Volunteer Opportunity! Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling

Hello Bicycle Club of Irvine,
This year we celebrate our 11th year of the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling!!
It will be a 1 day event with many family “sports” oriented activities.  Please “save the date”  SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017

We are looking for volunteers to fill the times below. 
                Shift One :   6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
                Shift Two:  10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
                Shift Three:  2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Races will begin at 7 a.m.; children’s races around noon; and ending the day with the Men’s Pro race at 4:30.
Please let us know if you would be able to volunteer your time at this fun community event! 
Thank you for your consideration!  You are MOST appreciated!!!

Sincerely,
Kendall Auksunas
Volunteer Coordinator Dana Point Grand Prix
runlegacyvolunteers@gmail.com

2017 LEXINGTON GRAND FüNDO

Bicycling, Bourbon & Bluegrass.
I love Lexington, KY and you will too.
Located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region, Lexington is internationally famous for it’s fine equine, bourbon and the beauty of its pastoral landscape.  For cyclist and hikers, that translates into miles of car-free country roads, some very tasty adult beverages and scenery that’s post-card perfect.
This event has been planned to be profit free.  I use these tours to make new friends & as a vehicle to fund charities whose good works help make the world a better place for all.

HIGHLIGHTS
·     Tour Dates: (Wed) September 6-13, 2017
·     Location: Beautiful Lexington, KY
·     Lodging: Four Points by Sheraton Lexington
·     Cost: Lodging $99 per night S/D
                Charity $50
                Jersey $50
                Registration $200

·     Meals Included: Hot breakfast buffet daily
·     A very “Happy Hour” every evening
·     Physical Difficulty: 3 cycling choices daily… easy to challenging
·     Charity Supported: Big Brothers*Big Sisters
·     Tour Jersey: The most beautiful & unique cycling jersey on the planet
·     Bicycle & luggage transfers are available
·     Complimentary LEX airport & hotel transfers
·     More at…  savvycyclingtours.com

That’s how we roll.
Experience the Savvy Cycling Tour difference.  Join us in beautiful Lexington, KY…
for the best Bicycling, Bourbon & Bluegrass you’ve never had.

Richard Sheff                                                    
Directeur Sportif                

Prez Sez Happy New Year!

Greetings BCI members.
First, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New year, with best wishes and hopes for many more enjoyable and safe bike rides in 2017. Looking back on this last year, I can say that it was a good year for BCI, with many good rides and activities. Riders at all levels were able to participate in rides that matched their abilities and I am happy that BCI was able to provide a venue that made that possible. BCI has always defined itself as a social biking club rather than a racing club, so it has always been somewhat of a challenge to satisfy as many levels and needs of riders as we have been able to, so to those of you who have contributed to that effort, both past and present, thank you from all of us.

We are once again at that time of the year when BCI Board Member elections are about to take place. In the last news alert the nominees for board positions were published and nominations closed 12/21/16. There was only one nomination for each position, so the board needs only to be formally voted on and duly elected, and that will happen at the Annual Meeting dinner on Jan 21. Hopefully as many of you as possible will be able to attend and participate. The 2 directors at large will be appointed by the incoming board at the first board meeting on Jan 25. Anyone interested in serving on the board in that capacity should advise one of the board members prior to that date.

This year 5 board members have decided to step down.  Penny Poorman - Vice President, Suzanne McCord - Hospitality, Norm Moyer - Ride Coordinator, Ann Reichling - Treasurer, and Monica McCarthy - Membership. All have done an outstanding job of coordinating and organizing so many activities. Penny, the general meetings, booking the rooms, getting speakers, scheduling board meetings, along with so many other activities during the year. Suzanne, supplying the food and nourishments at our meetings and social gatherings, and maintaining the inventories and sales of Club Jerseys,  Norm, rides posted online, route slips kept updated, insuring rides always available, the most crucial of responsibilities. Ann, everything pertaining to the monies, bill payments, insurance monitoring, income maintenance, a key responsibility. Monica,  maintaining membership lists and collection of membership dues, helping with remote rides, the Bike Rally, staying on top of so many things. To all of you, thanks so much for all of your efforts. You will all be missed.

