NEWS
M A R /A P R 2015
HELLO TCBC FRIENDS! We are well
into our plans for the 2015 Minnesota
Ironman. As usual, it’s the last Sunday
in April…so mark your calendar for
4/26/15. This is the 49th anniversary.
Quite the ride history, and most of
you have your own stories to tell.
I think everyone knows that weather
plays a huge role in this early season
event. We had a “worst of” in 2014
CONTENTS
with wind, rain, and cold. The year
prior we had a “best of” with
sunshine and 75 degrees. We simply
appreciate the support from TCBC
riders who make this ride a yearly
tradition, in spite of the weather.
Washington County and the
communities of Scandia, Stillwater,
Afton, Lake Elmo, Marine on St. Croix,
and Oak Park Heights have become
the new home for this annual event.
Loops of 60, 29, 27, or 14 miles are
mapped and may be combined for
longer distances. TCBC knows these
roads well.
We welcome you as either a rider or
a volunteer (or both). Our partnership
with TCBC goes back to your
beginning when TCBC was part of
Hostelling International. We need
200 volunteers to pull this ride off.
Many volunteer on Saturday and ride
with us on Sunday as well. Sign up
with a friend and join in the
adventure.
The Washington County Fairgrounds
will again be home for this year’s
ride. They tell us we are the largest
event now in their county. We have
many requirements to meet for them
PROMOTING SAFE
EFFECTIVE BICYCLING
AND RECREATIONAL
BICYCLE RIDES
when 3,000 riders are expected on
area roads. Our true audience we
know is experienced riders like you. Save introducing cycling to a friend
on a warm weather ride! Our
support, services, and rest stops
allow for a grand day to bicycle…and
a grand way to celebrate spring with
area riders.
Hostelling International–USA
organizes and hosts the Ironman
Ride. TCBC serves as a co-sponsor
and partner. You can again renew
your TCBC membership with your
Ironman registration. Registration is open with over 1200
signups so far. For on-line registration
and all event details, visit www.
IronmanBikeRide.org. Thanks and see
you on the Ironman! Jon Ridge
HI-USA Central Region Director
jon.ridge@hiusa.org
Tom Sullivan
Director, MinnesotaIronman
Bike Ride
tom.sullivan@pro-events.com
RELATED AND / OR SUPPORTED ORGANIZATIONS
JOIN US ONLINE AT
WWW.BIKETCBC.ORG
 MASTHEAD PHOTO - IT'S GOOD TO BE IN ARIZONA IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH - ON THE C AZONA RIDE
RECOGNITION CORNER
NEW TCBC JERSEYS
THIS MONTH WE RECOGNIZE:
Susan Evan and co-leader Ken Nader
Susan again did a great job of organizing and leading Ride ‘Em Texas Hills
in January. A good group of riders enjoyed 8 days of adventure riding the
Hill Country around Marble Falls, Texas. Ken kept the fast pack on track.
The weather was marvelous, and nobody went too far astray thanks to
the fine maps from Chuck Sunder.
Recognition Banquet Committee
It was a gala evening at the 2015 TCBC Recognition Banquet thanks to
the efforts of Ann Harris, Linda Johnson, Kasey Kramer, Gina McCrone,
Fran Rabe, Donna Sanders, Patt Seleen, Loren Stark, Evie Walters, Mary
Beth Schmidt, Gary Stang, Diane Ziemer, Bob Fix, and Steve Scott.
The food was great and the presentations were terrific. Bravo!
Jersey Committee
The new TCBC jerseys are out and are sure to add color to upcoming rides.
The Jersey Committee, composed of Patt Seleen, Steve Scott, Pete May,
Gina McCrone, and Mike Kubes, did a great job of selecting a design that
we will surely enjoy for years. A special thank you to Steve Scott, TCBC Art
Director for his work designing the jersey. Good Job folks!
Don Picard,
Photographer Extraordinaire
Don has attended many large club rides such as Watermelon, All-Club
Rides, and the Halloween Ride, capturing many great photos of the
riders. He has also made the effort to visit a number of other individual
rides awaiting bikers along the routes. Thanks, Don, for your keen eye in
catching action shots and expressive smiles!
Rob Welsh
Rob has worked tirelessly over the past eight years to forge the Minnesota
Randonneurs into a long-distance, unsupported endurance cycling
organization, rounding out TCBC’s ride offerings. Kudos to Rob!
MAJOR TUNE–UP FOR
 Drive train removed, cleaned, and oiled
 Frame polished
 Wheels cleaned and trued
 Brakes and derailleurs adjusted
 Bearings adjusted
 Check all nuts and bolts
Regularly $130. Additional parts or labor extra.
VISIT US AT
Cycling Sales & Service since 1945
2
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
New TCBC Jerseys Available!
TCBC has new jerseys! Check them
out! We will be excited to see all of
you outfitted in the new TCBC jersey
this spring - one design but offered in
two colors. There is a special jersey
for our leaders too - same design, but
with a cool Ride Leader designation
on the sleeve band and side
panel. Also, for the first time, we are
offering a “TCBC kit” with either bib
or regular shorts. All products are offered through
Podiumwear -- a Minnesota company
based in St. Paul. The jerseys come in men and women
sizes, in both a race fit (Silver jersey
- $60) and a relaxed club fit (Bronze
jersey - $50). Bib shorts are only $70
and the regular shorts are $55. Club
members attest to the quality of the
Podiumwear products. Jersey
samples were available at the
banquet for sizing, and will be
available for a limited time at a Penn
and Erik’s shops. More information
regarding the product quality and
sizing is available on the website. To order your jersey, go to the the
TCBC website and log into the
Podiumwear store. The first store
closing is February 27, with jerseys
guaranteed to get to you in time for
the TCBC All-Club Ride on May
23. Jerseys orders placed by the April
deadline will likely get to you for the
All-Club Ride, but without a
guarantee. Your order will be sent to
you directly -- order everything you
want at one time, and you’ll only pay
for one shipping cost of $9.00.
by Patt Seleen
IN BRIEF
NEXT TCBC NEWS DEADLINE will
be Monday, April 6 for the big May
issue that all IRONMAN riders preregistered by mid-April have mailed
to them. It’s the best issue to
publicize your event and/or news.
ANNUAL LEADER FORUM is April
8 at Shoreview Community Center
and more info will be forthcoming. If
you are a TCBC Ride Leader and you
wish to retain your active leader
status, please plan on attending.
NEW TCBC MINORS POLICY
(passed by the Board in February):
Minors (persons under 18 years of
age) are welcome on TCBC rides and
do not have to pay the guest fee. If
the minor is a TCBC household
member, a parent or legal guardian
must have signed a yearly waiver for
this minor. If the minor is not a TCBC
household member, a parent or legal
guardian must sign a waiver for this
minor for each TCBC ride in which the
minor participates. All other rules
that apply to TCBC adult members,
such as the requirement to wear a
bike helmet, will apply to all minors
on TCBC rides.
WATERMELON RIDE on July 4 will
start at the same location in
Shoreview as last year and also use
Snail Lake Pavilion for the lunch stop.
We will have signup details on the
website in April and in the May
newsletter.
KEYING INTO THE EAST SIDE WEST SIDE THEME AT THE
BANQUET, in a competitive and
friendly spirit, we announce that Glen
Olson is going to continue to counter
the popular TGIF evening rides from
North Oaks with his West Side
themed Friday night brewery rides.
And if he will allow, I will likely offer
up an occasional end-of-week dining
and drinking alternative. (David
Gepner)
INTERCITY REGIONAL TRAIL will
begin construction this spring and be
completed by June 2016. It will
extend from the southern edge of
Lake Nokomis, parallelling Cedar
Avenue, crossing 494 on the new
12th Avenue pedestrian bridge, and
ending at 86th Street in Bloomington.
It’s about 5 miles long and will of
course connect to the future
refurnished bridge over the
Minnesota River.
