The entire 2017 Board thanks the members for all the support, participation and fun we have had in 2017! Looking forward to a new year full of good times and great friends in 2018.
A full quorum at one of our meetings to do the work of the club...
BALLOT POSTED
Our 9 officer positions will be elected at the Annual meeting on January 20.
Nominations closed on Dec 21st. 9 volunteers stand as candidates. See More.
Here is the official ballot, although with no contests, a show of hands will serve as member acceptance of the entire slate at the meeting.
Members who can not attend, may opt to cast an absentee ballot before the Annual Meeting.
Bicycle Tree Donation Drive
In addition to parts and jerseys brought to our Annual Holiday Potluck - a big load of parts, helmets, shoes, clothes a frame and a complete bike showed up at today's BCI Saturday Ride - It took Bill & Dev Sellin's van & Paul Haussler's truck to get everything to Santa Ana this afternoon!
Thanks to everyone who brought in spare parts & clotehs, especially Jerri & Gordon Van Houten who brought BAGS of clothes, helmets, shoes & cleared out a lot of their garage space, and Paul & Tara Maull who brought clothes and a Puch fixed gear bike!
The Bicycle Tree is a non-profit center in Santa Ana focusing on low-income kids and young adults.
if you are shopping for parts to fix a retro bike, want to pick up a used kids bike or thrasher to commute on, or want to shop for a great selection of small & medium jerseys - check out their store front location in Santa Ana!
Thanks to Tommie Kozlov for spear heading this BCI effort!
No room left for Bill & Dev's bikes to get home!
Paul Nagel happily filling out a donation receipt!
Inventory & sorting to add to the resale racks and parts bins at the Bicycle Tree
Paul Maull's Tall Yellow Fixie will be a hit & soon to be seen cruising around Santa Ana with a new owner!
Holiday Potluck Gift Drive
Mike Farrell, Jane Schrenzel, Deby Six, Maya Ziegler, Beth Sher, Alice Fascella & Tommie Kozlov led the team in coordinating a fabulous pot luck feast
In addition to sharing a good time, great food and community on November 18th, over $700 in gift cards were donated for families in need, distributed during the holidays by Families Forward. Here is their thank you letter to BCI:
New Jersey & Kits Available
At our October meeting we sampled the fabric choices & tried on sizing kits for our pre-order sizing. Our 'Store' - the window for ordering custom kits closed on October 23rd (the next chance to order is TBD but will likely not be before January 2018).
Jerseys are scheduled to be delivered in early December & will be brought to the BCI Membership Meeting on the 13th. If you can't make the meeting on the 13th they will be available for pick up at Trails End Cycling Center.
The New Kits have begun showing up at rides - next order option wil be announced soon!
Second Sunday Sufferfest – October 8th
Six intrepid riders took on the challenge and completed the Second Sunday Sufferfest with 6 summits along the way – Jamboree, Canyon View, Cannon, Serrano, Imperial Highway and La Loma/Redhill.
The overall route was 41 miles with about 2,600 feet of climbing. Imperial Highway up from Nohl Ranch was a real delight, with a 0.7 mile ascent that averaged 11% plus, with a few sections 13% grade.
Come out the second Sunday of each month to join BCI riders on some of OC’s most epic climbs!
Pictured from L to R – Alex Lim, Joe Lock, Jeff Cheechov, Jim Norman and Vince Wilhelm (John Sideri not pictured).
Photo credit Alex Lim.
Gary Thomsen
We are sad to report that Gary Thomsen, BCI Member #4290 died while on the Tuesday Ride this week on Laguna Canyon Road.
He joined BCI in April 2010 and just celebrated his 78th birthday on June 14th.
There may have been a medical situation before he impacted the back of a CalTrans truck that was stopped on the shoulder of the road, and after effort to revive him failed, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Our deepest condolences to Fern, his widow, their family & loved ones, and all the friends of Gary.
Sandi & John Carpenter are neighbors and close friends & have provided this brief remembrance an photo of Gary & Fern:
Gary and Fern were married for 54 years. They have three children and two grandsons.
He was always athletic, played football in college, then began running and after
retiring from IBM he became an active cyclist. He loved working on bikes and decided to go to the Barnett Bicycle Institute in Colorado Springs Colorado and be certified. He volunteered at the Bone Adventure Dog Day Care Center for many years. He and Leigh loved to travel.
Gary being the kind, gentle person became our local go-to bike mechanic in the neighborhood as he was always willing to help. He was dubbed the "Fix bike for a beer" man.
He will be deeply missed by many.
The Register published a brief report of the news, http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/26/bicyclist-78-dies-in-irvine-after-hitting-parked-car/ and word is just getting to many of the BCI family.
