Western Chapter Calendar
Sunday 4/11/2009 Yankee Springs trail day
Saturday 4/18/2009 Cannonsburg Game Area trail day
Sunday 4/19/2009 Yankee Springs Time Trial
Sunday 4/26/2009 Luton Park trail day and Ionia trail day
Saturday 5/2/2009 Cannnonsburg Ski Area trail day
Sunday 5/3/2009 Ionia trail day
Saturday 5/9/2009 Luton Park trail day
Saturday 5/16/2009 Cannonsburg Game Area trail day
Fri-Sat-Sun May 29-30-31 Midwest Mountain Bike Summit in Grand Rapids
Saturday 6/6/2009 Luton Park trail day/ National Trails Day
Saturday 6/20/2009 Cannonsburg Game Area trail day
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Western MMBA Upcoming events
Western MMBA Upcoming events
Chapter meeting- A reminder that the Western Chapter has our meeting Monday April 6, 2009 630pm -730pm at Mangiamo! Grand Rapids, 1033 Lake Dr Se, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Yankee Springs Trail Day April 11th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the Deep Lake trailhead
Cannonsburg State Gamearea Trail Day April 18th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the 4 Mile lot
Yankee Springs Time Trial April 19, 2009 Racers start at 10:00am
GR Bike Summit Friday, April 24, 2009 8:30am-4:00pm
Luton Park Trail Day April 26th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the Kies Ave barn
Cannonsburg State Gamearea Trail Day May 16th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the 4 Mile lot
Midwest MTB Summit Friday, Saturday, Sunday May 28-31st
National Trail Day at Luton Park June 6, 2009 Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm Tools provided by the Western MMBA.
Cannonsburg State Gamearea Trail Day June 20th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the 4 Mile lot
Chapter meeting- A reminder that the Western Chapter has our meeting Monday April 6, 2009 630pm -730pm at Mangiamo! Grand Rapids, 1033 Lake Dr Se, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Yankee Springs Trail Day April 11th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the Deep Lake trailhead
Cannonsburg State Gamearea Trail Day April 18th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the 4 Mile lot
Yankee Springs Time Trial April 19, 2009 Racers start at 10:00am
GR Bike Summit Friday, April 24, 2009 8:30am-4:00pm
Luton Park Trail Day April 26th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the Kies Ave barn
Cannonsburg State Gamearea Trail Day May 16th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the 4 Mile lot
Midwest MTB Summit Friday, Saturday, Sunday May 28-31st
National Trail Day at Luton Park June 6, 2009 Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm Tools provided by the Western MMBA.
Cannonsburg State Gamearea Trail Day June 20th, 2009 Trail work starts at 9:00am-12:00pm, lunch and tools provided. Meet at the 4 Mile lot
Other groups to visit
Check out these groups- the Western MMBA partners with some of them, racers and riders interact with others, trailbuilders assist some of them as well:
Advocacy
Friends of Big M
Friends of Owasippe
Kent County Parks Foundation
League of Michigan Bicyclists
MI Trails + Greenways
North Country Trail
Rapid Wheelmen
West Michigan Coastal Riders
White Pine Trail
WM Trails+Greenways mountain bikeGeeride
IMBA
MMBA
NIMBA
Racing
Fun Promotions
Kisscross
MilkJug Racing
Tailwind
Advocacy
Friends of Big M
Friends of Owasippe
Kent County Parks Foundation
League of Michigan Bicyclists
MI Trails + Greenways
North Country Trail
Rapid Wheelmen
West Michigan Coastal Riders
White Pine Trail
WM Trails+Greenways mountain bikeGeeride
IMBA
MMBA
NIMBA
Racing
Fun Promotions
Kisscross
MilkJug Racing
Tailwind
Old Meeting Minutes archives
Old Meeting Minutes archives
WESTERN MMBA
Building Better Trails for West MI
Archive for the ‘chapter meeting’ Category
Meeting Minutes - February 2009Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association Meeting Minutes
Date: February 2, 2009
Location: Mangiamo Restaurant, Grand Rapids, MI
Board Members present:*Rick Plite - President*Jason Dew - Vice President*Martin Hall - Treasurer*Jennifer Bechtel - Secretary*Nate Phelps - State Representative
Total Attendence: 20 members, 2 guests.——————————————————————-
1.0 Meeting called to order at 6:35 p.m.
2.0 Guest Kevin McKurren - introduced by Rick Plite.*Presenting the Summit for making Grand Rapids a Bicycle Friendly city.*Summit is Friday, April 24th from 8 - 4:30 p.m. No fee.
http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=8529
——————————————————————-
3.0 Minutes recap from December 1st, 2008 - by Rick Plite.Minutes approved.
——————————————————————-
4.0 Financial Reported - presented by Martin Hall, Treasurer.
——————————————————————-
5.0 State Chapter report - presented by Nate Phelps.*Portion of membership fees to local chapter will increase along with overall membership fee increase.
——————————————————————-
6.0 Ball Perkins Charette status - presented by Nate Phelps.We had 156 votes for the multi-use trail. The overwhelming majority of votes.
——————————————————————-
7.0 Film Festival Update - presented by Nate.In partnership with the Rapid Wheelman, presenting the film festival and a silent auction.*Many movies in both the large and small theatres.*$20 admission.*Location: Wealthy Theatre*Date: February 7th, 2009*Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
——————————————————————-
8.0 Chapter Planning Sessions - presented by Martin Hall.*Scheduled for Saturday, February 21st at 10 a.m. at *Pinery ParkWyoming Senior Center.*ALL MEMBERS INVITED to provide feedback on chapter direction.Would love to have people come at least for 1st half-hour to hear the framework.
——————————————————————-
9.0 Annual Meeting update - presented by guest, Marne Smiley - MMBA Executive Director*Location: LANSING, MI*Date: Sunday, February 22nd, 2009*47 booths, silent auction, advocacy forum.*WMMBA is planning a 1970s-theme booth this year. Looking to borrow old-time tv console.*Committee: Sue Swiger, Steve Kunnath, Heather Kubiak*Pre-ride is at Anderson Park (10 miles SW).
——————————————————————-
10.0 Handmade Bicycle Show member trip - presented by Rick*In Indianapolis Feb 28th - March 1st.*$20 admission. Brown County state Park.*Folks invited to go and help Rick celebrate his 50th BDay!*Plans to ride Brown County park on Sunday, weather/conditionspermitting.
——————————————————————-
11.0 Yankee Springs Time Trial Update - presented by Dennis Murphy.*Free pint glasses for the 20th anniversary for first 150 riders on BikeReg. Will sell the remainder for $5.00 (already available to order on the web site).*Flyers coming out soon. Will be set on the table at the expo and handed out to bike shops.*Additional information as presented in last meeting’s Minutes.
——————————————————————-
12.0 Cannon Twp Meeting - presented by Rick*Planning paved trail from Townsend Park to Meijers Lake & Belding rd.*40 acres use to be determined.12.1 Luton Park Parking Lot update - still working on it12.2 National Trail Day June 6th will mean huge work day at Luton Park to clean up old dump site with the help of the Boy Scouts, etc. Would love to see people there to help.
——————————————————————-
13.0 NCT Epic Ride - presented by Rick*October 10th - 11th, 2009. Open for attendance statewide.*34-35 spots and fills up early. Keep eye out for announcement toreserve your spot!
——————————————————————-
14.0 National Public Lands Day - presented by Nate Phelps*September 26th. Focus possibly on Bass and Ionia trails.
——————————————————————-
15.0 Next Membership Meeting: Feb 21st for Planning. Then April 6th.
——————————————————————-
16.0 Meeting Closed - Rick Plite*If folks plan to eat next time, please arrive a little early. Therestaurant WILL serve in the meeting room if desired.*Trail Coordinators meet after this for half-hour to plan trail days.
——————————————————————-
17.0 Meeting Adjourned: 7:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Bechtel.
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Meeting Minutes - DecemberSunday, January 4th, 2009
Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association Meeting Minutes
Date: December 1, 2008
Location: Founder’s Brewery Co.
Board Members present:*Rick Plite - President*Nate Phelps - State Representative*Jennifer Bechtel - Secretary*Excused Absent: Jason Dew - Vice President, Martin Hall - Treasurer
Other Members Present: Earl Adams, Heather Kubiak, Jason Bechtel, Scott Thenild, Sue Swiger, Steve Kunnath, Tricia Anderson, Chris Curtis, Dennis Murphy, and Aaron Smith.
———————————————————
1.0 Meeting called to order at 6:35 p.m.
1.1 Nate read minutes from last meeting on October 6th, 2008. Minutes approved.
———————————————————
3.0 Nate presented the financials in lieu of Martin.
———————————————————4.0 Election Results - presented by Nate Phelps:
Rick Plite the 2009 President for a one-year term.Jason Dew the President-elect, Vice President.Martin Hall the Treasurer.Jennifer Bechtel the Secretary.Nate Phelps as the State Representative.
4.1 Board-picked Volunteers of the Year:Dennis MurphyAaron Smith
———————————————————
5.0 Plan for Holiday Ride 2008 - presented by Rick Plite.Date: December 20th.Weather-dependent. Start and end at Founders Brewery Co in downtown Grand Rapids.———————————————————
6.0 Yankee Springs Time Trial Update - presented by Dennis Murphy.
6.1 Free pint glasses for the 20th anniversary for every pre-registered rider on Bike Reg.We will sell the remainder for $5.00 (already available to order on the web site).6.2 WMMBA now owns the domain name for the YSTT (as opposed to being under an individuals name).6.3 $15 t-shirt. Same logo as last year but with 20th Anniversary notation.6.4 Locking in sponsors for pamphlet, shirts, etc.6.5 Experts will have 2-laps and start every 15 secs from noon on-wards.6.6 Normal direction this year.6.7 Start times of each person will be stuck on their bib at registration.6.8 Vintage Class this year. Award to the most vintage (age and original components).Will race an abbreviated lap at 2:30 p.m.6.9 Team Row/Sponsor sites for $25.00. First come first serve. Limited to 17.
