Summeries of Past Events

BRIEF SUMMARIES OF PAST EVENTS
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10/27/2007 Several riders rode to Hawkins for the annual St. Jude's Ride. After eating at Jewell's Restaurant Kayla Bass, Kahne Walker, Carol Burroughs, and Gary Lesniewski chose to ride around Lake Hawkins before heading back to Tyler. Eric and Galen Williams headed back to Tyler. Eric has been instrumental for several years in raising money to benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

10/20/2007 TBC had its first fall picnic, which was a great success. The event was held at James and Nancy Jennings' home in the country. James manned the grill and Nancy took several mountain bikers on their trail through the woods. The trail is almost five miles long and a lot of fun.

5/16/2007 Several members of the bike club traveled to the Natchez Trace to ride from Nashville to Natchez. This makes the second time for this event. The riders were Eric and Galen Williams, James Hughes, and Micheal Ware.

5/16/2007 Dave Williams organized the first Tyler Ride of Silence to help educate motorists that cyclists have the legal right to the road. The ride is similar to a funeral procession with riders wearing black arm bands to honor the memory of those who have been killed while riding. The Tyler Bike Police escorted about 70 riders through the city streets.

4/22/2007 Greg Tanner had his annual Demo Day at Tyler State Park where the main attraction was Tanner's outdoor cooking. Yes, two days in a row of gorging for those who also attended Patsy's Pantry the day before.

4/21/2007 The Ride With The Eagles at Northeast Texas Community College was OK, but not the main reason club members attended. Patsy's Pantry was back and well stocked with goodies. Dave Starrett's mother, Patsy, dished up another fantastic fest of homemade kraut, greens, brisket, hot water cornbread, and the list goes on and on. Club members appreciate Patsy so much!

3/17/2007 The Beauty And The Beast Tour 2007 was very successful under Kristin Blaise, the tour director. It was held earlier than ever this year, but the weather was perfect. Kiepersol was the main event sponsor, and Double Dave's Pizzaworks provided the post-ride meal.

10/24/2005 Gina posted this message to the TBC Forum.
Wow! What an awesome weekend! This weekend I competed in the Texas Time Trials 24 hr ride. At this event they have a 500 miler RAAM qualifier event, a 24 hr ride, 12 hr ride, and 6 hr ride. I was impressed with the amazing cycling talent out there. When I pulled into my parking spot, I looked at the guy next to me and saw that he was wearing a RAAM jersey...I felt very out of place. However, that didn't keep me from kicking some serious tail! :) I not only won the overall female award for the 24 hr, I broke the female course record! And not only did I break the female course record, I killed it!! The previous female course record was 300.15 miles by Nancy Guth, an ultracyclist expert. She's won Furnace Creek 508 in California and is a 24 hr national champion, and the list goes on and on. Well, she reached her 300 miles again, but I had to up it by not one but two laps; therefore setting a new course record of 340.17 miles!!! I'm not usually one to brag, but I've never done something like this, I've always been the one chasing others, never the one setting the standard. I always write up a race report and I'll post it on here once I write it if anyone is interested in the nitty-gritty details. Oh, when I got home, I had THREE e-mails from the race director, here's what he said in the first one: Gina, Oh my God, I re-read this email and wonder how such a humble girl from Longview, could pack such a big wallop. I can't believe your original email "I would like to give it a try" ?? As I look over the results, I notice that you have not only beaten Nancy Guth, a world class and very experienced Ultra racer, but you now hold the course record for The Texas Time Trials Female 24 hour. What is even more amazing is that you are in our back yard, another Texan. Congratulations, you did an awesome job and I am very impressed. I wished I would have had the time to met and speak with you. Anyways, as you can tell, I'm just a little bit giddy right now! It truly was an awesome experience and I hope to do more events like this in the future. They put on a great event, supplying food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to all crew and volunteers. Nice race packet. Awesome trophies. And some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

7/17/2005 Jefferson Heritage Triathlon -- by Kahne Walker
A significant portion of the Raodkill Triathlon Club (a subset, for the most part, of TBC) participated in the Jefferson Heritage Triathlon this morning. It meant sacrificing some great race viewing here at home with the ETHC race, but we scored big time! Gina Vandiver took a trophy for second overall in the women's open category while Tammy Rooney took top trophy in women's master's. (Are we really surprised by those two??) Brady O'Brien took top honors for junior men's and Amanda Beard took top honors for junior women. Rick's girls, Lydia and Rebekah, took second and first medals in their division, Sergio medaled in his division, and I medaled in mine. Lauren Carter (is that right, Steve?) also earned a medal. Kayla Bass's relay team took top prize in that category. As to the course: it was a really tough swim, and a tough ride, too, with rolling hills plus two trips up the side of the dam there at Lake o' the Pines. The only easy part was the run (and even I, a poor runner, can say that!). The race organizers did a super job with just about everything. Of the four tris I have done so far, I would rate this one the best.

7/16-17/2005 Second Annual East Texas Hills Classic JD's Photos
David Starrett was the ride coordinator for this two day race sanctioned by Texas Bicycle Road Racing Association.
Day 1 The winner of the men's pro race, Chris Cagle, and the women's winner, Lindsay Grosslee, both agreed the course was tough. "A lot of the riders were just expecting the Beast today," Starrett said. "That Mixon road is about seven or eight miles of rolling hills and with this heat, that makes for a tough stretch of road." Last year, around 100 riders from the Dallas and Houston area participated. This year more than 200 showed up to ride, from all over the state, Louisiana and even one rider from Canada. Locals Jim Exum placed third in Men's Master's, and Ben Branstetter won the Men's 5.
Day 2 Criterium racers were clocked at speeds up to 30 mph in the turns on a one mile loop at the UTT campus. It was the largest crowd ever inspite of the rain. About 100 racers got to ride with another 30 scheduled before the event was cancelled due to a thunderstorm.

4/30/2005 The 19th Annual Beauty And The Beast Tour
Kiepersol Country was the new major sponsor this year, and James Kidd was the tour director. Over 600 riders participated in the event. It rained some, but not near as much as last year.

4/23/2005 Ride With The Eagles (comments from some participants)
The Mt. Pleasant/Pittsburg Ride with the Eagles was less than a stellar affair. In fact, without Tyler area riders the Eagle's Tour would lack both riders and enthusiasm -- there appears to be little support for this ride from the surrounding community.
As a rider, I'm always leery of rides that throw me out onto a highway with absolutely no SAG support ie., vehicles or flaggers giving notice that riders are on the highway. Plus, key intersections and turns had NO flaggers whatsoever; or if they did, the flaggers were tardy from exiting their vehicles and riders would simply pass them by.
Yes, the route was scenic, but the road conditions were down right hazardous in some sections ie., broken pavement, gravel only, loose dirt, road construction, etc.
--- Orb

I am ALMOST embarrassed to state my opinion because my friends and I were 25 minutes late (not because of me, I knew where to go, they didn't listen) which meant we wussed out on the 45 miles and decided that 22 would suit us much better. We were a comedy of errors trying to get there and leave. I forgot my water bottle in the car...HELLO....what a wanker huh! So, my opinion mirrors those of others, the chip seal? If that is what it is called was so uncomfortable to me that I wanted to quit. I do LOVE the small country roads and smell of honeysuckle though, there was alot of gravel and no flaggers for us 22 milers with the exception of the same one Orb commented on that happily hollered out "GO STRAIGHT", my thought was "Lady, if I go straight, I am dog meat on the road because of the two eighteen wheelers coming from opposite directions." I opted to watch the traffic as well. Who is this Joe Orb guy anyway....I don't remember...give me a hint..
---Tiff

I was very disappointed with the lack of flaggers. They would have 4 flaggers at one intersection and non at major highway intersections. I know I am in the minority about the roads, but I love the route and like the varity of different road conditions. You can tell that this ride is not organized by bike riders. I am so disappointed that I am going to either write a letter or call the school with my/our concerns. If they don't understand we will have Patsy's feast at another time - like this year - we are hoping to have a ride in the Pittsburg area late summer or early fall, Mom's health pending of course.
---Dave Starrett

I didn't have a great day. Got dropped early, took two wrong turns, and fell off my bike. My one good moment was going to the front on a long hill and shelling a tri geek with a camelback that was trying to ride with us. I figured he was dangerous. I should have been more concerned with my own abilities.
--- Bob Hebb

