May 2003 Update

Join the Phoenix Metro Bike Club for a scenic Tour of the Payson! Enjoy Rim Country scenery and events, including the "Aero Fair" fly-in aircraft show and rides (no entry fee) at the Payson Municipal Airport, May 17, 8 AM to 1 PM, and the PRCA Spring Rodeo at the Payson Event Center/Rodeo Grounds, May 17 & 18.

Here's what we have lined up…so far:

A 45+ mile route around and outside the Town of Payson, with plenty of pine trees and cool temps, as well as hills, with altitudes varying between 4,700 and 5,500 feet. Triple chain rings, mountain gearing and/or strong legs recommended! This includes a 10-mile out/back spur on beautiful and challenging Houston Mesa Road, NE from Payson. Shorter route options also available.

Sag support provided. Post-ride lunch included in your fee. Prize drawing for cycling-related prizes during lunch. Use Registration Form on Page 15. Return it with your check payable to PMBC, to: PMBC, P. O. Box 26788, Tempe, AZ 85285-6788.

Ride Fee:

GABA Member: $15

Non-member: $20

Extra lunches: $ 7 each

Late fee after 5/8 $ +5

Day of Event Fee: $+10

Ride Leader: Bob Beane, 480-961-1951 or marco3@cox.net

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13th Annual Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley Hill Climb

Friday, 5/2/03, 6:45 AM

By Steve Wilson

Join us for the 13th annual installment of the Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb! It is sag- supported for only $5 with four sag stops along the way with lots of drinks and goodies. The sag stop moves with us, so lots of opportunities for regrouping and socializing along the way. It's a great opportunity for a first attempt at climbing the mountain if you haven't ever made it all the way to the top.

Last year, we had over 50 riders with over 15 making the summit for the first time! A special bonus is free lunch for the winner of the optional race from Bear Wallow to the Ski Valley parking lot. Optional lunch back down in Summerhaven after the climb is complete.

Looks like nothing on the Mt. Lemmon Hwy will be under construction this year. Only one more phase of construction, and the re-construction and improvement of the Mt. Lemmon Hwy will be complete. If there are any last minute changes to the highway condition, we'll post them on the ride description on the website.

Meet at Steve Wilson's house, 4601 N Via Noriega near the base of Mt. Lemmon for check in at 6:45 AM. We roll out at 7 AM. No pre-registration needed, but please call Steve at 749-9014 to confirm your plan to attend so we can be sure to have enough supplies. Ample parking in the neighborhood. Maps on-line at Yahoo Maps or Mapquest, call if you need directions. Hope to see you on the Lemmon.

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Sports Camp: Tandem Cycling "Pilots" Sign-up!

Sunday, June 29 & Tuesday, July 1st

Each year, the U A Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, in conjunction with Western Michigan University and the US Association of Blind Athletes, sponsors the Sports Education Camp for Students with Visual Impairments.

Over a dozen sport activities will be offered during the week and the word has spread among the student attendees that the Tandem Cycling sessions are awesome! We hope that you will sign up for one or both of the sessions. It is a wonderful experience for both students and cyclists.

The Blind Youth Sports camp is actively seeking pilots and tandems for these two days. There will be 20 classes and orientations before getting out on the road. Contact Hyatt at (W) 292-0011, (H) 577-9273.

Interested, but not sure of your schedule at this time? Put your name on the list and we will contact you in June to confirm and provide all the details.

Jason J. Bryn, (520) 886-9145.

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By-Laws Changes Approved by the General Membership

Sandi Rousseau, Secretary

During the April 7 monthly meeting Dick Forcier, Cycling Advocacy Director, presented the following proposed changes to the GABA, Inc. By-Laws for the membership vote of approval. These changes are:

Article III, Board of Directors, Powers & Duties, Election, Term of Office, Section 4, Term of Office. This change would allow the Directors to begin serving their term immediately upon election at the annual meeting in January, rather than March 1st as currently stated.

Article IV, Officers and Their Duties, Section 6, Disbursement of funds. This change would allow the Treasurer or President to sign checks without the signature of any other Officer, rather than a combination of the President, Treasurer and any other Officer, as currently stated.

Article V. General. Section 1. Annual Meeting. This change moves the annual meeting to the Monday membership meeting in January, rather than the first Monday in February as currently stated.

The membership voted unanimously to approve all changes as requested by the Board.

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Garrett Lemire Memorial Ride and Service held in Tucson last April 6th

By Steve Bohn

Approximately 75 people, including the Lemire family and close friends, joined Le Scomparse and Team Revolution Racing team members in the celebration of Garrett Lemire's life. As the riders left Pima Community College West for the 6 mile ride to the top of Gates Pass, they passed Garrett's ever-growing roadside shrine decorated with notes, water bottles, energy bars, and flowers. A crisp spring morning with clear skies greeted those attending the early morning service atop Gates Pass, overlooking the beautiful Tucson Mountain Park area.

The memorial service was organized by Le Scomparse member Butch Jackson with assistance from Steve Bohn and Dwight Nelson. The service opened with an insightful and heartfelt speech from John Nowack, a Category 2 rider who witnessed Garrett's smooth pedaling and climbing abilities as he bridged back to the lead group after flatting moments before the accident. Garrett's brave and loving father Art Lemire shared that his son loved life, cycling and nature and was not afraid dying, doing what he loved best in life till the moment he left for a better place. Many others, including several riders involved in the accident, shared thoughts, tears and laughter. Local cycling safety advocate Jean Gorman, whose son was killed by a car while training for the El Tour de Tucson in 1999, spoke of hope for safer roads, the Classic's significance and what a benefit it is to the community. A simple, yet beautiful poem closed the ceremony, leaving images of our Rider in the Sky dancing gracefully across the clear paths above.

The innocent driver of the car, Mary Conners, was in the hearts and minds of many in attendance today, as they privately discussed their hopes and concerns for her well being. The caring and heartfelt cycling community has reached out and supported her with calls and cards, as they have with the Lemire family and riders involved in the tragic crash.

Special thanks goes out to Tucson Mtn Park for allowing us to use the facility on very short notice. Plans are under way to fund a permanent memorial sculpture honoring Garrett Lemire. Donations can be sent to the Garrett Lemire Memorial Fund, 2140 E. 7th St., Tucson, AZ 85719

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Training with a Purpose

by John Hughes

John Hughes is director of the UltraMarathon Cycling Association, a USA Cycling certified coach and a National Strength and Conditioning Association personal trainer.

“An athlete should do the least amount of the most specific training that brings continuous improvement.” Joe Friel, The Cyclist’s Training Bible

There are two kinds of cooks in the world. My friend, Tim, is trained as a chef and — without ever consulting a recipe — produces excellent cuisine. He understands the ingredients and how to combine them. And then there’s John who, to prepare anything more complicated than a steak, needs a detailed recipe. This column won’t give you a recipe for training; rather, it will teach you the ingredients so you can cook like Tim.