———————————————————
7.0 Michigan Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit Update - presented by Aaron Smith.
*Date Confirmed: May 29 - 31, 2009*Venue Confirmed: Cannonsburg Ski Area*Hotel: Comfort Inn & Suites at US-131 & West River Drive*Camping Area: Rogue River*Still need title sponsor.*Can be a corporate sponsor on the midway for $250.*www.midwestmtbsummit.com and Facebook group. Going for grassroots marketing in addition to the West Michigan Sports Commission.
———————————————————
8.0 Trail Reports
8.1 Luton - Steve & Rick presented. New red loop added 1.6 mile. Anticipate Spring finish. Yellow loop is done. Total of 6.5 miles with red loop. Plans for one more loop. A call to please be considerate of the neighbors and keep yelling down. Steve suggested “Share the Trail” signs.Please encourage enthusiasts to send emails to Kent County that they like the trail.
———————————————————
9.0 State Board Updates - presented by Nate Phelps
*Members needed to run for Member-at-Large. Currently Martin Hall and Heather Kubiak arerunning. There are 6 people total in the state running, and only 4 to be elected.
*MMBA Membership fees have increased for family and individuals with a corresponding increase to the partition distributed to the respective chapters.
*The State Board has adopted an 18 month plan with IMBAs assistance.*Chapters need to send representation to the meetings in Lansing.———————————————————10.0 Annual Meeting Update - presented by Nate Phelps
*Location: LANSING*Date: February 22nd, 2009 (note date change from Feb 8th!!)*WMMBA is planning a booth this year. Committee: Sue Swiger, Steve Kunnath, Heather Kubiak
———————————————————
11.0 Film Festival Update
*Brew & View? Liquor license not yet obtained.*Location: Wealthy Theatre*Date: February 7th, 2009*Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.———————————————————
12.0 Next Membership Meeting: February 2nd, 2009.———————————————————
13.0 Meeting Adjourned: 7:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Bechtel.
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Chapter Meeting 12-3Thursday, November 15th, 2007
December 3, 2007
6:30 pm
to
8:30 pm
December’s meeting will be on 12/3 6:30pm @ Slingshot Bikes
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Chapter Minutes: Its A Grind 8-4-04Saturday, August 4th, 2007
Nate Phelps, Presiding
$800 spent on Yankee Time Trial Printing. Combined with Custer for Printing This will be the last time we work this way. from now on work through Chris Davidson.
April 19th/20th 2008 for YSTT. Will try to incorporate Saturday Event. Gault to do timing again.
Chapter received donation of 72 pieces treated 2×4x36
Free ride Skills park opening August 18th 10AM on to all day. Geeride has professional photographer in group. Bring tent and goods from garage fest. Try to get video possibly ken?
Camp out weekend of August 25th. Red Bridge/tippy dam.
IMBA Visit october 25th-28th. Nate trying to hook up with City of GR to arrange meeting. Possibly get them to Yankee Springs to look at tough spots. Saturday at the Ski Area for Advanced trail building techniques. Chris Curtis seeking possible walk in to game area with DNR. Sunday going to Greenville.
Party in conjunction with IMBA visit at Diamond Street hall. Mary Stoddard to lead organization. 200 person capacity. $750 budget. $10/ head 2 bands lined up with Rockabilly and Blues possibilities. Founders on tap. email nate if you are interested in helping or if your s.o. wants to help. start at 6 with family oriented stuff. bands start at 10. Halloween costume party.
Last day of Game area Friday september 14th. Will set up tent, costumes optional. Next day is Kisscross kickoff.
Cancel hungerford trail day due to Nate’s broken toe. Move to 22nd/29th September. major trail work.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzMonday, June 4th, 2007
Attending:
Nate Phelps, President, Call to order.
Dr. Carroll Griffin presents survey of NCT usage. Did Trail head user survey. Survey done on one section of Huron Manistee National Forest. Morilla to Timber Creek Research goals were to identify user perceptions of the trail, compare 1997 to 2004 surveys. Found in 2004 about equal use between Hikers and Mountain Bikers. Of any user group asked, 80% were satisfied with their experience. Negative experiences mostly derived from run ins with very large groups. 80% of bikers know who has right of way compared to 60% of hikers.
Link to full Power Point Presentation to come.Nate Phelps: State level: 2 New Directors at State level: John Gonway, who is a real estate lawyer, is Director of Government affairs. Jason Jones is now Director of Advocacy. Jason is putting together advocacy committee, to bring together issues and good practices from all trail coordinators in state. Two new directors and State President meeting with DNR on friday. Asking for top ten list to present to state level to be addressed. Coordinators, please contact Nate with your ideas and lists via e-mail.
Membership: 1122 Volunteer Hours to date. 340 Volunteer Hours at CSGA, 32-35 folks at Game Area. 192 Active Members. 58 are new members. Good turn out at trail days. Looking to do bi-monthly calender/re-newal.
Treasurer’s Report: Sue Swiger; sitting on $9000 for chapter. Sue motions to set aside $5000 for next year’s YSTT. Passed. $4000 remains for chapter budget. Yard Boss and Chainsaw were most recent purchases.
Communications: Nate to start monthly e-mails. Web page usage being tracked by Seth. Report next month. Trail kiosks for trail heads at CSGA and Bass River. Chris to put one up at CSGA first.
Trail school 101 to happen at edwards creek by end of summer.
Board to discuss t-shirts/fundraising
Fun MMBA day no work, just play. everyone’s got ideas. Need date, solid plan. Ionia? July 21st? or August 25th? Possibly @ house local to ski area.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzMonday, May 7th, 2007
Attending: Nate Phelps, Rick Plite, Sue Swiger, Seth Winner, Tom Landry, Aaron Smith, Jason Mead, Eric Smith, Pam Augustine, Jason + Jen Bechtel, Chris Curtis, Jason Dew, Martin Hall, Michael CramerNate Phelps President, Call to order.
June 2nd National Trails Day CSGA Trail Clean up 3 mile lot, Chris Curtis looking into Dumpster. Jason Dew suggests talking to R. Merrel about tractor. Before + After pictures, try to get GR press/WYCE. There are deer carcasses, appliances, mattresses, household garbage, etc. Chris to contact DNR for approval. Nate to contact Waste Management for potential donation of hauling.
East Hills Council of Neighbors Garage Fest. May 12th 3pm-10pm Bazzani’s Garage Wealthy + Diamond, Grand Rapids. Western MMBA is representing, chapter donated $100 to association. If anyone would like to sit at the chapter tent, contact Nate Phelps, or just show up. Membership forms, maps, pictures, etc.
Mountain Bike 101 June 9th: Outreach for Beginners: Ada bikes to bring demo fleet, Ride easy trails, two track. Bike maintenence demos, skills. Leads to August 19th Mountain Bike 201 which is more advanced, looking to incorporate ‘professional rider demos’. ride full loop, educational ride.
Halloween Weekend IMBA Trail care crew visit. Fund raiser Friday night at polish hall, costumes, please. Hungover group ride saturday? Schedule Tentative. weekend of October 26th-28th.
Western Chapter Campout Social chapter campout weekend fun, bikes, food, libations. Date pending, september or october. consider dates and location for next meeting.
State Level issues: Aaron Smith presenting; Search for Executive Director is underway. Part time position 80-90 hours/month. Role is: Increasing membership + funds, overseeing operations of the state. Also created position of Advocacy director, receive 2 resumes so far. This volunteer position is to be a go to person for chapters to use as resource for advice and guidance.
Hungerford: May 19th Trail Day. Aaron: Reroute marked, corridor cleared, need help.
CSGA good trail day, Chris C: reroutes opened, creek crossing armored, phase 2 being discussed with DNR. Bridges fixed for the most part. Need to reclaim old trail. bring everyone to june 2nd trail day.
Ski area Skills area: Jason Dgood progress and feedback, work happening every weekend. hours are building. 3 routes done, now in process of armoring and safety ramps. trying to get IMBA freeride grant.
Bass River: Tom: Trail day on mud pit. you can ride back section without getting dirty now. fall trail day. just maintain trail path. talk of skinny through mud. DNR Master Plan coming soonSki Area: Rick: 1/2 mile added last week. follows creek, still difficult like the ski area. trail beds shaping up nicely. some soggy areas that may need armor. always more to do. 6 miles total. potential of 8 miles. Rick having no problem getting free food.
Yankee Springs: Martin Hall: Trail Update: prescribed burn 1/3 of trail was burned. Tim + Martin have good relationship with DNR. 3 plans: first, renumber trail with miles, stop points, and emergency exits. second, new rest room at trail head; DNR to provide blue prints for new outhouse, looking to use money/volunteers to do outhouse with donated help/material. third, Review of master plan for State Recreation Area. Martin and Tim proposing new trails with cooperation of land managers.
Yankee Time Trial: Good turnout, good weather, count: 509 racers, tentatively. good results for chapter. no timing disputes. good feedback. great fund raiser for chapter. Great work by volunteers, there was no want for volunteers this year.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzWednesday, March 7th, 2007
October 1, 2007
6:30 pm
to
9:00 pm
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Chapter Meeting: Its A GrindWednesday, March 7th, 2007
August 4, 2007
9:00 am
Morning Coffee and chapter issue discussion. Ride After?
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzWednesday, March 7th, 2007
May 7, 2007
6:30 pm
to
9:00 pm
Another chance to speak your mind.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzThursday, March 1st, 2007
March 5, 2007
6:30 pm
to
9:00 pm
Chapter meeting 6:30PM: A time to discuss what’s going on with the Chapter. We’re all in this together. You affect the changes if you show up
Agenda:
How to use the new web page.
state report
treasury report
Time Trial report
Trail School
fundraising/membership
\
WESTERN MMBA
Building Better Trails for West MI
Archive for the ‘chapter meeting’ Category
Meeting Minutes - February 2009Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association Meeting Minutes
Date: February 2, 2009
Location: Mangiamo Restaurant, Grand Rapids, MI
Board Members present:*Rick Plite - President*Jason Dew - Vice President*Martin Hall - Treasurer*Jennifer Bechtel - Secretary*Nate Phelps - State Representative
Total Attendence: 20 members, 2 guests.——————————————————————-
1.0 Meeting called to order at 6:35 p.m.
2.0 Guest Kevin McKurren - introduced by Rick Plite.*Presenting the Summit for making Grand Rapids a Bicycle Friendly city.*Summit is Friday, April 24th from 8 - 4:30 p.m. No fee.
http://www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=8529
——————————————————————-
3.0 Minutes recap from December 1st, 2008 - by Rick Plite.Minutes approved.
——————————————————————-
4.0 Financial Reported - presented by Martin Hall, Treasurer.
——————————————————————-
5.0 State Chapter report - presented by Nate Phelps.*Portion of membership fees to local chapter will increase along with overall membership fee increase.
