BikeWriter – January/February 2011

January 11, 2011

Prez Sez – January/February 2011

John Chester

chester Happy New Year to all!

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and that Santa left you a new bike under your tree. And if you didn’t get what you wanted, then you need to remember the lyrics to one of my favorite Christmas songs “Leave him cookies and beer, he’ll be sure to come back to your house first next year!”

My eleven year old niece got a new bike for Christmas, and I am looking forward to taking her on a few rides down in Lousiville. Don’t tell her – I got her a PINK BIKE BAG for her upcoming birthday.

On January 22nd, the club will hold its annual meeting and elections. This year, we will be holding the event at Terwilliger Lodge in Montgomery. To change things up a bit, and hopefully make it a bit more fun, this year’s dinner will be a bit different than years past. The club will provide the main entrée, and beverages. We will be asking that club members bring a side dish to share – appetizers, side dish for the meal, or dessert. The Club will provide beverages with your meal – assorted soft drinks.

Besides the typical meeting activities, we will have Jason Ramler of the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission talking about some positive changes for bike riding in Northern Kentucky.

I am looking forward to seeing you all on January 22nd!

Remember – Get on your bike, go for a ride, it’s fun!

CCC Annual Dinner Coming Soon

The CCC annual dinner and meeting will be on Saturday January 22, 2011 at Terwilliger Lodge in Montgomery. Drinks and appetizers will begin at 6 p.m. You do not have to attend the dinner to attend the business meeting which will begin at 8 p.m. The meeting is vital to the ongoing success of the CCC as we will elect our Board of Trustees which includes our cluster leaders for next year). We currently need help with a variety of positions such as communications, national rides and a social director, so if you would like to get more involved contact questions@cincinnaticycleclub.org for more details.

The CCC will provide the main course and we ask that members please bring a dish to share. If your last name begins with

A-D   Appetizers
E-R   Side dish (salad or veggies)
S-Z   Desserts (you know we only ride to eat!)

To register for the dinner click HERE.

This event is BYOB, but please do so in moderation. We will have soda, ice and coffee available. We need help with this event so if you have any questions or can donate some time to help please contact vicepresident@cincinnaticycleclub.org.

Terwilliger Lodge is located within Dulle Park at: 10530 Deerfield Road, Montgomery, OH 45242

Save the Date

April 16th – CCC Spring Opener
May 14th – CCC Day at Camp Earnst
May 15th – Ride to a Reds Game (CCC & QCB)
May 18th – Ride of Silence
May 19th – Bike to Work Day at Fountain Square
June 4th – Cyclebration in Newport, KY
May 21st – CCC Chili Ride
Sept 18th – Ride to a Reds Game (CCC & QCB)
Oct 1st – CCC Great Ghost Rider Ramble

Details to follow

CCC Finances

By Steve Wegener, CCC Treasurer

As in all organizations everyone argues about money. I’ve been on the BOT off and on since 1996/1997 and some of our most memorable meetings have been spent discussing and arguing about money we make. Most of it just goes back into running this behemoth, but we also take the time to donate a bit of it back to the community.

Each year we donate to the League of American Bicyclist, Rails to Trails and the Ohio Bike Federation.
We fund the Ride of Silence at Fountain Square for all benefit of all the Cincinnati area cycling groups.
We organized and funded a meeting for Adventure Cycling to come to town for a presentation.
Last year we donated money to a person in need of a new bicycle and this year we are making our biggest commitment to fund bikes and scholarships at the Camp Ernst YMCA.
We provided grants to get the Road 1/Traffic Safety 101 cycling safety program started for our members.
We continue to maintain our web presence and provide fully supported rides like the Chili, ACACAC and Great Ghost Rider Ramble.

This is in addition to our daily rides, ALL club rides, cluster picnics and annual dinner/meeting. All this is expensive and yet we manage to do it for $17 per member when the average club membership runs $20 (per 2006 LAB survey).

I’ve recently been criticized (at meetings and in the forum) by many for my fiscally conservative approach to being treasurer. Mostly it’s a simple question I ask of, “How do we fund that?” I’ve shot down many suggestions and had an equal amount of my suggestions shot down in the process. Luckily I wear my treasurer’s flak jacket to meetings and am surrounded by board members willing to voice their opinions and are passionate enough to stick through the thick and thin of it. Sure, we argue about money and how to spend it, but I’ve been luckily to serve on the BOT with CCC members that are willing to make tough decisions so that the CCC will be financially viable today and in the future. We are a democracy where the majority rules on all CCC votes.

