Saturday Ride Aug 1'st: & Activities.

All the details for events this Saturday's Ride on on our Web Site. Please click here.

- Details for After Ride Pool Party
- Directions to Bob's House
- Ride Map and times
- Margarita Madness
- Kids' Triathlon Volunteer Sign-up & Info

Marilyn Meyer is coordinating the 7AM Kid's Triathlon at the YMCA and has asked for FOGBEE help. She needs 20 volunteers. Bob, Sharyn & I have volunteered. We will join the regular FOGBEE ride at 8:30, when Triathlon ends.

Club House is CLOSED

. . Those who pass Big Looy's notice it is closed and seemingly permanently. One of the great things about Big Looy's is it provides an intimate setting that helps cement the comradery that helps make the FOGBEES unique.
. . We are now in search of a new "club house." How about POSTing some suggestions.

Last night's meeting and Kids' Triathlon

. . With about 12 particpants attendance at last night's MPO meeting was anemic and may have undermined importance of bicycling and walking in Sumner County that attendance at the February meeting expressed. (I don't know how it compares to other counties with which Sumner is competing for attention.) Nevertheless, the open discussion periods were lively and beneficial.
. . At the end of the meeting Charlene (aka SpinJunkie) from Kids' Triathlon made an appeal for volunteers. She is still 10 volunteers short. The timing of the Triathlon does not interfere with other FOGBEE activities. In fact the group will be riding on the Triathlon course almost immediately at the completion of kids' ride. So all anyone has to do to help is to awake a couple of hours earlier. Never seemed to bother most when they choose to head out of town for a Charity Ride. Please see earlier post for info on how you can help.

Bike/Ped Public Meeting - Thursday July 30 - No Ride Tonight Please Attend and Support the MPO

5:30pm at the Hendersonville Library

The Nashville Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will host a series of public meetings between July 27 and July 30 (Sumner County at Library) to report on the development of a Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Study: A Strategic Vision for Walking and Bicycling in the Greater Nashville Region. This study relies on information gathered and priorities identified at community meetings held earlier this year and will incorporate input from the upcoming public meetings. For more information click here.

. . . Leslie Meehan

Tennessee Advocacy

This is kind of long, but everything is worthy of reading. Please take the time to read. It's less than two weeks out before our founding meeting for our state advocacy organization and I'm REALLY EXCITED! To read more, click here.
. . . Pat Clements

P.S. For those who can't make the meeting, please share your ideas about Statewide Advocacy by completing this questionnaire.

FOGBEES for MS

Time for a comeback ! Come back to the Jack 'n' Back to ride for Multiple Sclerosis, F()GBEE fun, and the best two day tour around ( unless you're with Bruce Day ).

Some who are participating have yet to register on the MS Jack'n'Back team site. Go ahead and get your name on the roster so we can better envision the F()GBEE peloton cruising to Motlow State College. As last year, accomodations are tight ( unless camping ) and arrangements will have to be nailed down in the next 8 weeks as to who is where and who is riding with whom. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns ASAP.

Updated info on rooms and roomates are as follows ( if you have a ? mark by your name, then let us know whether a bed is available ) :

1) Philip V. & Jeff Smythe
2) Doug & Marsha
3) Tom Evans & Mike Knake
4) Phil & Lisa Houston
5) Allen Ehmling & Ed Thomas
6) Christy Tedrow & ?
7) Gary Williams
8) Bob Gluting

I just phoned the Exec Inn and determined that currently there are no vacancies. Also determined that no roll aways are available; however, I bet if you threw a sleeping bag on the baggage truck you could sleep on the floor if need be.

Sorry that I've not been riding lately. Please chat via the blog since I may not be on the road for a few weeks yet. ** Phil "Cannonball" Vickery **

IT"S FLORIDA FOGBEES

Gary here on vacation with the family in Sunny, Hot and Very Humid Panama City Beach, Florida. Well I brought my bike and did a very easy, flat 55 miles on Friday. Thought I'd let you know that I came across a very rare creature down here that is virtually extinct in Tennessee that I believe is called a "DESIGNATED BIKE LANE". This rare bike lane is everywhere here in the Gulf Coast area and I will be taking it to Destin early in the morning for a flat 75 mile ride round trip. I hope you all had a great ride today and I will see everyone on Tuesday night.

July Newsletter

I had several items to share and it seemed simpler to put them in a newsletter rather than posting everything individually on the Blog. Click here to read newsletter

OOPS! . . .

All,

I have not been hanging around the blog for a while. Shame on me.

I have not been on a FOGBEE ride in a while. Double Shame on me.

I have not visited everyone at BL's in quite a long, long while. Triple Shame on me.

Everything is fine--just a few issues of getting back on a bike, and riding the roads, that no one can resolve but me. Thanks to Tom Evans for suggesting that everyone at least deserves to know all is well.

But that Tom, or anyone else, needed to remind me of the egregiousness in this lack of communication is just not right. And to all an apology is given.

The promise to ride again soon is etched in stone. After all, I have three FOGBEES jerseys just begging for a reason to need laundering. And I have a bounty of friendships that I would not trade for a Powerball payoff (well maybe if it were $100M, but even then I'd share a bit with everyone).

Hope everyone is planning on attending at least one of the area Nashville MPO meetings July 27-30 (Davidson is 7/27; Sumner is 7/30). Also look to seeing a strong FOGBEE turnout for the August 8th state association founders chinwag.

