We welcomed 19 riders to the group today, taking in a little sun and fun. I pulled a fast one and changed the route to the around Mummy route. Overall, a good day of riding. For the most part, everyone stayed together. I'm not sure, but I think Neal got the points going over Galvin Parkway (need confirmation). King of the Hills honors goes to Gary. But I am calling a foul (as I was drafting him up the hill, he intentionally went to the right next to the bushes just enough so it didn't bother him, but enough for one to come back and swat me in the head). I know I would have won otherwise (OK, and if you believe that, I have a great stock tip for ya....).

We did modify the route slightly, and took Mill all the way down to Baseline, with the group giving a big YaaaaaHooooo as we went under the railroad bridge. We even tried a new place to eat, US Egg on Mill and Baseline. I believe everyone enjoyed the food, and the portions were huge. Have a good Labor Day....

Ride Schedule

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE AND LOCATION!!) Celebrate your labor (or lack thereof) with a ride Round The Mountain. One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner of Rural & Chandler Blvd. Note, this ride will have a follow vehicle, so if you are unsure about taking on the distance, come give it a go and we'll pick up any stragglers.

Sunday 9/7/03 7:00 am (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE) Yes, starting in September we go back to 7:00 am. We'll do the Germannalupe Loop - down Germann to either Lindsey or Higley and back down Guadalupe (hence the name Germannalupe). Mileage options of 33 or 42 miles all flat, breakfast at Ripe Tomatoes.

Sunday 9/14/03 7:00 am - We'll do a Downtown Phoenix ride. We'll head to downtown Phoenix and take in some sights. Mileage options of 45 and 35 with minor climbs. Breakfast at Smoothie King.

Sunday 9/21/03 7:00 am Tempe Mountains - Off to the mountains of Tempe - Do a little climbing and see the College. Mileage options of 38 or 43 miles. Breakfast at US Egg.

Sunday 9/28/03 Ohcotukeeloop - Off to Ocotillo and then to Ahwatukee for some hills. Mileage options of 35 or 45 miles with moderate to slight climbs. Breakfast at Bruegger Bagels on Chandler & Rural.

Hi All!

Our 79 riders celebrated the last 6:30 start time of the summer this morning... by taking their time getting assembled. But, we finally managed to get all out on the road and underway, headed to 56th Street and parts south. We worked on our riding skills with semi-trucks whizzing by us as we dodged nails (and one pissed off snake) on the shoulder of the road. A follow pack gradually developed over the course of the long route, made up those who didn't quite get the nails dodged. We passed our Sun Lakes pack headed the opposite direction on the route, not once, but twice. Cool to see so many cyclists out and about!

Coming up...

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE!!) Celebrate the holiday with a ride Round The Mountain (that would be South Mountain). One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner of Rural & Chandler Blvd. Note, this ride will have a follow vehicle, so if you are unsure about taking on the distance, come give it a go and we'll pick up any stragglers.

Saturday 9/6/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. We head to the northeast on the McKellips Loop. Mileage options 28 miles or 37 miles, a gentle climb on each. Breakfast at Neighbor's Cafe, northwest of Alma School and Guadalupe.

Saturday 9/13/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Our quarterly membership ride/breakfast/meeting. We'll take a spin over to Lehi, and then head back to Kiwanis Park for FREE FOOD after the ride. Route options 27 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at the park will be across the street to the east from the parking lot we start from, starting at about 9:00am. A brief membership meeting will be held at 9:30am. Breakfast is free to all PMBC/GABA members, non-member breakfast is $4. If you have not joined the association, you can pick up an application any Saturday morning. Annual fee of $15 gets you lotsa cool stuff like a monthly newsletter, insurance, discounts on major rides in the state, and four free breakfasts a year!

Saturday 9/13/03 10:00am Kiwanis Park; (immediately following the membership meeting) Basic Cycling Clinic, by Jay Stewart. This course offers basic tips and instruction for tire repair, bike maintenance and inspection. At the very least, you will learn enough to know when it's time to have the bike shop work on your pride and joy. During this class, we will have an open discussion to address problems and questions people have concerning: bike set up, gearing selection, inspection of the bike and driveline components and tips to help you become a more efficient rider. Learn to love your bike, and love riding it.