WEST RIVER PARKWAY in
Minneapolis, closed since last
summer due to a landslide, may not
be opened to traffic and bikers until
this fall!
COON RAPIDS DAM WALKWAY/
BIKEWAY is scheduled to be open by
end of July.
NORTH STAR BIKE FESTIVAL
(formerly Nature Valley) will be June
17-21, with races and rides in various
locations. www.
northstarbicyclefestival.com
PRELIMINARY DATA from the
Department of Public Safety: Five
bicyclists died in Minnesota in bike
accidents in 2014, compared with six
in 2013.
NEW CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
BIKE-PEDESTRIAN
COORDINATOR is 33-year-old
Matthew Dyrdahl of Minneapolis. He
has been an active transportation
coordinator for the Minnesota
Department of Health and a
transportation planner in Bemidji. He
replaces Shaun Murphy, who held the
position for two years.
BICYCLE ART EXHIBIT: “Design
Cycles, A Bike Show,” is at the
Goldstein Museum of Design, 364
McNeal Hall, 1985 Buford Ave. It’s at
the U of M St. Paul campus through
May 10. It traces the evolution of
bicycles, and the clothing and
SAVE THIS DATE!
SUNDAY SEPT 20
AUTUMN TREK
BIKE RIDE
RIVER FALLS, WISCONSIN
go to: www.rivervalleytrails.org
CALL 651-402-8597
for more information or to volunteer.
NEW MEMBERS
accessories cyclists use, from a
design perspective. They have
concentrated on products designed
by Minnesota companies and
craftsmen. The exhibit has examples
from bicycling history going back to
the 1800’s.
WANTED: Hennepin County seeking
new alternate members for the
County's Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Interested in playing a role in building
Hennepin County’s bicycle
infrastructure? Want to bring your
experience and knowledge to bicycle
projects as they are being planned?
Want to be in a position to officially
advise County Commissioners and
staff on matters relating to bicycling?
If yes, then please consider applying
to be an alternate member of the
Hennepin County Bicycle Advisory
Committee.
The Committee was established in
1989 to assist the Board of
Commissioners and county staff to
promote and expand the use of
bicycles for safe and convenient
transportation and recreation
purposes in the county. Committee
members and alternates meet the
3rd Monday of every month. This
volunteer committee is made of up
seven members and seven alternate
members. To qualify, applicants
must: Be a resident of Hennepin
County in commissioner districts;
have an interest in promoting the use
of the bicycle for transportation and
recreation; and make a commitment
to attend monthly meetings and
participate in the work of the
committee. Members and alternates
are appointed to a 3-year term. If you
are interested, please fill out the BAC
application (DOCX) and submit it to
Kelley Yemen at kelley.yemen@
hennepin.us
Welcome to
these folks who
have joined TCBC
in the past few
months!
Brian Anderson
Cheryl Athey
Michael Bernatz
Judy Burdick
Craig Chilstrom
Michael Daine
John DeJong
Robert Donnelly
Susan Dyer
Phil Gilmer
Cathy Heller
Elizabeth Helmes
Rich Holst
Sarah Jansen
John Klem
Keith Larson
Peter Maves
Bob Nielsen
Tim Nothwehr
Paul Peterson
Tom Renner
Logan Stuck
Cheryl Swanson
by Doug Nelson
Winter Clearance
downhill
skis
snowboards
x-c skis
and
clothing
16 Shady Oak Rd, S
like us on Facebook
Hopkins, MN 55343
for details and special deals
952-938-8336
tonkacycleandski.com
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
3
FOR ADDITIONAL RIDE CONSIDERATIONS SEE RIDE KEY AT BIKETCBC.ORG
Being the Twin Cities’ largest cycling
club, TCBC has a wide range of
cycling speeds among our many
members. Our rides are designed to
be social group rides, but since
cycling speeds can vary so greatly,
the Club has developed Ride Key and
Ride Considerations documents to
assist members, new members and
non-members in choosing a ride that
best fits their riding ability and
comfort level.
The Club often has over 2000 rides
scheduled a year, including both
road bike and mountain bike rides.
You will meet riders who share your
love of bicycling and the outdoors.
Rides are mostly on low-traffic roads
and trails. Each ride will have at least
one trained and experienced ride
leader. Rides are open to members
and non-members; non-members
must pay a $3 guest fee per ride.
Minors must be accompanied during
the ride by a parent or guardian.
However, there is no guest fee for
non-member minors.
All TCBC members are covered by
liability, medical, and accidental
death policies when on scheduled
TCBC rides. Non-members are not
covered. For details see TCBC
Insurance Benefit on website under
Resources.
All ride participants are encouraged
to learn how to fix a flat tire and per-
form minor bicycle maintenance and
should be willing to assist other riders
when necessary. TCBC stresses safe
riding, following good bicycle riding
etiquette and obeying all vehicle traffic laws. Before you ride with the
Club, please read the Club’s Ride
Safety Rules & Recommendations.
The ride description for each
separate ride is listed in the Ride
Calendar (on TCBC website) and will
provide more specific information
for that ride. Please read it
thoroughly. If you have additional
questions about the ride, call or
email the ride leader whose name
and contact information are listed in
the ride description.
The club has designed
five ride levels:
A and A/B rides are for experienced
riders who desire to ride fast, in
pace lines or on their own. Leaders
of these ride levels may ride
anywhere within the group.
B, B/C and C rides are social rides at
moderate or slower paces where
riders generally ride as a group.
Leaders of these levels will ride with
the group at the published pace.
Faster, self-sufficient riders may join
these rides, but they may be started
ahead of the group and ride at the
front on their own.
TCBC RIDE KEY FOR ROAD RIDES
Ride
Type
Min Average
Riding Speed
Riders Must Have
Rest Stops
Leader Rides
17+ mph
Advanced cycling skills; spare tube,
patch kit, pump
At leader’s
discretion
Anywhere
A/B - Strenuous Swift, more difficult terrain, or
long distance
15-17 mph
Intermediate to advanced cycling
skills; spare tube, patch kit, pump
About every
20-30 miles
Anywhere
B
B - Brisk Social, but emphasis is on riding - A good
choice for experienced group riders - generally
intermediate or greater pace, terrain and distance
13-15 mph
Intermediate to more
advanced cycling skills;
spare tube, patch kit, pump
About every
15-20 miles
With Group at the
Published Pace
B/C
B/C Moderate Social emphasis, but for those with
riding experience - generally intermediate pace,
terrain and distance
11-13 mph
Intermediate cycling skills;
spare tube, patch kit, pump
About every
10-15 miles
With Group at the
Published Pace
C - Relaxed Easier, for a more “laid-back” time,
perfect for newer riders, slower pace and flatter
terrain, shorter distance
9-11 mph
Entry level to intermediate cycling
skills; spare tube, patch kit, pump
About every
10-15 miles
With Group at the
Published Pace
N/B
N/B - Night B pace, social, safety stressed,
lights required
12-14 mph
Generally intermediate cycling
skills; spare tube, patch kit, pump,
front and rear lights
About every
10-15 miles
front & rear
(must have 2 leaders)
Night Ride Regulations
N/C
N/C - Night C pace, social, safety stressed,
lights required
8-10 mph
Generally intermediate cycling
skills; spare tube, patch kit, pump,
front and rear lights
About every
10-15 miles
front & rear
(must have 2 leaders)
Night Ride Regulations
R
RANDONNEUR - Strenuous Long distance
“brevet” ride with time limits and required
checkpoints. Randonneurs USA rules apply
(see rusa.org). Cooperative spirit.
