MCCers!
The Monday Night Ride (MNR) returns Monday May 2 at 6:30p.m. In addition to our slate of ride groups we’ve added a new group for this season, the “Super Sport” group. Here’s the details for all ride groups for the 2011 season:

Ride Name: Monday Night Ride (MNR)
When: Monday Nights (May 2 through September)
Where: Holland Aquatic Center
Time: Ride leaves at 6:30 PM (on Memorial Day and Labor Day - ride will shift morning)

Ride Groups:

First Group - Pace +24 mph, Distance determined each week

Super Sport - Pace of 22-23 mph with a 40 mile loop.

Sport 1 - Pace of 20-21 mph with a 40 mile loop.

Sport 2 - Pace of 18-19 mph with a 35 mile loop.

Sport 3 - Pace of 15-16 mph with a 25 mile loop.

Ride Leaders will be designated for all groups, except First Group.
No ride sweepers.
Commitment to following “rules of the road”

Reminder, all riders are asked to ride single file on Blue Star after waiting for the green light at the Burger King. Also stop in Douglas to regroup (all groups except Sport 3).

For more details, click on the Club Rides link on the left side of this web page. See you Monday May 2nd!!!

Don’t miss the last MCC membership meeting of the Spring taking place this Monday night. This month’s guest speaker is Amanda Diephouse. Amanda is a nutrition wellness coach for Vita-Mix. She will have a short presentation on sports nutrition and answer your nutrition questions. Along with Amanda, Marshall Michmerhuizen and Tim Meyer will be on hand to talk about our new plans for the Monday Night Ride. Don’t miss this last meeting, as we start rides this month and won’t resume membership meetings until next October.

See you at CityFlats Hotel in downtown Holland at 8pm?

To all MCC members and fans of the MNRide!

Spring is here and that means the MNRide! MCC has made few changes, but one great addition. The MNRide has a new group lead by club board member Tim Meyer. Many may know Tim as the owner of Rock ‘n’ Road Cycle in Holland and Grand Haven, but he is also a avid MNRider coming out almost every week.

Below is basic information for what we’re calling “Super Sport”

• Super Sport will have an average speed of about 22-23 mph, which means a riding pace of 23-24 mph. (more on pace vs. average on the bottom)
• Riders will be expected to handle flats and non-emergency break downs
• Smooth pace lines and competent cycling skills is a focus of SS
• Route will be the same as Sport 1
• Super Sport is much like Sport 1, so this is the perfect group for riders who feel limited by the Sport 1 pace and want something more

This is NOT a race group. The goal of SS is not to launch attacks, race up hills, and see how few riders make it back to the “city limits” sign in Graffschaap. Super Sport will begin in April, the first ride is the 11th. April rides will be a more relaxed base miles pace. The single Super Sport group will leave from the Aquatic Center at 6:00 PM for April only. Distance may vary depending on weather and available daylight.
The first MNRides for all groups will start on May 2nd at 6:30. Sport 1 and Sport 2 will roll out after Super Sport and the First Group have left.
Didn’t see our Sport 3/25 mile distance group listed? Sadly we don’t have a leader for this ride, yet.

If you have any questions about MNRide. Tim and I will be presenting the information at the APRIL meeting so please join us.

NOTE: Hamilton Route! Love it? Hate it? Only want to see it on the weekends? I need your feedback on this for 2011. If your a member, cast your vote on the Hamilton route at the April meeting.

Marshall

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Pace vs. Average.

Average speed is simply the “average speed” over the course of the ride, starting and ending in Grafschaap. Distance traveled to and from the parking lot should not be considered. To finish with a “21 average” would require often riding above 21 mph (23-25 mph) to compensate for stop signs, hills, traffic or anything which slows down the group.

Pace is defined, for the MNRide, as the speed the group tries to ride most often. Pace does not mean the group will not go faster or slower than the suggested speed, (everyone loves going downhill), but this is our goal speed. On flat roads with neutral wind, we should be going the stated pace for the ride. If you’re on the front and doing 23 mph, slow down. Doing 18? Slowly accelerate to the pace and keep it as steady as possible.

