*** Young Bicyclist Dies When Hit By Police Car ***

BONNEY LAKE, WASHINGTON -- 01/03/2005
A 14-year-old boy riding a bicycle was struck and killed by
a Pierce County sheriff's deputy on his way to answer a
burglary call early Saturday.

The Pierce County medical examiner's office was working to identify
the victim, who was from Bonney Lake. An autopsy was planned.

The boy and a 15-year-old friend were riding on a two-lane unlit
road south of Bonney Lake when the accident occurred about 3 a.m.
The 15-year-old boy survived.

Sheriff's department spokesman Ed Troyer said that the deputy
was responding to a report of a burglary in progress. He said the
boys rode their bicycles into the path of the deputy's patrol car.

The deputy has been placed on administrative leave.

The case will be investigated by the Piece County prosecutor's office.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Kamiak grad to bike 4,000 miles for fund-raiser ***

Mukilteo, Washington -- 01/03/2005
In one way, Lindsay Page can’t wait to return home to Mukilteo
when she graduates from Yale in late May. But it will also be hard
to pack up her college life after four years, and close that dorm
room door for the last time.

Habitat for Humanity’s 11th annual cross-country bicycle trip
not only seems like a nice gradual transition, but it provides
Page a unique way to give back and to help those less fortunate.

Page and her colleagues will travel around 4,000 miles from
New Haven, Conn. to Seattle over about nine weeks this summer.
To qualify, each rider must raise the $4,000 entry fee.

Unlike many such fundraisers, Page said most of the money goes
directly to Habitat for Humanity, helping the homeless build their
own homes and also build a solid foundation for a fresh start in life.

“What’s wonderful about Habitat for Humanity is its sweat equity
program,” she said. “People roll up their sleeves and actually help
build their own homes, which gives them pride as well as a sense
of ownership.”

Unlike similar fundraisers, nearly all of the entry
fee goes directly to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

Riders will stop in many towns along the 4,000-mile route,
and rely on churches and community centers to put them up
for the night, keeping the overhead extremely low.

“People are incredibly generous when they learn what we’re doing,”
Page said. “Some of them provide dinner, and even breakfast before
the riders set off in the morning.”

Corporate sponsors provide most of the gear, spare bike parts and food.

That generosity is one of the reasons why the Yale group breaks into
four different trips, she explained. With more than 100 riders, most
towns wouldn’t have a large enough facility to house everybody.

Also, she added, four groups of 30 or so can reach a lot more towns
and educate a lot more people on the benefits of Habitat for Humanity.

This year, two trips groups will head to San Francisco, one to Portland
and one to Seattle, each traveling through a different section of the
country.

In exchange for a warm place to sleep and maybe even a hot meal,
the riders put on a presentation about what the organization does
and the tremendous impacts it has on the community.

But 4,000 miles?? On a bicycle??
“I expect we’ll have sore bottoms in the beginning,” Page understated.
“It’s going to be a real challenge – we hope to get in 40-100 miles per
day.”

As to cycling experience, Page falls somewhere in the middle
– some participants are on Yale’s cycling team; others literally
have never ridden a bike before and are learning “really quickly”
just before the trip.

“I have no doubt the first two weeks will be quite difficult,” she said,

acknowledging that no matter how rigorous the training, one can never
fully prepare for what the reality will be like.

Page said she’s getting her aerobic training playing basketball for
Yale,
and will take up hardcore bicycle training in March, after the season is

over.

Page considers herself lucky in getting the northwest route.
Her group’s roughest terrain is toward the end of the journey,
where the southern and middle routes run into hills and mountains
early on.

“And the northern most trip, we’ll have the most
beautiful scenery and the coolest weather,” she said.

As one of 12 leaders, Page is dedicating what spare time she has to
organizing the bike trip – mapping out the route, supervising the
fundraising and recruiting new riders.

“Everything needs to be all squared away before we leave,” she said.
“We have to map out ahead where we’ll be each day, and call ahead
the night before, letting churches and community centers know we’re
coming and what we’re doing.”

For more information or make a donation to Page’s entry fee,
email her at lindsay.page@.... To follow the riders along
their route over the summer, visit http://www.yale.edu/habitat

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Biking along the Sammamish River Trail ***

Seattle, Washington -- 01/03/2005
Take a spin along the Sammamish River Trail,
a 10-mile paved path from Bothell south to
Redmond's Marymoor Park.

The trail is a haven, among fast-growing suburbs, for bicyclists.
Stop at a riverside park for a glimpse of pioneer history and take
short detours off the trail for a meal, from gourmet to fast-food.

From its north end in Bothell, the flat and vehicle-free trail winds
along the shallow Sammamish River (more a creek at many points),
skirting busy roads and housing. As it turns south through Woodinville
and Redmond, eventually ending at Marymoor Park, it opens into a
valley where big-box warehouses give way to fields, both agricultural
and athletic, and parkland.

On good-weather weekends, flocks of Lycra-clad bikers surge
along the trail; the hardiest combine it with Seattle's 17-mile-long
Burke-Gilman Trail, which links to it at the north end of Lake
Washington. See a map of both trails at
http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/trails/trails/burke.htm

Being a slow-going cyclist, I drove to Bothell Landing, a pocket
park on the river near Bothell's Main Street, and biked from there
on a cool and gloomy day -- and despite the weather found that
I enjoyed this quiet escape from the city.

If you have kids along, it may be hard to get away from Bothell
Landing (at 9919 N.E. 180th St.) with its playground, friendly
ducks and the Bothell Historical Society Museum.

The museum is closed until May, but peek through the windows
of its 19th-century buildings. The one-room schoolhouse has vintage
desks and a pot-bellied stove; the nearby two-story museum house is
filled with period furniture. (Bicyclists are asked not to park their
cars
in Bothell Landing's small lot; find street parking or park across the
river just to the east at Sammamish River Park.)

Rain or shine, expect fowl company along the Bothell stretch of
trail. Dozens of chickens-gone-wild -- descendants, perhaps, of
unwanted Easter-gift chicks -- live along the trail, strutting among
the bikers, joggers and walkers. Roosters crow raucously, some
times perching picturesquely on signposts.

The Bothell scenery is interesting, not idyllic. The trail winds past
scrubby bits of woodland; mobile-home parks with decks artfully
cantilevered over the river, and dinghies moored at little docks;
and the spaghetti junction of Interstate 405 and Highway 522.

Turning south into Woodinville, the trail leaves freeways behind
and passes through Wilmot Gateway Park, with benches under
a long gazebo. Picnic there or make a quick run to the Taco Bell
next to the park.

The trail straightens out in the open Sammamish Valley. The Lycra
bikers whiz along here; others take it slowly, including two well
-groomed women I passed, who pedaled sedately as they chatted
on their cell phones.

The drizzle turned to serious rain; I took a quick break at an upscale
cluster of liquor, lodging and dining where the trail intersects
Woodinville's
Northeast 145th Street. It includes Willows Lodge, a luxury hotel; the
venerable Herbfarm restaurant and the more casual Barking Frog bistro;
the Columbia Winery, Redhook Brewery and, just to the south, the
Chateau Ste. Michelle winery.

Have a meal, take a brewery or winery tour for drinks at their source.
  It's an ideal reward and a good turnaround point for a short ride
-- only about six miles roundtrip from Bothell Landing.

Good eats: I was too wet and bedraggled to eat anywhere fancy.
I biked back to Bothell Landing and found, a half-block away on
Bothell's old-fashioned Main Street, the Kozy Corner Cafe. It's as
1950s as its name: Formica-tabled booths, ladies with tight-permed
hair sipping a cup of soup; and a cheerful white-bloused waitress
who pours endless coffee refills. For about $9, I stuffed myself with
a Spanish omelet; truly homemade home fries; and fluffy biscuits.
Or opt for salads (heavy on the iceberg lettuce); sandwiches and
burgers. 10137 Main St., Bothell, 425-483-3070.

Shopping op: I waddled across Bothell's Main Street, a two-block,
old-fashioned stretch of little shops and restaurants, to Bothell
Jewelers
& Collectibles. It's a jam-packed little shop of eccentric treasures,
from
78 rpm records to vintage jewelry, old cameras and a china pig
collection.
10130 Main St., Bothell. 425-487-2900, or get a preview online at
http://www.trocadero.com/bothellj.

What'll it cost me? Not much. Bus fare or gas to Bothell,
plus a filling meal for under $10 at the Kozy Corner Cafe.

Getting there: Bothell Landing is about a 10-minute drive west of
the intersection of Interstate 405 and Highway 522. From I-405,
head west on 522, which leads into Bothell Way Northeast. Turn
left onto Northeast 180th St. to get to Bothell Landing park.

