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The New Year has arrived, so we’re now pedaling toward spring. One more month and we can hopefully pack away the booties. Along with spring comes membership time. Please start mailing in or renewing your membership online. Help make Kate’s life easy by getting renewals in before April 1st. As for you rebels who come out on bunches of rides but don’t become a member, I know it’s not required but cheez Louise, sure would be SWEET to have you sworn in all official and such. Reminder to save the date of Saturday, March 21st for the bike club banquet. Don’t let the formal sounding word “banquet” keep you from coming out for a nice evening with those you ride with throughout the year. See what they look like without a helmet. Here’s the deal: For only $10 a person, you get: drinks – beer, wine soda and water, music, buffet dinner and a small surprise. The menu is listed in the newsletter. As for music at the banquet / party, I double as the DJ so PLEASE let me know some dance songs you like, and also songs that you would like to hear during happy hour and dinner. If you’d like to help with set up / decorate for the banquet, please send an email to Michelle at [email protected]. For those of you who paid for a club jersey, contact me so I can get it to you. I do still have a few jerseys available. Women’s cut XL and med. Plus a Medium regular cut. Let me know. Remember to check our Berks County Bicycle Club group Facebook page for ride updates and things happening with the club. If you’re not yet listed as a member of the club Facebook page, simply go to the page and click the “join” request. Our next club meeting is coming up on Monday, February 9th at the Exeter Restaurant on Rte 422. Meeting starts at 7PM and will last maybe an hour. We will be discussing the banquet, the future of Wednesday club rides and some other ideas for the club this summer. Again, if you have any ideas or thoughts for the club, please come out to the meeting or drop Phyl or myself an email so we can bring it up. Did I mention membership time is coming up? If you’re going to the banquet, just make one check for both banquet and membership. That’s it for now, back to battling the holiday cookies still hanging on my six pack flabs. Butch Ulrich
The President’s Spin
Berks County Bicycle Club FOUNDED 1973
February 2015 Volume 42 Issue 2 www.berksbicycle.com
MEMBER OF
BAC, LAB, SRGA, RAILS-TO-TRAILS CONSERVANCY
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BCBC CLUB OFFICERS 2014-2016 President: Butch Ulrich [email protected]
Vice President: Phyl Geist [email protected]
Secretary: Jackie Schultz-Shirey [email protected]
Treasurer: Scott Franzen [email protected]
Ride Coordinator: Alan Fineman [email protected]
Membership: Kate Kennedy-Hug [email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Wendy Davis [email protected]
Advocacy & Trail Liaison: Walt Hug [email protected]
Shoo Fly Coordinator: Tom Reppert [email protected]
Social Stay Together Ride Coordinators: Marge Ehst [email protected] Karen Moyer [email protected] Marce Sheidy [email protected] Mileage Master: Marc Peters [email protected]
Webmaster: Butch Ulrich [email protected]
Racing Division President: Gary Rollman [email protected] Racing Division VP—OPEN Racing Division Secretary/Team Captain— OPEN Racing Treasurer: Scott Franzen [email protected]
For privacy reasons, the BCBC officer list will not appear with phone numbers in the web-based issues. Please do NOT forward this version to non-club member! Feel free to point others to the website version. Officer email contact information will still be of-fered on our website.
BCBC BIKE SHOP DISCOUNTS
The following bike shops offer BCBC members discounts. Members are required to show their current mem-bership ID card in order to qualify for bike shop discounts! The following bike shops will give 10% off regularly priced accessories and 5% off regu-larly priced bikes and unless stated otherwise.
BICYCLE BARN 839 Reading Blvd. (Rt.625) East Earl (717)445-8508 JB MOUNTAIN BIKES 207 W. Lancaster Ave, Shillington (610)777-5253 SHIRK’S Ligalaw Rd. East Earl (717)445-5731 SLEEPING DOG PRO CYCLES 330 W. Weis St. Topton 19562 (610)682-1000 SPOKES BIKE SHOP Rt. 61 Hamburg (610)562-8900 THE CRANK 203 W. Penn Ave, Wernersville (610)898-1500 www.thecrankpa.com VILLAGE BIKE SHOP 7 S. Village Circle, Reinholds (610)742-4786 WEAVER’S BIKE SHOP 729 Park Rd, Fleetwood (610)944-9565 WOLVERTON’S BIKE SHOP 2904 Kutztown Rd Hyde Park (610)929-8205
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
The annual BCBC Banquet for 2015 Saturday March 21st
At the Oley Fairgrounds DETAILS ON PAGE 8!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Saturday
September 26th, 2015 Shoo Fly Classic
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BCBC MEETING
The club meetings are open to ALL members.
Please come to meeting and share your ideas for the club.
Monday February 9th @ Exeter Family Restaurant
#422 just before the Burger King
Welcome New Members!
James Carpenter Kathy and Greg Marshall
ATTENTION: Anyone who still has a ride sign up sheet for 2014
Please send to Marc Peters ASAP!! He needs to get the mileage for the year finished.
2015 ride sheets go to Scott Franzen.
