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TCBC NEWS: September 2006
President's Letter
I had a fabulous time on my 1300-mile bicycle tour around Alaska in July, as you may have heard by now. This was PAC Tour’s very first tour in Alaska and it came together beautifully after nearly three years of planning by Susan Notorangelo, who with her husband Lon Haldeman, run PAC Tour’s various bicycling adventures. The support from the PAC Tour crew was superb, the scenery was breathtaking, and we got to see much of Alaska that tourists miss. It was a great way to scout out a future visit to Alaska, which I know will happen some day. I enjoyed getting to know fellow TCBC member and long-distance bicycling enthusiast Judy Lehmann, who was also on the tour and loved every minute of our time in Alaska. I also encouraged crew member and daughter Rebecca Haldeman to join TCBC, so she can enjoy some nice group riding while she’s here studying at the University of Minnesota. She’s already been on some TCBC rides, so please make Rebecca feel at home if you spot her on a classic single-speed bike.
The quality of the roads in Alaska was a mixed bag, ranging from smooth, brand new pavement to long stretches of roadway damaged by frost heaves and earthquakes. But there were no major complaints from the riders, who knew there were no alternative back roads and, hey, we’re in Alaska! For the most part, the traffic was light compared to major highways in the rest of the world, so there was plenty of time to enjoy Alaska in silence between the occasional RV, motorcoach, large pickup truck, or giant double-length trailer trucks. What also helped was the incredible friendliness that we encountered everywhere. On the occasions when we had to be shuttled through tunnels or across construction zones, I had the chance to meet interesting locals who cheerfully let us pile into their trucks, vans, and even tour buses. Especially memorable was a construction zone flag person, who turned out to be a serious cyclist and gear head whose hobby is to retrieve bikes from the Fairbanks dump and rebuild them. She has apparently built a collection of Campy-equipped bikes that she rides year-round in what is certainly a rugged existence.
After being home for a few weeks, I’ve been able to compare my Alaska experience with our own TCBC rides and I found myself confirming what I must have already known. I would have to say that it’s a relief to be back on our quiet, well-paved roads (and bike paths), many of which have very little traffic. It seems like our creative ride leaders are constantly finding the best routes that take full advantage of our great road and trail networks. While Alaska has “superstar” scenery wherever you look, I was reminded that our local scenery is just as spectacular, in its own way of course. We have wonderful river valleys, wooded bike trails, challenging rolling hills, and of course thousands of lakes, all very green at this time of year.
So after riding my bicycle in Alaska and many other places around the world, my conclusion is that we’re incredibly lucky to have some of the best bicycling in the country, right here in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Charles Breer
TCBC PresidentPS: For those of you who need to plan ahead, especially to new members, I want to give you a heads up about TCBC’s annual gala dinner, the Member Appreciation Banquet. We’re making plans now, but look for it in late January. Hope to meet many of you there!
Labor Day Weekend All Club Ride - Sept. 2
We hope that many 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” and an informal end to summer. This event in May had over 200 people!
The format for the ride on Sat, Sept. 2 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. If you arrive after the parking lot fills, park in the beach parking lot and take the trails up the hill.
Although there are no formal arrangements for after the ride, you are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch or snack and socialize. (There was no pop machine there in July.) 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.).
IN BRIEF
IN BRIEF
NEXT TCBC NEWS DEADLINE is Monday, Sept. 11.
TCBC ANNUAL MEETING is scheduled for Sat, Nov. 4.
HOT ENOUGH FOR YA? July became the third-warmest month in Twin Cities recorded history, averaging over 6 degrees above normal, with 17 days reaching at least 90, and seven of them topped 95. Some rides were cancelled or shortened. Parts of the state have been in a drought situation for awhile. Starting in March, every month has had above-normal temps. Can’t help being curious what next winter will be like.
