May-Jun 2013 Newsletter

May-Jun
2013
The NC Bicycle News
Organized
rides and why
you want to
ride them!
In my last president’s
message I talked about
the pleasures of solo riding. This time I
want to talk about the pleasures of
organized rides, such as our upcoming
Summer Rally on July 14th (more about
that later).
It’s my experience that most cyclists, if
they’ve been riding for a while, have
fallen in with a group of fellow cyclists
who are their regular riding partners,
whether they meet informally or at
designated times and places. One such
group I ride with is the Oh Melo Velo
ride on Wednesday evenings in Cary,
and I’ve been doing that now for over
twenty years! These riders I know well.
I know how steady they are (or are not),
whether and when they’ll attack, and
when there’s unspoken agreement to
throttle back and catch your breath.
These are the riders you know well
enough to have some good natured fun
with they aren’t having their best day,
and who will likewise offer their
“encouragement” if you’ve earned it.
But how do beginning riders find likeminded, compatible riding partners?
How do you discover good cycling
routes in the area, and how do you gain
experience with group riding techniques?
In effect, how do you evolve from a
person with a bike to become a bona fide
cyclist? Here’s where organized rides
can really help. These rides are typically
big, anywhere from 150 to 1000 cyclists.
The groups tends to naturally stratify, so
you end up riding with cyclists of
similar speed. This is when you want to
be friendly and chat with those around
you. Where are they from? Where do
they ride regularly? Are there rides
they’d recommend?
There’s a certain amount you can learn
by doing. Pay attention when you’re in a
fast group and you can often distinguish
the experienced riders from the less so.
The experienced riders are typically very
A Message from David Cole
routes you’ll want to ride
again in the future.
NCBC President
And so, participating in
steady – they don’t abruptly change their organized rides is a good way to gain
speed or swerve. They also call out
experience and develop yourself as a
hazards, indicate their planned motions, cyclist. That’s one reason the NCBC
and communicate with the riders around offers three such rides during the year.
them. In effect, they make the group
Our summer rally is coming up on July
safer, because they help the other riders 14th and starts from the Shearon Harris
understand what to expect. If you’re a
Visitors’ Center southwest of Apex.
less experienced rider, then be observant. And, perhaps best of all, it’s free for
In time you’ll be the one teaching the
NCBC members! Folks who aren’t
others.
members but want to ride register by
joining the club, which gives them
Organized rides offer other practical
discounts for the other rides and at local
experience, such as how to fuel and
bike shops. The NCBC home page at
hydrate yourself for a long ride. Most
cyclists I know have at least one story of NCBikeClub.org has all the details,
including maps and cue sheets.
bonking badly, and it’s a lesson you
don’t soon forget. For me it was my
And, our Fall Rally will be on Sunday,
very first NCBC spring rally. I was
October 20th and will again be in
conjunction with Carolina Brewing
Company in Holly Springs. Bob
Oderkirk is planning new routes for this
year, but we’ll still end at the brewery
and have a cookout and free beer. You
won’t want to miss it!
I NSIDE THIS I SSUE
The people in the foreground, left-to-right, are
Stephen Knight, Friederike Jayes, Alan Johnson,
and Nancy Knight.
strong enough to stay with the lead pack
until they split off on the full century. I
was doing the metric, was solo, fully
spent, and had 35 long miles yet to go. I
could barely turn the cranks when I
finished. Fortunately, we now have
frequent sag (“Support And Gear”) stops
for food and drink, have support vehicles
on the route, and have sweep riders
making sure no one gets left behind. All
this offers a safety net to newer riders so
you can try a distance you perhaps
haven’t done before.
Organized rides usually have marked
routes with maps and cue sheets, so you
can ride without worrying about getting
lost (if you pay attention). If you’re
lucky you’ll discover new roads and find
President's Message
1
Team CBC Bike Rides
2
Summer Rally Reminder
3
March Meeting Highlights 4
YTD Financial Report
4
Review: Yehuda Moon
4
Monthly Ride Calendar
5
NCBC Sponsors List
6
Tour de Fat Event Report 7
BikeFest Ride Announcement 7
Ride Review: FestiVELO
8
Upcoming Century Rides
8
Club Membership Update 10
It Came from the Archives 10
Officers & Contact Info
11
Membership Application
11
Page 2
Triangle Area Ride Showcase
The NC Bicycle News
Team CBC Rides
Start Locations: Holly Springs and North Raleigh
Start Times:
Tuesday
Thursday Sunday
6 pm
6 pm
8 - 10:30 am
Pace:
From 12-14 mph no-drop to 20+ mph
Distance:
30 to 75 miles (see below)
The rides listed are held during Spring, Summer, and Fall.
