News

The 4th Annual Sedona Bike & Brew will be hosted by Sedona Golf Resort on Saturday August 26th. This event combines riders from all over the country as well as locals for, quite possibly, one of the most unique races in the state! The 6 mile track will wind through fairways, off tee boxes, across sand traps, and incorporate a lot of out-of-bounds features all while climbing and descending 300 vertical feet. While that sounds daunting, there is also plenty of fun to be had. Craft breweries such as Four Peaks, Oak Creek Brewing, Oskar Blues, and Hubert's Lemonade will be on hand pouring delicious libations. If you were used to getting chased off a golf course as a kid, now is your opportunity to ride the plush fairways without fear. Spectators are welcome to watch at no cost as well. Come one come all!!!

More details here

Newly Elected VVCC Board members Don Mathieu and Rich Leever met with Audra Merrick, ADOT District Engineer for the Verde Valley and Eric Gudino, Special Assistant to Director John Halikowski from ADOT on Friday July 27 in Sedona. The meeting covered several areas important to road riders and ADOT was very supportive of our group.  Audra is making arrangements to line up the resources to take over sweeping of 179 in VOC.  Tentative plans are for ADOT to start the sweeping in December 2017. 

We also discussed that the VVCC wants to partner with ADOT to help keep 89A cleaner and safer for road cyclist using this route (both locals and tourist).  Audra is going to provide us appropriate contact information so we can reach out to ADOT if we see a problem on 89A that needs to be addressed (like glass that is too much for us to handle).  

We discussed a number of entrances to forest roads along 89A between mile maker 366 and 362 going south that fill up with gravel, thorns, and dirt from the vehicles exiting onto 89A.  ADOT will try to provide spot sweeping when resources allow for these areas as well as develop engineering solutions that might prevent most of the mud, rock, and thorns from dragging out onto the shoulder.  Some of the problem included:

FR 525 

FR 9570

FR 9571

We also discussed that "Share the Road signs" are not recommended by the VVCC for roads in the Verde Valley.  I have attached an image that has verbiage for the sign we like best -- 3 feet -- It's the law.  

Finally, we got great news that ADOT would be doing an overlay on 89A between Cottonwood and the high school in Sedona.  The plan is for Jan/Feb of next year weather permitting!

Want to stop receiving the VVCC Membership Renewal Notices completely or delay when receiving them? Well, we have the ticket.

Introducing two convenient new ways to join or renew your Individual or Family Membership.

Auto-Renewing Memberships Now Available

You can now sign up for your membership to automatically renew on its expiration date and eliminate the email reminder messages. Simply choose the Auto-Renewing Individual or Family Membership option when joining or renewing and save $5 from the regular Individual or Family Membership price. 

2 Year Memberships Now Available

Don't want to auto-renew, but want to take advantage of a reduced average annual price for a longer membership term? Introducing 2 Year Individual and Family Memberships. By choosing this option when joining or renewing, you save $5 per year from the Basic Individual or Family Membership price. 

August Membership Sale

As an added bonus, those members who sign up early for auto-renew during August will save an additional $5 and extend the membership expiration date a full year. That's right, renew your membership early and choosing the auto-renew option saves you $10 off the regular Individual or Family Membership price. 

Alternately, those members who sign up early for a 2 Year Individual or Family Membership during August can save an additional $5 off the already discounted 2 Year price and extend their expiration date by two full years. Just enter Discount Code SAVE.

This sale our way of thanking you for renewing early and taking the headache out of renewing.

Thank you,

VVCC Membership Committee

Nominee                   Votes                  %age                   Term  

Rich Leever                  38                    100.0%                3 Year       

Kevin Adams                38                    100.0%                2 Year

Doug Copp                   37                       97.4%                3 Year

Marty Glinsky              37                       97.4%                2 Year

Mike Harris                   37                       97.4%                2 Year

Don Mathieu                37                       97.4%                3 Year

Lars Romig                    37                       97.4%               1 Year

Paul Hallinan                36                       94.7%               1 Year

Pam Milavec                 36                       94.7%                2 Year

Caroline Oreel             36                       94.7%                1 Year

Dan Blaettler                35                      92.1%                 3 Year

After the election was certified by the VVCC Nominating Committee, the Board chose the following Directors to fill the VVCC's Officer positions:

Marty Glinsky      President

Dan Blaettler       Vice President

Caroline Oreel     Secretary

Kevin Adams        Treasurer

Over 30 members, VIPs, and guests braved heavy monsoon rain and lightning to attended the VVCC's Annual Meeting held at Redstone Grill in the VOC on July 19th.

