Safety reminder re: rumble strips

FYI reminder that rumble strips are dangerous.  They exist between Cafe Fina and Eldorado and beyond on both sides of the road and may be on other roads around Santa Fe too (and on many other roads around the country like in Iowa on the RAGBRAI route). I suggest you avoid riding across or on them. Hmmm. Tell the Texas 4000 about them when you see them in Eldorado

Texas 4000 riders of the Rockies Route are on their way to Santa Fe! The riders began the ride Saturday and they will be here in 10 days. The two opportunities for SOB members to meet the riders is when they arrive in Eldorado on Tuesday, June 15 at which point SOB members will ride with the group along the Old Santa Fe Trail to the Plaza and then to their motel in the Railyard area.

The second opportunity is to join the riders and the University of Texas alumns at Las Campanas Country Club for cocktails, dinner, and a brief program. Among the students you will meet is Lexi Bohannon. Lexi plans to enroll in medical school and to practice as an ob-gyn. Lexi took some time off of college to explore other areas of the country, including Vail, CO, before enrolling at UT.

And you will also be able to meet Javier Romero. A computer major, he graduates this year and already employed in the tech field in Seattle. He has completed a study abroad program at the University of Edinburgh. Javier is the Ride Leader for the Rockies group.

Get ready to meet the Texas 4000!

 

Texas 4000 Rider Prepare to Begin the Journey

Saturday, June 5, the riders of all 4 groups riding in the annual 4000-mile ride leave from a large recreation area in Lampassas, Texas, a few miles northwest of Austin. The Rockies group will arrive in Santa Fe ten days later on June 15. The distance from Austin to Santa Fe is about the same as that from St. Louis to Santa Fe which the wagon trains of yore traveled the Old Santa Fe Trail. However, it took the wagons almost 3 months to make the journey. Texas 4000 riders will cover the distance in just 10 days! Oh, the magnificent quality of the bicycle!

At a brief rest stop in Eldorado, members of Seniors on Bikes will join the group and lead them to the motel in the Rail Yard area. Riding with 24 Texas riders, who are wearing unique jerseys and riding identical bicycles,  down Old Santa Fe Trail is a bit of excitement itself. When the group reaches the Plaza, the crows there take note immediately of a large group of cyclists. In the past, Texas alumni who just happened to be at the Plaza at the moment, approach the Texas riders to donate money to their cause.

The day of arrival is Tuesday. SOB members participating in the Texas 4000 arrival may want to plan the regular Tuesday ride to begin around noon from DeVargas Center. Ride to Eldorado to stop at the Agora Market and await the Texas 4000 riders. Then after leading the ride to the motel, returning the short distance to DeVargas. Another alternative that I plan to do–drive to DeVargas and park my car and get a ride back to Eldorado to meet the riders. After the ride back to the motel, I can drive back home, shower, and get to the dinner. 

The Las Campanas Country Club is hosting a dinner to honor the Texas 4000 riders and their motivation to raise substantial funds for cancer research. The dinner begins with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m. and dinner starting shortly after 6:30. The menu is a dinner of the club’s famous chicken enchiladas, preceded by a smoke house salad and other items. The cost of the dinner is $60/person. Following the dinner, the riders will present a brief program describing their route and their goals.

Meeting and conversing with the students on the ride is stimulating. One recognizes immediately that these students are committed to leading a nation and world to wonderful opportunities in the future. The students are upper division and graduate students studying in many different fields. They are knowledgeable about their areas of study and what they plan to do in the field.

Jenna Guzman is one of the Rockies group leaders and is coordinating their arrival in Santa Fe. Jenna is a senior and plans to complete graduate work in Public Health and she looks forward in a career in Public Health. She is riding to support her mother who is a cancer survivor and for a friend who has been dealing with a rare liver cancer. You will meet Jenna at dinner and, of course, on the arrival in Eldorado.

Schedule the activity on your calendars now! June 15–arrival in Eldorado and dinner at the Las Campanas Country Club.

Submitted by Bill Pollock

 

Race El Paso event

Race El Paso would like to invite you and your club to join us in our next event. The Bike the 915 is a team or individual challenge, and your miles will accumulate over 15 days. You can pick any routes or use a stationary bike. The event will take place from June 1-15th.   This is the event website, and this is the facebook page where you can find more information. If you have any questions please feel free to let me know.  Carolina Ortega <cortegaper@hotmail.com>

 

B riders please note

Three things.

One, as of Fri May 21, only 4 riders have signed up for the B ride on May  27.  If no one else signs up by Wed May 26, this ride will be cancelled.  If it is cancelled we will do a blog post.

Two.  There are very few B riders signed up for June rides.

Three.  Despite the title of the May 27 B ride being “Cities of Gold”, the ride will actually start (if it is held) at Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant in Chimayo.  The restaurant has allowed us to park there.

Texas 4000 packing their bags

The members of the Rockies Ride of the Texas 4000 and members of the other rides have just completed a mandatory test to ride 100 miles in less than 10 hours to qualify to ride to the Canadian border from Austin, Texas and back this summer. On the way to Montana, the group will stop in Santa Fe on June 15 and 16. SOB members and guests will have the opportunity to meet the group in Eldorado and ride with them to their motel in downtown Santa Fe. And then, enjoy dinnerwith the groiup and members of the University of Texas Alumni of Santa Fe at the magnificent Las Campanas Country Club. Meeting the students is a meaningful experience–the students, all leaders, are stimulating with their enthusiasm for the ride and the future.

And, here’s some great news! Susy Battaglia and the Battaglia children and grandchildren have stepped up to cover the motel expenses of the Rockies team for both nights here in Santa Fe. In past years, Frank Battaglia donated the cost of the motel. Frank graduated from Southwestern Louisiana University, but he said he was also proud of the University of Texas and welcomed the opportunity to help the students of the Texas.

Below is a brief profile of two students who will be riding this year with the Rockies Route:

Shroothi Ramesh is an upper division mechanical engineering major focused on making the world a sustainable environment. Ms. Ramesh is from Sugarland, TX and is in the President’s Award Program to study developing sustainable products for living and in textiles. She has dedicated herself to a community that can make a difference, she writes.

Alexander Mutamarra, reports that he is an Arab and a graduate student in Finance at the University of Texas. He is also from Sugarland. He says to call him “Alex,” and he is a member of a large Arabian family living in Sugarland. Alex rides to support cancer research. Alex feels grateful for the opportunity to commit to the purpose of raising funds for cancer research. “You don’t deserve anything that you have unless you are grateful for it,” he writes.

Get ready to meet these and the other 22 students of the Texas 4000 when they arrive in Santa Fe. Visit their website and read more about the routes and the riders at

www.texas4000.org

Submitted by Bill Pollock

 

Signups / Leaders / Miscellany

Few things, please read.

  1.  You don’t need to email and cancel if you have a conflict for a ride that you have signed up for.  One rider more or less will not make a major or even a minor difference.
  2.  I am not going to post who has signed up for what anymore.  When you sign up for a ride, you get an email confirmation.  Save it.  When memory fails, look it up.  Just as with cancellations, if you forget to signup and you show up anyway it will not make any difference to the fate of the free world.
  3.  C riders.  Your missing June rides will be posted soon.  Fret not.
  4.  Ride leaders!  Signups for June are open.  Click this link and choose your rides. 
  5.  Riders.  June rides are open for signups.  Go to “Ride Schedule”, click ride name, “Join the Ride”.

Texas 4000

The pandemic forced cancellation of Texas 4000 Ride last year. But Texas 4000 is coming to Santa Fe in June! This ride is organized by students at the University of Texas to raise funds for cancer research in support of family members of the students, friends and supporters of cancer research, and by several of the students who are survivors themselves. For the past several years, the group has come through Santa Fe for one or two nights on their way to Alaska from Austin, Texas– 4000 miles. They begin about June 1 in Austin and end in Anchorage, Alaska in mid-August. They follow four separate routes to Alaska.

This year, the pandemic issues still are concerns, so this year they only get to Montana, and then turn around to follow different routes back to Austin–still close to 4000 miles. Nearly 100 students will participate this year in four groups. One group heads north up the Mississippi River and then goes east to Washington, D.C. and back to Austin via the Carolinas, Arkansas, and other states. The second heads north along the MIssissippi to the Dakotas and then west to Montana. A third group, the Sierra, goes west through Las Cruces, Tucson , to San Diego and then up the West Coast to Washington and then east to Montana and back to Austin. The Rockies group will pass through Santa Fe, to Denver, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone, and Montana and then return to Austin.

The Rockies group will arrive in Santa Fe on June 15, stay the 16th, and leave for Denver the 17th. In the past years, the SOBs have met the group in Eldorado and then led the Texans to their motel in Santa Fe. We have joined them for dinner at the Las Campanas Country Club hosted by the University of Texas Alumni of Santa Fe. At the dinner, we have split up to fill the tables with several different students with SOB members and spouses/partners and U of Texas Alumni. The students put on a brief program describing their selection from over 1000 students to participate in the ride and their goals. During the dinner, conversations with these upper division and graduate students will renew your own spirits and reinforce your own confidence in the youth that will guide this country in the future. Former students on this ride are now doctors, attorneys, scientists, and business executives. They are selected because of their abilities to converse and engage in conversations.