RIDE SHEET WAIVERS Starting in 2015 Scott Franzen will be keeping track of the club miles. If you are ride host please give the sheets to Scott. If the ride is canceled please let Scott know so he’s not looking for rides sheets for that day. Email him at [email protected]
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Tires & Tubes for 2015 The club has again placed a bulk order of Continental tires and tubes for the upcoming season. Due to the fickle and at times indecisive nature of our club it’s difficult to predict what to order. One year Gatorskins were too expensive for people’s taste, the next year everybody wanted Gatorskins. Unfortunately to get the best price the decision had to be made quickly and we need to order from only one manufacturer. There was no time to poll the
club, not that I would have expected a consensus on one brand. Due to placing a volume order and a subsidy from the Racing Division the price of tires and tubes will be roughly 60% of MSRP. This year’s offerings will be:
Continental Gatorskins 700 x 23mm - $35.00 Continental Gatorskins 700 x 25mm - $35.00 Continental Grandsport 700 x25mm - $25.00
Tubes - $4.00 each or 4 for $15.00 The Gatorskins and tubes are available now, and the Grandsports should be available by mid-January. Please contact me if you wish to reserve any of the above. You can make arrangements to pick them up or plan to get them at the banquet. To give all club members an opportunity we are limiting distribution to 2 tires and 4 tubes per person until the banquet. At that time you may purchase as many as we have remaining. Gary Rollman
On Saturday January 10th several club members got together to do a hike that started at the Brentwood trail head on route 10. It was breezy and about 12 degrees when we started but the sun was shining. Bill Ruth mentioned that he had never hiked when it was this cold before. Attendees were: Gary and Ann Rollman, Dave Linkchorst, Sid Hill, Dan Levengood, Dale Weyandt, Bill Ruth, Becky Andersen, Noreen Robinson and Wendy Davis.
We surprised Bill Ruth for his birthday (which was the next day) with some cookies baked by Ann and coffee and hot chocolate that Wendy picked up at Dunkin Donuts on her way to the hike. We had some snacks before and after the hike. The drinks were kept in coolers that Wendy had brought along so they were still warm when we got back. Dale lead the way. We headed towards Brentwood Industries then took the trail off to the side, went along the river and then over near Alvernia College before heading back. We did 4.1 miles according to the app that Becky had on her phone. We had a great time and look forward to doing some more hiking together this winter.
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Seasoned Spokes outings are group rides of roughly 20 miles and take about 2 hours to complete. Some of the rides have a pre-post ride option that adds an extra 10 to 20 miles. These pre-post ride options are announced by email each week. Rides are rated 1, 2 or 3 with 3 being the hilliest and most difficult. Lunches are scheduled after some of the rides during the warmer months. Many of the riders are over 55, however anyone is welcome to participate. Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes before the start time with a bicycle in good condition, a bicycle helmet and anything you need to repair a flat tire.
For additional Seasoned Spokes information contact David Cruzan, 610-376-5048; [email protected]
Date and Time Starting Location Miles Rating Host
5-Feb 10AM Leesport Farmers Market, Spring Garden St, Leesport 21 3 TBD
12-Feb 10AM Wernersville near tennis courts, Norman St and Stitzer Ave. 21 2 TBD
19-Feb 10AM Fleetwood Community Park, Main St Park Rd, Fleetwood 21 2 TBD
26-Feb 10AM Ephrata Township Community Park, E Fulton St, Ephrata 21 2 TBD
5-Mar 10AM Dutch-Way Farm Market, US 422, Myerstown group lunch after this ride 20 2 TBD
12-Mar 10AM Heidelburg Run West Recreation Area, Arthur Dr and Longview Dr 21 3 TBD
19-Mar 10AM Athletic Field, Bertolet Mill Rd, Oley 20 2 TBD
26-Mar 10AM Schuylkill Trail, Port Providence Traihead, Longford Rd, Mont Clare 38 1 TBD
2-Apr 9AM Maidencreek Community Park, Park Rd, Blandon group lunch after this ride 21 2 Kathleen C
9-Apr 9AM Cocalico High School, 4th St, Denver 21 2 Richard D
16-Apr 9AM Ephrata Community Pool, Cocalico St, Ephrata 20 2 Don P
23-Apr 9AM Thun Trail (Reading to Birdsboro), Parkside Dr S, Wyomissing 21 1 David C
30-Apr 9AM Kutztown Community Park, S Laurel St, Kutztown 21 2 Sid H
Links to route maps are on the Seasoned Spokes tab of the BCBC website www.berksbicycle.com
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BERKS COUNTY BICYCLE RIDE SCHEDULE By Alan Fineman Ride Coordinator
First Number: Terrain Rating Terrain rating 1-5 rates the total hilliness of the ride.
1 = FLAT – easiest 2= GENTLY ROLLING HILLS–moderate terrain with easiest of hills (Almost anyone can handle). 3= SOME HILLS–Moderate hills with some steeper grades (Moderately Challenging–but within the ability of most riders). 4= HILLY – The number and difficulty of hills is quite substantial (Very Challenging).
5= EXTREMELY HILLY Extreme Challenge- steep and long hills most of the ride–Requires a very high fitness level).
Second Number: Total Mileage for ride Please note the Club policy on protective headgear: ALL Riders must wear Snell/ANSI rated helmets. Ride Host/Hostess will NOT give cue sheets to riders without helmets and that rider will not be considered an official participant of the Club ride. Please have your bike in proper working order BEFORE the start of ride. Arrive 10-15 minutes before start time so that all rides leave on time. Make sure you have a spare tube or patch kit and at least one water bottle. If weather conditions are questionable, the ride host may notify club members by posting a message on Facebook prior to the ride or make a decision at the starting location based on road conditions and weather forecasted at the time of the ride. SPECIAL RIDE DETAILS Special rides during the months will be highlighted in color. If you are hosting a special ride, please contact Newsletter Editor Wendy Davis or Ride Coordinator Alan Fineman before the 18th of each month to tell other club members about it. Did you have a great experience on a ride? Let us know and we’ll add pictures and stories about your ride!
Date Time Ride Name/Description Rating/ Mileage Location Host
Sun Feb 1 11:00 AM FL07b Fleetwood-Topton Coffee Shop Loop 2-25 Fleetwood Middle School
Richmond St. in Fleetwood Alan F.
Sat Feb 7 11:00 AM NT26 Shoemakersville Loop IV 3-24 North Reading Plaza
(Walmart) Rt. 222 in Temple (Behind McDonalds)
Tom R.
