PACELINES By Kathy Hoke
For some of us, nirvana is a bike ride with old and new friends we meet on organized bicycle events. Often, all we have to do is inflate our tires and show up at the designated time and place.
Our bliss has been made possible by someone who has thought through the route on roads we may not have traveled before. This person often coaches riders before, during and after the ride. We feel safer knowing someone knows more about bicycling or the route than we do and has taken on responsibility for thinking about the group as a whole.
This happy situation calls for more than a hot shower after we get home. The next time you come to one of COP's bicycling rides or tours, consider thanking the leader for the time and effort of organizing and leading the event. Our leaders are volunteers who often donate considerable time to making sure rides are as fun and safe as possible for participants. They volunteer because they enjoy bicycling and want to share its joys with others. However, they are not immune to feelings of burnout or lack of appreciation, especially toward the end of the season. A simple thank you always helps.
Bicyclists will have plenty of opportunity to thank leaders in May. We have 27 leaders leading 76 rides just in the month of May. And that's not counting the May tours of Top of Ohio Hundred, TOSRV and Utica Ice Cream Ride or the many rides and tours coming up this summer and fall. Just quantifying the rides and leaders for one month gives us a sense of how much we depend on our volunteers to make things happen.
Let me be the first to admit that events and other activities in the bicycling program don't always come out perfectly. We need to remember that all of us are volunteers. Many of us have considerable other demands on our time, including jobs, families and time with non-bicycling friends and activities. Let's keep this in mind when volunteers haven't lived up to our expectations. A good policy is to make an appreciation before commenting on a mistake or problem. We want to keep lines of communication open and work toward improving our program.
Please call or e-mail me if you want to lead any rides this summer and fall. We will arrange some ride leader training and development sessions to support your efforts. For new and veteran leaders attending one or more of these sessions, we will offer a special incentive of a free jersey designed by COP members active in bicycling. It's one way of thanking our volunteers for their time and efforts.