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How much do Tour de France bikes weigh in 2023? 11 Tour bikes weighed and analysed

Lightweight-aero all-rounders dominate

George Scott / Our Media

Simon von Bromley

The Tour de France is the most important race of the year, so teams and riders use the best and latest equipment.

Given that, you might think the answer to the question “How much does a Tour de France bike weigh?” would be a simple one – “Bang on the UCI minimum bike weight of 6.8kg.”

The halcyon days of sub-5kg off-the-shelf road bikes are long gone, however.

While many lay blame at the feet of things such as road disc brakes and tubeless tyres and wheels, another major culprit is aerodynamic drag – or, more specifically, efforts to counter it.

As we’ve seen with bikes such as the Specialized S-Works Aethos , it’s perfectly possible to build a disc brake road bike that weighs less than 6.8kg (at a cost, of course, but that’s no issue for Tour pros).

The problem is that bikes such as the Aethos would be slower than heavier, more aerodynamically efficient ones except on the steepest of gradients, for racing at the WorldTour level .

Though famous for its mountains, the Tour de France isn’t a simple hill climb race .

In fact, despite being one of the most mountainous Tours of recent years, the 2023 race is currently sitting on an overall average speed of more than 41kph/25mph.

The challenge for bike brands, therefore, is to build a bike that is both as aerodynamic as possible yet also light enough to hit 6.8kg in full race trim. As things stand, compromises have to be made somewhere.

So how much does a complete pro bike weigh in 2023? We got our hands on 11 Tour de France bikes and put them on the BikeRadar scales of truth.

Caveat warning

As with our 2022 Tour de France bike weights exposé, there are a couple of caveats to note first.

After seeing almost every rider aboard full-fat aero road bikes at last year’s Grand Départ in Copenhagen, Denmark, these bikes were all optimised for this year’s race start in Bilbao, Spain.

As a result, the bikes we saw were mostly using slightly lighter frames and parts where possible.

They were also all weighed ready-to-ride, with a number of ‘optional’ accessories most brands don’t include when quoting complete bike weights, such as pedals , power meters , bike computer mounts and bottle cages .

Secondly, practically every team in the race has been changing bike setups to suit the changing demands of each individual stage.

While for some riders and teams, this may just mean changing wheelsets and tyres, for others it can mean switching to a different bike altogether.

For example, current race leader, Jonas Vingegaard, has used at least four different bikes so far at this year’s race – a Cervélo S5 aero bike equipped with a 2x drivetrain (the bike we weighed) plus another with a 1x drivetrain , as well as a Cervélo R5 climbing bike and a Cervélo P5 time trial bike.

He’s also been changing between tubular and tubeless tyres and wheelsets to suit the various demands of each stage.

So while the bike of his which we weighed in Bilbao didn’t hit the 6.8kg mark, it’s highly likely he’s been using one which is there or thereabouts for big days in the mountains.

With that out of the way, though, let’s dive straight into things.

Richard Carapaz’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71 – 7.395kg

Let’s start with the Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71 of reigning Olympic road race champion, EF Education-EasyPost’s Richard Carapaz.

The SuperSix Evo LAB71 is Cannondale’s ultra-premium, all-rounder racing bike.

Cannondale says it’s the lightest SuperSix EVO ever, with a claimed weight of just 770g for a painted size 56cm frame.

Carapaz’s size 48cm frame ought to be even lighter, then.

The new SuperSix EVO is also said to be 12 watts more aerodynamically efficient at 45kph than the previous generation bike , too.

At this year’s Grand Départ, Carapaz’s bike was built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset.

For the short amount of time Carapaz was in this year’s race (he unfortunately crashed out on stage one), the Ecuadorian was using 54/40t FSA chainrings and carbon cranks on a Power2Max NG Road power meter , combined with an 11-34t cassette out back.

Intriguingly, he also had sprint shifters placed just on the inside of his brake hoods, with a small hole cut out of each rubber hood for the button to protrude through.

From the looks of things, these would enable Carapaz to change gear with his thumbs while his hands are wrapped around the very tops of the shifter hoods.

Vision supplies EF Education-EasyPost with wheels and finishing kit. Carapaz selected the Metron 45 SL wheelset and Metron 5D ACR integrated handlebar.

