Member benefits

Unlock Peace of Mind with Road iD, A Must-Have for Every Cyclist

As cyclists, we hit the road with passion and purpose, exploring new trails, conquering challenging terrains, and embracing the freedom of the open road. Yet, along with the thrill of cycling comes the responsibility of ensuring our safety, especially in the face of unforeseen emergencies. That's where Road iD comes in – a simple accessory that could make all the difference in critical moments.

What is Road iD? It's more than just a bracelet; it's your lifeline in emergencies. This lightweight and comfortable band, worn on your wrist or ankle, carries vital information that can speak for you when you can't. From allergies and medical conditions to emergency contacts and essential medical history, Road iD ensures that first responders have the crucial details they need to provide swift and accurate care.

Why should every cyclist invest in a Road iD? Here are the top benefits:

1. Emergency Preparedness: In the event of an accident or medical emergency, Road iD immediately communicates critical information to first responders, enabling them to make informed decisions and deliver appropriate care promptly.

2. Peace of Mind: With Road iD, you can cycle with confidence, knowing that you have a safety net in place. Whether you're riding solo or in a group, Road iD provides reassurance that help is just a glance away.

3. Personalization: Road iD allows you to customize your band with essential details, such as your name, emergency contacts, medical conditions, and allergies. This personalized approach ensures that responders can tailor their actions to your specific needs.

4. Comfort and Convenience: Designed for active lifestyles, Road iD is lightweight, durable, and comfortable to wear. Its sleek design seamlessly integrates into your cycling gear, ensuring that you won't even notice it until you need it.

5. Universal Protection: Road iD isn't just for cyclists – it's suitable for runners, hikers, adventurers, and anyone who values safety and preparedness. Whether you're on two wheels or on foot, Road iD is your constant companion, providing protection wherever your adventures take you.

Don't leave home without your Road iD. Invest in your safety today and enjoy worry-free cycling tomorrow. After all, when it comes to your well-being, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Get details on applying your discount and see other MVBC membership benefits on the Membership Benefits page

RIDE COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS ...

Meet RWGPS Challenge winner Cary Thompson

by Tracy Hug, Newsletter Editor, photos from Ironman

During June, MVBC Ride Committee offered three challenges, using RideWithGPS to track mileage, elevation and saddle time. It was open to all club members and each challenge had just under 20 members participating.

Cary Thompson made an impressive showing: winning the time in saddle and elevation challenges and coming in third in the distance challenge. I have met Cary at several local bike events through the past few years and knew that he also competed in Ironman so I wanted to learn more about him.

Cary and his wife Jennifer moved to Corvallis about eight years ago. He grew up in California riding bikes throughout his younger days and was in his high school bike club. He also excelled at swimming, competing in the long distances: 500 meters. At 18, he had a subscription to the Portland Oregonian newspaper, “I always wanted to live in Oregon,” Cary says.

Through the years, Cary and Jennifer spent a lot of time in Oregon: they made trips up when they had vacations, visiting all over the state. When Cary retired, they knew where they would move: Corvallis. Cary wanted a place away from heavy traffic and with good cycling opportunities and a good public swimming pool!

Cary started training for and competing in Ironman after he retired. Since 2020, he has done five Ironman and several half-Ironman competitions. In 2023, he completed in the Ironman World Championships in Nice, France. He also has run qualifying races every year for ultramarathons and is trying to get a lottery selection into Western States Endurance Run: a 100-mile trail run in California.

“In France, I went there just to have the experience and have fun and take it all in. I wasn’t there to compete. I did a lot of touristy things before the race instead of resting. I finished it and felt pretty good doing it but my time wasn’t that great,” Cary said. “The route in Nice has the most climbing on the bike of all the Ironman events: it goes up into the Alps. I didn’t even take my time trial bike. I took my road bike for the better handling on the steep, narrow and twisty roads. That was a lot of fun.”

“Swimming is my strongest event in the Ironman. In the open water, I am able to pick the shortest distance between two points. I typically get out of the water first and then a few people pass me on the bike. More people pass me on the run,” Cary said.

Speaking of strong swimming, Cary also has done the Portland Bridge Swim two times. It is an 11-mile open water swim that travels under 12 bridges. 

During his career as a firefighter in the Bay Area, they lived in both Davis and Santa Cruz, giving Cary an 80-mile commute, but as a firefighter, he didn’t do it every day. Cary was also a seasonal ocean lifeguard for California State Parks for eight years while in Santa Cruz. They were members of the local bike club. Cary rode the Death Ride, the tour of the California Alps, four times: “Endurance is my strong suit. I can find a pace and stick to it,” Cary said.

Looking forward, Cary plans to continue doing Ironman events. He is one step closer to another goal: running the Big Sur Ironman. He got into the lottery for April 2025.

The Big Sur Marathon was a goal for a long time and he got into a lottery for April 2025. For that race, they close down highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel. He will start training in January. He creates his own training program and nutrition.

In the past, Cary has mostly done one-day events but is looking to do more gravel and multi-day events.

