August 2018
Paul Nichols Passed Away on July 11, 2018
  Paul was a PMBC ride leader/organizer and PMBC Board member for several years. By Scott Barvian
August 18 Saturday Cycling Report
  Lucky 7's Splintered Pack. By Ken St.John
August 11 Saturday Cycling Report
  Anticipated Tire Troubles. By Ken St.John
August 4 Saturday Cycling Report
  Third Week in a Row of Climbing Hills in Mid-Summer Heat. By Ken St.John
July 28 Saturday Cycling Report
  Some Real Summer Heat on St. Francis Loop. By Ken St.John

Paul Nichols Passed Away on July 11, 2018
Paul was a PMBC ride leader/organizer and PMBC Board member for several years.
Added August 26, 2018
submitted by Scott Barvian

Word has been received that Paul Nichols passed away on July 11. Paul and his wife Jane Larson led PMBC's four-day "J&P Tour" for 13 years. They also led the old Sunday Kokopedalli rides in Scottsdale, were organizers for the Casa Grande Century and served on the PMBC board, with Paul as VP for several years. According to Jane, "Paul and I met on a Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club weekly ride and married in 2005." and "A memorial service will be held Oct. 12 at the National Veterans Cemetery of Arizona."

Jane Larson and Paul Nichols (click photo for larger image)

August 18 Saturday Cycling Report
Lucky 7's Splintered Pack
Added August 19, 2018
written by Ken St.John

Hello Saturday Cyclists!

The forty-four cyclists on today's ride quickly splintered into many smaller packs thanks to disruptive traffic lights and the fact that there were 3 distance options. Even though it was a flat route, the 47-mile extra-long version proved challenging due to the heat alone.

I'll be unavailable for ride leading the next two Saturdays. Kathy will send you on your way to the club meeting and breakfast on the 25th. The following week, Mike Kirk will be there for the first 7:00 a.m. September start time.

Remember that We-Cycle-USA will be at the Hungry Monk next Saturday with a recycle barrel to accept your donations of used bike parts, tires, tubes or tools, anything that might help them refurbish used bikes that they will provide to kids and adults in need.

Coming up...

Saturday, 08/25/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Chandler-Pecos East
We're returning to the Hungry Monk for our Quarterly Membership Meeting, and a small change to this route will get us there. Breakfast is free for members; two free breakfasts are included in a family membership. Sign-in begins at 8:00 and the meeting starts at 8:45. The extra-long route sails east on Chandler Blvd all the way from Rural to Power, returning by way of Pecos. Distance options are 28, 34 and 42 miles; the shorter routes simply head over to Pecos a little earlier. Breakfast is at The Hungry Monk on the north side of Chandler Blvd, just east of Dobson. Sunrise: 5:58

Saturday, 09/01/18 7:00 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Mummy Mountain
A 40-mile loop with lots of climbing, or 31 miles with a couple of moderate climbs, takes us north into Scottsdale and around Mummy Mountain. Breakfast stop at Panera Bread, McClintock and Guadalupe. Sunrise: 6:02

Monday Labor Day Ride, 09/03/18 7:00 a.m., Panera Bread in Gilbert
Meet at Panera Bread at southwest corner of SanTan Village Parkway (Greenfield) and Williams Field Rd. (Chandler Blvd.) Ride start time is 7 am. The ride will take us north into Mesa with some climbing on the long route at Las Sendas. We'll then loop back to Panera Bread for breakfast. The long route will be 45 miles with climbing in Las Sendas. The short route is 33 miles with no climbing. Maps will be provided by the ride leader, Bob Litchfield.

Saturday, 09/08/18 7:00 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Chandler/Gilbert Bronze
Gilbert and Chandler are each Bronze level bicycle friendly communities. We'll ride through both communities with route options of 25 or 35 miles. Breakfast at AZ Bread Co. at the SE corner of Kyrene and Elliot. Sunrise: 6:07

Tid Bits...

Here is a link to the results of the Saturday Cycling Survey.

I've sorted the routes by the number of people who called it a favorite, in descending order. Here are a few more of my observations:

• The top 3 favorites also had a cumulative 11 votes to get rid of them
• Most of the less-favorite routes got zero votes for elimination
• For distance, start time and hilliness, over 75% like it how it is
• About 25% would like more variety in the breakfast stops
• It looks like we will continue to avoid South Mountain during the summer months (May-Aug), but it was close
• A few routes have specific safety concerns
• New routes would help keep things interesting
• Looking at the general comments, I'm pretty sure President Janet filled out the survey on Aug 12

The next two PMBC social events have been scheduled. The Chili Cookoff will be November 3 at 3pm, and the Holiday Party will be at 5pm on December 8. Detailed information will hit the web site soon.

