SMBC Pre-Election Newsletter

The Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club strives to be the premier cycling club in the Sarasota region. We will foster a vibrant and inclusive environment where members of all ages and abilities can enjoy the sport, build friendships, increase their cycling knowledge and skills, and be great stewards within our community.

A Message from SMBC President John Harkey

Dear Members:

A HUGE thank you to Ken Nelson and Gary Rosenbaum for organizing an incredibly fun and successful New Member/Joint SMBC-Coastal Cruiser ride on November 9! We had 90 attendees who enjoyed great weather, fellowship, and some awesome pizza. Also, thank you to the ride leaders from both clubs who made this event safe and enjoyable. Susan and Rob Carrubba, the owners of Inner Compass, were grateful and excited to receive our framed jersey donated by Mike and Mary McElvogue.

Rob & Susan Carrubba, John Harkey, Mike McElvogue

For those of you who have not had a chance to review Brian Dailey’s financial report, please use the link here to take a look. Brian provided a terrific summary of our SMBC financial position and activities for 2025. Read the summary HERE.

Our board election process continues and will conclude on December 9, 2025. If you or someone you know is interested in a club leadership role, please encourage them to submit their information on our website. We need your help and would love to have you join us! Please reach out to John Harkey or Don Stuart if you have questions.

Best regards,

John Harkey

President, SMBC

Coastal Cruisers, SMBCers, and new members enjoyed a variety of rides followed by lunch at Inner Compass Brewing in Lakewood Ranch on November 9, 2025.

BOARD MEETING

Due to holiday travel schedules, the December 2025 board meeting has been changed to December 16. The meeting will be held from 6-8 PM at Home2Suites in Lakewood Ranch.

The minutes from each meeting are available on smbc.us

SMBC Jerseys will be available for pickup at the party if you haven't already gotten yours.

Holiday Party!

Saturday, December 6

Sara Bay Country Club

7011 Willow St., Sarasota

5 pm - 9:30 pm

Cash bar: 5 PM

Dinner: 6 PM

Entertainment: A great band with tunes for all our dance styles and a magician with tricks tailored to SMBC!

You must login to register

Florida Bicycle Association Summit

[Photos from Ride for Tiny Town on FB]

SMBC members helped out at a Bike Rodeo demo in Winter Park on November 16.

BIKE MS - Suncoast Challenge 2026

Get ready for the ride of a lifetime!

March 28, 2026

Lakewood Ranch, FL

CLICK HERE to REGISTER!

Enhance Road Safety-It’s Everyone’s Responsibility

Richard Josephson MS, MD-SMBC Safety Officer

Local county governments have made it very easy to report issues we may encounter as local citizens and cyclists. There are free apps available for our phones that facilitate prompt and accurate reporting of issues such as large potholes or substantial and dangerous debris that we might encounter while cycling. Each county has its own app, so it is best to download one or more for the counties where you typically cycle. They are listed in the App Store or Google Play, simply look up the county by name, and download the 311 Connect app. Much of the app is usable anonymously, but to report an issue you need to create a free account with your name and contact information. When you find something of concern, use the tab labeled “Report an Issue” where you can quickly describe the issue, it’s location (which can be your phone’s GPS location if desired) and even upload a picture. The same access is available without the app---simply go to the home web page for the County Government and look for the tab or logo to report a problem or labeled 311 connect. Download the apps now-they are free and easy to use!

Click the image for SRQ and/or Manatee counties to get more information.

BIKE MAINTENANCE CLASSES

Local bike shops REAL BIKES in Venice and PLAYTRI in Sarasota will be hosting several classes on changing flats - regular and tubeless, power systems, and more in their stores.