Volume 16 Issue 5 Dec-Feb 19 9 8 Newsletter

New Year's Eve Party at Hollyburn Lodge

In the heart of the Muskokas

X-ski, skate, hike, sing, dance, games, relax, fireplace, hot tub, good food and company December 30- January 2 Best deal around $170 3 nights, trail fee and all meals Contact:Nadine Bojarra 416-661-2857 email: [email protected] X-Country AGM Skiing is Back Gets Business Done by Léo Charbonneau photo Dan Roitner

by VP, Skiing Nadine Bojarra TBN members have deservedly gained the reputation of being dancing fiends, always man- aging to ill the dance floor til the wee hours at Welcome back to another ski season. This year we are offering both TBN social events. And so it was understandable cross-country and alpine skiing on several trips. Our first Sunday ski trip that many of those attending the club’s Annual will start on January 3, so mark that on your calendar. This year we will General Meeting on Oct. 30 at the York Recep- have a Moonlight Ski on Saturday, February 27 at Horseshoe Valley. The tion Centre were tarting to champ at the bit ski season will end with a Spring Fling at Hardwood Hills on March 28. because the business part of the evening was run- Our ski program is aimed at the recreational skier. We encourage first ning long. The business portion of the AGM was time skiers to come out and participate in this wonderful winter sport. For- fruitful, however, with outgoing president (“out- get about driving in the snow, come on the bus and meet other TBNers. going” as in “leaving his post,” not as in “extro- The bus is comfortable, we have great bus captains, fresh baked goodies, verted”) Owen Rogers thanking the multitudes videos and singalongs, so sit back and enjoy. Remember,check the hot line who contributed their time and efforts to the club for updates & bookings 760-4191, line 1. & over the past year. continues on page 4 TBN's Who's Who BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Acting President and John Corbett 778-7657 VP, Touring VP, Skiing Nadine Bojarra 661-2857 Treasurer John Grimley 444-4771 Secretary Carla Bocci 696-7722 Social Director Robert Britton 905-820-9967 Publicity & Promotions Nancy Allin 905-707-0880 Education Director Joshua Wolman Director of Cyclon Brenda Porter 694-3272 Weekend Trips Director Léo Charbonneau 698-0676 Managing Editor Michael Waldstein 363-2247 Past President Owens Rogers 925-5035 EVENT/RIDE COORDINATORS & OTHERS Leisure Wheeler Alan Gordon 447-6586 Easy Roller Eugene Housego 787-5596 Tourist & Sportif John Corbett 778-7657 Country Cruise Rowena Maclure 393-9279 Forget the snow! These amigos, Diane, Howard, & Corin & Saturday Shorts Wednesday Wheelie Bill Hannaford 482-2125 are heading south for more riding. Wednesday Knights Ron Fletcher 461-9695 Friday Night Ride John Tytler 445-6192 Saturday Morning Ride David Gretton Indoor Spinning Owen Rogers 925-5035 Membership Secretary Alan Gordon 447-6586 Copy Editor Chen Chih- Pien Newsletter Information Newsletter Layout Artist Dan Roitner 699 2728 Quick Release is published five times per year. Members are encouraged to and Photo Editor submit material for publication; classified ads are free to members. To discuss a submission or for advertising information call, Michael Waldstein, Managing Editor at 416-363-2247. TBN'S HOTLINE

