Come on out & ride!
Join us in San Antonio for some great rides with great people...
We have an opportunity to help our friend Brian Wicks from Resurrection Ministries. He’s been doing homeless ministries for almost 10 years. Every Tuesday & Thursday he goes out on an established route & feeds those down on their luck. Throughout the year, we try & give Brian a break, a few night off from his tireless efforts. We have that opportunity this week.
We’ll be feeding the homeless Tuesday 11/10 & Thursday 11/12. I’ve got the cooking handled but we will need assistance with the feeding. It gets a little hard when there’s just 2 of us handing out dinner to 20 or so people at each stop, there are 5 stops. The feeding starts at 7:00 – 9:00pm. Please let me know your availability as soon as you can.
The address to help if you are riding with us or following us from north central San Antonio is:
126 S Tower Drive, 78232. The neighborhood is Hill Country Village. Call 210-383-4663 if there is any confusion.
You can either meet at the above address & leave from there, or you can go directly to the meeting point/first stop and meet up with us there.
If you are meeting at the house & following us down there, be there no later than 6:30PM.
If you are meeting us at the start point, be there by 7PM.
Our meeting/ start point is at 1541 Austin Hwy, 78218. It’s the parking lot of Advanced Auto Parts / Anna Linens, right on Austin Hwy. It’s between Harry Wurzbach & Eisenhauer, north side of Austin Hwy. If you can’t find it, call me 383-4663 or Guy 683-0831.
Those of us going from the house on Tower, we will leave promptly at 6:30PM. We’ll try to group up to limit the number of cars we take. You may feel more comfortable leaving your car at my house as opposed to on Austin Hwy. Let me know.
We’ll be meeting at Advanced Auto Parts on Austin Hwy at 7pm. If you are in route and running late, please call me so we can wait for you. 210-383-4663.
The route we’ll be following heads towards downtown from Terrell Hills, ending on Alamo in downtown. It will take us from 7-9pm to complete. For those of you that have never had a chance to do something like this, we’ll be talking about it before we start the route. If you have any questions, please call me or email me. This is a very interesting and rewarding experience, I hope you come.
Cancelled due to rain. Another line of storms is heading in from the south. We will cancel until next week. Sorry for those of you that missed the ride…
Click here before reading post…
Alrighty then… now that your in the mood:
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Saturday November 21st 7PM
Our Holiday Meet & Greet - Fun / Food / Music / and More!!!!!
Location: 126 S. Tower Drive, 78232 – in Hill Country Village
It’s a Meet & Greet – Bring your non-riding partners/ spouses for a fun get together off the bikes. Join us for this even if you haven’t ridden with us yet. Invite all those people who keep telling you they want to try it – one day. Have them come out & meet all of us!!! We will be needing RSVP’s so we know about how many to expect.
It’s a Rider Appreciation get together – a night where we congratulate each other & ourselves for all the tremendous things we’ve done through out the year.
It’s a Holiday Celebration!! We have great music, fire spinning demonstration, and lots more. We will be providing several beef and chicken main courses, we ask you to bring a side dish or dessert. So start thinking about who your coming with and what you’d like to bring.
The biggest question is:
Costume or no costume??
Choose your tour distance from 15, 30, or 50 Miles. Course is fully supported and suitable for Super- Beginner, Fast Beginner, and all levels of intermediate.
Ride out begins at 8am. See caravan info below. This is a great ride for all of us!
Check here for all the details
The Saturday Recreational Tours are just for fun. There are relaxation stations set up around the course so that you will be able to stop for restrooms, replenish your liquids and get a snack before continuing. There are no prizes for who finishes ahead of who — it is a time to enjoy the camaraderie of a beautiful bike ride along River Road, alongside fellow cyclists who share your love of touring the beautiful countryside – and then get back to enjoy the charm and ambiance of Gruene – or head for the Wursthalle for the German Festival. Tour de Gruene is a great family ride – offering several distance choices – each of which are scenic, relatively flat, and contain rest stops along the way to replenish your thirst and hunger.
Wurstfest Opens in New Braunfels at Wursthalle at 11AM Some of us are staying to enjoy the festivities…
Individual Time Trails (race) begins at 2PM
We will be meeting at Starbucks at the Forum, IH35 & 1604 at 6:15AM Location for Caravan
From there we will head out to Gruene, leaving the parking lot promptly at 6:30AM. If you want coffee, be there earlier, please. For last minute questions call 210-683-0831.
