Bicycle Tours—Fellowship, Fitness and Fun
    by Gary Lesniewski

The bicycle touring season is upon us which is great news for those who have learned to enjoy them. Although I am still a relatively inexperienced rider, tours have become an important of my cycling season. Why? Well, as the title of this article suggests, it’s for fellowship, fitness and FUN!

Tours comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most tours are single-day events although some in Texas are two-day, three-day, week-long or even longer rides. The distance of one-day events generally ranges from 10 miles up to 100 miles (a “century”). There’s literally something for everyone!

The state of Texas is teeming with tours, many of which overlap so there can be options to choose from on a particular weekend. The first tour of the season is right here in East Texas sponsored by our friends from the Longview Bicycle Club: Freeze Your Fanny set for February 2nd. The tour season generally ends in late November although a few rides are held later than that.

FELLOWSHIP
If you have become weary of all those long, lonely training rides a bike tour is a great way to have fellowship with dozens, hundreds or even thousands of other riders. It’s easy to hook up with a few riders or even a dozen as they wing their way down highways and country roads sharing conversation along the way. 

There is a special feeling that comes with riding with others who share your passion. I have found cyclists to be among the friendliest people out there. If you’re a sanguine personality, bike tours are for YOU!

FITNESS
I have found that tours provide a real reason for serious training. While cycling a 27-mile training ride is great for my health, the prospects of riding 100 miles in 100-degree weather (see Hotter Than Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls) prompts me to work harder knowing I will be tested to my limits.

I find that an impending tour brings out the best of my training regimen. 

I need that challenge to pushing myself farther. I will be doing my first multi-day tour (North Texas Ride For The Family) in March. I’ll need to work hard to be able to cover 200 miles in three days. The rewards of hard work are a better level of fitness that affects other areas of my life positively.

FUN
I rode my first two tours in the Fall of 2000 basically alone. I was scared to death I wouldn’t complete the rides and so I set my face like a flint for the finish. In the Spring of last year I began to see how much fun tours were. During the Tour De Flowers in Corsicana I rode in my first “pace line”—this one a group of 20 riders flying along the highway at 20 miles per hour. What a rush! The combined efforts of all of us riders allowed me to go faster than I ever could have alone. I stayed with them for about 20 miles before I wore out. But in subsequent tours (I did 11 last year) I always looked for a pace line to join.

I have also found tour rest stops to be manned by some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Most seem to want to genuinely help the rider rest and recover a bit for the push to the finish. Many tours feature thematic rest stops (in Lufkin you could win a prize spinning a roulette wheel!). Some have competition between personnel at rest stops to outdo each other with the riders benefiting the most. Most tours also have a post-ride meal where participants can relive the event sometimes with digital photographs flashing on a screen. 

We are fortunate in Tyler to have one of the premiere tours of the year in the Beauty and the Beast. It has a reputation for super scenery and challenging hills. Many of the East Texas tours are among the best in the state.

Our club web site and texasbikerides.com have lists of tours in Texas. 

There’s no doubt that bicycle tours helped me be a better rider last year and I plan to see the same thing happens again this year. Can’t beat the fellowship, fitness and fun that come from tours. And don’t forget to take along a disposable camera!

Membership Geek Sounds Off
    By Bob Hebb

During my brief time as the TBC membership chairman, I have taken the opportunity to talk to former members and bicycle riders who have never been members about joining the club. One of the responses I often get is that “I don’t get any benefit from being a club member”. Maybe some current members feel the same, as many have not renewed their membership for this year. I have always believed that perception is reality, but I honestly think I get a lot of benefits from being a member of TBC. 

Some of the obvious things the club does are sponsor weekly club rides, time trials, and the Beauty and the Beast Bike Tour. These are popular events that both club members and non-club members enjoy. Sure, the weekly rides may continue for a short time without club sponsorship, but not long. The time trials and Beauty and the Beast would not happen.

The club does a lot of other things that all bicycle riders benefit from. Tex DOT does not sweep the shoulders of highway 69 routinely; someone asks them to do it. Guess who. Speaking of the shoulders on highway 69, TBC convinced Tex DOT not to completely cover them with the torturous tar and boulder coating they are using now. You may not appreciate that but certain of your body parts do.

TBC is a member of the Texas Bicycle Coalition. Those are the guys who successfully lobbied against you having to wear an orange triangle road sign on your back while riding around Lake Tyler. They were the force behind getting the Matthew Brown Act passed. If you are a bicycle rider, you have to appreciate the Texas Bicycle Coalition. 

The last thing I’m going to mention is the TBC website. Have you checked it out yet? If not, you are one of few. It has 22,000 hits on it and everything you want or need to know about bicycling in this area. Just visit www.tylerbicycleclub.com.

I have thick skin so I’m going to continue to try to get bicycle riders to join the club. I’ll talk to them at club sponsored rides, club sponsored time trials, club picnics and club Christmas parties. Maybe I can convince them that TBC has something to offer.

