Vol 2026 l No 1 l January | Table of Contents
- President's Message
- REGISTER NOW!! SCU Annual Celebration! - January 10, 2026
- 2026 SCU Executive Committee Election Results
- January Safe Cycling Tip - Safe Cold-Weather Riding
- Did You Ride 5,000 Miles (or more) in 2025?
- SAVE THE DATE - 2026 SCU Best of Bucks Metric! - May 9, 2026
- Ordering Window for SCU Club Jerseys thru 1/6/2026
- Ride Calendar FAQ
- Welcome Our New Members!
- General Club Reference & Resources
- The SCU Ride Guide (and Safety Reminders)
- Member Benefits
- Online Club Resources
- Regional Events Calendar & Mileage Log
- SCU Executive Committee
- Connect with SCU on Social Media!
| Image credit:
ChatGPT responding to the prompt, "Please make a clipart style image of old man 2025 and baby 2026, both riding bicycles." | President's Message
January 2026
The last week of January is the coldest week of the coldest month of the year. It's just a couple of weeks away and is a time when riding can make you question your sanity--and your life choices. However, there are rewards to cycling through Winter beyond maintaining your fitness. It improves your mood through exposure to sunlight, builds your confidence and motivational resilience, and facing adversity along with your riding buddies is a social bonding experience. Of course, you need to be realistic. Days with icy roads, bitter temperatures, or winds well beyond your average biking speed may require alternate activities such as hiking, skiing, or indoor trainers. But getting out on the roads or trails whenever conditions are more moderate will make your cycling much more fulfilling than simply waiting out Winter. All it takes is a little preparation and shift towards an enjoy-the-journey mindset.
As a club, we will start the new year by celebrating the past riding season with our Annual Celebration on Saturday, January 10. We will be at MaGerks in Flourtown for an evening of food and socializing as part of recognizing those who made it all possible--especially our ride leaders. Our ride leaders are the heart and soul of SCU. Without them, we would be unable to enjoy the unique experience of group riding with all its friendship, mutual support, and camaraderie. Registration information is further below, and I hope to see you there.
Lastly, please read the Ride Calendar FAQ article. This was written in response to the comments and questions received by the Executive Committee thus far. The future of our Ride Calendar has not yet been decided. We would like to hear even more feedback--in person or in writing--before discussing this topic at the next meeting.
Steve "There's no bad weather, just bad clothing" Muth
SCU President
|  | REGISTER NOW! SCU ANNUAL CELEBRATION!
Saturday, January 10, 2026
COME CELEBRATE WITH US!
Saturday, January 10, 2026
6pm- 9pm
MaGerk’s Pub & Grill
582 S. Bethlehem Pike
Fort Washington, PA 19034
Buffet dinner
$27.50
Suggested Optional Dress
Winter White
Limited to 1st 100 people to sign up and pay.
Max of 1 guest/member
Last Day to Register
Thursday January 8,2026
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
For Further Information or Questions
Marc Katz
marc@spectrumtalentagency.com
917-940-4960
| 2026 SCU Executive Committee Election Results
Thank you to all who participated in the 2026 SCU Executive Committee Election! The following slate of officers was elected over the election period of Dec. 16-18:
President - Steve Muth
Treasurer - Savannah Lee
Ride Leader Director - Steve Baxter
Membership Director - Pat Butcher
Digital Communications Director - Kevin Olsavsky
Public Relations Director - Linda McGrane
Secretary - Larry Kohout
Jeff Kochanowicz
SCU Election Coordinator (2026 EC Elections)
|  | January Safe Cycling Tip
Safe Cold-Weather Riding
Riding in Winter can be an exhilarating workout, but getting chilled to the bone is never enjoyable. And hypothermia is a very real threat. If nothing else, hypothermia can cause you to be unable to think clearly while maneuvering in traffic. Here are some tips to keep your cold weather rides fun and safe:
- Dress (and undress) in layers. This is well-established cold weather advice. Remember to plan a way to carry the layers so you can add or remove them as needed during your ride as conditions change. This could be a drawstring bag, an outer layer with large back pockets, a frame bag, a seat pack, or a rear rack.
- Vigilantly practice moisture management. Staying dry is the key to keeping your core warm. Damp kit will suck the heat out of you faster than you can say "Alpe d'Huez". If you begin to feel moist, do something about it immediately. The easiest thing is to unzip your jacket or jersey. Next easiest is removing gloves or a beanie. Stopping to take off a layer is sometimes necessary. If you do get damp, take off some layers to dry at a cafe stop.
- Beware of overdressing. If you aren't somewhat uncomfortable when you start, you will likely overheat and begin to sweat within a few minutes. The old adage is, "Be bold and start cold." Or you can plan to stop to remove a layer after you have warmed up. See the first two tips.