Several of us (who have not registered yet) will be registering at the bikeworld on 1604 from 6-9pm Thursday.
So, leave a comment & let us know… costume or no costume???
It is important, if you ride, to be involved.
Join the MPO’s Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee for a special evening committee meeting to report on the state of cycling in San Antonio and Bexar County. Find out what’s been accomplished and where we are heading.
BIKE NIGHT at the MPO
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Time: 6pm Open House, 6:30pm meeting begins.
Location: Community Room, VIA Metro Center, 1021 San Pedro, 78212
Link for Directions, Click Here
Your attendance is very important at this meeting. I know we are all really busy, but the MPO doesn’t understand what our real issues are. At the last meeting I attended, they made statements about how most of the ‘northside’ cyclists don’t even ride in San Antonio. We tried to explain that we have to drive further & further north to be safe due to limited ‘bike-friendly’ routes in town, but I don’t know if they heard us.
They are doing many things in an attempt to make San Antonio bike-friendly, but it is not going to happen by itself. We all have to get involved, whether we’re beginners or seasoned cyclists. They need your input & they need to know how many of us there are with these needs.
It will be very important for as many of us as possible to show up. Hundreds of cyclists at this meeting would show the MPO that 
we are large in number and that we have needs that are not being adequately addressed. Specifically safe bicycling. Usually there is a small handful of cyclists and the MPO steps up to talk of all they are doing. With cyclists dying on our streets, it is time for a change. That change begins with you.
Many of you that are new to cycling don’t know what to do when opportunities like this one come up. Some of you feel because you are new, you have nothing to say, so you can’t see the importance of coming to a meeting like this. Many of you, new & experienced cyclists feel that it won’t do any good. What is needed is that you show up, the rest will fall into place. We can’t make significant change by staying home.
We look forward to seeing you there…
We headed into the weekend apprehensive. The forecast did not look good with 100% chance of rain both Saturday & Sunday. But we all prepared, trying to be optimistic. Several people joined the festivities downtown at the AlamoDome. There was plenty to see from the final packet pick-up, food & festivities to the Bicycle Jersey Fashion Show. Jason Bowker was stylin’ as he walked the runway sporting our official Ride Like A Girl/Ridin’ With Da Girls jersey. It was a great start to the excitement, and it was dry.
Guy & I took one truck with luggage out to New Braunfels Friday night. Sometimes you have blessings in disguise. We got lost and couldn’t figure out where the finish for Saturday would be. Frustrated, we decided to leave the truck in the hospital parking lot across the street from Schlitterbahn. We had no idea what a wise decision that was. We were tired, it was after 11pm, we drove back home.
It wasn’t actually raining when we began the drive to the AlamoDome 6am Saturday. There was a light mist as we exited 281. Jason, Doug & Linda were already in the parking lot. The riders began to arrive. We affixed our numbers to everything, I grabbed my camera and wandered through the lot as it filled as others took their luggage to the truck that would transport it all to New Braunfels. It started to rain. (sorry to everyone that stopped & posed, same story as last weekend: digital camera+rain= bad photos) We discussed the problem with many of the arriving, disappointed riders that were there.
Some never even made it to the parking lot, deciding it wasn’t a good riding day for them. Others that had arrived, 
determined the added danger from the rain was more than they were willing to risk. Guy & I discussed with Jason his decision.
As the rain got harder, it was decided we would start the ride, and then sag to the lunch area. We got to the very end of the very long line as the start began. While in line, we persuaded Rita, Michelle, Lizette & David to join us for the start. (they had chosen not to ride, due to how hard it was raining). Patty & Emy cheered us on from the sidelines.
The music was loud, the rain was falling, riders were twittering out their thoughts as the line slowly progressed. Marty took off just ahead of us (on left) It was 8:30am when we crossed the start line slowly. Rita was the very last rider. She won the award for the shortest distance of any rider to start as she proceeded out the parking lot, turned right onto the sidewalk, turned back into the parking lot back to her car. She estimated it was less than 2 miles of riding for her.
