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Bluebonnet Ride April 5 Put Your Bike Here

In This Issue: Safety Tip 2 Upcoming Rides/ Activities

Fresh Dates. 4 Easter Hill Country Ride. 10

Upcoming Rides, Activities. Loop the Lake 4/22. 11

St Patrick’s Day Ride. 6 BAC Information. 12

Loop the Lake. 7 Incident Reporting Information. 13

HOTTS Coldspring Ride. 8 Ride Calendar. 15

Bluebonnet Ride. 9

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 2

Safety Tip A synopsis of an article from Outside magazine

For the entire article here is the link https://www.outsideonline.com/2409586/mountain-bike-trail-work- smugness

Stop Hitting Cyclists with Your Car Door

“Saving a life is as easy as checking for cyclists. Getting “doored.” Along with the dreaded “right hook,” it’s probably the most persistent threat cyclists face from drivers (or their passengers) when riding in cities. If you’re lucky, colliding with an open car door will result in some slapstick or maybe a dinged top tube. If you’re not (and many dooring victims are not) you can be seriously injured or killed.”

And the law is not always on your side. “This past spring, a motorist doored Aaron Padwee on 21st in Queens, throwing him into the path of an oncoming driver who was operating a commercial truck without a license. Padwee did not survive. And even though a motorist who opens a car door into oncoming traffic is breaking the law, the NYPD did not file charges.”

As we probably all have experienced, this sequence of events is not unusual. We all have ridden past a church as Sunday services are beginning or ending. And while in most places, it’s generally illegal to open your car door into oncoming traffic, if people look, they are looking for cars and don’t expect to see cyclists.

“For this reason, Michael Charney has been promoting a maneuver called the Dutch Reach. It refers to the way Dutch drivers are taught to exit their vehicles. Here’s how the Dutch Reach works: First, you reach across your body for the handle with the hand farthest from the door, which causes you to turn your head. Next, you check for any oncoming cyclists, since now you’re looking in that direction anyway. Finally, when the coast is clear, you pull the handle, open the door slowly, and nobody dies. That’s it! Not only is

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 3 this simple method of vehicular egress both utterly sensible and potentially life-saving. “

“The Dutch Reach has gained some traction in the United States, and and Illinios now include it in their driver’s manuals. This is encouraging, and there’s absolutely no question that the Dutch Reach should be standard procedure for every driver in all 50 states. “

Encouraging legislation may help. In the meantime, as the glycogen flows out of our brains on a long ride, or as drivers, we get distracted by conversation and loud music, let’s remain aware of this potential hazard. Be safe out there!

For the entire article here is the link https://www.outsideonline.com/2409586/mountain-bike-trail-work- smugness

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 4 Fresh Dates

Team TwoStep – Sachse, TX

Captain: Steve Beran Stoker: Mary Hall Joined DATES: January, 2020 How long have you been ? Captain: 8 years Stoker: 8 years How long tandeming? Captain: 6 months Stoker: 5 years Why did you decide to start riding tandem? To give us another reason to ride together in a more social way. What kind of tandem do you ride? Cannondale How often do you ride? On tandem ~1/week How Far? 100km on average Favorite Ride? • Singles

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 5 o Captain – Triple bypass in 2019 o Stoker ▪ 24 hours in the canyon in 2016 ▪ Colorado Rocky Mountain Bike Tour in 2014 • Tandem: Big Dam Bridge (Arkansas) in 2019

Usual Ride? There’s not a usual ride. We’ve done 15-mile rides on a nice Sunday afternoon to 200km Randonneur rides on cold blustery days.

Where/How did you hear about Double DATES? Mindy and Scott Mashburn

Anything else you’d like your new club members to know about you?

• Steve: o Member of PBA since 2014. o Typically rides Pop B on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Weekends are spent either riding tandem or riding PBA OAS-Lite • Mary: o In 2015 won TX state championship on tandem o In 2016 competed in five 24hr time trials in TX and FL. Won the RUSA cup for 24hr time trials in her age group o In 2019 Achieved Randonneur “K-Hound” status by riding 10,000 km.

