2021 Board Election candidates

*VOTE HERE*

Laurens de Jong - President

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

Since May 2018, I've been the President of the AAVC. I took on this position because I love the sport of cycling. The AAVC's commitment to promote the sport of cycling for all its members is what makes this club special. We've had a Women's development program for the past few years and a Juniors' cycling program for decades. That's how I found this club in the first place: I have two children (10 and 13 years old) who actively participate in club rides and race for the AAVC. I feel fortunate that I have been able to contribute to this sport in our corner of the world.

What is your position statement?

"People, namely our club members, are the most important part of our club. If you look at 2020, nobody expected the club would have to deal with the pandemic and the social unrest that is currently affecting us all. Yet the constant is the people who love the club and love working to make the club great and successful. The President's job is about making everyone else succeed. It's a relationship job. It's about keeping the volunteers, the ride leaders, the coaches, the committee members, and the board members engaged, motivated, and happy.

What I want is a cycling club where young people feel safe and nurtured; where women feel safe and respected; where men feel safe and relevant. A cycling club that anchors our community. A cycling club that is radically free of all the negative stereotypes that taint many cycling clubs. Allez AAVC! "

Robert Noble - Board-Member-at-Large (x3)

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I’ve been cycling at club level since I was 14 and I’ve done road, TT, mountain bike, cross and triathlon.
I have a huge passion for pro road biking and my bookshelf is littered with biographies and books called things like ‘European climbs’!
I’ve been in Ann Arbor for 4 years but not very active with AAVC due to young kids.
My goal would be to set up a time trial series as there aren’t many in this area.

What is your position statement?

Massive passion for cycling.
Would love to get a TT series up and running.
Interested in helping Juniors.
Lifetime of experience.
An absolute cycling nut!
I’m British so I can amuse people with my funny sayings and pronunciation.

Kathleen Panagis - Vice President, Membership

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I have been an AAVC member for about 5 years. I started cycling with the UM cycling team, which led me to the AAVC. I enjoy riding on paved roads, gravel roads, trails, and cyclocross courses. I am an engineer and currently work as a research fellow at the University of Michigan. I'm also a new mom, so hopefully the Juniors team will have a new member in the future!

What is your position statement?

I have learned a lot about cycling and met some really great people through the club, so I want to see it continue to grow and evolve to meet the needs of Ann Arbor cyclists. Most of my experience with club events involves racing. This past year I co-directed the Spring Training Series (which didn't actually happen, but we still did a ton of planning work!). I also helped my husband run Mad Anthony Cyclocross for a couple years (RIP MACX). I am also familiar with the past challenges and some of the current solutions for tracking membership data. Based on conversations with past AAVC Secretaries, I know that tracking membership is very important for the club, but is not a trivial task. I am prepared to adapt our record-keeping system as needed.

In the future I would like the AAVC to grow as a community that supports cyclists in the Ann Arbor area. First, I would like to see continued improvements in transparency and communication within the club. The board has made great strides in this area in the past year. Second, I believe we need to focus on being welcoming and inclusive. While I think it is important to maintain support for members interested in racing, I think we should continue some of the more casual social events, like the challenges for members during COVID. I believe those are great ways to welcome new members and build a stronger community.

Michael Tjilos - Board-Member-at-Large (x3)

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

My name is Mike! I am your average Greek kid with a variety of interests including: sciences, music, nutrition, and of course -- biking. Aside from biking around town, you can usually find me at the piano, or, pursuing my academic goals.

What is your position statement?

I will dedicate my time and abilities towards maintaining the coordination and order of the club, whilst improving upon the overall functionality of the day-to-day. In addition, I will actively suggest beneficial changes and developments to push the club forward into the future. For example, I will back any developments to implementing a Men's team as I believe it would help make the club more rounded and add to the inclusiveness of the club.

Matthew Hartsough - Board-Member-at-Large (x3)

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

Hello! I've enjoyed serving as a Member at Large for the last 1.5 years and ask for your support to continue in this position for 2021. I came to Ann Arbor in 2018 to escape the hustle and bustle of a big city and raise my young family. I previously rode and raced bikes in New York City with CRCA/KruisCX. I have a passion for cyclocross and love how it rewards practiced skills as much as physical fitness (plus the race-day party great too!). I’ve been grateful to be taken in by the club and given the opportunity to provide my input on strengthening and growing our community.

