1999 Past Massachusetts Bicycle Events

Winter Bicycle Repair Classes

Breeze and Bicycles (MIT Independent Activities Period)

Tuesday, January 19, 1:00 - 3:00 pm, MIT Building 5 Room 232

Imagine tunnels under Boston and New York where a 20 mph wind always blows your way. Faster than cars? En masse, you bet! Cyclists and rollerbladers could swiftly sail these trade winds. Come brainstorm alternative transportation.

Contact Peter Ahumada at (617)864-2007, ahumada@mit.edu.

Japanese Air and Water Warriors

Thursday, January 28, 4:30 - 6:00 pm

The Japan International Birdman Rally is an amazing event inw hich dozen so fo human-powered aircraft and gliders, made by indiviudals, students, and other amateur groups, are launched from a platform 10 km above Lake Biwa. Some go straight down into the water, some go respectable distances, this year saw records broken. We will also show parts of a video of another event that attracts great interest in Japan: a racemeet for human and solar powered boats, many of them hydrofoils, displaying outstanding performance and engineering.

Contact David Gordon Wilson at (617)253-5121, dgwilson@mit.edu.

Bike to the Sea March Social

Thursday, March 18 6:30 pm, Malden Public Library at 36 Salem St in Malden

Who were the very first local bicyclists to "Bike to the Sea"? Historian Bruce McWhirk of Malden will answer this question.

Learn about area resident Sylvester Baxter and his role in promoting the bicycle and his years as one of the first Commissioners of the Metropolitan District Commission.

Refreshments will be served.

Call 781-397-6893 for more information or email Steve Winslow at stevenine@aol.com

First Day of Spring on the Neponset Greenway

Saturday, March 20 at 10:00am at the Central Ave. bridge over the Neponset River between Boston and Milton.

Join MassBike/Boston and the Neponset Greenway Council for a trip on the soon-to-be-paved Neponset Trail which follows the Neponset River to Boston Harbor along an abandoned railroad right-of-way. Because volunteers rebuilt a bridge, the trail is complete. We'll probably ride no more than 10 miles, but distance and hills will be determined by those who show up.

Helmets and fat tires are required.

For more information, check the Neponset Greenway Web Site or contact the leader, Doug Mink, at dmink@cfa.harvard.edu.

Framingham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee

Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30 in Room 130 of the Memorial Building, 150 Concord Street, Framingham.

For more information, email fbpac@ma.ultranet.com

MassBike/Pioneer Valley Meeting

Wednesday, April 14 at 7:00pm in Room 304, Seelye Hall, Smith College, Nort hampton

Preliminary agenda:

Amherst Give-Your-Car-A-Break Week: final planning -- come help!

Bridge updates

Critical Mass report

Bike/Ped Committees moving forward

MassBike Tour '99: July

National Bike Week -- adopt City Council resolutions?

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission: new Bike/Ped plan

Dues!

Starting tonight, we'll try potluck refreshments. Can't wait to see what people will bring!

For further information, contact James Lowenthal, james@velo.phast.umass.edu

East Boston Greenway Bike Tour

Saturday, May 15, 10:00 am, starting at the Belle Isle Marsh parking lot

Mark Warren of the East Boston Greenway Council will lead the last mountain bike tour of the East Boston Greenway before construction starts in June. See this ISTEA-funded project with a guide who knows how it will look when it's done. The ride will last two hours or so; helmets are required and fat tires highly recommended (though not absolutely necessary; rough parts can be bypassed on streets).

BIKE-Arlington Tour

Sunday, May 16, 9:30am in the Spy Pond parking lot (near the Arlington Boys and Girls Club, just east of Arlington Center).

The Arlington Bicycle Committee has organized a casual and easy paced bike tour of some of Arlington's special places with a police escort sponsored by the town's police bike unit and complimentary refreshments from Trader Joe's.

The six-mile BIKE-Arlington Tour will feature Spy Pond, the John Wald/MassBike Memorial at the new Minuteman Bikeway Extension in East Arlington, the little-known Spy Pond Bike Path, Menotomy Rocks Park, the Arlington Center civic block, and the newly renovated Arlington Heights business district. The tour pace will be slow and easy, with lots of stops along the way. But there will be one medium-sized hill (hard to avoid in Arlington) along the way, which some participants might want to walk up.

The bike tour is free of charge, and families are welcome to participate. All riders are responsible for their own safety, and helmets are required. Steady rain will cancel the event.