Bob took a wrong turn (typical of Fly Boys), hit some impediment in the road, and said hello to the pavement. He now sports a wealth of road rash and a splint on one thumb. The good news: the Colnago remains virtually unscratched. To sooth his battered ego and body, he's taking R & R in Hawaii and cavorting with the local wahini's -- chicks in local parlance.
--- Orb

5/8/2004 Gary Lesniewski's account of the Muenster tour.
I know the Muenster call their big Spring celebration the "Germanfest" but for the bike rally "Climbfest" would be accurate.
61 miles and 3,500 feet of climbing pretty well sums it up. Hill after hill after hill. Biggest I measured was an 11% max hill at about 50 miles in. Add a north wind at 15-20 miles per hour and you have a challenging ride.
Saw two ambulances in the first 13 miles of the ride tending to fallen riders. Hate to see that.
Adequate rest stops but riders needed some supervision. Many were standing in the roadway blocking traffic in BOTH directions.
Good SAG support as I saw three vehicle probing the roadways all day.
Nice T-shirt!
Excellent pavement. Never saw any of our dreaded chip seal the whole way. Ahhhhhhh.
Saw Tanya from the club with her Tyler jersey. She seemed to be having a good time.
11 a.m. start time allowed for three three-hour drive without having to get up too early in the morning.
About 1,500 riders so obviously a BIG rally.
Good job by the folks in Muenster! Guten Tag!

5/8/2004 Four riders from the Tyler Bicycle Club entered the Blackjack 100 in Cumby, Jim and Kahne Walker, and Andy and Sheri Kathan. Andy and Sheri rode their tandem, while Jim and Kahne entered the 36 mile race. Kahne won first place in the women's and Jim came in second in the men's. The ride has some gently rolling hills, but the wind is usually strong.

5/8/2004 Gary Lesniewski participated in the 10th annual Armadillo Classic at Liberty Hill where he completed the 121 mile route through rain and a lot of climbing. "The toughest parts of the ride included more than a dozen cattle guards and half a dozen low water crossings. I took a tumble on one that was very slick. It took over seven hours to complete but I averaged 16.0 and felt very strong at the end."

5/1/2004 Participants in the 18th annual Beauty And The Beast Tour and 3rd annual Road Race were greeted with rain, rain , and more rain. There were 265 people who pre registered for this year's event, but a lot of them didn't show up. Only about 35 more registered the day of the event bringing the total to about 300. The start was delayed to 9:30 due to lightening. The hardy souls who rode the route, as well as the volunteers, were in amazingly high spirits, and had a great time in spite of the weather. Steve Kidd broke from the race group early and kept his lead to the finish. He widened the gap to a seven minute lead, which closed to a couple of minutes at the finish. Photo Gallery

4/17/2004 Ride With The Eagles at NTCC had a good showing of TBC members. It was not for the ride, however. It was Dave Starrett's mom feast at Patsy's Pantry afterwards that everyone has been thinking about for months.

"What a good time we had on Saturday. The headwind wasn't fun and occasionally you could smell the chicken farms, but we knew we had Patsy's food just sitting there waiting on us. And what a feast it was. Have you ever seen or tasted a more perfect pie. Everything looked like it came out of a Southern Living Cookbook. Everything was great! Many thanks to David, Sue and Sweet Patsy." --Frances

2/8/2004 The 7th (and next-to-last) Gnarly Dog went off this afternoon in pretty chilly temps. The turnout was small--thinned, no doubt, by the FYF yesterday and the fact that the GG ride director forgot to post reminders! A couple of categories will be contested right down to the end. Martin Piskozub and Jeff Nixon are neck-and-neck. Master Andy Kathan returned to the fray today. Galen Williams rode again--only needs one more to qualify (and win) her category. So far, all our 50-somethings are the ones riding steadily (with the exception of Martin and Jeff). Where's all the whipper-snappers? What's up??

2/7/2004 The "Freeze Your Fanny" in Longview finally lived up to its name this year. It was 24 degrees on Saturday morning with plenty of frost on the ground as riders drove to Longview to freeze their fannies. It was difficult to recognize people through all the layers of clothing, but it looked like the Tyler Bicycle Club made a good showing in spite of the cold temperature. It had warmed some by the 10:00 starting time, but those first few miles into the wind were very chilling.

2/5/2004 The first organization meeting for the Beauty And The Beast Tour/Race was held before the monthly club meeting at Heartland Ham. Eric Williams is returning as the ride coordinator.

2/5/2004 The monthly meeting was held at Heartland Ham. Dale Booth from TxDot spoke to the members about mapping bike routes in the area to make the roads more bike friendly. Robin Stallings from The Bicycle Coalition enlightened the members on the Coalition's efforts in congress and on the local level to improve bicycling conditions. The "Blue Dog" awards were handed out for January. Gary Lesniewski was top dog with 851 miles, followed by Joe Canal with 647 miles, and Kenneth Harris third with 555 miles. Everyone riding at least 100 miles received an award.

1/10/2004 The Gnarly Dog Time Trial is in full swing, and the weather was perfect for the fifth of eight time trials in the series.

1/7/2004 The first club meeting of the year started off with an attendance of over forty members, who were attracted by speaker John Cobb. Mr. Cobb helped design Greg Lemond's aero bars and later worked with Lance Armstrong at A&M. Mr. Cobb talked to the club members on ways of improving strength and cardio fitness.

1/1/2004 The new year begins with a brand new event--"The Blue Dog!" The object is to see who can log the most miles in January.

12/2003 The Annual Christmas party was held at Heartland Ham again this year. Rude Dog awards were handed out, and new officers for 2004 were announced. Butch Willingham is returning for a second year as president. Other officers include Rick Hensley, Vice-President; Francis Singleton, Secretary; Tal Glenn, Treasurer; and Membership, Galén Williams. Continuing as newsletter editor is Kahne Walker. She is also the Gnarly Dog Time Trial Coordinator. Eric Williams is taking on the roll for the second year in a row as the Beauty And The Beast Coordinator, and Jim Walker continues as the club's webmaster.

10/25/2003 There were as many volunteers as racers for the first annual Hawkins Ride the Lake Race. Andrew Kiersey, who once raced as a Cat 2, was the event organizer. The was plenty of support, swag, medals, and categories for the few that showed up. Almost everyone, who entered the race placed and received a medal, and everyone present for the post-ride drawing won something. The 60 mile expert race was actually 48 miles, the intermediate course was 38 miles, and beginner course 12 miles. Events were broken up into age groups for male and female with an unplanned tandem category added for Ed and his wife Jerry Ann from Lindale.

10/11/2003 Confusion, confusion, and more confusion on poorly marked routes in a fog characterized the Winnsboro Tour de Trails race. And to make matters worse, the police escort on the 32 mile race pulled into a side road to talk to his buddy, and several riders followed him. Also, finishers had to stop for a train, and another person took a wrong turn, cut the course over 10 miles short, then claimed to have finished fourth. And on top of all of that, several miles were on a road that was freshly graveled the day before. And if that isn't enough, several MSU riders from the top collegiate cycling team in the nation, showed up and entered not only the 64 mile race, but also the 32 mile one, which usually has those who don't spend all those hours training. In spite of all the mishaps, I still enjoyed the event and plan to keep doing it. It was full of surprises, and the ladies, who put it on, are extremely nice. MSU riders finished first and second in the 32 mile race with Gina Vandiver coming in third. The 62 mile route wasn't as confusing. Brian Wyrick won first place followed by Steve Kid, and I believe David Starrett was third.

10/4/2003 Twenty riders rode the challenging 40+ miles up, around, and down the second highest mountain in Arkansas in the True Grit Tour. Everyone expected the weather to be very cool for the start, since it was 39 degrees the morning before, but it turned out to be one of the warmest starts ever. The temperature at sunup was 58 degrees, which warmed to 64 at the beginning of the ride around 9:30 a.m. Several people rode the event for the first time and quickly became initiated on the grueling two mile very steep climb to Emerald Vista for lunch, then again on a slightly less steep four mile climb with no level spots to recoup. PHOTOS

9/30/2003 A very successful Rude Dog Time Trial Series came to an end with a battle of the tandems. Six tandem teams raced the hilly course and negotiated the tight turn around on East Side Drive, while Dave Starrett fired up the grill for a hot dog cookout. Cathy Cockrell and Sue Starrett did a magnificent job of hosting this year's event. Course records were set and broken and several riders tackled a time trial for the first time.