Finishing things off, Carapaz was using 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, Wahoo Speedplay Aero pedals , a Prologo Scratch M5 saddle, Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages and a Wahoo Elemnt Roam bike computer.

All in, Carapaz’s bike weighed 7.395kg.

Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad CFR – 7.945kg

The Canyon Aeroad CFR is a few years old now, although when it launched back in 2020 it was touted as something of a super-light aero road bike.

Indeed, when we reviewed a similarly top-spec Canyon Aeroad CFR Di2 that year, it weighed just 7.3kg (size medium frame, without pedals or bottle cages).

At 7.945kg, though, van der Poel’s bike was the heaviest bike we weighed at this year’s Grand Départ.

We’ll dig into why that might be in a bit, but it’s interesting to note that the Dutch mega-star is actually riding a recently updated version of the Aeroad (with a custom paint job too, of course).

Canyon has updated the location of the seatpost clamp, from the rear of the seat tube to the top of the top tube.

The rest of the bike was more standard, with a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, Dura-Ace C50 wheels shod with 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, and Dura-Ace pedals.

Van der Poel had 54/40t chainrings mounted to a Dura-Ace FC-9200-P power meter crankset, plus an 11-30t cassette out back.

A Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow MVDP saddle (a special edition version with signature graphics), Elite Custom Race Plus bottle cages, and a cool 3D-printed mount for his Wahoo Elemnt Bolt bike computer completes the build.

As for why it weighs what it does? Well, first and foremost – it’s a proper aero bike, optimised for flat and rolling races.

But we also think the fact that van der Poel rides a size large frame, plus the addition of pedals, bottle cages and the custom paint job helps explain it (this is partly why there are so many matte black carbon bikes these days – it’s generally the lightest option).

Jonas Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5 – 7.195kg

We’ve covered this bike (and Tadej Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs) in exhaustive detail elsewhere, but it’s still worth mentioning here too, of course.

Set up with a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset and Reserve 34|37 tubular wheels, Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5 (the Canadian brand’s aero bike) weighed just 7.195kg.

As noted in a few other articles, this is partly explained by the use of a lightweight climbing wheelset and narrow, 24c Vittoria Corsa Pro tubular tyres.

That it’s a relatively small size 51cm frame helps too, as do the lightweight custom graphics.

In contrast to van der Poel’s bike, the Jumbo-Visma team bikes were “vinyl-wrapped” rather than painted, which apparently helped keep any added weight to a minimum.

As noted earlier, current race-leader Vingegaard has been switching between this bike and a number of others at this year's Tour. Unfortunately, though, we were only able to weigh this one.

Tadej Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs – 7.245kg

As with Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5, we’ve covered Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs at length in various articles and videos elsewhere over the past three weeks, but given we weighed it, we’ll include it here too.

Having accounted for all of the various bits of carbon bling on it, we thought it might sneak under 7kg.

For example, as well as a Dura-Ace groupset, Pogačar’s bike had an ENVE integrated handlebar , Carbon Ti chainrings and brake rotors, and an unbranded, ultra-light carbon seatpost.

Surprisingly, though, it was around 400g over the UCI weight limit, at 7.245kg.

According to Colnago, an unpainted size 485 (the same size Pogačar uses, with a 539mm effective top tube length) V4Rs frame weighs 798g.

As always, there’s more to consider than just frame weight, however.

The most striking thing about Pogačar’s bike was his super wide ENVE SES 4.5 wheels and Continental GP5000 TT TR time trial tyres, which we examined in our 2023 Tour de France tyre tech deep dive.

While presumably a rapid combination on favourable terrain, it likely isn’t the lightest.

Given this, it’s been no surprise to see Pogačar switching to the shallower-rimmed ENVE SES 2.3 wheelset for certain mountain stages during this year’s race.

Alexander Kristoff’s Dare VSRu – 7.735kg

A four-time stage winner at the Tour de France, Alexander Kristoff now plies his trade as the sprinter for the Uno-X Pro Cycling Team. As such, he opts for Dare’s aero road bike, the VSRu.

Though not the most extreme aero bike in the peloton, it still features a full complement of truncated aerofoil tubes, a deep aero seatpost and Dare’s fully integrated AERO1v cockpit.

The AERO1v integrated handlebar features a narrow, flared handlebar paired with flattened stem.

According to our measurements, the handlebar is 38cm-wide paired with a 120mm stem.

