v ol u me 52 - i s s u e 2 f e b r u ar y 2019 a turn at …...v ol u me 52 - i s s u e 2 f e b r u...
TRANSCRIPT
Volume 52 - Issue 2 February 2019
A Turn at the Front by David Schorow, Club President
State of the Club Address
The end of January is when the US President delivers the State of the Union address. In that spirit, I’d like to use this column to discuss the state of our club. Beware: numbers ahead. The fundamental purpose of the Western Wheelers is to provide
wonderful riding options with friends and 2018 really delivered on that. We had 967 organized rides. On those rides were 12,300 ride participants, including 8% guest participants. All together, we rode 466,408 miles. That means we collectively rode to the moon AND BACK!!! (Good thing no one was left behind.) Together we climbed almost 30 million feet. That’s one thousand Everest repeats. (No wonder I’m so tired.) Ride leaders make our club successful. 140 distinct people led rides in 2018. (Let’s increase that number for 2019). 58 of them led 5 or more rides, while 34 led 10 or more rides (including yours truly). A big thank you to all ride leaders. Thanks also to Mindy and her helpers for their adept administration. [Thanks go to Eric Greer, our club statistician, for the figures above.] Let’s talk about membership. For the last 6 years, our membership has been quite stable, roughly 1,000 people, +/-10% (currently 999). While we love our new members, we are not particularly trying to grow, as our events and larger rides are often at capacity. Last year we had 175 new members join. About half of the new members are in the 51-65 age bracket, with 40% younger, and 10% over 65. I’ve heard several stories about how welcome new members feel when they start riding with the club, making new friends and enjoying the social aspect of cycling.
The financial standing of the club is rock solid (under Mike Rissi’s expert management). Each year, our revenue from dues, Sequoia registration, and other sources comes very close to matching our expenses. We have significantly more money in the bank than a full year of expenses, so there’s little financial risk to the club. We have enough resources to donate much of the Sequoia net proceeds to community and cycling charities.
Inside this Edition - February Flat Tyre Icelandic Adventure on Sunday, Feb 10 Honeymoon Ride Story Long Distance Training Corner Sequoia Century Registration Opens Feb 1 2018 Ride and Leader Statistics February Safety Tip - Defensive Cycling
Speaking of the Sequoia, preparation and planning are in full swing. Randall and the Sequoia captains are busily working to make this Western Wheeler signature event another spectacular experience. While quite successful, the ride did not sell out last year, even though it is the best century ride in the area (best routes, best food, most frequent rest stops, etc.). With some innovative new marketing ideas, I have high expectations the ride will be even more popular and a great success again this year. We’re a club that likes to have fun, on or off the bike. So, events chair Cindy is making sure our calendar is full of parties and events through the year. There are new events we are thinking of adding. Stay tuned. The positive news does not end there, but this column needs to. Let me conclude by paraphrasing what Presidents typically say, “The state of our club is Strong!” February Safety Tip – Defensive Cycling Turn to Page 4
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE The FLAT TYRE is the monthly newsletter of the Western Wheelers Bicycle Club, Inc., P.O.Box 60367, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Send newsletter material to [email protected]
Big Wheels 2019 President David Schorow (408) 314-3769 ◆ [email protected] Secretary Bill Sherwin (650) 888-6749 ◆ [email protected] Treasurer Mike Rissi (650) 851-2925 ◆ [email protected] Event Chair Cindy Asrir (415) 571-6581 ◆ [email protected] Ride Chair Mindy Steiner (650) 961-5357 ◆ [email protected] Chief Editor Peggy George (650) 380-8248 ◆ [email protected] Membership Vern Tucker (408) 730-2548 ◆[email protected] 1350 Fisherhawk Dr. Sunnyvale, CA 94087-3451 Sequoia Chair Randall Braun (415) 265-4663 ◆ randall@route arrows.com Webmaster Emily Nishihira ◆[email protected] At Large Board Members: Lisa Burque (650) 823-6800 ◆ [email protected] Robin Davis (650) 245-1624 ◆ [email protected] Guy Shuman ◆ [email protected] Advocacy Chair John Langbein (650) 365-9462◆ [email protected] LAB Rep . Alan Wachtel (650) 494-1750 ◆ [email protected] Statistician . Eric Greer (408) 257-5356 12235 Woodside Dr. Saratoga, CA 95070-3441 ◆ [email protected] Historian Dick Blaine (408) 257-6410 ◆ [email protected] Ride Coordinators A.............Tom Stephany (650) 345-9385 ◆ [email protected] B........Mike Jenkins (408) 723-7259 ◆ [email protected] LDT Guy Shuman (650) 704-0895 ◆ [email protected] R&R Randall Braun (415) 265-4663 ◆ [email protected] Fall Fun Series Robert Sexton(408) 218-8466 ◆ [email protected] Thursday am B rides……..George Schuttinger (650) 390-9296 [email protected] All other rides....Mindy Steiner (650) 961-5357 ◆ [email protected] [email protected] to add a ride Email List Guy Shuman ◆ [email protected] Club Jersey Sales Christine Fawcett (650) 949-4993 ◆[email protected] Social Network Editor Ken Lee • [email protected] Log in here to read/post/subscribe to our club email list for ride cancellations, road conditions, and miscellaneous club
ride topics
Club Calendar Feb 1 Sequoia Registration Opens Feb REI San Carlos Iceland Talk Feb 13 Board Meeting Feb 20 Flat Tyre Deadline* *to submit articles for inclusion in the FLAT TYRE. please send to [email protected] Western Wheelers Board Meeting Minutes
Wednesday January 9, 2019
