Kayna Robison, President

From an early age, cycling has represented independence and adventure. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve riding around the neighborhood with my friends, sometimes even cramming two or three kids onto one bike to reach our next destination. These days, you won’t be seeing more than one person on my bike, but I still enjoy the freedom and excitement of riding just as I did growing up.

In my late-twenties, I started riding with folks at work who regularly went on rides together. My partner’s mother generously gifted me her old road bike and suggested I check out GEARs. I was loving the challenge and empowerment that cycling was bringing to my life at the time. I wasn’t sure what to expect when joining GEARs, but was happy to discover a welcoming community full of dedicated cyclists, many of whom have become deeply valued friends. I am very grateful for everything that GEARs has offered me and our community.

As a board member, I am dedicated to promoting a strong sense of community and inclusiveness among our membership. Through group rides, social events, and outreach efforts, I aim to promote cycling as a welcoming and inclusive sport for everyone.

Mark Steinberg, Vice President

I grew up in Iowa and rode a couple of the first years of RAGBRAI in 1975 & 1978. I moved to Eugene in 1979 to attend grad school. Moved to the Seattle area in 1985. I was an ultramarathoner until my left knee disintegrated. Turned from part time biking to full time biking in 2002. I enjoy bike touring. I’ve done several trips with my friends and also participated in organized rides at WACANID and Ride Idaho.

I moved back to Eugene last year, after retiring. I am very happy to have joined GEARS and found a great group of riders. I was impressed by the number of rides and courses, even before I joined. I volunteered to join the board to make sure the club continues to run smoothly.

Roll on!

Danielle Curran, Secretary

Danielle is working on her bio.

Curt McKinney, Treasurer

I was taken with cycling at an early age. The freedom it provided growing up in a small town in Michigan was incredible. I provided bike repairs for my friends and family in my early teens. By high school (’75) I was employed as a mechanic and progressed to shop management, independent sales rep and finally landed at Avocet (’84-’96) in CA. After 30 years away from the bicycle industry, and riding, I retired (’16). I moved to Eugene in ’17 with my wife. In ’21 I jump started my return to cycling by getting an e-bike and ultimately riding with GEARS. After a few months of conditioning I was able to transition to a road bike and hang with the 13-15 mph group comfortably.
I still enjoy working on bikes and volunteer at Sponsors Bicycle Recyclery and Free Bikes 4 Kids. I really enjoy the comradery of the group rides and hope to continue to improve my conditioning this season. I hope that my past experience in Finance and as treasurer of other non-profits can be helpful to GEARS as I serve on the board.

Betsy Ingram, Member at Large

Betsy is still working on her bio.

Bob Lewis, Member at Large

Gears member since 2019. Lived 66 years in Frankfort, Kentucky. I rode with Bluegrass Cycling Club (BCC) starting in 2011. Was a ride leader for 2 years with that club. I participated in BCC’s Horsey 100 annual ride as a rider and volunteer. In addition to cycling, I enjoy swimming at Echo Hollow pool and cycling in and around Eugene.

My wife and I moved to Eugene full time in 2020. We have two daughters and two grandsons that live in Eugene. Katie is co-owner of J-Tea Tea house and Rebecca is an associate Professor at UO.

Peter Dedman, Member at Large

I grew up in Connecticut loving to ride bikes, whether it was up and down the driveway on a Schwinn, around the neighborhood on a Raleigh BMX, and later, across town on a Panasonic 10-speed. Bikes were the only vehicle I owned for the decades I resided in the Bay Area after college, then NYC after that. However, I’ve only discovered the joy of riding with groups of cyclists in the past few years. This has exponentially deepened my love for the activity and relationship with the bike, bringing me further than I’d ever imagined for myself.

When I moved to Eugene in 2022 with my family, a group like GEARs was one of the first things I looked for — and gratefully, found. The diversity of routes, paces, and personalities contribute to this organization’s specialness, a wonderful representation of the vibrant Eugene cycling community. I’m honored to serve on the board and hope to help create more opportunities for us to make a positive impact. (Peter on his first bike below).