Archive of 2008 General Meetings

Leila Rinehart and Ed DeFreitas
2008 5BBC Program Coordinators

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December 2008

♦ ♦ ♦  H O L I D A Y   P A R T Y  ♦ ♦ ♦

Saturday, December 13, 8:00 PM

Location: Woolworth Tower Kitchen, 233 Broadway at Barclay Street, Manhattan (entrance on Barclay St.)

It is time to celebrate a successful 2008 season, and to see what your club has planned for next year – day rides, weekend trips, monthly programs, and the Montauk Century 2009.

Back by popular demand our annual holiday party will again be at the Woolworth Tower Kitchen in the City Hall area of Lower Manhattan. The party will feature:

• Full dinner buffet including vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections
• Beer, wine, soda, coffee & dessert
• Optional cash bar
• Our famous raffle! One free raffle per participant, additional raffles 3 for $5, proceeds to be donated to various bicycle-related charities.
• Speeches and Awards (brief).

This party is largely subsidized by your club with membership dues and proceeds of the Montauk Century 2008. Advance registration is $25 per person until Friday, 12 /12. At-the-door registration (if still available) will be $40.

• Register online with credit card
• Register by mail with check

This party is for club members and their guests only. If you're not a club member, you can fix that here. If you have questions, or have difficulty registering, or are bringing young children, or have economic hardship, please contact us at programs@5bbc.org

Indoor bike parking is available. The facility is handicapped-accessible.

November 2008 General Meeting

Tod Moore and his Velotravelers: Five Hundred Miles Along the Danube

Monday, November 17th, 6:30 pm

Location: 891 Amsterdam Avenue (at 103rd St.), Chapel (Was: rm. 111), New York, NY 10025 (Please note, if you haven't already voted, the deadline to vote for candidates and amendments is 7:00 delivered to the meeting. Blank ballots will be available at the meeting.) Light refreshment will be served.

The evenings program: Travelogue of last Summers adventure presented by Tod Moore "Five hundred miles along the Danube? Sound like fun? Trudy Rhonda and I did it this summer and we?ll tell you all about it. Traveling from Donaueschingen where the Danube starts at a spring and ending in Vienna they encountered bike paths, bike routes, dirndils, bier gartens, a palace a giant ferris wheel and much much more. Look for the musical numbers and the choreographed sheep. If you travel self supported or would like to don't miss this show." Tod Moore

October 2008 General Meeting

Monday, October 20, 2008, 7:30 PM

Open Bike Shop at NYC Velo

NYC Velo, Inc. 64 2nd Avenue (between 3rd and 4th streets) New York, NY 10003 Subway, F or V to 2nd Avenue, 6 to Astor Place, or R or W to 8th Street.

We'll have a Flat Fixing contest, a speaker on winterizing your bicycle and riding safely and comfortably through the winter months, and possibly a few other surprise activities.

Refreshments will be served.

Nominations for the 5BBC 2009 Executive Board

The 5BBC Nominating Committee will also be represented at the meeting to receive nominations. All nominations must be be submitted by 8:00 pm, and will be announced before the close of the meeting.

September 2008 General Meeting

Announcing: The East Coast Greenway!

Monday, September 15, 6:30 PM

Location: Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, 104 Washington Street (near Rector Street), Manhattan. Subways: 1/R/W to Rector, or 4/5 to Wall Street. You can lock your bike right outside the building, which also houses a police substation.

PLANS FOR BIKEWAYS THRU NEW YORK, CONNECTING CONN. AND NJ, ANNOUNCED

Want to visit your parents in Hartford, Connecticut, or your sister, a senior at Princeton – by bicycle? You can do so now, perhaps by using the Current Travel Route’s maps, cue sheets, and guides posted (free) on the Website of the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA), at www.greenway.org. .

But if the ECGA gets its way, albeit in a number of years down the road, you will be able to travel to those destinations – or nearer or farther -- by largely traffic-free routes.

For the ECGA’s vision is to provide muscle-powered users with a safe, non-motorized trail connecting the cities and towns of the eastern seaboard – on most of the 3,000 miles between the Maine-Canada border and Key West, Florida.

Come to the 5BBC meeting on MONDAY, SEPT. 15, to hear more, from:

• Michael Oliva, ECGA Mid-Atlantic Regional Trail Coordinator, who’ll give his amazing Google Earth presentation of the proposed route;
• Jackson Wandres, Co-chair, New York Committee for the ECG; and
• Elizabeth (Beth) Brody, Trustee, East Coast Greenway Alliance.

The New York State segment will follow two separate routes that connect in Westchester County with the Greenway in Connecticut. Both routes wind through the Bronx and Manhattan, converging in downtown Manhattan and utilizing ferry or PATH service to connect to the Greenway in New Jersey.

The all-volunteer New York Committee for the ECG is one of the 15 state committees (plus one in DC) along the route that is working in-state to improve the existing interim route and complete, as much as possible, the off-road segments. Working with local partner organizations and governmental agencies, the New York Committee is concentrating on closing gaps principally in Westchester County and on smoothing connections in the Bronx and Manhattan. Participation at the NY Committee’s meetings and events and in its organizational and advocacy efforts is welcomed! See www.greenway.org/gw-ny.htm for more information, especially if you cannot attend this meeting.

August 2008 General Meeting

Batter up!

Monday, August 11, 7:00 PM

Location: KeySpan Park, 1904 Surf Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. Subway: D, F, N or Q to Stillwell Ave.

Let's go out to the ball game! Our August general meeting will take us to KeySpan Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones where we'll watch the 7:00 pm game on Monday, August 11 vs. the Batavia Muckdogs. The Stillwell Avenue stop on the D, F, N or Q train takes you there. There are bike racks in front of the ticket office, stay tuned to the website for a possible organized ride to the stadium. Refreshments will not be provided for this event, but typical ballpark fare is available. Please RSVP to programs@5bbc.org so we can ensure adequate tickets. There may be a small fee depending on participation, friends and family are also welcome to join for a small charge.