submitted by Bill Sherwin, Club Secretary Location: 3385 Truman Avenue, Mountain View, CA Administrative:
● Date of next meeting: February 13, 2019
● Location of next meeting: Round Table, Menlo Park (tentative, pending Peggy George’s evaluation)
● Food wranglers – not applicable
Present: Cindy Asrir, Randall Braun, Lisa Burque, Robin Davis, Peggy George, Emily Nishihara, Mike Rissi, David Schorow, Bill Sherwin, Guy Shuman, Mindy Steiner, Vern Tucker General: David called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. He asked all board members to introduce themselves. There was discussion around the best way to transition to the new board and logistics regarding mail/email. Peggy George said that she will take over checking the actual club mailbox. Peggy also said that she will evaluate Round Table Pizza in Menlo Park as a meeting spot for February. Overview of calendar and events David reviewed key dates in 2019 calendar, including board meeting dates. Cindy said that she
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE will update on the calendar on Google docs to reflect any additions or changes. The deadline for submission to the “Flat Tyre” is the 20th of each month. Events Chair: Cindy reviewed upcoming events. Bill Sherwin said that he would send Cindy a brief description about the February presentation at REI that he and John Gayler are giving about their Icelandic adventure. Cindy reported she is working on park reservations, and Mike Rissi said he would confirm the date of the Ride Leader’s BBQ. Cindy announced that the Spring Picnic is currently scheduled on April 29, the Ice Cream Social July 28, the Oktoberfest Picnic on September 29 & the Holiday Party on December 8. Treasurer Mike Rissi led a discussion about the budget, starting with a look at final numbers for 2018 and then looking ahead for 2019. In anticipation of future discussions about expenditures that the board will be making, he also reviewed a Ten Year Financial Analysis of the club’s balance sheet. The club has a robust balance sheet but the board should be aware of history as it makes funding decisions. Mike said that budget numbers for the Safety Initiative will be in the category of “Member Support”. Safety Bill Sherwin reviewed Safety Initiative progress. Starting now the California Smart Cycling booklet will be mailed to all new members. Bill said that he is coordinating that with Vern Tucker. The board passed a motion authorizing Bill to make expenditures and commence this activity. He reported that the database portion of the initiative has gone nowhere but a restart is in progress. He received approval to begin recruiting a volunteer(s) to help with club outreach when there is an accident. He reported that there is an active committee in the club consisting of David Fitch, Gary Virshup, Robert Sexton, and Cathy Switzer who are working with bicycling consultant Brandon Alvarado to get a proposal to the board for road skills classes. Bill said that he is satisfied that there are periodic safety messages going to the club with Guy Shuman’s weekly LDT messages and David’s emphasis on safety in his “My Turn at the Front” article. Bill said that he will find out from Robert Sexton if he intends to write a safety column from time to time. Ride Coordinator
Mindy reported that there have been some issues with ride listings on the Western Wheelers ride apps. Unfortunately, there are also issues with the Wild Apricot app. For now she proposes that we stick with the Apple and Android apps created by David Murphy and Christine Fawcett. Mindy also reported that the new riding listing system is going well. Sequoia Chair Randall reported that all is going well so far with the Sequoia and that there will be four routes this year. He said that the permitting is in process. There was discussion around the wording of the posters regarding the beneficiaries of the Sequoia, as this has been a spirited topic in the past. This matter was urgent due to printing deadlines for promotional materials. Randall agreed that he would add wording to the poster to make it clear that Puente and La Honda Fire are not the only beneficiaries of the event. The topic of the disbursement of the proceeds from the Sequoia will be on next month’s agenda. WebMaster Emily raised a concern about the Sequoia open registration and notification mailing from Wild Apricot database and associated costs. She asked if the club wanted to use Wild Apricot to send out email registrations or if we should explore a third party vendor. Mike said he thought we used MailChimp in the past and David agreed that we should explore using a third party email service. Flat Tyre Editor The group agreed to change the deadline for the Flat Tyre each month to 20th. Peggy said that she appreciates getting material as soon as possible. Membership Vern reported numbers ahead of time. There are 999 current members and 28 are past due. He reported that there are no lapsed members. There was general discussion around the age demographic. David called for agenda items for next meeting and the meeting adjourned at 9:44 p.m. END
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE Welcome to Our New Members January 2019
Vern Tucker, Membership Please welcome the following new members to the Western Wheelers:
Durgaprasad Pawar San Jose Rob Castaneda Los Altos Xianghong Liu Palo Alto Larry McGovern & Kristen Good Santa Clara Aidan Harrison and Family San Carlos Larry Stein Cupertino Bing Zhang San Jose Scott Landon and Family Sunnyvale Elyse Jacob Palo Alto Walfredo Cirne Palo Alto Suryanarayanan Rajagopalan San Francisco Patrick Lewis and Family San Jose Jagannath Dubashi and Family Palo Alto Greg Benson San Francisco Ned Mciver San Jose A New Year’s Day Ride was enjoyed on a beautiful day.