——————————————————————-
6.0 Ball Perkins Charette status - presented by Nate Phelps.We had 156 votes for the multi-use trail. The overwhelming majority of votes.
——————————————————————-
7.0 Film Festival Update - presented by Nate.In partnership with the Rapid Wheelman, presenting the film festival and a silent auction.*Many movies in both the large and small theatres.*$20 admission.*Location: Wealthy Theatre*Date: February 7th, 2009*Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
——————————————————————-
8.0 Chapter Planning Sessions - presented by Martin Hall.*Scheduled for Saturday, February 21st at 10 a.m. at *Pinery ParkWyoming Senior Center.*ALL MEMBERS INVITED to provide feedback on chapter direction.Would love to have people come at least for 1st half-hour to hear the framework.
——————————————————————-
9.0 Annual Meeting update - presented by guest, Marne Smiley - MMBA Executive Director*Location: LANSING, MI*Date: Sunday, February 22nd, 2009*47 booths, silent auction, advocacy forum.*WMMBA is planning a 1970s-theme booth this year. Looking to borrow old-time tv console.*Committee: Sue Swiger, Steve Kunnath, Heather Kubiak*Pre-ride is at Anderson Park (10 miles SW).
——————————————————————-
10.0 Handmade Bicycle Show member trip - presented by Rick*In Indianapolis Feb 28th - March 1st.*$20 admission. Brown County state Park.*Folks invited to go and help Rick celebrate his 50th BDay!*Plans to ride Brown County park on Sunday, weather/conditionspermitting.
——————————————————————-
11.0 Yankee Springs Time Trial Update - presented by Dennis Murphy.*Free pint glasses for the 20th anniversary for first 150 riders on BikeReg. Will sell the remainder for $5.00 (already available to order on the web site).*Flyers coming out soon. Will be set on the table at the expo and handed out to bike shops.*Additional information as presented in last meeting’s Minutes.
——————————————————————-
12.0 Cannon Twp Meeting - presented by Rick*Planning paved trail from Townsend Park to Meijers Lake & Belding rd.*40 acres use to be determined.12.1 Luton Park Parking Lot update - still working on it12.2 National Trail Day June 6th will mean huge work day at Luton Park to clean up old dump site with the help of the Boy Scouts, etc. Would love to see people there to help.
——————————————————————-
13.0 NCT Epic Ride - presented by Rick*October 10th - 11th, 2009. Open for attendance statewide.*34-35 spots and fills up early. Keep eye out for announcement toreserve your spot!
——————————————————————-
14.0 National Public Lands Day - presented by Nate Phelps*September 26th. Focus possibly on Bass and Ionia trails.
——————————————————————-
15.0 Next Membership Meeting: Feb 21st for Planning. Then April 6th.
——————————————————————-
16.0 Meeting Closed - Rick Plite*If folks plan to eat next time, please arrive a little early. Therestaurant WILL serve in the meeting room if desired.*Trail Coordinators meet after this for half-hour to plan trail days.
——————————————————————-
17.0 Meeting Adjourned: 7:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Bechtel.
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Meeting Minutes - DecemberSunday, January 4th, 2009
Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association Meeting Minutes
Date: December 1, 2008
Location: Founder’s Brewery Co.
Board Members present:*Rick Plite - President*Nate Phelps - State Representative*Jennifer Bechtel - Secretary*Excused Absent: Jason Dew - Vice President, Martin Hall - Treasurer
Other Members Present: Earl Adams, Heather Kubiak, Jason Bechtel, Scott Thenild, Sue Swiger, Steve Kunnath, Tricia Anderson, Chris Curtis, Dennis Murphy, and Aaron Smith.
———————————————————
1.0 Meeting called to order at 6:35 p.m.
1.1 Nate read minutes from last meeting on October 6th, 2008. Minutes approved.
———————————————————
3.0 Nate presented the financials in lieu of Martin.
———————————————————4.0 Election Results - presented by Nate Phelps:
Rick Plite the 2009 President for a one-year term.Jason Dew the President-elect, Vice President.Martin Hall the Treasurer.Jennifer Bechtel the Secretary.Nate Phelps as the State Representative.
4.1 Board-picked Volunteers of the Year:Dennis MurphyAaron Smith
———————————————————
5.0 Plan for Holiday Ride 2008 - presented by Rick Plite.Date: December 20th.Weather-dependent. Start and end at Founders Brewery Co in downtown Grand Rapids.———————————————————
6.0 Yankee Springs Time Trial Update - presented by Dennis Murphy.
6.1 Free pint glasses for the 20th anniversary for every pre-registered rider on Bike Reg.We will sell the remainder for $5.00 (already available to order on the web site).6.2 WMMBA now owns the domain name for the YSTT (as opposed to being under an individuals name).6.3 $15 t-shirt. Same logo as last year but with 20th Anniversary notation.6.4 Locking in sponsors for pamphlet, shirts, etc.6.5 Experts will have 2-laps and start every 15 secs from noon on-wards.6.6 Normal direction this year.6.7 Start times of each person will be stuck on their bib at registration.6.8 Vintage Class this year. Award to the most vintage (age and original components).Will race an abbreviated lap at 2:30 p.m.6.9 Team Row/Sponsor sites for $25.00. First come first serve. Limited to 17.
———————————————————
7.0 Michigan Mountain Bike Advocacy Summit Update - presented by Aaron Smith.
*Date Confirmed: May 29 - 31, 2009*Venue Confirmed: Cannonsburg Ski Area*Hotel: Comfort Inn & Suites at US-131 & West River Drive*Camping Area: Rogue River*Still need title sponsor.*Can be a corporate sponsor on the midway for $250.*www.midwestmtbsummit.com and Facebook group. Going for grassroots marketing in addition to the West Michigan Sports Commission.
———————————————————
8.0 Trail Reports
8.1 Luton - Steve & Rick presented. New red loop added 1.6 mile. Anticipate Spring finish. Yellow loop is done. Total of 6.5 miles with red loop. Plans for one more loop. A call to please be considerate of the neighbors and keep yelling down. Steve suggested “Share the Trail” signs.Please encourage enthusiasts to send emails to Kent County that they like the trail.
———————————————————
9.0 State Board Updates - presented by Nate Phelps
*Members needed to run for Member-at-Large. Currently Martin Hall and Heather Kubiak arerunning. There are 6 people total in the state running, and only 4 to be elected.
*MMBA Membership fees have increased for family and individuals with a corresponding increase to the partition distributed to the respective chapters.
*The State Board has adopted an 18 month plan with IMBAs assistance.*Chapters need to send representation to the meetings in Lansing.———————————————————10.0 Annual Meeting Update - presented by Nate Phelps
*Location: LANSING*Date: February 22nd, 2009 (note date change from Feb 8th!!)*WMMBA is planning a booth this year. Committee: Sue Swiger, Steve Kunnath, Heather Kubiak
———————————————————
11.0 Film Festival Update
*Brew & View? Liquor license not yet obtained.*Location: Wealthy Theatre*Date: February 7th, 2009*Time: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.———————————————————
12.0 Next Membership Meeting: February 2nd, 2009.———————————————————
13.0 Meeting Adjourned: 7:30 p.m.
Minutes prepared by Jennifer Bechtel.
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Chapter Meeting 12-3Thursday, November 15th, 2007
December 3, 2007
6:30 pm
to
8:30 pm
December’s meeting will be on 12/3 6:30pm @ Slingshot Bikes
Posted in chapter meeting, event No Comments »
Chapter Minutes: Its A Grind 8-4-04Saturday, August 4th, 2007
Nate Phelps, Presiding
$800 spent on Yankee Time Trial Printing. Combined with Custer for Printing This will be the last time we work this way. from now on work through Chris Davidson.
April 19th/20th 2008 for YSTT. Will try to incorporate Saturday Event. Gault to do timing again.
Chapter received donation of 72 pieces treated 2×4x36
Free ride Skills park opening August 18th 10AM on to all day. Geeride has professional photographer in group. Bring tent and goods from garage fest. Try to get video possibly ken?
Camp out weekend of August 25th. Red Bridge/tippy dam.
IMBA Visit october 25th-28th. Nate trying to hook up with City of GR to arrange meeting. Possibly get them to Yankee Springs to look at tough spots. Saturday at the Ski Area for Advanced trail building techniques. Chris Curtis seeking possible walk in to game area with DNR. Sunday going to Greenville.
Party in conjunction with IMBA visit at Diamond Street hall. Mary Stoddard to lead organization. 200 person capacity. $750 budget. $10/ head 2 bands lined up with Rockabilly and Blues possibilities. Founders on tap. email nate if you are interested in helping or if your s.o. wants to help. start at 6 with family oriented stuff. bands start at 10. Halloween costume party.
Last day of Game area Friday september 14th. Will set up tent, costumes optional. Next day is Kisscross kickoff.
Cancel hungerford trail day due to Nate’s broken toe. Move to 22nd/29th September. major trail work.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzMonday, June 4th, 2007
Attending:
Nate Phelps, President, Call to order.
Dr. Carroll Griffin presents survey of NCT usage. Did Trail head user survey. Survey done on one section of Huron Manistee National Forest. Morilla to Timber Creek Research goals were to identify user perceptions of the trail, compare 1997 to 2004 surveys. Found in 2004 about equal use between Hikers and Mountain Bikers. Of any user group asked, 80% were satisfied with their experience. Negative experiences mostly derived from run ins with very large groups. 80% of bikers know who has right of way compared to 60% of hikers.
