Volume 50, Issue # 10, October 1, 2018

Club Express...Our New Software

Lighthouse Volunteer Festival

Anholm Bikeway and the City's Choice

Paso Pie Ride for All!!!

What Type Of Club Insurance?

Upcoming Events, Mark Your Calendar!


President's Message
Club Express:
Why are we doing this?

You may be wondering why we are going to all the bother of switching our membership and communication systems over to Club Express. (And by the way, Club Express is just a software system.) Here’s the reason. Our very own and highly esteeemed club member, Frank Mullin, designed the membership system we have used for years. However, it was becoming outdated and only Frank could work on it. We, the board, felt we needed a system that could be administered by more than one person and a system that could take care of membership, communication and event planning. 
After choosing Club Express, we put together a transition team composed of Frank Mullin, Marc Mumby and Will Benedict. Marc had worked with Club Express in Dallas and his experience has been a great asset. Will has years of experience working on our website and communications. Together the three of them have worked countless hours on transferring information and setting up new systems. Additional team members are Marina Michel, Dave Abrecht and me. We have been able to lend a non-techie perspective.

Our next General Meeting will be devoted to helping you use our new system. We will demonstrate how to log in, check your member profile, choose the club information you want to receive and renew your membership. Our experts will also answer your questions.
What : General Meeting, "Using Club Express"
When : Thursday, Oct. 4
Time : 7:00 p.m.
Note : This will be a hands-on meeting, so bring your laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Hope to see you there!

Susan McTaggart president@slobc.org
Let’s face it, the bike club has been good to you. You’ve gone on great rides, you’ve made lifelong friends, and it would be hard to imagine your life without it. Now’s the time to give back. We need members to step up and lead the club next year. If you are organized, work well with others and have a sense of humor, we want you. Three jobs to be filled are President, Ride Coordinator and Member-at-Large. Feel free to contact Susan McTaggart ( president@slobc.org ), Dave Abrecht ( ride-coordinator@slobc.org ) or Bonnie Birch ( at-large@slobc.org ) if you would like to learn more about our jobs. You may also find jobs descriptions on our website .
Volunteer Festival
Thank you for being a Lighthouse Century Volunteer!
To celebrate your efforts, you are invited to the Lighthouse Volunteer Festival on Sunday, September 23rd. Enjoy a fully supported ride up Highway 1 and a catered BBQ picnic. Click on the Festival RSVP button below to reserve your place at the picnic and select a ride. You may bring a guest for $30, payable at the picnic.
RSVP must be received by
Sunday, September 9th!

Date: September 23, 2018
Location: Hardie Park, Cayucos
Rides Start: 8:00 or 9:00 AM
BBQ Picnic Starts: 1:00 PM
Ride Options
There will be SAG support and rest stops at Shamel Park and the north end of the new section of Highway 1 – the Arroyo de la Cruz turnaround.
  • Metric Century (63 Miles): Start at 8:00 AM from Hardie Park and ride north on Highway 1 to the Cruz turnaround and back.
  • Metric Century Route Map
  • Half Metric Century (30 Miles): Start at 9:00 AM from Hardie Park and ride north on Highway 1 to Shamel Park and back.
  • Half Metric Century Route Map

Questions?
Email Dave Abrecht at  lighthouse-volunteer-coord@slobc.org


Club Insurance
by Dave Abrecht

Bob Tuman has served as the club’s insurance coordinator for many years. Bob has decided to step down from this responsibility at the end of this year and I will taking over for him on January 1st. Bob deserves our heartfelt thanks for his work and his commitment to keep our club protected from potential civil claims and litigation. 

This transition is a good time to explain to our membership why we have insurance and exactly what our policies cover. Our insurance is for General Liability  and protects the club from third party claims. If a member on a club ride causes harm or damage, our policy protects the club and the individual if we were to be sued. For example, if a member hits a pedestrian or damages someone’s personal property. If the injured party sues the club, our General Liability insurance covers any settlement or civil judgment.  

