Bicycle Friendly America Winter 2018 - 2

VIEWPOINT

HEY JUDE, IT WAS GOOD RIDING WITH YOU!

his past October I was nominated by a fellow board member to become the Board Chair of
The League. After about two milliseconds of consideration, I happily said yes. Thankfully, all
the other League board members agreed too, and voila, I was handed the metaphorical Chair
gavel.
When I returned to my hotel room that evening I thought what a long way I'd come from the
Huffy bicycle I got as a Christmas present when I was a little kid. Who knew that a contraption
with two wheels, two pedals, a crank and chain would somehow play a major and long-running influence in my life? I confess there was a time when I betrayed and abandoned my two-wheel fancy,
and "upgraded" to four wheels and a steering column. But I was a wild and wooly 60s teen, so what
the heck did I know? I long ago came full circle and became a kid again - and today I'd rather a
thief steal my four wheels instead of my two.
What I simply love about bicycling are the special encounters you experience when you're in the
saddle. It can be a breathtaking landscape, an encounter with wildlife or a fellow cyclist you meet
along the way: occurrences you simply can't replicate on four wheels. My wife and I had such an
encounter recently. We were riding along a very quiet backcountry road, when up ahead we spotted
a small boy straddling a bike fitted with training wheels. He was waiting in the road. As we drew
closer he positioned his bike, waved to us, and challenged us to a race. How could we pass this up?
As we "raced" along the road, he turned back constantly to look at us as he joyfully pedaled furiously ahead. His laughing and giggling was infectious. It was a marvelous kid-like moment both
for him and us. The boy's name was Jude and he'll forever be etched in my bicycling memory book.
All of which brings me to the upcoming 2018 National Bike
Summit. I'm so looking forward to meeting you at this year's
Summit. I can't think of a better way I'd want to spend several
days than being around fellow humans, all with a lot of Jude
in them, whose passion and souls are rooted in bicycling. If
you have yet to register, do so today. I can tell you that Executive Director Bill Nesper and the League's terrific staff have
planned a knock-out agenda, including a keynote by the Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. Whatever your role is
in bicycling - an advocate, a planner, a bike club president or
just a plain old bicycle lover, this year's Summit is well worth
the price of admission. Let's keep making our streets safe both
for us and for Jude's generation. And please, stop by and say
hello, even if you won't be on two wheels.
All best.

Ralph Monti
Chair, Board of Directors
The League of American Bicyclists

Ralph Monti and Bill Nesper
2 BICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bicycle Friendly America Winter 2018