THE PREZ SEZ....
Greetings to all my bicycling friends and fellow club members.
Wow has this year gone by fast or what? 
It is December and time to start celebrating the festive holidays. Christmas will be here before we know it. Have you signed up for the Christmas Party yet? There’s a limited number of tickets still available! It will be here before you know it on Sunday Dec 15, 2019 at 3:00 pm.
November Recap
I have to say a great BIG THANK YOU and great job to the Everyone Loves Raymond Gravel Ride committee, headed up by Patricia Dailey and Henry Pretzer, with Diana Dean, John Marquez and all our great volunteers. They really put on a spectacular 2nd Annual ELR Gravel event. There were approximately 160 riders, with a lot of newbies to the gravel event scene. As the name implies, it was a fun-loving event. Everyone I talked to had a blast, even myself. Diana Dean and crew worked the 1st / 3rd rest stop on the Kegger and the Growler ride. Iris and crew worked the lunch stop, while Bill Reddington and crew worked the Pint/Kegger rest stop. The after-ride meal was great, and the after-ride party with riders just hanging out after the ride was a blast. The camping and campfire on Saturday night was fun as well.
Christmas Party
The annual Christmas Party will be on Sunday December 15, 2019 at 3:00 pm. You will need to sign up for the event, as seating is limited to approximately 130 people. You should have received an email about it, but here’s the link to register.
Vice President Diana Millhollin wanted to do something different this year. She discovered the Fresno Breakfast House (Bullard & West Avenues, Fresno) could cater the party, so she made the arrangements. They will cater the meal so that no one will have to volunteer this year. Everyone will be able to enjoy themselves instead of working!
Bring your money! we will have club clothing for sale: jerseys, T-shirts and Ball Caps. Also there will be a raffle for prizes.
Annual New Year’s Day Ride
For the second year, the FCC Killer Bees led by Director Joseph Cassinerio have offered to host the Lost Lake rest stop for the Annual New Year’s Day ride. The ride will be on Wednesday January 1st, with wheels down at 10 am, from Steven's Bicycle parking lot to Lost Lake and beyond. The ride will be an all-level ride with "A" riders, "B" riders, "C" riders and "D" riders. We ask that everyone register for the ride, so that we can plan the amount of treats and food needed. Last year, there were nearly 100 riders. One thing we know about New Year’s Day: we never know what the weather will be like. We have had rain, fog, cold, and beautiful sunny days. Regardless of the weather we always have a fun ride!
Climb to Kaiser
Registration for the 44th edition of Climb to Kaiser will be opening soon. It will be held on June 27th, 2020. Something new this year: Club members can take advantage of deep discounts by signing up early. Club members will be able to sign up early for $75 to start and will be a step below the price increases until the day of the event. Membership has its benefits.
Yearly Recap
Looking back on this year with all the daily, weekly and monthly calendar rides, club member events and all our paid events, I would have to say that 2019 was a very successful year of riding. With all our sub-groups and the Bike shops putting on rides there was really no excuse for not getting out and riding. We are looking forward to 2020 being even better. As our club membership continues to increase, we need more ride leaders to accommodate the need for more organized club rides. Please remember our Club mottos: “Ride Safe and Ride Legal” and “No Rider Left Behind!”
New Club Kit
I would like to design a fresh new look for our Club Kits (jersey, shorts/bibs and accessories). If you have ideas for a design, contact one of the Board members. It would be great to get several options to choose from. I know we have some talented graphic designers in the club, and it would be great to see what can be conceived. The club will start its 58th year in existence in January 2020. Over the years there have been a few different jersey designs. We created a full kit for the first time in 2014 with jersey, shorts/bibs and accessories. The current version of the Club Kit was designed in 2016. It has been a great kit and has served us well, as it is very identifiable. It is fun to go out of town and see fellow club members wearing FCC kits.
That’s all for now. Hope to see you on the road, at the Christmas Party, the New Years’ Day ride, or one of the club or bike shop rides.
“Ride safe and ride legal” “No rider left behind.”
The Prez - Dennis Ball
Riding in Central California - in the 1890's!!
Recently, the Eastern Fresno County Historical Society posted a newspaper article written in 1895 by Hu Maxwell on their Facebook page, talking about his travels over a six day period through various areas we ride today. The article is very enjoyable, and would be a great read during one of the rainy days we are expecting.
FCC Member Janet Lucido was kind enough to re-type the entire article, to make it easier to read. We've added Janet's version of Mr. Maxwell's article to the FCC Website.
Request from Mark Perkins, Club Historian:
I am seeking information about a past club member from the 70's, Glen Turner. Glen Turner built several custom bicycle frames during the mid-70's, and I am resurrecting one of them, which was once owned by the late Jerry Timberlake, past owner of The Big Wheel Bike Shop. In the process I've found a need to learn more about Glen's frame building days. Glen lived in Clovis, was a member of the Fresno Cycling Club, and worked as a Pattern Maker at Valley Foundry & Machine Works. He passed away on August 8, 1976. He was a good friend.
I know of at least 5 owners of Glen Turner bicycles (including myself). One of those bikes was ridden in the Paris-Brest-Paris ride in the early-80's, by Suzanne Lock, past F.C.C. president and creator of the Climb to Kaiser. I have 5 Turner frame serial numbers, and they indicate that Glen built at least 22 framesets -- I believe more. If you own a Turner frame, or you know of someone who owns one, please contact me or have them contact me at 707-274-7126 -- I am simply looking for information, and hoping to put together a list of the frames built by Glen Turner. Thank you
- Mark Perkins, Fresno Cycling Club Historian, longest continuous member (46 years), and Lifetime Member; and 42 year member of The Wheelmen
"Bike For a Healthy California"
I’m Dave Bodick, a Health Educator with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Office (NEOP). We are launching the new “Bike For A Healthy California” special Interest License Plate. I am contacting bike clubs throughout California regarding its availability. The license plate is a special interest license plate for motor vehicles currently registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This includes cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans and trailers.
The purpose of the license plate is to create a funding source that will allow NEOPB to further its mission of promoting healthy eating and physical activity.
The DMV allows 12 months to take deposits on 7,500 license plates. It is crucial to capture the audience’s attention during the initial launch to take advantage of their enthusiasm. I’m requesting your help in raising awareness and publicizing the availability of the plate to club members and others who may be interested. This has been a long process to get to this point, I don’t want it to stall now. Please visit our web site for complete details https://calbikeplate.com/ .
Local Bike Shops and Other Friends
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 and other supporters go out of their way to accommodate 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.
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