Fresno Cycling Club - February 2025 |
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THE PREZ SAYS.....
Greetings fellow Fresno Cycling Club members.
This year is getting off to a great start with the Annual New Year's Day ride where more than 115 riders were treated to a great array of goodies at the Lost Lake Rest Stop with muffins, donuts, cookies, coffee, and hot chocolate to enjoy. It was awesome to see so many members out doing the first ride of the year. We had many groups continue on to a variety of locations including Spring Valley School, the Back Side of Millerton Lake, the Circuit, and others. Riders were treated to some nice weather considering it was the start of winter. We want to thank our rest stop sponsor, Eric De Jong representing Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers (represents bicyclists) for all the terrific goodies.
Last month’s Birthday Ride was combined with the New Year's Day ride on the first of the month and the February Birthday Ride will also be on the 1st. Be sure to check out the registration link below. Register and come out to ride. Hope to see you out there.
Have you set your riding goals for the year? How many riding events do you want to do? How many Metric Century, Century, Double Century rides, or multi-day bike tours are you planning on? Do you have your sights set on doing the Climb to Kaiser? How many total miles for the year would you like to achieve? How much elevation gain for the year? These are goals that will challenge you to do training rides to prepare you for completing your goals. Other factors to consider when setting your goals; how much money can you budget to attend "pay for" events, how do you prioritize your life to consider all your obligations to family, work, and other activities? Setting goals will establish how passionate of a cyclist you are going to be this year. The average bicyclist is happy just to be able to get out and ride on occasion. But those who are passionate will be the ones setting their goals and spending a lot of time on their bikes. They are the ones who go out and ride with groups and when there isn't a group, they will be out soloing to get their miles done. The nice thing about riding in groups is the encouragement you receive to do your best and get out to ride even when you may not feel like it.
This year’s FCC events start out with Everyone Loves Raymond on March 29, 2025, followed by Kirch Flat Century and Rides on May 10, 2025, The Climb to Kaiser on June 21, 2025, the 20th Annual Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century (included in the Stage Race competition again this year) on October 11, 2025, and finally the Tour de Femme on October 25th, 2025.
We are going into the second month of the year, and we are still looking for volunteers to fill some key positions on the Board.
1. Ride Coordinator - adds rides to our website calendar from Ride Leaders
2. Ride Leader Coordinator - maintains a list of ride leaders and helps the Ride Coordinator put rides on the calendar.
3. Volunteer Coordinator - maintains a database of volunteers and gets volunteers to work on our events.
4. SAG Coordinator - works with Event Coordinators, Communications Coordinator, and Volunteers Coordinator to staff and make assignments of SAG Drivers to provide and supervise SAG for various club events.
Anyone interested in filling one of these important positions is encouraged to contact the Club Secretary Mary Stubblefield or any one of the Board members. Please consider it quickly as we are beginning to form our event planning teams for our upcoming events.
One position we have filled is the Coordinator of the Kirch Flat Century and Rides. I am happy to introduce our new KFC Coordinator, Sarah Mata who is taking the reins and is already putting together her team and getting ride plans underway. This year will be the 35th edition of the KFC. This year we changed the date of KFC so as not to conflict with the SLOBC Wildflower ride on May 3, 2025. If you would like to be on her team or volunteer to help with the ride, please contact her at kirchflat@fresnocycling.com.
Keep in mind that Volunteers are the backbone of any successful Club or organization. Without our faithful volunteers, our club would not be as successful as it is. That said, I am advising that we are in need of volunteers to step up and follow some of our Ride Coordinators (who want to retire after serving for many years). If the club is to survive, members must be engaged in learning the leadership roles of the Club. That goes for the elected positions from President to Treasurer and those in between as well as the Ride Coordinator positions. If interested, just start coming to the Board meetings and see what it takes to run this Corporation called the Fresno Cycling Club.
That’s it for now. Look forward to seeing you on the road, on the gravel or in the dirt.
Cheers,
The Prez
Dennis Ball
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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1 - FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY RIDES
Meet at 9:45 am at the Steven’s Bike Shop Parking lot at the N/E corner of Willow and Nees. Roll out at 10:00 am for the C-level ride, 10:05 am for the B-level ride and 10:10 for the A-level ride. The C-level ride, pace of 17-18 along the flats, will ride out Auberry Road for a quick stop and re-group at Millerton Store. From there we will continue over to Old Millerton Road and ride to the stop sign at the 168 Freeway where we will turn around. Approximately 37 miles and 1,400 feet of climbing. (For those that read far enough down the January newsletter this is Ride #1 of the 31 Rides of the Circuit). The B-level ride, pace 14-15 along the flats, will ride to Millerton Store and back. Approximately 25 miles and 600 feet of climbing. The A-level ride will either ride along the bike trail behind Steven’s Bike Shop, or head over for a ride around Woodward Park. Register for the February Birthday Rides. |
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MONTEREY 17 MILE DRIVE RIDE RECAP
The Eighth Annual Monterey 17 Mile Drive Ride was held on January 18, 2025 and had 45 riders of all levels in attendance. The day started off cool with everyone layering up. However, by lunchtime in Carmel, the sun was out and outer clothing was shed. There were two levels of rides with the stronger, faster riders riding out along the coastline and returning along the hilly roads through the city of Carmel and ending up back in Pacific Grove. The riders who wanted to sightsee returned along the shoreline with a bit less climbing.