We’d like to see and hear from more of you so please join us on the Board of Trustees. There are plenty of positions (mine included if you want it) available during the next election on January 22nd. If you have any questions just email me at treasurer@cincinnaticycleclub.org.

A Few Good Men (and Women) for 2011

a-few-good-men-02

During our January 22nd annual meeting, the club will hold elections for 2011 officers. The following have stated that they intend to run for office. A number of board members are retiring after a number of years on the board, as are a number of cluster leaders.

As you will note, there are a few openings. The club could really use your help.

Also please remember, that while there is only one person currently listed for each position below, any club member in good standing can run for any board position. I encourage you to give this some thought. A little competition is good for the club.

All we need is A FEW GOOD MEN (AND WOMEN)

President: John Chester

Vice President: Scott Ebbing

Treasurer: Steve Wegener

Secretary: Cindy Male

Safety and Education: John Lindner

Cluster Director: ________________

National Ride Director: _______________

Membership: Joe Bohlen

Communications: Ron Callahan

Cluster Leaders:

Ault Park Posse: _______________

Campbell County: ______________

Central City: Larry Bloomfield & Glenn Talaska

Eastern Hills: Scott Goldsmith

Firecrackers: Jim Thiry, Vincent Liu & Laura Crouch

Little Miami: Fred Ferguson

Northern Kentucky: Tim Runyan

Spokes in Motion: John Heim

West Chester: Dan Reigner

Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission

Jason Ramler

The Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission (KBBC) was formed by the Kentucky Legislature in 1992 to represent the interests of bicyclists to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the state agency responsible for building and maintaining highways. The commission also assists the bicycle and bikeway program within the cabinet and promotes the best interest of cyclists to governing officials and the public.

KBBC is comprised of seven members representing various parts of the commonwealth. For several years, the Northern Kentucky area was represented by Ralph Mitchell, whom any cycle club members may know. Ralph recently left the commission and was replaced in September by Jason Ramler. Jason lives in Edgewood, Kentucky and is an active commuter cyclist. He also works professionally to design and plan highway and bicycle facilities in the Cincinnati area.

Statewide bicycle issues on which the full commission works include bicycle policies, regulations, safety, education, and tourism programs. Additionally, individual commissioners frequently work in their own geographic regions on local bicycle issues such as project identification, share the road signs, and local education programs.

One of the most prominent programs the commission administers is the Paula Nye Memorial Education Grant. This grant is funded by the fees collected from the Share the Road license plate which is currently generating approximately $70,000 per year from the more than 7,600 vehicles sporting this plate. The grant is awarded annually to organizations promoting and advocating bicycle and pedestrian safety through education and training programs. Past recipients have included school districts, municipal governments, non-profit organizations, and universities among others. In Northern Kentucky, YMCA Camp Ernst has received the Paula Nye grant for their summer camp bicycle programs including off-road biking, pump track and a road skills course. Additional information about the Paula Nye Grant can be found at www.bicycleky.org.

Bicycle Tourism is another primary focus area for KBBC. In coordination with the Transportation Cabinet and the Tourism Cabinet, the commission has mapped nine long distance bicycle routes across Kentucky. These include two of Adventure Cycling’s routes in Kentucky: The TransAmerica Bike Tour and the Underground Railroad Bike Tour. You can view these maps online at www.bikewalk.ky.gov. Click on the “Kentucky Bike Tours” link. You can also download kml files for each route to use in Google Earth or other GIS software.

Details about some of the commission’s other programs and projects will be covered in future articles. Until then, if you have any questions about KBBC or bicycling in Northern Kentucky, please contact Jason Ramler at kbbcnky@fuse.net.

Brevet de Randonneur a Worthy Goal

Ever wonder how some cyclists stay motivated throughout the riding year? Riding with friends certainly helps, but so does setting a personal goal. Brevet de Randonneur represents CCC’s ultimate award in recognition of the commitment and determination it takes to achieve a personal best. It’s an award that cannot be bought. It can be earned only by you through riding and providing service to the club. There are three different levels of achievement. Don’t worry about how many levels you think you can or cannot achieve. What is important is that you set your sights on a riding/service goal and achieve it! Here is what you need to do to join CCC/s elite achievers and be formally recognized by your peers at the annual dinner meeting.

