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.

Respectfully,

Lisa Soldat

2024-25 HBC President