Kliff Notes For The THREAD

Here is the condensed and very simple version....

CLUB RIDES:

  TUESDAY, MAY 12th 6 PM RRB Cycles in Lake Geneva WI  Knob Hill Roller Coaster A Go-Go

  THURSDAY, MAY 15th,, 6 PM, RRB Cycles in Lake Geneva Round da Lake W/ da Snake.  We ride around Geneva Lake, and have the option of riding up Schofield Road and crossing HWY 50 to Snake Road.  Snake Road ends on the West edge of Lake Geneva.  

  FRIDAY NIGHT CRUISER- 6:30 PM, Burlington WI.  Meet in the Parking Lot of Fred's Burgers
  596 Pine Street.  Ride the crushed lime stone and paved trail of Burlington.  Fred's for post ride food and/or drink.  

WEATHER REPORT

Other Rides, Races & Events

  WORS continues in Rhinelander, WI. with the Crystal Lake Classic

  Blackhawk Country Roads  This is a two day event.  TreadHeads are planning to ride Saturday, May, 23rd.  There are multiple distances, but the TreadHeads are riding the 65 mile course.  Wheels out at 7:30 AM sharp from registration, located in DownTown Rockton, IL  302 West Main Street.  

  Parking is located at the High School    

   

Mid Week Post

Thursday THC Ride out of RRB Bikes

I am assuming no sane person went out Tuesday from RRB for our first formal ride of the season.  If you did go out, it may be best you not announce that as I did qualify "sane."  Given that, and that there is construction on the road out of town, I propose we amend our Thursday route to be Crab Apple .  6 PM Start time, less than 25 miles for the route.  Short cuts available.

Friday Cruiser Ride

  Friday Night at 6:30, downtown Woodstock on the Square. Ride for an hour and adjourn to The Public House on The Square post ride.  

This Weekend- Informal Rides

  Let me know, and I'll amend this post to show who, what, when, where, etc

Treadfest

  From our Race Director, And All Around Good Guy, THE BISHOP.  This is a link to our web page.   http://treadheadcycling.com/treadfest/

 
  Also, here is a message he is sharing about TREADFEST.
 

Hey Treadheads,

The Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) is underway and the club is in the process of planning for our amazing race at the Grand Geneva, Treadfest. This is our sole fund-raiser for Tread Head Cycling and the money generated is used to promote cycling within our community. There are a few developments regarding Treadfest that I'd like to share with you today.

The race is on September 6th, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. This is a week earlier than usual and was changed due to WORS schedule conflicts with the NICA high school races which WORS also manages. We are excited to get racers to make Treadfest a destination race with their families to spend some time in and enjoy the Lake Geneva area. This also allows Treadheads to have a little more fun after the race since most people don’t have to work the next day. We know this can be a heavy vacation weekend and we are hoping to get the volunteers needed to run the race smoothly.

Treadfest will not have the trail run this year. Our numbers for the trail run have always been small and it is not worth the investment in volunteer hours for the return. We are not alone as last week’s WORS race in Iola also removed the trail run from its schedule. Runners I had conversations with seemed to understand and took it in stride.

This year we are going to have our Treadfest volunteer party a week before the race at Simple Café. This will allow a better forum to communicate race logistics and coordination plus have some fun. Simple is one of our sponsors and they have graciously agreed to open in the evening for our awesome volunteers. More details to come on an evening of great food and friends.

To help with Treadfest volunteer coordination we are going to have team captains for the different functional areas. Team captains will lead volunteers in each functional area. To improve communication the volunteers will have one person that can provide information and leadership.

We will soon be sending out requests for volunteers. We really appreciate all of the help that everyone has provided over the years and we hope that we can count on several wonderful individuals to help make this year’s event a success as well.

If you have any questions regarding the race or volunteering please let me know.

Mike Bishop - Treadfest Race Director

National Bike Challenge

  The Wisconsin Bike Federation is encouraging Wisconsin (and you Flatlanders, too, I guess) to sign up and post your miles through the Summer.  Last year, Wisconsin took the top of the podium, and the TREADHEADS are a good group to up that tally.  More information about signing up can be found at https://nationalbikechallenge.org/     Thanks for sharing that information, Dan Getzen.  

