Everyone knows that the first rule of Fight Club is "you do not talk about Fight Club." The first rule of the NFBC is we can do anything we want as long as there are volunteers to make it happen. Recently, we surpassed 350 paid memberships -- more than the total number of members at the end of last year. So, people seem enthusiastic about riding and about the club. But we need more people to step forward to make everything we do happen.

It boggles my mind to consider that we host nearly 600 rides a year (and that's not counting, the long, the mid, and the short). It's really true that "We Ride Every Day," at least between April and October. But that means we need a lot of people to lead the rides, sign people in, and in the case of weekday rides, devise the routes, post rides, make cue sheets etc. Right now we need volunteers to lead weekend rides, north and south, but especially north.

Over the long haul, we also need some people to step forward to lead the regular morning and evening weekday rides. We have an extraordinary cadre of regular ride leaders who -- dare I say -- "curate" the riding experience from their respective ride start locations. They think a lot about where are the fun, challenging, and beautiful roads to ride in their area and turn them into memorable routes. But a lot of those ride leaders have been doing it for years and years (and years) and might be ready to step down if only someone else would step up.

And it's not just ride leaders we need. Every year we organize an end-of-August club picnic and a November banquet. Jen Adolf has been putting the banquet together for several years and Jane Armbruster the same for the picnic and for even more years than that. They would love some help. They would love to find a successor.

The same thing goes for picnic rides. Folks who have been hosting a picnic ride for many years (Jim Vozga on Memorial Day, Mike Maher on Labor Day) may be ready for a break. Other hosts of long-standing (Linc Blaisdell, Rich Swank, and Bob and Tris) are now happily retired. Fortunately, others have recently stepped up (Dave Dunkle, Bill Harrington), but there's room for more.

And just because you are relatively new to the club doesn't mean you can't help. In fact, it would be a great way to get to know the rides, people, and events that make the NFBC a great club. New members or old, let me know if you'd like to help in some way.

Our first no-drop ride was such a success we are doing it again: this Sunday, June 4 starting at 2 p.m. from the parking lot behind the fire hall on Long Avenue in Hamburg, traveling some of the southtowns loveliest roads, and offering routes for a wide range of riders. In the NFBC, we ride "at an athletic pace," but that's different for everyone on two wheels.

The no-drop ride is designed specially for newer riders and riders who are new to the club. It's a good way for everyone to get acquainted and have a friendly group ride. We will have club members leading each of three rides -- 37, 28, and 17 miles -- and others serving as "sweepers," making sure no one gets left behind. Try to arrive at the ride start 30 minutes before we roll so you can get signed in, get your bike set up, and get our groups organized.

The ride is scheduled for 2 p.m. so that we might get together for dinner afterward at one of the nearby restaurants in Hamburg -- Butera's Craft Beer and Pizza, The Coyote Cafe for Mexican, The Grange Community Kitchen and others. Bring a change of clothes unless you really like to eat in your bike gear.

We are still looking for a few more volunteers to help lead the ride, leading or sweeping. If you are willing to help, please get in touch with me at president@nfbc.com or reach out to Alisa Mertens, who is organizing the no-drop rides.

Starting Saturday, May 20, all weekend rides will start at 9 a.m. as we shift from avoiding chilly mornings to getting our rides done before the afternoon heat. Weekend ride starts will revert to 10 a.m. beginning with the infamous "Boston Baked Buns" ride on September 16.