LBC Rides from the Past - July 2006

Back Run Ramble (A) Jul 1
The Sun King finally broke through after all the rain earlier in the week with temps in the 70's no wind made for a great day of riding. Joe H a rider in the Reading bike club made his 1st ride with the LBC and said he had a great time. We also had a rider from North Carolina visiting family. Craig E. found the ride on our website. We were 20 riders strong and stayed together for about the first 20 miles. Bart had a very slow rear tire leak, and eventually dropped off to change. 15 riders finished with a pace of 19+. Riders: Warren Buch (leader), Don Kulp, Rob Barber, Mike Lutz, Andrew Mead, Mark Buckwalter, Marlin Hess, Damon Schlott, Neil Fickes, Dan Snyder, John Donati, Diane Lausman, Scott Wagner, Neil Gussman, Tom Waldzilak, Joe Hnatishion, Tony Donato, non-LBC members Bart Torre, Paul Smeltz, and Craig Ely.

Lebanon Valley Rail Trail (Tandem) Jul 1
Only 2 tandems. Most folks must have stayed home mistakenly thinking they were going to see Lance, Ullrich or Basso show up for the Prologue. Riders: Al & Fern Dieffenbach (leaders), Pat Krebs and Ed Krebs.

Short ride to Intercourse (D) Jul 1
The sun was shining and it began to warm. A bike ride was scheduled so the riders began to swarm. Deb & Jay Greene were on their second ride with the club. John Rohrkemper came along and brought his noisy rear hub. Dottie, Alta and Connie showed up to ride with the group. It was great of have them complete the loop. Mike and Bevalee came along. Bevalee is 25 months old. She was in the bugger, books and all, dreaming of places untold. Mendy, Randy and Jeanette showed up with smiles on their face. They did just fine no trouble with the pace. Jody on a new bike and his first ride. He did just fine as we rode side by side. No one came to race. We did the pace. Riders: Ray Landis (leader), Deb Greene, Jay Greene, Dottie Sheehy, Jim White, Alta Nolt, Mike & Bevalee Tshudy, Mendy Sharir, Randy Hunt, Jeanette Hunt, Connie Simmons, John Rohrkemper, and Jody Gontero.

Safe Harbor Ride (B) Jul 1
17 Riders in total came out to enjoy a beautiful Saturday morning into the Safe Harbor Hills. The group took riding at a pace the leader would not be able to maintain so I slowed up and rode the pace that I planned. One miss queue at Indian Marker Road sent the fast group up an extrat very steep Highville Road Hill. As the Leader I did eventually catch a few riders in the Conestoga and Safe Harbor Hills where I recall one Rider questioning " Are these the Pyrenees or are these the alps?" I think everyone enjoyed the ride even though there were a few hills. John Mullineaux did mention that he made a wrong turn that diverted him across a few extra hills. Riders: Brian Heiland (leader), Bill Ambler, Mark Ward, John Mullineaux, Lou Gray, Andy Hessler 1st time, Tim Ihrig, Gil Lindle, Brent Lindle, Chris Laudo, Joe Holland, Jim Moore, Jerre Hockenbrocht, Brian Sowatsky, Mark Kauffman, Dirk Suereth, and non-LBC member Ron Herr.

Historic Lititz (C) Jul 1
Nice ride with a "few" hills. The lead group was ably assisted by Jeff DeLong who kept the group on "cue." Also, many thanks to my "sweep duo." Riders: Carol Weisser (leader), Gary Ballina & Amy Mitchell (sweeps), Rose Ward, Scott Jones, Dave Wise, Steven Seaman, Mike Gibson, Rich Wagner, John Gantz, Harry Campbell, Jim Hurst, Rich Williams, Terry Klugh, Jeff DeLong, Pearl DeLong, Candae Deen, Gary Musser, Carol Lawler, Jake Myers, Tom Mellinger, Tony & Susan Denunzio, Dave Kessler, John Furry, Jeffrey Brueckmann, and non-LBC members John Thomas and Debbie Pelletier.

Rapho Ramble (C) Jul 1
32 mi (R @ 13 mph) 80 F, sunny to partly cloudy, light wind First Day of the Tour… but a "slightly" smaller crowd for our start in East Pete. Several riders actually arrived earlier than they usually do; probably learned from the events of earlier in the day and wanted to avoid Floyd's misfortunes. But to add to this… we were reminded that we were meeting in the wrong parking lot at the school so the course and cue sheets were going to be off - by at least 0.2 miles! This sent a wave through the peloton, which at times was hard to contain. A breakaway of 5 or 6 riders emerged almost immediately, which was not caught for 15 miles - only for a roadside pedal repair that brought us all together again; for a while. Another challenge was issued once we resumed, which again went unanswered by the other half of the peloton. But this was okay because these attacks were announced and pre-arranged by the sportif-apparent for this faster group before the start of the ride. All a part of our ride strategy for the day. Their lead was then further increased when there was a series of repeated front "derailleurs" on several climbs starting at about mile 21. Despite these mechanicals and several unexpected late-stage climbs the peloton was still able to complete the course just slightly above the advertised pace at 13.3 mph. By the way, we also made up for the shortened course by taking a detour at Sheetz' to avoid some extra traffic at Rt 230 and Esbenshade Rd. So, all was well in the end. Riders: Tom Barron (leader), Stephen Ransing, Dick Nuffort, Eleanor Nuffort, Jeff Delong, Pearl Delong, Tim Good, Lew Hershey, John Gantz, Celeste Neuhard, and John Peregoy.

