Latest News

This is our online newsletter area, where you will find news articles, classified ads, club announcements, and other items of interest to LWA members. Instructions on how to subscribe and how to submit an article can be found on the LWA documents page.

Wanted: Donut Derby Raffle Prizes

Hello Members!

Donut Derby 2023 will soon open registration. It is only four and 1/2 months away!

As Raffle Chairperson, I am now on the hunt for raffle prizes. Last year we were fortunate with many great donations --  cycling items, gift cards, members crafted goods, wine, and more.

If you have something to donate for this year's Donut Derby Raffle, e-mail me at kath.crampton@gmail.com or call 484-357-0261.

Thank You!

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LWA Club Picnic returns this coming Saturday

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Hello Lehigh Wheelmen,

A reminder that this year the annual picnic returns to its historic home at Covered Bridge Park in South Whitehall. So mark Saturday Aug. 6 on your calendars, with a rain date of Sunday Aug. 7. We'll have rides (hopefully at all levels) leaving from the park in the morning at times, depending on the ride speed and distance, timed to get back to the park in time for the 12:00 pm picnic. The club will provide some standard picnic fare like hamburgers, hot dogs and plant-based burgers and cold drinks. Please bring a covered dish (salad, side dish or desert) to share with club members.

We'll need volunteers to lead some rides, so post if you're willing to lead a ride. Please sure you can be available for the rain date if necessary. We'd like to have A, B, C and D ride leaders. 

Also we'll need a few of people to help with setting up the pavilion, manning the grills, and cleanup. So reply for that below if you're willing to help out!

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Big Raffle Prize for Donut Derby 2022!

What a great prize for our Donut Derby Raffle! 
 
Gran Fondo Hincapie has donated one GOLD VIP 2023 Lehigh Valley Registration, valued at $1000! Package includes registration, jersey, bib shorts, vest, socks, arm and knee warmers and gloves, Saturday VIP parking and breakfast, priority staging at the Start, post ride massage, and lunch!
Link to the Gran Fondo event:
Link to the 2022 LWA Donut Derby, to register and to purchase tickets: https://www.bikereg.com/lwa-donut-derby

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Donut Derby 2022 Raffle Prizes

The 2022 Donut Derby is just around the corner, September 5 Labor Day!
 
Your host, the Lehigh Wheemen will once again be raffling some amazing prizes. Tickets can be purchased with your registration to ride, https://www.bikereg.com/lwa-donut-derby. You may also purchase raffle tickets alone if you choose not to ride.
It is best to stay on site day of the Donut Derby to collect your prize, as they will not be shipped.
Here is a peek at just some of the exciting donations we have received for the raffle so far. If you would like to contribute a raffle item, please contact Kathy Crampton at kath.crampton@gmail.com or Bert Mukkulainen at bmukku@ptd.net . 
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June Reminders

There are two fun days planned for Lehigh Wheelmen this month of June.

On June16, we have been invited to meet up with and welcome a group of true adventurers passing through the Lehigh Valley. Overall, these cyclists will ride a 23-day, 1,070 mile triangle tour of the 9/11 Memorials in each of the three cities directly impacted by events that September 11. Their journey will start at the Pentagon, ride to Flight 93 memorial near Shanksville, then over to NYC, then back to the Pentagon. They will pass through our area mid-tour, on June 16, as they ride from Reading to Easton, and they would appreciate support from the Lehigh Wheelmen. We will also host lunch for these riders as they make a rest stop at the Velodrome.

This is a "guinea pig" route for the volunteers, with hopes to shift the Tour to encompass the 9/11 week itself a few years from now.

A few days later, on Saturday June 18, we have the rescheduled Blessing of the Bikes. LWA member Pastor Larry Pickens will once again perform a “Blessing of the Bikes” at Ziegel Church at 9:00am. Afterwards, rides of various level will depart. 

We hope that you can attend one or both of these events! See Meetup postings for details.

