Table of Contents
- President's Message
- SAVE THE DATE! SCU Annual Picnic - Saturday, September 20, 2025
- SCU Rides to Support Our National Parks
- DVBC Brandywine Tour - August 24, 2025
- UPDATE - Tabora Farm Repair Stand
- Interested in Leading Rides?
- SCU IS NOW ON INSTAGRAM!
- SCU Ride Guidelines (and safety reminder)
- SCU eBike Policy
- Reminder of Member Benefits
- Online Club Resources
- Regional Events Calendar and Mileage Log
- New Members
- Executive Committee Meeting Schedule (Members Welcome)
- SCU Executive Committee
|  | President's Message
August 2025
It's August. The 'dog days' of summer are upon us. Rides are getting modified to avoid the heat, sometimes even canceled when the safety dictates. But cyclists know how to roll with the seasonal punches. By the end of the month, the days will be noticeably shorter and cooler. Meanwhile, stay cool and keep hydrated.
I recently returned from a bike camping tour of the Finger Lakes with Adventure Cycling. Aside from enjoying the trip itself, I was once again amazed how cycling brings people together. Not only did I make 11 new biking friends from all over the country, and get to chat with local cyclists we crossed paths with, I met all kinds of people along the way. Every time we stopped, people wanted to talk to us about our trip. Some shared their own bike touring adventures, others wanted to learn about our trip. The conversations often veered to more general topics; Where are you from? How are you doing today? Every time this happened, I felt my life a little bit more enriched. In some ways having a touring bike is an even better ice breaker than walking a dog because nobody is cautious about getting bit.
Closer to home, good things are still happening. Recently the foundation for a bike repair station was installed at Tabora Farm in a cooperative project between the owner, Suburban Cyclists Unlimited, Bicycle Club of Philadelphia and Central Bucks Bicycle Club. The repair station itself is ready to be bolted down soon. Kudos to Thomas McAdams for his patience and perseverance in making this project a reality. Stay tuned for a special ride and dedication ceremony. We have a date for our Annual Picnic: September 20. This will be a special occasion because we will be inviting our friends from CBBC just as they invited us to their their picnic in June. Early planning has begun for next year's Best of Bucks Metric. The tentative date (pending approval by DVU) will again be the Saturday before Mother's Day, May 9. Last year everyone, riders and volunteers, had a good time and we added nearly $8,000 to the club coffers. These funds support the club's mission of promoting recreational cycling, including all our social activities. Don't miss the MAC (Member Appreciation Celebration) for your favorite ride site. Food! Beverages! Friends!
Steve "Oh, the places you'll go." Muth
SCU President
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This year we will host Central Bucks Cycling Club as our guests!
When:
Saturday,September 20, 2025
Pre-Picnic Multi-Level Group Rides Start 9:00am
Picnic (lunch served): 12:00 - 2:30pm
Where:
College Settlement Camp (Overnight Camp Side - Davies Hall)
597 Witmer Road
Horsham, PA 19440
Join us for a fun day of riding, games, eating and best of all - hanging out with your SCU and CBBC pals!!
More details to follow!
| Left to right: Katie Hunt, Min Lee, Wes Wolf, Andrew Nathans, Linda McGrane, Steve Muth, Eric Newman, Bob Doyle, Curtis Schwartz, Bryce Uytiepo, Scott Siegfried, and Sean Cullen. Not in photo: Jeff Kochanowicz.
| SCU Rides to Support Our National Parks
A baker's dozen of SCU-er's rode from Centre Square Park to a picnic held at Valley Forge National Historical Park by the local chapter of the Sierra Club. The event was held to celebrate all the benefits of VFNHP and to demonstrate support for the National Park system. The Sierra Club provided food, games, bike rides, and hikes as well as several speakers on the topic of the Park system and the opportunities it provides for outdoor recreation. Kudos to Katie and Wes for planning and leading the ride to the event. | DVBC Brandywine Tour - Sunday, August 24, 2025
Delaware Valley Bicycle Club (DVBC) will host their 49th Annual Brandywine Tour on Sunday, August 24 starting at Charles F. Patton Middle School in Kennett Square, PA. The event will feature routes of 18, 33, 50, 66 and 100 miles through low-traffic, scenic Chester County roads with well-stocked rest areas. Event information and links to register can be found at https://dvbc.org/bwt
| UPDATE - Tabora Farm Repair Stand
The foundation for the repair station is in place at Tabora Farm on Upper Stump Road in Chalfont. The station itself is on hand and needs only to be bolted down. For the time being you will need to bring your own tools in and pump, like Steve did, but we expect that will be rectified shortly!
| Interested in Leading Rides?
