We have one big report for the last two days of riding for May. Our Sunday group had 27 riders take on Metro Mania. We also welcomed two new riders, Beth and Dean. Our story of the day was starting off slow, and staying that way. Actually, I should say, starting off at a reasonable pace, stopping, starting again, stopping, starting, stopping, etc... Let's just say our start was nothing but smooth, but oh well, that is cycling sometimes. We had 3 flats and one false flat, so that explains the previous sentences. Gene was first, followed by Bob, then a phantom noise/glass removal for Patty, and to round things out, a flat by the missing link, Tim. I say that in the nicest possible way - Tim has not joined us in a while, i.e., he was missing. However, he does get the speediest tire change of all, so there.

Mike and Nancy decided to ride ahead being the rabbits for the group, but with all the stops, and the relaxed pace of the group, we never caught them until the rest stop, where they proclaimed, "where have you been?" Ron goaded Gene into sprinting over the overpass on Horne, then he followed his wheel until the top and then dropped Gene like a bad habit. Gene - next time, make sure you return the favor. Breakfast was entertaining as usual, with stories of checking eye sight and stretching mixed in. Yes, you had to be there!

Our Monday ride was a much larger group of 54 (at least that is what signed in), with riders from all around joining us. We had a great wind free day, but it did get a little warm at the end. I immediately began sweep duties as I encountered 5 flats before getting to the first regroup at Riggs. Everyone had left so a small band of us made our way around to the gas station, were a few faithful waited. I heard the draft behind the tandem today was elusive (i.e., they were going too fast to catch). A few riders decided to go up South Mountain as well before heading back. Looks like Dave gets flat head of the week honors with 3 flats going down South Mountain. See what happens when you stray off the map. Breakfast at Atlanta Bread Company was good, with a lot of tables, so we'll have to use that one again.

I total of 11 flats over two days, wow, that must be a new record....

Ride Schedule

It's that time of year again, summer, which means we start our rides at 6:30 AM for June, July, and August.

June 6 - 6:30 AM START TIME - Ohcotukee - a loop down Ocotillo and then to Ahwatukee. Mileage options of 35 or 45 miles, with the longer route containing a few hills. Breakfast at Bruegger Bagels on Rural & Chandler Blvd.

June 13 - 6:30 AM Start Time - Tempe Mountains - even though they are in Scottsdale. Ride options of 38 or 45 miles with light climbing on standard route and more on the longer route. Breakfast at Smoothie King.

June 20 - 6:30 AM Start Time - Fathers Day Ride - Tour Around Mummy with the original hills added in. Mile options of 35, 40, or 45 miles with slight, some, and a lot of hills respectively. Breakfast at Einstein Bagels.

June 27 - 6:30 AM Start Time - Tour de Mesa - see the sites of Mesa with mileage options of 35 or 45 miles, and maybe a little more depending on the heat. Breakfast at Einstein Bagels.

Hi All!

We had 90 riders decide that the price of bagels was cheaper than gas to go out of town this morning. A bit of a breeze challenged the group on and off during the ride... but that didn't slow the riders on their quest... which was to try and find as many ways around Mummy Mountain as could be created. (Note to self... don't follow Charlie, or Jackie, next time.) The ever patient staff at Bruegger's set up a large self serve ice bucket so people could fill their bottles and Camelbacks... cool idea (literally!). The after breakfast entertainment was provided by Neal attempting his second tire change since starting to cycle. Ya did better this time, Mr. Thomas, but practice will make perfect.

Coming up...

Monday 5/31/04 7:00 Desert Breeze Park. We head Round The Mountain (around South Mountain.) Start point is Desert Breeze Park, which is on Desert Breeze Blvd southeast of Rural & Ray in Chandler. Mileage around is 45 miles, no climbing. An alternate out and back going the other direction, to Dobbins & Central, will give you about 30 miles round trip. Since Bagel Nosh has closed (we obviously didn't eat there enough!) breakfast has been relocated to the Atlanta Bread Company at Elliot & 56th.

Saturday 6/5/04 6:30am Kiwanis Park. We switch to our summer start time of 6:30am for June/July/August. We'll begin the sizzling season with an attempt to complete the Tour de Sue, with options on Queen Creek and the newly completed (we hope) Riggs Road. Mileage options 25 miles or 35 miles. Breakfast is Village Inn, northwest of Hardy & Elliot.

