September 2009 President's Letter

Please remember that starting September 1, KBC rides will start at 6:00 P.M and the Wednesday Hammerfest ride will start at 5:30 P.M. on September 23 and 30.

The summer has gone so fast. The fall riding schedule will begin in September, so prepare for earlier ride starts and (possibly) even cooler weather. The smell of the grapes and the changing color of the leaves are added benefits of late season rides.

The days are getting shorter. Please remember that bright clothing is easier to be seen by motorists than dark clothing. Lights also make your bike visible on dark or cloudy rides. Lights are also required to be used when riding one half hour after sunset. Please think "Close Encounters" when riding to and from KBC rides for the rest of the season.

While I am on the topic of rider safety, please take steps to prepare for the H1N1 "swine" flu and seasonal flu. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough. Get a flu shot. Stay healthy so that you can enjoy the full riding season into October.

The Anniversary Ride is coming! Please keep the date. You will receive more information elsewhere in the newsletter.

Mike Boersma, KBC President

KBC Anniversary Ride and Picnic 2009

It's party time again! Please join us for a great ride followed by great food on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. Please note that the date has been moved one week later, due to several significant conflicts with other fun times that many members have scheduled with their bikes. The weather on September 26 is forecast to be the sunniest in September, so be sure to put our picnic on your calendar!

The Anniversary Ride is a great opportunity for KBC members and their families to ride together in a relaxed atmosphere, and it provides a chance to catch up on summer adventures and gear up for the fall season. Bring the family or have them meet you at the trailhead after the ride for good food and fun! Don't forget your bike stories, pictures, and plans for future rides.

Several road rides will leave from the Kal-Haven Trailhead at 10 A.M. on that day. There may also be a ride on the Kal-Haven Trail. The idea is to return to the trailhead around noon, just in time for a picnic. The Club will provide pizza, pop, cider, and tableware. We ask you to bring a dish to share according to your primary frame composition.

If your bike frame is:

• Aluminum: Please bring a salad.
• Steel: Please bring an appetizer.
• Carbon: Please bring a dessert.
• Other: Surprise us!

Ride details: Riders will leave the trailhead parking lot at 10 A.M. on routes of 14, 19, 23, 31 or 36 miles. You choose your route and group, and time your speed to get back at about noon, when the food will show up. Maps of the various routes will be provided. Riders doing the longest route, 36 miles, have averaged about 18-19 mph in the past. Seating is limited at the trailhead, so consider bringing your own chair too. Bring your trail pass if you have one, if not, don't worry, enjoy the morning at the trail - no charge to you, it's on us (KBC)! Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 26, pack up the family, bikes, and food - we look forward to seeing you there!

Teri Olbrot and Janet DeZwaan, KBC Social Directors

A Critical time for the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

by Paul Pancella

I haven't updated the members lately, but I trust many of you are somewhat familiar with the big project we now call the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. (Our new consultant couldn't find the word "trailway" in the dictionary.)

It is such a big project that we shouldn't be surprised that it is stretching itself over many years. The history of it goes back to at least 1991 and the completion of the KRVT is still several years in the future.

It's so big that we shouldn't be surprised that it has two "home" sites on the web. The fundraising campaign, under the auspices of the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County, set up the website www.kaltrailway.org/ at the start of the campaign, around 2005. This site will soon get a major overhaul, but still has a lot of useful information. Last year, when the first major trail section opened, the Kalamazoo County Parks Department put up the website www.kalcounty.com/parks/krvt/index.html . This makes sense, because whatever trails we manage to build will be administered as our 7th County Park.

Both sites have a wealth of information, but if you've read this far and don't know what I am talking about, and you don't have time to go to the internet, the KRVT is the planned non-motorized trail network that will connect the Kal-Haven Trail to our west with the Battle Creek Linear Park to our east, along the Kalamazoo River, with a north-south branch to link the Portage Bicentennial Trail to the Nature Center, all coming together in downtown Kalamazoo. Some people think of it as just an extension of the Kal-Haven Trail, but it is much more than that. It is certainly more than the newly completed segment between 10th Street and Westnedge Avenue.

