It is said you never forget how to ride a bike. While that’s probably true, in my case I would revert back to training wheels or a tricycle. However for a group of true riders -members of the Riverside Cycling Club – it is a way to combine exercise (with some pain and suffering) and socializing.
Started in 2006 by Riversiders Paul Sterner and Mark Bennett, the club gradually evolved with the addition of Guy Giannini and Jim McCarthy, who brought with them more cycling enthusiasts.
Currently the club consists of 29 men and women who meet informally, I mean socially, to discuss where they may want to ride. Weekdays may find some of the club members riding 20 miles, while on weekends the group will get together for longer rides.
Some members of the group participate in “century rides” (yes, that’s100 miles) and use their routine rides as a form of training. Meeting up is also a chance for club members to inform each other of various planned rides all over the country.
According to Sterner, “Riders are friendly, and I have been able to meet people from all over and connect with different clubs.”
Members of the Riverside club have also mapped out some of their own rides in nearby states, giving the group more time to socialize and ride outside of the area.
While I am not rushing to get into the Riverside Cycling Club, I am available to pass out water bottles. The club is not restricted to Riverside residents, and more information can be found on the club’s Web site www.riversidecyclingclub.org.
Drink to a good cause
There is a special 6-year-old Riverside boy named Ethan Tkalec who this weekend will be asking you to help raise funds for Hannah’s Hope Fund for GAN (Giant Axonal Neuropathy).
Ethan, who has been profiled previously in the Landmark, has GAN. Since the diagnosis, his mom and dad have been working tirelessly to help all of those with the disease by raising money for research in the field.
On Sunday, Nov. 15 from 3 to 9 p.m., at The Chew Chew, 33 E. Burlington St. in Riverside, there will be a Fall Beer Festival to help raise funds. Tickets for the event are $40 and include prizes and surprises. All money raised will be doubled by the Sunshine Lady Foundation.
If you cannot attend, donations may be dropped off at The Chew Chew. Checks should be made out to Hannah’s Hope Fund for GAN.
Ethan’s a great kid; let’s give him our support.
