President

Loss of a Legend

Daisy Blanton
Daisy Blanton 1943-2023

On Tuesday, May 23, 2023 we lost Daisy Blanton, beloved CBC member and Chattanooga ambassador for recreational cycling. Daisy’s decades of tireless service to the CBC, love of adventure, grit and determination, unfailing spirit, enthusiasm for cycling, and passion for sharing all of this with others earned her the love and respect of cyclists throughout the Chattanooga area. 

A CBC member since 1992, a consummate volunteer, ride leader, and cycling mentor, Daisy was to many of you the face of the Chattanooga Bicycle Club. In honor of her many contributions to cycling, she was among the first inductees into the Chattanooga Cycling Hall of Fame. (Click here to see and hear Daisy talk about some of her cycling exploits.)

Daisy’s contributions to the cycling community, her infectious enthusiasm, and her dedication to cycling will live on in the hearts and minds of the countless cyclists who knew and loved her.  She will be sorely missed. As appropriate and when available we’ll update you via e-mail with additional information, e.g., memorial services for Daisy. 

Ride on, Daisy!

President

Spring Fling – Thank you

Participation is what makes the world go around and the club work and thrive. 

Many thanks to everyone who attended Saturday’s Spring Fling and Gear Swap at Lee & Gordan’s Mill/Venue in Chickamauga, GA.  Fifty-five+ members enjoyed a morning of rides, a wonderful lunch, and engaging camaraderie with fellow club members.  It was a great way and a great day to officially kick off the season. 

Special thanks and appreciation to Deb and Sam Beck, who really went all out to ensure that we had a fantastic day.  On the bike and off, we have a great team!

Stay safe and keep showing up for those club rides.  (Don’t forget there are three rides remaining in the 2023 climbing series–April 8, 15, and 22!)

See you on the road,

Tom

President

Greetings

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as CBC president for the 2023 season.  While I am truly honored to take hold of the CBC’s handlebars for a while, I am mostly proud to be part of a team of dedicated cyclists and cycling advocates in the Chattanooga area.  We, the current members of the CBC, are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of more than five decades of organized riding, promotion, and teamwork that have made the CBC the strong club it is today.  

We begin the 2023 season on a solid foundation.  Membership is up and growing.  More and more rides are being organized and led by CBC members. We are operating in the black, and we are co-sponsors to a fantastic ride (Sequatchie Valley Century) that I believe is one of the southeast’s best centuries and has the potential to become one of the region’s most popular centuries.

The Cycling Hall of Fame, for which we owe much to Forrest Simmons and Rich Rudner, is quickly becoming an institution in Chattanooga.  And what a great way to recognize some of the area’s superb cyclists (who knew?) while heralding the CBC and cycling in the greater Chattanooga area!  As the Cycling Hall of Fame evolves, I hope CBC remains in the forefront as a principal catalyst while bringing in the support and participation of other cycling-related entities in the area.  

As we know, the Chattanooga area offers some of the best riding anywhere.  From difficult mountain climbs and racing to easy and casual rides, it’s all here.  The secret is out, and increasingly, area municipalities have a favorable view toward bicycles and are looking for ways to encourage more people to ride.  Concurrently, lifestyle changes and advances in technology, including ebike technology, are making bike riding more attractive and more accessible to larger swaths of the community.  This “perfect storm” is a growth opportunity for the Club and for cycling in general.  I encourage you to take advantage of the volunteer/support opportunities we have in the Honey Bee Metric/Century in late April and the Sequatchie Valley Century in October.  In addition, we will soon announce some cycling advocacy opportunities with Outdoor Chattanooga, e.g., beginning bicycle classes, rides, and events for which volunteers will be needed.  Also, I encourage you to reach out to me and other board members with ideas, suggestions, or criticisms.  And keep posting, leading, and attending those rides.  That’s where the rubber really hits the road. 

See you on the road,

Tom

Officers

Board Election Results – 2023

The election of 2023 officers was held during January’s Annual Membership Meeting and Party. The candidate slate as presented during the meeting was approved with no dissenting votes:

POSITIONNAME
PresidentTom Hand
Vice PresidentSharon Russell
TreasurerMike Sabin
SecretaryKevin Whiteside
Event Coordinator—
Road Ride CoordinatorPeggy Olson
Communications DirectorSue Newton
Social Media DirectorJennifer Fiori
Membership DirectorBecky Buckles
At LargeRich Rudner
At LargeBill Jennings
Social Director (Appointed)Sam and Debbie Beck
Advocacy Director (Appointed)Kat Volzer
Chattanooga Bicycle Club Board of Directors – Elected January 20, 2023
President

Cycle Sequatchie

Cycle Sequatchie was yesterday, Oct 1, and CBC was out in force, from the check in desk, to the rest stops, to being course marshals, to manning the CBC post ride table. The riders couldn’t say enough about the rest stops, and even though we had lots of bananas, apples, and other healthy stuff, they always went straight to the home made baked goods- which they absolutely loved. Thanks to all the bakers.

All in all, it was a great day, and I am deeply appreciative of all the volunteers that help make this year’s event a fun and successful one. As soon as I find out the date for next year’s event I will start to barrage you with emails again. Not really.

Thanks to everyone, especially to Shannon Burke who made it all work.

Ride/Event Info, RideLeader

About: Insurance for CBC Rides and Events

The Chattanooga Bicycle Club purchases both General Liability and Participant Accident Coverage on an annual basis each year.

Volunteers and club members are covered when participating in club activities.

Non-members are covered during their FIRST club activity only.

Class 2 E-Bikes – those which can be throttle-controlled and do not require the operator to pedal – are excluded from coverage by our insurer, and thus are not permitted to be ridden on club rides. (Note that the presence of a Class 2 E-Bike invalidates our insurance for the entire activity, not just for that participant.)

Mountain bike rides are covered for members and first-time invited guests only. It is required that all participants wear helmets and sign a waiver, and the event includes no tricks or timing.

Racing events are NOT covered.

Participant Accident Coverage can help pay for medical expenses incurred due to injury sustained during a club organized and supervised event. Coverage extends to members and first-time invited guests.

Should an incident occur while you are involved in a club activity, please contact a club officer. Be prepared to provide as much information as possible including names of participants involved, date/time, location, injuries, property damage, etc.

President

What We Do

I was on a ride a few days ago and a friend asked me, “Other than rides, what does the bike club do?” After I told him all the activities we are involved in he said, “I had no idea.” Which tells me I’ve not done a very good job of letting you know all the good stuff your club is doing in the community.

Continue reading What We Do →
President

Vision

It has been a tremendous pleasure and honor to have served as president of the bike club for the past two years. I have been nominated to be president for a third year, and the membership will vote on the nomination at the upcoming annual meeting. Prior to the vote, I think it would be helpful if I laid out my vision for the club for the upcoming year, because if the membership disagrees with the vision, it will be a very long and frustrating year for all of us. We can do great things as a group, but greatness is contingent upon being in agreement on what management and motivational guru Stephen Covey calls “the big things.”

Continue reading Vision →
Safety

Peggy’s Ride Safety Reminders

I just wanted to take a few minutes to drop some reminders for all of you, since the amount of rides and riders is picking up.  We’re all excited to get out there and enjoy riding our bikes, but we also have to be aware, courteous and safe.
First and foremost is safety.  We all know that, when riding in a group, it’s easy to become a lemming and just follow the person in front of us.  However, remember that you are an individual and responsible for yourself.  You need to make your own safety decisions.  

Continue reading Peggy’s Ride Safety Reminders →