Check out our Sponsors for 2012!	Greater Cinci Internet Solutions
	A drinking group with a cycling problem Beer is good...drink responsibly
G4B Dictionary G4B Racing G4B Bike Maps  G4B Bike Rides Favorite Quotes Riding Etiquette  Tech Tips G4B Cookbook  Useful n Fun Links G4B Blog	A TriState Cycling Group - We ride out of Nisbet Park - Loveland, Ohio Updated 6/1/2012   Contact Us        G4B Calendar on Google Calendars        Join the Google Groups email list for up-to-date group notices!     NEW Photo Gallery        Old Photo Gallery	Google Groups ride line is up  Contact Us to join now or go to Google Groups, search for "Gears4Beers" and sign yourself up

Welcome to Gears4Beers.org! Gears 4 Beers is THE best cycling group in the tri-state area and perhaps anywhere! We've been riding as group for roughly seven years now and number over 500. The group is composed of several speed groups and we generally have a sweeper to make sure new comers never get lost. We have several bike routes painted on the roadways so finding your way is only an arrow away. We welcome all riders and only ask that you ride safely and be considerate of the other cyclists in the group. We generally socialize after the rides (best part in my opinion) either at the gazebo or the local street side eatery. We always have a good showing at the Cincinnati Cycle Club sponsored rides. We have our new jerseys so folks can spot us easily now (-: Picture of the Week --> ....to remind us that riding in Ohio could be more dangerous....submitted by Fraser Support the 2012 Tour De Loveland -> G4B is once again proud to back the fund raising efforts of the  HeartStone Foundation to support cancer patients with the hosting of the annual TdL bike festival August 18th. We'll post more information here as details get firmed up. Look for a bigger badder event for 2012!

News! Gears4Beers4Bikes 2012 recipient Last year we kicked off fund raising for purchase of bikes for folks in financial need for whatever reasons, medical bills etc. Karen S. was our first recipient and her new bike "Ruby" was a wonderful Xmas gift. This year we identified Kelsey. Here are the details from her father... Kelsey is my 11 year old Sparkler-Girl!  She loves life and it sparkles out of her!  She was born with a rare (fewer than 200,000 in the U.S.) combination of birth defects (including Spina Bifida) that necessitate a colostomy, a retro-fitted bladder that needs catheterization, and a g-tube. She is paralyzed from her hips down and is wheelchair bound.  She loves to be with people--she never meets a stranger...  She also loves playing Miracle League baseball, and shooting hoops in the driveway with her 13-year old brother, Evan.  Something she's always, and I mean always, wanted is to ride a bike.  She asks for a hand-bike for every birthday and Christmas.  Unfortunately, it's not something we can invest in financially right now.  She would sooo love to have a bike to ride.  Any help you can give for that to become a reality for her would be a huge blessing!  Kelsey now has her new hand bike! G4B4B helped push funding over the top and her mom received the bike early in May.  The whole family was there and I'm told it was a real tear fest!  She arrived home Monday and gave the bike to Kelsey.  They will be sending video soon. Here's a note from her Dad "She absolutely loves it!!! We are headed out for a bike ride right now, but we will send pictures, and video later. Thank you SO much. Andrew and family"  We continue to look for opportunities to bring bikes to the needie. If you have any suggestions contact us.....Contact G4B4B

Goatboy and Fraser at SOG 2005

G4B Bike Rides current start times are in blue

Know the rules of the Road before you ride - Read the Ohio Revised Code here => Bicycle Laws ORC.doc

Wed Night Spring/Summer/Fall Ride 6:30pm - We generally ride every Wed night, spring to fall, at 6 or 6:30pm from Nisbet Park on the Loveland bike trail in Loveland, OH. Start time depends on the amount of daylight we have. Don't be late as this is a VERY impatient group. The rides are typically 25-45 miles, over various marked routes, with the fast group going longer and the slower group taking a short cut so everyone arrives roughly at the time for post ride festivities. The fast group is very competitive on Wed's ride and generally finish the ride with an all out sprint for the champion honors (bragging rights). We meet in the park gazebo after the ride for food and drinks, which members volunteer to bring in rotation. Ride maps will be posted below as they become available.

