Latest Club News & Info

Mighty Cyclists

We had another "road rage" incident on our 5'fer ride yesterday evening (8/10/23). Spicy Plus and Spicy had combined in to one group and were climbing the hill on River Road approaching Stitt, when a motorist "buzzed" the group and was yelling a them to form a single pace line etc. This motorist, did make a hard stop, and with some hearty and loud communication, no one was hurt. Riders reported the incident to me after the ride.

Today, I spoke with a Lucas County Deputy and reported the incident. I had a good conversation and allayed our concerns about what seems to be a growing problem of over aggressive divers. I asked how we should go about getting this issue prioritized on our Thursday rides. He gave me the name of the lieutenant in charge of the patrols. I will be calling this individual and discussing this with him in the hopes of getting patrol cars in the area on Thursday evenings.

If/when a situation like this happens again:

• Always follow the law.
• Call 911 immediately.
• Do NOT retaliate in any way shape or form ( I know, easy to say)
• Stay calm: Try to diffuse the situation and stay calm.
• • These are situations where we need to take the "high" road and not stoop to the level of an idiot driver. Never let your own anger take over, even when it’s justified.
• Keep a camera handy: Keep a camera handy in case you need to take pictures or take a video of an aggressive driver
  

We have 6 more official Thursday rides left this season. I am confident that we will, with an abundance of teamwork, make these rides memorable.

I look forward to seeing everyone next Thursday.

Regards,

Joe

Calling all bicyclists!

Get ready to pedal your way into an amazing adventure! The Mad Anthony River Rally (MARR) is this Saturday, August 12, and we couldn't be more excited.

The weather forecast is looking fantastic – sunny skies and warm temperatures! It's the perfect opportunity to soak up some rays, breathe in the fresh air, and embrace the joy of cycling with fellow enthusiasts.

Haven't registered yet? Don't miss out on the fun! Be a part of this exhilarating ride along the Maumee River. To register, visit MARR and lock in your spot before it's too late. Share this post with your bicycling friends, and let's make this MARR an unforgettable experience!

See you on Saturday, ready to pedal, laugh, and create incredible memories together.

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday August 8^th recap

          The Speedtrap Ride brought thirty-three cyclists to Elmore Tuesday for a great evening of riding. The was a light headwind for the first part of the ride. However, there were no complaints, and the return-to-Elmore portion of the ride was very enjoyable.

          Scott Lang led five Ghost Pepper Riders to a 23.0 mph average.

          Dave Stover’s Cayenne Pepper Riders and Ken South’s Habanero riders joined to form a group of seven riders averaging 22.2 mph.

          Andrew Gundlach, substituting for Todd Pollock, led the Jalapeno Riders and reported an average of 18.7 mph.

          I rode out with at least ten other Sweet Pepper Riders. The group split into two early on.  I was with the slower group of four riders  No report from the faster group. All completed the ride returning to Elmore safely with no issues.

          Several riders gathered after the ride inside the bike shop for drink and good conversation.s

          Pictured is Jeff Warner. Although an experienced rider, he rode his first Speedtrap Ride last week. Welcome Jeff.

          Also pictured are substitute ride leaders Dave Stover and Andrew Gundlach. Thank you Dave, and thank you Andrew, for leading.

          It appears that next Tuesday, August 15^th,  will be another great evening of cycling. The weather forecast calls for a high temperature of 79 degrees, partly cloudy skies, an 18% chance of rain, and a WNW wind of 14 mph. Please join us. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

         

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday August 8^th

          The Speedtrap Ride, the best Tuesday night ride out of Ottawa County, will roll out  again Tuesday, August 8^th, at 6:30 pm from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore, Ohio.

          The weather forecast appears favorable: a temperature in the upper 70s, partly cloudy skies, a 10 to 15% chance of precipitation, and a west wind of 10 mph at ride time, diminishing as the evening progresses.

          Scott Lang will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders. If you ride in his group, expect to average 22 to 23+ mph. Are you ready for the adrenalin rush!

          Dave Stover, substituting for Bob Kayden, will take out the Cayenne Pepper Riders. This group has been rivaling the Ghost Pepper Riders for the last couple of weeks. Will they do it again!

          Tony Mazurek will lead the Habanero Riders. The group will likely average 20 – 22+ mph.

          A substitute will be needed for Todd Pollock, to lead the Jalapeno Riders at 16 to 18+ mph.

          I will ride out with the Sweet Pepper Riders. Last week’s average was 16.6 mph.

          Let’s all wish Doug Kilpatrick, our friend and TAB president, a speedy recovery from injuries suffered July 29^th. He is pictured here.

          Sign-in begins at 6:00 in front of the bike shop. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

         

 

Friends,

As many of you are aware, our friend, (and the President of Toledo Area Bicyclists, TAB), Doug Kilpatrick, was hurt last weekend on one of the group rides in a road-rage incident with a motorist. Doug sustained some severe injuries and was rushed to the hospital for assessment. He was released the next day, however, we have learned from his wife, Amy, that Doug had to be readmitted recently for ongoing complications.

