Lots of great things are happening this month, and there’s much to report, so please read on…
Ride Calendar Updates – The start time for all rides in May will begin at 9:00AM. As always, please arrive in plenty of time to get your bike and yourself ready to roll out of the parking lot by that time. There will be a ride/lunch from Maybelle’s in Dyke on May 22. Check out the calendar for the particulars.
New CBC Board Member – In addition recently to taking over the duties of the club’s Chief Technology Officer, Rob Ericsson is now the newest member of the club’s board of directors. Check out his bio here. Our thanks to Rob for expanding his role, and to contributing his time and expertise for the benefit of the club’s membership.
Bike Month Activities and Volunteer Opportunities – In conjunction with National Bike Month, CBC will host two special club events in May to encourage new riders to come see what we do and get to know our members: On May 11, a Bike Month Special Edition Ride and Coffee will roll from Grit Coffee in Crozet. Then, on May 24, an A/B/C multi-class Bike Month Special Edition Ride and Safety Class (detailed below) from Walton Middle School will occur followed by a safety course conducted by Peter Aaron. We’re looking for a few volunteers to help greet newcomers to ensure they have a great time, and to help Peter with the demonstrations on the 24th. If interesting in helping, please Contact Us.
In addition to these CBC-specific activities, “Charlottesville Bike Month” is seeking volunteers to help with some of their planned local marquee events, including a Bike Valet at each Friday’s After Five on the Downtown Mall throughout the month. To pitch in, please complete this brief Cville Bike Month Sign-Up Form. Thanks for supporting cycling in our community.
Safe Cycling Class on May 24 – Peter Aaron will conduct a safety class, which will include parking lot drills, road hazard avoidance techniques, and bike rider agility on May 24. Come for the ride starting at Walton Middle School, and then join us for a fun and skill-building afternoon. Bring lunch and a chair, enjoy a tailgate with the group, then kick off a bike handling class at 12:30 PM.
Please sign up on the ride calendar!
Join Peter for a class that will teach you some skills to handle your bike in unexpected situations. This isn’t just any ride—it’s a chance to sharpen your bike handling skills for those unexpected moments on the road. You might be thinking, “I’ve been riding for years—what more is there to learn?” The answer is: a lot! Even experienced riders will find this class both fun and challenging.
As a League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor, Peter will guide you through practical drills to boost your confidence and control, including:
– Confident starts and stops
– Looking over your shoulder while holding your line
– Navigating a slalom course
– Rock/pothole dodging and hopping over hazards
– Fast stops and slow-speed balance techniques
– Insights into your bike’s geometry and how it affects your ride
Let’s level up our riding skills together—see you there!
Roanoke Getaway Weekend – As reminder, May 6 is the last day to book a room at the club’s reduced block rate for the June 7-8, 2025 Roanoke Weekend Getaway for members and their partners (including non-riders). Great riding, social opportunities, and activities for non-riders will be available. The Hampton Inn & Suites Roanoke-Downtown will serve as the event hub. We have arranged a block of 15 rooms with discounted rates of $159 for Saturday, June 7. A limited number of discounted rooms have also been reserved for folks who want to go early and stay the night on Friday, June 6. After the blocks are filled, other rooms may be added at the preferred rate if available at the time of booking. To book at the preferred rate, click HERE, or call hotel reception at 540.400.6000 and ask for the Charlottesville Bicycle Club Weekend Getaway group rate. On site parking is $8/day. The hotel will provide a conference room for secure bike storage. There is no registration fee for this event. Participants will be responsible for their own costs. If you book a room, please let us know here. See the calendar for more details.
Tour de Madison – The 37th annual Tour de Madison, organized by and in support of Madison County Parks and Recreation Authority, will be held (rain or shine) on May 17. A 65-mile metric century, a 46-mile route, and a family ride will be offered. For details and to register for this popular local event, click here.
