May 2011 President’s Letter

Rusty Staub: Baseball and Bicycling

Do you remember Rusty Staub, the big, left-hand hitting redhead who played first base and designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers back in the mid-70s?

I was thinking about Rusty this past week; thinking about him because I was feeling a bit rusty myself out there on the bike. It has been a long winter (and, because of the unexpected snowfall on April 18, it seems as though we're not quite finished with it). My riding skills have suffered from disuse. Maybe yours have as well.

But it's important to get acclimated quickly if we're going to ride in a group. Others depend on our being steady and predictable. Because we ride in close proximity to one another in groups, we need to be able to trust that no one will do anything out of the ordinary. Even if you live an otherwise flamboyant life (no finger-pointing from this quarter, certainly), on the bike it's good to be boringly conventional.

And courteous too. I was reminded of this when I took part, briefly, on one of the Wednesday night rides a couple of weeks back. It seems as though, in this particular group, the valuable habit built up during last season of pointing out obstructions on the road had to some extent been forgotten over the winter. Maybe time spent on a trainer dulls the mind to the necessities of doing the little things that make riding safer for everyone in a group. When we're alone on the bike – either on a trainer or the road – we tend not to trouble our minds about these little items. When we're in a group we need to.

So, just as a reminder, when you're at the front of a group of riders, you act as the eyes and ears for that entire group. It is your responsibility to point out hazards that could affect the riders behind you – just as, when those other riders are at the head of the group, it is their responsibility to point those hazards out to you. It's a cooperative arrangement – not socialism or communism! – that only works when everyone participates for the good of the group. So do it. And, when you see those signals coming from those at the front, pass them along to the riders behind you. One day it's going to save you or someone else from having to swerve quickly to avoid something on the road, and possibly causing a crash.

Pre-Season Ride Meeting

Many thanks go out to KBC Secretary Bill Figeley for organizing the Pre-Season Ride Meeting held on Thursday, April 7. Despite his very busy work schedule, Bill was able to put together a comprehensive program that was of interest to the many who attended. And the beer wasn't half bad either. . .

President's Scholarship Program Now Open for Business!

Want to earn some money – real cash money – to defray your expenses? Well, you're in luck! I've decided to create a cycling scholarship program using my own hard-earned dough. No club funds will be used for this purpose; it all comes from my own generous heart. Here are the details:

Mike Berry, former KBC Secretary, wrote to me recently about an omission he detected during the recent club pre-season ride meeting. He wondered why there had been no mention made of carrying identification when riding a bike. Good point, Mike. I usually do that but completely forgot about it this time around.

So here's where the President's Scholarship comes into play. I will subsidize your expense in creating an ID to carry on your bike! No, no need to thank me; I'm happy to do it. It'll be my pleasure to know that you're taking care of this important item.

Here's what I want you to do: go to a printing shop, lay your driver's license and insurance card on the scanning bed of a printer, hit the button and create a copy. Easy! Anyone can do it! Pay for it at the counter.

After you're finished with that, take the extra step of writing on that piece of paper your contact information: house phone number, spouse's name and contact numbers, and anything else that might assist emergency personnel in getting in touch with your loved ones in case you are incapacitated somewhere out on the road. Fold the paper into fourths, place it into a plastic bag and stow it in the bottom of your seat pack.

You've now completed eligibility requirements for the President's Scholarship Program! When you see me next, ask me for a dime to cover the cost of the copy. It's yours; you've earned it. But one request: when you spend it, please do so at a local bike shop . . .

And, while we're on the subject of emergency contacts – I hope we never have to use them, by the way – program the letters ICE into your cell phone address book and put your emergency contact numbers under that listing. Emergency personnel are trained to look for ICE, which stands for "In Case of Emergency" numbers on cell phones.

Do these things today and then hit me up for the dough! Congratulations; you're a winner!

Zolton Cohen, KBC President

Next KBC Monthly Meeting - May 10, 2011

The next KBC Monthly Meeting will take place at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at the Kalamazoo YMCA on Maple Street. All KBC members are welcome to attend.

Bike Camp 2011 Approaches!

Looking for a fun and rewarding activity to do on a Saturday morning? One where you can share your passion for cycling with others?
Volunteer at KBC's 2011 Bike Camp and help Campers learn what there is to know about this wonderful sport! Bike Camp is a training and informational program targeted toward bicyclists who desire to improve their biking skills, fitness, and knowledge of the sport in a friendly group environment.

