Founded 1888

Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club N e w s l e t t e r May 2001

Spring and Summer Trips

From TWBC Members

Interclub Tour - Birch Bay
Seattle Bicycle Club

Jim Eanes

The Seattle Bicycle Club is putting on a three day tour (two days of riding) in July, please see http://www.seattlebicycle .net/rides/touring.html This tour at the moment can handle 40 riders. We would like to extent an offer to members of the Tacoma Wheelmen to join us if they would like. Already the Vancouver Bicycle Club of Canada has asked to send members and I plan to ask BIKES of Everett members as well.

If you look at the particulars, you will see that this is an extremely well planned event that will be loaded with fun as well as good cycling at a very reasonable price, $60 so everyone can go. Anyway, I’m hoping when you look at the ride advertisement, you will agree with me that this event will be a real winner with all our members.

Please let me know what you think. If you have any particular questions concerning the tour itself, please contact Rick Swanson, our ride leader extraordinary that is putting this tour altogether.

Washington Bicycle Bill Passes Vote
SB 5790 Sent To Gov.

Ralph Wessels

Great news everyone. SB 5790 has passed through the Legislature! I will echo the thanks from Louise of the Bicycle Alliance. Barb Culp had feedback from a legislator that our email network and the contact that resulted from it was very effective. Below is Louise’s message.

Good news! SB 5790, the Traffic Safety bill supported by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington passed the full House late last week. The bill was returned to the Senate for their concurrence and it was passed today. The bill now goes to the Governor for signature.

This bill will help curb aggressive and careless driving by making it easier for prosecutors to obtain a vehicular assault conviction. It lowers the degree of injury to “substantial bodily harm” (temporary but substantial disfigurement, temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any body part or organ, or a fracture of any body part). It will also allow prosecution of motorists who drive with ”disregard for the safety of others” rather than driving recklessly, which is a higher standard to prove.

Many thanks to all of you who contacted your legislators and asked them to support this bill! We could not have accomplished this without you!

CITIZEN KEEPER TRAINING

Tashia Weisenburger

Following a successful January Citizen Keeper training, Citizens for a Healthy Bay, a nonprofit environmental organization working to clean-up, protect, and restore Commencement Bay, will offer its second Citizen Keeper Training for 2001 in May. The Citizen Keeper program is a program in which volunteers are trained in pollution detection.

In January, sixteen volunteers participated in the training. Because of their efforts, several pollution incidents in the tideflats have been reported to the proper authorities. These volunteers are helping to make Commencement Bay a cleaner place each time they walk, bike, or kayak in or around the bay.

Our May training will take place on Thursday the 10th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Main Branch of the Tacoma Library and Saturday the 12th at 9:00 a.m. on the waterfront. The first portion of the training will teach citizens how to identify and report illegal and preventable pollution in the bay. The second portion of the training will be a CHB-led pollution patrol, walking, biking, or kayaking, during which the Citizen Keepers will be on the lookout for pollution along the waterfront.

If you like to bike or walk along the waterfront or enjoy kayaking through the waterways, this is an opportunity to help protect Commencement Bay while doing something you already enjoy. Please contact Tashia at (253) 383-2429 for more information or to register for the training.

From The President’s Handlebars

If it is springtime a cyclist’s thoughts must turn to … thoughts of running for office. Yes, it is that time of year when members of the Club must think about who among us have an interest in leading the Club in the coming year. Elections take place at the general meeting in June and three or more Board positions are going to be open. After doing exceptional jobs for the past year Jim Powell is ready for a break from the newsletter, John Campbell is ready to try his hand at other volunteer activities (we now have two Master Gardeners in our midst), and Janice Jensen needs more time for classes and Harleys. I even think the position of Past President is as appealing as President, so virtually any position you have an interest in is a possibility.

What, you may ask, is required to run for these prestigious positions? Do you need a campaign staff? Do you need to doorbell and send out flyers? Must you be a natural born citizen and at least 35 years of age? Is there any chance you will get caught up in a messy election recount ala Florida? No, no, no and no. What is required? A willingness to attend the Board meeting on the second Tuesday of the month. A belief that biking is a positive for both the individual and the community. And, an interest in strengthening TWBC as an organization that promotes bicycling activities and bicycle safety.

TWBC is a great organization with fantastic people; being on the Board provides an opportunity to see how it all comes together. If you have questions about any of the Board positions, please give me or any Board member a call and we will try to give you more details about what is involved in each position.

Government Report

Our committee last met at the Planet Burrito on sixth avenue on Tuesday, April 3 at 7:00 pm. We discussed the wonderful job University Place has done in converting their community to a walking and biking heaven. They have just received another national award for their recent efforts. Way to go. One member asked about the traffic turtles that have been installed in Grandview and elsewhere. I contacted Steve Sugg, the Public Works Director, and asked him about there thinking with regard to turtles.

The Foothills’ Trail and the Cushman Powerline Trail are coming along nicely. We mentioned again that Pierce County purchased the 4.5 miles of railroad right of way between McMillin and Puyallup. In a few years, we should have a great trail system out in the valley. In Gig Harbor, the County is just about ready to start construction of the Cushman trail running from near the bridge to the park n ride lot where we start the Peninsula Metric ride.

Carla has been reviewing the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan put together by the Puget Sound Regional Council. She had a number of questions regarding projects that are not yet in local plans. We found out that the Regional Council staff was using their creative talents in linking up roads and trails that needed to be better connected. We will have to make sure that their suggestions make sense from a safety standpoint. I am sure the various jurisdictions will also be reviewing the plan’s new links.

Ralph reported the Senate Bill No. 5790 regarding tougher penalties for Vehicular Assault on bicyclists is moving along through the legislative process. Hopefully, something will be passed this year to give us a better degree of protection.

The Puget Sound Regional Council has received a Federal grant to present Walkable Community workshops throughout Puget Sound. The City of Tacoma will have a workshop on May 14. We will be sending two members to represent our interests. I know there will also be a workshop for the South Hill Puyallup area. It is sorely needed.

We talked about the bike locker situation. Carla is making great progress in getting lockers located in our Tacoma community. Sound Transit is putting rentable lockers throughout their service area and is actually aware that covered parking is good. We also mentioned that Emily Allen with the Bicycle Alliance of Washington is running a Shop by Bike Program in Seattle. Maybe, some day, Tacoma will figure out how to install bike racks at supermarkets, maybe even covered racks. What a concept.

Hopefully, we will meet again on Tuesday, May 1 at 7:00 pm. I think we will meet at the Planet Burrito, but it appears that the Shakabrah restaurant is again open so we may change our mind. We could use some fresh blood at our meetings so think about showing up for dinner or a snack

TWBC Website

THE WEBSITE IS GOING BANANAS!

In March the website reached a new high: 8,000 hits.

So far, only 10 days into the new month the tally is now 5,900. At this rate April will conclude at double the previous high.

On one day (April 3) there were 1,500 hits! I thought that was a fluke. But the other days this month have been 350-450. And on April 9 there were 850 hits — the second highest single day’s record.

The Tacoma Wheelmen’s website is turning into the Tiger Woods of the Internet.

What’s the explanation?

The top-rated webpage in the past 100 days is the Daffodil with 2,000 hits. That’s about 20 hits per day. Other Daffodil-related webpages are also high.

Want Ads

FOR SALE Yakima Rooftop Rack (parts) 48” round bars (2) - $25, QTR-Towers (4) - $75, Q-clip #69 - $7, Q-clip #70 - $7, Q-Stretch Kit - $60. Used for one trip. Rich/Vickie Kim, 840-9103 or rkim461@ecy.wa.gov. 3/00
FOR SALE Chrome Bianca racing ten speed, Campi components, very good shape. Will accept best offer. Donna Prausa, dlprausa@yahoo.com. 3/01
FOR SALE Ziegler-Lam Mountain Bike. Mega 2000. Full suspension bike. Scram 9.0 components throughout. Like new. Rear rack included. Too much bike for me. $1400 value. Will let go for $1100. Must see. Call Nancy Block-Olexick at 360-893-6649. 04/01
FOR SALE 58 cm Torelli Countach OS, less than 650 miles, Full daytona drivetrain 9 speed. Absolute mint. $1500.00 call Brad Hill 756-8861 or Bradleyhill@msn.com for details. 04/01
STOLEN The bikes were a Red Cannondale RT3000 Tandem. (2000) Serial # DART 0125, and Blue Cannondale Cross Trainer (1991) Serial # 51807916842. Like new aprox. 1000 miles. They were stolen from our garage in North End of Tacoma in the early morning of Thursday, March 1. 253.752.8433 or dougjackman1@home.com. 04/01
For Sale Tamdem, 26” wheels, many extras, 18 1/2 x 16 bottom brackets and top two, low miles. Call Mike. 564-6544. 04/01
Riders Wanted Self contained tour from Anacortes WA to Denver via North Cascades, Missoula, MT, Yellowstone and Rawlins, WY. Will average about 50-60 miles a day and both camp and stay in motels in 60/40 ratio. Trip will take 5-6 weeks. Prefer to leave around May 15th. Alternate is a fall trip leaving around August 27th. I am a 61 year old married man. I would like to travel with some good natured people of similar levels of interest in seeing the country and meeting the people on this old west adventure. jonran1039@aol.com or call Jack Sisco at 360 866 0240. 04/01
For Sale San Marcos ergonomic saddle used 4 timees, $90 for sale for $20. Burt Dionne 253-862-6527. 04/01