In the past, one of our members, Frank Battaglia, donated the motel costs for the group in Santa Fe. Frank passed away in November. 2020. Many of us may want to donate some funds to the Texas 4000 to cover their housing costs in Santa Fe in addition to their goals to raise money for cancer research.

Mark your calendars for the arrival of the Texas 4000 on June 15. Look for future postings in the coming days about the plans for participating. So many of our members have stated their enthusiasm to meet the students and engage in conversation with them for a few hours. Having completed a career in higher education, I can tell you that mixing as equals with intelligent, eager, and committed university students is an unforgettable experience. One looks forward to every day at work with students. And this will be how you will feel when the dinner at the Las Campanas Country Club is over. You owe it to yourself to experience the feeling.

Look for more announcements in the coming days at this SOB website. Plan to join in. You can read about and see pictures of the approximate 25 students that will ride with Texas 4000 Rockies Group at the link below:

Submitted by Bill Pollock

 

 

 

Can I add to your SOB kit order?

I want to order a cap only and they say you have to sign for it, which I’m not sure I can do. If anyone is ordering and willing to let me add my cap to your order, I’d greatly appreciate it. Please email lynnpickard1 at yahoo. Thanks.

Free bikes for kids still needs help

The Free Bikes For Kids program still needs help in cleaning and “mechanicing” all the bikes they got donated. They have a lot! Once clean and made safe the bikes are donated to kids for free. FB4K can be queried on to find their website to sign up for a shift. It’s a worthy cause I think. I am doing it. I encourage you to help out too. They are in the Santa Fe Place Mall.

Signups for May

Enough people have asked so I have uploaded a list of who has signed up for what for May as of May 2.  I am not going to update the entire list again so if you need to look it up later, remember to come back to the blog for the link.  I may supplement with new signups each Sunday if I am motivated. I have deleted signups if you have signed up more than once for the same ride.

In the interest of privacy I have scrubbed the list of last names.  Going forward, if you don’t care about having your full name accessible on the website then no worries.  If you do care then signup for rides using only your first name and last initial.  Or for couples two first names.   If you do not want to be included in this list now or later just message admin at santafesobs.com and I will remove you.  If you have an issue and cannot show up for a ride, don’t worry about it.  It is not necessary to remove your name.  We expect a few no shows, even at the last minute.  (You will be billed for the full cost of the ride however.  No refunds.)

Thinking of a SOB Fall Ride

Hi Everyone, We did not get to do our annual ride last year and I am feeling like I would love to go away for a few days in the Fall and ride in new places with friends. So, before I start doing all the research and planning I would like to know how many of you would seriously consider a fall trip to Carbondale or Glenwood Springs, Colorado for four nights after Labor Day, the 7th through the 10th of September. It would be a fixed base with three full days of cycling.
Carbondale has miles of cycling trails- Aspen is 26 miles away (could even do Independence Pass or McClure Pass) and Glenwood Springs is 12 miles away. I have just begun to look at possible lodging. Let me know if you would seriously be interested. I am thinking Carbondale, but Glenwood Springs may also be a possibility. Email Judy at j.costlow@gmail.com

A riders – May 6 ride changes – read and heed

We have changed the start location due to the closure of Nambe pueblo.

Start location:  Rancho de Chimayo restaurant in Chimayo at 0930

Route:  Up to Truchas thru Cordova, back to Chimayo, up to 503, out to Nambe Dam Road, U turn, back to Chimayo.

B riders Attention

As of now, the B rides for May 13 (4 so far), 20 (2 so far), and 27 (only 1) do not have enough signups.   If there are no more signups these rides will be cancelled.  Just sayin’

Helpful information for ride leaders and riders

At the new ride leader training yesterday, it was determined to recommend that all riders, and especially ride leaders, read or reread the Ride Leaders Manual that is posted to the website under the tab “All the Info.”

Please note that the ordinances reproduced at the back of the manual are the Santa Fe City Ordinances, which copy the state statutes with one exception. Section 5 of the ordinances is “reserved,” but the same section of the state statutes says, “66-3-705. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths. A. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. B. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. C. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, no bicycle shall be operated on any roadway in a manner that would create a public safety hazard.” Other portions of the city ordinance, which are not in the manual say, “When a bicyclist is traveling in the center of a lane, the bicyclist should move right when it is safe to do so,” and “Bicyclists must move to the right to allow vehicles to overtake at the earliest and safest location.”

Included in this post are links to the pertinent pages of the NM Driver’s Manual relating to the rights and responsibilities of drivers of cars and bicycles to one another, and a safety quiz that we urge all to take. Answers are provided at the end of the quiz.

NM Driver’s Manual

SOB Safety Quiz LP

Clean up Day on Bonanza Creek Road

Come one and all for the first (annual ??) trash and recycling clean-up on Bonanza Creek Road on Monday May 3rd or May 10th.  I will organize all the volunteers and drivers on the site when we start.  I will have garbage bags and smaller bags to do the cleanup.  I suggest that the volunteers wear long pants and sturdy shoes and maybe your SOB jersey or the socks or buffs and have some work gloves.  If you have a safety vest then bring that too.  Please let me know by Saturday May 1st if you will be there and what distance you plan on the road for cleaning.  For example, if you only want to walk 1 mile, then you can clean up ½ mile on both sides of the road.  If you have a vehicle to pick up the bags (1 driver for each group) let me know that also.  I will pair up people and divide the volunteers when you arrive.

We plan to start at the intersection of Route 14 (Cerrillos Road) and Bonanza Creek and organize by 9:30 AM.  Any extra vehicles may be parked in the parking lot at Beer Creek Restaurant.  We plan to celebrate with a beer and LUNCH AT Beer Creek after the event.

Contact by email wildernessriders@yahoo.com

Contact by text 505-979-4802 (Christine)

Sign those Waivers

There are many SOBs who haven’t signed both waivers. It is easy and if you do, you can ride with us on our Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday rides. Otherwise, you are on your own and will miss our company and fun! They are on the website under Join SOB 2021, pull it down and sign.  Easy and done!  Judy 

Upcoming May Rides

Hi everyone.  This is the first of a series of posts regarding our upcoming season, but especially the first rides in May.

This post is about signing up for rides.  We have gotten a good response from A riders.  All those rides are a go.  We have gotten much less of a response from B and C riders.  Something which we did not highlight before, but be aware of it.  There is a limit of 30 riders for each event.  There is also a minimum of 5.  If, two days before the ride, we do not have at least 5 riders signed up for a ride, then we are going to cancel it.

Below is the current status for all the rides as far as the number of signups.

This post describes how to sign up.  Follow up posts this week will indicate your eligibility to ride as far as your waiver status is concerned.

A riders and leaders for May 6 note!  The start location for May 6 has been changed to Rancho de Chimayo restaurant in Chimayo (where we have had our luncheons in the past).  (The ride name is still Cities of Gold though)  They have agreed to allow us to park there.  Route is being discussed.  We will advise asap.

Volunteer opportunity

Hello, People!

Free bikes 4 Kidz NM collected 1250 bicycles over 3 days in early April. We are now entering Phase 2 of the program: Reconditioning.
We are desperately seeking mechanics in ABQ and Santa Fe to help us reach our goal of distributing 700 bikes to partnering organizations. If you, or someone you know, can adjust a derailleur or change brake pads, please sign up. Go to www.fb4knm.org and follow the volunteer link.
Help us spread the word that we are in need. Let’s get more kids on bikes!
Thanks for considering.
Lily

Lily O’Leary

505-930-1308


Volunteer Coordinator

Police Seek Identity Of Driver Of Truck That Struck A Cyclist Monday On NM 4 And Fled The Scene

The Los Alamos Police Department needs the assistance of the public in locating a white GM smaller style pickup truck with a single amber construction light affixed to the roof of the cab. This vehicle will have damage to the front hood.

The Los Alamos Police Department responded to a cyclist that was struck by this suspect truck Monday at around noon on NM State Route #4 near mile marker 54. The cyclist and accompanying cyclist were both injured. LAPD recommends that the driver report to the Los Alamos Police Department as soon as possible.

If anyone has any information that leads to the identification of the vehicle and/or driver a reward of up to $500 will be provided. Reporting individuals may call L.A. Crime-stoppers at (505) 662-8282.

RIDE LEADER TRAINING

The ride leader training was canceled last year because of the pandemic. As you know, our rides this year are going to be considerably different because of the pandemic. Your ride director and assistants have decided that we can always use more ride leaders and that we can accommodate ride leader training in a pandemic-friendly and abbreviated way. If you are interested, contact Lynn Pickard at lynnpickard1 at yahoo.com and she can fill you in on the details. We have enough leaders for the May rides, and we are thinking of doing the abbreviated training in late May or June.

Important Information about upcoming Thursday Rides

As you are aware we are starting up Thursday rides again in May.  As we all know Covid has caused lots of changes and we are trying to adapt appropriately.

