Poll: How would you describe your LBC?

[It's Chris]

Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
Bike Cub?

Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
planned.

Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
every weekend.

Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
attending.

A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.

A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
up riding alone.

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

 

[Lynne Fitz]

www.portlandvelo.net
Enthusiastic

On Nov 30, 7:23 pm, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:
> Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> Bike Cub?
>
> Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> planned.
>
> Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> every weekend.
>
> Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> attending.
>
> A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> up riding alone.
>
> - -
> Compliments of:
> "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"
>
> If you want to E-mail me use:
> ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net
>
> My website:http://geocities.com/czcorner

 

[Bill W]

Enthusiastic

We have training rides on Monday and Wednesday nights. Rides on Thursday and
the weekend - 60 to 120 kms.
Every long weekend we go away to ride and in July we have a 7 to 10 day
ride.
In fall its hiking and in the winter cross country skiing and snow shoeing.


"It's Chris" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> Bike Cub?
>
> Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> planned.
>
> Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> every weekend.
>
> Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> attending.
>
> A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> up riding alone.
>
> - -
> Compliments of:
> "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"
>
> If you want to E-mail me use:
> ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net
>
> My website:
> http://geocities.com/czcorner
>

 

[[email protected]]

On Dec 1, 4:23 am, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:

> A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.

That's our 600 member club to a T.

There are some pre-established rides that draw a fair number of the
same folks, but mostly it's smaller groups doing their own thing.

Joseph

 

[It's Chris]

Like Joseph, I'm stuck with a Confederacy as well. Fortunatly, I was
able to find a small clique within the ranks that rides much as I do.

Not often enough for my tastes, but some is better than none, I guess.

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

 

[jcjordan]

The ACTVETs are one of the best. Everyone wants to help everyone else and the racing is brilliant. Everyone races hard, but never dangerous, and at the end if you win everyone wants to congratulate you and if you got beaten this just makes a better story at the coffee shop. One of the best comments that I have heard was from a 40 year old who joined the club about 3 months ago and in that time has managed to go from F to D Grade who stated to me this morning that the club was like a drug, you can just never get enough. He could not believe that on the group rides no one ever got dropped, no matter how slow you got there was always someone who would drop back to ride with you.

I know when i first started I can remember having a hard time holding on to some of the faster routes and had a couple of the best riders in the club (one who is a ex olympian) fall back to help and provide advice.

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (It's Chris) writes:
> Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> Bike Cub?
^^^

Bearish.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

 

[[email protected]]

On Dec 2, 1:51 am, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:
> Like Joseph, I'm stuck with a Confederacy as well. Fortunatly, I was
> able to find a small clique within the ranks that rides much as I do.
>
> Not often enough for my tastes, but some is better than none, I guess.
>

The most frustrating thing is that I'm sure quite a number of these
groups overlap, but never get it together to try to coordinate
something.

Joseph

 

[[email protected]]

On Dec 2, 5:08 am, jcjordan <jcjordan.30y...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> The ACTVETs are one of the best. Everyone wants to help everyone else
> and the racing is brilliant. Everyone races hard, but never dangerous,
> and at the end if you win everyone wants to congratulate you and if you
> got beaten this just makes a better story at the coffee shop. One of
> the best comments that I have heard was from a 40 year old who joined
> the club about 3 months ago and in that time has managed to go from F to
> D Grade who stated to me this morning that the club was like a drug, you
> can just never get enough. He could not believe that on the group rides
> no one ever got dropped, no matter how slow you got there was always
> someone who would drop back to ride with you.
>
> I know when i first started I can remember having a hard time holding
> on to some of the faster routes and had a couple of the best riders in
> the club (one who is a ex olympian) fall back to help and provide
> advice.
>
> --
> jcjordan

That sounds nice. Ho wmany people show up for these rides?

