July 2012 SloCoaster

SLO Coaster Promoting safe and legal bicycle riding for recreation and transportation

INSIDE2CONTACT USBoard Members and other club info.

3JUNE POTLUCK & AERODYNAMIC HELMET4MEETING MINUTESThe minutes of the preceding month’s board and general meetings.

5CALL FOR WF JERSEY DESIGN,LIGHTHOUSE BRUNCH & MEETING PRESENTATION

6 -8RIDE SCHEDULEWhere to meet , how to get ride info.

9PENEAR A reprise of a 2003 column featuring Dan Henry.

11ADVOCATE’S REPORT

BACK PAGETHIS MONTH’S IMPORTANT DATES

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER JULY 2012

President’s Messageby Robert Fuller Davis

Alpine County, south of Lake Tahoe, hosts an annual bicycle event each July called the Death Ride. The goal is to ride to the top of three mountain passes and then back down. On two of the passes, Monitor and Ebbetts, you ride over the top, down the back side, turn around and come back over again. The last pass is Carson. That makes five major climbs. Total distance for the day is 129 miles and 16,000 vertical feet. Registration in 2000 was limited to 2,700 riders. In spite of the difficulty of the course, the limit is reached each year within a few weeks of opening. Wi th so many riders on the road, CHP closes the highways over M o n i t o r a n d Ebbetts to motor vehicles. P a t , Catherine and I s t a r t ed be fo re s u n u p , f l y i n g downhill into Markleeville in the darkness, hoping that nothing lay on the pavement to impede our descent. We stopped for water and cookies midway into the climb up Monitor Pass. The Skeleton Crew (support staff) reported that air temperature was 35 degrees Approaching the next food stop at the summit, we broke into sunlight. A member of the Davis Bike Club rode with us for a while and told us how many trophies his club won at Paris-Brest-Paris. I reminded him that the

San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club had a higher completion rate than Davis. That didn’t faze him and he never stopped talking. If hot air were a tailwind.... Catherine hit 52 mph on the descent to Highway 395. She arrived well before I did. After a series of hairpins, the road drops quickly to the Walker River Valley. I saw that a lot of riders used their speed to bunnyhop over the cattle guard near the bottom. I chose to

clatter across and lost a water bottle. This gave me the opportunity to brake to a quick stop beside the road and walk back and look for the bottle while being passed by hundreds of riders doing 50 mph or better. We pedaled our way back up Monitor for the next two hours, then took a wild ride down the front side to the junction with Highway 4. Next was the climb up Ebbetts. At the summit was another food stop.

continued on page 2

SLO Coaster Volume 44 Issue 7 - July, 2012

SLO COASTER JULY, 2012

SLO CoasterThe SLO Coaster is the monthly newsletter of the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club. It is distributed to members, local bicycle shops and some bicycle organizations. Subscriptions are not available to nonmembers.All articles, letters, stories of bicycling experiences, appropriate classified ads, artwork etc, are welcome. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject material. Each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily represent the opinion or endorsement of the SLOBC or the editor.Submittal GuidelinesAll materials are due no later than 8:00 a.m. on the 15th of each month. Nothing will be accepted verbally. All materials should be emailed to [email protected]. Complete submittal guidelines are found on the club website. www.slobc.org/resources/support/newsletter-guidelines.html

SLOBC MeetingsBoard of Directors Meeting: Tuesday before the General Meeting (5:00 PM)Location: Air Pollution Control District meeting room, 3433 Roberto Court (SLO). All Club members are welcome to attend Board meetings. General Membership Meeting: First Thursday (7:00 PM)Location: County Library, 995 Palm, downtown San Luis Obispo. Refreshments are served starting at 7:00 p.m., Meeting begins at 7:15 p.m. June and December meetings differ.

Contact InformationSan Luis Obispo Bicycle Club, Inc.P.O. Box 1585San Luis Obispo, CA 93406Club Hotline Answering Machine: 805.543.5973

Website: www.slobc.org Email: [email protected]

Members only site: http://www.slobc.net/membership

Board of Directors..............................President: Robert Fuller Davis

[email protected] ...................... 805.772.0874................................Vice President: Tom Roberts

[email protected]

......................................Treasurer: Chris [email protected] ...................... 805.772.5900

..................................Secretary: Craig [email protected]

..........................Ride Coordinator: Will [email protected] .......... 805.544.3504

............Membership Director: Robert [email protected] ............. 805.441.7063

........................................Advocate: Dave [email protected]....................... 805.801.9211

......................................Historian: Martin [email protected]

................................Newsletter Editor: Tim [email protected]

.....................................Safety Director: Ken [email protected] ........................... 805.489.9779

..................Director-at-Large: Kathleen [email protected] ........................ 805.528.6686

.................................Past President: Frank [email protected]

President’s message continued:

We loaded up on boiled potatoes, cookies and watermelon. I dropped my water bottle again on the descent down the back side to Hermit Valley. Skidding down the road at 40 mph a second time took a toll on the lid. For the rest of the trip, each time I squeezed the bottle for a drink, a secondary jet of water sprayed my sunglasses. At Hermit Valley, we heard a lot of scary talk about Pacific Grade. This was Y2K Grade, an optional climb intended for the terminally masochistic. Pat and Catherine climbed it a couple of weeks before, for practice, so I had no choice but to give it a try. It turned out to be not so bad, about like Santa Rosa Creek Road only longer. The descent back to Hermit Valley was terrifying. Lots of hairpin curves and precipitous drops. We stopped at the bottom to refuel for the seven mile climb back to the top of Ebbetts. An hour after we started up, a CHP vehicle led a caravan of motorists passed us, officially re-opening the road. As we went over the summit, we elected to bypass the food stop and jet down to the lunch tent.

This was another descent that I did not like. Every oncoming motorist seemed to be astonished that bicycles were on the highway. Highway 4 is so narrow that there is no center line. I stayed well on my side and prayed that the RVs coming up would do the same. The Skeleton Crew was starting to clean up at the lunch stop. We ate the last of the turkey sandwiches while sitting underneath a tree in Real Chairs, wider than bicycle saddles. After the food was gone, we remounted and rode to the finish at Turtle Rock Park. We were too late to attempt the final pass even if we wanted to do it. Next year. A few diehard Alpine County citizens were still waiting in front of the Markleeville Library to cheer for us as we passed through town. Considerably more people sat in front of the Cutthroat Saloon, also cheering us. It looked as if they had been there a while fortifying themselves for our arrival. Catherine, Pat and I bought what souvenirs were left for the slow riders. We did 92 miles in nine hours on the bikes, twelve and a half total hours, five passes out of six, 13,000 vertical feet.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=email%20subject






http://www.slobc.org


mailto:[email protected]


http://www.slobc.net/membership

http://www.slobc.net/membership

























SLO Coaster Volume 44 Issue 7 - July, 2012 PAGE 3


June Potluck RecapFrom the Member-at-large:

The June Potluck was a delight by any measure! Good food, good company, and HULA!I would like to thank the set up and clean up committees for your efforts to decorate, organize, and clean up after the festivities. You are the unsung heroes! Thank you, also, to Kathy Cohon for bringing the coffee and hot beverages. A special thank you to Bob Tuman and his 'wild and crazy guys' for providing some hearty laughter.

The Evolution of the Aerodynamic Helmet

By Stu Goldenberg

Janie and I ride our tandem a lot. It has its advantages and disadvantages. We are faster downhill and slower uphill than we would be on single bikes. I don't need to worry where she is, nor what if she breaks down. After all if she breaks down, we break down together. There are certain environmental advantages to riding a tandem. To go to extremes we cause less global warming because only one of us is breaking the wind, causing less air turbulence. That can't be

too significant. We also save trees. This one is actually more significant. We only need one route sheet instead of two. This also turns out to be a lot safer because as Captain, I am never a distracted driver, trying to read an 8 point font route sheet.


MINUTES OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO BICYCLE CLUB GENERAL MEETING

Pavilion on the Lake, AtascaderoTHURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012 6:00 PM

submitted by Craig Armstrong

Vice President Roberts called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM.

Vice President Roberts thanked Kathleen McHugh for organizing the evening’s potluck dinner and also thanked Joan Henry, Joan Petersen, and Gail Vanderlinde for serving as greeters.

Kathleen McHugh thanked everyone who worked on setting up the event and in helping on clean-up.

Will Benedict reminded members to begin working on designs for the 2013 Wildflower jersey. He noted that members will be voting in December on whether to stay with the existing

logo system or move to a new logo system and referred members to the handouts which showed both designs.

In Chris Broome’s absence, Vice President Roberts reported that club assets totaled approximately $168,000 as of the end of May. Since a large part of the club’s budgeted donations were paid early in the year, the club has a slight year-to-date deficit which will be more than offset once the Lighthouse revenues are received.

Dale Sutliff presented the Bob Garing award to Glenn and Gail Vanderlinde for their many years of service to SLOBC.

Following the potluck dinner and entertainment provided by several members who gallantly presented their interpretations of traditional Hawaiian dances, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:30 PM.


