November 2011 Issue - Cycling Connection

Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Cycling Connection is a multi-level recreational bicycling
club. It is not a racing club. We would like to invite you to
come and join us on one of our weekend rides throughout
the Inland Empire area.
Website:
www.cyclingconnection.org
Join us on Yahoo:
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/cyclingconnectionIE/
Join us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?
From the President’s Pen
Congratulations Team Black
Scorpion. Club members Rick
Reddell and John Hewitt along
with 2 other teammates did a
great job finishing the Furnace
Creek 508 in just 31:58:51. John
was added in the last month so
he didn't get much time to train .
Maybe that was a good thing as
he is a strong rider and this way
didn't have all that much time to
worry about how hard it was going to be. Rick will be back at our December meeting to tell us about
their adventures.
October brought about our club century. We had 47 riders start at
It's A Grind to do the full 100 miles and several more at Hidden Valley
to ride the metric century. I would like to thank Vinnie Beltran, his wife
who kept him company, and Michelle Fleischer who helped me drive
sag vehicles to support the riders. I know all the riders appreciated your
help.
Our bike fundraiser is almost complete for 2011. The only thing left
is to go see the kids receive them. All 50 of the bikes were delivered to
my house where they were built by club members.
We all had a great time building the bikes and eating
pizza. The next day the city came and picked them
up to put them in the police lock up until Christmas.
As of right now the tentative date for the give away is
December 8th. I hope you can all attend.
Hope to be back on the road with you soon.
Tom
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In this Issue:
From the President’s Pen
Ramble On
What’s Happening?
Sheep ranchers and cyclists
Tech Tip
Fall Century Ride
Sasha’s Big Adventure
Bicycle Safety
Are you Ready to Ride?
Cycling Etiquette
Bike Journal Top10
Board Members
Club Membership Happenings
Classifieds
Ride Calendar
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Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Ramble On
What’s Happening?
Do you feel it? Some of you might already be sick of
it, but whenever you go to the store there it is. The constant
reminder, courtesy of the retail establishments that Christmas or the P.C. way of saying it; the holidays are upon us.
As much as I like the holidays and getting together
with family, for some of us not all family, but pretty much the
whole vibe in general I’m ok with. However, for me at least, it
is a stressful time as well. Trying to find the right gift for everyone on your list and trying to juggle Thanksgiving Dinners
and Holiday Gift exchanges with family, in-laws, friends and
extended family.
It can all be pretty overwhelming. So this holiday season I’m not going to worry so much about the gory details
and just be grateful for what I have and try and think of ways
to give to others less fortunate.
Our club does an outstanding job in no small effort
from our chief; Tom Tisler in providing new bikes for very
grateful kids in the city of Fontana. This year we’ll also have
the opportunity to do what we like best, have an excuse to
ride our bikes and as and added bonus be able to give a toy
to a lucky boy or girl through the Kevin Unck Foundation on
December 3rd.
I’ll also be looking forward to the Christmas Light Ride
on December 10th, which will give everyone a chance to
dress merrily and show their holiday spirit through their bike
decoration.
So, this season I’m going to stress less and let my cycling activities dictate what will happen.
Well, thanks for letting me ramble.
Vinnie
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Hesperia Bike tour
November 5th
http://www.hdevents.org
Mt. SAC Fat Tire Classic
November 6th
http://as.mtsac.edu/fattire/index.html
Columbia Muddy Buddy
November 6th
http://muddy-buddy.competitor.com
Palm Desert Century
November 12th
http://www.hdevents.org
Tour De Foothills
November 12th
http://www.tourdefoothills.com
Toys for Tots Ride
December 3rd
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TheKevin-UnckFoundation/169456859771500
Christmas Bike Giveaway
December 8th
http://www.cyclingconnection.org
Christmas Light Ride
December 10th
http://www.cyclingconnection.org
Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
In Colorado, sheep ranchers try to
make piece with cyclists.
REMINDER:
Courtesy Ashley Powers, LA Times
In Colorado’s scenic backcountry, tension has
simmered for years between outdoor enthusiasts
and sheep ranchers, whose guard dogs sometimes
lunge and snap at hikers and cyclists they confuse
with potential predators.
Cycling Connection
Annual Christmas
Light Ride
The most high-profile case unfolded in 2009,
when a jury found sheepherder Sam Robinson
guilty of owning a dangerous dog, a misdemeanor.
Robinson’s white Great Pyrenees, Tiny and Pastor,
who had chased off mountain lions and coyotes for
years, had viciously attacked mountain biker Renee
Legro during a race.