Joseph

 

[jcjordan]

On Dec 2, 5:08 am, jcjordan <jcjordan.30y...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> The ACTVETs are one of the best. Everyone wants to help everyone else
> and the racing is brilliant. Everyone races hard, but never dangerous,
> and at the end if you win everyone wants to congratulate you and if you
> got beaten this just makes a better story at the coffee shop. One of
> the best comments that I have heard was from a 40 year old who joined
> the club about 3 months ago and in that time has managed to go from F to
> D Grade who stated to me this morning that the club was like a drug, you
> can just never get enough. He could not believe that on the group rides
> no one ever got dropped, no matter how slow you got there was always
> someone who would drop back to ride with you.
>
> I know when i first started I can remember having a hard time holding
> on to some of the faster routes and had a couple of the best riders in
> the club (one who is a ex olympian) fall back to help and provide
> advice.
>
> --
> jcjordan

That sounds nice. Ho wmany people show up for these rides?

Joseph

some groups are small, but the main ride in the winter know as the "Lodge Ride" because it starts at the lodge can get up to 20 plus riders

 

[David L. Johnson]

It's Chris wrote:
> Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> Bike Cub?
>
> Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> planned.
>
> Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> every weekend.
>
> Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> attending.
>
> A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> up riding alone.

I can manage an "all of the above". I belong to and ride at least
occasionally with three different clubs. I'll start with the best:

Central Bucks Bicycle Club (CBBC) is an "enthusiastic". Looking at
their website a couple days ago, I noticed: "81 rides in the November
schedule". Just checked again: "92 rides in the December schedule".
Even though it's a shlep for me to go on these rides -- I really do
prefer to ride to the ride start -- I drive to these because there is
always a ride I want to do on any day I might want to ride (92 rides in
31 days, in the midst of winter weather, says a lot). Most rides are
well-attended and well-led. People take care of each other. Great club.

I used to ride regularly with the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia (BCP),
which probably rates a "moderate" now. Great group of people, but not
as many rides as you might like. Still, if you're in Philadelphia,
chances are you could find a ride with them, though maybe not at the
time or pace you'd prefer.

My "local" club is now the Lehigh Wheelmen (LWA), which is a real
blase/confederacy, sliding into a joke in the winter. I went on every
ride listed last February. That was one ride. There are two rides
listed for this month. All three of these are led by the same guy, and
I admire his tenacity. There are cliques of members who ride together a
lot, but they don't list the rides -- and there are at least two local
bike shops that regularly have rides leaving from the shop, and these
get a lot of riders, probably siphoning away some of the energy that
otherwise could go to the local club.
There are more rides during the warmer months, including regular
weekday evening rides that get large turnouts, but at my age I can't
spend the winter off the bike and expect to be able to ride in the
Spring. Oh, well. Part of the trouble is that it's a smaller club than
the other two, and is split between a racing contingent and a touring
club.

--

David L. Johnson

It is a scientifically proven fact that a mid life crisis can only be
cured by something racy and Italian. Bianchis and Colnagos are a lot
cheaper than Maserattis and Ferraris.
-- Glenn Davies

 

[[email protected]]

On Nov 30, 10:23 pm, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:
> Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> Bike Cub?
>
> Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> planned.
>
> Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> every weekend.
>
> Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> attending.
>
> A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> up riding alone.

Probably "moderate" to "blase'". But also "aging."

I notice the average age at club meetings rises each year, and the
average age on club rides isn't much lower. We get very few 20-
somethings or 30-somethings joining, and most of the members who do
the work of running the club are at least 50!

What do other clubs do to attract and involve younger members?

- Frank Krygowski

 

[Lynne Fitz]

I think that is one of the reasons Portland Velo is so successful.
Our members range in age from their 20's to their 60's. Maybe older.

We are welcoming. There are rides for pace groups from not-real-fast
to hammer and nails. We have a couple of great parties every year.
Our big Saturday rides start at a local coffeeshop, which we swamp
before and after the rides. In summer, with over 150 folks showing
up, that is a LOT of people! We actively recruit folks to take part
in running the club. We never leave anyone. You don't show up, get a
map, and that's the last you see of anyone. We don't do stuff because
"it has always been done that way".

