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  • 11 Jun 2019 2:38 PM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    Just received word that the Arizona Community Foundation - Sedona selected the Red Rock Bike Patrol for a grant in the amount of $4,000. The grant will be used, among other things, for conducting a skills clinic for all patrollers this fall. The clinic will be conducted by the Sedona Mountain Bike Academy.


  • 10 Jun 2019 6:33 PM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    The Verde Valley Bikes for Kids Program was notified today that it was one of only five programs selected as shining examples of the transformative work being done for the communities of Yavapai County by the Arizona Community Foundation (ACF). Included with this notification was the announcement that the Verde Valley Bikes for Kids Program was selected for an ACF Yavapai County grant in the amount of $6,000.

    Grant funds will be used to award new mountain bikes, helmets and locks in spring 2020 to Verde Valley public school students in grades three through six. The mountain bikes come with lifetime free maintenance performed by the Verde Valley Bicycle Company.

    The Verde Valley Bikes for Kids Program will be formally recognized as a Shining Star at the Joy of Giving Luncheon at the Prescott Resort.



  • 21 May 2019 5:25 PM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

     A Letter from VVCC President Marty Glinsky

    Dear VVCC Members and Friendsl

    As you should know by now, the VVCC celebrated its 15th anniversary this past fiscal year. Instead of reviewing all the history, which can be found on the news pages of our website (authored by our webmaster, treasurer and historian, Kevin Adams), I’ve shined-up my crystal ball and want to share with you my vision of the future…the next 15 years. 

    Youth Program Front - the Next 15 Years

    Our involvement with student programs, serving all Verde Valley Elementary, Middle and High Schools continues, as the program grows significantly from its beginnings. We have expanded the program to encompass both middle schools and high schools. We have also helped expand the local National Interscholastic Cycling Program (NICA) by supplying additional coaches, support funds and bicycles. We envision having over 200 students supported each year by our program.

    Bike Safety and Facilities Front - the Next 15 Years

    The Road Bike Advocacy Committee and Doug Copp helped both Cottonwood and Sedona achieve “Gold” status from the League of American Cyclists, two of approximately 35 communities across the country earning this status. The road bikers coordinate over 350 rides for locals and visitors each year.

    Red Rock Mountain Bike Patrol Front - the Next 15 Years

    The RRMTB Patrol, with 75 members, will volunteer over 8,000 hours of patrol, which includes trail-work days, school coaching and other volunteer work.   

    Advocacy Front - the Next 15 Years

    MTB…entire Verde Valley concentration vs Sedona centric.

    E-bikes…they’re here to stay and legal on trails.

    Staff and Fundraising Front - the Next 15 Years

    Paid staff includes: Executive Director, Fundraising Grant Coordinator, Youth Program Coach Recruitment/Training Coordinator, Office Manager (Sedona Trail Maintenance Endowment support for the SRRTF).

    Events Front - the Next 15 Years

    We're continuing to offer at least three free member events per year.

    Finally, if you think back a few years ago when the VVCC had 65 members and a $2,000 or so annual budget and predicted that in just under 3 years, it would have 1) a youth program that has distributed over 100 new mountain bikes to 7 Verde Valley Elementary Schools and select students who earned them; 2) a 35+ member bike patrol as roaming mountain bike ambassadors on the trails; convinced ADOT to take over sweeping responsibilities for SR179; raised over $70,000 for building the Western Gateway; a $200,000+ annual budget and over 280 members, most would question that prognosticator's sanity.

    Yet, that's exactly what happened because VVCC members invested their time, talent and treasure "to improve the bicycling environment and quality of life in the Verde Valley." Where we will be 15 years from now depends on the next generation of VVCC members who dare to dream big and possess the capacity to execute to those dreams.

    What an exciting opportunity! I can't wait.

    THANKS to everyone for being part of this effort.

