MCBC's NEW Off-ROad PROGRaM - Marin County Bicycle Coalition

Volume 13 / Issue 3 FALL 2011
MCBC’s NEW
Off-Road
PROGRAM
Global Mobile
Family
Women on
Wheels

PO Box 1115, Fairfax
CA 94978 • 415-456-3469
www.marinbike.org
STAFF
Kim Baenisch, Executive Director
Tom Boss, Membership Director
Jo Ann Richards, Database
Bob Trigg, Administrator
Andy Peri, Advocacy Director
Alisha Oloughlin, Advocacy
Coordinator
Kristin Nute; Volunteer
Coordinator
Wendi Kallins, Safe Routes to
Schools Program Director
Laura Kelly, Safe Routes to Schools
Volunteer Liaison
Peggy Clark, Safe Routes to
Schools Project Coordinator
Gwen Froh, Safe Routes to
Schools Teen Program Coordinator
Frances E. Barbour, Safe Routes
to Schools Instructor
DIRECTORS
Maureen Gaffney, President
Scott Klimo, Vice President
Ian Roth, Treasurer
Don Magdanz, Secretary
Matt Adams
Phil Brewer
Mark Comin
Vince O’Brien
Scott Penzeralla
Tom Woolley
ADVISORY BOARD
Mark Birnbaum
Joe Breeze
Tom Hale
Deb Hubsmith
Jim Jacobsen
Patrick Seidler
Julia Violich
Volume 13 / Issue 3 FALL 2011
MCBC’s NEW Off-Road
PROGRAM see page 8
Kentfield Schools’
SchoolPool Program
See page 6
CONTENTS
Bikers’ Ball & Casino Night............................... 3
Alisha Oloughlin Joins MCBC.......................... 3
Women on Wheels: Giving Confidence to
Women Cyclists..................................................4
Global Mobile Family......................................... 5
Kentfield Schools’ Neighborhood
SchoolPool Program........................................... 6
SR2S Green Ways Winners 2011..................... 7
MCBC Launches New
Off-road Program...............................................8
$8.8 Million in Pilot Program Funds............. 10
N/S Greenway Connector Open Soon........ 10
Support SMART................................................ 11
Tour de Marin Benefit Ride..............................13
Bike Locally Shows the Way........................... 14
Cranksgiving Food Drive..................................15
Biketoberfest Just Keeps Getting Better......16
Route 5 Passport Report..................................17
Marin Century Highlights................................19
Reviews:
Hennessy Hammock................................... 20
Hydrapak Morro.............................................21
PEDAL PRESS
Editor: Tom Boss
Copy Editor: Connie Breeze
Design: Jeremy Thornton
Contributors: Tom Boss,
Stephen Bryne, Peggy Clark,
Miguel Farias,
Maureen Gaffney,
Renee Goddard, Wendi Kallins,
Scott Klimo, Alisha Oloughlin,
Kristin Nute, Andy Peri
and Sutat
CRANKSGIVING
FOOD DRIVE
See page 15
Son Dynamo Hub and
Supernova E3 LED Light...............................22
Fall Contest........................................................23
MCBC Store.......................................................24
MCBC Membership Form..............................24
Cover photo: Miguel Farias
2

Bikers’ Ball &
Casino Night
The Bikers’ Ball returns to the beautiful Tiburon
waterfront on Saturday, October 22nd at Ristorante
Servino. This year’s theme is “Casino Night”—we’ll
have blackjack, roulette, poker, and craps, in addition
to beer, wine, mixed drinks, appetizers, silent auction,
and amazing raffle prizes. How amazing? Here are
some of the items:
ÄÄSpecialized Road Bike: Retail Value $2,000+
ÄÄWestern Spirit Road or Mountain Bike Trip for
Two: Retail Value $1,895
Ä Ä“Beecycles” oil on canvas by Matt Lively:
Retail Value $1,400
ÄÄOregon Private Tour from Lifecycle Adventures:
Retail Value $3,700
...and that’s just the beginning! Casino Night promises
to be our best Bikers’ Ball yet—don’t miss it!
Alisha Oloughlin
Joins MCBC
Alisha looks forward to
actively working with
local jurisdictions to help
achieve MCBC’s goal of
20% of all trips in Marin
to be made by walking
or bicycling by 2020.
The title sponsors for this year’s Bikers’ Ball are
Mike’s Bikes and Backroads. Table sponsors signed up
at press time are Bolds Insurance, Maikham Catering
and Dr. Laura Sciaroni, The Orthopaedic Group of San
Francisco.
Tickets $50 (members) in advance, $55 at the
door, $60 non-members. Get your tickets at www.
marinbike.org
MCBC is pleased to announce that Alisha Oloughlin
has joined our staff as the new Advocacy
Coordinator. Having recently relocated to Marin
County, she has spent the past few months actively
enjoying the County’s bicycle and pedestrian paths
and facilities, abundance of recreational opportunities
and captivating landscapes. Alisha has spent most
of her life in the North Bay and is eager to share the
region’s many benefits with her young daughter. She
enjoys spending time with her family exploring the
North Coast by bike, foot and paddle, while gaining a
humbling appreciation of the region’s diverse ecosystems
and communities.
Prior to joining MCBC, Alisha worked as a Landuse/Transportation
Planner for a community and
environmental consulting firm. She specialized in
community outreach and education, with an emphasis
on localized grassroots planning. Simultaneously,
she served as a Local Agency Formation Commission
(LAFCO) Analyst, in which she assessed the service
adequacy and operating efficiencies of special districts
and municipalities.
Alisha now brings her community planning, policy
interpretation and public outreach skills, and her experience
working with local governments, to the Marin
County Bicycle Coalition.
The MCBC has been steadily improving our
county’s road and path facilities for walkers and bicyclists
since we formed in 1998. Alisha looks forward
to actively working with local jurisdictions to help
achieve MCBC’s goal of 20% of all trips in Marin to
be made by walking or bicycling by 2020.
3

