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On The Trail - Archives for May 2007
Ride report - 26 May 2007 - Local North - by Daniel
First and foremost an updated report on Avi - I spoke to him this morning (Tues. -9.00) .He is feeling slightly better but obviously still has severe pain from a fractured scapula and a couple of ribs and surgery on a damaged tendon on his thumb , but knowing Avi and the fighter he is, on phoning him I found him at work nevertheless. He has a long road ahead of him and we all wish him well and a speedy recovery and most important a return to cycling when all is well. Apparently the cause of the accident was a blowout on his front tyre - a woman managed to find him and told Avi that she heard heard a blast and then Avi collided with her . She had minor injuries only. The Saturday ride included 25 plus riders with a couple of new faces.Before starting we all received a very stern warning from our mentor John that we all ride in single file on the road and that a red traffic light means that you STOP. Our route took us west along Ahuza and then off road as far as the railway line - north through the back of Bnei Zion and then west to Yakum , over the highway and then south heading towards our favourite stop and look-out on the cliff in Park Hasharon where we had 3 suprises. Firstly the ocean and its expanse never ceases to amaze and suprise, secondly from nowhere Moshe pulled out the most delicious cake celebrating his first grandchild and thirdly on leaving some of us took a closer look over the edge of the cliff to find a naked couple enjoying each other in the rock pools adjacent to the cliff - on seeing us they quickly disappeared. Our coffee stop was מקום בארסוף - an oasis on the way back to the bridge at Rishpon which we often pass earlier in our rides and is still closed. I had to hurry home so we will hear from those who stopped how it was. The weather was hot and the humidity was up - summer is here and its time to start our rides earlier .A further reminder of summer was the large amounts of soft sand that we encountered. Once again a very pleasant morning ride meeting as always most of our requirements .See you all Saturday.
Ride Report: 19th May 2007 - Wheels of Hope - by Candy
 You have to be nuts to get up at 4am on a Saturday morning to go cycling! Well, I am nuts, (about cycling) as were many other Cyclenix riders who joined the thousands of riders at the start of the 2007 Wheels of Hope Ride at the start. That's exactly what I did. I was dressed and at the pre-arranged meeting place to meet Avi at 4.50am. The bike was loaded onto Avi's car and we were off to the 2007 Wheels of Hope ride. We arrived at the start in plenty of time and pre-registering certainly helped queuing time. I saw plenty of "Cyclenix" riders and I am sure that there were many that I did not see, who were there. Next year hopefully Cyclenix will have its own riding shirt which will make it easier to identify us! It was such a good feeling to see the thousands of riders present....proof the today in Israel, cycling is one of the most popular pastimes and certain a healthy one in which ALL the family can participate. The original scheduled starting time for the 55 kilometre ride was 7.30am, but a few days before the date of the ride, this was changed to 7am. and many pre-registered riders did not see the change, resulting in the start being delayed for some 15 minutes. After the pre-ride instructions thousands and thousands of riders "hit the trail". As usual there were those riders who did NOT follow instructions and rode without helmets (very stupid of them) and didn't "keep right". The threat of the organisers to take helmetless riders off the road did not seem to materialise. (What a pity). When will people realise that helmets are for their own protection? I started off riding with Avi, Ted, Dina and Daniel. The ride followed the normal route. After the 27 kilometre mark we encountered some long climbs. However with so many thousands of riders it was inevitable that we would be separated during the ride and we had arranged to call one another on our cellular phones at the end of the ride.The weather was kind to us and the real heat started only near the end of the ride. There were sufficient water stops along the way and all in all the organisation was, as usual, exceptionally good. Full marks to the organisers! I passed two "crashes" on the way and just before the finish I passed a third crash! I never paid any attention to it as the ambulance was in attendance and all seemed under control. I got to the finish and called Avi.....no answer..........so I called David only to be informed that I was no longer returning home with Avi, but was going to get a lift back with Shimon! Avi had crashed and had been taken to hospital by ambulance, and unbeknown to me it was he whom I had seen being loaded onto the ambulance that I had passed.!!!! After a few calls I determined that Avi was at the Afula Hospital and Moni, Shimon and I arranged to have his car taken back to his home. His bike would be collected by Harriet and Baruch and Ted had taken possession of his other personal belongings. Shimon, Moni and I went to the hospital where Avi was, and after seeing that he was not too badly injured (two fractured ribs and a fractured shoulder blade and a grazed forehead and cheek), we bade him farewell and headed back to retrieve his car and head for home. By the way, Avi's helmet was broken and the fact that he had wearing it certainly saved him from serious injury!!! Now you know why helmets are so, so important! Thank you to all those for their assistance to Avi. I know he appreciated it!