Despite the hilly opening stages at this year’s Tour, Kristoff had a DT Swiss ARC 1100 62 wheelset, shod with 28c Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres. As the name suggests, the DT Swiss wheels feature 62mm-deep rims.

Kristoff’s bike features a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, complete with the latest Dura-Ace power meter, 54/40t chainrings and an 11-34t cassette out back.

It also had a waxed chain , which helps keep drivetrain friction to a minimum.

Kristoff uses Shimano Dura-Ace pedals and a Pro Stealth Curved Team saddle .

HIs bike is finished off with Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages, as well as a chain catcher and out-front computer mount both made by K-Edge.

Kristoff rides a size medium frame (which is roughly equivalent to a 56cm from most brands), and the complete bike weighs 7.735kg.

Simon Clarke’s Factor O2 VAM – 6.925kg

Simon Clarke’s new Factor 02 VAM was the lightest bike we weighed at this year’s Tour and the only one to sneak under 7kg.

According to Factor, the new 02 VAM frameset weighs just 730g in a size 54cm. Crucially, though, that figure includes the integrated seat mast.

Factor in the new hyper-light Black Inc 28//34 wheelset (claimed weight 1,146g) and it’s easy to see how this bike grazes the UCI weight limit at just 6.925kg.

Despite Clarke’s Israel–Premier Tech team being sponsored by Maxxis tyres , these were shod with non-sponsor-correct Continental GP5000 S TR tyres in a size 28c (with the logos hastily covered by black marker pen).

Despite its low weight, Factor claims the new 02 VAM sees 12-watt improvement at 48kph thanks to its updated aerodynamic shaping.

Similar to Carapaz’s bike, Clarke’s Factor is built up with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset and a Power2Max NG Road power meter, paired with FSA chainrings and carbon cranks.

Clarke was also using 54/40t chainrings and an 11-34t cassette.

His Black Inc integrated cockpit was more extreme, however, with an enormous 150mm-long stem paired to a narrow 36cm-wide handlebar.

As a truly dedicated weight weenie, Clarke uses a Selle Italia SLR Boost saddle with carbon rails, plus a single Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cage.

Say what you want, but there’s no denying dehydration is lighter (we jest – no doubt Clarke drinks just as much as every other rider, he clearly just doesn’t want to carry two bottles).

Clarke uses Dura-Ace pedals and has an integrated out-front mount for his Hammerhead Karoo 2 bike computer mounted to his bars.

Alexis Renard’s Look 795 Blade RS – 7.535kg

Having not won a Tour stage for 15 years, Cofidis have turned things around in spectacular fashion this year, taking two victories from solo breakaways.

How much of that resurgence in form can be attributed to the team’s shiny new bike? Probably not much, but the new Look 795 Blade RS certainly looks built for the demands of this race.

This particular bike belongs to French all-rounder Alexis Renard , and despite its XL frame and deep-section rims it weighs an impressively svelte 7.53kg.

The 795 Blade RS features a classic mix of lightweight, truncated aerofoil tubes, balancing key attributes such as low weight, low drag and high stiffness.

Renard’s bike has a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with 54/40t chainrings and an 11-30t cassette.

His power meter and cranks deviate, however, with an SRM Origin PM9 power meter making a now rare appearance, along with the length-adjustable Look carbon cranks.

Corima sponsors Cofidis, and Renard’s bike had Corima WS Black DX 60 tubular wheels with narrow, 25c Michelin Power Cup tubular tyres.

It’s no surprise to see the bike is equipped with the 795 Blade RSs proprietary integrated handlebar, and Renard opts for a lengthy 140mm stem and a relatively narrow 38cm handlebar.

The bike is finished with a Selle Italia SLR Boost saddle (also with carbon rails), Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages and Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals .

Egan Bernal’s Pinarello Dogma F – 7.385kg

Back at the Tour de France for the first time since 2020, the former yellow jersey winner may not be in the fight for the overall at this year’s race, but it’s great to see him racing at the highest level again.

In 2019, Bernal rode into Paris aboard a custom-painted, rim brake-equipped, Pinarello Dogma F12 , with 11-speed gears and tubular wheels and tyres.

His 2023 Pinarello Dogma F shares a similar silhouette, but sees a number of key updates.

As well as moving to road disc brakes , the Bernal’s bike also features tubeless wheels and tyres, as well as some 3D-printed small parts to help save weight.