Sun Feb 8 11:00 AM OL15 Oley Valley Again 2-23 Oley Valley High School Jefferson St. in Oley Deb M.
Sat Feb 14 11:00 AM Happy Valentine's Day
WI05 Thursday Night ride on Sat.
3-24 Wilson High School off of Dwight St. in West Lawn Bill R.
Sun Feb 15 11:00 AM SL30 Daniel Boone Birdsboro Loop 2-21 L.M. Lausch Elementary School 2 Blks off of Rt 562 Brad S.
Sat Feb 21 11:00 AM BR13 Adamstown/Brownsville/Maple Grove 4-26
Brecknock Elementary School Rt. 568, just off Rt.
625 in Knauers Kent S
Sun Feb 22 11:00 AM CW05 Stouchburg Loop 3-25 Conrad Weiser East
Elementary School on Lincoln Rd. in Wernersville
Matt F.
Sat Feb 28 11:00 AM WY14 Smoketown Loop 3-26 Wyomissing H.S. off Clayton Ave. in Wyomissing Diane R
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Date Time Ride Name/Description Rating/ Mileage Location Host
RIDE SHEET WAIVERS Starting in 2015 Scott Franzen will be keeping track of the club miles. If you are ride host please give the sheets to Scott. If the ride is canceled please let Scott know so he’s not looking for rides sheets for that day. Email him at [email protected]
Sun Mar 1 11:00 AM OL04 Peach Festival Ride 2-28 Oley Valley High School Jefferson St. in Oley Deb M.
Sun Mar 1 10:00AM Rambling Ride approx 50
Oley Valley High School Jefferson St. in Oley Deb M.
Sat Mar 7 11:00 AM NT38 Shoemakersville/Lake Ontelaunee Loop 3-29
North Reading Plaza (Walmart) Rt. 222 in Temple
(Behind McDonalds) Tom R.
Sun Mar 8 11:00 AM FL17 Virginville Loop I 3-26 Fleetwood Middle School Richmond St. in Fleetwood Alan F
Sat Mar 14 11:00 AM SL12 Stowe - Pine Forge Loop 3-30 L.M. Lausch Elementary School 2 Blks off of Rt 562 Brad S.
Sat Mar 14 10:00AM Rambling Ride approx 50
L.M. Lausch Elementary School 2 Blks off of Rt 562 Jane B.
Sun Mar 15 11:00 AM WY04 Ryeland Loop 3-32 Wyomissing H.S. off Clayton Ave. in Wyomissing Diane R
Sat Mar 21 11:00 AM BR12 Adamstown - Bowmansville - Maple Grove 4-29
Brecknock Elementary School Rt. 568, just off Rt.
625 in Knauers Kent S.
Sun Mar 22 11:00 AM DB28 Oley Loop 3-37 Daniel Boone Middle School Weavertown Rd. in Amityville Walt H.
Sun Mar 22 10:00AM Rambling Ride approx 50
Daniel Boone Middle School Weavertown Rd. in Amityville Michele M.
Sat Mar 28 11:00 AM WI24 South Mountain Circle 3-34 Wilson High School off of Dwight St. in West Lawn Bill R.
Sun Mar 29 11:00AM CW10 Quarry Swim Ride 3-36 Conrad Weiser East
Elementary School on Lincoln Rd. in Wernersville
Matt F.
Sun Mar 29 10:00AM Rambling Ride approx 50
Conrad Weiser East Elementary School on Lincoln
Rd. in Wernersville Laurie R.
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When: Saturday March 21st, 2015 Where: Oley Fairgrounds Hall
Time: Happy Hour 6-7:00 Dinner at 7:00
General Membership meeting at 8:00
Dinner Menu: Fruit Cup
Tossed salad and Dinner Rolls Chicken Italiano, Beef Tips with green peppers and onions,
Baked Vegetable Lasagna, Parsley Potatoes, Buttered Carrots, Broccoli and Cauliflower, and an Assortment of Desserts
Beer, Wine
Form is on the LAST PAGE to sign up. You can fill out the membership portion and send that in with your banquet form.
You may write one check for both your membership and the banquet.
Anyone wants to volunteer to help set things up Please contact Michelle at [email protected]
Music will be provided for dancing after The General Membership meeting!
Come out and have some fun!!
RSVP by March 10th
BCBC GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES
MESSAGE FROM MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR
All members will receive the newsletter via email from [email protected]. The emailed newsletter is usually sent by the 25rd of each month. If they DO NOT receive it, they should check spam, then confirm their email address by emailing me at [email protected]. Likewise, if someone thinks they paid dues, they should confirm with me. New ride waivers come out the first of each month. If a ride host does not have a name listed on the waiver, check the top date to see if they used the most current listing. Kate Kennedy-Hug, Membership Coordinator
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Held at the Crossroads Diner on January 12, 2015 Officers, Coordinators, and Members in Attendance: Butch U, Phyl G, JackieS, Michelle U, Thurm K, Bill S, Tom R, Wendy D, Rick D, Tom D, Donna H, Greg K, Marc P, Chip C, Gary R, Kate H, Walt H, John O, Alan F, Scott F, Bill J, and Kit J. BYLAWS: The vote was made to leave the membership year as stated in the standing BYLAWS. April 1st to March 31st. Ride Hosts: The suggestion was made and voted on that any ride host from the previous year who hosts more than 8 rides will receive a free membership for the next year. Membership Cards: Kate offered a new Membership Card design and it was approved by the officers. Lebanon County Advocacy Group: They have contacted us and asked to use our rides in Western Berks and to post them on their web site. The officers voted and approved it. Mileage Totals: Marc P has collected the last of the ride sheets and will have the totals ready for the banquet. When a ride is cancelled, Hosts should email Mileage Master at [email protected]. Tubes and Tires: Gary has tubes and tires for sale to club members at a discounted price. I Am Able: A suggestion was made and voted on to donate $100 to I Am Able. BCBC Annual Banquet: A menu was agreed upon for the banquet. Adopt a Highway: Walt suggested that the BCBC adopts a highway. He was asked to bring more info to the next meeting. Next Meeting: The next meeting will be on February 9th at 7:00PM at the Exeter Family Restaurant.