7/19/2003 Several TBC members road in the sweltering heat at the Tour de Paris.

7/12/2003 The annual club picnic was held at Tyler State Park. Greg Tanner fired up the grill and Tyler Simpson brought kayaks for people to enjoy. David Starrett road his bike to the park and Gary Lesniewski did ten laps around the park road, while most people just relaxed and enjoyed the food and company. The Gnarly Dog TT awards were handed out by Laurie Simpson standing in for Bob Hebb, who couldn't make it. PHOTOS

7/7/2003 Rude Dog TT #2 CONGRATULATIONS TO TOP FINISHERS David Starrett (15:22) and Tammy Rooney (19:05)!! Also, CONGRATULATIONS TO Kayla Bass, Bob Hebb, and Eric Williams for finishing first in their categories!<BR><BR>The BIG WINNER of the MOST IMPROVED RIDER award is Kahne Walker, who improved her time by a WHOPPING 50 seconds!! Kahne's husband, Jim, made his bid for the prize, improving his time by 48 seconds, just 2 seconds shy of Kahne's margin. Others who improved their results significantly over last week were Rob Branstetter, Bob Hebb (how much better CAN he get?), Tammy Rooney (how much better can SHE get??), and Ali Azghani.<BR><BR>From SUE STARRETT and CATHY COCKRELL, thanks to all for coming out to ride. Also, thanks to our volunteers this week, Rick "Roadkill" Uribe, Gary "outta-shape" Skaggs, Galen Williams, Tammy Rooney, and Michael Rodriguez.

7/1/2003 The Rude Dog Time Trial Series kicked off the season with 18 riders. Cathy Cockrell is in charge of this year's series and has done a fine job of soliciting volunteers to help. At least five people helped with registration, flagging, and turnaround, which made everything go smoothly. Parking has been moved to East Side Park due to Sandy Beach being closed off, but the start and finish are the same.

6/7/2003 Bill Cornelius debuted his brand new gold, Campagnolo equipped, custom made Waterford at the Rubicon in Longview. I'm sure he won't let a speck of dust stay settled on it for long. Several other club members were seen at the early 7:30 start and all enjoyed the cool weather. Garys Photos

5/17/2003 Some went to the Flower Mound Classic and reported many wrecks, bad sag support, no flaggers, and rough roads. Others attended the Great Northern Hills Tornado Tour and Dog Burning at the Walkers' near Lake Hawkins and reported many hills, almost no traffic, cool weather, great sag support provided by Kahne's folks, and a post-ride dog burning. Seventeen riders attended and chose distances from 12 to 44 miles. The 12 milers road around the lake and the 44 milers rode up the Great Northern Beast to the highest point in Upshur county, which Dave Williams determined to be 778 above sea level on his GPS. Everyone gathered on the back deck after the ride while Kahne's father set fire to several dozen dogs, which people slathered with chili, mustard, and other condiments.

4/26/2003 The Beauty And The Beast was a huge success again with around 650 entrants. See reviews from riders and photos by Sara Ball.

4/12/2003 The long awaited event finally arrived--The Patsy's Pantry Tour! This has definitely become the favorite yearly event for those attending. Patsy's Pantry did not disappoint. Riders toured the Pantry several times with their mouths open and tongues hanging out. What a treat! There was also a ride at Northeast Texas Community College, The Ride With The Eagles, which helped to peak everyone's appetite.

4/10/2003 The annual goody bag and pizza stuffing event took place with many members in attendance.

4/6/2003 Congrats to Steve Kidd for his first place finish in the Waco Crit Cat 3 this weekend. Also, kudos to Michael Rodriguez for his third place in the Cat 5. Also racing was Nathan Lesniewski in his first-ever crit.--Gary Photos

3/22/2003 Bicycle club officer Cathy Cockrell crashed Sunday during her Women's Cat 4 race in Fayetteville, Texas. She broke her wrist and was knocked out briefly by her impact on the road breaking her helmet. She was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Bryan. She had surgery on her right wrist Sunday night. Her husband David says the surgery went well. She also had stitches above her right eye. David expects Cathy to be discharged soon (maybe today). He asks everybody to pray for her speedy recovery. Nathan Lesniewski and Michael Rodriguez, who also raced in Fayetteville, visited Cathy in the hospital Sunday night and said she was doing well under the circumstances. Cathy is a credit to our club and proudly displayed her Tyler Bicycle Club jersey at the races she entered this year. She is in room 346 (as of 9 a.m. Monday). Gary . PHOTOS of race. Jim Exum also raced.

3/22/2003 Around 15 riders and racers from the club attended The Spring Fever ride/race in Sulphur Springs. The weather was perfect and the course was mostly flat with some low rolling hills. This year's Spring Fever had 160 entrants, up from 96 the previous year. The course was well supported with sags, rest stops and numerous police controlling traffic. The friendly people of the Sulphur Springs Pilot Club sponsor this ride, and it is expected to grow in popularity as word gets out.

4/2003 Bicycling Magazine featured the weekly Beauty And The Beast ride as the number one club ride of nine great club rides in the United States! See page 121 of the April, 2003 issue.

3/13/03 The Beauty And The Beast T-shirt design was selected by the Beauty And The Beast Committee and presented at the monthly TBC meeting.

3/9/03 The last Gnarly Dog Time Trial of the season was held.

3/8/03 Kahne Parsons and Jim Walker, who met at the Tyler Bicycle Club's 2001 summer picnic, were wed and now live at Lake Hawkins. PHOTOS

2/13/03 The monthly meeting had a full agenda. Thanks to Dr. David Ball for letting us use the facilities at TIMA until a more permanent place is found. Mother Frances in the old Gibson building might become the TBC meeting place. The district manager for Subaru along with Freddy Tomlison, who is the local manager of Crown Subaru in Tyler, spoke to the members about their commitment to cycling both on the national and local level. Subaru is the major sponsor of the Beauty And The Beast Tour/Race for 2003, and they are excited to be involved. Jeff Sparks and other Tyler State Park personnel presented a program about the park and plans for the mountain bike trail.

2/1/2003 Very large turnout at the Freeze Your Fanny Ride today, and beautiful weather, too. Bill Cornelius even surfaced after a long absence. (I even got to ride with him a spell!) It was hard to concentrate on riding, though. Bill told me about the space shuttle disaster just before the start. Having pulled my leg once or twice before, I was prone to believe he was doing it again, but he was in earnest. I had special reason to be anxious. I pulled out my cell and called my Mom from the starting line so I could find out about my sister, who works for NASA. She was in charge of all the scientific hardware for this mission, and she had worked with the astronauts for a year to get them ready for their mission. She was in Florida with Jim Brown, brother of astronaut David Brown, watching as the disaster unfolded. My mother said that my sister was okay, considering, and then she filled me in on all the rest of what had happened here in East Texas.

I don't know why I wanted to share that, except you always remember "where you were when," and even though it was terrible news, I guess I can say that I was at least in the company of good friends, and doing something I liked. They say life goes on, and it did and will. But for all of us here in East Texas, this tragedy is hitting close to home (literally), and even though I was on a bike in Longview, I couldn't forget.
--Kahne Parsons

1/1/2003 The Beauty And The Beast Committee met at Butch's house to discuss the future of the BB and it was decided not to have a director unless someone volunteers.

12/15/2002 The Gnarly Dog Time Trial #4 had some major course changes due to logging. The first part of EZ loop was closed, and there were also re-routes on D and B with a steep uphill surprise on D loop and some soft ground on B. The parking lot was full of MTB riders with some participating in the time trial and others just enjoying the weather.

We had another successful time trial Sunday, with 30 riders and great weather. Thanks to Roger for working with the Park folks and with his back to make sure we had trails to ride. We were able to ride all loops but EZ and I don't think anyone who rode out there last week would have thought that would be possible. Roger made it happen. Also thanks to Karen Sessions for helping me with registration and timing. Next time trial is Jan 5. --Bob Hebb

12/13/2002 Everyone had a great time at the annual Christmas party held at Heartland Hams. Many awards were given including the Rude Dog TT winners.