About 12-20 mph
must finish
within time limits
Intermediate to advanced cycling
skills; spare tube, patch kit, pump,
spirit of self-sufficiency
About every
30 miles
Anywhere For Night Riding
Regulations Rusa Rules apply
see Article 10 of Rider Code
at www.rusa.org
A
A/B
C
Description
A - Very Strenous Fast Paced, most difficult
terrain, or longer distance
TCBC RIDE KEY FOR MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDES
Ride Time
Ride
Type for Mountain
Bikes
Terrain for Mountain Bike Rides
Riders Must Have
Rest Stops
Leader Rides
MB
A
High Speed
no time limit
Difficult dirt trails, roots, rocks, many
difficult hills, technically very difficult
Advanced MB skills; spare tube,
patch kit, pump, chain tool, water
At group or rider’s
discretion
Anywhere
MB
A/B
Rapid
less than 6 hours
Challenging dirt trails or roads, roots,
rocks, many hills, technically quite difficult
Advanced MB skills; spare tube,
patch kit, pump, water
At least 1 time
each hour
Anywhere
MB
B
Moderate
less than 4 hours
Gravel or dirt trails or roads, some hills,
technically moderate
Intermediate MB skills; spare tube,
patch kit, pump, water
At least 1 or 2 times
each hour
With the group - riders
regroup occasionally
MB
C
Slower
less than 2 hours
Gravel or dirt trails or roads, few hills,
technically simple
Beginner MB skills; spare tube,
patch kit, water
2 or more times
each hour
With the group - riders
regroup frequently
** For additional ride considerations see Ride Key at biketcbc.org **
4
JAN //FEB
MAR
APR2015
2015TC
TC
BC
BCNN
EWS
EWS
PRESIDENT
Diane Ziemer 612-247-4835
diane.ziemer@comcast.net
VICE PRESIDENT
Gina McCrone
gmccrone@hotmail.com
SECRETARY
Fran Rabe
fran.rabe@gmail.com
TCBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
George Blank
georgeblankhere@gmail.com
Edward Eroe
EREroe@Eroe.com
Paul Frenz
paul_frenz@yahoo.com
George Hagemann
gphagemann@hotmail.com
Kasey Kramer
circe371@hotmail.com
Pete May
petermay5291@earthlink.net
ADVERTISING
Kate Kovar
ads@biketcbc.org
ART DIRECTOR
Steve Scott
stevescottinc@gmail.com
BIKE U COORDINATOR
John Ford
juan4d@gmail.com
LEADER LIAISON
Pete Hawkins and Katie Angle
leaderliaison@biketcbc.org
MEMBERSHIP
Kristi Linder, Mary Derks,
Scott Larson
membership@biketcbc.org
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Doug Nelson 651-639-9917
news@biketcbc.org
NEW MEMBER COORDINATOR
Garry Glubka 651-303-2207
newmember@biketcbc.org
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Don Picard 952-894-3431
don451@mac.com
RIDE STATISTICS
ridestats@biketcbc.org
SCHEDULE COORDINATOR
Jim Pederson 763-234-5180
schedule@biketcbc.org
TREASURER
Roger Fickbohm
Treasurer@BikeTCBC.org.
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
volunteer@biketcbc.org
WEBMASTER
webmaster@biketcbc.org
TCBC NEWS DEADLINES - usually
between the 4th and 10th of each
month for the next month’s issue
TCBC NEWS is published by the
Twin Cities Bicycling Club, formed
in 1993. Mail and checks can be
sent to: TCBC, PO Box 131086,
Roseville, MN 55113
COMPLETE RIDE CALENDAR AVAILABLE AT BIKETCBC.ORG
NOTICE
Any non-bicycling TCBC activity
or any Outreach Ride listed in this
newsletter or on our website
is not covered by our insurance
provided by American Specialty
Insurance Services, Inc.
MARCH 2015
SUN 1
8:00 AM A 40-65 MI.
DUNN EARLY - GROUP
- MAPLESS. Depart from Dunn
Brothers (Lake St & River Rd), 4648 E
Lake St, Minneapolis.
Randall Huskamp 612-290-9879
rhuskamp@gmail.com
SUN 1
10:30 AM B/C, C 26-38
MI. C AZONA: MESA TO
DOWNTOWN PHOENIX USING THE
LRT. Depart from Red Mountain
Multi-Gen Ctr (Mesa AZ), 7550 E.
Adobe St. Andy Hartle 612-840-0510
andyhar70@yahoo.com,
John Hoffman 715-379-1074
donnahoffmann24@yahoo.com
MON 2
10:30 AM B/C, C 28-40
MI. C AZONA: CANAL
RIDE IN PHOENIX + DREAMY DRAW
EXTRA. Depart from Granada Park
(Phoenix AZ), 6505 N. 20th St. Andy
Hartle 612-840-0510 andyhar70@
yahoo.com, John Hoffman 715-3791074 donnahoffmann24@yahoo.com
TUE 3
10:30 AM B/C, C 31-38
MI. C AZONA: RED
MOUNTAIN-LAS SENDES
RIDE+USERY PASS LOOP -MESA.
Depart from Red Mountain Multi-Gen
Ctr (Mesa AZ), 7550 E. Adobe St. Andy
Hartle 612-840-0510 andyhar70@
yahoo.com, John Hoffman 715-3791074 donnahoffmann24@yahoo.com
WED 4
5:00 PM N-B 25 MI.
MIDTOWN
CHALLENGES THE DARK NIGHT.
Depart from Midtown Bike Center,
2834 10th Ave S, Minneapolis.
Randall Huskamp 612-290-9879
rhuskamp@gmail.com
andyhar70@yahoo.com, John
Hoffman 715-379-1074
donnahoffmann24@yahoo.com
SAT 7
10:30 AM B/C, C 25-39
MI. C AZONA: TEMPLE
LOOP. Depart from Red Mountain
Multi-Gen Ctr (Mesa AZ), 7550 E.
Adobe St. Andy Hartle 612-840-0510
andyhar70@yahoo.com,
John Hoffman 715-379-1074
donnahoffmann24@yahoo.com
SUN MAR 8-14
C MINNEZONA 2015. Depart from
various locations, in and around
Phoenix. See ‘Overnight Trips’ page
on the TCBC website for more details.
Sharyn Resvick, 763-476-5945,
roseofsharyn@comcast.net
TUE 10
6:30 PM. BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MEETING.
Life Link Office - 3010 Broadway St.
NE, MPLS.Diane Ziemer 612-247-4835
diane.ziemer@comcast.com
SAT 14
FRI 20
LEADER TRAINING
COURSE IN ST. LOUIS
PARK. See the website.
10:00 AM BIKE U.
QUALITY BICYCLE
PRODUCTS TOUR, 6400 W 105TH
ST, BLOOMINGTON. See TCBC
website for more info.
John Ford juan4d@gmail.com
SAT 28
1:00 PM 12TH ANNUAL
TCBC SWAP MEET.
HOPKINS VFW POST 425, 100
SHADY OAK RD, HOPKINS. See TCBC
website for more info. Valerie
swapmeet@biketcbc.org
SAT 28
3:15 PM B 27/32 MI.
AFTER THE 'SWAP
MEET' RIDE. Depart from Tonka
Cycle, 16 Shady Oak Road South,
Minnetonka. Mike Beadles
612-839-5406 mrbikey@mrbikey.com
APRIL 2015
MON 6
NEWSLETTER
DEADLINE. E-MAIL
SCHEDULE INFO TO: SCHEDULE@
BIKETCBC.org. Articles to Doug
Nelson, newsletter@biketcbc.org.
TUE 7
6:30 PM BOARD OF
DIRECTORS MEETING.
LIFE LINK OFFICE - 3010 BROADWAY
STREET NE, MINNEAPOLIS. Diane
Ziemer 612-247-4835 diane.ziemer@
comcast.com
WED 8
6:00 PM TCBC RIDE
LEADER FORUM.
SHOREVIEW COMMUNITY
CENTER, 4580 VICTORIA ST N,
SHOREVIEW. See the website. Katie
Angle 763-208-3595 leaderliaison@
biketcbc.org
SAT 11
1:30 PM B 29 MI.
WATERMELON LOOP.
Depart from Snail Lake Pavilion on
Snail Lake Blvd, just east of Victoria, in
Shoreview. Doug Nelson, 651-6399917, dougnelson007@comcast.net.