Partly due to Covid and partly as an attempt at limiting group sizes we are going to try something new, at least for May.  So, depending on how many people sign up for each ride we may have more than one ride leader, so we can split up the groups into reasonable sizes.  We will designate a primary ride leader for each ride.  At the start that person will decide how many groups should be formed and will assign leaders / heros as appropriate.  This will be most pronounced in the B+ B B- section but also in A A- and depending on attendance, multiple C sections.

We will evaluate how this works during May, and decide how to continue.

Due to Covid, we are not going to have any all group mass starts.  We are splitting into 3 groups and starting the rides at 3 different places each week.

In the ride list, rides are listed alphabetically by start location / name of ride.  The group designation for that ride is at the end of the ride name.  e.g. Bandelier B vs. Bandelier C.

Since there is not going to be a sign-in table you will need to sign up for Thursday rides on the website.  From the ride schedule, you will click the name of the ride (making sure it is for your group (A,B,C) in red.

The description of the ride, the routes and the start location will load.  Then fill out the form to “Join the Ride”.  You may signup a total of 2 people at one time.  You will get a confirming email assuming you entered the correct email address.

We are limiting the total number of riders per group to 30.  For B rides, if there are enough riders and enough leaders then the ride will be split into B+, B, B- as we used to do.  Same for A and A-.  C rides will split into smaller groups if there are enough riders and leaders to try to keep each ride group to 10 or less.  Please note that the ride signup process is new.  If you cannot sign up for a ride, send your issue to admin at santafesobs.com via email.  Also note that if you signed up for a ride before April 4, 2021, then I have deleted your booking.  Sorry.  Good practice.

Ad hoc rides on Tuesday and Saturday will continue as they have been during 2020.  We will consider going back to the old ad hoc system later in the year, possibly June or July, but for now as it has been.  If you want to connect with an ad hoc group, fill out the contact form and indicate your ride level.

Ride Leaders Please Read and Take Action

Thanks again for what you do to help our club.

As you are aware we are starting up Thursday rides again in May.  Thus we will need your services.  As we all know Covid has caused lots of changes and we are trying to adapt appropriately.

Partly due to Covid and partly as an attempt at limiting group sizes we are going to try something new, at least for May.  So, depending on how many people sign up for each ride we may need more than one ride leader, so we can split up the groups into reasonable sizes.  We will designate a primary ride leader for each ride.  At the start that person will decide how many groups should be formed and will assign leaders / heros as appropriate.  So even though you may not be the primary ride leader, you may be asked to lead a group.  This will be most pronounced in the B+ B B- section but also in A A- and depending on attendance, multiple C sections.

We will evaluate how this works during May, and decide how to continue.

Due to Covid, we are not going to have any all group mass starts.  We are splitting into 3 groups and starting the rides at 3 different places each week.

In the ride list, rides are listed alphabetically by start location / name of ride.  The group designation is at the end of the ride name.  e.g. Bandelier B vs. Bandelier C.

In order to sign up for rides, please click and fill out the form to indicate which rides / dates you will be able to lead.  Please choose as many as possible.  You will then be informed, via email, which rides you have been made the primary leader and which rides you are eligible to be a secondary leader.  Whatever you submitted on the survey is not final or formal.  We are not using the survey to set up ride leaders for rides.  We will be using the above form.  So even if you filled out the survey, you must fill out this form to set up your ride leads.

Ride leaders, note that you will also need to reserve a space on the ride via the procedure to be posted on the blog tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Been Mostly Riding Alone, But Still Here

Hi all, just checking in to say hi. I got my second Pfizer vaccine last week. Sure feels good to have that done and under my belt. I am not sure if I am going to do it or not, but I have been planning a bit of a bike tour sometime this month. With a tour possible, I have been doing my riding lately with my gravel bike loaded up with my touring kit whenever I go out for any rides. I recently did a two day shakedown ride when visiting Cyndy’s mom in Phoenix, here is a link to the ride if you are interested: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1mr&page_id=612792&v=y. Hope everyone is safe and doing well (that includes you Bud….).

Cheers,

Ed

SOB Board Meeting Minutes 3-19-21

Santa Fe Seniors on Bikes

Board Meeting

March 19, 2021

The Santa Fe Seniors on Bikes Board met via Zoom due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic.  Those participating via Zoom were Judy Costlow, Bob Bogart, Ian Norrish, Michael Knarr, Lore Thorpe, Lynn Pickard, Steve Gitomer, and Christine Van Dornick.  The meeting began at 3:00 pm

The agenda for this meeting was sent to Board members by President Judy Costlow on March 19.  After a general welcome back since the board has not met since July 27, 2020, each board member was asked to give a short synopsis of how each person was doing and provide information if they had received the vaccine.  Most board members had either been fully vaccinated or were in the process of doing so.

Steve Gitomer gave a brief report on the status of the Treasury.  He stated that even though the SOB Blog had been posted that if members had paid their dues in 2020 they would not need to pay in 2021, some members had still paid in 2021.  To be clear, members were still asked to sign both the standard SOB waiver and the COVID 19 waiver for membership.  Lynn proposed that Steve and Bob would generally keep track of this issue with dues.  However, each member should be responsible to record their own payment.

Bob Bogart concurred with Steve Gitomer’s report and the issue with dues.  All board members concurred with Lynn’s proposal.

The next agenda item was the organization Bikes for Kids.  Board members were asked via email whether the SOB email list should be made available to solicit help and/or donations for this organization.  The Board’s response was not to provide the SOB email list.  However, the Blog would provide information for individuals to make their own choice whether to assist Bikes for Kids.

Lynn reported on the recent League of American Bicyclists (LAB) Bike Conference that was held online.  Lynn provided a general synopsis of the conference including the participation of New Mexico legislators.  She reported that the general focus of the conference was geared toward potential infrastructure improvements such as dedicated and protected bike lanes or traffic signal improvements that allow more of a delay in signal timing to accommodate cyclists.  A general poll was taken online during this conference by the Doctor who led the discussion about Navigating Group Riding during the COVID pandemic. During this online poll, 96% of participating cyclists wanted the vaccine and 37% of clubs were already riding or planned to begin group rides this spring.

The next item discussed was the planned opening of sanctioned SOB rides and procedures relative to the current Public Health Order (PHO) and the status of Santa Fe County in terms of the level of new COVID cases with respect to the spread of the virus in the local population.  Santa Fe is currently in the green color (one level less than optimum at turquoise).  This item was broken into three separate discussions.

  1. We continue to allow “official” SOB rides under the protocols that we have established, i.e., small groups put together by email, led by a ride leader, and all the other requirements. This is in case some small groups want to continue riding with their groups; they should still be SOB rides for insurance purposes.  Individual group ride leaders can communicate with their respective group by email with this information.  A ride leaders meeting will be scheduled prior to the official start of group rides. Prior to that meeting, a survey will be sent to the ride leaders.
  2. The tentative first Thursday Group Ride is scheduled for May 6. Starting in May, in addition to the rides in paragraph a., we operate the ad hoc Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday rides the same way.
  3. Starting in May, we publish our usual list of Thursday rides with three rides being listed under protocols that will be explained in a blog that will be posted on the SOB website  and emailed to the members who have signed up for notifications of blog posts. The protocols will be similar to those under which the small groups have been riding, but will require riders to sign up on-line.

 

There was no other business to discuss.  The Board agreed to meet via Zoom on April 23 to review any changes in the PHO and other factors relative to reopening the SOB’s for group riding.

 

There was a split in the Zoom meeting due to time limits set.  The original meeting temporarily adjourned at 3:40 PM.  The meeting resumed at 4 PM and then adjourned at 4:10 PM

 

Respectfully submitted,

Christine Van Dornick

SOB Secretary

Important Membership Information – Please read for comprehension

I guess the old saw, “there is no such thing as a free lunch” does not apply to Seniors.

Most of you paid for 2020 and as we keep saying that also means you are paid for 2021.  I know that October 2020 is a lifetime in the past and most of us cannot remember what we ate for dinner last night BUT we told you about this in October, the blog post is still on the website, and we have reminded you several times since then.  In that October post, which is linked on the membership page (as well as below), we also provided a list so you could confirm your payment status for 2020.  We cannot do any more to help.

The first paragraph of the Join page, the last sentence, reads:  IF YOU PAID FOR 2020 READ THIS FIRST!     It is even in red.

Clearly many of you did not read it.  If you have double paid then remember that and don’t pay again for 2022.  The membership committee is not going to track your double and triple payments.  You must do that for yourself.  We’ll take your word for it.  (Ian, Steve, and I will treat ourselves to some nice bike goodies cause the odds of any of you remembering that you paid for 2022, in a years time, are slim to none.)

Having discussed payment, now we come to the waivers.  We do track those.  Every year.   As it also says on the Join page, “… there are 3 steps:  Standard Waiver, Covid Waiver, and Payment.  NOTE:  THERE ARE 2 SEPARATE WAIVERS – YOU MUST SUBMIT BOTH! ”

Once the recent flurry of waivers has abated I will update you on who is good to go and who has work to do.  Till then………..keep sending extra money.  Much appreciated.