From left to right: Christine, Greg, Lindsay, Maria, Terria, Elliot, Doug, Ricki, Cindy, and Marcia. Ride Leader: Terria
February Safety Tip - Defensive Cycling continued from A Turn At The Front My motivation for this month’s safety tip comes from the New Year’s Day bicycling crash experienced by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. You can read more about it here.
In short, Sam was cycling toward an intersection with no stop sign in his direction. An SUV driving on the cross street with a stop sign, came to a stop, then proceeded through the intersection right in front of Sam, presumably not seeing him. Sam smashed into the SUV. Sam was completely in the right, but ended up with fractures to two of his vertebrae and his sternum, major scrapes on his body, bruises on his face and a swollen lip. The SUV had a smashed rear window (from Sam’s head). The SUV driver was issued a citation for failure to yield.
The booklet California Bicycling Street Smarts (distributed at the Holiday Party) has a section addressing this kind of situation.
MAKING EYE CONTACT
How do you test that a driver has seen you? Here's an example. Suppose that you are on a main street, riding toward an intersection. A car is approaching from the right in the cross street, where there's a stop sign. How do you handle this situation?
As you approach the intersection, look into the car window and make eye contact with the driver to ascertain that the driver has seen you. Watch for the car to slow down more than it would if you weren't there.
If you look into the driver's window and the driver isn't looking at you, then be very cautious. ... Slow down, and call out to get the driver's attention [or ring your bell].
I heartily recommend reading Street Smarts as it provides useful information for cyclists at all skill levels. It will make you a safer rider with information such as where on the road to ride (not always on the far right), how to handle standard and non-standard intersections, riding in groups, and other useful topics. The generic (not California specific) version is available online. If you did not receive a physical copy but would like one, please contact Bill Sherwin with your mailing address.
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE
Marriage by Bicycle Submitted By Howard Shafer, Club Member, Ride Leader Jacquette and I were wed in our own Santa Clara backyard on a long-ago, sunny California day. The judge stood beneath a flowered arch, the audience resided under a war surplus parachute canopy, but the bride and groom were left in the glare of the July sun. We wobbled away from our wedding astride a tandem bicycle still wearing our elegant wedding ensembles: hers a floor-length, pale turquoise lace gown (hiked to her thighs to accommodate the tandem’s top tube), dainty turquoise pumps, and a matching string of pearls; his a stylish, deep-blue suit with newly polished shoes and a tie checkered with hints of wine and fertility. It had been almost five years since we’d met at a Western Wheelers Christmas party. We had become better acquainted on a five hundred mile bicycle excursion from San Francisco to Los Angeles involving one hundred and twenty-six Irish cyclists. The ride included an altercation with Golden Gate Bridge authorities, who did not believe
this group had the right to stop south-bound Golden Gate Bridge holiday traffic. Fortunately the San Francisco police officer summoned to the fray muttered, “I’ll be damned if I’m going to arrest a bunch of Irishmen on Saint Patrick’s Day.” The helicopter making illegal excursions under the bridge and the airplane with the open door are stories for another time. We rode bicycles four hundred and sixty miles during our honeymoon, which began in an elegant hotel after a sleepless wedding night that for purposes of this report will be described only as “enjoyable”. After boarding a big airplane headed for Calgary and later transferring to a little airplane bound for Lethbridge in Southern Alberta, we bicycled out of the terminal and struggled against strong winds back across the international border to Glacier National Park in Montana. There we encountered a twisting mountain road to East Glacier with signs saying, “Road Closed” but not, “No Bicycles”.