דו"ח רכיבה 12/05/07 - מאת אבי
שבת 7.30 בבוקר התכנסנו 16 רוכבים 15 זוגות אופניים (1 טנדם), ליד שער מס' 6 באיצטדיון רמת גן. מטרתנו הייתה לרכוב לאורך הירקון אולם לא במסלול השיגרתי. התחלנו לרכוב בצידו הדרומי לכיוון מזרח ,עוברים ליד מצבת הצליחה של הצבא הבריטי במלחמתו מול הצבא התורכי בימי מלחמת העולם הראשונה. המשכנו וחצינו את פארק ראש ציפור טיפסנו עד פיסגת תל – גריסה (גבעת נפוליון) רכבנו על התל וצפינו על גגות בתי רמת גן ממרומי אוכף האופניים. מזג אויר אידאלי ראות טובה הוסיפה להנאה הגדולה. מתל גריסה גלשנו מערבה חזרה לנחל הירקון. חצינו את פארק ראש ציפור מקום המותאם לרכיבה ולאימוני רוכבי כביש.חלפנו על פני שבע טחנות אחת מטחנות הקמח לאורך הירקון שפעלה עד שנת 1936 שמה בא לה משבע מערכות טחינה שפעלו במקום. באזור שכון בבלי חצינו את הירקון לצידו הצפוני ולאחר קבלת אישור מדירקטוריון הקבוצה, התחלנו ברכיבה מזרחה לאורך הירקון המפותל , גם בקטע זה לא רכבנו בדרך השיגרתית, באזור מחלף ירקונים הדרמנו לאורך מסילת הרכבת, עד מחלף התקוה לא רחוק מבית עלמין ירקון. חזרנו לנחל הירקון ליד גדרות תע"ש והמשכנו מערבה עד לנקודת ההתחלה לאחר 34 ק"מ. כרגיל היתה זו קבוצה סימפטית אינטיליגנטית ובעלת מורל גבוה. צר לנו על כל אלה שלא יכלו להגיע, במיוחד שאול שהמתין לנו ברעננה. להתראות בשבוע הבא ברכיבה במסגרת גלגלים של תקוה בעמק יזרעאל.

Ride Report: 3rd May 2007 - Home Patch - David
20 riders were at the start for today's home patch ride including Erez who rode with us for the first time - welcome, and we hope you will join us again soon (you and Avi will need to put IDs on your bikes!). Our route took us northwards through Bazra to the eastern entrance to Bnei Zion, where we turned right into the pardeysim, emerging at the microlite airstrip, then further northward to the Tel Itzhak Nature Reserve and up to the Neve Hadassa Institute. Shaul's great performance up the hill (I know, because I was behind him!) once again showed us what courage and determination is all about - kol ha'kavod Shaul - you are truly an inspiration to us all. Then it was down to the railway crossing on Route 553, and south and west to Udim, Yakum, onto the footbridge over the Coastal Road, further westward, then south (passing the golf course on our left), through the Kibbutz at Ga'ash, then back east under the Coastal Road and on to Gofferman's at Rishpon for refreshments, then home 34 kms later. I make no apology for repetition: again, great riding conditions; again, heavy overdoses of vitamin GC; and again "just great to be out there on our bikes". See you all at Ha'Yarkon next week. (Our webmaster is overseas this week, but "the show must go on", and so must the ride report!!! - you do a great job Martin).