Thank You!

The 2009 Wisconsin Cycling Association State Criterium Championship bicycle races have come and gone; and by the accounts of the racers and fans, the event was a huge success. More than 215 racers, along with friends and families, visited Ripon Saturday and left with many good things to say about our hospitable community. That success would not have been possible without the help and support of a wide cast of characters, including the cooperation of the businesses and residents along the race route. Your flexibility is greatly appreciated.

I’d also like to acknowledge T.J. Rogers and Accurate Controls and Doug Brewer and Brewer Heating and Cooling. They deserve a big “thank you” for their financial sponsorship of the event. Additionally, I’d like to thank Rippin’ Good Cookies for providing cookies for the race winners. The sweet treats were a big hit amongst the riders.

Also, thanks to John and Carol Bartow and Fond du Lac and Oshkosh Cyclery for their ongoing support of the Ripon College cycling team and their contributions to the state championship race.

Thank you also to the City of Ripon, the Ripon Police Department and the Ripon Public Works department: first, for granting permission to use the city streets, and second, for making those streets as safe as possible. Your extra efforts did not go unnoticed.

And while there were a few scrapes and bruises (and one broken hip), I would like to thank Chris Schattschneider, Brian Azinger, Mark Sabel and the Ripon EMTs for the quick and attentive care they provided to the injured racers.

I would also like to recognize the work of Danelle Phillips of the Ripon Medical Center and Stefanie Ehle of the Ripon College Office of Community Engagement for the fabulous Free Wheelin’ Children’s Bicycle Safety Expo and Fun Race. The many children and their parents with big smiles on their faces added a great deal of fun to the day’s events.

Thank you, also, to the Ripon Chamber of Commerce and Ripon Main Street for their constant support and encouragement.

A special thank you to Heidi Mingesz and her crew of race officials for their hard work and dedication to the sport of cycling in Wisconsin. We wish Rich Weiss, who suffered a heart attack Saturday morning before the races began, a speedy recovery.

An extra large “thank you” to John Van Susteren and his teammates at LAPT Cycling Club and to all of the volunteers who assisted with set-up, registration, announcing, corner marshaling, take-down and all of the behind-the-scenes details that make a bike race safe and fun.

We hope to bring the race back next year and with the support of the Ripon community make it even better.

Be sure to take a look at peloton-pix.com for a video and photos from the event.

WCA Crit Champs Returning to Ripon June 13

The best bicycle racers in Wisconsin and beyond will return to Ripon Saturday, June 13 for the Wisconsin Cycling Association’s 2009 State Criterium Championships. Riders will compete in 10 categories for the Wisconsin State Championship jerseys, cash and prizes.

Medals will be awarded to the top three riders and a Wisconsin Championship jersey to the overall state winner in each category. Racing action begins at 10:30 a.m. with the junior’s races and continues all day with the final pro race beginning at 6:30 p.m. The junior’s and women’s category 4 races will run counterclockwise on a half-mile course with a start and finish on Watson Street in the heart of Ripon’s historic downtown business district. The later races will expand to a 1-mile route that winds down Ransom, Seward, Woodside and Thorne streets before the final 150-meter sprint to the finish.

The Ripon Medical Center and the Ripon College Office of Community Engagement will also hold the Free Wheelin’ Children’s Bicycle Safety Rodeo from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the 100 block of Watson Street. All games and activities are free, including the Kids’ Fun Race and Parade that will be held on Watson Street at 11:45 a.m.

The event is hosted by the Ripon College Red Hawks Cycling Team and the Lakes Area Physical Therapy Cycling Club. Cash and prizes are being supplied by race sponsors Accurate Controls, Brewer Heating and Cooling; Rippin’ Good Cookies, Precision Plus Inc. of Elkhorn; Fond du Lac/Oshkosh Cyclery; Bicycle Doctor Nordic Ski Shop of Dousman; Open MRI of Sheboygan; and KC’s Driving Schools of Southeastern Wisconsin.

We’re looking forward to having some of the state’s most exciting bicycle racing in Ripon again this year. Despite the flooding problems of last year, we experienced excellent community support and a good turnout for our first year as host. We hope the weather will cooperate, and that we’ll see increases in both the numbers of participants and spectators this year.

With discounted rates at Ripon hotels, racers and fans are encouraged to come early and stay late.

Volunteers are needed to assist. All volunteers may be eligible for a free race entry. To volunteer, please contact me at 920-748-8322 or dammr@ripon.edu.

For more information, please visit the race Web site.

Looking Ahead

As the 2008-09 school year at Ripon winds down, I'm excited by the promise of the 2009 mountain bike season. While we're losing three seniors to graduation, we've already picked up two promising freshmen and a few current Ripon students who have come out of the woodwork to flesh out next year's roster.

While one of my best possible female recruits has opted to go elsewhere, I'm still holding out hope that one more top male prospect will decide on Ripon in the coming days.

I'll be sure to share more details about our promising young team soon. For now, let me tease you with a sneak peek at our 2009-10 jersey. Inspired by the Kenda Titus Hayes MTB Team jerseys of 2008, I adapted the look for the Ripon Red Hawks. I've already received great feedback from the team who are excited to once again wear one of the best looking kits in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference.