What is your position statement?

I believe AAVC should continue it’s transition from pure racing to a club where everyone has a home and place to ride bikes. In 2019, I actively sought to bring together members at races, built a race-day community, and built out the Slack workspace to increase club collaboration. During 2020, I served on the Communications Committee to streamline the club’s branding and facilitated the charity matching initiative that raised over $8,000 for social justice initiatives. For 2021, I will advocate for the club to support social justice initiatives and community outreach, focusing on volunteer initiatives, and strive to bring together all members for rides and races.

Kari Alsager - Executive Vice President

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I have been riding with the club the last 6 years, and on the board the past 2.5 years. I started as a triathlete and now call myself mainly a gravel rider who is trying to get better at mountain biking! I am also active with organizing the women's racing group and looking forward to group rides and races coming back someday.

What is your position statement?

I have been on the board as Executive VP for the last few years. I bring strong organizational skills and consistent follow through to any project I take on.

Jeremy Zeigler - Vice President, Sponsorship and Publicity

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

Hello my name is Jeremy Zeigler, for those of you that don't know me I've been apart of the cycling community at varying levels here in Ann Arbor since ~2005 ... The line is blurry as I am a converted runner / triathlete and I was training with the Velo Club long before I was racing with the AAVC. Most people know me as the picture guy, always taking and sharing ride photos... Century Saturday & Metric Sunday... Ninny Muggins & Rapha 500 ... "#allridesendwithice-cream" ...tandem rides with my daughter ...it's very rare to see me on a bike without a smile.

I enjoy the sport of cycling (road/gravel/track/mountain/etc...) and enjoy sharing my love of the sport with others ...keep being Awesome! 😎👍

2020 has been a year of change to say the least and I'm looking forward to 2021. I think the AAVC did a great job of bringing a new flavor of fun by being creative with the social media games and challenges... I'd like to continue to find creative new ways to add to the fun.

What is your position statement?

Cycling has given me a lot of great experiences, as well as some amazing friends and fantastic memories over the years... "life is short enjoy the ride”. I’ve been in the area a very long time and have relationships with businesses and active members of the community that I believe will be mutually beneficial for both the community and club. I’d like the club, its good deeds and its activities to be visible to the community and celebrated.

I intend to continue the work that has been started by those before me... one of my goals is to make cycling as accessible, safe and fun as possible for new riders (beginners, juniors, women and men). If you know me you know that I'm a team player and Cycling is a team sport. I would work to create camaraderie and a supportive positive environment within the club and its teams (Juniors / Women's / Men's).

I'm looking forward to AAVC club + team events / races and re-creating the fun (post-covid). I'm also always looking for new ideas and ways to create fun challenges for everyone. We are fortunate to have such a great club, I'm looking forward to all things to come!

Joe Miessner - Treasurer

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

Current AAVC Treasurer. Former road racer but love the gravel. Recovering from surgery this year so not so many have seen me around.

What is your position statement?

I’m trained as a mathematician, but turned to computer programming, so I bring my attention to detail to the office of Treasurer. Changes? Keep things running smoothly, while finding ways to improve.

Bradley Humphrey-Stark - Secretary

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

Raced road through college, some triathlons after, now I'm into the long ultra-distance gravel scene. Long-time bike mechanic, love board games, have 2 cats, and got married this year despite Covid!

What is your position statement?

As a board-member at large for two years and assisting with various tasks & projects, I wanted to step up and take some direct responsibility. Looking to keep going with the consistent approach to minutes & keep track of tasks and future assignments. There's some tagging and organization of old minutes to help with clarifications & referencing that I reckon I can sort out. The Secretary position has proven to be a tough role to fill, and often volunteers can feel overwhelmed, I hope to find some solutions and workflows to make things easier.

AAVC LOCAL LOOPING

Much of the 2020 fall race season is cancelled, but we can still have fun riding bikes around town in places that will challenge your bike handling skills! This challenge is to ride the Ann Arbor area’s singletrack trails that make up the mythical Local Loop! For extra stoke, you could ride them on your cyclocross bike!

The AAVC Local Looping season goes from Monday Oct 19th - Sunday November 15th (4 weekends). Keep an eye out on social media, Strava, and AAVC Slack for the weekly AAVC Local Looping segments.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a current AAVC member. If you are not, sign up HERE.

