Fifty Plus (50+) - Club Tombay Membership Application

My sweet GF took a group ride yesterday, the Bike the Bay ride here in San Diego, affording her the opportunity to ride over the Coronado Bridge, which is normally closed to bicycle traffic (this is the first such ride in 20 years).

I couldn't go, because of my out of true wheel problem (going to LBS today, darn it!).

She had a blast, said the ride was pretty easy (26 miles or so), and ... reported her first clipless fall into a sandy area right off the bike path down the Silver Strand in Coronado when a cyclist in front of her had some trouble, and my GF had to veer off the path to avoid it, and she got into the sand, and she tipped over.

So she fell, and earned her Club Tombay privileges, and the damage to the bike is (hopefully) minor. We're having the LBS check it out -- she's got some problems downshifting now.

My question is, do I qualify for a membership on the strength of HER fall? I mean, we do live in the same house and all. And I helped her buy the bike. So, shouldn't I get membership privileges as well? Discounts, that sort of thing?

Only if you marry her within 30 days of the fall.:thumb:

No, you do not get to sit in your house, be a wuss, and earn membership privileges.

Now go out and take your fall like a man.

Not only do you not qualify................you have incurred a qualification penalty for attenpting to contrive a false application.

The membership motivation counselors advice to the jury is that we should accept nothing less than blood for a valid qualification for DG.

What say you?

However, as Hermes recomends............we could soften our attitude if you'll just go out and marry her.:D

Oh, by the way...........congratulations to DD for managing an entry level fall with little personal damage.

I'm not even sure that she qualifies. It sounds like her fall was caused by slipping in the sand, not by failure to disengage her cleats.

I'm not even sure that she qualifies. It sounds like her fall was caused by slipping in the sand, not by failure to disengage her cleats.

Well, she rode off the road, (or is it road off the rode?) and began to lose traction. She then says she realized she was about to fall, and hadn't clipped out yet. The rest was slow motion, as she attempted to unclip while proceeding to fall. And there were LOTS of witnesses! :D

Well, she rode off the road, (or is it road off the rode?) and began to lose traction. She then says she realized she was about to fall, and hadn't clipped out yet. The rest was slow motion, as she attempted to unclip while proceeding to fall. And there were LOTS of witnesses! :D

On the surface the mechanics sound okay. However, was there any scraping, blood or bruising? Falling in the soft sand is not the same as hitting the deck on concrete. We all certainly watched enough beach volley ball to know that women in bikinis can dive into sand all afternoon. I say, no blood no fall.:thumb:

We have past practice evidence that supports an initial membership for bloodless falls. This is not to imply however that more advanced levels of falls with style point bonus's would be looked down on by the club membership.

We are always interested in a good fall.

Well, she rode off the road, (or is it road off the rode?) and began to lose traction. She then says she realized she was about to fall, and hadn't clipped out yet. The rest was slow motion, as she attempted to unclip while proceeding to fall. And there were LOTS of witnesses! :D

Sounds like a qualifying fall to me. Why didn't you give these details in the initial application? ;)

So DD did not get hurt, that's good news. Not having clipless (yet)
and not being a member (yet), I read and learn with great interest
of this Club Tombay but am not qualified to offer an opinion.

Please direct me to the club for clutzes such as myself who come
to a stop under control at a stop sign on an empty road and manage
to just tip over while using platform pedals. :bike2:

So DD did not get hurt, that's good news. Not having clipless (yet)
and not being a member (yet), I read and learn with great interest
of this Club Tombay but am not qualified to offer an opinion.

Please direct me to the club for clutzes such as myself who come
to a stop under control at a stop sign on an empty road and manage
to just tip over while using platform pedals. :bike2:

"Junior Tombay" where the youth of today train for "tomber par terre" tomorrow.

My question is, do I qualify for a membership on the strength of HER fall.QUOTE][QUOTE]



Thats pretty good DG. :D I like that! "the strength of her fall."

Thats like applying for food stamps when you make 40 grand a year. Its "Brilliant" :D

I dont mean to scare you, and I'm not implying anything, but the esteemed councellers of that motivational panel could (and I mean could) possibly construe your application as a deliberate act of fraud. :D

I know, it sounds ugly,....and you wouldnt dare try to contrive such a malicious act,..........now would you DG!!

OK. Here's the disturbing part. We haven't heard from DD! On the surface, it sounds like a qualifying fall (for her, not DG) if the "slow motion" descriptors are accurate. I am concerned that DD has not been properly counseled about Club Tombay and is not aware of the level of honor and esteem associated with membership. Like, does she realize she can get a discout at Performance with her card. Huh? Does she?

