THE ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS. TANDEM TIME GOAT HILL PARAMOUNT RACING September INTERNET WEB:

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1 THE ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS TANDEM TIME GOAT HILL PARAMOUNT RACING September INTERNET WEB: General Meeting Wednesday, September 8th, 7:00 pm David Whiting Why cyclists are killing one another and how we can stop. See page 5 for details. Meeting to be held at: Irvine Ranch Water District Board Meeting Room Directions: Take the 405 FWY to Sand Canyon North, or take the 5 FWY to Sand Canyon South. Turn East on Water Works Way. Go Left into the parking lot and park behind the building. IN THIS ISSUE July General Meeting Recap Pages 6-7 Advocate s Corner Page 8 Officers Wanted Page 9 Palm Desert Ride Page 10 Death Ride Article Pages CALENDAR OF EVENTS Labor Day Ride Mon. Sep 6 Amtrak Sat. Sep. 11 Amtrak Clean-Up Sun. Sep. 12 Tandem Time Sat. Oct. 2 Fall Metric Sat. Oct. 30

2 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN BOARD OFFICERS President Michael Lee Vice President Jim Brewer Treasurer Irene Walker Secretary Alan Dauger Events Paul D Aquanni Events@ocw.org Ride Captain Lee Stebbins RideCaptain@ocw.org Membership Jim Walker Membership@ocw.org Editor Doris Bingo Editor@ocw.org Statistician Jim Pugh Stats@ocw.org Public Relations Dennis Thomas PubRelations@ocw.org Training Michelle Kashima Training@ocw.org DIRECTORS WEB Master Ken Brant kbrant@kennybz.com Tandem Time Debi Butz rdbutz@earthlink.net GoatHill Open Insurance Lorna Laugen bikefamily3@att.net Paramount Curt Dosier cdosier@kmob.com Director Bob Fairfield mobile412@ca.rr.com Director Dan Gorman dmgorman@aol.com Director Charlie Irwin csirwin@bbcnet.com Director Randy Kiefer raymond.kiefer@navy.mil Director Alex Laugen bikefamily3@att.net Director Frank Neal cycleman@bigplanet.com Director Art Pressel presselhome@earthlink.net Director Alvin Trafton Director Director Open Open BOARD MEETING Sunday, September 5th, 11:00 am Carl s Jr., Irvine. Take the 405 Freeway to the MacArthur exit. Go south 0.8 miles and turn left on Campus. Go 0.3 miles and turn right into Carl s Jr. (at Von Karman). All Officers and Directors are expected to attend to conduct business. Other interested members may also attend. FOLDING PARTY Thursday, September 30th, 7:00 pm Hosted by: Scott & Tracy Sharp 2308 Redlands Drive Newport Beach, CA tracyasharp@yahoo.com Please RSVP if you plan to attend. Dinner will be served. DIRECTIONS: South on 55 fwy. South on 73 fwy. Exit Irvine Ave, turn right on Irvine Ave. Travel about 1.5 miles and make a right on Santa Isabel. Turn left on Redlands Drive. SPECIAL THANKS TO Diane Clanton for Hosting the August Folding Party If you would like to host a Folding Party or supply refreshments for the General Meeting, please contact Doris Bingo at Editor@ocw.org. (OCW reimburses up to $100) Chain Reaction is published 11 times a year by the Orange County Wheelmen, a bicycle club. Current circulation is 500. Copyright 2010; Orange County Wheelmen. Permission hereby granted to republish if credit is given to the author and OCW. All items submitted become property of OCW. Opinions of authors do not necessarily reflect the views of OCW. PAGE 2 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

3 FROM THE PRESIDENT... By Mike Lee September 2010 The summer is winding down and kids will be back in school shortly, and my busy season as a school photographer is working into high gear. Which means Amtrak is finally here! So are you ready? Have you been working your miles up? When you receive this months CR I will be riding and training for the 10 days in New Mexico at 7,000 ft. The club has some HOT off the streets FYI! Today as I finish this months message we have just completed the first ever Traffic Skills 101 course. Congratulations to Charlie Irwin, Jim Walker, Art Pressel, Kevin Ivey, Alan Vester, Willie Hunt, Vern Castleman, Dennis Thomas, and Jim Pugh! This is I hope the start of a bi-annual certification for members to ride safer and more confidently on the road. Our plans at the moment are to offer the class in February 2011, watch for details in the Chain Reaction or your . Thank you to all the instructors for seeing this through to the end. I am grateful to Michelle Kashima for pushing this forward and the Board for approving the money to accomplish this. With the class now behind us I will look for new challenges to undertake. We are so fortunate to have such a great group of people that continue to stay active in the club and support the club in whatever way they can. Even if volunteering for a day on one of our major rides that provides for the club activities. But I don t want to set aside those members that have remained active and dedicated year after year. I consider myself as a newbie still to be acclimated to club history and background. But this is sometimes just knowledge to try to do in a different way. There is a time and a season for all that we may do and accomplish. At the September General meeting you will be asked to accept or reject the new Bylaws. They are on the website for your review. The proposed bylaws are located at this site: OCW%20Bylaws Proposed.pdf The current bylaws are located at this site: default.asp?page=1 You should have seen an blast notifying you of the proposed changes. If you missed it here is a second notification. So fall is right around the corner and school will be back in session. Cooler weather, shorter days, and less ride time, but don t let that slow you down. Southern California weather allows us to ride year round. I especially like the fall weather to ride, (as long as the Santa Ana s aren t blowing) There are still many items on the big agenda list to tackle. Many of you have asked for a new club jersey. With the many Jersey s that have been produced for the club it has always been, what would otherwise be considered a loss leader. Many people want one but the sales don t really support it. Something that was mentioned to me for the lackluster sales may be club pride. I would like to tackle this challenge over the coming months with a promotion of some sort. With that said watch for details and news, or just ask us. So this months message for the riders is this; Stay the course, the success of the organization is driven by its members pushing it forward into areas that may at first be uncomfortable, but will ultimately become the norm. Ride Safe, Ride Predictable, Mike ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 3

