2011 BMC Roadracer carbon 105 57cm was $2,500 now $2,190 SOLD
2011 BMC Sparkle 105 54 cm was $1,500 now $1,349
2011 BMC Sparkle 51 105 cm was $1,500 now $1,349
2011 BMC Streetracer 57cm was $1,700 now $1,199 SOLD
2010 Breezer Freedom Urban 19.5″ was $570 now $399

2011 Focus Cayo 3.0 Ultegra 49cm was $3199 now $2699

2011 Focus Arriba Fitness Medium was $880 now $699 SOLD
2011 Focus Black Forest 29″ mtb 2.0 medium was $1,490 now $1,199 SOLD
2011 Focus Cayo 4.0 56cm was $2,300 now $1,949
2011 Focus Cayo 3.0 Ultegra 56cm was $3199 now $2799 SOLD
2011 Focus Cayo 3.0 Ultegra 49cm was $3199 now $2699
2010 Focus Mares Comp Cyclocross Tiagra Large was $1,375 now $899 SOLD
2010 Focus Mares Comp Cyclocross Tiagra Medium was $1,375 now $899 SOLD
2010 Focus Mares Comp Cyclocross Tiagra Small was $1,375 now $899
2011 Focus Urban 27 Large was $1,100 now $899

2011 Jamis Quest steel 105 54cm was $1800 now $1539

2011 Jamis Allegro 2 16″ was $525 now $449
2011 Jamis Dakar Sport 19″ was $1,000 now $799
2011 Jamis Dragon Sport 17″ was $1,150 now $999
2011 Jamis Durango 1.0 19″ was $650 now $549
2011 Jamis Durango 2.0 17″ was $865 now $699
2011 Jamis Durango 2.0 19″ was $865 now $699
2011 Jamis Explorer 1 18″ was $335 now $249
2011 Jamis Quest steel 105 Femme 48cm was $1800 now $1439
2011 Jamis Quest steel 105 Femme 51cm $1800 now $1539 SOLD
2011 Jamis Quest steel 105 54cm was $1800 now $1539 SOLD
2011 Jamis Quest steel 105 58cm was $1800 now $1539 SOLD
2011 Jamis Ventura Race 56cm was $1,350 now $1,099
2011 Jamis Ventura Race 58cm was $1,350 now $1,099

2011 Scott Scale 29" Comp L was $865 now $699

2011 Scott Contessa 15 Womens Road 49cm was $1,500 now $1,339 SOLD
2011 Scott Contessa 25 Womens Road 49cm was $840 now $689
2011 Scott Contessa 25 Womens Road 51cm was $840 now $689
2011 Scott Scale 29″ Comp L was $865 now $699

This is the 17th year in a row for the BioWheels // Cincinnati //  Self-Sufficient Cyclist 3-week maintenance series! We’re taking reservations for our January/February sessions now!

Class sizes are limited to 6 per class, and sign-ups and payment are taken in advance.  Call 513.861.2453 (BIKE), or stop in to pay in person.

Park Tool School 101 // Wednesday January 18 – 6:30 pm // Trail and Roadside Repair
BioWheels is offering the class for the beginner – Learn how to get out of a breakdown or jam on a ride. Class covers flat tires, minor shifting and braking adjustments, broken chain, etc.
Cost: $65 (Pre-paid, includes Park Tool School Book )

Park Tool School 102 // Wednesday January 25 – 6:30 pm // Brakes and Gears
A 2.5 hour look at all issues dealing with your bike’s drivetrain and braking systems. Adjustment, assembly, cable replacement, cleaning, trouble-shooting, etc.
Cost: $45 (Pre-paid, does not include Park Tool School Book)

Park Tool School 201 // Wednesday February 1 – 6:30 pm // Overhaul
This advanced class will emphasize maintenance such as bearing adjustment, overhauls, alignment and component replacement. The class will also focus on more current technology such as disc brakes and suspension concerns.
Cost: $45 (Pre-paid, does not include Park Tool School Book)

For all Park Tool School classes you get:

• Up to three of the city’s most experienced mechanics and riders helping you each night step-by-step through all the tricks and techniques.