For the March/April, issue of Quick Release, submit articles, To best use TBN's voice mail system, follow these easy steps... news items, graphics and ads by Feb. 1st the deadline to: **Using a touch tone phone, call: Toronto Bicycling Network 1) 760-3909 to get detailed instructions on how to use the Attn: Editor, Quick Release voice mail system, OR 131 Bloor St. W., Suite 200, Box 279, 2) 760-4191 to go directly to the Main Menu. Toronto, ON M5S 1R8 From the Main Menu... Press 1 for Saturday & Sunday Cycling Or make your submission by email to: Press 2 for Weekday & Evening Cycling [email protected] Press 3 for Social Events & Membership information Press 4 for Weekend Trips as Text.txt, Word.doc,or Wordperfect.wp files & Photos as .JPG - Artwork/Ads as .EPS, .GIF HOTLINE Tips: fax: 416-363-9111. 1) When in the Main Menu you can make a selection at any time, Moved? Moving? Is the address on your mailing label not quite right? Leave a you do not have to wait for the message to finish. 2) You can return to the Main Menu after making a choice by message in the Social & Membership mailbox of the Hotline or send e-mail to: pressing two at any time. [email protected] 3) After making a selection from the Main Menu, you can press 1 to leave a message related to your Main Menu choice. Please be Telephone: 416-760-4191 sure to select the appropriate mailbox to leave your message in. If you’re not sure where to leave your message, please leave it Website: www.tbn.on.ca in the Social & Membership mailbox (i.e. press 3 from the Main E-Mail: [email protected] Menu, then press 1).

2 Quick Release/Dec 98 EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK !&(þ@

Now that the outdoor cycling season table and perform amazingly on the stuffing parties” are to die for and if is definitely over – for those who com- dance floor. It all goes well together, you’d like to participate, call me. I won’t mute or spin it never ends – TBNers are doesn’t it? say no. about to strap on their skis, lace up their Our cross-country skiing season will I would like to remind our 800-mem- skates, attach their snowshoes or just kick off in early January and this year ber community that Quick Release is socialize in cozy places. I always look some Sundays will have a downhill com- YOUR newsletter. forward to this time of the year, for I am ponent as well. There will be, of course, Your submissions, be it in the form of finally able to recognize people sans hel- many weekend skiing trips, some of articles and photos, help enormously in mets (some of us never take them off which are of filling up quickly. So check creating each issue (Instructions how to even in après-ride places). Fall hiking your TBN calendar and make a decision send material are on page 2 of the trips and the AGM are usually the first to attend. I guarantee you will have a newsletter). chances for us to glimpse our fellow ball... and snowball fights, too. Please continue throwing interesting members in “plain clothes” or their Sun- Education nights will be planned copy our way and, if need be, be critical. day best. soon, so if you have any suggestions for Tell us what’s cool about the club and Spinning classes take place all year topics that you are interested in, please let share your beef as well in Letters to the long and, strangely, we don’t have to wear us know as soon as possible. Or, if you Editor. would be willing to give a talk, demon- helmets there, so it’s another good place And who knows, you may one day stration, or slide show, we would like to to spot TBNers in action (nudge-nudge, receive a call from yours truly to be hear from you. hint-hint). As Editor of Quick Release, I’m showcased in our ever popular Member’s Movie Nights are back,and yes, you elated to work on this fine newsletter for Profile. So have your bio ready! may wear your favourite cycling jersey or yet another year with the help of new your new TBN t-shirt underneath your technology and a great team. My new Michael Waldstein & jacket if you want to. But be forewarned: computer allows me to attend better it’s hard to get those chocolate stains off to my editorial chores, so I don’t anything! have to cycle all over town to solic- Some of us cycle to our annual it newsletter material. Not that I Location! Location! Christmas potluck dinner (sometimes dislike cycling all over town... but sloshing through the snow), where we when the deadline looms there’s no Location! demonstrate our culinary savoir-faire, place like an Internet-equipped show our renowned appetite at the dinner home. Our famous “newsletter Cyclon 2000 Opinion Poll MOVIE NIGHTS Cyclon’99 will be held in Kingston. Where would you like Cyclon 2000 to If it's Tuesday we must be...going to the movies! Yes, the take place? "El Cheapo Movie Nights" have returned for another year at the Carlton and repertory theatres. Every first and third Tuesday of each month, join the popcorn-munching, bever- Belleville/Quinte age-clutching ranks of TBNers out for quality flicks, subti- Guelph tles and all. Then repair to nearby cafes or pubs for titillat- ing après-cinema gabfests. London Listen to the hotline for movies, times, and meeting points. St. Catharines Waterloo (show your card) on parts & 15% off for TBN members Suggestions? (within reasonable distance from Toronto) accessories Send your opinion before December 31, 1998 to: [email protected] or (416) 694-3272

