A Strategic Planning meeting was recently held that included the board and some long-term members. The recent survey you received was one of the action items from that meeting. Thanks to all of you who participated. We collected some very useful information for improving member satisfaction.
Last year, 32 Ride Leaders led nearly 400 rides. This sounds like a lot, but according to the survey, members feel that we need even more, and more varied, rides. If you are considering becoming a Ride Leader, attending the annual Ride Leader Refresher course on April 19th is your first step. Please register for the event on the Ride Calendar.
A frequent comment made on the survey was that rides consistently are faster than the advertised speed. This topic of ride speeds has been discussed for years, and is on the agenda for the Ride Leader Refresher. Please remember that the posted speed (e.g., 10-12 mph for a Moderate Ride) is the “average” speed. There will be times when the speed falls outside of that range, particularly on hills. If you are recording your ride on an app like Ride With GPS, this will be easier to see. Regardless, if you feel the ride is NOT within the posted range, please tell the Ride Leader during or after the ride. The feedback is important.
Lastly, the Board wants to discontinue renting a storage unit for some items used during group events. We are looking for individuals who are willing to help store some of these items:
7 round insulated water coolers, 2 metal HBC lawn signs (roughly 2x3 feet), 2 cardboard sleeves with parking signs and holders (flat, roughly 3x4 feet), 6 trash bag holders (boxed, takes up roughly 2x2x4 feet), 1 large plastic bin with decorations, 1 large plastic bin with route marking supplies, and 1 box with rolled up HBC banners
It is possible that there may be items being stored at members’ homes that we don’t know about. Please contact Connie Dickson to let her know if you have any items, and to volunteer your storage space for existing items from the storage unit (dickson2c@aol.com).
Respectfully,
Lisa Soldat, HBC President
lisasoldat@gmail.com
February 2025 President's Letter
Greetings to the HBC Community,
The HBC Board of Directors met on February 26, 2025. The board meeting minutes for this, and for all previous meetings, are posted at this link as they are approved.
Kudos to Alan and Rita, who sponsored Smart Cycling on February 21st about Bike Fitting. It was a really big turnout. This was clearly an important topic given all the questions from attendees.
The next Smart Cycling event is scheduled for March 12th. Hosted by Ann Bodensteiner, the topic is learning more about e-bikes. Further details will be coming soon.
The date for Spring Kick-off is being determined shortly, and will likely be in early May. Contact Mary Buss to volunteer. And get your bikes tuned up, with air in the tires now, because May will be here before you know it!
Ride Hiawatha, the club’s signature ride, is tentatively being planned for July 6th. Nancy Ellis has agreed to lead the planning team again this year. She, and last year's volunteers, can attest to the hard work it took to pull off such a successful first year. Some interesting stats from last year: there were 40 club volunteers, 97 non-member riders, and 50 member riders. There was approximately a $2000 profit, which is exceptional for a first-year event. From this, HBC was able to provide a charitable donation to Free Bikes 4 Kidz.
In my opinion, the most important benefit of a ride such as Ride Hiawatha (and its predecessor, TDA) is the community-building and camaraderie it fosters amongst our members. It is also an opportunity to showcase HBC to the general biking community. HBC volunteers are critical in demonstrating that HBC is a friendly, sociable bunch of people. Thanks to all past, and future, volunteers in helping make this event continue to be a success.
The next board meeting is scheduled for March 26th, 2025.
Lisa Soldat
President, HBC Board
HBC President’s Letter
January 2025
The HBC Board of Directors met on January 20, 2025. The board meeting minutes for this, and for all previous meetings, are posted at this link as they are approved.
One focus of the meeting was to approve the 2025 operating budget. The other focus was on continued efforts to our market our club to the community. We are fortunate that Nancy Ellis has volunteered to lead both our Marketing and Ride Hiawatha committees. Members interested in joining Nancy in her efforts are always welcome. The more, the merrier!