A Taste of Physiology

We’re each born with a mix of muscle fiber types in a given muscle group. The mix is determined genetically. When riding easily, leg muscles are working, but only the slow twitch fibers (Type I) are engaged.

If you start working harder, say, on a sustained climb, then the fast twitch (Type IIa) fibers will also start firing. And if you start hammering over a short climb, your fast twitch (Type IIb) fibers will also start firing. (Slow twitch and fast twitch relate to how fast the individual motor units fire, not to your cadence.) The differences in muscle fiber types, and the progressive recruitment from Type I to Type IIa to Type IIb, is the reason why the smart athlete trains differently at different times of the year.

	Slow Twitch	Fast Twitch	Fast Twitch
	Type I	Type IIa	Type IIb
Color:	red	pink	white
Fiber diameter:	small	intermediate	large
# of capillaries:	high	Intermediate	low
# of mitochondria:	high	Intermediate	low
Biochemistry:	slow oxidative	fast oxidative	fast glycolytic
Speed of contraction:	slow	fast	fast
Fatigability:	low	moderate	high
Motor unit strength:	low	high	high

Adapted from: Wilmore J. and Costill, D. (1994). Physiology of Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers.

Slow twitch fibers

The slow twitch muscle fibers can work for a long time without getting fatigued, but they don’t have a lot of power. They are for cruising on a century or longer event. The slow twitch muscles metabolize free fatty acids to produce energy. Fat is a great fuel for endurance exercise (and we all have plenty!) but it cannot be processed without oxygen. Thus, slow twitch fibers have a high density of capillaries to the mitochondria, where the fat is metabolized for energy. Most of the time in club bike rides, we are using primarily slow twitch fibers.

Fast twitch fibers IIa

These fibers are intermediate and, depending on training, can produce energy via aerobic metabolism (oxidative), like a slow twitch fiber, or from anaerobic metabolism (glycolytic), like a fast twitch IIb fiber. If you do lots of endurance training, these fibers will become more oxidative, more like a slow twitch fiber. If you do lots of speed work, these fibers will become more like the fast twitch IIb fibers.

Fast twitch fibers IIb

These fibers are the strongest, most glycolytic, and fatigue most quickly. They produce energy by metabolizing glycogen anaerobically.

Training implications:

because each energy system uses different enzymes to metabolize fuel in a different part of the muscle cell, each system must be trained separately. Slow base miles train the fat metabolism system — the dominant system for endurance rides.
because Type IIa fibers can be trained to produce energy either oxidatively or glycolytically, prolonged endurance training will increase their endurance, but at the expense of your sprint!

Our Five-Course Season

With these ingredients, we can prepare a five course meal, dividing the year into periods, each with a different focus:

Phase Duration Volume Intensity Specificity

Base 12 - 16 weeks high low low

Build 4 - 8 weeks low high intermediate

(maintenance)

Peak 4 - 6 weeks high low high

(maintenance)

Taper 1-3 weeks low moderate high

Events varies high moderate high

Base Training

The purpose of base training is to increase aerobic capacity, fat-burning efficiency, cycling endurance and muscle size and strength. During this phase the cyclist is primarily training the slow twitch muscle fibers, and recruiting the fast twitch IIa fibers to endurance cycling. The benefits of this training include:

	Improving the fuel supply, by increasing your ability to burn fat during long events and increasing the potential to store carbohydrates within the muscle and liver.
	Elevating oxygen delivery to the working muscles, both by improving your respiratory system, bringing more oxygen to the circulatory system, and by increasing the efficiency of the heart, so you can pump more blood per minute.
	Raising blood flow to the skin, as a result of improved cardiovascular function, thus helping cooling.
	Improving the endurance of cycling muscles by increasing the number of mitochondria, the subcellular structures in your muscles that produce aerobic energy.
	Improving neuromuscular efficiency in your pedaling technique. Increased power and endurance is partly the result of increased muscle strength, and partly the result of improved coordination in muscle firing patterns.
	Toning core and upper body muscles, to improve comfort on the bike. The key workout is the weekly long ride, building up to 2/3 of the duration of your target event(s), e.g., 65 miles if training for a century or 135 miles if training for a double.

Build Training

The purpose of this phase is to increase the anaerobic threshold, glycogen-burning efficiency, cycling speed and muscle power. During this phase, the emphasis shifts from endurance to power. The rider concentrates on several very hard workouts a week, doing just enough long rides to maintain endurance. The benefits of this training include:

	Raising the anaerobic threshold, the region where the metabolism shifts from oxidative to glycolytic metabolism. This allow riding faster without going anaerobic.
	Becoming more efficient, producing more power at any given level of oxygen consumption.
	The key workout(s) are one or two weekly hard rides at or above your anaerobic threshold. These can be very structured, e.g., intervals, or free-form — just get your heart rate up there!

Peaking

During this phase you combine your endurance and speed training into specific distance training to peak for the key event(s). By this point, the rider should have sufficient endurance and power to complete the event(s). Now the focus is on training the brain and nervous system to optimize performance.

The rider does just enough intense riding to maintain power. The rider will increase the volume of endurance riding, not to increase physiological endurance, but to improve cycling performance. The long rides will be as event-specific as possible. The rider training for a hilly century will train in the hills. The cyclist preparing for a fast double will work on pace-line skills. The benefits of this training include:

	Increasing cruising speed, the ability to ride steadily below anaerobic threshold.
	Becoming more economical, eliminating wasted time and effort.
	Building confidence in your ability to complete the event.
	The key workout is the weekly tempo or event simulation ride at, or slightly above event pace, for 1/4 to 1/2 the duration of the key event, e.g. 25-50 if training for a century or 50-100 miles if preparing for a double century.

Taper

The purpose of the taper is to store energy for the big event(s). After three big courses, this course is light, to refresh the palate to allow us to enjoy dessert! At this point, doing more miles won’t make you faster, it will just make you tired! The smart rider will do just enough intensity to stay sharp, and a short weekly event simulation ride.

Events

Dessert is served! Peak rides are so rich that it’s difficult to digest fully more than a few in any season. Choose carefully which events you want to excel at, preferably spaced a few months apart. Ride the other events for enjoyment and training, but back off the pace a little, saving some capacity for the big desserts.

These are the ingredients. Experiment to see what mix pleases your palate, training is very personal! I hope your 2003 season rates 3 stars!

References

- Burke, E. Serious Cycling, Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics

- Tanner, D. “Muscles: Why Ultra Marathoners Can’t Sprint”, UltraCycling, November, 1998.

- Tanner, D. & Derchak, A. “Metabolism: Why Ultra Marathoners Must Eat”, UltraCycling, January, 1999.

- Derchak, A. & Tanner, D. “The :Anaerobic’ Threshold”, UltraCycling, May, 1999.

