1987 - Arnie Baker

The club opens 1987 with 67 members, of whom 45 are racers. It has $796.79 in the bank.

Meetings and Policies

Monthly meetings are Member meetings, not Board meetings. They are one-hour business, refreshments, and then one-hour talks and seminars. The meeting location changes from Jo Wichary’s basement to the medical offices of Arnie Baker. The club formulates and publishes: Club Goals, Directions and Perspectives. The manifesto includes overall, racing, and general sport goals. The prime directive: Promotion of Bicycling Racing for Veteran Riders. Monthly presentations include Veteran Women’s Racing by Cyclo-Vet National Medalists Genna Mayberry and Barbara Rasmussen; and Bicycle Advocacy by Gordy Shields. Liability issues are on everyone’s mind. The USCF is concerned about liability, the velodrome shuts down, and the number of road racing events declines. The club, increasing in size, and concerned about liability, contemplates incorporation. It will continue to contemplate for several years. The club is the first in the county to institute a mandatory hard-shell helmets rule on club rides. Cyclo-Vets establishes a lending library of bicycling books. Gordy Shields writes an article about loop detectors and how to trip traffic lights for Bicycling San Diego magazine.

Training Rides

Saturdays. The main club ride starts at 9:00 AM. It leaves from the Kensington Library. The ‘A’ and ‘B’ rides leave in separate directions. Both rides have designated ride leaders.

Sundays. The let’s hammer Banana Gang ride is led by Cyclo-Vet founder Lee Skeen and Allen Johnson. There is little taking of prisoners; minimal regrouping. About 25 riders show up; fewer than half a dozen riders make it back with Lee and Allen.

Wednesdays. This mid-week endurance ride is 100 miles. It leaves Del Mar’s Bike Fever, goes up the coast through Camp Pendleton to Dana Point and loops back. The group hammers, leaving at 8 AM and generally returns about 12:30 PM.

Race Promotion

The club again promotes a successful Santee Criterium. Corey Contursi is in charge. Attendance increases over 1986. Participation by Women 45+ goes from 2 to 6 racers. Participation by Men 45+ increase from 6 to 25 racers. The total prize list, mostly merchandise, subsidized by club sponsor Adams Avenue Bicycles, costs the club $62.00.

Race and Event Results

The club organizes group participation in a 125-mile ‘fun ride.’ Mexicali San Felipe attracts 38 of our club racers and weekend-warrior-riders. Cyclo-Vet racers have 3 tandems 3 singles finish in the top 20. Monthly 10-mile time trials are held at Lakeside. Cyclo-Vet Gordy Shields organizes.

National Champion Cyclo-Vet Ralph Myatt wins every time trial for 12 months in a row, generally with a time in the low 22 minutes. John Rubcic upgrades to Cat 2 on the road and Jim McCarthy upgrades to Cat 2 on the track.

Club Newsletter

The monthly club newsletter is pivotal in helping to bind club racers and non-racers alike. Doris Kibble continues to put the club newsletter together for another year. It is typewritten and dot-matrix printer material cobbled together and photocopied. Ask Adolf, a monthly politically-incorrect column of spiritual advice for the cyclist, is written by Eric Kallen. There is a monthly training column and a monthly column by the President.

The Local Cycling Scene

In the late fall, the velodrome reopens after closure due to city’s liability fears. The San Diego Bicycle Coalition forms. The club advertises for new members in San Diego periodicals.

Social Events

There are at many club social events, including a Spring Thing, Summer Picnic, and Halloween Potluck dinner. The year finishes with the now politically-incorrect Christmas party (later to become the more politically-correct Holiday party).

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