Old Spokes

Trip on the Nickle Plate Trail, Sept. 16, 2020

2020-09-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

Sept. 12, 2020 Zoom Old Spokes meeting

2020-09-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

This was our third monthly Zoom Old Spokes meeting on Saturday afternoon. Those present included:

Phyllis Stutzman
Jim Smith
Sharon Kauffmann
Miriam and Loren Stauffer
Roy Hartzler
John Zook
Bill and Phyllis Miller
John & June Yoder
Walter and Vera Schmucker
Terry and Patti MacGregor
Don & Marie Clemens - part of the time

16 in all or about 60 percent of the group.

Not present -- Kolbs, Koops, Peacheys, Faye Littwiller, Sherry Smith, Norm Kauffmann, Lois Hartzler.

reflections on the history of the pumpkin vine

2020-07-16T15:49:00.002-07:00

In reading through the old newspaper clippings from 1999 to 2000, I'm impressed with how little we had to show for our work and how much people -- the cycling community like the Old Spokes, continued to support us. I just ran across the 1999 donation of the friends to the city of Goshen, and that made me think about the 10 years we spent prior to that getting funding fighting legal battles and answering letters to the editor that criticized our tactics our ethics our title to the land.

Old Spoke, June 13, 2020

2020-06-15T06:23:00.003-07:00

Saturday, June 13 was our first venture into actual biking as a group. We've been meeting via Zoom at 9 a.m. on Saturday since late March, but some were now interested in riding "together" apart. Phyllis proposed meeting at the Mill Race Power House after a ride and other suggested meeting at the Music building and riding somewhere.

So, here's what happened. Loren Stauffer, Faye Litwiller, Harold Kauffman and John Yoder met at the Music Building at 9 a.m. We decided to go to the Power House to see if that group was still there. They were, i.e., Phyllis and Roy Hartzler. After visiting a while, the group headed out toward Middlebury on the Pumpkinvine.

The fate of the Zoom meeting is unknown. I don't know how many people showed up for it on Saturday afternoon.

2nd virtual Old Spokes meeting - April 4, 2020

2020-04-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

This meeting had a rocky start because the link asked for a password. It should have been in the invite, but somehow wasn't. It took 15 minutes to get everyone one.

Chet and Ruthann Peachey
Norm and Sharon Kauffmann
Ron and Sally Jo Milne (from South Korea)
Faye Litwiller
John and June Yoder
Bill and Phyllis Miller
Terry and Patti MacGregor
Don and Marie Clemens
Phyllis Stutzman
John Zook
John and Judy Kolb
Jim and Sherry Smith
Harold Kauffman came late
Walter and Vera Schmucker joined by phone

Loren and Miriam Stauffer tried to get on but failed.

I got Walter on later in the day.

First virtual meeting - March 28, 2020

2020-03-28T19:33:00.002-07:00

Last week Phyllis Stutzman suggested that the Old Spokes group consider doing a Zoom virtual meeting since all of us are bound to stay home because of the Coronavirus. I responded that I thought it was a great idea. So, we set it up and invited everyone for a meeting this morning, March 28, 2020.

We sent out the notice on Monday, and by Thursday had gotten positive responses from only Milnes and Peacheys. Phyllis sent out another announcement with much less detail about how to log on, and that inspired many more to join so that by Friday evening we had 18 people interested. Then in the meeting itself, John Zook and Schmuckers joined making 21 in the room.

Chet and Ruthann Peachey
Norm and Sharon Kauffmann
Loren and Miriam Stauffer
Ron and Sally Jo Milne (from South Korea)
Faye Litwiller
John and June Yoder
Bill and Phyllis Miller
Terry and Patti MacGregor
Don and Marie Clemens
Phyllis Stutzman
John Zook
Walter and Vera Schmucker joined by video but could not get their sound to work.

We had a great conversation and plan to do it again next week.

Host: John Yoder

May 19, 2018

2018-05-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, May 19, 2018, it was over 50 degrees, but the forecast said there was a 15 percent chance of rain. The sky was overcast, too, but I thought that someone besides myself would show up for our Saturday-morning ride, even though it was the morning of the Harry and Megan wedding. It was over by 8 a.m. by my standards. But when I got to the music center parking lot, I found Norm and Sharon Kauffmann and Faye Litwiller IN THE CARS. What a disappointment!