4 OCW President s Ride September 5, 2010 By Mike Lee Sunday, September 5, Please join Mike Lee, OCW President, for a friendly introductory ride. New and beginning riders are encouraged to join us. We ll meet for the OCW Sunday Ride at Carl s Jr. in Irvine (Campus & Von Karman) at 8:00 am and we ll follow the Medium-Ride course. Questions? Please send an message to president@ocw.org or call LABOR DAY RIDE By Lee Stebbins September 6, 2010 at Lions Park, Costa Mesa. 8:00am. Take the 55 Freeway south to end. Continue south on Newport Blvd. for 0.4 mile to 18 th Street. Turn right and go 0.1 mile to Park Ave. Turn right and park on street in front of the Park. The ride will be 37 miles of flat to rolling thru Costa Mesa, Irvine & Newport Beach. NEW OCW MEMBERS All OCW Members, please note... Our strength is our Membership and our future is in our New Members. When you attend an OCW function, please take a moment to seek out the New Members, introduce yourself, and say... WELCOME September Birthdays DeSousa, Brian 9/1 Garfield, Paul 9/1 Everett, Barbara 9/1 Cole, Len 9/3 Hearn, Ron 9/5 Berkey, Ricky 9/6 Gross, Bret 9/6 Decker, Will 9/8 Dean, Christopher 9/9 Lawler, Michael 9/9 Parkes, Thomas 9/10 Gorman, Dan 9/11 Yasutake, Jim 9/12 Pilcher, Kathy 9/12 Fowler, Brad 9/12 Sharp, Scott 9/14 Fisher, Jurgen 9/16 Parish, Kent 9/18 Allred, Alan 9/23 Sharp, Tracy 9/23 Fieldhouse, Gus 9/24 Hartmann, Tom 9/24 Tomita, Barbara 9/25 Hanson, Michael 9/25 Herndon, Lynn 9/26 Lindquist, Link 9/27 Lapean, Kirk 9/27 Jordaan, Dave 9/30 Banyan, Cal McDonnell, Mary Ann McDonnell, Mike Tustin OCW Wishes You A Happy Birthday! PAGE 4 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

5 September General Meeting By Jim Brewer Wednesday, September 8th, 7:00 pm DAVID WHITING Why cyclists are killing one another and how we can stop. David will also reveal what he s learned from interviewing hundreds of athletes, writing dozens of columns about cycling and bouncing his body along roads, bike paths and trails. David Whiting is the Front Page columnist at the Orange County Register where he appears three days a week. He also writes a weekly outdoors column. He is a two-time Boston marathoner and has climbed the highest mountains in North and South America. He recently placed 7th in California s toughest marathon winning his age group, and placed third in his age group in the Orange County International Triathlon in He was co-publisher of a $16-million multi-media Millennium project, won Columbia University s Race and Ethnicity Award for editing a series detailing Vietnam s prisons post-1975, and earned the National Headliners Award for Public Service as well as Sigma Chi s Public Service Award for a series uncovering preventable deaths at a women s prison. He received his master s degree from Columbia University s Graduate School for Journalism and his under graduate degree from the University of Michigan. For nearly 10 years, he served on two charity organizations - Campership fund and the Season of Caring campaign - and is the father of twins. He lives with his family in Mission Viejo. He was born in Hong Kong where he got his first tattoo at age 13. OCW HOLIDAY PARTY Save the Date for the annual OCW Holiday Party. Huntington Harbour Yacht Club December 12, 2010 Details to follow. Ride Like A Pro Improved Web Site Information! By Paul D Aquanni If you check out the OCW web site under Ride Calendar you will notice that the Saturday Rides have the short ride designated as Ride Like A Pro with a Pro assigned. All Pros are League of American Cyclists Certified and are there to assist you. Their Bike Bio s can be found under Ride Like A Pro. This will be a slow paced, no drop ride, where skills and proper positioning on the road will be practiced. The pace will allow for time to ask questions, and discuss any questions one might have as it pertains to safe cycling. So come on out and join us. ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 5

6 JULY GENERAL MEETING By Jim Brewer The meeting was attended by 54 enthusiastic cyclists. Anita served some beef, chicken and meatless enchiladas, taquitos, salad, cookies and brownies. We would have had some Spanish Rice but her other half had a lapse in memory. Chuck talked about many of the fun memories riding with Troy. A special thanks to those who donated door prizes: Bob Fieldhouse, Willie Hunt, Link Lindquist, Stacy and Greg Kline. Thanks to Charlie Irwin for providing personalized cups to Chuck Bramwell and Alan Ptak for their hard work preparing this presentation. Lee Stebbins gave us some important tips on where to ride safely in the lane without getting clobbered from rude drivers opening their drivers-side car door. We were told to act like a Mac truck when taking the lane. A special plaque was presented to our guest speaker, Chuck Bramwell by Mike Lee. Mike had this plaque made-up from an article in the OCResigter that featured Chuck. The article also promoted the July General Meeting. OCW wallets were given to the two first-timers attendees: Gisela Paolinelli and Kevin Ivey. Chuck Bramwell and Alan Ptak gave us a very interesting presentation of some stunning video clips and still photos of their cycling exploits in France. It was very fascinating how Chuck compared the length, percentage, and overall altitude of these beautiful climbs: Glandon, Croix de Fer, Mollard, Telegraphe, Galibier, L Alpe d Huez with climbs near us: GMR(Glendora Mountain Road) and Palomar. Chuck Bramwell, Jim Brewer & Alan Ptak We were all touched when Chuck talked about his brother-in-law, Troy, riding with wings on his back, flying up those climbs. Troy passed away on May 6, Troy s bike was brought to the meeting and Cheerfully, Charlie emphasizes to Melanie and Doug Patterson, the meaning of distance training. Mike Lee presents Chuck Bramwell with a special plaque commemorating his achievements. PAGE 6 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

7 Getting plenty to eat, Herb Johnson and his friends, wait patiently for the meeting to start. With an overflow crowd, Stewart Gaston and his wife Liz, eat alone in the hallway. OCW Treasurer, Jim Walker and his wife Irene, sample some of the food. On the far side Ken Morrison ponders what to eat first. Left unattended, this stacked plate looks mighty tempting. Preparing the food for consumption, Anita wonders where the Spanish rice is. I just received an from Anny Beck this morning, Monday August, 16th. and to my surprise read that Sunday, August 15th late afternoon, Dan Crain died of a pulmonary embolism, complications as a result of a bike crash. Dan attended our General Meetings and he was always very helpful at the end of each meeting while I was busy with business stuff. He always helped Anita with the heavy lifting of ice water and anything else she needed done. We got to know him through Anny Dan Crain Beck and he truly enjoyed the meetings and the people surrounding him. What a great man Dan was and he will be terribly missed by all that were lucky enough to know him. ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 7

