December 2014

ohbike.org

Lead a Ride in 2015 A New Year’s resolution that should be on every members list is to lead at least one ride in the coming year. New members need support and encouragement to become better cyclists. Longtime members enjoy riding new routes and in new areas. All of us want a variety of rides to choose from on weekends and during the week. Promise yourself that as soon as the weather warms up, you will lead a ride in 2015. Leading a ride is easy and, if you like, ask a ride coordinator to lead with you (see page 2 for names and email addresses). There are guidelines posted at http://ohbike.memberlodge.org/guidelines. The ride classes give you lots of options from casual D rides under 10 miles an hour to the AA class that pushes the limits above 20 mph. Casual D, C and CC rides are especially needed to encourage new riders to come out and become active members of the club. OHBike ride leaders who lead and report on at least 6 rides in a calendar year earn a short or long sleeve jersey, a wind vest or arm warmers. The real reward of leading rides is the pleasure that comes from helping others enjoy cycling. Share the “feel like a kid again” fun of riding a bike.

OHBTC Jerseys and Arm Warmers Make Great Holiday Gifts Go to ohbike.org and place an order for the perfect gift for your favorite cyclists.

Winter Riding Tips Cold weather does not stop cyclists from riding. These suggestion from past newsletters will help you ride comfortably all winter. Find past newsletters at http://ohbike.memberlodge.org/newsletters. Check out: • Eric Petersen’s Road Captain’s Report, Oct 2014, pg. 4 • Mark McGibbon’s Dressing for Winter Rides, Nov. 2012, pg. 7 and Dec. 2012, pg. 3 • Joan Oppel’s Be a Polar Bear – Ride all Winter, Dec. 2010, pg. 1

Featured in this Issue Prez Sez Calvin Conyers……………………….... page 3 Road Captain’s Report Eric Petersen………… page 5 Casey Jones Express Scott Walker…………… page 6

The OHBike newsletter “The Spoke’n’Word” will not be published in January. Watch for the February edition next year!

2014 Crop Hop Jim Hudnall……………………....page 7 Rocket Fuel Joel Katz……………………….…… page 8 Jamaican Adventure by Peter Klosky ……....... page 9

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The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club December 2014

Welcome, New Members Lawrence Franklin Martha Schmidt Chip Souser

Hyattsville MD Glenn Dale MD Alexandria VA

A CC C

Need to Renew your Membership? Go to http://ohbike.memberlodge.org and log in with your email address and password. If you don’t have a password, click on “Forgot Password” and a temporary password will be mailed to you. After you log in, click “View profile” in the upper right-hand corner to view your membership information. Click the “Renew” button to extend your membership for one or two years. If you have a problem, contact [email protected].

OHBIKE is on Facebook The club’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ohbike has 989 “likes.” Let’s make it a thousand! Invite your cycling friends to “like” the page.

Do You YAHOO? OHBTC members use the Yahoo group’s e-mail list to share club-related information, especially changes in the ride schedule. Joining the OHBIKE Yahoo group is free and easy. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohbike. The OHBIKE Yahoo group is for OHBTC members only. When you join, please include your name in the box for “Comments to List Owner.” Members of the Yahoo group can send email to the list at [email protected].

Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club Club Officers President Vice Pres. Road Capt. Secretary Treasurer

Calvin Conyers Blake Altman Eric Petersen Holly Carr Mimi Newcastle

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Ride Coordinators Class AA Class A Class B Class CC Class C Class D Mountain Bike Overnighters

Scott Walker Darin King Michael Saizan George Martin Herman Young Randy Schoch Judy Mutty Barry Howard Steve Palincsar

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Standing Committees Program Public Relations Newsletter Advocacy Safety/Ed Jerseys

Mike Butler Jim Hudnall Jane Hudnall Walt Roscello George Martin Claire Chiamulera Janell Saunders

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Handy Telephone Numbers SHA MD Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Dustin Kuzan 24-hr tape M-NCPPC Trails and Bikeways Information Fred Shaffer Prince George's Co. Bike/Ped Coordinator Victor Weissberg City of Bowie Bike/Ped Information Frank Stevens Pothole Repair Hot Lines: Alexandria Calvert County Charles County Prince George’s County St. Mary’s County

