Finger Lakes Cycling Club

Wednesday Women’s Road Ride 2013!

Cynthia — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:49:55 +0000

The first Wednesday Women’s Road Ride was a success with 16 women! The two A’s headed out and devised a 30 mile route, the 6 B’s completed the 20 mile route and the 8 C’s finished the 10 mile route asking for more mileage!

Bike Trip Report — FLCC Finger Lakes Weekend #1

Steve Powell — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:13:09 +0000

Thunderstorms, wind, and dropping temperatures couldn’t stop our group of 10 from having a really fun weekend of bike touring, with a loop tour of about 110 miles in the Finger Lakes. This was a mostly self-contained tour, where we carried our camping gear and supplies on our bikes, but in addition, Diana Ozolins joined us with her vehicle to graciously carry a few additional items.

Checking the forecast on Friday morning, it called for thunderstorms after 4 pm, precisely our group meeting time in the parking lot of the Cayuga Mall in Ithaca. Fortunately, the storms held off until later, so first we enjoyed a very sweet tailwind that pushed us to the campground at Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia. In fact, the bad weather held off until we had finished a great campsite dinner, prepared by Diana. Overnight there was a deluge of water which nearly brought down our canopy, and splashed up mud onto our tents. Pretty sloppy in the campground on Saturday morning, although we managed to sit out almost all of the rain from the inside of a nearby diner (The Gathering in Moravia).

The ride up the east side of Owasco lake was uneventful, except for one flat, due to the grit on the wet roads. From Auburn we turned west toward Cayuga Lake, and to the tiny town of Cayuga, where the local firehouse provided a very welcome restroom for one of us (me!). Note to self: do not buy prepared sandwiches from convenience stores without first verifying expiration date.

Crossing over the top of Cayuga Lake on busy Rts 5 & 20 brought us quickly into the city of Seneca Falls, where we enjoyed a late lunch at a pub on Falls St, near the Erie Canal. From Seneca Falls it was just a few miles to Cayuga Lake State Park and the luxury of a campsite with electric, so we could charge up our electronic companions near our tents, without having to hangout in the restrooms. We splurged for dinner, and ate at the nearby Deerhead Inn, with nice views of Cayuga Lake.

Very early Sunday morning brought a change in the weather, with a stiff westerly wind, and temperatures dropping into the 40s. We quickly packed up our gear and headed over to Wolffy’s restaurant for a warm breakfast, and then pointed our bikes southward toward Ithaca, and were buffeted by a stiff crosswind. Following Rt 89 we regrouped at the Cayuga Creamery near Interlaken for some snacks, and then rode the final leg back to Ithaca, with our group splitting in various directions to ride directly to home or back to our cars parked at the start at the Cayuga Mall.

A fun weekend, that introduced bike camping and touring to a handful of new FLCC members along with some veterans. The participants included: Jim Conroy, Mike Ebbers, Joe Kreitinger, Alexey Loginov, Andrejs Ozolins, Diana Ozolins, Steven Powell, Ed Sawester, Jenn Sheehan, and Wendy Sthokal.

If this type of bike touring sounds fun to you, then join us on June 15-16, for a FLCC weekend adventure to Greenwood Park. Just drop me an email if you are interested. Also, on June 10-12, The Southern Tier Bicycle Club has a great weekend of camping and bike touring from Watkins Glen — see http://www.southerntierbicycleclub.org/fingerlakestour.html for details.

–Steve Powell

Hollenbecks Spring Classic Road Race

Andy Goodell — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:57:47 +0000

The 31st annual Hollenbeck’s Spring Classic Road Race is Sunday, May 5th 2013! Registration is at USA Cycling at the link below:

USA Cycling – Hollenbecks Spring Classic Road Race

Photos from the Hollenbeck’s race are available here:

http://kozlowski.zenfolio.com/p193142990

Signup Now for Two FLCC Bike Tours

Steve Powell — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:15:17 +0000

May 10-12, 2013: Finger Lakes Weekend #1 – This trip starts and ends in Ithaca, so the logistics are super-simple, and we will enjoy camping at two State Parks: Fillmore Glen in Moravia, and Cayuga Lake near Seneca Falls. This is a self-contained tour where we will enjoy the challenge of carrying all of our personal items and camping gear on our bikes without a support vehicle. We start the trip late Friday afternoon and should be back by mid-afternoon on Sunday. Full details.

June 22-23, 2013: 5th Annual Young People’s Bike Tour – This trip is especially for kids, teens, families, and adult chaperones. Last year’s participants included 28 kids ages 7-16 and 31 adults, and we biked along the western section of the Erie Canal towpath trail. This year we will return to the Erie Canal towpath trail, starting once again in Brockport, but this year we will head east toward our overnight camping location in Fairport. The entire trip will be on car-free trails except for 2 blocks in Brockport between our parking lot meeting spot and the start of the trail. Full details.

