1000 Miles in Australia

…... During the winter, these rides will temporarily replace the Regular Club Rides on
Saturday. Those wanting to ride on Saturdays, can still do so with the Spinners. The
Sunday Noon to 4 Rides will be a little faster and a little longer. The ride routes will be sent
out and discussed by email probably the day before and the day of the ride. Since the ride
routes may not be on the web site, you need to get on the email list for instant updates. Please
write to Al at ……….…almr199@aol.com
Newsletter of the
Santiam Spokes, Inc.
P.O Box 739
Lebanon, OR 97355
1000 Miles in Australia
Club Meeting — November 7th
7:00 P.M.
http://s an ti ams p okes . o rg
Volume 22— No. 2
November 2013
2013 - 2014 Officers
President — Ken Bronson
Vice President — Steve
Snyder
Secretary — May Garland
Treasurer — Maurice Banning
Membership — Wade &
Debi Bloecher
Newsletter — Greg
Stephens
Enrique Semadeni will
take us on his 2013
Australian Tour at the
November meeting. In
February 2013, Brandy and
Mike Schuyler, George
Shaw, and Enrique
Semadeni rode 500 miles in
Tasmania. They then flew
to Perth and rode another
500 miles. It was a great
country, with nice people,
and beautiful roads
according to Enrique. Food
and drink were expensive,
and they ended up doing a
lot of their own cooking. They had little fresh fish, but a lot of lamb. They
had nice beaches and clean water for swimming. It was a great trip. Come
to the meeting and hear about their trip.
Ride Captain — Al Rimer
Webmaster — Roger
Gaither
Publicity — Ken Orwick
Historian — Bill Pintard
Strawberry Century —
John Smith
New Officers elected for 2014
The Nominating Committee comprised of Al
Rimers, Tom and Adrienne Youmans were unable
to find people to run for 3 positions….President,
Secretary, & Publicity. Ken Bronson stepped up
and agreed to run for President, as did May Garland for Secretary. Ken Orwick was contacted by
phone and agreed to do Publicity. Ballots were
then distributed and the new officers elected are
listed above. Thank you & congratulations to all
the new Club Officers.
Page 1 - November 2013
Also in This Issue







October Minutes
Lynn Welch
Santiam Terrace Ride
Brownsville Ride
Slo-Poke Sez
Membership Application
November Calendar
Sunday Rides to
Start in December
Ride Captain Al Rimer along
with Ride Committee Members
Barbi Thomson, Maurice Banning, and Adrienne Youmans,
says that beginning in December, Noon to 4 Rides will be
starting on Sundays…...
(Continued on Next Page)
Sunday Rides — Continued
…... During the winter, these rides will temporarily replace the Regular Club Rides on Saturday. Those wanting to ride on
Saturdays, can still do so with the Spinners. The Sunday Noon to 4 Rides will be a little faster and a little longer. The ride
routes will be sent out and discussed by email probably the day before and the day of the ride. Since the ride routes may not
be on the web site, you need to get on the email list for instant updates. Please write to Al at ……….…almr199@aol.com
Minutes of the Santiam Spokes Bicycle Club October 3, 2013 6:30 PM SLCH Lebanon, OR
The evening started with everyone present enjoying the wonderful food brought by Club members for our annual potluck dinner. Thanks to everyone for the yummy foods, especially Debi Bloecher who brought a huge chocolate cake to celebrate her
husband’s birthday. (Thanks for having a birthday, Wade!)
President Ron Kropf opened the meeting at 7:40 PM.
Vice President Lynn Trimpe introduced the guest speakers for the evening. Lori Wilson and Kim Thackray described in photos and words their wonderful 10-day bicycle adventure in Spain in the summer of 2012. The group of four women traveled
500 km along the pilgrimage road called the Camino de Santiago. The pilgrimage, which is a religious tradition, is primarily
for walkers. It begins in southern France and has been an annual event for the past 700 years. Lori and Kim were accompanied by Lori’s daughter and a friend who lives in Spain. The photos showed us the roads, countryside, accommodations, and
foods that the group enjoyed. Thanks to Lori and Kim for sharing their wonderful trip with us.
Minutes of the September 5, 2013 meeting were approved as presented in the newsletter. Motion by Barbi Thomson; second by John Smith.
Treasurer’s Report - Maurice Banning - The Club has $8,000 in reserve for the 2014 Strawberry Century; $6204.86 in
assets, with $5027 in the checking account, $1177 owed to the Club by Club Tour participants, and $1058.53 in payables,
primarily for updating Quicken accounting software. Report approved. Motion by Lynn Trimpe; second by Greg Stephens.
