My wife, Dorance, and I just returned from a two-week tour of Southern California. We were scheduled for a school reunion in the Solvang area. I elected to extent the trip into a driving tour from San Diego to the wine country area north of Santa Barbara. One of the things that impressed me was the extent of the road and traffic structure to include bicyclists. Hardly an hour went by that I didn't encounter bicyclists in the areas we traveled. Saturdays brought out the bikers in large groups, especially in the beach areas. As I drove on the Pacific Coast highway, small groups of two or three would appear from side streets or neighborhoods to join growing numbers headed toward major beach areas. It reminded me of the unorganized Saturday morning rides to Plain City, Ohio for breakfast. One group of twenty or so riders impressed me the most with their ride up Mount Palomar to the observatory. This was a climb of around 5500 feet in less than twenty miles. I spoke to a couple of the riders at the top. They appeared to be in a state of total exhaustion, but very pleased to be there. I sure hope they enjoyed their coast back down the mountain.

I wrote briefly, last month, of the need for volunteers in our bicycling programs. One of our pre-TOSRV rides SPOT is currently in need of a leader. Ride The Darby in August is also without a current leader. Bruce Meyers is currently looking for a leader to replace him as head of the Columbus Fall Challenge. The 2007 advertising for COP rides is due to publishers this month. We hope to not have to discontinue these long running tours. However, these rides can only be presented through efforts of volunteers. Call me if you can help in any way.

Barb Renick recently warned me about an Internet company most recently operating under the name Steve's Cycling Store. This store is a popular scam. The company's Web site shows images bikes and employees eager to serve you at a shop in Cheyenne, Wyo. There are no bicycles or employees at Steve's. The address listed is actually a large truck stop. Steve's - aka Todd's, George's, Kent's, Stan's, Jones', Max's, Moby's and possibly dozens other names - offers high-end bikes at ridiculously low prices on eBay. When the customer asks about the eBay listing, he is told the company prefers that buyers use its own escrow service to purchase. The customer receives a tracking number, but the shipment ends up being not a high-end bicycle but rather a very small, empty cardboard box. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

E-mail me at bicycling (AT) outdoor-pursuits or call 614/877-3085 with your comments or suggestions.