spokes - edmonton bicycle & touring clubspokes is the newsletter of the volunteer based edmonton...

Edmonton Bicycle and Touring Club www.bikeclub.ca

Many thanks to all the volunteers who made it happen this year! Special

thanks to the executive for all their dedication and to all the tour/trip lead-

ers for their efforts and creativity!

Next will be the weekly walks and then the XC skiing. See the website for

details. See pages 4-8 for a Jasmine’s trip report for July’s Jasper to Banff

trip. Doug B is selling some of his bikes; see page 3. The club is looking for

a new MS ride coordinator. See page 12 for details. Thanks to Bob AtLee

for all his good work in that role! Finally, don’t forget the Nordic Ski Swap;

see page 13.

Hot off the press:

See page 10-11 for Anne-Marie’s write-up of the September Waterton trip.

Club Information 2

Publicity Coordinator

Needed!

Buy and Sell

3

Jasper to Banff 4-9

Tour of Falling

Leaves

9

Waterton 10

MS Ride Coordinator

Needed

12

Nordic Ski Swap 13

Inside this issue:

October 2011

Spokes

Another Awesome Biking Season!


2

E-mail?

The EBTC maintains an e-mail directory of members. Occasionally, e-mail articles or other items received by EBTC considered to be of

interest to the membership are forwarded via e-mail. If you wish to be added to this electronic mailing list to receive updates, please

send your request via email to [email protected]

To save costs and valuable executive time, all club members receive e-mail notification when Spokes is posted on the club website and are

expected to access it online. Members who cannot access the Internet readily can get Spokes in hard copy by sending in a written request

to the EBTC post office box noted below. Remember that it costs the club $2.00 for each copy we print and put in the mail.

Moving? New Email Address?

Please send your new information to the Membership Coordinator at [email protected].

Publisher Information & Policies

Spokes is the newsletter of the volunteer based Edmonton Bicycle & Touring Club. Spokes is published monthly in the summer and bi-

monthly in the winter months.

Fees for non-members to advertise in Spokes is $25 for a quarter page, $50 for a half page and $100 for a full page.

Opinions expressed in Spokes are those of the contributor and are not necessarily shared by the Edmonton Bicycle & Touring Club. The

editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, brevity and content and is the sole judge of suitability for all articles and advertisements.

©Copyright 2008 by the Edmonton Bicycle & Touring Club. All rights reserved.

Newsletter Enquiries and Submissions

We welcome your comments and suggestions – especially if you have an idea for a trip or outing you think your fellow club members

might enjoy! The deadline for the newsletter is the 22nd of each month. Enquiries and articles can be e-mailed to

[email protected]. Articles must be submitted in Word format and any pictures may be scanned and e-mailed.

Edmonton Bicycle & Touring Club

P.O. Box 52017

Garneau Postal Station

Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2T5

Phone: 780-424-2453

Email: [email protected]

2011 EBTC Executive Members

President [email protected]

Ron Chapman 780-999-4900

Vice-President/Touring

Ed Weymouth 780-489-7711

Secretary [email protected]

Keri Barringer 780-988-1340

Treasurer [email protected]

Chris Chapman 780-999-5797

Membership Coordinator

Anne-Marie Adachi 780-988-9554

Social Coordinator

Bernie Lee 780-637-6064

Publicity Coordinator

To be filled 780-xxx-xxxx

Volunteer Coordinator

Leslie Varty 780-405-5095

Safety and Education Coordinator

[email protected]

Charles World 780-934-9421

Webmaster [email protected]

Greg Pommen 780-434-5082

E-mail Coordinator [email protected]

Chris Sommerfeldt 780-434-0165

Supplies and Equipment Coordinator

Freeman Taylor 780-988-6345

Librarian [email protected]

Scott Keast 780-905-6937

Newsletter Coordinator [email protected]

Dennis Nolan 780-439-5153


3

From Doug B., [email protected] Ph 780-984-2926

I have decided that 41 bikes may be a bit too many and have decided to sell about 1/2 of my

collection. Audrey once told me that everybody should have N + 1 bikes (the number of

bikes that you have plus one more) and, of course, I believed her. So, If you are interested

in a new old bike (most of my bikes are Miyata"s or Kuwahara"s (mostly upper end touring,

road, or upper end mountain bikes but also have others) between the years of 1980 and

1995 which I believe are when the best bikes were ever built. I do have some newer and 1

older (~1971 Raleigh 5 speed in very nice shape). Most of these bikes have undergone a

complete overhaul and are in better than new mechanical condition. I also have many,

many bike parts (both new & old but in great condition). Most of these part are for the older

bikes (I have to keep a supply of these parts which are ordered from the USA because they

are not available at local bike shops).

