February 2007 SBC Newsletter, Cyclists of Greater Seattle

8/9/2019 February 2007 SBC Newsletter, Cyclists of Greater Seattle

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SBC NewsletterMonthly newsletter of the Seattle Bicycle Club, Seattles Friendliest Bike Club

F.A.R.T.S. Tour 06!(French Alps Recreational Touring Society)Storyby Ginny and Tom Tanner; photos by Arnie Chin and Ron Tazuma

The adventurebegan with anidea and culmi-nated in a once-

in-a-lifetime bi-cycling experi-ence conqueringthe major cols(mountainpasses) of theFrench Alps; ac-complished thispast Septemberwith cyclingfriends from Se-

attle. The ridestarted in Chamonix, Francenear Geneva, proceeded toNice on the MediterraneanSea and included climbing allof the historically used Tour deFrance, Cols in the French,Italian and Swiss Alps. The

self-organized tour was anexhilarating, challenging, sce-nic, thrilling and terrifically funbicycling experience.

The biking adventure throughthe French Alps began withtwelve riders from the Seattle

area gather-ing in Chamonix,France. The goal of thegroup was to enjoy theFrench countryside,having time to smellthe roses, while also

conquering the most challeng-ing routes used in the Tour deFrance.

For more FARTS, please seepage 5

Seattle Bicycle Club www.seattlebike.org February 2007

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IN THIS ISSUE:

FARTS Tour..............1

Merchandise, Meeting!and Members............

SeriesRides..........................

Happenings................

Daily Rides..

About SBC....................

Calendar..........
http://www.seattlebike.org/http://www.seattlebike.org/


2/9

CLUB MERCHANDISE

Seattle Bicycle Club Jer-seys & T-shirts

There are still some jerseys andt-shirts remaining for purchase.You can buy them at the MonthlyMeetings or by emailing:

[email protected]

Jerseys $55 Unisex sizing; Pro-fitcut

Size: XSS M L XL XXLChest:34 36 38 40 42 44The jerseys are made by LouisGarneau in a Micro-Airdry fabric.

They have 3 back pockets and a 15invisible zipper.

T-Shirts:

Short sleeved $13 S-XL, $14XXL

Long sleeved $16 S-XL, $17XXL

CLUB MEETINGS

The next club meeting willbe in March. Look here fordetails coming.

CLUB MEMBERS

Please welcome thefollowing new members:

Jarold Morgan

And celebrate the renewalof these members:

Ed Schramko

Michele Morgan

Renew your membershiponline. Go to:www.seattlebike.org andfollow the link to renewwith PayPal.


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3/9

RIDESSERIES

Gasworks Wednesday Night

Ride: Training SeriesEvery Wednesday Night, un-less otherwise noted

Ride Days: WednesdayEvenings

Ride Start: Gasworks Park,SeattleMeet At:6pm, start 6:15pmsharpRide Pace: High Moderate/

BriskRide Distance: ~20 MilesRide Terrain: Mixed / HillyRide Coordinator: Jennifer206-325-0319,insipidperson@ juno.comRide Leads: Arnie, Bill, BobA, Charlie, Dan, Garry, Garth,Gary, Howard, Martha, Ron L,Ron T, Stacey, Tom, et al.Rain Policy: Heavy rain can-

celsRide Description:

This is a mid-week trainingride for those who live or workin Seattle. We will vary the

routes from week to week andsample Seattles neighbor-hoods, parks and waterfronts.We will climb at least one ortwo hills to strengthen ourlungs and legs, but the ulti-mate goal will be to catchsunsets from high and low.There will be an optional get-together at the establishmentof our choice after the ride.

For daily rides, see page 7.


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4/9

HOLIDAY PARTY A BIG HIT!

Were you one of the 50 people who attendedthe Seattle Bicycle Clubs Holiday Party at

Hales Ales? Everyone enjoyed food andbeverages provided by Hales and participatedin the now-legendary White Elephant GiftExchange.

For more photos of the party, go to this link: SBCHoliday Photos

DINNER OUT! SERIES HAS BEGUN

A group of SBC cyclistsand guests enjoyed a deli-

cious dinner (and wine and

dessert!) at Pair in January.

Check the website and

watch your inbox for an

invitation to Februarys

Dinner Out!


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FARTS 2006 CONTINUED

The support van was manned

by Luke, Lee Derrors son,who flew in from Japan to bepart of the journey and TomTanners wife, Ginny. They

provided invaluable logisticsupport throughout the tour.

Chamonix proved to be adelightful town at the base ofMont Blanc and a picture-perfect village. Prior to startingthe riding, group membershiked in the mountains(including an attempt at the

summit of Mont Blanc byJennifer Chang, Arnie Chinand Bill Leyrer), visited thesmall shops, tried hang glidingand savored French cuisine.And then, after months oftraining and planning, the ridethrough the French Alps was

underway early on themorning of September 2nd.