They decided to go home, and I rode a loop to Anna's Bread, after calling June to tell her where I was going. It was another case of our Old Spokes group

nice

2015-08-17T04:41:00.000-07:00

The beauty and expansion of bike trails in our region is thrilling. However seeing what's happening in other places is fun!

Aug. 15, 2015 Old Spokes

2015-08-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

Old Spokes Saturday morning rides continue to be wildly different in the number of people who come. Last week we had 17 (we went to Aunt Karen's), two weeks ago just myself (Clemens came but went home to water plants. I didn't take it personally that they did not want to ride with me.) Today we had five, so we went to Rachel's Bread where there was a long line of people at 8:15 a.m. So it goes.

September 6, 2014 - Saturday morning

2014-09-06T10:13:00.003-07:00

The morning skies were overcast, the temperature in the low 60s and there had been predictions of rain, but I ventured to the GC music building parking lot thinking someone else would be there, but no one was. Perhaps everyone was scared off by the weather. I for one couldn't get the Internet to work to check on the latest forecast (a Frontier problem), and perhaps others had the same problem. Still interesting to me that our Saturday-morning ride isn't attracting many riders these days.

Saturday's ride

2014-08-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

A group of nine made the trek to Aunt Karen’s for breakfast on Aug. 16: Walter and Vera Schmucker, Phyllis Stutzman, Bill Miller, Loren and Miriam Stauffer, Don Clemens, Sherry Smith and John Yoder. A gorgeous day for a ride. We met a lot of riders from Bloom and Zoom on the way home.

Old Spokes decline?

2014-07-29T12:33:00.003-07:00

This summer the Saturday morning rides of Old Spokes have seen less participation than at any time in my memory. Of course, part of the reason is that I haven't been there, but I hear of small groups on days that I miss, as well. Last Saturday only three showed up.

Why the decline in numbers? More people, now retired, are traveling or have other interests on Saturday morning. In my case, I taught a cycling class last Saturday, I have child care for grandchildren next week and another cycling class the following week.

My new cycling blog

2014-07-22T17:37:00.001-07:00

Here's a link to my new blog for the Elkhart Truth: Cycling Sense.

Amazon Smile

2014-07-07T12:30:00.000-07:00

When you begin your Amazon.com shopping at Amazon Smile, a portion of your purchase price will go toward the support of the Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. Click the link Amazon Smile to get started.

Chip sealed road in Elkhart County

2013-08-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a map of all the chip sealed roads done recently in Elkhart County: Roads chip sealed in 2013 -- roads to avoid on a bicycle.

FYI: See a discussion of chip-sealed roads in Wikipedia

One paragraph is especially relevant (bold added): "Although chip seal is an effective low-cost way to repair road, it has some drawbacks. Loose crushed stone is often left on the surface, owing to under application of bitumen or over application of stone. If not removed, this can cause safety and environmental problems such as cracked windshields, loss-of-control crashes (especially for motorcyclists, bicyclists and small trucks), and deposition of foreign material into drainage courses. Therefore, it is very important to sweep the road after the emulsion sets."

Chip sealed fact sheet from Ohio Dept. of Transportation. Why is it used: "A chip seal is about one fourth to one fifth the cost of a conventional asphalt overlay."

So it's cheaper. That doesn't explain why our county chip sealed roads that were perfectly fine, like CR 31 between CR 146 and CR 52

Tuesday lunch

2013-07-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

Following up on the suggestion of Phyllis to try a midweek lunch ride, four Old Spokes -- Ron and Sally Jo, Phyllis and I -- took the challenge today and rode from Abshire Park to Aunt Karen's in Middlebury. I had never been there, so it was a great place for me to check out, and it did not disappoint. I had a vegetable wrap with a corn bread salad. The others all had soup. I can only attribute the desire to have hot soup on a day when the humidity made out glasses and sunglasses fog up whenever we stopped to rest as a case of heat disorientation. Be that as it may, we had a fun ride, good fellowship and excellent food. Phyllis took some pictures of us in the restaurant, so perhaps she will post those here as well.