Those who will be staying on are Bob McHenry, our secretary, who prepares the monthly minutes of the board meetings,  Marc Urias, our Statistician, who records and maintains member mileage, Bill Sellin, our communications director, and of course, our founder, who keeps everyone posted online with all club upcoming activities, Jim Norman, past Treasurer and Director at Large, a key contributor to our new web site, and consultant on insurance policies as well as many other issues, who will be stepping up as our as our next Ride Coordinator. And finally, yours truly, who will continue as President. Thanks for all you do. Glad you will still be with us.

As to the four new board members. Maya Zeigler, who is be our Vice President-elect is an old-timer in the club whom I have known for many years, and I look forward to working with her. Jane Schrenzel; Hospitality, Deby Six; Membership are not new to the club and although I have not gotten to know them well yet, come highly recommended. I met Steve Buescher at the general meeting in October when he volunteered to put his name in as treasurer and we accepted his nomination at that time. I am excited and looking forward to working with the incoming board in 2017.

It may seem like a lot to say about the board happenings, but then without the board there is no club. We show up on a given day to ride, with certain expectations. A route slip to choose from, an enjoyable ride, a fairly decent rest stop with coffee, a pit stop, some socializing, and then we're off. Of course being able to go online and check out upcoming rides and other events? And how about if you're one of the few that gets into an accident, and suddenly has a need for the insurance that's in place to cover your medical expenses. What does it take to keep all that in place? A tremendous amount of time and effort. It's' the board members who take care of all that, on their own time, with no remuneration except the good feeling of contributing to and being a part of BCI in a meaningful way. So a word of thanks now and then is a well appreciated token of respect and gratitude.

OK, on to another topic. On Saturday, January 21, the first "Bear" Training Ride will be held. Old-timers remember this as being a series of 10 bi-weekly Saturday rides dedicated to giving members the opportunity to work on and improve their hill climbing abilities. They will commence on the 21st and occur every two weeks afterwards. I created this series of rides way back in the early 90's and the purpose was twofold. First, it gave an excellent opportunity for those who wanted to participate in the OC Wheelmen's Ride Around the Bear, a 100 mile century ride which went from Redlands up to Big Bear Lake, then on up to Onyx Summit and down Rte 18 back to Redlands, a total of 9,500 ft of climb. Second, it was also for those who wanted simply to improve their hill climbing abilities. You could do them all, or some of them, or one or two, whatever your preference, or quit wherever on the ride you were if you felt you had enough.

The training rides became a tradition over the years. I was not able to do them in the least several years due to my back problems and resulting surgeries, and they became sort of a combination  of OC Wheelmen and BCI coordinated rides. This year I decided to put them on again in the old format but we have found recently that the Wheelmen will no longer be putting on that century. We will still put in the training rides but now we don't have a name for them. On the one hand the name Bear Training Rides has been a mainstay over time. One suggestion was to call it Hill Training Rides but somehow that's kind of flat. I hear the Wheelmen will make their Breathless Agony Ride their ride of the hills this year so another suggestion was to call it Breathless Training or Breathless Agony training. I think that name might discourage a good number of BCI riders, which defeats the purpose of the rides. I thought maybe I'd call it "Not Bear" training rides for no reason other than the humor of it. In any case, the rides, name or no name, will start Saturday, Jan 21, at 9 AM out of Deerfield. Don't look for me to keep up on the rides. If I do ride I'm so slow I'll be so far behind you won't see me anyway. I'll be sort of a sweep, and may have to shorten my own ride. So do your own pace, and as slow as you might be, don't try to keep up with the faster riders. That may work for a bit on flats but not on hills. Ride your own pace.

On another topic, we are talking about the possibility of designing a new club jersey. We are looking for a few volunteers who would be interested in participating in creating some options to present to the board. Alex Lim has offered to head up this group and Jim Norman will be the liaison between the group and the board. If you're interested in participating you can email Jim or Alex.