410-545-5656 800-252-8776 301-952-3661 301-883-5650 301-809-3053 703-838-4488 410-535-0905 301-932-3450 301-499-8520 301-863-8400

MD-SHA non-emergency contacts to report road problems: http://marylandsha.force.com/customercare/request_for_service

December 2014

The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club

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Prez Sez by Calvin Conyers As the 2014 riding season winds down, this is a good time to remember the many outstanding achievements we enjoyed throughout the year. What immediately comes to mind are the record highs we set in all our major rides: the May Metric, Rural Legacy, Watermelon Ride, Annual Picnic and, of course, the Indian Head 100. We have a lot for which to be thankful. On November 15, the club hosted the Annual Volunteers Appreciation Dinner at the Mexico Restaurant in White Plains. The event celebrates the volunteers who are the reason for our success. This year, 81 members and guests attended. We were pleased to have friends like Mr. & Mrs. James Crudup (Mayor of Eagle Harbor), Mr. & Mrs. James Gorney and Mr. & Mrs. Terri Osborn (LaPlata Kiwanis Club – our partner in the annual Kids Helmet Give Away project), and Mr. Jey Phillips and family (owner of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in LaPlata). In addition to receiving an OHBike Safety Light, every attendee was provided bags filled with useful nutrition information courtesy of Jey. If you were unable to make it to this year’s dinner, lead some rides or volunteer at an event and join us next year. For a list of 2014 ride leaders and the number of rides reported, see Eric Petersen’s Road Captain Report on page 5. A quick recap: we had over 500 group rides this year. Outstanding! While every posted ride is appreciated, special recognition was given to our Top Ten Ride Leaders who each received an OHBike overnight and equipment bag. Congratulations to Karen Fitzgerald on joining this illustrious group in her first year as a Ride Leader and to Steve Palincsar for leading the highest number of rides (over 61). In total, more than 30 ride leaders led 6 or more rides during the year. These leaders received the coveted Ride Leader Jerseys, Vest, or Arm Warmers (new item). There are a few leaders who are close to reaching their sixth ride by year end. When the weather permits, Let’s Ride! “Thank You” for all each of you do to benefit our club. Peace, joy, and good will to you and your family.

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The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club December 2014

Thank you OHBTC volunteers!

December 2014

The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club

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From the Desk of the Road Captain by Eric Petersen Stealing one directly from my predecessor, Mr. Ron Leak, I would like to end this year by saying a very sincere “Thank You” to all of you. Those who led, those who rode and those who smiled. It was a great cycling year with weather that even had the Californians turning green. As a club we broke all kinds of records for attendance at Ron’s famous All Class Rides. We had 73 different ride leaders who posted a combined 514 Ride Reports as of November 15. We saw the resurgence of the Tour de Accokeek, the “surgence” (I know there’s no such word, but it works) of the Casey Jones Express. Our Centuries were very well attended, and our club members did an incredible job in support. Our advocacy group was so effective that each Saturday, on my normal ride, I get to pass 3 “Bikes may take full lane” and 2 “Share the road” signs that were not in place the year before. In short, as a club, we were hitting on all cylinders. As such, I would like to give thanks to those below who performed the most basic unit of what our club does and led rides. Thanks. Eric

Steve Palincsar Blake Altman Scott Walker Randy Schoch Shane LaBrake Mike Bivens Joan Oppel Sam Perry Darin King Jim Hudnall Karen Fitzgerald Larry Peed Robert Smith Barry Howard Debbie Bowman Holly Carr Judy Mutty Jane Hudnall Linda Bankerd Jackie Schoch Sylvia Pope Brad Francisco John Gorman Calvin Conyers

61 40 33 24 20 17 16 15 14 14 14 13 12 11 11 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7

Mia Haynes Ron Leak Dan Donahue Eric Petersen Norm Lisy Reggie Stokes Diane Harris Janell Saunders Liz Willis Michael Saizan Richard Harrington Robert Golding Teresa Martin Walt Roscello Desiree Holkon John Early Nancy Avitabile Walter Carr Ken Meredith Polly Choate Regina Saizan Alan Canfield Alan Kurzweil Belinda Acre