Respectfully submitted, Jackie Schultz-Shirey, Secretary
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Bylaw Changes
The board is proposing updates to the club bylaws. Any changes we make have to be voted on by the general membership. We will be presenting them at the BCBC meeting/banquet on March 21, 2015. The changes are mostly housekeeping - to adjust them to match what we really do. ARTICLE V - We would like to adjust the list of officers to reflect the way we do business. ARTICLE VII - We have been having two general membership meetings a year and would like the bylaws to reflect this instead of the three currently required. ARTICLE XV - We would like to remove the “good and welfare” section from the meeting agenda. We currently take care of this by email on an as-needed basis. The items in blue are the text as originally worded. The items shown in red represent the proposed new wording. Please review the changes and contact me ([email protected]) if you have any questions before the meeting. Respectfully submitted, Phyl Geist, BCBC Vice-President
BYLAWS
ARTICLE I-NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Berks County Bicycle Club, Inc.
ARTICLE II-PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization shall be to promote the general interest of bicycling in all its phases; to defend and protect the rights of bicyclists; to secure a better understanding and recognition of the need for improved riding conditions; to encourage the allocation of facilities for bicycling on public lands; to cooperate with the public authorities in the observance of all traffic regulations; and to advocate the registration with local authorities of bicycles in the interest of safety, proper regulation and recognition of the bicycle as a vehicle used for pleasure, recreation and economical/environmentally friendly transportation.
ARTICLE III-MEMBERSHIP Individual membership shall be open to anyone 18 years or older and a household membership shall consist of those persons living in the same household during the club year. The club year shall begin on the 1st of April each year and end on the 31st of March the following year.
ARTICLE IV-DUES Annual club dues for membership shall be payable to the Treasurer no later than March 31st. The Executive Committee can review the amount of dues at any time but changes shall be effective as of the first month of the next club year.
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ARTICLE V-OFFICERS
The officers of the club shall be elected by the general membership at the annual general membership meeting. These officers shall consist of and comprise the Executive Committee in addition to any officers appointed pursuant to Articles X and XI hereunder. The Executive committee shall have the power to make the day-to-day decisions necessary to the efficient running of the club subject to the powers of the other committees set forth herein. The Executive Committee shall meet on an as needed basis as determined by the President. The officers and their duties shall consist of the following:
(1) President: shall be the chief administrator who shall call and preside at all meetings; shall schedule at least 3 meetings per year; be an ex officio member of all other committees; of the President; perform any and all such powers to effectuate the powers of the President in his absence;
(2) Vice-President: shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President; perform any and all such powers to effectuate the powers of the President in his absence;
(3) Secretary: shall establish, keep, and maintain a record (minutes) of all meetings; assume the responsibility of
correspondence; (4) Treasurer: shall have custody of the club's funds and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and
disbursements in the books of the club. He/she shall keep the money of the club in accounts to the credit of the club and shall disburse the funds of the club as may be appropriate in accordance with the authority granted or as otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee;
(5) Long Ride Coordinator: Shall schedule club rides; provide the schedule to the newsletter editor for publishing on a monthly basis;
(6) Short Ride Coordinator: Shall schedule the slow and easy rides during Daylight Savings Time with a maximum distance at no more than 20 miles and a difficulty rating of A or B and occasionally C; provide the schedule to the newsletter editor for publishing on a monthly basis; (7) Newsletter Editor: shall prepare, review, edit and compose the monthly newsletter on a timely basis to be mailed by the 25th of each month (8) Racing Division President: may participate in all Executive Committee meetings; and act as liaison between
the Racing and the Executive Committees.
(9) Any AD HOC or Standing committee chairperson.
ARTICLE V-OFFICERS The officers of the club shall be elected by the general membership at the annual general membership meeting. These officers shall consist of and comprise the Executive Committee in addition to any officers appointed pursuant to Articles X and XI hereunder. The Executive committee shall have the power to make the day-to-day decisions necessary to the efficient running of the club subject to the powers of the other committees set forth herein. The Executive Committee shall meet on an as needed basis as determined by the President. The officers and their duties shall consist of the following:
(1) President: shall be the chief administrator who shall call and preside at all meetings; shall schedule at least 3 meetings per year; be an ex officio member of all other committees; perform any and all such powers to effectuate the
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powers of the President in his absence; (2) Vice-President: shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President perform any and all such
powers to effectuate the powers of the President in his absence; (3) Secretary: shall establish, keep, and maintain a record (minutes) of all meetings; assume the responsibility of
correspondence; (4) Treasurer: shall have custody of the club's funds and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and
disbursements in the books of the club. He/she shall keep the money of the club in accounts to the credit of the club and shall disburse the funds of the club as may be appropriate in accordance with the authority granted or as otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee;
(5) Ride Coordinator: Shall schedule club rides; provide the schedule to the newsletter editor for publication on a monthly basis;
(6) Membership Coordinator: shall maintain a current list of all members, maintain a directory of
members and endeavor to increase membership. (7) Newsletter Editor: shall prepare, review, edit and compose the monthly newsletter on a timely basis to be distributed by the 25th of each month. He/she shall send complete ride list to webmaster. (8) Racing Division President: may participate in all Executive Committee meetings; and act as liaison between
the Racing and the Executive Committees.