SUN 19
8:30 AM A 45 MI.
SUNDAY GETAWAY AT
PENN - WOODBURY. Depart from
Penn Cycle (Woodbury), 6415 Lake
Road Terrace. Dave McGrath 530-6172317 dmcgrath1950@gmail.com
SUN 26
49TH ANNUAL
MINNESOTA
IRONMAN RIDE STARTS AT
WASHINGTON COUNTY
FAIRGROUNDS AGAIN. SEE
SEPARATE STORIES.
MAY 23
ALL-CLUB
MEMORIAL RIDE AT
NEW LOCATION. SEE SEPARATE
INFO.
RIDE SAFE
RIDE SMART
THU 5
9:45 AM B/C, C 29 MI. C
AZONA: CONCERT
TOUR IN DOWNTOWN MESA.
Depart from Red Mountain Multi-Gen
Ctr (Mesa AZ), 7550 E. Adobe St. Andy
Hartle 612-840-0510 andyhar70@
yahoo.com, John Hoffman 715-3791074 donnahoffmann24@yahoo.com
FRI 6
10:30 AM B/C, C 35 MI. C
AZONA: PAPAGO PARK/
MESA LOOP. Depart from Indian
School Park (Scottsdale AZ), 4289 No
Hayden Rd. Andy Hartle 612-840-0510
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
5
HERB'S BUNCH
Herb's Bunch Upcoming Rides for 2015
May 8, 9, 10
Trempealeau Trails (WI):
Biking and Birding
This will be a slow-paced ride with
lots of stopping to view birds and
scenery. We will ride on crushed
limestone, paved back roads, and
hard packed gravel as we tour the
surrounding area. Dinner Friday
night at the notable Trempealeau
Hotel. Lodging alternatives: Little
Bluff Inn, 608-534-6651; The Inn on
the River, 608-534-7784; or
Trempealeau Hotel, 608-534-6898.
Dinner Saturday night at Sullivan’s
Supper Club. Ride on Sunday will be
from Trempealeau Trailhead to
Onalaska (28 miles round trip). CoLeaders: Diana and Duane Kasper,
Dave Murphy, Warren Samuelson,
John Hoffmann. Contact Clareyse
Nelson for more information, 612623-3009
May 25 Red Cedar
Memorial Day Ride (WI)
Trail pass required. Ride on packed
limestone trail. We may see eagles;
you may want to bring binoculars.
We will have lunch at the Downsville
Restaurant. Co-Leaders: Dave
Murphy, Clareyse Nelson. Contact
John Hoffmann, 715-834-7897, for
more information.
June 12, 13, 14 Wobegon
Trail Ride(s)
Join us for one, two, or three days of
C & B/C rides on 10-foot-wide paved
Wobegon Trail. Each day’s ride starts
from trailhead in Albany, MN. On
Friday one option is to bike from
Albany, with a rest/lunch stop at
Lisa’s on Main in Melrose, for 33
miles round trip. Another option is to
continue to Sauk Centre and stop at
Palmer House for 43 miles round trip.
Dinner option on Friday will be at the
Hillcrest Café in Albany. On Saturday
one choice is to ride from Albany to
Bowlus (36 miles round trip), with the
rest/lunch stop at Jordie’s Trailside
Café in a delightful garden setting, OR
continue to ride to the Mississippi
Bike Bridge for another 12 miles and
stop at Jordie’s on the way back to
Albany. Our after-ride dining option
is at 6:30 PM at Anton’s in Waite
Park. Our Sunday ride departs from
Albany to St Joseph, out-and-back
for 30 miles round trip, with an
enroute lunch stop at The Local Blend
restaurant in St. Joseph, and return
or ride optional miles to Freeport and
back for 45 miles round trip. You will
make your own lodging
accommodation in or around Albany.
Norwood Inn and Suites in Albany is
an option, 320-845-2145. CoLeaders: Clareyse Nelson, Dave
Murphy, Sharyn Resvick, Warren
Samuelson, and John Hoffmann.
Contact Diana and Duane Kasper,
952-448-1608, or kasperddt@
comcast.net for more information.
June 26, 27, 28 Door
County (WI)
Please join us this summer for a new
TCBC weekend ride in beautiful Door
County. This will be geared towards
C and B/C riders but we welcome
anyone to join us. We will be riding
approximately 30 miles on Friday
afternoon. Saturday will be the 40mile Egg Harbor Loop. And Sunday
we will ferry to Washington Island
and ride approximately 24 miles.
We’ll be working on some evening
activities (we’ve been told a fish boil
is a must) but wanted to pass on the
hotel information for any that would
like to book early. As usual, you are
welcome to stay wherever, or camp,
etc. but this hotel has hosted TCBC
members in the past and comments
were favorable. It’s a 24-room inn in
Egg Harbor, close to all Door County
attractions: Lull-Abi Inn, 7928
Wisconsin 42, Egg Harbor, WI 54209,
Phone: 866-251-0749, Website:
lullabi-inn.com. Because of the
distance, you may want to plan on
booking for an extra evening and
arrive on Thursday, June 25. Contact
Sharyn Resvick, 763-476-5945,
roseofsharyn@comcast.net for more
information.
August 1, 2 The Annual
Munger Meander
The two-day, 150-mile round trip to
Duluth and back from Hinckley will be
held again this year, set for Saturday
and Sunday. It’s a B ride, but as the
whole ride is on the Willard Munger
Trail —nobody gets lost--selfsufficient riders of any speed are
welcome. The ride will be sagged,
with refreshments enroute, and bags
sagged to the ride hotel. Like last
year, we’ll be staying at the
6
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
Americlnn in Carlton. There will be
three mileage alternatives: 60 miles
(Hinckley to Carlton); 72 miles
(adding the Laveau Trail); 84 miles
(Hinckley to Duluth and back to
Carlton). Staying at the Americlnn is
not a requirement. You could stay at
the Munger Inn or any other place
you choose. However, most of the
riders will be staying at the Americlnn
and dining at the nearby Black Bear
Casino restaurant. If you want to
make reservations at the Americlnn
in Carlton, the number is 1-800-3965007, or you can reserve through the
Americlnn website. LEADERS: Dave
Murphy, John Hoffmann. For more
information, contact Don Picard at
donbike@me.com
September 18, 19, 20 3
Days in Lanesboro
Welcome C riders and friends to our
three days in Lanesboro. We hope
you can join us again on this beautiful
trip to SE MN. 20-40 mile rides each
day for three days. Come for one or
all. Some of us go to the play at the
famous Commonweal Theater on
Friday night. Call Clareyse Nelson to
reserve your ticket. Other after-ride
activities may include group dining,
campfires, etc. Reserve your place to
stay early. Lanesboro is always a
popular spot. Lanesboro Chamber
number is 800-944-2670 or 507-4672696. Some of us also camp in the
local campground. Call with
questions and let us know you are
coming. Leaders are Diana and Duane
Kasper, John Hoffmann, Paul
Huntington, and Warren Samuelson.
Contact Clareyse Nelson, 612-6233009 for more information.
October 9, 10, 11 Fall
Color Ride (WI)
Three days on the Old Abe,
Chippewa, and Red Cedar Trails
around the Eau Claire-Chippewa
Falls-Menomonie area to see the
fabulous colors of central Wisconsin
hardwoods in the fall. Leader: Dave
Murphy. Contact John Hoffmann for
more information: 715-834-7897.
TOUR OF LAKES
ONE OF MANY BRAINERD AREA LAKES
Tour of Lakes 2015
If you’re planning on a summer bike
trip, now is the time to plan your Tour
of Lakes 2015 trip. Tour of Lakes will
be returning to Good Ol' Days
Resort(www.goodoldaysresort.com).
Mark your calendars for June 5-7. This
will be a great weekend for biking,
socializing, and touring the Brainerd
area. The Tour of Lakes weekend will
consist of TCBC rides Friday, June 5,
and Sunday, June 7. The Tour of Lakes
(TOL) outreach ride sponsored by the
Paul Bunyan Cyclists Bicycle Club will
be on Saturday, June 6.
