Member of the Month for October 2012

Those who have been around the Wheelmen for a few years will immediately recognize Vicki Smith as one of the most active club members. She started riding with the Wheelmen in the summer of 1999 after taking a “How to ride a bike” community education course taught by Dean Lewis. She says “that one course certainly changed the way I spend my spare time!”

Vicki is normally one of the first to volunteer when the club needs help and has served the Wheelmen organization as Vice President, ride starter, and for many years has managed club merchandise sales. She was the 2009 Wheelmen Easter Hill Country Tour (EHCT) Director and is currently advising the 2013 Wheelmen EHCT Director. She still finds time to attend many of the scheduled Wheelmen rides.

Vicki rides a Colnago Master Extra Light with what she describes as “the best paint job ever!” This has to be her dream bike since she did not mention an urge to get a new bicycle. She is a very active rider with a wide variety of riding experiences. She describes her favorite rides as: “Locally, my favorite ride is Cibolo, flat and don’t need a map. Annually, would have to be the Tour de Tucson. This was my first century and also the easiest. You get to always have mountains on the horizon, but don’t have to climb them. Fort Davis is also a great ride, but you have to climb the hills! Lifetime ride would have to be the Cycle America Tour in Wyoming and Montana when one day we rode from Red Lodge up to Beartooth Pass. This was a trip that I am so glad I did, but also glad I didn’t check out the terrain beforehand!! Other riding adventures include the 400+ mile ride on the Natchez Trace all the way from Nashville TN to Natchez, LA. Fall color, no big trucks, slower cars and lots of history. The Durango to Silverton ride was another experience – made it to Coal Bank but wisely made the decision not to go on to Silverton because my fingers had no feeling. Which turned out to be wise; it snowed on the downside of Coal Bank and the rest of the way into Silverton. Riding around the Coliseum and exiting Rome on the Apian Way will always be remembered – do you know how old the Apian Way is??? “

Vicki graduated from Cooper HS in Abilene and moved to San Antonio after a four year layover at SWTSU in San Marcos. She retired after 38 years in public education. Part of that time she coached volleyball and the remainder was as a librarian.

If you are interested in a ride with interesting conversation, join Vicki for one of the Wheelmen rides. You will particularly enjoy riding Cibolo with her as she knows a variety of interesting routes in that area.