Post by administrator on Nov 17, 2007 6:18:18 GMT -8
A Message from the President:
Spokane Rocket Velo was founded five years ago by a small group of friends that enjoyed riding and racing together. Since that time the club has grown to include a diverse group of riders with many interests. Our members participate in recreational riding, road racing, mountain bike racing, cyclocross racing, and race promotion. As SRV heads into its sixth season the club will continue with its original mission: to promote, encourage, and support the cycling activities of its members, and the general cycling/racing community of Spokane, Washington through the promotion of bicycle racing and training events, and also to promote cycling safety and bicycle awareness.
New Faces
First I would like to personally thank the four outgoing board members for their dedication to the club over the last several years. Our previous president, Monte Madsen, has served on the board since 2004. He has actively worked with sponsors, helped with race planning and steered the direction of the club. Our previous vice president, Mark Cesal, has been our web designer and computer expert, as well as helping design our team kits and working with our sponsors. Julie Kelsey has been a dedicated race official, race director and club event planner since the SRV’s very first gathering in the summer of 2003. Liz Letson has served on the board for three seasons. Liz was ready for a challenge and gave an extra amount of effort this year as the club’s secretary and treasurer, a position in which she found herself wearing many hats. Thanks to their dedication, the club has a strong foundation to move into the future.
We proceed into the next season with new leadership. The new Board of Directors and I hope to bring many new ideas while improving on already-great SRV activities. We are new to these rolls and open to suggestions on how to move our club forward. Your input is valuable and the board is interested in hearing what you think SRV should be! We will have a general membership meeting in the first part of 2008. Until then, during the next several weeks, we will be polling the membership to get ideas about what you want from the club. Watch for an email from Alan Jacob regarding the online survey.
Riding
The SRV club rides have been a staple of the club since the beginning. These rides have become different things to different people. Next season we will continue to make an effort to cater to riders of varying ability and varying goals. Saturday rides, Sunday training rides, and even after-work “easy rides” will continue. Formal organization of road rides will begin again in March. Tuesday night mountain bike rides continue all winter in snow, rain, or starlight. These are organized with our sponsor, North Division Bicycle Shop.
Other weekly rides can be found on the SRV calendar and the web forum
Racing
Whether your goal for 2008 is to race all season throughout the Northwest or just to participate in your first Tuesday night Twilight Series road race, SRV wants to help you race. This year we will organize more race-specific training rides, have more talk about race strategy, and help with race support.
Racing season begins on the west side of our great state of Washington in March. In Spokane, racing begins the first week of April. As crazy as this may sound, it’s best to start thinking about your 2008 race season during the “off-season”, which is, well…now. Since motivation often comes from numbers, we’ll be organizing indoor group training rides, as well as outdoor mountain bike rides throughout the winter. Riding in the cold and snow isn’t as bad as you might think, trust us.
As a USA Cycling sanctioned club, we are required to organize and promote at least one USA Cycling sanctioned race each year. Count on at least one SRV race for 2008, possibly integrated into Baddlands’ Twilight Series.
Membership
Please remember to pay your $25 dues for 2008. Your membership dues go toward helping subsidize our club’s expenditures. Paid members enjoy benefits that include reduced pricing on team kits, reduced entry fee at our races, priority services with our sponsors including North Division Bicycle Shop, and the meal at the annual club picnic. That’s not bad for just $25! 2008 membership forms will soon be online to download or you can ask Alan to email you copy (ajacob@whitworth.edu).
Team Kits and Sponsorship
It’s almost time for us to order our new team kits. We are redesigning the 2008-09 kits with a whole new look. A 2008 clothing “wish list” to be available soon. For now you may still use the old wish list found at our frontpage, but the pricing structure will change slightly for 2008.
Sponsorship is an important part of a successful bicycle club. Anyone can be a sponsor of the club. If you have a business or know of a business that is a potential sponsor, please speak up.
Communication
The SRV web forum and SRV web calendar are becoming the go-to sources for current club information. To make all of our lives more simple, we will try to avoid sending you excessive amounts of email every week about the club’s activities. Instead, please visit the forum and calendar for information on things like upcoming races, rides, official (or unofficial) club events, and whatever else might show up on the board. During the season you’ll still get monthly email updates similar to this past year.
It’s about riding bikes!
In the end it’s all about getting out and riding bikes. The camaraderie that comes from being in a group of cyclists with similar interests is what we hope will keep you coming out to ride with us!
