FOLKS ON SPOKES General Meeting

August 24th, 2022

Larry, Mary Lynn and JoDell used different film/video sources to create their presentation.  They decided on 7 different films for the Fest.  JoDell did most of the narration with some assitance from Larry who also and ran the laptop & software.

The first film up was ABC Quickcheck, which covered the “ABC’s” to check before every bike ride. Check the Air in the tires, check your rim & disk Brakes, and check the Crank. Also, check quick release levers & if using an E-bike, check the battery level.

The second film was very entertaining, it showed the little-known sport of “Bicycle-Ballet”, which consists of ballet-style movements while on a bicycle. The balancing act was incredible!

Here are three honorable mentions;  Bunny Hop”; that covered a unique maneuver to go over an obstacle in your path while riding.  The nineth film was a gorgeous but rugged film about a bike trip in the Himalaya’s, very beautiful. The last favorite, #4, was just plain fun to watch. Its title was “7 Magnificent ways to dismount.” As the name suggests, it had guys (very good riders, btw!) demonstrating several ways to elegantly dismount a bicycle with style & prowess. The demonstrators hammed it up quite a bit too!

JoDell ended the Film Fest with an animated film short of “Bambi meets Godzilla”; just like us when we’ve had a grueling ride after trying some of the techniques that were viewed, Bambi too met her match with Godzilla; poor Bambi!

If you would like to see the videos from the comfort of home, the links were sent out via FOS announcements but are also listed below.  

A B C Quick Check https://bikeleague.org/content/basic-bike-check 
Bike Ballet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgVuwStkycw  
Maximum Breaking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z820UnNKVHc 
7 Magnificent Ways To Dismount Your Bicycle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns3mpxzBW0s 
Lane position https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-4IaQ2LB3U  
Bunny Hop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nOu5TYGvoU  
Quick Turn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlcA00GVV_4
Avoid Neck Pain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhXEI4mOwfk 
Cycling the Trans-Himalaya https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_CPLQGxfDg 
The End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERBH1yUZaMU  

General Meeting, April 27th, 2022

About a dozen members attended the April meeting, held at Frankfort Public library. JoDell began the meeting with a short discussion about the upcoming Spring Fling. She showed the group the t-shirts for the event and encouraged everyone to buy a shirt. She also brought lists for supplies that Fern had made and distributed them to Spring Fling volunteers. Everyone chatted about the cookies for the Spring Fling and especially on what to use to wrap them with. Pickle juice is good for rehydrating riders and JoDell is looking into buying it online. After that, it was time for the program.

Jim T. was the presenter for the evening and his topic was on his numerous hikes and his trip to the Grand Canyon. Words can’t describe the beauty of the pictures he took at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim with his trusty Nikon camera. The above picture was not his, but he had many more just like it and all of them show the sheer beauty that is the Grand Canyon. He took a lot of the pictures in the early morning and early afternoon. The weather was good, so hiking & taking pictures were excellent activities. He chose the North rim because the South rim had so many people. He & his kids Allison & Jeff visited in Spring 2017.

Southern Utah’s Zion National Park was next; they did a riverside walk by the visitor’s center. Besides all the beautiful scenery, they were able to see lots of deer and turkeys; the animals seemed unfazed by their human visitors. Bryce canyon offered good hiking trails, and bike trails were near the canyon but not actually inside the canyon.  Jim said the hiking was a bit difficult, but it might just be his favorite canyon!

Their travels included Wyoming, where the snow-capped mountains framed the Grand Teton National Park. They also had the chance to visit Capital Reef Gorge, Glacier National Park (they camped at Glacier!) and St. Mary’s Lake. They visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park. They made it to North Dakota in the early Spring. Once again, the animals were unfazed by human visitors; Jim got to see lots of prairie dogs and bison; he had a photo of himself right next to a bison! Two more western areas were visited; the Smokey mountains in Tennessee and the New River gorge in West Virginia.  His pictures of the Smokeys, part of the Blue Ridge Mountain range, were just beautiful. The Appalachian trail can be picked up there, and the trails are pretty rocky. When they were in West Virginia, it was Fall and sometimes it even snowed in the evenings.

