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You must scroll down to see all the articles posted or use the Table of Contents to quickly reference a selection.
Updates to these articles will be posted as more information becomes available. |
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Many of you have been asking if Target Training will be offering their winter training program for SCBC members - so here we go again!
For the third year in a row, Target Training is again offering their winter training program for SCBC members. The details of the program are noted below. You can register for one or more of the six session series. Each registrant will also receive a coupon good for $20 off a bike tune up at Target Training. The Monday evening sessions will be held at their Greenwich location; the Wednesday evening sessions will be held at their Westport location.
Three series of 6 sessions per series. One session per week.
- WHERE: Greenwich location can accommodate 10 riders, and Westport location can accommodate 15 riders.
- WHEN: Monday @7:30pm in Greenwich (1374 East Putnam Ave Greenwich, CT 06870. (203) 990-0028) -OR-
- WHEN: Wednesday @7:30pm in Westport (772 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880. (203) 227-6177)
- COST: $20/session = $120/6 week series
TT gives participants $20 coupon, good towards bike tune up at Target Training (regular tune up price is around $85, before the $20 coupon
You need to bring your own bike.
Each cyclist needs to have a training skewer on their bike when they come - if you do not have one it can be purchased at any shop or TT for about $15. This will save everyone time/hassle from changing skewers at start/end of each session.
Class Schedule
To sign up, see links below and follow the prompts.
The first session will run the week of Nov 28th to the week of Jan 2nd
The 2nd session will run the week of Jan 9th to the week of Feb 13th
The 3rd session will run the week of Feb 20th to the week of Mar 26th
Should you have any further questions, please contact Eneas Freyre at Target Training.
ENJOY! Additionally, this training series would make a great Holiday Gift for your significant other.
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| SCBC Members Ride to Remember 9/11 |
| Click on any photo to see a larger version. |
 On September 11, 2011 an unofficial club ride took place that became an experience of a lifetime. To do this story justice it would be best to give you the backstory on how it all came about.
It began 10 days earlier when I received a simple request from John Sohikian, our Rides Director, to post a message on @Chat. The subject read: Interested Cyclists for 50 Miles with Freedom 50/50 Biker. The biker referred to in the subject was Max McManus and the message was about his Freedom 50/50 Tribute Ride to honor the fallen victims of 9/11 and the 9/11 HelpAmerica Foundation.
Max was already into the middle of his 6th week of his Freedom 50/50 ride (50 States in 50 Days) and had travelled over 6,000 miles to that point. Along the way he raised upwards of $20,000 for the 9/11 HelpAmerica Foundation and had received great support from citizens along his ride in the form of food, hotel rooms, and bicycle necessities. The request to Sound Cyclists was that as he got closer to Ground Zero and completing his 7,500 mile bicycle journey, he was looking to gather a following of cyclists who would be willing to make part or all of the 50 mile ride with him from Norwalk to Ground Zero. His intent was to make a big tribute to the 10th anniversary of 9/11 as he rode into the city. Unfamiliar with the area, Max and his team were also looking to find a location where he can meet up with cyclists and start the last leg of his ride. That's where I came in.
 The original plan was that Max would arrive in Norwalk some time around around 2:00p on September 11th. From there we would ride to Ground Zero with those who were interested in riding alongside him. A member of his team was working with him to create the exact route he will be taking, which was forwarded to me. But like with all plans, things change and change they did. Right after sending out the initial @Chat message things started to move fast and time was slipping by equally as fast.
They were depending on me to suggest a starting point and to review the route to see if this was even feasible. Getting this thing coordinated with the Freedom 50/50 ride was, to say the least, challenging. Start locations and times were changing right up until the last minute. I spent the better part of the day before redoing the cue sheet to reflect the changes that were being made and adding some critical information that was missing from what was originally provided. There were train schedules to be provided to the riders for their return trip and maps for the crew so they knew where all the street closures were downtown. Because of that, I became extremely familiar with every twist and turn of this very urban route.
Due to the schedule for finishing up the last State Max needed to complete and the logistics of getting down to the new starting point (the Greenwich/Port Chester line), his team's arrival got pushed back a few times. The riders were extremely patient as we waited. We spent time talking about our own 9/11 experiences 10 years earlier. When Max arrived there were the formalities of the meet and greet, handing out of tee shirts and wrist bands, and photo and video ops before we finally starting riding at 2:45p.
