New-Normal Self-Serve Sign-In steps

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Challenged getting signed in to a BCI ride?
Here are step-by-step instructions for CURRENT MEMBERS:

1: Log onto our TidyHQ site. Use your email address and personal password. bci.tidyhq.com Select the Bicycle Club of Irvine if not already taken there… (If you are an Admin, select “Public Page”) You will be shown the next 2 upcoming events on the Welcome page - click one you want to sign-in for if shown.

2: Click the word “Events” top & center. bci.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events
This will show you all scheduled upcoming events you can sign in for…

3: Click any event you want to sign in for. There are 15 small images you can click on, or scroll down & click the [Attend] button for the event you want to sign in for.
Note - If the member Ticket says “ U N A V A I L A B L E “ you are already signed in

4: Click the [ Get Tickets ] button.

5: Click the (+) to add 1 Member ticket ( default is 0 ) it will then say “Limit reached’ as you can inly sign-in once. If it says “ U N A V A I L A B L E “ you are already signed in.

6: Click the [ Checkout ] button to confirm your ‘order’ and go to the Payment page.

7: Click the [ Submit order ] button to ‘buy’ your free ‘order’ and go to the Success page. You do NOT need to print or save a ticket. You will get an email Order confirmation.

We would rather have you signed in and not show, than have you ride without being signed-in, so if you wish, you can repeat this process for every available sign-in ticket we have published on one log in session, rather than doing it the night before or early before you decide to ride. Repeat steps 2 to 7 for each date. It may be helpful to note on a list what you have already signed in for so you don’t try twice for the same date…

For Guests (including expired BCI members):
If not able to log in, you will be asked the first time to create an account at BCI.TidyHQ.com with your email and a password you set. The steps will be the same as above, except you can only ‘buy’ Guest sign-in tickets, but you can buy more than one; giving names and emergency contacts for each guest riding.

If something goes wrong, please contact Bill ASAP to figure out & correct the problem !
Text 9433678 in the 714 to reach him immediately!

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If you are a current member but do not have access to sign-in online,
print out THIS FORM, fill in your name & print a stack, then date & sign it for each ride you attend with legible name & BCI#, and give it to the park staff, or slip it in the door at UCP or the mailbox at DCP if no staff on duty. Please turn it in to the leader on any remote ride / event.

If you are expired or a guest, and do not have access to sign-in online,
print out THIS FORM, complete & sign it & get it to staff or the remote event leader before you ride.

Bike Path Challenge !

For those of you riding on your own & looking for new places to go… Here is a challenge for you all:
See the following list of Class I off-street bike & shared-use paths across OC.
How many of them can you ride on during the rest of Bike Month and early October ?
Deadline is our General Meeting on October 14th - Start a check list & amaze us!

Check List as a printable pdf:

BONUS POINTS – Add any path you know of or find over ½ mile long!

Aliso Creek – Upper  (from Paseo Valencia to El Toro Rd just south of Cooks Corner)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182019 8.5 miles 

Aliso Creek – Lower  (from Alicia Pkwy @ Awma to Laguna Hills Dr)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34181995 3.4 miles

Anaheim Coves (from Ball to Frontier)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182062 2.5 miles

Beacon Hill Way (Chapparosa Park to Golden Lantern)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182093 1.1 mile 

Bonita Canyon – North (Bonita Canyon @ MacArthur to Newport Hills Dr)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182153 0.7mi

Bonita Canyon – South (Newport Hills Dr to San Miguel)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182172 0.3 mi

Bonita Creek – East (SD Creek to Bonita Creek West)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182180  0.8 mi

 Bonita Creek - West ( University to Bison)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182188  0.8 mi

Borrego Trail (Alton @ Commerce Ctr to Baker Ranch Rd)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182211  1.1 mi 

Bosque Trail (Great park Blvd to Irvine Blvd)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182228   1.2 mi

Brea Dam (Brea Dam Park Hostel to St Jude’s)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182242  0.4 mi

Brea Trail – West (Imperial to Birch)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182280  2.1 miles 

Brea Trail –East (Birch to Surveyor Ave)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182291  1.2 mi

Bren (Sunnyhill to Ridgeline)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182307  0.5 mi

Como (From Peters Cny to Harvard)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34285144 0.3 mi

Coyote Creek – Lower (San Gabriel River to Foster)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182348   9.5 miles

Coyote Creek – Upper (La Mirada Blvd in Buena Park to Imperial in La Habra)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182370  2.8 miles 

Crystal Cove – West (Pelican Point to the Shake Shack)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182380  1.5 mi 

Crystal Cove – East (The Shake Shack to Reef Point)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182400 0.8 mi 

Cypress Village Trail (Sand Canyon SP to JOST)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182411  1 mile

Edison Easement  (El Rancho Verde Park in Cypress to Turtle Park in Buena Park)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182451  2.8 miles

