There was a new twist to our old picnic this year (held on Saturday, September 15): event coordinator Richard Stone thought it would be fun to have an Italian theme for the affair, so he brought in some pros to see to the main parts of the menu: brothers Lucca & Giampaolo Pesce and Lucca’s wife Rita Faglia (owners of Riviera Restaurant on Montgomery). The results were wonderful: a medley of delicious Italian flavors...a nice change from our standard barbecue fare.
No one had an exact count, but it appears there may have been as many as 200 club members on hand for this annual end-of-summer extravaganza. The picnic was of course preceded by bike rides for A, B, and C groups, and these were well attended too. The weather was just right for the combination of rides and feasting: a bit cool and foggy to begin with, but clearing to sun and moderate warmth by the time all of the riders had returned to Ragle Park, ready to chow down.
To complement the great job done by the Pesce clan on the food, Richard had also recruited Jason Passalaqua from Passalaqua Winery and Lou Preston from Preston Winery to share their excellent wines with the thirsty hordes (this in addition to all the regular cold drinks that the club usually provides). Next to the wine bar was a dessert table crowded with a variety of Italian sweets, plus many munchies from other culinary traditions, including some lethal homemade peanut brittle. Not to be outdone, our assorted club members contributed the usual smorgasbord of well-crafted potluck items to round out the spread of good things to eat.
With relatively short, easy rides in the morning, followed by a marathon of gourmandizing in the afternoon, it would probably be safe to say that more calories were consumed than were expended over the course of the day. But then, that’s pretty much what the annual club picnic is about: rides just long enough to whet the collective appetites, and then the serious work of the day, doing justice to all of the excellent food produced by so many good cooks, both the pros—the Riviera Pesces—and the very good amateurs from the club. And while all the food and drink were being consumed, there was also the business of schmoozing to do: meeting old friends and making new ones...A’s and B’s and C’s sitting down together to share in the bounty of the season and to rejoice together in our mutual good fortune in having stumbled into the delightful world that is the Santa Rosa Cycling Club.
If you participate in SRCC rides, or if you follow the threads on the club chat list, you will be aware that there has been quite a buzz lately about the issue of safety on club rides. Feelings have been running high in some quarters, and there has been what politicians like to call “a frank exchange of ideas.” One member has even taken to distributing an unofficial (and unauthorized) list of do’s and don’ts for ride behavior, under the rubric of “bike safety.”
All of this prompts us to revisit the issue in this space. This comes up every few years: the problem that many club members appear to be less than clear on the concept of what it means to be part of a club ride, and further, what it means to be an effective cyclist in our modern world. Some of this may have to do with our ever-expanding membership: new riders are joining the club, and some of them may not have learned the ropes yet. But a few unschooled newbies are only a small part of the issue. There are also many members of long standing who, to all appearances, remain obstinately obtuse about the subtleties of riding in a group, or of riding in general.
(Disclaimer: before some accuse us of being the pot calling the kettle black, let’s admit that none of us is perfect; any of us can make a mistake. Let’s all acknowledge our mutual and various shortcomings and consider this a refresher course for all of us.) For what it’s worth, there is a short tutorial on club ride etiquette published at our club website. It focuses more on topics such as being on time to ride starts and how to manage regroups, so is not quite the same topic as the one on the table here. But the overall philosophy is the same in both cases, and reading that essay makes a good companion piece for what we’re discussing here. Check it out.
It’s interesting to note that the generally accepted and well-respected bible on good riding practice by John Forrester is not called “Safe Cycling” but “Effective Cycling.” That was intentional: it rejects the notion that cycling is an inherently dangerous activity, and that only by making safety our first priority can we avoid certain catastrophe. Forrester’s assertion—one we share—is that a rider who obsesses about safety above all else is probably a fearful, stressed-out rider, lacking confidence and prone to be nervous and twitchy.
An effective cyclist, in contrast, values and practices smoothness and efficiency, both in handling the bike and in interacting with traffic and with other cyclists. The effective cyclist is both confident and calm—not stressed—and possesses a competency honed over many years of learning from others and from trial and error. This rider sees the big picture on the ride and the even bigger picture of the long-term health of the club and the place of cycling in our culture.
