Founded 1888

Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club N e w s l e t t e r July 2000

For this trip you can blame Canada

Board members elected

Club picnic set July 23

Sunny skies greet near-record Peninsula Metric Century

• The crew of 60 volunteers kept everyone safely parked and stocked with creme-filled cookies, fruit, water and Gatorade.

• Sixty riders (only 40 last year) pedaled the 100-mile route with its killer hill on Fox Island.

• There is no recollection of any PMC when temperatures reached the 80s.

• This year’s PMC earned its greatest return after expenses ($5,000) for the Tacoma Wheelmen’s bicycle-related donations and activities.

The finish line offered several treats. Raffle drawings distributed 30 prizes, including bike locks, red lights, cute socks, mirrors, a helmet and a tune up at Spoke and Sprocket.

And — like this year’s Daffodil Classic — strawberry shortcake was dished out to all riders. Support for the PMC came from Spoke and Sprocket (mechanical), the The Mountain Bremerton Mountain Shoppe and the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce.

Government report bob myrick

Tacoma Avenue Angle Parking: City Councilman Kevin Phelphs has reportedly asked the Public Works Department to install several more blocks of angle parking. Tacoma Avenue near Wrights Park has been marked for angle parking on the easterly side of the street.

We decided to notify Mr. Phelphs that the city appears to be creating a hazardous situation and the angle parking shouldn't be installed. Alternately, a white safety stripe could be installed on the street with instructions for vehicles to not extend past the stripe into the travel lane.

It was our consensus that the street may be too narrow to accommodate the parking because a cyclist would have to occupy the travel lane for many blocks and create a situation where motorists become enraged over the cyclist blocking traffic.

We decided an amateur cyclist wouldn't feel safe on this modified street. One suggestion was the angle parking could be staggered from block to block leaving an escape zone for cyclists.

Bulbed intersections would help define the angle parking and make a more attractive street scape.

Traffic Calming: As reported last month, I attended the county council meeting where the county engineer, Tom Ballard, discussed traffic calming. We sent to Tom Ballard our endorsement of traffic calming and speed control.

Narrows Bridge: A June 21 hearing was held on the “Design and Access” for the bridge. Several members tried to attend and express our concern about trail connections on the Gig Harbor side and maintaining a connection on the Tacoma side to North 9th Street where cyclists presently access the bridge.

The new connection would be directed to Jackson Ave. You can submit your own written comments to Mark Ellis, WSDOT-TNB Office, 1614 Mildred, Suite E, Tacoma, WA, 98465, phone (253) 473-7455.

Foothill's Trail Connection to Puyallup: Pierce County Parks has reached an agreement to purchase the Burlington Northern railroad right-of-way from McMillan to near Van Lierop's Bulb Farm near the old Meeker Station. The rail line would continue to operate a few days a week and a parallel trail would be installed if the county can pull this off.

You should call your county councilman and endorse this purchase. From the bulb farm, a dead end road runs north to the Puyallup River where the Foothills' Trail could meet the future Puyallup and Sumner trails.

The next meetings of the TWBC Governmental Affairs Committee will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10 at Shakabrah Java on Sixth Avenue. You are cordially invited to ride on over. It is fairly quiet there and the food is pretty good.

I will be travelling during August, September, and October so you all have a good time!!!

From the President’s desk

By the time you read this article I am absolutely sure that a new TWBC President will have stepped forward. I have really enjoyed the past year as President and look forward to a year as Past President. Thanks to all the officers that put in many hours keeping the club going forward into the new millennium.

The July Board Meeting is being held on July 18th. Check the ride calendar for time and location. Meet the new board and share your ideas and suggestions for the upcoming year.

Memorial weekend many members participated in one of two multi-day rides - the annual Galloping Goose trip to Vancouver Island and the first annual (and probably last) Ghost Towns and Old Fossil tour from The Dalles, Oregon. Though weather predictions that weekend were as glooming as it gets, the weekend turned out better than expected.