Bicycle Community Forum

Biking the Danube River

The tour along the Danube by bicycle was 11 days long using three speed Dutch bikes. We started in a town in Germany, North of Munich, called Deggendorf.

The first destination was Passau on the German Austrian border, about 50 miles. This is where three rivers come together. The Danube coming east out of the Black Forest, the Inn coming south from Salzburg, and the Ilz from the South. We spent an extra day in this charming city and visited the cathedral which houses the largest church organ in the world.

It actually is the connecting electronically of 5 organs with a total of 17,774 pipes, 233 stops, and 4 carillons which are housed in the church and all of the organs can be played from a single keyboard. We were treated to a recital there which filled the 15th century church with beautiful music.

We attended a lecture on various architectural styles prominent in the towns and villages along our way. We learned the difference between Gothic, Neo-Gothic, Rococo, and Baroque. w Joan and I hiked up to the fortress Veste Oberhaus, built in 1219. It commanded the area and the view was quite spectacular. It is now a museum and we learned a great deal about the Bishop of Passau and his control of trade along the river, which made the city quite rich in the days of old.

We biked along on a bike path along the Danube and through a forest. There is no clear cutting here, all the harvesting of timber is selective and replanting is done continually. We crossed the Danube on a small passenger-only ferry to our hotel. We dined on venison or fish that evening on the verandah of the hotel while watching the river flow by.

We headed for Aschach on the river, a beautiful old village featuring homes painted during the Baroque era. We stopped at Wilhering where we saw one of the most impressive Rococo churches in Austria, and arrive in Linz in time for supper.

We took a walking tour of the city and found it to be real interesting. We saw the place where Mozart composed the symphony for Linz as well as the old castle, now a museum, which looks more like a fortress than a castle.

The following morning, Sunday, we visit the famous 900-year-old Benedictine Abby of Melk. From the balcony of the Abbey we have a splendid view of the Danube. We visit parts of the extensive library, the sanctuary, find the gardens to be beautiful with flowers abounding in the warm sunshine.

We rode through a wine growing region which I will call the banana belt of the Danube, called Wachau. The weather here is uniquely favorable for wine grape growing and vineyards abound everywhere. The local wine is great and when the small wineries have product for sale they hang out an evergreen bough. We saw several along the way but did not stop to taste the wine then. We rode 28.5 miles.

In the village of Willendorf many years ago a statue of Venus was discovered by farmers digging in the fields, believed to be over 35,000 years old. Today, a replica stands at the site as the original is in a museum.

We stopped for ice cream and to visit the oldest town in Lower Austria, Durnstein. It was in a castle on the hill above this town that King Richard the Lion Hearted was imprisoned in 1192. The highest ransom ever paid in history, England paid for his release. A short way further on we arrive in Krems for the night. The ride took us 33 miles.

Although the ride was not difficult, on flat terrain, with very reasonable mileage, we had a wonderful time and saw/learned a lot! We would recommend the trip to any who would care to adventure along the second longest river in Europe.

Bike-Tech

Many times a customer has approached me at Vashon Bicycles and said, “ My brakes don’t work like they used to, can you take a look”? More often then not, the rear pads are toast, the front pads look unused. I ask,” are these front brakes new”? They reply,” No, I never use ‘em”.

Okay, what do you suppose the problem with stopping is? If you guessed that because this person did not use the front brake, give yourself a gold star. Many, many riders are so fearful of flying over the handlebars that they refuse to use the front brake. That is a big mistake.

I decided that I was going to try and use only my rear brake on a weekday commute. Now, as I’ve stated, way too many times, I’m a big person. 6 feet, 1 inch and 200 pounds of raw flesh (notice I didn’t say muscle). If a person gets a little worried about flying over the bars with the front brake, try stopping a lug like me with only the back brake and we’ll compare shorts!