CVHS Churchtown (A) Jul 2
A funny thing happened on the A ride last Sunday July 2nd. Our leader (the Craigster) was a no show, and we did not have any cue sheets. Since I was the one who created the ride several years ago, I was able to lead our brave little group of riders to the far-off lands of Churchtown using my amazing photographic memory. The riders who were there agreed that I should get a leadership credit for it (Ken, Warren and another chap whom I did not know). Riders: Brian Mitchell (leader)

Sunday Evening Social (D) Jul 2
Riders: Dottie Sheehy (leader), Penny Kulp (sweep), Harry Campbell, Brian Winn, Ed Mowery, John Cardos, Jim Kulp, Harold Fulmer, Doug Stark, and non-LBC members John Singer and Pam Williams.

Back Run Ramble (C) Jul 2
It didn't rain today. Of course, I wasn't the scheduled ride leader or it probably would have. I was filling in for the injured Mr. Forster. (Get well soon, Jim. We miss you.) Twelve riders signed in. Two started out early, and another who was not feeling good, took a cue sheet and went on his own way. That left the rest of us to ride off together on this beautiful summer day. The group stayed together for the most part and first time club rider Sarah, did a great job. Riders: Don Whitehead (leader), Ray Landis (sweep), Steve Mazeski, Steve Holland, Pam and Chris Klingensmith, Gary Musser, Jim Hurst, Jody Gontoro, Sarah Dempsey, and non-LBC members Doug Pagan and Kosta Giorti.

Three Lakes Loop (Reverse) (A) Jul 2
Due to a scheduling screw up by yours truly (Me), the Three Lakes Loop ride is repeated two weeks in a row. So to change it up a little I decided to do the ride in reverse this week. Soon after beginning the ride I discovered that I did not have very good legs today. At about ten miles in Mark "it's the quiet ones you gotta watch out for" Buckwalter and Dale "injured shoulder Ha" Burkholder aka "The Killer Bees"started pulling away with the rest of the group in hot pursuit. Only I and Mike Lutz remained in the rears. At about 30 miles in we rounded the corner on Clay Rd. only to discover a horse wondering about along side the road. Being good Samaritans we decided we should catch the horse and return it to the near by stable we believed it came from. After Mike found a bridle it only took about 3 minutes to get the horse back to the stable. I hope that was the right stable. Back under way with the main group probably already back to the school and gone and my legs being shot after playing cowboy I decided to head home and drive back to the stat to pick up the sign up sheet. I was told that Mark and Scott finished at the front with an 18.8 avg. Riders: Damon Schlott (leader), Don Kulp, Mike Lutz, Leo Rosenberger, Dale Burkholder, Jim Diffendall, Mark Buckwalter, Saynn Fahanugsa? and Scott Wagner.

Bossler Blast (B) July 2
A fairly large group embarked from Landisville Middle School on a ride that turned out to be aptly named, considering the heat and humidity. Early on, a light cloud cover and several shady, creek-side roads kept the temperature in check, but by mid-morning we were riding in full sun and the temp approached "Blast Furnace" by the time we hit Bossler Road. A dropped chain and foot cramps on the Groff Farm hill soon left yours truly (Candae) trailing at the back of the pack. A small group of us, including new club members Chad Kuhn and Katie Tobin from Harrisburg, stuck together for the rest of the ride - even when the leader led them off cue (blame it on the heat). We caught up with Brian Heiland, who was fixing a flat with the help of Dave Kessler. Later we joined John Mullineaux, Sylvia Newcomer, and a few others for a brief rest stop in the park at Maytown. Riders: Candae Deen (leader), Brian Heiland, Bill Ambler, Dave Kessler, Bill Angermier, Rich Wagner, Tom Barron, Steve Gerber, Michelle Bingham, Curtis Palmer, John Mullineaux, Andy Charles, Steve Schmohl, Roger Sheaffer, Carol Weisser, Jude Sharp, Lou Gray, Dirk Suereth, John Donati, Diane Lausman, Denny Schneider, Bill Ressel, Sylvia Newcomer, new LBC members Chad Kuhn and Katie Tobin, and non-LBC members Glenn Davis and John Cappabianca.

Tour de Marietta (C) Jul 2
Hazy, hot, humid describes the weather for the day. The threat of thunder showers held off until we were finished with the ride. Otherwise, the ride was routine. Riders: Lloyd Melhorn (leader), Mark Ward, Rose Ward, Tim Good, James Toomey, Scott Jones, Tony DeNunzio, John Gantz, Carl Kreider, Mendy Sharir, Greg Paulson and John Peregoy.

