First dirt!

8-7-11: This was our first "official" off-road mtn. bike ride that was not on the schedule. The boys didn't care for the climb much, but when we reached the top, they really enjoyed the downhill!

We hope to have more dirt rides so stay tuned!

Trail work!

8-11-11: A couple of Sundays ago (when it rained!), I took the opp to do some trail work on a section of a path that had gotten very narrow---about 5-inches wide at it's narrowest spot! With the drop off on the left side, it made it very challenging for newbie mtn. bikers to ride or even walk across with their bikes.

Now, it's a couple of feet wide and level! While working on it, I had hikers thank me for doing this! LOL!

If you'd like to join in the next trail work day, I'd be happy to have some company! ;-)

SART ride this Sun, Aug. 14

Hi TCF riders,

Just a reminder that we're riding this Sunday, Aug.14, 8:00 AM, from Souplantation parking lot. Hope you can join us!

Not sure if the Choi's will be coming, but if they do, I will most likely be on the tandem with broken-arm-stoker Nathan. See if you can keep up this time, now that I switched out the slick tires with 2.2 knobby off-road tires! (That's ok, I need to burn more kcals!)

IF the Choi's aren't coming, then I'll either ride my single big OR if someone else (child or adult) wants to ride as my stoker, then I'll bring the tandem. First come first serve! ;-) I give preference to those who have some kind of physical limitation and could use the help.

Here's the Souplantation link for coupons if you decide to join us for brunch afterwards:

http://garden-fresh.s3.amazonaws.com/emails/aug2011/email-coupons-A-texas.html

Hope to see you there! And feel free to bring your family and friends. ;-)

Ernie


Ernie Medina, Jr.
Team CycleFit Director
cell: 909-747-5935
teamcyclefit.blogspot.com
twitter: @teamcyclefit
e-mail: teamcyclefit@gmail.com

Unscheduled DIRT ride this Sun!!!

Hi Team Cyclefit riders,

This is the FIRST Sun. of the month, so it's off our scheduled bike path ride...BUT that doesn't mean we can't ride! If anyone wants to ride in the DIRT, then you're more than welcome to join my daughter and I. (She's 14 y/o so you know we aren't going on anything gnarly!). If you're a beginner, this is a great place to learn mtn. biking. I'll have all the tools, first aid, cell phone, etc. so if anything happens (which it won't!), you'll be ok.

Here are the details. Come on out if you have a mtn. bike and want to join in some fun in the dirt!!!

Who: Team CycleFit riders, friends, BMG/Epic employees, beginner mountain bikers welcome
When: Sun, Aug. 7
Time: 8:08 AM (my daughter wants 8:30 AM so it'll be between 8 and 8:30 AM! LOL!)
Where: Hulda Crooks Park - I park at the tennis courts near the b-ball courts, but most park at the start of the trail, past the small dog park. If you don't know where Hulda Crooks Park is, just exit off Mountain View in Loma Linda, head South (away from the mountains) and go all the way on it and you'll go right into Hulda Crooks Park!
What: Mtn. bike ride on fire roads--no scary single track (well just one small part, but I widened it for beginners to ride! :-) About a 3 mile loop, so not long at all. Has some good climbs and fun downhills (you can walk down if it's too steep for your comfort level; I lower Summer's seat down so she feels more confident going downhill)

If you get lost, or need something, feel free to call me on my cell: 909-747-5935. I'm up at 5:00 AM so feel free to call me anytime after that.

Hope to see some of our TCF riders there this Sunday!!!

Dr. Ernie
Team CycleFit Director

Cyclery USA-Redlands donates helmets!

7-29-11: A BIG thanks to Cyclery USA-Redland's general manager, Jon, for donating 3 brand new helmets to Team CycleFit to use as loaners. That was a nice surprise!

At our last ride, we had a couple of newbies join us and they didn't have helmets. TCF strongly encourages the use of helmets, but we don't enforce or make anyone wear one since it's a public bike path and you ride at your own risk.

One of our regular riders, Elena, actually had her helmet but lent it to her younger sister, Tina, who was riding with us for the first time and didn't own a helmet. Way to go, Elena, for sacrificing your safety for her sister's sake!

Afterwards, I thought I should probably get some helmets to use as loaners so when I went to bring in the tandem later that afternoon for a maintenance service (after 5 years of dis-use, thought it prudent to do so since more kids want to do our rides with me on that rig!), I asked Jon if he had any used or older model helmets that I could buy at a discount.

Instead of that, he said he would just donate 3 helmets to Team CycleFit instead! That was more than I expected, and appreciated that because I'm still working on setting up TCF as a non-profit so we can have dues and sponsorship funds going to a budget to cover things like this (instead of Bank of Medina...LOL!).

That's why I encourage all our TCF riders to support your local businesses like Cyclery USA, because they support TCF!

Thx again, Jon and Cyclery USA!

Tandem makes rare appearance!

7-24-11: A gorgeous AM for a bike ride! The temp was pleasant as well--not too hot for starting just after 8 AM.

Check out the pixs...you'll see some regulars and new faces (some sore "sit bones" today!). You'll also see my mtn. bike tandem out for the first time on the bike path. Nathan, the son of some close friends, broke his arm, so this was the only way he could join us! So I dusted off our tandem, get it fixed up, and away Team Ninja went! We were a missle, averaging 20+ miles/hour and whipping by people! LOL! Nathan loved it! Will probably bring that out more now. Going to bring it in to Cyclery USA to get overhauled since it's been awhile since it's been ridden and maintained!

Stay tuned for our next ride on Aug. 14!

July 18 ride 8:00 AM

Just a reminder that we'll be riding THIS Sun., July 18, at 8:00 AM from the Souplantation parking lot. One nice thing is that we get back in plenty of time for the brunch there! Great place to glycogen-reload after that ride.

Hope to see you there bright and early! Maybe I can get my daughter out of bed in time to make it this time! LOL!