What's involved:

• Show up at Bike Camp at 8:30 A.M. on Saturday morning(s) starting on May 14. The sessions are held at the Portage YMCA on 2900 West Centre Street. You can volunteer on one, two, three or all four Saturdays.
• Be friendly and encouraging.
• Ask and answer questions.
• Go out on the training rides as ride monitors to help provide support.
• Obey all the state laws concerning riding on the road.
• Use and teach the various verbal and non-verbal signals we use to indicate our intent.
• Point out road conditions/obstacles.
• Share information on gear usage, tips for improved riding, etc. . .
• If you're a former Bike Camper, we'd love to have you come back to help and share your experiences.

Dates: Saturdays beginning May 14 through June 4.
Time: 8:30 A.M. to approximately 11:30 A.M.
Where: Portage YMCA at 2900 West Centre Street

KBC is in its sixth year of offering this wonderful community outreach program and we need your help to keep it going. Please help us out by contacting Peggy Marcelletti here with the date(s) youd like to volunteer. More detailed information on Bike Camp 2011 can be found at www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

KalTour - July 10,2011

Spring is a little slower this year; there certainly have been more cool, rainy, and windy days. But better riding weather is coming and so is KalTour. One big change is coming as well – we will not be starting at KVCC, as we have for so many years. They are completely shutting down from Friday through Sunday during the summer. I will be announcing our new starting location shortly and you can expect routes that are similar to what we have offered in the past with distances from 13 to 100 miles. Watch for the brochures in the mail and for the signup on the KBC website, which will begin very shortly.

This is the 20th year for the KBC's annual summer tour, which began as Flowerfest and became KalTour. We need your help to provide the services that have characterized our rides for the past two decades.

Road painting will take place on Tuesday, June 28 at 6:00 P.M. (location to be announced). Please wear old clothes.

We need people to help on the ride day (Sunday, July 10). If you can join us for a few hours or longer, please let me know. Setup starts at 6:00 A.M.!! The more people who come out, the easier it is to focus our sleepy selves on getting everything ready when the ride begins promptly at 7:00 A.M. For those who would like to sleep a little later, help is always needed for the last two hours of registration from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., as well as for the watermelon cutting at the end of the ride, and final cleanup (roughly between 3:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M.. Non-riding spouses, parents, children, etc. are certainly welcome and, remember, nobody goes away hungry (as long as you like sandwiches, cookies, and watermelon)!

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Mike Krischer at kaltour@kalamazoobicycleclub.org or 823-2819.

Mike Krischer, KalTour Co-Director

2011 Tuesday Night Time Trial Series

This year, the club race team, "CMS Race Team," will be hosting the Tuesday Night Time Trail Series. It will be starting on the third Tuesday of this month (May 17th) and running each 1st and 3rd Tuesday through the end of August. Sign up is at 6:15 P.M. at the Pavilion Township Hall at the corner of Q Avenue and 29th Street (see the map at http://tinyurl.com/3p3azp6) and riders will be sent off in 30 second increments beginning at 6:30 P.M. on the dot.

Beginning this year, riders will have the opportunity to sign up to be a member of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club (you must be a club member to participate) and sign up for the club will be at 6:00 A.M. The course is 10 miles measured and marked with three right turns and all you have to do is come out and ride your hardest. This is a competition between yourself and the clock and we welcome riders of ALL ages and abilities. You can be a first timer or a CAT 1 racer, all are welcome! In addition there will be fantastic* prizes offered to random finishers each night. So, come on out and test your abilities, socialize, and get ready pedal your butt off! More details are available at www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org/rides/rides.php

*(This is not intended to be a factual statement.)

Jon Ballema, President, CMS Race Team

KBC Member Input Wanted by the City of Portage

Tired of bike lanes in bad condition? Your input is vital to the interests of all bicyclists who ride in and through the City of Portage.

Ray Wario of the City of Portage Streets Department is asking for our members' input to prioritize resurfacing Portage bike lanes that need repair.

Limited funds have been set aside to resurface bike lanes that are in bad condition and where main roadway is in still good condition. (Portage has a different budget for resurfacing the entire roadway where the streets are also bad.)