Strausstown Ride (A) Jul 4
There was a large turnout for the 7 a.m. start. I was expecting fireworks. The fireworks started in the parking lot before the ride started. Scott Wagner flatted in the parking lot before we started. I did a Bicycle magazine 2 minute tube change and off we went. About 15 miles into the ride, Scott's other tire went flat. We fixed it and off we went. About a mile later, there was the rest of the group waiting for us. That was cool-thanks! Most of the ride goes through Berks County (where there are no cards). A lot of the first timers said they though this was a good ride. I think it is the best ride that LBC has to offer. Riders: Kyle Awkerman (leader), Mark Buckwalter, Damon Schlott, Andrew Mead, Curtis Palmer, Tim Norejko, Marlin Hess, Marty McKeon, Jonathan Hostetter, G? M?, Brian Sowatsky, Scott Wagner, and non-LBC member Bob Roll.

Flatlanders 4th of July Favorite (B) Jul 4
Good turn out on a humid 4th of July morning. The formation of 21 riders began breaking up about 4 miles into the ride. A group of 8 pulled into the lead and began pushing the pace. Heading west out of Wrightsville, the leader checked to see a broken formation of riders scattered along Rt. 462 and decided to drop back to rally some of the troops! Most everyone finished the ride in one group or another with the lead group averaging 18.8 mph. Riders: Dirk Suereth (leader), Brian Heiland, Paul Smeltz, Tim Ihrig, Kevin Weber, Ed Fearnow, Tim Toomey, Jessica Marcini, Lew Hershey, Chris Laudo, Diane Lausman, Kevin Lunz, Dave Kessler, Jim Drumm, Ken Lessans, Ken Stadden, Tony Dague, Michael Hendrix, and non-LBC members Justin Hartman, Bob Davis, Any Hessler, and Dan Snyder.

Landis Valley Ride (D) Jul 4
We had a good group of 15 participants for the 4th of July Landis Valley Ride. Every rider stayed on pace and enjoyed each other's company during the very relaxing ride. Lori Jung, a non LBC rider, showed up and rode along. There is a good possibility that she will join the club. The only glitch was when Lori's chain got jammed. Riders: Jim Kulp (leader), Penny Kulp (sweep), Ray Landis, Jim White, Ray Landis, Jim Forster, Harold Baughman, Terry Klugh, Janielle Willemin, Jody Gontero, Jeffery Brueckmann, Eleanor Nuffort Steve Mentzer John Cardos & Dick Nuffort and non-LBC member Lori Jung.

BC Classic (A) Jul 8
Riders: Andrew Mead (leader), Neil Fickes, Mark Buckwalter, Damon Schlott, Mike Lutz, Marcy Diem, Mark Ward, Marlin Hess, Don Kulp, Brian Sowatsky, Kyle Awkerman, Joe Hnatishion, Ken Lessans, Jonathan Crothers, Ken Stadden, Leo Rosenberger, Scott Wagner, Tom Hunt, Paul Smeltz, and Mike Hendrix.

Tour de Lititz (Tandem) Jul 8
Riders: Ed Krebs (leader), Pat Krebs, Verna Moseman and Rodney Moseman.

New Witness Tree Trek (C) Jul 8
Riders: Steve Holland (leader), Karen Drawbaugh, Amy Mitchell, Gary Ballina, Greg Mayfield, Gary Musser, Jim Payton, Mike Gibson, Dave Wise, Kim Lausch, Terry Klugh, Carol Lawler, Rachel Kreider, Ceci Good, John Gantz, Neal Martin, Lea Goodman, Sylvia Newcomer, Tom Mellinger, Doug Stark, Sue Senter, Scott Senter, Marilyn Gelsinger, Jim Drumm, David Hirneisen, Dirk Suereth, and non-LBC members: Janice Ressler, Mendy Sharir, and Karen Crouse.

Chickies Creek Long (D) Jul 8
D=Delightful Ride. A good turn out for a friendly, well-received biking day. Riders: Harry Campbell (leader), Michael Riggi (sweep), Judy Hurlbut, Alan Hurlbut, Dottie Sheehy, Irene Camp, Jim Forster, Alta Nolt, Scott Senter, Sue Senter, Jack Fitz, Carol Weisser, Mike Gibson, Doug Stark, and non-LBC members Karen Crouse and John Hindrex.

CVHS Strasburg (B) Jul 8
Riders: Brian Mitchell (leader), Bill Ambler, Candae Deen, Rick Reisinger, Dave Kessler, Bob Davis, Randy Haluck, Jim Moore, Jim Toomey, Andy Charles, Kent Shirk, Brian Heiland, Tim Good, Mark Kaufman, Joe Kealey, John Donati, Cindy Davis, Bruce Anderson, Christ Laudo, Craig Shreiner, Bill Ressel, Harry Smith, Andy Hessler, Diane Lausman, and non-LBC members Kevin Kinkley, Mary Ann Martin and Ron Herr. Three Lakes Loop (A) Jul 9 Damon Schlott (leader), Ken Lessans, Mike Lutz, Mark Buckwalter, Barry Lavender, Ron Irvine, Nate Weable, and Jason Young.