El Cajon - West (Bastanchury to Grandview)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182482  3.6 miles

El Cajon – East (Arroyo Cajon Dr to Fairlynn Blvd)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182509  1.1 mile

Freeway Trail (From San Diego Creek to Sand Canyon)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182529  4.2 miles 

Great Park (Marine way to Great park Blvd)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182559  1.1 mile

Harbor View (from NB MacArthur to Bonita Canyon Tr - South)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182573  0.3 mi 

Hicks Canyon (From Rattlesnake/East Peters Canyon Trail to Portola)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182593   2.2 miles 

Huntington Beach (from Santa Ana River to Seapoint)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182136 5.5 miles

Huntington Beach – Bolsa Chica Beach Path (Seapoint to Warner)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182114 2.9 mi 

Jeffrey Open Space Trail (5 Freeway  to Portola)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182604  2.4 miles 

Juanita Moe Trail (University Trail to Shady Canyon Trail)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182612   1.1 mi

Live Oak Canyon (Antonio Pkwy to Avenida Empresa)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182635    2.3 miles 

Pacific Electric (from South Susan @ Alton to West Chestnut)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182055 5 miles

Peters Canyon – South  (from Bill Barber to Warner)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182641   0.8 mi 

Peters Canyon – New (from Warner to Como Channel or Walnut Trail)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182652   1.1 mile 

Peters Canyon – Middle (from Como to Bryan)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182660   1.6 mile

Peters Canyon – West Irvine (From Bryan to Peters Canyon)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182673   3.8 miles

Peters Canyon – North (from Peters Canyon to Santiago)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182698   0.8 mi

Peters Canyon West Bank / Rattlesnake (from Bryan to Portola)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182710    1.8 mile 

Tustin Branch - Esplanade Trail (Dirt - from Warren to Fairhaven)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34285130 1.5 mile

Modjeska Trail (From Portola Springs to Tomato Springs)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182723   0.9 mi

Newport Dunes (from Bayside to Back Bay Dr)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34183090    0.7 miles 

Portola Side Path - West (from the 261 almost to Jeffrey)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34284947 1.6 mile

Portola Side Path - East (from Hicks Canyon near Jeffrey to the 241)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34284957 3.7 miles

Saint Jude’s (St Jude’s to Bastanchury)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182746   0.3 mi

Salt Creek (From beach to Parc Vista )
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182780   3.9 miles 

Santa Ana River Trail (PCH to Green River)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182850  30.6 miles 

Santiago Creek  (5 Freeway in Santa Ana to Cannon in Orange)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182883   6.7 miles

San Diego Creek (From Upper Newport Bay to Bake)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182906   11.5 miles

San Juan Creek (Trabuco Trail @ Descanso Park to Avenida Siega)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182936   3.4 miles 

San Juan Creek – Lower (Doheney Beach to Trabuco Trail @ Descanso Park)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182982  2.4 miles 

Sand Canyon Side Path (from Portola to Alton)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34285158 4.1 miles

Shady Canyon (from Quail Hill to Bommer Canyon)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182947   2.8 miles 

Sulphur Creek (Laguna Niguel Regional Park to Crown Valley Park)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182964  1.0 mile 

Trabuco Creek (San Juan Creek to Avenida de la Vista
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34182998   0.9 mile

Turtlerock (Mason Regional Wilderness Park to Starcrest)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34183007   1.4 mile 

University / Sand Canyon Wash (Freeway Tr north of 405 to SD Creek west of Harvard
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34183035  3.7 miles

Walnut (Harvard to Sand Canyon)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34285139 3.1 miles

Woodbridge Lakes (Yale to Yale)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/34183052  1.9 miles

"Ride Banks" Added to our website

For those of us adventuring out on our own we have recently added RIDE BANKS of most Saturday & Sunday & every Tuesday ride we offer as club rides. Now you don’t have to scroll through past calendar dates to find a favorite BCI route. Conditions change, and we can’t guarantee the route is still undisturbed by road work or new options, and we can’t assume any responsibility if you choose to follow any of them as a club ride or on your own, and the Members’ supplemental insurance does not cover you if you ride these when not scheduled by the club, but enjoy! Pull down the “Activities & Maps” tab to find all 3 Ride Banks.
You will find pdf files of turn by turn route cue slips, as well as links to our Ride With GPS.com posted maps with profiles and the availability to upload the route to a gps navigation device.

Last Chance to experience the "New Normal" sign in !