The 26th annual TOL ride will begin
and end at the Crow Wing County
Fairgrounds this year. The mileage will
be approximately 35-40 and 65-70
miles. A picnic lunch and live enter-
tainment will be at the finish. Please
note this year is ONLY online registration. Registration deadline is May 1!
This year we will have a potluck
Saturday evening to socialize and talk
about the day’s ride. Friday evening
everyone will be on their own for
dinner, but will be able to gather
around the bonfire for plenty of fun.
Please note everyone is responsible
for their own lodging.
For more information, please go to
the Overnight trips section on the
TCBC website or contact Gina
McCrone (gmccrone@hotmail.com)
or Ann Harris (3annharris@gmail.
com). Hope to see you in Brainerd!
Gina McCrone
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MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
7
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE MN IRONMAN
experience sag van driver? We need
your help with van pick up, driving
during the ride, and drop off after.
Visit Ironmanbikeride.org for a full
list of volunteer opportunities. Some
volunteer opportunities are before
the ride so you can help and ride the
IRONMAN!
You can register to volunteer at
www.ironmanbikeride.org or please
contact me with any questions at
volunteer@ironmanbikeride.org or
651-442-8629 and I’ll find a good
spot for you.
BEST PART OF THE IRONMAN
IRONMAN Volunteers
The 49th Minnesota IRONMAN Bike
Ride is Sunday, April 26, and we’re
excited to be back to the Scenic St.
Croix River Valley! The 2015
IRONMAN postcards have hit the mail
and we’re preparing for another great
ride. Soon the snow and cold will be a
distant memory and cyclists will be
gearing up for the unofficial
beginning of spring – The Minnesota
IRONMAN Bike Ride!
8
The IRONMAN Committee is working
hard to bring another great
IRONMAN ride to the Stillwater area,
but they can’t do it without you!
Whether you’re a cyclist yourself or
someone who wants to see this great
ride in action, volunteering is an
incredible way to experience this
unique event. If you are a returning
volunteer, share the fun by recruiting
friends, family and coworkers. If you
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
are new to the IRONMAN, welcome
aboard! Volunteering for the
IRONMAN also makes a great service
project for church groups, scout
troops, clubs, offices and families!
We know life is busy so we have shifts
that range from all day to a few hours
in a variety of areas, registration, rest
stops, railroad track safety, first aid,
ride marshal, ham radio operator and
merchandise sales. Are you an
Thanks for joining us!
Leah Fogelberg
IRONMAN Volunteer
Coordinator
GET TING TO KNOW OUR SPONSORS
Erik wants to promote their state-ofthe-art fitting system at several
stores, with a fitness lab, and
certified fit technicians to measure
bicyclists for their bikes. Proper
fitting “makes a big difference in
fitness, power, and comfort,” he says.
As for growing trends lately, Erik
mentions general fitness and bike
commuting, and for accessories, he
talks about high-visibility products
rapidly improving and making
bicyclists easier to be seen by others,
whether during the day or at night.
Fat Bikes and gravel riding are
certainly growing too!
Getting To Know Our Sponsors
Series #2 - ERIK’S BIKE SHOP
Erik Saltvold was 13 when he started
ERIK’S. His first bike sparked his
interest. With entrepreneurial spirit,
and the money he saved from his job
as a paperboy, Erik bought 50 used
bikes, fixed them up, and sold them.
Erik's original workshop was in his
parents’ backyard, inside one of the
few remaining barns in the urban
setting of Richfield.
Throughout high school, Erik worked
out of the barn, as part of a school
work for credit program. By his senior
year, the business (now stocking NEW
bikes and accessories) began to take
over storage space from his parents'
basement... to other rooms. So at 18,
Erik moved his business out of his
parents' barn and opened a store on
72nd and Chicago Avenue.
Now in its 38th year, ERIK’S employs
over 300 people and has 22 store
locations. 13 are in the metro area,
plus one in Rochester and St. Cloud,
and 7 stores are in Wisconsin, stretching over to Milwaukee. The selection
of products and services focuses on
Bicycling, Snowboards, Downhill Skis,
Skateboards, Pro Scooters, and all the
gear that goes with them.
ERIK’S was voted by the readers of
City Pages as the Best Bike Shop in
the Twin Cities in 2013. It has been
one of the top 100 bicycle retailers in
the U.S. for years now and was
designated one of America’s Best
Bike Shops by the National Bicycle
Dealers Association. It was voted the
2009 National Retailer of the Year by
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News
(BRAIN). It has been a Silver Bicycle
Friendly Business (designated by LAB)
since 2011.
The website for ERIK’s is a remarkable
assortment of useful information, at
www.eriksbikeshop.com or www.
shoperiks.com. Categories include a
Store Finder for the 22 stores, Fit
Service, Repair Services, Closeout
Section, and Erik’s Riders Club. For
Drop Bar Road Bikes, brands available
are Specialized, Raleigh, Pinarello,
and Bianchi. There is a separate
Women’s Section. I spoke with Erik recently, who
besides being the founder is also the
CEO. He says, “you can spend your
day on the website.” He appreciates
TCBC’s support and the leaders who
start TCBC rides at some of their
stores. He says the “Erik the Bike Man”
theme ads are about 20 years old
now, and will continue -- “designed to
make you smile and think of having
fun by coming to ERIK’S, because
cycling is fun.”
Erik says their staff is the best trained
-- for fitting and sizing customers, and
in overall assistance. They want to
offer “every kind of riding to make
the experience more enjoyable -- as
bikes open up a new world for you.”
He lauds the “great group of people
working here.”
ERIK’S Riders Clubs are group rides
from various stores, with all abilities,
types of bikes, and sizes, and
everyone is welcome to participate.
It’s another option for TCBC riders, he
says. Last year they had more than
600 members and 50 rides per week.
Helmets are required, of course, and
summer rides take place from May
through August. Lights are necessary
when daylight is lacking. Rides are all
on their website.
ERIK’S also offers fitness classes and
provides ride support for some other
organized rides. They are doing a
weekend-long demo this year with
Specialized, Raleigh, Bianchi and
more, taking place May 16th-17th at
Devil's Head Resort. It's something
new in the area and gives people a
chance to try road and mountain
bikes as part of the same event. Full
details are at www.shoperiks.com/
superdemo.
by Doug Nelson
W E F I T.
WE FIT USING RETÜL
3D MOTION ANALYSIS
WITH EVERY QUALIFYING BIKE PURCHASE
AUTHORIZED DEALER OF CANNONDALE,
SPECIALIZED, CERVELO AND MOOTS
CHILKOOTCC.COM
651.342.1048
S T I L LW AT E R • M I N N E S O TA
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
9
VOLUNTEER CORNER
We have escaped the worst of winter
so far. Hoping for an early spring!
The club is completely run by
volunteers, and we have some
opportunities for you.
Coming up is the
Minnesota IRONMAN
Hugh Gitlin has offered to be the
TCBC coordinator for our tent/booth
this year. He is going to need some
brave souls to help him to sign up
TCBC riders and talk to others about
how great our club is. I will have a list
of times available to sign up on the
website under volunteer. Please
email me at volunteer@biketcbc.org
to sign up or ask questions.
The IRONMAN itself runs on
volunteers. If you would like to
volunteer with them, go to their
website, http://ironmanbikeride.org/
for more info. I would also like to be
informed about TCBC members who
volunteer for them, so that they can
be recognized by us. So if you are
volunteering for the IRONMAN, send
me an email telling us what you are
doing for them.
10
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
Did you enjoy the
Recognition Banquet?
Would you like to again next year?
We need an Event Coordinator and
committee volunteers to put that and
the Annual Club Meeting on. Please
email me at volunteer@biketcbc.org
for more information.