Giving Confidence To Women Cyclists
Just for Women; Taught by Women
2011 FALL CLASS DATES:
BASIC STREET SKILLS
(attendance highly recommended)
Mon. Oct. 10, 6:30–8:30 p.m. – Mill Valley
Classroom Presentation
ON THE BIKE CLINICS:
Saturdays, 10 a.m. – Noon
Oct. 8, Bicycle Handling – Corte Madera
Oct. 22, Gearing & Hills – Fairfax
BICYCLE MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP
Wed. Oct. 19, 6:30. – 8:30 p.m. – San Anselmo
The classes have
something for everyone.
I was one of the least
experienced in the hillclimbing
class, but I
didn’t feel left behind.
– Lynn MacDermott
MARIN COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION
BICYCLE EDUCATION CLASSES
Lynn MacDermott was not comfortable riding her
bike in traffic. Her husband was a cyclist and she
wanted to follow in his footsteps (or bike clips as the
case may be) but she was fearful of riding next to traffic
or having a car door open in her face. The hills were
pretty intimidating too. So in the past, she stuck to short
rides near her home. All that has changed now that she
has taken two of the Women on Wheels Clinics.
Women on Wheels is a new education program
of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition in which women
instructors teach women the skills they need to
push past their concerns about bicycling. Currently
it offers four workshops covering Basic Street Skills,
Bicycle Handling, Gearing and Hills, and Basic Bike
Mechanics. The classes are gaining in popularity
among women like Lynn who want to ride more but
lack confidence and skills.
Like most adults, Lynn rode her bike as a kid and
remembers that it was fun to ride. She also has fond
memories of when she worked in Munich, Germany,
and a friend took her out cycling. But after college she
stopped bicycling as it was not something her friends
did. Then she met her husband and decided that it
would be healthy and fun to start again. Six years ago
she purchased a bike much like the comfortable bike
she rode in Germany. Still, she was wary of straying
too far from home.
Lynn attended both the Basic Street Skills class and
the Gearing and Hills class of Women on Wheels. She
learned how to position herself in traffic to be more
visible, which lane to take, and specific options for
crossing streets. She also learned the tricks needed
to successfully navigate up and down hills, such as
keeping the balls of her feet on the pedals and changing
the seat height. She also learned that bikes must
stop at stop signs, just like cars.
Now Lynn feels more confident to tackle the hills
and go longer distances. She has more energy and
can lean on the turns without falling over. Downhill
is not so scary anymore. She hopes to take a longer
loop ride near her house and explore West Marin, the
wine country and maybe even Mendocino. Someday
she hopes to do a multi-day ride.
“The classes have something for everyone,” she
said. “I was one of the least experienced in the hillclimbing
class, but I didn’t feel left behind.” Learning
from other women created a really comfortable environment.
“Cheryl and KO (the instructors) were really
inspiring,” she continued. “They love to bike and to
teach and were very enthusiastic women.”
Lynn no longer has to drive to flat areas to bike.
“I’m not so limited,” she said. “I didn’t think that bicycling
was for me, but now I see how basic knowledge
can be very helpful.” She has already recommended
the class to other women. Bicycling is empowering to
women, she noted, especially those who don’t have
a car. They can get around more. It’s great for family
activities; men and women can get out with their kids.
“Being able to ride greater distances feels good. It’s a
free feeling on your bike.”
The next series of Women on Wheels begins
October 8 with Bicycle Handling (in Corte Madera),
followed by: Street Skills (in Mill Valley) October 10;
Bike Maintenance (in San Anselmo) October 19; and
Gearing and Hills (in Fairfax) October 22. For more
information go to www.marinbike.org/WOW.
4

Global Mobile
Family by Renee Goddard
had heard of the Global Mobile Family, but couldn’t
I imagine what it might look like until I saw a mom and
dad ride into Fairfax towing four boys under five years
old in Chariots—bikes brimming with 250 pounds
each. The bikes carried 14 bags of the stuff they were
carrying for their 18-month journey around the world.
The weight includes kids and their harmonicas, string
for making friendship bracelets, and Lego.
They parked their rigs at the Scoop, and four-anda-half-year-old
Moses displayed the patience and
restraint of a saint while the bikers of Fairfax greeted
the family with a barrage of questions. Pedestrians
passing by sneaked peeks with jaw-dropping curiosity.
“The first question is always about our choice to
travel on 18-inch wheels,” reported the dad, Martin.
His response was always that they were completely
satisfied with their bikes. Martin (from Germany)
and Julie (originally from England) and children were
two and a half months into their trip, having traveled
down from Vancouver. They were making their way
to San Francisco, where they would catch a flight to
Guatemala City.
Their motto is “Miles verses culture.”
“20 miles a day is our limit in order to make our
trip child friendly, and have time to connect with the
people we meet along the way,” Martin said. Limiting
miles allows time for the inevitable and unexpected.
They had so far repaired only seven flats.
The Chariot’s sling system is designed like a static
hammock, allowing a baby to be secured and suspended
to avoid any jarring on the rougher patches
of road. Julie scooped seven-and-a-half-month-old
baby Herbie from the chariot, waking him. He was red
faced and sweaty, but looked me in the eye and smiled
a knowing smile: He was exactly where he should be,
at the Scoop in Fairfax. A wise smile from a baby
leaves a lasting impression, and I will think of Herbie
and know the world is in good hands with him as an
Ambassador: wheels true, heart pure, and knowing
nothing else except that a bicycle is a traveling home,
an inroad, human powered vehicle that allows access
to otherwise hidden corners of the globe.
I asked the family what had inspired them to take
the trip. Julie described a painting of a sunset with a
silhouette of two people and a dog. “The sunset was
not one we were likely to see in Germany, but rather
more like an Australian sunset.” The vision never
faded. Even as they added boys to their lives, they
could see the trip in front of them. The bikes became
a way that they could stay self contained and still see
the world. The vision was that their children would be
open to the world and its cultures and learn that you
don’t have to be rich to live your dream.
In 2010 when Turis, Caspar and Moses were 1, 2.5
and 3.5 respectively, and Julie was pregnant with Herbie,
the family set off on a practice tour around Romania.
Julie recounts that the scariest moment was an
encounter with a group of threatening, barking dogs.
I suppose that the dogs were not a significant deterrent
because upon their return to Germany, Martin
set forth on his six-month project to secure sponsors
and build the perfect bicycle rigs for the journey. Julie
recounts that far more challenging than the practice
trip pregnant in Romania were the several times she
had sent Martin to the park in their neighborhood in
Germany to practice watching three boys at once.
When he returned very relaxed and recounted the
great conversation in which he had engaged, Julie
realized that biking, sustained strength, nursing and
weaning were not going to be at the very top of her list
of challenges. Martin would have to sprout Mommy
eyes.
Meeting Julie and Martin and the Global Mobile
Family was a great pleasure. Their deep desire to journey
and discover the world together is their drive; their
bicycles, their means of treading lightly and pedaling
in and out of cultures and landscapes with the world’s
vastly diverse tapestry of people.
It is only by bike that you can enter Fairfax, park
directly in front of the Scoop and immediately be
immersed in the culture. Bicycles allow passage into
central squares in towns and cities. Bikes awaken curiosity,
elicit warm welcomes, and nurture the connections
that make our world a little bit friendlier.
Most of the world’s people can relate on some level
to the feeling of balancing on a bicycle. The Global
Mobile Family is truly awe inspiring.
You can follow the Global Mobile Family’s journey
and see their beautiful photos on their blog at www.
globalmobilefamily.com.
The vision was that
their children would be
open to the world and
its cultures and learn
that you don’t have to be
rich to live your dream.
5

Kentfield Schools Develop Innovative
Neighborhood SchoolPool Program
Kentfield School District is introducing a new program
to encourage district parents to choose
Green Ways to School. By adding neighborhood organizers
to the mix, Kentfield Schools hope to create
long lasting SchoolPool networks for families—networks
that can endure throughout the school year
and beyond.
The Kentfield Safe Routes to Schools Task Force
developed a system in which they divided the district
into six neighborhoods and assigned each a captain,
who would lead the program at the neighborhood
level. Volunteer Marnie Ganong created the initial
neighborhood maps using Google Maps. The district
IT specialist, Peter Zingg, using free on-line mapping,
was able to take these maps, translate the coding into
the school database and identify families within each
neighborhood. Parents were offered the opportunity
to opt out of the program before being contacted.
The six captains were provided with the contact
information for everyone in their neighborhood, and
are assisting their neighbors in establishing School-
Pool networks to walk, bike or carpool together. They
are hosting neighborhood gatherings to kick things
off. Volunteer parent Heather McPhail Sridharan will
help the captains as they organize their neighborhood
programs.
The maps also designate drop-off lots and parkand-walk
locations for those who feel they live too far
to walk or bike all the way to school.
“It is our hope that by designating neighborhoods
within the district boundary and identifying where
our student population resides within each neighborhood,
we can better target each neighborhood’s
travel concerns and needs,” says William Cameron,
Bacich Assistant Principal. “Bacich has improved its
green trips from 28% to 49% over the past nine years,
so we are encouraged that these numbers will only
improve as we better inform and educate our students
and parents on the many social, environmental
and health-related benefits a successful Safe Routes
Program offers.”
Safe Routes to Schools is documenting Kentfield’s
process and will create a guide book so other communities
can follow this lead. It will also explore how
the SchoolPoolMarin program can offer some of the
same products that Kentfield created through its database
system. While the Kentfield process is volunteerintensive
in its creation, the result is a sustainable
system that can be easily duplicated for future years.
It creates permanent SchoolPool partners who can
share the journey to school throughout their children’s
school years.
6

