Hi All!

79 cyclists appeared this morning for our romp over to the foothills. We did a split start, underscoring the demographic of our club, by letting age 50 and under roll out first, which left about half the crowd still standing at the start. Age apparently isn't a factor in ability, as the remaining portion of the pack quickly chased down the young pups after they got underway. The adventure around the route was the usual variety of you pick-it, with riders from our group going every which way in the area. We were joined at the breakfast stop by several members who opted not to pedal this morning, highlighting the most important aspects of our Saturday morning activities... eating and chatting!

Coming up...

Saturday 5/17/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Don your red, white and blue and join us for Armed Forces Day on the St. Francis Loop, with route options of 26 miles or 36 miles, moderate climbing on both. (Can you guess what portion of the pack will ride first out of the park on this date?) Breakfast at IHOP, southwest corner of Apache and College.

Saturday 5/24/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. A romp to the south, the Tour de Sue, with route options of 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at AZ Bread Co, southeast corner Kyrene and Elliot.

Monday 5/26/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Come join us on a holiday adventure in memory of those who are no longer in the line with us. Buddy's Route takes us wandering thru the Ahwatukee area, the old route, one size fits all (about 30 miles), with whatever climbs you want to toss in or bypass. Breakfast at Paradise Bakery, southwest corner Ray & 54th St.

Saturday 5/31/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. OK, so there are 31 days in May... which means we do have one last Saturday in the month to snooze in. We'll celebrate the end of our spring season with the Mummy Mountain route, options of 27 miles with moderate climbing or 20 miles with a couple of extra climbs. Breakfast at IHOP, southwest corner College & Apache.

Tid bits

Today was International Migratory Bird Day. (You did know that, right??) For the birders in the crowd (we do have a few, but they rarely admit to it in public) it was a day to occasionally lift our eyes up from the lycra clad butts in front of us to look around, hoping to see a few feathered friends flitting by. In mentioning this, it was amazing the number of riders who confessed to being so focused on the cyclists in front of them that they rarely see anything else. Hmm... what about cars approaching from side streets that aren't planning on stopping? Broken beer bottles in the road? A loose dog on the other side of the street that might be tempted to come over and visit in the line? For those that went to high school long enough ago that they still had driver's ed, do you remember that scanning pattern they taught you? A constant flow of checking side mirrors, rear mirror, looking ahead, back, anticipating situations that might be coming up. That same concept applies, big time, when you are on a bike. Yes, stay aware of the riders in front of you, but what else is going on around the group? Anything coming up that might disrupt the flow of things is something you need to be aware of. And there are birds to be seen, for those that admit to looking for them.

Ride safe

We had 25 riders today for a great spin to Mummy Mountain, and even enjoyed a look at the crit in downtown Scottsdale. Our group got a lesson in 4-way stops today, don't always assume the drivers will stop - keep your head up and ride defensively. Breakfast chatter was entertaining, with so many things to write about, but nothing suitable for print.

Ride Schedule

5/11 - 7:00 AM - Mothers Day Ride - Metro Mania - Mileage options of 36 or 45 miles - All flat. Breakfast at Einstein's on Rural & Ray.

5/18 - 7:00 AM - Ohcotukee Loop - Head down to Ocotillo and then to Awahtukee for some hills. Mileage options of 25, 35, or 55 with a lot of hills. Breakfast at Wanda's - Beck & Chandler Blvd.

5/25 - 7:00 AM - Change of plans - A new route from Ken St. John - Olive Mill Run - Out to Schempf Farms & the Olive Mill Bistro and back. Mileage options of 37 or 54 miles - All flat. Breakfast at Wildflower at the Chandler Mall.

Monday 5/26/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Your last ride morning to sleep in a bit before our summer hours! Come join us on a holiday romp in memory of those who are no longer in the line with us (would they want us doing anything else on this date??). Buddy's Route takes us wandering thru the Awahtukee area, the old route, one size fits all (about 30 miles), with whatever climbs you want to conquer or skip. Breakfast, with lots of loud talking encouraged, at Paradise Bakery, southwest corner Ray & 54th St.

Hi All!

The gorgeous weather at dawn tempted 79 cyclists out for our roll into Mesa. Team PMBC, those adorned in our club jerseys, made an impressive lead out group from the start. We had several riders do their bit to keep the streets of Mesa clean, by impaling various bits of debris and nails in their tires. Was such a grand day to stand around changing flats, nobody seemed to mind. Breakfast discussion ranged from contemplation of the strange variety of runner's gear we saw displayed today (hula skirts, thongs, and see-thru leotards... not all on the same runner) to pondering if spare tires should be carried while riding (that would be spare tires for your bike, not one around your waist).

Coming up...

Saturday 5/10/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. AhwaFooty takes us into the Foothills of Ahwatukee, with route options of 24 miles with one gentle climb or 35 miles with moderate climbing. Breakfast at AZ Bread Co, southeast corner Kyrene and Elliot.

Saturday 5/17/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Don your red, white and blue and join us for our Armed Forces Day romp on the St. Francis Loop, with route options of 26 miles or 36 miles, moderate climbing on both. Breakfast at IHOP, southwest corner of Apache and College.

Saturday 5/24/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. We'll try the Tour de Sue, currently known as the Tour de Construction On Queen Creek Road, with route options of 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at AZ Bread Co, southeast corner Kyrene and Elliot.

Monday 5/26/08 7:00am Kiwanis Park. Your last ride morning to sleep in a bit before our summer hours! Come join us on a holiday romp in memory of those who are no longer in the line with us (would they want us doing anything else on this date??). Buddy's Route takes us wandering thru the Ahwatukee area, the old route, one size fits all (about 30 miles), with whatever climbs you want to conquer or skip. Breakfast, with lots of loud talking encouraged, at Paradise Bakery, southwest corner Ray & 54th St.

Tid bits

If you are pedaling along in a group and drop something... a bottle, your computer, your binky, whatever... the safety of the riders around you is your prime concern, not the dropped item. Continue forward, call out and signal that you are pulling out of the group, and when it is safe to do so, turn back to retrieve the item you dropped. Stay aware of traffic, both cars and bikes, in the process of your retrieve. Stepping out in front of a group of cyclists that are rolling at pace is rather like putting yourself in the path of a moving train and can have about the same result. Well, the tire tracks they leave on you are a bit smaller, but same concept.

Ride safe