SPIKE SAYS:
NEXT RUDE DOG TIME TRIAL-JUNE 7, 6:30 AT SANDY BEACH. 
BE THERE OR GRRRRR!!

Beauty & Beast 2001
By David Starrett 
       In my last article I said that 2001 could be our finest hour. Thanks to all the volunteers I believe that it was one of our best tours. We had 511 paid riders and 43 in the Kids Race for a total of 554 riders. That is 239 more than we had last year. After the ride we received many compliments and only a couple of suggestions.
       Now, for all the thanks: I would like to thank Terry and Mac from UT Tyler, which I think is the best start/finish facility of any tour anywhere,
       period. Shower facilities, beautiful eating area, superb parking, and great location outside the loop make this an excellent location for B&B.
     I cannot thank the B & B committee enough for all the hard work and the endless meetings. Also, for the volunteers - did you guys and gals ever come through or what? 
     The Beauty and the Beast would not have been possible without our sponsors. If you have a chance please thank them. The sponsors are ETMC, Southside Bank, Music Mountain Spring Water, PowerAide, Brookshire’s, Southwest Foods Tasty Bakery, Classic Toyota, Tanner Bikes, Wilson-Cornelius Law Firm, Lynn Acker, Simpson’s Adventure Sports, DPX, TXU, Hibbs Hallmark, Keith Miller, Tom Sorrels Insurance, Jim’s Jewelers, La Quinta Hotel and Hujsak Bicycles. 
     We had great rest stops providers this year. They were TXU, Honey B Ham and Youth With a Mission (YWAM) Bike International, Mixon Community Group, and the Bullard Fire Department. Simpson’s Adventure Sports and Tanner Bikes provided roadside support. The Tyler Amateur Radio Club helped again this year with sag support and communications. 
     But, not all ran as smoothly behind the scenes as they may have appeared. Two group of volunteers did not show up. Black Eyed Pea had
committed to do the Sandy Beach rest stop and bring banana pudding and Target had committed several volunteers to flag at intersections for us and both were no shows. Thanks to you guys and girls that jumped in to put out the fire (you know who you are). You made a potential problem invisible to the participates. 
     The switch to Bar B Q for the post-ride meal turned out really well and was a big hit with riders. Hickory Fare told me that several cars came by
their café and ordered BBQ to go. 
     When the riders came into UTT’s student center after the ride, Tal and I were there to greet them. Most of them told us how much fun they had
on the ride and they thanked us for such a great ride. They said it was one of the best-organized rides from registration, to flaggers, to rest stops, to police support and to road markings they have seen. Obviously, I was proud of each and every person that jumped in and made it possible. 
      The Kids Race was a bigger success than we anticipated. We had about 43 kids show up and they had a blast. All of the kids got a t-shirt and 5 of them walked away with a free bike. Those 5 kids were the happiest people on campus!! Greg Tanner sponsored and ran the race and said that he had several parents either tell him after the race or else call him at his shop to thank him for such a great event for the kids. They are looking forward to next year. Can you say Tradition? 
     We have a few minor adjustments to make for next year, but all in all it was a great tour. If you have any suggestions just let me know, we want the Beauty and the Beast to be known at the best tour in Texas, and thanks to all of you, we are well on our way. 
 

PREZZ SEZZ
By Galén Williams 
     The newsletter is late this month because we were waiting on a report from Beauty and the Beast.  What we did not know was  that we were also going to be announcing the death of our dear friend and companion, Dick Long.  Dick died on Friday, April 27, the day before the tour.  What a weekend!  We will miss Dick.
     First, I thank God for his faithfulness. He was there all the time for all of us. Second, I thank Dave Starrett, Ride Director. He volunteered to be the head and take the heat in the middle of the income tax season and his own work responsibilities. He did an awesome job of making sure everyone in the committee was focused. Not only that, he was a great trouble shooter. He was everywhere, and he went above and beyond his duties. To him our most sincere appreciation. 
      In an event of this size there is always room for the unexpected and Dave was able to juggle a few of those unforeseen surprises. Thanks to Greg Tanner for having sponsored the Kids Race and helping us give the children an opportunity to take part in Beauty and the Beast. They were the life on campus! Thanks are extended to Tanner Bikes, Walmart, and Target for the 5 bikes given away at the race and making 5 kids very happy.
     The Tyler Police Department, Precinct 2 Constable’s Office, the Smith County Sheriff Department, and the UT Tyler Police Department were there again this year, and we thank them for the safety of all cyclists. My hat goes off to all the volunteers. We are proud of you. You were the best! I have to mention, also, those angels in disguise who were there to assist when we most needed you. Our gratitude to all.
     For me, personally, it was an awesome sight to be standing at the 4-way stop with a flag in my hand and looking back toward DPS hill to see all those cyclist coming toward me. It gave me chicken skin (I think you call them “goose bumps”). Also, I wish you could have seen Kevin Legere from Simpson’s pull up to the Troup rest stop and fix a girl’s back derailleur that I thought was toast.
     Good news! Honey B Ham, YWAM, Bullard Fire Department, the Mixon Community and TXU are willing to be part of B&B again next year. Let there be more sponsors, too! Thank you all for your trust and support.
     As I think about words to close this message I can’t make up my mind which sounds better: Let A do it, Let B do it, Let C do it, Let D do it, Let TBC do it or Let us all do it. It works better when we all do it. Looking forward to next year. Until then, let’s go ride and enjoy the weather.

