss when you are speeding through the woods on a bike. Just wanted to take a minute and recognize a few people: -Jill and Chris from IMBA who brought us all together. It was neat to see some amazing trail pictures and learn some good layout and construction tips. The scariest thing is that they sounded just like Bob......maybe he actually knows what he is talking about?? -Ranger Hyde for keeping up with all the food and room needs. Larry kept one step ahead of us and made sure that everything was ready. Ask him about his excavation next time you see him. -Ward and Mylinda for providing a place for the crew to stay. - Tarheel Trailblazers for there participation. I think they accounted for about half of the people at each event. We had about 35 people on Saturday and 20 on Sunday even with the relatively short notice and iffy weather. -And lastly, Joe Guerrero who made another $100 donation to the cause. Joe has done this several times and without us asking. It is nice to have a few dollars that we can use on snacks and small tools. If some of the other folks on the list can't make it out to work, this is another way to support the trail. Maybe think of it like the Beech Springs/Poplar Tent trail where you pay each time to ride. Add up the number of times you have used the Itusi Trail and drop by a donation. Just a thought. See ya Jeff Archer First Flight Bicycles 216 S. Center St. Statesville, NC 28677 704.878.9683 jeff@firstflightbikes.com www.firstflightbikes.com Always looking for vintage mountain bikes/parts/literature

01/21/2005

IMBA TCC Has Arrived! (From LANO) The IMBA TCC arrived Thurs afternoon. Today Fri 21 Jan will be a split day. Starting with a short classroom session at the Park Community Bldg and then a mechanized demo workout in PH III. A lunch break around noon at the Talley House restaurant in Troutman. Followed by a field trip down to Davidson's Fisher Farm trail project with host Mark Sullivan. Please try to come to the Dinner / IMBA picture show at the Park Community Bldg 6:30 pm. Dinner costs approx $8 ; please RSVP : larry.hyde@ncmail.net. Sat Jan 22 8:30 am will be the full on IMBA Trailbuilding School at the Park Community Bldg. Lunch is available for $5.00 please RSVP . Work will be in PH I during the afternoon. If weather permits will conduct a night ride . Sun Jan 23 8:30 we will work again till lunch. Please bring a lunch for this day. Weather permitting we will wind up with a ride. Unless the weather turns really Bad we will still be working this weekend! So don't let the forecast prevent you from giving this a shot. You will get a lot from the IMBA presentation and guidance. Every one should remember to thank Ranger Larry Hyde for all the work he put into this thing. See ya in the woods! Trail Boss bOb

01/11/2005

Charlotte Whitewater Park Update Here are the main points from the update from Jeff Wise of the Charlotte Whitewater Park: There will be no fees to mountain bike, hike or park. It is yet to be determined wether the HTF Park will need to be entirely closed at some time during construction. If there are enough trails unphased by construction and connectable we may have the opportunity to still hold events even if the park is officially closed. There are numerous trail opportunities along the Catawba River Cooridor. We will start seeing more heavy equipment out there immediately. The CWP plans to open in approximately 18 months with all aspects of the park complete, including mtb trails. Bart Stetler

01/10/2005

New Tool Trailer Put to Work! The Trailblazers were busy at Renaissance Park on Friday, Jan 7th and at Col. Francis J. Beatty Park on Sunday, Jan 9th. The shiny new black tool trailer got a little dirt on it, and it definitely made the chore of getting all the tools to where they were needed much easier! Improvements were made to the berms on the Short Track at Renaissance and to the muddy trail entrance to the tennis court side from the softball parking lot. We mainly moved dirt and gravel that were provided by the Parks to places that needed them. Four volunteers came out on short notice Friday afternoon and worked for about 3 hours. At Beatty Park, about 17 volunteers split up and worked on 4 different projects for about 3 hours. The gravel path through the new field trail was beefed up and packed down. The tricky approach to the first bridge on the new Valley Trail entrance was filled in with clay and rocks were laid to help fortify the transitions on the new bridges. On the other side of the park below the dam, gravel was laid in the low-lying areas to help with drainage during wet periods. Lastly, the approach to the bridge below the dam was stabilized and straightened out and the old fall-line drop-in from the dam to the "root ball" was closed off in favor of the new single track entrance. Many thanks to Laura Smith of the Dirt Divas for organizing this work day and to the many volunteers who gave of their spare time to help make the great Charlotte area mountain biking even better! Both Renaisance and Beatty Parks are in fine shape now, so get out a give them a couple of laps while the weather is still great! Frank Pietras Lead Trail Coordinator

01/03/2005

New Trailer and Blower! I am happy to say that the club just picked up a new trailer for hauling the quad and all the tools! Also a Stihl commercial blower that I tested out on the short track at Rennie yesterday. It works great. I plan to bring them to the meeting Thursday for all to see. Later, Frank P.

01/03/2005

January Trailblazer Meeting The January meeting of the Tarheel Trailblazers will be held Thursday, Jan. 6th at 7:30 pm at Jack's on 7th St. This month we will be planning a few workdays at a few different parks for the upcoming month. The riding has been great lately, but this is also prime trailwork weather with the cool days. Our trail coordinators have been busy planning new trails and improvements to our current trails. We hope to have details of the upcoming IMBA school at LNSP on the weekend of the Jan 23 - 24. Jeff Archer of First Flight Bikes will be keeping us posted. Come and check out the club's new work trailer! It will hold the club quad and all the trailworking tools and make them more readily available for trailwork days. Jeff Wise of Charlotte Whitewater will be on hand for an update on the whitewater park. We'll tell you more when you get there.... Happy new Year and we'll see you Thursday. The Trailblazers

12/23/2004

Happy Holidays I hope everyone has a great holiday season! The club has been wonderfully active this year. Thanks to everyone who helped with all of our projects and a special thanks to leaving president, Frank Pietras. He has been exceptionally active and a great inspiration to all of us. Let's keep our momentum going for the new president, Bart Stetler, in the new year. See y'all at the Jan. meeting! Mark Sullivan

12/20/2004

Meeting a Legend You know...it was just one of those normal Saturday mornings. Ed, Mike and I were working out a couple of turns at Fisher Farm trying to get them to flow right and then there was a light on the horizon. A glimmering light.......Naw, it wasn't like that. Barbara Riter, one of my fine trail crew, came walking from the field with her son, Mike Riter. No folks, I didn't stutter...THE Mike Riter, Trail Builder Extrodinaire. We sat and talked for a long time. He talked about some trails he's worked on down in Georgia and some of his experiences. We talked about the local MTB and trail scene, Fisher Farm, etc. He even went as far to help with some suggestions on our problem turns we working on. WOW! Mike's just a regular guy like the rest of us Trail Gnome's. It was a real treat to be able to just hang out and talk shop with him. And a real treat to have him come and see the trails, too. It was an experience We'll always remember. Mark Sullivan

12/17/2004

Fisher Farm Photos I’ve been getting many requests for pictures of Fisher Farm Park so here’s the moment y’all have been waiting for...

12/16/2004

Winter Short Track Series Charlotte Sports Cycling and the Dirt Divas are teaming to host the Sir Edmond Halley's Cup this January and February. The event is set to kick-off on January 15 on Renaissance Park's infamous short track mountain bike course. The winter short track series will once again consist of five race events, all held at Renaissance Park, RAIN or SHINE. Whether you are an experienced mountain biker looking to gain a little fitness in the winter or your giving mountain bike racing a shot for the first time, the short track event is a great place to race. The short course will introduce a relatively new style of racing to the Charlotte area.....short-track mountain bike racing on a 3/4 mile trail with banked turns. It will be a cross between a criterium, cyclo-cross, and single-track, super fast and great for spectators. Schedules, purse and other event info have been posted on www.charlottemtnbike.com Sir Edmond Halley's will be providing GREAT food at all five events. We haven't quite determined the menus for each event but I know they are bringing tasty menu items like their Wild Game Chile and Irish Guiness Stew. YUM! YUM! New for 2005, Thule and KONA have donated several really nice prizes that will be raffled at the party after the last event. Each time you register to race, your name will be put in hat for the raffle. If you race two races at all five events, your name will be put in the hat ten times. KONA has donated a 7005 Aluminum frame and Thule has donated a Super G and Big Mouth bike carrier. Other sponsors include Sir Edmond Halley's Freehouse and Restaurant, Thule, KONA, BikeSource, SouthPark Cycles, Bicycle Sport, Ultimate Bicycle, Bike Line, Bicycles East, Sun and Ski Sports, SockGuy, Clif Bar, Carolina SportsLink, Giordana, Source Burn, Easton Sports, Fox, Finish Line, Hawley, and more to come. The event will once again be sanctioned through USA Cycling, as will the summer series. Save money and register for your NORBA license online at www.usacycling.org Not only will you save money, but you will have medical coverage at the events. Registration for NORBA licensed Riders will be $12 and $17 for non NORBA Licensed Riders. $8 for NORBA Juniors, $13 for non licensed NORBA Juniors. Dirt Divas discount $5. Other upcoming events: 1/2/05 - Second Ride of the New Year with the Hickory Velo Club - http://www.hickoryveloclub.com/the_second_ride_of_the_new_year.htm 1/8/05 - Polar Bear Ride with Rocky River Road Club www.rockyriverroadclub.com 1/9/05 - Polar Bear Ride with Gaston County Cyclists http://www.gastoncountycyclists.com/annual_gcc_rides.htm 2/5/05 - Just Fresh-Clif Bar Winter Ride - www.charlottesportscycling.com Happy Holidays!! Neal Boyd Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc. 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com

12/10/2004

Trail Work Weekend Well everyone... It looks like the trail gnomes are going to be a little busy this weekend! We encourage everyone who is able and has the free time to come out and help. There are three projects on the docket for this weekend; Beatty, Itusi and Fisher Farm. That pretty much covers everything geographically from Statesville down to Fort Mill. Come on out and give these hard working individuals a helping hand and find out what all the fuss is about. I guarantee after a few hours of trail-work you will have a new-found respect for the trails the next time you ride. Plus, you'll probably meet some new riding buddies! Mark Sullivan

12/10/2004

Col Beatty Workday December 12, 2004, 10:00 AM Bring shovels, loppers and water. We will be building a trail across the field and laying down gravel to re-connect the main loop now that the construction clearing is finished. We will also be working on re-connecting the "Valley Trail" to the new loop with the addition of a creek crossing and swithback climb.

12/07/2004

Man of La Ruta Those of you that attended the December Trailblazer meeting met Rich Dillen, a local bike messanger...But Rich is so much more, as his journey in the world's toughest mountain bike race (aboard a single speed no less) proves...In his own words: After the finish line: I have four voices in my head that speak to me all day long simultaneously. They all sound like me, and they never stop. After the finish the analytical voice said “What was my finish time? How did I place?” The irresponsible voice shouted “Where’s the beer? Don’t tell me I rode that far and I ain’t drinking.” That is a common theme for the irresponsible voice. The third voice in my head just says “WOOHOO!” all the time. At the finish line it was no different. It’s been woohooing since the day I was born and it has never shut up. The fourth voice is quiet. The voice of reason is speechless. I was not sure what to do exactly so I walked out on the beach and cried. (For the entire journey, visit the link below)

12/07/2004

Garrett Wonders Memorial Fund For those of you that may have known him, Garrett Wonders was a rider on the SouthPark Cycles sponsored Carolina VW Team. He was an excellent cyclist and individual who was killed by a motorist while training for the US Olympic Cycling Trials which were held this past June. His wife Teri and close friends have started the Garrett Wonders Memorial Fund – Share the Road Campaign. SouthPark Cycles currently have magnetic Yellow Ribbons in his honor. The ribbons are $5 and all proceeds go to the fund. The proceeds from the fund will go to provide two annual scholarships for talented cyclists attending Ohio State University (Garrett graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics, magna cum laude and a Masters in Nuclear Engineering from OSU) and funding advocacy projects in safety education, signage, zoning and legislation. For more info either stop by the SouthPark shop or check out http://savagehillcycling.com/Apr04_index.asp

12/07/2004

New Park Offers Mountain Bike Trails The Herald-Sun November 25, 2004 10:37 am DURHAM -- Residents of Durham and Orange counties are about to enjoy a new park at half the usual price. That's because the new Little River Regional Park and Natural Area has land in both counties, straddling the county line. And since we're sharing the land, we're splitting the cost of this exciting new project. Opening Dec. 5, Little River is the first joint effort between the Durham and Orange County parks and recreation departments and only the second regional park in the state. At nearly 400 acres, it's much larger than most county parks -- roughly the size of a state park. Most exciting is that the park gives Durham and Orange residents the first public mountain bike trails in either county. "This is a huge benefit to Durham and Orange residents," says Lori Taft, recreation and parks management director for Orange County. Fifteen miles of trails are planned for horseback riders, hikers and mountain bikers. The more than 6 miles of singletrack opening in December were designed and built by volunteers with the Durham Orange Mountain Bike Organization (DOMBO). Taft says that of all the groups that have volunteered time to get the park ready, none has worked as tirelessly as DOMBO. DOMBO carefully and thoughtfully divided the singletrack into two loops: one more challenging than the other. Singletrack, the gourmet of mountain bike trails, is a thin strip of trail winding through the woods. It gets its name from its width; it's just wide enough for one bike at a time. The beginner loop introduces novices to riding over roots, rocks and bridges. Cross-country connoisseurs will love the more advanced loop, which has some of the most challenging climbs, rock gardens and log crossings in the Triangle area. The significance of opening singletrack at Little River is that Durham and Orange county governments join the Wake County and the state parks departments in recognizing the demand for public places to mountain bike. Opening day celebrations kick off at 2 p.m., with a group ride on the beginner loop. The park's main entrance is about 12 miles north of downtown Durham on Guess Road. Look for signs just inside Orange County. None of this could have happened without the help of the Triangle Land Conservancy, Eno River Association and trail-building grants from the state government. Special thanks go to George Newton, who originally donated the land for preservation. Looking forward to opening day, Taft says, "I hope to continue to work with DOMBO."

12/04/2004

Beatty Park Workday Report Thanks to the efforts of about 30 generous volunteers on Sunday, Dec. 12th, Beatty Park is now back in full swing as a complete loop, including a new connection to the Valley Trail. About 1/4 mile of trail was built on Sunday, plus about 1/8 of a mile which was made ready prior to the workday. Special thanks go out to Super Dave B. and Trail Coordinator Doug S. for doing at least 20+ hours of prep work to get the corridor cleared and bridges built prior to the big workday. Special thanks also go out to Jon W. for making his "bobcat" and mini-excavator available to the club. Thanks to the machinery and Jon's expertise in drainage control, the washed out pipe area below the neighborhood is now fixed (again) and able to handle a large volume of storm runoff without washing out. The bobcat made the loading of gravel into the quad's trailer MUCH easier on the backs of the volunteers. The gravel was provided by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department and for that we are very appreciative. So go out and enjoy Col. Francis J. Beatty Park again as a 5+ mile loop and thank a volunteer the next time you see them! Frank Pietras Tarheel Trailblazers Workday Photos Here

12/04/2004

IMBA Singletrack Update - December 2004 (Paraphrased from the IMBA Singletrack Update) Here in the Rocky Mountains winter has arrived, with sub-freezing temperatures and enough snow that local mountain bikers have stored the bikes for a few weeks in favor of cross country skis. Meanwhile, in the southern U.S. and other parts of the world, this is the best time to hit the trails. At IMBA things are as busy as ever, as many of our affiliated clubs do much of their advocacy and trailwork in the winter when it doesn't conflict with prime riding season. In this issue of the IMBA Singletrack Update, we'll let you know about some key happenings in the mountain bike advocacy and trailbuilding world. If you don't want to receive this update, and would like to be removed from IMBA's email list, simply email membership@imba.com with a subject line REMOVE. Happy Holidays, The IMBA Team ----- NEW TRAILS NEAR YOU LITTLE RIVER TRAILS - DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA The brand new Little River Trail near Durham, N.C. is opening this Sunday, Dec. 5 and you're invited to be one of the first to ride it! The trail, located in the Little River Regional Park, approximately 12 miles north of Durham, is only for mountain bikes. The Durham Orange Mountain Bike Organization (DOMBO) meticulously built this 6.5-mile singletrack to IMBA guidelines during the past two years. "This is the first trail in the area designed from the ground up as a sustainable trail," said DOMBO trail construction coordinator Stewart Bryan. The trail features rolling singletrack for intermediate riders, and tighter, more technical sections for advanced cyclists. More info: http://www.dombo-nc.org CENTRAL PARK FREERIDE AREA - FORSYTH, GEORGIA This trail isn't completed yet, but we're so stoked about it we decided to include it anyhow. Using info from the IMBA Freeride Guide, the Roswell Alpharetta Mountain Bike Organization (try saying that ten times fast) - or RAMBO as they are more commonly known - put together a stellar proposal for a new freeride park. "We have the unique opportunity to build and maintain the first true freeride area in the state of Georgia that is in partnership with the land owner," said club president Bob Grieco. Construction on the park is taking place throughout the winter. Get involved at: http://www.rambo-mtb.org And just for fun… RAY'S INDOOR MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK - CLEVELAND, OHIO Could indoor mountain biking be the next big thing? If the popularity of indoor rock climbing and skateboarding is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park, brainchild of Cleveland mountain biker Ray Petro, is built inside a 66,000 square foot warehouse. The park offers plenty of stunts, jumps and ladder bridges to freeriders. It also has beginner and intermediate trails for cross-country riders to get in a few miles of riding during the ice-cold Cleveland winters. The park has a cool vibe, with music playing, pine trees painted on the walls and seats made of stumps. The park opened for use at the end of November, following a grassroots construction effort by mountain bike enthusiasts thoughout the Cleveland area. More info: http://www.raysmtb.com

12/01/2004

New Forums Added! Two new forums have been added: "They Only Come Out At Night" will be devoted to all aspects of night riding. Post your upcoming rides, questions about how to get started with lighting and anything else pertaining to stepping over to the dark side. "Gear" will be dedicated to just that: equipment, the new, the old, the good, and the bad. Tell us what pieces work for you and what just plain out sucks! Thanks for your use of our forums. Let us know if there is a topic that you would like to see added!

12/01/2004

December Meeting Agenda Trailblazers Agenda December 2, 2004 1) Welcome 2) Old Business 3) November Minutes 4) Treasurers Report 5) Catawba / Whitewater Park – Bart/Frankie 6) Mt. Holly 7) Trail Maintenance A) Francis Beatty - Doug B) Renaissance - Pel C) Lake Norman - bOb D) North Meck - Tom E) Fisher Farm - Mark F) Elon - Frankie G) Poplar Tent – Jerry H) Other - Jerry 8) Website 9) Membership 10) Dirt Divas 11) Duathlon and Winter Race Series – Neal 12) Grants 13) Shops 14) Happy Holidays! Let’s Party!

11/30/2004

Turn and Burn Off-Road Duathlon Burn off those extra pounds you picked up over Thanksgiving at the Turn and Burn Off-Road Duathlon this Saturday, December 4th. Great event for people of all abilities. The event is being held at Renaissance Park in Charlotte, NC. Just minutes off both I-77 or I-85. New for 2004, we have added a team competition to the mix. Find the fastest runner or mountain biker around and put together a team. Come on out and give it a shot. If you need a teammate, send your email address and it will be posted on the event website at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/teammates.htm Each event will consist of a 5k trail run, then hop on the mountain bike for a 10k mountain bike, with another short 3k trail run to the finish. The trails at Renaissance Park are in great shape and ready to race. Course maps are available at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/treadshedmap.pdf Registration for the event is now available online with www.active.com or you can mail in a registration by downloading the form on http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/Registration.htm Online Registration for the Turn and Burn on December 4 is available at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1177185 All participants will receive a hip new Turn and Burn T-shirt, well, while supplies last. We will once again be giving out sweet plates, with the insignia of the event engraved on the plate, to the top participants in each category. http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/awards.htm . Top male and female runners will receive a pair of new Saucony running shoes. RAFFLE PRIZES: We have over $1,000 worth of prizes from FOX Racing and tons of other prizes from SockGuy, Saucony, Clif Bar, SouthPark Cycles and BikeSource. Prizes will be raffled among ALL participants. Just in case you get hungry after the event, this Saturday we will make a big batch of homemade vegetable soup for all participants. Coming this January: Sir Edmond Halley's Cup presented by the Dirt Divas Back by popular demand, the winter short-track series. Five short-track mountain bike races at the super exciting short-track mountain bike course of Renaissance Park. First event is set to kick off on January 15. Tons of great prizes and food will be available, not to mention the excitement of short-track racing. Info will be posted on www.charlottemtnbike.com Please help spread the word about this exciting event. Hope to see you at the races. Neal

11/29/2004

Riders Wanted for Video Have you always wanted to be on film? This Saturday, if it is not raining, we will be filming for a video for the Tarheel Trailblazers. You do not have to possess any particular riding skills. We are trying to show how diverse mountain bikers are. Whether you’re a kid, soccer mom or hard core racer, if you ride a mountain bike we need you in our video. Please meet at Renaissance Park at 11:00am Saturday December 4th at the softball field parking lot. Please look for Michael “Dolby” Lee who will be doing the filming. The video will be used to make the mountain bike trails a more permanent fixture within our parks. For a preview of what the video will resemble please check out: http://www.southerndiscomfort.net/videos/FisherFarmPark.wmv

11/29/2004

The Trailblazers Holiday Social The December meeting of the Tarheel Trailblazers at Jack's on 7th St. will also be our Holiday social! So come on out this Thursday, Dec. 2nd at 7:00 pm. We promise to keep the agenda short so we can spend more time celebrating the season! There will be appetizers provided by the Trailblazers starting about 7:00 and the meeting will start around 7:30 pm. Bring your significant other or a ridding buddy and join us for some food and fun! We look forward to seeing you there! Happy Holidays from The Trailblazers!

11/29/2004

2004 Saucony Duathalon Series at Renaissance Park Saturday November 20 was the first event of the 2-Race 2004 Saucony Duathalon Series at Renaissance Park. The races start with a 5K run (~3 miles), followed by a 10K bike (~6 miles), and finish with a 3K run (~2 miles). A new option was introduced this year - the team competition. You can still do it all yourself, but this year you can also ..... click below to read more.

11/28/2004

Moving Bridges (And Trail) at North Meck What an accomplishment! Last Saturday, 10 Trailblazers and 2 Dirt Divas gathered at North Meck Park to work on an ongoing safety issue: A bridge, constructed last March was in danger of collapse due to a sink hole forming around it.

11/22/2004

N. Meck Trail Daze... We're planning on finishing up the trail re-route around the "new" bridge this Sat and Sun, 11/27 and 11/28...Planning on getting started at 9:00 am on both days (if necessary)...Corridors have been cleared, and the approach is basically ready for grooming and stump hole filling...The exit portion is going to require additional work with brush clearing... We will be disassembling the bridge and moving it to it's new location...This is going to require a little "Braun" so if you can't be around for any other time, a bridge moving team would be appreciated...We will be installing three trestles on Sat to support the bridge, which we hope to move on Sunday... Please let us know if you will be willing and able to assist on one or both days... Thanks -tom

11/21/2004

Itusi Night Rides and Trail Construction Hey guys We finally had our first night ride at the Itusi Trail last Tuesday. It really is a fantastic trail at night and as a bonus we rode one lap backwards which changes it even more. The night rides will be the first and third Tuesdays through the end of the year and then the schedule may change going into January. The night rides are a benefit of volunteering at the trail and it is the only time that we are allowed to ride the trail at night. Phase III construction has begun. This is an very nice chunk of woods that we are working in right now. Bob has done a great job of laying it out, you can already feel the "flow" of the trail. We work every Saturday and Sunday starting at about 8:30. We are now parking off of St. Johns Road now. Just follow the park road past the trail parking lot and St. Johns road will be on your right. You will pass through a park gate right after you turn and just as you are losing sight of the gate in your rear-view mirror there will be a gate on your right. It leads to an old homestead area where we can park. If it has rained too much, we will park outside the gate. Now for the plea: there has only been 2-3 people each day at the trail. It will take 3 years to complete this phase with that many people. We really need to get a few more of you guys out there. This is the most fun part of construction. You really get a sense of accomplishment when you are clearing the corridor. I know everyone is busy (as are the folks who have been working) but we need to get some more help. Even if you just set aside your ride time once a month, it would be a great help. We can make sure you get a workout to replace the ride!! Last Sunday as I entered the park, there were 2 cars leaving the park with bikes on the roofs. The trail was closed and they were already at the trail, but still didn't help. I just don't understand. Bob went to the trail head last weekend to try and talk to riders but said he pulled into the parking lot and couldn't even get out of the truck. It is extraordinarily discouraging for the regular volunteers to not see any new faces. See ya in the woods Jeff Archer First Flight Bicycles 216 S. Center St. Statesville, NC 28677 704.878.9683 jeff@firstflightbikes.com www.firstflightbikes.com Always looking for vintage mountain bikes/parts/literature

11/15/2004

Weekend update at Fisher Farm Park Well...we had another successful weekend of trail work at Fisher Farm Park. With a total of 10 people on Sunday we were able to completely finish corridor clearing and actually begin grubbing the entrance loop. Thanks go to all who showed up and helped this weekend. We plan on another couple of weekends to finish grubbing. Then will begin the long task of grooming the trail, filling in holes and armoring sections of the trail. Please feel free to come join us this coming weekend. -- Mark S. Sullivan Trail Coordinator Fisher Farm Park

11/12/2004

Riding at the Business Parks As the weather turns colder and the nights are darker more people turn to business parks to ride with a group. Please remember some basic rules so we can continue to enjoy these privileges: *Business parks are not always public property- we can get kicked out. *Park in designated areas only. *Be very discrete when changing clothes. *If dropped from the pack, please move to the opposite side of the road before rejoining the group at the BACK. *Please do not throw bottles or trash on the road. *Call out obstacles and cars (front and back) for safety. *Be courteous to other riders. (Thanks Ilan)

11/11/2004

3rd Annual Saucony Off-Road Duathlon Series Two great events you don’t want to miss, the 3rd Annual Saucony Off-Road Duathlons in Charlotte, NC. The Off-Road Duathlons are set to kick off with the Tread and Shred on November 20 and the Turn and Burn to follow on December 4. Both duathlon events will be held at Renaissance Park. New for 2004, we have added a team competition to the mix. No more excuses like “I don’t like to run” or “I don’t have a mountain bike”. Come on out and give it a shot. If you need a teammate, send your email address and it will be posted on the event website at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/teammates.htm Also, SouthPark Cycles has rental mountain bikes, check out www.southparkcycles.com Each event will consist of a 5k trail run, then hop on the mountain bike for a 10k mountain bike spin, with another short 3k trail run to the finish. The trails at Renaissance Park are in great shape and ready to race. Course maps are available at http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/treadshedmap.pdf Registration for the both events is now available online with www.active.com or you can mail in a registration by downloading the form on http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/Registration.htm Online Registration for the Tread and Shred on November 20 is available at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1177181 Online Registration for the Turn and Burn on December 4 is available at http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1177185 We will once again be giving out sweet plates with the logo of each event engraved in the plate. http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/Biathlon/awards.htm We will also have tons of raffle prizes available to all participants. Top male and female runners will receive a pair of new Saucony shoes. Other upcoming exciting events in the area: 7th Annual Rocky River Polar Bear Metric Century January 8th, 2005, Davidson, NC For more info, check out www.rockyriverroadclub.com Hope to see you at the rides and races. Neal

11/08/2004

Weekly Night Ride Scheduled at Poplar Tent Lack of daylight got ya down? A weekly night ride at Poplar Tent starts this Thursday - 11/11/04. Come test your skills on one of the areas most technical courses at night. Bike Line of Charlotte will sponsor the ride, paying the fee for the first 15 riders who sign the waiver held by Jerry Adams, or designated ride leader between 5:30 and 6:00. The ride starts at 6:00. All skill levels are welcome. The ride is approximately 10.6 miles long, so you will need at least 1.5 hours of battery life for your lights. Any questions, call Bike Line at 704-549-8804 or post questions on the forum. This is a ride and not a race, there will be designated sweeper bringing up the rear. We will leave no rider behind.

11/08/2004

And Now a Word From Our New President... It was the passing of the torch at the THTB meeting at Jacks on 7th Street last Thursday night when a new board was voted into office. For those of you that didn’t attend the meeting, I will be the fearless leader of the Tarheel Trailblazers for the next year. My immediate board will be Ben Rhoades as VP, Nikki Boyce as Secretary, and Frank Pietras as Treasurer. I would like to thank the departing board for all if its efforts the past 2 years (Tom Waldron-Sec, Brian Katzemmeyer-Tres, Frank Pietras- Pres). We currently have the largest active group of members and this is definitely due to the leadership of the previous board. My intentions are simple: protect the integrity of the trails we currently have and grow the trail system in Charlotte and its surrounding regions. This is not a simple task. None of our trails within the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recs are permanent fixtures like the softball and soccer fields and currently can be replaced by any amenity that will be paid for by the private sector. This must change. Our trails are an amenity and a tourist attraction and are expensive to build and maintain. Our perspective new trails for 2005 looks great (Mt Holly, Fisher Farm and Elon Homes). Ironically, I don’t believe any of them are actually located in Charlotte. I personally have great expectations for the THTB next year. However, we need everyone’s help. If you truly care about cycling in our area you will get involved! Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. -Bart Stetler

11/08/2004

Temporary Itusi Closings Sections of the Itusi trail will be closed due to tree felling operations on Tuesday, Nov 9. Please look for signs showing which sections are closed. LANO Park Staff

11/04/2004

November Meeting Agenda Trailblazers Agenda November 4, 2004 1) Welcome 2) Old Business 3) October Minutes 4) Treasurers Report 5) PR Committee Report 6) Spanker Recap – Participants, Volunteers, $’s? 7) Catawba / Whitewater Park - Frankie 8) Mt. Holly 9) Harrisburg 10) Trail Maintenance A) Francis Beatty - Doug B) Renaissance - Pel C) Lake Norman - bOb D) North Meck - Tom E) Fisher Farm - Mark F) Elon - Frankie G) Poplar Tent – Jerry H) Springs - ? 11) Election of Officers for 2005 – 2006 In Nomination: Bart Stetler - President Ben Rhodes – Vice President Nikki Boyce – Secretary Frankie Pietras – Treasurer Additional Nominations: 12) Website 13) Membership - Dan 14) Dirt Divas 15) Duathlon, Winter Race Series – Neal 17) Grants 18) Shops

11/04/2004

Election of Officers for 2005 – 2006 Election of new Executive Board officers for 2005 – 2006 will take place tonight at the November meeting of the Trailblazers. The following names have been placed in nomination for Executive Board positions following guidelines set forth in the Trailblazers Charter: President – Bart Stetler Vice President – Ben Rhodes Secretary – Nikki Boyce Treasurer – Frankie Pietras Additional nominations will be taken from the floor prior to the election. A simple majority of the attending members will confirm the positions. Special thanks to all the outgoing Executive Officers (Frankie Pietras – Pres; Bart Stetler – V. Pres; Tom Waldron – Secretary; and Brian Katzenmayer – Treasurer) who have served us well over the past year(s). Their contributions have made the club what it is today!