PAUL BUNYAN DOUBLE CENTURY: This July 1 ride got a nice wrapup article by Bruce Brothers in the PIONEER PRESS. Riders quoted included organizer Bob Hoffman, Lee Thielman, and Mark Gregory. None of the finishers took more than 14 hours to do the 202 miles. Brothers also wrote a later story describing how he is getting involved in a lot more bicycling, because he was having problems running.
TCBC NEWS: We are planning to continue the same basic publication schedule for the newsletter, 10 per year, for at least the next 12 months.
BICYCLIST KILLED CROSSING LRT LINE: Sadly, this tragedy was probably inevitable. It’s the third fatality in the two years since the LRT opened, and the first cyclist. It’s a reminder to everyone to look both ways, pay attention, and don’t risk your life trying to save a minute or two!
ERIK’S SHOREVIEW STORE will be having a moving sale in Sept, then will be relocating to Vadnais Heights this winter.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: A 2005 study based on 4000 interviews shows that bicycling was the most popular outdoor activity for Americans, followed by fishing and hiking. But as a whole, bicycling trips dropped from 3.9 billion in 2004 to 3.1 billion in 2005, and mountain bikers continued to decline from their high in 2001. Some activities increasing were snowshoeing, trail running, and motorized recreation.
Fall 2006 TCBC Jerry Loomis Mountain Bike Adventure and Fall Colors Weekend
The Fall 2006 JLMBW in the woods outside of Cable, WI, on Fri-Sun, October 13-15, 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: 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.
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.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.
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! 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.
- Bob Bryan
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We Loved Those WOW Hills
Weekend on Wheels #26 was held August 11-13 in Menomonie, WI, for the second year, at Stout. It was a big success due to the volunteers, the weather, and especially the scenery. And what makes the scenery, you ask? HILLS. Plenty of green, quiet valleys, very little traffic, farms and forests. Over 120 people rode with us on Sat and almost 100 on Sun.
The volunteers were plentiful, helpful, and dedicated. We hope to have a list in the next issue. From running the rest stops to helping with the college arrangements to checking out and marking the routes, etc., they came through again.
The weather cooperated better than the forecast suggested. Friday and Saturday were great, from partly cloudy to mostly sunny and not too windy, around 80 degrees. Sunday was mostly cloudy but warm, and the promised rain held off until early afternoon, so most bikers were done by the time it arrived. It really came down hard by mid-afternoon, and in the metro area too. So the timing worked out well, except for the drive back.
Some of the routes were pretty much the same as last year’s, so we veterans knew what we were in for. HILLS. Big and little, steep and shallow, but plenty of them on most routes except the Red Cedar Trail. Gut-busting, heavy-breathing hills, with tons of gear shifting required. I thought about how it was harder to ride with your tongue hanging out.
Scott Larson led about 25 of us on the Friday pre-ride to the west and north, to Knapp and Wheeler (good name for a bike ride). We would climb out of one valley, drop into the next one, then repeat the process again and again. It was darn picturesque.
Some of us stayed in the Stout dorms for those flashbacks to college life. It wasn’t hot and that helped. Motels??? Who needs them.
The Saturday banquet was much appreciated, and the prize drawings were entertaining as usual, headlined by Hugh Gitlin and Julie Van Mersbergen, assisted by our youngest bikers, Ella and Maya Cochrane.
Next year? Duluth was mentioned as a possibility. Hey, more hills and scenery!
- Doug Nelson
Recognition Corner
THIS MONTH, WE RECOGNIZE:
THE TCBC SOCKS TEAM
MARY DERKS – COORDINATOR
AND THE FOLLOWING VOLUNTEERS:
LISA ANDERSON, SUSIE ANDERSON, JEFF JOHNSON, KATE KOVAR
SCOTT LARSON, KAY MITCHELL, LIZ SANDS AND PATT SELEEN
For coming up with three great designs and making them
available to TCBC members in a remarkably short time.MARY DERKS
For the delicious barbeque that she organized following
the White Bear Lake Loop ride on July 5.DON PICARD
For going above and beyond the call of duty by hosting a lavish
free picnic for all riders in the July 27 Picnic on the Cannon ride.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 TCBC board member.
