Prolog
I’m likely the last remaining rider of Hills R Us who has some connection to its early days. As such, I thought it might perhaps prove useful to some future Hills R Us riders to have, for the record, what I know of its origin and leadership. Much of the early timeline information comes from back issues of the Flat Tyre, supplemented by the Hills R Us blog.
I leave it to succeeding leaders to update this history as appropriate.
—Michael Khaw, June 2023
Hills R Us was started in mid-1998 by Steve Kramer and Jim Halicho. It was a C/3-4/35-60 ride, and met every Wednesday at Shoup Park at 10 am. Steve moved away years ago and Jim took up photography in favor of cycling.
The 2nd generation of leaders—Roger Coombes and Jim Mills—led from August 2003 through August 2004. Roger moved away in 2020(?). Jim, sadly, died from a solo crash on a Hills R Us ride in August 2004. Roger kept leading through September 2004. Van Whitis and Roger Stenerson then took over for a transition month in October 2004. Then Van Whitis and Michael Khaw became the co-leaders in November 2004.
During Roger and Jim's tenure, the ride was co-listed with ACTC, and riders had no idea where the ride was going until they showed up at Shoup Park. Having observed that sometimes the route would turn out to go too far for some riders to get home when they needed to—obliging them to either break off early or else not do the ride at all—Van and Michael decided to publish the route a few days in advance (via email at the time). In March 2006 they revised the ride rating to C-D/3-4/35-65 to reflect that the ride had during Roger and Jim’s time already gotten faster, and often in Daylight Saving Time would range farther than 60 miles. It remained C-D through December 2009 and then became DE as of January 2010.
Van had to quit biking at the end of 2006. Michael became sole ride leader in 2007, with others filling in while he was away for work in the summer months: Roger Coombes, April–October 2007; Mike Harding and Steve Chapel May–October 2008 and again May–June 2009; Steve Chapel and Dave Fitch December 2011–January 2012.
Michael stepped down after January 2012. Steve, Dave, Paul Melville and Mike Harding took over. Mike Harding stepped down after March 2013, then Dave Fitch stepped down after August 2013, and Doug Hahn took his place through May 2019.
Meanwhile, in June 2012 Martha Landis, Gene Kiernan and Ed Wesley started the more relaxed-pace Social Climbers edition of Hills R Us, rated D instead of DE, and drew many women riders. Ed stepped down after May 2014. Martha and Gene continued through May 2017, after which Betty DeLuco and Dave Fitch stepped in. Betty stepped down at the end of 2018 and Don Johann joined Dave in January 2019. Cathy Switzer joined them in March 2019.
In 2020, because of dwindling ridership in the original Hills R Us, the ride leaders decided to merge it with Social Climbers and retitle the ride Hills R Us… just in time for the COVID-19 lockdown. Hills R Us resumed normal operation in Febuary 2021, led by Don Johann, Cathy Switzer, Jack Jones, Steve Rempel… with Gary Virshup and Michael Khaw occasionally filling in as “guest leader”.
Due to a resurgence of faster riders joining the ride, the ride leaders decided to again split into a DE Hills R Us and a C+,D Hills R Us Social Climbers effective July 2023.
List of Hills R Us leaders
5/1998–7/2003 Steve Kramer and Jim Halicho
8/2003–8/2004 Roger Coombes and Jim Mills (+ACTC)
9/2004 Roger Coombes (+ACTC)
10/2004 Van Whitis and Roger Stenerson
11/2004– 12/2006 Van Whitis and Michael Khaw
1/2007–1/2012 Michael Khaw
4/2007–10/2007 Roger Coombes
5/2008–10/2008 Mike Harding, Steve Chapel
5/2009– 6/2009 Mike Harding, Steve Chapel
12/2011 Steve Chapel, Dave Fitch
1/2012 Steve Chapel, Dave Fitch
2/2012–3/2013 Steve Chapel, Dave Fitch, Paul Melville, Mike Harding (deceased 12/14/2013)
4/2013–6/2013 Steve Chapel, Dave Fitch, Paul Melville
7/2013 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville
8/2013 Steve Chapel, Dave Fitch, Paul Melville
9/2013–11/2013 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville
12/2013 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville, Doug Hahn
1/2014 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville
2/2014–5/2019 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville, Doug Hahn
6/2019–12/2019 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville
2/2020 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville, Don Johann, Cathy Switzer (+Dave Fitch)
3/2020 Paul Melville, Don Johann, Cathy Switzer, Jack Jones
(COVID-19 SiP halt 4/2020–10/2020)
11/2020 Paul Melville, Don Johann, Cathy Switzer, Jack Jones, Steve Rempel
(COVID-19 halt 12/2020–1/2021)
since 2/2021 Don Johann, Cathy Switzer, Jack Jones, Steve Rempel (+Gary Virshup, Michael Khaw)
List of Social Climbers leaders
6/2012–9/2013 Martha and Gene Kiernan, Ed Wesley
10/2013 Martha and Gene Kiernan
11/2012–3/2014 Martha and Gene Kiernan, Ed Wesley
4/2014 Martha and Gene Kiernan
5/2014 Martha and Gene Kiernan, Ed Wesley
6/2014–5/2017 Martha and Gene Kiernan
6/2017–12/2018 Betty DeLuco, Dave Fitch
1/2019–2/2019 Dave Fitch, Don Johann
3/2019–12/2019 Dave Fitch, Don Johann, Cathy Switzer
1/2020 Steve Chapel, Paul Melville, Don Johann, Cathy Switzer (+Dave Fitch)
