Chairman's Welcome
Chairman's Welcome
I want to personally welcome you to the 2011 Back Roads Century sponsored by the Potomac Pedalers Touring Club of Washington, DC.
Potomac Pedalers is a non-profit, educational, recreational and social organization for bicycling enthusiasts, headquartered in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. With 3,000 members, we are the largest bicycling club in the mid-Atlantic region, and one of the largest in the nation.
Our goal is to share the enjoyment of cycling with our members, as well as throughout the community. Every week of the year Potomac Pedalers offers numerous group rides in our area, totaling over 1,000 annually. We have rides suitable for every ability level; from casual cyclists, all the way up to competitive riders. But our Club isn’t about competition, it’s about getting out and riding a bike. It doesn’t matter how far you go, or how fast you are. It only matters that you ride.
The Back Roads Century, a 100 mile bike ride in the Shenandoah Valley, is our Club’s biggest event of the year, and everyone is welcome. It gives us an opportunity to share our passion for cycling; convey the friendliness of our members; and to have a good time. We offer rides for all ability levels – 25, 30, 50, 65 and 100 miles. While many of our members will ride the full 100 miles, you don’t have to. All distances will offer beautiful scenery, lots of companionship, rest stops, food and fun.
By attending the Back Roads Century, you’re helping to support our Club and the community. Everyone at Potomac Pedalers is a volunteer; from planning our weekly rides, to putting on special events such the Century. They’re our members, and they do it for their love of cycling. During your ride, you’ll see them serving food, handing out cue sheets, answering questions, as well as performing various other duties. Everyone you see working is a volunteer, so be sure to thank them.
All proceeds from the Back Roads Century are used to keep our Club operating and to cover expenses such as electricity, printing and postage; things that we just can’t get for free. In addition, we donate to local organizations that help stage this event through their wonderful generosity; such as the Boy Scouts; schools; historical societies and others. Our belief is to give back to worthy organizations that support Potomac Pedalers, and who help make this event so great.
So please join us at the 2011 Back Roads Century. You may just end up having a great time riding with us, and you’ll want to join our Club. I hope to see you there!
Mark Alpert
Chairman - 2011 Back Roads Century
Feel free to contact me personally with any questions or comments.