Reprinted with permission. For more information on training, nutrition and equipment go to www.ultracycling.com.

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Dave Freund Memorial White Mountains Bicycle Tour

July 12 &13, 2003 New Course!

There is a wonder to this ride that is hard to explain. Over the years it has justly earned the reputation of being one of the very best bicycling tours in the Southwest. If you've ridden it before you know what it is like, if you haven't participated, there's much to look forward to. Attracting even out-of-state riders, it has become so popular that it is recommended that you REGISTER EARLY! This ride is organized by the Phoenix Metro Chapter of GABA.

Ride Start & Finish:

The ride starts at the Blue Ridge High School parking lot located at 674 E. White Mountain Blvd. in Lakeside also known as Highway 260. DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 260 from Show Low going to Pinetop and Lakeside. The School is located on the left side of the road. We have obtained permission to park cars there for the weekend. We are negotiating to get use of the restrooms for Sat. and showers for our return on Sunday morning.

Registration:

Registration starts at 6:30 AM on Saturday, July 12th, and closes PROMPTLY at 8:30 AM. Please try to start early! We should have your luggage at the motels and campground by 1 PM. Just remember that some hotel rooms may not be available till after 2 PM. so take your time and enjoy the ride!

"NEW" Route Description:

SATURDAY - 44 hilly mountainous miles.

The route will follow Highway 260 East thru Pinetop, on to McNary arriving in Springerville/Eager for the night, with a SAG stop half-way, at the top of the pass near Sunrise Ski Resort.

SUNDAY - 44 hilly mountainous miles.

The return route will be the same on Sunday. Pedal West on Hwy 260 all the way back to the starting point in Pinetop/Lakeside. Expect several sizable climbs, but the reward is our SAG stop at the top of the 15-mile hill climb, with a great downhill from there back to the finish!

Saturday night dinner will be a Cowboy cookout with Steak or Chicken, fresh salad and veggies, all included in the ride fee, prepared by Springerville residents who know what hungry cyclists like to eat! Snacks available at the end of the ride on Sunday.

Springerville/Eager accommodations:

CAMPING: at Round Valley Middle School. Camping fee: $7. Includes hot showers. Bring your tent or make camp inside on the gymnasium floor.

HOTELS: There are several hotels in the area with real beds, but make your reservations early, as the tour fills them up FAST!. They can be reached by calling 1-520-333, then

El Jo Motor Inn, 4314

26 Bed & Breakfast, 2102

Reeds Motor Lodge, 4323

Spanish Trails B&B, 4034

Super 8 Motel, 2655

Best Western, 2540

Corral Motel, 2264

Paisley Corner B&B, 4665

Rode Inn , 4365

Whiting Bros. Inn, 5870

Ride Leader: Ride Leader: Rick Marquis, (480) 839-3385, not after 9 PM, please!) or whitemountaintour@cox.net There are lots of accommodations in the Show Low/ Pinetop/Lakeside area for those interested in coming up early on Friday or staying overnight on Sunday; check the GABA website at www.sportsfun.com/gaba for a list.

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM

WHITE MOUNTAIN TOUR

July 12 & 13, 2003

One form per rider; photocopies accepted.

Please fill out all the blanks.

Leader: Rick Marquis at (480) 839-3385 or Whitemountaintour@cox.net

I am currently a GABA member:

(Circle) Yes No

NAME:__________________________

ADDRESS:________________________

CITY:___________________________

STATE____ ZIP___________

PHONE: ( )_________________

E-MAIL _________________________

FEE: make check payable to and mail to:

Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club, P.O Box 26788, Tempe AZ 85285-6788.

GABA Member: $45._____

Non-Member: $50._____

Camping in Springerville: $7. _____

Late fee after 7/1/03 $10. _____

Non-Rider dinner (adult) $15. _____

Dinner (kid under 10) $10. _____

TOTAL MONEY SENT: $________

Steak or Chicken (circle) If you fail to put anything, you get steak!!!!!

ANSI-approved helmets are mandatory.

Please STAPLE your SIGNED WAIVER

to each registration form.

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Tucson Bicycle Classic 2003

By Steve Bohn, Race Director and Founder

A record field of 625 riders from across the continent came to compete in the 18th running of the Tucson Bicycle Classic, the southwest's most popular 3-day multi-category USCF stage race. Once again, this event was a Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series, presented by PICOR. Perfect weather greeted the beginning of Stage 1, the 3.0 mile McCain Loop Time Trial, as 18 different USCF categories began competing on the challenging terrain of the Tucson Mountain Park area.

Stage 1

In the Pro/Category 1 men's field, defending TBC champion Gord Fraser (Health Net) blazed the prologue TT in 7:09, followed by Tucson's Phil Zajicek (Saturn) @ 7:23 and Todd Wells (Mongoose/Hyundai) @ 7:26. Other notable men's results included Scott Blanchard (Eclipse) winning the Category 2 TT @ 7:43 while Doug Loveday (Grand Canyon Racing) ripped a 7:42 in the Masters 35+ field.

Colorado Springs resident Kelli Emmett (unattached) took the Women's Pro/1-2 TT with a time of 9:06 followed by Mt. Velo/Supergo teammates Jennifer Wilson (El Paso, TX) @ 9:10 and Bisbee's own Amy Vinik at 9:13. In the Category 3 race, Maureen Brooks (Landis/Trek/VW) laid down a 9:11 while newcomer Jeanne Anne Krisman (AZ Feeds) showed her triathlete skills, shredding the Category 4 field with a 9:10.

Stage 2: Tragedy and the Aftermath

The famed 21-mile loop Gates Pass Road Race began Saturday morning with slightly overcast skies as the various categories started their races. All of the Women's categories and most of the other categories had finished when tragedy struck the Men's 2's field. On lap 4 of five, a crash began to develop near the base of the Gate's Pass descent sending riders across the yellow line into oncoming traffic. Two riders struck a vehicle head on as it was slowing, resulting in the tragic loss of Garrett Lemire, a 22 year old free spirited and gifted young man from Ojai, California. The KB Home rider left an unparalleled impact on those who knew him and he will never be forgotten by the cycling community, his family and the Tucson Bicycle Classic. Clayton Peck (Excel) also struck the vehicle, has since been released from the hospital and is recovering. Three other riders and the driver of the car were also treated and released from the hospital.

The incident closed this section of the course for nearly 2 hours and the Category 2's voluntarily stopped their race. The Pro/1 field was approa-ching the base of Gates Pass when notified of the accident and their race was also stopped immediately. A break of 16 riders, 5 minutes clear of the main pack were the first to hear the news; their time split would later to prove to be the winning margin during this somber day. The stunned racers were then escorted back to the start/finish area.