He (or she) understands that the most important consideration on all rides is: “the greater good for the greater group.” This certainly means riding within one’s abilities—being safe and paying attention—but it also means making good decisions on tempo and regroups and general pack-riding protocol that help to keep the group working smoothly and efficiently, so that each rider shares in the rewards of everyone working well together. It means setting a pace sustainable by all; keeping an eye out for riders off the back and helping them to hook back on; not riding erratically; not launching crazy attacks out of the middle of a steady pace line; etc. Generally speaking, it means behaving in a manner that promotes the interests of all the riders...not just the coup-counting glory of one or two.
(With respect to this, a rhetorical question: if you come on a club ride, and yet as soon as we leave the parking lot, you put the hammer down and fly off the front, solo, never to be seen again...why exactly did you come on the club ride? You could have done that on your own.)
Now, about some of those specific “safety” concerns... The first one we want to address is the old, old problem of running stop signs. Very few of us can claim to be 100% guilt-free in this department. A few, perhaps, but not many. We, collectively and individually, have been very bad about this. If we cyclists want to be able to claim the moral and legal high ground about our rights to the road, we need to be better about also riding responsibly. So let’s once again take the pledge: we will stop at stop signs, and we will announce at the start of each club ride: “This group will be stopping at stop signs!” Let’s further remember that what you might do as an individual doesn’t always work the same when you’re in a group. You may, for instance, see a little gap in cross traffic that, on your own, you could nip through. But it’s quite another dynamic when you nip through that little gap while leading a dozen or 30 riders, many of whom may follow you, blindly, into a gap that is no longer there. Another case where the group mindset needs to be fully engaged.
The next item is less black and white than stop signs. It’s the practice of pointing out road hazards while in a pace line or tight pack. Some insist this should be done at all times, without fail. Others say it shouldn’t be overdone; that doing it too much is like the boy who cried wolf: after too many pointing fingers, it loses its effectiveness, its credibility. Some also contend that pointing out hazards may create a swerving ripple back through the group that can have other unintended consequences, worse perhaps than the hazard that caused the avoiding swerves in the first place. The correct answer to that debate lies in the common-sense, case-by-case world of real rides. There is not one single, absolutely correct policy.
But in this context, it’s vital to remember one thing: each of us is responsible for our own safety. Being in a pace line or tight pack essentially amounts to tailgating. We frown on this in our cars, and yet we do it all the time on our bikes, in the interest of cheating the wind. But there is risk inherent in the practice, because our sight lines are impaired and our reaction times are challenged by the close quarters. We work to mitigate the risks by calling out hazards and in one way or another looking out for each other. But never let that obscure the fact that you and you alone are in charge of your bike and your actions, and regardless of whether anyone else points out a hazard to you, it’s down to you to control your own bike and be prepared for potential trouble. If you choose to ride so close behind others that you can’t see or can’t react in a timely fashion, and are then upset when someone fails to point out a hazard to you, then perhaps you need to stay out of those close quarters, at least until you acquire the skills to function there.
When discussing the issue of safety, we must all recognize that all cycling includes the assumption of some element of risk...from bad interactions with traffic or with other riders, from road hazards, from mechanical breakdowns, and most of all from individual rider error. If you are not comfortable with the assumption of that theoretical risk, then you might want to stay home on the sofa.
But the better plan—for becoming comfortable with risk—is to become a more competent, confident rider. This means not only having a full repertoire of handling skills, but also having the experience and good judgment to make prudent, intelligent choices out on the road, in the pack. Some of this can be learned from your fellow club members during rides. But if you have never taken a specific cycling skills course, you might want to consider doing so. There are classes in “street skills” for learning how to work with traffic; there are also skills clinics for simply learning how to ride better...how to touch wheels without crashing; how to look backward without swerving; the theory and practice of pace lines; etc.