Pace Line Award: Bob Shepherd
Newcomer of the Year: Linda Hone
Most Improved-Road: Cathy Cockrell
Most Improved-Off Road: Laurie Simpson
Outstanding Performance-Female: Tammy Rooney
Outstanding Performance-Male: Ben Branstetter
Outstanding Performance-Male: Rick Uribe
Longevity of Service: Tyler Simpson
Volunteer of the Year: Roger Singleton
Richard Long Outstanding Service Award: Jim Walker

12/5/2002 Christmas Parade--We had a good turn out in spite of the frigid air. Thanks to Linda, Cathy, Bob S., Bob H., Roger, Frances, David W., his grandson, Ben, Eric, Butch, Laurie, Jimmy, Sheryl, Joe Canal, his wife Becky and two of their boys, Gabe and Joey and Charlotte. Jerry Simpkins, Shawn O'Dell and his son Skylar, our friends from Honey-B-Ham (now called Heartland Hams)rode their bikes with us, too. The Christmas lights on our bikes were a hit. You should had seen our gang! Sorry, I don't have pictures. The parade seemed short since we were lined up in the front. We didn't mind... it was coooold. Thank you Tyler Jaycees for your effort. We had a lot of fun. --Galén

PS. Skylard was so wound up after the parade that he made his grandpa ride with him for an hour around their neighborhood that same night. He liked

12/2/2002 The Gnarly Dog Time Trial had 30 entrants with most betting their previous times. The temperature was in the fifties and the trail had some dry sandy spots, but seemed fast on the flats. The course may change some for next time due to planned logging of some diseased pine trees and a controlled burn on EZ loop.

11/17/2002 The weather was warmer, the trail was fast, and Blackjack campground was full of two-wheeled activity with 33 gnarly doggers and a lot of recreational riders enjoying Singleton's Singletrack. Roger Singleton's hard work on the trail removing roots and logs is doing a lot to return this trail to one of the best to be found anywhere.

11/12/2002 The two local bike shops presented the latest "cool stuff" at the monthly club meeting. Tyler Simpson and his daughter Laurie of Simpson's Fitness & Adventure Sports just returned from the annual bike show in Las Vegas where they filmed hot new products for 2003. Tyler displayed a mountain bike and a road bike and elaborated on all their technical aspects. Greg Tanner, owner of Tanner's Bikes, brought two of the latest Specialized mountain bikes and discussed some of the details. Both agreed that full suspension is the biggest thing in mountain bikes now.
New officers for 2003 were revealed by the nominating committee: Butch Willingham--President, Galén Williams--Vice President, Tal Glenn--Treasurer, Francis Singleton--Secretary, Cathy Cockerell--Membership.

11/3/2002 Ten gnarly doggers entered the first of eight time trials to be held in this season's Gnarly Dog Time Series at Tyler State Park. Bob Hebb is the event director and has initiated a point system to determine the winners, since the course usually undergoes several changes before the last time trial. The course was wet after raining all night and most of the morning, and the temperature was 50 degrees. The roots, rocks, and bridges were slick and several riders went down more than once before making it back to Blackjack, but no one suffered any major mishaps.

11/2/2002 The TBC St. Jude's Ride had been postponed one week due to rain, but some light rain still fell on this year's riders as they rode to Petty's Cafe in Hawkins. The temperature was a cool 50 degrees at the beginning of the ride with an overcast sky, which eventually peaked out around 54 degrees before the day was over. Eric and Galén Williams, Joe Canal, Dave Starrett, Bill Cornelius, Roger Singleton, Karen Sessions, Kathy Cockrell, Gary Lesniewski, Kahne Parsons, and Jim Walker enjoyed breakfast and conversation at Petty's Cafe. After filling up on biscuits, sausage, pancakes, eggs, and toast, some extended the ride around Lake Hawkins while others rode back to Tyler. Karen Sessions had her first flat ever and had plenty of advice on how to fix it from different ways of using tire levers and fingers to using the twisting method of removing and replacing a very tight fitting tire, and how to use one's mouth to pre-inflate the tube. Roger commented we should open our own micro-brewery and call it "Flat Tire Ale." With all the advice on how to change a flat, it probably took twice as long to fix than it normally would.

10/12/2002 A choice of three bicycling events in the area were slated for Saturday, the Tour de Yam in Gilmer, Fire Ant Tour in Marshall, and the Winnsboro Tour de Trails Bicycle Race. This year was the largest turnout ever for the Winnsboro race with people traveling from Dallas to battle it out for cash prizes. They added a tandem category this year, but haven't separated the events into male and female. Gary and Nathan Lesniewski entered the 62 mile race, which was won by someone from Dallas. Jim Walker received $75 for winning the 34 mile race, and Kahne Parsons was awarded $50 for coming in second in a field of about 30 riders. Both received trophies and had their photo taken for the front page of the Winnsboro newspaper.

10/5/2002 The Arkansas True Grit Bike Tour had perfect weather this year without the dense fog of last year, which was good and bad. Good because you could see beyond twenty feet and bad because you could see beyond twenty feet. The 6 mile climb to Emerald Vista and the 4 mile climb after Emerald Vista seemed a little more grueling this year because you could see the long climbs ahead. Sixteen riders labored up the hills and coasted down long descents at speeds approaching 50 miles per hour. Several new faces were present this year and everyone had a great time. A few took their mountain bikes to Bob and Lisa's cabin on Sunday to ride the rocky terrain at Wolf Pen Gap. PHOTOS

7/04/2002 Fourth of July Epic Ride.
Twelve TBC members met at Faulkner Park for the Independence Day tour. We were all dressed in silk and wearing our turtle shells. The peloton left er..uh..promptly at 8AM, hunkered over our bikes,wildly pedaling south. We blew through Bullard and charged towards Mixon. After carrying our bikes over a bridge under construction, we cruised through Dog Valley, where we saw a "sausage" dog that seemed to be afraid of bikes. After ascending the hors category climb at Loves Lookout, we rode through the feed chutes in Mt Selman. The peloton then split up, some going home and others continuing the epic ride. Cathy Cockrell and Super Dave with Jim Exum and Bob Hebb on their wheels, continued on over the rollers, behind Lake Palestine dam, and back through Coffee City, Noonday and Gresham. Other riders in the peloton were Eric and Galen Williams, Roger and Frances Singleton, David Starrett, Jimmy Simmons, JD Mitchell and Gary Lesniewski. Hopefully next year the peloton will be bigger and everyone will be wearing a TBC jersey. ---Bob Hebb

BICYCLE RODEO 6/27/2002 My thoughts about it...
The Rodeo was very good, the best I've seen. There were a lot of children. Texas Department of Transportation, Channel 56, the Fire Department TBC, Tanner Bikes, Simpson's Adventure and other volunteers and sponsors were present. It was interesting to see how kids and parents listened to Greg Chapman tell how his helmet saved his life. He enjoyed some time away from the Rehab Center. By the way, I didn't see the mayor. Channel 56 gave a short report on TV of this event. Fitting helmets was very challenging. Did we have fun doing this? There was a shortage of helmets but those who didn't receive one will get theirs at a later time.
The rain came and we all had to look for shelter. Some of the children enjoyed the rainbow and the splash.

Thank you Tyler Police Department. We had a good time.

We need to organize a neighborhood short ride (5 mi, 10 mi). Bill Cornelius said we could start a ride like this at the Presbyterian Church parking lot, downtown, if we wanted. Greg Tanner shared some of his ideas as well. Would you be interested? Let us know. --GalÈn

RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL #4 6/27/2002 Only eight doggers participated this time due to two other events. The Tyler Police Department's Bicycle Rodeo and Simpson Sport's sale were held at the same time and diverted some of the regular participants. A few drops of rain fell, but didn't put a damper on the event.

RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL #3 6/6/2002 Fifteen riders rode the hilly course against the clock, and David Starrett finally showed up.

RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL #2 5/23/2002 The Rude has picked up a little momentum with thirteen riders showing up to ride the rolling hills. Where is David Starrett? David, this is your course--where are you?

