The 2001 edition of the Beauty and the Beast could very well be one of Tyler Bicycle Club's finest hours. We have a great host in the
University of Texas at Tyler. Furthermore, we have great sponsors in Southside Bank,  East Texas Medical Center, Music Mountain
Water, Powerade by Coca Cola, Classic Toyota, Tanner Bikes,  Wilson-Cornelius Law firm, Lynn Acker, Simpson's Fitness &
Adventure Sports, DPX, TXU Electric & Gas, Hibbs-Hallmark & Co., Keith Miller, Attorney-At-Law, Tom Sorrels Insurance and La
Quinta Hotel. If you have a chance, say thanks to our hosts, and I am sure they would enjoy your doing business
with them. Our rest stops will be provided by, TXU, Honey-B Ham, Blackeyed Pea, Target, Mixon Community Center, Bullard
Fire Department and YWAM Bike International. Once again, the Tyler Amateur Radio Club will be providing communications
all over the course ( and I mean all over the course). The Radio Club has been helping us for 14 years, and I
would hate to try and do this without them. This year we have some very nice door prizes courtesy of Jim's
Jewelers, and Simpson's Fitness & Adventure Sports. They have supplied us with both a man's and a woman's Festina
watch and jersey to be given away to four lucky, paid participants.

            The course is the same as last year with routes of 12, 20, 33, 41, 52 and 64 miles. Why change a good thing? Thanks to our
sponsors, we can still charge only $10 for the 12 - mile route and $20 for all others, if paid by April 21st. After April 21st the entry fee
will be $25. Every rider and volunteer will get a 2001 Beauty and The Beast T-shirt and a pasta dinner after the tour. The Tour starts
at 8:00 A.M. at UT Tyler in front of the student center. Packet pickup and day-of-registration will start at 6:00 A.M. Early packet pickup
and registration will be at La Quinta on Friday, April 27th from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.

            We have been trying to come up with ways to get the community involved in the B&B, and this year we are happy to be hosting
the first ever Beauty and the Beast Kid's Race and is being sponsored by Tanner Bikes. When you go into his shop, please
tell Greg how much you appreciate his contribution. The race will be for kids from 5 to 12 years of age and will be
free.    Each kid will get a T-shirt and a chance to win one of the 5 bikes that have been donated. 

 Two bikes have been donated by Tanner Bikes, two by Wal-Mart and 1 by Target. We will group the kids in 3 or 4 different
brackets (depending on how many show up) and will race in their group around the UT Tyler parking lot. The
starting time for the kids race will be at approximately 8:45 A.M. in front of the student center. Each child must be
accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. In order to promote our effort, the Tyler Police Department is hosting
a bike rodeo on April 21st in the UTT parking lot by the tennis courts. Bikes will be checked out for mechanical
problems and helmets given to kids who don't have them. Also, kids can preregister for the race on the 28th. If
you would be willing to help at the rodeo, show up at about 9:30 A.M.

            For a special added attraction at the Kids Race and Tour, Tanner's Bike Stunt Team will be putting on a show for us.
They will start shortly after  7 A.M. and quit; well, they will quit when 

either they get tired or everyone has gone home.

            Joe Canal has been put in charge of the weather again this year. He did so well last year we extended his contract. I am sure
he would like your help. Just give him a call for instructions.

            All of us on the B&B committee have been putting in our time and picking each other's brains trying to make this tour and kids'
race something the club can be proud of. If you would like to help, call Galén at 509-2603. If you would like to ride but still help, you
can do that, too. Get those bikes tuned up and those legs in shape - it's time to ride.      By David Starrett
 

Prezz Sezz 
By Galén Williams 

Count Down to Beauty and the Beast 2001 

            With all of this rain we have been having, I don't doubt that we will have a beautiful spring. We are all hoping and praying that
April 28th will be one of the prettiest days of the year... This is the big day- the day of B&B! 

Getting ready for this big event is always a challenge. We are certain that everyone is in for a treat. I thank each of the members on
the Beauty and the Beast organizing committee for their efforts and the University of Texas at Tyler for the use of their facilities and
for their help. 

