We've done many NYCC club rides together, and both our relationship and bike obsession has grown stronger. Losing sleep for 6am start ROBO CP laps didn’t feel so painful with the other person pushing you and routine bike maintenance became more fun. David always loves to climb hills but waits for me at the top and encourages me to work harder. We spent our summer riding centuries with Norbert Phillips to Greenwood Lake and Port Jervis when we didn’t return home till 12:30am. But it was worth it because we made new friends together over post-ride beers and long train rides home. We have co-led a B19 ride to Nyack together and Michelle led B laps in central park last summer. We carried on training over the winter by sharing an indoor trainer and being competitive with our workout plans. This spring, we plan to participate in the Sig and the new NYCC Racing Team! 

P.S. (not included in word count): We want to give thanks to Margaret and Manuel for being awesome B-Sig leaders who are always supportive and friendly, especially for new riders in the club. If it weren't for the two of them, we wouldn't have met! 

Michelle and Kurt

Kurt and I met on a Bike Switzerland tour this past summer (2016). On the very first day - we were getting our bikes fit and he said was from NYC. Come to find out he lived on the other side of Central Park from me!! I asked where he rode in NYC and he said nowhere - he only has a single speed bike. My journal entry that night said "I met my other tour mates today. Kurt - he's from NYC and rides a single speed. I feel sorry for him...he's going to die on this trip."

Little did I know he was a natural climber and in fantastic shape. He beat me up every single climb. But he always waited for me at the top and encouraged me to keep riding. He ultimately bacame my sherpa because I tried to lighten my load as much as possible and he was clearly not having any issues.

When we got back to NYC the relationship continued and cycling has become something that ties us together. Every vacation we plan we think about how to rent a bike. We love the outdoors and staying active and the freedom of the bike.

Shawn P

I always dreamed of meeting a partner who cycled. She had a picture of a bicycle in her online profile and I said, "This is the one". Three years later, we are married and have ridden thousands of miles together. i love her very much and hope other people find this type of happiness.

Valli and Eden Weiss

In what seems like another lifetime, Valli was a casual bike rider who did RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) in 1991 with her good friend and son, when he was 14. Eden did triathlons from 1985 - 1988, but neither of us were "serious" about cycling. However, "seeds" had been planted.

In 2002, after hearing about NYCC, from a mutual friend, we joined the club. Eden did the B SIG in 2003 and Valli completed the C SIG in 2004 and the B SIG in 2005. This wonderful experience of bonding with other new and experienced cyclists in the SIG, the Berkshire Memorial Day and July 4th weekends, as well as on other group rides, set us on a joyful course of greater involvement in NYCC than we had ever imagined.

Valli has been the B 16 SIG Captain for the past 5 years and Eden has been the VP of Programs from 2012 - 2014 and 2016 - present. Most of our close friends are members of NYCC. Our active participation in the club has not only given us the opportunity for enhanced fitness and great fun, but also afforded us the opportunity to share a healthy activity with each other and our good friends.

Peter Walman and Alice Kindheart

Peter Waltman and I met online almost five years ago out in Santa Cruz, CA. At that point, he had been into “serious” cycling for a number of years, but I only used my bike for getting to work and running errands in town. One of our early dates was a thirty mile bike ride that I did on my heavy mountain bike. I could barely move by the time it was over! But, we kept on biking together: I invested in my first road bike and we did all kinds of fun rides-- up over mountains and along the coast and around San Francisco (where I first experienced what it is to “bonk”) . We moved to NYC in 2014 and joined the NYCC last year. We both did the B-SIG, and although we were in different speed groups, it was great fun hearing about each other’s experiences. And by the time we completed the SIG on May 7th, we were in crunch time to get ready for our wedding on May 29th! Our wedding was excellent and we even got to put our SIG skills to good use when Peter led and I swept a group of out-of-town wedding visitors through Times Square. We may have been on foot, but thanks to our paceline, nobody got lost!! We are both looking forward to many more good rides with you good people! This year, Peter will be doing the A-SIG and I’ll be leading the B-SIG.

Carolyn and Joe Singer

Joe had not been cycling for many years, but I bought him a hybrid as a graduation present upon completion of his MBA. He cycled loops in Central Park with our infant son on the back of the bike and was bitten by the cycling bug again. He soon purchased a road bike. Although he did most of his riding alone, Joe got me to join on my hybrid, for trips around the city. While completing a multi-day ride in Israel, raising funds for Alyn Hospital Joe met a number of NYCC members. When he returned from Israel, he purchased a road bike for me so that we could hit the road together. I joined the club in February 2013 and completed the C-SIG to improve my riding skills and make new friends. Joe and I completed the B-SIG in 2014 TOGETHER (breaking an NYCC rule discouraging couples from enrolling in the same group). Joe has been a co-leader for the B-SIG since 2014. Married for over 30 years, and empty-nesters, cycling has brought us both lots of joy and we can be found on many NYCC weekend ride together.

Christy Guzzetta and Jodi Sayer

A picture worth a thousand words