Link to full Power Point Presentation to come.Nate Phelps: State level: 2 New Directors at State level: John Gonway, who is a real estate lawyer, is Director of Government affairs. Jason Jones is now Director of Advocacy. Jason is putting together advocacy committee, to bring together issues and good practices from all trail coordinators in state. Two new directors and State President meeting with DNR on friday. Asking for top ten list to present to state level to be addressed. Coordinators, please contact Nate with your ideas and lists via e-mail.
Membership: 1122 Volunteer Hours to date. 340 Volunteer Hours at CSGA, 32-35 folks at Game Area. 192 Active Members. 58 are new members. Good turn out at trail days. Looking to do bi-monthly calender/re-newal.
Treasurer’s Report: Sue Swiger; sitting on $9000 for chapter. Sue motions to set aside $5000 for next year’s YSTT. Passed. $4000 remains for chapter budget. Yard Boss and Chainsaw were most recent purchases.
Communications: Nate to start monthly e-mails. Web page usage being tracked by Seth. Report next month. Trail kiosks for trail heads at CSGA and Bass River. Chris to put one up at CSGA first.
Trail school 101 to happen at edwards creek by end of summer.
Board to discuss t-shirts/fundraising
Fun MMBA day no work, just play. everyone’s got ideas. Need date, solid plan. Ionia? July 21st? or August 25th? Possibly @ house local to ski area.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzMonday, May 7th, 2007
Attending: Nate Phelps, Rick Plite, Sue Swiger, Seth Winner, Tom Landry, Aaron Smith, Jason Mead, Eric Smith, Pam Augustine, Jason + Jen Bechtel, Chris Curtis, Jason Dew, Martin Hall, Michael CramerNate Phelps President, Call to order.
June 2nd National Trails Day CSGA Trail Clean up 3 mile lot, Chris Curtis looking into Dumpster. Jason Dew suggests talking to R. Merrel about tractor. Before + After pictures, try to get GR press/WYCE. There are deer carcasses, appliances, mattresses, household garbage, etc. Chris to contact DNR for approval. Nate to contact Waste Management for potential donation of hauling.
East Hills Council of Neighbors Garage Fest. May 12th 3pm-10pm Bazzani’s Garage Wealthy + Diamond, Grand Rapids. Western MMBA is representing, chapter donated $100 to association. If anyone would like to sit at the chapter tent, contact Nate Phelps, or just show up. Membership forms, maps, pictures, etc.
Mountain Bike 101 June 9th: Outreach for Beginners: Ada bikes to bring demo fleet, Ride easy trails, two track. Bike maintenence demos, skills. Leads to August 19th Mountain Bike 201 which is more advanced, looking to incorporate ‘professional rider demos’. ride full loop, educational ride.
Halloween Weekend IMBA Trail care crew visit. Fund raiser Friday night at polish hall, costumes, please. Hungover group ride saturday? Schedule Tentative. weekend of October 26th-28th.
Western Chapter Campout Social chapter campout weekend fun, bikes, food, libations. Date pending, september or october. consider dates and location for next meeting.
State Level issues: Aaron Smith presenting; Search for Executive Director is underway. Part time position 80-90 hours/month. Role is: Increasing membership + funds, overseeing operations of the state. Also created position of Advocacy director, receive 2 resumes so far. This volunteer position is to be a go to person for chapters to use as resource for advice and guidance.
Hungerford: May 19th Trail Day. Aaron: Reroute marked, corridor cleared, need help.
CSGA good trail day, Chris C: reroutes opened, creek crossing armored, phase 2 being discussed with DNR. Bridges fixed for the most part. Need to reclaim old trail. bring everyone to june 2nd trail day.
Ski area Skills area: Jason Dgood progress and feedback, work happening every weekend. hours are building. 3 routes done, now in process of armoring and safety ramps. trying to get IMBA freeride grant.
Bass River: Tom: Trail day on mud pit. you can ride back section without getting dirty now. fall trail day. just maintain trail path. talk of skinny through mud. DNR Master Plan coming soonSki Area: Rick: 1/2 mile added last week. follows creek, still difficult like the ski area. trail beds shaping up nicely. some soggy areas that may need armor. always more to do. 6 miles total. potential of 8 miles. Rick having no problem getting free food.
Yankee Springs: Martin Hall: Trail Update: prescribed burn 1/3 of trail was burned. Tim + Martin have good relationship with DNR. 3 plans: first, renumber trail with miles, stop points, and emergency exits. second, new rest room at trail head; DNR to provide blue prints for new outhouse, looking to use money/volunteers to do outhouse with donated help/material. third, Review of master plan for State Recreation Area. Martin and Tim proposing new trails with cooperation of land managers.
Yankee Time Trial: Good turnout, good weather, count: 509 racers, tentatively. good results for chapter. no timing disputes. good feedback. great fund raiser for chapter. Great work by volunteers, there was no want for volunteers this year.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzWednesday, March 7th, 2007
October 1, 2007
6:30 pm
to
9:00 pm
Posted in chapter meeting, event No Comments »
Chapter Meeting: Its A GrindWednesday, March 7th, 2007
August 4, 2007
9:00 am
Morning Coffee and chapter issue discussion. Ride After?
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzWednesday, March 7th, 2007
May 7, 2007
6:30 pm
to
9:00 pm
Another chance to speak your mind.
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Chapter Meeting:SchmohzThursday, March 1st, 2007
March 5, 2007
6:30 pm
to
9:00 pm
Chapter meeting 6:30PM: A time to discuss what’s going on with the Chapter. We’re all in this together. You affect the changes if you show up
Agenda:
How to use the new web page.
state report
treasury report
Time Trial report
Trail School
fundraising/membership
\
Old News archives
WESTERN MMBA
Building Better Trails for West MI Archive for the ‘News’ Category
The nominations are in! Let’s vote!Monday, November 10th, 2008
Please read and respond with comments to ricejennbud at yahoo dot com. IF there are not enough votes via this electronic process, then voting will also take place at the December 1st, 2008 meeting.
UPDATE: In an effort to make this more anonymous, there is an on-line survey that has been created for people to vote. For this reason, voting is being extended to November 29th. Thank you to those who voted via the email process.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=y_2bfBdIGA41G0iJLyC3vkiQ_3d_3d”>Click">Here is the link to the survey:
Here to take surveyNominations:
Jason Dew - Vice President - accepted
About Jason: [Editor's note: Current and extremely active Western MMBA member, including many hours of trail work.]
Martin Hall - Treasurer - accepted
About Martin Hall:Caledonia, MI
I started riding bikes again in 1998 after a 25 or so year hiatus. It was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I am now turning 50 and am fit, healthy and not on the fast track to a heart attack! Since my return to bikes I have participated in the CPS, Fun Promotions, Tailwind and Kiss Cross racing series. I have volunteered as co-trail coordinator at Yankee Springs (Deep Lake) for a few years, served on the Yankee Springs Time Trial Race committee and for the last year have served as the chapter treasurer.My professional life is in business, I currently am a Business Development Manager for Land O’ Lakes, working with the executive management teams and boards of directors of cooperative members through out Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. I hold an A.S. and B.S. degree in Economics from “The Ohio State University”
I’d like to serve another term as Chapter Treasurer to continue working on and accomplishing some of the fiscal and structural initiatives we have begun this past year. My initiatives for this position in the coming year are:1. Implement a financial accounting/reporting system which can be handed off to the next chapter Treasurer while maintaining consistency, accuracy and understanding without that treasurer being an accountant.2. Establish a system for greater chapter fiscal stabilitya. Budgeting by expense account (trail, event, advocacy, indirect…)b. Monitoringc. Accountabilityd. Growth of our general reserve3. Ride bikes, loosen up and have more fun!
Jennifer Bechtel - Secretary - accepted
About Jennifer Bechtel:My husband and I moved to Grand Rapids, MI two years ago this month from the Dallas, TX area. We were very active in the mountain biking association there, including helping with trail work and racing events and riding in some regular and 12-hr race events ourselves. Since moving to Grand Rapids, we have gotten to know the local trails and been active in the Western MMBA, including being part of the last two years of Yankee Springs Time Trial Committees. I plan on being at the Western MMBA meetings anyway and I am usually taking notes anyway so I accept the nomination of Secretary. I also have experience being the Secretary of other groups, such as my past Denton chapter of the Texas Water Utilities Association.
Nate Phelps - State Rep - acceptedAbout Nate Phelps:Has been Chapter President for two years and Chapter VP for a half year.Current member at large MMBA state board. Working on proposal at state level for increased chapter disbursement. Active involvement in Executive Director review process. Initiating changes at state level to remodel the organization into a lean and stronger group.
A Recap of the 2008 Western MMBA Epic North Country Trail RideMonday, October 27th, 2008
Over the weekend of October 10th - 12th, the Western MMBA held its Epic North Country Trail Ride. It all started on a beautiful Fall Friday afternoon as everyone met up at the Pere Marquette River Lodge, which sits along M-37 in Baldwin, MI. One of the great features of the lodge was the main room, where folks relaxed and mused over the ride information until it was time to head out to dinner. Dinner choices were narrowed down to Smokeys (for ribs, etc.) or Woodys (for pizza, etc.). Having eaten at Woody’s, I can say it would only be fair to place as much emphasis on the “etc.” as the excellent pizza.
After a leisurely dinner, all riders met back at the lodge for the informational meeting in the dining room. Frank, owner and operator of the Pere Marquette, and Rick (organizer of this excursion) covered the details of the trail and transportation options. Trail etiquette and time frames were covered. With an early morning planned, all were glad to hit the hay soon after the meeting.
The carb-load breakfast, courtesy of the lodge (thank you again Frank!), was at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Plenty early so people had time to eat and get their bicycles loaded up. It was dark and chilly outside but everyone was extremely patient with the bicycle-loading process. Once all was ready, it took approximately one hour to motor up to the Marilla Trailhead. Unloading went quickly and the first groups started out at about 9:20 a.m. The beginning was fairly hilly so it didn’t take too long to get warmed up and start shedding layers. The clear trail, lack of sand, and the sight of brightly colored leaves falling in the sunshine really made the day. There were a few mishaps during the ride: a loose seat post, a few people getting lost, the 4 mile miscalculation between the UDell and Freesoil Trailheads…but really not too bad. At Freesoil, a waiting lunch bus provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, snacks, and drinks to re-stoke the riders that chose to ride the full 73+ mile option. Those who were happy with their 38-but-actually-42 miles ate and then boarded the bus to be taken back to the Lodge. We later hear from many others in the group that the stretch before Freesoil did seem to go on strangely long. Those warm peanut butter and jelly sandwiches some may have scoffed initially became the best d#*n PB&J they had ever had.
