Volume 35 Number 5 September/October 2012 CLUB OFFICERS: President & Supreme Poobah Maximus: Treasurer: Secretary: Vice President- Rides: Vice President - Membership: Vice President - Development: Vice President-Webmaster: OTHER CONTRIBUTORS: Awards/Patches: The Big Ear & Lots & Lots & Lots of Other Stuff: Club Affairs: Community Liaison: Haberdasher-Jerseys and sooooo much more: Newsletter Editor: Orientation Rides (First Saturday of the Month): Refreshments: Ride Director; Route Slip Maintenance/New Rides/Route Slips: Monthly Minor Repairs and Maintenance Clinic: Keith Brodsky Mark Reden Bob Winning Randy Lawrence Maria Lewis Jory Gorcey & Caren Lieberman Carl Wurtz Allen Kessler Maria Lewis John Edwards Michael Goodman & Jim McInerney Keith Brodsky Bob Winning Brian Reff & Francois Wolman Lea Newton Randy Lawrence Richard Wedeen, Dana Lieberman & David Kooi Please advise Maria Lewis of any change of address, phone number, or e-mail; the USPS will not forward SFVBC mail, and without a correct e-mail address or phone number, you will miss out on SFVBC notices and publications. Published bimonthly by the San Fernando Valley Bicycle Club P.O.Box 462, Woodland Hills, CA 91365-0462 Information and Queries: (818)347-6148 JULY MEETING uly meetings are notoriously poorly attended, but not this time! The meeting on the 18th attracted 39 attendees! Even the Monthly Maintenance and Minor Repairs Clinic snagged a record 24! Joy reigned at The Stand, which had standing room only at the SFVBC table. J Dana Lieberman With 24 Gearheads The evening started out less than auspiciously, with the MMMRC evicted from the Little Kids Room, because it was in use by—little kids! An effort to commandeer the Ballet Room was thwarted by the presence of–ballerinas! Yikes! What was Dana Lieberman to do? Chairs were dragged to the foyer/stairwell, and the MMMRC, focused on Gears, was held there. Although it had a prominent position, see picture above, the Coke machine was not counted in the 24 headcount. “Gears” attracted a diverse crowd, ranging from rank-beginner to beyond-expert. The consensus was that this was among the very best MMMRCs ever, with everyone learning something and coming away with a better understanding of gears and what each individual needs in that department. Maria Lewis did yeoman’s duty and supplied refreshments in Lea’s absence. Albertson’s fresh-fromthe-bakery triple chocolate chip cookies disappeared in a trice. Just how long is a trice? Shorter than a jiffy (1/60 of a second)? Shorter than a wiffy-jiffy (1/60 of a jiffy)? But I digress. The refreshments, a whole bunch of them, went fast! No one fasted! Well, maybe the little kids and ballerinas. Dave Kooi With Cornering Chart Dave Kooi held forth on the art and science of Descending and Cornering. Whoda thunk there was so much to it, especially since every bicyclist corners and descends on every ride without thinking much about it. But, with Dave’s tips and diagrams, everyone at the meeting came away with a greater appreciation for the fine points of descending and cornering safely, faster, and more confidently. Page 2 The Audience Soaks Up Countersteering 101 While the emphasis was on where the bike (and its rider) should be when negotiating various turns, Dave also covered the various necessities for descending and coming out of it in one piece. Well, two pieces together: Bike + Rider. With numerous slides he discussed handlebars and bike fit, a safety check before riding, tires, wheels and brakes, and the techniques that come into play with each of these components. Most techniques are common sense and are built into the human aversion to falling, but conscious honing of skills is a good thing, and proper mechanical maintenance is essential. Attendees at the meeting submitted their names to win a free demonstration of a comprehensive electronic bike-fit session at the September meeting. The name of the winner will be announced at the August meeting. Meanwhile, of course, you can buy the bike-fit at Dave’s shop, Santa Monica Mountains Cyclery, (818)453-3204. AUGUST MEETING he August 15th meeting was another in a string of unusual monthly meetings. The first contributor to its unusualosity was the failure to snag a speaker. In spite of this, we had 29 attendees, just about average attendance. T Well, that’s not actually so, Jory managed to get Michael Vails, the first black man to win a medal (bronze) in