When you’re breaking, the pressure on your levers should be 40% rear and 60% front. Apply the rear a split second before the front and add more pull to the front brake. You will stop quicker, especially down hill. In wet weather, pump your brakes a few times before applying pressure.

This will help remove debris and road grit from the pads and figure your braking distance to be 3 times what it is in dry weather. Just like driving, brake before the curve. If you must slow down while turning, use only the rear brake in order to keep the weight off the front end so you can steer. Use a very fine grade of steel wool and clean your rims every now and then. Check your pads for debris and wear and look for metal shavings imbedded in them.

So, go ahead try it. You will find yourself actually concentrating on your braking until it becomes second nature. Check your brake pads in a month. If the front ones are wearing quicker then the rear, give yourself a pat on the back, you’re braking like a true pro. By the way, I promised an update on the chain lube “Boeshield”. I’ve used it all winter long and I think it’s a fine product.

It doesn’t evaporate to a dry lube like wax based products but it’s not as “wet” as “Triflow”. It lasts longer then wax, it survives the rain and it lubricates well. What more can one ask for?

Eddy (eddyj@galaxy-7.net)

Around The World Without A Passport

A map addendum for each respective route section has just been released. Each year we update the entire system through addenda, posted early each summer. The 2001 addenda are up and available on-line. Go to Adventure Cycling’s Route
Network:http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/index.cfm

Adventure Cycling

We field many questions about what to bring on a trip. Recently we found this minimalist’s list of bike trip essentials:

Clothing
1. a pair of biking shorts.
2. silk weight patagonia Tee.
3. mid weight patagonia long sleeve.
4. Super pluma patagonia jacket. (rain protection)
5. helmet.
6. synchilla pile sweater, patagonia. (mainly for sleeping)
7. one pair polypro socks.
8. cycling shoes, if road riding and light hikers if off road riding.
9. tights.
10. rainpants. pneumatic patagonia.
11. el capilene pants for sleeping.
12. another silk weight or mid weight top for sleeping.
13. patagonia baggie shorts and cotton t-shirt (for camp)

—- Tools
1. one tube.
2. patch kit with plenty of extra patches.
3. mini- leatherman tool.
4. mini channelock pliers.
5. allen wrenches - 1.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 (only if your bike uses them) my bike only uses 3, 4, 5, 6.
6. a few spokes, more nipples.
7. duct tape.
8. ritchey cpr chain tool.
9. a few rack bolts, nuts, washers, and a hose clamp.
10. mini-pump

—- Cooking, Eating 1. one cook pot (1 quart per person) so for two you should have a
2-quart cook pot. (share whenever possible)
3. msr whisperlite stove, with fuel bottle.
4. 1 quart lexan nalgene bottle.
5. two bike bottles.
6. spoon, fork (use the knife from the mini-leatherman).

Camping
1. ultra-light sleeping bag (under 1.5 pounds; i.e., kelty light top).
2. foam pad.
3. light weight floorless tent (4 pounds or less; i.e., black diamond megamid sleeps 4) or bivy bag if solo

Miscellaneous

1. two water proof stuff bags.
2. four straps (a good nylon strap works for me)
3. map, big ziplocks.
4. folded paper, pen, stamps (a send away journal)
5. camera, film.
6. sunscreen.
7. bug dope.
8. ibuprofen
9. credit card, phone card, cash
10. tooth brush, paste
11. mini-lighter & candle

—- Food *
1. bars (snickers, mars, clif bars, powerbars, harvest bars, milkyway, a big variety)
2. cream of wheat
3. liquid butter
4. coffee (if required)
5. sugar
6. freeze dried meals
7. milk or soy milk powder.
* all this food could be forgotten when traveling in populated areas where groceries are plentiful.

General ideas- Carry so little you don’t need panniers. Strap tent and clothes on front rack and bag, pad, the rest on rear rack. Know your bike, your equipment and yourself. Be sure your bike will not have problems. Realize that anything you desire is available within a days ride.

The fuel for adventure is creativity, and resourcefulness (you may be able to eliminate a few things due to reuse, multi-use and the fact that you are in a civilized populated area. for example: the food and cooking stuff could go if you didn’t mind eating at groceries, and cafes. the tent could go if you planned to look for shelter like overhangs, abandon buildings, friendly invitations, bridges etc.).

This should come to 15-20 lbs.