It has the latest 12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with Bernal choosing 54/40t chainrings, an 11-34t cassette and matching Dura-Ace C50 wheels.

Bernal opts for Continental’s GP5000 S TR tyres, with a narrower 25c tyre up front (27mm measured width) and a wider, 28c at the rear (29.8mm measured width). This is likely intended to help optimise the aerodynamic performance of the front wheel.

According to our tape measure, Bernal’s MOST Talon integrated cockpit features a 38cm wide handlebar (centre-to-centre at the brake hoods) and a 130mm stem.

Like Carapaz, Bernal’s bike also featured Di2 sprint shifters creatively attached to the shifter hoods – this time placed underneath the hood body, just behind the brake lever.

The build is finished off with a Fizik Vento Antares R1 saddle, Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages, and a K-Edge chain catcher which doubles as a cadence sensor magnet for his Dura-Ace power meter.

All in, it weighs 7.385kg.

Ben O'Connor’s Prototype BMC – 7.345kg

Belonging to AG2R Citroën’s Australian GC hopeful, Ben O’Connor, the as-yet-unnamed BMC aero bike has been developed in partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies (a development arm of the Red Bull Formula One team).

While BMC is yet to confirm exactly what this is, its aggressive aerodynamic design suggests it could be a replacement for the BMC Timemachine .

AG2R Citroën’s bikes mark the only appearance at this year's Tour for Campagnolo and its new Super Record Wireless groupset .

O’Connor pairs the new drivetrain components with a previous generation Super Record crankset, featuring larger 54/39t chainrings mounted to a Power2Max NG Road Campagnolo power meter.

This is likely because the new Super Record Wireless chainrings are only offered in a maximum size combination of 50/34t – which O’Connor likely feels is too small even with a 10t tooth sprocket at the rear.

Keeping things in-house, O’Connor is running Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels paired with Pirelli P Zero clincher tyres and (we think) ultralight Pirelli P Zero SmarTube TPU inner tubes .

O’Connor’s 58cm frame is complemented by the aggressive integrated handlebar from the BMC Kaius gravel race bike, with a 140mm stem length and a 36cm handlebar.

The frame features one integrated bottle cage on the downtube, plus a standard Elite Leggero Carbon cage on the seat tube.

A Fizik Antares Versus Evo R1 Adaptive, 3D-printed saddle and Look Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedals completes the build.

Despite its large size and heavy aerodynamic optimisation, O’Connor’s prototype BMC weighed a very impressive 7.345kg, according to our scales.

Caleb Ewan’s Prototype Ridley – 7.500kg

Another prototype bike, this time a new lightweight-aero all-rounder from Ridley.

This particular bike (which is also yet to be officially named or announced) belongs to Lotto-Dstny’s sprinter Caleb Ewan , who unfortunately abandoned the race on stage 13.

As with other similar bikes, it features an array of lightweight, truncated aerofoil tubes, which are likely intended to be efficient at cutting through the wind without adding too much weight.

Despite its diminutive size, though, Ewan’s bike was actually surprisingly heavy, weighing 7.5kg on our scales.

Like many others, Ewan’s bike was built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with a matching Dura-Ace crankset paired to 54/40t chainrings and an 11-30t cassette (stop me if you’ve heard this one before).

Unusually for a rider of his stature, (Ewan is reportedly 1.67m tall) Ewan’s Deda integrated handlebar features a long 140mm stem paired to a narrow 36cm-wide handlebar.

Similar to Pogačar, Ewan also likes Di2 sprint shifters positioned on the drops of his handlebar just below the brake hoods.

Ewan opts for DT Swiss ARC 1100 50 wheels paired with Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, with a narrower 26c tyre up front (26.5mm measured width) and a 28c tyre at the rear.

He uses a white Selle Italia SLR Team Edition saddle with carbon rails, Tacx Deva bottle cages and Shimano Dura-Ace pedals.

Mark Cavendish’s Wilier Filante SLR – 7.760kg

Presented to Cavendish before the Tour by Astana Qazaqstan’s bike sponsor, Wilier, this was/is supposed to be the last Tour de France bike of the Manx Missile’s glittering career.

Though he crashed out with a fractured collarbone on stage eight, we got hands-on with Cavendish’s custom Wilier Filante SLR at the Grand Départ in Bilbao.