PREZZ SEZZ 
     By Eric Williams

With the temperature dipping down to 20 degrees last night, it is hard to believe that spring is just around the corner, but the calendar says that it is. Of course, that means it's almost time to hit the road again, and Beauty and the Beast can't be too far away. I know that it gets to be old hat, but once again, we need to address the issue of bicycle safety.

Last month, Chris Slatten, President of the Shreveport Bicycle Club, was gracious in sharing with us the dogged determination of SBC in actually doing something about the death of Clyde Tarrant and not in just sitting around griping about it. If you didn't read the article, please do so, because it could have been a story about you or me. The thought of one of our members being killed on the road bothers me very much, but common sense tells me that it is only a matter of time before it happens. 

However, I believe that we, as a club, must take the responsibility to insure the safety of all cyclists on our streets and highways. So, how do we achieve that goal? If we are to be taken seriously, we must ride defensively and , also, to obey the traffic laws. The Matthew Brown Act had a provision that would have given greater protection to road cyclists but had to be removed because “cyclists don’t obey the laws that they already have.”

The second area of our responsibility is in getting our local governmental agencies on our side in this issue. That is what SBC is doing and so must we. Do you have a complaint? Do you have a suggestion? Well, it just so happens that our guest speaker for the March meeting is Dale Booth, the bicycle coordinator for TexDOT, Tyler District. Dale is going to be talking about TexDOT’s short range and long range plans. Dale is a cyclist himself and understands our concerns, so, it is your chance to come and let your voice be heard. Smith County had a population of 97,096 in 1970;
in 2000 it was 174,706. It is easy to see that as we continue to grow, so will the car traffic on the roads that we love to ride. Does someone have to die before we start taking this issue seriously?  See you at the club meeting.

HEBB HOLDS FORTH AT NORBA RACE (Actually it was 3rd)

Bob Hebb began his off road racing career with success. During an interview after the event Bob noted:
“I took third in the 50-99 beginners. There were 8 people in our class and I believe 3 of them were 99 years old. I did beat all three of them”. 

Good work, Bob! Keep it up!  Spike Says: “Attaboy, Bob”.. GGGGRRRRRRR………..

 EDITORIAL
R.H.I.P.R.H.I.R.

Recently While observing on-the-road behavior of some cyclists, this old military axiom came to mind . R.H.I.P.R.H.I.R. (Rank Has It’s Privileges & Rank Has It’s Responsibilities) is not only a military saying but is also a truism that applies in all walks of life. You may be thinking, “Hey, what’s this have to do with bicycling?”

As bicyclists, taxpayers and, in general, solid citizens we expect the total support of our government entities. I mean, when that 69 south shoulder needs sweeping, we call TexDOT. And they get out there and sweep that trashy, glass and gravel infested shoulder. Right? RIGHT! When time comes for our Beauty and the Beast Tour we ask for (and expect) special traffic control assistance from the local enforcement agencies. And by gum they better deliver and at no additional charge. Right? RIGHT! 

The privilege of using (as cyclists and motorists) our fine, well maintained, streets, roads and highways is enjoyed without much thought as to what it takes to design, construct, patrol, and maintain this magnificent transportation infrastructure. 

The other side of the (privilege) coin is RESPONSIBILITY. Yep, every privilege has a corresponding responsibility.Responsibility? Hey, I pay my taxes, vote, obey the speed limits, pay for proper insurance and on and on…correct, all this is being responsible. 

While bicycling and enjoying use of our road and highway transportation facilities, do not destroy cyclist credibility by say…blithely stroking through that red signal light at say…the intersection of 69 and FM 344.

We cyclists (by Texas law) have the privilege of using the public roads and highways -- let us do it in a responsible (and safe) manner.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Bullard Volunteer Fire Department will be having their fund raiser on April 6th. They will sell hamburgers, and other goodies from 11 AM to 6 PM. 

These firemen give life to one of our Beauty and the Beast Rest Stops. If you are in their neighborhood, please, stop by and thank them. 

Recruitment of volunteers for Beauty and the Beast is in high gear. We need people to flag along the routes. We also need drivers for the small U-Haul trucks that will bring the supplies to the rest stops AND volunteers for the start-finish area at UTT will be welcomed! 

If you were a flagger last year and would like to help again, give me a call. Your experience counts! Thanks. Galén 509-2603 or ericgalen@msn.com 

IN MEMORIAM CHARLCIE LYNN WILLINGHAM
     Sept. 26, 1948-Feb. 15, 2002

Our sincere sympathy to Butch Willingham and his family in the loss of his sweet, talented wife, Charlcie. Her presence and kind and loving manner will be greatly missed by all.

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 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.

Wednesday Nite Rides for Mt. Bikes: Meet at Tanner’s Bikes at 5:00 PM or Tyler State Park/Blackjack campground at 6:00PM.