Please e-mail the specific locations you find that meet both criteria to directorroadsafety@kalamazoobicycleclub.org before Saturday, May 14 (the start of Bike Camp). I will collate and pass KBC's survey results on to Mr. Wario.

Paul Selden, Director of Road Safety

Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) Presentation at the June Monthly Meeting

At our June KBC Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, June 14, Steve Stepek, the Senior Transportation Planner for KATS, will provide a briefing to KBC members concerning the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS). He will describe what KATS is, who attends KATS meetings, and what is discussed at these meeting. He will discuss the input from citizens that KATS has already taken into account to help bicyclists and he will also talk about new projects in the county that will benefit bicyclists, as well as answer any questions that KBC members might have.

11th Annual W Ride Report

The attendance this year's W Ride increased by an astonishing 550% from last year's ride. "According to my projections," exclaimed the Ride Leader, "if we keep increasing the number of riders at this rate, by the year 2023, every inhabitant on the planet Earth will be doing the W Ride! I just hope that the Shell convenience store in Vicksburg has enough Gatorade."

Better than usual weather for the W Ride contributed to the surge in participants to 11 riders this year. Equipped with their party straw W Ride maps, 8 riders turned west to begin the journey to Van Buren County with a rather strong tailwind/crosswind. Tom Cross led the way for the first few miles, where they were joined by Tom Noverr and Jamie Clark who took over the pace setting duties, and they were later joined by Jason Goodin. A couple miles west of Schoolcraft, the riders separated into two groups, with the RL taking over the pace setting for the slower group.

On the way back to Vicksburg, a smaller group of five lead riders broke off from the lead group, and the remaining riders fragmented, due to the formerly friendly tailwind that had become a hostile headwind. At Vicksburg, the slower riders regrouped at the aforementioned Shell store, where they were able to hydrate themselves with the still available supply of Gatorade. At this point, Tom Keizer bid the group farewell, as he had planned to only ride the first 24 miles.

The leading five riders were well out of sight, when the remaining five riders then headed to Calhoun County. Although there was some separation between riders while fighting the headwind, the RL, Kathleen Kroll, Daryl Hudson, and Mike M. stayed close to each other, while Paul Selden dropped back to ride at his own pace. A mile east of Fulton, this group watched the lead riders (Tom C., Tom N., Jamie, Jason, and Randy B.) fly by on the way back to Vicksburg.

The final 12 miles were pleasant, as the RL, Kathleen, Daryl, and Mike rode together at a somewhat relaxed pace, letting the tailwind do most of the work for them. The RL finished the ride averaging 15. 1 mph. Back at the high school, they found that the lead riders had already left, having deprived themselves of the traditional post-ride pretzels and Gatorade, and proving, once again, that a wise W Ride rider rides with the RL. This was also Daryl's longest ride ever and he hopes to do a century ride before the summer is over. Later, Paul joined them, but not before riding a couple extra miles to break the 50 miles barrier.

A good time was had by all, and the RL is looking forward to creating chaos in the Vicksburg area in a few years.
Rick Whaley

Kudos

Thanks to Ray Waurio, Deputy Director of Streets & Equipment for the City of Portage, for helping to mark dangerous potholes on our heavily traveled Bike Camp routes in the City! He will also be doing his best to get them filled before Bike Camp begins on May 14, if at all possible. In fact, as of April 30, he and his excellent crew filled in all the ones we marked together, just one week earlier!

Consider turning your Kudos acknowledgement into a KBC's Friend of Bicycling nominee; any member can email a nomination to awardscommittee@kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

submitted by Paul Selden

Monthly Meeting Minutes

The monthly KBC general club meeting was called to order by Zolton Cohen at 7:05 P.M. on Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. Also attending were Rick Whaley, Cindi MacDonald, Tom Keizer, Dick Nivala, Mike Berry, Kathy Kirk, Jon Ballema, Rick Updike, Marc Irwin, Mike Krischer, Victor Van Fleet, Cricket Howard, Hans Juntunen, Peter Vroegop, Evelyn Vroegop, Doug Kirk, Mike Boersman, Bill Braun, Dale Krueger, Joe Yaeger, and David Jones.

Tom gave the Treasurer's Report. There was $815 in income and $165 in expenses during March, and there is $5,467 in the KBC checking account and $11,089 in the KBC CD.