 

 

SOBs to open Thurday rides in May

The SOB club will begin more normal SOB rides on Thursday, May 6. It will take the board members and ride directors and assistants until then to organize ride leaders and methods of on-line sign up. Before May 6, and even after May 6 if riders desire, rides will continue to take place under the protocols previously established and posted on the SOB website. After May 6, Tuesday and weekend ad hoc rides will begin under those protocols as well.

Beginning in May, the club will post Thursday rides for our three groups of riders and will require riders to sign up on line (no more mass gatherings at a sign-up table). Rides may start in different places, and may be organized at the start so that groups are manageable in number, either by starting at different times or going in opposite directions on circular routes.

It is strongly encouraged that riders be fully vaccinated if you can get a shot, unless medical conditions prevent that. You must continue to follow the Covid restrictions posted on our website. Other cautions that we expect riders to adhere to include following current NM public health orders, e.g., staying socially distant and wearing masks as required by NM but especially on bike/pedestrian trails and in the downtown area.  We recommend keeping post-ride social activities outdoors.

If you have not submitted your two waivers for this year (the general waiver and the Covid waiver), you MUST do so before you begin to ride with us. If you are not on an email list for ad hoc ride notifications, do sign up on the form at the bottom of the Covid-19 ride information page of the SOB website.

Free Bikes 4 Kidz New Mexico to Give Away 500 Bicycles

Free Bikes 4 Kidz New Mexico will be hosting three drive-thru bike collection
days in April with the goal of collecting 500 bicycles to be refurbished then distributed to
partner organizations around the state and placed with kids and adults in need.
New Mexico is the 11th state to join a national growing movement called Free Bikes 4 Kidz
(FB4K.) Since its founding in Minnesota in 2008, FB4K has given away more than 100,000
refurbished bikes. One weekend a year, volunteers collect hundreds of used bikes and over the
next two months will refurbish salvageable ones. A free helmet is provided with every donated
bike.
Bicycle Technologies Incorporated (BTI), a national bike parts distributor based in Santa Fe,
has teamed with FB4K to expand the organization’s highly successful bike donation program.
The new affiliate, a non-profit called Free Bikes 4 Kidz/Bicycle Harvest will focus on creating a
conduit to serve partners across New Mexico and support exemplary efforts like Silver Stallion
in the Navajo Nation.
“Research shows that putting kids on bikes not only impacts their health in a positive way but
also improves their psychological wellbeing and inspires confidence,” says Preston Martin,
Founder and President of BTI. Every year, 25 million bikes are sold in the US and a third of
those are kids bikes. Once outgrown, many of those bikes collect dust. That is a potentially
constant supply of bikes to ensure kids who want a bike may have the opportunity to get one.
The schedule for the three COVID-19 safe drive-thru bike collection days are:
Los Alamos Friday, April 9 2PM-6PM IHM Catholic Church Parish Hall
Saturday, April 10 9AM-Noon 3700 Canyon Rd. Los Alamos
ABQ Saturday, April 10 11AM-3PM ABQ International Balloon Fiesta Park
Sport Systems 6915 Montgomery Blvd. NE.
Santa Fe Sunday, April 11 11AM-3PM BTI 33 Velocity Way
FB4K-NM will accept used kid’s or adult’s bicycles, tricycles, balance bikes and bike
accessories at these events. In addition to these events, there is an ongoing bike collection
during March and April at any of the participating local bike shops (during business hours)
listed on the web site. For more information on FB4K-NM or to inquire about donations or
volunteering, please visit fb4knm.org.

Bicycle Bill

During last year’s legislative session the 6 foot bicycle pass bill failed at the last minute.  
I haven’t heard about it being reintroduced this year.

It might help if a bunch of us stormed the Roundhouse.

Or just wrote letters or emails to our Representatives and Senators.

— Rich

La Sal loop, the big nasty, Moab

Hi folks. I’m wondering if anyone has ridden the La Sal loop, Moab, 65 miles that includes the little and big nasty climbs? How does it compare to any rides around here (or the Iron Horse ride.) contact me at juliejacobs2303@yahoo.com if you can tell me about the ride. Thanks

Sincere bicycles is good

I took my mtn bike and two more road bike projects to sincere bicycles and they did a great job and at a great price. I highly recommend them. Bailey the owner and mechanic is very knowledgable. FYI

changes to Covid waiver

Our Covid waiver has some obsolete language.  We are changing the opening paragraph as shown below.
” The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is reported to be extremely contagious. The state of medical knowledge is evolving, but the virus is known believed to spread from person-to-person contact and/or by contact with contaminated surfaces and objects, and in the air. People reportedly can be infected and show no symptoms and therefore spread the disease. The exact methods of spread and contraction are unknown, and there is no known treatment, cure, or vaccine for COVID-19.  Evidence has shown that COVID-19 can cause serious and potentially life threatening illness and even death.”
Unless you communicate back to us revoking your existing waiver via email to admin at santafesobs dot com then your existing waiver will remain in force for all of 2021.
As far as joining for 2021, please read this post for the current situation.
https://santafesobs.com/dues-holiday/

upcoming season

Hi there SOBs. Below is a message from your Board.

Hope all are doing well and continuing to manage thru the plague. We are not planning to restart formal rides until we hear differently from the Governor regarding restrictions. And we do not believe that there will be enough vaccinations conducted to start the normal ride season in April. We do not know when it will start but July is a real possibility. Thus we are not planning any board meetings or ride leader meetings until things have clarified more. You will be the first to know.

Stay Safe.

Happy New Year to all

I know we have all had a tough year, some more than others.  Let’s look forward to being able to ride in any size groups again and enjoy each others camaraderie on rides and at lunches etc.

Stay:  Safe, Healthy, Home (for awhile yet)

Safety First

I just saw this article on the Cycling Weekly website:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/e-bike-rider-died-after-his-brakes-failed-on-yorkshire-descent-486191

Apparently the rider crashed when his brakes failed during a 16% descent.
But the kicker is, he knew that his brakes were defective and rode anyway.

I was told many, many years back in regard to automobiles, to never take chances when it comes to tires or brakes. This advice obviously applies to bicycles as well. Replace your tires regularly before they suffer a catastrophic failure on a fast descent. Check that your brakes are in good working order often.

And pray for some decent riding weather!

Help change lives through The Power of Bicycles

We SOBs revel in the healthy exercise and recreation of riding our two wheelers around. Folks in poorer countries use and need bicycles for transportation to school, work, the markets and for transport of food, water, supplies, and everything else.

World Bicycle Relief manufactures and distributes sturdy, low-cost Buffalo bicycles to people throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Just $147 puts a brand new bike in the field and forever changes the trajectory of an individual’s life.

If we all could make just a small (or large) contribution (suggest $25 each) we would give pedal power to 10 or 20 people and their families and transform their lives.

Please consider supporting the Santa Fe Seniors On Bikes fundraising efforts to help mobilize individuals in rural developing countries.

To make a contribution go to:

https://give.worldbicyclerelief.org/SFSOB

Spread the word by sharing this page with others who may want to donate to help individuals challenged by distance.

Thank you for your support!

Happy Holidays

Hi Everyone, I want to wish you all a very Happy Holiday! This has been a challenging year for the SOBs and everyone else. But I think we have all made it work. A special thanks to our Leaders who have stepped up to guide each of our groups. I will miss seeing you all at our annual Holiday Party, but I think we are finally on the right track to get us back to a new normal. I hope for us a new year of hope, joy, spending lots of time with family and bicycling with friends.

In Memorium

Frank Battaglia, an early member of the SOBs, died of heart disease on November 29. Frank has not been able to ride with SOBs for about 3 years due to his condition. He and Susy had their primary home in Corpus Christi, Texas, though they enjoyed their frequent stays in their Santa Fe home very much. Frank’s last visit to Santa Fe was in late Auguest, 2019. A complete obituary can be viewed at

Frank was fun to be around! He was a friend to all and enjoyed riding with the SOBs for many years. Frank rode most of the extended rides each September, the last one being the ride from Trinidad, CO via Cimarron, Angel Fire, Las Vegas and home. I had the pleasure of riding with Frank on these trips and often sharing hotel rooms. The hills were often steep and long, and Frank and I would talk to each other, wondering what the fronts of the jerseys of the other riders looked like. But we made it. Probably the most difficult was Slumgulion Pass. By the time we arrived, the wine and crackers and cheese were already spread out and we could dig in quickly.

Frank was very generous and often surprised the group with sandwiches and drinks at the Santa Fe house where Susy welcomed us all. Frank also paid for the motel rooms of all the Texas 4000 riders for several years, and he donated the same amount to the group this past year when COVID forced them to cancel. Frank never attended the University of Texas and I asked him why he was so eager to support the Texas 4000. One of his sons graduated from UT, Frank said, and he wanted to show his appreciation for the university.

Frank served on a re-fueling tanker in the Navy. He said he was glad to serve on that ship because it would never “run out of gas in the middle of the ocean.” His service took him to most of the major ports in Europe and South America.

