CLUB OFFICERS Dec./Jan. 2015/2016 VOLUME 48 | NUMBER 9 PRESIDENT Skip Holmes 518-466-1182 9 Westphal Drive | Delmar, NY 12054 [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT David Liebschutz 518-439-5089 [email protected] SECRETARY Janet Reilly 518-446-1766 kayaks06@verizon. BikeAbout THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MOHAWK-HUDSON CYCLING CLUB TREASURER Janice Verrastro 518-674-4473 [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dave Beals 518-456-3728 [email protected] Dan Craven 518-461-4241 [email protected] Becky Lazorchak 518-899-2845 [email protected] Jude Sagor 518-729-3933 [email protected] CENTURY COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON Jonathan Benn It’s Election Time! [email protected] VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! President’s Letter — by Skip Holmes [ Dec./Jan. 2015/2016 ] Contact Jonathan to Volunteer The composition of the MHCC board and TOUR COMMITTEE officers will be changing next year. We 12.06 CAPITAL HOLIDAY CHAIRPERSON had two board positions become available LIGHTS IN THE PARK David Liebschutz 518-439-5089 last year, they were filled and the terms Washington Park | Albany, NY [email protected] do not expire until 2017. We also have the www.albanycapitalholidaylights.com four club officer positions that you will be CASUAL voting on. LAST CENTURY & Eric Randall 518-366-5363 12.13 FINAL FIFTY [email protected] Our club is a nonprofit organization and our bylaws require that 101/54 Miles | Schuylerville, NY QUICK we elect a slate of officers each year. I have served as President www.adkultracycling.com Bruce Curtiss 518-587-4408 for five years and have decided not to run for another year. David [email protected] Liebschutz is serving as Vice President and has agreed to run for DEADLINE FOR RIDES & TOUR President. Janice Verrastro is going to run again for Treasurer. 01.10 BIKEABOUT SUBMISSIONS Henry Wilkie 518-482-3902 She has now served in that capacity for 12 years and has declared Feb./Mar. Issue [email protected] that this will be her last year. Janet Reilly is our current Secretary OTHER COMMITTEES and has agreed to run again for next year. FIRST CENTURY 01.10 & FIRST FIFTY GOVERNMENT RELATIONS There is an election ballot on the back cover of this edition of the 101/54 Miles | Schuylerville, NY Vacant. Contact Skip to Volunteer. newsletter. Please complete the ballot and either mail it to the www.adkultracycling.com MAPS & REPORTS, CLUB HISTORIAN address shown on the ballot or bring it with you to the December John Berninger 518-439-6473 3rd meeting that will be held at Beff’s Restaurant on Everett Road TOUR DOWN UNDER in Albany starting at 6 PM. The club will provide a buffet meal 01.16 MEMBERSHIP CHAIR & RENEWALS, Australia DATABASE MANAGER for current members. Beverages will be available for purchase. www.tourdownunder.com.au Joanne Petrozzi-Jones 518-831-1707 We will have a social hour, a presentation, followed by a count 815 Herrick Road | Delanson, NY 12053 of the ballots. If you plan to attend please RSVP to serottaskip@ [email protected] gmail.com. WEBMASTER I agreed to run as MHCC President five years ago and am amazed how quickly the time has passed. We have had a number John Petiet 518-438-9102 of changes in this short time. Membership has increased to over 700 . We now have over 300 member led rides each season. [email protected] We moved from mailing over 600 copies of the BikeAbout every month to only 200 copies since most of you have elected to BIKEABOUT get your copy by downloading it. In the process of doing this we saved substantial costs in both printing and postage. That has EDITOR & DESIGNER allowed us to keep our dues at a very reasonable level. We developed a new website and then made additional changes so that John Ceceri 518-583-3708 you can use the web site from a smart phone. We designed a new MHCC cycling that many of you now wear. We started [email protected] using a caterer at our Century Weekend for the post ride food and received many positive comments about that change. We have made donations to both the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) and New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) to support ADVERTISING Robin Krumanocker their efforts to lobby for safer roads. We started having our spring banquet at the Italian American Community Center to [email protected] provide a larger gathering space as well as better food selection. PHOTOGRAPHER You may notice I used the word we in the last paragraph. All these accomplishments happened with the combined efforts of Bob Cohen 518-877-5552 the board, officers and you the members. I have served as President and also in a previous capacity as Vice President and have [email protected] truly enjoyed providing leadership to MHCC and even more, riding with many of you. It has been a great source of enjoyment PUBLISHER for me. I hope you will continue to support MHCC; it is a wonderful cycling organization and will continue to be so with your Ron Gordon 518-372-4172 membership and support. Ride safe, ride often!! Winter Cycling Tips - by John Ceceri Just because the temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter, that doesn’t mean we have to stop riding. With BikeAbout the proper equipment and techniques, you can get in some winter miles, break up the monotony of riding indoors and get a Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club jump on your spring training and early season rides. PO Box 12575 Albany, NY 12212-0575 To get the most out of winter riding and even enjoy it, there are a few things you have to understand. FIRST: It’s meant