Jim concluded with shots of the many, many trails & preserves he has discovered in the Midwest area over the years. From Garden of the Gods in central IL, Devils Lake in WI and to the caves at Maquoketa in Iowa, Jim has traveled like no other.  He continues to seek out new places to visit, and his retention of what he’s seen is remarkable. Thank you Jim, Allison and Jeff for an enjoyable program. 

FOLKS ON SPOKES General Meeting

March 23rd, 2022

Finally, a live meeting for Folks on Spokes! Several members came out on a rainy, chilly evening to Frankfort Public Library for the meeting. Unfortunately, the library is not allowing refreshments yet. Let’s hope they will let us bring refreshments soon. That was always fun and we sure enjoy snacking!

JoDell began the meeting with an overview of the progress of the Spring Fling, scheduled for Sunday, June 5^th.  Recruiting volunteers for the event was discussed, particularly the lead position for the dog park SAG stop.

JoDell has been working on the Spring Fling T-shirt and expressed the need to be aware of deadlines for the printer and for Club Express. She mentioned that it would be great if the website handled the purchasing of T-shirts. Andi mentioned that Club Express is hosting the concept of a “store” on their website via webinar. John V. said he would attend the webinar and Sally offered to view it on the website. Rick D. suggested packing the T-shirt into the registration packet like we’ve done in years past.

Larry and Mary Lynn then launched into their presentation, entitled “How to Keep Your Bike Rolling Down the Road”. Larry told the group that most people who ride have never even changed a tire. This presentation addresses the “what we need to know” factor when riding, including the wheels and other components.

What do we do if we get a flat? First, assess what type of valve the tire has before working on it; the most common are the Schrader valve and the Presta valve. The Presta valve has a little ring on it that must be removed while fixing the tire.

Our tires actually tell us a lot about what we need to know so read the tire! 3 valuable pieces of information are on the tire: pressure, the size of the wheel and its diameter, and what size tire tube you’ll need. Most wheels even display a rotation arrow to guide you when you re-attach the tire. “Larry’s tip” about bike repair kits is to take the kit out of the box and put it in a resealable plastic bag with a little talcum powder in it. The powder prevents slippage and the bag keep the kit safe from the elements.

To inflate your tire you can use either co2 cartridges (which are light & convenient) or use a bike pump. Although the co2 is convenient, sometimes its hard to gauge how much co2 is left in the cartridge, whereas a pump always has enough air.

It can be difficult to find the cause of the flat, and once determined, it may be difficult to remove the cause, i.e., a piece of glass, a wire, etc. Another “Larry’s tip”; carry toenail clippers! They’re excellent for removing such things lodged in our tires.

Next, Larry moved on to the components. Think “A, B, C Quick check. A is for air, B is for brakes, C is for chain & cassette. Quick stands for the quick releases on the wheels; very important to check those to prevent a major mishap!   For the cassette, give it a shake; if it is not adhering properly, do not ride it. For an overall check, pick up bike several inches and let it fall, watch front wheel for excessive bounciness and that the components are soundly attached.

Finally, we were able to watch a complete changing of a tire, performed by Mary Lynn. It took maybe 10 minutes, tops, probably more like eight! She said the most difficult part is getting the tube back in the tire, but she made it look easy. She confessed that she did have to practice a lot! Lois mentioned that in the past she used tire liners and spoke liners to avoid flats. This prompted a joke from Larry; on a regular bike you could use a folded up dollar bill on the spokes; for a high end bike, use a folded hundred dollar bill 😊!

FOLKS ON SPOKES “Zoom” General Meeting

February 24th, 2022

A small, but enthusiastic, group tuned in to the monthly general meeting this month. There was one issue of business to take care - the Bylaws.  A vote was taken, and it was unanimous. The newsletter will no longer be a separate publication since our news is readily available on the website, Facebook or through FOS Announcements.

After the business portion, JoDell began her presentation, which was going through the Bicycle Safety Quiz on the Ride Illinois website. She reminded us that it is recommended that all the Spring Fling participants take the quiz prior to the ride. While we do not check, it’s a good idea for members to take it as well as those who choose to ride the event.

The first question on the quiz was easy, but the next few were perhaps the most difficult! JoDell explained that indeed some questions were hard to answer but all were thought-provoking.

