Greetings La Grange Members,
Happy first of May and thanks for reading La Voix. I had a lot of help from Any Hutner in gathering content this month so a shout out of thanks to Amy! This month’s newsletter includes information on our rescheduled Safety Course (Amy, Mandy and I will all be helping with this fun event and encourage you to come out:), La Grange event and ride recaps, a nice member feature by Trish of her and Larry’s cycling trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, some new info about our sponsors, a few save the dates and our new Spring Special Edition 1970’s Peugeot inspired kit. Make sure you purchase one before the portal closes May 4!
Enjoy the May flowers and ride safely,
Renée Fox, La Voix Editor
P.S. Have something else cycling-related you think would be interesting or beneficial to our members? Submit here to be considered for an upcoming newsletter.
Letter from the President
Hello La Grangers,
May is an awesome time for cycling in Los Angeles. The weather is perfect and the summer tourists and related traffic haven’t yet arrived en masse. As president of the club, I receive lots of inquiries from members and those looking to join. A regular topic is safety. At a time when we are starting up our monthly Safety Course and Skills Clinics I want to share my thoughts with you about the shared responsibility of a group ride.
In a cycling club and on group rides, everyone helps set the tone—whether you’re an official leader or a rider in the group. Leadership isn’t just about board meetings, routes or directions; it’s about modeling safe, respectful, and predictable riding so others can follow with confidence and have a great time with others that share the cycling passion.
A great ride starts with everyone feeling safe. That means reinforcing good habits—steady pacing, proper spacing, and clear communication about hazards and traffic. What you do on the bike influences the whole group. Small actions matter. Riding a straight line, staying predictable, and keeping your hands on the bars all set a strong example—especially for newer riders who are learning the group’s norms.
One rule we must all follow: Avoid distractions by giving the ride 100% of your focus. This means: Leave your phone in your pocket while riding. Do not listen to music when riding in a group. Keep your hands on the bars, look forward and watch in your periphery for hazards, holes, sand, upcoming traffic controls, other riders. Make sure you are prepared to see distractions by wearing clean, unscratched glasses, prescription glasses if you need them, showing up with a well maintained bicycle when you are feeling healthy and ready to participate in what can be a dangerous sport. Where you look is where you go, and distractions put everyone at risk.
In a group, consistent predictability is key. Sudden movements—like drifting, surging, or braking unexpectedly—can create confusion and danger. Smooth, steady riding helps everyone stay safe. Cycling should always be enjoyable. Good leadership and predictable riding doesn’t take away the fun—it supports it. A safe ride today means many more great rides ahead. Everyone plays a role. “Protect your front wheel” is important—but so is being mindful of riders behind you. When cyclists support each other—sharing knowledge, helping with mechanicals, and reinforcing good habits—the whole group benefits. At its core, safe riding in a peloton is about making thoughtful choices that prioritize the group’s well-being. When riders see that commitment, they follow—and together, we build a stronger, safer cycling community.
Vive La Grange,
Larry
Club News
La Grange Skills and Safety Course
Join us for our first Skills & Safety Course! For new and seasoned riders, this course is designed to sharpen your bike handling and elevate our club’s group riding culture.
When: Sunday, May 24 @ 8:00 AM
Where: Helen’s Cycles on Broadway
What to Expect: Skill drills and riding in a true double pace line. Learn techniques you can practice to be more like “The Pros”
Save the Date:
Saturday May 16 LG Women’s Ride Route TBD
Saturday May 30 LG 50, Sponsored by John Fox Fine Painting with Renée, David and John Fox on SAG, Route TBD
Lee Ziff winning in the 70’s La Grange Peugeot kit
New Special Edition Spring LG Tribute Kit!!
The Pedal Mafia Spring Order Portal is Open until May 4th!
