Fellow MMCC Members:

Two years ago you elected me as President of MMCC, and what a "ride" it has been!  In the course of the last couple of years I have watched this club grow into what it is today - a group of fun, determined, talented and PROUD riders who have proven themselves in many challenges from the Bulldog Bike Race to the Tour de Francis.  I am proud to have been your president, and now it is time for me to turn over the keys to the "Orange Train" to our new president, Edgar.  I hope that I have left the group in better condition today than it was a couple of years ago.  There have been some challenges along the way, but as in any fledgling group we have figured out how to make things work.  Despite the challenges, we have had a lot of fun on our Sunday rides on our hometown roads, as well as everywhere else we have ridden. 

The founders of MMCC, Chairmen Sammy and Roger, probably had no idea several years ago what they had started, and to their credit they started with a great group of guys riding to have fun and to share their passion for cycling.  I was fortunate to have eventually met them at an event ride early in 2006, and since then I have enjoyed riding hundreds and hundreds of miles with this great group of friends!  MMCC is made up of good people who attract more good people, who happen to enjoy riding bikes, too!  We're not necessarily the fastest or the strongest riders out there, but we do as much suffering as anyone else, and we do it PROUDLY wearing orange! 

As president I did my best to listen to all of you who had something to say, because I know that those of you who gave me their input were genuinely interested in the betterment of the club.  I thank you for your contributions no matter how big or small.  It wasn't the president who made this club work - it was the members who: showed up for the Sunday rides; rode SAG for those who weren't as strong; came to the potlucks; graciously opened up their homes for our get-togethers;  kept us informed of the condition of other members good and bad;  were good ambassadors to our guests;  helped with flats and other mechanical problems; and the list goes on.  This is what MMCC is about, and I am proud to have been the leader of this group for the past two years!

Now it is time for someone else to lead the Orange Train, but I will continue in the VP spot offering my assistance to Edgar and my "2-cents" whenever he asks.  I will be turning my attention to other endeavors, including some off-road riding! 

I would like to thank all of you for helping to make this club a success as it continues to grow, and for your friendship and company on our many Sunday rides and event rides.  There's no other group I would like to suffer with, and I look forward to riding many, many more miles with you all in the future.  I wish our new president and my fellow officers much success in the coming weeks and months, and I hope to see our MMCC members continue to make positive contributions to the club as well as to our cycling community!

Thanks again for all of your support!

Mike

If there's one thing that's not fun, it's riding in pouring rain.  However, there are some things I think are worth doing, especially when I spend 99% of my life in the comfort of my home, office, car, or out doing something fun in nice weather!  The SDBC Toy Ride is one of those things worth doing no matter what.  

Once a year a dedicated bunch of cyclists from all over San Diego, young and old, hop on their bikes to haul toys of every kind from UC Cyclery in La Jolla Village Square through Rose Canyon, Mission Bay, Old Town, Mission Valley, and down University Avenue to the Ray & Joan Kroc Center where volunteers eagerly await their toy donations.  

This year three kids in elf suits returned to brave the cold, rain and wind to participate in the ride.  I asked a little girl - maybe 8 years old - "Are you having fun?"  The answer was already written on her face with her huge smile that went from ear-to-ear as she happily pedaled her little road bike through the rain.  "Yeah!", she replied, upon which I asked, "Is it more fun in the rain?"  "YEAH!!!" she answered excitedly.  She and the rest of the participants were on a mission - as they are every year at this time - to deliver a little something that will brighten up the life of a less-fortunate child they probably will never know.  That's what the Toy Ride is all about, and that's why it's well worth doing!