The Dog Days of Summer are upon us. And we still have this doggone coronavirus to deal with. One requires us to stay hydrated, the other to stay masked and socially distanced. Yet, I am hearing and seeing that SCU-er's are still out there on their bikes racking up the miles and gathering up the smiles. Some of us are out on club rides following the mitigation measures, others are riding only with a small group of friends and there are those that are continuing to ride solo or only with spouses or others in their household. We are all being careful to avoid giving or getting the virus in our own way. We've also had some fun virtual events so far this season: The Socially Distanced Quad, the Scavenger Hunt and the Photo Contest, which just finished up at the end of last month. Perhaps this Fall we'll have some more. If you have any ideas, please share them with me or any Executive Committee member. 

There have been a rash of cycling deaths in the Philly area. It's not our place to pass judgement on either the riders or the drivers involved, but that doesn't mean we can't use these tragedies as reminders to take steps to reduce the risk of sharing the road with masses of steel and plastic that outweigh us by a factor of ten or more. Using front and rear blinkies, especially at dawn and dusk, helps us be seen. Riding in a steady and predictable manner helps drivers maneuver safely around us. Staying to the right except when we need to 'take the lane' encourages drivers to be patient then pass safely. Stopping to wait for your friend while they cross a busy intersection helps them avoid the temptation to cross before it's safe. Overall, we must ride defensively at all times. Taking risks in traffic is just plain foolish and has no glory in it. The only podium position for reckless riding is in a box.

So, enjoy the peak of Summer riding, but please be careful of both virus and traffic at all times. Hope to see you out on a ride soon!

Steve "Live to wimp again!" Muth

SCU is celebrating all the talented photographers in our club, as well as the awesome scenery in our cycling region!  We will be accepting photo submissions  during the month of July.  Photos should be taken anytime between April 1st  – July 31st with the deadline for submitting photos on August 1st. 

 Photos should have been taken while enjoying bike rides.  Contest Categories for photos include:

• Inspirational - Promote SCU Cycling Activities
• Views and Vistas – Urban or Rural Views While Out Cycling
• Cyclists, Bikes, Bike Gear - Your Cycling Friends, and/or "Cycling Stuff"
• SCU Power! - - Bicycle Club Camaraderie, and Community Involvement

Prizes:  Winners for each category will win either a $25 WAWA gift card or a one-year free family SCU membership extension.  Three honorable mention prizes will also be awarded.  Honorable mention winners will get a choice of a Quad water bottle or cap. All winners will be notified by email.

Contest Rules and Procedures

Photographs will be judged and winners selected by the these SCU Photographer Judges:

• Michael Albany
• Gary Trapuzzano

Each member may submit up to 2 photos per category.  Any submissions after their first two in that category will be discarded.

Free to all club members who are eligible to enter. For non-members, if you would like to participate, please visit our SCU website and become a member by clicking here.

For further information,  please contact Linda McGrane at publicrelations@suburbancyclists.org

The Fine Print

- 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”