You are about to enter a "NO PUKE" Zone...

Conclusion:

If you don’t care about your local bike club,

I don’t care too much about you!

The local bike club that I belong to has a wonderful affiliated blogger.  Brenda Greathouse has only posted two entries on the official club web page to date, but she told me yesterday, at ABC's Think Spring event, "More are coming!"

When I read her first post on the ABC site,

 The Akron Bicyclist: What's His Flavor?,

I learned a number things: 

• People have great care and compassion for our club
• Blogging seems to be a fun and rewarding activity
• The word "steampunk" is a real word  (I don't get out much)
• And, "Steampunk Chuck" is a marvelous and descriptive flavor

Fine Print WARNING:

 Please don't read this post if...

1.) You have a queasy stomach

2.) You already read too many COW posts (droppings?) this week

3.) You care nothing about the growth and development of your local bike club

....

If the conclusion at the start of this post surprised you, please know that it surprised me too when I learned that bloggers use this "sock it to them" conclusion technique to tweak their readers attention and interest.  Such an approach has made me apprehensive about proceeding without explaining this point. 

So, from this point forward, be on your guard for crossing right hooks, left jabs, and crunching upper cuts.  And, please avoid potentially fatal "red crosses". 

As always, my continuous mantra for this blog is to "Ride Safe!".

If I make assumptions or inferences that you do not agree with as club members, or as general readers, let me offer an opening apology.  I am sorry if I hurt any one's feelings.  Please forgive me in advance.

When blogging under the acronym of "COW" (Cager on Wheels), there is a high probability that accidents will happen.

How are we doing?  Is everyone comfortable?  Good, I think I need to lay another one of those "opening conclusion" thingees on the road before we travel any further.

"Say it isn't so Joe!"

Categorically, I suppose you need to know that baseball movies are my faves!  I have created a new side bar list to highlight a few.  A common topic in most of my baseball flicks is the "Black Sox Scandal" where in 1919 the Chicago White Sox allegedly tried to "fix" the world series.

My objective here is not to fix the world, but to focus on a solution for making your local bike club better.

If you know the story of "Shoeless Joe Jackson", you may understand the heading over his picture here.  A passionate appeal to seek "truth and honesty" from someone who was cherished as a great baseball player.

Wiki just gave me a "tidbit" of information that I never knew (not an avid reader, and I don't get out much); that Joe Jackson played for the Indians and holds their franchise record for "triples" (not chair rings you bike geeks!!!).  Here is the link if you want to learn more: Wiki Joe Jackson.

When I repeat these words again, "Say it Ain't So Joe", I am referring to a number of conversations that I had this week with my "connections on the trail".  If the "truth be known", these comments make me sick to my stomach because of the potential long term impact on "cyclists"; our united sisters and brethren who desire to ride on two wheels.

Stan Purdam, "the awesome one", that I introduced in my post, Going "buy" the Book, had this to say about his first ever "club ride":

"I arrived at the parking lot where the club ride was to start from.  No one welcomed me. Upon the announcement that the ride was to start, I assume by the group leader, I commenced what turned into a "rabbit chase" for the next hour.  After the ride, I went home and puked.  I never went back to ride with that club again."  

As you can see on my "Works" in Progress  page, Stan went on to do a lot of riding and writing (4 books and counting).  I think the "shunned club" came out on the short end of the stick...in the long run. Or, would that be "short end of the club?"

Tom Gaydos, "Century Tom" who is a standout member of my Yellow Jersey club, reminded yesterday, at ABC's "Think Spring", of his story:

It was crazy.  You know I had a positive prior multi-year history with ABC serving as its ride coordinator, cranking a lot of miles, and sharing and growing my personal passion for cycling.  When I attended my "first ABC ride" last spring, after being away from the club for several years, I got burned bad.

This should not have happened to anyone.

The ride leader handed me a cue sheet.  I was clueless about using a cue sheet since we handed out "maps" back in the day.  Twenty minutes into the ride I was dropped, and had no clue where I was.  Humiliated, I found my way back to the parking lot.

I am glad Tom made it back.  He helped and encouraged me to ride my first century last fall.  He drove me to Findlay, OH.  He let me sleep on the floor of his plush hotel. And he got me to the starting line of the Hancock Horizontal Hundred.  I'm taking credit for helping push our pace into the "wicked west winds".  We enjoyed riding over the finish line together at a net pace of 15.5 mph.  Hence, his nick name will always stick with me.  Thanks Century Tom!

Lake Eyre Eric, a new "positive trail connection" I met this week, provided me with some valuable perspectives about biking clubs.  He too has a long club history that I hope to share with you soon.

Eric has agreed to sit down with me and hash out the highlights of his lifetime cycling story...and it has got a "great puke" element in it.  Of course, Eric may puke when he realizes I suffer from "Mad COW disease" so he may be having second thoughts about this "yellow shirt" project.  I'll give him an "pass" if he wants it. 

