Hi there
ya'll!
It hasn't rained for a few days--
that's odd. Are we still in Memphis? Or is this what they mean by climate
change?
Have you noticed? It's been a
little cooler lately than it was in July. Under 60 degrees, cover your knees.
That's the old saying. When the temp is under 60 it is nicer to have warm
knees. To each his or her own. Kneewarmers and armwarmers are great. Buy some
from a local bike shop.
Of course, a True Flahute eschews
the effete bicycle clothing for something more
raw, more natural, and most definitely primal. A True Flahute can ride all
winter long in a thong and sneakers and average 26mph on a bad day while
chugging whiskey and gnawing on beef jerky for fuel...
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Meeting! Members Only. Monday,
12/7/09 at 6:00PM
Come
listen to former WKNO star and former Hightailers President Bill Waters talk
about his biking experiences in France. Most of it will be true. All of it will
be entertaining. Register Here.
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Speaking of Former Presidents (And
we don’t mean Bush or Clinton or Carter or Bush)
NewsFlash! Former Hightailer
President Scott Andreas is alive!
From Lewis O'Kelly:
I recently saw Scott Andreas for
the first time since he retired and moved out of town. He would like to
let his friends in the club know that rumors concerning his death are greatly
exaggerated. He was seriously ill a few years ago with a hereditary
liver disease but he was able to receive a transplant and is now in good
health. He lives in Brownsville and even though he has stopped riding he
still has his bike. I view that as a good sign. I would appreciate it if
you would let folks in the club know.
From Cliff H: Scott Andreas was riding with the club when I first
started showing up to the Saturday morning rides. They started at Audubon Park
back then (1995, 1996?). Scott was a great rider who commuted daily from E
Memphis to Southern College of Optometry in midtown. I learned a lot from him
about safer group riding, drafting, etc. Glad he is still alive!
Another former President and his
wife, Joe Royer and wife Carol Lee Royer, are interviewed on WKNO
in this YouTube clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7omdo-2u6t0
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Dr. Sonny sent in this cool article about a super commuter.
http://www.planetbike.com/newsletter_2009-11.html#supercommuter
Darrell L sends a decent article from LA about riding in traffic,
etc.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-biking-tips2-2009nov02,0,4173802.story
And yet another one from former
president, Admiral Bill Waters, who sent in this great cycling awareness video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4
Did you spot Neil Sharpe moon
walking in the above video? If not, watch it again….
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Burn the Turkey Ride (And we don’t mean Ben Bernanke …yet)
Members Only ride on 11/28
2 routes, 40 and 60 miles,
starting from the Shelby Forest Park area, maps and que sheets will
be on the website.
We would like for a volunteer to
do a rolling sag- club will pay for mileage and lunch (like the Gilt Edge Café,
but probably not for Folk’s Folly).
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Starry Nights is returning to Memphis and the Memphis Hightailers Bicycle
Club will be running the show on Friday, December 11th. We need
volunteers to help with traffic, tickets, and the gift shop, which will help
benefit the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. We will have 2 shifts, from
5-8 PM and 8-11:30. Volunteers will not have to pay to see the electrical
light show. Family members can volunteer, too!
The MHBC will provide the pizza,
drinks, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. for the night. To volunteer or if you
have any questions, please contact Vic Butcher at vbutcher@aol.com
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Weekly Hightailer Rides
The Superlo Morning Rides:
Saturday & Sunday Morning 9 am Map Link
The weekly Saturday & Sunday
morning rides will leave from the parking lot in front of Super Lo on Southern
between Perkins and Colonial. The rides usually travel between 25-30
miles. Avg. speeds range from 12 to 18 or so mph. Saturday's group is
usually larger and often has a wide variety of riders from beginner to
advanced. Sunday is generally smaller and a bit more relaxed in general. The
rides have rest stops at grocery or convenience stores near the midpoint.
----------------------------
Saturday Morning Vic's Ride -- Lakeland Outlet Mall on Canada Road and I-40. On
the second Saturday of the month, the ride starts at the Mississippi River Park
across from Harbor Town.
The ride starts at 8 AM. We
average 16-18, with rest stops every 12-15 miles.
More info? Email vbutcher@aol.com
--------------------------
Sunday Afternoon -- Hustle & Flow with the Saints and Sinners, 2:00
p.m. Super Lo Map Link
Are you a saint who went to church
on Sunday morning? Or are you a sinner who partied too much and just woke up on
Sunday afternoon? Either way, this is the ride for you. Not for beginners,
though.
Intermediate pace (16-19 mph)
25-40 miles. We try to be aware of riders with different abilities and
pace preferences-- we will try to not really drop anyone, but sometimes we fail
at this endeavor. Varied routes, mostly urban. fixedgearcliff@gmail.com
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Tuesday Night at Howard-McVay Park
-- Suspended until spring or...?
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Tuesday & Thursday Night,
Shady Grove Soiree -- Suspended until Spring or...?
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Thursday Night Thrill Ride --
Suspended until Spring
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Saturday Downtown Farmer's Market
Ride -- Suspended until Spring
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Odds and Ends-
Support your local bike shops--
They have rides of all sorts. Riding with a shop or with the Hightailers is a
great way to learn new routes and make new friends, some friends might even
come with benefits, eh?
Get to know your shop's mechanics,
tip them now and then, and buy stuff from the shops. When you need an emergency
repair the day before a major ride Performance mail order will not help you one
bit.
Bike
Shops and links to their rides are listed here.
-----------------------------------
Critical Mass - Overton Square - Cooper and Trimble. Last Friday of the
month, 6 pm or so.
No charge, no t-shirt, no plan
other than to gather and ride together. http://memphiscriticalmass.blogspot.com/
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Local Bike Culture Blogs
Anthony has a nice bike blog at http://www.anthonysiracusa.blogspot.com/
Fixed Gear Races - Advocacy info,
events and more http://fixmemphis.blogspot.com/
Mason writes well about Memphis
and biking at http://www.biketofeel.com/
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Out of Town Rides:
Riding a bike is a great way to get a feel for an area.
Enjoy the rides, ya'll--
Cliff H.
cliff@bikememphis.com
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Extra! STOLEN BIKE ALERTS
Call 545-COPS in Memphis.
Help find John Vookles' bike!!
Keep your eyes open for this bike- it is unique, as is John.
Litespeed Appalachian touring bike
-- black frame with yellow lettering. Probably the only one in Memphis. Stolen
out of my locked garage the first week of April. If anyone sees this bike,
please call me at 725-1177 or 355-4265 -- or call the police. Or offer to
buy the bike from the rider -- I'll reimburse of course. The rider will
probably have no idea of the value of the bike. Thanks , John
Vookles
From Larry Cole—My 2004 Quintana
Roo was taken off the back of my truck. The cable lock was cut. I was parked at
a friend’s house in the Binghamton area. The bike is blue & white, it
has the paint job that are bubbles where the colors change, red bottle cages,
and mismatched tires, front is black rear is a blue Vittoria. It’s a 61cm
frame. Thanks! Larry Cole 901-258-4020
Specialized Tricross Singlespeed-
Fixed gear/Free wheel. Green & Black, 54, drops w/regular and cyclocross
brake levers. Cliff Heegel, 901-763-0999.
Deadline: If you have an item you
would like to have included in the newsletter, get it to me no later than the
Wednesday afternoon before the newsletter is mailed.
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