Member of the Month

Lourdes Merriman joined the club last July and really enjoys our Cibolo ride because it isn’t too hilly.

Lourdes grew up in Puerto Rico and joined the Air Force, where she was an administration specialist at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK.

She’s worked for Cru for over 18 years, including periods at Lackland AFB supporting military trainees and veterans.

Lourdes rides a Giant Liv and often rides the San Antonio bike trails. She’s completed the Fiesta Wildflower four times and she’s also done the Heritage Trail Mission to Mission, Ride to Remember, and our Wheelmen 100. 

She and her husband David have been married for 31 years. When she’s not riding, Lourdes enjoys knitting, sewing, studying her bible, enjoying time with her family

Member of the Month

Robert Waldo joined the club in the spring of 2017. He’s served as our Ride Chairperson since 2019. Bob has also supported our charity ride, the Wheelmen 100, in a volunteer role.

Bob grew up in Jackson, Michigan, and joined the Army right after high school. He is a West Point graduate and served in the US Army for 10 years. 

One of the jobs he held after leaving the Army was selling Mercedes and Porsches. For the past 11 years, he’s lived in San Antonio and is employed in Technical Support for Becton Dickinson.

He’s been riding bikes for many years. He primarily road cruiser bikes. When Bob was stationed in Panama, he rode bikes everywhere. He didn’t own a road bike until he joined our club.

Two of his favorite rides are the Shiner G.A.S.P and the Fiesta Wildflower.

He currently rides a Trek 1.1 and would love to own a Trek Domain SL 5.

When he’s not riding, Bob enjoys scuba diving, especially in the Central America area.

Be sure to thank Bob for serving as our ride chair. And, if you have any suggestions for a new route, please let him know!

Member of the Month

For the past four years, Gil Hine as served as the Ride Director of our annual charity ride. He's been the Ride Director of the Wheelmen 100 for the past two years.

He's lived in San Antonio since 1982. And yes, he got here as soon as he could! He is married to Evelyn and has two daughters and four grandchildren ranging in age from 8 to 17.

Last year, Gil sold his company to his current employer, Worldwide Facilities.

Gils started riding a bicycle at age 5 and he's still going strong at age 73!

He's participated in the Hotter'n Hell Hundred since the 1980s with this best friends.

Gil enjoyed cycling vacations to France for the 2004 Tour de France and the 100th edition of the Tour in 2013. During one of these trips, he made it up an iconic climb, Mt. Vontoux. Gil fondly recalls turning the corner just after the ski lodge and seeing the moonscape head!

In 2007, Gil conquered a cross country cycling tour from Los Angelos to Boston. The friendships he made during that event made it his best ride ever.

He currently rides a Trek Project One Edmonda SL. He loves this bike because it fits him like a good pair of shoes.

Be sure to thank Gil for his commitment to our Wheelmen 100 ride when you spot him at one of our weekend rides.

Member of the Month

Myrna Gonzalez Childress, who joined SAW earlier this year, is a Lead Business Intelligence Analyst at USAA, where she's worked for 20 years. She grew up in San Antonio, spent many summers in Mexico, and lived in Mexico for two years. She obtained a BS in Computer Information Systems from Our Lady of the Lake University. 

Myrna is married to her best friend, James Childress. They enjoy spending time together eating healthy food, riding their Indian Roadmaster Elite motorcycle, traveling, and taking care of their beautiful home and three fur babies:

• TobyJ – a pitbull/boxer mix

• HarleyD – a long-haired, standard dachshund

• MayaB – a French Bulldog

Since Myrna is a French Bulldog fanatic, MayaB is her favorite. She says that she will always have a Frenchie in her life!

Although she started cycling in high school, Myrna didn't ride for decades because life got in the way. After rediscovering her passion for cycling in 2010, she's found time for this great sport ever since. Myrna is a member of E2 Multisports, a local triathlon team lead by Coach Roland Moreno. She's completed six half Ironman (70.3) and two full Ironman (140.6) events! Cycling is her strongest discipline and her favorite part of any triathlon.

She loves her bikes:

• Celiney - a Cervelo P2 tri bike that she's owned since 2017.

• Fiona - a Bianchi Infinito road bike that she's owned since 2012.

