From My Handlebars to Yours
David B. Gill, Club President
February 13, 2010
From My Handlebars to Yours
My handlebars? Well the current view of my handlebars is actually a tale of grime that does not pay.
My bicycles are currently gathering dust under my house while I sort out a recent move to Boulder Creek.
Alright, so it wasn’t so recent, I just chose to move at the beginning of one of my busiest times of the year,
cyclocross season. Now that ‘cross season is over and I’ve had a bit of time to unpack, I thought I’d finally
write a bit about myself. I’ve spent the past X number of years (I lost count after 10) on the SCCCC Board of
Directors while managing the duties of Race Team Director, spent the last two years doubling up as Club Vice-Presi
clothesline wash before a sudden storm. What keeps me coming back is the continued support of family, friends,
teammates, club members, and just plain strangers who jump in to lend a hand when it is needed. I’ve
participated in many Club events over the years and during each event, I’ll take a quick moment and look around:
it is truly inspiring to see so many people give their time and effort to bring about something for the common
cycling good. Trite statements aside, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling in my chamois when I see all the riders
and spectators being stoked to attend our events. Of course, I also get that feeling when I’m in the porta-potty
line at a Velo Promo event, but I digress. What I’m getting at is this, to paraphrase a great American; Ask not
what your cycling club can do for you, ask what you can do for your cycling club. I think it was Robert Leibold
who said that. I recently received a note from a club member who volunteered at one of our cyclocross races.
“Volunteering at club race event is an eye-opening experience for the non-racer as one sees many club members in
action performing a difficult skill and doing it well.” Among the many SCCCC events this year, there are several
where you can lend a much-needed hand:
• The Sea Otter Classic is April 15th-17th and SCCCC receives cold hard cash for helping out. Contact secretary10@santacruzcycling.org for more information.
• Held Sunday April 18th, the 35th Annual Santa Cruz Criterium is hosted by SCCCC. This is the infamous Beach Hill race where spectators, volunteers, and, yes, riders, too, are thrilled by the exciting neighborhood and chilled by the possibility of a crash at every corner. Contact teamsc@santacruzcycling.org for more excitement than you can shake a mangled wheel. At. See how I got out of that preposition? Indicative of my Presidential qualities. Get used to it.
• The Tour of California returns to Santa Cruz for Stage Three on Tuesday May 18th. While the riders won’t have the pleasure of being pelted by hail this year, they will still have to face the arduous Bonny Doon Road climb. Check with vicepres10@santacruzcycling.org for volunteer opportunities.
• The 2010 Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge will be held Saturday July 31st. This is the Club’s only fundraiser and, yes, it really does take a village. Send a message to century@santacruzcycling.org to volunteer.
• The 2010-11 Surf City & Peak Season Cyclocross series will again be held next winter. Get your mud on at teamsc@santacruzcycling.org.
So you got your grime, which is currently on my handlebars, but does volunteering really not pay? Of course not, it pays more than just knowing you’re helping the Club. It pays you back in terms of seeing something come together that is larger than the sum of its individual parts. And that’s why this Club continues to roll on...
David Gill, SCCCC President
president10@santacruzcycling.org
Bart Coddington, Club President
October 28, 2008
Hi all,
I look forward to seeing many of you at our General Meeting this Thursday. We meet at the Simpkins
Swim Center on 17th Ave. at 7:00 PM
I am really excited about the main program for this meeting. Matt Twisselman is the head of the
Santa Cruz Local Organizing Committee for Stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California. Matt will be
showing some video footage and talking about the many events that being planned for the coming
months. There will be something for everyone in the club. Maura Noel is in charge of volunteers,
so expect some gentle arm twisting.
As part of the business meeting we will have our annual election of officers for the coming year.
I understand our social committee is planning some special seasonal treats for the refreshment
break.
Enjoy the Ride!
Bart
Bart Coddington, Club President
October 4, 2008
Hello SCCCC Members,
A couple of things to talk about.
When asked to describe our club, the following statement is frequently used:
The Santa Cruz County Cycling Club (SCCCC), a non-profit organization, was founded
in 1971. Its mission is to bring cycling to all levels of riders and encourage
healthy lifestyles through education, friendship, teamwork and fun. The club
is known for its annual Santa Cruz Mountains Challenge bike ride held the last
Saturday in July. Proceeds from this event go to the club's educational activities.
Over 250 area residents are members of the club.
To fulfill our mission statement, the club makes grants to organizations or
people doing work in bicycle related activities that have an educational focus.
The board reviews these requests twice a year. If you know of an organization
that could benefit from a club grant, please direct them to the forms page on
our website to obtain an application.
The next deadline is 31 October. The Mountains Challenge is the source of the
funds for these grants and other club activities. A big thank you to everyone
in the club for making this year's event the most successful in the 10 years
we have run the event. Successful in both the number of riders and the funds
raised for the club. The next Roadrunner will have more details.
In my column in the last Roadrunner I asked if someone would be willing to take
over as Publicity Director. I have not been able to do all that the position
requires while being President. Most of the activity is around the SCMC, but
could be expanded to include general marketing activities for the club. Please
let me know if you are interested or would just like to chat about doing this
important job for the club.
A reminder that the last general meeting of the year is on Thursday, 30 October.
The meeting starts at 7:00 PM at the Simpkins Swim Center at 979 17th Ave. Matt
Twisselman, the head of the Local Organizing Committee for the Amgen Tour of
California will be showing some video's and talking about the Stage 3 ending
in Santa Cruz. The final route will not be announced until the beginning of
December, as in the hands of the tour organizers. Matt will giveus the latest
news on all of the local activities. Maura is the volunteer coordinator, so
she will be encouraging all of us to sign up. We will also be voting on board
positions at the meeting.