10/28/2004

Fisher Farm Park Training Hello everyone. Well...the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived. I have been given the "Green Light" to start the trail at Fisher Farm Park. In preperation I'm inviting anyone who has had little or no experience in trail construction, to meet at Lake Norman State Park on Sun. to help with the start of Phase III of the Itusi trail. This will be a great opportunity to get training in the "Art of Trailbuilding". Where to meet: Follow the park road past the trail parking lot to St. Johns road, take a right and look for the first gated dirt road on the right. When: Meet there at 8:30 am. Directions: I-77 N to exit 36. Turn left at exit. This is Hwy 150. Follow 150 West until you reach Perth Rd. Turn right at Perth rd. Follow Perth until you see State Park Rd. on the left. Turn left and follow road into the park. What to bring and wear: Bring water and maybe a snack. Wear long pants, bboots and wear layers. (Trust me, you'll be taking your jacket off after 20-30 mins.) Also bring a pair of gloves to protect your hands. And last but not least, bring your enthusiasm and excitement. You will definately think differently about the trails after doing some work on them. So have fun! If anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me. Also if you live in the Mooresville/Davidson area and you want to car pool, let me know. Sincerely, Mark S. Sullivan Trail Coordinator Fisher Farm Park

10/27/2004

Night Riding and Itusi Phase III Calling all Volunteers: Hey everybody! It is getting to be that time of year again. The trail corridor for Phase III has been approved and it is time to commence construction. We will start on Saturday October 30th and work each Saturday and Sunday thereafter. We will meet at about 8:30 but volunteers can come when it is convenient. We will generally work until about 2:00 (unless your name is Bob and then you are required to put in your full 8 hour shift!). This section should be at least 5-6 miles and will be through some very scenic areas. The trail will connect from the Phase I trail where it crosses the park road on the way back to the parking lot. We will hang a right over the car bridge and another right into the woods. To keep from having to walk so far, and to keep errant riders from using the trail prematurely, we will be starting onthe far end of the trail first. Just follow the park road past the trail parking lot to St. Johns road, take a right and look for the first gated dirt road on the right. The gate will have a combination lock. Please get up with Bob Karriker or Ranger Hyde for access. We will be parking there and beginning construction on that side of the trail. As a bonus for all the volunteers, we will begin a regular schedule of night rides at the Itusi Trail. Here are the particulars: -We will begin Tuesday, November 2 and ontinue to ride the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month. -The rides will be for volunteers only. This is one of the benefits for volunteering. If you haven't worked yet, now you have another reason. -You must have a light, of at least 4 watts, and a helmet. -We will meet at the trail head NO LATER THAN 6:30, do not come late. The ride will be tightly regulated and you will have to sign in and out. This is something that the park staff is doing for us voluntarily and we need to make it as easy as possible on them. The park gate locks at 6 P.M.; please try to arrive by that time. If you are unable to, a Ranger will check the gate for late arrivers around 6:30. Anyone arriving after that time will not be allowed to ride. All riders must begin and end the ride together. If a rider needs to leave for an emergency they msut contact the Park Ranger to leave the park. If the trail has been closed during the day, there will be no ride. Ranger Hyde has mentioned using these days as a possible time to learn CPR and other skills that may be useful out on the trail, especially if we begin Mountain Bike Patrol. Let's try to make the as simple as possible. The rangers are taking time out of their hectic schedules to do this for us. Please use common sense and courtesy when taking advantage of the opportunity provided for us. And lastly, this does not give us a right to ride the trail at night at any other time. Night riding will only be available at the scheduled times. Thanks and hope to see you out on the trail. Jeff Archer First Flight Bicycles 216 S. Center St. Statesville, NC 28677 704.878.9683 jeff@firstflightbikes.com www.firstflightbikes.com

10/24/2004

Southside Spanker: 1st Year is a Success! Approximately 115 riders participated in the 1st annual Southside Spanker, on Saturday October 23. A fundraiser for the Tarheel Trailblazers, the ride originated at 521 District Park (formerly Elon Children’s Home). Riders chose one of three routes: 15, 30 or 60 mile rides through the countryside of Waxhaw and Union County. The scenic ride was well received by all riders, and next years ride promises to be bigger and better. The funds raised will go toward the purchase of additional trail tools and equipment to build, maintain, and expand the Trailblazers network of trails in the Metro Charlotte area. Mountain bike trails are on the master plan for District Park 521, and with the future trail construction to commence soon in the Mount Holly and Davidson, and Harrisburg areas, the additional funds raised are vital to the success of these future trails. As always, a special thanks to all the volunteers gave unselfishly to the success of the ride, especially Neal Boyd, who promoted and organized the event, Doug Satterwhite, who laid out the route (s) and to Bruce and Lola’s for supplying a bounty of BBQ for the finishing riders. Photos at: Southside Spanker

10/21/2004

Rate Your Riding for the 2004 IMBA Report Card Voting is Open Get out and vote...for the IMBA Report Card, that is. IMBA is asking mountain bikers everywhere to get into the spirit of this election year, visit imba.com and rate your state or region for the 2004 IMBA Report Card. The Report Card provides an annual analysis of mountain bike access and advocacy progress for U.S. states, Canadian provinces and other countries. In addition to a letter grade - A, B, C, D or F - each area's singletrack riding opportunities and threats are summarized. Grades are based on a number of factors: singletrack access, land manager relationships, partnerships with other trail user groups and the long-term outlook for mountain biking. "It really helps us to have mountain bikers everywhere participate in the IMBA Report Card grading process," said IMBA advocacy manager Dan Vardamis. "It gives us a great perspective about places that are doing well, and helps us focus energy on locales that need help. Plus, it's fun to see how your area does versus the rest of the world." This is the fifth year of the IMBA Report Card. Arizona and British Columbia earned the top marks in the 2003 Report Card, both receiving A-grades. Arizona earned its mark with a cool statewide trail network, success in urban areas and the re-opening of Saguaro National Park to mountain bikers. British Columbia boasted outstanding freeriding, abundant trails and exceptional mountain biking clubs and culture. Online voting is combined with input from IMBA staff, reps and local club leaders to determine final grades. Mountain bikers are invited to grade their home area on IMBA's website during October. At the end of the polling period, IMBA will tally the results and provide a detailed analysis in a special edition of IMBA Trail News. For More Info go: IMBA Report Card

10/21/2004

Dirt Diva Racing 2004 Season Recap What a year it’s been for Dirt Divas’ racing! Winter 2004 brought a new form of racing to Charlotte – Short Track Racing – and brought several new Divas into the racing fold. While the Wheelie Wild short-track races at Renaissance Park were mostly wet and cold, the laid-back atmosphere and fast course were a great introduction to racing for many Charlotte-area women (the free beer didn’t hurt, either). The Divas toughed it out for five weeks on the all-weather track in the bone-chilling rain, mud and SNOW. Several first-time racers came out and proved to be strong competition. This early racing strength would take them full-speed-ahead into the summer racing season. View the full article!

10/20/2004

Congress Honors Mountain Biking In an effort to get kids more active and help fight childhood obesity, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a resolution officially declaring "National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day." The legislation is in memory of Jack Doub, a teenage mountain biker from North Carolina. Promoted by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day encourages adults and cycling clubs to introduce kids to the sport of mountain biking. The day is scheduled for the first Saturday of October each year. The House adopted House Concurrent Resolution 480 by unanimous consent on Oct. 5, 2004, just three days after IMBA celebrated the first annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. Thousands of kids participated in more than 100 events nationwide and in several other countries. Congressman Richard Burr of North Carolina introduced the resolution and Mark Udall of Colorado was a cosponsor. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Co-Chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus, and Joe Barton of Texas both made speeches in support of the resolution. The legislation marks one of the few times the sport of mountain biking has received attention from the U.S. Congress. "We're thrilled that Congress has stepped up to recognize mountain biking and kids," said IMBA communications director Pete Webber. "This will give Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day a huge boost. Mark your calendar now for Oct. 1, 2005." According to the U.S. Surgeon General, childhood obesity in the U.S. has reached an all-time high and today's youth are less active than ever before. IMBA believes mountain biking builds self-confidence and offers kids and adults an adrenaline-packed adventure while giving them an effective workout. "Jack Doub saw the need for kids to get off the couch, get outside, and get some exercise. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation," said Congressman Burr. Visit http://www.imba.com/resources/kids/resolution480.html to read the text of the legislation as well as the speeches of Congressmen Burr, Udall,Barton and Blumenauer. IMBA's National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day is supported by the Jack Doub Memorial Endowment, Schwinn Bicycles and the Goldsmith-Greenfield Foundation. For more information about National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day and local events, please visit: http://www.imba.com/resources/kids/index.html

10/20/2004

Fall Southside Spanker this Saturday the 23rd Looks like we are going to have beautiful weather this Saturday, the 23rd, for the Fall Southside Spanker. The Fall Southside Spanker is a supported road ride designed to raise money for local trail building in the Charlotte area. Currently, the club maintains approximately 30 miles of trails in the area. The club is also in the process of breaking ground on new trails in Davidson and Harrisburg and in the process of getting access to 500 plus acres of land near Mountain Island Lake. Please help spread the word. Here's the detail for the event: Start Time: 9:00AM Registration will open at 8:00AM Start location: Meck County Park 521 (formerly Elon Homes for Children) at 11401 Audrey Kell Rd Just off Hwy 521 Routes: 15, 32, or 62 mile options. All routes with be marked with paint and arrows/stakes. 32 and 62 mile routes supported with sag wagons and rest stops. After the ride: BBQ and all the fixins provided by Lolas Restaurant All of this, for only $15??.you can?t beat it. For route maps, directions, and all other pertinent info, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com Cheers Neal Other Upcoming Events October 23 - Stive Vermaut Memorial Ride - High Point - 8:30AM Ride starts at the Fitness Center October 24 - First Event of the NC Cyclo-Cross Season in Winston-Salem - www.nccyclocross.net November 6 - Big Stampede Bike Expo - www.bigstampede.com November 20 Tread and Shred Off-Road Duathlon - www.charlottemtnbike.com December 4 - Turn and Burn Off-Road Duathlon - www.charlottemtnbike.com January - 2nd Annual Wheelie Wild Winter Race Series - www.charlottemtnbike.com

10/20/2004

Huffy files for Bankruptcy Huffy Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday, as the 76-year-old bicycle and sporting goods company struggles with mounting losses and a heavy debt load. Huffy has total liabilities of $161.2 million and assets of $138.7 million, the company said in a bankruptcy filing. In its long-delayed first-quarter results, released in August, Huffy said that it expected to post a loss of $70 million to $72 million, including $53 million in noncash charges. The company said it plans to focus on bicycles and golf equipment after it restructures. Earlier this year, Russell Corp. bought the company's Huffy Sports unit, which makes basketball equipment, for $30 million. Huffy also sold its retail services unit. In April, Huffy hired New York-based investment company Lazard Freres & Co. as an adviser, with the possibility of being put up for sale. Huffy, which makes its namesake bicycles and Tommy Armour golf equipment, filed its case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio. Subject to court approval, it has received a commitment for $50 million in debtor-in-possession financing from Congress Financial Corp., the company said. Suppliers have agreed to ship the company's products for the holiday season, Huffy said, adding that it can meet its commitments for the season and through 2005. Citing the major factors in its decision to seek protection of the Bankruptcy Court, Huffy noted liquidity issues, significant operating losses associated with portions of its former Canadian operations, increasing public company costs, and mounting legacy costs associated with discontinued operations dating back to the 1950s. The company did not give details of these items in a news release and a spokesman could not be reached to comment.

10/19/2004

Reality Check Part II What I really wanted to touch on was something that I’ve seen in other lengthy discussions here and in other forums and trailside talk over the last couple of years. We all need to remember that when we ride, we are invited guests on that land. Every trail, be it a Lake Norman, Poplar Tent, Anne Springs, Ren Park, Tsali, Pisgah, public or private land, has a landowner and a land use manager. Those people have their own missions and marching orders, and they have their reasons for doing what they do. They take on a lot of risk when they let bikes on their land and some have more tolerance than others or have tighter limits they have to work within. In Charlotte, the ‘Blazers and anyone riding certain trails ride and work as guests of the Meck. Parks Dept. We’ve been very lucky because they’re very tolerant. However, they literally have the right to kick us off those trails with minimal notice and for no reason. I wasn’t here at the beginning, but years ago some dedicated people did a lot of work to get us onto that land and to put in trails. We’ve learned a lot about trail building and access rights over the years, and several clubs and groups have sprouted out of all this. In addition to what you see in the dirt, there is so much going on behind the scenes, from meetings to politics to P.R. blitzes, grants and visits, etc, even some angry exchanges at times. But so far we’ve held on and been able to keep trails where Walmarts or condos might otherwise be. OK, so they want some beginner trails to keep things even, but we add some things where it works so we can keep challenges out there (a berm or rock pile here, or a nice log jump there, and that new bridge at Ren is way cool, I’m gonna break my bike getting air off of that, I just know it….). Maybe they want a trail reroute or a bridge, or some armoring on the trail to prevent erosion or damage to natural resources, or to get away from boundaries or easements. OK, but we manage to find a way to snake some more mileage in there and pick up good terrain where we can. Maybe they decide they don’t have the tolerance for free ride or other technical features, so a lot of work at Catawba gets lost (yes, the ‘Blazers were trying to get that going out there). So, we lighten up where we have to and add what we can somewhere else. Sure, I don’t like that freakin’ root over there in the curve because I can’t ever seem to get over it, but I’m not going to cut it out just for my gain because then 100 other people would lose something. You might not like that fast, flat stretch up around the corner because it doesn’t have a higher element of danger, but you’re not going to dig a ten foot drop in there just for your gain. Now, try to balance all of this stuff, at one time, in one trail that might only be three miles long!! Think we can always get it right? We try, but…. Yeah, we’re gonna lose out now and then to a softball field or dirt road, but we also get to make new trails and be in on new parks (Davidson and Mt. Holly to name a couple), and this whole balancing act starts all over. Can we work with a Whitewater Park? Yeah, probably a whole lot easier than a “distribution center truck terminal” or runway. And you know what? It’s a whole lotta fun out there on that bike, and someday I’m gonna get over that log and be pumped up for days, and someday you’re gonna win that race because you had that flat spot to finally get around your arch rival. I’m just grateful there’s a trail for that log to sit on and that flat spot to exist, and I’m going to keep doing my part to keep it that way. Well, now the pop tart is cold and I saw the scores from last night. See you all out there, PB

10/19/2004

Reality Check Part 1 G’day all. Don’t know who some of you are by your web/e-mail names, Paul Bellin checking in here. My post on all of this is longer than others (not as colorful though), but those of you who know me well know that it takes a lot to make me want to jump in and add anything to these exchanges. There were some things I really felt strongly about, and my main point is further down, but work with me while we get there because it’ll help cover some ground. I read this string this morning about the roots at Rennie (great name for a race), and I wanted to thank everyone for asking questions and sharing input, ideas, suggestions and what not. Dialogue is always, always a good thing, that’s what this is all for. I learn something every time one of these gets going. I’m always impressed by the passion that so many people, of all skill levels and whatnot, have for the trails and riding here. I usually just stay out of these things and let them die off naturally, and on the rare occasion when I do jump in, seems like it just (unintentionally) inflames someone else. I know how easy it is to let passions take control when you jump into something that’s near and dear to you. But, there were things here I really felt compelled to touch on. At the end I’ll probably wish I’d just taken another bite of the pop tart and moved on to the sports page to see who won last night (anyone wanna start a forum about the Yankees vs Red Sox? Whew, now THAT would be fire). So, first of all, thanks again for being into what we have here and caring enough to speak up. I talk to lots of out-of-town people at all the races and events and you wouldn’t believe how jealous folks are of what we have for trails and a biking community. Just ask anyone from Atltanta…And many thanks to everyone who does trail work, at any trail, at any time. You don’t have to be a member of a club or group to do that, and I’ll never criticize anyone who takes the initiative to pick up a shovel. One thing I’ve learned, based on years of organized AND pirate trail work, is that sometimes it helps to check in with the trail manager if you’re contemplating something major because it might already be in the works or part of another future project, or there might be a reason why it isn’t getting done already (more on that below). I know I should leave this part to the trained arborists who are also highly skilled racers, but the “roots” we’re talking about were really more like weeds that grow horizontal instead of up. We’re talking about a 20 foot section on the new field trail as you head toward Tyvola, where the only other trail feature to worry about is the rabbits that loiter there. The biggest of those was maybe ¼ inch around (the roots, not the rabbits), and an added benefit is that it’ll help kill off some of the jungle that grows over that part of the trail. I spend a lot of time cutting that thorny mess back and I’m tired of scratches and poison ivy, but it’s still better than dousing it with chemicals. Unless you like being raked by thorns, in which case we can probably open up a stretch for that. These aren’t the big tree roots that add some challenge to the trail, like the evil one that keeps doinking me off into a tree (and I saw that ride-around there now, but I’m inclined to keep trying). Continue to part II

10/19/2004

Southside Spanker Volunteers Needed! The Tarheel Trailblazers are looking for club members to help out this weekend at the Fall Southside Spanker. The Fall Southside Spanker is a fundraiser for the club. We need a couple of people for registration, six people for rest stop volunteers and a four to six people to sag behind the riders. Sag support people must be able to do minor repairs on bikes and be able to carry participants and their bikes back to the starting location. We will also need a couple of people to hang out the start to help serve food after the event. Registration will open at 8:00pm, so we will need registration volunteers at the start at 7:30AM. Registration is very easy. All you have to do is basically take their money and make sure they have filled out their release form correctly. All other volunteers need to be at the start by 8:00AM. If you can help out at the ride and one of these volunteer task is of interest, please email event coordinator Neal Boyd at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com Also don't forget to invite all of your friends to the event. It looks like the weather is going to be beautiful this weekend. If everyone in the club invites two friends and they show up at the event, we will have over 600 people at the ride. For detailed info on the event, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com Please come out and support the club. We have several major projects on the agenda for this winter and we need to raise money to support the projects. Cheers Neal

10/15/2004

Final Race of the Clt Mtn. Bike Series The weather is going to incredible for this weekends mountain bike race, 68 degrees and sunny. Perfect mountain biking weather. The final Charlotte Mountain Bike Race will be held this Sunday, October 17 at 10:00AM at Renaissance Park. After the race, all participants can chow down on pizza while I total the points from the day's race. Shortly after the race we will pass out the prizes for the series. We have tons of great prizes from all our sponsors. All racers welcome this weekend. Racing and pizza, all for only $10 with a NORBA license or $13 without. You can?t beat that. For more info, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com Also, don't forget about the Southside Spanker on October 23 and the Big Stampede on November 6. www.bigstampede.com Hope to see you all this Sunday. Cheers Neal Boyd Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc. 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262 nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com

10/14/2004

Renaissance Trailwork/Conditions Renaissance is in the best shape of the year. Through the efforts of Jon "Machette Man" Wannemuehler, most of the wisteria roots, on the entrance to the tennis court loop, have been removed. This section is now quite smooth and fast. Cory "The Other Man in Black", Malcolm, a couple of riders that stopped to help and myself continued the process of removing organic material and cleaning out grade dips to keep the trails draining and dry. There are still some soft spots, that we will continue to work on in the coming weeks, but all in all Renaissance is in great shape. The trails should be in great shape for the race on Sunday. So go out and ride. Please check the Trailwork section to the right and join us for our next outing.

10/13/2004

A Note of Encouragement From Our Friends at SORBA I am the chapter president for the Athens chapter of SORBA, the Southern Off-Road Bicycling Assn. My parents live in Charlotte, so I visit there about five times a year, and each time I visit I ride at Catawba Riverfront Park. I also raced there last weekend at the Riverfront Classic. I just wanted to send a note to congratulate you on what I think is an excellent job of maintaining the Riverfront trail. Having ridden there somewhat regularly for almost five years, I am consistently impressed with the condition of the trail, and it seems that each time I ride there, a new re-route of other improvement appears. I've even taken notes and applied them to my own home trails here in Athens, GA. I know that you guys are holding your breath due to the whitewater construction, but I just wanted to say that with the same drive, determination and skill that you've already used to make Catawba Riverfront great, you'll be able to adapt the trail despite the loss of some mileage. You have a beautiful piece of land to work with, and I hope you'll continue to rock it out. good luck! charlie maffitt president, sorba athens

10/13/2004

$200,000 Buys Name for Trails Mount Holly sells naming rights to its greenway system BINYAMIN APPELBAUM Charlotte Observer Staff Writer MOUNT HOLLY - The city that wants to be laced with parks took another step toward realizing that vision Thursday night, but at an unusual price. Mount Holly will name a planned citywide trail system The Dickson Foundation/A&E Greenway System in exchange for $200,000. Signs and maps will carry the branded name. The donors are American & Efird, a textile firm that is the city's historically dominant employer, and the personal foundation of Thomas Dickson, president of the holding company that owns A&E. "We're very proud to be involved with this project," Dickson said. "It's a key part of turning Mount Holly into one of the more unique communities in the Charlotte area." The money, pledged over five years, will cover 40 percent of the cost to build an initial eight miles of trails along the Catawba River and three tributary creeks. The city plans to eventually build 20 miles of trails along the waterways, along with several parks and a footbridge connecting to the proposed National Whitewater Center across the river in Mecklenburg County. The greenspace plan is the centerpiece of Mount Holly's economic development efforts. "This gives the vision process a lot of momentum," said Mount Holly Mayor Bryan Hough. "It's an awfully gracious partnership that we have with the Dixon Foundation." The naming gift, which will fund the construction of paths on acquired land, was announced Thursday night by the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation. The private group is raising money for a variety of civic improvement projects, including the greenway system, downtown refurbishment and business recruitment.

10/13/2004

Rank Riders win National MS Society award The Rank Riders cycling team (the majority of which are members and active volunteers of the Tarheel Trailblazers) recently were voted to receive the award for the "2004 Outstanding Service to the Organization" That organization being the National MS Society. Beyond volunteering and supporting the THTB they also managed to volunteer in the 2004 MS Walk, The 3 day MS Challenge and the MS 150 as route setters , course marshalls, truck drivers, luggage handlers, rest stop workers, massage therapists, etc. etc. A large team rode in the MS 150 as well to raise funds for MS. This does not include the countless other hours spent in between these events helping out with whatever was asked of them. Next time you see a Rank Rider, please congratulate them. They earned it. Better yet, press a check in their hand made out to the National MS Society. They like donations... Donations are nice.

10/12/2004

$20 Million to Flow Into White Water Park Page II Governments bet on success The financing for the project is as unusual as the idea itself.Instead of asking local governments to pay for the park, which will be built on public land, backers convinced Mecklenburg County, Charlotte and several Gaston County governments to guarantee their bank loans. If the project makes money as expected, local officials won't have to cough up anything. If it fails, though, Mecklenburg would owe the banks up to $7 million, and the other governments would be on the hook for as much as $6 million altogether. The money to actually build the park is coming from two separate $10 million loans. One is from a group of seven banks, led by Charlotte-based Bank of America and Wachovia. "It's a well-researched project, and the group that's behind it has really done their homework," said Cutter Davis with RBC Centura, one of that banks that's involved. Eight local charitable foundations are combining to loan the other half of the money. The bank loans need to be paid back in seven years, Wise said. The foundation loans are for 10 years. "It was an easy sell," said Ned Davis, president of the Colville Group, who helped line up private backing. "People were very quick to see the value of it for the Charlotte community. We think it's going to be huge." It was the unique nature of both the project and the business plan that hooked the Community Foundation of Gaston County. "I don't think we'd ever have sent a contribution of $250,000 to this thing," said foundation president Ben Rudisill. But a loan -- with the promise of a 5 percent return -- was a different matter. "I think people from all over the Southeast will visit this," Rudisill said. "It's extremely exciting what this could do for the whole area." Fund raising isn't over, though. The group still needs $5 million in individual donations and state and federal grants to cover the $25 million final price, which includes boats, safety equipment and furnishings. The banks have agreed on another loan to cover those costs once the group has enough private commitments, so that the project can go forward. (from the Charlotte Observer)

10/12/2004

$20 Million to Flow Into White Water Park Page I (from the Charlotte Observer, Scott Dodd, Staff Writer) The people working to build an Olympic-quality whitewater park near the Catawba River have faced two big challenges since first doodling the idea on a napkin more than four years ago: Convincing skeptics their project is for real, and finding the money to pay for it. As of today, the money part is taken care of. A group of local banks and charities has agreed to lend the nonprofit organization $20 million to build the U.S. National Whitewater Center. The deals were signed last week, the Observer has learned, and the money is expected to start rolling into the project's bank accounts today. "That takes it from dream to reality," said Vic Howie, president of the project's board of directors, "and that is a huge moment." Taxpayers are only on the hook if the park fails to make money. Several local governments have agreed to pay back the banks if the nonprofit group can't. Construction is slated to begin later this fall, with the facility set to open in spring 2006. The course will be the first of its kind in the United States -- an artificial river with recirculating rapids. It's modeled after facilities built for the 2000 Olympics in Australia and this summer's games in Athens. The Greek course -- nicknamed "Margaritaville" because of its saltwater rapids and summer rock concert atmosphere -- was among the most popular venues at the 2004 Olympics. Charlotte builders hope to capture the same excitement with their 307-acre outdoor adventure park, which will include a mountain-biking course and hiking trails alongside the artificial river. Most days, the course will be open to visitors for rafting, canoeing and kayaking. Several times a year, though, organizers expect to host Olympic trials, World Cup events and other competitions. The U.S. Olympic Committee already has named the park an official team training center. Jeff Wise has been leading the effort to build the park as executive director for more than two years. The former software company executive mortgaged his house to take the job -- unpaid at first -- because he believed so much in the project. But the original idea came from a Charlotte banker and lawyer who were staying at a bed and breakfast in the Tennessee mountains in April 2000. Howie, then with Bank of America, and attorney Chet Rabon were attending the Olympic trials on the Ocoee River. They heard the athletes talking about the new artificial whitewater course being built in Australia. They all raved about how great it would be to have one in the United States. Howie and Rabon thought: Why not Charlotte? They sketched an idea for an oval course with Charlotte's bank towers in the background. Howie went to his bosses at Bank of America and sold them on it. The concept has changed a lot since then -- including moving from uptown to land near the Catawba -- but Howie, who is now with Smith Barney, said it has only gotten bigger and better. "It seemed so simple then," Howie said. "We realize that this thing's way more complicated -- and that's a good thing." (see $20 Million to Flow Into White Water Park, Page II)

10/12/2004

Ribbonwalk: An Excercise We Could Learn From (from the Charlotte Observer, Michelle Crouch, staff reporter) Paul Eich is executive director of RibbonWalk forest, which opened a new trail over the weekend. A developer wanted to build 94 homes on the trail's site last year, but RibbonWalk supporters fought him and won. Eich spoke with reporter Michelle Crouch. Q. Why was it important for this property to become part of RibbonWalk and not be developed with homes? First of all, it's open space, and it's good to preserve that. Second, it's very sloped, and we feared the houses would cause erosion and ecology issues. Third, the site is uphill from a stream that goes by our oldest grove of beech trees. If the sewer pumping system failed, it would dump sewage into the stream and damage that very fragile ecology. Q. How did you persuade the Charlotte City Council to vote against the development? The council not only voted against it, they voted unanimously against it, which is almost unheard of. We gave them good reasons to fight it. And we tried very hard not to just yell and scream, the way others sometimes do. Q. Do you have other advice for citizens fighting rezonings? We had constant contact with the council members. We never got into name-calling. And we never tried to hoo-doo anyone. We always presented just the facts, and the facts were on our side. We also presented photos. Anyone can talk abstractly in the council chambers. We showed them pictures of the lake, of the beech tree grove, of the stream where the sewage could drain. Q. How did the land become part of RibbonWalk? It started with our angel -- Mike North (chairman of Myers & Chapman, a Charlotte construction firm). He offered to buy the property with his retirement money. Mecklenburg County promised to buy the property from him when it had the money, in a few years. ...Then, the night of the vote on the contract, (the county commissioners) magically found $400,000 in the budget and bought it directly. Q. Tell us about the new trail and how it enhances the forest. It's actually a series of trails that are interconnecting, so there is not just one path you wear out. RibbonWalk is not like just hiking around a ball field. Every season and every time of day looks a little different. About RibbonWalk RibbonWalk urban forest, located at 4601 Nevin Road in north Charlotte, is open from 9 a.m. to dusk every day. For more information, call (704) 599-2600 or visit www.charmeck.org/Departments/Park+and+Rec/Places+To+Go/Parks/Ribbon+Walk.htm

10/12/2004

Tsali Trail work recap This past weekend found 8 Boy Scouts from Troop 99 Selwyn Presbyterian Church along with 7 adults (4 of them Trail Blazers) giving back time to the Tsali trail system with 2 days of trail work. In cooperation with the Cheoh District Ranger station and the Trail Head At Tsali Store they were able to work on Right Loop on Saturday for approximately 3/4 of a mile of some serious drainage issue repairs. Tool safety was introduced as well as IMBA techniques for sustainable trail construction and maintenance. The day was topped off by a group ride on Mouse Cove Branch Trail. Sunday morning found the troop fixing drainage issues for approx. 1 mile of Mouse Branch Cove Trail and 1/2 mile of Thompson Loop. This was a rewarding experience for both youth and adult volunteers. (It would be nice for more Charlotte riders to stop and give some time up there once in a while). Thanks to fellow THTB members Tom Mathews, John Williams, and Marty Clower for their time and guidance.