Metro and Sound Transit buses serve Bothell; many stop by the
Bothell Park & Ride lot (10303 Woodinville Dr.) about a block
from Bothell Landing and the bike trail.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
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*** Bike giveaway can't be beat ***

Olympia, Washington -- 01/03/2005
For many low-income families in South Sound, a bicycle for
their children is out of reach, a luxury item they can't afford.

At the same time, think of all the discarded and under-utilized
bicycles sitting around in the garages and sheds of families who
have no problem at all buying the latest bicycle model for their kids.

The disconnect between supply and demand helps explain why
a bicycle giveaway program at Olympia's Evergreen Vista
apartment complex is so successful.

The bike repair and giveaway project began three years ago
as a way to enrich the lives of many of the 150 children who
live in the low-income housing development.

"We give bikes to kids that don't have them," explained
Paul Grudis, residence services manager for the apartment
complex owned and managed by the nonprofit Intercommunity
Mercy Housing. "We want them to be more physically active."

Now in its third year, the program has snowballed to the point
where Evergreen Vista has more bicycles than its tenants can use.

The surplus has allowed the bike giveaway project to reach out
to other low-income families in the community by networking
with the Family Support Center and the Refugee and Immigration
Center.

The prime force behind all this goodwill these days is Evergreen
Vista resident Michael Erickson, a former bike shop employee
who is handy with bike repairs.

Known as the "Bike Man" by his many admirers,
Erickson has helped countless children enjoy the
pleasures of bicycle ownership.

Kudos to Evergreen Vista managers and Erickson
for spreading so much joy in the community.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
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*** Fitness keeping DeJongs young ***

Skagit Valley, Washington -- 01/03/2005
When Don and Pat DeJong started jogging together
they would run from one telephone pole to the next.

"He'd say, ‘One more telephone pole,' " said Pat DeJong.
"When we got there, he would say, ‘One more.'"

The Burlington couple's fitness routine
has gotten a little more sophisticated.

They each train several days a week - often together
- at 24-Hour Fitness in Mount Vernon. Despite both
being 63 years old, they show no signs of letting up.

"I'm fearful of not being in shape," said Don DeJong.
"What would my condition be if I didn't exercise? I
don't like to think about the consequences. It (not
exercising) is not an option."

The DeJongs are fanatics for fitness.

Pat is at the gym four or five days a week and Don three
or four days a week.

They prefer to do their exercise at 6 o'clock in the morning before
heading to Valley Community Church in Burlington, where Don is
the pastor.

"It's part of a routine," said Pat. "We don't get up and say,
‘Should we go exercise or not?' We just go do it."

That's the way it's been for a good chunk of their 42 years of marriage.

They've jogged together, they've hiked together,
they've biked together and they've hit the gym together.

Don has always been active, a dedicated jogger
until "My knees started talking back to me," he said.

Pat got on board 25 years ago, about the
time she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

When she was told diet and exercise would
help fight the disease, that was all she needed to hear.

"The doctor said, ‘If you stay on it faithfully, you won't have
any problems.' That was all the encouragement I needed,"
said Pat.

The DeJongs' fitness routine got more sophisticated four
years ago, when, at age 59, they joined 24 Hour Fitness.

They knew little about weight training
and the like, but quickly jumped in.

"It was so foreign to me," said Pat. "I had no idea on
how to lift weights. I didn't have the foggiest idea."

In the four years, they've tried every piece of equipment.

Don has gotten even more involved.

When the leader of a cycling class Don and Pat were
taking left the gym, Don was asked if he'd like to take over.

He saw no reason not to.

He was going to take the class anyway, and by being
a team leader he would get a free club membership and a stipend.

"I said, ‘Why not? We're both into cycling and
we both want to stay in shape,'" said Don.

To lead the class, he needed to be certified by the
Aerobic Fitness Association of America and 24 Hour Fitness.

He studied hard.

"It was a challenge," said Don. "In college (at Linfield)
I had taken anatomy and physiology, but that had been years ago."

Don passed.

He has been leading the cycling class at 6 a.m. on
Mondays for three years, and Pat has been right
there taking the class.

The DeJongs get out of gym when the weather
is nice, taking rides on their tandem bicycle.

They see fitness as being more important
today than when they were younger.

They know they may one day face health problems,
said Don, but "It won't be because we don't keep
our bodies in shape."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
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*** 9-year-old BMX racer stays on track ***

Cape Coral, FL (AP) -- 01/03/2005
Maliek Byndloss piles up victories and
revels in the thrill, adrenaline of his passion

The thrill of BMX racing is a straightforward one.

It's all about the adrenaline.

Just ask Maliek Byndloss, 9, of Cape Coral — or any other
BMX racer for that matter — and most say they race for the
same heart-chugging reasons.

"You get to jump and stuff," Maliek said. "And you get to go fast."

And Maliek, it turns out, goes faster than any other kid his age.

Maliek consistently wins first place in BMX races throughout the
United States — and he has a room full of trophies to prove it.

In October, Maliek was named the fastest 9-year-old in
the National Bicycle League's national race in Albany, Ga.

Earlier this month, the Cape Coral Police Department recognized
his accomplishments by naming him one of December's monthly
Do the Right Thing winners.

The fourth-grader at Trafalgar Elementary School maintains an
A average while attending — and usually winning — local, state
and national BMX races.

Maliek has followed in the footsteps of his father,
Rudolph Byndloss, who also raced BMX.

"He just has this need for speed," said his mother,
Stacy Byndloss, 31. "It's in his blood."

Maliek has been racing for four years, ever since he saw
a BMX race in Miami and became entranced by the sport.

Since then, he was tapped by One Bicycles, a Holland-based
bicycle manufacturer, to join their competitive team based in
St. Petersburg.

The team competes at state and national events.

He's also sponsored by other companies, as well,
who pay for his equipment and entry fees.

Maliek practices three days a week at Cape Coral's
Strausser BMX Sports Complex from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

He doesn't make a lot of money when he wins these competitions.

That doesn't start happening until he turns 16 years old
and can start winning thousands of dollars, his mother said.

The most he wins now is a few hundred dollars.

These days, Maliek is racing in state events and getting
ready for next September's national race in Kentucky.

He's also considering taking up freestyle BMXing, which lets him
do tricks such as "X-ups," where riders turn their handle bars while
they're in the air.

When he's not biking, Maliek likes throwing footballs,
riding a mini-motorcycle and playing football and
skateboarding video games.

Even so, BMX racing is still his number-one passion.

And for that, his manager for the One Bicycles team is grateful.

Ken Goodrich drafted Maliek after
witnessing him at competitions for two years.

Goodrich liked how Maliek balanced good grades with good
sportsmanship, and he thought he'd make a solid representative
for One Bicycles.

"He's got good form," Goodrich said. "He's determined."

BMX is an extreme sport, and Maliek more than rises to the
challenge. Goodrich said he has high hopes for Maliek's racing future.

"He just keeps going and going and going," he said.
"He's a real pro."

*PHOTO
Coral, makes a series of practice runs
Tuesday at the Cape Coral BMX track
http://vh10018.v1.moc.gbahn.net/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Skate park security guard is recommended ***

Elk Grove, CA (AP) -- 01/03/2005
The new skate park at Laguna Community Park will reopen to
skateboarders and in-line skaters, but the hours will change,
and a security guard will be hired.

That is part of the recommendation that Elk Grove Community
Services District officials will make to their board of directors
Tuesday night.

"We just felt that is the best way to go to keep kids off the street
and in the park," district general manager Donna Hansen said Thursday.

The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in the
district's administration building, 8820 Elk Grove Blvd.

The skate park was closed Dec. 21 - a week after it opened
- because BMX bicycle riders were using the facility, and officials
found that most users were not wearing the appropriate safety gear.

Bikes tear up the concrete and make it difficult
for skateboarders to use the facility, district officials said.

Hansen said the plan is to reopen the skate park Saturday,
the day of the grand-opening celebration, after the board
indicates how it wants to proceed.

The recommendation from district staff members is for the park
to remain unsupervised with some operational changes. To come
to that conclusion, parks and recreation administrator David
Wigginton reviewed three alternatives: a supervised facility for
skaters, a supervised or unsupervised shared facility between
skateboarders and bicycles and an unsupervised facility for skaters.

Supervising the skate park would cost about $76,000 annually
for staff members, including two full-time skate managers and a
part-time summer employee. Staff members would ensure bicyclists
don't enter the park and that skaters wear safety gear. This staffing
would require the district to assume all liability, according to a
report
prepared by Wigginton.

Making it a shared facility between bicycle and skateboarder users,
whether supervised or unsupervised, poses several problems. A
Senate bill provides liability immunity to public agencies providing
skate parks, but the immunity doesn't apply to trick and stunt
bicycling.

The bicycles also chip the concrete, and those with
steel pegs damage the coping, district officials said.

