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TCBC NEWS: July 2006President's LetterI can’t tell you how impressed I was by the astounding turnout at the All-Club ride during the Memorial Day weekend. As some of you might have heard, we had 226 riders join us for the day, even though many people were out of town that weekend. Long-time organizer Doug Nelson did a great job with the routes, which all featured some riding along Bald Eagle Lake, one of my favorite spots in the east metro. In spite of a greater than usual number of flat tires, it seems that everyone had a great time and we all did a good job of riding safely and showing a good example to motorists and other riders. Speaking of Bald Eagle Lake, I would like to share my thoughts about another ride that goes in that area. While I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every TCBC ride I’ve ever been on, my long-time favorite has to be Sunday Sunrise Solitude. It was one of the very first TCBC rides I ever did and I have to thank Kristine Poelzer for coming up with the radical idea of starting a ride at sunrise. The main reason I love Sunrise Solitude is sometimes the hardest aspect to understand. This ride starts EARLY. Observant TCBC members will notice that the start times shift according to the actual sunrise, ranging from 5:30 AM to as late as 7:30 AM. Whatever the time, there’s nothing like having the roads and trails to ourselves early on Sunday mornings. We often get a nice glimpse at the sun coming up and even if we are sometimes a bit sleepy at the start, we’re usually happy to be riding within the first few miles. Another great reason to like Sunrise Solitude is that you can be finished EARLY. For those who like to get lots of miles and spend time doing other things, Sunrise Solitude is perfect. You can be done with 62 or 79 miles by 10 or 11 AM, while it’s even possible to complete a whole century and be home for lunch. For those who want more of a challenge, the 151-mile route will take some more time, but you’ll still be home in time for dinner! If you can handle the early wake-up time, the delights of Sunrise Solitude become clear. We ride the entire Gateway Trail, which can only be described as magical in the early morning. There is lots of riding in the quiet woods, through bucolic rural scenery, with early morning sunlight filtering through the trees. After stopping for a break at Pine Point Park, the loop to Marine-on-St.-Croix on the 79-mile course features the thrilling downhill on Nason Hill Road, charming houses along the river and a real General Store. This is followed by the tough climb out of the valley, including one of the few tunnels on a TCBC ride. Then after passing through Withrow, we go around the north and west side of Bald Eagle Lake, which is always a pleasure, even with the bumpy pavement. The last part of the ride includes familiar TCBC routes such as Goose Lake Road, Lake Vadnais, and of course Gramsie Hill. Inevitably, we finish the ride feeling satisfied that we’ve done so many miles so early and we look forward to the rest of the day, which we can spend with family (or even on another TCBC ride!). It may surprise you how many riders come out for Sunrise Solitude, but we would always welcome more to come share the experience with us. Hope to see you on the road. Charles Breer WEEKEND ON WHEELS 26: Red Cedar FeverHey! It’s time to register for this year’s Weekend on Wheels! WOW 26 is going to happen on August 11-12-13 in Menomonie, Wisconsin – home of the Red Cedar River and the Red Cedar State Trail. An hour or so east of St. Paul, Menomonie offers cycling joy for riders at every level. This year’s edition will feature routes of 30-100 miles Saturday, and 30-60 miles on Sunday. We’re bringing back some of last year’s great routes, with some new roads scouted by TCBC leaders Tony Wanschura and Scott Larson thrown in for fun. The road routes will feature Wisconsin’s great scenery and challenging terrain. For those seeking a gentler day out, a daily trail ride option of 15-40 miles is on a flat, crushed limestone state trail. All routes include a fully-stocked rest stop with the legendary WOW chow, mechanical support from our friends at Sunrise Cyclery, maps, TCBC ride insurance, and more! You can even arrange to stay in the dorms at UW-Stout and attend the WOW banquet Saturday night. For those coming in Friday, we're also planning a TCBC ride in the afternoon, and perhaps a culinary expedition to enjoy Wisconsin’s native cuisine (fish fry). Complete information about the weekend is available online at www.biketcbc.org/wow, including the registration form. Pre-registration ends July 25, and lodging cannot be guaranteed for any late registrants or day-of registrants. Information about volunteering for the weekend at our rest stops is also online – volunteers will get a fashionable and attractive piece of WOW memorabilia sure to turn heads at the grocery store. Register today and we’ll see you at WOW 26! . IN BRIEFNEXT TCBC NEWS DEADLINE will be Monday, July 10. WATERMELON RIDE is July 4 and you can sign up that morning