8 The Advocate s Corner By Randy Kiefer The Amtrak Century is less than two weeks away, and that is a sure sign that summer will soon be passing into fall. That means shorter days, but with our great year-around riding there are always opportunities to hop on the bike. While riding weather is generally predictable, catching an Amtrak train north from San Diego County with one s bicycle is anything but. I have received no less than four s from small groups of riders that had been bumped to later trains, or had to seek alternative logistical support to get back to Irvine. From my observation, Amtrak doesn t seem to realize they are earning a well deserved unreliability reputation among cyclists. Four s may not sound like a large number, but my guess is that it could be multiplied many times over, and that does not account for the many riders that don t even take the chance. I have contacted Amtrak in an effort to voice my displeasure with their lack of bicycle friendly service, but to no avail. Amtrak seems immune to customer service criticism. Whining usually is not productive, but sometimes if there is a collective voice, some improvement could be achieved. So if anyone has any suggestions, please contact me (rkcayuga@sbcglobal.net), or log on to the Orange County Bicycle Coalition website, and voice your opinion. Well, given Amtrak s poor service record, there is one sure way to catch a train back from San Diego, and that is to ride the Club s Amtrak Century. You are guaranteed a seat, and your bike is chauffeured back to Irvine, now that is service - Amtrak should be so hospitable. The Club prides itself on 36 years of keeping 1,000 plus riders happy for 100 miles, and therefore has a well deserved track (pun intended) record. But anyone who has participated in this ride even once knows the real reason to sign up is the return trip party train, it is no secret that a good time is had by all. Fall Metric Oct 30, 2010 We are offering this ride as a Members Only Ride again this year. If you are a member of OCW you get to ride this great ride for free! If you get a friend who is not a member to sign up, he or she pays $29.00 and gets the ride plus individual membership to OCW for 12 months! Even if you do not bring in a new member, come out and ride this beautiful ride for free, and enjoy the scenery at that great rest stop in Oak Glen. Then head back down to Redlands with the last three miles going through the old residential area of Redlands with the houses all decorated for Halloween. At Sylvan Park, there will be pizza, salad, cold soda, and delicious apple pie waiting for you. Feel free to sign up on the web site ocw.org. If you have no interest in riding this event, please sign up to volunteer by contacting me at events@ocw.org Paul DAquanni OCW Events Coordinator So for one weekend a year forget about the other Amtrak and enjoy the OCW Amtrak Century, the whining can resume later in the month. PAGE 8 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

9 2011 Officers Wanted By Dan Gorman It is time once again for the OCW Officer selections and I have been asked to Chair the Nominating Committee again this year. This is your opportunity to step up and contribute to the club in a big way. Irene Walker, who has served the club for many years will be terming out as Treasurer this year and Jim Walker who has also served for many years will be terming out as the Membership officer this year. They have already put their names in to replace each other, Jim for Treasurer and Irene for Membership, but I have listed the duties below if anyone is interested in running against them. Michelle Kashima, who has served as Training Officer for the past three years will be terming out at the end of this year. Michelle has done a wonderful job in her position and will be tough to replace. All of the other officers have agreed to put their names in the hat for the positions that they currently hold. The duties of the open positions are as follows: Duties of the Treasurer: The Treasurer shall have custody of all monies of the Club and deposit them to the club s account in a bank designated by the Board. The Treasurer shall have direct control over all club assets and all payment of club debts and obligations. The Treasurer shall insure strict compliance with these by-laws in all matters pertaining to the financial affairs of the club. The Treasurer shall maintain accurate account books to properly reflect the true and correct financial status of all assets and liabilities, receipts, disbursements, and balances of the club. The books shall be audited annually by a committee of three appointed by the President. All checks or other payment orders in the club name shall be signed by the Treasurer or by other Officers authorized on a Bank Signature Card or equivalent. The Treasurer shall be responsible for filing returns and/or reports required by government agencies. The Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining Club and event insurance. Duties of the Membership Chair: The Membership Chair shall receive all new membership applications and monies, and forward such monies to the Treasurer. S/He shall maintain a current membership roster, and shall send a renewal notice at least sixty (60) days prior to a member s expiration date. S/He shall be responsible for providing Newsletter mailing labels. Duties of the Training Chair: The Training Chair shall have responsibility for training in routine bicycle maintenance, rules of the road, gearing/cadence/pacelining, and other requirements as S/He determines. S/He may appoint club member assistants to assist with training. S/He shall coordinate rides and training with the Ride Captain. If you are interested in running for any position within the club including the positions not mentioned above contact Dennis Thomas, Art Pressel or myself to get more information or hopefully to ask to put your name on the ballot. Thanks, Dan Gorman Chairman of the OCW Nominating Committee ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 9

10 PALM DESERT FUN WEEKEND IS BACK FOR IT S 3RD YEAR! By Michelle Kashima Can you believe in less than two months it will be time for the Palm Desert Fun Weekend ride! This special fun weekend gives back to you, members of Orange County Wheelmen, by fully supporting a club ride from Anaheim Hills to Palm Desert on Friday October 8. We meet at Best Western in Anaheim (Anaheim Hills area) just off the Santa Ana River Trail early Friday morning to coffee, juice and pastries to get you fueled for the century ahead. Friday s ride out to Palm Desert is followed by dinner, supplied by OCW, at our host hotel, Fairfield Inn Marriott in Palm Desert. Desert Bicycle Club to join us as they have done each year for great conversation. On Saturday morning, those who thought Friday s ride of just over a century is not enough can meet Desert Bicycle Club just down the street from the hotel for a club ride. Just like OCW s club rides DBC offers several different routes, from short to long, and from sprint to kick back. Or just kick back and stroll down the shops of El Paso. Then get ready for the Saturday evening BBQ pool party, again supplied by OCW. After filling up on BBQ get a good nights sleep, because you ll be waking up and getting your bike ready to ride back to Anaheim Hills via a slightly different and scenic route dropping down into Hemet Valley and riding around Lake Perris. There is a 20 rider maximum so registering early is a must, and I ll see you on the way to Palm Desert! Saturday Distance Training starts back up in January. OCW Bylaws By Mike Lee The Bylaw Committee has completed its revision and restatement of the Bylaws. The committee asked for comments from the Board and there were none. Charlie Irwin will post them on the website and will enable transmission of them to any member who requests it. Members may request a copy of the bylaw changes via . The vote for the revised Bylaws will be at the September general meeting. PAGE 10 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