Membership Report - Debi Bloecher - The Club currently has 49 individual members and 49 family members, including
Barb Danner and her husband who just joined.
Ride Captain Report - Wade Bloecher - The ride this Saturday is an annual favorite to Detering Orchards for great Fall
harvest fruits and vegetables, including free apple pie. Other rides in October are set.
New Business - Before electing new officers, Ron presented the current officers with a thank-you gift of monogramed “Slip
and Snips” which are handy small scissors made in Sweet Home. They are extremely useful because they flatted out and fit
into a case.
Next, Lynn presented Ron with a thank-you gift of “warmies” for winter bicycling - gloves and a versatile headgator for wearing around your neck or over your head with your bike helmet.
Election of New Officers - Ron distributed a ballot to use in voting for Club officers for 2013-2014. The Nominating Committee was unable to find people to run for three positions - President, Secretary and Publicity. After a brief discussion
among Club members present, Ken Bronson agreed to run for president, May Garland for secretary, and Ken Orwick
(contacted by telephone) for Publicity. After the ballots were counted, the slate of new officers is as follows: President - Ken
Bronson; Vice-President - Steve Snyder; Secretary - May Garland; Treasurer - Maurice Banning; Webmaster - Roger Gaither;
Newsletter - Greg Stephens; Membership - Wade & Debi Bloecher; Historian - Bill Pintard; Publicity - Ken Orwick; Strawberry
Century - John Smith; Ride Captain - Al Rimer, with Adrienne Youmans and Barbi Thomson as alternates.
Bylaws - Ron reminded the group that The Board of Officers has presented revised Bylaws to the membership in the latest
newsletter which is online at the Club website. In addition, Maurice Banning has submitted his own new version of the Bylaws
which can also be read at the Club website. The Club is scheduled to vote on the Bylaws at the November meeting.
Miscellaneous - John Smith reported that he has just attended the Interbike Conference and that there is currently a focus
on women and bicycling. He stated that the industry is noticing that “Women are not small men.” We can look for new products that target women’s needs.
Bill Pintard reminded people to turn in ride waiver sheets to him. He is collecting data from them as part of the Club history.
Roger Gaither announced that results of a Doodle Poll that he initiated (28 responses) indicate that the Spinners Rides are
meeting the needs of the group for whom they were intended.
John Smith reminded people that he still needs volunteers for Century activities, primarily someone who will handle the
food. Please contact him if you can help out.
Page 2 - November 2013
Lynn Welch - A Bicycle is His Therapy
After almost dying from a stroke in 2010 and then having 3 way by-pass heart surgery in 2011, Lynn Welch
decided to change his life.
He was a Nuclear Electronic Tech in the Navy and then worked as an electronic tech at HP in Corvallis. At the
time of his stroke he was working at Garmin in Salem In December, 2011, just before Christmas, he was in the
loft getting ready to go downstairs. Everything went fuzzy. He rested, then tried again. Same result. He
waited for his girlfriend Wendy to come out and told her he
needed her help. The ride to the hospital was interesting
and scary. He told her to slow down and calm down. He
wanted to get to the hospital in one piece. Oddly he was
calm the whole time. At the Corvallis hospital they ran
some tests and stabilized him. They sent him home for a
couple of days then told him to come back after Christmas
for a triple bypass. Three days after the surgery, he went
home to recuperate. He was sore and very slow. After a
month, he could hardly walk the one block to the general
store. About 2 months after surgery, he took the batteries
out of his trike and started riding it. It was the perfect
exercise because of the low impact on his chest. He
started logging his miles. In March he could only ride a
couple of miles in a day. He kept improving. In April, he
rode 13 miles in a day. In May, the most he rode was 15
miles. By the end of June , he had ridden a total of 441
miles. By December 2012 he could ride 27 miles in one
day and had ridden 3000 miles since he started. That
really surprised him. He had never done anything
"healthy" before. So that is when he decided to ride for
Lynn and his “town car”
“real".