======================================================================

If you have any bikes or skis or related equipment, you can sell them here. You must be a member to sell

your stuff here.

Please send a description of your items (pictures optional) to [email protected].

BIKE CLUB EXEC POSITION OPPORTUNITY!

The Bike Club Exec is looking to fill one more volunteer position

on the Bike Club Board. Currently we are seeking someone to fill

the position of PUBLICITY COORDINATOR. This is an oppor-

tunity to be part of the enthusiastic team that make the Bike club

the amazing group that it is! Your role will be to assist with pro-

motions for the club and to attend the monthly executive meetings.

If interested please contact Club President Ron Chapman, [email protected], or Volun-

teer Coordinator, Leslie Varty, [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




4

RIDING THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ROLLERCOASTER ROAD

Jasper to Banff July 15-18, 2011

By Jasmine Hohenstein

Much has been written about the Canadian Icefields Parkway!

Every article, every story and every written documen-

tary uses flowery descriptions that fire up the wander-

lust inside your heart and guts! Who wouldn't want a

taste of this mountain paradise that has been touted as

"The Most Spectacular Journey In The World"? Who

wouldn't want to experience the jaw dropping scenery,

the magnificent peaks, countless glaciers, wandering

streams and rivers, and the thrill of encountering wild-

life around every corner? Then of course there is more

and more, the gushing waterfalls, colourful wildflowers,

emerald lakes, majestic forests, rocky canyons, steamy

hot springs and alpine meadows! The list goes on.....and

on!!

To say that this part of the world is jaw dropping beau-

tiful would be an understatement!

Tourists and visitors of every land, people of every nationality, every colour,size and race, as well as "fellow

Canadians" make their way to this magical place in a province I call home! Most do so by car,motor home, mo-

torbike or tour bus, but few have the opportunity to take on this Rocky Mountain Roller-coaster road on 2

wheels! Seeing this 230 KM of continuous eye candy in a motor vehicle is life changing and magnificent, cruis-

ing on two wheels in the company of good friends and delicious food only magnifies the Icefields' Parkway

"experience" tenfold! To cycle the Icefields Parkway in the middle of summer is something people all over the

world dream about!

Dreams do come true for those of us who cycle with EBTC!

So when the opportunity to travel this eye-popping roadway came up, almost "last minute", I hit the reply but-

ton on my computer immediately! Chris and Ron Chapman were organizing this “dreams do come true” trip .It

sort of fell into their laps when a small number of beds at all the hostels became available, as well as a chance

to have transportation for everyone and the bikes with Ben at Mountain Madness Tours. Having recently re-

tired, I did not have to grovel for time off, permission or otherwise! I registered lickety-split!

I had cycled this stunning road numerous times in both di-

rections and wanted to do it again to absorb the beauty of

one of my favourite places on earth. Doing it with a group of

friendly and enthusiastic cyclists makes the experience that

much more enjoyable! Who wants to do something like this

alone? Who could you babble and gush with as you gawked

at all the stunning scenery?

When the day came to meet up with our cozy group of 9 plus

Ben our driver, helper, tour guide, and go-to guy, the van,

gear and bikes were packed up in record time and we were

on the road heading for Jasper like one big happy family! I

fed our clan freshly made cinnamon buns out of the oven as

we organized our travel gear, one way to make friends in-


5

stantly! There were a lot of new faces for me on the trip! As we cruised along the Yellowhead, my new friends

and old pals were also munching on treats out of their goody-bags. Food wins every time!

We rolled into Jasper before we knew it, making record time! Everyone was eager

to get on the bikes! After reassembling our trusty transportation, loading up our

panniers and making sure we all had what we needed, we were off to find High-

way 93A. We voted to take the lesser travelled scenic 93A instead of the more of-

ten travelled 93. Less traffic, more hills and a better chance to see

bears....BEARS!!!