The events that followed demonstrated how the cycling community and the TBC family came together to mourn the loss of a fellow cyclist, support one another during an extremely difficult time, and rally around a race and institution that has taken on deeper meaning in the wake of this terrible loss. While everybody involved in the Tucson Bicycle Classic was profoundly affected by the accident, the racers, officials and volunteers showed amazing poise and respect. Sunday's final stage was ridden primarily in memory of Garrett and included a neutral memorial lap, a collective minute of silence and one less lap to honor our lost comrade. Support from Garrett's parents to continue the Artisan's Prosthetics Circuit Race (stage 3) finalized the plans to move on with the race. A close friend and former teammate shared some personal words about Garrett for all the cyclists to hear prior to beginning.

The TBC community truly showed its dignity and character during this most difficult experience. Much of the response is shaped by what it means to be a part of the cycling community-the respect, support, passion and empathy that we all share for one another in choosing to participate in this exciting, challenging and wonderful sport. The dedication and character of the TBC volunteers, officials and sponsors of this race was truly unparalleled, being tested like never before.

Stage 3

The decision to race Sunday morning gave the racers and cycling community a chance to grieve, share thoughts and join together for this final stage. Some chose to just join in the memorial lap with their respective category and call it a day, while others would continue the race in the spirit of Garrett. The racers exchanged tears in place of the normal pre-race 3game face2, showing their feelings and sorrow for the tragic loss. Many people eloquently wrote and shared their thoughts in three journals left out during the final day as well.

In the early wave of races, the Pro/1-2 Women's field countered various attacks and finished intact for their 40 mile race, with Hermosillo native Belem Guerrero (Tecel-Speedbikes) taking the field sprint, followed by Renee Eastman (Vitamin Cottage) and Sarah Tillotson (ABD Cycling Team). Elizabeth Begosh's (Snow Valley) lap 3 time bonus of 10 seconds proved to be the pivotal move for the Millville, PA resident, vaulting her to 1st place overall. Second Place overall went to Jennifer Wilson (Mt Velo/Supergo), a scant :05 back while Tillotson took 3rd, :11 back.

Doug Loveday (Grand Canyon racing) took the Men's 35+ crown, while Chad Beyer (Giant/Domenics) took stages 1 and 2 en route to his overall LAJORS JR 17-18 crown.

During the late wave of races, the somber Cat. 2's field pulled off in solidarity after the memorial lap, leaving the TT times to determine the overall GC, won by Scott Blanchard. A reduced Pro/1 field started the 50-mile final stage, allowing the time bonus strategy to decide the winners. Cory Steinbrecher's (Jelly Belly/Carlsbad Clothing) position in the stage 2 break, his hot lap time bonus and third place stage finish vaulted him to the overall TBC crown. 2nd place went to teammate Brent Dawson @ :05 back and Ryan Blickem (Heart Hospital of NM) took the final podium position, :08 back.

Garrett Lemire Memorial Ride 3/22/03: Ojai, CA

An estimated peloton of 220, including former and current team members, cyclists from near and far, and friends, donned Garrett's #148 and prepared for the 6-mile ride to Meditation Mount to honor and celebrate the life of Garrett Lemire on this beautiful day. I was able to share long-awaited hugs, tears and private moments with members of Garrett's family prior to the ride . They are wonderful, strong and brave people whose open hearts and minds overwhelmed and touched me.

Led by a police escort, the cyclists and cars rolled through downtown to the outskirts of this lush foothill community approx. 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Upon arrival to the hilltop chapel at Meditation Mount, the service began with Larry Yee, father of Garrett's best friend Ryan Yee. Others followed who were acquainted with this remarkable young man. Tears and laughter alternated as sorrow for his loss and celebration of his life, lived to the fullest until the moment he began the ascent to a higher place, were shared by many. Garrett Lemire was a gentle, kind soul who's love for life, respect for nature and dedication to cycling was unparalleled. The amazing thing about Garrett is that in a short span of 22 years, he impacted so many people in so many positive and inspiring ways. His family, friends and those fortunate enough to have met him can be proud of this. For those of us who did not know him, we now know of him and that in itself is a special feeling.

Next year's race will be dedicated to Garrett Lemire. While the TBC will forever be changed by the loss of this young man, next year's race will be put on with an even greater vigor and calling. Safety will continue to be the forefront of discussion as new ideas and alternatives of traffic control will be discussed with the required authorities. The Tucson Bicycle Classic has taken on a deeper meaning as it will now celebrate the life and character of Garrett Lemire, and continue as a premier cycling event.

A special thanks to Richard DeBernardis, PBAA and Tailwinds for their support, and for providing the memorial page on Garrett in the next issue of the Tailwinds.

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Welcome New & Renewing Members:

NEW:

Monika Zavala-Durazo

Rich Marciari

Christopher Phillips

James Abel

John/Jane Hall

Patrick Bates

Dave/Kathy Tacey/Cordo

Daniel Kongs

Joanne Dowdy

Robert Rhoads

Jerry/Ann Shull

James Woods

Dawn/Erik Obrecht/Lamdvik

William/Carol Brewer

Anne Snider

Ronald/Camilla Greene

Gregory Clark

Brian Stephens

RENEWING:

Ted & Gloria Belanger

Jay Woolsey

William Coates

Rita Burman

James Didominico

Barton Santello

Amku/Michael Gupta/Evans

Mark Dehanke

Mike McNamara

Vincent Hunt

Chris Toal & Sheryl Mueller

Dennis Larson

Suzanne/Tom

Phillips/Faucett

Ed Rogoff

John/Karen Takacs

Chad Kurtzman

Bob & Donna Mathers

Homer Hamby

Carmel DuBuisson

Delon Dalke

George & Carol Franklin

Tom Nieman KC/Robin Hardy

Kevin O'Brien

Jannene Johnson

Jan Smith

Morris/Don Laree

David Martens

Jerry McGinnis

Ronni Robles

Scott McKinzie & Family

Doug Thompson

Victor Menayan

Carol Merfeld

Donald Snyder

Clarence Worrior

Dick/Louise Strayer

Steve Rivera

Leonard Fieber Md

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Tandem Tour Around Tucson

By Charlie and Becky Steinmetz

Corvallis, OR

The idea of doing a bicycle tour in Arizona began last summer. As with all vacation ideas, all one has to do is connect to the World Wide Web and a vast amount of information and opportunities seem to be just a click away. I found the GABA-Tucson (Greater Arizona Bicycling Association) website offered the opportunity to start communicating with other fellow cyclists in the area for recommended bicycle routes.

Steve, a GABA-Tucson member, answered my email request with route ideas, suggestions of places one has to see, reality checks on distances to be covered in our limited time frame, roads to stay off, and after several months of correspondence, he even invited us to stay at his house and use it as "home base", and to store our bike luggage while on tour.