FLASH!  NO MORE GNARLEY DOG TIME TRIALS FOR 2000-2001 SEASON DUE TO THE TRAIL PROBLEMS.  AWARDS WILL BE GIVEN AT CLUB PICNIC BASED ON RESULTS FROM THE 3 COMPLETED TIME TRIALS.  SEE YOU IN THE FALL FOR THE NEXT SERIES.

Club News:

CLUB PICNIC, JULY 8, 2001, TYLER STATE PARK
     We have secured permission from Tyler State Park  to have our family club picnic there on Sunday, July 8, 2001.  We will use the same location as last year, which is known as the "amphitheatre". 
     We will start at 1:00 p m, and as always, ask those attending to bring a covered dish or other food item (chips and dips).  The club will furnish burgers and dogs, and drinks.    Mark your calendars!!
 

RICHARD R. LONG, 1924-2001
     Funeral services for Retired Major Richard R. Long, USAF, 76, of Tyler were held on Monday, April 30, at Jackson’s Burks-Walker-Tippit Chapel with Dr. Darryle Dunks officiating.  Burial followed in Memory Park Cemetery in Longview.  Dick “became involved with cycling late in his life, but it was his passion, and led him to many of his closest friendships. Even into his early 70s, he was an inspiration and a tough competitor to   cyclists many years his junior.  As a member of the Tyler Bicycle Club, he was instrumental in the organization of many local and regional cycling events.”
     Four of the six pallbearers were TBC members, and Tyler Bicycle Club was named as an  honorary pallbearer.  Dick’s TBC jersey went into the grave with him.
 

THE ADVENTURES OF POKEY AND DAISY:
     The trek to the annual Corsicana Tour de Flowers began in a fog at 5:00 am. I'm not sure who was sleepier, but we really did drive through some real fog on the way.  A brief "strategy" meeting was held at Braum's in Athens.  Gary had checked out the entire route, rest stops, topography and all.  The decision to ride past 20 miles (my usual) came around 8.5 miles at the first rest stop.  Gary and Galen thought I should try the 40 mile route, since it was flat terrain.  I agreed, silly me, thinking it was really just 40 miles.
      Besides, I needed to be pulled out of my comfort zone, right?   So off we went to Corsicana, plan in place.
      Registration and packet pickup was smooth and easy and the crowd began to gather at the starting line awaiting the gun.  8:00 am sharp the gun was sounded, and it looked like a bag of Skittles had been opened and "poured" out onto the road.  Little did we know those were our flowers!  We clipped along at a fairly respectable pace (especially for Pokey here). We kept passing the same Branstetter on the side of the road....  Tire trouble, but it was good to visit with him so many times!  Of course, we checked out all of the rest stops, and thanked the volunteers for their support.   We plugged the upcoming Beauty and The Beast at every opportunity.   The bridges across the reservoir were nice, and the wind wasn't too bad (I was learning the value of drafting today).  We got to the rest stop at  HWY 287 heading back for the finish line.  (Uh-Oh...there goes Dave Starrett  "hammering" past us!!).  I made the comment we only had about five miles to go.  A very nice gentleman whipped out his route guide and laughingly informed us we really had around 10 miles, but not to worry the road was flat and smooth. SMOOTH??? Where was he from?  I learned how bad and rough chip coat can really be. (Thank you TBC board and members for negotiating with TXDOT for smoother shoulders).  We were trying to find a smooth spot to ride and we got to bouncing and shaking so much we couldn't talk! Galen pointed out that her bar tape was shaking off of her handlebars.  A few minutes later she started laughing and said the road had shaken her headband down around her eyes!!  We made another stop for an adjustment so she could see where we were going! (I'm still testing the drafting theory).   We kept looking for all the flowers, Galen decided they must have rotted from the rain.  She was really wanting to see bluebonnets....maybe next year.   We made it to the home stretch into the park.  Galen even let me "beat" her across the finish line. There stood a very small, but loyal group of supporters.  I think they were really waiting to see if we both rode in or if one of us had to take the ETMC "courtesy shuttle" back!!  Galen was still looking "fresh as a Daisy" and could have ridden twice as fast and twice as far. Thanks guys for making sure we were back in one piece.  As we were pulling back up onto I-45 I pointed out about a half dozen or so bluebonnets biding us farewell.  There really were flowers!  The ride back was full of laughter, stories of rides past and information on riding.  Thanks Galen for your support and encouragement.
     Here's to wind in 'yer face and miles behind you!!
-----Lori Pintsch
 