  • 14 May 2019 7:44 AM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    Witten Armstrong receives his new Trek Marlin 5 MTB, helmet and lock from Oak Creek Elementary School Principal Nayadin Persaud

    35 Verde Valley elementary school students will be riding new bikes thanks to the Verde Valley Bikes for Kids Program of the VVCC. These third through sixth grade students were chosen by their schools and awarded Trek Wahoo hybrid bikes, Trek Roscoes and Marlin 5 mountain bikes for exceeding school standards for grades, attendance, conduct and citizenship at the following Verde Valley elementary schools:

    Beaver Creek Elementary

    Lucas Wheeler

    Lanndon I'llerbrun

    Caiden Shaidel

    Cathrine Worden

    Alyssa Wheeler

    Camp Verde Elementary

    Teddy Meyers

    Levi Myers

    Danny Dale

    Michelle Dale

    Cottonwood Community School

    Johnathan Libby 

    Juliet Hernandez Lugo

    Lizyei Hernandez Lugo

    Clair Valentine

    Jose Soto

    Dr. Daniel Bright Elementary (Cottonwood)

    Joel Eye

    Amaryllis Castillon Lopez

    Ella Martinez

    Lucas Escalara

    Seth Sweesy

    Mountain View Academy (Cottonwood)

    Olivia Crawford

    Nick Babcock

    Janessa DeLong

    Rosa Celeste Diaz

    Quinn Wright

    Oak Creek Elementary School (Cornville)

    Henry Taylor

    Lillian Taylor

    Elizabeth Cowgill

    Laura Cowgill

    Witten Armstrong

    Conner Hunt

    West Sedona Elementary School

    Alejandro Jimenez

    Miguel Villegas

    Analeya Martinez

    Justin Chavez

    In addition to the bike, which each student chose in their favorite color, students were also awarded a new helmet and bike lock. Each bike comes with lifetime free maintenance provided by the Verde Valley Bicycle Company in Cottonwood.

    Generous grants from the Sports Fund of Arizona, the Arizona Community Foundation of Yavapai County and Sedona, Wells Fargo Bank, Trek President John Burke, the Singletrack Futures Foundation and 150+ individual donations made these awards possible. The Verde Valley Bicycle Company provided the bikes to the VVCC at cost, assembled them for free, and provides discount parts and service prices to the VVCC.

    Thank you supporters and congratulations students!


  • 10 May 2019 7:38 AM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    VVCC Member Scott Hansen

    We recently ran into Scott as we usually do, on mountain bikes, and were able to convince him to be our next 5 Minutes With victim. As you will see, Scott has an affinity for the victim especially as it applies to the true nature of mountain biking...

    Hi Scott, could you tell our readers about yourself and family?

    When I met my wife, Joanie, 30 years ago in Seattle, she had a mountain bike. I rode her rigid “fat” bike, told her it was too heavy and slow, and convinced her to get rid of it. A year later on a vacation to the southwest we traveled through Moab, rented mountain bikes, rode Slick Rock, and went back to Seattle. Within two weeks we had new, matching bikes and a year later started racing our mountain bikes in western Washington.

    In ’95 we moved to Phoenix, rode our bikes all over Arizona, and 14 years later moved to Reno, NV. After 5 years we retired, sold our house and contents, and hit the road with our bikes pulling a small travel trailer.

    Where all did you go?

    We circled the US and parts of Canada for nearly two years riding lots of great trails. We then packed up the bikes and went looking for fresh dirt. We spent a year traveling to Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and much of Europe. When we returned, we circled the west in our trailer and decided to come through Sedona for a couple of rides. We found a nice piece of dirt in the village, built a small house, and moved here this January.

    What are your favorite local trails and upcoming plans?

    We usually ride locally on my favorites including the Turkey Creek, Templeton, and Llama trails. We will hit the road again later this summer with our trailer and Tui – our puppy who we hope will become a mountain biking dog.

    Through the VVCC we have met many other transplanted dirt heads – the most welcoming people ever. We are very happy here and look forward to many years ripping it up with our new friends.

