The Grand Illinois Trail And Parks bike tour for 2012 (June 10-16) is full. We have hit our limit of 160 riders.

If you aren't registered for the ride, and possibly would still like to do it, all is not lost. Give Chuck a call or email him and he will put you on a waiting list. Last year there were a number of drops - for one reason or another - before the ride began in mid-June. They all were replaced by people on the waiting list.

Chuck Oestreich
Grand Illinois Trail And Parks bicycle tour
309-788-1845
chuckace2@gmail.com

Finally, cycling is really starting to take off nationwide and the Quad Cities is keeping pace. With new cycling facilities being added yearly here locally, the residents of the Quad Cities are finally starting to realize what we have known all along...the Quad Cities is a great place to ride a bicycle!
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The QCBC will hold our first Movie Night featuring Bicycle Dreams.

• Sunday, February 12
• 5:00pm
• Rivermont Collegiate 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf, IA
• $10 (plus a transaction fee) in advance at Get Me Registered
• $15 at the door if seats are still available

Tickets are limited.

All profits will be donated to The Handicapped Development Center.

Feel free to bring your own movie snacks. We'll have some drinks available at no cost.

Synopsis:

It's a sure sign that Spring is just around the corner when riders begin talking about the first "organized" QCBC ride of the year. That would have to be the "Tour of the Islands", an easy going route taking riders to Campbell’s Is., Sylvan Is., Arsenal Is., and Credit Is. Then there is the optional stop at the 11th Street Precinct in the East Village of Davenport for lunch and some fun seeing who accumulated the best poker hand from the cards passed out at stops on the various islands.

This ride is open to the public and there is no charge for participation, so QCBC members are encouraged to recruit a friend or relative who may be curious about your riding and bring them along for the experience.

• March 17, 2012
• 9:00 AM
• East Boat Launching Ramp on Butterworth Parkway
• Moline, IL

To help the organizers plan for how much hot chocolate, cookies etc. to provide, please, send an e-mail message to Joe Jamison j-jamison@sbcglobal.net with your name and the names of any others you may be bringing.

Aloha
Joe

I've learned over time that great things don't just happen all at once. They are a result of effort, planning, a lot of help from others and serendipity.

Just before our 2010 Awards Dinner with Dave Wiens, Mike Giudici and I were on a bike ride trying to figure out who we could get to speak at our 2011 Awards Dinner. We tossed around several names. At the Annual Dinner, I introduced Dave to Jeff Bradley and overheard Jeff say that he would be vacationing with some of his 7-Eleven team members in the near future. Later I asked Mike if he thought we might get Jeff's team mate Bob Roll. Mike contacted Jeff and the rest is history.

Now fast forward a few months before our 2011 Awards Dinner. Mike suggested that we should have a book signing and I thought we should have a Roll with Bob cyclocross race. Mike thought that a local charity like The Handicapped Development Center should benefit from the weekend. The race fell through and was replaced with the charity ride.

The Roll with Bob charity ride, book and t-shirt sales netted $2800 for the HDC. Shortly afterwards, we received a $2800 refund check from the city of Davenport because our Fred Blessin Memorial was completed under budget. Days later, Terry Burke, Darlene Moritz and I were developing our draft 2012 QCBC annual budget in Darlene's kitchen as we do each year. Darlene suggested that we combine the unexpected refund with the Roll with Bob funds. Your QCBC board quickly agreed.

Mike and I presented a $5600 check to cheering HDC clients this week. As we departed, Carol Foster told us that our donation would be used to buy much needed wheel chairs.

At that point, "Roll with Bob" took on a whole new meaning.

Thanks to everyone that helped make this day happen.

John Harrington

Several cyclists turned out for the final club ride of 2011 and enjoyed a trip through the Quad Cities on a 48 degree New Year's Eve day.

We started out in Rock Island's Schweibert Park and looped through Sunset Park, crossed the Gov't bridge and took the Mississippi River Trail to loop through Credit Island. A stop was made at the Credit Island multi-use bridge project, with the "ahead of schedule" construction very pleasing all those present.

After a short trip down Hwy 61, we took the South entrance through Sunderbruch Park, rode up Wisconsin and into Emeis Park. Duck Creek Path was taken to Eastern Ave to Locust St. and an invasion of Jerry & Sparky's ensued.

After lunch at Checker's, Belle Street was taken to get back on Duck Creek Path, which was followed to State Street in Bettendorf. Although all work has ceased until Spring, the MRT extension at 42nd Street was surveyed with Bareback announcing to the group that his annual MRT ride will start at this point next Father's Day.

Elm Street to 35th Street took us back to the MRT, crossing the Arsenal Bridge and then back to the starting point in Rock Island for a 42 mile Winter ride.

Happy New Years greetings were shared with several runners, cyclists and dog walkers also out enjoying the favorable weather throughout the Quad Cities' network of trails.

Time was taken to map out this route as it will be used as a portion of a QC Metro Metric Century for next June's G.I.T.A.P. cyclists. The entire 61 mile route will also be one of my RAGBRAI Training Rides next year.

Dixon

RAGBRAI's 40th Anniversary
July 22-28, 2012
The QCBC RAGBRAI webpages have been updated to help you better find answers to your charter questions and assist you in signing up for the 40th RAGBRAI. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.

It is that time of the year to be thinking about next summer's RAGBRAI. Tony Buck returns to chair the organizational duties of the QCBC RAGBRAI charter services. I will handle the registration duties and charter applications. The QCBC RAGBRAI Charter has always been a great experience for those who have joined us and we hope that many new cycling enthusiasts will accompany our charter next summer as well. The 2012, 40th Anniversary ride will be July 22 - July 28, on a route to be announced on January 28th.
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