Interested in Bike Touring?

Last week's great turnout for the USBR 23 introduced some of you to multi day touring and demostrated one does not need to go to some foreign land like Napa Valley to experience another culture. In May we have a chance to visit with the Executive Director of the organization most involved in cycle touring in the USA. Below is his invitation.

Join Adventure Cycling Association, Bike Walk Tennessee, and Oasis Bike Workshop for a special gathering at Oasis Bike Workshop in downtown Nashville on Thursday, May 15, with Adventure Cycling Executive Director Jim Sayer. Jim will be in town to keynote the Tennessee Bike Summit. At the Thursday evening event, enjoy snacks and libations, meet kindred cycling spirits, and learn the latest about bike travel and cycling advocacy in North America — including Adventure Cycling's work on a new Bicycle Route 66, the brand new Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route, and the U.S. Bicycle Route System.

New Details on the Vol State Classic Next Weekend

Saturday May 3rd Gallatin Tn will be experiencing a brand new cycling event sponsored and organized by Volunteer State Community College. This ride's proceeds will go to benefit the Vol State College Foundation which provides scholarships for those who might not be able to obtain a college education.

This ride, which has routes of 63 miles,  32 miles and 15 miles, will be generously supported with multiple rest stops and SAG vehicles. There will be a BBQ post ride meal with live music and beverages(yes, that includes beer) after the ride and participants are encouraged to stick around for the TCCAA Conference baseball tournament Saturday afternoon which tickets are included in admission to the ride. 

The metric ride starts at 8:00 with registration opening at  6:30 at the Picket Field House on campus.

We know that a lot of Harpeth Bike Club members make 3 State 3 Mountain a priority for their ride season but with the possibility of bad weather(an almost certainty every year in Chattanooga), it would be fantastic if riders would consider this brand new event as an alternative if the weather turns bad.

You can get more information on this great ride by going to the

VOL STATE CLASSIC WEBSITE

Channel 5 News and USBR23

Channel 5 News will show at 6PM tonight (Wednesday) our USBR23 Spring Tour.  They filmed the start of our ride from Kentucky on last Thursday.

Click here for the article that appeared in the White House Connection 

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

Finally, view HUNDREDS of pictures we took on the ride on the FOGBEE Shutterfly Account.

A Great ride with The Fogbees!

USB 23 Ride

Thank you Dave and Bruce for putting on a great rid through some of the most beautiful countryside. It is obvious that you guys put a lot of effort into this.

Hope we get to do it again.

Mike knake

USBR23 Spring Tour and the Fogbees

I was off work today so a Bikers Choice teammate(Josh Cook) and I decided to head up to Kentucky via Graffiti Road and then meet up with the Spring Tour group as they headed out on their weekend adventure. We missed the start but managed to catch up with them a few miles down the road. The Fogbees had by far the largest percentage of riders in the 25ish person group and the ride had perfect weather and a nice, safe route to ride. I stayed with them for 15 or so miles and had a great time talking with old and new friends.

If you haven't made any plans for riding this weekend and want to try something a little different, I would really recommend joining this group, meeting some new riders from outside our area, and take in some scenery in Tennessee that you most likely haven't ridden before. The group's pace is social/touring with many stops where you can get food and water as well as take in scenery.

Tomorrow's start will be in downtown Nashville and they will be riding out to the Henry Horton Inn. There will also be a longer distance ride on Saturday at a similar pace as well as a ride on Sunday so get out and give tour riding a try if you haven't done it before!

NEW JESERY FIT KITS HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!!!!!

The fit kits for the new jerseys are in.  We will have them at Brixx tonight before, during and following the ride for you try them on for fit and to place your order.

We will have them for the next couple of weeks and will have them available for you to try on a later dates, as well.  Watch the blog for additional Fitting Dates. 