Even before we made the 93A turnoff, Jody was off her bike trying to get a better

look at one of those furry friends the park wardens warn you about! Not to worry,

she was not alone in her pursuit, other bear photo hungry camera touting tourists were all making their way

into the bush! Hopefully Jody would be the last choice of the group on the bears' menu! Spandex could not be

that yummy!

Our first half day of cycling was just a mere "warm-up" ride. Doing less than 40 KM could not be considered

serious cycling! We only had to make it to the Athabasca hostel that afternoon so taking our time and enjoy-

ing the views was easy! Stopping at the falls and taking in the magnificent nature is a must, even if you have

seen these falls 100 times before! I am always amazed by the power of the water being pushed over these cliff-

like ledges! I love watching the first time visitors with their jaws hanging open in awe of the scenery....like

small children in a candy store. I would love to know how many pictures are taken on any given day! Thank

goodness for digital photography!

We all made it to our rustic abode for the night! Everyone claimed their bunks at the Athabasca Hostel and

had an opportunity to make their beds before supper! Oh those large coed cabin rooms....would anyone be

snoring up a storm tonight? You always have your fingers AND toes crossed! Ron and Chris were busy cook-

ing up a storm for supper! I had offered to make the dessert to round up the meal. Pasta is always a good

choice and we were all famished! I had made a huge tray of rhubarb crisp and that had settled in the warm

oven nicely before dinner. We all ate like we had done 100 miles but made sure there was room for the des-

sert! And what good is rhubarb crisp if you don't have real whipped cream on top? Oh yes, there was the real

stuff and my trusty whipping wand sure came in handy! I am sure I could have had 2 quarts of real

cream...that too would have been inhaled!

Although we were not too grungy after the

short ride that day, we decided that a visit to

the Jasper pool and recreation centre would

be a nice ending for the day. The hostel has

no showers, so unless you want to do the

washbasin cleanup thingy, you go without!

Kaitie sweet talked her way and ours into

the pool for free which was very sweet in-

deed! Soaking in the hot pool was wunderbar!

I could not believe how quickly the cabin

lights went out that evening! Short ride or no

short ride, my fellow cyclists were pooped! I

had to get a few things organized for the

grand big breakfast feast the next morning,

so by the time I got that all ready and headed

for my bed, the walls were shaking al-

ready...snoring was to be!! Quiet as a mouse I

slipped under the covers, hoping the constant

sawing would stop.....it was not to be! I was


6

too lazy to get out the earplugs so I had to try and get some sleep!

My alarm went off WAY too early...but I was on breakfast duty and had to get cracking! I had waffles to cook,

muffins to arrange, cream to whip , sauces to make and bacon to fry! This was to be no ordinary breakfast!

Even at the hostel you can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary! Cooking is what I love to do and so why

not share the love with your new best friends and cycling mates? Nobody was disappointed and no one left the

table hungry! It was to be a long cycling day and we were all ready to get going!! Everyone was packed up, van

loaded and bikes were being adjusted right after breakfast! Our "team" helped where help was needed , there

was no slacking off!

Can I say once again that the riding was wonderful? Most of us were just cycling along at a leisurely pace, ad-

miring the views and stopping for pictures along the way. Kaitie was amazing on her commuter Trek, basket

and all! I was happy to have company in the "heavy bike" category! Ben wowed us with his awesome roadside

assistance! He made sure the goodies and snacks were plentiful and always fresh and varied! Chris and Ron

outdid themselves supplying all the munchies!! Who needed lunch anyway?

Some riders had a little help from Ben getting up the mountain pass, taking the "downs" was just a bit more

fun than grunting up 2088 meters! Just like in real life,I love the "ups", I dislike the "downs"! My poor hands

were white knuckled and cramped in the super braking position all the way down the mountain! Most every-

one gets a super Rocky Mountain high by zipping down at 60 KM an hour speeds, that only scares the you

know what out of me!!!

