Member News, President

Club News — Spring Update

Team,

Greetings CBC members — and a special welcome to our new members. After a long winter, it is finally spring…even if one day feels like July and the next February..

The 2026 Annual Meeting, dinner, and Hall of Fame ceremony was a wonderful evening. Many thanks to everyone who organized it, especially Debbie Beck (CBC Event Coordinator) and Forrest Simmons (HOF Committee Chair, 2025).

  1. Officers. Per our bylaws, the Annual Meeting’s central task is electing Club Officers, who — together with our appointed permanent committee chairs — make up the CBC Executive Board.  Although the 2026 Board resembles the 2025 Board, we’ve several new and returning officers.  We welcome Walt & Sheila Derezinski (Social Media Director) and Francis Bush (Membership Director), and we welcome back Forrest Simmons (Vice President and Advocacy Director). We also thank departing longtime Board members Sharon Russell (Vice President emeritus) and Peggy Olson (Ride Coordinator emeritus) their service. The CBC has thrived for nearly 60 years because of members who step up. You can view the current officers here.  Nb: The Social Director position remains vacant. If you can help, please contact me or any Board member.
  2. Chattanooga Area Cycling Hall of Fame.  Since 2022 we’ve inducted 16 members across five ceremonies; the HOF is now a celebrated fixture of the Chattanooga cycling scene. Going forward, the HOF will be held biennially. The next ceremony will be in early 2028, and the 2027 Annual Meeting/Dinner will be a CBC member-specific event.
  3. Spring Social. With no Social Director, we’re unable to host a Spring Social this year. We hope to be in a position to organize a ride and social event in the autumn.
  4. Summer Event with the Chattanooga Lookouts.  We’re coordinating a community July event with the Chattanooga Lookouts at the new Erlanger Stadium.  Not surprisingly, the event will combine cycling and baseball. Details to follow.
  5. Cycle Sequatchie Cycle. The Cycle Sequatchie and Three-Mountain Challenge (co-sponsored with Tennessee Gravel) will take place on October 3, 2026. This is our biggest sponsorship event — we’ll need volunteers for rest stops, setup, course marking, marshalling, and more. Contact Debbie Beck (deborahjanebeck@gmail.com). Volunteering helps the club, is a lot of fun, and includes the delicious farm-to-table lunch.
  6. Other area events:

I hope you’re getting plenty of miles in on these sunny days. We are fortunate that the Chattanooga area is such a great place to ride year-round — check the Ride & Event Calendar for weekly rides and the 2026 Climbing Series (two events remain: #5 and #6). More rides will be posted as summer approaches.

See you on the road, Tom

Cycling Hall Of Fame

Press Release

Chattanooga Bicycle Club Announces 2026 Inductees Into The Chattanooga Cycling Hall Of Fame

The Chattanooga Bicycle Club announces the 2026 class of the Chattanooga Cycling Hall of Fame, honoring three “exceptional individuals whose achievements, leadership, and passion have shaped the region’s cycling community.”

Officials said, “The Chattanooga Cycling Hall of Fame recognizes cyclists, advocates, innovators, coaches and mentors who have made a lasting, positive impact on the sport in our region, and this year’s inductees – David Lynskey, James “Bub 1” Bacon and Ali Whittier – embody the spirit, strength and innovation that define Chattanooga’s place in the cycling world.” 

The induction ceremony will take place on Jan.31, 2026 at Finley Stadium’s Ultra Club.

About the inductees:

David Lynskey – Internationally recognized as a pioneer in titanium bicycle design and production, David Lynskey has reshaped modern cycling through innovation and craftsmanship. After building the first titanium bike in 1986, Mr. Lynskey and his family launched the Litespeed brand in 1989, transforming their fabrication business into a world-renowned cycling manufacturer. Litespeed frames soon appeared under elite riders such as Lance Armstrong, Greg LeMond, Bobby Julich, Christian Vande Velde, and even on the bikes of avid cyclist Robin Williams. Following the company’s sale in 1999, Mr. Lynskey returned to the industry with the creation of Lynskey Performance, once again cementing Chattanooga as a global hub for high-end titanium bicycles. His vision and engineering excellence have made him one of the cycling world’s most influential innovators.

James “Bub 1” Bacon is a foundational figure in Chattanooga cycling whose impact as a competitor, mentor and innovator spans decades. A founding member of the Bubbas Cycling Club, Mr. Bacon helped establish one of the region’s most enduring road cycling institutions. In the 1980s, he rose to a Category 2 ranking in his first year of racing, dominated Tennessee time trials by holding the state record for seven consecutive years and earned a Coach’s Selection to compete in the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. During this same period, Mr. Bacon served as a trusted advisor to David Lynskey during the founding of Litespeed, contributing to the early development of a globally recognized Chattanooga-based bicycle brand. After retiring from competition, he founded the Chicken Cross Race Series, now a nationally recognized cyclocross event known for its welcoming spirit and competitive excellence. An accomplished artist and sculptor whose work appears on the Antique Carousel at Coolidge Park, Mr. Bacon’s lifelong contributions embody the values celebrated by the Chattanooga Cycling Hall of Fame.