Mike, Doug, Gary and Dave

Spring Tour FINAL Advisory

. . The Final Advisory newsletter issued to all participants has all the information everyone needs for the USBR23 Spring Tour.  Here is the link to it again http://eepurl.com/SHwsL so everyone print and/or download its content.
. . Watch for your club on Channel 5 TV.  There's a rumor that they might meet the group somewhere along the ride on Thursday.  So everyone be in uniform.  City and other government officials have been notified of and are welcoming the group as they pass through their communities.  Our thanks for this great adventure go to Ride Coordinator David Shumaker who has done an exceptional job pulling all of this activity together.
. . Please welcome our out-of-town guests doing the entire six days: Pat Gleason, a regular on the Aussie Bob tours, and Ann and Ben Cowan from Bristol TN.  Both have crisscrossed America several times on bicycles and will be joining the Grand Tetons/Yellowstone National Park Tour this September. We also welcome our friends from Walk/Bike Nashville who make up about half the group on the ride.  Our BIG party for about 40 to 50 people will be dinner on Friday evening at Henry Horton State Park.

Recreational/Touring Clubs

Here is how Active.com grades a "good" club.  How'd we do?

Clubs should try to promote fun rides and tours. Here are some ways you can identify a club that's doing it right.
1. Good clubs offer a full schedule of weekend rides and occasional longer tours.
2. Good clubs grade rides in terms of distance, speed and ability so that newcomers don't accidentally bite off more than they can chew. One sure sign of a poor club is when a ride rated "easy" turns into a race as the leader shows off his fitness and power.
3. Good clubs have rides that encourage participation from everyone. They sometimes sponsor low-key time trials (safe races against the clock) and encourage everyone to participate, regardless of fitness or skill.
4. Good clubs have social gatherings like potlucks or "restaurant rides" that bring people together off the bike.
5. Good clubs are active in politics. They support local and state bicycle advocacy organizations. They often are the force behind bicycle path construction, traffic ordinances that favor cyclists, and campaigns urging residents to reduce air pollution by commuting to work by bike.
6. Good clubs sponsor a major yearly event, such as a century ride. These rides are well organized, safe and promoted to the regional cycling community. Shorter distances will be included to welcome everyone, not just enthusiasts.
7. Good clubs regularly publish a newsletter to keep members motivated and updated on rides and other events.
http://www.active.com/cycling/Articles/How-to-Choose-a-Bike-Club.htm?page=2 

Bike Month

Bike Month (May) is almost here and we'd love to have your help spreading the word on a couple of key events/activities.

• Bike Month Events
  : Walk Bike Nashville is organizing an bike event calendar for the month. If you're hosting any rides or bike events in May make sure you create an account and list them on the city wide calendar. It's a great way to get new riders for your events and to also show Nashville how active the cycling community is.
• National Bike Challenge:
  Walk Bike Nashville is the local chapter for the National Bike Challenge (May-September) and we'd love to see how many miles Nashville can log and where we stack up against the other cities in Tennessee (we also really need to make sure we beat Memphis and Knoxville!) It's free to sign up so make sure you and everyone you know logs their miles.
• Bike to Work Day: National Bike to work day is May 16. We'll be organizing rides around town to converge on Public Square at 7:45am. Mayor Dean will be speaking and we'll have coffee and breakfast for all riders. We also really need ride leaders! If you live along any of the routes and would like to help lead groups into town please email Liz (liz@walkbikenashville.org)
• Tour de Nash: The tenth annual Tour de Nash is May 17. It's going to be a blast and all proceeds go towards supporting Walk Bike Nashville's work.
• TN Bike Summit
  : May 14-16 in Nashville. People from across the state and country will be coming to Nashville to discuss making Tennessee more bike-friendly. Register today! And if you're interested in volunteering and seeing some of the workshops for free, let Nora Kern (nora@walkbikenashivlle.org) know ASAP! Volunteers get free entry, but space is limited.
• The Big Payback
  !  If you like the work that Walk Bike Nashville does around town and want to help support us, help us out on the Big Payback,  a community-wide, online giving day hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee on May 6. This charitable giving day will help our organization raise much-needed unrestricted dollars and celebrate the good work of all Middle Tennessee nonprofits. 
  

Let us know if you have any questions! We hope to see you at some (or all) of the events!