            There is something new this year. We'll have a kid's race, which will be the first one in the history of this Tour. It promises to
be an exciting activity for children 5 to 12 years of age. So if you have children in this age range, throw the bike in the car and come
on out. This event will be promoted at the Tyler Police Department Bike Rodeo being held at the UT Tyler campus on April 21st, just
a week before our tour. The kids will get a taste of the course and will be ready to race the following weekend. The Kid's Race will be
sponsored by Tanner Bikes and our club, and is free, but parents have to be present in order for their kids to race. 

            The sponsor/hosts for the rest stops are lined up, and we especially welcome our new hosts, Honey-B-Ham, TXU and Youth
With A Mission-Bike International. Our loyal friends from the Mixon Community Group and the Bullard Fire Department will once
again offer their support. The Blackeyed Pea Restaurant will be at Sandy Beach again delighting us with their famous banana
pudding. 

            Let me take this opportunity to call all you volunteers who supported us last year to touch base with me, because we need
you again! We'll find a spot for you, believe me. You'll be treated like VIP. I'll be meeting with rest stop captains at our next club
meeting. Don't forget we will stuff goodie bags that night and eat free pizza. 

            Well, one last thing. I know you would like to ride B&B... If you don't volunteer, please ride. Stay for lunch, wear your T-shirt,
and visit with your friends that you may not have seen all winter. 

Tyler is a beautiful place in the springtime. Enjoy it. 

            Note:  The club has donated $300 to the Safety Kids Coalition through the Department of Public Health, to purchase helmets.
These will be given away by the Tyler Police Department to the children who participate at the bike rodeo. The club is very pleased
to be able to help the TPD at the rodeo.     Membership renewals:

        If you haven't renewed your club membership, please take the time and do it, for this will be your last Spoke Signal. 

Talking Cycling    
TRAINING PLAN:

Spring is almost here and your “Base Phase” has by now finished or it’s getting close to an end.  Late March and early April is when
the “Specialized Phase” kicks in.  This phase is used to develop performance, using specific workouts.  Intervals become a weekly
part of the training and should be done at around 80% of your threshold; this prevents the build up of lactic acid.  Don’t forget to
warm-up and cool down either, these two are often forgotten by riders and could have a huge impact on your training session.  As
the body adjusts to the workload, is good to lower the volume of miles and concentrate on intensity.  Select a “pre-season” race or
tour to check your form and make any adjustments to the plan.  Remember that the goal is to peak towards the end of spring and
beginning of summer, when you can ride on a more consistent basis.

Club News:

Congratulations!  03/10/01  Well, last night at 9:13 P.M. Stephanie gave birth to a beautiful 6 lb. 12 oz. baby  girl.
We are naming her 

"Trinity Katherine Hancock". 

Also, Stephanie learned that an Epidural doesn't always work and I learned that Bill Cosby was right; My bottom lip can be pulled
over the top of my head.      Ron Hancock 

The Lone Star Circle of Life Bike tour 

Dear ones, 

            Everyone knows how important organ and tissue donation has become to our family. This spring I am participating in The
Lone Star Circle of Life Bike tour covering 750 miles with rallies in 10 cities in 10 days. Here is a link to their website.
http://www.sw.org/donor/cycle/cycle.htm 
This isn't a fundraiser, but it is an awareness raiser. 

"What can I do?" You ask. 

            First, tell your loved ones today how you feel about organ or tissue donation, because, even if you have signed a donor card, it
will be your survivors who will ultimately have to carry out your wishes. 