Hey MCCers,

Monday’s Macatawa Cycling Club general membership meeting will feature Sgt. Steve Austin from the accident investigation unit of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department. Steve will have a PowerPoint presentation on accidents, particularly bicycle accidents and how, why, when and where those accidents happen (and how we can help avoid risk). We’ll have Ottawa County maps there, to follow along. He will leave ample time for discussion.

If you have anything you’d like covered you might contact the Sargent ahead of time; saustin@miottawa.org.

This is prime time to learn from an expert’s point of view what we can all do to have a very safe 2011 on our bikes. See you this Monday night, 8:00pm at CityFlats Hotel located on 7th Street in downtown Holland. See you then.

Macatawa Cycling Club

MCCers!

Join us in 1st floor Conference Room @ City Flats Hotel @ 8pm on Monday Feb 7th. This month’s guest speaker is local racer/rider/coach Chris Kreple. Chris will present a primer on effective training using a heart rate monitor or power meter. Chris is a well-known figure in our area…having raced and ridden in West Mi since the mid-80’s. He has returned to competitive cycling w/ a vengeance recently and has posted impressive results in events both local and national.
So come join us and catch up with your favorite bike club.

Macatawa Cycling Club

Hello MCC Members,

Believe it or not, it’s time to begin the planning process for this year’s Holland Hundred Bicycle Tour.  As you know, the Holland Hundred is our club’s main fundraising event and it takes a bunch of people to plan and coordinate the event.  Last year’s tour was our largest ever with over 1,500 riders taking to the roads and this year’s goal is to top that number.  We are looking to our club members to step up and help out with the planning.  This year we have broken the tasks down into 9 specific and manageable coordinator positions.  As you will see listed below, each coordinator will have specific duties and responsibilities:

a.       Route Coordinator - (selection, mapping, printing of maps, route marking, cleaning corners, posting of route maps on website, etc.)

b.      Rest Stop Coordinator (locations, permits, Upward Bound, Pancake Breakfast – East Saugatuck Christian Reformed Church – tent at church, Bentheim Reformed Church, schedule porta johns – 2 at Bentheim & 4 at ESCRC))

c.       Advertising & Promotion Coordinator - (printing, registration forms, Holland Visitor Bureau website posting, negotiate with hotels and restaurants for special rates/discounts, DDA support, pre-party promotion, etc.)

d.      Registration Coordinator - (mass e-mail, on-line registration, mass mailing of registration forms, night before registration, day of event registration, proceeds -counting and deposits, wrist bands)

e.      Sales Coordinator - Tee shirts and commemorative water bottles (screen printing source, quantities, sales at registrations, proceeds -counting and deposits)

f.        Pre-Ride Party Coordinator - (location, organization, raffle prize solicitation, food, beverage, tent, permits, invite area bike shops and Motion Initiative)

g.       SAG Coordinator – Bike shop commitments (signed contracts), coordination and management day of event, consideration of a SAG tent at start and at East Saugatuck CRC

h.      Event Staffing Coordinator– Includes pre-ride party/registration and day of registration & activities (set-up, “ride start/registration here” signs at entrance, support bike shop booths, after ride refreshments, clean-up)

i.         Day of Ride Coordinator – coordinate and direct parking, placement of HH, parking and registration signs, barriers as appropriate, sheriff and EMS support,

If you have not been a part of the Planning Committee before, all the more reason to participate.  We have lots of fun and a few benefits as well.  Those of you who helped plan last year’s tour, we are looking to you to demonstrate and share your experience on the Committee again this year.

So let’s do it!  Send me an e-mail at dbspooner@charter.net and let me know you want to be on the Committee.  We will hold meetings monthly with our first one later this month, so act now and send me an e-mail.

Your assistance is appreciated.

Doug Spooner - 2011 Holland Hundred Coordinator