Wigginton said it makes sense to keep the park just for skaters
but that the district is willing to talk with bicyclists about
developing
a separate facility for them.

The proposal being considered Tuesday night would leave the
skate park unsupervised with some operational changes, including:

* Operating hours would be 3 to 9 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.
to 9 p.m. weekends during the traditional school year. The summer
hours would be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Originally, the hours had
been from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

* A security guard would be hired to keep bicycles out and to
call police if needed. The guard will not be used to enforce the
safety gear rule.

* Skateboarders would have to be 14 or older to use the
park without a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

The district's first in-ground skate park is next to the $17.5 million
Barbara Morse Wackford Community and Aquatic Complex,
which opened in August. The park wasn't part of initial plans for
the complex but was added after some residents pushed for it.

Saturday's grand-opening celebration for the skate park will
begin at 9 a.m. at the complex, 9014 Bruceville Road.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** New indoor skate park opens at Boreal Resort ***

Lake Tahoe, NV (AP) -- 01/03/2005
Boreal Mountain Resort has added one more feature to
the resort, no longer limiting the activities to just skiing
and snowboarding. It is adding an indoor skateboarding bowl.

"So many kids in the area use outdoor skate parks when they
are open," said Racheal Woods, public relations manager at
Alpine Meadows, which owns Boreal.

"It's so nice to offer an indoor alternative," Woods said.
"Now the season doesn't have to end just because it's snowing."

Boreal boasts the indoor skateboard park, which is the first
of its kind at any winter ski and snowboard resort, is of top
quality, built by Vertical Production Industries.

VPI has a reputation for building high quality ramps, parks
and features for events like the X Games, including the 70-foot
mega ramp made famous by X Games gold medalist Danny Way,
Woods said.

"They've really got it together as far as architecture goes,"
Woods said.

The skate bowl is located adjacent to the resort's main winter
lodge and will be open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.
until 4 p.m.

There is also a $25 frequent-user membership fee that will offer
members a discounted admission price, which is normally $5 mid
-week and $7 on weekends.

"I think this is really going to change, in particular, the way small
resorts operate and what they offer their guests," Woods said.
"Why limit yourself to two sports if you can offer more to people."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Skateboarders Looking for New Place to Play ***

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) -- 01/03/2005
Some skateboarders in Northern Virginia are starting
off the new year by looking for a different place to skate.

Four years after it opened at Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge,
Vans Skatepark is closing. It was one of the largest indoor skate
parks in the world. But increasing competition from public parks
has caused its owners to shut down all but two of their 13 for
-profit skate parks across the country.

Officials with the Reston Skate Park Alliance say the number
of parks in the D.C. area has grown from eight to 40 in the
past four years, and ten more are in the planning stages.
Most of the parks are outdoors.

Admission ranges from free to five dollars a session,
compared with $12 to $15 for a two-hour session at Vans.

Even though the new parks cost less, many skaters are distressed
because they're not as big, and they don't offer indoor recreation
during rain or snow. They also don't have the convenient mall
location, with amenities like a food court nearby.

CC - The Associated Press (AP) Wire.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Dalton discusses skateboard park plans ***

Dalton, MA (AP) -- 01/03/2004
Officials have scheduled a meeting for Wednesday to
discuss interest in developing a town skateboard facility.

"We're looking for six to eight people to sit on a committee,"
said Debra Cronin-Brown, the executive director of the
Community Recreation Association, which administers
Dalton's parks on the town's behalf.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. in
the Nessacus Regional Middle School auditorium.

Interest revived

Officials have talked about constructing a skateboard facility
for several years, but Cronin-Brown said that former Select
Board member Denis E. Guyer recently revived interest in
the project.

"We've had a lot of feedback from the youth in the town wanting
this," she said. "It's something that we've always wanted to do,
but we had so many urgent needs in the parks and in the town
that now we're able to get to it.

"This is really just an informational meeting to let people know
that the Select Board is interested in moving this forward,"
Cronin-Brown said.

She said the town has allocated funding for
an engineer to look into designing a skateboard facility.

Selectman Thomas S. Szczepaniak is the Select
Board's representative to the skateboard project.

Once a committee is formed, Cronin-Brown said the board
will look at the facility's design and how it would be run. The
committee would need to decide whether to run a monitored
facility or have an open door policy, she said.

The committee will also have to choose a site for a skateboard
facility. She said the town will probably consider the town's three
parks, Chamberlain, Greenridge and Pinegrove, to locate such a
facility.

"There's really no room left at Pinegrove to have it, although
that would be a perfect location," because it is located in the
middle of town, Cronin-Brown said.

She also said locating a skateboard facility at the old Dalton
High School on Glennon Avenue is also a possibility, but noted
that the town has plans to develop a senior center and library
on the property.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Kmart recalls kids' bikes ***

ABC Online, Australia -- 01/02/2005
Four types of children's bikes sold in Kmart stores
have been recalled because of a design fault.

The bikes can be returned for a full refund.

The bikes recalled were sold in Kmart stores across
Australia throughout November and December this year.

The four models are the 20-inch Hot Wheels silver Hornet bikes,
the 20-inch My Scene girls' pink or purple bike, the 16-inch Hot
Wheels red or black Adrenalin bike and the 16-inch Disney
Princess pink bicycle.

Kmart's corporate affairs manager, Lisa Drought,
says the design fault could cause the bikes' handlebars to slip.

"We're a little bit concerned about a faulty headstem which is
a potential safety issue and with children's products in particular,
we do everything we can to get them back straight away," she said.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
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*** Peabody bicycle maker is moving ahead of the pack ***

PEABODY, MA (AP)  — 01/02/2005
Bob Parlee, owner of Parlee Cycles,
doesn't consider himself an engineer.

But the carbon-fiber bicycle frames he designs require a keen
eye for detail and the geometry to make anyone an engineer.

Parlee and his eight employees have been hand-making high
performance racing bicycle frames for the last two years at the
119 Foster St. shop.

A self-taught bicycle engineer, Parlee, an amateur cyclist himself,
has spent most of his life building, enhancing and designing objects.
Earlier in his life, it was boats, now it's racing cycles.

According to Parlee, his experience riding gave him an insight to
what is needed to make a high performance frame to suit the needs
of a cyclist.

"The cycling world is an industry where everyone knows each
other and people are very friendly," Parlee said. "Riders are very
passionate about the sport."

Most of the Parlee bicycles are used by advanced cyclists, but
recreational riders are drawn to the Parlee bike because of the
feel for the bicycle, according to Parlee.

All of his employees enjoy riding and
are owners of a bicycle for racing.

In the world of bike racing, customizing a frame has a geometric
purpose. The person's height and weight will determine how the
bicycle frame is built.

But the frame itself is equally as important.
Parlee's frames weigh an average of 2 pounds.

"Being so lightweight, the bikes don't fatigue a rider and you get
that exceptional ride," said Doug Foster, vice president of operations.
"Riders can also cover a much greater distance in a shorter amount
of time."

With the right equipment, cyclists can go for a 100-mile ride and
work less. That gives them the endurance to get up and do it again
the next day, according to Foster.

To test the precision of a race bicycle, a rider can let the handle go,
continue pedaling and the bicycle should continue in a straight line.

In 2002, Parlee Cycles customized a frame for Olympic gold
medalist Tyler Hamilton, which he rode in the Giro d'Italia, the
Italian version of the Tour de France.

Parlee Cycles makes six types of frames for different
purposes, from time trials to recreational rides.

Each custom frame starts at around $3,000, and the complete
bike is about $5,000. A well-customized racing bike for a
professional rider can go as high as $13,000.

Recently, Parlee Cycles introduced a frame that provides the
same lightweight responsiveness as the custom version but at
a lower cost.

"Performance is the most important thing for us,"
Parlee said.

Parlee Cycles has 25 dealers that carry its bikes across the country.
In addition to Hamilton, pro riders all over the world use Parlee-made
bikes. Interbike, a trade show held earlier this year in Arizona, named
the Parlee Bike among its top five bikes in the world for construction
technique and quality of the bike.

"We have experienced a steady growth each year we've been here,"
Parlee said. "Each month, we are building more bikes."

Last month, the shop made 36 frames, Parlee said.

"A small business loan is what got us started," Foster said.
"Now it's all about managing the business."

Since Parlee Cycles doesn't do any advertising, dealer show
awards and recognition is what draws customers to Parlee
Cycles, according to Foster.

"Riders are technically savvy," Foster said. "They are always
keeping up with cycling news and word of mouth is very
valuable to riders."

Each custom frame requires about 20 hours of work. After
completion, it's carefully inspected by Parlee, who is very
detail-oriented and considers his frames "a functional work of art."

"You build for performance first," Parlee said.
"Then you make it beautiful. That's the fun part of it."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** New CA state law requires license to ride scooters ***

SACRAMENTO, CA (AP) -- 01/02/2005
Come tomorrow, officers who pull over motorized-scooter
riders might ask, "Son, can I see your driver's license?"