Jason, Guy & I rode across to the underpass, then decided to turn back as the rain increased. Michelle, Lizette & David messaged me later that they rode all the way to the Alamo before calling it quits & getting picked up.
TO BE CONTINUED…
feel free to add your experiences to the comments… email me photos if you have them…
Greg & Alex – may you rest in peace in God’s loving arms. It was so good to be able to have been a small part of your service. We all saw how moved your family was. It was an honor for each of us to be there.
To Gary, Carol & all of the family, thank you so much for letting all of us come & be a part of this. Greg & Alex will live in our hearts every day.
Carol Bruehler, listening to you promising us that you both are going to get active in cycling advocacy so that we would be safer on the streets was heart-wretching. Let me promise you that I will, too. With dim hope that this will be the last time we need to hold a ride like this.
Gary, we are all so sorry for your family’s loss. It meant so much to me when you hugged me Tuesday night. It was so very gracious of you to take the time to personally thank each of us that came to join in honoring Greg & Alex. Every rider you thanked came away feeling moved.
Kylie, to you, I don’t know what to say. I watched you & saw you were distraught & a little confused by so many people. I hope you saw how much we all care. How your mom & dad touched so many people, they were very special. I lost both my parents when I was 4. I wore a dress similar to yours at their service. I can’t tell you that there won’t be times when you will miss them greatly. I will tell you that they will be with you forever, I know this because my mom & dad have been with me forever. You are surrounded by so many loving people, you will get through this. You will be ok.
When we started sending emails on Monday I wasn’t sure if many people would show up for the ride. It’s in Boerne, people have to work, you can’t miss class in college. The replies came all day. I send my condolences, I’m praying for the family, I’ll make a donation instead. Though I understood, I had to fight off being discouraged. I couldn’t help thinking that in a way, this was the most important ride of our lives.
One by one they came. And they just kept coming. Some lived in Boerne & rode there. Others braved the traffic congestion on IH-10 in their cars. There were literally hundreds of cyclists, it was more than we expected. There had been a similar ride in Fort Worth last week, only 88 people showed up. It was a little daunting, wandering through the crowd. I had to think fast, how do we get this many riders organized safely? I spoke to the crowd in groups of about 30-40 at a time, hoping everyone could hear my voice. Hoping they would listen.
I carried a picture of Alex & Greg in my hand. That image will be in my mind every time I ride. I stood there, slightly stunned, as we prepared to take yet another group of cyclists out in harm’s way. So many familiar faces, so many of the clubs & teams, everyone with the same somber look. Everyone with similar thoughts. The grief over our fellow fallen cyclists and their families. The unspoken fear, it could have been any one of us. The frustration, this would not be our last ride like this. Then it was time.
Nolan, a friend of the Bruehler’s, lead us on this Ride Of Silence, a ride to honor the memory of Alex & Greg. Pulling out of the parking lot & turning left, it was a very long 2 mile ride. I nervously looked back in my mirror, watching as we proceeded toward the church. You all made me proud.
Two by two, we rode. There were a lot of riders. We streamed in a very long double paceline, slowly making our way down Blanco Road.
Did I mention there were a lot of riders. It must have looked impressive, from a distance.
At moments it was almost surreal. The sound of the TV news helicopter circling above us, a TV crew in a white SUV, driving along side us, filming us as we rode. The faint sound of the traffic around us. The thoughts of why we were all doing this.
Arriving at the church, another task. How do we fit all these people in this one spot, looking orderly. I remembered an email from earlier in the day. We want to make sure we do it right. I rode to the very edge of the church building, starting the line there. We stood them, side by side, all the way down the street. There were so many, I ran out of street. At the end of this line, setting bikes to the side, the rest of the cyclists all grouped up.
Did I mention there were a lot of cyclists there. San Antonio’s cycling family out to support the Bruehler family in their time of need.
The camera lenses weren’t wide enough to capture all of us. It was incredible how the Bruehler family kept coming across to thank all of us collectively. You could see it overwhelmed them. It overwhelmed the riders.
We stood, helmets to our hearts, listening to the family talk to us about their gratitude. So many were overcome by emotion, being approached by Gary, Greg’s father. Several women rider’s, with features similar to Alex, struggled to maintain composure as he mentioned ’all these Alexes’. The family’s grief was palpable.