This year, HBC is trying out a new format for Smart Cycling. For those who have joined the club since Covid, Smart Cycling was organized many years ago to provide bicycle-related educational activities in the winter months. It’s a great way to beat the winter chill with your fellow bike lovers.
Regular Smart Cycling events took a hiatus during Covid, and now it is time to make it an HBC fixture again. We are trying a new organizational format this year. Club members are welcome to organize a bicycle-related topic after submitting and receiving approval from the Board.
On February 21st, Alan Wichman and Rita Wilczek are hosting the first Smart Cycling of 2025. The topic is Bicycle Fitting, and the presenter is Mike Dzubay, master fit technician at Freewheel Bikes. This event is being held at the Davanni’s in Edina. Plan to order food online rather than on arrival. Further details to follow.
On March 12th, Ann Bodensteiner has volunteered to host a presentation on e-bikes. John Brown (Brown’s Cyclery) has agreed to give a presentation on e-bikes. Given the recent interest in e-bikes expressed by HBC members, this will be a great opportunity to continue the discussion. Further details will follow closer to the event.
Alan, Rita and Ann are great examples of the importance of volunteerism in our club. HBC survives, and thrives, because many members volunteer in a myriad of ways. We always need folks willing to help increase membership, maintain the website, organize rides and bake cookies. I know you’ve all heard the call for volunteers many times, but honestly, this club could not exist without lots of people helping in both small and big ways.
The next HBC board meeting is scheduled for February 26, 2025.
December 2024 HBC President’s Letter
New HBC members were elected at the Annual Meeting last month, and officers were elected at the December 4th Board meeting. They are:
President: Lisa Soldat
Vice President: Sharon Berlin
Treasurer: Connie Dickson
Secretary: Lee Rosenberg
Members-at-Large: Nancy Claycomb, Mark Kleczewski, and Nanette Malcomson
I last served as HBC president in 2020, during the memorable time of Covid. One thing I learned to appreciate that year was the importance of communication in a group such as ours, filled with members of many interests and skill levels.
This President’s Letter is not a required part of the job. It may have begun around 2018 or 20I9, and has served as a means of communicating all sorts of things to members on a more or less monthly basis. I’d like to try something a little different this year: attaching the HBC Board meeting minutes. I won’t promise that I’ll be 100% successful at that, nor that future presidents will continue to do so. But let’s give it a try and see if it provides any value. The minutes will continue to be available on the HBC website, too: December 2024 Board Minutes .
Speaking of communication (pun intended), I’ve been pondering the spirited response to the topic of e-bikes on the HBC Google groups email. I don’t believe I’ve seen this much discussion on any other topic. Usually this email group (with 200+ members) is used for announcing rides or events and traditionally hasn’t been a forum for specific bicycling topics. I’d like to know what others think about whether it should be used primarily for ride announcements, or expanding it as we've just seen.
Clearly the increasing popularity of e-bikes struck a chord with many members. Perceived speed differences between standard and e-bike riders seems to be the biggest issue. We need to keep talking about this so it doesn’t become a barrier to the enjoyable group rides for which HBC prides itself.
Ride Leaders have the responsibility to set the pace of their ride, and maintain it. There is a chronic misunderstanding about the definition of “pace”. Let me tell you how the Ride Leader manual defines it. “Pace” is synonymous with “average speed”. For example, a ride advertised as “moderate” will range between 10-12 mph. These ranges are shown above the Ride Calendar on the website. Bike computers, as well as Ride with GPS, can tell you what the average speed is for a ride. There will be times (e.g., hills) when the pace temporarily falls above or below the advertised range. Folks with e-bikes can ascend hills more easily—but in the end, that ride’s average speed won’t be affected if the totality of the ride maintains the advertised pace. If you are participating on a ride in which you believe the advertised pace isn’t occurring, share your concerns with the Ride Leader. Talk to them in the midst of the ride, if need be, and certainly at the conclusion. If it continues to be a concern, and affecting your decision to join a future ride or not, let the Board know.
2024-25 HBC President
January 2024 HBC President’s Letter
Winter Greetings to the HBC Community!