Of course, Myrna also has a couple of dream bikes:

• BMC Time Machine TT bike

• The new road bike from Bianchi

Earlier this year, Myrna took a five-day Bike Trek Travel trip to Vermont! It was an incredible experience. She rode a minimum of forty miles each day, experienced some great lodging and met interesting people. The SAG support during the ride was outstanding. She'd love to take a similar trip in the future.

Member of the Month

Until recently, Ron Pratt was a long-time runner who occasionally enjoyed the pleasure of a road bike. He rode off and on over the years and had opportunities to ride Turkey, Japan, and Germany. However, since joining the club about six months ago, Ron's become a regular at our weekend rides.

Ron, who is married to Judy, grew up in Minnesota and attended Pharmacy School at North Dakota State University and Dental School at the University of Minnesota. He was a dentist in the Air Force for thirty years, a dentist for the VA for five years, and a pharmacist for the VA for four years. His military career provided him with opportunities to live in Turkey, Japan, Germany, and several locations in the US.

He recently upgraded his primary bike to a Trek Domane SL7 with disc brakes. He is delighted with it!

When Ron isn't on the bike, he enjoys classic cars/motorcycles, traveling, and reading.

Member of the Month

Bridget Archer started riding seven years ago. She has three children and is married to Michael Archer. They joined the club over six years ago. 

After graduating from Texas A&M, she taught school for thirteen years. Bridget has been a real estate agent for the past twenty years. She currently is an agent for Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty.

Bridget, who currently serves on our board as the Secretary, rides a Specialized Ruby S-Works. Of course, she'd love to be riding the latest S-Works! 

Since she's been cycling, Bridget has enjoyed the Fort Davis Cycle Fest and the Hotter than Hell 100. She's also completed rides in California, Montana, and Wyoming. She and Michael greatly enjoyed America's Most Beautiful Ride, a scenic ride around Lake Tahoe.

Bridget has also served on the board of the Ronald McDonald House Charities for the last five years.

Member of the Month

Eric evans is third from the left.

We'd like to offer a warm welcome to our newest board member, Eric Evans. Eric, who is now our VP of Membership, is originally from Oregon and has been a SAW member since 2016. He is currently a software engineer for Wikipedia and is also a volunteer developer for the Apache Software Foundation and the Debian GNU/Linux project.  

Eric and his wife, Darla, are blessed with two children. Their daughter is studying to become veterinarian. And their son has made them grandparents with a five-year old daughter of his own.

Although he’s been on a bike for a good part of a quarter of a century, it’s only during the last four years that he’s become a serious road cyclist. His Texas rides include Ft. Davis Cyclefest and the Mount Locke Climb on his Orbea Avant. His all-time favorite ride is The Paradise Loop in California. Of course, he enjoys our local club rides. His favorite club ride is our Garden Ridge-Gruene Latte ride.

When Eric is out of town on business, he combines work with pleasure by renting a road bikes. He's had great rides in Geneva, Vancouver, San Francisco, Montreal, Valencia, and Cape Town. 

When he's not riding, he enjoys brewing beer. Be sure to catch Eric on one our club rides!

Member of the Month for March 2017

In 1997, John Farugia arrived in San Antonio via Chicago and he joined the club the following year. His passion for cycling grew once he became a SAW member. For example, he served as the club president from 2001 through 2005 and helped the American Diabetes Association create the very first San Antonio to Austin Tour de Cure.

John believes that his membership has introduced him to many awesome Texas cycling venues and events. More importantly, he feels that the club is very social and is a great way to meet people, including some with whom he's cycled for almost 20 years.

John is an executive for an ophthalmology company.

The bike he would most like to ride is his current bicycle, a Pinarello Dogma. However, when riding tandem with his wife, Melissa, John said that his Cannondale Tandem becomes his favorite bike.

You are most likely to spot him and/or his wife at rides like Toutant Beauregard, Kendalia, Blanco, or any rides in Gillespie County.

Member of the Month for January 2017

Jim Lefko and his wife, Laurie, arrived in San Antonio via Indianapolis. He worked as the sports editor of the Indianapolis Star from 2000-2015 and is an avid follower of the KC Royals, Indianapolis Colts, and Texas Longhorns.

After covering the Spurs in the pre-David Robinson era, Jim joined the Express-News, and since May 2015, is its sports editor.

Despite having spent years riding recreationally, he is relatively new to riding on Texas roads. Jim was introduced to our club by David Levinson, our new Ride Chair.  He has enjoyed two summer rides with us and feels like a 16 year old driving a Ferrari in his just inherited vintage Colnago.

