Keep up with Fresno Cycling Club!

Next Board Meeting:

• Wed, Feb 5, 2020
• 6:30 PM
• Me N Ed's Victory Grill
• 4010 N Cedar Ave, Fresno

The Prez Sez...

Greetings bicycle enthusiasts and members of the Fresno Cycling Club.

   The year 2020 is off to a great bicycling start! We had a great turn-out for the Annual New Years Day “Muffin Ride,” where we had upwards of 150 riders come out on a cold but sunny Wednesday morning to enjoy the ride and rest stop goodies at Lost Lake. It was a great time of visiting and sharing stories of bicycling adventures of the past year. After the rest stop, riders left in all directions to get in additional mileage. Some went to Spring Valley school, some went to the Back Side of Millerton, others went around the Millerton Loop or Circuit while others rode back to the start, satisfied with a nice 20 mile ride. 

Annual 17 Mile Drive Ride

   Club Secretary Janet Lucido and her husband Jim started a club ride about 6 years ago and it seems to get more popular every year. This year was the 6th annual Pacific Grove/17 Mile Drive ride. The first year there were only 6 riders, this year there were nearly 50 riders that either came for the weekend or came for the day. The ride starts in beautiful Pacific Grove near the public golf course. It winds its way down the ocean side through the beautiful golf courses along the famous 17 Mile Drive and into Carmel.

   A few years ago, the Lucido’s discovered a great restaurant in Carmel at the half-way point called From Scratch. From the first time, they received us with open arms and have accommodated us every year. This year we had nearly 50 riders. The waiters and waitresses were awesome. They managed to get us all seated and served with delicious meals and in a timely manner. From Carmel our riders had two options: returning along the coast, or climbing up through Carmel Hills and back into Monterey. For not being a long ride (30 to 40 miles depending on your option), it is definitely one of the most scenic and enjoyable rides we have. 

   This is just one of the many out-of-town rides that our club sponsors for our membership. There will be many more this year. If you have a favorite out of town ride that you would like to share, contact Ride Coordinators Mark Locatelli (abrides@fresnocycling.com) or Henry Pretzer (cdrides@fresnocycling.com) and get it on the Ride Calendar.

All Roads (paved, gravel & dirt) Riding

   Ride coordinator Henry Pretzer introduced the Club to the concept of “all roads riding“ a few years ago. He started by offering rides on the back roads (dirt/gravel) of Madera and fire roads in the mountains. With the increasing popularity of gravel riding, the bicycle industry has been designing gravel-specific bikes for the past couple years. This has played right into the concept of All Roads (paved, gravel & dirt) Rides for the Club.

   Last month, Henry coordinated an All Roads ride on Panoche Road. There were upwards of 20 riders that drove out to enjoy the gravel roads of western Fresno County. With more and more Club members purchasing gravel bikes, there will be a lot of All Roads rides on the calendar this year. Henry Pretzer and Susan Smith are offering “beginners gravel rides” about once a month. Check the ride calendar for times and locations. 

   For two years now the Everyone Loves Raymond gravel ride in November has had great attendance, proving that gravel riding has become very popular. It won’t replace our road riding, but it along with Mountain Biking are great alternatives for getting out and having fun on your bikes. Historically, FCC has been mostly focused on Paved Road riding, but now it is great to see that we can provide more options as the popularity of off-pavement riding increases. Contact Henry (cdrides@fresnocycling.com), if you have an All Roads ride route that you would like to lead.

   All Club-sponsored rides are covered by the Club’s insurance. Riders must be members of the Club, or first time riders can sign a waiver.

Desert Bike Tour - March 23 - 28

   Last fall Ken Herrington, Nancy Dooley, and Brian Brellis put on an inexpensive bike tour from Davis to San Francisco over a five-day period. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Nine cyclists took part and the tour was such a success that we decided to do another one.

  Our next tour is a desert tour, planned for this March from the 23rd to the 28th. We will have an organizational meeting at 6:00 pm on February 12 at Marco’s Pizza in Clovis.

