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Date: 7/30/2021
Subject: July 2021 SBC News
From: Springfield Bicycle Club



Springfield Bicycle Club News - July 2021
slow c riders
In this e-newsletter: 
- June 2021 Incentive Awards
- Summertime and the Riding is Gravelly
- Membership Report
- Ride Schedule
- Capitol City Century Update
- Volunteers Needed for SCS
- Board Meetings
 
 

Incentive Awards - June 2021

We're pleased to announce the following winners for the month of June. Congratulations!

Ride of the Month. Libby Shawgo’s B/C ride from the Menard County Courthouse in Petersburg on June 5 was voted ride of the month.   The ride followed historic roads, “where Abe Lincoln rode his horse!”,  and stopped at historic sites.  This ride, a joint venture with the Menard County Trails and Greenways, ended at the Hand of Fate Brewing Company.  Thank you, Libby.

Ride Leader Incentive. The person who won the Ride Leader Incentive Award was Marty Celnick for his June 12th ride from Rotary Park.

Regarding the Almost Anything Award, there were two awardees.  Jennifer Rockwell received one for her dedication in leading Tuesday night rides for most of the month, and for coming up with new ride destinations each time.  Thank you, Jennifer.  Also, on one of these rides we encountered a heavy thunderstorm and went to the residence in Chatham, of Nathan and Sheri Schorfheide, who were on the ride.  We hung out in the garage while other riders shuttled back to Centennial Park for cars and offered lifts.  The award went to Nathan and Sheri for making  their home available and offering refreshments, and  Bob Coady, Bev Sneath,  Travis Booth and Brooke Morgan, who provided lifts back to the start and, in some cases, all the way home.  Thank you all for rising to the occasion. 

 To learn more about the SBC's award program, please visit our website:
gravel roads

Summertime and the Riding is Gravelly

 
Summer riding is in full swing here in the Midwest. Unfortunately, road maintenance is also in full swing and many of the roads we love to ride on are getting a fresh layer of gravel. If you have a dedicated gravel bike, this is your season.  If not, below are some tips to stay safe on the sketchy stuff.

RELAX. When you are tense you can’t absorb the bumps and vibrations from a rougher surface. Use your elbows, knees and back to soak up those vibrations rather than fight them. This will make riding the gravel a lot more comfortable and help you maintain both traction and steering. Riding with your hands on the tops of the bars can help you absorb more road shock, but if you’re riding in a group it will be safer to have your hands on the hoods or in the drops so you’re closer to the brakes.

RIDE A BIGGER GEAR. Maintaining traction on a rough surface is easier when you are pedaling a larger gear at a slightly lower cadence compared with a lighter gear at a higher cadence. With more torque you maintain momentum over bumps and you’ll feel like you’re riding “though” them or over them rather than like you’re bouncing off every single bump you encounter. This is especially important in softer gravel.

HOW TO HANDLE WASHBOARD. A section of washboard or braking bumps is one of the least comfortable parts of riding a gravel road. Keep your hands on the tops of your handlebars. This will enable you to maintain more bend in your elbows and move your weight back. Get off the saddle. Stand up so the bike can move underneath you rather than your body having to follow every contour of the washboard. Keep your weight slightly back so that you're unweighting the front wheel. This reduces the shock to your arms and allows you to keep the bike headed in the right direction.

BRAKE MOST WHEN YOU’RE GOING STRAIGHT. Just like on a paved road, you don’t want to grab a handful of brakes in the middle of a turn. Most of your speed adjustment should be done before a turn while you are still going straight. When you are turning, keep the bike more upright than you might on a similar paved turn, but still focus your weight on the outside foot.

STAY ENGAGED AND FOCUSED. Gravel roads present an ever-changing surface so you have to keep your eyes open. Scan the road ahead and look for the smoother line. Sometimes this will be where car and truck tires have packed down the gravel, and sometimes it might be between those tire tracks. Watch riders ahead of you for clues, too.


June 2021 Membership Report

Total Active:  362

You can view names of new and renewing members on the Club's home page. 

New: memberships/12 members
Renewing Individual: 15 memberships
 Renewing Family: 11 memberships/29 members
 

We wish to thank the following members who provided generous donations to the club with their memberships.

Susan Collins-Hood
Ernie DeFrates
Chris Mehuys
Stephen Paca
Ted Sunder
Paul Turner
Dee Wise

Volunteers Needed - Sangamon Cycling Series

We're looking for volunteers to help out with the last Sangamon Cycling Series event. Roles are assisting at the aid stations or serving as ride leaders.  Responsibilities will be greeting riders and distributing bottled water and pre-packaged nutrition (likely mini-Clif bars). If you are able to transport a large cooler with ice and the food supplies, please let us know. Bring a chair or come prepared to sit in your vehicle or along the road with sunscreen and head covering.

Dates and time slots for aid station volunteers are:

  

Event 4A: Saturday, August 14

  8:00-10:00     Aid Station #1 - Kennedy / Johns Creek Road
  10:00-12:00   Aid Station #2 - Loami Park

Event 4B: Sunday, August 27

  8:00-10:00 same
  10:00-12:00 same

Ride Leaders are needed as well for the Sangamon Cycling Series. We would like to have a led- B Ride and Slow C leave each start location at 8:00am. If you would consider leading, please email vp@spfldcycling.org. We would expect other groups to depart each start location as early as 7:00am.

Ride Schedule - August 2021

The August ride schedule is live and jam-packed with rides of all distances and speeds.
Check it out and come on out!

 

Capital City Century

Registration for the 2021 CCC is now open and registrations are rolling in! Have you signed up yet?

The Capital City Century (CCC), supported by the Springfield Bicycle Club (SBC), rolls out from Centennial Park on the west side of Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, September 11. Road riders will choose a 40, 63, 100, or 125-mile course. New this year, a 63-mile “Groad” ride combines paved sections from the road rides and gravel roads. This All-American ride showcases Central Illinois’ backroads and small towns during this non-competitive annual cycling event.

One large loop into the countryside is the main feature to this year’s route. Travel through small All-American towns in Sangamon, Cass, Mason, and Menard Counties. Discover restaurants, bars, and coffee shops where you can purchase food or drink and support locally owned establishments hit hard by COVID-19. Rest stops with bottled water and pre-packaged snacks will also be staged along the way. Towns along the longest (125-mile) route include Berlin, Pleasant Plains, Ashland, Chandlerville, Bath, Kilbourne, Oakford, Petersburg, and Athens. Shorter routes also travel through a few of the previously mentioned towns. Once road surfaces are inspected, routes will be verified and released before the event. Updates on coffee shops, bars, and restaurants will be made available soon.

Board Meetings
 
Next Meeting: August 2, 2021 - 7:00 PM Zoom

Board meetings are held on the first Monday of each month. The board has been meeting via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue this practice for the foreseeable future.  All club members are invited to sit in on these meetings.  If you would like to sit in on a board meeting, please contact Troy Gilmore at the email below:

SBC Website - Email Archive

You can view past e-newsletters like this one on the SBC website.  Go to the "Members Only" tab on the menu and find the "Club Emails" link.  You must be logged in to access the page. 

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Mailing Address:
PO Box 13035
SpringfieldIL  62791-3035
United States of America