The FIlante SLR is WIlier’s all-round aero bike, with Cavendish’s frame getting a full custom, white and grey marble-effect paint job, paired with black and gold accents.

This custom paint even extends to his Wilier integrated handlebar, which features classic bend drops.

Like SRM power meters, these were once ubiquitous in the pro peloton but are a rare sight nowadays.

Cavendish uses a 130mm stem paired with a relatively wide (by the standards of the modern pro peloton) 40cm-wide handlebar.

It has a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with 54/40t chainrings paired to a Dura-Ace power meter and an 11-34t cassette.

Astana team bikes are upgraded with SLF Motion Speed oversized pulley wheel systems, to reduce drivetrain friction.

Cavendish’s bike was equipped with a single Di2 sprint shifter on the right drop, just behind the brake lever, allowing him to shift down the cassette mid-sprint.

Astana are using both Corima and HED wheels this season, with Cavendish opting for the aerodynamically-optimised HED Vanquish RC6 Pro wheelset, paired with 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres (27.4mm measured width).

A Prologo Zero II saddle, Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals, a set of Tacx Ciro bottle cages and a K-Edge out-front computer mount complete the build.

Similar to Ewan’s bike, Cavendish’s custom Wilier Filante SLR (size small) was fairly weighty at 7.76kg.

That said, this likely wouldn’t have been particularly concerning for a sprinter who was only targeting the flatter stages of this year’s race.

How much does the average Tour de France bike weigh in 2023?

Based on the bikes we saw, the average Tour de France bike in 2023 weighs 7.451kg.

Of course, this is just a small sample size, but given many of the bikes belong to team leaders – who we can assume are given access to the best kit each team has available – it could be indicative of a wider trend.

Certainly, compared to last year’s race – where the average weight of the six road bikes we inspected was 7.92kg – the average weight of a Tour de France road bike in 2023 appears to have dropped by more than 450g.

While this can partly be attributed to the launch of new lightweight frames and wheelsets, we think this is mainly due to riders and teams making different equipment choices to suit the differing parcours of the opening stages.

Had the opening stages of this year’s race featured proper mountains, then we’d have likely seen even lighter bikes on average.

And given the 2024 Tour de France opens with a stage (from Florence to Rimini, in Italy) featuring seven categorised climbs and 3,800m of elevation gain, perhaps we’ll see just that in a year’s time.

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Tour De France Bike Weight: The Complete Guide

By: Author Martin Williams

Posted on Last updated: March 19, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.--

I’ve been a massive Tour de France fan ever since I was a kid. Recently, I’ve been investigating the types of bikes they use for this race. How heavy are Tour de France bikes?

The Tour de France bike weight has a minimum limit of 6.8kg, with no upper threshold. The maximum weight of these bikes can go up to 8-9 kg, and even closer to 10kg in some cases.

Tour de France bikes are built to be reasonably lightweight, streamlined, and built for speed.

In this guide, I’ll cover everything you want to know about the required bike specifications, and also the most popular Tour de France bikes and their weights that are being used today.

Tour de France Bike Weight

In 2021, all bikes used in the Tour de France were made from carbon fiber. This includes their frames, wheels, and a majority of their components, like handlebars and seat posts. 

This helps keep the bikes below the minimum weight limit of 6.8kg imposed by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale).

Factors such as aerodynamics, rolling resistance, friction, and weight play a crucial role in the speed of a bike. Therefore, they want their bikes as light as possible as lower weights imply faster and more agile cycling.

UCI introduced the minimum weight limit rule in 2000.

They did it to ensure that manufacturers didn’t risk the safety of cyclists for the lightest bike possible. Though there have been debates over it throughout the years, UCI remains steadfast over this limit. 

However, according to the rule book, there is no upper limit for the weight of a Tour de France bike. But, it wouldn’t be of much help even if there was, as stated earlier, heavier bikes are slower. Kind of a no-brainer, right?

Lighter bikes are preferred as they have the advantage of quicker accelerations and being easier to handle.

This way, teams can get their bikes down to the 6.8kg limit while offering leniency of about 100 grams or so for variations between their scales and the UCI’s. 

Furthermore, accomplishing this task was made harder due to the disc braking systems and the introduction of aerodynamic tube shapes. These features have yielded slightly heavier and more robust frames. However, the weight of these bikes only varies from 6.8kg to around 7.2kg. 