the Olympics (1984) as our speaker. But, in addition to serious scheduling problems, it turned out that Vails wanted to be paid a significant fee for his appearance. This is somewhat in excess of our policy to limit payments to speakers to a free premeeting dinner at The Stand. Well, Vails has to pay bills like the rest of us, but this was nearly a first. So, Jory found a terrific video to stand in for Michael Vails. More about this later. David Kooi was scheduled to do the Monthly Maintenance and Minor Repairs Clinic, focusing on Gears, but he had to cancel. Richard Wedeen, one of our three Professors of Things That Go Around and Things That Shouldn’t, stepped into the breach and had a very successful “Stump the Professor” session. The Little Kids’ Room was again occupied by a flood of, well, little kids, and the Ballet Room was inundated by ballerinas. A complaint was made to ECC Management, and they admitted to a scheduling error and promised that it wouldn’t happen again. In September, the MMAMRC should be held in the Little Kids Room. France winner Lance Armstrong, six-time defending champion Dave Wiens and three-time World 24 hr Champion Rebecca Rusch. It’s not only about getting up close and personal with the top racers but about all the racers and their inspirational stories. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and if you don’t get on a bike you'll do something amazing after watching this movie! Meanwhile, Richard made do with a few square feet at the back of the main meeting hall. The video, snagged I understand from Caren Lieberman, was “Race Across The Sky,” a documentary covering the mountain bike race from Leadville, Colorado into the grueling mountains and back, a total of 100 miles totally demoralizing terrain. The following “liner notes” describe the race perfectly. This is what 470 members missed by not attending this meeting: The racing mountain bike DVD is the story of the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race and will inspire you to “Dig Deep”. At 10,000+ feet, against the misty backdrop of a former mining town, Leadville, Colorado, 1228 cyclists start the grueling 100 mile race. This epic mountain bike race was captured with 10 HD cameras throughout the course including a helicopter and off road moto cam. Racers include seven-time Tour de Unstumped Richard Page 3 29 Attendees Glued to the Screen Lance Armstrong was definitely the star of the show, never flagging, always in the lead, doing amazing technical things on a mountain bike and setting all kinds of records along the way. Perhaps most amazing of all is that Lance had a rear tire flat seven miles from the finish line, tried to fix it, failed, and finished the final seven miles on a flat tire! He beat the second place rider by 14 minutes in a sport where hundredths of a second usually make a difference. It’s fair to say that there were no disappointed attendees! STUFF Flats he scourge of cyclists since the solid rubber tire went out with the dodo. Many riders, even quite experienced ones, have trouble fixing flats. Well, fret no more. Carl Wurtz has found two videos that will solve all your problems. We urge you, beginners and experts, to watch these two items. Many thanks to Carl! T http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.ht ml http://www.rei.com/expertadvic e/articles/flat+tire.html Invisible Bicycle Helmet his is in the realm of “Let’s see how it works for someone else before I try it.” We owe this one to Mark Reden, who admits that his helmet is completely visible for all the world to see. T http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/1 5/invisible-bike-helmet/ What A Ride! his item comes from Jory Gorcey with the following comment: T the California border on bikes. The blog is a high level view of that journey. The first day starts at the bottom so you have to read each day in order. http://rideoregon.blogspot.com/ Cardboard Bicycle re you cheap, er, frugal? I mean, more so than even a n y o t h e r S F V BC member, many of whom are known for pinching pennies until their fingerprints are embossed in them? If so, here’s something for you. This bike works, as you’ll see. Still, I wouldn’t recommend it at 40 mph on any of our mountain passes. A http://vimeo.com/37584656# Not Strictly About Bicycling ut of definite interest to all. We’ve been hearing about the second coming of Carmagedon for some time