VIPs in attendance:

Dave Norton –  Treasurer, Big Park Regional Coordinating Council

Randy Garrison – Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor

Tim Eliniski – Cottonwood Mayor

Joe Vernier – Sedona City Councilor and VVCC Member

Forrest Saville – Red Rock Ranger District

Adam Barnett – Red Rock Ranger District

Supervisor Garrison and Mayor Elinski visit with Heather Parris

After the bar was opened but before we served the pizza, members were briefed on the VVCC's FY17 activities and plans for FY18.

VVCC Members and Guests at the FY18 Annual Meeting

After briefing members on the proposed governance documents vote and a discussion period, Doug Copp made the motion to adopt the new Bylaws and Club Rules. The motion was seconded by multiple members. The motion passed unanimously.

From left to right - Linda Harris, Sedona City Councilor/VVCC Member Joe Vernier and Roger Sneed

The 50-50 Raffle netted $100.00 for the VVCC and Member Dave Biermann was the grand prize winner.

Member Don Mathieu discusses a point with Dave Norton

 From left to right - VVCC Members Rebecca Ellis, Cody DeLong and John Ellis

Chain Reaction's President and VVCC Member, Heather Parris reached out to Rich Leever of the VVCC seeking help with Chain Reaction's  mission accomplishment. Under a recently signed  Partnership Assistance Agreement through at least the remainder of 2017, the VVCC will assist Chain Reaction in 

• obtaining its 501(c)3 designation from the IRS;
  
• bicycle refurbishment expense reimbursement;
• volunteer recruitment
• donations; and
• business consultation 

Big Park School Kids Bike Rodeo

The June Board meeting will now be held at Marty Glinsky’s home 417 Acacia Dr. Sedona, AZ 86336. To get to Marty’s from the Mystic Hills Club House, head up the hill on East Mallard until you reach the T intersection at Acacia Dr. Turn left and 417 is on your right.

 In what's being referred to as "a ground  breaking meeting", John Halikowski,  Executive Director of ADOT, directed that  ADOT take over the maintenance and r  related costs for sweeping, signage and  bike lane markings on the unincorporated  portion of Hwy 179 between the Red Rock  Ranger Station and Back O’Beyond Road by  the end of 2017. These costs are currently  incurred by VVCC and area friends of  bicycling under an encroachment  agreement that was originally required in  order to have bicycle lanes included in the Hwy 179 reconstruction design. 

Bob Beane, Coalition of Arizona Bicyclist “CAzB” President, made this request directly of Executive Director  Halikowski at a meeting at ADOT Headquarters in Phoenix on June 8th. VVCC Board Member in Waiting Rich Leever represented the VVCC at this meeting. According to Leever, "the VVCC will soon receive written confirmation from Audra Merrick, District Engineer for ADOT in Flagstaff that we are no longer responsible for quarterly sweeping the bike lanes." In an email summary of this meeting sent to CAzB Members, CAzB President Beane wrote "I believe that having a VVCC representative in attendance was influential in the outcome." 

After the meeting, Rich Leever stated "I like to present VVCC's heartfelt thanks to CAzB and its President Bob Beane for for arranging the meeting and bringing VVCC's situation to the attention of ADOT leadership in Phoenix." 

There are others in the Verde Valley that helped create awareness about the need for ADOT to take over the cleaning of the 179 in VOC. The VVCC will be sending out thank yous to those people and a press release to the community about this change.  

Since the VVCC has been raising money to keep the road clean we will determine at next week’s board meeting if there will be any forecasted surplus sweeping donations by year's end as well as the best way to contact those who so generously supported the VVCC’s sweeping requirements concerning any forecasted surplus.  "Hopefully some of those that made donations may be willing to allow the VVCC to keep any surplus sweeping funds for other positive cycling issues" Leever added.