Just a friendly reminder that in 2023 the TAB board meetings will be held on the first Thursday of the month. This Thursday Feb 2nd the meeting will be at Ernest brewing on S Detroit Ave at 6:30. As always you are welcome to come and see what we are doing and help us continue to improve and grow our club!!

The Spoke Life Bicycle Shops are having a Winter Sale that starts on Jan 25th and runs through Feb 4th.  They are however opening up the sale to members of the local bicycle clubs a day early. So Tuesday January 24th you will be able to shop the sale a day before the general public.

The January TAB Board meeting is this Thursday the 5th. It will be held at the Ernest brewing on S Detroit Ave at 6:30 pm.

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Seat Post

Welcome to the Seat Post!! This is/was the TAB newsletter for many years and in an effort to better communicate with our members we are returning to this format. The team will work to keep it short, sweet and packed with important information for the membership - things like exciting news, board meeting minutes,  financial status of the club, future plans and upcoming events. 

THIS WEEK’S

TOP STORIES

Ride Season Recap

2022 was another amazing season of cycling, we had lots of great weather and miles and miles of smiles as we rode together safely.  There were no major injuries or crashes during the 2022 season and we are all thankful for that.  

We were able to continue all but one of the amazing group rides (Sunday Breakfast Ride) because of the great volunteer ride leaders.  They help organize each ride, make sure the route is safe and deliver important information to the riders.  Ride leaders WE THANK YOU for keeping the rides alive!! TAB wants to continue to grow the number of rides and ride options available to everyone, but we can’t do it without ride leaders. If anyone is interested in leading or learning about how to lead a group please let us know. 

28th annual MARR

Despite having a little rain we had another incredible MARR!! Over 300 riders participated in the 100, 62, or 32 mile road ride or the 32 mile gravel ride along the Maumee river.  This year there was also an option to ride the route timed with the MARR Fondo!!! Many cyclists tested themselves against the clock to see how fast they could safely navigate the course. When the weary riders returned they were greeted by friendly faces, food, music, and beverages.  Many folks told us how much they enjoyed the beer garden after the ride!!!  

Events like this don’t happen without strong leadership and directors. 2022 MARR Directors Linda Posadny and Debbie Tassie brought together the volunteers who make it all possible!! It also takes sponsors, without them MARR wouldn’t be the same. Ernest Brew Works, Kingston Healthcare, Price Pro, Keystone Press Inc, Amanda Holman Design, Spoke Life Cycle, Cyclewerks and Mountain Man Sports all contributed to making the day an amazing experience. 

 We are already working on the 2023 edition to continue to make it the best ride in Northwest Ohio! If you are interested in volunteering or being a sponsor please reach out to us. 

TAB 2022 Budget

We want to share the club's finances with the membership.  We hope this will help you understand where your money goes and how it helps the community. 

TAB Income			TAB Disbursements
Membership Dues	$4,000		Website	$2,052
Banquet	$900		Storage Unit	$685
			Liability Insurance	$3,150
Total	$4,900		D&O Insurance	$875
			Bank Fees	$900
			League of American Bicyclist	$100
			Metroparks	$500
			Ohio Bicycle Federation	$100
			Norta	$250
			Banquet	$2,300
			Member Picnic and Ride Leader meeting	$400
			Total	$11,312
			Grand Total	($6,412)

2023 Membership Dues Increase

I think we all understand that the US is still recovering from the devastating financial impacts of COVID 19 and that as a country we are in the midst of a difficult economic time.  The cost of everything has increased significantly and insurance rates have not been insulated from these changes. Due to an unexpected - and substantial - rate hike in the club's liability insurance we had to make the difficult decision to increase dues.  This insurance protects the club, officers, and ride leaders in the event that there is a claim of negligence.

The membership dues are now $30 for an individual rider, $45 for a Family membership. You can see all the changes and renew your membership on the TAB webpage https://toledoareabicyclists.org/

The question is what do you get for your membership?

• 10% off merchandise at most of the area bicycle shops

• Discounts for Mad Anthony River Rally registration

• Rider Insurance

• You support the Metroparks, HOOVES, The Right Direction and other organizations through our philanthropic donations 

• Daily organized and safe rides

• Annual Banquet 

• Summer Picnic

• Ability to Purchase Club only merchandise

• Social activities with like minded individuals

• Miles of Smiles

Quick Sprints

Are you enjoying the Winter Warrior Ride Series? Come ride outside with us this winter.

Do you want to start 2023 off on the right foot? How about riding the Bean Ride on Jan 1st with TAB!! 

TAB Banquet is tentatively scheduled for February 19, 2023 - Save the Date!!

Keep an eye out for the 2022 Rider awards emails to go out soon!!

Interested in helping lead the club? Board nominations are coming up, throw your name in the hat for a 2023 TAB Board position

READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

Just a friendly reminder that our next TAB Board Meeting is this Thursday Dec 1st at 6 pm.  The meeting will be held at the South Toledo Ernest Brew Works  location at 4342 S Detroit Ave. Toledo, Oh.  The meeting is held in the room in the back of the brewery, so please enter through the door on the far left of the building.  See you there!!

