The Flying Wheel Newsletter of the Williamsburg Area Bicyclists (WAB) PO Box 2222, Williamsburg, VA 23187-2222 http://wabonline.org Volume 22, Number 1 Williamsburg, Virginia january 2018 January Meeting Moves To February and New Year s Resolutions By Mark Holt As noted in the announcement to the right; WAB was pushed out of its slot by the a kitchen overhaul at Colonial Heritage in January but there will be an informal get together at Alewerks (197 Ewell Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188) on January 9th at 6pm. While there you can proclaim your 2018 cycling New Year s resolutions to match those already launched by club members including: Deana Sun (WAB President) - I m going to be way more relaxed in Board Meetings even as my beloved staff drone on and on, wait forget about it, I m going to continue to gavel them into some sort of shape. In this issue January Meeting Moved................... 1 WAB General Membership Meeting.......... 1 Member Information...................... 2 Website Tip............................. 2 From the President s Desk.................. 3 Cycling Without Age...................... 3 Ride Calendar............................ 4 Ride to Recovery with Marina Libro.......... 4 Advertisements.......................... 4-9 Out of Bounds........................... 5 Roubaix Sign Returns..................... 5 The Virginia Senior Games................. 7 Ride Classifications....................... 7 Fran Victorious........................... 8 On the Road............................. 9 WAB Holiday Party....................... 10 WAB Membership Meeting Our next General Membership Meeting is Tuesday February 13th. Colonial Heritage Restaurant 6500 Arthur Hills Drive, Williamsburg VA 23188 On December 28 we were informed the kitchen at Colonial Heritage would be out of service on January 9th. The short notice has left us circling the airport on little fuel, and we must take a drastic detour. There will NOT be a formal meeting on January 9. The annual awards bash will be held at the February meeting. There will be NO meeting in January at Colonial Heritage. For those who received new bikes for Christmas and can t wait to tell about them, your Meeting Committee Chair suggests a purely informal, social only gathering on January 9 at 6 pm at Alewerks (197 Ewell Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23188). No business will be transacted and no program will be presented, but we can talk bikes all we want. THe German Snack Shack will be there with five varieties of Schnitzel for the hungry among us. Please address any questions or concerns to Linda Coppinger, who is listed under the letter L on the WAB email list. Rick Nevins (current WAB Vice President, Ride Leader, Webmaster, Cycling Without Age Committee Chairman and who knows what else) - I m going to start volunteering more... Paul Baker (WAB B Ride accelerator) - I m going to be patient with slower B riders and wait for them on hills, no the Hell with that I m going to continue to drop them like rusty anchors. Mark Holt (WAB Newsletter Editor) - I m going to beat Fran at something, anything, oh heck, maybe I should try roller skating. Every Club Member - I m going to join at least one group ride in 2018!!