We’ve been busy here at our top-secret LG clothing skunkworks working on our next niche Spring offering, much in the same vein as last year’s mega-successful French National kit! This has always been a labor of love; trying to find just the right ingredients to craft an awesome kit. We think we’ve come up with a good one. We have often heard from longtime members just how simple, yet cool our mid-1970s Peugeot/La Grange kit was. Classy and racy with a mid-70s vibe. We considered what this kit should celebrate. While we highlighted all things French last year, this go-round, our “Tribute kit” pays homage to the man who founded La Grange: Raymond Fouquet. On the front and back of the jersey, you will see the name of a French town with a red coat of arms next to it. This is the actual suburb of Paris where Raymond was born in 1920. To complete the look, the club will offer BLACK bibs for the first time in close to 30 years! We can’t think of a more appropriate way to celebrate Raymond and 57 years of La Grange!
In addition to this kit, the current club and race kit clothing items will also be available to order for those of you who missed the December order. In order to receive these kits by late June, the clothing portal will only be open for a short window, closing end-of-day on May 4th.
~Marco Fantone
Contact Marco Fantone if you need the members only link to purchase.
Club Events Recap
April La Grange Women’s Ride
Led by Amanda Beesley
Images by various contributors
On April 18, 2026, the La Grange Women’s Ride kicked off at 8am for a 30 mile journey that started on Ocean Blvd. Amanda Beesley lead the group inland and up several steep climbs up including Bellagio, Chalon, and Stradella. The riders consistently regrouped at the top of each climb. When Lisa’s rear wheel punctured, she calmly spun it to seal the leak. They rode Mulholland and down Franklin. The views were amazing. The road was pristine. They made their way back through UCLA and ended the ride with coffee at goodboybob coffee roasters in Santa Monica. Women who started out as friends and strangers now shared a common experience, a sense of accomplishment, the rush of endorphins, and the anticipation of gathering again the next third Saturday of the month. Thanks to Amy Hutner for designing the route and to Lisa Goldfarb for the photo.
April La Grange LG 50 Malibu State Park and Paramount Ranch
Led by Dan Mitnick | SAG by Dan Funk
Images by Dan Mitnick
Saturday’s LG 50 ride followed a spectacular route along PCH, turning right at Cross Creek and up Malibu Canyon to Las Virgenes. The peloton took a left turn on Mulholland Highway, continued onto Cornell, right on Agoura Road, right on Lost Hills, and went back the way they came to PCH. SAG was held at the corner of Mulholland & Cornell road, with views of the historic Paramount Ranch, an iconic setting featured in over 500 film and tv productions. The main SAG and restroom stop were at Juan Bautista Park. Dan Funk drove the LG van, and Geoff Loui was the sweep. Thanks to the wonderful volunteers from our community for making this ride happen!
CAF Partnership Kick-Off
Great to see you all at Lee Ziff’s Taco Night! We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership between Velo Club La Grange and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), with CAF proudly serving as the club’s official charity partner. CAF’s mission is to provide opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics. CAF believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence, and enhances quality of life.
Together, we’re creating more opportunities for members and athletes to connect through shared events, cross-promotion, and meaningful collaboration. This partnership is all about expanding access, growing both of our communities, and engaging Velo Club members more deeply in CAF’s mission to support athletes with physical challenges. We’re incredibly excited about what we can build together—bringing people together through sport, creating more inclusive opportunities, and doing real good in the world.
Below are a few ways you can start to get involved as we begin to grow CAF’s presence across Los Angeles and kick off this incredible partnership. Please feel free to reach out to CAF directly with any interest, questions, or for additional information.
Morgan Cronin Development, Los Angeles
Challenged Athletes Foundation morgan@challengedathletes.org
CAF Update: Miles that Matter
We’re excited to give the La Grange community a glimpse into what’s coming with the CAF Cycling Club and our 2026 Miles That Matter campaign.
This year alone, CAF awarded over 4,033 grants totaling more than $7 million and surpassing a major milestone of more than $200 million awarded in our 33 year history! This is made possible by the generous communities that support our mission and help athletes with permanent physical disabilities access adaptive equipment, training, and competition. When you ride for CAF, you help someone else ride too.
