Banish the spandex and don your most dapper casuals for the return of the Tweed Ride, an evening adventure of woolen skirts, bucket hats, and sport coats on Saturday Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. starting at Tempe Beach Park.

Tempe Bicycle Action Group welcomes riders of all types and skill levels to wear their favorite woolens skirts, capes, shawls, tweed jackets, caps, and knickers on this fine night of cycling and style. Cyclists will meet at the entrance to Tempe Beach Park for photos and to show off their style at 5:30 p.m. Following the meet and greet, riders will be off to show off their herringbone, twill, plaid and checkered styles with class at the finest Tempe drinking constabularies.

• Where: Tempe Beach Park on the northwest corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway.
• When: Saturday Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. Ride at 6 p.m.
• What: A fine night of cycling and style at the classiest public houses of Tempe.
• Cost: The ride is free!

TBAG’s monthly social bike rides will now be held on the Second Saturday of every month.

Sign up and see who else is rollin’ with the crew via Facebook.

This nighttime ride is hosted by Tempe Bicycle Action Group, a nonprofit organization working to make bicycling a prominent, safe and convenient form of transportation and recreation in Tempe, Arizona and surrounding areas through education, grassroots events, and civic participation.

Write to your Representative here: http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60787356&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

From The League of American Bicyclists and Americabikes.org

On Thursday, February 2, the House Transportation Committee will vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funds for biking and walking.

This long-awaited multi year transportation bill eliminates the two largest programs that fund biking and walking infrastructure—Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Without these programs, communities all over the country will lose resources to build the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make biking and walking safe and accessible in communities across the country.

We can’t let that happen.

That’s why we’re working to introduce an amendment that will preserve funding for biking and walking. Will you contact your representative today to ask them to preserve funding for biking and walking in the transportation bill?

Tell them:

• Biking and walking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of federal funding.
• Two out of three pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding.  Ensuring funds for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways help end preventable deaths and make roads safer for everyone.
• When town centers are biking and walking friendly, business and economic development improves.

Out friends from Arizona Bike Polo are hosting the Desert Polo Invite 4 this Saturday and Sunday in Tempe.

This year will be bigger than ever!!! 40+ teams, 4 courts, SERIOUS POLO!!! Round Robin on Saturday, Double elimination on Sunday. Come by and see some of the worlds best polo. Anyone can come by, there will be food, shirts for sale, and a raffle anyone can participate in!!

• Who: Arizona Bike Polo: http://www.azbikepolo.com/
• When: Saturday, January 28th 7:00am until Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 7:00pm
• Where: Grace Community Church 1200 E Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282

T.B.A.G. is hosting the 3rd Annual Winter Games Sunday, February 26 at Clark Park in Tempe.

The Winter Games are a celebration of bikes, community, fun, and a great reason to let loose with your friends and strangers on bipedal machines.

Before the celebrating and stunts begin, Boulders on Broadway is hosting a Bike and Gear Swap Meet in their parking lot starting at 9 a.m. and is having breakfast specials and live music throughout the meet.

After the meet head on over to Clark Park for The Games and see returning this year – The Huffy Toss, Princess Bike Death Races, Tall Bike & Small Bike Jousting, and Bike Polo.

Winter Games 3 is sponsored in part by New Belgium Brewing and Boulders on Broadway.

Please RSVP to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/224139287673886/

TBAG and the Mitchell Park Neighborhood are moving forward with an exciting bicycle public art project for 2012.  In the fall of 2011 a committee made up of a public artist, Mitchell Park neighbors and TBAG board members conducted a competitive artist and concept selection process.  More than 15 fifteen Arizona public artists were considered.  A Tempe-based artist team by the name of coLAB was selected in December.

The concept for the public art (see attached images) involves bicycle sculptures and large boulders that will be placed in 4 locations along Farmer Avenue (between University Drive and 13^th Street) that will serve as a permanent monument to the importance of bicycling in Tempe, the contributions of TBAG to the community, and help deepen the emphasis of creating bikeable, sustainable corridors for our town and to serve as a model for land use and transportation.  In the words on the artist team, coLAB: “The people-powered vehicle (bicycle) is immensely efficient and useful, and can drastically change the outlook for future balance between man and nature.”

