Greetings Fellow PMBC Members:
This is Bob, your president. The board and myself wanted to reach out to you the membership since the last few years have been like riding a never-ending series of rolling hills on a long century ride with lots of ups and downs and some good headwinds, to boot. Amidst the chaos of Covid, membership ups and downs, and low event turnouts, the club has been grinding out the miles but feel like we need to forge a new path that will work well for the club.
The Board feels that the club is at a crossroads; we’re in good shape financially, but we need to make some changes in our M.O. to continue serving the membership. Recently, our two signature rides, which provide much of our operating income that enables our activities to be funded, were canceled due to lack of riders and volunteers. So, we are moving towards leaner ways to have fun and host events.
The Board made the decision to focus on activities that add value to the membership and may not be as dependent upon a certain number of signups. Using the model of the annual Mormon Lake ride we host, we are working on a series of rides that should be of interest to members who wish to do group rides in places they might not tackle alone, and to give some variety to our regular Saturday rides that we do over and over week after week.
The scope of these rides will look something like this:
o Scenic rides around Arizona will be planned for certain weekends that provide the same excitement and challenges that we will normally get from our major events; these will take us farther and higher than a typical in-town route.
o Some of these special rides will still be in the valley so you do not have to drive too far to participate.
o The rides will be for members only.
o The club will provide “light” oversite and route guidance which includes a ride leader, a ride briefing, maps, and a designated food stop for after the ride.
o Unless noted otherwise, the rides will be unsupported in regard to SAG
§ If the ride looks to be big enough and SAG is provided, then a cover charge may be proposed to cover those SAG expenses.
§ Riders will arrange for their own transportation to/from start sites
§ Food will generally not be provided:
· Some rides may provide food after the ride but will include a cover charge for the food.
· SAG stops will be designated convenient stores along the route just like on our typical Saturday Kiwanis ride. Riders will be expected to carry or pick up their own snacks and water on the route.
· An after-ride breakfast/lunch stop will be designated for those who want to socialize with their fellow riders but the cost will be on each individual unless noted otherwise.
Here is a list of the rides we are penciling in for the year (some dates may be subject to change):
o Geno’s Ride – Feb 26th This ride is for members only and the fee of $20 pre-registration or $25 day-of is the break-even cost for the park pavilion rental and hot BBQ lunch.
o Bartlett Lake Ride – Mar. 12 or 19 – check the club website.
o Queen Valley to Superior – Mar. 26
§ 2 routes
· https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35239297
· https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32006493
· Posted on PMBC Club express Site soon
o Tonto Basin – April-May
§ According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, SR 188 is one of the least-traveled paved roads in the state and has shoulders at least four feet wide for most of its length. Enjoy the scenic Lake Roosevelt and rolling hills on the backside of 4-Peaks.
o Mormon Lake Flagstaff Tour – June 17-19
§ Reduced the fee from $30 to $25. This covers cost of spaghetti dinner only; there is no SAG support.
o White Mountain Tour – Aug.
o Tucson – Mt Lemmon and Pathways – Oct 15 and 16
§ Mt. Lemmon Saturday Oct. 15th.
§ Do the “Loop” in Tucson Sunday Oct. 16th.
o Sonoran Bikeway
§ Route formatted and proposed to City of Phoenix by Gene Berlatsky, Arizona Bicycle Club Founder.
§ https://activetransportation.az.gov/sites/default/files/2021/08/SonoranBike.pdf.
o Also of Note:
§ There are a lot of new roads being developed in the far east valley as well as old roads there being widened and repaved. All of these are getting really nice smooth and wide bicycle lanes, as well as some dedicated bicycle paths being developed, so watch for some new route in the far east valley.
§ For those folks who can ride on weekday mornings, there are some excellent PMBC rides going on in mid to north Scottsdale and north Phoenix. The routes add variety to our regular inventory of Saturday rides and provide some great scenery. Check the club website for details.
The Phoenix area is growing. Lots of folks are moving in and they’re looking for places to ride and a way to socialize safely with other cyclists. Riding outside in the fresh air on well-known and safe routes with other cyclists in highly-visible groups is a great and safe way to get out of the house and exercise, ride, and socialize.
Our club can leverage the deep inventory of rides in the ABC, GABA/Phoenix, and PMBC catalog, as well as new rides we are developing, to provide safe, new experiences AND keep our membership fees low. This way, we hope to keep the many activities we already enjoy (like free breakfast!) as well as the insurance coverage that being part of a club provides.
I personally will be leading the Mormon Lake, Bartlett Lake and maybe the Tonto Basin 188 rides, so how about coming along on some rides with me???
Respectfully,
Bob Litchfield
PMBC President