During the winter a ride is held every Sunday, although times
may vary due to weather conditions. Read below or browse
http://www.teamcbc.com for the full scoop.
events.
We now ride three times a week from
March until November. During the
winter we ride every Sunday, although
times may vary due to temperatures.
During the Spring, Summer, and Fall
TeamCBC has the following rides:
Tuesday - North Raleigh Recovery
rode at Bike MS. TeamCBC is now the
Welcome to TeamCBC!
Ride Tuesdays at 6:00 PM
largest
team
participating
in
North
We are one of the largest and most active Carolina's Eastern Chapter of the
Thursday - Thursday 6pm Meet by
cycling clubs in North Carolina.
5:45PM Roll at 6PM at Holly Springs
BikeMS
ride.
Average
participation
is
TeamCBC started with humble origins,
Town Center 100 Grand Hill Place,
approximately
160+
people.
Many
ride
formed to raise money for Multiple
Holly Springs It is an out and back
different
paces
and
different
distances,
Sclerosis. TeamCBC is now a very large however all of them have a great time!
route distance defined by sunset.
non-profit cycling club, benefiting
Followed by social at Buffalo Wild
TeamCBC
and
their
primary
sponsor,
the
numerous charities and teaching and
Wings. They will give 10% back to
Carolina
Brewing
Company,
have
grown
working with cyclists of all ages and
MS.
each
year.
In
the
past
five
years
skills. We like to have fun and be safe.
TeamCBC
has
donated
almost
a
half
Sunday - Staggered start times. E-mail
Come join us!
million
dollars
to
fight
MS
and
MS
and Facebook announce routes and
In 2002, Greg Shuck, owner of Carolina research. The donations by year are:
start times for varied distance.
Brewing Company, and Cyril Sagan
Standard distance and pace is like this
2008
$70,824
created TeamCBC. The brewery started
- 8:00 AM 20+ mph 75 milers - THIS
- 2009 $94,836
as a sponsor of the team and then moved
IS A DROP RIDE- BRING A CUE
- 2010 $105,684
on to become a major sponsor of
SHEET!!
BikeMS. By 2004, the team and grown
- 2011 $101,867
- 8:15 AM 18-19 mph 75 miles - Split
and more people had joined for the fun.
- 2012 $114,138
the group based on speed! (This is a no
Greg began to ride, and by 2006 the team
- 2013 Goal is $100k+!
drop ride)
was doing some training rides during the
This is in addition to all the other benefit
summer. We had one big fundraiser in
- 8:30 AM 16-17 mph 75 miles - Split
the Spring called the Big Bash. This was rides for causes like cancer, diabetes,
the group based on speed! (This is a no
the beginning of a fun cycling team with developmental disabilities, brain injury,
drop ride)
an abundance of resources (beer), but one animal rescue, and others. TeamCBC is
- 9:00 AM 19+ mph 50 miles (This is
very active in the Triangle in helping
that somehow lacked organization and
a
no drop ride. Split if necessary)
numerous rides through volunteerism and
focus.
9:15 AM 17-18 mph 50 miles depart
In 2007 Bob Oderkirk began to ride with ride participation.
(This is a no drop ride. Split if
TeamCBC has no membership dues and
the team. In 2008 he began to organize
necessary)
is open to all ages and skillsets. The only
rides and assisted with organizing
- 9:30 AM 15-16 mph 50 miles depart
requirement is that each rider sign a
TeamCBC for what is now called
(This
is a no drop ride. Split if
BikeMS, with help from Greg and Cyril. waiver before their first ride of each year
necessary)
Rides became a regular part of summer, and you wear a helmet. Someone will be
- 10:00 AM 15-16 mph 30 milers
available at the start of each ride to
with rides occurring every two to three
depart
(This is a no drop ride. Split if
collect
waiver
signatures.
Once
you
join
weeks during the training season. This
necessary)
gave riders more riding opportunities to the e-mail list you are a TeamCBC
- 10:15 AM 12-14 30 milers & 20
member for club rides and benefits.
get to know each other and for
milers depart (This is a no drop ride.