Help WantedThe club's nominations committee is beginning its search for members who are willing to make a commitment to help lead our club in 2013. You can toss your hat in the ring for any position, but we are focused on those without candidates. Descriptions of the duties of these positions can be found in the Volunteer area at our website (http://www.slobc.org/volunteer/support/board.html) or feel free to contact the "incumbents" and talk with them about their job. Please contact Frank Mullin, [email protected], 602-2058, if you're interested.

Position Candidate(s) IncumbentPresident Robert Davis Robert DavisVice-President Tom Roberts Tom RobertsTreasurer Chris Broome Chris BroomeSecretary Craig Armstrong Craig ArmstrongMembership Coordinator Open Robert LindquistRide Coordinator Open Will BenedictNewsletter Editor Tim Long Tim LongAdvocate Dave Abrecht Dave AbrechtHistorian Martin Howell Martin HowellSafety Coordinator Ken Price Ken PriceDirector at Large Kathleen McHugh Kathleen McHugh

The June Meeting of San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club Board was cancelled.

http://www.slobc.org/volunteer/support/board.html

http://www.slobc.org/volunteer/support/board.html





Call For Wildflower Jersey DesignsBy Will Benedict, Clothing Coordinator

This is the second call for 2013 Wildflower jersey design ideas. All concepts must be completed and received by September 1st. The concepts will be voted on at the Lighthouse Volunteer Brunch.

All ideas must be presented in the standard jersey format. For format specifications and assistance in illustrating your idea or putting your idea into the standard format, email me at [email protected].

Judy Rutter, Brunch Captain

Lighthouse 2012 Brunch Information: As a Lighthouse volunteer, you are not automatically signed up for the brunch. If you want to attend, you must sign up on the SLOBC website. You also can (and should) check your volunteer status on the club website. If you need help with either step, contact Volunteer Captain Ernest Cole ([email protected]) as soon as possible.

The brunch will be held again at the Morro Bay Community Center on Sunday, Sept. 30. And back, by popular demand, the caterers from Dairy Creek Golf Course. You may bring a non-volunteer guest at a price of about $35.

Lighthouse Brunch signup now to save your spot

July General Meeting Presentation

Sandy Sachs, D.C. holds a masters in Exercise Physiology. He has worked for the Public Health Department promoting bicycle community for Contra Costa County, and been a full time tour guide for Backroads Active Travel Company (Largest worldwide active travel company in the world). He travelled to Turkey, Costa Rica, Mexico and throughout the US leading bicycle and hiking trips. He is a competitive athlete (celebrated my 40th by biking from Carmel to Cambria), father of 2, husband to 1 and co-owner of the SLO Wellness Center.







Ride DetailsCurrent Ride InformationInformation on all Club rides including more detailed ride descriptions and any updates to the Ride Calendar can be found on the club web site www.slobc.org under Ride Calendar.Submitting Ride InformationSubmit ride information to both Will Benedict and Frank Mullin to ensure the newsletter's Ride Calendar and web site are accurate.Submit any ride changes to Frank Mullin. This will ensure that the most current ride information can always be found under Ride Calendar at www.slobc.org.

Safe RidingAll cyclists taking part in club rides are expected to contribute to the ride's safety and enjoyment. You can find Safe Cycling Practices and SLOBC Club Ride Best Practices under Safety at www.slobc.org.

Scheduled club rides include both Fixed (Fixed starting location and time) and Variable (Variable starting location and time) events.

Sunday

(8:30 AM) - Sunday Baywood / Los Osos Ride (B-2).

Show & Go from Nazarene Church (BP). Casual pace to coffee shop in Cayucos with possibility of doing an additional creek based on mutual agreement. Contact person: Jack Robison 772-7748.

(9:00 AM) - Arroyo Grande Sunday Ride (B-2).

Andreini's (AG). The length is about 35 miles. If you are riding from SLO, contact me ([email protected]) to see if we can join up. Two popular destinations are Poly Village (SLO) and theTrilogy (Nipomo). Led by Frank Mullin (602-2058).

Monday (8:00 AM) - Atascadero Scramblers (B-3).

Atascadero Zoo. Distance: about 35 miles. Destinations: Santa Margarita, Atascadero and Templeton for the mid-ride coffee stop. Route sheets / maps distributed via email prior to each ride,

none available at the ride start. (See email group page for instructions on joining email groups.) Led by Glenn & Gail Vanderlinde ([email protected]).

(8:00 AM) - Atascadero Breakers (C-4).Atascadero Zoo. Distance: 35-40 miles. Destinations: Templeton, Santa Margarita, Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Miguel for mid-ride coffee stops. Route sheets and maps distributed via email prior to each ride. Contact leader to get on email distribution. Led by Kevin Matherly ([email protected]).