7 7 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1

Brian Raines Chris Backhaus Chuck Coe Claire Chiamulera Dana Trevas Deborah Reynolds Elizabeth Willis George Martin Hans Holkon Jay Lewis Jean Wright Jocelyn Herrington John Hutson Larry Perkins La’Tasha Banks Linda Molesworth Paul Bankerd Richard Avitabile Ron & Jan Tucker Ron Altemus Sharon Miller Sonja Newman Steve Perakis Thomas Short

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The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club December 2014

Casey Jones Express - Season Report by Scott Walker Class: AA/A/B Category: Express Description: Hammerfest Speed Limit Imposed: None Gain: 528-701ft Distance: 25.8mi (TT segment at 25mi) Max Grade: 5.1% Founders: Benny Budd and Joni King Support: OHBTC and Paul Bales/Casey Jones Restaurant Motto: “For the love of the people and the ride” - Michael Blaine Course KOM: Dan Hoefert / Robert Golding (September 17, 2014 / 24.0mph) Course QOM: Claire Chiamulera (Aug 22, 2012 / 22.2mph) 2014 Ride Leaders: Blake Altman, Karen Fitzgerald, Brad Francisco, Scott Walker, Robert Smith, Larry Peed, Dan Donahue Starts: 24 Weather Cancellations: 8 National Points Earned: 64,154 Report: Another fantastic season! 70 riders accumulate 24 trips on the CJE over three different courses. During the year, Express riders rack-up over 64k points helping to put Team OHBike in the top-10, nationally, for the 2014 National Bike Challenge. Well Done!

Editor’s note: Scott’s comprehensive report on the 2014 Casey Jones Express Riding Season is at http://ohbike.memberlodge.org/reports/3139282.

Riders at the start of one of the 24 Casey Jones Express rides of 2014. For photos of riders at other Casey Jones Express rides, see the photo album Scott posted at Facebook (http://goo.gl/PFcPFq).

December 2014

The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club

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2014 Crop Hop by Jim Hudnall A number of OHBTC members were among the 320 riders at this year’s Crop Hop on October 25. The ride, sponsored by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, highlights the connection between farms, fresh food and good health. Funds raised provide fresh farm foods to low-income families in Southern Maryland. Members of OHBTC supported the ride by designing the route, painting the roads, and advertising the event. This was the third year for the Crop Hop and the first in Prince George’s County. The first two were in St. Mary’s and Charles Counties. This year’s ride started in Nottingham on the Patuxent River and visited sites of historic interest as well as local farms and a winery. Archeologists, re-in-actors, wine makers, cheese makers, farmers and farmhands greeted cyclists at six stops on the metric century; shorter rides had fewer stops. The ride ended with lunch near the one-room school and the Patuxent Riverkeeper house in Nottingham. Next year’s Crop Hop Ride will visit farms in Anne Arundel County.

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The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club December 2014

Rocket Fuel by Joel Katz Everyone wants to do better and we continually check ourselves to see if we are. Cyclists monitor their average speed, weight trainers keep track of their bench press and runners note their times. When my wife comes home from step class she presents her arm and wants me to agree there is more muscle. I have no Idea what step class has to do with biceps but I always say “wow.” We will try anything that may give us an edge – lighter bikes, better shoes, magic potions. In the locker room at my gym the guys mix a variety of powders into their water bottles. When I ask them what it is, they reply “protein man, protein.” My next question is “does it do any good?” Answer “yeah man, I benched 450 today.” Then I ask “why would anyone want to do that?” You can guess that I don’t have many friends at the gym. I think body builders with their bulging muscles look silly. I tried doing one of their poses before a mirror in the locker room. My Japanese trainer, O Takashowa, laughed so hard he fell off the bench and broke his coccyx. I think the emaciated look of cyclists is much more appealing. Two years ago I experienced back pain. My orthopedist began a five week series of prednisone shots. The shots worked and my cycling improved. Prednisone is a performance enhancer. I went from being a CC rider to a B. The downside came when I received an FDA warning letter. The drug came from the New England Compounding Pharmacy. It was suspected of contamination and causing spinal meningitis. The window for infection passed and I was ok, but I became a CC rider again. I wanted to be a B so I asked my doctor to hit me again but with a drug from a different manufacturer. He said no. So I continued my search for an edge. My thoughts drifted back to 1958, my freshman year at Penn State. A bunch of guys were sitting around a table in the student union. Terry struck a match and held it to the seat of his chair. A jet of fire shot out. It took a moment for the rest of us to realize what happened. Then we all started doing it. People gathered around and there were a lot of ”oohs,” “aahs” and laughter. The manager came and made us stop. I have since done this many times and only set myself on fire twice. Kids, don’t do this without adult supervision. You can find many videos of this on U-Tube. There is one where a cow is lit off. I am telling this to show you the energy in methane gas which we all produce. The challenge is to find a way to harness this energy to improve our athletic performance. If you can figure this out, please e-mail me at [email protected].