at the start, at Deluxe Corporation in Shoreview, on Victoria just south of 694. Three routes are offered. RECENT ARTICLE in the STAR TRIBUNE featured five recommendations for a two-hour ride in the Twin Cities, including one mentioned by TCBC President Charles Breer: the popular Gears, Tears, and Fears Tuesday evening ride, featuring eight major climbs. A BIKE RACK was recently stolen off a TCBC riders vehicle while parked in a parking lot. We should remind riders with racks on their cars to lock them to the vehicle or lock them inside. NEW MEMBERS should contact Tony Stifter after July 4 if they have not received their New Member Packet and complimentary map clip(s), 651-490-0070 or doctonic@juno.com. RECENT THREE-YEAR STUDY by the University of Minnesota finds: city and suburban residents typically get about the same amount of exercise; suburbanites walk and bike more for leisure, while city dwellers walk or bike more for errands or work. Each group logged about the same number of miles, walking about half a mile per day on average. Surveyed were 715 Ramsey County residents from 36 neighborhoods. The findings contradict the expectations that suburbs are less healthy because they were designed for cars rather than for walking and biking. It means long-term changes would be needed to encourage people to walk or bike rather than drive, such as higher gas prices and limited parking. 88-YEAR-OLD PLYMOUTH MAN was hit by a car and killed bicycling home from the store in mid-May. (Tragic news, and this is the oldest person your editor has ever heard of dying in a bike accident.) BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) analyzes bicycle friendliness of cities in five areas: education, enforcement, encouragement, engineering, and evaluation. Madison, WI, received a Gold (second highest) rating for 2006, while Rochester, MN, made the list for the first time with an Honorable Mention rating. Congrats! . BIKE TRAILS AND ROUTESBONDING BILL passed in Minnesota does include $1.8 million for the completion of the Cedar Lake Trail in Minneapolis. With other federal and city money, this will provide for land acquisition and trail construction from where the trail currently ends behind Target Center to the Mississippi. Trail routing will be coordinated with the new Twins stadium and North Star Line construction plans. THE NEW LONGEST TRAIL? A 12-mile stretch will be paved this year from Sauk Centre to Osakis, connecting the Lake Wobegon Trail with the Central Lakes Trail, creating a 99-mile continuous paved trail from St. Joseph to Fergus Falls! This will become the state’s longest continuous trail system (although it depends on your definition; the Paul Bunyan–Heartland combination from Brainerd to Cass Lake is about that long). The Bunyan is officially listed by the DNR as 70.5 miles, and the Munger as 63. VENTO TRAIL OVER 694 in Maplewood: still under construction. You probably don’t want to try it yet. RICE CREEK NORTH REGIONAL TRAIL through the Arden Hills Arsenal – this trail link will begin construction in 2007, basically connecting County H and I. CANNON VALLEY TRAIL is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer with a fun ride and celebration on August 19. This 20-mile trail is one of the best in the state, as many of us know. GITCHI-GAMI STATE TRAIL: The Gooseberry Falls to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park segment of 3.5 miles is scheduled for completion by late summer. When done, this paved and scenic stretch will reach 13 miles from Gooseberry to Beaver Bay. CUYUNA LAKES STATE TRAIL: The first five miles of this paved trail are now open at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. The trail winds past six lakes and some beautiful overlooks between Ironton and Crosby. Eventually, the completed trail should reach from Brainerd to Aitkin, about 30 miles, of course connecting with the Paul Bunyan Trail. The 5000-acre recreational area, besides the six lakes, contains 15 deep pit lakes and many recreation opportunities, including mountain biking trails as they become developed. There is a 16-site campground and a few primitive sites. Your editor was able to bike this trail in May and I recommend it! You start in Crosby at the Croft Historic Mine Museum, which is on the north side of town. The site, an active underground iron ore mine closing in 1934, is open Fridays through Sundays, but the trail is accessible whether the mine site (enclosed by a fence) is open or not. Plenty of room to park on the street at the mine entrance, where the trail starts going west. The trail is nicely paved, at least 10 feet, rolling, with lots of woods to go through and old mines (now lakes) to pass. You soon cross Hwy. 6, another parking possibility, where there is an overlook to a sign explaining the Portsmouth Mine. The trail follows the south shore of that lake and doesn’t go through Crosby at all. You only cross three roads on the 5 miles, with few signs of civilization. Some of the trail follows old railroad lines, some does not, so there are some grades and curves. There are no rest areas