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Doing Good by Pedaling a Bike at the Sea Otter Classic
Recreational Rides Benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation and IMBA California
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
MONTEREY, Calif. (April 3, 2008) If all goes well during his surgery on Friday, then Davis Phinney might actually get to go to Beijing in August to watch his son, Taylor, race in the Olympics. The mighty Phinney, one of the most victorious US bike racers in history, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease while still in his 30s and rather than lose out to the disease, Phinney established his namesake Davis Phinney Foundation with a mission to improve the lives of those living with Parkinson's disease. Together with
Bicycling and
Mountain Bike magazines, the Sea Otter Classic will host two separate recreational rides, which benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation and the International Mountain Bicycling Association California, and which strike at the passions of their inspired participants.
“Davis' message of inspiration is truly unique in the Parkinson’s disease world,” said Kristie Henderson, communications director for the Davis Phinney Foundation. “As more patients hear his story and aspire to live life fully every day, there are more victories to celebrate and that's what we are all about.”
On Sunday, April 20, the Bicycling magazine road bike tour offers participants a choice of two road rides that will take them on either a 15-mile or a 100-mile tour throughout scenic Carmel and Monterey. Riders on the 100-mile ride will get a chance to stop at the Zabala Vineyard. On either route, riders will enjoy well-appointed rest stops and SAG support, a raffle loaded with prizes, and a post-ride barbecue, sponsored by Best Buddies International, which is a charity that raises funds for people with intellectual disabilities.
"The
Bicycling magazine road tour is the perfect kickoff event for our participants," said Richard Fries, marketing director for Best Buddies.
For more information and to register for Bicycling magazine’s road bike tour, click
here.Mountain bikers who want to strengthen and influence opportunities for off-road riding in the Golden State will want to sign up for
Mountain Bike’s Off-Road tour, benefiting IMBA California. Participants will have the opportunity to ride on Fort Ord’s exquisite trail system, which are maintained through the hard work of the Monterey Off Road Cycling Association, one of IMBA’s 60 club affiliates in California.
“Fort Ord has over 100 miles of trails and fire roads that are open year round,” said Peter Sherrill, president of MORCA. “In fact, one of the benefits of living next to Fort Ord is the ability to ride these trails 12 months out of the year. As far as maintenance goes, Fort Ord is a little different than other riding places. The only time the trails can undergo serious trail work is during the winter when the trails are soft. During the summer, the trails are too hard to work on and they get very sandy. In fact, sand is as big a problem as water out here. Unlike other riding places, we have very few steep trails that are susceptible to water erosion. The BLM tries to keep the trails nice, and MORCA helps out on a regular basis.”
There are an estimated 3-5 million off-road riders in California, according to IMBA California’s Tom Ward. Current membership for IMBA California numbers somewhere around 7,000, which helps leverage community support and influence positive outcomes with regard to trail access and land use but greater numbers could lodge an even greater impression.
“Right now Fort Ord is surrounded by over 300,000 people, but it is extremely under-utilized,” Sherrill said. “I will go for a ride on a Saturday afternoon and maybe see ten other people on the trails. This could change in the near future. There are several housing projects to be built in the area adjacent to Fort Ord. The housing slump will delay this, but eventually houses will be built, and this will lead to more trail use. MORCA is working with the BLM to help develop a plan to keep the trails in good shape and at the same time help the BLM with their top priority, which is habitat preservation.”
At 9:30 am on Saturday, April 19, the Mountain Bike magazine off-road tour offers participants a choice of two off-road rides that will take them on either a 10-mile or a 20-mile tour throughout the extraordinary Fort Ord trails. On either route, riders will enjoy well-appointed rest stops, a raffle loaded with prizes, and a hearty end-of-ride BBQ, sponsored by Best Buddies International, which is a charity that raises funds for people with intellectual disabilities.
For more information and to register for Mountain Bike magazine’s off-road tour, click
here.About Sea Otter Classic, Inc. The 18th Annual Sea Otter Classic will be held April 17-20, 2008 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA. The four-day "Celebration of Sport" is considered the world's largest cycling festival, hosting nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and 50,000 fans. The Sea Otter Classic benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation, which supports Parkinson's disease research and wellness, and IMBA California, which organizes advocacy and trailbuilding efforts statewide and strengthens California mountain bike clubs. More information can be found at www.seaotterclassic.com or by calling 800-218-8411.
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CONTACT:
Wendy Booher617.308.2500
wendy@seaotterclassic.comDonna Brown (local media)
831.905.1764
donna@seaotterclassic.com
Chris Worden (Web-related)
208.305.1702
ctworden@mac.com
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