Similarly, time trials bikes have deep tube shapes, rear disc wheels, and deep-section front wheels. It is common for them to be relatively bulky at around 8-9kg, with the heaviest bikes topping out at 10kg.

The Tour de France is renowned for its developments, both in technology and also sports science. (Source)

The heftier bikes peak at around 8kg. Therefore, they use these bikes as aero bikes on flatter tracks. Since there are no slopes, weight is not much of an issue.

Due to this minimum weight limit, manufacturers don’t try to create dangerously light bikes. Instead, they try to focus on other areas of improvement. As a result, various debates have sparked between manufacturers, such as rims vs. disc brakes, inner tubes vs. tubeless tires, and more.

Rim Brakes vs Disc Brakes

Arguably, the most crucial part of a bike is its brakes . A common debate has spun up over the years as to which brake is the most ideal.

Disc brakes are well-known for mountain biking.

But, in recent years, they have become favored for road biking as well. At the start of the 2021 season, practically all of the top teams except for one used disc brakes. 

Many teams feel committed to the technology of these brakes, leaving only a few teams still in favor of rim brakes.

Teams like Ineous Grenadiers, who are the sole representatives of the #savetherimbrake movement, have attempted to change this. However, the reality is that disc brakes are slowly taking over. 

Though many riders have voiced their opinions on this matter, it is still highly likely that the whole peloton will soon stop using rim brakes.

Tubular VS. Clincher VS. Tubeless

Advancements in tires technology became mainstream during last year’s delayed Tour de France. During this time, specialized sponsored teams Deceuninck-QuickStep and Bora Hansgrohe surprisingly chose clincher tires fitted with inner tubes for their bikes. 

Over the years, tubular tires have been every manufacturer’s go-to choice. That is because manufacturers glue tubular tires to the rim, which means that they stay on the bike even when it punctures. Ideally, this would allow the rider to continue riding until the wheel or the bike changes.

However, as time passed, tubeless tires adapted to the changes and have experienced an increase in popularity. Using tubeless tires implies that riders don’t have to stop in case of a puncture.

They can automatically repair any punctures, leaving the inner tube to last a long time.

Though Deceuninck-QuickStep and their wheel sponsor Roval may have deemed clincher tires as the best option, when considering tires technology, rim design, and interface, it is understandably not a widely accepted opinion. 

The future of tires technology is uncertain, and no one knows for sure which tires the competitors prefer in the upcoming race.

The New Bikes at the Tour de France

Being the biggest bike race in the world, the Tour de France serves as a global veritable shop window for cycling brands and team sponsors. As an added benefit, racing would also serve as a testbed for the durability of new tech tested by these brands. 

Resultantly, I’ll help keep a detailed review of the new models, technology, or prototype bikes from each brand to ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest news. 

New Dura-Ace

An example of a new technological piece released is the new Dura-Ace groupset by Shimano.

The people expect it to be called Dura-Ace R9200, and the groupset was spotted on bikes of the Team DSM’s riders at Baloise Belgium Tour. I predict it to be widely adopted soon at the Tour de France. 

As stated earlier, since renowned manufacturers use the Tour de France as a shop window for potential buyers, the best new releases would be the bikes. Just last year, two brands, Factor and Canyon, used the race to test their respective early bike releases, and people expect it to be no different this year. 

Upon a glance, the most anticipated bike is the new Pinarello Dogma.

We expect the Pinarello-sponsored Ineos Grenadiers to ride the Pinarello. But, there are plenty of other models to be released. For example, we spotted the new Factory Slick in the Giro d’Italia and the new Trek Speed Concept at the Criterium du Dauphine. 

In addition to the summer blossoming a whole array of new bikes, there have also been announcements for new wheel launches. Carbon wheels help to lighten bikes significantly and add strength and stability. 

