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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.
I would like to lead rides for the following reasons: 1) To share my love of cycling. 2) To promote the sport as a means of obtaining and/or maintaining overall health, both mental and cardiovascular. 3) To promote the grand beauty contained within the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.
In the Spring of 2020 I planned and completed an 8 day bicycle trip beginning in the Lehigh Valley and ending in the foothills of Western North Carolina.
Meet....John Weller:
I have been riding actively for 35+ years. I raced for approximately 20 of those years both on and off road. I now ride purely for recreation on the road, on gravel and on the mountain bike. Since the 2nd half of last year, I have been attending LWA gravel and road rides led by the likes of Dave Drummer and Bert Mukkulainen. That experience has made me want to get more involved.
I would like to share some of my favorite routes with fellow cyclists and add a more social element to my riding.
I have very good mechanical skills. I do all of my own maintenance/repair and I have built a number of bikes. I use GPS extensively. I use RideWithGPS, Strava and Trail Forks to plan out rides. I have had training in CPR and first aid, but I am currently not certified.
One of the reasons I am interested is because I don’t see many gravel rides listed in Meetup. I really enjoy gravel riding and would like to help provide more gravel opportunities.
