Winchester Wheelmen November 2012 Newsletter
Volume 29, Number 11
“The Bicyclists’ Voice in the Shenandoah Valley”
P.O. Box 1695, Winchester, VA 22604
http://www.winchesterwheelmen.org
November Club Meeting
This month’s meeting will be held at Blue Ridge Bicycles, 2228 G Papermill Road, Winchester, VA 22601 on Monday,
November 12th, 2012. Club member, Robert Morris will have a photo presentation of his most recent cycling and
hiking adventures in Utah.
October Club Meeting Minutes
The meeting was held at Blue Ridge Bicycles, and was brought to order at 6:47 p.m. by club president, Steve
Breeden. The meeting was followed by a photo presentation of cycling in France and Switzerland by Mike Perry.
Pizza and drinks were provided for attendees of the meeting.
Old Business:
WWRT Apple Cross – September 30, 2012
Although there were fewer participants than
last year, approximately $555 was raised for
Coats for Kids. Kudos to the volunteers and race
directors for continuing the tradition of a
successful Winchester Apple Cross race.
Sherando Park Trail
Cory Smith discussed trail work being done at
Sherando Park. All trails have so far been built
by volunteers. As soon as there is approval for
the signs, they will be posted, and Phase I should
be ready to open by the end of October. An
additional section of Phase I is ready for
construction across Landgrant Lane. Phase I is
the section on the North side of Rt. 277.
Volunteers can work on the trails at any time
once a waiver is signed; no power tools to be
used, only hand tools.
Club Jerseys
A blue/yellow club jersey order will be placed on
November 11th. The short sleeve cost $54 and
the long sleeve cost $62. A minimum order of 10
is needed. We will be ordering short sleeve and
long sleeve. If we get enough to fill the order,
they should be in by Christmas. Contact Mike at
[email protected] or call at 540 877-1795
evenings or 540 662-1510 from 10:00am until
6:00pm. Again, these are the standard blue and
yellow club jerseys. Sizes tend to run small, so
consider sizing up one size.
Senseny Road
Steve Breeden attended a meeting with the City
of Winchester Transportation Committee
regarding money that has been allocated to
widen the shoulders on Senseny Road.
Unfortunately, there was insufficient
attendance of the committee members to
address this issue.
Bike MS Update
Richard Hartman reported that this year’s team
consisted of 11 participants, raising a total of
$8,751.74. The team was 7th in fund raising.
New Business:
Treasury Report
Checking
$2,204.43
Savings
$4,492.80
WWRT
$8,618.49 ($425 was the cost
to rent the area of Jim Barnett Park for the
Apple Cross race)
3rd Winchester Battlefield
Mike Perry reported that he and Charlie Hagan
repaired the foot bridge. On October 27, from
8 a.m. to noon, volunteers were asked to cut
dead trees and to haul the wood away from the
site. The wood will be donated to C-CAP. If
unable to haul away the wood, it is asked that it
be cut and stacked along the trails. Power saws
can be used. It has been noted that there are
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orange arrows painted on trees. Attempts have
been made to cover the orange arrows with
gray/black paint. There are new signs at the
Millbrook High School entrance indicating where
cars are to park for those using the trails.
December Banquet
The annual December Wheelmen Banquet will be
held on Monday, December 10, 2012 at the
Winchester Country Club. Club member Ben
Hanson has offered to purchase the wine for the
banquet, and his wife, Jan, will assist with the
menu.
Dues Update
A motion was raised to change the dues to a flat
fee of $15 for individual or family, of which was
agreed upon by those members present at the
meeting. The current dues are $16 for individual
or $20 for family membership.
Actovegin
Actovegin was developed by the Swiss drug company Nycomed and is used medically for such things as
burn care, wound healing, and skin grafting. It’s not used in the USA and I hadn’t heard of it until Armstrong
was questioned about its use on the Postal team. He replied that he hadn’t heard of this Actova-something-orother, and he was sure his teammates hadn’t either. Well, apparently Dr Michele Ferrari had heard of it because
a number of the ex-Postal riders that testified before USADA said that it was used extensively as part of
Ferrari’s regimen.
Oxygen vector doping (to quote Jonathan Vaughters) is designed to improve aerobic capacity by
increasing oxygen carrying capacity. EPO and blood transfusions increase hemoglobin which is the primary
transporter of oxygen in the blood. Basically, the more oxygen you can get to the working muscles, the faster
you climb Mont Ventoux. Actovegin, does not increase the transport of oxygen, as some of the testifying riders
thought, rather, it makes the muscles more receptive to the oxygen. Improving oxygen transport is great, but if
the muscle cells do not utilize the oxygen when it passes by in the blood, it doesn’t help much. Actovegin
enhances oxygen uptake at the muscles thereby taking full advantage of the improved oxygen transport that the
EPO and transfusions provide.
- Dave Albecker
Skipjack Bike Tour
This summer I decided to train
for my first century, long before I
decided which ride I would do. I wanted
to explore some place new, and I
wanted a flat course. I love the Eastern
Shore, so was delighted to discover The
5th Annual Skipjack Bike Tour held on
9/8/2012. This is a low key ride which
starts on Deal Island, Maryland, about
20 miles south of Cambridge. There
were 15, 30, 50, and 100 mile options.
The event is a fundraiser for the Deal
Island-Chance Volunteer Fire
Department.
