Frm the Arizaona Daily Star.  A deliberate assualt on cyclists with the good fortune of catching it all on video.

A 57-year-old Tucson man was arrested for felony aggravated assault after
deliberately sideswiping a bicyclist who was leading more than a dozen others on
a training ride, a Tucson police official said.


Investigators found the suspect, Rodney Kinkade, after viewing footage of the
vehicle taken by a film crew accompanying the team on its ride Friday through
Tucson’s southeast side, Sgt. Chris Widmer, spokesman for the Tucson Police
Department, said.


The incident occurred before noon Friday as 15 to 20 bicyclists were riding
along East Valencia Road near East Old Vail Road. The group was eastbound on
Valencia when a man driving a 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora began to pass them. The
driver slowed near the front of the pack and screamed obscenities at the
bicyclists, Widmer said.


“As the vehicle reached the front of the pack it swerved to the right and
sideswiped the lead bicyclist, knocking him to the ground and causing other
bicyclists to fall as well,” Widmer said.


“The witnesses were mostly other bicyclists following in the pack. All stated
to the police that the suspect intentionally struck the two bicyclists.”


Two bicyclists were treated at the scene for injuries, he said.


Detectives with the aggravated assault unit used a photo of the car provided
by the bicycle team’s videographer to track the vehicle to the suspect’s home.
The car was impounded and Kinkade was arrested and booked into the Pima County
jail, Widmer said.

Good turnout for a ride that started at 36 degrees, stayed at or became a little colder and oh yes,  strong winds out of the west for the duration of the ride back from Utica.   There at the start were Dustin, Riley, Kenda Janet, Steve O, Jeff S, Brian (dude  with the StaPuf marshmallow man on his calf), Mark V, Larry P (shown above in  white), Eva, Flyin Tuna and me for 11 hardy cyclists. 

We shoved off, heading  over to Johnstown via Caswell and the usual roads, eventually north on  Northridge, right on Sportsman Club (maybe I should have routed us up to the  flatter Dutch Lane), across 661 and on to the left at Chatham.  Somewhere in there, Mark V observed it appears this is another year where TOSRV will be a recovery ride, by comparison to some of the early season rides.

The  corporate executive and world traveler was suffering a little.  All those expensive meals and sipping brandy on first class flights is taking its toll on  her fitness and so when Mark V announced he was bugging out at mile 24 at Chatham, Kenda  Janet was all too willing to bug out too.  Thus our group lost its heart and  sole but nevertheless we traveled on.

Arriving in Utica via  Reynolds Road, where we passed Doug McConaha and Rob Rhodes going in the opposite direction, we discovered the lone gas station to be packed with a radio station's promotional effort so we retreated to Subway.  I noticed each of our jackets had a film of mud on the back after riding on a very muddy Weaver Road, prior to Reynolds.  The farm that straddles Weaver was very active, preparing for the planting season.  Here, Eva awaits her 6"  sub while Brian and Flyin Tuna wait to put in their orders.

Dustin intended to  do a touch and go but discovered his tire had gone flat.  He grabbed a variety of pumps off our bikes, barged into Subway and began the replacement process  with the assistance of his able body assistant, Steve O.  Why they kept all  their cold weather clothing on while indoors and taking turns pumping, is  anyone's guess.  We left Utica as a group, got separated on the hills coming out  via Homer Road and so Steve, Dustin, Larry, Jeff and me got away and worked sort  of together if you count me drafting all 30+ miles as "working together". Dustin  put in several long pulls but at the 45 mile mark, as is his norm, exhaustion  set in but he was able to limp in, joining me at the back.  He is but a shadow  of last year's form but I'm sure he'll get it back.  It can't be the age thing already?
  
Feeling fresh, I  took the New Albany sign sprint although I suspect Steve gifted me the win. Finished with 65 miles and a good workout.  One of those rides where one had doubts about heading out but glad to have hung in there at the end, despite the wind, cold, distance, etc...  Never did see the other half of our group but heard they got in ok.

We hiked 11 milles on Saturday, at Clearcreek Park.  Good group of Steve O, Mark C and the inimitable one, Ryan R.  Ryan showed up with a modification to the full beard, much thinner on one side and....nothing on the other.  It looked like some kind of comb over that wrapped around his head, pulled down his right cheek and ending shortly thereafter.  I regret the charge on my camera was gone so I have no photographic evidence. 

