We had 41 riders today (including 1 guest) and they rode at a variety of speeds, so it looked like all had someone to ride with. As best I know there were no flats, but I did see lots of smiles.
– Bill Goffe (substitute ride leader)
Saturday Ride Report
June
26
2010
Slow-N-Easy
June
25
2010
Well we once again met last night at Reed Webster Park for our weekly SLOOOW-N-EASY ride. Tony and I were quite surprised at who showed up to ride with us. They wouldn’t let me use their last name since everyone would know who they were and we would be overwhelmed with attendance. But I can use their first names, Donald, Daisy, Hewy, Dewy and Lewy. Not sure they are built for riding but the none the less they did 15 miles at a blistering 10.9 or 10.8 MPH (need an official ruling on this one). They had so much fun that they said they may be back next week if they are in town and would bring along some of their friends. I believe their initials are MM. Anyway come join us every Thursday at 6:00PM, Reed Webster Park, on route 173 Camillus for a great SLOOW-N-EASY ride. I should mention that for the past several week we have been splitting up into a SLOOW-N-EASY group and a not so SLOOW-N-EASY group. Be there or be >>>>>>> Mike Lyon ridebent@twcny.rr.com and Tony Baleno abaleno@twcny.rr.com .
Women on Wheels Ride has moved to SUNDAY June 6th
June
4
2010
This weekend’s WOW ride has been moved to Sunday June 6th! Join us at Oneida Shores for the chance to do any or all 3 portions of the IronGirl course! Meet at the beach at 7 a.m. ready to swim. We will spend some time in the water with plenty of time to dry off and/or change before the ride starts with Lorie Ann at 8 a.m. After the ride, join Lorie Ann for a run! Hope to see you out there!
WOMEN ON WHEELS Ride for the Holiday Weekend
May
28
2010
Due to everyone’s holiday schedule, we will not be offering our scheduled Saturday ride at Beaver Lake Nature Center. INSTEAD, we will be hosting a ride Monday morning starting at 8:30 a.m. Come out and ride either 21 or 35 miles on a beautiful rolling course with ride leader Mimi! Meeting place is at Wellwood Junior High School on Rte 257 (Fayetteville-Manlius Road).
Start your Memorial Day off right with a group ride with the ladies, and then you can relax and celebrate for the rest of the day 
Hope to see you there!
Holiday Weekend Ride Preview
May
26
2010
A very successful Tour de Syracuse race happening is in the books and it’s time to hit those great CNY roads on a predicted-great-weather-as-I-write-this Memorial Day weekend.
Saturday, 28 May. We’ll start with a ride resurrected from the early 90s after which this Tour of the Oswego River Valley disappeared from the club’s bible. Fortunately, in the process of moving, I came across a copy from one of my first club outings. Twenty years later. Believe it.
Note that the ride starts at 0800 hours in response to a membership survey two years ago in which some people indicated that they would like an earlier starting time. We tried a few last year, not too successfully, but decided (unilaterally) to try a few more, especially with this being a holiday weekend.
There are three distance options of 28, 38 and 47 miles. Your friendly RL, Jimmy Ryan [451-1616], will explain that middle one as it is not noted on the map but merely skips the Northerly extension from the Minetto bridge up to the Port City.
Sunday, 29 May. The first of OCC’s four century rides this year uses a modified version of the venerable Delta Lake Loop laid out by Jim Konski back in the late 70s. Lots of twists and turns, not many refueling stops, but only about a thousand feet of climbing makes it a memorable adventure odyssey. There are four mileage options: 50, 62, 75 and 102 which our RL, Michael Roe [466-9729] will explain at the 8:00 a.m. start.
There were seventy riders the last time ridden including a friendly group who motored up from the mid-Hudson valley to join us. Another memorable version of this ride (‘traditionally,’ an ‘Almost-Fourth of July’ century) occurred back in late 90s when a huge forest fire in Canada enshrouded Lee Valley and Smoky Hollow in a hazy salute to America’s Independence Day.
Monday, 30 May. You can sleep in this morning for an extra hour as OCC begins their summer 9:00 a.m. starts for most weekend rides. A short, get- you-back-in-time-for-a-holiday-cookout spin, which my, and Mr. Rogers,’ neighbor designed as a Wednesday night outing and which we’ll take advantage of as a holiday-bonus-recover-from-a-century trek and with a few visits to some ‘friends’. Two route options of 23 and 36 miles leaving from Roberts K-8 school on Glenwood Avenue at the intersection with Stinard on the Southwest side of Syracuse. You will, no doubt, note that the map [SyrC- 12] is not up yet on the OCC webpage but rest assured there is a map, it shows visits to Howlett Hill, Marcellus, South Onondaga and returns via a Pleasant Valley and/or Cedarvale’s thirteen curves. I’ll have plenty of copies. For more info: 474-3801.
26
2010
Well, once again tomorrow we will be doing our SLOW N Easy ride. These have been a very similar 10 miles, partly on the canal trail and partly on the roads. However, last week we broke into 2 groups. A couple of people want to do a little faster riding. Worked out just fine. So come join us tomorrow, Thursday at Reed Webster Park. Look for the red pickup near the tennis courts.