10/11/2004

Fall Southside Spanker Road Fundraiser The Fall Southside Spanker is a supported road ride used as a fundraiser to support the Tarheel Trailblazers and their efforts in building and maintaining mountain bike trails in the Charlotte Metro area. The club currently maintains over 25 miles of singletrack mountain bike trails at four public parks, all free of charge and open to the public. The Trailblazers are currently in the process of signing new agreements with three new major trail projects. Basically, over the next few years, the club will be increasing the amount of trails to maintain. This is great news for those who like to play in the dirt! This supported ride is designed for cycling enthusiasts of all abilities. For those who choose to test their early season fitness during the ride, we have a few challenges for you. Riders will have three options: 15, 32 or 60 mile routes. Come on out and support the local cycling community. How much easier could it be? No trailwork on the 23rd! You can support the club by bringing yourself and a friend to the ride! For a full brochure, go here

10/11/2004

Flint Ridge Trail The Nantahala Outdoor Center, in conjunction with IMBA, has built a tremendous, (although fairly short) trail on the mountain behind the NOC, called Flint Ridge. And who doesn’t visit the NOC on a Tsali trip? Take the bridge at the NOC across the Nanny, and turn left across the RR Tracks. Head up the hill, passing Relia’s Garden Restaurant and Basecamp to your right. We parked in the asphalt lot above Basecamp. Mount your bikes and head up the hill and around the switchback to the vacant bus parking lot. The singletrack begins behind the small water station, just up the small gravel path. The climb is a steep, switchback laden grind. The switchbacks are sharp and treacherous; dabs abound. The climb is approximately 1 mile, before you come to the actual trail loop. Follow the signs to your left (riding the trail clockwise). The trail is a fast, fun rollercoaster ride. Buried culverts and armored water crossings abound and the beautiful 40 foot long bridge is a masterpiece by anybody’s standards. Once you get back to the starting point, you can turn it around and ride it backwards (counter clockwise). This direction offers more climbing. Upper loop length is approximately 3 miles and can be ridden in about 15 minutes. Use caution on the descent back to the lot, as the switchbacks crop up very quickly and are not (in my opinion) adequately marked. The ride is a trail builder’s dream - A perfectly designed, self-sustaining trail (with the exception of some Ivan debris). All trail builders should take the time to examine this gem. It has IMBA (and bOb Karriker), written all over it! Apparently, additions to Flint Ridge have been marked, now if we can just get an energetic group to help build it, hmmmm... For details, contact the NOC Bikeshop: bikeshop@noc.com

10/08/2004

Squirrel Conspiracy Well, I thought I would share this bizarre story with people who appreciate this type of thing. I’m working on a big project at work that is really irritating because it involves budgets and my commission for 2005. I was kind of in a groove but around 2 PM, I had about all I could take and was starting to see 2 computer screens. I decided I needed a break and what better way than a long, epic road bike ride. So I dressed in my cycling stuff. A Little cool so I pulled out the arm warmers, (I know, I’m a pansy), and set out for 25-30. It was a really nice day but little on the cool side so after a few miles of spinning, I settled into my pace. There was a lot of wildlife out today, I guess getting ready for the winter. I rounded a curve on a slight down hill and there he was. About 50 yards ahead of me, sitting in the middle of the road - Mr. Squirrel. I only noticed him because he looked like he was into something and was twitching his tail as all squirrels are known to do. I saw that he was doing the "happy dance" as they often do when trying to decide on left or right. As I approached at about 24 MPH, he made a move right, then left then right again and off the side of the road. Well, I figured he made the right move because I took my concentration off for a split second. First mistake. As I was about 15 feet away, he suddenly made a suicidal dart as if shot from a bazooka right at my bike. He hit the front wheel head on right into the spokes. I jerked the bike left. Second mistake since I was not aware that there was a pothole the size of Lake Norman that he had been sitting in originally. It’s a good thing I have a certain amount of bike handling skills or I may be in Lake Norman Medical Center right now. But I digress. As Mr. Squirrel hit the spokes, I heard a loud ping, then a thud. I figured the worst but after I gathered myself I pulled over and checked things. No real damage but he did leave a pretty good tuft of hair and a smattering of blood on my spokes. They don't call them bladed spokes for nothing. Then I looked over on the right side of the road and Mr. S was sitting there looking slightly dazed and confused. I figured it would be the humane thing to check on his condition so I walked towards him. Mistake number 3. He was apparently not too happy he didn't cause more damage or a wreck because he came at me again. I don't run as well in cycling shoes as I do in running shoes but I moved pretty fast for a 40 some year old guy being chased by a squirrel. He ran across my foot and then turned around and came at me again. I put the bike between us. I know that sounds funny considering how I love my bike but this was life or death. We played tag on either side of the bike for a few seconds and then I guess he felt like he had won so he backed off. I mounted my trusty steed again and set off for the remainder of the ride quite shaken with this little episode. I had a hard time getting going as I was looking for squirrels at every turn. I saw a lot of them and they all appeared to be laughing at me. I don't know but there seems to be a conspiracy of some sort between the cycling community and the squirrel clans. Be very careful, I think they are out to get us. I’m going to go get a beer. I don't know if it will help as I am really scared of these guys now. I am even considering putting a holder for an assault rifle on my bike. These guys are mean. ;) I know I am going to catch a wrath of grief about this but remember, I warned you all about this conspiracy. It was just me this time. Who knows how many of us they are watching..................... - Kevin Scruggs

10/07/2004

New Feature Webmeister Eric has created a new tab for the homepage that will allow us to post the trail situation at LNSP's Itusi Trail. The staff at the park has recently been overwhelmed with calls concerning the status (open/closed) of the trail. From Casey Reinhardt of the park staff: "I'd like to ask everyone to please check trail status via this website as much as possible instead of via the phone. Our office assistants are flooded with dozens of telephone calls each day and their productivity in administrative duties is slowed by answering unnecessary calls. I realize everyone may not have a computer or know about this website (LANO), so we expect some calls. The problem is the call load seems to be growing". We will make every attempt to keep this tab accurate and up to date. To join LANO, go to yahoo.com/groups and sign-up for LANO. We may expand the tab to include local trail conditions in the future.

10/07/2004

October Meeting Agenda Trailblazers Agenda October 7, 2004 1) Welcome 2) Old Business 3) September Minutes 4) Treasurers Report 5) PR Committee Report – Flyers? 6) Race Recap – Participants, Volunteers, $’s? 7) Catawba / Whitewater Park - Frankie 8) Mt. Holly 9) Harrisburg 10) Trail Maintenance A) Francis Beatty - Doug B) Renaissance - Pel C) Lake Norman - bOb D) North Meck - Tom E) Fisher Farm - Mark F) Elon - Frankie G) Poplar Tent - Jerry 11) Injured Rider Poplar Tent 12) Nomination of Candidates for 2005 - 2006 13) Website 14) Membership - Dan 15) Dirt Divas 16) Race Series – Neal 17) Grants 18) Shops

10/05/2004

Catawba Race Weekend Page 2 Regional Mountain Bike Racers Celebrate the Swan Song of Catawba Riverfront Park (continued from Page 1) Sunday was dedicated to the cross-country contingent, with their nimble, light weight racing bikes. Catawba offers something for everyone on the scenic but challenging course. Averaging 26 pounds or so, the hi-tech rigs swallow bumps, drops, roots and rocks as the racers traverse the 8.3 mile course. After dodging showers late Saturday and early Sunday, the trail was in excellent condition for the races, which were started in waves of three, with Beginner, Expert and Sport races being spaced throughout the morning to early afternoon. But Catawba is known to bite, and to bite hard. During the Sport event, a rogue thunderstorm unleashed its full force on the racers and volunteers. The zip and crack of lightning and the immediate boom of thunder signaled a shortened day for the Sport riders, as their races were abbreviated to just one of the two scheduled laps. With the trail turning to a heavy rushing creek bed, all riders safely made their way to the finish line, wet, muddy and with drivetrains that had lost the crispness of shifting, long before the end of the ride. But even with all the fury Mother Nature could muster, there were nothing but smiles on the faces of the contestants. The excitement of the weekend was somewhat tempered by the fact that the park we all know and love today, is changing. Construction of the US National Whitewater Center, scheduled for the coming fall, will rest on the grounds of Catawba, now referred to as Historic Tuckaseegee Ford Park. The footprint of the park, while currently somewhat nebulous, will probably be at the cost of at least three miles of sweet, volunteer built and maintained, singletrack. With new local municipalities coming onboard and inviting the Trailblazers to construct trails in their towns (Davidson, Mt. Holly and Harrisburg, to name a few) the future appears bright for mountain biking around the Metro-Charlotte region. But the loss of any trail at our beloved Catawba playground is a bitter pill to swallow by the mountain bike community. May the Catawba of the past, and all of her memories, rest in peace… Photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/flyinelvis1958/album?.dir=/c24b&.src=ph

10/05/2004

Catawba Race Weekend Page 1 Regional Mountain Bike Racers Celebrate the Swan Song of Catawba Riverfront Park In what may be the last time the current configuration of the cross-country mountain bike course is raced, regional mountain bikers descended on Catawba Riverfront Park for the Cane Creek Cup finals on October 2 and 3, 2004. The 10 race series, held at various locations across North and South Carolina, culminated for the first time on the trail located off of I-85 and Sam Wilson Road. The race is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Tarheel Trailblazers, the local, fully volunteer, trail building workforce in Charlotte. Saturday dawned with a misty fog, as racers prepared for an exhilarating Downhill course, high flying Duo Slalom, or a grinding, short course, cross-country. The races differ in style and technical skill to the liking and equipment of the participants. Male and female downhill racers donned body armor and full face helmets for the total of two timed runs against the clock. On specially prepared full suspension bicycles, with an average of 6 inches of front and rear travel, the 35 – 40 pound beasts are made for one thing: going down hill, and doing it as quickly as possible. The 1/2 mile long course descends through a wooded region of the park, with riders dodging trees, flying over huge drops, landing tabletops, and plowing hell bent through rock gardens. The one minute, 25 second ride is a heart stopping rush of acceleration and momentum as the rider negotiates the course. Duo Slalom racing pits two riders, head to head, on a specially designed downhill course. The 25 – 30 second races are the adrenalin junkies high. A offshoot of the old dual slalom ski races, the competition offers a little of everything: the smooth flow and big air of the riders as they careen elbow to elbow on a course that features high banked turns and double jumps (and a fair share of the preverbal crash and burn). A new, up and coming race, short course cross-country, was offered at Catawba for the first time in a Cane Creek Series event. The 0.8 mile course was run on fire roads, with just a touch of tight twisting singletrack thrown in, just to keep the riders honest. The races were run for a specified period of time (25, 45, or 60 minutes, by class), plus a bell lap. (continued on Page 2) Photos: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/flyinelvis1958/album?.dir=/c24b&.src=ph

10/05/2004

Cyclists Blazing a Trail in Harrisburg From the Cabarrus Neighbors Section of the Charlotte Observer, September 30th, 2004 Biking Group Volunteers to Build Path in Town Park By Lena Warmack, Staff Writer A mountain bike trail could appear in Harrisburg Park this winter if the Town Council agrees to a contract with a volunteer development and maintenance group. The proposal calls for a 1-1.5 mile trail along an 8-acre wooded area of the 38-acre park, Parks & Recreation board member Tony Kaus said. The recreation board budgeted up to $5,000 for materials and expenses for the project. About 10 volunteers would clear the area for the trail, said Rick Hoffarth, a member of the Tarheel Trailblazers, a regional cycling club based in Charlotte. "We're promoting mountain biking, and we do that by building and maintaining trails," Hoffarth said. In exchange, Harrisburg would agree to protect the trail from development, he said. "We're just trying to protect our investment of volunteer labor and time," said Hoffarth, who lives in Harrisburg and approached the Parks & Recreation board at Monday's meeting. Hoffarth said the 300-member regional organization has built more than 25 miles of trails at four Mecklenburg County parks. Because it would be short, Harrisburg's trail would be accessible to riders of all levels, Hoffarth said. He also said the trail would be ideal for short track races. If approved by the town council next month, the project would start this fall and take four weekends to complete, Hoffarth said. "The town of Harrisburg might get known for (it)," Kaus said. Recreation board member Amelia Turner, who agreed to pass the plan on to the town council for final recommendations, said the trail would bring more people to the Harrisburg Park. "If you're a biker, then it means you've got a place for people to recreate, it's a good thing," Turner said.

10/04/2004

State of the Trails in Charlotte NC Mountain biking in Charlotte is changing. The trails that some of us have been riding for years are now changing. While mountain biking has made the parks more valuable to the Charlotte community, it’s ironic that other projects will take priority over what has made the parks more appealing to the public. While the future of our trail systems within the 4 parks is uncertain one thing is sure. Surrounding communities of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County may embrace what Charlotte has had for the past 10 years. With potentially 3 new MTB parks proposed on the outskirts of Charlotte it seems that elected officials of these bordering cities and counties may have seen the benefits of hundreds of mountain bikers flocking to “their area” on a weekly basis. Hopefully our own city and county will recognize this before it’s too late for them.

10/02/2004

Armstrong 'consultant' given 12-month suspended sentence An Italian doctor who treated leading cyclists, including six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, received a 12-month suspended jail sentence for sports fraud and malpractice. Michele Ferrari, however, was acquitted of the most severe charge of distributing health-threatening doping products. His lawyer, Dario Bolognesi, said they will appeal the sentence. Lorenzo Gresti, the public prosecutor, had recommended 14 months in jail. Armstrong said that because of the court decision he is cutting his ties with Ferrari, whom he called a "longtime friend and trusted adviser." Ferrari has worked as a conditioning consultant to Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team since 1999. "I have always said that I have zero tolerance for anyone convicted of using or facilitating the use of performance-enhancing drugs," Armstrong said. Armstrong was not been mentioned in the trial. The American cycling great said in an interview last year he would reevaluate their relationship if the doctor was found guilty. Ferrari denied ever dispensing illegal substances to athletes and said he did not expect this sentence because "I'm innocent in this whole affair." Ferrari had claimed he assisted athletes at his studio with "alternative strategies such as diet and training." Italian cyclist Filippo Simeoni, one of Ferrari's leading accusers, told the Italian news agency ANSA the sentence "shows my statements were justified." Simeoni had claimed in court that the asterisks on the lists prepared by Ferrari for some cyclists indicated the use of banned drugs.

10/01/2004

Mike Van Abel Hired as IMBA Executive Director Mike Van Abel, a former national vice president for the American Diabetes Association, has been selected to head the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Mike was picked from a field of more than 350 candidates, following a nationwide search conducted by T. Malouf & Company. He replaces long-time IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal, who recently assumed the top role at Bikes Belong, the bicycle industry's trade association. Hill Abell, president of IMBA's board and owner of the Bicycle Sport Shops in Austin, Texas, said, "We couldn't be happier that Mike has accepted the position. He brings outstanding skills to the job - from advocacy and lobbying to fundraising and nonprofit leadership." Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Mike received his B.S. in Biology and Soil Science in 1979 from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. For the next eight years he worked for the YMCA, ultimately becoming an associate executive director in Colorado. In 1986 Mike joined the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to manage a major federal grant program. He was soon promoted to a national staff position where he oversaw numerous aspects of the organization - from managing operations in several regional chapters to supporting events such as the MS150 bike ride. Mike was recruited to the American Diabetes Association in 1994 as an affiliate services director, and was later appointed executive director of the Colorado affiliate. When the ADA embarked on a massive restructuring in 1998, Mike was promoted to the position of national vice president. In this role he guided and grew the Mountain and Pacific regions, while concurrently leading the national rollout of the highly successful Team Diabetes marathon training fundraising campaign as well as Oregon's Summit to Surf cycling event. Mike lives in Broomfield, Colorado, with his wife and three children. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Mike enjoys it all - including cycling, running, hiking, camping, skiing, snowshoeing and canoeing. He will begin work as the IMBA executive director on Oct. 18.

10/01/2004

Mount Holly Update Our first meeting with town officials from Mt. Holly on Monday, Sept. 27th went very well. The Trailblazers met with the mayor and city manager of Mt. Holly and city attorneys from Gastonia to discuss the possibility of building mountain bike trails on the 500 acre property located on the southwest shore of Mountain Island Lake. The property is currently owned by the City of Gastonia and is managed by the NC Forest Service. It is a buffer for the watershed that feeds the freshwater intakes for Charlotte, Mt. Holly and Gastonia. The next step is a meeting on the site with a member of the NC Forest Service and the superintendent of Lake Norman State Park along with the city and town representatives. The LNSP superintendent will share their experience with mountain biking in the park and the relationship they have formed with our volunteers. A representative from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund who is involved with the conservation easement on the property will not be able to attend the meeting, but has answered some of our initial questions with generally positive answers. Of greatest concern are the issues of water quality conservation, security of the area and trail maintenance. The Trailblazers are addressing the concerns about creek crossings by proposing bridges over all streams to minimize sedimentation into the lake, and we are forming a trail maintenance proposal to address concerns about trail erosion. The town of Mt. Holly will present a proposal for security of the area. We hope that things will stay on their current positive track and we will update you on the results of our next meeting. Frank Pietras President Tarheel Trailblazers

10/01/2004

Joe Gibbs Racing Employees Contribute To N. Meck Bridge Fund Employees and fellow riders/Trailblazers from Joe Gibbs Racing have made a personal contribution of $175 toward the purchase of materials for the construction of a new bridge at the end of the North Meck mountain bike trail in Huntersville. Their contributions, through the teams sponsor, Home Depot, will go a long way toward making the short trail re-route and the installation of a new 30 foot bridge, a reality. Special thanks go out to Adam, Carl, Laura, Jason, Melanie, David, and Bradley for their contributions to this great addition to the park. Many thanks not only from the Trailblazers but from all of the users of the North Meck trail!

10/01/2004

IMBA/SORBA Epic Celebration, Nov. 13- 14 You're invited to join IMBA and the Southern Off Road Bicycle Association Chattanooga Chapter (SORBA) for an IMBA Epic Celebration. Join us Nov. 13- 14 at the Tanasi trails near the Ocoee Whitewater Center for a weekend of celebrating our sport. To learn more, read below or visit: http://www.imba.com/epics -- What is an IMBA Epic Celebration? Epic celebrations are a weekend-long opportunity to bring mountain bikers together to celebrate our sport and great riding. The first day we focus on trailwork, the second on riding and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Participants camp near the trailhead, share meals, riding stories and have fun. LOCATION: The IMBA Epic Celebration will take place near the Ocoee Whitewater Center Area near Ocoee, Tennessee. This is where we will camp for the weekend and meet for trailwork day and riding. SPECIAL EPIC ADDITION! Get your Epic weekend started early. Join us Friday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m. for a Singletrack Rally at the Waterhouse Pavilion, Miller Plaza in Chattanooga hosted by Singletrack Mind, the advocacy initiative of the Chattanooga Chapter of SORBA. Come support them and their goal to develop 100 miles of quality singletrack within 10 miles of metropolitan Chattanooga by 2010. The Rally is open to everyone. The only requirement is to have an interest in mountain biking. The event should wrap up by 9:00 p.m.

09/30/2004

LNSP: Phase III Overview Lake Norman State Park's Phase III will be a separate loop that should be in the 4-5 mile range. Total LNSP mountain bike trail mileage will increase to approximately 11 - 12 miles. The loop will begin where Phase I crosses the road as it heads back to the parking lot (near the end of the loop). We will cross the car bridge to the right of the crossing. We will then head right into a large wooded area. Part of the area is visible across the marshy area towards the end of Phase II. If you were to look out to your right as you climb the bench cut towards the "back" of Phase II you can see a large bluff that will be one of the boundaries of Phase III. It will be interesting since there are 3 or 4 large dry gullies to work around. Bob Karriker has been working hard on the layout. It sounds like the state has tightened up the requirements for bridges and culverts which will make life even more difficult. We hope to be inspected in mid-October and begin construction in the first part of November. Stay tuned for details. Jeff Archer First Flight Bicycles jeff@firstflightbikes.com www.firstflightbikes.com Always looking for vintage mountain bikes/parts/literature

09/29/2004

Volunteer Mountain Bikers Rally to Support National Public Lands Day Nearly 900 volunteers from 32 IMBA affiliated clubs in 26 states participated in the IMBA/BOB Trailers Trailwork Challenge on National Public Lands Day, Sept. 18. BOB Trailers encouraged IMBA club involvement by donating an IBEX suspension trailer. National Public Lands Day is one of the nation's largest outdoor volunteer efforts. In its 11th year, National Public Lands Day supported 600 projects leading to an estimated $9 million in public improvements. CNY DIRT is this year's winner of the IMBA/BOB Trailers Trailwork Challenge. CNY DIRT of North Syracuse, New York, repaired and improved construction on damaged trail in Highland Forest County Park. "Once again, we are proud to sponsor this year's event," said BOB sales manager Damon Noller. "National Public Lands Day is a great way for mountain bikers to volunteer and for BOB Trailers to support the important work of IMBA clubs." In addition to sponsoring this annual challenge, BOB offers IMBA clubs discounted trailers and accessories to aid their trailwork efforts. Participating IMBA clubs included: Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club, Austin, TX Backcountry Trail Patrol Association, Robbinsdale, MN Camino Real Cycling Club, San Marcos, TX Central Iowa Trail Association, West Des Moines, IA Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association, McCall, ID CNY DIRT, North Syracuse, NY Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Association, Grand Junction, CO Diamond Peaks Mountain Bike Patrol, Fort Collins, CO Earth Riders, Lenexa, KS Eastern Virginia Mountainbike Association, Lanexa, VA Folsom-Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition Great Divide Cycling Team, Helena, MT Helena Bicycle Club, Helena, MT Highlands Cycling Club, Butte, MT Laramie Bicycling Network, Laramie, WY Michigan Mountain Biking Association, Waterford, MI Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts-Richmond Chapter, Disputanta, VA Moab Trails Alliance, Moab, UT Molalla River Watch, Molalla, OR Moscow Area Mountain Bike Association, Moscow, ID New England Mountain Bike Association, Acton, MA New Orleans Metro Area Mountain Biking Organization, Metairie, LA North Country Mountain Bike Club, Potsdam, NY Northern Indiana Mountain Bike Association, South Bend, IN Outback Trail Commission, Portage, IN Portland United Mountain Pedalers, Portland, OR Quimper Trails Association, Port Townsend, WA Sacramento Area Mountain Bike Association, Sacramento, CA Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers, Santa Barbara, CA Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association-Central Savannah, Martinez, GA Trails Have Our Respect, Lincoln, NE White Pine County Trails Committee, Ely, NV York Area Mountain Bike Association, Jacobus, PA IMBA is a leading partner in National Public Lands Day. To learn more visit: http://www.npld.com

09/28/2004

New Forums Added! Two new forums have just been added! "That's Racin" will be a clearinghouse of race information and "Chicks Dig Dirt" will be an open forum for the Dirt Divas and all intereseted female (or male) parties...They will keep us abreast of their activities, post rides, whatever... So check out the forum section and stay up to date on the happenins' in our club and around town!

09/28/2004

Fall Southside Spanker Road Fundraiser The Fall Southside Spanker is a supported road ride used as a fundraiser to support the Tarheel Trailblazers and their efforts in building and maintaining mountain bike trails in the Charlotte Metro area. The club currently maintains over 25 miles of singletrack mountain bike trails at four public parks, all free of charge and open to the public. The Trailblazers are currently in the process of signing new agreements with three new major trail projects. Basically, over the next few years, the club will be increasing the amount of trails to maintain. This is great news for those who like to play in the dirt! This supported ride is designed for cycling enthusiasts of all abilities. For those who choose to test their early season fitness during the ride, we have a few challenges for you. Riders will have three options: 15, 32 or 60 mile routes. Come on out and support the local cycling community. How much easier could it be? No trailwork on the 23rd! You can support the club by bringing yourself and a friend to the ride! For a full brochure, go here

09/28/2004

MS 150, Recap Well now, Anyone who pooh-poohed the hurricane infused panic in the streets weather reports and headed out to do the 2 day MS 150 Breakaway To The Beach anyhow was rewarded with the best weather in 19 years of that rides history. (with the exception for Hugo). Saturday A.M. we arrived early at Weddington High School and proceeded to our special reserved "Top Banana" parking space. With plenty of time to kill, we sauntered into the school to turn in more monies collected the previous few days. Once we returned and geared up, we proceeded to the starting line and got to sing Happy Birthday to Nikki, our beloved MS staffer/Rank Rider. Temperatures stayed well below normal for the day allowing for some fast effortless riding the entire trip. The first days century (+/-114 miles) was met with mostly tail winds throughout the day. A detour allowed us to add on a few extra miles and a few nice hills into Society Hill's lunch stop to further enhance our cycling enjoyment. The first leg of the ride ended in Florence, SC, to a large welcoming committee of families, and friends of riders not to mention lots of volunteers and cheerleaders from the local high school. It was a nice way to end a perfect day’s ride. A bus shuttle to the strip where most cyclists stayed in various motels allowed us to roam the highways and byways looking for a cold beer and pizza. We found all of the above. The Rank Rider hospitality suite was in full raucous swing making tired legs a distant memory for another day and another year's start of fine fellowship amongst the riders under our belt. Alas off to bed by 10 to get ready for another days battle on the mean streets of Florence. Day 2 started at 4:30 AM. Water bottles to fill and gear to check and recheck necessitated this early start. A shuttle back to the school found us in the parking lot ready to check in our luggage and find our bikes in the assigned racks. Once daylight allowed for a safe start, waves of cyclists began the second days journey to North Myrtle Beach. We were again met with cool temperatures and a brisk side and head wind. The beginning was a little dicey with several big pile ups of cyclists along the way for the first 10 miles resulting in several riders being taken to the local hospital. Once things thinned out it got much better. Our team numbering approximately 16 riders took turns pulling the pace line at 1 minute intervals. It was tough going at times, but we managed to maintain our pace and keep the team intact per our agreement the previous evening. I was impressed on how well we all ride together. Hours of training together over the years really has paid off. We arrived at North Myrtle Beach Middle School again to a huge crowd of well wishers. The Rank Riders finished 4 abreast x 4 deep in full regalia under the finish line banner to lot's of applause from Rank Rider cult followers, fans, and well wishers. It felt good!!!! Off to the showers and to the shuttle to the beach found us at legendary watering hole "Harold's On The Ocean." It is a Rank Rider favorite. We were able to stay at the beach for 4 hours and in the spirit of giving were able to amply support the local economy at Harold's. It was a great time had by all. We caught a shuttle back to our bus at the middle school and off we headed back to Weddington with another years bike tour firmly planted in our memories forever. Come join us next year for the HUGE 20th anniversary celebration ride. Tom Waldron

09/27/2004

LNSP Phase III From bOb Karriker, trailbuilding guru of LNSP Chainsaw Cert class will be rescheduled for Oct 9, 10, 30 or 31. The folks who were ok'd for the class please respond with your preferred dates, so we can determine the best day. The class will take 2- 4 hours. Due to no response the Halloween thing is pretty much done. This upcoming weekend ( Oct 2 - 3 ) is scheduled to be our first collective effort to kick off the work in Phase III. The final inspection by State officials will be on Oct 14, so we can't actually work on trail construction yet. We can relocate the tool shed and equip to the new work staging area. I will still be working on tweaking the flag alignment this weekend. If anyone is planning to come out please let me know , otherwise you probably would just wander around the area not knowing where to go. If I don't here from anyone by friday night I'll plan to reschedule for work to start the weekend of the 9 th. This weekend also has a couple of big events to think about. The Big Sweep of NC rivers and lakes will be going on. Ranger Larry Hyde will be leading the Lake Norman Park area clean up. This is a good chance to help out with a different project. Plus the Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas will be hosting the Cane Creek Classic at the former Catawba Riverfront Trail both Sat and Sun. If you are thinking of coming out to explore the new phase layout plan on a long day. It usually takes the better part of a whole day to walk thru it all. Just bOb

09/27/2004

Catawba Sendoff Recap Catawba has been “sent off” with a final bash to remember one of our finest trails. The Catawba Send-Off was the brainchild of our local mountain biking clubs, The Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas. As the construction date nears for the new whitewater park, we began to realize that our days were numbered. Regardless of what form the trails take after the park is completed, or what trails might be open to us during the construction, we realized that what we all know as “Catawba” is fast coming to a close. We didn’t want it to just slip away, so we decided to get everyone together to celebrate the trails one last time. Once the idea was hatched, a lot of good people from both of the clubs started working on the planning and input. We set out what we wanted the event to be, found a date that worked best, put together flyers and agreed on who would contact shops, media etc, and gather up supplies. One last supply convoy to Costco (hot dogs…so many hot dogs….) and we were set. We thought. At the last minute, second thoughts on how much food. Do we get stuck with leftovers, or do we run out? We broke down and picked up a few more burgers and dogs just in case. Turned out to be a wise move, we depleted just about everything, a lot of it well before the end of the day, and a whole pile of Milk Bones for our four legged friends. Oops! These things never go off without something to throw a wrench into it. We forgot about the college race series out there. Oh well, no other dates will really work for us, so we’ll have to coexist. The race hosts from USC Cycling were very gracious in helping make sure we wouldn’t have any issues there. We agreed to do some extra signage to help minimize any trail conflicts (we wouldn’t want anyone riding into the downhill course) and we even welcomed a few of their hungry soles into our circle. At first we had more people stopping by with donations of cookies and brownies than we did anyone coming in for chow. Hmm. Did we oversupply after all? Isn’t anyone coming out? It started picking up though, and it wasn’t long before we were concerned that we couldn’t keep up with the charcoal grills. Ultimate/Bike Sport came through with the loan of a gas grill, and we worked it non-stop until the food was gone. A little dirt devil blew through and flipped one of the tents into the trees but no harm done. At 4:00 we still had a lot of people hanging around and grabbing leftover snacks and draining the coolers. We started packing up about 5:00, tired but happy that it had been such a great turnout and hearing all of the positive comments about the clubs. We answered questions about the future of Catawba as best we could but obviously a lot remains up in the air right now. Not a bad day for the Trailblazers, we picked up three new members, many promises to renew memberships and get involved in trail work and projects, and even moved a few t-shirts. Lots of folks asking about the Dirt Divas too, and expressing interest in both clubs. Let’s take all this energy and keep it going for another year for both clubs!

09/24/2004

Farewell to Catawba as we know it... Saturday, Sept. 25th Noon to 4pm. The Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas invite you to celebrate the passing of some trails at Catawba prior to construction of the new Whitewater Park. This will be a sendoff of sorts; saying goodbye to the trails you know and love so well. So as the leaves fall and the summer mountain biking season winds down, the two greatest(!) mountain biking clubs in the area will serve up hot dogs, burgers, fixin's and tunes to reminisce by. Ride the trails or just hang out and enjoy the day with the Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas. Bring any photos that you may have collected over the years (my how things have changed) along with your favorite tales of woe.. BYOB, RAIN or SHINE

09/23/2004

Volunteers Needed for Riverfront Classic The Tarheel Trailblazers, Dirt Divas, and Charlotte Sports Cycling are now seeking volunteers for the Catawba Riverfront Classic on October 2 and 3, 2004. The Catawba Riverfront Classic is a dynamic event for the Tarheel Trailblazers in that it creates exposure for the club and the work the club has completed throughout the years and also raises money for the organization. All volunteers must have previous customer service experience and the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment. Volunteers must possess effective communication skills (verbal, written and presentation), have strong conceptual and analytical skills. Volunteers must have a valid driver's license with access to a dependable vehicle. Previous volunteer experience a plus. Pre-volunteer drug testing will be required. DD, TTB, and CSC are all equal opportunity volunteer organizations. Thursday Sept 30 – Help around 3:00PM with fixing Downhill and Dual X Course Friday Oct 1 – 3:00PM until dark – marking course and final touches on Cross Country Course. Below are several shifts on the day of the events. You are more than welcome to sign up for more than one shift. The Dirt Divas will have food and drink available both days. Registration Volunteers We need 2 to 3 people who can work each day. Saturday A Shift: 7:00AM to 10:30PM Saturday B Shift: 10:30AM to 1:30PM Sunday A Shift: 7:00AM to 10:00PM Sunday B Shift: 10:00AM to 1:00PM Course Marshals Bring your bike and a Motorola Talkabout or equivalent radio. Course marshals will basically ride the course and just make sure we don’t have an issue with people cutting the course, ATV’s or any injuries, as well as serve as the “course sweeper”. Sunday A Shift 9:00AM to 10:30AM Sunday B Shift 10:30AM to 1:00PM Sunday C Shift 1:00PM to 3:00PM Score Crew If you plan to score, show up about 30 minutes early for a quick tutorial on scoring. Saturday Short-Track 3 to 4 people from 9:00AM to 2:00PM Saturday Downhill 4 People (2 at the start and 2 at the finish) 11:00AM to 1:30PM Saturday Dual X 4 People (2 at the starting gate and 2 at the finish) 2:00PM – 5:00PM Sunday Cross-Country A Shift 9:00AM to 12:00PM B Shift 12:00PM to 3:00PM Please send all volunteer info to nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com. Please respond ASAP. Cheers Neal

09/21/2004

Hamilton Tests Positive (from cyclingnews.com) The Vuelta a España has been rocked this morning by news that Tyler Hamilton (Phonak), has returned two positive blood tests that showed evidence of a homologous blood transfusion. One test was performed at the Athens Olympics and another at the Vuelta. Both tests showed evidence of a "mixed red blood cell population, an indication of a homologous blood transfusion," Phonak's press officer Georges Lüchinger was quoted by AP as saying. The results of the counter-analyses are not yet known, but are expected today (Tuesday). Hamilton, winner of the gold medal at the Athens 2004 Olympics in the individual time trial as well as the Vuelta's eighth stage time trial, abandoned the race prior to stage 13 claiming stomach problems. Hamilton has denied having a transfusion, saying the positive test was the result of a surgical intervention he had some time ago. If the B samples are confirmed positive, then he risks losing his Olympic gold medal, which would make Viatcheslav Ekimov the Olympic time trial champion again. Phonak team director Alvaro Pino said, "I have spoken to Tyler and he has claimed he is innocent and apart from whatever the (Phonak) team decides, he will do whatever he has to do to defend himself from these accusations." Phonak will hold a press conference later this evening. Enhancing endurance performance via blood transfusion is nothing new: Athletes admitted to using it at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, when it was not illegal. Typically, a quantity of blood is withdrawn from an athlete some time before an important competition, and when the time comes, the red cells are reinjected to provide an extra boost. This can also be done with another person's blood and even with EPO-enhanced blood, although the risk of detection is far greater. Former Kelme cyclist Jesus Manzano claimed that he nearly died when he was reinjected with some "bad blood" late in 2003. Tyler Hamilton's case is the first ever positive for a blood transfusion, as up until very recently, doping via this method has been undetectable. A powerful blood test developed by Australian researchers was implemented at this year's Tour de France. The test didn't look for a particular banned substance, but instead examined whether there were any abnormalities in a person's blood as a result of artificial manipulation. At the Tour, it was announced that homologous blood transfusions could be detected, but autologous transfusions could not.