    What equipment do you recommend mountain bikers carry on long rides?

    Allen wrenches, pliers, and chain tools are just too heavy and often difficult to use. I don’t bring them anymore. Energy bars are too highly processed and may attract bears. Over the years I tried lots of things and finally learned to bring only what I use most frequently. My basic pack for long rides now includes just the following: beer, bone saw, raw meat, wooden stake, embalming fluid, and a body bag. However, I usually bring two body bags on really long rides.

    Tell our readers about your favorite crash...

    A few years ago, I was riding way too fast down Little Horse and decided to test my front brake in a technical downhill section. During the resultant long, inverted flight I pondered the meaning of life and revisited the reasons why I had become a mountain biker.

    Thankfully, I landed on my head and right shoulder so there was no blood anywhere. I was dazed and confused, my right shoulder was separated, and I couldn’t move for quite a while. My riding buddies knew the mountain biker code and dared not break it. They counted to ten, I wasn’t up yet, so they rode off leaving me to die slowly and decay or possibly live long enough to fight off the mountain-biker-consuming coyotes that are so prevalent here in Sedona.

    Since I had no experience fighting coyotes and knew that they could probably smell me from a long way off, I finally got up, mounted my dented steed, and rode down the trail to the Bell Rock parking area using just one arm. I was lucky to catch them as they were driving away. Everyone wanted to know if the bike was okay. It might have been at that point when I decided to draw my comic strip and try to capture the true essence of mountain biking.

    What is this Bike Comic thing you do?

    After retiring I found myself with lots of free time so I thought I would try to capture the true, gruesome and very dark side of the sport of mountain biking. After all, the sport of mountain biking is simply rolling around aimlessly in the dirt until you crash, die, and get consumed by hungry wildlife.

    When not mountain biking, I enjoy drawing Thin Dirt Line comic strips using my mouse and laptop. Please note that any resemblance between the characters depicted and some of the mountain bikers in Sedona is purely intentional.


    Thanks Scott - VVCC Member Update readers will be able to discover more of Scott's Bike Comic thing beginning in the June 1, 2019 update. Stay tuned.


     
  • 30 Apr 2019 9:54 AM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    May 2005 the Noise creative arts & news Verde Column


  • 27 Apr 2019 6:09 PM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    On November 8, 2018, 24 volunteers descended upon the Cultural Park to break ground on the Western Gateway Trail System in the first volunteer trail work day of the 2018-2019 season. Those volunteers constructed .14 miles of trail and cleared far more.

    All in all, the RRRD scheduled 27 workdays with the last one ending right where we started at the Cultural Park on April 25th. Two work days were cancelled due to the Federal government shutdown and two due to snowmaggendon. Of the 23 workdays that were held, 19 involved building the Western Gateway, another officially opened the Transept Trail in the VOC, followed by workdays at Adobe Jack area, Boynton Canyon and Mund Wagon/Huckaby.

    Workday sponsors included the Sedona Red Rock Trail Fund/REI, the Friends of the Forest, Sedona Chamber of Commerce, Absolute Bikes, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Enchantment Resort, Wildland Trekking, Over the Edge Sports, and the VVCC.

    550 volunteers contributed over 2,200 hours and constructed 7.88 miles of trail, maintained another 18.5 miles, adopted .6 miles and rehabbed 2.13 miles. 

    A huge thank you to the volunteers, sponsors and RRRD! Photos courtesy of the RRRD.





  • 17 Apr 2019 7:50 AM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)


    Randy Young was recently elected by the VVCC Board to fill the unexpired term of Don Mathieu who resigned recently. We caught up with Randy via email to find out more about him.

    Randy, in your profile on the VVCC Director's webpage, you stated that cycling played an important role in your youth. Would you care to expand upon that?

