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ACTIVITY NEWS: August 2005

     What's in this Issue?

1. Presidential Potpourri
2. Watermelon Report
3. Recent Trips Recap
4. Welcome to New Members
5. WOW 2005 Is Here!
6. Labor Day Weekend All Club Ride - Sept 3
7. Fall 2005 TCBC Jerry Loomis Mountain Bike Adventure & Fall Colors Weekend
8. Upcoming Events
9. Mileages and Stats
10. In Brief
11. TCBC Board of Directors and Contacts

PRESIDENTIAL POTPOURRI
By Mike Beadles

It's been a very busy month. I have a few topics for this version of the President's Column.

On July 4th, TCBC successfully held its 24th Annual Watermelon Ride in Shoreview. It was a day to see many happy volunteers, all the cheerful riders, scenic & varied routes, and awesome weather. It was a day for me to be very proud of our TCBC putting on a great event! Thank you to all!

Coming up on August 12-14, WOW 25 (the 25th annual Weekend on Wheels ride <http://www.BikeTCBC.org/wow>) will be held in Menomonie, Wisconsin. I'm really looking forward to it! The WOW 25 committee has been doing an excellent job with routes, food, lodging, support, and all the other things that will make this 25th anniversary WOW a very special happening! If you've yet to register for WOW 25, please do it today! It is an event that is not to be missed!

This year, TCBC is sponsoring the Minnesota State Fair bike corrals. There are three different bike corrals and the locations can be found on the http://www.MnStateFair.org website. Minnesota State Fair employees will be staffing the corrals during the open hours of the fair. Think of how fun it would be to actually ride your bike to the State Fair! There will be rides in the TCBC schedule to the State Fair as well! Look for these!

Now that the rain has subsided, we are experiencing weather that I would consider as an "Extreme Heat" condition. This is a good time to learn (or re-learn) about dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and also about hyponatremia. Perhaps it's a good time to Google and/or check out the links on the TCBC website with more information on these topics.

Minnesota's Department of Transportation's "Share the Road" <http://www.sharetheroadmn.org/> is rolling right along! Remember that it only works if both cyclists and motorists "Share the Road"! Some TCBC ride leaders have the "Share the Road" window cling to put onto your four-wheeled vehicle's rear window. I have mine in my window!

As I'm writing this column, the Tour de France is on the 11th stage of 21, and Lance is in the Yellow Jersey. I'm hoping he wins his 7th year in a row, and also that bicycling awareness and participation continue to grow in the USA!

WATERMELON REPORT
By Marina Lim

The Watermelon Ride, TCBCs only fundraising event of the year on July 4, was again a success with 600 registered riders. 185 were pre-registered and 415 signed up the morning of the ride. The rodeo was very popular and had 50 participants who ranged from 5 to 60 years old. 12-year-old Gresham had fun and said the rodeo was “okay”. Albert Lim, 14, said “The rodeo was incredibly difficult on the small circles because my bike is really big, but it was all good because I still got a prize.” Bernard, 11, said “ I didn’t exactly do that well but the people there were really nice”.

Rest stop volunteer Sarah Hartmann enjoyed working with Patt Seleen because “she is organized and helpful”. At the lunch stop, Mike Bennett used his new Ginsu knife set combined with samurai techniques to cut watermelon, under direct supervision by Andrew Bennett, his 19-year-old son. The kitchen crew made it through the day with the help of 4 ½-year-old Maya Cochrane, who served hot dogs. John Gamradt and Dick Callender also cooked.

Those who were new to the Watermelon Ride were impressed with the number of bicycles and people at Snail Lake Park. We hope to see all of you there next year.

RECENT TRIP RECAPS (first four by Doug Nelson)

JUNE 17: I finally became a member of Herb’s Herd by going on a day trip in out-state MN led by Herb Schultz, co-led by Don Picard. We checked out the western half of the Sakatah Trail and had lunch in Mankato. A beautiful day on a sometimes-bumpy trail. We had a nice turnout for a Friday.

JUNE 18: Some of us started in Mankato and did the Red Jacket Trail south to Rapidan and had lunch at the Dam Store, which of course featured damburgers, and they were gooood. We checked the new trail connection between the Red Jacket (starting at the high school) and the Sakatah, a trail which is right along the Minnesota River and sometimes atop the dike. There is one tricky blind corner, and no signs, but head north from the high school and follow the trails. Another splendid day.

