January and February , 2012

Welcome to the GSW Web Site -

Click the links below for our rides Schedules.

Rides Calendar - Summary for January and February

Rides: Detailed descriptions and locations for January and February

Monthly meetings are held on the second Monday of each month. March through October.

The GSW 2011 meeting schedule concluded with the October 10th Board election for 2012. See results on Meetings page
Welcome and thanks to our new board members, Dan Snyder, Recording Secretary and Jim Schofield, Sponsoring Shops Coordinator!

Meetings are normally planned for the second Monday of the month, March through October, from 7-9 p.m. The agenda is flexible but usually follows some basic guidelines. See our Meetings page for meeting agenda details.

Belated Announcement for Portsmouth Area Riders
(not in Pedal Talk)

Going into the cold, looking forward to spring, it would be nice to have a get-together so the Portsmouth Wednesday Night Riders can socialize in the heart of winter.  So let’s meet at the Redhook Brewery, at the Pease International Tradeport, on Friday, 17 February, at 6:00 p.m. Soft drinks, beer, dinner, or just talk - whatever.
Call Carl Gurtman with any questions or about other details:  207 363-4920 (Cell:  603-339-4859)

Off-Season Pizza Parties for Salem Area GSW Members

Starting on November 1, Salem-area GSW members and guests are encouraged to meet twice a month through the winter on the first and third Tuesdays, 6:00 PM, at the Route 97 House of Pizza, 11 Ayers Village Road, Methuen MA. See details at Special Events

New Year’s Day Ride
Concord , NH
Sunday, January 1, 2012; 10:30am

“A Must-Call-Ahead-to-Confirm Ride”

Again, there will be a GSW Concord New Year’s Day On-Road Ride. The ride will depart from the DOT parking lot on Hazen Drive and it will also be listed in the January / February Pedal Talk. Directions can also be found in this issue of Pedal Talk within the Saturday 10:30am Concord ride description. See Special Events for details.

Orientation Rides – Concord

If you would like to attend orientation rides on Saturday mornings to become accustomed to group cycling, contact Eugene at 603-219-2051.

Eugene helps cyclists with pre-ride preparation, group coordination, proper shifting, safe cycling, and rules of the road.

The rides build confidence among beginner / casual group cyclists. If, during the phone conversation, Eugene concludes that you would benefit from a different mentor/leader, he will make a recommendation.

Concord morning rides Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday AND Thursday as well as Saturday?!??

Not necessarily…they are all listed an opportunities to cycle, but if other responsibilities get in the leaders’ way or weather/road conditions do not allow cycling, the rides will not take place. That is why the ride notices indicate that those planning to attend must contact a leader to confirm the ride is occurring.

Linda Gould, BWA-NH Executive Director cycled the Southern Tier
2,275 miles from Phoenix AZ to St. Augustine FL
Read about her adventure HERE

Note to Ride Leaders:
The Ride and Mileage Credit Guidelines have been amended. Please see the updated guidelines
R & M Guidelines

Be a better Bicyclist:
Bicycle Education Classes

To all bicyclists:

Want to feel more comfortable and confident bicycling in traffic? Would you like to learn more about the craft & science of bicycling? Wish to become a nationally-certified League Cycling Instructor, (LCI) thru the League of American Bicyclists? Contact Charley LaFlamme at chazbikeed@maine.rr.com or call 207-646-0695.

Traffic Skills 101, (TS 101), is the foundation of the Smart Cycling Program administered by the League of American Bicyclists, (LAB). This course is designed to develop your knowledge, skill and expertise in the craft and science of cycling. The instruction you receive and knowledge you gain under the guidance of a certified instructor will enhance your ability to drive a bicycle with confidence and competence for pleasure, utility and sport under various highway, climate, terrain and traffic conditions.

The course combines classroom discussion and parking lot activities with on-road practice of the principles of vehicular bicycling. The instructor for this course has many years of experience and is certified thru LAB.

TS 101 is a prerequisite to enrolling into the LCI Seminar which is the highest on-road certification a bicyclist can attain in the United States.

For details please see Special Events

Get up-to-the-minute GSW Club Notices!
Join the GSW E-Group. Simply send an e-mail message to:
gswbike-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You will then have Club notices sent directly to your e-mail account.

Reminder
GSW mileage tracking year ended September 30, 2010
October 1 started the 2011 mileage tracking season.

What is Commuter Mileage?

Commuter mileage includes using your bicycle, rather than a motor vehicle, for transportation on any errand or to reach any destination such as work, school, shopping, to pay a bill, or to reach a GSW ride site, etc. The GSW encourages commuting and recognizes high mileage commuters at the Annual Fall Banquet.

Commuter mileage is tracked from October 1st through September 30th of each year.

Note: Mileage may be submitted by mail or email and must be received by the first of every even-numbered month to appear in the next issue of Pedal Talk.

Road and Tandem Mileage are now recorded separately If a “T” is added along with your signature and printed name, you will get Tandem Mileage.

If you would rather have Road Mileage, just leave off the “T”.
Send commuter mileage to:

Hetty Andrews
44 Deerhaven Dr.
Nashua , NH 03064
603-889-3222
hwa44@comcast.net

 Are you Curious about Yoga?

Our Pedal Talk Editor, Laurie Daley is also a certified Yoga Instructor! Click HERE for more information

Click on the rides links above or select the category of your choice in the left-hand column then join the fun! Are you wondering how to get started with the GSW? Check out the "Where Do I Start?" page for some suggestions. Please view our Meetings page. Once you see everything offered by the GSW you may just wish to join the club for only $15.00 a year. Click over to the Memberships page to read more about the club and access our
membership application.

Check out our many rides and events including some local bicycling news and non-bicycling activities listed on our Special Events, Weekend Events, and "Tid-Bits" pages.

You may be interested in some of the many rewarding opportunities to volunteer in club activities. Check Volunteer Ops.

Comments welcome!

Don't see a ride to your liking? Then volunteer to lead your favorite rides, sharing it with new friends. GSW is always looking for energetic, creative volunteers.

Check out our site, and let us know what you think. Please e-mail your comments or ideas to the Web Publisher

Updated 12/31/2011