Zolton stated that he would like to have Brian Gonda approved by the Executive Board as the Public Relations Director. Brian was unable to attend the meeting, but he provided a Public Relations report, noting, that among other activities, he's going to post details concerning Bike Camp to the MLIVE events calendar and that he plans to put our weekly rides on this calendar. He will e-mail links to two stories that have appeared on Connect, the Public Media Network show on Channel 21, to David, KBC's webmaster. These stories are about the Friends of Bicycling Award and bike safety. In May, he plans to videotape some KBC rides and interviews to put on our website. The Executive Board of KBC approved this appointment.

A brief discussion about making the Ad Hoc Awards Committee a standing committee took place and this was approved unanimously. This award will be given every year.

Another brief discussion concerning the approval of the Fund Review Committee Proposal document took place. This was also approved unanimously.

Zolton gave a Bike Camp report, presenting the Bike Camp brochures that have been produced. He noted that the camp starts on Tuesday, May 10 and will also take place the following four Saturdays. He stated that bike fitters and ride monitors are needed for Bike Camp and Jon stated that he will get people from the KBC Race Team to help out.

Cricket, Cindi, Rick U., Hans, Bill, and Dale requested to become sanctioned ride leaders and their requests were approved. Victor wanted to know if a rider would still be covered by our ride insurance if that rider takes a shortcut on a sanctioned ride and Zolton confirmed that this rider would still be covered after taking the shortcut. He also noted that a non-member of the KBC can be covered for one ride per year. Bill wanted to know if a rider would be covered while riding to a sanctioned ride and Zolton noted that if there were more than one rider riding together to the ride, they would be covered.

Rick U. and Jon asked for $1000 from KBC in support of the BTR race on Saturday, July 16. Zolton asked what KBC would get in return for this money and Rick U. stated that this would provide publicity for the club, including having the KBC name on the posters for this race. He also noted that people who wanted information about the race would have to go through the KBC website to find this information. This support was approved unanimously. Rick U. will provide an entry form to David, so that he can put this on our website.

Paul Selden was unable to attend the meeting, but he provided a Road Safety update. He attended the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) Technical and Policy Committee meetings and informed them of our willingness to help them with their planning. He met many of the township supervisors and road planners. He worked with Joanna Johnson of the Kalamazoo County Road Commission (KCRC) and Dave Healy, the Texas Township Supervisor, to gain their agreement to forego chip sealing projects in our KalTour ride area until after KalTour is complete. He attended the Texas Township Parks Planning Committee (along with Zolton) to address the positive impact on safety that their proposed trailway on Texas drive is likely to have by separating at least some cyclists from vehicular traffic. He also scheduled a meeting with the City of Portage Street Department to assess the roadway portions of the Portage Bikeway on April 21. Finally, he noted that Dale, Victor, and Jesse Riegle have been helping him by providing updates on cycling road hazards.

Dick presented a proposed procedure for the Awards Committee. He proposed that this award should be discussed at the December Monthly Meeting and that the November Pedal Press should indicate that this discussion will be taking place. This should also be publicized at the January Recovery Party, and that this should be voted on at the February meeting. (Editor's Note: The Awards Committee recommends that the award be well publicized and that the voting for the award should take place at the December Monthly Meeting, based on the nominations provided by KBC members during the year. At the end of the year, KBC will evaluate the nomination and voting procedure used in 2011 and adjust it, if necessary, in 2012.)

Jon requested $150 from KBC for the renewal of the KBC Racing Team's license. This was approved. Jon also stated that members of the Race Team are determined around December 1 and if a KBC member is interested in joining the team, he or she should contact Jon before then. Kathy requested that Jon supply racing results to the website and the Pedal Press and Jon agreed to do this.

Rick W. made a brief announcement about the W Ride that he will be leading. It will be taking place on Saturday, April 30, starting at Vicksburg High School.

Bill stated that there will be a "mini Bike Camp" to be run in conjunction with the Make-a-Wish road race that will be held in Lawton on Sunday, July 17. One event will be a Grand Fondo, which is a timed event, but not a race. He is looking for support from KBC, i.e., volunteers for this race, and he is also looking for financial support, and has submitted a funding request for this. Zolton suggested that Bill write an article for the Pedal Press about this race. Doug suggested that Bill should be specific about the activities that the volunteers will do and Kathy suggested that Bill should also indicate the times that volunteers are needed.

