Fresno Cycling Club - September 2024

Rough Draft

September 2024

THE PREZ SAYS.....

Greetings fellow Cycling Club Members and bicyclists wherever you are.  

     So, what is a bicyclist anyway. Do you consider yourself a bicyclist or are you a person who just rides a bike? What's the difference?  

     The terms “bicyclist” and “person who rides bicycles” are often used interchangeably, but there can be subtle differences in their connotations: 

  1. Bicyclist: This term typically refers to someone who rides a bicycle regularly and may be more serious about it. Bicyclists often engage in cycling as a sport, hobby, or means of transportation. They might participate in events, races, or long-distance rides and often have specialized gear and equipment. 

  2. Person who rides bicycles: This phrase is more general and can refer to anyone who rides a bicycle, regardless of frequency or purpose. It includes casual riders who might use a bicycle occasionally for leisure exercise, or short commutes.  

     In essence, while all bicyclists are people who ride bicycles, not all people who ride bicycles would necessarily identify as bicyclists. It’s a matter of context and the level of engagement with cycling.  

     Do you consider yourself a bicyclist or just someone who enjoys riding bicycles?  

     I would say most of our members are bicyclists, but we welcome the casual riders to come join us on our all-level rides. Most bicycle riders get hooked when they do a few rides with us. There is also a class of people who ride bikes out of necessity, I call them pedestrians on bicycles simply because they don’t follow the rules of the road. You will see them riding on the wrong side of the road, crossing intersections against traffic and generally giving a bad impression for motorists who think all bicyclists are traffic violators. Our Club strives to promote safe and legal bicycling to set good impressions of bicyclists and help prevent vehicle vs bicycle accidents. 

     To provide riding opportunities for all our members and want-to-be members we are offering at least one or two All-level (A, B, C, & D) rides per month. In August we were able to offer at least one with the Monthly Birthday ride, which was started in August to commemorate our members’ birthdays, after all we all have one. What better way to spend a day riding than to celebrate with your fellow riders. Some of our members have the tradition of riding their age in miles each year, one such member Micha Langer has been riding his age for many years even as he is now in his 90's. Recently Bill Titus had a group of riding buddies that joined him in riding his age+, which was a long ride.  

MONTHLY CLUB MEMBER BIRTHDAY RIDES 

     The August Birthday ride was great, the only problem was that the birthday girl, our Club Secretary Mary Stubblefield, who celebrated her birthday on the day of the ride, couldn't ride with us due to being sick. Nonetheless, we rode in her honor and those who celebrate their birthdays in August. There were over 50 members who joined the rides. The September Birthday ride will be combined with the Labor Day ride on Sept 2, help us have fun riding with the birthday folks.  

THE ANNUAL CAYUCOS COASTAL RIDE

     Another successful Club sponsored ride in August was the Annual Cayucos Coast ride. We had over 35 members come join the coastal ride up Highway 1 and back. The cool thing about this ride was not only the weather but that members could ride as much or as little as they wanted. The longer ride to the Elephant Seals Overlook was a 55-mile ride. Some only rode to San Simeon where we stopped for lunch at Sebastian's for some delicious sandwiches. We enjoyed some great weather, nowhere near the 105 it was in Fresno, those of us who rode the farthest ride did encounter the typical wind out of the north making for a bit of a challenge for the last few miles, but the ride back was nice with the tail wind. After the ride who could resist a stop at Duckies for Clam Chowder and Fish and Chips, one of Cayucos’ most popular restaurants. Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed the ride. 

     Club Member Brian Mitchell completed the Seattle to Portland cycling event in July.  Check out his Rider Report below.  We hope to make this a recurring part of the Rough Draft having riders tell of their experiences in local, national, and international cycling events.  

     As always ride legal and ride safe. See you out on the road, in the gravel or on the trails. 

The Prez
Dennis Ball

2024 FCC Labor Day & September Birthday Ride

     With the Labor Day holiday kicking off the Month of September we decided to combine the September Birthday Ride with the club Labor Day Ride.  The rides will start at the Steven's Bike Shop Parking Lot on Monday, September 2nd.  As usual there will be three ride options.  An A-Level ride of about 10 miles.  A B-level ride of 27 miles (out and back to Shaw & Academy) and a C-level ride of 44 miles (out and back to Prather).  For complete details and to register for your spot, visit the registration page.