Talk To Your Board

If there is something cycling related that you are passionate about, share your thought with a board member(s)  What can we do to make our club better?  

Solo Riding Gets Me Thinking...

Riding makes me think. Thinking makes me write.  Don't ask what happens when we throw drinking into thinking, that is a post for another time.  But here is a little something you might relate to on what the bike does for me.  

It’s Not A Bike;

There is an abundance of research that suggests we are happier when we spend our money on experiences rather than things.  That seems counter-intuitive to many.  We know what happens to that expensive meal once it has been devoured, but a thing costing the same amount of money often lasts well beyond the lifetime of a meal. 

But it is generally not true that things are better than experiences.  New toys lose their sparkle and shine.  But experiences?  They tend to grow, even get better, over time.  Take a vacation where it rained 5 out of 7 days.  A year later, you will remember the glorious wonder of the two sunny days.

A friend of mine is the genius behind The Art of Really Living.  He contends that we can slow time and in effect live (almost) forever.  He has some very specific steps about how to do that.  But the basic premise is to live life so as to create event horizons. 

What are the criteria for shaping event horizons?  For making moments that last almost forever? That slow and expand time?  There are five factors;

•  Emotional Intensity
• Physical intensity
• Uniqueness
• Flow
• Beauty

I took issue with the research that things don’t make us happy.  I pointed to my favorite bike as a prime example.  The bike was a thing.  That thing made me deliriously happy.  Ergo, some things do make us happy.  John corrected me.  It is not a bike. It is an experience delivery mechanism.  It is not a bike.  It is the rides with friends, the cycling vacations to new destinations, it is the early morning experience of seeing the sun rise over the next hill on some back road, flying down a steep descent, or cresting it, happening upon an unexpected lake.  It is…. we all have our memories sitting atop a bike.

So, it is not a bike. It is an experience delivery mechanism.  We just call it a bike for convenience.  

And how many event horizons do I have from riding a bike?  Where do I start?  How about you?  

Like TREAD THREAD?  Tell your Friends.

Hate the TREAD THREAD?  Tell ME!  

Gary

TUESDAY THURSDAY CLUB RIDES

  Tuesday night, 6:00, Crab Apple.  This is approximately a 21 mile ride, but there are some built in short cuts if light is a concern for that distance.

  Thursday night, same time, same place.  Around Da Lake With or Without The Snake.  

  There has been extensive discussion about how to make our rides better, more accommodating,  But it is what you do, not what you say that matters. That said, let's be sure that if new folks join our ride, we make sure they know the route, understand safe ride etiquette and that riders are not left behind.  Most people do not travel to a group ride to ride alone, am I right?  Let's be good ambassadors for cycling.  

FRIDAY NIGHT CRUISER RIDE

  Cruiser ride means we ain't going far, we ain't going fast, and if you are in a full spandex kit with aero bars and carbon wheels, you are going to feel funny.  If you don't feel funny, we definitely need to talk.  Come on any bike that rolls.

  Friday night, Woodstock on the Square, 6:30 PM.  Food and drinks post ride, location yet to be determined.  

RACE RESULTS

Doing It In The Dirt

  Lots of TREADHEADS made their way north for the first of the WORS races, Iola Bump and Jump.  It sounds like at least one of them got his bumps.  A great showing from our local riders.  

  Heather Rainer Peat, her son Rider and Kerry Gonzales all found their ways to the podium. Heather graced the podium in second place, Rider and Kerry each in 4th.  Kerry raced a single speed, some how oblivious to the fact that being able to select which gear is most appropriate for the terrain and obstacles is a good thing.  

  Ray Nelson placed 8th overall, and Jerrod Collier was 3rd in his age group in Cat 1.    

  Jack Spende was 10th in the Citizens' 11-14 age category.  

 Greg Clausen placed third in his race, and his wife Ann finished 8th.  

 

  Also racing the TREADHEAD colors were Rich and Mike Mennenoh.  

