The always fun and enjoyable River Haven Ride, scheduled for July 10 has been canceled due to high water and wet conditions at the Mahoney's property.  

Come on, folks, take a turn at the front.  Hugh and Becky won't be around forever...though they may think it'll take that darned builder that long to finish the house in Fburg!  Leadership of the HATS isn't a lifetime position and it doesn't require nearly the amount of work that either the Mahoneys or the Reeves have given it. Think Lance Armstrong.  You can ride in someone's slip stream and bark out directions.  Its all about delegation. Those of us that have provided you with newsletters, routes, membership, and coordination for the past X years aren't leaving...but we're tired and want some new blood in the front. 

On another note...we have some great rides coming up soon.  The annual Riverhaven ride is only a week or so out.  Whip up something good to share (Marcie...how about some squash caserole?), grab a steak for the grill and come out for a steamy ride and a cool refreshing dip in the river.  If you can get Mike away from Le Tour, he might even give you a boat ride.  

September has some good stuff already scheduled...sign up now for the Trol Ride.  And make plans to join the Waddells for a ride around The Island the following weekend.  

Ever been in a pack of cyclists and despite the relative comfort of the pace, the same people were on the front the whole time?  Well that seems to be where HATS is right now.  We have Top Hats that are moving to Fredericksburg, and after having given 6 months notice, will be turning a corner and taking a path not on the current HATS route.  Who is going to take the lead and pull the peleton for the next year?  If you think you'd be willing to come out of the draft and take your fair pull, contact Hugh and Becky as soon as possible.  Visit with Hugh to see what the job entails and if you feel like you've got the stamina for a place at the front.  Remember!  Cycling is a team sport.  You will have strong team mates to support you the whole way.  (And, if like Lance, you know how to delegate and use your team mates, you need really only hide in the pack, letting everyone else do the work while you direct.)

Hugh and Becky Reeves have led the group for a smooth couple of years, but are retiring to Fredericksburg in June.  We are thankful for the excellent time they've spent on our club.  Its time now for new leadership...and that means time for you to step over and take the captain's seat.  Being Top Hats can be as easy as you want to make it...there are a lot of folks ready to accept delegated responsibility - or, you can do it all yourself!  If you would like to consider steering the club for a year or two, call Hugh and let him know.  You lead, we'll pedal.  

One activity that will get your Tandem interest heightened is a regional tandem rally.  One of the best is the Southwest Tandem Rally and when hosted by the DATES, you cannot go wrong.  A great time is guaranteed...even if there is foul weather.  If you aren't signed up and wish to attend, you might check with the club, or go to their website and follow up from there.  Its long past time to have signed up but sometimes cancellations occur and its an event you don't want to miss.  I hope to see you in Paris...I hear its lovely this time of year.

Note:  You can check on Gene Stucker's progress in rehabilitation by the same link in the previous post.  Just click on Check on Gene.  He is home and doing very well.  

Gene Stucker, longtime HATS member, took a tumble off a ladder over the weekend.  You can find him at Memorial Hermann Hospital, in the Med Center, for the time being.  There is also a website where you can track his progress or leave notes to him during his recovery: check on gene

HATS will host the 2011 Southwest Tandem Rally.  Be a part of the planning committee and enjoy the 2011 rally for over a whole year!  The initial planning meeting for the 2011 rally will be 7:00 PM, Thursday, February 18, at the home of Top Hats Hugh and Becky Reeves.  Come help us plan the rally from location, dates, food to activities.  Hugh will supply the Seveer beer for the evening.  3102 Stanton (south of Braes Bayou and east of Buffalo)  Phone:  713-666-5620

As is more often than not, the annual Valentines Day Ride will be the Sunday before Valentines Day this year.  Pack up the bike, dress in your best matching outfits (preferably HATS jerseys) and come join us at the Swinging Door BBQ in Sugar Land for an afternoon ride, BBQ dinner, and, if you wish to participate, secret gift exchange.  Check out the latest newsletter for details.  

The annual Chili Ride will be this weekend at the Mahoney home, Riverhaven, on the San Bernard river near West Columbia, TX.  This is the first ride scheduled ride of the year and always a great occasion to get together with your HATS chums.  Whether you are up for the ride, sometimes a cold or damp one, or just want to get out of town for a party, come on down to Riverhaven for the annual chili fest.  

Hugh and Becky Reeves announced at the HATS Christmas party that sometime near the first of June, 2010, they would be stepping down from leadership of the HATS steering committee and the position we call Top Hats.  In the past, the position has been occupied by only three excellent couples, counting the current leaders.  There are no requirements for the position other than the willingness to delegate or self-perform various duties you have grown to expect and that keep the club breathing.  Oh, and make our next SWTR happen...  If you think you might be interested, please contact Hugh soon.  The title goes to the first and loudest.  Hugh can confidentially inform you of the duties, perks, compensation, and terms.  In the event of two or more fervent applicant couples, there will be a series of competitions, not unlike those of the tandem rallies of yore, or, you can simply contact me, your humble webmaster for an address for payoff.  (Please don't send money to the treasurer or confuse it with funding for other purposes through the Fleshmans.)

