Five Weeks to the Festival!

In just five weeks, the Gainesville Cycling Festival will be in full swing. This is the biggest cycling event each year in Gainesville, attracting around a thousand cyclists from all over Florida and the United States. We already have riders signed up from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Washington (state!), and West Virginia. This year's Festival, incorporating the Orthopaedic Institute Santa Fe Century and Horse Farm Hundred, is scheduled for October 24 and 25, 2015.

We need your help in publicizing this event. On Facebook, search for "Gainesville Cycling Festival". Join the event and Invite all of your cycling friends. Let's see if we can get our number of persons invited up in to the thousands!

To sign up to ride the Festival, go to the Members Area. Using this option ensures you will get the Club discount. If you are going to volunteer, WAIT for your volunteer assignment to be posted to the Members Area BEFORE signing up to ride.

Festival Volunteering

We're now signing up volunteers to make the Festival happen. You can see the available slots here. There are instructions on that page for signing up. We still have plenty of openings; help us by volunteering early.

All volunteers get a complimentary event t-shirt of your choice (there are 16 different versions available!), and most get a free ride in one of the events. You can sign up for more slots to get an additional shirt and ride (details on the page). Do not register for the Festival until your volunteer positions are listed on your Members Area News page.

Registration closes soon! Registering at the ride costs more, and will not be permitted if we reach the rider limit beforehand. See event details here.

Use the expedited sign up button in the Members Area to register.

VO2Max Tours, New Business Sponsor

Long time GCC member Brendan White has formed a new touring company, VO2Max Tours, and is offering a 10% discount to GCC Members.

If you've ever considered cycle touring in Ireland, what better way than to go with a club member who is also a native Irishman. Select from tour dates in June, July, and August, 2016. For full details see http://www.vo2maxtours.com/

Beware the Low Sun

As we are in the time of the autumnal equinox, the sun is currently rising and setting due east and due west. Our grid pattern road network is set up so that a lot of roads run due east/west. This means that as the sun rises and sets during these few weeks, it will be directly in the eyes of roadway users traveling towards the sun.

As bicyclists, this is important since motor vehicle drivers may be sufficiently blinded to be unable to see us. A number of years ago, two GCC members were hit by a car while riding under these conditions. You should avoid riding east in the morning for up to an hour after sunrise, and avoid riding west for up to an hour before sunset, especially on roads that do not have bikelanes or paved shoulders. If you must ride under these conditions, use a mirror to keep track of overtaking vehicles, and be prepared to leave the roadway if necessary.

GCC Store

We currently have GCC water bottles at $5 and HubBub mirrors at $20. Also prior year Horse Farm shirts at 2 for $5, and Mad Squirrel Santa Fe shirts at $5 (limited sizes). When the jersey order arrive in mid-October, we'll have GCC Classic jerseys for sale.

Email if you want to pick up one of these items. They will be available at the Pink Pumpkin Pedal-Off, and at the Festival in Gainesville.

Long Form Articles on the News Page

Why Not Lights?
Don't Be a Dim Bulb. Use a Wet Bulb!
Spinal Stability

Reminders

September 26 - Swampman 100

September 30 - Last day for the National Bike Challenge - Join Our Team!

October 4 - Rails To Trails of the Withlacoochee Bike Ride

October 10 - Pink Pumpkin Pedal-Off - register in the Members Area

October 18 - Active Streets GNV

October 24 - Orthopaedic Institute Santa Fe Century

October 25 - Horse Farm Hundred at First Magnitude Brewery

November 7 - Spaghetti 100

November 11 - Veterans Day Poker Run - register in the Members Area

November 15 - Horrible Hundred