You could not help but be overwhelmed with feelings, watching the family. It was terribly sad and poignantly beautiful all at the same time. Softly spoken whispers of how tragic this all was.
A really touching moment for all of us when the family brought out the guest book… for all of us to sign. They gave all of us memorial brochures, well, as many as they could. No one expected this many cyclists to show up. We read, we cried, we comforted.
Then it was time to disperse. The light was fading. We still had riders signing the guest book. We brought the book back to the parking lot so each could finish signing. Darkness had fallen by the time I left.
To the Bruehler family, please know it meant so much to all of us that you wanted us to be there, joining you at such a private moment. Every cyclist that showed up felt your gratitude & thanks. We were each so honored by this. So many will miss Alex and Greg, they touched so many lives. You are all in our thoughts and prayers.
To the cyclists, thank you. For coming out, for being patient, for showing your care for this family. Please be safe. I know we made a difference to the Bruehler family, we can only hope it will make a difference in the future…
[Photos courtesy of Tom Reed - Express News, Charles Shull - Artisan Portrait Studio and Katherine Fuller - Women's Cycling Magazine]
Please make it a point to attend this memorial service for Gregory & Alexandra Bruehler. Their family requested cyclists to be a part of this. We should do whatever we can to honor their wishes. Info on the Memorial Service is posted here: http://saridelikeagirl.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/memorial-for-fallen-cyclists-gregory-alexandra-bruehler-tuesday-october-6th-at-7pm/
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Kylie Bruehler Benefit Fund at any Frost Bank or by mail to: Kylie Bruehler Benefit Fund, c/o 24165 IH-10 West, Ste. 217-270, San Antonio, Texas 78257-1160.
Bicyclists from the San Antonio area are invited to participate in a very short “honor guard bicycle ride” to the memorial service for Greg and Alex Bruehler. It is way for San Antonio & surrounding area’s cyclists to show their respects to the family of two fellow cyclists that were killed last week in the San Antonio area.
Cyclists will gather at the Boerne City Hall at 5:45 PM on Tuesday, October 6th. At 6:15 PM the group will ride to St. John’s Lutheran Church and will stand as an honor guard across from the church while friends and family arrive for the service.
The line of cyclists will stand silently, holding their helmets, across the road from the church as Greg and Alex’s friends and family arrive for the service. The vigil will break up about five minutes after the service begins.
Boerne City Hall
402 E. Blanco Road, Boerne, Texas 78006 
For information contact:
Robin Stallings
512-694-9158 cell
Executive Director
Or contact Veronica directly at: (210) 383-4663.
Memorial for fallen cyclists Gregory & Alexandra Bruehler Tuesday October 6th at 7pm…
Please make plans to come out to honor their memory… 
Greg’s father, Gary Bruehler, has asked the cycling community to please show our support in an email sent to a friend of his on Saturday. Please make a strong effort to rearrange your schedule to attend this memorial service. It will be important for all cyclists to extend their support to this family at their time of need.
On a secondary level, it will also be important to show the vast size of the cycling community in San Antonio & surrounding communities in hope that we can improve safety for all cyclists here, and build a bridge to drivers so we can all share the roads safely.
The date for the Gregory & Alexandra Bruehler memorial service will be held at the St John Lutheran Church in Boerne, Texas on Tuesday, 6 October at 7PM.
MEMORIAL SERVICE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2009
7:00 P.M.
SAINT JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
315 E. ROSEWOOD
BOERNE, TEXAS 78006
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a trust fund being established for 7 year old daughter, Kylie Bruehler.
Kylie Bruehler Benefit Fund
Any Frost Bank or by mail to:
Kylie Bruehler Benefit Fund, c/o 24165 IH-10 West, Ste. 217-270, San Antonio, Texas 78257-1160.
You can read about them here: http://obit.porterloring.com/obitdisplay.html?id=712306&listing=Current
Some of us will wear black arm bands on our right arms to honor the memory of Gregory & Alexandra, as well as other cyclists that have lost their lives riding. (black tape, black ribbon, cut off arm warmer, cut off top from black sock, bandana).
Please send this link to all the cyclists in our area.
Thank you.
Please join usin this fight! You’ll be glad you did!!!