Frank was very tight with his family. Susy and three sons and one daughter and four grandchildren survive him. Frank’s father was an immigrant from Italy who lived to a little over 100 years old. On a trip a few years ago, Frank and Susy spent time on Sicily where his father had lived. “No,” Frank told me, “my father was not in the Mafia. But Susy kept a gun under the mattress just in case.”  Frank and Susy were devoted to the Roman Catholic Church and on another trip actually had a brief visit with the Pope– a highlight in their dedication to that faith.

Frank is one of those one meets in life whose friendship one savors for a lifetime.

Frank, if you are listening, your friends in Seniors on Bikes salute you!

Submitted by Bill Pollock

 

Happy Thanksgiving from me and the board

Tough year for everyone.  Still, enjoy Thanksgiving as best you can with whomever you can.
Some things to be thankful for:

  • Healthy family
  • Still riding
  • Joe won (not you Shaffer)
  • European cycling rescued most of the racing season
  • Football is happening
  • Grocery and Wine curbside works

Stay:  Safe, Healthy, Home

Here’s to a better 2021.  Oh, that’s the next holiday.

Stay At Home PHO

Due to the new PHO (public health order)  we are cancelling all sanctioned rides.  We think it is still ok to ride outdoors for health reasons but group riding is discouraged unless you are in the same household.  Hopefully these new restrictions will be over soon, but as has been stated by NM, the changing of restrictions will be on a county by county basis.  Stay Safe.  Stay Healthy.  Stay Home.

Sponsor update

We have lost one sponsor, Broken Spoke, and gained one, Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes.

Broken Spoke wanted to lower the discount to 10% but we decided not to have two tiers of discounts.  So they have withdrawn from our program.

Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes of Santa Fe is our newest SOB Sponsor. Club
members receive a 15% discount on full-priced parts and merchandise. As with our
other sponsors, sale items, bicycles, and labor do not receive the 15% discount.
Sleeping Bear Electric Bikes of Santa Fe is located at 7 Caliente Rd, Building A-3 (in
Eldorado) and operated by Phil Lepak. He offers a variety of brands and is a full
service shop for electric bikes only. The shops phone number is 505-699-8884. Internet
information can be seen on their website https://sleepingbearelectricbikes.com or you
can email Phil at phil.lepak@gmail.com

Stay Safe.  Stay Healthy.  Stay Home.

A Memorium

Wesley Horner was a member of Seniors on Bikes about 5 years ago. After a cycling injury he moved to Boulder, CO and resided in a retirement community. Rennie Finney has learned that Wes died October 27 in Bozeman, Montana where he was living with his daughter who worked at the university there. Wes rode usually in the C and B- groups. Wes retired from teaching at Santa Fe Prep where he taught science–geology being his field of study. On one of the SOB rides, the group went to Cafe Fina for lunch after the ride. While there, a young woman probably in late 20s approached me and told me that she was so glad to see Wes, because he was one of the best teachers she had ever had in her education.  I told Wes about her comment and he was very pleased and still knew her background and her work. To a teacher, no compliment can be better.

Submitted by Bill Pollock

2021 Membership Notes

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.  I had a typo in my post about the dues holiday.  I am sure you figured it out but just to clear everything up …..

This is what it said: “If you did not pay for 2021, then you do need to pay for 2021 and still sign both waivers.  But you don’t have to pull.”

This is what I meant: “If you did not pay for 2020, then you do need to pay for 2021 and still sign both waivers.  But you still have to pull. (kidding about the pulling)

On another note.  Most of you who have submitted waivers have done it correctly.  Some have only submitted one of the two waivers.  We need both.  Review your emails.  If you got 2 emails from SOBs, one for waiver and one for Covid waiver then you are complete.   If not then you owe us one of the two waivers.

And the winner of the 2021 join insomnia award is Dale Sanchez.  His submission was posted at 0439.  His prize is that he is excused from pulling duties.  Nice going Dale!

Stay Healthy Everyone.

Dues holiday

You’ll have to thank Ian for his erroneous email giving everyone 2021 membership.  The board has decided he was on the right track.  We have voted to approve a dues holiday for 2021 IF you are paid up for 2020.   If your name is on this list then you paid for 2020 (list will download as a PDF, look in your download folder) and have been gifted with a paid membership for 2021.  This gift does not come without consequence however.  Should you find yourself riding with an SOB board member in a headwind then you are required to pull that board member (which means to break the wind in front of said board member) until there is a tail wind!  This applies anytime the wind is over 10 mph from now until May 1.

If you did not pay for 2020, we know who you are, so you need to pay for 2021 in order to re-join.

In addition, EVERYONE still needs to sign BOTH waivers for 2021Click the Join link and do it.

So to summarize.
If you paid for 2020, congratulations you do not have to pay for 2021.  You do have to sign both waivers again.
If you did not pay for 2020, then you do need to pay for 2021 and still sign both waivers.  But you don’t have to pull.

If through some misguided sense of always being first you already paid for 2021, despite having paid for 2020, we will consider your payment as good for 2022, hopefully we all survive until then.

Stay Safe.

Good news for a change

It appears that NM DOT is going to repave NM 41 from Galisteo to 285.  And, if I read the information correctly they also plan on paving a 4 – 6 ft wide shoulder on both sides of the road.  How awesome would that be?  The comment period is just opening and runs through mid Sept.  I could not find a projected start or completion date for the project, but yesterday would not be soon enough.  Here are some links:

https://www.dot.state.nm.us/content/nmdot/en/ProjectsD5.html#5100451

https://www.nm41galisteo.com/

Buffs / Gaiters

If you are a paid up SOB and you have not gotten an SOB buff (whether useless or useful), let us know and we will attempt to get one close to you for pickup.   Please fill out this form so we can get you more buff.

Masks vs neck gaiters

Dr. Scrase, DOH Secretary, presented the below very helpful summary of the Duke University study at the Governor’s press conference today. As you can see, N95 masks and surgical masks are best. Various other cotton masks are pretty good, capturing 70-95% of droplets. Double layer bandanas capture only 45%, no mask captures 0, and neck gaiters not only don’t capture but create 20% more droplets than no face covering at all. Dr.Scrase said that there was no public health order regarding neck gaiters or bandanas yet, but he personally would stay away from people wearing them just as he stays away from people with no face covering. 

Gaiters

I’m sure that many of you have seen the articles alleging that wearing a gaiter is worse than useless. The media likes sensationalism and doesn’t like nuance. Take a look at this article which provides a more balanced view before deciding whether or not to wear your new SOB buff.

https://slate.com/technology/2020/08/gaiter-study-flawed.html

Sincere Cycles – new SOB sponsor

Welcome to Sincere Cycles, our newest SOB Sponsor.  Club members receive a 15% discount on full-priced parts and merchandise.  As with our other sponsors, sale items, bicycles, and labor do not receive the 15% discount.
SINCERE CYCLES is located at 411 Water St., Suite B (at Water and Guadalupe) and operated by Bailey Newbrey. The shop’s phone number is 505-983-8081. Internet information can be seen on their Facebook page or you can email Bailey at baileygenenewbrey@gmail.com   
Sincere Cycles joins our other five sponsors, Bike-N-Sport, Broken Spoke, Mellow Velo, Rob and Charlie’s and Sirius Cycles making your cycling experience as good as it can be. Please support our sponsors for your cycling needs.   Web Links are on our About Page. 

July 27 SOB Board Meeting Minutes

Santa Fe Seniors on Bikes

Board Meeting

July 27, 2020

On July 27, 2020 the Santa Fe Seniors on Bikes held a Board Meeting via Zoom Meeting Service due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic.  Those participating via Zoom were Judy Costlow, Bob Bogart, Lynn Pickard, Ian Norrish, Steve Gitomer, Michael Knarr, Lore Thorpe, and Christine Van Dornick.  The meeting began at 3:35 PM.  All participants were asked to mute themselves except when speaking.

Lynn Pickard began the meeting by asking how those who are currently participating in ad hoc ride groups are complying with the Governor’s latest Public Health Order.  To be specific, that means wearing masks, keeping social distance, and keeping the group size to 4 persons or less.  Several board members expressed concern in wearing masks during all parts of the ride but focus on wearing them when in locations where there are more people around.  Some groups are starting at more remote locations to avoid close contact with other people.  Some people wear masks all the time when riding; others wear them all the time except when riding uphill; all wear masks at least near the downtown in Santa Fe and at any location where cyclists are entering a building.  One group was observed riding too close together and seen wearing the SOB jersey.  Ride leaders should continue to inform participants of the latest Public Health Order.  Lynn will update language that will be placed on the ride guidelines page on the website.  In general groups will continue to communicate and schedule rides via email, and will strive to limit participation to 4 or less, practice social distancing, and wear masks. The language regarding out-of-town travel will also be modified in the SOB guidelines.

Michael Knarr stated that a new bike shop had opened at 411 Water Street Suite B near the downtown business district.  Sincere Cycle is primarily a mountain bike shop with parts and accessories geared to mountain bikes.  Michael asked the owner if they would like to be a sponsor of the SOBs.  The rules for a shop to be listed as a sponsor are that the shop agrees to a 15% discount for merchandise, not on labor or on the purchase of a bicycle.  The Board agreed to add this shop to the list of sponsors by consensus.

