Well, three straight days of riding not only makes your legs tired, but sure can make certain parts of your body a little tender. Sunday's ride was excellent, we started out with 19 riders with a new addition of Joyce (welcome), and attracted a lone rider along the way (welcome Everat), hope you both join us again. Our Sunday group made its way with the new route around Mummy Mountain. We even added the king of the hill to the map, which got everyone's blood pumping and great for some views of the city, once you can see again.

Monday, our gang of 25 riders headed to Harrah's casino and back. We started off on a nice pace, but once we took off from the first regroup, the group got a little restless. Overall, everyone did very good for the day, but the sprint to Harrah's was a little interesting. I believe I heard Gary say something about wheel suckers... A little cat and mouse never hurt no one, especially since I wasn't the mouse... Shawn took the checker flag with a spirited sprint at the end. With a little gentle ribbing (yea gentle from this group), Shawn did a few more pulls on the way back, which, I'm not sure was a good idea, he pushed up the speed to 28 a couple of times and made (yes, he made us) hold on for dear life. Not sure who gets the checker flag for the sprint back over the overpass. Since we were broken into a couple of groups, Gary got one and I believe Buzz Pierce got the other. Breakfast at Maria Calendars was excellent.

Sunday, 6/2, remember new start time for June, 6:30 am. Our route takes us to the McKellupeloop - McClintock to McKellups and back. Regular miles at 34 and heavy duty at 39. Come join us as you regroup from Tour de Payson on Saturday. Breakfast at Crackers.

Sunday June 9, around South Mountain. Time to start putting in those miles. Mileage is 45-50. Breakfast is undetermined at this time, but rest assured, we'll eat somewhere...

Sunday, June 16 let's the do the Ocotukee loop, starting in Ocotillo and heading over to Ahwatukee and the foothills. Mileage options of 35 to 45 with some gentle climbing to a couple of loops around the hills. Breakfast at Maria Calendars.

Hi All!

We had 48 riders head over to check out various versions of South Mountain Park this morning. Actually, the "heading over" part itself developed into several versions. (Note, next time Mr. LeMond and Buzz Pierce lead out the double line, make sure somebody else is reading the route map!) All managed to find each other again at the Stonehouse and then went wandering aboot amongst the hills for awhile. The downhill rampage from the Towers resulted in the demolition of Jim's rear hub. (Really an over-kill way to not have to pedal back to the park, Jim!) Those that went to check out The Farm were met with cool, green shade... good munchies... and Jack discovers what happens if you don't lock that door that has the little moon on it. :-)

Coming up...

Sunday 5/26/02 and Monday 5/27/02 7:00am, Desert Breeze Park. Make it a three day stage weekend with two more rides being hosted by Spin Cycle. Sunday the gang heads northbound to check out the new variation of Mummy Mountain with breakfast at Pete's 19th Tee, on Mill north of Curry. Monday is an out and back to Harrah's casino (which is out past the town of Maricopa) with breakfast on the way back at Marie Calendar's (Chandler Blvd and 54th St). Does pie qualify as breakfast?

Saturday 6/1/02 6:30am Kiwanis Park. For the those not headed on our road trip to the Tour de Payson, roll outa bed a little earlier and head to the park for a loop to Lehi, breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, Mill & 11th. If you're headed to Payson, drive safe and we'll see ya there!!

Saturday 6/8/02 6:30am Kiwanis Park. A loop to the southeast out on to open roads. Mileage options of 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Perkins, Chandler Blvd & 54th St.

Saturday 6/15/02 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Rumor has it that this date will be our next quarterly membership ride/breakfast meeting. Ya know what that means. FREE FOOD!! Stay tuned for more details.

Tid bits...

The ride down from the Towers can be like an E-ticket rocket ride. (Eh, if you don't understand the "E-ticket" thing, ask one of the more mature riders to explain that to ya.) Learning to down hill is just as important as learning how to climb. We are a recreational riding group, so our goal is come down fast enough to have fun, but to also stay in one piece. Decide if you want to ride with your hands up on the hoods or down in the drops BEFORE you get on the descent (once on it, it can be tricky to change). Use which ever you feel the most stable in. Ride with your pedals level. If you ride with one leg straight, it beats the heck out of that knee, plus shifts your body weight a little off to one side. Hold your body weight on your feet, not on your butt. Slide back and up a little on the seat, bring your knees in so you are holding the seat between your upper legs. This keeps your "hoo-hoo" from being pounded by the seat, and stabilizes the bike. For more stability, bring your knees all the way in and hold the top bar between them. Let your legs act as shock-absorbers, with the bike bouncing under you, but your upper torso holding steady. Anticipate the turns, brake a little if needed before you go in, never cross that center line. If you have a lot of bugs in your teeth when you get to the bottom, you did it right.