We all arrived at the Rampart Creek Hostel good and hungry! We had decided that nobody should have to cook

, except a real cook, after a whole day on a bike seat! After a little rest, we all piled into the van and headed for

The Saskatchewan River Resort where we let them do the cooking for us! We tucked into the buffet and

showed the other diners what real eating is all about! I think Steve ate half a cow , hard to hide such a pile of

beef bones! Who wants to eat salad?? Once we were all stuffed, we headed back to the hostel for some R and

R....so we thought! Things got very exciting as the evening wore on! A film crew was on site interviewing a few

of us for a promo series for Hostel International.

Of course we were all pumped with great things to say after such a wonderful day in the Rockies! My interview

was suddenly cut short by an emergency! One of the other visiting guests who spoke broken English came run-

ning with the terrible news that

someone had slipped into the rush-

ing creek and was in trouble! We all

dashed towards the water as quick-

ly as we could, everyone was run-

ning in a different direction looking

for the drowning tourist. Jim

grabbed a tree branch and ran

along side the wild water as we

tried to search for someone in the

water! For those of you who know

Rampart Creek, know that the wa-

ter is fast fast fast!!! We headed

downstream on each side of the

creek, seeing nobody in trouble!

Everyone was in panic mode! We

searched and we ran as fast as we

could but what happened to the

drowning girl? Did she get swept

away so quickly or caught under

the current?


7

As we searched and searched and tried to talk to witnesses, we were finally told that she was OK and safe

back at the hostel! Nobody bothered to come and tell the " EBTC Rescue Team"!!! The drama ended, and all

was calm once again! Interviews were concluded, the campfire was a blazing and it was lights out in our cozy

cabins before the sun disappeared behind the mountains! The steady snoring had started and it was to be a

long night!

Although the weatherman had promised us dry weather, we awoke to the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops on

our roof! What's with that??? I quietly got dressed and made my way to the kitchen! Ron was good and ready

for a tasty French press coffee! We had decided that we would buy the best coffee money could buy and make

serious coffee! There is nothing like starting the day with a decent cuppa java complete with real 18 % cream!

YUM!!! If you are going to stay at a hostel, share your room with a bunch of strangers, the least you can do is

have wonderful coffee in the morning!!! We were not to happy about the weather, especially Ben who got up

early to have a ride before breakfast! That plan was not to be! But our luck came in as we ate our breakfast,

the clouds broke up and voila, the day turned out nice once again! Beautiful sunshine lit up the mountain

tops!

We all enjoyed riding together on our way to Lake Louise. I think everyone was looking forward to a nice hot

shower! We have become so spoiled and somehow washing up in the creek is just too tough for us city folks!

There were so many beautiful things to look at as you cycle along, majestic glaciers tumbling down the moun-

tainside, Peyto Lake with its intense turquoise colour, the beautiful multicoloured wildflowers along the road-

side. Needless to say, my camera did not stop clicking pictures as we cycled along! I wanted to capture it all

on a memory card to enjoy a second time around!

The hostel at Lake Louise is probably one of the

nicest spots on earth, or one of the nicest hostels

in the country! It seems like deluxe luxury after

the more rustic but character filled hostels along

the Icefields Parkway! I LOVE the rustic hostels

with all their charm and simplicity, but I must

say, I enjoy the Lake Louise hostel for its interna-

tional and almost luxurious design! Rooms were

assigned, hot showers were taken and we all met

up once again for supper at the hostel cafe. An-

other gem in the Rockies! Nobody needed to get

out the pots and pans after a long hard day of cy-

cling! We let the competent cooks at the hostel

cafe prepare everything from pasta dishes, to

poutine and mile-high burgers! Variety is the

spice of life!

Another beautiful sunny day greeted us when we crawled out of bed on another early morning start! Pastor

John was on breakfast duty and I had promised to help scramble the eggs or fry sausages! The hostel kitchen

was deserted at such an early hour and we got 'cracking"! A kitchen war almost broke out when a woman al-

most demanded me to give her my frying pan! Her threat was that if she did not get it, she remarked in bro-

ken French accented English, that she would be, how you say?, GRUMPY!!! I was a bit stunned but told her,

OK, be grumpy because you are not getting my frying pan anytime soon, or until I am finished, whatever

comes first! She stormed around the kitchen creating a bad mood, but that did not deter us from having a

wonderful delicious breakfast!

