Club Undulations from the President

George Kyriazis

Wow!! What a fantastic Annual Banquet the TCBC held on February 20. Willie Weir, the program speaker, was outstanding, as was the work of John and Ellie Ittner, Kathleen and Ed Nordquist, and Vicki Patten. Thank you!

We also had great support from our local bicycle shops with their displays and fantastic door prizes. As expected and planned, the Banquet had negative cash flow that was offset by our dues and profits from last year's Inland Empire Century (IEC). We felt the money was well spent and we plan to do a special program again next year.

The Executive Board is planning an awesome Annual Summer Picnic at Leslie Groves Park on June 19 in Richland. This will be an entirely new format in that the TCBC will supply the entrée and will have a liquor permit. We will also feature some fun games for all.

The 24th annual IEC on May 8 will take a new direction, in that we will not have any monetary pledges and, instead of the commemorative T-shirt, we will have a sunscreen helmet cover designed to cover a cyclist's ears and neck, for sale at the registration desk. This is popular in Australia, where cyclists are more sensitive to sun issues. Those of us who are a bit older (and maybe with thinning hair) might like the extra protection. It's a trial run of a new idea.

The annual Scott's-to-Scott's ride, about 40 miles from Kennewick to Hermiston (or about 75 with return, if you like) will be held May 23. Return by van will be supplied for those who don't want to make the roundtrip. See the Ride Calendar for more details.

Our plans for a new club cycling jersey are being bumped into 2005.

Apparently, the TCBC will not be able to have a bicycle safety program at Ochoa Middle School in Pasco as originally planned for this Spring. Efforts are being made to provide a program in September, but there are many issues to resolve first.

The TCBC is healthy financially and membership-wise, but I can't emphasize enough the importance of attracting new members and getting current members more involved in our activities. We have an excellent cadre of hard working and dedicated members, but this must be expanded for the future of a healthy club. I challenge each member to sign up at least one additional member this coming year.

To help you, we have business cards for this purpose-you should find two cards enclosed in your copy of the newsletter. Put your name and phone number on them (at your option), and hand them out to interested parties. More cards are available for the asking.

I also challenge the active members to do their utmost to encourage less active members to get involved. I will introduce additional thoughts in our next Board meeting on April 22 at 6:00 PM. All members are welcome to attend these business meetings just before the main meetings. May your spirits be high and the wind at your back whenever you ride!!

Bicycle Banquet Deemed a Success

Vicki Patten

A bright spot during our drab winter was the TCBC annual banquet in February. We enjoyed a lively cocktail hour followed by dinner and an even livelier talk by Willie Weir about his experiences cycling in different countries. Willie compared his cycling to riding a magic carpet, as it seems to open doors and initiate new friendships wherever he goes. The bike club was glad that Willie and his wife Kat decided to join us on our Saturday ride-we had a great turnout. Willie donated $5 to the Safe Kids' helmet fund for every copy of his book, Spokesongs, that he sold at the banquet. You can read more about Willie Weir at: http://www.willieweir.com.

We appreciate everyone who made this evening possible: John and Ellie Ittner who planned the banquet this year and did the bulk of the worrying; Ed and Kathleen Nordquist for finding our speaker; George Kyriazis for arranging contributions of prizes for the drawings; Tom and Vicki Patten for hosting Willie and Kat; and Gene Weisskopf for the web posting.

Once again we had a lot of local support. Merchandise displays were set up by Scott's, Markee's, and Richland Bikes shops. The Neurological Society displayed a watercolor bike print for sale as a fundraiser. Other prizes were generously donated by Horn Rapids Golf Course, Sporthaus N.W., Some Bagels, Big River Bike Werks, Life Quest, Richland Bikes, REI, Markee's, Scott's, Columbia Basin Racquet Club, and Tri-City Court Club.

Thanks to everyone who helped to make this a fun and successful event.

