PPTC celebrates 40 years!

(excerpt from 'Notes from the Chair' by Alma M. Kasulaitis Oct. 1985)

In October 1966, Clay Grubic, who owns Tow Path Cycles, and approximately a dozen other cyclists got together to form a recreational bicycling club, called Potomac Pedalers Touring Club. Monthly meetings were held at Tow Path Cycles, which was then located on M Street in Georgetown, and the 2 monthly rides started from that shop. The members owned single speed or 3-speed bikes, and the rides rarely went over 35 miles for that season. It was rare to see a 10-speed bike and if you felt a driving desire to own one, you had to order it and wait about 8 weeks for it to come in.

A lot of the groundwork for bike paths in this area was laid by Potomac Pedalers under the direction of Clay Grubic.

The goal of the club was to reach a membership of 200 people. They had no idea how big it would become.

In order to join the club, you had to qualify as a cyclist by going on 3 club rides. Once you were a member you had to go on 3 rides a year in order to renew your membership.

The emblem we have today was designed by Bill Ballard in 1968. The newsletter was 1 to 2 pages and didn't always come out monthly.