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 6 Saint Patrick’s Day Ride - March 14

St Patrick's Ride Saturday March 14, 2020 Meet at 8:30 AM. Ride at 9:00

Start: Moore's Store, 1535 FM279, Ben Wheeler, TX Leaders: Ronnie & Nanette Bryant

Park in the park next to the Volunteer Fire Dept across there street from Moore's Store. Look for our Maroon Honda Ridgeline. Routes are on low traffic scenic roads. Rest Stops on each route. All routes go through Edom. Barstool races at 3:30! After the ride, we’ll eat at either Moore's Store or the Forge Bar and Grill. Maps for 31 mi, 45 mi and 60 mi are available on the Dates website.https://doubledates.wildapricot.org/event-3725309

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 7 Loop the Lake - March 25

Loop the Lake Ride - Spring has Sprung edition Wednesday, March 25, meet @ 5:45pm_& leave @ 6:00 Start: White Rock Alehouse & Brewery 7331 Gaston Ave, Arboretum Village Shopping Center Leaders: David & Julie Gregory

Celebrate the second Spring. We’ll ride clockwise for two laps, so catch us by riding in the opposite direction if you can’t make the start time. The distance will be 22 miles. As always, this will be a social ride with no drops. Beginners and veterans enjoy this ride. Afterwards, we’ll have dinner at White Rock Alehouse. Join us there even if you can’t get free of work in time to ride.

Be Our Leader! Volunteers Needed! 1. Wednesday evening White Rock Lake Rides. We hold these during the Spring and Summer on an ad hoc schedule as leaders are available. You get to pick your date, starting point, and favorite post-ride restaurant

2. Ride leaders are needed for Memorial Day

To lead a ride, just say the word to the Gregorys and/or the Mashburns. We can get the announcement out to the club and will be glad to help in any other way.

3.Join the DATES FACEBOOK page for real time updates and news and photos. https://www.facebook.com/groups/doubledates/

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 8 Coldspring & Double Lake Ride

Laura & Allen Moyer - Team HOTT (Houstonians on Tandems Together) Invite you to two days of riding - a tandem road ride in Coldspring on Saturday followed by a MTB tandem ride at Double Lake on Sunday. Two great days of Tandem riding! If you have any questions, please call or text Allen & Laura Moyer at 409-898-0696.

9:00 AM Saturday, March 28th - Road Ride. Meet at First Baptist Church of Coldspring, 100 E. Pine Ave. TX 77331. Lunch Saturday at the Mason Jar, 35 FM 1514 Coldspring, TX 77331 9:00 AM Sunday, March 29th, - Single track tandem riding at Double Lake Recreation Area, FM 2025 S. Coldspring, TX 77331 https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5935954/double-lake-big-loop $7 /person - park entry fee What you need to know: • March 28th is Coldspring “Trade Days”! • Ride distances Saturday - 12, 31, 43, and 60 mile routes planned • Routes will be posted on the Team HOTT Ride With GPS page • Single track tandem riding might be new to you but your hosts are pro’s and would love to share a local trail with you! If you are interested in riding this trail but feel you do not have an appropriate tandem, please contact House of Tandems to arrange a demo tandem. • RV parking is available at Double Lake Recreation Area, 936-653-3448 - https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232430

Please click the 'Register' button on the web page to let us know if you're coming. https://hott.wildapricot.org/event-3688539

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 9 DATES 2020 BLUEBONNET RIDE – LANCASTER, TEXAS – SUNDAY APRIL 5

Ride Leaders: Mike & Sue Baker, [email protected] Spring time cycling south of Dallas traveling through the small communities of Ferris & Palmer. Both routes (62 & 42 miles) will take you along the Bluebonnet Trail via Sugar Ridge Rd. The flowers typically peak in the 2nd & 3rd weeks of April, but due to other conflicts, we will have the ride on Sunday, April 5. If the weather forecast is undesirable that day, we will either try for Saturday April 4 or postpone until the last weekend in April. (25th or 26th)

Plan to meet at the Lancaster Heritage Park, 250 N. Dallas Ave. near the Gazebo.

