| Dear Boure Newsletter Readers,
This is our 26th Bouré newsletter - Summer 2008. Welcome to Summer finally! (okay in 15 days, but who's counting). In Durango it seemed like Winter faded for a moment and then made a reappearance, postponing Spring until about 3 weeks ago. So long was Winter, that the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic was cancelled before it started for the first time in it's 37 year history. Evidently the State Patrol thought that 6 inches of fresh snow on top of Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass might be a bit too risky for 2500 eager cyclists. The only cancelled event was the ride to Silverton, and per the usual weather in the Rockies, it was beautiful for the rest of the Memorial Day weekend. Our condolences to those who traveled here to race the train, we hope you had fun anyway. Read the Durango Herald article for more information about the cancellation.
Good weather is now upon us and we're seeing days in the 70-80's with crisp nights in the 40's. June is always a great time to visit Durango, but still a tad early for high mountain camping this year. If you're headed this way, drop us a note and we'll look forward to meeting you in person. If you don't come in person, we hope you'll still visit us on-line or drop us a note to regale us with your stories.
1. Web Specials change all the time, so come see what is on sale.
2. Commuters unite! And help personally clear the streets that you ride on.
3. Bike-oriented videos from the Interweb.
4. The 6th Annual Boure Bike Fweest has been scheduled for September 14-20!
5. Durango Receives Silver Bicycle Friendly Community Award
1. See our Current Closeouts and Web Specials. Right now we have our CLASSIC shorts and jerseys on sale, but we expect that at the end of June we'll put our PRO shorts on sale. So, if you're a PRO short wearer, check back then.
And we still have our best-ever supply of Merino Wool clothing, including Wool shorts. If you've asked for Wool shorts in the past, go to our web site for the full description. Help us support this renewable natural material, one of the true miracle fabrics known to mankind.
2. Many of us ride the same or similar routes almost everyday to commute or exercise. We know all the cracks in the road, where the broken bottles are and who are the bad drivers. We're also the first to see the dropped 2-by-4, lost glove, bungy cord, coffee mug or other jetsam from the driving community. So, here's Wade's community thought for the day, and what he practices on every ride (even on club rides). The next time you see something that you don't want to ride over, slow down or stop, and move it out of the way. Wade has even had motorists give him the high sign (not the middle finger) for his community-minded behavior. Mostly it helps you, and secondly it may defuse some car-bike tension over time. Think about it, try it and see if it feels good, at a minimum, your next time through will be safer.
By the way, does anyone know where we can get a nice, little collapsible-handle broom?
3. We continue to get positive reinforcement for the links we've provided to some of our favorite bicycle-oriented Interweb videos. So in this Newsletter we offer a few more!
1. Are you ready for a quick test of your mental acuity? If so, then go to DOTHETEST.
2. Brooks Saddles Support Films and Craftsmanship.
3. Can you Ride and Sing at the Same Time?
4. A sobering reason to get involved in cycling advocacy sooner than later; The Ghost Bike.
4. We're way ahead of schedule announcing the Boure Bike Fweest this year and have a little information (OK, mostly just the new date) up on our web site. This year's Fweest is scheduled for September 14-20, and we hope you'll consider coming out to ride some of our fabulous Durango rides with us. Each year has been better attended and more fun, so we expect this year to be no different. Please let us know how we might be able to help you get here for a solid week of free rides. If you stick around after the last ride, you can even enjoy the wild and amazing fun provided at the Durango stop of New Belgium Brewery's Tour De Fat.
5. The Durango community was awarded a Silver designation As a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists after an application process that involved educating community leaders on how a bike friendly community works and rating of the community by knowledgeable community members. The process is ongoing and will involve re-evaluations over the coming years to maintain that level or improve it. The effort was headed up by Mary Oswald who simply jumped in and decided it was time. She lead a dedicated group of volunteers over several months to fill out the application and plan the required Bike Summit of community leaders. After watching this process we can only recommend that you try for this designation in your own community as it will bring your community leaders a much better understanding of the issues you face every day. For more on the Durango designation, read the article in the Durango Herald, or listen to our local NPR affiliate, KSUT.
"Wherever bicycles are broken or threatened by International Communism, we'll be there...",
Laverne, Ned, Brandon, Wade and Drew |