 On that note I'll close for now. I look forward to seeing you on a ride or at one of our meetings or social functions. Enjoy your rides and stay safe.

Mike Farrell
President  

Jersey Design Update?

We have had a few questions about a new jersey design.  Some would like to see a jersey that incorporates some brighter colors for traffic visibility and others think it is time to update our look and/or have a full BCI kit available.

The first step is to work out a basic design concept.  The club is looking for a few volunteers to help create some options to present to the board next year.   Alex Lim has graciously offered to head up this working group, and Jim Norman will be the liaison between the group and the board.

If you'd like to help, email Alex@bikeirvine.org or Jim@bikeirvine.org.

BCI Riders Ascend Park Avenue!

On September 11, 2016, the long (blue route) included the climb up Park Avenue in Laguna Beach, rated one of the Top 10 Cycling climbs in Southern California.   It's a tough hill to be sure!

Some of the riders resting at the top of Park Ave.                             Photo by Alex Lim

Some of the riders resting at the top of Park Ave.                             Photo by Alex Lim

Riders who make the climb include Alex Lim, Tom Skelley, John Kneifl, Will and Bethany Gray Bruce Campbell, Jim Norman, Ray Alam, Eric Grondorf, Graham Collins, Dov Lazarus, Paul Magno and Tom Weddick.  

Photos Wanted!

Calling all BCI Photo Bugs!
We will have a slide show of photos at our Annual Meeting in January, compiled & composed by Kim Gerrard.
If you are quick to draw out your camera or smart phone, and have pictures of rides, events and fellow BCI members, please submit them for consideration.
If you only have 1 or 2, send them by email - full size - to photos@bikeirvine.org
Please choose only your best photos, and change the file name to include the event & date of the picture. 
If you have more than 2 good pictures, please don’t flood her in box: Kim has set up a dropbox to collect your images… send her an email at photos@bikeirvine.org requesting details on accessing the dropbox to upload your pictures directly & she will get you the dropbox instructions. 
If you don't have dropbox access, you can save your pictures directly into our Google Drive. Not on Google? You can open a free Google account to log in using your own current email address (you do NOT have to start a Gmail address)   

Nomination Committee Announced

President Mike Farrell has announced the he, Beth Sher, Ann Gayton & Jennifer Short will be serving as the Nominating Committee for gathering volunteers for the 2017 officers. He will participate as the required Board Member, but Beth will chair the process.

The By-Laws require the Nominating Committee to establish a slate of volunteers, and to collect statements of qualifications to post by December 21st. The Ballot will be posted by December 31st and all ballots will be counted at our Annual Meeting on January 21, 2017.

All 9 positions are open for nominees, and at this point we have at least one member for each 'slot'.

Volunteer nominees, including incumbents, are asked to submit a statement of qualifications to NomCom@BikeIrvine.org (not required)     

More details on the process & updates are posted at http://www.bikeirvine.org/elections

updated 11/23/16

BCI#44 Bruce Wendel; Rest in Peace

Bruce Wendel, BCI#22 joined in 1983 and was BCI's second president in 1984. He has recently been riding with his wife Karen on BCI rides.  We are stunned that he has passed just a month shy of his 62nd birthday. For those who knew Bruce' laughter & joyful personality, we share a bit of the loss to his wife, children and grandchildren.

Bruce sporting his original 1983 BCI Jersey for Jersey Day - still fit after 33 years...

Bruce sporting his original 1983 BCI Jersey for Jersey Day - still fit after 33 years...

 

 

Bruce enjoying a burger at the BBQ

Bruce enjoying a burger at the BBQ

Karen & Bruce at the Summer Solstice Tour susnset

Karen & Bruce at the Summer Solstice Tour susnset

Dear Family and Friends,

It is with deepest sympathy we inform you that Bruce Wendel entered life eternal on September 2, after suffering a stroke that affected his brain. He was surrounded by his wife, Karen, their five children, Bruce's mother, Ruth and family. Please keep them all in prayer.

