Latest Club News & Info

Usually this late in the season our number of riders drop off, but that wasn’t the case tonight. Even with a shift to Central Trail, 23 riders turned out for a cool evening ride. A stiff east wind at 10 challenged us on our return trip tonight, but didn’t slow us down. Edgar had a large crowd for his Fast & Furious group that returned a 23.3 mph for the night. Jen’s Reasonably Fast Group was a little light tonight at 5 riders, but they were still able to come in at a nice 20.3 mph. And my group of 8 Reasonable & Reliable riders? They must have eaten their Wheaties today, because we came back with a quick 19.4, a season high and no complaints about the winds! Great teamwork tonight to beat those winds. And we had a visit from the Tristan Hill back at Central Trail. His recovery from his shoulder injury has been slow, but he hopes to be back for next season.

Be sure to join us next week at Central Trail to close out our season of regular rides. We hope to see you all there.

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday September 17, 2019 recap

          The Speedtrap Ride brought thirty-five cyclists to Elmore this past Tuesday, September 17^th.

          Dan Willis, substituting for Scott Lang, led a combined Ghost Pepper-Cayenne Pepper Group with a riding average of 21.6 mph(although there is a rumor that it may have been 24.2 mph).

          Tony Mazurek’s Habanero Riders averaged 19.3 mph over the same 25-mile course.

          The Jalapeno Riders and Sweet Pepper Riders rode out together for the first half of the ride. The Sweet Pepper Group, with Marnie Arndt as leader, stopped at the cemetery. The Jalapeno Riders with me did not stop. Adam Silbaugh of the Jalapenos reported 17.0 mph. Marnie Arndt reported 15.3 mph for her group.

          Marnie Arndt forgot her cycling shoes, but rode the entire ride in her slipper-like shoes. Way to go Marnie!

          There was a slight headwind for some of the ride, but it didn’t seem to be a major factor.

          New to the Speedtrap Ride this week were Alan Schroeder and his friend Patrick Hill, pictured together, and Justin Reynolds of Spoke Life Cycles, pictured in the blue jersey.

                    Dan Waggoner rode 13.2 miles at 14.7 mph from Lindsey to Elmore to help set up for our special celebration!

          After the ride several stayed to celebrate Bob Kayden’s birthday, pictured in the kitten jersey[Happy Birthday, Bob!] and with his cake, and to wish him and wife Becky a wonderful time as they embark on a six-month trip around much of the eastern United States. Although we will all miss you both, we wish you a wonderful trip!

          Thank you to Rob Golden, Kathy Metzger, Becky Kayden, and Dan Waggoner  for the planning and arranging for this special celebration!

          Please join us next Tuesday, September 24^th, for the final official Speedtrap Ride of the season. Sign-in will begin at 5:40, and we ride at 6:10 pm. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

Really. Due to football games at Timberstone, Windsday has moved just around the corner to Central Trail for the last two rides of the year.  For GPSers, Central Trail is located at 4321 Mitchaw Rd, Sylvania OH. 

Riding conditions for tomorrow look spectacular. Cooling temps starting at about 75 and dropping slowly with a moderately stiff easterly breeze are predicted. But best of all is that low late evening sun and gorgeous blue sky over the fields. It’s probably one of the most beautiful times of the year to ride. Remember, start times are 6:00, and sunset comes earlier, we’ll need to be stricter about leaving on time. And be sure to bring lights and use them! Safety first, fun second. See you all tomorrow!

Gravel from the Rapp's featured one of my favorite things: a closed road. It may not be for everyone, but I love finding these little adventures and unknowns when out on a ride. This one was particularly overgrown, so initially we passed it. But I turned around to see if it was at all passable. To my surprise, the bridge was there and the decking was in decent shape.

During the rest of the ride, we encountered hills, dogs, wind, and serene, beautiful landscape. Afterwards, our good friend Chris Crandall stopped up to pay a visit. His recovery is going well and it was awesome to hang out. Edgar and I are planning on doing another ride from his cottage. There are still a lot of roads left to explore from there.

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GSMAxM9xJ5GR8VLg6

This week in gravel features two rides: Saturday is the Cannondale demo day from Hell, MI; Sunday is the Lake Erie Fall Ride from Monroe, MI.

Our local, lovable Cannondale rep Justin has offered up the Topstone Carbon fleet to demo on Saturday morning. There are 8 bikes available to reserve, a small, medium, large, and extra large in both Ultegra and AXS builds. Shoot Justin or myself a message if you want to ride one for the day. 

The route for Saturday is 67 miles from Hell, MI with a planned stop in Unadilla at mile 31. This is a rolling, hilly route, so I encourage you to ride at your own pace. I will be leading from the back, so don't worry about getting dropped. The feature climb of the day is up Peach Mountain Observatory Road. It's long, but not at all steep. 

Saturday ride info:

Start location: 4025 Patterson Lake Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169

Departing: 8am

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30511651

The Monroe Cycling Club is holding it's 3rd Annual Lake Erie Fall Ride on Sunday. The gravel route is about 60 nearly flat miles. This will be a no drop group ride at a casual pace starting at 8am. Stay for a the beer tent afterwards.

Sunday ride info:

Registration: https://www.signmeup.com/reg/form/128337/registration

Start location: Monroe Community College, 1555 South Raisinville Road Monroe, Michigan 48161

Departing: 8am

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29971555

To all TAB members and Friends,

Just a reminder that there will be no official TAB rides next Sunday, September 22nd. This includes the Sunday Breakfast Ride and the 1:00 Getaway Ride. Why? Because it has been TAB's policy for some time to support Maumee Valley Adventurers' invitational rides, and next Sunday is MVA's Irish Hills Tour.