09/20/2004

Charlotte MTB Racers Head to Mammoth CA Two metro-Charlotte mountain bike racers will be competing in the U.S. National Mountain Bike Championships September 23 – 26. SouthPark Cycles Kevin Hall and Maxx Miller of the Just Fresh Clif Bar Team are headed to Mammoth, California to race. Both riders have qualified for the national event by virtue of their high rankings in NORBA sanctioned events this season. The race will be contested on the toughest course the pair has competed on to date. Best wishes to Kevin and Max!! Do our area proud!!

09/19/2004

LNSP Itusi Trail Reopens The Itusi trail has re-opened...

09/17/2004

Kryptonite locks picked with a pen Company says design flaw not limited to bike locks and is working on a replacement plan. September 17, 2004: 1:52 PM EDT NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The U-shaped steel bike locks that cyclists have relied on for years to keep thieves at bay just had a gigantic hole blown through their reputation. The New York Daily News reported Friday that an Internet video has surfaced showing how to pick the one of the most secure locks known to cyclists: stick the non-writing end of a Bic pen into the cylinder-shaped key hole and twist. Voila! Free bike. Although the trick apparently works on many locks with tubular cylinder technology including vending machines and some ignitions, it's the bike industry's best known locksmith, Massachusetts-based Kryptonite, that's feeling most of the heat. The company confirmed the weakness with CNN/Money on Friday and said new lock technology, one involving a disk-style cylinder instead of tubes, will be rushed to the market as an upgrade to the company's Evolution and KryptoLok series, the lock models rendered vulnerable by the pen. The company's latest model, the New York Lock, already uses the disk construction. What's not clear is who's going to pay for this upgrade. Donna Tocci, Kryptonite's public relations manager, said the company was working on plan and details would be released next week. Tocci wouldn't say if the plan involved a recall or rebates on new locks for current customers, but did say "I think people will be happy with it." Which is in contrast with the current mood of some customers. "We are going to try and get our customers replacement locks ASAP, whatever Kryptonite chooses to do," the owners of Washington D.C.'s City Bikes were reported saying in BikeBiz.com, an online industry newsletter. "I have not been impressed with Kryptonite's response or from the postings of people who have talked to them directly. In my mind there is no excuse for losing your bike to a guy with a Bic pen." Kryptonite also said this is the first the company is hearing of the problem. But according to BikeBiz.com, a British journalist discovered the pen trick back in 1992. The newsletter said versions of the story eventually appeared in several publications and on a BBC consumer rights program.

09/16/2004

UPDATE! LNSP Closes Indefinately The Bike trail has been closed. Lake Norman State Park will close at 8 PM tonight, September 16 for an indefinite amount of time due to Hurricane Ivan. Update: For everyone's info, the park is closed indefinately (as well as all NC state parks from Morrow Mountain/Hanging Rock and west) due to the Hurricane. Reason being is we and the other parks are having to send some of our staff to assist with recovery efforts in the mountains and therefore we don't have staff to operate the parks. Some of the western parks have also received damage: South Mountains and Mount Mitchell may be closed for 6 months to one year.

09/16/2004

Fisher Farm Video! Several of you have asked for it, well, here it is! The Southern Discomfort produced, Fisher Farm video, presented to the Davidson Town Council on Sept 14. Special thanks to Michael "Dolby" Lee for his time and effort! For the video, go here! For more bike videos at Southern Discomfort, go here.

09/15/2004

Davidson Presentation a Success! Thank you to all who attended and all who helped make this presentation to the Davidson Board of Commissioners and the Mayor a great success. Frank Pietras, Tom Mathews, Stan Johnson and myself attended the meeting last night. We gave our presentation and fielded a few questions from the Board Members. Even the Mayor had nothing but praise for the trails and our organization. We now will have the complete support of the Town of Davidson especially at a time when 3/4 of our trail system is going through a lot of change. To quote the Mayor "We look forward to working with your organization". Thank you all, again. I look forward to seeing many of you out there. Mark Sullivan

09/14/2004

IMBA to Testify in Front of Congress Today The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) will testify in front of Congress today regarding a proposed Oregon Wilderness bill. IMBA board member Chris Distefano will speak before members of a subcommittee of the Senate Natural Resources Committee in Washington, D.C. to explain how the bill would impact mountain bikers. While IMBA supports the preservation of primitive public lands in an undeveloped condition, the Wilderness designation bans bicycles. "IMBA is committed to representing mountain bikers at the highest level of government," said IMBA government affairs director Jenn Dice. "By influencing decisions in Washington, D.C., we're able to provide more trails on the ground, or in cases like Wilderness bills, help prevent trail closures for mountain bikers across the country." IMBA local clubs, Wilderness advocates, Oregon elected officials, recreation groups and others have been working for months on the bill. Distefano will say that IMBA supports the goal of protecting the undeveloped roadless areas of the Mount Hood National Forest, but the bill would close about approximately 200 miles of trail to bicycling. The bill, called the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004, includes an unusual provision to protect bicycling access. Senator Ron Wyden (D.-WA), the sponsor of the bill, has proposed the "Mount Hood Pedalers Demonstration Experiment Area," which would manage 13,000 acres like Wilderness while allowing for continued bicycle access. "IMBA generally supports the intent of the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act because our members value protecting pristine lands from development," said IMBA senior national policy advisor Gary Sprung. "On the one hand, they want to protect the areas they ride, but on the other, they don't want to lose access to the trails they have ridden for almost two decades. Consequently, IMBA believes that the proposed Mount Hood Pedaler's Demonstration Experiment Area is a positive step forward in public land policy regarding Wilderness as it protects the land while allowing bicycling." For more information on IMBA's work regarding the proposed Oregon Wilderness bill, visit www.imba.com/resources/wilderness/oregon

09/13/2004

Sept. 14th Davidson Presentation The Tarheel Trailblazers will be giving a short Power Point presentation to the Davidson Town Board at the Sept. 14th Town Board meeting. This will also serve as a test run for the Power Point presentation that will be given to Char./Meck Parks and Rec. Along with the PPT presentation, we will also be showing a short video put together by Dolby. Again, much thanks to Chris, Stan and Dolby for all of their hard work putting this presentation together. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM on Tuesday the 14th at Davidson Town Hall on Main St. Please feel free to attend the meeting. Directions: I-77 N to exit 30/Davison exit. Turn right and go to 2nd stop light. Turn right/Main St. Go 2 more lights and bare right at 2nd light. Town Hall is on the right shortly after 2nd light. It sits below street level. Mark Sullivan

09/12/2004

Catawba Workday – Recap… With a turnout of over 20 volunteers, the Trailblazers led a blitz on Catawba this weekend. Three teams 1) bench cut the new bypass trail around the dam, at the beginning of the ride. 2) New connector trails were cut from the River tail and Trushler loops to build the new short track trail for the upcoming Cane Creek Race (Oct 2 and 3). Initial reports indicate the new short track will be more demanding than the Renaissance course, built last fall. 3) The mud bog at the base of the Desert Storm climb was somewhat re-routed with a gravel run and the installation of drainage piping (see photo link below). 4) Water diverters were constructed at the top of the jeep trail, just before you enter the forest for the final time. 5) Recon riders swept the trail of fallen storm debris. At the time of this writing, significant water had made the Trail of Joy and River trails a quagmire. We would appreciate riders avoiding these areas until the Catawba River has had sufficient time to recede, and the trails to drain. Hopefully Hurricane Ivan will peter out and not be a factor in our upcoming weather. It doesn’t look good, but keep your finger crossed that it does indeed diminish before more flooding occurs. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who gave up their Saturday morning to help repair the trails. For photos of mud bog repair, go to: Work Day Photos

09/11/2004

Catawba Workday 9/11/04 Saturday, Sept. 11th at 9:00 am is the date, and we plan to do a few things to get the race ready for the Oct 2-3 Cane Creek Cup Races. This will also be an opportunity for those participating in that regional series to log some "Pay Dirt" hours for points credit. Some of our goals for that day are: -Work on the new entrance trail to correct any issues that have popped up -Fix the berm that launches you into the last wooded section to the right of the power line (it was affected by the bulldozers recently) -Build a short connector on the Trutzschler trail to by-pass the fall-line plunge and ensuing climb that are currently deteriorating -Clear a short temporary connector from near the bottom of practice (toilet bowl) loop to the big red road for use during the short track race on Sat., Oct. 2nd. We'll send a reminder e-mail to the Topica list the week of the workday. Pack a lunch, we ride after we work! Thanks, Frank and Doug

09/08/2004

LNSP Itusi Trail Phase III Chainsaw Cert Class will be Sun Sept 19 at 2 pm ( 2 - 3 Hrs ) Folks attending must have safety glasses and steel toed shoes. The park will provide saws, chaps, and helmets with ear protection. Contact Ranger Larry Hyde to receive required study and info materials prior to class. Larry.Hyde@ncmail.net The inspection of Phase III has been going well. The inspection should be completed Oct 14. After the inspection recommendation is processed construction will begin on the new section of the Itusi Trail. The mileage for the section should be approx 5 . Oct 2 - 3 will be the first work weekend. Work will primarily consist of prep work. Moving tools and equip to new work area. I will also orient crew leaders with the trail layout in the new area. Notification will be sent out soon scheduling CPR and First Aid classes to be conducted for volunteer training. The classes will be conducted on weekday evenings. Classes should last approx 3 hours each. Plans are underway for the first annual Hallo-Weenie Ride at Lake Norman State Park. Stay tuned for info real soon. If you wish to assist in the organization , planning and execution of this project contact me. Look forward to seeing ya in the woods -bOb waterbob@statesville.net

09/08/2004

USCF Mechanic Answers Your Technical Questions As a new feature of our website, Cory Slusher a USCF Certified Pro Cycling Mechanic, will be answering your technical questions in our Forums, section. Cory wants this to be an open forum, so all ideas and suggestions, past experiences, etc. are more than welcome. Cory has been riding and wrenching here in Charlotte since 1994, getting started at Bicycles East with top mechanic, Rob Mundt. Cory says he learned from the best as Rob was considered to be one of the best MTB mechanics in the Southeast. From there, Cory spent a short year at a shop in Eastern Florida, before returning to Charlotte in late 1998 when he joined the Bike Source crew in the spring of 1999. He acquired his USCF mechanics certification this past summer, and holds a current RockShox Technician certificate, after attending the 2004 Sram/RockShox Technical University in Colorado Springs, Co. Cory has built over 300 wheel sets in his 10 years as a mechanic. Cory has recently branched out and has started his own bike repair business, C.T.M. He can be contacted in our Forums section or at: 704.806.3433 Cory Slusher

09/02/2004

Meeting Agenda Trailblazer Agenda - Sept, 02, 2004 Welcome Visitor Introductions Minutes of the April Meeting Treasurers Report – Frankie P. Membership - Dan - Online Registration thru PayPal Fisher Farm – Mark Sullivan and Steve Fraher Francis Beatty - Doug Mt Holly Land - Frankie White Water Park – Update – Frankie – Going away party Sept 25 – Paul B Trail Maintenance Renaissance - Pel Catawba – Frankie - 9/11 – 9:00 North Meck and Wehrmer – Tom Lake Norman – Bob K Back Yard – Scott Poplar Tent – Jerry Adams Elon Springs Mount Holly PR Committee Update Race Report Website Fund Raisers Socks Lizard Skins T-Shirts Divas Website Shops

09/02/2004

Beatty Park Construction Has Started Phase II of Development at Col. Francis J. Beatty Park started during the week of August 23rd, 2004. Phase II will include clearing and grading for a picnic and hiking area on the north side of the lake as well as clearing and grading for 5 softball fields and 2 parking areas. Only 2 of the softball fields will be built to completion during this phase of development and only 1 of the parking lots is expected to be paved and opened to the public. The Tarheel Trailblazers have CLOSED the northeast section of the loop trail at the request of the Parks manager while the clearing and grading is being done. We are already in the process of locating a new trail that will by-pass the construction area. As soon as the clearing and grading are finished, we will announce trailwork days for the purpose of building a new section of trail that will re-establish the main loop. It appears at this time that the Valley Trail will only be partially affected by the construction and we will eventually be able to re-connect it to the main loop as well. Estimated time for building the re-route is sometime in October or November of this year. While clearing and grading are in progress, please respect the CLOSED signs and do not venture onto those sections of the trail. Please resist your curiosity because the machinery that is in use is extremely dangerous. A loop can still be made at the park by turning left at the main road crossing of the trail, following the road back to the main parking lot and over the dam, then following the greenway back towards the bridge by the gravel causeway and making a sharp left turn onto the single track trail. Check back here from time to time for updates on the construction and for trailwork dates. Thanks for your help and cooperation during the Phase II construction process. The Trailblazers

08/31/2004

North Meck Race Ready! Even a late afternoon downpour couldn't foul the conditions at N. Meck Park. Heavy rains fell in the 4:00 time frame on Tuesday evening, but the trail was in excellent condition by 6:30. On Monday night, the areas crossing the recently mulched forest were shored up and made race ready. Racers should be aware of the following areas: 1) The mulched forest on the far side of the second (and longest) bridge....The area could be just a little soft. 2) The log crossing on the back side of the park, approaching the swim club has been replaced and is a little higher than in the recent past. A full head of steam and a bunny hop cleans it easily. 3) The final approach to the water crossing runs across the mulched forest, and again, may be a little soft. 4) The final log crossing following the two small bridges at the end of the course has been replaced. It is notched in two locations, pick a line and your chain ring WILL clear, before dropping into the whoop-de-do... As the last regular season race, we hope to see a big crowd, as an excellent race course awaits you!

08/30/2004

Sept. TTB meeting/Fisher Farm Park MTB Trail I would like everyone that can make it to come to the TTB this Thursday at Jack's on 7th St. at 7:30 PM. Steve Fraher, the Director of Davidson Park and Rec., will be giving a presentation on the new Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, NC. This would be a great opportunity for everyone to meet Steve and show him how involved all of us are in building and maintaining our trails. He will also get to meet all of us. Let's make a good showing to say thanks to Steve and the town of Davidson for allowing us to build a trail at this new park. We will also be giving a brief presentation to the Davidson Town Board on Sept. 14th. at the Davidson Town Hall. Again, please do your best to come this Thursday. Hope to see you there! Sincerely, Mark Sullivan

08/29/2004

Dangerous Driver - Update For an update with photos of Clover,SC dangerous driver, go here: http://www.gastoncountycyclists.com/dangerous_driver.htm

08/28/2004

France's Absalon Wins Olympic Mountain Biking Julien Absalon has quite a year going: Married on Valentine's Day, a second straight French national title, and now, Olympic gold. Absalon, whose focus had been on Athens since failing to make France's Olympic team four years ago, pulled away in the second half of the mountain bike race and eased to victory in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 2 seconds. "My preparation was very tough," Absalon said. "I've dreamed of this moment a hundred times before. Now it's true. It's for real." Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain finished second, exactly a minute behind Absalon. Bart Brentjens of the Netherlands, the world's top-ranked rider and 1996 Olympic champion, took the bronze. "In the end, the tank just doesn't stay full," Brentjens said. It was the final cycling event of the Athens Games. Australia, with 10 medals, dominated the overall standings; Germany, with six medals, finished second; the United States won three medals, all in the road time trials on Aug. 18. Neither American rider in Saturday's field on the Mount Parnitha course challenged for medals. Todd Wells of Durango, Colo. finished 19th, matching the best-ever Olympic finish by an American men's mountain biker; Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski placed 21st overall. Both were making Olympic debuts. "I'm 26 years old. I can see coming back in four years and maybe being a legitimate contender," Horgan-Kobelski said. Miguel Martinez, France's 1996 bronze medalist and defending Olympic champion, dropped out after five laps because of cramps and dehydration. Absalon, though, made sure his countrymen went home happy. He spent much of the first half of the race in a tight battle at the front, with a half-dozen riders separated by a few seconds. Midway through the fifth lap of the seven-lap spin around the approximate three-mile course, Absalon took off and no one could stay with him. Even Absalon's wife couldn't handle another 90-degree day in the punishing sunshine; she collapsed as her husband rode past to begin his final lap. She stayed down in the gravel for several minutes, while water was applied to her face and a large French flag waved over her, providing both a breeze and relief from sun. Soon, the flag waved again — this time to celebrate Absalon's win. Absalon was among the favorites, especially after winning the Olympic preview event at Mount Parnitha in May. Belgian world champion Filip Meirhaeghe — a silver medalist at Sydney — pulled out of the field last month after testing positive for EPO, which increases endurance by pumping more oxygen to red blood cells. The Olympic race completed a long road for Wells, who quit his job as a project manager for IBM in 2001 — abandoning six-figure earning potential and instead opting to make his living riding in races where a typical first prize is about $3,000. "Having the chance to go back after having a job and do what I love to do all the time, that right there is a victory for me," Wells said. "This is just icing on the cake. The Olympics brings our sport to everybody." 2004 OLYMPIC MEN RESULTS 1. Julien Absalon (Fra)...Bianchi Agos...2:15:02 2. Jose Antonio Hermida (Spa)...Merida-Multivan...at 1:00 3. Bart Brentjens (Ned)...T-Mobile...2:03 4. Roel Paulissen (Bel)...Siemens-Cannondale...3:08 5. Liam Killeen (GBr)...Subaru-Gary Fisher...3:30 6. Ralph Naef (Swi)...Merida-Multivan...4:13 7. Thomas Frischknecht (Swi)...Swisspower...4:37 8. Manuel Fumic (Ger)...5:27 9. Seamus Mcgrath (Can)...Haro-Adidas...5:31 10. Marco Bui (Ita)...5:43 11. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra)...Lapierre...5:57 12. Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe)..Siemens Mobile Cannondale...6:21 13. Bas Peters (Ned)...6:42 14. Marek Galinski (Pol)...Orbea...7:12 15. Christoph Soukup (Aut)...7:48

08/27/2004

Mt. Holly Trails Update The Tarheel Trailblazers made our first site visit on August 26th to the 500 acre property recently offered as a possible mountain bike destination in Mt. Holly. The property borders the southwest shore of Mountain Island Lake and is a buffer for the City of Gastonia water intake. It has also been designated as a Conservation Easement which means that it will not be subject to development in the future. The first walk was made by President/Trail Coordinator Frank Pietras, Past President Jeff Smith who has been instrumental in coordinating with the Cities of Mt. Holly and Gastonia, and Trailblazer member Ray Broome who is a past resident of Mt. Holly and a current business owner there. The walk explored the southern part of the property near the dam for Mt. Island Lake. At first glance, the property resembles Historic Tuckasegee Ford Park (Catawba) is many ways, but it may actually surpass it in its scenic beauty. The portion visited was heavily wooded, primarily with mature hardwood trees. The lake was visible from several places. The gound surface resembled pit gravel, apparently due to the abundance of exposed granite rock which breaks up as it erodes. Like HTFP, the property is strung with numerous power line easements, but it is also riddled with existing double track 4-wheeler trails. It seemed that those trails had not been heavily used recently, and they could be easily cleared to create an initial trail "backbone". The potential for 20+ miles of quality trails seemed obvious even from our limited initial view of the tract. Thanks go out to Jeff Wise of Charlotte Whitewater Park for his efforts in encouaging the development of a trail corridor along the Catawba River. The Trailblazers will continue to work with the City of Mt. Holly to establish a contract that will allow public access to the property. The idea is to create an opportunity for economic growth for Mt. Holly by developing a regional recreational draw. We hope to include the Trailblazers as consultants and volunteers in a trail building process. We will report progress as it develops! Frank Pietras

08/27/2004

Charlotte Mountain Bike Series The last regular season event will be next Wednesday at N Meck Park. The following two Wednesday's will be make up races. The first, Sept 8 at Catawba Riverfront Park and the second at Renaissance Park on September 15. Catawba Riverfront Classic On Oct 2 and 3, Charlotte Sports Cycling and the Tarheel Trailblazers will host the 9th annual Catawba Riverfront Classic. Fun and exciting short track event will be held on Saturday with the Cane Creek finals Cross Country on Sunday. One-day NORBA licenses will be available. Detailed info will be posted on www.charlottemtnbike.com Saucony Off-Road Duathlon Series...coming this fall. New this year will be the team category. Find a runner and put the fastest team together. Dates and info will be posted ASAP.

08/26/2004

Women's Olympic Mountain Bike Update Italian mountain biker Paola Pezzo is bidding for a hat-trick of Olympic gold medals in the women's race on Friday. "I know it won't be easy, particularly in a resistance sport," Pezzo said. "But it's something I want to attempt. It would be such a feat." The gold medal favourite will be 30-year-old Norwegian Gunn-Rita Dahle, who has a reputation as the fastest and most fearless rider on the downhills. The 2002 world champion Dahle has been near unbeatable this year, winning all five of the World Cups that she has started. Reigning world champion Sabine Spitz of Germany is another strongly in the frame for a medal. Lisa Mathison, who is just 19, will carry Australia's hopes. She finished 13th in the World Cup event in Canada and 16th in Austria earlier this year.

08/26/2004

Men's Olympic Mountain Bike Update The Olympic men's mountain bike race this weekend has been flung wide open by the positive doping test that has forced world champion Filip Meirhaeghe to quit the sport in disgrace. The 33-year-old Belgian returned a positive finding to the blood-boosting substance EPO (erythropoietin) in June and immediately announced his retirement. "I took EPO for the first time in my career seven weeks ago during a training camp in Austria. I absolutely did not want to fail at the Olympics, which were my ultimate goal," Meirhaeghe admitted. "As soon as I heard the positive result I knew it was the end of my career." Meirhaeghe was a strong favourite for the Olympic gold medal having won three of six World Cups and his absence opens up the men's race which will be contested by 50 riders. It will be the third staging of the mountain bike race with Dutchman Bart Brentjens winning the inaugural Olympic event in Atlanta and Frenchman Miguel Martinez winning in Sydney. Martinez will defend his title in Athens after only returning to the sport following an unsuccessful experiment with road racing. Belgium will look to Roel Paulissen, who won the year's second World Cup and was beaten by Meirhaeghe in the first, as their major hope for gold. Paulissen is ranked second in the world ahead of Frenchman Julien Absalon and German Lado Fumic. Top Swiss rider Christoph Sauser and the 2000 bronze medallist and European champion Jose Antonio Hermida of Spain are other medal chances. Australia's hopes rest with Josh Fleming and national champion Sid Taberlay from Tasmania. At 24, Taberlay is an up and comer in mountain biking but he has one top 10 World Cup finish to his name this year, coming ninth in the event in Spain. In contrast, Fleming is an old hand, having made his first Australian team in 1996. He won the World Cup event in Canada earlier this year.

08/26/2004

Ballfield Construction at Beatty A temporary road is in the process of being built within Colonel Beatty Park. This is to allow heavy equipment access to begin construction of two new baseball fields and grading for two future soccer fields. It will be removed once work has been completed. There will also be extensive work done on the waterfront. The work is part of a 2 million dollar construction phase. The running trail is not part of that deal. Riders will temporarily lose access to some of the trails while the work is undertaken. There will be some loss of trail due to the layout of fields and settlement pond. The Trailblazers will reroute a new section to the valley trail and back trail as soon as it is determined how far back the fields will be built. Park and Rec will allow us to build 100' off of property line to reconnect trails. They are working closely with Trailblazers to ensure minimal impact to the existing trail system. We will be posting soon when a work day will be scheduled to build new section of trail. Thanks, Tom Waldron

08/25/2004

IMBA Announces 2004 Epic Rides IMBA Epic Rides. The best rides...forever. Epic rides are why we love mountain biking. They create classic memories and inspire us to save the trails. To fuel this passion, IMBA has selected four outstanding routes as 2004 IMBA Epic Rides, adding to the 28 great rides we've picked since '99. We'll honor each one with a two-day celebration: you're invited! Epic celebrations are a weekend-long opportunity to bring mountain bikers together to celebrate our sport and great riding. The first day we focus on trailwork, the second on riding and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Participants camp near the trailhead, share meals, riding stories and ideas. The events are co-hosted by local mountain bike clubs and IMBA. 2004 IMBA Epic selections and celebration dates: - Mid Mountain Trail, Park City, Utah - Sept. 11-12 - Skookum Flats, Enumclaw, Washington - Sept. 24-25 - Buffalo Creek Trails, Pine, Colorado - Oct. 9-10 - Tanasi Trails, Ocoee, Tennessee - Nov. 13-14 The 2004 IMBA Epic Rides program is sponsored once again by Bike Magazine and Santa Cruz Bicycles. Host clubs are the Mountain Trails Foundation (Utah), Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club (Washington), Team Evergreen (Colorado), and SORBA Chattanooga (Tennessee). Epic celebrations are free to IMBA members and are limited to the first 100 pre-registered riders. Event registration now open: http://www.imba.com/epics

08/24/2004

N. Meck Pipeline Update As posted on 8/17, clearing of the corridor for sewer pipe construction is complete. A 30 - 40 ft swath has been cut through the forest, crossing the trail at two adjacent locations. Massive tree gnawing machinery appears to have chewed everything in sight, leaving behind mulch that approaches 2 ft thick in areas. A pathway through the mulch has been cleared at both locations and we feel the trail is race ready for September 1st. We may need to bring in some crush and run gravel if the predicted upcoming rains puddle in the troughs. We will keep you informed of the trail condition, and may ask for a push next Monday evening (8/30) if we need to haul in some gravel. We have received word that actual construction of the pipeline will start in October. We are hopeful of repairing the trail in these areas in rapid fashion. Please keep in mind that safety in these areas is paramount.

08/23/2004

Public Relations Committee Update The Public Relations Committee was recently formed to fulfill an important mission of the Trailblazers -- to build community awareness of the Trailblazer mission and accomplishments among citizens and decision makers in Charlotte. Initially, the PRC has four sub-committees, each with an important job to do: 1. Survey Subcommittee - To gather and disseminate information about the people who use the trails. 2. Brochure Subcommittee - To develop a brochure that can be used for a variety of purposes. 3. Presentation Subcommittee - To develop a multimedia presentation about the Trailblazers. 4. Park and Recreation Subcommittee - To monitor Mecklenburg County Park and Rec Commission meetings in order to build a better relationship with our important partner. Please contact Chris Fernandez at chrisfernandez@parkerpoe.com to learn how you can be a part of the Public Relations Committee.

08/22/2004

Two Great Rides This Coming Weekend! Ride in Davidson on Saturday. The Ride for Pride hosted by the Cannonball Cycling Ride For Pride Hilly Hellacious Hundred on Sunday http://www.blueridgebicycleclub.org/hilly_2004_announcement.html No "day-of" registration, you must register ASAP for Sunday.

08/20/2004

Trailblazer Surveys Now Online If you have not yet filled out a THTB trail survey please do so asap. We will be making a presentation to the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recs using the data from these surveys. We are hoping to help better protect our local trails and grow the current network. If you ride a mountain bike you neeed to fill out a survey form. We have plenty at SouthPark Cycles and they should be available at all of the bike shops and at the Summer MTB Race Series. Also, if you are not currently a member of the Tarheel Trailblazers I encourage you to join and help to protect, maintain and grow our local trail network. Trail Use Survey

08/19/2004

Request for your help - dangerous driver Fellow Cyclists, Over the past 2-3 weeks I have encountered a problem driver on Ridge Rd and Kendrick Rd. which are two of the more popular roads we ride on in South Carolina. This man is travelling towards Clover SC on these two roads between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm every evening. He drives a work truck with a white cab with a flat front, where the seat is directly over the engine compartment. It has mirrors that stick way out to the sides like those used when you pull a trailer. The bed of the truck is painted Safety Yellow(like the yellow road signs) and is the type that has tool compartments around the wheel wells. There are some green gas tanks in the bed of the truck (acetylyne maybe?) and what appears to be a blue colored welder. This person has made a game of seeing how close he can get his truck to myself and my wife as he passes going the same direction. This has happened 4 times in the last 2-3 weeks. Last night we were headed South on Kendrick Rd, going towards Ridge on the Wednesday night Route, he pulled up beside us just before the bridge at the bottom of the hill, blasted his horn (which has a high pitch like a Japanese car) and swerved into us. We had to ride off the road into the ditch to avoid being hit. There has not been any other traffic around when this guy has done this and it is clearly intentional. This man is doing this repeatedly and getting a little closer each time. I have filed a Police Report with the York Conuty Seriff's Office regarding these incidents. I really need a license number so they can go after this guy. Please be on the lookout for this vehicle. If you see it while you're riding be alert and try to get a license number or company name from the side of the truck. If you have had a similar incident or can provide any information please contact me and the York County SC Sheriff's Office. This person needs to be taken off the road before he kills someone. Thanks for your help Bill Gintert D: 704-391-5142 E: 704-853-8986 email: gintert@msn.com

08/18/2004

Fourth Annual Crossroads Bike Swap August 29, 2004 From Jeff Archer, First Flight Bikes - We are going to try and make the swap meet the last Sunday in August each year. Our previous swaps have been held in mid September through mid October and there just seems to be way too many conflicts. Hopefully this way, you will be able to mark your calendars and know how to plan your schedules. We had a great time this year and would like to thank everyone that came out. We had swap participants from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Hope to see you in 2004. Event Schedule 5:30-7 PM Open house at First Flight Bicycles in Historic Downtown Statesville. Everyone is welcome to browse through our collection of 300+ vintage bicycles from the 1860’s through the present day. We have thousands of vintage parts for sale so come and find that special piece to finish your project bike. Dinner out on the town after the open house. For more information call First Flight Bicycles at 704.878.9683 8:30 AM Begin registration for the 35 and 65 mile road rides. 9:00 AM Ride leaves from the Statesville Civic Center. Tour the scenic countryside of Northern Iredell County including Ft. Dobbs, the gem mines in Hiddenite and Lookout Dam. There will be a single rest stop at Linney’s Mill (65 mile ride only) and a sweep van will be provided for those who need a ride back. Detailed route maps will be provided. 8:30 AM Vendor set up for swap meet 9:00 AM Doors open to the public, FREE ADMISSION 2:30 PM Presentation of bike show awards Bike Swap: The swap will take place in the Statesville Civic Center In Historic Downtown Statesville. The 3 year-old facility features a 19’ x 21’ fresco by world-renowned artist, and Statesville native, Ben Long. Vendor tables are available to sell bikes, parts and related accessories. If you don’t want to watch your table, bring your stuff and we will sell it for you (call for details). Bike Show: Last year we had some stunning show bikes. Anybody remember the Shelby "Donald Duck" bike? How about the running of the "Whizzers" (motorized bikes from the 1940’s) through downtown Statesville. Maybe we will bring an ordinary (high wheel) bike for some practice runs as well. There will be some nice vintage road bikes and mountain bikes to check out. Awards will be given for each era of bikes. All proceeds will go to the Crossroads Cycling Club to help support building of the Lake Norman State park trail. The trail will be built entirely from donated materials and volunteer labor. There will be hundreds of volunteer hours and thousands of dollars needed. Please lend your support to this effort. We look forward to seeing you. Thank you. Registration Pre-register and save money. $5.00 will be added to all registrations received after Sept. 14. For pre-registration, go to: http://www.firstflightbikes.com/crossroa.htm

08/17/2004

Pipeline Construction Underway at N. Meck (Photo Update 8/18) Clearing of the corridor for pipeline construction has begun at N. Meck. We dodged a bullet in the pine forest, as the trail was not impacted by the clearing. At one point, the trail touches the cleared area before diving back into the woods. It is a little strange to have the lower canopy of trees now gone along the creek. The trail has been impacted at two locations: 1) just past the large pole bridge and the surrounding area, and 2) on the north side of the approach to the creek crossing. The trail is very much rideable. Please observe caution when crossing the mulched areas of the trail at these locations. For views of pipeline construction, go here.

