Greetings La Grange Community,
What a beautiful month it’s been for riding in SoCal! To those of you who didn’t ride the Edgar Burcksen Memorial Century Ride, you missed out on a spectacular day on bikes. Find out what you missed in this month’s La Voix, including race reports for the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, recap and pics of the annual La Grange Edward Burcksen Santa Barbara Century Ride, July LG50 and summary of minutes from our July board meeting. Be sure to save the date for this year’s Piuma Hill Climb and Velo Club La Grange Picnic!
See you at the next LG50,
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
Wow. Was July a great time to be a La Granger and Cyclist.
We got to watch an incredible Tour de France AND do our own tour to Santa Barbara while many enjoyed the LG50 to Trancas.
I loved these two events for several reasons. Firstly they celebrated an incredible man and deceased club member Edgar Burcksen. And as he, the documentarian, would have loved, many new riders joined his tribute ride and became members of La Grange providing the rest of us an incredible opportunity to learn their stories, too. I saw so many come together as a team to pull these rides off. While they weren’t quite as coordinated as a rotating pace line, the rides wouldn’t have happened without volunteers on and off the board. Thank you to Rich Hirschinger, Matt Conrad, Geoff Loui and all non-board members who lent a hand in large and small ways. A huge shout out of gratitude to Deb Carabet who not only drove the Van that day but ran around picking up and returning supplies, and also thanks to the rest of the board for your behind the scenes coordination efforts and getting the word out.
Our stalwart sponsor Helen’s also stepped up to help with promotion and opened early for us the morning of the ride.
Finally, I’m grateful for the 12 new members who joined the club as a means to participate. Many gave great compliments on the day, the things they learned about La Grange and the people they met. Thanks for joining. I hope you keep coming back to rides, events and get involved.
Looking forward to another LG50 this month and a future happy hour. Stay tuned for details.
Viva La Grange.
Larry Goodman
President, La Grange
Racing News
Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
The day started at the La Grange tent to the envy of all other tents, with freshly cooked bacon for La Grange members (thanks to Dan Funk! and the LG Board) who showed up to cheer on our La Grange/ La Fabrica Development Race Team and Melissa Kovac racing for La Grange in the womens cat 4! Aidan Kiernan and Morgan James both give their own reports of the day, with brag- worthy results!
La Grange/ LaFábrica Development Team Race Report
By Aidan Kiernan
The [Pro 1/2 State Championship] race was fast from the gun, with a break being established at 15 seconds halfway through the first lap. It was super interesting to see how important start line positioning can be. I spent the first 20 minutes moving up and protecting myself by being at the front, but soon realized the constant bridging of gaps was too energy consuming so early on. I decided to move back and recover in the pack until the last few laps. I secured a very good position going into the final turn but lost my lead out wheel coming into 500 meters. The wind zapped the rest of the energy I had and I did my best to damage control sprint. Although the last bit didn’t go to plan I was very satisfied with a 6th place finish in the Cat 2 state championships and 40th overall of 103 starters!
Morgan James, 9th overall and a cat 2 state title
By Morgan James
SCNCA State Championships! One of my favorite races of the year. With an international turnout from all the nearby UCI track events, this race was 🥵 🔥 super proud of the team for helping me take home a cat 2 state championship title and round up my upgrade points for cat 1 woohoo 🥳
Club News
Our monthly Womens Ride will take place on Saturday August 16! Route TBA
The LG50 will be held on Saturday August 23. Volunteers!! There is still time to step up and lead the ride/ propose a route!
Save the Date! The 2025 La Grange Annual Picnic and Piuma Hill Climb will be on Saturday Sept 26 this year. The catered picnic, for members and their families, will be located at the beautiful Rustic Canyon Park, same as last year.
Club Events Recap
Edgar Burcksen Memorial Santa Barbara Century Ride/ July LG50 Recap
On Saturday, July 26, a happy group of cyclists, led by Rich Hirschinger, left the Van Nuys Train Station to spend the day on bikes, riding North on PCH to honor long-time La Grange member and distance rider, Edgar Burcksen. First, the group climbed the Sepulveda Pass to meet up with a larger group of Century and LG 50 riders at Helen’s Cycles, where staff were on point with open registers for ride supplies and even mechanical support. A group of 63 riders rode together to Trancas, the first SAG stop for Century riders and turnaround point for the LG50.
