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Road Soldiers Cycling Club®

Sandusky, Ohio

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RSCC News

The Veteran Newsletter

12 August 2011

The week of the 11th and 12th of August was one devoted to Firelands Rails-To-Trails involvement by the Road Soldiers. We joined the FRTTI two seasons ago and have been attending the Board Meetings of FRTTI, riding the trail and doing work days to “give back” to the cycling community. No less so this year despite the changes in our schedule occasioned by the state budget.

On Thursday, the 11th, we motored over to Bellevue and flummoxed around looking for what turned out to be a “well hidden” parking area at the Bellevue Reservoir. Fortunately, Gordon Oney, FRTTI Board Member, saw us driving about and came to our rescue. He led us to the entry driveway and back into the parking area that the FRTTI is developing. Signs have not yet been posted that would, otherwise, have directed us back to the gravel area.

We set out down Bauer Road in peloton, and turned left on Prairie Road and then onto the westernmost terminus of the NCIT being developed by FRTTI. The trail has been recently extended to Prairie Road by the Wilhelm Construction Company and they did a nice job of leveling and grading the trail for the top coat of fine stone dust. This surface rolls fairly fast, but is, unlike pavement, more demanding of the rider that black top.

Further on to the east, rolling towards Monroeville, and our objective of the Monroeville Rail Road Station (which is being restored by FRTTI as a trail HQ and RR Interpretive Center), we encountered the more coarse sections of the trail that still exist in gravel ballast form from the abandoned rail line. This gravel is rounded glacial moraine fill that was used to make the elevated beds for the ties and rails in bygone times. While being stable and solid, it is a more difficult traverse – particularly for the trikes. Eventually, the ballast will be covered with the fine stone and thus smoothed.

A helpful hint about riding on stone trails or dirt trails! One can go too slowly on loose or non-paved surfaces. Not unlike a boat, one needs, on loose surfaces, to bring one’s bike or trike “up to plane” by carrying enough speed to keep the wheels from bogging down in the surface matrix. If one goes too slowly, the wheel rises out of the surface with the power stroke of the pedal and then sinks back into the surface, momentarily, before the next power stroke. If, on the other hand, one is going with enough speed, the wheels tends to stay up on the surface. Try riding on beach sand, and you’ll get the point!

Anyway, Stan Bernhardt, FRTTI Board Member, was our host that the Monroeville station and Gordon rode with us on his recumbent bike. Members bantered as they rode the six-odd miles from Bellevue to Monroeville. All the riders made the station where Stan was passing out cold water – to the relief of the members.

Some of us ventured across the new bridge that was thrown across the old rail trestle that carried rail traffic over the West Branch of the Huron River. The trail ends, abruptly, at the end of the bridge because the rail road will not allow the trail to cross the tracks. FRTTI is seeking a solution to this to avoid the crossing dilemma and make the trail contiguous from Bellevue through Monroeville to Norwalk.

The group then reversed the ride and pedaled back to the Bellevue Trail Head. Some rode the bus back as they were spent from the effort on the trail. Once reassembled and the trailer was loaded, we drove across Route 20 to the Bellevue VFW Post #1238. This was our first visit to this very nice VFW on the east side of Bellevue, and now the new neighbor to the trail.

We were met by the Quarter Master and his able assistants who served us a burger and dog picnic with all the trimmings. Gordon and Stan were introduced to the VFW members who seemed eager to get to know some of “the new neighbors” (the FRTTI Board members) who represent the trail that is immediately south of the post complex across 20. Lance also wore his Sandusky County Park District “hat” and reprised that just as FRTTI has come to the east side of Bellevue, the SCPD will be on the west by the Fall of 2012. We hope that this will inspire a partnership between the FRTTI and VFW Post #1238!

The next day, seven of us drove over to Collins, Ohio, and did trail clearance work in that little rural hamlet with Stan and Gordon’s guidance. One of our members joked that we should have been wearing prison uniforms since we were doing work typical of old time chain gangs! It was funny and appropriate!

We began removing larger stones from the old rail line that are a menace to mowing. We also cleared some vegetation around some unused tractor trailers. It was a morning of stoop labor to do some of the “grunt work” that has to be done to make the North Coast Inland Trail of Huron County a safe place to ride and visit. It wasn’t at all glamorous, but has to be done.

FRTTI plans on building a park area in Collins on ground that was once owned by the Saylor Family. As both Stan and Gordon attest, it will take years to get all the work done to provide a free park for the public, but that is the commitment of the FRTTI Board.

Following a few hours of rock picking, Stan provided us with a guided tour of the 3 or more miles of developed trail that passes through Collins. Again, this is a stone dust trail, but is well maintained and is very scenic. It ends to the east of Collins on a county road dead ending at a farmer’s field. It ends to the west also on a county road, but will be continued on a right of way on ground now owned by FRTTI. It will not be long before the trail gets to the east side of Norwalk, Ohio!

