The Rough Draft
A Monthly Update from The Fresno Cycling Club  - August 2018.

The Prez Sez

Greetings fellow cyclists and club members! 

  A few of you (2 or 3) may have noticed there wasn’t a Prez Sez last month. That was a first for me, as I hadn’t missed a month in the five-and-a-half years that I have served as President of this great Club. The busyness of directing the Climb to Kaiser took its toll on my brain. The monthly message from the president has been a staple of the Rough Draft for as long as it has been in existence. In the past (pre-social media), it was the only means of reaching out to Club membership to keep everyone abreast of Club business. 

  In the past year, the Board of Directors made the decision to change the format of the monthly Rough Draft from a printed and email format to a digital and email format. With the advent of Facebook and a more robust website (with a “live” ride calendar), it had become apparent that very few members were utilizing the email version of the Rough Draft, and even fewer were utilizing the printed version. The printed version used to be the only means for many to find out what was happening with the Club and it was where our monthly calendar of rides was found. Now that we have a live calendar on the website (“live” meaning we can add club ride updates even spur of the moment), the printed version was not as necessary and therefore was dropped. 

THE C2K Recap

  The 42nd Climb to Kaiser is history. No records were challenged this year, but as always, the C2K proved this year why it such a special event, challenging the riders with elevation and heat. Although the C2K is not an official “race” due to our insurance coverage that doesn’t cover race events, it has become a race against the clock (a Time Trial of sorts) and there are always individuals who want to challenge the fastest time. 

  The current record for the C2K overall is a flat 8 hours. This year the “Vegan Cyclist,” local racer Tyler Pearce, wanted to challenge the record, and he even arranged to have it filmed as a documentary. Although he did an amazing ride, he didn’t come close to beating the record of 8 hours. His time was 8 hours 42 minutes. Tyler’s video was picked up by the Global Cycling Network and C2K received worldwide coverage on their show along with the Tour de France. 

2018 C2K Drama

  The filming of Tyler’s C2K ride did result in some C2K drama when some of our volunteers had observed what they felt to be Tyler receiving personal SAG support on the part of his filming crew vehicle. What the volunteers hadn’t been told by the C2K director (me, my bad) is that Tyler’s ride was being filmed and that the chase vehicle had been authorized to follow him. It is nice to know that our volunteers are aware of the C2K rules regarding no personal SAG. This rule is in place as a result in part of the Forest Service Permit not allowing additional vehicles to follow riders in critical areas on Kaiser Road. 

  One thing that became clear is that the C2K rules have become more important to the top riders that want to challenge the existing completion time. Of course, over the years the routes have varied, so the finish time for one route may not apply to another route. That was the case of this year’s C2K, in which a change to the start/finish venue impacted overall times. We may need to review the C2K rider rules, which may need a bit more clarification regarding what constitutes “personal SAG.” Along the same lines, there seems to be a problem with “ride crashers” joining the ride at various locations throughout the course to support riders; it seems there is no standing rule that applies to this and maybe there should be. 

Climb to Kaiser Photos

Always the diligent photographer!

Nancy Dooley has shared some of her photos of this year's Climb to Kaiser.  Along with her other volunteer duties, Nancy managed to catch some nice shots of the participants in action. 

You can check out the photos from a link on the Fresno Cycling Club website, or directly from this link:  Nancy's Photos.  


Declining Event Ridership

  In the past few years, the ridership of the C2K has been declining. This year, there were only 187 riders out of 205 signups (for all three rides) that started the ride, with only 164 completing the rides.  This year, there were fewer DNF’s (C2K - 14, Century - 4), probably since we didn’t have a hail storm at the top of the Kaiser Pass. Some theories as to the lower ridership (my own):  

1) there are a lot more competing events now than in the past, 

2) riders that used to do the C2K every year are getting older, and not willing to challenge the ride anymore, 

3) not many newer riders taking up the challenge, 

4) not enough promoting and advertising, and 

5) it’s an event that you have to train for, and not that many folks are training these days to do tough rides. 

  A bright spot was that this year the C2K was rated by Granfondo.com as one of the top ten most beautiful and challenging rides in America. It still remains one of the best supported rides, thanks to all of our awesome volunteers who help put the event on each and every year. Keep up the great work Fresno Cycling Club. 


Bob Brooks

  Long time Club member and local Cycling Legend Bob Brooks passed in his sleep on July 23, 2018. He was seen on the Saturday before, doing one of his favorite rides from Shaver Lake to Courtwright. This picture was taken in July 2011 during the annual TDL ride. Bob was a six-time US National Time Trial Champion and had also competed and won in Russia. 

  There is so much to say about Bob and all of his cycling accomplishments, but I would prefer that someone who knew him well could include his story in the next issue of the Rough Draft. 

