NCBC meeting notes - June '97


These are the notes from the June 2nd, 1997 meeting of the NCBC. Much thanks to Tim Hunter for his note taking!

Bike safety, summer rally discussed at June meeting

Cycling safety and plans for the summer rally were the main topics at the June club meeting. The meeting was held on June 2 at the Crossroads REI store in Cary. Club vice-president Henri Bohl chaired the meeting since president Jim Fredley was out of town.

Early start planned for rally

Rally coordinator Sheila Miller presented her plans for the Spring Rally, scheduled for July 13. The ride start will be the Winn-Dixie at the junction of Highway 401 and Sunset Lake Road. There will be two routes, a 50K and a metric century. Henri has offered a 30-mile route that will form the basis of the shorter ride. Ed Downing will develop a route for the century.

Sheila announced that this year's rally will start at 8:00 AM, with registration starting at 7:00 AM. She explained the early start time by saying that she saw no sense in staying out until 3:00 or 4:00 PM in the hot weather. Previous rallys always started late to allow out-of-town riders to arrive but it has been her experience, she explained, that they arrived at 8:00 AM anyway Sheila said that, given the early start time, even slow riders will be finished by 1:00. Sheila said the registration fee will be the same as for the Spring Rally, $8.00 for members and $13.00 for non-members. The sponsors are already pretty much lined up. The rally T-shirts will be sold for a nominal price ($7). Sheila said that she needed volunteers to handle registration and the SAG stops.

Bike safety discussed

Henri said that Jim had suggested that the club adopt the stretch of highway where cyclist Patrick Bednarz was killed in May. Sheila pointed out that the club has already adopted a highway, but she also noted that it was possible that we had lost it if we had not been cleaning it up. Sheila also pointed out that Bednarz was not a club member and that it was possible that his normal riding group or another group intended to adopt the highway in his memory. If this was the case then our doing it could be taken badly. She suggested that this idea be tabled until further investigation could be made. Bruce Rosar pointed out that this accident should make us all more aware of the need for safe riding. Also, cyclists should carry some form of identification. Sheila said she carried an old driver's license. Bruce recommended putting your name and blood type in a conspicuous location on your helmet.

Lance Bradley displays bike safety products

Lance Bradley from Bikes USA lectured on bike safety and displayed some bike safety products to consider. He opened his talk by saying that he had heard from many customers that they felt unsafe riding on the roads in our area. He said that cyclists need to have the proper attitude and preparation to ride safely. Regarding the proper attitude, he said that cyclists should remember that they have a right to space on the road.

Bruce recommended a helmet mirror (about $13.00) to use when riding on roads with narrow or non-existent shoulders. He pointed out that sometimes simply looking over your shoulder to see what's behind you can cause you to move left into the lane. The mirror lets you see behind without having to turn your head.

He also recommended reflective tape or velcro reflectors ($4.00 to $5.00), and replacing reflectors on your bike. The tape can be applied to your pedals, shoes, or other visibile areas on your body or your bike. Lance explained that there were two kinds of lights you can use. If you ride in fairly well-populated areas or on roads with streetlights, you can clip an LED light ($12.00) onto your bike or clothing. The other kind of light is a light to see with. These lights typically mount on your handlebars and use a rechargable battery. The battery fits in a lightweight pack that attaches to the bike frame. He displayed a light that delivered 10 watts for 2 1/2 hours when fully charged. (About $80.00.)

Lastly, Lance said that if you are riding in areas where there are a lot of walkers, you may want to attach a bell or other kind of noisemaker to your bike. To combat dogs, Bikes USA carries a product called "Halt" that is effectively a "doggie Mace." Lance also recommended spraying them with water from a water bottle or even tapping the dog on the top of its nose with your knuckle. Wayne Miller said that he enjoyed 100% success by simply growling at the dog and baring his teeth. Al Johnson suggested shouting "Get off the couch!" Lance said that Bikes USA offers a cycling clinic every Tuesday at 7:00 at their Pleasant Valley Promenade location. If you're interested you can call to see what the upcoming clinic's topic will be.

Safety hints shared by attendees

Following Lance's presentation, the attendees shared their favorite safety tips. Bruce Rosar said that if a motorist throws something at you or otherwise threatens you, you should get the motorist's tag number and report him or her. If yo suspect the driver has been drinking or is otherwise impaired, tell the police but say that you are a "vehicle operator," instead of saying you're on a bike. He believes that the police will take your report more seriously if they think you are driving a car. Tim Hunter said that he recommended carrying a cell phone in case of emergency.

Other items of discussion

Henri noted that the position of club secretary is open.

James Hinson noted that he led a club ride recently in which an inline skater took part. He said that he had gotten a lot of attention from the police and that he felt the skater was the reason. He asked if the club could prohibit inline skaters from participating in club rides. Henri pointed out that the ride leader could always tell people that they are not welcome on the ride, for example if the leader thinks the rider is incapacitated or is not wearing a helmet. Henri said she would check on whether or not the club's insurance policy permitted skaters to ride on club rides. Tim said that any ride leader could describe their restrictions in the description of the ride in the calendar.

Sheila said that there is a shortage of large and extra large club jerseys, and a surplus of smalls and mediums.

Bruce suggested that the club offer a membership discount to people who have completed an Effective Cycling course.

Next meeting

The next NCBC meeting will be Monday, July 6th at REI at 7:00. Sheila Miller will present the logistics (planning, preparation, and execution) of cycle touring.

Page maintained by David L. Cole and last revised on Sunday, July 13, 1997.
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