December 2008 Ride times move to 9:00AM from October until the spring! FREE Mirrors! Did you know that if you are a current dues-paying member of the Chico Velo Cycling Club, you are entitled to one free rearview cycling mirror made by Take A Look Mirrors! Please contact Chico Velo at velo@chicovelo.org to find out how to get yours today! 8 Reasons to use your FREE MIRROR: 1. When riding alone on a narrow road, your mirror will alert you to cars and trucks approaching behind you. This gives you time to move to the right. 2. Your mirror will minimize surprises from behind - like silent hybrid vehicles. 3. When riding in a line, your mirror will keep you posted on what's happening with riders behind you. 4. In a line, your mirror will help you know when it's safe for you or others to pull out left to pass (or to move back in line). 5. When riding two or more abreast, your mirror will allow you to move into a single line before vehicles get to you - thereby reducing the chances of a hostile reaction from drivers. 6. Your mirror will let you know how much distance you are putting between you and your competitors. 7. Your mirror will let you know how fast your competitors are catching you. 8. You will appear COOL! Tips on starting to use your FREE MIRROR: --Allow a copule of weeks to adjust to the mirror. After that, you will find it is quite comfortable and easy to use. In fact, you will come to depend on it. --For the first few weeks, you might find it useful to close your right eye when you glance at the mirror. After awhile, this becomes unnecessary. --Glancing at your mirror takes less than a second. It is not as distracting as you might think. --Use your mirror for SAFETY and COURTESY of other road users. Our newsletter has expanded! Starting with the December 2008 issue, the Chico Velo newsletter now includes informative articles about cycling in our community. We would like to encourage you to write articles or submit ideas. Deadline is the 15th of each month. Our monthly newsletter is going ONLINE! Starting with the November 2008 Chico Velo newsletter, we will be posting it on to our website - www.ChicoVelo.org - as well as passing them out to the local bicycle shops. In addition, if you would like to be added to our monthly e-mail newsletter, please contact our office at velo@chicovelo.org. The Dates for the 2009 Chico Velo Cycling Club Century Series now available! We're going to kick off the year with a bang at the Rice Valley Tandem Rally on Sunday, February 8th. We'll follow that up with the annual Tour de Ed in late February. Then, March will bring, not one, but 2 Tour of the Unknown Valley Rides! Tour of the Unknown Valley South will be on Sunday, March 1st......with the very popular Tour of the Unknown Valley North on Sunday, March 29th. The "big one" - our Wildflower Century - will be held on Sunday, April 26th! And finally, The Unknown Coast Weekend Ride will be held on September 19th and 20th...........while our Quincy Weekend ride will be held on October 17th and 18th! 2009 is looking to be a GREAT year of riding here at Chico Velo - we hope to see you all out there for one or all of our rides!! And......stay tuned.....the Italian Triple will be back bigger and better than ever in March 2009!! No Ride Leader Rides: Something new! We're encouraging rides to specific spots instead of "Decide & Rides" every weekend. Many of these rides will not have a ride leader......however, some maps for the rides may be available on our website at www.ChicoVelo.org. Saturday 12/6 Paradise via Neal Road - 9:00AM Meet at the One Mile Area in Bidwell Park at 9:00AM for this 35-mile round trip ride up Neal Road...with an option for a stop at Coffee's On at the Skyway. Sunday 12/7 - The Y Ride! 9:00AM - Meet at the One Mile Area in Bidwell Park at 9:00AM for this ride up to Centerville to the gravel......and then up Honey Run Road.....down Neal Road. 45-50 miles roundtrip. Saturday 12/13 - Keefer Loop-Cohasset - 9:00AM - Meet at the One Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park at 9:00AM for this ride around Keefer Loop and up to the town of Cohasset. Sunday 12/14 Upper Paskenta Loop Ride - 9:00AM Meet at the Safeway parking lot in Corning at 9:00AM for this Upper Paskenta Loop - to prepare for the upcoming Paskenta Century on February 1st. Saturday 12/20 - Humboldt Road Ride - 9:00AM: Meet at the One Mile Recreation Area at 9:00AM for this ride up Humboldt Road....and old Chico Velo classic! Sunday 12/21 - Winter Solstice Ride - 9:00AM: Meet at the One Mile Recreation Area at 9:00AM to burn your candles on this Winter Solstice ride up Honey Run Road to the bike path, up to Coutelenc to pay homage to the snow! AND - from now until June 21st, the daylight hours will start getting longer! Thursday 12/25 - Christmas Day Ride - 9:00AM: Meet at the One Mile Recreation Area at 9:00am to display your new cycling gifts - and let Santa decide on where you're going! Friday 12/26 - Concow-Jarbo Gap Ride - 9:00AM: Meet at the One Mile at 9:00am for this 60-80 hilly mile ride up Hwy. 70.....weather permitting! Saturday 12/27 - River Road to Durham - 9:00AM: Meet at the One Mile Area at 9:00AM for this flat ride out River Road to Durham - back on the bike path. Sunday 12/28 - Sutter Buttes Bird-Watching Ride - 7:45AM: Around the Sutter Buttes Bird Watching ride! The carpool leaves One Mile at 7:45am. The ride leaves the Gray Lodge parking lot ($4.00 park fee) at 8:30am for this 3+ hour ride. There will be a store stop along the way. Wednesday 12/31 - The Midnight New Year's Eve ride! Meet at the One Mile Recreation Area at 11:45pm for this annual lap around Bidwell Park to bring in the New Year - bring noisemakers to celebrate the beginning of a great new cycling year in 2009!