Trash pick up day went by, and we are happy to say that we had a little bit more help this time around. You don't imagine how much easier it is when we can share the work. Thanks to  Dave Williams, Sharon Morris, Kahne Parson, Eric Williams, Roger and Frances Singleton, Bob Hebb, Ali Azghani, Jim Walker and Bill Cornelius. If we can add a few more hands the next time, we'll hit a record show, and it will be like taking a walk at the park... HOPEFULLY.   Something nice happened to me that day. As soon as I had begun my task, I was greeted by the neighbors who live at the bottom of the golf course hill. They expressed their gratitude and appreciation for our community service. They are very aware of our presence, and the gentleman said that he sees us all the time. That made my day! If you are wondering, TBC has adopted two miles on Hwy 69 So. we have one more year according to the contract. Give a hand next time to pick up!
 
 

Make Cycling Mainstream  By Bill Boon, TBC Board Member
Adapted for the “Advocate” Aug./Sept. 2000 

      After Greg LeMond won the Tour de France for the first time, the USA saw tremendous growth in the number of exceptional young athletes entering cycling. These young athletes might have chosen baseball, football, track, or any other sport but they chose cycling. LeMond's tour win (and his subsequent exploits) created an excitement that could only be created by an underdog winning the biggest bicycle race in the world. 

      Greg LeMond is an American, and everyone knows that Americans are not supposed to win the Tour de France or the soccer World Cup. But LeMond did win the Tour - not just once but three times. Because he inspired a whole generation of young cyclists, we are now able to watch American racers such as Kevin Livingston, Frankie Andreu, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie Bobby Julich, Chann McRae, and, of course, Lance Armstrong. 

      These young men, who grew up wanting to be like Greg LeMond and ride the Champs-Elysee in the yellow Jersey are now inspiring a whole new generation of cyclists. 

      With Armstrong winning both the 1999 and 2000 Tour de France, we have a great opportunity to help cycling grow in this country. We have the opportunity to use the hard work of LeMond and Armstrong to advance cycling in America. Let's not waste this opportunity. 

      Our goal should be to make cycling mainstream in America. To accomplish this goal we must have more people on bikes. Exert a positive influence on cycling by sharing what you love to do with others. All it takes is getting out and riding your bicycle. Grab a friend and go for a ride. Show up for group rides. Take your family to dinner, on bikes; it's a great way to burn off some calories! We need to make it commonplace for bicycles to be seen on our city streets. The more bicycles that are on the road - riding in a safe, responsible law-abiding way - the more ingrained in American culture bicycles will become. 

      1.  Call your local school district and ask those in charge when they are going to incorporate the Texas Bicycle Coalition's innovative "Texas SupeCyclist Program" into their P.E. curriculum. 

      2.  Ask those running your city's Parks And Recreation Department (PARD) when they are going to begin putting on races like other cities such as Abilene, Waco and Wichita Falls. 

      3.  When you come across a traffic signal that won't turn green for you because the loop detector does not recognize a bicycle, call the city Traffic Engineering 
          Department and ask why they install a traffic light that does not operate the same for all legal street users. 

      4.  When you become aware of plans for a new street, call the city's Engineering Department or the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to find out what accommodations are being made for cyclists. And when you come across yet another street or road that has been resurfaced with rocks the size of pigeon eggs ask why anyone would put a surface on a roadway that is detrimental to one or more forms of transportation. 

      5.  Contact your local newspaper and thank the sports editor, the managing editor, and even the publisher for covering the Tour de France. Tell them how much you wish they would give you more reasons to read the sport section by including other cycling events. 

      6.  If those you contact cannot/will not respond with a satisfactory answer, call someone further up the "food chain" -your school board member, city council member, representative or senator 
  The time is right to let our voice be heard and our bicycles be seen. Let's make bicycling mainstream in America! 
 