A new state law taking effect in the new year will require riders
of motorized scooters - compact two-wheeled devices with an
upright handle - to obtain a regular California driver's license to
operate them on public roads.

The law by Assemblywoman Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, also
will ban scooter modifications that increase the decibel level
of a motor, a response to noise complaints received by local
law enforcement agencies.

The licensing requirement enhances an existing law that says
scooter operators be at least 16 years of age. Now, those who
ride scooters - popular largely among adolescents and teenagers
- must pass the same Department of Motor Vehicles tests
necessary for regular automobile use.

"This sends the message that a scooter is a vehicle, not a toy,"
Chan said. "You can't just ride it any way you want. You have
to follow basic traffic laws."

At the same time, the law requires that motorized scooters
use a muffler and meet specified noise requirements. Police
departments heavily backed the new law, citing neighborhood
complaints related to loud scooter engine noise.

Most scooters sold at retail stores come with a stock muffler
intended to dampen noise to proper levels. But some riders
modify equipment to create heavy engine sounds.

"These things held communities hostage, based on the noise
complaints we received," said Sgt. Justin Risley of the Sacramento
Police Department. "You can imagine the frustration with these
things going up and down the street. I think this law will help us
enforce and address those noise complaints."

Jason Gelein, 26, a scooter expert at Surf & Skate in Fair Oaks
said he supports the new scooter laws because he thinks those
riding irresponsibly tarnish the vehicle's image.

His store sells scooters only to adults and requires that they sign
several pages of documents detailing safety tips and state laws.

"Scooters get a bad reputation when these illegal kids are just
jamming around, riding them in and out of traffic," Gelein said.
"You've gotta have respect for other people on the road."

Existing state law allows scooters on residential streets with
speed limits of 25 miles per hour or below and requires that
scooters remain in bicycle lanes on busy streets with higher
speed limits. The law also forbids scooters from sidewalks
and requires riders of all ages to wear helmets.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Cycling hero shares rules of the road ***

Canada -- 01/02/2005
Olympian Susan Palmer-Komar often cycles up Highway 99
past Queen's Rangers School in Copetown on her three to
five hour training rides.

"I cycled by just the other day at lunch," quipped Ms. Palmer-Komar
to the school's packed auditorium. "Did anybody see me? I waved.
Ah, I guess you were busy."

As the assembly erupts with laughter, it's obvious
Ms. Palmer-Komar has the children's attention

Talking about bicycle safety and her own competitive experience,
Ms. Palmer-Komar's enthusiasm was apparent as she gave an
hour-long presentation.

"Now, I know not all of you think you need to wear your helmets,
but I want you to think about what would happen if I dropped a
watermelon from this height," she said, raising her hand to her waist.
"Your bike helmet is the number one piece of equipment."

Showing the students basic bike maintenance and
rules of the road, the children had questions of their own.

"How many times have you crashed?" asked one little boy.

Another child wanted to know how many
gold medals the elite cyclist has won.

A qualified teacher, Ms. Palmer-Komar patiently answers each question.

It's not only the children who are fascinated by
Ms. Palmer-Komar, parents also eagerly listen.

"I'm a huge cycling fan," said Larry Jones, who invited
Ms. Palmer-Komar to speak at the school. "It's not a
very well known sport."

Mr. Jones said he asked Ms. Palmer-Komar to the school after
stopping her when she passed his home in Jerseyville shortly after
the Olympics.

"For about 20 seconds, I had no idea what to say to her.
Then we got talking, and I asked her if she would come
and make a presentation to the school. She said yes instantly,
no hesitation whatsoever."

Mr. Jones, whose two children, Nicholas and Jordann, attend
Queen's Rangers School said he hoped Ms. Palmer-Komar
might inspire a new generation to get active and start cycling.

"She's a great role model dedicated to the sport."

At 37 years of age, it's not hard to see why the tall wiry athlete is
inspirational. A member of the Canadian national cycling team,
Ms. Palmer-Komar has raced in 4,500 events and visited 16
different countries. Every year she cycles about 22,000 kilometres.

Silver medal

She has represented Canada in two Olympics, won a silver medal
at the 2002 Commonweath Games, and won the Canadian women's
time trial at the national championships in 2004. She has also won the
right to wear the coveted yellow jersey in this year's prestigious Tour
de France.

At 40 beats per minute, her average heart rate is in a zone that
even the most avid workout enthusiasts would hanker after.

During an average race, she burns 3,000 calories or
the equivalent of 42 apples or 12 chocolate bars.

Her schedule is demanding. This year alone she travelled
50,000 kilometres and was away from home 132 days.

Ms. Palmer-Komar said she loves to visit schools and help get
the word out about the importance of fitness, and that, yes, in
Canada you can have a career in sports.

"There is a problem with childhood obesity, but most kids have a
bike. I want to encourage kids to get out there, ride their bike, but
to also be safe about it.

"And a career in sports is viable. I tell kids that my job is to race
bikes. It's not the most lucrative, but it is a great lifestyle," said
Ms. Palmer-Komar.

*PHOTO
Nicholas and Jordann Jones got to feel the weight of international
silver and national gold when cycling champion Susan Palmer-Komar
visited Queen's Rangers School and let the brothers try her medals on
for size.
http://www.dundasstarnews.com/images/brabant/duns251285_1.jpg

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Boy gives thanks to community with donation of kids' bicycles ***

Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 01/02/2005
~Gratitude on Wheels~

Ten-year-old Lucky Yolla decided he already had everything
he wanted for Christmas this year. But he knew that other
children didn't.

So he and his father, John, used the money they would have
spent on his gifts - about $500 - to buy a dozen new bicycles
for children in the community.

It was Lucky's way of passing on the miracle
that gave him new life seven years ago.

Lucky became a "boy in the bubble" when he was just a toddler,
diagnosed with severe combined immune deficiency syndrome.
He wore a mask and gloves and his activities were severely limited.

"At the time we had lost everything, even hope," John remembers.

He and his son survived with donations from Lake Havasu City folks
while John lived at a Los Angeles hospital for six months, caring for
his son around the clock and unable to work.

Doctors recommended a bone marrow transplant, but John defied
the experts, unplugging his son from his intravenous line and taking
him home.

There would be a miracle, he proclaimed, putting his faith in his
newfound Christianity. "We knew that Jesus was still performing
miracles in our day and age," he said. "Once I put 100 percent
faith in God, Lucky began to show signs of improvement."

Within months, Lucky's weight doubled to 48 pounds and he
sprouted a few inches. When his UCLA Medical Center doctor
said the gains were temporary, John never talked to him again.
Instead, he renewed his faith in the ongoing miracle, and urged
everyone they knew to pray for Lucky's recovery. And he
continued hand-feeding Lucky.

It was then that John renamed his son "Lucky," substituting that
legal middle name for "Anthony," his given first name. "He goes
by Lucky now, not because of superstitious luck, but because
we believe he was lucky enough that God chose him to receive
a miracle," John said.

Lucky is now a healthy, active fifth-grader at Starline Elementary
School. He's had only colds and the flu since his father checked
him out of the hospital. He is an only child, and his father has full
custody of him.

With Christmas just days away, Lucky proposed the bike giveaway
to his dad. The idea came to him mostly, he said, because he loves
his own five bikes, jumping on them and cruising the neighborhood
whenever he can. Among his fleet are a BMX cycle, and what he
calls a "grown-up bike."

At Wal-Mart, where the Yollas shopped for bikes, Lucky got on
each one they bought, testing them, he said, to see "if the tires
leaked."
They all passed his test.

Linda Murphy, the Wal-Mart community involvement coordinator,
watched him check out the bikes, saying, "It's so neat to see this.
It's really something when they're 10 years old to do this, when
there are so many things they want for themselves."

Judith Gilliam, the toy department manager, said several donors
have purchased 10 to 20 bikes this holiday season. "We really
see a lot of generosity at Christmas for kids," she said. "There
are a lot of big hearts."

Interagency social services advised the Yollas that more boys
than girls bikes were needed. So, instead of buying the 10 bikes
they'd decided on, the Yollas bought five girls bikes, and added
two to the boys' bike total. "We didn't want to short the girls by
taking two bikes from them for the boys," John explained.

They picked out Barbie bikes, painted perfectly pink.
They favored blue bikes with thick tires and sturdy frames
for the boys. And they even threw in a tiny two-wheeler
with training wheels for a small child.

Only seven of the bikes were assembled Tuesday.
The Yollas will return for the remaining five today.

Lucky and his father delivered the bikes to Interagency on their
own trailer. "It's incredible," said Rich Miers, executive director
of Interagency, who came out to the parking lot to help wheel the
bikes in. "People who have adopted families are beyond generous.