The CAF Cycling Club is donation based. Ride wherever, whenever, however you ride, and know that every mile helps create opportunity for another athlete. Kick off your campaign by donating to your own ride, invite others to pledge per mile, or share your story and rally support along the way. The more you raise, the more you unlock exclusive gear, unforgettable destination ride experiences, and other exciting rewards!
A unique QR code for Velo Club La Grange members is coming soon. In the meantime, you can learn more HERE.
CAF is always in need of sighted captains. Please reach out if you are interested in tandem cycling and learning to become a sighted captain.
Save the Date: CAF LA Defying Limits Gala 2027
Please save the date—CAF’s LA Defying Limits Gala will be held on February 20, 2027, at the Skirball Cultural Center. Last year marked our inaugural gala, welcoming more than 400 guests and raising over $600,000 to support CAF’s mission, athletes, and community here in Los Angeles. A formal save-the-date, along with table, ticket, and sponsorship information, will be shared soon.
Stay tuned for more Challenged Athletes Foundation updates!
Member Features
Our Bike Trip To Cambodia and Vietnam
BY TRISH BAKST
This past February, Larry Goodman and I took a two-week bike trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. It was nothing like we imagined. I brought my road bike shoes and cleats and quickly discovered that I had the wrong gear. We were riding on mountain bikes. Larry was smarter than I was and brought his mountain bike shoes and cleats which, in Cambodia, was the right move because all of the roads were dirt, often wet, or chopped up dirt and cement. So within a day or so, my bike cleats were covered in wet, red dirt and I could not clip in. Eventually, I solved my problem by switching to sneakers and flat pedals. But my white sneakers are still tinted pink. Lol.
Besides that minor snafu, we had a really great trip. We traveled with a British based company called Redspokes who organized every aspect of our trek, from start to finish. We started in Siem Reap, which is where Angkor Wat is located, and then rode our bikes through Cambodia to Phomn Penn where we boarded a barge that took us on a six hour very slow “cruise” (that’s a joke) to Vietnam. We traveled with 11 Brits and 3 other Americans for a total of 16 people, including me and Larry. Everyone was really nice and we had a great time traveling together over the two-week period. Once we got to Vietnam, we again rode our bikes from Chau Doc to Saigon, also called Ho Chi Minh City by no one except the government and the airlines.
Going from Cambodia to Vietnam by water was an interesting experience. The barge stopped at the buffer zone between the two countries where we disembarked to show our passports to customs. But customs did not give the passports back right away. After handing our passports over to some guys in uniforms sitting at a computer in a shack, we re-boarded the barge, without our passports and cruised another 45 minutes until we were across the border. I was rather nervous about leaving my passport behind, but our guide assured us this was SOP. After another 45 minutes of cruising down the river, we disembarked again and then waited about an hour while a customs official motorcycled our passports from the buffer zone to the border where we were waiting. We were told afterwards that it does not usually take so long, but there were 6 Israelis on board the barge with us, so the Vietnamese were being especially careful to make sure they were not terrorists! TBH, that really pissed me off.
I would characterize this trip as less of a biking trip and more of a sight-seeing trip, although we did ride anywhere from 30-60 miles daily, with a 1 day stopover in Phomn Penn. Among many sites, we toured Angkor Wat, several fishing villages, the killing fields, and more. It was very interesting and we had fun.
Redspokes was great –In Cambodia and Vietnam we had local guides who toured us through the country, explaining where we were and what we were seeing. They also fully supported our every need - food, restaurants, hotels, water, bike support, etc. We had to ride at a very slow pace tho because it was 90+°. We literally had to stop every 10K (6.6 miles) to drink water and spray water on ourselves to cool down. Twice, I became completely overheated and could not ride, once holding up the group for 45 minutes while I put ice on my head, drank coke and tried to cool off in the shade. Kind of embarrassing. Except for the heat, the rides were not difficult as they were all totally flat. But, needless to say, with all of that stopping, including lunch, it took us 7-8 hours every day to ride from start to finish and then get on a bus to be transported (sometimes for 2 hours) into the cities where we stayed overnight. By the time we arrived, it was at least 5pm. We only stayed one night in each accommodation, except for PhomnPennn and Saigon where we stayed two nights. Efficient packing was the name of that game.