Saturday 6/12/04 6:30am Kiwanis Park. The St. Francis Loop gives all a chance to take on some of the scenic climbs in the north Tempe. Mileage options 26 miles or 36 miles, both with 3 moderate climbs. Breakfast is Bruegger's Bagels, northwest corner Mill & 11th.

Saturday 6/19/04 6:30am Kiwanis Park. FREE FOOD!! Yes, the reason you buy a membership in our club... it's time for our quarterly ride/breakfast meeting. We'll pedal somewhere (route pending) then head to HomeTown Buffet in Chandler, northwest corner Warner & Evergreen, for free eats and brilliant, engaging words from our officers. Breakfast is free for all PMBC/GABA members, $7 for non-members.

Tid bits...

We need... your living room. And your large screen TV. And your DVD player. The club would like to host a social on Saturday June 26th, in the evening, as a lead in to the Tour de France season. The point of the gathering will be to watch the movie "Tripletts of Belleville"... which is a must see for all road bike cyclists who have ever dreamed of glory. We need a member to volunter their abode that evening for the gathering. If you would be up for the adventure, drop Sue Fassett a note.

Riding with other recreational cyclists close around you is a skill to hone if you plan on riding in any of the large event rides this fall. When cornering in a group, it's important that all riders "hold their line". Holding your line as you take a corner simply means to take note of where you are in the group and in relation to the curb or edge of the road as you enter the turn, and then maintain that spot in the group and distance from the edge of the road as you round the corner. Don't pass other riders while a group is cornering. Don't cut your turn sharper than the other riders, don't go wider than the others, stay in the flow of the group as the turn is made.

Ride safe.

Hi All!

Can you imagine if the weather was the same here 365 days a year as it was this morning? How many million people would then live in the valley?!! We had 89 riders come out to suck up some of that weather today on our romp across McKellips. The price of riding into wind was rewarded with a sweet tailwind back into town. The second regroup brought us the kindness of a convenience store clerk who, knowing their soda machine had no water tap, offered us gallons of bottled water (way cool). Then our arrival at Neighbor's made us realize how the place got it's name as the staff and owners welcomed us... and again we were offered the service of having our water bottles filled, by the owner (double way cool). A grand day of riding.

Coming up...

Saturday 5/29/04 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Our last Saturday morning to sleep in a bit, we head to Mummy Mountain, original route (kinda like KFC and Coke!) Mileage options 27 miles with moderate climbing or 40 miles with a bit more climbing. Breakfast at Brueggar's Bagels, northwest corner Mill & 11th.

Monday 5/31/04 7:00 Desert Breeze Park. Of course we're having a holiday ride! What else would we do with a day off from work?? Our Saturday and Sunday packs blend together into one motley crew for a romp Round The Mountain. (That would be around South Mountain, for the un-initiated.) Fletch says we will go around the "correct" way, clockwise (as opposed to the really correct way, counterclockwise). Start is the Sunday pack start point, Desert Breeze Park, which is on Desert Breeze Blvd (duh!) southeast of Rural & Ray in Chandler. Mileage around is about 45 miles, no climbing. For the mileage challenged, an alternate out and back going the other direction, to Dobbins & Central, will give you about 30 miles round trip. Breakfast is Bagel Nosh, southeast of 48th & Warner.

Saturday 6/5/04 6:30am Kiwanis Park. Note that time change, we switch to 6:30am for June/July/August. Rumor has it that our favorite southern loop has been restored, with fresh new pavement in place on Riggs. Our delayed journey on the Tour de Sue is back on. Route options 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast is Village Inn, northwest corner Hardy & Elliot.

Tid bits...

As cyclists it is hard for us to understand that there is a small (fortunately VERY small) percentage of our society that believes bikes do not long belong on roads with cars. Being that this is America, they have every right to think along those lines, and they can express those thoughts in such legal ways as writing letters to newspaper editors or by trying to get laws changed to banish us. What they can not do, is ignore the laws currently in place.

Become familiar with state and city codes that apply to you. We have a law in Arizona that states a car must give a cyclist three feet when passing. That law was hard earned, and came about because a cyclist was killed by car driver that did not allow safe distance when passing. Know where you are entitled to be on the road. Know your rights as a cyclist. Ride with respect and graciousness as you interact with the citizens of the world we encounter. They may not always return the attitude... but as ambassadors for our sport, it is our responsibility to extend it.

Ride safe.