TeamCBC to gel as a team. In 2007 ride Joining TeamCBC for the BikeMS event
Split if necessary)
can be done through the website page, as
the MS150 participation was
well as just joining the e-mail list. We
- 10:30 AM 17+ mph 30 milers depart
approximately 42 riders. In 2008,
urge all riders to join the e-mail list to get
(This is a no drop ride. Split if
participation jumped to 91 riders who
info on upcoming rides and special
necessary)
Page 3
The NC Bicycle News
We average about 60 or so riders on
Thursdays, so plenty of different speeds
to ride with and 80-100 on Sundays. We
usually ride from the brewery if possible
on Sundays. Everyone arrives back at the
same time and we socialize with a
recovery beverage. As you can see, there
are plenty of routes and paces for
everyone.
All our rides are designed to help people
learn safe riding skills. Riders can
improve rapidly by coming out every
week and we have a great bunch of folks
who have a wide and varied knowledge
of cycling. We invite everyone to come
out and ride with us, no matter your skill
set or level. We can even provide a 3
mile course with no traffic just for
beginners or those who are recovering
from serious injury and/or surgery.
Our website is located at
http://www.teamcbc.com/, and we can
be found on Facebook as Team CBC or
at this link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mst
eamcbc/
Riders are welcome from all ages and all
levels of experience. TeamCBC likes to
have fun and enjoy the ride, however we
do teach safety and stress proper cycling
skills that keep a rider safe during the
ride. Everyone is welcome to attend. We
might even buy you a recovery drink
form the Carolina Brewing Company!
Bob Oderkirk
TeamCBC
Ride Announcement: NCBC Summer Rally 201 3
Date:
Sunday, July 14th, 2013 - rain or shine
Distances: 100K (62 miles), 40 miles, 20 miles
Registration: At event only - no pre-registration. (membership forms).
Register in the picnic area in front of the Visitors' Center. Parking is behind the center.
Time:
Registration starts at 7:00am, all rides start at 8:00am
Place:
Shearon Harris Visitors' Center
3932 New Hill Holleman Road
New Hill, NC
Cost:
FREE!!! for NCBC members. If you're not a member, it costs $15 to join
(typically we charge $15 for members and $20 for non-members).
Contact:
David Cole, [email protected]
919-924-3039 (home - before 9pm, please) , 919-254-4113 (work)
Page 4
March 201 3 Meeting
Highlights
by Brandon Brown
NCBC’s March meeting hosted Randy
Dykes, volunteer with the Triangle
Spokes Group at a new venue, Chow, in
North Raleigh at Creedmoor and
Strickland.
The Triangle Spokes Group is a
nonprofit 501-3c organization that is out
of Raleigh. Their primary goal is to
distribute new bicycles and helmets to
less fortunate families during the holiday
season. 100% of the donated money goes
directly to buy bikes and gear for the
children.
In 2012, over 500 bikes and gear were
distributed by the Salvation Army to
local kids.
Over 2050 bikes have been donated to
Triangle children since the organization’s
inception.
This year’s goal of 600 bikes stands at
186 and counting, with a generous
donation from the NCBC of $500.
Future events for the Triangle Spokes
Group include:
• Pancake Breakfast on September 14,
2013 at Applebee’s in Wake Forest. $8
per person for breakfast, and 100% of the
collected money goes towards the
purchase of new bikes.
• Lonerider Brewery event on November
20, 2013 which includes an admission
fee that is a 100% donation, a silent
auction with great gifts from nearby
businesses. 100% of the tips are
donations to the group as well as 50% of
all beer sales that evening.
To donate, contact the group at
http://www.trianglespokesgroup.org/, or
reach out to me, Brandon Brown, for a
contact list of the administrators if you
want to plan a special event.
Thanks again to Randy for presenting his
group’s worthy cause to the NCBC
membership!
Book Review: Yehuda Moon
and the Kickstand Cyclery
by Scott Chilcote
Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery
is the story of two bicycling enthusiasts
who are employees at a Bike Shop in
Ohio. When the fatherly owner of the
shop is killed by a hit and run driver, they
decide to buy out the bike shop and take
over. Yehuda sells most of his
belongings to pay for his share, and
becomes a full time bicyclist. His cohort
Joe is more of a fair-weather cyclist, and
very into competitive bicycling.
