Coming soon
An impressive turn out of regulars and a visiting South-American contingent (24 in all) set off for a home patch ride on 14 April. The weather has taken a turn to the warmer side, and a charming route was devised by Uri that set skirting Hod Hasharon and through Neve Hadar joining up along the Israel National Trail and some welcomed shade. In total the ride was around the 36km mark with some extra mileage enjoyed if you rode from home, or got particularly creative in getting separated from the group.
We enjoyed a scenic routing back through Neve Yaraq and Elishama with a minor detour to a petting zoo - before heading back towards a much required coffee stop (which required a bit of searching for one that was both open and could accommodate a bunch of good looking people in lycra).
Thanks again to Uri for leading, and we look forward to many future rides with you at the helm! If you are keen to lead a ride, please let David or John know.
When 31 riders turned up this morning but no David or Ingride, Uzi was "volunteered" to lead the ride. After Pesach with Matzos, heavy and sweet food, family squabbles, wine, song and more "whine", screaming kids and an overdose of Ma Nishtana, a ride cures all which explains the heavy turnout. So Uzi decided to go easy on the group and ride the Cinema City route via Herzeliya. Perfect weather greeted the group with the sun peering occasionally to remind us that summer is just around the corner. Barely 15 minutes into the ride Barbara had gear issues which our in-house tech people could not solve so back home she went with Beni in tow after hearing of her troubles. A little further down on the Herzeliya park approach we ran into a rider whose rear wheel became entangled in twine but no amount of effort brought total relief but we were able to get him mobile as our tech group created innovative miracles. Some of our "lost riders" by then were back in the fold too. I should have mentioned that at the starting point we already encountered problems in Alon's brake pad change leading him to decide to ride with only the rear brake. The tech group was already on the go before the start so the omen was there. Meanwhile back at the ranch we managed to regroup at the Ramat Hasharon "army" base but by the time we reached cinema city part of the group headed for home. The remainder continued to Sea and Sun, a glimpse at the sea and back via the Marina. Last heard they were heading for Arcafe. A special mention about John our co-founder and resident photographer who has mercilessly and diligently documented the rides for over 20 years. According to my calculations he has shot over twenty thousand photos and if you have trouble accepting that factually, I have the numbers to prove it. Thanks John for your tireless efforts or should I say tyreless efforts!? Other more recent shooters include Rafi, Yochi, Avram and Michal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get well David. By order!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cyclenix was well represented with 12 riders taking part, preferring the less crowded off-road route, and riding together as a Group throughout.
This year saw some slight changes to the familiar course of past years, and perhaps even a little easier - not that the old course could, by any strength of the imagination, be classified as difficult!!
But this is an annual events where the ride itself, however enjoyable and relaxing, takes second place to what makes this event so special in so many ways.
To see those who are physical or mentally (or both) challenged participating in the best way that they can, as well as those special people who assist in making it possible for them to do so, is indeed a humbling experience.
Yes - it's an easy course, but only because we who have the good fortune to be able to make that classification!
A big THANK YOU to Michal who, as in previous years, promoted this charity event amongst "Cyclenixers", registered on our behalf, collected our money, paid it over, collected anddistributed our Etgarim goodies, told us how and when to get there, answered our questions,and organized our "Landwer Afula" get-together after the ride.
Let's have 24 Cyclenixers participating next year!
A recipe for a perfect ride Ingredients:
Participants: 15 riders, of whom the ladies were outnumbered 2:1. Clearly the message of Women's Day has not yet reached Cyclenix!!
Route: From a parking area just off Road 40 near Yarkon National Part via Park Afek to the Nachsonim Nature Reserve returning via Einat. Total distance 26 km (28 km for those who attempted to find a shorter and more direct route home!!).
Riding Conditions: Ideal weather for riding, and almost completely mud-free (which is more than can be said for the "inverted" 4x4 we saw en route (see photos on our Google Photos Album) .
Bottom Line: From my perspective, an enjoyable morning's ride, the zero elevation gain on most of the ride being compensated for by a "nice little uphill challenge" through the Nachshonim forest.
