Kalamazoo Bicycle Club
Pedal Press

August 2011 President’s Letter

Last month, I wrote that July was always a busy month for the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. It was. And it was also a stellar month for riders in the region who like to tour – and also to race.

KalTour

On July 10, 2011 despite an unusually hot and humid Sunday, more than 230 riders took part in KBC's KalTour Bicycle Tour. KalTour Director Mike Krischer's organizational abilities were on full display, as everything came off without a hitch. Food got to where it was needed; there was plenty of water and Gatorade available at the SAG stops; and watermelon awaited riders at the finish.

Highlights included:

1. The new start to KalTour, at the Bronson Health Club, seemed to work out well. Parking and the registration area were more than adequate, and Bronson's representative was thrilled to be able to show off the facility to a lot of new people.
2. The cookies at the Briar Patch SAG stop, provided to KBC by the Victorian Bakery in Kalamazoo, elicited much commendation. Never have the words "awesome" and "cookies" been combined so often in a sentence as they were during KalTour. I'll confess I ate my share during my volunteer stint at the Briar Patch. And then I ate someone else's share, too.
3. In a remarkable exhibition of ambassadorship, KBC Road Safety Director Paul Selden actually convinced the road commissions in charge of roads KalTour routes traverse to delay their chip and seal programs until after the conclusion of the event. Paul deserves a pat on the back from KalTour riders who don't relish rolling over fresh, round, slippery stones, and breathing the accompanying dust.
4. Alive After Five, the local AMBUCS organization that provides adaptive tricycles to disabled children, had no fewer than eight volunteers show up to staff the Briar Patch SAG stop. Not only were they helpful and friendly, but they also had along for display some of the interesting tricycles that they had adapted to various kids' special needs. KBC is proud to partner with this group that is making a real difference in people's lives

So, to Mike Krischer and all the many volunteers who worked together to make KalTour 2011 a triumph, well done!

BTR Race

The BTR Park Criterium Bike Race, held on July 16, 2011 at WMU's BTR business park on Parkview Avenue, had great success as well. Race Director Rick Updike reports that there were 265 participants this year, a new record for the event.

Rick points out that WMU, as the major financial sponsor for the race, is critical to its success. "Of course," he adds, "We have a pretty great group of volunteers that put the race on, too. Lots of them are KBC members; so many that we couldn't do it without their help. And KBC itself is a major sponsor, and that means a lot."

Donna Marks, WMU's point person for the BTR race, said, "I thought it was a well planned and executed race. Racers had a great time and I didn't get any complaints." Rick said there were no crashes, and that the racers liked the new asphalt that had been laid down on half of the course just a few days prior to the race.

Rick and Donna are pleased that Scott's Pig Roast seemingly had a successful day selling pulled pork sandwiches and side dishes, and hope he will be up for doing it again next year.

So it looks as though all is well in BTR Criterium Bike Race land. . .

Lawton Priority Health Race for Wishes

As incredibly hot and humid weather continued in the middle of this steamy July, Bill Braun and his crew of volunteers pulled off a major accomplishment by starting a new bike road race from scratch. It occurred on Sunday, July 17, 2011, in the town of Lawton &ndash: thus completing what is now being called "Race Weekend" in Southwest Michigan.

The idea, in addition to the noble goal of raising funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Michigan, was to create a new bike racing event, held a day after the BTR race that might induce some out-of-town racers and their fans to stay over and attend both on the same weekend. That seems to have been successful, as some racers from other areas did indeed participate in both days of competition.

Bill says, "So how did we get two bike races on the same weekend – within 20 minutes driving time of each other?... Great Planning! We're trying to build a race weekend... and next year we're hoping to step it up another level (think Road Race, Criterium, TT and/or street sprints). Stay tuned :)."

Overall, Bill says he was pleased with how the Lawton race came off. "The most important things were that it was a safe race, and racers had fun and loved the course. And Make-a-Wish got more connected with bikers/Lawton and we raised good funds... all-in-all, a successful day."

Final thoughts on "Race Weekend"

On a personal note, I spent all day at the BTR race photographing the goings-on, and the first part of the morning at the Lawton race, also shooting photos of the racers. Due to a prior commitment, I had to leave Lawton just as some of the morning races were concluding, and as I was walking back to my car I got the opportunity to see, and hear, the final sprints from a different perspective.

As a photographer I have always stationed myself so as to be able to shoot riders coming toward me, especially so at the finish line. The idea is to capture the death-agony look on their faces as they pour absolutely everything they have into the pursuit of an infinitesimal fraction more speed.