Upcoming Meetings

Vicki Patten

We have two very interesting speakers coming up in the months of April and May. Note that the starting time for the general meetings has changed to 7:30 PM, on the 4th Thursday of the month, with the Board meeting prior to that at 6:00.

Joe Thurston will speak at our April 22 meeting about his experiences last year in France at the Tour de France. Joe plans to go again this year so it must've been a great experience. He is also planning a Lance Armstrong Foundation ride this fall and we hope to learn more about that, too.

At our May 27 meeting, our speaker will be Betsy Colburn from Colburn Coaching. Betsy and her husband Al have acquired a bike fitting business. She'll also be advising us on nutrition to optimize our cycling during the long summer tours many of us will be taking.

The April and May meetings will be held in the public meeting room in the administration building at the Richland City Shops, near the Richland Wal-Mart.

Our final meeting of the season, until we resume meetings next September, will be our annual picnic on Saturday, June 19 at 5:00 PM at Leslie Groves Park. This will be a fun way for everyone to get together to relax after the Saturday ride. The Club will furnish the entrées, most likely hamburgers, sausages, and related buns and condiments. Members should bring salads, side dishes, or desserts to share, and their own plates, utensils, and drinks. We will have a liquor license for this event, so you can bring beer or wine, if you wish.

This would be a great opportunity to sign up new bike club members, too, so invite any interested parties to join you. Since this is a club-supported event, we ask that non-members donate a few dollars at the party. Better yet, sign up and enjoy the picnic as a member! We'll be sending out a reminder/RSVP about a week before the date.

Get Ready for the Inland Empire Century – May 8 2004

Jane Sereda

There are quite a few changes for this year's ride that will hopefully make it less work and more fun for all of us. We hope to see record numbers of our own members riding the course this year, and a greater focus on community involvement and tourism.

Members of the TCBC will find an IEC brochure with application in your copy of The Spokesman. You can also find information and an application on ur Web site.

The Prosser Chamber of Commerce and Hinzerling Winery have taken charge of the rest stop in Prosser, providing their own food and staff to support our riders. We are delighted to have their participation and they have expressed their own excitement about becoming more involved in this community attraction. The new Inn at Horse Heaven is offering a very special room rate to visitors that weekend-guests just need to mention "Inland" when they call for reservations: 866-749-6127.

The Horse Heaven Hills rest stop will be moved to the gravel pit close to the intersection of County Well Road and Webber Canyon Road. There will be a portable toilet on that location for the day of the ride.

There will not be a T-shirt this year, but several members are sewing helmet covers that offer sunscreen protection for the scalp, ears, and neck (like the ones used in Australia). A limited number will be available for sale at the ride. Terry Mast, Judy Packard, Ann Roberts, and Jane Sereda are the creative genii for this endeavor.

Local wineries, golf courses, and food producers have promised to provide goodies, coupons, and special offers for our registration packets this year. Look forward to some interesting treats!!

The "day after ride," the Mother's Day Afterglow Wine Tour, will travel by cycle around five or more wineries with sag support. An option of van or bus (no exercise needed) will be offered if sufficient riders express interest (see our Web site for details).

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS FABULOUS EVENT EVEN MORE FABULOUS!! Quite a number of our members have offered to help, and several groups have already committed to specific tasks. Please check out the list of volunteers, below, and see if there is a spot that interests you. If you want to cycle that day, perhaps you could volunteer your time before or after your cycling, or help with the preparations beforehand. Please call or email Jane Sereda at 375-1977 or jsereda@earthlink.net to add your name.

Volunteers for the IEC

For each job, the people who have already volunteered are listed, and the number of volunteers still needed is shown in brackets, so that [3] means we still need three volunteers for that job.

[1] Volunteer Coordinator (to take over from Jane, assign times for other volunteers, etc.)

[3] Registration Desk: Bill Dunbar

[0] Sag Support: Dave Gerkensmeyer, Dick Packard, Jim Britton, and Jake Jacobsen

[0] Horse Heaven Hills rest stop: Gary Roberts and Pat Lee.