Trails and Routes News
HEFTY HILLS: Have I found a new trail climb out of the Mississippi Valley! It’s finally finished. This segment starts where the South St. Paul Regional Trail crosses Concord St (Hwy 156) just south of Butler on an excellent bridge. The parking lot along Concord is now paved and a bathroom is being built. From that lot, take the trail up a narrow valley of grass and trees, following a creek. It’s 0.5 miles, ending on a VERY steep stretch to 19th Ave No, where the trail follows 19th for 50 yards and crosses to the other side, then the climb soon continues. It’s another 0.6 miles of almost-constant climbing, then you can hear Hwy 52, then you can slowly climb to the bike bridge crossing 52 and finally level off. Crossing the bridge, you soon reach Thompson Park and the West St. Paul side. From this nice park with bathrooms, you could reach various streets. Whew, it’s work! I challenge anyone to do this full climb from Concord up to 52. Or someone can devise a route to only go DOWN this valley. Can any leaders integrate this into a ride? The builders did a fine job here. (Of course, watch out for patches of sand.)
GREENWAY PART 3: I checked out the new section in Minneapolis on August 6. Much of the new pavement is laid down, but it wasn’t worth biking then because there were gaps, gravel, tracks, etc. It starts at Hiawatha Ave, goes east, takes a crossing of Minnehaha, goes through an industrial area, and the last street to cross the trail at grade directly is 30th. From there the trail runs uninterrupted, I think, to the Mississippi. Naturally I’ll check it out again for the next issue. It was nice and wide and good to see! (LATE NOTE: Bikers are encouraged to stay off the new stretch till sometime in September, when it should be opened.)
TRAILS GETTING NEW NAMES AND SIGNS: The bike/hike trails run by Three Rivers Park District are getting a $1.2 million upgrade over the next three years, designed to make them easier to use and navigate. A series of kiosks and signs will be deployed every mile or two along the trail systems. Regional trails will be named after large bodies or water they pass. NEW NAMES include: Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail (Hopkins to Victoria), Elm Creek Regional Trail (Coon Rapids Dam to Elm Creek Park Reserve), Medicine Lake Regional Trail (Maple Grove and Plymouth), Shingle Creek Regional Trail (through Brooklyn Park to Brooklyn Center). The four trails starting or ending in Hopkins will be the first to get the new signs and kiosks, possibly this fall.
MORE WOBEGON: In June, a 3-mile extension of the Albany-Holdingford spur line of the Lake Wobegon Trail opened. Eventually the spur will go northeast to Bowlus and a new trail center at Hwy. 10 and the Mississippi River. Also, on the main Wobegon Trail, 8 miles from Osakis to the east has been completed, and the final 4 miles to Sauk Centre should be finished by fall. Then the Wobegon-Central Lakes Trail will stretch a continuous 125 miles!
MORE TRAILS: The long-awaited connection between the Heartland and Paul Bunyan Trails has been paved, joining the trails of 48 and 66 miles. It is a ¾-mile link four miles north of Akeley, parallelling County 26, which was also paved. At one end is a newly paved parking lot off Hwy. 34 that serves both trails. This connects to the very hilly but scenic stretch of the Bunyan roughly between Hackensack and Akeley, through the Chippewa National Forest…. Another 30 miles or so of the Bunyan between Walker and Bemidji may be paved in 2008 or 2009…. A study will be made of extending the Heartland about 40 miles from Park Rapids to Detroit Lakes….
- Doug Nelson
Upcoming Events
SEPT 13: The St. Paul Bicycle Advisory Board is hosting a Bicycle Summit at Dunning Recreation Center, 1221 Marshall Ave, from 7 to 9 PM. This is an opportunity for cyclists who live or ride in St. Paul to gather and share their ideas for enhancing the city’s bicycle infrastructure. Attendees will be encouraged to complete the “Cycling in St. Paul” survey developed by the Bicycle Advisory Board. The Board is gathering community input in an effort to revise St. Paul’s bicycling plan. City staff will be present to showcase recent infrastructure improvements and provide info about future projects. For further info, please contact Eric Thompson at 651-632-2415.