Steve Gitomer stated that the insurance company issued a refund on the premium, apparently  because of few events and less participation in rides during the pandemic.

A screen shot was taken during the Zoom meeting with all Board Members wearing their SOB jersey and a mask.

Bob reported that the SOB buffs were realistically arriving in the first week of August.  All paid members will receive one and be able to purchase more at $9.00 each if there are enough left over after the paid members take theirs.  More information will follow on the website once the order is received.

The Board agreed to meet again on August 24 at 3:30 PM via Zoom.  The meeting adjourned at 4:10 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Christine Van Dornick

Secretary

Riding While SOB

When SOBs are out riding their actions reflect on the club as a whole. The current public health order requires social distancing of six feet, groups less than five, and mask wearing when not eating, drinking, or swimming. Our Board has adopted policies and guidelines that counsel adherence to these orders and other requirements for SOB rides. If you are going to ride with other SOBs please  abide by SOB policies, whether or not you wear an SOB jersey, BUT ABSOLUTELY IF YOU DO WEAR A JERSEY.  Just as important as respecting the SOB club is respecting bike riding in general. Any ride group seen flouting Covid restrictions reflects poorly on all ride groups and could possibly result in even more draconian measures being imposed. PLEASE!
Thanks, Judy

Membership Status second try

Oops.  Seems I screwed up the link to the status page yesterday.  Sorry about that.  Here is another link that should work.  Membership Status.     Note that this status is still as of July 5 at 1036.  It has NOT been updated since then so if you paid or waivered since then that is not reflected on this information.  I’ll update it again next week.

Also, I seem to have made it hard to find the link to the Covid Waiver.  So here is that link directly.
Covid Waiver.

Membership Status

Several folks have asked about their membership status for 2020.  We do not make the full membership page public but we can give you a list of names with their current status (as of July 5 @ 10:36).  IF, as is highly improbable, due to the extreme diligence of your membership crew (Steve, Ian et moi) you feel some of this information is incorrect you may challenge the powers that be via email.  admin at santafesobs.com

I have not updated the emergency contact list for awhile.  After the flood of new waivers that should result from this post, I will work on it next week.

The key to the list of names is:

To check you status, click this link and you will download a PDF of all names.  Find your name, read the key and it will tell you your status.  If you find it confusing we apologize but we have to keep track of a lot of information.  (Green? colors don’t match but you get the idea).  If your name is missing, you were not a member in 2019 or 2020.

Clarification

Several astute SOBs have pointed out a problem with the being out of Santa Fe County sentence in our waiver.  Mea culpa.  So let’s make it being out of Santa Fe County or your home county (e.g. Los Alamos) for more than 24 hours in a row.  Short trips to Costco don’t count.  (Long trips do).   If you have already submitted the waiver, no worries.  Just revise your interpretation of that sentence.  I have put a parenthetical on that page as a correction.  Thanks for picking this up.  Stay safe.  Happy 4th.

June 29,2020, Board Meeting Minutes

June 29, 2020
Sante Fe Senior’s on Bikes Board Meeting
Meeting Minutes
This meeting was held via Zoom Meeting Service online due to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. Those participating via Zoom were Judy Costlow, Bob Bogart, Lynn Pickard, Ian Norrish, Steve Gitomer, Michael Knarr, and Christine Van Dornick. Please note that Michael Knarr was experiencing technical difficulties and disconnected at 3:10 PM and rejoined the meeting at 3:22 PM. Lore Thorpe was absent.
Lynn began the meeting at 3PM and asked for participants to remain muted unless they wanted to speak and to then raise their hand. The purpose of the meeting was to consider the proposal that was sent by email from Judy, Bob, and Lynn to all board members on June 24, 2020, to open the SOB club in limited fashion. The proposal contained guidelines for the reopening with consideration of the current pandemic. Board members were asked in the June 24 email to consider the proposal and reply to all with any particular concerns about the content in the proposal. Lore Thorpe agreed with the proposal by email. Board members at this Zoom meeting agreed to the proposal by consensus. Michael Knarr was not connected to the meeting at this time and later stated that he was not in favor of the SOB’s opening up in any fashion.
Lynn suggested that the proposal should be placed on the website blog. All board members present agreed to this action. Lynn suggested the following language to accompany the proposal on the blog being “The following guidelines apply until further notice”.
Moving forward with the limited reopening proposal, ride leaders should ask any ride participants if they have both paid their membership dues and signed the standard SOB waiver and the COVID 19 waiver. To date Bob reported that there are approximately 114 members who have signed the standard waiver and paid their dues. There is a list of members on the website. In June, there was a notice posted on the blog that small groups were riding on a regular basis and a form attached that anyone accessing the blog could respond to a request to participate in a group. Additional ride leaders may be necessary to keep group sizes small per the current State of New Mexico CDC guidelines (5 or fewer). Bob and Judy will contact ride leaders to lead other groups as necessary.
The next item to consider was to purchase buffs with the SOB logo. The buffs are a yellow background with the SOB logo in various sizes and the chain logo. The board agreed to order 150 buffs.
The board agreed to meet again by Zoom on July 27 at 3 PM. The meeting adjourned at 3:37 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Christine Van Dornick
SOB Secretary

Before group riding ….

… we request that you read this page:  https://santafesobs.com/june-2020-ride-information/ and that you follow the link on that page to fill out and submit the Covid-19 SOB waiver.  Also please make sure you have paid your dues and filled out the basic SOB liability waiver.  Due to Covid-19 we are requesting that you pay your dues online and NOT with cash or check.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Riding in July and possibly beyond

The SOB Board met (virtually) today and approved the following guidelines for SOB rides starting now and continuing until further notice.

Background:  Covid-19 has not receded as we had all hoped.  In fact, cases nationwide and in neighboring states have begun to rebound, and although New Mexico is still in reasonably good shape, it has also seen an uptick in cases.  Since we are going to have to live with it for the foreseeable future, we need to adapt in a way that is safe for us but still allows us to live our lives.  Several “unofficial” groups of SOBs have been riding together since our closure in mid-March with no known issues as of June 24.  There seems no reason not to offer these groups, and others that may form, coverage under our liability insurance, which we have paid for already for 2020.  The latest and best available health science information says that outdoor transmission of Covid-19 is extremely rare and very few, if any, documented cases of outdoor transmission have occurred.  Along with social distancing, hand sanitizing, and mask wearing, keeping your number of contacts small and contained is strongly advised.  So we are NOT going to restart a regular all club ride schedule.

However, the SOBs are going to sanction the existing ride groups and offer to sanction any new groups that form as long as all these groups adhere to a small set of requirements and take active notice of several strong recommendations.

Rides are official SOB rides if:
1) There is at least one SOB certified ride leader, and at least a total of 2 riders.

2) Riders are paid up SOB members, all riders wear helmets, and all riders have submitted both the standard and a new Covid-19 waiver. (total of 2 waivers).  Ride leaders will be given access to the SOB membership list which indicates who is paid and waivered.  SPECIAL NOTE:  DO NOT RIDE IF YOU HAVE ANY ACTIVE SYMPTOMS AND FOR 10 DAYS AFTER ALL SYMPTOMS ARE GONE.  DO NOT RIDE IF YOUHAVE BEEN EXPOSED AND FOR AT LEAST 14 DAYS AFTER BEING EXPOSED.

3) Ride groups adhere to SOB ride rules and current NM Health Advisories to the greatest extent possible. New groups should strive for five or fewer riders; existing groups should strive for subgroups of that size. If and when larger groups are permitted by NM Health Advisories, that is the maximum number the SOBs should strive for.  Ride groups shall maintain the same group of riders.  Please do not add more riders than allowed by NM Health Advisories, and do not swap riders between groups.  This allows us to keep a consistent set of ride partners and thus to keep a consistent set of contacts.

4) Social distance at starts, at rest stops, at end of ride.  It is prudent to ride farther back behind people than the six-foot social distance limit. Masks should be worn whenever state or local health advisories or laws require them.

5) Ride groups are self-organizing – including routes, start location, start time.  Rides will be scheduled via email lists and the SOB website will not be used to schedule any rides.

