Salem Bicycle Club
General Meeting Minutes
April 9, 2024 6 pm to 7:30 PM
Painter’s Hall
1) Minutes Approval – March minutes were approved unanimously
2) Treasurer’s Report – Rob Gramenz reports that currently the club assets stand at $35,443.00
. We have about $10,000 in our money market account and so far, have taken in about $20,000 for the 2024 Monster Cookie, with most bills yet to be paid on that.
3) Membership Update – Julie Glass reports that we are doing well with 274 members and 20 new members in the last 90 days. She is sending out reminder emails for renewals as well as welcome emails with links to upcoming activities and rides.
4) Spokes update – Dan Shryock reports that Spokes is doing well. They are featuring one member per issue and Jakey Ross was interviewed for the last edition. The open rate for Spokes is about 75% and we have more than 600 subscribers.
5) Rides Committee – Tim Newman reports that the ride committee is doing well. They are adding a second Sunday ride at 9 AM. It will generally be a duplicate of the 1:30 ride but will be good as an option for people who want to ride earlier to avoid the heat or because they have other afternoon plans.
6) Bike Safety – Rob Gramenz led a brief discussion about bike safety, especially about how to adjust positions when riding abreast in traffic and calling all clear at intersections (or not calling it). Some suggestions were made to email all Monster Cookie registrants with a Road Etiquette guide for group and event rides. Making up a sign for sag vehicles reminding riders to show courtesy and follow the rules of the road was also suggested. Also, making sure that participants acknowledge an understanding of the rules of the road and bike etiquette when signing waivers was suggested.
7) Volunteer Update – Jillian was not able to be present, but she reported that we are in generally good shape for volunteers. We need at least one more route marker and perhaps more pre-ride sweepers. A discussion was had about combining route markers and sweepers, but John Pink felt strongly that they were two separate jobs and shouldn’t be combined. We also will likely need more route monitors, but the final route plans have yet to be determined.
8) Monster Cookie 2024 – Ken Freeman and Debbie Miller reported that things are moving along well. The final ODOT and Marion County requirements are to come but are close. The lunch stop had to be changed from Benedictine to Mt Angel Middle School due to inaccessibility to Benedictine due to plowing and construction. Safety concerns especially in HWY 99 were discussed and Ken is considering a staggered wave start at McNary to spread out riders at the crossing.
9) Guest Speaker – Dan Shryock gave an excellent presentation on his new book, “Cycling Across Oregon”. This book follows a group of friends as they accomplished their goal of riding each of Oregon’s 17 scenic byways in a single year. Really a fascinating look at our state from the lens of a group of cyclists.