A service to celebrate Bruce's life will be held on Monday September 12th at 7pm at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church.  The address of the church is 26001 Muirlands Boulevard, Mission Viejo CA 92691.  A small reception will follow the service.
Bruce touched many people's lives.  We may not have everyone's email address.  Please feel free to forward this.
Thank you,
The Wendel Family
   

"The Prez Sez"

Hello BCI members,

It's been awhile since my last article. June 13th to be exact. Quite a bit has transpired since then, and will be happening in the next few months, so there's a lot to talk about.

The BCI Rally was a huge success. We had a good turnout and good participation from several other bike clubs. Thanks to Monica for organizing that event. We had our BBQ ride and Penny Poorman was in charge and the hamburgers, drinks, and chips were great. Bill Sellin and Paul Haussler  also contributed to the barbeque.

The next scheduled major event will be the Palos Robles weekend beginning 10/27 through 10/30.  I'd like to put on another Tour De Five Cities remote ride but I have been waiting  for the San Juan Capistrano bike path reconstruction be completed but it is still not done. I plan on scheduling another Carlsbad remote ride in November so that will be announced soon.

Bear training rides, will begin in January. They have been a BCI tradition since the early 1990's. I created those rides and led the training for many years until my back surgeries. Once again, I will take charge of these rides and will revert back to the original format and routes. The purpose of the training is twofold - first, to prepare for the OCW Ride Around The Bear Century which occurs every June, and secondly, and equally as important, as a way to help members improve and become more comfortable with their hill climbing abilities, even if they are not doing the Bear. As a point of reference, everyone who completed the 11 training rides when I was hosting them and chose to ride the Bear completed the century successfully. Quite a few people who never thought they could do a 100 mile, 9,500 ft climb ride ended up doing exactly that because of those training rides. For now I would suggest if you would like to consider participating in this training, a good way of preparing during the next few months before January would be to start riding blue rides a couple of times a month to get acclimated to the distances and the climbing. Lastly, anyone who wishes to participate may do so as little or as often as you want, at your pleasure. Sign up just like other club rides and get mileage credit. I will keep you posted as to the beginning date and ride schedule.

Now, a brief discussion about the BCI Board, the members, and the upcoming elections in January. As you recall, when the 2016 elections were held in January, the President's position was vacant. Soon after the elections I volunteered to fill the position, having previously served in the mid 2000's and was appointed by a board vote. For the past 8 months, working with our board has been an absolute pleasure, and I want to acknowledge the excellent job they have all been doing. I also want to make you are of their contributions to the club and how much time they devote to keep our club functioning and providing all the club benefits and services. Rides, route slips, mileage recording, a myriad of internet services, general meetings, finances, accident insurance, social gatherings, club jerseys, a lot of things we take for granted. It's our board members that make our $20 yearly dues more than worth it.

Penny Poorman, our Vice President, has done an excellent job with the general meetings. Finding speakers, booking locations, and setting up the meetings before you arrive. Everything she touches turns to gold. The activity board you see at the ride sign up was her idea and she is pretty much in the middle of everything that goes on club wise.

Monica McCarthy, our Membership Director has done a great job of keeping membership dues current and keeping everything up to date. She has also hosted the Bile Rally, and put on numerous remote rides. Monica will be stepping down at the end of this year but I'm sure she will stay involved in our club activities. Penny has indicated her desire to become Membership Director, so she put her name on the ballot for that position in 2016.

Anne Reichling, our Treasurer, has tabs on all BCI finances and submits her monthly reports at each board meeting. The club's finances are well taken care of. Anne maintains the Insurance and keeps the policies current. She is a valuable asset.

Bob McHenry, our secretary, keeps the Board Meeting minutes and each time we review them there is almost never a need for corrections or adjustments. He documents everything that occurs and reports at every meeting. He is invaluable. He also coordinates the Circle of Safety resources and programs for the  club.

Suzanne McCord, our Hospitality Director, takes care of all the food at our general meetings and any of our other social get-togethers. There is always more than enough to eat and drink, and the food is always tasty. She has also been in charge of ordering, supplying, and inventorying our Club Jerseys and other clothing apparel. She has indicated she is ready to step down and pass on her responsibilities. Thanks for a job well done.