“My gravel bike is taking most of my focus and I want to get more into bike packing more and I just got a new bike specifically for that.” He has made a few trips from Corvallis to the coast (some on the C2C). He is considering doing the Odyssey of the VOG in the future and looking at the Great Divide.

The MVBC club challenge didn’t change Cary’s riding plans. “The timing was pretty good for me because I was training for the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder and did that event during the challenge. It’s a 5-day event that covers 350 miles and 30,000 feet of climbing,” Cary said.

Watch for Cary out on the roads or the trails: His favorite three rides in the area are McKenzie Pass, from Sisters to Smith Rock and the fire roads in the Macdonald Forest.

Worth a listen: Logging safety

Dirty Freehub is an organization that is known for sharing routes online and they are also helping to educate riders about the areas they ride in, including forestry areas. Two podcasts help educate riders about logging operations and how to safely interact with log trucks and equipment.

Log trucks general operations

Log trucks & rider safety

Photos L & R by Tracy Hug, center image by Freepik.com

Moods of Future Joys and Thunder & Sunshine by Alastair Humphreys

by Tracy Hug, newsletter editor

My summer reading was a two-book series covering the 46,000 mile world journey of a Alastair Humphreys. At 24 years-old, he set out to travel the globe by bicycle even though he wasn't really a regular bike rider. He chose the bike as a way to travel that was affordable and self contained.

When his original plan is derailed by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, he has to modify his travel plans. The first book covers his journey from his home in England to Africa. The second book tells the continuation of his trip through the Americas and Asia. He shares the stories of the road as he deals with mechanical mishaps, questionable camping spots and the challenges of loneliness during his solo travels.

This was not a quick trip but a four year expedition where he mostly rode solo but had friends join him for some stretches, including Siberia. He rode the trip as a fund raiser for Hope and Homes for Children, a charity who's goal is to place orphans with families instead of institutions. 

FROM THE ROAD

Tales from Andalusia Spain

by Tracy Hug, MVBC newsletter editor

In May, three of our MVBC members, Tracy Arras, Kelli Cripe and Lori Wilson were joined by a fourth friend from Idaho, MaryJo, and set off for a tour of the Andalusia region of Southern Spain. I chatted with our local three while on a bike ride about their experiences in Spain and wanted to share a bit about their trip. This is a compilation of the trio’s shared experiences.

The group flew to Spain about a week prior to the bike tour: they stayed in Malaga and Granada. Highlights during that week were visiting the Picasso Museum, swimming in the Mediterranean and eating freshly roasted sardines cooked over the fire on the beach.

“The food was great and so was the coffee … and the sangria. The pastries were out of this world delicious. We spent time visiting castles, mosques and appreciating all the stunning architecture. We also did a little souvenir shopping at the artists booths.”

For the bike tour portion, they traveled with the organization, Bicycle Adventure Club, a non-profit, bicycle touring club for serious cyclists run by its 1500 volunteer members. Their tagline is, “Friends Leading Friends on Rides.”

“Our group had 23 riders and about half were tandems. There were other riders from the US but also some from other parts of Europe. We spent 15 nights, 12 days riding. There were two days off that were optional ride days. We stayed in really nice hotels, throughout Andalusia, the White Villages.”

“The trip was laid back and riders managed their own plans and schedules within the itinerary of the day: There’s no leaders, so you’re on your own during the day and there is no SAG (except for emergencies).” The trip did include transportation of luggage from the hotel each morning to the next night’s hotel and the company provided transportation of the bike boxes to the end point of the tour.

It was a challenging course on paved roads. Average mileage was ~50/day with lots of climbing. “The information said it was ‘slightly hilly,’ but it was actually very hilly!” The tour included breakfast every morning, and nine dinners were included. Lunch on their own, giving them a chance to explore the towns they passed through.

“We saw a lot of vineyards and a cork tree forest … and billions of olive trees throughout the trip! There was also a lot of interesting architecture. At the end of the trip, we were able to look across to see Africa!”

Each night included a happy hour where riders learned about the area they would cover the next day. This included area highlights, history, architecture and details about the type of produce found in the area.

Dinner went late into the evening with restaurants opening around 8 p.m. and with long days of riding, the group sometimes went to their hotel rooms while dinner and dessert were still going on.

We all brought our own bikes, but BAC does offer rental bikes, including electric bikes.

BAC offers rides in the US and abroad: the trio noted that the bookings for the trips abroad fill up quickly. They have booked a trip for Northern Spain for 2025 and I look forward to hearing about that trip too!

Loop Tour 2024: Coasting Six Rivers

by Ann Asbell, Loop Tour

Loop Tour 2024 is in the books and will go down as one of the best MVBC Loop Tours.  From riders, I have heard "Top 5", "Top 3", "Best Ever".  So what made it so special?  Here is what riders have said.  