(9:00 AM) - Yellowjackets SLO Rides (B-2).

Ben's House (SLO). Ride supports one riding group (pace, 12-14 MPH) to various destinations. Be on time because the rides leave at the scheduled time. Led by Ben Patrick (543-2803).

(9:00 AM) - Breakaways Mondays (D-3).Damon Garcia Sports Field. Led by Russ Robinson (781-0903).

(9:00 AM) - Blazing Tortoises (A-2).Dinosaur Caves Park (SB). Generally we expect to ride 15 to 25 miles at no more than 12 miles per hour.

Tuesday

(8:30 AM) - Baywood Vacillators (B-2/3).Show & Go from Nazarene Church (BP). Group decides on a coffee shop destination in San Luis Obispo or Avila Beach by mutual agreement. Ride normally breaks into a faster and slower group. Contact person: Marina Michel 528-1732.

Tuesday (6:00 PM) - Tuesday Night Rides (B/C/D-2).

Gazebo (AG). Choose between a fast 20+ mph or a slower 16 mph group. Mileage varies according to available daylight. A knowledge of group riding skills or a willingness to learn is required. "We always go to dinner after the ride." Led by John Sasaki (474-1417).

Wednesday (8:00 AM) - Templeton Breakers (C-4).

Templeton Park. Distance: 35-40 miles. Destinations: Templeton, Santa Margarita, Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Miguel for mid-ride coffee stops. Route sheets / maps distributed via email

prior to each ride. (See Monday’s ride for more info.). Led by George DiMundo ([email protected]).

(8:00 AM) - Templeton Scramblers (B-2).Templeton Park. Distance: about 35 miles. Destinations: Santa Margarita, Atascadero and Templeton for the mid-ride coffee stop. Route sheets / maps distributed via email prior to each ride. (See Monday’s ride for more info.) Led by Patti & Bill VanOrden ([email protected]).

(9:00 AM) - Flyers (D-3).These rides are tailored for people wanting faster paced rides with some pace line riding.

4 Bob Jones Trail Head. Led by Steve Vines (202-8114).11 Bandstand (AG). Led by Russ Robinson (781-0903).18 French Park (SLO). Led by Bill Goodger (782-9197).25 Santa Margarita Park. Led by Glenn Vanderlinde (466-4221).

(9:00 AM) - Frequent Feeders (B-2).This a a social group which rides at a moderate pace with regular regroups and a very social coffee break midway through the ride.

4 French Park (SLO). Ride up Ormande. Led by Dorothy Curhan (542-0334).

11 Bandstand (AG). Ride onto the Mesa. Led by Jacque & Chuck Wheeler (541-1240).

18 French Park (SLO). Led by Wolf Eisen (786-4405).

25 Bandstand (AG). Led by Mark Lyon (929-5998).

(9:00 AM) - SLO Pokes (A-2).These rides are tailored for riders wanting to average no more than 12 miles per hour.

4 Laguna Lake Park (SLO). Show and go Independence Day Ride.

11 Bandstand (AG). "Where the heck is Huasna?" Extra: lunch at Rooster Creek in Arroyo Grande. Led by Peggy Coon (904-6050).

18 Biddle Park (AG). "Biddle to the Beach," which is about 24 miles, with coffee at Station Grill, Grover Beach. There will be lunch afterwards at Biddle Park. Led by Bob Lindquist (441-7063).

25 French Park (SLO). Tour of the vineyards. Led by Bob Tuman (772-7046).



















Thursday

(8:30 AM) - Baywood / Los Osos Ride (B-2).

Show & Go from Nazarene Church (BP). Casual pace to coffee shop in Cayucos with possibility of doing an additional creek based on mutual agreement. Contact person: Jerry Lundstrom 528-1069.

Friday (8:00 AM) - Paso Robles Scramblers (B-2).

Marriot Courtyard Hotel. Distance: about 35 miles. Destinations: Santa Margarita, Atascadero and Templeton for the mid-ride coffee stop. See Monday’s ride info. Led by Monica Robinson ([email protected]).

(8:00 AM) - Paso Robles Breakers (C-4).

Marriot Courtyard Hotel. Distance: 35-40 miles. Destinations: Templeton, Santa Margarita, Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Miguel for mid-ride coffee stops. See Monday’s ride info.. Led by Bill McBride [email protected]).

(9:00 AM) - Breakaways Fridays (D-3).Bandstand (AG). Led by Larry Bradford (474-8764).

(9:00 AM) - Yellowjackets SLO Rides (B-2).

