2025 Annual Volunteers Dinner at Marco Polo!

 
The Salem Bicycle Club is excited to invite our volunteers to our Annual Volunteers Dinner, an evening dedicated to honoring you and celebrating all that we have accomplished together. Please join us as we come together as a community to reflect, enjoy good company, and look forward to another great year.

Event Details
Date: January 11, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Marco Polo Global Restaurant
Reservations Required (Seating is limited to 60 guests)
27.50 per person

This year’s dinner will feature a carousel of pictures, looking back fondly at all our moments and milestones from 2025. In addition to the wonderful memories, we will be giving away 52 raffle prizes, one for each week of the year!

Raffle Prizes & Sponsors
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our advertising partners for 2026, who have generously provided gift certificates:

Scott Cycle
The Bike Peddler
Northwest Hub
Gallaghers Fitness
Easy Orchards Farm Market
The Willamette Pie Company (new advertising partner)
Fall Line Sports of Silverton (new advertising partner)
Salem Bike Club will also be contributing prizes to the raffle!

We even have a few secret surprises planned to make the evening even more special. This is a wonderful opportunity to share stories, enjoy delicious food, and strengthen the bonds that make our volunteer community so unique.

Please RSVP soon to ensure your spot, as seating is limited to 60 guests. We would be delighted to see you there.

 
Click the Image to Register!

Online Ride Registration – The How To’s

In last month’s Spokes, we broke the news about utilizing our online ride registration option for all rides via our website beginning in January and promised to provide you with additional information to help you navigate this transition. If you missed the original article, you can find it in the November edition on our website, otherwise, below are the detailed instructions for (1) how to register for a ride; and (2) how to see who is already registered for any given ride.

To sign up for a ride:

1. Go to the Salem Bicycle Club website. If you’re a member, make sure you’re signed in (upper right-hand corner).
2. Go to SBC Rides/Event Calendar and find the ride you want to register for and select it.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. On the left-hand side, under Number of People Who Will Attend, choose the appropriate option and then select Register Here.
4. Make sure the information on the next page is correct then select Next.
5. For members: Make sure you have read, understand, and agree to the Agreement/Waiver and select Sign agreement.

   For non-members: Enter the information requested and select Next. On the next page, make sure you have read, understand, and agree to the Agreement/Waiver and select Sign agreement.

6. Check the I agree to the terms of the waiver box and sign within the white box provided and select Save. When you’re returned to previous page, select Next.
7. Select Complete Registration on next page.

For members: An email will be sent to the email address you have in your membership profile confirming your registration.

For non-members: An email will be sent to the email address you provided confirming your registration.

To see who’s registered for a ride:

1. Go to the Salem Bicycle Club website and then to the SBC Rides/Event Calendar
2. Find and select the ride you’re interested in.
3. On the right-hand side of the page (about halfway up), click on the two-person icon . A list of event registrants will appear and show who has already registered for the ride.

We will also be scheduling brief sessions via Zoom for those who might be interested in learning more about the online registration process. Keep an eye on our SBC Rides/Events Calendar for more information.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact

Looking Ahead: A Remarkable 2026 for Our Club

Celebrating Volunteers and the 50th Anniversary of the Monster Cookie Metric Century Ride

As we step into 2026, the excitement within our club is palpable. This year promises memorable moments, starting with a heartfelt celebration of the incredible volunteers who are truly the backbone of our community. In recognition of their dedication, we are organizing a special evening filled with awards, delicious food, and an abundance of raffle prizes generously provided through our valued partnerships with local vendors. This event is our way of expressing gratitude and shining the spotlight on the people who make everything possible.

Once we've honored our volunteers, our attention will shift to an extraordinary milestone—the Historic 50th Anniversary of the Monster Cookie Metric Century Ride, scheduled for April 26, 2026. This iconic event holds a cherished place in our history and continues to unite cyclists and supporters from near and far. We look forward to commemorating half a century of adventure, camaraderie, and community spirit.

As we embark on this landmark year, my enthusiasm for what lies ahead is matched only by my gratitude for the opportunity to lead such an inspiring group. Together, we will set a positive tone for 2026, building on our traditions and creating new memories. Thank you for your passion, energy, and commitment—here’s to another fantastic year for our club!

SBC - All In on Bike Safety Education
By Mary Schmidgall and Debbie Miller

Getting kids off to a safe start with bicycling has been a priority for the Salem Bicycle Club for many years. A couple of years ago, the Salem-Keizer Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program added a Bicycle Education program and the SBC jumped on board with both feet to help it succeed.

The classes take lots of organization and support, and bring enthusiasm, learning and excitement. The kids love the program and gain confidence and vital skills. The adults enjoy seeing their investment in time and money pay off big time. Community partners have the reward of supporting more kids in safely riding bikes. For everyone, those feelings and skills can have a lifelong positive influence.

So - a bit of background and detail on the program -

A SRTS pilot program was successful in the 2023–24 school year. They then, with the invaluable help of Cycle Oregon, fully developed the program and trained 70+ Salem-Keizer PE teachers in bicycle education. Funding and support came from the Salem-Keizer Schools, Willamette Valley Council of Governments, Cycle Oregon, Salem Rotary Club, NW Hub, Iron Man, Scott’s Cycles and the SBC. Our club, along with a grant from Iron Man, contributed an awesome $8,000 towards buying bikes, trailers and helmets for these classes. When you, or anyone, pay to join the Monster Cookie ride, a generous part of that fee goes to supporting bike-related causes, including this especially cool one.

Cycle Oregon provided major support through their statewide Jump Start program, which helps school districts new to the program get off to a rolling start, and decide if it’s a good fit for them. For the 2024-25 school season, Cycle Oregon supported over 60 schools across Oregon - 7,439 students, 1,785 of whom learned to ride a bicycle for the very first time. Their fully stocked trailers of bikes and gear cost up to $40,000 each. For smaller Salem-Keizer schools, such as Highland and Lee, one trailer is sufficient. Larger schools, such as Chavez, need two equipped trailers.

The hands-on SK-SRTS program is now led by Jacob Lippert, a gifted instructor and top-notch mechanic who is very popular with the kids. Tania Perfecto-Calderon puts together essential information for promoting the program and finding volunteers. Meredith Hegewald is in the schools every day expertly making sure each class runs smoothly and has everything that’s needed. In the 2024–25 school year, 1,800 K-5 students in 6 schools were able to acquire essential riding, mechanical and safety skills. SBC volunteers contributed 465 volunteer hours during that year alone. Debbie Miller pitched in with classes and as liaison to the SBC board. Dennis Fraser, Rob Gramenz, Norm Johnson, David Philbrick, Nate Sexton, Juan Lopez, Steve Budde, Paul Parker, Marion Skog, Jean Brougher, Dan Shryock, Karen Freeman, and Keith and Pat Lippy helped with the classes. Our heartfelt appreciation to these terrific people!

Some SBC support comes with a special caring touch. This includes our club purchasing 110 (yes, 110!) pairs of gloves for little hands that were freezing to the point of not functioning during outdoor classes last winter. At another class, the club bought several pairs of essential close-toed shoes for kids who didn’t have them and couldn’t afford to buy them. Another time, they bought a special helmet to fit over a Sikh child’s traditional headwear. All of those items are sanitized after each use and then available for when they are needed again. This investment by SBC assures that every student is able to participate.