It took the remainder of the day for all the riders to trickle back in at the lodge, where they could clean-up, sit in a chair on the back porch, and enjoy complimentary Founders IPA before dinner (one of the many bennies of being part of the Western MMBA). Those who opted for the full 73+ mile experience were gleefully achy. There are many who thought they would do the full ride but now show no shame that they chose to take the lunch bus back to the Lodge. Dinner was served at 7:00 p.m. I didn’t get pictures of the dinner until they served the pie and ice cream, but I recall pork, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and bread that were really delicious. During dinner we also heard about the large number of fish caught by one of a rider’s son, who opted to spend the day doing what the Pere Marquette is well-known for, guided fly-fishing. For the rest of the evening, some turned in early while others relaxed by the fire pit out back of the lodge. Not a bad ending to an exhilerating day!
Plans are made to make this a yearly event. Just need to get a guarantee on the same excellent weather…
Introduction to Luton Park-Group RideThursday, July 17th, 2008
July 30, 2008
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Join us Wednesday Evening, July 30th, 2008 for a “Introduction to Luton Park Group Ride”
Park and meet at the D&W Plaza on the corner of Northland Drive (Wolverine) and 10 mile Road. Look for the wMMBA Banner. Clip in/roll out time is 6:45 PM, so arrive by 6:30 PM. We will roll out as a group and ride to the trail head from here. About 1.25 miles of paved and paved shoulder road. Once at the park we will ride as a group for one lap of the green, blue and orange loops (3.5 miles total single track) stopping for explanations of the work involved to date and future planning plus a bit of history. After completing one lap we will break off into smaller groups and continue to ride some more if interested. Also, the Ski Area is 5 miles away via Meyers Lake Road for the adventuresome. Requirements: bring a mountain bike in good working order, a helmet, water and a snack if needed. Ride canceled if raining. Watch this site and forum for up to the minute updates re: weather. Map to parking and start area:
2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trailFriday, July 11th, 2008
July 19, 2008
2:00 pm
to
8:00 pm
Saturday July 19th. 2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail potluck extravaganza. We supply the grills and chapter member Cramer is graciously supplying his backyard for an afternoon of riding, grilling, and general tomfoolery. Bring something to grill for yourself and something to pass- homebrewers this your chance to dazzle us with your best. Meet up at the Cannonsburg Ski Area by the westernMMBA tool trailer.
The group rides start at 2pm. 2 options will be offered.
A - combination of the ski area, the game area, and some hilly roads.
B - same as above at a much more relaxed pace.
After the rides we move over to Cramer’s for the rest of the day. You can either ride or drive to Cramer’s from the ski area parking lot. It isn’t far. Route maps and a map to the Cramer Casita will be handed out in the parking lot.
things to bring-
a bike in good working order
a helmet
drinking water
a garbage bag
beer- for the beer swap
a dish to share for the potluck feast
home brew
something for the grill
a chair
family
things to not bring-
fireworks
firearms
dogs
attitude
Come on out and ride.
Cannonsburg Ski Area Skills Park Grand OpeningSunday, July 22nd, 2007
August 18, 2007
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
The Western Chapter of the MMBA will be having a grand opening of the Cannonsburg Ski Area Skills Park Saturday, August 18 from 10 am until everyone gets tired.
If you’ve been meaning to ride skills area but haven’t yet, this is a great opportunity. If you just want to see what all the chatter is about and see someone ride “that stuff” come on out. Come show your skill or pick up tips from other riders.
The chapter will provide BBQ for lunch.
The skills area is located between the two track at the end of the XC trail and the ski hills. It can be accessed by riding the XC loop or by walking from the base of the hill up the two track a few hundred feet.
Like the XC loop, the skills area is free to ride. Just bring your bike, helmet, and sense of adventure.
IMBA in GR and MMBA Expo post thoughtsFriday, February 16th, 2007
I’m pleasantly surprised how well our conference went. When Rick and I started sending out invitations, I wondered if anyone would come. In the end 30 people attended. We started at 11am and were supposed to finish around 1. At 2, a few people were still talking with each other. Score one for the Western Chapter and a big thanks to Todd Scott and Scott Linnenburger from IMBA. The topic of discussion at the conference was ‘Quality of Life’- emphasizing natural surface trails and how trails can benefit health and recreation for West Michigan resident’s lives. The attendee list included a variety of park and rec directors, business owners, and cycling coalitions.
Afterwards we took Scott down to Founders. The opportunity was open to all MMBA members and not that many showed up. Which was kind of disappointing. On a positive note, several Western Chapter trails coordinators and all of the board members were able to spend time speaking with Scott one on one. It’s this type of casual conversation that sparks the imagination. We talked trail design, trail advocacy, a bit about biking.
Sunday, Rick and I traveled down to the MMBA Expo to represent. We had a small booth and quite a few people came by to check out our display. Rick put together a couple of books with trail maps and pictures from the past year at various events. It was simple, but it worked well. Being next to the Quiring Cycles booth probably didn’t hurt us either. Anyhow- we hung to around 2pm and decided it was getting to be a long day. I guess we should have stuck around as I heard second hand that the Western Chapter was given a fair amount of accolades for some many people having FAFL awards. Kind of cool, didn’t really understand how it all worked, and sorry to have missed it.
It’s almost the end of the year. A quick inventory of where we are.Wednesday, November 1st, 2006
Volunteer hours are at 975 hours. Broken down, 135 hours represent administration- website, newsletter, treasury, etc and the balance is in trail planning and trail maintenance. Hours will continue to trickle in until the end of the year and it seems likely we will be right around 1000 volunteer hours for the year. There are 20 members with over 10 hours spent in trail maintenance. Thanks one and all.
A majority of trailwork was performed at the Cannonsburg Ski Area. The old mtb race course has been rehabbed into almost 5 miles of singletrack. Additional singletrack is being planned now for next year. Current guesstimate is 2-3 miles; bringing the total trail length close to 8 miles.
The Hungerford Lake Trail has been much maligned over the years. The biggest reason cited is horse traffic on the mtb trail. Work has started in resigning the trail. Riding clockwise from the trailhead is the best marked for now. New reroutes of shared trail sections will be completed in the Spring of 2007. The pdf of the accepted trail proposal by the MNFS can be read here.
Two new committees were created this year. A race committee was formed to handle the added complexity of the chapter promoting the Yankee Time Trial. The committee is headed up by Yankee co-trail coordinator Martin Hall. Before any naysayer speak, let me say that with the proposed trail projects in 2007 the chapter will rely on the added income. The second committee formed was proposed at the October chapter meeting. The WMMBA now has a Freeride Committee and it is headed up by chapter member Jason Dew. Some of Jason’s trailwork is currently being ridden at Edwards Creek in Greenville.
Strategic planning for the future of the chapter will start in November. We are looking to set goals to ensure continuity in our advocacy efforts. Local land managers need to be able to depend on the WMMBA’s presence. We need to break the start/stop patterns that ensure the halt of forward progress. I hope to adopt a plan for the next few years by February.
Thanks- Nate Phelps President, WMMBA
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Trail Coordinator ChangesMonday, July 24th, 2006
A couple of recent meetings led to some changes for the Western Chapter. Ionia is back in the Chapter, under the care of Dennis Murphy. Big M is now under the wing of the Western Chapter, Ken Blakey-Shell, is the trail coordinator up there. Finally, Hungerford will be led by Aaron Smith and Nate Phelps.
More ChangesFriday, June 9th, 2006
Rick Plite was nominated to Vice President of the Chapter, and has accepted. Make sure to thank him for his efforts and time when you see him
We’re going through changesWednesday, May 24th, 2006
Recently Dennis Murphy stepped down as Chapter President due to too many obligations and a great need to just get out and ride. He will remain on board to represent the chapter at the State level. When you see him thank him for many years of carrying the MMBA torch on the west coast.
Stepping into the President’s seat will be Nate Phelps, coming up from the V.P. position. He’s already got the ball rolling on quite a few projects, and has been busy rallying the troops and talking advocacy with our local city and county representatives. You’ll be seeing plenty of him at chapter events and out on the trail.
There have also been a few more Trail coordinator changes in the past month. John Haffenden will be letting go of Yankee Springs after many years of overseeing the trail there. He’s going to take over at CGSA because its much closer to his house. It’ll be in good hands. Taking over at Yankee will be Martin Hall and Tim Curtis. After seeing the work they did at the last trail day, I think Yankee is also in good hands. Finally, Jason Mead is taking over at the ski area. He’s already been out there marking trail. We can expect good things.
Trail School June 10 + 11 is the 1st trail school for the Western chapter. For those of you attending, it starts at 9AM and ends at 4PM both days. Lunch provided by the chapter. there are still a few spots open: details.
The trail school will open up season of renovations at the ski area. Permission has been secured for the MMBA to reroute and add trail at will. Jason Mead will be heading up the changes. He was just out there marking new trail with Rick Plite and John Haffenden and it sounds like the groundwork is being laid to make the trail more fun for everyone. We hope to turn the ski area into a sustainable trail with about the same length as the game area. Stay tuned for opportunities to help out.
New Trail CoordinatorsWednesday, March 22nd, 2006
Some changes in trail leadership going on. Tom Landry is joining Jeff Foos out at Bass River. 1st goals are getting the DNR an official map and then some signs, then some strategerizing about what to do about that mud pit in the back section. Up at Edward’s Creek, Troy Gough is taking over. If you haven’t been up there to check out what they’ve done, you’re missing out.
Building Better Trails for West MI Archive for the ‘News’ Category
The nominations are in! Let’s vote!Monday, November 10th, 2008
Please read and respond with comments to ricejennbud at yahoo dot com. IF there are not enough votes via this electronic process, then voting will also take place at the December 1st, 2008 meeting.
