Elmhurst Bicycle Club Newsletter

The Elmhurst Bicycle Club, EBC, is one of the best bike clubs in the Midwest offering many rides and social activities. A large part of our success is due to the generous and dedicated Ride Leaders who offer many rides and activities. Our Ride Leader this month is Betty Bond

Why did you join the EBC and how long have you been a member?

I used to ride with a group of friends with the Arlington Bike Club but it got to be a challenge to get to the night rides (I worked at the time and that was my only choice through the week) with all the traffic. I heard about EBC from some of the Arlington members and I decided to join this club in 1997. It was several months before I actually went on a club ride…..but one ride and I was hooked !!! Since then I have been really enjoying the biking, hiking, and skiing the club membership offers.

What is your favorite bike to ride and how many bikes do you own?

I own 4 bikes. #4 A very old (circa 1980's) Schwinn Voyager which I keep to ride on limestone paths. #3 My latest purchase is a Jamis Coda hybrid bike in a beautiful shade of pale green called "Celery." #2 A custom made touring Waterford 1900 series in a beautiful "Jason Purple." This is a heavier bike and I use it for self-contained riding. Everytime I ride it I am reminded what a jewel it is and really enjoy being on it. My #1 all time favorite is my titanium Terry. It has a smaller 24" front wheel made especially for vertically challenged women like myself. Some riders have called it my "Circus Bike" but I just smile and continue riding and loving my Terry.

What kind of rides do you lead, distance, routes, pace, and destinations?

I lead moderately paced rides. My favorite pace is 13 - 15 mph, although I can manage a 14 - 16 mph ride. My distances vary depending on the ride…anywhere from 25 miles to 106 miles, such as Larry Gitchell's July 4th Century Ride that I always offer to lead at a slower pace than the one he leads. Larry is a genius when it comes to planning routes.

I feel somewhat like an imposter here…as I only lead about 10 or so rides a year and there are so many other deserving leaders more worthy of attention than me.

I lead rides that I repeat each year a time or two such as the "Four Lakes and a Picnic" ride, "Long Grove for Lunch" ride, "Herrick Lake and Danada Square" ride and used to do the "Lilac Day Parade" ride and "Double Dippin' at Ben and Jerrys" ride. I also lead some "Show and Go" rides and some " Breakfast" rides through the year. I also organized our 25th Anniversary Party at Madison Meadow August 25, 2002.

What is the most challenging part of leading and why do you lead rides?

The most difficult part of leading I believe is keeping the group together and trying to keep those riders who hang out in the left of the lane to keep to the right. "Car Back" does not seem to mean much to them. I fear that someday they may be hit by a car. We need to be more considerate of motorists that we share the roads with and not provoke them.

I do not know why I lead rides….. It's a puzzle to me! It is so much easier to follow than it is to lead a ride. I do feel in a small way that I am giving back to this organization that has given me so much joy.

What is your favorite ride and do you have any ride stories?

My favorite ride was when I decided to be a ride leader for the first time. The date was July 18, 2000. I designed a route around Lombard. Pre drove it…..Pre rode it…. Asked Jerry to pre ride it with me….. I could not sleep the night before. The ride began at Madison Meadow. I was there very early waiting with my ride sheet….hoping someone would show up. I could not believe what was happening….it was like a parade of cars pulling into the parking lot…one car after another and another….so many riders. I really got nervous. One ride sheet was not enough. I had to find another as the first one was filled. Ed Curtin found an extra ride sheet in his car which we used. A record 30 riders!!! I managed to lead all of these riders without a mistake. Total mileage covered a whopping 17 miles. A good time was had by all it seemed.

What advice would you give new members and guests who want to go on your rides, or lead a ride?

New members should be told they need to be able to ride the posted speeds for the full distance that is posted. It is not fair to the whole group if they have to wait at every turn for someone that is too slow to be on that particular ride. EBC has a policy of not dropping anyone but riders should know that they can keep up the posted pace. Ride leaders also have the responsibility of keeping within the range of the pace that they post so some poor unsuspecting new rider does not get on a ride that is too fast for him/her.

