Guest Speaker - Blair Bronson Newsletter of the Santiam Spokes, Inc. Club Meeting - Nov. 6th - 7:00 PM P.O. Box 739 Lebanon, OR 97355 Blair is the Owner/ Director of Best in the West Events. The business, which was started as an internship project is now in it's fourth year and has grown to be Oregon's leader in USA Triathlon sanctioned races. Blair is also the coach of the Oregon State Triathlon Club. His specialties are swim technique, bike training, and the creation of a training plan. He is also a top–notch athlete, Blair and one of his prize students…..Our Prez! racing at the top of his age group in the sport of triathlon. He will have an interesting presentation for sure. Don’t miss it!. http://santiamspokes.org Volume 23 - No. 1 November 2014 2015 Officers President — Ken Bronson Vice Pres. — Steve Snyder Co-Secretaries — Mary Ellen Lind & Barbi Thomson Treasurer — Shirley Schoberg -Hebda Membership - Wade Bloecher Newsletter — Greg Stephens Ride Coordinator — Open Webmaster — Vince Nowell Publicity — Open Historian — Bill Pintard Lebanon to Corvallis Vanpool Strawberry Coordinator — Open Also in this Issue Tarah Campi sent this to me for anyone that knows someone that might be interested. It sounds like a terrific idea. Save money on your commute from Lebanon to Corvallis! A new vanpool is set to hit the road and 6 riders or more are needed! The van will serve a regular Monday-Friday work schedule, but the exact hours and route will be determined by the needs of the riders. The van will serve the OSU campus with a possible planned stop at the Samaritan Health Services Avery Square location near downtown Corvallis, or another location. With 6 committed riders, the price would be $125 per month including the lease, maintenance and insurance. The price can decrease if more riders join the vanpool! We have an interested driver who works at OSU, but we still need someone to be the coordinator of the van. To learn more about the vanpool, contact Leslee Moore at [email protected]. Page 1 - November 2014       October Minutes If You Get Hit MAC Sprint Tri Jack Thomas Award Spinner’s Ride Review My Vacation in Utah and Arizona   November Calendar Slo Poke Sez SANTIAM SPOKES BICYCLE CLUB MEETING MINUTES - OCTOBER 2, 2014 The Santiam Spokes annual meeting/potluck was held October 2, 2014. President Ken Bronson called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. Minutes: The minutes from the August 2014 meeting were approved unanimously with the correction that her name is Shirley SchobergHebda, not Shirley Hebda. Ride Talk: Last week’s combined group ride received a 5-star rating. It was one that Shirley Schoberg-Hebda put together that started out of Helmick Park. Gorgeous day, gorgeous ride with a good turnout of riders. Ken gave a recap of the “Cycle the Lakes” ride he did down in Cottage Grove which included riding part of the Row River Trail. This is done the third weekend in September each year. Although not a ride, Steve Snyder had an adventure floating the Rogue River for three days, including a bear encounter on his first day. The bear got into and destroyed his cooler while Steve slept through the whole episode. Probably a good thing. Ken spoke about his first year as president of the club and how, after some initial problems, everyone pulled together to put on another successful Strawberry Century, and gave kudos to several people for their work over the year on the club’s behalf. Santiam-Calapooia Scenic Bikeway: Ken thanked Roger for putting together a top-rate brochure as well as everyone else on the committee involved with trying to get this to become an official Oregon bikeway. They have been getting very positive comments and support from groups they have presented to. A recent group based out of Denver, DaVita Healthcare Partners, held their eighth annual kidney disease fundraiser in September starting at Waterloo Park. They rode much of the Strawberry Century and Santiam-Calapooia Bikeway routes which helps to cement that this is a great proposal. Treasurer’s Report: We currently have $12,231.27 in the bank, with $8,000 to be set aside for next year’s Strawberry. Two hundred dollars has been spent from that already to reserve Roaring River next year. There was discussion on whether to contribute to the Santiam Hospital Foundation again as in the past. May moved to do so, Charles seconded, and the motion carried to