            Second, join us at one of our rallies if there is one in a city near where you live (the website lists the cities and the dates and
times we will be there.) I attended the one in Tyler last year 
where a bone marrow recipient 
met their  donor for the first time. It was moving. You'll be touched. While you're there maybe you could donate blood or get
listed as a potential bone marrow donor. It would be great to see familiar faces at some of these rallies. If you have questions, let
me know.                                                              By Joe  Canal
 

April Birthdays 

 4/1 Todd McMakin  & CJ Stafford

4/2  Fred Coats 

4/5 Joe Huff

4/12 Shiloh Childress 

4/13 Patti Michels

4/20 Amberlee Skaggs 

EVENTS

Rude Dog Time Trials : Where: Sandy Beach, Lake Tyler- Directions from Tyler 1] Spur 248 toward UT Tyler;
continue to 4-way stop and right on FM 848 ( Bascom Rd.); take left on CR 285 (Old Omen Rd.); right on East
Side Drive for about 4.5 miles; Sandy Beach on right. OR 2] Hwy. 110 to Whitehouse, left on FM 346, follow to
CR 3341 and turn left, continue straight until you cross bridge. Sandy Beach on left, 1 mile past the bridge.
*Course Distance: 6.2 miles (10K) *Schedule: 4/5, 5/3, 6/7, 7/12, 8/2, 8/16, 9/6, 10/4 *Time: 6:15 PM on 4/5 and
10/4, all others at 6:30 PM *Registration: $15 for the whole series 

*You have to race three in order to qualify for awards. 

*All USCF time trial racing rules apply. 

*First timers are welcomed regardless of your level. This is a race against the clock and yourself. Find your pace, and try to beat your
time, that simple!
 

Cycling Mountain Style
by Robert Bergman

    In Jan 2000, I had a temporary job opportunity in Flagstaff, AZ and decided to work there on an 8-week contract at the local
hospital. After researching the area and talking to a local bike shop employee about the trails, conditions, and weather, I shipped
the trusty mountain bike on UPS 3 days before my flight.  When my flight  arrived in Phoenix, AZ, I drove north on I17 for approx 2.5 hrs through the typical desert landscape of flat and rolling hills of scrub
brush and the giant saguaro cacti that dominate the horizon for miles. 

         As soon as I left the huge sprawl of Phoenix, I noticed my rental car was constantly gaining altitude and this would continue
for the entire trip. There are signs along the way indicating altitude- 1000,2000, 3000,etc up to 7000 at the Flagstaff city limits. As I
passed interesting towns such as Carefree, Cave creek, Black canyon, Bumble Bee, Happy Jack, Machine, I started to realize that I
was in some of the most remote and beautiful areas of the country. Abundant with wildlife such as Elk, deer, mountain lion, black
bear, and eagles. The culture influenced by Indian tribes like the Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni. Terrain is stunning with a variety of valley
desert, hills, pine forests, high desert with huge canyons, red slick rock, snow-covered mountains over 12,000 feet, and extinct
volcanoes. 

         As I approached Flagstaff about 35 miles away, the snow-covered San Francisco Peaks marked the final destination. The
mountains, college town atmosphere (Northern AZ State Univ.), vehicles decked with skis, boards, and bikes, gives the feeling of
Bozeman, MT. Bend, OR,Durango, CO. Flag is a very outdoor-minded community that attracts many cyclists, skiers, hikers, and rock climbers. Definitely my kind of town--I can’t believe I'm getting paid to come here!   My work schedule allowed 1 day off during the week and all weekend to put in mucho hours of riding the numerous, uncrowded trails, most accessible from town. In a few days I had met several friendly, experienced riders that were usually available and knew the trails very well. 

          Some of the favorite rides are around Sedona, AZ 30 miles south. The red rocks and canyons offer superb riding in
moderate-extreme terrain, single-track and slick rock.  We spent a couple of days near Phoenix in the McDowell Mts (Cactus Cup
Race loop). This trail carves through desert landscape with giant saguaro and goat head cacti. Fast, twisty turns, berms, jumps, and
soil that hooks up like Velcro!     Last Feb, I had business trip to Phoenix and spent the weekend riding with some of the guys I met
last year in Sedona. It was nonstop, livin large on single-track by day—great food and drink at night in AZ! This is mountain bike
heaven!  If you want to mountain bike and ski in the winter or just mountain bike in the summer months, Northern AZ is ideal. Cool
temps (below 85) in summer and easy 2 hr flight from DFW  & a long drive. Check it out- I highly recommend it, and might just move
out there someday.