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  • 08/05/2019 1:03 PM | Deleted user

    Kudos and congratulations to all of our members kicking butt this summer in competitions and charitable rides from the U.P. (Who knew he could write too?!) to Colorado and beyond. We have such a diverse group; roadies to triathletes to gravel junkies to mtb and beyond (bigfoot included) and it is great to see members excel, reach new plateaus, and inspire the rest of us to new adventures and goals. You represent what the ever-broadening world of cycling can be!


  • 08/04/2019 8:39 PM | Chuck Nicewonder (Administrator)

    Speedtrap Ride Tuesday August 6th

              The Speedtrap Ride will take place again this coming Tuesday, August 6th. Sign-in will begin at 6:00 pm and we’ll roll out at 6:30 from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore. I am sending this message early because we will have a cookout and potluck after the ride at the home of Scott Lang, 17579 west Elmore-Eastern Road. That is one mile, or less, from, the bike shop. Hamburgers, buns, and brats will be provided. If you plan to attend after the ride. Please bring some food to share. The pool and hot tub will be available.

              The weather forecast for Tuesday is partly sunny with a high of 84 degrees. Winds will be WSW 10 to 15 mph. That’s not great for going out from Elmore, but it will make for a great return!  There is a 30% chance of thunderstorms with gusty winds late in the day.

              Scott will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders over a 25-mile course. He expects to average 22+ mph. Are you up to the challenge?

              Bob Kayden will lead the Cayenne Pepper Riders over the same course, He expects to average 20 – 22 mph.

              Tony Mazurek will lead the Habanero riders over the same 25-mile course, and expects to average 18 – 20 mph.

              I will lead the Jalapeno Riders over a slightly shorter 22-mile course. We expect to average 16 – 18 mph.

              Marnie Arndt will lead the Sweet Pepper riders on a ride at a speed and distance comfortable for those in her group.

              Whether you’re coming for the after-the-ride cookout or not, why not give the Speedtrap Ride a try! You’ll ride some quiet country roads and with some great people, too! It is Ottawa County’s best Tuesday night ride! I hope to see you then!

    Chuck Nicewonder

  • 08/01/2019 4:09 PM | Daniel Riley (Administrator)

    We had a great turnout for Windsday this week. 33 riders showed up for the ride. (We would have had 34, but Jeff Kroncke for was so excited to ride, he forgot his helmet!) It must have been the great weather, outstanding ride leaders and amazing route! Or maybe it was the free Dairy Queen treats after the ride. I wonder which it was… Reality is it was both. By any definition, it was an outstanding turnout on a great riding evening. 

    Edgar’s Fast & Furious group, with visiting rider Griffin Van Nest, hit a new season high at 23.6. The long straight stretches of roads with very few turns and stops were really working for them last night. And the light winds didn’t hurt any either. Jen’s Reasonably Fast group hit a solid 20.1. Kris Jensen guest led the Reasonable & Reliable, trying to hold them in their 17-18 mph range. But the group hijacked the ride, pushing it up to 19.0-19.1 depending who you checked with. (We’ll have a chat staying in your range next week team) And I took the Relaxed group out, pushed it for an extra 2 miles, and scored a sweet 15.3. It was nice to be able to enjoy that pace.

    Of course, after the ride, the group descended on those sweet DQ treats that Ben Rowe brought. You’d think they’d never seen ice cream before! (Or was that just me gobbling them down?) It capped off another nice Windsday evening. Thanks to Kris for leading the R&R group for me!  And I to Ben Rowe a big thanks for the treats, you made the evening! 

    We’ll look forward to seeing you next week, 6:30, at Timberstone JHS for another Windsday cruise through the fields. Thanks to all that turned out!

     

  • 07/31/2019 3:51 PM | Chuck Nicewonder (Administrator)

    Speedtrap Ride Tuesday July 30th recap

              Thirty-seven cyclists came to Elmore last night, Tuesday, July 30th, to enjoy great riding weather on the Speedtrap Ride.

              Dan Willis(filling in for Scott Lang) led the Ghost Pepper Riders and reported a 22.5 mph average. Thank you, Dan, for substituting as ride leader.

              Bob Kayden led nine Cayenne Pepper Riders who stayed together during the ride and reported 20.8 mph. Dan Waggoner from that group questioned whether his ride even counted! He had no cycle computer on his bike!