The General Liability policy does not cover the Lighthouse Ride or the Wildflower Ride, our two large, organized bicycle rides. We purchase separate event coverage from USA Cycling for these rides.

Finally, and this is the most important point for our members, our insurance policies do not cover the treatment of injuries incurred by a club member or guest while participating in a club approved ride. Members are expected to use their own health care coverage for the treatment of any injuries that result from an incident during a club ride or event. 

If you have questions about our insurance policies and the coverage they provide, please feel free to contact me.



Finally, cyclists and pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of our roadways. We can minimize danger by making sure we:
  • Follow the rules of the road
  • Be visible
  • Be predictable
  • Be courteous to other users of the road

Yes! Autumn Paso
Pie Ride!!!
Sunday, Nov. 4
















Back by popular demand! Our second Autumn Paso Pie ride will be coming up on Sunday, November 4, 2018 starting at Barney Schwartz Park in Paso Robles – and going out the Estrella Rd underpass – a beautiful and almost flat stretch of horse ranch land. The route has an extra section in the middle for those wanting to ride 40 instead of 32 miles. The club will provide lunch at the lakeside pavilion including pumpkin and apple pie! 
Also, we are looking for a few volunteers to help with set up, marking and sweep. Contact Elaine McElmury at  tipsycyclist@gmail.com .

Click here to see routes:
Beer at Barney 32-miles   1193 elevation gain
Beer at Barney 40-miles   1661 elevation gain
Barney Schwartz Park is at 2970 Union Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93446-9320
Suggested start times: 8:30 a.m. for 40-mile route, 9:30 a.m. for 32-mile route. Lunch at 12:30 p.m.















The Anholm Bikeway


After several years of study, public debate and numerous design revisions, the Anholm Bikeway was approved by City Council by a 3-2 vote. The vote was indicative of the lack of consensus on this controversial project. The bicycle community was divided, but so also were the residents of the Anholm District. Our Board could not reach consensus, so we did not make a formal recommendation, though several club members expressed their opinions to City Council as individuals.

The approved project, though entitled "Protected Bike Lanes", is actually a series of a a variety of bike facilities, starting out in the northbound direction on Chorro at Monterey as a shared street, transitioning to a conventional protected bike lane, followed by four blocks of protected two-way cycle tracks (on the west side of Chorro), another section of shared streets on Mission and Broad, and transitioning back to protected two-way cycle tracks on Ramona. The last leg of the project is a Class 1 bike path to Foothill through the LDS Church property. The southbound route has more protected lanes, with only the short section on Mission using shared streets. Both directions require cyclists to make three turns through intersections that are controlled by stop signs and to cross in front of dozens of driveways.

The north and south ends of this project have been approved and financed. Engineering will start soon. The more controversial "middle section" is yet to be financed and will likely not be started for a couple years.

My message to Club members is this: No bike facility, no matter how well designed, guarantees a riders safety. Our safety depends primarily on our own awareness of the hazards around us and our ability to anticipate and react to them at all times, even when we are in "protected" facilities. Secondly, our safety also depends on respecting the rules of the road and mutual respect between cyclists, drivers and the residents of the neighborhoods we ride through. At the Council meeting, one of the Anholm residents said "we welcome all who come into or pass through our neighborhood, regardless of their form of transport. We only ask that they respect the rules of the road as they travel." I really appreciated that sentiment. Now, let's do our part!

San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club

Board Meeting: Tuesday, September 4, 2018
SLO County Air Pollution Office, San Luis Obispo CA

DRAFT SUBJECT TO BOARD APPROVAL

Meeting was called to order at 5:00 pm.

Board Members Present: Susan McTaggart, Chris Broome, Marina Michel, Will Benedict, Jack Robison, Judy Kelling, Bill Martin, Ken Price.

Absent: Tim Rich, Dave Abrecht, Barry Rands and Harvey Cohon

Visitors & Guests: None

Minutes from the July 31, 2018 meeting were approved (MSC: Kelling, Price).

No board members reported having a conflict of interest with any agenda item.

