Sunday, May 3rd, starting from Kent Lambert's home in Elkhorn.  Wheels out at 9:15 and the group will ride to Flowing Well near Whitewater. Expect a . 40 mile round trip. The address is W4714 Pebble Drive.  Kent's number is 262-210-1121.  

Tuesday & Thursday Group Rides

RRB Bikes in Lake Geneva, 6:00 PM Start time.  No route, no leader, just show up and ride.  We will start the formal rides on Cinco de Mayo.  Anyone up for a cold Corona after that first Tuesday ride?  

Inaugural Friday Night Cruise  

  This Friday, May 1st, we will kick off our cruiser ride series.  It is a casual ride on whatever bike you want.  The purpose is to get your body moving and socialize a bit.  We will meet in Lake Geneva at Flat Iron Park, do a casual ride for an hour and then patronize our new sponsor, Sprecher's Restaurant & Pub for dinner and/or drinks.  Flat Iron Park is on the lake and across from Sprecher's.  I think it would be great if we wore Treadfest or TreadHead shirts to Sprecher's as a subtle reminder that the THC does support local businesses that support us.  

  The following Friday, May 8th, we will take this same act on the road to Woodstock, IL (yes, we are Southeast Wisconsin & Northern Illinois' Premier Cycling Club- it says so on our webpage)  Any suggestions for the following Friday?  Burlington crushed limestone trails and Fred's for the Best Burgers after the ride?  

Race Results

I have a link to Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas with the Cat 3 General Classification standings after Saturday's road race.  You won't have to scroll too far before you see a recognizable name.   I'll be posting some updates later once the race has concluded.

Henrique Lowe, pictured above, competed in his first crit, The Fitchburg Fast & Furious.  Henrique had a much better day than dad, finishing the race ahead of the others in his age group.  Andy crashed out on the final lap and is banged up a bit.  Fortunately, he was not one of the two racers taken away in an ambulance.

Please, if you have race results, let me know.  Call me, text me, email me.... It's all good!  

Spring Social & History Lesson

  We had a great turnout at the Spring Social held at our TreadHeadCycling Sponsor and WORS handbook advertiser, Next Door Pub.  It was fun to see people off bikes and out of spandex.  And we had some new faces in our ranks as well.  

  The new kits look great!  It got me thinking about how this club has evolved.  It all started with a handful of people going for a little bike ride out of RRB and then adjourning to Cactus Club
(now Tuscan Tavern & Grill) for Fajitas merging with a handful of serious grass roots mountain bikers looking to partner with a bike shop.  Ray Nelson, Ryans Bankle and Fosnaugh, and Butch Welke were avid mountain bikers.  Returning home from a Madison swap meet, they stopped by Skinny's for dinner.  They decided to get serious about mountain biking and asked Skinny's owner, Chris Dahl, if he would be interested in sponsoring the team.  The team/club was to be called Skinny's Club Tread.  

Next, Don Thomas at RRB was solicited to contribute and a deal was made with Trek bikes.  Other sponsors were brought on board, more people joined the team/club and Tuesday & Thursday night rides became a regular feature.  You may still see some long time members in the blue and white Skinny's kits, or maybe a bright gold racing jersey from "back in the day".  From this small group, Treadfest was born in 2006.  That race has grown in popularity and seems to get better each year.  Many of the WORS racers list it as a favorite.  And that is what drives the club financially.  

  

  The group has grown in numbers and in purpose.  While no one knows for sure who first coined the term, TreadHeads, it now stands for TRAINING, RIDING, EDUCATION,ADVOCACY & DIVERSITY.  THC has donated to various school silent auctions and the YMCA fundraising event,  In addition to developing the WORS race trails at the Grand Geneva, members have had a hand in creating a host of local off road trails like those at Lake Geneva Canopy Tours and Silver Lake Park.  Butch Welke has been the heart and soul of those projects, and the riding around here the better for his presence.  

  We truly are a diverse cycling club.  Members ride road bikes, mountain bikes, fat bikes, bmx,cyclocross, cruisers, tandems....  We have a range from those just beginning and riding to get into shape to state and national champions and regular podium placers.  One TreadHead races professionally throughout the US and abroad.  Sometimes it seems the only thing we have in common is the bike.  And clearly that is enough.  

  Here's looking to a bright future for TREADHEADCYCLING and the local cycling scene.  

