Current Newsletter - Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club
February 2015 ohbike.org 43th Annual OHBTC Meeting Saturday, March 14. 4:30 pm Get ready for a great year of cycling by attending OHBTC’s Annual Meeting and Potluck at Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD. Visit with old friends and make new ones while eating some great food and hearing about what is planned for 2015. RSVP at www.ohbike.org if you plan to attend so there will be enough places for all who attend. Bring a potluck dish to share. Club business will include the election of officers and the presentation of awards. If you would like to serve as an officer, contact Jim Hudnall – [email protected]. Maryland Bicycle Symposium Tuesday, February 15 8 am – 2:30 pm - Annapolis The 18th Annual Bicycle Symposium is your chance to learn from leaders in the bicycling field, bicycling advocates, planners, community leaders and legislative officials on current topics with the goal of increasing bicycle safety, connectivity and accessibility. The event is held at the President’s Conference Center in the Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401. The event is free and open to the public. You must register. For more information and to register, go to www.bikemd.org. Dorothy Hodges Ride Leader Award Each year at the OHBTC annual meeting, the club recognizes a ride leader who has done an exceptional job of leading rides, welcoming visitors and looking after fellow riders. Nominate a ride leader by sending his or her name and a statement of why that person deserves recognition to Club President Calvin Conyers at [email protected] by March 1. The OHBTC officers will select the 2014 outstanding ride leader from those nominated. See page 5 for more info. Log Your Miles in 2015 Visit www.ohbike.org to download a 2015 onepage logsheet, download an Excel spreadsheet with automatic summation of weekly and year-to-date mileage, or for links to Web sites where you can log your miles. Join the 2015 OHBIKE Challenge at http://www.endomondo.com/challenges/20009953 and let’s see how many miles club members can log during 2015. Featured in this Issue Prez Sez Calvin Conyers…………………………... page 3 Road Captain’s Report Eric Petersen…………... page 4 Ride Leader Award…………………………….….. page 5 Group Ride with Friends H. Mark McGibbon …. page 6 Ignoble Order of the Wouff Hong Joel Katz…... page 8 2 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club February 2015 Welcome, New Members Gregory Armstrong Ann Corran Carol Dreher Stephen Ferguson Brad Hall Nadine Hughes Serafina Lease Brenda Ruby Sean Speer La Plata, MD Silver Spring, MD Chevy Chase, MD Waldorf, MD Lusby, MD Lusby, MD Upper Marlboro, MD Olney, MD White Plains, MD B B C C AA,A,MTN B C B,CC Need to Renew your Membership? Go to http://ohbike.memberlodge.org and log in with your email address and password. If you don’t have a password, click on “Forgot Password” and a temporary password will be mailed to you. After you log in, click “View profile” in the upper right-hand corner to view your membership information. Click the “Renew” button to extend your membership for one or two years. If you have a problem, contact [email protected]. OHBIKE is on Facebook The club’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ohbike has over 1000 “likes.” Invite your cycling friends to “like” the page. Do You YAHOO? OHBTC members use the Yahoo group’s e-mail list to share clubrelated information, especially changes in the ride schedule. Joining the OHBIKE Yahoo group is free and easy. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohbike. The OHBIKE Yahoo group is for OHBTC members only. When you join, please include your name in the box for “Comments to List Owner.” Members of the Yahoo group can send email to the list at [email protected]. Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club Club Officers President Vice Pres. Road Capt. Secretary Treasurer Calvin Conyers Blake Altman Eric Petersen Holly Carr Mimi Newcastle [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Ride Coordinators Class AA Class A Class B Class CC Class C Class D Mountain Bike Overnighters Scott Walker Darin King Michael Saizan George Martin Herman Young Randy Schoch Judy Mutty Barry Howard Steve Palincsar [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Standing Committees Program Public Relations Newsletter Advocacy Safety/Ed Jerseys Mike Butler Jim Hudnall Jane Hudnall Walt Roscello George Martin Claire Chiamulera Janell Saunders [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Handy Telephone Numbers SHA MD Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Dustin Kuzan 24-hr tape M-NCPPC Trails and Bikeways Information Fred Shaffer Prince George's Co. Bike/Ped Coordinator Victor Weissberg City of Bowie Bike/Ped Information Frank Stevens Pothole Repair Hot Lines: Alexandria Calvert County Charles County Prince George’s County St. Mary’s County 410-545-5656 800-252-8776 301-952-3661 301-883-5650 301-809-3053 703-838-4488 410-535-0905 301-932-3450 301-499-8520 301-863-8400 MD-SHA non-emergency contacts to report road problems Maryland State Highways: http://marylandsha.force.com/customercare/request_for_ser