Portland Velo Ride Leaders

Pain Delivered as Promised!

2008-09-30T21:02:28Z

A little over 2 months ago I was standing on the parking garage, beer in hand, overlooking the racing action at the Sunset Criterium with Traci and Amit. The three of us were kicking around an opportunity that had been presented to us. Little did any of us know how all consuming it would be! Fast forward 35 insanely busy and stressful days, and you have yourself Portland Velo's first venture into the world of race promotion.

243 racers, including a large contingent of PV racers and local leg-shredder Ryan Trebon, made their way to southern Washington County to experience Pain on the Peak. The overwhelming feedback? The event was accurately named! A brutal course awaited those who participated in the area's first Cyclocross race of the season.

From an organizational standpoint, the race went off almost flawlessly. A few minor snags in the morning with directions pushed back the first race by 50 minutes, but a quick trip to the troubled intersection for some directional signs mostly solved the problem. Our registration process was painless and got people through quickly, our volunteers showed up on time and ready to do whatever was needed, and were amazingly helpful to all the people who visited the venue. Time and time again I heard from OBRA reps and race participants how smoothly the event was going and how organized we were. We were also fortunate enough to be able to let those who wished to race the opportunity. It was wonderful to cheer on the "home team" throughout the day and Mitch Lee, Dan Dittmer, and Kristin Wille all scored top podium places in their fields.

At the end of the day, we were all tired and dusty, but a number of us stayed on venue long after the last participant had left, reflecting back over the day's event.

This could not have happened if it wasn't for the amazingly generous and talented pool of individuals that this club has making up its membership body. 2009 has a number of opportunities already presenting itself, so stay tuned for more news.

August Ride Leaders' Update by Matt D'Elia

2008-08-04T18:34:00Z

Where is the summer going? These past few weeks have been a blur, and it's amazing to witness all the things that have taken place since our last issue of VeloCITY. A huge thanks goes out to all of those who volunteered and participated in both the LIVESTRONG Challenge and the 3rd Annual Portland Velo Century events. Without the dedication of a small group of individuals, our large club wouldn't have the opportunities that it currently enjoys. If you want to help make these events a continued success, step up and help out!

July also saw our first Group Riding 101 class put on by Mike Mulligan. If you've ever been interested in learning how to be a better group rider, this is the place for you. We'll probably be holding a second one of these in the upcoming weeks. Make sure to watch the website for additional details. Also in the works will be a Saturday ride just for the ladies! Portland Velo's Kristin Wille (affectionately known as Mudpuppy!) we be leading a ride just for the ladies on an upcoming Saturday.

Food for thought:
If you bring a guest to the ride, please make sure to ride with them. We've had a few instances over the past few weeks where ride leaders had to tow guests back in because the hosts took them on a ride they couldn't handle. Please be considerate to both your guest and the ride leaders.

If you are having mechanical issues with your bike week in and week out, please bring your bike into a shop to get it repaired. The goodwill of your fellow clubmates only goes so far before they work to drop you.

Mid summer, our rides are usually longer and more intense. Please be prepared as we won't always have the opportunity to refuel or buy snacks on the road. If your body is bonking week after week, maybe you need to pack a powerbar. :p

If you decide to ride a tri-bike or TT bike on a Saturday ride, please do not ride on your aerobars in a paceline. We've had a few occasions the past few weeks were people on their aeros have almost dumped other members of a paceline. If you want to ride on the bars, either plant yourself on the front of the group or ride well behind the paceline.

Finally, as you have probably witnessed on our Saturday rides, the ride groups are getting fairly large. The reason for this is that we are consistently running into a shortage of ride leaders. This is happening for a number of reasons, however we can ALL help this situation out. Volunteer to split the group up a bit. Work with your group mates to make the ride enjoyable. Don't rely on the ride leader to help reign in those who want to push the pace. They can't be everywhere. The first question I usually ask people who come to me with concerns about speeds is "did you ask them to slow down?" You'd be surprised how often the answer is "No".

Enjoy the summer!

-Matt

July Ride Leaders' Update

2008-06-30T20:49:00Z

Wow.. What a month. This has easily been the busiest I've been with the club in my two years of being a member. June finally saw some breaks in the weather to allow us some longer rides on our Saturday mornings, and we did our best to take advantage of it.

June was also the month that the Portland LIVESTRONG Challenge occurred. A huge thank you goes out to the teams of riders that participated as riding course marshals and WINGMAN for this years event. The National Marshal Coordinator for the Challenge series paid Portland Velo a huge compliment the morning of the event stating that we have set the bar for clubs participations in these events, and looks forward to working with us next year.

If you didn't get the opportunity to assist with this event, but would like to help out in future events, fear not! In 2008, Portland Velo will also be assisting the Portland Bridge Pedal, and the Harvest Century.

As for upcoming PV sponsored events, July 26th is the date for the 3rd Annual Portland Velo Club Century. This is a great event which will be featuring a brand new course this year. Volunteers are going to be needed for all portions of this event. More details should be available later this week.

Also planned for an upcoming Saturday in July is a "Group Riding 101" class to be taught by Mike Mulligan and myself. This class will allow riders to learn how to ride safely in a pack, which is one of the most useful skills to have on both club rides, and larger event type rides.

On a more serious note, a reminder on Saturday ride groups. Please visit http://portlandvelo.net/forums/t/10408.aspx if you haven't already and see some of the comments ride leaders and riders alike are making about the behavior of some of the club members.

