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Date: 8/2/2024
Subject: August Chainletter
From: SCU Communications



Vol 2024 l No 5 l May

Table of Contents
  • President's Message
  • Summer Century Recap
  • Save the Date! SCU Member Picnic 9/21/2024 at College Settlement Camp
  • Upcoming Member Appreciation Events
  • A Few Images of the Summer Century
  • SCU Ride Guidelines (and safety reminder)
  • SCU eBike Policy
  • Reminder of Member Benefits
  • Online Club Resources
  • Regional Events Calendar and Mileage Log
  • New Members
  • Executive Committee Meeting Schedule (Members Welcome)
  • SCU Executive Committee

President's Message
 
August 2024
 

The weather forecast for the Summer Century was just plain awful --  storms, or at least heavy rain, were predicted. I got a text from a friend kidding me that local farmers were probably grateful to us for planning our event because they needed the rain. The night before I slept poorly in between alternating visions of struggling to unload our gear in a downpour and riders returning to base camp looking as happy as a wet cat. 

Yet the atmospheric deities were merciful to SCU. Morning radar showed heavy rain in Reading and widespread showers at the Jersey Shore, but the Del Val campus and all our routes and rest stops saw only a brief sprinkle. Some pre-registered riders stayed home, likely discouraged by the forecast. Meanwhile, one hundred forty six intrepid cyclists turned out and enjoyed a pleasant summer day of mixed clouds and sun. Upon return, most enjoyed their pizza inside our venue's air conditioning. Others enjoyed the shade of the courtyard. All I spoke to had a good time, even those that missed some arrows and went off course. Only three riders needed to be 'sagged' back to the start, one for a mechanical issue and a pair riding together, one of whom was unused to riding in summer heat. Despite being sagged, they were in good spirits and had no regrets. So instead of issuing snorkels to our volunteers and having our riders pedaling for Team Noah, we ended up with a great day for everyone involved. Kudos go to Savannah Lee and Andrew Nathans for their initiative to step forward to co-direct this event.

The heat and humidity of the Dog Days of Summer can be a drag at times. But keep those legs moving! The magic of Fall riding will soon follow. Our next big SCU occasion will be our Annual Picnic and Rides on September 21 at the College Settlement Camp. Stay tuned for details. And there are upcoming rides at our sister clubs. BCP's Scenic Schuylkill Century is on September 8 and CBBC's Covered Bridges Ride is on October 13. Hope to see you at one or more of these.

Steve "Prepare for worst, hope for the best" Muth
SCU President



Summer Century Recap
 

Our new venue at Delaware Valley University was a real treat.  Close to downtown Doylestown with convenient access, plenty of parking and air conditioned facilities for our base camp it made the event that much nicer for everyone!
 
A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who made the event happen! From Route Markers, Registration & Parking, Base Camp and Rest Stops to SAG and Homemade/Baked Goodies, you made our riders feel welcome, kept them moving in the right direction and well supported (and fed!) during the ride.  It takes many hands to carry out an event like this.  Thank you for sharing that SCU Hospitality!
 
ROUTE MARKING - Jeff Kochanowicz, Jack Connor, Elliot Titcher (on injured reserve but there in spirit!), Fred Goodwin, Thom McAdams, Curtis Schwartz, Bob Scharle, Dina Adams, Linda McGrane, Bob Doyle
 
REGISTRATION & PARKING - Elliot Selsley, Ray Kurpiel, Dean Mondelblatt, Dmitri Levin, David Hubler, Jeremy Wall, Rick Loechler
 
BASE CAMP - Helen Muth, Katie Hunt, Linda McGrane, Min Lee, Monica Coleman, Jen Weiss, Andrew Nathans
 
REST STOPS - Curtis Schwartz, Monica Coleman, Kieran Ward, Lori Saitta, Riad El-Dada, Greg Veverka, Claire Tanzer, Shirley Landis
 
SAG - Chuck Herbert, John Dwyer, Thom McAdams
 
HOMEMADE/BAKED GOODS - Sharon Hansen, Michele Dragani, Linda Mueller, Jon Shapiro, Katie Hunt, Monica Coleman, Tom McGinley, Elisabeth Charrier, David Hubler, Daniel Davis (injured reserve!), Don Smullen, Doug Smithman, Pat Butcher, Curtis Schwartz, Reginald Wescott, Bill Reagan
 
PROMOTION - Linda McGrane, Kevin Olsavsky
 
and last but not least, our Summer Century Event Directors Savannah Lee and Andrew Nathans (with support from Steve Muth)!
 

