The Flying Wheel Newsletter of the Williamsburg Area Bicyclists (WAB) PO Box 2222, Williamsburg, VA 23187-2222 http://wabonline.org Volume 22, Number 8 Williamsburg, Virginia August 2018 Cycling Without Age Scheduled Rides Begin! By Mark Holt Friday July 13th was anything but unlucky as the Cycling Without Age Williamsburg regularly schedules rides began. A smiling group of Verena at the Reserve residents enjoyed being piloted out on the Jamestown Island causeway kicking off this community service program launched and managed by WAB in partnership with BikeWalk Williamsburg. The following Tuesday residents from Edgeworth Park braved a warm humid day and also had a great time. Rain has played havoc with the scheduled rides since then but as of this writing CWAW has given 11 rides to 20 passengers. We have 31 trained pilots on staff and scheduled rides (through www.signup.com) running through August. Williamsburg Landing will begin scheduled rides in August and the program is likely to grow WAB General Membership Meeting Our next General Membership Meeting is Tuesday September 11th. from there. To learn more about our Cycling Without Age initiative, visit http://cwa-williamsburg.org. If you want to get involved in this awesome program, contact Rick Nevins at info@cwa-williamsburg.org. In this issue Cycling Without Age Scheduled Rides Begin... 1 WAB General Membership Meeting.......... 1 Member Information...................... 2 Website Tip............................. 2 From the President s Desk.................. 3 Ride to Richmond........................ 3 Ride Calendar............................ 4 Advertisements.......................... 4-10 Out of Bounds........................... 5 Trail Mix............................... 5 Ride Classifications....................... 7 The Cycling Bucket List................... 8 On the Road............................. 9 The Race Tightens........................ 9 Impatient Patient......................... 10
Welcome! Renewing members: Linda & Bob Carter, Bruce Glendening, Don & Dottie Grosse, Jim & Wendy Homerosky, Greg Hurley, Frances Kuipers, Jim & Mary Osborn, Melanie Payne, Rich Thompson, Terry & Jan Walker. New members: Miles Davison, Guy & Holly Gilman, Adiel Harris, Stuart Swan. 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 Navagating the Website Calendar Website The calendar of WAB rides can be found by clicking the calendar icon on the website homepage. You will be presented with a monthly calendar view that is color-coded. Blue are the WAB Recurring Club Rides, Red are the WAB Special Rides and Green are non- WAB Local Events. We try to limit the non-wab to only those we think are of the most interest, to avoid too much clutter on our calendar. If you click on any of the rides on the calendar, you will be taken to a new page with more detail, such as the start location, distance, pace and any other information the leader has included. Links to the Ride With GPS Route and Cue Sheets are also included in most cases. Also make sure to check the message board if the weather is questionable. The ride leaders will post if a ride is cancelled. We do our best to update the Ride Calendar with cancellation information as soon as it is posted on the Message Board. You will notice at the top of the monthly calendar, there are also buttons to select a Month (default), Week, Day or List views. Try it out! Also, on the main WAB homepage if you are logged in, you will see just below the row of icons on the left a list of Upcoming Rides. These are intended to simply be a more convenient way to see near-term rides without clicking to the calendar. If you click on these, it will take you to the same detail screen you will see if you click on the item in the calendar view. Finally, you might also want to check out the Out of Bounds link. This lists many upcoming non-wab events in VA, NC, SC, PA, MD and OH you may be interested in. If you have questions about the website Calendar, or any other website topic, don t hesitate to send an email to webmaster@wabonline.org Rick Nevins, Webmaster - webmaster@wabonline.org WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 2