or facilities. The trail’s western end is at the intersection of County 128 and Iverson (no parking there). Enjoy! - Doug Nelson . Its a Family AffairCome One, Come All, and they did so, willingly! Yes, fourteen youth ages two to fourteen have successfully completed the indoor portion of the Family Bicycling Series and are now riding club rides. The two indoor sessions provided our learners with the expertise of Andy Ruhland and Mark Norman. Andy hails from Eriks Bike Shop and demonstrated his agility in bicycle mechanics. His incredible contribution included the development of TCBC ride-ready recommendations for each of the bicycles that a family came in with, thank you Andy. Mark works out of Fresh and Natural Foods and locked us all in on good nutritional habits- eat a substantial meal no sooner than three hours before a ride, consume plenty of water (half your weight in ounces) every day, and avoid fat while exercising as it depletes our sodium levels and we need to avoid dehydration- kudos to you Mark. We are excited to extend a hearty congratulations and a warm welcome to our new members; the Fellows family- Deborah, Henry and Emily; - the Johnson pack- Becky, Jeff, Megan, Jordan, Linneas, and Quinn; - the McCullum clan- Lisa, Patrick, Connor and Kira; - the Middlebrook people- Linda, George, and Andrew; - the Schmidtke tribe- Sue, Mark, Zack and Nick; - as well as the Sheaffer lineage- Teresa, Craig, Mitchell, Parker and Lewis. They are all now taking their new knowledge and skills outside for bicycle riding adventures together. The aim of this series was to develop confident and safe riders of all ages and afford families fun, healthy, and exciting ways to be together. Lead by Series Team Director, Paul Huntington; Series Team Members, Kristine Poelzer, Deb Matchinsky and Hugh Gitlin; as well as Series Supporters, TCBC President, Charles Breer, Catherine Roach, and Carolyn Caswell; the six families have been thoroughly led through classroom training sessions and tours. An awards ceremony is planned for the Watermelon Ride where we are hoping to be graced by the presence of Sandy Martin, the mayor of the city of Shoreview. Come join the celebration, bring your bicycle, your family of origin, your cultivated family, and your zest for riding to the Watermelon Ride. See you there. By Catherine Roach . Recognition CornerStarting with this issue of TCBC News, we will be launching a new feature to recognize the contributions of TCBC members. The idea is to recognize the tireless efforts of our many volunteer members who go above and beyond the call of duty in supporting TCBC. At each monthly TCBC board meeting, we make a point of identifying people who have demonstrated the great dedication that makes our club so successful. This month, we recognize: * Jersey Committee: Mary Derks (chairperson), Dave Anderson, Lisa Anderson, Susie Anderson, Tim Brinkman, Paul Huntington, Kate Kovar, Kay Mitchell, Jamie Pfuhl, Kristine Poelzer, Steve Scott, Patt Seleen, Nancy Selz,For an outstanding job on the 2006 jersey and for record high orders! Job well done! * Paul Huntington. For developing and leading the Family Bicycling Series * Doug Nelson. For organizing the May 2006 All-Club ride, with record-high attendance We encourage any members to pass along the names of fellow TCBC members who deserve recognition for anything that is worthy of recognition. Just send your suggestions to any board member. Charles Breer . Another Chance to Order a New TCBC JerseyBy Mary Derks Did you miss your chance to order a new TCBC jersey earlier this spring? Maybe you werent a member yet or perhaps didnt realize that TCBC was offering a new jersey for sale. Regardless of your situation, the club will be doing a second order due to member interest so if youd like to get a a TCBC jersey (or vest or jacket), youre in luck! Orders are due by July 10 which is just around the corner, so dont delay and order yours today! Garment choices include unisex and womens-specific jerseys in short-sleeve,
sleeveless, and long-sleeve, along with unisex wind vests and jackets. See
the order form found in the April newsletter for additional information. Jerseys will be available for pick-up in late August at locations to be
announced later. Watch the web-site for details! . Transportation Choices: The Important Role of Walking and BikingBy Lisa Austin The 2006 Center for Transportation Studies “Oberstar Forum on Transportation Policy and Technology” was held at Coffman Memorial Union on the University of Minnesota Campus April 10-11. The 2006 theme was “Transportation Choices: The Important Role of Walking and Biking.” The keynote speaker was the Mayor Berthold Tillmann of Münster, Germany. His mission is for Münster to be the most bicycle-friendly city in the world. Münster was recently awarded a global “Most Livable Community” recognition. Münster enjoys nearly 40% of people biking for transportation to work, school, and for errands. Minneapolis is ranked highest major city in the U.S. for the number of people commuting by bicycle with a 3% mode share. Both Minneapolis and Münster