Are applications closed, if not, may I submit the following?
1) Just picked up my first road bike. Having used SPD's on my hybrid I was not intimidated by them, so I didn't inspect them before taking off on my first ride. Came to the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, 2 blocks from the house and could not unclip either foot. Fell on left elbow, fracturing it. After I finally looked at the pedals I discovered that the shop had set them at max tension. Pre-ride checks are important, even if the bike just came out of the shop.
2) On my first PMC as we approached Provincetown I noticed that one guy in the group ahead of me went left, while everyone else in his team went right. I thought he might turn right to rejoin them so I swung to his left. Without looking back, or signaling, he made a left U-turn. I made an emergency hard right to avoid hitting him, and missed the hard left to stay on the pavement by an inch, front tire sank into the sand and down we went. I broke my thumb. Large group rides are hard, especially near the end when everyone is tired.
3) Again, really not clipless, but sure stupid. One night I looked back to check for a car I heard, when I looked back forward I was headed straight into the back of a parked car. That was good for a broken nose, 2 broken teeth and a badly mangled lip. At least I didn't damage the car.

I think that #3 is far more embarassing than #1, so that it should count, but I concede that #2 may be questionable.

#1 should do it. You should be informed however that our favorite clipless falls are 0 mph events in which injury is mostly to pride. (We do not want to scare off the uninitiated).

#2 and 3 don't necessarily qualify for Tombay membership as it is unclear if clipping in was part of the problem. As the voluntary "Membership Motivation Counselor" for Club Tombay I cannot say whether or not you are entitled to some other award for 2 or 3 but I will certainly cast a vote in your favor should it come up.............:p

Yes, #1 was definately a 0 mph event, as the stop sign is at a very busy street, and a well populated school bus stop.

Is it just me, or are any others too embarrassed to admit they should apply for membership? I almost went down the other day not because or clips or clipless. I decided to bring a fanny pack with me to carry my camera and a few odds and ends. I had it on with the pack to my back and after climbing a rather long hill and coasting down the backside I came to a stoplight. The fanny pack had slipped down and caught under the saddle in the back. It was all I could do to reach the ground because I simply couldn’t get off of the saddle. I almost went down on the left and then the right only to end up doing a 360 on one toe before the pack came lose and I could dismount. The very first thing I did was look around to see if anyone had been watching.

HI,
I thought their had to be a small wound to get the award, not a suture event but maybe alittle road rash, hey I am a newbie so be nice.
Iam a little nervous cause all my rashes have healed and my knees are not covered with scabs,
I ve gone a month now without the dreaded awwwwww sh*t at the intersection..:roflmao2:
Doug
PS I have crossed the dreaded 4mos ridding and stil alive, and the cars seem friendly now that I stopped pulling out in front of them :-)...

Is it just me, or are any others too embarrassed to admit they should apply for membership? I almost went down the other day not because or clips or clipless. I decided to bring a fanny pack with me to carry my camera and a few odds and ends. I had it on with the pack to my back and after climbing a rather long hill and coasting down the backside I came to a stoplight. The fanny pack had slipped down and caught under the saddle in the back. It was all I could do to reach the ground because I simply couldn’t get off of the saddle. I almost went down on the left and then the right only to end up doing a 360 on one toe before the pack came lose and I could dismount. The very first thing I did was look around to see if anyone had been watching.

Pics........:eek:


Perhaps its the Fred inside but I'm not embarrased at all (having first checked to see if any video's or film exists). One of my (many) Tombay falls probably recounted before you joined this forum imvolved me using my then rather new clipless pedals to make the extra power to complete the climb up a hill that I had never beaten before. Puf....Puff I arrived at the top both exhausted and happy. It was an appropriate time to stop for a drink in celebration............only to find that my legs were too finished to muster up an unclipping twist....................awww s****** darn......Thud. Another application required...:D

What do you guys have against DD in that you told DG to marry her. If she does do something as silly as that you realize that that would take her off the list for most of us in that we are gentlemen and gentlemen do not trap an other man's trapline! :innocent:

She is in.

You are out, loser.:notamused:

Like anyone with a username of DD is ever out...:innocent:

No, you do not get to sit in your house, be a wuss, and earn membership privileges.

Now go out and take your fall like a man.

