Write to your Representative here: http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60927571

From The League of American Bicyclists:

House Bill Reverses Decades of Progress on Bike/Ped
It’s so much worse than we thought.

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.

New! To get text message alerts for this ride, text TWEED to 719-355-TBAG (8224)

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.

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

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/

The city of Tempe is soliciting feedback from residents, businesses and organizations about a project to improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities, enhance the streetscape and calm traffic on University Drive

between the Union Pacific Railroad just east of Farmer Avenue and Priest Drive. This project is funded with $1.1 million in federal grant money. If you would like to add your comments and/or see the current project status please visit: http://www.tempe.gov/tim/Traffic/UniversityDr.htm

Some TBAG board members attended the initial meeting on January 12th, and we are very excited about this project and its positive impact on the downtown Tempe area. Let us and the City of Tempe know your ideas. The next public meeting is in March where City officials will present design concepts based on the feedback they have received.

We’re having our Annual Meeting on Nov 20th @ 7pm at Boulders on Broadway. This week we’re doing a series of blog posts about each committee, their goals, and what you can do to help.

TBAG Social Rides Committee
The Valley’s almost-unlimited sunshine, smooth roads and fair evenings produce so many opportunities to get out together and enjoy cycling with friends. TBAG hosts a Third Friday group ride held rain-or-shine on the 3rd Friday of every month. Past rides have included costumed themes, the annual Tweed Ride, moustache ride, trips to the drive-in movies, and often stopping local eateries for food and beer. Riding responsibly is of the highest concern to us, we want folks to have fun and be safe so they can join us on future rides. Just for fun, held at night, open to anyone that wants to meet new people and ride bikes. For information visit http://www.biketempe.org/category/tbag-third-fridays/

Committee Chair:
Jeremy Deatherage (jer...@biketempe.org)

2011 Accomplishments
Among some of the fine and, occasionally, awkward moments we shared last year, a few that stand out are the Tweed Ride and the Winter Games.

The TWEED Ride
TBAG’s annual tweed ride has been hosted for two consecutive years on the Third Friday of February. Last year’s event drew over sixty damsels and gentlemen dressed in the height of Edwardian fashion. Certainly, a smashing time for all, look for this to be a permanent annual event on the TBAG schedule.

TBAG + Bike Saviours Holiday BBQ & Winter Games
Partly to celebrate our friends Bike Saviours’ anniversary and partly as a reward to our members and hard-working volunteers, the Holiday BBQ is an end of the year social gathering open to Tempe area cyclists. The Winter Games challenges strong hearted participants to derby races on children’s bikes, the popular Huffy toss, and the crowd-pleasing Tall Bike Joust competition.

2012 Goals:
This year, we’ll be bigger and better. TBAG wants more riders to come out and we need your help to make it work.

TBAG Winter Games on Jan. 28, 2012 – We’ll have a December meeting, where we’ll assign responsibilities to key volunteers.

Followed closely by:
Tweed Ride on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012 – We’ll begin in early January by creating a Web presence and getting the word out to press contacts, creating fliers and materials, and more.

Other planning for future rides will include the Moustache Ride, Zombie Ride, and Holiday wrap-ups.

Help Wanted:
We’re looking for outgoing and creative people that want to become part of the Social Rides committee to help plan out events, routes, destinations. You must have a taste for the social life and adventure.

First, we need someone who can talk to local businesses owners about including them in our rides schedule and maybe get a donation of a prize or two.

And also very important, we need volunteers that can create marketing material. You know, posters, fliers, web flashers, that grab attention and help get the word out about ride events.

So, we hope when you come out for the Annual Volunteer Meeting this Sunday, Nov. 20 that you’ll become part of our group and grow it even more.

Saturday Nov 19th @3pm. The SanTan Brewing Company Brews Cruise is coming to Tempe. $20 gets you 4 beers at 4 bars, including Boulders, and food at the start at Mellow Mushroom. RSVP on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/vHuBsU then check out more details and buy tickets here: http://www.santanbrewing.com/santan-brews-cruise-rivalry-ride/

The new Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge is opening on Tuesday morning! The festivities start at 6:30am. TBAG will lead a bike ride across the bridge at 7am, and then on a short route around the lake and surrounding area. Check out more details at AZ Central: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2011/10/16/20111016tempe-town-lake-bridge.html

Image Courtesy of KTAR

This Friday, January 21st – join us for the monthly TBAG Third Friday bar hop ride. It’s a short, slow and fun cruise around Tempe. Meet at the Tempe Beach Park entrance at 7:30pm on Friday. More info in the Facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=138827572844041

TBAG Third Fridays presents:
The MULLET RIDE

Show your redneck pride! Get out the Aquanet and peroxide and freshen up your do. This month we’re heading over to the glitzy McDowell strip to sample some of the swankiest dives in east Phoenix.

We’ll be a stone’s throw from the light rail our entire route, so if you need to check out early no worries.

What to wear – jean cutoffs, tank tops, western-checked shirts – NO SLEEVES. Show your sweet farmer’s tan, the ladies love this stuff. If you feel like your tresses ain’t golden or curly enough to roll with the best, you can find wigs at places like Fun Services Party Store, Mardi Gras Costumes, or even at your local Goodwill.

MEET at Tempe Beach Park on Friday July 16th at 7:30 p.m. We’ll roll out at 7:45. Bring lights and locks

This is a 21+ event, y’all bring your ID! Also, we’ll be in traffic and it’s real important everybody exercises safe behavior.

Be sure to RSVP to the facebook event here.