Member information Welcome! Renewing members: Ken Adams, Bob Austin, Gene Jernigan, Ted and Sue Moreland, Andy and Jean Petkofsky. New members: Bruce and Peggy Laubach Member Discount Don t Forget: Your WAB membership entitles you to a 10% discount on parts, accessories or clothing at these local bike shops and sports stores: BikeBeat, Bikes Unlimited, Conte s and Colonial Sports. *Discount does not apply to bicycles. Other items may not qualify for discount at certain shops - call store for details. The Flying Wheel is the newsletter of the Williamsburg Area Bicyclists or WAB. The Club encourages and supports all facets of bicycling in the Williamsburg, Virginia area. The Flying Wheel is always looking for stories or pictures connected to cycling. If you can help out, email the editor (editor@wabonline.org) or send a letter to: Williamsburg Area Bicyclists, P.O. Box 2222, Williamsburg, VA 23187-2222. Please send us your story no later than the 15 th of the month. League of American Bicyclists Affiliated Club James City County Division of Parks & Recreation Co-Sponsored Club Historic Triangle Bicycle Advisory Committee - see link for contact information: https://www.yorkcounty.gov/countygovernment/administration,county/planning/bikeways/htbacroster.aspx the minutes of the general membership meeting and a summary of the Board minutes are available online at http://www.wabonline.org/index.php/members-only/general-membership-meeting-minutes How to update your profile WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 2 Has your email address, phone number or postal address changed? Would you like to change your Username or Password? Would you like to associate a picture or image with your account (or update a previous image)? You website account profile contains this information and is easily updated. See below for specifics: 1. Login to the website with your Username/Password. If you don t know your username or password, click on the Forgot Login? link beside the Login button on the top-right side of the home page. 2. Click on the Update Profile Icon on the top of the page after you login. Alternatively you can click on the click on the Edit My Profile link under the My Account menu along the top of the page 3. You will see a tabbed page. Clicking on each tab will reveal the various elements you can change under each tab. 4. On any tab, hover your mouse over the information icon for help. Items that are greyed out are not updatable but are shown for your information. 5. The Contact Info tab is where you will find your email and postal addresses, and phone numbers. The Membership Info tab is where you will find your Username and Password. 6. The Willing to Serve tab is used by WAB club leadership to identify members who are willing to volunteer in various club capacities. Please make sure you review this for accuracy. 7. Make any changes you would like on any tab and then click the Update button at the bottom of the screen. One more tip click on the Print My Membership Card under the My Account top menu item to get to a page where you can print your current membership card, which can be used to get discounts at the local bicycle shops. As always let me know if you have any questions about this feature or any other website feature. Rick Nevins, Webmaster - webmaster@wabonline.org
From the President s Desk As 2018 begins, I m making plans for this new year. I ve already registered for Cycle North Carolina Coastal Ride in April and will once again be a part of Bike Virginia s staff support in June. I ve also registered for an RV rally in Georgia following the CNC Coastal Ride. But all of that is months away and now the cold weather has set in; so much so that our Ride Coordinator and his trusty assistant have announced the ride calendar will remain blank for January and February unless a ride is posted on the Message Board. While indoor cycling is an option, it doesn t have the social aspect I so much enjoy when riding with others. What to do what to do? A few months ago I was invited to join the Monday night 5K gathering at the DOG Street Pub. Members of the DOG Street Pub Running Club begin signing in after 5pm (either in the front courtyard or downstairs) and the run starts at 6 pm. (Those who walk, rather than run, usually start a little earlier.) While walkers and runners follow the same route through Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary, they wander off in smaller groups afterwards to enjoy a pint (or two) and/or dinner at the DOG St. Pub or other local establishments. Sound familiar? While cycling may be curtailed due to freezing temperatures, the walk/run goes on and I intend to be there as often as possible. Why? Because it s so much like WAB spend an hour or so exercising with friends then get a bite to eat. Ride to Eat; Run or Walk to Eat it s all the same. So come on out one Monday night for a lovely jaunt through Williamsburg on foot. Spring will be here before you know it. Happy Cycling or Walking or Running or whatever Deana Sun, President By Mark Holt Cycling Without Age WAB is looking into becoming involved in some way with Cycling Without Age. In a nutshell this program is a community service project that provides elderly and disabled folks a ride outside in a trishaw e-bike piloted by a volunteer rider. You can learn about the program here: http://cyclingwithoutage.org/ and/or see it in action here: https://vimeo.com/120567183 WAB has a committee headed by Rick Nevins exploring local needs, funding, liability, storage, and also where to find pilots. To that end if you would consider volunteering as a pilot rider for an hour or two per week please contact me at mark927@aol.com or editor@wabonline.org. Also if you have ideas on funding or needs please feel free to send them as well. WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 3