11 Weekly Ride Schedule TUESDAY Tuesday Training Rides - Hill Training - 8:30 am. 1,000-2,000 feet of climb, 30 miles. Meet near Taco Bell at Albertson s Mall at Chapman & Jamboree. Ride Leader Jim Walker, or him at teamwalker@bbcnet.com. WEDNESDAY 3rd Wednesday Of The Month-Beginning at 9:00 am there will be a Lunch Bunch ride to various locations. If interested in information or attending, RSVP the Ride Leader, Bob Fairfield, at mobile412@ca.rr.com. FRIDAY Morning Ride - 9:00 am, Deerfield Park, Irvine. Exit the Santa Ana (I-5) at Culver and go south to Irvine Center Drive. Turn left (east), go one block and turn left at Deerwood to the park. This is a moderate to fast-paced ride of miles with a stop at the end. Ride Leader Dan Gorman, dmgorman@aol.com. SATURDAY Saturday Rides - 8:00 am, The Square, Irvine (Main and MacArthur). All rides will stop to re-group as necessary. Other stops are dependent on ride length and needs/desires of the group. All current and future members and anyone wanting to ride with nice people are welcome. See Saturday Rides in the center pages of the Newsletter. Ride Leader Bob Fairfield, mobile412@ca.rr.com and Jim Pugh, in-line@pacbell.net. CENTURY SERIES If you re interested in doing centuries or double centuries, this is a great training tool. Chuck Bramwell is here to help you reach your personal goals. Sign up for notification of rides at SUNDAY Sunday Rides - 8:00 am, various locations. See Sunday Rides in the center pages of the Newsletter. Ride Leader Lee Stebbins, ridecaptain@ocw.org. Tandem Time Ride Director Debi Butz Please join us for the next Tandem Time ride: When: Saturday, October 2, 2010 starting at 8:30 a.m. Where: The Square located at Main and MacArthur in Irvine near the John Wayne Airport. The ride is approximately 30 miles in length. Stay after the ride to enjoy dessert treats courtesy of the Orange County Wheelmen. Please share this information with other interested tandem riders and Debi Butz at rdbutz@earthlink.net or call her at (714) if you have further questions. Next upcoming Tandem Time is December 4, ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 11

12 Saturday Rides Ride Leaders-Bob Fairfield and Jim Pugh The Saturday Rides are offered to improve individual and group riding skills and to promote the sport of bike riding. There are four rides scheduled each Saturday-Sprint, Short, Medium and Long. We do not ride when weather conditions are unsafe or if there is an OCW Special Event that day. The rides start at The Square, (formerly called Food Park), located at the NW corner of Main and MacArthur, in the city of Irvine. We park in the lot behind Starbucks. If you are new to OCW rides or are just returning to cycling, let us know, so we can suggest a group that fits your present riding ability. The rides start at 8:00am. All September rides start promptly at 8:00 September 2010 Schedule September 4, 2010 Sprint Miles Hilly - MacArthur, Main, Jamboree, East Bluff, Spyglass, San Joaquin Hills, Newport Coast, PCH, Brookhurst, Hamilton/ Victoria, 19th, Bike Trail, Main, MacArthur Slow to fast 24.0 Miles Mostly Flat - Red Hill, Barranca, Harvard, Irvine Ctr, Sand Cyn, Portola, Tustin Ranch, Walnut, Red Hill, Von Karman, Main, MacArthur 36.3 Miles 750 Feet of climbing Rollies, Red Hill, McGaw, Von Karman, Campus, Turtle Rock, University/ Jeffrey, Irvine Blvd, Alton, Red Hill, Barranca, Von Karman, Main, MacArthur 73.2 Miles Hilly - Ride through Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, San Clemente and back through Laguna Niguel September 11, 2010 No Square Rides - AMTRAK CENTURY September 18, 2010 Sprint Miles 1000 Feet of climbing Hilly - Red Hill, Edinger/ Irvine Ctr, Barranca, Alton, Bake, Portola, El Toro, Toledo, Alton, Main, MacArthur Slow to fast 27.0 Miles Rollies - MacArthur, Main, Jamboree, Harvard, Irvine Ctr/ Moulton, Lake Forest, Irvine Blvd, Jeffrey, Irvine Ctr, Harvard, Barranca, Von Karman, Main, MacArthur 35.0 Miles 600 Feet of climbing Flat - Main, Sunflower, Santa Ana River Trail, Slater, Edwards, Seapoint, PCH, Bayside, Marguerite, San Miguel, Bonita Cyn/ Culver, Campus, Von Karman, Main, MacArthur 46.0 Miles Hilly - Ride through Irvine, Lake Forest, Santiago Canyon, Orange and back through Tustin September 25, 2010 Sprint Miles 900 Feet of climbing Rollies - Red Hill, Barranca, Harvard, Walnut, Jeffrey/ University, Anteater/ Shady Cyn, Ridgeline, University/ Eastbluff, Jamboree, PCH, Dover, Irvine, Mesa/ Birch, Von Karman, Main, MacArthur Slow to fast 28.0 Miles Rollies Red Hill, Edinger/ Irvine Ctr, Bake, Muirlands/ Barranca, Harvard, Walnut, Red Hill, MacArthur 31.0 Miles Rollies - Main, Von Karman, Campus, University/ Jeffrey, Alton, Bake, Serrano, Canada/ Newvale, Bake, Irvine Blvd, Yale, Walnut, Harvard, Main, MacArthur 52.0 Miles Hilly - Red Hill, Walnut, Tustin Ranch, Pioneer, Jamboree, Santiago Cyn, Cannon, Nohl Ranch, Santa Ana Cyn, Gypsum Cyn, Santa Ana River Trail, Sunflower, Main PAGE 12 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