Ride safe.

Nineteen riders made it out to Tour de Queen Creek on Sunday. We had a new person join us today (Scott), welcome, hope you continue to ride with us. We started on a nice pace, and only encountered two flats (Sue was there for both - it must be her..it's a conspiracy) Once we started down Riggs Road, the group broke into two pace lines, with the fast lane letting out their legs. While we didn't see the fast pack at the re-group (maps guys, read your maps), we did meet up at the Hanger Restaurant at the Chandler Airport. Food was good, service was, well, let's not talk about that (I'm beginning to think I'm a food critic as well, but that is another story).

The fast group had a sprint to the finish, with Chad winning his own race (he was the only one entered and came in first and last). The rest of the fast group hammered down the airport road (did they read the map...). From confirmed reports, Jeremy Schultz took the checkered flag. On the way back, there was a brief sprint to the park, with skater Gary winning and Chad taking the silver. Rob was heard saying, I set them up... And lastly, you will notice that the ride leader did not partake in the sprinting today, and actually never did (there is a first for everything).

Sunday 5/26, Let's go on my favorite ride, Mummy Mountain - possibly do the new backwards route. Long route is 50, short is 40, even shorter if you want. Breakfast at Pete's 19th Tee. Yes, there are some hills on this ride...This is stage 2 of the 3 day ride weekend, come join us for Saturday Cycling at Kiwanis Park for Stage 1, with a ride up South Mountain.

Special Edition Monday 5/27 ride. You have the day off, why not ride. Stage 3 of the weekend ride will take you to Harrah's and back, with breakfast at Marie Calendar's on Chandler Blvd and I-10. Route is flat at 47 miles. We'll do a nice pace line out, get some water and regroup, and then head back. Start time is 7:00 am.

Sunday June 2, Let's take the McKellupeloop - McClintock to McKellups and back. Regular miles at 34 and heavy duty at 39. Come join us as you regroup from Tour de Payson on Saturday. Breakfast at Crackers. Remember, June start time is 6:30 AM and yes Rob, you can bring your tent....

Sunday June 9, Around South Mountain. Time to start putting in those miles. Mileage is 45-50. Breakfast is undetermined at this time, but rest assured, we'll eat somewhere.

Send in your requests for rides for the remainder of the month, and I'll see if I can accommodate.

See ya..

glen

Hi All!

Summer must be coming... our pack is growing! We had 52 riders head (flat) out on (flat) our journey (flat) over to Mesa. After a (flat) few stops (flat) for tire changing clinics, most made their way to the pit stop at Pioneer Park. (What the heck did everybody ride thru this morning?) Most kept their inner child in check at the park but a few took to the rocking horses (actually pandas) and swings. Tim Kjellberg appeared to win our swing-off... must be that aerodynamic position he developed after riding that 'bent so long! Thanks to Kathy Hendricks for riding sweep today.

Coming up...

A three day weekend? Ya know what that means?! A three day stage ride extravaganza!! Which translates into three days of rides being offered up if you don't have any thing better to do with yourself for the holiday weekend.

Saturday 5/25/02 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Stage One-- off to South Mountain Park we head. Options of 28 miles with gentle climbing, 40 miles with moderate climbing, or 42 miles with "yikes!" climbing. Breakfast is at The Farm, southwest of Southern & 32nd St.

Sunday 5/26/02 7:00am Desert Breeze Park. Spin Cycle offers up stage two with a trip northbound to Mummy Mountain. Standard route 40 miles with some gentle climbing, advanced 50 miles with moderate climbing. Note, this route is easy to cut shorter, so if you don't have 40 miles in those legs, come on out anyway and head straight to breakfast, which will be at Pete's 19th Tee, on Mill north of Curry.

Monday 5/27/02 7:00am Desert Breeze Park. Spin Cycle steps up to host day three of our weekend. This will be one of those wonderful "mystery rides". You'll just have to show up to find out where the adventure heads to, but Fletch promises no climbing after the workouts the prior two days! Breakfast? Someplace with food. Questions about Sunday or Monday's rides can be directed to pack leader Glen Fletcher

Saturday 6/1/02. Road trip!! Saturday Cycling heads to Payson for the maiden voyage of the Tour de Payson. Drive up that morning or come up the night before, ride start time is 8:30am at the SawMill Theaters parking lot, at Beeline & Main. Lots of riders who have mentioned they are joining this adventure have not registered yet. Please, take mercy on your pack leaders and mail in your registrations so we have a head count for the food. Questions about this adventure can be directed to ride leader Bob Beane.

Saturday 6/1/02 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Yes, the sleeping in time of year is over. Our start shifts to 6:30am for June/July/August. If you just can't get yourself to Payson, head to Kiwanis for the Lehi Loop. Route options of 27 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Bagels at Brueggers, Mill & 11th St, on the way back to the park.

