July

The Official Newsletter of the
PERMIAN BASIN BICYCLE ASSOCIATION
Volume XIV, Number 7
July 2008
The Permian Basin Bicycle Association was created to promote bicycle safety and
education. Based in Midland/Odessa, Texas, the P.B.B.A. is associated with the
League of American Bicyclists, the United States Cycling Federation, the National Off
Road Bicycle Association, Texas Bicycle Coalition and many local organizations.
They are involved in sponsoring local bicycle touring events, USCF Racing, mountain
bike rides, safety programs, riding clinics and many local civic programs. The
membership is dedicated to providing a safe riding environment and to help achieve
this they are educating both cyclists and motorists on the rules of the road.
Remember, cyclists use the same roads and have the same rights as any other
vehicle, but also remember we must obey the same rules. Everyone must SHARE
THE ROADS!
President
President Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Newsletter
Tour Director
Mt. Bike Director
Food Director
Safety
Meetings/Programs
Paul Heyroth
PeytonThorn
Peggy Smith
Read Johnston
Kelly Brammer
Russell Livingston
Scott Michael
Kathy Hester
Ruth Shields
John Floyd
Nigel Cowan
349-6550
618-0186
699-2080
349-6397
559-5346
520-3404
586-2072
699-7006
425-3573
366-7606
550-8006
cheif916_texas@yahoo.com
doctorthorn@netzero.com
nethealer-pbba@yahoo.com
brammer10@aol.com
rlivingston3602@hotmail.com
scottmichael@hotmail.com
khester@esc18.net
rshields4@suddenlink.net
nigelcowan@grandecom.net
Calendar of Cycling Events
Peyton's has entry forms for many of these events - contact us
Permian Basin Bicycle Assn. Club meetings - 3rd Monday of each Month in the Knights of
Ride
Columbus Building on FM 1788 at CR60 between Midland & Odessa. Food and social at 7:00,
Calendar
program at 7:30.
Local
Rides
July
2008
August
2008
Tuesday - Ladies’ ride. Leaves every Tuesday from Grande Football Stadium (North Parking
Lot). This is a slow pace ride. Everyone is welcome. For information contactl Kelly @ 5595346 or brammer10@aol.com
Tuesday & Thursday - From Race Pace to Intermediate - Leaves S.E. corner of Loop 338 &
Hwy 191 (The Professional Center) at 6:00 P.M.
Wednesday - Peyton's Wednesday Evening Ride. No Ride until Spring – Still meeting at
Rosa’s to talk cycling around 7:00!
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday Morning Rides – Odessa to Crane Ride – 40 Miles
round trip. Medium pace (15-20 MPH) ride on one of the smoothest roads around. Leaves the
Wilson’s Grocery Store at 8:00 AM (10 Miles south of I20 on Hwy 385 – the Crane Hwy in
Odessa). Call Jay @ 563-0179 for information or email Nigel @ Nigelcowan@grandecom.net.
Saturday – Race to Moderate pace, 25-50 Miles (depending on group) - Leaves S.E. corner of
Loop 338 & Hwy 191 at 7:30 AM.
Sunday - Medium pace, 23 Miles - Leaves Odessa Golden Corral on 42nd St. at 7:30 A.M. ,
Call Joe Hassell for ride details - 432-366-2136.
Sunday – Leaves the NE Corner of 1788 and 191 at the Radio Station & American Home
Improvement parking lot at 2:00PM. This is a comfortable pace ride. Everyone is welcome;
both guys and gals & from beginners to racers. Be sure and bring your helmet and plenty to
drink.