Mark Urias is our statistician and maintains the mileage on all our members. It's a lot of work going through the ride sign in sheets every week and entering all the mileage of each individual into the computer data base, and keeping the mileage current. A tedious job. My hat is off to him.

Bill Sellin is our Communications Director, and also co-founder of the club. BCI has been a major part of Bill's life from its very beginning, and he has been a nurturing force in virtually every aspect of the club's existence. Thank you Bill, for BCI. Bill presently keeps us informed online of all the ongoing club activities. Together with Jim Norman, Director at Large, they maintain our web site and insure that all members can access whatever online information is needed. Thank you both - the club owes you a debt of gratitude.

Norm Moyer, our Ride Coordinator, who has been a long time club member, occupies a crucial board position. Norm has done an outstanding job for us this year, and in the past, maintaining and putting on all our rides. What more is there to say. A huge job. Now that he is becoming more involved in his bicycle tours he is hoping we can find a replacement for him and pass the baton onto another capable club member. Thanks for all your efforts both this year and in the past.

Jim Norman, Director at Large been with the board for a number of years in different capacities. He was instrumental last year in helping to create and get our new web set up and running and has been invaluable in refining and making it more accessible to the membership. He has also been the driving force in getting our liability and accident insurance set up and running. He has been invaluable to our board.

Randy Profeta, Director at Large, was a past ride coordinator, and has contributed his advice and expertise in many areas because of his involvement in the bicycling world. He was very much involved in the  creation of the new web site, pivotal in transferring data from the previous system to the TidyClub Data Bank. He helped to format the web page and populate it with rides and activities He also made sure crash@bikeirvne was on all route slips and pushed riders to sign route slips to be accessible to accident insurance. He has been an invaluable board member.

Last but not least, There is yours truly, your President. I've been with BCI since 1989, and was a director at large for 2 years, then held the office of President from 2003 to 2006. Since all the work is done by the board members, my responsibility is to preside over the board meetings, and insure that all is well and all areas are addressed. I also represent the club in various different capacities. I see my prime responsibility as being the voice of the club and representing you on the board. I have asked you as club members to use me as the place to go with complaints, suggestions, and advice. I'm the guy that takes the heat and the buck stops with me. To date, that has worked out well and I have heard from several of you on many issues. So thanks for helping me do my job.

Now in the last few months of the year, upcoming board elections will become a priority. I have appointed Beth Sher to be the Chairperson of the nominating committee and two other members of the committee are Anne Gayton and Jenny Short. According to our by-laws, anyone wishing to serve on the board may place their name into consideration with the nominating committee. If you wish to place your name in nomination for a board position, please inform the nominating committee. Presently all board members, except for the ride coordinator and Hospitality  have indicated their desire to remain on the board and their names have been submitted to the nominating committee. We have one nominee for Vice President. Penny Poorman, our present VP, has put her name in nomination for Membership Director so at the moment we are actively looking for Ride Coordinator and Hospitality Director. All 9 positions are available for volunteer nominees, but we are seeking to fill these the two critical vacant positions for 2017 that have no volunteers running yet.  

On October 1, the rides begin again at 9AM. Remember, that is also Jersey Day. All of the Board Members have been asked to be on the rides and at the rest stop and Luncheon at Gelsens, available  to chat with any of you who  wish to know about the goings on at the board level and answer any questions you may have. I look forward to talking to as many of you as possible.

See you all then, or before.

Your President,
Mike Farrell

Rest in Peace Dick Bird June 29 1932-July 25 2016

It is with great sadness that we inform you that Dick passed at 2AM this morning.

"His daughter Darlene had called yesterday to inform me [Tommie] that his time was short as he had recently lost the ability to swallow. He was in hospice, had a private nurse, was on morphine, and so was in a place of comfort."

He was 84 years young and had been BCI member #1474 since March 1991, when he came to ride with BCI with some of his OCW friends.

Dick's daughter Darlene has announced that the family has decided to have a private family memorial dinner in the near future.

