January 2016 President's Letter

Happy New Year KBC!

I'd like to start out by congratulating Kalamazoo Charter Township on being the recipient of KBC's Friend of Bicycling Award for 2016. Ron Reid, Supervisor of Kalamazoo Charter Township, and his crew have worked hard over the past couple of years on a number of projects supporting bicycling and other non-motorized forms of transportation. The presentation of this award will be in January so there will be more details to come. Many thanks to Paul Selden and Terry O'Connor for their work gathering nominees and managing the voting process.

Who's ready for a party with your biking buddies? KBC's annual Winter Recovery Party will be held Saturday, January 30, 2016 from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at the Eckert Wordell offices located downtown Kalamazoo in the Haymarket Building. See the article in the December Pedal Press and a follow-up article in this issue for additional details. Mark your calendars and plan to attend this wonderful event full of yummy food and great drinks with lots of giveaways and awards. I look forward to seeing you there!

As KBC approaches a new year and season of leadership, there will be much to do and accomplish. The Executive Committee is hard at work reviewing the surveys and generating a list of goals which will then be shared with the Board of Directors for additional input and prioritized. To accomplish many of these goals, it will be necessary to solicit additional help from KBC members. KBC has an amazing membership base filled with talented individuals, plus many hands make light work! Please see the section "KBC Help Wanted Ads" in this issue to find out how you can help today. If you have other ideas on how you'd like to help KBC, feel free to e-mail me at any time.

Just a reminder, there will be no KBC Monthly Meeting in January. See you at the Recovery Party!

The ringing in of a new year brings thoughts of new adventures to seek, goals to accomplish, and resolutions to fulfill. As you think about the year ahead, I encourage you to try something you've never done before, get involved with something you're passionate about, meet someone you've always wanted to meet, and ride somewhere you've never ridden! Happy 2016, it's going to be a great year!

Renee Mitchell :)
President, KBC

president@kalamazoobicycleclub.org

 

No KBC Monthly Meeting in January 2016

There will be no KBC Monthly Meeting in January. The next KBC Monthly Meeting will take place at 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at the Kalamazoo YMCA on Maple Street. All KBC members are welcome to attend.

 

KBC Help Wanted Ads - We Need Your Help!

Please consider becoming more involved with KBC by helping out with these roles! For more information or to volunteer, please e-mail Renee Mitchell at president@kalamazoobicycleclub.org. Thank you in advance for helping KBC move forward!

1. KBC Historians - Since 2002 not much information has been documented about KBC's leadership, activities, and accomplishments on the KBC website "History" tab. We are seeking one or two members willing to review previous years Pedal Presses and fill in the missing gaps of important historical data. This is a great winter project!

2. KBC Apparel Manager - We are seeking one member willing to manage our small but important collection of KBC hats and apparel.

3. KBC New Website Committee - Per the results of the Membership Survey, members would like to see changes to KBC's website. We know our members have lots of great ideas, so we are seeking a few members willing to serve on a committee to explore options for updating or re-creating KBC's website. Consider being a part of this important committee to help build a road map for KBC's future.

Renee Mitchell, KBC President

 

Reminder - 2016 KBC Winter Recovery Party

KBC's 2016 Winter Recovery Party will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. at the Eckert Wordell offices in downtown Kalamazoo. These offices are located on the 2nd floor of the Haymarket Building at 161 E. Michigan Avenue.

The party is a potluck, so bring a salad, dessert, or side dish to share. KBC will supply the plates, utensils, napkins, soft drinks, beer, wine, and some small sandwiches.

Parking in the lot directly north of the Haymarket Building will be validated. This parking lot can be accessed off of Water Street.

For more information, see the December Pedal Press or contact KBC Social Director Kathleen Kroll at socialdirector@kalamazoobicycleclub.org.

December Monthly Meeting Minutes

Present: Terry O'Connor, David Jarl, John Idema, Doug Kirk, Scott Powers, Marc Irwin, Tracy Reilly, Derek Dalzell, Mike Boersma, David Riggs, Paul Sotherland, Pam Sotherland, Michael Krischer, Scott Baron, Rick Whaley, Paul Selden, and Dale Krueger.