July 28th will be the 4th & final test of having a “New Normal” sign in Tuesday Ride. Next month we move to our “New-Normal Self-Serve” system where no one has to risk setting out pens, clip boards, route slips and collect sign in sheets & quest waivers. Everyone has expressed gratitude to Bill & Dev for setting up the trial system and risking the exposure to learn how we can get back to being a cycling club!
Staring August 4th BCI Members will sign-in on line & download & print their own route slip. If you are tech-challenged, ask a friend to print you an extra route slip & let us know - we can sign you in if you can’t do it yourself…

Beginning in August we will NOT be risking anyone’s health to set up and monitor the ride starts.
If you are tech-challenged, ask a friend to print you an extra route slip & let us know - we can sign you up if you can’t do it yourself…
You can see rides offered as usual here on the web site, but there will be NO PENS, CLIP BOARDS, SIGN IN SHEETS - GUEST WAIVERS OR ROUTE SLIPS out at the park. You will be asked to REGISTER online as a member or Guest/Expired Member as your sign in. You must also download & print your own cue slip as there will not be any on a clipboard at the ride start. Your Supplemental Medical & Accident insurance for MEMBERS will NOT be in effect if you are not registered for the BCI Ride on the Date scheduled. Once you are logged in, you may register for as many available future events as you wish on one visit…

“New-Normal Self-Serve” system starting August 2020

“New-Normal Self-Serve” system starting August 2020

PLEASE
1: Stay Healthy!
If you have been exposed, or feel you might be sick, stay home & self quarantine.
2: Maintain Sanitation;
carry some hand sanitizer with you - wash your hands often - don’t touch your face.
3: Maintain Physical Distancing
Please stay farther apart - 6 feet is the minimum guideline, many feel more if cycling along at speed as our breath ‘sphere’ becomes an elongated ‘comet’. If not enough space, cover up! Especially in a line or waiting together at a red light. Scatter when waiting and ride off before a group forms. Don’t cluster at pinch points like bathroom doors. We are not supposed to gather yet, so as soon as you arrive, don’t wait for a start - go ahead & trickle out as you wish.
4: Wear Face Covering
A simple device to control your exhaled droplets any time you are close to others. Remember when moving your sphere of exhaled droplets becomes a comet trailing back - so wear face covering to protect those on your wheel. It’s not a mask to keep any virus out - it’s a face cover to trap your heavy breathing out of potentially infectious droplets. Face covering works because asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers can spread COVID to others and to surfaces before they know they have it.

At this time face coverings are still mandatory in Irvine, as well as all of California in public when unable to maintain a 6’ minimum distance, even outdoors.
Gathering is prohibited until “Phase 4”, so please trickle out as you are comfortable. We will not gather for announcements or a group start and we discourage gathering at the coffee stop that is typical on every route slip, or after rides for lunch. Plan ahead with snacks & plan to stop at a local park or public restroom for water & relief along the route to avoid lines at coffee stops.

Norm Moyer

Sadly we have received word that BCI Member #1946 Norm Moyer passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 26th. He was 79 and would be 80 on August 3rd.

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His wife Mary is gathering their family from a-far and will let us know when & where we can try to gather to remember her inspirational and generous husband.
She has requested no calls, emails or texts at this time, but a card of love & support in the mail would be welcome.

Norm joined BCI in July of 1992, and was our Ride Coordinator for 7 years.
He recovered from heart surgery and celebrated the 1 year anniversary of that ordeal just a couple of months ago, with a climb over Newport Coast - but he admitted he actually had to down shift to his middle chain ring... We are sure he was riding this week right up to the end of a wonderful life.
He has led and joined many on adventures far and wide, and was a dear friend to many of us.
He will be deeply missed and warmly remembered.   
His Obituary is posted.
”Norman was born Aug 3, 1940 in Buffalo, NY to the late Edward L. and Norma (Keener) Moyer. He completed his formal education earning a PhD in Solid State Physics at Purdue University in 1968. Moving to Southern California for a job with Hughes Aircraft, he married Mary Lewis in 1970. Norm and Mary resided in Newport Beach the entire 50 years of their marriage. In the early 1980's, Norm left Hughes to start his own Semi-Conductor Company, where he worked until his retirement around 2010 or so (retirement came in fits and spurts as he wound the business down). Norm once said he spent the first half of his life being a nerd, and wanted to spend the second half being an athlete. He took up biking and running in his 30s, eventually sticking to biking. Committed to environmental causes, he greatly preferred to use his bicycle for his transportation needs. Even well into his 80th year, he averaged 200+ miles per week in 2020. He took on volunteer leadership positions in Bicycle Club of Irvine, with whom he spent much of his free time. He also enjoyed planning bike excursions all over the US, and was known as a generous and gracious host to those he traveled with. The last trip he hosted was in Feb 2020 with his children and grandchildren to celebrate his 50th Wedding anniversary. Norm was a joyful and kind soul, always making time for his children and grandchildren. When not cycling, he enjoyed sailing, kayaking, and socializing. He named his business "Sunshine" and his boat "Nature" because they were his favorite ways to spend time. He enjoyed antique aircraft and vehicles, eating cookies, and his main vice was Mountain Dew. He spent his last day perfectly, with a 30+ mile bike ride, chatting with old friends, and having dinner with his wife. Norm is survived by his wife Mary, 2 brothers, Ron (Sandy) Moyer of Louisville, KY, and Fred (Starr) Moyer of Marion, IA, and 3 children, Michael (Anita) Moyer of Vessel in Transit, Sarah (William) French of Perry, AR and Daniel Moyer of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and 3 grandchildren, Ivy, Ike and Rose French, all of Perry, as well as a host of nieces and nephews.”