JANUARY RIDE CALENDAR None Scheduled for January. WAB Special Rides WAB Recurring Rides There are no confirmed recurring rides for January due to winter weather. Check the ride calendar for Wednesday and Friday rides to pop up if weather allows. Ride To Recovery With Marina Libro By Mark Holt You may have witnessed a large group of cyclists rolling through town last year around Memorial Day in snappy red, white, and blue military kit. They were part of the Memorial Challenge Ride 2 Recovery. The Ride 2 Recovery events are the main activity and fundraiser for Project HERO. The Rides are held in various states across the USA with 14 multi-day Challenge rides, 5 single day events known as Honor Rides, and during 2 training camps. Project HERO is a national non-profit charity that works to provide rehabilitation and recovery for veterans and first responders suffering from injury including TBI and PTSD. Club member Marina Libro has been involved with Project Hope all the way back to 2009, the organization s second year. At that time she was active duty at Ft. Eustis working in the WTU (Warrior Transition Unit) when one of her associates asked for logistical help on a Ride2Recovery Challenge ride from Washington, DC to Virginia Beach. He needed critical fluid replenishment supplies (known in the military as beer ) distributed to rest stops all along the route and Marina had the trucking connections to get the job done. However, in doing the support effort she became interested in participating as a rider and over the following years she has ridden in 13 challenges including that Washington to Virginia Beach ride (The Memorial Challenge) five times. She s also PACE FOR RIDES: A... 18-20 mph B+...16-18 B...14-16 C... 12-14 D...10-12 Casual... Up to 10 mph, with no one left behind Please note that these are average speeds. If you are new to club rides and aren t sure what pace you can maintain, be conservative with your first ride! Direct all questions, cancellations or updates to Rick Nevins at ridecoordinator@wabonline.org. Helmets are required on WAB rides. Updates and cancellations are posted on the Members Only message board. Ride leaders are obligated to collect waiver signatures prior to the ride. done the Texas Challenge three times, the Gulf Coast twice, the Minute Man twice, and the Florida Challenge once. Marina also attended a Project Hero training camp in 2011 and helped get the Project HERO Program started at McGuire VA Hospital in Richmond. Over the years Project HERO has welcomed and supported over 10,000 riders, biked over 20,500 miles across 32 states, provided over 230 custom bikes to disabled participants and created 70 Hub locations (like McGuire) to support local needs. These Hubs work with clients on rehabilitation, education, family support, community service and employment. In 2018 Marina plans on riding the Washington to Virginia Beach Memorial Challenge (now sponsored by United Healthcare) for the sixth time and their route takes them right through Williamsburg. She also plans on doing at least one other event if not more. If you are interested in participating or supporting Project Hero get in touch with Marina through the WAB email link on our website. To learn more check here: https://projecthero.org/. In the pictures following you can see last year s Memorial...continued on page 8 WAB Jerseys! If you missed out on the last two orders, but would like a jersey, please contact Dave Cosgrove at jersey@wabonline. org. Once we have enough new orders, another batch will be ordered from the supplier. WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 4
Out of Bounds by Ken McFarland (kenmcfarland482@gmail.com) The Out of Bounds event calendar is presently in winter mode. I have started to add events for 2018 as information becomes available. Registration for the Cycle NC Coastal Ride in April is nearly full, so don t delay if you are interested. Other events on the calendar include the VCT Cap 2 Cap, Storming of Thunder Ridge, and the PBA Pedal for the Pig (formerly the Smithfield Challenge), all in May, the Great Ohio Bike Adventure (GOBA) in June, and the Bike VA Ride the River Tour in June. I would also like to highlight another local ride TAPIT30 in Chesapeake on 3/24. This easy 30-mile ride, limited to 150 riders, is a fund-raiser for the Law Enforcement United ride, The Road to Hope. 400 members from the VA Division of Law Enforcement will ride 250 miles in 3 days in May from Chesapeake to Washington, DC, to honor the service and sacrifice of all law enforcement officers that have died in the line of duty, as well as remember their survivors. Please consider supporting this worthy cause. In addition to all these, there are other rides near and far. Lastly, I hope you had a good riding year in 2017, and best wishes for 2018. Roubaix Sign Returns by Mark Holt On December 20th an intrepid group of WABers rode out to Ware Creek from Kiskiack to check out the new Ware Creek Road Roubaix sign painted by Michael Kaspareck. Michael is shown in the picture below and the ride group is pictured at the top of page 6 along with the brand new sign. The reproduced antique Belgian highway sign is planted in the front of WAB Past President Bob Austin s home on Ware Creek. It has sent dozens of racer wannabees into fantasy land (including the editor) imagining they were on their way to victory in the Paris - Roubaix classic bike race. WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 5 - MENTION THIS AD - receive $5.00 off a $25.00 purchase Does not include gold card and other coupons or specials. Two decades of supporting WAB in Park 2Park, local races and events. Providing health and performance products for the biking community. Many thanks and appreciation to our valued customers. Ride safe!