• Have a STRAVA account & the username must be similar to your real name.

• Join the AAVC STRAVA club.

DETAILS

• Keep an eye out on social media, Strava, and AAVC Slack for the weekly AAVC Local Looping segments.

• Include the Strava segment in one of your rides before the end of the week (Sunday at 8pm) so you show up in the 2020 AAVC segment leaderboard. 

• Every Sunday evening, one AAVC member who has completed the segment will be selected in a raffle to win your choice of an AAVC cycling cap or a t-shirt

• It does not matter if you are the fastest or slowest for the segment. Segment time does not determine the winner. What is important to the AAVC is that you are out there riding your bike (and practicing social distancing!)

EXTRA CREDIT

• Title your Strava workout “AAVC Local Looping”

• Ride your cyclocross bike!

• Use the hashtag #AAVCLocalLooping and tag @AAVCRACING on social media, and post a photo of you/your bike on on the trail

SEGMENTS

• Week #1. Olson Park : 1st mile (1.05 miles)

  • https://www.strava.com/segments/7931207

• Week #2. Sendero Uno (1.11 miles)

  • https://www.strava.com/segments/25306512

• Week #3. Baits | Dowhill Run (0.25 miles)

  • https://www.strava.com/segments/5552061

• Week #4. Leslie’s Leslies (0.52 miles)

  • https://www.strava.com/segments/10477363

• Week #4. Barton Trail (0.91 miles)

  • https://www.strava.com/segments/1590600

Juniors: Race Report from Trek CX World Cup

“It was the day of my race, and I was ecstatic. I was ready to do the thing I had been waiting to do for over a year. “

In September 2018, four of the AAVC Juniors traveled to Waterloo, WI, to participate in the Trek CX World Cup races. It was one of the highlights of the 2018 for the juniors. Here at the AAVC, we not only develop the cycling skills and fitness of our juniors, we expect them to be good citizens. They are encouraged to write their own race reports. Anyone with school-going children knows that writing assignments are low-priority for most children. I was pleasantly surprised to receive the following race report from Ansel de Jong. Thanks, Ansel! It reminded me of the good times we had in Waterloo. Allez AAVC and allez les jeunes!

Credit: J.D. Alford

As I lay down in the hotel bed I was staying in, all I could think about was how excited I was to start the race the next day. I had been running around the house the entire month leading up to the race, and couldn’t imagine what it would bring. All I knew was that there were three people including me racing at the race. I was in the 11-12 age category, Connell was in the 13-14 category, and Michael was in the 15-16 category. Other than that, my brain was empty of all thoughts.

It was the day of my race, and I was ecstatic. I was ready to do the thing I had been waiting to do for over a year. My entire team was wearing our Ann Arbor Velo Club jerseys and shorts, which had distinct yellow and pink lines through the center. It was helpful at the time to my father and coach, for he could easily tell where we all were. We were all lined up several feet behind the start line, and we were slowly getting called up. When I heard the name Ansel de Jong ring out through the air, I moved my bike towards the start line where the officials checked to make sure that my number matched what it should be.

When the whistle finally blew, I was amazed at how fast some of the juniors were. The 18 year olds were going nearly as fast as the pros, but I forced myself to realize that some of those kids were going to become professional just a few years later. There was no reason that I should compare myself to them. In fact, a nice thing about our club was that we just did it for fun. We all knew that none of us were going to make it onto the podiums, but we were having a good time nonetheless. We were all going around the first bend of the race, and the grass began. We had a couple of flat loops before the first flyover came into view. It was incredibly steep, and people were already starting to get off and walk up it. I knew that I could ride it, but I had no room to do so. I would have to try another lap. I spent over a minute waiting for a gap to show up so I could walk up it. I finally got up to the top, clipped in, and rode down the other side. I was riding a slightly bigger bike, but it was a much better cross bike than the road bike that I had been using. Connell and I were both using club rental bikes, but I was happy to be using those instead of my road bike.