But this time I got to see two final sprints from the side. And the view from there is different entirely. The look is different – and especially so is the sound.

When a bike is rolling along the pavement at moderate speeds, there is a pleasant hum as the tires contact the asphalt. That's not the case during the final 200 meters of a bike race. The hum becomes more of a buzz; an angry buzz. Derailleurs click, chains strain and rub against derailleur cages, and grunts of effort come from the mouths of racers who are at, or past, their limit. Frankly, it's the sound of bikes being tortured.

In an instant I became acutely aware, in almost a primal sense, of the raw power and primitive, visceral striving that is inherent in a final sprint to the line. I felt privileged to witness it at such close proximity, and more than a little awed and unnerved. It's not often we get to observe something so personal and so real.

Next year, make it a point of being at one or both of these races, either as a participant or a spectator, so you can see what it is that makes bike racing so exciting. . .

Results of both the BTR Criterium and the Lawton Race for Wishes can be obtained through KBC's website at www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

Zolton Cohen, KBC President

KalTour 2011 Wrap–up

There are over 200 ways to describe the 2011 version of KalTour, since every rider has an individual story. For some riders, particularly those from Bike Camp, KalTour is a challenge to complete a new distance, for some it is a chance to see old friends, and for others a chance to see new roads. However, I'm sure everyone agreed that the near 90 degree afternoon temperature was warm.

For me, there were several notable aspects of KalTour 2011. The first was switching ride headquarters from KVCC to Bronson Athletic Club. Bronson's parking lot is smaller than the one at KVCC and riders had to start out on 9th Street, but the BAC staff and a helpful police officer got everyone off to a smooth start. Another notable aspect for me was what didn't happen. There wasn't a single distress call to ride headquarters. No one had to be sagged in because of mechanical failure or injury.

The most notable aspect of KalTour is the number of people who helped run the show. People designed the route maps and painted arrows on the road before the ride. They were up at daybreak to set up registration. They staffed registration and the SAG stops. They purchased food ahead of time for the ride. They contributed food from their own businesses. They tracked the riders, making sure no one was left behind. They led the group rides – fast, moderate pace, and family.

These people include KBC members Dave Bishop, Mike Boersma, Maria Brennan, Paul Bruneau, Zolton Cohen, John & Barb Hart, John Idema, Mark Jensen, Tom Keizer, Doug Kirk, John Mathieson, Mike Mock, Terry O'Connor, Paul Selden, Mary Warren, Rick Whaley, and Jim Wyrick.

We were also assisted by the following businesses and organizations: Bronson Athletic Club, Timber Ridge Ski Area, Briar Patch Plant Nursery, Great Harvest Bread, Victorian Bakery, Kalamazoo Radio Club, AMBUCS (Alive After Five chapter), and Tom Seelbinder & Mickie Brodie of ReMax Real Estate.

Let me know what you thought of KalTour 2011 as well as any suggestions that you might have for 2012. E-mail your comments to kaltour@kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

Mike Krischer, KalTour Co-Director

Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival

The second annual Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2011 at the WMU Little Theater at 8:00 P.M. Short films with a bicycling theme will be shown. More information can be found about this event at www.kalamazoobicyclefilmfestival.com.
There is plenty of bike parking at this event. Let try to fill these racks!!

Kudos

A big round of thanks to Director of Public Safety Ken Colby and Captain Rick Ives of Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Department of Public Safety! Director Colby approved and planned, and Capt. Ives cheerfully staffed, traffic control and security for our KalTour riders as they exited onto 9th Street. Director Colby has pledged to provide similar coverage for our next KalTour, as well. We appreciate their showing such great support for the bicycling community!

Congratulations to the City of Portage for receiving a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists in April 2010. The BFC award, which lasts for four years, is not easy to achieve: only three cities in Michigan received it in 2010. Bill Deming, parks director for the city at the time, says that the city received a sign to post as part of the award. Keep your eyes open for it!

Kudos to Ron Campbell for writing and to the Kalamazoo Gazette for publishing the highly readable series about the 20th annual "Michigander Bike Tour." Through the series, many people who would not normally be exposed to the joys and challenges of bicycle touring have learned about this unique 340 mile ride through southwest Michigan. Ron's friendly and encouraging writing style made it easy to imagine being on the ride and will undoubtedly help increase the image of our region as being bicycle friendly.

Paul Selden, Director of Road Safety

Monthly Minutes

The monthly KBC general club meeting was called to order by Zolton Cohen at 7:01 P.M. on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at the YMCA on Maple Street in Kalamazoo. Also attending were Paul Selden, Rick Whaley, David Jones, Mike Krischer, Jon Ballema, Victor Van Fleet, Terry O'Connor, Chad Goodwill, Mike Berry, Tom Keizer, Mike Boersma, Karl Freye, Mark Lemons, Doug Kirk, Joe Yeager, Mary Gerger, and Mike Mock.