[5] Kiona Rest Stop: Jim and Wanda Watkins, Jean Olsen, Sherm and Collene Stock, Judy Packard

[1] Provisioning/Obtaining Materials: Vicki Patten, Dave and Sue Gerkensmeyer, Jake Jacobsen

[2] Community Promotion & Publicity: Jane Sereda, Judy Packard, and Jim Britton

[1] Cyclist Feedback Survey (to find out what we're doing right and what would make our ride better): Howard Gardner

[2] Mother's Day Afterglow Wine Tour

[5+] Registration Packet Stuffing (as many as can come!!): Jane and George

[3] Other Stuff (as jobs arise)

I look forward to hearing from you very soon. We will need to finalize all volunteer positions by April 30. We'll be stuffing the registration packets on Friday, May 7 at 7:00 PM at Jane and George's. Please RSVP to Jane at 375-1977.

TCBC Summer Tour of the Oregon Coast

Dave Gerkensmeyer

Lewis & Clark never had it so good!!! Seven days of human-powered motation (add that one to your dictionary) punctuated with fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean throughout the days as well as the nights. Ocean-front lodging is the norm throughout the trip. One of the lodging highlights is two nights and a rest day at the Silvia Beach Hotel in Newport.

The route takes us from Astoria in the north to Brookings in the south, primarily following Highway 101 down the coast, with some departures to take advantage of more scenic or serene routes. We'll ride about 50 to 70 miles a day, not including side trips, and some 400 miles in all.

The cycling starts in Astoria on Saturday, July 31, and ends in Brookings on Saturday, August 7. We have arranged for bus transportation for riders and their bikes and gear, from the Tri-Cities to Astoria on Friday, July 30, and from Brookings back to the Tri-Cities on Sunday, August 8.

The tour is fully SAG supported. For more information, visit our Summer Tour page on our Web site to catch all the up-to-date details. You'll find the sign-up form to print and mail in with your deposit. You can also contact me, Dave Gerkensmeyer, if you have any questions, at 509-628-3084 or at dgerkens@charter.net. Better hurry on this one, there's an April 25 deadline for sign-up to guarantee a spot. After that date, we'll accept applications only if there are still spots open on the tour.

Ride Calendar – Spring 2004

Tuesday and Thursday morning rides start at 8:30 AM at the Richland Community Center. Destination is chosen by group. For more information, contact Bill Dunbar, 627-0167.

Tuesday and Thursday evening rides start at 6:00 PM at the Richland Community Center. Destination chosen by group. For more information, contact Ed Nordquist, 627-1195.

Saturday rides will generally start at 8:30 AM from their scheduled locations, as specified in the ride calendar.

Ride Codes: Green – less than 15 miles with nearly level terrain; Blue – 15 - 40 miles with moderate terrain; Black – greater than 40 miles with moderate terrain, or fewer than 40 with asphalt moguls

Riders: No need to call ahead unless otherwise indicated. Just show up at the start. Feel free to call the ride leader for more information.

Leaders and Sweeps: Ride leaders and sweeps are always needed. As a leader, you can choose a ride that’s been done before, or create the ride of your choice and have it immortalized in this Spokesman ride calendar. The day you lead the group on your ride, you may be surprised at the number of riders who have never followed your route before. Ride sweeps provide the “rear guard” for the ride, ensuring that slower riders or those with mechanical troubles don’t fall back behind the pack. Call Ed Nordquist 627-1195, to volunteer.

And two more Very Important Notes: First, WEAR YOUR HELMET! Second, please obey the rules of the road at all times. The Club is active in community affairs, which helps us promote legislation that could provide better facilities for cyclists. Don’t ruin it by blowing through stop signs, tailgating left turns, or riding against traffic. If you wouldn’t do it in a car, don’t do it on a bike!

Beginning riders and those who want a shorter ride: Show up at the longer rides and let the ride Sweep or Leader know you’d like a less strenuous ride. They can help you with a shorter route and try to match you up with someone to ride with. We won’t leave you dangling.