Toronto Bicycling Network 3 TBN Income Statement Year ended 98/09/30

Revenues Membership $ 28,393 Weekends 29,136 Day riders 2,015 Events 9,806 T-shirts 1,280 Other 1,004

Total 71,634

Expenses Weekends 27,520 photo Dan Roitner Events 12,897 Newsletter 5,413 The new board is as follows: left to right Promotion 6,932 John Corbett, VP, touring, Acting president; Communications 7,272 Brenda Porter, Cyclon director; T-shirts 2,787 Michael Waldstein, newsletter editor; Administration 6,509 Nadine Bojarra, VP, skiing; Total 69,330 Robert Britton, social director; Surplus 2,304 Annette Mackenzie, education director; Léo Charbonneau, weekend trips co-ordinator; Carla Bocci, secretary; TBN Balance Sheet as at 98/09/30 Absent: John Grimley, treasurer; and, of course, Owen Rogers, past-president! Cash & Deposits $ 44,571 Inventory 2,264 Receivables 2,060 This just in... Prepaid expenses 2,377 As we were going to press, we learned that John Tytler, our newly elected club president, has decided to step down. John Current Assets 51,273 Corbett, VP Touring, becomes our acting president. Net fixed assets 751

Total Assets 52,023 AGM continues from page 1 Deferred Subscriptions 14,145 This year’s AGM was also a time to give a bit of thanks to Owen himself, who was deservedly treated to a standing ovation after being pre- Retained earnings b/f 34,929 sented with a crystal mug as a token of the club’s appreciation for all his Add 1997/98 hard work over the past three years as president (and a year before that as TBN 2,304 Cyclon 645 V.P. for touring). Owen has made an enormous contribution to the club in so many Retained earnings c/f 37,878 ways, including about a billion hours of his time, but perhaps his most important legacy is the TBN’s Web page and the weekly “Chain of Events” Total liabilities & equity 52,023 e-mail updates. He also worked hard in the weeks prior to the AGM to invite/cojole/ The above statements are subject to audit. The arm twist members to volunteer for the 1998-99 board of directors. His suc- auditor's report will be published in the next cess can be seen in the almost full slate of enthusiastic and very capable newsletter. board members he recruited for this coming year. & Good luck to the new board for 1998-99. &

4 Quick Release/Dec 98 The Low Down on eeccuumm RR bbeenn t s

By Bruce Buttimore

Change! That is the best word to describe the current recumbent scene. In each of the past two years recumbent sales have tripled, Bicycling mag- azine is including articles about recumbents in every issue, and Trek and Green Gear (Bike Friday) have recumbents for the first time in their 1999 catalogues and webpages. The heavy and cumbersome long wheelbase models responsible for recumbents’poor “uphill” reputation, are being replaced with lightweight and easily transportable short wheelbase and com- pact wheelbase designs. The standard diamond frame bicycle evolved from a “running horse” (a fact reflected in “saddle as the name for the seat), and its design is based on that heritage. The recumbent bicycle was designed to be as comfortable and efficient as possible. At speeds above 25 km/h almost all of your energy is used to overcome aerodynamic drag; the rider’s almost-horizontal body position minimizes frontal surface area, reduces drag, and makes the bicycle faster. Recumbents also have the advantages of allowing a full seat for comfort, no weight on the wrists or hands, and excellent forward visibility without neck-strain. Speed and comfort in the same package! Visibility has proven to be a non-issue, as recumbent riders report that cars tend to give them more room and attention than when on their diamond frame bikes. Recent accident statistics for recumbents confirm this. Broken clavicles and head or neck injuries don’t occur in falls from recumbents. Even at high speeds, a fall is almost a non-event. Given their many advantages, one may wonder why recumbents are not more popular. Recumbents were never developed or mass produced because the Union Cycliste Internationale, which controls bicycle racing, banned them from competition in 1934 when a Class 2 rider, Francis Faure, riding a recumbent, won every major race in Europe and also broke several world speed records. It is ironic that recumbents are not popular today because they were too fast! Currently, cost is a deterrent to buying a recumbent. They are primarily handmade by small companies and hence expensive; but this is changing as companies like Advanced Trans- portation Products, BikeE Corporation, and Trek start to mass-produce recumbents for as little as $650 U.S. You just have to experience a recumbent to understand why recumbent riders are so enthusiastic about them. Most recumbent owners would be delighted to let you try their bike. Or you may visit one of the HPVSO Show and Tell rides held throughout the sum- mer, or visit any one of several bike shops in Toronto now stocking recumbents.&