Max asked me to lead the group and he would just follow along. He did spend time talking to us along the way. I got the impression he enjoyed the opportunity to talk to real human beings as he rode since up until this point he had been riding alone. Since the ride took us along most of Route 1, it became the ultimate ride clinic. One of the main skills being practiced was clicking and unclicking and clicking and unclicking what seemed to be a billion times during the ride. Traffic lights abounded and we were determined to follow the rules and keep ourselves safe, despite all the "stuff" to be found in the road or where no road existed (New York potholes).
Whatever worry there was riding in The Bronx was dispelled with what one of the riders termed a "cultural exchange." Then there were the cars, buses and cabs to deal with and areas where we never had to cope with the kinds of congestion we did. And with all that, we still managed to stay pretty much together. We did have one puncture but that was handled rather quickly and we were on our way. We were informed during our way through the Bronx that an NBC crew was waiting for us but given the timing I suspected they weren't going to wait around for our arrival, even though Max and I lifted the pace a bit.
 Surprisingly, upper Manhattan was very quiet. Hordes of people seems to appear from Union Square on south, since all the actively of the day was located in lower Manhattan. We had to circumnavigate around the people darting across the street along Broadway, the main part of our route to World Trade, which we had to use since it was scheduled to be the only main street open. I had earlier informed Max and his team that any hope of getting close to the area around World Trade was non existent given all the security. All that changed as we approached the area. Since we arrived later than originally planned, barriers started coming down letting foot and bike traffic through to Church Street. Getting close to the site was something I had promised Max I would try to do if I could so he could see the construction of the Freedom Tower up close (photo above).
Unfortunately, some of our group did get separated from us and ended up in Battery Park, where we eventually hooked up with them and Max's crew (minus NBC), but not before I gave Max an opportunity to see the Statue of Liberty as we snaked around looking for the others. We hung around the park for a while and got pictures taken and videos shot. Even a tour bus went by and people started snapping pictures thinking this was a big event. It was to us.
 We finally said our goodbyes but I made a promise to those in our group who missed Ground Zero that I would take them back there before heading back to Grand Central. We travelled along a very familiar route of mine from another event and I was surprised to see that security had opened a section of West Avenue This got us a very good view of the World Trade area but since they had a section closed off to traffic right along the immediate area of the site, we couldn't look down into the memorials.
We then headed back up 6th Avenue and over to Grand Central, where we headed downstairs for something to eat and then to our departing train. The conductor opened up an unused bar car for us at the front of the train so we could fit our bikes easily.
We arrived at our designated stations where we had parked earlier in the day and headed home. It was the end of a perfect day. |
| Nominating Committee Posts Slate |
In accordance with the club by-laws, the Nominating Committee is posting the slate of nominees at least 60 days prior to the December 2011 Annual Dinner and Meeting. The club's process of selecting officers for the year 2012 has concluded.
The Nominating Committee has posted the following slate of nominees and they are: |
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Vice President | |
Geoff Preu |
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Treasurer/Finance Director | |
Larry Ogren |
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Rides Director | |
John Sohikian |
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Communications Director | |
Mitch Fuchs |
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Membership Director | |
Karen Strauss-Ziebell |
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Bloomin' Metric Director | |
Bill Meredith |
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Program Director | |
Barbara Benedict |
As prescribed by the club by-laws, "The slate, which is not limited to just one nominee per position, will be published to the membership at least 60 days prior to the election. Any member of the Club may submit nominations in writing to the Secretary up to 30 days prior to the elections. All nominees must be club members at least 18 years of age and must consent to the nomination in writing to the secretary 30 days prior to the elections."
Nominations may be submitted to Diane Casel, SCBC Secretary, 136 Newtown Ave., Unit 16, Norwalk, CT 06851.
Club members may vote for candidates using either an absentee ballot or in person at the annual meeting. If you plan to attend the annual meeting DO NOT mail in the absentee ballot. Absentee ballots will be found on the Special Events page or in the November newsletter and can be sent to: Diane Casel, SCBC Secretary, 136 Newtown Ave., Unit 16, Norwalk, CT 06851.
This year's nominating committee members are: |
Ever wonder what to do with that old bike in your garage or basement?
Donate it!