Thanks to Randy @ Trails End for the frame, BCI for the paint, sign, flowers & chain & Bill & Dev for placement early October 1st, near the spot Gary crashed on the Class 3 Bike Route on Sept 26th.
Update: Gary was laid to rest in a small ceremony on Sunday, October 1st.
A "celebration of life" event will be scheduled in the future.
Autopsy indicated Blunt Force Trauma as cause of his death.
His Ghost Bike has received many loving visits:
Monday, October 9
Summer BBQ
Penny Poorman pulled her team of Paul Hausler & Communications Director Bill Sellin together again to serve up some burgers to BCI on Saturday, August 26, 2017. Extra help from Beth Sher, Hospitality Director Jane Schrenzel, Laurie Ostrow, and Alice Fascella kept the line moving & riders happy. We started the ride a bit later than last year - and Bill modified the routes to add a few miles to get the riders back AFTER the fire was ready & burgers were cooking and the timing worked out very well. President Mike Farrell helped with the clean up & loading & other than a few no shows who owe for burgers we prepped, we had enough for everyone who wanted one, serving 83!
Here are photos Communications Director Bill Sellin & Director at Large Alex Lim took:
(Lost & Found - Bill has one right hand Pearl Izumi gel black glove left behind at the gazebo!)
Farewell Cathy McCoy!
Sheet Cake is good!
Several BCI members gathered after the Saturday Club Ride on August 19th for a picnic & send off to Cathy McCoy; She is retiring and moving soon to Fernley outside of Reno; We hope she comes back to visit often as she will be missed!
2017 OC Bicycle Rally a Hit!
Coordinators Bob Fairfield & Monica McCarthy
along with BCI's Hospitality Director Jane Schrenzel & Membership Director Deby Six
A cool & cloudy morning start to the Annual event, held this year in Heritage Park where ample parking and the large picnic area were a better fit for the crowd of cyclists rolling out in waves on the routes offered. In addition to the four leads pictured above, thanks to Ride Coordinator Jim Norman who modified all 4 routes for 2107 and Communications Director Bill Sellin who called out the ride starts and crowd control in the morning. Event details are still on our calendar, and below is a collection of photos from the starts.
Onyx Summit Challenge!
Photo Credit - Laura Emery
The BCI members who met in the early morning of June 10th had fabulous weather & enjoyed this challenge! (While those riding from Deerfield had drizzle!)
Photos prove it!
Special thanks to sweep / support crew - President Mike Farrell and newest BCI member Laura Emery
Our roving support team of Laura and Mike did a great job covering the route and making sure all the riders had water and treats along the way. With 2300', 3800' and 6200' routes, the Onyx Challenge has something for every rider. Plan on it again in 2018. Training rides start in January!
Irvine is painting more Bike Lanes along side Right Turn Only Lanes
Posted by Bill Sellin
Every week it seems a few more Right Turn lanes are getting a new look: Irvine has been narrowing wide right turn only lanes and adding a segment of Bike Lane on the left. Just this Tuesday (May 30) Walnut was being restriped at the RTOL for the NB 261 & Jamboree. Much of Harvard & Alton have been done & Sand Canyon & Irvine Blvd are already marked up for changes...
This modernization of Bike Lanes is approaching the current national standard for treating Bike Lanes that are crossed by right turn only lanes. The old design common in Irvine kept the bike lane 'trapped' along the gutter of the RTOL (Right Turn Only Lane) - usually dashed and served by a curbside green signal button to give the cyclist a green light. The obvious problem here - and why they are no longer recommended - is that right turning traffic are in a direct conflict with strait riding bicycles... and it is illegal to go straight from a RTOL. Most of these trapped bike lanes have been pointed out to the City and have been ground off - but that means the Bike Lane vanishes somewhere before where every RTOL begins. There is an answer in modern design standards.
Road Cyclists know that it is legal, predictable and expected that when the Bike Lane is ending, it is time to merge into traffic & use the right most through lane. As always, if the through lane is too narrow to allow a truck + 3 feet for you, you should ‘take the lane’ & safely claim it to avoid unsafe passing or side-by-side sharing by motorists. Filtering up on the blind side of vehicles puts you at risk for motorists who may turn right from the through lane – without warning or blinker - so it is always best to get in line behind others already waiting at a signal or in line for a STOP.
Edge Cyclists depend on staying as far right as possible - and still follow the gutter - baited by that green light button, and continue to be at risk of 'right hook' turns and violating the law by going straight from the RTOL. If you are an edge rider, best & legal option is to get up on the corner & act like a pedestrian - cautiously (check for traffic, dismount & walk your bike to be clearly a pedestrian) using cross walk to go straight across the path of turning traffic.