A lot of people think this is a fabulous idea, and I hope I don't have to convince you of that here, or this article will get too long. The main thing I want to talk about is raising money. This is not a typical fundraising campaign, partly because the trailway that we want to build is so spread out. We didn't wait to raise all of the money before beginning the actual construction, so that people can enjoy parts of the trail sooner and get a physical sense of what we are campaigning for. We have made good progress but there is a danger that people might think we have finished raising money because they see new pavement going down.

We don't yet have nearly enough money to accomplish all that is planned. At the risk of oversimplifying, I'm going to leave out a lot of details here. The short story is that something over around 16 million dollars are required to make the KRVT real, including design, construction, fundraising, and an endowment to ensure the facility will be maintained. Just about half of that is coming from public sources, mostly the TEA funds I referred to above, but also contributions from many other governmental units in the area. These public funds are contingent on us raising equal funding from private sources, a 1:1 match. The "private" side includes big foundations, and some of their donations are also challenge grants or contingent on matching funds from other private sources. The essence is that at this point, donations made by individuals and businesses are effectively more than doubled.

Lots of people have already stepped up on the private side, including the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. We are grateful that half of the proceeds from KalTour have been donated to KRVT for the past three years. We've been slow to really push a public phase of the campaign, because organizations traditionally raise at least half of their goal behind the scenes before doing so, and we haven't quite done that. That phase is coming, but first we have to do another round of personally contacting prospects. And that's where I need your help.

If you believe in this project, and have a little time over the next couple of months, we need you to volunteer to make calls to about five people from our list of prospects. It is critical that we begin this process in September so that we do not lose out on some of the matching funds that have already been pledged. We are currently working to refine the list of prospects. We have an excellent consultant, the Owen Group, who will train all of our volunteer callers, so you know exactly what to do and how to do it. We have a lot of good prospects, so we need a lot of callers. Please send me an email at Paul.Pancella@WMich.edu if you have any interest in helping us this way, any suggestions for other potential volunteers, or any questions that I can answer. Thanks.

LAB Names Ed Micalizzi League Cycling Instructor

"Ed Micalizzi of Kalamazoo, MI, has earned the prestigious certification of League Cycling Instructor (LCI) from the League of American Bicyclists, a 125-year-old national bicycling organization.

"Ed has completed in-depth training on teaching skills for cycling in traffic, on trails and with groups of riders," said Bill Nesper, education program manager for the League of American Bicyclists. "Ed will now be able to train all levels of riders how to confidently and effectively cycle for fun, fitness, and transportation."

LCI seminars educate participants on how to teach bicycle safety and skills to all levels of riders rather than focusing on technical bicycling knowledge. The League Cycling Instructor designation is only given after a person qualifies for, and excels in, an intense three-day education seminar.

"League Cycling Instructors are the backbone of the League's education program," said Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. "Ed has demonstrated a proficiency in teaching, a love of cycling, and a willingness to share these skills with other riders." Experienced cyclists interested in teaching others how to ride safely are eligible to apply for the seminar. A prerequisite is completing the League's Smart Cycling I course.

Ed has been a member of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club for 5 years and has been riding for over 20 years. For more information on Smart Cycling courses taught by Ed visit www.bikeleague.org/ or call (269) 599-1739.

Book Review - Pedaling Revolution

Pedaling Revolution , by Jeff Mapes, reviewed by Zolton Cohen

Did you know that, in Idaho, bicyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs? They are only required to stop "if required for safety."

If you read Jeff Mapes' book, "Pedaling Revolution , How Cyclists are Changing American Cities," that's just one interesting tidbit you'll pick up along the way. Mapes, a bike commuter living in Portland, Oregon, is a daily reporter for the Oregonian newspaper. He brings a reporter's sense of thorough research, mostly by meeting and interviewing experts on the subject - as well as his own experience - to the subject of relatively recent changes that are starting to allow more comprehensive bicycle commuting in U.S. cities.