We tottered past monster boulders while howling winds drove us toward threatening precipices. Something calmer might have been nice. The next day gusty winds blew one of us (the bride) clear across the highway. After the winds and the rains subsided, we had beautiful weather. We rode past gorgeous mountain lakes, saw a black bear with three small cubs, climbed “Going to the Sun” Road to Logan Pass at 6646 feet, coasted down the other side, and lollygagged in the tall green grass. We hiked to a glacier, admired the flowers, were stunned by the
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE vistas, and then crossed the border back to Waterton Lake National Park in Canada, where we spent the next three days. One rainy day we rented a rowboat but rowed in circles until the more manly of us took over the oars and led us gracefully to the center of the lake, where we discovered the pack containing lunch to be waterlogged and sinking into a puddle filling the bottom of the boat. Another day we hiked to Crypt Lake starting with a boat ride to the trailhead and continuing through bear country. Crypt Lake is an incredibly beautiful tarn nestled in a hanging valley surrounded by snow banks and accessible only across a cliff and through a tunnel. We got to share it with only one red fox and the eighty other people who made the eleven-mile hike that day. Unfortunately even the most enjoyable of trips eventually end. After a visit to the very spectacular Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre north of Fort Macleod to learn how the original inhabitants hunted bison, we boarded the plane for home. Now, almost twenty-four years later, we are back home happy-ever-aftering. Reality has sunk in. The lawn has died, the carpet is dirty, the sink is full of dishes, we’re out of groceries, and we haven’t paid our bills. But bicycles remain an important part of our lives, and our vacations always include a bicycle trip or two.
Crypt Lake THE END!
The Sequoia 2019 is Sunday, June 2nd and the registration opens on February 1 st with early registration prices available until March 1 st . There will be no day-of registration. We are offering four Challengingly Beautiful routes again this year, the longer three routes all cross Skyline out to the coast and back. Our unsurpassed option is a gorgeous 100-mile route which has an epic 10,020 ft. of gain! Our dazzling 72-mile route has an impressive 7,690 ft. NEW for 2019: this bucolic 59-mile route has a very attainable 6,270 ft of gain and our delightful 44-mile route has a pleasant 4,450 ft. of gain! Hey, we’re Western Wheelers, we do hills! See website for more detailed route descriptions, the complete pricing schedule and the registration link (opens 2/1). Please invite all your cycling friends and tell them that The Sequoia has the best support with miles of stunning scenery. Yes, it’s a worthy challenge and yes, it’s a real accomplishment. This epic event is as close to cycling perfection as you can get! Western Wheeler members are encouraged to turn out early and support the club by being a part of our 300- strong volunteer team! This event is our gift to the cycling and local community and The Sequoia succeeds every year because of the generous volunteer turnout. For more info, please contact our knowledgeable volunteer captain: David Lerner ([email protected]) He will be happy to help you find the best task for you to take part! Our volunteers are acknowledged with some nice thank-you options that include the scenic and fun Workers Ride and The Fiesta! the weekend following the event and a nice dose of our great club’s comradery!
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE The ongoing goal of The Sequoia is to build local goodwill by donating to cycling charities as well as supporting coastside organizations such as Puente, and the La Honda Volunteer Fire Brigade. We have been fortunate to be able to generously donate a large portion of The Sequoia proceeds the last few years. In 2017, a Sequoia rider anonymously donated $10,000 to Puente, so moved by their efforts. For more information contact The Sequoia chair: Randall Braun, [email protected] and check out our Facebook page: Sequoia Century
WWBC Cycling Presentation Sunday, February 10 submitted by CIndi Asrir, Events
Iceland Adventure In May 2018 John and Bill drove their campervan 1,000 miles circumnavigating Iceland using their mountain bikes to explore this startlingly varied and photogenic terrain. Join us as we ride beyond the common sights and way off the beaten track, venturing across snow fields, lava fields, up rivers and down cliffs, penetrating the barren interior where few get to explore, rewarded in Icelandic style with a soak in a hot and cold running river. If you’re thinking of visiting Iceland, or just curious what it’s like, this is for you! Come hear Bill and John share their adventures and photographs at a special WWBC event.
Bring your appetite, your sense of adventure, your friends and family. Please register so we know how many to expect and how much to order. Hope to see you there! What: Bill and John’s Icelandic Biking Adventure When: Sunday, Feb 10, 6:00-8 pm
Iceland Adventure
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE
LDT - Long Distance Training Corner submitted by Guy Shuman – LDT Coordinator
We are all happy to have the rains back this winter, but are working to confine them to weekdays only! Our early rides have warmed us up for upcoming ventures to more distant destinations – which are all well worth the driving time!