Announcements/Reports
Treasurer’s update: Due to decreased registration for the Lighthouse Ride we may need to consider cutting donations. The board discussed the Bike SLO County contribution and supported maintaining our commitment for this year.
Lighthouse Update: Will reported we have just over 1,000 registrations with some cancellations and we are continuing to receive some new registrations. Permits are in place and we have about 70 people signed up for the Volunteer Festival.
Internal Control Officer report: No exceptions noted.
The Club Express Software. The club is still in the transition phase to the new software. Will discussed forums and emails and received input on who should be included and how some options should be set up. He suggested some changes to the club’s publication policies concerning the directory and email forums. The October 4 th general meeting will be dedicated to letting members know how to use the various Club Express features.
Susan discussed the follow-up meeting with airport staff regarding turbulence caused by airplane exhaust on Highway 227. There has been little fact-finding progress, but the airport is going to put slats in the fence in hopes that will reduce the problem. The club will have a follow-up meeting with them.

New Business:
Will presented an alternative method of budgeting for our Wildflower/Lighthouse rides that would associate contributions directly with each ride, so the club can better understand what the ride funds and how much the ride contributes to the club’s operating budget.
Susan will have an informal meeting with Rick Ellison the new Bike SLO County Executive Director.
Will introduced a revised policy 1.6 proposal that recognizes the club’s use of both a logo (slobc with image of bike) and seal (bike wheel with fork, spoon, etc.). The proposal was approved (MSC: Price, Kelling).
There was a discussion of whether the composition of the board should be changed. The board supported the retention of the current structure.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:30 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jack Robison, Secretary
Upcoming Events

Oct. 4
General Meeting
“Using Club Express”
Ludwick Center
7:00 p.m.

Oct. 17
Budget Meeting
Bill Martin’s house
For directions email
2:00 p.m.




Nov. 4
Autumn Pie Ride
Barney Schwartz Park
Paso Robles

Nov. 8
General Meeting
“Travels with Stu and Janie”
SLO City/County Library
7:00 p.m.

Dec. 7
Potluck dinner
details next month
Safety Message

I consider this the most important safety message for our club members health and well being.

1. Wear a bike helmet that fits properly.

2.Think of buying a new helmet every year.

3. Josh at Foothill cycle said that the new, MIP helmet does make a difference. Saying that you are the final arbiter on what helmet to buy. Ask at your favorite bike shop what they would suggest.

4. I have five helmets and change them out every three years or so. I ride five thousand miles a year now, but when I was riding 12,000 miles a year there was a lot more wear and tear on the helmets, so I bought new ones frequently. 

5. The most important body part is your brain, do not shortchange yourself, if your brain is compromised nothing else matters.

6. If your helmet hits the ground in a crash, recycle it and buy a new one that day or as soon as practicable.

7. Buying a helmet that is red, yellow, lime green or blue for visibility is a good idea as well.

If you have suggestions or ideas please pass them along to me and I will pass them to others.

Ken Price slobc safety director 805-489-9779
Treasurer's Report
Lighthouse registration money still coming in. 

As of the middle of September we have $209,709 in our checking account, $63,769 in our CD account and $5,456 in our PayPal account.

Our net income (revenue minus expenses) is $42,623

If you would like to be put on an email list to receive the club’s financial statements at the end of each month, let me know at treasurer@slobc.org and I will put you on the mailing list.

Thank you.
Your SLOBC Treasurer
Bill Martin
SLO Coaster

The SLO Coaster is the monthly newsletter of the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club. Use the Newsletter Signup Form to subscribe.

All articles, letters, stories of bicycling experiences, appropriate classified ads, artwork etc, are welcome. Each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily represent the opinion or endorsement of the SLOBC or editor.
Submittal Guidelines

All materials are due no later than 
8:00 a.m. on the 15th of each month.
Nothing will be accepted verbally. 
The editor reserves the right to edit or reject material. 

All materials should be emailed to:  newsletter-editor@slobc.org .

Submittal guidelines are found at: