Cycling for Charities
by Curt “Cycle Guy” Hentschke

Hey, check this out. It’s 5:45am and I’m sitting here in front of the morning campfire. Nearby, the coffee’s percolating on the Coleman stove. Instead of tapping upon the laptop keys, I’m pencil-scratching away on a ubiquitous yellow pad. Later today, there’ll be boats to sail, trails to hike/ride, and campfire songs to sing; for now, I’m perfectly content just to be writing to you.
Truth be told, I’ve been camping since I was in diapers, so I guess you could call me a seasoned vet. I remember it being a significant moment when we could bring our bikes camping. Whoa, the new freedoms bicycles afforded. We could pedal to the camp store to pick up the Fresno Bee, to the headwaters for some early-hours fishing, or to Bear Cove for some frolicking in the chilly waters. Bicycles represented the ultimate in freedom!
Not much has changed!
Now, let’s switch gears and focus on two-wheeled topics in the land of Out & About. In case you missed last month’s column, here’s your checklist for the first week of August:

1. Bring a food donation into the All Aboard Junction, 8355 Monterey Street, Gilroy. (Your donations will later be delivered to St. Joseph’s Family Center & Community Pantry.)
2. Pick up a map of the 14th annual Garden Layout Tour, which will open to the public on the second Saturday of the month.
3. Use the map to create a Tour de Backyard Trains that works best for you and your family/group.
4. On August 9th, hop onto your bikes, and enjoy different kind of training!

Let’s see; what else?
What are you doing Wednesday evenings, August 6th, 13th, and 20th? Brian Lucas, owner of Hollister’s Off the Chain Bikes (www.offthechainbikes.com), has set up some local time trails, starting at 6:30 P.M. Give it a shot, and prove to those officials at last month’s Tour de France that they should have invited you!
Did you get the word that the 5th annual Tour de Menlo has moved from its usual calendar spot in October to a new August location? On the 16th, you’ll have the chance to pedal 54 or 106 kilometers in and around the beautiful peninsula hills. Both rides are fully supported.
Speaking of August 16th, have you ever given randonneuring a try? Rando-what-ing? That’s when you go on those uber-long, non-supported rides, or brevets, just for the fun of it all. Randonneurs subscribe to that old T. S. Elliot adage: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far one can go.”
These events are not races; in fact, riders are very supportive of each other. Cyclists must check in at a number of checkpoints, or controls, to prove that they covered the route. Along with the self-satisfaction of completing the brevet, all riders will receive a gift (and the opportunity to purchase a finisher’s medal).
On August 16th, the Santa Cruz Randonneurs will be sponsoring their annual Chualar 200K. The trek starts in Santa Cruz, heading south into the San Juan Bautista area, turning back at Chualar. Except for a few pulls–there will be less than 5,000 feet of climbing– organizers promise “…mostly flat to rolling roads in farmlands around the bucolic Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley regions.”
A last item before the feature: In case you were looking for info on the Surf City Century, there’s been a name change. This October favorite is now called the Surf City AIDS Ride. More info in the months to come.

This Month’s Feature: Ride for a Reason
As I said at the onset, I love our yearly camping, er... summit. In addition to the joy of reconnecting with the majestic Sierra Nevada, there is the absolute thrill of spending a week with my original nuclear family –Mom, Pops, Eric, Curt, Dana, and Adam– as well as with all the new spouses, nieces, nephews, and assorted friends. I count as precious anytime we can spend together, especially as my parents near their 80s.
It almost wasn’t so. Years ago, my younger sister, Dana, was diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately for all of us, her story turned out to be one of the happy ones, as she has now been cancer-free for over 5 years. I can’t imagine life without her.
I bring this up in a bicycle column for the following reasons. First, I’m sure everyone has a cancer story to share. (Some have happy endings; some end in profound sadness; and, with others, chapters are still waiting to be written.) Second, for those of us on the outside looking in, there’s often a powerless, what-can-I-do-to-help feeling.
That’s where cycling can assist. Take a look at all of those rides listed in the Save the Dates section of this column. Many of those events support a variety of health-related causes. Quite a few raise money specifically for cancer-related programs. Two such rides occur this month.
Your first opportunity comes on August 10th, out of Menlo Park, with the Tour de Max. Ride organizers have promised, “Maximum fun. Maximum challenge. Maximum Elevation Gain (not really, but plenty nonetheless).” Riders have two choices: a 3,000 ft./70K trek, rolling through Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills, and Los Altos; and a 7,000 ft./100K leg-buster, featuring climbs up Page Mill Road and (one of Cycle Guy’s favorites) the redwood-filled Tunitas Creek Road. Along with SAG support and rest stops, riders will enjoy a post-ride barbecue (hosted by Dutch Goose Burgers’n’Brews), live music, and a fun raffle.
Seventy percent of the Tour de Max registration fees go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Max Seales Yonker Foundation. Max, whom friends described as an “...incredible, unbelievable, charismatic woman,” died in 2005, a victim of cancer. Before passing, Max raised nearly $80,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. To learn more of her story, do a search for “Max Yonker” at the www.livestrong.org website.
A second opportunity to cycle against the dreaded “C” comes two weeks later, on August 23, when the 6th annual Bike Against the Odds returns to Oakland. Multiple route options take off from Lake Merritt, including a 2,660 ft./31ml., a 4,000 ft./52 ml., a 6,500 ft./72 ml., and a 10,000 ft./103 ml. full century! The event features a light breakfast, fully-stocked rest stops, SAG support, an organic lunch, and more. At the post-ride expo, there will be great entertainment, educational materials, product samples, and even massages!
Bike Against the Odds is sponsored by the Breast Cancer Fund. Teams and individual riders are encouraged to fundraise, and ride organizers will be offering many incentive prizes. (Visit www.breastcancerfund.org for ideas and assistance in this area.) Proceeds will benefit the aforementioned Breast Cancer Fund, as well as three local breast cancer service organizations: the Charlotte Maxwell Complementary Clinic, Friends of Faith, and the Women’s Cancer Resource Center.
Remember, when you do these and other charity rides, you never really know whose or how many lives you’ll be touching. Rest assured that you will be making a difference, riding for a reason.
I know Dana will agree!

Open Invitations to Ongoing Rides

Hollister
Off the Chain Bikes, R/M • Brian Lucas: 831-636-0802

R, Fred Matteson: fhmat@sbcglobal.net

Morgan Hill
Sunshine Bicycles, R/M • Chris Hauge: chris@southbayvelo.org

Concept Cyclery, R • www.conceptcyclery.com

Concept rides with a Park Ranger First Sunday of every month at
Coyote Creek Trailhead

Gilroy
Gilroy Presbyterian Church Health Ministries, R
Nancy McDonald: 408-842-9110

Sunshine Bicycles, R • Mykle Khong: myklekhong@hotmail.com

South San Jose/Morgan Hill
Almaden CycleTouring Club, R, actc.org

Monterey
Monterey Off Road Cycling Association, Peter Sherrill:
morcamtb.org • 831-676-7229

KEY: City–Group–Road/Mountain–Ride Days–Contact person and information. (Does your riding group want to be included here? Email me today!

	~ Curt Hentschke has pedaled over 22,000 miles of Out & About roads and trails. Send your cycle celebrations and cerebration to HeyCycleGuy@aol.com. Ride at your own risk and always within your capabilities. Always wear your helmet! Good rides and God bless!