CUMBY BLACKJACK 100 5/11/2002 Kahne Parsons received her first bicycling trophy when she was the second female to cross the finish line on the 50K route! Attendance almost doubled from last year's to over 200 participants in one of the best , but lesser known, tours around where the largest hill is the overpass over Interstate 30. The 100K was cut short due to TxDOT's last minute decision to work on the road, but one could do the 50K twice if 42 miles wasn't enough. Jim Walker chose to do the shortened "100K" route. PHOTOS

RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL #1 Seven rude doggers entered the first of eight scheduled road time trials in the 2002 Rude Dog TT series. It is the same 6.2 mile hilly course as last year which begins and ends at Sandy Beach on Lake Tyler. Kahne Parsons is this year's event coordinator. PHOTOS

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST TOUR 4/27/2002 The Tyler Bicycle Club did it again! This year's tour flowed smoothly from start to finish thanks to the hard work of the Beauty And The Beast committee headed by committee chairman Bill Cornelius. The committee has been holding weekly meetings since January to insure the tour's overwhelming success. Registrations were up 19% from last year's 515 to around 613 entrants. Two years ago the total number was only 315. Moving the event to UTT and to the Spring along with excellent planning has proved to be a winning strategy. Word is getting out that the B & B is one of the best bicycling experiences anywhere. The Dog Death Valley 70 mile race was introduced for the first time, and proved to be a worthwhile addition to one of the fastest growing events in the South. Out of about 70 racers Manny Samaniego won 1st, Steve Kidd 2nd, and Raymond Parker 3rd. Ginny King won the women's division, Pam Bates came in second, and Tyler's Elizabeth LeSauvage was third. The weather was mild starting out at 73 degrees at 9:00 a.m. with a high of 82 degrees at 1:00 p.m. The predicted rain held off, but the riders faced a strong 20 mph headwind from the South on their way out. Thirty-eight kids entered the Kid's Race where they raced around the UTT campus. See what some participants had to say about the event in Spike's Post-ride Reviews. Also see reviews at Bicycle Stuff and a thread on a TXBRA forum, and a couple of articles in the Tyler Morning Telegraph. Also photos at Team Bicycles, Inc. PHOTOS and even more PHOTOS by Melvin Dean

MT. PLEASANT ART PEDALER'S TOUR 4/20/2002 A huge group from the Tyler Bicycle Club showed up for this feast--uh I mean ride--at North East Texas Community College. Only two rode in it last year, Gary Lesniewski, and Jim Walker--I wonder why so many attended this year--could Dave Starrett's mother Patsy have anything to do with it? See Article by Kahne, and PHOTOS of the event. MORE PHOTOS by Jim Lindsey and EVEN MORE PHOTOS by Gary Lesniewski

Austin Ride For The Roses 4/14/2002 Several Tyler Bicycle Club members were seen at this popular tour benefiting cancer research, and Gary Lesniewski got to hold Lance's bike!

GNARLY DOG TT #6 FREEZE YOUR FANNY STYLE 2/10/02 The high temperature for the day was 46 degrees, but the woods were several degrees colder as twelve riders battled the gnarly course.

FREEZE YOUR FANNY, Longview 02/02/02 The tour lived up to its name again this year. Frost covered the ground as participants converged on the new starting location on HW 259 at Doris McQueen Primary School. The temperature was 36 degrees at the 10:00 a.m. start and only warmed to 49 degrees by 2:00 p.m. Several Tyler Bicycle Club members endured the cold weather and the long line to the single porta-potty at the one rest stop, which took longer to use due to all the layering. Members sited at the event were: Eric and GalÈn Williams on their tandem, Dave Williams, Bill Cornelius, James Hughs, Dave Starrett, Kayla Bass, Brad Smith, Jim Walker, Kahne Parsons, and Gary Lesniewski. PHOTOS

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #5 1/20/02 With only three time trials left, seven new riders entered the contest for the first time. The trail was in very good condition, and the temperature was a cool 51 degrees. A total of sixteen racers battled the roots and hills to the finish. This event is rapidly gaining in popularity, especially with the DORBA doggers, and should experience considerable growth for next year. Spike sent an email to G.A.S.P. (Greenville Area Social Pedalist) to see if anyone in their club would be interested in participating but has not heard from them.

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #4 1/6/02 Nineteen people turned out for the fourth time trial and were greeted with much welcomed warmer weather after a prolonged cold spell. The trail had been re-routed since the last time trial to avoid the "three sisters," on loop B, which were badly eroded. The distance remains about the same. These three hills, just like Peycke's peak, the buffalo loop, the wall, the advanced loop, and other gnarly places, which have challenged riders for years, will be missed by the hard-core mountain bike riders. The park's plan is to flatten out the trail to make it safer, prevent erosion, and lower the effort it takes to maintain it. Danny Baggett from Ft. Worth had to be carried to the emergency room after suffering a compound fracture of his arm. Doctors performed surgery to insert screws in his forearm.
Gary's PHOTOS / Keith deLeeuw's PHOTOS

Tanner's 1st Annual Park Party & Nite Ride had a large turnout at Tyler State Park's Blackjack campground. Greg Tanner flipped burgers, while many scarfed them down. Some rode the trails with night lights, while others stuck close to the fire and the food. Roger Dodger showed up and declared the fire "wimpy" and proceeded to build an Aggie-type bonfire. (Guess that means Butch Willingham was there in spirit?) A great time was had by all, and we thank Greg tremendously for his hospitality and generosity. Spike says, "Grrrrrrr! Arf!" PHOTO

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #3 12/2/01 The trail was in good shape after several reroutes and some rain. Fifteen people swerved quickly through the woods on their bikes over rocks and roots in an effort to stay upright and avoid hitting trees in a race against the clock. It was great to see several beginners attempt this task for the first time and to come out unscathed. Gary Lesniewski did a fine job of keeping stats.
Gary's PHOTOS | Jim's PHOTOS

TBC ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY 12/1/01 This year's party was held at the Schofield's. Food and camaraderie were enjoyed by all. Rude Dog Time Trial trophies were awarded and recognition was given to several members for their contributions to the club. New officers were announced and the presidential crown was passed from GalÈn to Eric. PHOTO

FIRST ANNUAL TURKEY BUSTER RIDE 11/23/01 Eleven riders rode from Brookshire's parking lot on W. Loop 323 to Edom on HW 31 and back on HW 64. The temperature was in the 60's and the wind was up. The traffic was a little heavy at times and some of the roads were narrow.

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #2 11/18/01 Eleven riders tackled the gnarly dog course.

BEAUTY & THE BEAST COMMITTEE 11/13/01 met for the first at Bill Cornelius' office before the monthly club meeting to get organized and brain storm ideas for the upcoming April 2002 event. Anyone interested in serving was invited to attend and give their input.

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #1 11/4/01 Fourteen gnarly doggers entered the first in a series of the annual mountain bike time trials at Tyler State Park on a very gnarly, rooty, and rocky trail. It was good to see some local riders as well as a couple of DORBA members getting a taste of mountain bike racing for the first time in the beginner categories. RESULTS

TBC's FIRST GARAGE SALE 11/3/01 The club's first garage sale was held on Bill Cornelius' office parking lot on what started off to be a cool Saturday morning but eventually warmed to the upper 70's by mid afternoon. Club members assembled about 6:00 a.m. and chose strategic places to display their wares. Hordes of bargain shoppers rummaged through piles and isles of pre-owned treasures for the next eight hours and carted off over $700 worth. The sale was deemed successful with plans for having another one in the spring. The event was a learning experience and garage sale techniques were honed to a finer level while members observed and discussed the spectacle. PHOTO ALBUM

ST. JUDE'S RIDE 10/20/01 Several members rode to Hawkins for breakfast at Petty's cafe. The Longview group was seen passing by the cafe toward Lake Hawkins, while the Tyler riders enjoyed conversation around the table. After stuffing down pancakes, eggs, biscuits, and ham the group opted not to take the Lake route. Plans to bypass the restaurant and to bring sandwiches to eat at the Lake were discussed for the next Hawkins ride.

ARKANSAS TRUE GRIT BIKE TOUR 10/13/2001
Thirteen riders braved the foggy, rainy, cloudy, steep, twisty 46 mile route on and around the second highest mountain in Arkansas and had a great time doing it. it was a lot of fun plunging down into the unknown with a death grip on wet brakes for several steep miles at a time with about forty yards of visibility on hairpin turns hugging the edge of a mountain. Definitely a test for "true grit." The riders were: Ali Azghani, Joe and Becky Canal, Bob Matush, Roger and Frances Singleton, Rick Uribe, Jim Walker, Dave Williams, Eric and GalÈn Williams, Sport and his friend from Dallas. Jean Williams and Lisa Matush did an excellent job as sag support. PHOTO ALBUM

Four club members participated in the inaugural Athens Pea Pedalers Challenge October 13, 2001. PHOTOS

TMBRA Racing 9/18/01 by Gary Lesniewski
Tylerites Elizabeth LeSauvage and Nathan Lesniewski have the overall leads in their respective Beginners Divisions in the Fall season of the Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association after two events. Elizabeth won her second straight Women's 19-29 race after finishing first Sunday in El Dorado, Texas. She also won the Kerrville race September 2nd. Nathan finished second in his Men's 19-24 race. Combined with a third place finish in Kerrville, he currently leads the overall points standing. Both Elizabeth and Nathan are with Simpson's Adventure Sports team.
Other Tylerites with top ten finishes in their divisions at El Dorado included Ron McCall, Steve Kidd and Andy Kathan.
The next race is September 30th in Huntsville. http://www.tmbra.org/

9/11/01 TBC Monthly meeting cancelled due to New York attack.