have snowy winters. A panel discussion followed with representatives from the four non-motorized transportation pilot program communities including Minneapolis, MN, Columbia, MO, Sheboygan County, WI, and Marin County, CA. The federal transportation funding bill SAFETEA-LU, passed by Congress in July 2005, awards each community $25 million for the four-year pilot program. Each of these communities is tasked with improving facilities and education to increase biking and walking mode share over the course of the program. Benefits of biking and walking include decreased congestion, reduced fuel use, less environmental impact, and an opportunity to incorporate exercise into daily routines. Congressman Oberstar offered his vision of the possibilities non-motorized transportation brings communities across the United States. “American cities are experiencing tremendous growth and face enormous challenges. Non-motorized opportunities do not exist separately from other transportation options,” Oberstar continued. “They are integral to an overall mobility system. Imagine a future in which most Americans live within a sensibly-designed seamless network of sidewalks, trails, on-the-road bicycle facilities, and transit and rail that provides access to the majority of day-to-day destinations.” Congressman Oberstar enjoys bipartisan support for elevating the importance of bicycling in transportation laws and funding. In a show of appreciation, the Twin Cities Bicycling Club board awarded Congressman Oberstar one of its new club jerseys. A rendition was first presented to him during the CTS Forum. On June 4, 2006 in Baxter, MN we presented the Congressman with the real thing. For more information on the CTS forum visit: For more information on the Minneapolis plans for the non-motorized pilot project visit: http://www.tlcminnesota.org/ . NO CAR DAYSThere is a bigger picture worth thinking about when we consider the whole situation of gas prices continuing to increase. There are certainly some positive aspects to it. Plenty of articles have been mentioning that many people are seeking relief from skyrocketing prices people who normally drive to work are riding public transit, working at home, and carpooling and of course, biking. Many are finding that biking to work, which they have thought about doing for years, really isnt bad, and leads to better exercise, less frustration, and cost savings for gas and parking. Bike to Work Week this May really came at a good time! Turnouts at the TCBC rides ending in the two downtowns were good, but not great. There was a nice program with giveaways in St. Paul at Rice Park, but no celebrities and no TV coverage appeared there. Bike shops nationwide are seeing more interest from consumers buying new bikes or repairing older ones. About 20 million bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2005, one of the industrys best years ever, and escalating gas prices may lead to record sales this year! Unlike most countries, the vast majority of bikes sold in this country are used for recreation rather than for transportation. Less than one percent of Americans bike to work regularly. Federal legislation will help, including the $286 billion federal transportation bill signed last year, which will double the amount of bike and pedestrian facilities. Some cities are obviously better for cycling than others, due to weather and street reasons, etc. So what can this mean to us locally? Seems to me that this is it, what we have been waiting for -- more bikes on the roads for commuting and recreation, more social acceptance, more positive feelings about each doing what we can to save the world a little bit at a time. Its been said that if we each reduce our gas use by 10 percent, that would make an enormous difference in the economy and I think many of us can find ways of driving less, and probably biking more. As for me, Im biking to work as I have for years, but only averaging a day a week so far. Ill try to increase that. Its around 13 miles each way for me so its a nice workout. I recommend each of us have at least one day each week that we can call No Car Day when we dont use our cars for any reason. Give it a try, and write about it if you would like to share with our readers, via e-mail or future newsletters. - Doug Nelson . RECENT RIDE RECAPSMAY 18: Folks seemed confident that it wouldn't rain much on the Thursday Therapy ride, yet it did, and in the middle of the ride no less. It came down hard enough to make me get off the road for ten minutes under a tree. It shows, as usual, that you just never know. TCBC's usual good luck charm for weather did the ride too and was also caught (I won't say who but his initials are JJ). MAY 19: BIKE TO WORK DAY. A number of TCBC leaders led rides to both downtowns
and it seemed to go well. However, in St. Paul, it started raining during
the remarks/reception in Rice Park, which seemed ironic. Well, they had nice