  A memorial ride for Bob is planned to occur on Aug 18th from the Shaver Lake Community Center to Courtwright. Since the Tour de Lakes had to be rescheduled, it seemed fitting to have it on the same day as the memorial ride so that all who knew Bob could participate. The Club member ride will be open to riders in the memorial ride that may not be members, so they can partake of the rest stops and SAG support if needed.   Rescheduling of Tour de Lakes Club Ride

  Smokey skies seem to be the norm for our summers here in Fresno and most of California, due to the large fires that happen because of our continuing drought. This year we again had to cancel the Tour de lakes due the smoke in the mountains. The purpose of the Tour de Lakes ride has always been to provide an escape from the summer heat of the valley, and provide an enjoyable ride in the mountains where the air is cleaner and cooler. With all the fires around the state this month, it caused too much smoke to allow for a healthy ride  

  Thus, the ride was rescheduled to August 18th. Hopefully the fires will subside before then and allow the air to clear up. The Grizzly Century is Back

  For the first time in 24 years, the Grizzly Century Ride will be hosted by the Fresno Cycling Club.  This event will take place on October 6th, 2018. Until recently it has been the efforts of Mike Nolan and the Community of North Fork who have been responsible for hosting this fabulous ride. This charity event has been the backbone fund-raiser of the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway and North Fork Community for nearly 25 years. The majority of the proceeds have been invested in maintaining and improving the amenities of the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway. It is hoped that with the support and coordination provided by the Fresno Cycling Club, this tradition will be able to continue. 

  I am reaching out to all our members and supporters of the Fresno Cycling Club and Cycling Community to support this great worthwhile Bicycling Event. You can register for one of the 4 rides of the event at: https://fresnocycling.com/event-2846401 or volunteer to help out by contacting me at president@fresnocycling.com. 

The Bass Lake Double Century

  The Fresno Cycling Club may not be noted for putting on HUGE rides (such as a Cal Classic or Levi Granfondo), but we sure do put on some well-supported ones. One that has been around for a number of years is the upcoming Bass Lake Powerhouse Double Century (or, Bass Lake DC, or BLDC for short). It will be held on October 13, 2018. The BLDC Ride Director Angelo Quitorio and his band of FACT volunteers will once again put on this great Double Century event. The BLDC is one of the many qualifying Double Centuries that riders vying for the coveted Double Century Triple Crown or 1000 Mile jerseys will ride in. 

  This year’s route will be the same revised route as last year. The majority of comments by riders last year was that they loved the new route. This revised route allows the riders to ride up to the Bass Lake area in mostly daylight hours and those that ride in later darkness enjoy a more rider-friendly route with little traffic to deal with. This year, riders will be treated to finishers medals upon completion of the ride. Bass Lake DC Kits are also available for purchase by contacting the ride director Angelo Quitorio. Go to http://www.basslakedouble.com to get more information and register for the ride. 

That’s all for now. See you on the road.

The Prez, aka Dennis Ball

Tour de Lakes

  The Annual FCC Tour De Lakes ride has been rescheduled for August 18th. Come on up and enjoy it with us!

  The requirements to sign up for this ride?  Not too tough… 
-       Are you a Member of FCC?  
-       Are your dues paid?  
-       If yes, then, sign up and ride!!!

      This ride is the Fresno Cycling Club’s Summer Ride, and is open to all members.  There are various rides available that day, from 28 to 70 miles (and beyond).  The goal of the day is to get as many member out there, and involved! 

      The rides are listed as BCD/3-5/28-70, Social & Training (on the website, you can find exactly what these terms mean).  In English, it means that there will be rides from relatively easy, to pretty hard, with some climbing depending on what you want to ride.  

      The rides start near Shaver Lake, so you will be out of the worst of the Valley heat. This ride has two basic starting points 1) the Dinky Creek Road/Shaver Lake Park and Ride, or 2) the parking area at the Dinky Creek Bridge on McKinley Grove road. It is an out and back ride and you can go as far out and back as you like. Some go to Wishon Dam and some go to Courtwright Dam and back.  

    You can find out more information on the website, www.fresnocycling.com. 

    Time Trial Series

       The next event in the Time Trial Series will be Saturday, August 11th. This is the 6th of 7 regular Time Trials, with the Tollhouse and Four Lane Time Trials to follow in September and November for a total of 9 TT’s. 

       This month's time trial will start near Sandals, along Friant Road in Friant.  Day-of event signup starts at 6:15 am, and first rider sets off at 7:00am.  It's a 10 mile distance, similar to the Belmont-Academy rides.

      Time trials are a fun way to test your endurance. It’s not just for racers, it’s for anyone who wants to challenge themselves and see how fit they are. It’s also one of the safest types of races as you are only racing against yourself and the clock. 