    Cycling played a huge role in my life while growing up and continues to do so. Bikes were a way to get places, explore and represented freedom. Fair play that the cutest neighbour a fella could have growing up just so happened to be a very talented MTB rider. In youth, one can't find greater inspiration to ride than trying to keep up with a ponytail belonging to a classmate they have a crush on. As I got a little older I discovered road cycling and was hooked. My wife and I met cycling, so it is easy to say cycling has had a huge impact on my life. Without it I may have missed out on knowing the best person in the whole world. 

    How long have you lived in the Verde Valley?

    I have lived in the Verde Valley most of my life besides some brief moments of exploration and adventure. 

    Besides bicycling, what do you like to do for fun?

    Whisping a fly-line over head and gently landing a hand tied insect on a waterways shimmering surface has a special place in my heart. Besides fly-fishing and tying flies, more a hobby of my youth, I also enjoy music. My wife Emma and I really enjoy traveling, though that almost always involves cycling in one form or another. Having a beer after a ride with fellow riders is a fairly good time. Basically most of all,I like bikes. 

    Favorite Food?

     am quite a food fan, my favourite food being any creamy pasta dish unless sweets count and then it is cheesecake for the win. 

    Beer?

    Any quality Flanders Red, a beer slightly less sour than Gose. They are fairly hard to find as they are aged and don't bottle or sustain well. Wonderlust out of Flag makes a great one. I also like Belgium's, Porters, Ambers, Sours and IPA. 

    Bike?

    My favourite bike is definitely whichever one I am riding at the moment. For most occasions of trail riding the Trek Fuel Ex performs spot on. Fastest road bike I have ever ridden is my Trek Emonda and for me a road being fast is a huge factor. All that said single speed is really my thing and the only bike out of my stable that I wouldn't sell is a Canfield Nimble 9 setup XT with a 30:17 gear. 

    Color?

    Favourite colour is green. 

    Where was your last trip to? Where's your next trip going?

    Emma and I last adventured to Wales in the UK. We combined bike parks with a road trip along the Welsh coast. A beautiful country with amazing hospitality and splendid places to cycle, we would definitely go back! 

    In late May of this year we plan to fly to Ireland, hop on bikes and tour. Keeping it laid back we don't have a solid plan. Just ride and explore for a couple weeks. If we like a town or attraction stay a spell. 

    What type of impact would you like to make on the VVCC Board?

    The Verde Valley Cyclist Coalition has a lot of great things going on at the moment. Be it trail projects or Verde Valley Bikes for Kids there is a lot to be excited and passionate about. As for impact, my goal as a board member is to help wherever needed. Being a bike commuter, MTB rider and roadie I hope to represent all types of cycling well and assist the VVCC in all advocacy. As a member of the Bicycle Advisory Committee to the City of Cottonwood, safe cycling on the roadways for commuters and and recreational riders alike is very important to me. I am very excited to be accepted to the VVCC Board and am looking forward to seeing where I can help out the most. 

  • 5 Apr 2019 9:37 PM | Kevin Adams (Administrator)

    Over 70 students who participate in the Verde Valley Bikes for Kids after school bike clubs from seven Verde Valley public elementary schools shredded the Sedona Bike Park this afternoon.

    Students were joined by coaches, teachers, parents, school administrators and onlookers.

    Participating schools included: Beaver Creek Elementary; Camp Verde Elementary; Cottonwood Community; Dr. Daniel Bright; Mountain View Academy; Oak Creek Elementary and West Sedona Elementary.

    Originally conceived by VVCC road cyclist, Rich Leaver, the Verde Valley Bikes for Kids serves students in the above schools. In addition to after school bike club rides, the program will give away 32 bikes this year to students who have exceeded school requirements for grades, attendance, conduct and citizenship.

    A great day at the bike park!



  • 31 Mar 2019 3:53 PM | Deleted user

    A great time at the spring picnic today. Thanks to all that participated and donated!




   
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The VVCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2003 (incorporated in March 2004) to promote road and mountain bike advocacy in, and around, the Verde Valley of Northern Arizona.


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