BASS LAKE POWERHOUSE DOUBLE CENTURY, OCTOBER 12TH

     What do you do when riding 100 miles is no longer challenging?  You sign up for the Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century.  The 2024 BLPDC takes place on Saturday, October 12th, and is an easy 200 miles with only 10,000 feet of climbing.  If that isn't enough to motivate you, keep in mind all of the great rest stops that makes FCC events legendary.  The first 100 miles takes you up and around beautiful Bass Lake.  The second 100 miles takes you out to Pine Flat. Click the link above to register today.   

TOUR D' FEMME AND MEN/FCC CLUB PICNIC, OCTOBER 26TH

     For 2024 we are combining the Tour D' Femme with the Annual FCC Picnic.  Therefore, we have changed the name for this year to the Tour D' Femme and Men.  The TDFM takes place on Saturday, October 26th. The ride will begin and end at Clovis Hills Community Church (this is the same location as last year's club picnic when the club picnic followed the Padyakan Ride)

     Registration is now open!  

SEATTLE TO PORTLAND (STP) - RIDER REVIEW

     Fresno Cycling Club Member Brian Mitchel participated in the 2024 Seattle to Portland Cycling Event on July 13 and 14.  Here is his report from that event.

     The Seattle to Porland Ride is a double century event held each year in Seattle, Washington. Of the 5,000 participants, the majority ride it in two days. The Cascade Cycling Club has trucks at the start line that transport your overnight supplies to one of several halfway locations. I chose Centralia College at mile marker 101, because I had reserved a hotel about a mile away. For those that like camping, Centralia College allows free camping on campus Saturday night and many younger riders set up tents

Tip: Hotels fill fast. I reserved 6 months in advance.

     I was excited to be part of a large-scale event that I had heard so much about. The locals complained about the hot weather, but I was thrilled to be out of the Central Valley heat. The course is hilly with some short steep climbs of 7 – 8 %. Road surfaces varied from smooth and fast to potholes and rumble strips. The hills were a bit of a challenge but riding through pine forests and beside river views made it all worth it.

     I was surprised that there were only 4 full-service rest stops on the route. They had mini stops with water only and a few locals set up rest stops selling drinks and such. The rest stop food was typical PBJ sandwiches, grapes, bananas, cookies, and trail mix. Overall, I would rate the food 4 out of 5. The mid-point stop at Centralia College had food trucks and a beer garden, but cash or card was required. The end of the ride was at Holiday Park in Portland, Oregon. It was a warm day in the lower 90s, although there was plenty of shade and the beer garden had tables and chairs to use while listening to live music. After the festival, I boarded a bus for a trip back to the start line and my bike was loaded on a transport truck back as well.

     I trained for 6 months in preparation for the STP, slowly building up to several century rides in the weeks before the event. During the event I rode faster than planned, getting in a paceline at 20mph at one point. It was interesting seeing so many different riders participating, but I was cautious about the many unskilled riders on the route.

Tip: You really want to think through the options of how to get to the event. 

     If you plan on riding the STP, you could drive the 900 miles to Seattle like I did, or you can fly with your bike. Each requires different logistics. If you have an RV, you can camp at the start line. In hindsight, I think the 1800 miles I traveled to and from the event was more taxing than the ride itself. Total cost for me was about $2000 after meals and hotels and event fees.

     I would ride it again if I could. It certainly would be more fun with a group of friends. Next time I would likely put my bike in a flight case and take the two-hour flight to Seattle.  Alaska Airlines is one of the event sponsors in 2024 and offered a discount on flights.  I'm not sure of the size of the discount. 

Seattle to Portland ride 2024 (cascade.org)

DID YOU COMPLETE A CYCLING EVENT IN 2023 OR 2024?