Polls have shown that most drivers feel their own skills are above average, while, conversely, they feel the skills of most other drivers around them are below average. This self-congratulatory presumption likely exists on our club rides as well: we look around on rides and see a few of our fellows whom we identify as loose cannons. Their skills and decision-making appear marginal or inexplicable, so we give them a wide berth. But it’s worth reflecting on the possibility that there are other riders out there who may think the same thing about us. Based on some cycling gaffe we may have perpetrated, they think we are the squirrels. This goes back to the initial disclaimer about none of us being perfect. But it goes forward too, toward the notion of forgiveness and charity: that we recognize that all of us get it wrong now and then and not to judge anyone too hastily or too harshly on insufficient evidence. On the other hand, if one of the old hands in the club comes to you and suggests that you could stand to learn a few things from others in the group, then perhaps it would be good to at least have the grace to listen to that advice.
The Santa Rosa Cycling Club is not a race team: we are not competing and we are not trying to win anything. We are a social/recreational club whose members join one another on bike rides because we share a love of the activity and because we appreciate the affirmation that the mutually supportive group provides. We go on rides to get a good workout—to maintain our good health—and to enjoy the scenery along our beautiful back roads; and also to enjoy the company of our peers...to learn from one another and to encourage one another to become better at the craft of cycling. And finally, we come together to ride for the simplest of reasons: because it’s fun; because it still gives us that same free-range mobility we first enjoyed when our dads let go of our saddles and we wobbled off down the block, on our own, under our own power.
Bearing all that in mind, let’s remember all the good things we have in common, and let’s work harder to see if all club members can ride together in a way that is beneficial and comfortable for all. Let’s all polish up our bike skills and bike smarts so that all of our rides are both safer and more effective.
If you read the fine print in the newsletter, you will have already seen hints that we are looking for a new Wine Country Century Chair for 2008. Now we’ll make it official: the hunt is on for that perfect someone who can take the reins and guide the event. Doug Simon has done a superb job of running the event in recent years, but he now wants to take a break and let others manage things.
In some respects, being the Wine Country Century Chair is the most important single volunteer contribution any club member can make within this organization. The WCC is our biggest event and is the cash cow that pays to keep the club running from year to year (not to mention paying for all the charitable grants we disburse to worthy groups each year). It is also the most public face we present to the larger community; our highest-profile endeavor. The person in charge will be taking on a considerable amount of responsibility and committing quite a bit of time to the effort. This person needs to be someone with good people skills, good organizational talents, and a fair amount of free time.
On the other hand, it has probably never been easier to be the WCC Chair than it is now. We have done such good work in putting the logistics together in past years, and in preparing manuals for all the procedures involved, that it is now very nearly a turn-key operation. When you fire it up in the spring, it almost runs itself. Not quite, but close. Plus, many of the Chair’s former areas of resonsibility have been spun off to other committees. The main task of the Chair at this point is simply to sit at the center of the web and keep all lines of communication open, making sure nothing is overlooked.
Ideally, any new Chair would manage the event this year and then would co-chair with a new leader the next year, assisting that new Chair in getting up to speed. Or it could be a three-year cycle: 2008 a year of learning; 2009 on your own; and 2010 phasing out while mentoring the next Chair. It could just be a one-year commitment, but it seems a shame to get one good person all trained for the job and then just let them slip away, so we would like folks to think in terms of the longer commitment, if possible.
It’s a big job, but the rewards are big too: the satisfaction of helping to stage one of the premier cycling events in Northern California, not to mention the gratitude of not only the thousands of riders who will participate, but also of all your fellow club members. But in the end, the person who takes this on will do so not for any reward. They will do it because it needs doing and because they know they can help to get it right. Could this person be you?
If you are even remotely interested in this project—and if you think you have the time, the energy, and the skills for the job—please talk with any of the Board members or with Doug Simon, the outgoing WCC Chair.