Saturday 6/8/02 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Must..find..open..roads... Have you noticed how far we have to pedal before we "get out of town" now?! Come with us on the Tour de Sue, a loop to the south with options on either Queen Creek, or if you really want to see open spaces-- Riggs Road. 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Perkins, Chandler Blvd & 54th St.

Tid bits...

Someone asked today if we stop riding in the summer months. SatCycling keeps rolling along thru the heat waves, but to do so and still enjoy yourself, it takes a little care. A little prevention goes a long ways:

Eat something before you come to pedal with us. Your body needs fuel-- calories and nutrients-- to process all that water you are going to chug.

Drink lots and lots of water, then drink some more. Yes, you will have to pee, we will stop. If you run out of water, speak up and the pack will make a water stop. If you are out, somebody else probably is, too.

Use sun screen. This is not just to keep you from looking like a lizard by September. Liberally applied sunscreen or sunblock can help keep your body temp down.

Studies now show that your body does indeed adjust to temp extremes. Try to get outside in the heat a couple of times during the week. If Monday thru Friday you go from your air-conditioned house to your a/c'd car to your a/c'd office to your a/c'd gym, etc.-- you are going to have a problem being out in the heat for 3 or 4 hours with us on Saturday morning.

Ride safe.

What a mother of a ride, Mothers Day that is.... We had 19 riders join us for the day, I guess it is that remote on my truck that makes more people come.....

Tour de Lehi was a good ride today, with a little wind in our face all the way to Lehi Road. We had our one obligatory flat, which took two brain surgeons and a rocket scientist to fix, but hey, we have a new world record...Just kidding, the good thing about riding in this group is when a flat does happen (knock on wood), everyone stops to either help or make sure we stay together as a pack....

Once we turned the corner on Horne, we let out the dogs, and a little tail wind didn't hurt either. The first sprint up Horne was won by Roger, but I was closing fast......I'm not going to list the other sprints, because some guy named Gary barely won, if you can believe that (hey, can someone block him for me next time.....)

Breakfast at Neighbors was great, and the service was not bad. Coming back to Desert Breeze, I believe we broke the sound barrier, however someone named Gary, oh, you know the story....

Next Sunday 5/19, Tour De Queen Creek. Mileage options of 40-47, all flat. I was told the Hanger Restaurant is open at the Chandler Airport, so Breakfast it is.

Sunday 5/26, Let's go on my favorite ride, Mummy Mountain - possibly do the new backwards route. Long route is 50, short is 40. Breakfast at Pete's 19th tee. Yes there are some hills on this ride...

See ya..

glen

Hi All!

Bob Beane offered up a great new route yesterday to our pack of 46 riders. We thought MAYBE an unfamiliar map would confuse the express train enough to slow them down a little, but no! The Mummyback Loop headed on kind of a backwards version of some of the familiar Mummy Mountain course, but with some twists, turns, and climbs tossed into the mix. The group broke down into several bunches based on what level of challenge they wanted to take on. Skater and Andy discovered that the fast pack will indeed follow you up any hill you decide to honk up, Fletch found out just how slow you can go on a steep grade without actually falling over, and Valerie interacted with the community by having two blotto drunk guys try to assist her with a tire change. (Hey Val, those guys probably wouldn't have done a worse job on the tire than some of the other guys in group!) Cycling is such an adventure.

Coming up...

Saturday 5/18/02 7:00am Kiwanis Park. We head to the northeast on a loop that will take the fast pack all the way over to dabble their toes on Val Vista for a bit, while the standard pack goes to check out Pioneer Park. (Yes, we will have another swing-off to see who amongst the pack remembers how to jump from a moving swing!) Mileage options 30 miles or 39 miles. Breakfast is all the way back near the start, Village Inn, northeast of Baseline and Rural.

Saturday 5/25/02 7:00am Kiwanis Park. To South Mountain Park we head, with a variety of mileage and climbing options. Breakfast will be a break under the pecan trees at The Farm, southwest of 32nd St & Southern.

Saturday 6/1/02. Road trip!! Saturday Cycling heads to Payson for the maiden voyage of the Tour de Payson. Bob Beane, with some assist from a few roadies in Payson, has put together a grand adventure. If you have not yet sent in your reservation for this trip, be sure to do so as we are going to have a rider limit of 100 cyclists for this first year. The 8:30am start time is late enough that you can opt to drive up that morning (about 90 minutes from Tempe).

Saturday 6/1/02 6:30am Kiwanis Park. If you are allergic to pine trees and cool air, we will still be hosting a ride from Kiwanis Park. Note the time change. A loop over to Lehi and back, with breakfast at Bruegger's Bagels at Mill & 11th Avenue.

Tid bits...

