 Vol 3 Issue 1 February 2010 | |
Letter From the Editor Janine Hegeman Happy New Year! I hope 2010 found you happy and healthy, and enjoying all the laughter life has to offer, and coping with the occasional tear that maybe freezes on your face... Yes, Old Man Winter has his grip on us, but every now and then, we get a break. Like the Annual Frozen Water Bottle Ride: 50 hearty souls (pictured above) met at Trinity Brewing Company for a 23 mile ride on a sunny, but admittedly chilly day. However, no water bottles, toes, or fingers, were reported frozen amongst the happy group, so the day was counted a success. Thanks to Bob and Ann Smith who led the ride and have led it since 1987! And what is going on in CSCC besides riding? Lots! We have a few new club officers, Al Brody has been busy with cycling advocacy, and the social calendar is filling up for the spring. Bob Smith has been scanniong and downloading past CSCC newsletters (Check out his article in this edition on the early years of CSCC).The Buena Vista Bike Fest preparations are in full swing. Several new rides are being formed, such as an overnight camping ride, and a women's only ride. The Full moon rides are switching to a new schedule, with dinner before the ride. Check the ride calendar for more information. Looking for a good deal on a new bike? CS West might have the one for you - they have an agreement with the company that makes Blue bikes to sell them for WHOLESALE for a limited time. These are nice bikes folks, check it out. ALSO - the March CSCC club meeting will be our annual busines meeting. Please plan to attend the meeting March 2, 2010, 6:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel, and get the scoop on all the business doings of CSCC. 2009 went out with a splash, with the best-attended Christmas party ever (and those who came received some nice gifts) and and amazing number of good riding days. 2010 will be just as good if not better. CSCC's board is in the process of setting goals and making plans, all with you, the cyclist, in mind. I met my personal goal for miles ridden with the club last year - 1,500. I plan to make that again this year, plus do all my regular non-club riding and one more century (100 mile) ride. How about you? Set a goal or two for cycling - you can do it! With CSCC, there's almost always a chance to jump on your bike and COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE!
Who Says Riding in Snow Ain't Fun? Left to right: Rich Hostak (where's the shorts, Rich?), Steve Lancaster, and Bernie Hessmer on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail on Jan. 2, 2010 Photo by Bill Gast CONTEST! Let's Replace the Banner Photo! Janine Hegeman It is a new year and time for fresh new look for the newsletter banner and the webpage banner. Any photographers out there with an excellent eye for capturing the spirit of CSCC? Submit your best photos to me! (One per person, please). Photos must be in jpeg format, high resolution. Please include with your photo: who is in it, who took it, what the photo is about or a title, where it was taken, and when the photo was taken. And make sure any people in the photos are okay with having their picture on the world-wide web. (Sorry, but pictures lacking this information can't be considered.) Two winners will be announced at the March club meeting, and both will receive a $20 gift certificate to CS West Bike Shop. Each winning entry will be posted on the banner for three months, and we hope to have another contest in the fall. So get snappin', shutterbugs! Browse through your collections, too, and good luck! Submit photos and information to j9h@comcast.net by Feburary 20th! P.S. I am looking for people to be "semi-official club photographers." Dave Horne and I could use some help, and we know there are some talented folks out there - let me know if you'd like to assist. Membership Sara Hill - Membership Coordinator Welcome New Members! Charles Sheehan & family, Doug Johnson, Elizabeth & Nate Searing, Jonathon Rowell & family, Jamey Robbins, Keith Kolb, Kevin Cox, Andy Garrobo, Robin Bruson & family, Bryan & Jodi Miller, Chris & Eileen Gonzalez, Thomas Hagney & family, Scott Foster & family, Stanley Byler, Renewing members-Thanks! Socially Yours Chris Conboy Hello Fellow Club Members: I hope all of you are enjoying the New Year and getting some rides in as the days are getting longer. Me, my need for speed is satisfied by going down snowy (but not so much this year!) slopes with two long boards strapped to my feet. I figure skiing is good cross training for biking-right? I would again like to say a big "Thank-you" to all the club members, guests, and Clarion staff that made our holiday dinner party the biggest and best ever. I counted over 101 folks through the door and with the good food, entertainment and dancing, it made for a spectacular event. Speaking of events, we have our monthly club meeting coming up on Feb. 2 (6:30 at the Clarion) with the new prez Charlie Czar giving us a re-cap of the Board retreat and other doings. Also, coming up is the Valentine's Sweetheart Ride (would someone like to coordinate this?), the Shamus McSpud Hot Potato Ride on March 14th, and Buena Vista Bike Fest. I hear that our registrations are even further ahead than last years at this time. CeCe and Joan will head up the Theme Team and more folks are needed to round out the volunteers that are already on board. Please contact them to get the "Building" and "Fun" schedule at the Garage Mahal. The more the merrier! I, for one,am looking forward to the "unveiling" of this year's Theme. Looking ahead, after Buena Vista, I hope to schedule some "out and back" rides with a social mix and meet. Camping is always good in the Spring. Pueblo State Park beckons me...... As always, I look forward to more ideas from YOU, our membership. Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me with your ideas and suggestions. See you on the 2nd! Socially Yours, Chris Peak Region Cyclist Bicycle Show David Pico (Editor's note: Peak Region Cyclist is a fantastic magazine with great information about everything cycling in our area). Kickstart the cycling season this spring with the #1 cycling show in the state at the 2nd Annual Peak Region Cyclist Bicycle Show! March 6th, 10am-3pm
