June 2009 President’s Letter

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club's ride season is almost in full swing. Bike Camp is going well with over 40 Bike Campers. The BTR race is almost upon us, as is KalTour. The weekend of July 11 and 12 will be very bicycling intensive with both the BTR Race on Saturday, July 11, and the Kaltour on Sunday, July 12. We will need volunteers for both events.

Did you know that there has been organized cycling in Kalamazoo for well over 100 years? Did you know that at least as far back as 1895 the League of American Wheelmen (today's League of American Cyclists) reported in their newsletter that the members of the Kalamazoo Club were involved in a variety of cycling activities? See the following link for more information:

http://books.google.com/books?id=604oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA324&lpg=PA324&dq=bicycle+racing+kalamazoo&source=bl&ots=QhoXkuUMYS&sig=vm9DvTGEGHyKBB3ezLMFaeusRZg&hl=en&ei=pFIdStmUDY3WMIKUlJoP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10

Did you know that there is a Bicycling tour guide for Michigan dating from 1896 on line? See it here. Bicyclists of that era were warned about dangerous road conditions (roads were not paved during that time).

http://books.google.com/books?id=Z5N8ERPAsyYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=league+of+american+wheelmen&ei=el8dStsCiqY22qOwwgk#PPT5,M1

In the 1890s, the modern bicycle was developed. It transformed transportation in that era. Folks did not need to own a horse (or rent one) to travel locally. For a modest investment, one could have a means of transportation that could allow travelling long distances. The U.S. Army patrolled Yellowstone National Park by bicycle during this time and experimented with having fully loaded units travelling up to 1000 miles cross country from Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri (they managed to do this in 30 days).

In 1895, the big issue facing bicyclists was the quality of roads. In many cases, the only "roads" that were present were cart paths and other unimproved trails. One of the goals of the League of American Wheelmen was to promote good roads, not only for bicyclists to use but also for the general public good. Horatio "Good Roads" Earle, the first director of what is now the Michigan Department of Transportation, was a member of the League of American Wheelmen and an avid bicyclist. Under his watch, the first mile of paved road in Michigan was installed.

Fast forward to 2009. One of the big issues facing bicyclists in the Kalamazoo area is the quality of roads. A good road is safer for all users. Good roads are vital for Michigan's present and future economic growth, as well as the bicycling pleasure of the members of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. In 1895 bicyclists promoted paved roads; in 2009 the Van Buren County road commission is planning to grind up a paved road and transform it into a gravel road. With the draconian budget situation in Michigan, we may soon see more road agencies move to grind up additional paved roads to save the cost of maintaining them. Retreating from where road conditions are today to where they were 100 years ago is really not an option for the bicycling community (would you want to give up your modern bicycle for a bicycle from 100 years ago?). Let your local governmental representative know that you want good roads to ride on.

Mike Boersma, KBC President

KalTour Invitation

Fun, Food, and Family
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Registration: 7:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M.
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
6767 West O Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI

Come out and enjoy the scenery and fragrance of the countryside. Cruise through the hills and dales of Kalamazoo County's rural areas that overlook the orchards and the vineyards (smell the aroma) that eventually provide the grapes that support our wineries. For the adventurous cyclists, there are the hills of Northern Kalamazoo and Van Buren County.

KalTour is listed on the KBC website at www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org. Click on KalTour links to review the application and brochure. Online registration is now available. Register before June 30, 2009 and save $5.00 per person or $10.00 for families. There's a special gift for the first 300 riders.

Five bike ride options are planned for this event. A 12 mile escorted ride for families with children designed to accommodate the abilities of younger bikers, plus a 15 mile and 31 mile ride for the casual cyclist, and the 62 mile and 100 mile century ride for more experienced bicyclists desiring a more challenging ride in both distance and terrain. All routes are marked and maps are provided. This is truly "a ride for everyone." There will be plenty of sub sandwiches, cookies, and fruit. After the ride, showers will be available at KVCC (bring your own towels and soap). There are even prize drawings for bicycling merchandise provided by local bicycle shops, if you preregister.

