With the time change with longer daylight hours in the evening the "official" start of the Stateline Spinner Bicycle Season will happen starting Tuesday March 16th. Weather looks a bit "nippy" for a ride so whoever attends please forward a photo if you are an attendee because LiteSpeed Rick may be doing an indoor ride that day😉
OK...so how about the "unofficial" 1st Spinner Ride of the season which happened this past Tuesday 3/9/21? The group shown below is no doubt tired of snowshoeing as the Stateline Stompers and decided to gather via unofficial texts & emails given the 60+ degree temperatures. Apologies to all who were not informed of this gathering but there is no stopping social media in this day and age. The size of this group bodes well for the cycling season.
As many Spinners are aware we usually have a Spring Pot Luck but like many other social gatherings it does not make sense to have an event that could be a "super spreader" of the Virus. Let's hope that we will be able to gather for an Autumn social function.
At the beginning of each cycling season it is always good to review The Stateline Spinner Guidelines shown below:
Stateline Spinner Bicycle Guidelines
This is a Voluntary Group of Bicyclists who gather periodically to ride together
Our “Mantra” is NO BICYCLIST IS LEFT BEHIND
There are no dues or expenses associated with this group
We ride on Tuesdays starting @ 5:30pm (5pm in Autumn)
We begin in the parking lot behind The Beloit Bicycle Co. located at 110 W. Grand Ave. in Downtown Beloit, WI
Sign up for a weekly e-newsletter on the website shown above
There is a Facebook page titled Stateline Spinner Bicycle Group
The rides can be printed from the website or downloaded to a smart phone or GPS device
There are Four categories of bicyclists who ride on Tuesdays based on a typical 30 mile ride with hills:
Hammers—avg speed 18mph++
Rabbits—avg speed 15-17mph
Cruisers—avg speed 12-14mph
Recreation Cyclists—12mph or less
It is important to ride with the group based on your skill level
If a bicyclist is falling off the pace, another cyclist should join that rider and ride with them back to the start of the ride
The decision as to the route to ride for that day is a “group decision”
We strongly encourage the use of helmets and front & rear flashing “blinky lights”; Riders should bring cell phones, hydration bottles, spare inner tube & means to fill it i.e. pump, CO2 cartridge and wear high visibility clothing on every ride
Bicyclists are expected to follow the “rules of the road” i.e. observe stop lights, stop signs, use hand signals when turning and ride single file when appropriate
Sharing of photos, stories, good & bad or indifferent is encouraged
Here is a an email from Jeff Johnson about an opportunity for Spinners to voice their opinion about a road project on 213 that could benefit bicyclists in the future...please note that Comments must be submittedbefore March 16th.
Hi Rick,
In a recent BDN Regional Roundup article there is a story requesting input to WisDOT regarding the 2026 resurfacing of Highway 213 from Beloit to Orfordville. I have commented that a 4 foot bike lane and 45 mph speed limit be designed from County Q into the City of Beloit. I'm wondering if you could include a pitch in the next Epistle for others to request the same.
Finally, Lon & Sue who run PAC Tours out of Sharon, WI have a number of cycling opportunities for 2021. Click on the link below to check out a trip that might be of interest...