Cheers,

Nora Kern

Program Coordinator

Walk/Bike Nashville

c: (615) 2601988

NEW FOGBEE JERSEY ANNOUNCEMENT

The finishing touches on the new FOGBEE jersey are being completed. LG has sent us three fit kits for the jerseys.  They were mailed to us today and are expected no later than Thursday of this week.  Once they are in, we will have several opportunities over the course of the next couple of weeks for you try on the sample jerseys for a proper fit.  They are sending us 3 kits, a women's kit, a pro kit and a sport fit kit (also known as club or relaxed fit).  The final cost of the jerseys will be based upon the number and type of jerseys that we order.

We would like to have orders placed by the May 12th.  Once the order is placed, it will take 4 to 6 weeks for production to be completed and the jerseys shipped to us.

Watch the blog to for dates as to when we will have fittings.  We hope to have our first fitting this coming Thursday night at Brixx.  A ride will be posted for Thursday, but Doug, Gary and I are not riding.  We will be at Brixx with the jerseys so anyone who wants to can try one on and place an order.

We are very excited about the new jerseys and have had a lot of good feed back on them.  Hope you all will apprecaite them as much as we do, not that we aren't biased or anything. 

Mike, Doug, Gary and Dave

Stones River Ranger Guided Bike Tours Started April 5th

For those Fogbee members who are history buffs, the Stones River National Battlefield is offering ranger guided bike tours every Saturday throughout the summer. This is a great opportunity to learn some of our areas history through the Civil War as well as lowering your carbon footprint by riding your bicycle. This event is very family friendly and lasts about an hour and a half long.

If the group would like to make it a Fogbee event, I would be willing to get it set up with the park rangers. You can check out the information on this at the link below.

LINK

Nashville Hostel - Our First Stop

Dear Fogbee Bike Group,

Thank you for choosing to stay in Nashville Downtown Hostel for the 1st night of your wonderful adventure.  We are excited to host your group.

I want to double check the booking that I have for your group.  Those staying in our facility please send me an email with your room description and I'll reply back with the confirmation.

We've posted a new hostel introduction video on Youtube.  Please share  with friends.

Cheers, Ron

Great day; Great ride; Great friends!

Beginner Ride 4/19/14 Pictures

Click Here for a slide show of this morning's Beginner Ride.

Art of a group ride

This interesting article is from a cycling lawyer on his site, www.bikelaw.com.  I share some of his frustrations.  Most of what he says refers to a paceline and the good old days he is pining for are really the bad old days of road bike snobbery to which the Fogbees are the antithesis. Still, he has some points for us to ponder.

By Peter Wilborn

Sep 01, 2011 Every so often, I’ll ride a recreational group ride. I love the camaraderie of cyclists, the talk, the last minute pumps of air, the clicking in, and the easy drifting out as a peloton. “I miss riding in a group,” I’ll think to myself.
The magic ends by mile 10. The group will surge, gap, and separate, only to regroup at every stop sign. I’ll hear fifteen repeated screams of “HOLE!” for every minor road imperfection. And then no mention of the actual hole. Some guy in front will set a PR for his 30 second pull. Wheels overlap, brakes are tapped, and some guy in the back will go across the yellow line and speed past the peloton for no apparent reason. A breakaway?!

Click link to read full article. 
Bruce

Fogbee Beginner Ride Series Begins this Saturday!

This Saturday, we will be starting our beginner bike ride series. We will be meeting up in the Indian Lake shopping center parking lot located behind Sam's Sports Bar at 7:50 with the ride starting at 8:00. This will give our riders plenty of time to meet other riders and prepare their bikes for the ride.

This route will be a fun urban Hendersonville ride that will include roads like Stop 30 behind the golf course, Main Street, Bonita Parkway and finishes on the greenway path through Drakes Creek Park. We will be riding at a comfortable pace and will regroup at the top of hills and at intersections with stop signs.

Hope to see everyone there and we are looking forward to a great new ride season for 2014!

ROUTE

Just a reminder...If weather won't let us ride we will still SPIN!

Spring Tour - Final Advisory

. . The Final Advisory for the USBR23 Spring Tour was issued this morning.  A copy can be viewed by clicking here.  It was issued to 34 participants doing from one to all six legs of the tour starting at the KY border on Thursday morning (April 24'th) and ending in Ashland City on Tuesday (April 29'th).  Most participants are ending at the Alabama border on Saturday evening. 
. . Dinner has been scheduled for all on Friday evening (Date Night) at Henry Horton SP at 6PM and in Ardmore at the Alabama border at 5PM.

