Murfreesboro Bike club

March 15, 2022

Registration is now open for the 9^th Annual Cary Way Kick-Off Ride.  The Kick-Off ride is an annual event that starts the official MBC ride season.  For the past 9 years the event has been named in honor of our past long-time president, Mr. Cary Way.

This year’s ride is scheduled for April 2 and will be held at Barfield Crescent Park, Pavilion 5, 697 Veterans Parkway Murfreesboro, TN 37128.  3 rides are available including a 22-, 37- and 49-mile options.  All rides start at 9:00am.  Route options can be viewed and downloaded from our RideWithGPS (RWGPS) Kick-Off event page.  

Be sure to RSVP if you plan to ride.  The RSVP replaces the old sign-in sheets we used in prior years.  If you don’t already have an active RSGPS account, you will be prompted to create an account when you press the RSVP button.  Fill in the information and download the app on your Smartphone.  Don’t worry, it is a free app and if you are a current MBC member, you will get Premium features at no cost when you are logged into the club account.  I highly recommend that you download the RWGPS app on your smartphone.  It is an essential tool that will allow you to navigate, log, and share your rides.

Following the ride, we will have lunch and brief the membership on what is planned for the 2022 ride season.  There will also be a swap meet for any gear you wish to barter, buy, or sell.

For those who are interested, a Cycling Basics class is available during lunch.  This is an excellent overview for new riders and/or those who may not be familiar with group riding.  We will also be available to assist those who would like information on how-to setup and learn the basics of RideWithGPS.

Be sure to register by March 30.  Event registration can be found in the events area of the MBC web site home page or you can click here for direct access to the registration page.   There is no cost to register. 

We are using McAlister’s Deli to cater lunch.  You can order your box lunch when you register.  These menu options are available for a small cost.  The club will provide drinks and ice.  Be sure to place your order by March 30^th. 

The MBC team is anxious to see the start of the season and seeing each of you.  Thanks in advance for your participation.

Best wishes,

MBC Team

March 3, 2022

The ride season is nearly here, and we have created several exciting challenges for the upcoming season.  If you’re not familiar with challenges, they are a fantastic way of encouraging and motivating you to accomplish your cycling goals.

These challenges can be found in the MBC RWGPS club area.  Look for the CHALLENGE menu tab after you login to the club account.  Below is a brief recap of each challenge.  If you’re a new member or have not yet registered your account to take advantage of the MBC members RWGPS account, send an email to: info@mborobike.com for an invite.  If you are not currently a member, click here to join now.

Members can join as many challenges as they like (look for the JOIN CHALLENGE tab when viewing each of the challenge details).  

When you complete a club ride, be sure to log your ride so it will count towards your challenge goals.  This is done by saving your ride in the RWGPS app and adding ‘#MBC’ to the beginning of the rides title (#MBC<ride title>).  This allows RWGPS to capture your challenge progress.

Club challenges run from April 2, 2022, through the end of October 2022 and are open to all current MBC members.

January 23, 2022

A big thank you to those who attended yesterday’s Chili ride. Ten brave souls took to the streets to enjoy a brisk, very chilly, twenty-mile ride. Several others joined the group afterwards to enjoy some delicious chili and fellowship.

Annual awards were presented. Tom Latos received the prestigious President's award for the best new rider. Men’s mileage awards went to (1st place) Terry O’Hair, (2nd place) Tom Latos, and (3rd) Bob Barkley. Women’s mileage awards included (1st place) Janey Drye, (2nd place) Jennifer Dooley, and (3rd place) Cathy Elbaum. CZ award winners were Jeff Hammock and Jill Bartle. Mountain bike winners included Garrett Dunham and Stephen Waid. Tim Munsell was recognized for winning the RideWithGPS club climbing challenge and Terry O’Hair received recognition from his fellow amigos with a special Tough Man award.

A special thanks was also extended to Sarah Lovett for her long support of the club. Her passion for the members and her leadership has been remarkable.

The next official Murfreesboro Bike Club meeting is the annual Kick-off ride scheduled for April 2, 2022. In the meantime, you can stay updated on impromptu rides via the club’s RideWithGPS (RWGPS) account page and other club news on this message board and the club’s Facebook group.

Also please note, when attending any club ride, be sure to click the RVSP button in the RWGPS app. This serves three important purposes. First, to be covered by the club’s insurance policy you must RSVP (RWGPS RSVP replaces the sign-in sheet). Secondly, the RSVP lets the ride leader know who and how many are planning to attend the ride. Third, our club statistician will use this information to track participation for awards once the official ride season begins.

There are few things more freeing than jumping on a bike and touring around town.  Seeing the sights up close can be more fun than riding in a car and it's a great way to be physically active.

At the same time that you're enjoying yourself, it's important to keep safety in mind.

It's critical that everyone wear a helmet every time they ride a bike.  Head injury is the leading cause of bicycle-related death and using a helmet is the most effective way to reduce these injuries and fatalities, but still only a small percentage of Americans wear helmets.  Tennessee state law requires kids 15 and younger to wear helmets while riding bikes. Helmets must be approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Snell Memorial Foundation and must be fastened at all times.

When shopping for a helmet, be sure the helmet sits level on your head covering the top of the forehead, is snug yet comfortable and has limited movement from side to side and front to back. All helmets sold in the United States must be approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), so look for a CPSC sticker.  If you fall and strike your head on the ground, replace the helmet.  Keep all your protective gear and equipment in good working order.

All bicyclists should know and follow these rules of the road:

• Ride on the right side of the road. You will head in the same direction as cars so you will see their taillights, not their headlights.
• Obey traffic signs and signals just as you would if you were driving a car.
• Use correct hand signals when turning.
• Stop at all intersections and marked and unmarked crosswalks.
• Stop and look both ways before you enter a street.
• Yield the right of way to pedestrians, skateboarders and skaters. Never pass until you have the other person's attention.
• Children should ride on sidewalks and paths until they are at least 10 years old, able to show good riding skills and able to observe basic rules of the road.
• Wear reflective clothing and make sure your bike has a headlight and a rear reflector. If you ride at night, consider using additional lighting, reflective bands, vests and clothing to increase your visibility.