Pedaling Revolution is a not a book about bike racing. Nor is it about recreational "club" type bike rides of the sort in which KBC specializes. It focuses primarily on using bicycles as transportation. Mapes visited cities in the Netherlands and Denmark so he could compare infrastructure, attitudes, bikes and bicyclists over there to what he found in Chicago, New York City, Portland and several other urban and suburban areas.

The differences, he says, are astounding. There is an ingrained bike culture prevalent overseas that is a far cry from the USA's mostly car-centric philosophy. Not only are cities like Amsterdam set up to accommodate large numbers of cyclists, nearly everyone living there expects to ride a bike to work, to school, to shop, and simply to get around. And hardly anyone, Mapes notes, wears a helmet.

But attitudes about bikes used for transportation are changing in this country. Mapes interviews several transportation coordinators in large cities and reports that there is a definite push to get people who can ride bikes to work to do exactly that. There is money being devoted to adding bike lanes to city streets, to promote bike commuting, and in some cases even to create separate "cycletrack" type routes alongside busy roads that segregate bikes from cars entirely. Much of the impetus for such efforts is focused around reducing auto traffic (and internal combustion engine emissions) in inner city areas, while some comes from the demonstrable health benefits that bicycling affords.

Mapes also details the many controversies within the bike community concerning the best approach to encourage bike commuting. As passionately as people believe in bicycling, they also hold to their opinions about creating the best, safest infrastructure and protocols for getting more people to ride.

At more than 270 pages, Pedaling Revolution is not an easy or quick read. It is full of characters that keep reappearing later in the narrative. In spots, some of the citations of bike-use studies can seem tedious, and the information presented appears rather random. But it is an important book, well worth the time it takes to ingest. It is a chronicle of where we are today in the realm of opening up formerly car-only type cities to the two-wheeled method of getting around and exploring. After reading it, it's hard not be encouraged and enthused about what is happening. Yes, we're a long way from being Amsterdam. But there are definite inroads being made to make American cities more bike-friendly.

Monthly Meeting Minutes

The Kalamazoo Bicycle Club's monthly meeting took place on Tuesday, August 12, 2009 at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. In attendance were Mike Boersma, Victor Van Fleet, Rick Whaley, Tyson Gilbert, Celine Keizer, Tom Keizer, Ed Micalizzi, Mike Krischer, Grace M., Jim Kindle, and Bill Figeley. The meeting was called to order at 7:02 P.M.

Mike B. welcomed everyone to the meeting and Tom gave the Treasurer's Report. In the previous month KBC had $5060 in income and $3012 in expenses. The preliminary net income from the KalTour was $1285.

The KBC Anniversary Ride was briefly discussed. The date for the ride has yet to be determined, but will be decided upon soon. (Ed. Note: The ride will be on Saturday, September 26. See the article about this ride in this issue of the Pedal Press.)

Ed reported that he had obtained another cost estimate for the Safe Kids Safety Boards. This estimate from the Sign Shop was for $159 per sign for the 5 signs. Ed was not sure if this included the placement of the KBC logo on the boards but he would find out if this is the case. He will also talk with David Jones about getting the logo to the Sign Shop. Celine mentioned that another sign company had a grant that could possibly pay for the printing and Ed will look into this. He will also look into getting other estimates.

Celine and others discussed the development of a fund request proposal form. KBC distributed $2800 in 2008 and $2400 in 2007 to various organizations and the consensus was that KBC needs a more formal approach for approving funding requests. Using this form, KBC could evaluate funding requests against each other and determining potential funding based on merit instead of timing/opportunity at KBC meetings. Victor noted that an advantage of this approach is that is eliminates last-minute requests and "impetuous giving," although it was also noted that there is the risk that this could become too formal and that there may be some last-minute requests worthy of funding. There was also some discussion of how to make this request form available and suggestions included through the KBC website and via e-mail.

