NRVBA Applies for Bikes Belong Grant

The NRVBA has applied for a $10,000 Facility Grant from the Bikes Belong Coalition.  If awarded, the grant will be used to leverage Blacksburg Town Council and Town staff support the construction of the 2-mile Central Downtown Loop connecting commercial, university and residential areas. Once completed, the loop will serve as the centerpiece to a town-wide system of routes.  With the construction of the loop, our goal is to increase ridership in Blacksburg by 25%.

The NRVBA would like to thank Keith Moore, Town Corridor Committee Chair, and Adele Schirmer, Director of Engineering and GIS for the Town of Blacksburg for their assistance in preparing the application.  The NRVBA would also like to thank the following businesses and organizations for their support of the application:  Eastcoasters (a Bikes Belong member), Hokie Spokes, Bike Barn, YMCA at VT, Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg, Sustainable Blacksburg, Blacksburg Corridor Committee, New River Valley Planning District Commission.  (http://www.nrvbike.com/archives/265)

Beth Lohman
NRVBA President

Rt. 419 Public Hearing

For those of you who commute by bike or utilize the SmartWay Bus to and from destinations in the New River Valley and the Roanoke Valley, please consider attending the below public hearing and voicing your opinions on bicycle improvements to the Route 419 corridor.

Host: Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Gymnasium of the Brambleton Recreation Center (3738 Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke)

The Roanoke Valley Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will hold a citizen information meeting to present recommendations to address transportation needs along the Route 419 corridor from Route 311 to Route 220 in the Roanoke area.

Representatives from the MPO, VDOT and the study team will be available to answer questions and receive comments regarding this study to determine how to make travel along the Route 419 corridor safer and more efficient.

The recommendations presented at this meeting were developed as a result of public input gathered in the spring 2009. Input from the community, especially those who travel or live and work within the corridor, is extremely important to the success of the study. To review materials prior to the meeting, a draft of the study can be found at http://www.rvarc.org/419/419plan.htm.

Written comments about the study may be submitted at the meeting or by December 18 to Michael Gray, Virginia Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 3071, Salem, VA 24153. E-mail comments can be sent to saleminfo@VDOT.virginia.gov. Please reference “Route 419 Study Comments” in the subject heading.

Anyone requiring special assistance to attend and participate in this meeting may contact VDOT’s Civil Rights Division at 540-387-5320, 800-611-5812 or TTY/TDD 711.

Get Some Xmas Shopping Done Now!

Riders Up! Outfitters (map it) is having a great outdoor gear sale this Friday-Sunday. Let your kids climb on their new climbing wall while you shop. They are also offering layaway for those larger items (like that kayak your husband has had his eye on…hint hint). www.ridersupoutfitters.com

Outdoor Recommendations Nov. 20-29

Due to our desire to eat a lot of turkey next week we’ve decide to include our weekend recommendations for both this weekend and next.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A list of what’s going on OUTSIDE is now posted – click here !

In the mean time, enjoy this video of bouldering/climbing at McAfee Knob I found.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Budget-Friendly Solar Charger- Gear Review

With pocket-sized solar chargers the craze, Highgear designed one for backcountry techies on a budget. New this winter, the Highgear SolarPod, at just $50, is a basic solar charger about the size of an iPhone.

Designed to charge phones and mp3 players, the SolarPod is said to disperse power for 40 minutes on an 8-hour solar or 1-hour computer USB charge. That should be enough time to rejuvenate your iPod for a few hours of music or your cell phone for some crucial talk time.

Highgear SolarPod

Attached to the corner of the SolarPod is a carabiner clip so you can secure it to your pack and charge while you go. It also comes with eight connector tips for various phones, including a USB connector for mp3 players, digital cameras or anything Apple.

The 2.4oz-unit, which is the company’s first-ever solar charger, also has a battery indicator in 25 percent increments.

The Highgear SolarPod will be available in December for $50. www.highgear.com

—Ryan Dionne

What’s Your Survival IQ?

Outside Magazine has posted their Outside Survival Quiz that is designed to test our ability to survive in a number of situations out in the wilderness.

The questions are definitely challenging and I was left scratching my head on more than one occasion on what the best answer should be. Some of the choices are obvious or easy to rule out, but others are not so easy, and really require some thought or first hand experience in the best way to handle a situation. Some of the answers that they provide are also a bit contrary to other things I’ve heard or read, which goes to show you that survival isn’t really an exact science.

All that said, I have to admit that I only correctly answered 7 of the 14 questions correctly. That gave me a “D” on this quiz, and probably means I’m going to die a slow, agonizing death out in the wilderness somewhere. Take the quiz for yourself, and leave a comment with your score. I’m sure most of you will do better than I did! 🙂

Take the Quiz Here>>>

Star City Half Marathon – 11/21

Congratulations to all runners!

Overall Results 2009
Age Group Results 2009

This weekend marks the 24th anniversary of the Depaul Community Resources Star City Half Marathon presented by the Star City Striders and Virginia Amateur Sports.

What: Half Marathon
When: November 21
Time: 9AM
Entry Fee: $40. Online registration ends midnight 11/18. You can register day of.

The first 500 runners the pre-register receive a finishers’ medal and high quality microfiber wind shirt.

Packet Pick-Up: Nov. 20 (Noon – 7PM) at Fleet Feet.

For more information visit the official Coventry Commonwealth Games of Virginia website for the Star City Half Marathon.

Roanoke Outdoor & Social Club Upate

Are you familiar with the Roanoke Outdoor & Social Club (ROSC)? With 380+ members the ROSC consists of people who are interested in the outdoors and enjoy meeting other people who share a similar interest in the outdoors. From weekend hikes to whitewater rafting and ski trips, the group always seems to have something going on. Click here to join the ROSC via their Meetup.com site.

Members of the ROSC who live/work in Blacksburg have formed a sub group for members who may be interested in getting together for lunch every now and then. You must already be a member of the ROSC to join. Any members wishing to join the ROSC Blacksburg Lunch Group must request to join via the Facebook page.

Virginia’s Best Trophy Deer Hunting Spots

Bill Cochran, with the Roanoke Times, put out a great article on the top 10 spots in Virginia for bagging a trophy deer.

Here’s how the Roanoke Region stacks up:

#4 – Roanoke & Bedford (tie)
#8 – Floyd
#9 – Botetourt

Read the entire article and learn why>>>

 

Thrills & Spills of Mountain Biking

By Laurie Edwards at SmithMountainLake.com

Riders say the excitement and camaraderie are worth the bumps and bruises.

The thing you have to know about mountain biking is that it gets in your blood. And you’ll shed some of that blood at some point because any mountain biker worth his or her salt has a crash story. Don’t let the blood letting get to you though.

“There’s a mountain bike saying, ‘Dirt is fun and chicks dig scars,'” said David Wiseman of Boones Mill, who has cracked a rib and suffered a huge hematoma from crashes. “That may be a couple of Mountain Dew commercials over the top, but the point is that worrying about crashing is unwarranted.”

The more fit and experienced the riders, the harder a beating they can take out on the trails, he said.

“It’s amazing what you can do and not get hurt,” said Read Viemeister of Huddleston, who once found himself upside down in a creek. “Your fitness level will improve to the point where you can have a spill and not be hurt.”