SEPT 15-17: Root River Valley Trail Weekend. Welcome C riders and friends to our three days in Lanesboro. We hope you can join us again on this beautiful trip in SE Minn. We will be riding for three days, but come whenever you can. Some of us will be going to the plays at the Commonweal Theater for two different plays on Fri and Sat nights. Further info about the specific plays will be available. Call Clareyse Nelson to reserve your tickets at 612-623-3009. This is a popular biking area in the fall so be sure to reserve a place to stay soon. The Lanesboro Chamber number is 1-888-223-4258. Some of us also camp in Lanesboro. Call us with questions and to let us know you will be coming. Clareyse Nelson, 612-623-3009, or Herb Schultz, 952-941-4381.
RAPTOR RELEASE RIDE ON SEPT 30: How many times have you been on a ride and observed a hawk or eagle circling in the sky? Have you ever pedaled past an owl or falcon perched on a fencepost? Would you like to learn more about these birds? Maybe even see some of them up close? Join this 25-30 mile ride to Lake Rebecca Park Reserve for the Fall Raptor Release, sponsored by The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.
The Raptor Center specializes in the medical care, rehabilitation, conservation, and study of eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, and other birds of prey. Twice a year, the Center releases the raptors its staff has successfully treated and deemed healthy enough to survive in the wild. This festive event also features educational displays and opportunities to meet the Center's resident education birds. Bring your lunch and a camera; the opportunity to watch these majestic creatures find their wings and soar to freedom is not to be missed. Details in the September issue. Cindy Hanson, 651-644-2175 or hansonca96@comcast.net.
HALLOWEEN RIDE will be Sat, October 28. Details in the next issue.
NOV. 4: TCBC ANNUAL MEETING will be held, probably in Brooklyn Center again.
LOOKING AHEAD TO WINTER BIKING
While winter is a long way off (thankfully), it’s time to think ahead to warm weather cycling. Consider the following trips in your winter plans:
5th Annual Marble Falls, Texas Trip: Friday January 5th through Friday January 12th. Marble Falls is located 51 miles NW of Austin or 86 miles N of San Antonio. You could fly into either city and drive up to Marble Falls. The driving distance from the Twin Cities to Marble Falls is approximately 1,200 miles. It is just west of I-35.
2rd Annual Solvang, California Trip: Sunday, March 11th through Saturday, March 17th. Solvang is about 128 miles north of Los Angeles. It is 33 miles north of Santa Barbara. You can fly direct to LA or fly via connecting flights to Santa Barbara.
Both rides are rated A/B where riders have to be self-sufficient. You will be responsible for booking your own airplane tickets and hotel accommodations. More info will be available later. Ride leaders are Susan Evan 612-729-1441, and Sue Blum 651-690-2100.
WELCOME TO NEW TCBC MEMBERS
Here is a listing of those who became new members of TCBC since last month’s listing. Welcome to the club! We hope to see you on some of our events.
BREZENOFF, STEVE
BUCKINGHAM, ELIZABETH
CARLSON, DAVE
CARROLL, DAVID
COLLETTI, JEAN
CUCCI, RICK
DAVIS, BARBARA & TOM
DEJONGE, DEB
DONALDSON, CALEB
EGGERT, ROBIN
ESTLUND, GREGORY
FUCHS, CHAD
GRANSTROM, LOIS
GRIEPP, ARDEN
HART, JORDAN
HERRMANN, LAURA
HOLMBERG, NORM
JENSEN, SOREN
JOHNSON, HUGH
KIM, ED
KOPF, KIMBERLY
KUHLMAN, JASON
LEPLEY, DAVE
MARTIN, GERALD
MIZEN, MARK & LINDA
NACIONALES, FERNANDO & JUDI
NEU, ERIK
NOUIS, THOMAS
O’DONNELL, JIM
O’KANE, KRISTI
OSMAN, CHRISTINE
PAPIN, JEANNE
POLLNOW, JAMES
RIEPE, JIM
RYSGAARD, SANDEE
SCHEESE, DON
SCHWARTZ, HEATHER
SCOTT, ERIK
SHAPIRO, JASON
SJONELL, CALLE
SMITH, ED
TOBEY, ANN
WEINBERG, SCOTT & JULIA
WHYTE, MARILYNMILEAGE LEADERS AND STATS
MILEAGES AND STATS
And the riders roll on! As of this listing, 105 bikers were already over 1000 official miles on TCBC events held since Nov. 1, 2005.