Wow!  Thanks to our Christmas elves, the Colvins and the Sanders, for the holiday festivities.  The Colvin hosted Lights Ride was a delightful addition to our tradition of viewing neighborhood holiday decorations from equally spectacularly decorated bikes.  And last night, healthy looking bikers converged on the Spaghetti Warehouse, in our holiday best, to enjoy a lovely evening hosted by the Sanders.  Although Santa wasn't there to do his lame routine of the past, Mike Mahoney and Pam Sanders provided entertainment that will be difficult to top.  Perhaps we've found our amusement for the next few years?

Dust off your favorite chili recipe and get out your warm clothes.  The annual Chili Ride is next on the calendar.

 

Soon we're into that busy time of year where cycling takes a back seat to more important things like family, religious celebration and eating.  As always, the HATS, an accomodating group, wants your attention and we're willing to take those odd Sunday evenings when there is little else to do.  Please make plans to join us for the Holiday Lights Ride through the Heights, hosted by Steve and Francis on December 13th, and the HATS Holiday Party at the Old Spaghetti Warehouse, hosted by the Sanders(es?), on December 20th.  The lights ride will be a chance to decorate your team and vehicle with holiday cleverness to impress both your friends and those unlucky enough to not have a tandem but are out and about as we cruise by.  (In the past we've had some very clever rigs...I challenge you to come up with something that could beat the Currie's Snowmen, the Davis's Tin Soldiers, or some of the way-out light displays!)  More to come...both in the mail and with the December newsletter.  Come join us, folks...we really need a Christmas this year and we should get in the holiday spirit.

With fall rides like the TROLS Great Adventure, and the Oktoberfest Ride, hosted by the Moormans, as memories of good times, we've got the November HATS ride, in Fayetteville, with the post-ride pot luck lunch at the Fondren Ranch, to look forward to.  Oil your chain, drag out the arm warmers, and come join us for fall colors in the rolling hills of Fayette County on November 14th.  See the newsletter for the particulars.

It seems that summer slipped out the back, Jack, and, at my house, we're trying to figure out what to wear and when.  Tomorrow, cool weather riding begins with a good chill at the Octoberfest Ride, hosted by the Moormans, in Brenham.  Predictions are for a sub-50 start with some strong winds.  Just a few weeks later, we'll have a ride in the Fayetteville area, courtesy of the Fondrens.  The Christmas Lights Ride and Christmas Party are just around the corner, and have always been on cold nights.  Get out your hi-tech clothes and join us for some good riding.

Fundraisers abound at this time of year, though our HATS rides seemed to have dwindled to naught.  If you'd be willing to sponsor a ride - your normal 30-40 mile weekend ride might be perfect for the rest of us, give Hugh and Becky a jingle.  The weather is getting palatable in the mornings and one can ride til noon before it actually gets hot...swell weather for a get together of long bikes.  A handful of maps is your only price for the company of some lovely people on a cool, fall morning.  

The TROLS Great Adventure XII in Jefferson, Texas will be the next Big Thang on the agenda.  Check out the Upcoming Events for the particulars.  This has always been one of my favorite events.  Mark your calendars and take a trip back in time in historical Jefferson with the TROLS Great Adventure.

The annual Summer Riverhaven Ride and Cookout has come and gone.  The turnout was light, but the spirits were high and fun was had by all.  After a ride in the steamy area around West Columbia, the group reconvened at the Mahoney's country estate on the banks of the San Bernard River for a delicious pot-luck repast and viewing of the penultimate stage of the 2009 Tour de France, a short climb up Mt. Ventoux.  If you missed the gathering because of the heat and humidity, you could have joined us for lunch.  If it was because you wanted to see the stage, you missed an opportunity to watch it with 30 good friends, all knowledgeable and excited about the race.  If you missed for some other reason, I hope all is well and it was nothing serious.  Come ride with us.

I don't understand why people blog.  In general, I file blogs under the useful cliche TMI...too much information.  As this slot is blinking at me each time I open the HATS website for management purposes, as a gift from Jeffrey, I thought I might use it to let you know of new developments on the website and encourage your contributions.  

First let me comment that the purpose I have in accepting the management of YOUR website is to get a site up and running that at least meets the minimum requirements - some place to post the Top Hat's newsletter, ride postings and some place where new people can locate us.  Like one's stable of bikes, function tends to propagate more function til you have more than you reckoned for.  We've got the minimum, I think.  Perhaps I should take a nap.

 The latest addition to the website is a button called Travel.  The intent is to give you a resource of who has gone where so you are able to touch base with someone who might give you tips on your trip. About ten years ago, I made the comment that I would absolutely never go abroad with a bike...too much to see and not enough time.  You can see roads in the USA.  After a trip to Provence, I now am reluctant to leave home without a bike.  Try it if you haven't.  Spend the money to be coddled on a bike tour...or, my passion, pull a trailer and feel the possibilities.  Either way, we have club members that been there and done that.  If you've been there and would like to share your knowledge, let me know and we'll get you on the list.

 If you need help contacting any of our members listed, please contact me through our contact page.

Have a great summer...and don't forget to drink before you get thirsty.