Congratulations to SR2S’s 2011 Green Ways to School Winners
The Green Ways to School Campaign showed
tremendous success in encouraging schools to
increase their efforts to promote green tips by foot,
bike, carpool or bus. Using contests and challenges
with an ecological focus, the campaign has touched
on Marin’s environmental ethics to encourage parents
to switch to greener modes of transportation. The last
two years have seen a 6% increase overall in green
trips for the schools that participated in the Green
Ways to School contests. Even more significant was
the number of schools in the program that demonstrated
a higher rate of increase than the average for
all schools:
Ä Ä 19 schools (61% of the Green Ways participating
schools) showed an increase of 5%+ over the
school year
ÄÄ13 schools (42%) showed an increase of 7%+ over
the school year
ÄÄ8 schools (25%) showed an increase of 10%+ over
the school year
In addition to the school contests, there was an
interschool challenge to reward those schools that
showed outstanding achievement.
1st Place Green Ways to School – $2000
Edna Maguire Elementary School
ÄÄ11% increase in overall Green Trips
ÄÄ11% Registered at SchoolPoolMarin
ÄÄ14% increase during Go for the Green contest
2nd Place Green Ways to School – $750
Rancho Elementary School
ÄÄ13% increase in overall Green Trips
ÄÄ12% increase in carpooling to 34%
1st Place Program Achievement Award – $1000
Bacich Elementary School
ÄÄ21% increase since 2001 from 28% to 49% green trips
ÄÄ9% registered at SchoolPoolMarin
ÄÄDeveloped innovative Neighborhood SchoolPool program
2nd Place SchoolPool Award – $500
Park Elementary School
ÄÄ7% registered at SchoolPoolMarin
7

advocacy
MCBC Launches a New Off-road Program
By Scott Klimo, Board Vice President
Since its founding in 1998, the Marin County Bicycle
Coalition’s staff, directors, volunteers and members
have dedicated themselves to advocating for
improved bicycle access and infrastructure, to educating
drivers and cyclists alike regarding their rights
and responsibilities on the road and to teaching safe
cycling to school children throughout Marin County. In
these efforts we have worked closely with government
officials at the federal, state and local levels, with local
police forces and with school administrations; and in
each of these areas we have achieved tremendous
success. For example, over the period 1999 – 2010
weekday cycling trips increased 135%, while cycling
collisions declined 34%.
As cyclists our efforts have been personally motivated
by a desire to improve the conditions under
which we pursue our favorite activity. We also have
a strong altruistic and environmental commitment,
believing that improved cycling infrastructure and a
higher percentage of trips made by bicycle contribute
to a better quality of life for everyone in Marin County.
The bicycle may be a 19th century invention but it can
address many of our 21st century challenges such as
increased traffic and congestion, dwindling conventional
energy supplies, lack of exercise among our
youth, and a warming planet.
While the MCBC has made great progress implementing
its mission statement of Providing Safe Bicycling
for Everyday Transportation and Recreation, it
has become apparent that the recreational aspect of
our mandate has been underserved by our strict focus
on road-related issues. Bicycle retailers in Marin have
informed us that as much as 50% of their sales are
mountain bikes. As any local resident knows, mountain
biking participation has boomed in the county
where it was invented, despite significant restrictions
on cycling across much of Marin’s public lands. All
local high schools now have mountain biking teams
and at several of these schools it is the most popular
sport in terms of participation. Weekends see hundreds
of cyclists riding the trails of Tamarancho or
China Camp.
Since we are the Marin County Bicycle Coalition
and given the evolution of cycling in Marin, the Board
of Directors of the MCBC has decided to initiate support
for off-road cycling in our advocacy efforts. The
MCBC does not take this step lightly and we are cognizant
of the many challenges given the contentious
8

nature of off-road cycling in Marin. We know that
some organizations with which we have worked in the
past have concerns regarding mountain biking, as do
many residents of Marin. Regardless, we believe that
we can have a positive impact on the conversation.
It’s a conversation that
we believe will benefit from the
participation of a seasoned,
professional advocacy
organization such as the
MCBC. We plan to open
lines of communication
and work proactively to
involve all interested parties,
to understand their
desires and concerns and to
find common ground.
To those members concerned
that our current advocacy efforts will
suffer, we assure you that will not be the case. We
have already identified separate sources of funding to
support the effort, including a generous gift from the
Bicycle Trails Council of Marin. Off-road advocacy will
be a self-sustaining activity. Existing advocacy staff
will not be re-directed and we plan to hire a dedicated
off-road advocacy director. Indeed, we believe that
tapping the mountain biking community will provide
a tremendous opportunity to grow our membership,
while strengthening our organization and our voice
with regard to all advocacy issues.
To those citizens who are concerned that we will
push for access to every trail across all of Marin’s public
lands, we pledge that the same philosophy guiding
our current advocacy work, our Share the Road
program and Safe Routes to School, will guide our
off-road advocacy efforts. We will participate in trail
planning processes and work alongside government
agencies and land managers. Just as we do not advocate
for bicycle access to Highway 101, we know that
there are many trails where mountain biking would
be inappropriate. Yes, we believe more trails should
be available to mountain bikers in Marin County.
The sheer number of our fellow citizens engaged in
mountain biking justifies increased access. At the
same time all users share responsibility, and education
is paramount. We will be deeply
involved in activities to encourage
all users to create a cooperative,
respectful, friendly and safe
environment on trails. We
will spearhead trail maintenance,
remove and work
to prevent rogue trail construction,
and lead efforts
to control the spread of
invasive plants.
Some groups desire to
reserve Marin’s public lands for
their exclusive use. As we have seen
recently in California, public assets that
do not generate sufficient activity are at risk of closure;
China Camp State Park is a case in point. With
the demographic bulge of mountain bikers now moving
though our high schools, off-road cyclists can be
powerful advocates for keeping our public lands out
of the hands of developers and available for all of our
citizens to enjoy. Through intelligent and cooperative
efforts to develop mountain biking access in Marin we
can expand opportunities for local recreation, attract
visitors, support local businesses and broaden a tax
base that has come under pressure.
Casting our minds back to 1998 and the MCBC’s
founding, supporting the development of cycling infrastructure
for roads was not without controversy. Many
complained of taking space away from automobiles,
of unnecessary expense, of lost parking spaces. Such
arguments largely ring hollow today. Not everyone has
climbed aboard but the cycling bandwagon continues
to grow. We expect a similar progression to occur
with regard to off-road cycling and the Marin County
Bicycle Coalition will strive to make a constructive
contribution to that transition.
To those citizens who
are concerned that we
will push for access to
every trail across all of
Marin’s public lands, we
pledge that the same
philosophy guiding our
current advocacy work,
our Share the Road
program and Safe Routes
to School, will guide our
off-road advocacy efforts.
We plan to open lines of
communication and work
proactively to involve
all interested parties, to
understand their desires
and concerns and to
find common ground.
9