Please arrive in time for a group photo at 8:50a prior to our 9:00a rollout.

I will provide turn by turn handouts for those that want them. (do not print/ use the turn by turn listing provided by ridewithgps (rwgps) – mine contains more info and is more accurate).The rwgps gps files are accurate will be provided at a later date – Note: the routes will be slightly different this year, so do not use any older gps files from previous rides.

There are no restrooms available at the start area, so you may want to make a stop somewhere prior to arriving. A handy spot is the Valero gas station at 903 N. Dallas Ave.

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Easter Hill Country Tour April 10-12

The 47th annual Easter Hill Country Tour is 3 days of fabulous Hill Country cycling - April 10-12. Based in Kerrville, it is the weekend before the SWTR, so you could do both!! There will be some DATES members doing that, so look at the website and see if you want to too! https://fwbaclub.org/EHCT-Home/. You may contact Scott and Mindy Mashburn if you need more info at [email protected].

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 11

Loop the Lake - April 22

Wednesday April 22 Meet at 6:00 PM. Ride at 6:15. (Sunset is 8:03) Start: The Bath House Cultural Center @ White Rock Lake Leaders: John and Nancy Griswold Dinner: El Vecino’s Restaurant, 718 N Buckner Blvd

Everyone is invited to pedal at their own comfortable pace. This will be a no drop ride, so we’ll be sure everyone finds their way around the lake and finishes safely. After the ride, we’ll have dinner at the El Vecino around 7:45-8. Join us there if you are unavailable for the ride.

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 12

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Adventure Club John McManus Some of you know about the Bicycle Adventure Club (BAC); others may not. BAC is a club; tours are organized and led by volunteers. Our motto is “Friends leading friends on rides.” We have around 2,500 members and the members currently organize and lead over 60 tours a year, both foreign and domestic, about half and half. Unlike commercial touring companies, this is a club for experienced (serious) cyclists. Although we stay in hotels and have a luggage vehicle, there is no “sag wagon.” Riders are expected to get from point A to point B on their own each night, fix their own flats, etc.

Since 1983 BAC has conducted 1,328 tours. In 2019, there were 28 domestic rides and 36 international rides. Domestic rides are usually 1 week in length and international 2 weeks, although this varies.

Since BAC is a non-profit organization, tour leaders are volunteers and there is no profit (You frequently receive a refund at the end of a tour). The cost of our tours is very reasonable; one third to one half of the cost of commercial tours. Many DATES members have gone on BAC tours including Ronnie and Nanett Bryant, Chuck and Kris Carlson, Ernie and Regina Coose , John and B.J. Harvey, Jeff and Darla Hollingsworth, Jim and Rhonda Hoyt, Alan and Renee Kailer, John McManus and Brenda Cole, Jorge and Sofia Poliak, Glenn and Barbara Rudolph, Harry and Janette Thompson, Lee and Beckie Wilson, Jim and Melody Yuhn. There may be others who I’ve forgotten.

So what does DATES and BAC have in common? A lot. A whole lot! Look at the current BAC leaders: BOARD OF DIRECTORS • Chair, Elizabeth Buckingham Ottawa • Rides, Tom Leever Hendersonville, NC • Secretary, Brenda Cole DATES Member • Treasurer, Ernie Coose DATES Member • Web Site, Jim Yuhn former DATES Member • Membership Relations, Jan Erickson Winthrop, WA • Policy, Marion Campbell Spring, TX EMPLOYEES • Office Manager, Nancy Bonnet San Diego • Tour Review Directors Glenn and Barbara Rudolph, DATES So 5 of the 10 members of the BAC management team are from DATES. Wow! Our tandem club members contribute a lot to this touring club. Congratulations and thanks to them.

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com Page 13

INCIDENT REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

David Dres has renewed our bike club insurance. There is an incident reporting form on the Dates web site. We ask that anyone leading a ride take a copy of the incident report form with them and be prepared to do their best to complete it if an accident occurs. If possible, take pictures of the accident scene and get the names and contact information of witnesses.