Human Powered Vehicles of Southern Ontario: http://www.hpv.on.ca

photos Dan Roitner Toronto Bicycling Network 5 Weekend

Trips& Friday Night Please note that most weekend trips sell out, often well in advance. If you Skating wish to sign up for a weekend trip, we recommend you do so without delay. Longtime club member Paul Stockton has volunteered to coordinate TBN's Friday Night Skate this year. Skat- December 30-January 2: New Year’s Eve at ing will be taking place each Friday evening at various Hollyburn Lodge outdoor rinks of the Megacity, so sharpen those blades. Check the hotline or website each week for Come spend New Year’s Eve in a rustic but comfortable lodge in the heart of the location and time. The first Friday Night Skate will take Muskokas. If you like skiing, skating, singing, dancing, games, fireplaces, hot place in mid-December. An après skating location will tubs, good food and company, then this is the trip for you.Cost: $170, which be chosen while circling the rink. includes three nights’ accommodation and all meals. Contact: Nadine Bojarra, 416- 661-2857; email: [email protected].

January 22-24: Silent Lake Sojourn Enjoy the natural beauty and tranquility of the southern Haliburton region. We’ll be staying at the Old Pine Lodge in Silent Lake Provincial Park, with 56 km of groomed trails at your doorstep. For the more adventurous, why tru not try the yurt? Meals not included. Saturday dinner will be a group effort. Ski Ins ctor W Cost: $80, which includes two nights accommodation at the lodge; $40 if you ic a rd nt wish to stay in the yurt. Contact: Ron Fletcher, 416-461-9695. o ed N The TBN Nordic Ski School is looking ! February 5-7: Wondrous Winterlude in for a volunteer to teach our beginners. If Ottawa you are a certified CANSI instructor and would like to apply just for the love it, Visit the nation’s capital for the city’s annual Winterlude festival. Skate on please call Nadine Bojarra, VP, Skiing at the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest outdoor skating rink, and ski in fabulous 661-2857. Great benefits. Gatineau Park. Ice sculptures, sightseeing, museums, and more! We’ll be staying at the downtown Days Inn, just steps from the Canal. Cost: $155, which includes two nights’ accommodation, return bus coach transportation and a pizza dinner on the bus on the way down. NOTE: for those of you who wish to arrange your own lodgings in Ottawa, you can sign up for the bus-only option for the incredibly low price of $60 return. Contact: Léo Charbonneau, 416-698-0676; email: [email protected] for sign-up is Jan. 22.

