Fresno Cycling Club - March 2024 |
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Hello to all members of our cycling community, especially our wonderful Club Members!
We are thrilled to kick off another exciting year of bicycling. As we enter the third month of this year, we hope you are taking advantage of the beautiful Central Valley weather and preparing for upcoming cycling events and rides. Be sure to check out the FCC ride calendar and our various social media channels to find out what rides are happening.
First up this weekend, on Saturday, March 2, 2024, we have the Annual Blossom Trail Ride in Reedley. This is an excellent ride that starts at Reedley College and serves as a fundraiser for the Reedley Lyons Club to support their many community projects. Although it is not an FCC event many of our members enjoy doing this first event of the year.
Later in the month is our 6th annual Everyone Loves Raymond. I’ll see you there. See more info about it below.
Of the many great things I love about bicycling, I think my favorite is the camaraderie that we have together with our fellow bicyclists. I’m not sure if it is bicycling that makes us all friendly, helpful, and caring, or if it is the way we are as human beings and bicycling brings it out of us. Whatever it is, I encourage everyone to continue what you’re doing.
I am happy to see a lot of groups getting together to do rides, especially the training-focused rides. If you want to train for the Tollhouse Century or the Kirch Flat Century, David Wright has the rides scheduled on Saturdays. He had a great group this past Saturday as you can see in the picture above. His rides are listed on the Club Ride Calendar.
Keep your eyes open for future rides such as the Taco Tuesday Rides and Corral Thursday evening rides to start up after Daylight savings time takes effect.
Hope to see you on the road in the gravel or in the dirt. Stay safe, ride in groups when possible, and always do your best to ride legally. Your behavior while riding is our ongoing Advocacy for rider safety.
That’s it for now.
The Prez
Dennis Ball
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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: UPDATE TO FRESNO CYCLING CLUB DUES
Effective March 1st, 2024, changes to our membership dues structure will take effect. This decision was made carefully after considering rising operational costs and our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our members.
What's Changing:
Beginning March 1st, 2024, membership dues will increase across all categories. However, we are offering two renewal options:
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Auto-Renewal: For members who choose the convenient auto-renewal option, the new yearly dues will increase $5.
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Non-Auto Renewal: For members who opt for the non-auto renewal option, dues will increase $10.
This $5 and $10 increase applies to all membership types, including individual, family, Senior and Student memberships.
Why are we making this change?
As the Fresno Cycling Club grows and strives to offer even more exciting events, advocacy initiatives, and member benefits, we face rising costs for insurance, equipment, facility rentals, and program development. The adjusted dues will help us ensure the long-term sustainability of the club and its ability to continue providing exceptional value to our members. The reason for the difference in pricing is to encourage members to choose the Auto-Renewal option. We find there are a good portion of members that for whatever reason allow their memberships to lapse, which creates budgeting issues for the Club. To assist with this issue the Board decided to implement the new structure for membership.
What does this mean for you?
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If you are an individual currently on auto-renewal, your dues will automatically change to $40 per year starting with your next renewal date after March 1st, 2024.
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If you are not on auto-renewal, you will see the new $45 yearly rate at your next renewal date after March 1st, 2024.
We appreciate your understanding and continued support. We remain committed to providing a vibrant and enriching cycling experience for all our members. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at membership@fresnocycling.com.
Thank you for being a part of the Fresno Cycling Club!
Additional Information: You can find more information about the new dues structure on our website at https://fresnocycling.com/join-Renewal. |
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SPECIAL MEMBERS ONLY CYCLING CLINIC
Saturday, March 16th at 5:00pm - Tool Talk at the Bike Shop @ Woodward.
Interested in learning how to do some of your own bike maintenance or prep your bike for ELR? Bring your tools and be prepared to learn how to use them. Tools will also be available for purchase. B.Y.O.B.
This is a free event is limited to 15 people. Register online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tool-talk-at-the-bike-shop-woodward-tickets-813534402297
The Bike Shop @ Woodward 9433 Ft Washington Road, #102 Fresno, CA 93730 (559) 392-6657
If you have questions about these events, contact Julie Coleman at membership@fresnocycling.com |
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EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND GRAVEL RIDES - Saturday, Mar 23
FCC’s local gravel event, Everyone Loves Raymond (ELR), will take place on March 23, 2024. ELR includes a choice between 3 ride distances, 35, 60, and 90 miles. This year’s rider goody bag will include an ELR long sleeve t-shirt, stainless steel ELR tumbler, and our new for 2024 ELR beanie.
Registration is ongoing, and we currently have 182 of the 225 spots filled.
Don’t be left out! Registration is still available at https://www.fresnocycling.com/event-5092605
As the pictures above from a recent ride show, the rains have turned the foothills beautifully green, and the dirt roads are in great condition.
We hope that you’ll come join in the fun!”
Henry Pretzer |
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THE RETURN OF THE A-TRAIN
Greetings Fresno Cycling Club! The FCC A-Train will commence on Sunday, March 10th at 5:00pm. After that, rides will be biweekly (weather permitting) and will be posted on the FCC ride calendar. The first ride will meet, begin, and end in the Teague Avenue parking lot of Clovis West High School. The ride will be 10-11 miles long and roll at 10-12 miles per hour. Riders must be FCC Members and arrive equipped with a properly fitted bicycle helmet, water bottle, and seat bag with tools and supplies necessary to change a flat tire. If you have a bicycle that has not been ridden in more than a year, we recommend you take it to a local bike shop to make sure it is safe and in proper working order. Hope to see you there.