JULY 2: I led my Bass Lake ride into Wisconsin, crossing the Stillwater Bridge for the last time till next year. The hills were still there, and some of the roads were improved from two years ago. There is more development underway in spots in western WI, unfortunately. We ran into an unexpected parade in Hudson but it was mellow and we found ways around it.

JULY 4: Only 15 or so turned out for perfect weather for the Boom-Boom Ride. Kristine Poelzer planned it nicely and we ended up along the Mississippi just below the Science Museum, a fine vantage point for the fireworks. A rather confused man kept walking around and touching some of our parked bikes and we had to encourage him as a group not to do that. Riding back in the dark worked fine.

JULY 10: I had eight riders show up for the Tour of Saints Outreach Ride; that was amazing. Trying to find riders in the many parking lots turned out to be a bad idea. The more seasoned TCBCers found the registration area to be a better location to meet. Got members signed up and used the Pink Card to explain the ride. Off we went at different speeds enjoying the route with many other riders. First rest stop at Cold Spring had all kinds of treats with cold water and Gatorade. Lisa was told to look for a guy with a dog in a trailer and she found me at that stop. My dog was starting to complain about the heat now, so we stopped more often for the rest of the ride. Second stop was the St. John’s Parish Center. Again good treats and cool liquids to revive us as we pedaled. Second member found me at this stop. Now the temps were getting real warm. For me and my dog, the final miles were a test to see if we could make it back to St. Joseph, and we did. For the longer route riders (50 mi), there was another rest stop at St. Wendel. The e-mails that I received once I returned home were that everyone liked the ride, which I’m glad. Still pedaling. (Gil Clounie)

WELCOME TO NEW TCBC MEMBERS FROM MID-JUNE TO MID-JULY!

Bickelhaupt, Leo
Bjork, Jeffrey
Booth, David
Bowman, Amanda
Byrne, Donna
Carlson, Nancy
Chaussee, Karen
Ciano, Kann
Cline, Marvin & Sandy
Donaldson, Ann
Dybing, Eric
Englund, Eric
Fischer, Deanna
Guild, Doug
Hansen, Scott
Hart, Danielle
Henderson, R. Keith
Huskey, Adam
Irvin, Tommy
James, Terra
Johnson, Kenneth
Kuzenski, Rick
Lacey, Matt
Larson, Craig
Lucas, Kay
Maehling, Kevin
Mafi, Akesa
Matchinsky, Debra
McEntee, Alan & Julie
Meyer, Charles
Moser, Warren
Nunnally, Pat
Ohe, Harriet
Peck, Joe
Pfaff, Judy
Priedhorsky, Reid
Purscell, Carla
Rollins, Bruce
Saiko, Mary & Peter
Sass, Erik
Scherber, Joanne
Schulz, John
Schwartzbauer, Joan
Skrivseth, Marlene
Steinhoff, Rob
Stenoien, Mark
Swanson, Todd
Tacke, Linda & David
Tasch, Amy
Treleven, Joe

WOW 2005 IS HERE!

Join us August 12, 13, and 14 in Menomonie, WI, for Weekend on Wheels 25! While the pre-registration deadline is passed, there's still time to come on one, two, or all three days of this gala event -- one of the club's oldest traditions. WOW offers food, friends, and fun.

On Friday, there will be a 'regular' club ride at 1:30 PM, leaving from Riverside Park in Menomonie. No registration is required to participate in this 'sneak preview' of the weekend (regular club ride rules apply). Afterwards, pre-registered riders can check in at nearby UW-Stout in Menomonie, and gather for an expedition for a 'Dutch treat' dinner.

Saturday's HQ will be Riverside Park. Pre-registered riders can report to UW-Stout between 7-9 AM, or Riverside Park between 7:30-9:30 AM to check-in for the ride. Day-of registrants can sign up at Riverside Park. Saturday's routes include options of approximately 28, 40, 56, 70, 84, or 100+ miles, all based on Figure-8 route designs that pass through rest stops in Riverside Park and Downsville multiple times. Shorter routes maximize scenery, while the 100-mile route offers a true WOW challenge with the option to include more than 8,000 feet of climbing. Plus, at 10:00 AM, riders who wish to explore the trails of the river valley and enjoy a totally 'flat' experience will gather at Riverside Park for a ride of 15-40 miles (rider option), led by a TCBC

ride leader.

After the day's riding, pre-registered riders will gather for a 6:30 dinner banquet. (Limited opportunities for day-of registration available.)