About the Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club mostly to maintain fitness, not serious training. SECOND: It takes 20%-30% more energy to ride in the winter and your The Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club consists of over extra clothing will add a few pounds (in addition to those holiday desserts we all overdo), so you’re generally going to ride 700 members who live and cycle in the greater slower then you do in the warmer months, and are probably not going to set any personal bests (although, if you keep track, Capital District area of eastern New York state. you can record warm and cold weather records to keep things interesting). THIRD: Winter air is pretty dry, so you still need MHCC sponsors road and mountain bike rides for beginning through experienced riders within an 80- to be aware of your hydration. FOURTH: Because of the shortness of daylight, you will probably end up riding at night, so mile radius of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area, be prepared. FIFTH: Consider all of the conditions before going out, including the air temperature, the wind chill (plus the led by MHCC members. wind chill we create just by riding), road conditions, etc. If it’s really bad, err on the side of caution and ride indoors. SIXTH: The Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club is affiliated Plot routes where the roads are maintained and/or have wide shoulders for maximum safety. I live in Schuylerville and Route 4 with the League of American Bicyclists and the Adventure Cycling Association. To subscribe to is a great example of a good road to ride on in the winter. It’s well maintained, mostly flat and straight (no slippery or winding the mailing list, send a blank e-mail to mhcc- downhills to navigate) and has a wide shoulder. I can ride it for 15 miles in either direction without any problems. SEVENTH: [email protected]. Winter riding is basically a bonus, but if you combine it with other winter activities you might already do like XC skiing, snow How to Join shoeing, speed skating, etc., you’ll stay fit, have some fun and be rewarded handsomely in the spring. To join the MHCC, contact the membership chair, Joanne Petrozzi-Jones at: 831-1707 | I’ve been riding year-round for quite a few years and usually do several centuries during the winter. Below are tips on clothing [email protected] for an application. and equipment that have worked for me over the years, but feel free to adapt them to your personal needs. Each person must use a separate application E form to join. Membership in MHCC is $20 per E BIKE: If you stick to riding on maintained roads, you can usually just use your regular road bike. I typically add year (includes subscription to BikeAbout), and fenders to help keep everything clean and dry, and sometimes install wider tires (25/28). I also have a mountain $5 per year for each additional member of the bike with road tires, so if it’s really sloppy, I’ll just use that. Also make sure to wipe your bike down and lube it after same household (does not include additional every ride, otherwise your chain, cassette, cables, brakes and shifters may rust and have to be replaced later on. subscriptions). EE LIGHTS: Expect some night riding during the winter. Use at least one headlight and three taillights, and mount them to Renewing Your Membership Please your BikeAbout mailing label for the bike. A helmet light is good as a secondary light, but it’s harder for cars to see and because the beam is further from your membership expiration date. Remember that the road, it’s not as effective. Mount one taillight to each seat stay and the third one to your seat post or seat bag. Avoid we mail the issue during the month prior to issue clipping a taillight to your clothing or back pack, because once you get into your riding position, it disappears. publication date, so be sure to renew early. Mail your renewal check, mailing label including any EE UPPER BODY: The best way to dress for winter riding is in layers. Start with a long sleeve base that dries fast and has address corrections, your phone number and e-mail good wicking properties, then add a short or long sleeve bike jersey for absorption, then one or two insulation layers address to the membership