Category Archives: President

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

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.

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.

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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 →