Sunday's HQ will be Phelan Park. Any riders who need to register or check-in may come to Phelan Park between 7:30-9:30 AM to check-in. Sunday's routes include options of 32, 43, 53, and 64 miles. Once again, at 10:00 AM, riders who wish to explore the trails of the river valley and enjoy a totally 'flat' experience will gather at Riverside Park for a ride of 15-40 miles (rider option), led by a TCBC ride leader. Starting at 11:30 AM, root beer floats will be served at Phelan Park. Check-out time for riders staying at UW-Stout will be 3:30 PM.

Complete details, including a schedule of events and directions to Menomonie, UW-Stout, Riverside, and Phelan Parks will appear on the TCBC web site after August 1, including 'final' mileage for all route options. Volunteer opportunities are also listed on the TCBC web site <http://www.BikeTCBC.org/wow>. Riders who pre-ordered the WOW 25 Commemorative jersey who are in attendance can pick their jersey up at UW-Stout on Friday, or Riverside Park Saturday. A limited number of additional jerseys may be for sale at these locations.

See you in Menomonie!

LABOR DAY WEEKEND ALL CLUB RIDE – SEPT 3

I hope that all of you will join us for our traditional Labor Day Weekend TCBC ride for all levels of riders, on what was formerly known as “The Big Picnic Ride.”

The format for the ride will remain the same: there will be three route/level options consisting of a 29-mile C ride, a 48-mile B ride, and a 63-mile A/B ride. Each ride will have its own leader. The ride briefing will start at 9:30 AM and the various levels will leave in a staggered start soon thereafter.

The start location is the main picnic shelter on top of the hill in Snail Lake Park in Shoreview; to find it, go north from 694 on Victoria to Snail Lake Blvd, then east to the shelter parking lot. (We also used this location for the All-Club Memorial Ride in May and the Watermelon Ride rest stop in July.) Please come early to socialize and also to help us start on time.

Although there are no formal arrangements for after the ride, everyone is encouraged to bring a picnic lunch or snack and socialize. If you have any questions, contact Pete Hawkins at 763-786-3792 or pmh@peoplepc.com. (Pete and Doug Nelson will be two of the leaders.)

FALL 2005 TCBC JERRY LOOMIS MOUNTAIN BIKE ADVENTURE AND FALL COLORS WEEKEND

The Fall 2005 JLMBW <http://www.BikeTCBC.org/loomis/> in the woods outside of Cable, WI, on Fri-Sun, October 7-9, is the time for mountain bikers to enjoy the Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA) Off-Road Bike Trail System. There are 300 miles of marked and mapped routes for mountain bikers including 30 miles of sweet single track. Check them out at CAMBA's website: http://www.cambatrails.org.

NEW TO MOUNTAIN BIKING AND RENTALS: The CAMBA mountain bike trails are for ALL skill levels. Mountain bike rentals are available at the New Moon Ski and Bike Shop in Hayward, WI, at 715-634-8685 or Riverbrook Bike and Ski in Seeley, WI, at 715-634-5600.

LODGING, MEALS, SIGN-IN, AND MILEAGE CREDIT: Make your own lodging reservations at Telemark Resort (toll free 877-798-4718), or our headquarters, the Lake Owen (Alpine) Resort (toll free 800-872-9370). Meals will be on your own, but plan on joining the group for the breakfast and dinner as listed below.

GATHERING AND MEALS: Gather at the Alpine game room anytime after 6:30 PM on Fri for conversation, ride discussion, and mileage signup. Meet at Telemark Resort on Sat and Sun between 8-8:30 AM for breakfast (no signup needed for breakfast). Saturday’s dinner will be pot-luck and grilling at the Alpine or go out to eat if you prefer.

FRIDAY RIDE: Depart at 2 PM from the Telemark trailhead (park next to the tennis courts) to ride the Ojibwe single track trail. A/B, B levels.

SATURDAY RIDES: Depart at 10 AM from the Namekagon Town Hall trailhead. There will be A/B, B and C rides from here including the new Rock Lake single track.

SUNDAY RIDES: We will discuss ride plans at Breakfast. Rides depart at 10 AM.

CAMBA: Get free maps of the 300-mile CAMBA trail system by joining this organization. At the same time, you'll be supporting the wonderful organization that maps, marks, and maintains these outstanding trails. This is money very well spent! http://www.cambatrails.org has complete details.

