Updated: 06/28/2007

ADDED: 5/29/07

BICYCLE HELMETS ARE REQUIRED ON OFFICIAL CLUB RIDES

Tuesday Evening Rides and Starting Location:

Start at 6:30 pm (Pace: Moderate 12 - 15+ mph) with some exceptions,

such as September when we start at 6:00 pm instead.

             May………………..  Medina County Career Center

             June……………….             Buckeye Woods

             July………………..             Hubbard Valley

             August……………. Medina County Career Center

             September……….             Buckeye Woods

STARTING LOCATION is Buckeye Woods County Park located on route 162 between routes 3 and 42.  Sunday rides are generally 40 to 60 miles in length with breakfast at the halfway point. Park in rear near the lake.

Letter from Vetter

The TOSRV that wasn’t: Well Columbus Outdoor Pursuits had their annual ride this past Mother’s Day Weekend!  We had a tailwind Saturday, temperatures in the mid seventies, sunny and low humidity. Definitely not your traditional TOSRV. Sunday the temp was cooler in the sixties and we had headwinds for the return to Columbus.  I rode with my traditional group, Tom Waterson, Joe Dolman, and Dick DeLombard. Dick was in the best shape this year and worked hard to catch up with Tom at the Chillicothe lunch stop and then beat him to Portsmouth.

Joe complained about how slow he was this year and asked if I would ride with him to Portsmouth. Well I did and I had a hard time keeping up again this year.  The band at Chillicothe was a fun group and played some classic rock along with modern C&W.

The route was well covered by a variety of law-enforcement personnel. We had State Troupers, County Mounties, Township and City Police Officers and you saw them all the time. When we arrived in Portsmouth Joe and I went to the new high school to stake our claim to some prime floor space for sleeping. Tom was there waiting for us and called my sister to come and get us for dinner. I barely had time to shower before she arrived with her van. All four of us got in and it was off to the Portsmouth Brewing Company for fried pasta dinners. And, they even had beer. Those breweries are funny that way. I had something called “Double Bock” or “Doppel Bauk”. My memory seems to fail me at the moment. What ever it was; was dark, very, very dark

Sunday’s return trip was fun and yet it was slower than years past. It must have something to do with the head winds, as we haven’t aged at all since we began riding together. Tom was in a hurry to get back to Columbus because he found someone’s wallet and wanted to turn it in at the check-in point. He said the volunteers started immediately to track down the rider by cross-referencing his rider number and radioing to all the re-act volunteers to let him know it was found and waiting for him at registration. I’m sure Tom is someone’s hero now.

ICE CREAM ODYSSEY; TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, JULY 14^th.

-ADDED: 4/15/07

BICYCLE HELMETS ARE REQUIRED ON OFFICIAL CLUB RIDES

Tuesday Evening Rides and Starting Location:

Start at 6:30 pm (Pace: Moderate 12 - 15+ mph) with some exceptions,

such as September when we start at 6:00 pm instead.

                       May                                                     Medina County Career Center

                        June                                                    Buckeye Woods

                         July                                                    Hubbard Valley

                   August                                                    Medina County Career Center

             September                                                     Buckeye Woods

Sunday Morning Breakfast Rides

8:00 am May through September and 9:00 am in October 

STARTING LOCATION is Buckeye Woods County Park

located on route 162 between routes 3 and 42.  Sunday rides are generally 40 to 60 miles in length with breakfast at the halfway point. Park in rear near the lake.

ALARM                                        ALARM                                           ALARM

There are just two issues of crankmail to go before our annual Ice Cream Odyssey and last month I put in the wrong date.  BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT OUR ICE CREAM ODYSSEY IS ON SATURDAY THE 14^th OF JULY.

CLUB NOTES:    We are currently accepting membership applications and the cost of dues in 2007 is $20.00.  One single dues amount covers the entire family and why?  Because you only receive one subscription to the CRANKMAIL and besides we like having the whole family ride with us.