In February we’ll start to venture a bit further, beginning with fabulous Seascape on February 2nd. This popular ride visits Gizdich Ranch for yummy pie ala mode along with lunch. Next we have an East Bay jaunt to Livermore. The ride offers some beautiful country rarely visited by Western Wheelers, as we cross over to the Central Valley and return. Calaveras is always a pleasant ride with abundant wildlife sightings – we’ve seen deer, pigs, eagles, wild bulls, and even rattlesnakes as we meander along the reservoir to the dam overlook.
We’re sticking with last year’s revised route that doubles back to the beautiful climb of Felter Road (C/D/E riders), followed by lunch at the base of Sierra Road. After lunch all groups take various loops through Alum Rock Park and beyond. Our remote Hollister Hills ride finishes the month on February 23 rd , exploring the “cowboy” country south of Hollister.
Coming up in March, we will start our “LDT Weekend” excursions. On our LDT weekends (to destinations that are a little farther away than most) we offer Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday rides. On Saturday evening we get together at a local restaurant for a group dinner, usually preceded by a “wine and cheese” get together where we are lodging. It is important to make reservations early if planning to stay over – see online ride
description (Saturday listing) for information on lodging and registration. LDT Weekends this year are to
Healdsburg (3/15-3/17), Pacific Grove (3/29 – 3/31), and Cazadero (5/3 - 5/5).
If you have any questions, please contact me directly (not the entire email list).
Guy Shuman ([email protected] or 650-704-0895 Cell) LDT Coordinator
Note: See the Web Site Ride Schedule for detailed information, last minute changes, updated leader information, accommodation information and route sheets.
Upcoming Long Distance Training Rides 26-Jan Morgan Hill 2-Feb Seascape 9-Feb Livermore 16-Feb Calaveras 23-Feb Hollister Hills (formerly San Juan Bautista) 2-Mar Pescadero 9-Mar Marin Headlands 16-Mar Healdsburg (2-3 day) (formerly Geyserville) 23-Mar Berkeley Hills 30-Mar Pacific Grove (2-3 day) 6-Apr Petaluma 13-Apr TBD - Rain Date 20-Apr Mountain Charlie 27- Apr Skyline 4-May Cazadero (2-3 day) 11-May Mt. Diablo 18-May Mt. Tamalpais 27-May Mt. Hamilton (Monday)
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE
Western Wheelers Ride Information DETAILS OF RIDE CLASSIFICATION: The format of the ratings is: PACE/HILLINESS (total climbing if known)/DISTANCE PACE (A-F): Indicates the average speed while riding, with A being the slowest and F being the fastest. Non-riding time is not counted, so rides with long stops may have the same average speed as rides with short stops. HILLINESS (0–5): Rates the terrain based on the average feet climbed per mile for the entire ride. This is the ratio of the total climb to the total distance, all divided by 25. Hilliness Rating 0 1 2 3 4 5 Average Climb 0 25 50 75 100 125 (Feet/Mile) The longer, steeper and more frequent the hills, the higher the hilliness rating and the slower the average speed. However, a low hilliness rating does not guarantee that a ride contains no long or steep hills, because the rating could be diluted by flat stretches around the hills. If a ride contains an unusually challenging hill for its hilliness rating, an exclamation point (!) is appended to the hilliness rating. The ride description should provide more details. It is possible but rare to have a hilliness rating greater than 5. AVERAGE SPEEDS: The average speeds (mph) for the different pace and hilliness ratings are:
HILLINESS RATING Pace Average
Rating 0 1 2 3 4 5 OLH
Time
A 10 9 8 NA NA NA NA B 12 11 10 9 8 7 43-54 min. C 14 13 12 11 10 9 34-43
min. D 16 15 14 13 12 11 27-34
min E 18 17 16 15 14 13 22-27
min. If the pace rating letter has + or - appended to it, the average speed is changed by 1 mph.
CHOOSING YOUR RIDE: The speeds in the above table may seem low because you know you can ride faster at times. Remember, however, that the numbers represent the average speed for the entire ride. Don’t attempt rides beyond your ability. If you are taking your first club ride, err on the conservative side. Novice cyclists are welcome on A rides. A, B, and C rides are typically more leisurely and have more regroups than D, E, and F rides, which are brisker-paced rides for more experienced and self-sufficient cyclists. If you are unsure which group to go with on hilly rides, time yourself up Old La Honda road, and compare your time with the time ranges shown in the above table. If your time is within the range for a certain group, you can feel comfortable riding with that group on hilly rides.