While I'm calling this review a book
report, Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand
Cyclery is actually a web-comic. Its
authors and artists, Rick Smith and
Brian Griggs, have published the entire
series for free online. Point your browser
to http://yehudamoon.com and start
reading! The comics are organized by
year, starting in 2009 and ending, rather
sadly, at the end of 2012.
My favorite aspect of this "strip" is its
dual nature. On the one hand, it does a
great job of mining the pitfalls and
challenges of riding a bike in our carcrazy society for laughs. Nearly every
aspect of day to day cycling is examined.
For example, several strips deal with
"road conversations" between passing
drivers and Yehuda (and his friends).
Have you ever had a well-meaning
person explain to you that you shouldn't
be bicycling on roads, because he or she
sometimes drives carelessly... Without
even noticing the irony? And then there's
the people who shout something as their
vehicle speeds by without realizing that
their car is much louder than they are.
There are dozens of viginettes of
Yehuda's daily commute that explore
these experiences, the bad and the good.
On the other hand, this web-comic
persues several longer stories and
themes. Yehuda and Joe deal with
challenges like a competing chain
bicycle shop opening down the street,
with lots of cheaply made bikes at lower
The NC Bicycle News
prices. They examine current bicycling
issues like mandatory helmet legislation,
bicycle lanes, and the use of road
sharrows. The authors do a great job of
avoiding being preachy, by poking fun at
bicycling stereotypes all along the way.
About the only thing I'd criticize is that
while highlighting how bicycling is
treated like the red-headed stepchild of
transportation modes, the strip often
makes one-sided fun of recumbent riders
(which, as some of you know, I happen
to be). But the majority of cyclists aren't
likely to be bothered by that.
Search "Yehuda Moon" on amazon.com
(or your favorite bookseller) for the first
four years of these comics as annual
books. Before getting started, make sure
you have some hours to spare.
YTD Financial Report
by Henri Thomas
NCBC would love to have your help
with articles for our newsletter. We
also need people to help with our Fall
Rally (and you can still ride)!
Contact us at
[email protected] or
[email protected]. Gracious thanks.
Page 5
The NC Bicycle News
Ride Calendar: July / August 201 3
Page 6
NCBC Sponsors & Club Member Discount List
The NC Bicycle News
This list is dedicated to the businesses who support the North Carolina Bicycle Club through contributions including
their own time and energy.
Sponsors are listed in alphabetical order. Several of the shops have more than one location. Also check Google
Maps for other local bicycle shops.
Note: To receive a club member discount, bring your most recent NCBC newsletter as proofofmembership. The
mailing label's expiration date serves as proof.
Page 7
Event Report: Tour de Fat 201 3, Durham NC
The Tour de Fat is a traveling fundraiser
that helps local bicycling nonprofits raise
money, while people enjoy music and
beer. The event started with a bike
parade (costumes encouraged). One of
the stage acts featured an act called The
Yo Yo People doing tricks with yoyos
and hula hoops. Among the activities for
children were percussion instruments
made from repurposed materials, giant
slinky, and a giant Connect-4 game.
There was a cool mist tent, a
merchandise mart, live music, and beer
sales. This year there were food trucks in
addition to pizza and hot dogs for sale.
A Bicycle Safety comedian warmed up
the crowd before the parade. He had
everyone practicing turn signals while
chanting “Right, Left, Stop, Don’t hit
me!” He shared a triple bicycle with his
two sisters, all the while talking about
being in “Dur-Ham”.
by Esther Lumsdon
There were four of the ELF bicycles in
the parade. These are a recumbent trike
with a housing and electric motor assist a velomobile. The velomobiles all had
costumes, of course. The ELF’s are
manufactured by Organic Transit,
headquartered in Durham.
I spotted Alan Johnson, our local NC
Randonneurs RBA, at the bike parade.
Many people had fun in the ‘bike pit’,
where crazy people have welded bicycle
and other parts together to make bikes
which are funny looking and challenging
to ride.
The NC Bicycle News
Someone won a New Belgium cruiser
bike in the dance contest, and another
person won a giant belt in the slow bike
contest. I did not catch the name of the
car for bike trader, but the guy was
symbolically married to his new bike and
feted on stage. The trader hands over
keys and title to a car and it is auctioned
for charity. The person pledges to not
drive for a year, and to use a bike for
most of their transportation. New
Belgium Brewing provides a stipend of
$2250 for bike and rain gear, and the
trader also pledges to blog about the
experience.