Our ride leaders truly make it happen for SCU! They are the reason we have such a vibrant club with so many choices of rides across all levels.
If you would like to try leading rides for SCU, please contact the Ride Leader Coordinator, Curtis Schwartz, at rides@suburbancyclists.org and he can provide more information to start you on your way!
| SCU IS NOW ON INSTAGRAM!
Follow SCU on Instagram for images and news from the club and our growing cycling community!
| The SCU Ride Guide (and Safety Reminders)
- Arrive ten to 15 minutes early and Be Prepared To Leave On Time! The starting times are actual departure times
- Make sure your bike is in proper working order Before you arrive
- Carry a spare tube, patch kit, pump, water bottle, and some form of I.D. (emergency information)
- Ride in a safe manner and obey all traffic laws
- The wearing of a helmet (ANSI and/or Snell approved) is Required on all club rides
- Do not "Bike off" more than you can do. Go on rides within your ability, interest and experience
- Each rider assumes his or her own risk on all rides
- Those who ride ahead of the group are on their own ride
- Always notify the ride leader when leaving the group
- Riders should adhere to the advertised speed of the ride
- Ride leaders are not expected to be bike mechanics
- During Winter months or questionable weather conditions, please contact the ride leader
- If it is raining at the start time, then the ride is canceled unless otherwise noted by the ride leader
- Have fun riding your bike.
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Hello SCU Riders !!!
Passing along a few safety reminders and points we all need to be aware of on our group rides...
- Please always use a red tail light - even during the day - for visibility since it does make you more visible. You need to be visible and conspicuous on the road. Especially if you have a bright red tail light of close to 100 lumens. Please see what you have and make changes if necessary. If you do not have a rear red tail light, please get one. Using a front white light helps even more with being seen.
- While passing another rider, ALW\AYS pass on their left side and ALWAYS announce that you are passing them on their left. If - for a very rare reason - you are on a riders right side need or need to pass a rider on their right, ALWAYS announce that also. Otherwise it is not a good idea to ever pass or even ride directly on the right side of a rider in front of you. If you are on a riders' right side, stay well behind them and still let them know you are there.
- And while we are talking about trailing a rider, please avoid "half-wheeling" the rider in front of you for any reason. Either on their left or right if they are in front of you.. This occurs when your front wheel overlaps the rear wheel of the rider in front of you. Sometimes the shoulders of roads are narrow and this will make for a dangerous situation when cars are passing.
- When someone yells out "CAR BACK" we should all be looking to immediately form a single line of cyclists as quickly and as safely as possible and not ride two abreast in the lane the cars are in. This should be the case regardless of the width of the shoulder. The narrower the shoulder, the more we should be aware of this condition. A safe way of doing this is, if you are the rider on the right of the two-abreast, allow the rider on your left to get in front of you. that way the left side rider is not drifting back toward the oncoming and approaching car and gtets out of the way quicker..
- When coming to a light and there is a right-hand turning lane and you are going straight, stay to the right in the lane in the direction you are travelling. Do not veer right into that lane and then jump back into the lane where you are going straight. One of the best ways to be safe it to be "Predictable" and "Conspicuous"
Thank you Thom McAdams for the reminder!
| SCU eBike Policy
More information will be explained and distributed at SCU club rides by the ride leaders, but below describes the 3 categories of e-bikes and what is allowed on club rides. As the popularity of eBikes increases both in general and in SCU, we welcome the use of them on club rides but need to be aware of limitations and what is allowed.