As to his favorite Wheelmen ride, Jim enthusiastically says “the next one”.

In addition to working out regularly at LA Fitness, he enjoys hiking and traveling in his spare time.

Member of the Month for November 2016

Corey Levenson's interest in bikes started when he was a high school student working in a New York City bicycle shop in the 70's. After high school graduation, he attended undergraduate school in Massachusetts and graduate school in San Francisco.

In California, he rode more off road on an old Merlin mountain bike. His many century rides on the left coast include several “California Death Rides” and a Davis double-century on his tandem!

After moving to San Antonio in 1996, Corey joined our club. He likes to ride forty-to-sixty mile routes, mainly with a 1991 Merlin titanium bike with downtube shifters, 7-speed freewheel, and a full Mavic group. He also rides tandem with his wife Kathy, who is occasionally the rear admiral on their Santana. When he has chosen to do long commutes on the bike, Corey rides a Surly Long Haul trucker with panniers, fenders, and lights.

Corey, who is currently the Chief Scientific Officer for Santalis Pharmaceuticals, indicated that the Fort Davis Cyclefest is his favorite ride. He “wouldn’t mind sampling a carbon fiber Colnago with all the electronic bells and whistles (just to see if I’d go up the hills any faster)".

If you miss him on a Wheelmen ride, you will almost certainly catch him enjoying his other favorite pastime. He has a passion for classic motorcycles and owns six of them (mostly British and Italian). He photographs and writes articles about classic bikes at LocoMotoFoto.com.

Member of the Month for October 2016

Mark Miller, who is US Air Force retired, has been an outstanding ride starter for SAW for a number of years. His retirement has afforded him more time to ride with the club on weekends and with friends during the week. His experiences with the club have resulted in solid friendships and an education from experienced members on how to be an effective and efficient cyclist. Like most of us, he still feels like a newbie to cycling, and regrets not starting this sport at an earlier age. 

Mark enjoys riding at Fort Davis, Durango, and Tucson. Cycling enables him to reap the benefits of fitness and friendships. He also enjoys buying bike gear and viewing God’s beautiful creation as he rides.

You can catch him at one of our many club rides. One of his favorites is Big Joshua Creek, which he describes as a ride that "hurts but has everything in order to improve as a cyclist”.

Say hello when you see Mark on his Specialized S-Works Tarmac. He is currently saving up for a brand new Tarmac--so it might be a little more difficult to catch him in the future.

Member of the Month for September 2016

Daniel Martinez is our newest Board member, VP of Social Events. He's been a club member and Rider Education Series Ride Leader since 2012.

Since joining the club, he has completed the Tour for Children, San Antonio Rock & Roll, the Fiesta Wildflower Ride, the Easter Hill Country Tour, and the Bike MS: Ride to the River. He considers the Ride to the River to be the most challenging ride he's experienced thus far.

Daniel also likes baseball and is an avid fisherman. He works for Southwest Airlines and enjoys traveling extensively with his wife Sandra.

Be sure to thank Danny for all the fantastic events our club members enjoy during the year. He will be riding either a carbon GIANT or Schwinn, but maybe in the future you might see him in a SPEEDX Leopard AL.

Member of the Month for August 2016

If you've participated in our Rider Education Series in the past 3 years, then you've likely met Bernard Mendoza. And, if you participate in our Reading and Riding 100 ride, you might see him at one of the rest stops. He is serving as our Rest Stop Captain.

Bernie has been riding bikes for 30 years. He's been an avid road and trail bike fan. His passion for riding has brought him to small Dauphin Island in Alabama and Santos and the Alafia River State Park in Florida. Closer to home, he enjoys riding his mountain bike at Pedernales Falls State Park. He and his wife, Carrie, also enjoy Austin's Veloway, which is a 3-mile loop for skaters and cyclists. They also enjoy Madrone Trail at Canyon Lake.

He's participated in several triathlons, including a half Ironman in Austin, Galveston Tri Festival, and Splash Town.

Bernie, who is a Baylor graduate and is employed at the University Health System, loves his 3 bikes: a steel Centurian road bike, a hard tail Schwinn Moab mountain bike, and a carton Trek Domane road bike.  

One of his favorite SAW rides is Cibolo. If you run into him before or during the ride, be sure to ask him about one his many varied cycling experiences. 

