Photo courtesy of Bill Barrett
Bill Barrett with wife, JoAnne, at Pelotonia.
On Thursday summer nights in New Albany, residents may notice an influx of cyclists throughout the city.
The group of cyclists was given a route at the beginning of the week, split based on skill level and, though they’re enjoying the ride, many are most looking forward to that post-ride beer. The group may seem too organized and large to be a resident-organized club, but that’s exactly what it is. Since its founding in fall 2012, the New Albany Cycling Club has become a vital part of New Albany.
The club has an impressive website, www.thecyclingclub.org, and clear organization. However, despite the formality of the club, it’s still unintimidating, inclusive and easy to join. People of all ages and genders are represented within the club. The club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays after work, with upwards of 40 people on Tuesdays, and as many as 100 on Thursdays. The Thursday group is split into four subgroups, with group A being the fastest and most skilled riders, who typically ride between 50 and 60 miles each Thursday, and group D being newcomers or those looking for a shorter route. Each group is headed by a leader who ensures nobody gets left behind, everyone follows the correct trail and everyone is being safe on the roads.
After all the specifics are worked out, it comes down to simply enjoying the ride and one another’s company.
“The thing about biking is it’s the camaraderie of riding with your friends and riding with other people and sharing that experience,” says club founder Todd Brubaker. “Some days you’re out there with blue skies and cornfields; it’s beautiful.”
Brubaker was cycling weekly with a group of about 20 people. As the group grew, members knew they wanted to organize into something more and increase attendance. With New Albany’s commitment to health and fitness, Brubaker and the original group knew the club would be successful if they could just get the word out. Luckily, the original group was made up of cyclists with diverse backgrounds. “We have a lot of talented individuals, and everybody was stepping up and bringing a lot of talent to the table,” says Brubaker. “With Pelotonia coming into Columbus, there is such a focus on biking that people wanted to be involved.”
Club member Bill Barrett says partnerships were the biggest factor in turning the weekly rides into a true club.
“Girls with Gears was one of our mentors, and helped us understand what they were doing. We also had some input from Phil Heit from the (Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany),” says Barrett. “We had a role model with Girls with Gears because they were a few years older than us. It was to help with routes, training, to get people into the sport.”
The club was founded with a goal to bring together a community and promote cycling – two important goals, but not everything. The group is also a major supporter of non-profits, and always has a large presence in events such as Pelotonia and Honor Ride Ohio. For Barrett, that’s one of the best parts of the club.
“One day … you’re (at Pelotonia) riding and you’re thinking, ‘The people in this group – just this year – have raised over $100,000 for cancer research,’” he says. “What better way to spend a day?”
Brubaker attributes a lot of the club’s success not just to the dedicated members, but also to New Albany’s culture and proximity to country roads.
“New Albany is a great place to ride from; it’s kind of a central point for people not only within our community, but from Columbus,” he says. “There are people that come who are coming from all over the city of Columbus, so we’re really fortunate that we have these roads with beautiful countrysides right at our doorstep.”
The support for the club in the community has also been central, says Brubaker. From the signage and bike lanes throughout the city to the interest from city government and promotion of cycling in schools, New Albany supports a culture of encouraged and safe cycling. In fact, promoting safe cycling has been one of the club’s biggest efforts.
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Photo courtesy of Bill Barrett
Barrett and fellow bikers
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Photo courtesy of Bill Barrett
New Albany Cycling Club members Mitch Mink, Todd Brubaker, Craig Mohre and John Archer stop for a beer at Hawks Nest Pub after a long bike ride.
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Photo courtesy of Bill Barrett
Members of the New Albany Cycling Club at Castello di Velona in Italy.
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Photo courtesy of Bill Barrett
Todd and Julia brubaker at Honor Ride Ohio
“We’ve all evolved and trained, being observant with traffic laws and helping members,” says Barrett. “It’s interesting - when I’m on country roads, sometimes when folks get out there, they just assume they own the road. … There are people who live out there, and riding four abreast isn’t going to make them happy.”
However, the core reason the club has seen so much success always comes back to the social aspect of riding with a group. Each Thursday, after the ride is over, many members of the club stay to get a beer and catch up.
“People stick around and get a beer afterward. I think it’s a really nice amenity for our community,” says Brubaker.
And for Barrett, the club has made him lasting friendships. Last year, he and his wife even traveled to Italy with a group of cycling club members and their spouses. But he isn’t just joined on the bike by friends, he’s also joined by family.
Though his wife doesn’t cycle, she always volunteers at various events, directs traffic, works rest stops and drives a car to support cyclists. His children are very involved with the bike. He and his daughter rode Pelotonia together for the first time in 2010, and his son is a member of the club.
“He volunteered at Pelotonia for the last four years, and he’s ridden Ride 2 Recovery,” says Barrett. “It’s especially great for me, because any time you get to spend six hours with your son, what else would you want to do?”
In the future, Brubaker hopes the club will be able to start its own fundraising event. For now, club members enjoy being part of an active, fun and giving group. And, of course, being a fitness-focused group makes the social time that much more enjoyable.
“One of the things that cycling affords you is the ability to eat and drink what you want,” says Barrett. “On a long ride, you’ll burn 6,000 calories, so whatever someone puts in front of you, it’s like, ‘I’ll have that.’ Do you want this one or that one? I’ll have both of them, please.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