Ali Whittier – A dominant and versatile endurance athlete, Ali Whittier is a “virtual podium machine,” excelling across mountain bike, gravel and road disciplines. Her racing résumé spans some of the toughest events in the country, including the Snake Creek Gap series, the Ouachita Challenge (gravel and mountain bike), Big Frog 66, the two-day Reliance Gravel stage race, the Hincapie Gran Fondo, the Rule of Three 218-mile challenge, the Park City Point 2 Point and a 300-mile Florida coast-to-coast individual time trial. Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Ms. Whittier is a passionate advocate for the physical and mental health benefits of cycling. She mentors new riders, supports local events and inspires others to discover the joy and empowerment the sport offers. Her dedication on and off the bike has strengthened Chattanooga’s cycling community in countless ways.

“The Chattanooga Bicycle Club celebrates these extraordinary individuals and their contributions to the region’s cycling heritage,” officials said. 

The 2026 Hall of Fame is presented by Owen Cyclery of Chattanooga.

Cycling Hall Of Fame, Member News, Officers, President, Volunteer Opportunties

President’s Message – November 2025

Team,

As we are well into autumn I want to get this message out to you before the holidays and before winter—and the winter riding season—comes to our riding area.  As you’ve no doubt seen, we’ve had lots of perfect fall riding days since autumn began and I hope you are finding time to take advantage of these days—by riding your bike!   

The 2025 edition of Cycle Sequatchie, which took place on October 4 under ideal weather conditions, was the most successful edition of that ride since it began in 2019.  We had more than 600 riders from 30 states and 2 foreign countries.  This included a team of riders from all around the country riding for Crohn’s disease and Colitis, a group of 12+ from Oklahoma, and an entire PE class + others from the University of the South, as well as strong contingents from the CBC, the Bubba’s and Southern Velo.  

Co-sponsored by Tennessee Gravel (Shannon Burke) and the Chattanooga Bicycle Club, Cycle Sequatchie has become widely known for its fantastic riding, its signature farm-to-table post-ride lunch, and otherwise great atmosphere.  If you weren’t able to volunteer for or to otherwise ride in Cycle Sequatchie in 2025, save the date for 2026 on your calendar now:  October 3, 2026.

On October 11, we had a very nice and well-attended Fall Social at Gordon & Lee Mills.  Many thanks to everyone who came out and participated, to the ride leaders without whom the Fall Social couldn’t have been a cycling event; and to Sam Beck and his daughter + Athena Moundalexis for their indispensable help setting-up and preparing the food, and to Debbie Beck and Tom Jamison for clean up.  

Annual Meeting, Dinner & Cycling Hall of Fame

The Annual Membership meeting, dinner, and Cycling Hall of Fame will take place on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at Finley Stadium’s Ultra Club (same as last year).  The evening will begin with the Annual Meeting (including awards ceremony and raffle), followed by a Happy Hour, and then the Dinner and Cycling Hall of Fame Ceremony.  Look for a separate email with more details, including the bios for the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees.

As for the Annual Membership Meeting, we will elect the Executive Board for 2026. First, however, many thanks to the 2025 Board, who have served the CBC will distinction, dedication, and motivation   The CBC Board is a volunteer board and is one of the main things that make the CBC’s world go around.  The election of the 2026 Board—and your participation—are particularly important because a couple of our long-standing Board members will be stepping down after almost a decade (Sharon) and more (Peggy) on the Board.

Not only do we want the CBC to function, we want it to thrive—and that requires member-volunteers! Please consider supporting the Chattanooga Bicycle Club by running for a position on the Executive Board.  The Board positions follow below (please note that candidates for Pres, VP and Treasurer require at least two years of prior membership). We also need Social and Advocacy Directors for 2026.

Board PositionIncumbentRunning for Re-election
PresidentTom HandYes
Vice PresidentSharon RussellNo
TreasurerJennifer KreafleYes
SecretaryKevin WhitesideYes
Ride CoordinatorPeggy OlsonNo
Communications DirectorDonna KillianYes
Social Media DirectorVACANT
Membership DirectorBill JenningsYes
Event CoordinatorDebbie BeckYes
Board Member at LargeRich RudnerYes
Board Member at LargeMark PonticelliYes
Social Dir (appointed)VACANT
Advocacy Dir (appointed)Ben Richards

The positions in bold font are those for which we do not have candidates.  If you’re interested in running for and serving in these or any Board position, please send Sharon Russell (sharon.russell@chattanoogabicycleclub.com) or me (tom.hand@chattanoogabicycleclub.com) an email with your expression of interest and/or any related questions you may have.  Serving on the Board is truly a rewarding way to support the club and the sport of cycling.  Thank you.

See you on the road,

Tom

Pedal, smile, repeat!