Trash Pickup cancelled due to rain. 9/9/01

RUDE DOG ROAD TIME TRIAL #6 9/6/01
Six time trialist show up under cooler wet conditions for the sixth running of the rude dog .

LABOR DAY HAWKINS RIDE 9/3/01 by GalÈn
Well, it didn't rain yesterday and we had a good ride. Rick Hensley and Ron Davis joined the club ride for first time. I saw a lot of faces, but it felt like we were all scattered over the area. There were a lot of groups riding and they seemed to be coming from everywhere. While riding around the lake we saw Wes and Butch and their families riding tandems with their kids. Even the grandparents were on their bikes! As the Canals and the Uribes were on their way back from Petty's, Becky Canal touched a wheel and fell. Her first down! They were all happy to be riding with Kathleen Uribe who is a nurse. Becky seemed to be OK but shaken. She wanted to ride back but Joe insisted on waiting for their sag support. I trailed behind with Ron Davis and got back at 1:30 PM. As always, we enjoyed the ride around the lake. Next time we do it, we will remind everyone that the best route for those who don't have the miles yet, is just to drive or car pool to Hawkins and ride the 15 miles around the lake. Thanks to Bill Cornelius for the early morning coffee.

HOTTER N' HELL 100 (It was!) 8/25/01
Report

TYLER BIKE CLUB CONTRIBUTION TO UTT ATHLETIC PROGRAM 8/20/01
Article

RUDE DOG ROAD TIME TRIAL #5 8/16/01
Nine participants turnout under warm humid conditions for the fifth running of the rude dog .

TBC Monthly Meeting 8/14/01
Dates and details were discussed for a fall Halloweenie Roast, St. Jude ride, Beauty and the Beast, Garage Sale, and Arkansas True Grit Bicycle Tour. We watched videos of Lance Armstrong on various TV interviews and one of Tyler Simpson discussing bicycling with Madame Presidente presenting our club on Region 56 TV. Ways of attracting new members were discussed such as Newspaper ads and TBC Bumper Stickers. In fact I have since designed a bumper sticker, had one made, and proudly display it on my truck!

RUDE DOG ROAD TIME TRIAL #4 8/2/01
Sixteen time trialist lined up at 6:30 p.m. for a very warm race against the clock followed by a tailgate party with sandwiches and Gatorade furnished by Madam Presidente GalÈn.

SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST RIDE 7/28/01
A man (who no one knew) was found lying in the road with his bike and water bottle several feet from him. His helmet was cracked and his head was hurt. He didn't know who he was or what had happened. A pick-up had stopped about the same time Butch came along. They called the number which he had programmed on his cell phone for home and talked to his family. His family said he had just called them, but he didn't remember. They hauled him back to Faulkner Park in the back of the pick-up. He had left there at 9:00 for his ride after everyone else had left. He was slowly regaining his memory and someone drove him to an emergency center.

TOUR DE PARIS 7/21/01 Website
Several Tyler Bicycle Club members made it to the Tour de Paris on the hottest day we have had. Attending were: Eric & GalÈn Williams, Jim Walker, Kahne Parsons, Dave Starrett, Jim Exum, JD Mitchell, Brad Smith, C.J. Stafford, Butch Willingham, James Kidd, and Bob Hebb. Due to a computer glitch and people not adequately recording riders crossing the finish line, the official results have not yet been posted on their website. They should also have photos. J.D. Mitchell came in second in the 100K. Kahne Parsons entered her first tour and did well on her brand new "Lance colored" Trek(photo). Eric and GalÈn Williams rode their tandem and Jim Walker was hanging with the lead group in the 70K before having a flat at the twelve mile point. Jim Exum tries to figure out the paperwork (photo). Paris News article

HW 69 ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING WORKSHOP 7/15/01 photo
Ten people took advantage of the opportunity to sharpen their skills at spotting and removing displaced pieces of matter from the environment which disrupt the aesthetics of the landscape. A substantial portion of the right of way was restored to its previous beauty.

RUDE DOG ROAD TIME TRIAL #3 7/12/01
A hot 93 degree temperature greeted seventeen entrants for the third running of the Rude Dog at Sandy Beach. The shaded course provided a welcomed relief on the hilly 6.25 mile out and back with most riders beating their previous times. Eric and Galén's tandem had a hissing tire puncture as they crossed the finish line, and Tyler Simpson, who started last, missed the turning point due to the people monitoring it leaving before he got there.

TBC MONTHLY MEETING 7/10/01
Ways to raise funds were discussed. The most popular seemed to be a garage sale in the fall. There is also a fall club get together brewing, perhaps a weenie roast. The stretch of highway we have adopted needs some attention. Everyone enjoyed watching the Natchez Trace Adventure movie.

ANNUAL PICNIC AT TYLER STATE PARK 7/8/01
The weather was warm and humid, but buffered somewhat by shade trees and a breeze blowing in off the water. Many club members, their families, and friends enjoyed a full afternoon of activities. GalÈn counted 52 people and a few dogs. Ali manned the hot grill in full sunlight, but did an excellent job flipping burgers and rolling weenies. Tyler Simpson presented the Gnarly Dog Time Trial awards, and also provided kayaks which many people took advantage of. Some rode the mountain bike trail, which was engulfed in deep sand in places where one must use their front wheel as a rudder. The most favored activity was just sitting around, relaxing, eating, visiting with friends, and meeting new people. There was a discussion about having a winter event around a camp fire at the park around Halloween and gnarly earth riders with bike lights riding through the haunted swamps. PHOTO ALBUM

JULY 4th HAWKINS RIDE 7/4/01
The Hawkins ride had a great turnout with close to thirty people showing up at Petty's Cafe. Some rode around the lake, some headed back to Tyler, and some had breakfast before heading back. The ride started out at a temperature of 72 degrees with 90 percent humidity. The trip back actually felt better at 85 degrees with a humidity of 67 percent.

NATCHEZ TRACE TOUR 6/2-7/01 PHOTOS
Eric and GalÈn Williams, David and Sue Starrett, Bill Cornelius, and Jim Walker cycled the Natchez Trace from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN. Read the complete report.

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING RESULTS SWAN 5/22/01 PHOTOS
     Submitted by Gary Lesniewski
     Congrats to Andy Kathan for finishing 1st in the Ford Escape Beginner East Division Spring Series: Beginner Master Men 50-99 of the Texas Mountain Bike Racing Association. A first place finish in the Swan Race Sunday secured the overall crown for Andy who rode for Tanner's Team.
     Also, kudos to Nathan Lesniewski for finishing 3rd in the East Division Series: Beginner Senior Men 19-24. He had a third place also in the Swan race. Nathan rode for Simpson's.
     Several other Tyler riders competed in the Spring circuit including Luke and Martin Piskozub, Justin Powell, Ronald McCall, Steve Kidd, and Timothy Michels--to mention a few.
    Also, Kayla Bass got her first taste of TMBRA action with a nifty sixth place finish at Swan.

11th Annual BLACKJACK 100 Tour/Race, Cumby, TX 5/12/01 PHOTO
by Jim Walker
The Blackjack 100 had a record number of riders for a total of 109 participants in the 10k, 50k, and 100k. This is one of my favorite rides, which I have done since 1997, and I anticipate a growth in its popularity. The ride starts at the fire station in downtown Cumby and is held during their Spring Fest in the midst of a lot of activity. There are booths with homemade crafts, a lot of food, various contests, and a parade. Trophies are given for those who choose to race the various routes. In 1997 and 1998 I finished first in the 50k, and both times a fireman had to run in front to make a path through the parade vehicles and horses so I could finish. This year I finished second on a new course where the only major hill was the overpass on Interstate 30. As I was finishing I heard an announcer giving the results for the horse decorating contest. The tour is well supported with five sag wagons, a lot of rest stops, and a very well designed T-shirt.

