June 2008 President’s Letter

The days are getting longer and more folks are riding their bikes. I suppose that $4.00 per gallon gas plays a part in this (the number of new and out of town bicyclists contacting me for ride information has increased this year). Bike Camp has begun. KalTour and the BTR race are well into the planning process. The bike season is in full swing.

With the increase in gas prices, I have begun to see many more “Invisible Cyclists.” Invisible Cyclists are the folks who, because of their circumstances, have to commute to work by bicycle. They may not be able to afford to drive or they may not be legally able to drive. They may have to work past the time that Metro Transit stops operating. Invisible Cyclists rarely have lights or helmets, even if it is well past dark. They may not observe the traffic laws. They probably will never join the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club or do any weekday rides. There has been a proposal at the May KBC board meeting to assist these Invisible Cyclists by giving them a package which would include a helmet, a bike light set, a reflective vest, and a copy of “What Every Bicyclist Must Know.” The KBC would join forces with organizations such as the Salvation Army, local shelters, and other organizations that may have contact with Invisible Cyclists. Please contact me if you are interested in assisting with this and stay tuned for more information.

Higher gas prices also mean that more folks are touring by bicycle. I receive many requests for information regarding bicycle friendly attractions in SW Michigan such as bed and breakfast operators, restaurants, campgrounds, and the like. Many of these requests come from folks who are riding up from Chicago, but there are also folks who are coming to the region from further abroad. Local Chambers of Commerce don’t cater (yet?) to bike tourers, so there is a need for this information. If you have a local attraction in SW Michigan that you would recommend, please let me know of it. I will need the name, address (including GPS coordinates if you have them), type of attraction, telephone number, and hours of operation. Hopefully, we can add this to the website.

The Kalamazoo Scenic Bicycle Tour (KalTour) will be taking place on July 13. This will be a new date for this ride. Please save the date.

The BTR race will be on August 9. There are plans are to make this more spectator friendly with the addition of bleachers and a shuttle service (and there will be a need for folks to drive golf carts). The purse will be increased, so ridership should increase. There will also be a focus on increasing the participation of female and junior racers. Sponsors are still welcome. If you have ideas for marketing this to the community, your ideas are also welcome. Please save the date.

Mike Boersma, KBC President

Volunteers for KalTour 2008 -- Ride and Help Out!

Brochures have been mailed to KBC members and additional ones are available in area bike shops. Sign up by mail or online by July 1 to take advantage of early registration and KBC member discounts.

Road Painting:

Tuesday, July 1 at 6:00 P.M. Meet at the KVCC parking lot (southwest corner, near the tennis courts). Wear old clothes. (Rain date for road painting: Tuesday, July 8.)

Ride Date:

Sunday July 13. If you would like to join us for the day, we can use your help, but we also need people who can help for a couple of hours.

We begin setup at KVCC at 6:30 A.M. and registration opens at 7:00 A.M. This can be an opportunity to help for those who would like to join the 9:00 A.M. fast ride. We can also need people to serve food at the finish so this can be an opportunity for those who want to ride early and finish by noon. We can use help at the sag stops including Briar Patch (anytime), Timber Ridge (morning) or Lawton (afternoon).

If you can help with any of the above please contact Mike Krischer at kaltour@kalamazoobicycleclub.org or call 323-2014 (afternoons or evenings).

Mike Krischer

New Wednesday Night Ride

Ed Micalizzi will lead a new ride on Wednesday night, the 16-17 mph Pedalfest. This will be a friendly, non-competitive group ride where riders will work together to improve all season long. It will start and end at the KalHaven Trail parking lot at 6:15 P.M. along with the other Wednesday night rides. The roughly 25 mile route will be similar to the other ride loops, but because Ed has a heart, the D Avenue hill will not be included.