If anyone would like, she invites you to send a note of special memories that she will gladly share at the dinner.

You can send her your pictures & memories of Dick,  via Dick@BikeIrvine.org

BCI will especially remember Dick at our Jersey Ride & lunch on August 6th; bring your photos, memories & stories to share and comfort each other in our loss.

"I am sure there are many members who have known him through the years as a fun loving and warm hearted man… he will be dearly missed."

Tommie Kozlov

“The purpose of life is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate,
    to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 
 

      Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prez Sez

Hello BCIMembers,

 When I took on the position of President of our club, the one thing I never imaginedI'd have to do would be to write a letter of condolence to another bicycle club, in another state. And yet, this weekend on behalf of the membership of BCI, I have written and mailed such a letter to the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club of Kalamazoo, Michigan for the five members of their club killed on their Tuesday evening bike ride last week, as well as four more riders severely injured and hospitalized.

This has been a traumatic week news wise. The murder of Voice TV show singer Christina Grimmie, and then the horrific terrorist massacre Saturday evening of 50 people and 53 injuries, both in Orlando Florida,  has eclipsed the reporting of the tragedy in Kalamazoo MI. Here in California, reports of the bike tragedy were minimal. But as far as the families, friends,  members of the Kalamazoo Bike Club, as well as cyclists everywhere, all of this in no way diminishes theimpact of the senseless killing and injury of the 9 cyclists on their ride last Tuesday night.

 "At approximately 6:30 PM June 7,  nine cyclists on their normal Tuesday Evening Club ride were struck from behindby a pickup truck which had already been reported three times by 911 calls for erratic driving. The suspected drunk driver was apprehended trying to flee the scene on foot, was arrested, and has since been charged with 5 counts of 2nd degree murder and 4 counts of reckless driving causing severe injury. He is presently being held without bail. Additionally,  the NTSB, (National Traffic Safety Board), the federal safety agency that investigates airplane failures, commercial truck mishaps, train derailments, and impaired driving,  is conducting their own investigation, studying the crash site, bikes and the suspected impaired driver of pickup truck that hit the group."
 

Eric Weiss, spokesman for the NTSB said it has been decades since the agency has "looked at bicycles and cars and safety." Long overdue.

Those who died are Debra Ann Bradley, 53; Melissa Ann Fevig-Hughes, 42, Fred Anton (Tony) Nelson, 73,  Lorenz John (Larry) Paulik, 74, and Suzanne Joan Sippel, 56.

The four who were injured are Paul Douglas Gobble, 47, Sheila Diane Jeske, 53, Jennifer Lynn Johnson, 40,  and Paul Lewis Runnels, 65.  Gobble, Jeske and Runnels are in serious condition and Johnson is listed in fair condition.

The following is an excerpt from a joint statement issued by the League of Michigan Bicyclists  and the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club.

“Our hearts are broken that five cyclists lost their lives and four others were seriously injured due to this preventable tragedy,” said Renee Mitchell, President of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims during this difficult time. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those impacted by this senseless act. Our thoughts are also with the injured cyclists. We wish them a quick and full recovery. There is no way to measure the grief we feel at the loss to the Michigan bicycling community.” 

“We are grateful that the driver was quickly apprehended after fleeing the scene,” said John Lindemayer, Executive Director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists. “The released details regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident suggest a willful and wanton disregard for human life. We urge local and state police to conduct a comprehensive investigation that will support swift prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.” 

The full statement link was posted on the BCI web site on June 10. Additionally,  Individuals who would like to aid the victims and their families can contribute funds through the Kalamazoo Strong organization's website which we also posted on our web site on the 10th. BCI will be making a club donation this week.

http://www.kalamazoostrongorganization.org/

This is for me without a doubt the worst bicycling / motorist "accident," I have ever heard of in my 30 years of cycling. While there is always an inherent element of risk in road cycling, and we accept that risk, we also do allwe can to minimize the dangers and practice safe cycling. But nothing could possibly prepare us for the shock of what happened this last week, and I'm sure I speak for all of when I say that we all share the pain and loss of what the Kalamazoo Bike Club must be feeling.