Many sheepherders don’t want to get rid of their
dogs, which are gifted at sparing lambs from becoming snacks for bears and mountain lions. So
these days, sheepherders are training their
“livestock protection dogs” to better coexist with cyclists. “I think we'll have an easier time training the
dogs than the people,” sheep rancher Ernie Etchart
told the Denver Post. Among the methods ranchers
are trying: having people bike around the dogs to
get them used to cyclists.
December 10th, 2011
5:30PM
The sheep industry is trying to educate backcountry users, as well. If you run across a Turkish
Akbash or Great Pyrenees guarding a herd, the
Post reported, "stop and get off your bike, put your
bike between you and the dog and tell the dog to
'go back to the sheep.' "
Potluck afterwards
Details to follow
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Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
chains for the cost of the cassette and chain rings), but it
also keeps the bicycle’s drive train working better.
Tech Tip of the Month
By: Rolf Pherigo - Fellow Cyclists &
Public Affairs Board Member
Bike Tech Tip as featured in
LANDRY’s Bicycles, by KenMcLean
(some liberty was taken in editing & adding info to help explain)
First, a plea for help. The Board
works hard to provide a ‘premier’ club
experience and writing / researching articles is just one of
many tasks we perform on a monthly basis. PLEASE we
need your help, in writing, editing and sometimes just
cutting and pasting. You don’t need to be a mechanical
genius, we are looking for simple bike tech tips, one per
month. Who will step up? Who will provide a tech tip for
December?
Experience has shown that the point beyond which
the accumulated wear causes permanent damage to the
gears is reached at different mileages. With excellent
maintenance many people find that their chains do not
need replacing until after 2500 miles, with average maintenance 2000 miles seems to be the norm, and with poor
maintenance or on mountain bikes ridden primarily offroad 500–700 miles is common. The most precise way to
determine if a chain is due for replacement is by measurement. Different manufacturers specify different techniques
to measure their chains. The Rohloff Caliber 2 tool is one
of many and provides a quick and accurate means of
measuring most chains.
Thanks in advance for any and all contributions. ……
and now to our tech tip.
Replace your bike chain regularly for top performance
and long-term cost savings on other components. Bicycle
chains gradually wear and elongate with use. Once your
chain’s wear has progressed beyond a certain point, it
does permanent damage to the cassette and chain rings.
With average chain maintenance, most cyclists find that a
chain replacement interval of around 1500 – 2500 miles is
appropriate.
Background info on chain wear. A bicycle's chain is composed of more than 400 moving parts. With proper maintenance, a bicycle chain is one of the most efficient energy transfer mechanisms ever invented. The modern
bicycle chain is asked to transfer energy in all conditions
from wet and muddy to dry and gritty and is expected to
move smoothly to different gears under the influence of
the derailleurs.
Over the miles of use, the parts of a chain are constantly moving against each other. This constant movement will gradually wear down the surfaces under load. As
this wear progresses, the chain will elongate or appear to
stretch. The gears that are driven by the chain are precisely machined to mesh with the chain. As the chain
wears and elongates, it gradually changes the shape of
the teeth on the gears that it drives. Once the chain’s wear
progresses beyond a certain point not only does it move
to different gears less smoothly but the wear causes
changes to the gear’s teeth making it impossible to replace the chain without also replacing the gears: the cassette and chain rings. It is not only cost-effective to replace the chain before this point (you can replace many
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Campagnolo specifies an alternative technique for
their 10 and 11 speed chains. Proper chain maintenance
is primarily about lubrication and cleaning. Start by selecting a lubricant designed for bicycle-chain use, and check
that its formulation is appropriate for the kind of conditions
that you will be riding in: wet and muddy or dry and dusty.
While some lubricant manufactures suggest less frequent
application almost all spray-on lubricants perform best
when they are applied before every ride and after every
wet ride. Apply the lube at one position while rotating the
crank rapidly. Three or four revolutions of the crank should
be sufficient to apply a thin coat of lube to the entire chain.
Continue to rotate the crank to work its way in between
the moving parts of the chain and loosen any accumulated
road grime. After the lube has worked in take a rag and
carefully wipe everything you can off the chain while continuing rotate the crank. It is not possible to wipe too much
off so continue to do this as long as you can tolerate it or
until the rag comes off the chain clean. Lastly, most chain
manufactures recommend that you do not soak a chain in
degreaser as this will drive all the lubrication out of the
chain and accelerate the wear.
So, let’s clean and lube those chains, check for
stretch regularly for smooth operation and to maximize the
chains mileage and to reduce wear on the expensive
parts.
Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Random Shots from the Fall Century Ride
Attention Club Members
If you don’t already have one,
be sure to get yourself a
RoadID.
And, so the Club gets credit,
select the link from the Club’s
website.
Each RoadID is made to order
with your important information. Don’t ride without it!
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Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Sasha’s Big Adventure
By Sasha Bill Kwapinski
Day one: About 5:30 am, leaving home in
Morgan Hill. CA on my Surly long-haul
trucker, plus Adventure Cycling maps, and
an assortment of camping gear. It's my first
attempt at a multi-day tour. With a vague
sense of not knowing how it will all work out,
I climb west over Hecker Pass (Hwy 152)
through the coast range toward Watsonville.
Leaving at that time avoids most of the traffic
( riding 152 is legal, but Deputy Sheriffs have
told me they prefer it not be done). Out
Beach Rd west of Watsonville toward Monterey Bay, then a quick turn onto Thurwatcher Rd (a rural farm road) puts you on
the Pacific Coast bicycle route heading
south.
Farther on, I connect up with Hwy 1,
heading through Moss Landing (home to
fishing boats, antique shops and some super
restaurants) and down toward Monterey/
Carmel. In Monterey I detour off the route,
venturing along the coast past Pacific Grove,
Asilomar state park, and onto the 17-Mile
Drive, all offering spectacular views of
beaches, ocean waves, golf courses, and
rocky cliffs, and Monterey Cypresses. Past
the Carmel Mission, I am back on route (Hwy
1) south toward Big Sur.
Reaching Bixby Bridge (the big
"Rainbow Bridge" that appears in some car
commercials) I am entering unknown territory
(for me). Several miles farther is Pfeiffer Big
Sur State Park, north of the town of Big Sur.
(A "historic occasion" for me - my first night
camping on a bike tour.) Off to the hikerbiker site, I pull up a piece of ground, roll
myself up in some plastic tarps I had brought
with me, and hope for the best.
Day two: Pedaling up a long incline
south, I stop at the Big Sur PO to mail some
post cards. Through the translucent window
I catch the outlines of two cyclists pulling up
in front of a small cafe next door. I walk out,
introduce myself, and learn that one of them
started from Alaska some months earlier and
the other from Vancouver British Columbia.
They had just met eachother the previous
day in Monterey and are heading down the
coast. They've done the route several times
and are willing to have me tag along. This
day treats us to some jaw-dropping views out
over the ocean, and a beautiful stop at Julia
Pfeiffer Burns State Park, as we venture
south toward Plaskett State Park. My two
compadres (Mr. Alaska and Mr. BC) drop
me for a while, until I find their bikes in front
of a pricey art gallery featuring multihundred pound stone sculptures for up to
$7000 and more. I pull in and the three of
us, in our Pearl Izumi latest, take time to
view the selection (I'm thinking "Yeah right,
as if we're gonna buy anything!") Later,
south of the town of Lucia, we pull into
Plaskett St. Park, with a hiker-biker site, our
destination for the day.
Day three: I venture south into Gorda
for something to eat and wait for Messrs AK
and BC to catch up. The route follows Hwy
1, south to Ragged point, where the terrain
begins to level out somewhat, and down
past San Simeon and Cambria toward Morro
Bay. I lose my two friends again, only to
bump into them again some 40 miles later in
front of a restaurant in Cayucos. Morro Bay
St Park includes a hiker biker site and good
showers.
Day four: The designated route heads
out through farmlands, skirting past San Luis
Obispo and follows St. Hwy 227 down to
Pismo Beach where it rejoins Hwy 1. We
continue through the farming town of Guadalupe, on the way toward Lompoc. Meanwhile, I am musing to myself about the irony
of an Alaskan and a Canadian giving a
native Californian (me) a guided tour down
the California coast. We branch off of the
route (Hwy 135) and follow Hwy 1 toward
Vandenberg AFB, and then into Lompoc.
The Adventure Cycling route follows Hwy
135 up over Harris Grade Rd. to Lompoc (I
will save that for the journey back home).
North of Lompoc I experienced my only flat
tire on the trip south.(the only other flat tire
was coming into Lompoc on the way north).
Day five: Lompoc's city-operated River
Park campground includes a small hikerbiker site. One of my companions (Mr AK)
leaves us that morning to catch a train in
Santa Barbara. Mr BC and I then venture
south along Hwy 1 over the mountains to
Hwy 101, then from Gaviota to a pleasant
hiker biker site next to the ocean under
some palm trees at Refugio State beach.