$8.8 Million in Pilot Program Funds
Funds approved for Bike/Ped Projects, including $600,000 for the Alto Tunnel
On Tuesday, August 23, the Marin County Board
of Supervisors voted to allocate $8.8 million for
bicycle/pedestrian projects throughout Marin. The
Marin County Bicycle Coalition fully endorsed the list
of funded projects that were proposed by the County
Department of Public Works. The list was unanimously
approved by the Board of Supervisors. The $8.8M
in funds that were allocated are federal transportation
bill extension funds related to the $25 million Nonmotorized
Transportation Pilot Program, which MCBC’s
former Director Deb Hubsmith played a key role in
bringing to Marin in 2005.
All of the projects in the Department of Public
Works staff report were approved, including:
Ä Ä$3.2 million for construction of the Central Marin
Ferry Connection Project, a key component of the
North South Greenway and also a major MCBC
priority project.
Ä Ä$1.5 million for a sidewalk on East Francisco
Boulevard, connecting the Canal District with
downtown San Rafael.
Ä Ä$2 million to fund construction shortfalls that will
ensure the completion of 10 important bike/ped
projects in towns and cities throughout Marin.
Ä Ä$600,000 for phase 2 of traffic signal bike
detection upgrades throughout the County.
Ä Ä$900,000 for project staffing and evaluation.
Ä Ä$600,000 for a geotechnical and property study
of the Alto Tunnel.
While MCBC is celebrating the allocation of all
of these funds, we are particularly excited about the
allocation of $600,000 of funds for studying the Alto
Tunnel. Funds will be used to conduct a geotechnical
study to more accurately assess the tunnel’s condition.
The study will result in more accurate cost estimates
for reconstructing the tunnel. In the June 2010 Mill
Valley to Corte Madera Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor
Study, tunnel reconstruction estimates contained
high contingencies, which drove the tunnel estimates
higher than they would have been if up-to-date geotechnical
information had been available. This study
will help resolve cost-estimate issues.
Funds will also be used to conduct a property
study, including establishing easement ownership for
properties above the tunnel. This too will help increase
the accuracy of cost estimates for rebuilding the Alto
Tunnel, and it will help resolve debates about tunneleasement
ownership.
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition deeply appreciates
MCBC-member support in helping to achieve
this important victory. Without the support of members
and Alto supporters this project would not be
moving forward today. But there is much work to do
ahead.
Over the coming months MCBC will be requesting
your support for the Alto Tunnel. Please contact Alisha
Oloughlin at Alisha@marinbike.org if you would like
to get more involved. We hope we can depend on you
to help move this project toward completion over the
coming months and years. Thank you for your support
in helping to re-open the Alto Tunnel.
Key N/S Greenway Connector Open Soon
Enfrente Pathway will Close Key Safety Gap
MCBC is eagerly awaiting the completion of
Novato’s Enfrente Pathway, which is currently
under construction. The separated, multiuse pathway
is on the west side of Highway 101 between Enfrente
Road and the southbound on-ramp from South Novato
Boulevard (see map).
This pathway is a key part of the North/South Greenway.
Up to now, cyclists and pedestrians have been
forced to use the very dangerous shoulder of Highway
101 to get between these two points. This pathway has
been a priority for MCBC for many years and MCBC
is excited about the project’s proposed completion
sometime in Fall 2011. The majority of funding ($1.4
million) for this more than $1.85 million project came
from the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program.
MCBC plans to participate in a celebration of the
opening of this facility later this fall.
10

Full Steam Ahead for the SMART Train & Pathway
The SMART Train and Pathway project is currently
moving forward with a balanced funding plan,
regional support and a strong new general manager
who has the funding, political and construction experience
to get the train and pathway rolling.
The SMART board recently voted to approve a
funding plan which was approved by the Metropolitan
Planning Commission on September 28 th . This move
allowed $43 million in additional funds to be used for
the SMART project, balancing the funding plan.
Over the coming months SMART will be bonding
and awarding its first “design/build” contracts
for the rail portion of the project between San Rafael
and Santa Rosa. This phase will mark the beginning
of building significant portions of the project, including
tracks, bridges, intersections and signalization
between San Rafael and Santa Rosa.
Despite all of this progress, a group that is working
to repeal SMART Measure Q recently began collecting
signatures for a ballot initiative to kill SMART. In
order for these opponents to qualify for the ballot they
may need to collect up to 50,000 signatures—but the
number could be significantly lower. Please do not sign
the petition, and please urge your friends and family
not to sign it. MCBC is seeking help to educate the
community about the misinformation that the repeal
group is disseminating about the SMART project. If
you can help to oppose repeal efforts and support
SMART, please contact Alisha@marinbike.org.
It is particularly critical that SMART supporters
help defeat the repeal effort, as defeating the repeal
will protect the SMART pathway, which is also moving
forward. SMART is currently in the process of getting
federal environmental clearance for the pathway.
Completion of this important step will allow current
and future federal funds to be used to build portions
of the pathway that are not funded by Measure Q.
Many segments of the pathway will be built after the
train tracks are rebuilt (to avoid construction conflicts)
but one important segment between North San Pedro
Road and the Civic Center will be constructed early, by
the summer of 2013! This key connector will allow for
safe and separate (from cars) access to Civic Center
Drive and the Merrydale Road and adjacent neighborhoods
from North San Pedro Road. This will be the
second segment of SMART pathway built in Marin;
the Cal Park Tunnel segment completed in December
2010 was the first.
MCBC is encouraged by the hiring of SMART’s
new General Manager, Farhad Mansourian, who left
his position at the County of Marin as Department
of Public Works Director to lead SMART. Farhad has
been employed by the County for more than 31 years
and brings a wealth of technical, political, managerial
and funding experience needed to bring this complex
series of public works projects to fruition in a relatively
short time period.
MCBC continues to work to ensure that the pathway
moves forward in a timely manner, and is supporting
SMART in all ways possible to get needed
funds to complete 100% of the pathway by the start
of operations of the SMART train.
MCBC appreciates all of the public support during
key decisions by the Transportation Authority of
Marin and the SMART board, especially over the past
year. MCBC will continue to keep you up to date on the
SMART repeal developments and will be requesting
your help so that we can successfully help to build this
world-class train and pathway system. Please contact
Alisha at Alisha@marinbike.org if you can help.
Photo: Sonoma Bicycle Coalition
Help oppose repeal
efforts and support
SMART. Contact
Alisha@marinbike.org
11

