Ride Chairman Update

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We have had a number of interesting rides this year. We rode to Castroville, and also had a fun ride from Welfare to Comfort. Two weeks ago we rode up to Sattler and had a beautiful ride down River Road to New Braunfels. Last week was the Brietzke Pie Ride where the club paid for our desert. We had three tables of eaters! 

Coming up on the last Saturday in March we are planning a Bullis Park Taco Ride, in which we will be serving breakfast tacos and drinks beginning at 7:15. Hopefully, we can provide breakfast for future rides starting on the last Saturday of a month.

As discussed in the President’s Message, new and old routes are being developed and refined.  One route I am excited to be working on is the Devil’s Backbone Ride. The board has created a number of variable rides that will be incorporated into this ride. It will be one of the most challenging rides for the strong riders and will have a southern loop which will be a true delight to other riders. Watch for the Devil’s Backbone on future schedules!

The board also discussed getting away from paper maps.  Hopefully we will be rolling out an exciting and amazing solution that all of you will embrace.  More details on this will be forthcoming.

Lastly, the board has initiated plans to implement rider classifications to help you have better rides with compatible riders. So, watch for the roll out of this too.

Anyone with ideas or suggestions on any of these new events, drop me a line at David@LevinsonLaw.com. 

 

Member of the Month for March 2017

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In 1997, John Farugia arrived in San Antonio via Chicago and he joined the club the following year. His passion for cycling grew once he became a SAW member. For example, he served as the club president from 2001 through 2005 and helped the American Diabetes Association create the very first San Antonio to Austin Tour de Cure.

John believes that his membership has introduced him to many awesome Texas cycling venues and events. More importantly, he feels that the club is very social and is a great way to meet people, including some with whom he's cycled for almost 20 years.

John is an executive for an ophthalmology company.

The bike he would most like to ride is his current bicycle, a Pinarello Dogma. However, when riding tandem with his wife, Melissa, John said that his Cannondale Tandem becomes his favorite bike.

You are most likely to spot him and/or his wife at rides like Toutant Beauregard, Kendalia, Blanco, or any rides in Gillespie County.

Member of the Month for January 2017

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Jim Lefko and his wife, Laurie, arrived in San Antonio via Indianapolis. He worked as the sports editor of the Indianapolis Star from 2000-2015 and is an avid follower of the KC Royals, Indianapolis Colts, and Texas Longhorns.

After covering the Spurs in the pre-David Robinson era, Jim joined the Express-News, and since May 2015, is its sports editor.

Despite having spent years riding recreationally, he is relatively new to riding on Texas roads. Jim was introduced to our club by David Levinson, our new Ride Chair.  He has enjoyed two summer rides with us and feels like a 16 year old driving a Ferrari in his just inherited vintage Colnago.

As to his favorite Wheelmen ride, Jim enthusiastically says “the next one”.

In addition to working out regularly at LA Fitness, he enjoys hiking and traveling in his spare time.

Member of the Month for November 2016

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Corey Levenson's interest in bikes started when he was a high school student working in a New York City bicycle shop in the 70's. After high school graduation, he attended undergraduate school in Massachusetts and graduate school in San Francisco.

In California, he rode more off road on an old Merlin mountain bike. His many century rides on the left coast include several “California Death Rides” and a Davis double-century on his tandem!

After moving to San Antonio in 1996, Corey joined our club. He likes to ride forty-to-sixty mile routes, mainly with a 1991 Merlin titanium bike with downtube shifters, 7-speed freewheel, and a full Mavic group. He also rides tandem with his wife Kathy, who is occasionally the rear admiral on their Santana. When he has chosen to do long commutes on the bike, Corey rides a Surly Long Haul trucker with panniers, fenders, and lights.

Corey, who is currently the Chief Scientific Officer for Santalis Pharmaceuticals, indicated that the Fort Davis Cyclefest is his favorite ride. He “wouldn’t mind sampling a carbon fiber Colnago with all the electronic bells and whistles (just to see if I’d go up the hills any faster)".

If you miss him on a Wheelmen ride, you will almost certainly catch him enjoying his other favorite pastime. He has a passion for classic motorcycles and owns six of them (mostly British and Italian). He photographs and writes articles about classic bikes at LocoMotoFoto.com.

 

David Levinson - STP Ride

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The STP Event and Lasting Reflections

By David Levinson

I began serious bike riding after participating in the 2015 Wheelmen picnic ride in which Bill Blackford rode with me for at least four hours to help me complete the ride!  That experience prompted me to take the RS101 Bike Class, which really helped me get insight and riding suggestions.  That was last fall. 

A business associate and friend of mine had a picture in his office of himself riding in the STP Event.  Being a neophyte, I had no idea what the STP was.  I learned that STP is an acronym for “Seattle To Portland,” a charity fundraiser for medical research and one of the most popular riding events in the country, with participation limited to 10,000 riders!  The ride is exactly what it says - 200 miles from Seattle to Portland.  The event is held each year on a weekend in the middle of July, with most participants riding a century each day. 

With the support of so many of you, I began riding two or three times a week and gradually over the winter and spring, me and my Fuji Gran Fondo 2.3 got into some kind of shape.   Besides learning how to pedal, climb hills, endure heat stroke, cramps, and severe bruised ribs after taking a fall in my kitchen on wet tile, I felt ready in early July.

While training, I had to work out the logistics issues – transporting my bike and accessories to Seattle and back.  Not an easy task , breaking down the bike to ship to Seattle, building it there for the event, getting it back to Seattle from Portland to get it broken down again to ship home, and rebuilding it once back here! Whew!   Surprisingly, I learned that the most economical and best way to ship the bike was to simply check it in as luggage on my flights.  But again, all the breaking and building and shipping was not cheap.  Then there was the accommodations in Seattle and Portland, and food and travel expenses.  Definitely an event that needs to be planned and budgeted.

I arrived in Seattle a couple of days before the event to acclimate myself to the weather, the air, and the terrain.  

The ride was well supported and had frequent rest stops.  Seeing hundreds of various bikes and riders at stops was like being in a bike candy store!   I was lucky to have a personal SAG vehicle with my wife and daughter giving me support.  At one stop they surprised me with Kentucky Fried Chicken! Crazy, right!

 

Next summer - Seattle to Vancouver?