Summary:
Electric bikes shall be permitted on club rides only as covered by the club's insurance policy and as consistent with local, state and Federal laws. The Treasurer shall determine the club's insurance coverage regarding electric bikes. A summary of this coverage and any changes to it shall be communicated to membership by the Digital Communications Director and directly communicated to ride leaders by the Ride Director. The ride sign-in sheet shall be revised and updated as needed to indicate this coverage.
- Only pedal assist eBikes (Classes 1 and 3) will be allowed on club rides.
- As SCU club rides cross into multiple states (PA, NJ, DE), it is critical we adhere to the regulations of all 3.
- If you have questions, please contact the SCU executive team or talk to your ride leader.
3 Classifications - eBikes
- Allowed: A “class 1 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
- Not Allowed: A “class 2 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
- Allowed: A “class 3 electric bicycle” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour, and is equipped with a speedometer.
When considering purchasing an eBike, it is important to understand the laws in your state and the type riding you want to do, including if bringing it on a SCU club ride (which again, we enjoy having them).
Thank you,
SCU Executive Team |  | As membership director, I want to welcome back all of our SCU members who have renewed their memberships and I am encouraging our non-members to join our ranks! We are excited to have over 1,800 cyclists in our Meetup Group but we would be even more excited to have more of the group become dues-paying SCU members. Our membership fee is one of the best bargains around!! So what are the benefits you will receive with your SCU membership you may ask?
Here are just a few:
- Insurance coverage if an accident occurs while participating in a SCU ride
- Access to all SCU events including the SCU picnic, awards banquet, tailgate parties and many more events that occur throughout the year
- Discounts at designated local bike shops and SCU Century / Summer Event rides
- Monthly newsletter
And most importantly...supporting our cycling community especially our experienced and dedicated ride leaders who work hard at providing our club members with the best and safest routes throughout the region that accommodates various rider abilities.
The SCU membership fees help to sustain our club so please consider becoming a member today! To join our club, click https://suburbancyclists.org/. Please feel free to reach out to me at membership@suburbancyclists.org or any of our Executive Committee if you have any questions or comments.
Hope to see you on the road!
Pat Butcher
Membership Director | Online Club Resources
As a reminder, there are other online resources available to you to fully enjoy your club membership:
- Meetup.com: Look for the Suburban Cyclists Unlimited (SCU) Meetup page to learn about and sign up for group rides.
- Facebook: Visit the Suburban Cyclists Unlimited page to hear about the latest club news or pictures and adventures from club rides.
- Instagram: Check SCU on Instagram for images and news from the club and our cycling community.
| Regional Events Calendar & Mileage Log | | Regional Events Update
Be sure check Jack Elias' famous Calendar of Regional Events for an updated, chronological list of regional events. Jack is updating the list as information is provided.
This calendar is presented by Suburban Cyclists Unlimited and lists recreational bicycle events that take place in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, and start within approximately 150 miles of Horsham, Montgomery County, PA.
| | Mileage Tracker and
Universal Mileage Logs are available
The universal mileage log features include:
- A universal log that is good for any year.
- An automatic summation of mileage and number of rides and computation of the average ride distance.
- Displays six charts of mileage, number of rides and average distance.
- The mileage logs can be found in the Documents Library on the SCU website.
- Go to SCU's Documents Library and scroll down to "Ride Documents" and “Mileage Log”.
| | | All Members Welcome at Executive Committee Meetings!
For 2025, Executive Committee meetings are held every third Thursday (normally) of the month and are posted to the Meetup ride calendar. All members are invited to participate in the discussions or share thoughts and ideas. Meetings are held via Zoom. If you RSVP to the Meetup or send an email to president@suburbancyclists.org, a Zoom link and an agenda will be sent to you shortly before the meeting. If you have something specific to share, you will be put at the top of the agenda so you can be heard without waiting through the routine business. Meetings are posted in MeetUp.
Hope to see you there! | President
Steve Muth
Secretary
Helen Muth
Treasurer
Savannah Lee
Digital Communications Director
Kevin Olsavsky
Membership Director
Pat Butcher
Public Relations Director
Linda A. McGrane
Ride Leader Director
Curtis Schwartz
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Regional Calendar Editor
Jack Elias
Merchandise Manager
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