UPDATE: In an effort to make this more anonymous, there is an on-line survey that has been created for people to vote. For this reason, voting is being extended to November 29th. Thank you to those who voted via the email process.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=y_2bfBdIGA41G0iJLyC3vkiQ_3d_3d”>Click">Here is the link to the survey:
Here to take surveyNominations:
Jason Dew - Vice President - accepted
About Jason: [Editor's note: Current and extremely active Western MMBA member, including many hours of trail work.]
Martin Hall - Treasurer - accepted
About Martin Hall:Caledonia, MI
I started riding bikes again in 1998 after a 25 or so year hiatus. It was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I am now turning 50 and am fit, healthy and not on the fast track to a heart attack! Since my return to bikes I have participated in the CPS, Fun Promotions, Tailwind and Kiss Cross racing series. I have volunteered as co-trail coordinator at Yankee Springs (Deep Lake) for a few years, served on the Yankee Springs Time Trial Race committee and for the last year have served as the chapter treasurer.My professional life is in business, I currently am a Business Development Manager for Land O’ Lakes, working with the executive management teams and boards of directors of cooperative members through out Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. I hold an A.S. and B.S. degree in Economics from “The Ohio State University”
I’d like to serve another term as Chapter Treasurer to continue working on and accomplishing some of the fiscal and structural initiatives we have begun this past year. My initiatives for this position in the coming year are:1. Implement a financial accounting/reporting system which can be handed off to the next chapter Treasurer while maintaining consistency, accuracy and understanding without that treasurer being an accountant.2. Establish a system for greater chapter fiscal stabilitya. Budgeting by expense account (trail, event, advocacy, indirect…)b. Monitoringc. Accountabilityd. Growth of our general reserve3. Ride bikes, loosen up and have more fun!
Jennifer Bechtel - Secretary - accepted
About Jennifer Bechtel:My husband and I moved to Grand Rapids, MI two years ago this month from the Dallas, TX area. We were very active in the mountain biking association there, including helping with trail work and racing events and riding in some regular and 12-hr race events ourselves. Since moving to Grand Rapids, we have gotten to know the local trails and been active in the Western MMBA, including being part of the last two years of Yankee Springs Time Trial Committees. I plan on being at the Western MMBA meetings anyway and I am usually taking notes anyway so I accept the nomination of Secretary. I also have experience being the Secretary of other groups, such as my past Denton chapter of the Texas Water Utilities Association.
Nate Phelps - State Rep - acceptedAbout Nate Phelps:Has been Chapter President for two years and Chapter VP for a half year.Current member at large MMBA state board. Working on proposal at state level for increased chapter disbursement. Active involvement in Executive Director review process. Initiating changes at state level to remodel the organization into a lean and stronger group.
A Recap of the 2008 Western MMBA Epic North Country Trail RideMonday, October 27th, 2008
Over the weekend of October 10th - 12th, the Western MMBA held its Epic North Country Trail Ride. It all started on a beautiful Fall Friday afternoon as everyone met up at the Pere Marquette River Lodge, which sits along M-37 in Baldwin, MI. One of the great features of the lodge was the main room, where folks relaxed and mused over the ride information until it was time to head out to dinner. Dinner choices were narrowed down to Smokeys (for ribs, etc.) or Woodys (for pizza, etc.). Having eaten at Woody’s, I can say it would only be fair to place as much emphasis on the “etc.” as the excellent pizza.
After a leisurely dinner, all riders met back at the lodge for the informational meeting in the dining room. Frank, owner and operator of the Pere Marquette, and Rick (organizer of this excursion) covered the details of the trail and transportation options. Trail etiquette and time frames were covered. With an early morning planned, all were glad to hit the hay soon after the meeting.
The carb-load breakfast, courtesy of the lodge (thank you again Frank!), was at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Plenty early so people had time to eat and get their bicycles loaded up. It was dark and chilly outside but everyone was extremely patient with the bicycle-loading process. Once all was ready, it took approximately one hour to motor up to the Marilla Trailhead. Unloading went quickly and the first groups started out at about 9:20 a.m. The beginning was fairly hilly so it didn’t take too long to get warmed up and start shedding layers. The clear trail, lack of sand, and the sight of brightly colored leaves falling in the sunshine really made the day. There were a few mishaps during the ride: a loose seat post, a few people getting lost, the 4 mile miscalculation between the UDell and Freesoil Trailheads…but really not too bad. At Freesoil, a waiting lunch bus provided peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, snacks, and drinks to re-stoke the riders that chose to ride the full 73+ mile option. Those who were happy with their 38-but-actually-42 miles ate and then boarded the bus to be taken back to the Lodge. We later hear from many others in the group that the stretch before Freesoil did seem to go on strangely long. Those warm peanut butter and jelly sandwiches some may have scoffed initially became the best d#*n PB&J they had ever had.
It took the remainder of the day for all the riders to trickle back in at the lodge, where they could clean-up, sit in a chair on the back porch, and enjoy complimentary Founders IPA before dinner (one of the many bennies of being part of the Western MMBA). Those who opted for the full 73+ mile experience were gleefully achy. There are many who thought they would do the full ride but now show no shame that they chose to take the lunch bus back to the Lodge. Dinner was served at 7:00 p.m. I didn’t get pictures of the dinner until they served the pie and ice cream, but I recall pork, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and bread that were really delicious. During dinner we also heard about the large number of fish caught by one of a rider’s son, who opted to spend the day doing what the Pere Marquette is well-known for, guided fly-fishing. For the rest of the evening, some turned in early while others relaxed by the fire pit out back of the lodge. Not a bad ending to an exhilerating day!
Plans are made to make this a yearly event. Just need to get a guarantee on the same excellent weather…
Introduction to Luton Park-Group RideThursday, July 17th, 2008
July 30, 2008
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Join us Wednesday Evening, July 30th, 2008 for a “Introduction to Luton Park Group Ride”
Park and meet at the D&W Plaza on the corner of Northland Drive (Wolverine) and 10 mile Road. Look for the wMMBA Banner. Clip in/roll out time is 6:45 PM, so arrive by 6:30 PM. We will roll out as a group and ride to the trail head from here. About 1.25 miles of paved and paved shoulder road. Once at the park we will ride as a group for one lap of the green, blue and orange loops (3.5 miles total single track) stopping for explanations of the work involved to date and future planning plus a bit of history. After completing one lap we will break off into smaller groups and continue to ride some more if interested. Also, the Ski Area is 5 miles away via Meyers Lake Road for the adventuresome. Requirements: bring a mountain bike in good working order, a helmet, water and a snack if needed. Ride canceled if raining. Watch this site and forum for up to the minute updates re: weather. Map to parking and start area:
2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trailFriday, July 11th, 2008
July 19, 2008
2:00 pm
to
8:00 pm
Saturday July 19th. 2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail potluck extravaganza. We supply the grills and chapter member Cramer is graciously supplying his backyard for an afternoon of riding, grilling, and general tomfoolery. Bring something to grill for yourself and something to pass- homebrewers this your chance to dazzle us with your best. Meet up at the Cannonsburg Ski Area by the westernMMBA tool trailer.
The group rides start at 2pm. 2 options will be offered.
A - combination of the ski area, the game area, and some hilly roads.
B - same as above at a much more relaxed pace.
After the rides we move over to Cramer’s for the rest of the day. You can either ride or drive to Cramer’s from the ski area parking lot. It isn’t far. Route maps and a map to the Cramer Casita will be handed out in the parking lot.
things to bring-
a bike in good working order
a helmet
drinking water
a garbage bag
beer- for the beer swap
a dish to share for the potluck feast
home brew
something for the grill
a chair
family
things to not bring-
fireworks
firearms
dogs
attitude
Come on out and ride.
Cannonsburg Ski Area Skills Park Grand OpeningSunday, July 22nd, 2007
August 18, 2007
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
The Western Chapter of the MMBA will be having a grand opening of the Cannonsburg Ski Area Skills Park Saturday, August 18 from 10 am until everyone gets tired.
If you’ve been meaning to ride skills area but haven’t yet, this is a great opportunity. If you just want to see what all the chatter is about and see someone ride “that stuff” come on out. Come show your skill or pick up tips from other riders.
The chapter will provide BBQ for lunch.
The skills area is located between the two track at the end of the XC trail and the ski hills. It can be accessed by riding the XC loop or by walking from the base of the hill up the two track a few hundred feet.
Like the XC loop, the skills area is free to ride. Just bring your bike, helmet, and sense of adventure.
IMBA in GR and MMBA Expo post thoughtsFriday, February 16th, 2007
I’m pleasantly surprised how well our conference went. When Rick and I started sending out invitations, I wondered if anyone would come. In the end 30 people attended. We started at 11am and were supposed to finish around 1. At 2, a few people were still talking with each other. Score one for the Western Chapter and a big thanks to Todd Scott and Scott Linnenburger from IMBA. The topic of discussion at the conference was ‘Quality of Life’- emphasizing natural surface trails and how trails can benefit health and recreation for West Michigan resident’s lives. The attendee list included a variety of park and rec directors, business owners, and cycling coalitions.
Afterwards we took Scott down to Founders. The opportunity was open to all MMBA members and not that many showed up. Which was kind of disappointing. On a positive note, several Western Chapter trails coordinators and all of the board members were able to spend time speaking with Scott one on one. It’s this type of casual conversation that sparks the imagination. We talked trail design, trail advocacy, a bit about biking.
Sunday, Rick and I traveled down to the MMBA Expo to represent. We had a small booth and quite a few people came by to check out our display. Rick put together a couple of books with trail maps and pictures from the past year at various events. It was simple, but it worked well. Being next to the Quiring Cycles booth probably didn’t hurt us either. Anyhow- we hung to around 2pm and decided it was getting to be a long day. I guess we should have stuck around as I heard second hand that the Western Chapter was given a fair amount of accolades for some many people having FAFL awards. Kind of cool, didn’t really understand how it all worked, and sorry to have missed it.
