July Logo.jpgJuly
E-Spokin' Word

Happy Birthday USA!

 

|  Home  |  Newsletters  |  Rides  |  Community  |  Sponsors  |  Classifieds  |  Contact Us  |  Links  |

We're spreading the General Membership meetings around for our members in Norfolk and Portsmouth.  The next General Membership Meeting will be held at Indian River Library, 2320 Old Greenbrier Rd Chesapeake, VA

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

TBA 4th of July Ride and Picnic
Northwest River Park

Self Paced         Courses Open at 9:00 am           Food served at 12:00     21 and 30 mile routes

 

Join fellow cyclists on Saturday, July 4th for self-paced bicycle rides followed by a FREE cookout!  Non-TBA members are welcome to attend for a $10.00 donation.  New members who join TBA at the event can also attend for free!  Our 21 and 30 mile routes will both open at 9:00 and food will be ready to eat at 12:00.  All TBA members need to do is bring their bicycles and work up an appetite.  Non-members should also bring $10 or plan to join TBA at the event.  Non-riders are also welcome and should come hungry!  Everyone is welcome to bring a side dish or dessert to share.  Please RSVP with Jeff Hathaway at 757-572-1486 or editor@tbarides.org so we know how much food to cook.

 

Leader: TBA Executive Committee

 

Joining the Tidewater Bicycle Association is easier than ever!  Click the online button and follow onscreen instructions; or if you prefer, download and mail in your TBA Application.  Join Now!

Two Easy Ways to TBA Membership:

Online              Mail-in

Computer new 1.gif             Document Invoice Pink 2.gif

Why Join?  Participation in TBA scheduled group rides provides the incentive to get out and enjoy healthful cycling exercise.  It beats back the occasional depression bouts we all experience.  Some lose weight and never find it again.  We end up HAPPY!

 

 

President's Message

Another month has gone by and my inbox is once again full of email messages that discuss senseless deaths of fellow cyclists and other people using alternate forms of transportation who were unseen by the motorists who hit and killed them.  I have read numerous opinions critical of our legal system failing accident victims in these cases.  While this may be true, filing charges against someone will never bring anyone back.

Each one of us is responsible for our own safety every time we go out on to the road on our bikes, on foot, or even in our cars.  I was originally going to write about the importance of not riding with headphones blaring Jerry Lee Lewis, Nancy Sinatra, Snoop Dog, or your favorite polka into your ears while you are riding, but we all know this is not the smartest thing to do.  In some cities and states it is even illegal, and I read that tickets have been issued to headphone wearers in California.  Instead of concentrating solely on the hazards of using headphones while riding, I decided it would be more appropriate to mention some other safety tips as well.  After all, I want everyone to be here to read my August article too!

Please take a few minute to read the summary of Laws and Safety Tips put together by VDOT and brought to my attention by Bill Hart.  (http://www.vdot.virginia.gov/programs/bk-laws.asp)

Bicycling in Virginia

Rights and Duties

Every person riding a bicycle on a highway shall be subject to the provisions of the Code of Virginia section on motor vehicles and shall have the rights and duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle unless a provision clearly indicates otherwise.

Traffic Controls

Bicyclists must obey all traffic signs, signals, lights, and markings.

Changing Directions

Bicyclists must signal their intentions to stop or turn.

Safety Considerations

  • Bicyclists must not carry articles which prevent them from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
  • Bicyclists must not carry more people than the bicycle is designed to accommodate, except for adult bicyclists carrying a child, under six years of age, securely attached to the bicycle in a seat or trailer designed to carry children.
  • Bicyclists must not attach themselves or their bicycles to any other vehicle on the roadway.
  • Bicyclists are not permitted to wear earphones in both ears while riding a bicycle.

Helmet Use

Several jurisdictions in Virginia require that every person fourteen years of age or younger shall wear a protective helmet whenever riding or being carried on a bicycle on any highway, sidewalk, or public bicycle path.