giveaways. No mayors showed up this year. MAY 27: The ALL-CLUB RIDE finally actually had a hot day, reaching 87 degrees. The 226 people were the largest crowd TCBC (or AYH before it) have ever had on a ride or meeting or event EXCEPT, of course, IRONMAN, WOW, and WATERMELON (and the old AQUATENNIAL RIDE we used to organize). I made 200 maps, figuring I could use some again later, but of course they all were taken. This was an outstanding turnout and made it clear that we really need to reserve the pavilion -- so we will for Sept 2 and hopefully next year too. Just to keep this event's rain tradition going, there was an unexpected shower for about ten minutes in early afternoon. Thanks to co-leaders Charles Breer and Pete Hawkins. Also, thanks to everyone who mentioned the names of bikers we have known who have passed away; it seems appropriate for Memorial Day Weekend. JUNE 3: My old favorite AFTON/ELMO ride was fun, as always, with plenty of hills and scenery. Got a nice turnout of 30 to prove that not everyone went to Brainerd. Planned road construction just north of Afton has been postponed till next year. JUNE 5: My monthly MELLOW MONDAY ride had threatening weather but a few
of us started the ride dry, except for Dave Swaab, who showed up but had
to cancel due to a pedal problem. . Brainerd Tour of Lakes Weekend RecapBy Mary Derks Sixty+ TCBC members gathered in the Brainerd Lakes area June 2-4 for socializing, eating, laughing, and, oh yeah, the Tour of Lakes Outreach Ride and other TCBC rides in the area. We stayed in cabins at Agate Lake Resort and, as luck would have it, had the whole place to ourselves. We had great weather and great people, which made for a, well, GREAT time!!! On Friday afternoon, we rode 35-45 miles through Nisswa, Merrifield and near Pelican Lake on gently rolling terrain, then gathered back at the cabins or at local restaurants for dinner. Thanks to Dan Miller for making two huge pans of delicious pasta which fed most of us! How nice of you, Dan! Saturday we arose bright and early for the Tour of Lakes Outreach Ride
and rode either the 2- or 4 rest-stop route, I mean either the 36 or
69 mile route, with most choosing the latter. Outfitted in
our new TCBC jerseys, we rode together as one big group for the
first 25-30 miles, which is no small task, and then generally rode together
for the remainder of the ride. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE for making that happen,
especially to those who set the pace in the front, swept in the back, and
radioed back and forth regarding speed, flats, etc. What a neat feeling to
be part of the TCBC ‘train’ rolling down the road, and what a
sight for onlookers to see! Sunday's breakfast was "on your own". I don't know
what everyone else had, but our cabin had the best egg bake I've ever had,
along with a fresh fruit salad, toasted bagels, pastries, orange juice, etc.
thanks to Kathy Hawkins and Patt Seleen! Then, it was time for the
Babe’s Blue Ox, I mean the Babe’s Blue Brainerd Lakes TCBC ride.
Sunny skies once again prevailed as we rode through Nisswa, Breezy Point,
Cross Lake, Manhattan Beach, Jenkins, and Pequot Lakes on routes of 36-58
miles. Routes were gently rolling and included sections of the Paul Bunyan
Scenic Byway and the Paul Bunyan Trail. A big “thank you” to
Scott Larson and Deb Matchinsky for co-leading the weekend’s rides
with me. Their enthusiasm and willingness to help out were much appreciated
by all and allowed for various mileage options! THANK YOU TO ALL who participated in this trip, both to those who gave it a try for the first time and those who came back for a second year! Talk about a great group of people---all of whom had wonderful attitudes, positive energy and enthusiasm, and looked out for the "good of the group"! To see photos of the weekend, go to http://imageevent.com/mderks/tol2006.
WELCOME TO NEW TCBC MEMBERSHere are those who became new members of TCBC since last months listing. Welcome to the club and we hope you can join us on many events. AIZMAN, CRAIG & SARAH MILEAGE LEADERS AND STATSPlenty of rides were cancelled due to weather in May, but most of them having been going. Here are the totals since November 1, 2005: WOMEN MEN TOTAL RIDES WOMEN: Angle 88, Dust 43, Kovar 41, Evan 39, Miller 39, Seleen 39. TOTAL RIDES MEN: Irvin 122, McNutt 87, Franco 74, Joy 73, Nizielski 70. TOTAL RIDES LED: Joy 30, Schultz 26, McNutt 24, Evan 19, Huntington 17, Angle 15. BIGGEST RIDES IN MAY: May 27 226 All-Club Ride SINCE THE LAST LISTING: Top three women are the same, with Angle increasing her lead a bit. Joy takes third for the men, and Irvin continues to pull away. NEWS AND NOTES: For those who have been wondering where two-time champ Stifter has been in this years listings there he is. Angle is taking solid aim on becoming the first person to ever win the mileage award three years in a row. Blum has topped 1000 club miles for her 15th year and more old-timers should be reaching it soon.
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TCBC ContactsACTIVITY NEWS is published by the Twin Cities Bicycling Club, formed in
1993. TCBC BOARD OF DIRECTORSPRESIDENT: Charles Breer OTHER TCBC POSITIONS TREASURER: Tony Stifter |
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