vice For more information on reporting potholes, see http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/2014/02/03/reportin g-potholes/5191231/ February 2015 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club 3 Prez Sez by Calvin Conyers Happy New Year to each of you! To start the New Year, its bitter cold outside…a point easily reflected in the substantial utility bill you just received. Since it might be a bit too cold for riding and you might be feeling a little down, here are a couple of points to pick you up: (1) There are only eight weeks left until Spring, and (2) According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, monthly temperatures starting with April will be higher than normal, but not unbearably hot. While you are mainly confined indoors at the moment, exploring the Almanac is one way to break a day’s boredom, or you can at least try-on and model all the cold weather equipment you received as gifts from the holiday. This is the perfect time to revisit previous newsletters for tips on enjoying cold weather riding. Previous newsletter issues have included many excellent suggestions from Eric Petersen, Mark McGibbon and Joan Oppel, to name a few. 2015 Annual Meeting and Elections March 14, 4:30 p.m. – Harmony Hall Regional Center 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD Each year, OHBTC hosts its Annual Meeting to conduct essential business, elect officers, recognize special achievements, and announce the Dorothy Hodges Ride Leader of the Year recipient. This is a very important award because it is based on nominations from members. If you appreciated the job by your favorite ride leader, nominate him or her. Send your nomination to me at [email protected] by March 1. The nomination should include the ride leader’s name and why this leader deserves special recognition for leading rides during the past year. For more about the Ride Leader of the Year Award, see page 5. If you attended last year’s Annual Meeting, then you already know that we do address serious business matters while at the same time enjoying the evening. Each member provides real life participation, opinions, feedback and votes. Many also receive various gifts and prizes throughout the evening. This year, by popular demand, we return to Harmony Hall with even more prizes and gifts. A favorite part of the Annual Meeting is the opportunity to socialize with friends, old and new. Bring your favorite potluck dish, salad or dessert. The club will provide paper goods, set ups and drinks. Please RSVP as soon as possible at www.ohbike.org. All attendees must register, so do it at first opportunity so you don’t forget. Looking back at the 2014 riding season is a good time to remember the many outstanding achievements we enjoyed throughout the year. What immediately comes to mind are the record high attendance set and the fun we had at all our major rides: the May Metric, Patuxent River Rural Legacy, Watermelon Ride, Annual Picnic and, of course, the Indian Head 100. We have a lot for which to be thankful. Until the Annual Meeting, Let’s Ride! 4 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club February 2015 From the Desk of the Road Captain by Eric Petersen Dear OHBTC Riders, Okay, it’s time to start charting your course for this bold new 2015. Things to get excited about in this brave New Year!!! WABA Vasa Ride – Montgomery County, MD – March 15th Icicle Metric – Newark, DE – March 28th OHBTC – Start the Season out Right Ride – April 4th Ride to End Hunger in Calvert County – April 25th OHBTC – May Metric – May 2nd Six Pillars Century – Cambridge, MD – May 2nd Storming of Thunder Ridge – Lynchburg, VA – May 17th SMECO 75 – Hughesville, MD - June 6th OHBTC - Patuxent River Rural Legacy Ride – June 13th Bike Virginia – Abingdon, VA – June 26th - July 1st OHBTC – Bob’s Annual Birthday & Watermelon Ride – July 5th OHBTC – Annual Summer Picnic – August 1st Ride to See – Galena, MD – August 8th Vermont Challenge Fondo – Weston, VT – August 13th – 16th Bike MS Mason-Dixon – Carroll Valley, PA – August 22nd – 23rd OHBTC –Southern Maryland Century – The Indian Head 100 – September 7th Civil War Century – Thurmont, MD – September 12th UCI World Championships – Richmond, VA – September 19th – 27th Seagull Century – Salisbury, MD – October 3rd It’s going to be a very full year!!!! Get ready! Ride Strong and Stay Safe, Eric Petersen Editor’s note: Check out the “Events” page at www.ohbike.org/events for details on these and other 2015 cycling events in Maryland and the surrounding states. February 2015 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club 5 Dorothy Hodges Ride Leader of the Year Award Description: The ride leader award was established in 2009 and named for Dorothy Hodges. Dorothy was a founding member of OHBTC who held many offices in the club, published the newsletter and served as membership chairman. She insisted that ride leaders be inclusive, lead rides at the advertised pace, welcome visitors and look after fellow riders. The award is presented at the OHBTC Annual Meeting and is based on nominations received from OHBTC members. George Martin - 2009 Nominations: A call for nominations is requested by the club