On November 2, 2021, Springville City will be electing a new mayor and city council. There are three council seats available–one for 2 years and two for 4 years. We recently polled the candidates about their support for cycling and active transportation. For the results of the poll, see the Google Doc here.
As a 501(c)3 corporation we are prohibited from endorsing any particular candidate, but we hope that our members and supporters will read these responses carefully and weigh them in making their voting decisions. With council votes on the new Parks and Trails Master Plan and the Active Transportation Master Plan coming up in 2022 it is vital that we have a supportive city council to make Springville a better place.
On September 30, 2021, the Hobble Creek Bicycle Association met to approve by-laws and elect a board of directors in preparation to apply for official 501(c)3 status with the State of Utah and the IRS. After debating and voting on a few matters the by-laws were approved. Elections were then held and the results were as follows:
Executive Director – Jeff Hardy Secretary – Jonathan Duncan Advocacy Director – Kurtt Boucher Road Biking Director – Mike Snelson Family Biking Director – Logan Millsap Mountain Biking Director – Chris Morrill Bicycle Maintenance Director – Griffin Park Publicity Director – Jonathan Duncan
The Board of Directors (with Logan behind the camera)
Since that meeting I have completed the application to register as a nonprofit corporation in the state of Utah and have received our federal EIN. The next step is to apply with the IRS, which will happen in the coming week or so. So, three years after our organization, we are now official in the eyes of the state and hopefully will also soon be in the eyes of the federal government. We hope this will give us more weight as we work to educate and to promote the use of bicycles in Springville and Mapleton.
After three years of informal organization we have decided to step things up to the next level. Next month we will be applying for official 501(c)3 status to become an incorporated non-profit organization. This will give us a more official presence in lobbying efforts and will allow us to fundraise and apply for grants.
In order to make this happen (see here for details), we need to approve by-laws and elect leaders of the organization. This will take place on September 30 at 6:00pm at the Snelson PhotoColor Lab on 80 W Center Street in Springville. Please come to the foundational meeting of our soon-to-be official nonprofit!
If you would like to see the draft by-laws before the meeting or submit your name (or someone else’s name) for elections to the Board of Directors, please e-mail me at jeff_hardy@byu.edu. The available elected positions are: President, Secretary, Advocacy Director, Road Bike Director, Mountain Bike Director, Family Bike Director, Bicycle Repair Specialist, and Publicity Director. These positions are subject to debate and revision leading up to the vote on the by-laws.
Mike Snelson has been organizing road rides twice a month since March, with anywhere from 2 to 12 participating each time. On Saturday, September 18, 2021, our road ride series culminated with a 100-mile ride. (Strava links here and here.) There were only just the two of us, but it was a blast. Here is my report that I shared on Facebook:
Today I rode farther on my bike than I’ve ever ridden before: 100 miles. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for several years and training for (kind of) the past several months. It’s definitely not something you can just get off your couch and do–it took time and dedication and it took some encouraging friends to get it done.
There were just two of us on the ride today, Michael Snelson and I, with Mike’s sweet wife driving support for us. We started out in a light drizzle that quickly cleared up and made good time down through Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Woodland Hills, Elk Ridge, and Payson. I was feeling strong on the climbs and was quite optimistic as we headed toward Santaquin. Then it started raining. We rode through it for a bit but it kept coming, forcing us under a gas station awning for shelter for a few minutes. It lightened and we continued on to Rowley’s Red Barn on the south side of town, about 36 miles into our ride. By the time we got there it was raining hard again and we took shelter inside to warm up a bit (unfortunately their hot chocolate machine was off). When we went back outside it was still raining hard and was windy, so we decided to drive to our designated brunch stop in Mona. But after only 4-5 miles driving the rain stopped, so we got out, started a new Strava trip, and biked into Mona.
I had never been to Gaydean’s Sweet Art Bakery, and my goodness was that a treat. Downhome cooking for reasonable prices–a giant cinnamon roll and a mango smoothie filled me up with energy for the remaining 57 miles or so. We tore around Mona Reservoir with a nice tailwind and down Goshen Canyon. No one hit us on the dangerous Hwy-6, so that was a blessing. Then it was around West Mountain, which was a really nice part of the ride–perfect temperatures, hardly any wind, hardly any cars, beautiful views.
Mike looks happy, I look worried as we encounter some skulls between Mona and Goshen Canyon
After turning past Lincoln Beach we hit the full force of a headwind and man, those miles into Benjamin and then to the freeway were slow and painful. Average speed went from around 17 to around 13 really quickly. We made it to Springville but needed to make up some mileage for what we skipped earlier, so we zig-zagged around town a bit. Then, with about 4 miles left, the lightning struck, the thunder cracked, and we rode through a torrential downpour almost all the rest of the way home. It was actually pretty fun, crossing clogged gutters like they were streams and smelling the sweat soak out of our drenched clothes. If anything the rain was invigorating.