Saturday/Sunday Morning Ride 8:30am (Early Bird Special sometimes leaves at 7:30 too!) - We generally ride each Sunday morning at 7:30-9am in warmer weather. Start time depends on temperature and sunrise. Typically start time is 8:30am all summer. Be prompt or be left behind (see Wed above). The rides are a little longer and the pace is more relaxed, occasionally the whole group stays together. The EBT is for the early risers, check the ride line to see which days is on.

Winter Rides - Winter rides mostly depend on the weather and available light (with a few weekday hookie rides for those brave enough to ditch work for the day). Weekend rides are generally 12 or 1pm giving time for the day to warm up a bit before riding. Best advice is to check the G4B list to check on the latest ride info. There are usually a few die-hards that ride in the worst of weather. Usually however, snow or ice cancel the road rides. If you still want to ride look for mountain bike or cyclocross posts.

If you are late to any of the rides and the group has left, and you think you can catch them, look for a Black BMW with GRS4BR license plate. the days route will be on a card in the window. Follow the route arrows and pedal hard.... If the owner of the bimmer decides to sleep in that day you are on your own...

A typical end of ride sprint by the gazelles (if you like FAST) - there was much anticipation this time (twitchy hands on the bars, I ratcheted up my shoes, who would lead out, etc.) Jerry, Justin, Me (Rod), Rob, Pontius and Fraser were about the only ones "thinking" about it. I'm not sure a couple of others knew about the location. After an early and serious break away by Joe (the very muscular Asian gentleman) who thought he would just ride away, the pace-line formed to help chase him down with great results. As the pace-line passed Joe, each fell away towards the fabled Yellow sign as the pace slowly increased over 30 mph until just Rod and Rob were left for the prize. Rob edged me by a wheel (probably over 40 mph). Fun to see the heart rate at 195 (yikes!) at the end....Respectfully submitted by Rod

Bike Maps as of 1/11/2009 (Note terrain descriptions are relative...one mans roller is anothers huge climb!) Main routes are marked before and after all turns.

• Double White Arrow (Loveland) FLAT - 25, 28 & 32 & 37 mile routes (freshly paint in good shape)

• Orange Arrow (Loveland) ROLLING - 34 & 39 mile routes (freshly painted, arrow with ball)

• Blue Arrow (Loveland) HILLY - 31, 38, 42 and 50 mile routes (freshly painted)

• Beer Bottle (Loveland) FLAT - 44 and 51 mile routes (freshly painted bottle icons).

• Blue Doobie (Loveland) HILLY - 44ish??

• Six County (Loveland) FLAT - 44sih?? (freshly painted white 6 with tail pointed to turn)

• Triple Orange Dots (Loveland) ROLLING - 29, 31, 37 & 44 mile routes (freshly painted) - GPS map from Mark Baize

• Triple Blue Dots (Loveland - Covered Bridge Ride) ROLLING - 42 miles (freshly painted) WALK BIKE ON COVERED BRIDGE it is a real wheel sucker!!!

• Yellow Box (Loveland out to Morrow) HILLY - ~40ish miles (freshly painted)

• Red Arrow (Tour de Montgomery Route leaving Nesbit) ROLLING - 45-50 miles (freshly painted)
  

• Tour de Loveland HILLY - 30 to 70 mile routes - official suported ride in August (freshly painted, orange heart and arrow)

• JR60 (Loveland to Caesars Creek) HILLY - 60 mile annual ride

• Blanchester (Loveland) FLAT - 

• Marathon (Loveland) FLAT - 

• Caesars Creek Triathlon Bike/Run Routes - (25 and 56 mile bike loops)

• Corey Green's Hill Rides (9 hills, 50 miles or 11 hills, 50 miles)

• Corey Green's For the Love of God TortureFest (128 miles of monster hills)

• Corey Greens Wilmington Century (not marked!) - GPS map from Mark Baize
  

• Brass Monkey Rides (NKY - Ralph Mitchell - 52, 71, and 102 miles,  map of all routes in one These are hires maps ~4mb each)

• Brass Monkey Ride Cue Sheets (52, 71, 102 miles pdf files)

• Sunflower Revolution 2005 Cue Sheets (Loveland, 25 and 60 mile routes - Word doc)