On March 7th, 2013 he took the bus to Albany and bought his current "2-wheel" bike. He rode it home.....20
miles. Seeing what is possible from those he has met on the Spokes group rides has been both inspirational
and impressive. He says he sees those that make him
pale in comparison in their strength and endurance. If
someone had told him way back when that he would be
able to ride from one town to the next town and back, it
would have been beyond his belief. Yet now he does it
just for fun and the challenge. He did the 72 Mile
Strawberry this year (slowly he says). All he heard all
day was "on your left". The only person he passed was
a gal going back the other way. But he persevered and
made it. It has always been a goal of his to do the hill
ride to Sweet Home. So on August 31st he came to the
Lebanon Hospital to do the Santiam Terrace Ride. For
those of you who have not done this ride, this is a Category lll ride with some really tough hills. Even though
he was last up the hills to the top of Fern Ridge, he was
all smiles when he got there. He says he wants to do it
again though, because he did have to walk a little ways
up one of the hills. So far this year he has ridden over
6500 miles. He doesn't drive anymore, so the miles
really add up. He still splits time between his trike and
his bike, depending on the weather and the situation.
Everyday he is riding somewhere. He says he is not
fast, but he is stubborn.....and he is working on getting
faster. Biking is truly his therapy!
Lynn at the top of Fern Ridge
Page 3 - November 2013
Santiam Terrace Ride
The Santiam Terrace Ride was a dandy. 13 riders enjoyed 49 Miles filled with Sunshine, Friends, Category ll & lll hills and
outstanding beauty. Lunch in Sweet Home and then back to Lebanon. Truly a day to remember. Photos by Greg
Stephens
Page 4 - November 2013
Santiam Terrace Ride
Indian Council Tree — on Liberty Road
Albany to Brownsville — Stage Ride
Thanks to Lynn Welch for submitting these two pictures
Page 5 - November 2013
This and That

We will be voting at the November meeting on a Proposed Revision Dated November 7th, 2013 of our
By-laws.

We will also be voting on a new Complete re-write of our By-laws. Please read up on both of them and
plan on attending the November meeting so you can vote.
Welcome New Members
Slo-Poke Sez
Brian & Barb Danner
Rocks, Clods, Holes, Debris
Please email Outspoken submissions
by the 20th of the month to:
Editor…...
twostep2004@comcast.net
Page 6 - November 2013
Watch for road debris ranging from logs & boulders,
garbage cans, clods of dirt, and hazards down to the
tiniest piece of glass or sharp rocks. Look behind before
you swerve to avoid obstacles; alert your fellow riders.
November 2013
Sun
Mon
Tue
3 12:00 PM - 7 4
Oak Middle School
- Berlin Road Loop
- 25 Miles
5
10
12
11
Wed
6
10:00 AM
Wednesday Wanderers
13 10:00 AM
Wednesday Wanderers
Thu
7
Fri
1 10:30 Ride
to Yellowbottom - Start
Wiley Creek 49th Ave - S.H.
2
8
9
7:00 PM Monthly
Meeting - SLCH
14
Sat
Reg. Ride - SLCH Loop via
Cold Springs Road - 30 Miles
Spinners - Corvallis Loop - 34
Miles
Reg. Ride - Brownsville to
Boston Mill - 30 Miles
Spinners - Shedd Loop - 35 Miles
15
16 Reg. Ride - North Albany to
Helmick Park - 30 Miles
Spinners - Tangent - Albany Beanery Loop - 34 Miles
17
18
19
20
10:00 AM
Wednesday Wanderers
21
22
23 Combination Ride for Everyone - Four Covered Bridges Loop 37 Miles
24
25
26
27
10:00 AM
Wednesday Wanderers
28
29
30 Reg. Ride - Loop the Buttes 23 or 33 Miles
Spinners - Stayton Loop - 33 Miles
Wednesday Rides start at 10:00 at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Albany. Call Ace & Jo Johnson 503-428-0654 for more info.
Regular Club Rides on Saturday start at 10:00 from various sites depending on the route. Call Al Rimer 541-979-2764 for more
information.
Spinner Rides on Saturday start at 10:00 from various sites depending on the route. Call Roger Gaither 503-394-3696 for more
information. To get on the email list for the Spinners, email your request to Roger Gaither…….gaither@smt-net.com
Sunday Rides in November are additional rides. In December they will take the place of Saturday Rides. See the current Newsletter for more information. To get on the email list for Sunday Rides, email your request to Al Rimer.....alrmr199@aol.com
Information on all rides can be obtained from our website:
http://santiamspokes.org/Rides.htm
Click on the ride you are interested in and it will show you the route and the information you are interested in.
Rides – Key for Route Description
Cat l
- Flat to rolling hills, easy pedaling
Cat ll
- More rolling hills, short steep climbs….a hardy workout
Cat lll - Moderate longer hills, with a few steep climbs. Be experienced and in good biking condition
Cat lV - Frequent hills, some long steep climbs. These are tough
rides that require endurance
Page 7 - November 2013