The Ghost Town trip turned out to be hillier than anyone thought possible. I guess when you cross over the two major rivers, the Deschutes and the John Day that drain most of eastern Oregon it should have been no surprise that we were in for a treat. A couple of the grades were 5 to 10 miles long with the longest including a 2000 foot elevation gain. What would normally be a "couch potato" holiday weekend for me became about 23 hours of bicycling over the course of 3 days. What Fun!

A final thanks to all the volunteers that made the PMC so successful. When was the last time the nicest day in June happened to fall on the same day as the PMC - not in the 10 years I have been tracking the weather.

Newsletter is about bicycling and more

And as the newsletter’s editor, you learn that pretty quick.

You learn that the Wheelmen is a recreational club which organizes bicycle rides as short as 10 slow miles to months-long odysseys.

It’s a social group that brings together people of diverse backgrounds, occupations, political convictions and ages with a common love of bicycling and bicycles.

And you learn that the Wheelmen is a civic-minded organization that strongly advocates bicycling as a key transportation solution for our communities and promotes safety at every opportunity.

After editing this club’s newsletter for 17 issues (and 158 pages) I have learned much about bicycling as a lifestyle and a lifelong passion.

It can take different emphases and personal preferences, but those differences make a rainbow of experiences in the saddle.

And (with apologies to Ernest Hemingway) you learn that bicycling is a truly moveable feast.

Ft. Lewis open up to cyclists

So Saturday afternoon I rode out to Steilacoom / Dupont and crossed I-5 and was welcomed to Fort Lewis.

It’s a great place to ride!

Grego Torfin

Want A

Rhode Gear Bike Rack: Less than a year old. Capacity: 3 bikes. Rack mounts on the back of anything, from Honda Civics to VW vans! Was $225 last year, asking $75/offer. Send e-mail to jbrunjes@hotmail.com.

GT Fury Road Bike: 59cm., 1,000 total miles, just over 20 lbs., 56 cm, metallic anodized blue green. Campy Veloce grupo, Shimano SPD pedals w/cleats. This '96 bike is in great shape. Was $1,200 new, asking $450/offer. , I can send pics. Send e-mail to jbrunjes@hotmail.com.

Two bikes: Ritchey cyclocross bike, 58 cm, Ultegra 9-spd. $1,300. Lemon Maillot Jaune road bike, 57 cm, Reynolds 853 tubing, Ultegra 9-spd, $1,400. Both in excellent condition. bikapelli@aol.com

Kid’s mountain bike: TREK Mountain Lion. 20 inch wheels, 5 speeds. Bright Red. Only 3 years old. Very good Condition $110. Ed Josberger: josberger@harbornet.com, 253-265-6282.

Looking for English 3-speeds: Preferably Raleigh, but also Robin Hood, Hercules, Rudge, etc., in rideable or fixable condition. Rust and dirt OK. Call 253-752-9050.

Two Bill Davidson Bikes: Both built in the 1980s, 24-inch frames with 18 speeds, Phil Woods hubs, fenders, racks, bottle cages. One is burnt orange touring model with 3 water bottles, low rider racks, $685. The other is a regular road bike, silver/green, $400. 253-473-3855.

Members

Renewing members: John Suveg, Ron Menge, Mike and Marcia Madden, Hank and Hazel Giddings, Joseph Boling, Kenneth D. Blaha, Bob and Lois Baxter, Mike Flodin, Carol and Roz Davis, Martha A. Hartley

Helmets on Wheels goal: For every child a fitted helmet

Fittings are free.

Child who will wear helmet must be present at sale for a custom fit. Quantities and sizes are limited! Helmets available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cash only, please!

For more information: Helmets on Wheels, (253) 798-3303.