One moment From the 2014 RedBud Ride

 In this short segment, we see something we've never seen before, I knew she was holding out on us, Janice passing people going uphill !     The ride was great, the roads were well marked, the rest stops served everything from almonds to chili, yes Chili...It was hilly but a good ride.

A Quandry

Today, the Alliance for Biking and Walking issued its Benchmark Report on biking and walking in all 50 states.  Below is an interesting graphic.

Although it is specific to biking/walking to work, it is reflective about all activities, most notably the willing of bicyclists to support their favorite pastime.  After studying these charts for nearly ten years, I haven't figured out why the states lineup this way and sure would like some reasons.  For the full report click here. 

WD-40

A certain senior pedaler started a chain letter about the merits of WD-40.  His was hardly the first about this miracle solvent. After his legitimate uses he ended with

I knew about its several other uses but did not know it was made of fish oil; my local CVS drug store sells fish oil capsules as a health supplement; wonder if a spoonful of WD-40 in my morning coffee might do something for my geriatric issues, eh?

As you might imagine that opened the topic.  Before you get too far, it does not contain fish oil.  However, I found this gem

While WD-40 Multi-Use Product it is not a grease, it is formulated with strong lubricating oils and other ingredients, and is a terrific product to use for bike maintenance [especially chains]. It does not attract dirt or moisture to metal surfaces – just be sure to wipe off any excess WD-40 Multi-Use Product before riding.  For long-term lubrication and other specialized bicycle maintenance needs, check out WD-40 BIKE. Developed specifically for cyclists and mechanics, this high-performance line of bicycle care products is sure to become a mainstay in the toolboxes of bike mechanics for decades.

Also the Duct Tape Guys say,

“You only need two tools in life, Duct Tape and WD-40.  If it’s not stuck and it’s supposed to be, Duct Tape it.  If it’s stuck and it’s not supposed to be, WD-40 it.”

Pedals for Paws Alternative

If you are waffling on the P4P routes, thinking 30 is too short and 62 too long, I have created an amalgam of the two routes, retaining the best and eliminating the most painful.  The route is 43 miles long and I will be riding it at Turtle pace.  If you want to join me, seek me out at the start and/or comment to this post.  I'll head out with the 62-miler group but quickly drop back (more likely get dropped) near the airport. Here is a link to my alternative http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4406276 
Tom_E

I met our Fogbee Cousin today....

Jere's Ride - April 26'th

Dear Fogbees,

I’m trying to help Gregg and his team get the word out about a new ride that is happening April 26, in Lebanon TN.  The ride is in memory of Jere McCulloch who passed away last year during the HOT 100.  Jere suffered a heart attack while on course doing what he loved, riding bicycles.  Some of the Fogbees may have known him.  

The Jere’s Ride group have organized a ride this year for April 26th.  It will leave the Lebanon Ag Center/Fair Grounds.  The longest route is 31 miles. Would you post to your Blog about Jere’s Ride or list it on your calendar.  We would really appreciate it. 

http://www.jeresride.com

Thank you in advance for helping to spread the word.

Cheryl Wilson,Veloteers – Treasurer

Hoover Gran Fondo – Assistant Director

615-405-9079

(P.S. - Many of the Veloteers have plans to attend the Pedal for Paws this weekend.  The weather looks promising!  We always enjoy seeing the Fogbees on the road.)

Pedals for Paws this Saturday

The weather for this upcoming Saturday is looking sunny and warm...Perfect weather for the 3rd annual Pedals for Paws ride in Gallatin. If you haven't signed up yet, don't worry, there is still time to get registered. The organizers of the ride are expecting a record number of riders in attendance and with $1000 in merchandise being given out by our store, this could end up being the largest cycling event Sumner County has ever seen.