Ben's House (SLO). Ride supports one riding group (pace, 12-14 MPH) to various destinations. Be on time because the rides leave at the scheduled time. Led by Ben Patrick (543-2803).

(9:00 AM) - Tortoises (A-1).This group is intended for people that just want to get out for a short, easy, slow ride. We will ride about 10 to15 miles and average 10 miles per hour. We will also try to minimize hill climbing. A coffee stop is included.6 Nipomo Community Park. Ride

to Trilogy. Led by Bob Young (489-4755).

13 Bob Jones Trail Head. Ride the Avila Valley area. Led by Bob Tuman (772-7046).

20 Dinosaur Caves Park (SB). Ride eash, or west, or ???. Geni Stedman will assist. Led by Julie Jarvis (773-1567).

27 Bandstand (AG). Ride to Grover Beach. Julie Jarvis will assist. Led by Gini Stedman (473-8287).

Friday (9:00 AM) - Blazing Saddles (B-2).

Destinations throughout the County. Avg. 12-15 mph. Distance: 30 miles. Heavy social emphasis. Always a coffee stop. For ride notification, receive emails via SLOBC ‘Blazing Saddles' group email or [email protected] Dee McKelvie (610-1234) for more information.

Saturday

(8:00 AM) - Slabtown Rollers (C-4).Sotheby's Realty (Cambria). Variable itinerary, call for details. Led by Tom Parsons (927-5514).

(9:00 AM) - Huasna Valley Ride (C-2).Sixteenth Street Park (GB). Ride to Huasna and back, about 40 miles and 1700 feet of climbing. Led by Long Nguyen (481-1688).

(9:00 AM) - SLO Velo (C-3).The rides are designed for the intermediate rider who is comfortable riding a 15+ mph pace on 40 - 55 mile routes. The starting location on the first Saturday of each month will be variable. More information at web page : http://www.slovelo.com.Contact Ron Starkey for more information ([email protected]).

(10:00 AM) - King City Hillbillies (B-3/4).

Starbucks (King City). Distances 30 to 50 miles. Destinations: Mountains to left of us, mountains to the right of us, or runs down the valley to San Ardo and other cultural attractions. Water and snacks are available at Starbucks. Led by Chuck Krause or Ralph Lee ([email protected]).

Pace Description Terrain Description

AA Very Slow Less than 10 mph. Regroups often. Waits for slowest rider. 1 Generally Flat

A Slow 9 to 12 mph average. Regroups occasionally. (SLO Pokes) 2 Easy Grades Some Hills

B Moderate 12 to 15 mph average. Regroups every 30 minutes. Waits for slower riders. (Frequent Feeders)

3 Rolling Hills (North County Hills - Peachy Cyn)

C Brisk 14 to 17 mph average. Regroups every 30-45 minutes. Waits for slower riders (Flyers)

4 Hard Hills (Hwy. 46 - coast to Paso Robles)

D Fast Averages over 16 mph. Requires experienced riders and pace line riding. (Tuesday Night Rides)

5 Very Challenging Hills







http://www.slovelo.com/

http://www.slovelo.com/







Andreini's (AG)Take 101 to Arroyo Grande, exit Grand exit, left 0.3 miles to Andreini's on left. Park in lot to the right.Atascadero ZooTake 101 north from San Luis Obispo to Atascadero, take the Santa Rosa exit (218A), turn left on to Santa Rosa Rd for 1.4 miles, turn right on Highway 41, continue 0.2 miles to zoo on right.Bandstand (AG)Take 101 to Grand exit in Arroyo Grande. Turn east 0.2 miles to Traffic Way, right 0.2 miles to Nelson St, left 0.1 miles to Short Street. Park on street.Ben's House (SLO)Take 101 to Los Osos Valley Road. Go east 0.5 mile to Higuera, left 0.4 mile to Tank Farm Rd, right 1.9 miles to Poinsettia St, right 0.1 mile to Alyssum Court, left one house -- Ben's house is first on left.Biddle Park (AG)Exit San Luis Obispo on Broad St (227) past airport, left on Biddle Ranch Road to end, right on Orcutt Road to end, left on Lopez Drive to park on right.Bob Jones Trail HeadTake 101 toward the five cities. Exit at San Luis Bay drive. Go left on Ontario for 0.8 miles. Park in the lot on your left.Damon Garcia Sports FieldTake 101 to Los Osos Valley Road exit, east 0.4 miles to Higuera, left 0.2 miles to Tank Farm, right 1.5 miles to Broad, left 0.2 miles to the park on the left (across from Industrial Way).Dinosaur Caves Park (SB)Take 101 south to Spyglass Drive off ramp, go right to light, left on Shell Beach Road 1.4 miles to Cliff Avenue, right 0.1 mile to park on left.French Park (SLO)Take 101 to Los Osos Valley Road. East 0.5 mile to Higuera, left 0.4 mile to Tank Farm Rd, right 1.9 miles to Poinsettia St, right 0.4 miles to Fuller, left 0.1 mile to park (on the left).Gazebo (AG)Take 101 to Grand exit in Arroyo Grande. Go east (becomes Branch St) to Bridge Street. Turn right past Ira's Bike Shop and left into parking lot. Gazebo is halfway through lot on your right.