Terre Hill Ride (B) Jul 9
A rather large group came out for this early (8:00 a.m.) Sunday ride. It was obvious from the start the 15 mph pace was a little slow of this bunch. After watching the time trial of "The Tour" everyone wanted to fly like Floyd. Once I got back to the parking lot, I hear that one rider took a spill and that there was a near head on car crash when one impatient motorist tried to pass on a curve. I say heard about this, because I didn't witness any of it. I saw no bodies lying along the road and I heard no screeching of car tires. I just had a nice uneventful ride with my three amigos. Riders: Don Whitehead (leader), Steve Gerber (sweep), Randy Haluck, Steve Mazeski, Bill Angermier, Steve Gerber, Brian Sowatsky, Dirk Suereth, Matt London, Curtis Palmer, Dave Kessler, Tim Good, Bob turner, Andy Charles, Warren Buch, Diane Lausman, Michelle Bingham, John Donati, Cindy Davis, Brian Heiland and non-LBC member Ed Krasnai.

New Holland (C) Jul 9
Steve Holland (leader), Jim Payton, Karen Drawbaugh, Gary Musser, Candae Deen, Mike Gibson, Scott Jones, Nancy Youst, Kevin Lunz, John Gantz, Tom Mellinger, Terry Klugh, Leo Rosenberger, Carol Weisser, Jim Hurst, Amy Mitchell, Gary Ballina, Bob Brader, Curt Stager, Bill Ressel, and Jim Drumm.

Goat & Bull Ride (D) Jul 9
Eight riders had a delightful ride on a beautiful Sunday morning exploring some of the most picturesque farmland in Lancaster County on a gently rolling ride that one rider called "the best kept secret in the NWBicyclist." Riders: John Rohrkemper (leader), Pam Tronsor (sweep), John Cardos, Deb Greene, Jay Greene, Reuben Weaver, and Cyndi Royer.

Ice Cream Topped with Lititz (Ice Cream) Jul 12
No one else showed-guess the storms were threatening, but didn't show. So my son and I turned this into a "Just Me and My Dad" ride. Riders: John Cardos (leader), Bobby Cardos.

Tour of the Amish Country (B) Jul 15
The "Tour of Amish Country" replaced the advertised "Syllybee" ride. As I drove over from York, I could see the threatening clouds above. The forecast was for rain. Light, warm rain is okay. Admittedly, I didn't know some of these riders but soon learned that they were much faster than myself. My truest riding companions were Carol and Mr.Gantz. Several miles into the ride, near Zeltenreich Rd. the heavens let loose. We needed windshield wipers on our sunglasses. I finally had to tuck my glasses into my shirt so I could see. As the rain struck the road surface you could almost "hear" the steam rise. With most riders way ahead of us, we decided to abandon the remaining ride and head off to Farmersville. We waved at Floyd's parent's house as we rode by. The rain finally stopped and we enjoyed the last several, flat miles. As for the group of riders I never saw again, I was told some made a wrong turn, some cut off and some rode the whole thing. But boy, what a group of dirty riders when I returned to the parking lot at Catholic High. They couldn't believe how clean I looked. I don't think they believed me when I said I rode in the rain. No mishaps, no flats to report. I later stopped at Carol's house for coffee to take off the chill. Thanks Carol! John, Carol and I met up with Bob McClune at the shopping center outside of New Holland. He was on his 3-wheeled recumbent and was waiting for the rain to stop as well. And we saw him again as he moseyed up the hill from the covered bridge near Oregon Dairy. The following riders were willing to wing it: Sylvia Newcomer (leader), Kevin Weber, Jon Dwyer, Cindy Davis, Tim Ihrig, Debbie Kirchner, Dave Kessler, Mike Gillies, John Gantz, Mr. 0.02 Tim Good, Carol Weisser, Randy Haluck [congrats on the latest baby Haluck], Scott Wagner, Harry Smith, Suely Hygin(sp???), Marcia Peters, Mark Kauffman and non-LBCers: Peter Cloonay and Harry Fox.

Meadow View (C) Jul 15
Sunny, Hot Humid, great views, good ride. The ride broke into two groups then the heat got to one rider on Colebrook Road, but after a rest we were off again and at Strickler Road the sweep took the heat stricken rider on a route to miss the last hills and we met again at Esbenshade Road to finish the ride together. Riders: Judy Flowers (leader), David Flowers (sweep), John Cardos, Jim Hurst, Chris & Greg Mayfield, Rich Wagner, Richard D, Doug Stark, John Herr Ceci Good, Jerry Wisnosky, Rich Williams, Leo Goodman, Kevin Lunz, Bill Ressel, Heidi Hendrix

Throttles & Bottles Scenic Tour Ride (C) July 15
Riders: Tom Barron (leader) Ride Cancelled! - Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain & strong winds passing through the area

15 Mile Ride (D) Jul 15
When we left the school it was drizzling. About a mile down the road, it rained and Dottie decided we went far enough so we all came back wet! Riders: Jim Drumm (leader), Dottie Sheehy (sweep), Harold Baughman, Terry Klugh, Dick Nuffort and Eleanor Nuffort.