We had 26 riders on a super day of riding to Sacaton. What a great route that is, fresh new pavement, and the best being the tail wind home. Our group stayed together, keeping a nice pace up to the first regroup. Yvonne encountered her first flat (I think this was actually her very first flat on a road bike) on her rear tire, and while not technically flat, her front was close enough, so she get's flat head of the week honors (yes, it's a dubious honor, but you earned it). Someone else had a flat at the regroup, but I didn't catch who that was. Paul also encountered a flat along the way, must have been that voodoo doll his wife was using since he's using her wheels and not letting her ride (yes, he bought her a bike and won't let her ride with us).

Our mild mannered pace quickly went out the door as we made the climb up 187 to I-10. Roger was barking orders, and some followed, while others did their own thing. Joel and Gary started their sprint a little early, so I got a bonus sprint handed to me (see, should have listened to Roger). Speaking of Roger, today was his last day riding with us until fall as he will make his trip back to the Midwest for the summer. Good luck, even though he won't see this.

Breakfast was very entertaining. Dave gets quote of the day, when talking with Neal about his first day with the group. The story was something like, "I knew who you were within 5 minutes being with the group!" I think that is the definition of infamous. Nancy and Sue were talking with Thiago about something, making him all embarrassed, but being the responsible ride leader that I am, I can't print it here. OK, something about boxer or briefs! Geez, you all just pull this stuff out of me.

Ride Schedule

5/30 - 7:00 AM- Metro Mania - mileage options of 36 or 45 miles, mostly flat and seeing all of the cities. Breakfast at Good Egg, but subject to change.

5/31 - 7:00 AM - Memorial Day Ride - Monday, day off, what better thing to do then ride, and how about a ride around the mountain, South Mountain that is since everyone asked me about it last week (ha, they thought they weren't doing hills). Breakfast at Atlanta Bread Company, Elliot & 56th Street. Mileage around is about 45 miles, no climbing. For the mileage challenged, an alternate out and back going the other direction, to Dobbins & Central, will give you about 30 miles round trip.

We had 23 brave souls (or was that soles), take on South Mountain, and believe it or not, all 23 made it back. We had two new riders, Yvonne and Carl join us today, welcome to the group. We took a little detour down Rural since Elliot has construction on Kyrene, and then made our way down to Southern. We held together as a group for most of the ride until a few of us got caught at a stop light. This is where we needed to change a tire and harass Mike to do some maintenance on his wife's bike. After a quick regroup at the Ramada, a group went to San Juan while another made it's way to the towers.

Larry get's king of the hill honors, setting a torrent pace up the hill and dropping everyone along the way. Renata gets the "I'm soo sorry award" for not only having to follow Neal up the mountain, but also having to listen to him all the way up and then down. I would say he owes you breakfast....Speaking of breakfast, we just got served, so I need to go while I can still remember what I ordered. For those that weren't there, our service was anything but fast today, but oh well, the conversation was great, with Mr. Klein joining us. Good to see you again Mike.

Ride Schedule

5/23 - 7:00AM - Sacaton - Go out and see the thriving metropolis - Mileage options of 37, 52, 58, and 60 miles, mostly flat. Breakfast at Wildflower

5/30 - 7:00AM - Metro Mania - Mileage options of 36 or 45 miles, mostly flat and seeing all of the cities. Breakfast at Good Egg, but subject to change.

5/31 - 7:00AM - Memorial Day Ride - how about a ride around the mountain, South Mountain that is since everyone asked me about it today (ha, they thought they weren't doing hills). Breakfast TBD, and we may even change it up a bit. More details to come.

Hi All!

We had 70 riders turn out for our adventure to downtown Phoenix this morning. They rolled enthusiastically westbound on a sweet tailwind, took in the sights, then realized the wind just wasn't gonna shift soon enough for the pedal back. Hey, you're in it for the calorie burn, right? Everybody earned their bagels today.

Coming up...

Due excessive road demolition to the southeast... forget what was on the schedule for the next two weeks. Here's where we are going instead!

Saturday 5/22/04 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Since they are done with most (?) of the construction in Mesa, we'll go that away. McKellips Loop, mileage options of 28 miles or 37 miles. Breakfast at Neighbor's Cafe, northwest of Guadalupe and Alma School.

Saturday 5/29/04 7:00am Kiwanis Park. And, since a good portion of the pack would just as soon do this route every week anyway, we head north to Mummy Mountain, original route. Mileage options 27 miles with moderate climbing or 40 miles with a bit more climbing. Breakfast at Brueggar's Bagels, northwest corner Mill & 11th.