The COVID pandemic will prevent a formal service for Norm.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the Nature Conservancy.

Anyone who has memories and photos to share, please send them in and we will add them here.

President Marc Urias said “Nothing could stop Norm. Broken Hip, Heart surgery, he kept his focus and rode on. Norm, his smile and orange bike will be remembered by so many of us.”

Mellisa Adams sent this via FaceBook with a few pictures:

“Rest in peace, my dear friend Norm. When I joined BCI back in 1994, you were one of the most humble and unassuming club members I first met. While most of us spent thousands for lightweight racing bikes, you rode around on a rusty rig laden with heavy panniers. But at six-feet and a mere 140 lbs, you had the ultimate advantage: a lightweight frame and power-to-weight ratio to which most of us could only aspire.

Since we both lived in Newport Beach, we began riding to Deerfield together to meet the club. On those early morning trips around the Back Bay to Irvine, I learned you had a Ph.D in physics. You named both your integrated circuit company and your sailboat “Sunshine” because you liked to be in it. You had a wife and three kids.

Eventually, it became clear that you rode your bike EVERYWHERE, not only in the OC, but up Fargo Street, L.A.'s steepest hill; to and across Iowa multiple times for RAGBRAI; around Hawaii and a few other states; and through Italy, Thailand, and Guatemala. You considered riding from California to Arkansas for your daughter's wedding but nixed the idea, thinking you might steal the bride's thunder—unlikely as you'd doubtless do it without telling a soul.

You served as ride coordinator for BCI, hiked with the Sierra Club, and organized tours for fellow cyclists. You honored me and my late bestie Marlene by naming us social directors of your boat. Your holiday parties became legendary and your generosity extended to sails around Balboa and Newport Harbor.

You were our sober, quick-witted captain and we all thought you'd live forever. But you died as peacefully as you lived, in your sleep, just shy of 80, without the fanfare and fuss of illness. You'll be sorely missed and fondly remembered by all who knew and loved you. Happy trails, Norm, and thanks for sharing your inspiring life with us!”

Rhonda Larson said: “So many miles, so many bike rides together....I will never forget Norm. He will be in my heart forever.”

Alex Lim posted “I'm so so sad to hear about Norm's passing, when I joined BCI in 2012, Norm Moyer and Patti Hoskins became my first two closest friends almost instantly. I couldn't believe he's gone. Norm Moyer, my cycling mentor who rode 250,000 miles on his bike ... you'll be missed and will always be in our hearts.
Rest In Peace my friend! 😞 “

Mike Heitzenrader shared that …we emailed each other last week. He was sounding really good. Wrote that he was riding every day for about 200 miles a week. Wrote back “got to stay in shape!”  I’m glad I got to know him. I will miss him in many ways. 

Lisa Neal posted a few photos and this to FaceBook: “Norm organized many bicycle trips for all his friends, always keeping budget in mind while leading us to places like the Columbia River Gorge ride, Northern California coast to San Francisco and a tour of the Big Island in Hawaii. He was always generous of his time and very organized with cue sheets, campgrounds and accommodations. Welcoming us into his home in Hawaii before and after the tours. He also rode with us on our Glacier NP and Waterton tour riding down the going to the sun road. A True original, he will be sorely missed”

Penny Poorman shares: “Norm had the biggest fan club of anyone I know.  We all loved him.  He was generous, kind and oh so witty.  I wish I had written down those quips I called Normism's.  On many tours he was my domestique pulling me up the hill, coming back down to check on me and riding up again.  No hills or mountains fazed him.  Always open to riding "new territory".  Now he has plenty of new territory.  Saying he will be greatly missed is a huge understatement.  It will be hard to ride and not see him on his orange bike.  The loss is huge.”

Cheryl Kyle: “Norm was one of a kind, an exceptional human being. We will all miss him.”

Doug Peterson: On many levels, he's one of the most memorable people I'll ever meet.  I'm sure everyone has numerous Norm stories.  We will miss him for a long time.  