The adoption process for a fund request proposal form was then discussed. Mike B. suggested that KBC include this form in the September issue of the Pedal Press for review by KBC members. (Ed. Note: this will appear in a later issue.) Jim suggested that we then get comments from the KBC members about this. Renee and others noted that KBC elected and appointed officials could vote on whether or not to adopt or reject this form at a subsequent Monthly Meeting.

Renee discussed the Portage Kids Triathlon that was held on July 24. She noted that 140 kids participated and that that 9 KBC members volunteered at this event. She encouraged KBC members to volunteer at this event next year and at other events. (Ed. Note: See the LCI Corner article in this issue of the Pedal Press for more details about this event.) Victor noted if that we had more members in the KBC, this would put more people in the position of volunteering for such events.

Renee also noted that Paul Bruneau brought several KBC jerseys the Portage Kids Triathlon and that she sold a few of them. She suggested that KBC re-design these jerseys and produce some new ones. Mike B. stated that we should gauge KBC member's interest in buying new KBC jerseys. Ed suggested that if KBC does produce more jerseys that KBC consider selling them at local bike shops.

Celine noted that Zolton Cohen sent an e-mail to various KBC members about what can be done to get more spectators at the BTR Criterium Road Race and that he is looking for feedback on this. Those attending the meeting thought that having additional food and music at the race may be helpful in boosting attendance.

Several miscellaneous topics were also discussed. Mike B. noted that Kathy Kirk did some work with the KBC logo producer and that we have a new logo that looks much better than the old one. Celine suggested that leftover Flowerfest T-shirts from previous years be "giveaways" at KBC events. Tom noted that he has 2 membership vouchers to the magazine Adventure Cycling - first come, first serve to whoever contacts him about this.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 P.M. The next meeting will take place at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at the Kalamazoo YMCA on Maple Street. All KBC members are welcome to attend.

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 October edition (distributed on or around the first of October), have it to the newsletter editor by the 20th of September.

KBC Statistics

Active subscriptions

279

New members

Jennifer Foote • Joshua Foote

September Expiring memberships:

Lee Anderson • Jon Ballema • Robin Carpenter Family • Jonathan Evans and Monica Tory • Ralph & Emily Freed • David Hapman • John Idema • Connor Loftus • David Middleton Family • Kevin Munson Family • Rick Updike • Nancy Vendeville • Diane Wahmhoff

Renewed memberships

Linda Kozacki • Stephen Penix • David Merwin

Paul Bruneau, KBC Database Manager

LCI Corner - Volunteer . . . It's Good for the Soul!

On Friday, July 24th, 2009, 9 KBC members volunteered at the Portage YMCA's first Kids Triathlon to help oversee the bike portion of the triathlon. The members from Team KBC showed up in their race uniforms, others in their KBC cycling jerseys, and some in other cycling apparel. Regardless of what they wore, they looked and acted very professionally.

Their mission was twofold:

1. Encourage and guide the 140 young triathletes along the bike route.
2. Oversee various stations along the route, keeping the young cyclists on the right, providing direction, and keeping the route safe.

The Club should be proud of the members who volunteered at the event. They were kind, compassionate (I don't think they made any kids cry :-) ), and humble. It was such an awesome sight to see KBC members, especially race team members, riding along side preschoolers with training wheels providing encouragement. I only wish I had a camera!

The community has always been appreciative when KBC members volunteer their time and talents at events. Most people aren't even aware that the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club exists. Getting out in the community and volunteering at events, sharing our passion, is a small way KBC can make itself known. The Bike Camp Committee has always appreciated the members who volunteer at Bike Camp and can't tell you enough how the campers enjoy riding and learning from them.