Tid bits...

The revamping of our roads is making selecting a route a bit of a challenge. If anybody wants to draft up some ideas for new routes... we're always up for it.

Imagine for moment... a beautiful athlete slathered head to toe in oil. Normally, that comment would bring interesting images to mind. But if you are a cyclist and you have just body surfed down the roadway on a huge oil slick... well, maybe not such a good thing. "Black Gold"... "Texas Tea".... if your last name is Clampett, finding a pool of oil is a good thing. If you are a road cyclist, bad news. Riding thru oil is like riding thru water... multipied a hundred times. Instinct will urge you to brake... don't. Keep your momentum going. "Float" over the bike, keeping your weight centered over it. Make only subtle shifts in steering to move out of the slick.

And last, a reminder that when you ride with others, you are the eyes for the riders behind you. When a group of riders, whether an organized line or a gaggle or bunch, encounters a road hazard (oh say, like maybe a giant slick of oil?) it is the responsiblity of the front riders to not only point it out, but to change their line of riding so as to lead the riders behind them to safe ground away from the hazard.

Ride safe.

Tucson, AZ – April 25th was a big, BIG day for PMBC riders as several made the drive south to the Old Pueblo to pump the pedals around the 58 mile "sprint" that is Perimeter Bicycling's Tour of the Tucson Mountains.

The big story of this day belongs to Glen Fletcher. Aaah, how many of you remember young Glen just a couple of summers ago showing up for Saturday Cycling on a 78 pound solid iron cruiser. Just a little bit has changed since then because Glen placed a sizzling 13th in this year's TTM classic. It was just another day in the office, I suppose, as he averaged 26 mph as he "hung with the big dogs" from wire to wire. How on earth does he restrain himself on our little weekend outings!!

Andy Krebs, Les Ricke, and Paul Nixon also finished in the Platinum peloton. Paul was slicing his narrow self through the course BIG time, but cramped up just a few miles from the finish. Paul's a little young, so he hasn't figured out that we don't bring our wives and/or girlfriends to races. I learned this lesson many, many years ago from one of the first Rocky movies. It has something to do with conserving the strength in your legs. You'd have to rent the movie to get the details.

Gene Rainey and Larry Lyon were present for their first ever cycling race. Gene managed to achieve tachycardia before the gun even went off. Little excited out there Gene? Crossing that finish line, however, he was ear to ear smiles. If you're looking for Gene in the PBAA standings, you need to look for his French persona, "Rene." :-)

Mike Kirk smoked across the finish line with one of those "look at ALL my teeth smiles" too. Neal Thomas, absolutely true to his form, managed to work his way up the starting hill using only one pedal as he struggled, AS ALWAYS, to get clipped in. It really wasn't a problem, however, since only the entire platinum crowd just steamed past him within the first couple hundred yards as a result. No problem, just more to draft of, eh Neal?

Big Jim Siart finished just out of the platinum. Tales of the road, as I heard it, had Jim pulling the freight train a bit too much out on route. You see Jim, its easier to follow in the paceline than it is to lead them for 58 miles.

Bob Beane had a little family business to take care of. He was down there with his youthful nephew, Garrett, so he had to show off what made him a platinum rider a couple years back. Nice going Bob, show them kids what seasoned experience is all about. Both Bob and Garrett finished in the gold. Excellent day, boys.

Jack, Buddy, Lance and Janet James were all out in force, too. Team James flatted soon after the start so they ended up snacking their way around the route and enjoying the scenery. I totally, understand. If you're not going to win the darn thing then why not just take in the sights and enjoy yourself!! These guys take their role as the Lanterne Rouge very VERY seriously.

Cory Hove rounded out Team GABA. Cory, however, didn't finish after suffering wheel damage resulting from a crash. Other than a little bike damage, we're hoping everything else was ok.

Oh, I was down there, too, representing the PMBC subculture, Team Sloth. I disappointed myself by finishing in the gold with a little over a 20 mph average over the course. I really wanted to be the first one to miss gold thereby earning a special PBAA losers conquistador award. Oh well, I'll be a year older next year and undoubtedly a little slower.

All told, it was a wonderful day for GABA/PMBC on this beautiful Arizona spring morning.