              Tony Mazurek led the Habanero Riders and reported 19.4 mph

              Seven Jalapeno Riders stayed pretty much together until a few broke off from the group and returned to Elmore by a different route at Witty and Martin-Williston Roads. Ron Berry reported a riding average of 16.8 mph.

              Ron Schieb(TAB president, filling in for Marnie Arndt) led the Sweet Pepper Riders on a ride of 20 miles at 14.9 mph. Thank you, Ron,  for leading! Becky Kayden rode 16 miles at 13.9 mph. Becky has been improving and is just about ready to join the regular Sweet Pepper group!

              Light west winds provided riders a tailwind for the return-to-Elmore portion of the ride. It’s always fun when that happens!

              Pictured are five riders new to the Speedtrap Ride: Erwin Cummings(orange TAB jersey), Kris Jensen(yellow jersey), Lori Stahl(with Ron Schieb), Jeff Roselle(blue jersey), and Ashley Marcinkowski(pink and black jersey). Welcome all to the Speedtrap Ride!

              Several Riders did enjoy food, drink, and good conversation after the ride at the Portage Inn in Elmore.

              Next Tuesday, August 6th, after the Speedtrap Ride, there will be a cookout and potluck at the home of Scott Lang(less than one mile from the bike shop). Hamburgers with buns, and brats will be provided. If you plan to attend, please bring food to share. The pool and hot tub will be available. Please join us next Tuesday for Ottawa County’s best Tuesday night ride. I hope to see you then!

    Chuck Nicewonder

             

  • 07/30/2019 5:38 PM | Daniel Riley (Administrator)

    This Windsday is going to be really cool. Cool temps forecast to top out at 80 at the start time and dropping to 75 at 8:00. Cool breezes out of the NE at 5 miles per hour. Cool people to ride with. And best of all, cool Dairy Queen treats for after the ride, thanks to Ben Rowe of the Trilby Dairy Queen. With those waiting for us after the ride, I bet we’ll move quicker than ever!

    So don’t miss this Windsday. We’ll be there at Timberstone JHS, 9000 Sylvania Ave. I try to get us out of there promptly at 6:30. So get there early, enjoy the ride, then stay for the treats! And be sure to give Ben a big thanks for his generosity!


  • 07/29/2019 1:22 PM | Chuck Nicewonder (Administrator)

    Speedtrap Ride Tuesday July 30th

     

              The Speedtrap Ride, Ottawa County’s best Tuesday night ride, will roll out again from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore tomorrow, Tuesday, July 30th, at 6:30 pm.

              Scott Lang will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders on a 25-mile ride with an expected average of 22+ mph. Are you ready?

              Bob Kayden should be back to lead the Cayenne Pepper Riders over the same course at 20 – 22 mph.

              Tony Mazurek will lead the Habanero Riders again over the same course at 18 – 20 mph.

              I will lead the Jalapeno Riders for a slightly shorter 22 miles at 16 – 18 mph.

              Marnie Arndt will take the Sweet Pepper Riders out at a speed and distance comfortable for those in her group.

              The weather looks good for the ride. There is a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms, but mainly in the morning. The high is predicted to be 84 degrees, with west winds at 5 to 10 mph.

              After the ride, some riders may gather at the Portage Inn in Elmore for food, drink, and good conversation.

              The Speedtrap Ride is a joint venture of TAB and the Flatlanders, not a common occurrence. So, come out to Elmore for something different: a mixture of two clubs, quiet country roads, and great people, too! You’ll be glad you did! Sign-in begins at 6:00 in front of the bike shop and we ride at 6:30. I hope to see you then!

    P.S. Next Tuesday, August 6th, after the Speedtrap Ride tentative plans are for a cookout at the home of Scott Lang, less than one mile from the bike shop!

    Chuck Nicewonder

     

  • 07/29/2019 12:07 PM | Daniel Riley (Administrator)

    We really couldn’t ask for a better day for a ride Saturday - sunny but with moderate temperatures. Well, we could have used a little gentler breezes, but they really weren’t a problem. After a final head count, we had 20 riders for our trip out to Winameg. Often a group that big can be overwhelming, and bit tough to manage - think herding cats. But this was a great group. We all rode at a consistent speed, and stayed well organized. It made for an easy day for me.