Mark C kept up a brutal pace and I was never able to get away to begin running.  Instead, I was entertained by Ryan's streaming thoughts and logic on everything and anything, ranging from asking why 24 hour stores have locks on their doors to debating the existance of bigfoot to whether Elvis was really dead.  That Ryan is a deep thinker!

Then, I showed up for the trail building and there was a good turnout, including Matt with son.  Impressive considering the temperature was around 24 degrees.  Also there were John Gorrila, Kyle Wingler, Todd Mullins, Matt and son, Rick B and two others. 
 

 

Once we got going, we quickly warmed up and it was not bad at all.  rick led the way with the chainsaw, followed by several of us slashing through the remaining underbrush and then others following with benching.  After 2 hours, I slinked away to catch the Buckeyes. 

Rode to Utica on Tuesday and upon rounding the corner off Reynolds Road, discovered the BP/Duke & Dutchess gas station is gone, to be replaced by a new and upgraded BP/Duke & Dutchess gas station.  In the meantime, the gas station across the street is a good alternative. 

Last week, a tree that has been standing for 350-400 years, on Granview Avenue that many of you have passed as you head towards or depart from Granville, was cut down.  It has stood alongside Granview well before it was a stagecoach route from Chillicothe to Granville.  A trenching of the ground to lay a cable in 1985 planted the seeds of its long decline. Some estimate it is the largest red oak in Licking County.

I wanted to catch the falling of it on video and turned on the charm with the guys, even getting an offer to give me wood for free but when it came time to make a cut half way up, they asked that I leave because, in there words, "There's no telling where that sh*t will fly when it hits the ground."

Of course, I came back to see what the inside looked like but other than at the base, the tree was still solid and as of today, they are still cutting and splitting what remains.  Across the street, surrounded by smaller trees and somewhat hidden, is another red oak that appears to be in good shape and about of the same age. 

Local brutally cold weather riding phenom, John Gorrila, finished 9th in the Arrowhead 135 with a time of 17:51. Of the 90 riders who started the race, only 40 finished.  Another way of looking at it, John finished first among those not living in MN or Alaska.  There are many ride reports with this one pretty good with good images: http://allthingsepicwithjill.blogspot.com/2013/02/2013-arrowhead-135-race-report-be.html. or go to the Arrowhead site and pick through others: http://www.arrowheadultra.com/index.php.

My expected start temp of  40 degrees, for the 10:00am start out of New Albany, was off by about 5  degrees.  However, the cast iron lady who can weather the worst of weather,  Kenda Janet. showed up. Mostly to let everyone know that not all of the replies  in the "Who is Kenda Janet" were her own, which is true.  Note the fashionable  cap she is wearing, acquired at a very upscale New York retailer where only high  powered executives and the ultra wealthy, shop.  Janet was disappointed that she  was the only female in the group but it can be said of Janet that she is  completely comfortable in a male dominated peloton.

There were 11 of us  rolling out, Rich Lewis, Kenda Dave and Janet, Steve O, Dustin, Kyle Wingler,  Dan R, Grand Poobah, Larry P, Blair Beavers and then we picked up Doug McConaha  on the road for 12. 

We mostly hung together until Stone Quarry, where the lead group discovered the bridge was out and we retraced our route, making a left on Raccoon Run, which has an opening hill paved in dirt.  We followed a path without ice until Dustin mucked things 
up and those behind this amateur had to dismount, pushing our bikes too.  We hung a left on Corner and got back on the route, entering Granville with 30 miles.  Janet had dropped off the pace a bit but I waited on the main street tomake sure she knew we were headed to the coffee shop on River Road.  On the ride  in, I saw Franz, Ross and a couple other cyclists and then later at the
coffee  shop, Frank S, Rich R, Joe G and one other arrived.

Upon entering the  coffee shop, we were at the end of a long line but I heard Janet murmur, "Lines  were not meant for a high powered executive" and she strode confidently to the  front and instructed Poobah to order her a coffee. Emboldened by this, I meekly  asked Poobah to order a drink for me too and then I quickly shirked out of sight  of the line of disapproving patrons.
  
We departed the  coffee shop and headed on a circuitous route toward New Albany, finishing with  53 intense miles.  I made sure to repay Poobah for the cost of the drink and  snack but Janet, accustomed to people feeling privileged to buy drinks for a  high powered executive, may or may not have given a thought to paying  poor Poobah. 