From the President s Desk The Virginia Capital Trail is many things but it is NOT accident-proof. When the trail first opened, many of us thought about how much safer riding on the trail would be than riding on the roads with cars (and trucks) zooming past us. Little did we know WAB members would have more accidents ON the trail than on the road in the coming years. Granted an encounter with an automobile is likely to be more serious than anything that could possibly happen to you while riding on the VCT, but that aside, it s still not accident-proof. Why is that? There are a number of reasons but I would like to focus on just a few. 1. While we (and many of the local residents) refer to the VCT as a bike path, it is not. It is a multi-use trail which means many different types of activities take place on the trail walking (with or without a stroller), running, and bicycling all at different speeds. Speed in particular is an issue. There are children riding on bikes with training wheels, young and old pedaling casually, as well as those who (apparently) believe the VCT is a bicycling interstate with no speed limit (which is incorrect by the way there IS a speed limit and it s 15mph). 2. The very reason we think the trail is safer is why it becomes dangerous we forget to pay attention to our surroundings. On the road we are constantly alert to passing/turning vehicles, potholes, debris. On the trail we become complacent. We don t signal our intentions passing, swerving (to avoid debris), stopping, and slowing. We don t pay attention to potential hazards, debris, bridge poles, oncoming riders, or warn other riders. I ll admit I m as guilty as anyone of enjoying my ride on the VCT so much I forget to pay attention. I ve gotten so engrossed in a conversation while riding alongside a fellow cyclist that I didn t see a rider coming towards us until it was almost too late to avoid a crash. I ve likewise impeded the progress of cyclists who wish to pass us but not intentionally. I m also guilty of spending way too much time looking at my Garmin instead of the trail ahead. In my defense, I must say I ve never ever talked on my cellphone while cycling nor have I sent or read a text message. I only mention this last part because I did once see a rider pedaling past Chickahominy Riverfront Park who was texting on his cellphone and apparently listening to some music on his ipod as he had earplugs in both ears seriously! So let s all try to PAY ATTENTION!!!!! to where we are on the trail; what we are doing bicycling responsibly; and what those around us are doing walking, running, cycling. Be safe out there wherever you are. Happy travels. Deana Sun, President Ride to Richmond By Rick Nevins WAB is once again organizing an overnight ride to Richmond! We will ride up the VCT to Richmond on Monday, spend the night, and then ride back Tuesday. This year, as in 2016, some members of the Harrisburg Bicycle Club will be joining us! For those of you starting from Jamestown, you will be going over 106 miles in two days! For those of you starting at Charles City, you will be riding over 64 miles in two days! Please plan to ride the distance you think you can cover over two days. We will not have a SAG vehicle. Here are the details: Date: Monday, 10/29 Tuesday, 10/30/2018 Lodging Location: Holiday Inn Express, 201 E Cary St., Richmond Va. Twenty rooms are reserved under WAB. Cost: $121.00 per night plus tax ($137.00) for a single or double occupancy room. Specify when you reserve either a King or two Doubles. A hot breakfast is included. You can cancel a reservation up to 6:00PM on Saturday, 10/27. Start Location 1: Jamestown Marina parking lot, 9:00 AM start time. A luggage vehicle will be available to load from 8:30-9:00 AM. Your luggage will be waiting for you inside the Marina building when you return on Tuesday. Start Location 2: Charles City, 10:30 AM start time. After we see the interest level for a Charles City start point we will sort out the parking area. Last year we used the Sheriff s office parking lot. Luggage transport: I will be asking a few people that are not riding to transport our luggage. Please keep in mind the limitations of space and bring just enough clothing/personal items for one night....continued on Page 10 WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 3
AUGUST RIDE CALENDAR WAB Special Rides Following is a listing of special club rides for the next month as of the date of this newsletter, with some basic information. Please refer to the WAB calendar @ http://wabonline.org/index.php/ridecalendar for full details and latest updates, as well as the Message Board posts that the ride coordinators generate. Non-members are always welcome as well. Saturday, August 4 Hampton Roads Winery Joint WAB / RABA Ride - 9:30 AM Start: Surry High School, Surry, VA Coordinator: Rick Nevins Paces: B+, B, and C Enjoy Surry County s flat rural roads with low traffic, with a short stop at scenic Chippokes. After the ride, join the group at the Hampton Roads Vineyard and Winery (2 miles away) to sample some of the first legally produced alcoholic beverages made in Surry County for about 100 years. They feature several white and red wines, ranging from dry to sweet. Bring some picnic food to eat and/or share if you wish! Saturday, August 11 Waverly Watermelon Joint RABA / WAB Ride - 9:00 AM Start: Waverly, VA Coordinator: Jack Huber Paces: B and C Jack Huber s traditional summer ride on flat rural roads with low traffic. There will be a special rest stop hosted by Surry County s Watermelon Lady featuring local watermelon and cantaloupe plus other refreshments. After the ride, join the group for lunch in Waverly at Giuseppe s. Sunday, August 26 - WAB Adopt-a-Highway cleanup and ride. From Bob Austin s, 4557 Ware Creek Road, Croaker. Cleanup at 2:00 PM, ride at approx. 2:45 PM. From 8 to 21 miles, Rider chooses pace. Non-riding cleaners welcome. 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. Saturday, September 1 Rappahannock River Tour - Joint Northern Neck / RABA / WAB Ride - 9:00 AM Start: Irvington, VA Coordinator: Jack Huber Paces: B+, B, and C Leisurely ride through Lancaster County on Virginia s Northern Neck. The route starts at the Steamboat Era Museum in Irvington, heads out to Windmill Point beach for a great view of the mouth of the Rappahannock River, travels around Fleets Bay into downtown Kilmarnock for lunch, then travels down to the Corrotoman River, into the historic village of Weems with two view stops one on the Carters Creek side of Weems and another on the Corrotoman River side, then finally heads back to Irvington. WAB Recurring Rides Following is a listing of standing weekly club rides as of the date...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 summer heat will soon be over, so it s time to plan ahead for any fall events you would like to ride. Register early to get those discounts. In the Out of Bounds link on the WAB website, for August there are 6 events listed, including the Lancaster Covered Bridge Classic, always a good event. The event calendar fills up in September, with 16 events listed. There are numerous centuries, including the PBA Surry Century 9/8 and the RABA Heart of VA Festival 9/15. In October, there are 9 more listed events, including the Sea Gull Century 10/6 and the Between the Waters Ride 10/27. Check the Out of Bounds list at http://wabonline.org/index.php/suggested-links/out-of-bounds-upcoming-wab-and-non-wabevents?start=20. For 2019, registration is now open for the Cycle NC Coastal Ride, next April in Edenton. If past is any indication, it will sell out by January. Rumor has it a contingent of WABits will once again cycle to the event! Trail Mix by Ted Hanson (thanson@earthlink,net) Update on Spoke and Art Have you been wondering what is going on at Spoke and Art Provisions along the Trail at Greensprings Road and John Tyler Highway? Well it is open only on weekends, while awaiting JCC approval of the submitted site plan. The rules allow renovations within the existing building footprint. So Steve Rose has been working on the interior and upstairs where the plan is for eventual onsite food and beverage service. Once the site plan is approved, exterior work will proceed, including closing of the entrance on John Tyler with the new entrance off of Greensprings Road with parking for 20+ vehicles. Also upon approval of the site plan, applications for the planned food and beverage service, including the Handle Bar, will be submitted. Bike Shuttle Between Williamsburg and Richmond As you probably have already heard, Amtrak is piloting bicycle service between Williamsburg and Richmond, touting it as a way to ride the Trail one way and ride back. Fare is $20 per bicycle, plus passenger fare of $17-$23. If anyone has tried this, could you share your experience on the WAB message board? For more information: www.amtrak.com/bring-yourbicycle-onboard - 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 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! Why cycling for joy is not the most popular pastime on earth is still a mystery to me. Frank J. Urry (English Cycling Journalist) Another option is the Cap Trail Bike Shuttle. This also runs from Williamsburg (Jamestown Settlement or Chick park) to Richmond (Four Mile Creek Park or Stone Brewery) and back. Cost is from $25-$75 (depending on whether there are four riders or only one, other options available). Website for more information: www.captrailbikeshuttle.com WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 5
THE FLYING WHEEL AUGUST 2018 WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 6