president in February for rides which occurred during the previous calendar year. Nominations must include statements on why the nominee deserves special recognition. Selection is made by the OHBTC officers based on statements in the nominations received. It is not based on the total number of nominations. Nominees are expected to have followed the Ride Leader Guidelines. Ride Leader Guidelines: • • • • • • • • • • • • Prepared a cue sheet and/or map (either new or existing club route) and scouted the route before the ride. Submitted the ride to the Ride Schedule with the online Ride Submission Form. Provided a cell phone number on the cue sheet and had his/her cell phone on during the ride. Arrived 10-15 minutes before the ride start time. Had riders sign a release sign-up form. Gave riders a cue sheet and/or map. Welcomed the riders and briefed them on details of ride stops, problems, pace. Made sure the riders wore helmets. "Led from the rear" or appointed someone to "ride sweep!" to ensure no rider was “dropped” Rode at the advertised pace! Carried the sign-up sheet on the ride so that rider’s emergency contact information was available, if needed. After the ride, posted a ride report at http://ohbike.memberlodge.org/reports. Calvin Conyers - 2010 Blake Altman - 2011 Diane Harris - 2012 Eligibility: • • • • Must be a member in good standing (dues are current) of OHBTC Must have led at least six rides during the year Must have submitted a Ride Report for each ride led May not be an OHBTC officer Steve Palinscar - 2013 6 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club February 2015 Soloist Goes for a Group Ride with Friends by H. Mark McGibbon Most cyclists know about the late actor, Robin Williams, and his passion to cycle alone. Williams preferred to cycle solo because it was his opportunity to experience the world without fans surrounding him. He loved the sport and often visited bicycle shops to browse over the new items that entered the cycling market. Similar to Williams, I prefer to cycle solo. Riding solo allows me to set a pace perfectly matched to my body’s biorhythm. Some days I cycle hard. Other days I cycle without much effort. Williams and I also shared a commonality- we both liked frequenting bicycle shops. In my case, my favorite bicycle shop is the Bike Doctor of Waldorf where I not only like to learn about the new products, but I also like talking with the subject matter expert staff. These talks have led to friendships as well as, an occasional group ride. My last group ride on October 9, 2014, was with Michie Sidwell and Michael Tyler Levesque- both are Bike Doctor of Waldorf subject matter experts. We agreed to meet in the morning at the Indian Head Rail Trail (IHRT) parking lot in White Plains, MD. We also agreed we would average 18 mph for about a metric century. With that initial agreement, we departed south down Highway 301 toward the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge. The wind was blowing in a northerly direction making us work hard as we pedaled directly into a steady headwind. The temperature was cool, but we still worked up a healthy sweat. As I inwardly anticipated, we did not stick to our initial agreement of riding around 18 mph. We were taking turns spinning upfront and kept hovering around 20 mph. Although I was recovering from a medical procedure and not feeling well, I felt obligated to work out front to “divide and conquer.” I just couldn’t “let down” my cycling companions by cycling slow. We all showed our natural God given cycling talents that day. It started with Michael Tyler with his demonstration of an impressive bike-handling maneuver. As we descended down a steep gradient toward the Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, I was the first in line to approach the descent. Michael Tyler was second. Michie was third. I went into the drops and laid my chest onto the handlebars to become aerodynamic. It worked. The descent quickly achieved a speed of 33 mph and rising. Then out of the corner of my right eye, I saw Michael Tyler standing up and working his pedals in a sprinter’s fury. Directly in front of me, his chain slipped off the front chain ring. His left knee hit his handlebar whereupon his bike leaned to the right indicating a horrific fall was imminent. Being only a second or less behind Michael Tyler, I envisioned trying to jump over his bike and body when he fell. To my amazement, Michael Tyler not only kept his bike upright, he also slipped his chain back onto the chain ring within a couple of seconds. Andy Schleck could certainly use a bit of bike handling expertise from Michael Tyler. We stopped under the bridge and ate a quick snack. We ascended back up the hill whereupon we were climbing up a steep grade at 18 mph. Michael Tyler and Michie “attacked” three-quarters of the way up the hill. I declined to respond to the attack because I knew my abilities- we still had 40 good miles to ride. We eventually all formed up together as we headed towards Cobb Island. Then it was Michie’s turn to show his strength. Michie climbed up and over numerous rolling hills like a pro. Michael Tyler and I simply kept within his slipstream as Michie applied great