• Morning Glory Ride (Downtown Cincy & NKY) (10 and 25 mile route through Devou Park)

• Paths to Pedals - Full booklet (Paths to Pedal_Master.pdf 5.21 MB new 3/14/2005)

• Westchester Wheelmen Cluster maps   (WW_Routes1.pdf  5.34 MB new 3/14/2005)

• OKI Cycling maps - www.oki.org/pdf/oki%20bike%20brochure%20back.pdf - The Ohio set includes maps for Butler, Warren, Hamilton and Clermont counties. The Kentucky set includes Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Northern Ky. Each set costs $5.00. The maps have been prepared specifically for cyclists and are color coded to show three classifications of the area roads. Blue – recommended, yellow – alternate routes, and red – not recommended. The maps also show other useful features such as food, parks, difficult locations, local bike trails and “memorable hills”. 

Favorite Group Quotes

• Hey Angie, can you hold my peanuts? (Gig M)

• Guys, I'm not prout of my abilities as a pun-smith, but I have to rice to the occasion when I can.. I didn't expect to get a-nast-y response though.. It's really up to you guys whether you reid them or not... Seems widdig our own humor more than others, whether it’s hipper-to share, or is that just a selfi-shlei-fer goodness sake?? Anyway, if you do like this stuff, just call-on me and I’ll make this a staple-sort of thing.. Ammon a roll now… Just a lytle bit mo-ffat and I’ll have bad-er good tale to you all... There’s a link to this hoelle outrageous drivel, but if you do the matth-ew-see that I still need to go on, and miller for a few more lines… Still av-ner bloom-in good time with this.. Wats-on next then? I can reyn-old-stuff in for even more taylor made puns, or look for a sein-en the list again, and pen-ell-even more of these terrible lines… You’re probably going through the roof by now… Hu-ber-t me could write this stuff? Sher-man, I’m full of this crap… You’re probably saying “ that jurc-is-in form again…. How farr-ell he go then? When I’m dun-lap-ping up the applause and wake up, I’ll land-ry-al hard when I come back to earth...  Wait – is that ze-mmel-man with my reply?

• Fraser mentioned that his brother, who rode with us Sunday, had the temerity to say that he felt he could ride with the Gazelles with a few weeks of training which provoked much laughter (unfortunately this was later proved TRUE!...Damien is tough).

• On his last ride with the group before moving to North Carolina "Take care and be safe. Watch out for telephone poles-they always win" (Matt Z)

• "I Love the material of your jersey" (overheard at the local post ride eatery...and imitated perfectly by Gary H.)

• "What's a Sweaty Betty?"

• Outside observer when introduced to the Gazebo crowd "I didn't think they'd be so old" ... ouch ...

• At Paxton's after Monday makeup ride "Hey Goatboy, you buyin ... then I'm drinking" 

• At the Hilly Hundred "Pass me another cookie Gig" and "Where's Gary??"

• From SOG... " If-you-fix-it-you'll-flat! " ... "Fras, I promise not to shift in your face"...These guy ride fixies and drink Mad Dog 20/20"

• From a recent news article explaining how biking is the new golf for deal making/networking "If you're not part of the peloton .... you're not part of the deal."

• Wuddup Holmes, Ride in da'yizzle on da'hizzle lodda fordies and take a wizzle. 

• Warner: "Man, I couldn't catch you guys. Something was dragging on my new bike." G4Ber: "Are you sure it wasn't your ass?"

• "Gigger, show us your crack"

• "I don't need to win to wear the grin" from our fav domestique

• Godzulla Industries(tm) - 'Helping People Hurt Themselves'

• 'slippery as a Biscayne Bay eel' ... from our friend Larry's trip to Florida

• After 80F temps three days ago...'I just went out to my car and my bike is frozen to the top of my car. My shoe covers are frozen to my shoes and my gloves are balled up and stuck to my glasses. I'll take that as omen to stay indoors today..Rog'.

• Nothing like Roger asking what options I got on my car while climbing Muchmore....Corey

• "Down goes Fraser, out comes the razor" (think Howard Cosell at an Ali fight) ... Ponch before the BrassTown Ball Georgia hill climb challenge. p.s. Fraser did not lose that bet and still has his beard!