Laguna Lake Park (SLO)Take 101 to Madonna exit in SLO. Going west, 0.7 miles to entrance to Laguna Lake Park on your right. Generally park in second lot to the left (near the bathrooms).Marriot Courtyard HotelTake 101 (north or south) to the Spring St. exit, turn east onto 1st St, then south (left) onto So. Vine St. Entrance to the hotel parking lot is on your left; park along So. Vine St.Nazarene Church (BP)Corner of Santa Ysabel and South Bay Blvd in Los Osos. From 101, take Los Osos Valley Rd exit. Travel west for 9 miles to South Bay Blvd. Travel right about 1 mile to light, church is on your right.Nipomo Community ParkTake 101 to Highway south to Nipomo, exit at Tefft Street, go right 0.8 miles past Pomeroy to the park on the right.Santa Margarita ParkTake 101 to highway 58 off ramp into Santa Margarita. Follow highway 58 through town and stay on it when it turns to the right. After crossing the tracks, you will find the park to your right.Sixteenth Street Park (GB)Going southbound on 101 to Pismo Beach, take Oak Park exit, left on Elcamino Real for 0.3 miles, right on Oak Park for 1.1 miles, right on Mentone and then into park on left.Sotheby's Realty (Cambria)Take 101 to Highway 1 west, continue 34 miles to Cambria Rd, then turn left onto Main St. Continue 0.4 miles to Sotheby's Realty on the right (east of Main).Starbucks (King City)Take 101 north to King City. Take the Broadway off ramp and turn left under the 101 Freeway overpass on to Broadway Circle. Starbucks will be immediately on your left with ample parking.Templeton ParkTake 101 to the Vineyard exit in Templeton. Turn east for 0.2 miles to Old Country Road, turn left for 0.4 miles to 6th Street. Park is on your right.

Directions to Starting Locations



PenEar: Dan HenryThis column, by Matt and Rita Colonell, appeared in

2003. Dan Henry died on March 7, 2012

Dan Henry is not officially a member of SLOBC, but as a local bicycling celebrity who has befriended many members of the club when they have passed through Los Olivos, he seems like an unofficial member of the club.

The Colonell’s were lucky enough to run into Dan in Los Olivos in 2003 on a club ride to Santa Barbara. Dan was riding by and saw us stopped for lunch in the park in downtown Los Olivos and he came over to talk with us. The more we talked with Dan, the more details of his interesting life spilled out. Dan claims he turned 90 years old in March of 2003, although he certainly looked and acted much younger.

The first thing you notice about Dan is his unusual bicycle. The bicycle was custom made by Rene Herse, a renowned bike maker, in Paris over 50 years ago. Dan said he had put more than 100,000 miles on the bike. The seat is a "sling seat" made by Dan using a pair of drop handlebars upside down with some PVC tubing woven between the drops to form a hammock-like seat. Also, on the front of the bike attached to the regular handlebars are two additional handlebars offering several additional hand positions and incorporating a shock absorption system constructed of pieces of tire tubes.

Dan was born in Derry, Pennsylvania, a small town near Pittsburgh, in 1913. He developed an interest in airplanes early on, building wind-up airplanes while in elementary school and participating in organized competitions against other wind-up airplanes. Dan's parents sent him off to Virginia Military Institute. Dan, who has been a teetotaler and a nonsmoker his whole life, was dismayed at the heavy drinking by the faculty and the students, so he left to go to flight school instead.