Kids love bikes. We used to fix up the ones the police department had,
but people have been generous, and we try to buy new bikes as often
as we can."

Interagency is accepting holiday gifts and donations through
Jan. 1. After that, the agency welcomes donations for school
supplies. For instance, one donor brought in 30 new children's
shoes in various sizes that have been given to the schools.

The Yollas' donations have gone beyond bicycles. John also
gave $500, the amount of money he said he would have spent
on himself for Christmas, to Kalimaty Falls Children's Ministry,
a relief effort associated with Lakeview Community Church, the
Yollas' congregation. They also boxed up Lucky's outgrown
clothes and toys for Mexican children.

"We just want to thank the community for all the help they gave
us when we needed it," John said about their donation of bicycles.
"The miracle we had is there for everyone when they hit rock
bottom and need it."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** A New Year's spin on the bicycle is Portland tradition ***

Portland, Oregon -- 01/01/2005
The city's cycling community has greeted each
year for half a century with a ride along Burnside.

The size of the pack of cyclists that has pushed up
Burnside Street on New Year's Day for the past
half-century varies about as much as Portland's
winter weather.

Pleasant, spring-like days can bring more than 300 people
to the annual ride, which begins at the Battleship Oregon
Monument and ends at Laurelhurst Park's dance studio,
where hot beverages and cookies await. But last year,
amid an icy storm, about a half-dozen riders showed up
for the three-mile ride.

Rain, shine or sleet, the ride's faithful say the tradition must roll
on.

"Cycling is such a fun, healthy activity, a bike ride is a great way to
start off the new year," says Jay Graves, president of the Bike Gallery,

a store that has sponsored the event for about a decade. "We just
look at the weather forecast and buy cookies accordingly."

Portland's calendar is packed with bike rides organized by dozens
of stores and clubs, but few can claim the longevity of the New
Year's ride.

With few of the ride's founders alive or in Portland, the tradition's
beginnings are hazy, but several veterans say it started in the 1950s
with the Rose City Wheelmen bicycle club. Graves, a faithful of the
ride for about 30 years, says the Portland Wheelmen adopted the
tradition several years before the Bike Gallery took the helm.

When organizers found they had a hard time pulling woozy riders
out of bed for the 9 a.m. start, they moved it to noon, but that was
about the only change in the past three decades, says Randy Shoquist,
who has participated every year since 1973. The route, the character
and many of the participants, he says, have stayed the same.

The longevity of the tradition is also a measure of how much cycling
has changed in Portland in 50 years. Mark Ledford began attending
the ride as a teenager in the late 1960s, a time when he says the city's

cycling scene was small and informal.

"In those days, an adult riding a bike was an oddity," says
Ray Polani, who began commuting to work on his bicycle
in 1961.

The New Year's ride, Shoquist says, was one of two annual
social rides that almost the entire cycling community attended.

Now, the ride is one of many, Critical Mass, Cycle Oregon and a
slew of other events among them. They reflect the broader acceptance
and popularity of cycling in Portland. The New Year's event attracts
both hard-core enthusiasts and families. Some cycling clubs end longer
tours with the cruise up Burnside to the park, others join midway
through.

Some riders show up with strange antique bikes, or their own creations,
including one that Graves recalls: a three-wheel, human-powered vehicle
pulling two bicycle trailers. There are sprint races for charity and
competitions for the slowest rider over a short distance.

"There's always an underlying current of,
'Who's going to get there first?' " Graves says.

But the main point is to participate. At 82, Polani
says he'll attend -- good weather permitting.

"It's a way of showing that people do ride in the winter, all kinds
of people and all kinds of bikes," he says. "It's a very good show
that the people care."

The ride will begin at noon at the Battleship Oregon Monument in
Tom McCall Waterfront Park and will end at Laurelhurst Park's
dance studio, near Southeast 39th Avenue and Oak Street. The
ride is free, but the Bike Gallery is asking participants to bring
canned food to benefit the Oregon Food Bank.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** N.C. woman working to ship 1,000 bicycles to tsunami victims ***

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) -- 01/01/2005
For five years, Jacklyn Phillips has collected used bicycles that
were spruced up for poor children in rural Gates County.

After seeing the devastation caused by a tsunami in southern Asia,
she hopes to do the same for people there as they struggle to recover.
Her goal is to ship 1,000 refurbished bicycles to Indonesia by June 1.

Bicycles are a popular mode of transportation in Asia and the tsunami
damage has made automobile travel even more difficult than usual,
Phillips said.

Phillips said she will work with the Center for International
Disaster Information in Arlington, Va., a group that coordinates
relief efforts with several other agencies.

Phillips founded the Bicycle Ministry along with her husband, Bill.
The bikes they collect are repaired and painted by inmates at the
Gates County Correctional Center for delivery to needy children
each Christmas.

This year, the Ministry delivered 112 bicycles
and one specially designed handicapped bike.

The project to help survivors in southern Asia will be larger,
but the work will remain largely the same.

"It's just a bigger number, that's all," Phillips said.

A.T. Byrum Trucking in Ahoskie has pledged to transport the
bikes to whatever airport or shipping destination is needed,
Phillips said. Another business has promised warehouse
storage space.

The key to the operation will be the number of
inmates willing to work for free, she said.

"It's all volunteer time on the prisoners, just because they want to
help,"
Phillips said. "Just because they're in prison doesn't mean they are all
evil."

Phillips said she is working with Robert Jones, supervisor of the
Gates prison, to bring in more prisons to help with the effort.
Directors of several prisons have asked about the program,
Jones said.

Bike ministries in Elizabeth City, Edenton and Winton
and another in Kansas also will help, Phillips said.

Her ministry accepts bicycles regardless of condition, as well as
spare parts. The effort also needs large cardboard boxes used
for shipping.

The ministry has about 200 used bikes awaiting repair,
Phillips said.

"I need all the donations of bicycles that anyone can make," she said.
"It doesn't matter what condition the bikes are in, the prisoners will
fix them up."
___

Donations can be mailed to Wachovia Bank, 300 Main Street,
Ahoskie, NC 27910, with checks made out to the Bicycle Ministry.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Teenager is killed in BMX bike-truck crash ***

St. Louis, MO (AP) -- 01/01/2005
A 16-year-old boy from O'Fallon, Mo., was killed Thursday
morning when his bicycle struck a pickup turning into a fast-food
restaurant and he was run over by the truck's rear wheels.

O'Fallon police were withholding the identity of the teenager
pending notification of his father, who was unreachable.

Police gave this account of the accident:

At 11:30 a.m. the driver of a white, full-size pickup was southbound
in the 800 block of Main Street and made a right turn into the parking
lot of the Dairy Queen restaurant. The youth was riding his silver
Mongoose BMX-style bicycle southbound on the sidewalk and
started to cross the driveway of the restaurant at the same time.

The teen's bike collided with the truck, and the youth fell to the
ground, going underneath the dual back wheels of the truck, which
then rode over him. The driver stopped immediately, and the youth
got up, took a few steps and collapsed. The teen was transported
by ambulance to St. Joseph West in Lake Saint Louis but he never
regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead at 12:34 p.m.

Police were unable to identify the youth for several hours because
he lacked identification. They eventually made a tentative
identification
by looking through a yearbook for Fort Zumwalt North High School,
where the boy was a student. The boy's mother positively identified him.

Police say the driver of the pickup, a 2001 Chevrolet, was
Kirk O'Bryan, 23, of Hunnewell, Mo., in northeast Missouri.

The truck is owned by his employer, All Weather Canopies,
based in Monroe City, Mo. O'Bryan and several co-workers
had been going to Dairy Queen on their lunch break.

O'Fallon Police Capt. Mike Skeen said, "As far as I can see,
there is probably no blame on the driver; I don't think either
one saw the other one until the last minute, and it was just too
late for everybody to stop."

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** An indoor mountain-bike park ***

Cleveland, OH (AP) -- 01/01/2005
What: An indoor mountain-bike park
DETAILS: Ray's MTB Indoor Park
Where: 9801 Walford Ave., Cleveland, in Walford Industrial Park

When: 4 to 10 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends
through May 1. Summer hours will be determined later.

Cost: Six-month memberships are available for discounted visits;
one-day passes are $9 for members, $15 nonmembers; two-day
passes for back-to-back days are $15 for members, $25 for
nonmembers. Passes are good for the whole day.

The park also can be rented for $150 for two hours.

Rules: Riders must be at least 16 years old and sign waivers.
Only mountain bikes with 24-inch wheels or larger are allowed
(no BMX bikes). Helmet and gloves are required; elbow and
knee pads and shinguards or long sleeves and long pants are
recommended.

Call: 216-631-7433.