Level 1 – Associate Randonneur:

Complete 1.1 through 1.4 (ALL)
1.1 Ride on 12 Cincinnati Cycle Club rides.
1.2 Ride one metric century (62.5 miles – in one 24 hour period)
1.3 Ride 1,000 miles in one 12 month period.
1.4 Accumulate 15 Service Hours (Service Hours are described as “Hours of effort by the individual working toward the award that are in some way beneficial to other club members or its mission as described by the club’s bylaws.” Examples can be seen in the obsolete point system)

Level II – Randonneur

Complete Level I and (in addition) Complete 2.1 through 2.4
2.1 Complete a Double Century (200 miles in not more than two days) after proper preparation, including at least 4 training rides exceeding 25 miles plus one ride of 100 miles or more.
2.2 Ride 2,000 miles in a 12 month period.
2.3 Complete any Three Substantial Cycling Accomplishments. Examples:

Design and build a bicycle (with some unique design features -assembly of “off-the-shelf components” does not count)

Complete an overnight unsagged trip of 50 miles or more.
Complete 52 commuter trips in a 12 month period (any trip replacing auto transportation – includes errands and would not be restricted to trips to and from work)
Participate in a licensed bicycle race at any level (includes hill climbs and time trials)
Complete an extended tour of 300 miles or more.
Complete three centuries (in addition to those counted for Level I or in item 2.1 above)
Complete a ride across one of the 50 states of at least 150 miles in length.

Note that the chosen accomplishments will be read at the award presentation.
2.4 Accumulate 30 additional Service Hours after level 1

LEVEL III – ULTRA RANDONNEUR
Complete Level I, II and (in addition) Complete 3.1 through 3.3
3.1 Complete a double century (200 miles) in 24 hours
3.2 Complete any One MAJOR personal accomplishment preapproved by Randonneur Admin. or the CCC BOT. Examples:

Ride 4,000 miles in a 12 month period
Complete an unsagged tour of 1,000 miles or more.
Complete a RAAM qualifier (finish the course(s) as required to qualify.
Complete a coast to coast crossing of the United States or equivalent sagged or unsagged.

Note that the chosen accomplishment shall be described in detail at the award presentation.
3.3 Accumulate 60 additional Service Hours after level 2

TO APPLY FOR AN AWARD:
Complete the requirements for the level you have chosen and then send a record of your achievements to:
Brevet de Randonneur Cycliste
C/O Jim Lindner
2947 Windon Dr
Cincinnati, Ohio 45251

Phone contact for questions:
513-742-2411

Ride Report: The Dirty Dozen

Daniel Riegner

207 Pittsburgh ought to be famous for the Dirty Dozen, a roughly 50 mile ride going up 13 of the hardest hills in the city held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The event was started in 1983 by Danny Chew (a man whose goal is to ride 1,000,000 miles in his lifetime!) and four others. Attendance at this year’s event was about 160 riders. The weather was cold, maybe 31, and the ride lasted about 4.5 hours. According to the link below the route was 50 miles with 6,170 feet of climbing!

After a very brief welcome by Danny, the group headed out. You don’t pedal long before heading up, and up, and up. The route is designed to keep you just a few kilometers from downtown Pittsburgh at all times. The ride between hills is at a nice easy pace and volunteer ‘road marshals’ are used to stop traffic at all the intersections to keep the group together.

There are also two food breaks on the ride with lots of drinks and snacks provided. There was plenty to eat! Being an annual ride for so many years many people that live on the hills come out to cheer the riders on and to take pictures.

After completing several of the hills the ride heads through downtown Pittsburgh and out to the South Side. Your next climb takes you up Sycamore Street to one of the highlights of the ride. The view of Pittsburgh from the top of Mt. Washington after climbing up Sycamore Street was beautiful. It’s an amazing place to see all of Pittsburgh and for the riders to attempt a group photo on one of the overlooks. After just a few minutes the ride heads out on a nice downhill in pursuit of the next big hill.

The next hill is one of the ride’s most famous and steepest hills, Canton Ave. At 37 degrees, it’s steepest hill in the country and paved with COBBLESTONES! People stood at the top and bottom to watch riders try to go up time after time. So many people simply fell over on this hill only to walk down the stairs on the side to try again.

Gone this year was the ride through the Liberty Tunnel. Instead we now go right and up and over Mt. Washington again.

