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The Pedaler:  May 2014

 

The Pedaler Newsletter

 

President's Column

May is Bike Month

While the Spurs continue to advance in the NBA playoffs, I've been enjoying the weather with long rides and then putting my legs up to watch the Spurs. We have been blessed with great weather the last couple of weeks and there is not a better way to celebrate Bike Month than riding.
 
The club’s official bike month event will be on May 11th at Garden Ridge. Come join us for a stay-together ride with a stop for coffee in Gruene.
 
During the last few days I have wondered about the significance of Bike Month.  Is it just another meaningless celebration on our calendars? The answer for me is, it depends.  If the answer is no, then everyone of us to has to show our communities that we matter. That cycling can bring many benefits to our society. That we represent a group of citizens that pay taxes and deserve attention. That cycling can help our economy and that we are here to stay.
 
Let's make noise this bike month!  We are cyclists and we all know that recognizing the importance of cycling should not be limited to a single month of the year. We know that our society should embrace cycling as a way of living.
 
Do you know that our area is creating new challenges for cycling right now? Bike lanes are in jeopardy.  Roads that previously had wide shoulders now have a narrow shoulder or no shoulder at all. And, instead of ticketing motorists who do not provide the required 3-foot clearance, police are ticketing cyclists for no lights/reflectors…during the day. Lights and reflectors are required at night but not during the day!
 
That's why it is important to contact our elected officials and express our views and concerns. The Regional Mobility Authority (RMA), which is managed by Bexar County, is following Bexar guidelines which have not been very considerate of cyclists in the past.  If you want to improve our safety and cycling experience, then you must let your voices be heard!

Jose H. Rojas



Rider Education Series

We're implementing some changes to RES in 2014  The purpose of the changes is to better prepare the RR101 students to take the RR201 class, to improve the graduation rate for RR201 students, and to encourage RR101/201 graduates to attend the regularly scheduled Wheelmen rides.

The RR101 class will increase from four to five sessions with one session of classroom work followed by four rides (with additional instruction at each ride) gradually increasing in distance from 16 to 33 miles. This will provide one additional ride to help the students improve their skills of riding in a group safely, learning to shift and brake, and enjoying riding on the open road. The next Road Riding 101 class will start on May 31.

The RR201 class will still consist of four rides with instruction before each ride. The emphasis will shift from riding the scheduled Wheelmen ride for that week to improving hill riding skills while gradually increasing the riding distance from 33 miles to 52 miles. The next Road Riding 201 class will start on April 26.  

RR101/201 graduates will be invited to join RES instructors at Wheelmen rides for stay-together and no-drop rides.

Please visit our web site for details on the classes. Contact info@sawheelmen.com if you're interested in taking either class.

 
Renew Your Membership
If you recently received an e-mail about renewing your membership, you can do so on bikereg.com (it supports PayPal) or active.com.  You can also complete the membership application, print it, sign it, and mail it to us.  We need your membership and we're constantly looking for your feedback on how we can improve the club.  Please feel free to e-mail your suggestions to membership@sawheelmen.com


New Wheelmen Jersey
The latest Wheelmen jersey has the same great design, but more lightweight material!  Please contact Vicki Smith.


The Pedaler Online
President's Column
Articles
Upcoming Rides
New Members
Member of the Month
BMAC Minutes
SAW Board Minutes
 

Tony Beauford
VP, Membership
www.sawheelmen.com  

Upcoming Events

 

May 10: Boerne
May 10: TdC
May 11: GR





 
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