Quale
- Summer, 2000
A Members Viewpoint
Most issues within a bicycle club go by with relative ease. We are all familiar with these, such as road markings, membership fees or volunteers. There are those rare few that become especially troubling. They usually start innocently, such as replacing the club jersey. Yes, the scope was simple enough, create a new design to replenish the supply in inventory…keep the price low.
Somehow, the South Jersey Wheelmen got lost with this effort. After 20 months, the club has only recently submitted the order with a scheduled delivery date by the end of September! What happened and why did it happen…this experience could be used by other clubs to avoid the same pitfalls.
At the January 1999 meeting, discussion began to order jerseys as the supply was low. This is as innocent as possible! Perhaps this club should have reached out to order a supply that simply refreshed the original design. By the next meeting, new designs were being submitted. A voice of reason rang out at this meeting reminding all that the club's purpose is cycling and not making jerseys. Perhaps because the treasury had $5,360 or because being foolish, the Wheelmen pushed on.
For the next 14 months, the club would design, redesign and embellish. In April 2000, the South Jersey Wheelmen were now considering a professional designer as well as incorporating advertising in the design. By now only $4,168 remained in the treasury…
One would now expect this saga to end here…but the tale only goes on. After a full 16 months of designing, the South Jersey Wheelmen went to order the jerseys. The club collected prepayments at the original 1999 price. Now the ordering process dragged on into June. Details concerning this delay are cloaked in secrecy. What finally emerged was an elaborately designed jersey and the price to the club would be almost 50% higher!! Now we are into July…18 months from the start of this project.
Most reasonable thinking clubs would either cancel the order or pass this increase to those still wishing to purchase. In an effort to "honor the commitment," the club advised those that pre-ordered they could pay the original or voluntarily pay the increased price. This was 'decided' without having a General Meeting and not having quorum as required by the By-Laws of this club!
What happens next? The total cost will amount to over $3,500. If most members elect to pay the increased price, the treasury will have minimal impacts. This does not help those that will suddenly pay substantially more. Nor does this do anything for the poor communication and By-Law violations. Communication is vital, many members are not aware of the By-Laws. Several changes are suggested:
Perhaps we should have listened to that voice of reason from the February 1999 meeting. Yes Art…we should have listened when you reminded us that the purpose of the club is cycling and not to make jerseys!
Well…these are my thoughts. I do believe the SJW has the highest integrity that will allow them to make these changes. I welcome your comments, opinions and suggestions. Anyone with a similar experience to share will be especially appreciated. All will be included in an upcoming Quotes release.
RePete
True Colors
Recently RePete was questioned regarding his "True Colors." This was prompted by the comments provided in the September Freewheel'n that addressed issues related to the Wheelmen's club jersey. Not sure what "color" was being referenced. Perhaps it may have been red, white or blue...the colors of our proud flag that was carried by Lance Armstrong after finishing the Tour de France? Or would it be yellow...the color of the jersey Lance wore after winning his second consecutive Tour de France? Street
Smarts- Traffic Survival Guide Part V - Using Your Brakes Picture yourself on a city
path. Suddenly, you notice that you're about to ride down a
flight of stairs. Or you're riding on a country road and there's
a bridge out just a few feet in front of you. In cases like
these, tour bike's brakes could save your life. But even if you
don't have such a dramatic experience, you'll feel more confident
and go faster if you're ready to stop quickly and smoothly. It takes practice to get peak performance
out of your brakes. You can't just jam them on and skid to a stop
as in a car…you'll fall off!! Your brakes must be in good condition to
give you the most control. Good bicycle brakes work powerfully
and smoothly. If your brakes are weak or grabby, it's time for an
overhaul. But in addition to good brakes you need to understand
weight transfer and how it affect your shopping How Weight Transfer Works When you're stopping - in a car, on a bike
or on foot - your weight shifts to the front. You see examples of
such momentum every day. When you're running and stop suddenly,
you have to put a foot out in front of yourself to keep from
toppling forward. In the same way, when you stop a car, the front
springs squeeze down as more weight goes in the front wheels. Your bike doesn't have springs, but the
weight nonetheless goes to the front wheel. Try a little
experiment. Walk along next to your bike. Squeeze the front brake
lever. The bike will stop quickly, but the rear wheel will lift
off the ground. Then squeeze the rear brake lever. Braking
will be weak, and the rear tire will skid. The same things happen
when you're riding. If you rely too heavily on the rear brake,
the rear wheel will skid and wear out your back tire quickly. On
the other hand, you can go right over the handlebar if you use
the front brake too hard. How then, do you get a powerful stop
without risk? There's a trick to learn. Use the rear brake as a
signal to tell you how hard to apply the front brake. The Rear Brake's Signal Practice on your bike in an empty parking
lot. Squeeze the front lever three time as hard as the rear,
while increasing force on both brake levers at the same time.
