Submitted by The Revelstoke Cycling Association
Spring officially arrives Tuesday April 17 at 6:30 pm when the Revelstoke Cycling Association hosts it’s annual membership night and open house at the Community Centre! Revelstokians are invited to come down to meet our board and committee members, see what plans are in place for this summer season, generally talk bikes and riding, learn how get involved, and purchase your 2012 membership.
If you wish to support cycling in Revelstoke, encourage trail construction and maintenance, and participate in rides and events, your membership is important. To save trees and streamline the membership process, RCA memberships are preferably purchased on-line at Zone4.ca.
The RCA has been a victim of it’s own successful trail construction these past years, the ever growing number of riders has the parking areas literally overflowing. Plans are underway to improve parking at Boulder, Macpherson, Griffith Creek, and Frisby. While not as exciting as building new trails, infrastructure improvements like these will improve safety, and the overall functionality and biking experience in Revelstoke.
The RCA Cross Country Committee has a hit list of short trail inter-connects to complete at Macpherson, with a goal of improving access and flow throughout the area. Perhaps this will create some new XC race course opportunities as well. The Frisby Ridge trail will see additional improvements, as with all trail works, our efforts will go towards improving drainage on this trail so that in the future it is low maintenance and environmentally sound. Quite a few trail work days are planned.
The RCA roadies will be putting in Sunday morning groups rides, the Third Annual Tuesday Night Time Trial Series is a go, and are planning at least one out of town multi-day excursion. Final details on dates, times, locations, and registration will be posted shortly. A road/XC style club kit was designed over the winter and has been ordered, jerseys, wind jackets, wind vests and shorts will be available for purchase in early May.
The RCA Downhill Committee will follow up last year’s Boulder Mountain renewal with another ambitious work plan for the summer. In addition to parking improvements, outstanding trail works and maintenance days will be completed, and plans are underway for a club level downhill races series, stay tuned for more on that in the near future. Free-ride club clothing is in the design stage, so don’t go buying a new jersey just yet!
Speaking of racing, 2012 brings the third season of RCA Wednesday night cross-country racing. We anticipate the same awesome Macpherson courses, with some tweaks to include the new Flow Down trail, lots of prizes, a creative points system, and great riding and friendly competition. Race #1 is schedule for early May if conditions allow.
The RCA would like to thank our many partners including the Columbia Basin Trust, Site and Trails BC, the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club, Stella-Jones Inc., Flowt Bikes and Skookum Cycle, Revelstoke Tourism, and our many volunteers who are about to move into high gear for the summer!
For information about joining the Revelstoke Cycling Association or the many projects and initiatives on the go visit www.bikerevelstoke.ca or see our Facebook page. Revelstoke is now live at MountainBikingBC.ca.