Saturday 9/20/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park; The St. Francis Loop takes us on a tour of north Tempe (and bits of Phoenix) with a few hills tossed in for fun. Route options 26 miles or 36 miles, moderate climbing on each. Breakfast at JB's, northeast of Southern and Dorsey.

Tid bits...

The anouncement of start time changes is always greeted by an interesting combination of groans and cheers. We have a pretty even split in the pack of those who like to sleep in a bit vs those who worship the rising sun from their saddle. In answer to the question of why we switch back to 7am "so soon" (can you tell what camp these riders are in?), it's because we want you to ride your bike to the start point and want you to do so in daylight. If you live within a few miles of the park, pedal down that driveway instead of burning gas to drive to the park to go for a bike ride. Make those pre-pack miles your warm up and the miles home your cool down. (OK, it's hard to "cool down" when it's 100 degrees and humid, but you get the point.)

Ride safe.

Today we had 33 riders take on a little humidity and 9 different cities. Although we had a couple of flats, it was a lot more successful than last time and all the flats that we had. Even Mike decided to tell Gary that his man purse wasn't all that bad!!!! The only bad thing with the route today was the wind did not cooperate in its usual pattern. We are accustomed to getting a nice tailwind down McKellips, but we were treated to a slight headwind. Oh well, all to make us work a little harder.

We had a good 15 people at breakfast today, where one in our party decided to do an under the table - table dance! Being the nice guy that I am, I won't publish the name, but for a few bucks, I might be coaxed!!!! Lastly, we say fond farewell and good luck to Valerie, who will be starting a new job and then getting married out of town. Good Luck Valerie!!!!

One other thing, there is a web site called http://www.bikejournal.com/home.asp. You can track your miles and compare with others around the country as well as those within our club (PMBC). The password to the club is PMBC (how clever).

Ride Schedule

8/31 - 6:30 AM Mummy Mountain - the original - Mileage of 40 or 50 miles with slight to a lot of short hills. Breakfast at Pete's Grill in Tempe.

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE AND LOCATION!!) Celebrate your labor (or lack thereof) with a ride Round The Mountain. One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner of Rural & Chandler Blvd. Note, this ride will have a follow vehicle, so if you are unsure about taking on the distance, come give it a go and we'll pick up any stragglers.

Hi All!

What's a little rain between friends? Even the threat of wet streets couldn't keep 85 riders from turning out for our adventure to Mummy this morning. OK, we left the park with 85, then had a few turn tail for home when the sprinkle turned to a reasonably heavy rain, but onward the rest forged for what turned out to a slightly damp but great day for a pedal. We sent the express train off first today, with the rest of the pack following at a more sedate pace, taking in the beautiful views and smells that can only be found in Arizona after a rain.

Coming up...

Saturday 8/30/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. The Tour de Sue takes us to the southeast, by way of either Riggs or Queen Creek. Route options 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Einy's (Einstein Bagels), northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE!!) Celebrate your labor (or lack thereof) with a ride Round The Mountain. One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner of Rural & Chandler Blvd. Note, this ride will have a follow vehicle, so if you are unsure about taking on the distance, come give it a go and we'll pick up any stragglers.

Saturday 9/6/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. We head to the northeast on the McKellips Loop. Mileage options 28 miles or 37 miles, a gentle climb on each. Breakfast at Neighbor's Cafe, northwest of Alma School and Guadalupe.

Saturday 9/13/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Yes, the thing you all anticipate so greatly... FREE FOOD! And of course, a bike ride. Our quarterly membership ride/breakfast/meeting. We'll be taking a spin over to Lehi, and then head back to Kiwanis Park for eats after the ride. Route options 27 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast will be served at Kiwanis Park, across the street to the east from the parking lot we start from, starting at about 9:00am. A brief membership meeting will be held at 9:30am. Breakfast is free to all PMBC/GABA members. If you have not joined the association, you can pick up an application any Saturday morning or head to our website at www.sportsfun.com/gaba/ Annual fee of $15 gets you lotsa cool stuff like a monthly newsletter, insurance, discounts on major rides in the state, and four free breakfasts a year!