Club Members get LCI Trained

During the last weekend in April, 2008, Jelania Haile, David Jones, and I (Renee Mitchell) embarked on the adventure of becoming League Certified Instructors (LCIs) for the League of American Bicyclists (LAB). This was no small feat as there was a great deal of studying, preparation, and commitment of time. With the help and support of KBC, we ventured to Jackson, MI for 3 days of intense training, on and off the bike.

Preparation work before attending the training seminar included completion of the LAB Road I course, passing a pre-seminar examination, and preparing 2 presentations on topics assigned by our seminar instructor. In a nutshell, the weekend training included basic teaching skills, night-time riding, topic presentations, handling and skills drills, road test, class marketing, and course reviews. The topic presentations provided an opportunity for each of us to practice teaching some part of the Road I course. These presentations were critiqued by the rest of the students and instructors who attended, so we walked away with a lot of ideas.

We all really enjoyed the training and are very excited to share what we have learned with our community. Educating our community on bicycle safety is imperative these days as more people are dusting off their bikes (or purchasing new ones) and riding, either for recreation or commuting. With this LCI certification, we’ll build a community of knowledgeable, skilled, and confident cyclists.

We would like to thank KBC for its help and support with these certifications and look forward to working with club members to best utilize our skills. We’ve already incorporated a number of things we learned into our Bike Camp program and are working on ways to educate more of the community.

As LCIs, we are able to teach a number of BikeEd courses developed by the LAB. I have listed them below with a brief description just to make KBC members aware of the courses available.

Road I

Develop your bicycle handling and traffic skills. Learn to ride safely in traffic and on multi-use trails, and to fix common mechanical problems.

Road II

Build upon the cycling and mechanical skills learned in Road I.

Bicycle Commuting

Learn the tips and tricks to getting to work or running errands by bike.

Motorist Education

Discover how a motor vehicle driver can share the road safely by learning to think like a cyclist.

Kids I

Parents learn how to choose a bike, fit a helmet, and teach their child to ride.

Kids II

Enroll your middle school aged child to learn the traffic rules and skills to bike safely on neighborhood streets.

Safe Routes to School

Middle school aged students will learn to practice the skills to walk and bicycle safely to school. Adults can acquire the teaching materials and skills to train students.

For more information on BikeEd courses or the League of American Bicyclists visit www.bikeleague.org.

Jelania, David, and I are all very excited to share the knowledge we have with others in our community (adults and kids) to develop an area of safe cyclists. If you have any questions, ideas, or want more information, please feel free to contact any one of us. (Jelania jjhaile@sbcglobal.net, David bikekalamazoo@gmail.com, Renee rmitchell@arienne.com)

Thanks again KBC. We appreciate your support!

Renee Mitchell - LCI# 2000 : )

Turn Lemons (Four Dollar Gas) Into Lemonade

With gas prices soaring to new highs of $4.00 per gallon and quite possibly much higher, it would seem very appropriate that the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club would take the initiative of endorsing, educating, inspiring and coaxing both young and old to adopt biking as an alternative form of transportation.

The recent "Bike to Work Event" on May 12, sponsored by the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce, Senator Tom George, and others is an example of successful publicity. One hundred or so spectators attended, many with their bicycles, and they provided valuable input that supports biking to work.

With over 200 members, KBC has the talent, the time and the funds, to do a first class biking promotion in this area. Many of our members are well qualified to make a presentation at schools, churches, clubs, businesses or a neighborhood groups, i.e., condo associations, apartment projects, etc. Our members could distribute literature that promotes alternative transportation and fitness to various businesses in high traffic locations. Think what this could do for KBC membership! It might go through the roof!!!

To expedite the program KBC might consider encouraging the formation of KBC branches in various outlying towns/townships in the Kalamazoo area. This would allow training and exchange of ideas to take place without additional travel. It would also be an incentive to regularly bike with friends, neighbors and co-workers.

To reach the 100,000 or so families in the Kalamazoo area, it would be imperative that a continuous public relation program be implemented. This would consist of PR releases to the printed media as well as the TV and radio outlets. The PR program should be supported with presentations, surface mail, e-mail, and phone calls directed to specific targets.