The meeting was called to order by Renee Mitchell at 7:01 P.M. Board members were thanked for their years of service.

Mike Boersma gave the Treasurer's Report. There was $325.73 of income and expenses of $1170.17 expenses in the past month. There is $8885.32 in the Club checking account (which includes $4000 of previously unreported KalTour income) and $11,153.27 in the Club certificate of deposit.

The mechanism for the sale of KBC hats was briefly discussed. If interested in a KBC hat, please contact Mike Boersma, John Olbrot, or purchase one at the Winter Recovery Party.

Paul Selden, Director of Road Safety, noted that some KBC members have applied to be a part of the Citizen Advisory Committee to the Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study (KATS) and have contributed to public comments on the non-motorized transportation plan.

KalTour Director, Mike Krischer, reported that different sandwich options for the KalTour are being considered. Anyone with suggestions can forward them to Mike or to the Club. In the past, Great Harvest Bread and Water Street Coffee Joint (2015) have provided sandwiches. The 2016 KalTour will be on Sunday, June 26, and, as in past years, a dollar of the registration fee will be donated to the Michigan League of Bicyclists

It was noted that for the Winter Recovery Party, volunteers are still needed and that partygoers should remember to bring a dish to pass. Validated parking will be available to the north of the Haymarket Building.

KBC's Award Committee Chairperson Paul Selden announced that there were three nominations on the ballot for KBC's 2016 Friend of Bicycling award. They were Marilyn J. Schlack, Kalamazoo Charter Township, and the Portage City Council. After a vote of KBC members present, the winner of the KBC's Friend of Bicycling Award for 2016 was determined to be Kalamazoo Charter Township. KBC offered its sincere thanks to all nominees for advancing the interests of bicycling.

KBC jerseys are currently on sale until December 31, 2015 and the price will be $64.48.

Derek Dalzell, introduced by Doug Kirk, gave a presentation about his coaching services. He discussed the possibility of offering group coaching and that more advanced coaching in periodization of training, racing tactics, and handling skills could be made available for an hourly rate. Derek specializes in cycling, running and triathlon coaching. A few different options for the format of sessions were discussed.

Mike Boersma mentioned the issue of parking in the new bike lanes on Portage Road. There are "No Parking/Bike Lane" signs, and public safety has been contacted about the illegal parking in the lane, but there appears to be not a lot of concern about this. Strategies for increasing awareness of this problem were discussed.

The Team Clark Logic race team requested $500 from KBC as part of their sponsorship. This request was approved.

Renee Mitchell mentioned the possibility of revamping the KBC website. Finding out what the Club wants for the website and then possibly outsourcing the work was suggested.

KBC brochures were also mentioned. They are currently being designed and will be distributed soon.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 P.M.

Respectfully Submitted,

Val Litznerski, 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 e-mail 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 February edition (distributed during the first week of February), have it to the newsletter editor by the 20th of January.

Statistics

Active Subscriptions:
258

New members:

Pamela Blodgett • Liz Popp • Tim Popp

Expiring memberships:

Ryan Heidenfeld Family

Renewed memberships:

David Jarl • Rob Schell • David and Diane Riggs

David Jones, KBC Database Manager

Editor's Letter - Too Much Information?

It began in the fall of 2013 with an unsightly bulge, not unlike a tire tube poking through a tire with a gash in it. Yes, it was a hernia or, as those of a more politically correct persuasion would call it, a peroffspringnia. (Please, Mr. Pedal Press Editor, tell me more!) I'd like to say that it occurred as the result of doing something manly, like lifting a 100 pound fully loaded touring bike above my head after dipping it in the Atlantic Ocean at the conclusion of a 20 day 3000 mile cross-country ride, but I'd like to say a lot of things. It just appeared, then disappearing and reappearing again over the course of time, like the full moon, peeking through a bed of fluffy clouds. (Such beautiful imagery, please tell me more!)