I was right behind a small kid from a team called Midwest Devo when the next obstacle came up. It was a steep hill that was only just rideable. However, making it up would lead me straight to a small rock wall. I thought I could do it, so I did. I made it up the hill, and actually managed to pass the kid in front of me, but I had to get off at the rocks. I could hear my father shouting at me as I went by. “Keep going Ansel, you can catch him!” I noticed that the kid had passed me once more, but that wasn’t the worst of it. I was starting to get a stomach cramp. That meant that I hadn’t had enough water. I continued pushing, but it was getting more difficult. When the cramp finally went away, I was coming up on the next flyover. That one wasn’t nearly as tall as the first one had been, and I was able to ride it easily. However, the kid only a few feet behind me wasn’t able to. Although he was in a different age group than me, I still really wanted to beat him. When I got to the top, it was nice to stop pedaling for a bit, but it didn’t last long. Before I knew it, I was riding on the grass again, and was approaching the next stone wall. I hadn’t seen anyone ride that one, and I knew that there was no way I would be able to do so. I got off my bike in a smooth dismount and picked my bike up over the rocks. I hopped back on, and continued riding.

Credit: J.D. Alford

The second to last obstacles on the course were the barriers. Most of the professional riders could jump their bikes over them, but almost none of the juniors could. Just as I had with the stone wall, I dismounted from my bike, jumped both barriers, and hopped back on. Once I was finally back up to speed, I noticed that the kid behind me had passed me again. I let him go, giving up on catching him for a while.

After I created the final flyover of the lap and rode through the finish, I noticed that the lap counter told me that I had just one lap left. I was happy that I wasn’t going to do any more than two laps. From then on, I started to pass some people, and I didn’t feel nearly as slow as I had before. I hoped at the time that I wouldn’t end my race in last, but I felt fairly confident that I would hold my ground and finish ahead of at least five people. Not everyone in the race was a future pro. I could only keep pedaling, and never give up. However, my legs were telling me differently. They were screaming at me as I dismounted at the front of the flyover and ran up it. I only had to wait for about 10 seconds before working my way up it. When I finally reached the big hill a quarter of the way through the lap, and I realized that the hill was easier that time. I had finally figured out what the best path was. Unfortunately, I did no better with the rocks than I had the time on my first lap. When I tried to ride over them, my pedal got caught and I lost more time than I gained after trying that.

When I finally got to the barriers, I knew I was almost done. They were the last obstacle other than the final flyover, but that was going to be easy. I nearly tripped on one of the barriers but I was able to hide my small mistake. At that point, I was telling myself that I was insanely close, and I was starting to see the final flyover coming up in the distance. I pushed down on my pedals as hard as I could, and actually managed to pass a few people on my way. I rode straight up the flyover, and felt my tires hit pavement. I went around the grass turn, and came right back onto the pavement on the other side of the metal guard rails. I sped straight under the finish line, and went almost directly off the course. My dad was there ready, and Connell and Michael had already finished. We congratulated each other and went to the tent for a bit of food.

My day ended with fun games in the hotel before going to bed after a long day of racing. From then on, I loved going to races like that, and it became a tradition to go there every year. This also made me feel the happiness of socializing at a place like that, and I realized that although it was a race, it wasn’t only about winning.

Our race reporter (second from the right) celebrates Toon Aert’s World Cup victory.

Juniors: Vets Park CX

All smiles before the race… before the hail came. (Credit: Julie de Jong)

Apocalyptic. There's a word that was expressly invented to describe the conditions during the afternoon's racing action of 2018 Vets Park CX. Rain. Wind. Hail. Lightning. You wouldn't send your dog out in weather like that. Yet, pedaling through that hell were seven of our AAVC juniors. Tough as nails. The seven riders of the apocalypse. Every one of them a hero. I am extremely proud of our little racers, as I am sure they are, and their parents are.

A brief moment of companionship for Charlie, about to be lapped by Ansel. (Credit: Ellie Callison)

I have no idea why these guys are smiling! (Credit: Julie de Jong)

Connell on his way to victory. (Credit: Ellie Callison)

Seven riders -- three of us could not start because of all the delays. If you do the math, you'll notice something: we came with 11 and we left with 12. We welcome our newest recruit, Dominic! Never raced before, shows up, and spins himself into third place as if it's easy. Well done and congratulations! First-time racer Charlie ended in fourth, second-time racer Joseph in fifth, and Gus abandoned in his second lap. They were all faster than me, though! Being out there is proof that they already are great!

