As the month of June quickly comes to a close, I’m amazed at how many cycling activities RABA members have been supporting or promoting. Perhaps it has been the increased number of sunny days over the rainy forecasts in May? Maybe it was the impetus of training for some big events such as the MS Challenge or Bike Virginia? Regardless, it seems we have a presence in the public eye.
First, if you’re a RABA member and you’ve yet to sample our gorgeous Virginia Capital Trail (http://virginiacapitaltrail.org/trail/map/) then you are in for a treat. There are numerous spots to “jump on” the trail and parking lots for vehicles. If you venture out and can’t ride back, there is even a VA Cap Trail shuttle service you can call to bring you back to your origination spot. The beauty along this trail never ceases to amaze me and the separation of a trail from the highway is an added safety advantage. On a ride back in May I even found these RABA members (new Ohio natives to Richmond) volunteering as Cap Trail ambassadors! Our members always seem to be visible in the community.
Every Wednesday night there seems to be a regular “Kindred Spirits” (http://www.kindredspiritbrewing.com/) ride at the West Creek Parkway. This is a great 6pm ride for anyone wanting to just ride along a repeating 6-mile route with little traffic and predictable patterns. At the end you’ll be greeted with a warm group of RABA friends who enjoy cycling, pizza and cold beverages.
Several of our RABA contingent rode the annual ride for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/VARBikeEvents?pg=entry&fr_id=28847) that was a focal point around the Virginia Cap Trail and Williamsburg on June 3-4. Thanks to some of the RABA team members for sharing this photo captured during this 2-day event of 150 total miles. We understand that the first went quite well and day 2 was a bit more challenging. We also note that one of the RABA members was also ranked as capturing one of the higher donations to support MS. Kudos to all!!
Thanks to our new partners at Urban Farmhouse in Rockett’s Landing (http://theurbanfarmhouse.net/ ), two RABA hosted events were big successes. The annual “Ride with the Board” on June 11 brought out a number of familiar faces who jumped on several route options amid high temperatures and humidity. The cool air conditioning, food, beverages and camaraderie back at Urban Farmhouse was a welcome treat (and the 10% discount to RABA members!).
On June 14, several RABA members braved the rainy forecast to join a benefit to support the “Bikes for Kids” fundraiser. Great catering by our friends at Urban Farmhouse, door prizes and drink discounts from our partners with Legends Brewing and the “usual RABA suspects” were present and accounted for that evening. No cycling but lots of fun!
Finally, the 2017 Bike Virginia Tour (http://bikevirginia.org/2017-tour/) began on Friday, June 23 in the rolling (and steep) hills of beautiful Buena Vista, Virginia. This was a first time for this cyclist and one to become an annual tradition. I found a few other RABA members out an about at the beginning of the ride on Friday and Saturday and I understand they had over 1600 participants.
As this newsletter issue goes to press for the July edition, you’ll also find a letter from a local gal who has approached RABA for support of her exciting Girl Scout leadership project for bike helmet safety. RABA is excited to be working with this enterprising individual and we encouraged her to reach out to all of our membership for support. We think this will be a great service to the promotion of safe cycling across metro RVA.
(NOTE: Thanks to Alan Cooper for sharing several of his great photos during the RABA events at Urban Farmhouse!)