 

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CPR and First Aid

At our recent Members meeting on April 27, our guest speaker, First Aid and CPR Instructor Earl Ostrander, updated attendees on current CPR guidelines. 

First Aid was only briefly touched upon and will be the topic of a future Member meeting. However, Earl did review the need for cyclists -- and Ride Leaders in particular -- to assemble a small pack of supplies in case of treatable injury, i.e a fall and bleed situation. 

This "Crash Pack" would be a small stock of supples you could carry in either a back pocket or bar bag. A pre-packaged kit was given to some Ride Leaders a few years ago as a recognition gift. It is certainly time to refresh those dried-up supplies inside! You may assemble your own pack using a zip-lock baggie. Here are some items to include:

  • latex-free gloves--size L to fit over your cycling gloves
  • assorted bandages
  • gauze
  • antiseptic wipes and/or iodine pads
  • adhesive tape
  • extra zip bag for used supplies
  • individually packaged acetaminophen.

This list of items is a good idea for any rider to have on hand.

REMEMBER: Assess the situation before treating anyone. If needed, e.g. head injury or loss of consciousness or breathing -- call 911.

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LWA 3rd Annual Cycling Skills Course, April 30

This course will be instructed by Craig Lambert, a current LWA Ride Leader and retired professional cyclist. Meet at Jaindl Elementary School, Cetronia side parking lot.

This is a class geared toward bike handling skills, this class is not just for new riders. We all think we have great abilities on the bike until we don't. There are so many things that can get us out where we play hopefully learning or improving on some skills will keep us all safer from including motorist, your buddy not paying attention to what their doing or just yourself. 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This is a FREE event for all LWA Wheelmen dues-paying club members. There is a $15 fee for all non-member attendees that includes LWA Membership for 1-year.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO LEARN:
All participants will be able to build on their current skill level while learning new ones, making you a better and safer road rider. Skills that Craig might cover include: straight line riding, lines and speeds through turns, side by side riding, braking, positioning on the bike, communication, balance and bike handling.

WHAT YOU WILL EXPERIENCE:
Be prepared for a challenging in-the-saddle, hands-on the bars, instructional day that is filled with game-based activities that allow you to practice riding concepts and demonstrate your mastery.

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Wanted: New Ride Leaders

Hello Lehigh Wheelmen members.
The weather has gotten warmer and friendlier to cyclists!  The LWA is looking for new Ride Leaders. Here is your chance to volunteer your time and skills in a way that makes the club precisely who we are.
Road rides make up the majority of our group rides, and we are always in need of leaders for day or evening events. But trail, mountain biking, and gravel rides — these are areas the club would like to see become more of a presence and we need those led as well.
Here is what you will do:
  • Must be a dues-paying member of the Lehigh Wheelmen Association.
  • Answer a short questionnaire.
  • Take an online tutorial that I will send you.
  • Co-host a ride with a current Ride Leader, offering a chance to have any of your questions answered.
Email me at kath.crampton@gmail.com and I can get you started.
Kathy Crampton
LWA VP Touring

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Get to Know the New Ride Leaders, part 5 ~~ Patty Wilson and Sebastian Villamil

Here is the final installmemnt of our series to let you know about our newest LWA Ride Leaders.

The LWA has now had ten members become Ride Leaders since the Spring. You may have already met some of them on a recent ride. All have filled out a questionnaire as part of the process, and here we share some of their answers (some edited) with our cyclists.

1) Meet Patty Wilson:

I love gravel rides but around here it's usually paved roads with some gravel segments. Sometimes I'll ride on a rail trail or canal path, and occassionally on some easy mtb trails. I love hills but I'm a slow cyclist, typically riding 11-13 mph depending on the terrain.
I started cycling to improve fitness in 2012 - first with a hybrid bike and then went to a gravel bike in 2015. I'm a year-round cyclist, fall/winter is my favorite time of the year to ride (I know most people think that's strange!) I've participated in regular group rides with CBBC but not so much in the past few years as I've been training for the Unbound gravel 200 mile event that will take place in Kansas in early June. I've been riding about 4000-5000 miles a year plus a lot of sessions on the trainer. My longest ride has been 150 miles.
I like to encourage cycists of all levels, and to have fun in a social group setting. Also to promote more inclusivity in cycling. I've participated in some gravel events, group rides, and training camps in the mid-west and it was so nice how friendly and encouraging other cyclists have been. There really is a "gravel community". I'd like to pass some of that along.   I recently moved to Pennsburg and am looking forward to riding with LWA. 
2) Finally, for this season's group of new Ride Leaders, Meet Sebastian Villamil (aka Soby).