contribute $1,669.85, which is 35% of the net proceeds of the Strawberry as is traditional. Membership Report: Wade and Debi reported we have 59 individual members, 45 family memberships for a total of 104 memberships. Wade reminded everyone that renewals will be sent out just once a year and are not due until January. Election of Officers: Next year’s officers are as follows: Strawberry Coordinator: Open. Ken reiterated that it was a great team, both leaders and volunteers, who pulled off a successful Strawberry and that a Coordinator is not necessarily needed. President: Ken Bronson will again fill this office Vice President: Steve Snyder will repeat this year as well Secretary: Barbi Thomson and Mary Ellen Lind will share secretarial duties Treasurer: Shirley Schoberg-Hebda Webmaster: Vince Nowell Publicity: Open. It was brought up that one of the most important places to have the Strawberry featured is in the Bicycle Paper guide out of Seattle. Maurice offered to look into getting us featured in the guide. Ride Coordinator: Open. Al Rimer has scheduled rides through November. Ken said that each month the board will decide the rides until someone steps up for this position. Newsletter: Greg Stephens has offered to do the newsletter again this year. Membership: Wade Bloecher Good of the Order: No contributions from anyone this time. With no further business the meeting was adjourned at 7:50 p.m. The next meeting will be 7:00 p.m. November 6, 2014 at the hospital. Respectfully submitted - Barbi Thomson, Co-Secretary Page 2 - November 2014 What to do if you get hit while riding your bike! By Greg Hanscom She was in her early 50s, I’d guess, with salt-and-pepper hair, glasses, and a right hook that left me laid out and bleeding in the street. I’m not talking boxing here. I’m talking driving. This woman pulled up alongside me one day in late July as I was riding my bike home from work at Grist’s Seattle HQ, and she decided to turn right — right through me. The first thing I saw was her front bumper out of the corner of my eye, then her front right tire, her passenger-side door, closing in fast. Then it was all pavement and sky. I’ve been biking to work, on and off, for more than 20 years. I like to think I’m a smart rider. I take calculated risks, sure, but my main objective is to stay the hell out of everybody else’s way. It can be scary out there, riding on the streets with all the crazies in their two-ton machines, but while I’d fallen off my bike of my own accord a few times, I’d never been hit. The result: I had no idea what to do. My first reaction was all instinct and luck. I slid and rolled and managed to stay out from under her tires. That much was good. But then the adrenaline took over. I jumped to my feet, grabbed my bike, and jumped around in the street, bleeding and yelling “What the f***?” as my assailant gaped in horror. Then, satisfied that I’d made an impression, I jumped back on my bike and went home. After much poking around the internet to see what wisdom I could glean, I found out, wrong this to do! I also spent some time with an attorney who is representing injured cyclists and the families of people who are not as lucky as I was. The result: A handy list of five things you should do if you’re ever unlucky enough to be hit by a car while riding your bike. 1. If you can, get yourself out of the street. It sucks to be hit by a car. It sucks even more to be hit twice. 2. Do a quick systems check — on yourself, not your bike. I know you love your wheels, but really, f*** your wheels. You’re most important right now. Are you bleeding? Is your helmet cracked? (You WERE wearing a helmet, weren’t you?) Any other signs that you may have serious injuries? Deal with those first. Everything else here is gravy. Well, except the next thing. 3. Stop screaming and call 9-1-1. I know, you’re not feeling any pain right now. You’re feeling PISSED. Some jerk just tried to flatten you while you were minding your own business, trying to do your health and our fast-warming planet a favor by choosing not to drive. But chances are good that said jerk wasn’t trying to run you over (though granted, he may have been). And once the adrenaline wears off, you’re gone to feel pain. I promise. It’ll be nice to have a paramedic handy when you do. Also a cop. 4. Get the driver’s name, address, and insurance information (verify these with their driver’s license and insurance card), then get names and contact info for anyone who saw the accident. With all due respect to the police, they don’t always look out for the interest of cyclists the way they should. This information could be your key to getting a fair hearing in court, and from the insurance companies should you need to replace your bike or your left elbow. 