• We will use your own bikes, or a “cadaver” will be provided.

• Students receive 15% discount on all parts during class duration.

• Fee is $65 for first class (includes Park Tool School manual), and $45 for each class thereafter.

• Limited to 6 participants max per class. For more information or to sign up contact Mitch Graham at
513.861.2453 (BIKE).

U23 Zach McDonald (Rapha-Focus Bikes) leads the best of the U.S. through the famous Harbin sand pit

Harbin Park grows up: BioWheels Workshop started its promotion of cyclocross racing in the greater Cincinnati area in 1995.  BioWheels’ founder Matt Johnson organized a series of small, grassroots events at a handful of venues, one of which was Harbin Park in Fairfield.  Back in the day, we had no idea what kind of venue we had stumbled upon.  Harbin has a plethora of room and terrain to run countless different cyclocross courses, with the earlier ones featuring long stretches of open grassy double track, and short sections of the mountain bike trail.  As the “UCI” course designs became more the standard as we came into the 21st century, today’s courses at Harbin feature more back and forth in a concentrated area, with lots of constant undulation and off-camber and sand features.  In the words of world-class bicycle race announcer Dave Towle, Harbin Park is a “National Championships-worthy” venue.

BioWheels now puts on one cyclocross event at Harbin Park per year, and for the last 4 years it has been a “Category 1″ ranked event by the UCI (governing body of international bike racing).  Category 1 races are ranked one below World Cups, and there are only 8 “C1′s” in the United States.

If it weren’t for the support of United Dairy Farmers, Reece-Campbell Construction, and Mike Schuster Architect firm – these races wouldn’t happen.  So we thank them for their support of the sport.

Men’s and women’s race reports courtesy of Cyclingnews.com:

Harbin Park transforms for one day in the fall

Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) proved to be the strongest ‘crosser during the final and most prestigious of three rounds at the Cincy3 Cyclo-cross Festival, winning the UCI C1 Harbin Park p/b BioWheels & United Dairy Farmers in Ohio on Sunday. He soloed to victory ahead of Ryan Trebon (LTS-Felt) in second and his teammate Zach McDonald in third.

“It has been harder and harder to win these races because there are a lot of guys that are so good this year,” said Powers who has won at Harbin Park on three previous occasions. “I want to win these C1 races but I can’t just show up and say that I will win them. I’ve never lost at Harbin Park. I like to win races that have a heavy match up, where everyone wants to win, those are the races I thrive on. Today was a really hard course and I was really happy to be able to win again.”

Organizers of the Cincy3 Cyclo-cross Festival offered a challenging finale to the three-day weekend of racing. The course included a set of barriers along with ample technical corners combined with several lengthy straightaways to the advantage of the most powerful and savvy riders. “The finale at Harbin Park featured lots of elevation change, three sand pits, ripping fast descents, and lots of fast turns,” said event promoter Mitch Graham. “When the course is wet, it is a solid grind all the way around.”

“I thought Friday’s course was pretty hard,” said Powers, who won the opening round at Devou Park. “There was 500 feet of climbing each lap and really hard. Yesterday was hard in a different way in that if you had your bike dialed and ridden the course you did well. Ryan rode a great race yesterday and he had everything dialed and did a lot of recon on the course. Today there was a long climb and then a sand pit, that was terrible.”

The Rapha-Focus duo put on a show during the Elite men’s 60-minute race held at the Harbin Park. Powers took the hole-shot and was quickly followed by his teammate McDonald. The pair dominated the front of the race during the opening lap, isolating third rider Trebon. A chase group nearly reunited with the trio that included Tim Johnson, who later crashed on course, and Jamey Driscoll (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), Tristan Schouten (Cyclocrossracing.com) and Ben Berden (Stoemper).

“Zach made the first attack of the day and that put me in a good place,” Powers said. “It shows his future and it was impressive that he held onto third. He was attacking Ryan even after I got away and that put Ryan in a position to work hard. Zach was awesome and that was great. There were some tactics, Jamey was coming across and I didn’t want him to make it. A lot of people wanted to win today so it was a really fast race.”