WOMEN
5266 KATIE ANGLE
3201 MARY NELSEN
3009 PATT SELEEN
2888 JULIE DILLON
2536 SUSAN EVAN
2529 SUE BLUM
2459 KATE KOVAR
2316 KIM MYERS
2238 LISA ANDERSON
2217 BARBARA LANDIS
1964 MARY DERKS
1870 LIESA MILLER
1848 MARY MILLER
1844 LISA DUST
1840 KARI SANDSTROM
1811 CINDY HANSON
1773 IRENE ERICKSON
1740 KAY MITCHELL
1619 TERRY HEADLINE
1567 ANITA NISTLERMEN
4889 TOMMY IRVIN
4876 RICHARD FRANCO
4250 JEFF JOHNSON
4243 LEE THIELMAN
4219 MICHAEL MCNUTT
3650 MIKE NIZIELSKI
3567 RICHARD MILLER
3354 JIM JOY
3235 SCOTT LARSON
3089 STEVE BLOCK
2794 CHARLES BREER
2785 HUGH GITLIN
2743 TONY STIFTER
2738 MARK GREGORY
2714 DAVID PETTIT
2570 STEVE PEARSON
2539 GARRY GLUBKA
2488 DAN MILLER
2465 GREGG ERICKSON
2239 BOB HOFFMANTOTAL RIDES WOMEN: Angle 141, Seleen 84, Nelsen 82, Kovar 76, Evan 75, Dillon 72.
TOTAL RIDES MEN: Irvin 158, McNutt 131, Franco 125, Johnson 117, Nizielski 109, Thielman 100.
TOTAL RIDES LED: Paul Huntington and Herb Schultz 67, Cindy Hanson 35, Kay Mitchell 34, Jim Joy 32, Michael McNutt 30, Susan Evan 29.
BIGGEST RIDES REPORTED IN JULY:
July 4 157 Watermelon
July 8 50 Strawberry Fields
July 5 49 White Bear Lake
July 14 43 TGIF
July 21 42 TGIF
July 11 41 GTF
July 12 41 Whole Enchilada
July 7 38 TGIF
July 18 38 GTF
July 15 37 Har MartianSINCE THE LAST LISTING: Angle’s lead remains about the same, and the real competition is for second place, with the top five keeping the same positions. (Angle already has the 10th-biggest year ever.) For the men, Franco jumps up from third into a virtual tie for the lead, with Johnson climbing to third.
YEARS OVER 1000 MILES: Doug Nelson has reached 26 to retain his overall lead.
YEARS OVER 2000 MILES: Bob Hoffman now has 10, and Susan Evan has done 8.
YEARS OVER 3000 MILES: Lee Thielman now has 8, tied for third all-time.
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: Charles Breer
VICE-PRESIDENT: Mary Derks
SECRETARY: Katie Angle
Lisa Austin
Pete Hawkins
Scott Larson
Paul Huntington
Kelly Hazel
Garry GlubkaOTHER TCBC POSITIONS
TREASURER: Tony Stifter
COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Kristine Poelzer
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: David Erick
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Doug Nelson
ART DIRECTOR: Steve Scott
SCHEDULE COORDINATOR: Jim Pederson
RIDE STATISTICS: Richard Franco
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR: Dave Swaab
WEBMASTER: Phil Doi
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
