Speak your mind

[Carve]

A blind mans senses compensates for his lack of vision, a man that has no senses will forever be tripping over unseen obsticles.

[Tigris99]

I think I fit the latter........

[Russhole]

Okay. I LOVE THIS CLUB!!! About four years ago, I was on the verge of losing my sanity, quitting my job, leaving my wife, and moving back to Colorado. Then I found mountain biking, and this club. Now I'm a relatively sane man with a great life and a great wife. Let's go ride!

[badfish41]

I echo what Russ said. I love everything about this club. 4 years ago I hardly knew what mountain biking was, let alone many that did. Starting riding and meeting everyone in the club and have made some of the best friends I'll ever have in life. Best decision I've made, hands down, is being a part of the club that builds, maintains and promotes local mountain biking.

Can't wait to see what great stuff we can do with the club being as strong and motivated as it currently is.

Cheers everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend!! Fat bike and I sure did.

[Tigris99]

Id have to agree. I bought a bike back in the early summer to get healthy. Was doing its job but riding on pavement alone was getting old. I started scouting parks (thanks to the website info) to look around for something different at least. Found great place to ride but whats more is the VERY first Forc member I meet when I go to check out SBP for the first time was cool as hell and really helpful. Since then met so many great ppl and got alot of help and support in pushing towards getting healthier and better at riding. Never met ppl with the patience and humor of FORC members. Very much looking forward to things to come next season as I can ride with you all more and support the club.

Thanks

PS: My wife is thankful for the club as well cause I get out more instead of just work. Im healthier and all around HAPPIER person.

[badfish41]

Id have to agree. I bought a bike back in the early summer to get healthy. Was doing its job but riding on pavement alone was getting old. I started scouting parks (thanks to the website info) to look around for something different at least. Found great place to ride but whats more is the VERY first Forc member I meet when I go to check out SBP for the first time was cool as hell and really helpful. Since then met so many great ppl and got alot of help and support in pushing towards getting healthier and better at riding. Never met ppl with the patience and humor of FORC members. Very much looking forward to things to come next season as I can ride with you all more and support the club.

Thanks

PS: My wife is thankful for the club as well cause I get out more instead of just work. Im healthier and all around HAPPIER person.

Awesome. Great meeting you at the meeting Monday. Hope to ride with you soon.

[jimithng23]

5 or 6 years ago, I was struggling with myself both physically and mentally, spending 5 or 6 nights a week in the bars, and most of my paycheck too....I knew I needed a change.

So...I picked up running (UGH!) .....and hated it.

Then I thought "I remember as a kid how much I loved riding bikes. I live right next to the bike path so maybe I should try that!" I dusted off an old Trek 850, that was actually my wife's bike while she was in college, and rode the bike path for a few months. At last, I came across a used full-squish Specialized Stumpjumper. After a google search, I learned about Healthy Habits. There, I met this big, husky goat-eed man with what looked like a homemade crew-cut. (I'll always love you, Jim!) The first thing I noticed was his shins were riddled with scars. He set me up with some gear (about $500 worth ) but most importantly, he told me about the Grand Opening at Sunderbruch Park.

I showed up with a 30-pack of Bud Light and 2 packages of bratwursts. I crashed shoulder-first into a tree, received some first-aid from Ray, and Bexter grilled my brats. Everyone there was so open and accepting of new riders - and they all demanded that I did NOT drink my Bud Light, instead they shared all the tasty micro-brews. So, I went home with 30 Bud Lights. Ha!

2 weeks later, I was in AGs van on a trip to Blue Mound in Mt. Horeb, WI. I had absolutely no business riding those trails as it was my 3rd time on off-road trails. I came home broken, beat, and scarred. That day (along with the G.O. @ SBP) was the beginning of the rest of my life.

Since that summer (2007), I become friends with the most amazing people, have experienced the most amazing trails in parts of the country I highly doubt I ever would have visited otherwise, and have given more back to my community in 5 years than I ever had in the previous 28 years of my life.

Had Forcmeister never had the vision and determination to start FORC, and had all the old-school guys and gals never put in their blood, sweat, and tears into building trails and advocating for mountain biking, none of us would be doing what we love today.

I love mountain biking, I love FORC, and I love so many of you that make all of this possible.

I love you guys.

[Tigris99]

I hope the Micro brews are better than the Pale Ale I was told was good Monday, I was about to go get a shot of Jack to burn the taste outta my mouth, but remembered I had to drive home and my luck SUCKS PPL at the meeting=AWESOME, the beer I tried to drink though......