Powers capitalized off of his top form and picked up the pace that resulted in a small gap to Trebon. He continued to apply pressure at the front of the race and increased his lead during the subsequent laps and headed toward the finish line to take the win once again at the Harbin Park event.

“Ryan had the pressure on, for sure,” Powers said. “He brought it back to about four seconds at one point and he also put in a lot of pressure on the last lap. But, I had enough in the tank on the last lap to go as hard as I could too and I didn’t think he would be able to bring me back. As long as I could mark where he was on the course and gage my effort, I felt like 15 seconds was okay.”

French National Champion Caroline Mani leads US Champion Katie Compton on one of Harbin's many climbs

Compton Sweeps Cincy3 Weekend at Harbin Park

Katie Compton (Rabobank-Giant Offroad) wrapped up the Cincy3 Cyclo-cross Festival with a third straight victory at the UCI C1 Harbin Park p/b BioWheels & United Dairy Farmers in Ohio on Sunday. The US National Champion rode away from her nearest competitors during the opening laps and left second place to a sprint won by Meredith Miller (Cal Giant-Specialized) and Caroline Mani (SRAM) who placed third on the day.

“I’m really excited to have a great weekend, the racing was harder and everyone is riding faster this year so being able to win three in a row feels pretty good,” Compton toldCyclingnews. “I wouldn’t say that I had a smooth ride, I made a few mistakes early in the race and struggled a bit at the beginning but was able to relax and ride smart and smooth by the end of the race. I didn’t have mechanicals but it was a day where taking a bike each lap probably would have been the way to go. I only took one change but I think my tires could have used a cleaning each lap.”

Organizers of the Cincy3 Cyclo-cross Festival offered a challenging finale to the three-day weekend of racing. The course included a set of barriers along with ample technical corners combined with several lengthy straightaways to the advantage of the most powerful and savvy riders. “The finale at Harbin Park featured lots of elevation change, three sand pits, ripping fast descents, and lots of fast turns,” said event promoter Mitch Graham. “When the course is wet, it is a solid grind all the way around.”

“The course was really hard and we only did four laps,” Miller told Cyclingnews. “The laps were long. Friday [Devou Park] and today were the harder of the three courses. But, today was really just a fight out there. It was a heavy course with a lot of ups and downs and technical sections that you had to be able to maneuver around.”

The challenging course resulted in major separations amongst the top group of contenders early into the Elite women’s 40-minute race. Compton gained a small lead ahead of chasing group with in the first two laps of the race. She used her strength on the pedals and top-notch technical skills to increased that lead during the following laps and to her third consecutive victory at the finish line.

“It’s funny, I thought the first day was really hard too but today was right there with it,” Compton said. “It was all of it, the ground was sticky and soft and there was a hard sand pit right at the top of a longish hard climb so that made it difficult. The third day of racing is always the hardest so that added to a difficult course. It was also tricky to decide what tires and pressures to run today so that made challenging too.”

A battle for second place ensued between Compton’s chasers Miller and Mani. Although Miller was successful in gaining a few seconds on several occasions, Mani relentlessly worked her way back into contention. The pair entered the last lap together where Mani gained a small advantage exiting the sand pit. Miller managed to pull her back on the final up hill before the finishing straightaway and proved to be the faster of the two in a two-up sprint for second place.

“Mani, Butler, Antonneau and I were all together at first,” Miller said. “Mani and I pulled away on some of the hills. Coming into the last lap, through the uphill sand section I got off and ran and Mani rode it and came around me. She opened up a little bit of a gap through some technical parts. I started closing it down on the uphill, which was where I felt was the best chance for me to close the gap to her. I led through the technical sections before the finish and gave it everything I had up the hill to the finish line.”

Top ten performances on the day included Kaitlin Antonneau (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), Sue Butler (River City Bicycles) and Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team).

Proper bike fit has been the foundation for the BioWheels business model since 1994.  The six-month free stem swap for new bikes made its first appearance at BioWheels its very first year, and it points to the importance proper fit has always held for us.  Thousands of documented full fitting sessions later – the value of the fit sessions increase every year along with our knowledge and experience gained.