Ride Leaders – Some hints for an enjoyable and successful ride:

• Introduce all the riders before starting.
• Make sure everyone is wearing their helmets
• Brief all riders on the route, where to regroup, any problems expected. (If you are unsure of the route and its conditions, ride it yourself the week before the ride.)
• Provide maps. You can get some maps on the Web, or ask John Ittner for maps, xxx-xxxx.
• Ask about the riding abilities of the group, if you are not personally acquainted with some of the riders. Ask someone to act as sweep (rear guard) if there are riders who can’t keep up with the leaders.
• Ask riders to let you know if they will be leaving the group before the end of the ride.
• In hot weather, carry extra water in case another rider goes dry.
• After a particularly good ride, if the ride leader should ask for a tip, offer him or her the previous one..

Riding in the fresh air and sunshine is its own best reward

April

Apr 17 – B.C. to Prosser – Leave from Benton City Park & Ride at 9:00 am or, for those wanting a longer ride, start from Some Bagels in Richland at 8:00 am. Up Webber Canyon to County Wells Rd. Over to Patterson Hwy, and down into Prosser for lunch at the Blue Goose. Back via Old Inland Empire Hwy to Benton City. Black approx. 35 miles (65 miles from Richland). Leader: Gene Weisskopf, 946 1316

[ALSO] Daffodil Classic– Orting, WA – www.twbc.org

[ALSO] Connell Cystic Fibrosis Bike-a-thon – Connell, WA – www.connellcfbike.com This is an easy 38 mile ride along US 395, with gentle hills and, usually, a tailwind. There will be a SAG wagon and refreshment stops along the way. Since this is a charity event, you are encouraged to solicit funds from friends and neighbors (or, simply donate $20 or more to the CFF). There will be prizes awarded depending on the amount you collect. A drawing will be made for the grand prize -- a roundtrip ticket to any place in the US on Delta Airlines.

Ride starts from the Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Pasco at 7:30 AM. You may ride back or arrange for someone to pick you up in Connell. A free lunch will be provided in Connell for all riders. For more information, contact Mark Rogers at 509-546-2312 or 783-7628.

Apr 24 – Basin City - Leave from Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 a.m. Head south to Columbia Point and cross Columbia River on I-182 bridge bike path. North on Broadmoor Blvd to Harris, West Court and Dent. Left on Rd 68 to Sagemoor. Taylor Flats to Rickert and Rd. 170 to Basin City. Water and food stop in Basin City. Return by continuing east on Rd. 170 to Glade, then south on Glade to Matthews Corner. Eltopia West Rd. to Taylor Flats Rd, Rd. 68 and Sandifur Parkway to Broadmoor Blvd, Harris and West Court and over the I-182 bridge bike path to Richland. Black approx. 70 miles. Leader: Howard Gardner, 943-9084

[ALSO] International Discovery Walk Festival Rides – Vancouver, WA – www.discoverywalk.com

[ALSO] Sunday Apr 25 – Lilac Century Surprise Family Fun Ride– Spokane, WA – www.northdivision.com

[ALSO] Monster Cookie Rid – Salem, OR – www.salembicycleclub.org

May

May 1 – Umatilla - Leave Espresso World in Kennewick at 8:30 a.m., or for those wanting a longer ride, leave Some Bagels in Richland at 7:30. Kennewick to Umatilla by way of Kellogg, 10th, Union, Hwy 395, Law Rd., Bofer Canyon Rd to Coffin Rd and on to I-82. Water, food stop in Umatilla. Return along Lake Wallula on Hwy 730. Take Hwy 12 to “A” Street. Black, ~80 miles. Leader: Gene Weisskopf, 946 1316

[ALSO] Ride Around Clark County [RACC] – Vancouver, WA – www.vancouverbicycleclub.com

May 8 – Inland Empire Century - 100 miles of pure (Horse) Heaven and shorter rides, too. Rides begin from Howard Amon Park. Watch for flyers with application forms at local bike shops and our Web site. For more information or to volunteer, call Jane Sereda, 375 1977