First four of the 9-14 junior boys: Connell, Ansel, Dominic, Charlie.

First-time racer Katie was a gold medal winner in the 9-14 junior girls category! (credit: Julie de Jong)

The older juniors suffered, too, although they had a relatively dry race until the very end. I'm lacking podium pictures, but here we have Michael and Alex demonstrating the perils of Saturday's course. They got second and third, respectively.

Michael covered in mud, finishing second. (Credit: Fred Feng)

Cycling is suffering... (credit: Diane Talaski DeAngelis)

All told, Vets Park 2018 was epic and our juniors thoroughly enjoyed it. To prove a point, the very next day, seven riders showed up for practice. Because not even this weather is enough to scare the current crop of AAVC juniors away.

The juniors this year have really come together as a team. We started out small and as the season progressed, we picked up a few more riders. We learned to race as a team. We learned to travel together as a team. Good times were had on road trips to Kalamazoo and Waterloo. And we've learned how to be responsible citizens, too: you can always see the AAVC juniors at the end of a day of cyclocross, tearing down the course.

Our mission is to expose people aged eight to eighteen to bicycle racing in the safest, most fun and most positive manner possible. Besides teaching young riders the skills necessary to become successful bicycle racers, we also emphasize that we expect our racers to be responsible citizens. Homework, volunteering, and cycling must co-exist for AAVC Junior team members.

We practice on the road, at the velodrome, and cyclocross. Our juniors race according to interest and ability. If you have children eight or older, or know of children who are interested in cycling, contact the coach and we'll find a way to add you to the team!

Women’s Team: Detroit Cycling Championship

The AAVC Women’s Team was represented by 8 racers (including Coach Kurt’s return to masters racing!) at the Detroit Cycling Championship on July 14. It was the first true criterium experience for the team, on a course with tight corners, and a large field of 24 in the Cat 3/4/5 race.

The racers practiced their “clip in fast and get going strategy” from the Tuesday night crit practice lead by Eric and Josh, and were all able to start and stay with the main group. The course featured a tight S-turn that lead to some bike bumping in the first few minutes, and definitely took a few laps for everyone to get used to.

Everyone had things that went well for them in the race- highlights were Lauren racing her first crit and staying on the pack longer than she expected, Ty putting in some attacks off the front, and Cameron being so close to the front she wasn’t sure what to do!

It ended in a fast finish, with Kari, Christina, and Cameron coming in 7th, 8th, and 9th just behind the leaders. Ellie, Ty, and Chrissy were close behind in 17th, 18th, and 19th.

Juniors: Sylvania, BTR, and Race for Wishes.

Although our Junior racing team in 2018 seems to specialize in attending races with extreme weather conditions, June 9 was very much an exception. Many races before and after the juniors' races were rainy, but ours were held in perfect conditions. We had a great day, with good racing, and tons of fun on and off the course.

First, Sylvania: the Sylvania Cycling Classic and the Ohio State Criterium championships for juniors. We had Aidan, Ansel, and Logan racing in the juniors; they were part of a 20-strong field of little racers.

Credit: Kyle Cooper

Each of our three junior racers learned a different lesson. Aidan had a very good race; after being dropped from the larger group, he methodically worked his way back. As a reward, he was still in the main group on the last lap, and able to get second place in his age group.

Ansel also rode cleverly, staying in the same group and doing little work. He let the older, stronger, kids do the pulls and had conserved enough energy to pull of a victory -- his first USA Cycling win.

Logan, meanwhile, found himself separated from the group early on and tried to find the right pace. He was doing well, but did run out of gas a few laps before the end. Several older riders passed him, but he held on to first place in his age group. Logan's first USA Cycling win as well!

Credit: Kyle Cooper

Logan got to keep his medal, but Ansel and Aidan had to settle for podium places; being non-Ohio residents, they were ineligible for the State Championships medals. It still gives the AAVC plenty of bragging rights: all AAVC racers were faster than anyone from the state of Ohio!

Next up was the CyclingLawyer.com criterium in BTR Park in Kalamazoo. Aidan was done for the day, but Michael was able to join us (in his own age category), and so was Connell.

Credit: Catherine Keegan

Michael raced first, in a very strong 15-18 field of just six starters. Predictably, the field fractured almost immediately, and Michael had to time-trial his way to a finish. And so he did, finishing fifth, behind riders who were averaging speeds over 25 mph. 