[Gunchie]

I bought my first mountain bike in 1999. It was a Trek 6700zx... and then it sat in a garage until 2005 when I decided to compete in short triathlon races in Springfield, IL where I went to school. I actually did a dualathlon (run/bike) at Farmdale in Peoria back then and I was trouble at mountain biking (there were women and children laughing as they rolled passed me since I fell every few feet). It wasn't until I had graduated from college and living back in the QC that I got into mountain biking after jimithng23 introduced me and my brother to SBP. Everyone in the club was so friendly, and I fell in love with SBP. I was instantly hooked and riding nearly everyday. After a couple great years of riding on various awesome trails in the Midwest (along with a trip to Moab and Fruita) with my closet friends who are fellow FORC members, I moved to Golden, CO. Now I'm competing at the highest level and have my sights on going pro. Even after all the great races I've done, my favorite time on the trail is when I'm riding with my friends in FORC. There's a reason I'm still a member even though I lived in CO for three years. You'd be hard pressed to find another club that is as close as we are, and is as passionate as we are about mountain biking. We go way deeper than just a bunch of people that happen to ride bikes together. My fellow FORCers are like family to me. One more thing. I've ridden with some the best mountain bikers in the world out here in CO, and yet every year I'm baffled with just how great the riders in FORC are. If you're a beginner and you want to learn how to ride better quickly, than ride with some of the more experienced FORC members. There are some damn skilled riders in this club who are always willing to give advice because after years of riding we've made all the same mistakes that you may be experiencing as a new rider and we want nothing more than to help you through it.... forgive us if that comes off as being arrogant.

[Carve]

Yep, that is what it is all about. Great close friends, great times and awesome memories. Now open the gate, let the herd in and watch the calf grow into a bull.

[jimithng23]

Yep, that is what it is all about. Great close friends, great times and awesome memories. Now open the gate, let the herd in and watch the calf grow into a bull.

I'll follow suit with a metaphor of my own - you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

ok, let's cut the metaphors here.

all kidding aside, no sarcasm or harm meant from this point on, but some serious questions:

-have we met? I don't believe I've seen you at a FORC meeting. Maybe I've seen you in passing at the trailhead. Do you ride Sunderbruch? That's where I spend most of my riding time. When I see peeps I'm not familiar with, I make it a point to introduce myself and offer a cold and frosty malty beverage. I'm always in a vehicle with a red "Lindquist Ford" license plate placard and I ride a Kermit Green Niner MCR. I'm pretty hard to miss. FORC Meetings are posted on this website and blasted all over Facebook. FORC meetings are open to the general public. Please, attend one, or many!

-have you been to a FORC event? Trail Days (there's one at Illiniwek this weekend), Time Trials, Midwest Mountain Bike Festival, Sylvan Island Stampede, FORC Chili Cook-off, FORC Summer Pool Party, etc... These events are great opportunities to meet like-minded bike-loving individuals. These events will show you what FORC is all about.

I, we, FORC ALWAYS invites you to attend our events and become a part of what we're doing for mountain biking in our community. If you wish not to come around, that's fine but be careful when you throw stones in glass houses (sorry, had to toss in a metaphor).

Now, back to your metaphor. Not sure where you've been, but the gates have been open with a huge, blinking neon "WELCOME - COME ON IN" sign for years. The calf has already become a bull (I watched this happen about 5-6 years ago) and now looks over a pasture full of calves, heifers, and younger bulls. The old bull stands up high, proud as he watches , teaches, and grooms the next bull(s) to take over. In fact, the old bull is transforming into a powerful minotaur and is ready to take this thing to the next level. To suggest otherwise is foolish and quite frankly, offensive. Come around, join in, read through the meeting minutes, catch up on what FORC has accomplished. You'll see for yourself.

Hope to see you around.

[Carve]

I'm not thirsty, sorry. So for the fourth and last time, how can I give my money to the club for all the hard work they do? Please PM me an address I can send a check to amigo.

[DH001]

Carve, go to the navigation bar at the top of the page, click "About FORC" and then click the "Join" option from the drop down menu. The info you seek is located there.

[Carve]

Thank you!

[jimithng23]

Thanks for the support.

[badfish41]

Hope to see any or all new members at the next monthly meeting. Big decisions are being made by the membership and all are encouraged to come and voice their opinions and vote on what they feel is best for the future of the club. Great opportunity to be informed and get involved.

[Carve]

Thanks for the support.

Your welcome, the money has been sent.