[ALSO] Port Townsend Rhododendron Tour – Port Townsend, WA – www.ptguide.com

[ALSO] Historical Lewis County Bicycle Ride – Chehalis, WA – (360) 262-9647

[ALSO] STOKR-Scenic Tour of the Kooteni River – Libby, MT – www.libbymt.com

May 15 – Hill Climbers Special Leave from Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 a.m. Lee Blvd to Goethals to Van Giesen and on to West Richland. Up Bombing Range Rd, up Dallas and on to Badger Rd. Badger Rd to Clodfelter Rd and up the hill until the legs give out or the group mutinies. Return back down Clodfelter, Leslie, Columbia Park Trail and I 182. Black, approx. 50 miles. Leader: Howard Gardner, 943-9084

[ALSO] Reach the Beach – Tigard, OR – www.reachthebeach.org

May 22 – Sagemoor I – Start from Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 a.m. I-182 to Rd 68 to Selph Landing to Glade Rd. to Eltopia West Rd. Lunch/snack at Texaco. Left to Taylor Flats and Matthews Corner. Return down Taylor Flats to Cypress/Sagemoor, Rd. 68. Dent and Harris. Blue/Black, 50 miles. Leader: Bill Dunbar, 627 0167

[ALSO] Tour de Wellness – Yakima, WA – www.cmhfoundation.org

[ALSO] TOSRV [Tour of Swan River Valley-West] –Missoula, MT – www.missoulabike.org

[ALSO] Sunday May 23 – Scott’s-to-Scott’s [Steve and Brian Cimmiyotti of Scott’s Cycle and Sports tells us about their upcoming ride between their stores in Kennewick and Hermiston]

The Scott’s-to-Scott’s ride is a 75 mile roundtrip through two states on Sunday, May 23. It starts at 8:00 AM at our Scott’s Cycle and Sports store in Kennewick at 704 S Ely St at Highway 395, and heads to our Scott’s store in Hermiston, Oregon, then back again. For those who don’t want to attempt the roundtrip, we will have a van to take you and your bike back to the Tri-Cities.

We will have lunch for riders at the Hermiston store, and there will be two or three feed stations on the route. Watch for the same cool favorite as last year—Popsicles! We’ll also have a variety of more filling food snacks. It’s a great ride that shows off a beautiful portion of these two states. Hope to see you there! If you have any questions, give us a call at our Kennewick store, 509-374-8424, or at our Hermiston store, 541-567-1848. Note that Bill Painter says “This is a great ride, the rest stops and food were excellent.”

May 28 – 31 Memorial Day Weekend

[ALSO] 2004 Northwest Tandem Rally – Lacey, WA – www.nwtr.org

[ALSO] Columbia Gorge Explorer– Vancouver, WA – www.pwtc.com

[ALSO] Century Ride of the Centuries–Pendleton, OR [TCBC members Tom and Elizabeth Hutchison of Pilot Rock, Oregon, want to tell us about an upcoming Memorial Day weekend ride in and round Pendleton.]

The second annual Century Ride of the Centuries will be held Memorial Day weekend, May 28 – 31 in the rolling hills around Pendleton, Oregon. Tour for three days on low-traffic roads through 100 year old family farms (“Century Farms”), small towns, and great vistas. Two days offer different century rides, as well as shorter rides for families.

Registration covers full support, maps, historical notes, several meals, and an overnight at a historic guest ranch in the Blue Mountain foothills. For more information, call the Pendleton Chamber at 800-547-8911, or go to www.visitpendleton.us.

