Bringing Cyclists Together
Delta Valley Velo came to fruition in 2013 when avid cyclists Harry Levine and Dave Lamont joined forces to bring together enthusiastic riders with similar skills and goals.
“I really believe that everybody needs to be active, but the most difficult thing can be finding what’s going to work for you,” said Harry. “Some people go to the gym, some people run, some people do triathlons. I found cycling.” Delta Valley Velo is for road bike enthusiasts, both men and women alike. There is no membership fee required, and all are welcome. Rides vary from 20 to 100 miles throughout Brentwood, Oakley, Discovery Bay, Byron, Knightsen, Antioch, Pittsburg, Livermore, and beyond. Tuesdays and Thursdays are shorter rides in Brentwood, Saturday rides are longer and can be either local or out of the area, and Sunday rides are shorter distances for recovery. “An average ride typically has between 12 and 30 riders,” said Harry. “However, we now have over 140 individuals in our club, which is pretty impressive for a cycling club.” Their largest turnout was 50 riders at one time.
Delta Valley Velo riders aren’t only from the immediate Brentwood area; they come from all over including Walnut Creek, Stockton, and Tracy. “I would probably go as far as to say that we are the number one growing club in all of California.” In addition to local routes, the group also frequents trips to and up Mount Diablo, around San Francisco, and through Monterey. They also do charity rides like fundraises for cancer and diabetes. Delta Valley Velo does have a long list of sponsors, including Thorpe Design Inc., Co. Co. County Wine Company, ACE Hardware, The Bike Shop, Eyecare Galleria, and more, which helps pay for club events and fundraisers. “I’m so pleased with the way things are working out as far as ridership goes and getting to do the kind of events that we do,” said Harry. “We started with only a half dozen of us, and now to have riders come out that I don’t even know is pretty wild.”
To keep such a large group organized, it takes a handful of individuals. “I do have six other guys that work with me to keep this thing going and to help with scheduling, having ride leaders, planning out of town events, managing our website and Facebook page. It’s a lot of work.” The others responsible for running the club along with Harry are Phill Hight, Michael Bowen, Jon Longden, Bruce Young, Brien Devine, and Kent Lagendorff.
Delta Valley Velo meets at The Bike Shop, 1185 Second Street, Suite F, on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:45 a.m. with a roll time of 8:00 a.m. As the weather warms up the meeting time will change to 7:15 a.m. with a 7:30 takeoff. There are also early evening rides on Tuesdays and Thursdays for those that want to meet up after work. One of Harry’s hopes for the future of the club is to bring more publicity to the fact that there are so many riders in the area so that drivers know that cyclists are out on the roads. “We need more awareness for safety,” said Harry. “There have been a lot of accidents unfortunately, so my goal is for safer roads for us.”
Business: Delta Valley Velo
Address: Brentwood, CA 94513
Tel: (925) 382-4662