chairperson. You may renew for up to three years. as needed (jersys or light sweaters), then top everything off with a wind shell. I find that a Gore-Tex jacket works well. E MHCC Meetings E LEGS: I prefer bib tights for my legs. Use a pair that have a micro-fleece lining for the most comfort and add Winter through early spring, MHCC holds regular tights or long underwear underneath for really cold rides. If you use bibs without a pad, use padded shorts meetings on the first Thursday of each month. or knickers for an extra layer. I also recommend avoiding wind pants, because if they are not breathable, any sweat Locations are announced in BikeAbout’s calendar that builds up on the inside will freeze and cause all kinds of problems. of upcoming dates (front page). EE HANDS: If you plan to ride during the winter, figure you’re going to have to get several pairs of gloves. Bike Guidelines for BikeAbout Article Submissions Material for the BikeAbout may be sent directly to gloves are generally good for temperatures above freezing (regardless of the manufacturer’s claims), but to ride the editor, John Ceceri at: john@adkultracycling. comfortably in temperatures below freezing, you’ll need to use ski gloves. Also try to use gloves with full Gore-Tex com. The deadline for each issue is the 10th of and not just Windstopper, as it really does make a difference. Some ski gloves also have pockets for hand warmers the month preceding the issue date. Articles are accepted in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Open for those really cold days. Finding gloves for each temperature will take some trial and error, but will be worth the Office or plain text format; photographs are effort to be comfortable. The warmest gloves I have found are ski gloves made by Gordini, called the Da Goose. accepted in JPEG, TIFF and EPS format, converted They are lined with a blend, insulated with real goose down and wrapped with Gore-Tex. Very warm. to grayscale. Contact the editor regarding other formats. All rights to material published in EE FEET: I use a simple three layer system which fits inside my regular riding shoes. I start with a regular pair of socks, BikeAbout revert to the contributor following then add a neoprene sock for insulation and top it off with a Gore-Tex sock. This system works very well and has publication. kept my feet warm for as long as I can remember. If you prefer using a shoe cover, that’s fine too, but make sure it’s To advertise in BikeAbout wind proof and I’d still recommend a neoprene sock for insulation, as neoprene is a great insulator and will keep Contact club president, Skip Holmes at: 466-1182 you warm even if it gets wet. | [email protected]. Ads are accepted as PDFs, with all fonts and images embedded and EE HEAD/FACE: I’m not a big fan of covering my face, but I do wear a fleece hat with ear flaps under my helmet. It’s converted to grayscale. Commercial advertising important to cover as much as possible, so wearing some sort of head/face hat or balaclava is highly recommended. rates are as follows: Full Page $155 $131.75* 3149 Route 7, Pittstown Half Page $95 $80.75* (Just 15 minutes east of Troy) Half Page (Back Cover) $114 Quarter Page $52 $44.20* Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 10am-6pm Eighth Page $32 $27.20* Thu 11am-7pm Preprinted Inserts $160 Sat 10am-5pm • Sun 11am-4pm * Repeated advertising receives 15% discount. 518-663-0083 MHCC offers its address list on mailing labels; contact [email protected] the database manager, Joanne Petrozzi-Jones at: 831- tomhannockbicycles.com 1707 | [email protected] to purchase. Personal classified advertisements are free, and may be sent directly to the editor at: john@ The best new ROAD • MOUNTAIN • TRIATHLON • TANDEM • BMX • KIDS adkultracycling.com. Ads will run for one issue, bike shop in the Giant • • Blue • Phat Cycles • Co-Motion unless they are renewed. We reserve the right to Capital Region! edit ads for space. If you have a lot of parts you MENS AND WOMENS CLOTHING want to sell, please describe them as “various Louis Garneau • Gizmo • Yakima Racks and Accessories for Your Car or Truck! miscellaneous parts” or fit as much description as Triathlon Clothing and Gear • Come early for Spring Tune-Ups! you can into three or four lines.