FLCC Annual Meeting — Sunday, March 24

Steve Powell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:38:52 +0000

The FLCC Annual Meeting will be Sunday, March 24, at the Ellis Hollow Community Center at 111 Genung Road in Ithaca. The social hour will be from 5:30-6:30 pm, followed by the business part of the meeting. The club will supply pizza, salad, and drinks. If you would like to bring a side dish or dessert to share, that would be great, but it is not required. We have a few open officer positions (see below), and nominations for officers can be made by email or at the meeting. Self-nominations are permitted.

AGENDA — FLCC 2013 Annual Meeting

Date: Sunday, March 24, 2013

Social Hour: 5:30-6:30 pm.

Business Meeting: 6:30-8:00 pm

I. Nominations & Election of Officers
–President: Steven Powell
–Treasurer: Mary Bouchard
–Secretary: Wayne Gottlieb
–VP for Saturday Rides: Kyra Stephanoff
–VP for Touring: Andrejs Ozolins
–VP for Overnight Touring: Rena Scroggins
–VPs for Family Touring: Sara Barker and Armin Heurich
–VP for Racing: Dave Heck
–VPs for Mountain Biking: Don Fitterer and Brenda Smith
–VP for Cyclo-cross Racing:
–VP for Publicity: Kyra Stephanoff
–VP for Social Activities: Marcie Robinson
–VP for Community Outreach:
–Coach: Jake Veigel
–Race Committee: William A Erickson , Don Fitterer, Mark Rishniw, Glenn Swan, Sara Barker
–Members-at-large: Sara Barker, Mark Rishniw, David Ruppert, Rob Ferguson
–Advocacy Committee: Steven Powell, Andrejs Ozolins, Brenda Smith, Wayne Gottlieb
–Webmasters: Andrejs Ozolins, Andy Goodell

II. Club Officer’s Reports
–Treasurer
–Weekly rides
–Racing
–Touring
–Social
–Other

III. Upcoming Events

IV. New Business
–Website: Membership list, public or private
–Bike-ride fundraiser for Better Housing of Tompkins County: John Spence
–other new business

Memorial Day Getaway 2013

Andrejs — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:51:41 +0000

No dates present

A 4-bed hostel room

This year’s Memorial Day Getaway destination is Montreal, Quebec. After sampling Canadian getaways around Kingston and Ottawa many members have expressed interest in this great city of North America. So, this year, we’re booked in the Youth Hostel for a long weekend of cycling and culture. The general procedure will be the same as always: most people will carpool to Montreal on Friday, arriving in the evening. Saturday and Sunday will be full days for biking and/or sight-seeing. Monday we return home, maybe catching a ride before departing. We’ve reserved beds for 24 people in rooms with four beds each.

Who: FLCC members
When: May 24-27, 2013
Where: HI Montreal Youth Hostel, 1030, Mackay St., Montréal
Cost: $103 per person for the three nights lodging, bring your own towels.

[People had problems with this button; I've now replaced it and it works fine for me. Please let me know asap if it gives you problems -- info@flcycling.org]

Payment will be on line by credit card, processed by PayPal, same as club membership dues. To reserve more than one bed, click on the “Buy Now” and change the “Quantity” on the next page in “Your order summary.”

Membership sign-up

Andrejs — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:21:36 +0000

It’s spring and the cycling season is beginning. Please get your Finger Lakes Cycling Club membership in order by joining or renewing — you can do it all on line on the Membership page.

Montreal, anyone?

Andrejs — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:39:43 +0000

We’ve talked about venturing out of our usual territory and holding the Memorial Day Weekend Getaway in Montreal. There’s a nice, big hostel there and costs would be about the same as in Ottawa. So, I’m asking FLCC members to indicate if they’re interested in joining such a trip:

Montreal is a major world destination about 300 miles (~5 hours) from Ithaca, only slightly further than Ottawa. For cycling, there are the famous Montreal bike routes that include endless bike lanes connecting every destination in the city; many miles of bike paths that follow the shore of the river on the north and south of the island; and the Lachine canal trail that goes west from the heart of the old city for a great out-and-back ride. These are all “city riding,” rather than the open road cycling that some might want; there are beautiful cycling roads in the region, but you have to cross the river south to find them.

Among the attractions that I’ve enjoyed in the city are the botanical gardens, the remnants of the Worlds Fair on a man-made island, Mont Royal park with its panoramic view of the surrounding area, the Jean-Talon market where everything delicious is available, the waterfront and old city, and several museums (the contemporary art museum always has had something wonderful and astonishing!). On a bike-centered getaway it’s very useful to have things to do in case the weather proves unsatisfactory – Montreal is a city where one could endure a very long spell of rain!

