This Thursday's rides are something old and something new.  Clare Rhoades is leading a new A ride starting in La Cueva. La Cueva is close to Mora, so people going there will meet at the Agora in El Dorado at 8:30 to form a carpool.  There are 8.1 miles of dirt road on this ride, so a hybrid or a mountain bike is recommended.  Clare says the dirt part is not bad, as it is kept in good shape.  It promises to be a beautiful day and it is always fun to explore a new area. The ride leaves from Sappello and is a loop through Pendores Village for a total of 27 miles. 

The B and C rides will meet at the Agora at 10:00.  The B ride leader is Stephen Hazen and the route is to Galisteo, maybe a little beyond.  Pam and Brian will lead the C ride to Lamy.  

These are our next to last rides of the season, sniff.  Hope we see everyone at the final luncheon on October 28. The cost of this event is $18 payable in advance to Edwin at the ride sign-in table or by mail to 2105 Paseo Ponderosa, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

If you are interested in being a Board member for 2011 please e-mail me and I will put you on the list. This is a volunteer position with some feel good pay but no money.

A report on last Thursdays ride. The scheduled Two Pueblo Ride was change because we felt it would not be appropriate to ride thought the  Kewa (Santo Domingo) Pueblo which had been hit with a freak hail storm almost two weeks ago. 90% of their homes were flooded and now mold has started to grow in them.  They are being evacuated and need help. 

We rode the two dams - Galisteo and Cochiti instead.  Judy collected items at the sign-in table and delivered them to the Kewa Community Center after the ride.  Some of the items suggested included cleaning and roofing supplies, tarps, face masks, gloves, nonperishable foods, diapers, clothing and blankets, and always money.

The weather was in the 50º to 60º range with minimal wind and beautiful clear skies for the ride. 

There were Thirty-one SOBs that did the 24 miles to Cochiti Lake led by Judy Costlow and Ramon Parcells with his stocker Marie-Paule the HERO. Two riders (John Stephens and Ramon Montoya) extended the ride another 4 miles past the regroup point at the Cochiti Lake Phillips 66 station. The return ride split into twenty-five riders choosing to ride on the dams rim road led by Judy. Four other riders led by Edwin chose to return on hwy 22.

Everyone regrouped at the parking area where a group of eight riders rode to the Galisteo Dam. 

Judy e-mailed the group after the ride:

“I wanted to convey the thanks that Kewa Pueblo sent to each of you who made a donation to them in their time of need.  We gave them $150, nonperishable food, clothing, tarps, gloves and other "stuff."  They were most grateful for your kind generosity.  The wonderful woman who accepted our donation gave Lore and I a hug and touched her heart to thank you all.  Most of the homes damaged were in the oldest part of the Pueblo.  They are adobe and did not have much of a foundation, so the water poured in.”

Anyone interested in improving their riding skills would benefit by taking the Traffic Skill 101 class the first weekend in November.  That is Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 6 & 7 from 10:00 am. This is one of the League of American Bicyclists Smart Cycling courses taught by League Certified Instructors. There is a $40 fee for the class (which is waived for SOB members) and an optional $10 textbook charge. We have four SOBs that have completed this training. They are: Judy Costlow, Wes Horner, Jim Hallquist, and Stephen Hazen. If you would like to join this elite group of cyclists please e-mail me right away as there is a maximum of seven openings.