The two bands were “He’s My Brother
She’s My Sister” and Sister Sparrow &
The Dirty Birds.
I volunteered after riding in the parade,
and helped some with teardown at the
end. Everyone seemed to have a great
time at the event.
Six hula hoops were available for the
crowd, and people were having fun using
those all day. There was a cool bike tire
game, where you tried to throw a used 20
inch tire up to catch on a tall pole with
big hooks.
Ride Announcement: BikeFest Rural Heritage Tour 201 3
The Carolina Tarwheels Bicycle Club presents the 18th annual BikeFest Rural Heritage Tour, to be held in
Hillborough, NC, on Saturday, August 10. The tour begins at the Superior Courthouse in downtown
Hillsborough, and offers a choice of rides: a 35-mile half metric, a 62-mile metric century, and a 100-mile
English century.
This is a fully-supported ride with rest stops, refreshments and delicious snacks, and restrooms. Routes are
clearly marked and patrolled by support vehicles. For those who want a much shorter ride, there is a free
Fun Ride, a seven mile tour of historic sites in and around Hillsborough. All riders will be provided with
directions, and can ride the route at their own pace.
Tarwheels donates all proceeds, in excess of expenses, to bicycling related activities in our community.
Since 2006 we have donated over $50,000 to bicycling related charities, including Rails to Trails, East
Coast Greenways, Chapel Hill Greenways and Triangle Trips for Kids. Advance registration is required.
For more information, please visit
http://www.tarwheels.org/clubportal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=1660&pubmenuOptID=17065.
Page 8
Ride Review: FestiVELO
Late Season Fun in South Carolina
FestiVELO is a large-ish, multi day
bicycle ride that occurs in South Carolina
in late October to early November.
Esther and I had heard about it, but did
not get around to attending one until last
November. The ride began on the
Wednesday evening on November 7th
with registration. It continued through
the weekend to Sunday the 11th. The
location changes each year, but is
typically held within a fixed distance
from Charleston.
For last year FestiVELO occurred at a
rather interesting location that the locals
call the Short Stay. It is a now-defunct
Navy resort on the shore of Lake
Moultrie, about 25 miles north of
Charleston. This had previously been a
vacation spot for Navy personnel
stationed in Charleston, and was used as
a reward for good work. In recent years
the government has been closing nonessential bases, so the Short Stay is in the
process of being decommissioned.
It was still operating sufficiently for the
bicycling event, and some of the riders
who acted quickly were able to rent
rooms at the resort with a great lakefront
view. Esther and I signed up later in the
year, and we stayed at a hotel in Monck’s
Corner nearby. We like staying at a hotel
that serves breakfast so that we can arrive
at the ride ready to roll.
The experienced operators of FestiVELO
have a very confident and relaxed
attitude. Instead of loading you down
with papers, flyers, and freebies when
you register, after signing in we were
handed our wrist bands. When asked
about cue sheets, the friendly woman
who took care of registration told us
“don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of them
by Scott Chilcote
for each ride.” If FestiVELO has a
motto, it’s got to be “Don’t worry!”
These folks take it all in stride. She
showed us maps for the next morning’s
rides. Each day offered a selection of
ride lengths from easy ten milers up to a
full century.
FestiVELO riders discussing the next day's
rides before supper.
The event offers a variety of meal
options. Lunch was included in the base
price, and is held at a central location
along each day’s routes. Breakfast and
supper are optional, and were catered at
the site. There are also some special
food and beverage items. They offer a
wine social on Wednesday, and a custom
brewed beer party Thursday evening. On
Friday there is an intriguing item called
“Chocolate Obsession Garden” - now
that sounds like fun! And Saturday has
traditional steamed oysters. After dinner
each night they show recent movies and
have plentiful, fresh popped popcorn.
Because our hotel was off-site we did not
take advantage of all of the meal
offerings, but the ones we had there were
enjoyable. One evening the caterers
were delayed because their availability
The NC Bicycle News
was affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Although late, they worked extra hard to
get our meals ready quickly.
The lunches at the rides were
thoughtfully selected. Friday’s was
particularly memorable, shrimp and grits.