Republished without express permission from Mike The Bishop's Facebook page;  Long boring race report. So today I drove three hours north to Iola Wisconsin for the first WORS race of the year. I had originally planned to bring the whole family but things changed and I drove up by myself. I wasn't super excited about the 6 hours of driving for 2 hours of racing but I figured I had been planning this for a while and I should go get it done. On my way up I stopped at Starbucks in Franklin. There was a long line and I did notice that there was a nice girl in front of me in the next car. When I pulled up to the window the girl at the window explained that the girl in front of me had paid for my coffee so I was good to go. That has never happened before and definitely put me in a better mood for the rest of the trip. When I got to the race it was great to see old friends that I had raced against 2 years ago when I did the series. We caught up on things and realized that most of us had upgraded and we would be racing each other in Category 1. For those that are not into cycling this is the highest level of 5 with the exception of being a pro. This basically means that we have to race with the pro riders but we only see them for about 10 seconds. Our goal was not be last in the race. The pace and climbing at the start of the race was brutal and I was not ready for it. I started in DFL but actually started to move up on a couple climbs. Some guys had to put a foot down on one of the climbs but I was able to make it through the slight mayhem and move up. I was doing well but on a huge climb my buddy Jerrod went past me and I decided to jump on his wheel since we have ridden together before. Since I drove up that day I had not ridden the course and had no idea was was around each corner. Well it bit me this time. On the following downhill there were some massive roots that you have to take on the right but I went left and was eject off the bike. At this point everyone started asking if I was OK. When you are on the ground and bleeding it is nice to have your fellow competitors concerned about your well being. It was very encouraging. I told them I was fine and managed to jump back on my bike. At this point I noticed my handlebars were not exactly pointed straight down the trail so I had to stop again to get them fixed. Another friend came by encouraging me to keep going and keep strong. When I finally got going I was almost DFL again. After a crash you are a little shaken up but I just kept thinking about my friend's comments and it kept me going. I was able to catch and pass a couple of the guys but after the third lap I started to get super hungry. Usually I eat tons before a race but this time I kind of forgot. During the race I had 5 Gu's and a large bottle of electrolytes but it did not stop my stomach from imploding. I tried to keep strong but I can see from my data that my effort just kept falling as the mile built up. It wasn't my day. I got 5th out of 9 in my age group but like 45th out of 58 overall. Before I went my buddy Butch said, I hope you like sand, and he was right. The course had tons of sand and was quite dusty when you were in a pack. I also almost ran over a snake that decided to cross the trail in front of me. That doesn't happen very often. The temp climbed over 80 degrees which I think is the first time this year that I have ridden in anything that warm. Even with all of my troubles and excuses I really had fun. It was great to be out on a bike pushing my body as hard as I can. It was also nice to be with friends that are fierce competitors but truly look out for each other.

On The Road Side of Things

  Last weekend, Andy Schmidt represented in fine fashion down at the Joe Martin Stage race in Arkansas.  He won the up hill Time Trial, was the only one to break 10 minutes, followed his winning team mate, Simon Jones to third on the Saturday road race, and seemed to be a lock on winning the General Classification that was determined in a crit on Sunday.  Some how, another Schmidt, 23 year old college student Tyler, was up the road in a break. But it appeared from the materials provided by race officials that he was not a GC threat.  Imagine everyone's surprise when it was discovered that he was in fact in contention.  The other Schmidt ended up winning the GC by two seconds.  All of us who have had our legs torn off by Andy know that he could have regained those seconds anywhere in his sleep.  Maybe not the result he wanted, but we are proud of him!  

  This week, Andy raced in La Crosse Wisconsin.  Results to follow later.  

THINGS TO DO

    Sunday, June 14th, 34th Annual BCLC Ramble.  This link is to an Active Registration page, but all the details are there.

  Previous posts have a host of other rides and links.  But it is a worth a reminder for the Blackhawk Back Roads ride on Memorial Weekend. Expect a group of TREADHEADS on the Saturday ride.  

  Likwise, check back later and I hope to have some informal rides posted for the weekend.  

Be Sure To Keep The Rubber Side Down,

Gary

 

 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