Basic street skills for cyclists offered July 30

A two-hour presentation on basic street skills for cyclists, a class sponsored by the Eagle Cycling Club, the Napa County Bicycle Coalition, and Bicycle Works, is July 30, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Napa City Library, 580 Coombs St.

Cyclists will receive a street smarts manual and learn how to read the road and position yourself for safety and visibility, a three-step method for crossing any intersection without car conflicts, your legal rights and obligations, and how to outfit yourself and your bike for practical transportation and maximum visibility.

Cyclists will also see a presentation that explains traffic cycling principles and proper road position, demonstrations of essential street cycling techniques and skills, and samples of accessories for visibility and lighting.

The instructors are long-time cyclists Gabriela Gonzalez and Sandy Houck. They are Bicycle Education Instructors, certified by the League of American Bicyclists, and have taught adults and kids in Napa and the Bay Area.

Reservations are not required and you don’t need your bicycle unless you plan to ride to the library. Call 253-7000 or 226-9108 for further information.

Shannon Ridge to host National Ultra-Endurance race Oct. 18-19

Shannon Ridge Winery hosts the final race of the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar. Called the Shannon Ridge Showdown, the event will take place in Clearlake Oaks in Lake County, Oct. 18-19.

The Shannon Ridge Showdown Ultra-Endurance race will be a 16-hour competition and the course itself is approximately 7.5 miles in length with over 1,700 feet of climbing per lap. The course route is a combination of single track, double track, fire access roads and vineyard rows. This is the first time that a USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra Endurance Calendar series race course has included vineyards as part of the course route. The race and course is designed, promoted and directed by endurance racers. Ultra-Endurance racing is one the fastest growing forms of mountain bike racing.

The race will begin in front of the Shannon Ridge tasting room on Highway 20 in Clearlake Oaks at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18 and will end at 8 a.m. on Oct. 19 in the mountain vineyards directly across from the home of winery owners Clay and Margarita Shannon.

On line registration closes Oct. 11 or when the 300-racer limit is reached. A USA Cycling Mountain Bike race license is required. Visit www.shannonridgeshowdown.com or e-mail Rick Gunier at rick@shannonridgeshowdown.com for more information.

Vintner’s Golf Club junior golf summer clinics

The Vintner’s Golf Club is offering junior golf clinics for the summer this month, in July and August. There’s a minimum of six juniors and a maximum of 12 juniors per session.

Remaining sessions are July 21-25, July 28-Aug. 1, and Aug. 11-15. The clinics run noon to 3 p.m. and the cost is $175 for each session.

There is a session June 30-July 3, running from noon to 3 p.m. (except on July 3, it goes from 9 a.m., to noon). The cost is $140.

To sign up, or for more information, call Jeff Dennis at 738-8276.

Napa Golf Course offers lessons

Napa Golf Course at Kennedy Park offers a class for boys and girls entering the ninth or 10th grades who plan to play high school golf. The class will be an hour of instruction followed by an informal nine-hole tournament. To register, call the course’s pro shop at 255-4333.ꆱ