COMBA 2009

COMBA Board Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, March 10

The Colorado Mountain Bike Association Board of Directors will hold their monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at Bent Gate Mountaineering, 1313 Washington Ave., Golden.

The agenda will be posted on www.comba.org on Monday, March 9, 2009. All COMBA members are welcome to join us.

Just as an FYI … our last meeting went pretty long due to a very heavy first-meeting-of-the-new-board agenda, and we didn’t have time for a collaborative work session with members. Sorry about that. We want to thank all the members who showed up. Our goal, once we get through these initial meetings, is to carve out some time for truly interactive work sessions, but we can’t promise that it’ll happen at the upcoming meeting.

Hillary Seminick Joins COMBA Board

Please join us in welcoming Hillary Seminick to the COMBA Board of Directors. Per COMBA bylaws, Hillary was appointed by a majority vote of current board members. She replaces Paul Murphy, who tendered his resignation in February.

Here’s what she has to say about herself by way of introduction:

"My humble beginnings took root in Florida about five years ago; where I raced cross country and the occasional 12-hour. My favorite way to discover Colorado, the beautiful state I’ve called home for almost three years, is on a bike, whether it is my trusty cross bike or my burlier all-mountain rig. I also love commuting by bicycle to work or wherever else my wheels might take me.

I believe cycling activism is an integral part of riding a bike. In Florida I helped in a grass roots effort preventing the sale of a beloved Tallahassee trail to developers, was involved in trail building efforts and volunteered with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission mapping trails throughout the state. Since moving to Colorado, I’ve been involved with the Boulder Mountain Bike Patrol and COMBA. When I’m not riding a bike, I’m a spatial analyst and cartographer, skills that I will continue to contribute to COMBA.

COMBA has such great potential, and I am honored to be part of a board with such brilliant and talented minds. I am very excited to work with these passionate and dedicated mountain bikers. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. "

Michelle Beckman Goes to Washington

COMBA is proud to announce that board member Michelle Beckman will be traveling to Washington, D.C., on March 10-12 for the 2009 National Bike Summit.

Sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, the 2009 National Bike Summit is focused on making a powerful case for expanding federal support for bicycling – both for active transportation and recreation. It will include more than 500 cyclists that represent a broad range of interest, including advocates, industry leaders and retailers. The goal is to show a unified voice as Congress begins writing a new federal transportation funding bill.

We’re extremely pleased that Michelle will represent COMBA at this important event. Keeping up with her during the D.C. visit will be easy because Michelle will be "tweeting" updates via Twitter (Username: COMBAorg), along with participants from IMBA and Bikes Belong. Keep an eye on www.comba.org for updates.

Daylight Savings Time is Almost Here … Time to Ride

Volunteers Needed to Help Plan COMBA Group Rides

As you probably already know, Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday, which means after-work rides are just around the corner. COMBA is planning to host monthly group rides this season, but we need your help. If you're interested in helping plan COMBA group rides for 2009, join Nancy Kelly (project leader) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at Woody's Pizza in downtown Golden. If you’ve got questions, email grouprides@comba.org for more information

Staunton State Park Open House

Staunton State Park, near Conifer, is expected to open as the 43rd State Park in the Colorado State Park System. The park is currently not open to the public and will remain closed until a full public planning process is completed and park infrastructure has been constructed. The Master Plan is the first step in that public process.

A public Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 2009, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Conifer High School Cafeteria. Since the board will be meeting that same night, we’re hoping to get some volunteers to head up and make sure that mountain bike voices are represented – now is the time to ensure potential future riding opportunities.

We’ve Got Some Big Trail News Coming

As you all know, one of COMBA’s top priorities for 2009 is adding to the stock of Front Range trails, and we are making progress on this very quickly. BUT we can’t let the cat out of the bag just yet, but we are bursting with excitement about a new project we’re undertaking that will add new trail to one of the region’s most popular riding destinations. Get your big-hit bike ready and stay tuned …