Wisconsin Cyclists: A Call to Action

Assembly Bill 59 and Senate Bill 29, commonly referred to as the "Dooring Bills," are both scheduled for votes TOMORROW: Tuesday, April 28. Please contact your Legislators today and ask for their Yes vote!

Background
As many of you know, bicyclists are being ticketed - WHILE IN THEIR HOSPITAL BEDS - after being struck and injured by the doors of careless motorists who failed to take responsibility for their actions by first checking to see if traffic was present before opening a door. These bills place responsibility back where it belongs - on the operator of the vehicle - to ensure that their actions are not endangering other users of the road. Neither of these bills alleviates the bicyclist's responsibility to operate in a safe and predictable manner, as some critics have suggested.

Action Item
Please contact your Representative today and ask him/her to vote Yes on AB59. Please contact your State Senator today and ask him/her to vote Yes on SB29.

To identify your Legislators and to obtain their contact information, please use the "Who Are My Legislators" tool.

2009-10 Velorution Press Release

The first Ripon College Velorution Project (RVP), the innovative bicycle program for freshmen, had so many unknowns it could have been called the Velorution Experiment. A little more than one year after the debut of the famous free-bike program, however, college officials feel the experiment is worth repeating.

“The RVP will be offered once again to the class of 2013,” said Ripon College President David C. Joyce. “Leave your car at home this fall and we’ll give you a quality bike to keep. That’s still the deal.”

The program’s $50,000 price tag is not insignificant for a college Ripon’s size (1,057 full-time students). Despite some belt-tightening in other areas, however, the college was loath to scale back or eliminate the RVP.

“We’re facing the same economic challenges as many other colleges, but the support of this program by our alumni, trustees and friends hasn’t abated. I think that speaks to how much we believe in it,” said Joyce. “It’s part of our identity now.”

Initially conceived as a way to mitigate parking woes on campus, the program’s focus expanded to address such concerns as student wellness, fuel costs, pollution and safety. A roadway through main campus was also vacated and re-landscaped last fall to make it more pedestrian- and bike-friendly, setting the stage for an even less motorized campus going forward. Since its Feb. 2008 introduction variations on the program have been implemented at several other colleges.

Cannondale is the official bicycle partner of Velorution 2.0, which will apply a custom paint scheme and Ripon College graphics in red and white to each F9 mountain bike used for the program. Locks and lights will be furnished by Madison, Wis.-based Planet Bike.

Measuring Success
About 1/3 of participating students responded to a recent survey about their experience. Ric Damm, RVP coordinator and cycling coach, said the program seems to have resonated with students.

“Feedback was very positive. The majority of students said they used their bikes for recreation and to run errands off campus,” Damm said. “While we still need to address bike parking in some key areas on campus, overall I think the program fared well in year one.”

Although this year’s participants could bring a car next fall if they wanted, 81 percent of respondents said they won’t do it, either because their bike is sufficient (52 percent) or they don’t have a car at all (29 percent). Fifty-four percent of respondents said their bike use increased as a result of the RVP, and 82 percent said they would encourage future students to sign the pledge.

The 2008 pledge offered a free Trek mountain bike to any freshman who vowed not to bring a car to campus for the duration of their first year. More than 160 students took the deal, or six of every ten in the Class of 2012. The bikes were handed out Aug. 26, 2008.

For more information, including an FAQ and the full text of the RVP Pledge, visit www.ripon.edu/velorution.

Freedom Riders

Time to Rally the Troops

If you ride a bike in Wisconsin, then you owe it to yourself to get to Madison April 27 and 28 for the first-ever Wisconsin Bicycle Summit. As a member of the cycling community, it is extremely important that you participate in this event and that you encourage every cyclist you know to do the same.

"Forward" is Wisconsin's state motto. It describes Wisconsin's continuous drive to be a national leader. On April 27 and 28, Forward is where the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin plans to take the state's cyclists. Our goal is to lay the foundation for making Wisconsin one of the world's greatest places to be on a bike. Creating and maintaining a safe and friendly atmosphere for cycling will help make Wisconsin even more sustainable and economically diverse.

As you are aware, the bicycle is a “silver bullet” cure for many of today’s societal ills. Increasing trips made by bicycle decreases obesity, decreases individuals’ carbon footprint and decreases dependence on oil. It’s also fun. People need to have the freedom to bicycle for transportation, fitness or recreation and to do so safely and without harassment.

Lawmakers and policymakers play a significant role in determining the quality of bicycling in the state. The 2009 Summit is our opportunity to share best practices, network with fellow bicycle advocates, retailers and enthusiasts, and to lobby our State Legislators at the capitol.

On Monday April 27 we will gather at the Madison Concourse Hotel to lay the groundwork for establishing Wisconsin as one of the world's greatest places to be on a bike. Please join us in sharing this vision and connecting and networking with cycling leaders from across Wisconsin. On Tuesday morning we will all gather together to discuss bicyclist's most urgent legislative needs and then continue on to the capitol to meet with our own legislators.

If you are unable to attend both days of the summit please consider attending either the Monday or Tuesday events. There is strength in numbers and we need to hear your voice. If you know anybody else who might be interested in supporting this cause, please share this information with them.

For more information and to register, please visit the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin’s website at www.bfw.org.