Since it was reported that daytime temps would reach near 30, and there was no talk of rain, almost everyone

headed out travelling light! Ben would haul the extra clothing and rain-gear and poor-weather clothing in the

van! But as luck would have it, and you know the weather in the mountains can be as unpredictable as a vi-

cious dog, a big dark cloud rolled over the mountain tops and would pour rain all over our peleton for about an

hour! My little voice had said, keep carrying the rain-gear because you never know! The others had to put up


8

with the rain until Ben

could catch up with all the

necessary clothing! We

were delayed in the rain

waiting for road-crews to

let us continue our jour-

ney! This would not have

been so grim had it not

been raining cats and

dogs! Even a half hour

standing watching big

trucks and road crews do

their work can be agoniz-

ing when it is raining! We

all took it in good stride

and after turning a corner

in the road, there we were

basking under a clear blue

cloudless sky in glorious

sunshine! See, when in

the mountains and in Al-

berta you just have to

wait 5 minutes and the

weather will change!

Our wonderful cycling journey was quickly coming to an end as we were nearing the town of Banff.

We had seen and experienced so much in these short 4 days! Mountain passes were conquered, Athabasca Riv-

er and North Saskatchewan River had been our friends, Sunwapta Falls gushed tons of water as we passed by.

The Columbia Icefields had receded a wee bit more as we passed by, and thousands and thousands of vehicles

passed us, perhaps wishing they were us! New friendships had been made, old friendships had been renewed

and best of all, we had been fortunate to travel and experience one of the most magnificent bike rides in the

world!

Lucky us!


9

Tour of the Falling Leaves, September 24, 2011

The terzo edizione Tour of the Falling Leaves was a huge success. The weather was ideal at 27 degrees with

brilliant azure blue skies and very little wind. The trees held up their end of the deal and presented the riders

with a stunning canvass of golds, yellows and reds.

Our rest stop was a lot of fun with some describing it as a "party" after only the first third of the course. But

our intentions were pure - riders had to have 2/3 of the ride to burn off the antipasto, olives, salami, prosciut-

to, Italian sodas, home-made biscotti and coffee, before tucking into the tasty end-of-ride meal at Finalemente

Restorante. Al and Denise were consummate hosts as always.

That warm golden day will undoubtedly live on in the hearts riders and help sustain them through this next

winter.

Scott


10

Waterton Hub and Spoke

September 2-5, 2011

Anne-Marie Adachi

Waterton …………”a quiet, uncrowded Na-

tional Park, a perfect place to view spectacular

scenery, wildlife and enjoy outstanding recrea-

tional opportunities”.

The accuracy of this statement was proven 100% during the inaugu-

ral EBTC Waterton Hub and Spoke held on the long weekend

(September 2-5, 2011). There were 26 riders participating, 19 EBTC

members and 7 members from Elbow Valley Cycle Club in Calgary.

Everyone made their own way to Waterton on a beautiful Friday

afternoon September 2, 2011. As soon as a group of people arrived in

Waterton and settled in to their rooms at Aspen Village, we were ready to hit the trails after the long car ride

(6 hours from Edmonton)! Our first ride was the Kootenai Brown Trail, a beautifully maintained newly built

(2010) multi-use trail from the town site to the park gate and return. A few kilometers into the ride we saw our

first bear, a small one on a hillside, minding his own business. Following our ride we had dinner and a short

meeting where we met our friends from Calgary and made plans for the weekend. The Calgary contingent was

led by the President of EVCC, Ursula.

Saturday morning we woke to beautiful blue sky and sunshine but burr…0° C temperature. But no fear, we

extended breakfast and coffee and set out for our Day 1 ride to Twin Butte at 10 am. Not long into the ride fol-

lowing a bit of climbing we were all shedding the warm clothes. Ernie told me about the beauty of the area and

described the landscape as mountains meeting the prairie’. I didn’t realize it could be so dramatic and so spec-

tacular. Some pictures taken along the way…..


11

Most people rode to Twin Butte in a little over 2 hours, in time for lunch at the Twin

Butte Country General Store http://www.twinbuttestore.ca. What an amazing

place…who would have guessed, a Mexican restaurant where you would least expect.

The owner and staff were prepared for us and everyone was treated to heaps of very de-

licious food by efficient and friendly staff. It was very difficult to cycle after that lunch!

Some people chose to do the Hillspring loop after lunch for about 109 km, while others

cycled back to the Waterton townsite (56km).

