TEBR Time Change
The Tuesday Evening Bike Ride start time will make its annual seasonal change this week. It will now start at 6:30pm beginning on May 1st, 2012.
Lancaster Assistance
We have reached out to the City of Lancaster regarding the recent tornado. The city is requesting only cash donations for the relief effort. Monetary Donations can be sent by mail or delivered to the Lancaster Outreach Center at 1120 Randlett, Lancaster TX 75134. All checks should be made payable to Lancaster Tornado Relief Fund. The American Red Cross Dallas is also accepting monetary donations for disaster relief.
GDB Lancaster Country Ride
Thanks to everyone who came out for our annual rally. Your registration fees are our major fundraiser so that we can make significant donations to some worthy local charities. You also stepped up for the people of Lancaster and donated $550 to their disaster relief fund. And big thanks to all the club volunteers who make this rally possible.
Monthly Spotlight Ride
The February Spotlight Ride was the Best of the Southwest, which was on February 25th. Thanks to those who came out to participate.
Click here for a feature story about the February ride.
The Ride Spotlight for March is the Sunday Roll. This is your opportunity to "Explore Dallas". The route changes weekly. The Sunday Roll might cruise bridge demolition along 635. The Roll might "roll" down to view the new Calatrava Bridge. The Ride Leader might take us down to the Dallas Farmers Market for ice cream...or on a tour of various bike trails. We've also been known to "roll" over to Oak Cliff and do a few hills!
This ride is not for beginners. No drops are intended, but you need to be able to keep a 15-16 mph flat cruising pace (thus the 2+ rating) to keep the group together, and to do some optional hills.
Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm
Description: Level: 2+-3
Distance: 30-35
Pace: 14-16 mph
Odo Avg: 13-13.5 mph
Hills: Depends…
Breaks: 1
Maps Provided: No
The ride starts at the NE corner of Preston & Royal. Please park in the middle of the parking lot – you'll see fellow riders! Optional lunch follows. Ride Leader is Ken Wilson 817-929-4869.
Please click here to see the GDB calendar for more information.
2012 Lancaster Rally Pre-Ride Musings
Rally Pre-Amble… as in Ambling down to the site of the rally. GDB Board Members Mike Eipper and Princess made a pilgrimage to the rally site on Thursday, January 26. Checks to various municipalities and cities were distributed for the year's previous rally. Here's how it went down:
We ambled into Ferris and meet the City Manager Eric Strong. Presented a check and "checked" out a few things on the rally checklist. We then ambled on to visit the Chief of Police Sam Love. The City of Ferris was more than welcoming to us, and will be helping with traffic control on major intersections thru town. We paid a visit to Javier's Café in downtown Ferris. If you are volunteering on rally day, this place is open for breakfast at 6am, and stays open for lunch until 2pm. The food is good and the atmosphere is totally "home style".
We ambled into Palmer and spoke with the Police Department…where Princess stayed on the "right" side of the law. We had lunch at Jenny's Café and also introduced ourselves to the folks at Sugar Ridge Winery.
We then ambled to Lancaster for a city meeting. Lancaster is the start and finish and the major component to the rally. We were greeted warmly by all members and business leaders of the city. Special mention goes out to Ellen Clark-Realtor, Alicia Oyedele-Asst. to the City Manager, The City of Lancaster, Randy Rostad, and Lancaster Historical Society, Charles Dixon- Pastor at First Baptist Church and the Police and Fire Department of Lancaster. This community has truly embraced the cycling community. How much? Local businesses help out with our needs as well as the city: Special thanks to Corner Stone Credit Union and Ronnie Anderson Automotive for volunteering water and power for rally usage. Oh, and we ambled by John's Bicycles. Quaint and cozy….and if you forget something on rally day…John's your man! A "shout out" to family owned Roma's – great place for lunch after a rally pre-ride, or the rally itself!
The town of Lancaster has several activities coinciding with the rally. Check out your rally packet for complete details for rally day. By the time we completed our city meeting, Mike and Princess were ready to move to Lancaster. Seriously. These people were so nice. Gotta love Small Town Texas!
Click here for pictures.
Glass Blowing at the Cliff House
GDB joined the Lone Star Cyclists for The Cliff House Ride this past Saturday. It was AWESOME! Special thanks to GDB club member Richard Wilks for setting the ride up. Richard went "above and beyond" on this ride. If you missed it, you missed out on a wonderfully unique experience.
The Cliff House Studio was quite impressive. What a lovely setup and property. The studio had great pieces and a nice range of pricing. Note: Put this hidden gem on your shopping list. The talk among riders? We will be going back to make a few purchases!