now, and we’re pretty sick of it. Well, we are, too, but here are three links that will probably be of interest: B http://www.metro.net/projects/I-4 05/I405_overview/ Some of you may have already received this link so I apologize for that. http://www.metro.net/projects/I-4 05/montana-ramp-disappears/ Over the last 8 days 9 of us rode from the Washington border to http://www.metro.net/projects/I-4 05/mulholland-dr-bridge-demoliti on-reconstruction/ Page 4 Women On Bikes es Virginia, women do ride bikes. This link from Barbara Torres and Nancy Wedeen may prove interesting for you: Y http://www.womenonbikesso cal.org/ Ya Gotta See These Photos he headline says it all. You’ll find these photos interesting. You won’t see these bikes in the SFVBC. Unfortunately. We’re kindof traditional. Thanks to Nancy Wedeen, again, for this link. T http://www.facebook.com/pa ges/i-ride-bicycles/10997335 9039558 Bicycle Art ere are examples of people who just can’t bear to discard old bike parts. This is recycling, pardon the pun, at its best. H http://inspirationgreen.com/bi cycle-art.html MORE STUFF Brad Boydstun Wins 3D Motion Capture Fit Lottery T o be demonstrated at the September 19th meeting, Brad Boydstun won the drawing for a 3D Motion Capture Bike Fit at the August meeting. His name was drawn from an impartial hat, i.e., the hat was not his, by an impartial attendee, i.e., not him. The fit will be done by David Kooi of Santa Monica Mountains Cyclery, the shop sponsoring the demonstration. Since there is considerable effort and precision required to set up the motion capture equipment, David will not be running the clinic in September. Not to worry, we’ll find someone to fill in. Stay tuned to your email. 3D motion capture is widely used in film animation, where an actor wearing a number of sensors performs in front of a camera which records every nuance of the actor’s motion. The resulting file is then sent to animators who, in essence, connect the dots. We assume that for bike fit, the subject’s facial expressions will not be recorded. Page 5 PHOTO PAGE Below are photos of some of our SFVBC cycling couples. Say hello when they pass you! Linda and Jeff Abell Larry and Janet Anderson Nancy and Bruce Christensen Tim and Maureen Evans Mary Pat and Greg Hanker Colleen and Jim Henderson Suzanne and David Johns W ayne Shook and Alleta Ojeda Carole Rowland and Don McNam ee Bren and Jim W agoner Page 6 THE BIG EAR by E.Z. Pedaler The Grand Tour Shai Shprung opted for the triple century on the Grand Tour in an amazing time of 18:45, with less than an hour of total break time. Sizzling Summer Rides Allen Allen Bredt and Zo Egar spent a delightful day cycling the LA Wheelmen Grand Tour double century in June. They chose the Lowland route with 5,000 feet of hills to climb. Zo Egar, Mark Reden, Bruce and Nancy Christensen, Caren Lieberman, Lea Newton, Jory Gorcey, and Micki Olsen completed their 5th Life’s a Beach Ride in July, from Portland OR to Crescent City CA. They climbed over 27,000 feet in 522 miles, in sun, mist, and rain. Keith Brodsky, Tim Candlish, Steve Heinold, Joseph Nemec, Jeff Clarke, Carl Wurtz, Edina Fuzesi, Bill Schuler, John Pettis, Fran Thurm, Andrew Duffy, Allen Bredt, and Sarah Brodsky were among Club members wafting through the Cool Breeze Century. Brant Maynard, Carrie Beers, and David Hartson opted for the double metric Cool Breeze in August. Chris Freire took his Motobecane to Vegas for the Viva Las Vegas century and to Davis for a metric. New Members Allan Lewis pedaled his Wrigley on the Tour de Cure metric century starting at the Queen Mary to fund diabetes research. Scott Juan Carlos Juan Carlos Chan, Tim Evans, Alan Tolkoff, Edina Fuzesi, Gene Clarkson, Jim McInerney, Michael Goodman, and Donato DeJesus opted for the Highland version with an extra 3,000 feet of climbing. Mark Rubin also completed the Highland route, his first double century. Way to go, Mark! Bud Bates has checked off 69 double centuries in his lifetime, counting the Grand Tour double as number 69. Dave Scott Marsall is the proud owner of a Bianchi Nirone, on which he has already lost 80 lbs. He’s only been cycling for a year, but has signed up for the Bianchi Gran Fondo in September. Good luck, Scott! Dave Cox will take his Trek Madone on the Eastern Sierra Fall Century in September. He’s been biking for 30 years, so no prob. Barbara Torres cycled the five boroughs of NYC along