This is a ride Jim and I, as well as the die-hard returning riders, enjoy putting on and attending. The From Scratch restaurant in Carmel never disappoints with some riders eating breakfast and others eating lunch. The meals are always big enough to share and the service is always with a smile.
We hope you can attend next year on January 17, 2026. We set this particular weekend because many people stay until the following Monday, which is a holiday for most. As well, hotels on the Monterey Peninsula are much cheaper in January! |
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SATURDAY, MARCH 1 - REEDLEY BLOSSOM TRAIL RIDES
The 35th Annual Blossom Bike Ride will take place on March 1, 2025. As the mileage gets longer, the route provides more of a challenge. The 7 mile family ride takes you along the rails to trails pathway through Reedley. The 20 mile route offers more scenic landscapes northeast of town for your viewing pleasure. If you are looking for a little more challenge, you might want to try the 40 mile route. This will get you started on the right course of mileage for the year. If you are looking for the longer ride, try the 60 mile route with some climbing. This route will take you into the foothills east of Reedley. Learn more about the Reedley Blossom Ride. |
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SATURDAY, MARCH 29 - EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND
Registration continues for the 7th edition of FCC’s gravel extravaganza, Everyone Loves Raymond! Don’t miss our fun day in the foothills on March 29, 2025. If you’ve ridden with us before, you know that our rider friendly event is a can’t miss day on the bike. If you haven’t yet ridden ELR, then this is your year! Need some inspiration? Check out some of these videos on YouTube from past participants. Gravel Bike California (13:31) Bai Niboy (24:58) Central Cali Cycling (2:11) Jah Wind (7:00) Old Guy and a Bike (9:53)
There is no better way to motivate yourself to ride and train than to register soon! Even if you don’t ride, we absolutely invite you to volunteer!! 2025 Everyone Loves Raymond Event and Route Details. Register for Everyone Loves Raymond. ELR Facebook Page I look forward to seeing everyone out there on March 29th. Henry Pretzer, ELR Ride Coordinator |
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IMPORTANT DATE CHANGE
The FCC Kirch Flat Century & Rides will be held on Saturday, May 10th. Save the date now to come out and join us for this fun club event. |
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UPCOMING FCC AND OTHER LOCAL EVENTS
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FCC BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, February 5th
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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BIKE HELMETS AND OTHER SAFETY MAINTENANCE.
Every month I write a few words hoping to encourage you to give bike maintenance a try. I’m not expecting everyone to bleed hydraulic brakes or true your own wheels based on a few paragraphs in this newsletter but maybe take some of the fear out of replacing your chain, swapping out brake pads, or searching for that irritating squeak (from your bike, not your friends).
This month I wanted to address maintenance of a different sort. Did you know that helmets have a life expectancy? And it’s a lot shorter than you think. Outside of harsh riding conditions or an unfortunate impact, a normal cycling helmet should last 3-5 years on average. Even if you got your helmet in your 30’s and used it for a year and put it away until you were 56, it's past its life expectancy. The numbers are not a hard and fast rule, it’s just a suggestion, every manufacturer will have more accurate information on their specific recommendations for replacement based on their research of the longevity of the specific materials used in their products. You should check out what they have to say about this.
Of course, it should go without saying, but if you’re ever involved in a crash, you must replace your helmet. It doesn’t take a massive hit to degrade the effectiveness of your helmet, it can be a minor crash that damages it just enough to render it ineffective for future protection.
I mentioned harsh environments, and not too many places get much harsher in the summer months in our beautiful central valley. That summer sun, the immense amount of sweat, or accidental drop of “il casco” (your helmet) can be just enough to depreciate the efficacy and rob you of the protection afforded to your most valuable asset, your brain.
Another safety item I’d like to touch on is tire pressure. Recently I was doing some work on one of my bikes, and I was going to just ride a couple of houses down, turn around and come back. The front tire was low, but not flat by any means. As I turned around, the tire (tubeless setup) folded off the wheel and down I went. It was more embarrassing than anything else, but it was a great reminder that tire pressure is important for a reason. Check your pressure before every ride. Never assume it’ll be OK.
Tire pressure that is too high could be just as dangerous as too low. Tires are designed to be operated at a specific pressure point and you need to know what that is. I’ve mentioned before that there are online Tire Pressure Calculators that you can input some basic information, and you’ll get the optimum recommendation for your setup, it’s not always what’s on the sidewall of your tire either. I don’t want to single out one in particular, so just Google it and play around with the options. You will need to know your bike weight (including rider/gear), your tire size, and a few other minor options. I was really surprised by the results for me when I went from a 28mm to a 30mm tire. You may find that your comfort increases, and the stability of your bike improves when you have that perfect tire pressure.
This is your reminder of our New Years Resolution… remember we made a pact to clean our bikes just a little more than we did last year? I’ve noticed that some of you have really stepped it up and have gone the extra mile in bike-care. The rest of you have an opportunity to shine here (that pun was intended). Together. Let’s take care of our equipment!
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.
Facebook
EMAIL
FCC Website
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Club Ride Calendar For the Latest Information on the daily, weekly, and event rides for Fresno Cycling Club, please be sure to check out the Ride Calendar!! |
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FCC - P.O. Box 27571, Fresno, CA 93729-7571 www.fresnocycling.com |
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