27 of us (must be a Cyclenix record) set off on our annual hunt for the black Iris. Apart from our regulars, we had some guests - Akos from Budapest and Yossi and Chagit who happened to come upon us and joined us for the morning. I hope that they join us more often!
We made our way by way of Gan Rashal and Arsuf (to enjoy the view on a perfect day) to get to the irises. They did not disappoint. All in bloom and looking lovely - they are rare and found particularly in the Middle East. A combination of blackish purple colours they look very unusual among the spring colours of green, red and yellow. They are the national flower of Jordan and are able to survive desert conditions well.
We continued north and David took us on a bit of a detour just to make sure we worked hard up some inclines to give us a clear conscience about eating and drinking afterwards... and then back via Udim
A lovely ride of around 35 km with a stop to refuel and Landwer.
Bing Crosby crooned about Irish eyes smiling...
When Black Irises are blooming
It is like the morn in Spring
In the bright sunshine
You can hear the angels sing
According to the weekly bulletin, we were supposed to meet at 08:00 am at Ruhama.
A simple task one would say...
I set my clock for 06:00 but somehow woke up a bit later than that... (no need for specifics) since I have never done this route I decided to try and get there without being too late. I phoned David to tell him I was running a "bit" late, got on Kvish 6, and floored it.
Just arriving at Beit Kama I phoned David to discover that the link was incorrect and we are starting at Dorot. So another couple minutes delay... what's the difference.
So I pitched up half an hour late... surprisingly no one was waiting with a pitchfork or noose.
We hopped on our bikes and started riding.
Luckily the weather was in our favor, not hot nor cold and rainy even though the forecast predicted some rain.
The mud from previous rainfalls had cleared up and the single was superb!
There still are quite a bit of anemone coronaria (calaniot) and we just could not go home without the famous red south photos.
Some rode faster, some slower, and others depending on where and when they were behind the first or the latter.
Surprisingly, though it was not a difficult ride a few felt a bit winded. We stopped for a small snack break in hope to recover. Personally my legs felt the ride so I was very happy to stop for some of "Raffi's nuts", from Uri, Raffi, Frances and whoever opened a packet for the general public. {Sorry Uri but it has become a brand name ;-)}
We continued...
Uri had some chain problems and it seemed the group had split into three smaller groups. The faster riders continued riding ahead till they got to the cars, while some of us waited at a turning point for the last group to catch up.
Singing through the single all the way back to our cars we can sum it up as a great ride with fun company.
We covered just about 30 kilometers, which after, 8 of us dined at Aroma, Beit Kama.
A little suggestion for our leaders "shlom bait": when your wife asks you a question, whether you find it just or not, interpretive dance is better than cynicism.
Participants - 19 bikes assembled at the start, among which we welcome a shiny new blue Giant Anthem. Good to have you riding with us New Blue Anthem, and we hope this will be the first of many more rides with
Cyclenix (just by the way, New Blue Anthem’s rider is Sami - enjoy Sami).
With the recent spate of high quality "newcomer" bikes the Cyclenix stable has upgraded out of all recognition to the early days. Proof is that compared to years past, the number of mechanical failures in the course of our rides has reduced to almost zero. Long may this continue!
Route - From Ra'anana up to Udim and back home. This sounds like our regular route, and so it would have been but for the fact that our leader today was Merrill, whose variations on a well-worn route made all the difference. Thanks Merrill for a most enjoyable ride.
Riding Conditions - Ideal weather (warmer than usual as the weatherman would say) and very little mud. A few rather daunting water crossings for the more adventurous and for those less, detour and avoidance was the better option.
Bottom Line - A fun ride, ideal conditions, great company!
16 of us set off on a 23 km ride with a bit of everything: sun, sand, sea, mud, uphills, downhills, people jumping out of aeroplanes, greenery...
We rode from Ein Carmel mostly along the coast - Nachsholim, Dror and on. Each bay was tranquil and inspired a kind of Mexican wave with lifting our bikes against the backdrop of the sea. Merrill attempted an obstacle but flew off and has a lovely purple bruise for her troubles...
