Latest Club News & Info

Six riders took on some of the roughest gravel roads Michigan has to offer this morning. Spring is a great time to sharpen those pothole dodging skills and lose teeth on washboard. Perfect weather, great company, good beer and food afterwards. And the suicidal squirrel made a reappearance. It was a good day.

The next gravel ride is on May 18th, starting at the Springbrook parking area at Oak Openings. We're riding to Wauseon, stopping for coffee at the Red Rambler.

Metroparks added these reminders at the Springbrook and Beach Ridge kiosks.

Take care of our trails and be mindful when planning to ride.

"Bike Travel Weekend got us over that hump of going on our first trip. There are lots of reasons not to do something, but doing it outshines any of those." -Michael T. Hutnick, Sacramento, California (2018 Bike Travel Weekend participant)

Go on a one- or two-night bike adventure to a campground, hotel, B&B, or friend’s house with thousands of others throughout the world on the same weekend, Bike Travel Weekend, May 31 – June 2. Go solo, with friends or a big group and ride any distance you’d like. Choose the adventure that works for you. Everyone who registers by May 26 will be entered to win an REI Co-op Cycles ADV 3.1 bike.

Support Adventure Cycling! Register here.

One of the bad things about building your ride on wind exposure - you can’t cancel when the winds are challenging. And challenging was an understatement. The winds were steady at 17-18 from the east, with gusts that tried to blow you over in parking lot. 20 intrepid warriors showed up for the ride, but 4 of them decided to postpone their ride until next week. We split into two groups, with Edgar taking the hard chargers, and Jen and I combining into a second group. We took a nuanced approach to riding, doing a moderate pace when we were with the wind, and shortening the ride by about 2.5 miles so we could do battle with the harsh winds on the way back. Edgar’s group passed us to arrive back at the start with an average of 20 mph, with Jen and my group scoring a solid 16 under adverse conditions.

Next week is the Ride of Silence. So the regular Windsday ride is canceled. Instead we will do a Ride To The Ride, starting from the back parking lot of Tam O Shanter. Tam O is 2.5 miles east of Timberstone at 7060 W Sylvania Ave, Sylvania, OH. We plan to leave at 6:00 to make it to the start of the ride on time, but there is some time if you’re a few minutes late. More details next week.

https://wearetraffic.org/ride-of-silence-toledo

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday May 7^th recap

          Twenty cyclists came to Elmore for the first official Speedtrap Ride of the 2019 season.

          Scott Lang led the Ghost Pepper Riders over a 25-mile course. Doug Metzger from that group reported a riding average speed of 19.4 mph

          Hugh Benning, substituting for Tony Mazurek, led the Habanero riders over the same course and reported a riding average of 17.4 mph.

          Mark Radabaugh, Ben Durant, and I formed the Jalapeno Riders. We rode the shorter 22 miles, but with average speeds in the 13s and 14s, we were nowhere near our target average.

          Marnie Arndt, Kathy Metzger, and Kathy Slovak were the Sweet Pepper Riders. They rode 22 miles at 13 mph

          No rain fell during the ride and roads were dry. and all riders experienced a pleasant tailwind on the first leg of the ride.  However, after they started the return heading northeast on SR 105, the headwind was brutal, with the temperature only about 50 degrees!

          There were three first time Speedtrap riders: Rob Golden of Spoke Life Cycles, Mark Radabaugh, and Kathy Slovak.

          Please join us next Tuesday, May 14^th, for the next chapter of the Speedtrap Ride. We leave Spoke Life Cycles/Elmore(formerly Elmore Cycle and Fitness) at 6:30 pm. I hope to see you then.

Chuck Nicewonder

The weather for our first Tuesday Old 24 ride looked to be a bit chilly.  Who would come out to ride in temps that were sure to drop into the 40’s? I was pleased to see 7 riders show up to help me battle the wind and cold.

It was a smooth start heading south out of Whitehouse with temps about 50 degrees. Then we turned east on Neowash and it was game on. Nothing like heading into the wind and climbing an overpass.  We were quickly rewarded with a great push down Old 24! That felt so easy.

As we headed north over the 2^nd overpass, we again had a strong cross wind.  Finally, we reaching the top of the overpass only to be met by a huge gust of wind that just about stopped us in our tracks. Then we only had 6 miles left to go but straight into the wind.  We stayed together and rotated often to work our way back to Whitehouse.

See you all next week on Old 24.

For a ride that built its reputation on adverse weather conditions, this Windsday will be a doozy! Rain is out of the forecast, but temps in the low to mid 50’s with a forecasted 15 mph easterly wind will make for a challenging ride, especially the return trip. But the more riders, the more we can share the work. So layer up and come out and join us. We leave promptly at 6:30 from Timberstone Jr High 9000 W Sylvania Ave. See you then.

Thanks to those that found the website post and snagged one of ten prestigious limited-edition Eddy Merckx-used and autographed TAB coffee mugs (Well, he SAID he was Eddy).

(There's one left, BTW)

For those lucky individuals, your priceless receptacle should deliver this week. I'll post when it's time to grab them.

Visit the website often. We may post more of these deals!

We may also be putting in an order for club socks. Stay tuned.

The Old 24 Breakaway ride will begin its season tomorrow. We will be heading out from Cyclewerks in Whitehouse at 6:30.  The route will be a 28.6 mile loop out to Old 24 and heading north on County Road 3.  Our group average will be between 18 and 20 mph.  I plan to keep it closer to 18 for the first couple of rides before working our way up to a 20 mph average. 

See you on Old 24,

Jenifer Wiles

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday May 7^th

          The 2019 season of the Speedtrap Ride will begin this coming Tuesday, May 7^th, where cyclists from all over will convene at Spoke Life Cycles/Elmore and begin riding at 6:30 pm!

          There will be four groups of riders.

    Scott Lang will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders on a 25-mile course. Most of his group has been riding all winter, so it will be a challenging ride. Riders will most likely average anywhere from 20 – 22 mph. Are you up to that challenge?

    Tony Mazurek will lead the Habaneros over the same course.

His group will average 18 – 20 mph.

          I will lead the Jalapeno Riders over a slightly shorter 22-mile course. We expect to average 16 – 18 mph.( I personally may be a little slower, having just come off some injuries.)

          Marnie Arndt will  lead the Sweet Pepper Riders over a course, distance, and at a speed comfortable for those in her group.

          The weather forecast is for thunderstorms Tuesday morning, but it should be dry by ride time, with temperatures in the low 50s.

          So come on out to Elmore and ride some quiet country roads with some great people, and see why it is the best Tuesday night ride out of Ottawa County.

       Remember, sign-in begins at 6:00, and we roll out at 6:30 pm! I hope to see you then!

          Chuck Nicewonder