The following are descriptions of the teams competing in the Tour de France and their respective bikes and technology:

AG2R Citroen Team

Road bikes: BMC Team Machine SLR01

Weight: 6.8kg

Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS

Time trial Bikes: BMC Warp TT

Wheels: Campagnolo

Clothing: Rosti

Saddles: Fizik

Computers: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: BMC

Astana- Premier Tech

Road bikes: Wilier Zero SLR, Wilier Filante

Weight: 7.02kg

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: Wilier Turbine TT

Wheels: Corima

Clothing: Giordana

Saddles: Prologo

Computers: Garmin  

Finishing Kit: Willier

Alpecin-Fenix

Road bikes: Canyon Aeroad, Canyon Ultimate

Weight: 7.26kg

Time Trial Bikes: Canyon Speedmax

Wheels: Shimano (Aerocoach and Princeton Carbon Works as non-sponsor additions)

Clothing: Kalas Sportswear

Finishing Kit: Canyon

Arkea Samsic

Weight: 7.25kg

Time trial bikes: Canyon Speedmax

Wheels: Shimano

Clothing Craft

Saddles: Selle Italia 

B&B Hotels p/b KTM

Road bikes: KTM Revelator Lisse, KTM Revelator Alto

Weight: 9.3kg

Groupsets: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc

Time trial bikes: KTM Solus

Wheels: DT Swiss

Clothing: Gobik

Computers: Bryton

Finishing Kit: FSA

Bora-Hansgrohe

Road bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7

Time trial bikes: Specialized S-Works Shiv

Wheels: Roval

Clothing: Sportful

Saddles: Specialized

Finishing Kit: PRO, Specialized

Bahrain Victorious

Road bikes: Merida Reacto, Merida Scultura

Time trial bikes: Merida Warp TT

Wheels: Vision

Clothing: Ale

Finishing Kit: FSA, Vision, Prologo

Road bikes: De Rosa Merak, De Rosa Pininfarina SK

Time trial bikes: De Rosa TT-03

Wheels: Fulcrum

Clothing: Nalini

Saddlers: Selle Italia

Computer: Wahoo

Finishing Kit: Errea

Deceuninck-QuickStep

Road bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, Specialized Aethos

Wheels: Roval 

Clothing: Vermarc

EF Education-Nippo

Road bikes: Cannondale SuperSix Evo, Cannondale System Six

Time trial bikes: Cannondale SuperSlice

Clothing: Rapha

Computers: Garmin

Finishing Kit: FSA, Vision

Groupama-FDJ

Road bikes: Lapierre Aircode DRS, Lapierre Xelius SL

Time trial bikes: Lapierre Aerostorm DRS

Finishing Kit: PRO

Ineos Grenadiers

Road bikes: Pinarello Dogma F12 rim

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 rim

Time trial bikes: Pinarello Bolide TT

Wheels: Shimano; Lightweight, Princeton Carbonworks, and Aerocoach are non-sponsored additions

Clothing: Castelli

Finishing Kit: MOST

Israel Start-Up Nation

Road bikes: Factor OSTRO V. A. M

Time trial bikes: Factor Slick

Wheels: Black Inc; Lightweight as a non-sponsor addition

Clothing: Jinga

Saddles: Selle Italia

Computers: Hammerhead

Finishing Kit: Black Inc

Intermarche-Wanty Gobert

Road bikes: Cube Litening C: 68X

Time trial bikes: Cube Aerium C: 68 TT

Wheels: Newmen

Clothing: Santic, NoPinz

Finishing Kit: Cube

Jumbo-Visma

Road bikes: Cervelo R5, Cervelo S5, Cervelo Caledonia

Time trial bikes: Cervelo P5

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2

Wheels: Shimano; Vision and Aerocoach are non-sponsor additions

Clothing: Agu

Lotto Soudal

Road bikes: Ridley Helium, Ridley Noah Fast

Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS, C-Bear ceramic bearings

Time trial bikes: Ridley Dean TT

Finishing Kit: Deda

Movistar Team

Road bikes: Canyon Ultimate, Canyon Aeroad

Groupset: SRAM Red eTap AXS

Wheels: Zipp

Qhubeka Assos

Road bikes: BMC Teammachine SLR, BMC Timemachine Road

Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc, Rotor crankset

Time trial bikes: BMC Timemachine

Wheels: Hunt

Clothing: Assos

Team Bike Exchange

Road bikes: Bianchi Specialissima, Bianchi Oltre XR4

Time trial bikes: Bianchi Aquila TT

Wheels: Shimano, Vision

Road bikes: Scott Addict RC, Scott Foil RC

Time trial bikes: Scott Plasma

Clothing: Keeping Challenging; Team’s brand

Saddles: PRO

Finishing Kit: Syncros

Trek-Segafredo

Road bikes: Trek Madone, Trek Emonda

Time trial bikes: Trek Speed Concept

Wheels: Bontrager

Clothing: Santini

Saddles: Bontrager

Finishing Kit: Bontrager

Total Direct Energie

Road bikes: Wilier Cento10Air Wilier Zero SLR

Time trial bikes: Wilier Turbine

Wheels: Ursus

UAE Team Emirates (Winning Team 2021 Tour de France)