Annual Member Meeting
Highlights
Election of Board Members
Sharon Berlin, Connie Dickson, Lee Rosenberg and Lisa Soldat were elected to the Board positions vacated by the retirement of Mike Becker, Shelli Hesselroth, Ron Jensen and Carmen Price.
Many thanks to Mike, Shelli, Ron and Carmen for their contributions.
Board of Directors
In December, the Board of Directors kicked off the new operating year by selecting club officers:
Alan Wichman – President
Mary Buss – Vice President
Connie Dickson – Treasurer
Gregor Matthews – Secretary
Rounding out the board are:
Sharon Berlin
Lee Rosenberg
This is an excellent board with deep bicycling experience as well as experience serving on other non-profit boards. Give your recommendations and feedback to any of the board members.
What is Happening in 2024?
Tour D'Amico will return in 2024. After HBC board reps met with key D'Amico management several times in late 2023, D'Amico enthusiastically agreed to partner with HBC to restart this popular community bike event.
I'd like to introduce you to Nancy Ellis who is HBC's TDA director. Nancy, an HBC member, brings a wealth of leadership experience throughout her career to her post as TDA director. Nancy has met with board members and has engaged D'Amico in multiple communications. She has also begun planning for the event. Stay tuned for more information about how you can volunteer to help TDA.
I wish you Happy New Year 2024. I am grateful to all the volunteers who help HBC move forward.
Be safe, be well and all the best,
Alan Wichman, HBC President
September 2023 HBC President’s Letter
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.” – John F Kennedy
Autumn greetings to the HBC Community! Let’s review recent club activity and plans for the near future.
Members have ridden over 60,000 HBC miles so far this season. The mileage total continues to increase as the beautiful days of September bring out HBC riders despite recent rainy days.
TDA
Tour D’Amico, also known as TDA, was a summertime highlight of HBC’s 2000-2019 riding seasons. Since the advent of COVID-19, this event has been paused. As autumn advances, I will continue to provide updates about this community biking event.
Marketing
Do you have a knack for promoting an organization or cause? If so, step forward and serve on HBC’s marketing team. Your task will be to spread the word about HBC and recruit new members. New marketing ideas are welcome and experience is not necessary. Training is provided and the benefits of helping your club will more than repay you for your effort. Contact me or any other board member for additional info.
Some Key Points of Group Riding Etiquette and Safety
Practice courtesy, communication, and common sense. Practice kindness and empathy. Know your limits and stay in control at all times to help the group ride safely.
Yield to walkers and slower bicyclists. Voice, ‘On your left’, ‘Car Back’, and other spoken warnings to help the group ride safely.
Situational awareness: know that there may be bikes and other vehicles in front of you, behind you and to your right and left. A helmet or handlebar mirror may enhance your awareness of your situation and help the group ride safely.
Annual Membership Meeting and Call for Nominations
The Hiawatha Bicycle Club is a non-profit corporation with a fiscal year ending October 31st. An annual meeting of members is required by club’s By-Laws and will be conducted in November. Stay tuned for details.
During the annual meeting, the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs will provide updates. The membership will also elect new members to the Board. From the Board our club officers: The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer are selected.
Some people have let the Board know that they will run for election. We need more candidates and I ask you, dear reader, to step forward. Running for the board is easy and serving is not onerous. If you are interested in serving on the Board, please contact Mike Becker who is spearheading the nominations team.
As we look forward to crisp Autumn days and nights, be well and be safe,
June 2023 HBC President’s Letter
“Some of the best memories are made on a bicycle.” – François Albert
Summer Greetings to the HBC Community! As we approach the Summer Solstice, let’s review recent club activity and some of our plans for the near future.
Ride Leader Refresher
The annual ride leader refresher was conducted on Saturday May 5 in the Golden Valley Davanni meeting room. The 31 ride leaders who attended were joined by six ride leader candidates. Alan Wichman, Greg Swanson and Haggith Nadav reviewed several topics including safe riding, Ride with GPS and Meetup Rides.