Helping out at community events is not only fun but very rewarding. It's a great way to share our cycling knowledge with others, get to know more KBC members, and share in an experience. It's good to get involved and I challenge all KBC members to not only volunteer at KBC events but also at community events when given the opportunity. It's fun and good for the soul!

A big "thank you" goes out to the following KBC members for doing such a wonderful job representing KBC at the first Portage YMCA's Kids Triathlon: Chris Barnes, Paul Bruneau, Jason Goodin, Tom Keizer, Kathy Kirk, Greg Lawford, Brent Leidke, and Ed Micalizzi. The YMCA was very appreciative of our involvement and is already looking forward to KBC helping out again at next year's kids' triathlon.

Renee Mitchell, LCI

September Ride Captain's Report

Dear KBC Friends:

Where has the summer gone? Especially with this cool weather, fall seems to be approaching very quickly. The upside: hopefully we'll have many glorious days of changing colors before the snow flies!

A few things to note:

All our fall evening rides will be starting earlier -- at 6:00 P.M. in September (except for the Wednesday Hammerfest, which will move to 5:30 P.M. for the last two Wednesdays in September.)

As the days shorten, this is the time of year when we need to start bringing tail lights. The little flashing ones are especially effective.

As temperatures cool and are less predictable, consider layering so you can do a last minute change in the parking lot.

I also want to mention that we have a few special rides coming up. The KBC Anniversary Ride is one of them, of course. I'm also hoping to do the Fall Color Ride and the Cyclo-Cross Clinic in mid-October, but firm dates have not yet been set for those events.

Finally, though it's been quite a safe summer, accidents do happen. If you have the misfortune of being involved in one, please contact me, or Joe Kucharski our insurance pro, so we can at least be aware of what happened, and possibly make recommendations if any club insurance issues are involved.

A hearty thanks to our ride leaders and leaders of our many special events whose service to our club is what makes it such a great organization.

Have fun. Be safe!

Knute Jacobson, KBC Ride Captain

Editor's Letter - Father Time Trial

One of my favorite club events is the Tuesday Night Time Trials. I like the idea of testing myself, to see just how fast I can ride on my own without the benefit of a draft from other riders. It's just me against the stopwatch, mano a machino, as Hemingway might say, if his Spanish were as tortured as mine appears to be. I like the challenge of attempting to accurately pace myself while taking the usually westerly wind into account, the better to batter me during the last couple miles of the race. When I'm one of the earlier riders to start the race, I even enjoy it (well, I actually don't mind it) when I watch one after another of the really strong time trialists fly by me, because it gives me a glimpse, however fleeting as they disappear from sight, of just how fast a person is capable of riding.

I also enjoy the challenge of dealing with the 34th Street Hill. The 34th Street Bump is a more accurate description, but appearing at a little over 7 miles into the race, this bump makes a rider pay for bad pacing, and at this point I find that I'm riding a rolling ATM machine. During one time trial this year, I was surprised to find a motorcycle pulling up next to me while attempting to race up the bump. I didn't expect to have my own personal cheering section, but instead of shouting "Way to go, Whaley, you're the man!" he shouted "Do you know the way to Scotts?" Not being in a very conversational mood at the time, I gasped the word, "Left," making the assumption that he wouldn't take me literally and turn into a ditch, but would wait until he got to Q Avenue to do so. He did so, and I turned right; two ships passing in the night, except that our ships had wheels and it was actually daylight.

I also like the Tuesday Night Time Trials because I've been able to learn something about myself. For example, at a little over 5 miles into the race, there's a stop sign where we turn right at the T-intersection of ON Avenue and 34th Street. I try to practice safe riding habits under race conditions and I find it quite easy to do so, due to my uncanny ability to conjure cars out of close-to-sea-level air, as I approach the stop sign. If it weren't for the time trial series, I never would have learned that I have this amazing ability. I've also learned about my ability to deal with the pain of riding a bicycle as fast as I can, and I've learned that I have one amazing ability.