Great News! SCBC is joining forces with Charity Bicycles.
Charity Bicycles is a community based bicycle recycling program created by club member and current Incentives Chairman Tony Suppa in 2007. With the help of club member and ride coordinator Shin Miyoshi, over 250 bicycles have been given to various schools and community based organizations such as:
• The Chester Addison Community Center – Stamford
• The Boys and Girls Club of Stamford
• Several Stamford Elementary Schools
• The Bishop Shenan Center – Bridgeport
• The Caesar Betalla School – Bridgeport
Stamford Cycle Center at 1492 High Ridge Road donates children's bikes in slightly used condition to the program. These bikes are cleaned, necessary repairs are made and then given back into the community free of charge.
With the merger of SCBC this program can now be expanded. Volunteers are needed for: cleaning bikes, making light mechanical repairs, pick up and delivery as well
As secretarial work, photographing and keeping track of inventory.
We Need Your Help!
If you can volunteer a few hours of your time on occasion or if you have any bikes in decent condition (whether it be child, adult, hybrid, mountain or road) that you would like to donate please contact:
Tony Suppa at 203 326-1781
suppa25@msn.com |
Thanks to one of the founding members of Sound Cyclists, Nancy Rosett, a new ride category has been added to the variety of rides we offer. This new designation is called Touring. The listing now appears on the Pace and Terrain page and has been incorporated into our Ride Scheduling System. Nancy attend the last board meeting for the purpose of presenting this concept, which was overwhelming approved.
 "While there is no speed designation, riders are expected to be able to maintain at least an average of 10 mph for the entire ride. These rides are social outings to view the scenery, visit interesting spots along the route and enjoy the company of the other riders. Riders are expected to be self-sufficient. The cue sheets will have designated regrouping spots so riders do not need to stay with the ride facilitator. Riders can ride with the facilitator, ride on their own and stop at the regrouping stops or just do the whole route on their own," Nancy explained to the board.
Another long-standing member of the club, Clyde Gourley, has for years expounded the virtues of touring and now Nancy has brought it to the forefront and made it a reality. To some extent some of our existing rides have been handled with this concept in mind, one being the Block Island ride. In the very near future a few of these rides will be popping up on the schedule so keep an eye out for them. |
 As the poster says: I WANT YOU. We really do - for any one of a number of things. So this is your opportunity to get involved and have fun at the same time.
We are asking all members to consider becoming a ride leader this year. If you are a member in good standing and a responsible person who would enjoy leading fellow members on any one of a number of club rides, the process is easy. You can contact one of our rides coordinators or our rides director to discuss your desire to lead a ride. Sweeps are always needed as well, so consider volunteering at a ride to help out our ride leaders or you can contact them in advance and let them know you are willing to help them out.
We hold a couple of picnics during the course of the year, as well as other events where help is always appreciated. Contact our programs director, Barbara Benedict and tell her what you would like to do. |
Beginner rider... New rider... Novice rider... Just learning-to-ride rider...
However you describe yourself, the Sound Cyclists Bike Club wants to help you ride more, learn more, and gain confidence and skill on your bike.
We know that a pack of lycra-clad cyclists, chatting casually about their favorite 60-mile route or their 18 mph pace or their favorite monster hill, can be a bit intimidating. Especially if you're still getting used to all those gears and the terrifying clips on the bottom of your shoes!
We know. We've all been there. But we've gotten better as we've ridden more – and we want to help you to the same. For the 2009 riding season, the Sound Cyclists Bike Club is providing new enhancements (such as Instructional Riding Class for New Riders) and new resources (such as Buddy system) for beginner/new riders.
Rides are regularly posted on this site and announced on the club's newsletter. Rides listed as a "E or D" often have shorter distances that might suit your level. And, once you're comfortable with distances around 20-25 miles, come to the regular Friday evenings social rides. You'll generally find riders of all levels at this popular ride.
We look forward to riding with you. |
| Travel Boxes Available to Club Members |
| The club has available to its members sturdy shipping boxes for those traveling with their bikes. These boxes will be available on a first come, first server bases. In the event of a booking conflict, the box will go to the member having a record of volunteering for the club. The free use of the shipping boxes will require a $300 security deposit for a maximum period of two-weeks. To book usage of a box, contact Charles Doran at charles.doran@gmail.com. |
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