Tid bits...

Valarie Horton, who has held a spot in our standard pack for a number of years, is taking on a few life changes. A new job, in a new state... and she's going to throw a marriage into the mix. Val, from us all, we wish you and Tony the very best that life can offer. We understand that you are going to leave your bike shoes under Bill Jacobson's bed (with Sharon's approval of course) and that you will occasionaly make celebrity visits back with us, tandeming with Bill. Haven't even left yet and you are making plans to visit? We'll hold you spot in line. Miss you already.

Ride safe.

At last, the long awaited spin cycle report. Ah, a little computer problems, but all is fixed now. Let's see, we had 22 riders take off this last Sunday. We welcomed a new rider to our ranks, Sarah, hope you can make it again. Today's route took us to see the Love Birds in East Mesa. For the most part, it was a pretty good ride with not a lot of heat. While I can go on and on about who won the sprints (me, me, me....), can you tell Gary wasn't around, I thought I would do a little coaching via email. For those that rode with us on Sunday, some of this is repetitive, but a few more details added in.

Our topic today is riding in a pace line, what to do, and what NOT to do.

1) While riding in a pace line, keep your head up at all times. One common mistake I see is people either looking down at their feet, gears, or something else along the road. If someone makes a quick move, you may not be able to stop or maneuver in time.

2) Don't just look at the person's tire in front of you. Keep looking ahead as well, looking for debris or what the other riders in front are doing.

3) Don't go "hands free" in a pace line. This puts everyone around you in danger. If you need to rest your hands or want to show off to your friends, go to an extreme side or to the back of the pace line.

4) Point out the debris, holes, railroad tracks etc. along the road. This is not only the lead person's responsibility, but everyone else's along the pace line. If the person in the lead points something out and no one else does, a person in the back may hit it.

5) Don't overlap tires. Keep your front tire behind the person in front of you. If they make a quick maneuver, you may not be able to react in time.

6) When you are in the front, don't stay up there until you are dead tired, you may not be able to get back on the pace line. Every person has different fitness levels, and the beauty of pace lines is to conserve energy at higher speeds. So, do your time, whether that is 15 seconds, 1 minute, or a mile, do what feels comfortable so you can get back and enjoy some air or lack thereof.

7) When you are ready to rotate off the front, the best way to let the person behind you know your intentions is to lightly tap your thigh or hip. Try not to loose speed in doing so, but gradually move to the side and then rotate to the rear.

8) If you are the next rider in line to take the lead and you want to speed up, DON'T. Allow the person who just got done pulling enough time to get on the back of the pace line. Maintain the previous speed and GRADUALLY pick up the pace.

9) When starting from stop lights, stop signs or over major railroads, don't sprint. If there is a big pace line, the people in the rear are not clipped in by the time you have some speed up. Start steady and gradually pick up the pace.

10) The best way to enjoy a pace line is for the group to pick a speed and stick with it. This avoids the yo-yo effect.

I hope this helps. If there are other questions that you have during our rides or not sure what is the right thing to do, please ask. Ok, coaching over, back to your regularly scheduled program.

Ride Schedule

8/24 - 6:30 AM Metro Mania - Let's do it again. See how many cities we can hit in a day. Mileage of 36 or 45 miles with some slight hills for the long route. Breakfast at Smoothie King.

8/31 - 6:30 AM Mummy Mountain - The original - Mileage of 40 or 50 miles with slight to a lot of short hills. Breakfast at Pete's Grill in Tempe.

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE AND LOCATION!!) Celebrate your labor (or lack thereof) with a ride Round The Mountain. One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner of Rural & Chandler Blvd. Note, this ride will have a follow vehicle, so if you are unsure about taking on the distance, come give it a go and we'll pick up any stragglers.

Hi All!

