PROFILE - APRIL 2007

Posted Mar 30, 2007
11,887

Iowa Valley Bicycle Club (IVBC)

This month's profile features the Iowa Valley Bicycle Club (IVBC)

for the BIKEIOWA April 2007 profile.

Home Turf

Marshalltown, Iowa

The Scoop

We are a bicycle club and we operate a RAGBRAI Charter. We have 121 members - 65 from Iowa and the rest, because of our charter service, from all over the U.S. Our annual ride is the Marshmallow Ride which is held every year on the Sat of Mother's Day weekend (early May). We actively participate in all central Iowa rides during the riding season, starting with BRR then Chili, The Mayor's Ride (Des Moines), NABR, Rose Festival, TOMRV, Hiawatha Classic, Best Dam Bike Ride, Tour de Rock, Last Dam Bike Ride. We have a Spring & Fall camp-out. We usually go to the Root River Area in MN for our fall camp-out.

Who's Who

President: Kris McKibben - VP: Tony Etcher - Secretary: Ann Bresler - Treasurers: Charlie & Rita Smith - Newsletter/Membership/RAGBRAI Ticket Coor: Dana Bresler - Quartermasters: Bob Peterson & Terry Briggs - Ride Coordinators: Terry Briggs & John Eich - Marshmallo Ride Coor: Lanny Nuese - Publicity: Sara Kurth - Webmaster: Rita Smith - Ride Right Rep: Brian Juel - Trails Rep: Charlie Smith - Historian: Tom Kurth

Recent News

We had internationally renowned racer and Tour De France rider Chris Horner speak to our club in November 2006. Chris dates Megan Elliott who is also a professional racer. Megan is the daughter of Jim Elliott who is a long time IVBC member. After the meeting in Nov, Chris donated one of his racing jerseys to the club. We are having that jersey mounted in a frame for display around town to promote bicycling.

Did You Know?

One of our members is the fastest rider in his class in the U.S. (Bob Peterson) We also have a state Champion. (Tom Eaton) Our Charter is affectionately know as "Team Tom" for Tom Kurth. Tom & Sara Kurth are long time members and were our RAGBRAI Coordinators for years. Tom is sort of the mascot/patriarch of our club and charter service. We have "Team Tom" T-shirts and wear them as a team one day during each RAGBRAI. There's also a tradition in our charter of stealing Tom's tent and pitching it in some place unusual like in a tree or top of a bus. Tom is well known in the RAGBRAI community - he has done 21 RAGBRAIs - He has missed one day in those 21 years. In 1989 he came home a day early for his daughter's wedding.

Our History

Club started in 1974, first president was Dan Ring. First RAGBRAI Charter was 1975. We still have some original members.(Charlie and Rita Smith) Tom Kurth . Dana Bresler was one of the original members in 1974 but moved out of state in 1975 and started riding with the club again in 1997.

Mission Statement

We don't really have a mission statement that I can find but we are all about promoting bicycling in our community and surrounding area. Any money we make goes to recreational trail development or enhancement, youth programs, and other community improvement projects.

What's Hot?

New Club T-shirt!

What's Not?

no response provided

Favorite Iowa Event?

RAGBRAI because of our charter service.

Favorite Quote

"This is really living!" Tom Kurth saying during a beautiful biking or camping situation. Also, Rich McKibben, husband of our President and long time member, does a better "Pork Chop" call than the Pork Chop guy himself. Used as a wake up call on RAGBRAI and camp-outs.