Tour de Marin Benefit Ride a Huge Success
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) and
Whole Foods Market presented a new benefit
bicycle ride, Tour de Marin, on Sunday, July 24, 2011.
The event exceeded organizers’ expectations. The
goal of 200 participants was met a week before the
ride; registration had to be closed two days before the
event when sign-ups reached 300.
Tour de Marin raised $11,424 for MCBC’s work
to expand Marin County’s bicycle and pedestrian
network. Advocating for safer and more convenient
bicycle facilities is a big component for reaching
MCBC’s goal for 20% of all trips in Marin to be made
by walking or bicycling by 2020.
Whole Foods Market donated the promotions,
T-shirts, goodie bag giveaways, breakfast at the ride
start and food and drinks at the mid-point rest stop.
Mike’s Bikes donated ride support, including a SAG
(support and gear) vehicle to assist riders in need
along the route.
Marin Cyclists ride leader and MCBC Board Director
Mark Comin really put his experience to work.
He designed the 35-mile route to lead cyclists along
the bike lanes and tunnels that MCBC has worked so
hard to create in eastern Marin. The route took riders
out Lucas Valley Road through redwoods and horse
stables to Nicasio, before heading back to San Rafael
via the scenic Ross Valley and through the Cal Park
Tunnel. Mark put together a great team of Course
Marshals, and he shepherded along the three most
novice cyclists on the ride to Nicasio with constant
words of encouragement and a smile on his face.
Whole Foods Market store manager Clarke Pomeroy
went on the ride and was pleased that Whole
Foods Market was able to support it. “The ride was
an amazing event,” he said. “There was great energy
with over 300 of us riding together. It is really fun and
gratifying to see the cyclists in Marin come together
to support each other and MCBC.”
Following the ride, participants were invited to a
special meal of pizza, salad and beer at Pizza Orgasmica,
where the Tour de France was playing on television
screens around the restaurant.
Tour de Marin was billed as a comfortable, wellsupported
ride with “no one left behind.” The combination
of a moderate ride with delicious food and
a scenic route was the perfect formula for success.
Organizers plan to offer the ride again in 2012.
We would like to acknowledge Pizza Orgasmica,
REI, Clif Bar, Somersalt Snacks, Skip-to-Renew, Camelbak
and all the other businesses that provided support
and treats. We’d like to thank the Nicasio Valley
Cheese Company for providing samples of their delicious
cheese, and MALT (Marin Agricultural Land
Trust) for hosting the Nicasio rest stop. Lastly, we
thank the staff of Whole Foods Market San Rafael and
the 30+ volunteers who made a great day even better.
Here are some quotes from participants following
the ride:
“This was my first ride. It was wonderful!!! Think
I may actually like riding!”
“Thanks so much for this wonderful ride. I enjoyed
every second of it. I appreciate the support of Mike’s
Bikes for the ride up the big hill and for the encouragement
that I could finish the ride.”
“It was a great route. All the food was delicious.
The Nicasio Valley Cheese stop was fantastic. MCBC
did a great job making it a fun ride.”
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13

Bike Locally Shows the Way
I was afraid of getting
lost, I was afraid of
traffic, I was afraid of
everything, so the best
part of the program for
me is having a mentor
to show me the way.
– Susan Doyle
Bike Locally Challenge
is on Facebook
The 2011 Bike Locally Challenge is nearing its finish
line. Here’s an update on the six novice cyclists.
Karen Herzog was shocked to discover how much
stress relief bicycle commuting provided. Leaving her
car behind and using the bike for her morning commute
has opened up a whole new world. She’s now
noticing the clouds, the reflections on the water, the
egrets and ducks and their babies along her route.
She’s using Marin’s green bicycle-route signs to find
her way around. She has some hills in her commute
and says “you know you’re in trouble when you’re trying
to go lower then 1st gear.” Karen appreciates the
mentor program: “If you know someone is watching
out for you, that makes a big difference.” Karen has
logged 228 miles so far.
Susan Doyle agrees about the mentors. “I was
afraid of getting lost,” she says. “I was afraid of traffic,
I was afraid of everything, so the best part of the
program for me is having a mentor to show me the
way. He rides with me and he’s a radical bike dude
and I totally respect him. He’s one of those guys who
doesn’t own a car and it’s been great to have someone
hold my hand through it.” Susan is a teacher and rides
her bike to school; she is constantly talking about it
with others, she says. The best thing that’s happened
so far? Two people came up to her on the same day
and told her that she’d inspired them to get their own
bikes out of the garage and them get tuned up. Sue
has logged 447 miles so far.
Jay Gustufson says his bike inspires lots of conversations
about the program when he rides downtown
for coffee. People see him roll up in the morning and
ask about his bike. The conversation gets them thinking
about that old bike in the garage and they start
to realize they could do it too. Jay said “I don’t wear
spandex—well.” He’s planning to look for some tweed
bicycle attire to fit his “slow” bicycle style. Jay has
logged 399 miles so far.
Sharon Dahme is earning big points with the social
aspect of the Challenge. Each rider is supposed to
share his or her stories with the public to inspire others
to get out of their cars and onto bikes. Sharon reported
these results:
• 18 points for talking to 18 people about
my
Specialized Vita Comp bicycle
• 10 points for posting on my
Facebook account
• 10 points for blogging on Bike Locally site
• 6 points for talking about the
Garmin Edge 500 GPS
• 6 points for mentioning the Vis180 Light
and Motion Rear
bike light on Facebook
• 4 points for trip types: to Petaluma
High School and church
“Fabulous” is the word Sharon uses for her mentor,
Helene Drumm. “She described the gearing and which
finger or thumb to be used and why. Man, oh man! She
made it all make sense.”
Jeffrey Schaub had just left his job with KPIX when
he applied for the Challenge. He wanted to buy a bike
to run local errands and to get in shape, but being out
of work he couldn’t afford a new bike. Luckily for Jeffrey
he was picked by our panel and received one of
the six Challenge bicycles. Shortly after starting the
Challenge, Jeffrey landing a job reporting for KGO. He
has been tracking his progress on-air. His commutes
are mostly short trips from his home to the bus stop,
14

