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Welcome to the Samson Riders bicycle club website.
About us
Samson Riders ('Rochvei Shimshon') was established by volunteers as a non-profit bicycle club ('Amuta') in February 2004. Today, hundreds of cyclist support our initiatives and attend our events.
Samson Riders serves the districts in and around the Judean hills and Judean plains: the city of
(Registered non-profit organization #580421949)
Our goal is to make Beit-Shemesh and the surrounding region the bicycle capital of
In recent years, cycling has taken off exponentially as both a leisure and competitive sport in
The forested Judean hills and agriculturally diverse plains in the region have taken on a life of their own with the weekly visits of thousands of cyclists from all over the country and beyond who consider this region the most attractive place for cycling.
Here's why:
Beautiful vistas and intriguing natural landscapes
An abundance of tourist sites
Perfect cycling weather year-round
Your choice of an array of paths, dirt roads and accessible 'country' roads combined with mountainous or level terrain.
Accessibility: a distance of less than an hour (by vehicle) from
Why ride with us?
Where else can you ride 12 months a year?
Numerous unique biblical, nature and tourist sites.
Vast choice of on-road, off-road and combination bike routes.
Breathtaking scenery: plains, mountains and everything between
Our Vision
Our goal is to make Beit-Shemesh and the surrounding region
With this goal in mind, we have set out the following objectives:
1 To advance the sport of cycling for children, youth and adults, while increasing awareness of safe riding practices and proper regard for the rules of the road
2 To promote cycling as a safe and healthy alternative means of transportation
3 To advocate and prepare plans for city bike lanes, and improve bike paths and signage in the surrounding forests
4 To provide mountain biking excursions, competitions and special events in Beit Shemesh and the surrounding areas
5 To establish children, youth and adult mountain biking teams
6 To help prepare and send representatives of Samson Riders to cycling competitions and events nationally and globally
7 To advance our goals in an atmosphere of safeguarding the environment and increasing environmental awareness in the region. We work closely with other organizations, bodies and individuals to further these goals.
Our Activities
Throughout the year, Samson Riders plans and implements numerous regional programs and events.
Critical Mass Rides:
On the last Thursday of every calendar month, local cyclists of all ages gather for a 'critical mass' ride through Beit Shemesh to raise the visibility of cyclists in the urban landscape and sensitize the general population to our presence.
Navigation by Bicycle:
In December 2004 the Israeli navigation organization officially accepted Samson Riders as a bicycle navigation club, for the first time providing a 'home' for two-wheel navigators. Cyclists now organize and participate in orienteering competitions, moonlit night excursions, workshops and special events.
Bicycle Tourism Forum:
The recently established 'Forum' for the advancement of cycle tourism and infrastructure in the Beit Shemesh - Matte Yehuda region meets monthly under the auspices of Partnership 2000 to advance ideas for developing the cycle-tourism industry.
Amongst the Forum's projects, we have organized and implemented the following
· Master Plan for Bicycle and Tourism Infrastructures in the Yehuda Hills and Plains.
· Yehuda Circuit I: The first ever cross-country mountain bike competition in Park Britannia in the summer of 2005. Already, plans are well underway for this year's regional competition, Yehuda Circuit II at Noham forest, on
· Tour de Beit Shemesh I, yearly national road bike race in Beit Shemesh, scheduled for July 2006
·
Environmental Awareness and Sensitivity:
Samson Riders promotes cycling as an environmentally sensitive alterative form of transportation. As a member of the umbrella organization for Quality of Life and the Environment, Samson Riders is a signator to the petition to save Park Britannia and advocates the sustainable development of cycling infrastructures.
Involving the Experts:
Joey Klein, expert in bike trail design for the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), was hosted in
In the summer of 2006, we are scheduled to host Daffyd Davis, who designed, promoted and built the famous Mountain Bike paths in
Cooperation:
In close cooperation with the KKL ('Keren Kayemeth L'Israel'- JNF) Samson Riders organizes bike tours through KKL forests and provides trail design and usage recommendations that will least impact the natural beauty and balance of our forested regions and best serve the needs of a broad spectrum of riders.
Samson Riders, in cooperation with the region it serves, liaises with the IMBA.
Membership
Samson Riders is a not-for-profit organization, registered with the Israeli government.
Regular membership is 50
Membership benefits include:
1) discounted fees for participation in events organized by the club
2) discounted fees for participation in events jointly organized by KKL
3) discounts on purchases at many of
5) membership in the international mountain biking association (IMBA)
6) preferred treatment for registration for club events
Additional members of the same family enjoy a 10% discount on membership fees.
Youth Cycling Club
Samson Riders established afternoon cycling classes ('chugim') for Beit Shemesh youth. During these classes, the participants learn cycling safety and basic bike maintenance and are exposed to the plethora of beautiful landscapes the region has to offer cyclists
Useful Links
www.Nivut.org.il
www.harim.co.il
www.shvoong.co.il
www.groopy.co.il
www.kkl.org.il
Contact Us:
For further information, contact:
Eitan: eitanh@cbs.gov.il tel.: +972-503-531-232.
Otto: ofriedma@trendlines.co.il tel.: +972-522-676-913
Uri: hadar_uri@yahoo.com tel.: +972-508-647-447