13 Sunday Rides Go to for up-to-date OCW info. Rides start promptly at 8:00 am. S=Short M=Medium L=Long Ride Captain reserves the right to change routes due to weather and/or road conditions. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Please arrive at the ride location with enough time to have your bike ready to roll on time. Rides start promptly at 8:00 am. Also, it is recommended that you bring tire tools, frame pump, spare tube, patch kit and water bottle to all rides. A helmet is legally required for all minors and OCW REQUIRES THAT ALL ADULTS WEAR A HELMET!! Earphones are illegal and unsafe. Please remember that the vehicle code applies to bicycles. September 2010 Schedule September 5, 2010 Carl s Jr., Irvine. (Board meeting scheduled at 11:00 AM). Take the 405 freeway to the MacArthur exit. Go south 0.8 miles and turn left on Campus. Go 0.3 miles and turn right into Carl s Jr. S-28 Miles Flat to Rolling ride thru Newport Beach, Huntington Beach & Irvine. M-35 Miles Hilly ride thru Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach with a final climb up Newport Coast. L-46 Miles Hilly ride thru Newport Beach with a climbs up San Joaquin Hills, Spy Glass & Turtle Rock returning thru Irvine & Tustin. September 12, 2010 Peppertree Park, Tustin. Take 55 Freeway North, to 4 th Street exit East. Go 0.3 mile and turn right on B Street. Go 0.2 mile to the Park. Peppertree Park is located at the corner of 1 st Street & B Street. S-24 Miles Flat ride thru Tustin & Irvine. M-38 Miles Flat to Rolling ride thru Tustin, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach & Irvine. L-42 Miles Rolling to Hilly ride thru Tustin, Irvine, Newport Beach & Costa Mesa. September 19, 2010 University Park, Irvine. Take the 405 Freeway to Culver Dr exit South. Go 0.3 mile to Michelson Dr. and turn left. Go 0.1 mile, turn right into parking lot. Park near Carl s Jr. S-23 Miles Flat to Rolling ride thru Irvine. M-35 Miles Hilly ride thru Irvine & Tustin with climbs up Shady Cyn, Turtle Rock & Portola. L-44 Miles Hilly ride thru Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach & Newport Beach. September 26, 2010 Heritage Park, Irvine. Take the 5 Freeway to Culver Dr exit South. Go 0.3 mile to Walnut and turn left. Go 0.8 mile to Yale and turn left. Go 0.1 mile, turn left into parking lot. S-24 Miles Flat ride thru Irvine, Tustin & Lake Forest. M-33 Miles Flat to Rolling ride thru Irvine with climbs up Shady Cyn & Turtle Rock returning on Galaxy overlooking Back Bay. L-47 Miles Hilly ride thru Irvine, up Newport Coast & Pelican Hill returning thru Newport Beach. October 3, 2010 Carl s Jr., Irvine. (Board meeting scheduled at 12:00 PM). Take the 405 freeway to the MacArthur exit. Go south 0.8 miles and turn left on Campus. Go 0.3 miles and turn right into Carl s Jr. S-27 Miles Flat ride thru Irvine. M-34 Miles Hilly ride thru Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo & Laguna Hills. L-40 Miles Hilly ride thru Newport Beach with a climb up Spy Glass & Turtle Rock returning thru the flat lands of Irvine. ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 13

14 TEAM MEETING Check the Paramount WEB Site for Location, Dates, and Times President Curtiss Dosier Vice President John McKee Secretary Jeff Carchidi Race Director Monty Pettus Rider Advocate/Recruitment Director Ethan Ede Sponsorship Coordinator/OCW Liaison Michelle Kashima Women s Race Director Hilary Crowley hilarynv@yahoo.com Paramount Racing Website: PARAMOUNT TEAM TRAINING RIDE Saturday: 8:00 am. Meets at Jax Bicycles Irvine (14280 Culver Drive). Route, pace and distance will change based on the racing season. us for information on the current ride. Sunday: Old Como. The ride meets at 8:00 am, Tustin Market Place, in the parking lot near the Red Robin Restaurant off Jamboree (34 miles fast paced through Santiago Canyon). Once the racing season starts, the weekend rides may change or be cancelled due to races. Please us for further information. We encourage anyone with an interest in racing next season to join us for this ride. RACE TEAM SPONSORS ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN TUSTIN TOYOTA JAX BICYCLE CENTERS ORACLE CYCLING JOUR SANS BIKE SHOP KENNY BZ ACTION PHOTOS PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST.COM FEATHER BRAKES BIKELICIOUS PAGE 14 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

15 Brentwood Cat. 3 Race Report By Marcos Corona Paramount Racers: Marcos Corona Dan Green Carlos Ibarra Corey Patterson John Schmidt Course: Seven-corner, technical course with little opportunity to recover or to move up. With two 90+ degree turns (turns 1 and 5), it was imperative to stay in the front John pushed the front several times and it seems as though he even at one point made a move to stay away. It was a great course for a breakaway given the number and tightness of the turns, but all breaks were caught. Half way through the race, even the State Champ Sal Maciel attacked and managed to stay away for a lap (later he said he had hoped some riders would join him, but no one was willing). 2-place Primes came thick and fast, and they kept the pack s manes flowing with very few instances of bunching up. With about 5 laps to go, a seemingly strong group of guys did organize a breakaway, and it appeared it would stay away, but, inter alias, Ironfly and Ritte worked to bring them back and with about 2 laps to go the break was caught. Throughout this entire time, I remained in the top 10, conserving energy and following wheels as they moved up, thus avoiding the dreaded accordion effect (especially in those tight turns). As we approached the line for the final lap, a swarm occurred and I lost about 20 places, as soon as the bell was rung I negotiated the pack, made my way to the outside and began to move up, taking the inside line in turns 1, 2 and 3, and in the back straight I powered on to about 7th wheel so that by the time the strung-out front reached turn four I muscled my way into fifth wheel. The pace had picked up substantially going into turn 4, and I had only a few more turns left to recover for the final sprint, but considering my position with about 700m to go, I was confident I d see the podium, so I carved into turn 5 (downhill and 90+ degrees) then turn 6 (about 15m long and into a slight uphill), 90+ then turn 7 and into the 500m straightaway, all the while Ritte were leading out the powerhouse Jack Lindquist, with Wilson Blas and some other rider in front of me. As we shot out of turn 7, I was reminded that all s not over until the finish line is crossed, for as I prepared for the wind up, a rider came up my left and began to bang against my side, so I stuck out my elbows to force him away all the while trying to begin the sprint, when I saw Jack and Wilson get out of the saddle I knew the podium was no longer a reality as I was still clashing elbows with the rider, momentum was lost and precious energy was used up in this mix up that I lost one place and in addition Big Jon Davy was able to come around me so that I was able to get only 7th for Paramount Jack took the win and Wilson 3rd (I don t recall who took 2nd). It turned out the clash in the final sprint occurred because the guy wanted to overtake on the left at the precise moment when the line began to hug the curb. His banging against me was him avoiding being squeezed in (he should have made the move on the right where there was more real estate). I believe Carlos got 14th, Corey 26th and John was 42nd. At any rate, it was a good course with some good action, and I went in with hopes and expectations of a great result, but I had to accept a good result. ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 15