Note that the OLH time does not refer to your personal best time, but to the time in which you can comfortably climb Old La Honda, and perhaps not just once, but repeatedly, because that is the pace the group will be maintaining all day on multiple climbs. If you choose to ride with a slower group, you should not expect them to speed up for you, and if you choose to ride with a faster group, you should not expect them to wait for you. RIDE RATING EXAMPLES: “C+/2/40” indicates a 40-mile ride with about 2000 feet of climbing, ridden at an average speed of 12 mph. “E/4!(9700’)/100” indicates a 100-mile ride with 9700 feet of climbing, some of it very steep, ridden at an average speed of 13 mph. WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS: Rides may be canceled if rain seems likely during the ride. If in doubt, call the ride leader. RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: Please try to bring basic tools, sunglasses and sunscreen, water bottles, food or food money, a first-aid kit, phone change or cellphone, “layered” clothing, etc. Bright clothing recommended. LOCATIONS GUNN HIGH SCHOOL main entrance is on Arastradero Rd. just east of Foothill Expressway in Palo Alto. Meet in parking lot AWAY FROM BUILDINGS. Don’t use when school is in session. McKENZIE PARK Between Loyola Corners and Springer/Magdalena (Rancho Shopping Center) on Fremont Ave. BURGESS PARK (Menlo REC. Center) is between Alma and Laurel Streets at Burgess Dr. (near Ravenswood Ave) in Menlo Park. Meet on Alma side unless otherwise specified. PEERS PARK in Palo Alto is on Park Blvd. North of the California Ave. train Station. Note: There is a car barrier just South of the park on Park Blvd. SHOUP PARK is in Los Altos, on University Ave. near Main Street, off Foothill.
SUNNYVALE COMMUNITY CENTER is at Manet and Remington in Sunnyvale. Meet at the south side of the complex.
WOODSIDE GRADE SCHOOL (the ex-Town Hall) is on the south side of Hwy 84 (Woodside Rd), about 1/4 mile west of Cañada Rd. in Woodside. (NOT to be confused with NEW Woodside Town Hall about 1/8 mile east of Cañada Rd). Park in lot at Whiskey Hill and Woodside Road—behind the Pioneer Hotel—when school is in session.
IMPORTANT
❏ Helmets and brakes are required on all rides. ❏ Unsafe bicycles are not allowed. ❏ Earbuds and Headphones are not ❏ appropriate on group rides.
For Insurance reasons, only members may lead rides.
The complete Ride Schedule
is available online westernwheelers.org
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE
2nd Place Photo Contest 2018 John E. Gayler Biking the Mid-Atlantic Rift at Thingvellir Any Western Wheelers club member can propose a Ride by using the online Ride Listing Composer on the Ride Leaders Resources page found at https://westernwheelersbicycleclub.wildapricot.org/ride_leaders_guide or by sending a ride description containing complete details to [email protected]. Be sure to include date, title, start time/place, distance, rating, lunch arrangements, and your phone/email contact information. The earlier you list your ride, the more participation you are likely to have. There is no strict deadline, but please try to submit your ride at least two days before the ride. Do NOT email your listing directly to the email list(s).
Iceland Adventure
February 2019 Weekly and
Repeating Rides
Every Monday
A/0/15 SOCIAL PACED MONDAY MORNING COFFEE RIDE. If you are not ready for the faster pace of the other Monday morning coffee rides until after you’ve had your coffee, then this ride might be just right for you. Meet Tom Stephany (650-483-4273 day of ride only) at Rengstorff Community Center 201 S. Rengstorff Avenue, Mountain View. Due to remodeling the regular parking lot is closed and we’ve had to change our meeting area. Meet in the parking lot near the corner where Rengstorff and the train tracks meet. From Rengstorff Drive going East, turn on Crisanto Ave. just before reaching the train tracks. Parking lot is 400 feet on the right. We’ll meet at 8:45 for a 9:00 am departure for Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. Very flat, and we’ll travel at a mild, social, and comfortable “A” pace. Nobody left behind, we are in this together. Rain cancels. BC/1/24 MONDAY MORNING MOCHA MOOCH. Start your week with a fast or easy ride (you decide) to Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. Reflect upon the past weekend with old and new friends. Return at a social pace through quiet residential streets. Meet at 9:15 for a 9:30 am departure at the Lucky Supermarket parking lot (2175 Grant Road, Los Alto, CA) Cross streets are Foothill Expressway and Arboretum. Pete Letchworth ([email protected] or 408-257-7626) and Allen Cymrot ([email protected]) share leadership on this ride. BCD/1/26 JAVA JIVE FROM SAN MATEO. The Monday morning ride for bicyclists who live in the northern cities of the Peninsula is growing in
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE numbers. It is a flat (except overpasses) route to Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park for coffee and/or breakfast. We return at a social pace through the quiet, residential streets in Menlo Park, Atherton, Redwood City, San Carlos, and Belmont. The Hill Climbers' Option adds 12 to 16 miles to the ride. Meet at Los Prados Park at 8:30 am for a departure at 8:45 am. Directions: From 101, drive east on Hillsdale Blvd., take the first right on Norfolk St. and right again on La Selva; take the first left onto Casa de Campo. The Park is on the left. For more information, call Tom Prager (650-219-9206, [email protected]). Rain/muddy conditions cancel. DE/1/28 JAVA JIVE DOUBLE EXPRESSO. Jump out of the starting blocks at 9:15 with a fast pace-line to Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park. We will work our way back along the foothills after coffee. No sweep; one regroup for coffee. Meet at the Bicycle Outfitter, 963 Fremont Ave (Loyola Corners), Los Altos, near the corner of Fremont, Miramonte and Foothill Expressway. Leader: Dave Fitch, [email protected].
