April 2023

News Highlights:

Next Happy Hour – Mingle with your fellow cyclists at our next happy hour at Random Row Brewing Company Thursday, April 6, from 4:30-6:30 pm.  Happy hour specials are available for CBC members.

Ride Calendar updates – Spring biking season is now in full swing!  Check out this month’s calendar, which features dedicated C-paced rides each Saturday and Sunday, another beginner’s ride led by Caroline Bertrand on April 12 (thank you, Caroline!), and gravel options.  Find the rides that suit your interests, and join the fun!

Watts Passage road closure – A section of Watts Passage remains closed due to bridge work.  This statement is from 511virginia.org: “On Rt. 600 (Watts Passage) in the County of Albemarle at Watts Farm Rd; Rt. 700E/W (Albemarle County), motorists can expect potential delays in this area from 02/16/23 at 4:46 PM until 07/31/23 at 5:00 PM due to bridge work. All north lanes are closed. All south lanes are closed. Follow posted detour.”

New Feature — CBC Member Profiles.  Do you have a cycling-related experience or story you’d like to share with CBC membership?  Let us know!  We’d like to highlight some of the interesting things our membership is up to.
 
We’ll start with a story about Sam Rosner, a Charlottesville native currently studying physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This summer, Sam is biking across the country (from New York to San Francisco) to raise money for cancer research with a team of fellow students called Illini 4000. 
 
Sam, tell us about your team and what you do.
 
The 2023 Illini 4000 team is composed of 21 riders from all different backgrounds, majors, and even countries. The organization started in 2006 and since then has organized a successful ride every year (except 2020) and is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit. In addition to completing the ride, the team films interviews with cancer patients and those who support them to tell the story of cancer in America.  You can find these interviews on our website (link below).
 
What’s your route, and how long will it take you?
 
Our route is not a “standard” route that many groups use for cross-country rides. We have added a lot of extra distance to include some national parks and other scenic areas.  We’ll pass through 15 states and cover 4,714 miles over 77 days, including 10 rest days. This pace allows us time to interact with the communities we pass through. 
 
How are you training for the ride?
 
Consistency is key for training, which is difficult with a busy physics major course schedule. However, the team requires at least 4 workouts a week.  During winter, we did a lot of running and indoor cycling. The other problem with training in central Illinois is that there is almost no elevation change to speak of, but on some days the wind more than makes up for this.
 
What bike will you take?
 
I know a lot of bike nerds will want to know: a 2013 Salsa Colossal – steel frame built with SRAM Apex.
 
Why are you doing this?
 
While my love of cycling is a large part of why I initially joined the team, I am very inspired by our mission to raise money for cancer research. Just like almost everyone, I have seen people I care about be diagnosed with cancer and struggle with its consequences. Luckily, all these diagnoses have ended happily, but each one reminded me of the fragility of our lives. With well-directed research, we may be able to solve this problem, and this motivates me whenever the idea of training, fundraising, and actually completing the ride becomes too daunting.
 
Where will donations go?
 
Illini 4000 is somewhat unique among similar organizations in that all riders personally cover the costs associated with the ride (though we each have a required fundraising target of $4000). This means that 100% of donated money goes into a fund which is distributed among our beneficiaries. We select our beneficiaries to specifically target cancer research, as we believe that is where the most effective and long-term benefits can be found, but a portion of the money does go to charities which help patients directly. Our beneficiaries are listed on our website.
 
Where can I learn more?
 
You can learn more and find a link to donate at illini4000.org. If you have any questions, you can also contact Sam directly at samrosner6@gmail.com.

We’d like to welcome this month’s newest club members:  William Lowey, Taylor Gemperline, and Steve Keith.

The CBC