Tentative schedule of events:

• Skills clinics and Group Rides: 9-10:30a
• Time Trial – fund raiser: 10:30a-12p
• Food – BBQ + pot luck lunch 12-1p
• Bike Rodeo: 1-2p
• Hang out and/or ride more: 2p-?
• Swap meet: all day

We need volunteers to help with these events.  Please post on the forum thread if you are willing to lend a hand.

By Tricia L. Nadolny tnadolny@gainesvilletimes.com

POSTED: March 6, 2011 11:47 p.m.

Public meeting on national forest trails

What: A meeting to seek public comment on the management of trails in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: North Georgia Technical College Clegg Building auditorium, 1500 Ga. 197 N, Clarkesville, GA
More info: 770-297-3000

As part of an overall effort to improve trail quality, the U.S. Forest Service will hold a public meeting Tuesday to seek comment on management of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.

The Clarkesville event is the fourth in a series of public forums being held across North Georgia.

Steve Bekkerus, public affairs officer for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, said the goal is to gather a group representative of the diverse users of national forest trails.

“It’s really to meet with the public and … determine what (the trails) should look like, what will meet the needs and desires for all different users, whether it’s motorized or hikers or bikers or equestrian, hearing all of their concerns.”

The Chattahoochee National Forest takes up about 730,000 square acres across North Georgia, stretching from Alabama to South Carolina. The Oconee National Forest is smaller with 116,000 square acres south of Athens. Together, they stretch over 26 counties and hold more than 800 miles of recreation trails.

The previous meetings in Dalton, Blue Ridge and Kennesaw were attended by 30 to 100 people. The public meetings are held in a discussion format, with attendees broken into groups to share their thoughts on the trails.

Some have shared a desire to make the motorized trails safer while others have concern about preserving the natural beauty, Bekkerus said. There also has been some debate over adding to or reducing the number of trails.

“We’re trying to balance and hear from everybody and hear these concerns and really talk to people on a first name basis and get some new information,” Bekkerus said.

Following the Clarkesville event, a final meeting will be held March 10 in Eatonton. The forest service plans to hold meetings once a month at locations across the state.

Perimeter REI — Parknership Day at Yellow River Park

http://www.gwinnettparksfoundation.org/parknership.html

Parknership flyer

For those GATR members who show up for the whole time, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm we have a shirt for you.  If your membership is not current, you can update your membership there and get your shirt.

Register before March 11 to avoid a price increase! Online registration closes on Sunday, March 20th. Full Summit $65, Single Day $25, Two Day $40. Click here to Register

Information can be found here.

The annual GATR Festival will be on Saturday, October 16th 2010 @ Tribble Mill Park in Grayson, GA

Activities will begin at 9 a.m.
Click here for the full schedule of events

• Group Rides (of course!)
• Bike Rodeo (fun and games for all)
• Lunch
• Time Trials (2.5 – 4 mile course)
• Trials Demo by Dave Campbell

What’s New for 2010

• Swap Meet (start looking for you new and lightly used items to sell or swap. Examples: bike parts, bike clothing, helmets)
• Trials Clinic (learn the tricks of the trade from a pro)
• Demo Bikes (from our sponsor stores)

2010 Festival Sponsors:
Apalachee Cycle
Tri Your Best
Outback Bikes
Bikeways of Tucker
MTB Tandems
Gwinnett Parks and Recreation
Trek Bicycles
Sports Authority
Maxxis Tires
Thomson
Hammer Nutrition

Please mark your calendar — Georgia Bikes will host the Georgia Bike Summit in Savannah Saturday Oct 9, 2010!

The first Georgia Bike Summit will bring together advocates, business leaders, on-road and off-road recreational cyclists and commuters, elected officials and staff from across Georgia to meet in a state-wide forum, setting the stage for bicycling gains. We will network, collaborate, educate, and empower advocates and attendees; identify common issues in our local communities; and set priorities for Georgia Bikes in 2011.

Please visit www.gban.org for full details.

SCHEDULE

Schedule/Sessions
Saturday, October 9 from 8 am – 5 pm

Below is a list of sessions in the works – please note details are being finalized; this list is to give a sense of the offerings in store. There will be three tracks, so some sessions will run concurrently.

Sessions

Large group sessions

• State of GA Bikes & GA Bikes Alliance. Speaker: Drew Wade (President, GA Bikes)
• Keynote Lunch. Speaker: Andy Clark (President, League of American Bicyclists)
• Meeting in the Middle: Where our paths/trails/roads converge (Panel)

Advocacy track

• * Advocacy Digital Toolbox. Speaker: Ali Mangkang
• Connecting the DOTs – Working with transportation agencies and planners (Panel)
• Collaborating with your Elected Officials. Speaker: Emily Ham
• Change of Scenery: Broadening the Community of Cyclists (Panel)
• Success Stories. Speaker: Eric BroadwellState of the State: Georgia DOT Update. Speaker: Byron Rushing
• Community Events & Road Course Design

Partners/Government track

• Staff Orientation: Bicycle Infrastructure
• Non-Profit Orientation: Collaborating with Advocates
• Building a Bicycle-Friendly Community, The Case for Complete Streets & Funding Sources. Speaker: Steve Acenbrak

Off-road (SORBA) track

• Designing and building All-Weather Mountain Bike Trails. SORBA will share the newest techniques for building weather resistant dirt surface trails. Discussion will include pocket parks and gateway trails. Speaker: Walt Bready, Georgia Trails Education Specialist
• You Belong with Us: The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association‘s new Chapter program. Meet staff from IMBA – SORBA and learn how the new partnership can help grow club capacity and work with land managers to create more mountain biking in Georgia. Speakers: Tom Sauret, IMBA – SORBA Regional Director and Robin Allen, IMBA – SORBA Communications Director

Social

To help bicyclists from around the state build connections and strengthen ties, the summit attendees will be encouraged to attend optional social gatherings on Friday and Saturday evenings, and a sightseeing ride around Savannah Sunday morning. We hope you’ll make a full weekend of it!

Swag sponsered by REI, Suspension Experts, The Hub, Motion Makers, and Ski Country.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FLYER

Schedule of Events:

• 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. – trail work and cleanup
• 11:30 a.m. – free lunch provided by Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation
• 1 p.m. – skills clinic (with local race team members)
• 1 p.m. – group rides for all ages

Tri Your Best our newest GATR sponsor will have Demo Bikes and give repair lessons.

We will be collecting donations and having a raffle (including a Thomson Seatpost) to help raise funds for a GATR Trailer to haul and store our trail building tools.

Yellow River Trail page

Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation Flyer – National Trails Parknership Day