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club is sponsoring the Kalamazoo Racing Team, who will be competing on Saturday, July 11, 2009 in Kalamazoo. They will be helping with this year's KalTour on Sunday. Come out, meet, and support our fine team.

For out of town bikers, campground facilities are available at the KVCC site. Several motels are also available within a few blocks.

Deb Gray, KBC Public Relations

KalTour Volunteer Opportunities

The KalTour Ride will be taking place on Sunday, July 12 2009 at the KVCC Texas Township Campus. If you'd like to volunteer to help with this ride, contact Mike Krischer at kaltour@kalamazoobicycleclub.org or (269) 823-2819 (afternoons or evenings) or Dave Bishop at kaltour2@kalamazoobicycleclub.org or (269) 324-6763.

We need volunteers for the following:

• Marking Routes
• Manning Rest Stops
• Transportation
• Registration
• SAG Support
• Set Up
• Clean Up

Deb Gray, KBC Public Relations

. . . And, Speaking of KalTour Volunteer Opportunities, Here's One

To provide the KalTour riders with well-marked routes, we need volunteers to paint arrows on the road.

If you can help, please join us on Tuesday June 30. We will meet at KVCC (near the tennis courts) at 6:00 P.M. Maps and spray paint will be provided. You might want to bring a water bottle and wear old clothes.

Rain date will be Thursday, July 2. For any questions, or if you want to go out at other times, please call Mike Krischer at 323-2014.

Mike Krischer, KalTour Co-Director

Thanks to the Tandem Captain Volunteers at the Sports Education Camp

Greetings KBC members,

I would like to take this opportunity to greatly thank the many KBC members who assisted as tandem captains at our May 6-8 Sports Education Camp for athletes who are blind and visually impaired. The weather was great and the expertise was awesome!! This event would not have been as great a success without your assistance!

A total of 40 athletes participated in the 2009 camp. Most athletes rode a tandem bike at least one time during this year's camp. There were 23 athletes who rode in our competition "sprint" ride on Friday evening! That took a lot of captains to make that happen.

A special thanks to our KBC president, Mike Boersma, for his assistance in both riding as a captain, and for helping advertise this very worthwhile event!

If you have never ridden a tandem bike before, you really should give it a try! It is great! Just contact me for additional information!

Sherry Gordon, Tandem Ride Coordinator

Live and Let Live

With more and more bikers on the road, it is imperative that the rules of the road be observed, as well as common sense when it comes to clothing and lights. Let me elaborate. Our Monday night ride from Texas Drive Park usually attracts 40 to 50 riders. Sorry to say, but some of the groups can be lax in complying with the vehicle laws, so don't be surprised if a sheriff's patrol presents you with a $65.00 violation ticket. It's not against the law, but of this number about half wear dark clothing and half wear bright luminescent upper garments. Fewer than half have lights on their bikes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine who is the most visible regardless of lighting conditions. Let's give motorist a break and make every effort to be seen in ALL lighting whether it is bright sunshine or a subdued dark day.

Here is another suggestion you might consider. With our economy getting worse and more people riding bikes, it is probably safe to say that there will be far more bike thefts in the future than in the past. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately record the serial number of your bike(s). On most bikes, the serial number can be found on the bottom of the frame. If you purchased your bike new, it should appear on your sales invoice. Very little can be done to recover a stolen bike without a serial number to identify your bike. You can discourage thefts with a U-lock, if you have to leave your bike unattended in a vulnerable location.

While we are at it, we might suggest to pedestrians, walkers, and runners that visible clothing is a big plus when navigating the public roads. A contractor's vest as worn by highway workers will do the trick and are available from Menards or Lowe's for $10.00 or $15.00. If I'm not mistaken Share the Road vests are available from LMB - League of Michigan Bicyclists.

Victor Van Fleet, Safety and Education Committee Chair.