May 29– Chocolate Factory Leave from Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 am. Cross Col. River on I 182, out Court to Harris, left to Dent. Left on Rd. 68, right at fire station, out to Hwy 395, and lunch at the Chocolate Factory. Retrace route to return. Maps will be available. Black, 40 miles. Leader: Bill Painter, 946 1076

June

Jun 5 – Webber-Clodfelter Loop - Leave Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 am. Van Giesen to Ruppert Rd and Demoss Rd. Food & water stop at the service station at the B.C. exit. Climb up Webber Canyon, across Travis, Sellards, and Plymouth roads and down Clodfelter. Return via Leslie Rd, Keene Rd bike path, Queensgate to I-182 bike path, and down to Richland. Black, 50 miles. Leader: Ed Nordquist, 627 1195

[ALSO] Race Across Oregon – Portland, OR – www.raceacrossoregon.com

[ALSO] Spring Century – Portland OR – www.pwtc.com

Jun 12 – Ellensburg to Roslyn - Carpool from Some Bagels in Richland at 7:30 a.m. Leave from parking lot at Perkins Restaurant at 9:30 a.m. Manastash Century Route on Thorp Hwy. and Peoh Point Rd. Lunch at microbrewery. Return to E’burg on Hwy. 10. Black, 50 miles. Leader: John Ittner, 627-1858

[ALSO] Apple Century – Wenatchee, WA – www.wenatcheesunrise.org

[ALSO] Strawberry Century – Lebanon, OR – www.santiamslowspokes.org

Jun 19 – Wannawish Dam - Leave from Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 am. Bike path and Haines to Van Giesen. Van Giesen to Grosscup and Harrington. Follow Harrington to the pavement end beyond the Wannawish Dam. Return same route. Blue, approx. 25 miles. Leaderless.

June 19, 5:00 pm – Annual TCBC picnic at Leslie Groves Park (see “Meetings” article). Club will provide burgers, sausages, dogs, and buns. A reminder will be mailed to TCBC members, with a request for RSVPs.

[ALSO] Tour de Blast – Toutle, WA – www.tourdeblast.org

Jun 26 – Hat Rock to Pendleton Loop - Meet at 7:30 am at Some Bagels in Richland. Car pool to Hat Rock Park. Leave Hat Rock Park at about 8:30 am. Hat Rock to Pendleton through the wheat fields north of Pendleton. Water, food stop in Pendleton. West to Echo along the Umatilla River, then return to Hat Rock. Black, approx. 70 miles. Leader: Bill Dunbar, 627-0167

[ALSO] Flying Wheels Summer Century – Redmond, WA – www.cascade.org

Summer Preview

Jul 3 – Zintel Dam – Leave Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 am. Take Goethals to the I-182 bike path up to Queensgate. Left to Keene Rd to Gauge, right on Leslie, cross Badger, and around to 10th Ave. Right on Union to 27th. Ride up to Dam. Continue through Canyon Lakes to Ely. Left on 27th and retrace back to Kellogg, down to 10th. Lunch stop at the Sandstone on Washington in Kennewick. Over the Cable Bridge and back to Richland on the Pasco bike path. Black, about 40 miles. Leader: Gene Weisskopf, 946 1316

[ALSO] Midsummer Nightmare – Spokane, WA – www.spokanebicycleclub.org

[ALSO] Jul 7 – 11 Redspoke – Redmond, WA – www.redspoke.org

Jul 10 – Tour de Hanford – Leave Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 am. Go north out of Richland onto Rt. 4S to the Wye Barricade. Turn back on Rt. 10 to Horn Road to Benton City. Possible lunch stop at The Bear Hut in Benton City. Return via Kennedy, Queensgate, I 182 bike trail, Goethels, and Lee. Black, 48 miles. Leader: John Ittner, 627-1858

[ALSO] Pedal the Pinchot – Woodland, WA –  www.pedalthepinchot.com

[ALSO] Friday Jul 16 – Portland to Seattle – Portland, OR – www.pwtc.com

Jul 17 – Clodfelter Road Loop - Leave Some Bagels in Richland at 8:30 a.m. Jadwin to Acme, up I-182 bridge trail to Queensgate, Keene, Leslie, cross Badger, and up to Clodfelter. Make long climb to Plymouth Rd., Sellards, Travis and Weber Canyon. Stop at Kiona for break, return on DeMoss Rd to Ruppert, Van Giesen, and back to Some Bagels. Black, 50+ miles. Leader: Bill Painter, 946 1076