Tuesday, July 18 3-7 p.m.
CentreFest 2000,
Centre at Norpoint
4818 Nassau Ave NE, Tacoma

Sunday, July 9 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
University Place FD Open House
7909 40th St. W, University Place

Wednesday, July 12 3 - 6 p.m.
Tacoma Fire Department Station 8
4801 South L Street - Tacoma

Wednesday, July 19 3 -6 p.m.
Lakewood FD Station - 2-3
14505 Grant Ave SW in Lakewood

Saturday, July 29 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.
Covington Whistle Stop Days

Saturday, Aug. 5 1 -6 p.m.
UP Community Festival
Curtis High School
8425 40th St. W, UP

Wednesday, Aug. 9 3 -6 p.m.
Tacoma FD - Station 10
7247 South Park Street in Tacoma

Saturday, Aug. 26 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lakewood Fire Department
5000 Steilacoom Blvd. SW

Helmets also available at:

Center for Childhood Safety
Safe & Sound Building
1112 South 5th Street, Tacoma
Tuesdays: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Wednesdays: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fridays: 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Call (253) 403-1234 for more information

Mary Bridge Children's Health Center in Olympia
200 Lilly Road NE, Bldg C-1
Wednesdays 3 - 5 p.m.

Mary Bridge Children's Health Center in Bremerton
(soon to move to Silverdale)
Call (360) 475-8124 for address and directions
Tuesdays: Noon - 2 p.m.
Wednesdays: 3 - 5 p.m.

Ride Notes

RAGBRAI XXVIII. Join 10,000 cyclists July 23-29 for the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. This is a unique ride that includes church picnics, homemade ice cream on rhubarb pie, music and dancing, rural hospitality and outrageous costumes (helmets are required, but not much else). Also included is a 449 mile ride across southern Iowa (the hilly part) on good roads with virtually no traffic. See http://www.ragbrai.org or call Anne Heller at 253-761-0709 for more information.

Eugene Train Trip Aug 4 - 6 Leave Tacoma on Friday evening, August 4, at 6 PM to head south. Arrive late that evening. Spend all day Saturday, exploring Eugene. Plans are to tour the Bike Friday factory and test out some models. We will also spend the rest of Saturday touring Bicycle friendly Eugene. We will head back on the noon train to arrive in Tacoma after 7 PM. For more information call Carla (253) 752 4083 or Dalene Moore at (253) 851- 3686. We will provide lodging and train information. There maybe some Bike Fridays available for the weekend but we will need to know if you would like to borrow a bike. Limited space to roll bikes on the train will need to be reserved.

Last minute rides: If you would like to add a last-minute ride for a weekday, contact Connie Reitzug at 460-1533 by Sunday afternoon. For a weekend call Thursday afternoon. Riders’ essentials: All bicycle riders are urged to wear a helmet, carry repair items — such as spare inner tubes — and first aid supplies on every ride.

Ride leaders: Cue sheets or maps are recommended for rides longer than 35 miles. Also turn in your ride sheets if you are a ride leader. Or else the club won’t know how many rides you led through the year by the annual banquet.

PMC 2000 In words

Rob Beezer

To Whom It May Concern,
I wish to commend the staff and volunteers who made this years PMC such a enjoyable ride. The food was fantastic (better than the food served for the RSVP) and the support was friendly without being overbearing.
My one complaint would be regarding the street markings. I (and one other rider for certain) missed the turn from Nelson to Peacock Hill and eventually rode all the way to the Ollala Valley Road. I was not going to go back up the hill to reconnect with Peacock Hill Avenue, and since I started in Gig Harbor I opted to retrace the route back along the Crescent Valley. Would it be possible to use a more visible paint for the street markers?
Also a filled shape (e.g. for the RSVP CBC uses a leaf and an apple) is much easier to spot and distinguish from other marks on the road. For the money this ride is excellent value and I anticipate riding it again in the future.
Matthew D. Bates

Just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for another great ride. This is the 2nd TWBC ride I have been on, and as with the first, the support, food, and route were great. Thanks for a great ride. You guys are a class outfit.
Marvin Davis

Carol --
Just a note to say thank you for arranging the shirts and for the great ride on Sunday. My daughter and I had a terrific time. The route was good and your rest stops were the BEST of any ride we've been on in quite some time. An all around great ride! Please relay our thanks to all Tacoma Wheelman! And, thank you again too!
Bill Dugovich

Extension of Interurban looking more likely

Steve Brown and Carla Gramlich walked on the Interurban Trail in the Milton area a few months ago. Since then with the help of a planning firm, the city has created a trail development plan, and an ad hoc committee of Edgewood and Milton citizens has formed to promote development of the trail on a regional level.