(9) Any AD HOC or Standing committee chairperson.
ARTICLE VI-ELECTIONS Election of club officers shall be held biennially at the last general membership meeting of the club year. Nominations for candidates shall be accepted at the second to last general membership meeting and published in each issue of the newsletter prior to the election. Additional names may be placed in nomination from the floor immediately prior to the election. A majority vote of the members in attendance shall be necessary to elect the candidates into office. Installation of the officers elect shall take place at the first executive committee meeting following the election. The term of office shall be a period of no less than two (2) years. The President shall fill a vacancy in office by appointment for the unexpired term.
ARTICLE VII-VOTING Voting by the Executive Committee shall be limited to one vote per officer in attendance and general members cannot vote at any Executive Committee meeting. At the general membership meetings a majority of the members in attendance shall be sufficient for voting. In all elections and voting at meetings, votes shall be limited to one vote per member in attendance.
ARTICLE VIII-MEETING The President shall hold general membership meetings three (3) times per year. The President on an as needed basis shall call executive Committee meetings. The annual meeting shall be the last meeting of the club year.
ARTICLE VIII-MEETING The President shall hold general membership meetings two (2) times per year. The President, on an as-needed basis,
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shall call executive Committee meetings. ARTICLE IX-BUSINESS
The meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order.
ARTICLE X-STANDING COMMITTEES The president as necessary may establish standing committees. The chairperson of any such committee shall be considered a member of the Executive committee. Standing committees shall consist of:
1. Effective cycling coordinator: Shall promote effective bicycling education.
2. Membership coordinator: shall maintain a current list of all members, maintain a directory of members and endeavor to increase membership.
3. PennDOT Coordinator: shall be the liaison between the Club and PennDOT.
ARTICLE X-STANDING COMMITTEES The president may establish standing committees as necessary. The chairperson of any such committee shall be considered a member of the Executive committee. Standing committees shall consist of:
1. Advocacy & Trail Liaison: Shall promote effective bicycling education; shall be the liaison with trail organizations.
2. Social Stay Together Ride Coordinator: Shall schedule Stay-Together rides; provide the schedule to the newsletter editor for publication on a monthly basis;
3.Shoo Fly Coordinator: Shall serve as overall project coordinator for the Shoo Fly event. Is expected to
delegate various aspects to others and oversee their work to ensure all preparations are completed before the event. (list of aspects that are to be completed / delegated)
4.Route Master: Maintains database of current club rides.
5.Seasoned Spokes Coordinator: Shall schedule Seasoned Spokes rides; provide the schedule to the
newsletter editor for publication on a monthly basis; 6. Mileage Master: Shall coordinate with ride hosts to gather and compile statistics on club member
participation in official club rides and other events. 7.Webmaster: Shall maintain the structure and content of the club web site, and ensure that it is
available (up). May delegate the maintenance of content to one or more individuals, as needed or appropriate.
ARTICLE XI-AD HOC COMMITTEES
The President shall appoint such Ad Hoc committees as are necessary to advance the interests and business of the club.
ARTICLE XII-RACING DIVISION The Club acknowledges the racing division, which shall be organized and guided by its own separate bylaws. The
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President of the Racing Division shall be an officer of the Executive Committee. If the President is unable to attend then the only other officer from the Racing Division who shall be authorized to attend and vote shall be the Vice-President of the Racing Division.
ARTICLE XIII-AMENDMENTS: Any member may propose amendments to these bylaws by presenting such amendment in writing at any regular meeting to the Executive Committee. If after consideration by the Executive Committee the proposed amendment was approved for consideration the Executive Committee shall then present said amendment to the general membership by including a copy of the amendment in the next club newsletter along with a copy of the provisions as originally written. The proposed amendment shall be brought up for consideration at the next regularly scheduled general membership meeting. The amendment shall be approved/disapproved by the vote of a majority of members in attendance. Results of ratification shall be announced through the next regular newsletter.
ARTICLE XIV-EXPENDITURES: The expenditure of club money by the Treasurer without approval by vote of a majority of the members in attendance shall be limited to: 1. Recurring costs of the newsletter, including but not limited to printing, supplies, paper, mailing, postage and photocopying; and 2. Rental of parks, meeting halls, equipment and refreshments for club functions; and 3. Recurring insurance and membership dues in other bicycling organizations; and 4. Other expenditures not to exceed one hundred dollars in furtherance of legitimate club business.