March 5-7: Algonquin Park Getaway Algonquin Provincial Park is a skier’s paradise with 60+ km of trails that the Ministry of Natural Resources says “provides some of the most beautiful vistas and exhilarating skiing available anywhere.” Accommodation this year is in the WAXING CLINICS cosy Lakewoods Cottages just outside the park’s west gate. Cost: $95, which includes two nights accommodation and a restaurant meal Once again, Velotique will be offering free waxing and equipment Saturday evening. Contact: Andrew Ward, 905-649-2577. clinics. You can attend at 9 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, or Sat- urday, January 11 (this one is just for TBNers). Parking is Do you have an idea for a great weekend trip, or would like to help out on one? available, and it is not necessary to bring your skis. Velotique is located at 1592 Queen St. E., just one block west of Coxwell Ave. We’d love to hear from you. Contact Léo Charbonneau, the weekend trips Space is limited, so register early by calling 416-466-3171. If you co-ordinator, at 416-698-0676; email: [email protected]. have access to the Internet, you can register, or ask specific ques- tions regarding equipment, at www.velotique.com.

6 Quick Release/Dec 98 uunnttrryy && Alp 11999999 CCoo ine uullee XX-- Skkii SScchheedd

NOTE: Schedule is tentative only, and may change depending on weather a snow conditions; please listen to the TBN Hotline for weekly updates.

Facilities: FS = Full service including waxing hut, food services & chalet. PS = Partial service, including waxing hut, warm-up area & snack bar. L = Lessons offered by the resort. Must be pre-booked by the individual Conditions: GC = Groomed classic trails. SK = Skating trails.

Cross country (or Nordic) skiing is an ideal aerobic activity to complement your cycling. The following is the ski schedule and how to register for the bus. You must call the T.B.N. ski hot line before Thursday 10:00 p.m. to register for the Sunday trip and Wednesday 10:00 p.m. for the Saturday trip. The number you call is 760-4191, Line 1..and follow the directions. The cost is $15.00 for the bus and the trail fee depending on where we are going. The bus fee should be paid by cheque, made payable to the TBN. Trail fees must be paid in cash. A $10.00 no-show penalty will be charged to people who register and don’t show. If you do not register and walk-on, the bus fee is $20.00. For all non-members the bus fee is $20.00. Make sure you call the hot line on Friday and Saturday for updates. Any changes will be stated at the beginning of the announcement. The bus picks up at five locations: Bloor & Keele (Bloor & Indian Grove) 9:00 am. Yonge & Bloor (Metro Reference Library) 9.20 am. Yonge & Eglinton (south east side) 9:30 am. Yonge & York Mills (south of York Mills) 9:45 am. Highway 7 &400 (commuter parking lot) 10:00 am. Toronto Bicycling Network 7 Leisure Whellers Hockley Hurricane Go For 100 KM