08/17/2004

Davidson Directior of P&R to Address Trailblazers Steve Fraher (Davidson Director of Park & Rec.) will be attending the September meeting of the Trailblazers (9/3) giving us a brief presentation on Fisher Farm Park. Plans are moving forward on the construction of mountain bike trails at the new park in Davidson. Please plan on attending and being a park of the construction of a trail system that IS on a master plan! For more information and to sign-up as a trail volunteer, contact Mark Sullivan at: MTBikerNC69@aol.com

08/16/2004

Gravity Fest Comes To Catawba! It's coming this weekend, the Catawba Gravity Fest, the 4th stop on the Maxxis Southeast Super Series. This Saturday, August 21st, the southeast's top downhillers will be at Historic Tuckaseegee Park (a.k.a Catawba Riverfront Park). Two events will highlight the thrilling action filled day of gravity events. Dual is a cross between dual slalom and four-cross. Basically the dual slalom course will be turned into a head-to-head course with one larger lane, as opposed to the two lanes in dual slalom. After qualifying, pairings will be set and a head-to-head single elimination bracket will determine the winner. At 3:00PM, the downhillers will take to the short but tricky downhill course of the Catawba Gravity Fest. Top honors will be determined by taking the best of two runs on the fast course. Registration will open at 9:00AM with Dual qualifying at 11:00AM. For times, directions, categories and all other pertinent information, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com. Thursday, we will be at the park getting the dual course ready. The downhill course is pretty much ready to go, just a few minor areas to work. If you would like to help with the courses, a crew is heading to Catawba around lunch on Thursday. Come on out. The Charlotte Mountain Bike Series Race will head to Col Francis Beatty for the last time during the 2004 season. Come on out and join the fun. For info, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com

08/13/2004

Chainsaw Training Wanted: 4 to 6 people who can commit to work one day each weekend from 2 Oct thru the last weekend in Nov or early Dec. Task: Chainsaw work to clear corridor for trail in Phase 3 of Itusi. Requirements: First you must be certified by State Park by taking a short competency training / safety class. Second, of the people trained I will need to have at least two certified chainsaw operators scheduled and committed to work every work day ( Sat & Sun ) until corridor is cut. Purpose: The past two winter work seasons we only had two non-staff persons chainsaw certified. By having a larger pool of people capable of clearing work for opening the trail corridor we may be able to speed up the process of building the trail. This section of land should yield 5 plus miles. We hope to be able to partially cut much of the trail with mechanized equipment this year due to the large area. We will have our hands full this year trying to complete this big section. Contact INFO: Respond ASAP so we can schedule the training date. Use this group to email your response. You may email me at ; waterbob@statesville.net . Or you can stop by First Flight Bike shop and talk with Jeff or Wes. Thank ya'll . Think about it. Work is scheduled to begin the first weekend of Oct. We need your response quickly. This is dangerous work. You will probably need to have steel toed shoes prior to training. All other safety gear will be provided by the Park. Trail Boss bOb

08/10/2004

IMBA Launches New Logo and Ad Campaign The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) has unveiled a comprehensive new marketing effort that includes new logos, graphics, slogans and advertisements. It's all the product of a new partnership with award-winning advertising firm Carmichael Lynch. The goal: build a higher awareness for IMBA and recruit new members. The new IMBA logo is a simple, strong image with a modern vibe. Accompanying the logo are four symbols that concisely describe IMBA's work: Speak, Build, Respect, Ride. The campaign also introduces new print ads with the tagline, "What would we do without trails?" The ads feature mountain bike riders in improbable situations, such as playing shuffleboard, to demonstrate what cyclists might do if there were no trails to ride. "Let's face it: describing IMBA's work in a compelling way is difficult. Advocacy, lobbying, land managers, government bureaucracy - it's not the stuff most mountain bikers want to hear about," said IMBA communications director Pete Webber. "This new campaign gives our brand some energy. It describes our work in a straightforward manner and presents dynamic ads with an emotional tagline." To celebrate the new campaign, IMBA is holding a contest on the IMBA website to encourage mountain bikers to submit their own "What would we do without trails?" photograph. The winner will earn a Juan Solo singlespeed mountain bike from Salsa Cycles. "The true measure of IMBA's work is trail access - our top priority is ensuring people have great trails to ride. But being able to put a fresh, new spin on our image is important, too. We need to catch the eyes of mountain bikers. This is a first step in attracting riders to our movement and enlisting them as IMBA supporters. For mountain biking, more IMBA members means more clout and better riding," said IMBA's Webber. Based in Minneapolis, Carmichael Lynch has been Harley-Davidson's ad agency for the past 25 years. Other clients include Porsche, Northwest Airlines and American Standard. The 270-person agency is recognized as one of the top advertising agencies in the world. Most of their work on the IMBA campaign is donated. View the campaign and learn more about the contest at http://www.imba.com.

08/09/2004

Meirhaeghe Tests Positive For EPO, Retires Meirhaeghe Tests Positive For EPO, Retires By: Jack Miller, Dirt Rag Filip Meirhaeghe (pronounced “Meer-Hawga”), the reigning world mountain bike champion and a favorite to win gold at the Athens Olympics this summer, has tested positive for the banned substance EPO, and has subsequently retired from competitive cycling. Winner of three World Cup events this year and the silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, Meirhaeghe was one of Belgium's’ few medal hopes for the summer games. Along with that, he is widely credited with popularizing the sport of mountain biking in Belgium. Meirhaeghe tested positive at an out of competition control on June 25, just two days before the fifth round of the mountain bike World Cup in Monte St Anne, Canada. While he claims to have first taken EPO just seven weeks ago, the 33-year-old Meirhaeghe was banned from competing in the 1997 mountain bike World Championships for testing with high levels of hematocrit, a trait indicative of EPO use.

08/08/2004

Bank of America Criterium Dominquez edges 2 others in sprint - Wins invitational by less than wheel length MICHAEL WILKINS Special Correspondent Reprinted from the Charlotte Observer Ivan Dominquez beat out three riders in a sprint to win the Bank of America Invitational Criterium Saturday night. Dominquez, of the Colavita Bolla-Cuba team, won by less than half the length of a wheel to beat out Gord Fraser and Henk Vogels at the finish of the 60-mile race through uptown Charlotte. All top three finishers came in with a time of 2 hours, 51.3 seconds. "The weather was one of the biggest factors in the race," said Dominquez of the unseasonably cool temperatures for early August. "Today the weather was perfect for the race. It was fun." Dominquez almost crashed in the last straightaway. He corrected and moved left to beat out the field in a 200-meter sprint. Dominquez received $25,000 for his first-place finish. The event was promoted as the world's riches race of it's kind, with a total purse of $125,000. Race officials announced that an estimated crowd of 25,000 people came to watch. The crowd lined both sides of Tryon Street for the length of the course, standing as many as 10 deep at the finish line, at the intersection of Trade and Tryon. Saturday's Results Top 10 1. Ivan Dominquez, Colavita Bolla-Cuba, 2 hours, 0:51.3 seconds 2. Gord Fraser, Health Net, 2:00.51.3 3. Henk Vogels, Navigator's Insurance-Queensland, 2:00.51.3 4. Vassili Davidenko, Navigator's Insurance-Tbilissi-R, 2:00.51.4 5. Zoran Klemencic, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives-L, 2:00.51.6 6. David McCook, McGuire Cycling, U.S., 2:00.51.9 7. Jonas Carney, Jelly Belly, 2:00.51.9 8. Robbie Ventura, USPS Wildwood, NC, US, 2:00.52.0 9. Chris Horner, Webcor Builders, U.S., 2:00.52.0 10. Charles Dionne, Webcor Builders, Canada, 2:00.52.2

08/08/2004

Fisher Farm Update The land use agreement with Davidson Park and Rec. has been approved and in the last stage of being signed. Frank Pietras placed his signature on it at the August TTB meeting. Thank you to all who helped in getting this project under way. And thank you all to who have expressed an interest in helping with the trail. We have approx. 40-45 acres of land at our disposal for trails. The terrain is varied and will allow for a very diverse trail experience for all skill levels. The park is located in the north east corner of Meck. county near Iredell and Cabarrus counties. ( It's out in the country). The whole park is also under a conservation easement to protect the land. We will start construction sometime in Oct./Nov. and hope to get 4-6 miles of trail. Only time will tell. Hope to see you at the trail! Sincerely, Mark S. Sullivan Trail Coordinator Fisher Farm Park

08/08/2004

Trailblazers Welcome Diva Donation At our August meeting, Dirt Diva Treasurer, Tracey Jones, presented the Trailblazers with a check for $300 for trail maintenance. The Divas encourage their membership to make financial donations above their membership dues, for the trails. Funds will be used for the purchase of additional tools and maintenance of our saws and other trail building equipment. The thoughtfulness of our sister club is appreciated by all of our membership, and we hope to continue to work beside the Divas in our future trail building adventures! Thank you ladies! For additional information on Charlotte's premier womans mountainbike club, go to: www.dirtdivas.net

08/07/2004

Bush, Kerry Earn Honorary IMBA Memberships This year's path to the White House includes singletrack. Cyclists from Texas and Massachusetts are in the news, and we're not talking about the rivalry between Lance Armstrong and Tyler Hamilton. President George Bush's new-found enthusiasm for off-road riding has been a top story recently in the national media. And he's not the only presidential candidate who rides. Senator John Kerry's primary outdoor exercise is bicycling - both road riding and occasionally mountain biking - and the press has taken notice. "The fact that both presidential candidates are avid cyclists is great news for our sport," said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). "IMBA is recognizing this by enrolling both candidates as honorary IMBA members and by making sure both campaigns understand our priorities." Knee pain motivated President Bush to start mountain biking and now he's hooked on the sport. Long rides on his Texas ranch and at Camp David in Maryland are a highlight of his regular schedule. Senator Kerry has been photographed riding his road bike, but he's also known to pedal dirt trails near Sun Valley, Idaho. Suddenly, cycling is giving the campaign an interesting spin. Whether it is wire service stories, evening news highlights or Jay Leno jokes, our sport is gaining valuable exposure. Media coverage hit a peak with the Sunday, Aug. 1 edition of the New York Times. A feature article entitled "Culture Wars, on Two Wheels" appeared on page four of the Week in Review section. The article compared the candidates by contrasting their riding styles using traditional mountain biker versus road rider stereotypes. IMBA's Blumenthal is quoted throughout the story. No matter who you are voting for in this year's election, it's good to know that both candidates appreciate sweet singletrack!

08/06/2004

Jeff Wise Speaks To Trailblazers Jeff Wise of Charlotte Whitewater addressed the Trailblazers at their August meeting. Jeff discussed the current geotechnical drilling at Catawba and re-emphasized the fact that this phase will be complete in the next few days, and once again, activity will die down. Logs currently blocking the trail at the drilling site will be removed and the trail re-opened prior to the upcoming weekend. Jeff’s team is pushing Park and Rec to allow the southern portion of the park to remain open during the $25 million construction phase. We (TTB) will be working from our side in the same effort. Projected groundbreaking on the project is tentatively set for late October / early November 2004. The project is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete. For more details, visit the white water park website at: http://www.charlottewhitewater.com/

08/05/2004

President's Corner - 'Dozers at Catawba As reported by some riders this week, there have been bulldozers and drilling rigs on the north end (far end) of the property at Historic Tuckasegee Ford Park. According to Jeff Wise of Charlotte Whitewater Partners, these machines are there to do preliminary geotechnical investigation and drill core samples from the areas to be developed into the whitewater park. The drilling company is aware of the existing trails and intend to do as little damage as possible to them at this time. One section of the "crater" trail was blocked on Tuesday, Aug. 3rd, but should be cleared by the weekend. Actual construction of the whitewater park is not expected to start until later this year. When actual construction does begin, it is expected that the entire north end of the park will be closed to trail riding. The Trailblazers have spoken at a couple of different Park meetings expressing the importance of keeping the trails open to some degree during construction. We have been told by the park manager that they will make every effort to keep the trails open during construction. Safety is the biggest concern, so if we have to block part of the trail, it is very important that no one go "exploring" on closed trails. If they do, we may be forced to close the entire trail during construction. We of course have no influence over the 4-wheelers and motorcycles that ride illegally on park property, and have voiced our concerns that their actions might have an adverse effect on the cyclists. There is new ground being broken here in many more ways than one, so it is important for all of us to keep our minds open when dealing with the inconveniences that lie ahead of us. In the big picture, the future of mountain biking along the Catawba River corridor looks very bright. The prospect of having a world class whitewater facility available in that same corridor is unprecedented. Let's all be prepared to deal with the costs of progress along the way... Keep on riding!.... Frank Pietras President/Trail Coordinator

08/04/2004

Bulldozers at Catawba What we are currently witnessing at Catawba, is the Geotechnical Investigation. The Geotech, Wright Padget Christopher is on site drilling core samples in the areas that are to be developed by the future white water park. To perform their task, the contractor must clear areas for their equipment to get to the future building locations, ponds, etc. The geotechnical investigator is a friend of former Trailblazer President, Jeff Smith. Jeff assures us that the contractor is aware of the existing trails, and has promised to do as little damage as possible. Crews should be out there for a few more weeks and then things will quiet down for a few months. Actual construction of the park is not scheduled to begin until later in the year. We have been aware of the purposed white water park for some time now, so the excavation is not a surprise. We will lose portions of the trail system at Catawba, but we are looking at working closely with the contractors and park management to minimize impact and to re-route lost trail. If you consider the location of Catawba, at the intersection of I-85 and the new I-485, park development to include the white water park is a much better option than the possibility of yet another Wal-Mart to be constructed on what is considered to be a valuable piece of property. Your patience is greatly appreciated as we wade through this issue.

07/29/2004

Update on Real Athletes MIAMI - Retired Dolphins running back Ricky Williams said he failed a third drug test for marijuana use, which would cost him a four-game suspension if he decides to return to the NFL, The Miami Herald reported on its Web site Thursday. Editors note: Be sure to check out article at: http://www.tarheeltrailblazers.com/article.cfm?news_id=164 Williams told the newspaper that marijuana played a larger role in his retirement than he indicated when he walked away after just five pro seasons. He said he learned of the failed test and possible suspension days before telling coach Dave Wannstedt last week that he was through playing. Williams said, however, that there were "a hundred reasons" for his surprising decision to retire, and his desire to continue smoking marijuana was only one of them.

07/29/2004

IMBA/B.O.B. Trailer Trailwork 2004 National Public Lands Day Features IMBA/B.O.B. Trailer Trailwork Challenge IMBA-affiliated clubs across the U.S. are encouraged to schedule volunteer projects for National Public Lands Day and enter the IMBA/B.O.B. Trailer Trailwork Challenge. This one-day celebration of public land will be held Saturday, Sept. 18, 2004. Register your project on the IMBA website. We'll record your club's contribution to the nationwide effort and enter your group in a drawing for a B.O.B. IBEX Suspension Trailer with trailwork tool racks ($500 retail). Whether it's new trail construction or routine maintenance, involving your group in National Public Lands Day will help solidify mountain biking's prominent position in the trails community. Trailwork projects that involve other trail groups or creative partnerships with the public/private sector are encouraged. IMBA is proud to be a member of the coalition promoting National Public Lands Day.

07/28/2004

Renaissance Mtn. Bike Race - Posponed! The mountain bike race at Renni has been postponed. The trails are extremely sloppy, not real fun to race on. Two nights of heavy rain have left the trails very wet. Please help spread the word! A FOX racing jersey will be given away at the race at N. Meck next week. Neal Boyd Charlotte Sports Cycling 2022 Dembrigh Lane Charlotte, NC 28262

07/27/2004

Bush travels rugged path with latest hobby Associated Press Crawford, Texas - President Bush charged up punishing climbs and down steep dirt paths on his high-performance bike Monday, at one point landing flat on his back. The president dusted himself off from his fall on a treacherous descent, waved his medics away and kept rolling, a small cut on his knee and dirt on his back the only signs he had wrecked. He allowed that he was a bit shaken up. Bush's new hobby is a way to get his heart rate up and spend time outdoors without aggravating his achy knees. With an Associated Press reporter riding with him, Bush pedaled to remote corners of his 1,600-acre ranch. Bush has been riding the knobby-tired bikes since February, and he rides with abandon. He takes on dangerous sections that would give veterans pause. He keeps a cramp-inducing pace on long uphill sections, panting hard by the time he reaches each peak, backing off a little to recover and then attacking the next hill. He pants hard, emitting low "hrrr, hrrr, hrrr" grunts with each stroke of the pedals, his shoulders bobbing up and down. Over an 18-mile ride that lasted an hour and 20 minutes, he burns about 1,200 calories and his heart rate reaches 168 beats per minute. That's about four times his resting rate and in the same range as Lance Armstrong's when the six-time Tour de France winner is pedaling hard. "At my age, you're more concerned about the cardiovascular" benefits of a workout, the 58-year-old president said. Mountain biking, he said, has a certain "mind-clearing" effect on him, as well. His bike is one of the best in the business: a Trek Fuel 98 made of space-age carbon fiber. The frame is adorned with high-tech components that Bush professes to know little about, including a motorcycle-style front and rear suspension that soaks up big bumps. List price: about $3,100. He had it specially fitted by a Washington bicycle retailer. "My right knee has finally had it," Bush said. "Running is really a painful experience for me now." "I was looking for a different way to get outside and get exercise," Bush said. "Swimming is outside exercise, but you don't get the feeling of the wind rushing past you, nor can you swim your favorite piece of property." Swimming does not offer countless ways to get injured either. Crashes are routine in mountain biking, and Bush has been baptized with a few wrecks. On May 22, he lost traction on a dirt road, scraping his chin, upper lip, nose, right hand and both knees. The next day, a Secret Service agent riding behind him slammed onto the ground at high speed on a paved section, breaking his collarbone and three ribs. Bush approaches steep downhills warily. In the moments before today's crash, he warns his riding party of a sharp drop and a hard left turn ahead. "I'm gonna show you a hill that would choke a mule," he says. He hits the brakes and is steadily advancing downhill when his front tire loses its grip amid the loose rocks. His foot gets stuck in a strap that keeps it on the pedal. In the blink of an eye, his rear wheel is in the air, and Bush is flying high over the handlebars, landing on his back with the bike on top of him. He lies motionless for a few moments. The reporter hoists the bike off him just as his medics arrive to attend to him. There are trees and a drop-off nearby, and the road is littered with rocks, but Bush is uninjured. A reflector has snapped off the bike. He leaves it as a warning marker for next time. Bush straightens out his handlebars, throws a leg over the bike and keeps rolling. "We've got thrills, spills - you name it," he says. When the reporter points out that Democrat John Kerry has a $8,000 road bicycle, Bush says, "Who?"

07/27/2004

Top Athletes Don't Ride Bicycles Maybe some of you would be interested in dropping ol' Mike an email, or two... By Mike Imrem Chicago Daily Herald mimrem@dailyherald.com How thought-provoking over the weekend that the paths of Lance Armstrong and Ricky Williams crossed halfway around the world from each other. In France, Armstrong won the Tour de France for a record sixth consecutive time. From Hawaii, Williams announced his retirement from the NFL. What this started me thinking about again is the claim Armstrong is the world's greatest athlete. I have said this before: Even if Armstrong is the world's most dominant athlete ever, he's nowhere near the world's greatest athlete. What does Williams have to do with the equation? Well, to me the suddenly former Dolphins running back was a better athlete than Armstrong is. So is anyone who can hit Kerry Wood's curveball or execute a crossover dribble in Kobe Bryant's face. Wayne Gretzky was skinny enough in his prime to win the Tour de France. Dennis Rodman could have if it wouldn't have bored him to death. Alex Rodriguez would have if there were more money in it. This isn't personal on my part. A half-hour on a stationary bike is about my limit. I'd have trouble riding around France for three weeks in a Porsche unless it was chauffeur-driven. Back to Williams, the point being anybody who ever carried the football once in the NFL is a better athlete than even cycling's best ever. Put it this way: Williams could peddle a bicycle for a couple hours in the Tour de France but Armstrong couldn't survive a single hit in the NFL. That doesn't minimize Armstrong's accomplishments. His training regimen suggests he's superhuman and his cycling record confirms the notion. But I'm sorry ... neither makes him more athletic than an NFL running back. Like, it's no surprise Williams announced his retirement the week NFL training camps begin, because few football players want to go through that. Nor is it surprising Williams quit after five seasons, because that's as long as any human being should have to endure the punishment. It's one thing to tolerate physical agony while sitting on a bicycle. It's another while angry 300-pounders are slamming into you. Just imagine the speed, agility and muscle - the athleticism - it takes to navigate past, around and through people like Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher and Warren Sapp. Walter Payton did it for 13 seasons. After a couple, he indicated he would play five total, then go teach hearing-impaired children. Unlike Williams, however, Payton just kept on keepin' on. Now, don't you think if Payton applied himself to cycling the way he did to football - and if it were as financially and emotionally rewarding to Americans - that he could have become Armstrong? I mean, if Payton could run up and down that Arlington Heights hill to get in shape for NFL beatings, don't you think he could have withstood a cyclist's workouts? If Ricky Williams stays retired he will be the rare football player - along with the likes of Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Robert Smith - with the strength to both play that brutal game and to leave us wanting more. Williams wants to explore other interests, fulfill other ambitions and experience other sensations. Who knows, he might even take up cycling just for the fun of it and win the Tour de France just for the heck of it. If so, he won't be the athlete he was as an NFL running back.

07/19/2004

Mt. Holly Colors its Future Green From the Charlotte Observer... Hurt by a snub in a tourism video, the city pushes hard to create a parkland image MOUNT HOLLY - A painful moment a few years ago prodded Mount Holly to launch its plan for a system of parks along the length of its riverfront and along the banks of its major creeks. The Gaston County Department of Tourism had released a video promoting the county, and as Mount Holly officials watched, they realized their city was never mentioned. The department had listed 17 reasons to visit Gaston County, and none had anything to do with Mount Holly. "It was almost as if we had no public image beyond our own borders," said David Kraus, the city manager. So the City Council and residents decided in 2003 to create an image for their city of 10,000: They would build a system of parks and greenways to make their city a paradise for pedestrians and outdoor lovers. "When you've got 100 miles of trails through a city within driving distance of Charlotte -- there aren't any other cities like that," said Mayor Bryan Hough. They hope this image will come to drivers' minds as they read the city's name on exit signs along the future northwestern arc of Interstate 485, which they expect to energize development in and near their city. But the obstacles were obvious from the start. The city did not have the money in hand to buy much land. The land it coveted was held by numerous private owners. And even if the money could be found, some were not likely to sell. The riverfront park system would have to loop around the Riverfront subdivision on the Catawba near the city's southern boundary. And far more jarringly, it would have to avoid the large Clariant Corp. chemical plant on the river next to downtown Mount Holly. While it has resolved none of those obstacles, over the last two years the city has marched steadily toward realizing its dream through a variety of creative means. Last spring, the city opened Mountain Island Park on 49 riverfront acres leased from Duke Energy for a dollar a year. In June, the city announced the company had agreed to sell more than 200 acres on either side of the park if the city can secure a $2.6 million state grant. The grant is available because the parkland purchase also would protect water quality in Mountain Island Lake and upper Lake Wylie. Last summer, Mount Holly voters approved a $2.3 million bond to acquire land and construct a greenway from downtown to the river, ending at a park at the foot of the N.C. 27 bridge. This spring, the city acquired the last of 29 acres of riverfront land contiguous with the nine-acre Tuckaseege Park, south of downtown. Sixteen acres came from Clariant Corp. at a total cost of $50,000, and 13 acres were deeded to the city as a condition of the development of the Riverfront subdivision. And the city continues to piece together parcels along Dutchman's and Fite's creeks, which flow through Mount Holly on their way to the Catawba. Backing this effort is the Mount Holly Community Development Foundation, a citizens' group founded in the wake of the city's epiphany in 2003. The foundation is quietly seeking large donors to help pay for parkland purchases. It plans to launch a public fund-raising campaign this fall. The foundation also is working with developers to encourage land donations and pedestrian walkways. "We want to attract people who appreciate an active lifestyle," said Lee Beatty, the foundation chairman. He said the Dutchman's Creek greenway alone could connect pedestrians with about a dozen subdivisions and the downtown. That, in turn, could help Mount Holly attract the kinds of office jobs that would complement its evolution from a mill town into a suburban community. "We want to make this a city that will attract small companies who would love to be

07/19/2004

NORBA/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants Awarded Seven $500 NORBA (http://www.usacycling.org)/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants have been awarded to mountain biking groups seeking to create or improve trails used for mountain bike racing, race training and recreational riding. Trail Tune-Up Grants are completely funded by National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) members through an optional checkbox on NORBA license applications and renewal forms. The program has funded dozens of trail improvement projects coast-to-coast since 1998 and is administered through a partnership between the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and NORBA. The NORBA/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grant winners are: Kentucky Mountain Bike Association (http://www.kymba.org/), Kentucky - Grant money will be used to improve a popular trail in Waverly Park in the Jefferson County Memorial Forest. Long-term plans call for development of a short-track race loop in the park. Shenandoah Mountain Bike Club (http://www.shenandoahmountainbikeclub.com/), Virginia - The SMBC will purchase trailwork tools to build and maintain trails at Virginia's Massanutten Resort - site of several NORBA races each year. New Orleans Metro Area Mountain Bike Organization (http://www.nomambo.com), Louisiana - Funds will be used to upgrade the Spillway Trail, the only shared-use singletrack in New Orleans. NOMAMBO organized a new race on the trail this spring and will host another event in the fall. Southern Off-Road Bicycling Association (http://sorba.org), Georgia - SORBA will improve drainage on the famous Helen Trail in Unicoi State Park. The route was used for several NORBA National races in the 1990's and is featured in the Helen Fat Tire Fest, an annual SORBA fundraiser. Boulder Off-Road Alliance (http://www.boa-mtb.org/), Colorado - The grant will fund trail maintenance at Walker and Heil Ranch, two highly-popular Boulder mountain biking loops. Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (http://www.cambatrails.org), Wisconsin - The grant will help CAMBA relocate the Rock Lake Trail in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The new trail features 14 miles of singletrack. Mesa State Cycling Club, Colorado - The club is working to improve trails in the Lunch Loop area near Grand Junction. Mesa State will host the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference Regional Championships on this popular trail system October 23-24.

07/19/2004

October 2nd is Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Open your calendar and clear a few hours on Saturday, October 2nd, for National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. It's pretty simple: find a kid, get them a bike and helmet, select a route and go for a ride! If you are involved with a cycling club, organize a kids event. The key is to make it fun so kids are psyched to ride again. Childhood obesity in the United States has reached an all-time high. Experts say that the current generation of U.S. children could actually have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. IMBA believes mountain biking can help reverse this trend. We need your help to get kids back on bikes. IMBA National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day celebrates the life of Jack Doub, an avid teenage mountain biker from North Carolina who passed away in 2002. Funding is provided by the Jack Doub Memorial Endowment, Schwinn Bicycles and the Goldsmith-Greenfield Foundation. Visit http://www.imba.com for tips on how you can get involved.

06/22/2004

Cowbell Challenge 12 Hour Mountain Bike Race As both a promoter and participant I can honestly say this years Cowbell Challenge 12 Hour Mountain Bike Race was a huge success. With well over 100 registered racers and sunny skies over Catawba (Historic Tuckaseegee Ford Park) it was going to be a great yet interesting day. With perfect trail conditions and a supposed loop of 6 to 7 miles it should have been an easy day turning some loops down by the river. Well, I think most would admit that the first hour or 2 of the race was pretty much that. As the sun began to rise over the power lines the looks on the racers face began to change. Also another thing became apparent. The fact that when I marked the course I had no computer on my bike and haven’t at all this year. As the temperatures reached the mid to upper 90’s the 8+ mile laps started to take their toll on most racers. Riding through the parts of the course on the open clay trails and fire roads seemed like riding in the middle of the desert. There was no doubt why we named the climb crossing under the powers lines “Desert Storm”. What was earlier in the day an easy stroll through the woods was becoming more about surviving your turn. Dehydration was running ramped and cramps spread through the transition areas to the different teams like a nasty infection. Only those that were truly prepared could avoid them. (No cramps for me and my 49 miles - Cytomax and Cytosport Recovery). As the afternoon took place some gusty wind and cloud cover took place. However, at this point the sun had done its damage. When 7:59pm and last call for laps came I noticed there was a shortage of people lining up. Most were humbled by how our local trail and the heat from our last day of spring had beaten them down. For most of us though, this was not a chime for the agony of defeat but just another great day of riding a bike. I currently do not have the results for the event, yet should in a couple of days. I want to thank all of the participants and v

06/08/2004

Local Mountain Bikers head to NORBA Nationals A good luck wish to all of the Charlotte Mountain Bike racers heading to Snowshoe, West Virginia and Vermont for the NORBA National Mountain bike races. A special shout goes out to Kevin Hall of SouthPark Cycles who will see his first real competition in the Semi Pro category. If Kevin gets 2 top 10’s or 1 top 5, he will fulfill his dream of receiving his Pro license. Good luck to all of the Just Fresh/ClifBar Team members that are heading up for the races. Dirt Diva extraordinaire, Patty Smith, will be attempting to qualify for the World Championships. Charlotte’s other female pro, Becky Smith, is laying low on the racing scene and training for the WC’s which she is pre qualified for due her podium there last year. Best wishes to Diego Garvito, Will Hoffarth, Wes Satterwhite, Kevin Hall, Jay Smith and everyone else from Charlotte! Make us proud and Good Luck!