Tom gave the Treasurer's Report. There was $1853 in income and $2135 in expenses in June.

Mike K. gave the KalTour report. There were 116 pre-registered riders and 136 day-of-ride registrations for a total of 252 registrations. There were 231 wristbands given out to riders on the day of the ride. The number of pre-registered riders was a bit down from 2010, but there wasn't as much publicity for the ride as in previous years. Mike K. also noted that the food support was good and that there was an inaccuracy in the road painting that cut a couple miles off the Metric Century and Century ride. (Editor's Note: I, for one, didn't miss those extra couple of miles while doing the Century.)

Zolton asked if we could put SAG stop closing times in the KalTour brochure. Mike K. noted that we have had a closing time for some SAG stops and he will consider putting in closing times for other SAG stops next year. Chad thought that it would be a good idea to put the closing times on the map. Mike M. wondered if we should consider having the KBC discount offered on the day of the ride. Zolton noted that there would be a problem verifying KBC status on the day of the ride. Zolton also noted that Alive After Five had 8 volunteers at the Briar Patch SAG stop. Zolton and Doug acknowledged Mike K. for his contribution to making the ride a success and Doug also noted that there was no chip and seal on the routes, thanks to Paul. Paul stated that the Kalamazoo County Road Commission was very cooperative in avoiding putting chip seal on roads used by KalTour.

Karl requested that KBC contribute $100 help fund the Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival, which will be taking place on August 27. (Editor's Note: There is an article on this event elsewhere in the Pedal Press.) This request was submitted prior to the meeting and it was approved unanimously at the meeting.

Zolton stated that Joe Kucharski suggested that we set up a protocol so that KBC club rides will be cancelled if there is a Tornado Watch. Doug liked the idea of doing this for Tornado Warnings, but not for Tornado Watches. Zolton thought that we could cancel a ride if there is a Warning and indicate that riders ride at their own risk, if there is a Tornado Watch. Jon noted that conditions can change from a Watch to a Warning quickly and he wondered if ride leaders should show up, even if it is only a Tornado Watch. Zolton indicated that this is another situation where riders must use their discretion. David wondered what our insurance has to say about this. Zolton stated that he wanted to think about this some more and will talk about this with other members of the club. Mike Boersma thought that Time Trial volunteers, in particular, should have more say in when a ride is cancelled.

Paul gave a Road Safety report. He noted that KBC was able to block off part of 9th Street for the start of KalTour, thanks to Ken Colby and Rick Ives of KVCC Public Safety, and that we should write them a thank you letter. Mike Boersma also thought that we should write a letter to the Kalamazoo County Road Commission to thank them and a motion to write thank you letters to both groups was passed.

Paul also stated that in the past month he has meet with Deb Carpenter, Bronson Health Group, Childhood Injury Prevention Coordinator; Ron Fuller, Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency Superintendent; Dr. Harold Glasser, Western Michigan University, Exec. Dir. Office of Sustainability; Darrell Harden, Michigan Department of Transportation, Transportation Planner; Dave Healy, Texas Township, Supervisor; Joanna Johnson, Kalamazoo County Road Commission, Managing Director; Fred Nagler, City of Kalamazoo, Assistant City Engineer; Lt. Jim VanDyken, Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Operations Department; and David Rachowicz, Kalamazoo County Parks Department, Director to discuss how we can make Kalamazoo County more bicycle friendly.

David noted that the Kalamazoo Valley River Trail organization contacted him to give a presentation about bicycle safety and that he spent a couple hours talking about how to be safe while riding the KVRT to approximately 60 elementary school students who were participating in the New Genesis program. Victor noted that other organizations can benefit from this and that we should think more about this sort of promotion.

Jon discussed the upcoming BTR Criterium. He noted that this will be an all day event that is being put on by the CMS Race Team, WMU, and KBC, and that food will be sold by Scott's Pig Roast during the event. He also noted that the Priority Health Race for Wishes will be taking place the next day and that the Portage Kid's Triathlon will be taking place on the previous evening. Jon also noted that there will be a kid's race at both weekend race events, as well. Mike Boersma asked about the number of pre-registrations and Jon replied that the number was small, but that this has also been the case in the past.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 P.M.