    We took a bit of a different route out of Whitehouse to our stop at Delta, heading west through the Maumee State Forest before heading north to Delta. The best part was the freshly paved CR F and 6-3 that lead into Delta. Smooth as silk!

    After a quick 10 minute stop, the group was ready to go onward. We swung by the flowers on CR 8-1 and were able to meet the gardener herself out there working. Rick Metcalf, in all his years riding out here, had never met her and wanted to thank her for her beautiful work.

    We soldiered on to Winameg destination. The town is so small that Marty Extejt missed it and asked where it was (the 4-way stop at CR 10-2 and CR L). The approach to the town has some nice shady roads with curves and terrain change that makes it interesting so I’m not surprised he missed it. 

    We then went westward toward Swanton and guess who we saw? Linda and Meanderers - that would be a great band name by the way. They were on their own trip out to see the flowers and were heading back too. We politely passed them and arrived at our Swanton rest stop, just missing a passing train in downtown Swanton. Lucky us!

    We left just in time for the Meanderers to arrive and cruised the last 10 miles back to Whitehouse and our picnic for Mark Nowatarski for a total of 44.6 miles at a pleasant 17.4 mph.

    No Adventurers ride next week - it’s Pre-MARR. Details will follow. Be sure to be there!

  • 07/29/2019 12:06 PM | Daniel Riley (Administrator)

    When I write these reports, I try to pick out something special about the ride - the weather, a special event, an outstanding performance. But every now and then it’s just a plain old pleasant run-of-the-mill night. And that’s what last Windsday was. With nice temperatures and low wind, 33 riders came out to enjoy a pleasant evening. And we did. The Fast & Furious recorded an outstanding 23 mph, the Reasonably Fast scored a swift 20.4, the Reasonable & Reliable group with a couple of new riders scored a mellow 16.6, and the Relaxed group, with guest leader Dave “Paul” Pakulski came in at a season strong 15.8. (Names in quotes are the wrong names I often call these poor guys. It’s a drag to get old!)

    Jan Meeker-Walczak has wanted to come out all season, and finally made it! She said that trying to keep 17 mph seems more challenging than on her other rides. Must be our beautiful open fields with their breezes, since otherwise we’re flat as can be! But she was still smiling! She said she’ll be back soon.

    Come see us this Windsday at Timberstone JHS, 9000 W. Sylvania Ave. We’ll leave at 6:30 sharp so be sure to get there early!

  • 07/29/2019 9:25 AM | Deleted user

    Twelve riders left Wildwood Metropark, headed out to Country Charm in Metamora for breakfast Sunday morning. Along the way we captured Ron Toneff and made him eat breakfast with us. Mike Daum joined us there after a mad chase into a good headwind. A few turned back or went on to do their own thing following breakfast; the rest headed further out into it and found a glorious tailwind for the return leg. At Secor Park the group remained largely-bunched for the sprint with Mr. Daum taking honors. Nice group!


  • 07/25/2019 2:09 PM | Daniel Riley (Administrator)

    This Saturday’s Adventurer Ride is a change from the previously scheduled ride. Longtime club member, former board member and friend Mark Nowatarski is leaving us to move closer to his family. The club wanted to say good-bye by throwing him an after ride picnic this Saturday in Whitehouse. So I’m switching things up.

    We're going to ride out to Winameg, a scenic little village NW of Delta. We were there earlier this year on the Fulton Villages ride. But there’s more than one way to get there. This time we’ll leave from Whitehouse and ride up through Delta to reach Winameg and come back through Swanton for a 45 mile trip. This is a snack ride, since we have a picnic waiting for us in Whitehouse after the ride. We will stop in Delta at mile 15 and Swanton at mile 36 for quick rest stops and to make sure we all have enough to drink. Plus we get to go by the flowers northwest of Delta, a perennial favorite (pun intended!). 

    We’ll leave from Cyclewerks in Whitehouse at 8:00 sharp, so please come early and be ready to ride by then. Avg pace is 17 mph range (+/- 1 mph). The forecast from weather.com is projecting light SW breezes and temps starting at 70 at 8:00 and rising to 83 by noon. In other words great riding weather! So come out and join us for a beautiful ride, if you can, stay for Mark’s picnic. Make my morning by coming out and riding with us. The more the merrier!

    As always, GPS tracks are available on Ride With GPS - 

    https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30498283

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