January 2025 Top Talk

Greetings! Ann Morrow here, your newly re-elected president.

I ran for the office of president again because I believe in Portland Bicycling Club. It’s a good organization and there are many wonderful members who help make cycling fun. The primary objective of the club is to support cycling, and to me that means bike rides. We also try to raise money for ourselves and others through our own Pioneer Century®, and by coordinating the Finish Line for Cascade Bicycle Club’s Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic in July. These are big undertakings, but we have managed them over the last few decades, and I am confident we can do it again in 2025.

I can assure you that I don’t have all the answers, nor do I have a crystal ball to tell me where cycling in general is going; and therefore, where we, as a club, should be headed. This is a democratic club, and I rely on the executive board to help guide decisions. Your PBC board is a responsible, sensible group of cyclists who care about you and the club. Don’t hesitate to talk to any one of them (login required) about concerns, ideas, or complaints.  ✎  Also, leave a comment for me below.

As an individual, you may be setting cycling goals for 2025. This may be a year you want to ride the Seattle to Portland or another challenging bike ride. Some may have set goals like riding your very first century or a century each month or 10 centuries during the year. Others want to improve their ability to climb hills or ride longer distances. Lots of members want to achieve a “club mileage” goal, such as 500 miles or 2,000 miles in 2025. Several of us have the goal of buying an e-bike in the new year. Your club is here to help.

I see one of the many benefits of club membership as the camaraderie of other riders. We may have differences, but we have cycling in common. Sure, you can Google this stuff, but nothing beats a conversation with other cyclists about the above-referenced goals and how you might try to achieve them. Not to mention, some of those same people will ride along with you and encourage you. Even AI hasn’t got that going for it.

Thank you for this privilege to serve PBC as president once again.

Ann Morrow, President

To read the Quick Releases newsletter associated with the January 2025 Top Talk, go to Table of Contents.