JANUARY NEWSLETTER

     2013 was a great year for the FOGBEES. We added 30 new members and over 60% still read the newsletter. At least, that is what MailChimp tells us. Some of our 137 members are still having trouble receiving it and we're trying to figure out why. It certainly is a huge loss to them because our contributors have done an outstanding job with articles that are every bit as good as what appears in some of the biking magazines and newsletters. We have been issuing it monthly. If you don't remember receiving it, please let us know so we can try to figure out why.
     In 2013 the following members of our writing team have submitted articles: Tom Benim, Bruce Day, Doug Depew, Tom Evans, Jennifer Galvin, Dave Miley, Dave Shumaker, Christy Tedrow, Gary Williams, and Janice Yoste. They have shared their expertise and experiences on all things biking. In 2014 we hope they will continue with their words of wisdom and that others will join in. Bruce, aka McGyver, has already submitted an article for our regularly scheduled February issue.
   Originally, we did not plan a newsletter for January, but we needed to get everyone to help us update our membership list. Please take time to read the Membership entry. We have some thoughts on why our MailChimp records are incomplete.
     Our newsletters are normally distributed only to members, but we are making this issue public and encourage everyone to share it. However, we have included none of our great articles this month.
     Because several people reported that their email did not show the piece we had on Head Injuries, we have repeated this extremely important advice. Remember, if this newsletter does not open properly as an email, you can view it on your browser by clicking the link in the upper right-hand corner.

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MIKE KNAKE

If you get a chance, send Mike Knake a thank you note. He has done more than anyone this year to make the FOGBEES a success. Not only has he led a ride three times almost every week, but he and Sherry put together a fantastic over- nighter in Lexington, KY. Such dedication is ex- tremely rare and we are fortunate to have Mike.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

     Membership with the FOGBEES is free (we have no dues), but once a year we update our rosters to make sure we have correct contact information for all our active members. We use our MailChimp subscription list for that task.
    If you have been opening the newsletter on a regular basis as HTML (default) with images enabled, MailChimp has "logged you in" and you have nothing more to do. If you chose to read it as TEXT (very bad choice) or block email graphics (also not a good idea), you will not show up on our records and you need to contact us.
    We have posted people that we will remove on January 31'st from our rosters. CLICK HERE to see the current list of people that are scheduled for removal. If you see your name (contact us) or the name of a friend who would not want to be removed, have them contact us at Fogbees@gmail.com.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS RIDE

Thanks to all that participated in this year's Christmas Lights Ride. Two of our elves, Misty and Sarah, made the Hendersonville Star News. We continue to receive favorable publicity with an unsolicited post in the Hendersonville Newcomers Club. Each year the ride gets more creative and more fun. Next year can't come too soon.

SPINNING AT THE Y

By Spinmaster Gary

Fogbee Spinning at the Y is now in its 6'th year. You can join every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 pm and, if the weather outside is frightful, on Saturdays at 10 am. Thanks to Mike Grubbs the Y has waived the registration fee and Fogbees can join for 3 months. If you have any questions contact me or you can call Jeremy Tackett, Sr. Program Director at the Y at 826-9622.
Don't sit around, complain about not riding, and losing that Fogbee PHYSIQUE. Come to the Y and spin, swim, run, walk, lift weights or join a Zumba class. Make sure you let the Y know your a Fogbee.

SUPERBOWL 2014 PARTY

     Per FOGBEE tradition we will again have our annual super-bowl party on Sunday February 2'nd. The gang will gather in front of either the 100-inch or 60-inch screen to cheer on their team and harass the fans of the opposing team. You may also put your money where your mouth is.
     Your hosts Tom and Sharyn Evans will supply soft drinks, wine, beer, and a sandwich dinner. All are ask to bring a favorite plate for snacks or post-dinner desert or help out with the beer supply. Please RSVP (at TnBikeTom@gmail.com) so we have plenty for all to eat and drink.