Things To Do

This is the time of year that if you are bored, it is your own fault.  There is something to do every weekend, and often you will be forced to choose.  

Here is a link to WCA, Wisconsin Cycling Association  You can find many of the road, cyclocross and track racing events around Wisconsin.  

Prefer to Do It In The Dirt- TREADHEADCYCLING is part of the WORS (Wisconsin Off-Road Series.  WORS kicks off the season in Iola with the annual Bump & Jump next weekend, May 3rd. 

Or if you are in the Illinois area, check out PAMBA .  

May 16th there is a local charity ride in Delavan.  More information can be found at Tour de Tech Fundraiser  Or feel like supporting the fight against diabetes?  Then the Madison Tour de Cure is for you.  

I have wanted to do this one for years.  Now is my opportunity.  The Gravel Metric Presented by Axletree is scheduled for May 26th.  This is a free event, but they hope you will spend some coin while you are in Dekalb IL.  It is a 60 plus mile gravel road ride.  Who is in with me?  Great for a cross bike.  

Blackhawk Country Roads Memorial Day Ride information and registration can be found here;  http://www.blackhawkbicycleclub.org/

IMPORTANT CHANGES

  TUESDAY & THURSDAY ROAD RIDES

The Tuesday and Thursday informal road rides will be starting from RRB at 6 PM to allow those TREADHEADS with real jobs or travel time to make the rides. Hope this is good news and we see you there.

THURSDAY NITE FAT BIKE

This Thursday, April 23rd, will be the final Thursday night fat bike ride.. BUT we will be continuing the fun via a Friday Night Cruiser Ride.  By cruiser ride, we mean nothing that goes fast! Fat bike, cruiser bike with three speed internal hub, single speed... I think you get my point. This is about riding a bike, socializing, have some food, some drink, some fresh air.....Stay tuned for the first event.  

THC SPRING SOCIAL 

Friday night, 5:30, Next Door Pub, Free pizza, beer and soda to members ($10 for non member guests)  Dues for the year are $25 for individuals and $40 for the family.  Bring a friend!  

THE FOLLOWING DAY

RIDE YOUR BIKE THEN

DIY BIKE WASH

Saturday, April 25^th

9:00 AM- 2 PM

RRB Lake Geneva

•  Coffee & Donuts, while they last!
•  Road ride at 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00.  We will be doing loops of Crabapple (We will have cue sheets for this route)
•  Mountain biking at Canopy Tours- meet at RRB first.  Same start times as road rides

Don Thomas of RRB is providing stands, brushes, buckets, polish, lube, etc. all you need to make your steed sparkle.  You provide the bike and elbow grease.  We can’t all wash at once, so we will be doing loops, returning to the shop to drop off or pick up riders. 

Stay tuned for updates and more info on TREAD THREAD.

RACE RESULTS

   And from Tour of The Battenkill....In perhaps the toughest race of his young career, Andy Schmidt used patience, teamwork and measured strategy to climb atop the podium at Tour of The Battenkill in New York this weekend.  Andy rode hard and steady, while team mate Simon Jones repeatedly attacked the field.  Andy would then follow the competitions' moves to keep Simon from getting away.  Once "softened" Andy saw the opportunity, and had the resources in the tank to create a gap from the others.  He and Simon came into the last turn and monopolized the good lines in order to prevent a last second inside attack.  

   Certainly winning such a difficult race over some amazing competition only enhances Andy's chances to take his show on the road to another continent.  Next weekend finds him racing in Arkansas at Joe Martin Stage Race http://www.joemartinstagerace.com/  This is a first time UCI race and will feature racers from all 50 states as well as 20 other countries.  Good luck Andy!  

Any other results to share, please let me know and I'll post them here.   

RIDES THIS WEEK

 Tuesday and Thursday night we have informal rides leaving RRB in Lake Geneva at 6:00 PM.  There is no predetermined route, no ride leader, just good people getting together to share a ride.  (My son turns 12 Tuesday, so we will be celebrating here with family.  Swing by and rub my nose in the fact that I am missing the ride. And NO, the pool is not open yet.)  