Member of the Month for June 2016

Kelley Martin attended high school in Hawaii and Florida, but has lived most of her life in San Antonio. She started cycling in 2007 and joined the Wheelmen in 2008 as a substitute ride starter.

Since discovering her passion for cycling, Kelley has completed the Seattle To Portland Ride and participated in the Easter Hill Country Tour and Hotter'N Hell 100. She also briefly raced with a women's cycling team in Texas.

When she's not on her bike, Kelley stays busy with running, raising two teenage boys, and selling real estate.

Kelly is one of our regular ride starters. You can find her on her Cervelo R3SL at rides like Toutant Beauregard and Boerne.

Member of the Month for May 2016

Shelley and her husband of 21 years, Andrew, have two children (18 and 20) and one dog (another one on the way!). She loves running and spending time with her family and dog.

Since moving to the United States in 1996, Shelley and her family have resided in Chicago, Dallas, and San Antonio, where they have lived for the past six years. 

She is currently employed with Baptist M&S Imaging Center in Schertz as a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technologist.

In 2007, a spin class instructor was looking to form a team for the MS 150 in Dallas. A friend talked Shelley into joining the team and training for the event by using an old mountain bike that was gathering dust in Shelleyʼs garage. During her very first organized training ride, Shelley fell in love with riding by experiencing 18 miles of fresh air. After joining her first bike club, the Plano Bike Association, she started participating in the weekly rides. She also took a few cycling vacations in Cape Cod, Taos, and Florida Keys.

We are all fortunate and grateful that she decided to join the Wheelmen upon moving to San Antonio. Her favorite, all-time ride is our Sunday Latte Ride. Her words: “I could do the route over and over and never get sick of it. In fact, sometimes I venture out and do it on my own. I love the route, LOVE the people that I ride with, and, of course, I love the Latte's!!”

She loves riding her Trek Madone 5.5, but admits that it is “getting up in age". She will eventually look for something newer and lighter. When you next run into Shelley on one of our club rides, be sure to offer a suggestion for her next bike!

Member of the Month for April 2016

Martin Rice has been an avid recreational cyclist since 1990. He joined SAW in 2006  and has contributed to your club by serving as its Ride Chair in prior years. Having lived in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi before retiring as a Career Forester from Georgia-Pacific Corporation in Arkansas, Martin has never stopped growing. In addition to cycling, his interests include gardening, which led him to become a member of the Comal Master Gardeners, and running, which he's been doing since his days in college. He's also competed in a number of triathlons. 

Martin and his wife, Donna, have participated in numerous century rides and have taken part in many organized events. Together, they have cycled extensively ‘Down Under’ while residing in Australia and have participated in multi-day cycling tours in the US,  France, and Italy. His quest to seek new terrain has not diminished--his future plans include organizing a week-long tour of Wisconsin with a number of fellow Wheelmen for this coming August.

You're likely to run into Martin if you frequent our Cibolo ride. The board encourages you to say 'Hi' when you see this Member of the Month pedaling his Seven Axiom!

Member of the Quarter for Q1 CY2015

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Our member of the quarter, Victoria Cabello, in her words:

Personal Information:  I am currently 26 years old and was born and raised in Laredo, TX. I moved to San Antonio in July of this year to pursue a career in dental hygiene.

Wheelmen membership: I've been a SAW member since September when I first signed up for their Rider Education Series RR101. I dedicated a few Saturday mornings for a couple of months to ride with instructors and fellow students to obtain a better understanding of the sport of cycling. Because of the great instructors in the RR101 class, I have a newfound respect and passion for cycling. I currently serve as the secretary for the club, and look forward to working with the board and fellow members to fuel the passion for the sport and educate others who are willing to share the joy of riding.
 
Bike you ride: I'm currently riding a Women's 2013 Jamis Satellite road bike--Not the best of bikes, but It's my first road bike and it does the job!
 
Bike you would like to ride: Soon, I would hope to ride a Women's Specialized Amira Sport road bike!
 
Describe your favorite ride:  Although I don't have a favorite ride at the moment, any ride over 30 miles is enjoyable! Gotta love putting in those miles!
 
Describe your riding experience: I'll admit I'm a newbie to cycling. I've only been riding for about 6-7 months. However, the RR101 class really helped me develop the skills I needed to feel comfortable on the road. I never thought I would be capable of riding 15 miles..much less 40, but with the help and support from Cliff, Bill, and other Wheelman instructors, I was able to do just that! Thanks to them, I am more confident on the bike, which has made my riding experience that much more enjoyable!
 