Bike Week '99

Sunday through Saturday, May 16-22 all over Massachusetts.

Events will be listed as they are scheduled.

Effective Cycling Classes

Wednesdays, April 18 - May 19 in Newburyport

Saturdays, May 1 and 8 in Brookline

Saturdays, June 5 and 12 in Brookline

For more information, click here.

7th Annual Bike to the Sea Day

Sunday, June 6, 9:00 am, Square One Mall, Saugus, just off Route 1

The 16 mile round trip will start promptly at 9:45 A.M., and riders will return back at around 12:30 P.M.. If you need to drive your bikes to the Mall, plenty of free parking will be available. After an 8 mile leisurely paced bike ride, riders will enjoy a continental breakfast of muffins, danish, coffee and juice on the deck of the Porthole Pub overlooking the Lynn waterfront.

Registration info: $15 donation for individuals or $30 for families of up to 4 (2 T-shirts if in 1st 50) each additional child $5. Register before May 28, for a $5 discount off the registration. Proceeds promote bicycle paths and bicycle safety in your community. Riders must be 8 years or older or be towed by an adult, children under 16 must be joined by an adult and bicycle helmets must be worn by all.

To pre-register call Steve Winslow at 781-397-6893 or Dennis Robitaille at 781-233-9925.

Volunteers to help with the event receive a free registration, T-shirt and breakfast. Around 12 people are needed and so far at least 10 people have volunteered. Call Gail Palladino at 781-284-3182, to find out what or if any volunteer help is needed.

Neponset Greenway Festival

Saturday, June 12 11:00 am to 4:00 pm at Milton Landing, across the Neponset River from Dorchester Lower Mills east of Adams St.

Many activities, including a walk and a bike ride on soon-to-be-paved Neponset Trail.

This festival runs ALL summer. The complete schedule is online.

NEMBA Fest

Sunday, June 27, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, YMCA Camp Lyndon, Sandwich

Lots and lots of mountain biking to benefit bicycle access and trail maintenance on the Cape.

Demos, kayak demos, swimming, BBQs, picnicing, food, raffles. There'll be stuff for kids, too.

$15 per person, $12 for NEMBA members, $25 for families.

Effective Cycling Classes

July 7, 8, 14, 5:30 to 8:00 pm, Kendall Square, Cambridge

For more information, email schimek@alum.mit.edu or call 617 542-BIKE.

The fee is $60. Mail a check to MassBike, 44 Bromfield St., Suite 207, Boston, MA 02108. Note "July EC class" on check.

MassBike Tour '99

Sunday through Saturday, July 18-24

A tour of the state's most scenic and historic towns, from Eastern Massachusetts to the Berkshires.

For more information check the Tour web site or e-mail tour@massbike.org.

Neponset Greenway Festival

Sunday, August 29 noon-4pm, Harvest River Day at Milton Landing, across the MBTA Ashmont-Mattapan tracks from the Neponset Trail.

Celebrate the Harvest, with boat cruises (10am, noon, 2pm, 3:45pm - tickets required) canoeing, environmental fair, music and Farmers Market.

Arlington Town Day

Saturday, September 18, Arlington Center

The Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC) will host a booth to

inform people about bicycing in Arlington,

register bikes with the police department (Bring the following information to ABAC's booth for each bicycle you want to register: make and model, color, and serial number),

demonstrate the town's police bicycle equipment,

sell local bike maps and ride routes, including the newly-revised Boston Bicycle Map,

give out copies of The Ride magazine, now based in Arlington, and

recruit new members

Emerald Necklace Greenway Festival

Sunday, September 19, 1:00pm to 4:00 pm in the park between the Riverway, Park Drive, and Brookline Ave.

Exhibits, speeches, bike rides, and walks to discuss how Boston and Brookline's Emerald Necklace can be reconnected.

1:00 pm: Bike ride to the Arboretum, with attention to problem connections

2:00 pm: Program on how we can reconnect the Emerald Necklace

4:00 pm: Bike ride connecting the Emerald Necklace to the Charles River; it's easier than you think.

Organized by MassBike/MetroBoston.

East Boston Greenway Festival

Sunday, September 19 1pm-7pm, Piers Park, Marginal St.

Harvest Fair: Green Stuff in Eastie!

Tuesday, September 21, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Piers Park, Marginal St.