With your light force on the rear brake lever, you're breaking
the rear wheel only lightly. For a powerful stop, squeeze the brake
lever harder and harder - the front always three times as hard as
the rear. The rear wheel will eventually skid. But by this time,
most of the weight will be off the rear wheel, so it will skid
only lightly. You won't wear a big bald spot in the rear tire. The rear wheel's skidding is your signal
to release the front brake a little. Once the rear wheel shops
skidding, squeeze the front brake harder. Keep adjusting the
force on the front brake lever to keep the rear wheel just below
the point of skidding. This is your braking technique for
straight ahead stops on clean, dry pavement. Under these
conditions, the front wheel will never skid, and you can keep the
bike under control. Braking Under Poor Conditions Braking technique is different when the
road surface is slippery or if you're turning. Under these
conditions, the front wheel can skid. You must brake lightly and
use the front brake less. On pavement that is good except for a few
places, look ahead for the slippery spots and bumps. Release the
brakes as you go over the bad spots, then increase force again
once you're back on good pavement. On dirt, gravel or any surface that looks
as though it might be slippery, test the surface by applying the
rear brake lightly. If the rear wheel skids easily, avoid using
the front brake. Keep your speed down so that even with your
reduced braking power, you can still stop. In wet weather, the
streets will be slipperier and so will your rims. Dry the rims by
applying the brakes ahead of time. It can take 100 feet or more
before the brakes begin to work normally. When turning, you may have a choice to
swerve out of danger or stop - but don't try to do both at once.
Practice braking on turn and slippery surfaces to get a feel for
these conditions Your training will pay off as you become
more confident on the bike, in all types of riding situations.
You never know when you might have to stop - and the better you
can stop, the more confidently you go. A
Tribute to Lance Armstrong I found the following on the Bicycling
Magazine's Daily Tour Newsletter. Many may have already seen this but the words and
feelings bear repeating: Sunday, July 23 Let us now wish Lance good luck in Sydney
as he completes in the Olympics! A
Personal Word of Thanks RePete extends his thanks to those that
have sent messages of support, encouragement and their
suggestions regarding cycling with diabetes. Yes, RePete has been
diagnosed having type II. For those that are not aware, this is
the adult form and frequently treatable with pills. This is how I
am currently being treated. I plan to begin a new section within
Quibbles that will specifically address issues related to us
cyclist with diabetes. Anyone wishing to contribute articles or
personal interest stories will be gladly accepted. An upcoming
Quotes will include the many messages received. For
now…please accept my extra special thanks and keep your
messages flowing! RePete
Before addressing my actions with the "tractor" accident, let me review my true record. I am a cycling enthusiast. Perhaps my earliest achievement was cycling from Jersey City to Lyndhurst, New Jersey. This was as a youth and a distance of approximately 60 - 80 miles.
My interest was awoken as an adult on rides with my daughter. We went for many outings with her in the seat that was bolted over the rear wheel. My rides continued after she outgrew this seat. Now I was going alone...attending such events as the very first Princeton Event! In those days the tour began and ended in Princeton University. This was in the early 80's.
A young exciting club caught my eye. I joined the South Jersey Wheelmen in the mid 80's. The club had many strong riders that were active and provided many rides. There names are now history, such as Bob Basich, Dewey Parker, GhostRider, and others.
Served a term as vice-president as the 80's were ending. This followed with a term as president early in the 1990's. The club excelled in providing events and interesting activities. At that time there were 4 century tours being provided by this club. Major speakers included a senior editor of Bicycling Magazine. This was a robust club full of excitment!!
During this period, my riding skills improved approaching 2,000 miles a year that included many centuries and a few double metric centuries. My proudest achievement was obtaining a brevet certification! Began leading rides and would lead over 50 tours a year.
My next level of enthusiasm came as the 90's came to an end. This was now as web page author that focused on cycling topics. The issues varied from light, humorous stories to advocacy topics. A review of these pages will reveal these many issues.
The span of time covers over 25 years...a deeply involved, active cyclist.