FOR MORE INFO on the JLMBW or if you would like to help lead the rides, contact Bob and Karen Bryan, 952-926-8848, bobbkr@aol.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

AUGUST 19-21: Ride “da Range” on the Mesabi Trail. $3.00 daily wheel pass is required. Join this C-plus ride on the Mesabi Trail and experience Minnesota’s Iron Range up close and personal. We will bike on paved surface trails joining the bustling cities of Eveleth, Hibbing, Virginia, and Chisholm. We’ll visit Ironworld, which features a museum with exhibits telling the story of the Range’s geology, mining, immigration, life skills, and traditions. There is a 1920’s Mesabi Railway trolley ride taking us through a mining “town” and showing us the spectacular views of the Glen-Godfrey Open Pit Mine. There will be motel and RV park campground lodging options that you will book on your own. After-ride activities (optional) include dining at the Whistling Bird in Gilbert, a night out at Zimmy’s featuring Bob Dylan memorabilia, and a play at the Hibbing Community Center, or a visit to the Palucci Planetarium. Yes, there are hills – this is the Range. Ambassadors will be Duane and Diana Kasper, 952-448-1608, or kasperddt@chaska.net. Leaders: Herb Schultz, 952-941-4381; Clareyse Nelson, 612-623-3009.

SEPT 10-11 LA CROSSE KILLER HILL REDUX OVERNIGHT+. A/B 70-80 mi on Saturday, plus the SeeSaw to Arkansaw ride from Maiden Rock (A/B 65-70 mi) on Sunday (separate listing). Remember the Old Killer Hill 64 ride the La Crosse Wheelmen used to put on? This will follow that route for about the last 35 miles including the famed Killer Hill climb. A new direction out will add some big climbs and a few miles. The climb out of La Crosse up past Grand Dad Bluff is included. Leader is Bill Simon, bicyclebill@comcast.net. Hotels in La Crosse book early so get reservations ASAP and cancel later if needed. For details including CANCELLATION status, lodging, evening activities and Yahoo Group link, visit web page: http://home.comcast.net/~bicyclebill/KillerHill/

SEPT 16-18 ROOT RIVER VALLEY TRAILS WEEKEND. Welcome C riders and friends to our three days in Lanesboro! We hope you can join us for our third annual event to explore this beautiful area in SE Minn. We will be riding all three days, but come when you can. Some of us will go to the Commonweal Theater to attend their productions. Friday night’s is Moliere’s “Scapin” and Saturday’s will be Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” which is a classic comedy of wit and satire. Call Herb Schultz to reserve your tickets. This is a popular area on weekends, so be sure to reserve a place to stay soon. The Lanesboro Chamber of Commerce number is 1-888-223-4258. Some of us also camp in Lanesboro. Looking forward to seeing old and new friends there! Call us if you have questions and also let us know you will be there! Clareyse Nelson, 612-623-3009, or Herb Schultz, 952-941-4381.

SEPT 23-25 SEPTEMBER (WOBEGON) DAYS. Do your thing on the Wobegon Trail, including the Holdingford and St. Joseph spurs over three autumn days. This C ride features 10-foot-wide paved trails and offers extra miles options. Come for 1, 2, or all 3 days. Each day will feature activities en route and/or after ride. You will book your own lodging accommodations in or around Albany, MN. Country Inn and Suites at 320-845-2145 is an option.) Leaders: Herb Schultz, 952-941-4381 or herbschl@juno.com; Don Picard, 952-894-3431. Cell phone at ride 952-334-8382.

MILEAGES AND STATS

Monthly ride totals: TCBC barely set a new record in April with 54 rides going. We had 126 in May and 145 in June (reported so far).

WOMEN
2542 Katie Angle
2271 Patt Seleen
2046 Mary Nelsen
1629 Susan Evan
1612 Sue Blum
1608 Lisa Dust
1595 Cindy Hanson
1592 Red Rider
1372 Kate Kovar
1318 Liesa Miller
1202 Mary Derks
1197 Kay Mitchell
1149 Rebecca Lawrence
1108 Kristine Poelzer
1106 Julie Dillon
1097 Kathleen Lepp
924 Irene Erickson
874 Evie Walters
868 Leann Plinske
858 Susan Micks

MEN
3306 Tony Stifter
3240 Michael McNutt
3230 Lee Thielman
2842 Richard Franco
2689 Jeff Johnson
2389 Mike Nizielski
2098 Steve Block
2050 Scott Larson
1937 John Pugh
1905 Charles Breer
1664 Jim Joy
1582 Mark Gregory
1573 John Gesme
1543 Mike Bennett
1541 Jeff Hofstede
1478 Tim Miller
1404 Jim Elwell
1383 Bill Corty
1378 Garry Glubka
1333 Dan Miller

TOTAL RIDES: Angle 72, Seleen 70, Dust and Nelsen 57. Stifter 96, McNutt 93, Johnson 85, Franco 78.