North Star Bicycle Festival
coming up in June
We will also be having a booth at the
North Star Bicycle Festival in St. Paul,
Minneapolis, and Stillwater. We did
this last year and met quite a few
people interested in our club. This is
a great opportunity to tell others
about us. I will be coordinating the
booth, so if interested in helping,
contact me at volunteer@biketcbc.
org. A list of times will be on our
website under Volunteer. BTW you
also get to see racing. - Mike Kubes
Thank you to all our great
volunteers.
Mike Kubes
Volunteer Coordinator
PINK EXPRESS
Of Bikes and
Men
by Pink Express
You've read numerous chapters about
Bob Brown's cycling childhood. I have
only one tale from my cycling youth.
My ninth grade class of several
hundred students attended an
independent campus at the west end
of town. Oddly, midyear, the school
administration changed the daily
schedule to include one 90-minutelong lunch break. It was great for
those self-disciplined, academic
individuals gifted with time
management skills. They sat in the
library and did their homework.
In the beginning of these ridiculously
long lunch breaks, I went to the
library without the intention of
studying. Mostly I enjoyed the
spacious, bright and airy highceilinged room. I looked for people to
socialize with. I sat with Bill Lutt and
his good friend Jeff Allen, a cute
blonde with blue eyes (although this
is a common sight in Minnesota, it
was a bit more of a rarity in Northern
California). We all knew each other
from middle school orchestra and
summer music camp. I'd tip back on
the wood chairs and giggle every time
the chair and I fell backwards onto the
floor with a loud, disturbing echoey
clunk. The librarian shot many stern
looks my way.
Jeff was the guy all the girls wanted to
go on a date with, but Bill and Jeff
turned out to be the wrong couple of
guys to sit with. I bewilderedly
listened to Jeff talk about the U.S.
stock market. Then he and Bill talked
about communism and made several
attempts to correctly pronounce
Chairman Mao Tse-tung's name.
These are 14-year-olds, remember.
sans helmets (riders didn't wear them
back then) and rode all over the west
end of Berkeley. We passed the
Berkeley Marina and never ventured
too many miles from school. These
were mapless C-speed rides and the
terrain was a slight downgrade
towards the San Francisco Bay. The
California weather was always
beautiful. The worst we got was rain,
and I don't recall any rainy ride days.
We had Schwinns, Peugeots,
Motobecanes, and Montgomery
Ward Hawthornes.
Spring riding passed and summer
came, ending the school year, our
club, and its glorious biker
camaraderie. That summer Jeff went
bike touring in Europe with a guy who
was a year older. I rode my Peugeot
U08 with some friends on the city
streets and over the hills of Berkeley
to Briones Reservoir. I rode blindly
without eyeglasses. Those were
careless times.
When September came, I abandoned
the carefree riding clothing of a t-shirt
and knit shorts. My interest turned to
fashion on school days and Saturday
nights. Saturday nights meant going
to parties or out on dates. I gave up
riding to school and walked. The main
campus high school for grades 10-12
was closer to my home.
One day John Shoredike approached
me at school and asked, in a tone of
sadness mixed with curiosity, why I
didn't ride to school anymore. I did
not have a viable answer for him. That
year he joined the high school bike
racing team.
On Wednesday nights I rode 2 miles
to YPSO (Young People's Symphony
Orchestra) rehearsals, held in an
elementary school auditorium. I
carried my violin case and sheet
music in a bookbag on which I
painted “smog kills” in fluorescent
orange, for all the motorists to see. I
dared them to run me over. At those
hours most of the drivers on these
quiet neighborhood streets were
parents of the other kids in the
orchestra, and they didn't want the
string section to get smaller.
Two evenings a week I rode my bike
one mile to a Berkeley dojo (a school
for training in Japanese martial arts)
to attend a karate class. At the dojo I
was a beginner dressed in a white gi
with a white belt. When we sparred, I
dreaded having to pair up with the
one child in the class. He was about
10 years old and did nothing but
wildly kick and bruise his opponents
(you are supposed to pull your kicks
and punches back). There were three
women in the class and I was the
youngest. The other two were college
students.
A month after class started, I was
walking home from school on a busy
street a half a block from the dojo. It
was another fashion day. I wore stack
heeled brown suede knee-high boots,
a navy midthigh minidress with
orange peace symbols woven in the
fabric, and a brown poplin anklelength trench coat.
I was approached by a young man.
“Excuse me” he said, very politely.
”Hi, I am (whatever his name was) and
the other day I TRIED TO WAVE YOU
DOWN WHILE YOU WERE RIDING
YOUR BICYCLE HERE ON THIS STREET.
APPARENTLY YOU THOUGHT I WAS
TRYING TO ATTACK YOU. I just wanted
to say hi. “ He was very wordy, and I
immediately recognized him as one of
the few green belt students at the
dojo. He always asked the sensei
(teacher) ”like so?” to have his kicks,
punches, and form corrected. No
other student in the class spoke a
word or seemed so intent on pursuing
perfectionism.
Some pickup talk ensued: “Say, so,
what's your name?” he asked with a
friendly smile. “Marina.” He eyed my
Schwinn Cyclery bookbag loaded with
three textbooks. Or at least I thought
that was what he was looking at. “Hey
man, do you go to Cal?” (University of
California Berkeley - the campus was
a few blocks away.) “I go to Berkeley
High,” I said with great pride. “You're
in HIGH SCHOOL? “ he asked with
astonishment. “HOW OLD ARE YOU?”
I answered with matter-of-fact
innocence: “I'm 14.”
His jaw dropped as his eyes widened.
He quickly took a large safe step back,
cautiously distancing us by 3 feet.
“Uh, well, I'm 22,” he said
incredulously, as if he did not believe
it himself. “And that means what to
me?“ I quizzed. (Actually I did not say
that. The phrase was coined decades
later.) I looked at him blankly, and
then he said the most important thing
: “Hey, so, I'LL SEE YOU AROUND ON
YOUR BICYCLE.” With that he
embarrassingly, hastily disappeared
into the crowd on the busy street.
A few weeks later, I had emergency
eye surgery (not related to the class),
and afterwards was told by my
opthalmologist to drop all contact
sports, including karate, football (LOL)
and diving into swimming pools. The
rest is bicycling history.
Many of my friends rode bicycles to
school. There were about ten of us.
Thankfully, John Shoredike decided to
start a bicycling club. We had 90 minutes to kill, and I didn't eat much
lunch anyway. So why not ride? John
posted signs around the school announcing the new bike club and when
the ride days were. There was an
open campus policy, which meant
students could leave campus at lunch
and do whatever they wanted in town.
The city is urban, so you could walk or
ride to stores, parks, homes, etc.
The school erected a bike parking
area surrounded by a cyclone fence
because there were too many bicycle
thefts that year. It was padlocked
during class hours and open for 90
minutes during lunch. We took off
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
11
RECOGNITION BANQUET
Banqueting to Recognize Together
by Mary C Miller
The 2013-14 Recognition Banquet
was a real thrill through and through,
starting with the social hour and
seeing riding buds we haven't seen
for at least a few months. If you ever
have any doubt about
whether we are really
good friends with one
another, it won't work
to determine that
level of friendship by
how many of us have
been to other TCBC
homes or how often,
as it is a typical
characteristic of
Minnesotans today NOT to have good
friends over – in some cases EVER.
However, if you set a noise meter in
our midst at about 6 pm, you would
have been astounded at the result. It
would tell you by the extremely high
meter reading that this group of
people is having a tremendous time
seeing/talking/laughing together.
By that time, most of us had visited
our favorite sponsor's booth; gained
a place at a table; had something
from the cash bar in hand; sampled
the hors d'oeuvres; and thus were
engaged in actively talking to our
friends as we “worked” the room.
One thing that was expected and
noticeably missing this year was my
piano presentation of jazz and swing
music. Unfortunately, the piano
didn't get tuned and the piano
CO-HOSTS GARY STANG AND
MARY BETH SCHMIDT
We have many road bikes to
choose from like the carbon
Specialized Roubaix Sport
with Shimano 105
GREAT
DEAL!
