After your first day of cycling, one dream is inevitable. A memory of motion lingers in the muscles of your legs, and round and round they seem to go. You ride through Dreamland on wonderful dream bicycles that change and grow. -- H.G. Wells, The Wheels of Chance
RECYCLERS BULLETIN:
December 2007
A brief Retrospective:
Well folks, the great rides just keep on coming, as the bikes (and years!!!) just keep on rolling. That's right, it seems like we just started 2007 and yet here we are at year's end. It really has been a fun one for the Recyclers' Bicycle Club. This last year has seen the continued development of established friendships as well as the development of many new ones. New faces and new personalities keep this club diverse and exciting, so again we welcome all of you who have begun to join us for rides this last year. Keep on coming out and participating, as it seems there's always a little something for everyone. These last several months, in particular, have seen a variety of great rides and fun Recyclers' events (like our participation in the "Midnight Madness" Ride, August 18th, sponsored in part by the SDCBC, which included
a very fun dinner before the ride at the Fish Market on Harbor Island.
George and Connie Olmstead hosted picnic after one of our Camp Pendleton Rides, September 9th.
"Da Wagon Masters' Coffee Stop" after our "El Monte Park Ride", at the home of "Da Wagon Master", himself, Bob Groff
The infamous, post holiday party (or in this case, open house), "Please Eat the Left Overs", Zieglers' Coffee Stop, graciously hosted by Mike and Carole Ziegler (it's always a different name depending on the time of year, but it's also always a great stop after our "Loma,Liberty, and the Zoo Too" ride.
Our "First Annual Recycler Holiday Potluck" hosted at the complex of Da Wagon Master himself, and one of the founders of the Recyclers, Bob Groff.
Some of the Recyclers participated in San Diego Bicycle Club's annual Toy Ride. Participants not pictured are Mike and Carole Ziegler who met the group at Mission Bay, and Bill Riggs, who brought one of his grandkids along.
Everyone has a great time whether it's a special event, or just one of our many rides. We've changed the route starting points, created rides with different challenge levels, added the early bird specials, and created rides with different distances. We've tried to create additional opportunities to socialize. We are confident there will be something in our club of interest for all types of riders. Our newest addition, beside the occasional Saturday ride, is the "Early Bird Special" which allows Recyclers and friends to start earlier and ride ten to fifteen extra miles in addition to the normal ride. The objective is for the early birds to meet the rest of the group at the normal starting point so that everyone can enjoy the comraderie and group atmosphere that is the hallmark of Recycler rides. We keep coming back because we enjoy each other's company, the excercise and solace we get from the mutually shared pastime (or obsession). Our rides continue to be diverse in their location, distance and challenge level. It's great to take in some of the breath taking views of different parts of San Diego County, while excercising and making memories. There is always a plethora of good natured ribbing, good and occasionally tastless jokes and good conversation. Kudos to all of the Recyclers, new and not new (don't want to use the "o" word), for keeping the club going and making the rides such fun. We enjoy the ever expanding circle of friends, and look forward to meeting new friends in the coming years. If you haven't been on one of our rides please come out and join us soon. Make it a resolution for the new year! If you enjoy riding at "conversation speeds", with a diverse group of riders, this club is for you. You're sure to enjoy the experience and some excercise and perhaps challenge yourself in ways you don't expect. Our rides are chronicled beautifully and can be viewed by clicking here or the gallery tab at the top of the page. Special Thanks to Greta and Neil for their work to create this resource for the club. We would be remiss not to mention the passing of one of our friends and fellow Recycler Mac McGill this past November. Everyone in the club enjoyed getting to know Mac and we look forward to the day his widow Kathy joins up with us again.
Mac on one of our many rides together. His family requested we celebrate his life rather than mourn his loss. So in 2008 while embracing his memory and the spirit he brought to the group, we commit ourselves to living life to its fullest, which for us includes lots of bicycling.
Here's what we have planned during the transition from 2007 to the New Year of 2008.
Upcoming Rides
Februay 10th
Don Fritgzes' San Diego South Bay Ride
Print a route slip
Distance: 28 Miles
Climb: 213 Feet
Easy flat ride. Meet at the San Diego County Administration Bldg., off the Pacific Coast Highway at 8:00am for an 8:15 roll out. This is a very nice, not too difficult ride, that takes us around the San Diego Bay, and then up the Silver Strand for a beautiful coffee break at the Coronado Ferry Landing, and then onto the ferry for the ride back to the city. It's a great ride for first timers and old timers alike.
Final Note:
"THANK YOU" to everyone who has made this last year so much fun. The Recyclers really are a terrific group of folks. We come from all walks of life and political persuasions, but we are all bound together by our mutual respect for one another and our common enjoyment of one of the simplest and most pleasurable pastimes life has to offer, bicycling. 2007 was a great year for the Recyclers'. I'm sure 2008 will be even better.