Post by former Old Spokes member

2013-07-03T14:33:00.001-07:00

Great post by Pat Oakley on how she uses her bicycle for hauling things: Bookcases and Bicycles

Women on Wheels: How to Ride with Someone Faster or Slower

2013-05-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Bonner
Riding with a friend or a group with varying abilities can be frustrating. You might share your passion for cycling with a friend or partner, but your abilities might be mismatched. Whether you want to ride with a slower friend or join a faster group, here are some tips to get you on level ground.
1. (Mis)match your rides. Aim to balance the speed of your rides. If you want to ride with a group or someone who is faster, ride with them on their slow day when you want to do a fast ride. Hopefully, since they have to ride slow and you are supposed to be riding faster, the speed of the ride will balance and satisfy both riders.
2. Hill repeats. If you’re always waiting for someone at the top of a hill, stop waiting and start riding. Go back down the hill or just halfway and climb it again. You won't be sitting around waiting, and the extra climbing will make you more tired, so you might not have to wait on the last few hills. If you're the one being waited for, suggest this strategy to the faster rider.
3. Slipstream. If you‘re the slower rider, take shorter turns (or no turns) on the front in the wind. If you’re the faster rider, let the slower rider sit on your wheel for as long as they need to or for the whole ride. The energy savings for the slower rider in the slipstream, combined with the extra effort of the faster rider who is pulling on the front, should help even out the disparity between the cyclists. This strategy works in a group setting, too. Just make sure everyone knows if you won’t be taking a turn at the front.
4. Communication.The most important factor in cycling compatibility is communication. If riders know what to expect, they won't be irritated when they are forced to wait or feel bad if they are holding up a group. Before your ride, talk about distance, speed, route, where you will congregate if you split up on a hill, and whether or not you feel strong enough to do some work in the pace line or if you'll be sitting in for the whole ride.
5. Relax. Whether you are the faster or slower rider, remember that everyone had to start somewhere. Don't stress about having to wait for someone or making someone wait. Every rider was a beginner and every rider, no matter how fast, has been dropped. Just relax and enjoy the ride!

From the www.roadbikerider.com issue 576, May 16, 2013

Is Cycling Past 70 Different Than Cycling Past 50?

2013-03-07T05:38:00.002-08:00

Interesting article from the RoadBikeRider newsletter, March 7, 2013:

Editor’s Note: Coach John Hughes copied me on a recent email exchange he had with Marty Hoganson, an RBR reader with whom he had ridden on tours in years gone by. Marty wondered what, if any, differences there are in terms of recovery, motivation, etc., between 50-somethings and 70-somethings. Both agreed to let me share the exchange with RBR readers. It provides a wealth of solid, useful information.

Marty Asked:

These days I live and ride in Yuma, Arizona. I am involved in our local bike club called Foothills Bicycle Club, which is primarily made up of retired folks – late-50s to mid-80s. Many strong riders in their 60s and 70s, for their ages -- or any age, for that matter.
Now that I am older also I have taken some interest in your articles on cycling and aging. I was wondering how cycling over 70 relates to your articles on cycling over 50? I'm pretty sure they don't necessarily relate well. I am arriving in that 70+ age group this year, and have been feeling the difference in recovery time and healing from injuries for quite a few years.
What used to take three days to recover from, while riding a tour, may now take longer than the tour lasts. Maybe months longer. I ride year-round and still ride pretty strong, but I'm also experiencing a loss of interest in doing long days. I still like to do long tours, but with shorter days. I'm wondering if the lack of desire or drive might be a major contributing factor in the loss of performance, or if the loss of performance leads to the lack of desire to train harder? Also, if the shorter days might lead to the longer recovery times?
Sometimes I get the urge to do longer miles in an effort to overcome nagging sore spots. It used to work when I was younger, but now I doubt that it would be very effective. I usually just say to myself, Nah, just enjoy the ride. Is that part of aging too, or is just that I've been there, and don't need to prove anything?

And Coach John Hughes Answered:

You ask a good question: Is cycling past 70 different than cycling past 50? Yes and no.
At 70, or 60, or 50, a rider is experiencing the same physiological changes (unless there's an underlying disease) -- loss of aerobic fitness, muscle strength, flexibility, etc. At 70 you may be farther along the continuum than someone at 50, but your body isn't fundamentally different than a 50-year-old’s.