Dan first attended the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics in New York City, and then the Curtis Wright flying school on Long Island, which was located on the present sight of JFK airport. After graduating, his first job as a pilot was flying an Eagle Rock biplane towing banners over Jones Beach and baseball games, primarily a banner reading "Clear Heads Call for Calvert Whiskey." Later, Dan flew all over the country for the Skywriting Corporation of America, putting up such slogans as "Play Jai-Alai" for $5 per sentence. In 1939, passenger airlines

were just getting off the ground, and Dan got a job with American Airlines. He was Pilot #255 at American (the pilot numbers now are more than 10,000), so he had valuable seniority, which he would need later. Dan flew for American for 25 years, retiring in 1964, flying the DC-2, DC-3, DC-4, DC-6, DC-7, the Lockheed L.188 Electra, and finally the Boeing 707, the first passenger jet aircraft. It was a very different world when Dan flew for American. For example, when Dan started, he says the senior pilots resisted the idea of having a copilot in the cockpit at all - the older planes only had room for one pilot in the cockpit, and pilots were accustomed to flying the planes by themselves without having anyone looking over their shoulder. What's more, many of the pilots used to smoke in the cockpit, which Dan considered a safety hazard because they used to keep flammable materials in the cockpit, such as an alcohol mixture to de-ice the inside of the windshield. When Dan was the pilot he banned smoking in his cockpit, to the consternation of his

copilots and also the stewardesses, who used to come up to the cockpit to smoke (they were not permitted to smoke in front of the passengers). American actually fired Dan once due to his nonsmoking rule, but the pilots' union got him reinstated. However, what really irritated American was Dan's insistence on riding bicycles! Dan had been an avid bicyclist since he was a kid, and as a pilot for American, he occasionally brought his bicycle with him to ride on layovers. Apparently, American spent a lot of time

and money developing a professional image for its pilots, and it considered a bicycle to be a "kid's toy" that was unbecoming of a pilot. Three times, American fired Dan for being seen with a bicycle or due to publicity related to his bicycling endeavors, and each time the pilots' union got Dan reinstated. The last time this occurred was in 1963, when Dan was on his way to flight training in Los Angeles to be certified on the Boeing 707. A vice president of American saw Dan walking through JFK airport in New York with his bicycle, which Dan was taking with him on his flight to Los Angeles since he was going to be there for three weeks. By the time Dan's flight arrived in Los Angeles, he had been fired and had to turn around and take a flight back to New York. Dan was later reinstated, but it is no wonder he retired the following year.

continued on page 10



After World War II, Dan found out about the New York Cycle Club. Dan loved the camaraderie of the club. Soon, longer and more frequent bike rides with the club led him to seek a more comfortable design for a bike. After much thought and experimentation, Dan designed and built the first full suspension bicycle, with shock absorbers based on the principal of tension (like spokes on a bicycle wheel) rather than compression. Dan received a patent for his design, and in 1957 he offered to sell the design to Raleigh Bicycles, the largest bicycle manufacturer at that time. Raleigh was very impressed with Dan's prototype, but declined to pursue it due to concerns about potential lawsuits if riders injured themselves on such a radically new bicycle.

Dan next turned his attention to the design and construction of a recumbent bicycle. Dan had the new bike nearly completed, but he had not yet figured out what form the reclining seat should take. He wanted to take the new bike on a club ride the next day, because he had been telling his fellow members about the bike he was building and was anxious to show it off. So using what materials he had available, he threw together a temporary seat consisting of three slings (one to sit on and two for the back of the seat) made of straps from a lawn chair. He rode the bike as planned the next day, and found the seat design to be very comfortable.

He later refined the seat design by substituting PVC tubing (which was more flexible and durable) for the lawn chair straps, and it was this seat on his recumbent bicycle that led to the sling seat on his present bicycle. Dan says the flexibility of the sling seat acts as a built-in suspension, rendering all of his previous work on the full-suspension bicycle "obsolete," and he predicts that in future most bicycles will have sling seats. He says the traditional narrow bicycle seat is a holdover from the old Penny Farthing bicycles, when the seat had to be narrow in order to pass between the rider's legs when the rider mounted the bike from the rear.

Dan also made an important contribution to organized bike rides by developing a commonly used system for route marking known as the "Dan Henry Marking System," which is a uniform system for marking a bike route on streets that has been adopted by the League of American Bicyclists and many bike clubs around the country. Dan developed this marking system after World War II while working with the American Youth Hostel. They used to run a "bicycle train" that would take kids from New York City and their bicycles by train out to the end of Long Island for a day of bicycling. They found they were losing a lot of the city kids on the country roads, so Dan came up with this system for marking the bicycle routes so the kids wouldn't get lost.

Dan later used the system to mark many club rides. Sometimes Dan would mark the routes from his bicycle - he would carry the paint in a water bottle, and use a

paintbrush, which he then clipped to his rear quick release so that it would drip on the road and not on his bike. He claims he could mark a route so quickly from his bike that if you gave him a 15-minute head start, he could mark an entire 50-mile route riding just ahead of you, and you wouldn't catch him.