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. 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 WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 7
...continued from page 4 of this newsletter, with some basic information. Please refer to the WAB calendar @ http://wabonline.org/index.php/ride-calendar for full details and latest updates, as well as the weekly Message Board posts that the ride coordinators generate. Non-members are always welcome as well. Monday - Charles City County Ride - 9:00 AM Start: Charles City Courthouse, Charles City, VA Coordinator: Fran Wenbert Paces: generally B/B+ & C Tuesday - Surry Ride - 9:00 AM Start: Surry County Government Offices, 45 School Street, Surry Coordinators: Fran Wenbert and Jack Huber Paces: generally B & C Wednesday - Upper James City County Ride - 9:00 AM Start: Liberty Live Church (across Croaker Rd. from Kiskiack Golf Club) unless otherwise noted on the calendar Coordinators: Jim Gullo (C) and Rick Nevins (B) Paces: generally B/B+ & C Thursday - Sunset Ride - 6:00 PM Start: Jamestown Settlement Coordinator: Rick Nevins Pace: generally B+ & C The Cycling Bucket List By Jim Gullo As cyclists, there are various goals we have set out to achieve with our bicycle riding. Each goal has challenged us to ride maybe a little bit faster or farther. We may have started on a cruiser bike and challenged ourselves to try a road bike. From there it was going from riding the Virginia Capital Trail to bicycling on the road. Maybe it started with 10 miles and soon became 25, 50, a metric or your first century. We all do it, push ourselves to be better and do more. Well, it has come that time for Martha and me to finally cross the last challenge on our bicycle bucket list - to ride across the USA. We signed up with Bike the US for MS for 2019 Trans America route! The ride starts in Yorktown on 6/1/19 and finishes 62 days later in San Francisco. The cost is to raise $3750.00 per rider, which is $1.00 per mile. Everything is included to support you except food. As it is a fund raiser, friends can donate which would reduce your expenses. It is camping, although we plan to stay at motels when available or needed. If you have an interest, please email me at coladog@cox.net. Space is limited to 30 riders. We would love to get some WABBERs to join, for the whole trip or just down the Virginia Capital Trail on 6/1/19. So, what is on your Bicycle Bucket List! The clock is ticking! Friday - Friday Friends Ride - 9:00 AM Start: Williamsburg Community Chapel Coordinator: Fran Wenbert Paces: generally B/B+, C, and D Saturday Poquoson Joint PBA / WAB Ride - 8:00 AM Start: old Farm Fresh in Poquoson, PA Coordinator: Linda Carter Pace: C Check the calendar to make sure this ride is scheduled on any given Saturday. Currently scheduled August 25 & September 1. Saturday - Saturday Ride - 9:00 AM Check the calendar to make sure this ride is scheduled on any given Saturday. Start: Jamestown Settlement Coordinator: Paul Baker Pace: B+ WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 8
On The Road By Rick Nevins, Ride Coordinator When will this rain end? The last full week of July was pretty much a rain out and it seems we are in a pattern of continued wet weather for the next week. Thankfully our leaders do a great job at watching the weather and giving ample advance notice of cancellations via the Message Board. And Ken keeps on top of the calendar so you can depend on it being accurate! We have a full slate of August ride opportunities: With the addition of the Saturday morning B+ ride, we now have regular recurring weekly rides every day of the week except Sundays! Special Rides in August include: August 4th (Sat) Hampton Roads Winery Ride (postponed from July) and the August 11th (Sat) Waverly Watermelon Ride. Looking out into September we have the Saturday, Sept 1st Rappahannock River Tour, always a fun event! Also you can find elsewhere in this newsletter more detail about the Ride to Richmond (now becoming an annual event) on Monday, 10/28-Tuesday, 10/29. This is a great opportunity to ride the entire length of the Virginia Capital Trail both ways from Jamestown to Richmond, over two days. And enjoy dinner and overnight stay in Richmond on Monday evening. Check it out! The R ace Tightens by Mark Holt In a shocking turn of events club mileage champ Fran Wenbert developed human tendencies and managed to come up with an aching back. Fran wisely took a day or two off the bike (before rebounding with a 103 mile century ride) and those few days allowed the aging geezer, Mark Holt, to close the yawning