The Thursday Night Fat Bike Ride will start at 6:30 in Hebron, IL.  The plan is to ride for an hour and then adjourn to Hart's for food and drink.  This is the last event of the season.  The following week as I mentioned above, we will be replacing Thursday Night Fat Bike Ride for Friday Cruiser Ramble.  No special bike required, but if you show up covered in spandex with Zipp carbon racing wheels and aero bars, you may feel a bit misplaced.  If it rolls, ride it. Fat bike, Electra, Schwinn, Walgoose from Walmart,  hybrid, 1982 mountain bike, single speed, fixie.... whatever!  It is all good.  Just plan to be there.  It won't hurt your race prep for Saturday.   

We had a great group of ten for last Thursday's ride.  Let's keep racking up those spring time miles!

Keep the rubber side down,

Gary

Road ride, informal, from RRB in Lake Geneva, Thursday at 5:30.  Fat Bike Ride from Pedal & Cup in Springfield for a White River Trail Tour.  Dinner/drinks at Jackson's Hole post ride.  

SAVE THE DATE- DIY Bike Wash and Informal Ride on Saturday, April 25th.  Details to follow in the next TREAD THREAD.  

A great weekend to be a cyclist! Lots of folks out for a variety of biking fun.

RACE REPORT

  A few local racers, while racing under some other team colors are TREADHEADs at heart, had favorable results at the Spring Super Criterium 8 Saturday at Blackhawk Farms Raceway near Beloit.  

Andy Schmidt turned the circuit race into a time trial in the Juniors 15-18 category, riding off the front early on for a decisive win.  Next weekend, Andy will be representing the Hincapie Development squad in Tour of the Battenkill, America's Queen of Classics.   This 65 mile race is a selection race for top American juniors and will feature a very strong field.  Good luck Andy!  

Jack "Hammer" Spende placed 4th in the Juniors 9-14 category at Beloit.  Way to go Jack!  

Andy Lowe, racing for Psimet, was pleased to finish 19th out of the 50 who finished.  A horrific crash on the bell lap caused Chaos to Reign as King and had finishers navigating rescue crew and fans who had gone to a fallen rider in order to safely cross the finish line.  Here is wishing that unfortunate rider a speedy recovery.  

Andrea Pether seems to have won a race this weekend.  I am assuming that it was the Great Dane Race in Madison. Anyone want to shoot me the details and I'll update the THREAD?  

RIDING, NOT RACING

 With the first real spring weather, a host of riders were out in groups, pairs, and solo.  Ray Nelson and Jerrod Collier rode up from Woodstock to join a group at Starbucks for a loop around the lake.  Chris Schmidt, Ross Giese, Tara Trent, Dan Getzen, Mike ???, Bob Knutsen, and Gary Goebel were part of that party.  Thanks Jerrod for organizing the party.  And of course if you want to throw out an invite for an informal ride, please shoot me an email at rideguygary@gmail.com  I will be happy to post the information in the blog.

  Mike Bishop burned through two riding partners in his route to complete a century Saturday.  Andrea Pether partnered with Mike for the first leg, and his wife Jeanne finished the tour with him.  Great work!

  And Ross Adams and Greg Clausen took advantage of the warm temps to do their thing on the backroads of SE Wisconsin.  And Marc Klug managed to find his road bike, knock of the dust and rust and spin the legs for a bit.  Again, lots of opportunity to ride a bike around here.

This week the weather looks for be promising for some riding.  Tuesday night at 5:30 some TREADHEADs will be meeting at RRB for an informal group ride.  Steve Bappert and Gary Goebel have already committed.   Come join us.  Likewise, Thursday night will be another informal ride.  These informal rides have no ride leader or predetermined route.  We just show up, and ride accordingly.  In May, we will begin our more structured Tuesday/Thursday group rides, but don't feel you have to wait to come join us.

And stay tuned for updates of impromptu rides that maybe happening again  next weekend.  I apologize to anyone I might have missed.

ANOTHER WEEKEND FINDS BUTCH WORKING TRAILS

Butch Welke spent some time working on the off road trails at Silver Lake Park near Paddock Lake.  If you have the time and interest in trail work, please contact Butch, or post on the TREADHEAD FaceBook page to find out when the next trail building event is happening.

MISCELLANEOUS

  Orders for TREADHEAD kits have gone in.  You will receive an invoice for your order and will get notified when the kits come in. Please pay TREADHEADCYCLING when you pick up your order.  If you missed ordering this time around, we will have the 411 for subsequent orders soon.  