[ALSO] Seattle-to-Portland (STP) – www.cascade.org

Gene Weisskopf

As you may remember from the previous two issues of The Spokesman, I have been proudly proclaiming the wonders of the tackweed-proof tires I've been using, the Turbo Armadillo made by Specialized. These were the model produced for 2002 and 2003. I am proud to announce that the tires are still proving to be impervious to tackweeds.

I have had three of these tires on my bike. The first went on the rear and I put 5,336 flat-free miles on it, at which point I decided it was time to replace it with a new one. That rear tire now has 1,397 flat-free miles on it. I put a new Armadillo on the front 4,371 miles ago, and never a flat. With statistics like that, I might take tackweed off the obnoxious weeds list.

But I won't say these tires are absolutely bulletproof, because they have gone flat on other peoples' bikes, although rarely. For example, Vicki Patten and Bill Painter each reported a tackweed-induced flat (some-what gleefully, it seemed to me), and Anthony . . . (if he was a member, I could look up his last name) almost bragged about the inch and a half-long nail that made his Armadillo deflate. So the tires do get flats (except on my bike), but they're very, very tough and do a good job of deterring tackweeds.

We must note, however, that Specialized changed the design and name of the tire in 2004; it's now called the All Condition Armadillo. This winter I decided to buy a pair for my "white bike", the fendered Trek I ride on dank, sloppy days. I have to report that after 502 miles, I got a flat in the rear tire from a tackweed. It was a big tackweed, but a tackweed and a flat, nonetheless.

And that had me worried that Specialized might have messed with the magical mystery barrier in the tire. But I really can't compare the new model to the old until I've put another 4,000 miles on that bike.

In the meantime, no matter which bike I'm riding, I'll continue to stay off the dirty shoulders on the highway-there's no need to give tackweed any extra advantages.

A Thank You from the SAFE KIDS Coalition

March 25, 2004
Tri-City Bicycle Club

Dear Tri-City Bicycle Club members,

I am writing to thank you for the financial support you have given over the past five years, and the many hours of valuable time you have donated to the Benton-Franklin SAFE KIDS Coalition. Your support has helped us to promote proper helmet use and to provide helmets and education to thousands of children in our community.

The donations you have given SAFE KIDS went toward the following programs:

• The SAFE KIDS Gear Up at School program. We are working with schools to provide head injury prevention education and helmets to their students
• Helmet distribution sites at various locations in the community. Your donation helped us to purchase helmets to kick off these fit sites! We now have six sites where families can go to get helmets for free or for a donation.
• We purchased banners to use at events with helmet price information.
• We have supported school bike rodeos with helmets and educational material.
• We purchased educational tools that we distributed to various organizations working with children. (These include skulls, Jell-O brain molds, charts of the brain and nerves and videos)
• We have distributed over 10,000 helmets at various events over the past five years.

A coalition is a group of organizations and people with common goals. Injury prevention for children to age 14 is our main focus. Head injury prevention is one of our four main target risk areas. Thank you again for your support over the years. I hope we can continue to work with you on prevention in this very important risk area. Together we can make a difference!

Sincerely;

Jerry M. Tyler, RN
SAFE KIDS Benton-Franklin
Led by the Benton-Franklin Health District
509-943-2614

[Over the past several years, the TCBC has donated $5,000 to the local SAFE KIDS coalition. This is a substantial amount of money for a group the size of ours, yet most of the donations came from income we received from the IEC and sponsor donations. You can read more about the organization at www.safekids.org .]

Stuff For Sale

We’ve had a couple of requests for the return of the “For Sale” section in The Spokesman -- so here it is. If you have bicycle-related items you’d like to sell, send your ad to info@tricitybikeclub.org. This service is free to members of the TCBC. We’ll run the ad for two issues of the newsletters, please let us know when you sell the item, so we can remove your ad from the next issue of the newsletter.