New East Pete to E-town (A) Jul 16
Sunny and clear skies with the temp in the high 80's. We had a strong group of riders, and the pace was pushing 18 mph by the time we hit RT 72. The ride went incident free, except for the lead rider missing a couple key turns. Thanks to Mike and Randy for helping the leader get back on track. Riders: Warren Buch (leader), Don Kulp, Jon Lyons, John Donati, Randy Haluck, Mike Lutz, Ken Lessans, Barry Lavender, Mark Buckwalter, Damon Schlott, Ken Stadden, Jim Diffendall, Scott Wagner, Tom Hunt, Dirk Suereth, Diane Lausman, and non-LBC members Bart Torre and Ken Wareham.

Chickies Creek Long (C) Jul 16
The temperatures were in the high 80's. We rode at a relaxed pace and all finished at the same time. Riders: Lloyd Melhorn (leader), Steve Young (sweep), Rick Shoup, Reuben Weaver, John Gantz, Wendy Sharir, Joe Holland, Mary Palmieri, Sarah Dempsey, Koby Kielhorn, and Leo Goodman.

Rapturous Ride (D) Jul 16
Nice hot day for a great ride. Most of group stayed together, at pace for the entire ride. Welcome new rider Dave Stephenson. Nice to see Gail, Steve and Tony. Check out how fast Chris flies on his new bike. Thanks to Jim for providing patient, tolerant sweep services. Riders: Karen Drawbaugh (leader), Jim Payton (sweep), Steve Snyder, Tony LaRosa, Dave Stephenson, Pam Klingensmith, Chris Klingensmith, Penny Kulp, Jim Kulp, Judy Hurlbut, Alan Hurlbut, Gail Brainard, Steve Brainard, Bob Wohlford, Harry Campbell, Reuben Weaver, Jim ???, John Cardos, John Rohrkemper, Terry Brown, Cyndi Royer, Judy Flowers. Kreiders Ice Cream Ride Jul 19 Sandy LaRochelle showed up without a helmet and road along with us. Riders: John Cardos (leader) and Dave Stephenson.

Throttles & Bottles (A) Jul 22
Mark Buckwalter (leader), Michael Nolan, John Lyons, Tom Hunt, and non-LBC members: Ed Krasnai and Bill Stevens.

Back Run Ramble (B) Jul 22
We had a great turnout today-the weather was expected, we brike up into two (maybe three groups) when Jeff spotted some MS port-a-pots, and we all know that "you don't pass up port-a-pots." Anyway, the day was great and, as far as I know, there were no major problems. Riders: Mike Gibson (leader), Ray Landis, Dave Kessler, Dave Harris, Matt Harris, Jim Moore, Steve Schmohl, Randy Haluck, Brian Mitchell, Damon Schlott, Jeff DeLong, Pearl DeLong, Andy Hessler, Tim Good, Curtis Palmer, Lou Gray, Warren Buch, Paul Smeltz, John Mullineaux, Craig Shreiner, Leo M. Goodman, Tim Barley, Sr., Dirk Suereth, Bob Davis, and Scott Wagner.

New East Pete to Etown (C) Jul 22
The ride was uneventful except for fording a small stream where the bridge was out. This caused a few disgruntled riders, but they cheered up after a few miles. Riders: John Peregoy (leader), Carl Kreider, Rachel Kreider, Celeste Neuhard, Sylvia Newcomer, Judy Flowers, David Flowers, Dave Wise, Gil Palmieri, Mary Palmieri, and Jim Hurst.

Artic Express (D) Jul 22
The leader got back from pre-riding 5 minutes before the start--happy to see a group of riders and friends.! The ride went really well. Halfway through Carol and Amy Jo and Harry decided to ride some M.S. ride, but made it back fine. Sorry Harry, you didn't get your coffee! Riders: Jim Drumm (leader), Jim Payton (sweep), Carol Weisser, Karen Drawbaugh, Steve Snyder, Amy Mitchell, Harry Campbell, and Eleanor Nuffort.

Tour de Strasburg (Tandem) Jul 22
The day started looking like we would be getting rained upon. The rain never came and we had a great ride that took us through Hessdale and Willow Street. The terrain was rolling with very little traffic and a lot of beautiful vistas. At about the 18 mile point, Joe and Carolyn stopped for us to regroup in front of what appeared to once be a business. The front wall first could have been described as having a tacky decor. Upon closer examination, we discovered that included in the mosaic were old time postcards. A neighbor told us that the wall was probably 70-80 years old and the building was once a garage and sold gas. We wondered how many people drive by that location and see and learn the story.