1st ANNUAL BEAUTY AND THE BEAST KIDS RACE
     It’s 5 a.m., and I am overlooking an empty parking lot, but the excitement is already building, because in a few hours thousands of people will be here for the 1st annual BEAUTY & THE BEAST KIDS RACE!!!. Well… maybe next year.
    It was 5 a.m., the parking lot was empty, and I was excited. We didn’t know what to expect, as far as turn out goes, but we had our fingers crossed. The kids started arriving around 7:30, and they were pumped and ready. They checked out the bikes that were being given away as prizes, and all were fitted with “I survived the kids race” t-shirts. Most worked their way to the bicycle freestyle show that was going on in the middle of the parking lot. As our registration ended we had around 42 kids that were ready to give it all they had. We broke the ages down to age groups of 5-6 yr olds, 7-8 yr olds, 9-10 yr olds, and then the big guns, the 11-12 yr olds.
     The course was set up at the east end of parking lot with the first two age groups running one lap, while the older kids ran two laps. The start had the kids going up our version of “the beast” then making a left, and they had a nice down hill roll to the finish. There was some serious racing going on with these kids, but what I enjoyed the most was the looks on the kid’s faces, all were smiling and having a great time. But as we all know you can’t have racing without falls and this was no exception. In the 11-12 age group it was neck and neck at the line, when the first place rider looked back to see a rider on his back tire. He made a lunge at the line and, whoops, slipped his pedal, went over his bars taking out his competition at the same time, but still holding on for the win. He picked himself up, brushed himself off and took his trophy! What an awesome finish to a great event.
     I just want to thank the parents who were there cheering everyone on and would like to give a special thanks to all who helped get this together this year. This is something that I hope we can grow every year, because the kids are our future; so, lets work with them and keep them on the right track. 

-----Greg Tanner

Greg helps winner take new cycle

Schedule of Events: 
(For calendar changes, see the TBC website at www.tylerbicycleclub.com)

     State Park Mountain Bike Rides meet at Tyler State Park on weekends at Tyler State Park/Blackjack campground, where the trail heads are located. Easy to challenging routes available. If you are a beginner, or do not want to ride by yourself, let us know by calling one of the officers, or by e-mailing to Topica.

     Saturday Breakfast Rides leave from Faulkner Park on Hwy 69 at 8:00 a.m.  Ride goes to Bullard (about 8 miles).  Everyone meets at Sherry’s for breakfast, then split up for longer rides

     B&B Rides leave from UT Tyler parking lot at 2:00 p.m. and include the tour routes for B&B.  Routes from 12-64 miles, with 40 miles the average ride.

     Tuesday Rides leave from Simpson’s Adventure Sports at 6:00 p.m. This is a fast training ride.  Be prepared—bring your own tools and know your own way home. Call 561-4810 for details.

     Wednesday Rides:   Roadies leave from Faulkner Park on Hwy 69 at 6 p.m.
     Dirties meet at Tyler State Park/Blackjack Campground at 8:00 a.m.

     Thursday Rides leave from the UTT campus at 6:00 p.m.  About 30 miles around Lake Tyler and back, at a moderate pace, with shade (& hills) much of the way.