• "Roger, if you push me up the hill today I would appreciate you cupping your hand and gently pushing on my buttocks" - mb before Wolfpen climb, GA

• "Something told me I would later regret Corey getting a hamburger topped with Chili, I was not disappointed".....Fasig during the Georgia Mountains Trip

• "I need three other people to paint the G-O-A-T letters on their chest for cheering on the Cat 5 Pur race" Corey to the list

• "I guess our pace may have been a bit north of their expectations - or maybe we didn't smell so good."...yup Corey again

• "Those who get get dropped can ride with me in the "smoking section." ...retro

• OK.  I am not easily offended but really, "extend the word to your NORMAL friends."  Like G4B is some kind of support group for a socially
  dysfunctional disease.  "Hello, my name is Rick and I'm a G4Ber.  My life was totally turned upside down when I contract G4B 3 years ago.  
  It started with one innocent ride and before I knew it I was blowing off work and lying to my wife and family. 

• "I am dropping the Cadel like the goat drops the used grass."

Riding Etiquette

1. We use the standard verbal commands as well as hand commands. Yell "Car back" when a car is approaching from the rear, yell "Car up" when a car is approaching up ahead, Yell "Car Right/Left" when a car is approaching from the side or pulling out of a driveway etc. Yell "Slowing" or "Stopping" depending on the degree of deceleration. Don't assume the person in back of you sees the same thing you are slowing for. Yell "Hole" or "Bump" and point at it with a finger as you pass to prevent the next guy from diving into a pot hole etc. Yell "Gravel" and wiggle your fingers at it to warn others of bad traction ahead. If turning, the person in front needs to yell the direction and use the hand signal well in advance of the turn. In general, use your common sense to warn folks behind you of imminent danger.

2. Most important,  yell "DOG <direction>" at first sign that a canine is approaching with ill intent. A squirt of mace or a kick in the head (ask Gig) can often ward off mean dogs. Be prepared ... sooner or later one WILL find you on the road.

3. Pace lines allow you to go fast, because the rider in the front is doing most of the work (breaking the wind) at a pace he/she can't maintain. When he tires, he pulls out to the left, then catches on to the back of the pack. It's pretty exhilarating. Problem is, you're nose to ass of the person in front of you, so you can't see much of the road - particularly things like holes in pavement. For this reason there is a lot of verbal  and hand signaling that needs to occur. Use standard verbal commands as well as hand commands liberally. This is most important for the rider in front, who has the best forward view; don't get so tired in the front that you can't do this job well.

4. If you are not comfortable riding in a close pace line...don't do it. If you do do it, don't overlap your tire with the rider in front of you (like wise the person in back of you should not). This means you must be alert to the use of your brakes and adjust your pedal cadence to maintain a reasonably constant separation with the biker in front of you. Try to travel in a straight line. Bouncing around adds a level of unpredictability. Pace lines are fun and fast but a little dangerous, know your skill level.

5. Obey the Rules of the road. In Ohio we are treated like a car, we have a right to ride on the road. However don't tempt fate. When cars approach from the rear GET IN SINGLE FILE and let the person pass the group. It just pisses folks off if you stay double wide (or worse triple wide which is illegal I believe). And yes I know its a pain but STOP at stop signs. We have had folks pulled over by the police for blowing through stop signs. You can be ticketed.

6. Adams Hill is VERY dangerous, until you know it, hit the binders coming down it. Also traffic coming up the hill can't see you.

7. Wear a helmet...duh

8. Carry a spare tube and a supply of air (pump or CO2 cartridge inflator) and learn how to change a flat (-;

9. Going up Route 48 at the start of rides, maintain groups of 8 or smaller and DON"T try to catch the group in front of you. THis allows cars to weave around us and not impead traffic. The group should wait at the end of Grog run to regroup....if they don't give them a bunch of crap.

10. Have fun...     Let me know if there are others to add to the list ... john anast

Website powered by cdog

Keep the seat side up and the tires side down...Pedal on Garth  Web services provided  by...   GCIS, Inc. 621 E. Mehring Way, Suite 301 Cincinnati, OH 45202 phone 513-232-4485       http://www.gcis.net