In the mean time, Eric had this to say about my inquiry of his opinion on the "state of health" of the Akron Bike Club:

I think ABC is an excellent club.  There are many folks that get it.  But there needs to be a focused attention on taking care of new potential members. 

We had this wonderful conversation when, in actuality, three riders of a five person group were in essence "dropped" out on the trail.  Fortunately, we were all three big boys and made it back okay.  However, I was with a friend who is just starting to experience our bike club.  If I had not been there, I am pretty sure he would have quit the club, after this "not totally cohesive" ride.

What got me really excited about this exchange with Eric was a concept, we started to kick around, called  being a "Cluster Chaperon".  I know this is a theme I will post and share my feelings about in the future.

I have added a personal objective to my 2011 Cycling Goals to be a "CC" on at least one ride per week during the up coming ride season. It's give back time!

Here is the image that "clicked" in my mind about this new "way of thinking" for my involvement with ABC.



Yesterday, at the ABC's VERY WET Think Spring Ride, I attempted to employ this evolving message, into practice, this way:

• Decided to ride the 18 mile route instead of the 33 mile route
• Hung out near the back of the pack
• Greeted everyone in our group
• Made observations and positive comments about people's rides
• And, got off my bike twice to walk up "hills" along side riders that were "struggling for breaths"

My reward for doing so was that I met two individuals who just showed up at this invitational event "cold turkey".  Or, maybe they went home as "cold wet turkeys". Gobble, gobble!

Connection #1

Nicole, a PHD grad student in a "Poly Engineer" program at the University of Akron, arrived in "our town" last September and has been so busy with her studies that she has not found many opportunities to ride her nifty  "Commuter Machine".  

When I asked if she has warmed up to being in the "Buckeye State", she grumbled, "Go Badgers!".  She went on to describe a wonderful biking community that is embraced in Madison, WI and its to be un-named "U".  She had pointed comments to make about the "not so friendly confines" of biking in Akron.

I strongly encouraged her to check out my favorite female local blogger, BOTW.  Again, click to go there.They seem to be cut from the same cloth...bright and enthusiastic about biking.

I am pretty sure Nicole will return to club activities when the weather warms up.  She seemed to enjoy herself at the post ride festivities.  I hope she finds good connections with the club on Thursday night rides.

She did tell me "Rule #1" from her mountain biking experience as a youth, "Don't ride over sticks and rocks!"  There were a lot of fallen small branches on the trails we "rolled" through.  I was dumb enough to explain how I chunked up my drive chain with a branch on the Holmes County Bike trail last Easter.

Connection #2

Chris was a "just recently turning fifty" year old women from Massillon. She is committed to getting in shape to face the "second half" of her first century.  She has a brand new two chain ring "Specialized" road bike with those fancy break shifters...a big step up from the mountain bike she has used to ride the Tow Path.

She was glad that she opted to ride in her sneakers on flat pedals...for her first ride with ABC.  I agreed with her rational. It would be much better to wait for a sunny warm day to topple over like "Laugh In's Arte Johnson" on his tri-cycle! 

BTW...what is the record for the number of "no-clip-out-topples?" I fell five times last year for failing to clip out soon enough on my "early training wheel" solo bike rides. Anybody got that beat?

Rolling on...

That's it for my first "cluster" report.  I'll leave you with this "silent thought".  What voices have we not heard from someone who went home unwelcome, dropped, or throwing up?  Are you listening?

It's too bad that we can not hear the words of silent voices

With all due respect, this picture has special meaning to me.  Our oldest son, Kip, served in the Navy's Ceremonial Guard while stationed in Washington, DC. It was an honor for us to watch his unit serve at President Gerald Ford's Capitol funeral proceedings via CNN's around-the-clock webcast.

We had arrived in DC, on December 27, 2006, the date President Ford passed and all but turned around, right away, to head back home to Ohio. The funeral proceedings "trumped" spending time with visiting family. 

From a Ceremonial Guardsmen perspective, this honor to serve a fallen President was like playing in the Super Bowl.  However, since President Ford was a BSA Eagle Scout, I am for sure he would say serving the silent voices of the Unknown Solider would "trump even" him. 

He would also remind us to do a "Good Turn" daily.

In sharing this "dated" memorial photo, let me say thank you for serving our country if you wore a service uniform.   My regards for any loss you may have experienced as a family member, or friend, for any unknown solider.  

Often, when I ride my bike, I am reminded to listen.  You never know when you will hear a voice that needs to be heard. 

If you want to chat about the concept of "Cluster Chaperon" leave me a comment, or drop me an email at kljcager@gmail.com.  I will be all ears.

Thanks for listening.

Ride Safe!

Again, more to follow.

PS - I had a great time at my first "Think Spring" Invitational.  Well done organizers and volunteers!

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