Cloudy skies and reasonably cool breezes welcomed our 89 riders at the park this morning. The overcast soon gave way to sunshine, but with the heat kept to a minimum for our journey to the foothills. Our oversize pack soon encountered not only the Honeywell riders but also the White Mountain team all getting their workout in the hills, which made for one of those "cyclists everywhere you look" kinda rides for us. So cool to see that many people out and about on bikes! Village Inn managed to seat and serve our rather large party, offering good food and great service. Nice to have a restaurant welcome our motley crew's arrival!

Coming up...

Saturday 8/23/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. A pack favorite, Mummy Mountain, traditional route. Mileage options 27 miles with some moderate climbing, or 40 miles with a couple of additional climbs. Breakfast Bruegger's Bagels, northwest corner Mill & 11th. (Hmm... could this be the day we top 100 riders in the pack?? Stay tuned...)

Saturday 8/30/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. The Tour de Sue takes us to the southeast, by way of either Riggs or Queen Creek. Route options 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Einy's (Einstein Bagels), northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE!!) Celebrate your labor (or lack thereof) with a ride Round The Mountain. One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner of Rural & Chandler Blvd. Note, this ride will have a follow vehicle, so if you are unsure about taking on the distance, come give it a go and we'll pick up any stragglers.

Saturday 9/6/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Sometimes riders request a route, but sometimes they just request a restaurant! We head on the McKellips route for no other reason than it brings us to Neighbor's Cafe for breakfast. Mileage options 28 miles or 37 miles, a gentle climb on each.

Tid bits...

The Doors. Yes, a singing group, but also a hazard for cyclists. Just a reminder, when we return to the park from the south and pass the soccer fields along All America Way, and when we pass through downtown Tempe on Mill, be aware of car doors. When you are riding in a bike lane that is to the left of cars street parked, be ever so watchful for car doors popping open. If the car windows are not tinted, look through the rear window for someone in the drivers seat. Look in their left side mirror for a reflection of someone there. Leave a door-width of room between you and the car.

Ride safe.

We had 28 riders take on the heat today. It was hot, darn hot. We had a new rider for the day, David, welcome aboard. After telling everyone how many errors were on the Tempe Mountains map, we were off. Nothing too much exciting happened at first, except for a few lights, but right before our first regroup, we encountered our first flat of the day (Lance). So, once we all were together, we took off for a good 100 yards and another flat (this time it was speedy Tim). After waiting for the train to go by on Extension, we were off again, oops, not quite, Lance encountered another flat (at least it was on the other wheel).

We were off again, at least another mile and we encountered another flat, this time from PMBC pres Bob. So we found some shade, when Carter mentioned that the guy on crutches had lapped us twice (it was only once, but the comment was pretty funny). So we were off again, enjoying the sites, speeding down Rio Salado with a little tail wind. Biking was good! Then we encountered another flat - this time Simon was on the side of the road. In addition, going down Rio Salado, Valerie encountered a flat as well. Up and over Galvin Parkway we went, with a few sprints at the top I'm sure.

Once we were all regrouped again - we headed over Curry and just about to turn on Mill when we received our last flat from Sue. Did you count them, seven in all. Ok, everyone who got flats needs a new bike! Actually, this is a good reminder for everyone to check your tires, looking for cuts, glass, excessive wear, or anything else that doesn't belong.

Thanks to Gary for leading the group last week, I'm sure it was fun, but certainly not as eventful as today....I switched the last two routes around since Saturday Cycling is doing Mummy on 8/23, we don't need to do it twice in the same week.

8/17 - Tour de Love Birds - What? You'll have to come out and see. Out to East Mesa, all mostly flat miles. Breakfast at Painted Mountain Golf Resort. - Mileage about 50 but can be made shorter.

8/24 - Metro Mania - let's do it again. See how many cities we can hit in a day. Mileage of 36 or 45 miles with some slight hills for the long route. Breakfast at Smoothie King.

8/31 - Mummy Mountain - the original - Mileage of 40 or 50 miles with slight to a lot of short hills. Breakfast at Pete's Grill in Tempe.

Hi All!