Dan was a charter member of the International Bicycle Touring Society (predecessor to the Bicycle Adventure Club), and went on more than 40 bicycle tours in the U.S. and around the world with that club in the 1960s and 1970s. Dan carried his folding bike in his touring days. With his bicycle disassembled (decades before "Bike Friday") and his saddlebag containing two weeks of clothes and three spare sew-up tires, Dan was ready to board the plane.

Among other innovations, Dan came up with a map holder for touring consisting of an aluminum tube on the brake levers, around which the pertinent section of the map was wrapped, with a pointer to show your precise location on the map. Dan stored the other pieces of the map inside the tube for later use.

In recognition of Dan's contributions to cycling, the League of American Bicyclists awarded Dan its prestigious Paul Dudley White award in 1992. Other winners of this award include Greg Lemonde and Lance Armstrong. In addition, in 1995, Santa Barbara County designated new bike lanes on Alamo Pintado Road and Grand Avenue in the Santa Ynez Valley as the "Dan Henry Bike Route." Three of Dan's bicycle designs appear in a textbook on bicycle engineering published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

When he lived in Connecticut, winter weather prevented him from bicycling outdoors for five months of the year, so he would ride his bike on rollers indoors. Dan fought off boredom by learning tricks such as riding with no hands, taking his jersey off and putting it back on while riding, taking his hike shorts off (with a second pair underneath) and putting them back on while riding, and doing all of these stunts while blindfolded. Dan subsequently took this show on the road, and was a drawing card at bicycle meetings around the country for years.

Dan's loyal bicycling companion is his wife, Trudi (who passed away in 2007). Trudi was originally from Germany and spent three months a year there. When she was in Solvang, Dan set his single bike aside and only rides a tandem bike with Trudi. They met in 1961 at a meeting of the New York Cycle Club, at which Dan was auctioning off some new bicycles that he had obtained. Quality bicycles were harder to find back then. Dan had his sources and would buy the bikes and resell them, not with the intention of making money, but to promote interest in cycling. As Dan puts it, Trudi bought one of the bikes he was selling, and he "came with it."



Advocate’s Report by Dave Abrecht

Los Osos Valley Road and Bikes

Los Osos Valley Road is a key arterial route for cyclists traveling to and from the north coast to San Luis Obispo and south county communities. Recent changes to LOVR have created shrunken bike lanes (see photo) and right turn conflict at busy intersections and have made travel by bicycle a little more challenging. Earlier this month, Dan Rivoire, Ken Price and I had coffee with San Luis Obispo Public Works Director Jay Walter to talk about riding on Los Osos Valley Road. We expressed our concerns and offered some innovative mitigating ideas, such as buffered bike lanes, green lanes and lane striping that will lessen confusion for cyclists and motorists alike. Nothing will happen overnight but we all left the meeting with a feeling that Jay understood that Los Osos Valley Road is a critical road for bicycle travel within our county.

In the meantime, when you ride LOVR, especially between Froom Ranch and the 101 interchange, be visible, be predictable and lawfully assert your right to the full lane to increase your own personal safety.

An Unusual Response to Road Rage

I saw this Letter to the Editor in a recent edition of the San Francisco Chronicle. I think the author’s reflections are worth sharing.

Bicyclist to Motorist - A Peace Offering

“This is an open apology to a motorist I interacted with on Thursday morning on a group bicycle ride along Glorietta Boulevard in Orinda. He turned in front of me just before Glorietta sinuously descends into Layfayette. His car started weaving a bit, and I could see him looking at his right hand holding a phone as he steered with his left.

I yelled, and he put it (the phone) down. He came alongside and shouted that he was at the 25 mph speed limit, thinking that was the problem. I let him have it and added some expletives for effect. He sped off.

I apologize to this motorist for losing my temper and for my choice of words. I was upset for the rest of the day; perhaps he as well. Losing my temper was counterproductive and could have led to a violent encounter. However, I can’t get too angry at him because I recently drifted into another lane while driving and dialing my phone (Editor’s note: moron!) The lessons here are self-explanatory. We need to be careful, aware and respectful of each other”.

Ride safe!

San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club, Inc. P.O. Box 1585 San Luis Obispo, CA 93406

CALENDAR:BOARD MEETINGJuly 3rd, 5:00 P.M.

GENERAL MEETINGJuly 5th, 7:15 P.M.


Shandon scholarship winners with SLOBC V.P. Tom Roberts, starting from the left: Joshua Villanueva, Adilene Torres, Vivian Soto, Letisia Muniz, Nichole Malcom, Lucia Lopez, Melissa Lopez, Kayla Celis, Tom Roberts.

July 2012 SloCoaster

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Transcript of July 2012 SloCoaster