Every Tuesday B/B+/2/30 RIDE FROM SHARON PARK. Rides and ride leader will vary each week but you can count on a ride from Sharon Park Safeway Lot in Menlo Park every Tuesday. Meet either Ken Lum ([email protected] or 650-832-8133) for a SHARON PARK TO SHORELINE B ride or Jim Burque (408-656-4645, [email protected]) for a B+ ride. See online ride schedule for specific details for each ride. Meet at 9:50 am for a 10:05 departure at 325 S. Sharon Park Drive, Menlo Park. CD/2/30-35 BLASBERG'S TUESDAY LOOP RIDE. Peter B. has now retired from leading this ride. In honor of his many years of dedicated service we have named the ride after him, and the immortal words of his ride description will be retained here, mostly intact. So here we go: Retired, home executive, between jobs, playing hooky? We'd love to have you join us each Tuesday during
the year, rain or shine, at Starbucks in the Westmoor Shopping Center in Sunnyvale, corner of Fremont and Mary, at a later, civilized hour. The route is a variation of the Portola loop with lunch stops at various eating places in the Palo Alto area. There are hilly C and D routes as well as a flat route. All rides meet at 10:45 for a prompt 11:00 am departure. The hilly route varies through the month. See the online Events Calendar for links to routes in Excel and PDF formats. Everyone assembles together at regroups and for lunch. Many stop for coffee near the end of the ride. Leader: Vern L. Tucker, [email protected], home 408-730-2548, cell 408-893-6008. Bring lunch or buy. GPS Files: Tuesday Loop GPS Files DE/4/20 TUESDAY POWER LUNCH. Join Robert Sexton ([email protected], (408) 218-8466) and Chris Napoli ([email protected] (919) 260-0509) for a fast lunchtime ride from Cupertino into the hills around Stevens Creek Reservoir. Typical routes include one of: Montebello, Redwood Gulch, or Villa Montalvo/Peach, and are finalized at the ride meet to be about 90 minutes long with a brief regroup at the top of the hill(s) of choice. Meet behind the Cupertino Target (intersection of Alves Drive and Saich Way) by noon for a 12:05 Sharp departure.
Every Wednesday
DE/3-4/35-65 HILLS-R-US. Gather at Shoup Garden Park, 400 University Ave., Los Altos at 10 am, ride departs at 10:15. Pace and regroups accommodate all D and E riders, so that no one feels they’re making the others wait for them. Rides vary weekly but often include Hwy 9, Page Mill, Old La Honda, Kings Mountain, West Alpine or Tunitas. Be prepared for variable weather on Skyline. Foul weather in the hills keeps the ride in the valley. Rain cancels. Route, including lunch stop or lack of one, and leader(s) announced 1-2 days beforehand via the WWBC webpage under Ride Information/Hills R Us at: https://westernwheelersbicycleclub.wildapricot.org/page-1111752 Leaders: Steve Chapel (650 823-7982, [email protected]) Paul Melville
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE (408 257-3626, [email protected]) and Doug Hahn (650 279-0357, [email protected]) D/3-4/35-65 HILLS-R-US, SOCIAL CLIMBERS D VERSION. If you can ride the hills but not at the fast D/E pace, come join us, the D Social Climbers. We do the same ride as the D/E's, meeting at Shoup Park at 9:45 am for a 10:00 departure. These rides vary weekly, but often include Hwy 9, Page Mill, Old La Honda, Kings Mountain, West Alpine or Tunitas. Always be prepared for variable weather on Skyline. Foul weather in the hills keeps the ride in the valley. Rain cancels. Ride leaders are Dave Fitch ([email protected] or 408-406-2048) and Don Johann ([email protected] ). The route sheet is on the WWBC webpage under Ride Information/Hills R Us at: http://westernwheelersbicycleclub.memberlodge.com/page-1111752 Please print out a copy as the ride leader doesn't provide route sheets.