Assuming that the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club endorses and supports the above program, the payoff could be spectacular in that every auto mile replaced with a bike mile would be worth at least fifty cents or more to the participant. It is not unreasonable to think that a family of four could save at least $100 per month in auto expense, and if they dedicate their efforts towards really using their bike in place of the family car, that figure could exceed $200 per month.

The second payoff could be of equal or greater value than auto expense savings. Consider the healthcare costs that a fitness program generates. According to www.cdc.gov statistics, the adult who adopts a sensible nutritional routine and a regular fitness program, which may include biking, saves from $1000 to $1500 in healthcare costs every year (families $3000 to $4500 per year) and it gets better year after year.

The third payoff and of paramount importance, is the beneficial effect more biking would have on reducing the CO2 pollution in our environment. This long-term effect would eclipse all other advantages.

This is your opportunity to make a difference by stepping up to the plate and participating in an all out effort to get a large number of our citizen, adults as well as teens and older, interested in biking as an alternative method of transportation. The name of the game is "Spread the Word" and your help is critical. Let me know via e-mail or phone your time, talents, and resources available as your contribution to the cause and how you would expect them to be applied to this effort.

Time is of the essence! Contact me as follows: safetychair@kalamazoobicycleclub.org

Victor Van Fleet, Safety and Education Chair, Phone: 269-375-7691

Monthly Meeting Minutes

KBC’s monthly meeting took place on Tuesday, May 13, 2008. Mike Boersma, Elaine Naegele, Rick Whaley, Mike Krischer, Victor Van Fleet, Terry O’Connor, Doug Kirk, Greg Lawford, Lisa Hardie, Jonathon Engelman, and Terry Engelman were in attendance. (Several KBC members were participating in the KBC Bike Camp Introduction night while the monthly meeting was taking place.)

Mike Boersma welcomed everyone to the meeting and all present introduced themselves, and, when appropriate, stated their role in the KBC. The new members of KBC who were attending this meeting were welcomed. Mike B. reported for Tom Keizer regarding the Treasurer’s report.

Mike B. gave the Ride Captain Report for Knute Jacobsen. The accidents that have occurred so far this year during the Wednesday night Hammerfest ride were discussed. Knute proposed in an e-mail to Mike that the ride be placed “on notice” for one month unless significant safety changes are made, and this was discussed. Those present were not sure what placing a ride “on notice” would mean. Doug Kirk stated that the early season is the worst time for the ride in terms of safety and that after a few more weeks the aggressive riders will have started their racing season and will no longer be participating in the ride. Doug and Greg Lawford advocated improving the ride by continually talking about and promoting safe riding. It is suspected that a relatively large number of Hammerfest riders are not KBC members. Doug plans to take the club membership list to the Hammerfest Ride and he will encourage non-members to join the club and follow safe riding rules. As a general safety issue, Victor Van Fleet encouraged all riders to wear bright clothing and use safety lights.

Mike Krischer reported that the KalTour brochures are now ready and that they will be mailed out to KBC members and placed in all bike shops in the coming week. Road painting for the courses will take place on Tuesday, July 1; volunteers for this task should contact Mike K.; it takes about 2 hours and he needs 6 people. Online registration via the KBC website is open. Bandanas with the new KalTour logo will be provided as part of the entry fee. A vote was taken to give AMBUCS $300 towards the purchase of an Amtryke adaptive tricycle; in return AMBUCS members will help at KBC events, although it is not certain if they will be able to assist with the KalTour.

It was noted by those present that the stock of KBC jerseys has dwindled and there was some discussion about creating a new design and ordering new jerseys. Greg provided some information about a source for jerseys, Mount Borah Designs. Mike B. suggested contacting members to assess interest in new jerseys. Mike B. will contact Paul Bruneau to set up a poll concerning KBC jerseys for members to access via the KBC website.