- Beware of layers that block the wind too well. They feel warm at first, but allow moisture to accumulate and wet the layers that are against your skin.
- If it's a windy day, bring along an ultralight packable windbreaker. There are some that weigh only 100 grams and pack down to fist size. You can throw this on to protect yourself if you need to stop for a flat or other mechanical. Even if it's not windy, this is also a good insurance layer if conditions begin to deteriorate. Several times mine has let me avoid bailing out because I misjudged the morning chill.
- Avoid long, steep hills early in the ride. This can make you sweat heavily, leaving you damp for the rest of the ride. If you feel you need to include them in your workout, save them for the end so you won't have time to get chilled before you return home or to your car.
- If your hands and feet are cold, be sure you have covered your head well. Your body will always prioritize sending warm blood to your head, sacrificing circulation to your extremities if necessary. If your head isn't well covered, there may not be enough body heat left for your hands and feet. Your momma was right about this one--put on a hat!
- Eat regularly. Your body needs extra fuel to ride and keep itself warm. If you run out of fuel, your intensity will decline and you will generate less heat. Expect to feel very cold if you bonk in Winter. Your body may not even have enough energy to shiver itself warm. Eating one or two hundred calories every hour will protect you from the cold and improve your workout. This is about half to a whole energy bar, or one or two gels.
- Don't be afraid to cut the ride short or take warming breaks. Having fun and staying safe is more important than trying to impress yourself and others with your ability to endure punishment and take unnecessary risks. Repeatedly riding in extreme discomfort will lead to mental burnout and an ambulance ride to the hospital for hypothermia will certainly not help you stay in shape.
Hopefully, these tips will make you glad you got out to ride rather than feeling like you survived an ordeal. And they might keep you from getting in a situation that could compromise your safety.
| Did You Ride 5,000 miles (or more) in 2025?
We want to hear from you!
Dear SCU Cyclists,
5,000 milers!
We would like to recognize those who rode 5,000 or more miles in the calendar year 2025 at our annual celebration event (on January 10, at MaGerks Register Here!) and in the February 2026 Chainletter. If you would like to be recognized, please let me know your name and number of miles you rode in 2025.
Please send to rides@suburbancyclists.org by the end of the day on Monday, January 5th, 2026.
Thank you,
Steve Baxter
SCU Ride Leader Coordinator
rides@suburbancyclists.org
| SAVE THE DATE - 2026 SCU BEST OF BUCKS METRIC!
Saturday, May 9, 2026
Mark your calendar! The 2026 Best of Bucks Metric will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 starting from Delaware Valley University! Registration will open soon - please keep an eye out for a separate announcement. We can't wait!!!! |
A new ordering window is open for SCU apparel,
including long sleeve jerseys!!!
Items available include:
Short Sleeve Jersey
Long Sleeve Thermal Jersey
Wind Vest
PLEASE NOTE: Our members who have tried the long sleeve jersey report that
the fit is similar to a short sleeve club fit jersey
(they run a bit larger than the short sleeve race fit jerseys)
The ordering deadline is 1/6/2026 with a ship date of 1/30/2026.
Follow the link below and get yours now! @volerapparel
| Ride Calendar FAQ
The SCU Executive Committee is considering changing the software platform used for managing the club’s ride calendar from Meetup to Club Express. (Club Express is the platform currently used to manage the SCU website, membership, events registration and communications). The following is an FAQ for club members related to this potential change.
Why is the Executive Committee considering switching the Ride Calendar from Meetup to Club Express?
In recent years many members and ride leaders expressed an interest in an online “paperless” sign-in process. A Google Form template was created in response and its use is expanding.
However, now we are finding ourselves managing rides on three separate online platforms: 1) Club Express for membership joins/renewals as well as registration for the century and annual celebration, 2) Meetup for the ride calendar, and 3) Google Forms for online sign-in.
Unfortunately, these three platforms can’t integrate with each other. That is, they don’t ‘talk’ to each other to exchange information on members, riders, and ride leaders.
How does this lack of integration affect riders, ride leaders, and club leadership? How would switching calendars address this?
Rider sign-in is a requirement of our insurance. For each ride, riders must write their emergency contact information on a paper ride sheet or enter their emergency contacts into Google Forms. With a single platform, members would enter their emergency contact information once and it would be held privately in our Club Express database.
Ride leaders currently need to manually check if all riders have signed-in properly. If they are using Google Forms, they must generate a new form and spreadsheet for each ride. If they are using paper, they need to print or copy a ride sheet, fill in the top part, then remember to bring it and a pen to each ride. And they need to keep track of all their ride sheets for the year. With a single platform, riders are automatically signed-in and emergency contact information for all registered riders would automatically be available.