Richard designed the route, did the marking and a solo pre-ride before the event. Awesome route! Richard provided maps, refreshments and bike parking. He worked with the artists to have a special "showing" for our group.
GDB participants were glad to be invited along, and had a great time meeting fellow riders. The funny thing? Not once were we "buzzed" by cars, yelled at or chased by dogs. Oh, and the fly-over my the air force was the piece de resistance! Click here to see the pictures.
Super Bowl Sunday Wrapup
Thanks to all the area cyclists who braved the cold weather conditions and joined GDB on our 27th Annual SuperBowl Sunday ride the West End. We had a great turnout for the annual ride-despite the rather chilly weather! It was great to meet new friends, and of course, see old friends. Dick's Last Resort did a great job with the food and service – the place was packed!
Princess got "punked" by Richard from the FWBA. Richard saw The Italian parked outside the restaurant, and couldn't resist lifting the bling off the saddle bag. Princess got her bling back the day of the ride. ASIDE TO RICHARD: You really shouldn't "punk" Princess… it will come back to haunt you! After all, "It's All About Me!"
Payback! Richard "punked" Princess, but lost his shades in the process. ASIDE: Princess found a pair of shades lying on the ground by her bike, and stuck 'em in her jersey…she figured someone would claim them. Little did she know… they belonged to Richard!
Richard somehow ended up with a GDB rider's gloves. A hostage exchange has been planned for a date in the future. Glasses for Gloves. It was a cold day. Gloves and glasses were missed. Too bad we didn't realize what happened before we took off.
Another rider got "punked" with a rather unique parking place for her bike. Parking was a hot commodity…but parking in a tree? Princess does hope the young lady with the Bike In A Tree had some kind sole to help claim the bike.
There were lots of jokes and "asides". These make for a fun day. If you've been riding for a while, you realize your path will cross with cyclists from other clubs. It's all one big, happy family. Some of us just have more relatives! It's all relative! Please click here for pictures. (If you have pictures you'd like to share with the club, please click here to e-mail them to Princess.
Not Just For Girls Jersey
Headline News!
Limited Edition "Not Just For Girls" GDB Team Jersey
The ordering deadline for the inaugural order has passed. Contact Princess to get on the list for the next order. Click here for details.
Plan Your Year!
Lancaster Country Ride Route Pre-Rides:
Just because you're a club member and are working the day of the rally, doesn't mean you don't get to ride the routes!
Please join us on March 17 for a pre-ride of the route. The ride will depart at 9am from the gazebo in downtown Lancaster. ASIDE: The gazebo is the official registration area for the day of the rally. Ride Leader for the 63 mile route will be Princess. At "Press Time", there is no ride leader for the 42 mile route. If you are interested in leading the 42 mile route, please contact Princess at specialevents@greaterdallasbicyclists.com.
Lancaster Country Ride April 14:
What? You haven't signed up to help with the rally? This is the club's major fundraiser for the year and supports our yearly operations and charitable giving,
so now's the time to give back to the Club and volunteer. There are lots of opportunities for help available; the Captains of each crew will be posting a signup sheet on the forum to help fill all positions.
Please contact rally@greaterdallasbicyclists.com to see how you can help. Thanks in advance!
Rally Thank You Party
April 25th @ 6:30
The Patio at The Londoner/Addison
Please RSVP to specialevents@greaterdallasbicyclists.com
Summer Bash July 2012
Date/Time TBD
Fall Fiesta September 2012
Date/Time TBD
Halloween Night Ride 2012
Date/Time TBD
Black Friday Ride 2012
November 23 at 10am.
More information to follow.
Holiday Party 2012
Date/Time TBD
White Rock Marathon 2012
Volunteers are needed to pass out Clif Shots to marathon runners on Sunday December 2nd. More information to follow.
Holiday Lights Ride 2012
Date/Time TBD
40th Anniversary Jersey Update
Click here for details.
GDB in Texas Top 50 Cycling Clubs
Our club has been recognized by Biking.com as one of the Texas Top 50 Cycling Clubs.
Transportation Planning in North Texas
Click here to participate in a Mobility 2035: Goals and Priorities Survey about impact planning and spending on transportation infrastructure in North Central Texas.
Mesquite Time Trial
Click here for the August 2009 results of the Mesquite Time Trial.
A Note About Membership
With tough economic times right now, many of our friends and riders have allowed their memberships to expire without renewal.