The city of Tempe and TBAG is currently working with the artist team to finalize designs.  Construction of the artwork is expected to happen late Spring/early Summer 2012, with a dedication ceremony anticipated soon thereafter.  This important project will help transform the street and further emphasize TBAG’s role in shaping Tempe and beyond as a bicycle region.

Eric Iwersen

e...@biketempe.org

eric...@tempe.gov

480-239-9593

Check out the concept pdf: TBAGbicycleART.pdf

Our friends and sponsors at SanTan Brewing are hosting a Brews Cruise on Sunday, February 19th during AZ Beer Week. A fun and easy bike ride from SanTan Brewing in Chandler with stops at Majerle’s, Uncle Bear’s, and Coach and Wille’s to watch the Suns play the Lakers.

$20 gets you a beer and food at SanTan and a beer at the three other stops. Come out and enjoy the great weather and some great local beer and food.

Buy tickets in advance at:
http://www.santanbrewing.com/events-arizona-beer-week-brews-cruise/

RSVP and get more details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/252924081444116/

TBAG supports many local rides by providing ride leaders and rider assistance. If you are interested in helping as a ride leader, or you need help with a ride you are planning, please contact ride...@biketempe.org

Daniel Everlove was hit and killed while riding his bicycle at Guadalupe and Alma School on Saturday night. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

We’ll update this post with more information as we get it.

Media coverage:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2012/01/24/20120124mesa-bicylist-struck-killed-saturday-evening-abrk.html

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_43400fd2-45ef-11e1-931b-0019bb2963f4.html

http://www.kpho.com/story/16580610/bicyclist-hit-killed-by-car-in-mesa

The City of Phoenix installed Sharrows and Bikes May Use Full Lane signs along 48th St South of Guadalupe over the past few weeks. Read all about it on the CAzB blog: http://blog.cazbike.org/2012/01/phoenix-places-slms-and-bumfl-signs.html and with some technical analysis on AZBikeLaw: http://azbikelaw.org/blog/48th-street-piedmont-to-guadalupe/

Good work City of Phoenix!

Bicycle Dreams, the award-winning feature-length documentary about the Race Across America (RAAM), will premiere in Tempe at the Madcap Theaters in Tempe on Wednesday, February 22 at 7 p.m. as part of the film’s ongoing nationwide winter tour. The screening is presented as a benefit for the Tempe Bicycle Action Group.

The event is co-sponsored by State Bicycle Co a local fixed-gear bicycle company. State Bicycle hosts a weekly LOOPS ride every Wednesday, and on the night of the show the group will meet at Madcap, check out the movie, and then head out on the ride after the movie. Keep an eye on the State Bicycle Facebook page for more ride details: http://www.facebook.com/statebicycle

Tickets will be $11 in advance and $15 at the door the night of the show. To purchase advance tickets, order online at http://www.imathlete.com/events/bicycledreams. Madcap Theaters is located at 730 South Mill St. in Tempe.

The film, which has won numerous awards at film festivals all over the world, “is an up-close look at what RAAM riders go through,” says Stephen Auerbach, the director and producer of Bicycle Dreams. “They deal with searing desert heat, agonizing mountain climbs, and endless stretches of open road. And they do it all while battling extreme exhaustion and sleep deprivation. It’s a great subject for a film.”

Find out more information and RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/270766196321442/

Hello bike advocates – this month has a lot of important events. We need your help with the bike count – a new organizing committee is forming and there is a lot to do. Email Scott at scrottie(at)biketempe.org to get on our planning committee list. We are also working with an ASU College of Design class to develop an ad campaign for bike safety – join us as we meet with the students to give them feedback in mid-February. Please get in touch (aaron(at)biketempe.org) if you are interested in helping out with any of this, or have other ideas for advocacy projects.