06/08/2004

North Meck Trail Expansion Opens! The trail expansion at North Meck moved into high gear this past Monday evening, and the trail has now been opened to all riders. Although an accurate assessment of the actual trail length has not been made at this time, estimates are in the half mile range. The trail features a twisting downhill (with options to catch some quick air), followed by a double swithback climb, that twice drops off of a ridge. The rider climbs out approximately 50 feet from the new trail entrance, shooting the rider right at the huge earthen log crossing. Special thanks to Chad, Tucker, and Larry, Boy Scouts from local Scout Troop 19, for their efforts. Without their help, it's doubtful the trail would now be open to traffic. And of course, a big thank you goes out to the core of our crew, Kim Rodden and Dave "Bear" Carman, for all of their efforts over the past two months. We will leave the decision of whether or not to race the new section in the capable hands of promoter Neal Boyd, as the Charlotte Mountain Bike Race Series makes it's stop at North Meck this week. Now y'all get out there and ride it! -Tom Mathews

06/03/2004

USA Women's Olympic Softball Team On Wed June 16th, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation is hosting the USA Women's Olympic Softball Team at Renaissance Park They will be playing an exhibition game that evening. The entire parking lot at the soccer and softball fields will be closed for this event. Any mountian bikers that want to ride that night will have to park at the Tennis Courts and enter the trails there. Please try to spread the word. Thanks, Kevin Kevin Anderson Athletic Coordinator, Southwest District Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation

06/01/2004

24 Hours of Burn with the Dirt Divas Congratulations to a successful 24 hour race for the Dirt Diva Team of Sharon Stetler, Edee Roland, Jennifer Dilworth, Sara Kneas and Trina Holt. Two weeks ago, when my wife first informed me, that she and some friends were doing the 24 hour race, I’ll admit I was a little concerned. Could I handle managing 5 women at once? I’ll be the first to admit maybe 2 or 3 but 5? When the team showed up to load themselves into the SouthPark Van the first thing I had to ask was, "How long were we staying?" They had all packed enough to be gone a week and we were only going to be gone for about 30 hours. We sorted thru a few things and once we concluded that all 5 women did indeed need separate shampoos, we hit the road. We arrived at the venue, setup camp and attended the rider meeting and ceremonial ribbon cutting for the newly built trail. Before we knew it, it was start time. Our fearless crew of 5 was the only all female team, so were joined with the co-ed class. From this point there became an objective for the team. Not to be the last “co-ed” team and to beat some of the all male teams. The trail was a 6 mile loop with some steep climbs in the beginning and a nice long downhill to complete. Partially mechanically built, the trail was super buff and had some nice downhill switchbacks. These women were determined. 1 lap after another, not missing a beat in the transition area until 27 laps and over 162 miles had been covered. To be quite honest our outing went quite flawless. Our women always had someone out on the course and their bikes ran practically flawless. Everyone had a great time and there was no bloodshed. They beat some of the co-eds and some of the all men's teams. The women’s feeling of accomplishment was great. Thanks to Scott Hubbs and Brian Hynes for helping keep the women satisfied. It's hard to keep track of 5 women and Brian did an awesome job. From tracking splits to making sure every transition went off smoothly, he definitely deserves some congrats for helping keeping the crew going especially in the middle of the night. I thinks it's safe to say we all had a great time. Just want to say thanks to Tyler Benedict of Source Burn for a great event. This was a new venue for the endurance mountain bike race and was a great place. I loof forward to the event next year and will plan on running solo myself. Also a thanks to the Brushy Mountain Cycling Club for their hard work on the trail. Bart Stetler

05/29/2004

My Old Friend Still in shock after spending $50.06 to fill my gas tank (not to mention another grinding day at work), I opted not to drive to Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park to ride this evening. I needed a little solitude for a change and decided I would not, under any circumstances, deal with riders, acquaintances, walkers, runners, dogs. You get my drift, right? Read more...

05/26/2004

Fed Trail Program & Bike Biz Boost Upcoming IMBA Summit Next week's IMBA Summit has earned generous sponsorship from a diverse group of supporters. The Federal Highway Administration's Recreational Trails Program (RTP) is the event's leading sponsor. The Bikes Belong Coalition, Quality Bicycle Products and America Bikes are presenting sponsors. Read more...

05/25/2004

From Jeff Archer : Itusi Thanks I hope everyone enjoys the new section. There is a lot of sweat into it by a bunch of fine volunteers. I think many of the people that like the little more technical stuff will like this section even better. It is a little bit twistier and tighter than Phase I. There are some beautiful views of the lake and one inlet. Since there are no direction signs yet, the preferred direction will be to the right or counter-clockwise. After crossing the bridge and a double culvert, you will come to an intersection. Just go to the right and it will bring you back to the same point about 2 miles later.

05/25/2004

Lake Norman's Itusi Trail Expansion! Thanks to the countless manhours of volunteer labor performed in the last year, the 2 1/2 mile Phase II Itusi trail is now open! Please keep in mind that the first 1/2 mile is two way traffic. Also, there are no mile markers up yet. Thanks for everyone who has made this possible! A more formal grand opening and thank you will be done in the near future. Larry Hyde, Park Ranger

05/24/2004

Northern Mecklenburg County (Cornelius) Bike Survey Stand up North Mecklenburg bikers. Cornelius is taking a greenway/trail survey. Make your interest known! Take a minute to fill out their "Greenway / Bikeway System” survey: http://other.cornelius.org/parksrec/

05/18/2004

North Meck Update Construction of the trail expansion at North Meck is continuing at a good pace. The corridor has been cut and grooming of the trail has begun. Stump filling and benching is ongoing. It is hopeful that with some dry days, we will have the trail open by mid-June. Please note that we are meeting at the swim club on Monday evenings at 5:30. Directions: Take Hwy 73 east from I-77, turning Right on Green Farm. Take the second Left onto Vixen. The trailhead is at the end of the swim club parking lot.

05/13/2004

National River Cleanup Week The Great Outdoor Provision Company will be leading a cleanup day on the Catawba River at HTFP (Catawba Riverfront Park) on May 22nd from 10:00 to 3:00. This is part of National River Cleanup week sponsor by BOP. The contact is Rudy Hayden 704-523-1089. This would be a great weekend to get out and get involved! Let's aim high and have a strong presence.

05/05/2004

Tarheel Trailblazers Bike! Charlotte Celebration The Tarheel Trailblazers monthly meeting will be at 7:30 pm on Thursday, May 6th at the usual location, Jack's Bar and Grill on 7th St. In celebration of Bike! Charlotte 2004, we will be showing bike videos on the wide screen and offering food and snacks catered by fellow Trailblazer Bruce Stewart of Lola's / Tic-toc's Catering. As always, Jack's has great beverage specials for us on Thursday nights. Come out and get caught up on the latest happenings in the mountain bike world around Charlotte and meet with other riders that share similar interests. Don't forget the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series race, Wednesday, May 5th, at Renaissance Park starting at 6:15 pm. There are races for all ages and riding abilities. www.charlottemtnbike.com Also don't forget the Ride with the Mayor leaving from the Dowd YMCA on Thursday morning, May 6th at 7:30 am. You can leave with the group from SouthPark Cycles at 7:00 am to avoid dowtown traffic and parking hassles. Check out www.bike-charlotte.org for more details and events for Bike! Charlotte. Thanks, Frank Pietras

05/04/2004

Let's Not Forget... You're looking at my Buddy Tom's latest rig. In civilian life, Tom is a husband and father, rides a beautiful Klein and is a very competitive racquetball player. But currently, Tom is a Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard, commanding upwards of 1,500 men. Their responsibility is to supply everything from beans to bullets to 5 Star resort spots like Fallujah and Baghdad. Their home at Camp Carolina Crossroads, is in beautiful Kuwait, where temperatures were at a "balmy" 138 degrees when last we communicated. Despite what our political views may be of the current situation, we can’t afford to forget our friends and loved ones that are under daily attack. Let’s just hope and pray they can all return home safely - soon - very soon…And Tom can trade in that hot camo singlespeed for his cool Klein.

05/03/2004

Charlotte SportsLink Check out the May 2004 issue of Charlotte SportsLink. The article titled "The Charlotte Mountain Bike Race Scene: Get PUMPED Up!" is written by Trailblazer, Dan Alion. The article showcases the Trailblazers and the grassroots mountain bike race scene. The article is well-timed given our recent push to gain visibility and grow membership (not to mention that this is Bike Week!). Other articles of interest include the cover story on the time trials at the speedway, and, an article by Dr. Duffy (who spoke at a recent Trailblazer meeting). Look for Charlotte SportsLink at area bike shops, fitness centers, and restaurants.

05/03/2004

Ride with the Mayor We want to highly encourage everyone to celebrate Bike! Charlotte by attending Thursday morning's Ride with the Mayor. This is nothing more than a PR event but imagine the impact of 1000 cyclists meeting at the Dowd YMCA and riding down Tryon Street led by Mayor Pat McCrory. We are making strides in the city for cycling improvements, however this is YOUR chance to show the Mayor that we truly care about the state of cycling in our growing city. Show your support by riding your MOUNTAIN BIKE to the event! The ride leaves the Dowd YMCA at 7:30 AM. One group starting location will be South Park Cycles, leaving the shop at 7:00.

04/28/2004

Fisher Farm Update Mark Sullivan met with Steve Fraher (Dir. /Davidson Parks & Rec.) on Tuesday, April 20th and did a preliminary walk through of the initial flagging of the upper part of the designated trail area. He seemed to be pleased with what was already done. We discussed some areas that will require amoring and other anti-erosion techniques. Mark also answered questions Steve had on construction and maintenance techniques. Steve said that we should have an agreement ready to sign by May. Then we can start construction on the upper section of trails. The first phase should be approximately 1.5 to 2.0 miles. Thanks again for everybody's interest and enthusiasm.

04/22/2004

North Meck Trail Expansion.... I met this morning with Michael Jaycocks, Operations Manager at Huntersville Parks and Recreation, for a walk through of the trail expansion on the backside of North Meck park. He was very impressed and saw nothing that should stop us from proceeding with the work. There was no problem with the entrance behind the tennis courts and he felt there was adequate set-back behind the residential development. All this is good news, as is the possibility of yet another parcel of land off of Hwy 115 (in Huntersville, behind Wamer Park) that may total +/- 40 acres. As a general rule of thumb (1 - 1.5 miles/10 acre) the possibility of 4 to 6 miles of new trail exists. I am hopeful of walking the land in the near future, then start working toward inclusion on the park master plan (which does NOT exist at this time for this parcel of land). I also discussed the construction of the sewer line that will go through N. Meck in August. Michael assured me he will do what he can to work with CMUD to minimize the impact to the trail system. With races scheduled for August 4th and Sept 1st, we may need to possibly move an event or two - hopefully we can get in the August event. More to come as information becomes available. As a reminder, we are meeting to work on the trail expansion on Monday evenings at 5:30 PM at the swim club on the back side of the park. To get there, head east off of I-77 (Hwy 73) on Exit 25, turning RIGHT on Greenfarm, then LEFT on Vixen. The parking lot to the swim club is straight ahead. The trailhead is at the end of the parking lot. See you there? Tom Mathews

04/21/2004

04/21/2004

Trail Day at Crowder's Mtn. May 2nd Fellow Trailblazer Jack Moore, who also heads up the Gaston County Cyclists, would like to announce a Trail Day at Crowder's Mtn. State Park on Sunday, May 2nd at 8:00 am. Meet at the visitor center and bring long pants, work gloves and water. To get there, take I-85 South past Gastonia and exit onto Edgewood Rd. Go left over the bridge, and after about a mile, turn right onto Hwy. 74 West and follow the brown and white signs to Crowder's Mtn. Visitor Center. Work will be done on the new hiking trail that utilizes the recently acquired park property. As cyclists, it is important for us to show our desire to help with all types of trails in the state parks so that we can gain more credibility as a user group. This will eventually lead to the Park's willingness to let us expand the fledgling State Park single track mountain bike trails into more state parks like Crowder's Mtn. The work we have done at Lake Norman State Park is sending out positive waves across the state to other park superintendants. Let's keep this ball rolling by lending our hands for a day at beautiful Crowder's Mtn. State Park! Contact Jack Moore at 704-865-5471 with any questions.

04/20/2004

Great Turnout for Public Relations Committee Initial Meeting ! Wow! We had 17 people come out for our initial Public Relations Committee meeting. It's great to see that many people want to get involved with the Tarheel Trailblazers. Thanks to Chairman Chris Fernandez and Secretary Mike Weiss for volunteering to head up the PR Committee. Here's a summary of the sub-committees that we agreed on forming and their initial goals: #1) Trailblazer Brochure Group Goal: To produce a comprehensive brochure explaining the Trailblazer mission (To provide the best possible opportunities to enjoy mountain biking and promote responsible and safe practices in environmental conservation, trail construction, trail maintenance and riding) (from our by-laws), give basic maps and/or directions to our main trails (Renaissance, Historic Tuckasegee Ford Park "Catawba", North Mecklenburg Park, and Col. Francis J. Beatty Park), Illustrate our our co-partners (Dirt Divas, Park and Rec., Charlotte Sports Cycling, etc.) and provide a membership application form. Other important aspects may be added as determined by the group and as space allows. Volunteers: Neal Boyd Pel Deal Bart Stetler #2 Park and Rec. Presentation Group Goal: To prepare a presentation for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Commission that explains our mission, gives detailed information and statistics about mountain bike trail usage, and gives quantitative information about volunteer man hours and our club budget. If this can be prepared in hard copy form as well as in a Powerpoint type presentation, that would be GREAT. Volunteers: Dan Alion Jack Crouch Dennis Davidson Mark Leach Mike Lee Brian Malec Jan Campos Anna Herrnstein #3 Promotion and Survey Group Goals: To distribute the new brochurees to bike shops, trailheads, races and other cycling events, and to create a survey that will gather meaningful data about cyclists in our area for addition to the Park and Rec. Presentation. Survey info may be gathered at trailheads and events, or from online survey to be set up on the website. Volunteers: Bethanne Mascilak Jon Wannemuehler Andrea Rios Mike Weiss Red Miller #4 Commission Meeting Attendees Goals: To report cycling related happenings at Parks Commission meetings to our membership, to improve the Trailblazers' image with the Park and Rec. Commission, and to initiate the process of ammending the master plans for Renaisance Park and Beatty Park (and possibly North Mecklenburg Park if necessary) to include mountain biking. We should all help this group by reporting any Commission meetings that we read or hear about that relate to cycling to them. That may include budget related County Commission meetings that are upcoming. Volunteers: Dennis Davidson Chris Fernandez Mark Leach Brian Malec Jan Campos If anyone else is interested in volunteering for any of these groups in the PR Committee, please contact Chairman Chris Fernandez at chrisfernandez@parkerpoe.com or myself, Frank Pietras at mntainbike@aol.com , and we will be glad to place you into one or more of your preferred groups of the PR Committee. We would like to thank these volunteers for showing their interest and willingness to help raise mountain biking in the Charlotte area to the next level! Frank Pietras President, Tarheel Trailblazers

04/20/2004

Reckoning Day... I’ve seen it coming now for quite some time, so why is it suddenly so humbling? I got my kids on mountain bikes at an early age, taking Lyndsay and Travis to Pisgah’s Sycamore Cove when they were just 8 and 5 respectively. Lyndsay, my daughter is now 18 years old and a college freshman. Mountain biking is nothing more than a distant memory to someone that has just gotten her first taste of freedom. Travis, well, he’s another story. Read more...

04/13/2004

Uwharrie Trail Care Day #2 April 17th The Tarheel Trailblazers will again be assisting UMBA, the Uwharrie Mountain Bike Association, with maintenance on the outstanding mountain bike trails in Uwharrie National Forest. Please join us April 17th at 9:00 am at the Wood Run Trailhead located approximately 2 miles east of Badin Lake on US 24/27, just east of Albemarle. On our first trip up there in March, we assisted in improving the drainage on the Supertree Loop. This time, we will be working on the Keeyauwee Loop, mainly addressing isolated drainage problems there. Once these two trails are stabilized, UMBA will be working closely with the Forest Service to re-open the Skyrock trail and to further expand the trail network in this national treasure. Bring your bike, because the 4-wheeler will be hauling the tools, and volunteer workers will be riding their bikes to the work spots that are spaced out along the trail. There will also be opportunity to ride after the work session. We look forward to seeing you there! Thanks, Frank Pietras President / Trail Coordinator Tarheel Trailblazers

04/05/2004

Important Community Workshop Meeting April 6th Tuesday, April 6th at 6:30 pm will be the third and final Community Workshop meeting for the Meck. Co. Park property formerly known as Elon Children's Home. The meeting location is 17025 Lancaster Hwy. at Independent Bible Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. There is a potential for several miles of trail around the perimeter of the park, but it is crucial that we show our desire for more than just soccer fields at this park! If we can get mountain bike trails on the master plan for this park, then we should not have to deal with getting pushed aside when it comes to developing the later phases of this park (like what is happening at Beatty Park). The 120 acre property is located adjacent to the Foxhole landfill on Hwy. 521 and will total 300 acres when the landfill is completed. That land will be added to the park. Let's get ahead of the game this time and show that the mountain bike community is a strong and growing part of the Charlotte area! Come out and have your say!

04/04/2004

Catawba Trailwork Report Saturday, April 3rd was a clear, cool day: perfect trail building weather for the 16 volunteers that helped constuct the new entry trail at HTFP, Historic Tuckasegee Ford Park (Catawba). Many new faces were welcomed! It's great to see so many new people getting into trail advocacy and trail building. We managed to finish all of our main objectives: raked the entire trailbed and grubbed out stumps moved the 12 foot bridge to its new location benched the short steep section at the end of the trail into the sideslope of the hill The new trail winds down the hill with a few switchbacks and briefly joins the old trail before veering off through a rock garden and plunging down a descent to the new bridge location. There's a deep whoop after the bridge, and then a short, steep climb up to the powerline road, joining it a hundred feet or so past the dam. All that's left is to bench in a couple of short off-camber sections and the trail will be ready to open up. It's ridable now, so check it out soon. There's a logride that I'd like to see someone do! I'll probably be out there Thursday evening, April 8th, putting the finishing touches on some of those spots, if anyone wants to help. Thanks to all who helped out! I know the racers were off doing their thing at Tsali; hope that went well, too. We'll catch you next time! Later...... Frank Pietras

04/02/2004

April Meeting Notes I'd have to say that the biggest thing that came out of our meeting last night was the willingness of our membership and potential members to get on board to further our cause through newly forming committees: The Public Relations Committee will prepare and present the facts about our club and the cycling community to the heads of the Park and Recreation Commission. We need volunteers who are interested in helping form relationships with the key land managers in our area. Public speaking and presentation skills would be helpful, but not necessary. The Grants Committee will pursue available monies that have gone untapped or underutilized by our club. And the Freeride Committee will assemble facts into a presentation for Park and Rec. and other potential land managers to address technical riding as a viable form af recreation in our area. If you would like to be a part of any of these committees, that would be the best way you could help the club right now. Let me know if you have the time to commit to one of these committees and e-mail me at mntainbike@aol.com. Let me know your name, phone numbers and e-mail address. I will contact all of the nominees and volunteers for each committee and schedule an initial formation meeting, possibly at one of the local bike shops if they would be so kind. Thank you very much for your memberships and contributions! The Trailblazers numbers are steadily growing and if we work together, our collective voices will be heard much louder by our Parks representatives. Thanks! Frank Pietras, President - Tarheel Trailblazers

03/29/2004

VERY important meeting concerning a load of happenings in our trails system This Thursday (April 1st) is a VERY important meeting concerning a load of happenings in our trails system...In addition to the ever sizzling future of the Free Ride movement, we have three of our current four parks facing trail loss. This is significant. 1) Catawba faces the proposed white water park 2) Renaissance, the loss of half of the softball loop, and now 3) Francis Beatty is going to be annihilated with an 18 foot wide, 5K running trail, that the mountain bike trails will not be able to cross...This means loss of trail to a majority of the park... We ask that you arrange your schedule to attend our meeting and get on board with us...We are hopeful of laying groundwork to devise a plan of attack providing a unified front to Charlotte Park and Rec. We hope that we can rely on a strong presence and your support!

03/28/2004

Uwharrie Mountain Bike Association Workday Meet us at the parking lot at 9 AM, work on the trails until 12:30, eat a lunch, and have a ride at 1:00 PM. Check http://www.rideumba.com for updates and more details.

03/25/2004

Catawba Trail Work Hey 'Blazers, The weather's looking good for riding this weekend, so I hope ya'll can get out for a spin. After the Spring Forward Ride at Lake Wylie, www.springforwardride.org , I plan to go to Catawba this Saturday, March 27th at 2:00 pm and get started on the new re-route for the entry trail that is currently closed. Please come out and help! It's as close to the parking lot as trailwork can get; just walk through the new gate at the TOP of the parking lot to the top of the hill and turn right into the woods. Follow the orange pin flags 'til you find us. Bring work gloves, water and long pants. I know this is short notice, but with a good start this Saturday, we should be able to finish next Saturday, April 3rd starting at 10:00 am. Please plan to come to one or both of the work days so we can get things back to normal out there. The new trail should be longer and better than the old one with a couple of hucks and a log ride thrown in. Bring your bike if you want, and plan to ride before or after the work session. Thanks, Frank Pietras mntainbike@aol.com

03/25/2004

Where have all the trailbuilders gone? (By Bob Karriker - LNS Park, Trail Boss) Actually we are surrounded by trail projects. The Brushy Mountain Cycling Club to our north are hard at work on Corp of Engineer land to produce upwards of 35 + miles of trail. The Tarheel Trailblazers & Dirt Divas south of us continue to improve, expand and maintain the state of Mecklenburg county trails we have all probably enjoyed over the last ten years. The Blue Ridge Bike Club toils constantly to keep up with a tremendous amount of spectacular mountain trails both physically and politically. And to our east the list of hard working groups continues all the way to the Atlantic with clubs such as Uwarrie Mtn Bike Assoc and the North Raleigh Mtn Bike Association. This is just a small portion of the fine groups hard at work at the same bat time, same bat channel, each week. So, when you look around and it seems like you are there working to provide new or improved trail all by yourself, it's just an illusion. It's quite possible that if we could combine the fine trailworker folk all around this fine state, heck the whole USA (sorry gettin' carried away, but can't ya hear the music?), any trail we know could be lined end to end with workers with no room for a single user to squeeze by. It's tough work but, but Oooh so fulfilling. Trail users of all disciplines who do not participate in the working end of the activity they choose to enjoy are missing out on the greatest part of fun and friendship that is available to them. Keep up the good work Friends! As always I look forward to seeing ya in the woods next weekend. LANO trailboss bOb

03/25/2004

Anne Springs Greenway in Ft. Mill is once again "open" Yes, it’s true, the Anne Springs Greenway in Ft. Mill is once again “open” to mountain bikers on a day-use fee basis ($3.00 per day, per rider). The fee system changed about one month ago, and they are back on the honor system as well. They have asked that folks spread the word that they really do need everyone to pay their daily fee and to register when they ride. People who have ridden there recently have said that the trails are in pretty good shape. Read more...

03/24/2004

Great turnout for the UMBA trail care day What a great turnout for the UMBA trail care day!! I counted 17 people in all, plus one dog. Not only did all of you show up, but everyone put forth a great effort and we got a lot more accomplished than I expected. I truly appreciate all that you did. I would especially like to thank those of you from the Tarheel Trailblazers for bringing your tools and trail maintenance experience, and then sharing both so generously. It wouldn't have been the same without you!! Saturday's efforts have given UMBA a great burst of momentum to move forward with. It reminds me a lot of the momentum created by the group of 21 that turned out for the very first UMBA meeting in 1996. From that surge of interest we were able to lay the groundwork for this trail system and open up the routes we have today. After the last few days, the future of these trails certainly looks brighter to me! Tommy and I were able to examine Keyauwee with a more experienced eye as we rode through on Saturday afternoon. Another day's efforts with a crew half that size should allow us to address most of the similar drainage issues on Keyauwee. And from there? Only time will tell what great things will develop for and around this trail system. visit the site.

03/21/2004

Anne Close Springs Greenway Update After a year of being virtually locked out of the mountain bike trails at Anne Close Springs Greenway, in Fort Mill, SC, the trails have been opened once again to our favorite sport. The trails are reported to be in excellent condition and fellow riders report the trail is fast and fun. A $3.00 day use trail fee is charged. Please abide by the rules, by signing in and paying your trails use fee. Out of state trail poaching riders are reported to be a root cause of the trail closing. Your participation would be greatly appreciated!

03/19/2004

Dirt Diva and Tarheel Trailblazer Maintenance Clinic & Social Hey Trailblazers! All Trailblazer club members are invited to attend a joint Dirt Diva and Tarheel Trailblazer Maintenance Clinic & Social on Friday March 26th hosted by Bart and Crew at SouthPark Cycles. Bring your spouse or significant other, but not your bike; Bart and his crew will provide tips for general bike maintenance and answers to your specific questions. So if you've lost sleep wondering "How to clean your brake cables? or How to inflate a tubeless tire?", this is your chance to find out. (On the other hand, if you've never used a tubeless tire or disk brakes, you can find out why you might want them.) Whichever is the case, come on out to SouthPark Cycles Friday night, March 26th, 7pm - until. Talk shop with other Divas and Tarheel Trailblazers. Light refreshments will be provided; BYOB if you choose.

03/18/2004

Wheelie Wild Winter Race Series I can't believe the Wheelie Wild race series is over. I was looking forward to the final race marking the end of the series, but now that it has come and gone, I already miss it. During the series, I have been writing up my experiences for friends around the country. Tom is on copy and he asked me to provide an intro, so here it is... Read more...

03/18/2004

Fisher Farm Update Fisher Farm Park Mountain Bike Trails in Davidson will begin being built soon. Last August of 2003 I began talks with Steve Fraher (Director of Davidson Park and Rec) and other Davidson Town Board Members and interested folks about the possibility of MTB trails in some recently acquired farm land named Fisher Farm. To my surpise, Steve was already interested in putting MTB trails in the park. He was looking for somebody to design, build and maintain the trails. Well... it all took off from there. I was fortunate to become part of the committee to design the master plan for the park. Sitting through several design meetings and town board meetings in Davidson Town Hall. I won't lie to you, I was scared to death at times because I had no idea what I was really doing. I had to listen a lot and ask a lot of questions. Being able to build this trail has been kind of a dream come true. It's not everyday that something like this just drops into your lap. Anyway, the park master plan was ratified in Nov. 2003. MTB trails and all. The plan includes perimeter hiking trails, primative camp sites, some multi-use fields and basketball courts. Update on development of the trails: Frank Pietras, Tom Mathews, Steve Fraher and I went out about a month ago to look at the area for development. It was decided that we move forward with developing a trail system there. Flagging began about 2-3 weeks ago. I will continue to flag trail every weekend if possible. The area is beautiful and will be able to fulfill and broad range of skill levels. I'm hoping for 3-4 miles of trail. And one more thing...the entire park is under a conservation easement. That means NO DEVELOPING OF THE PARK!

02/24/2004

North Mecklenburg Bridge Construction A huge sinkhole at North Meck has lead to the construction a new structure to replace the existing one. The ground collapsed underneath a pallet run-up to a small bridge over a creek crossing. 4 X 4’s had been placed under the pallets by previous “trail engineers” to support the pallets. The set-up was iffy at best. The pallet situation has always been on our punch list, but their priority was stepped to high, when Kim Rodden and I took a walk in the rain and noticed the situation the previous Sunday. Much of the forest floor at North Meck is supported by a spider web of roots, supporting the dirt above the cavernous hollow below. The sink hole was approximately 4 feet deep and 8 feet in diameter, and there is concern that the earth will continue to collapse under future heavy rains. Read more...

02/17/2004

Trail Maintenance Day in the Uwharrie National Forest The Uwharrie Wheelmen, Pfeiffer Outdoor Programs, and the Uwharrie Mountain Bike Association sponsor Trail Maintenance Day in the Uwharrie National Forest. he Uwharrie Mountain Bike Association, Uwharrie Wheelmen, and the Pfeiffer Outdoor Programs are jointly sponsoring a trail maintenance day on March 20 from 9-3. We plan to meet at the Wood Run trailhead parking lot. The Wood Run trailhead is located on NC 24/27 between Albemarle and Troy and two miles east of bridges over Lake Tillery/Pee Dee River. Bring your bike, gloves, water, and lunch. We will work on Supertree and Keyauwee trails. Ian Garner of the USDA FS has traveled and mapped maintenance spots on the trail. What about Skyrock? A preliminary archaeological study by the USFS has been completed. The USFS is moving towards approving trail construction. We hope to go to work on it as soon as possible. Then we hope to move forward to complete the planned trail system in the area. Contacts: Tommy Taylor at 704 983 1924 Don Childrey at 919 816 9042 Joseph Pate at 704 463 1360 Extension 2726 Please check the UMBA web site for updates and details. http://www.childrey.com/umba

02/17/2004

Senate passes TEA-3 Bill Last night, the Senate passed S. 1072, the successor to TEA-21 by a vote of 76 to 21. Our bike stuff fared well. Existing programs such as Enhancements, Rec Trails, CMAQ, etc continue. Safe Routes to School is funded at $70 million a year. Debate on the bill centered around the $318 billion price tag. Fiscal conservatives complained that the bill's spending was not in line with the 2004 budget, and that the funding package was laced with credits, offsets and other "funny money." But other Senators, eager to send "jobs, jobs, jobs" back to their states, overrode those objections to pass the bill. Senators also chose to overlook President Bush's theat to veto the bill which calls for $62 billion more than the President's proposal. HIGHLIGHTS of the bill: Safe Routes is funded at $70 million per year. Enhancements is slated to receive $4.79 billion over the next six years, up from $3.33 billion under TEA-21. Rec Trails will receive $360 million over six years, up from $270 million under TEA-21 A new Alternative Transportation in National Parks Program, funded at $25 million a year, includes bike/ped projects in the eligible activities. Bicyclists and pedestrians have been added to the list of "interested parties" invited to comment on transportation plans (both TIPs and Statewide Plans). funding for a bicycle and pedestrian information center is included. ONE OTHER AMENDMENT: In last minute amendments, language was added to Enhancements which reads "Among the bicycle and pedestrian facility enhancement projects under consideration, the Secretary shall urge that a priority be given to those pedestrian and bicycle facility projects that include a coordinated physical or healthy lifestyle program." This language was introduced by Senator Harkin (D-IA) who said "possible examples of such efforts might include an exercise course on the side of a trail." WHAT'S NEXT: The Transportation & Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider their bill H.R. 3550 "TEA-LU" the first week in March. Then the House bill will go to the full House of Representatives for a vote. Then the two bills will go to a conference committee to work out the differences. Given the circumstances, we are pleased with the outcome in the Senate. It's not revolutionary, but it could have been much, much worse.

02/13/2004

Rennissance Short Course Update Utilizing lanterns, headlamps, two 4 wheelers with dump beds, and last but not least, John Wannemuehler's backhoe, upwards of 10 trail gnomes spread 18 tons of gravel on the race course in a little over 2 hours Tuesday evening..."So", you ask yourself, "What can I do?"...Well the answer is simple: Go ride it, ride it some more, then just when you think you can't ride it anymore, do another lap! The gravel needs to be packed in, and the only way that'll happen is if it's ridden a ton between now and Saturday morning...The course is a load of fun, and it's going to only get better... But it needs to be ridden - so do your fair share!

