Monday, September 17, 2012

Back from Hiatus


Alert readers will have noted that I kind of completely missed posting last week.  In short, life was a bit hectic, and I’m back.

What’s Changing, and what’s Upcoming?
It’s inevitable.  Seasons change.  Light leaves us.  It gets colder.  We have to make adjustments.  It’s a seasonal thing.  It’s getting harder to get a ride done in the evening.  (There are exceptions.  See below.)

Last week we did the last of the evening Novice Road Rides for this year.  We do not have sufficient daylight to continue these now. But…  We will be doing a ride, in this format, once a month throughout the Fall and Winter.  Beginning on October 14, we will do the Novice Road Ride (Winter Edition) on the Second Sunday of each month.

Those dates are:
October 14, November 11, December 9, January 13, February 10, and March 10.

The rides will start/Finish at Bicycles Unlimited, in Peachtree City.  Ride time will be 2:00 P.M. (sharp)

More Good News!  The road work on Bernhard Rd is finished!  That means we’ll be reverting to the old and tested 23.5 mile loop. (With just a little bit of luck, we’ll get that route painted before we kick this thing off.)


SPIN CLASS!
Yes!  We will be doing our Spin Class once again this year!  We’re still working on some details, but look for classes to start on the first Tuesday in November.  That’s Tuesday, 6 November.  (Spin Class will be a devoted topic in a later post.  Watch for it!)

About Night Riding:
We hinted at this above.  There are opportunities to get out and ride at night.  Night riding requires special equipment (most notably good lights) and techniques.  If you are thinking about getting into that kind of thing, an excellent place to begin is on our regular Wednesday Evening Path Ride.  That’s right.  It’s getting darker.  The regular path ride will start requiring lights on 26 September.  Why?  Because on that date, local sunset will be at 7:29 P.M., and Civil Twilight will end at 7:54 P.M.  In short, we will not be able to get back without lights.

The paths provide a good testing ground for lighting and night riding techniques.  Consider giving this a try.  (Also look for a post on this topic soon too.)

Other Night Rides:
There are still a dates left in this year’s series of “Seasonal Lights Rides.”  The next one in this series in next Monday!  Below is a list of the conditions, venues, and requirements for these rides.

Conditions:  With the exception of the Christmas Lights editions, these rides will go rain or shine.
Requirements:  Helmets, reflective vest or sash, reflective ankle bands, good strong tail lights, good strong headlights, and of course helmets.  While not strictly “No Drop,” we will attempt to keep the group together.
Pace:  Approximately 15 mph rolling average.  No planned stops.

September 24, 2012  Autumn Equinox
                        Where:  Fredrick Brown Amphitheater
                        When:  7:30 PM (sharp)
                        Distance:   Approx 45 miles
                        Rain or Shine
           
November 5, 2012  Mid-Fall  (Samhain)
                        Where:  Hollonville Opry
                        When:  7:30 PM (sharp)
                        Distance:  40 to 45 miles
                        Rain or Shine

December 17, 2012  Christmas Lights Road Ride
                        Where:  Bicycles Unlimited
                        When:  7:00  PM (Sharp)
                        Distance:  approx 35 miles
                        Rain Cancels

December 19, 2012  Christmas Lights Path Ride
                        Where:  Bicycles Unlimited
                        When:  7:00 PM (sharp)
                        Distance:  Approx 18 miles
                        Rain Cancels

There you have it…  At least for now.  Stay tuned.

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