Thus, the same principles apply for healthy aging at 70 as at 50, and the basic recommendations are the same regarding (almost) daily aerobic exercise and intensity, strength and flexibility training several times a week.

As we age the quantities and difficulties of the different types of exercises change: a century might be a good regular endurance ride for a 50-year-old, while a half-century might be more appropriate for a 70-year-old. A 50-year-old might be doing lunges with 10-lb. (4.5 kg) dumbbells, while a 70-year-old might be doing split squats.

We each age somewhat differently, both in terms of the normal aging processes and how well we've taken care of our bodies. Since you have years of athletic maturity, what's appropriate for you might be too challenging for a 60-year-old who has just started cycling!

And as you note, a 70-year-old needs more recovery than a 50-year-old. However, you should be able to do a lot of injury-free riding for years and years with a proper balance between exercise and recovery, and by doing supplemental strength and flexibility exercises to prevent injury.

Motivation often shifts as we get older. Don McGrath has written a fascinating book, “50 Athletes Over 50,” based on interviews. A key finding is that motivation often shifts from performance and competition to health, fitness and enjoyment. I don't ride for performance anymore – to set personal bests – rather, I ride, hike, ski, snowshoe, lift weights, etc., to stay healthy and have fun with my wife and friends.

I’ve written the “Past 50” articles to provide a framework within which riders can design appropriate individual programs based on their years of experience, current physical condition and motivation, as well as chronological age.

I hope this helps. Enjoy the warm sunshine!

Link to Cycling Sense on Goshen Commons

2012-11-01T19:11:00.002-07:00

I tried to put a link to my Goshen Commons blog, Cycling Sense, on this page, but the link kept going to the general home page. So I've put a link to my cycling blog, On the road and trail, and posted all the blogs I've done for Goshen Commons there.

What? bike helmet era ending?

2012-10-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Yup. According to NYT Europeans and US bike share programs, no helmets encourages biking, and time to re-think risk.
ps. Twice a bike helmet kept my skull intact; I'm going to continue wearing one.

Cycling Sense

2012-09-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

My cycling blog for Goshen Commons is now up: Cycling Sense. I have not been able to make the link work as a sidebar with the other blogs.

Old Spokes fall outing in Archbold, Ohio, Sept. 7-8

2012-09-15T21:42:00.004-07:00

Chet, John & Jim

Friday, Sept. 7

Chet, Jim and I left Goshen around 8 a.m. and arrived in Archbold around 4 p.m., a distance of about 83 miles. We stopped in Ashley, Ohio for lunch at a bar and grill. The highlight of the stop was overhearing a conversation at the next table where an older woman said that she'd had an email from someone in New Mexico who had proof that Obama was a Muslim, but that Fax News wasn't allowed to broadcast that information. The other highlight of the trip was taking a chance on riding past a "road closed" sign east of Ashley and discovering five miles of no-traffic, newly paved asphalt. We found workers finishing the paving just east of Hamilton. That saved us two miles of detour on much poorer roads. For most of the trip we had a wind from the south, so it wasn't a help or a great problem. We formed a paceline for much of the first 24 miles
The group Old Spokes outing began with supper a Mom's Restaurant in downtown Archbold. The walls are decorated with signs and pictures from the '50s. They set up three long tables in the main dining area by pushing small tables. The service and food was good. From there we went back to Heritage Inn and had a meeting to go over the schedule and maps for Saturday and Sunday. I had sent maps to everyone, but when people pulled out the Saturday maps, I saw that I had sent them an earlier version of the map without comments. So June quickly made copies of the later map with comments. I explained the route and where we were going to stop along the way and for lunch.

We also had what passes for an Old-Spokes business meeting. We had a long discussion about who is in "Old Spokes," and I made the comment that the "by laws" didn't define membership. We also agreed to assess everyone $32 to pay for the conference room and our dues for the year. After that we played games like Amish poker and George.