Day 2 we cycled to the Alberta/Montana border. Again we were

treated to a beautiful blue sky, warmer temperatures and no wind at

the start of the ride. This was a good thing as the climb was signifi-

cant and surely impossible to manage in the wind we had been

warned about. Some pictures on the way to the border and proof that

we did make it.

In keeping with the EBTC tradition of cycling and eating, we had a

group barbeque on Sunday evening with great food, fun and friendship.

On Monday morning we packed up to

come home with heavy hearts and fan-

tastic memories.

Same time same place in 2012!

Anne-Marie Adachi

http://www.twinbuttestore.ca/


12

HELP WANTED ... MS RIDE MARSHAL CO-ORDINATOR!

Looking for a fun job, with nice people and free food, capped off by a great spring ride?

Bob AtLee will be stepping down as EBTC's MS-Ride Co-Ordinator at the end of the June 9 - 10, 2012 ride. Can you

work with Bob to plan the 2012 ride, and then take over as co-ordinator?

If what's below resonates with you, contact Bob at 780-464-0603 or [email protected]. And thanks!

Here are some pertinent points:

The MS Leduc to Camrose ride is the largest and most successful fundraising events for Multiple Sclerosis, and is one

of the largest charity bike rides in Canada. It runs the second weekend in June and goes from Leduc / Nisku to Cam-

rose, returning after an overnight stay and a big banquet and party. EBTC has a 20 - plus year history of assisting

the ride by offering ourselves as volunteer Route Marshals.

Responsibilities:

Recruit marshals from EBTC ranks.

Attend monthly planning meetings

(with dinner provided!) through-

out the Fall - Winter - Spring.

Provide feedback, advice and

input with special attention to

rider safety.

Maintain a contact list / sign-up list

of volunteers (one exists now).

Co-ordinate with MS Society's Vol-

unteer Manager re: volunteers

registered.

Indoctrinate volunteers (training

ride or other events)

Keep volunteer marshal job descrip-

tion up to date.

On the ride weekend, show up early and marshal the marshals. Gate marshals out to ensure best coverage of the

rider pack.

Get feedback and present to the MS organizing committee at their follow-up meeting.

Work Relationships:

Answers to the MS Society's (employee) Development Manager of Bike Tours.

The Marshal Co-ordinator is one of several positions on MS's organizing committee which are staffed by volunteer

organizations. Others include Canadian Ski Patrol System (first aid), Community Police Radio Network

(communications and SAG), massage therapist organization.

EBTC's John Sisson has agreed to stay on in an advisory role, not co-ordinating lists etc.


13

HELP WANTED ... MS RIDE MARSHAL CO-ORDINATOR! (continued)

Timing and Time Commitment:

One evening a month, November through June: attend MS ride committee meetings.

Over the winter: several hours per month to prepare and issue SPOKES article, FireWheels, web page announce-

ment, update volunteer list (spreadsheet); e-mail previous years' volunteers and likely prospects, attend meet-

ings.

Ongoing, January through June: couple hours per month to keep track of volunteers registered; growing to a couple

hours per week mid to late Spring to keep communication with volunteers, mesh lists with MS Society's volun-

teer manager, resolve issues, etc.

Entire weekend of the ride itself (second weekend in June): committed to riding the ride and gating the marshals out

at the starts.

The Edmonton Nordic Ski Club presents:

The Annual Edmonton Nordic Ski Swap

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Goldbar School, 10524 46 St.

Bring your used cross-country ski equipment to sell; buy for this winter; sign up

for ski lessons and other ENSC programs; and get up-to-date information about

what’s new from local ski shops and groups.

We request a donation to the club of a Twoonie per individual or $5 per family of

three or more (including all sellers and/or buyers) at the door.

Sellers: Sell your own equipment. Set your own price.

Individuals wishing to sell equipment should come to the school by 12:15 to set

up.

Buyers: All sales are cash or cheque only and paid directly to the seller. All sales

are final and ENSC does not guarantee the goods for sale.

Everyone: Remember that this day is the end of Daylight Savings Time for this

year, so don't forget to turn your clock/watch back an hour the night or morning

spokes - edmonton bicycle & touring clubspokes is the newsletter of the volunteer based edmonton...

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