 
Another THANK YOU to our event photographer, Dick McCreight of Bluestem Light Photography.  Images from the day can be viewed and ordered at the link below:




SAVE THE DATE! SCU Member Picnic 9/21/2024 at College Settlement Camp
 

DETAILS WILL FOLLOW AS THEY ARE FINALIZED!!!



UPCOMING MEMBER APPRECIATION EVENTS
 

MEMBER APPRECIATION EVENTS WILL BE CONDUCTED AT SELECTED WEEKDAY RIDE START LOCATIONS.  KEEP AN EYE ON THE MEETUP RIDE POSTINGS FOR DATES AND LOCATIONS!



A Few Images of the Summer Century

The SCU Ride Guide (and Safety Reminders)
 
  • Arrive ten to 15 minutes early and Be Prepared To Leave On Time! The starting times are actual departure times
  • Make sure your bike is in proper working order Before you arrive
  • Carry a spare tube, patch kit, pump, water bottle, and some form of I.D. (emergency information)
  • Ride in a safe manner and obey all traffic laws
  • The wearing of a helmet (ANSI and/or Snell approved) is Required on all club rides
  • Do not "Bike off" more than you can do. Go on rides within your ability, interest and experience
  • Each rider assumes his or her own risk on all rides
  • Those who ride ahead of the group are on their own ride
  • Always notify the ride leader when leaving the group
  • Riders should adhere to the advertised speed of the ride
  • Ride leaders are not expected to be bike mechanics
  • During Winter months or questionable weather conditions, please contact the ride leader
  • If it is raining at the start time, then the ride is canceled unless otherwise noted by the ride leader
  • Have fun riding your bike.
**************************************
 
Hello SCU Riders !!!

Passing along a few safety reminders and points we all need to be aware of on our group rides...
  1. Please always use a red tail light - even during the day - for visibility since it does make you more visible. You need to be visible and conspicuous on the road. Especially if you have a bright red tail light of close to 100 lumens. Please see what you have and make changes if necessary. If you do not have a rear red tail light, please get one. Using a front white light helps even more with being seen.
  2. While passing another rider, ALW\AYS pass on their left side and ALWAYS announce that you are passing them on their left. If - for a very rare reason - you are on a riders right side need or need to pass a rider on their right, ALWAYS announce that also. Otherwise it is not a good idea to ever pass or even ride directly on the right side of a rider in front of you. If you are on a riders' right side, stay well behind them and still let them know you are there.
  3. And while we are talking about trailing a rider, please avoid "half-wheeling" the rider in front of you for any reason. Either on their left or right if they are in front of you.. This occurs when your front wheel overlaps the rear wheel of the rider in front of you. Sometimes the shoulders of roads are narrow and this will make for a dangerous situation when cars are passing.
  4. When someone yells out "CAR BACK" we should all be looking to immediately form a single line of cyclists as quickly and as safely as possible and not ride two abreast in the lane the cars are in. This should be the case regardless of the width of the shoulder. The narrower the shoulder, the more we should be aware of this condition. A safe way of doing this is, if you are the rider on the right of the two-abreast, allow the rider on your left to get in front of you. that way the left side rider is not drifting back toward the oncoming and approaching car and gtets out of the way quicker..
  5. When coming to a light and there is a right-hand turning lane and you are going straight, stay to the right in the lane in the direction you are travelling. Do not veer right into that lane and then jump back into the lane where you are going straight. One of the best ways to be safe it to be "Predictable" and "Conspicuous"
Thank you Thom McAdams for the reminder!

SCU eBike Policy

More information will be explained and distributed at SCU club rides by the ride leaders, but below describes the 3 categories of e-bikes and what is allowed on club rides. As the popularity of eBikes increases both in general and in SCU, we welcome the use of them on club rides but need to be aware of limitations and what is allowed.

Summary:

Electric bikes shall be permitted on club rides only as covered by the club's insurance policy and as consistent with local, state and Federal laws. The Treasurer shall determine the club's insurance coverage regarding electric bikes. A summary of this coverage and any changes to it shall be communicated to membership by the Digital Communications Director and directly communicated to ride leaders by the Ride Director. The ride sign-in sheet shall be revised and updated as needed to indicate this coverage.