With route ideas in place, Charlie proceeded to make a route using the DeLorme map program. We have used Streets and Trips in the past, but we wanted to have some specs regarding the hills and valleys we were planning to travel though. DeLorme was good for its elevation information, but definitely was not accurate in its "right/left" turn instructions!

Luckily Steve was always a click away with verifying if we had a reasonable route and if our directions were accurate.

As the months went by, we decided to accept Steve's "home base" offer and made plans to spend the first three days and last two days of our trip in Tucson there. We wanted to allow time to acclimate ourselves to riding at Tucson's 2,500 foot elevation before heading off pulling a trailer; to check out several areas of interest in Tucson (Tucson has also been given the honor of being a Bicycle Friendly Community award like Corvallis!); and lastly, we wanted to see if we could take in a ride with Steve and other GABA riders. This plan worked out perfectly for us and we will definitely incorporate this type of trip planning in the future.

With air reservations made, the bike and trailer packed, we were off February 21 for a 12-day adventure. We arrived in Tucson in the early afternoon and were picked up at the airport by Donna, Steve's stoker. (This was just another bit of Tucson hospitality that was offered to us.) We arrived at their house located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Not only was the setting beautiful, but also Charlie had access to using Steve's bike stand to help him put the tandem back together!

In no time the tandem was in riding form, Steve came home from work, and what else do tandem riders do, but go for a ride! As the sun was setting and temperatures were in the 70's, the four of us headed out on a short eight-mile ride towards Mt. Lemmon to check out the bike, shake out our legs after a long day of travel, and experience our first Arizona sunset. "What a great start for this vacation", is what I remember thinking, as we pedaled along observing saguaro cacti and chatting with our new tandem friends!

The next day, several of Steve and Donna's friends from the bike club met us to go for a ride through the beautiful University of Arizona campus, south to visit Mission San Xavier del Bac, and then stopping at a lovely outdoor cafe for lunch. With the incredible hospitality extended to us, Charlie and I felt very welcome to Tucson, and we were able to relax and enjoy its beauty and sights.

Day three. Charlie and I took off on our own for a day of cycling. We pedaled west of Tucson and took in a ride over Gates Pass to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. We explored the museum via foot and with camera in hand for a couple of hours, and recommend experiencing it if you visit Tucson. The rest of the day was spent riding through the Saguaro National Park and over Picture Rocks Pass to bring us back into Tucson. We now felt ready to hook up our trailer to the tandem and head south for the start of our 7-day tour.

The next day we said our good-byes to Steve and Donna. I will never forget Steve's sendoff farewell to us, "Remember we are no more then a two-hour drive from rescuing you if you have problems on your tour." Are all Tucsonans this nice? With light hearts we headed out of their driveway and pointed the tandem south. The weather started changing almost immediately as we left their home. Our arm warmers, leg extensions, and rain jackets would remain on and off our bodies during the remainder of our riding days. We would also ride into some pretty fierce headwinds that would also stay with us off and on for the rest of our tour. This night would find us in Green Valley, elev. 2,900 ft, a retirement community approximately 35 miles south of Tucson. Green Valley's bike shoulder signs read, "Golf Cart Shoulder"! Now that's unique!

The following day we would find ourselves continuing south to Nogales for the night. Nogales, elev. 3,865 ft, is on the border of Mexico, and we walked into Mexico for dinner that night. Day three of our tour would keep us mainly on the scenic highway through Patagonia, Sonoita, and finally into Sierra Vista, elevation 4,623 ft, for the night. This day we would be on sensory overload. We rode at the base of the Huachuca Mountains, experienced a heavy rainstorm, and lastly, had an incredible tailwind that had us cruising at 22-24 mph for over twenty miles! That night the threat of snow was in the forecast and I remembered Steve's rescue offer before falling asleep.

However, we awoke the next morning to clear blue skies and 30+-degree weather. We headed southeast and made it to our destination, Bisbee, elev. 5,300 ft, by early afternoon.

Our plans were to spend two nights in Bisbee, and since we both had just finished pedaling a total of 320 miles since arriving in Arizona, we felt our bottoms were ready for a rest day. Bisbee is a unique town with lots of charisma. It is known for its copper mine and also has a bohemia artistic character throughout the town. This was definitely a nice place to spend a rest day. We took in the copper mine tour and spent the rest of the day walking through museums, shops and stopping at good places to eat.

Day 6 of our tour, we were back on the tandem heading 20 miles north to our first stop of the day, Tombstone. Tombstone, elev. 4,539 ft, is definitely a commercialized town living in the hopes that the Wild West days are still alive! However, after a one-hour walk around town, we were ready to leave and pointed the bike west to our night destination, Sonoita (ìSo-noy-tahî), elev. 4,970 ft. This day was probably our hardest day because the headwinds were particularly fierce for the next 40 miles, and we were dealing with very cold temperatures. By the time we rolled into Sonoita we were pretty beat. However, the Inn receptionist greeted us with a Happy Hour spread of cheese, crackers, fruit and wine that definitely had us smiling in very short order.

The following day would take us north and back into Tucson. We found the day to pleasantly go by, riding quiet and scenic roads until we hit the outskirts of Tucson. Our only complaint with Tucson and the area was the traffic. It seemed that there were very few miles when we had the road to ourselves. Most of the time we were riding with two to three lanes of traffic. However, there were good shoulders most of the time and the drivers were ALWAYS courteous. The traffic took some getting use to, but with all the friendly people we met throughout our tour, I would not hesitate to recommend this route for your next bicycle tour.

Specs of the trip: In 9 days of riding we covered 444 miles and climbed approximately 15,000 feet in elevation.

Lastly I would like to encourage you to use the Internet and all the information and new friendships that were available to us when planning a trip like this. We are looking forward to Steve and Donna visiting us in July and extend to them some Corvallis hospitality in using our place as "home base"! Oh, and did I mention that they had a hot tub to soothe our sore muscles?

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Third Annual National Bike Summit in Washington, DC

by Rich Rumer

President, Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists

Over 400 bicycling advocates from 47 states rained down on our nation's capital last month during one of the worst snowstorms to hit the area in years! But while our bodies may at times have felt chilly, our spirits were never dampened. For this was the site of the 3rd annual National Bike Summit, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) and America Bikes.

The Arizona delegation included VP Bill Lazenby and I from the Coalition, Sue Knaup representing the Thunderhead Alliance and Prescott Alternative Transportation, and Susan Bookspan from Phoenix Children's Hospital. In three days - March 5-7, we attended two marathon days of meetings, and one day on the Hill with our state congressmen and senators or staff. In fact, our meeting with Rep. Rick Renzi lasted well over an hour. Turns out the 1st District's new congressman is very bike/ped friendly, and I believe it's only a matter of time before he joins the bike caucus.

(The caucus is a bipartisan group of congressional cyclists, including Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.), the ranking demo-crat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. According to the LAB, 14 new members "officially" joined the Congressional Bike Caucus or the new Senate Bike Caucus as a result of summit meetings, with many others also promising to saddle up soon.)