Do you have any final comments for our members, guests, and your riders? I have been around on this old earth a good number of years and nowhere that I have been has there been a finer, more congenal, compatible, wonderful group of people anywhere like the members of EBC. We have a lot of different personalities. Everyone is unique in their own way….but they work well in the mix with members we have. I'm proud to be a part of EBC. Thank you.

The Season of Giving

The Club enjoyed another fine year -- its 33rd just concluded according to the Cue Sheet masthead. Hundreds of thousands of miles. Good weather, great weather, rainy weather, hot weather, sometimes snow. Membership was strong. Membership dues and contributions from our sponsors coupled with the leadership and stewardship provided by Club president John Park, enabled the club to make another donation to 'Project Mobility' as was the case last year. A three year old boy, Josiah, was in attendance with his family and presented with a very special bicycle -- one tailored to his special needs. I think it is safe to say that the EBCers in attendance at the December club meeting shared a warm good feeling as the bicycle (actually a tricycle) was presented. While Josiah can be expected to gain the same riding pleasure we all experience from our riding, we get an added pleasurable benefit knowing that EBC makes a difference.

The Season for Partying

No, it wasn't pizza. Rather, a delicious offering from Corky's -- the same caterer who provided an excellent meal at our summer picnic. Chicken and pasta seemed to be enjoyed by all the attending club members. Of course, some of us -- I know there were others in addition to myself -- would have been content to dine all night on the festive red and green gumdrops. Several EBC'ers were decked out in Christmas finery. George P. wore Santa's hat. And no one received an ugly sweater award. The evening passed by all too quickly. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thanks for Many Contributions

At the end of the year we try to look back and count our “blessings.” I am not sure that is the right word but it is the best I could come up with. I would like to identify and thank those Club members for their help with our advocacy and outreach efforts. I define outreach as doing something for the Club and others, expecting nothing in return.

The following Club members, listed in no particular order other than the chronological order in which their outreach occurred, did just that this year and, in so doing, increased the image of the Club.

Mary Jo Bolan, Chuck Dean, Cindy Reedy, Mary Lee St Aubin, Lona Sweet, Cheri O’Riordan, Tom Preston, Jerome Hughes, George Pastorino, Jim Gross, Ray del Lago, Hank Gentry, Susan Sperl, John Loesch, Chuck Gentile, Roland Porter, Pussannee Pastorino, Mary Maroney, Joanne DeZur, Sharon Hermach, Mary Lukritz, Ron Burzese, Kim Messina, Ron Sebonia, Mike Cosantino, Rich Aycock, Jessica Onstott, Mike Delaney, Betty Bond, Kathy Selbach Wagner, Susan Boose and Bob Hoel.

The full detail of the outreach these folks did is listed on the Club website at http://www.elmhurstbicycling.org/aboutebc/advocacy.asp under the link “What Have EBC Members Done.”

Separately, the League of Illinois Bicycles has received 1,500 reservations for the dedicated “Share the Road” vehicular license plate. We were the only organization to achieve that since the state increased the required number from 850 to 1,500. The plate is now back in the State’s court to go through the remaining bureaucratic steps to get the plates on the road. Though 1,500 was the goal, reservations continue to come in, especially now that people know this will be a reality. More are expected once the plates start appearing on car and become their own publicity.

How many of you have taken your bike on public transportation: bus, CTA or Metra? If you haven’t, give it a try sometime. It is a great way to extend your bike ride by using transit in one direction and your bike in the other. It adds an additional dimension to the adventure. Look for increased access to the Metra trains in 2012 as the “allowed capacity” of bikes per train is increased and black out periods are reduced. This is the result of continued pressure applied by the Active Transportation Alliance, the largest regional bike and pedestrian advocacy organization in the U.S. This is one more way our investment in them pays dividends.