Our offerings:

| $150 | 1 hour |

The fundamental basic bike fit. If you have yet to have had a professional bike fit – and aren’t ready to spring for the Retul fit.  After a short warm-up, visual cleat inspection and adjustment if needed, saddle height and fore/aft set within safety range, reach to bars, and center of balance is established. Stem and handlebar swap are available at additional cost.

| $275 / 2 hours |

Includes:

- an initial off-the-bike physical assessment and interview where we can address your concerns about performance, pain, or any other issues you hope to alleviate during the bike fit.

- The fit information is saved and stored on our computer. The data includes your personal profile, specific data and measurements from the fit, bike measurements, and your final fit position. We will then be able to access and print these records for comparison and tracking of historical fit data for you.

Fitting appointments are available at 10:00am | 12:00pm | 2:00pm | 4:00pm | 6:00pm on Wednesdays & Thursdays. Also available at 10:00am | 12:00pm | 2:00pm | 4:00pm on Saturdays. Contact BioWheels-Cincinnati to schedule an appointment today at 513.861.2453.

Philosophy

Equipment, training, and experience - the foundation of the BioWheels bicycle fit.

• Retul 3D motion capture bicycle fitting system

…all to take the guesswork out of the bicycle fit.

Training: With bicycle fitting, the concept of “garbage in-garbage out” most definitely applies.  Therefore, proper schooling, training, and experience is critical to achieving exceptional bike fits.  BioWheels’ Mitch Graham is a certified Retul and Waterford Bicycle Professional Fitmaster as well as a certified Professional Fit Kit Technician.  Additionally, every single employee of BioWheels-Cincinnati is trained on Fit Kit and understands the importance of good bike fit.

Experience: Outside of the store, Mitch combines 17 years of  personal competitive road and off-road cycling experience as well asover 1500 documented in-store fit sessions for a whole range of clients (triathletes, endurance mountain bikers, club riders, cyclocrossers, and weekend warriors). Experience is critical to the ultimate quality of a bike fit – each fit session is a lesson for the fit technician as well as the client (cyclist). Those lessons accumulate over the years into a knowledge that cannot be taught in a weekend fit seminar.

BioWheels-Cincinnati Bicycle Purchase Policy – every bike sold in the store, includes a complimentary one hour ‘Foundation Fit’, a fitting that safely establishes the three points-of-contact (pedals, saddle, and handlebar) of rider to bike. The stem, and sometimes handlebar, is swapped out free of charge to achieve the best fit. This ‘Foundation Fit‘ in a stationary trainer provides the perfect opportunity as well to get acquainted with your new bike and learn the shifting, clipless pedals, and maintenance.

Our ‘Foundation Fit’ is available to everyone, regardless of where your bicycle was purchased, by appointment, for $150.

Contact BioWheels-Cincinnati to schedule an appointment today at 513.861.2453.

The largest women's field in the 7 year history of the Blast toes the line

Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, the Hyde Park Blast has grown into one of Cincinnati’s largest community events!  The full day of activities includes a morning 4-mile run and kids races, an afternoon/evening cycling event, and block party with music from 3 Day Rule.  10,000 people are in the Square at the event’s peak.  Most importantly, over $220,000 has been donated to cancer research from the event!

Originating as a 4 mile running event – a cycling criterium was added into the mix 7 years ago by Mary Beth Knight from Revolution Fitness.  She directed the race for 4 years, and designed its current technical course along with her husband Eric.  The 2005-2008 events featured strong regional fields and a vibe that forged a rock solid foundation for the years to come.  2009 was a turning point for the Blast bike race – with a heightened pro men’s purse of $5000, and the hard work of Blast board member Greg Tankersley, the race elevated its stature attracting nearly 100 pro 1/2 men, and was the largest road race in the tri-state in total numbers.

Texas Roadhouse got 3 out of their 4 women into the day's breakaway

The ’09 race was brought to the attention of Gene Dixon of the USA Crits Series – and after strong lobbying by Tankersley the Blast was asked to join the 2010 USA Crits Calendar.  The USA Crits Series, now in its fifth year, is a 9 race series featuring the very best crit races around the country.  From Idaho to Washington DC – USA Crits races draw crowds in excess of 30,000 spectators!