The weather was perfect and the inlets remind me of the Clifton beaches in Cape Town - one lovely bay after another. David led us along mud puddles and into a bit of mud too - I guess I will be cleaning my bike with a toothbrush again this week.
So, in the spirit of Wordsworth and his daffodils (with a LOT of poetic licence):
We cycled happy and with glee
And whizzed over mud and sand
When all at once we saw the sea
Stopped and were so glad
We lifted up high our bikes
Fluttering and dancing with many likes
Local Ride Sat. April 28, 2018
Next ride: home patch ride.
All home patch rides start at 7:30am
:
Local Rides will meet at 7:30am at the usual place in the car park opposite Yad L'Banim on Ahuza Street Ra'anana.
2018 Wheels of Hope Ride (no Cyclenix ride this weekend)
Support Adrian in his ride to support Alin Beit Noam, an organisation providing assistance for people with disabilities. Friday April 13, 2018
Joe:
Alin Beit Noam's Ride Kadima Bike Trip, which aims to raise funds for people with severe physical and mental disabilities who use wheelchairs....
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August 6th 1983, just 38 years after the bombing of Hiroshima I made my grand entrance into the world! The youngest of three, I enjoyed a typical 80's Jewish South African childhood. I had a lovely protected childhood without any worries about reality? in 1992 my world crashed! We were told that we would be making Aliyah!! So, on Erev Pesach 1992 we arrived in Israel at my grandmother's house in Afula Ilit. I cried for about two weeks straight. According to my mother I refused to say a word in Hebrew for three months till I could speak fluently and I have never stopped talking since. It was quite a culture shock coming from a private Jewish school where there was about one black child to a public school in Afula Ilit where we were only three white kids in the class. Questions like "did you live in a jungle?" or "do you know Michael Jackson?" were a regular routine. We lived in Afula for two years and I went to a religious school at that time. We then moved to Pardesiya, closer to Netanya where my father worked. At this stage I gave my mother an ultimatum: "Either you send me to a secular school or I am not going to school anymore!" My mother knowing that I was always a strong willed person, and, also having shared the experience of being In a religious school against your will, sent me to a secular school. From leaving South Africa till now I was lost and in the wrong surroundings and this is where it all changed. I had great friends, whom I am still friends with till this day (borderline family) and at this stage I could also understand that my parent's decision to make Aliyah, was the best thing they could have done for me. From here it was all pretty much "by the book" finish middle school and high school and off to the army. I guess that the structures of school and the army are what kept me going by any book? whoever knows me, knows that I am anything but "by the book". I worked in a nursery school, and then moved on to working in a glasses shop (optician) where I started to find my path. In 2005 my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and being the only child living at home I took it upon myself to go with her to doctors and treatments. It made my relationship with her flourish and become stronger than ever. She survived to hear the words cancer free but she was never really a healthy person, so we had many other doctor appointments to go to for the next few years. While my mother lived through pain and different problems I started doing my bachelor's degree in optometry. In 2010 I bought myself a? sticker? bike and started riding around Pardesiya. Once to twice a week about 4-8 kilometers was my routine. It gave me a release from studying and all the doctors' appointments at that time. In 2012, once again, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This time it had spread. Though the doctors made us feel optimistic the cancer had other plans and within about three months from the diagnosis, my mother passed away. In Tel Mond where I now lived on my own I couldn?t find a routine. At that point, Yvette who was my customer then, insisted I join Cyclenix for a ride. At a time when I was most in need, I found a family! Then and now I am constantly asked why I don?t ride with people my age. While I always give answers that one's brain can comprehend, it is mainly because Cyclenix for me is my "cheers". Cheers theme song lyrics: "Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got. |
If you have any questions or want to get in touch for any reason, feel free to get in touch with David or John:
Email: jcandy@inter.net.il
David: 054-474-1424
John: 050-942-2788
New riders always welcome to join us.
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