With Amy’s permission, two upstanding members of TAB and the Northwest Ohio Bicycling Community, Nicole Reece and Sharleen Suico, are taking up donations to help Doug and Amy, whether that be for Door Dash or Uber Eats gift-cards, or other service oriented retailers to help them during this difficult time.

Both are accepting cash or check donations, and you can give those to them at any of the club rides. (Both ride several during the week including the Monday Night Waterville Ride, The Tuesday SpeedTrap Ride, and the Thursday "5fer").

If you prefer a money transfer service:

Nicole has Venmo: @Nicole-Reece-1

Sharleen has Zelle, you can use her mobile number: (440) 522-8446

If you’d like to mail a check, please contact Sharleen (listed above).

You may share this with other members of the bicycling community, however, please be careful and safeguard as Sharleen’s phone number is listed in this post.

The TAB Saturday Spicy Adventurers (with Kris Jensen & John Wodarski), are going to RECON the final segment of the MARR Century route from the Napoleon, OH rest stop down to Defiance, OH, and back to Napoleon this Saturday, 8/05/23.

Stage at East Riverdown Park with rollout at 8:00 AM: 536 E Main ST, Napoleon, OH 43545. Total mileage from Napoleon to Defiance and back should be about 40 (ish) miles. Average speed 18-20 MPH with rolling speeds up to 22 MPH.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43884034

AND... 

If anyone is wanting to change it up a little this Saturday and get a little dirty/dusty, John Galdeen is going to RECON the MARR gravel route. So if you’ve got a gravel/mountain/fat tire bike, please join him for a scenic morning ride this Saturday, 8/05/23, that will take riders down the Tow Path at Farnsworth, Bend View, & Providence MetroParks. The Gravel Group will roll out with the Meandering Group from the CycleWerks – Whitehouse. 6760 Providence St, Whitehouse, OH 43571. Rollout will be at 8:00 AM. The Gravel ride should wrap up around the same time the Meanderers do, both groups, as part of Pre-MARR, are invited to have a post-ride lunch at the Whitehouse Park Pavilion after their respective rides are completed.

32 Mile Gravel Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41721678?privacy_code=rclSl5e9Wisyrb1x

This Saturday, Aug 5th at 8a is Pre-MARR and the Meanderer's are recon-ing the 30-mile route!! We will be collecting feedback to pass along to the powers that be so that we can address any concerns before MARR on Aug 12th. Bring hydration and a snack for the mid-ride rest stop for the route that will average 13-15mph (probably a bit on the slower sIde since we will need to stop and take notes). For those of you that can join us, there will be a light lunch provided after the ride.

If you haven't already signed up to participate in MARR the link below will take you to the registration site. Hope to see you out there!!
https://www.toledoareabicyclists.org/MARR-2023

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday August 1^st recap part 2

          A 2022 addition to the Speedtrap Ride is a group of recumbent tricycle riders, called the Cherry Pepper Riders This past Tuesday, a group of four Cherry Pepper Riders rode down the North Coast Inland Trail and back: Tom and Charlene Saunders, and Spoke Life’s own Dan and Gwen Waggoner.  Tom Saunders took the attached pictures. Thank you, Tom.; and Thank You Dan, for all you have done for cycling in the Fremont/Elmore/Sandusky area.

Chuck Nicewonder

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday August 1^st recap part 1

          The Speedtrap Ride brought thirty-six hardy cyclists to Elmore Tuesday for a great evening of cycling.

          The Ghost Pepper Riders and Cayenne Pepper Riders joined to form one group, Ride leader Dave Stover, substituting for Bob Kayden, reported an average of 22.6 mph. Thank you Dave for leading.

          The Habaneros, led by Ken South, reported an impressive 22.5 mph, as reported by Tony Mazurek.

          David Barret(still substituting for Todd Pollock) led thirteen Jalapeno Riders to an 18.1 mph average.       Thank you David!      

          There was a large group of Sweet Pepper Riders. Claude Watkins from that group reported an average of 16.6 mph.

          Several riders gathered after the ride in front of the bike shop for food, drink, and good conversation.

          There were four riders new to the Speedtrap Ride this week: Dave Casperson(blue jersey; Nick Kaiser(red and black jersey), Amanda Ballard, and ?(arrows on jersey). All are pictured. Welcome all to the Speedtrap Ride.

          The long-range forecast for next Tuesday calls for a high temperature of 82 degrees, partly cloudy skies, a west wind of 12 mph, and a 24% chance of precipitation(that’s a 76% probability of no precipitation). We’ll ride at 6:30 pm from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

         

IT'S SO EXCITING! We are Less than two weeks away from the Mad Anthony River Rally -Fondo!

I really want to thank all of our members that have stepped up to staff this extraordinary ride, but I've got ONE Rest Area that needs to have 3 people still... the Defiance stop. Is there a spouse of a rider or maybe a couple of spouses of our Wheelmen that will take that post over? It's gotta happen, or NO JUICE FOR YOU! 

Contact me directly to discuss, (419) 356-0006, or go to the volunteer signup page with this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/.../10c084faea822a1fec34...

Thank you for all of your help, everyone!

Joe Connelly