Every Thursday
B & C THURSDAY MORNING RIDES. B and C groups meet every Thursday morning at various places, usually at 10 am. See online ride schedule for specific dates and details.
Every Friday
B/2/30-50 FRIDAY B RIDE. Meet Louis Rustenburg (408-420-0443, [email protected]) every 1st and 3rd Friday and Vern Tucker (408-730-2548, [email protected]) every 2nd and 4th Friday at 10 AM at McKenzie Park for a 10:15 AM ride start. Rides will be a mix of hills and flatter residential roads, with a lunch stop along the way. The second Sunday of every month rides: B/2/24 2ND SUNDAY – JEFFERSON LOOP. Monthly ride to Jefferson, Hillcrest and Lakeview via Manzanita, Albion and Cañada. Lunch is at Sancho's Taqueria and return via Alameda de las Pulgas. Social pace with regroups. Meet at Burgess Park in Menlo Park at 10:00 AM for 10:15 AM
departure. Leader: Dave Ziegler ([email protected]). Rain cancels. Route sheets/Maps: http://westernwheelersbicycleclub.memberlodge.com/page-1863579. C/2/27 2ND SUNDAY RWC CROSS. Monthly ride to the Redwood City Cross via Tripp, Cañada and Godetia. Optional Huddart Park Loop. Lunch at Sancho's Taqueria and return via Alameda de las Pulgas. This is a social-paced ride with mandatory regroups, but faster riders are welcome to form a separate C+ group at the start. Meet at Burgess Park in Menlo Park at 10:00 AM for 10:15 AM departure. Leader: Howard Koel ([email protected] ). Rain cancels. Route sheets/Maps: http://westernwheelersbicycleclub.memberlodge.com/page-1863579. The fourth Sunday of every month rides: B/2.5/25 4th SUNDAY - SARATOGA. Hello Social "B"s. For the month of February this ride will be lead by special guest leader Duane Linden ([email protected]). Join us on a leisurely ride heading up Mt. Eden, then meandering through The Maze to downtown Saratoga where there are a couple lunch options (bring or buy) before heading back via Seven Springs Parkway. Meet at McKenzie Park in Los Altos (near tennis courts) at 10am for 10:15 departure. Rain cancels. Route sheet: 4th Sunday B Ride (Saratoga) or GPS: Map/GPS File C/3/35 4th SUNDAY - LOS GATOS. Monthly ride to Los Gatos via Mt. Eden, Pierce, and Villa Montalvo. Lunch in Los Gatos and return through the Maze. This is a social paced ride with mandatory regroups, but faster riders are welcome to form a separate C+ group at the start. Meet at McKenzie Park in Los Altos at 10:00 AM for 10:15 AM departure. Leader: Frank McConville (650-450-2325 or [email protected]). Rain cancels. Route sheets/Maps: http://westernwheelersbicycleclub.memberlodge.com/page-1863579.
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February 2019 • THE FLAT TYRE
Iceland Adventure
Summary of 2018 Ride Statistics
Eric Greer, 2018 Statistician
Total Number of rides
Average number of members on rides
Average number of guests on rides
Average number of all riders on rides
Average number of rides ridden by members
Total number of ride leaders
Average member miles ridden
Median member miles ridden
Average listed member feet climbed
Median listed member feet climbed
Total number of Members on all rides
Total number of Guests on all rides
Total number of Members and Guests on all
rides
Total miles by all riders
Feet climbed by all riders on rides with
climb listed
967
11.8
0.9
12.7
17.7
140
671
280
43,709
16,151
11,409
891
12,300
466,408
29,854,984
Top Ten Ride Leaders 2018 Rides Led & Co-Led
Vern Tucker 68
Dave Fitch 64
Guy Shuman 62
Cheryl Prothero 47
Mindy Steiner 45
Peter Letchworth 42
Tom Prager 42
Lisa Burque 40
Tom Schnurbusch 37
Jim Burque 36
Top Ten Club Riders 2018 Number of Rides
Dave Fitch 128
Mike Khaw 123
Guy Shuman 119
Vern Tucker 118
Mindy Steiner 116
Terria Brewer 113
Kai Wiedman 111
Bert Nelson 111
Valerie Jones 104
John Ferreira 102
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