I concur -- well said, TB! :lol:

Are applications closed, if not, may I submit the following?
1) Just picked up my first road bike. Having used SPD's on my hybrid I was not intimidated by them, so I didn't inspect them before taking off on my first ride. Came to the stop sign at the bottom of the hill, 2 blocks from the house and could not unclip either foot. Fell on left elbow, fracturing it. After I finally looked at the pedals I discovered that the shop had set them at max tension. Pre-ride checks are important, even if the bike just came out of the shop.
2) On my first PMC as we approached Provincetown I noticed that one guy in the group ahead of me went left, while everyone else in his team went right. I thought he might turn right to rejoin them so I swung to his left. Without looking back, or signaling, he made a left U-turn. I made an emergency hard right to avoid hitting him, and missed the hard left to stay on the pavement by an inch, front tire sank into the sand and down we went. I broke my thumb. Large group rides are hard, especially near the end when everyone is tired.
3) Again, really not clipless, but sure stupid. One night I looked back to check for a car I heard, when I looked back forward I was headed straight into the back of a parked car. That was good for a broken nose, 2 broken teeth and a badly mangled lip. At least I didn't damage the car.

I think that #3 is far more embarassing than #1, so that it should count, but I concede that #2 may be questionable.

Did you ever think of taking up "Tricycling"?

I have my badge of five chain ring teeth marks, Got a knee a few months ago and a knee maybe 10 years ago

#1 should do it. You should be informed however that our favorite clipless falls are 0 mph events in which injury is mostly to pride. (We do not want to scare off the uninitiated).

#2 and 3 don't necessarily qualify for Tombay membership as it is unclear if clipping in was part of the problem. As the voluntary "Membership Motivation Counselor" for Club Tombay I cannot say whether or not you are entitled to some other award for 2 or 3 but I will certainly cast a vote in your favor should it come up.............:p

#1 is a classic Tombay fall which is all that's required for membership.

#2 & 3 suggest a possible shortfall of IQ points. Low IQ while not a requirement for either Club Tombay or 50+, certainly enhances one's standing. Consequently I stand (or fall) with maddmaxx.

OK. Here's the disturbing part. We haven't heard from DD!

DD isn't allowed to post on 50+ due to a birthday candle count shortfall.

While some folks may feel that strict adherence of the 50+ rule may be harsh, any true 50+er is old enough to have learned that good things are worth waiting for. Watering down the membership requirements only cheapens the experience.

DD isn't allowed to post on 50+ due to a birthday candle count shortfall.

While some folks may feel that strict adherence of the 50+ rule may be harsh, any true 50+er is old enough to have learned that good things are worth waiting for. Watering down the membership requirements only cheapens the experience.

Don't we have several youngsters already posting and in good standing? Some, even, of the distaff persuasion? :love:

Don't we have several youngsters already posting and in good standing? Some, even, of the distaff persuasion? :love:

What part of "Watering down the membership requirements only cheapens the experience." do you find difficult to understand? The thing that makes 50+ so attractive is that you're supposed to have achieved a degree of maturity to post here.

I have been told that girls mature at a younger age but it was a female (my mother) who told me.

What part of "Watering down the membership requirements only cheapens the experience." do you find difficult to understand? The thing that makes 50+ so attractive is that you're supposed to have achieved a degree of maturity to post here.

I have been told that girls mature at a younger age but it was a female (my mother) who told me.

:fight:

I think we should "Review" a picture of DD with a close-up of the leg in question!!!

Maybe we could let DD in anyway. She and DG could average their ages...................

Age is mental- You are only as Old as you feel. So if the youngsters feel comfortable associating with us "Mature" riders- then let them- As long as they pay the subscriptions and have a DHL account for sending out the PIE.

Maybe we could let DD in anyway. She and DG could average their ages...................

The way I here it DG would have to be 85. He robed the cradle.

nOOb question. what qualifies one for Club Tombay exactly? need the official rules so I can study up.

Having disappeared out of sight between two cars at a light and clipped in with no gore left on road may not qualify me? That done during my first week back on a bike in 30 years? Now that was really embarrassing for me.

On the other hand does going down fully clipped in, holding on for dear life, saying very rude things to a car driver brushing you off the road count? I can't remember anything about the incident however (having awakened in the trauma unit 4 hours later). Lots of gore and a concussion as my proof. No witnesses to the actual hit (driver left scene) but plenty of people stopped to pick me up off the street. Thank god for nurses driving by, EMT techs and friendly natives. I noted one reply up above that mentioned not scaring the new comers. That may disqualify me on this one?

Is there a cool membership card? bumper stickers? maybe something for the helmet? like those helmet markers for touchdowns for football players?

just asking in case...

nOOb question. what qualifies one for Club Tombay exactly? need the official rules so I can study up.

