January - February 2006

The old year passes and the new year arrives and still this club offers a ton of rides for you to take advantage of when you could be warm and cozy indoors. It takes a special kind of bicycle madness to ride when it’s cold outside and we’d like to welcome you to our crazy cold riding world. If you are one of our members who waits until Spring to get back on the saddle, so be it. But if you are posessed enough to have the cold weather gear because you just can’t bear to not be on your bike check out our mid-winter rides! We’ve got a great selection this winter. Now, please bear in mind that in the event of truly nasty weather rides will have to be cancelled. Some rides include specific cancellation conditions that tell you how far the ride leaders are willing to go, so please check those conditions before heading out. But also please check the latest weather forecasts as well as the club’s bulletin board for the latest update.

Dress in layers and bring the right gear. It is absolutely essential that you dress appropriate to the season and a change in wind patterns can ruin your whole day or weekend. I always say it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. If you have not already done so pick up some thick gloves, booties and a balaclava to protect your extremeties and face. Most winter trips will require a lock because we need to stop and eat indoors. Cable locks or medium security chains will do fine for group rides, since we tend to lock our bikes together. Please bring an extra tube or two for yourself as well as a pump, patch kit, and the other tools you would normally take with you.

Remember that if your bike is need of an inter-season tuneup or overhaul January is the absolute best time to take it in for service. Your local shop is never very busy in the off-season and the new models are probably already on display.

You’ll see some new rides this time as well as some older returning favorites. That’s because several of our new leader graduates have been active in devising new rides! Check them out and give them feedback on the new rides. I want to encourage all leaders, new and seasoned, to get rides onto the calendar, but I’m very grateful to the class of 2005 for jumping in!

The start of the training season begins at the very end of this listing (early March). This year we will offer the traditional training ride series but there will be some changes and a few surprises. Look for the details in March-April. See you out there!

Danny Lieberman
Day Trips Coordinator