Dear Fellow Cyclists,

Spring is springing and there is LOTS of cycling activity in and around Battle Creek! Below is a list of happenings just in the next couple of months. Let’s get out and ride!!!


Today! Team Active Super Sale: Support your local bike shop! Lots of stuff is on sale. This is a nationwide sale by Trek, so most Trek dealers are having this big sale right now, including Breakaway Bicycles in Portage.

Saturday, April 8, 9:00 a.m.: Annual Linear Park Cleanup Day, sponsored by Team Active. Every year at this time the good folks at TA organize a clean up day to pick up sticks, litter, and glass from the Linear Park. Stop into the store to sign up and help keep our valuable multi-use resource in good condition. There’s nothing quite like getting a flat tire during your commute on your way to work and being late for that important meeting!

This Week: The weekly rides sponsored by Team Active start. Monday and Wednesday rides both start from behind the store downtown at 6:30. Helmets required. Various routes and paces, but typically the Monday ride is a bit slower than the Wednesday one. Of course, it’s only April, so neither of them are going to go super fast! Contact the shop for more information.

Saturday, May 6, 10:00 a.m. Blessing of the Bikes: Sponsored by St. Thomas Episcopal Church, this is the 3rd Annual BoftheB. Local cyclists are invited to participate in a short liturgy on the Linear Park just next to St. Thomas (16 W. Van Buren St.) that asks blessings of safety and enjoyment during another season of riding. Short ride to follow.

Saturdays beginning in May: Retro Route Rides. These rides on Saturday mornings use the 20-year-old bc2 route maps (double checked for accuracy). Most rides include a shorter option. Relive the fun days of the Battle Creek Bike Club and ride some of the favorite old routes. Pace for the longer route will be 16-18 mph, shorter route will be a bit slower. All Retro Route Rides leave at 9:00 a.m. from the designated spot. Email ride captain Brian Clissold for more info or to volunteer to lead a ride. Specific routes to be announced soon. RRR's will begin in May and WE NEED RIDE LEADERS!

Ride of Silence
Thursday, May 17, 7:00 p.m.
www.rideofsilence.org
bc2 is participating in this national event for the first time. This 12 mile ride will honor cyclists who have been killed while riding. The ride is to be completed in silence in their memory. Location details coming soon.

Cereal City Century, September 17, 2006. It’s back! The routes keep getting flatter, smoother, and better. Mark your calendar now for this fantastic century. Routes of 31, 45, 62, and 100 miles. This is the PERFECT century for the first time century rider. Check out Bicycling Magazine’s Century Training Plan on their website. For a small fee, you can login, track your miles, and follow a professional and proven training plan. www.bicycling.com.

Non-motorized Transportation Map…the official map is available on the Team Active website (www.teamactive.com). Check out the future of non-motorized transportation routes in our city, and special thanks to Mike and Steve from Team Active for their tireless work on this!

Stay tuned…bc2 will have a meeting soon. Watch the website (http://bcbikeclub.home.comcast.net/index.htm) and your email box. In the meantime….see you on the road, or trail, or both!

Ride Safe, Ride Fast!

Brian