 | In Memory of Donald W. Muellhaupt
Long time club member Don W. Muellhaupt passed away at 85 yrs old after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 65 years Dianne. His daughter Darcy let us know and we ended up sending out an email to all members.
A passionate cyclist, Don began riding to stay in shape for work, but it soon evolved into a lifelong love. As a dedicated member of the Salem Bicycle Club, he briefly served on the board and frequently volunteered to support and aid fellow cyclists. His commitment led him to become a certified bicycle technician, enabling him to not only maintain his own bikes but also to provide better assistance to others. Don proudly built his own titanium bicycle and cherished the many hours spent riding through the countryside with his daughter, Darcy. His last metric century ride of 62 miles was completed in 2022, at the remarkable age of 83.
Don also had a deep passion for farming. Although it was not his sole occupation, he enlisted the help of his wife, son, and young daughter, Darcy. His farming journey began with cherries and later expanded to wheat. Ultimately, in the late 1960s, he became a Christmas tree farmer, planting the first trees on his parents' land in West Salem. This venture became a cherished family tradition, with numerous high school students joining to help harvest and sell the trees. Even after retiring, Don often reminisced about "stirring dirt," a phrase he affectionately used to describe farming.
Members remembers Don this way:
“He was one of those people that was there when there was a need. Willing to assist at whatever was asked and was a true member and an asset to the cycling community”
“Don was a respected member of the community, a good friend and was always a welcome site at the Red Lot and enjoyed our visits”
In honor of her father's legacy, Darcy plans to participate in the Monster Cookie Metric Century Ride in 2025. She currently resides in Eugene, Oregon, and is an active member of the Eugene Bike Club GEARS.
For those wishing to send flowers, they can send to Dianne Muellhaupt at 3411 Boone Road SE, Apt 109, Salem, Oregon 97317.
|  | Return of the San Juan Islands Tour!
Clear your calendar for a Salem Bicycle Club tour of the San Juan Islands this summer. Tentative plans are to tour Lopez, San Juan and Orcas Islands in mid to late August. The current plan is to stay in Anacortes and to ferry out to an island, ride, and then ferry back to Anacortes each evening. One excellent option is to camp at Washington Park, which is quite nice and is only minutes from the ferry terminal by bike. Group and individual campsites are available to reserve.
Any and all input as to itinerary, schedule, special points of interest, provisioning, etc, is welcome. Please contact Steve Budde at stevebudde@gmail.com with your ideas.
Come on out to the islands for an excellent late summer adventure! |  | April 27, 2025 - The 49th Annual Monster Cookie Metric Century Ride
Due primarily to the rising traffic volume on out classic Monster Cookie Route, last year the club had to make the difficult decision to re-route our traditional Monster Cookie route to a lower traffic area.
We are happy to report that the feedback from riders was overwhelmingly positive with almost 600 people participating. This a significant rise in numbers over the last several years and we hope to build on that in the years to come.
The new route really does take in the heart of the Willamette Valley with rolling, primarily low traffic roads, four Cascade Mountain views, mouthwatering Willamette Valley Pie Company Pie, and an optional climb up the iconic Mt Angel Abbey that offers stunning views of our beautiful valley in all directions.
We continue to have support from all our longstanding partners, including Scott’s Cycle, Bike Peddler, The Northwest Hub, EZ Orchard, and Gallaghers, as well as our new partners. Our new partners include PNW Mobile Bike Repair, Willamette Valley Pie Company, Holy Trinity School, Mt Angel Middle School, and McNary High School. And we are so grateful to Mt Angel Abbey for allowing us to include the optional ride up to their beautiful Abbey in what our ride has to offer.
Because of this, we are planning the ride again on Sunday April 27th with the same route in mind. We are making it even better by adding more coffee, more restrooms, more support, and more wonderful memories.
So, take this chance to warm-up your spring riding muscles, and we hope to see all of you on our ride. This ride belongs to all of us and rest assured that the proceeds go a long way towards supporting cycling in our area. Come either as riders, volunteers, or both!
| Fantastic New Jerseys and Tees for the 2025 Monster Cookie Metric Century
Featuring a road cycling image, local sponsors, and commemorating our 49th year, the 2025 Monster Cookie has both long and short sleeved tees and great new jerseys. The online portal for Jerseys has closed but there will be some on-hand the day of event to buy. The T-shirts (thru the registration portal) will close around April 2nd. We will have some the day of event, but price may be higher so order now for best pricing.
|  | Off the Back
March 2025
Why do we join a Bike Club?