It’s almost the end of the year. A quick inventory of where we are.Wednesday, November 1st, 2006
Volunteer hours are at 975 hours. Broken down, 135 hours represent administration- website, newsletter, treasury, etc and the balance is in trail planning and trail maintenance. Hours will continue to trickle in until the end of the year and it seems likely we will be right around 1000 volunteer hours for the year. There are 20 members with over 10 hours spent in trail maintenance. Thanks one and all.
A majority of trailwork was performed at the Cannonsburg Ski Area. The old mtb race course has been rehabbed into almost 5 miles of singletrack. Additional singletrack is being planned now for next year. Current guesstimate is 2-3 miles; bringing the total trail length close to 8 miles.
The Hungerford Lake Trail has been much maligned over the years. The biggest reason cited is horse traffic on the mtb trail. Work has started in resigning the trail. Riding clockwise from the trailhead is the best marked for now. New reroutes of shared trail sections will be completed in the Spring of 2007. The pdf of the accepted trail proposal by the MNFS can be read here.
Two new committees were created this year. A race committee was formed to handle the added complexity of the chapter promoting the Yankee Time Trial. The committee is headed up by Yankee co-trail coordinator Martin Hall. Before any naysayer speak, let me say that with the proposed trail projects in 2007 the chapter will rely on the added income. The second committee formed was proposed at the October chapter meeting. The WMMBA now has a Freeride Committee and it is headed up by chapter member Jason Dew. Some of Jason’s trailwork is currently being ridden at Edwards Creek in Greenville.
Strategic planning for the future of the chapter will start in November. We are looking to set goals to ensure continuity in our advocacy efforts. Local land managers need to be able to depend on the WMMBA’s presence. We need to break the start/stop patterns that ensure the halt of forward progress. I hope to adopt a plan for the next few years by February.
Thanks- Nate Phelps President, WMMBA
Posted in News No Comments »
Trail Coordinator ChangesMonday, July 24th, 2006
A couple of recent meetings led to some changes for the Western Chapter. Ionia is back in the Chapter, under the care of Dennis Murphy. Big M is now under the wing of the Western Chapter, Ken Blakey-Shell, is the trail coordinator up there. Finally, Hungerford will be led by Aaron Smith and Nate Phelps.
More ChangesFriday, June 9th, 2006
Rick Plite was nominated to Vice President of the Chapter, and has accepted. Make sure to thank him for his efforts and time when you see him
We’re going through changesWednesday, May 24th, 2006
Recently Dennis Murphy stepped down as Chapter President due to too many obligations and a great need to just get out and ride. He will remain on board to represent the chapter at the State level. When you see him thank him for many years of carrying the MMBA torch on the west coast.
Stepping into the President’s seat will be Nate Phelps, coming up from the V.P. position. He’s already got the ball rolling on quite a few projects, and has been busy rallying the troops and talking advocacy with our local city and county representatives. You’ll be seeing plenty of him at chapter events and out on the trail.
There have also been a few more Trail coordinator changes in the past month. John Haffenden will be letting go of Yankee Springs after many years of overseeing the trail there. He’s going to take over at CGSA because its much closer to his house. It’ll be in good hands. Taking over at Yankee will be Martin Hall and Tim Curtis. After seeing the work they did at the last trail day, I think Yankee is also in good hands. Finally, Jason Mead is taking over at the ski area. He’s already been out there marking trail. We can expect good things.
Trail School June 10 + 11 is the 1st trail school for the Western chapter. For those of you attending, it starts at 9AM and ends at 4PM both days. Lunch provided by the chapter. there are still a few spots open: details.
The trail school will open up season of renovations at the ski area. Permission has been secured for the MMBA to reroute and add trail at will. Jason Mead will be heading up the changes. He was just out there marking new trail with Rick Plite and John Haffenden and it sounds like the groundwork is being laid to make the trail more fun for everyone. We hope to turn the ski area into a sustainable trail with about the same length as the game area. Stay tuned for opportunities to help out.
New Trail CoordinatorsWednesday, March 22nd, 2006
Some changes in trail leadership going on. Tom Landry is joining Jeff Foos out at Bass River. 1st goals are getting the DNR an official map and then some signs, then some strategerizing about what to do about that mud pit in the back section. Up at Edward’s Creek, Troy Gough is taking over. If you haven’t been up there to check out what they’ve done, you’re missing out.
Old Events archives
We moved to this blog-site but have information on the old wordpress site- here it is for archiving. Enjoy!
WESTERN MMBA
Building Better Trails for West MI
Archive for the ‘event’ Category
Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Nice article on mlive.com about the Film Festival coming up this weekend!
Grand Rapids film festival to showcase cycling Posted by Howard Meyerson The Grand Rapids Press January 31, 2009 00:30AM“More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes” is a video to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“No helmet required!”
That is what Grand Rapids cyclist Jeff Festian said about the come-as-you-are crowd expected at the second annual Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival at Wealthy Theater on Feb. 7.
No helmets. No spandex. No clip-in shoes. No pumps. Anyone interested in cycling and films is welcome,” said Festian, the former president of Rapid Wheelmen, a 500-member road cycling club in Grand Rapids. “We are looking to create a cultural event that draws more than cyclists.”
BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
Where: Wealthy Theater, 1130 Wealthy St. SE
When: Feb. 7
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., films begin at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $20 for adults 21 and older includes two beverages); $15 for those younger than 21; free for ages 15 and younger
The festival, he said, is a midwinter celebration of cycling. Funds raised from the event will go toward the Midwest Mountain Biking Summit in Grand Rapids. Organizers from the West Michigan chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association say they want to tap into the city’s growing “green initiative.” That means people who ride to work and those who ride casually. “We think it’s a good event for Grand Rapids,” said Nate Phelps, co-organizer and board member for the association. “We want people outside of our respective cycling communities to come down and see what the culture is about. We are showing a little wider variety of films this year. They should appeal to the casual rider as well as the full-on racer.”
Festian and Phelps are expecting a large turnout for the nearly three hours of films. Last year’s event got little fanfare. It was held in the small auditorium at Wealthy Theater, which was filled to capacity. This year, it will take place in the large auditorium.
The films cover a mixture of themes: Human interest, political and action.
“We Just Work Here” is a documentary by Brian Vernor, a California-based photographer and filmmaker. He turns his lens on coworkers at a Santa Cruz, Calif., bicycle company and captures the human dimension of those who live to cycle.
“I saw these people all around me, living and working in an area that they had a passion for,” Vernor, 33, said in a telephone interview from Toronto, where he was working on another film. “Cycling is often portrayed as an individual pursuit, but most people who cycle are drawn to the community. I found this particular bike community in Santa Cruz especially unique.”
Phelps called the film a “great movie, a lighthearted documentary.”“ZERO traction” is a look at hard-core cyclocross racing in extreme weather conditions.
The more gritty film is “ZERO traction” by Keith Walberg, a cyclocross racer and filmmaker who captured the adrenaline rush of a cyclocross event held in extreme conditions. The film was shot over four days in December, during the 2007 Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City. It is a high-intensity look at 30 races — all set to music.
Walberg, who created “Roll Your Own Films” in 2008, said he was inspired to make the film after attending the 2000 championship in Kansas City.
“It was brutally cold, and seeing 12-year-olds and 65-year-olds giving it their all was pretty inspiring — and pretty cool,” Walberg said.
“I work in video production doing television commercials and training films. This is my first film of any length. So far, the response has been pretty good.” Area filmmaker Tom Scheidel, of Rockford, will show a brief trailer for a film currently in production. “More Than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes” looks at the lives of area riders who have committed to a 100-mile ride through Death Valley to help raise funds for diabetes. Scheidel began fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation about 11 years ago after his son, Jake, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The foundation holds fundraising rides around the country. “Last year, our West Michigan team raised over $260,000,” Scheidel said. “Nationally, JDRF raised $4.2 million. The film looks predominately at local riders. They are riding 105 miles in 100 degree heat and 20 to 30 miles per hour headwinds. I document their thought processes and talk to them during their training, during the ride and after the ride.”
Lastly, there will be an hour of mixed short film subjects from “Filmed By Bike,” a film festival based in Portland, Ore., that screens short films made by independent filmmakers. Each film is limited to eight minutes. “I liked them all,” Phelps said. “Some are pretty amateur, YouTube kind of stuff, but others are very professional. That’s the neat thing about it. It’s all bike-themed short movies. Some are social commentary and some are comedy.” Said Festian: “The main thing is, we are trying to put on a fun event.” And remember, leave the helmet at home.
The movies “We Just Work Here”A film about a community of individualists working at the bicycle manufacturer Santa Cruz Bicycles. It focuses on the culture of riding and disparate talents of the employees of SCB. Filmed entirely on Super 8, in and around Santa Cruz and Downieville, Calif. (Time: 50 Minutes) “ZERO traction”A look at hard-core cyclocross racing in extreme weather conditions such as driving snow, mud, ice and frozen mud. The film features racing action shot in slow motion. It includes interviews from Steve Tilford, Ned Overend and elite champion Tim Johnson. (Time: 67 minutes) “Filmed by Bike Festival”The film festival, based in Portland, Ore., showcases bike-themed independent short movies from around the world. Submissions are limited to eight minutes. A portion of the festival entries are being shown. (Time: 60 minutes) “More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes”Rockford filmmaker Tom Scheidel put together a video of the ride to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This is a trailer from the full-length film. (Time: 4 minutes)
E-mail Howard Meyerson: hmeyerson@grpress.com© 2009 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
Introduction to Luton Park-Group Ride
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
July 30, 2008 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Join us Wednesday Evening, July 30th, 2008 for a “Introduction to Luton Park Group Ride”
Park and meet at the D&W Plaza on the corner of Northland Drive (Wolverine) and 10 mile Road. Look for the wMMBA Banner. Clip in/roll out time is 6:45 PM, so arrive by 6:30 PM. We will roll out as a group and ride to the trail head from here. About 1.25 miles of paved and paved shoulder road. Once at the park we will ride as a group for one lap of the green, blue and orange loops (3.5 miles total single track) stopping for explanations of the work involved to date and future planning plus a bit of history. After completing one lap we will break off into smaller groups and continue to ride some more if interested. Also, the Ski Area is 5 miles away via Meyers Lake Road for the adventuresome. Requirements: bring a mountain bike in good working order, a helmet, water and a snack if needed. Ride canceled if raining. Watch this site and forum for up to the minute updates re: weather. Map to parking and start area:
Posted in News, event, event, group ride, in the news No Comments »
2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail
July 19, 2008 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday July 19th. 2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail potluck extravaganza. We supply the grills and chapter member Cramer is graciously supplying his backyard for an afternoon of riding, grilling, and general tomfoolery. Bring something to grill for yourself and something to pass- homebrewers this your chance to dazzle us with your best. Meet up at the Cannonsburg Ski Area by the westernMMBA tool trailer.