ARTICLE XV-Order of Business: The order of business at regular meetings shall be: 1. Reading of minutes of previous meeting 2. Report of officers and committees 3. Old business 4. New business 5. Announcement of rides, special meetings, etc. 6. Good and Welfare 7. Adjournment
ARTICLE XV-Order of Business: The order of business at regular meetings shall be: 1. Reading of minutes of previous meeting 2. Report of officers and committees 3. Old business 4. New business 5. Announcement of rides, special meetings, etc. 6. Adjournment
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How Exercise Keeps Us Young By Gretchen Reynolds January 7, 2015 from The New York Times
Gretchen Reynolds on the science of fitness. Active older people resemble much younger people physiologically, according to a new study of the effects of exercise on aging. The findings suggest that many of our expectations about the inevitability of physical decline with advancing years may be incorrect and that how we age is, to a large degree, up to us. Aging remains a surprisingly mysterious process. A wealth of past scientific research has shown that many bodily and cellular processes change in undesirable ways as we grow older. But science has not been able to establish definitively whether such changes result primarily from the passage of time — in which case they are inevitable for anyone with birthdays — or result at least in part from lifestyle, meaning that they are mutable. This conundrum is particularly true in terms of inactivity. Older people tend to be quite sedentary nowadays, and being sedentary affects health, making it difficult to separate the effects of not moving from those of getting older. In the new study, which was published this week in The Journal of Physiology, scientists at King’s College London and the University of Birmingham in England decided to use a different approach. They removed inactivity as a factor in their study of aging by looking at the health of older people who move quite a bit. “We wanted to understand what happens to the functioning of our bodies as we get older if we take the best-case scenario,” said Stephen Harridge, senior author of the study and director of the Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences at King’s College London. To accomplish that goal, the scientists recruited 85 men and 41 women aged between 55 and 79 who bicycle regularly. The volunteers were all serious recreational riders but not competitive athletes. The men had to be able to ride at least 62 miles in six and a half hours and the women 37 miles in five and a half hours, benchmarks typical of a high degree of fitness in older people. The scientists then ran each volunteer through a large array of physical and cognitive tests. The scientists determined each cyclist’s endurance capacity, muscular mass and strength, pedaling power, metabolic health, balance, memory function, bone density and reflexes. They also had the volunteers complete the so called Timed Up and Go test, during which someone stands up from a chair without using his or her arms, briskly walks about 10 feet, turns, walks back and sits down again. The researchers compared the results of cyclists in the study against each other and also against standard benchmarks of supposedly normal aging. If a particular test’s numbers were similar among the cyclists of all ages, the researchers considered, then that measure would seem to be more dependent on activity than on age. As it turned out, the cyclists did not show their age. On almost all measures, their physical functioning remained fairly stable across the decades and was much closer to that of young adults than of people their age. As a group, even the oldest cyclists had younger people’s levels of balance, reflexes, metabolic health and memory ability. And their Timed Up and Go results were exemplary. Many older people require at least 7 seconds to complete the task, with those requiring 9 or 10 seconds considered to be on the cusp of frailty, Dr. Harridge said. But even the oldest cyclists in this study averaged barely 5 seconds for the walk, which is “well within the norm reported for healthy young adults,” the study authors write. Some aspects of aging did, however, prove to be ineluctable. The oldest cyclists had less muscular power and mass than those in their 50s and early 60s and considerably lower overall aerobic capacities. Age does seem to reduce our endurance and strength to some extent, Dr. Harridge said, even if we exercise. But even so, both of those measures were higher among the oldest cyclists than would be considered average among people aged 70 or above. All in all, the numbers suggest that aging is simply different in the active. “If you gave this dataset to a clinician and asked him to predict the age” of one of the cyclists based on his or her test results, Dr. Harridge said, “it would be impossible.” On paper, they all look young. Of course, this study is based on a single snapshot of an unusual group of older adults, Dr. Harridge said. He and his colleagues plan to retest their volunteers in five and 10 years, which will provide better information about the ongoing effects of exercise on aging. But even in advance of those results, said Dr. Harridge, himself almost 50 and an avid cyclist, this study shows that “being physically active makes your body function on the inside more like a young person’s.”
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MF1200 Stats 757 miles 54:57 on bike time 81:15 total time 34,557ft climbing 41,641calories used This year’s adventure ride started with the question from a cycling friend at the start of a winter solstice ride. The question " Hey Matt did you hear about the 1200k ride in Ireland?" After checking the information on the inter web and getting spousal approval I sent payment and secured a spot on the roster for their inaugural running of the Mile Failte 1200k. The name of the ride is from an Irish saying “many happy welcomes”. This would be my first international ride in 13 years. In an ironic twist the ride’s start date is the summer solstice. After an overnight flight and a tight connection time in Heathrow the bike and I safely arrived at the hotel on Thursday June 19th about noon. Chip from the DC club was heading out for some lunch as I was checking in. We promptly found a pub and had lunch and a pint or two. The remainder of Thursday consisted of putting the bike together and greeting other rando riders upon the arrival in town. On Friday morning Chip, Bill, and I went on a 26 mile shakedown ride. We headed out using the cues for the start of day two to check how our navigation systems would work out. For the most part all of our navigation concerns were a non- issue during the ride. We detoured off the route heading for the town of Cobh, a port town where the Titanic set sail from. In the afternoon we enjoyed another pub lunch then toured the Jameson Irish whiskey factory. By evening the others that would form our riding group had arrived in town. Tim and Gavin joined us for a pre-ride dinner and a few pints.
MF1200 Day one Stats 223 mile 15 hrs moving time 17.5 total hrs Avg. speed 14.8 9300 ft elevation The ride start time of 8 am was a lot later than what I would have preferred. It had been light since about 5 AM. 95 riders started from the Midleton center car park (parking lot). A local club rider escorted the group thru town to cheers of those out on the streets and then along the first few kilometers of highway. What an experience of riding in a big group on a major road with traffic yielding to us. After a right hand turn onto a small farm road the group began to separate. The route stayed on mostly farm road until nearing our first control town of Youghal the first of many coastal towns we will past thru during the ride. Our group opted to just get a quick selffie and not stop at the convenience store where many other had stopped. At this point the core of our group had formed Bill from NY, Chip from DC area, Gavin from Oley, Tim from NJ, Melinda from Boston, Hamid from the DC area, and me. All but Hamid rode the entire ride as a group. Taking turns on the front and sharing experiences during the ride. After leaving Youghal we stayed along the eastern coast and found the first of many short but steep hills on our way thru Dungarvan. We stopped for a lunch break at an equivalent of a WAWA. Good food and our group was more than comfortable sitting on the curb in the sunshine. After the lunch stop the route continued to the north along the southeastern coast to the next town of Waterford. This stretch is considered the “copper coast” in Ireland. Having been an area for mining coppers the mid 1800’s. After passing thru Waterford which was a city rather than a town the route turns inland and goes thru Carrick –On-Suir. This is the hometown of the famous cyclist Sean Kelly.