There are three sections on the quiz; Bronze, Silver and Gold. The questions don’t necessarily get harder in Silver & Gold, but there are more of them.  A certificate can be printed as you finish each level. Participants can check each answer before moving to the next question.

The group enjoyed the challenge and had a few chuckles along the way…just because we’re a bicycle club doesn’t guarantee that we always have the correct etiquette in our head.  It’s Springtime - a great time to get out and ride while sharpening your bicycle safety skills!

Link to the Bike Safety Quiz: BikeSafetyQuiz - Ride Illinois - Ride Illinois

January 26th, 2022 - General Meeting

Seven members attended our January 26 meeting, again via ZOOM due to virus concerns.  President JoDell shared information about a small film called “The Soul of the Cyclist”. For those wishing to see it, it is available online via You Tube and other online formats. She also began laying out the procedure to transition from the monthly newsletter to utilizing email groups and the club’s website. She will begin the process by having one last newsletter to announce the switch.

Following the business portion, Kathy McElligott began her presentation, “Grand Canyon: Rim to River.” It was a six-day adventure for Kathy, who went November 11, 2021 thru November 16. She chose Road Scholar for the trip.  Two of the six days were spent at the bottom of the canyon at Phantom Ranch. The group took the South Kaibab trail 4800 feet down and the Bright Angel trail back. It took seven hours to hike down and 7 ½ hours to hike back up. Interestingly, there was a “rescue phone” available the Tip Off rest area going down. The temps vary at the rim and the bottom of the canyon. The rim was 30 degrees at night but the bottom of the canyon was in the 70’s during the day.  Kathy said she trained on the stairs at Swallow Cliff; besides being a good choice, it is recommended to train on regular stairs instead of a stair master at a gym.

The trip began with a general meeting the evening of the first day of their arrival and the next day they practiced, beginning with a hike on the Bright Angel trail.

Kathy and the other 7 members of the group hiked with two guides. They began their descent at 8 am on the South Kiabab trail. There are several switchbacks on the trail, and the hikers had to flatten themselves against the canyon wall to enable mules and horses to get by. Besides being a mode of transportation, the animals are the way supplies are brought to the ranch below. The group was lucky to easily site a Condor just riding along the thermal air currents.  They also sighted big-horn sheep nimbly scaling the rocks & trails of the canyon. By late afternoon they reached the Colorado river. There is a suspension bridge with wide slats that enable the walker to peer down at the river.

Finally, they reached the rustic but well-kept cabins (from 1922!) where they would stay for 2 nights. The weather at the bottom was in the 70’s, so they could eat outside if they wanted to or take their food back to the cabins. The food was tasty; the first night was beef stew & salad, the next night was steak & baked potato, plus breakfast was provided.

 With a “free” day on their hands, Kathy, and two others explored North Kaibab trail for a while. They noted that the creek was actually colder than the river.

They awoke at 5 am, had breakfast, hiked along the Colorado and took in the views at Indian Garden. Hiking back up is strenuous, and Kathy snacked heavily on carbs to have enough energy to finish the journey. Part of the difficulty lies in the trail stabilizing obstacles of the trail, which are frequent, about every six feet or so. The last rest stop on the trail was a mile before the rim, and the group could view the historic Kolb studio house. That was where they would catch their shuttle back to the lodge! Kathy said she was exhausted and wasn’t sure if she could finish….she rested and then somehow summoned the last bit of energy to complete the journey. Her muscles ached for days afterwards, but she made it. It was an arduous, beautiful trip; so good that she said would do it again, maybe even on a horse or a mule!

Two Footnotes: Kathy knew Eric the guide from a previous Road Scholar trip; he is a full-blooded Navaho Indian who also enjoys playing the flute and jewelry making. In fact, Kathy asked him to make a ring for her that she had designed; what a great remembrance of her adventures with him! Also, on one part of the journey, Eric picked up a tarantula that he had spotted. One of the group talked to Eric about his wife unexpectedly passing away and that he was carrying her ashes along his journey. His deceased wife actually had a love for the tarantula spider, so he looked at it as a good sign and decided to spread her ashes right where Eric found the tarantula.