Other information about yourself: Dental hygiene school has taken up much of my leisure time, but when I do have a chance for a study break, I enjoy cooking and baking, reading, and exploring the outdoors any way that I can (which is mostly when I'm on my bike).
 

Member of the Month for July 2013

Delaine Hall has been a Wheelmen member for three years and currently is the Social Events Coordinator for the Club. She organized the great picnic many of you enjoyed in June and is already working on the December holiday party. She was born and raised on the south side of San Antonio and graduated from Highlands High School in 1975.

Here is how Delaine describes her riding experience. “I have ridden a bike most of my life. As an adult rider I started off with a Trek Navigator. This would be considered a bike to ride around the neighborhood and enjoy all the work your neighbors have done to their yards and homes. When I rode my Navigator 30 miles and the last few miles were climbing the HUGH hill on Sonterra I knew I loved distance riding and I needed a new bike for distance (she now rides a Trek Pilot). One of my favorite rides is the ride down along the new section of the river walk and back through the Hemisphere Park. I enjoy a ride with scenery.”

Her absolute favorite bike riding experience was the Bike Out Hunger Ride in 2012 when she rode 435 miles from San Antonio to Dallas in 5 ½ days. She did the ride using clips because she had not learned to use clipless pedals! She said the ride was the most exciting thing she has done in her life. She added: “I didn’t know I had it in me to complete this ride.”

Delaine describes herself as an outdoor person who loves doing yard work and being out in the water. She also enjoys doing volunteer work and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She works at Ft. Sam Houston in the Headquarters U.S. Army Medical Command.

Member of the Month for June 2013

Pedro Balawag is a familiar sight on numerous Wheelmen rides and has been our web site editor for the past two years. He is a retired teacher from Georgetown Prep high school in Washington DC who moved to San Antonio after his retirement in 1991. He currently works part time for Judson ISD.

Pedro started riding about 10 years ago when he was 100 pounds heavier. He had high blood pressure which made him “a walking heart attack ready to happen”. Since he did not want to take medication he started jogging to control his weight and blood pressure. He then started biking to work since it was faster than jogging. Now he rides everywhere including the grocery store, Wheelmen Board meetings and many of the Wheelmen weekly rides. He is a serious bicycle commuter and an enthusiastic recreational rider. The riding has paid off for his weight and health. He is a strong rider with lots of endurance.

Pedro has two bicycles; a Titanium Lynskey Helix OS and a Steel Gunner Roadie. He did not list a bicycle he would like to have, so is obviously pleased with the two bikes he currently rides.

Pedro rides numerous Wheelmen routes, but his favorite is the Woman Hollering Creek Ride. He normally rides routes in the 35 – 45 mile range. You will frequently find him helping with stay-together rides at Cibolo and Woman Hollering Creek.

Prior to starting cycling, Pedro was an avid handgun competition participant. He exclusively shot the .45 ACP in the 1911 full frame size. He is a proud lifetime member of the NRA, IDPA and USPSA.

Member of the Month for May 2013

Italo Samano joined the Wheelmen in 2010 and took the Road Riding 101 and 201 classes that year. After completing the classes he became an active Wheelmen rider. He has been a Training Ride Leader for several recent Road Riding 101/201 classes. He is always willing to help with the stay-together rides, especially at the Cibolo and Woman Hollering Creek rides.

Italo currently rides a Fuji 101 Roubaix. He would like to ride a Pinarello ROKH or Cervelo S2 but says he is “just waiting to win the lottery”!

Like many of us, Italo prefers riding on flat terrain, so his favorite ride location is Cibolo. However, he does not hesitate to take on the hilly rides and is frequently seen at the Bullis County Park rides. He likes riding in a group due to the camaraderie. He enjoys biking and the experience of freedom it provides from an office job. He also enjoys a post-ride beer as a reward for a good morning ride with friends.

Italo was born in Mexico City and is “happily married to Sandra, a local court reporter”. They have two adult children and twin grandchildren. He has been living in the USA for 35 years, but is “still struggling to speak the local dialect”. He describes himself as: “Sixty years old and ready to live another sixty”. He is a Psychologist in private practice at the Alamo Mental Health Group.