Climbing the Col desMontets and Col de la

Forclaz the first day,the group easilyclimbed almost 3,000feet, smiling all theway to end in thetown of Martigny,Switzerland. That firstday set the precedentfor lunches, cafesand beers, usually atone of the restaurantsat the top of the Colwhere the riderswould regroup andswap tales of themornings cycling.

A pattern for the days wassoon established: the riderstypically started early in themorning with a full day of

biking and, after reaching thedestination for the day, theyrelaxed at the small hotels atwhich we had reservations.Then, they partook of somesightseeing, hiked in thecountryside or occasionallylounged by the pools oroutdoor gathering places.The hotels were all small-town establishments

chosen to have a Europeanflavor and a low cost to fitbudget constraints. Dinnerwas generally in the townand included some trueepicurean feasts. Frogslegs, kangaroo steak(served with no knives),

mussels and French fries,cheeses, local red and whitewines, roasted chicken andvegetables from farmersmarkets were all enjoyed

along the way. The groupwould generally meet in theevening to discuss thefollowing days route, optionsand start time. Stacey VanNorman, Charlie Roosen andMark Peterson expertlydeveloped and provided eachrider invaluable daily cuesheets and maps. The grouphad the professional caliber

maps and cue sheets fornavigating the back roads andmountain passes of theFrench Alps.

The first day may have beenthe easiest; it was but a warm-up of what was to come. Eachday over the next 2 weeksincluded conquering two ormore major cols. Climbs of2000 to 2500 meters a day

were typical with oneparticularly challenging day inwhich the group climbednearly 3600 meters in a singleday. The most adventurous ofthe group climbed nearly100,000 feet and covered over


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860 miles during the nearly 21/2 week adventure. Theweather was postcard perfectwith the exception of one rainyday as the group climbed the

highest mountain pass inEuropeCime de la Bonette(2802 meters). It rained theentire day and as the ridersapproached the top of the Colthey experienced nearfreezing temperatures, strongwinds, constant rain and hailpelts on the down side runfrom the top. The warmshowers of the hotel rooms

were most welcome that night.

Ron Tazuma quickly becamethe official photographer,recording and chronicling forthe participants the true spiritof the ride. Dan Wakefield,even aftertwo bikespills in onedayfollowed bya crash witha car keptthe grouplaughingand smilingthroughoutthe tour.SherryJohnson set

the bar forresourcefulness when herbaggage arrived three daysafter the start of the ride, andMartha Hines taught thehikers what high gear on thehiking trails really means. TomTanner was the only rider to

find himself lost in a longFrench tunnel while climbingCols du Grand SaintBernard...none of the otherriders quite

understoodhow...

A great part ofthe success ofthe tour was theterrificcamaraderieexperienced bythe participants.All the ridersare biking friends from Seattle.

With able leadership andfacilitation of Jennifer Chang,the participants self-organizedthe tour for themselves.Numerous planningsuccessions were held atvarious participants homesprior to the tour to organize

the

logistics for the trip and planthe routes to be taken. Allpitched in and contributed toensure the tour would be thegrand success it turned out tobe. The various bike trainingrides sponsored by SeattleBicycle Club and the hard

training by the participantscontributed to the fitness ofthe riders to be able to ride themountain passes day in and

day out

andsmileandlaughthroughout thewhole

adventure. The group coined

the name FARTS as theirhandle.

A few statistics: in 15 days,several in the group climbedover 98,000 feet and coveredin excess of 860 miles.Dozens of mountain Colswere conquered with terrificclimbing memories of eachone. There were six mishaps

on the road (crashes), oneday of rain, three flat tires, onescratch on the van, countlessincredible meals consumed,gallons of wine and Oranginasipped. Most importantly, thebest statistic of all was therewere terrific times for all,immeasurable laughs, andfantastic memories for alifetime. It was truly a grand

adventure accomplished bygood friends.doing whatthey love to doBIKE!

Pictures of the ride can be viewed at

the following link: http://imageevent.com/seattlebicycleclub/farts;jsessionid=v8q3l6pk21.zebra_s


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Saturday, February 10

West Seattle to Kent (Chilly Hilly Training)

Ride Start: 61st and Alki (statue was removed for repair)

Meet at: 10:15 am. Depart by 10:30 amDistance: ~50 MilesPace: ModerateTerrain: HillyRain Policy: Rain or Snow CancelsCue Sheet: YesRide Leader: Monica Zaborac 206-226-8514 (cell)Ride Description: This is one of my favorite loops. We will take the scenic backroads of WestSeattle and ride to Burien and Des Moines before we descend into Kent for a lunch break. Route back will be along the scenic Green River Trail to South Park and back to West Seattle. Expect 2000 feet of climbing on this ride. First half of the ride is hilly. Second half of the ride is

completely flat. First half of ride will be moderate paced. Second half will be high moderate tolow brisk paced. There will be re-group stops along the way. Bring at least 2 new tubes, tirelevers, a patch kit, and a pump. This is a great training ride 2 weeks before Chilly Hilly.