If you have not ridden this ride, it benefits the Sumner County Spay and Neuter Alliance. This is an organization that offers quality spay and neuter services to pet owners at affordable prices. This ride features a route for every type of rider, from the experienced distance rider to the 1 hour fitness rider, we have routes of 12 miles, 30 miles, and 62 miles. These routes will be well supported with SAG vehicles and super well stocked rest stops so come out and enjoy the morning on your bike with some of the nicest bike riders in all of Middle Tennessee and all for a great cause!

Online registration is still open at the link posted here or come down to the Gallatin Civic Center early on Saturday and register in person

REGISTRATION

Country Music Marathon Cyclists Support April 26 2014

     Each year ~25 cyclists support the marathon's elite and celebrity runners along with
 fulfilling other tasks happening during the marathon. If you would like to be part of this
 event you will have a day to remember. We typically meet at LP filed ~05:30 and then
 assemble at the start, get our assignments and take off with the runners. Most all are finished  by 10 a.m. so we can still make our group rides .. If you're interested please get in touch with me. You'll  get another t shirt and lanyard to add to your collection along with free concert tickets for the after race evening show.  The cycling requirement to consider is the blistering pace you'll have to maintain for 13.1 or 26.2 miles. These runners move at ~ 12 mph , even up the hills we have in Nashville.

 curtis
 puyand2@yahoo.com
 615 516 9869

**Cycling First Aid and First Responder Class (Monday, April 7th, 7:00pm)**

The FOGBEES and Biker's Choice are teaming up to put on a Cycling First Aid and First Responder class Monday, April 7th at 7:00pm. The location will be at Vol State Community College, second floor of the Thigpen library.  There will be parking available on the back side of the library.  The spots should be marked by orange cones. Address: 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN 37066

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Thigpen+Library/@36.3630638,-86.4978531,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x8d336b8785a76d7

With the season coming into full swing, and memories of a few unfortunate incidents over the past year or two, we feel now is the perfect time to prepare ourselves for the riding season. The goal of the class will be to teach proven medical standards in assessing and evaluating common injuries related to cycling accidents, how to best assist and provide treatment to a downed cyclist, then taking those tools to better assist First Responders if needed. The class is not a certification class for first aid or CPR, nor will it make you a doctor; however, it will cover time sensitive and critical topics that are catered to our cycling community to BEST assist a fellow biker in need. 

This class is designed for new and old riders alike. As our group gets larger and our cycling community is expanded, we owe it to each other and our families,  that if an unfortunate incident occurs, we can have faith in those around us to assess, treat, and make the best decisions possible.

We are going to be lucky enough to have members of our medical community, EMTs, and first responders teaching the class, in attendance, as well as being available for any questions and/or hands on training we need to get us ready for the season. David Hardin from Biker's Choice has been very encouraging and helpful in this dual effort to better educate our cycling community and helping us procure a suitable venue at Vol State. Both the FOGBEES and Biker's Choice are excited to put on this initial First Aid and First Responder class. We hope you will all join us. 

Recumbents Anyone?

Looks pretty docile here, but this woman completed/won RAAM in 2013 on one of these bikes, despite having her follow vehicle and 2 backup bikes destroyed in a crash.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151958974832377&set=vb.59798777376&type=2&theater

May Italy Bike Touring with John Dagostino and Italy Cycling Holidays

This upcoming May, one of our local riders has joined up with the cycling organization Italy Cycling Holidays as an American ride leader and he will be taking a touring group from the states to the Lake Garda area of Italy(one of the most scenic areas in all of Europe) where they will stay at fantastic hotels, eat great food and ride guided tours over some of the prettiest roads in all of Europe.

For those who would be interested in cycling in Europe, John has been going there consistently for the past 10 years. These tours are extremely well planned out where all your needs will be taken care of, food, hotel stays, cycling cloth cleaning and even rental bikes are covered. You can choose to travel with your own bike or use one of their carbon fiber Eddy Merckx bicycles.

These tours can be set up for multiple days and you can choose how many hotels you wish to stay at. Along with that, you will get the opportunity to ride with ex-professional cyclists and these tours accommodate all skill levels. If in the middle of a tour you feel like you have had enough bike riding, get picked up by your support vehicle and they will transport you back to your hotel.

You can check out more on these fantastic vacations at the link below...

Italy Cycling