Tim

Statewide Advocacy Corporation

Members of the FOGBEES have been active with others in the Tennessee Bike Advocacy Group in forming a non-profit corporation to serve broad bicycle and walking issues across Tennessee. They are having their Founders' Meeting on August 8'th. To read more about what they are doing, go to their Web Site at www.BikeWalkTN.org

Ride with an Australian - Saturday 25'th

. . My Aussie cycling friend, Bob Schofield, is back cycling in the USA this year. He is riding from Chicago to Nashville this July.
. . I plan to join him at Kenlake state park on the western edge of Land Between the Lakes on Saturday, July 25 and ride with him 4 days. First to Clarksville, 60 miles, then through Ashland City to Montgomery Bell State park, 50 miles,. From there we will go to Hohenwald via the Ride Across Tennessee route, 62 miles, then back up the Natchez Trace Parkway to the Loveless Cafe. We will stay In motels and forage as we go, otherwise known as credit card touring.

All Fogbees and anyone else up the treat of lunch in such places Ashland city's Riverview Restaurant should consider joining us for some or all of the ride. Let me know if you are interested and we can discuss details. I hope to get him on our Thursday ride on July 30th.
Bruce

Hounds of Baskerville (er, ah, Bug Hollow)

Hey all, on a ride up Bug Hollow with Dave M. and Mike K., we encountered three very aggressive dogs. Although they were small (20 pounders or so), all three had better sprint techniques than Mark Cavendish. One of them actually bit the back of my shoe (unfortunately for his teeth).

After parting ways with Dave and Mike, I met the hounds again on my descent. This time I was riding about 25 mph and steered directly at them. They scattered but regained their composure in time to chase me for another quarter mile when I hosed them down with my water bottle........this ended the chase.

Just a heads up. At least one was a pure breed, and another had a collar which suggest to me they belong to someone. I will be riding there again very soon to determine if they enjoy the smell and feel of Halts!

Another Tennessee Cyclist Hit

Here's another example of "traffic justice" that's geared up to fail bicyclists once again. Police are unaware of the 3ft law on the scene, or they're reluctant to write a ticket when someone is seriously injured because of the legal ramifications or they simply think the bicyclist shouldn't have been there.

In the case of David Meek in Chattanooga, killed after being run over by a truck on the way to work, law enforcement didn't write a ticket. The Grand Jury decided not to pursue charges against the driver. The only justice is for David's family to sue the driver and the company he works for. And I'm not sure the family is that interested, but we'll see.

Here are the lessons, and we'll see them again. The public thinks bicycles don't belong, including law enforcement. That means unless something is done, tickets won't be written when the 3ft law is violated. Grand juries won't find fault because the bicyclist should have been on the sidewalk, and many times they follow the officer's assessment (who, remember, didn't write a ticket.) Bicyclists are currently treated somewhere close to the dead animal you see squashed on the road.

Folks, a group of people interested in advocacy are meeting on August 8 to form a "forming committee" to start up a state-wide bicycle advocacy organization to address this and other statewide bicycling issues. If you're interested in helping with the state-wide organization, stay tuned for ways you can help. A simple letter, phone call, bumper sticker, or a financial contribution to the organization and its efforts will go a long way.

. . . Pat Clements

Survey & Jerseys

We have had several requests for FOGBEE jerseys. We'll put an order together for those who want one, two, etc. PLEASE POST quantity and male/female dimensions. We have a minimum qty that we must meet. Here is what is on order.

While you're at it, fill out a survey so we can provide the type of activities everyone wants.

In order to keep FOGBEE adventures fresh and interesting, Bob, Bryan, Bruce, Doug, and I have prepared a short survey to seek your ideas. Please click here.

We ask that ALL FOGBEES complete it as soon as possible so we can be working on what you want to do.

Not a member? Yet! We are interested in your ideas also. Please help.

RESULTS 7/14/09 - Click Here - Want to change, add, modify? Make copy of spreadsheet with your changes and send to fogbees@gmail.com. Only 30 contributions thus far.

Sumner County Planning - June 2009

This information was prepared to keep you informed of the comprehensive planning process and activities of the Sumner County Planning & Zoning Department.

In this issue:

* 2035 Comprehensive Plan update
* Local transportation projects receive stimulus funds
* County applies for EPA technical assistance
* Flood Insurance Rate Maps updated
* Tweet! Stay informed through new Twitter site
* Upcoming meetings
* Did you know?

The GREAT Greenway Tour - July 11'th.

Click here plan & pictures.

Tour de Hilton Head

Greetings from Hilton Head Island, the Cannonball is recuperating gradually as he looks out upon the undulating, sea oat enshrouded dunes facing the Atlantic Ocean. With frozen daiquiri in one hand and stogie in the other, he contemplates his biking future while relishing thoughts of returning to the FOGBEES fold.

I've been using the pool for real therapy and can now climb steps with greater ease. According to Dr. Elrod, my orthopedist, I'm still a few weeks away from cycling on the open road. I'll test out the spin bikes at the Y before venturing out on the peninsula back in Hendersonville.

On the upside I've had the leisurely capacity to watch the live telecast of each stage of the Tour de France while sequestered in my vacation condo at Palmetto Dunes. How 'bout that Lance !?! He's my inspiration ( on a more sublime level ) as he just missed getting the yellow jersey by 0.22 seconds yesterday. Watching the breakaways and echelons in the crosswind driven early stages has been exciting. Kind of reminds me of coming back from Thomas Drugs earlier this year with Doug, Jennifer, and I drafting one another to survive the wind swept Highland Rim along Cross Plains Road.

Keep the roads warm 'til I can once again enjoy your camaraderie.