I should have taken care of it then, but it didn't really bother me and it was easier to procrastinate. And, of course, I couldn't have hernia surgery during the next cycling season, because I had my priorities. Then I thought about having surgery after the 2014 cycling season, but I decided that having surgery while being treated for blood clots was a bad idea. And, of course, I couldn't have hernia surgery during the next cycling season, because I had my priorities. Finally, I decided that the time had come to repair that gash in my body tire, figuratively speaking, one would hope.

I had planned to have the surgery in November, but I thought that showing up to the evaluation appointment with the surgeon while sick would not be of benefit to my fellow patients. (Please, Ms. Pedal Press Mother Theresa, tell me more.) So, I had to postpone that appointment for a month, and one week before Christmas, I finally had outpatient laparoscopic hernia surgery. This ended my 2015 cycling season, which was o.k. with me.

Except that the weather failed to cooperate. Unlike previous years, I'd be home for Christmas as a result of my surgery. This, of course, reminded me of a Christmas song.

I'll be home for Christmas.
You can cut on me.
Please have ice which would be nice
And Norco under the tree.

Christmas Eve will find me
Holed up in my lair.
I'll be home for Christmas
In my reclining chair.

I had assumed that the weather would be uncycleable (my contribution to the evolution of the English language) during the latter part of December, but I was wrong. Day after day of relatively mild weather and I couldn't take advantage of it. Although if I hadn't had the surgery, I'd be at work and then traveling, so I couldn't have taken advantage of the weather anyway. And I was being greedy, as well. Thanks, in part, to the Fridays that I no longer worked, I had already set a personal record for mileage in a calendar year, so I didn't need more, but the legs want what they want.

So, I gazed wistfully at the e-mail messages sent by riders arranging rides, thinking that I should be riding too. In an attempt to satisfy my craving, I rode my stationary trainer for 20 minutes on Christmas Eve, but there were portions of my body that weren't thanking me while getting on and off the bike. I decided to go cycling cold turkey for a few more days, knowing that the weather would take turn for the worse. And it did, so I celebrated the icy weather with brief easy spins on the stationary trainer; rides where I felt better.

And very soon it will be January, and it is unlikely that I'll be able to do much outside riding anyway. This is just as well, since I'm not supposed to be pushing myself for 6 weeks after the surgery, and I'm not supposed to lift more than 15 pounds. Conveniently enough, our Winter Recovery Party is going to be held 6 weeks and one day after the surgery, so at that time I'll finally be able to perform amazing feats of strength once again, such as grabbing a handful of lightly salted peanuts in both hands, instead of just one.

And armed with this post-surgical knowledge, I'm thinking that it might actually be a good idea to have the surgery during cycling season, as illustrated by the following hypothetical, but entirely plausible, verbal exchange.

You: Honey, it looks like I'm going to have to buy the Cervelo $ Series $googol bicycle.

Spouse: Are you crazy? We could buy 25 Holly Jolly Jackpot lottery tickets every day for the next year with that kind of money!

You: But sweetie, it's for medicinal purposes; those times when I have to load my bicycle in my car! It weighs less than 15 pounds! Doctor's orders!

Spouse: Oh, I'm powerless to resist the force of your logic. As a matter of fact, I think you should buy the Cervelo $ Series $googolplex bicycle!

Alternatively, you could have the surgery in December and then go out and buy a snowblower. That's what I did. But, in case you ever do have a hernia, it's your call.

Rick Whaley, KBC Newsletter Editor

Some Upcoming Rides of Interest

If January is as warm as December, there could be impromptu rides of interest.

Classified Ads

If you received any unwanted Christmas bicycle-related gifts, now is your chance ......

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

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
Don't miss Gazelle Sports' End of the Year Sale going on NOW 'til the stuff is gone!

Kzoo Swift

445 Forest St, Kalamazoo, (269) 929-8053.
www.kzooswift.com

Pedal Downtown

- 611 W Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, (269)567-3325

Pedal South

- 185 Romence Road, Portage, (269)324-5555
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.