January - February 2006

Message from the President

Going into my second term as President of the Five Borough Bicycle Club, I’m truly amazed at what we accomplished together last year. 2005 standouts include:

1. A large and noticeable increase in 5BBC membership.

2. Our most successful 5BBC Montauk Century ever.

3. A new online 5BBC Bulletin Board providing timely and direct communication.

4. Twelve monthly 5BBC general meetings that included: an editor from Bicycling Magazine, a coordinator for the New York City Greenway program, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion as well as many other great discussions, on a variety of cycling venues.

5. The History Project, tracing our pre-5BBC roots before 1991 and the great people who made it all happen.

6. Our holiday party produced with 5BBC Montauk Century proceeds.

7. Continuation of our 5BBC cycle: the Frostbite Series; our humbly ambitious training rides for the Montauk Century and Metric Century; relaxing Bicycle Beach Bums excursions to the Rockaways and unique Perimeter rides to each of our five boroughs of the Big Apple. And we have other nice things as well.

8. Year after year, we have consistently stepped up as ride marshals and volunteers to help with the 5BBC Montauk Century, Bike New York, Harlem Valley Rail Trail, Twin Lights and several Multiple Sclerosis benefit rides. Because we care that people should have fun AND ride safe on bike events.

9. Eight new leaders who completed our 5BBC Leadership Course.

10. In conjunction with various organizations, we joined the Bicycle Coalition and took a pro-active role to address important cycling issues with city government. And we keep you informed on updates via the 5BBC Communications Network—weekly email updates, our website and the Bicycletter.

Now, welcome to 2006. I hope that what we did last year inspires you to get more involved with your club. There’s a lot you can do. Go on a ride. Take a bike repair class. Take our leadership training course. If you’re already a leader, please lead more rides or get back into it. Really, we miss you. Volunteer as Bike New York marshal. Volunteer as a Montauk Century marshal. Consider one of our weekend trips to Cape Cod, Penn Dutch, or a tie-in bike event to Maryland’s Sea Gull Century or Vermont’s Mad River Century and much more. Come to our meetings and engage yourself with other members like you. See the world by bicycle and tell us about it. Write a newsletter article. As you can see, there is plenty to do and we can sure use your help.

If you have any ideas that you would like to see this club do, or get involved with yourself, please feel free to contact me. So, have fun, ride safe and have a great biking year.

I’ll see you down the road.

Ed DeFrietas, 2006 President
Five Borough Bicycle Club
President@5BBC.org