Boulder, Colo. — August 10, 2010 — Trips for Kids Denver/Boulder, a non-profit providing mountain biking and environmental awareness programs to underserved youth, has been awarded a $15,000 grant by REI Inc., the outdoor products retailer. With this smart investment from REI, the combined Trips for Kids Denver and Boulder programs aim introduce more than 800 underserved youth to the health and confidencebuilding sport of cycling during the 2010 ride season.
New Trips for Kids Programming in Boulder

The REI grant will allow Trips for Kids to expand the number of mountain bike rides and clinics it holds with Boulder youth. In addition, Trips for Kids will be able to expand its presence in Boulder’s Middle Cross league – a fast-growing program in local middle schools that fosters the establishment of after school Bike Clubs which meet once a week to ride and learn safe cycling skills and bike mechanics. Middle Cross Bike Clubs participate in cyclocross clinics held by local professional cyclists, meet for practice races and hold a huge Middle Cross Bike Fest race each year in November. Trips for Kids will be working extensively with at Bike Clubs this fall, providing bikes for students who don’t have their own as well as mechanical assistance and support on club rides.

About Trips For Kids Denver/Boulder

August. Road season is coming to an end, cross season not quite started - what is there to get excited about? 303Cycling recently talked to Steven Herzfeld of Boulder Indoor Cycling to learn more about the event they're throwing later this month. It should build lots of excitement and benefit the Velodrome - a great addition to the Boulder cycling scene. Check out the details below.

[303Cycling] Can you give us the details about the Boulder 6?

[Steven] This year's Boulder 6 is going to be held August 28th, beginning at 8pm at the Velodrome. Tickets are $45. Call ahead to reserve because they won't be available at the door.

The event was a great time last year. Track racing is very exciting and entertaining for people at all levels of knowledge and understanding of bike racing. You don't need to have a deep passion for the sport to enjoy the spectacle. Hosting the event in August gets us through the slow season in more ways then one. We have a very seasonal business and are a young and growing company, so we need a little push to get us through October.

This was announced last Thursday. It will be interesting to see if the lottery changes to get into the race. From Mountainbike.com.

Owners Sell Leadville 100

Leadville 100 race director and founder Ken Chlouber has sold the race to a fitness company.

Less than two weeks before the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race, it was announced that all the Leadville races have been sold and are being run by Life Time Fitness, a company based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The announcement came out Thursday. Life Time Fitness, which operates fitness, family recreation and spa centers across the U.S., had been the title sponsor of the race in 2008 and 2009.

In its new role, the company will also direct all of the other running and mountain biking Leadville races, including the Leadville Trail 100, the Leadville Silver Rush 50-Mile Mountain Bike Race and the 12/24 Hours of Leadville Mountain Bike Race. Race founder Ken Chlouber has directed the Colorado mountain bike race since founding it in 1994, which was was an addition to the ultramarathon running race, the Leadville Trail 100.

Howdy, Coloradoans:

My name is Katherine, a.k.a. Mellow Velo, and I come in peace from San Antonio, Texas. Ten days ago, I settled in Golden with the Mr. and our five bicycles to realize a dream of living in a place that values outdoor play. You will be hearing from me - somewhat regularly - about the wide-eyed and wonderful experience of being a newcomer to this holy land of cycling. I plan to write about Golden cycling, adjusting to life above sea level, testing out local riding routes and trails, first-time bike commuting and probably a bit about how completely out of shape I am.

Speaking of being out of shape, I start at IMBA on Aug. 9 as the new Field Programs Coordinator overseeing the Trail Care Crews and National Mountain Bike Patrol (if you have experiences with either, I’d love to hear about them). I’ve never had a job that required physical training, but the office is staffed with seriously excellent MTB riders, and I fully expect to get my ass handed to me on the lunch rides.

I also write a column called “The Cat 5 Files” for She Pedals Magazine about my first years racing. I started with cyclocross last fall and fell in love. I raced a few criteriums this spring and did not exactly fall in love, so I’m sticking with long-distance road riding, cyclocross and mountain biking for now. I ride and represent for Team TOMS, a widespread national group that supports the shoe company’s philanthropic work. (IMBA probably won’t let me wear its jersey until I improve my MTB skills.)

I seek to entertain, inform and reap feedback. Please share thoughts, tips and your own personal experiences. And if you see me on the road in my Texas jersey or pedaling Chester, my bright-orange cyclocross/commuter bike with the curly mustache head-tube badge, please say hello!

A Texan on a mountain bike – first Colorado ride