For those ride leaders that were unable to attend the refresher, stand by for an update by Ride Leader Team Lead Lisa Soldat for information about a makeup.
Spring Kickoff Event in May
On May 20, HBC held its annual Spring Kickoff. 60 members attended this year’s event at Burnes Park in Hopkins. Attendees rode one of five rides and enjoyed a few hours of social time with great potluck dishes. Thanks to Mary Buss for organizing this well-received event.
HBC Jersey Store
HBC designed and marketed a new club jersey during early spring. Because of continued demand, we plan to reopen the jersey store from June 23 – July 7. For those who have not seen the new club jersey, attend a ride and see one of your HBC friends modeling a really sharp looking blue club jersey. Ellen Guerin, jersey team lead, will organize the reopening of the online jersey store. Stay tuned for more information.
Tour D’Amico
From 2000 until 2019, HBC in partnership with D’Amico restaurants sponsored the annual Fourth of July ride named Tour D’Amico, also known as TDA.
There will be no TDA in 2023. HBC turns our eyes toward 2024 when this classic community bicycling event may return.
Independence Day Event
This year’s Independence Day event will be held at East Medicine Lake Community Park in Plymouth. The park has lots of parking, rest rooms, a kitchen and sheltered picnic tables overlooking the eastern shore of Medicine Lake, the second largest lake in Hennepin County. Mary Buss is organizing the event which will feature multiple rides, early morning social time with coffee and another well stocked potluck lunch. Check HBC’s calendar for further information.
Birthday Bashes
Celebrate new members and birthdays with your HBC friends at upcoming Birthday Bashes on July 7th, August 4th and September 1st. The birthday bashes will be held at the Edina D’Amico at 7:30 and birthday cake will be provided. Check the ride calendar for information about a pre-bash ride.
HBC Calendar
Check the ride calendar and register for an HBC ride. If you are a ride leader, post your ride and enjoy leading summertime rides for your HBC friends.
Ambassador Rides
An Ambassador Ride is a ride organized by and/or benefits an organization other than HBC. Pre-register for an ambassador rides on HBC’s website to receive mileage credit. Some ambassador rides require a fee and registration using a non-HBC website.
The MN Ironman Bike Ride starts from downtown Shakopee on Saturday June 17th. The Ironman benefits Free Bikes 4 KIDZ (FB4K), a non-profit that provides free bikes to those most in need. Over the past several years, many HBC members have donated their time and skills to refurbish bikes for FB4K. The Ironman has three mileage options: 30-35 Mile Ramble, 100km (62-mile) Metric Century, and a 100 mile Century. Several HBC members have signed up, check the club website for further info.
Interested in a weekend out-of-town biking getaway? If so, Dawn Wilson and John Hardy are planning an event for July 8th and 9th. On Saturday July 8th, riders will head out on a 20-40 mile afternoon ride on the Lake Wobegon Trail starting in St Joseph, MN. On Sunday, July 9th, riders have the opportunity to ride one of Bike MN’s Tour of Saints rides. You must also register for the Tour of Saints ride and pay their entry fee: bikemn.org
On Saturday August 26, Rita Wilczek and Alan Wichman invite you to participate in the HBC ALS Bike Ride, Long Route (50 miles) or Medium Route (28 miles). The rides move along quiet roads in rural Washington County. In addition to providing an enjoyable bike ride, this event has a charitable purpose--to build awareness about ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. The charitable purpose of this ride is also to request a free-will donation to the ALS Therapy Development Institute (TDI) located in greater Boston, MA. The ALSTDI ( als.net ) is devoted to finding treatments and ultimately a cure for ALS.
Volunteers Needed
Do you have IT skills including website and content management? If so, contact Alan Wichman at amwichmannamw@gmail.com Our IT team is looking to add you to its volunteer staff.