Fit MI 2009

The Fit MI kick-off event took place on May 30. This program is open to everyone and at no cost. You can sign-up on-line as an individual or as a group. You might be interested to know that groups are more likely to accomplish their objectives than individuals. Everything you need to keep daily records of your activity is on-line. You can register anytime on-line at www.fitmi.org or by phone at (269) 344 Π5541. You can choose any exercise activity or combination that suits you Π walking, running, jogging, biking, swimming, mowing the lawn Π any activity of 30 minutes or more, 5 days per week. Track it and report it on-line. Sign-up now, it's free. The benefits are better health, less medical expense and less pollution, which is good for the environment.

Monthly Meeting Minutes

KBC's regular monthly meeting took place at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at the Kalamazoo YMCA on Maple Street. Attending the meeting were Mike Boersma, Victor Van Fleet, Al Cergol, Deb Gray, Mike Mock, Bill Figeley, Tom Keizer, Rick Whaley, Mike Krischer, Bill Price, Paul Pancella, Doug Kirk, and Kathy Kirk.

The meeting began at 7:03 P.M. Mike B.welcomed everyone to the meeting and after introductions, Tom gave the Treasurer's report. Expenses were $168 for April and income was $1433.

The Bike Camp was discussed briefly and it was noted that the first meeting for Bike Camp was taking place at the same time as the monthly meeting. There are 34 individual bike camp registrants, 10 of which are families. It was also noted that there was an announcement for the Bike Camp in today's Kalamazoo Gazette.

Mike K. gave a KalTour update. He reported that the brochures are in the mail and are being distributed at bike shops and other locations. The website for the KalTour is up at www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org/rides/kaltour/index.php

Mike B. gave the Ride Captain's report in Knute's absence. He reported that the rides are going well and that the ride schedule has been placed on the website. There was some discussion by the riders at the Friday night Tour de Gull whether to continue the ride at 6:00 P.M. between May and August or move it to 6:15 P.M. like the other rides. It was decided to move it to 6:15 P.M.

Victor brought up the issue of KBC sanctioned rides, a topic that was also discussed at the last monthly meeting, and discussion about this topic continued. It was noted that Zolton had discussed with KBC's insurance company the conditions that a ride would need to meet for insurance coverage, and the insurance company verbally indicated that the ride would need to be conducted and supervised by the club. Doug thought that the more sanctioned rides the club has, the better and that all that is needed for a ride to be sanctioned is that it needs to be announced and publicized through KBC channels and lead by a KBC member. There was also some discussion about rider conduct, e.g., not wearing a helmet, during a sanctioned ride, but Doug pointed out that we really can't stop someone from participating in a club ride, since the roads are public. The club voted in favor of sanctioning any ride that is announced through KBC channels and led by a KBC member. Joe Kucharski will be asked to make more copies of the Waiver to provide to Ride Leaders for signing prior to a sanctioned ride.

Victor also mentioned that the club might be able to expand and include more members outside the Kalamazoo/Portage area by setting up "sub-units" of the club in outlying areas of greater Kalamazoo.

Deb discussed some public relation activities that we might want to pursue regarding the KalTour. She proposed inviting the mayor of Kalamazoo and Portage, as well as other local officials to KalTour, giving them a complimentary entry, and looking after them during the event. The club liked the idea of providing approximately 10 complementary "VIP" entries and this idea will be explored further.

Kathy discussed how KBC could provide a community service by helping to clean up litter by the road. She noted that although Calhoun County has an Adopt-a-Highway program, Kalamazoo County does not. However, she has arranged for a clean-up of 12th Street from between Parkview Drive and the church and elementary school north of Parkview on Saturday, May 23 and is looking for volunteers. KBC agreed to pay for safety vests to be worn by the volunteers at this event.

Mike B. announced that this was Bike to Work Week and encouraged everyone to bike to work, especially on Friday, Bike to Work Day.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:13 P.M. The next KBC monthly meeting is scheduled for 7:00 P.M., Tuesday, June 9th, 2009, at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. All club members are invited to attend this, and every, meeting.