Victor wanted to know if we could obtain an indoor riding facility, which could be used as a source of revenue for the club. He noted that the Lest We Forget organization through AMBUCs is providing bicycles to disabled veterans. He also stated that he believes that KBC needs more members. Zolton stated that people who aren't interested in riding in groups wouldn't have much interest in joining KBC and he noted that even with our current size, we have improved bicycle awareness in Kalamazoo County. Mike Boersma noted that Victor could promote the club, although Victor felt that we need a more formal promotional group. Doug noted that many members primary interest is in bicycle riding, not recruiting new members.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:08 P.M. < br /> Rick Whaley for Bill Figeley, KBC Secretary

Masthead

The electronically-distributed KBC Pedal Press 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, editor@kalamazoobicycleclub.org by the 20th of the month before its intended publication.

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

KBC Statistics

Active subscriptions: 260

New members:
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May Expiring memberships:
Mark Ackley · Alamgir Choudhury Family · Greg DeHaan Family · Janet DeZwaan · Jeanette Field · Kathy Godin · Gillian Gonda Family · Jeff & Paige Hofpar · J Mike Jacobs · Stacey Lyon · Bill & Pat McKinney · Charles Mock · Gary Nicholas · Kevin Philion · Corrine & Kelly Sallaz · Leslie Scheffers · Paul Sotherland Family · Patric VanSlambrouck · Flint Wiles · John Wunderlin

Renewed memberships:
Richard Neumann · Susan H. Peterson · Jamie Clark · Timothy A. Stewart · Darryl Dolby · T.J. Seiwert · Michael Daniels · Robert Lynch · Mark Jensen · Cassandra & Marty Poné · Hans Juntunen · Don Reeves · Chad Goodwill Family · Katie Jacobs · Cindi MacDonald · Glenn Llewellyn

Paul Bruneau, KBC Database Manager

Editor’s Letter – It's TOSRV Time Again

Ah, the rituals of spring. The swallows coming back to Capistrano. The crack of the bat, as we take ourselves out to the old ball game. And, of course, the Tour of the Scioto River Valley, better known as TOSRV, a two-day ride from Columbus to Portsmouth, Ohio and back. It's enough to me want to burst out into song (when Rick Whaley comes baaaaaaaack to ride to Portsmouth..... take me riding to Poooortsmouth...) and, obviously, too great a temptation to resist. So, on Mother's Day weekend, I'll be riding my bicycle 210 miles in central and southern Ohio, something I've done every year since 1994.

Since, in this case, I actually do care if I ever come back, this means that I have to prepare for TOSRV by doing some long distance rides early in the cycling season or suffer the consequences. This point was driven home to me early in my TOSRV career, by example. In 1996, while I was living in suburban Columbus, one of my coworkers decided that he also wanted to ride TOSRV. Although he hadn't done very much riding and no long rides at all, Dave was in good physical shape and, being a few years younger than me; he had youth on his side. We agreed to ride together.

So, we started the ride on a cold (mid 40s), rainy Saturday morning. For some mysterious reason, Mr. I Don't Know How to Dress Myself decided to use a long sleeve 100% cotton T-shirt as a base layer and a short sleeve 100% cotton T-shirt as a second layer. After the rain soaked through my nylon jacket and T-shirts, I found the sensation to be less than pleasant. I managed to avoid shivering while riding my bicycle, but at the first rest stop outside of Circleville, while piling my plate with food, I discovered that there was such a thing as Mexican jumping Danishes, a somewhat less than synergetic melding of culinary cultures. In contrast, Dave, who actually knew how to dress, was holding up pretty well.

I stopped shivering, once I got on my bike again, and the ride to the lunch stop at Chillicothe was still cold and rainy, but less unpleasant. After we stopped, I started shivering again, but only for a little while, as the day had finally started warming up and the rain had settled into a drizzle. As we started riding again on the hilly portion of the course, Dave and I decided that we would each ride at our own pace and rendezvous at the next rest stop just south of Waverly.

After we hit the hills, Dave soon fell behind me and I got to the Waverly rest stop first. I waited for a while, but Dave remained a no show, so I decided to ride on to Portsmouth and meet him there, since we were both staying overnight at the same gym. At the gym, I showered, changed into some dry clothes, and waited and waited some more. Still no Dave. I finally had to get something to eat and when I returned to the gym, there was still no sign of Dave. Finally, I fell asleep amidst my cycling stuff, but Dave wasn't here.