We had 79 riders head out of the park, but on only about 70 bikes, for our double your adventure ride today. A couple of interesting (?) teams matched up. The route down the newly completed sections of Lindsay was most excellent. The not so completed portions of Lindsay were rough, but we needed something to slow down Steve Fahrner anyway, so it was all good. The air got a bit thick down by the alfalfa fields, with humidity and bugs, encouraging the line to pick up the pace again under the theory that if you ride hard enough, the bugs bounce off, instead of sticking. A pit stop for cold water, then on to breakfast, where the blast of a/c'd air at the restaurant doors was welcomed as much as the food.

Coming up...

Saturday 8/16/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Ahwatukee Foothills, or Ahwatukee Flats (!) if you are skipping the climbing. Mileage options 24 miles with no climbing or 34 miles with moderate climbing. Breakfast is not at Perkins, because we have apparently managed to eat them right out of business. Eats will instead be at Village Inn, northwest of Hardy and Elliott.

Saturday 8/23/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Mummy Mountain, traditional route. Mileage options 27 miles with some moderate climbing, or 40 miles with a couple of additional climbs. Breakfast Bruegger's Bagels, northwest corner Mill & 11th.

Saturday 8/30/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Tour de Sue takes us down to one of our last routes out in the open, Riggs Road. Or take the Tour de Subdivision standard route on Queen Creek. Route options 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Einy's (Einstein Bagels), northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Monday 9/1/03 7:00am Kiwanis Park. (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE!!) Of course we'll have a holiday ride! That's what days off from work are for, right? Since we'll be into the cool days of September (?) we'll head Round The Mountain. One route, 43 miles, no climbing. Standard riders and beginners, if you want to come give this route a try, we'll have a sweep truck available to come scoop you up if you get too pooped to pedal. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, southeast corner Rural & Chandler Blvd.

Tid bits...

At this time of year we start picking up new riders in the group that are literally new cyclists, just learning our sport. We are a training location for riders who will be participating in the MS150 ride in November. They are with us to not only build up their physical ability on the bike, but also to learn the skills needed to be a cyclist. Be aware that riders around you may not know the dance we are doing. Leave a little more room for stopping, stay focused on the riders around you. Let them learn from you-- use hand signals, ride consistently, obey the rules of the road.

Ride safe.

Hi All!

Yes, the adventure continues. Our pack of 92 riders was encouraged to take the Highline Canal pathway to South Mountain today, to avoid the poor road surface conditions and traffic on Baseline. Little did we know that the storm this week washed half of South Mountain down the hill and across the path, bringing with it debris, sand, and at least one full size tree. The mountain bikers in the crowd saw no problem with this turn of events, but the skinny tired herd got a bit skittish. All managed to make their way through and on to the park we went. The wind and rain also apparently washed new gunk onto the roads as frequent flat tire clinics were held throughout the morning. Part of the group braved the heat and headed to the towers. They later called down to base camp to advise they were abandoning a rider who had somehow managed to drop his wedding ring along the Tower road, and who was refusing to come down off the mountain without it.

Coming up...

Saturday 8/9/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Tandemania! Double up day, we're gonna see just how many tandem teams we can get matched up in the pack. A nice flat (shouldn't use that word, huh?) loop to the southeast by way of the newly re-constructed Lindsay Road. Mileage options 29 miles or 36 miles. Breakfast is the Wildflower, northwest of Frye and Price (Chandler Mall).

Saturday 8/16/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. We head to the hills of Ahwatukee. Mileage options 24 miles with no climbing or 34 miles with moderate climbing. Breakfast is Perkins, northeast corner Chandler Blvd and 54th St.

Saturday 8/23/03 6:30am Kiwanis Park. We return to Mummy Mountain (to recover the riders we lost the last time we went there!) Mileage options 27 miles with some moderate climbing, or 40 miles with a couple of additional climbs. Breakfast Bruegger's Bagels, northwest corner Mill & 11th.

Tid bits...

One of the neato benefits of your PMBC/GABA membership is four free breakfasts a year. In answer to a question asked this morning, the next freebie eats day is scheduled for Saturday 9/13/03 following Saturday Cycling's ride. If you have not joined the association, pick up a membership form any Saturday morning or get one here.

Ride safe.