I have included a copy of my letter of condolence to the President and members of the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club on behalf of BCI. If any of you would like to personally share your condolences, here is their club web site: www.kalamazoobicycleclub.org

 

On a lighter note, there are a few upcoming BCI events coming up soon, all of which are on our web site. The Summer Solstice on the 25th, The Glendora Mountain Road Remote ride July 3rd, An Independence Day ride to the parade in Huntington Beach on the 4th and the BCI Bike Rally on July 9. Also don't forget our General Meeting June 28 at a new location, the Duck Club, off Campus Rd in Irvine. So Hopefully we'll see you on some of these events.

Ride carefully, and BE SAFE.
Mike Farrell, President

-------------  

Kalamazoo Bike Club
PO Box 50527
Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49005

ATTN: Renee Mitchell, President

June 12, 2016

Dear Renee,

I am writing on behalf of the board and membership of the Bicycle Club of Irvine, located in California. We want to express our deepest sympathies and condolences for the five members of your club who died in the horrible tragedy that occurred last Tuesday evening June 7th. Our thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with you, the families and also the four club members who were injured. They too are in our thoughts and we wish them a speedy recovery.

 There are no words that can adequately express our sadness and grief at such an unspeakable event. All of us who participate in the cycling experience know that there is always an element of danger in road cycling and we accept that risk while doing all we can to minimize accidents and practice safe cycling, but nothing could possibly prepare us for the shock of what happened to our fellow cyclists in your club this week. Please know that we share your pain and your overwhelming loss even though we did not know these cyclists personally.

Along with the Kalamazoo Bike club we mourn the loss of these five riders and have faith that your four injured members will ride again. While significant distance separates us, our love of cycling and the bond that experience creates, connects us in a way that only we can understand.

If we can be of any assistance, please let us know. We will also be making a club donation to your web site link in the next few days. You of the Kalamazoo Bike Club are in our thoughts and prayers as you move through these difficult days.

Our Deepest Condolences

Bicycle Club of Irvine
Mike Farrell, President

 

Letter we received back from the KBC

Letter we received back from the KBC

 

 

 

Kalamazoo Bicycle Club Tragedy

We are all shocked and saddened by the senseless crash that left 5 club cyclists dead and 4 more injured.  The driver of the pickup truck that hit them has been charged with five counts of second degree murder.

Kalamazoo Bicycle Club has posted a statement about this incident on their website, you may read it here:

Joint Statement from the League of Michigan Bicyclists and Kalamazoo Bicycle Club 

Mike Farrell is sending a letter to their club on behalf of BCI.  If you would like to aid the victims and their families can contribute funds through the Kalamazoo Strong organization's website: 

kalamazoostrongorganization.org

 

Welcome Back Hank!

Most of us know Hank Iglesias from the days back when he was the owner of Edge Cyclery on Moulton Parkway. Hank had many of the best bicycles in the world at his shop and, if he didn’t have it, he could get it for you. He was also one of the best bicycle wrenches in the OC.

When Hank arrived in California in 1990, his first job was being a wrench for Bicycles Etc. which, ironically, is the same store location where Pure Ride Cycles is now located.

Hank worked at Bicycles, Etc. for eight years before deciding to branch out and open his own shop, Edge Cyclery. It became a candy store of great bikes and the very best in equipment. Hank operated the store from 1999 to 2012 when he decided to work on bikes from his home in San Clemente and avoid the hassle of store ownership. 

After that, he decided to get back into the bike shop scene and took a job with Cycle Werkes in San Clemente.  It wasn’t long after that, that Kristen Lawrence, who owns Pure Ride Cycles, made him an offer that was too good to refuse. In talking with Kristen, she said she had been trying to get Hank to work for her for the past 20 years and now he’s finally with us!          

Pure Ride Cycles is located at 24844 Muirlands Blvd. at the intersection of El Toro Road in Lake Forest. Drop by the store and give Hank a big “Welcome Home.”

- Will Decker