Mmm!
We enjoyed the warm South Carolina
late season cycling, and rural scenery.
The routes are chosen well and nicely
marked. Each evening before dinner one
of the organizers gave a presentation of
the next day’s routes. Large maps of each
route were hung on walls and set up on
easels. The FestiVELO organizers
encourage riders to chat with them and
mix and match to come up with whatever
distance you want to ride. They have sag
vehicles out on the routes all day. At
these evening sessions they handed out a
small number of cue sheets, but most
riders are expected to collect them in the
morning at the start/finish.
A Co-Motion triple tandem with S&S
couplers at FestiVELO.
We brought our recumbent tandem as
well as our individual bikes to provide
more riding options. I find that it’s
pleasant to switch between recumbent
Upcoming Century Rides in North Carolina
Sunday, July 14
Dog Days of Dallas, NC
http://gcc.teampages.com
Friday, July 19
French Broad Classic, Asheville
http://frenchbroadcyclingclassic.com
Saturday, July 20 Cycle to Farm Metric, Black Mountain http://cycletofarm.org/bm-ride/
Saturday, July 27 Roan Moan, Bakersville
http://bakersvillefireandrescue.org/roanmoan.htm
Saturday, July 27 Tricia's Ride for Life, Thomasville
https://www.facebook.com/TriciasRideForLife
Saturday, Aug. 3 Ride for Life Metric, Carthage
http://www.rideforlifemc.com
Saturday, Aug. 3 Tour D'Orange, Hillsborough
http://www.tarwheelsms.com
Sunday, Aug. 4
Boone Grand Fondo
http://www.gfncs.com
Saturday, Aug. 10 Blue Ridge Brutal, West Jefferson
http://blueridgebrutal.org/
Saturday, Aug. 17 Blue Ridge Breakaway, Lake Junaluska http://www.blueridgebreakaway.com/
Saturday, Aug. 17 The American Tour, Lexington
http://www.ach-nc.org/
Saturday, Aug. 24 Y-Ride of Alexander County, Hiddenite http://alexandercountync.gov/events/y-ride/
For more info about these and other events, see http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/bicycle/events/
Page 9
FestiVELO Ride Report, continued
The NC Bicycle News
were encouraged to visit the gardens. I
was feeling tired from powering our
tandem that I wanted to move on, but
Esther insisted. She made the right
choice, I would have missed the best part
of our trip.
While I don’t usually seek out religious
institutions, the gardens around Mepkin
Abbey are spectacular. We walked down
a staircase of hand-laid stone, into an
area by the river with geometrically
arranged hedges. There are many carved
stone statues, along with unusual plants
One ofmany sculpted garden views on the
and large, green open spaces. The river
Abbey grounds.
arcs wide around these grounds, and
there are natural rafts of reeds and grass tea, it is mild and pleasant.
Sunday was the last day of FestiVELO,
and traditionally includes a ride into
downtown Charleston. The organizers
strongly recommended this ride to see the
great architecture and historic areas. The
day's trip required people to load up their
bikes and drive closer to the city.
It was a very difficult decision, but more
rain was threatening so we opted not to
The clubhouse at the Short Stay. We met
go. We rode locally around the Short
here for ride discussions and supper.
Stay and Lake Moutrie instead. There
The shady tree lined entrance drive at
There were some clouds around Friday,
Mepkin Abbey.
was a short ride each day to tour these
but the rain waited until we were finished drifting languidly in the current.
areas. One of the highlights was a large
riding. In the evening it came down
alligator sunning itself within forty feet
The most amazing thing is the sense of
heavily, so we opted to skip dinner at
of the roadway, next to a pond.
tranquility that permeates the place. It
FestiVELO and went to a very nice
must have been contagious, because we
Mexican restaurant near our hotel. It
saw other riders and visitors stretching
wasn’t until very late that either of us
out on the grass to rest and recharge.
remembered the “Chocolate Obsession
There is an infectious peace to this place
Garden” event, which was prepaid for
that is balm for the soul, and it made me
both of us. By then it was already
winding up. How disappointing! I asked aware of just how hectic and tense I have
made my daily existence.
some other riders the next day what it
was like, but none of them had attended I’m not yet ready to sell it all and join a
it. I guess we’ll have to find out later this monastery, but I would pay for daily
year.
injections of whatever is in the air at
Mepkin Abbey.
and conventional bicycle riding on
alternate days. This allows different sets
of muscles to be used each day and helps
with recovery.