16 Ontario Grand Prix Paramount Elite Women s Team By Suzan Given Dianna Del Fante, Hilary Crowley, Suzie Given, and Tammy Wildgoose all raced together in hot Ontario. We all discussed a plan with an ideal scenario, and the plan materialized into action! Dianna and Tammy got in the break as planned, with a few InCycle racers, while Suzie and Hilary helped make sure the break stayed down the road by chasing down any possible bridge attempts. Tammy and Dianna were out numbered with three Incycle girls, and managed to get out of their lead out train and form their own to the finish line with Dianna leading out Tammy for a very awesome first and second place finish for Paramount. Monkey and Son Criterium Dianna and Tammy raced with a plan again to try and be in a break together. There were so many attempts for a break but none of them stuck until two laps to go. Dianna broke away with Helen s Cheryl Roth. Although left by herself in the peleton, Tammy made every attempt to help keep the break away. Dianna took second in the sprint. Dianna states: my legs were a little tired from taking turns with Tammy covering attacks throughout the entire race plus taking the pulls in the wind. Second place was not too bad but would have preferred 1st place. Of course Tammy finished her race with a win in the field sprint! Master s National Championships, and Report by Dianna del Fante Nationals were one of the best cycling experiences of my life! As fate would have it, I was fortunate enough by chance to get to travel to Kentucky with Incycle s Bonnie Breeze. Although we raced against each other in the same age group she is a delightful and classy person who always shows only the best sportsmanship. On Thursday August 5th almost 10 minutes after pulling up to the road race it began to pour (thunder and lightning to boot). Somehow I managed to keep calm and pulled off 3rd place and a bronze medal. August 7th brought much nicer weather for the crit. I expected to do even better but unfortunately made a fatal mistake on the last lap. The mistake was that I didn t position myself first into the last turn. The woman that won was first into the turn. I was sixth place into the turn and so was my placing. I ll admit I was disappointed in myself but still happy to come home with at least one medal. Thank you so much to Curt and John McKee for approving of my going and to Paramount overall for their support! I will always be grateful to have been given the opportunity to compete against all the best around the country. PAGE 16 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

17 WESTERN STATES RIDE CALENDAR 8/1/2010 Mt. Shasta Summit Century Mt. Shasta Summit Cent. Mt Wheelers /2/2010 Tour of the Oregon Coast Cycling Escapes /7/2010 Marin Century Marin Cyclists /7/2010 Mt. Tam Double Marin Cyclists /7/2010 Skyline 200k Brevet Santa Cruz Randonneurs /8/2010 Colorado Peace Ride Sophia Peace Center in Dolores /8/2010 Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour Mid-Valley Bicycle Club /8/2010 Sustainability Tour Sustainability Tour /8/2010 Tour of Crater Lake & Cascades Cycling Escapes /14/2010 Alta Alpina Packsaddle Century Alta Alpina Cycling Club 8/15/2010 Tour d Organics Sebastopol OrganicAthlete /15/2010 Tour of Volcanic Scenic Byway Cycling Escapes /21/2010 Cool Breeze Century Rides Channel Islands Bicycle Club 8/21/2010 Greenfield 300k Brevet Santa Cruz Randonneurs /21/2010 Holstein Hundred West Marin Senior Services /21/2010 Yaquina Lighthouse Century Yaquina Wheels Bicycle Club /22/2010 Blue River Century Blue River Century /22/2010 Tour of Lake Tahoe & the Sierras Cycling Escapes /22/2010 Tour of Napa Valley Eagle Cycling Club, Inc /28/2010 Ebbetts Pass Century /28/2010 Hoodoo 500 (RAAM Qualifier) Planet Ultra 8/28/2010 That Which Does Not Kill Us Makes Us Stronger Cycling Escapes /28/2010 The Cache Valley Century Cache Valley Veloists Bicycle Touring Club /29/2010 Classic Climbs of the Sierras Cycling Escapes /4/2010 Alta Alpina Sonora Pass Century Alta Alpina Cycling Club 9/4/2010 Beaver 200 km Brevet Color Country Cycling Club /4/2010 Bike with Pike Century /4/2010 Monterey Bay 400k Brevet Santa Cruz Randonneurs /5/2010 Santa Monica Mtns Climbing Camp Cycling Escapes /10/2010 Emigrant Trails Bike Trek 9/10/2010 Emigrant Trails Bike Trek Breathe California of Sacramento-Emigrant /11/2010 Amtrak Century Orange County Wheelmen /11/2010 Audi Best Buddies Challenge Hearst Castle Best Buddies International /11/2010 High Sierra Fall Century Sierra Cycling Foundation /11/2010 Siskiyou Century Yreka Rotary Club /11/2010 White Mountain Double Century NdZONE /12/2010 The Painted Turtle Team Hole in the Wall /12/2010 Tour De Tahoe - Bike Big Blue TGFT Productions / Bike the West /12/2010 Tour of Big Sur & CA Coast Cycling Escapes /15/2010 Tour of Utah - Color Country to Canyonlands Cycling Escapes /18/2010 Ride the Rogue /18/2010 Tour Des Lacs Round and Round /18/2010 Unknown Coast Weekend Chico Velo Cycling Club ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 17