Greg asked KBC for $1000 to help promote the August BTR race, noting that WMU covers most of the costs. Greg also noted that the KBC race team tries to have fun, ride fast, and be safe at this event. There are plans to track the number of racers and spectators to assess the impact of this event. Mike B. suggested holding a criterium workshop this summer to generate more interest in the race, particularly among juniors and women. A vote was taken and passed to support the BTR race with $1000.

Elaine Naegele reported that Ed Micalizzi will lead a new ride on Wednesday night. (See the New Wednesday Night Ride section of this issue of the Pedal Press for more details.)

Mike B. reported on behalf of David Jones that there are people cycling in the community mostly out of necessity, rather than by choice. He wanted the club to think about providing a mechanism to donate helmets, safety lights, etc. to these people. Those who are interested in exploring this idea should contact David and KBC members were asked to think about how KBC might be involved.

Those present discussed Victor’s request at the last meeting to donate $1000 to FitMI to help cover the printing costs for brochures and to provide money for participant incentives; most of the discussion regarded how members see KBC’s mission and the types of programs that it should support financially. A vote was taken and passed to support FitMI with $250.

Mike B. and Victor reported on the Bike to Work event that took place on Monday, May 12 at the Arcadia Festival site downtown. About 100 people attended despite the chilly weather.

Victor suggested the KBC think about having a booth to support cycling and the KBC at the Kalamazoo County Fair, which will be held on August 4-9. Victor will find out more about the dates, times, locations, and fees to have a booth.

The next KBC monthly meeting is scheduled for 7:00 PM, Tuesday, June 10, 2008, at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. All club members are invited to attend this, and every, meeting.

Elaine Naegele, KBC Secretary

Masthead

The electronically-distributed KBC PedalPress comes out on or around the first of each month.

If you have an article or a notice that you want to go into the PedalPress, please email it to the newsletter editor, fswhaley@comcast.net by the 20th of the month before its intended publication.

For example, if you’d like an article to be published in the July edition (distributed on or around the first of July), have it to the newsletter editor by the 20th of June.

KBC Statistics

Active subscriptions

236

New members

Mark Ackley • Caitlin Braun • Hayley Braun • Anthony Dallaguarda • Karen Duymovic • Andrea Fore • Donald Fore • Artis Freye • Karl Freye • Bonnie Frye • Anna Greenhoe • John Greenhoe • Gretchen Johnson • Marc Kavanaugh • Stacey Lyon-Hadley • Kara Nuismer • Tony Nuismer • Michael Riordan • Judy Rose • Amy Rummel • Terri Stratton • Kathy Vaught • George Williams • Susan Williams

June Expiring memberships

Colleen Alaniz • Kevin Biek • Susan Bond • Randall Button • Michele Cudahy and Dave De Back • Sean Duross • Bill Figeley • Terry Florian Family • Kenneth Grabowski Family • Dale Huffman • Michele Intermont • Barry Kearns • Beverly Kluzak • Linda Kozacki • Andy Maxwell • Brian Plachta • Walter Smolenski • Daniel Victor • Curtis & Tammy Vreeman Family

Renewed memberships

Charles Devries • Robert McCulfor • Michael Peterson • Jim Cupper • Kevin Cleary • Ervin Fulkerson • Jeffrey Hamilton • Justin Pruis • Douglas Freeland • Nicholas Bishop • Gary Feldt • Marguerite Mosher • Heather Haydo • Walker Batts

 

Paul Bruneau, KBC Database Manager

Ride Captain’s Report

Dear KBC Friends:

The ride season is fully underway. Most established KBC rides are up and running on a weekly basis, and a few new rides have been started. The ride times and distances are published on the club website.

Please remember, if you are trying a ride for the first time, or have invited a friend to try a ride with you, it's a good idea to print out a map (from the website) to carry along with you. Also, please make sure you always carry a tube and pump, and some ID (with an emergency contact, medical insurance numbers, etc.). A cell phone is also a good idea.

