Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance (CABA)

Be sure to take advantage of CATS “Clear the air” campaign and ride the buses and LYNX for free when you bring your bicycle. May 4th thru 10th. Details.

A Success

Thanks to Weldon Weaver and Board of Advisor member Margie Orell and others who volunteered on a (hot!) sunny day on May 3 at Quail Hollow Country Club. We parked over 220 bikes, garnered some new members and friends, were treated to free food and a chance to watch some of the Championship close-up. A win – win for all concerned. We hope word will spread so that next year we are invited back, possibly for a fee. We also have our sights set on the Panthers.

Here is an email sent by a happy customer to the Championship staff – -

“Greg and I recently volunteered to work at the Wachovia Tournament at Quail Hollow which is not far from our home.. We decided to ride our bikes to and from our shifts. We found a bike rack lot near the entrance which was manned by members of Charlotte Area Bike Alliance. They helped us lock up our bikes and registered our names with our bikes. At the end of the day when we showed up to retrieve our bikes we found a note on one of them informing us that we had a blow-out shortly after arriving. They fixed our bike for free and just asked that we would spread the word about their organization and suggest becoming members. We are grateful for the presence of CABA at the tournament and believe they provide a important service to volunteers and spectators alike.. Supporting bike riders shows again Wachovia’s interest in “green” methods of “doing no harm” to the environment during the tournament. I suggest you do what you can to continue CABA assistance at future tournaments. We’re looking forward to it! “ – Greg & Anita Brandner.

Riding Safely and With Confidence

Thanks to Ed Moyers and others who worked his fanny off making this happen. And to Mike Duralia for an outstanding teaching job. This League of American Bicyclists certified course teaches cyclists how to better operate safely, effectively and confidently on city streets. Topics include: legal rights and responsibilities, road safety practices, checklist of road danger zones, how to outfit yourself and your bike, etc.

This course was identical to the one successfully offered at Dowd YMCA last summer by John Ciccarelli. CABA hopes to offer it again in the Fall, and possibly make it a permanent program for the general public. Overcoming the fear of riding on streets is one of the most important obstacles to overcome – specifically in Charlotte’s bicycle un-friendly street system.