Hi all! Come out and ride with the VVCC at the Holiday Parade in Cottonwood on December 1st (next Saturday)! It seems to be a new era for us cyclists here in the valley with more people riding bikes, more people bike-curious, more bike lanes, more on the way, growing rapport with the land managers, new and improved trails, and more! 

For the parade, we're all going to wear as much RED as we can....red jerseys (like the NMBP jersey), red elf hat, red bike if ya got one....throw some red tinsel on your bike if ya can... we'll paint the town... RED! :-) (FYI, per the Chamber of Commerce, NO Santa suits.) 

We all have to be checked in prior to the parade. So please be at the Fairgrounds in Cottonwood, 12th & Cherry Street, NO LATER THAN 10:15 am. From there, find me and MAKE SURE to sign the official consent form. 

 Per the Chamber, please see below Parade rules... 

 --No Santa suits. 

--Helmets highly recommended (add some decorations there too if ya like). 

 --No stopping in front of the judges stand. (Although brief trackstands are O.K. Wheelies are a plus!). 

--Candy/items are allowed to be PASSED OUT, but please do not THROW it into the crowd. 

--Parade will take place...rain or shine. Let's represent! 

 --Be safe and HAVE FUN!! :-) 

Also, here are some tips for a better/safer ride: 1) PAY ATTENTION!! There will be other riders, a pothole or two, friends who call out your name, etc., so be aware of what 's going on around you. 2) Keep space around you and other riders. Crashes aren't fun, and make us all look bad. It's absolutely amazing how quickly another rider's wheel can take you down! 3) We will likely ride in counterclockwise loops. Trying to move at walking/parade speed can be difficult. 4) Past years have seen everything from light snow to temps in the 70s. Make sure you've brought an emergency layer, and/or any other clothing that will make your ride more comfortable! 5) This is a great time to ride that "unusual" bike you might not get on too much - recumbents, choppers, tall bikes, 36" wheeled bikes, longbikes, whatever. And if you've got talented friends who can wheelie, manual, jump, bunnyhop, ride a unicycle, has a monkey that rides a bike, or a dog in a bike trailer, that's a plus too! Anything that grabs attention & pleases the crowd is a plus. In 2005 we won the Grand Prize - we can do it again! 6) Sadly, the Cottonwood Fairgrounds produces a prizewinning crop of goatheads each Spring. Some kind of flat protection - Slime, Stan's, Tuffys, Armadillos, Gatorskins - is a must. Remember, we'll be traveling at the blistering pace of 7 MPH - so you can pretty much throw weight/performance issues out the window. Far more is the ability to keep moving. The group won't stop & wait for you to fix a flat as on a regular ride! 7) Bring a powerful painkiller! You'll have SO MUCH FUN that your cheeks & jaws are really gonna hurt after two hours of grinning like a ridin' fool! 

 If ya have any questions, please feel free to shoot me an email at RedRock88@ymail.com. Thanks and see ya next weekend! Laura and the VVCC crew