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MATT’S ADVENTURE RIDE to Ireland June 2014 by Matt Farrell
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For the remainder of the afternoon and evening hours we continue to travel thru Waterford, Tipperary and Limerick counties before a secret control just before sunset about 10 PM. Today’s route had much more climbing in the second half than the first. Leaving the control we put on our reflective gear and continue on to the last control in Lismore. Just before dark we had a very technical decent on a gravel farm road where we almost has an incident with a tractor & wagon. By the time we got to Lismore the only place open is the Malt House Pub. We stop and order a pint at about 11 PM. A guy was playing American classic rock with a guitar and a somewhat full house was listening. Including a geriatric group seated along the wall. As we leave town it's now dark for the first time riding in Ireland. We begin to drift to the right side of the road without the aid of any traffic to remind us where we should be. We completed the circle route once we returned to Youghal. Then it’s only 20K on the highway back to Midleton. As we came thru town the late night bar crowd on the street cheered us on until the final turn to the control location. We arrive at the overnight control about 12:45 AM. Downed a few sandwiches and continue on the host hotel for a quick shower and some sleep.
MF1200 Day Two Stats 216 miles 15:23 hrs moving time 17.5 total hrs Avg. speed 14.0 9700 ft elevation Bill and I roomed together and were able to get about 3.5 hrs of sleep before the 5 AM wake up time came. We gather our drop bag gear and heading to the breakfast buffet. The others in the group didn’t fare as well on the sleep front with Tim only resting not really sleeping at all. Our plan of attack for today was to leave about 6:15 AM and make our way to get the first ferry crossing at 7 AM. We arrive just as the crew fires up the ferry. There were about 1/3 of the riders joining us on that first ferry crossing. It only took a few minutes to cross the water. It’s another beautiful day we are actually hoping for some cloud cover as many of us got too much sun yesterday. Once on the other side of the water we begin to head southwest not quite along the coast and over a few Irish rollers to the port town of Kinsale. We stop and eat a small market on Main St. After Kinsale we ride towards the town of Clonakity. Today route is strewn with spiky hills with two climbs over 500ft. Water is in view to our left most of the day. Sometimes we are right along the coast line while other times we are climbing hills only to get another beautiful view of the water in the distance. The route goes thru many towns along the way to the Beara Peninsula. After going thru the town of Scull we begin a two day’s journey of exploring 5 finger peninsulas to the west and south of Killarney. The routine goes like this. Ride along a coast for an hour or two, climb over a ridge, then follow the water’s edge until the next climb & repeat. After Scull services get pretty limited and we need to rely on food we have on the bike. At mile 110 of the day we hit the first significant climb with a grade of 8-10% and switchback. Once on top we have a somewhat difficult descent down a one lane road for a several kilometers. The ride then goes thru Bantry and onto the Beara Finger and head to Kenmare on the way to the overnight in Killarney. Today’s secret control was in Kilgarvin. We arrive just after dark. Gavin stays at the local pub to watch some of the US World cup match as the remaining members of the team slowly make our way to the overnight stop. We are warmly welcome at the Hostel to offers of warm food, cold beer and good showers. They assign us a room with four beds. We start to close our eyes about 1 AM with the intention of getting on the road by 5 am and not having to ride as much in the dark on day three.
MF1200 Day Three Stats 218 miles 17:15 hrs moving time 21.75 total hrs Avg. speed 12.6 11,400 ft elevation
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On about four hours of sleep day three started off at 5 am with a quiet ride thru the center of Kilarney before anyone was awake. We entered Kilarney National Forest and begin riding the “Ring of Kerry”. The road tilts upward for 7 miles passing the Ladie’s View overlook where we can look back on the road and valley in which we starting the day. Once over Moll’s Gap we turn off of the Ring of Kerry Rd and onto a farm road that descend down the hill towards the town of Sneem, We find a pastry shop just opening where we have our second meal of the day. We join back up on the Ring of Kerry road at this point and stay on it around the Kerry peninsula for the next several hours. It’s another day of riding in the sun and record warm temperatures. We are again riding along the coast. It’s just beautiful with every mile. By mid morning the tour buses begin to pass us. They must travel in a counterclockwise direction while we are going clock wise. So we have a good view and almost a full lane to separate us from them. We pass thru the town of Waterville which is the home of Charlie Chaplin. We stop for a quick photo opportunity. Riding the Irish coast isn’t like the Delaware coast. There are some climbs and descents to deal with. At mile 75 of the day we again turn off the big road and onto a small farm rd. We stop to let Bill take care of a tire going flat. It’s hot standing in the sun. Tim tries to catch a few minutes of sleep while the other find some shade and take in some food from on their bikes. Back up and moving we come to what will be considered the narrowest and steepest tow lane descent I hope I will ever do. On one side of the road is a 400ft drop off into the water. At the bottom of the hill we experience a true Irish beach with people laying in the sun and cars driving on the sand. In the town of Kilorglin we stop for and extended lunch break at convenience store/ mini super market. Both bus and traffic in general has increased. We are up to about forty tours busses seen. A few miles after our stop. I got very tired and find myself falling asleep at the back of the group. Its mid afternoon my worst time of the day to stay awake. The group stops and Chip offer up some kind of super caffeinated gel. I eat it and they put in the front of the group as we head out onto the Dingle peninsula. The gel works great and I pull for the next few miles. Looking back I glad I had no idea how close to the day’s start we were at this point because I may have decided to just go back and sleep. Ignorance can be bliss. More beautiful coast roads, climbs and traffic flowed along into Dingle. We arrive early evening and had our first real sit down meal of the ride at a pub. A pint with fish & chips and then we were off to Slea Head. This would be as close to home as we will be for the week. It’s the western most point of Ireland. There was a bit more wind then we had encountered all day and all in the group were a bit