with 32,000 friends. (See Tales 1.) Armen Hagobian zipped through the Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia held in Pasadena in July. Magnifico! Page 7 Michael Michael Nikkel comes from a BMX background and has been cycling on his Motobecane for a year. His goal is the Bay to Bay MS 150 ride in October. PLACES PEOPLE PEDAL PAST by Pedal Pusher High-Class Hidden Hills ne of the most exclusive gated communities we ride by is Hidden Hills. We used to be able to pedal through and admire the mansions by giving the guard at the gate Club member Joel Eisenberg’s name, but Joel no longer lives there, unfortunately for us. O Hidden Hills is located west of Valley Circle Blvd and south of Burbank Ave. We pedal past one of the three entrances at the top of Mureau Road on the way to Westlake. Besides being one of the wealthiest cities in the US, it also has a large population of Russian Americans, making up over 11% of the 2,000 residents. His earlier projects included the eponymous Hanson Dam, Rolling Hills, and Palos Verdes Estates. According to A.E. Hanson, his children read books about early Western explorers and mountain men, so the streets in the Round Meadow area, such as Lewis and Clark, Kit Carson, Bill Cody, Jim Bridger, John Colter, and Jed Smith Roads were named for these trailblazers. There are about 600 single family homes in Hidden Hills, with no apartments or condominiums. Leo Gorcey (no relation to Jory) Hanson advertised his new site as “1000 Acres of Elbow Room.” He built two model homes along Long Valley Road. One of the homes was purchased by Leo Gorcey, a Dead End Kid of movie fame, for $35,000. It seems Kardashian many of kids the famous residents are getting ready to leave Hidden Hills for even more secluded estates. Long time dwellers putting up for sale signs include 1976 Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner and his wife Kris Kardashian. A.E. Hanson The 1.7 square mile city was designed and developed in the 1950s by Andrew Edward Hanson, a renowned Southern California landscape architect and planned community developer. Bruce Jenner The main streets of Long Valley and Round Meadow Roads were named because that’s what they looked like, a long valley which turned into a round meadow. Page 8 Kim, Kourtney, Kloe, and the rest of the Kardashian klan, er, clan, lived in Hidden Hills before marrying, divorcing, and whatever. (continued on next page) PLACES PEOPLE PEDAL PAST by Pedal Pusher Hidden Hills part two Singer Melissa Etheridge and her partner traded their hilltop home on Saddle Creek Road for a house on the flats. Selling and asking prices were $5 million. Lisa Marie Ozzy Heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon purchased a 10,000 square foot hilltop home with views of the LA skyline in 2007 for $12.4 million. $13 mil and it’s yours. Nicollette and Michael The Etheridge hilltop estate was purchased by “Desperate Housewives” Nicollette Sheridan and her beau, singer Michael Bolton. The couple split soon afterwards and are wrangling over custody of the house. Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ daughter, resided on Long Valley Road for 17 years before selling her house for $9 million and moving to the UK with her fourth husband. Matt LeBlanc, who played Joey on “Friends,” is offering his house and six car garage for a mere $10.2 million. Billy Blanks Cardio kickboxing Tae Bo guru Billy Blanks sold his Mediterranean estate with an indoor basketball court and a theater for a cool $7.3 million. J-Lo Denise Richards Meanwhile, Bond girl and Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife Denise Richards is trading her New England style retreat for a house across the street. Beau Bridges has lived in Hidden Hills for 20 years in his six bedroom cottage with a fully stocked wine cellar. Melissa Etheridge Page 9 Jennifer Lopez spent $10 million on her sprawling mansion complete with a recording studio. Leann Rimes and John Mayer are renters. Other famous residents are Shaun Cassidy, Angie Harmon, and David Boreanaz of the TV show “Bones.” Keep your eyes open when you pass the entrance, and you might spot a familiar face. SFVBC TALES FROM TWO-WHEELED TOURISTS We were aided by tough but friendly New York Ride Marshals: “Move to the left, turn up ahead, get ready to slow down, pit stops on right 50 yards ahead...” Five Borough Bike Ride by Barbara Torres won the lottery! I