3 – SABA Mountain TT
San Angelo, TX
4 – Blistering Sands Bike Tour
Monahans, TX
10 – SABA Road TT
San Angelo, TX
13 – Lake Nasworthy Sprint Triathlon
San Angelo, TX
325-942-7646
19 – 20 Cactus and Crude MS Ride
Midland, TX
432-699-1718
800-373-4764
27 – YMCA Tumbleweed Triathlon
Odessa, TX
432-362-4301
26 – 27 Texas State Crit Championships
Denton, TX
2 – YMCA Tall City Triathlon
Midland, TX
432-943-4633
432-699-1718
800-373-4764
2 – 3 – Texas State TT Championships
Pattison, TX
7 – SABA Mountain TT
San Angelo, TX
14 – SABA Raod TT
San Angelo, TX
September
4 – SABA Mountain TT
2008
6 – Amish Country Bike Tour
San Angelo, TX
Dover, Delaware
6 – Comanche Warrior Sprint Triathlon
Big Spring, TX
11 – SABA Road TT
San Angelo, TX
20-21 Fort Davis Cyclefest Bike Tour
Fort Davis, TX
432-699-1718
Monahans Sand Hills State Park Moonlight Ride is tentatively
scheduled for October 11th.
Mark your calendars for this full
moon evening and watch for more details in the future.
Make sure to register for the Bike MS: 2008 Cactus & Crude Ride presented by Williams Oil
Company. The ride takes place on July 19 & 20. Be sure to sign up with the Permian Basin Bicycle
Association Team. Contact holly.lafebre@nmss.org or phone 1-806-687-4816 for more information.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT
nationalMSsociety.org/txq
BLISTERING SANDS CHALLENGE BICYCLE TOURS
Proceeds support scholarships and other charitable activities of St. John Knights of Columbus More
info: Monahans Chamber of Commerce 432/943-2187, Fax -6868 or fheslin1@nwol.net
Friday, July 4, 2008, Hill Park, Monahans, Texas
Odes sa, Midl and, K ermit, Monahans new.wtstatebk.com
www.specopsbrand.com
Free 10-Mile Tour
$17 Early Entry Fee (Receive Gift Certificate)
$20 Fee at Registration (Gift Certificate)
All rides will start and finish at Hill Park, behind the courthouse at Fourth St.& Bruce Ave.
The 22- and 54-mile tours will start at 8:00
The 10-mile tour will start at 8:05 AM
We may vary the routes and distances of some rides. The courses cover flat to rolling terrain.
Extreme heat can be expected. Sag wagons and waterstops will be available, but riders should
also carry water. All riders are advised to wear helmets and they are mandatory for the 22- and
54-mile tours.
Showers available after you ride
Stay and enjoy the Freedom Fair
A Festival of Freedom for the Whole Family
Please send REGISTRATION and $17 to:
St. John Knights of Columbus, PO Box 286, Monahans, TX 79756NAME
ADDRESS_________________________________________
CITY______________________________STATE ______ ZIP
AGE _____E-MAIL______________________ @ _________________
TOUR MILES _____10 _____22 _____54
Choose your $12 Gift Certificate:
PEYTON’S BIKES (MIDLAND)_____
BIKES ETC. (ODESSA) ________
.
The 2008 Tour de Nowhere, benefiting Cal Farley's Girlstown USA and the Levelland
Volunteer Fire Department, will be on Saturday, July 8. This tour has well supported routes
of 17, 30, 44, 75 and 109 miles. There is a ride for every skill level. If you haven't ridden in
the Levelland area before, you will be surprised by the nice scenery, good roads, and limited
traffic.
Route maps are available on the tour website ( www.caprockcycling.org/nowhere ). They
have been changed from last year such that the 44, 75, and 109 mile routes include a rest stop
at Girlstown USA. This will be a good opportunity to see this great facility.
After the ride, the Levelland Fire Department will provide a spaghetti lunch that will be the
perfect ending to a Saturday ride.
The ride starts at 8:00 AM from The Armory at Levelland City Park. A map showing the
location of the park is provided on the tour website.
For those of you who have already registered for the 2008 Tour de Nowhere, thanks, it is
going to be a great event. For those of you who have not, please visit the tour website.