Monck’s Corner on Thursday was a nice
little town, but the sprawl from
Charleston is starting to reach it. Traffic
and road construction were significant.
On Friday the rides went further north
and were more pleasant, with lighter use
and rural scenery. Some of the roads
were chip’n seal, but no worse than what
we have in areas surrounding the
Triangle.
A familiar jersey at a rest stop shows that
other triangle area riders have discovered
this event.
Lakefront beaches at the Short Stay resort.
Saturday’s ride was my favorite, we rode
to a beautiful, historic place called
Mepkin Abbey. This landmark has been
operated by Trappist Monks for over
sixty years. The organizers set up lunch
on the grounds of the Abbey, which are
amazingly well landscaped and gardened.
Just riding onto the premises takes you
down a long road lined with large,
elegantly spaced overhanging trees. We
Water birds congregate at Mepkin Abbey.
We did not get to see the Abbey building,
nor was it obvious where it was during
our short visit. The property is quite
large. We did find their gift shop, which
was the first building we encountered
there. It has a wide variety of interesting
products. The preserves we bought were
quite tasty and are long gone. I’m still
enjoying some of the locally grown black
We would very much like to ride in
Charleston, and are planning to attend
again this year. As you will find at the
festivelo.org web site, the event will be
held at Santee State Park near Santee,
South Carolina from October 30 through
November 3.
If you’re going this year, let us know.
Hope to see you there!
Page 1 0
From the Membership Desk
The NC Bicycle News
Paul Ashworth Paul Barlow
Ross Bassett
Cass Chisholm Diana Conn
Welcome New John Agnew
Penelope
R.
Booze
Foss
Weldon
Gammon
Bernie
Hansen
Fred
HoltDan Howe
and Returning David P. & Cathy T. Jones
Ted Korab
Thom Mansfield Michael O'Connor
Members
David Smith
Deanna Springall & Sally Wilging
Terry Thompson
Adams Chris Allan Chris Angell Forrest & Taylor Ashworth Christopher Austin Todd Baily Joan Baldasoro
Expiring Members Jill
Bartley Barefoot Frank & Julie Barnhart Stan Bashaw Jenny Beal Michael Beasley Eric Beatty
LAST CALL:
Jason & Shannon Beligotti Pete Benjamin Randall W. Bennett Bud Benscoter Duane Bevitt & Patricia Rierson
Chris Black Chris & Meredith Blake David Bolnick Robert Bonds Martin Boyle Jae Brainard Daniel & Linda Brinkley Tim & Marti Brookie
Jamal Brouwer Lauren Brown Ted Buckner Dave & Missy Bullamorr Dave Campbell Angella Carroll Mark Carter James Casey Mark Cates
Nancy Chaffee Jessica Charette Marion Chatman Jason Clark Dave Cockman Bobby Compton Russell Copersito Rick Creed David Curro
Patty Dennis Ed DeVito Bob Dillon Mark Egan Edwin F. Fox Paul Francis Ignacio Garrido Lisa Garrity Matt Gasell Kady Gjessing
Andre Go David Goldston David Gore Tom Graham Stephen Hampshire Chris Haney Nancy Hensley Jennifer Heringer Chris Higgins
Sylvia Hiller E Hohls Anna Holtarta Steven Horvitz Fred Hubbard Carol Ingbretsen Kevin & Friederike Jayes Chet Johnson Anna Jones
Dorothy & Pat Jordan Terry Kanzigg Leah Ketring Greg Key Stephen & Nancy Knight Alan Kritz Dave & Denise Larson Suzanne Lever
Steve Levine Don Lichty Ken Linden Karel Lloyd Steve Lund Bruce & Linda MacRae Beci Markijohn Jose Martinez Manuel Martinez
Scott Matthews Heinz & Cynthia McArthur Sandra McBride David McDonald Shauna McDonald Craig McDuffie Patrick McGuire Gerard McMahon
Bruce Melkowits Scott & Gretchen Moore Nathan Morgan Drew & Sara Morrison-Rowe Larry Nobles Paul & Sherry Novak/Brakes Bob Oderkirk
Ryan & Sarah Owrey Albert Pacer Artem Papkov Eric F. Pauley Tyrone Payne Ann Petro Lisa Petty Sarah Powell Dean Rains Christopher Reinhardt
David Reitmeyer Jason Richardson John/Patty Rider/Thomas Brian & Jo Rierson David Roberson Paul Rogers Courtney Rudder Jonathan Rutley
Kristin Saintomas Ron Sale Ray Salgado Gabriel Schiada Sharon Schore Eugene (Gene) Schulze Robert Scott George Scullen Dean Smith