would be joining this year’s Bike New York Five Borough Bike Tour. So on May 6th, under a cloudy but dry New York sky, 32,000 cyclists rolled through the official starting line. I Statue of Liberty To the north the skyline was dominated by the new Freedom Tower of the 2000s. Maneuvering myself in the crowds, I was pedaling by Trinity Church in the financial district where Alexander Hamilton ruled in the 1700s. Barbara in the pack After pedaling through gentrified Harlem, we tasted our first hill, the Madison Avenue Bridge. We were warmly welcomed into the Bronx, but shortly returned to Manhattan as we crossed back over the Harlem River and onto FDR Drive along the East River, home of the United Nations Building. Looking up, I got my first view of the magnificent castle-like Queensboro Bridge, leading into Queens. Rapt by rousing send off speeches and pedal-turning music, it finally hit me. I was participating in THE biggest bicycling party in the country. Taking over M anhattan Gliding up ritzy Avenue of the Americas, we passed Rockefeller Center, which represents the Golden Age of Television of the 1900s. Ready to Ride From the start we were propelled through a time machine. At Battery Park we gazed upon Lady Liberty, a gift from France in the1800s. This event was tightly choreographed by hundreds of volunteers. Page 10 Queensboro Bridge Coming Up Our trusty Marshals carefully guided our huge peloton into lovely Astoria Park, where we were treated to mountains of bananas, Power Bars, and my favorite, refreshing New York City water. (continued on next page) MORE TWO-WHEELED TALES Five Borough Bike Tour (continued) I rejoined the peloton headed towards Brooklyn over the Pulaski Bridge. Others hauled boom boxes blaring heart thumping music. Families toted children as young as five on Trail a Bikes. Verrazano Bridge Overhead You can’t leave Brooklyn ! Brooklyn rest stop Our rest stop in Brooklyn Bridge Park was set against a dramatic backdrop of skyscrapers and the New York Harbor. I reveled as we pedaled onto a car free Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The party continued with cyclists in costumes from Super Heroes to the Cone Heads. My favorite views appeared when I looked ahead and saw a rise in the road packed with cyclists. Looking down from the bridge I saw thousands of my fellow cyclists enjoying the festival amid music, vendors, food, and gloriously sunny skies. Riders in their 60s celebrated their recently acquired skills through Bike New York’s free courses. They even commute to work on innovative cycle tracks, which keep cyclists separated from the cars. At one point I was floored as I rode among a hundred riders from Quebec. Heading for the Brooklyn/Queens Expressw ay Our steepest climb was the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island. At the pinnacle, one young man sighed, “Thank you, Jesus!” Then I remembered to be impressed with myself. I shlepped all the way from California! Lining Up for the Ferry Three picturesque miles of Staten Island brought us to the Ferry, which took us on the scenic voyage to the Battery. I was proud and pleased to have been a guest at this party. SFVBC Page 11 LAST OF TWO WHEELED TALES Roller Coaster Ride by the Big Ear backdrop of powder white sand beaches, turquoise water, emerald green mountain peaks, and pastel creole architecture sets the stage for breathtaking vistas...so begins the spiel for visiting the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. A When my husband Si and I stopped at the island as one of the ports on our Caribbean cruise, we didn’t believe the hype until we saw it for ourselves. The main town in Sint Maarten is Phillipsburg, the capital city. The waterfront shops and businesses are painted in snowy white or bright colors. Pretty Pastels The vegetation is spectacular with coconut palms and tropical flowers crowding the sides of the road. At higher elevations, you can see the ocean and cruise ships in the harbor. We crossed the border, which is only noted by a sign, into the French side of the island. We stopped in the capital, Marigot, a charming seaside resort with bistros and boutiques as well as a huge yacht club gleaming with mega yachts and sailboats with tall masts bobbing in the water. As soon as you head into the countryside, you start up steep roads which twist and climb their way from sea level to 1,500 feet. Beautiful Beach We