Bruce Paynter: A Friends Reflection

Lynn Katano: I was just reminiscing over photos from my first self-contained bike tour with Richard, Norm, and Kathy. Great memories. ❤️

Lynne Billie: I am so sad losing Norm. I met him in 1993, when I joined BCI. He was just the beacon of the club, everyone knew him and everyone admired him. He was always himself, wasn’t into the latest or lightest bike 😳 or things, I was surprised when he started wearing jerseys! Just a dependable, lovable guy. We seemed to meet up on the Back Bay trail a lot and I just saw him a few weeks ago. He was on his way home, he seemed fine and was his merry self. We had a few things in common. He called me his “fellow cross country friend”. Norm rode across the US a year after I did, but of course I rode with an organized group that took care of most things, but not Norm, he planned and rode his own ride. I remember riding with him and Kathy Shapiro leaving from the Jack in the Box off PCH in Huntington to Ventura and then doing the Cool Breeze Century the day after. I remember Norm riding up to Big Bear, then riding the century and he would have ridden home if his bike didn’t break down so I gave him a hitch home! We did Ragbrai and the many trips south with the club. I will miss this sweet soul and will always think of him on the Back Bay trail! RIP Norm, you’ll never be forgotten!

Karen Lewis-Cook shared: I had the privilege of crossing paths with Norm on his final ride.  I was leaving Crystal Cove State Park after a pitstop, headed up Newport Coast.  Norm passed in front of me at the intersection on PCH, headed for Laguna Canyon.  I shouted his name and he pulled over.  We talked for about 5 or six minutes.  I feel blessed to have seen him and talked with him that day.  I was shocked and saddened to learn the next day that he had passed away so suddenly.  He called himself a “cycling evangelist” and that’s exactly what he was.  He was dear friend an inspiration to all of us.  He will be deeply missed.

Mary Moyer wrote:
”We scattered Norman’s ashes off his boat on Friday morning. (July 3rd)
Sunshine Yellow flowers, Mountain Dew and chocolate chip cookies and bike parts.
His favorite things by his favorite people.
A beautiful morning.
And the sons and son in law each wore a piece of his clothing”

Face Coverings

Updated 8/12/20

Face Covers make it safer for everyone when we HAVE TO get closer than 6 feet ! (but wash your hands & back off when sipping your coffee!)

Face Covers make it safer for everyone when we HAVE TO get closer than 6 feet !
(but wash your hands & back off when sipping your coffee!)

June 18th the State of California’s Guidance has made wearing face covering mandatory when in public where physical distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained…
Vented masks do not filter your exhaled breath and are not effective face coverings under this plan to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
While cycling, that sphere of breath droplets trails in motion far more than 6 feet, so wearing face covering while riding helps to contain our expirations and reduce the chance of spreading potentially infectious droplets.

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N95’s are PPE intended to protect health care workers who serve sick people. They are able to filter small particulates and viri and are protective - but are harder to breathe through. These should be reserved for people who need PPE - and are disposable / expensive. Some have exhaust vents to help. The exhaust vent makes them worthless for face coverings to protect others in case you are infectious. Some people who have then will tape the vents closed to use them as face covering. https://youtu.be/0Go9prEjgLk

bicyclist Cycling MASK.png

Long before COVID-19, many cyclists worried about inhaling pollution particulates, and there are some excellent masks intended for cycling. They are able to filter particulates and are protective - but have exhaust vents to help breathing and reduce fogging up glasses. The exhaust vent makes them worthless for face coverings to protect others in case you are infectious unless, there is a fabric inside the vent to trap droplets . See more on Amazon…

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A sewn face covering can be 1 or 2 layers thick so breathing is easy - and washable. Sew your own, Get one from Alice, order one from Walz . They have the advantage of staying up so you don’t have to fiddle with pulling up and touching your face. They are as effective as disposable surgical masks, but better fitting and offer fashion options…

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A neck-gaiter (ie “Buff®”) it is easy to pull when near others & easy to drop when alone on the road. Summer weight Buffs® are lighter & not as warm on the neck - otherwise it can be like riding in a turtleneck. The problem here is that a thin fabric may actually split heavy ‘droplets’ into a longer lasting light mist that stays airborne… Inside that stays airborne for hours, but outside that would dry fast but would protect others less so physical distance becomes more important. If you can see light through it in may be too thin.

bicyclist Cowboy 'Kerchief.png

An even cheaper option is a bandana - worn “Cowboy” style as a ‘kerchief. This also lets plenty of breath drop below the face covering, so physical distance is important.

bicyclist Cover.png

A really cheap option is to cut up a cotton Tee-Shirt and make a tie on face covering; It’s thin, breaths well & tucks in under your helmet straps very well… Cut the belly off - using the bottom hem as the top edge / top tie and it comfortably fits under your glasses. Anyone has a few Tee-shirts available and having a few lets you was after each ride… As with light weight neck-gaiters, thin cloth breathes well but can put out aerosolized mist rather than heavy droplets…

“Go ask Alice” - she’ll set you up !

“Go ask Alice” - she’ll set you up !

Recycled Tee-Shirt for two…

Recycled Tee-Shirt for two…

Norm cared enough to wear one…

Norm cared enough to wear one…

…he even wore his old Boy Scout bandana.