6) There is a form on the SOB website which anyone can submit indicating they are looking to become a part of a ride group.  The webmasters will forward that information to ride leaders who are willing to form new groups and members will be contacted by the ride leaders to set up rides.  The form and the Covid waiver can be accessed here:  https://santafesobs.com/june-2020-ride-information/

June 12 Board Meeting Minutes

Santa Fe Senior’s on Bikes
Board Meeting
June 12, 2020 via Zoom Meeting Service
This Board meeting took place via Zoom because of the current pandemic of the COVID 19 virus. In attendance via Zoom were Judy Coslow, Steve Gitomer, Ian Norrish, Bob Bogart, Lynn Pickard, Lore Thorpe, Michael Knarr, and Christine Van Dornick.
Judy called the meeting to order at 3 PM. The first issue was a review of the COVID 19 waiver that was prepared by Bob Bogart. All Board Members voted that this waiver language seems reasonable. After the Board reviews the current situation of the virus and the SOB rides resume, then this waiver will be placed on the website and there will be a reminder for all members to sign online before they participate in the regular scheduled rides.
The second issue was a review of the application of existing liability insurance for the current state of unofficial rides that existing members are coordinating by email. This discussion took place after a motion was made that insurance should apply to members who are participating in unofficial rides at this time. After this discussion, no agreement was reached. Since time for the meeting was running out, the discussion was put off until the next meeting.
The third issue was when the SOB would resume regular ad hoc and Thursday group rides. Currently, due to the pandemic, the regular ride schedule had been suspended. As stated, there are known groups of A and B group riders that are organizing unofficial rides by email contact. It was generally agreed that the current ride situation would continue (I.e. be unofficial rides). Judy and Lynn will organize C group riders via email for the last two Thursday rides during June and lead those rides. If any guest riders come to a particular group, it is recommended that the individuals sign the regular SOB Waiver.
The SOB Board agreed to meet via Zoom on June 29 at 3 PM to see if the current situation on the spread of COVID 19 has changed and to determine if the regular ride schedule or some variation of it will resume.
Meeting adjourned at approximately 3:35 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Christine Van Dornick, Secretary

Long Time No See

Hey SOBs.  Hope everyone is coping and riding as much as possible.  If you are running out of ride ideas I want to remind you that we have a route archive that you can easily access.  Click the local rides menu item or here (https://santafesobs.com/route-library/)  Enjoy.  Stay Healthy.

Reminder: Community courtesy during Covid19 outbreak

Just a reminder that the SOB’s are not riding in group rides at this time.  We will let you know when that starts up again.

As a further reminder, if you are riding with your pals, we ask that you respect the NM Public Health Order and not ride in groups larger than 5 and maintain 6 ft distance when stopped.  (This is still the NM Public Health Order through May 31).

And if you are riding with a group, please do not wear an SOB jersey.

Thank You for your understanding during this difficult time.

Judy Costlow
Lynn Pickard
Bob Bogart

May Food Depot Results

I got an email from Food Depot this morning.  Congratulations to all who contributed.  We raised even more money in May than in April.  But fewer people contributed.

In May, so far, we have contributed $2150 from 12 people.  In April it was $1720 from 20 people.

All told we have raised $3870 for the Food Depot.  Good Job SOB’s.

It’s never too late to contribute.  See this link for how to give a shout out to SOBs if you do contribute.  https://santafesobs.com/challenge/

 

Texas 4000 Ride

Seniors on Bikes has hosted in Santa Fe one of the three rides of the Texas 4000 challenge for the past 5 years. Students from the University of Texas leave Austin and ride to Anchorage, Alaska,riding 4000 miles and raising about $1 million for cancer research. Our members have met the Sierra Route on their arrival in Eldorado and escorted them to their motel in Santa Fe. We join them for dinner at the Los Compadres Country Club and a presentation by the students.

This year, the group altered the route and instead of Santa Fe, follow I-10 basically to Phoenix and then ride vans to San Diego and ride north from there. But today, May 13, the Texas 4000 has made the difficult decision to cancel the entire ride due to the complications of COVID-19. They postponed the decision as long as possible, but in the end, the logistics of hotels, restaurants and other support necessities are too unstable.

The students each year on the ride will have spent two years preparing for the ride. They work a raising funds, learning how to address large groups of strangers in various settings, learning how to ride 100-mile-day rides. Of the 2000 students each year who join in the program, only 100 are selected for the actual ride. We can empathize with them in this decision, which must be devastating to them

Submitted by Bill Pollock

May Challenge

Let’s donate more of our unused lunch money and Cinco de Mayo party money to the Food Depot.  The need is still immense.  Here is the link to how to donate and to provide a shout out to the SOBs so we know how much we donate.   https://santafesobs.com/challenge/

Last month the average SOB donation was $86.  From 20 people.  So the goal is simple:  more people, more money.

Stay Healthy.

Gravel Rides?

Hi all, as you know, our club has a big group of road riders, a smaller group of dedicated mountain bike riders and folks that regularly ride both road and mountain bikes. So that got me wondering, where does that put some of us that like to ride on paved surfaces as well as on gravel roads? Gravel riding seems to be very different than what is considered tradition mountain bike riding and as a result gravel mountain bikes are normally quite different beasts.

You have probably noticed the trend in recent years for dedicated road riders to start to include the possibility of riding on roads that are not paved. Hence the popularity of “gravel” or “all-road” segment of the bike market. A all-road or gravel bike is essentially just a road bike that can take wider tires may have a somewhat more relaxed frame geometry. Cyndy and I got new all-road bikes recently that replaced an older carbon road bike and a steel touring bike for us respectively. I think both of us got them primarily for road riding, but Salsa Warbirds are very versatile bikes that seem equally at home on paved or unpaved surfaces  https://salsacycles.com/bikes/warbird/2019_warbird_carbon_105_700. 

I do enjoy the lack of traffic found on most of the gravel roads I ride. Unlike the 5x normal riding speed seen in the timelapse Gopro videos I have been making, the pace on gravel roads lends itself to being more relaxed, giving you a chance to enjoy the scenery and not worry about traffic as much.  I got out this morning and did a little longer ride, at least for me these days: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/47910424 that went up the winding road in Apache Canyon. But unlike when the club rides out there and turns around when the pavement ends, I kept riding along the unpaved section of Highway 51 which runs about 20 miles along Rowe Mesa. I saw one car along the 8 miles of the gravel road on the way out and none on the way back, fun stuff

Highway 51 Part-1 5x Timewarp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AyGNzvkG1U&t=1s

Highway 51 Part-2 5x Timewarp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXY7-NUb5ks

Santa Fe Rails to Trail 2

Hi all, I’m still playing with the new GoPro on the Rails to Trail if anyone is interested in that sort of thing. I went out this morning and rode the rest of the improved section of the Santa Fe Rails to Trail route. I rode south from the house along the Eldorado section of the trail and then along the two miles or so of the very nice, new section of the trail that extends the route from Eldorado to Spur Ranch Road. Mike emailed me and suggested I try the timelapse mode on the GoPro, which I have never played with before, so I googled how to do it. The GoPro 8 has something called “Timewarp” mode that applies image stabilization to a video made up of individual timelapse images. The result is a video that runs at about 30x normal speed.

I set the GoPro to Timewarp mode and rode from the house along the southern section of the Rails to Trail. I just took a look at the resulting timelapse video when I got home, and it’s too fast to follow for my taste. I will see if I can set the camera to grab images more frequently, which should effectively slow the timelapse video down next time. BTW, as timelapse mode is based on a series of individual photos, there is no way record audio while the images are being captured, so there is no audio in the resulting video. Or at least no audio without without post-production video editing, which I don’t know how to do yet. On the other hand, for some reason I was a chatterbox on the normal video I shot when riding the route north, ha.

When I got the Spur Ranch Road, I set the camera to normal video mode, but this time at 4K to see if that would improve the image quality when the video is uploaded to Youtube. So the first 3 videos listed below are with me chattering away while riding north on the Rails to Trail route. The fourth video is the “Timewarp” video riding south on the trail from the house. And the fifth video is a link to a fellow named Darwin that Rich and I follow who has a very active Youtube channel riding the Santa Fe Rails to Trail back in 2016. I added a link to Darwin’s video as he has hiked and biked all over the country and he was still very impressed by our little Rails to Trail route. BTW, if others have video cameras mounted on themselves or their bikes, please share your rides with the club during this time of social distancing.

Santa Fe Rails to Trail 4, riding north-a,  4K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmHq_P2atFE&feature=youtu.be

Santa Fe Rails to Trail 5, riding north-b, 4K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhHSILcZSpY&feature=youtu.be

Santa Fe Rails to Trail 6, riding north-c, 4K: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvF6nhgyizc&feature=youtu.be 

Santa Fe Rails to Trail “Timewarp”, riding south: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=521xMMjf-Wg&feature=youtu.be

Darwin’s 2016 ride on Santa Fe Rails to Trail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHd_5gg488E

Santa Fe Rails to Trail

Hi all, Gopro’s are on sale these days for 100.00 off, so I broke down and got one from REI yesterday. Cyndy has given me a hard time for using my phone to take videos while riding, which to be fair, is not the most clever thing I have done…..hence the Gopro. It’s harder than I thought to figure out how to use the darn thing and upload videos, let alone editing the videos, which I have not looked into yet. But I did head out this morning on a loop that I have been riding lately on my “all-road” bike running 42mm slicks: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/47617546 with the Gopro hanging below the aerobars.

I was very curious to see how the image stabilization works, and if the microphone could pick up my voice over the wind noise. I am quite the Gopro novice, for example, I did not know that a single long video like the one I made is automatically broken up into individual 4gb videos. I also had trouble figuring how to load the videos from the Gopro onto my Windows desktop. Anyway, I think I uploaded the 5 mile section of the Rails to Trail from Rabbit Road to Eldorado in three parts if you have nothing better to do want to check out pieces of them. BTW, the video was recorded in 1080p high-def, which looks very good in its native form, but as I have heard, the video quality is degraded significantly when files are uploaded to youtube, if anyone has any ideas on maintain video quality when uploading files to share, drop me a line:

First section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKhclmO09x8 

Second section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHcjOVPFmg8 

Last section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2oO64cOwac 

Challenge Results and New Challenge

Congratulations SOBs.  I heard from the Food Depot and as of April 17, those who contributed to the Food Depot in honor of SOBs donated $1720 from 20 people.  That averages out to $86 each.   Way To Go.