The Greater Dallas Bicyclists (GDB) Board of Directors want to emphasize the value and importance of a current membership in GDB. Membership is $20 a year or $36 for two years. When one considers staying current on the forum to keep up with ride changes and impromptu gatherings, two annual picnics and a holiday party, our hosting the annual Super Bowl Sunday ride to the West End for riders of all the area clubs, and our major event of the year, the annual Lancaster Country Ride -- the value of a $20 membership is clear.
Why is membership important? As hard as we work at safety and remaining vigilant for hazards, we still need all riders to have signed a waiver before riding in our group rides or attending our events.
How is that done? Are there folks walking around with clipboards and waiver forms? Do we sort, file and store these forms? No, it’s done in the membership sign-up process. Without the waivers, we could not function as a club.
If you’ve been thinking of joining or if your membership has lapsed and you’ve been putting off renewal, or you know someone who has, do us all the favor of renewing today. Just click on the JOIN GDB link above and join or renew today.
GDB Gives Back to Lancaster
Mike Eipper and Brenda Barnell deliver checks to Director Ronnie Lowe of the Lancaster Outreach Center and to Pastor Charles Dixon of the First Baptist Church. One thing that makes GDBers proud is knowing their volunteer efforts have provided help for charities and organizations in the local communities.
GDB Ride Rules Reminder
-No earbuds or headphones (music or phone) and no boom boxes (but bring all the conversation you want!)
-No use of cellphones while riding (please pull off and stop to take or make a call)
-Use common sense if you have aerobars - please don't use them while in tight formations on group rides
-Helmets must be worn on all GDB rides
GDB Ride Leader Profiles
Check out the new feature series on GDB rides and ride leaders.
Click here for the profile about Joe Rohner and the Best of the Northwest Ride.
Click here for the profile about Greg Blanks and the Mesquite Poteet Rides.
Click here for the profile about David Rothgeb and the White Rock and Distance Builder Rides.
Click here for the profile about Brent Aston and the Mesquite Starter Ride.
Click here for the profile about Joe Horner and the Best of the Southwest Rides.
Wondering if GDB is right for you?
Want to try Group Riding, returning to the sport or want to see if GDB is right for you? Bring your bike and helmet to try out our new Starter Ride for New Riders. This ride departs on Sundays at 11:30 am from Poteet High School. Another option is the Easy Going Ride on Saturdays at 9:00 am from the University Park City Hall parking lot. More details can be found on the GDB calendar by clicking here.
Become a member of GDB Today
Read more about becoming a member of GDB. New members receive a pair of our GDB socks for joining.
What's Happening
Cliff House Ride 2012
Lancaster Rally Pre Amble 2012
Freeze Your Fanny 2/4/12
Freeze Your Fanny 2012
Sunday Roll 1/22/12
Best of the Northwest 1/21/12
Sunday Roll 1/15/12
Airport Ride 1/7/12
Holiday Lights Ride 2011
President's Draft:
2009 Rally Wrapup
Travel Log: Talimena Scenic Byway
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Suggestions? Click here to be heard.
The October 2005 issue of Texas Monthly cited our Lancaster Country Ride as having one of the top 10 routes in the state and gives credit to GDB.
The August 19, 2006 North Dallas edition of the Neighbors section of the Dallas Morning News has an article about GDB riders who ride the Hotter 'N Hell. Click here to see it.
Welcome, New Members:
Anthony Echols, Bill Hoffpauer, Bill Tobar, Brent Spotswood, Bruce Gottlieb, Deborah McKinney, Denise Lovgren, Dorothy Burton, Duy Tran, E.W. Williams III, Elizabeth Neill, Fletcher Jowers, Grace Ezeoha, Greg Purtle, Harrison Yoss, J Cassas Jr, James Breeden, Jason Mooney, Jeanne Boyne, Jere Arnold, Johnson Knowles, Kate Axtell, Kathleen Wilson, Kelly Shearrer, Kenneth Sutton, Larry Teeter, Laura Macdonald, Luis Munoz, Ozzie Buckler, Peter Gehan, Robert Hidlebrandt, Ron Roberson, Susan Harris, Suzzanne Gensch, Tom Parker
If you are a new member and haven't received your club socks, please click here to contact Carol Ketterman.
Thanks, Renewing Members:
Andrew Prince, Anne Weissman-Baron, Arne Berg, Chris Paddison, David Walc, Dennis Starkey, Don Montalvo, Donna Hill, Dorothy Zarbo, Etienne Pelletier, Horace Duncan, Hyla Robinson-Rice, Janna Doss, Karen Hicks, Karen Meyers, Lonnie Creager, Lynn Morrow, Maryclare Milner, Monty Dobson, Paul Brown, Rani Freeman, Richard Dexheimer, Rick Dirks, Robert Lane