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Date: 9/4/2024
Subject: September Chainletter
From: SCU Communications



Vol 2024 l No 9 l September

Table of Contents
  • President's Message
  • SCU Member Picnic - Saturday, September 21!
  • BCP Scenic Schuylkill Century - Sunday, September 8!
  • Summer Century Photos are Still Available!
  • Upcoming Member Appreciation Events
  • 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
 
September 2024
 

I like to think that cycling helps bring out the best in us. Cardiovascular exercise is certainly good for our health . Our leg muscles and our core get the most use and all muscle groups get much more exercise than lying on the sofa in front of the tube. Aerobic activity releases all the right hormones that relieve stress. Riding with a group helps build our social connections. And I'd like to think that the better person we become through cycling includes improving our empathy for others. More specifically, if we are out riding and see someone stopped or off their bike, we feel the need to check-in and see if they need help, even if it's just the emotional support of recognizing their situation. Most of us do this, most of the time. But I've seen cases where riders are so focused on staying at the front of the group, or catching up to it, that they are missing the opportunity to do the right thing. I'll admit I have done this and felt regret when looking back on my actions. After all, what is more important, meeting your personal performance goals or looking after our fellow humans, cyclists or otherwise? I believe it's the latter. Indeed, one reason races have a paid or volunteer staff is to let cyclists focus on their performance without concern for their competitors' issues. So, if you are in a race, go ahead a ride past a rider in trouble, someone else will be there to look after them. But if you are like most of us and just riding about for fun and exercise, we should always stop to help anyone showing signs of distress. Your workout may be slightly interrupted, but you will go home feeling that you are not just a better cyclist, but a better person, too.

Steve "A little empathy goes a long way" Muth
SCU President



SCU Member Picnic - Saturday, September 21! 
 

The Annual Picnic is September 21!
Rides!  Friends!  Food!  Fun! 

To get yourself all signed up for all this goodness, all you need to do is go to the SCU homepage (www.suburbancyclists.org).
There you will find links to:
1) register for the event itself
2) sign up for the potluck or volunteer, and
3) find a ride that tickles your fancy.

If you encountered a few tech issues with registering earlier, these have been sorted out and the picnic registration page is now fully functional! 



BCP Scenic Schuylkill Century - Sunday, September 8! 
 

A reminder that the Scenic Schuylkill Century is this coming weekend - and the weather forecast looks great!

Join our friends at BCP for rides from 22 to 101 miles (https://sceniccentury.org).
Day-of registration will be available.  Register by Friday 9/6 to save the late fee.




Summer Century Photos are Still Available!
 

THANK YOU again to all the participants and volunteers who made the Summer Century a success.  Thank you also to our event photographer, Dick McCreight of Bluestem Light Photography.  Images from the day can be viewed and ordered at the link below:

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!



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