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By Mark Holt The Virginia Senior Games Are you one of the few WAB members over age 50? Did you race back in the 20th century, or perhaps wonder what racing a bike might be like? If so consider the Virginia Senior Games (http://www.vrps.com/educationevents/vsgvirginiaseniorgames.aspx). Along with senior appropriate horseshoes and golf there are two bike races on May 19th a 5k Time Trial and a 20k criterium. Unlike USAC (USA Cycling - the organization covering most amateur and Pro racing in the US) racing there is no license required, you don t have to grind your way through Category 5 (where young 20 somethings fall off their bicycles randomly) to get upgraded to Category 4 and be able to race in the Masters events. Plus this year s State Games are a qualifier for the National Senior Games which run every other year and will next be held in Albuquerque, NM in July of 2019. There are five year age groups so you are just competing against folks your age. Most of the entries are 55 to 64 and the other age groups really thin. The races this year are at Dorey Park in Richmond and the registration deadline is April 15th. In National Qualifying years there will likely be around 40 in all age groups on the men s side and much fewer on the women s. The top three in each age group for each event qualify for Nationals and take home medals worth vast sums at all area pawn shops. Does the thought of pack racing make you a bit queasy? No worries, the criterium is split into two groups, 50 to 60 and then 60+ and both fields thin out pretty quickly and I ve not seen a wreck in the last four years. Don t have a time trial bike? Again no worries, the course has 5 U turns which takes away a good bit of the advantage of aero positioning which anyone who s seen me corner on my TT bike can attest to. Club member Jim McDonald has twice medaled at Nationals and I ve competed in the last two Nationals (Minneapolis, MN and Birmingham, AL) and had a great time. If you ve ever wondered..the Senior Games are a great way to give racing a try. By Rick Nevins Ride CLassifications There has been some discussion (and possibly confusion) lately about our ride classifications, as well as the responsibilities of both the ride leaders and the ride participants when on a club ride. This is not a simple topic to address, but I will do my best! First on the subject of ride classifications as shown on our website calendar, we define them as: A 18-20 mph B+ 16-18 B 14-16 C 12-14 D 10-12 Casual Up to 10 mph, with no one left behind These are average paces that you should have at the end of the ride. The range reflects the fact that the final average pace may be impacted by terrain, group makeup, wind or other factors. Please keep in mind that in order to finish with an average pace of (for example) 14 mph, means that at times the rolling pace may be significantly higher or lower than 14 mph it does not mean that the rolling pace will always be within the designated range. The actual rolling pace at any time will be influenced heavily by the wind and grade. WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 7 The ride leaders should: Ride at a pace that results in a final average within the classification range. Keep track of all the riders and ensure all are OK. This may mean adjusting the pace and/or re-grouping at intersections. Consider designating a sweep to ride with the slower rider if needed. The participants should: Clarify with the leader the planned pace and terrain if unsure. They should be comfortable they can maintain the pace, or at least know the roads and be OK with riding alone if necessary. Refrain from riding faster than the planned group pace (ahead of the leader) unless it is agreed with the leader and re-group locations are designated. I hope this helps but if you have any questions or comments, please email me at rick@nevins.com