Hyde Park Blast board member Tim Humbert took over the operational reins for the 2011 event – his first ever race promotion!  With 2WheelSports running registration (3rd year in a row – they are indispensable!), tons of volunteers provided by The Cure Starts Now, and a crack officiating staff – this year’s bike race was the smoothest run race yet.  So kudos to Tim for a great job!

The Hyde Park Blast pro women’s race featured the largest women’s field to date – over 40 riders were on the start line.  Kacey Manderfield (Pure Energy Cycling-ProAirHFA) withstood a series of attacks in the finishing laps from a Texas Roadhouse trio in taking the win at Hyde Park. A break of 5 pulled clear after the midpoint that caught out the Secret team, which put 2 on the podium in the previous evenings Madeira Centennial Crit. The Texas Roadhouse-led break kept the 5 clear, and it was Manderfield by a bike length at the line.

Luke Keough leads the pack into the finish, but Jamis rider Jamey Driscoll was the first non-lapped rider

(Race report courtesy of Ashley Travieso) During a very busy weekend in the American racing scene, the Hyde Park Blast in Cincinnati, Ohio saw top USA CRITS contenders descend upon the Queen City for the fourth stop of the Series. In an exciting finish, Jamie Driscoll (Jamis/Sutter Home) took the win after lapping the field with four other riders, while Luke Keough (Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop) was able to secure the Series lead.

Almost immediately from the gun, 2010 USA CRITS overall runner-up Clayton Barrows (Stan’s No Tubes/AXA Equitable) was looking to shake things up in the Series and attacked the field. Chase groups of three and four riders formed almost every lap, but no one could get the chase organized. Keough and Clay Murfet (RideClean p/b PatentIt.com), who won the last Series event and the previous night’s race, finally moved to the front to take a turn at pulling back the solo rider but to no avail.

Crowds swell as the elite men click off early laps (photo c/o VeloVivid)

Thirty-eight minutes into The Blast, four riders were able to get organized and went off the front of the peloton and included Driscoll, past Hyde Park Blast winner Paul Martin (Panther/Competitive Cyclist), Andrew Seitz (GPOA), and Murfet. Keough missed that move and attempted to chase them down as now two overall leaders were up the road but was unable to bridge. All he could do now was to save his legs for the final sprint.

At the mid-race point, Barrows picked up maximum Series points during the mid-race prime and still had 35 seconds on the chasers, but his lead would be cut down quickly, and just five laps later, he would be joined by the four chasers. The break worked well together, and with 11 laps to go, they lapped the field. The break riders quickly found their way to the front of the field, with Stan’s No Tubes/AXA Equitable and Metlife taking turns on the front.

With three laps to go, Panther/Competitive Cyclist lined up at the front to lead out Martin, with Jame Carney and Murfet and Jamis/Sutter Home tucked in behind the Panther train. At one lap to go, Carney took to the front to keep the pace high for Murfet. Out of the final turn, the long finish straight allowed Keough to cross the line first, winning the field sprint, but it would be Driscoll who was positioned to take the win. Martin, despite the efforts of his teammates, came in second, while the original instigator Barrows was third.

Lone AXA Equitable rider charting a path through Hyde Park Square

Keough’s sixth place finish was enough to move him into the lead in the USA CRITS overall, while Barrows moved up to third and Murfet to fourth. Barrows also took over the Sportsbase Online Lap Leader competition with his herculean effort, leading 30 out of 47 laps at The Blast. That coupled with the two laps he led during the Giro d’Grafton was enough to secure the jersey.

If you have your 2012 calendars yet, mark them for the weekend of June 30th – cause that will be the weekend of the 11th annual Hyde Park Blast!

Photos of Hyde Park Blast from Jeffrey Jakucyk

Photos of Hyde Park Blast from VeloVivid Cycling Photography

Chainsuck can potentially stop you cold in your tracks. Excessively worn chainrings develop small burrs that effectively thicken the chainring – causing the chain to stick to theses areas and not release. The accumulation of mud on the chain and rings accentuate this condition. The suck part is your chain getting “sucked” up into your chainstay, either jamming or causing you to have to backpedal to get the chainring to release the chain.