Now let's look at the "tractor" incident. I was finishing the Fort Mott Tour and noticed much activity outside a home along the route. The house was set-back well off the road and required leaving the route to ride up an extensive drive. I was one of the first to arrive...the woman was already pinned under a small tractor-type mower and was being assisted by several. I helped with installing planks to lift the tractor/mower and remove the woman. I stayed until the police arrived...leaving only after being sure my assistance was not required and after the woman was freed!
Now I challenge "Mr" Michael Ohr to provide us with a similiar list of his cycling accomplishments and explain why he has concerns with my actions with assisting this woman. I AM REQUESTING A FULL APOLOGY RELEASED TO THE EMAIL LIST IN HIS AUGUST MESSAGE.
Stage 21: Paris / Champs-Elysées
138.0 kilometers
1. Stefano Zanini 3:12:36
2. Erik Zabel @ 00
3. Romans Vainsteins @ 00
For Exentded Finish Order Check:
http://www.bicycling.com/tdf2000/standings/index.shtml#today
Final Overall Results:
1. Lance Armstrong 92:33:08
2. Jan Ullrich @ 6:02
3. Joseba Beloki @ 10:04
For Complete Standings Check:
http://www.bicycling.com/tdf2000/standings/index.shtml#overall
Lance Armstrong Enters Tour History!
If anyone doubted Lance Armstrong’s win last year because of
the absence of riders like past Tour de France champions like Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, today they too must start believing in the brilliance of the American. The final procession of the Tour de France concluded with a stage raced entirely on the streets of Paris, and after the sprint-finish rush dominated by the Mapei-Quickstep team and won by Stefano Zanini, the 28-year-old US Postal rider stepped up to the final podium with an overall lead of over six minutes.
For Armstrong, his second win in the Tour de France in as many
years was confirmed two days earlier when he won his first stage of the 2000 Tour. The time trial win, 25 seconds ahead of Jan Ullrich confirmed that he
would indeed lead the Tour as it made its way to the finale in Paris today. But the Texan was never ready to accept that victory was his until he rolled over the finish line
after 3,662.5km of racing.
Speaking before the night of the final time trial with a winning
glow already radiating from a broad smile, Armstrong was the first to admit that anything can happen in a race like the Tour de France. No, he wasn’t speaking of a miracle attack which would allow Ullrich or any other apparent rivals to
pinch the deficit they held following the stage 19 test against the clock. "I could always fall," he said, reaching forward to touch the wood of a table to ensure he hadn’t jinxed what all present at the small gathering of journalists thought was
never possible. "I’m prepared to lose ground on Ullrich
in the time trial, continued Armstrong. But I’d like to finish the Tour with a stage win."
No, he didn’t lose time to Ullrich. Yes, he did claim a
stage win. And today, although he crossed the Parisian finish line in 76th place, he won the final yellow jersey. The presentation of the final leader’s yellow
jersey took his tally to a total of 25 all of which have been earned in his
post-cancer career.
Some pundits might say they’ve heard the cancer stories
before. But it cannot be ignored. It plays an overwhelmingly large role in the life of the 1999 and 2000 Tour champion. After speaking of his only real moment of worry in the last two editions of the Tour de France--the day he lost time to
Ullrich over the Col de Joux-Plane en-route to Morzine during stage 16--Armstrong confessed the priority of the things in his life. "Let’s talk about cancer," he quipped. He wasn’t shy of talking about the pain of the Joux-Plane, but when asked if he’d
grown tired of speaking about the disease which almost claimed
his life at the end of 1996, he responded. "No. Never! Cancer is equal to family in terms of the things which matter most to me. Third is cycling."
As Lance and the rest of his incredible team of champions Frankie
Andreu, Viatcheslav Ekimov, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Benoit Joachim, Steffan
Kjaergaard, Kevin Livingston and Cedric Vasseur, the only full
squad in the Tour for the final stage, grabbed US flags for their victory parade of the Champs-Elysees the conditions in which he'll live the 11 months until his next Tour defense were evident. Scrums form wherever Lance goes. The reason: he has
confirmed an epic career. World champion at 21, Tour champion
after cancer and now the confirmation that he can indeed beat all challengers!
You can now visit Freewheel’n.
These are also submitted and published in the South Jersey
Wheelmen’s monthly newsletter. You can read my latest
release by visiting this site after the middle of each month.
Then there are the Quale sites where topics are varied, like the
highly imaginative Tales of Pauline.
Also visit the Quote site that contain your comments. Here you
will find submissions on Bicyclist Against Helmets and many other
issues and links. Additionally, don’t forget to visit the South Jersey
Wheelmen and the Outdoor Club of
South Jersey web sites.