Cornwall Furnace Ride (A) Jul 23
Riders: Damon Schlott (leader), Dan Kulp, Mark Buckwalter, Scott Wagner, Mike Lutz, Barry Lavender, Tom Hunt, Jim Diffendall, and non-LBC member Ken Wareham.

Masonic Home Tour (B) Jul 23 Final Stage of the Tour… all discussions were on Floyd's spectacular come back, and speculations on his ride into Paris. At one point we held an impromptu unofficial Board Meeting (very unofficial - I don't believe we had a single Board member present for this "meeting" on the road) in which we unanimously voted to appoint Floyd Landis as an honorary member of the NWBicyclist.com with full honors--lifetime membership and a 2006 Leader's Jersey. We thought it would be a great way of honoring our hometown star. We also suggested that Floyd could be invited back to Lancaster to lead this year's Covered Bridge Metric Century. Hey, he's gotta earn that Leader's jersey somehow. Can't just give 'em away! We'll have to warn him, though, that several of our riders often do set out at quite a pace--exceeding the advertised category pace. Hope he's up for something like that. I'm thinkin' though that he'll be able to hold his own with some of our "elite" club riders. Well, getting back to our ride on the roads outside E-town--it was a nice tour with spectacular views from the hilltops at the Masonic Village and the roads of northwest Lancaster County. And before we knew it, we were back at the school. Finished the course at 14.8 mph, except for the others that went out ahead of us near the start--never did see 'em again to find out what pace they held. Riders: Tom Barron (leader), Sean Cavanaugh, Lew Hershey, Joe Holland (new member), Joe Kealey, Steve Schmol, Jerry Wisnosky, Craig Shreiner, Lou Gray, Dave Kessler, Dirk Suereth, Brian Mitchell, Paul H ?, Jeff and Pearl Delong, Steve Gerber, and non-members: Paul Swisher, Harry Fox, and Jamie Clinton.

Drager Drag (C) Jul 23
We had a very nice late afternoon ride with several new or possibly soon to be new members of the NWBicyclist.com. The distance was misadvertised in the newsletter and online, but no one was too concerned about riding an extra 5.8 miles. Now, I don't know if they would have been so accommodating if it were 6 miles. Scott Jones served as co-leader for Laurie and George since they wanted to go slightly faster. Mendy and the ride leader maintained a pace of about 13.6 mph. The group did reassembled near the end of the ride, however, following a misread on the cue - earning credit for an extra mile. So in the end, another Great Ride was had by all! Riders: Tom Barron (leader), Scott Jones, and new members Laurie Amway and Mendy Sharir, and non- but possibly soon to be new member George Dailey.

Giro D'Earl (C) Jul 23
I though this would be a great ride for the last day of the tour and I was right! The group broke up early, but a few waited for the leader close to Farmerville Road. I was the one who knew where Floyd's parent's house was located. It was really great to see the signs and support in the town! There was a sign in front of his parent's home inviting others to come worship with them, paint on the road like the Tour, and a yellow jersey sign painted with "Floyd Country." It was a great day with low humidity, and exiting to ride through Floyd's home town! After the ride, a small group went to Dosie Dough to hang out until the Tour Party-it was too nice to go inside. What a great day-life doesn't get any better than this! Thanks to the group for making the day special to all! Riders: Carol Weisser (leader), Judy Flowers, cary Stewart, Rick Wagner, Candae Deen, Jen Stover, Kevin Lunz, John Donati, Cindy Davis, Paul & Kirsten Hirneisen, Jim Hurst, Doug Stark, Jack Bingham, Diane Lausman, and Nancy Youst.

Another Delightful Ride (D) Jul 23
It was a really nice day for a ride. We all stopped at Stauffers and one member got a flat when we were leaving, but pit crew Gary had us riding in no time. We welcome Rod and Corey from York. They enjoyed the flat ride. Riders: Jim Drumm (leader), Dottie Sheehy (sweep), Ray Landis, Gary Ballina, Amy Jo Mitchell, John Cardos, Dave Stephenson, Craig Shaubach and non-LBC members Rodney Rodriguez and Corey Rodriguez.

Amish Ice Cream Ride Jul 26
We had a rider from the Boston area join us on the Amish Ice Cream Ride. Her bicycle was in dire need of repairs but managed to hold together for the length of the ride. Although the weather looked threatening, it never rained. As always, Lapps ice cream was magnificent. Riders: Gary Musser (leader), Sandy LaRochelle (sweep), and non-LBC member Sandy Kieler.

Penn Manor Panorama (C) Jul 29
We were already perspiring by the time we finished the trash pick-up but we hopped on our bikes and headed out into the countryside. We enjoyed a break at Central Manor Mart. At that point Jack & Harry decided to take a short cut back to their cars. The remaining riders finished the ride together. Riders: Rachel Kreider (leader), David Wise, Harry Campbell, Carl Kreider, Pearl Delong, Jeff Delong, and Jack Mentzer.