In all, summit participants met with 90 senators and over 300 congressmen or their staffs. We also were fortunate to speak with Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz. 5th District), who said he was interested in TEA-21 re-authorization. And that IS big news! Re-funding of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) is critical if we're to continue building on the progress of the last 12 years through TEA-21 and that of its predecessor, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA).

And that is what this year's summit was really all about: An effort by the League to rally around the re-authorization all bicycling advocates - among them, Adventure Cycling, Association of Pedestrians and Bicycle Professionals, America Bikes, Bikes Belong Coalition, International Mountain Bicycling Association, National Center for Bicycling & Walking, Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, Rails to Trails Conservancy, Surface Transportation Policy Project, and the Thunderhead Alliance.

The key initiative re-authorizing highway funds ("TEA-3") is now before Congress. That bill has three planks: The 1st is to strengthen the original TEA wording to ensure that enhancements, Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) and other existing programs are kept and not transferred to other non-bicycling related projects. The 2nd is to create a bicycle-friendly trans-portation system wherein all new and rebuilt transit vehicles would be required to accommodate bicycles, bicyclists and pedestrians for a truly seamless bimodal connection. And the 3rd is to establish a national Safe Routes to School program funded separately from the TEA-3 bill. The overall goal is to double the percentage of local trips made in the U.S. by bicycling or walking.

The TEA-21 re-authorization vote is set to take place at the end of this year. Your legislators now know that Arizona cyclists are out there in force. PLEASE, don't let our voices melt away like the fallen snow. Write or e-mail your Congressmen & Senators today! Tell them how much bicycling and safe, efficient facilities mean to you, and how you'll be watching this vote very closely!

To learn more about the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists and how you can become a member, call (602)493-9222, e-mail us at coalitionazbicyclists@yahoo.com, or visit us on the web at www.cazbike.com. Together, we can make a difference!

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Grand Canyon Bike Adventure!

- October 2002 -

By Donna Aversa

Can you imagine riding down a road with a pine forest on one side and the Grand Canyon on the other, no cars on the road, only shuttle busses that are prohibited from passing cyclists? That was our “free day” of sight-seeing at the Grand Canyon and the start of my second trip from the Grand Canyon to Nogales on the famous GABA "Cross State" Ride!

For me, the fun started the night before catching up with friends from last year, meeting new people and looking at the collection of bikes: recumbents, tandems, custom, etc. They were all put to the test with big climbs, big downhills and big days.

Day One of the tour had us cruising east along the South Rim with each viewpoint more magnificent than the next. For some, this was a first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. What a way to start a week-long bicycle adventure across the state. As we left Grand Canyon National Park, we dropped like a shot on the first of the week’s many big downhill runs. The road leveled out and we cruised along with a view of Marble Canyon until we got to that little hill into Gray Mountain, Arizona, our stop for the night.

Snacks, massages, nap time, and swimming were on the agenda before dinner. I lucked out and my roommate, Anya, took charge and whipped out her cleaning kit and proceeded to clean and lube our bikes. I contributed the lemon Pledge wipes and our bikes were shifting smooth, looking good and smelling lemony fresh.

After our morning fuel of peanut butter and bagels, we were off for Flagstaff on Day Two. As our day started, I had no hint that my bike handling skills would be tested so rigorously. Photo ops were all around us. The Wupatki Loop gave us our first exposure to “cyclist friendly” cattleguards. After we left the Wupatki ruins we had another fabulous downhill run with a tailwind.

But tailwinds are fickle and it didn’t last long. We turned a bend and our friendly tailwind turned into a devilish crosswind that blew us about like a kitten batting at a ball of string. I think I saw Tim’s back wheel come off the ground as his bike was pushed across the road. The SAG wagon was nearby, but the awesome scenery and the hope of a tailwind kept us pushing onward. Our reward was a sheltered SAG stop at the top, well almost at the top, of the climb with the best pbj sandwiches and lunch provided by Dick and Fella Wolff. A view of the lava fields surrounding Sunset Crater rounded out the day’s sightseeing. In Flagstaff, the Jacuzzi and pool at the Little America Hotel welcomed us before an elegant and traditional turkey dinner in the banquet room. Cloth napkins, china. The works. Dress code for the evening: clean T-shirt!

Day Three put our GABA support staff to the test. We started out with a bit of cloud cover and some cold weather gear. Some riders were smart enough to pull out the rain gear. As we worked our way out of Flagstaff, it began to drizzle just enough to create a mist effect along Lake Mary Road and the trees took on an Arizona Highways Magazine photo effect. We were a hardy bunch, but when the rain turned into hail and sleet and eventually snow, we huddled together at the Lake Mary Boat Landing eventually moving our huddle to the men’s room to get relief from the wind and rain.

The GABA staff was awesome and quickly accounted for everyone on the road and shuttled riders to Happy Jack and Strawberry. The folks at Happy Jack were very accommodating and kept the hot coffee flowing and even popped a movie into the VCR for riders to relax and keep warm and dry while waiting for the SAG shuttle. The folks at Strawberry were ready with pie, pie and more pie. All the riders made it to Payson, and some made it to the Jacuzzi and massage table, none the worse for wear. The bikes got first class treatment by Barry, our baggage master and his crew, arriving in the baggage truck without a scratch.

Only three riders pressed on, collecting clothes from everyone along the way to make it into Payson to a round of applause. The well-earned reward for all riders and staff in Payson was the incredible dinner put on by the Ladies of the Morning Star — fresh veggies, homemade Swiss steak, veggie chili and a seemingly endless table of homemade desserts rounded out the feast.

We must have paid our weather dues as Day Four from Payson into Globe-Miami was picture perfect. Lake Roosevelt, Roosevelt Dam, a suspension bridge used up some film and was the perfect setting for our lunch SAG stop. Dick and Fella fueled us up before my gear grinding 5-mile climb at 9%! Rocket Rodney from Orange County tells me the grade kicked up 12% at one point, but I’m glad I didn’t know that before I started up.

Each rider got a round of applause from Marge and Mary with SAG 3 at the top of the hill, stocked with cold drinks and an assortment of sweet and salty snacks. Look for a group picture of GABA Past -President and “general flunky” Wayne Cullop with several riders at the 9% grade sign on the website! A long swooping downhill run into Globe-Miami brought us to the Copper Hill Motel and our stop for the night.

As it turns out, the 9% climb into Globe-Miami was only the warm up for the trip into Tucson on Day Five. The day started out with a 10-mile climb called “El Capitan”. Sharon and Radar, our SAG 1 angels, had our 2nd breakfast waiting at the top. From there yet another big downhill run all the way to Mammoth. From Mammoth, we had the big climb of the day up to Oracle. Once in Oracle, we had relief from the climb and were greeted by every cyclists’ old friend, headwind. The Ghost Ranch Lodge turned into a reunion spot as several Tucson GABA members came by to visit.