Rick Whaley for Bill Figeley, KBC Secretary

Statistics

Active subscriptions: 293

New members:
Charlie Coss · David Fatzinger · Rebekah Fatzinger · Jerry Neubauer · Britta Seifert · Mike Spencer

August Expiring memberships:
Alex Bross · Alan Dahl · Raymond Farmer · Ronald Gauthier Family · Sherry Gordon · Daniel Hoff · Steve Hope · Kathy Johnson · Lawrence & Sheri Jones · Daniel Marshall · David Merwin · Patricia Randall · Tom Ray · Barry Roelofs · Richard Sachwitz · Alan Sawyer · Richard Seabold · Allison Kelaher Young

Renewed memberships:
Kevin Cleary · Daniel Goldberger · Britta Seifert

Paul Bruneau, KBC Database Manager

Editor's Letter – The Ride to South Haven

(Editor's Note: Here at the Pedal Press, we pride ourselves in consolidating articles, when feasible, in order to give our readers a more efficient newsletter. So, this month's Ride to South Haven Report is also the Editor's Letter. And, no, this isn't due to an attack of midsummer laziness.)

Because I don't recall the exact second that I turned on the TV, at approximately 6:38 A.M. on the morning of July 23, I saw a giant green blob floating over Kalamazoo and extending well into Lake Michigan, compliments of the Weather Channel. Since it wasn't St. Patrick's Day, this did not appear to be a good sign. However, I decided to drive to KVCC anyway, see who else might show up, and then determine whether or not to cancel the ride. As I drove to KVCC, I noticed that the sky was becoming clearer, and I became more optimistic, although still wishy-washy, about the possibility of avoiding being washed away by rain. When I arrived at KVCC, John Olbrot was already there, peering intently at his combination cell phone, computer, camera, Swiss army knife, microwave oven, and who knows what else. It looked like the weather was indeed clearing up, and this was confirmed by John Idema and Mike Vanderveen, who arrived shortly afterwards. Then Steve Stapleton arrived, and gave a different sort of weather report, one filled with impending lightning, thunder, and rain; rain that sounded like it might even include snakes. After more discussion, we decided to set out to South Haven and turn back, if the skies appeared to be threatening; a time tested method used on many occasions by dead mountain climbers. And, so at 8:18 A.M., after the first set of pictures was taken by John O., the 2011 Ride to South Haven began.

Six miles into the ride, Steve got a flat tire. I performed some quick calculations and determined that at this rate, we would experience 16 additional flats, and I began to think about using my cell phone to make motel reservations in South Haven. Fortunately, however, this proved to be our only tire wrestling experience during the ride.

We reached Lawrence at a pace that was a little quicker than I expected, but everyone was still feeling good, as we drank the first of many Gatorades. We left Lawrence for the next leg of the journey still feeling good and there were some impressive pulls, especially by Steve, broken up by a brief map studying (one of the items on my bucket list is to someday actually memorize this route) and picture taking break. About 10 miles out of South Haven, the sky clouded up and it rained pretty hard for a few minutes, enough to thoroughly soak everyone; but this also allowed us to more fully appreciate the cyclocross experience that awaited us at the US 31overpass on CR380. CR380 was closed, but since the "best" alternative was to backtrack and enter South Haven via M-140, we decided to pick up our bikes and zigzag our way through the construction equipment along the somewhat muddy and sandy road until we reached clean pavement again.

The actual ride into South Haven was eventful as usual, with hoards of people lining the streets shouting in our ears and waving Michigan and Illinois (this is a tourist town, after all) state flags in our faces, although there is always that possibility that three weeks of Tour de France watching had begun to affect my perception of reality. Actually, the hoards of people lining the streets were more interested in window shopping or actual shopping than gazing at a small group of 50 and 60-something cyclists, which, I suppose, is just as well. Eye candy, we weren't, but I could be speaking only for myself.

Tradition must be served, preferably between two slices of bread, so we stopped at the Subs N More, for the traditional Ride to South Haven lunch, which included, as you might expect, subs and more (the "more" being chips and a drink). However, I deviated from my traditional turkey sub for a turkey club sub to symbolize the fact that if the sun were to break through the clouds, we would probably start "bacon" on our ride back to KVCC. Actually, I ordered it because it sounded good and not for its (very) cheap laugh potential. After another couple of pictures, we rode down to the pier and stopped for ice cream, which turned out to be a very brief stop, since no one wanted any, and we began the third leg of our journey.

On our way out of South Haven, we got to give our upper bodies a workout once again while carrying our bikes under the US-31 overpass, which was enlivened this time by dodging the occasional fragments of concrete that were being tossed by the construction crew that had shown up on US-31. Yet another good reason for wearing a bicycle helmet. We then began to head south on 76th Street and as we did, the sun did indeed break through the clouds and the heat began to match the humidity.