Adopt-A-Highway Ride (D) Jul 29
After a very hot morning of Road Work, 6 of us opted to do the short, 14 mile route while Rachel and 6 others did the longer, hillier route. Some of us elected to not do any ride, because of the heat, names to be left incognito. We had thought that we would cut short the ride, but once out on the road it was not so bad and we ended up doing the whole 9 yards; all of us except for Gail & Steve, who we last saw at the first Yard Sale we came to!! Despite the heat, it was a good ride and everyone stayed together at about 11.5 mph. Riders: Alan Hurlbut (leader), Steve & Gail Brainard, Bob Wohlford and Alan Savage.

New Witness Tree Trek (All Class) Jul 29
Nothing like a hot steamy sunny day to bring over 50 riders out on this "All Class" Ride. Knowing that the "Rode Clean-up" was happening and the Dream Ride, this leader was in awe at the number. The leader, in this case, is actually the "sweep"=Sylvia Newcomer. It took almost a half hour to sign everyone in and the 50+ cue sheets were all gone. So many new faces and new bikes. WOW! With the parking lot at E.Pete so full, I yelled for the A-riders to please start riding; next, the B-riders rode off and then the C/D riders. As you would know it, a rider showed up 1 minute past the hour and I had to scrounge for another cue sheet [thanks Lou Gray]. We are very accustomed to hearing the name John [so many in this club], but today I had 3 Leos along with 2 Lous and 5 Johns. As I helped the last Leo with the sign-in, I had mentioned that most riders left because the ride time means we leave the start location [in some clubs, the ride start time is merely a time to gather]. Anyway, in talking to Leo, he told me that he had Mass this morning and rushed to get here from St.Mary's on Vine St., Lancaster. Father Leo was the one giving Mass. In no time, Father Leo caught up with the last group as I struggled to ride up the gentle hill on Leabrook Rd. Being in the rear, I knew nothing, saw nothing and report very little except by hear say. Sue Wood is a new/old rider who runs and plays tennis but hadn't been on a bike for almost 6 yrs. Sue had ridden the CBMC about ten yrs ago and wanted to get ready for it by joining the ride today. Jonas Fisher's longest ride was 32 miles, this same ride he rode a few weeks back. He likes it that much. So Jonas, Sue and I kept each other company with a few grains of encouragement. We also had the pleasure of seeing some of the Dream Riders - this was a pack of youngsters dressed in Cycle Smart jerseys. They probably ranged in age from 10-14 [only guessing]. We did help them navigate through 2 intersections as they did not have an adult riding with them. In fact, the one young man said they were told to go off on their own and ride the 32mile course. Fortunately he did have a cell phone. They did ride single file and said "on your left or on your right". As they continued on their course, ours took another direction. We stopped at the Witness Tree site to show Sue. The shade felt so good at this point. Onward we rode, making good time down Rte 230. Coming in the opposite direction I spied Celeste and John just as we were approaching Mt. Joy's Sheetz. The 3 of us stopped to refresh, and of course, potty break. Jonas told me to fill up my water bottle with the cold water tap at the soda machine. One of the workers told him it was free. That was sweet! I gobbled part of a candy bar [2 for $2 was a steal]. We arrived safely a little after 1230. The only other rider in the lot was Bill C. He had locked his truck key inside and had to ride home to get the spare. Nice extra miles. Sue was quite tickled with completing this first ride of 32 miles. She is hoping to get out on more rides. Jonas said he will return for this ride again. The bike and me were alone, as I had ridden over from Mountville. I rode the long way back and took a break in Landisville then rode to Lou Gray's house to find out how the remaining riders fared. A couple comments from the man on a new bike was that Heidi, whom we haven't seen all year was riding strong as usual, but he did pass her; only to be passed by the Wiley Coyote, Mr. Gantz. Ray asked Lou if he was going to chase Gantz down, Lou said not. What a nice guy. After enjoying a tall glass of ice water and a bowl of watermelon that Janet Gray provided, I was off again. As I marveled getting in the 54 miles, I realized that Mullineaux, Kathy Brugh, another rider and Lew Hershey were already finished doing the hilly Dream Ride Metric. Don Whitehead rode the century. Good going guys for a good cause!!! Now to go home and rest up for tomorrow's ride. The tribe of riders are as follows: Sylvia Newcomer (sweep), Ray Leonard, Bill Crawford, Cindy Davis, John Donati, Harold Fulmer, Bob Colton, Sue Wood, Lou Contino, Lou Gray, Chris Laudo (sp?), Bruce Anderson, Dave Kessler, Brian Mitchell, Dirk Suereth, Mendy Sharir, Joe Kealey, John Peregoy, Celeste Neuhard, Dan Snyder, Tom Wisnosky (sp?), Nancy Youst, Leo R., Diane Lausman, Heidi and Mike Hendrix, Roger Sheaffer, Jody Vontero (sp?), Candae Deen, Ray Landis, Jonas Fisher, Tracy Irvine, Bill and Nancy Ambler [on tandem], Jim Moore, Andy Hessler, Warren Buch, Don K(?), Rich Williams, David Hirneisen, Dave Harple, Mike Gibson, Marilyn and Barry Gelsinger, Jim Hurst, David and Judy Flowers, John Gantz, Jeff and Debbie Kosnett, Rob Barber, Greg and Chris Mayfield, non-member=Scott (?), Leo Lutz, Ken Wareham and Father Leo Goodman. Whew! 56 riders + Sweep.