The day was both sunny and cool and century riders were able to chat while riding at a steady pace. Deb Carabet and Matt Conrad were excellent SAG support, offering plenty of snacks, hydration and sunblock with smiles, every 20 miles, which made 100 (maybe closer to 106) seem to go by fast. Scenes from the ride included long stretches of the Pacific Ocean, Point Mugu Missile Park, even more ocean views, and a very pretty route through shaded neighborhoods leading up to Santa Barbara. The group playfully sped up as we neared the station where the La Grange van waited for everyone to load their bikes. We all changed into street clothes and walked to the Santa Barbara Biergarten where we shared stories of the day and enjoyed a generous meal with brews. Most of us except Nigel who continued riding to Ojai, took the train back to Van Nuys where Deb, Matt and the LG van waited for us with our safely transported bikes. Full album of photos from the day: here
July Board Meeting Minutes
Amanda Beasley, La Grange Secretary, has done the work to provide a concise summary of our monthly board meeting minutes so you can stay engaged with club goings on. Click HERE to read and look for these each month in LaVoix!
Welcome New Velo Club La Grange Members!
Please say hello to our 16 new members who joined in July 2025 (you can find them in our Member Directory):
Blia C., Casper C. & family, Craig H., David F., Erick C., Jim S., Joann Z., Jose A., Mark Byron M., Paul C., Ray D., Ricardo R., Ruben O., Tim F., Tony B and Jim S.
Existing 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.
Cycling News
Watch: Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift here
Change can be good: Read James Shrubsall of Cycling News’ take on the new Tour de France final stage here
California Has New Liability Insurance Minimums, But Are You Sufficiently Covered?
By Kevin P. Culpepper
On January 1, 2025, California implemented a long-overdue change to its auto insurance laws. For the first time since 1967, the minimum liability insurance requirements for drivers increased under Senate Bill 1107, known as the Protect California Drivers Act. This change doubles the minimum liability coverage drivers must carry from $15,000 to $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $30,000 to $60,000 for injury or death to more than one person, and $5,000 to $15,000 for property damage.
I’ve represented far too many clients whose losses exceeded the prior minimum limits. Too often, injured parties found themselves financially responsible for significant medical expenses or property losses because the at-fault driver carried only the state minimum coverage. The legislature recognized this problem, and SB 1107, a policy shift that emphasizes fair compensation and accountability on California roads, is the result. However, one critical issue remains: what happens if you’re hit by a driver who is uninsured, or who carries only the bare minimum coverage that still isn’t enough to cover your injuries?
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is essential for those injured in a crash. Unlike liability coverage, which protects others from your negligence, UM/UIM coverage protects you and your family if you’re injured by a driver who either has no insurance or not enough of it. Unfortunately, many drivers either waive this coverage without understanding the implications or fail to increase it beyond the 30/60 baseline. That’s a costly mistake. In my practice, I’ve seen victims suffer devastating losses—lost wages, prolonged medical treatment, permanent disability—only to discover the at-fault driver had minimal or no insurance. In those cases, UM/UIM coverage can be the only recovery available.
Cyclists riding on California roads face a unique set of dangers. Unlike drivers, they are completely exposed—without the benefit of airbags, crumple zones, or steel frames to absorb impact. Their visibility is often compromised by their smaller size and speed, making them more likely to be overlooked by inattentive drivers.
For these reasons, cyclists should strongly consider carrying robust Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage through their auto insurance policies. Many people are unaware that UM/UIM coverage can apply even when you're not driving, including while walking or cycling. In the event a cyclist is hit by a driver who lacks insurance or carries insufficient coverage, a UM/UIM policy can step in to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
The change in California’s minimum insurance requirements is a welcome step forward. But protecting yourself means looking beyond the minimums. If you are ever involved in an accident, the question won’t be what the law requires—but whether you’ve prepared for the reality of the road.
If you’ve been injured in a crash or have questions about whether your insurance coverage truly protects you and your family, don’t wait until it’s too late. At ACTS Law, we’ve helped countless Californians navigate the aftermath of collisions and secure the compensation they deserve. Call Kevin Culpepper at (657) 223-2829 or email kculpepper@actslaw.com if you or a loved one have been involved in a collision.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with ACTS Law. Legal outcomes vary by case; consult a qualified attorney before taking action. For legal help, contact our office to schedule a consultation.
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