Whoever shows up is the boss as to what ride we do and how fast we go. Guaranteed a no drop ride.
These rides are always Thursday at Reed Webster Park, Warners Road/Route 173, Camillus. leaving around 6:00PM
Slow-N-Easy Ride
May
18
2010
We had 2 riders that weren’t there last week for the new SLOOOW n Easy rides. I must say, for weather, this was the best night so far, even though it was threatening rain most of the time. NO wind. Once again we did a nice SLOW N Easy 10 miles, partly on the canal trail and partly on the roads.
So come join us next week at Reed Webster Park. Look for the red pickup near the tennis courts.
Whoever shows up is the boss as to what ride we do and how fast we go. Guaranteed a no drop ride.
This week we will be doing a little training on “How to change a flaccid tire, or as some call it a flat tire”. If interested show-up around 5:30.
These rides are always at Reed Webster Park, Warners Road/Route 173, Camillus. 6:00PM
Mike
Why?
May
9
2010
As many of our members don’t race you might ask yourself the question, “Why should I volunteer to help with a race?” It’s a very understandable reaction.
There are several ways I can answer the “Why?”, but let me focus on one, which is what we’ll do with the monies that come from this as well as other club events.
Fundamentally, these monies go back to support the many activities of the club. Of course, some of those monies are used to support the sport of cycling, in its numerous forms and in our numerous activities. However, and very importantly, some of these monies go back into the community.
Recently, it’s been brought to my attention that many of our members aren’t aware of this aspect of the Onondaga Cycling Club. It’s a facet that has been a part of the club going back nearly 40 years when Jim Konski was the organization’s first president. At that time there was strong partnership with the American Heart Association. Indeed, there are those who remember the fund-raising rides along the Erie Canal to Rome and back.
While we no longer partner with the Heart Association we do partner and give back to numerous worthwhile efforts and a list of these are found at the end of this post.
So beyond engaging in and supporting a sport that we’re all passionate about, in one form or another, and beyond the many relationships and friendships that evolve from the numerous activities of the club, this is an organization that reaches out to, and is a strong supporter of, a larger community that extends well beyond our immediate membership.
So when you do hear the calls for volunteers for the Tour de Syracuse consider lending a hand. Every member that helps us plays a vital role in the success of the event. In turn, every one of those members supports the club, helping to make the many activities well beyond the race possible.
In our cycling community and beyond club monies over the past year have gone to support the following:
- BIKE Syracuse – a program that works with at risk children here in Syracuse
- CNY Family Bike Giveaway. Still known to many as the Maloff Bike Give Away, in which donated bikes are repaired and given to childern and families that can’t afford a bike.
- Bill Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund SUNY ESF
- Friends of Jowonio – which is a community resource for children and adults with disabilities and special needs
- League of American Bicyclists – which promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and work through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America.
- Various Pedal Power causes:
- Oswego YMCA – Tour de Loop
- Ride for the Rescue
- CNY Special Olympics & Pedals for Medals
- Dana Faber Cancer Institute
- Sprock Kids – a program supporting young men and women in the sport of mountain biking
- Sonic Kittens – New York’s first women’s junior development team.
So come on out and join us on the weekend of May 22nd and 23rd. Send us an email to let us know that you’ll help.
Thank-you for your consideration and continuing support.
Sincerely,
Wayne
May 6 Slow-n-Easy Report
May
7
2010
We had 4 first time riders of the new SLOOOW n Easy rides tonight, even though it was quite winding. One grandma brought her grandson to get ready for the Tour de Cure in June. Once again we did a nice SLOW N Easy 10 miles, partly on the canal trail and partly on the roads.
Thanks to Dick Matthews for being our 2^nd ride leader. We weren’t going quite fast enough for grandma so he used some of the techniques he has gained doing all those time trials. I wasn’t there at the end but I heard it was close.
So come join us next week at Reed Webster Park. Look for the red pickup near the tennis courts.
Whoever shows up is the boss as to what ride we do and how fast we go. Guaranteed a no drop ride.
Saturday, May 1, Ride Report
May
1
2010
It was another perfect day for a ride. I guess I have been very lucky being ride leader to Saturdays in a row and grabbing great weather both days. It must be all that clean living…
We had a very good turn out this morning with 35 members and 8 guests. Thanks for coming out and enjoying the rolling hills of Marcellus and surrounds. About 2/3 of the group did the “35 mile” ride and the others did the “19″.
No one reported any flats but one rider lost the bolts holding his large chain ring in place and was left with only the small chain ring to finish the ride. No reported injuries either. Not bad at all!
The group pedaled a total of 1210 miles today.
Keep pedaling…
Tony Baleno
Listserv Signup
Tour de Syracuse Sponsors
b.i.k.e. Syracuse
Sunday June 27th, 2010
A Benefit for b.i.k.e Syracuse
For more info see http://bikesyracuse.com/
b.i.k.e Syracuse is a youth program that supports education and teaches personal responsibility, achievement and confidence through Adventure learning, specifically biking. The program works with disadvantaged children between the ages of 8 to 14 through a program of mentoring and meals. It’s club members do better in school and have raised hope for the future.