Do you have a nose for news? The HBC website is looking for interesting content to post. Send your content, pictures and/or ideas to Hoang Pham hgpham@comcast.net or Gregor Matthews gregorymatthews01@gmail.com
St. Paul Classic
This year HBC will help manage the rest stop at the Mississippi River Gorge Scenic Overlook on the St Paul Classic. The St. Paul Classic is a 34 mile bike tour that runs on Sunday September 10. We need a team lead(s) and team members to help setup, distribute treats and manage bike traffic during the event. Contact Alan Wichman if you are interested.
Safe Riding is HBC’s mission
Safe bicycle riding is the most important part of HBC’s mission. Safe riding helps ensure an enjoyable experience for all riders. The expectation of safe rides helps our members and guests return to ride again and again with HBC.
To promote safe riding, HBC provides valuable information on our website. Go to hiawathabike.org, and click ‘Safety’ then open the page entitled, ‘Safety Basics’. This page lists the ABC safety quick check and also lists important points about communication, predictability, crowding and awareness. Spend some time to read that safety information.
Other resources for safe riding may be found on the League of American Bicyclists web page: bikeleague.org. Click the link, ‘Cycling Education’ and ‘Watch a Video’ to access several videos about safe riding. Spend some time and watch those videos.
As we enjoy early summer 2023, I wish you all the best. I am grateful to all the volunteers who help HBC move forward.
Ride safely and be well,
March 2023 HBC President’s Letter
“Welcome bright Springtime what joy now is ours”
– Anton G. Rubinstein
Warm Greetings to the HBC Community! As a long and snowy winter continues, remember that warm weather bicycling will soon return. To help us prepare for the upcoming biking season, here is a summary of recent club activity and some of our many plans for the near future.
Check the club’s home page at https://hiawathabike.org/ for a link to order the new club jersey. Jersey team members will present samples at the upcoming Smart Cycling, described below.
Smart Cycling on Friday March 24
Join your HBC friends at the Golden Valley Davanni’s for a fun and educational event. We’ll meet in the party room inside the restaurant.
GV Davanni’s is located just north of Highway 55 on Winnetka Avenue North. If you are planning on dinner, Davanni’s requests that you order ahead of time online. Find online ordering information through this web address: https://www.davannis.com/
We’ll kick off Smart Cycling with a social hour from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. At 7:00 the two part program starts:
April Birthday Bash on Friday April 7
Celebrate new members and April birthdays with your HBC friends at the April edition of our monthly Birthday Bash.
The event starts at 7:30 pm. Edie Kalweit will provide a nice cake for all to enjoy following dinner.
Often, one of our members posts a Winter Walk or a ride before the Bash. Watch your email for an announcement.
The annual ride leader refresher will be conducted this spring. During the refresher ride leaders will review content that will help them conduct safe and enjoyable rides.
If you would like to become a ride leader, join the Class of 2023 by attending the Refresher.
Our Ride Leader team lead, Lisa Soldat, will provide additional information in the coming weeks.
Planning for a series of all club rides is underway. A fabulous picnic will follow the rides. Stay tuned for further information.
Independence Day Rides
Planning for another series of all club rides is also underway. A fabulous July picnic will follow the rides. Stay tuned for further information.
Tour of Saints
Interested in a weekend out-of-town biking getaway? If so, Dawn Wilson and John Hardy are planning an event for July 8th and 9th.
On Saturday July 8th, riders will head out on a 20-40 mile afternoon ride on the Lake Wobegon Trail starting in St Joseph, MN.
On Sunday, July 9th, riders have the opportunity to ride one of Bike MN’s Tour of Saints rides. Riding the Tour of Saints is considered an Ambassador Ride for HBC members, meaning you’ll receive club mileage credit when you pre-register on HBC’s website. You must also register for the Tour of Saints ride and pay their entry fee, which will be $45 if you sign up early. Registration opens in May: bikemn.org
Check with Dawn and John for details.
As we slowly enter bright springtime 2023, I wish you all the best. I am grateful to all the volunteers who help HBC move forward.
