This is going to be pretty brief because I am already late getting it out. But here's the news as I know it for the past month:
August Riding Statistics are Published
The statistics for the month of August are available on the website. Every month Carol Belair works with me to get the statistics published, so give her a big "Thumbs up" if you like having accurate and up-to-date statistics on the web site.
So far we have had 294 rides and 55,092 rider miles. That puts on track to beat last year which had 306 rides and 61,660 rider miles for the entire year. Many thanks to all our ride leaders who have done a good job of leading fun rides. Especially grateful for the weekend rides and rides in the country.
We moved the "My Stats" page from the members menu to the Ride Stats menu so that all the statistics would be in one place. But you must be logged in to see your page (otherwise the web site doesn't know which page to show).
Cyclists and Yoga Some of you may know that I have been dealing with sciatic pain for the past year or so. It is gradually improving and I am much better than I was at last year's annual meeting. I credit Yoga with helping me a lot. Several other members have commented to me that they enjoy yoga and it helps them to continue cycling as they age. If you are interested in Yoga, there are several resources for you:
Nice Article about the joys of Cycling
It seems to me that the Star Tribune has stepped up their coverage of cycling lately. In addition to the yoga article I mention above, Here is an article about the joys of summer cycling. It is very well written and evocotive of the pleasures we have riding in suburban/rural Minnesota this time of year.
The author, William Souder, also wrote a biography about John James Audubon that got nominated for Pulitzer Prize.
Volunteers needed
You recently got a plea from Bob Bowen asking if you are interested in serving on the HBC Board of Directors. Please give this request serious consideration. It is your opportunity to help set the direction for the club. It is also your chance to be creative and help the club become better. We have four board positions to fill this year, so the more candidates the better. Drop Bob a note if you would like to serve the club in this way.
If you don't want to serve on the board, there are other ways to help the club that involve less time. For example, we recently added membership levels that renew automatically. We need someone to draft template emails that get sent to each member at renewal time to make them aware that this membership option is available. If you would be interested in drafting these templates, please send an email to "leon@leonwebster.com".
Annual Meeting and the Photo contest
I saw in Bob Bowen's email that the annual meeting has been set for 10/25. That means that you only have until 10/15 to get your photo submitted for the HBC Website photo contest and be eligible to win a $50.00 gift certificate to OneTen Cycles. See the June News for details.
Falling all over our selves
Earlier this year I fell down while riding my bike. I was riding along, paying more attention to the conversation than the road, and the next thing I knew I was sliding along some gravelly pavement next to a railroad track. Fortunately, the only damage was to my ego, which can use a bit of damage, and a derailleur. A few dollars took care of the derailleur. There are at least a couple of other HBC members who have fallen this year, and sustained minor damage to themselves.
So just a reminder to:
* "Keep your eyes on the road and hands upon the wheel (bars)". It only takes a moment of inattention in order to fall down because of a pebble, a small pothole, etc.
* If you are signaling for a turn, make sure that you can still control the bike. Personally, I stop my signal just before I start to turn so that I can have both hands on the handlebar as I make the turn.
* When approaching an intersection, unclip early if you think you may have to stop. Long ago I was at a 4-way stop and it was a "Minnesota Standoff" You know what I mean, everyone is looking at the other person and saying "No, you go first". I forgot to unclip and fell right over.
* Be careful going up driveways, or through trail ramps at intersections. If you hit the little lip at the wrong angle, you may fall down. This is especially true if you have a small wheeled bike like a recumbent.
* Cross Railroad Tracks at a right angle. You want to make sure that your wheel doesn't get caught in the tracks which will fling you right to the ground.
OK. End of lecture.
23000 Cannondale Mountain Bikes Recalled
If you have a Cannondale Mountain Bike, you might want to be aware of this article in the Strib.
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