Come to Evolution Bike Shop tomorrow June 13, for Demo Day

I'll be chatting with folks about future SLaB skills clinics and helping out in the morning at Evolution Bike shop! Come join the fun as they have demo bikes from Norco and more! Steven's Creek Blvd, across from Elephant Bar... near "Cupertino Square" (ak Valco mall). See you there!

Mtn. Bike Skills Clinics for Spring 2009!

Hello riders and those who'd like to start riding! 

Winter is waning and our sunshine is lasting longer - this means our riding season is here!

STRONG, LIGHT and BEAUTIFUL has exciting new clinics and events on the calendar!
We've changed the format a little, focussing on clinics and events not membership. No charge to be a Strong, Light and Beautiful rider, simply attend an event (fee based or complimentary events), or purchase a jersey and/or merchandise, ride with us, and you are SLaB! (Website to reflect this by end of March).

CO-ED!
We found that YES, mostly women need and want a group - a no pressure clinic, but there are men out there that haven't tried riding in years as well. Pass along these dates to those guys you know that are ready to get active on the trails, or haven't felt stable maybe on their road bikes, as attending these workshops help every type of rider improve their maneuverability on a bicycle!

GROUP RIDES
We will continue to offer group rides as the Summer and daylight grow. We plan to join other clubs group rides and events and trail volunteer work throughout 2009.

There is still beautiful merchandise available. Jerseys, Arm Warmers, Vests, and discounts at local bike shops and some brand components/accessories. www.iamSLaB.com

SLaB has upped her game this year with the addition of 1 to 2 expert riders joining our clinics and events. These guys can share tricks and expertise from their racing days to mechanic abilities. You'll certainly learn a trick or two from them!

If you have taken a SLaB clinic before, this will review skills from Super Beginner clinics, then go a step further with more intermediate skills, experts on hand, and a ride to practice on, and have a little more physical challenge.

APRIL 11
Skills Clinic and Ride - CUPERTINO, CA
Beginner/Beginner-Intermediate/and Intermediates!
Go thru basic skills & mechanical tips - 9-11a.m. $60pp
Then ride up the fire road to access Freemont Older's trails for on the trail assistance and testing out our new skills! 11:30-1:30pm. 

Enervit bars and energy drinks provided. Bring snack and required to have water bottle or hydration system for ride. If you need a bike or want to try a full suspension or hard-tail GT, 3 mediums available first come first serve. County Parking Fee not included.

MAY 16
Super Beginner/Beginner clinic, CUPERTINO, CA, 9 a.m.-12:30. $50pp
Haven't ridden in years? Want more stability on your road or hybrid or mtn. bike? Learn balance, weight distribution, cornering, braking techniques to encourage you go ride more challenging trails and roads. Bikes available to use - limited sizes and qty.
County Parking Fee not included.

JUNE 13-14 (price will be group rates, a great deal! Weekend of a lot of fun!)
2 nights 2 days in DOWNIEVILLE, CA
Beg-Intermediate riders
Shuttles with expert riders to join us on rides. They will assist, coach and/or guide us for an enjoyable descent!
Yuba Expeditions Bike Shop http://yubaexpeditions.com/
Carriage House www.downievillecarriagehouse.com

CHANGE.GOV

For those who might be mourning, and us who are celebrating this historic occasion - here is what our new incredible leadership has already launched! Go to www.Change.gov and see their agenda. There are opportunities to post your vision - which I decided to do. And YES... I mention Cycling and more bicycle access! I promise that my blog will go back to it's roots of Strong, Light and Beautiful's mission. With that said, in our mission is the promotion of our Environment - sustainibility - and this certainly gets us involved in some Politic'ing! We'll see if it gets published or at least read! Very exciting!

"Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today." - President-Elect Barack Obama

Please stop at red lights!

That is what I said out the passenger window of our car this morning, to a cyclist on Stevens Creek Blvd. "Please stop at red lights"! We had watched him for 2 miles, go through several reds - including the one at DeAnza Colleges entrance, where he cut off patiently waiting pedestrians, that stepped into the cross walk at their designated time. He had to swerve left to avoid hitting them.

So I couldn't help myself, as I want cars to like us, and to spread good energy between all us commuting, errand running, race training, rolling folks on the same roads. Suddenly I found my self addressing this man. He was probably in his late 40's or early 50's on a road bike. I initiated this interaction while we, once again, approached another light together. We were a few cars back, so I spoke out to him as he passed us in the shoulder lane. He yelled "F*c! You!" as he con't to the light. When we approached the light, he turned back to see who we were, and con't our conversation. I said, "Hey, we are cyclists too, and it gives us a bad name to go thru red lights".

He responded... "No it doesn't... mind your own business".

I thought... it IS my business...
A) I'm on the road in a car, and he is riding unpredictably, and I have no idea when he might cut across my legal path.

B) I am a cyclist, hoping to reduce the tensions between auto drivers and cyclists, and want them to start liking us more.

C) I'm an advocate for getting more bike lane access, bike racks at businesses, and awareness to try to recruit more cyclists on the road, and reduce car congestion, and needless driving. A dream for a more bike friendly community, and an effort to save our environment, while reducing our dependency on oil, and get physically active for better health!