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING RESULTS 5/6/01
Submitted by Gary Lesniewski
Two Tyler Bicycle Club riders finished near the top in the recently concluded Texas Mountain Biking Racing Association Spring competition. In the West Beginner Division Nathan Lesniewski and Andy Kathan finished second in their respective age groups. Nathan raced in 19-24 and Andy in the 50+. Nathan rode for Simpson Adventure Sports while Andy is with Tanner's. The West division season ended at St. Jo Sunday. The East portion of the season ends with the Tyler race May 20th. Both riders are among the leaders in that division as well.

RUDE DOG TT #2 5/3/01
Nine riders participated in the race against the clock.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 4/28/2001 "A View From The Rear" by Jim Walker
The Beauty and the Beast was an overwhelming success thanks to Dave Starrett, the Beauty and the Beast Committee, and the vast number of volunteers. This was one of the best supported tours ever with sag support, flaggers, numerous rest stops and a host of sponsors. Over 500 entrants registered for the event. The weather was perfect with mild temperatures, low humidity, and little wind.
JD Mitchell's Photos (click on "View a Different Album" to see more)
Jim Lindsey's Photos
Dave William's Photos

Dick Long 4/27/01
Condolences from the Tyler Bicycle Club to Dick Long's family. We will miss this fine man very much. He was always in good spirits, had a great sense of humor, and contributed much to our lives. The Tyler Bicycle club members were honorary pallbearers.

Mt. Pleasant ART PEDDLERS TOUR 4/21/01 PHOTOS
Gary Lesniewski and Jim Walker were the only TBC members seen at the "Ride With The Eagles Bike Rally," Art Peddlers Tour at Northeast Texas Community College. It was slightly overcast with the temperature in the 70's. The wind was wicked, and the surface was rough. Jim Walker had two flats on the 45 mile course, and Gary did the distance on the 65 mile ride.

TBC MEETS LONE STAR CIRCLE OF LIFE TOUR IN EDOM 4/13/01
     Seven TBC members met Joe Canal and 7 other cyclists in the Circle of Life Tour, who were riding to help create organ donation awareness. Joe Canal is a member of our club, and his son had a heart transplant about three years ago. Also, Dick Long has been receiving blood transfusions on a regular basis.   The cyclists will cover over 700 miles in 9 days of riding. They were on Fox News tonight! The TBC members Eric and GalÈn Williams, Dave Williams, David Starrett, Bill Cornelius, James Hughes, and Jim Walker left from the Stewart Blood Center at 815 Baxter Ave. (in the hospital district) around 11:30 A.M.   The riders took Hwy 31 to Chandler then Brownsboro, and on to Edom for a 52 mile round trip back to Stewart Blood Center. The TBC members enjoyed lunch (mostly cobbler and pie) at the restaurant in Edom, while waiting for the group to arrive. The two groups joined and rode into Tyler together, where a reception stood waiting along with a TV news crew at the Stewart Blood Center.
Update on Circle of Life...
Early in the morning, Dave Williams, Eric and I, met the tour at La
Quinta.    On the way out, other members of the club joined the caravan
as they traveled south on Hwy 69. Everything was rosy until Joe Canal
felt compelled to challenged his group to try a little hill, I mean,
Killer Hill in Mt. Selman.   That was certainly a nice gesture on his
part! Eric, Dave Williams, James Hughes and I just watched from the top
as they plunged themselves into the unknown. It was wonderful to see
them come back, up Killer! There were lots of cheers. Then, soon after
(no recovery), down we went to Love LOOK Out where we finally said good
bye to the group. It was a wonderful experience to share time with them.
They were very thankful and will certainly remember Tyler, TBC and Joe's
killer instinct.
GalÈn
ZZZZZzzzzz I'm tired.

TBC Meeting 4/10/01
A large turnout of about 42 people attended the monthly TBC meeting at the Chamber of Commerce. Goodie bags were stuffed for the Beauty and the Beast, some potential members were present, and everyone enjoyed pizza. Some kid pulled the fire alarm, which sent the firemen and other people rushing in to find out what was happening. Imagine... the Chamber of Commerce building, downtown. It was embarrassing. The little boy got scared and began crying.

RIDE FOR THE ROSES, AUSTIN 4/7-8/01 PHOTOS
     Galen and Eric rode in the ride Sunday. Gary Lesniewski covered the event as a media representative and had a ball.
About the Tour...
        Another Hotter N' Hell, except for the title.
What a tour!   Fantastic. The only thing I didn't like was that we lost
contact with our friend, Bill Cornelius. We lost him as we drove to the
starting place of the tour. If you plan to go next year, register early,
and be there eaaaarly on the day of the tour. You will hate the traffic
jam of cars trying to reach the parking area. I hope they solve this
problem. Another thing you may not like is the entry fee. If you feel
like contributing to the Armstrong Cancer Foundation, you won't mind.
        One of our members, Gary Lesniewski, rubbed elbows with the
VIP's... gala and everything, and I'm not telling you the rest because
that will be saved for the Spoke Signal.
        Dick Wright, one of our salty puppies, had a wonderful ride as he
completed the 100K averaging 20+ mph. He has been in training for a ride
across the U. S. that will take place during the month of May and part of
June. On the other hand, Super Dave Williams, another salty puppy,
perhaps the youngest one, was seeing passing everyone without compassion.
It was good to see our friend, Steve Sansom.
        We saw two Criterium races the day before the tour. The Pro Crit
was great, a field of about 150 racers. What a show!
        And last, we said farewell to our friend, Joe Canal, who embarks
on the Bike Tour, Circle for Life on April 9th.
        I have to tell Dave Starrett that Eric got a US Postal racing
VIP's autograph; and Manny, Marty Nothstein looks fat. The new Cuban
racer stole the show during part of the race.
        Our jerseys are still one of the prettiest, and I saw a lot of
them, believe me.
More about Ride for the Roses...
Debbie Freeze was seen following a locomotive. We share the shoulder for
about 5 seconds out of our three hours and twenty minutes ride. Enough
time to exchange hellos and blink twice. Other participants from our
club were James Hughes and John Fabac. ---GalÈn

RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL #1 4/5/01
The first Rude Dog kicked off with 9 entrants on a challenging 6.2 mile hilly course, chosen by David Starrett. It proved to be a very fast and a very slow course with little in between. Riders used a wide range of gear choices from start to finish. JD Mitchell even provided photo coverage of the event.

TOUR DE FLOWERS IN CORCICANA   3/31 PHOTOS
Tour De Flowers is getting better and bigger. Dave Starrett, Brad, Rob and Sarah Branstetter, Gary Leswnieski, Kayla Bass, Lori Pintsch and GalÈn represented our club in Corcicana.. Lori rode her first 44 mile ride, while Gary went for his first 50 miler.   He even rode with the main pack at the front for 20 miles! Super.
        It turned out to be a beautiful day to ride.    We didn't see the flowers, though. Food? They served breakfast and lunch. The shrimps and the potatoes were mmmm, good.
        I rode with Lori all the way. I'm proud of her. Tough girl.
        We booed Hwy 289 (the last stretch before the finish) because it was very, very rough. I'm so glad we were able to work things out with TX Dot, and didn't get that kind of surface poured on Hwy 69.
        Hopefully, they will have more port o potties next year.
        Finally, we were surprised to find our cheering committee at the finish line. That made our day!
Note: More comments in the May newsletter...
...GalÈn

SUNDAY B & B Weekly Ride 3/25/01
Steve Kidd was back in the saddle along with 20+ more riders on a sunny 60 degree day.

HW 69 Trash Pickup 3/24/01
Several TBC members picked up trash under very rainy conditions on HW 69. Eric Williams commented that passerbys probably think we are convicts, who must have commented very serious crimes! Rain-soaked trash pickers were... Bill Cornelius, Roger Singleton, Bob and Lisa Matush, Dave Williams, Eric and GalÈn Williams

SUNDAY B & B Weekly Ride 3/5/01
About 15 riders showed up for a windy ride in sunny 60 degree weather.

SUNDAY B & B Weekly Ride 2/25/01
The sunny and slightly cool day brought out at least 30 riders for the weekly B & B ride from the UT campus after seemingly endless days of inclement weather. It was probably one of the largest turnouts ever and the pack must have made quite a display for passerbys with all the bikes and colorful jerseys. Jean William's cool new wheels were a special feature which can be viewed along with other photos in Dave William's Photopoint Album.