Bike LOCALLY [continued]
Cranksgiving Returns
Saturday, November 12!
but when I recently saw Jeffrey, he was meeting up
with a fellow reporter to take a leisurely ride about
town. Jeffrey has logged 234 miles so far.
Brianna Georgi recently moved to the Bay Area
from the Sierra and finds driving in Marin frustrating.
She’s found that for short trips, going by bike adds
little or no time. On longer trips, such as from Fairfax
to her job in Novato, she enjoys breezing along the bike
lane next to Highway 101, often moving faster than
the cars next to her on the freeway. She works with
the North Bay Conservation Corps, so her co-workers
are environmentally aware. While many of them had
thought about biking to work, Brianna’s stories and
example have now inspired some of them to try it.
Brianna has logged 501 miles so far.
Our Bike Locally Challenge will finish up in November.
Assuming that each rider earns 500 points from
riding and from sharing experiences, they’ll get to keep
the bikes and, we hope, make riding an integral part of
their days, as important as their food, smart phones
and morning cup of jo.
MCBC would like to thank Specialized Bicycles for
donating the bikes and making the program possible.
We’d also like to thank Mike’s Bikes for building up
and maintaining the bikes. Strava.com, Garmin, Light
and Motion and Timbuk2 contributed services and
accessories to our six riders. Lastly we’d like to thank
Cheryl Longinotti, Kathy McLeod and our wonderful
team of mentors for teaching people how easy is it to
choose the bicycle over the car for daily trips.
A pre-holiday food drive on bicycles!
What do you get when you cross a bicycle scavenger
hunt with a need to do good? Cranksgiving,
of course! Cranksgiving is the most fun you’ll
ever have helping collect food for those less fortunate
during the season of giving.
We’ll meet at the Marin Country Mart the morning
of Saturday, November 12, at 9 am. Come with
a bike equipped to carry groceries, or a bike and a
backpack or messenger bag, and $25 cash. We’ll hand
out the Cranksgiving Manifest, which lists a number
of grocery stores and items you need to pick up
on each stop. Seasoned Cranksgiving riders know to
take a few minutes to review all of the places on the
manifest in order to plot out the most efficient route.
The Marin Bicycle Map is also a great resource for
planning your route.
ÄÄ
What:
Cranksgiving –
A bicycle food drive
ÄÄ
When:
Saturday, November 12.
Registration opens at
1 p.m., ride rolls at 2 p.m.
ÄÄ
Where:
Marin County Mart’s
courtyard (next to Marin
Brew Co.) Larkspur
ÄÄ
What to bring:
Bicycle, $25 cash (to
purchase food) and
friends!
ÄÄ
Visit www.marinbike.org
for updates.
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fax 415.626.1317
denis@electricallyconnected.net
Depending on your riding abilities and hunting
skills, the ride will take anywhere from 2-4 hours to
complete.
This year we’ll be partnering with Marin Food
Bank, Yuba Cargo Bikes, The Bicycle Works, Marin
Country Mart and grocery stores to help people who
want to spend a little extra cash and go for the biggest
haul. Prizes are awarded to almost everyone, including
the first riders to return, the fastest back on a onegear
bike and the people who return with the biggest
amount of food (determined by weight).
15

Biketoberfest Just Keeps Getting Better!
Despite the threat of rain, an earlier date and a
move to Sunday, thousands of people came out
to celebrate the bicycle on September 25 at Biketoberfest
2011. In a single day, the Marin County Bicycle
Coalition and Access4Bikes raised over $30,000 for
bicycle advocacy.
The day began with group rides in the morning with
high-caliber bicycle celebrities leading the way, including
“Fast” Freddie Rodriguez, Otis Guy and Charlie Kelly,
and Rachael Lloyd. By the time the rides returned,
the clouds were parting, the beer was flowing and the
bands started playing.
Everyone loved this year’s musical lineup, which
included the swingin’ sounds of WTJ Squared, the
Gypsy jazz of Beso Negro and the country twang of
Miracle Mule. The Tom Finch Group fired everyone
up towards the end of the day with a righteous set of
power rock. If you haven’t seen these bands before, be
sure to catch them next time they’re in town.
This year’s addition of a Cargo Bike Jubilee paid off.
All day long, people were surrounded and inspired by
amazing non-polluting vehicles that can carry many
people and lots of cargo. Another big hit was the
Conference bike brought over by My Dutch Bike. The
bright orange bike seats seven riders. Adults and kids
could hop on and pedal together to move the contraption
around the event and down Center Blvd. The
family activities were a hit as well, including the Hilride
Kids’ Skills Course. Hilride is designing the Stafford
Lake Bike Park in Novato.
MCBC’s new Off-road Program got a boost at Biketoberfest
thanks to contributions totaling $785. MCBC
parked a record 651 bikes at this year’s festival, helping
reduce congestion on busy Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
A big Biketoberfest Thank You to our sponsors:
Lagunitas Brewing, Pizza Orgasmica, Mike’s Bikes,
Law Office of Dan Rose, Renovo Hardwood Bicycles,
City Cycles San Francisco, REI, Fox Racing Shox, Kali
Protectives, X-Fusion, Pacific Sun, Bohemian, Cannondale,
Yuba, Jamis Bicycles, Marin Bikes, WTB,
Adventure Sports Journal, Big 4 Party Rentals, Party
Jump and Clif Bar, as well as the twenty-five breweries
and wineries who came out to pour samples of their
beers and wine.
We’d like to thank the 225 volunteers who put on
Biketoberfest, and Sven Revel of Mauro’s Pizza and
Pasta who fed them all. And thanks to all the wonderful
exhibitors who came out to show off their products
and services that promote a healthier lifestyle.
Lastly, thanks to all the people who came out to
support MCBC and Access4Bikes at Biketoberfest.
Visit www.biketoberfestmarin.com to see all the sponsors,
brewers and exhibitors at this year’s festival; and
for more photos visit our Facebook Page at www.Facebook/marinbike.
See you next year!
16

Route 5 Passport – a New MCBC Success!
The Marin County Bicycle Coalition launched
a new program in the spring called the Route
5 Passport. From May through July, holders of the
Passports were rewarded for riding their bicycles to
businesses throughout central Marin. The Passports,
which were actually small foldout leaflets, contained
92 special offers, including discounts, “buy one get
one free” offers and in some cases, free stuff.
Ten thousand Route 5 Passports were printed and
distributed throughout Marin County, thanks in large
part to sponsors Whole Foods Market, Mike’s Bikes
and the Golden Gate Bridge District. The Passports
were available at the 92 participating businesses and
at bicycle events. Fitting neatly into wallets, they were
easy for cyclists to carry around.
Many Passport users discovered how easy it is
to ride a bike to dinner, to the movies and to shop.
The participating businesses thought it was a great
idea and enjoyed supporting MCBC while gaining
new customers.
The main goal of the program was to familiarize
Marin residents with the various bicycle routes
throughout Marin County, identified by green bicycle-route
signs. Each route is identified by a number.
Route 5 is Marin’s main north-south route, paralleling
Highway 101 from the
Golden Gate Bridge to the
Sonoma boarder. Hundreds
of these signs mark Marin’s
routes, some as far away as
Inverness.
MCBC Membership Director
Tom Boss commutes
from Fairfax to San Francisco
by taking first Route
20, then Route 24, and in
San Rafael connecting with
Route 5, which takes him
through the Cal Park Tunnel
to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.
On the return trip from
the ferry terminal Tom takes
Route 20 all the way home
through Larkspur, Kentfield
and the Ross Valley.
The Route 5 Passport helped show thousands
of cyclists the way around Marin on a bicycle, and
rewarded riders for their efforts. Look for the return
of the Route 5 Passport in 2012.
We Are Lawyers Who Ride
Let Us Fight Your Fight
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www.rahmanlawsf.com
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415.956.9245 or info@rahmanlawsf.com
369 Pine Street, Suite 600 San Francisco, CA 94104
Active members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, the Marin Co. Bicycle Coalition
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This does not constituate a guarantee, warranty or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.
17