Equipment

Every bicycle ridden between sunset and sunrise must have at least one white headlamp with the light being visible at least 500 feet to the front.  The bicycle must have a red reflector on the rear visible at least 600 feet to the rear.  On roads posted with speed limit of 35 mph or greater, the bicyclist must additionally be equipped with at least one red taillight visible from 500 feet to the rear.  Taillights may be steady or blinking, are allowed under all conditions, and may be attached to the cycle or rider.

Bicycles ridden on highways must have brakes which will skid the wheels on dry, level, clean pavement.

Tips for Safe Bicycling

  • Be a responsible bicyclist - obey all traffic control devices and use proper hand signals.
  • Always ride with the flow of traffic.
  • Dress safely - wear a helmet, wear bright colored clothing, and secure loose pant legs.
  • Ride defensively - anticipate the actions of other road users and watch for road hazards.
  • Pass vehicles with extreme care - turning vehicles may not see you.
  • Be aware of motor vehicle blind spots whether while riding or when stopped at an intersection.
  • Maximize your visibility at night - wear reflective clothing and apply reflective tape to your bicycle.
  • Walk your bicycle when you get into traffic situations beyond your cycling abilities.
  • Exercise great caution when riding in bus traffic - watch out for buses pulling to and from curbs and passengers getting on and off buses.
  • Park your bicycle so you do not block sidewalks, handicap and building accesses, or emergency drives.
  • Lock your bicycle - secure both wheels and the frame to a stationary object using a sturdy lock.
  • Register or license your bicycle if required or provided by your community.

 

 

General Membership Meeting


Date:   Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

Place:  Indican River Library

Time:     7:00 pm / Come at 6:30 pm to socialize

 

Future Events from TBA

  • July 4th - Holiday Ride (Northwest River Park)
  • Aug - TBA BBQ
  • September 1st  - Labor Day Ride
  • September - Eastern Shore weekend event
  • November - Elections at the General Membership Meeting
  • November - Fall Festival Ride/Picnic at Northwest River Park (2nd Weekend)
  • If you have moved , please contact Mike Sleeman to have your address updated. 
    E-mail: membership@tbarides.org.  We mail out our correspondences and newsletters via 3rd Class mail, and it will not be forwarded by the U.S. Postal Service.
  • The deadline for next month's newsletter is the 10th of this month.  You can e-mail your submissions (i.e. classifieds or articles) to Jeff Hathaway at editor@tbarides.org.
  • TBA Board Meetings are open to all current members of TBA.  If you would like to address the Board on a topic please send your request in writing to club president Steve Zeligman at president@tbarides.org.

 

The TBA Mission

The purpose of the TBA is to promote and encourage the use of the bicycle as a means of recreation and transportation; to develop a physically fit, self reliant, well informed citizen; to uphold and support the rights of bicyclists; to encourage the use of facilities for bicycling on public lands; and to provide information in the interest of bicycling safety.

 

Why Join Tidewater Bicycle Association?

Answer:  To support cycling in our Tidewater Area


The TBA Mission Statement, in addition to promoting cycling for recreation, transportation, and physical fitness, states, "...to uphold and support the rights of bicyclists; to encourage the use of facilities for bicycling on public lands; and to provide information in the interest of bicycling safety."  TBA has a number of members who work to provide these services but costs keep rising.  Without the continued support of expanding membership, we will have a difficult time succeeding in these efforts.  Here are some other great reasons to join:

 

1.  Exercise:  Participation in TBA scheduled group rides provide the incentive to get out and enjoy healthful cycling exercise.  It beats back the occasional depression bouts we all experience.  Some lose weight and never find it again.  We end up HAPPY!

2.  Social:  Participation in a group ride provides the opportunity to meet people with great cycling experience.  You can better improve your cycling skills from them than by yourself.

3.  Skills:  Riding with a group provides the incentive to improve.  You can enjoy safety in traffic.  Your experience mixing it up with car and truck traffic makes you more aware of your responsibilities as a driver and makes you a better driver.

4.  Travel:  If you are new to the Tidewater area, some of our rides will require you to visit areas you would not otherwise visit.  Not only the ride route but also your drive to the start point.  Later you discover cycling events out of area - out of state - and out of country.