     We are looking for club members who had a positive experience at a cycling event in either 2023 or 2024.  It does not have to be a multi-day out of state event like Brian's Seattle to Portland. It could be your favorite Metric or full Century ride that you complete annually or even one of our own club events.  Next month, we have a first-time rider report on the Tollhouse Century.  We have a simple list of questions to gather details about the event that become part of the Rider Report. If you want to share your experience about a particular event, please email editor@fresnocycling.com.   

FCC BOARD MEETING

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024   

6:30 PM

Me N Eds Victory Grill

4010 N Cedar Ave

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Your Membership Renewal Date:

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FCC 2024 EVENT CALENDAR

  • FCC Labor Day Rides - Monday, September 2nd (Register)
  • Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century – Saturday, Oct 12 (Register)
  • Tour d' Femme and Men/FCC Club Picnic – Saturday, Oct 26 (Register)
  • FCC Christmas Party – Sunday, December 1st 

SUBMIT YOUR CLUB RIDE PHOTO FOR THE ROUGH DRAFT

     Have a group picture from a recent club ride?  Submit it to editor@fresnocycling.com for a future edition of the Rough Draft. Please include the date and the destination of the ride.  See the picture at the top of this newsletter as an example.

BIKE MAINTENANCE - DOES EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?

     Tool Time!

     I’m not Tim ‘the Toolman’ Taylor, but I’ve always had the philosophy of, “If someone has learned how to (fill in the blank) then so could I.” I’ve used this approach in many aspects of my life, from rebuilding a 351 Cleveland on a ’72 Ranchero, installing dual-pane windows in a 1952 ranch house, building a 10’ long dining room table, and bike repair. The one thing that all these projects had in common was having the correct tool for the job.

     There’s no way I could rebuild an engine with a pedal wrench, a bike stand, and a chain whip; just like I can’t do maintenance on a bike with a table saw, wood clamps, and a jointer.

     Having the correct tool for the job is way more important than some people think. In most cases it’ll avoid damaging expensive parts by over torquing a bolt or injuries to yourself when trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole.

     I’m not suggesting that you go out and buy a toolbox full of Park Tools that you may never use or in some cases not even know how to use them, but I am suggesting that you get a toolkit of common tools that you’ll need for bike repairs. Having the correct tool on hand when you need to make a repair on your bike is not just satisfying, it’s also cost effective, time saving, and may be the deciding factor on you riding that group ride that day or not.

     One of the best resources on learning how to make minor repairs is YouTube. If you go to YouTube and search for the issue your bike is having, there will be a video on how to resolve it. Park Tool has produced and published more than 850 videos and has almost 850,000 subscribers to their channel. I can pretty much guarantee they have a video on how to fix your bike issue and they’re not the only ones either, GCN, Berm Peaks, REI, Bike Teacher, Mapdec, and so on and so on…

     As far as what tools you’ll need, that’s not something that can be listed here, we’d need a much longer newsletter. There are many tool companies that have readily assembled bicycle repair tool kits that are quite affordable. Just on Amazon alone there are dozens like BikeHand, Duratech, Spin Doctor, RockBros, Pedros, Abbey, and of course Park Tool (I didn’t find Binford Tools listed there). If you’re only working on your bike and need the basics, I suggest something along the lines of BikeHand; they also make a durable Mechanics Stand that’s fundamental to have. There’s no need to go out and spend a small fortune on the best tools for minor repairs, that’s why we have our favorite LBS on speed dial.

     If you watch a video and decide the job looks daunting or you don’t want to get your hands dirty, take the bike to the pros at your local bike shop. Do not cause more damage than there already is. They know what they’re doing, will get it done right and you may find your next new bike while your there. However, if your pedal is squeaking like a mouse on a 50-mile bike ride with each pedal stroke, you’ll at least know where to find help on resolving it and will have the correct tool for the job. Oh, if you’re under 30, you may need to Google Tim ‘the Toolman’ Taylor and Binford Tools.

Richard Lawley

LOOKING FOR FCC RIDES??

    The following is a list of FCC ride groups and locations to find FCC Rides.

FCC Website

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EMAIL

COMING UP IN THE OCTOBER ROUGH DRAFT

A first timer's guide to completing the Tollhouse Century Ride.

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