First off, a salute to the SRCC members who completed Paris-Brest-Paris in late summer. (In case you don’t know what PBP is, it’s a long, long bike ride—approximately 750 miles—run every four years. It’s the oldest and most prestigious event of its kind in the world, and to even qualify to enter it, you have to complete a series of “brevets” that are anything but brief: from 120 to 600 K...rides that would leave most of us wimpering by the side of the road.) This year’s PBP was harder than most due to terrible weather. But let Donn King, our local PBP coordinator, tell it: “I am writing from Holland tonight, at the home of Herman Mandemakers, a Dutch rider that I met at PBP in ’99 and ’03, and have stayed in touch with ever since. I am traveling with my friend Carol Donovan, also of SRCC. PBP was a beast. It rained every day and every night, and the weather was windy and cold. I don’t know the DNF rate yet, but it will certainly be high, maybe in the 40% range. I am planning a presentaion for the October club meeting, with pictures and commentary, but I wanted to check in here quickly to let everyone know how much we appreciated your thoughts and congratulations. At times there was fun to be had, but this iteration of PBP wasn’t like my previous experiences of high glory and excitement. The weather has been foul on the continent all summer, and finishing the event required digging deep into my suitcase of, well, you know... I ran into Tom and John Russell from time to time on the course and they looked great. I lived in my plastic rain jacket for three days and was warm enough, but never dry. My shoes smell abominably now from being wet for four days and off of my feet for only two hours during the event, and I’m not sure what I am going to do with them. I seem to have suffered no nerve damage in my hands or feet, and my nether regions were unscathed. I slept a grand total of 3.5 hours. I’m not sure what my finishing time was, but I required most of the 90 hours, and I was damned glad to finish at all.” Sounds like fun, eh? In addition to Donn and the aforementioned Russell brothers, our club PBP warriors included Mike McGuire and Craig Robertson, riding a tandem with Jennie Phillips.
If it’s not obvious from Donn’s note, he stayed on in Europe after the big ride, cycling and visiting with friends in Holland. Craig also sent a post-PBP note from Europe, where he too was getting the most out of his air fare by staying on and logging more miles. “Jennie and I managed to get ourselves to the finish at PBP despite the rain, a few wrong turns that added 30 extra miles, and a little bit of hypothermia sustained by the stoker. It wasn’t the easiest PBP I’ve done; the prior two had much better weather. I’m now down in the Pyrenees as part of a bike tour, on a single bike this time. Jennie and Tom Lawrence are also part of the tour. We started in Biarritz on Tuesday and have been heading east. Went over the Marie Blanque and Aubisque today. Tomorrow includes the Tourmalet.”
Just to continue that Pyrenees theme, here’s a note from Paul McKenzie: “Having a grand ‘ol time doing some serious riding in the French Alps. This is Yellow Jersey Adventures—I think you can find it at yjadventures.com—a hardcore camping and cycling tour. We are doing up to 215 K and 14,000’ of climbing per day, with the easy days being around 160 K and 8,000'. Finally a day off in Nyons after six days of riding and doing Mt. Ventoux yesterday. Most of the guys raced up the climb. I got a good spanking, maybe about 5th out of 37 riders, some of whom are damn strong! Hardest day was the Tour de France 2007 stage we did from Val d’Isere to Briançon over the Cols de l’Iseran, Telegraphe, and Galibier in driving rain. I was hypothermic descending off the Galibier and down the Lautaret into Briançon, shivering uncontrollably, even with good rain gear. It wasn’t the longest day, or the most climbing, but riding all day in the cold rain over those mountains presents a unique challenge! But the weather has turned and all is good now, enjoying this day off in Nyons. About five more days of really hard riding ahead, a mix of the big famous cols, and other lesser known, smaller, but also very epic cols.” I like how he says he “got a good spanking” on Ventoux: finished behind four guys and ahead of the other 32.
Touring in the Pyrenees seems to be the hot ticket this season. Craig Johnson also just completed a tour there and will be making a presentation on his tour at our November meeting. And Gordon Stewart has been cycling in those lofty hills as well.
For those of us not fortunate enough to have a Euro-cycling vacation in our summers, we had the consolation of riding in our own backyard (which, come to think of it, is where a lot of other folks come for their cycling vacations, including, as we write this, a group from France: the Lafayette Randonneurs, being guided around the wine country on a two-week tour by our own Alfred Mascy).