LETTER FROM VETTER:

ICE CREAM ODYSSEY IS ON SATURDAY THE 14^th OF JULY.

The Season’s First Club Ride:         WOW! What a beautiful start to the season. A comfortable balmy evening with temps in the high seventies, and medium winds out of the West. So what did we do?  We rode west for fifteen miles then made two lefts and returned to the start on Smith Road making a long rectangular circuit. Our President and now famous mapmaker provided cut-off points to allow slower riders to return before or just after the racer type riders.  Oops we do have a racer in the club, Jimmy MacDonald, who rides for team Abercrombie & Fitch.  Jimmy rode with us for the first miles or so that’s all I could hang on for. Then he led the fast group on out of sight. I rode with Mark Shupe and Dave Ling.  We all turned at about the ten-mile mark and that gave us a good 19 or 20 miles ride and we finished before the racer group did.

ICE CREAM ODYSSEY IS ON SATURDAY THE 14^th OF JULY.

                So let’s review Tuesday evening upper 70’s temperature then a day later cold and windier with no chance to ride.  Then we had below freezing temps all the way though the weekend.  Then the following week’s Tuesday ride was held with low temps in the 40’s and I did not go and it does not look good for next Tuesday either, I’ll let you know.  At this rate I’ll be in terrible shape for TOSRV on Mother’s Day.

ICE CREAM ODYSSEY IS ON SATURDAY THE 14^th OF JULY.

                I see where Eric Overton and his group of fit and hardy riders are up to their 7^th long distance ride.  As Tom W. and I were on our way to a backpacking meeting a couple of Saturdays ago we saw Eric and the group huffing up the hill going West on Route 18.  We recognized Eric, Mike and Tim Reese, and two other riders whom I can’t recall their names now.  Construction has since commenced on Rte. 18 so don’t go that way for a couple of months.  

ICE CREAM ODYSSEY IS ON SATURDAY THE 14^th OF JULY.

                The next of my rapid-fire news items is that the Still Water Café is open and ready for us to show up for breakfast some Sunday soon.  My waitress told me the Lorain Wheelmen have already been there for Sunday breakfast.  The restaurant in NOVA is open and under new management.  The new management took over last summer but I don’t believe we made it out that far after they reopened.  The cornerstone in West Salem is a question since I don’t know if they decided to open on Sunday or not. 

ADDED: 3/28/07

Tuesday Evening Rides and Starting Location:

Start at 6:30 pm (Pace: Moderate 12 - 15+ mph) with some exceptions,

such as September when we start at 6:00 pm instead.

                 April         Medina County Career Center

                 May          Medina County Career Center

                 June          Buckeye Woods

                 July          Hubbard Valley

                 August      Medina County Career Center

                 September                 Buckeye Woods

Sunday Morning Breakfast Rides
9:00 am (April & October)  8:00 am May through September.
STARTING LOCATION is Buckeye Woods County Park
located on route 162 between routes 3 and 42.  Sunday rides are generally 40 to 60 miles in length with breakfast at halfway.  Park in rear near the lake.

SELF ADVERT. CUZ’ WE AIN’T IN THE OBF CALENDAR: Please do not forget us on July 15^th this summer for our annual Ice Cream Odyssey.  I have this feeling we missed out because about six of u thought “Oh good, he’s taking care of the calendar entry.”

CLUB NOTES:   I still haven’t gotten everyone’s contact information yet but when I get it you’ll get it.  See above for new president for 2007.

We are currently accepting membership applications and the cost of dues in 2007 is $20.00.  One single dues amount covers the entire family and why not you still receive only one subscription to CRANKMAIL and we like having the whole family ride with us.