Following our “chain gang labors” in Collins, and our tour of the eastern FRTTI works, we motored over to the Monroeville American Legion where we were provided a fish fry lunch by the people of Post #547 as hosted by the Post Adjutant. Talk about good!

We ran into James Bores, OVH member and member of Post #547 while having lunch. 547 is Jim’s home post as he was a former resident of Monroeville. He came for the fish fry and for fellowship with his post members and community friends.

Tired and well fed, we climbed aboard the wheelchair bus and headed back to OVH. We provided needed labor on a very tedious but necessary job of rock clearing. Doing the work pays back to the cycling community a portion of the good we have received from trails in Ohio for the 16 seasons we’ve been wheelin’ about.

Next, it’s on to Sandusky County again to ride the Elmore to Fremont section of the North Coast Inland Trail.

Yours in wheelin’ about,

Lance Franke, Staff Liason

Firelands Rails to Trails Ride

11 August 2011

Loading: 12:00 Hrs @ Trailer/RSCC Garage

Departing: @ 12:30 Hrs from Dom Main Desk Entrance

MEMBERS: Please make all efforts to attend the FRTTI Ride on Thursday, 11 August. We will depart at noon-thirty to be in Bellevue at one o’clock. We’ll ride to Monroeville and back to Bellevue. We’ll load up at the Bellevue Reservoir and then motor to the Bellevue VFW Post 1238 (Art Weisz’ home post) for supper.

A couple of board members from FRTTI will be present with us on the ride and at the supper and, hopefully, Steve Greuner, Director of the Sandusky County Park District will also be along. The goal, here, is NOT just a short ride on the NCIT in Huron County, but to introduce the Bellevue VFW leadership & post to the FRTTI and SCPD folks who have “arrived” in Bellevue; FRTTI from the east (this year) and SCPD (next year) from the west.

Additionally, members will get to see the progress on the restoration of the Monroeville rail station. Lots of work has been done on it, and the RSCC has done a chunk of it, too! It is really becoming an interesting place and celebrates railroad history in NW Ohio. You can also walk across the new bridge on the Huron River.

FRTTI Work Day

12 August 2011

Departing: 08:00 Hours from Main Desk Entrance

We’re going to participate in a work day on Friday, the 12th, and travel over to Collins to do some trail maintenance work. Last year, we did work on the Monroeville Station, but this year the need is to clear some parts of the eastern end of the NCIT in Collins. Hopefully, a good number of our members will be able to pitch in.

The best thing is to pitch into the work at Collins in the morning and take a later lunch and then call it a day. Hence, the 08:00 Hours departure. We can put in a few hours and then go to the Monroeville Legion for a late lunch. It’s likely that we’ll then call it a day and head back to the OVH.

Members might want to scare up a pair of work gloves for the day. We’ll do some rock clearing and scrub brush removal to help clear parts of the trail where it’s in development or overgrown. This is part of our “giving back” to the cycling community for the riding we do!

The FRTTI will be purchasing a few limp loppers and hand pruners. We’ll be doing muscle stuff to clear off parts of the vegetation on the trail in the Collins area. We’ll start out in the morning from the OVH, drive directly to the Collins Trailhead, and go to work as assigned. As above, we’ll knock off for a late lunch at the Monroeville Legion. They’ll have lunch ready between 13:00 and 13:30 hours. Then, we’ll likely go back to OVH.

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It is hoped that all members will make every effort to be present for these events as have been promised. We, particularly, want to have a strong showing for the FRTTI Ride on Thursday to show our support for the trail to the Bellevue VFW Post. We are trying to build a bridge between the veteran community in Bellevue and the FRTTI organization! We are in the unique position to do this as a veteran cycling organization that belongs to the FRTTI.

Therefore, each member’s participation is important on this ride. It shows that one special community (veterans) can have a working fellowship and mutual support of another (FRTTI). Perhaps this could become the springboard for having the VFW Post be the host for the February Annual FRTTI Meeting. Remember how crowded it was last year at Berry’s Restaurant? The Post would make an excellent place and is part of the Bellevue community into which the North Coast Inland Trail has come from the east (FRTTI) and, next year, from the west by the Sandusky County Park District.

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At the Board Meeting, D. Quentin Steinmetz was affirmed as the new Club Chairman due to Carl Melberg’s resignation. Charles Pavelka was affirmed as the new Vice Chair.
We thank Carl for his leadership and look forward to that of Quent and Chuck!

Be there next week!

Yours in wheelin’ about,

Quentin Steinmetz, Lance Franke

D. Quentin Steinmetz, Club Chairman

Lance Franke, Staff Liaison

05 August 2011

A & B HOBBIES & CYCLES
1202 W Washington St
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
419-625-4242
The folks at A & B Hobbies & Cycles always give discounts to the veterans at the Ohio Veterans Home.

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Fremont Cycle & Fitness Always gives us a discount too.
Corner Of State & Ohio Ave
Fremont, OH 43420
419-332-4481