We had about 23 riders today (that's my guess as I left the sign in sheets with the Kirk's). Happy Mother's Day for all the mothers out there. We had a great day of riding, I even talked the Mrs. to come out and ride on the back of the tandem today. We even did it without killing each other. For the most part, we stayed together to the first regroup (the group and me & my wife). After that, the adrenaline started to pump and the pace quickened. Nothing too memorable to quote except for my wife after we got dropped going down Germann, "Why don't you pedal harder so we don't loose them?" Geez, I guess I need to ride more...

Breakfast at Wildflower was great, and I even brought the rest of the Fletchers on the bike. The day got even better when my son started telling lawyer jokes to Neal. Everyone have a great day, and see you next week.

Ride Schedule

5/16 - 7:00AM - South Mountain - We have to do it before it gets too hot. Mileage options of 42 or 50 miles, with some big climbing. Breakfast at 5 & Diner

5/23 - 7:00AM - Sacaton - Go out and see the thriving metropolis - Mileage options of 37, 52, 58, and 60 miles, mostly flat. Breakfast at Wildflower

5/30 - 7:00AM- Metro Mania - Mileage options of 36 or 45 miles, mostly flat and seeing all of the cities. Breakfast at Good Egg, but subject to change.

Hi All!

A two parter ride report:

First, the home pack at Kiwanis managed to pull in 42 riders even with competition from our Payson event. The homies made their way out into perfect San Diego-ish weather, which gradually dimished to Long Beach weather as the smoke haze from a nearby fire filled the air. Most of the riders took on the challenge of the advanced route, along with the added challenge of several flats, but a good time was had by all.

Then, the highlanders. We had 70 riders turn out for our 3rd annual journey around Payson. Bob Beane once again pulled it off, planning a most excellent route and a great catered lunch afterwards. We were joined by two local riders... representing the entire road bike community in Payson. The views were astounding, temp was perfect, and the company was grand. Bob... thanks from all for a great adventure. To those that volunteered to work the ride so the rest of us could pedal... way cool.

Coming up...

Saturday 5/15/04 7:00am, Kiwanis Park. Tour de DownTown Phoenix. Route options 28 or 35 miles with no climbing or 45 miles with a couple of moderate climbs. Breakfast is Bruegger's Beagles, northwest corner 11th & Mill.

Saturday 5/22/04 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Lindsay Loop takes us to southeast. Route options 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at WildFlower, northwest of Frye & Price.

Saturday 5/29/04 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Last weekend to sleep in before summer hours. We've had a request for Tour de Sue on this date... but can anybody give feedback on the condition of construction (destruction) on Riggs Road between Sun Lakes and I-10? Bike-able? Stand by for details on this ride.

Tid bits...

We had some interesting reactions from the fair citizens of Payson during our tour this morning. Payson is mountain bike territory, not road bike. The local paper had an article about us yesterday... so many knew we would be on their roads today. A few were put off, frustrated with having us on their streets when they wanted to be zooming around in their cars. But we also encountered a lot of people who waved, clapping as we rolled thru... their faces mirrored the joy we feel as a pack when we experience a ride like today. It is to those people, that slice of the population, be it in Payson or Ahwatukee or Sacaton... that we owe thanks and respect. Because of them we continue to seek new roads to roll on.

Ride safe.

It looks like we had all kinds of people wanting to write about the ride on Sunday. Thanks Neal for leading the group. Here is the best and worst of the stories I was sent...

While our Fig Newton-mush-powered rocket and perhaps a few other very hardy souls were off answering the challenge, an excellent group of 20 riders assembled Sunday morning to experience the popular ride around Mummy Mountain (classic version). Neal did a fine job of leading the charge. He kept us informed about his whereabouts at all times, and he frequently reported when he was clipped in to his pedals.

One of our selfless regulars (name withheld to protect his homeland security and domestic peace) volunteered to ride toward the back of the group with newish rider Yvonne. Although normally a hard-charging front-of-the-pack rider, it seems that he was still recovering from a 10k run on Saturday.

In route we encountered the Multi Sport Challenge triathlon event at Tempe Town Lake. We rode a portion of the cycling course until one of the competitors eloquently directed us donkeys to the motor vehicle area of the road. As a demonstration of our cycling prowess (and a little too much Testosterone) some of the lead group quickly dropped the triathlete like a hot piece of . As soon as we entered the traffic lane, one of Tempe's Finest promptly directed us back to the coned-off bike lane. We just couldn't make anyone happy. Now completely confused but undaunted, the group spread out to cover all possible paths of travel. Gene got told we were "stupid roadies", but Stacey received the apology. Are you OK now Gene?