The group rides start at 2pm. 2 options will be offered.
A - combination of the ski area, the game area, and some hilly roads.
B - same as above at a much more relaxed pace.
After the rides we move over to Cramer’s for the rest of the day. You can either ride or drive to Cramer’s from the ski area parking lot. It isn’t far. Route maps and a map to the Cramer Casita will be handed out in the parking lot.
things to bring-
a bike in good working order
a helmet
drinking water
a garbage bag
beer- for the beer swap
a dish to share for the potluck feast
home brew
something for the grill
a chair
family
things to not bring-
fireworks
firearms
dogs
attitude
Come on out and ride.
SSN- Single Speed Nation
November 29, 2008
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Singlespeed nation ride. 10am at Luton Park.
Meet in the D&W parking lot at 10 Mile Rd and Wolverine Blvd( the east beltline)
A small group will be riding up the White Pine, leaving the railroad trestle on N. Monroe at 9am
Holiday Ride-CANCELED
this ride is canceled due to deep snow The Annual Holiday ride is this Saturday, the 20th of December.
Rick has a 33 mile route planned out.
The ride starts at 11am and ends around 6pm. Meet at Founders Brewing.
235 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids,MI 49503
Questions? western [at] mmba.org
Turkey Burner group ride at Yankee
November 28, 2008
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Turkey Burner group ride at Yankee, meet in the parking lot at 10am
No drop, fun ride. It’s hunting season, wear a bright color.
WESTERN MMBA
Building Better Trails for West MI
Archive for the ‘event’ Category
Thursday, February 5th, 2009
Nice article on mlive.com about the Film Festival coming up this weekend!
Grand Rapids film festival to showcase cycling Posted by Howard Meyerson The Grand Rapids Press January 31, 2009 00:30AM“More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes” is a video to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“No helmet required!”
That is what Grand Rapids cyclist Jeff Festian said about the come-as-you-are crowd expected at the second annual Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival at Wealthy Theater on Feb. 7.
No helmets. No spandex. No clip-in shoes. No pumps. Anyone interested in cycling and films is welcome,” said Festian, the former president of Rapid Wheelmen, a 500-member road cycling club in Grand Rapids. “We are looking to create a cultural event that draws more than cyclists.”
BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
Where: Wealthy Theater, 1130 Wealthy St. SE
When: Feb. 7
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., films begin at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $20 for adults 21 and older includes two beverages); $15 for those younger than 21; free for ages 15 and younger
The festival, he said, is a midwinter celebration of cycling. Funds raised from the event will go toward the Midwest Mountain Biking Summit in Grand Rapids. Organizers from the West Michigan chapter of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association say they want to tap into the city’s growing “green initiative.” That means people who ride to work and those who ride casually. “We think it’s a good event for Grand Rapids,” said Nate Phelps, co-organizer and board member for the association. “We want people outside of our respective cycling communities to come down and see what the culture is about. We are showing a little wider variety of films this year. They should appeal to the casual rider as well as the full-on racer.”
Festian and Phelps are expecting a large turnout for the nearly three hours of films. Last year’s event got little fanfare. It was held in the small auditorium at Wealthy Theater, which was filled to capacity. This year, it will take place in the large auditorium.
The films cover a mixture of themes: Human interest, political and action.
“We Just Work Here” is a documentary by Brian Vernor, a California-based photographer and filmmaker. He turns his lens on coworkers at a Santa Cruz, Calif., bicycle company and captures the human dimension of those who live to cycle.
“I saw these people all around me, living and working in an area that they had a passion for,” Vernor, 33, said in a telephone interview from Toronto, where he was working on another film. “Cycling is often portrayed as an individual pursuit, but most people who cycle are drawn to the community. I found this particular bike community in Santa Cruz especially unique.”
Phelps called the film a “great movie, a lighthearted documentary.”“ZERO traction” is a look at hard-core cyclocross racing in extreme weather conditions.
The more gritty film is “ZERO traction” by Keith Walberg, a cyclocross racer and filmmaker who captured the adrenaline rush of a cyclocross event held in extreme conditions. The film was shot over four days in December, during the 2007 Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City. It is a high-intensity look at 30 races — all set to music.
Walberg, who created “Roll Your Own Films” in 2008, said he was inspired to make the film after attending the 2000 championship in Kansas City.
“It was brutally cold, and seeing 12-year-olds and 65-year-olds giving it their all was pretty inspiring — and pretty cool,” Walberg said.
“I work in video production doing television commercials and training films. This is my first film of any length. So far, the response has been pretty good.” Area filmmaker Tom Scheidel, of Rockford, will show a brief trailer for a film currently in production. “More Than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes” looks at the lives of area riders who have committed to a 100-mile ride through Death Valley to help raise funds for diabetes. Scheidel began fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation about 11 years ago after his son, Jake, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The foundation holds fundraising rides around the country. “Last year, our West Michigan team raised over $260,000,” Scheidel said. “Nationally, JDRF raised $4.2 million. The film looks predominately at local riders. They are riding 105 miles in 100 degree heat and 20 to 30 miles per hour headwinds. I document their thought processes and talk to them during their training, during the ride and after the ride.”
Lastly, there will be an hour of mixed short film subjects from “Filmed By Bike,” a film festival based in Portland, Ore., that screens short films made by independent filmmakers. Each film is limited to eight minutes. “I liked them all,” Phelps said. “Some are pretty amateur, YouTube kind of stuff, but others are very professional. That’s the neat thing about it. It’s all bike-themed short movies. Some are social commentary and some are comedy.” Said Festian: “The main thing is, we are trying to put on a fun event.” And remember, leave the helmet at home.
The movies “We Just Work Here”A film about a community of individualists working at the bicycle manufacturer Santa Cruz Bicycles. It focuses on the culture of riding and disparate talents of the employees of SCB. Filmed entirely on Super 8, in and around Santa Cruz and Downieville, Calif. (Time: 50 Minutes) “ZERO traction”A look at hard-core cyclocross racing in extreme weather conditions such as driving snow, mud, ice and frozen mud. The film features racing action shot in slow motion. It includes interviews from Steve Tilford, Ned Overend and elite champion Tim Johnson. (Time: 67 minutes) “Filmed by Bike Festival”The film festival, based in Portland, Ore., showcases bike-themed independent short movies from around the world. Submissions are limited to eight minutes. A portion of the festival entries are being shown. (Time: 60 minutes) “More than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes”Rockford filmmaker Tom Scheidel put together a video of the ride to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This is a trailer from the full-length film. (Time: 4 minutes)
E-mail Howard Meyerson: hmeyerson@grpress.com© 2009 Michigan Live. All Rights Reserved.
Introduction to Luton Park-Group Ride
Thursday, July 17th, 2008
July 30, 2008 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Join us Wednesday Evening, July 30th, 2008 for a “Introduction to Luton Park Group Ride”
Park and meet at the D&W Plaza on the corner of Northland Drive (Wolverine) and 10 mile Road. Look for the wMMBA Banner. Clip in/roll out time is 6:45 PM, so arrive by 6:30 PM. We will roll out as a group and ride to the trail head from here. About 1.25 miles of paved and paved shoulder road. Once at the park we will ride as a group for one lap of the green, blue and orange loops (3.5 miles total single track) stopping for explanations of the work involved to date and future planning plus a bit of history. After completing one lap we will break off into smaller groups and continue to ride some more if interested. Also, the Ski Area is 5 miles away via Meyers Lake Road for the adventuresome. Requirements: bring a mountain bike in good working order, a helmet, water and a snack if needed. Ride canceled if raining. Watch this site and forum for up to the minute updates re: weather. Map to parking and start area:
Posted in News, event, event, group ride, in the news No Comments »
2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail
July 19, 2008 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday July 19th. 2nd annual westernMMBA ale and trail potluck extravaganza. We supply the grills and chapter member Cramer is graciously supplying his backyard for an afternoon of riding, grilling, and general tomfoolery. Bring something to grill for yourself and something to pass- homebrewers this your chance to dazzle us with your best. Meet up at the Cannonsburg Ski Area by the westernMMBA tool trailer.
The group rides start at 2pm. 2 options will be offered.
A - combination of the ski area, the game area, and some hilly roads.
B - same as above at a much more relaxed pace.
After the rides we move over to Cramer’s for the rest of the day. You can either ride or drive to Cramer’s from the ski area parking lot. It isn’t far. Route maps and a map to the Cramer Casita will be handed out in the parking lot.
things to bring-
a bike in good working order
a helmet
drinking water
a garbage bag
beer- for the beer swap
a dish to share for the potluck feast
home brew
something for the grill
a chair
family
things to not bring-
fireworks
firearms
dogs
attitude
Come on out and ride.
SSN- Single Speed Nation
November 29, 2008
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Singlespeed nation ride. 10am at Luton Park.
Meet in the D&W parking lot at 10 Mile Rd and Wolverine Blvd( the east beltline)
A small group will be riding up the White Pine, leaving the railroad trestle on N. Monroe at 9am
Holiday Ride-CANCELED
this ride is canceled due to deep snow The Annual Holiday ride is this Saturday, the 20th of December.
Rick has a 33 mile route planned out.
The ride starts at 11am and ends around 6pm. Meet at Founders Brewing.
235 Grandville Ave SW, Grand Rapids,MI 49503
Questions? western [at] mmba.org
Turkey Burner group ride at Yankee
November 28, 2008
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Turkey Burner group ride at Yankee, meet in the parking lot at 10am
No drop, fun ride. It’s hunting season, wear a bright color.
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