Subject: Team Shell Cycling Newsletter - January 14, 2016
From: <[email-masked]>
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2016 20:58:12 +0000

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2016 MS 150 Houston to Austin
                                                                                                                                    April 16th – 17th

Dear Team Shell Cyclists,

I would like start by highlighting a bike ride that is coming up this Saturday.  It is the Texas Independence Bike Tour.  This is becoming one of the most popular rides that encompass some wonderful Texas history as your ride through the San Jacinto Battle Grounds.  Our folks at the Shell Deer Park plant have been heavily involved with this ride over the last few years.  Let’s help support this ride with our attendance.  http://www.deer​parkrotary.org

Also, keep March 26th open on your calendar to in the annual Clay Walker’s Band Against MS.  This Shell sponsored ride is in its fourth year and is already one of the best rides early in the cycling season.  Clay actually has MS and this cause is very dear to him.  He has been known to shake lots of hands and plans to ride with us again this year.  After the ride, join us for a nice lunch.  Please consider joining me in this ride.  Let’s have a great showing for Team Shell for this ride.  http://www.band​againstms.org

Team logistics fees are coming in.  Please make sure you get your team fee paid before the end of the month as the fee will go up from $60 to $70 on February 1st.  It will increase again on March 1st $80.  So far we have 77 riders that have paid the team fee and should have received a confirmation email from me.  Our team is still growing; we are up to 120 riders.  With 2016 budgets being tight, we will cut off our team max at 200 riders this year.  If you have been procrastinating on getting your MS 150 registration paid, the fee will also go up on February 1st.

Newsworthy – this week

·         Safety First Message

·         Volunteering

·         Ride Marshals needed

·         MS 150 Registration fee going up February 1st.

·         Bike Safety Training Dates

·         Joining Team Shell

·         Pay your Team Shell logistics support fee, still $60, will go up to $70 on February 1st.

·         Team Shell jerseys – deadline to order is February 12th

·         Upcoming training rides

SAFETY FIRST MESSAGE: Always Wear your HELMET

Coach Alan Bazard – Shell Safety Coordinator

BIKE HELMETS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES WHEN RIDING.
NO EXCEPTIONS!!! This is a Team Shell, and National MS Society rule.  It is also common sense and will help keep you alive.  No one plans to go out and have an accident.  Things happen on a bike in a fraction of a second and can send you quickly to the pavement.  A proper fitted helmet will reduce the impact to the head in the event of a fall.  Even a low speed fall can cause a fatal or disabling injury to the head.

Our motto is "if you’re sitting on the saddle, the Helmet is on your head."  This includes warm-up riding in the parking lot as well as on the ride.

For questions or more information on Bike Helmets and proper helmet fit, contact Coach Alan – [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Volunteering

Thank you to all of you who volunteered for the first training ride we are supporting on January 30th.  We have met our team support requirements for the ride.  I will be sending out further instructions to those who volunteered next week.  We still have volunteer opportunities on the following two rides.     We will need a dozen volunteers to support the three training events that Shell is responsible for.  Your support is very important.  If you cannot volunteer, a family member or friend can take your place while you are on the training ride.

Volunteer Link - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9LXYKXZ

·         8 Volunteers needed are for break point set up, take down and serving riders.

·         4 SAG wagon drivers – drivers will drive the ride route and assist riders with transport if needed.  Truck, SUV helpful but not mandatory.

·         4 Water Wizards – Will pick up and fill water containers at the end of the ride and return them back to next week’s ride start.  Need to be able to pick up 3-4 five gallon water containers.  This service the last 3 weeks of the training series.

1.       Saturday, January 30th – Fulshear ride - Full

2.       Saturday, February 13th – Sealy ride –SAG drivers and Rest Stop support needed

3.       Saturday, March 5th – New Ulm ride - SAG drivers and Rest Stop support needed

The last three training rides of the Ready2Roll Training series, we will need some Water Wizards.  The responsibility of a water wizard is to simply pick up a few empty water/Gatorade 5 gallon
coolers and return them filled with 4 gallons of water to the next week’s training ride.

Ride Marshal Recruitment – January 31 Deadline
Ride marshals are key to having a successful BP MS 150. Each team is strongly encouraged to have a ride marshal on the team. The actual ratio is for every 50 riders on the team, one ride marshal submitted to MS Society. Ride Marshals are registered cyclists who act as both Good-Will and Safety Ambassadors for the BP MS 150 Recommended Rides and BP MS 150. Ride Marshal applicants must be 18 years of age, have up-to-date certification in CPR/First-Aid training, be passionate and knowledgeable about safe cycling, and be willing to work with fellow cyclists to promote safe cycling. Ride Marshals must have completed at least two (2) BP MS 150 rides from Houston to Austin within the last 5 years.

The National MS Society provides CPR/First-Aid training, if you don't already have certification, but it must be completed BEFORE you can perform ANY Ride Marshal functions such as supporting any BP MS 150 Recommended Rides. Ride Marshals are required to support at least two (2) BP MS 150 Recommended Rides during the training season (January through April) and must complete a hands-on (8-hour minimum) Cycling Safety Class provided by the National MS Society.