18 BOARD MEETING MINUTES August 1, 2010 ATTENDANCE Officers & Directors Present: Mike Lee, Paul D Aquanni, Irene Walker, Dan Gorman, Debi Butz, Lorna Laugen, Alex Laugen, Alvin Trafton, Bob Fairfield, Charlie Irwin, Dennis Thomas, Jim Pugh, Alan Dauger, Lee Stebbins, Frank Neal, Randy Kiefer, Art Pressel, Curt Dosier, Frank Neal. Members and guests present: Mike Laugen, Rick Butz, Jeff Carchidi, Susan George. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by President Mike Lee at 11:02 am. APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS None MINUTES A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the July Board Meeting. Motion carried. TREASURER S REPORT Jim Walker reported that OCW is solvent. OCW PARAMOUNT CORPORATION REPORT Jim Walker reported that the OCW Paramount Corporation is solvent. BOARD MEMBER REPORTS President: Mike Lee reported that he is getting positive comments on what is going on in the club at this time. Vice-President: Jim Brewer: No report. Membership: OCW has 425 members with 12 new members. Paramount has 97 members. Paramount: Curt Dosier reported that racing is going well. OCW COMMITTEE REPORTS Bylaws: Mike Lee said that the committee has completed its revision and restatement of the Bylaws. He asked for comments from the Board and there were none. Charlie Irwin will post them on the website and will enable transmission of them to any member who requests it. Mike will submit to the Editor a notification for publication in the Newsletter about the Bylaw changes and will advise members that they may request a copy via . The vote for the revised Bylaws will be at the September membership meeting. There will be a committee meeting on September 22 to continue reviewing and revising the Policies and Procedures. OCW/Paramount Relationship: Charlie Irwin stated that there will be a meeting in mid-october. LCI: No report. Website: Charlie Irwin stated there are changes in the ride calendar. Also there are pictures and biographies of the Pros. Charlie stated that there have been more than 3000 hits on the website for the route slips. Public Relations: Dennis Thomas described the current work on the Santa Ana River Trail alongside the 91 Freeway. Relocation of the trail is continuing. Ride captain: Lee Stebbins reported that he is awaiting additional elevation gain information from the ride leaders. CTC REPORT: Frank Neal reported that there were no events in July. He also talked about his Safe Cycling booth and thanked OCW for its sponsorship. OLD BUSINESS Picnic on August 15: Irene Walker said more OCW members need to sign up for this event. She will send out another . NEW BUSINESS Amtrak: Lee Stebbins reported that he is testing some route variations next Saturday. Everything else is moving forward. Dennis described the RoadID gift certificate program created for Amtrak. Paul stated that we are on track for volunteers. Amtrak Training Ride Program: Charlie said that on the website that for Amtrak training we recommend PAGE 18 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

19 that riders do the longer Saturday rides. Ride like a Pro Saturday program: Mike Lee said the program is helping to make more riders ride safely. Road 1 course for Board and Directors: Mike Lee reported that there are 9 sign-ups so far for the 8/11/ 2010 class. Nominating Committee: Dan Gorman recommended that the 2010 nominating committee do the task differently this year from Dan will continue as chairman, and Dennis Thomas volunteered to be on the committee as well. Savings account: Irene Walker reported that we have a small savings account and recommended that it be closed and the balance be put into checking. It was moved and seconded to do so. Motion carried. OTHER BUSINESS Portable bike rack prototype: Mike Lee reported that it will be brought to the August 7, 2010 Saturday ride for display and comments. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made and seconded to adjourn. Motion carried. The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 pm. Respectfully submitted by Alan Dauger. AMTRAK CLEAN-UP Sunday, September 12th, 10:00 am Cathy and Lee Painter s Home If you didn t get a chance to help volunteer for the Amtrak Century but wanted to, here is your chance. Please join us to help with the Amtrak clean-up, which will begin at 10:00 am. Their address is 577 E. Culver Ave., Orange Exit 22 Fwy at Glassell, proceed north past Hart Park. Turn right on Culver Ave. Amtrak 36, Come On Out Sept 11, 2010 Could still use a few Volunteers! If you are not riding this year, why not sign up for a fun day helping 1200 riders complete this most popular Century Ride. There will be many 1 st time Century riders on this ride, so that always makes for a most rewarding day volunteering, as we help them complete their 1 st Century. Getting 1200 riders to the finish line safely in San Diego is no easy task. We need the help of members and their friends to make this ride a success. We will be offering a gas reimbursement for ride day, a 2010 Amtrak T Shirt, and free sign up for 2011 Ride Around the Bear for those that volunteer. There are volunteer opportunities at registration, rest stops, finish, SAG and Sunday clean up. Let me know where you would like to help. You can contact me at events@ocw.org. Paul DAquanni OCW Events Coordinator ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 19

20 Death Ride 2010 By Marv Orem On Friday morning, July 9 th I drove to the Lake Tahoe area to participate in the 2010 Death Ride. This ride is a major fund raiser for the very sparsely populated Alpine County, the center of which is the small, picturesque town of Markleeville, about 45 miles south of Lake Tahoe. When I signed up for this ride, I intended to camp at Grover Hot Springs in Markleeville, but all the area camp grounds and local motels sold out quickly before I could get a reservation. The closest place I could find to spend the night before the ride was in Minden, NV, not my first choice but only a short 20 miles from the ride start in Markleeville. Top of Monitor Pass Saturday morning, I got out of bed at 4 am and headed for breakfast at the Best Western where I was staying. The motel was full of Death Riders, so they opened the continental breakfast for us at 4 am instead of the normal 6 am. After downing as many waffles as I could stand, I headed to the start at Turtle Rock Park and arrived there about 4:30 am. I got all my gear arranged, turned on my lights and took off at about 4:40. The Death Ride is an epic climbing event. Although the ride is advertised as 129 miles, its really only 126 miles. Riders climb through 5 mountain passes, Monitor Pass twice, Ebbetts Pass twice, and Carson Pass once totaling 15,000 feet of climbing. Every time a rider reaches a pass, he gets a sticker on his bib number and the objective of every rider is to get all 5 stickers. View from East Monitor Climb Leaving Markleeville at about 5500 feet elevation, we first headed up Route 89 to the west side of Monitor pass, climbing about 3000 feet. After reaching the top and getting a sticker, we headed down the east side of Monitor for a wild 10 mile downhill ride. I hit speeds in the high 40s and I was on my breaks a few times to avoid other riders and to safely make some of the sharp turns. At the bottom of Monitor where Route 89 intersects with Route 395, there was a well stocked SAG stop. I took on some more carbs and water and headed back up the same way I d just come for another 3000 foot climb. About an hour and a half later, I was back on top of Monitor and heading down the west side. Once reaching Route 4, you turn left and repeat. Climb the south side of Ebbetts pass up 3,000 feet, over the top, get a sticker and down the north side. Turn around and come back up Ebbetts for a shorter but very steep climb and collect another sticker. View near Ebbetts Pass I finished the first 4 passes by about noon and headed back down Route 4 for a very thrilling 15 mile descent again hitting speeds in the high 40s. It was getting pretty hot by then and I was sweating gallons, but didn t feel overheated. Its amazing how at high elevation and low humidity, that dehydration thing can sneak up on you. I didn t realize how dehydrated I was until the cramps PAGE 20 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010