power and unbounded energy to his pedals as he climbed over hills like Nibali Vincenzo. When we arrived at Cobb Island, we stopped and ate at a local seafood restaurant. We were fueled and ready to go, but I became quite sick. I excused myself. My cycling companions didn’t realize my condition and February 2015 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club 7 waited outside for me. After 20 minutes, I really didn’t anticipate them still waiting for me because I was gone so long. However, these two cyclists demonstrated their friendship, humanity and kindness toward me, which I am indebted to their patience and graciousness. Upon discovering I was sick, they both offered to slow the pace; however, I stated, “Let’s see how I perform- my body might allow me to still push a descent speed.” We worked ourselves back into a respectable speed whereupon Michael Tyler and Michie wanted to take a three-mile “rolling hills” shortcut back onto Highway 301. The headwind turned into a crosswind over rough tarmac. I did my best to stay with Michael Tyler and Michie, but they were too strong for me. Michie saw I was struggling, held back, and helped me back up to Michael Tyler (thank you Michie!) who was having a blast slipping over and down the rolling hills. Back onto US 301, we headed north for the final 20-mile stretch. I needed to get back into the “speed zone” and not “let down” my cycling friends. At this point, we were averaging 19.5 mph. I knew I needed to refuel because I was “running on empty” after being sick at the restaurant. Anticipating problems on this ride, I made a few P&J energy wraps, whereupon I devoured a P&J wrap while riding in Michie’s slipstream. Five minutes later, my legs were back. I pulled up alongside my companions, passed them and dug deep. We were cruising at 27 mph for miles. The IHRT came upon us in no time. We then parted for our homes, but not before snapping a photo of this memorable group ride. In the end, we averaged 21.2 mph for 60.43 miles- a far cry from our agreed upon 18 mph “comfy ride!” We all proved our worth that day; however, Michie and Michael Tyler showed so much more- true sportsmanship and friendship. Thank you Michie and Michael Tyler for the fond group ride memory. Photo below: (L to R) Michael Tyler, Michie and Mark. About the Author: Dr. H. Mark McGibbon is Lockheed Martin’s Visiting Professor at the National Defense University Information College (iCollege). In 1992, he survived a serious cycling accident that caused paralyses from the waist down. After multiple back surgeries, he returned to cycling in 2005. 8 The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club February 2015 Ignoble Order of the Wouff Hong by Joel Katz Two thousand fourteen marked the one hundredth anniversary of the start of World War 1. Millions died in that conflict. The killing machine in that war was the Maxim machine gun. That fearsome weapon was developed by Hiram Percy Maxim. That same year Maxim founded the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) the organization that today represents over 650,000 ham radio operators in the United States. In those early days of radio Maxim was concerned about bad operating practices among the ham community. Some of the sins included sending sloppy Morse code, insulting one another, interfering with transmissions and swearing. You had to do your swearing in Morse code because the technology for communication by voice was not perfected. Maxim wanted to discourage these behaviors so he invented the wouff hong to chastise people who broke the norms. A wouff hong There are some cycling behaviors that should also be discouraged. I have therefore established a cycling wouff hong award. A select committee has been appointed to note these practices and select someone to receive the cycling wouff hong award for 2014. Here is a short list of complaints the committee used in making the award: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Screaming “car back” in the ear of the rider in front of you Passing on the right without adequate warning Riding in bunches and inhibiting traffic Overlapping front and rear wheels Distracting riders with dumb questions during a ride such as: Have you ever seen the face of Jesus in a piece of toast? What is an appropriate award for a cat? Answer: a catastrophy 6. Riding next to people and boring them with stupid jokes (you know who you are) The select committee has been meeting for a month and has come up with the winner of the 2014 cycling wouff hong award. And the winner is: (trumpet fanfare and drum roll) ……………….me! About the author: Joel Katz has been a member Potomac Pedalers for 36 years and of OHBTC for 4 years. He is 76 years old, married and has 2 children and 4 grandchildren. His background includes a BA in Labor Relations from Penn State, US Army service, Greenbelt City Councilman 1969-1971, Masters in secondary education from the University of Pittsburgh, a Ford Foundation Scholarship Education of the Blind and Visually Limited and owner, now retired, industrial supply company. He has a wonderful sense of humor and has agreed to share some of his thoughts with us
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