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Athens Bicycle Club Meeting, November 5, 2002
Present: Meredith Erlewine, Malcolm Idleman, Bob
West, Chip Krieg, Paul Schulz, Eileen Schulz, Peter Kotses, Jeremy
Krohn, Matt Lesher, Aaron Burke, Tim Creamer, Marco Deshaies, Christina
Deshaies, Don Harse
1. IMBA Membership
Athens Bicycle Club will renew its annual club membership with the
International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Cost is $35.
2. IMBA Bike Patrol
IMBA representatives have suggested to ABC club members that participating
in IMBA’s Mountain Bike Patrol program would help the club advance
its advocacy efforts locally. IMBA mountain bike patrollers receive
CPR and first aid training, and wear a special mountain bike patrol
jersey on some rides. During these rides, the mountain bike patrol
representative will help others on the trail with mechanicals or other
problems, inform about bike use and safety, and generally serve as
resources on the trail. Several club members, as well as some members
of the Ohio University Mountain Bike Team, expressed interest in participating
in this program. Additionally, Jim Schulz has expressed interest in
pursuing training that will allow him to provide the CPR and first
aid training to interested club members. Cost for the club to participate
in this program will be $30, plus $35 for each bike patroller and
cost of jersey for each patroller (approximately $35). The club will
pursue this.
3. Strouds Run State Park – trail opportunities?
A recent meeting hosted by Athens Bicycle Club at the Wayne National
Forest headquarters focused on trail access in this region. The IMBA
Trail Care Crew representatives gave a presentation, and ABC members
Peter Kotses and Tracy Kitts asked questions and discussed land use
issues with several area land managers. The upshot: the manager who
soon will be in charge of Strouds Run is very keen on turning the
current hiking trails into multi-use trails. Further meetings with
this park manager and ABC members will discuss the details. Club members
and representatives of the Ohio University Mountain Bike Team discussed
the fact that it will be very important to keep these trails if, in
fact, we gain access. In order to retain access, we’ll need
to do things like trail maintenance, bike patrol, etc., to demonstrate
our value and power in numbers.
4. Wildcat Hollow
Paul Schulz suggested that some representatives of the club again
approach Wayne National Forest officials about gaining bicycle access
to Wildcat Hollow. Details were not worked out at this meeting.
5. Future ABC Meetings
The club decided that for the time being, club officers would remain
the same. Co-Presidents: Chip Krieg and Paul Schulz; Treasurer: Peter
Kotses; Secretary: Meredith Erlewine.
The club discussed the fact that having a regular meeting place (instead
of different people’s houses each time) would promote more regular
meetings and might possibly make it easier (and perhaps even more
comfortable) for more and new people to attend. Possibilities include
the Athens City Recreation Center, Donkey Coffeehouse and Athens Public
Library. Paul Schulz, Peter Kotses and Chip Krieg, respectively, are
going to check into the feasibility of each location and report back
to the group at the next meeting (see below for time and place).
The club also decided that there are six likely subcommittees of ABC,
though each may not require activity at this time. Those areas are:
Land Access (interested members include Paul Schulz, Malcolm Idleman,
Chip Krieg, Peter Kotses, Aaron Burke and Jeremy Krohn); Web site
(Tim Creamer will continue to handle this, and Tracy Kitts also has
expressed interest); Tours; Maps; Bike Patrol (Jim Schulz has expressed
interest); and Trail Maintenance (Peter Kotses, Don Harse, Malcolm
Idleman and Chip Krieg expressed interest in overseeing these projects).
6. OU Mountain Bike Team Affiliation
OU MTB Team members Jeremy Krohn and Matt Lesher explained that they
understand the importance of continued involvement in ABC on the part
of the OU team. As we increase the amount of legal trail to ride in
the area, there is no question that students will be a major user
group, and the OU club should be and wants to be involved in the access,
maintenance, promotion and use of these trail systems.
OU and ABC members discussed that perhaps OU could have one designated
club member each year who is responsible for being a liaison between
the two clubs.
7. Map of Lake Hope Trails
Meredith Erlewine will provide Tim Creamer with an updated Lake Hope
map, along with trail notes that will provide interested users with
suggestions of several different loops to ride, so that visitors to
the club’s site can find detailed information about riding at
our pride & joy: Lake Hope!
8. Next Meeting
The next team meeting will be held Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Donkey
Coffeehouse on W. Washington Street in Athens. If the date or time
changes, Paul Schulz will do his best to contact everyone. We’ll
decide on a permanent meeting place at that meeting. |
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