Refresh Everything Contest – Bike Buddy

So here’s the deal… If you click this link and vote for Transportation Alternatives, you’ll help them in competing for $250K to produce an application that will help new riders find veteran riders to show them the ropes. While many local organizations have tried similar programs, it’s often a matter of not having enough funding to reach a larger audience that kills the initiative. You can help the most by voting daily, or at least go and vote once.

"50MR4" or 50 Mile Ride IV is coming up...

2010 will mark the 4th consecutive "Rwanda Ride" in Orange County, CA.

What began as a 50th birthday ride in 2006, has evolved into one of the most anticipated and talked-about rides in Southern California.

What makes this ride different? First of all, our event is a "ride", not a race. Riders participate for a lot of reasons: some for the challenge of riding further on a mountain bike than ever before, some because they love the Project Rwanda cause, some for the fun of sharing the day with tons of their mtb buddies. Second, our event is a fundraiser. We've raised just over $100,000 for Project Rwanda over the first three events. These funds are used to further the economic development of Rwanda through initiatives based on the bicycle as a tool and symbol of hope. And we're just getting started.

Our Rwanda Ride provides sponsors with a terrific opportunity for exposure to hundreds of mountain bike enthusiasts and their families. Last year we had over 430 participants - and we aim to exceed 500 riders this year. Will you join us?

Project Rwanda was founded by Tom Ritchey, a pioneer in the mountain bike industry. Tom first visited Rwanda in 2005. He was awed by the natural beauty of the country - "the land of 1000 hills". Even more than that, Tom was inspired by the people and their stories of reconciliation and hope. Tom knew he could use his talent and resources to help make a difference - and Project Rwanda was born..

When:
Saturday, April 10, 201050 mile option starts at 7:00am (check-in at 6:15am).*
25 mile option starts at 9:00am (check-in at 8:15am).*
5 mile fun ride starts at 11:00am (check in at 10:30am)*FastTrack check-in available the day before the event atRock N Road Cyclery in Mission Viejo.Sleep in and avoid the long lines on ride day!Where:
Staging and post-ride party at Cook's Corner
19152 Santiago Canyon Road Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679949-858-0266

Entry Fee:
25 or 50 Mile Option - $50 before April 9 ($60 on-site)
5 Mile "Fun Ride" - $25All entries receive free custom dri-fit t-shirt.

Purpose:
To raise funds and build awareness for Project Rwanda.

More info: http://www.50mileride.com/index.html

Puma's Sports-Infused Mobile Phone

Puma launched its first mobile phone, named the Puma Phone, featuring a number of sports-related features, including applications for runners and cyclists that let them keep track of speed, distance and pace. The phone can also keep track of the number of steps taken and the number of calories burned. A solar panel on the back of the phone can be used to charge it, and it has a 2.8-inch touch screen on the front.The device was unveiled Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress.Among the unique features are a timer that looks like an analog stopwatch, a compass designed to look like something off a yacht and a music player that looks like a record player. The feature lets users spin and scratch a virtual record. More standard features include a 3.2-megapixel camera with an LED flash, A-GPS (Assisted-GPS) and an FM radio. It can be used to surf the Web using HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) at up to 7.2M bps or 2.9M bps, according to Puma.Puma's first smartphone will be available in Europe first most other parts of the world soon thereafter. The U.S. launch is uncertain. Pricing has not been announced.The device is manufactured by Sagem Wireless and is based on a proprietary operating system.

Illegal "bike park" discovered in wilderness at Whiting Ranch

February 16th, 2010, 7:51 am · Orange County Register by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor

The winding trails through a back country park offer a thrill-ride for mountain bikers: wooden bridges, wooden jump-ramps and, for convenience, a sandbag-reinforced connection to a nearby neighborhood.

Photos of illegal trails and ramps at Whiting Ranch courtesy, Vicky Malton
There’s only one problem. The trails are illegal.
“There’s several trails connecting all the way up the slope — a steep slope,” said Vicky Malton, senior ranger at Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. “All this is on parkland.”
The trails on an acre or more of land, discovered by biologists at Whiting Ranch in early December, will begin to be dismantled Saturday by volunteers. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy is calling for volunteers to take shovels to the trails and rip out the carefully crafted bridges and ramps.
Many such illegal trails have been cut through Orange County’s wild country in years past. But a network this elaborate surprised OC Parks officials.
“This is kind of uncommon for us here at Whiting,” Malton said.
The trails, which cut through an area once thick with brush, were carved out of the landscape after the 2007 Santiago Fire.
Not only could they potentially increase erosion by channeling stormwater, but they were also cut through prime nesting territory for the troubled California cactus wren.
Wildfire has hit the wren’s coastal populations hard in recent years, the likely reason for a nosedive in the bird’s population.
“They did take sensitive habitat,” Malton said.
Volunteers from Oakley will take part in dismantling the illegal trails. The event begins at 8 a.m. Saturday. Find sign-up information at the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks Web site.

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