It is essential for riders to maintain the designated speed and intensity of the group rides. If you consistently find yourself off the front of your Tempo ride group, its high time you admit that you are stronger than you lead on, and move into one of the faster Tempo groups or a Competitive group. You'll have a more enjoyable time, and those you are constantly turning the screws on in the slower group will be able to enjoy the ride they set out to do. If you are a person who likes punishing others, come ride with Hammer & Nails. You'll be with kindred spirits.

Ride leaders will be informed to first ask you ride the pace of the group, then ask you to leave if you continue. We are a finite resource and can't be everywhere at once. Club members however, make up the majority of every ride group and are expected to follow the guidelines found at http://portlandvelo.net/blogs/bizops/archive/2008/04/09/saturday-ride-organization.aspx. Please be a responsible club member and remember It's All About The Ride.

-matt

June Ride Leaders' Corner

2008-06-02T22:31:00Z

It's hard to imagine the year is almost half over, but the summer riding season is just getting started! While the crazy weather continues, at least the Saturdays have been nice! Our May ride out of Tualatin was a nice change of scenery, and allowed me the opportunity to trek across the Canby ferry for the first time. Big thanks to Bruce for the route!

May also saw the debut of the first responder kits. A big thanks to Mike and Lori Mulligan for ordering all the items and packaging them into the bundles for the ride groups. Carlo ended up using the kit on his very first day carrying it to assist a rider who took a tumble (fortunately it wasn't a PV member, and he was able to ride home.)

The LIVESTRONG Challenge is right around the corner! As of June 2nd, we need 5 more riding course marshals and 5 more PV Wingmen. If you are interested in helping out with either position please visit the 2008 LIVESTRONG discussion forum on our website for more details on how to get involved.

A few Saturday housekeeping items to address:

o Please be aware that the parking at Longbottom's is very limited, even more so with the number of cyclists attending the Saturday rides. PV riders are NOT allowed to park on the front side of the building where coffee shop customers park. Parking is allowed on the North half of the "gravel lot", around back in the loading docks of Longbottom's (but not in front of the Will Call door), or on NW 235th Ave. Gas prices are horrid, take the MAX or ride to the ride!

o Please treat the barista and wait staff with respect. Longbottom's tries to staff Saturdays to handle the crush of customers, but it doesn't always work out. Be patient if it takes a bit longer for your order to come out, and enjoy the company and weather! Longbottom's has been a longtime sponsor and we'd like to keep that relationship healthy.

o 2008 Waivers will still be available at Saturday rides, but we are now asking folks to mail them to the address listed on the flyer. Dues will also need to be mailed to the PV P.O. box as well as we can not collect them Saturday morning.

May was the first full month that our new Saturday Ride groups were in full effect, and from the feedback I've received, it seems they are well liked and make more sense to riders. While I'm still receiving the occasional complaint that a few riders pushed the pace in 17 groups, the "big offenders" from last year (the 21's and 19's) seem to be much better organized. A big thanks to my dedicated crew of Ride Leaders who help out every week and those new rider leaders who have stepped up and lead a group in a pinch. A special thanks to Bob Bigwood for taking the 21 Comp group out a few times this month and working rotating pace lines with them, and Rob Babcock and Colin Day for keeping the H&N's group running after I shelled myself off the back (or decided to pull a Heidi and do some resistance training via brakes.)

Remember, with the better weather comes more riders, and more riders means a greater need for additional ride leaders to step up and split groups when they get too big (e.g. 20+ riders in one group). All it takes is a map and the desire to see everyone get back safely. You can even do evil things like taking the group up 16% grade hills that "just happen" to be nearby. :)

-m

May Ride Leaders' Update

2008-05-02T18:11:06Z

Well, spring is sorta here, and with it comes the inevitable mixed bag of weather. The month of April saw two gorgeous Saturdays stacked between two horrific Saturdays. The First Saturday ride program started up again, with a departure out of McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale. The group rode a wonderful scenic route which took us up to Crown Point. The two dozen hearty souls then decided to brave the cold, wind, and rain, by continuing down to Multnomah Falls before returning back to Troutdale.

April also gave us our first taste of nice weather. The April 12th ride was attended by an estimated 125 people! (Where were you all winter?!?) A big thanks goes out to all of our regular ride leaders, plus some new folks who responded to my calls for help and stepped up to lead rides.

Finally in April, we also launched the new Saturday Ride Groups. If you haven't already looked at this, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes and read over things. (Links to the descriptions can be found on the forums in the Saturday Ride board). This will make everyone's ride safer and more enjoyable.

May should hopefully bring more consistent weather, and with it more consistent numbers to the rides. Additional ride leaders are always appreciated, and very frequently needed! If you wish to help out as a ride leader on the Saturday Rides, please make sure to arrive at rides no later than 8:45 to check in with whoever is doing the sendoff that day.

Speaking of sendoffs, a friendly reminder that the first groups roll out of the parking lot at 9am! Maps, waivers, and other club related stuff is normally put away by 8:55, so plan accordingly. If you haven't yet filled out a 2008 waiver, you need to do so!

The First Saturday ride this month (May 3rd) will be leaving out of Tualatin and repeating the route we attempted to do during the winter. Rumor has it that we'll actually be crossing the Canby Ferry this time! The supplies for Ride Leader first responder kits have been ordered and should be in mid May, so we'll be able to hand those out before rides and collect them afterwards.

In closing, a reminder that we are looking for volunteers for on-course Ride Marshal duty, along with "PV Wingmen" for the LIVESTRONG Challenge June 28th-29th. Club members who have volunteered as Ride Leaders will get first crack at filling the needed slots. If you are interested in helping out, visit the LIVESTRONG Challenge board on our forums for more info!
-matt