signed on for a motorcoach tour of the entire island, which is actually half Dutch, called Sint Maarten, and half French, named St. Martin (San Mar-tan). As we drove the scenic roller coaster roadways, we thought about the challenge of cycling on the steep hills, both up and down. There are bicycles for rent, so it is possible to ride over the entire island, but we had limited time to explore and opted for a bus. The road is narrow, with only two lanes and no shoulder, and some of the turns are 180 degrees, so climbing uphill on a bike would put your senses on high alert. The drivers are considerate, especially for tourists, but that is only if they see you around the bend in time. The roads don't go straight up from sea level to the jagged top either; they meander their way up and down, and then up again for a total elevation gain of 2,000 feet. Each way. Down is equally nerve wracking since the grade runs around 10% with the same hairpin turns. Page 12 Amazing View s If you rode your bike over the mountains to Marigot, you could choose from a dozen cafés for lunch and a cool drink. You would need to eat in order to fortify yourself for the trip back. You would face another 2,000 foot climb around and up to the top of the peaked mountain range before plunging down to the start. This ride is not for the faint of heart, but the scenery and downhill thrills would make it unforgettable. SFVBC MEET AND GREET Maria Lewis reports that there are 502 members in the SFVBC as of September 1st. We want to welcome back our renewing members and extend greetings to our newcomers! SFVBC's Newest Members Allan Abramson Keith Cox Gary Daghlarian James Fox Ron Friedman Emmanuel Garcia Steven Katz Mike Kukucka Scott Marsall Michael Nikkel Kevin Odea Michael Pack Robert Pasion Woodland Hills North Hollywood Sherman Oaks Sherman Oaks Out of Valley Northridge Studio City North Valley Northridge Mid Valley Studio City Burbank Canoga Park Kim Proescholdt Adam Sampson Karen Sampson Matti Sampson Isabelle Sampson Cheryl Sarkassian Cynthia Schnaidt Mark Schnaidt Tim Sintop Robin Strickland Rafael Vasquez Michael Winston Gayle Zborowski Out of Valley Mid Valley Mid Valley Mid Valley Mid Valley Woodland Hills West Valley West Valley North Valley Mid Valley Pacoima Northridge Lake Balboa S is for... Sarah Brodsky Shane Greene Scott Gray Si Lewis Page 13 Shai Shprung Sid Blum CLASSIFIED ADS Classified Ads may be placed free of charge by any SFVBC member. NEW or CHANGED ads will appear in green text.. Email your ad to [email protected] BICYCLES MERLIN Magic to ride ! 60cm. Centaur double crank, Chris King Headset, Ritchie Carbon forks, stem, and bars, FSA carbon seat tube, Chorus Brake set, Velocity rims, Campy Chorus ten-speed Derailleur, Brooks leather saddle, 2 bottle cages. Excellent condition! $2,000 (OBO) Linda at (818)907-5914. SERVICES ATTORNEY Avid cyclist for 40 years specializing in protecting the rights of injured cyclists. I personally respond to every client, and I deal with cycling cases exclusively. For a complimentary consultation, call Gary C. Brustin, Attorney at Law, toll free at (800)841-2453. See also www.bicyclelawyer.com ATTORNEY Accidents, Bike & Auto, Business & Divorce. Legal matters handled with personal attention; reduced rates for SFVBC members. Encino office. Call Fred Dresben at (818)6311948 or email him at [email protected] CUSTOM CARPENTER 25 years experience in all phases of building, remodeling, and repairs. Decks, patios, foundations to roofs. Small jobs OK, that leaves more time to ride. Licensed and bonded.Email [email protected] or call him at (818)904-0841 MISCELLANEOUS SPINKY'S COOKIES & MILK DELIVERY No one ever forgets anything they get from Spinky’s! We do spectacular cookie platters and dessert bars! Check out our Website for a fantastic gift! www.spinkys.com MERCEDES-BENZ From your most bicycle-friendly Mercedes-Benz dealer. Absolutely lowest prices to SFVBC members guaranteed! Huge stock to choose from. Give me a call and drive away in a Mercedes-Benz at the rockbottom SFVBC special price. Vlady at:(818)461-3900. WANTED Wanted bicycles, components, accessories, wheels, etc.... for cash. Please call: 818-998-1481 or email: [email protected] Page 14 SIDI SHOES Sidi bicycle shoes, size 38.5 with Look cleats, nearly brand new condition, $20. Contact Patrick 818-568-4652 [email protected].
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