Sunshine and mild weather held for Day Six as we were escorted by a dozen Tucson GABA members to Nogales. Our ride leader, Pam, did a great job finding motels with pools, Jacuzzi’s and in this case, a Dairy Queen right across the street! Friends and family joined the group for a fantastic Mexican dinner and Mariachis, final presentations and good byes. And one more trip to the DQ!

The two most common questions I’ve been asked relate to food and flats. The GABA crew kept us well fed with three SAG stops, plus snacks at the end of the day. Everyone seemed to have their own favorite dinner. For me, the lasagna and apple pie at the Ghost Ranch is tough to beat. As for the flats, it seemed like the same people kept getting all the flats. Our own tour mechanic and no riding injuries helped to keep everyone rolling along. Well, we did have one SAG van injury and we will be teasing Tim about that for quite awhile as the van is expected to have a full recovery. Meanwhile, the GABA staff included our unofficial mascot Katie the Corgi. As the canine companion to “Mo” the tour mechanic and her husband Mike (the “Rocketman” on his slick recumbent), Katie welcomed all the cyclists by rolling her Low Rider legs into the air and presenting her belly to be rubbed.

All in all, the GABA staff took care of almost everything. For the riders, our job was to eat, ride, socialize, eat and sleep. It’s no wonder many of the riders keep coming back year after year.

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ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Saturday, June 7th at 10 AM
Ramada #3; NE corner of Reid Park
(just northwest of Hi-Corbett Field)

Bring friends or family members to enjoy food & fun! If they sign up as New Members that day, you will get $5 in GABA Bucks!

This is a great opportunity to visit with fellow cyclists that you may not get a chance to see all the time, or to meet new cyclists! We'll have something for everyone before and after the ice cream! Day Rides will start here before the ice cream is delivered, and you'll return in time to get your well-earned share of scrumptious icy delight! Ice cream will be served around 10 AM.

40-Mile Ride: meet at 6:30 AM.

25-Mile Ride: meet at 7:30 AM.

9-Mile Ride: meet at 8:30 AM.

All rides start in parking lot close to Hi-Corbett Field, in NE corner of Reid Park. Watch for GABA signs! Everybody welcome!

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Gaslight Theatre, "The Adventures of Lady Liberty"

Show Time: Friday, July 18, 7 PM.

Come join us for this summer's live musical presentation at the Gaslight Theatre located on the south side of Broadway at Kolb. Pizza and appetizers, from neighboring Little Anthony's Diner and Grandma Tony's Pizza, can be ordered at your theatre table to enjoy during the show.

Tickets for adults are $13, children, $8.

If you would like to join us, contact Dorothy Barth, Social Director, to let her know how many tickets you would like to purchase. E-mail her at dorothybarth2443@ msn.com or leave a voice message at 323-7203.

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Organ Pipe Tour 2003

By Helen Greer

Beautiful spring weather presented itself for the 2003 Organ Pipe Bicycle Tour. Riders gathered, amidst poppies, at the Kitt Peak turnoff to sign in with ride leader Mike Cotton and drop their luggage. Three departed from here for a century ride to the campground and two left from Sells. The rest started at Quijotoa, meeting up with a small contingent from Phoenix.

Grace, in spite of an injured husband and a gravely ill mother, ran the SAG 1 stop next to the old Quijotoa Trading Post. Mike Thompson ran SAG 2 at Tohono High School. Jo and I continued on to the great ironwood tree just north of the Monument and set up lunch on one of the picnic tables.

The fun was about to begin and the first riders had not even shown up. With blaring sirens and flashing lights, sheriff and border patrol vehicles flew by. Just before Mike showed up with the luggage, a Border Patrol agent set up a road block, banning all vehicles, including bicycles, from traveling south. The agent said something about a vehicle accident.

I then returned to the shady tree and settled in for a possible two-hour wait. Cars soon backed up and parked in all vacant spots across the highway. We were the lucky ones, we had the only decent shade tree. Cyclists began trickling in and realizing that they would be there awhile, relaxed in the shade. Before long, cars were no longer coming up from the park and Jo never showed up. This caused concern for Mike.

And yet, before the time I was given, the vast assortment of motor vehicles, scattered like leaves in a wind storm, began assuming their positions and moving south. Then, cyclists mounted their bikes for a final descent into the Monument, home to Sonoran Desert plants found nowhere else north of the US/Mexico border. Once again, traffic from the south appeared, including Jo, who had been held up at the Visitor Center.

Followed by the Kanoza's, our sweep drivers, all riders made it in by 3 PM. Mike and Jo began setting up the kitchen. I was free until dinner and took my mountain bike for a spin on the Ajo Mountain Loop drive. The dramatic beauty of the mountains of the Monument, born of a violent volcanic past, is as powerful for me no matter how many times I visit.

Mike served up his famous stew with Nopales thrown in, in both vegetarian and carnivorous varieties. A big hit yet again, everyone devoured it gratefully. After dark, with an arm of the Milky Way arced over us, it was the perfect evening for night sky gazing. Stars and constellations were identified and satellite spotting almost became competition. Slowly, the gathering ebbed until all were in bed.

Oh, was it cold the next morning, in a dry place with almost no asphalt to hold in heat! Wearing all our cold weather attire, we gathered for breakfast and coffee, waiting for the sun to crawl over the hillside. And when it did, the temperature jumped, limb warmers and jackets dropped. Luggage was loaded and the riders began trickling out of camp.

On this day, Mike Thompson had the 1st SAG under the Grand Ironwood. Grace, who had returned to Tucson Saturday night, was to handle the second at Tohono High School, and Jo and I were to serve lunch in Quijotoa. Unfortunately, when Jo and I got to Grace, we learned her mother had passed away that morning. Her husband, injured ankle and all, had accompanied her. Jo left me to run SAG 2 so Grace could return to Tucson. The crew of Organ Pipe and Greater Arizona Bicycling Association offer our deepest sympathy for her loss and gratitude for all her help, showing up under the most difficult of circumstances.

Mike and I rigged a sun shelter for me to use, and I was left alone. After Mike Thompson was done with his SAG, he assisted the Kanoza’s with the sweep. The last riders gone, Mike came by and we returned to Quijotoa.

Other than the long-distance few, the riders were gathered in front of the old trading post building, doing what they did on the tour whenever they are off the bike: munching, and shooting a bit of bull. They began saying their farewells and returning to their vehicles for the trip home. By the time Jo and I had passed Sells, and then the turn off to Kitt Peak, the animals had made it to their vehicles.

Another great GABA tour to one of the most spectacular desert monuments on this earth had come to an end. But as always, the participants were left with something more precious than gold. Memories that neither robbers nor death can take from them.