SHOULDN'T WE STOP TOO?  By Bill Cornelius 

            I'm sure this will be a sore subject with some (or maybe many) of you. Most of us, including me, are accustomed to riding "through" stop signs, and sometimes red lights, as long as no one is coming. Granted, we use care to insure no cars are coming, and we yell "clear" to so indicate to those behind us.  Yet, we are certainly practicing a double standard here. 

            When we drive our cars and trucks, we stay at the red light until it turns green; and we come to a stop at stop signs even if we know the intersection is clear. 

            We proudly proclaim to the motorists out there who would restrict our access to public roads that bicycles are vehicles too, just like theirs that are motor powered; and we argue that we enjoy the same legal rights to the roads. Most of us have bumper stickers that encourage motorists to "give bikes the right". Well, aren't we guilty of wanting to enjoy the benefits of those rights without having to meet the responsibility  that goes along with them, when we fail to obey the traffic laws? 

            I submit that if we truly believe that we are operating vehicles, and not just playing with toys, as many think, we owe it to ourselves to think long and hard about this issue.  How can we possibly expect motorists to take us seriously, and to respect our right to share the roads with them, when we ride by a different set of rules? 

            I know it's inconvenient to stop, especially when no one's coming.  No one wants to have to unclip, and break momentum, especially on a fast paced ride. Yet, I believe we are doing ourselves a disservice, in the long run, that may have consequences far more inconvenient, if we don't change our ways. 

            I have decided to change mine. 

Letters to the Editor 
The following Email was received by your editor on 07/17/01: 

Dear Editor: (Italics added) 

            I very much enjoy receiving my newsletter every month.  One of these days when my schedule permits I will be able to meet everyone face to face. 

            However, I am receiving my newsletter after the meetings are over. 

            Example:  this months newsletter postmarked 7/14.  Newsletter announces meeting for 7/10. It also announced the club picnic to be held on 7/8.  When my schedule does allow, I won't be able to attend because the events are over with.  Can you help? 

Thanks, Donna Bowers 
 

Reply: 

Donna: 

            Thank you for your Email regarding the lateness of the July newsletter. Your Email was forwarded to the club officers for their review. 

            As editor, I feel responsible (and embarrassed) when the newsletter arrives late, after the events announced therein. A kind of chain reaction occurs to get the newsletter to members' mail box….Timely article submittal, membership listing, label printing & application, postage purchase and application. All have to happen prior to a trip to the Postal Office to deposit the newsletter in the outgoing mail chute. 

            Several loyal club members donate volunteer time to get all this done. In spite of best efforts, unexpected delays can occur due to accident, sickness, emergencies, whatever. 

            Those of us who work to publish the newsletter will continue to strive for the goal of being on time with the publication. I appreciate your taking the time to share your concern. 

            If you have not already done so, see the TBC website at www.tylerbicycleclub.com and subscribe to the Topica discussion site at tylerbike-subscribe@topica.com. 

Both sites will have the latest breaking news updates on most all club activities. (Also back issues of the newsletters). 

            Thanks, contact me at any time. Dave 

PS: If, at any time, you have a contribution article for the newsletter or the website, please send it in. D. 

Tuesday, July 17, 2001  Stage 10
First he did it with his eyes, then with his legs. In yet another powerful statement in the opening mountain stage of the Tour de France, the U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team's Lance Armstrong won his first stage of this year's Tour, winning today's 209 kilometer 10th stage from Aix-les-Bains to l'Alpe d'Huez. After laying low for most of the stage even feigning his climbing ability on the second of three "above category" climbs in the stage Armstrong jumped from the lead bunch at the start of the final climb and won going away, leaving all of his rivals in his wake. Prior to jetting off to the victory, Armstrong turned to look back at whom many classify as his main rival in the Tour Telekom's Jan Ullrich and delivered an ominous stare, then turned his head and took off at a speed none could match. Armstrong won the stage in 6 hours, 23 minutes and 47 seconds, nearly two minutes ahead of Ullrich. The victory by 1:59 over Ullrich moved Armstrong up the ranks of the GC to  fourth overall. We chose this strategy, we did not know what our adversaries were going to do." Armstrong's bluff in the mountains really caused a stir following the race. What it did was force Telekom to ride the front for nearly the whole day ? which they did ? and allowed Lance to sit in the bunch. . "It worked perfect for us," he said. "We didn't know that Telekom was going to ride hard tempo almost from the beginning of the stage. So the plan was born on the road, since we know that they (the other teams) are all watching on TV anyway." 