I rode back to Columbus alone on Sunday and I learned about Dave's mysterious disappearance the next day at work. He told me that his lack of bicycle conditioning really hit him hard while riding the hills and in Waverly, he called his wife to come rescue him. I'm sure she must have really enjoyed making the 150 mile round trip to pick him up and, although I never asked him about it, I suspect that some spousal payback ensued. But the point was made and it was not to find a woman to marry in order to have a back-up plan if something went wrong while riding TOSRV.

Later that year, I moved to Portage and in the spring of 1997, I began preparing for TOSRV again. I also discovered what spring can be like in southwest Michigan, particularly during one Saturday afternoon, when I attempted to get in at least one long ride, only to be stymied by a mixture of windy rain, sleet, and more rain. So, less than two weeks before TOSRV, on a rare day with nice weather, and with the knowledge that my longest ride of 1997 had been the aforementioned rainy 40 mile ride, I decided to arrive at work early, leave work early, and squeeze in a 4 hour ride before sunset, a mission that I accomplished. I won't say that I finished TOSRV because of this ride, but psychologically, it didn't hurt.

In the following years, I made it a point to get in at least one 75 mile ride before TOSRV, as recommended in the TOSRV brochure. In some years, this was easy to do, particularly if the spring weather was kind and if I was training for Calvin's Challenge, a 12 hour race in Ohio taking place the Saturday before TOSRV. However, in recent years, the springs haven't been all that kind and I haven't been doing Calvin's Challenge, and this finally caught up to me at last year's ride.

Some (i.e., none) of you will recall that I also wrote about TOSRV in the May 2008 Pedal Press. In that letter, I mentioned that the number of people that I had been riding with had been dwindling in recent years and that someday, I might end up doing the ride alone again. That someday was last year. It was also the case that my longest ride of 2010 prior to TOSRV had been 50 miles. As a result, last year's TOSRV was one of the slowest TOSRVs that I had ever ridden, not particularly unenjoyable, just slow.

Nevertheless, I would like to do the ride at a quicker pace this year, and, if at least some of my previous TOSRV riding companions show up, I will have to be ready to ride faster. However, and I know that this will be surprising news for most of you; this spring hasn't been particularly good for riding. So, heading into late April, my longest ride had yet to reach the magical 75 mile distance. In order to rectify this situation, I decided to do the day-before-Easter FC4 group ride and then continue riding after the group ride was over. Since the chosen route was 55 miles, this meant that I would then ride about another 20 miles solo.

However, what I hadn't anticipated was that the ride would be as hard as it was, at least for me. We fought the wind on our way to Decatur and I managed to stay with first group of riders until we got close to town. After a short break and regrouping in Decatur, we had the advantage of a strong tailwind on the way back to Kalamazoo, but by then, my legs were shot, which meant that after putting up a pretty good fight to Lawton, I watched the lead group of riders slowly, and then not-so-slowly disappear into the distance. When I finally caught back up with this group at the corner of Q Avenue and 8th Street, where they stopped to regroup, I told them that I was going to do a circuitous ride back home, and a circuitous, as well as unpleasant, 24 miles, it was.

I was tired. Even when I had a tailwind, I was tired. When I finally finished the ride and I plopped into my reclining chair, while debating whether to ever get up again, I was tired. After I lost my internal debate and got up from the chair to take a shower, I was tired. I was tired while taking my shower. I was tired while dressing. I decided to take a nap. I wasn't too tired to do that.

Now, I should point out that I'm a good sleeper and I don't skimp on it. If I'm allowed to sleep as much as I want, I'll sleep between 8 and 9 hours a night, which has made me wonder from time to time why I've ever gotten involved with 24 hour bicycle racing. I think this is a trait that runs in my family (sleeping, not 24 hour bicycle racing, thank goodness). I remember my Dad lying on the sofa, watching and sleeping his way through a Sunday afternoon's worth of NFL games. Both my brothers are no slouches in the sleep department, either. A Whaley coat-of-arms should include some sawing logs, eye shades, and sheep on a field of mattresses, bordered by the letter "Z." However, unlike my brothers, I've never been a fan of naps. I've found that they've left me more groggy than refreshed. However, when the occasion demands it, I will nap, and this was one of those occasions.