   Plans include Joshua Tree National Park, Riding along Route 66, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Las Vegas and Death Valley National Park.  Click here for more information, or plan on attending the organizational meeting.

Club Membership

   Over the past 8 years we have seen a large increase in Club Membership, which goes along with the increase in the popularity of cycling. When I served my first year on the Board as Vice President in 2012, our membership was in the range of 250 to 300. Since that time our membership has at one point exceeded 1,000 members. Our Membership is based on the number of current dues paying members. It fluctuates throughout the year depending on how quickly the members renew when they receive their expiration notice. Checking our current numbers we have 1,105 listed in our membership database. Of that number 685 members are current dues paying members, leaving 420 members in various stages of either pending renewal or lapsed (over 30 days passed renewal date).

   Members tend to come and go depending on how active they are and whether or not the club activities are meeting their needs. Some move on to other activities if they find that cycling is just not their thing, and others move on to other clubs or groups where they may find a more convenient connection. Still, there are others who just plain forget to renew or lose track of their membership as they haven’t been riding much and don’t feel the need to renew.

   We aren’t any different than any other club or organization when it comes to keeping members current on their dues: there is always going to be a certain number who don’t renew in a timely manner. Why it is important to renew your membership in a timely manner:

1. Keeping your membership current allows you to ride any of our club sponsored rides that are for members only.
2. It provides limited accident injury insurance for you should you get injured on a ride (membership must be current to be covered).
3. You enjoy a minimum 10% discount at the local bicycle shops.
4. You get to share in club activities throughout the year, members’ meetings, club picnic and annual Christmas party.
5. You can participate in out of town sponsored Club rides and multi-day bicycling trips.
6. You have input on Bicycle Advocacy with the local and state governments.
7. You get to ride with groups of awesome, passionate, fun loving bicyclists.

   I know there are thousands of bicyclists in the Central Valley who could benefit from being members of the Fresno Cycling Club. Our club represents the Central Valley, not just Fresno. Our mission is to engage as many bicyclists as possible to not only provide recreational riding opportunities but to encourage bicyclists to ride safe and ride legal. If you’re not yet a member, then join here: https://fresnocycling.com/Join.  If you are a member, you can get your membership card here https://fresnocycling.com/admin/members/card/.

   Our Club goal for 2020 should be to increase our membership to 5,000 members  Yes that is a big number, but you have to aim high to hit a realistic goal. If you have no goals you will stay the same or fall back. If each member were to invite one or two friends into the Club, that number could easily be attained. We would have one of the largest clubs in the state and possibly in the country. Imagine the advocacy work we could get done with that many members and how many cycling rides we could put on. The more groups of bicyclists on the road who ride legal and courteous the more visibility we have with motorists, which makes for safer riding conditions for all.

Cycling Goals

   What are your cycling goals for the year?  Do you have any? The experts will tell you if you want to accomplish anything in life, you must have goals. The same applies to cycling. Having goals gives you a target to work toward. Set easy goals at first and work your way up. Depending on your skill level, start with goals just beyond your comfort level.  As you progress, set bigger goals.

   Work toward your first century (100 miles), then your next, then maybe Climb to Kaiser or a Double Century (200 miles). Many riders set a “mileage goal” for the year. By doing that, they know how many miles they need to do a week or month to accomplish their goal. Goals help you keep motivated. Set your goals, use the club rides to help you achieve them. 

Quarterly Club Members' Meeting

   There will be a Club members meeting on Monday, March 2, 2020 at 6 pm. It will be at the Vino Grill located at 1440 Champlain # 106, Fresno. Light appetizers will be served. Hope to see you there.

That’s a wrap for now. See you on the road.

The Prez, Dennis Ball

"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!

• List of Bicycle Shops and other Supporters.
  

Other Items

Click Link Below, or go to www.fresnocycling.com

• Ride Codes
• Rules of the Road
• Bicyclist Code of Conduct
• Membership Application
• Board Member List

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.

Questions or Comments on this newsletter?  Let us know! editor@fresnocycling.com 

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