Marin Century:
Highlights from August 2011 by Peggy Clark
The 49th Marin Century was another huge success
this year, with over 2600 registered cyclists
from all points in the Bay Area. The event on August
6 included six organized rides: Mt. Tam Double Century,
Mt. Tam Century, Marin, Double Metric, Marin
Century, Marin Metric Century and Marin 50k.
The key to the success of this event is the quality
and sheer number of volunteers. Marin Cyclists
began planning in January 2011 and this year 350
volunteers worked, most of them gifting their time in
multiple hours and some in multiple days to help with
the preparation. Thirty Marin County Bicycle Coalition
volunteers staffed the famous Nicasio Energizer
station with a total of 181 hours of MCBC energy and
enthusiasm. Many of the MCBC volunteers were
supporting the station for a third year in a row. They
arrive with sun hats and flip flops, down jacket and
head lamps as the day starts very early and ends at
around 10 p.m. Cyclists stop in Nicasio for their last
rest and food refueling before they arrive at the finish
in San Rafael.
The Marin Cyclists coordinates this event and
donates proceeds to many non-profit agencies
throughout Marin. For the past two years MCBC has
been the largest recipient of that giving, with an annual
contribution of $11,500!
Thank you Marin Cyclists for organizing such a
fun and supportive event. Here are some comments
from MCBC volunteers and cyclists at the Nicasio
Rest Stop:
Helen: “I didn’t think it was that much work. I
thought for strangers we worked really well together!”
Ernest: “The willingness of the volunteers to do
whatever it took, and the hospitality offered to all,
including the very last, riders late into the night, was
just inspiring to me! The volunteers, especially the
MCBC volunteers who did everything and more, with
such enthusiasm; but also the very dedicated radio
operators, the Red Cross volunteers, and the SAG driver
were all so professional and so willing to volunteer.”
Cyndi: “This is my first Century—I am so pleased
I chose the Marin Century as my first. The food was
great and ready each time I pulled into a rest station,
I was welcomed and encouraged by so many volunteers.
I will see you again in 2012!”
Photo by Keith Devlin, courtesy of PhotoCrazy.
The European Utilitarian
Bicycle Specialist
www.mydutchbike.com
575 Market Street, SF 415.644.0331
Stafford Lake
Cyclocross Race
November 6, 2011
19

REVIEW: Hennessy Hammock by Stephen Bryne
MSRP: $199
Reviewer: Stephen Bryne,
hiking-biking enthusiast,
bike commuter, former bike
racer, resident of Fairfax. Full
disclosure: I am a hammock
lover. My family used to
live in Venezuela and they
instilled in me a love of the
tropics and of hammocks.
This reviewer was not paid
or otherwise gratified by
anyone from Hennessy
Hammocks.
The Hennessy Hammock is a tent/hammock combination.
It gets suspended like a hammock and
is fully enclosed like a tent. The Hennessy Hammock
website (www.hennessyhammock.com) calls it “The
most innovative solution to lightweight, comfortable
camping on the planet.”
I purchased the Hennessy Ultralite Backpacker
A-Sym Zip model, which weighs just 1 lb, 15 oz (880
g). It comes with a stuff sack, nylon “tree hugger” webbing
straps, and a diamond-shaped (or asymmetrical)
silnylon rainfly. (Sack, straps and rainfly are not included
in the tent weight.) Features include a zippered side
entrance, asymmetric ergonomic design, a “perfect
set” comfort curve, and the catenary cut, “wrinkle
free” rainfly. Note: The Hennessy Ultralite Backpacker
model has a 200-pound weight limit for users.
The Hennessy Hammock uses top-quality materials,
and construction is first-rate. The hammock portion
is solid lightweight nylon (similar to parachute
material), so you rest on solid material. It’s a great
improvement over the hammocks of yesteryear that
were made of netting. The screen portion runs the
length of the hammock and is supported by a nylon
cord, which is also useful for hanging gear on.
A person enters the hammock from the bottom,
first sitting down and then raising their legs into the
hammock. The asymmetrical construction allows a
person to lie nearly horizontal or flat. The hammock
should be set up so that the center portion is about
chair height. Set-up is fairly easy and should get easier
the more times you do it.
Things to consider before purchasing this item
include set-up, insects, and temperature. Treeless
areas pose a challenge; to set up the hammock you
obviously need trees (or other fixed objects such
as poles, heavy equipment, buildings, etc.) that are
spaced the appropriate distance apart. In case you
don’t find supports, the hammock can be used as a
bivy sack. Biting insects, such as mosquitoes, can bite
through the lightweight nylon fabric of the bottom
portion of the hammock. Extra
layers of fabric or a sleeping bag
may eliminate this problem.
One last consideration is
weather. Although I have not used
the hammock in foul weather, I
understand that the rainfly does a
good job of keeping the occupant
dry. However, there is a reason
that hammocks are popular south
of the border: It’s because they
are cool, and I mean this literally.
Hammocks allow air to circulate
around the body, which is naturally cooling. For this
reason, hammocks may be better suited for use in
tropical or temperate climates than in cold climates.
The advantages of Hennessy Hammocks (and
other lightweight brands) include weight savings,
sleeping comfort, and safety. A lightweight hammock
saves two to three pounds over the lightest one- or
two-person tents. In addition, if you know that trees
will be available for setup and that cold weather is
not an issue, there is no reason to pack a sleeping
pad, which saves additional weight. Remember, if you
want to save weight on a trip, you need to look at the
“big three”: your tent, sleeping bag, and backpack (or
panniers, if you are biking). Also, when using a hammock,
you do not have to be concerned with hard,
rocky, or saturated ground. Lastly, because you are
suspended in the air, you do not have to worry about
crawling insects, snakes, or other ground-dwelling
species. Having survived a scorpion sting and a venomous
snake bite, I can tell you this is no small measure
of comfort.
The Whole Green Catalog describes the Hennessy
Hammock as “a clever low-impact alternative to tent
camping,” and Dwell Magazine calls it “the coolest
tent in the world.” Hennessy Hammocks come in
many different models. If you like sleeping in a hammock,
maybe there is a Hennessy Hammock to suit
you!
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Financial Advisor 415.391.6644
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20

REVIEW: Hydrapak Morro by Sutat
ride my mountain bike on Mt. Tam almost every day
I for an hour to four, and have been doing it for years
with the same hydration pack. So when my friend Tom
Boss from MCBC invited me to check out the new
800-cubic-inch Hydrapak Morro, I was stoked. I had
been using a somewhat bigger pack, but since these
days it’s rare for me to get out for an all-day adventure,
I figured the Morro would work for me.
The entire pack shouted out “Quality.” The ripstop
material is lightweight but strong and smooth surfaced,
so it’s not prone to catching edges and tearing.
Bomber zippers and pulls with welded seams closed
the pockets. It’s hard to look cool with loose stuff flapping
from your pack. The Morro features an excellent
compression-strap system that keeps the tails of the
straps from flying all around when the pack isn’t full
and the ends are long. This pack was looking sweet!
The main cavern easily swallowed up the many
layers I like to bring for the three seasons of weather
that I typically encounter riding the Sleeping Lady. I
like to enjoy a cold beverage in a scenic spot while on a
ride, and there was even room for my Ziploc iced drink.
An inner velcro pocket is perfect for the smart phone.
I managed to cram my tools into a front pocket, even
though I don’t think I need ready access to them. Tall
side pockets? I couldn’t figure out what was supposed
to go in there; I stuffed tubes into one and energy bars
into the other. (For hiking, you could put water bottles
into the side pockets.) Another little pocket at the
top was too small for my glasses. I couldn’t figure out
where to put my pump, so I dumped it in the bottom.
With my gear stowed, it was time to check out
the reservoir. The 100-oz flexible bag is made from a
synthetic rubber and is BPA and phthalate free. It has
an envelope-slide top, so not only is there plenty of
room for ice cubes, but you can reach inside to the bottom
and turn the thing inside out. This is the easiest to
clean and fill of any reservoir I’ve used. The drink tube
even detaches from the bottom, so you don’t have to
re-thread the tube when you take out the reservoir
to re-fill—and that’s one less excuse not to clean it.
Okay, so I’ve got the pack loaded with gear and
water, let’s take it out for a ride! The back pad vents
pretty well, and rides snug but not tight even even
when bouncing over rocky terrain. With the foamand-mesh
back pad, you have to compromise between
snug fit, comfort and sweat, and I think they’ve done
a good job. There’s this really cool magnet on the
padded shoulder straps to hold the drink tube, but
that did not hold tight. The combination of the very
kink-resistant plastic tube and the lack of power in the
small magnet means that the tube sort
of bows around and bounces quite a bit.
It might be fine for hiking. The bite
valve makes my favorites list
just because it does not leak.
At all. I might prefer a little
softer plastic, but the not
leaking is precious.
I’ve been enjoying
my rides for the past
few months with my
Hydrapak Morro. It’s
holding up really well,
and I would say that
my initial impressions
hold true. The Morro is
a well constructed, snug
fitting, lightweight (1 lb
13 oz) hydration pack
with an easy-to-clean,
BPA-free reservoir and
drip-free bite valve.
Proud Sponsors of Bike to Work Day & Biketoberfest
Apple & Windows Operating System Upgrades 21