So, 85 minutes later, I awoke for the second time that day and I actually did feel somewhat refreshed. I also knew that I had my 75 mile pre-TOSRV ride under my belt. Still, I have to wonder about my conditioning going into this year's TOSRV; a 75 mile ride shouldn't have beaten me up as badly as it did. I'll be going into the ride with a positive attitude and I strongly suspect that I'll be fine, but if the ride doesn't go well, I just hope that there's a furniture store with a comfortable sofa in Waverly. Because that's my back-up plan.

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Some Upcoming Area Rides of Interest

Saturday, May 7. Kal-Haven/Kalamazoo River Valley Trailway Trailblazer, Kalamazoo/South Haven. 25, 45, 70, and 100 miles. trailblazer2011@yahoo.com.

Tuesday, May 10 and Saturdays, May 14 through June 4 Ð Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Bike Camp. www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

Sunday, May 15. Baba Wooly Bike Rally. Coldwater, MI. 15, 25, 40, 62, and 100 miles. www.bikeranch.org.

Saturday, May 21. Ride Around Kent County (RAKC). Walker, MI. 145 miles with 50 and 100 mile bail-outs. www.lmb.org/rapidwheels/rakc/rakc.html.

Sunday, May 22. Orchard Country Bicycle Tour. LaPorte, IN. 15, 30, and 55 miles. (219) 362-4200.

Saturday, June 4. Three Rivers Bike Ride. Three Rivers. 45 miles. (269) 273-8860 or (269) 816-0530.

Saturday, June 4. 100 Grand Bicycle Tour. Grand Rapids. 17, 36, 65, 105, and 141 miles. www.rapidwheelmen.com/100Grand.

Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19, National 24-Hour Challenge, Middleville, MI. Yes, it is a challenge. See how far you can ride a bicycle in 24 hours. www.n24hc.org.

Wednesday through Sunday, August 31 – September 4. 41st Annual Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw (DALMAC) Bicycle Tour. Five rides over 4 or 5 days, ranging from 283 to 402 miles. Registration has begun and all rides except for the Quad Century fill up quickly. www.DALMAC.org.

Classified Ads

For Sale – Girls Trek MT-60 (mineral blue) in excellent condition, bought new in May 2007, adjustable for a 5 year-old up to 9 year-old, 6-speed with front and rear grip shift hand brakes, also has front shocks. Our daughter outgrew it and is now in an adult size mountain bike. Owner's manual and matching helmet included, photos available upon request. $125. Please contact Stephanie Sabin at (269) 350-6225 or sabinsms@gmail.com

Kestrel 200 SC road bike with Shimano DuraAce components and EMS composite forks. Campagnolo Omega wheels. White in color, good condition. Not sure how old it is (probably 1990s), but I bought it used in around 2000 and used it for about 15 Olympic distance triathlons, plus about 200 miles per year. Not sure what size it is, but it stands 32 inches high at the top tube. Asking price is $600, but will consider any offer. E-mail Rob at rkengis@hotmail.comor call 269-664-6489.

I am looking for a used carbon fiber bike. Contact Maggie Miller at maggiemiller@rocketmail.com.

Cannondale Ironman 2000 (model year 2003) time trial bike. Size 56 with the CAAD5 Aero frame. Components are Ultegra and Dura-Ace with Spinergy Xaero Lite 650 wheels. Additional race accessories include Zipp 800 full disk rear and Zipp 400 front with new tubular tires. Extra sets of tires included. $1,500 for full setup. Will also consider selling without Zipp racing wheelset. Call 806-7164 or contact Kellam.glen@yahoo.com.

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
www.custercyclery.com

Gazelle Sports

214 South Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, (269) 342–5996,
www.Gazellesports.com
What's all the craze with this minimalist running stuff? Learn how to run more efficiently, and faster - no matter what you chose to wear on your feet - at a Gazelle Sports' Good Form Running Clinic. It's FREE! Wednesdays at 6:00 P.M. at Gazelle Sports, downtown Kalamazoo. Please pre-register at www.Gazellesports.com

Pedal

611 W Michigan Avenue, Kalamazo, (269) 56–PEDAL
info@pedalbicycle.com andwww.pedalbicycle.com

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
www.zoocitycycle.com

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.