Birthday Boy Ron I. won a solo sprint on Galvin Parkway, partly aided by the fact that almost all of the group took a different route.

The circuit of Mummy Mountain was uneventful, except perhaps for a dozen close encounters with vehicles (only half of these were in the head-on category). Seriously, several riders commented about the unusually large amount of dangerous traffic on those narrow winding roads.

It seemed like Renata was frequently mistaken for Stephanie all morning long. Or was it Stephanie mistaken for Renata?

Paul won the sprint up Curry with Larry very close. Anyway, it was good to see that his haircut did not take away any of his strength.

Regroup Riddle:
Q. What kind of pedestrian gets in Neal's way?
A. A cyclepath.

Ride Schedule

5/9 - 7:00AM - Mother's Day - Short ride today - Germannalupe - Germann to Guadalupe - Breakfast at Ruby's Diner

5/16 - 7:00AM - South Mountain - We have to do it before it gets too hot. Mileage options of 42 or 50 miles, with some big climbing. Breakfast at 5 & Diner

5/23 - 7:00AM - Sacaton - Go out and see the thriving metropolis - Mileage options of 37, 52, 58, and 60 miles, mostly flat. Breakfast at Wildflower

5/30 - 7:00AM- Metro Mania - Mileage options of 36 or 45 miles, mostly flat and seeing all of the cities. Breakfast at Good Egg, but subject to change.

Hi All!

We had 63 riders head out of the park this morning, into a gentle breeze and perfect air temp. A rather motley group... lead by a few hard-charging, lean-mileage dogs on their slathering quest to the towers... trailed by a large, more moderately paced group, enjoying the bike path journey over... trailed yet farther behind by a mountain bike brigade seeking nothing more than the sight of the first saguaros in bloom. The gentle breeze urged the climbers up the mountain and slowed their rampaging roll down a bit. The rear guard made a pit stop out of the wind to see the gorgeous flower gardens in bloom at The Farm, then all rolled on to 5&Diner for tunes and tales.

Coming up...

Saturday 5/8/04... Payson! The pack heads to the pines on our annual quest for cool air. If you have not yet signed up, you can still drop your registration in the mail today. See the website for details.

Note, start point for the ride will be a different location from the last couple of years. Start/finish is Rumsey Park in Payson. To find the park, head north to Payson on the Beeline (Hwy 87) until you reach the junction of Hwy 260 in town. Turn west at the junction, which is Longhorn (Longhorn goes left, Hwy 260 goes right). Take Longhorn west 3/4 mile to stop sign, turn right onto McLane. Continue north on McLane about 1/2 mile to Rumsey Park (on the west side of road). Look for Ramada #5. Registration will run from 7:00am to 7:30am, pack ride will leave at 7:45am. Lunch following the ride will be catered this year. BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, a couple of side dishes and soft drinks. Lunch will start about 10:30am and run till 12:30 or so. Hope to see y'all there!

For the souls (soles?) unable to join us in Payson... head to Kiwanis for the regular Saturday morning adventure. The home bodies will head to the Foothills of Ahwatukee with a couple of mileage options. Breakfast at Village Inn, northwest of Hardy & Elliot.

Saturday 5/15/04 7:00am, Kiwanis Park. Tour de DownTown Phoenix. Route options 28 or 35 miles with no climbing or 45 miles with a couple of moderate climbs. Breakfast is Bruegger's Beagles, northwest corner 11th & Mill.

Saturday 5/22/04 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Lindsay Loop takes us to southeast. Route options 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at WildFlower, northwest of Frye & Price.

Tid bits...

May is here. Along with blooming saguaros, May brings us something else... summer heat. Riders from other parts of the country express surprise when they hear that not only do we ride through the summer here... but that our pack increases in numbers during the hot summer months. We want you to thrive and survive this summer with us. To make sure that happens:

The day BEFORE you come to ride with us, make a focused effort to drink plenty of water.

Though we are a "breakfast" club, eat something in the morning before you come out with us... your body needs the fuel and nutrients to use all that water you'll be chugging.

Apply sunblock heavily, two layers, on exposed skin... not only will it keep your skin safer from the suns damaging rays... it will help keep your skin surface cooler, keeping your body temp down.

Drink LOTS of water while riding... if you like an "enhanced" beverage, like a sports drink, cut it with water... at the rate you'll be chugging it, straight sports drink will be too much for your tummy to handle.

Or you could just go to Payson next Saturday and then you can forget about the heat for a day!

Ride safe.