At this time of year, KBC riders are preparing for different types of rides. Bike Camp is introducing new riders to our sport. More seasoned riders preparing for this year's KalTour should be building up to doing longer distances. Racers typically ride the weekly Hammerfest, and our fast Monday and Friday night rides. KBC offers something for everyone.

I’d like to offer a big thanks to those organizing Bike Camp and the KalTour. Those are our current "special" club events.

Please remember: if you'd like to see us offer something that we aren't offering currently, new rides can be started anytime someone (like yourself!) is willing to recruit others with a similar interest. We can always help advertise special rides you are planning if you give us enough notice. E-mail me at hkj@jasnetworks.net.

Thanks! Have fun, and be safe!

Knute Jacobson, KBC Ride Captain

Editor’s Letter - My 24 Hour Nemesis

Ahab had his Great White Whale. Scratchy has his Itchy. And I have my National 24-Hour Challenge.

One of the things I missed after making the transition from running to cycling was that I wasn’t going to be able to test myself in races anymore, and after observing the various forms of cycling competition, my options seemed limited. Road racing? The thought of tearing down a mountainside leaves me with a feeling that is closer to terror than exhilaration. Criteriums? With my something-to-be-desired cornering skills, I’d be a hazard to myself and others. Time trials? Hmmm, a possibility, but I’m not sure how much I’d enjoy riding with aero bars. Another disadvantage, at least in road racing and criteriums, is that the finishing times are meaningless. Leaving aside the question of whether this is a good thing, my personal records from running distances anywhere from a mile to a marathon are as familiar to me as my social security number. How could I measure myself in terms of numbers while racing a bike? Then, in early 1999, I read about the National 24-Hour Challenge and it changed my life.

This intrigued me. How far could I ride? With my background in distance running, I thought that this could be the type of race in which I could excel. I thought that riding 300 miles wouldn’t be that difficult, but I was not-so-young, but oh-so-naïve back in those days. The highlights of my N24HC experiences over the years are summarized below.