...continued from page 4 Challenge riders rolling down DOG street and then being addressed by General George Washington who certainly understands what veterans have given our country. WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 8 Fr an Victorious Fran Wenbert zoomed past Mark Holt in the club mileage race finishing well over 11,000 miles for the year (11,503 to be exact). She braved frozen toes and fingers and chalked up huge December miles including her second century on December 23rd and a 400 mile week rolling into Christmas. Holt rolled up over 800 miles for the month and also was over 11,000 for the year but was no match for Fran in Eskimo mode. As a side note 2017 was his most miles ridden in a bike racing career that stretches back to 1971 (known as either the dawn of time or the dawn of the Bike Boom, I forget which). Given that this is just Fran s second year on the bike her accomplishment is really remarkable. She is now a consistent club ride leader and her smile and obvious joy on the bike have made her known and liked throughout the Williamsburg bike community. Last year Fran was the club s Most Improved Ride, this year she wins the Most Miles Ridden, and rumor has it that next year she intends to turn pro and win the Tour de France. Please make sure to congratulate Fran on a great year and also be sure to ask her what her goals are for 2018. As for Holt, he s scheduling several more deer tendon transplants and can t wait for the new year. Rumor has it that since he can t measure up in total mileage he has thrown down the gauntlet (which Fran promptly ran over during her 400 mile week) challenging Fran to see who can do the most centuries in 2018. Place your bets now and as in 2017 smart money is on Fran.
On The Road By Rick Nevins, Ride Coordinator Thanks to all the WAB members who participated in the 2017 Williamsburg Christmas Parade! Special thanks to Dave Mershon and his son James who once again entertained the crowd on their penny farthings and to Greg Hurley who made an awesome unicycle-riding elf! Thanks also to the banner-holders on their tandems - Dave & Linda Coppinger and Allen & Mary Turnbull. Finally thanks to Deana Sun for organizing our participation this year. A great time was had by all! Now we enter the time of the year when our rides will be more hit and miss. We decided to not list any regular weekly rides in January and February and run them on an ad-hoc basis depending upon the weather. We still hope to ride on Wednesday and Friday mornings as well as other pop-up rides when we can. Watch for postings on the website Message Board as well as the Williamsburg Road Cycling Facebook Group. WE CAN GET YOU TO THE LINE Orthopedics Sports Medicine Foot and Ankle Physical Therapy Imaging Personal Training Gloucester Newport News Williamsburg www.mytpmg.com (757) 327-0657 Serving the Williamsburg area for over 40 years We really get into our work 230 monticello avenue Open: Tues Fri 10am 6pm Saturday 10am 5pm Sunday 12pm 4pm WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 9
By Mark Holt WAB Holiday Party Over 70 WAB club members enjoyed the Holiday Party at Colonial Heritage on December 12th. The party featured an upgraded dinner menu and the usual beverage assortment offered by the facility. We were treated to a special concert from the Rolling Stones as pictured in the photo at the bottom of the page. Who knew they had a full album of cycling ballads? Just look at Mick Simmons and Keith Gullo belting out the tunes while guest guitarist George the Quiet Beatle Nevins riffs in the background. We were also treated to witnessing an effort by Jim Day encouraging Fran Wenbert to stop being so shy and retiring in 2018 as noted in the picture middle right. go ahead Fran, just speak up for once, said Jim. Fran was smiling as she just heard that 75% of those who bought club raffle tickets on the mileage race correctly picked her to win. There were also dozens of door prizes worth thousands of dollars and roughly half of the attendees walking away with something. The picture upper right shows club members working their moves line dancing under the instruction of Cheryl Shortell. Seventy members is a big turnout but we have near 300 on the roster. The club meetings are always fun and the programs have been terrific. Make a resolution to attend in 2018! WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 10