After the stage, a very relaxed Armstrong spoke to the media: 
Significance of winning at l'Alpe d'Huez: 
            "It is a very special stage which means a lot for the riders, probably the greatest climb in the history of cycling. That motivated me today, I wanted to win. It is an honor to win this stage 

Was he bluffing?
     "Certainly bluffing but you know now in cycling, everyone looks at everyone else. The director sportifs have TV, the managers, the fans all have TV, therefore you must play on that. I take into account the movements of the camera bikes, therefore I pay attention to my attitude and my face." 

Hydration    By Eric Williams 

            Three years ago at Hotter 'N Hell, I believe that I had the worst experience that I have ever had on a bicycle. Galén and I were just finishing the 100 miles with a small group of riders. I wasn't feeling too bad, all things considered, such as 105 degrees and a stiff head wind coming in. But I felt out of kilter. I got under the spray from the fire hydrant but just wasn't cooling down. We went back to the motel and were lounging around the pool, when I got sick to my stomach. I walked over to the van and started vomiting water -a full stomach full of water. I told Galén to get me back to the first-aid tent, because I had to be dehydrated. When we reached the tent, I lay down on the cot and was hooked up to an IV. Three bags of IV and two hours later, I was ready to go-but very slowly. I felt bad. My question was, what happened? I had been taking plenty of fluids and drinking some occasional Poweraid (which I do not like). 

            I asked a lot of people who had a lot of answers, but nothing that fit the bill. In the July 2, 2001 issue of VeloNews there is an article, "FLUID DYNAMICS", written by Jim Lehman, and I think that I found the answer to my mystery, SALT!!! That's right. From what I read in the article, I had depleted the salt in my system with my profuse sweating. I have known that my sodium ions and chlorine ions (in other words, my salt) were a little low from the blood work that I have had done in the past. All of these years I have taken to heart the "scientific studies" that indicate Americans have too much salt in their diets. The reason given is that most processed foods have salt added to them, so you don't need to put additional salt on your food. So, for years I have not salted my food, like a good boy scout. That may be fine for most sedentary people, but I found out the hard way that it may not be for us sweat hogs. 

            The article states that "sodium is an electrolyte that is necessary for water balance, cellular metabolism and muscular contractions. It draws water through permeable membranes and distributes fluid throughout the body. When your body loses sodium through sweat, it also loses some of its ability to move water across these membranes. This will eventually lead to dehydration-even if you are drinking plenty of water. I learned a new term in the article, "hyponatremia" or water intoxication. Yeah, too much water can be a bad thing!  I doubt that most occasional riders need to worry about this situation, since it is mainly seen in ultra-distance events. However,
if you are a sweat hog and are planning to ride Hotter 'N Hell 100 on a 100+ degree day, it is certainly something worth considering. Mr. Lehman recommends that athletes competing at a high level "should take about a gram of sodium each hour. Most sports drinks only have 100-200mg of sodium per serving, so you will need to supplement these with sodium-rich foods." He does not recommend salt tablets though, for it is too easy to get too much salt. Personally, what I have started doing is adding salt to my food and sometimes even taking a little salt before I ride. I am drinking less water on my rides and am feeling less thirsty at the same time.  If you think that you have a problem with salt depletion during exercise, I suggest that you get a copy of the article, see your family physician and let him read it. 

            When I have had a blood test, no one came running out of the lab saying "Man, you are low on salt!" Who knows, maybe I have some other problem, but a moderate increase of my intake of salt has helped me. As far as sodium rich foods go, I guess that I need to get a book and find out what they are.