January 1, 2023

One year ago today, we relaunched the Charlottesville Bicycle Club as a new, tax-exempt, member supported organization with the goal of becoming the go-to resource for cyclists of all interests and abilities in the greater Charlottesville region. What an amazing first year it’s been…

• CBC is now 200 members strong!
• More than 180 group road and gravel rides were scheduled.
• Members socialized off the bikes at club happy hours and the summer picnic.
• We learned new bike mechanic skills at the inaugural “Gears and Beers” event.
• The club designed and distributed custom jerseys, which are now showing up on rides all around town. Support from our great sponsors – Blue Ridge Cyclery, Blue Wheel Bicycles, and Random Row Brewing Company – lowered member costs.
• The club won a national RideWithGPS competition, the prize for which is a free RideWithGPS Club Account with all its premium navigation features for CBC members, for life!
• The club offered members numerous benefits, including a library with more than 200 routes (complete with GPS files, maps, and cue sheets), liability and excess medical insurance, and discounts.

 

To all of our first-year class of members, we are honored and incredibly thankful for your support. And we’re just getting started.  Looking ahead to 2023, we hope to build on the success of this past year by focusing on some key areas:

More Robust Calendar. We plan to add more scheduled rides across all ride classes. In particular, look for additional, dedicated C-paced rides and, starting spring, we hope new social paced rides as well.  Check the calendar frequently for updates.  We’re always looking for new ways to support members’ interests, so if you have ideas or would like to help organize rides, please contact us!

Promote Ride Participation. Behind the scenes, we’re working hard to upgrade the website and add programming that helps members connect with each other. We hope these changes will make it easier for you to find friends and group rides that get you out on the bike to experience the fun, joy, and safety that come from group cycling.  Last year, we hosted a highly successful “first-timer’s ride” geared toward riders new to CBC, group cycling, or the area.  Look for more of these events to come.

Foster Community. Our goal is to be more than just a cycling club. We want to build a community of friends who support each other and the place we call home. In addition to the annual summer picnic and regular happy hours, we’re adding other opportunities for members to socialize off the bike. We also want to collaborate with and support other organizations that strive to make Charlottesville a great place to live.

Thanks to your support, CBC can continue to improve service for its members and grow as a force for cycling in this region. We’re very excited heading into the new year and look forward to you joining us.

With gratitude for your participation, and optimism for the road ahead,

Todd Stansbury, President