Whenever an Accident Occurs: An Incident Report form must be completed immediately after an accident occurs and mailed or faxed to American Specialty Insurance & Risk Services, Inc. as indicated below. This holds true whether the person involved is a participant or a spectator, or whether or not you feel the incident will result in a claim.

Although you may not have sufficient information to initially answer all questions, it is important that the form be completed as fully as possible at the time of the accident. Do not delay sending in the report form; an incomplete form is better than none at all. Be certain to include your name and daytime telephone number where indicated on the form.The form contains sections to capture information regarding injury to persons, damage to property, and accidents involving autos.

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding the completion of the Incident Report form, please call American Specialty 1-800-566-7941.

Mail or fax the completed Incident Report to:

AMERICAN SPECIALTY INSURANCE & RISK SERVICES, INC. 7609 W. Jefferson Boulevard Suite 150 Fort Wayne, Indiana 46804-4133 Fax: 260.969.4729

IN ADDITION, IN CASE OF SERIOUS INJURY TO A PARTICIPANT OR A SPECTATOR, it is important that you immediately notify American Specialty by calling 1-800-566-7941 (if after standard business hours, simply follow the automated instructions for emergency claims reporting). This hotline is active 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

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Europe Tandems Only North America 1 & 2 Week Tours Small Groups 20 Years Experience 3 & 4 Star Hotels 30-60 Miles per Day

DATES RIDES & ACTIVITIES

RIDE OR START DATE START PLACE HOST PHONE # / EMAIL DETAILS ACTIVITY TIME

Moore's Store, Ronnie & 1535 FM279, St Pats Ride 3/14 9:00 Nannette [email protected] page 6 Ben Wheeler, TX Bryant

David & White Rock Loop the Lake 3/25 6:00 Julie [email protected] Page 7 Alehouse Gregory https:// Coldspring 3/28- See Coldspring, HOTT Page 8 Ride 29 webpage Texas hott.wildapricot.org/ event-3688539

Bluebonnet Mike & 4/5 9:00 Lancaster [email protected] Page 9 Ride Sue Baker

Easter Hill 4/10- https://fwbaclub.org/ Fredericksburg Page 10 country 12 EHCT-Home/

Southwest 4/17- https:// Fredericksburg Tandem Rally 19 southwesttandemrally.com

Bath House John & Loop the Lake 4/22 6:00 Cultural Nancy [email protected] Page 11 Center Griswold

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DATES-LINE is generally published monthly by and for members of DOUBLE DATES. Information contained herein is for the general good of the tandem community and may be copied without permission; credit to DOUBLE DATES and DATES-LINE is appreciated. All comments and contributions are welcome. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Generally, monthly issues are e-mailed near the beginning of the current month. Notices and articles must be received a week prior to the e-mailing date to be included in the next issue. Machine-readable copy is required, preferably in MS WORD. Copy should be e-mailed to [email protected]

Advertising Rates (per issue): $10 - Business card size ads; $35 - ¼ Page ads; $50 - ½ Page ads

DOUBLE DATES, the Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts, is a recreational club for riders of tandem . Membership dues are $35 payable annually in February. If a team joins mid-year, the dues are: Jan – June $35; July – Oct $16. Teams joining in November or December pay $35 and are paid up for the following year.

DATES is affiliated with or a member of the Tandem Club of America, the League of American Bicyclists, BikeTexas and BikeDFW.

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DATES COORDINATORS Scott & Mindy Mashburn 214-395-9565 (c) [email protected] DATES-LINE EDITORS John & Nancy Griswold 972-913-4904 (h [email protected] RIDE COORDINATORS David and Julie Gregory 214-208-0606 (c) [email protected] MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Linda & Kevin Vinson 972.625-6110 (h). [email protected] TREASURERS David & Mary Dres 972.489-7671 (h). [email protected] [email protected] SECRETARY Ernie and Regina Coose 469-520-7615 (h) [email protected] WEB SITE Kevin & Linda Vinson [email protected] www.doubledates.com

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Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts Web Page: http://www.doubledates.com