…he even wore his old Boy Scout bandana.

BCI Member Alice Fascella is sewing cotton masks – suitable for riding in - as well as shopping - and lounging by the pool - and is still offering them to BCI Members !

She just needs to know man woman or child. (The child’s age is helpful)
Specify XL, Lg, Med, or Small for kids.

Her email is atfascella @ gmail.com THANK YOU ALICE!

A message from our President

Our Board of Directors has continued our meetings and we are planning a return as we work our way through this pandemic phased reopening. We realize that all of us as individuals have our own tolerance of how we physically distance. As we release more details, we hope you can tailor our rides to meet your needs.

Depending on Orange County COVID-19 data, our tentative plan is to resume Tuesday rides on July 7th. We will evaluate and fine tune our procedures with these Tuesday rides, with the goal of Weekend  rides starting August 1.

We have more details to work out, but our thoughts to date:

·       Sign in. We will provide a container of cleaned pens. After one use, they will be put into a “used” container. To mitigate surface transmission you may want to bring your own pen.

·       We will wear face coverings  for pre-ride socializing and coffee stops.

·       Rides. We will wear face coverings. If not all the time, at least something that we can pull up or down depending on conditions, such as at stop signals.

·       Some individuals may want to avoid the group sign-in and start. You are welcome to wait until after the group start and sign in & go ‘solo’ behind the pack.

·       Safer option – print your own route slip and sign-in sheet / guest waiver in advance to skip the line. There will be a drop box available. Our members’ supplemental insurance will not be in effect if a sign-in sheet is not signed and dated before each BCI ride.

To celebrate our club’s return from hibernation, we plan on having our BCI barbecue depending on conditions, as a “bring your own picnic” on August 8th.  We all miss each other and look forward to a get together. 

Marc Urias
BCI President

Courtesy Goes A Long Way

There have been some lively discussion on Irvine's Nextdoor about cyclists being jerks on shared use paths - some examples from people being slapped by passing cyclist and being screamed at to get out of the way of fast riders who belong on the street. We hope none of that behavior is from BCI members but there is a lot of extra traffic on our share-use paths & worth a reminder to “DON’T BE THAT GUY”

Here is a link to posts from Savvy Cyclist. This is the first of two posts by Keri Caffrey about being safe and considerate on shared-use paths as a bicyclist — and a pedestrian. Please enjoy and share!

https://cyclingsavvy.org/2020/05/shared-use-paths-part-1-etiquette/?mc_cid=a53e62d53b&mc_eid=4c44d85daf

My Summer Vacation

Paul Ziegler

Vacations were infrequent and short for most of my life as there was never time or money. My first trip outside the USA was in 1994. It was the longest vacation I had every taken at 17 days. Perhaps it was my age or the length of time or the distance traveled but I fell in love with Switzerland. It became a dream to return and ride my bicycle there.

I eventually did some rides in Europe in the French Alps and Northern Italy with some days in Switzerland. This just stimulated my appetite for more riding in Switzerland. Europe is dream riding country as drivers are very cautious and respectful of bicycles.

I’ve been aware of BIKE SWITZERLAND for many years and their tours of the country. It’s been high on my list of things I want to do. However, I was a very intimated by the thought of riding a tour across Switzerland as it is the country of the Alps. A daily tour with lots of climbing would be challenging for someone younger and healthier than me. The thought of exhaustion on a remote country road in dairy land and having to milk cows to earn a ride back to the train station scared me!

A review of the BIKE SWITZERLAND website revealed four different tours with four different levels of distance and climbing daily across country from Geneva in the west to Romanshorn in the east. Tours #1 & #2 seemed appropriate for me as neither climbed above elevations of 4000’. I live at 6850’, so these seemed doable. The tour #1 was, hard to believe, essentially flat, and followed many valleys and main roads. Tour #2 traversed back roads and had distance and climbing challenges that I felt I could handle daily given that I had all day to ride.

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I signed up for a self-guided tour as no group tours were going in my time frame. Then I started to train assuming it would be much more difficult than expected. I was riding three consecutive days at 6000 – 7000’ with 3000 – 4000’ of elevation gain riding 40+ miles per day. A rest day and another three days of riding. A lot of effort and probably more than necessary.

The details of the Tour are the current price of 3050 Swiss Francs, currently about $1 = 1 Swiss Franc, double occupancy includes 10 nights of hotel accommodations with breakfast, luggage moved from hotel-to-hotel, bike rental (electric bikes are available), helmet and route slip loaded on your cell phone. Rental bikes have a cell phone mount on the handlebars. My cell phone is hard to read in the sunlight and my battery won’t last an entire day, so I needed an auxiliary battery to get me through the day.