Saturday, February 24

Maybe Chilly, Not Too Hilly

Ride Start: Snoqualmie Falls, near restroomsMeet at:10:15 am, Start at 10:30 am.Distance: 35 miles.Pace: Moderate.Terrain: Rolling HillsRain Policy Heavy Rain or Ice CancelsCue Sheet: YesRide Leader: Louise Kornreich 206-200-1502 (cell)or [email protected]

Ride Description: My favorite ride on mostly low traffic backroads and a few small hills. Nicescenery, too.

Directions to start: Take the Hwy 18 exit off of I-90. Turn left to Snoqualmie Parkway and goto the end. Turn left on Hwy 203 toward the Falls and, just after going under the overpass, turnright to upper parking lot. Ride your bike across overpass to get to ride start near restrooms.

Check the website for up-to-the-minute ride updates atwww.seattlebike.org


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and all minor children), which gets you monthly

issues of the newsletter and all of our rides, sum-mer tours, parties and our spiffy website,(www.seattlebike.org).

Audition Us: Were sure that if you ride with us,youll want to be a part of our club. Come see howmuch fun it is!

Out of town visitors are welcome on all rides!

SEATTLE BICYCLE CLUB IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE

LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS AND THE BICYCLE ALLIANCE OF WASHINGTON

Who We Are: The Seattle Bicycle Club Inc. is a

not-for-profit membership organization dedicatedto the interests of recreational cycling enthusiasts.Our interests are recreation, safety, fun and cama-raderie.

We Ride Bicycles: We have two activities weride bicycles and we have fun, all at the same time.We have rides for those training for events likeRAMROD, to rides for anybody who has a bike ingood condition and a body that would like to getout there.

Everyone Is Welcome To Join: Our yearly mem-bership fee is $16 (or $20 per household- 2 adults

2007 Board Members

President: Garry Kehr

Vice President: Howard Strickler

Secretary:Judy Kraemer

Treasurer: Rick Stolz

Past President: Mary Jo GerstContact any board member for more information

Non-board Volunteers:

Membership: Mark Peterson

Newsletter: Louise Kornreich

Merchandise:Jimmy Pelaez

Ride Director:Jim Stewart

Seattle Bicycle Club, Inc

PO Box 34123Seattle,WA 98103-4123

http://www.seattlebicycle.org

[email protected]


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RULES TO RIDE BY:

All riders are expected to obey therules of the road and show properetiquette towards vehicles, othercyclists and pedestrians.

For example: Come to a complete stop at stop

signs, look both ways and proceedwhen safe.

Stop before, not within or ahead,of all crosswalks.

Heed a car back call by calling itforward and riding single file tothe right to let cars pass.

Regroup well away from cars.

Riders who show flagrant abuseof traffic rules will be asked toleave the ride.

Read On...

Please bring ID specifyingemergency contact name andphone number, blood type, and alist of any allergies and/or specificmedical needs.

All riders under the age of 18must be accompanied by a parent

or responsible adult. Please arrive 15 minutes before

the ride starts to sign in, reviewthe ride map, and get ready toride. If you have any questionsabout the ride, ask the RideLeader before the ride begins.

Everyone is welcome on rides.

Ride Pace / Regroup Frequency:

Leisurely (10-12 mph) / constant

Social (12-14 mph) / frequent

Moderate (14-16 mph) / regular

Brisk (16-18 mph) / occasional

(Pace refers to the speed on theflats)

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

When signing the SBC waiverform, please consider who youdlike to have as an Emergency

Contact. It is an importantnumber that the ride leaderneeds to have. In case of anaccident, who will take yourbike home? Who will notify

your loved ones or your boss ofyour whereabouts? Try to

choose someone who has a cellphone and your house keys.

R i d eL e a d e r

T r a i n i n g!

Want to Lead a Ride?

Planning is in the works for a RideLeader Training Class in March orApril. Date and location to beannounced.


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Calendar

Saturday, Feb 3

Renton- Tiger Mt

Pre Chilly Hilly

Wednesday, Feb 7

Gasworks Ride

Saturday, Feb 10

West Seattle to Kent

Wednesday, Feb 14

Gasworks Ride

Wednesday, Feb 21

Gasworks Ride

Saturday, Feb 24

Maybe Chilly, Not Too Hilly

Wednesday, Feb 28

Gasworks Ride

Documents

February 2007 SBC Newsletter, Cyclists of Greater Seattle