BCI - Bicycle Club of Irvine

The Bicycle Club of Irvine is a recreational and social cycling club for men and women of all ages and skill levels. We are not a racing team. We have members from all over Southern California; in fact, only 25% of the members live in Irvine. Our members ride all sorts of bicycles: road bikes, tandems, mountain bikes and hybrids.

We have ride levels on our scheduled rides to accommodate riders of all skill levels, climbing abilities and pace. All ages and abilities are welcome. Minors are requested to be accompanied by an adult.

Club founder,
Bill Sellin

In 1981, the City of Irvine recreation staff at Deerfield Community Park started the Bicycle Club of Deerfield for middle school students. The club went on weekend rides to the beach, overnight rides down the coast and the staff provided bicycle maintenance classes. The club members discovered that they enjoyed cycling together, membership grew and adults began to join. In 1982, the group began meeting weekly at various park sites in Irvine, not just Deerfield Community Park. As a result, the name and was changed to the Bicycle Club of Irvine (BCI) to represent the entire Irvine community.

The club became a popular social, and recreational cycling club. Soon bicycle shops were recommending BCI for those who were new to cycling, those looking for a non-competitive environment and anyone looking for friends to ride with.

On the morning of July 30, 1983, over 30 club members came together in Deerfield Park to appoint the first board of directors for The Bicycle

Club of Irvine. Bill Sellin, founder of the original club and a member of the Irvine Community Services Department, facilitated the meeting. At that meeting a group volunteered to set up a regular monthly business meeting, a treasury, and a ride calendar to mail to members each month. The club, sponsored by the City of Irvine, had become a full-fledged cycling organization.

In 1986, the city of Irvine began to phase out of the club's operation, allowing the club to stand on its own. BCI now has over 500 active members who participate in the clubs many scheduled rides and social events.

BCI draws its membership from Irvine as well as surrounding communities. Some members come from as far away as Los Angeles County and San Diego County and we even have a few from out-of-state.

Meetings are held every month and feature a guest speaker along with announcements and discussions of club business. The single-page ride calendar has evolved into a full-fledged newsletter called Pace Lines that is published and mailed to over 400 addresses each month.

For many years, the Bicycle Club of Irvine has provided input into the City's bikeway development and bicycle facilities committee, has worked with public safety by helping to teach bicycle safety, and provided free helmets for Irvine school children. While the club identifies itself with the City of Irvine, it is well known throughout Southern California.