I was informed that I had been advertising the wrong date for the Amtrak Century. Turns out it is Saturday Sept 15; a week later than I had previously written. Then again, if you haven't already registered, it may be too late.

Events

• Amtrak Century – Saturday, Sep 15
• Tour de Fat – Saturday Oct 6, Tempe Town Lake
• Tour de Scottsdale – Sunday, Oct 7
• Arizona Bicycle Classic Fall Edition – Saturday, Oct 20
• PMBC Chili Cookoff – Saturday, Nov 03, 3pm
• El Tour de Tucson – Saturday, Nov 17
• PMBC Free Ride – Saturday, Dec 1
• PMBC Holiday Party – Saturday, Dec 8, 5pm
• Casa Grande Century – Sunday, Jan 13

Have fun and ride safely.

August 11 Saturday Cycling Report
Anticipated Tire Troubles
Added August 15, 2018
written by Ken St.John

Hello Saturday Cyclists!

We anticipated tire troubles from the road rubble dropped by storms. I know of 4 flats among the 40 cyclists on a long flat route. I don't think any of them could be attributed to the weather debris, but we got the results that we anticipated and that's the important thing.

Coming up...

Saturday, 08/18/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Lucky 7's
The Lucky 7's route loops clockwise to the south, through the Wild Horse Pass casino/resort area and parts of Ahwatukee. The name plays off the mileage options of 27, 37 and 47 miles, plus the 2 casinos along the way. Breakfast is at AZ Bread Co at Kyrene and Elliot. Sunrise: 5:53

Saturday, 08/25/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Chandler-Pecos East
We're returning to the Hungry Monk for our Quarterly Membership Meeting, and a small change to this route will get us there. Breakfast is free for members; two free breakfasts are included in a family membership. Sign-in begins at 8:00 and the meeting starts at 8:45. The extra-long route sails east on Chandler Blvd all the way from Rural to Power, returning by way of Pecos. Distance options are 28, 34 and 42 miles; the shorter routes simply head over to Pecos a little earlier. Breakfast is at The Hungry Monk on the north side of Chandler Blvd, just east of Dobson. Sunrise: 5:58

Saturday, 09/01/18 7:00 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Mummy Mountain
A 40-mile loop with lots of climbing, or 31 miles with a couple of moderate climbs, takes us north into Scottsdale and around Mummy Mountain. Breakfast stop at Panera Bread, McClintock and Guadalupe. Sunrise: 6:02

Monday Labor Day Ride, 09/03/18
Ride Leader Bob has a plan. Details next week.

Tid Bits...

Survey Data Preview
I'm going to keep the survey open another week. Here's the lingering link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VB3F6KT.

In the next ride report, I will include a link to the on-line report the monkey-app allows me to share with you. Here is some of what I see so far:

• Mummy Mountain is still the most favorite
• We need to take a hard look at Tour de Sue and South Mountain
• The question about start times was amiss. However, helpful comments are tempting me to move the June/July start time to 6am.
• It was suggested by one that we should alternate between hills and flats as a rule. I'm thinking it's a good idea. It could mean that the breakfast location is less predictable.

Events

• Amtrak Century – Saturday, Sep 15
• Tour de Fat – Saturday Oct 6, Tempe Town Lake
• Tour de Scottsdale – Sunday, Oct 7
• Arizona Bicycle Classic Fall Edition – Saturday, Oct 20
• El Tour de Tucson – Saturday, Nov 17
• PMBC Free Ride – Saturday, Dec 1
• Casa Grande Century – Sunday, Jan 13

Have fun and ride safely.

August 4 Saturday Cycling Report
Third Week in a Row of Climbing Hills in Mid-Summer Heat
Added August 8, 2018
written by Ken St.John

Hello Saturday Cyclists!

We had 37 cyclists show up for the third week in a row of climbing hills in mid-summer heat. Now we're looking at 3 weeks of flat routes for the remainder of August; the last one being our quarterly membership meeting.

The Saturday Cycling Survey is quick, easy, and oh-so-much fun. Please share your insights by following this link.

Coming up...

Saturday, 08/11/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Length of Lindsay
The Length of Lindsay takes us to the east, with route options of 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Panera Bread on the SE corner of Guadalupe and McClintock. Sunrise: 5:48

Saturday, 08/18/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Lucky 7's
The Lucky 7's route loops clockwise to the south, through the Wild Horse Pass casino/resort area and parts of Ahwatukee. The name plays off the mileage options of 27, 37 and 47 miles, plus the 2 casinos along the way. Breakfast is at AZ Bread Co at Kyrene and Elliot. Sunrise: 5:53

Saturday, 08/25/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Chandler-Pecos East
We're returning to the Hungry Monk for our Quarterly Membership Meeting, and a small change to this route will get us there. Breakfast is free for members; two free breakfasts are included in a family membership. Sign-in begins at 8:00 and the meeting starts at 8:45. The extra-long route sails east on Chandler Blvd all the way from Rural to Power, returning by way of Pecos. Distance options are 28, 34 and 42 miles; the shorter routes simply head over to Pecos a little earlier. Breakfast is at The Hungry Monk on the north side of Chandler Blvd, just east of Dobson. Sunrise: 5:58

Tid Bits...

