Friday Roundup – Cycling Odds & Ends

• Experience the epic of British Coumbia with the Singletrack 6 – Ride Western Canada and take part in the multi-day cross-country mountain bike adventure this summer. TransRockies has just confirmed the dates and locations of this year’s six-day BC epic set for July 23-28. The event delivers back-to-back big mountain stages with separate timed descents through the heart of the beautiful Canadian Rockies. This year the race ventures deep into the interior, taking stops in Fernie, Cranbrook, Kimberley, and Golden. Register now via Singletrack6.com, and read on for more week’s end news bites…

Where to Ride

• Drop into the new flowy Hot Shots trail at Leogang this season – The new 3.5km flow trail developed with Go Pro delivers new easy-to-ride tables for all skill levels to enjoy. The trail builds on the similar rollercoaster ride trails throughout Europe and Canada with the aim to create a ride that anyone can enjoy, but only experts can rail without succumbing to the tendency to scrub speed. Get out and enjoy a new crop of berms and waves that lead you into the heart of Leogang’s more tight and twisty lower mountain tracks when it opens for the season on May 12. Bikepark-Leogang.com
• Whiskey Off-Road kicks off this weekend, with more from Epic Rides to come – Epic Rides and its merry mountain bikers, along with some of the world’s fastest pros, get underway with the Off-Road Series in Prescott, AZ starting today with a fat tire city crit. The 13th annual race Whiskey Off-Road expands this year with a 3-day music festival too. The race even adds new singletrack to the longer 30 & 50 Proof routes. Plus, after this weekend they still have great racing on hand through the summer. EpicRides.com
• Join the CCGenco Foundation for their 5th annual Mother’s Day Ride – Starting in Newton, MA, the group rides in memory of Christina Genco who tragically was struck and killed while participating in a Bike & Build Ride.  This year’s ride falls on May 8, and features the same popular routes as in past runnings: 68, 34 & 17 mile rides, plus a 3.4 mile family ride. Funds raised go to support the foundation’s three key issues: bicycling safety education, athletic scholarships, and support for affordable housing. CCGFoundation.org
• Join the NorCal AIDS ride in May -From May 12-15, 2016, cyclists and support staff will cover 300 miles to raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS service providers in Northern California. Either by supporting a rider already signed up or join in yourself, you can help raise funds to support the work being done by the region’s AIDS non-profits. NorCalAIDSCycle.org
• Bike Oregon Wine Country this summer with Eola Hills Wine Cellars – Discover the scenic Oregon countryside and vineyards on the daylong cycling tours held every Sunday from the last week of July through the end of August. The rides organized by Eola Hills Wine Cellars and guided by their staff will ride the Willamette Valley’s back roads, with vineyard and wine tasting stops along the way (plus one brewery too.) Routes vary from 40-70 miles, so you are likely to get in some decent riding too. Check out the details and how to join at: EolaHillsWinery.com

Advocacy

•  PeopleForBikes Announces National Protected Bike Lane Week – PeopleForBikes’ Green Lane Project is excited to announce the first-ever National Protected Bike Lane Week in the US from May 9-13, 2016. Protected bike lanes, separating bike and car traffic, increase bike traffic on streets by an average 75 percent within their first year of installation. Since 2009, the number of lanes on the ground has been doubling every two years with 275 lanes in 82 American cities today. PeopleForBikes is inviting cyclists and community organizations to organize evets to get more people riding. More info at: PeopleForBikes.org
• Don’t miss the chance to participate in IMBA’s annual member survey, NOW! – IMBA is about to conduct a detailed survey of its members (May 3-17) on topics of their 4-year strategic plan. To participate, you must be a current member on or before Apr 30 , with a valid e-mail address on file. Go to IMBA.com/join to get heard. Do It Now! Plus of course, to sweeten the deal, IMBA s going to raffle off a Trek Procaliber 9.7 SL, with a retail value of $3,500 as part of the survey. IMBA.com