Cycling: Alta Alpina Club spring party set for Tuesday

The Alta Alpina Cycling Club (www.altaalpina.org) will be having its annual spring party at the CVIC Hall in Minden starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The party is for old club members to see each other and to meet new people who are interested in riding in the area.

One really great thing about the club is that there are people who are gathered together because they share the same interests: riding bicycles. Whether it be casual dirt roads, the best single track around or the traffic free routes, it is good to get advice from those who ride in the area. Some may be interested to know that you can ride a 70-mile loop in the Valley without leaving the basin.

The club has many activities throughout the year, starting with the popular twilight road races series which moves to Thursday evenings this year (juniors race for free).

This series is an informal, low key gathering where budding riders can try racing in a friendly, non-intimidating environment.

Other actvities include the Pinenut Cracker Mountain Bike Race (the second race of the Nevada Cup State Championship, the first one is the Jetway Chevrolet Challenge in the Fallon area on April 22), and another low-key mountain bike series on Wednesday evenings right here in the Valley.

We have casual/social rides of every pace thorughout the year and we also sponsor the Carson Valley Classic in late July, which includes the Minden Criterium and the Diamond Valley Road Race as well as the Fall Classic Genoa Cyclocross.

Then there is the grand daddy of them all - The Death Ride - which is recognized as one of the premier cycling events in the West.

The Alpine County Chamber of Commerce and the Alta Alpina Cycle Club invite you to participate in the 27th Anniversary of the Death Ride, while enjoying the magnificent scenery and warm hospitality of Alpine County. Visit www.deathride.com for more information.

Many club members are too busy volunteering and too tired to ride it, but we enjoy the event nonetheless.

Let's not forget the bicycle advocacy for safe routes, safety laws and public policies the club supports with its time and funds.

This year there is an added feature: an introductory ride for those who are curious about cycling. The ride has been scheduled to introduce some who are leary of riding with people or who may have questions like "What is with all the equipment?", "How to be in the right gear?" or "Why do people ride in a line... or not?"

It will be a short ride to a closed circuit with almost no traffic that returns back to CVIC in time for the party at 6 p.m. If you are curious or know someone who is curious, please invite them along.

And you will find out the answer to the most compelling question: "Why are most bike shorts are black?"

Helmets are required. Riders will be courteously escorted by the junior members of the club.

Information is available at www.altaalpina.org/rides. The 15-mile ride leaves the CVIC hall at 4:30. Hope to see you there.

-- Mel Maalouf is The Record-Courier's cycling columnist. He coaches the Alta Alpina youth cycling team.