December 2022 HBC President’s Letter
"Every mile is two in Winter" - George Herbert
Warmest Greetings to the HBC Community!
Here is a summary of recent club activity and plans for the future.
On November 20th we held our annual member meeting at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in Plymouth. 51 members attended. We started the meeting with an abundant potluck dinner and social hour. We then conducted the business component of the meeting.
· Stable membership level at about 250
· In-person rides, birthday bashes and smart cycling events returned in 2022
· We had well attended spring kick-off and Independence Day rides and picnics
· HBC runs on volunteers as seen through our members who support Free Bikes 4 KIDZ and the St. Paul Classic
· Our tradition of donating to bicycling organizations continues. This year we donated $1000.00 to Free Bikes 4 KIDZ
· Dues will increase on January 1, 2023
There were three open positions on the board of directors. Mary Buss and Gregor Matthews were elected to the two positions vacated by the retirement of Ellen Guerin and Hoang Pham. Alan Wichman, whose first term on the board completed, was re-elected.
Many thanks to Ellen and Hoang for their contributions to the board.
New Team Jersey
Three HBC board members formed a committee to research a new club jersey. Ellen Guerin spearheaded the effort. Mike Becker and Carmen Price were the other two committee members. Ellen has worked tirelessly with Borah Teamwear from Wisconsin to develop a design and color combination for the new jersey. Stay tuned for more information about the jersey.
Learn More
Lots more happened during the business meeting. Review the presentation in the members-only section of our website: Members > Club Minutes > Annual Meeting Minutes
On December 12, the Board of Directors kicked off the new operating year by selecting club officers:
· Alan Wichman – President
· Mike Becker – Vice President
· Ron Jensen – Treasurer
· Carmen Price – Secretary
· Shelli Hesselroth
· Mary Buss
· Gregor Matthews
This is an excellent board with deep bicycling experience. Give your recommendations and feedback to any of the board members.
What is Happening in Early 2023?
The January Birthday Bash will be at the Edina D’Amico on 1/6/23.
Check the ride schedule for FAT/Mountain Bike rides. For those who don’t bike during the winter, check out the Winter Walkers. This is an informal group not sponsored by HBC yet includes many HBC members. The Winter Walkers have enjoyed walking outside, walking in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and in the Mall of America and even bowling. If you are not on the Winter Walkers distribution list, email Haggith Nadav at nadavbiking@gmail.com
Smart Cycling and the February Birthday Bash will be held together. The new team jersey sample will be on display.
· Topic: “Let’s Ride Together – Bike Trips & Tours II”
· Location: Davanni's in Golden Valley
· Friday, February 3, 6:00 -9:00 pm
As 2022 draws to a close, I wish you Happy New Year. I am grateful to all the volunteers who help HBC move forward.
November 2022 HBC President’s Letter
Annual Member Meeting and Potluck Dinner*
November 20th at 4:45 pm
Join your HBC friends on Sunday, November 20th at 4:45 pm for our club’s annual meeting and potluck dinner.
The meeting will be held at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in Plymouth located at 12235 Old Rockford Road.
We will enjoy a potluck dinner that will include dishes courtesy of us all. Bring an entrée or salad or appetizer and/or accompaniment to share with the group.
The Club will provide flatware, beverages, pre-dinner munchies and cake. Cake will be served so there is no need to bring dessert items.
There will be extension cords available to plug in your crock pots.
During the member meeting, HBC officers and team leads will review the club’s successful 2022 operating year, including updates about:
✓ Membership ✓ Rides and events ✓ Social Activities ✓ Volunteerism ✓ Awards ✓ Ride Statistics ✓ New Ride Leaders
✓ New Club Jersey ✓ Finances
✓ Election of Board Members Meeting schedule: ✓ 4:45 – 5:15 Social time ✓ 5:15 – 6:00 Potluck Dinner
✓ 6:00 – 7:15 Business Meeting Register for the meeting on our ride calendar. See you Sunday, 11/20/22 at 4:45 pm. * This is a non-alcohol event.