What amazed me was that so many people seemed to ride every hill. This year there was even a tandem bike. While most were on road bikes, there were several commuter bikes, at least one on a fixed gear bike and a couple of mountain bikes also. Many riders had a triple chain ring and low gears on the rear cassette. For the guys out front, man can they climb! The speed at which some of these guys rode up the hills is humbling. This is not a race, but, points awarded to the first people over the top of each hill for both men and women. The ride between hills is pretty casual.

This is just a great ride to push yourself on, to climb again, again and again. I encourage you to make the drive to Pittsburgh next year for the event. While Cincy does have some nice climbs, it’s just not Pittsburgh.

Link to Dirty Dozen route statistics:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/231868

Link to DVD movie trailer:

http://gallery.me.com/genenacey#100835

Salsa Cycles Recalls Handlebar Stems Due to Fall Hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Salsa Handlebar Stems

Units: About 6,500 units

Importer: Salsa Cycles, a subsidiary of Quality Bicycle Products, of Bloomington, Minn.

Hazard: The handlebar stems can crack or break, posing a fall hazard to the rider.

Incidents/Injuries: Salsa Cycles has received one report of a handlebar stem breaking that resulted in minor injuries.

Description: This recall involves all CroMoto S.U.L. 25.4 and 26.0 threadless handlebar stems and all CroMoto S.U.L. 26.0 quill handlebar stems sold as individual aftermarket units after April 1, 2010. The handlebar stems are black and have the word “Salsa” painted on the extension. The recalled handlebar stems have a hash mark on the inside of the stem bar clamp area.

Sold at: Bicycle retailers and websites from April 2010 through October 2010 for about $65.

Manufactured in: Taiwan

Remedy: Consumers should stop riding bicycles containing these handlebar stems immediately and contact an authorized Salsa Bicycles dealer for a free inspection and a handlebar stem replacement or a full refund.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Quality Bicycle Products toll-free at (877) 774-6208 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit their website at www.salsacromotostem.com

To see this recall on CPSC’s web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml11/11083.html

Commuter Challenge Closeout for 2010

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1		CINCINNATI CYCLE CLUB
2		COMMUTER CHALLENGE 2010
3
4	Name	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	Total
5	Debbie Benedict	9	47	161	11	228
6	Ron Benedict	206	252	377	143	978
7	Q Benedikt	110	235	340	36	721
8	Ben Bishop	1004	830	786	627	3247
9	Carl Bishop	47	147	204	13	411
10	Kelly Bishop	0	150	0	0	150
11	Larry Bloomfield	0	140	210		350
12	John Brazina	0	93	372		465
13	Tim Burke	170	450	624	288	1532
14	Don Burrell	161	466	453	248	1328
15	Jim Coppock	59	824	591	468	1942
16	Linda Coppock	0	20			20
17	Mark Feldhaus	260	512	479	185	1436
18	Frank Glandorf	117	243			360
19	Jackie Heinitz	37	415	466	58	976
20	Al Heitz	77	141	152	43	413
21	Jill Hellmann	17	104	88	64	273
22	Frank Henson	629	1218	2076	1793	5716
23	Amy Immerman	248	429	351	225	1253
24	Bob Hudson	42	247	245	167	701
25	Kelly Knox		27	100	108	235
26	Adelaide Lindner	18	66	54	19	157
27	Jim Lindner	627	755	661	535	2578
28	George Marketos	180	1215	595	750	2740
29	Mary Messman	221	582	1390	677	2870
30	Patrick Murphy	0	319			319
31	Jim Owens	80	505	723	409	1717
32	Tom Pack	60	79	123	53	315
33	Steve Policastro	28	307	382	166	883
34	Bicycle Santa	0	0	0	217	217
35	Chris Scott	933	1329	1408	976	4646
36	Lloyd Shadley	24	337	318	72	751
37	Kathleen Smythe	78	230	334	372	1014
38	Glenn Talaska	1181	1438	1330	987	4936
39	Dale Trone	86	693	601	587	1967
40	Colin Vogt	620	750	660	680	2710
41	Steve Wegener	104	55	0	23	182
42	Alan Weinrich	242	1090	1402	852	3586
43	David Weinrich	188	413	722		1323
44	Michael Zaret	6	66	232		304
45	TOTAL	7869	17219	19010	11852	55950

Written by ron.callahan · Filed Under BikeWriter, BWJun2010, BWSep2010, General · Leave a Comment