When you join a cycling club, you are joining a community of like-minded people who are passionate about the sport you love. Sure, it might be nice to ride and train on your own but by joining a club you can truly get the most out of cycling. In a club you can make new friends, learn from more experienced riders, share routes and training tips, and create a new social group.
In a club there will be no shortage of people who want to ride with you. You can meet new people that you otherwise would not as cycling is a melting pot of different personalities from all backgrounds and of all ages. Club members can be friends for life too. This camaraderie is particularly useful if you move to a new area and feel a bit lonely.
The traditional weekend ride-out is the staple of cycling clubs. Most will run several groups at different paces so you can choose where your ability is best placed, then move up through the groups as you improve as a cyclist. Alternatively, you can head out at a slower pace and socialize. Whatever they may say, most of the club are there for the mid ride café stop anyway. This is especially pertinent if you have moved to a new area. Going on rides like the weekly club run is a fantastic way of discovering your local roads.
When you ride on your own it can be difficult to talk yourself into riding in the winter months. You are the only person who suffers so sometimes it is simply easier to stay in bed. Committing to riding with a friend or joining the club run will banish these doubts and motivate you to get out on the bike.
Sometimes being part of a cycling club means more fun off the bike than it does on it. Club socials are some of the most anticipated events of the season for some cyclists. Things like award nights, BBQ’s, café stops and multi day events are all part of the fun. The club community extends far beyond just simply riding your bike in a group.
Finally, once you start benefitting from all these perks it is time to give back. This can be equally as rewarding as riding a race and a great way to integrate into the fabric of the club. Volunteering as a point person, being a ride leader, helping to organize events or simply giving advice to the next new rider are all ways you can help to give a little back to your club.
Stay safe on the road (or gravel),
Tim Newman
Club President
|  |  |  | Five Questions
Spokes asks a club member five cycling questions each month. This month's featured bike rider is Salem Bicycle Club Member and Monster Cookie 2025 Chair Ken Freeman. Here is what he has to say:
1. What is your favorite club ride?
I really enjoy our many journeys through Mt. Angel and up to the Abbey. The joy of looking over the remarkable place in which we live and ride in brings me much happiness. The Abbey provides a peaceful and respectful place in which to pause and reflect.
2. What is your favorite out-of-town ride?
I had a great time in Albany doing the covered bridges ride this year. I suspect that will be on the list for this summer.
3. Do you prefer to go uphill or downhill?
I am torn. These are inexorably linked: What goes up, should come down. My brain knows we do our best work on the uphills, which is what I need to do to be a better rider. The joy of coming downhill afterwards makes it worthwhile.
4. What is the best part of being a club member?
Community. We get to ride with amazing people.
5. Why do you ride your bike?
I ride my bike, so I can keep riding my bike. I started the quest for healthier alternatives 15 years and 4 bikes ago. Now it’s a commitment. I commute to work on my bike as well.
As the Monster Cookie Chair, what would you like to say about the upcoming event April 27th 2025?
First off, I am not doing this alone. Dozens of amazing people help. I am honored that the Salem Bicycle Club and SBC board have entrusted our team to manage this event as we have adapted to the changing conditions here in the Willamette Valley. We re-imagined the course last year and worked in some exciting stops and amazing views. If this is your first big ride of the season, know that you are experiencing the heart of the Willamette Valley on this ride. You get a covered bridge, four mountain peak views, panoramic valley views from an optional climb up the iconic Mt. Angel Abbey, world renowned pie from the Willamette Pie Company, and a Monster Cookie at the end! The event is fully supported with multiple rest stops offering a variety of food choices. Bike support is again from the amazing teams at Scott’s Cycles, Northwest Hub, Bike Peddler, and PNW Mobile Bike Repair. Please know that proceeds from the Monster Cookie are reinvested in our community to support cycling throughout the area. We are fast approaching the 50-year anniversary of this amazing event and I would like to thank each of the many hundreds of volunteers that keep this event going and make it something truly special for our participants. Thank you all, for letting me help guide this once again. It is an honor to look after the Monster Cookie Metric Century ride legacy.
|  | MARCH CLUB RIDES SCHEDULE
Ring in the New Year and Find your next ride on the club website.
Click Here
| UPCOMING MEETINGS
The Salem Bicycle Club board meetings continue on Zoom. please check the website for updates.
MONTH DAY TIME p.m.
Online
| The Salem Bicycle Club is an affiliate of the
League of American Bicyclists
1612 K Street NW, Suite 308
Washington, DC 20006
202-822-1333
We encourage our members to join the LAB | Spokes
Spokes is published and distributed via email each month by the Salem Bicycle Club in Salem, Oregon. The opinions expressed in Spokes are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Salem Bicycle Club.
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