Registration for the tour is $25 with a free event t-shirt for those who pre-register online or
by mail on or before Tuesday, July 8.
I have heard that my earlier email concerning this event was not transmitted accurately or
completely to all of the intended recipients. I apologize for that. If you have any questions
about the tour please shoot me an email and I will try to help you.
Keep cycling and keep it safe,
Walt Oler (walt.oler@gmail.com)
Caprock Cycling Events
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Our Ruidoso Tour, June 20-22, 2008
By David Eggleston
Thanks to Fred Hunley we had a great weekend up in the mountains around
Ruidoso. We tried something new. A friend got phenomenal gas mileage by going slow,
so we did the whole trip to Ruidoso and back at 60 mph. Our gas mileage went from 27
to 34.5 mpg, and we were more relaxed. Driving fast requires special attention and is
tiring.
We also benefited from our early reservation, in that our ground floor room at the
Sitzmark Chalet motel was very convenient for bringing our tandem into the room. Just
open the outside door and go straight through into our room.
We arrived at the Sitz at 12:30 pm Fri. in time for the 1 pm ride. We managed to
check in and load our tandem on the trailer. There was a good crowd, with lots of club
members getting ready and standing around chatting. We soon loaded the bikes and
were off to St. Joseph’s chapel at Mescalero for the ride up the canyon.
The doors of the church were open and most of us couldn’t resist going inside.
The sanctuary is massive and beautiful, with many statues and paintings with
Mescalero Apache motifs.
It was almost continuous climbing. Lois and I were the slowest climbers on our
rather heavy classic Mercian touring tandem. The group was very nice and waited for us
at the top. When we finally made it we took a group photo and began the descent.
Tandems are slow uphill, but very fast downhill, so we were soon catching the group
and passing. We reached almost 40 mph and passed everybody without pedaling. We
soon returned to the Sitz for our showers and a rest. Then we gathered at the Casa
Blanca for Mexican cuisine.
On Saturday we split into a small group doing the Capitan ride, and a larger
group heading through the reservation to Cloudcroft. Lois and I did part of the
Cloudcroft ride, but were not up for the whole distance. We ended up doing the 5.2 mi
climb and an 8 mile descent, but turned around when it started clouding up. It didn’t rain
though.
We started out up the 5.2 mile climb, but met an interesting rider coming down.
He turned out to be Galen Farrington, a Ruidoso resident and classic steel bike
aficionado who worked as a cycling trainer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs for 11 years!
After our Sunday ride we visited his home and saw all his meticulously
refurbished bikes, including 6 assorted classic steel racing bikes and a custom Mercian
single. It was our own classic Mercian tandem that especially caught his eye. Galen is
quite an interesting guy.
We arrived back at the start of the Cloudcroft ride about noon, and then visited
the lake at the Inn of the Mountain Gods for a leisurely lunch.
Our Sat. evening meal was at a BBQ place, hosted by the PBBA through Fred.
He was not allowed to use the nice grills at the Sitz due to fire danger restrictions.
On Sunday morning we gathered at the top near the Kokopelli development.
Some were doing a 35 mi. loop toward Ft. Stanton, while we opted for the long Gavilan
Canyon downhill. We were back at the Sitz by 8:30 am. We showered and checked out
by 10 and headed up to near Cree Drive to talk with Galen and his wife. It was a very
enjoyable tour and we thank Fred Hunley for all his work and mother henning us.
Thanks Fred!
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ST. JOSEPH’S CHAPEL
INSIDE CHAPEL
SHOPPING???