Day six gives us another relatively
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short trip, through Santa Barbara to the state
beach at Carpenteria, about 35 miles. I have
found (for me at least) that it is helpful in the
urban areas to bring or buy regular maps
(AAA-type, for example) to give a more detailed overview of the whole area, supplementing what is shown on the Adventure
Cycling maps. South of Santa Barbara,
things are generally more crowded and urbanized all along the coast. Watch your bike
and lock it, if you aren't already doing so.
Day seven, we venture south through
Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme,
(pronounced "Why ne me") then onto Hwy 1
again for some spectacular views of the
beach and ocean near Point Mugu and pedaling toward Malibu. We flake out in the
bushes of what passes for a hiker biker site
at Leo Carrillo St. Park, west of Malibu.
After this point, things became a blur of
crowds and urbanity as we ventured along
the Santa Monica Bay bike path through
Marina Del Rey and toward Redondo Beach.
The route then takes you east through Torrance and Carson on Torrance Blvd and
223rd St, then down along the mighty Los
Angeles River to Long Beach (good view of
the Queen Mary). Our first time holing up in
a motel. My aunt, whom I hadn't seen in 30
years, resided in Torrance (stopped and paid
her a visit on my way back).
Day 9. Mr BC leaves me at this point to
rejoin his wife who is waiting for him in San
Clemente.
I thank Mr BC for helping to
guide me all that way, telling him "At least
now I know more about how to get back
home than I did about how to get down
here." I continue on to a nondescript hiker
biker site at San Clemente State Beach,
sharing it with a few homeless folks, and roll
up once more like a hot dog in my plastic
tarps.
Final day: ride through Camp Pendleton
(check Adventure Cycling Maps for hours
and info.) Normally cyclists can ride the
designated route through in the daytime with
photo ID.
Reach San Diego, turn around, start
back. Total distance down and back: just
over 1000 Mi. Total time: 19 days. Flat tires:
2. Relatives visited: 1 (Aunt ). Longest distance covered in one day: 85 mi. Shortest:
about 35 mi. Equipment and clothing: adequate, though somewhat on the light side.
Items to remember for next time: tent and
sleeping bag.
Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Are You Ready to Ride?
Newbie, Commuter, or weekend Club Rider – everyone
needs to be ready to ride.But, what exactly does that
mean?
Bike Safety
Here are some guidelines:
• Show up on time
• Always wear your helmet
• Don’t forget your flat fixers:
o Spare tube
o Pump or CO2
o Tire Levers
• ID Card (Road ID is a good idea)
http://www.roadid.com
• Bike in good working condition
You hear it all the time on our club rides.
In past issues of the newsletter there were
some articles on different cycling vs. car
situations. Some of us take all of this for
granted, thinking perhaps that it won’t happen to me, or I’m safe since I’m riding with
the club.
If you get a flat on one of our rides, but don’t know how to
change it, don’t worry. This is one of the benefits of riding
with a bike club. There is always someone (usually several
someones) that is happy to help!
Unfortunately, IT can happen to anyone,
anywhere. Accidents can and do happen,
even to the best of us. So, do we all “tuck
tail” and hide? No, that’s no fun. What we can
do is be aware of our surroundings and recognize some of these potential situations before they occur.
In an effort to provide information of Bike
Safety, I came across a website devoted
solely to this topic. The link below will take
you there. Please take a few minutes and
look it over. Some of this may be repeat info,
but there may still be something of benefit
here. Be sure to share this site with any of
your other cycling friends or
family
(especially kids and new riders).
Cycling Etiquette
For safety sake (yours and those riding around you), here
are a few suggestions for an enjoyable (and safe) ride:
• Stay in the bike lane (when there is one)
• Don’t makeunexpected moves while riding with
the group. Let others know your intentions.
• Don’t run lights or stop signs!
• When passing slower riders, call out ”On Your
Left” or “On Your Right”
• Always expect the unexpected from cars, and
you’ll never be disappointed (or caught off guard).
It’s been said before the start of our Saturday rides that we
are all “riding with friends”. That means while it’s fun to
ride strong, go fast on the flats, climb well, and scream
downhill, we need to be mindful of other riders around us.