I started cycling in 2019 as a way to get back into fitness and lose weight. So far, I’ve been successful at losing over 40 pounds of weight and I am still fighting to maintain a healthy lifestyle and lose some more. Cycling has always been a part of my life but recently I have become more passionate about the sport as it combines adventure, fitness, and fellowship. The type of rides I enjoy the most are long distance with moderate climbing. I make part of two rides every week for the Fitness Central club, TNSR (Tuesday Night Stress Reliever) ride and Covered Bridge C group ride on Thursday. I also like to participate in various organized rides, most recently I rode the metric century French Creek Iron tour and will be riding the 100 mile ride of the Covered Bridge Classic in Lancaster, PA., and the city to shore ride for MS.

I would like to be a ride leader to assist in keeping planned rides from becoming cancelled due to the ride leader's absence when they are absent due to vacation, injury, or any other personal reason. I would like to become a ride leader as well to be better educated in safety when serving as a ride leader to other cyclists and help support and improve the sport in the Lehigh Valley.

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Get to Know the new Ride Leaders, part 4 ~~ Amanda Whittington and Hali Goldman

Here is continuation of our series to let you know about our newest LWA Ride Leaders.

The LWA has now had ten members become Ride Leaders since the Spring. You may have already met some of them on a recent ride. All have filled out a questionnaire as part of the process, and here we share some of their answers (some edited) with our cyclists.

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Get to Know the new Ride Leaders, part 3 ~~ Andy Samuels and John Weller

Here is continuation of our series to let you know about our newest LWA Ride Leaders.

The LWA has had nine members become Ride Leaders since the Spring. You may have already met some of them on a recent ride. All have filled out a questionnaire as part of the process, and here we share some of their answers (some edited) with our cyclists.

Meet....Andy Samuels:

I rode bicycles as a means of transportation here in the Lehigh Valley as a teenager. As an adult, I got back into cycling in 2006. I am a member of RUSA and like randonneuring. My favorite type of cycling is climbing although I am quite slow. 

When I plan routes, I like to stay as far away from automobile traffic as I can get. In the past few years I have been riding on trails more often.

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Get to know the new Ride Leaders, part 2 ~~ Karl Peters and Denny Snyder

Here is continuation of our series to let you know about our newest LWA Ride Leaders.

The LWA has had nine members become Ride Leaders since the Spring. You may have already met some of them on a recent ride. All have filled out a questionnaire as part of the process, and here we share some of their answers (some edited) with our cyclists.

Meet.... Karl Peters:

This is the start of my 3rd season of road riding, having been a rail trail rider for many years. From Bethlehem, I usually drive to the velodrome and ride from there. I have been on many LWA and FC rides and learned to love the roads from Ttown to Kempton. I still ride trails occasionally, but now it is mostly roads. Last year I rode 3500 miles.

I have enjoyed many group rides and would like to share that with other riders and hopefully find some new riders. Some of it is a ‘giving back’ mindset as there seems to be a need.

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Get to know the new Ride Leaders -- Kathie Zapotoki and Ryan Bratt

The LWA has had nine members become Ride Leaders since the Spring. You may or may have met some of them already. All have filled out quesionnaires as part of the process, and I would like to share some of their answers with our cyclists. (Some edited)

First to meet..... Kathie Zapotoki:

1.) Tell us about your riding history, the type of rides you go on.
I have been riding bikes for over 45years and raced bikes on both the road and the track. I started racing at the velodrome with the very first race at the velodrome in 1976. I raced with a women’s team out of New Jersey for ~10years and we traveled to races throughout the United States.