• Low Traffic
• Back Roads
• Great Route  - Interesting, Beautiful
• Some really cool campgrounds
• The mileage and difficulty built up gradually to day 4, the hardest day.  Then the route was downhill and short followed by a layover day.  Day 7 was relatively short up river grade to the best campground on Smith River.  People had plenty of time to enjoy the shallow river.  After a wonderful group meal, riders were prepared for Day 8 with four significant 'bumps' over the Coast Range.  Then riders flew home as they smelled the barn.
• Reedsport was a surprise!  People didn't expect much, but there was quite a lot to do and good restaurants. 
• Then there was a the weather!  Both tours enjoyed nearly perfect summer weather!  Loop 1 and 2 had rain during the 1st night.  Loop 1 had some light rain going the short route to Reedsport.  Loop 2 had a strong headwind going to Reedsport.  Beyond that, the temperatures were moderate with cool mornings.  Sleeping temperatures were great! 
• The camping space at Reedsport was nothing to write home about, but the location was fabulous.  The other camping places were good to excellent.  We had showers every night and places to swim at six campgrounds.
• The group meal was very tasty and plentiful.  The setting at Smith River was so peaceful!

There were 30 riders on LT1 and 24 riders on LT2.   The SAG drivers - our heroes - were J.P. Wilson and Dan Barrett (LT1) and Robert Williams and Mike Dalton (LT2).  Here is an interesting fact:  LT2 consumed $124 of chocolate milk.

Should you have an idea for Loop Tour 2025, please contact a member of the Loop Tour Committee:  Alex Vincent, Chuck Daellenbach, Brian Daellenbach, Dan Barrett, Dan Arbogast, Steve Moore, John Unruh, Paul Lieberman, Steve Martel, J.P (John) Wilson, or Ann Asbell.  Planning for 2025 begins this month.

Visit the photo gallery to see more of the photos from the Loop Tours provided by riders on the tours.

Gear Guide ...

Inflation, the kind you want ... 

by David Lerman, MVBC member

While checking out bicycle pumps at a local bike shop, an attractive young lady in spandex approached. “How do you tell a good pump from a bad one?” she asked me.

Knowing less about women than bikes, I thought she wanted to know about the pumps scattered around us. I started in on the fundamentals. “Are you looking for a floor pump or a frame pump?”

“What’s the difference?”

“Frame pumps are small and fit on your bike, whereas floor pumps are large and stay home.”

“Oh, I would much rather have a large one.” she purred. I think she may have even given me a small wink. It began to dawn on me that we might not be talking about pumps entirely. Nonetheless, I pressed on.

“A floor pump should be able to accommodate different valve types and have a pressure gauge.”

With a slight pout she said, “I would not have a pressure gauge. I like to tell a tire’s pressure by feel. You know, just by squeezing it a little.” She smiled up at me.

This is where the young lady in spandex and I parted company. While you can roughly guess about a tire’s pressure by applying a thumb to it, inflation is far too important to guess at. A pressure gauge, in my opinion, is essential.

Even if you have an accurate pressure gauge, what’s the optimal inflation? The answer to that question depends on how you answer these five questions:

Do you value comfort over speed?

Firmer tires will transmit energy from the riding surface (e.g. striking a rock) to the bike more efficiently, leading to a bumpy, less comfortable ride. Softer tires can absorb that energy better but are less efficient at transmitting their rotational energy into forward propulsion.

Are you riding with tubes or tubeless?

Pinch flats, pinching the tube between the tire and the rim, can ruin an otherwise nice ride on underinflated tubed tires. Low pressure tubeless tires are much less likely to flat.

What’s the size of your tires?

Yes, size matters. The fatter your tires, the more space there is between the rim and where your tire meets the road, making pinch flats less likely. With fatter tires, lower PSIs that would be a certain flat for skinny tires, can be just fine.

What kind of terrain are you traversing?

On smooth surfaces such as well-paved roads, a firmer tire has less rolling resistance. But ride those same tires on rough surfaces, such as coarse gravel, and much of your pedal energy is uselessly expended on bouncing you up and down. You actually reduce rolling resistance with softer tires on uneven surfaces. Better to lighten up on your PSI for rough patches.

What’s the weight riding on your tires?

The heavier you, your bike and your gear are the more tire pressure you are going to need to prevent pinch flats.

Lastly, most bikes have more weight on the back wheel and it’s the back wheel that’s pushing the bike. You want a stiffer rear tire to transmit its rotation energy to move you forward. And with the additional weight in the back you’re going to need a little more pressure aft to prevent flats. This means simply that the back tire should be about 5 PSI firmer than the front one.

All of the above and more is taken into account by Silca’s Pro Tire Pressure Calculator. But there is one exception. For the pro comfort is not an issue; it’s all about speed. If you are a recreational rider that prizes comfort at least as much as speed, you likely will want to take a few pounds off of the Silca calculation. You can find the calculator here.

As very smart people at the Federal Reserve struggle to regulate interest rates to manage inflation, you can deftly apply the above factors to set inflation at exactly the right place for you, if you have a pump with a pressure gauge.

This just in!

Lael Wilcox breaks women's Guinness Around the World Record

 Lael Wilcox finished her Around the World ride, setting a new record of 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes. She left Chicago on May 26, and returned there on September 11. Lael and her wife Rue Kaladyte, a professional photojournalist, produced a daily podcast during the record-breaking trip. Read more about her trip in Bikepacking or on the Rapha website. 

To find out more about the original record holder, Jenny Graham, visit here.