The ride was easier than I expected yet there were some climbs and a few surprises being short climbs 100 yards of 12% to 18% that I walked. There was about an equal mix of roads and bike trails. Some roads were so narrow and sparsely traveled that I thought I was on a bike trail. Some of the bike trails were hard packed gravel but easy riding. I missed a turn and did five miles on a freeway which generated a lot of horn honking and waving!

The ultimate reason to do this ride is the scenery. There is an awful lot to see and I found myself stopping often trying to take pictures with my cell phone that did not do justice to the view. I would like to do this Tour again. I believe we could negotiate some discounts for a group of 12 or more. There may be a way to take your own bike but I haven’t figured out the details. I would like to ride this tour in early September 2020. Please contact me if you are interested.

PAUL ZIEGLER, 714-915-0446, paulziegler@att.net

I’m a BCI member since 1987. I have organized rides and out-of-town events for the club.

Riding in the time of Covid-19

The advice/opinions about healthy people wearing masks is shifting. Certainly if you have any symptoms or have been around a sick person, you are potentially a carrier & should keep your breath contained in a mask – and stay away from anyone.
For health care professionals,  who have to meet and care for folks who are sick they are critical.
But more of us ‘presumed healthy’ people are wearing them to reduce the chance of getting infected, in addition to maintaining ‘social distancing' of 6 feet or more. 
Here is a President’s letter from the Potomac Pedalers we want to share.
It paints a very good picture about what a lot of us have been wondering about.
It may be best to wear goggles and a mask…

 President's Page by Anne C. M. Hyman — President PPTChttps://www.potomacpedalers.org/columns/presidents-page

 In the middle of March, I was interviewed by the Washington Post for an article that covered how to safely and effectively keep moving and exercising in these turbulent times…. The author, Matt Fuchs, had seen that we had canceled our PPTC rides until further notice, and wanted to gain some insight as to why we did it.  I suggest you all read this article, as it gives other ways of safely exercising outdoors
(and inside as well, for those glum days out there). Moreover, I want to highlight two words cited to me in this article: Respiratory Signature. 

It’s pretty well known around these parts that I have a PhD and background in things that are tiny and want to kill us. I spent six years of my life in graduate school developing a vaccine and a rapid diagnostic test for a bacterium that can wipe out a swine farm’s population in about a week from onset. Why am I giving you my autobiography? Because I've spent a lot of time studying and working with airborne pathogens. It’s equally as important to understand why we get sick as it is to understand how we can get others sick.

A respiratory signature is, in non-textbook terms, the footprint we leave in the air every time we expel air from our lungs through our nose and mouth. This can be anything from simply exhaling, to laughing, talking, and yes, coughing and sneezing. And with that exhalant comes anything that may also be hanging out in our nose, tonsil area, and upper respiratory tract. Things like pollen particles (especially this time of year), mucous, bacteria that live happily in our system without ever causing us harm, and yes, even dangerous viral particles. Those particles, being as light as they are, will stay afloat in the air for a decent amount of time, creating this sphere of breath from the person who coughed, snot rocketed, or even just talked for a while (kind of like I’m doing now). Each person out there has their own unique - or signature - sphere. This is why it’s constantly being drummed into our brain spaces right now to maintain at LEAST a six-foot distance away from another person, especially a person of unknown health status, because that’s typically the radius of our respiratory signature. 

 But, what does that look like for cyclists? Picture if you can – you’re zipping along on your bike, your lungs are working hard, you’re exhaling hard through your mouth. If you’re like me, your nose opens up and the mucous tap handles fly open. Maybe you’re laughing at how silly you look with snot streaming down your bike frame. Maybe you’re chatting with your riding partner about how gorgeous this spring day is. But the entire time, your respiratory signature is not just a stationary, six-foot sphere around you, but it turns into a comet-shaped trail while you’re at speed. The majority of your signature is still around you in your sphere, but you’re moving fast enough that your sphere starts trailing behind you, where you used to be.   

Thankfully you don’t have to picture it.
Juan, our amazing PPTC graphic designer, helped us out with that:

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But, picture yourself creating these comets. Or riding through a comet tail. 

And that’s one of the big reasons why our rides are canceled until the experts on the federal and local levels give the all-clear to resume community activities. 

I know you’ve been out riding. Trust me, who wouldn’t want to enjoy the amazing spring weather we’ve been blessed with recently? But I’ve also seen people ask for company on their rides, through unofficial PPTC channels (and I will reiterate- IF you ride with your PPTC friends right now, you are NOT on a PPTC ride and the club has no liability or responsibility for your actions). But, if you do ride with others, think about what you might be putting them through. Literally.

Be safe,   Anne

 
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Situational Awareness - Left Turn Lanes

Bill Sellin, BCI#2

Last Saturday BCI riders were observed making some really wrong moves on the Left Turn to Crawford Canyon from Newport Blvd.