The plan would be as always: Drive there on Friday so that we can begin enjoying the city on Saturday morning. Spend Saturday and Sunday enjoying ourselves on bikes and off. On Monday we can enjoy a morning ride or set out for a more leisurely return home.

Lodgings would be at the HI-Montreal youth hostel 1030 rue Mackay. Parking is available in a lot across the street, but costs $14/day — so, car-pooling is an especially good idea for this trip. Beds will be about $35/person/night, so the weekend would come to $105 per person. There is no discount available from this price — we’re all treated as HI members.

Let me know if you have any comments or alternative suggestions or — whatever.

Andrejs

Touring Get-Together/Dinner January 5

Steve Powell — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:14:00 +0000

What’s a wildrooster? You will have to come and find out the answer at our annual FLCC Off-Season Bike Touring Get-Together / Dinner / Celebration on Saturday evening January 5, 2013. This is an informal evening of food and fun where we can hear about some of the bike touring adventures that our club members and supporters have experienced over the past cycling season, and dream about new adventures for 2013. We can look forward to presentations on bike touring in Holland, Vermont, and Quebec, among other places.

This year we will be meeting at the Lot 10 Bar & Lounge in downtown Ithaca (formerly Delilah’s, Wildfire, & Lost Dog). We’ve reserved the 2nd floor lounge with a cash bar. The club is providing a full complement of appetizers (veggie & meat), sheet pizzas, and cake for dinner at no charge. (We’ve made special food arrangements because this establishment eliminated their full menu).

This will be a fun occasion. Whether you’re just curious about bike touring and want to learn more, or you’re already a seasoned traveler, let’s get together to exchange stories and get inspired for next year’s prime cycling season.

RSVP requested.

What: 6th Annual FLCC Off-Season Bike Touring Get-Together/Dinner/Celebration

When: Saturday January 5, 2013 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Where: Lot 10 Bar & Lounge, 2nd floor lounge, 106 S Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY. On-street parking or in the Cayuga St municipal garage (entrance on S Cayuga St, between E Green St and E Clinton St). Bike Parking: Carry your bike upstairs and tuck it away in a corner of the lounge.

Who: This is open to all FLCC members and supporters and their families. Non-members are also welcome to attend. Members of other cycling clubs are welcome.

Bring: The club is providing a full complement of appetizers (veggie & meat), sheet pizzas, and cake for dinner at no charge, but you should bring money for the cash bar. Also bring bike trip photos (optional, see below).

Program: We are providing a fun atmosphere to exchange stories about bike touring and make personal and group contacts. We will start off with a brief presentation about some of the FLCC Touring Group organized tours, and then quickly move on to individual presentations. We will have a computer and projector and screen to display digital photos. Bring a CD, DVD, or flash drive with your best bike touring photos. Please choose no more than 10 photos per person and keep the presentations short (about 5-10 minutes per person) to allow more time for socializing and brainstorming about future bike tours.

RSVP: We need to let the restaurant know how many people to expect, so please e-mail with the number of people who are likely to attend. If you’re planning to make a photo presentation let us know via e-mail, too.

On Your Left — Nick Vandam

Andrejs — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 15:12:41 +0000

I’ve learned with great sadness that Nick Vandam left this world a few days ago. Many of the current members of the FLCC probably never met Nick on a ride; it’s been quite a few years since he participated in club events. But, for many years he was one of the core people on our summer Sundays. Over time, Nick spent more time hiking the Finger Lakes Trail, which he took great pleasure in covering end to end; and his cycling was mainly on his own.

I went on many rides where Nick and I were toward the back of the group, with Nick always happy to chat about biking, hiking, the weather, in no hurry to finish the ride. We were toward the back not because Nick was unable to reach the front — he was a very strong rider who biked from his home in Brooktondale to Ithaca College, where he was a math instructor. But Nick wasn’t a “cyclist” if that means any devotion to equipment, technique, or speed. His bike was something we all ribbed him about, an old mountain bike in rough shape; and I remember him telling me that he had another, new bike still in its box at home, waiting to be taken out and assembled. But, if Nick was impatient with anything, it was the quest for speed. He enjoyed the lumbering progress of the old mountain bike and welcomed anyone who would share that pace. It was the journey, the company, the scenery that made a ride great for Nick. And for those of us who had the fortune to be there with him.

I know we had pictures of club rides with Nick in them — I can’t find any, but if you find some, please send them along so they can be added to this post.

The Ithaca Journal obituary for Nick is at http://tinyurl.com/nickvandam

A graveside service with full military honors was held on Saturday, November 24, In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Caroline Food Pantry, Slaterville Ambulance, or The Enviromental Defense Fund. A memorial service is planned for a future date.