Tour de Middletown (B) Jul 30
A few of the A riders fresh off the Dream Ride Century set a blistering pace on this steamy late July morning. The ride broke up into 2 or 3 groups and everyone made it back in good stead if somewhat worse for the wear! Remind me to schedule this ride in September next year. Riders: Dirk Suereth (leader), Damon Schlott, Mike Lutz, Mark Buckwalter, Tom Hunt, Paul Yatabe, Tim Ihrig, Brian Heiland, Jessica Marcini, Barry Lavender, Sean Cavanaugh, and non-LBC member Justin Hartman.

Sundae at Caddy Shack (C) Jul 30
It was a hot, hot afternoon as we pedaled out of East Pete. As we neared Manheim I noticed that Carl & Reuben had fallen behind but we continued on to the Caddy Shack where we found Carl & Reuben. They had taken a short cut. Everyone enjoyed the cool shade & ice cream and it was hard to head out into the heat again. Carl & Reuben continued their game of disappearing off the back and reappearing ahead of us. We all arrived safely back at the school. Riders: Rachel Kreider (leader), Carl Kreider (sweep), Jeff Brueckmann, Pearl Delong, Jeff Delong, Gary Musser, John Gantz, Michelle Bingham, John Peregoy, Reuben Weaver, Jack Bingham, and Mendy Sharir.

Ride to Manheim Long (C) Jul 30
It was another 3H's day and still 29riders showed up to enjoy the 22miler being "led" by Sylvia Newcomer. Some riders came to "spin" their legs out after riding the Dream Ride the previous day. We started out on time and slowly, but then I heard someone in back yell out this ride was too slow and "whooshed" right past me. A few more riders took off [like a fox hunt]. As this ride leader usually leads from the back, I enjoyed sweeping. Met a few riders I had never ridden with the Mazeskis. The heat and humidity was worse than the previous day and a few of us were affected by it. Don, Jim and Sarah(?) turned around to see what happened to the 3 of us at mile 9. Eileen needed to rest in the shade while her husband rode back for the car. All the while we were saying--will Steve remember how to go back without a cue sheet? Meanwhile, Eileen felt better and we decided to ride backwards, in hopes that we would run into [literally] Steve. I had called Mullineaux's cell just to let him and the rest of the group know we were okay. Steve did indeed find his way and carted Eileen/bike into the car. My group of bandits then rode back to Auction Road in hopes of catching the group on Lititz Rd. All of a sudden my cell rang and like a good rider, I stopped to answer [I'm not as steady as Don was]. Here it was Don calling to tell me the group was fine......yeesh. Don just laughed. We indeed did see the group cross Manheim Pike and quickly quickened our pace to follow as they rode past Root's Auction. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Some riders peeled off to catch a food break before joining the afternoon ride. All the rest of us wanted to do was get home in the air conditioning. Tim complained about his chain, something about making noise and not shifting well. My comment was to clean and wax it. Oh well. Another comment that stuck with me, was "Mr.Gantz passed me again", this coming from a fast rider ~ so Lou, did I hear you correctly. Thanks for riding in this heat. Thank you to Tim for helping with traffic control onto Graystone Rd. The motley crew is as follows: Riders: Sylvia Newcomer (leader), Michelle Bingham, Tracy Irvine, Jack Bingham, Matt London, Tim Good [Mr.0.02], Rich Williams, ever faithful John Gantz, Jim Forster [nice to see him back on the bike after weeks off the bike from an ankle ailment], Candae Deen, Bill Ressel [and he was even 10 minutes early], John Furry, Michael Hauck, Amy Mitchell, Kevin Lunz(?sp), Rich Wagner, Celeste Neuhard, John Peregoy, Mike Gibson, Lou Gray, Jeff and Pearl DeLong, Dave Kessler, Steve Gerber, Steve and Eileen Mazeski, Sarah Dempsey, Don Whitehead, Greg Mayfield, Carol Weisser and finally John Mullineaux.

East Pete Treat (D) Jul 30
Weather was hot, hot and hot. Nine riders showed up for the D ride. Everyone stayed together and not one person was dropped. Freeze and Frizz was not open for the scheduled stop so we rode to the Airport for a bathroom break. After the Airport, we moved on to finish the ride. Joe and Nancy drove from the Harrisburg area to join us for the ride. They belong to the Harrisburg Bike Club and have been biking for 2 months. Hope we made a lasting impression on them and they will be back. Riders: Ray Landis (leader), Ray Landis (sweep), Jim Payton, David Flowers, Judy Flowers, Ed Mowery, Harry Campbell, Chip Jordan, Dave Stephenson, Carol Bowers, and non-LBC members Joe and Nancy Rish.