  Spring Social is Friday, April 24th starting at 5:30 at Next Door Pub.  Free beer, sodas and pizza for members, $10 for guests.  A membership is $25 annually for a single, $40 for a family.  Can't beat that, can you?  Please consider bring a friend, old or new, to meet some people very passionate about biking.  

Get Out & Ride,

Gary

262-903-9250

The Voice of TREADHEADCYCLING

411 for the Spring Social at Next Door Pub on FRIDAY, April 24th, starting at 5:30.  Beer, pizza and sodas are free with a paid membership in TREADHEADCYCLING.  Single membership is $25.00 and $40 for a family.  For the Social, we ask for $10 for non-members.  Bring friends, bring family, bring a great attitude.  This really is an excellent deal, price wise, and a super opportunity to better get to know some primo people. Hope to see you there!  

THURSDAY NITE FAT BIKE RIDES CANCELLED THIS WEEK DUE TO INCLIMATE WEATHER.  

We are still figuring this out, but I want to consistently post relevant cycling information with you all on a timely basis.  I will work to keep it current and fresh.  This is your blog, so let me know! 

Last Call for Sizing

Orders need to be into Chris Schmidt at schmidtmd07@gmail.com by the end of business on Friday, April 10th!  There is still a little time to stop by RRB to try on jerseys and short (bibs).  There are two different cuts of jersey, so see which one is a better fit for you.  Again, you are going to love the new color scheme.  The old was great, but what I personally like is a whole new take.  And of course we have some new sponsors on board and on our kits.  And one of those sponsors is Next Door Pub...

Speaking of Next Door Pub

Friday, April 24th at 5:30 is our Spring Social at Next Door Pub, located in Lake Geneva at 411 Interchange Road MAP.  Details are:  Forthcoming as soon as I have them. Check back!  But do save the date!  But beer, pizza, soda, cyclists NOT in spandex (Butch, you are hearing me on this, right?)  See you there!  And invite a friend- a roadie, a fatty, a WORS racer, a recumbent rider, a cruiser, a BMX'er, a commuter, a .... you get my drift!  We are about riding bikes

Knock Off The Dust & Rust

A great idea is floating around of a DIY Bike Wash at RRB.  Any interest in giving your steed a little TLC and attention?  Maybe riding before or after?  Let me know, and stay tuned for further details.  Why yes, I do intentionally try to get you repeatedly visit TREAD THREAD.  That is the purpose, to have a reliable place you can get what you need on our local bike scene.  RIDEGUYGARY

I Want To Ride My Bicycle...

I want to ride my bicycle!!!!  The weather is not looking good per Weather Underground for Lake Geneva this Tuesday or Thursday.  I have a short route I want to introduce, and the first decent day on a Tuesday or Thursday I plan to start out of RRB at a comfortable pace.  The loop is about ten miles, and if we like it, we can do it twice.   This loop will not be part of our normal routes, but is an informal little tune up ride.   Stay tuned for details.  

Butch Says:  Canopy is dry and rideable!  Please be sure to stop by the Visitor Center on the opposite side of the road and sign in.  There is a fee for daily or yearly trail access.  

Thursday Night Fat Bikes (and weight challenged tires as well) are still going on.  As of now, I do not have the starting location, but will update once I have it.  Check back.  

My Mother-In-Law Would Like To Do Some Day Rides:  Part of this forum to share information and foster communication. So, what better place than here to start a dialogue! Would anyone like to start up a network of riders who seem to ride at non-standard times?  (i.e. those of us without normal jobs or set hours?)  Let's talk!  You can reach me at rideguygary@gmail.com or 262-903-9250.  I am happy to facilitate or make introductions.   

A Great Read For Anyone

This article is from Al Izykowski.  I only met Al once briefly.  His son is an Olympic bronze medalist speed skater and the current coach of the US Team.  Civilians often don't get why we ride bikes.  And cyclists don't all get why some of us ride fat bikes in extreme conditions.  Al's piece is a testament to riding a bike, but more than that a testimony to living life.  I don't know about you, but every time I throw my leg over a saddle, I feel like I am really living.  Al paints a beautiful picture of joy and suffering and inspires me to get out there!  I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

Read Al's post at The Art of Really Living 10 PM, 5 Degrees, Getting Off A Couch.  

Keep the Rubber Side Down & See You on the Roads, Trails, & By-Ways

Gary