Winter Warrior Season is upon us!!

What are the Winter Warriors rides?

They start the first weekend in November and continue thru March. We ride somewhere every Saturday and Sunday except for the Holidays.  The goal is to get folks outside during the winter months.  Some of the rides are on the road, some gravel, some off road and more than like a couple of them will include snow!!

There are different distances, different skill levels and of course different speeds.  Follow the Winter Warriors Facebook page for details into each of the rides.

Why do we ride in the winter?

The fun is to challenge yourself against the elements while having a great time with cycling friends. It helps us to stay in shape, get outside, challenge ourselves, to socialize, to win some cool prizes and most importantly to have FUN!!

How and what do I win?

There will be over $2500 in prizes this year and they will be awarded in gift cards drawn every month.

So to be entered into the drawing you have to ride!! The more rides you complete, the more chances you have to win!!

The first Winter Warriors ride is from Glass City Metropark this weekend!

9am departure

Two ride options available:

Longer route 9:00am departure 40 miles

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37769549td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {}

Shorter route 9:30am departure 20 miles

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41327255

Tony Packo's after the ride, grab your car and change of clothes and enjoy some local a Toledo food.

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday November 1^st recap

          Sunny skies, a mild temperature of 63 degrees, and a light WSW wind of 5 mph brought four intrepid cyclists(Jim Darr, Tony Mazurek, Scott Lang, Doug Kilpatrick) to Elmore Tuesday evening for the final Speedtrap Ride of 2022.

In addition, Claude Watkins arrived early to ride in more daylight . He was the only Sweet Pepper Rider. He rode the Lindsey loop ride in reverse. He reported a great 20-mile ride with an average speed of 14 mph.

          Doug Kilpatrick, ride leader, bike shop specialist, TAB president, devoted family man, and Speedtrap comedian, filed the following account of his group's ride:

 (Doug must be commended for the report’s accuracy!)

          “4 of the bravest riders survived the terrible wind and frigid temperatures to complete the final Speedtrap of 2022…..The average speed was 25.1 mph or 20.5 depending on who you ask.”

          The Speedtrap Ride, one of America’s great Tuesday night rides, deserves an accurate account of its people and events. If I am the one continuing as its ride captain, I hope my reporting is as accurate as Doug’s! With that in mind, the Speedtrap Ride, also the best Tuesday night ride out of Ottawa County, will resume on May 2, 2023. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

        

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday November 1^st

          For anyone interested, there may be enough daylight with a moderate temperature for one more unofficial Speedtrap Ride leaving from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore, Ohio, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1^st. Ride time is 6:00, or as soon as bike shop folks can be ready to ride. Sunset will be at 6:27 pm. It is predicted to be 63 degrees, sunny, with a WSW wind of 5 mph at 6:00 pm. Lights will be required for riders.

          Anyone who would like to ride, who would rather leave earlier, may do so.

          As with any unofficial ride, regular ride leaders are not required to be present. Riding groups will be formed from those who show and those willing to lead. Last week there was only one group of five riders.

          Pictured are a group of Jalapeno Riders from earlier in the season. Happy Halloween! Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow, or when the best Tuesday night ride out of Ottawa County resumes officially on May 2, 2023

Chuck Nicewonder

         

The last Adventure ride of the year looked like it might be a  wipe out due to the heavy fog, at least around my area. But just south of US 20A, the fog lifted and blue sky was visible, so we were on! Even with the chilly 35 degrees, 15 riders came out. The scenery was beautiful, the riders were smooth.  The whole ride was one of those rare rides where we all enjoyed the morning, and worked smoothly together. Thanks to everyone who came out today. The picture of the group is missing Jenifer Wiles, and Hubert who were hiding from us. Only 22 weeks until we start again! 

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday October 25^th recap

          Enough daylight and a temperature of 73 degrees brought seven intrepid cyclists to Elmore Tuesday evening for an unofficial Speedtrap Ride.

          Doug Kilpatrick led a group ride with four other riders: David St. Louis, Jason Moore, Bryan Rose, and Tony Mazurek. All reported a great ride, but Doug indicated there was no tailwind on any portion of the ride, no matter which way the group was riding! Doug also indicated a riding average speed of 21.4 mph.

          Claude Watkins and I rode together. We left early, but rode only to Woodville and back, as my arm and shoulder still have some healing to do. Nevertheless, Claude said he was glad he got the ride in, and that he was sorry to see the summer end.

          Pictured is Claude Watkins as he appeared September 25, 2018. Claude missed only one official ride and one unofficial ride during the 2022 riding season. Perhaps he was the most regular(except for possibly some leaders) of all Speedtrap Riders.

          It appears that we may get one more unofficial Speedtrap Ride in next Tuesday, November 1^st. The long range forecast calls for sunny skies, a WSW wind of 5 mph, a high temperature of 67 degrees, and little chance of rain. Sunset will be at 6:27 pm, so front and rear lights will be necessary. Perhaps I’ll see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder