Glue

Tacoma Wheelmen's

Bicycle Club

P.O. Box 112078-TACOMA, WA 98411

Inside:

*Ride calendar begins
on page 2—Peninsula
Metric Century and
Daffodil Classic plan-
ning meetings.

eRide & Activity Notes,
page 4—Bike Bash '94,
Ocean Shores Week-
end.

*Vehicular Timing,
TWEC First Aid Kits,
and Classified Ad on
page 5.

eKent's Corner, Bicy-
cling in the '90s, and
Newsletter Deadline
And Late Mail Blues, on
page 6.

*TWBC Board Meeting
Minutes on page 7.

TWEC Board Meeting: All members are in- vited to attend the Board meeting on Tues- day, February 1, 1994, at Carla Gramlich's home, 3218 N. 28th, in Tacoma, at 7:00 p.m. The Board welcomes your help and ideas.

Ride Line
759-2800

TWBC
NEWSLETTER

Framebuilder Takes Us

To East Africa

February's Club meeting features frame
builder Paul Barkley, from Bellingham. His
custom bikes have won awards around the
world.

One of his designs is the frame that uses
the Alsop carbon fiber seat support suspen-
sion system. This frame and others will be
on display.

Paul and his wife are involved in devel- oping the bicycle industry in Uganda. He will present a slide show of a trip they made in 1985-86 to East Africa. The slide show will have music, and should be a chance to vicariously travel to somewhere that is warm.

So, shut off your TV, come out, and
sample the snacks.

Our Club meetings are held at the South End Community Center and Pool, located at 402 E. 56th Street, between Pacific and McKinley Avenues, just past Concordia Lutheran School. The building is about 300 feet off the street. This location is on a bus line, and is easily reached by bicycle.

Club meetings begin at 7:00 p.m., and are
characterized by door prizes and food and
drink.

If you want additional information about
our Club meetings, call Kent Wienker at
474-9395.

Greater Seattle
Bicycle Expo ‘94

by Sylvia Russell

The 1994 Greater Seattle Bicycle Expo will be held at the Seattle Center's Northwest Rooms on Friday, February 25th from 2:00 p-m. to 10:00 p.m., and Saturday, February 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mark your calendars and plan on attending the 6th annual Expo!

Expo is the first place you can sign up for

Page One

Founded In 1888 ‘February, 1994

the popular summer rides, including the STP (Seattle To Portland) and the RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier In One Day) lottery. Some of the best shops in the region will be at Expo '94, and manufacturers will exhibit new products. Expo also offers the opportunity to learn what is current in the world of bicycle advocacy. If it concerns bicycling in the Puget Sound Region, it will be represented at Bike Expo.

The Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club will continue its tradition of exhibiting at Expo to promote the Daffodil Classic, the Penin- sula Metric Century, and other Club activi- ties. A number of volunteers, who are familiar with the Club and its activities, are needed to staff the booth. For information about volunteering call Sylvia Russell at 862- 3288.

For general information about Expo, call
the Expo Hotline at 522-BIKE (2453), then
press number ‘2’ for Expo.

Comments From
The President

by Carla Gramlich

The proposed Bicycle Helmet Law for Pierce County passed through committee and is headed for a full vote by the County Council. Several doctors and healthcare workers testified on the statistics that helmets dramatically reduce head and brain injuries. The ordinance includes time, before the law takes effect in September, to educate the public on bicycle safety. If you are interested in helping with bicycle safety, please call myself, 752-4038, or Bob Myrick, 473-7455.

Remember, when out on a Club ride, that
you are setting an example on how bicy-
clists should behave on the road way. Please
ride on the correct side of the road, and
have no more than two abreast. Ride single
file to allow traffic to pass. When stopping

(Continued on page 7)

February, 1994

TWBC RIDE CALENDAR FOR FEBRUARY 1 to MARCH 6, 1994 Questions about rides or activities? Call the leader!

Call The Ride Leader

Tuesday Ride

CODE
2

Louis Boitano
922-6156

Carla Gramlich’s
home, 3218 N. 28th
Street, Tacoma, WA

TWEC Board Meeting

Carla Gramlich
752-4038

a

McDonald's, Spana-
way. Military Road &
Pacific Avenue.

Spanaway South End
Ride.

Hank Giddings
894-2643

1st Interstate Bank
10225 Gravelly Lake
Drive.

Decide To Ride Tea The Ride Line
759-2800

Call The Ride Leader

Tuesday Ride

Louis Boitano
922-6156

a

24

Dena Wessels' home, | Peninsula Metric

7112 106th St. N.W.

Century planning
meeting.

Kent Wienker
474-9395

Gig Harbor, WA
Greg Grenier's home,
3715 N. Shirley,

Daffodil Classic

-

Greg for directions:

PM planning meeting. 752-4348
Tacoma, WA Information:
862-3288
Wed 7:00 to Pattison’s West Rollarblade or Bob Myrick |
2/9 9:30PM 34222 Pacific Hwy. S. | conventional skate. 473-7455
Federal Way, WA
Sat 10:00 20+ Dairy Queen Tour de Fort Lewis ie Roelofsz
2/12 AM S. 176th & Pacific East. 847-1843
Hwy. Peggy Fjetland
841-4458

Carpool, Skyline Park
& Ride, 6th Ave.

Start, Belfair.

Big Water Ride.

es
eS
|

Kent Wienker
474-9395

S. 13th & Market
Tacoma, WA

Call The Ride Leader

South End Commun-
ity Center & Pool. 402
E. 56th Street.

Carla's Biathlon

Tuesday Ride

TWBC Club Meeting.
Frame builder Paul
Barkley—East Africa
slide show.

2

Carla Gramlich
752-4038

Louis Boitano
922-6156

Kent Wienker
474-9395

Sat 8:30 30+ UPS Fieldhouse Pancake Breakfast 2 Steve & Phyllis Lay
2/19 AM N. 11th & Union 759-1816
(TWBC Ride Calendar continues on page 3)
TWBC NEWSLETTER Page Two February, 1994

(TWBC Ride Calendar continued from page 2)

START POINT ACTIVITY LEADER
Titlow Pool Ride to Yelm. Kent Wienker
474-9395
McDonald's Westgate | Decide To Ride. Call The Ride Line
N. 21st & Pearl 759-2800
McDonald's Westgate | Decide To Ride. Call The Ride Line
N. 21st & Pearl President's Day. 759-2800
Call The Ride Leader | Tuesday Ride Louis Boitano
922-6156
Thur 6:30 to General Petroleum Bike Bash '94 NowBike
2/24 9:30PM Museum, 1526 206-654-0276
Bellevue Ave.,
between Pine & Pike
Streets, in Seattle.
Fri-Sat | 2-10PM Seattle Center Greater Seattle Cascade Bicycle Club
2/25-26 | 10-6PM Northwest Rooms Bicycle Expo 522-BIKE
Adults-$4.00
Seniors & under 12-
$2.00.
Sat 50 Call The Ride Leader | Bicycle Expo Steve & Carla
2/26 Commute. 752-4038
Sat 10:00 Freighthouse Square Decide To Ride Call The Ride Line
2/26 AM S. 25th & D St. 759-2800
Sun 7-1 PM 28 Ferry Terminal, Chilly Hilly Cascade Bicycle Club
2/27 Seattle. Winslow on 522-BIKE
Bainbridge Island.
b
9:00 25 McDonald's Westgate | Chilly Hilly Steve & Phyllis Lay
AM N. 21st & Pearl Alternative. 759-1816
50 McDonald's-Spana- Hank's Birthday Ride Hank & Hazel
way. Military Road & Giddings
Pacific Hwy. 894-2643
at-Sun 7:00 6.2 mi. Hwy. 512 Park 'N Ocean Shores Volks- Joy-847-1843
3/5-6 AM walk. Ride, McDonald's march and Volksbike. Peggy-841-4458
18 mi. side. Carla-752-4038
ride. |

Ride Code Definitions (See column six in ride calendar): 1.Easy pace—frequent stops to catch-up and re-group. 10-13
mph. 2. Moderate pace—occasional stops to catch-up and re-group. 13-16 mph. 3. Steady pace—limited stops. Cue
sheets or map provided. 13-16 mph. 4. Fast pace—very limited stops. Cue sheets or map provided. 16+mph. Maps
provided for all rides over 35 miles.

For More Information About Rides, Call The Ride Line At 759-2800. (To record
your message on the ride line without waiting for the other messages to play, press the
* button on a touch tone phone.)

Wear A Helmet, And Carry Repair Items And First Aid Supplies On Your Ride!

Page Three

February, 1994

Ride And Activity Notes: (Refer to Ride Calendar on pages 2 & 3 for appropriate notes)

Carla's Biathlon (Fun run or walk and ride): Every year the Pierce County's “Y” has a Fun Run to raise
money for their youth programs. This is a fun event, and anyone that would like to run or walk four miles can
participate. Club members can meet at the corner of S. 13th and Market (across from the “Y” by the Sheraton) at 9:45
am. The run will start in front of the downtown “Y” at 10:00 a.m. This event costs $10.00 ($15.00 day of) and includes
a T-shirt.

After the morning run, if you feel up to it, we will meet at Freighthouse Square for the ride portion of this
Biathlon. The ride is free. Freighthouse Square has places to eat before the bicycle ride. Anyone can attend all or part
of this active day. Flyers for the run can be picked up at any Pierce County “Y”. For more information call Carla at
752-4038.

Bike Bash '94—It's a Big Party and You're Invited!: Bike Bash at a car museum? You bet! “Making Antiques” is the theme of this year's Bike Bash which is being held at the General Petroleum Museum. The museum is a unique and fascinating collection of gas station paraphernalia from the 30s and 40s. At the Bike Bash we'll honor their place in a museum! We'll also celebrate the place of bicycles on our roadways and applaud the work of individuals dedicated

to making bicycling safe, fun, and Oil Smart.

This is the Northwest Bicycle Foundation's fifth annual Bike Bash. It's going to be bigger and better than ever! Come celebrate bicycling in the Puget Sound region. Eat, drink, dance, see old friends and meet some new people. We'll give out awards to people who have made significant contributions to bicycling in the Northwest.

The party will be held February 24th, the night before Bike Expo, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm. A $5.00 donation is suggested before the event, or $7.00 at the door. (Pre-registration helps the caterer. By the way, the food selection looks mouth watering!) The General Petroleum Museum is located at 1526 Bellevue Avenue between Pine and Pike Streets in Seattle. The entrance is through Crawford Place alley behind the museum. There are several parking lots in | the area. Call NowBike for tickets or directions at 206-654-0276.

Bicycle Expo Commute: On Saturday morning, February 26th, Steve and I will ride from Tacoma to Seattle to
attend Bicycle Expo that afternoon. At this time we are still checking out possible routes. The ride could be as long as
50 miles each day. Plans are to stay overnight in Seattle at the Youth Hostel, or a motel near Seattle Center. Anyone
interested in commuting please call Steve or Carla at 752-4038. To reserve a place to stay overnight please call by
February 15, or attend the Club meeting.

Ocean Shores Weekend: The Telephone Pioneers will once again sponsor two Volksmarches and Volksbikes the first weekend of March. Last year Steve and I went over for one day and had fun walking the beach and riding

around Ocean Shores.

These walks and rides are flat and scenic. Peggy Fjetland has found dorm style accommodations in Ocean Shores. The price for overnight will be $10.00. Kitchen facilities are available and the group could make pizza, or go out to dinner on Saturday. Staying the weekend will allow you to do both rides and walks if you are so inclined. Beach combing, shopping and local food is another option.

Space is limited to 21 people. We need to know by February 15 who would like to attend. Please call Peggy, 841-4458, or Carla, 752-4038, to reserve. More information and reservations may also be obtained at the Club meeting. Start point for the weekend is the Hwy. 512 Park 'N Ride on the McDonald's side. Time is 7:00 a.m. :

Daffodil Classic Committee Mecting—February 9, 1994

Planning for the 1994 Daffodil Classic will continue with a meeting at 7:00 p.m., February 9th, at the home of Greg and Gina Grenier, 3715 N. Shirley Street, Tacoma, WA. For directions call Greg at 752-4348. Items to be discussed include publicity plans, budgets, volunteers, and gov- emment contacts.

Shirts have been ordered, and will

be available for sale at Bike Expo. Like last year, we will have T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, and a 3-pocket jersey. The 19th annual Daffodil Classic will be held on Sunday, April 17th, with the course open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Prices are $8.00 for pre- registered riders, and $10.00 for day-of registration riders. The course is similar to past years, with 20, 50, 70,

and 100 mile options.

A large cadre of volunteers are needed for registration, rest-stops, parking, route marking, publicity, sag support, and many other activities. Volunteers ride for free. To volunteer, call Sylvia Russell or Brian Wester at 862-3288.

Compuserve E-Mail Can Be Used For Our Newsletter If you have a computer with Compuserve, you can send articles to the editor with the e-mail feature. The editor's Compuserve user identification number is 71570,446. For more information call the editor at 759-4464.

Page Four

February, 1994

The Tacoma Wheelmen's
Bicycle Club

Board Members
PRESIDENT
Carla Gramlich -752-4038
VICE-PRESIDENT
Kent Wienker - 474-9395
SECRETARY
Dena Wessels - 857-5658
TREASURER
Hazel Giddings - 894-2643
TOURING CAPTAINS
Steve & Phyllis Lay - 759-1816
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
William Hoehne -759-4464
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Bob Myrick -473-7455
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS
Sue Given -565-0535
PAST PRESIDENT
Greg Grenier -752-4348

Staff
MEMBERSHIP
Phyllis Lay - 759-1816
PUBLICITY
Cynthia Hammer -752-0801
L.A.W. REPRESENTATIVE
Sue Given -565-0535
B.E.W. COORDINATOR
Diane Lister -752-8636
SAFETY & EDUCATION
Jan Wieser -833-6346
EQUIPMENT MANAGER
Steve Brown -752-4038
RIDE LINE
Steve Lay -759-1816
MAILING
Don Izenman -565-2720

Annual Committees
DAFFODIL CLASSIC
Brian Wester - 862-3288
Sylvia Russell -862-3288
PENINSULA METRIC
Kent Wienker -474-9395

Sylvia Russell -862-3288
Brian Wester - 862-3288
S.T.P. COORDINATOR
Hank Giddings -894-2643

BANQUET COMMITTEE
Bob Myrick -473-7455
ANNUAL PICNIC

For correspondence, indicate
appropriate officer, and send to:
The Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle
Club, P.O. Box 112078, Tacoma,
WA 98411.

E-mail can be sent to the editor
via Compuserve user # 71570,446.

Vehicular Timing
by Daniel Newlander, TWBC member

There has been a lot of good articles published about bicycling safety. Iam sure this information has been tried and tested by experience on the road. But there is a concern we should hear more about, and it encompasses every aspect of our cycling experiences. This concern is called vehicular timing.

I am sure you are aware that a
bicycle can be considered a vehicle. As
with cars, we need to follow traffic
laws and regulations as they apply to
us.

Some common problems involving vehicular timing are inadequate braking distances, turns, and passing. Drivers just do not allow for a bicycles slower speed. This is what we call a “near miss”, and it is nothing less than a failure of judgement in vehicular timing.

Bicycles have greater visibility of
traffic, plus a faster stopping ability
than cars. We can maneuver easier,
and we need these advantages to keep
from being hit.

So, how can we teach drivers about
proper timing judgement? We, as
cyclists, are forced to anticipate. This
means we must guess what a car is
going to do before it actually happens.
With the tremendous speed and mass
advantage cars have over us, our
decision time is often a matter of
seconds. The risk is too great to
assume, as far as I am concerned.

Every day I am on the road, choice is taken from me, in one way or another, to make a safe decision. A car, when encountering a bicycle, has a certain length of time for reaction, where speed and distance are relative to the time to react. There should be no excuse for a “near miss”, if a bicycle is visible and being safe. Cars just do not give us enough time to get

• out of the way.

We need to send a message to
drivers—give us a “brake”.

TWBC First Aid Kits
by Dena Wessels, TWBC Secretary

Are you ready to start riding in this
new year? Have you recently given

Page Five

your bicycle a thorough mechanical going over, to make sure everything was in good working order? Got all the tools that you will need? Are all those bike clothes in good shape? Then you think you are ready to ride, right?

Wrong! Where is your first aid kit?
What happens if you, or a cycling
companion, takes a spill out there?
Will you be prepared?

Come to the February general
meeting and pick up your TWBC first
aid kit. For $3.00, you get an
assortment of pads and bandages,
alcohol and iodine swabs, a cleaning
towelette, and a pain reliever.

What? You have already got this
stuff at home? Then why isn't it part
of your bike equipment?

Come to the meeting and pick up a kit for a measly $3.00, a kit that is already bagged and ready to go. Do not be foolish and leave essential gear at home. You would not leave your helmet at home in the off chance that you would have no accidents, would you?

Classified Ad

For Sale:
53 cm. Cannondale
54 cm. Bianchi
Call 474-9395

February, 1994

Peninsula Metric Century
Information

Kent's Corner
by Kent Wienker, TWBC Vice-President

In future articles, my Peninsula
Metric Century updates and an-
nouncements will be included in this
monthly column. In addition, I will try
to chronicle some of the Club rides us
road and mountain bikers enjoy.

The first Peninsula Metric Century
meeting will be on February 8, 1994, at
7:00 p.m. The location is Dena and
Ralph Wessels' home at 7112 106th
Street, N.W., Gig Harbor, WA.

Directions to the Wessels’ home are as follows: After crossing the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, go north on Hwy. 16 toward Purdy. Pass the Gig Harbor city center exit and take the North Rosedale exit, which is one exit before the Purdy exit. Turn left at the stop sign, going back over the over- pass, and turn left at the first inter- section. Proceed on Sehmel Drive N.W. (This will take you around some corners and down a hill.) Turn right at the first major street which is 74th Avenue, N.W. Go one-half block and turn left at 106th Street, N.W. 7112 is the second house on the left.

Your attendance at this meeting is
welcome and needed. This is the 12th
Peninsula Metric Century. Maybe we
can set some attendance records this
year!

In January, we had an 18 pound
wonderbike show-up on a 50 mile ride
around the Olympia area. Average
speed was 16.7.

Dave Parker, Louis Boitano, and I rode 65 miles last Sunday. Near the end of the ride a truck horn honked, and I looked back to see a truck driver who obviously thought we should get off his road. I bailed out, but managed to stay up on my bicycle. We were unable to get the license number. This is needed to report incidents of this kind to the sheriff's office.

Early in the month I went to Tahuya
to pre-ride a mountain bike course. I
did not know these bikes could ride
through water like this. The trail was
under water most of the way, provid-
ing fun and a challenge.

Bridgeport Cyclery is sponsoring

their 2nd Fat Tire Race on Sunday,
February 6th.
Please use hand signals to let others
know your intentions while riding.
Bye.

Bring Bicycling In Tacoma
And Pierce County Into
The 1990s

by Carla Gramlich, TWBC President

From Bicycling In Seattle, 1879-1904, we find these statements: “Tacoma had a bicycle club by 1885 or before. They apparently discovered the bicycle before Seattle residents, had some better roads, and apparently stronger linkages with the League of American Wheelmen...Seattle cyclists dropped their memberships after learning that LAW funds and their dues would benefit Tacoma, not Seattle.”

More than 100 years ago Tacoma was the bicycling capital of this area, if not the west coast. We have allowed Seattle to surpass us in many ways, from bicycle paths to marked bicycle lanes. I often find the faded paint from bicycle symbols on the roadways, which date from the mid 1970s, when our Club and the city public works provided routes around the city. Tacoma Wheelmen have a tradition of being concerned about bicycle facili- ties.

In January, ten members met with Pierce County's Bob Vogel to help provide information on improving facilities in Pierce County. Concerned bicyclists also attended the initial planning meeting for the Puyallup River Trail. This trail could provide much needed access between Puyallup and Tacoma. Increased car traffic in this area the past two years has made cycling less safe.

Club members have another oppor- tunity to help with better cycling in Tacoma. A government affairs meeting will be held at Scott Pierson's home at 2804 N. 19th (Anderson off of 21st Street), on Tuesday, at 7:00 p.m. Call Scott at 759-9519 if you need direc- tions. The purpose of this meeting is to list potential cycling routes in Tacoma in a priority list, so Bob Vogel can use the information in the non-

Page Six

motorized transportation plan for
Pierce County. This information can
also be provided to the City of Tacoma
to help in improving city routes.

Get involved. Attend the meeting on
February 22nd. Tacoma is behind
other cities in Washington in provid-
ing for non-motorized transportation.
Call Bob Myrick, 473-7455, or Carla,
752-4038, for more information.

Newsletter Deadline
And Late Mail Blues

by William F. Hoehne, TWBC Newsletter Editor

Yes, a deadline for submitting
articles and information to our News-
letter by the 3rd Tuesday of each
month is a_ sadistic, cruel, mean,
requirement. It can give you the blues.
But there are reasons. We want our
Newsletter to be as current as possible,
while, at the same time, allowing
enough days for production and
mailing so you receive it on the first of
each month.

The 3rd Tuesday of each month to the first of the following month is a relatively short time for production, reference other publications. The Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle re- quires a deadline one week earlier for their Newsletter, and most profes- sional publications have even earlier deadlines, while having far more people and equipment to do the work.

Usually we make it—that is, you
receive your Newsletter on or about
the 1st of each month. On occasion the
Newsletter is late due to equipment
problems, a bad day for the mail
carrier, mail thefts, extra mail volume
during holidays, and when Tuesdays
fall later during a calendar month,
leaving fewer days between deadline
and the Ist. Other variables are always
possible, including apathy, sloth,
disgusting life styles, and no bus fare
for delivering proof sheets and fin-
ished copies.

To solve these problems, you may
want to try this brilliant strategy if
you need to insure that a first of
month ride or activity reaches the
membership in time—plan ahead and
submit the article, or information for

(Continued on page 7)

February, 1994

Newsletter Deadline

And Late Mail Blues

(Continued from page 6)

the ride calendar, a month early. The

• - overlap the months, and a month early
• - for an article is not too soon.
• - I know this is horribly unfair, but
• - we could push the deadline back, and
• - you do not want that, do you?
• - Copy can be given to the editor at
• - our Club meetings, or mailed to him
• - at 5702 N. 33rd, Apt. 17B, Tacoma,
• - WA 98407. You can also call at 759-
• - 4464. Finally, and shades of the new
• - technology, if you have Compuserve,
• - or any compatible on line service, send
• - your beautifully written copy by e-
• - mail via Compuserve user # 71570,446.
• - How is that for living in the ‘90s?
• - Mini Minutes
• - TWEC Board Meeting
• - by Dena M.E. Wessels, TWBC Secretary
• - TWBC Board Members met at Carla
• - Gramlich's home on January 4, 1994.
• - *Hazel Giddings has developed a
• - “Check Request List” for those who
• - wish to make purchases using Club
• - funds.
• - She is also pursuing a Washington