Bill Figeley, 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:

276

New members:

Katherine Binder • Chris Cockerel • Debra Frank • John Freeby • Joao Graca Lobo • Jessica Hoane • J Mike Jacobs • Atis Kleinbergs • Abigayle Mack • Curtis Mack • Ellen Mack • Joseph Mack • Linda Mah • Kristi Mudie • Kristen Murphy • Julie Peterson • Keith Peterson • Bill Price • Gloria Price • Hilary Price • Kevin Price • Matt Price • Shannon Rininger • Bill Tingley • Jill Tingley • Lori Viening • Luke Viening • Sam Viening • Hannah Walker • Linda Walker • Scott Walker • Flint Wiles • Ava Wood • Bill Wood • Lena Wood

June Expiring memberships:

Walker Batts • Nicholas Bishop • Susan Bond • Al Cergol & Deborah Gray • Bill Duggan • Gary Feldt • Dan Frazee • Bill Fritsch • Lisa Hardy • Vicki Hessen • John Howson • H. Knute Jacobson Family • Matthew Johnson • Dan & Hannah Kallewaard • Beverly Kluzak • Jeffrey Kokmeyer Family • Steven Kuntzman • Barb & Jim Lait • Brent Liedke • Kevin Patmore • Paige Peterman • Lynda Pioch • Jacquelyn Taylor • Patricia Thomas-Gapske • Brian Vanderberg • Robin VanderRoest • Richard Vanenk • Daniel Victor • Carol Wiseman

Renewed memberships:

Robert Roschmann • Paul Stevens Family • Tom Cross Family • Thomas Noverr • David Mitchell Family • Colleen Alaniz • Hendrik de Vries • Corrine & Kelly Sallaz • Karl Freye Family • Stacey Lyon-Hadleyc

Paul Bruneau, KBC Database Manager

June Ride Captain’s Report

Dear KBC Friends:

Our full schedule of rides is up and running. David Jones, our webmaster, has worked hard to get the web-list of rides up to date and current. The club website-www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org- is the best place to find general information about the rides, including the time of departure, average pace, and basic route. Refer your friends to our website, and invite them to join the club!

So far, all our rides seem to be doing fairly well. We have been trying to emphasize both safety and courtesy, and I think that will pay off for us all in many ways. I appreciate the cooperation we've had from many of you in this regard.

As I write, I recently have become aware of two changes to our weekly ride schedule. Renee Mitchell has sent out a general e-mail announcing that the Friday Morning Women's Ride will now be starting from Texas Drive Park. Thanks for your leadership of this ride Renee, as well as on so many other club activities.

And Zolton Cohen, long time leader of the "Half-Fast" Wednesday night ride, has decided to put his efforts into starting a new ride on Wednesday evenings that I suppose might be called "The Half-Fast Ride as it was always meant to be." Zolton has in mind a paceline ride just a tad slower than what the "Half-Fast" has recently become, and one that will more intentionally keep the riders together as a group. Zolton always does an outstanding job with the rides he leads, so I expect this new ride will soon attract a devoted following, and provide a lot of pleasure to those who take part in it.

Finally, let me also announce that we have tentative plans to do the Annual Ride to South Haven this year on Saturday, July 25. Rick Whaley has offered to lead this ride, at a 16-18 mph average pace with a stop at South Haven for subs and ice cream, which should make it a fun and attractive ride for a large group of folks. Watch the Pedal Press in July for more details. Thanks Rick!

Have fun. Be safe!

Knute Jacobson, KBC Ride Captain

Editor’s Letter –Visiting an Old Friend

Over Mother's Day weekend, I performed my yearly ritual of riding the Tour of Scioto River Valley (otherwise known as TOSRV) from Columbus to Portsmouth, Ohio and back. Following the ride, I also performed my yearly ritual of driving to suburban Dayton to visit my younger brother and his family, and then driving back to Columbus on Monday to do some more visiting. One of my yearly visits is with an ex-coworker; he's getting well into his seventies now, and he is not in the best of health, but he hangs in there. It's always good to see him, and driving back to Kalamazoo on Tuesday (after returning to my brother's house on Monday, in an effort to memorize every inch of I-70 between Columbus and I-675), it occurred to me that there was another old friend that I needed to visit, a friend that I had neglected since July of 2008. I'm talking, of course, about the 6th Street Hill.