200 kms By Alan Gordon Sep 27, 1998 Inspired by the sterling example of TBN's indefatigable long-distance riders, the By Owen Rogers I begin to pull away from the Leisure Wheelers scheduled a Metric Century for Sunday, September 13. The route group in the hills. What? Am I that took these hardy cyclists north from the Martin Goodman Trail through Edwards Gar- strong today? Or am I so squirrelly dens to Unionville, west along 16th Avenue to Maple, and then downhill (at last) to (drifting from side to side, speeding up Shoppers World at Victoria Park and the Dan- and slowing down without warning) forth. that this experienced group won't come anywhere near me? As it turns out, The weather was ideal: sunny they're avoiding the roostertail of water but not humid. The highlight of the and grit thrown off the road by my tour was navigating through the fenderless rear wheel. Hey, I'm just the tourleader, I don't make the weather! thousand dogs of all sizes, shapes and colours crowding the paths of In spite of the thunderclap and Serena Gundy Park for the "Paws in light show that had awakened me at the Park" fundraiser for the Toronto 6:00 a.m. the rain had stopped by 7:20 Humane Society. Not a pooch was hit! and I was dressed, prepped and launched on the bike up to Centerpoint The Century was completed by 15 masochists and one sadist: a scant 20 minutes later. I arrived at 8:20 with nary a cyclist in sight. Oh Eva Adamson Martin Koob well, at least I'd done my duty as a Elizabeth Brown Diane Lee tourleader. In my experience at least a Christine Chow Martha McKeown half dozen keeners will show up on the rainiest of mornings on the off chance Tony De Carlo David Raines the weather will clear up. And so it Alan Gordon Shelley Sartain went, over the next 15 minutes or so, Angelo Grosso Heather Smith another seven misguided souls collect- Carrie Hillhorst Tom Swales ed in the lot. As the sun peeked Shirley Keith Glenn Yamashita through the clouds we finally got underway, eight optimists out for a Congratulations to these new holders of "Metric Century" patches! 200-km jaunt through Holland Marsh, the Hockley Road, Erin and Belfountain. Readers will be interested to note that two of these cyclists were on only their sec- Eight and a half hours later, after two obligatory stops for fresh baked good- ond TBN ride and that another was on her very first Sunday ride. Since this was not a ies in Hockley and Belfountain, and race against the clock, no individual times were kept. However, it can be reported that total ride time a respectable 7:24, the the slowest riders covered their 100 km in 6.5 hours of actual cycling time (never mind six of us who'd ridden together the how long they spent in that great bakery in Maple). & whole day arrived back at Centerpoint, happy we'd taken a chance on the Will this ride be repeated in 1999? Stay tuned to Quick Release for further news. weather. (N.B. two riders left us early to take a shortcut back through Schomberg). All of the following received their silver SPINNING CLASSES double metric century patches. Last year's fitness craze is still a great way to keep in shape as the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler.Classes continue Suzanne Denis Ken Dobb this fall and winter at the Adelaide Club. Contact Brian Kapeluch Owen Rogers Larry Strung Michael C. Thomson [email protected] or Owen Rogers at 925- 5035 for more information and have a look at our Spinning FAQ, on our website, & it’s informative!

Toronto Bicycling Network 9 FAVOURITE DESTINATIONS ÃynÆâ

all the way under false pretenses…AND MISSED Sojourn to Point Pelee LUNCH! The ferry ride seemed to go on forever with the receipt of this news. by Ray Maday Dinner that night was in Leamington at the Tropicana Restaurant and a good time was had by Thanks to the Air Canada strike, I almost missed what turned out to be all (yes…I do speak for everyone!). Afterwards another spectacular TBN weekend adventure. After the last-second packing we walked the beautiful beach and sat amongst a and panicking was over, I took to the highway for the sojourn to Wheatley roaring campfire. The evening brought pouring Provincial Park for the Pelee Wheelie weekend. Once there, I found myself rain and a wicked, unruly thunder and lightening rested and relaxed, sitting around the campfire. storm. I knew that I should have spent more than The next day, our gracious hosts, Andrew Ward and Muktha Tumkur, $20 for my new tent! looked somewhat frazzled when the The last day was spent at group decided to change plans com- Colasanti’s in Ruthven. There we pletely and ride to Point Pelee Nation- admired the gargantuan green- al Park, instead of the scheduled desti- house, fed bobo goats, learned nations. , Unknown to us, Andrew about shrubberies, ate flavoured and Muktha had, on a previous week- jellybellies and tried our luck on end, spent an entire day scouting out the mini-golf circuit. This place the scheduled rides. Much to their has it all! chagrin, the group set off (with our Once again, thanks to Andrew hosts in tow, no doubt!) to visit the and Muktha for organizing a mem- southernmost mainland point in Cana- orable TBN foodfest…I mean da. Upon arrival at the park, we cycling trip…Cheers to you both! noticed a sign proclaiming “THE FLIES ARE BITING”. Not being able to comprehend this peculiar statement, P.S. If anyone is looking for a new tent, I remarked to Andrew how silly it was. Three nanoseconds after crossing into please call me. Have I got a deal for you! the park boundary, however, I was writhing in pain and screaming. One of these “stable flies” was on my leg ripping out a piece of my flesh for its lunch. I had no more questions as to what the sign meant. I then proceeded to & empty an entire bottle of bug spray on my body, and shouted that I was ready for the adventure that lay ahead. We rode down to the tip, parked our bikes amid an army of stable flies and walked to the tip. It is actually a continually shifting sandbar in Lake Erie. Awesome! That evening, we were treated to what seemed to be a 19-course gourmet meal, prepared by Muktha. Camping was never like this! The delicious and scrumptious Point Pelee wines supplied with dinner seemed to vapourize in a fashion unexplained by physics. On Sunday, we took the ferry to Pelee Island. Points of interest on this beautiful and picturesque island included Lighthouse Point, Pelee Island Winery, and Fish Point. It was during this segment of the journey that I decided (foolish- ly) to visit the tip of the southernmost island in Canada (or so I thought). I proceeded to Fish Point and commenced the voyage. This consisted of five minutes of cycling on an off-road trail, pushing my bike across sand for 10 minutes and a 20-minute walk to the tip. As I arrived at the tip, I realized that, not only had I missed lunch at the Pelee Island Winery, but I barely had enough time to hustle back to catch the 3:30 p.m. ferry. Drenched in sweat, I arrived to meet the group in the nick of time! Back on the ferry, we were studying a map of the area and much to my shock and dismay, there appeared to be a mass of land marked “Middle Island” just ABOVE the U.S. border. Damn! I had walked