Web site: http://www.raysmtb.com

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** 2005 Brings the Linder Family a New INDOOR Track! ***

BMX Mania News -- 01/01/2005
“After much work and lots of City politics we are working on the
final touches for our Grand Opening, January 1, 2005 for Oregon's
newest ABA Indoor BMX track. This indoor will run year round
and will provide us the ability to promote BMX year round in our
area, something we've looked forward to for a long time.

Willamette Valley BMX - Indoor
December 31, 2005 - Mike Redman Clinic
11:00 - 3:00 Cost $40.00
Get ready for the Reno National and try out the new track while
learning tons of great BMX skills with one the best ABA trainers
around. Send me an email at wvbmxtrack@... to presign now!

Opening Race Day - Saturday Jan 1st
Registration 3:00 - 5:00 pm racing at 5:30
Mike Redman will be announcing for our opening night!
If you've never heard Mike announce I can assure you,
you are in for a night of fun.

Sunday Jan 2nd
Registration 10:00 - 11:30 racing at 12:00

We will be racing on Fridays the following week
Registration 5:00 - 6:30 racing at 7:00 pm

If you'd like to be added to our email list for updates and information,

please send me an email at wvbmxtrack@... and I'll add you to
the list.”

A HUGE PROPS to POPS Linder….Roger has been working
day and night to bring everyone from GROMs to PROs an out
standing Track Lay Out…you won’t be disappointed….so head
on out to Willamette Valley BMX and get your race on!

Special thanks to VAPOR for the NEW
LINDER/STAATS Team Jersey.

Linder Racing is excited about the upcoming season and events.
Check out our websites http://www.linderracing.com  http://www.cvbmx.com

or drop us an e-mail  we would love to hear from.. linderracing@...

CC - http://www.bmxmania.com

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Weather closes city skatepark ***

City of Racine, WI -- 01/01/2005
Officials from the City of Racine Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Services Department announced Wednesday that the Pershing
Park Skatepark will be closed indefinitely because of the cold
weather season.

Officials said snow and moisture on the ramps,
pavement and rails have created unsafe conditions.

The park will reopen when conditions allow.
For information on the park's status, call (262) 636-9568

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Bloomberg Warns Critical Mass Over New Year's Ride ***

New York -WABC, — 01/01/2005
( This news cast is a day late and a buck short, posted for the info )

We know about the big events for Dec. 31, but the end of the
year is also happens to be the last Friday of the month, and
besides all those revelers, it also means the monthly protest
ride of the environmental group known as Critical Mass.

Where will they ride? How will cops handle them? Eyewitness
News Reporter Jim Hoffer has the story from Times Square.

One of the big concerns here is that some of the police security
dedicated to securing Times Square on New Year's Eve could
be diverted in part to that huge bike rally that is planned around
the same time. Relations between the police an these bikers has
been rather testy ever since the GOP convention this past summer.
Tomorrow, New Year's Eve, it could get even nastier.

As members of Critical Mass get ready for their big New
Year Eve bike rally, a warning came from the NYPD.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly: "If you want to ride a bicycle
in New York City you have to obey the traffic laws and we are
going to enforce those laws on Friday evening."

The big question is: Will there be a repeat of the hundreds of arrests
of Critical Mass bikers that occurred during last summer's Republican
Convention?

Members of the environmental group say that's
when the usually helpful police turned hostile.

Leah Rorvig, Critical Mass: "People who ride bicycles are not
criminals. It is (Mayor) Bloomberg the police who criminalizing them."

This will be the first face-off between police and bikers since a
federal court ruled the city could not force them to get a permit
since they have held rallies without one for a decade."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg: "It's on an evening when
the police department obviously has lots of extra duties."

Today, the mayor expressed concern over the New Year Eve
rally's potential for traffic and safety problems that will divert
police resources for more pressing needs.

Bloomberg: "I sort of wish that they would have it on another Friday,
but if they want to have a rally, that's fine. I think they should be
getting
a permit but it's up to the judge whether legally they have to. But
we're
going to enforce the law."

A civil rights attorney representing some of the
bikers says the mayor needs to call off the cops.

Norman Siegel: "They've been very hostile toward them.
The mayor should tell the police department to back off
and stop being hostile toward these riders."

Of course, the mayor and the police commissioner believe that
these bikers break traffic laws and create gridlock.Tomorrow,
with the unusually mild temperatures expected, this could be one
of the biggest bike rallies in a long time. Let's hope cool heads
prevail on both sides.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Summer '05 opener planned for skateboard park ***

Marshall, MO (AP) -- 01/01/2005
All the kids who got skateboards for Christmas will be able to use
them at the Indian Foothills Park skateboard park ... eventually.

The park, which was originally scheduled to open before the
Marshall Aquatic Center, should be operational by summer.
Jeff Stubblefield, Marshall director of parks and recreation,
said the plan is to have the park open to skaters in June or July.

However, those who have traced the history of the skateboard
park from its original conception through multiple delays will notice
a difference between the drawings presented three years ago and
what will be available to skaters. When it first opens the park will
likely be smaller than originally conceived. Stubblefield said he
would like to see the skate park proceed in three phases, with it
opening for use after completion of the first phase. However, the
Marshall Park Board hasn't yet made an official decision about a
timeline for additional phases for the skate park.

Stubblefield recently received notice from the project's engineers
that necessary core drillings won't be made until the first or second
week of January. Unseasonably warm and wet weather forced work
on the project to stop after a first coring was made. A preliminary
review of the first coring found no highly unusual subsurface
conditions,
but the full battery of tests will take several weeks to complete.

Once the tests are complete, the engineers will perform a slope
stability analysis and design the retaining wall needed for the park
to move forward. This process should be completed in time for
the project to be bid in March. Fortunately, it appears that a second,
smaller retaining wall already in place will be able to be used.

Despite the fact that the bid specifications won't be available for
several months, a number of contractors are already interested in
undertaking the project, Stubblefield said. He anticipates even
more once advertising for bids begins.

*PHOTO
Construction has halted on the Indian Foothills Park skateboard
park while engineers design a retaining wall to run along the skate
park's western edge. Work on the park is expected to resume in
the spring and at least a portion of the facility should be open by
July.
http://www.marshallnews.com/photos/10/31/97/1031974-L.jpg

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Crestline Skate Park Closer to Realization ***

Crestline, CA (AP) -- 01/01/2005
Second District Supervisor Paul Biane has allocated $250,000
for a skateboard park in or around Crestline. A location has not
yet been determined but since the county owns Lake Gregory
and the waterslide if the skateboard park can be built close to
these facilities it would add another level of county recreational
participation in the Crestline area.

The county also owns San Moritz Lodge which
is leased for special meetings and events.

Supervisor Biane has secured $750,000 to make many infrastructure
improvements to the site which is located directly along the shore of
Lake Gregory. Marshall Riley, Supervisor Biane's chief of staff,
recently
told the Crestline Courier-News the county hopes the improvements
will help bring the beautiful old building back up to what it was like
"in
its heyday" which would be good for the community and the county.

With new improvements Biane hopes the building will be rented more
often and be able to meet the needs of local residents and visitors.

The Rim of the World Recreation and Park District leases
Crestline Village Park, which is located close to Lake Gregory.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Allegheny County's plans to build skate parks ***

McKeesport , PA (AP) -- 01/01/2005
It would help communities avoid liability issues.

Skateboarding is fast becoming a favorite pastime for area
teens and pre-teens, who are getting exercise, relieving stress
and enjoying the outdoors as they practice.

But in the wrong hands, a skateboard can lead to trespassing and
damaging public property, and can create insurance liabilities that
would make Tony Hawk hang up his pads and helmet.Richard Nagel,
a grant coordinator for the Allegheny County Parks Department, is
working on a plan to create a safe place where local skaters, bladers
and boarders can have fun. In the next several years, the county plans
to build three skate parks in Boyce Park, North Park and South Park.

The project will cost a total of about $975,000, he estimated.

The proposal calls the changes in South Park "recycling of one
recreational activity to another." About two-thirds of the park's
tennis courts are to be removed and remodeled to create a facility
where residents can use "the three B's: bikes, blades and boards."

The Allegheny County Comprehensive Master Plan of 2002
strongly recommends that antiquated facilities be phased out and
replaced with modern recreational venues, and suggests that abandoned
areas should be recycled for other recreational purposes," the plan
states.

South Park's tennis courts haven't been used in 10 years, and the
growing population of teens, pre-teens and young adults is more
interested in skating, Allegheny County Department of Parks Director
Andrew Baechle said.

The 15,000-square-foot facility in South Park will contain ramps,
curbs, bowls and boxes. It is slated to be built near a heavily traveled

foot path, picnic shelters, a large paved play area, playgrounds and a
parking lot, and will be visible from Corrigan Drive. No major
environmental
changes are expected to take place when changes are implemented, the
plan
states.