5. Chill. Find a safe place to sit down and wait for help to arrive. Repeat Step 2. And alright, now it’s OK to look at your bike. But don’t even THINK about jumping back on it and riding home until everything else is cleared up, and you’re sure that the bike still functions properly. Easy, right? Good. Maybe you’ll do better than I did. For extra credit, here are five other tidbits that might come in handy: 6. Don’t tell the driver that you were responsible for the crash, or that it’s just a flesh wound. According to a Seattle attorney who specializes in bike law, saying that you were at fault, or minimizing your injuries or the damage to your bike, could work against you later in court or at the insurance office. 7. Get your bike checked out by a mechanic. Once you’re sure that you’re OK, but before you ride your bike again, have a pro look it over for cracks or other damage that could cause another crash. As is true with your body, problems with your bike are not always obvious at first glance. There may be hope for getting insurance coverage for injuries or damage to your bike even if you ignored every word that I’ve written to this point. The attorney said that you have up to three years to make a claim — and even if you failed to get the driver’s information, your insurance may cover some of your losses. 8. Don’t assume the cops are right. It’s not uncommon for police to ticket bicyclists who have been hit, according to the attorney. But laws and regulations vary from place to place — and the police may or may not be versed in the particulars. It’s not necessarily wise to challenge a cop on the spot, but you could have a lawyer look into the question after the fact. Which brings us to … 9. Consider hiring a lawyer. There are plenty of people out there who, specialize in bike law. Like most personal injury lawyers, they’ll probably consult for free, and charge a percentage of the winnings — if there are any. 10. Finally, keep on riding! When it comes down to it, you’re a lot less likely to be killed in a bike accident in this country than you are in a car — and cycling is great for your health and for the planet. And if there’s one sure way to make the streets safer for cyclists, it’s to get more cyclists out on those streets. Page 3 - November 2014 Madras Aquatic Center - Sprint Tri The MAC Dash sprint triathlon was held in Madras on Sept. 6th. It consisted of a 500-yard swim in the pool, a 12-mile road bike ride and a 3-mile run. In the team category, Coed Division, Art Olin, Chuck & Janice Alexander, smoked the competition on their way to 1st place. Even though they are “Seniors”, they also placed 2nd overall of all teams, regardless of age. Art also had a personal best time this year in this event of 36:02. His time was 1st out of all the team bikers, and was the 4th fastest overall including the young hard body individual tri-athletes. (I am very proud to be his trainer….the editor). Way to go Team Bobcat Power and especially Art! Jack Thomas Award The Jack Thomas Award is presented each year to a club member who has given years of leadership and service to our club, the Santiam Spokes, and to the greater community of bicycling. It recognizes their commitment to cycling as a fun and healthy way of life. The award is in memory of Jack Thomas who founded the Santiam (Slow) Spokes in 1991. As a leader in the Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation, he organized the Hospital’s sponsorship of the club with the goal of promoting community health and relationships through exercise and organized bike events. We are asking each member to submit up to 3 names of club members who they think are deserving of this award. Please include specific comments as to why you think that person should receive the award. The award will be given at the December Spokes Holiday Party after tallying the votes and reviewing the comments. The final decision will be made by the club president. Past recipients, Roger Gaither, Bill Pintard, Dian Gerstner, Mary Ellen Lind, Kari