If things go as hoped, the trail through Milton will continue through the Edgewood/Jovita area and link to the extension of the existing Interurban at the Pacific-Sumner border.

On the west end at 70th Ave. E. there are two possible links. One will be the proposed link through Fife to the Puyallup River levee trail. The city of Fife has hired the well-known trail consultant, Tom Beckwith, to develop a trail and recreation plan.

Tom did the Foothills Trail and the Puyallup River trail, so he should be well aware of the opportunity to link to the Interurban at 70th Ave E.

The other opportunity for the 70th Ave. E. connection is the SR 167 extension which is planned to cross I-5 very near 70th Ave. E.

The WSDOT designers have said that the preliminary design will definitely contain a non-motorized element. A concept drawing in Olympia showed a berm alongside the highway with a trail top. Designers said a berm is necessary in the valley for water runoff retention, but the berm will not continue north of I-5. So if the concept becomes reality, the trail will continue from about the old YMCA facility on Valley Avenue to the 70th Ave. E. Interurban trail.

Another interesting point: at WSDOT’s current plans call for abandonment of the existing 70th Ave. E. I-5 overpass for vehicle use.

I suggested, "Let's keep it for pedestrians and bicycles". They said it was up to the bridge department rather than the SR 167 designers.

Anyhow, keep in mind that we may have an opportunity to get an exclusive non-motorized overpass.

One final word about the Interurban: the ad hoc committee is organizing a familiarization walk on Saturday, July 8.

Participants will meet at the 70th Ave. E. I-5 overpass at 10 a.m. There is ample vehicle parking on the east side of the overpass. From there we will carpool to the 114th Ave. E. trail gate in the Jovita area. (There is limited parking at that end.) Then we will walk the entire trail from 114th to 70th, about four miles.

Most of the trail is open, but a few short sections which have been isolated by road construction are overgrown. I have hacked paths through these sections so the entire trail is passable.

However, there are easy bypass routes for for the overgrown sections if anyone wishes to use them. Some of the banks of the roads are steep, so using a bypass will bring no demerits. Please consider coming if you can. And please pass the word to anyone who you may think is interested in the Interurban Trail.

Eddie Merckx and me: The rocky start of a long-term relationship

I picked up my new bike (an Eddie Merckx) on Friday to ride in the Daffodil Classic on Saturday. My bike got attention; I got attention, and then I got on and rode away. People passed me! They said, “Nice bike!” as they rode by.

I pumped furiously, but my speed was not “the speed of light.” Would I have done better with the Litespeed? I was having second thoughts about Eddie, wondering if he was going to disappoint me in major, irreconcilable ways.

Admittedly, I had developed sloppy cycling habits over the past few years, riding without a cadence counter. Now I was back trying to push my gears at 90 or higher rpm. Could this explain why I couldn’t get out of the middle chain ring and the two largest cogs, even when on the flats with the wind at my back?

When, I worried, would I use the other gears — when going down hill? After three days of cycling, and no improvement, I realized Eddie was too much for me!

His gearing was too high. We had never discussed gearing, which I now realized was no small oversight. Do you know that the Shimano Ultegra package means gears of a size that, in my exhaustion, I thought could only be handled by the professional racers. I didn’t know that.

I now understood why the owner of the shop had invited me to ride with them on Saturday mornings when they average 21 mph. I was puzzled by the invitation — yet flattered — as my top speed is more like 18 mph. I bought a racing bike and I wasn’t a racer — I wasn’t even a racer-wannabe.

Help!

Help quickly arrived in a new cog cassette. I had 32-42-52 rings in the front with a with a rear cassette of 12-28. Now my rear cassette is 13-32. I’m happy! It looks like Eddie and I will be a good match after all. Eddie has redeemed himself, and we should be biking happily ever after.