Tailwinds,
Mike Sirott
President
Spokane Rocket Velo
Spokane Rocket Velo was founded five years ago by a small group of friends that enjoyed riding and racing together. Since that time the club has grown to include a diverse group of riders with many interests. Our members participate in recreational riding, road racing, mountain bike racing, cyclocross racing, and race promotion. As SRV heads into its sixth season the club will continue with its original mission: to promote, encourage, and support the cycling activities of its members, and the general cycling/racing community of Spokane, Washington through the promotion of bicycle racing and training events, and also to promote cycling safety and bicycle awareness.
New Faces
First I would like to personally thank the four outgoing board members for their dedication to the club over the last several years. Our previous president, Monte Madsen, has served on the board since 2004. He has actively worked with sponsors, helped with race planning and steered the direction of the club. Our previous vice president, Mark Cesal, has been our web designer and computer expert, as well as helping design our team kits and working with our sponsors. Julie Kelsey has been a dedicated race official, race director and club event planner since the SRV’s very first gathering in the summer of 2003. Liz Letson has served on the board for three seasons. Liz was ready for a challenge and gave an extra amount of effort this year as the club’s secretary and treasurer, a position in which she found herself wearing many hats. Thanks to their dedication, the club has a strong foundation to move into the future.
We proceed into the next season with new leadership. The new Board of Directors and I hope to bring many new ideas while improving on already-great SRV activities. We are new to these rolls and open to suggestions on how to move our club forward. Your input is valuable and the board is interested in hearing what you think SRV should be! We will have a general membership meeting in the first part of 2008. Until then, during the next several weeks, we will be polling the membership to get ideas about what you want from the club. Watch for an email from Alan Jacob regarding the online survey.
Riding
The SRV club rides have been a staple of the club since the beginning. These rides have become different things to different people. Next season we will continue to make an effort to cater to riders of varying ability and varying goals. Saturday rides, Sunday training rides, and even after-work “easy rides” will continue. Formal organization of road rides will begin again in March. Tuesday night mountain bike rides continue all winter in snow, rain, or starlight. These are organized with our sponsor, North Division Bicycle Shop.
Other weekly rides can be found on the SRV calendar and the web forum
Racing
Whether your goal for 2008 is to race all season throughout the Northwest or just to participate in your first Tuesday night Twilight Series road race, SRV wants to help you race. This year we will organize more race-specific training rides, have more talk about race strategy, and help with race support.
Racing season begins on the west side of our great state of Washington in March. In Spokane, racing begins the first week of April. As crazy as this may sound, it’s best to start thinking about your 2008 race season during the “off-season”, which is, well…now. Since motivation often comes from numbers, we’ll be organizing indoor group training rides, as well as outdoor mountain bike rides throughout the winter. Riding in the cold and snow isn’t as bad as you might think, trust us.
As a USA Cycling sanctioned club, we are required to organize and promote at least one USA Cycling sanctioned race each year. Count on at least one SRV race for 2008, possibly integrated into Baddlands’ Twilight Series.
Membership
Please remember to pay your $25 dues for 2008. Your membership dues go toward helping subsidize our club’s expenditures. Paid members enjoy benefits that include reduced pricing on team kits, reduced entry fee at our races, priority services with our sponsors including North Division Bicycle Shop, and the meal at the annual club picnic. That’s not bad for just $25! 2008 membership forms will soon be online to download or you can ask Alan to email you copy (ajacob@whitworth.edu).
Team Kits and Sponsorship
It’s almost time for us to order our new team kits. We are redesigning the 2008-09 kits with a whole new look. A 2008 clothing “wish list” to be available soon. For now you may still use the old wish list found at our frontpage, but the pricing structure will change slightly for 2008.
Sponsorship is an important part of a successful bicycle club. Anyone can be a sponsor of the club. If you have a business or know of a business that is a potential sponsor, please speak up.
Communication
The SRV web forum and SRV web calendar are becoming the go-to sources for current club information. To make all of our lives more simple, we will try to avoid sending you excessive amounts of email every week about the club’s activities. Instead, please visit the forum and calendar for information on things like upcoming races, rides, official (or unofficial) club events, and whatever else might show up on the board. During the season you’ll still get monthly email updates similar to this past year.
It’s about riding bikes!
In the end it’s all about getting out and riding bikes. The camaraderie that comes from being in a group of cyclists with similar interests is what we hope will keep you coming out to ride with us!
Tailwinds,
Mike Sirott
President
Spokane Rocket Velo