testy about this loop and the traffic to the statue. Once there, all complaints were reduce to nil while we took in one of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. It would not be the last great view of the day. It seemed like every time we turned the corner there was something more spectacular to look at. We got a bit separated at the end of the 22 mile loop. Melinda had a flat and was off the back . Some of us went to the food store and someone went back to look for Melinda. We weren’t going to climb out of Dingle without her. By this time of the day we all realize that finishing at dark even if its 11:30 pm is a bit of a reach. Our next challenge is to focus on Connor Pass a seven mile climb. It’s the highest paved road pass in Ireland at just over 1300 ft. We each climb at our own pace as the sun begins to get lower in the sky. We are fortunate on the long descent that we still have good daylight. After the ride we heard reports of some riders sleeping at the top to wait for the sun to come up before attempting the ride down the other side. At the bottom of the hill we wait to regroup. Two other join in with us as we ride along a much flatter road along the coast while the sun goes down. We pass thru Tralee in the waning hours of dusk. We make it to the secret control for the day at about midnight. Were at mile 193 of 217 so just 24 miles to go. Tim decided to stay and get some sleep here and we make a plan to meet and start the final day of riding at 8 am. A German rider asked if he can join us for the rest of the ride back to the Hostel. We don’t make it a mile until we have navigation issues. Bill & Chip ride back the control. A volunteer comes out and leads us the right way. This was the hardest two hours I ever spent on a bike. It literally seemed like it would never end. Up a steep hill, crest, coast and brake down the other side. No one's lights were bright enough to keep any speed going down a hill. With 4 miles to go the wheels of the group all but fell off. We made a left turn and the hill was so steep that it looked like a wall. Chip dropped a chain and went down along with one other at the bottom of the hill. Melinda ran out of steam and fell over at the midpoint. The rest of us struggled to the top and waited while the others made their way to the top. No one hurt, nothing broke so we carried on. We pulled into the Hostel at 2:45 am almost 22 hours after leaving. After a few choice words about the final miles to the organizers we had a beer or two, some food then cleaned up and tried to get some sleep. It was one of the most challenging days I have had on a bike.
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MF1200 Day Four Stats 99.97 miles 7:15 hrs moving time 9.5 total hrs Avg. speed 13.8 4,137 ft elevation After a few hours sleep I got up and discovered that I forgot to put fresh shorts into my day four riding bag. Reluctantly I dug into to the day two bag and put on those shorts. It was going to be a short day of 100 miles. As we were all getting things settle for the day’s start Tim arrived ahead of schedule having gotten a few hours of sleep at the last control and riding into the overnight control after it was light. We all mounted up around 8 AM and started toward the finish back in Cork. We stopped for a second breakfast at a small pastry shop in Millstreet at the 25 mile mark. I had some kind of Quiche and juice. We continue along farmlands until we reach Kilavullen at mile 52. We stopped at a nice small market store. It had warmed up again and we were very surprised that this store had air conditioning. We actually ate inside to escape the sun and warm temp. This stop was also at the base of the first of two climbs of the day. After the climb we had to control in the town of Glenville. We chose the public house (pub) over the corner market. With only 30 ish miles left or group enjoy a pint or two along with some fries. Tim was finishing up his conversation about American Football vs Soccer with the proprietor. Which ended in an exchange of team flags. Chip and Bill were helping a local woman install new hubcaps on her car. It was quite the site as many of the other riders were lounging on the grass at the nearby market watching the process. We continued on into Tallow the Penultimate control. There were many more riders now joining us. I would estimate a full 1/3 rd of the field of the riders where in this town about the same time. Our group decided to use a different market than the other and kind of slipped out of town unnoticed. I had to stop for a nature break just out of town. My energy level was beginning to run low as that of Tim’s. We dropped off considerably on the final climb out of the town. I was more than happy to stay with Tim thru the final miles as the other raced to the finish. They ended up putting almost 20 minutes on us in the last miles. Tim and I enjoyed a rolling downhill finish into Midleton with a finish time of about 5:20 PM. After cleaning up we gathered for a celebratory dinner at the host hotel. Tim & Bill were already off to the airport and we were joined with our new German friends in their place. Chip and I stayed on for another day before flying home. I walked around Midleton to stretch the legs and then we moved to the hotel at the airport later in the day. I awoke the final day in Ireland to much more average weather as it was cloudy raining and in the mid 50’s as the shuttle took me to the airport in the late morning. Riding in Ireland was a great experience. I would highly recommend to anyone able to make the trip. I didn’t find riding on the left side of the road difficult to do. It almost became natural by the end of the ride. Public transportation with a bike is very easy in most cases too. I don’t know if I would recommend my method of seeing Ireland to many others, but it would be a great trip for many in at more relaxed pace.
Left Pic: Slea Head Right Pic: What most of the towns look like.
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Tour de Lebanon Valley – May 30, 2015 Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, has hundreds of great bicycling miles. On May 30, Tour de Lebanon Valley offers a Metric Century and a 25 mile ride. This is a fundraiser event for Lebanon Valley Volunteers in Medicine Free Health Clinic and Lebanon Valley Bicycle Coalition. The ride starts from the Health Clinic in the City of Lebanon, a few blocks from the downtown Farmers Market and Snitz Creek Brewery. There is a Family Ride on the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail. Ride descriptions, other information, and registration are at www.tourdelebanonvalley.org. For more information contact Linda Jackson at 717 272-2252 or [email protected]. Come for the week end and bike the Century Perimeter with 6000 feet of climb or take it easy and experience one of the rail trails or the scenic bike rides available at www.bikelebanon.org. Mountain biking opportunities abound.
It's a beautiful day in Pennsylvania!
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