Finally, LIB, as the state-wide bike advocacy organization, has been busy working with IDOT County DOT’s on the use of shoulder rumble strips, those pesky and often dangerous inventions to reduce the number of dazed or sleeping motorists driving off the road. Here is a link to discussion about this and other work LIB has undertaken:

http://www.bikelib.org/county-highway-design-policy/

Club Ride

Five of us stood astride our bicycles in the nearly deserted shopping center parking lot. It was chilly on that early Sunday morning. The leaves were beginning to change colors as the cycling season was drawing to a close. It was just a few minutes before the ride’s scheduled start time. The wind was blowing leaves across the asphalt as another car pulled into the lot and parked in the next row. A guy got out of the car, looked up at the sky, then walked over to where we were fidgeting around trying to keep warm. “Is this the Elmhurst club ride?” he asked. “This is it.” someone said. “Mind if I join you?” “Not at all. We were just about to leave, but we’ll wait for you.” We were sizing this guy up as he walked back toward his car, wondering if he was any good, if he’d be able to keep up. He was probably in his mid forties, sandy hair, average height and weight, but he didn’t look very fit. Kind of what I call skinny fat, narrow shoulders and thin, with a little pot belly.

Our club has a no drop policy. We will leave no riders behind. The group will only go as fast as the slowest rider, so we were all hoping that this guy could make his bike go fast. We watched as he pulled a high end road bike out of the trunk of his car. That’s one hurdle. You’d have to be really strong to keep up with a fit bunch of roadies on a mountain bike or a department store special. That still didn’t mean he was any good though. There were lots of guys who owned expensive equipment but couldn’t ride worth a damn. We went back to our conversation, talking about rides we’d done, talking about equipment. He fumbled around a bit putting the front wheel on his bike, putting water bottles into the cages, getting his cycling shoes, helmet, gloves, glasses and jacket on. When he was ready he came over, signed the club’s waiver sheet and we finally rolled out onto the neighborhood streets. The pace is generally slow in the beginning. Guys are getting loose. We paired up riding two abreast, continuing the conversation from the parking lot. Traffic was light. After a few miles we got warmed up and the pace increased. The wind was behind us for the first half of the ride and we enjoyed the speed.

Then our guest - I’ll call him Fred - got a flat tire. Hey, it happens to all of us. We waited, standing around, helping out where we could, as he put a new tube into his tire. Some of the guys couldn’t help noticing that his tires were shot, completely worn out. They should have been replaced a thousand miles ago. Probably why he got the flat. It took a little longer than it should have, but he fixed the flat and we got rolling again. He was starting to have trouble maintaining the pace and we waited for him a couple of times, but we were eating up the miles and enjoying the day. We saw farmers harvesting corn and soybeans as the roads took us further and further out into the countryside. But then we had to get to work. We turned into the wind.

Aerodynamics are an important part of bicycling. Most of a rider’s effort goes into overcoming wind resistance. When cyclists are riding together, the rider at the front of the group works harder than the riders who are drafting him. The difference is significant. Experienced cyclists know this and use it to their advantage. The stronger riders usually ride at the front punching a hole through the wind, and the others will follow behind in the draft. Maybe Fred didn’t know this, or maybe he lacked confidence in his bike handling skills. We had to wait for him more often. At one point he was off the back by about a quarter mile. I told the other guys to ride easy while I went back to tow him back up. The wind was into us from the right so when I got back to Fred I told him to stay on my left hip, in the shadow of the wind, and I’d pull him back up to the group. I battled the wind for a couple of miles until I closed the gap. When we caught back on I tucked myself into the draft of another rider to recover. I looked back to see how Fred was doing and he was three to five feet off the back, taking the full force of the wind, when he could have moved up just a little bit, and ridden in the draft. He was burning energy unnecessarily, energy that he could have used to prevent himself from getting dropped again.