The two other facilities will be of similar size, and all will be built
with space around them for possible expansion if they're successful,
Baechle said. Financial backing has already been secured through
the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,
Allegheny County Health Department and the Regional Asset District
and capital budget rollovers, but the plans are still in the design
phase,
and there's a lot of red tape still to cut, Baechle said.

"We'd love to start and build one if not two of them next year,
but there are many undecided factors," he said. "This is something
I don't want to hurry. I want to do it right. We want these to be the
best skateboard parks anywhere around."

One major concern is whether admission to the parks will be free.
If it is, the facilities may be unsupervised, he said.

John Buerkle is the landscape architect for the project and a
partner with Pashek Associates, a firm that specializes in the
planning and design of park and recreation facilities. It has helped
create skate parks in West Penn Recreation Center and McKinley
Park in Pittsburgh, as well as in Morgantown, W.Va. And one in
Findlay Twp. is being constructed now as well, he said.

Across the industry, it's understood that free facilities are usually
intended to be used at the visitor's own risk, and that charging for
admission implies a higher standard of supervision. Ten years ago,
insurance companies didn't want to insure any "action parks"
- an industry name for "bike, blade and board" facilities such as these.

That's beginning to change, he said.

Small municipalities and governments sometimes see skating in terms
of liability, as well: injury on public property, property damage,
residents
angered by trespassing. Sometimes, parents take matters into their own
hands.

Elizabeth business owner and mom Kim Roddy is trying to start
a skate park for local kids, but the operation is still early in its
planning stages because finances are proving to be an obstacle,
she said.

Barry Boucher is president of Elizabeth's council, but he's also the
father of an avid skater. Dylan Boucher, 12, doesn't fit the negative
skater stereotypes at all, his dad says; Dylan is a hard-working
student who takes skating seriously, too.

Dylan likes to skate near his house, including at a basketball court in
a local park, and in the school yards of Elizabeth Elementary School
and St. Michael's School.

He has been kicked out of some places,
but he and his friends try not to trespass, he said.

"Most of the time, they tell us that it's private property.
So we just leave," he said. "More and more we're getting
kicked out of the best skating spots, and we really need
somewhere to go and skate without getting yelled at."

According to the last census, Elizabeth's current population is the
borough's youngest in 30 years. Twenty percent of the borough's
residents are under 18, and many of them skate, Boucher said.

"I think the skateboarders get a bad rap because they sometimes
have long hair and jeans and the defiant attitude of an extreme sport,"
Boucher said. "I think 50 to 70 percent of them are misunderstood."

Skaters usually aren't the perpetrators of serious crimes, but teenagers

sometimes do major property damage in the borough, which affects
people's perception of skaters, he said.

The problem of teenagers loitering in the borough is not a recent
development, nor is Elizabeth the only place it happens, Mayor
John Yacura said.

Several years ago, after some of the kids approached council
requesting a place to skate, the borough designated a boat ramp
area near the riverfront. But skating there quickly became unpopular,
perhaps because it didn't afford the kids the opportunity to show
off their skills in public, Yacura said.

The liability to the borough when such activities are done on public
property is horrible anyway, he said, and insurance would be very
expensive, .

Some kids' boards were confiscated until their parents could come
to pick them up. Sometimes kids have been given the option of
community service to avoid citations for violating borough ordinances
concerning skateboards, trespassing or loitering.

But teenagers aren't being persecuted by the ordinances, Yacura
said. Only two citations have been issued this year to skateboarders,
and both were given at 5 a.m. to adults from Perryopolis.

Skateboarders from other areas often come to Elizabeth because
it has the reputation of being lenient, but when kids' boards are taken
away, parental awareness is a key part of the transaction of giving
them back, he said.

"We just feel that a parent paying a fine for
a child is not the answer," the mayor said.

Richard Rattanni, a local business owner and dad, said he thinks
such police action may be inappropriate. His son, Michael Rattanni,
11, skates several hours a day, and it can be a wholesome activity
just as easily as it can be a nuisance, he said.

"It sounds to me that the police are just bypassing the judge at that
point, and I'm not real happy about that," he said, comparing it to
police handing out sentences without holding a trial, and adding that
if the kids aren't caught defacing something, they shouldn't be treated
like criminals.

But according to District Justice Ernest Marraccini, skateboards
aren't legally supposed to be used on public streets - period - and
police have a duty to prevent kids from opening the borough up to
liability. Skateboarding cases usually come to him only when parents
and police can't reach an agreement, he said.

"They're subject to all the provisions of anybody who's on a public
road," he said. "You have to stop for red lights and stop signs and
all that. They're not above that. A lot of kids are out there on their
skateboards, and they're not paying attention to anything."

Marraccini said Roddy's idea for a skate park is a good one,
and he believes charging for admission would be a smart business
idea. But, the magistrate added, taxpayers shouldn't necessarily
foot the bill for such a venture.

"I do not think taxpayers have a duty to provide anybody's child
with a place to skateboard," he said. "But it is a public duty to
regulate the safety of public spaces."

At Bethseda United Presbyterian Church, about 70 kids gather each
Friday night from 7 to 10 for Factory X, which features an indoor
game room, free food and a parking lot where kids are allowed to skate.

Mike Beckstrom, the church's youth director, said the environment
is not devotional, just supportive, and that about 70 kids, including
about 20 skaters, take advantage of the bad-influence-free environment
every week. Insurance liabilities aren't a major worry; lawyers in the
church recommended that the kids be supervised while they skate,
but that other than that, things are fine.

"We figure, if they want to skate, they can skate,"
Beckstrom said.

Lauren Mackulin, who said she attends Elizabeth Forward High
School, estimates that at least 50 kids skate in the borough. She
thinks it's about time their needs were accommodated. She goes
to Factory X, and doesn't skate, but all her friends do - to them,
skating is a sport, just like football, she said.

"I think it's a shame that some kids that are probably gonna make
millions from their boards are getting put down from this sport,"
she said.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** 2005 Sting-Rays Listed On Schwinnbike.com ***

Gene`s BMX News -- 01/01/2005
I was surfing the schwinnbike.com site and thought
I would take a look at all of the 2005 Schwinn bikes
and sorta surfed in to a new listing in the bicycles line up.

The Sting-Ray Spoiler Series and the Sting-Ray Three
are now listed on schwinnbike.com too.....

Wow! I thought all of the StingRay bikes and stuff was
posted over on schwinnstingray.com - boy O boy was
I wrong - Here - Have a look at what is now listed -

Go to -
http://www.schwinnbike.com/products/
Surf down to - 2005 Sting-Rays
http://www.schwinnbike.com/products...egory.php?id=50
It lists -

2005 Sting-Ray Spoiler Series $599.99
http://www.schwinnbike.com/products...tail.php?id=523

2005 Sting-Ray Three $399.99
http://www.schwinnbike.com/products...tail.php?id=524

Specifications are listed for both bikes along with
a nice big photo of what the bikes look like........

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Schwinn at the NBL BMX Christmas Classic ***

Sarasota, Florida -- 01/01/2005
Sarasota BMX was the host of the 2004 NBL Christmas Classic
this  December 28 & 29, 2004 There was some hot bmx ridding
amoung all of the bmx racers at this event.

Schwinn`s name was at this event, making this event worth waching.

Schwinn`s BMX racer Nate Berkheimer makes a bmx race worth
waching it all just to see him push the other riders, and then Bam!,
he`s up there in the top hot shots of all the bmx racers making it
hard for other racers to keep up with him. It must be that Schwinn
logo Berkheimer is flashing as he is racing on the track, that makes
the others lag behind.....Berkheimer has the bmx style .....

Elite Open - Day Two Schwinn`s Nate Berkheimer took a 6th place.

For all of the NBL Christmas Classic Complete Elite Results see:
http://www.bmxmania.com/nblchristmas.htm
Or the NBL Website - http://www.nbl.org

ACC - http://www.bmxmania.com

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Local bike shop hopes to score big with home-grown model ***

Milwaukee, WI -- 01/01/2005
~~ Reinventing the wheel ~~
At first glance, the name Milwaukee Cycle
conjures up images of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Even the orange and blue paint scheme on this new brand
of home-grown bicycles looks a little Harley. Add to that
a metal emblem with a beer mug at its center and you have
a classic Milwaukee product.

Milwaukee Cycle is the creation of Ben’s Cycle and Fitness,
a bicycle shop that’s been in the same neighborhood on W.
Lincoln Ave. for 76 years.

The brand is starting out small, with just one model of bicycle,
but already bikes have been shipped as far as Georgia to buyers
seeking something that stands out from the mainstream of Taiwanese
-made products, said Vince Hanoski, owner of Ben’s Cycle and Fitness.

Milwaukee Cycle frames are hand-built in southeast Wisconsin by
Waterford Precision Cycles. That company is owned by Richard Schwinn,
whose family once owned the legendary Schwinn Co.