SINCE THE LAST LISTING: For the women, Angle increases her lead a bit, the top three staying the same. For the men, Thielman moves up to third and the top three are surprisingly close.

OVER 1000 TCBC MILES: Bob Hoffman has done it for his 17th year, tied for fifth all-time.

OVER 2000 TCBC MILES: Lee Thielman has reached his 10th year, tied for third all-time.

OVER 3000 TCBC MILES: Tony Stifter now has 8 years, tied for second all-time. Lee Thielman has 7 years.

OVER 100 TCBC RIDES (soon to be verified): Tony Stifter has topped this figure for 7 different years, setting a new club record.

IN BRIEF

NEXT ACTIVITY NEWS DEADLINE will be Monday, August 8.

HOT TIMES: The cool and wet months of May and June have turned into a very hot and dry July at press time. Here are some tips for riding in the heat from the Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/tips/heat.html.

CORRECTION FROM THE LAST ISSUE: Where the Phalen Boulevard project is being built through St. Paul, there will be bike facilities. The former Bruce Vento Regional Trail will be replaced with a path alongside the new road, and the road itself will have six-foot striped shoulders that bikers can use. The road and path are scheduled to open by mid to late October. (Thanks to Lisa Falk for this info.)

BOARD POSITIONS: Would you be interested in being on the TCBC Board of Directors? There are monthly meetings and occasional duties. Please contact Katie Angle at 763-208-3595 or Paul Huntington at 651-486-2731.

LEE STAGG, TCBC trip leader, recently wrote a column for the Let’s Go! Southwest Newspapers about TCBC and how people can join and get active in the club.

SIXTH EDITION OF THE MINNESOTA BIKE ATLAS has sold out!

TRAILS NEWS: Nothing but one short link. As promised, Mpls has paved a nice new connection between the western end of the Ford Bridge and Minnehaha Parkway/West River Road. Going west along the sidewalk along the north side of the bridge, you take a sharp turn down through the woods and end up next to the parking lot for the Lock and Dam. From there, you can bike north along the River Road or west to Minnehaha Falls and beyond. Bikers no longer need to keep going west, take a left turn at the stop light, and go down the hill over some cobblestones.

This is a good safety improvement.

PAVED TRAILS: Efforts are underway to identify the number of miles of paved trails in the seven-county metro area. The Metro Council says there are 170 miles of existing regional trails and 101 miles of existing state trails, with plans to build more. County and city trail mileage is certainly much greater.

EDGERTON BRIDGE OVER 694 should be open by now – but the bridge over the St. Croix at Stillwater will be closed from August 1 until November.

YOUR EDITOR is no longer quite such a dinosaur. I am now occasionally riding faster, using clip-less at last, on a new Trek machine I found for myself. It was about time, right? Feel free to quit bugging me now….

ALARMING BIKE STAT: According to one recent survey, 68 percent of kids ages 7-11 biked in 1995, while only 47 percent of kids 7-11 biked in 2004. Also, bike sales of kid’s bikes are down 21 percent from 2000 to 2004. In general, kids do not get as much exercise or spend as much time outdoors (away from computers and video games) as they used to.

TCBC Contacts

ACTIVITY NEWS is published by the Twin Cities Bicycling Club, formed in 1993.
Mail and checks should be sent to TCBC, PO Box 131086, Roseville, MN 55113.

TCBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT: Mike Beadles
VICE-PRESIDENT: Dave Swaab
SECRETARY: Charles Breer
Mary Derks
Lisa Austin
Pete Hawkins
Katie Angle
Scott Larson
Paul Huntington

OTHER TCBC POSITIONS

TREASURER: Tony Stifter
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Kristine Poelzer
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: David Erick
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Doug Nelson
SCHEDULE COORDINATOR: Jim Pederson
WEBMASTER: Phil Doi
RIDE STATISTICS: Julie Timm
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: Stephan Kieu

Contact ACTIVITY NEWS Editor: Doug Nelson if you have information at 2800 Hamline, #208, Roseville, MN 55113. (651-639-9917) tcbcdoug@mtn.org  Deadlines will usually be during the first week of the month for the next month's issue.

To submit items for the Activities Schedule, send e-mail to Jim Pederson: schedule@biketcbc.org