02/01/2004

Wheelie Wild Winter Race Series II Wow, what a difference a week makes! Under beautiful skies, over 100 riders took part this past Saturday in the Wheelie Wild Winter Races Series on the new Short Course at Renaissance Park,. Significant improvements had been made on the trail over the past week (see Renaissance Short Course Update, below). The newly spread gravel firmed up several soft spots that appeared during last week's mud fest in the series opener. Expert, Semi-Expert and Beginner categories drew 20 plus riders per class, so the action was constant for the fans and riders alike. Junior categories continue to grow, as does participation in the women's classes. All participants enjoyed after race vegetable soup, washed down with a cool Red Hook beer. Neal Boyd continues to set the pace for the direction of grass-roots racing in Charlotte. As usual, his foresight should be commended. The Winter race series is already a success, only to get bigger and better! For race series info, go to: http://www.charlottemtnbike.com/ Event Photos can be found at: http://www.fotoOp.com

01/06/2004

Lake Norman Phase II - Update I hope that all of you folks out there had a wonderful Holiday Season with your families and friends. I look forward to seeing you all and hearing your stories as we continue on with trail work in '04 . The loop in Phase II is going well. The exact mileage roll out is 2.5 miles, which will give the Itusi a upcoming 6.5 mile total when completed this Spring. We will continue to flag and prep more new trail in other areas to increase mileage to meet our final goal of 10 plus miles. There is still much work to do in Phase II before we can declare it complete and ready for inspection. The current plan is to work on detailing, "tweaking", "pimpin" the loop in a counterclockwise direction; skipping nothing but special small projects till the loop is completely finished. This will consist mostly of debris dispersion, duff breakdown along the edge of the trail to allow for proper drainage, filling holes near trail tread, and grooming tread soil. Special projects will include the bridges, working out dip transitions, small culvert crossings, rock armoring / transporting, grade dips and at least one switchback turn. I will begin marking the project locations and tasks with orange flags with instructions / descriptions. This work will move along very slowly due to the attention to detail it requires to complete. The only way to speed this work up will be to increase the number of workers. Folks, when we few come walking out of the trail after giving up a perfectly good ride day to see the parking full of people enjoying the riding our labor provides; we are elated and proud. But the truth is we trail workers are greatly out numbered by the trail users. We really want and need your help this winter to complete the work at hand. We can have more trail to enjoy riding, together. The volunteers appreciate hearing all the kind words about the trail, come out and pitch in and get on the receiving end of the praise. I sincerely look forward to seeing ya' out in the woods soon ! Trail Boss Bob Carriker

01/01/2004

Trailblazers Awarded IMBA Grant Mountain bike groups coast-to-coast (including the Trailblazers) will soon receive a substantial boost for their volunteer trailwork projects, as a result of a $25,000 grant from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), announced by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). IMBA and REI will award outdoor stewardship toolkits to 50 mountain bike clubs in January. Each toolkit, which will be used by mountain biking clubs to build and maintain trails, contains eight components to enhance their on-the-trail volunteer efforts. More at: http://www.imba.com/news/news_releases/12_03/12_15_rei_toolkit.html

01/01/2004

New Davidson Trails at Fisher Farm On Saturday, January 17, Mark Sullivan, Frankie Pietras, and Tom Mathews of the Trailblazers met Steve Fraher, Director of Davidson Parks and Recreation, to walk newly acquired park land in Davidson, NC. Dubbed Fisher Farm Park, the land is a beautiful collection of old growth hardwoods, on rolling terrain. The park envisions mountain bike trails in the eastern to south eastern portion of the land. Off the cuff estimates indicate that approximately 5 miles of trails can be constructed, with a loop system of increasing technical difficulty. Read more...

01/01/2004

From A Rider, New To the Area Dear new best friends: As a newcomer to the area I wanted to say "Thank You" for all the hard work on the trails and behind the scenes that make mountain bike riding possible in Charlotte. Moving from East Tennessee (in the mountains)I was thrilled to find well maintained trails so close to urban areas. Where I'm from the trails are butchered by ATV's and motorcycles as soon as we cut them. I am a road racer and have no competetive interest in off-road racing but you may count me as a volunteer. Please add me to your contact list for metro Charlotte trail maintenance and race marshall duty. I'll be glad to help whenever I can. (Name Withheld)

12/02/2003

Huntersville Business Park Code of Ethics Since the darkness and cold of winter has descended upon us, a fellowcyclist mentioned that this would be a good time to send out a reminder ofthe expectations for using the Huntersville Business Park (HBP) as a winter training venue. The following list of expectations came directly from the property manager for the HBP, as a result of repeated acts of indiscretion inyears past: No public nudity permitted. (Use of the park as a training venue has been halted in the past for this transgression. Please change clothes in your vehicle, before you come to, or after you leave the park.) No public urination. Do not litter anywhere within the park. Do not park in the Kemp Building parking lot (bldg with flags in front). Since this list was first issued, many walkers, joggers, skaters, etc, have started using the park. Please treat other users of the park with respect. They have the same rights as a user as we do. Our conduct during the training ride is a violation of the motor vehicle code of NC. The Huntersville Police Department is on record as saying they will enforce the code (can you say two abreast, tickets for not having appropriate lighting, etc) if the park property manager feels we have become a nuisance. Please abide by these expectations to ensure that we can continue to use the park as a training venue in the future. A blinking tail light is also a good idea, and makes a good stocking stuffer. Hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday season. Jim Mead President Rocky River Road Club

11/15/2003

Anti-discrimination health insurance bill moving in U.S. Senate As many of you may know, some health insurance companies discriminate against mountain bike riders by denying benefits to those injured when riding their bikes. Read the article. Respond to your local representatives by using the Action Link on the right. You may change motorcycle to bicycle if you chose. If we do not put a stop to this now it may affect you someday. Forward this link to any individual or organization you think may be interested. http://www.ama-cycle.org/news/2003/G03028.asp Thanks to the American Motorcycle Association for being on the ball.

11/14/2003

6th Annual Rocky River Road Club Polar Bear Metric Century - January 10, 2004 Please plan on joining the Rocky River Road Club for our 6th annual Polar Bear Metric Century, scheduled for Saturday, January 10th, 2004. Details and registration information are available at our website, www.RockyRiverRoadClub.com

11/14/2003

Check out John operating the heavy equipment Many thanks John!

11/13/2003

A Buzy weekend Catawba & North Meck had a lot of work done this past weekend. Check out the progress...

10/29/2003

Survey Sez! An intrepid group met on Saturday at North Meck Park to survey the available park land for trail expansion. Josh Taylor (yes, the M-Uni riding Zod) led our team with his knowledge of Digital Carthology. Utilizing GPS, aerial survey and topo maps, we were able to locate park boundaries. It appears that the expansion will happen in phases, as we may be able to eek out an additional 2 miles of trail. The first phase will start at the top of the climb, behind the neighborhood / swim club, just before turning right to the big log. We can probably place ½ to ¾ of a mile of additional trail at that location. Phase 2 will require bridges to cross the creek that flows across the property. Phase 3 and 4 will be somewhat remote and may require some exposed riding. But one thing at a time here. As the leaves start to fall, stay tuned for updates about Phase 1 trail layout, and a call for the trail gnomes to start carving the trail.

10/28/2003

Election Time! Board Members: President - Frank Pietras Vice-president - Bart Stetler Secretary - Tom Waldron Treasurer - Bryan Katzenmaier Committee Members: Web master - Eric Troutman Website editor, Meeting host, Communications - Tom Mathews Park and Rec. liaison - Brian Malec Membership, Communications - Jason Huffstetler Race promoter, Public relations, Membership - Neal Boyd Volunteer coordinator - Paul Bellin Race timing, Scoring, Registration - Wade Carroll Trail Coordinator - Frank Pietras (Catawba) Asst. T.C. - Brian Roney Trail Coordinator - Tom Mathews (North Meck.) Asst. T.C. - Kim Rodden Trail Coordinator - Doug Satterwhite (Beatty) Asst. T.C. - Tom Waldron Trail Coordinator - Pel Deal (Renaissance) Asst. T.C. - Joe Twaddell

09/29/2003

The IMBAssociation is coming to Galax, Virginia October 2-5 You're invited to join in the special events. Scott Linnenburger and Aaryn Kay of the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew are teaming with the New River Riders Bike Shoppe for a weekend of improving trails. Read more...

09/23/2003

North Meck Storm Update Heavy rains pelted the Charlotte region on Monday night. North Meck park weathered the storm (no pun intended) with flying colors. Repaired trailbed withstood the 1.5 inches of rain, and the trail was in tremendous condition for riding on Tuesday evening. After some minor branch removal, the trail is excellent condition. Two downed trees (one in the upper pine forest and one just past the water crossing) will be removed a little later this week. Please use caution in these areas until our lumberjacks can remove the trees.

09/23/2003

IMBA/CLIF Grant Awarded to Lake Norman State Park A Fall 2003 IMBA/CLIF Bar Trail Preservation Grant has been awarded to Crossroads Cycling Club of Statesville, builders of the new Itusi Trail at Lake Norman State Park. Crossroads was one of six clubs in the US to receive the $500 grant. The grants fund projects that promote environmental education and inspire conservation in the mountain biking community. The grant will help volunteers build a bridge connecting the recently completed four-mile Itusi Trail to a new planned five-mile loop. Work on the new trail commences this weekend, September 27 and 28 and through the winter until the trail is complete, hopefully in Spring 2004.

09/23/2003

Lake Norman State Park / Itusi Trail now in the Trail Reviews section Have you ridden the Itusi Trail? If so, please write a review for TarheelTrailBlazers.com

09/23/2003

Road to Bromont Becky Smith's diary of the events leading up to her quest for a World Championship. Read more...

09/17/2003

Special Guest at the October Meeting Come to the October meeting on October 2, 2003 to see Shannon Sharp from the Catawba Lands Conservancy.

09/13/2003

A Little Appreciation: I rode the N. Meck trail for the first time since late July tonight and I have to say that I am very impressed with the work that your crew has done. Me being skeptical by nature, really saw and enjoyed it. I just want to say thanks from a burned out college student and a broke down ex-hockey player. The work is well appreciated.

09/12/2003

Where can I ride? That's the most common question I hear from local mountain bike riders. If you wanted to ride in Iredell County, Signal Hill trail in Statesville was your only choice. Although it's been the First Flight Bicycle's home trail for about a decade, much of it was built on a dumpsite, forcing constant maintenance to clean up the debris that works its way to the surface. Anyone who has ridden by Fourth Creek is familiar with the "Circuit City" appliance section of the trail. Read more...

09/11/2003

From Our Trailblazer Feedback Forum Question: Does your club have any teenagers involved? My son would be interested and if he is welcome I would join as well. Thanks! (Name withheld) Answer: Thanks for writing.... The Trailblazers are an active trail building and maintanence club...While we do have teenagers involved, most are the children of adult members...Unfortunately, as males, we can't seem to get the social aspect of the sport into our club...We can and do, however, build and maintain the trails...Which is where you and your son can plug in...My feelings are that you need to give something back to something you love (ie., mountain biking)...Taking ownership of a trail, not only through riding, but through work, gives an unparralleled feeling of accomplishment...I try to teach my children about giving back, and this is one of the best ways I can think of... So in my opinion, I think that you joining the club would benefit your son, teaching him that to get, you first have to give...You are exactly the kind of individual we are looking for...I hope one day that I can pass the torch to my 15 year old son, that he will see the benefit of a little work for a big payoff...We'd love to have you contribute, and have you son involved, too...

09/11/2003

New Cane Creek Race Page After what has seemed to be the wettest, most frustrating summer in the history of mountain biking in the Queen City, upwards of 300 riders descended on Catawba Riverfront Park (ok, ok, "Historic Tuckaseegee Park"), for the 2003 Riverfront Classic, September 6 and 7. Read more...

09/09/2003

Grand Opening of the Lake Norman State Park Itsui Trail The Grand Opening of the Lake Norman State Park Itsui Trail is slated for September 14, 2003 at the park. We will have a covered dish lunch at 1:00 in the park community building, please RSVP with number of people attending and what dish you are bringing. The trail will be open before and after lunch weather permitting. We will also be holding our 3rd annual Crossroads Bike Show and Swap on September 21, 2003. There will be a vintage bike show as well as parts for sale for all bikes. A road ride will also leave from the Civic Center at 9:00. www.firstflightbikes.com All proceeds will go to help build the trail. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

09/08/2003

How they voted... The House of Representatives voted to restore funding for the Transportation Enhancements program in the 2004 Transportation Appropriations bill with over a hundred Republicans voting yes! The bi-partisan effort was led by Representatives Petri (R-WI) and Oliver (D-MA). Read more...

09/05/2003

Biking Bagdad One of the more bizarre sights to be seen on Baghdads streets is men in Day-Glo Lycra pounding along the highway on racing cycles in the mid-morning sun. With the searing heat, the heavily potholed city roads, and the complete absence of road law; one might be forgiven for thinking these guys had spent slightly too long in the sun. Read more...

09/04/2003

Maps! You asked for 'em, you got 'em! Maps of Catawba and Col. Francis J. Beatty are now available on our website. Some changes will be made to the Beatty map in the near future. Renaissance is in the works, and North Meck is hopefully on the horizon.

09/01/2003

Misc. Info Please join us for the monthly meeting of the Trailblazers, this Thursday, September 4, 2003, at Jack's Bar and Grill (Jackalopes - the former Jack Straws), 1936 E. 7th Street in Charlotte. As always, the meeting time is 7:30 pm. We will be discussing last minute details of the upcoming Cane Creek Cup Series races, this coming weekend at Catawba (Sept. 6 and 7). Please plan on attending and volunteering for any number of jobs over the course of the weekend...Just because you might be racing, doesn't mean that you can't help out! A large crew of up to 25 workers volunteered at Catawba on Sunday in preparation for the upcoming races this weekend...Much progress was made on the dual slalom, downhill and XC courses...Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, and dumped a torrential rain on the crews...Hopefully the weather will cooperate, and the courses can recover in time for the races...Please avoid the temptation to ride the course at Catawba this week, as it needs every possible moment to dry out... The North Meck trail crew continues to ramble on, and the course is ready for the weekly race series this Wednesday nite...After some heavy and steady rains this past Sunday, the trail has held up extremely well, and promises (no rain, please) to be the first mud free race of the summer! To catch a glimpse of some of the repairs at North Meck, go here. And as always, we thank you for your support!

08/31/2003

Bike lanes to triple next year 4-feet-wide sections to be marked on 20 miles of street, out of a goal for 208 total miles. Read more...

08/28/2003

Trailblazing in the Queen City - Charlotte, North Carolina Advanced Trailbuilding School Focuses on Rock Armoring Continuing a spring foray through the southeast, Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders Aaryn Kay and Scott Linnenburger kicked off the annual Charlotte Bike Week in May with an IMBA Trailbuilding School and work project at Renaissance Park. more

08/28/2003

North Meck Update Last Saturday, we worked in the upper pine forest, repairing the sharp right handed turn at the bottom of the short downhill shoot, just over the smaller log crossing. We removed the mud, packed in gravel and armored the area with concrete pavers. There is a little more work at this location to complete this area. We worked in a grade dip at the base of a bowl configuration, to shed water off the trail, as opposed to allowing it to puddle and pool organic material. We excavated a bad hole at the top of the ensuing climb, digging a trench for piping, packing in the hole with gravel, and armoring the surface with flagstone. Well, once again the Monday nite turnout is dwindling, but we are getting much more proficient with our smaller work crews. I'm hopeful that EVERYONE has been going to Catawba to prepare the trails for the upcoming Cane Creek Cup Race (Sept. 6 and 7th). We attacked the swamp area, just before the second powerline crossing. We trenched for three PVC waterflow pipes, placed 18 bags of sacrete to raise the trailbed, then packed in crush and run gravel. We came up a little shy on sacrete and gravel, but we have already restocked and the materials have been taken to work area to complete the job. Kim worked two problem areas, just before the exit from the woods in the same area, putting in run-off beds, removing the organic mess and replacing it with packed gravel. The park is ordering our third dump of crush and run gravel. For photographs detailing the North Meck effort, click here.

08/28/2003

Trailwork Stuff The turnout at Catawba this past Saturday was again light. 4 people came out and we recruited a fifth from the parking lot. Nevertheless, we got a lot done. (No bee stings!) 2 people walked the river trail and drained wet spots (the last singletrack before the dirt road climb out to the parking lot). We moved on to the carpet trail and scurrried past the bees to work on the nasty mud holes at the top. We called it a day after that due to the heat. A very special work crew was organized on Tuesday night and even with short notice, we had about 8 people out there to re-route the last rutted drop off the power line to the bridge Work was also done on the puddle before the power line climb (a.k.a. Desert Storm). Jack cut at least 3 miles of tall grass out there with the bushhog and joined us in the parking lot for an impromptu celebration. This Sunday will be the last big workday before the race with work being done on both the D/S course and the XC. We'll start early to try and beat the heat. 9:00 am for the D/S crew and 10:00 am for the XC crew. Come later if you must, but do come!

08/25/2003

N.C. Settles with Developer for $12 Million More Good news for mountain bikers, sad news for taxpayers...Just goes to show what happens when you elect slow responding officials to office...Nice investment for Mr. Anthony, eh? North Carolina must pay an S.C. developer an additional $12 million for 2,223 acres within DuPont State Forest near Hendersonville. The two sides reached a settlement just days before a suit by the developer, Jim Anthony of Landrum, S.C., was to go to trial last week. Anthony will get a total of $24 million for land and improvements he made before the N.C. Council of State, made up of then-Gov. Jim Hunt and other top officials, seized the land through condemnation in 2000. The 2,223 acres protect three of DuPont Forest's waterfalls, Bridal Veil Falls, High Falls and Triple Falls. Anthony had planned a gated community around the Little River, which flows through the forest. He paid $6.4 million for the land in 1999. The state plans to obtain the $12 million from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund, spokeswoman Lisa Schell said by e-mail. Schell said the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is seeking ways to reimburse the trust fund for some of the settlement.

08/22/2003

Catawba Trailwork Trailwork crews last Saturday were very light. 3 people in the am and 2 in the pm. For those of you who were resting up, we'll be meeting at 4:00 pm this Saturday the 23rd with Pel D. and me hopefully leading 2 crews. On Sunday, Aug. 31st at 10:00am, Laura S. and I will again lead 2 groups. Please make your plans to help out. I know it's easy to find other things to do, but our race is right around the corner. For those of you who want to help make the DH and D/S courses better, Brian P. will lead a work crew with a bobcat on Sunday the 31st starting at 9:00 am. I rode the whole trail on Tuesday, and it was not a pretty sight. We will try to fix the double-track sections next week with a piece of equipment. There are several options for a good course, though, so our efforts before the race will not be wasted. As usual bring your shovels!

08/20/2003

Da Bomb! That's what North Meck Park is - right now...The trail has absolutely NO MUD, and if anything, it could use a little water to bed in some of the newly laid gravel...So far, we have spead over 30 tons of crush and run, raised trailbeds in vital areas, armored high water drainage areas, and, at least for right now, it is working! Kim Rodden and I are planning on working a few problem areas (erosion) in the pine forest behind the swim club on Sat am...We are planning on graveling and placing 12 X 12 X 2 landscape pavers (concrete) in the area to armor it...We have been successful w/flagstone and sacrete now we're going to try the pavers...They are easier to move around in the woods (hell, anything is easier to move than 80# bags of sacrete!) and are resonably priced... Joe Gibbs Racing and Home Depot, have hinted of another monetary donation, the extra cash for materials has been a big help... The Wed race series comes to N. Meck, the week after next, and I'd love to feature the best race course of the year...We'll be back out again, next Monday nite (8/25) at 6:00, if you'd care to join us...

08/18/2003

Taking One For The Team; The Catawba Battle Rages There's still trouble in the land and fear in the air out there-- I have seen the enemy, and it is a bug. I met Frankie a Catawba on Saturday afternoon for some trail work, and we were getting some good things done for a couple hours. But, at some point, we upset a nest of yellow jackets who took exception to our intrusion into whatever it was they were doing, and got very angry with us. The first shot came in my neck, and for a couple of stings we couldn't figure out what was happening, but then it quickly became clear we were under siege, and far outnumbered, and were forced to retreat at a mighty pace. We took a few of them out, but not enough and they got the better of us by far. Insecticide isn't easy when there's more than one of them. I took 12-18 stings (stopped counting the wounds and couldn't see them all), Frankie only took three, so that meant he had to go back and get our backpacks. I would like to point out that those little things are cowards, they only get you in the back (of course, maybe the fact that we were running away meant that was all that was exposed to them). Back at our command post I resorted to some cold elixirs to help take care of the wounds, and we then went back to HQ Moosehead for some more serious attention. The pain slowly subsided to a dull burning sensation, and now it's just a horrible itching on all the welts (imagine HUGE mosquito bites). The topical medication isn't working, and I fear I'll have to resort to a more serious form of behavioral pharmacology to get me through this. They got me on the back, the neck, the back of my arms, and the back of my head where the hat wasn't covering me. At least I had heavy work pants on, or the legs would've been hit too. Right now my back looks like a relief map of the mountains in Nepal. If these things are carriers of that dreaded West Meck Virus, I'm a goner for sure, and I expect and trust you will all act like sharks in the feeding tank while you divvy up my stuff. Next time you ride out there, take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices of others, and then ride fast so they don't get you too!

08/14/2003

A funny thing happened on the way to the office... Here I am, munching on my Quaker Oat Squares, jamming to WNCW, sipping a little coffee, talking on the cell with Cathy...Thinking of the possibilities of an evening ride at Lake Norman State Park, weather looking cooperative, man its been a while since I had been on the mountain bike and I was looking forward to hammering it&When suddenly I hear it&That unmistakable sound...You know the one, the sound that a Bontrager Race Lite front wheel makes when it departs your Yakima rack at 75 mph on I-77...Oh the joy! As I peered through the rear view mirror, the little Mitsubishi behind me was taking evasive action as the wheel hopped over the roof of the car and out of sight...HOLY SH*T! Quickly taking the next exit (36 in Mooresville) and acknowledging the middle finger of the Mitsubishi driver, (and a ton of others that wanted to make certain that I knew that I had just ejected a projectile into the oncoming traffic) my mind was racing...Lake Norman ride out the window, before I even make it to the trail head...Unicycling my Sugar at Tsali this weekend, was not an option, but I was wanting to upgrade to discs - so maybe, hmmm...Hey wait a minute...MAYBE, just MAYBE it's not road kill! Or MAYBE it was...My checking account balance was dancing through my head& I spun around heading south to exit 33 and started my quest for the illusive BLACK wheel w/a GREEN tire...I was thinking it was probably going to be like a chameleon hiding in the tall grass and virtually invisible, or maybe even floating like a skinny doughnut on Lake Norman...Tubing anyone? But wait, what's that in the distance? Could it be? Yes! There it is! My wayward front wheel leaning, pretty-as-you please, against the inner guardrail...Playing Frogger in real life in rush hour traffic isn't my forte, but I successfully traversed the traffic and retrieved my $350 wheel and tire...And believe it or not, not a scratch on it! And as true as the day I got it! I ruined a perfectly good pair of BVDs (if you catch my drift), but I did rescue my beloved Race Lite wheel&You can be sure that there will be a bungee cord to add a little extra piece of mind to my future bicycle transportation&

08/13/2003

North Meck Update Well, it was a pretty small crew by our standards on Monday nite, but none-the-less we worked efficiently...Master trail maintenance guru, Kim Rodden lead a small crew that utilized more armoring techniques to re-work the area at the bottom of the initial two track (just before the hard left into the woods)...Placing flagstone and concrete pillars (that he just happened to find in the woods), Kim and company (brothers David and David) raised the trail bed and stabilized the heavy organic buildup that has been washing down the trail...A work in progress, a little touch up work should have this area in good shape for a long time yet to come... The park continues to give us support through both manpower and the use of the park's Gator...Coupled with the TTB's quad and dump trailer we moved a good 5000 lbs of gravel to various points on the trail... I ran the trails tonight (Tuesday), and I must say, I am pleased...There are still some problem areas, but we have developed techniques that work in our situation...We have found that complete removal of the soft, unpackable organic material, down to stable ground is the only way to address the larger bad spots...Sand harvested from the creek bed is dumped in the resulting hole, and covered with the crush-n-run gravel, resulting in a super stable trail bed following a few rains (raining right now up here as a matter of fact). Bike and foot traffic compacts the mix into a hard, durable, surface... Lessons learned are to look around you and see what nature gives you (in our case, sand) and make the most of the situation... BTW, did you know you can face up to 5 major traffic violations for driving a quad on Hwy 115?

08/12/2003

A Word of Encouragement Thanks for your efforts at North Meck. My son and I were grateful for your hard work to repair and maintain the trail. It made our last Monday night before school in August awesome. I also plan to participate in upcoming events. Thanks again and see you on the trails. -Marty Cambell

08/12/2003

Catawba Update The Trailblazers' monthly meeting on Aug. 7th went well and we went out to Catawba on Sat. am as planned to do trailwork. Conditions were wet so we decided to work on the Toilet bowl / Practice loop near the parking lot. There was water standing in every hole, so we labored to remove ALL of the loose material from each of the holes and scraped them down to hard dirt. We then dug 12" wide drains from each hole and made them as long as they needed to be so that any water hitting the holes would be forced to drain away from it. (Very Important Last Step!) We were very careful NOT to put any fill dirt back into the holes! (Doing so only makes the problem worse!) After walking the trail on Tuesday with Brian P., I'm happy to say that our work paid off and there was virtually NO water standing in the holes that we worked on! It's very hard work, but when done correctly, it seems to be an effective way of eliminating the mudholes. Now, if we can only get people to stop riding their planned rides on the wet trails, then maybe our hard work won't be quickly undone. The plan is to continue this trailwork process each Saturday until the big Cane Creek Cup Race on Sept. 6th and 7th. I cannot personally lead the work each Sat., so I'm asking for trailwork volunteer leaders to step up and take a Saturday between now and then. Please e-mail me at mntainbike@aol.com and let me know when you can lead a trailwork day so that we can arrange to get you the tools that you will need. If you've ever done trailwork with us before and can follow the steps outlined above, then you're qualified! Pop me an e-mail and let's get it lined up. The Observer ran articles today (Wed., Aug. 13th) on the front page about the whitewater park and on the front page of the local section about the Queens College Athletic facility at Marion Diehl Park. We may as well join our forces with the powers that be so that we can hopefully guide these development projects to include trails for our use. With millions of dollars being offered to the Parks for these projects, it looks as though they will be fast-tracked as much as possible. Hang in there and let's hope for the best. We may actually come out on top with MORE land being made available for mountain bike trails if we don't scream our opposition too loudly. Thanks for listening, and please plan to spend one or more of the next few Saturday mornings doing trailwork at Catawba. Ride on! Frank Pietras P.S. Ride on! your road bike that is, while the trails are still wet.

08/10/2003

August Meeting Update A load of interesting subjects were discussed Thursday nite at the Trailblazers meeting. 38 riders attended the meeting. First and foremost are the current trail conditions and we continue to request restraint and good judgment when going to the trails. The rains have saturated the parks, and more is on the way. Grab a shovel, drain a hole or two, or jump on your road bike until conditions improve. Our yearly fundraiser, the Cane Creek Cup Series is to be held at Catawba, September 6 and 7. Volunteers are needed to man registration, act as course marshals, and any number of other personal needs. If you are positive that you can help, please contact Jason Huffstetler at Membership@tarheeltrailblazers.com and I will forward your info to the proper place. Check in at registration and tell them that you would like to help, and youll be put to work. Please check our website for updates as we draw closer to the race weekend. Some interesting new developments were also unveiled last meeting. The Marion Diehl/Queens College deal appears to be set in stone, but according to Jack Crouch, CMUD (Charlotte Mecklenburg Utility Department) will be demolishing three tanks at the Tyvola treatment plant and a parking area for mountain bikers will be constructed. While we will be losing woods and trails along the north side of Tyvola, we have been assured that we can continue to build trails on the south side of Tyvola, all the way back to Park Road Park. According to Jack, 10  12 miles of trail could easily be constructed on the property. Additionally, the Charlotte Whitewater Park is moving forward. It is interesting to note that at this time the plan will be to place the new facility on the east side of Catawba on land currently owned by Trueschler. That would place the park between I-85 and the park proper (left side of the two track, as you leave the parking lot), hopefully ensuring no development on the trails. From Jack Crouch: I misunderstood a comment about where the whitewater park is going. The location I spoke of at the end of Heavy Equipment School past the powerline on the left is simply one of the several options that warrant more study and evaluation. The final decision is an engineering one and one that will be made in due time. It is true however that Trutzschler has wanted to do a land swap with the Parks and Recs for a long time. I love that small forest and hope it might happen as a result of the future Whitewater Park! Sorry for the misdirection,Jack Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, September 4. We hope to see you there!

08/06/2003

Catawba Trail Maintenance Its time to start preparing Catawba for the big event. This Saturday we will have our first big workday at 9:00 AM. Bring your bike and toss your boots in a book bag and ride on the trail to you find us out working. The club will bring out the needed tools. We need bodies to help man the tools. If you cant make it out at 9:00A M, thats ok, come on out anytime during the day. We will have several crews working throughout the day. Make sure and bring plenty of liquid.

08/04/2003

North Meck Update - FLASH! BOOM! WOW! That's about all I can say about the grand finale to tonight's trail session at N. Meck..But first the good stuff...I picked up the quad and hit the trail around 2:00, Neal joined me around three...We moved several dump loads with the quad, before the rest of the work crew arrived...All in all, we had +/- 10 volunteers join in the fun...We finished graveling the upper power line crossing, then dumped gravel at the second bridge as you approach the sandy creek...Sand harvested from the creek bed last week seemed to be doing the trick in eliminating standing water...Neal headed a crew that worked the last two small 8X8 bridges, putting in several tons of gravel and sacrete, thus raising the trail to what we hope will be above flood level...Then the fun began...As the skies threatened we debated on just one for load of gravel...Then BOOM, our decision was made for us...Driving the quad down hwy 115 in a major deluge is a trip at best...The lightning came as fiercely as the rain, but we made it (along with a park employee driving a Gator) back to the parking lot...Special thanks to Kim, David, Dodo, Adam and Jason, as we braved the elements to load and secure the quad and the tools...My thanks to EVERYONE who came out tonight, as we moved a good 2/3 of the latest gravel dump...Now if it doesn't just wash away...

07/31/2003

An Open Letter A few weeks ago, Queens College bulldozed (literally) through the Park and Rec meeting, pushing forward a plan to develop $12 million dollars worth of ball fields on 60 acres of land, behind the Marion Diehl Center on Tyvola Road... The opposition was not allowed to voice it's opinion. Read More!

07/29/2003

LNSP Update My name is Casey Rhinehart and I'm the ranger at Lake Norman State Park overseeing the construction/maintennace of the Itusi Trail. Park staff and trail volunteers were concerned about folks driving all the way up from Charlotte and discovering that the trail is closed, so I wanted to advise you of the closure policy and how to learn about the trail's status. Park staff will close the trail when the following conditions exist: excessively wet trail, misuse of trail, storm damage and poor maintenance. Obviously, wet trails will result in the most closures. Trail closure and subsequent openings will be posted to the following web site by park staff: groups.yahoo.com/group/LANO/. You may also call the park office at (704) 528-6350. We will try to leave a message on the answering machine for evening hours. I would like to clarify one point concerning the showers at the swimming area bathhouse. Showers are cold water only and their availability is limited: they'll only be open when park staff are manning the boat rentals, which is going to be weekends only very soon as kids return to school. The showers will not be available at all after Labor Day. Showers in the family campground are for registered campers only. Thanks for all of your support on this project and I hope you'll come back for another workday this Fall/Winter.