HEAD INJURIES

     This year the FOGBEES have had an unusual high number of injuries, including three serious head injuries. David Miley's accident this last Friday was the worst. He ended up at Skyline in intensive case. Fortunately, he is expected to come home this Monday and fully recover, but will be off his bicycle and unable to drive for at least six months.
     Because head injuries are potentially life threatening, we asked a para- medic what we should do when a bicyclist suffer such an injury. His answer was call 911 immediately if any of the following occur:

loss of consciousness at the time of the injury
short-term memory loss (keeps repeating questions)
confusion
vomiting
dizziness

He added transporting him/her to a hospital instead of calling 911 immediately may seem like a good idea, but unless you have a trained medical technician with you and are in contact with the hospital, you are wasting valuable time.

Interested in RAGBRAI?

Doug Depew is putting together a FOGBEE team. CLICK HERE for CRITICAL information on his webpage. He plans an interest meeting at his house on January 15'th. Watch the blog for further planning info.

SPRING OVER-NIGHT TOUR

Another FOGBEE tradition are the Spring and Fall overnight tours. Significant others are invite to meet the bicyclists at their overnight rest and party with the group. The rumor is this Spring's ride will be the USBR 23 from Kenturcky to Alabama and will be planned and led by Dave Shumaker, the guy who put together Tennessee's first official US Bike Route. More information will follow as Dave completes his plans.

BEGINNER'S GROUP BIKE RIDES

     On Saturday mornings beginning in March Bryan Kortness will lead a group ride for people new to road touring. The actual date will be set up once temperatures reach 50 degrees at the start of the ride.
   Bryan will try to coordinate the beginner ride with the regular Saturday FOGBEE ride, starting at the same location. For our ride leaders he will need FOGBEE ride info by Wednesday so he can get the beginner ride info out.
     In 2013 this ride was very popular with around 15 people participating. As bicyclist gain confidence they can join the regular FOGBEE ride.

JOIN THE FOGBEES

     Bicycle riding is exploding across America. It's a great way to commute, get to school or sport practice, or exercise. Weight Watchers says riding a bike burns twice the calories of walking or jogging. It builds muscle and strengthens your heart.
     Middle Tennessee has some of the best bicycle riding roads in the country and the FOGBEES have a group for all skill levels. During warmer months someone is pulling together a group ride on almost every day of the week. During the cold you'll find them spinning at the Sumner County YMCA.
     In addition to regular group rides in Davidson, Robertson, Macon, and Sumner counties, the club also has overnight bike rides, participates in charity events, has pool and Halloween parties, participates in Hendersonville's Holiday Fest with its Christmas Lights Ride, and organizes multiday rides (checkout our RAGBRAI and Grand Teton/Yellowstone Tours.)
     The club and Biker's Choice bike shop sponsor the Bike 'n Walk Hender-sonville website (www.bikinhville.com) and publish a monthly column in Indian Lake Peninsula Living magazine.

Interested in bicycle riding or know someone interested in riding?
Forward a copy of this newsletter to them.
You or they will not find a better deal.

ADMINISTRATION STUFF

Membership List - All members have access to the membership list. However, for everyone's security it is password protected. The list is based on the MailChimp subscription.

Calendar -We try to schedule upcoming events on the calendar that appears in the right sidebar. All ride leaders and our internet administrators can login to the calendar and enter their plans. Dave Miley has been adding stuff. So if you need help ask him.

Shutterfly - FOGBEE Photo website has over a hundred photo albums of past events.

Weekday Ride Group - FACEBOOK group which members use to share "ad hoc" ride information.

MapMyRide - ride maps created by FOGBEE ride leaders saved on MapMyRide

RideWithGPS - ride maps created by FOGBEE ride leaders saved on RideWithGPS.

YellowStone - private planning website for FOGBEE 2014 Bike Tour of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

Archive - We have saved past newsletter articles on Google Drive. You can access them from the Website. It is listed as a menu item under Resources.

If you create a video, please send me a copy so we can archive your work of art.

The FOGBEE Newsletter is published monthly
and distributed to FOGBEE members.

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