We rode in a rotating pace line. Each guy rides at the front for a short time, then swings off and drifts to the back of the line while the next guy works at the front. The line moves down the road like a caterpillar track. The stronger guys stay on the front longer doing more work and the weaker riders only stay a short time. This allows riders of varying ability to ride together. When our new guy got to the front his ego got the better of him. It’s a mistake all of us make as we are learning to ride in a group. Wanting to show the other riders you belong, you ride on the front too long. When you finally pull off you’re spent, and you can no longer keep up. You either get dropped or the whole group has to wait while you recover.

We were about two thirds of the way into the ride when we stopped at a coffee shop for a break. The sun was behind the clouds and the air was chilly. We each got something to eat and drink and we sat around a table on the sidewalk outside. I don’t know how the other guys were feeling but I was getting a little perturbed with our guest. He either wasn’t aware of the effect he was having on our group ride or he didn’t care. I was sitting across from him at the table telling myself that he’s doing the best he can. We all get in over our heads from time to time. He wouldn’t be messing with us deliberately. He’s probably not a bad guy. I’m sure his mother loves him. Probably takes his dog for walks in the evening, if he’s got a dog, maybe goes to church. The problem is me. I’m too impatient. I’m spending a nice Sunday morning in the company of friends, doing what I love to do. I should learn to slow down and smell the flowers. Then Fred knocks his cup of coffee over, splashing it on my jersey, my tights and my forearm. Sitting there now, eating a piece of quiche, trying to think charitable thoughts, dabbing at the coffee, I look over at the bikes leaning against the railing at the edge of the sidewalk and I notice that Fred’s rear tire is flat again. Sigh. I graciously point this fact out to him. Our rest stops are usually less than half an hour. If Fred is going to get his tire fixed and not hold us up then he is going to have to do something soon. This didn’t cause him any apparent anxiety however. He was very cool. He had a good sized plate of food and he seemed to be savoring every morsel. Don’t want to rush a good thing. I caught his eye and said “What are we going to do about your tire?” I mentioned that there was a bike shop across the street, and if he had a credit card he could get another tube and maybe even replace his worn out rear tire at the same time. He nodded and started eating a bit faster. Our rest stop was only a little longer than usual.

We rolled out of the stop. We weren’t going fast, still warming up. I was on the front. Fred was drafting as he should, third in line on his new rear tire. I was carrying two water bottles. I drink water on the first part of a ride and as the ride gets longer I switch to an energy drink. I was reaching down to switch the bottles around when I dropped a full bottle of energy drink onto the street. Fred promptly ran it over. What are the odds? It’s never happened to me before. I’ve dropped bottles but no one has ever run them over. Maybe I had just been lucky up until today. I went back to retrieve the bottle. The top had popped off but there were still a few ounces of liquid left. I hastily screwed the top back on and sprinted back up to the group. My rational mind told me that it was not our guest’s fault. He couldn’t have helped it. It might have been anyone. But I was upset about losing my drink and if I’m not going to blame myself then I’ll blame him doggone it, he’s the one who ran it over!

A few miles later I was feeling better. The rhythm and the effort of riding was having a soothing effect on me. It’s one of the reasons why I love the sport. Remembering that I had a little bit of the energy drink left I reached down, grabbed the bottle, and put the spigot in my mouth. I squeezed the bottle to drink, but the lid was not screwed on tightly and I dumped that sweet sticky fluid right in my lap. You might think that this would get me fuming, push me over the edge, but instead it struck me as funny. This one’s on me. It’s nobody’s fault but mine. I realized that I cannot continue to blame Fred for the kind of day I’m having. The responsibility for how I am feeling rests with me. It is completely possible for all kinds of things to go wrong and for me to remain upbeat and positive. It’s a choice.

It was a raw day, cold and windy. We continued to roll out the miles regrouping often to let Fred catch back on. When we got back to the parking lot and our cars, I had that tired satisfied buzz I enjoy so much. We’ll have to do this again someday. I’m free next week.