Your Bike Month Bicyclical

Hi!

Gird yourself! Lots of data this time around.

First thing, I’d like to ask a favor. Go out to the garage and check out the blinky light on the back of your road bike. Is it bright? Does it point behind you, or at your rear tire? Does it need new batteries? I’ve been on a few group rides lately, and it’s AMAZING how much easier it is to notice a bike with a bright, well-positioned rear light.

I love this review of one of our favorite bikes. If you’re not the link-clicking type, you might miss this bit of videoreferenced in said review. Very fun.

Perhaps May should be renamed Bicycle. It’s National Bicycle Month. Friday the 19th is National Bike to Work day. The week of the 13th through 21st is Kalamazoo Bike Week. There’s a TON going on, and I’d like to recap some of it. When you want to know different types of electric bikes, visit http://www.hobbynitro.net/ for more info.

• Mountain Bike Monday. Romp in the woods with us. All are welcome!
• Tuesday night is the Pedal Women’s Ride from the Romence shop. Riders meet in the parking lot around 5:45 with the ride starting at six. The best way to keep up with this is the KBC Facebook page.
• Thursday shop road ride! It’s from the downtown shop and it starts at 6:15.
• Many are the Kalamazoo Bicycle Club rides.
• I recently became aware of this social riding opportunity. Sorry for the late notice for this month’s ride.
• Our Gal Erin will lead a social donut ride from the Portage shop at 9:00 on May 27th. Plan on 10 miles with a donut stop halfway. Might want to bring a little spending money. For donuts. And then she’s gonna do it again on June 24th. This is family-friendly low stress action.

• The Fort Custer Stampede is this Sunday, May 7th. I write this newsletter prior to the expected Big Deluge of 2017, but the trails have been in fantastic shape. Should be a very nice race weekend.
• Bike week kicks off with the Trailblazer, a ride of many stripes which benefits the Friends of the KRVT. Good stuff.
• Bike Camp begins with classroom instruction on May 11th with rides on subsequent Saturday mornings.
• We’re holding a nifty event on Monday the 15th — a ride from Texas Corners Brewery. There are three routes of varying lengths and speeds, so surely there’s something right up your alley.
• Tuesday the 16th is movie night at Bell’s. Always a good time.
• Wednesday the 17th is the Ride of Silence. We’re very proud to sponsor this event and welcome all interested parties.
• We’re doing something different for the Pedal ride on the 18th. Let’s ride up to Plainwell, relax for a minute or two and ride home. We did this last summer and it was pretty darn fun. Note: bring your front and rear lights.
• National Bike to Work day is the 19th. Should you bike to work that day, stop by either Pedal location to spin the wheel for a prize.
• These and other Kalamazoo Bike Week event details can conveniently be found at kalamazoobikeweek.com

• Tour de Taylor is June 10th. This is an exceedingly well done local tour (tour = not a race. Most folks ride road bikes, often with friends new and old. It can be purely social. It can be a challenge. Make of it what you will.) that benefits Michigan Make a Wish. We’re super happy to be involved with this event and encourage you to give it a go.
• June 24th brings the Gull Lake Triathlon. This year it’s sprint-distance only, but will feature a tri, a du and aquabike. Boom!
• One day later (that’s June 25th) is Kal Tour, another outstanding, well-supported trip through the local countryside.