Download the Ride Marshal Manual<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/DocServer/RIDE-MARSHAL-MANUAL09-21-09.pdf?docID=54558> and the Ride Marshal Code of Conduct<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/DocServer/Ride-Marshal-Code-of-Conduct-rvsd-11-15-09.pdf?docID=54557>.  Please contact Barron Lozano for more information:
Email:  [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

The MS 150 REGISTRATION is still $100 now thru Jan. 31st.
So if you have not registered or know someone who still needs to, be sure to register now<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=27003&pg=informational&sid=13239> for $100 and save!  Nearly 9,000 cyclists have already registered for this annual ride from Houston to Austin on April 16-17 for MS.  The non-transferable, registration fee is $100 until Jan. 31, 2016.  On Feb. 1, it rolls to $130.  The required minimum fundraising is $400.  The required $400 minimum fundraising must be raised prior to picking-up your Rider Packet.

Bike Safety Training dates
The first Bike Safety training skills class is next Sunday, January 24th.   Please remember that this class is mandatory to ride with Team Shell.  You need to only take this class once every three years.   Schedule your class now.  All bike safety training classes will be held on Sundays from 2 – 5 PM at our Shell Woodcreek campus.  Our goal is to have zero accidents in all of our training rides and in the MS event.  I will remind you the week of your scheduled training class.

Please help us meet Goal Zero by getting into one of these classes.

·         January 24th   - Basic Cycling Safety Skills Training

·         February 21st – Basic Cycling Safety Skills Training

·         March 6th – Advanced Cycling Safety Skills Training.  (You must have already completed the basic cycling safety skill class to register for this class).

·         March 20th - Basic Cycling Safety Skills Training

Click on this link to register for a Safety Skills Training Class: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X5KH2W8

Join Team Shell
To be eligible to ride with Team Shell you must be one of the following:

·         An active Shell employee

·         Shell retiree

·         Immediate family member of a Shell employee or retiree

·         Full time contractor at a Shell location

·         Any Shell employee may sponsor (vouch for) up to two guests to ride on the team.

Every rider must complete a Team Shell registration each year, including each family member.  We need all Ready2Roll participants to also complete the Team registration as well, as it is a requirement to be aligned with a corporate team to participate in this training series.  Here is the link to the Team Shell 2016 registration: Register Here<https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/37JQWSN>

Pay your Team support logistics fee.
All Team Shell cyclists who plan to ride in the 2016 MS150 event is required to pay this activity logistics fee.  The logistics fee helps in supporting 50% of what it takes to support a large team during the MS 150 weekend in LaGrange and Austin.  It covers such expenses as Team tents, food, beverages, audio sound, shuttle transport, and luggage transport.  The Shell Health and Wellness budget will cover the other 50% of the expenses.  I have been sending out confirmation emails to all who have turned in their fee.  If you are planning on riding in the 2016 MS150 and haven’t received a thanks for paying email from me than you still need to turn in your team support fee.

Team fee goes up on February 1st to $70 and goes up again on March 1st to $80.

Mail a check ($60 till January 31st), made out to Shell Employees Club to:

150 N. Dairy Ashford

Bldg. E – 0238 A

Houston, TX  77079

c/o Team Shell – Mark Poindexter

Team Shell Jerseys and Kit – New design this year! – Orders must be placed before Feb. 12th

The next order window will close on Friday February 12th in order to have your order arrive before the MS150 event in April.  The new design will be delivered directly to your home for under $30.

http://www.peak1bikestore.com/shell

Ready2Roll Training Series

Note from Steve – “OK, it's time to get ready to (en)roll so here is the link:   https://thedriven.net/ready2roll-cycling.race_reg/eid/4502013478<http://ready2rollcycling.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=47ce079018379d510cd8d7000&id=b60213b6c5&e=87fb2bfe9d>

“I look forward to seeing everyone on the roads in January.  The official 12 week series begins on Sat, Jan 23 and we'll host two rides for our newbies along with our annual classic cycling garage sale on Jan 9 and Jan 16.  These first two rides are focused on our new riders but experienced riders are welcome to come, as long as you come to mentor 2-4 new riders and teach them how to ride safely with a small group, how to communicate and listen on the road, etc.”  Thanks!            Steve Moskowitz       [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

The R2R registration is separate from the Team Shell registration support fee. This fee includes everything, ride marshals, police along ride routes, food, beverages, snacks, port-a-lets, SAG support throughout each ride. The training, safety and communications associated with this training series are excellent.  Last year, Team Shell had over 150 team members participate.  If you want to train with fellow Team Shell riders, this is the place.
Upcoming Training Rides

Ready2Roll – You must be registered for this training series

1/16/2016            8:30 AM               Beginners Ride                  Hempstead        25 miles

Community Training Rides – Open to all               Schedule<http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=27003&pg=informational&sid=13477>
                1/16/2016            7:30 AM               Texas Independence Bicycle Tour            www.deerparkrotary.org<http://www.deerparkrotary.org>         Shell Sponsored                     Deer Park H.S.                  30, 48, & 62 mi. routes
1/23/201              8:00 AM               Bike Through the Forest                                               http://www.kingwoodfillies.net<https://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kingwoodfillies.net&ust=1452784055436000&usg=AFQjCNFprMpwmjUeqzuXGZ01X0cUr1LRWQ>                Coldspring, TX                                                                   12, 25, 33 and 46 mi. routes

Be Well!
Mark Poindexter
Shell Health – U.S. Wellness Manager
Tel: +01 832 337-2149