TCBC Comments on Highway 240 Work

Judy Packard

Thanks to everyone for participating in a meeting on April 1 at the Washington Department of Transportation office in Pasco. Eleven of us talked with the engineers, which I think is very good representation from the bicycle club.

We had a good discussion with project engineers Morteza Davari and Julie Nelson. As we learned, the bike path designs in the Highway 240 work are complying with both the AASHTO standards and the Washington State Highway Construction standards, which Julie indicated are stricter than AASHTO's. Here are some of the issues we discussed.

Coming southeast out of Richland on Highway 240 (toward Kennewick), cyclists will be able to ride on a shoulder at least eight feet wide; however, there will still be two lanes entering from I-182 that could be pretty dangerous to cross. The access from both the cement plant and Columbia Point will lead into the new bike trail across the Yakima River bridge and on down into the Richland Wye area at Columbia Park Trail.

The new bike trail behind the Transit Center on the levee is scheduled to be finished before the causeway construction is even started. The signs at this trail intersection will direct bicycles going toward Columbia Park to the trail along the levee. The only problem with that is the first exit to Columbia Park Trail is way up at Montana Street. There will be a traffic signal at the Transit Center to cross Columbia Park Trail, which is probably a block away. We were assured that the two-way bike lane adjacent to the north-bound on-ramp to 240 would be separated by a barrier since bikes will be riding against this traffic from the levee trail intersection to Columbia Park Trail (if traveling southeast).

They explained the reasons for the bike path through the roundabout, which we all felt was very dangerous. They were very clear that we would not have to follow the bike path through the roundabout and will be free to ride the roadway with the traffic. The bike path crosses four lanes of traffic on Steptoe, approximately 20 feet from the roundabout. On the north side bikes must cross three lanes of exiting traffic from Hwy 240 and, again, the crossing is 20 feet from the roundabout. This is so cyclists can determine when there is traffic coming. The roundabout itself will be two lanes so that cyclists who are not exiting at the first opportunity are supposed to move to the inner lane and exit from there at the second or third exit.

Another issue raised was the road and shoulder width under the Hwy 240 bridge. The shoulder will be four feet with four lanes on Columbia Park Trail. Jane requested that signs be posted, "Bicycles on Roadway," before the roundabout and along Columbia Park Trail.

Thanks again to everyone who participated.

Editor’s Note

Gene Weisskopf

I'll start by thanking all the contributors to this issue of The Spokesman, who bring the newsletter to life and make it relevant for the rest of our members and those who are interested in the club.

I want to say "Thanks" to Bob Morford for helping to fold, insert, tape, and label the newsletters and lick the stamps both for the October 2003 issue and January's issue, too. I certainly appreciated his help and regret not having mentioned it here sooner.

Thanks to Bill Painter for proofreading a draft of this issue and helping to make it as clean and neat as possible. Same for George Kyriazis, who gave this issue a last-minute proofing.

Thanks also to Jake and AJ Jacobsen, who will help insert, fold, label, stamp, etc, this issue of the newsletter. Yes, they're back in the Tri-Cities and back in the bike club-bravo!

Let me remind our members that the newsletter is a voice of the TCBC, and you can add to that voice by submitting articles, tips, regional rides you'd like to share, and so on. If you have an idea for an article, drop me a quick note at info@tricitybikeclub.org and we can talk about it.

When an article is submitted for publication, it should be complete and ready to go, although I will happily edit and lightly tweak, as needed.

On another note, a topic that comes up for discussion on a regular basis is that of our switching to a strictly online newsletter. I think it's still too early in the decade to go that route. Our ride schedule is much more convenient when printed, and a printed newsletter can get passed around and left on coffee tables for others to see. We have the newsletter on our Web site, as well, but a printed edition still seems to be the most appropriate technology for the year 2004. Okay, now let's get out and ride our bikes.

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