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 President’s Message

February 2023

 

When you are a kid, people ask, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” I used to answer that I wanted to be an industrial chemical salesman. Well, not really, but that is what I have been doing for more than 25 years. Over the years, I have read quite a few books on sales. One author, Zig Ziglar, has a couple of sales quotes that are very appropriate for cycling.


“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”


“Success is not measured by what you do compared to what somebody else does. Success is measured by what you do compared to what you are capable of doing.”


The North Florida Bicycle Club stats page is the most popular page on our website. If you want to be great and rack up those miles to move up toward the top of the list, you must first get to the start of the ride. When riding a century, that distance from your bed to your bicycle is the hardest part. If you don’t start, you will never reach your goals.

That second quote is important for cycling too. We will hold the NFBC Awards Picnic on Sunday, March 12, at Hanna Park. A few people will be at the top, but most of us only compete against ourselves. You should be satisfied if you reached the goals you have set for yourself.


Now is the time to figure out your capabilities for the year. Is it possible to ride 1,000, 3,000, or 8,000 club miles this year? Is one century or 12 possible this year? The NFBC will track your miles based on the information you write down on the sign- in sheet. We use the honor system. If your goal is to be at the top, you need to be very honest and follow all the club rules to keep the competition fair. We expect the ride leaders to make the rides fun and safe. We do not expect them to be policing the number of miles you write down.


If you are unfamiliar with the club statistics rules, please go to the stats page on the NFBC website and read them. When you sign in, remember to print your name very clearly. If our stats man Bob Fortney can’t read it, he can’t track your mileage. In the riding level column, please write down your accurate level. This column is critical because it allows the ride leader to evaluate the group’s capabilities quickly. Based on this information, the ride leader will decide if he needs to assign additional leaders to assist with the ride.


Finally, remember that the NFBC ride insurance only covers you while you are on the official ride. Therefore, you are not covered when you ride to the start, knowingly deviate from the route, or show up and do a ride that the ride leader has canceled.


Best wishes and good luck in 2023! 
Jonathan