Speaking of high speeds: the 9-14 race was torn apart quickly when the officials decided to hand out a prime just two laps into the race. Connell took the opportunity (winning the prime) to accelerate, break up the field, and never looked back.

Credit: Kyle Cooper

He kept up a hammering pace throughout and took first place uncontested, lapping everyone except second and third place. Besides first place, he also took another prime.

Behind him, it was every man for himself. In Ansel's case, that was worth fourth place (first among those lapped); while further back, Logan had run a very clever race. Learning from his race in Ohio earlier, he started out slower, then got stronger and picked off several racers. His final placing was fifth. At the line, he was sprinting (and beating) Henry Wert, who however was a lap down.

Credit:  Brian Miller

A very honorable race for Logan who had also, unwittingly, found himself racing for a prime. He happened to lap a rider just as the official was looking for a pack of riders; the next lap, Logan had distanced himself and thus earned himself a nice bike computer! What a day.

After all that racing, the AAVC racers and parents decided to enjoy the Kalamazoo brew scene with excellent food at Bell's Brewery. And then the strangest thing happened. . . 

Credit: Kyle Cooper

A game of Flamme Rouge broke out in the hotel! Now that is proof that the Ann Arbor Velo Club Junior Development Team is about fast fun for the family. I can't recall who won, but none of us who played it will ever forget the strange tactics that somehow gave Logan a podium place finish. Keep playing those 9's, Logan!

The final race of the weekend was the 13-mile Race for Wishes in nearby Lawton. It was a completely different experience from Saturday. One, we went back to having extreme weather: a complete downpour just before the race start prompted Logan to take a DNS. He and Ansel were shivering uncontrollably and Logan took the better part of the race time just to warm up in my car.

Connell and Ansel did give it a go. There were only eight racers in a field that put the 10-year-olds with the 17-year-olds. Predictably, Connell finished ahead of Ansel. Both had to work hard to grind their way to the finish. Fifth for Connell, Eighth for Ansel.

And so concluded, in rather fizzling fashion, a very fun and memorable race weekend for the AAVC juniors. Sadly, it was Logan's last race with us, as he has now moved west to California. He'll still be an AAVC member and soon will race in AAVC colors. To show the other teams over there how it's done. Allez AAVC!

Women’s team: BTR Criterium and Race for Wishes Road Race

The AAVC women continued the trend of racing in extreme weather (this time heavy rain instead of scorching heat) at the SW Michigan Cycling Weekend June 9 and 10, at the BTR Criterium and the Race for Wishes Road Race.

The Women’s 4/5 Crit was delayed by lightning, but once it started it was a fast pack of 11 riders. Chrissy, Allison, Ty, Kari, and Christina had the largest team in the group, and worked to try and tire out the Team Clark Logic riders. Allison and Ty put in lots of attacks, Kari tried way too long of a lead out, and Christina finished a very close 2nd in a photo finish sprint! When it was over we were all very happy that the race did happen, and Coach Kurt really wished he had brought rain boots along.

Sunday was the Race for Wishes, and an ever-rainier day. Allison, Chrissy and Ty earned the most character points of the weekend for warming up and starting their 4/5 race of 25 miles in a torrential downpour. Chrissy and Ty both met their goals of catching back up to the pack with hard efforts, and Allison ended up on the podium in 3rd!

Christina, Kari, and Tracy entered the cat 1/2/3/4 race of 50 miles and were lucky that the rain had stopped for this race. The pace started slow, but the Cat 2/3 riders in this race kept slowly increasing the pace up the hills. Tracy and Kari both held onto the main pack for longer then they both though they would, but eventually fell off the pace. Christina stayed with a large chase group and finished well.

Everyone walked away from the races satisfied with their hard efforts and with a few things they want to work on improving for their next race. Unfortunately, we missed riding with Maddie at the Race for Wishes, as she was hit by a car Saturday night. We are sad she was injured, but thankful it was not more serious. We are looking forward to her recovery and seeing her back on the bike for training when she is ready. As a team we appreciate our health and opportunity to ride, but are aware that things change quickly on the road, often due to inattentiveness and sometimes recklessness of others. Please do all you can to keep yourself and each other safe out there!