You can register for the ride at the cheaper rate online until 11:59 pm Friday, September 20th.

I hope to see you on the road.

Chuck Nicewonder

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday September 17^th

          The Speedtrap Ride, Ottawa County’s best Tuesday ride, will once again depart from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore this coming Tuesday, September 17^th, at 6:10 pm. It’s vintage bike night, so get that vintage bike out and lube the chain to ride it on Tuesday!

          Scott Lang will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders over a 25-mile course. His group will likely average 22 to 24 mph. Are you up to the challenge?

          Bob Kayden will lead the Cayenne Pepper Riders over the same route, and will likely average 20 to 22 mph.

          Tony Mazurek will lead the Habanero Riders on the same course, and expects to average 18 to 20 mph.

          I will lead the Jalapeno Riders on a slightly shorter 22-mile course. We will likely average 16 to 17 mph.

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

          The weather forecast is for a high of 76 degrees, partly sunny,  with little or no chance of rain. However, winds will be out of the northeast at 10 to 15 mph, making a headwind for the return-to-Elmore portion of the ride.

          After the ride, there will be a special celebration in front of the bike shop. Sloppy Joes will be provided. If you plan to be a part of this special celebration, please bring a side dish to share.

          If you haven’t ridden the Speedtrap Ride, you have only two chances left this season. Why not give it a try? You’ll ride some quiet country roads and meet some super-nice people, too! Sign-in begins at 5:40 pm and we ride at 6:10 pm. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

 

Last Windsday was a crazy one. I got to Timberstone at 5:30 to find the whole parking lot was full. It turns out that there was a home football game. Yikes! So I posted a quick message via email and Facebook to meet at Central Trail. And Jen Wiles sat at the lot to redirect everyone to our new location 

Then there was the weather. It was just a little rain cell. headed straight for us. But 5:40, it was raining cats and dogs. So it was time to decide - cancel or ride. By 5:50, the rain moved out, and the roads started to dry. So ride it was. But now it was 86 degrees and 100% humidity – not my best riding conditions.

By this time we had 10 riders. A couple called off and went home. The 8 of us left as a group and we were off at a Reasonably Fast pace. The roads dried fast enough that spray wasn’t an issue. We had a beautiful rainbow to the east, and Jay Thomas got a great rolling picture of it and me. But it was still hot, and the air was so muggy you could cut it. Besides having a cold, I couldn’t get enough air to breathe. I wound up dropped a mile from the end, but stayed within a closing distance of the group the rest of the way in. We scored 21.1 avg (21 for me).  In other words, just another Wild Windsday.

Come join us next week. It looks like a football game at Timberstone this Weds. So join us at Central Trail, 4321 Mitchaw Road, around the corner from Timberstone JHS. With the fading light, be sure to bring lights for safety. I’ll see you all there 6:00!

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday September 10^th recap

          The Speedtrap Ride brought thirty-one riders(including Dan Willis) to Elmore this past Tuesday for a most enjoyable ride.

          Scott Lang led the Ghost Pepper Riders and reported a riding average of 22.7 mph.

          Bob Kayden led the Cayenne Pepper Group, consisting of six bikes, but seven riders, and reported 20.6 mph.

          Tony Mazurek led the Habanero Riders with an average of 19.6 mph

          Ben Durant, Claude Watkins, and I were the Jalapeno Riders. We stayed mostly together for the ride. Claude reported 16.5 mph.

          Marnie Arndt led the Sweet Pepper Riders. Although a couple riders broke off near the end, the group stayed mostly together and reported a 15.4 mph.

          The weather was fine for riding, with temperatures in the 80s. However, the was a healthy southwest wind giving riders a noticeable headwind on the first leg of the ride…but…it provided a nice tailwind for most of the return-to-Elmore portion of the ride.

          New to the Speedtrap Ride this week were Patrick Francis, who rode in the Cayenne Pepper Group, and Chrissy Hart, who rode with the Sweet Pepper Riders. Both are pictured! Welcome Patrick and Chrissy to the Speedtrap Ride!

          After the ride, several riders spent at least some time enjoying food, drink, and good conversation at the Portage Inn in Elmore.

          Please join us next Tuesday, September 17^th, for the next chapter of the Speedtrap Ride. Sign-in will begin at 5:40 and we will ride at 6:10 pm. After the ride, there will be a special celebration in front of the bike shop. Sloppy Joes will be provided. If you plan to be a part of this special celebration, please bring a side dish to share.

          I hope to see you next Tuesday, September 17^th, at Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore.

Chuck Nicewonder

Our first 6:00 Windsday didn’t keep the riders away last week. 20 riders showed up on a cloudy cool night to fight the fall NW winds that blew at 10 mph. But boy did we enjoy the return trip with the tailwind. Edgar’s Fast & Furious rode a relaxed (for them) 23.3 mph, Jen’s Reasonably Fast pushed a 20.49 (she pushes the ride limit just to aggravate me!) and the Reasonable & Reliable group came in at a good 17.9 average. We were joined on that ride by first time TAB rider Natalie Walter. She rode with us like an experienced rider including several good pulls at the front. She promised she’d be back for more!

This Windsday brings a return to summer temperatures with low 80’s feeling like the mid 80’s thanks to the high humidity. And it also brings back our annual route change, thanks to the Tar & Chip boys of the Lucas County Engineer. They seem intent on ruining one of the major bike routes out of Sylvania. But we won’t let them stop us! Come on out an join us at 6:00 starting from Timberstone JHS, 9000 Sylvania Ave and show them the sterner stuff that TAB riders are made of! I hope to see you there!