Our picnic boss Richard Stone had the first ride up on the schedule that has not yet been covered in this column. But, what with the picnic to organize and all, he claims he can’t remember a ride that long ago, aside from the impression that it was a nice ride. I guess we’ll leave it at that and move on...
Next up, on August 25, was Carole Kolnes’ first attempt at leading a club ride. She sent in this nice note about the day: “About 30 riders showed up. There were a couple of new people and we were happy to have them join. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. It was crisp and cool in the morning and warmed up by the afternoon. The route we took was the 100K WCC, which is one of my favorites and, being late summer, the countryside was gorgeous. Our half way point (33 miles) was at the dam. My husband and good friend had set up all the food we had so diligently prepared the night before.They had done a beautiful job! The watermelon, brownies, and chips were the most popular. No big incidents other than a couple flat tires. However, the most exciting part was the fact that there were firsts for several of the riders: James Wong did his first 100-K and we were all very happy for him; several others completed more miles than they had ever ridden in a day and everyone was cheered in! For me, it was leading (from behind) my first club weekend ride (something I have wanted to do since I first started riding and joined the club a year and a half ago). It was fun and everyone was so supportive...a great way to spend my ‘100-K’ birthday. Thanks to everyone for all your support and great birthday cards! The laugh of the day was a sign my husband and I put on his truck which was parked at the halfway point, which read, ‘Just be glad I’m not 90, otherwise you would have another 45 miles to go!’”
The next day featured another wine country ride: Janice Oakley had put together a route that included an out-&-back on Pine Flat in the middle of all the usual vineyard miles. I did this one and can report that a big crowd was on hand. Not sure of the exact number, but at least 30 and maybe 40. Our weather was perfect too. No complaints in that department...not even any headwinds. As always, the group split up on Pine Flat, not only based on climbing speed, but also on whether the riders went all the way to the top, just through the “flat,” or only to the first vista point. But eventually everyone made the obligatory regroup at the Jimtown Store, although, again typically, the fastest riders were ready to move on out just about the time the last riders were straggling in. I stuck with that latter group and we had a nice, lazy cruise back to town. Many of us segued from the ride directly into the Levi Leipheimer celebration going on in Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa in the afternoon.
Our local boy Levi went straight from the party to North Carolina, where he won the National Championship the next weekend, then on to the innaugural Tour of Missouri, where he won the time trial and helped his Discovery mate George Hincapie win the GC. Also at the TofM, another local boy—Steven Cozza of Petaluma—won the Best Young Rider competition. Steven, a graduate of Laura Charameda’s Team Swift junior team, had crashed badly in mid-summer in a race in Europe, and this was his first real competition since then. But while he was working back into shape, he had taken a flier at the course record for the Mt Tam Double Century in August. He nailed the record at 10:50, which just happens to be the course record at the Terrible Two as well. By the way, I spent a little time on-line trying to decipher the results list the Marin Cyclists put out for the Mt Tam Double, but it defeated me in the end...too confusing.
Anyway, so much for August. On to September, with the first ride up being Ken Russeff’s 30-mile Cotati-Petaluma Loop. A short ride and a short report: “26 riders, three newbies, one flat, one rider sagged in, one rider lost (later found), ice cream at the Creamery and, other than that, just a normal south county ride.” Thanks Ken.
The next day, I was the leader with my ride from Glen Ellen down through Sonoma and the Carneros and back up through Napa and over Dry Creek-Trinity. There were two optional out-&-backs that together would bump the miles from 50 to 63. We had 20 riders at Dunbar School at the start, and we stayed together down the Valley of the Moon and through Sonoma and even up into the first optional loop on Lovall Valley, which many people had never done before. Two stops for flats up to that point served as impromptu regroups. Through the rollers in the Carneros vineyards, the long line of riders stretched thin and snapped in a few spots, but we all got back together at the store in Napa a little past the midway point. After that though, on the long climbs on Redwood, Veeder, and Dry Creek, the group disintegrated for good. Those are big climbs, and the mercury was climbing along with the roads, hitting the mid-90’s midway up Dry Creek. As a result, about half the group skipped the second optional out-&-back on Wall, off Dry Creek (although those who did it all agreed it’s a honey of a road). 95° may have seemed hot, but halfway down Trinity Grade, we hit a wall of furnace-like heat...just like walking into a sauna...and at the finish, my bike thermometer was reading 102°. However, it was only the finish for those who had driven to the start. Several of us had ridden there and so had to still ride home in that triple-digit heat, which for most of us translated into triple-digit miles as well. A long, hot, hard day.