      The TT’s are a 10-mile race. This year we will have more categories, so come out and challenge yourself and have some fun doing it. These TT’s are free to members and $5.00 for non-members.

    Ride Leaders

       Reminder to all our ride leaders, whether you are in the Killer Bees, the FACT, the Shop rides, or our many Club leaders: be sure to list your rides in at least one (if not more) of the Club venues, such as the Website Ride Calendar (see www.fresnocycling.com) and the Facebook pages. This insures that your rides will be covered by the Club’s insurance both for injuries to riders, and for liability coverage for you and the Club. 

    Where's the Ride Calendar?

       Please check out the FCC website www.fresnocycling.com for the latest Ride Calendar.   This gives a more accurate picture of upcoming rides, as it's updated constantly.  

       Please also check the Facebook pages for FCC, as well as the various "subgroups" (FACT, Killer Bees, All-Roads, etc.). (Links to their Facebook pages are on the FCC website).  There may be additional rides posted there.

    Shop Talk with Devin

      Devin Bovee, the FCC A/B Ride Coordinator and manager of Steven's Bike Shop Clovis location, also writes a blog for our website.  

    Check out Devin's latest blog posts 

    His most recent blogs discuss:

    • Rear Derailleur Maintenance
    • Bike Fitting
    • Getting Back in the Saddle
    • Chain Wear


    Ride Groups

      Our list of Ride Groups is growing. It’s exciting to see our members have so many options to ride. The purpose of ride groups is to provide a way to connect with riders of like abilities and styles of riding. I encourage everyone to check out the various ride groups and ride with as many as you can, as often as you can. We are trying to provide more and more rides to accommodate as many ride schedules as possible. If you have a ride group that you like riding with that isn’t yet one of the listed ride groups, please contact me or one of the Ride Coordinators, Henry Pretzer or Devin Bovee to have your group added. 

      The current schedule for these, and other Rides, can be found on the FCC website: www.fresnocycling.com.  

    • The Tuesday/Thursday morning Ride Group - Lead by Nancy Dooley and Ken Herrington. B/C rides
    • The Diana Dean and Larry Allred Ride Group - B/C rides.
    • The Mountain Men/Women - Ride Leader Tom Braner. C/D rides
    • The Velominati Ride Group - Lead by Greg Schoonard and Jeffery Simpson. C/D rides
    • The Killer Bees Ride Group - Ride Leaders Joseph Cassinerio, Cody Hill, Leon Thiessen, Michael Stevens. B/C rides
    • The FACT (Filipino American Cycling Team) Group - Ride Leaders Angelo Quitorio B/C/D rides.
    • The Steven’s Bicycles Ride Group - Ride Leaders Devin Bovee and Tina Kutzbach. A/B/C/D rides from their shop.
    • The Sunnyside Bicycles Ride Group - Ride Leaders Vanessa and John McCracken. A/B/C/D rides from their shop.
    • The Bike Shop at Woodward Park Group - Ride leaders Joshua Houssiere and James Zumwalt. A/B/C/D rides from their shop.
    • The Rubber Soul Bicycles Ride Group - Ride leaders Jon Stewart and Helen Guenther. C/D rides from their shop.
    • The “A” Train Ride group - A rides
    • The Social Train Ride Group - Ride leaders Mark and Michelle Locatelli. A/B Rides
    • The All-Roads Ride Group - Ride leaders Henry Pretzer and Susan Smith. B/C/D gravel and road rides.
    Reminder:  see www.fresnocycling.com, including pages Ride Codes and Rules of the Road for a full explanation of the A/B/C/D codes above. 

    Upcoming Meetings

    FCC Board Meeting:  
      WHEN:  Wednesday, August 1, 2018  6:30 PM 
      LOCATION:  Sequoia Brewery North
    (Champlain & Perrin)

    Bicycle Shops and Other Supporters

       For many of us, eating and riding are the two major things in life.  We all rely on and support our local bike shops.  These are the people dedicated to making sure that we can all safely enjoy what we do.  A few local restaurants go out of their way to accomodate cyclists.  Please be sure to support these folks, and tell them you are an FCC Member!


    Other Items:
    Click Link Below, or go to www.fresnocycling.com
       The Fresno Cycling Club is a group of some 800+ cyclists who enjoy bicycling as recreation and sport. As a club we seek to offer cycling events and activities that span a spectrum of cycling interests. Club rides are scheduled year round and range from novice level to 200-mile expert rides. We protect the rights of cyclists by following local, state, and national affairs as they concern cycling. Club members receive a monthly newsletter listing ride schedules and other information of interest to cyclists.  Don't wait another minute! Join now! Welcome to the Fresno Cycling Club.