As a result, the ride from South Haven to Lawrence was not as pleasant as the earlier ride in the opposite direction. On Hagar Shore Road during our brief appearance in Berrien County, the temperature unit on my cyclometer reached 93 degrees and at it was at about this time that I began to rely on an inspirational message that had been burned into my brain from countless repetitions of a particular Tour de France commercial to carry me through. "WELL, C'MAHHHHHHHHHN! YEAH, C'MAHHHHAHHN!," I heard my inner voice screaming, and it must have worked because I made it to Lawrence, along with the rest of our bicycling group. However, I can only hope that any inspirational inner voices they heard were a little more articulate than mine.

We then took a rather long break, where we quenched our thirst with 32 ounce bottles of Gatorade, because they didn't have 128 ounce bottles. It was here that John O. discovered that he had left his wallet at the Subs N More, so we treated him to a Gatorade, because that's the kind of generous cyclists that we are and also because hauling his dehydrated body back to KVCC would have been too much work. No pictures were taken, because, at this point, none of us looked particularly photogenic. Finally, we decided that because we didn't have enough strength to jump in the air while holding our bicycles and wait for the Earth's rotation to bring us back to KVCC, we needed to get back on our bicycles and actually ride the remaining 22 miles.

As we rode through Paw Paw on our way to Mattawan, Mike left our group, as he had a dinner party to go to in Lawton, where I'm sure his soaking wet cycling apparel had the other party goers gasping in admiration of his fashion style. We trust that he had a change of clothes awaiting him. Steve and John O., perhaps sensing that the end was in sight, took some strong pulls and I was barely to hang on, which allowed my inner voice to dredge up yet another inspirational message from yet another Tour de France commercial, and I told myself that "I just want to be o.k. Be o.k. Be o.k. I just want to be o.k. again," over and over and over and over. This didn't have quite the desired affect, however, since I found that I was now kind of looking forward to getting heat stroke.

However, I did not, which meant that I had to ride up the 56th Avenue hill in Mattawan, which isn't such a tough hill, unless you've already ridden over 95 miles and the temperature is almost as high as the mileage. At this point, our group of four began to split up slightly, as the effect of a long humid and hot day took its toll, and I began to really wish that this actually was a Century Ride, as my left hamstring decided that it needed to celebrate the ride by cramping at the 100.5 mile mark. I was able to fight it off and I was able to avoid having to fight off any more cramps during the remaining 1.5 miles back to KVCC.

Steve was already there when I arrived at KVCC and the two Johns arrived less than a minute later. It was 4:38 P.M., 8 hours and 20 minutes of total time, but we took over two hours worth of breaks during the ride, including the typical hour plus break in South Haven. While riding, we averaged 16.5 mph, down from the 16.8 mph we averaged on the way to South Haven. We congratulated each other on a ride well done and treated ourselves to more Gatorade, as well as to some sourdough pretzels, and I have no statistics to report regarding the quantities of Gatorade and pretzels that we consumed. However, I will say that the "Xtremo Citrus Cooler" Gatorade was particularly popular and tasted much better than in would have, if it were merely called "Citrus Cooler."

We then said our good-byes and John O. later found out that his wallet had actually fallen out of his cycling pocket while he was in the CITGO store in Lawrence, just before he noticed that it was missing. He retrieved it later that day; all contents and money intact, and his faith in humanity was restored. I, on the other hand, was restored by the Gatorade and water that I drank in copious amounts, while relaxing in my reclining chair after the ride. ("That's right, go out and run around all over town with that bicycle hussy of yours, but when you want comfort, you always come back to me!") It was a day well spent.

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Classified Ads

NEW: Looking for a used women's bike in good condition, hybrid, for paved road/trail rides. Not sure of the size bike needed, but I'm petite, 5'3." Contact Donna at doandres@att.net or (269) 968-9674 (home) or (269) 830-1706 (cell).

2008 Trek Madone 4.5 (size 56). Less than 400 road miles due to injuries and surgery. $1500. See the specs at the following link: http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/archive/madone45. Phone: 269-352-3199. E-mail: ox7fresh@gmail.com.

For Sale – Girls Trek MT-60 (mineral blue) in excellent condition, bought new in June 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
Gait Analysis, Good Form Running, Wellness Clinics, Injury Treatment Clinics.... just a few of the FREE information options from Gazelle Sports. Learn more at www.Gazellesports.com or call (269) 342-5996.

Johnson Cycle Works

5309 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, (269) 226-0001.
www.JohnsonCycleWorks.com

Pedal

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