Is there a cool membership card? bumper stickers? maybe something for the helmet? like those helmet markers for touchdowns for football players?

You had an accident. That doesn't count. Accidents attract sympathy so you've already had your reward. Tombay falls, on the other hand, generate ridicule. The more extreme the ridicule, the more deserving one is of membership.

Tombay membership is earned while learning to use clipless pedals. We also accept toe clip falls provided there are witnesses. The classic Tombay fall happens after riding uneventfully for 40 or 50 miles. Then, as you are returning to the parking lot with everybody watching, you forget that you are clipped in and topple over on your side.

As for membership cards and bumper stickers - hey! this is a CLUB, not an organization.

You had an accident. That doesn't count. Accidents attract sympathy so you've already had your reward. Tombay falls, on the other hand, generate ridicule. The more extreme the ridicule, the more deserving one is of membership.

Tombay membership is earned while learning to use clipless pedals. We also accept toe clip falls provided there are witnesses. The classic Tombay fall happens after riding uneventfully for 40 or 50 miles. Then, as you are returning to the parking lot with everybody watching, you forget that you are clipped in and topple over on your side.

As for membership cards and bumper stickers - hey! this is a CLUB, not an organization.

Well said Grouch.....As Voluntary Membership Motivation Coordinator, I nominate Retro Grouch as ambassador at large to the rest of the cycling community (those more coordinated than we).

Well said Grouch.....As Voluntary Membership Motivation Coordinator, I nominate Retro Grouch as ambassador at large to the rest of the cycling community (those more coordinated than we).

Hey! - This is a club not an organization.

Hey, I went on that bike ride in about 1984 when visiting my sister in San Diego.

New to this forum, and feel the burning need to apply for membership in Tombay, out of humility. Last summer, Panama City Beach, main drag, slow stop and go traffic. Two good looking young females (probably my daughter's age, but that is off topic) on side of the strip. Car stops, I stop, I fall. No blood, no guts, severely damaged my cool however ( as if I had much )..
Is there any chance I might be inducted into this honored class of cyclists.

Well said Grouch.....As Voluntary Membership Motivation Coordinator, I nominate Retro Grouch as ambassador at large to the rest of the cycling community (those more coordinated than we).

I think he should be called as an Evangelist and sent out to convert the unlubed masses.

HI,
Go out and buy some adjustable clipless pedal tighten those adjustment all the way down, loose the clips bolts on your shoes :thumb:,
now jump on you bike, haul butt for about 10 miles and come up on a red light and try to coast thru it till its green,, tick-toc tick toc, gravity will kick in ( note bring cell phone for pic) and the dreaded AAAWWWW SH*T I am falling..:twitchy:.......
Take a pic of your bloody knees and your in..:thumb:
Doug
I can say I ve done it more than once and never on purpose, but hey it'll get you in real quick..
My knees have more scars than a rugby players...:o

New to this forum, and feel the burning need to apply for membership in Tombay, out of humility. Last summer, Panama City Beach, main drag, slow stop and go traffic. Two good looking young females (probably my daughter's age, but that is off topic) on side of the strip. Car stops, I stop, I fall. No blood, no guts, severely damaged my cool however ( as if I had much )..
Is there any chance I might be inducted into this honored class of cyclists.


I think there needs to be a little blood or broken something.

Any body can just fall over!

New to this forum, and feel the burning need to apply for membership in Tombay, out of humility. Last summer, Panama City Beach, main drag, slow stop and go traffic. Two good looking young females (probably my daughter's age, but that is off topic) on side of the strip. Car stops, I stop, I fall. No blood, no guts, severely damaged my cool however ( as if I had much )..
Is there any chance I might be inducted into this honored class of cyclists.

Possibly. Was there pointing and audible giggling involved?

Possibly. Was there pointing and audible giggling involved?

Yes, at least a definite snicker or two, and me in my lycra at that.

DeeGee: I have an idea how you can get in. It involves learning to trackstand. Let us know if you are up for it and I can give you the rest of the details.

DeeGee: I have an idea how you can get in. It involves learning to trackstand. Let us know if you are up for it and I can give you the rest of the details.

I'm already in. There's a thread with pics a couple of weeks back. And I don't trackstand! :)

T-Man can't keep things straight anymore. He thinks I'm in and your not.

T-Man can't keep things straight anymore. He thinks I'm in and your not.

That's because I'm now riding my new bent, and you don't have a bent. :innocent:

I just hope he can put salt & pepper on that Obama sign next week!