2099
$
Check our website or stop in the
store for current tune up specials.
Get your bike tuned up early and
enjoy the ride!!
carsbikeshop.com
Mon Thur Fri 10 - 8
Tues Wed
10 - 6
Saturday
10 - 5
Sundays
Closed
763.784.6966
2661 County Rd 1
and Old Hwy 10
Mounds View, MN 55112
EXPERIENCE FRANCE BY BIKE
Breathtaking Alpine vistas, fragrant
Provencal lavender fields, perfect
roads, the Tour de France on Alpe
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10 days | July 21 – 30, 2015
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12
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
occupies a usual place at the facility
that has rendered the pins to totally
loosen in the sound board so that it
only holds a tune for one
performance. My piano which hasn't
been tuned in a number of years is in
far better tune than the one at the
Radisson.
After socializing until about 6:30, we
started visiting the buffet and the
food was great. We had a
smokehouse beef, some chicken in a
sauce and two types of Tilapea – one
with an herb rub that was grilled and
the other in an herb sauce. There
were a number of vegetable sides, a
green salad, pasta salad, rice pilaf,
potatoes, buns, and a variety of cakes
for dessert. That is just what I
remember. It was huge.
Gary Stang and Mary Beth Schmidt
dressed in vintage “West Side Story”
garb and Mary Beth really stole the
show in her beautiful, strapless
crimson gown in the style of the
Latinos of the Bronx in that era. Gary,
likewise, was dressed in Latino gang
garb of the play with white shirt, blue
jeans, white sox and black leather
shoes. Mary Beth not only looked
charming, but charmed us with her
wit as well. She told several jokes she
had created in the drier vein of Jack
Benny and Bob Hope. There were
some groans when some in the
audience finally “got it”. Although
perhaps every one wasn't laughingout-loud funny, they were really
creative and witty, so we were pretty
impressed with her comedy routine.
For me, the theme from “West Side
Story” was especially poignant, having
just finished the memoir of Sonia
Sotomayor, our first Latina Supreme
RECOGNITION BANQUET
Our womens' mileage leaders were
Samantha Carroll with 6005 miles
and Katie Angle with 5705. For the
men, Richard Miller was first with
11,750 and Randall Huskamp was
second with 8638 – pretty impressive
mileages. That's many hours on a
bike even at an A/B pace.
The banquet closed with BINGO and
many more prizes. If you didn't make
it this year, remember this recap
when registration time arises next
year. Hopefully, you've decided this is
an event you'd rather not miss. 
CHARMING THE ARRIVALS WERE EVIE WALTERS, KASEY KRAMER AND ANN HARRIS
Court Justice, who came from a solo
parent family from that very
neighborhood and that very era from
which West Side Story was taken.
Gary brought forth the theme of
“West Side vs East Side” with noise
makers for each side when the prizes
were given out. East Side vs West
Side – For the most in attendance, it
was a tie with 134 registered -believe it or not, we had an even
split. Even though some that were
registered did not show up and a few
signed up the night of it was so close
we called it a tie!
The sponsors really blessed us with
over $1400 in gift cards and bicycle
merchandize for our door prizes.
Thank you to Chris Bentley/
Ameriprise, Cars Bicycle Shop,
County Cycle, Erick’s, Gate Way Cycle,
Penn Cycle, and Rack Attack for their
generous donations. There was
another list of about 40 prizes for the
Bingo which were solicited by Ann
Harris and Linda Johnson. These were
many of the proprietors that we
frequent on many of our bike rides,
so if you were lucky enough to win
something make sure you send them
a special thank you when you visit
their establishment. The total
Banquet Committee also included
Linda Johnson, Kasey Kramer, Gina
McCrone, Fran Rabe, Donna Sanders,
Patt Seleen, Loren Stark, Evie
Walters, and Diane Ziemer. Diane put
together a great PowerPoint synopsis
of the biking season in pictures. Steve
Scott did a nice job on the brochures.
You can give them a hand by thanking
them personally when you see them.
the Sponsorship Committee; being
our Message Board Coordinator; and
on our website team for years, as
well as many years of special
volunteer service in various
capacities, including many years as a
ride leader both here in Minnesota
and winter trips in Arizona. She also
cuts up dozens of onions for the
picnic after the Watermelon ride
every year – I cry at ONE. Kate is in
Arizona right now and we wanted to
surprise her by “skyping” her into the
banquet. However, she could only see
us – not hear us. Personally, I would
have put the plaque in front of the
camera, but maybe Jim and Kate
couldn't see us as well as we could
see them. Jim answered the call with
a cowboy hat on which made him
look totally different, and at a
distance, I started thinking he
reminds me of someone. “Crocodile”
Dundee is his film nickname.
55 MILES
of beautiful, paved
rail-trails across
Central MN.
Call for a free trail map,
800-245-2539
Kate Kovar is our Volunteer of the
Year. This special recognition is to
honor Kate for her many
contributions to the life of TCBC,
including doing a great job of chairing
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
13
BOB BROWN
"10 BELOW AND READY TO GO!"
ACCLIMATION
The cold can be bad, if you are not
dressed for it and not acclimated to
it. This year I have gotten out less
than normal, and am therefore less
acclimated to the cold than usual. I
find winter to be more bothersome
than in past years. I can almost
sympathize with those who complain
of the cold or go south, but not really.
The cold is part of my heritage. I
recall my dad going out bare-headed
in below-zero weather. When his ears
got cold he would rub them until they
were warm, and they would stay
warm, even to the touch. He told me
a story once of a day from his school
days up by Grand Rapids. At dawn, he
had walked across a field of squeaky
snow to a thick wooded area down by
the swamp. There he spent the
morning chopping down trees for
firewood. While working, he
discarded clothes until he was down
to his long johns and flannel shirt,
work gloves, and stocking cap.
Midmorning, he put back on his
storm coat, chopper mittens,
sheepskin cap tied under his chin,
and a scarf, and started back to the
house for lunch. He found that he
could not face the wind at all and had
to walk backwards most of the way.
At the house, over the radio, he
heard that a temperature of 54
degrees below zero had been
recorded at the Pokegema
Government Dam nearby. After a
lunch, he returned to the woods to
continue his work. He was always
proud to have spent the day outdoors
on one of the coldest days in the
history of Minnesota.
He told me some other stories about
the cold. For example, one time he
was out hunting ducks. He had just
eaten his lunch and was taking the
coffee pot off the fire when a cold
snap blew in suddenly and fiercely.
When he tried to pour himself a cup
of hot java, nothing would come out
of the pot. The coffee had frozen so
fast, the ice was still warm.
Undaunted, he picked up his gun and
went to his secret pond which always
drew many puddle ducks, and he was
not disappointed by the number of
birds he saw. It soon became
apparent that the pond had frozen so
fast that the ducks’ feet were all
frozen into the ice and they could not
fly. Abandoning all pretense of
stealth, he marched right up to the
ducks, intent upon shooting them,
scaring them all at the same time.
Working frantically in concert, they
were able to fly off, taking a big sheet
of ice with them. Not only had they
gotten away, but in the process, they
had stolen my dad’s favorite duck
pond, and they never brought it back.
He told me also of a time when he
was lying in the shade on the grassy
bank of the Mississippi River with a
line out and a big gob of worms on
the hook, with his pole propped up
against a log waiting for a fish to bite.
Suddenly he heard a commotion in
the bushes and sat up to see a large
black bear charging right for him. He
took off like a shot, running a zig-zag
course for what seemed like an
eternity. Finally he ran out onto the
ice of a lake. The bear followed,
slipped all over the place, and fell
down, breaking through the ice. My
father went home, leaving the bear
to flounder around in the lake for as
long as it liked. I thought I had caught
him telling a stretcher – Grassy bank
of the river? - Ice on the lake? He had
an explanation. The bear, he said, had
chased him from September 24th
until December 12th. I never thought
to ask him what became of his pole.