A lesser known condition, Shiftsuck is chainsuck that occurs while downshifting from middle ring to granny, and can occur on brand-new drivetrains. Without sufficient clearance between chainrings and chainstays, shiftsuck can lead to your chain jamming into your bike’s chainstay – eventually leading to chainstay failure. Below are four photos showing the progression of shiftsuck. The first two show the underneath of the chainrings: in the photo the chainrings would be rotating backwards, and the chain is transitioning from the middle ring to granny gear.

Photo A: chain attempting to release middle ring and complete shift onto granny gear

Photo B: as chain comes off middle ring and heads back towards rear derailleur, it rotates clockwise.

Photo C: chain is snagged by tab in XT big chainring before being carried into chainstay of bike.

Photo D: closeup of XT large chainring with tabs that are catching chain during middle ring downshift

Fix: if you are experiencing shiftsuck on your bike, there are two fixes. First, minimize your pedaling pressure during downshifts, and try and anticipate shifts as early as possible on the trails. Mechanically, a strategic filing down of the edges of the outer chainring tabs will reduce or eliminate the occurence of shiftsuck.

Mitch Graham
BioWheels
Cincinnati

Starting next week, ODOT will hold the first in a series of interactive public workshops across the state to give residents a chance to speak out about policy issues that impact transportation investment in Ohio. The workshops are part of the department’s first-of-its-kind ‘GO Ohio’ Transportation Futures Plan that will look at state investments in all modes of travel and shipping – highway, air, rail, transit, water, pedestrian and bicycle – and align those transportation choices more comprehensively with job creation, economic development and quality of life. Strategies assure that any future transportation investment will: increase state competitiveness; connect transportation system investment to targeted industries; consider the impact of land use and transportation policies; and embrace environmental stewardship to advance a green economy. You can RSVP with an email to Go.Ohio@dot.state.oh.us to help the state better plan for the workshops, although an RSVP is not required to attend. More information can be found at www.go.ohio.gov .

DATE:           Tuesday, October 26, 2010

TIME:           6:00 – 8:00 pm

LOCATION:    Cincinnati Museum Union Terminal, Losantiville Café

1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati

CONTACT:     Go.Ohio@dot.state.oh.us

KENTUCKY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WORKSHOP

Is your school or jurisdiction a good candidate for the Safe Routes to School funding? You are invited to learn about the new guidelines for this funding source. At this FREE workshop you will hear from our Kentucky Safe Routes to School Coordinator, Jackie Jones, who will discuss the Safe Routes to School grant application and funding opportunities. You will also hear from other successfully funded Safe Routes to School programs within Northern Kentucky. Pre-registration is requested at www.nkyhealth.org by Nov. 15.

DATE:           Thursday, November 18, 2010

TIME:           9:00 am – 12:30 pm

LOCATION:    Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission

2332 Royal Dr.  Ft. Mitchell, KY

CONTACT:     Marsha Bach, Northern Kentucky Health Dept., marsha.bach@nkyhealth.org

September 9, 2010; Conshohocken, PA, USA:  Organizers of greater Cincinnati’s UCI3 Cyclocross Festival have announced a new title sponsor for the three-day Festival’s first day of competition.  According to Nick Tinsler of Darkhorse Racing, the organizers have reached an agreement with Panther Expedited Services of Seville, Ohio to become the title sponsor of the Cyclo-Stampede UCI race at Devou Park in Covington, Kentucky on Friday, October 8.  The race will now be known as the Cincinnati UCI3 Panther Stampede.

Panther, a premium transportation provider of durable goods, has a committed history with cycling, both commercially and as a sponsor, according to Panther’s President and CEO Andy Clarke, who provided details via cell phone during a break from a mid-day mountain bike ride last week.  “Panther has sponsored numerous cycling events, including this year’s Hyde Park Blast USA Crits Series race in Cincinnati.  We also sponsor an elite road team, Panther Cycling presented by Competitive Cyclists led by Kirk Albers and Paul Martin.  And, from a business aspect, we transport many cycling goods both domestically and internationally, including Ridley bikes.”

