Cutters Executive

The new Cutters Executive for 2007 was voted in during the Feb 10th meeting.

Francis Wade - President (francis[at-sign]fwconsulting.com)
Vincent Chang - Treasurer (vincent_cjm[at-sign]yahoo.com)
Dale Wade - Secretary (dale.pilgrim[at-sign]gmail.com)
Martin Fong Kong - Ride Master (vandamme[at-sign]fongkong.net)
David Goldson - Director of Sponsorship (dgold[at-sign]cwjamaica.com)

Our thanks to John Foreman and Mavin Anderson for shouldering the full sum of executive duties in 2006.

Our new membership forms are available automatically by sending email to cuttersform@aweber.com.

Here are the instructions:

1) send email to cuttersform@aweber.com and wait a few minutes

2) look for an email entitled: RESPONSE REQUIRED: Confirm your request for information.

3) confirm your request by clicking on the link highlighted by: ONE-CLICK CONFIRMATION BY VISITING THE LINK BELOW:

4) wait a few minutes for the electronic report to be delivered to your mailbox as a pdf attachment to an email entitled: Your Information is Here!

These steps are all important to stay in compliance with recently passed SPAM laws.

Cutters Weekly Rides - Kingston

Sun 5:30am: Cutters Nice Long Ride

-- Leaves from different locations in the corporate area (usually either Manor Park, the corner of Molynes Road and Washington Boulevard, or Sovereign parking lot in Liguanea)

-- Distance: 45-60 miles

-- Average Speed: variable depending on the terrain. The maximum speed may get up to 24mph on the flats (before the sprint at the end.) Riders should be able to maintain an average speed of 16-18mph on the flats.

-- Route: Popular destinations include Bushy Park, Ewarton, Chicken Shack / Friendship Gap, Agualta Vale, Morant Bay and others

-- The ride usually returns by 9:00am in good riding weather

This is a ride for Intermediates and above who have the stamina to handle a nicer.... longer .... smoother ride.

Tuesday 4:10am: Cutters Hammerfest

-- Leaves from Sovereign at Liguanea

-- Distance: 40 miles

-- Average Speed: 23mph with top speeds of up to 30mph (and sometimes beyond)

-- Route: From Liguanea -- Mountain View -- Windward Road -- Harbour View -- Manley Highway -- Rae Town -- Manley Highway -- Harbour View -- Port Royal -- Harbour View -- Windward Road -- Liguanea

-- The ride ends at about 6:15am

This is a ride for Advanced riders with a great deal of riding experience, in top shape. There is no attempt to slow the ride down to keep it together, and there are surges, attacks and regular demonstrations of macho, hammer-filled speed.

Thursday 4:10am: Cutters Delite

-- Leaves from Sovereign at Liguanea

-- Distance: 30 miles

-- Average speed: 16mph with top speeds of 20mph

-- Route: From Liguanea -- Mountain View -- Windward Road -- Harbour View -- Port Royal -- Harbour View -- Windward Road -- Liguanea

-- The ride ends at about 6:15am

The ride is for Intermediates and above, for recovery and training purposes and is intended to be conducted at a steady, delightful speed

Saturday 5:30am: Cutters NoseBleed

-- Leaves from the corner of Molynes Road and Washington Boulevard

-- Distance: 40 miles

-- Average speed: 23mph with top speeds of 30mph

-- Route: Washington Boulevard -- Spanish Town roundabout -- Bog Walk -- and back to the start

-- The ride ends at about 7:30am

This Extremely Fast ride includes many of the best cyclists in Jamaica. Occasionally it might be slower, but in general... bring plenty tissues .

OTHER RIDES

The club adds other rides from time to time, including rides the training rides for the annual Negril / Heroes Day Ride conducted on or about October 17th.

The club encourages members and other riders who might not be able to match the speed of Cutters' scheduled rides to build up their speed and stamina on other non-Cutters rides. These include the Wednesday morning ride from Sovereign Liguanea, and the Saturday morning rides from Willow Tree to Port Royal and back.

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All Cutters rides are open to all members, and feature either one or two support vehicles for the safety, security and comfort of our riders. The general rule is that the vehicle stays with the last rider on the Sunday Long Ride ride, and on all other rides it stays with the biggest group of riders.

All the regular Cutter rides are out-and-backs, meaning that weaker riders are able to turn around at any point before the half-way point and catch the group on the return trip (without embarrassment.)

Riders on club rides need to be able to maintain an average speed of 16mph for 30 miles, and have some experience of riding in groups. Group riding requires safety/ riding skills plus riding etiquette that are not needed when riding alone. Suggestions or instructions are meant for learning and not criticism. If you have questions or concerns, please approach the Ride Master -- Martin "Van Damme" Fong Kong .

Keeping to the posted speed of each ride is the duty of the club cyclists, who are all jointly responsible for policing the ride. Members who regularly abuse the posted speed will be pilloried, drawn, quartered, fined and shunned.

While non-members are welcome on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday rides, there is a fee for riding with the club on Sundays. Also, non-members cannot be guaranteed that the vehicle will be available for use to them as a sag wagon. Non-members who try to force the speed of rides may end up riding alone.

As an intermediate riding club, Cutters' cyclists like to ride "at a speed." While all of our members may not be able to maintain the speed of our fastest rides, it is safe to say that all Cutters' members aspire to be able to "give cut" whenever the need arises... to "put de man dem in dem place."

Snell or ANSI approved helmets are required on all rides.

Cutters' Ride Master is Martin "Van Damme" Fong Kong (876) 881-8118 vandamme@fongkong.net

Bog Walk Gorge Ride

In March's issue of Bicycling Magazine, I sent in the Bog Walk ride my choice of favorite rides to take in Jamaica.

I happened to take that ride again this morning (it really is a round -trip to Ewarton,) and it was shrouded in a fine mist that I am sorry I did not capture digitally.

Nevertheless, here are very old and new pictures of the gorge:

Paris-Brest-Paris Ride

The first qualifier of the Paris-Brest-Paris ride was held yesterday -- a 125 mile gruelling circuit of the eastern end of the island through some terrible roads.
Here is the link to the ride's website and a brief description of the ride:

First run in 1891, the 1200-kilometer Paris-Brest-Paris, or "PBP" as it is commonly called, is a grueling test of human endurance and cycling ability. Organized every four years by the host Audax Club Parisien, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneurs is the oldest bicycling event still run on a regular basis on the open road. Beginning on the southern side of the French capital, it travels west 600 kilometers to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and returns along the same route. Today's randonneur cyclists, while no longer riding the primitive machines used a hundred years ago over dirt roads or cobblestones, still have to face up to rough weather, endless hills, and pedaling around the clock. A 90-hour time limit ensures that only the hardiest randonneurs earn the prestigious PBP finisher's medal and have their name entered into the event's "Great Book" along with every other finisher going back to the very first PBP. To become a PBP ancien (or ancienne for the ladies) is to join a very elite group of cyclists who have successfully endured this mighty challenge. No longer a contest for professional racing cyclists (whose entry is now forbidden), PBP evolved into a timed randonnée or brevet for hard-riding amateurs during the middle part of the 20th century. The event is held in August every four years.

Also, you can kind an account of the ride at Francis' blog.