After checking in and receiving
my favorite ride T shirt to date, I headed
out from Deal Island Harbor. The 100
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mile ride wound through marshlands, marinas, cultivated fields, and small communities. I saw deer running
through a marsh, blue herons, ospreys, and a majestic bald eagle standing in the middle of a field of
watermelons. I stopped about six times to help turtles cross the road :-)
The people working the aid stations were welcoming, and enthusiastic. The whole day was just a
wonderful mix of pedaling for hours at a pretty good clip, amazing scenery, wind, a little rain, breathing
saltwater and marsh-scented air, and meeting the kind people who put a lot of effort into this event. I have no
doubt that there are fancier events, but this one has heart. For those looking for an awesome ride a little off
the beaten path, look no farther.
- Mary Ellen Brown-Hutchins
BAC Southwest Utah Parks Tour 2012
(A Ride Report from Bob Morris)
The BAC Southwest Utah Parks Tour 2012 officially began in St. George, Utah on September 14, but a
number of participants came a day early to ride through Snow Canyon State Park. It was a beautiful
short ride filled to the brim with wonderful southwest scenery and a chance to begin to acquaint
ourselves with each other and the terrain. It would have been perfect had it not been for those pesky
“goat head” thorns. We did experience a few flats along the way.
Sept. 14 was our first
official day of riding. We
rode from St. George to
Zion National Park. It was
a 55 mile ride with 3,081
vertical feet of climbing.
We were all excited about
the ride but nothing could
prepare us for the beauty
and awesomeness of Zion.
We stayed in the facilities
at the park which were
appropriately rustic and
very accommodating.
Sept. 15 was a lay-off day
with unbelievable
opportunities for hiking. I
personally chose to hike to Angel’s Landing. It was a difficult climb of over 4,000 feet with narrow
paths assisted by chain rails in many of the steep spots. But once I arrived at the peak and relished
the accomplishment, I soon began to center on the magnificent natural beauty. These hiking
opportunities planned within the scope of the tour were a very nice addition.
Sept. 16 was a short ride of 31 miles with 2,671 vertical feet of climbing from Zion To Mt. Carmel,
Utah . This was the only appropriate place to break up what would have otherwise been a 90+ mile
day to Bryce Canyon. It was here that I ate a Navajo Taco replete with “fry bread”. Yum! Yum!
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On Sept. 17 we rode to Bryce Canyon National Park. The ride was 63 miles with 4,081 vertical feet of
climbing. It was a tough day and my aching quads conceded to a complete intoxication wrought by
the surrounding natural beauty.
Sept. 18 was a lay-off day at Bryce. The hiking opportunities were not only appropriate but vital to
the overall memories of the tour. I found it especially rewarding to experience the early sunrise at
Sunrise Point in 32 degree weather.
Sept. 19 we rode to Panguitch,
UT, which was a short day of 26
miles with only 689 feet of
climbing. We used the remainder
of this day relaxing and enjoyed a
wonderful dinner at the Cowboy
Café where the multiple choices
of BBQ met everyone’s desire.
On Sept. 20, we rode from
Panguitch to Cedar City via Cedar
Breaks National Monument. The
ride was 58 miles with 5,354 feet
of vertical climbing. The first 45
miles were mostly climbing with
10 miles of it at the 10,000 feet
level. The air was thin. After
departing Cedar Breaks the ride
was mostly a welcomed downhill
run into Cedar City, UT.
On Sept 21, we rode 59 miles
from Cedar City back to St.
George with only 1,342 feet of
climbing. What a ride! I traveled
at 25+ mph for miles without
turning the crank.
Sadly, our tour ended in St. George on Sept. 21, but oh what memories. Not only was the sense of
personal accomplishment great (291 miles with 17,218 vertical feet of climbing) but the friendships
attained and the mental capture of natural beauty will last a lifetime.
Thanks to Spencer and Karen Ridings for all of love’s labor in leading this most wonderful bike tour I
have ever experienced.
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Future/Out of Area Rides
Sat., Nov. 10th – Weekend Warrior Wang Chung – Bentonville, VA.
http://www.rev3adventure.com/race/www3c/
Winchester Wheelmen Nov. 2012 Ride Schedule
Weekday/Weeknight/Weekend Rides & Events
The ride schedule is posted in an attachment sent to recipients of the newsletter. The contents of the ride
schedule will be added to the WW Google Calendar at the start of each month. RE:
http://www.winchesterwheelmen.org/calendar.html
Note: Impromptu rides are set up when no one has volunteered to lead a ride. Where they go and how far they go
is determined by the cyclists who show up to ride. They are planned for those who can't always make a
commitment to a day or time. If you would like to see an impromptu set up at a different location or time, let your
ride schedule coordinator know ([email protected]). Better yet, volunteer as a ride leader. Rides can be short
or long, morning or afternoon.
GENERAL CLUB RIDE NOTES
Approved helmets are required for all rides. If you are not a club member, you must sign a waiver prior to the
ride. For all scheduled rides with a designated ride leader, please contact the leader for details (confirmation that
the ride is a 'go', weather concerns, other). For all rides, the Winchester Wheelmen Google Group delivers the
“official” latest information. The direct link to that web page is: http://groups.google.com/group/wheelmen you
can read all of the postings without joining the group.
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Winchester Wheelmen
P.O. Box 1695
Winchester, VA 22604
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