Today I ride mostly B- rides and just want to enjoy the ride.

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Covid Restrictions Update, May 31, 2021

Pennsylvania will lift all Covid-19 restrictions, except for the order to wear a mask in public, on Memorial Day, May 31.

The LWA Board has decided that ride participant numbers will no longer be limited to 12. However, it is strongly recommended that the practice be continued, and that additional ride leaders and separate groups be provided when the number reaches 12+. 

Rider total will be posted at the Ride Leader's discretion/comfort level.

Remember -- The virus has not disappeared. Not all are able or wish to be vaccinated. With that in mind:

  • Continue to bring a mask to wear for entry into commercial establishments at rest stops, and to protect the unvaccinated when not social distancing.
  • Please stay home or ride solo if you have any COVID-19 symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been recently exposed to someone that has COVID-19.
  • If you develop symptoms or test positive within a week of a group ride, please contact a Board member for contact tracing efforts.

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RE: Road Closures

There are many road crews out there, and tar and chip is occurring as well. We ask that you respect "Road Closed" signs as best as you can.

In words sent to me by one of our valuable Ride Leaders, "Just because it is possible to ride through it doesn’t mean that we should. I’ve been on a number of rides where the group just blasted through anyway, and that is not a way for us to make friends with the road crews, whose job is tough enough without us in the mix."

Know your routes, approach slowly and ask permission if necessary, then be prepared to take detours. 

Thank you, ride on.

Kathy Crampton, LWA VP Touring

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Blessing of the Bikes

LWA Board member Rev. Larry Pickens perfomed a Blessing of the Bikes at Ziegels Church on May 1, 2021. God was asked to hear our prayers covering all aspects of cycling -- for the bikes and their many parts, for the safety and fitness of the humans that ride them, for protection from the winds and sunrays that all encounter, and more. 

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Cycling and First Aid

 

Hello Riders!

The snow is melting, the days are getting warmer, the sun is staying up longer. A busy ride season is just around the corner.

At our Zoom member meeting on February 24, our guest speaker, Earl Ostrander, presented us with a review of First Aid. Covered situations included head injury, bleeding, sprain and fracture, heat exhaustion and stroke, loss of tooth, frostbite, and when to call the ambulance. If you were unable to attend, it might be a good time to review this matter in any way you can on your own.

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Ride Leader Recognition

The Virtual Holiday Party was held on December 6. Ride Leaders who led greater than or equal to 10 rides from December 2019 through November 2020 were recognized. Their names appear here. This year, in appreciation from the Lehigh Wheelmen, they will recieve gift cards to their preferred Local Bike Shop. An email will be forthcoming.

Our Ride Leader of the year is Tom Donnelly, with 53 rides.

THANK YOU to ALL of our Ride Leaders !

Tom Donnelly               53

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Cycling 2020

It has been an interesting year to be the Lehigh Wheelmen Touring VP…An interesting year in general! 

We are well into Fall, and I wish to thank many of our outstanding Ride Leaders. We have some who have chosen to sit out the season in light of Covid concerns. Others have taken on the task with the LWA mitigation guidelines in full effect.

 

Thank you also to our riders! Your patience as we learned how to deal with a pandemic did not go unnoticed. It was a challenge in the beginning, but your Board Members found suitable solutions in an effort to keep us safe.

As of Oct 1, with ride sheets still arriving and data being updated, below are the Ride Totals over the shortened season thus far. So very appreciated!

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Our 2023 Flagship Events

 

LWA Eastern Shore Weekend 2023

Rides Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 5-7

 

Donut Derby 

 The Donut Derby for 2023 is on for Labor Day, September 4th, 2023

Registration opens May 15th!

 

 

 

LWA Apparel

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The LWA clothing store is currently closed.  It will re-open periodically.  Club members will be emailed when this happens.