July 2008 General Meeting

Cycling from New England to Colombia, S.A.

Monday, July 28, 6:30 PM

Location: Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, 104 Washington Street (near Rector Street), Manhattan. Subways: 1/R/W to Rector, or 4/5 to Wall Street. You can lock your bike right outside the building, which also houses a police substation.

Did you ever have a quest, a goal, something that you're going to do someday? And if it's really a challenge, "something you can tell your grandchildren? Well, these "Tres amigos" had a goal, a big one. So, back in the Summer of 2005, one set off from Boston, met the second in Rhode Island and the two met the third in New York City. From there, these "Tres Cabelleros" had the adventure of their lives riding their bikes through North and Central America all the way to Colombia. Come hear about what happened at the July General Meeting. Light refreshments will be served.

Ed DeFreitas

June 2008 General Meeting

Karaoke with the 5BBC. Unforgettable.
However hard we try.

Karaoke Party

Monday, June 16, 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Location: Karaoke Duet 35, 53 West 35th Street 2nd floor, between 5th and 6th Avenue. NRQW BDFV to 34th Street Herald Square.

Come sing karaoke with the club. Cash bar is available. The club will provide snacks and will partially or fully subsidize costs depending on participation. Member cost not to exceed $8 + personal bar tab.

May 2008 General Meeting

A three-pack of centurions.
Photo submitted by Andrea Retzky.

A Prelude to Montauk

Thursday, May 8, 7:00 to 9:00 PM

Location: Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Avenue (at 103 St), Manhattan, "Down Under" Room. Subway: #1 to 103 & Broadway.

Are you riding the Montauk Century on May 18? Make the most of your ride by attending our Montauk Century informational meeting. Unsure about riding? Come to the meeting, get your questions answered and let us help you decide to ride. BZH will be on hand to talk about Brittany France and the raffle of a free trip for two there for one lucky Montauk centurion.

April 2008 General Meeting

Bicycle Art with Taliah Lempert

Monday, April 28, 7:00pm

Location: Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, 104 Washington Street (near Rector Street), Manhattan. Subways: 1/R/W to Rector, or 4/5 to Wall Street. You can lock your bike right outside the building, which also houses a police substation.

We are pleased to announce that accomplished local artist Taliah Lempert (www.bicyclepaintings.com) will be the speaker for at our April general meeting, scheduled for Monday, April 28 at 7:00pm.

In addition to being a local cyclist, she is both professionally and academically trained in the fine arts. She has developed a niche specialization in the painting of bicycles from observation. You may have already had the pleasure of enjoying her work as she has exhibited in area bike shops and at last years' Bike New York. She has also designed a most interesting children's coloring book.

Taliah will treat us to a slide show presentation of her work and give you some insight on the life of an artist in NYC. Prints, drawings, post cards and t shirts will be available for sale during the meeting. She is also available for commissioned work for a customized portrayal of your favorite bike which would be an excellent furnishing to ones' home or office.

Hope to see you at the meeting.

March 2008 General Meeting

Ask the Bike Shop Pros at Bicycle Habitat

Monday, March 24, 7:00pm



Location: Bicycle Habitat, 244 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012, phone 212-431-3315. Subway: #6 to Bleecker Street or Spring Street.

Our March meeting will return to Charlie McCorkell's Bicycle Habitat ("New York's Best Bike Shop") on Monday Evening, March 24, 2008, at 7:00 PM. This an exclusive after-hours opportunity for club members and accompanied guests to ask Charlie and his mechanics about bikes and accessories (or even what it takes to run a small business!) and to get recommendations for the Spring season.

Charlie is a civil engineer by training and a NYC cyclist and cycling advocate for over 35 years. He is an Executive Director emeritus of Transportation Alternatives (TA).

If you have specific questions for Charlie, email cmcbike@bicyclehabitat.com before the meeting with cc: programs@5bbc.org.

Bicycles, parts, accessories, and bikewear will be available for purchase at special sale prices! The sale is limited to stock merchandise for this evening only and is in lieu of the club discount.

Representatives from Trek Bikes and Specialized will be there to show their products, and mechanics will be on hand to demonstrate bike building and bike fitting.

Prospective club members are also invited! If you are not (yet) a club member and would like to come to this meeting, please contact Leila or Ed at programs@5bbc.org by noon on the day of the meeting 3/24 so you can be added to the guest list.

February 2008 General Meeting

The High Line

Once they built a railroad..... In the 1920's, the City required the New York Central Railroad to convert their Hudson Line as it ran along the west side of Manhattan from running on the surface (street level) to an elevated and below ground line. The result, in part, is the High Line running from 14th St. to 34th St. An organization called Friends of the High Line (www.thehighline.org) is spearheading the conversion of this now abandoned right-of-way into a park and the Club is hosting a talk by their representative at our February General Meeting.

Monday, February 25, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Avenue (at 103 St), Manhattan, Room 111 (Board Room). Subway: #1 to 103 & Broadway.

January 2008 General Meeting

Phil O'Reilly


5BBC Comedy Night with Phil O'Reilly and Friends

Phil and some fellow travelers will hold court at the January General Meeting, with plenty of bicycle jokes to go around.

Monday, January 14, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: Lower Manhattan Business Improvement District, 104 Washington Street (near Rector Street), Manhattan. Subways: 1/R/W to Rector, or 4/5 to Wall Street. You can lock your bike right outside the building, which also houses a police substation. The BID graciously allows us use of their space and requests no bicycles in the building.