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Welcome to the Southern Bicycle League

Whether you're new to cycling or a veteran rider, membership in Atlanta's Southern Bicycle League will add to your enjoyment of cycling. Learning from other riders, experiencing the thrill of new rides, and enjoying the camaraderie are benefits that last a lifetime. You'll also have the opportunity to help other cyclists and educate the community on cycling issues by getting involved in the club's many activities, such as the Advocacy Committee or by leading a ride.

A Message from the SBL President

by Wallace McRoy

(March 2010)

Reading Material

This is not usually the place to find a book review, but I want to mention A Dog in a Hat by Joe Parkin. This is an American’s account of the years he spent as a professional bicycle racer in Belgium. If you are accustomed to It’s Not about the Bike or Every Second Counts, or if you are familiar with the Seven-Eleven Team story or the US Postal Service / Discovery Team / Astana Team story, you will find this to be a book of a very different nature. Joe Parkin competed with and against the likes of Greg Lemond and Johan Bruyneel, but he never received the acclaim of the riders we hear about in the American media. Among professional bicycle racers who earned a living by racing, his team manager considered him the professional journeyman. The only disappointing thing I found about his book was that it was over too quickly. When I put it down, I wanted to read more. I don’t know if you will find it at your local public library, but you can probably do an internet search on the title and find several sources for a reasonably priced paperback edition.

About two days after writing the prior paragraph, I picked up a copy of Procycling at a large bookstore. Procycling is a magazine published in the UK. When I got home, I started leafing through it and found an interview of Joe Parkin. He is working on a second book with a working title of Come & Gone. The second publication will chronicle his years in the United States after he returned from racing in Europe. Some more familiar names may show up in the second book. He roomed with the current world champion, Cadel Evans, when they were mountain bike racing for Diamondback. I am looking forward to it.

In addition to recent book releases, I’ve run across a few interesting stories in the local newspaper. Back on May 22, 2009, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution picked up a story from Associated Press about a doctor in rural Australia who had to use a household drill from the maintenance room to operate on a young man who had a bicycle accident. I found this story to be very useful when talking to people who do not like to wear a helmet when riding their bicycle. The doctor on duty in a rural town quickly recognized the boy was bleeding on the brain and he had only minutes to make a hole in the boy’s skull to relieve the pressure. He sent for the drill while he spoke to a neurosurgeon in Melbourne for help. The surgeon talked the local doctor through the procedure by telling him where to aim and how deep to drill. “It was pretty scary. You obviously worry, [are] you pushing hard enough or pushing too hard, but then when some blood came out after we’d gone through the skull, we realized we’d made the right decision.” The boy was airlifted to a larger hospital in Melbourne and subsequently released in time to celebrate his 13th birthday.

The general manager for the Atlanta Falcons, Thomas Dimitroff, who is an avid mountain biker, wrote his own article, and it appeared in the Sports Section of the January 24, 2010, issue of the AJC (http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-falcons/dimitroff-gets-kick-from-281336.html?cxtype=rss_news_128746). When I was searching for the links to his article on AJC.com, I found that there have been a surprising number of bicycling-related stories over the last 18 months. Most are about commuting, advocacy, fitness, personal interest, and recreation.

- Wallace, (Click here to contact me)

Upcoming Rides from the SBL and SBL Supporters

SBL Jewel

Date

Event

Web Site

Ride App

Mar. 20, 2010 Tour de Pike

Mar. 28, 2010 St. Patrick's Century

Apr. 10, 2010 Tony Serrano Century Ride

Apr. 16-18, 2010 BRAG Spring Tune-up

Apr. 16-18, 2010 Noble Street Festival / Cheaha Challenge

May 1-2, 2010 Pine Mountain Tour

June 5-12, 2010 BRAG

July 16-18, 2010 Track Rock Weekend

August 29, 2010 Wilson 100

Sept. 3-6, 2010 Back to Blueridge

Nov. 12-14, 2009 North Florida Tour

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