• 1999: My first inkling that this wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought, was when I decided that I should actually train for this. Having never ridden longer than 105 miles, I thought that a 150 mile training ride would be a good “leaning experience.” What I learned after I collapsed into my reclining chair after the ride was just how exhausted I could become after spending 10 hours in the saddle. Extrapolating to 24 hours, I realized that feeling 2.4 times as exhausted would not be an experience that I would savor. So, with this psychological booster ride under my belt, race day arrived. I felt pretty good the first 130 miles, but on the hilly intermediate loop of the course, things went south rather quickly. The sun was setting after I completed just over 200 miles and I decided that enough was enough. My Personal 13-Hour Challenge ended.
• 2000: Quitting the race in 1999 bothered me and I was looking for redemption in 2000. However, I had to make a last minute business trip the weekend of the race, so redemption would have to wait for another year.
• 2001: This was the year that I was defeated before I even started. I couldn’t sleep the night before, due to a mixture of heat and nerves, and I woke up feeling about the way one would expect to feel after 2 hours of beauty rest. My main memory of the early portion of the ride, besides extreme fatigue, was riding for about 30 miles with a small group that included a woman who constantly complained about being uncomfortable on a borrowed bike, which certainly improved my morale. I stopped riding after about 150 miles for a short sleep break, got up to ride another 50 miles, then slept for several hours before getting on my bike at sun-up for another couple hours of riding, finishing with 226 miles. At least I was on my bike when the race ended. Yay!
• 2002: The race actually went pretty well for 15 hours, but after I started weaving across the road while riding the night loop, I realized that, once again, I would have to stop for sleep, and I resigned myself to another sub-300 mile performance. As I was walking with my bicycle to the gym where I would be taking my rest, I suddenly felt an acute attack of nausea, and I started throwing up on the parking lot to what had to have been the enjoyment of the people around me. One Good Samaritan took my bicycle from me while I was preoccupied in this manner. I rode another 5 hours after a short sleep break, finishing with 289 miles. Close, but no cigar.
• 2003: Stung by my almost 300 mile ride, I did another 24 hour race in Iowa in the fall of 2002, where I actually did stay on the bike for almost all 24 hours and rode 356 miles. This experience, plus the fact that I had gotten in plenty of training miles due to a mild winter, meant that I was ready to ride the 24 hour race of my life, or so I thought. Two things stand out about that race. 1) Don’t ride with aero bars if you’ve practiced with them for only 2 weeks. 2) Just because you have a strong tailwind for about 40 miles doesn’t mean that you’re Michigan’s answer to Lance Armstrong. I remember looking at my watch at 2:00 P.M. and thinking “I’m 6 hours into the race, I’ve ridden 108 miles, I’m on pace for 432 miles, and I’m an idiot.” After finishing the 126 mile big loop, I completely fell apart, dragged my way through one 23 mile intermediate loop, and then sat semi-comatose in my car to the accompaniment of music blaring from loudspeakers situated close to the finish line. (The music was an experiment by the race organizers, an experiment that mercifully ended after one year.) After rousing myself from my stupor about an hour later, I drove home.
• 2004: This was another year that work-related activities kept me from making an appearance. It was just as well, since my training had not gone well. On the other hand, my training in 2003 had gone well, and look where that had gotten me.
• 2005: Once again, my training had not gone very well, so I figured I’d start out slowly, not draft with anyone, and just race my own race. Shockingly enough, this worked. It also helped that the weather was cool with little wind. I rode all night and ended up with 339 miles. At this point, I should have made my triumphant exit from the N24HC, but, of course, I didn’t.
• 2006: The temperature was above 70 degrees at the 8:00 A.M. start and reached 93 degrees. I spent 30 minutes at the 96 mile SAG stop with a cold towel wrapped around my head. If I had had a crew, my race would have ended there, but I had to ride the last 30 miles of the loop to get back to my car. After about 110 miles, I threw up, but I kept riding while doing do, because when Rick Whaley throws up, he throws up like a Man. Actually, the only reason I didn’t stop was because I couldn’t multi-task. After finishing the 126 mile loop, I drove home.
• 2007: This year, the temperature reached only 90 degrees and proved, once again, that I cannot ride in the heat. After a couple exhaustion/sleep breaks, I stopped riding about 40 minutes before the end of the race with 205 miles. And, just for the record, after I stopped for my second break, I threw up.

So, what have I learned from all of this? I’ve learned that I’m not as good at this sport as I thought I’d be. I’ve learned that I’m more than capable of quitting something that I’ve started. I’ve learned that I really don’t have the dedication to properly train for this race. I’ve learned that this race is a really good emetic. So, why do I keep doing the National 24-Hour Challenge? I think it has something to do with the last word of the previous sentence. I think it’s because something that’s worth attempting to do is worth doing not-so-well. I think, as weird as it sounds, that it’s because after riding 18 hours, the next 6 hours pass by quickly and pleasantly, riding under the stars and watching the sun come up.

So, what will happen this year? Will it reach at least 90 degrees yet again? Will I get enough sleep the night before? Will I throw up? Will I break the 300 mile barrier? Will I burst into song, doing my best Doris Day imitation? What would my worst Doris Day imitation sound like? When it comes to the N24HC, whatever will be, will be. My training hasn’t been great, but I was able to do a 128 mile ride the day before Memorial Day. Although I didn’t feeling like going out dancing afterwards, at least I didn’t spend the rest of the day sitting slack-jawed in my reclining chair, too weak to turn on the remote to the TV. And it’s been a long time since I’ve felt like going out dancing, anyway.