The next weekend offered up the month’s official century: Alan Bloom’s Kool-Aid Century (so called because it’s less substantial than the Wine Country Century, although it too was in the general wine country region). Al sent in this report: “I heard from Steve Drucker at the front of the pack that their ride turned into a real hammerfest. But back at the tail end where Sue, Nancy, and I were riding, it was nice and mellow. We had 14 at the start, less one DNS due to a bad tire, plus two who started early, so we had a total of 15 actually do the ride. I myself had to DNF because of a broken tension bolt on my Brooks saddle. It was more than a little uncomfortable with the leather sitting directly on the seat rails. I ended up with 84 miles. I stopped at the new bike shop in Sebastopol (West Country Revolution) in case they might happen to have a replacement bolt and also just to check out the store. They said business has been much better than expected in their first two weeks of operation. I’ve heard nothing but good reports on the route and the weather. The clouds didn’t lift until late, so it was nice and cool.”
This ride was followed the next day by a Kimberly Hoffman AB ride in mid-county. She reports: “I had a really great group of about 20 people. I had a couple of new members, including our newest member Chris Coursey, and also a soon-to-be member. I mostly rode at the back with my new rider and after her first ride with the club she was planning to rush home and mail in her membership form so that she could join us for next week’s picnic. It must have cinched the deal when I told her about all the wonderful people I’m lucky to know because I belong to this club. Oh yeah, I need to talk about the ride: The morning fog kept the day nice and cool. We got broken up a little on the way out, but the gang regrouped in Forestville and then broke up again on the run into Windsor, but everyone had another chance to get together and socialize when we all arrived at Café Noto in Windsor. A few of the slower group lingered at Café Noto and got a late start back. I stayed back and rode with the slow contingent and got back to Finley at about 2 or 2:30. It’s looking like fall is coming and I predict many more great riding days in our future.”
As Kimberly notes, next up was the annual club picnic and the rides that preceded the feeding frenzy. You can read about that excellent event elsewhere in this issue, but allow me to add a word or two of thanks to Richard Stone for masterminding the whole affair and to a large contingent of members who pitched in on the set-up and take-down, making the whole deal look smooth and well-organized. It really is a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of the extended family of the SRCC. What a great bunch of folks you all are!
There were two more rides on the day after the picnic. Mike Eunice had another birthday ride (total birthdays not specified, although the listed 70-mile total might be a clue). Mike sent in a note about it all: “17 people showed up to start the ride. We had perfect weather. Although the riders had different abilities, everyone regrouped at the rest stops. We had four flats, two at the Cloverdale rest stop and two on Westside that had the unintended result of regrouping the riders. Only one rider got lost, but he found his way to the party eventually. Janice prepared a bounteous and festive rest stop at Keiser park in Windsor that included sushi, sodas, chips, sandwiches, vegetables, and the requisite birthday cake and ice cream. It was great fun for all.”
And Wayne Kellam listed a Marshall Wall ride: “The ride started with perfect, cool weather. There were just seven of us. I think that tells me the B group doesn’t like climbing Wilson Hill and the backside of the Marshall Wall. When we regrouped at the Wilson Hill junction, two guys said that they didn’t want to do the climbs. They would take the low road to Tomales. Now, these are people I can ride with. The other four would leave me behind on the climbs, so I chose discretion over valor. The discretion group circled around and arrived at Tomales just a few minutes before the valiant group, but with the same miles. The two groups also took different routes back, with the valiant group doing the listed route. We arrived at Walnut Park within minutes of each other with 47 miles for the discretion group and 48 miles for the valiant group.”
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