Joseph is typing
Joseph A. Cassinerio II FCC A/B Ride Coordinator. |
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GETTING READY FOR KIRCH FLAT OR THE TOLLHOUSE CENTURY?
A few members of the FCC Killer Bees are preparing for the Kirch Flat Century on 05/04 and the Tollhouse Century on 06/22. Weather permitting, we usually plan a couple of rides counterclockwise around the circuit riding two or more of the five extensions (168, Prather, Sky Harbor, BOM, SVS). We do a third ride each month covering part of the Kirch Flat or Tollhouse Century routes. This will be our first attempt at completing Kirch Flat and Tollhouse Century.
Ride pace along the flats is typical Killer Bees pace of 15-16. Overall ride pace after climbing and descending averages 13 – 13.5. We are gradually increasing both the distance and elevation gained as we get closer to Kirch Flat.
We started a Strava group because we have found using social media platforms the best method to relay any last-minute ride changes. We had to alter two rides we completed in February, one because of weather and the other because of road conditions. You can use the free version of Strava and any FCC member can join the group. On Strava, search under Clubs for 2024 Tollhouse. If you don’t have Strava you can also email editor@fresnocycling.com for more information. |
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FCC BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, March 6th, 2024
6:30 PM
Me N Eds Victory Grill
4010 N Cedar Ave |
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MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Your Membership Renewal Date:
{Member_Upcoming_Renewal_Date} |
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UPCOMING RIDES
FCC 2024 EVENT CALENDAR
- Everyone Loves Raymond Gravel Ride – Saturday, Mar 23.
- Kirch Flat Century and Rides – Saturday, May 4
- Ride of Silence – Wednesday, May 15
- FCC 30 Day Climbing Challenge - May 18 through June 16
- Climb to Kaiser and Tollhouse Century – Saturday, Jun 22
- Grizzly Century and Gravel Rides – Saturday, Oct 5
- Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century – Saturday, Oct 12
- Tour d' Femme - Saturday, Oct 26
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SUBMIT YOUR CLUB RIDE PHOTO FOR THE ROUGH DRAFT
Have a picture from a recent club ride? Submit it to editor@fresnocycling.com for a future edition of the Rough Draft. |
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FRESNO CYCLING CLUB 30 DAY CLIMBING CHALLENGE
FCC is going to host a 30 Day Climbing Challenge beginning Saturday, May 18th through Sunday, June 16th. This challenge is open to road and off-road riders. Your job is to recruit your fellow club members and pick a challenging level. We recommend it should be at least 20% more climbing than you would normally complete in 30 days. The five levels of the challenge include: Tollhouse - 5,000 feet of climbing in 30 days Kaiser - 10,000 feet of climbing in 30 days McKinley - 15,000 feet of climbing in 30 days Denali - 20,000 feet of climbing in 30 days Everest - 30,000 feet of climbing in 30 days Since the event begins on a Saturday you will have 5 full weekends to help complete the challenge. More details will be coming in future editions of the Rough Draft and information will be posted to the FCC website. This is a free event for club members. If you have cycling friends who want to participate and are not club members, now is a great time to join. They can get a huge discount on Kirch Flat and can participate in the Climbing Challenge. |
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ADVOCACY CORNER
If you do not regularly drive along Barstow Avenue between Fresno Street and Cedar you may not have seen the Class 4 Bike Lanes installed in late 2023. John Cinati sent in the above photo for the Rough Draft. This particular shot is near First and Barstow. Speaking of bike lanes, in the latest issue of the CalBike Report, they noted that the $200 million was cut from the Active Transportation Program (ATP) budget by the Governor's Office. The ATP provides funding for walking and biking infrastructure within the State of California. This is a great opportunity to stand up with CalBike for the bicycling community. Use this CalBike form to contact your state congressman and senator about restoring the ATP budget. |
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BIKE MAINTENANCE Every time you take your bike out for a ride you need to do the A.B.C. Basic Check A - Check your Air. It’s not uncommon for air to leak out overnight. Did you know that tire pressure is based on more than just tire size? Go online to a tire pressure calculator, such as this one, to get your optimum tire pressure, you might be surprised. The maximum PSI is not advisable for many reasons. Comfort and safety are greatly improved when you have properly inflated tires. B – Check your Brakes. Check both front and back before you get on your bike. The worst time to check your brakes would be at the bottom of a hill approaching oncoming traffic. Squeeze the levers, rock the bike back and forth. Listen for odd sounds. Pay attention to unusual movements. Know for a fact they work. C- Check your Chain. There is more to a chain than just lubing it. Lubing your chain will last 4-10 hours, based on riding condition. It’s a great idea to take an old towel and grab the chain with the towel and rotate your cranks to wipe it, then reapply chain lube. You do not need to lube anything else, just the rollers and pins on your chain. Basic Check – look over your bike for signs of loose bolts, broken bits, worn out components, or something that just looks odd. If you’re not the mechanical type, take it to someone who is. If you neglect regular maintenance or glaring problems, you’re putting yourself and others in harms way. Richard Lawley
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LOOKING FOR FCC RIDES??
The following is a list of FCC ride groups and locations to find FCC Rides.
FCC Website
Facebook
EMAIL
STRAVA
- 2024 Tollhouse Century Training Group (a group of FCC Killer Bees on a mission) – B+/C- rides (15-16mph pace on the flats), 40 – 90 miles and 2,500 - 6,000 feet of climbing. Riding 3 Saturdays per month to prepare for the Kirch Flat Century on May 4th and the Tollhouse Century on June 22nd. Find us on Strava by searching under clubs for 2024 Tollhouse. Any active FCC member can request to join. You can also email editor@fresnocycling.com for more details if you do not use Strava.
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