The Ride Director must manually verify that every Event Organizer on Meetup keeps their membership up to date in Club Express as required by our insurance. Also, Meetup does not allow us to compile information on individual ride locations or ride leaders. So, at the end of the year, the Ride Director must also ask ride leaders to gather all their ride sheets and/or scroll through Meetup to count rides led. Further, any volunteer organizing a fee-paid event, such as the annual celebration or the century, must double-post and double-manage the event in both Club Express and Meetup. With a single platform, the ride leader list would be automatically maintained as members renew (or don’t). Information on ride participation and leadership would be available through the club database.
Does this mean paper sign-in sheets will no longer be acceptable?
The Executive Committee is not considering complete elimination of paper sign-in. Although online sign-in would be encouraged and hopefully increasingly common, ride leaders would still have the option to continue to use paper ride sheets.
Does this mean that all riders must be an active member (dues paid) to see the ride calendar and join a ride?
While some clubs use Club Express to set their ride calendar behind a “pay wall” for members only, the Executive Committee is not considering this arrangement. Having our ride listings and rides open to all has been one of the reasons our club has been very successful at attracting new members. We have found that most new riders will join after a few rides because they want to support the club that makes their cycling more enjoyable.
However, all riders, members or not, would need to still sign-in either through the online ride calendar or on a paper sign-in. The key point is that all riders must accept the waiver. If sign-in is online, they do so either when they become a member or when they register if they are not a member yet. If using paper, all riders must sign-in to acknowledge the waiver at the start of the ride since their membership status cannot be confirmed in advance.
Is the Club Express calendar easy to use?
While not quite as user friendly as Meetup, the Club Express event calendar is not particularly difficult to use. There are more options available in Club Express and knowing which to select may require a little practice, just as when Meetup was first introduced. If this change is made, training and practice would be made available to ride leaders in advance.
What are the downsides of switching to the Club Express calendar?
The two big downsides are a learning curve of changing to a new system and a reduction in public exposure. Any type of change takes effort on the part of all involved. This would definitely be a ‘time invested now to save time later’ type of scenario. Meetup does have a much greater exposure to the general public, although our Facebook and Instagram pages also do that for us.
Do other nearby bike clubs use Club Express for their ride calendar?
Three (3) neighboring bike clubs, Central Bucks Bicycle Club, Delaware Valley Bicycle Club and West Chester Cycling Club, have their ride calendars on Club Express. They each use it somewhat differently. If we were to make the change, we would be free to configure our ride calendar system as best suits our membership's needs and preferences. Please take a moment to visit their websites at these links below and check out their ride listings:
When will a decision be made about this possible change?
The Executive Committee is meeting on January 20 to discuss this topic (along with the usual club business). It is possible that a decision could be made at this meeting, but the Committee could also determine that more time and information is needed, or put off making a decision to some time in the future. The Committee’s primary focus will be to make a thoughtful decision in the best interests of the membership both now and in the future. All members are encouraged to share their thoughts with any Committee member--in writing or in person--in advance of this meeting.
| |
Betsy Batter - Blue Bell, PA
| | |  | | | | |  | 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.
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Hello SCU Riders !!!
Passing along a few safety reminders and points we all need to be aware of on our group rides...
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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..
- 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".
- At intersections, do not call "Clear" for other riders. Conditions can change quickly with incorrect and potentially dangerous assumptions by other riders. Each rider should satisfy themself that it is safe to proceed. Do always call out approaching vehicles and other hazards, though.
Thank you Thom McAdams for the reminders!
|  | Interested in Leading Rides?
Our ride leaders truly make it happen for SCU! They are the reason we have such a vibrant club with so many choices of rides across all levels.
If you would like to try leading rides for SCU, please contact the Ride Leader Coordinator, Steve Baxter, at rides@suburbancyclists.org and he can provide more information to start you on your way!
| 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Committee |  | 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.
- Instagram: Check SCU on Instagram for images and news from the club and our cycling community.
| 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”.
| | | All Members Welcome at Executive Committee Meetings!
For 2025, 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! | President
Steve Muth
Secretary
Larry Kohout
Treasurer
Savannah Lee
Digital Communications Director
Kevin Olsavsky
Membership Director
Pat Butcher
Public Relations Director
Linda A. McGrane
Ride Leader Director
Steve Baxter
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Regional Calendar Editor
Jack Elias
Merchandise Manager
Open | CONNECT WITH SCU ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Follow SCU on Facebook and Instagram for news and images from the club and our growing cycling community!
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