Here are those tiny notes…

Newport Blvd in Cowan Heights (County) is fast - posted 50 MPH so drivers go way faster…
The road curves a bit to the right - meaning if you don’t check for traffic and start merging over early, you can get caught - unseen - by 2 lanes of speeding vehicles before you get over to the left turn pocket… and it’s uphill so harder to do it as fast as you might think.
We are legally required to signal and merge - without impeding other traffic, so even if speeding, it will your fault if hit from behind while making an unsafe lane change. And to get from the bike lane across two travel lanes to the turn lane means 3 merges. Don’t push your luck - if not SURE you can make it, remember you can make a safer Box Turn left. Stay in the Bike Lane, Use the crosswalk to proceed left. Here it has a signal, button to activate the WALK light and is on the correct (right) side of Crawford Canyon for your direction of travel.

Often BCI members filter up on the right of cars already in a left turn lane. WHY!
You are either sharing their lane, then cutting the line & going to slow down everyone turning ( including those of us waiting as we should in line who will miss the light because the traffic was slowed down) or worse, you are straddling the right edge line between the turn lane and the through lane; Cars to your left will be slow & overly cautious when you go, and while you wait - or start to clip in & go - you will have cars passing inches off your right shoulder at lethal speeds. Just TAKE THE LANE & wait in line; if there are cars ahead they will be quickly out of your way by the time you turn. If there are cars behind, you will have lane control and will not be inviting them to share your lane as you turn.

On this particu;at turn last Saturday, some of us actually filtered up on the LEFT - riding in the narrow center island - risking a head on contact with the other direction of traffic - to be at the limit line, cutting off & holding up drivers who were there first and being on their left as the signal to turn went green!

Just TAKE THE LANE & wait in line; if there are cars ahead they will be quickly out of your way by the time you turn. If there are cars behind, you will have lane control and will not be inviting them to share your lane as you turn.

Once the light went green, the ‘cheaters’ at the limit line, cut off the drivers and pedaled UPHILL in a straight line, not swinging out in a curve to allow the cars to pass. This was not lane control; it was lack of situational awareness or arrogant entitlement. The rest of us waiting in line missed the signal because the ‘cheaters’ slowed traffic & blocked up the turn.

The only thing even stupider illegal (that was not observed here but has been seen elsewhere by bad driving cyclists) was to stay in the Bike Lane, then take the left arrow & cut uphill across all lanes to make the left onto Crawford Canyon. If that move seems stupid to you, dear reader, that is how those other common “bad moves” look to those who know better. If it seems OK - I really hope you will take a cycling class and review the rules of the road before you get hurt, and one more motorist lumps me in with your bad driving.

Ideally - the more you ride and observe these things, the more situational awareness you can develop. Unfortunately the more experienced a rider is seems to make us think we already are doing it right & we stop noticing or learning… A big help With checking Situational Awareness is having a team of riders on our ‘6’ who will call out situations and discuss what can be learned. The risks of ignorance are too great to avoid.

Do I have to stop for a red light at a “T” intersection ?

Q: Do I have to stop my bicycle at a red light
at a “T” intersection ?
Cyclists with years of experience, or new riders,
often seem to wonder about running red lights at “T” intersections.
Some riders have been advising others that we may run reds across a “T”.

A: It is illegal to run a red light.
It is possibly legal but unpredictable in the rare case where
a shoulder (not a Bike Lane) does not have a limit line.
(example SB 133 Laguna Canyon at Lake Forest) - otherwise
EXPECT others to stop at all red lights & don’t run red lights !

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How's your SA & who's got your 6?

At our February General Meeting, Dr. Marc Taub, head of the Emergency Department at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center was our presenter. He covered many aspects of emergency response, and awareness of injury treatments.

ER staff “Hope for the best & Plan for the worst” - just like going on a bike ride.

One take away was his explanation of the importance of “SA” - Situational Awareness. He and his team always check on their own SA - important for treatment of patients - and in our case - very applicable to cycling. He defined Situational Awareness as “an up to the minute awareness of one’s situation”. Specifically one’s

  • Physical state

  • Mental state

  • Equipment

  • Environment

  • Teammates

Loss of SA leads to human error - which is critical in an ER and on a bicycle ride, among other things.
His ER staff ROUTINELY check on each other’s SA and ensure their avoidance of errors.
He also talked about the idea of “Check 6”; he described that as covering each other’s “6'“ - when pilots fly combat and military & first responders are deployed, they know the importance of having each other’s “back” - covering a view from “6 o’clock”. When we cycle we are well advised to watch each other’s “6” and ask how our “SA” is.
When we ride as a group, calling out “car back” “bike back” “clear” and watching each other’s physical & mental state, as well as equipment, is being a ssfer team mate.

You can see Dr Taub’s PowerPoint presentation here:

Thank you to Dr. Taub for a good presentation. Those who attended the General Meeting learned a lot, enjoyed home baked cookies and several took home some nice raffle gifts. Come to our General Meetings!