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From the President
In Memoriam

Poet T.S. Elliot wrote that April is the cruelest month. But this year, for the LBC and many of its members, May’s cruelty would be difficult to beat. Right at the beginning of the month, on Derby Day, on a club ride celebrating Louisville’s most festive season, Jim Kimmel, one of the club’s most faithful ride captains and a helluva nice guy, went down. Despite the best efforts of Cheryl Brawner, who was ride captain, Mimi Beilman and John Martin, who helped with CPR, Jim died.

It would be easy to turn the story of Jim’s death into lessons all of us can learn about the joys and risks of cycling, about heeding warning signals sent by our bodies, for surely there are many. But there’s enough time for that. For now, let’s just remember Jim, or Kim as his family and oldest friends knew him.

Everyone who knew Jim knew how much he loved cycling. His mother told me how much care and pleasure he took in laying out cycling routes for club rides. His brothers said he was a tireless proselytizer for cycling who tried to get them involved in the sport. Anyone who ever did one of his rides knew that Jim liked hills. His rides had plenty.

Among several tributes by club members, the most memorable was the June 2 tour of Cave Hill Cemetery. John Paul had obtained permission from the Superintendent Lee Squires early in the year and dedicated the ride to Jim’s memory after he was laid to rest there.

More than 100 riders showed up despite the thunderstorms, which fortunately, were brief. By the time the ride started the sun had broken through. Our first stop was Jim’s grave, where the Mad Dogs laid a wreath that contained the group’s emblem. Jim would have liked that. It would have appealed to his wry sense of humor and he would have been pleased to achieve one of his 2002 cycling goals, to become a Mad Dog.

Rest in peace, Jim. It was a pleasure riding with you.