For those of you who don't know about the 6th Street Hill, this hill can best be admired by driving on U.S. 131, exiting at D Avenue, and proceeding west to Alamo at the intersection of D Avenue and 6th Street. Then, turn left, and there it is, the 6th Street Hill, looming in the distance in all its majestic glory. But, as a sensory experience, admiring its glory pales in comparison to actually riding up it.

I first experienced the 6th Street Hill from the opposite direction. When I first moved here in 1996, I bought a new house in Portage. I bought the house late enough in the building process so that the only personal touch that I brought to bear on my dwelling-to-be was the selection of the refrigerator and oven. Being the oven expert that I was (and still am), I selected an oven that the builder said his wife liked, which sounded good enough for me. However, I bought the house early enough in the building process so that I wasn't able to move into it when I arrived. As a result, Pharmacia & Upjohn placed me in an apartment on the west side of Kalamazoo, where I lived for 7 weeks, and my first journeys into the world of Kalamazoo bicycle riding were in northwest Kalamazoo County.

A couple weeks after moving, I was riding on 6th Street, heading north, when all of a sudden, it seemed like all of the county lay at my feet, or more accurately, my bicycle tires. "Wow, this is going to be some downhill," I thought to myself, and indeed it was. I don't recall hearing any sonic booms as I sped down the hill, but that doesn't mean that there weren't any. And, of course, as I continued to speed at a blistering pace towards Alamo, I thought to myself, "Wow, I can't wait to ride up this hill," because I'm clinically insane.

However, I didn't ride up the 6th Street Hill until 1997, and I can't say that I remember anything in particular about it, except that it was hard. As a matter of fact, even after all the times I've ridden up the 6th Street Hill in the years since then, if you ask me what I remember, I'll tell you that "It's hard," and thank you, Mr. Pedal Press Editor, for your penetrating insight. Okay, there is that depressing sense of dŽjˆ vu every time I start riding up the blasted thing. I know that sooner or later (and usually sooner), I'll be alternating between sitting on the saddle and standing on the pedals; entertained by the discordant melody of my ragged breath. In between ragged breaths, romantic that I am, I'll be muttering some choice words of love to this hill of my dreams. Nevertheless, I've found myself drawn to this hill several times a riding season, probably because it is a test; it's me against the hill, let's see who wins. Also, coasting the downhill, slight as it may be, after reaching the top is an experience to be savored.

However, in 2008, my first full year in Kalamazoo after moving back, I rode up the 6th Street Hill only twice, the last time during the KalTour. That's right, do the KalTour Century or Metric Century ride, and you, too, can enjoy the 6th Street Hill experience! (Note to KalTour organizers: Put a fog machine at the top of the hill, so that its peak can be shrouded in mystery as the cyclists approach it.) I had neglected an old friend, and it was time to make amends.

I also needed to continue getting in some longer rides. In retrospect, I should have known that something was up when that pod appeared outside my bedroom in late April, and after I managed to snatch my body back, I discovered that I had once again signed up for the National 24-Hour Challenge. So, on the Sunday after TOSRV, after 50 miles of riding, I found myself approaching the 6th Street Hill. One thing I did have going for me was a tailwind. As a matter of fact, as I started riding up the hill, I had the strangest feeling of weightlessness, and as I looked at the ground below me, I shouted to the heavens above "I can fly! I can FLYYYY!!!!"