We have brochures in the local bike shops. Members bring friends
along. Being voted the best cycling club in Portland 2 years running
doesn't hurt, either

http://www.portlandvelo.net

If you are in Portland, Oregon, come ride with us!

Lynne F

On Dec 2, 8:46 am, [email protected] wrote:
> On Nov 30, 10:23 pm, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:
> > Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> > Bike Cub?
>
> > Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> > planned.
>
> > Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> > every weekend.
>
> > Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> > attending.
>
> > A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> > group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> > A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> > up riding alone.
>
> Probably "moderate" to "blase'". But also "aging."
>
> I notice the average age at club meetings rises each year, and the
> average age on club rides isn't much lower. We get very few 20-
> somethings or 30-somethings joining, and most of the members who do
> the work of running the club are at least 50!
>
> What do other clubs do to attract and involve younger members?
>
> - Frank Krygowski- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

 

[[email protected]]

On Dec 2, 5:46 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On Nov 30, 10:23 pm, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:
>
>
>
> > Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> > Bike Cub?
>
> > Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> > planned.
>
> > Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> > every weekend.
>
> > Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> > attending.
>
> > A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> > group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> > A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> > up riding alone.
>
> Probably "moderate" to "blase'". But also "aging."
>
> I notice the average age at club meetings rises each year, and the
> average age on club rides isn't much lower. We get very few 20-
> somethings or 30-somethings joining, and most of the members who do
> the work of running the club are at least 50!
>
> What do other clubs do to attract and involve younger members?
>
> - Frank Krygowski

Our club has a similar problem. All those who run the show are older,
but there is also a small group of juniors and kids who get bags of
attention. But there are few between the ages of 17 and 40. It's
almost like they focus too much on the racing success of 3 or 4
promising juniors than on just getting more folks out to ride and do
low level racing.

Joseph

 

[[email protected]]

On Dec 3, 4:15 am, "[email protected]"
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Dec 2, 5:46 pm, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
> > I notice the average age at club meetings rises each year, and the
> > average age on club rides isn't much lower. We get very few 20-
> > somethings or 30-somethings joining, and most of the members who do
> > the work of running the club are at least 50!
>
> > What do other clubs do to attract and involve younger members?
>
> > - Frank Krygowski
>
> Our club has a similar problem. All those who run the show are older,
> but there is also a small group of juniors and kids who get bags of
> attention. But there are few between the ages of 17 and 40. It's
> almost like they focus too much on the racing success of 3 or 4
> promising juniors than on just getting more folks out to ride and do
> low level racing.

Hmm. Well, for the record, our club is not about racing. The typical
club ride is more of a moderate paced country road tour. Some (like
many of the rides I lead) will also explore different city
neighborhoods and sort-of-cultural attractions, like my Ethnic
Restaurant Ride series.

We have some racers, and have had more in the past - until we aged.
But racing and training were never a major part of the ride calendar.

- Frank Krygowski

 

[It's Chris]

From: [email protected]

>Probably "moderate" to "blase'".   But
also "aging."
>
>I notice the average age at club
>meetings rises each year, and the
>average age on club rides isn't much
>lower. We get very few 20- somethings
>or 30-somethings joining, and most of
>the members who do the work of running
>the club are at least 50!

>What do other clubs do to attract and
>involve younger members?

>- Frank Krygowski

I've been riding wth clubs for over thirty years, on both coasts. And
I've noticed that young rider attendance increases with each "Bike
craze". As soon as the fad wears off, so does the average age.

When bicycling's popularity is slow it's the dedicated that supports the
clubs. And the "die hards" of any group are usually of a seasoned age,
as they've been around longer.