21 started. Fortunately, I was near the lunch stop. I took a long lunch, downed a few cans of V-8 to replace the salt and had a nice meal of ham and turkey sandwiches. Along with drinking several water bottles, I also ate a bunch of Shot Bloks trying to replace my lost electrolytes. After about 40 minutes of resting, the cramps subsided and I decided to go on. The next leg of this ride heads across the valley and back through Markleeville toward the 5 th and final pass. Beautiful Markleeville isn t much more than a wide place in the road, but as we passed through downtown it seemed that all the residents of Alpine County were sitting along the road cheering us on. I felt like a Tour de France rider. I have to admit that I did feel the encouragement translate into a little more power in my legs as I tooled through town. By this time though, the temps were hitting about 100 degrees. I felt much better than I had before lunch, but occasionally I felt my hamstrings starting to cramp. I could get the cramp stopped by stretching my hamstring out, but it was getting irritating and I wasn t enjoying the ride so much at this point. The next stop was in a little town called Woodfords. I drank some more V-8 and did another pack of Shot Bloks. I had more Cytomax and anything else I could think of to give me energy and ward off cramps. Pedaling up to Carson Pass This is the last pass and where organizers have a celebration for attaining this final goal. They put the final sticker on your bib. They pass out ice cream bars, give each rider a medal, and each rider can proudly sign the Death Ride Poster, which is a large poster that hangs in the community center after the ride. I enjoyed the ice cream, signed the poster, lounged around, and ran into some friends who were also up from Orange County. Lots of happy, laughing riders at this stop. After a very fun 40 minute rest, we decided to go the final 20 miles back to the finish where our cars were parked. Twenty miles to go and 17 of them are down hill. After a short rest, I headed on. The climb out of Woodfords was about 8% grade, which normally wouldn t bother me much, but at this point in the ride, I was at about 90 miles, 13,000 feet of climbing behind me and I was getting tired. It took a lot of effort to keep moving. About 5 miles later, the grade relaxed a bit, almost flat for a few miles and all the Cytomax I had consumed kicked in and I moved along briskly. As we got near the final pass, the grade was steep again, about 11%. Although I m not as fast a climber as I used to be, I do like it. But I was quickly reaching my limit, tired, still cramping occasionally and I was tempted to just turn around and go home. But, I really wanted that 5 th sticker. Its amazing what people will do for a stupid paper sticker. I could see the top about 2 miles away and I found myself doing mental calculations to try to psych myself up. Let s see, at 5 mph, it will take me only 20 more minutes to get up this damn hill! I started breaking it down into smaller goals, like I ll make it 200 yards to that telephone pole up there and so on. As I was running out of gas and starting to feel real misery, I finally crested the hill and arrived at the Carson Pass SAG stop. Resting at Carson Pass ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 21

22 My friends and I finished after 11.5 hours of riding. I must say, this is an outstanding ride. The sense of accomplishment at making it 126 miles, 15,000 feet of elevation gain across 5 passes was significant. The ride organizers and friendly volunteers do a great job. The county raises lots of money doing this and most of the money goes to local charities. Not only do they collect entry fees of $100 from each of 3,000 riders, but they sell t-shirts, coffee mugs, jerseys, and all sorts of memorabilia and it all goes to a good cause. Residents of the area turn out to staff the SAG stops and they are very friendly and very helpful. There were lots of smiling grandmas handing out encouragement and cookies. Signing the Poster We headed out of the Carson Pass SAG, pointed ourselves down hill and let er rip. This is pretty steep down hill and straight, so you can let go, stay off the brakes and relax. I was hitting speeds of 52 mph on this section, but as the grade diminished a bit, I slowed to low 40s. Near the bottom of Carson, we came upon a rider who was down. He was a young guy and I later learned that his carbon wheel failed at high speed, the front one, and he did a face plant into the pavement. He looked really bad as I went by, very bloody face, lots of lacerations, and I just felt sick at the likelihood that he was badly hurt. I didn t stop as he had plenty of help at that point, a doctor had stopped to help and an ambulance was on the way. But it was a reminder of why they call it the Death Ride. I later read on the message boards that he wasn t seriously hurt thankfully not as bad as he looked. He was transported to the hospital, x-rayed, stitched up and sent on his way with pretty serious road rash for the experience. My friend also had his carbon wheel fail during the ride and someone at a SAG stop lent him a wheel to finish the ride without even asking his name. They loaned him a wheel and said drop it off at the bike shop when you re done. I do miss the small town life sometimes. After the ride, organizers served up dinner at the community center at Turtle Rock Park, which is the official starting and ending point of the ride. While standing in line to fill my plate I checked out all the Death Ride posters hanging on the wall, all from previous years, and all covered by signatures of riders who had finished 5 passes. This is my second year finishing the Death Ride. I also did it in 2009 and I probably will do it again in The Ride Around the Bear is perfectly timed exactly 4 weeks before the Death Ride. It is an excellent progression in terms of difficulty. The Ride Around the Bear, also a very well organized ride, is in excess of 9000 feet of climbing and gives you a chance to see how you ll do at higher elevations. Info is available about the Death Ride at PAGE 22 ORANGE COUNTY WHEELMEN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2010