So there was my ride. It was long, difficult, painful, fun, and rewarding, all in one. Unfortunately, while we rode, a good friend and fellow biker lay in the hospital, suffering from an actue case of Covid-19. My heart bleeds for Jaime Brimhall and his dear family. He is one of the most amazing people I know–kind, generous, and loving to all around him. My ride is dedicated to him.
Sorry for the long delay between blog posts! I want to give a big shout-out to Mapleton City for some recent work. Those of you who have been on the Mapleton Lateral Canal Trail recently know that it has been rolling nice and smooth after an overlay of asphault and it is currently free of sheep poop, so that’s a good thing. I also appreciate the loads of sunflowers that you get to ride through.
The sunflowers are really more vibrant than this crappy selfie suggests!
ALSO! Mapleton or maybe UDOT just repaved Maple Street and not only is it nice and smooth, it has painted bike lanes on the south (uphill) side of the road. The north side of the road is still a patchwork of developed/undeveloped properties, so in some places there is a wide shoulder, in others a very narrow shoulder. But at least now when biking east you can enjoy a nice fat bike lane!
When: Saturday, June 12th Parade line up – 9:00am Parade begins – 10:00am Parade ends – 11:15am
Where: 480 E. 200 S. (south of Grant School and west of Memorial Park)
Parade length: one mile
We will decorate our bikes, turn our bike trailers into mini parade floats, pump some tunes, and toss candy while showing Springville how fun and versatile people-powered transportation can be. Riders of all ages are welcome (the pace will be a moderate walk, set by the marching bands and cheer squads ahead of us). Bicycles, cargo bikes, e-bikes, skateboards, scooters, roller skates, strider bikes, etc. are all welcome.
Decorating your ride is not required but is highly encouraged. The more garish the better! We hope to make a splash!
We have some bags of candy that we can share (admittedly we aren’t sure how to gauge how much candy is required, so if you have tips please contact us).
If you want to participate but don’t have a bike right now, contact us and we’ll find a bike for you to ride. We also have a couple bike trailers available for pulling if you would like to pull a trailer in the parade.
It will be a hot day, so be sure to bring water bottles and sun protection. Stay hydrated! Because there won’t be vehicular traffic, helmets are not required.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
The HCBA was well represented at the Bike with the Mayor event this morning, with a booth and lots of giveaways that Carrie Bennett brought. We talked to lots of people about biking in Springville and what improvements they would like to see and loved doing the group ride with police escort around the west side of Springville. Great to see so many people out riding their bikes!
May is Bike Month and we are kicking things off with a bang! On May 1 we have two routes set as part of our bi-monthly road ride series. For the more ambitious riders there is a 42 mile route with 1700 feet of climbing. There will also be a 20 mile route with 600 feet of climbing for those looking for a more casual ride. Both will begin at the High School at 9:00am and follow the the same route for about 10 miles. We hope this will encourage more people to join us. As our routes increase in distance we will continue to provide a short route option for those that don’t have the time or inclination for the longer rides. The links to the rides for May 1st are here: Long route – https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/edit/4068076030/ Short route – https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/4325997109
On Monday May 3 we will be having our first casual ride or “slow roll” of the year. We will be meeting at 7:00pm at Jolly Circle Bike Shop (80 W Center Street). This is a nice casual cruise through the city of Springville Utah on your favorite bicycle. So bring the kids, bring the whole family, and bring your neighbors too. BONUS: Free Jolly Circle t-shirt for those who attend!
On Thursday April 15 at 6:00pm we are having our monthly meeting at the Snelson PhotoColor Lab at 80 W. Center Street in Springville. We will be watching and participating via Zoom in the Springville Parks and Trails Master Plan Open House, and then talking about upcoming events and activities of the HCBA. Come join us!!
On Saturday April 17 at 10:00 we will be meeting at the front entrance to Springville High School and then heading out on a road ride. The route will take us out to west Provo and will be around 32 miles. (If that seems like too long for you, come out anyways–the out-and-back nature of the route mean there will be chances to take a break and then join the group on the way back.) Biking is more fun in a group so come out and ride with us!
We had a really nice ride in gorgeous weather, rolling through the streets and trails of Springville, Mapleton, and a bit of Spanish Fork. There were seven of us in the group and we easily passed two dozen or more other riders out there. We ended up riding exactly 25 miles at a comfortable average pace of 15.8 mph. We hope to see even more of you in two weeks for our next ride!