RACING UPDATES
          Andy Kathan raced in Lajitas and finished third in his group (beginner). He wore our
          jersey! Cheryl Fulton is no longer with us but is riding well and racing. She finished first in
          Smithville and second in Lajitas (sport). Tim Michels is riding strong with two third finishes
          (expert). Nathan Lesniewski and Justin Powell are also racing.   They are getting stronger and
          gaining a lot of experience from it.
          We have three teams in town? Simpson's Adventure Sport and Tanner Bikes
          have mountain bike teams. Tanner is also sponsoring a stunt team.

LINDALE TRAIL REPORT 2/24/01
On Saturday Feb. 24th at 9:30 a.m. The Tyler Bicycle Club and other Clubs in the area were invited to test ride a new mountain bike trail 6.7 miles from HW 69 west of Lindale on HW 16 at the YWAM Ranch. Several TBC members showed up for a very fun, but considerably technical ride on 5 miles of new trail. GalÈn and Eric Williams, Kayla Bass, and Jim Walker were led around the seemingly long 5 mile trail by Dan Carriere with Tim Cherrington bringing up the rear. There were many gullies, hills, twists, drop offs, creeks, ditches, and swamps to go through and numerous logs to cross. Several photo moments occurred during endos and while slipping down in the mud. Two had flats. What a great time! More riders showed up as we were finishing. They included Gary Lesniewski and family (his daughter, Nathan, and son in law). There bikes and clothes were so clean as they entered the trail, and ours were so muddy.

This trail has a lot of potential. They are working on another two miles. It has a little bit of
everything. The tricky sections caught our attention quickly. YWAM - Bike International has done a great job. We are fortunate to have access to this trail.
It was a lot of fun riding in a group. Well, I had the best view. I learned a lot seeing everyone try
their stunts. Of course, I learned what not to do. They forgot to tell us to bring our paddles. We did
great, we didn't have to swim! Right after the second group finished their ride, it got windy and cold,
and it started to rain.

Trash Pickup Postponed 2/10/01
Greg Tanner, Bill Cornelius, Dave Williams, Dave Starrett, Laurie Pintsch and Eric and GalÈn were the only brave ones to show up. It was cold and we decided to postpone. I thank all the above for trying. We need more people. After cuddling in our van for coffee and donuts we went to Braums and ate breakfast. Not bad. --GalÈn

FREEZE YOUR FANNY, Longview 2/3/01
Great weather for a "Freeze Your Fanny" ride. Frost was still on the ground on the drive to Longview, but the sun was out. Layering was a necessity at the 37 degree beginning of the 10:00 a.m. start. It warmed to 45 degrees by 11:00, to 51 degrees by 12:00, and 55 degrees by 1:00. It looked like a good turnout with about two dozen from TBC showing up. Gary Lesniewski and Kayla Bass completed their first 43 mile long ride in this tour!

Bill Cornelius' Birthday Party 1/26/01
A lot of fun and good eats with about 16 people in attendance. The highlight of the event was when everyone took turns trying on Bill's new cap with attached hair. Dave Starrett played a hidden video of his dog out smarting him. The possibility of a seven day Natchez Trace ride was discussed.

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #3 1/7/01
The trail was in excellent condition. Leaves were not a problem, and the trail was damp with no loose sand. It was about 60 degrees with 19 participants. Even though the trail was fast, it was a tough ride for most due to laying off during the ice and snow.

Saturday Morning Breakfast Ride 1/6/01
by GalÈn Williams
The ride on Saturday was good! Eric and I rode the tandem, and I did pedal this time. Jay Graham, Gary Skaggs, Rick Uribe, Dave Williams, Michael Teasdale, Bill Cornelius and Tim Meyers were the other brave ones. It was cold when we left the parking lot, but then it warmed up to the 70's. We rode to Bullard, ate breakfast and then hit the Rollers. We wore too many layers of clothing, and our pockets were too small to carry all we shed. Eric's pockets were so full of stuff, that I felt tempted to rest my head on them. Michael was new to the group. He enjoyed the ride, he said. We had a strong tail wind, and we sailed back. That was fun! Ask the others.

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL 12/17/00
Canceled due to debris left from a recent ice storm, which left the park and most of Tyler in the dark for several days. A group of unidentified riders from Dallas cleaned up most of the fallen branches on Saturday. I sent an email to DORBA thanking them for their efforts.

GNARLY DOG TIME TRIAL #2 12/3/00
Dave and Jean Williams did a fine job running the second Gnarly Dog Time Trial at Tyler State Park. It was a crisp 43⁰ with 16 participants. The trail was fast, and most bettered their previous time.

CHRISTMAS PARTY 12/1/00
Held at Billy and Tisa Hibbs beautiful home, the TBC annual Christmas Party was a huge success.
New officers were announced. The coronation ceremony of the new reigning Queen of the Tyler Bicycle Club---"Madam Presidente Galen" was conducted by the president William Cornelius, Esq. Rude Dog TT trophies were awarded, and camaraderie and food were enjoyed by all.

CHRISTMAS PARADE 11/30/00
Eric and GalÈn Williams, Francis Singleton, and Joe Canal carried the TBC colors proudly with other members waving to them from the crowd!

GNARLY DOG TT#1 11/19
cool, trail in good condition, 15 entrants

Gnarly Dog TT#1 11/12 rained out

THE LAST RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL 10/29/00
Some rain before start, but had good weather except for the headwind. Only three riders.

TBC TRASH PICKUP 10/28/00
Thanks to the following people who helped with Saturday's Adopt a Highway trash pick up:
Bill and Rachel Wilson, Roger and Frances Singleton, Ron and Stephanie Hancock, Eric and Galen Williams, Jimmy Simmons, Gary Skaggs, Lori Pintsch, Bill Cornelius

GREENVILLE, TX COTTON JUBILEE RACE 10/21/00
from Exum
Did anyone but me go? Didn't see anyone but the race stated separate. Art and I went to win money, but they let the front 6 make a wrong turn. We gradually dropped the other 4 and made a really fast ride into a
big wind and then rain, but not enough. frustrating, there were guys up there that I could beat without my boy to help. I was warm in the rain until the 4 miles from the finish to the cars, got so cold almost couldn't ride. A good race, not uscf, but fun.

TYLER STATE PARK IMBA TRAIL CREW WORK WEEKEND 10/21-22/00
The Tyler Bicycle Club had a very poor showing this weekend at the largest trail building event in the history of Tyler State Park. Only 4 members showed up to do some trail work. Roger Singleton was there from start to finish, and gained a lot of knowledge about trail building from the IMBA trail building experts. The IMBA trail building crew had a lot of equipment, and volunteers came from all over. A new handicapped trail was begun, and some parts of A loop were re-routed. The objective of the trail crew was to have a very low maintenance trail built in such a way to prevent erosion. The advanced section off of EZ was closed by State Park officials because it was not indicated on their map. Roger will need a lot of help implementing all of the plans for the trail.

Four other club members accepted the dinner invitation on Saturday, and used the opportunity to discuss and share views on the development of the trails with the crew. They also exchanged information
about different topics with a Texas Bicycle Coalition representative. They continued the conversation with the crew on Sunday. It was a learning experience for all.

St. JUDE HAWKINS RIDE 10/21/00
Several Tyler Bicycle Club members rode to Petty's cafe in Hawkins Saturday, and awaited Longview Bicycle Club members, who never showed up. From Petty's it was a rainy, but enjoyable ride around Lake Hawkins, then back home.
UPDATE:
The Longview Club had 5 riders. They left at 8 AM for a 15 MI ride from
Longview to Petty's. Due to miscommunication between Bill and their ride
coordinator, Joe Bruner, we missed them. They probably got there around
9 AM, the latest.
Bill says that he saw in their newsletter that they were leaving early,
and he became concerned (I remember his telling me). He called Joe, but
Joe had given his cell phone to his daughter. As a result, our message
was received after the ride was over.

From Eric Williams 10/29/00
This is just an update on our effort to raise money for St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital. To date, we have raised $761.00. We will
try to send in the money to St. Jude in about 1 week, so if you have any
money that you have raised or else would like to donate yourself, please
send it in to Tyler Bicycle Club, P. O. 6734, Tyler, TX 75711. Your
contribution is tax deductible.

Update from Madam Presidente 12/18/00
The total amount raised was $1130.00.

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