07/29/2003

You just never know... I was in Asheville this past weekend, to celebrate my girlfriend Cathys birthday, take in music and art at the Bele Chere Festival with Cathy and my daughter Lyndsay, and to get in a ride or two. On Saturday, as fate would have it, I suffered an air leak in my tubeless rear tire. I took the offending component to a little bike shop, just beyond Bent Creek. Carolina Fatz is a small mom-n-pops type shop that caters to the local mountain biking community. There, I was met by Jason the owner, a young man whose name I didnt catch, and a fellow of basically my age, their lead wrench, Keith. They took turns attempting to reseat my tubeless tire (now with a tube in it) on the rim with minimal success. Fitting my seemingly simple needs into their overloaded schedule was really appreciated by me, the lowly flat tired rider. They worked selfishly for about an hour to get me back on the trail. I called the shop this morning to thank them once again for their efforts to make my weekend of riding a success. When I called, I was told that Keith, the lead wrench, was killed on Sugar Mountain on Sunday, while preparing for the downhill race next weekend, apparently the victim of a broken neck. Here was a guy - my age, mind you - who loved the bicycle and the thrill of riding downhill as fast as his equipment would allow. Our meeting was brief, but I will always appreciate his efforts to make certain that my weekend wasnt spoiled by my rather insignificant tire issue. Ya know, ya just never know. Less than 24 hours after our encounter, Keith was gone. But he left this world quickly, on the bike of his dreams, doing something that he truly loved. That would be my hope, to move on from this world with a smile on my face. -tom

07/23/2003

North Meck Update - 21 July, 03 A workforce of approximately12 volunteers moved 2400 pounds of Sacrete and about the same amount of gravel this past Monday nite at North Meck Park. The effort was to shore up the upper power line crossing that has become a swampland during the years rain. Borrowing a technique that was successful at Col. Francis Beatty, the Sacrete was laid along the trails, the bags punctured, and gravel was spread over the bags. Piping was placed at high water flow locations to move water under the trail bed. The gravel supply was almost totally exhausted, and we are hopeful of a fresh gravel dump for next Monday nite, as the race series is approaching its stop at North Meck. There are still several swamp areas that need to be addressed. We have been given a preliminary OK for trail expansion at North Meck. We will be looking to lay out the new trail as leaves drop this fall. We are currently hopeful of a Beatty type of loop around the park, although park boundaries have not yet been established. Thank you to everyone that has joined the effort over the past two months, and we are looking forward to continued support into the fall. Please feel free to join us Monday nights at 6:00.

07/21/2003

Lake Norman State Park  Itusi Trail Amid virtually no fanfare, Lake Norman State Park has opened the Itusi mountain bike trail to the public. The 4.25 mile course opened late last week, and is a model of a self-sustaining trail. The trail, designed and built by Bob Karriker and a long list of active volunteers, is a rolling Tsali-esque type of ride. The trail features a +/- 1 mile loop option, called Hicks Creek Loop. Evidence of Beaver life is prominently featured on this loop as are scenic views of the lake. The rider returns across a bridge to continue on the Itusi trail proper. The trail is just what it was intended to be, a showplace to get riders excited about mountain biking in this region. The flowing trail should interest more volunteers to work on future expansions, to possibly include a technical loop in a more remote and less accessible portion of the park. One refreshing aspect of the trail was the shower at the bath house following the ride! And, get this, ladies: real bathroom facilities! Take that, Charlotte! The park also features swimming, canoeing, fishing, and camping - something for everyone. We were stopped by several Rangers in the parking area who were very excited to hear our opinions on the trail. They are pumped up by the project and what the addition of the mountain bike community will mean for the park. After a two month or so hiatus, Bob and company will start on the next 4  5 mile loop. To get to Lake Norman State Park: From Charlotte: Take I-77 North to exit 42, Troutman. Turn LEFT on Hwy 21, and follow the BROWN signs to the Park, approximately 7 miles from the interstate.

07/16/2003

North Meck Update The North Meck maintenance got a big shot in the arm on Wednesday, as Joe Gibbs Racing and their No. 20 Home Depot sponsorship made a $100 contribution for the purchase of needed materials. Special thanks go to JD Gibbs for his enthusiasm toward the betterment of the park! Next Monday (July 21) we will be installing sacrete and gravel at the upper powerline crossing. We will be inserting piping to assist in water flow through this problem area. The technique has been used successfully by Doug Satterwhite's team at Francis Beatty, so we are hopeful that we'll realize the same benefit at North Meck. The trail crew continues to grow, as we had upwards of 10 individuals assist us this past Monday, coming from as far south as Mint Hill, and as far north as Lincolnton. Several of our crew have been working the trail in small groups outside the Monday nite work sessions, and for that we certainly are appreciative. I have held preliminary talks with the Huntersville ranger in charge of the park concerning possible trail expansion in the future. More details will follow.

07/10/2003

Trails Update Three out of our four parks got some much needed TLC this past week. The valley trail at Beatty Park had work done on it on Saturday oraganized by Tom W. Neal also led a work group in the rain on Saturday at Renaissance to fix the tennis court loop bridges. Sunday we went back out to Rennie to work on the other side's bridges. Monday Kim R. led a group at North Meck doing armouring and grade dips. I'd say the Trailblazer volunteer wave is cresting at a time when Mother Nature's onslaught is giving us the biggest challenge we've had in the 13 year history of the club. Way to go 'Blazers! This is what it takes to maintain 25 miles of trails: Everybody pitching in when they can. If it's raining on the day you were planning to ride, grab your shovel and go drain some mudholes. You still get out in the woods, and you get a deeper appreciation of the great trail systems we have. Keep an eye on the upper right hand corner of the TB website for upcoming work sessions.

07/05/2003

Tsali Trail Report Just got back from 3 days of riding in Tsali. Right loop was a mud hole, and needs some help. Lots of rain with not so great drainage is a contributing factor. Still fun. Left Loop was in great shape, although the beetle infestation has left all 4 loops looking rough up there for quite a few years to come. They have cut down and control burned countless pine trees and left entire slopes bare. Some are unrecognizable. You can see where the hard woods are coming back with a vengeance. That's a good sign. Thompson rocked as usual. All the drainage work done last year has made that a fast ride from the start on. Mouse Branch has a whole new section cut in off of the overlook that may be the best trail built there yet. Some fast single track with lots of technical stuff thrown in and 2 great tight switchbacks ending over a huge bridge. Shoots you right back out to the trail for another climb up to do the right side of Mouse after that. On a sad note: anyone who has been riding Tsali for years most likely knew Chester. He was a ranger who worked in Tsali. He died of cancer recently. He will be sorely missed. June Barefoot (Chester's side kick) has retired and moved to Raleigh with her son. Those two were a fixture in the parking lot for many years and always good for catching up on some great gossip and stories. It won't be the same without them.

07/04/2003

From the Small Brown Dog forums Thought some of you might be interested in helping to improve one of the most popular trail systems in WNC. Those of you who have contact lists please feel free to forward this information to as many people as possible. Those of you who are out of state and travel to WNC often, please keep our efforts in mind and lend a hand when you plan on being in the area if you can. Bent Creek Trail Maintenance Tired of dealing with mudpuddles and deteriorating trail conditions? Help us help you by lending a hand. When: Every 3rd Sunday/1:30pm Every 3rd Wednesday/6pm. Meet at: Rice Pinnacle parking area. Contact: Sun/Dan - Asheville@biowheels.com or 232-0300 Wed/Garrett - hyperdawg@juno.com or 778-2112 Tools provided. Be prepared to ride your bike. Bring: helmet, food, water, gloves, good footwear, eyeglasses (protection) and a willingness to make a difference.

06/25/2003

Whitewater park taps contractor From the Charlotte Observer June 25, 2003 Charlotte's RodgersDooley has been selected to build a $21.5 million whitewater park planned for a late 2005 opening in western Mecklenburg County. The U.S. National Whitewater Center -- the nonprofit group seeking public and private money to develop the project -- announced its construction and design team Tuesday. RodgersDooley was formed last year as a strategic alliance by general contractors Rodgers Builders and RT Dooley to pursue special projects of community interest in the Carolinas. Johnson & Wales University chose the team last November to build what will be a landmark five-story academic center at Cedar and West Trade streets uptown. Read More...

06/24/2003

June 23, 2003 - N. Mecklenburg Trail Update Nine Trailblazers, Divas, and trail volunteers, participated in trail maintenance activities on Monday nite at N. Meck Park...The crew moved several hundred pounds of gravel, in an attempt to stabilize the trail after the initial drop in, drained several potential holes, and finally worked in a gravel entrance to the new "chicane" recently built around a mud bog on the fast two track section.... I will be on vacation next Monday, however, Kim Rodden (kandarod@aol.com) will be leading a crew that will be working at the base of the two track, where it hangs the hard left into the woods...Run-off onto the lower trail section, just below the two track has created a mud bog...Kim will be directing the construction of a trench to drain water and organic muck, off of the lower trail in that region... The next visit of the Charlotte Mountainbike Series to N. Meck will be on July 9th...We need at least two more strong work sessions to get the trail ready for the race, and to stabilize the trail for everyday use... June 21, 2003 - Francis Beatty Trail Update A group of about 12 SBD'ers , and THTB'ers showed up at Beatty and worked on the section that has had the biggest water related issues. (The area where the gravel had been put down a few months ago)...We cut in several new drainage ditches and rerouted water under the trail in those same areas using 6 and 4 inch pipe. It is amazing how much water is running through that area! If you are riding through, please take a second to check the pipes and clear out debris holding back the water...We choked several areas to encourage a smaller line until the saturated areas set up and are able to hold wheel weight with out rutting out. There will be more gravel delivered soon to work on the areas below the dam and other trouble spots...We looked at the valley trail and have decided to do a short re-route away from the ragged out area after the bridge. That spot was still full of water and sediment yesterday. The reroute will move up hill about 5 feet and come out right at the same spot as old trail and Mr. Murray's new trail junction between 2 trees...

06/17/2003

Trail Info On Sunday the 15th, about 10 to 12 Trailblazers returned to Catawba for a good day of trailwork. The main goal was to work on mudholes and get them draining. We worked the trail in reverse and made it back to the figure eight in the back of the park before wearing out in the heat. There are two races scheduled at Catawba this week: Charlotte MTB Series on Wednesday night and The Cowbell Classic 12-hour race on Saturday. The weather is looking good for this Friday and Saturday which will be good for the 12-hour race. In order to put some finishing touches on the course, Let's plan to meet at Catawba this Friday, June 20th starting at 4:00pm or after you get off work. People will be setting up for camping and for the race, so it should be a good time. If you get there later and want to know where to go or what to do, call Frank P.'s cell phone at 704-577-2517. Bring your bike and ride back to where we will be working; it will save time and energy. North Meck: Tom M. is organizing a regular Monday night trailwork series at 6:00 pm. Check the website for details or just show up with a shovel and help them out! Renaissance: Be careful riding there: several bridges are OUT and it will be a while until they can be fixed. Beatty: Plans are rolling to get some Freeride structures in place out there in some of the swampy areas to add some new elements of fun. More on that later as plans solidify. Thanks for hanging in there and NOT riding the trails when they are wet. Please respond to the upcoming calls for trailwork because there is MUCH MORE work needed to get the trails back in shape after all this rain we've had.

06/13/2003

Bent Creek to Leave Trails Alone ASHEVILLE - After an outcry from mountain bikers, the U.S. Forest Service is rethinking a plan to alter some popular trails in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. "I'm ecstatic," said Jason Posey, a "hard-core" cyclist who owns Carolina Fatz bike shop. "I was doing cartwheels." In a letter mailed Thursday, the Forest Service announced it is withdrawing a previous environmental assessment that recommended changes to trails. Read more...

06/11/2003

Trail Work The rains last Saturday night caused most of the bridges at Renaissance to wash out. The bridge on the softball side under the power lines is about 150 feet downstream but intact. We need about 12 or more people to help haul it back up the creek and set it in place. Please come out this Thursday the 12th at 5:30 and bring creek walking shoes and gloves. It's a short walk down the old trail to the bridge. If we can get it back in place, I have enough cable to attach it to a nearby tree to at least keep it from floating so far next time it gets displaced. There is also a Tomac Bike Demo that day given by SouthPark Cycles starting at 3:30 pm. Also, this Sunday the 15th at Catawba we will meet at 10:00 to work on trail repairs / clean-up to get things ready for the race out there next Wednesday. Thanks for your help in getting things back in order!

06/09/2003

New Freeride Trails Planned? Initial discussions have taken place that have laid the groundwork for the construction of future freeride trails at Catawba (Historic Tuckaseegee Ford Park) and Col. Francis Beatty. Details are in the early stages, but several individuals are starting the groundwork necessary to understand the proper construction of sustainable (theres that word, again) freeride trails. Continue to watch the website for more information on these exciting new projects.

06/09/2003

Trail Maintenance Ongoing maintenance of our parks is critical at this time. The weather is affecting not only riding, but important upkeep of the trails. Please check back frequently to stay abreast of future scheduled trail work.

06/09/2003

Trail Conditions We have experienced an inordinate amount of rain in the past several months, and our trail system has suffered immensely from continued use, even when wet. I have been riding mountain bikes since 1992, and have never dealt with the weather that we are now experiencing. Just like you, I would love to ride the trails. However, common sense dictates that riding in wet sloppy conditions ruins the trail, not only for others, but for you as well. We generally have utilized a 24 Hour Rule, where if it has rained in the past 24 hours, we request that you dont ride the trails. Because of the incredible amount of rain that we have experienced, we request that you utilize good judgment, and ride ONLY when the trails have dried. We are fighting constant erosion issues at all of our parks, and of the parks that we maintain, North Mecklenburg has seemingly taken the hardest hit. The trail needs to be closed to riders until we can reroute, and repair the trails to a more sustainable condition. Your assistance in all of the above suggestions would be immeasurably appreciated, not only by the club, but by non-members too. We appreciate your thoughtfulness and for assisting in assuring that our park system delivers viable riding for years to come. The education of riders will help us to keep them off the trail in poor conditions. If you are working on the trail and riders pass, take a minute, and I strongly stress this point, politely explain the situation, and the damage that they are causing. Make them aware of the fact that these trails are built and maintained by volunteers, mountain bike enthusiasts just like them. Invite them to participate in ownership of the trail by becoming a part of the solution, not part of the problem. Please read the SIGNS about riding after a rain.

05/20/2003

North Meck update Thanks to all who pitched in last Monday and Saturday to help make much needed repairs to the bike trails at North Meck Park. We drained many mudholes and moved several tons of gravel to where it was needed. We will try to return there to continue the work after this next monsoon is finished.

05/20/2003

IMBA visit update The Subaru / IMBA Trail Care Crew visit to Charlotte May 3rd and 4th was a big success for the mountain bike trails in the Charlotte area and for the Tarheel Trailblazers who take care of them. About 30 people attended the classroom session and trail assessment on Saturday and about 20 people came out to Renaissance Park on Sunday to learn the techniques of rock armouring on the trails. News Channel 14 even showed up and did a surprise piece on the day's work. Much light was shed on ways to determine whether particular erosion problems are caused by the users of the trail or by water on the trail. We learned ways to mitigate damage to existing trails and how to design future trails in a way that should prevent problems from happening in the first place. Many Thanks! go out to Scott and Aaryn from the Subaru / IMBA Trail Care Crew, to Woody Keane from the Blue Ridge Bike Club and to Bob Karriker from the Lake Norman State Park Project. They all shared their experience with us and Woody also shared his new toy with us, the amazing Ibex mechanized trail building machine. From him, we also got a hands on demonstration of how to construct some Appalachian armouring. The ancient art of stone pitching was used to stabilize the trail on the entry and exit from our wet creek crossing and the value of rolling grade dips to divert storm water flow was realized. The recent rains have played havoc on our trails, but we can still keep them maintained by using some of these new methods. Most importantly though, we must discourage others from riding on the trails when they are still wet. DON'T RIDE FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS AFTER RAINFALL is the message we must get into everybody's heads. We were amazed and discouraged by the fact that people were still on the trail last Tuesday evening even after it had rained heavily that afternoon. Please help us to get this message across to people before we are forced to close the trails because of our own abuse. We look forward to seeing you all out on the trails soon! Thanks.

05/15/2003

Trailwork at North Meck Park Sat., May 17th, 10:00 The Trailblazers will be traveling to North Mecklenburg Park on Saturday, May 17th at 10:00 am to improve drainage and to armour wet areas with gravel. Take I-77 North to exit 23, go right and turn left at the light by the Cashions store in the center of town. The park is about 2 miles up on the left. Bring work shoes or boots, safety glasses, gloves, water and a snack. If you have a shovel, bring it too. This is our first trip up there in a long time, so there is much work to be done. Thanks and we look forward to seeing you!

04/14/2003

IMBA Trail Care Crew is coming to Charlotte! The Tarheel Trailblazers and Subaru are proud to sponsor a special visit by the International Mountain Biking Association. They are the folks who wrote the book on mountain bike trail building and maintenance. Sign up below to attend the best trail building and maintenance class there is to offer (and it's FREE!) Here's the info Check out the brochure To REGISTER or if you have any QUESTIONS e-mailFrank Pietras. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you during Charlotte Bike Week! (bikecharlotte.org)

04/11/2003

Bicycle Swap Meet - Saturday, May 10th 1:00pm - 4:00pm Buy, Sell, or Trade bikes, parts, or whatever. $5.00 per table. Click here for more info.

04/09/2003

Anne Springs membership fee? The administration of the Anne Springs Close Greenway is attempting to set a $160 non-resident and $60 resident membership fee to ride the mountain bike trail system. The Anne Springs Close Greenway, located in Ft Mill, SC, is a beautiful park-like area consisting of 2,300 acres of multi-use recreational mountain bike trails, horseback riding, and hiking trails. Weather you ride the Greenway or not and weather you consider yourself a mountain biker or not, it's our job to be a voice for the cycling community. To make a really long story short, the Greenway is private property but has received federal funding for multi-use trails, which includes mountain biking. There have also been many many hours of volunteer work completed at the Greenway by local club members, including a recent IMBA trail school with the Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas. There have been issues over the past years with the heavy use of the trails. The trails are predominantly used by mountain bikers. We were told this fee change has nothing to do with trying to "run off" mtn bikers, even though a large percentage of the mountain biking community feels that is their is intent. They're aware of the heavy mtn bike use and say they welcome the riders. The problem is that the heavy use hasn't translated into heavy payments. They cited examples of counting 50 cars with NC plates in the lots, but finding about $20 in the fee boxes at the end of the day. Clearly, massive trail poaching going on here, and they've been trying for a long long time (they say) to figure out a way to end the problem. They also believe that for the most part the members of local bike clubs aren't the main source of this problem. That being said, it all led to this annual fee concept that everyone, resident or non-resident, will have to pay. We have compiled a letter and placed it on several of the popular local mountain bike websites. PLEASE, take 30 seconds and $.37, download the letter and send it to the Greenway administration. The letter is in PDF format. All you have to do is download the letter, sign it, and drop it in the mail.

04/08/2003

2003 Charlotte Mountain Bike Series The dates for the 2003 Charlotte Mountain Bike Series have been posted. This event is a great way to bring new faces into mountain bike racing. Spread the word about the series to all of your friends and colleagues The categories have been changed to accommodate more entry level mountain bike enthusiast. We added a Semi-Expert category between Sport and Expert. This should allow the guys in Sport another option and the guys in beginner to move up to the Sport category. The rotation of the 4 parks has been changed as well. It will now be Catawba, Francis Beatty, Renaissance, and North Meck. The summer series is set to take off April 23, check out www.charlottemtnbike.com for more info.

03/24/2003

Great turnout for the UMBA trail care day What a great turnout for the UMBA trail care day!! I counted 17 people in all, plus one dog. Not only did all of you show up, but everyone put forth a great effort and we got a lot more accomplished than I expected. I truly appreciate all that you did. I would especially like to thank those of you from the Tarheel Trailblazers for bringing your tools and trail maintenance experience, and then sharing both so generously. It wouldn't have been the same without you!! Saturday's efforts have given UMBA a great burst of momentum to move forward with. It reminds me a lot of the momentum created by the group of 21 that turned out for the very first UMBA meeting in 1996. From that surge of interest we were able to lay the groundwork for this trail system and open up the routes we have today. After the last few days, the future of these trails certainly looks brighter to me! Tommy and I were able to examine Keyauwee with a more experienced eye as we rode through on Saturday afternoon. Another day's efforts with a crew half that size should allow us to address most of the similar drainage issues on Keyauwee. And from there? Only time will tell what great things will develop for and around this trail system.

02/20/2003

Trailbuilding Session and Appreciation Lunch - Sun The Tarheel Trailblazers and the Dirt Divas have joined forces to assemble volunteers for a trailbuilding session at Lake Norman State Park followed by an Appreciation Lunch on Sunday, March 2nd. This is the ideal time of year to participate in a trailbuilding session before the riding season arrives. Our trails are precious to all of us, so let's show how much we care and dedicate 4 hours to building a section of new trail at Lake Norman State Park. Afterwards, stick around for honey baked ham and barbecue beef sandwiches and all the fixins while mingling with other mountainbiking enthusiasts. Important note...Please rsvp (by 2/25) Laura Smith if you plan to attend so that plenty of food will be available for all in attendance.

01/27/2003

IMBA Strengthens D.C. Leadership To ensure that the interests of mountain bikers are fully protected, IMBA has hired a respected Washington, D.C. law firm to represent our organization and sport in the nation's capital. Smith Dawson & Andrews (SDA) will help IMBA push its legislative agenda and work with federal agencies to build new trails and protect access. SDA will also help guide IMBA's work on Wilderness proposals and National Park Service policies. Three SDA attorneys, including avid mountain biker Kirk Bailey, will work with IMBA. SDA's list of clients includes the city of Eugene, Oregon, San Francisco International Airport and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. SDA (http://www.sda-inc.com) works regularly with the federal agencies and congressional committees that manage public land and trails. IMBA has a focused D.C. work plan for 2003 designed to maximize the benefits for mountain bikers. SDA will produce a monthly update that will be shared with IMBA members and corporate supporters. Financial support for this effort is provided by two important IMBA fundraising initiatives, the National Leadership Fund and Legal Defense Fund. "This is a milestone in IMBA's growth," said IMBA executive director Tim Blumenthal. "Having strong and steady representation in D.C. increases IMBA's effectiveness. Mountain bikers will appreciate the outcomes: more and better trails." Meanwhile, IMBA's other D.C. law firm, Hogan & Hartson LLP, continues work on National Park Service mountain biking issues. Hogan & Hartson has been helping IMBA reopen the Cactus Forest Trail in Tucson, Arizona, secure an IMBA/NPS partnership and streamline the agency's mountain biking regulations. In addition to its work with SDA, IMBA is an active participant in the America Bikes coalition, which is focused on ensuring our nation's next six-year transportation bill is bike-friendly.

01/13/2003

IMBA is coming to Charlotte It looks like IMBA is coming to Charlotte for BIKE Week! This is a great opportunity for everyone to learn directly from the experts about how to make our trails better. We will address how to build challenging trails that are sustainable as well as how to fix problem areas with long lasting solutions. Mark your calendars for the first weekend in May. More later...

01/12/2003

Cane Creek Dates For those of us who are attempting to schedule events for 2003, here arethe Cane Creek Series dates: April 12 -13 Knobscorcher AMBC May 17 - 18 Stump Jump in Spartanburg, SC AMBC May 24 - 25 Devils Ridge - Sanford June 14 - 15 Asheville June 28 - 29 Tiger Rag in Clemson July 26 - 27 Beech Mountain August 23 - 24 Sugar Mountain AMBC September 6 - 7 Charlotte October 4 - 5 Fontana Also, Sandy, our NORBA official, said to read through the new rules about insurance and events. Supposedly they are given the rebates in 2003.

01/07/2003

Cedar Rock Trail Repair Project at DuPont State Forest: A Trailblazer's Dream This trailwork report is for workdays that took place in Nov 02 on the lower section of Cedar Rock Trail. The work you see in the photos represents over 200 people hours worth of work and this project combined handwork with the use of the Toro Dingo owned by Blue Ridge Bike Club. Read more.

12/18/2002

News From DuPont Forest Today marks the second anniversary of the opening of the waterfalls at DuPont State Forest. Many of you remember, as I do, those exciting first days--the large crews of volunteers picking at the frozen ground trying to prepare the trails for the opening day . . . read more.

12/13/2002

Jackalope Jack's Here's a good write-up on Jackalope's, the venue for the Trailblazer monthly meeting.

12/09/2002

Trail Disaster Teams Hey! I hope everyone is doing ok. I talked to Neal (www.charlottemtnbike.com) and since we can't race Sat., we'd like everyone to come out to Catawba (or your nearest trail) with saws and loppers of all types and help get started clearing the trails. We''l start at about 12:00 noon Sat. at Catawba. Hey! I hope everyone is doing ok. I talked to Neal (www.charlottemtnbike.com) and since we can't race Sat., we'd like everyone to come out to Catawba (or your nearest trail) with saws and loppers of all types and help get started clearing the trails. We''l start at about 12:00 noon Sat. at Catawba. I know everyone is going to be busy cleaning up this mess for a while, so thanks in advance for your help! Later, Frankie

11/18/2002

New Board Members Executive Board President - Frankie Pietras Vice President - Bart Stetler Secretary - Tom Waldron Treasurer - Bryan Katzenmaier Non - BOD, Executive Positions Founder - Jack Crouch Past President - Jeff Smith Web Master - Eric Troutman Website Editor, Communications, Meeting Host - Tom Mathews Park and Recreation Liaison - Bryan Malec Membership and Communications - Jason Huffstetler Race Promoter, Public Relations, Membership - Neal Boyd Trail Coordinator - Frankie Pietras Assistant Trail Coordinator - Bryan Roney Volunteer Coordinator - Paul Bellin Race Timing, Scoring and Registration - Wade Carroll

11/18/2002

IMBA Pleased With New BLM Mountain Biking Plan The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released a final National Mountain Bicycling Strategic Action Plan for the management of mountain biking on the BLM's 262 million acres of public land. The 31-page document represents the most comprehensive mountain bike management plan created by any land management agency. The plan was announced yesterday, November 12, at the National Trails Symposium in Orlando, Florida. "This is a great plan," said IMBA's executive director Tim Blumenthal. "It addresses the current desires of mountain bikers, leaves most decision making to local managers, and is adaptable as the sport evolves." The BLM decided to produce a mountain bike-specific plan last year following a flood of comments from IMBA leaders and members on the BLM's Off-Highway Vehicle Strategy. That plan originally proposed to group mountain bike management with that of motorized vehicles. Mountain bikers played a key role in shaping the new plan. The BLM considered thousands of cyclists' comments, sent a team of leaders to the 2002 IMBA Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit, and included long-time IMBA advocate Mark Flint of Tucson, Arizona, as an advisor. The BLM did not adopt suggestions from the American Hiking Society and others that recommended a "closed-unless-open" trail policy and a prohibition of bicycling from national conservation areas. IMBA believes the 10-year plan sets a positive, proactive direction for the BLM. It offers constructive advice to local managers, clearly recognizes changing demographics, identifies emerging bicycle and trailbuilding technologies, and discusses other issues unique to mountain biking. The BLM now faces the challenge of implementing the plan. IMBA will cooperate with the agency by providing volunteer resources and technical assistance. IMBA will also continue to seek adequate recreation management funding from Congress. The plan is available at:http://www.blm.gov/mountain_biking/

11/18/2002

Trailwork Report / Schedule The Trailblazers kicked off the Fall 2002 trail building season with a bang! About 18 people came out and helped get the new 1/2 mile loop started. Everyone worked hard, and after about 2 1/2 hours, realized how strenuous it is to grub (dig out) the roots and all of brush and trees that are in the trailbed. The benefits were immediately apparent though, because when we walked back and saw the trail, it was basically ready to ride. It will take about two more sessions like the first one, and it should be done! We postponed the close down / reclaiming of the Heinous hill until Nov. 24th when Brian M. can be there and share what he learned at the Springs IMBA Trail School. Speaking of IMBA trail schools, there is one taking place this weekend in Wilkes County, which is only about an hour and fifteen minutes away! Anyone can attend. I'm going on Saturday and Bob K. will be there all weekend. If you want to go, it's FREE. Contact me and we can carpool up there, or I can forward details / directions to you. We'll leave Charlotte about 8:30 am. Let's go and learn from the best so we can continue to make our trails the best! Sunday the 17th will be our first club trip to do trailwork at Lake Norman State Park. We'll need to leave about 7:30 am to meet in the parking lot at 8:30. Take I-77 North to exit 42 (Troutman) and follow the brown and white signs to the park. Park in the first swimming / bathhouse parking lot on the left. If anyone wants to caravan, send me an e-mail and we'll decide where to meet. Bring the regular trailwork gear and water. If you have not seen the place yet, you will be amazed at the pristine nature of these woods. It will soon be one of the best trails in the region. Come be a part of it! Sounds like a busy trail weekend, but what the hell! That's what we do, right? Thanks for reading this and we'll see you out there. Frank Pietras (your new Prez)

10/25/2002

Lake Norman State Park From Frank Pietras, I want to share the good news that gound has been broken at Lake Norman State Park for the mountain bike trails there. On Saturday, Oct. 19th, a crew of about 8 people cleared the corridor on the first section and began preparing the trailbed for what will become one of the state's premier mountain bike trails. I must say it was quite a sight to see Scott H. working side by side with an armed and uniformed State Ranger building legal mountain bike trails! I hope that everyone will take the opportunity to participate in this historic event. more...

10/11/2002

Advanced Mountain Biking Techniques: A New Mini-Series Over the years, occasionally, fellow cyclists have approached me and asked that I explain to them how to improve their speed on the bicycle. As a rule, the folks who ask this question are technically capable, fit, advanced-level cyclists. They've read books or been privy to information pertaining to fitness, strength training, nutrition, etc. Books on these subjects are overflowing the racks at your local bookstore. What they're referring to, and what this series will address, is the almost Zen-like philosophy that lies beneath advanced mountain-bike handling skills. ...more

10/07/2002

Charlotte and Dirt Rag Fellow Charlotte Mountain Biker, Rich Davis, has written a tremendous article for Dirt Rag magazine, concerning mountain biking in and around the Metropolitan Queen City. Specifically, Rich reviews six of the local trails, covered in the first Rat Ride...Check out his article here. And while your at it, consider a subscription to Dirt Rag...

10/05/2002

Winter Mountain Bike Series November 9, the 2nd Annual Winter Mountain Bike Series will kick off. The first race is at Catawba Riverfront Park. Check out www.charlottemtnbike.com for more info. Great for beginners or those of us trying to maintain a little fitness through the winter

10/02/2002

Mountain Bikers Up Against Calif. Conservationists SUNLAND, Calif. -- Mike Melton would love to support the latest campaign to save wilderness across California. Preserving open space, he says, is a priority. But so is his mountain bike. Read more! JOIN IMBA NOW!

09/25/2002

Rat Ride III The 3rd Rat Ride is now history...Read Chuck Player from Small Brown Dog's take on what it's like to ride 6 of the trails in the Charlotte area in a day...Are you up for Rat Ride IV?

09/24/2002

Becky Smith's diary from the World Masters Championship Charlotte's own Becky Smith kept this diary of the days leading up to her attempt at the World Masters Championship in Canada, on August 17, 2002. The thoughts and words are Becky's; it's obvious she was carrying the weight of many of us on her shoulders in her quest to be a World Champion. We're all very proud of her and her accomplishments, read all about it here.