In spite of the wettest month since Noah built that little houseboat of his, we have been able to get in some good riding. If you were able to make it to our first Phantom Crossing Ride on May 16th, you were treated to a beautiful ride with some challenging hills and an obstinate southerly wind.

The month of June will feature some club rides that take us into the Hill Country and through terrific scenery. Yes, some of the routes have lots of hills, but that’s what makes them so great! If you haven’t been out to Boerne lately, the ride on June 6th might be just the ticket for you. Come join your hosts, Joe and Rita Bray, and learn why the ride’s nickname is “Is This The Last Hill?” 


Comfort-Ladybird Loop is something special, particularly the 56 mile route. It warms you up with a relatively flat stretch on Hwy 473, east of Comfort, before ratcheting up the hills on Old Number 9. On the way back, Hasenwinkel Road welcomes you with, guess what? More hills. But it is a fantastic route and one which should be on your “must ride” list. José Rojas is our ride starter. I know for some of us, Comfort can be a long drive but once you've ridden it, you'll know it’s well worth the trip.

On Saturday, July 4th, come join us for an early start to your Independence Day festivities. Our club ride will feature a rest stop at Bulverde City Park with a break to enjoy ice cold watermelon. Wear your club jersey (why not?, after all it is red, white and blue), dress up your bike with a small American Flag or some other decoration in the spirit of the holiday.

We have been working with the Velo Valero Cycling Club to put together some joint rides. We know many of you are familiar with them and have ridden with their club either for recreation or training for the Bike MS:  Valero Ride to the River or the Tour de Cure. In the spirit of cycling camaraderie their board and ours thought it would be a good idea to get our groups together from time to time. More riders equals more opportunities to ride with folks of similar speeds and distances as well as meeting new friends. Please join us for the first ride as we will be hosting our Toutant Beauregard ride on June 20th. In July, Valero will be our host for one of their rides. Please see our ride calendar for details.

Summer picnic reminder: Our club ride will begin at Pickrell Park in Schertz. After your ride, join us for Rudy’s BBQ and fellowship. Bring the family. Details will be on the website.

There aren’t very many organized rides in the area in late May or June but here’s one:

Now You See Me Foundation's 1st Annual 25 Mile Bike Ride.

As always you can find a more comprehensive list at bicycleridestexas.com.

See you on the road!

Bill Blackford
 

Sadly we note the passing of a local fellow cyclist. 

Ed Allbritton was killed in an accident with a car while cycling in Bandera on May 10th. A tribute published in the May 17th San Antonio Express-News cited his many contributions to various worthwhile causes as well as his love for family, fitness, education, hunting as well as cycling. While we don't know any factors contributing to his death, it certainly serves as an all too tragic reminder for all of us to be extra careful when riding and to be constantly aware of our surroundings. 

From time-to-time we hear of the death or serious injury to one of our own and we grieve for the family and friends and pray that this will be the last time.
 

We need your membership and we're constantly looking for your feedback on how we can improve the club. Please feel free to e-mail your suggestions to Tony Beauford.