We want everyone to enjoy themselves, and come back for
another ride.
http://BicycleSafe.com/
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Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Bike Journal - Club’s Top 10
(as of November 4th, 2011)
1. Socalspeedsk8r - 8,590
2. Heck - 8,021
3. Fastguy72 - 7,527
4. Superfly - 7,474
5. Irvine_Ranch - 5,101
6. Mmiller56 - 4.983
7. Gregjg5 - 4,783
8. sambill - 4,786
9. wannaberacer66 - 4,699
10.pthammer - 4,557
Club Membership Happenings
New Members
Jay Caceres
Kelly Peterson
Recently dropped out of Top 10 rantingdave
Recently moved in to Top 10 wannaberacer66
Knocking on the door; DougM, alexsuchey,
Moe566, rantingdave, HavasuRick
Renewals
Dana Pierce
Vinnie Beltran
Dave Griffith
Phil Howard
Mike Basica
Brent, Stacy, Brandon Feller
Albert, Hope, Taylor Chile
Leanard Ortiz
Greg Zwerner
If you haven’t heard, logging your miles on
Bike Journal is free! Here’s the link:
www.bikejournal.com
Board Members
November Birthdays
President: Tom Tisler [email protected]
Kyle Roberts Nov 5
Nathan Pherigo Nov 6
Philip Shie Nov 6
Michelle Lagares Nov 7
Pamela Bergman Nov10
Billy Corn Nov 14
Caroyln Pichardo Nov 16
Vincent Dudziak Nov 16
Mark Browne Nov 24
Doug Marquis Nov 29
Lori Arita Nov 29
Vice President: Greg Armstrong [email protected]
Vice President2: Pete Figueredo [email protected]
Treasurer: Jeanne Goodwine [email protected]
Newsletter Editor: Vinnie Beltran [email protected]
Ride Coordinator: Mike Basica [email protected]
Ride Coordinator2: Skid Saurenman [email protected]
Membership: Cyndi Brown [email protected]
Website: Billy Corn [email protected]
Secretary: Russ Johnson [email protected]
Equipment: Bill Day [email protected]
Social Director: La Vonne Koester [email protected]
Communications: Fred Roth [email protected]
Public Affairs Liaison: Rolf Pherigo [email protected]
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Changing Gears
November 2011 Issue
Classified Section
FOR SALE: MOTOBECANE NEMESIS $
FOR SALE: MOTOBECANE IMMPORTAL PRO $700
56cm Aero Motobecanse Tri-Bike, includes everything except
the wheels—comes with stock wheels.
Contact: Dan Caldera 951 206-8323, [email protected]
2010 Motobecane Immortal Pro all Carbon, 50/434 cranks,
Ultegra/105 Mix, weighs about 19lbs.
Contact: Dana Pierce 951 642-7872, [email protected]
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Women’s ride, 2:30pm at Grapeland
Elementary School
7171 Etiwanda Ave
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Long: Victoria Loop, Riverside. 55mi.
Short: Euro Café, 25 miles
Women’s ride, 2:30pm at Grapeland
Elementary School
7171 Etiwanda Ave
Long: Inland Empire Santa Ana River
Trail, 55 mi. Leader: Les
Short: Old Town San Dimas, 38 mi
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Women’s ride, 2:30pm at Grapeland
Elementary School
7171 Etiwanda Ave
Long: San Dimas Canyon, 38 mi.
Leader: Les
Short: 42nd St Bagel, Claremont, 25mi
(easy recovery rides, after Tour de
Foothills!)
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Daylight Savings Time Ends!
Women’s ride, 2:30pm at Grapeland
Elementary School
7171 Etiwanda Ave
Long: Sierra Madre, 65 mi, Leader: Les
Short: The Vault, Glendora, 40 mi
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Find other organized rides at:
www.bbcnet.com
Questions? Suggestions? Contact
Mike Basica at:
[email protected]
Sun
November
28
21
14
7
Mon
29
22
15
8
Training Ride
5:00pm, CVS
Parking lot at
Milliken and Kenyon
1
Tue
30
23
16
9
2
Wed
Thu
24
Happy Thanksgiving!
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10
Training Ride
5:00pm, CVS Parking
lot at Milliken and
Kenyon. Last training
ride of the season!
Club Meeting,
7:00pm at Carrows
Restaurant on Foothill
3
Fri
Social at 7:00pm
Pizza and Beer at
Shakeys, Victoria
Gardens.
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Show N Go
8:00am at
It’s A Grind
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11
4
All rides start at 8:00am at “IT’S A GRIND” Coffee House on Day
Creek Blvd and Baseline Road in Rancho, unless noted otherwise.
Daylight Savings Time Ends!
2011
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THE GRIND
23, 30 and 33 miles
UMC 29th El Tour de Tucson
http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/
THE GRIND
23, 30 and 33 miles
www.tourdefoothills.com
31, 62 and 100 mile routes
Tour de Foothills
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THE GRIND
23, 30 and 33 miles
19
Sat
Tour de Julian Road and MTB rides
http://www.julianactive.com/
5
THE GRIND
23, 30 and 33 miles