LETTER FROM VETTER:

Season’s Beginning:               I tried but I couldn’t do it. Well, that’s not quit accurate but I think I may have hurt my knee overdoing it on Ballash Road. We had this 74-degree day last week and I thought I could just get on the bike and ride. After all, the expression is “It’s just like riding a bike, you never forget”.  Ha!  My knees forgot plenty.  I was just cruising along in the middle chain wheel on the front. That’s about a 40 tooth chain ring and trying to maintain a 13+ mph average.  I approached a section where the road is relatively flat with some light rollers so I tried spinning real fast just for the fun of it, and to maintain speed for getting up and over those little bumps in the road.  I was feeling pretty good too, so I shifted to the “BIG RING” and the chain flew off the outside of the crank set.  I tried to macho it back on while riding and failing that I stopped and got off to fix the chain.  First thing is my foot got caught on the seat as I was dismounting then I almost fell backwards into the drainage ditch, and then the cars came. Just out of nowhere it was rush hour on the back roads of Medina.  Finally I got the chain back on but now I am in my highest gear and my left knee hurt every time I put pressure on it. So here I go; Push down with right foot, pull up right foot and push down again until I ratchet all the way to the top and could start pedaling normally again, push right foot down then push left OUCH foot down, adjust to lower gear then less ouching and more pedaling.  I made it home with a distance of 24 miles at an average speed of 13.8 miles per hour, and I beat darkness by twenty minutes.

Right now I am hoping this little annoyance heals it-self quick because I plan on ridding to get ready for TOSRV and serving as a bad example on how to do spring training.

ADDED: 2/16/07
 

LETTER FROM VETTER:

Season’s Beginning:          The season will soon be upon us well, that’s proper to say in early February but you’ll be riding before you read the ride schedule to appear in the April Issue.  I was talking up the “Presidential Sports Award” at the January meeting and President Dave suggested I put the link in the crankmail.  Heck, if I do that then everyone will know, so here it is.  The presidential sports award is for almost any sporting event. The qualifications are roughly this. You are expected register with the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports or as we in the MCBC like to call them the PCPFS. They will send you a logbook and instructions. The basic idea is to participate in the sport for three one-hour sessions per week for four months.  Go to http://www.presidentschallenge.org/the_challenge/index.aspx to learn more and see what you can do.

BICYCLE HELMETS ARE REQUIRED ON OFFICIAL CLUB RIDES

Tuesday Evening Rides

 Start at 6:30 pm (Pace: Moderate 12 - 15+ mph) with some exceptions,

such as September when we start at 6:00 pm instead.

Tuesday Evening Starting Location:

 For April we’ll be leaving from the Medina Career Center

 
Sunday Morning Breakfast Rides
Getting’ hungry just thinking about it.
LAST YEAR’S NEW STARTING LOCATION will be discussed over the off-season and we’ll let you know before the start of the 07 season almost.  GO TO BUCKEYE PARK ON ROUTE 162 DURING APRIL. IF THERE IS Any CHANGE IT WILL BE IN THE APRIL CRANKMAIL.

CLUB NOTES:      It was decided to hold off the elections until the February meeting but then we elected all but a new President.  I don’t have everyone’s contact information yet but when I get it you’ll get it.  See above for new officers for 2007. It was mentioned that long time member Ian Haliwell has moved to a 30-acre farm in Newark, Ohio and club members gave a hearty welcome for new member June Douglas.  June is a nurse in Cardiac Surgery and is participating in “Team in Training” which raises funds for research in finding a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training^® is the world's largest endurance sports training program. The program provides training to run or walk marathons and half marathons or participate in triathlons and century (100-mile) bike rides. Since 1988, more than 295,000 volunteer participants have helped raise more than $660 million.

We are currently accepting membership applications and the cost of dues in 2007 is $20.00.  One single dues amount covers the entire family and why not you still receive only one subscription to the CRANKMAIL and we like having the whole family ride with us.

The ABCDEFGHIJ ride served up a wintry blast for over one hundred riders.   Tom and I rode this one and we got lost.  Actually we missed our “turn right on Chippewa Road” and kept going south on Ryan Road.  I guess we were having a good time talking and just forgot.  We figured it out and took the next right which got us back on course only we had, had enough and decided to head backwards and go back home.  As we finished it was just starting to rain and there were plenty of riders still out on the course having a wonderful time.  At least that’s what they said.  Liars!