Untrained Cyclists are seen on every ride, moving to the left half of the RTOL then proceeding straight. This 'corks up' the traffic turning right from the RTOL - and is illegal to go straight from the RTOL. Some will straddle the lanes, filtering up on through traffic and making RTOL users wonder what to do...
Now that the Bike Lane is being provided, there is no doubt where we should be. The new segments being painted clarify where to be: and with the camera detection system - as long as you stop behind the limit line as you should, you don't need to push that button on the curb.
If there is not enough room to narrow the RTOL lane & provide a Bike Lane, than you should see the RTOL being removed and the WIDE Bike Lane should be dashed and turning traffic should merge into our Bike Lane (in the last 200') to turn right.
This is a big improvement - and almost meets the modern standards - but it only applies to Bike Lanes where a RTOL exist... If there is no right only turn lane, the Bike Lane should become dashed in the last 200' to remind riders that motorist are SUPPOSED to merge into the Bike lane to turn right, as the law requires turning right from the lane closest to the right edge - This is actually to protect cyclist from being 'right hooked' by over taking motorists turning across our path from the through lane. Merging, by law requires those turning motorists to signal, and move into our bike lane without impeding our movement - so they should merge in behind us if we are already there...
It is not required, but it is allowed, safer and a courtesy to turning traffic that we merge out of a Bike Lane & into the through travel lane to allow turning to our right. This also positions us to block right hooking turns by those who do not know to use the Bike Lane ( or may be confused by Irvine's continued use of the archaic and non-standard "BIKE ONLY" markings; That was how the first Bike Lanes were marked in 1971 but California has realized it is better to use BIKE LANE and acknowledge that vehicles will be safer when they use the right most lane by dashing the last 200').
So Irvine is not quite up to the modern standards - the federal MUTCD shows what California DOT sees as the standard treatment - we ride in these configurations often in Newport Beach: Note the dotted merge zone & R4-4 signs that alert motorists that they are crossing a Class II Bike Lane path of travel, and guide the cyclist to get out of the RTOL. They also do not dash the Bike Lane before the RTOL begins and often go a step farther by painting a buffer along the bike lane - discouraging motorists from entering the Bike Lane before the RTOL begins.
An even more progressive standard is offered by the NACTO guide; and that is what we see now going in on Santa Ana streets and other "Bicycle Friendly" cities:
From the NACTO Urban Bikeways Design Guide
https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/
Irvine's 'On Street Bike Trails' as they are called in the General Plan, are not perfect, and do not comply with California Class II Bike Lane standards - but they are getting better.
Irvine is getting closer to a modern standard with these new lanes and as traffic continues to increase, improved Bike Lanes can make it safer and less stressful for all road users.
We may never get up to green paint, but we could at least get as good as Newport Beach. Learning how to properly use the road as cyclists makes all traffic safer and more efficient; You can learn a lot about bikeway design and help city traffic engineers (as well as OCTA & CalTrans) do a better job of providing consistent and predictable traffic management.
Connect the Loop - June 10th
Another opportunity to volunteer: (if not already doing or helping the Onyx Challenge)
Dear BCI;
I have been asked to round up some of the cycling community to help volunteer and assist with putting on a public program on June 10th. The 66 mile OC Bike Loop is moving forward and the County of Orange partnering with the City of Anaheim and the City of Yorba Linda to promote this upcoming section in their area.
More details on the actual event will be coming soon but the link to the event this event and others can be found here:
http://gohumansocal.org/Pages/Events/Go-Human-Events.aspx
The event is scheduled to go from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm with positions available before, during and after the event.
Volunteers Needed
Friday (pre-event prep) 3-6pm
4-6 people needed to help with pavement graphics and bike lane marking productionSaturday: Set-up 7-10am - 12 -15 needed
Event 1st shift: 11am - 1pm - 15 - 20 needed
Event 2nd shift:: 1pm - 3pm - 15 - 20 needed
Clean-up: 3-5pm - (Volunteers optional)
If you are able to help out, please follow this link:
I know you have a club of people that enjoy riding, so I hope you don't mind me reaching out to you to see if you would mind getting the word out. Since our club is mainly focused on mountain bike trails, I told them I would do what I could to bring members of the other clubs to help educate the public on what we enjoy doing so much.
Thank you in advance for being willing to help.
Steve Larson
President
SHARE Mountain Bike Club
http://sharemtb.com
BCI awarded "Most Supportive" again for 2nd year at The OC Boob Ride
BCI members were the largest club affiliated group enjoying the OC Boob Ride on April 22nd, securing the second year that BCI has been recognized as the Most Supportive!
The Boob Ride - MOST SUPPORTIVE AWARD
Reports are coming in of a great & fun event, and our congratulations to Paul Self & team for putting the event ion, as well as our BCI members who participated, had a great time and supported the cause! See more on The Boob Ride here & put it on your calendar for the 2018 event!
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