Saturday Morning Before Rides
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CLOUDCROFT
SATURDAY CLOUDCROFT GROUP
DINNER SATURDAY NIGHT
SUNDAY MORNING RIDE
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The View From Back Here
By: Russell Livingston
The months are flying by. July is upon us and many of us are trying to get the miles in for the
Cactus and Crude scheduled for later this month. Those miles have been difficult to come by this
year. With the heat and that awful wind, many rides have been shortened or not even started. In
our quest for comfortable riding conditions, my daughter, Whitney and riding buddy Robert
Thomas have started our Monday/Wednesday/Friday pre-dawn rides. For Robert and me, it is the
resumption of our annual routine. For Whitney, it is the first time in her life she has voluntarily
awakened at 5:00 in the morning on a routine basis.
Generally speaking, these rides afford the most pleasant climate for riding. That is from the
standpoint of temperatures (mid 70’s) to milder winds (usually a gentle breeze). These rides have
not been approached with a caviler attitude from the standpoint of safety. We have made
significant investments in lighting, reflective clothing and routes to have given us a sense of
security.
It was during one of these rides that something very unusual happened. We were riding along the
north side service road of Hwy 191. We are aware of traffic approaching from the rear and will
get in single file to the right of the white line when anything is sited. We followed this procedure
as we have for years and continued our ride.
Approximately a mile later, as we approached the X-Chem yard, a gentleman was standing next
to the road. He flagged us down and was very courteous. He then dropped the bombshell.
Robert’s tail light was, according to him, VERY visible. He reported seeing it from a long way
back. He then told me and Whitney that our tail lights, though visible, were not nearly as
effective as Robert’s. That was pretty sobering information to be receiving at 6:00 am when we
still had several miles to ride on a dark highway.
The man was very nice and in no way could his passing us be considered a “close call.” He was
simply giving us some very valuable information that one day could save our lives. That day, we
were in our favorite bicycle shop and made an investment in two of the most obnoxious, brite
and blinky lights available to the public. We now wonder what it must look like for motorists
approaching from behind with three riders flashing down the service road.
We never learned who the man was that went out of his way, at the start of a probably busy day
to let us know what he had observed. That was something he didn’t have to do and it is greatly
appreciated. It kind of helps us forget about some of those inconsiderate motorists that generally
try to take the fun out of our hobby and passion.
Everyone have fun, get ready for your chosen events and above all ride safely.
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FROM THE FOOD COMMITTE
We have some grilling experts in our club including Bill and Clare Murphy
along with Peyton Thorn. This trio braved the hot outdoor temperatures to
prepare hamburgers and chicken.
Karen Stark and Read Johnson came with
delicious baked beans and berry cobbler.
Paul Heyroth made sure we had
plenty of toppings.
Jasha Cultreri topped of the meal with cake and
cookies.
Many thanks to Ruth Shields for making sure we always have ice,
water and paper goods.
These meals are a team effort and are only
successful due to all the willing volunteers.
Thanks to everyone!
Kathy Hester
Kathy Hester
PBBA MEETING
July 21, 2008
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS BUILDING
CORNER OF 1788 AND CR60
Dinner @ 7pm
Meeting starts @ 7:30pm
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NEW RIDER SEEKING BIKE
PBBA Jerseys
"I need a cheap, used bike. My wife
will not let me spend a lot because we
have a baby on the way."
Price range: $300-350 (less would be
fine)
Contact: Asif Rafeek 432-296-2117
Note: Rafeek is a football coach at Lee
High School that is developing an
interest in cycling. His first baby is
due in December. Anyone have a quality
used bike for sale?
The final order for 2008 has been
placed. We did order a few extras to
meet the minimum order requirement.
There are still three jerseys left from
the initial order (as of June 17th):
One XXL men's short sleeve
One XXL women's short sleeve
One small women's long sleeve.
Call Kathy Hester at 699-7006 or email
khester@esc18.net if interested in the a
remaining jersey.
DEADLINE FOR THE NEWSLETTER IS THE 23RD OF EACH MONTH. PLEASE SUBMIT
ALL ARTICLES, PICTURES ETC. TO KELLY BRAMMER - BRAMMER10@AOL.COM
OR CALL 682-2617
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