And, finally, I like the Tuesday Night Time Trial, because there's something rather pleasurable about that mixture of gratitude and pain after crossing the finish line; gratitude that the race is over as I gasp for breath while mercifully coasting to warm-down speed, but amidst this gratitude and pain, there is also the satisfaction of the hard effort, well done.

Or, perhaps, not-so-well done. The results of the 2003 Tuesday Night Time Trials are posted on our website, which was the last year I did the time trials before I moved to the Ann Arbor area. Comparing these results to my post Ann Arbor 2008 and 2009 results, I've found that my average speed during the last 2 years is about 1.5 mph slower that it was in 2003. So, when faced with that harsh reality of my diminished physical capacity, my first reaction, of course, is to make excuses. The course was only 9.5 miles in 2003, not the 10 miles it is now, so it's got to be due to the excruciating effort of having to race that additional half mile. Yes, that must be it! Or maybe the gravitational pull of the Earth is stronger than it was 6 years ago! Or maybe the dog ate one of my lungs! Or maybe it's due to the 5 pounds I've gained in the last few years, 5 extra pounds that certainly aren't muscle; something I've noticed while shirtless and wearing cycling shorts, the Wonderbra for love handles.

But when all the excuses are said and those large sausage and mushroom pizzas are done, my slower times are probably just due to the fact that I'm getting older. Age is a sneaky thing. My times in 2003 were similar to earlier years, which may have lured me into a false sense of agelessness, as if there is no price to be paid to Father Time. But there always is, and it looked like I paid it sometime during my Ann Arbor years. My times in 2009 were similar to those in 2008, so perhaps I'm experiencing a new plateau, one which may already be over, or one which may last a few more years before that inevitable decline in performance takes place yet again.

So what can I do about this? I can sulk and mourn my lost youth/forties/early-to-mid fifties. I can start blood doping. I can attempt to become a more crafty and wily competitor. I can train harder and smarter. I can even start using areobars. What I won't do (in addition to second option, I suppose) is to give up. The 2009 Tuesday Night Time Trials are now history, but like that (albeit motor) cycling cyborg, "I'll be back." Unless the dog eats my bicycle, too.

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Some Upcoming Area Rides of Interest

Saturday, September 12 - Michigan Recumbent Rally West, Kalamazoo. (269) 373-5413 or Paul.Pancella@WMich.edu.

Sunday, September 13 - Cereal City Century, Battle Creek. 10, 32, 50, 62, and 100 miles. (269) 969-0674 or www.battlecreekbicycleclub.org . (At least it can't rain at this event any more than it did last year.)

Sunday, September 13 - Vineyard Classic Bicycle Tour, Paw Paw. 22, 39, and 60 miles. (269) 657-6309 or www.wineandharvestfestival.com/biketour.html.

Sunday, September 27 - 36th Annual Apple Cider Century, Three Oaks. 15, 25, 37, 50, 62, 75, and 100 miles. (269) 756-3361 or www.applecidercentury.com .

Saturday, October 10 - Colorburst, Lowell. 17, 30, 62, and 100 miles (dirt options). (616) 245-3341 or www.rapidwheelmen.com/colorburst .

Classified Ads

NEW For Sale: 2009 Trek 7.6FX hybrid road bike, 57cm frame, ridden 550 miles. Aluminum frame, carbon fiber fork and seat post, 700 x 28c wheels, 50-39-30 triple, 11-26 (9 speed) rear cassette. Welgo clipless SPD pedals. Includes Bontrager Interchange rear rack, expandable rack bag and bar ends. Asking $875. Call Mike at 269-365-8425.

Wanted: 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, 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

Don't miss Gazelle Sports' Metro Trek Adventure Race on Saturday, September 26!

Join us for another wild adventure orienteering, navigating, riding, trekking, climbing and exploring both urban and natural spaces in and around Downtown Kalamazoo in this 8-10 hour sprint race designed for both beginning and experienced racers.

Click here for details... http://www.gazellesports.com/info/84-metro-trek.html

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.