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

 

[[email protected]]

On Dec 3, 5:13 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> On Dec 3, 4:15 am, "[email protected]"
>
>
>
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > On Dec 2, 5:46 pm, [email protected] wrote:
>
> > > I notice the average age at club meetings rises each year, and the
> > > average age on club rides isn't much lower. We get very few 20-
> > > somethings or 30-somethings joining, and most of the members who do
> > > the work of running the club are at least 50!
>
> > > What do other clubs do to attract and involve younger members?
>
> > > - Frank Krygowski
>
> > Our club has a similar problem. All those who run the show are older,
> > but there is also a small group of juniors and kids who get bags of
> > attention. But there are few between the ages of 17 and 40. It's
> > almost like they focus too much on the racing success of 3 or 4
> > promising juniors than on just getting more folks out to ride and do
> > low level racing.
>
> Hmm. Well, for the record, our club is not about racing. The typical
> club ride is more of a moderate paced country road tour. Some (like
> many of the rides I lead) will also explore different city
> neighborhoods and sort-of-cultural attractions, like my Ethnic
> Restaurant Ride series.
>
> We have some racers, and have had more in the past - until we aged.
> But racing and training were never a major part of the ride calendar.
>
> - Frank Krygowski

I don't recall the last time I saw a cyclist here in Norway that
didn't fall into one of these 3 categories:

Commuter
"Normal" person
Racer-type

I never see tour type riders, or other serious riders who are not
racer-types, regardless of age.

Our club is exclusively racer-type, though the number who actually
race is quite small. They call the group rides training rides.

I'd like to see more of what you guys do, as well as fun-run type
races where the level is just fun, not serious.

What happens now is there are some serioulsy fast racers in all age
groups who are fast enough to intimidate all but the most self-
confident of non-fast riders from coming on the rides, or juniors who
are part of a very serious racing program. I'm sur ethat is quite
intimidating for folks with regular fitness no matter what age to try
to join and have fun. Not to mention the total absence of rides of a
totaly differetn character like the sort you mention.

Joseph

 

[SlowRider]

On Dec 2, 9:46 am, [email protected] wrote:
> On Nov 30, 10:23 pm, [email protected] (It's Chris) wrote:
>
>
>
> > Which would you say best describes the general membership of your Local
> > Bike Cub?
>
> > Enthusiastic, with many membvers attending rides, and many rides
> > planned.
>
> > Moderate, A healthy ride attendance, with at least one or two rides
> > every weekend.
>
> > Blase', on average one ride each Sunday or Saturday, with a few people
> > attending.
>
> > A Confederacy, Small "cliques'" of riders who show up to their own
> > group's rides, but rarely bother with anybody else's.
>
> > A joke, one or two rides posted on any month, Most of the time you end
> > up riding alone.
>
> Probably "moderate" to "blase'". But also "aging."
>
> I notice the average age at club meetings rises each year, and the
> average age on club rides isn't much lower. We get very few 20-
> somethings or 30-somethings joining, and most of the members who do
> the work of running the club are at least 50!

I can second that -- ours is relatively old, probably 50-55 average
age. I rarely do club rides anymore since they go far slower than the
advertised 15-17mph and always seem to include a lengthy snack at a
local bakery/brewpub/breakfast nook. If I'm going to spend ~3-4 hours
"cycling", I'd like to be on the road, enjoying the sites and sounds,
not sitting in a restaurant talking about it.

Unfortunately, my other options all seem to be race-oriented clubs.
Anymore, my best rides are either by myself or with a small group of
younger friends who prefer to ride rather than sit and eat.


- JR

 

[Davosaurus Returns]

The Central Indiana Bicycling Association (CIBA) is the dominate club in
Indianapolis and the surounding area.

I haven't ridden in several years but having recently suffered a below
the knee amputation due to diabetes, I'm anxious to start cycling again.
Both to regain my health (most important) and show off my new Bianchi
that matches my carbon fiber leg. lol!!!

CIBA falls into the enthusiastic catagory. With well over 2000 members
there's always someone to ride at your pace with.

They're active in bicycle advocacy at the legislative level, usually
have rides every weekend with the number increasing dramatically in the
warmer months and sponser their annual showcase ride, The Hilly Hundred,
in October. There's several century rides every year plus a double
century and a Nite Ride through downtown Indy that's run in cooperation
with the local police department.

http://www.cibaride.org