Northeast Ohio Bike Clubs on a Roll
When Paula Adams and Mike Perko of Hudson joined the Akron Bicycle Club (ABC) in 1997, they felt intimidated. “People were talking about riding 50 or more miles in a single ride. Not wanting to get our butts whipped or embarrass ourselves, we didn’t rush out on any club rides.” The couple, who had started riding about a year earlier, joined the club to learn more about cycling, Adams said.
Now, Adams is the club’s director, Perko is treasurer, and their riding schedule is, well, intimidating.
“When we started riding, Mike was a smoker who was exhausted after riding five miles,” Adams said. Now they ride 100-plus miles each week. “Mike no longer smokes, but he has been known to require a nap after riding 50 or more hilly miles,” she said. “We would never have gotten there without ABC.”
The club began in the mid-1960’s when Jim Beres, a bicycle racer, moved from England to Akron, Ohio and opened Jim’s Bicycle Shop. There, local cycling enthusiasts connected and started scheduling regular group rides. The shop hosted the club’s first meetings in 1965.
Pat Brannon of Sharon Center joined the club in the early 1980’s. “I wouldn’t be the cyclist I am today if we hadn’t joined,” she said. “The club is a great vehicle for someone who wants to get involved in cycling.” Today, Brannon rides regularly with the Medina Bicycle Club and helps organize some ABC rides each year. The former teacher said she and her husband have each met cycling companions-of different speeds-through the club. While he rides competitively, Brannon said, “I don’t have to prove to myself that I can do a 100-mile ride anymore. I just like to tool along with my friends.” Although cycling is a mutual hobby, she said, “We rarely cycle together.”
Art and Judee Wickersham of Stow, on the other hand, cycle together-very close together. In cadence. The pair peddles a tandem, and say their partnership on the bike precipitated their marriage-a second for both-in 1995. When they’re not peddling to a tandem event (last year they rode from Akron to Dayton for the Midwest Tandem Rally; this year they’re heading overseas) or organizing one for ABC, the couple heads the club’s long-standing “Adopt-A-Highway” program cleanup efforts. The club is responsible for a stretch of Route 303, west of Peninsula.
Clubbin’ It
Most bicycle clubs offer regular group rides for varying skill levels based on riders’ preferences for speed, terrain, and mileage. Dues are typically modest and most clubs allow guests to attend several rides and/or meetings before joining. Want to start spinning your wheels? Contact one of these northeast Ohio clubs.
Akron Bicycle Club (ABC)
Meetings have featured member’s bike tours of Cuba and Europe, a slide show by Akron Beacon Journal reporter Mike Needs on his “Ohio Bicentennial Bike Tour,” and a lesson in safe road biking from the Summit County Engineer-who is also an avid cyclist. The club welcomes extra help for their annual Christmas project, refurbishing old bicycles for needy children.
Club website: www.akronbike.org
Cleveland Touring Club
A large, active club that welcome new riders. A blurb on the club’s website says it all: “Don’t let the clothes, helmets, and fancy bikes intimidate you. We won’t bite.”
Club website: www.clevetourclub.org
Medina County Bicycle Club
Sponsors regular rides, including mountain bike outings, for all levels of cyclists in Medina and surrounding counties. Members get a discount at a variety of sponsoring bike shops.
Club website: www.medinabikeclub.org
Stark County Bicycle Club (SCBC)
Formed in 1968, this club often sponsors joint rides with the ABC that straddle the Stark/Summit/Medina county lines�and those rides feature a lot of hills. Friendly, active group of riders, all levels welcome to join the club or just ride along.
Club website: www.bikescbc.com
Summit Freewheelers
Don’t let the free-wheeling name fool you, this is a serious group of riders. The Summit Freewheelers are a developmental racing club, meaning, “we focus on basic cycling and racing skills in addition to supporting expert level racing teams.” And they have way cool uniforms.
Club website: http://summitfreewheelers.org