As we pedaled along what are essentially country river roads, we rode through village after village and saw lots of interesting things. Twice, we rode through a wedding. Not around, but through. This is because the villages are made up of simple roadside shacks filled with food, wares and goods, often without proper sanitation or electricity. We knew the fresh chicken offered for purchase had only been killed hours before.
Transportation throughout these countries is usually via mopeds stacked with food, wares and other goods. Everyone has a lot of chickens, water buffaloes and lots of dogs that were too heat exhausted to chase us or even lift their heads. When we stopped to cool off, we interacted with the locals who were all super friendly and nice. I can’t think of any country I’ve been to that is poorer than Cambodia. Vietnam is not as poor, but still, it’s a third world country. I was struck by how many mopeds and bicycles the Vietnamese have. In a country of 11 million people, it seemed as though everyone had a moped. The cities were literally a sea of mopeds.
White people are certainly not the norm in Cambodia or Vietnam. According to our guides, most Cambodians have only seen a white person on TV. White people in biking clothes is so crazy that one woman asked our guide what planet we were from. We were such an oddity that when the children saw us, they always came running to the road (which we would call a bike path) and screamed our their “helloes” to us. That’s all the English they know. If I said “hi” back to them, they didn’t respond because “hi” in Cambodian means “ocean.” Doh. That stuck with me.
All in all, this was a really fun and interesting trip that I would recommend to anyone hearty enough to withstand riding bikes in 90° temps.
Members:
Please take a moment to ensure your contact information is up to date. Visit https://www.lagrange.org/member-dashboard#myaccount to confirm that your phone number is current, and double check that your emergency contact name and phone number are accurate. This helps La Grange improve vendor access to membership verification and ensures that, in case of an emergency during a ride, a board member can quickly notify your emergency contact. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to us at membership@lagrange.org.
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Support Our Sponsors
La Grange Members receive a 15% discount on your entire purchase, excluding gift cards, when you present your La Grange membership card.
Did you know, in addition to delicious coffee and pastries, Caffe luxxe gives back to the community. Leran more HERE
La Grange members receive a 10% discount on beverage tabs during official, pre-scheduled club meetups, happy hours, and events.
Santa Monica Brew Works is the first and only independent craft brewery in Santa Monica, California, known for its California-inspired beers and "Beach Brewed" lifestyle. It features a tasting room and beer garden with ample indoor and outdoor seating, often with rotating food trucks or an adjacent pizza restaurant (Emmy Squared). The brewery offers a wide variety of beers, including unique styles, and provides amenities like free parking and is accessible via the Metro.
• Amenities: Free parking, bike racks, dog-friendly, and wheelchair accessible.
• Events: Hosts private and semi-private events, accommodating groups of various sizes.
In addition to providing some of the best coffee in Los Angeles, did you know that Caffe Luxxe also gives back to the community? Read more HERE
THANK YOU to all of our sponsors!
ACTS Law, Personal Injury Lawyers
APEX Law, Real Estate and Business Litigation
Caffe Luxxe, Artisanal Coffee Roasters Gentle Jaw, A passive stretching device for acute and chronic tmj and jaw pain John Fox Fine Painting, Exquisite finishes and bespoke murals Helen’s Cycles, Local Community Bike Shop
Lee Ziff, Real Estate Pedal Mafia, Killer Cycling Apparel Rudy Project, Italian-Made Helmets and Eyewear The Feed, #1 Source for Performance Nutrition TriFit LA, Fitness and Performance Center
4iiii Powermeters, Harness the Power Santa Monica Brew Works, Santa Monica’s First and Only Brewery