10 Quick Release/Dec 98 MEMBER'S PROFILE J y&b‘‘ [

Greetings from your new VP, Touring. Perhaps you would like to know a bit about me, as I will have an impact on your cycling next year – a positive impact, I hope. I joined TBN in June of 1995 shortly after getting my first road bike. I had been a dedicated commuter and a bit of a mountain-biker before a friend let me try her new road bike (thanks Liz!) and after one trip around the block, I was hooked. I had been looking for some way to expand my social horizons and loved cycling, so getting that road bike and joining TBN seemed like a match made in heaven. I will admit that there were times that first season when I despaired of becoming a ‘real’ cyclist like the folks who disappeared over the horizon every Sun- day. It seemed that I spent a lot of time “off the back” but I met some great people, and I kept at it. After a lot of work at the gym over the winter, my second season went considerably better. I managed to keep the fast people in sight for longer and longer periods. And I felt that I had really arrived when I made it to lunch at the same time as everybody else. The rest, as they say, is history. I also tried something new that second season: tour leading. I really enjoyed it, and as it turned out, was pretty good at it. During my first season at TBN it seemed that, more often than not, some stranger would hand me a map at the start of the ride, and not be seen for the rest of the day. I vowed that if I ever did lead a ride I would try to do it differently. Those of you that have been on my rides know that I attempt to “lead from the rear” most of the time. So it seems to be a natural progression for me to go from tour leader to VP, Touring. As you may guess, one of my priorities will be to put together a John Corbett stronger tour leader program for next year. To that end I would like to get sugges- tions and comments from TBNers as to how I can make anything about their Joined TBN: June 1995 cycling experience better. I will have an email address set up shortly (check the web- Rider Class: Advanced Tourist site for it) and messages could be left on the Hotline for me; or try “snail mail” Bicycle: Trek 5200 addressed care of the club. Longest Day Ride: 187 km Favourite Ride: Schomberg (long ride), Ont. Cheers! & Written by John Corbett Après Stop: My place

T Kick off the Holiday season B N as Potluck D ''s Annual Christm inner

DancingWine with Dinner Great Door Prizes Saturday, December 12th 98' Henley Gardens Condominiums 1093 Kingston Road (just east of Victoria Park)

Doors open at 6:30pm, dinner around 7:30

Cost: $8, BYOB for post dinner drinks

Phone Rob Long at (416) 322-6199 to reserve your spot and co-ordinate food. Note: Seating is limited, so book early.

Toronto Bicycling Network 11