Walking Tour of the Greenway: Check out Phase 1 of trail construction

Effective Cycling Classes

Saturday, October 2 & 9, 9:00 to 3:00 pm

Fee: $80 + $11 materials

Contact: Brookline Adult & Community Education Program, 617 730-2700.

For more information, click here.

7th Annual Tour de Somerville

Saturday, October 16, 10am at Seven Hills Park in Davis Square behind the Somerville Theater and the T.

Bicyclists of all ages are invited to the 7th annual Tour de Somerville, a sixteen mile recreational ride around the city. We'll explore pathways and side streets to discover some of Somerville's best kept secrets. Historic buildings, riverfront parks, community gardens, and diverse neighborhoods are just a few of the highlights of this fun event celebrating bikeable Somerville. Redbones Barbecue will provide refreshments halfway along the route, and the ride will finish at Seven Hills Park around 1pm.

The rain date is Sunday, October 17.

Helmets are strongly encouraged. For more information, contact the Somerville Bicycle Committee at 617-628-8850, or write e-mail to Greg Palmer at palmerg@csps.com.

We Cover the Waterfront

Saturday, October 16, 10:00 AM, at the snack stand at Castle Island, South Boston.

This is more an urban exploration than an aerobic ride. We work our way from South Boston to the downtown waterfront, then through Charlestown to Everett, Chelsea and finally East Boston, always staying as close to the harbor as we can by going out on piers, etc. This ride is a delight for afficionados of the urban maritime/industrial environment, and provides varying views of the harbor. The distance is just over 30 miles at moderate pace.

Due to glass and other debris on the route, ATB's or sturdy touring tires are recommended. Please bring your lunch (if you want one) !

Directions: Take Broadway or Day Blvd.in S. Boston to the very end.

Leader: Charles Hansen (617) 734-0720 H chansen@jhancock.com

South Bay Harbor Trail Bike Tour

Sunday, October 17, 10:30am to noon, beginning at the Ruggles T-Stop and ending at the Fan Pier.

Explore the proposed route of the South Bay Harbor Trail, and kick off the feasibility and design study that will look at the opportunities and challenges for bikers and pedestrians along the Trail. This trail is envisioned as a pedestrian and bike corridor that connects the communities of Roxbury, the South End, and Chinatown to the valuable resources of a revitalized Boston Harbor and the growing amenities along its waterfront. While the clean-up of Boston Harbor was paid by all rate-payers, many of Boston's neighborhoods feel disconnected from the waterfront. The work on the Central Artery project and other proposed developments provide an exciting opportunity to create a pathway for these neighborhoods to access the waterfront, while also highlighting recreational, cultural, and historical amenities along the way. Connecting with existing bike trails, such as the Southwest Corridor and Melnea Cass Boulevard, the South Bay Harbor Trail will provide an important link in the larger bicycle network.

This is a non-strenuous ride with refreshments provided at the end.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Gillian Grossman at (617) 451-2860.

3rd Annual Tour De Fram

Sunday, October 17, noon, Framingham Center Common

Flyers and brochures are available in Adobe Acrobat PDF files.

1998 event ph otos

Safe Routes to School

Friday, October 22, 10 am National Park Service, 15 State Street, 4th floor Boston, MA 02109

The National Park Service is sponsoring a Forum (co-sponsored with the CDC) on Safe Routes to School. They are sponsoring a two-week study directed by the manager of England's "Safe Routes to Schools" program to conduct pilot studies at 4 schools in the area.

Speakers:

Steve Golden, National Parks Service

Richard Killingsworth, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

Paul Osborne, Sustrans

Ruth Bonsignore & Kathy Hersh, VHB -- discussing Nashua, NH pilot project

Don Eunson & Dorothea Hass, WalkBoston -- discussing Arlington, MA pilot project

Richard Olken, Bikes Belong Coalition,

Mark Fenton, Walking Magazine.

RSVP to Eddie Boxer, 617 223-5051

Golden Spike Rail Trail Conference

October 30, 1999, 10:00am to 2:00pm, West Boylston, Mixter Municipal Building, 120 Prescott St.

Share ideas and issues with people along the 104-mile route of the old Mass. Central Rail Line. There will also be a walk along the 1.3-mile West Boylston section of the MCRT along the Quinapoxet River.

Registration is $12.00. Request a form from Dave Sweetman, (508)835-3761. Detailed directions come with the form. Registration is limited to 100, so do it soon.

MassBike Tour 2000 Cancelled

Click here for more information.