The distribution list I first imported to MailChimp for this report was 587 people large. It made me feel very influential, to have my opinions, ideas and goofy jokes go out to a focused audience of 587 East Valley cyclists. My first dose of humility came when I learned that Global Bikes, in the same region, distributes to well over 10,000 cyclists. Then MailChimp started to show me more information. For example, the convenient little unsubscribe button resulted in a quick drop to 550 recipients. And it tells me that only 33% at best actually open the report; if I procrastinate past Wednesday it drops below 25%. That means on a good week 181 people might actually read it. Still a decent number, but a little humbling. Marketing experts say a 33% open rate is a great number, but then I'm not trying to sell anything.

MailChimp also tells me who opens them, and what links got clicked on, which I never bothered to snoop into. Today though I did happen to notice that 22 people clicked on the survey link from last week. The odd thing is that Survey Monkey says only 14 have answered the questions. I wonder what happened to the other eight? Either way, it's a very small number compared to the 176 who opened the email. I'd really like to see at least 50 surveys completed. I don't think that's expecting too much; there are only 6 questions. Here again is the link, thank you in advance.

Events

• Amtrak Century – Saturday, Sep 15
• Tour de Fat – Saturday Oct 6, Tempe Town Lake
• Tour de Scottsdale – Sunday, Oct 7
• Arizona Bicycle Classic Fall Edition – Saturday, Oct 20
• El Tour de Tucson – Saturday, Nov 17
• PMBC Free Ride – Saturday, Dec 1
• Casa Grande Century – Sunday, Jan 13

Have fun and ride safely.

July 28 Saturday Cycling Report
Some Real Summer Heat on St. Francis Loop
Added August 5, 2018
written by Ken St.John

Hello Saturday Cyclists!

Thirty-five cyclists were blessed with a thick-enough cloud cover at the start of the ride to take the edge off a hot, humid morning. Naturally, it did not last, and since all the hills were in the later part of the long route, many of us got to suffer some real summer heat. As usual, we didn't let a little adversity stop us from having a good time. In my case, after being delayed by a flat tire repair, a little shortcut helped. I learned from the master.

Coming up...

Saturday, 08/04/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Foothills Training Ride
Ride with us on a loop through the Ahwatukee Foothills with options of 25 miles with a couple of gentle climbs, or 38 miles that will take you up 5 bigger hills. If you follow the spaghetti-bowl long-route map, you will have gone up and down all 5 approaches with no repeats and no U-turns. Breakfast at AZ Bread Co. on the SE corner of Kyrene and Elliot. Sunrise: 5:43

Saturday, 08/11/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Length of Lindsay
The Length of Lindsay takes us to the east, with route options of 29 miles or 39 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Panera Bread on the SE corner of Guadalupe and McClintock. Sunrise: 5:48

Saturday, 08/18/18 6:30 a.m., Kiwanis Park. Lucky 7's
The Lucky 7's route loops clockwise to the south, through the Wild Horse Pass casino/resort area and parts of Ahwatukee. The name plays off the mileage options of 27, 37 and 47 miles, plus the 2 casinos along the way. Breakfast is at AZ Bread Co at Kyrene and Elliot. Sunrise: 5:53

Tid Bits...

Some of you may remember back in December of 2012, after my first 1/2 year as Saturday Cycling ride leader, I conducted a survey to get your feedback on how things were going, and to find out which routes were the favorites and which were not. As a result, we made a minor adjustment to our start times, removed one route from the rotation, and revised a few maps to provide a third extra-long distance option. See the January 12, 2013 ride report in the archives for details.

Since then we've also added three new routes and retired two that had to go when the new freeway construction started on Pecos. I think it's time to do another survey. It has the same 5 questions plus one new inquiry regarding South Mountain and more space for helpful comments. Please take a minute or two to let me know what you think.

Be sure to congratulate ride leader Jerry and his wife Rita on their 50th wedding anniversary the next time you see them!

Events

• Amtrak Century – Saturday, Sep 15
• Tour de Fat – Saturday Oct 6, Tempe Town Lake
• Tour de Scottsdale – Sunday, Oct 7
• Arizona Bicycle Classic Fall Edition – Saturday, Oct 20
• El Tour de Tucson – Saturday, Nov 17
• PMBC Free Ride – Saturday, Dec 1
• Casa Grande Century – Sunday, Jan 13

Have fun and ride safely.

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