Local artists were used for the color scheme, graphics and emblem.

“The color is almost a Harley orange,” said Russ Jobs, Milwaukee
Cycle’s principal designer. “We didn’t do that intentionally, although
the legendary bicycle racer Eddy Merckx rode bikes with an orange
motif.”

Milwaukee Cycle’s first bicycle is a single-speed road machine that’s
lightweight, fast and similar to the bikes that bicycle messengers ride.

“It’s a simple design with less things to worry about,”
Jobs said.

The company wanted to create a bicycle that messengers would
like, partly because it would appeal to young adults who admire
that image and rugged lifestyle. The single-speed bike is developing
an almost cultlike following, with enthusiasts logging on to chat rooms
to discuss frames, wheels and components.

“There are actually very few bike messengers and a lot
more people who want to look like them,” Jobs said.

It made good business sense for Ben’s to create its own line of bikes,
said Hanoski, whose family has owned the store in Milwaukee for
three generations.

Although a sale of a $750 Milwaukee Cycle road bike nets a profit,
such a purchase builds customer loyalty and keeps people coming
back for higher-margin accessories at Ben’s Cycle. Jobs has sold
about two dozen bikes and has moderate expectations. He didn’t
disclose a sales goal.

Through the Internet and eBay, Ben’s has built a customer base that
extends across the United States, Canada and into other countries.
About 5% of the store’s eBay sales are from Canada, Jobs said.

“I think it’s a way for all businesses to increase their market share,”
he added. “If we had to rely on street traffic from the store, business
could be kind of sparse in the winter. But with the Internet, it’s
always
summer somewhere.”

Hanoski bought the shop from his father, Larry, in 1991.
He remodeled it and tripled the size of the showroom floor,
and five years later expanded into an old Vaudeville theater
across the street. That’s now a warehouse with 12,000 square
feet of storage space.

Many years ago, it wasn’t unusual for bicycle shops to have their own
line of bikes. But it’s pretty much unheard of now, said Jobs, who has
worked in the business for 16 years.

The bicycle industry has gone through many changes, said Fred Clements,
executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association, a trade
group based in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Most of the manufacturing is now done overseas, he said.
“But we have a fascinating industry of entrepreneurs and people
driven by passion for bikes. So starting a bike line, even when
there’s so much mass production, doesn’t surprise me too much.”

Ben’s Cycle and Fitness will measure the success of Milwaukee
Cycle in dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of bikes sold, rather than
the tens of thousands sold by big companies such as Trek Bicycle
Corp. based in Waterloo.

“We aren’t betting the entire store on this,” Jobs said.
“But you never know. Trek started out small, too.”

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Youth pedals OCC Schwinn Chopper in bike rodeo ***

Hagerstown, MD -- 01/01/2005
Sean Bankson, 5, of Hagerstown, rides his new Orange County
Choppers Schwinn bike through the obstacle course Wednesday
afternoon during the Bike Rodeo at Longmeadow Shopping Center.
(Photo credit: Joe Crocetta / Staff Photographer)
http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=photos&photo_id=5515

The 25,000-square-foot store on the edge of the
Longmeadow Shopping Center once was where
salespeople showed off furniture to consumers.

On Wednesday, the only showing off was by youths demonstrating
their prowess with their bicycles and their knowledge of safety.

For the second year, the Indoor Bicycle Rodeo in the former
Routzahn's furniture showroom allowed area youngsters to ride
around indoors and get some safety tips and some cool new
equipment, such as helmets.

Although last year's event drew only about three dozen children,
79 took part in the on-site obstacle course this year through the
first two hours of the three-hour event, said Joan Fortney, manager
of trauma/emergency medical services at Washington County Hospital.

"It's more than doubled. There's been lines all day," Fortney said.
"This gives us a great chance to remind them to wear their helmets
and keep their bikes in good condition."

The event was organized for the second year by the SAFEKids
Coalition, a group that emphasizes injury prevention. Among the
organizations involved were the hospital, Washington County
Health Department, Community Rescue Service and State Farm
Insurance Co., Fortney said.

State Farm Public Affairs spokeswoman Jo Ahalt said the event
is timed well because many children who receive new bikes for
the holidays can test them out in a safe environment.

Bill and Sandi Merica, of Hagerstown, said they
brought their boys to hear safety messages from officials.

"They hear it from us, but when they hear it from someone
else, it seems like they listen more," Sandi Merica said.

Her son, 6-year-old Derek Merica, was more interested in talking
about his favorite stops on the bicycle obstacle course, such as the
straight-line and stopping stations.

"It was really fun to me - and easy," Derek said.

Trenda Bittinger's daughters - Maria, 6, and Jessica, 4 - said they
enjoyed the stations that made them twist and weave throughout
cones and courses and the free lights they got to put onto their
bicycles wheels.

"I didn't even realize they were going to do this much
with the safety," said a pleasantly surprised Bittinger.

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com

*** Schwinn Stingray Q & A Update ***

Ask Schwinn News -- 01/01/2005
Date Updated  12/29/2004 11:40 AM

*** Question
Dear Schwinn,
I've been seeing and reading a lot about the new Schwinn Stingray
Chopper bike, but wanted to try and get more information about the
bike and find out where I can purchase one. I'd love to get my hands
on one and any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

*** Answer
Thanks for your interest in the new Sting-ray chopper!
Please read this entire answer before submitting a question.
It answers approximately 95% of the questions that are submitted,
so you have to read the entire thing before sending your question
to us.

IF YOU SUBMIT A QUESTION THAT IS ANSWERED IN
THE PARAGRAPHS BELOW, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT
TO CLOSE THE INCIDENT WITHOUT RESPONDING. Thanks!

The new chopper is intended for children approximately 7-14, and is
available at your local Schwinn dealer, Wal-mart, Target, Toys-R-Us,
and some sporting goods stores (like Dick's). We aren't set up for
customer-direct sales, so you'll need to visit your local retailer to
purchase
the bike. MSRP for the bike is $180, but that's for an unassembled bike.

The retail price may be higher at independent dealers
- this is a function of their higher overhead and assembly costs.

If you've bought a Sting-ray and have parts and/or warranty questions,
you'll need to call our Sting-ray service center at 1-800-626-2811.
The technicians there will be able to get you the parts and/or
information
you need. Please note that Ask Schwinn can't process parts or warranty
requests for the chopper.

IF YOU SUBMIT A PARTS OR WARRANTY  QUESTION,
WE'RE JUST GOING TO REFER YOU TO THE 800# ABOVE.

The new adult-sized Sting-ray Spoiler is only available through
independent Schwinn dealers - not department stores. This bike
features a larger frame, 24" front wheel, front and rear disc brakes,
and springer fork. You can find more information about the new
Spoiler at http://www.schwinnstingray.com

There will be a chopper-specific kickstand for the 16" Sting-ray
available through independent Schwinn dealers in early 2005. In
the meantime, dealers can order a standard kickstand through their
parts distributor that will fit this bike.

Only the chrome/red and black/red versions comes with the front
fender and highway pegs. It was originally slated to be a Wal-mart
exclusive and they ordered it with a different spec than other stores
did. We're sorry, but fenders and pegs are not available for other
colors.

The green chopper was produced for sporting goods stores and
independent Schwinn dealers. The green version isn't "rare" or
"limited" - just a different color.

Dealers do not have the ability to special-order a specific color.
In order to manufacture enough bikes to meet demand, our factories
are turning out large quantities of a single-color at a time. Because
of this, you may not be able to find the color that you want until more
deliveries have been made later in the fall.

The box numbers refer to the # of boxes shipped in that particular
shipment. It's an inventory control device for the shippers and end
users to make sure everything in that shipment is present and
accounted for every step of the journey.

NOTE: THEY DO NOT REPRESENT TOTAL UNITS
MANUFACTURED, ORDERED, OR DELIVERED TO
ANY OR ALL RETAILERS.

We get dozens of questions a day about this
- you need to believe us before the anonymous seller on ebay.

We're concentrating on getting bikes on the shelves right now, but
chopper accessories like suspension forks and mag wheels should
be available in the next couple months. A few accessories such as
helmets and saddlebags are available at Toys-R-Us right now.
We'll post photos, prices, and a complete list on
http://www.schwinnstingray.com as soon as they're available.

Distribution outside the U.S. has not yet been finalized,
but we are working with our international distributors to
make sure that all of Schwinn's fans have a chance to buy
a new chopper.

CC -
http://schwinnbike.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/schwinnbike.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?\
p_sid=dXPIVfuh&p_lva=&p_faqid=756&p_created=1082653907&p_sp=cF9ncmlk\
c29ydD0mcF9yb3dfY250PTE5NyZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=

Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA
    All Things Northwest in BMX!
     ***** Gene`s BMX *****
     http://www.genesbmx.com