REVIEW: The SON Dynamo Hub and
Supernova E3 LED Light by Tom Boss
People powered lighting system
like hanging around bike shops. Not only do you see
I all the new stuff when it arrives, but you get to see
what kinds of cool things the shop mechanics are running
on their own bikes. Last fall while at Sunshine
Bicycles, I couldn’t help but notice this fat front hub
on a mechanic’s bike with a wire that led from the hub
to a fork-mounted light. It was a SON dynamo hub
combined with a Supernova LED light. When I saw it
and learned how it worked, I had to have one!
When you first start to roll, one LED fires up; the other
two come on as soon as you build up a little speed.
Most people purchasing this set-up probably plan
to put it on a commuter bike, as the combination of
a dynamo hub and powerful light is a favorite of seasoned
transportation cyclists. They are also popular
with bicyclists doing 24-hour races since you don’t
have to worry about battery life. I decided to give it
a try on my mountain bike and build up a wheel for
my 29er.
For my maiden voyage I did a ride from Fairfax to
Mill Valley and back, on a variety of roads, fire roads
and multiuse trails. I even went through the Cal Park
Tunnel. The hub worked great and the Supernova was
plenty bright, throwing a good beam on the roads and
trails in front of me.
Both the Supernova E3 Pro and E3 Triple have the
“standlight” feature, a capacitor that keeps the light
on at very slow speeds and while you are stationary.
However, I took the combo on a trail with switchbacks
and discovered a challenge to riding trails with a generator
light. While you don’t need much momentum
Dynamo hubs create electricity, which can be used
to power a light. You might have had a variation as a
kid, the classic dynamo that attached to the bike’s
fork and made contact with the sidewall of the tire.
You had to pedal a lot harder when it was on because
of the friction it created.
Today most people wanting to power lights
through locomotion do so with a dynamo hub. There
are a variety on the market today, including the i-Light
from SRAM and the Nexus and Alfine dynamo hubs
from Shimano. These hubs are a dramatic improvement
over the friction-style dynamo.
If you want the ultimate electricity-generating
device, you want to check out the Schmidt hub, called
SON (Schmidt’s Original Nabendynamo). These hubs
are imported from Germany and cost twice as much
as other dynamos, but the SON hub has virtually no
drag. It’s also lighter then other hubs. It is built to last.
After much research on the internet, including online
visits to PeterWhiteCycles.com and SheldonBrown.
com, I picked Schmidt’s SON 28 classic (because it’s
available in a 6-bolt disc version).
Of the several good light choices available, I chose
one made by Supernova, the Supernova E3 Triple. This
light has 3 LED bulbs, which achieve 800 lumens.
22

REVIEW: The Son Dynamo Hub & Supernova E3 LED Light [continued]
to achieve an acceptable brightness, the capacitorpowered
standlight does not generate enough brightness
for you to navigate tight situations that slow you
to a crawl or stop you completely.
I now ride trails with a second light attached to my
helmet (a 250 lumen Niterider MiNewt Cordless),
which solves the problem and improves the overall
experience. When I’m riding on the roads or fire roads
only I don’t bother with the second light, because the
Supernova works great in those situations.
It’s very cool heading out on a ride without having
to worry about whether you charged your battery or
whether you have enough daylight. At night you don’t
have to calculate how far you’ll be able to travel before
burning through your juice. The Supernova E3 Triple
looks pretty cool and gets lots of comments because
of its sci-fi look. It reminds me of something you’d
see in a Flash Gordon movie. The SON hub also looks
cool. It adds weight, but then you don’t have to mount
a battery to your frame.
If you plan to build a new front wheel soon for your
commuter or mountain bike and you ride in low light
or at night, you might consider a generator-powered
lighting system. My SON dynamo hub and Supernova
LED light are a high-quality combo that delivers bright
light 99.9% of the time.
Fall Contest: Win a Pair of Vittoria Rubino Pro III Road Tires
Answer these three questions correctly and enter a drawing for a pair of Vittoria Rubino Pro III road tires worth
$96. Ever-popular all-rounder Rubino Pro has the perfect mix of features for most amateurs, with the endurance
for the toughest challenges: robust 150 TPI nylon casing, technical tread pattern, longlife tread compound, and
effective puncture protection make it the hard rider’s choice for endurance races like Race Across America
(RAAM). Clue: the answers can be found inside this issue.
1. Name a skill Lynn MacDermitt learned at
Women On Wheels
2. How many miles has Bike Locally Challenge
rider Susan Doyle logged?
3. Name a Cranksgiving partner
Name
Phone
email
Address
City
State Zip
Where to send your answers
Email tom@marinbike.org or mail this form to
MCBC, PO Box 1115, Fairfax, CA 94978.
The drawing will be held December 31, 2011.
Thanks to Vittoria Rubino for contributing our
Pedal Press contest prize.
23

MCBC STORE
Visit our online store for these items.
All proceeds support safer cycling efforts
in Marin.
MCBC bike shorts–$79.00
Men’s and Women’s Tee shirts–$25.00
MCBCsocks–$10.00
MCBC Map–$12.00
A must-have resource for anyone
riding in Marin!
The MCBC jersey–$69.00
BIKE
Bikers Ball Cranksgiving
EVENTS
STAfford Lake
Oct. 22
Nov. 12
CyclOCROSS Nov. 6
BECOME AN MCBC MEMBER
or Join Online:
www.marinbike.org
Name (first)
(last)
Street / PO Box
City
Zip
Phone (day)
(evening)
e-mail
How you heard about us
• $40 Regular • $60 Family • $100 Century • $250 Tour de France
For Century members and above select your t-shirt size: S M L XL
• Do not share my name with other organizations
Make checks payable to: Marin County Bicycle Coalition, P.O. Box 1115, Fairfax, CA 94978
Credit Card #
Exp. date
Signature
I want to volunteer!
• Attending public meetings
• Advocacy in your town
• Data entry
• Events
• Newsletter distribution/mailing
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• Safe Routes to Schools
• Share the Road
• Staffing an information table
• Trail/land stewardshipe
• Valet bicycle parking
• Other
24