For Amtrak Century Information click here:

https://www.ocwheelmen.org/page/show/424119-amtrak-registration-information

Sports Engine, the people who we contract with to handle our website, did a major upgrade on January 8th. As a result those of you currently using a Microsoft browser, either Edge or Explorer, will find that you will likely have problems signing on or viewing our site. The solution is to use an alternative browser, Google Chrome or Firefox, as these are fully compatible with the new software.  

Ready to test your endurance and strength? Breathless Agony is one of the most challenging centuries in Southern California: 107 miles and just under 12,000 ft of climbing! Join us on April 27th for an epic experience. Cost of the event is $90 through March 27th, then increases to $110 until registration closes on April 20th. There will be registration available at Friday evening check-in (April 26th) and the day of the ride for $125 (cash only.)

Breathless Agony is part of the Planet Ultra led three part series, King of the Mountain. This is the 14th year of this outstanding series that leads off on April 13th with the Mulholland Challenge, followed by Breathless Agony on April 27th, and finishing on May 18th with Heartbreak Hundred. A very special jersey will be available to only those riders who successfully complete all three events. For more information, go to
https://planetultra.com/king-of-the-mountains-century-challenge/
 

For Breathless Agony information and registration click here:

https://www.ocwheelmen.org/breathless

Our former OCW President, Mike Lee, is now in charge of marketing for Snow Valley, one of the most accessible ski resorts in SOCAL. Mike has arranged for the club to receive a special discount for a day of skiing on January 29th for the great price of $32.00. However, for us to receive this rate, we need at least ten skiers to sign up. Mike will be at our January 17th general meeting to give us more information on what is happening at Snow Valley and why it is such a great place to ski.  If you want to join us for this great day of skiing for the discount price, you must send an email confirmation to joe.bernhardt@ocwheelmen.org  prior to Friday,  January 25th.  Once we have ten skiers lined up, we will send out an email to the participants confirming the event.

Our annual OCW Awards and Installation Banquet will take place on Saturday, February 23rd, at 5:00 PM at The Villa, 510 E Katella, Orange, CA. It will be an evening to recognize the achievements of our members and to usher in the new Board of Directors. And the evening would not be complete without another great video from Jim Brewer.

We are excited that our entertainment will be provided by Dan Perea, son of past president, Miguel Perea. Dan has presented his music and uplifting message at TEDx in Santa Barbara and this is an evening you will not want to miss. 

Dan Perea is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and software engineer in Santa Barbara, CA. He has toured the country as a traveling musician, performed as a solo artist and in various local groups, all while writing and producing songs in a wide range styles including: soul, folk, reggae, funk, electronic, and spoken word. Having grown up bicoastal, he spent most of his young life living on the east coast in New Jersey.

Dan became passionate about both music and engineering at a young age and began designing and developing websites professionally at the age of 14. Musically, he started as a drummer, and then moved on to singing and songwriting, learning guitar, bass, and piano along the way. Dan spent five years after high school writing music and touring the country with a traveling band singing and playing bass. He finally fulfilled a dream by moving to Santa Barbara in 2008, where he attended UCSB and earned a degree in Communication and Marketing. 
Still a Santa Barbara resident, Dan is currently writing, producing, and performing his music under his own name. Additionally, his interest in metaphysics and futurism has inspired the electronic project, The Great Filter, which touches on a variety of genres from ambient to EDM. In his professional life as a software engineer and UX designer, he has helped grow the wellness company BioIQ by contributing to the design and development of their online platforms. Additionally, he cofounded and created the website GratefulForBlank.com, which aims to inspire positivity and happiness through gratitude. Up-to-date information about Dan’s projects, as well as upcoming gigs can be found on his website, http://DanPerea.com.

Hold the date of March 23rd for the annual OCW Spring Metric. The event this year will start and finish at Yorba Regional Park and will include full support as well as lunch at the end. The final route has not yet been finalized so watch for a later update. As always, there is no fee for current OCW members. Non members are welcome to ride with a registration fee of $35. Registration for the ride will open on our site in early February.

Please note that due to a conflict at the Irvine Ranch Water District, our January general meeting will be held on Thursday, January 17th.  Don't show up on our normal first Thursday of the month, or you will find the room dark. For January, our presenter will be club president, John Renowden.

Join us for the world premier of John's video of his epic Tour of the French Alps from this past September. Featured actors, err riders, are Miguel Perea, Steve Loughran, and Stuart Gaston. This will be a fun evening so be sure to attend and be envious of the beautiful scenery that the group experienced first hand. We meet at 6:30 PM for a light dinner followed by the presentation at 7:00 PM. For directions to the Irvine Ranch Water District Community Room, see our calendar page.

Metrolink will not be running trains between Oceanside to Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo on the following dates:

January 12-13

February 9-10

March 2-3

March 9-10