So a small group of us got together and saw two needs, one to raise more money for the growing need and two to promote cycling in the Siouxland area.

Three years ago we started our first community ride Bike SUX (SUX are the call letters for our airport, strange but true). Our first year was far more successful than we could have possibly dreamed of. We had over 150 riders coming to Sioux City from as far as Minneapolis to participate.

The ride starts at Minerva’s a local bar and restaurant who provides the lunch and space for both the registration and the final stop for lunch and entertainment.

We have grown beyond our wildest dreams! We anticipate over 250 riders from all over.

With RAGBRAI always starting on the Western side of Iowa this ride has proven to be a trial run for the big ride in July!

Riders of all kinds can participate, in fact we encourage newbies to dust off their bicycles and give cycling a whirl.

Not only is the ride fun but we offer great swag bags full of all kinds of gift certificates and goodies from local and national companies. And our t-shirts are awesome!

There will be THREE routes, all starting at Minerva’s.

Route One – up Hamilton to K-22 to the C-60 turn off and back approximately 15 easy miles

Route Two – same as Route One but will continue past C-60 on K-22 and you can ride as long as you want

Route Three – starts with the same Route One and Two but will turn onto C-60 through Hinton to Le Mars and back. Approximately 60 miles.

There is will be SAG wagons – just in case.

Poker run to be announced shortly…

If you don’t know what a Blue Zone is, you might be living under a rock.

Bike SUX is a supporter of the Blue Zone effort, and we want to make sure that Sioux City makes the short list to receive community improvements that promote healthy living and lifestyles.

Now, to continue our community’s efforts and insure our being chosen as a Blue community, we need to get the word out about the Blue Zones Project and its many benefits. How can you help? Easy – just vote for Sioux City by clicking here. It will take just seconds to vote.

Voting is one way for the Blue Zones Project Team (made up of representatives from Healthways, Wellmark, and Blue Cross Blue Shield) to gauge our community’s interest in the project and encourage future contact and awareness via e-mail. Progress on voting can be seen by going to www.bluezonesproject.com/scoreboard.

As you can see, Sioux City is lagging a bit, but our numbers are increasing every day. It is also worth noting that these numbers are based on per capita involvement, and being lower on the scoreboard does not automatically mean we won’t be chosen. It’s simply another way the team can gauge our interest.

So please sign up today to support Sioux City’s effort to become a Blue Zone today.

Here’s the story from the Sioux City Journal, and below is a video showing the new racks installed.

Here’s the official announcement that came in a press release today from the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce:

Scheels has partnered with the SIMPCO Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable and the Community Enhancement Committee of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce to install Custom Bike Racks in the Siouxland area.

Bicycling is an ever‐increasing activity locally, and Scheels, with the Siouxland Chamber and SIMPCO, has recognized the need for additional bike racks that will be installed throughout the area.

Two Penny Farthing bike racks have been installed at the Sioux City Public Museum and additional racks will be installed in the spring. Future installation includes one with a colorful fish design near the Missouri River close to Bev’s on the River, one at the Anderson Dance Pavilion in the shape of Veteran’s Memorial Bridge, one in the shape of books at the Morningside Branch Library, and three to be located in South Sioux City at a place to be determined.

“We look forward to the installation of these bike racks in the Siouxland area and anticipate continuing this relationship in the future,” said Scheels Assistant Store Leader Jared Weerheim. “It is a perfect match for Scheels to be involved with SIMPCO and the Chamber in funding the bike racks and promoting bicycling in Siouxland.”

The Sioux City Journal had a story on the event, which you can read here.

Here’s what the story said.

About 20 children received new bicycles Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Center in Sioux City. Variety the Children’s Charity and Walmart donated the bicycles as part of Variety’s Kids on the Go! Program, which seeks to help children be part of their community and gain mobility, confidence, freedom and independence.

The event gets pretty big billing in the Hawkeye state because it coincides with the announcement on Jan. 29  about what overnight towns RAGBRAI will stop in that year. And while Sioux City has entered a bid for the 40th annual cycling event, the fact that it started here in 2010 likely means that we’ll have to to wait to host the kickoff again. But we’ll keep holding out hope.

Either way, the summit gives cyclists a chance to start dreaming about the coming season.

Here’s what the Gazette said:

“The eighth annual Iowa Bicycle Summit will be held Jan. 27 and 28 at the Iowa Events Center – Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines. The gathering will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation and Iowa Bicycle Coalition. The 2012 summit promises to be even better than ever by offering  more exhibits, free advocacy workshops and new trail development sessions.”

Read the entire story here.

And if you keep coming back, you’ll find a whole lot more to love.

With this new website, the Bike SUX organization is expanding its presence in Sioux City to make this web site a one-stop source for information about cycling in Sioux City, northwest Iowa, northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota.

Why are we doing this? First, a little history.

In June 2010, we started a bicycle ride in Sioux City, called Bike SUX. The 23-mile ride was meant as a lead-up to RAGBRAI, which started in Sioux City that year, and attracted more than 150 riders. We hosted the ride again in 2011, but it was postponed until September because of flooding. The later date meant that our rider numbers were down, but we persevered because we know our love of cycling is shared by many here, and that the sport is only poised to grow as trails are restored and expanded across Sioux City and the region.

But as planning began for our 2012 ride, we recognized that our mission has always been one of promoting all cycling in Siouxland, not just one ride here or there. And we wanted to do more, and this web site promoting cycling in the entire region was the answer.

So what will this web site feature going forward?

For one, a calendar of local, regional and state rides and events. Additionally, we’ll provide news updates and links to information about cycling in Sioux City and the region. We also plan to include photos and video from area rides, as well as guest writers who will share their own stories about cycling and their passion for the road.

If you’ve got any ideas, we’d love to hear them. Just add a comment to this post and I’ll respond as I receive them. Happy cycling.

http://www.umapper.com/maps/view/id/108033/

Click here to register for the ride.