  • Only pedal assist eBikes (Classes 1 and 3) will be allowed on club rides.
  • As SCU club rides cross into multiple states (PA, NJ, DE), it is critical we adhere to the regulations of all 3.
  • If you have questions, please contact the SCU executive team or talk to your ride leader.

3 Classifications - eBikes

  1. Allowed: A “class 1 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
  2. Not Allowed: A “class 2 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
  3. Allowed: A “class 3 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour, and is equipped with a speedometer.

When considering purchasing an eBike, it is important to understand the laws in your state and the type riding you want to do, including if bringing it on a SCU club ride (which again, we enjoy having them).

Thank you,

SCU Executive Team

As membership director, I want to welcome back all of our SCU members who have renewed their memberships and I am encouraging our non-members to join our ranks!  We are excited to have over 1,800 cyclists in our Meetup Group but we would be even more excited to have more of the group become dues-paying SCU members.  Our membership fee is one of the best bargains around!!  So what are the benefits you will receive with your SCU membership you may ask?  

Here are just a few:
  • Insurance coverage if an accident occurs while participating in a SCU ride
  • Access to all SCU events including the SCU picnic, awards banquet, tailgate parties and many more events that occur throughout the year
  • Discounts at designated local bike shops and SCU Century / Summer Event rides
  • Monthly newsletter
And most importantly...supporting our cycling community especially our experienced and dedicated ride leaders who work hard at providing our club members with the best and safest routes throughout the region that accommodates various rider abilities.

The SCU membership fees help to sustain our club so please consider becoming a member today!  To join our club, click https://suburbancyclists.org/.  Please feel free to reach out to me at membership@suburbancyclists.org or any of our Executive Committee if you have any questions or comments.
 
Hope to see you on the road!
 
Pat Butcher
Membership Director

Online Club Resources
 
As a reminder, there are other online resources available to you to fully enjoy your club membership:
  • Meetup.com: Look for the Suburban Cyclists Unlimited (SCU) Meetup page to learn about and sign up for group rides.
  • Facebook: Visit the Suburban Cyclists Unlimited page to hear about the latest club news or pictures and adventures from club rides.

Regional Events Calendar & Mileage Log
Regional Events Update
 

Be sure check Jack Elias' famous Calendar of Regional Events for an updated, chronological list of regional events. Jack is updating the list as information is provided.

 
This calendar is presented by Suburban Cyclists Unlimited and lists recreational bicycle events that take place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and start within approximately 150 miles of Horsham, Montgomery County, PA.
Mileage Tracker and 
Universal Mileage Logs are available
 
The universal mileage log features include:
  • A universal log that is good for any year.
  • An automatic summation of mileage and number of rides and computation of the average ride distance.
  • Displays six charts of mileage, number of rides and average distance.
  • The mileage logs can be found in the Documents Library on the SCU website.
  • Go to SCU's Documents Library and scroll down to "Ride Documents" and  “Mileage Log”.

Welcome Our New Members!
  • Judy Christis - Venice, FL
  • Spencer J Dech - North Wales, PA
  • Joe Fallon - Phoenixville, PA
  • Scott Johnson - Woodlyn, PA
  • William K Kelly - Worcester, PA
  • Debbie Nack - Philadelphia, PA
  • Wendy Pippin Fesmire - Southampton, PA
  • Dave Rubanich - Richboro, PA
  • Eric Shaver - Hatfield, PA
  • David Tukey - Lansdale, PA
  • James Ward - Hatboro, PA

All Members Welcome at Executive Committee Meetings!
 
For 2024, Executive Committee meetings are held every third Thursday (normally) of the month and are posted to the Meetup ride calendar. All members are invited to participate in the discussions or share thoughts and ideas. Meetings are held via Zoom. If you RSVP to the Meetup or send an email to president@suburbancyclists.org, a Zoom link and an agenda will be sent to you shortly before the meeting. If you have something specific to share, you will be put at the top of the agenda so you can be heard without waiting through the routine business. Meetings are posted in MeetUp.
 
Hope to see you there!  

SCU Executive Committee
President
Steve Muth

Secretary
Helen Muth

Treasurer
Savannah Lee
 
Signature Event Director
Open

Digital Communications Director
Kevin Olsavsky

IT Director
Jim Hill

Membership Director
Pat Butcher

Public Relations Director
Linda A. McGrane

Ride Leader Director
Curtis Schwartz


Social Director
Open
 
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Regional Calendar Editor
Jack Elias
 
Merchandise Manager
Open