Actually, I didn't get off that easily. However, maybe it was the tailwind, or maybe it was the GU that I had eaten (so to speak) several miles earlier, but the 6th Street Hill didn't seem as bad as usual. Sure, I went into oxygen debt, sure I alternated between sitting and standing, but I was always able to shift up a gear just before standing and shift down a gear just before sitting until I got to the top of the hill, which also meant that I was able to maintain riding in these two gears. (And, by the way, this shifting pattern is a tip that I got from Bicycling Magazine a few years ago, and it has turned out to be a very valuable tip.) So, during the remaining 20 miles of the ride, I had the satisfaction of knowing that in 2009, it's Whaley 1, 6th Street Hill, 0.

But, don't worry, Mr. Six. I'm a sporting man, and I'll give you a few more chances this year to do your worst. Best two of three? Three of five? I'm ready. Every time I ride up the 6th Street Hill, I may feel bad, but, like my friend in Columbus, I'll be hanging in there. Game on.

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Some Upcoming Area Rides of Interest

Saturday, June 6 - 100 Grand, Grand Rapids. 17, 35, 65, or 105 miles. (616) 245-3341 or www.rapidwheelmen.com/100grand.

Saturday, June 13 Π RBC "Mission Possible" Bike Tour, Richland. 17, 35, and 62 miles. (269) 629-9622 x221 or www.richlandbible.org.

Saturday, June 20 Π Tour De Cure, Middleville - Yankee Springs Recreation Area. 15, 25, 40, and 62 miles, mountain bike 8 and 13 miles. (616) 458-9341, www.diabetes.org.

Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21 - National 24-Hour Challenge, Middleville. See how far you can ride a bike in 24 hours (c'mon, you know you want to). (616) 538-7497 or www.n24hc.org.

Sunday, June 28, Berrien County Cancer Service Bike Ride, Stevensville. 15, 25, 42, and 62 miles. (269) 429-3281 or www.bccancerservice.org.

Saturday, July 4, Independence Day Canadian Century, Grand Haven. 40 and 60 miles. (616) 846-2800 ortim@rocknroadcycle.com .

Saturday, July 11, One Helluva Ride, Chelsea. 15, 30, 39, 63, 76, and 100 miles. www.aabts.org.

Sunday July 12, Kalamazoo Scenic Bicycle Ride (KalTour), Kalamazoo. 12, 15, 31, 62, and 100 miles. (269) 823-2819 or www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org/rides/kaltour.

Saturday, July 18, Holland Hundred Bicycle Tour, Holland. 18, 36, 67, and 100 miles. www.macatawacyclingclub.org/hollandhundred.

Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26 - Wish-a-Mile Bicycle Tour. Three day, 300 mile tour from Traverse City to Chelsea, MI. www.wishmich.org/Page.aspx?pid=442.

Wednesday, September 2 through Sunday, September 6 - 39th Annual Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw (DALMAC) Bicycle Tour. Five rides over 4 or 5 days, ranging from 303 to 414 miles. Registration began in April and all rides except for the Quad Century fill up quickly. www.biketcba.org/DALMAC/dframe.html

Classified Ads

NEWWanted: Looking for used "starter" tandem bike and also a used adult 3-wheel bike. Call Teresa Arndd at (616) 862-4769.

For Sale: Early '60's Schwinn bikes, Men's Collegiate 5 speed, Women’s Breeze 5 speed, all original including Schwinn tires! No rust, chrome is immaculate! Some paint blemishes. Collectors would love these; I'd rather sell them to someone local. Call Mike at 385-0196.

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, (269) 665-5202 www.billysbikeshop.com

Breakaway Bicycles

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

Custer Cyclery

104 North Augusta, Augusta, (269) 731-3492

Gazelle Sports

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

Got everything you need for the Kalamazoo Klassic on Saturday, June 20? If not, visit Gazelle Sports. The helpful staff can set you up with a new pair of shoes, shorts, moisture managing top, energy gel, and .... we've got some great sandals for summer, too!

ProSport

ProSport has closed to relocate. Keith Little is still available for repairs and tune-ups. He has used bikes and 2008 Bianchis to close-out. Please call for appointment at (269) 372-7312. Bikes can be picked up and returned for repairs.

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.