Dec./Jan. 2015/2016 www2 .mohawkhudsoncyclingclub.org Dec./Jan. 2015/2016 MHCC RIDE CALENDAR PLEASE CHECK THE MHCC WEBSITE AND/OR FORUM TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES OR CANCELLATIONS. Road Ride ALSO BE SURE TO CHECK THE ONLINE CALENDAR FOR RIDES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ADDED AFTER THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN PRINTED.

EE NO RIDES SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER OR JANUARY AT PRESS TIME. CHECK THE ONLINE CALENDAR FOR CURRENT LISTINGS. Guidelines

Everyone is welcome on rides sponsored by the Mohawk-Hudson Cycling Club, however, our insurance policy only allows non-members to join bbbbbbb bbbbbb us once a year. Riders should arrive at least 15 minutes before the ride starting time. All riders must wear helmets. A rider will not be allowed on a ride if he/she does not have a helmet. Riders are expected and required to follow all traffic rules and regulations. Examples are stopping at stop signs and red traffic lights, as well as riding single file when being overtaken by traffic. See below for information about ride pace groups, and ride coordinators to contact if you would like to lead a ride. Rides will be in the Following pace groups: EE 8-11 MPH EE 15-16 MPH EE 10-12 MPH EE 16-17 MPH EE 11-13 MPH EE 17-18 MPH EE 13-14 MPH EE 18-20 MPH EE 14-15 MPH EE 20 + MPH

Ride Coordinators: Chairperson: David Liebschutz 518-439-5089 Quick Rides: Bruce Curtiss 518-587-4408 Tour Rides: Henry Wilkie 518-482-3902 Casual Rides: Dave Render 518-433-8316 Safety

Another great photo by Bob Club Member LCIs Cohen of the Century Weekend. Tami Flanders [email protected] Bob Fullem | [email protected] bbbbbbb bbbbbb Claire Nolan | [email protected] Bert Schou | [email protected] John Vendetti | [email protected] LCIs are League Certified Instructors, certified by the League of American Bicyclists, the national organization for bicycle advocacy. LCIs are individuals interested in promoting safe and effective cycling as a means of recreation and transportation to all age levels. All LCI candidates must pass courses covering varying topics including bike fit, bike maintenance, bike handling, vehicular cycling and the rules of the road. In addition, they review and reinforcing the topics learned and how to present them to others. They are qualified to lead classes in schools and for other interested groups for both children and adults. For more information or to set up a class, contact any of the LCIs. Welcome New Members

Balter, Stu, West Sand Lake, NY Kowalczyk, Randy, Schenectady, NY Newton, Steve, Selkirk, NY Olson, Jeff, Saratoga Springs, NY Rees, Chris, Albany, NY Warden, Mary, Delmar, NY

THE MOHAWK HUDSON CYCLING CLUB 3 Dec./Jan. 2015/2016 FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID ALBANY, NY PERMIT #3324

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED MOHAWK HUDSON CYCLING CLUB PO BOX 12575 • ALBANY, NY 12212-0575 www.mohawkhudsoncyclingclub.org Dec./Jan. 2015/2016

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

think if we’re 100 percent honest about it, I don’t think we could run men’s pro road racing without some people who at some stage in their career had some contact with doping. To pretend that we can is a “Idelusion, really.”

—— UCI president Brian Cookson, speaking with VeloNews.

2015 ELECTION BALLOT Use this ballot (or a photocopy) to vote for club officers. When completed, either: 1. Mail it to the club in time to be counted at the December 3rd, 2015 meeting: Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club | PO Box 12575 | Albany, NY 12212-0575 2. Bring it to the club meeting on December 3rd, 2015: Beff’s Restaurant on Everett Road in Albany, starting at 6 PM MHCC ELECTION BALLOT 2015 POSITION NOMINEE WRITE-IN CANDIDATE PRESIDENT: J DAVID LIEBSCHUTZ J VICE PRESIDENT: J HOWIE DIAMOND J SECRETARY: J JANET REILLY J TREASURER: J JANICE VERRASTRO J AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBER: J JUDE SAGOR J CANDIDATE BIOS: Howie Diamond grew up in NYC where he started riding as a child. He attended SUNY Albany and has been a member of MHCC since moving to Slingerlands in 2012. He’s been a cycling enthusiast most of his adult life and a ride leader since 2013. Howie enjoys road & mountain biking as well as kayaking, hiking, snow shoeing, skiing and traveling. When asked why he was interested in being the VP, he replied: “Cycling has brought so much pleasure into my life in so many ways that, for me, this would be a great opportunity to give something back to the local cycling community and MHCC by supporting the club’s ongoing work to do everything it can to promote the growth of cycling in our area.”

Dec./Jan. 2015/2016 www4 .mohawkhudsoncyclingclub.org