Sometimes we talk about pack "etiquette". This does not refer to saying please and thank-you to the riders around you. It is a term that is used in regards to you riding differently in a pack setting than you do when you are solo. In a pack you will not:

• Spit or blow your nose over your shoulder without first checking behind for recipients of said discharges.
• Ride without at least one hand on the handlebars at all times. If you are going to sit up and ride hands free for some goofy reason, like to impress the babes, get out off the line and drop to the rear. Of course, the babes will then not see you do it, but when you crash and take half the line with you, they aren't going to be too impressed anyway.
• Ride in your aero bars if you are not the lead rider. Aero bars are for time trials and solo riding. When you are in them, your braking ability is compromised. Impaling the rider in front of you on your aero bars cuz you where using them in a pace line is considered really poor form.

Ride safe.

Come one, come all, I guess the way to get more riders is to go to the hills, so to the hills we went. We had 20 riders today make their way to South Mountain. While we had a few false starts before we got out of the parking lot (that remote on my truck must be the signal for more people to come), but we were off, getting lost on the first turn, then the second turn...(who's leading this pack?)....Ok, we found our way and off we went. Going down Warner, Tom Culp quickly sprints to the top of the freeway overpass and proudly proclaims, "I've done my hills, where's breakfast"!

After regrouping at the base of South Mountain, our motley crew took off to conquer the hill, with a few splitting to San Juan and the rest heading towards the towers. Not sure exactly who was king of the hill, but believe it was either Roger or Jeremy, so congrats to both. I'm only happy I wasn't the last one up (it took a bad seat post from Rob), but a win is a win......

The downhill was its usual bumpiness, I sure hope they fix that road one day. Breakfast at the Raven was its usual great food, just wish the service was a little faster, but there I go, wanting everything fast....

Next week, Mothers Day, Sunday, 5/12, let's do the Tour de Lehi, with mile options of 30-35 miles, all flat and windy, ok, not sure about the wind, but it sounded good. Breakfast at Neighbors Cafe.

Sunday 5/19, let's Do Tour De Queen Creek. Mileage options of 40-47, all flat. I was told the Hanger Restaurant is open at the Chandler Airport, so Breakfast it is.

Sunday 5/26, let's go on my favorite ride, Mummy Mountain. Long route is 50, short is 40. Breakfast at Pete's 19th tee. Yes there are some hills on this ride...

See ya..

glen

Hi All!

We had 41 very exuberant riders head out onto the course this morning, well, actually 40 riders headed out. Vanessa managed to get an unfixable flat while still in the parking lot, and though it was flat only on one side, she decided to pack it in for the day. We had a break away line off the front of the advanced pack, led off by Fletch on his flashy new bike. (Geez, Fletch, paint some flames on your bike and all of a sudden you ride like Lance?!) All managed to make their way to the breakfast stop, in spite of some creative route taking due to missing street signs out on the course. (Do people steal those or what? Somewhere somebody has a sign in their living room that says "McQueen Road".)

Coming up...

Saturday 5/11/02 7:00am Kiwanis Park. A mystery ride! Why the mystery? Cuz the rider leader has not choked up the information yet as to where the pack is headed! Show up and you'll find out. You'll ride your bike, eat someplace, head back to the park.

Saturday 5/18/02 7:00am Kiwanis Park. A loop to the east with a pit stop at Pioneer Park. Mileage options 30 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is at the end of the ride, Village Inn, northeast of Baseline and Rural.

Saturday 5/25/02 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Off to South Mountain Park we head, with a variety of mileage and climbing options. Breakfast will a break under the pecan trees at The Farm, southwest of 32nd St & Southern. If you haven't checked out The Farm, gotta see it-- very Zen. Trees, babbling brook, birds, and most importantly, yummy food!

Tid bits...

OK, let's pretend you've just wiped out royally on your bike. You conked your noggin' on the ground and you are out like a light. When the paramedics arrive, will they know who you are? Will they know if you have a medical condition? If you live alone, will they know who to call? No. It's your job to tell them. If you carry ID in your bike bag, in the chaos of an accident scene you are often separated from your bike. If you carry it in a Camelback, you can get separated that on the journey to the hospital. Somewhere on your person you should have:

1. Identification. Who are you? Where do you live?
2. Medical insurance information. In theory you will be treated just the same with or without insurance when you arrive at the hospital, but things go much smoother if you have evidence of coverage.
3. Information regarding any major medical issues that others need to be aware of if you can't tell them.
4. If you live alone, who should be called in an emergency?

If you don't want to carry your actual driver's license, etc., some riders create a laminated card with all of this data on it that they carry in their jersey pocket. Or you can order dog-tag style IDs that can be worn around the neck or attached to your bike shoe. If you are going to make the evening news, you want them to get your name right, don't ya?

Ride safe.