So here’s a new challenge.  Let’s do better in May!  I’ll remind you when May rolls around.  And if you decide to donate before that make sure you fill out the “in honor of” section and put in SOBs.  That way we can keep track of our results.

Keep The Rubber Side Down. Stay Healthy.  Ride Far Apart.  Wash Your Hands.  Don’t Go To Georgia.

Do You Believe …………

Well, do ya?  If you do and you want to be ready for the restart of SOB rides (sometime in the next couple of years) then order your SOB kit NOW!

The kit will be shipped direct to you untouched by filthy SOB hands.

Since we are in separation mode there are no samples to try on.  There is a size chart on the website.

Link to the store.

Challenge

If you’re looking to help during this crisis, the Food Depot is feeding lots of needy New Mexicans.  You may have already donated to your favorite charity and that is great.  Congratulations.  I am challenging us all to donate a few days of our unused after ride lunch money to the Food Depot in honor of the SOBs.
The link is https://www.thefooddepot.org/covid19-crisis/
if you click the check box of honor or in memory fill in SOBs and the email of info@santafesobs.com and we will get a notification of your donation.
Let’s see how much we can raise.
Stay Safe and Healthy.

This is what the honor thing should look like:

Perils (?) of indoor training

Thomas De Gendt was pulled from a virtual race for ‘superhuman’ powers

It was the virtual equivalent of a crash.

Belgium’s Thomas De Gendt, who rides for Lotto Soudal, was doing what many elite athletes are doing during the suspension of sports by the novel coronavirus pandemic: He was using Zwift, an app for cyclists and runners that says it “turns indoor training into a game,” to work out and compete.

He was tooling along nicely last week when, suddenly, he slowed to a crawl despite pedaling furiously. What the what was happening? Zwift detected something was amiss and pulled him from the race.

“Either you missed your calling as a pro,” he said he was told in a message on his screen, “or there is something wrong with one of your devices.”  (This is the same message I get all the time on Zwift, which is why I stick to Sufferfest.  Well, it’s something like, “you’re pedaling too slow and blocking the road, get a motor”, which is similar right?)

De Gendt, of course, hadn’t missed his calling as a pro at all, and he quickly tweeted to the app: “i got thrown out of a race because of my superhuman power. Can you fix the stats for me?”

More and more athletes are using apps such as Zwift, and De Gendt was showing Tim Wellens, a Lotto Soudal teammate, the ropes.

“On a climb I just did the numbers that I more or less push in a race. Suddenly I was blocked and neutralized by the game,” he told Het Nieuwsblad, a Flemish newspaper. “You may still pedal so hard, but you are still set at a low speed. That’s a bit of a shame when you’re on a race.”

He went on to say that he hoped Zwift and other online apps would expand the parameters for users.

“It is only a game of course on Zwift, but I have a logo behind my name that I am a pro, so I hope those values can be lifted a bit,” De Gendt said. “Those races on Zwift are just perfect training for me.”

And more………..

Things were going well for Australian triathlete Mirinda Carfrae as she competed in a bike race from the confines of her home in Boulder, Colo.

Suddenly, Carfrae, a former triathlon world champion, was no longer second in the inaugural Ironman VR Pro Challenge women’s race, which was being broadcast live on Facebook. The culprit? She believed she hadn’t firmly plugged her bike into the wall outlet.

Alas, the explanation for the electrical failure lay elsewhere.

Her husband, triathlete Tim O’Donnell, confessed he had tripped over the cord when he entered the room and moved behind her to hold up cards for the camera.

“He decided to bring my trophies in here as motivation, and when he walked around the back, he kicked out the plug,” she said with a laugh on her Instagram story. “What an idiot!”

She kept pedaling in the 55-mile race anyway and later held up a sign that read, “It’s Tim’s fault.”

Carfrae vowed she won’t be seeking retribution.

Riding during Covid19

I put links to current information regarding riding during the Covid19 crisis on one page of our website and linked to it from the home page.  However you can also just click here and go to it.  If you have any information you feel would benefit our group then email it to me and I will add it to that page.

Info from USA Cycling

USA Cycling has cancelled all events through May 3.  USA Cycling is using 50% of new membership fees to support front line healthcare workers.  See below.  And they have suggestions on helping each other as well as helping local bike shops during this crisis.

USA Cycling is asking you to join us in making an even bigger impact. USA Cycling is working to support community health and increase the availability of PPE for medical professionals. From today until the date our current event suspension date is lifted (May 3), USA Cycling will use 50% of new membership payments to purchase face masks for use by front-line healthcare workers. We will partner with cycling industry companies like OrucaseKitsbow, and Pinch Flat Designs so that each new membership will result in the purchase of masks for front-line health care workers.

 

Flat fixing tips

Roadbikerider.com latest newsletter has an article I found useful in that it gives some great tips on how to fix a flat tire fast. (You can query google to find their website and the latest newsletter and then the article will be there). I can’t figure out how to add a link on this blog, sorry.
Whether or not speed in flat fixing is an issue with you or not isn’t what the article is about. But the tips provided will be helpful to me, and will definitely help in getting the job done.
Something to practice now while we’re stuck at home.

SOB Response to Covid-19 Crisis

The board has made the difficult decision to cancel all SOB rides until further notice.  That includes at least the first April Thursday ride and all ongoing ad hoc rides.

The below statement is from USA Cycling as of March 15.

Due to the latest data on COVID-19’s spread and the healthcare system’s ability to manage this crisis, USA Cycling is recommending cancellation of all sanctioned events immediately and calling on all race and event directors, clubs, coaches, athletes, and members to postpone or cancel all scheduled races and events immediately. This includes any gatherings such as group rides, in-person group meetings, etc.  We are suspending permits on all events through April 5th.

A worthwhile article about cycling amidst this crisis is:  https://www.bicycling.com/news/a31469228/cycling-during-coronavirus/
Some extremely pertinent sections from the article are copied below.

We tapped David Nieman, Dr.PH., health professor at Appalachian State University and director of the Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus, and Brian Labus, Ph.D., MPH, assistant professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, to help answer cyclists’ most frequently asked questions.

Is it safe to ride outside?

Yes—in fact, it’s safer to be outside than inside when it comes to disease transmission. When people congregate together and someone sneezes or coughs, droplets get onto objects that people touch, and then people touch their face, Nieman explains. The best plan for riding right now is to go out and ride solo and enjoy the outdoors.

Getting in 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to brisk activity can help your immune system keep viruses at bay. Be sure you know what’s going on in your area and if there are any restrictions or mandatory self-quarantines. And, if you’re sick or at-risk of spreading the virus, you shouldn’t go out.

Should you avoid riding in groups?

As of March 15, USA Cycling has recommended races and other gatherings, such as races and group rides be canceled or postponed and is suspending permits on all events through April 5.

Can coronavirus be spread through sweat?

According to the CDC, transmission of the coronavirus happens between people who are in close contact with one another (about six feet) and through respiratory droplets, produced through a cough or sneeze—not sweat.

Is my immune system weaker postride or after a hard workout?

As you deplete your stores of glycogen, your immune system does not function as well as it normally does. That means in the hours following a hard ride or race, if you have been exposed to someone who has been sick with the flu or coronavirus, your bodies defenses are down, Neiman says. Additionally, mental or physical stress—caused by exerting yourself on a long ride, in a race, or after very hard workout—could slightly increase your chances of becoming ill, Labus explains.

“I would caution cyclists to avoid long, intense rides or workouts right now until we get through all this and just to kind of keep things under control,” Nieman says. “Don’t overdo it. Be worried more about health than fitness.”

However, that doesn’t mean you need to quit riding or exercising altogether. There is a very strong connection between regular exercise and a strong immune system in the first place, so the long-term immune system benefits of exercising far outweigh any short-term concerns, Labus says.

Monday Mar 16 additional ride

If you can and if you want some of us will ride Monday rather than Tuesday.  Same time, same place.  Weather Monday supposed to be Sunny, 50deg, 7 mph wind vs Tuesday overcast, still 50 deg but 14 mph wind.  Or ride both.

Alternate Thursday (3/12/2020) Energetic Ride

For those interested, a few of us will be riding from the Madrid ballpark at 10:00 AM.

Some of us will be doing a loop down the Turquosie Trail past Golden to NM 344, up Heartbreak Hill to Cedar Grove, NM 41 to Galisteo, NM 42 back to NM 14 and Madrid. 68 miles, 3300 feet.

Some may opt for shorter out and backs to Golden or to the top of Heartbreak.

Madrid to Golden out & back 23.5 miles, 1700’
Madrid to Heartbreak out & back 30 miles 2400’
Madrid to Cedar Grove out & back 42 miles, 3000’