gap in miles between the two. As of this writing the standings are Fran in first with 6168 miles in and Holt in second with 6148. The race to roll out centuries is something like Fran at 7 and Holt at a puny 3. Holt was overheard chortling that his old man s race season was nearly over and he could safely ride himself into the ground in pursuit of Ms. Endurance, Fran. Fran of course mocked the old guy guaranteeing that in the ground would be where he would end up if he tried to keep up with her. Vegas odds remain locked on Fran winning the mileage race for the year but a new category of betting has been set up - which contestant will develop the next overuse injury and what part will it be? Fran s back? Holt s left achilles or knee? Do either of them have any cycling related muscle or joint that does not ache? WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 9
Impatient Patient by Linda Coppinger After eight weeks, Stoker couldn t stand it any longer. At six and a half weeks post fall, the jocular doctor smilingly assured Stoker he could see the beginning of the healing callus forming, and instructed that the sling should be removed. Yay! Wait, what? Healing beginning? After six weeks? That can t be right, that s so long, how can that be right, how long will this take? WHEN CAN I RIDE MY BIKE??!! The doctor is concerned. Don t put any pressure on it. Don t lift anything. We don t want to risk the healing. A lot of conservative advice from a man just barely old enough to be one of my children. The natural order has shifted in the geological way, rocks crumbling into dust. The recklessness of youth becomes the foolishness of the elderly, and children solidify into mature citizens with safe and sober ideas, wise advice, But when can I ride my bike? The physical therapist is pleased. Since you have that sling off your range has really increased! Good Job! Stoker wags and turns in a circle, waiting for the treat. NOW can I ride my bike? Well, we can t stress the muscles too much yet, until we get the range back, and the ligaments take longer than the bones. But pretty soon. Pretty soon? Ugly later? WHEN? Stoker finds this all less than helpful. She has taken up drumming to pass the time, but it is of the fingertips on the table variety and not musical. Her birdwatching hours have increased pleasurably but a hiking stoker does not create the breeze a cycling stoker enjoys. The sweat dripping into the binoculars is distracting. A decision is made. Saturday. That s when Stoker will draft. The Captain goes out for his morning jaunt before 6:30 while Stoker first sleeps in, then makes tea. Over breakfast we plot and scheme. Go earlier rather than later. Later it will be hot. So, let s just go now. Go now, in sneakers without clips, in pegged pants without chamois, in a cotton tee shirt. No lycra. No instruments, no measurements. This is sufficient data: Heart rate: beating or not? Cadence: are the pedals going around? Speed: fast enough to create that breeze. There is too much riding on this bike ride (oh literary Gods how I have sinned!) for such trivia. These are the times of big questions: CAN she ride her bike? And will it be any fun? Every stoker rides hands free. One broken arm is not a problem, once launched. But getting on requires learning a new mounting style. A clumsy start, but we re off. And in a few turns of the cranks, the mysteries are solved. Yes, she CAN ride her bike, and yes, it is still fun. After a dozen miles, the team pedals back up the driveway. Stoker can only raise one arm in triumph, but it must be done. After all, the plain tee shirt is safety yellow, and it is July. In the Tour de Neighborhood, Stoker has captured maillot juene. It is good to be back in the saddle. Keep drafting......continued from Page 3 Dinner: There are many great restaurants within walking distance of the hotel information will be provided to all attendees. New this year, you can now take your bike on Amtrak between Williamsburg and Richmond Main Street station. The next day you could take Amtrak with your bicycle back home to Williamsburg. A reservation with Amtrak is required. More information can be found at Amtrak.com What you must do if you want to go: 1. Call the Holiday Inn Express and reserve a room by calling 804-788-1600 using our group name, Williamsburg Area Bicyclists (WAB). Our block of 20 rooms will only be held until 9/29/18 and then unreserved rooms will be released. 2. Contact Rick Nevins at rick@nevins.com or at 717-579-7644 and notify me you are going with the number in your party. WILLIAMSBURG AREA BICYCLISTS PAGE 10