About the author: Joel Katz has been a member Potomac Pedalers for 35 years and of OHBTC for 3 years. He is 75 years old, married and has 2 children and 4 grandchildren. His background includes a BA in Labor Relations from Penn State, US Army service, Greenbelt City Councilman 1969-1971, Masters in secondary education from the University of Pittsburgh, a Ford Foundation Scholarship Education of the Blind and Visually Limited and owner, now retired, industrial supply company. He has a wonderful sense of humor and has agreed to share some of his thoughts with us.

December 2014

The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club

Jamaican Adventure by Peter Klosky Six cyclists from the DC area were among 35 participants who completed the three day Jamaica Reggae Ride on November 10th. Our contingent showed two strengths: expedition comradery and riding skill. The weather, coaching, lodging, food and transport were excellent. On the last day of the ride, the tour director created two race teams, each with one woman and one man selected from the ride participants. Each team had a coach selected from the 15 guides. The guides were all top racers, from the Junior to Masters Level. Each coach was to ride with his team over an 18 mile course, coaching and pulling. The first team to bring both members across the finish line first would win. Both of the women selected were from the DC area - Amy Ta and Robin Mason. Amy has been racing with the District Taco team, finishing on the podium more often than not. Her Facebook profile picture shows her winning the sprint finish of a road race in outstanding form. Amy is one of the top young AA/A riders on local Century rides. That Amy at age 26 and active on the race circuit would be chosen for the team was no surprise.

Amy Ta and Robin Mason

That Robin would be chosen was more of a surprise, as she has not been active on the racing circuit. Ever. Her bike has a luggage rack. But a bike does not make a rider. Both Amy and Robin did well. They made it up the steep 12% climb to the finish, Black Hill in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains, ahead of a racer who bonked. Amy was first to the top, but her teammate was by the side of the road, cooked. In the local Jamaican cycling parlance, “peppered.” For her trouble, Robin will now be shopping for a new bike that is suitable for a racer. Robin’s husband John confirmed this during the awards presentations. For Amy, the race aspect of the ride will be named “The Amy Peppa Race.” The six riders from the DC area stayed in the first two groups of the three ride classes offered. We supported each other, sharing meals, and participating in aquatic activities..

DC racer Amy Ta and Billy Cordero from LA jump for joy with their “Certificate of Completion” on the Jamaica Reggae Ride.

This ride has been a big motivator for me. Since signing up for the April ride that began on March 30th of this year, my weight has gone from 183 lbs. to 156 lbs. To train, I rode challenging rides on weekends for the month before the Jamaica Reggae Ride and led Tuesday/Thursday rides for Potomac Pedalers.

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The Spoke’n’Word - the monthly newsletter of the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club December 2014

All six cyclists from DC brought their own bikes in club cases. Potomac Pedalers has eight cases, Reston Bike, five and at least one Oxon Hill ride leader sometimes lends hers. The non-stop from BWI to Montego Bay is convenient, a 3.5 hour flight. We left Jamaica at 3 PM, arrived at BWI 6:30 PM, and were home in DC by 8 PM. Love the Express parking at BWI, as the driver helps load/unload the bike cases right at the car.

Peter Klosky, celebrates completion of the Jamaica Reggae Ride

Guides Clifton “Screamer” Cargill and Glen “Rasta” Taylor lead the group on the road

I will be returning to Jamaica on April 17-21 to do this ride again. While late April is chosen as some of the best weather in Jamaica, it is early for our season. If you sign up, you would need to train over winter and early spring. As the Jamaica Reggae Ride includes all local transport, hotels and meal arrangements, planning is simple. Call or email with any questions, or check out the hundreds of pictures online. Peter Klosky Cell phone: 703-727-4939

[email protected]

Riders and guides assembled for a team photo at the end of ride banquet, Frenchman’s Cove, Jamaica.