Saturday, Sept. 8

After the continental breakfast, we gathered in the parking lot for the 9:15 a.m. departure. After a group photo, then we were off into a brisk northwest wind. At six miles, we stopped in the parking lot of Lockport Mennonite Church. June, Walter and Jim told stories about hospitality (or not) that they have experienced. Walter also told us a little about the history of the church that he attended as a child. Perhaps the most remarkable story was that his youth group used to walk the seven miles to Harrison Lake State Park.

Crossing the spillway at Harrison Lake State Park

The northwest wind continued all morning until we haded east into Fayette for lunch.

Then we headed north to Harrison Lake State Park where we stopped at the rest rooms and told outhouse stories. Walter took us on a short mountain-bike section across a grassy area before we reached the spillway. It was a beautiful ride through a beautiful park.

R&H Restaurant, Fayette, Ohio

We had lunch at the R&H truck stop and restaurant in Fayette at about the 20 mile marker for he day. They had prepared a separate room for us, which was a surprise since the last time I talked with them, they didn't think they could provide us with a separate room due to the presence of another group in their back room. But they made it work in the front part of their back room. The two waitresses were the mother and daughter who own and manage to restaurant. They did an outstanding job of getting our orders quickly, and the food was very good, too.

After lunch we headed east for a short distance on US 20 before heading south with a wonderful tail wind on very smooth roads. We were flying. Unfortunately, the ice cream business that we planned to stop at was closed for the season. When June and I visited there in August, it never occurred to us to ask them if they would still be open in September.

In the evening we had dinner at The Barn restaurant and afterwards played games in our conference room.

Old Skokes Archbold schedule

2012-09-01T11:21:00.004-07:00

Dear Old Spokes

Next weekend we will be in Archbold for our fall Old Spokes outing. We have 11 couples confirmed. We are staying at the Sauder Heritage Inn: http://www.saudervillage.com/Lodging/heritage_inn.asp The Inn has a swimming pool, hot tub, free high-speed wireless internet, exercise room and complimentary breakfast. (Sauder Village map: http://www.saudervillage.com/Lodging/pdf/sv_map_inn.pdf )

The schedule for the weekend is listed below, and an e-mail with the maps for Saturday and Sunday, as well as the menu for Friday night supper, will follow. Please print out this e-mail schedule and the two maps, preferably in color. If you cannot print them in color, let us know, and we will bring more copies.

If you were with the Old Spokes in 2008, you’ll recognize many similarities with this year’s routes, because we are revisiting the routes that Walter and Vera planned that year that we didn’t have much chance to ride because of the rain. The forecast looks promising this year – highs of 75 and 77 and 10 percent chance of rain. We also have use of a meeting room for Friday and Saturday. The room costs $130 for the two day, which figures out to $5.90 per person. (We will see about having that added to our room charge.) Bring games and cards for non-riding times.

Here’s our weekend schedule

Friday, Sept. 7

· 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. -- Chet, Jim and John are biking the 85 miles to Archbold

· 3 p.m. – Check in time at Sauder Heritage Inn. Either leave your bikes on your cars or take them to your room.

· 6 p.m. – Supper at Mom’s Diner in downtown Archbold (Menu attached to next email)

· 7:30 p.m. – Meet in the conference room on the basement level for discussion of route for the Saturday ride. It is 34 miles. We will also have a short business meeting.

Saturday, Sept. 8

· 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. Complimentary breakfast at the Heritage Inn

· 9:15 a.m. – Start Saturday ride (Map attached to next email.)

· 11:15 a.m. – Lunch at R&H Restaurant, Fayette, Ohio

· Afternoon: stop at Homestead Ice Cream

· 7 p.m. – Dinner at The Barn restaurant in Sauder Village.

Sunday, Sept. 9

· 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. Complimentary breakfast at the Heritage Inn

· 9:30 a.m. – Gather in parking lot to go over the route. Options are 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 or 30 miles.

· 9:45 a.m. – Start Sunday ride. (Map attached to next email.)

· 11 a.m. – Ice cream at Sunday’s Market in Pettisville – open just for us (15 miles)

· Return to Heritage Inn.

· Lunch on your own

· 1 p.m. check out.

John & June Yoder

5 reasons my bike is my main transportation

2012-08-28T04:22:00.002-07:00

Nice article by Andrew Clouse on why a bike is his main transportation.5 reason my bike is my main transportation from Mennonite World Review