Greg Smith Grant Spalding Mike Spencer Tim Stevens Susan Stone Alexander Strotzer Rick Sullivan Jennifer Tallent
Sheila / Joel Tayrose / Slutsky Troy & Renee Teasdale Roy Terretta John Thomas Mark Thomson Todd Thornton Michael Throop Sam Trump
Cynthia Van Der Wiele Nicole Vink Kevin Wagers Michael Wagner Alan Walker Christine Weber Peter Wehr Kristy White Steve Williams
Carlton Witherspoon Diana Witt Kari Wong Randall Wood Michael Zapata
From the NCBC Newsletter Archive
This is the front cover of the oldest NCBC
Newsletter in our newsletter archive. Long term
club members and officers know that the club
was in operation before this issue, which is dated
October 1985 (almost 28 years ago). If you have
an older issue, or know someone who might
we'd like to know. NCBC has been actively
seeking more information about its early roots.
As we currently understand the club's history, it
began as a bicycle club for NC State University
in the 1970s. As the membership expanded
beyond the university and aged, more and more
of the members graduated. Eventually the
university requested that the club move out on its
own, and it became the North Carolina Bicycle
Club.
Looking at the details of this issue, Gilbert
Anderson now owns and operates a bicycle shop
in Yanceyville called North Road Bicycle
Imports (http://northroadbicycle.com). He
remains a good friend of NCBC and his shop is a
favorite destination for NC Randonneurs brevet
rides.
Al Johnson was the Touring Committee
Chairman that year, and he is now the RBA for
NC Randonneurs in our region. Al continues to
be involved in the club, and makes excellent beer
for our annual Christmas Party. He also builds
our Big Chainring Award plaques.
Dan Edgerton remains active as a club member
and attends NCBC meetings, and Stephen &
Nancy Knight are active members. It's possible
that other people listed on this issue remain
members as well, I haven't done an extensive
search. NCBC has everything a bicycle club
needs except volunteer support, so I apologize if
I've overlooked anyone. Thanks to all who have
kept NCBC operating all these years!
Page 1 1
The NC Bicycle News
NCBC 201 3 Officers President
Vice President
and Contact Info
Secretary
David Cole
Brandon Brown
(volunteer needed)
Treasurer
Henri Thomas
Advocacy Officer
Steve Goodridge
Membership Coordinator Wayne Wood
Newsletter Editor
Scott Chilcote
Facebook Coordinator
Beci Markijohn
Ride Calendar Coord.
Ed Downing
How to Reach Us
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Articles, Stories, or Ride/Event Announcements:
Scott Chilcote: [email protected]
or mail to:
NCBC News Editor, 3202-141 Edwards Mill Road,
Suite 123, Raleigh NC 27612
To add your ride to the NCBC Ride Calendar:
Ed Downing, [email protected]
or use our web form at http://ncbikeclub.org/calendar/ncbc.ride.calendar.htm
Newsletter Subscription Questions: [email protected]
New Membership: Wayne Wood, [email protected]
NCBC sustains its mission and activities through its dedicated volunteers. A few hours a
month volunteered by many helps us keep bicycling as a mainstay in the Triangle area.
Membership Application - The North Carolina Bicycle Club
Please read and sign the liability waiver on the reverse side.
The NC Bicycle News
Page 1 2
NCBC
3201-141 Edwards Mill Rd.
Suite 126
Raleigh, NC 27612
Purpose:
The NCBC is a cycling club
in Raleigh, NC (and
surrounding areas) whose
purpose is:
1. To promote bicycling
through recreational,
utilitarian and competitive
activities;
2. To educate and promote
safety throughout its
membership and the general
public and promote the
adherence to the motor
vehicle laws;
3. To promote relationships
ofbicyclists locally,
nationally, and
internationally.
Please fill out the form on the reverse side, and read and sign this liability
waiver. Club dues are $15.00 per year, either individual or family.