Oh yes, we had a good hike on Saturday but given the long drive to Old Mans Cave, only 7 of us participated, headlined by Todd and Julia.  Julia is the real deal as a hiker, setting a blistering pace.  We shoved off from the cave, took the upper trail over to Cedar Falls, slid down the ice covered stairs to the bottom, picked our way carefully out of there and then proceeded on to Ash Cave.

As usual, both Cedar Falls and Ash Cave had great scenery but the trails were so dangerous, we kept our heads down to pick our way through the ice.  Finished with 10 miles.  Todd was whimpering at the end but he too made it out.

The blog was able to find Kenda Janet at an airport, sparing a couple of minutes after a flight was cancelled.  As a very busy corporate executive, we thank Janet for allowing us this brief opportunity to get to know her better and find out who is that woman behind the Kenda jersey.

Blog: Well Janet, thank you for tak .....
KJ:  Mark, I'm a busy corporate executive and world traveler so can we dispense with  the trivial and cut to the questions?  By the way, I can't believe I'm allowing  you access to me during my busy life as a corporate executive and world  traveler.  How did someone as uncouth as you get my phone number?  Never mind,  just get this over with.
Blog: Errrrr, ok Kenda Janet.  Let's start with your nickname, how did you acquire it?
KJ:  Because I wear a lot of Kenda logoed cycling gear.  I have a relation who is  high up at Kenda, as many of my friends are, high up in the corporate world. I  didn't get to this point in my life by wasting money so I have one jersey that I  wash after each ride.
Blog: So, you travel a lot, where are  some of your favorite places?
KJ: Places the callow can only dream of.  San Francisco,  New York, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Seattle, Orlando and many other
  cities.
Blog: When you fly do you....
KJ: Let me cut you off right there because I know where this is going.  I would not be caught dead in coach class. It's first class only for me and I am vying for time on the corporate jet because I'm uncomfortable with the first class types too.  Too many of them are 
coach flyers who cashed in their frequent flyer  miles. 
Blog: What is your favorite destination?
KJ:  New York of course.  It's such a sophisticated, worldly city.  I enjoy  conversing with sophisticated people who are corporate executives, like  me.
Blog: How is it you are in Ohio?
KJ:  I'm working to get out of here as soon as possible. People are so unvarnished,  unmingled, uncomplicated, just unworldly for someone like me, a corporate  executive.
Blog: You seem to enjoy riding with the people from around central Ohio?
KJ:  I grit my teeth and just endure with the unwashed masses.  I spend so much time  traveling with the elite that it is a culture shock, riding with you  all.
Blog: Surely some of us meet your standards?
KJ:  Yes, there are a few.
Blog: Who are some?
KJ:  None I can think of really. I was just trying to be nice.  None of you rise to  my standard, as a corporate executive and world traveler.
Blog: What about Paul, he seems like a  normal guy.
KJ:  He is just better at acting the part.  He too is appalled with the unleavened  slouches who ride.
Blog: OK, changing the subject, what do you like to read?
KJ:  Vogue, Glamour, New Yorker magazines. I wouldn't be caught dead reading anything  that was not befitting my station in life.
Blog:  Ummm, what about  your accomplishments on a bike?
KJ: As a high powered corporate executive, I don't have time to ride much but if I did invest in the time, I'd be one of the best in Ohio.  Did you know I briefly was riding a bit more and won the Starner Hill Climb race as part of Pelotonia?  That is but one example of what I could do if motivated but I choose to instead rise, quickly, up the corporate ladder and mingle with the elite.
KJ: Mark, I have a call on line 1 and  others holding for my words of wisdom so I have to end our conversation.  Corporate bigwigs like me are in big demand.  
Blog: OK, thank you Kenda Janet and thanks for sending me the image of you as a child.  It is easy to see that even back then, you had taste that far exceeded most.
The interview process continues.  Who next?  Maybe Jon Morgan to find out what makes him an investment whiz or Marty Sedluk to find out what it is like to live the life of leisure, or Covair, or Mark C to discover how he balances life in the church with unchurch-like behavior on the bike or Andrew Hall who secretly wishes he was Shannon K or Mitch to discover his perspective on the drug war or Ginger to find out what it is like to work in a US post office, etc...  I just don't know where the interview process will next stop...

With the forecast of 2-4" of snow, beginning sometime around daybreak, I received word from the powers that be that we are going to make a game-time decision.  You can call or email me, or Steve O after 8:00am and one of us can likely let you know what are the plans, if any.  It may turn out to be an every person for themself kind of day but we'd like to do the Old Man Cave to Cedar Falls to Ash Cave hike/trail run if roads are passable.