The company, whose slogan is “on time, on target, no exceptions” is also no stranger to large international events like the Cincinnati UCI3 Festival.  Panther’s events division has moved the extensive lighting and staging and merchandise infrastructure for events as diverse as the NBA Finals and Lollapalooza Music Festival.  “Moving Tee-shirts doesn’t seem that special,” said Clarke, “until you take into consideration that some of these concerts sell $200,000 worth of merchandise each night, they have to have the merchandise ready to go before show time, and there’s no place to store inventory for the next day.  We literally have to deliver all of the merchandise each day within a 15 minute time frame.  Plus the lights, stage; sometimes even individual instruments have their own delivery time frames.”

With the addition of Panther, all three UCI-sanctioned races of the October 8-11 Cincinnati UCI3 Cyclocross Festival now have title sponsors.  In addition to the Panther Stampede at the stunning Devou Park in Covington Kentucky on Friday, Saturday’s races in Middletown, Ohio are sponsored by the Java Johnny’s chain of coffee shops and Sunday’s climatic UCI Category 1 event at Fairfield, Ohio’s Harbin Park is sponsored by Bio-Wheels bike shops and United Dairy Farmers, a chain of Mid-Western convenience stores.  More information about the Freight logistics products provided by Panther can be found at www.PantherExpedite.com.

The Cincinnati UCI3 Festival is now in its third year as the world’s first three-day cyclocross festival and takes place in three cities surrounding America’s “Queen City”: Cincinnati Ohio.  Pre-registration for the event, which also includes amateur USA Cycling sanctioned races, continues to run at over 100% above last year’s record pace.  More information about the Cincinnati UCI3 Cyclocross Festival can be found at CxFestival.com.

New Program to Get More People Riding Bikes to More Places

CINCINNATI – Queen City Bike announced today that it has received a $10,000 grant from The Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) to help launch a new program to get more people riding bicycles to more places in the region everyday.

The Bicycle Friendly Destinations Program will work with area employers, retailers, government agencies, and arts and cultural organizations to make it easy for people to reach and use their facilities on a bicycle.  The overall goal of the project is to increase the use of bicycles for all kinds of trips, whether to work, to go shopping, or just to run errands in the neighborhood.

Queen City Bike will provide advice to organizations on what they need to do to become a Bike Friendly Destination, and will publicly recognize those that succeed in May 2011.  The program will help organizations of all kinds become more attractive places to which to ride, from small retailers who need to know what kind of parking their neighborhood customers need, to large employers who want to encourage more people to commute by bike.

“Getting more people to use bicycles for everyday transportation benefits everyone,” according to Gary Wright, President of Queen City Bikes.  “It reduces pollution, cuts down on traffic and parking congestion, and is good for your health.”  Wright went on to say,  “More and more cities are realizing that supporting bicycles is important for their future. Young people especially measure a community by how bicycle friendly it is. I am proud to say that Cincinnati is one of the places that gets it.”

One of the goals of the City of Cincinnati’s Bicycle Transportation Plan, adopted in June of this year, is to double the number of people who use bicycles for everyday transportation over the next five years.  “The City is committed to making our streets more bicycle friendly. We hope that many area businesses and organizations will match that commitment by participating in the Bicycle Friendly Destinations Program, “ Wright said.  “We are very excited that The Greater Cincinnati Foundation is partnering with us to make that happen.”

The Bicycle Friendly Destinations Program grew out of a Leadership Cincinnati Class 33 project lead by Brad Hunkler of Western & Southern Financial Group that identified this as key priority for local employers seeking to attract and retain talented people. Queen City Bike participated in the project and agreed to take over implementation of the program,

About Queen City Bike. Queen City Bike is a non-profit organization that promotes bicycling as a safe and healthy means of transportation and recreation in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.  For more information on Queen City Bike, visit www.QueenCityBike.org.

About the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation empowers donors to make a profound difference in the quality of human and community life in the Greater Cincinnati region, today and tomorrow.  We believe in the power of philanthropy to change the lives of people and communities.  As a community foundation, GCF makes grants and provides leadership in six key areas: arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environment, health and human services.  An effective steward of the community’s charitable resources since 1963, the Foundation inspires philanthropy in eight counties in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. See  www.gcfdn.org for more information.