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| Buena Vista Bike Fest 2010 Aaron Rosenthal(Editor's note: BVBF is filling FAST; by the time of publication it may be full. So much for the economic downturn - just goes to show it's one of the best values in cycling in Colorado.) So what type of person are you? The type that plans well ahead, months in advance for things you want to do? Or are you the type that lives more day-to-day and has a hard time making a commitment to something more than a week or two in the future? Regardless of your comfort zone, the opportunity to ride the Buena Vista Bike Fest on May 15th 2010 will no longer be an option in the very near future. Our lone club fundraiser is on track reach the registration cap of 800 by very early February. Here’s how rapidly BVBF is filling up: January 11: 365; January 18: 480; January 20: 547; January 24: 641. Register now by going to www.bvbf.org Don’t fret too much if you miss the chance to ride BVBF. There are still plenty of opportunities to be a part of this great event. VOLUNTEER! There are numerous openings for all kinds of fun positions. To make BVBF one of Colorado’s premier cycling events, we need about 50 volunteers. Just go to www.bvbf.org and click on the “Volunteer Form” link. Descriptions of the job duties are listed. All volunteers will receive a BVBF t-shirt and admission to Saturday’s post ride party, including BBQ lunch, Bristol beer, and soft drinks. Full Day volunteers will also receive a “Volunteer Appreciation Gift”. Finally, CSCC members get a $15 discount when purchasing a BVBF cycling jersey (made by Primal) if ordered by February 28, 2010. From the Volunteer Form, click on BVBF (top right) and then BVBF 2010 Jersey Offer. Ask not what the Colorado Springs Cycling Club can do for you. Ask what you can do to make BVBF a great event for all who participate. Meet the New Club Officers
Janine Hegeman I thought you'd want to know a little about a few of our newly elected officers, and hear little about what they do. All of our new board members are long-time members of the club and (of course!) avid cyclists. Please offer a congrats the next time you see them on a ride! Rich Hostak is our new Vice President of Programs. Besides the obvious of assisting Charlie with his direction for the club, and filling in for him if he’s not available, Rich will have the responsibility of scheduling speakers for the club meetings, as well as slide shows and talks by our members. He intends to be very pro-active working with the chair of the rides committee as well as advocacy. Rich would like to increase the size of the club so we will have more ‘clout’ to get roads striped with bike lanes, signs, etc. He'd also like to work on getting the club name out in the community, work more with other groups, (like Bicycle Colorado, Medicine Wheel, NIMBA, etc.). And last but not least, Rich wants to see more awareness as we ride and more courtesy on our part to other vehicles and pedestrians (this seems to be easier said than done). Kerry Hefta is our new Secretary. Everyone knows that a secretary takes notes, but Kerry intends to cast a vote for more cycling education of club members: how to ride in groups, traffic awareness, and training. She'd also like to echo Rich’s goals of safety, community awareness and working with other groups. Sara Hill is our new treasurer. She served as membership coordinator for a few years, so she's got some experience with the duties of the treasurer, having observed Ronaele Foss doing the job so well. And Katie Zimmann will assist Sara with membership duties. Thanks everyone! Advocacy News Al BrodyWhen I was stationed at Cape Canaveral, I was a member of the Space Coast Freewheelers. It was a recreational bike club similar to CSCC. The most meaningful and memorable ride for me was the Annual Toy Run to an orphanage. We would load up our bikes and ride about 20 miles to an orphanage where we would personally deliver the toys to the kids. The interaction between the kids and the club members remains with me as one of those magical moments in life that although fleeting, just seem to stick in your mind forever.
Below are a couple of other bits and pieces that you may be interested in. Thanks, Al Brody This is worth reading for any cyclist that rides on the road. This is probably more than most cyclists want to know but it is good info to have access to: 2009 Edition of the MUTCD Available – Dated December 2009 – Includes shared lane marking, new routes signage, and the pedestrian hybrid signals - http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009.htm This is the text of an e-mail sent to Jim Sayer after the Adventure Cycling Gathering. I will keep the author's identity private but I believe the message is powerful and represents what CSCC tries to accomplish - inspiring people to ride. Subject: Attention: Mr. JIM SAYER Executive Director Howdy, just a thank you for your presentation at Old Town Bike Shop on Friday, Dec. 4th. I'll be honest Jo and I are just returning to cycling again after a few years away. I originally purchased "hardtail" MTB's, figuring that we'd mostly ride "off road" but found out we really prefer rail/trails and road to bouncing down mountains. ;) Happy Holidays!
