2019 Piuma Hill Climb and the Annual Club Picnic
Registration is open for two events, which are the final event of the La Grange Cup, the World Famous Piuma Hill Climb, and the annual club picnic. Both events take place on Saturday, September 14th at 9 am and 12 pm respectively, and are free but you must pre-register for both. You will be assigned a race number for Piuma and we need to provide the caterer with an accurate headcount so that we have enough food and beverage for everyone. So, now is the time to register instead of waiting until registration closes, which is on Thursday, September 12th at 9 pm.
Piuma registration is at https://www.lagrange.org/member-calendar/#!event/2019/9/14/lg-cup-piuma-picnic
Picnic registration is at Picnic https://www.lagrange.org/member-calendar/#!event/2019/9/14/la-grange-annual-picnic
You must log in to register for both events and your dues must be current. If you have a family membership, please use the email address to log in that you used to sign up for your membership. You will be able to register multiple people for Piuma and for the picnic. If you are unable to log in, please contact Mikki Ozawa at mikki@lagrange.org
Cycling Art Project by Dan Chapman defines the pain that is part of Piuma.
Member Spotlight
A new feature this month is Member Spotlight. The first member to be spotlighted is Rusty Redican, who works for the LAPD in West LA. Rusty is a fine example of the best of the best. He was the one who arranged the escort the club had on Bastille Day. He is the one who will visit drivers who are caught on our cameras breaking the law. He cannot cite the drivers but he can make a house call to get their side of the story and hopefully let them know the right way to operate a vehicle in the vicinity of cyclists. Here was a recent post Rusty wrote on the La Grange Facebook page.
“So I put up a post on this Felony Hit and Run, of Mr. Lopez last week..... I was shocked that he survived the accident, and like most, it angered me that it occurred in the first place.
The suspect was caught in days, due to the excellent work of the investigating Detective and LAPD Central Traffic Division, as well as the many tips from the Community.
I reached out to the Detective and told him I wanted to speak to the Victim, if possible, because I had a bicycle that I wanted to give to him, if it fit, or I intended to buy him one that did, if it didn’t. The bike he had, was his only form of transportation, to and from work.
Yesterday I spoke to Mr. Lopez, and he’s doing very well and healing up. He’s not able to ride for a while, but told me he rides his bike everywhere. And that he loves riding.....🚴🏼♂️🚴🏼♂️🚴🏼♂️
He was very happy that the LAPD caught the man. He believes that the suspect would have possibly killed someone if he ended up getting away with this Hit and Run.
Turns out he is my height, and he was very appreciative of my offer to give him a bike. I told him I will be equipping it with racks and panniers so that he can put his belongings and work things inside. Apparently his bike, his trailer and all his belongings were stolen after he was struck, so he has none of his property.
I have a lock and a few other things..... but if anyone would like to pick up some lights, a helmet or any other items...PM me or comment below....
I’m going to link up with him next week to set up a time and date to go by his place and give him the items...
Anyone who would like to donate money to purchase items with, or give to Mr. Lopez? I set up a Venmo account to make that option available, due to private messages from folks looking to donate money to the cause.”
Please contact Rusty via Facebook if you have any questions or wish to donate. Thank you Rusty!
Club member and LAPD Officer Rusty Redican took a day during his vacation to escort club members throughout the usual Sunday Nichols Ride.
LAPD officer Rusty Redican at the club’s Bastille Day celebration with Raymond’s daughter, Zizi and Raphaele.
New Board Member - Marc Lewinstein
Marc Lewinstein has joined the Board of Directors of La Grange to replace Alex Miller. Marc has always liked riding bikes, but it wasn't until he discovered La Grange in 2012 that he became a cyclist. It's been a love affair ever since. In 2018, the loss of his beloved son Brian has led him to seek pedal therapy as a means of coping. "This community has been so good to me and to my mental health, I thought I should find a way to give back." Marc joined the board in August 2019. The Board wishes to thank Alex for his time and dedication to the club. Most members do not know the time and effort that goes into serving the club and our heartfelt thanks goes out to Alex for serving the club.
2019 LG Cup 500 Meter Sprint
The 2019 LaGrange Cup 500 Meter was held on Sunday, August 11, 2019 at the World Famous Encino Velodrome. The weather was perfect; warm but not blazing hot and of course, the track was DRY! Yes, Zach and Kate really did their laps on mountain bikes! Other impressive achievements included Marc Thomas' son Alden who managed to shave 10 SECONDS off of his time from last year (keep in mind Alden is well under 10 years old!)
Fast time of the day goes to Brian Duff who managed a tidy and smooth 38.16. Also impressive was Encino Velodrome's track master and caretaker, Henry Shibata. Obviously Henry has been doing this for a while and when he asked if he could take a run we said sure. Henry's time was 42.49. Henry turned 70 on September 1st!!!
Thanks to all that came out, especially all of the volunteers who helped make this happen: Marco Fantone, Jan Datomi, Geoff Loui, Tom Byrnes, Bruce Tsai, and Marc Thomas.
The warm up begin for the 500 meter sprint.
Glenn Savarese
Marco Fantone
Tom Brynes
Go Alden!
Patrick Barrett
Sarah Jones
Tina Grant
Monty Zuniga
Ellen Shinogle
Zach LeBry
Kate Wymbs
Some of the members who participated.
2019 All Clubs BBQ
The 2019 All Clubs BBQ was held on Sunday, August 18th at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. La Grange won a Wanky Award for Best Event, which was for the La Grange Grand Prix, and Patrick Barrett won Best BBQ for the 2nd year in a row.
Dan Chapman presenting one of his wonderful Cycling Art Project to a Wanky Award winner.
The dogs of the All Clubs BBQ. Photos by Sam Selfridge.
Jaycee Cary as lead singer entertaining the gathering.
Ellen Shinogle playing an amazing trumpet. Did you know Ellen is studying for a PhD?
And, yes, that is none other than…Jaycee Cary. A man of many talents and wigs.
August 50 for 50 Anniversary Ride
The August 50 for 50 ride was sponsored by TriFit in honor of Jeff Rothschild a La Grange member and a Registered Dietitian (RD) with a Master’s degree in Nutritional Science and a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). Jeff is leaving soon to start a PhD program in New Zealand in sports nutrition.
The ride was led by Jaycee Cary, the brainchild of the 50 for 50 ride. We rode PCH out to Trancas with some nice detours thought neighborhoods most of us never knew existed since we always just rode PCH to Trancas. The SAG stop was next to a Chumash Village for even more culture. The ride ended at TriFit where beer and tacos were waiting for us. Thank you to TriFit for their sponsorship of this ride and of the club and all the best to Jeff on his doctoral journey.
Another great turn out for the August 50 for 50 ride!
Marco Fabrizio leading the charge up one of the hills in the neighborhood before Trancas.
Jeff Rothschild and David Bernstein. Thank you David for the SAG support!
Departing the SAG stop.
Gina Bersentes Baski from TriFit leading the group back to tacos!
Free food and beer courtesy of TriFit! Thank you Gina and Bernard.
New Members
We are pleased to welcome the following new members: Juan Manuel Delfin, Darren Spicer, Hamid Namazie, Jeremy Moroff, Slater Ferguson, and Jeff Kolodny