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Arizona Statewide Bike/Pedestrian Plan Open House

Presented by ADOT

Please join us for this ONE HOUR open house prior to the regular GABA meeting on Monday, May 5th at 6 PM at the Pima County Medical Society Building at 5199 East Farness. (regular GABA monthly meeting place)

This is a great opportunity for you to review statewide plans and input your comments and opinions!

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Your Knees - Do They Ache?

by Richard E. Corbett

Certified Cycling Instructor & Coach

There are only three kinds of cyclists – those whose knees have ached, those whose knees are aching, or those whose knees will ache. If your knees have not ached yet, it is virtually certain that they will in the future. But why, you ask? To answer this obvious question, let us look at the most common causes of knee problems, the remedies, and what you can do to avoid having knees problems.

Common Causes

Position on your bicycle (saddle and cleat adjustment) is the most common cause of knee problems, however, there are other causes. These include overuse, impacts, and genetics.

Position generally causes most knee problems. Saddle height, and cleat adjustment are by far the two most important position elements.

Saddle height is quite often too low. If you have knee pain in the rear of the knee, the saddle is too low; on the other hand, if the pain is in the front of the knee, the saddle is too high (rare).

Cleat adjustment is not as predictable as saddle height. There are just as many cyclists who have their heels too far out as there are who have them too far in, or just right. In any case, pain on the outside of the knee indicates the heel is too far out, and pain on the inside of the knee indicates the heel is too far in.

Overuse can come from a variety of sources, such as cycling, or weight training. Overuse can be accentuated by a lack of stretching – just remember that stretching is best done after you have warmed up, not before (we cyclists are blessed in that we can warm up on our bikes, then do on-the-bike stretches).

Impacts are another cause of knee problems. The principle source of impacts that affect the knees is from running, especially with improper shoes. Obviously falls, while cycling or while involved in sports, are a major source of impacts to the body, including knees.

Genetics is something you cannot change, but you can recognize and adapt to your body’s uniqueness. For example, a person with a wider than ‘average’ pelvis may have pain on the outside of their knees.

Remedies, and How to Avoid Knee Problems

If you have knee problems, how do you get rid of them, and how might you avoid getting them to begin with? All the problems in the section above have intuitive preventive actions and remedies, but are these enough? Lets see.

Position on your bicycle (saddle and cleat adjustment) can be one of the easiest to address. There are many sources for how to set your saddle height, front-back, and tilt. Be careful though, in accepting advice from a friend, as studies have shown that more than a third of cyclists believe they know proper adjustment, but err in one or more of its elements! Remember, since this is the most common cause of knee problems, it deserves very careful attention! To get proper and accurate advice, consider consulting a knowledgeable Instructor or Coach.

Overuse is remedied by reducing the causative activity (i.e. weight training). It is prevented by approaching the causative activity more gradually, and being certain to warm up before any significant loading of the muscles and joints. As mentioned above, we cyclists can warm up by riding (without straining/pushing), then do stretches on the bike. If you are not familiar with on-bike stretching, consider consulting a knowledgeable Instructor or Coach.

Impacts are remedied and prevented by avoiding them! If they result from running, check your shoes, and consider upgrading them. If you are using good shoes, then perhaps your stride is off, or you are simply going beyond the level of activity you should be at. Again, consider consulting a knowledgeable Instructor or Coach (running of course).

Genetics are not as easy to remedy, but can be addressed. For example, a wider than average pelvis that contributes to knee aches can be addressed with orthotics or shims. Orthotics are shoe inserts that can help re-align the leg and the knee, to reduce or eliminate aches. Shims, on the other hand, help address the surprisingly common matter of differential leg length, generally by placement between the cleat and the shoe.

Many of us will experience knee pains at some point. Knowing or getting an accurate assessment, and taking prompt corrective action will help keep our cycling something that we continue to look forward to.

Author’s Note: An excellent book on ‘bicycle medicine’ is Dr. Arnie Baker’s Bicycling Medicine (ISBN 0-9640601-8-3). Arnie is National Team in Training Coach, a National Champion, and a U.S. Record Holder.

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Sonoita-Bisbee Ride Report

Dick Schaffer, Ride Leader

Thanks to a warm morning and a tailwind for our 70 riders, the Sonoita-Bisbee ride began with a breeze. Our SAG #2 volunteers, Caroline Schaffer and Chris Salcedo, took care of registration while I and my luggage assistant Angela Byrd loaded the luggage truck.

Roy Schoonover and Pam Cullop did a great job at our new SAG stop at the Mustang Corners' Texaco. The wind stayed at our backs over Mule Pass as Chris and Caroline fed riders a great lunch.

We had a wonderful dinner at St. Patrick's church as Rubin Quiroz and family fed us Chicken Mole and much more. Thanks to the Fairwheel, Full Cycle, Sabino cycles, Bargain Basement and Ajo Bike shops for their donations of door prizes at the dinner.

Sunday morning was warm and sunny except for the typical headwind the last 20 miles. Our Sweeps, Jack and Dorothy Beiler and Steve and Donna Kanoza did a marvelous job too, though our riders were so strong that all finished without aid. Thanks again to all of our volunteers and our riders! Look for some changes in route, and dinner and breakfast venue next year.

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Classifieds

ROLF WHEELSET, Vector comp (red), 18 spokes front, 20 spokes rear, great shape, $175. Dan, (520) 622-6412, Tucson.

What's a Ride Leader to Do??

Thu, May 22nd, 6:30 to 8 PM

Dick Schaffer, Education Coordinator

You're leading a C ride, and you have some C+ and C- riders. What is a Ride Leader to do? Well, come to our May 22nd meeting at Woods Library, 3455 N. 1st Avenue, to learn how to handle fast, slow and medium speed riders while leaving no one behind unattended, or so far back you never see them again! Let me know ahead of time that you will come (326-4807 or bikeschaf @aol.com). That way I can order enough food and drinks for everyone.

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IN MEMORIAM

Ruth Grejdus

By Suzanne Couvrette,

We sadly learned that Ruthie, as she was affectionately known by a lot of Club members, passed away on April 12, after a long battle with lymphoma.

For those of you who have been GABA members for a long time, you will all remember Ruthie, a slow but tireless rider, always with a smile on her face, and a joke to tell!

Ruthie was Treasurer for the Club in 1983 and 1984. I remember well our informal Board Meetings at Ruthie's house near the YWCA on 5th Avenue.

So many memories come to mind, as I review in my mind all the rides that Ruthie did in those days. Even, when she got turned around and headed north instead of south, she would have a funny explanation and a good laugh at herself!

To the end, she was a strong woman, and did put up a stoic front when her illness was making headway, telling everybody that she was feeling great, and that a little sickness would not get the best of her, no sir!

The Club extends its most sincere condolences to Ruthie's family and to her loving companion of many years, Lynn.

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