History of CSCC - The Early Years
Bob Smith This article is the first of a series of articles I intend to write this year about the first 24 years of the CSCC. In 2011, the club will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary. The purpose of these articles is to share some of the past 24 years and may generate some Flash Back CSCC Trivia! Anne and I moved to Colorado Springs in late spring of 1985. We had started cycling in 1983 in Dallas and were members of the Greater Dallas Bicyclists (GDB). We had hoped the Springs would have a similar club but we what found was the Strada Bicycle Club. The club was aging with a relatively small membership and very few rides. Their rides mostly met on Saturday and Sundays near the Fine Arts Center in Monument Park on Dale Street. Often the ride leader was either very late or didn't show up. Strada rides were typically 10-12 MPH and nearly always included breakfast or lunch. Also, Strada sponsored the Hardscrabble Century in mid September during Pioneer Days in Florence. It was a great fall ride and was eventually taken over and run by CSCC after Strada disbanded in the early 90s. (The Hardscrabble Century will be discussed more in my next segment.) I was working for Digital Equipment at the time, and there were quite a few cyclist doing rides. We rode a lot by ourselves which helped us learn the streets and how best to get around the city by bike. I regularly commuted to work by bike between 85 and late 92. I rode the 85 Hardscrabble Century and Anne was my personal sag. At one of the rest stops, we met Jim and Suzy Cerrato. They were members of GDB and were planning to move to the Springs. And 1986 also saw the birth of CSCC. Jim & Suzy contacted us once they settled in the Springs that year. Jim & Suzy, Anne & I, Ed & Carol Spillman (owners of the Colorado Springs Bike Shop), Ed & Bonnie (daughter and current owners), Efrain (Cruz) & Pat Cruz, Bill Rewarts, Bob Coleman, Jim & Susan Hoge, John Roebke and Bob Bradler were some of the charter members of CSCC. A few hundred bucks seed money from the bike shop and a dozen or so dues paying members launched the Colorado Springs Cycling Club. CSCC was truly the vision of Ed & Carol Spillman and Jim Cerrato. The first official CSCC ride was an organizational ride in October 1986 with 40 riders. The ride had a Halloween theme. In November the club had a Thanksgiving Ride called the Tour de Turkey, modeled after a ride of the same name in Denton, TX. On January 1, 1987 I led my first ride for the club called the New Year's Day Ride. After the ride everyone had lunch at the Pizza Hut at Chapel Hills Mall. During lunch we decided that the ride needed a real name and should be called the Frozen Water bottle Ride. It just happened that our water bottles froze during the 25 mile ride at 25 degrees! At the September meeting members voted on a logo design from several submissions. Anne’s design won and it remains the club logo to this day. When I took office as president, the club was struggling; we only had about $180 in the treasury. Why did we choose Florence to Buena Vista? Florence was the host city for Strada’s Hardscrabble Century, The city was accustom to cyclists, located near the Arkansas River and was approximately 100 miles from Buena Vista. Buena Vista was one of the overnight locations on our 1987 Ride the Rockies. We really enjoyed the beauty of the area and its location along the Arkansas River. We were trying to model the ride after a similar event on Mother’s Day weekend in Ohio called Tour of the Scioto River Valley (TOSRV) Columbus to Portsmouth and back. Our ride was called the Tour of the Arkansas River Valley (TOARV). All LAW (now LAB) cycling clubs had spring and/or fall centuries to raise money to sustain their clubs. Anne and I, having ridden two late June Ride the Rockies (RTR), felt that Colorado needed a prep ride for RTR. TOARV would become that prep ride. The club was really short on funds, so Anne and I fronted all the startup costs hoping the ride would draw upwards of a 100 riders. We learned new events are very slow starters and we only had 33 riders! We did not lose money. We actually covered all our costs and added $3.50 to the treasury. Our club pulled off our first successful event and membership began to grow and so did TOARV event over the next nine years to a peak of 350 riders. In my first year as president club membership grew and we began to offer more regularly scheduled rides. We continued many of the 1987 holiday themed rides, summer picnic, winter Holiday Party and Awards Banquet. The Halloween Ride became the Progressive Dinner Ride. TOARV is now BVBF. To learn more about the Club’s history, click on the newsletter link on the web site and read some of the past newsletters that are linked there. |
| The Bent Fork Chronicles - Vol 3 Issue 1 February 2010 | |