Storming of Thunder Ridge – The organizers of Storming of Thunder Ridge, held this year on Sunday, May 18 in Lynchburg VA, are offering CBC club members a 15% discount on registration for any of their four distances. All proceeds go toward benefiting the YMCA of Central Virginia and its community programs. Use the code CharlottesvilleBC2025 when you register here.
Blue Ridge Ride to Defeat ALS – On June 7, 2025, Blue Ridge Ride to Defeat ALS is running its fourth charity ride to raise awareness about ALS and the search for a cure. This year’s event promises three beautiful road routes in Albemarle County (15 miles, 40 miles, and 62 miles), along with a challenging 20-mile gravel ride. This full-day event will offer fun for the whole family, with lunch, live music, and a kids’ zone. The event organizer is offering CBC members a $20 discount off the registration fee. Use the code CLUBRIDEwhen you register using this link. This is a charity ride, and riders are encouraged to help raise donations, but anyone who just wants to join the ride for a great time is of course totally welcome. Volunteer opportunities are available. Southwest Mountain Vineyards will host the festivities.
CBC Presents the Easiest and Most Beautiful Flat Ride – If you are not sure about riding on roads, or hills, or skinny tires, join us for a gorgeous ride on the Piney River Trail on May 8. It’s a rail-trail, no cars, that follows the scenic Piney River. Lots of quiet, green water, trees and birds… The trail is 7 miles one way. We will do out and back, as far as you like. We will meet at 10 am at the Rose Mill starting point, which is 2 miles in. Please email Caroline Bertrand at cbertrand35@gmail.com if you are at all curious or interested. We have a small group looking into the best format for easy trail rides.
Responding to Input from C-Pace Riders – As you know, we have dedicated C rides on Saturdays and Sundays, and combined B/C rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have heard from some C riders that they like the distances currently offered on C rides. We have also heard from some C riders who would like to sometimes do more miles than the scheduled calendar rides, for example, by riding the posted B ride at a C pace. We encourage any C riders who want to add more miles (and find someone else to ride with them) to post comments about their interest in doing so (either on the C ride, or even the B ride). This will let other cyclists who also might want to go longer know that someone else has the same interest. So, please take advantage of the comments section to communicate with your fellow members.
Of course, ALL members are encouraged to use the comment section to communicate with their fellow CBC’ers about your specific riding preferences.
Encouraging Group Ride Participation – Plan to join a group ride? Great! Please sign up by logging in, then clicking the “Sign Up for Ride” button on each Ride page linked from the Club’s calendar. This will let your friends know you plan to attend. Plus, members can see who else from the Club plans to be there (the list of signees is not visible by non-members). It only takes a second. If your plans change, you can always “cancel” by clicking the same button.
Summer Picnic – Save the date! CBC will host is annual summer picnic July 12, 2025. Maybelle’s Market in Dyke will again serve as our host. New great routes are being planned for all classes of riders, with the picnic to follow. All members and their families are invited. Details will be announced soon.
E-Bike Lending Library – Curious about electric bikes but not sure where to start? The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a local nonprofit offering free e-bike loans to help figure out whether an e-bike would be a good fit for you. You can test out your ride to work on a commuter bike, or borrow a cargo bike to pick up groceries and haul the kids to school. Details and signup form at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org.
Stillhouse Creek Road is FINALLY Open – Reconstruction of the bridge over Stillhouse Creek, originally built in 1932, in Albemarle County south of Batesville has been completed, and is now open to traffic.
Do you have an idea for another club social event? Is there some activity or local event you would like to do with some of your fellow club members? We would love to add something like this to the club calendar (with enough notice that we can add it to our monthly newsletter). Contact us with the details.
Please welcome this month’s newest club members: Michelle Dapprich, Craig Hartman, Erin Pacelli, Mike McLaughlin, and Abigail Kerns.
Our thanks to CBC members who renewed this past month: Roberto Rigoli, James Bohland, Joe Kannapell, Ellen Ramsey, Mark Stanis, Aims Chamberlain, Daniel Ricciardi, and Mary Alex.
The CBC