My mom told me tales of skating up
and down the Cannon River from
Northfield to Dundas and back with
her schoolmates, something I would
never dare do, and which she should
not have done either. If you can
imagine breaking through the ice and
falling into the current which runs
beneath it, you will know what I mean.
As you might know, I have a brother.
He and I like to winter camp once in a
while - the colder the better. When I
was in high school, we lived in
Rochester. There was a wooded area
just north of town with a small dirt
road going right into it. During a
Christmas vacation, when the
temperature was predicted to drop
more than 20 degrees below zero, we
decided to set up an overnight camp
in that woods. We didn’t have any
real winter camping gear, so we
lugged several armloads of covers
and a heavy canvas tent with a
lumber frame to a clearing deep in
the woods. Our camp was set up
according to the dictates of the Boy
Scout Manual. We cooked our supper
over the fire and sat around eating
and talking for a while. Then, near
bedtime, we constructed an edifice
on one side of the fire, transforming
it into a Reflector Fire as described in
the Manual. We left the front of the
tent open to let in all the reflected
heat from the fire to warm us while
we slept. To my best knowledge,
reflector fires do not work, but sparks
from them can cause your blankets to
smolder.
I had trouble getting warm that night,
but finally found a position wherein I
was curled up just right and was able
to preserve some semblance of
warmth, and I drifted off enough so
that the wing tips and dress slacks
which occupied my field of vision did
not seem out of place – not until the
man in a trenchcoat shined a light in
my face and demanded to know who
I was. This woke my brother.
Fortunately he knew who both of us
were and was able to convince the
two police detectives, who had snuck
up on us in the dark and cold, that we
were not the two persons who had
escaped from the Rochester State
Hospital.
Now, if you have any concerns
regarding the veracity of this article,
I can tell you that I share your suspicions about the warm ice, the duck
pond, and the bear. The rest is true.
By the time you read this article, I
hope it finds you in the process of
acclimating for spring and suffering
greatly from cabin fever if you did not
acclimate to winter. See you on the
road. Bob Brown
14
OC TOB
MAR
/ APR
ER 2014
2015
TC
TC
BC
BC
NN
EWS
EWS
TCBC SWAP MEET 2015
MILEAGES & STATS
This winter has been nowhere near as
challenging as last. This one has been
warmer and drier than normal -- so
far. For rides held since Nov. 1, 2014,
the early leaders and their ride totals:
WOMEN
the 12th Annual
Twin Cities Bicycling Club
TCBC Swap Meet
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Hopkins VFW Post 425
100 Shady Oak Road, Hopkins, MN 55343
 Buy, sell, or donate new or used bicycling gear
 Find out more at: http://www.BikeTCBC.org/swapmeet
 Contact Valerie at: SwapMeet@biketcbc.org or 612-454-5084
Get ready to ride! Here's your
chance to pick up some great
new and gently used bikes,
parts, clothing, and accessories
from TCBC members with more
cycling stuff than we need. Our
obsession is your good fortune,
come get the bargains!
This event is open to anyone
with an interest in cycling. No
admission, fees, or commissions
are required. Buyers do not
need to be TCBC members.
However, all sellers must be
current TCBC members or
sponsors; you may purchase a
membership ($30/$45) at the
door. Bicycling related nonprofit organizations may request
free display space by contacting
us in advance. Some non-profits
will be accepting donations of
bicycles, parts, or equipment.
Please forward this email to all
of your bicycling email lists, club
members, and cycling friends.
We look forward to seeing you
there!
will be accepting donations of
bicycles, parts, or equipment
We look forward to
seeing you there!
Valerie Olson
Swap Meet Coordinator
Twin Cities Bicycling Club (TCBC)
Katie Angle
Karen Kleiman Sarah Jansen Liesa Miller Kimberle Bloom Renee Schepers Katherine Swenson Judy Emerson Phuong Do Susan Evan Marina Lim Gina McCrone 429
192
165
132
116
110
100
94
87
85
73
62
MEN
David Wamsley Randall Huskamp John Easton James Berg Brian Hecht Rob Mosimann Richard Miller Alvin Hoffman Chuck Ryan Brad St. Mane Tim Rand Tim Fountinelle 1709
1591
1178
1076
930
805
696
634
634
630
624
585
MORE 2014 STATS
(NOTE: We are not including the usual
long list of people over 1000 miles. It
is on the TCBC website. But here are
the top achievers from 2014.)
TOP 10 WOMEN IN MILEAGE
Samantha Carroll Katie Angle Judy Emerson Phuong Do Fran Rabe Linda Johnson Susan Evan Diane Ziemer Mary Nelsen Pam Engebretson 6005
5705
4177
4134
4097
4072
3657
3644
3634
3547
TOP 10 MEN IN MILEAGE
Richard Miller
Randall Huskamp David Wamsley Tom Brix Dick Voss John Easton Mark Gregory Mark Halvorson Jim Goetz Mike Nizielski 11,750
8638
8052
6036
5594
5573
5297
5242
4943
4922
RIDES TAKING PLACE THE MOST
TIMES
A rides
Dunn Early
78
A/B rides Friday Metric and
WOMEN DOING THE MOST
Gateway Express
RIDES: Angle 18, Kleiman 8, Schepers 33
4, many with 3.
B rides
46
MEN DOING THE MOST RIDES:
B/C rides Mendota to
Eat Street
20
Wamsley 43, Huskamp 33, Easton 26,
Rand 24, Ryan 23, Mosimann 20, Berg
19, Hecht 16.
LEADING THE MOST RIDES:
Huskamp 33, Rand 23, Mosimann 10,
Mike Beadles & Jim Joy & David
Wamsley 7.
C rides
Pink Express
Windmill Ride
20
152 LEADERS LED RIDES IN 2014.
Of the new ride leaders last year,
leading the most were Mike Kubes
with 26 and Pam Zachman with 24.
Small Group Supported Bicycle Tours in Wisconsin
Indoor lodging, meals, off bike activities
Flavors of Wisconsin
July 12 -18, 2015
Northern Woods
and Waters
August 9 -15, 2015
http://www.BikeTCBC.org/swapmeet
http://www.facebook.com/events/1485586551703210/
920•427•6086
w w w . a ro u n d w i s b i k e . c o m
MAR / APR 2015 TC BC N EWS
15
T WIN CITIES BICYCLING CLUB
P.O. BOX 131086
ROSEVILLE, MN 55113
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
PAID
TWIN CITIES MN
PERMIT
NO. 32139
M EM B ERS H I P C ARD
TWIN CITIES BICYCLING CLUB
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Mail this form and your check payable to “TCBC” to:
Twin Cities Bicycling Club
PO Box 131086, Roseville, MN 55113.
Please do not staple checks to the membership form.
Or Join on-line at: www.biketcbc.org
FIRST AND LAST NAME
MAILING ADDRESS
CITY_STATE
APT
ZIP
EVENING PHONE
E-MAIL ADDRESS
I consent to receiving notice of annual and special meetings of TCBC
members at the above email address.
_____ I do not provide this consent.
_____ FIRST TIME MEMBER RENEWAL
_____ I would like to volunteer.
_____ I would like to receive my newsletter via e-mail also.
For statistical purposes: Gender (circle)
M F
D.O.B.
/
/
_____ $30.00 - INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP
_____ $45.00 - HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIP*
(enables two adults in household to vote)
Please list the first and last names, gender and date of birth for other
bicyclists in your household:
1.___________________________________ M F D.O.B._____ /____ /_____
2.___________________________________ M F D.O.B._____ /____ /_____
3.___________________________________ M F D.O.B._____ /____ /_____
The TCBC membership year is 12 months from the date you become a member.
Categories of membership are 1) individual and 2) household. For insurance
purposes all members are required to sign a liability release annually. The
newsletter mailing label shows membership numbers and expiration date and
serves as your member card.