After I finished this training ride, I watched a stage of the Giro d’Italia that I had taped, and I realized something important. Yes, the stage had 5 difficult mountain climbs. Yes, the riders had been racing for 2 weeks and had another week of racing. But what was of real importance was that they had ridden only 153 kilometers and that I had just ridden 206 kilometers. And I never drafted either. So, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Bring it on, N24HC, bring it on, once again, just like you always do!

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Some Upcoming Area Rides of Interest

Saturday, June 21	Pumpkinvine Bike Ride, Goshen, IN. 15, 22, 42, 65, and 102 miles	(574) 266-1362,  www.pumpkinvine.org
Saturday, June 21	Tour de Cure West Michigan, Middleville (Yankee Springs Recreation Area). 15, 25, 45, and 75 miles	(888) 342-2383 x6712, www.diabetes.org/tour
Sunday, June 22	Berrien County Cancer Service Bike Ride, Stevensville. 15, 25, 42, and 62 miles	(269) 429-3281, www.bccancerservice.org
Friday, July 4	Independence Day Canadian Century, Grand Haven. 40 and 60 kilometers	(616) 846-2800, www.rocknroadcycle.com
Saturday, July 12	One Hellava Ride, Chelsea. 15, 30, 39, 63, 76, and 100 miles	(734) 913-9851, www.aabts.org
Sunday, July 13	Kalamazoo Scenic Bicycle Tour (KalTour)	Need we say more?
Saturday, July 19	Holland Hundred Bicycle Tour, Holland. 18, 36, 67, and 100 miles	www.macatawacyclingclub.org/ hollandhundred

Classified Ads

Tri-bike, Titanium LightSpeed Catalyst, 56 cm frame, aero bar shifters, 105 Shimano components. $800. Call Mike at 327-0387.

Rockymountain 56cm Solo 30AC, aluminum and carbon (rear-triangle). The bike has 105 10-speed components throughout and Easton EC90SLX carbon fork (330gr); wheels are Richey DS Pro. The bike is in great shape with less than 500 miles on it. Looking to get $1200 or best offer. Call Jeff at 269-965-3560.

Shop Notes

Alfred E Bike

320 East Michigan, Kalamazoo, (269) 349-9423
www.aebike.com

Billy’s Bike Shop

63 East Battle Creek Street, Galesburg, 665-5202

Breakaway Bicycles

185 Romence at Westnedge, Portage, (269) 324-5555, www.breakawaybicycles.com

Custer Cyclery

104 North Augusta, Augusta, 731-3492

Gazelle Sports

214 South Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, (269) 342-5996,
www.Gazellesports.com

Announcement: Check out Gazelle Sports' Summer Safari Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Training Program from June 7 until October 11. Enjoy expert coaching, camaraderie and a great time! Programs offer coaching, support, training schedules, group runs, education and more for beginners to veteran marathoners. Get more details at www.gazellesports.com/viewProgramDetails.aspx?id=Ji0zuodQPxPixhU6RohrxIUp3k22oE6C

ProSport

4323 W Michigan Ave

Kalamazoo Mi 49006-5810

Team Active

22 W Michigan, Battle Creek, 1-800-841-9494
www.teamactive.com

Village Cyclery

US 131 in Schoolcraft, 679-4242
www.villagecyclery.com

Zoo City Cycle & Sports

4328 South Westnedge, Kalamazoo, (269) 552-3000

Bicycling Safety Disclaimer

Important: Riding a bicycle is an inherently dangerous activity. There are risks of injury or death. You could ride over something and fall, or get hit by an automobile or strike or be struck by another bicyclist. There are many other dangers to bicycling as well.

While nothing can eliminate all risks associating with bicycle riding, to minimize the danger, make sure you and your bicycle are in good riding condition. Know the rules of the road and also of the group you’re riding with, and ride in a manner consistent with the protocols of that group. Always wear a bike helmet, use bike lights if riding in the dawn, dusk or dark, and consider purchasing and riding with additional safety equipment such as reflectors and rear view mirrors.