Kropf, Chuck Young, Maurice Banning, Dennis Murphy, Ron Kropf, Raylene Sell, and Al Rimer are not eligible. Please email your ballots to Ken Bronson - [email protected] or bring your ballots to a club meeting. All ballots are due by November 30th. Name: Comments: Name: Comments: Update your email address Here Those of you viewing this in black and white….did you know you can view the Newsletter in grand and glorious color by going to our Website and clicking on Newsletters? http://www.santiamspokes.org/ Page 4 - November 2014 Ride with the Spokes Get your Membership Application Here Spinner’s Ride Review Roger Gaither had an oops in North Albany. Now up and running, Roger and Ron Kropf enjoy the countryside on the ride from Albany to Corvallis….Oct 11th. Thanks Kari Kropf for all the great photos on this page! Jo & Ace Johnson, Dian Gerstner, & Bill Pintard leaving Shedd on the Oct. 18th Lebanon to Shedd ride. Ace and Jo Johnson on the Row River Trail near Cottage Grove on Oct. 13th. Helmick State Park Ride - Sept. 27th. John Hebda, Shirley Schoberg-Hebda, Steve Snyder, Ace Johnson, Larry Eckstein, Jo Johnson, & Ron Kropf (along with photographer Kari Kropf) had a 5 star ride (out of 5 stars) according to the reports I received! Page 5 - November 2014 I was gone most of the month so didn’t get to do any club rides or have any photo ops. I thought you might enjoy some pictures that I took while on vacation in Utah and Arizona….The Editor Above - London Bridge - Lake Havasu, Arizona. The other pictures were taken at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is amazing how tenacious some trees are. Pretty much growing out of solid rock. The Grand Canyon was pretty hazy the day we were there due to lingering smoke . It didn’t seem as hazy to the naked eye, but the pictures surely picked up on it. The pictures don’t begin to show the amazing beauty of the Grand Canyon…..one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Incredible! Page 6 - November 2014 Utah and Arizona The Red Rock formations in Southern Utah and Northern Arizona are just magnificent! Page 7 - November 2014 November 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 North Albany to Independence - Cat ll - 37 Miles Spinners - SLCH to Albany Beanery Knox Butte Loop - Cat l - 33 Miles 2 3 4 5 Wednesday Wanderers - Jo Johnson 503.428.0654 6 7 8 SLCH to Sweet Home Loop - Cat. ll 45 Miles Spinners - Covered Bridges Stage Ride & Potluck - Start in Scio at Roger & May’s House 48,32,18, or 8 Miles Club Meeting 7:00 PM 9 10 11 12 Wednesday Wanderers - Jo Johnson 503.428.0654 13 14 15 SLCH to Santiam Terrace Ride - Cat lll - 47 Miles Spinners - Jeff. Mid Sch - Ankeny Wildlife - Buena Vista Loop. Cat ll - 38 Mi. 16 17 18 19 Wednesday Wanderers - Jo Johnson 503.428.0654 20 21 22 I-5 Beanery to Santiam Bluffs Cat. ll - 33 Miles Spinners - SAHS to Corvallis return via North Albany Cat ll - 34 Miles 23 24 25 26 Wednesday Wanderers - Jo Johnson 503.428.0654 27 28 29 Al Rimer’s Home to Brownsville Cat ll - 43 Miles Spinners - SLCH to Scio - Return via Richardson Gap - Cat ll - 39, 30, 23, or 19 Mi depending on route. 30 Wednesday Rides start at 10:00 AM at the Linn County Fairgrounds. Rides vary in length according to the weather. Call Jo & Ace Johnson - 503.428.0654 for more information. Saturday Club Rides start at 10:00 AM From various locations depending on the route. Saturday Spinner Rides start at 10:00 AM from various locations depending on the route. Emails are normally sent out Friday with details. Contact Bill Pintard - 541.967.3295 or Jo Johnson - 503.428.0654 for more information. Information on all rides can be obtained from our website: http://www.santiamspokes.org/Rides.htm want and it will show you the route and the information you are interested in. Slo-Poke Sez Rides – Key for Route Description Use Your Tail Lights With the days getting shorter and car drivers having less visibility because of the clouds and rain, it is important to use your tail light…..blinking mode. Make yourself as visible as possible. ‘Nuff Said. Page 8 - November 2014 Click on the ride you Cat l - Flat to rolling hills, easy pedaling Cat ll - More rolling hills, short steep climbs….a hardy workout Cat lll - Moderate longer hills, with a few steep climbs. Be experienced and in good biking condition Cat lV - Frequent hills, some long steep climbs. These are tough rides that require endurance