Road bikes: Colnago V3Rs, Colnago Concept, Colnago C64

Time trial bikes: Colnago K-One

Computers: SRM

Final thoughts

For me, watching the Tour De France is as much about the amazing technology exemplified in the bikes as it is about the racing. Can you picture yourself on one these dream machines?

How Much Do Tour de France Bikes Weigh

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The Giro d’Italia , the Vuelta a España and Tour de France are the three most prominent races in the world. Of the three, winning the Tour de France is every professional bike riders dream. The Tour de France is the world’s most reputable and arduous race. Taking place every summer , the race consists of 20 professional teams of 9 cyclists each. These expert athletes must complete 21 day long phases over a 23 day period , in which they have to cycle approximately 3500 kilometers . And that too is not just bikers racing over flat terrain. The race is a combination of racing on both flat and mountainous surfaces and time-trial racing. One needs absolute mastery over all three of the aforementioned types of racing in order to come on top of this race. Therefore, it is clear that the Tour de France is a test of pure athletic perseverance. Only the best of the best riders in the world can endure such difficult tasks and come out as winners. The race is held predominantly in France , however, sometimes it does take place in other countries in Europe . It is watched by billions of people around the world, both at the venue and on television or online websites. It is an event loved by many around the globe. The renowned event has produced legendary cyclists such as Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Jacques Anquetil. Tour de France is an athletic feat of pure passion and endurance.

What makes or breaks the perfect bike?

A Custom Tour de France Bike

However, this incredible race cannot be won with just skill and expertise. One also needs the perfect bicycle for such a demanding competition. Which begs the age-old question, what makes the perfect bicycle for a race such as the Tour de France? Is it the rim type or the rim material? Or is it the hub? Perhaps the answer is not that simple. And perhaps different cyclists prioritize different aspects of their bicycles. Some like to go tubeless with their wheels, some prefer premium carbon rims and some racers like disc wheels. Whatever they prefer, every professional racer admits the universal truth that the weight of your wheels is absolutely crucial to your success in the race. The weight of the wheels influences everything from the biker’s speed to control. That is why so many people prefer lightweight bicycles as they aid in sprinting past the competitors at a lightning-fast speed. And so it should be easy to pick racing bikes now, the lighter the bike the better its performance, right? This could not be more wrong. Yes, lightweight bikes provide superior speed, but the lightest bikes also experience the most air resistance when speeding up. The bike needs to be sturdy enough to fight off the air resistance and also help the rider to maintain his or her control over it. Otherwise, the biker might lose control and fall off the cycle while trying to speed up. The perfect bike’s weight should deliver a mixture of lightweight and stiffness, thus offering optimum performance to the racer. 

Who makes the rules?

The Union Cycliste Internationale , based in Switzerland , is the governing body of the sports and competitive cycling world. All rules, regulations, and executive decisions regarding cycling events are determined by the UCI . The UCI also grants racing licenses to professional cyclists and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping and drug abuse. They play a significant role in the sport of cycling and maintain order and harmony in the cycling universe. And so as their role states, they decide everything related to cycling which also includes the weight limit of bicycles for the grand Tour de France. The UCI was founded in Paris, France in the year of 1900 . In those early years, bicycles were very high in weight. They used to weigh about 40 pounds or approximately 18.1 kilograms . As a matter of fact, a renowned cycling magazine previewed a cycle in the first edition of Tour de France in 1903 that weighed 39.7 pounds or 18 kilograms exactly. A lot has changed since then. Fast forward to the year of 2000 , when UCI announced quite a few rules and regulations which included a brand new weight limit for bicycles. The new weight limit was set at 6.8 kilograms which is 14.99 in pounds . Before this was done, contenders for the Tour de France used to reduce their weight excessively in order to make them lightweight and as fast as possible which is quite dangerous. This new weight limit meant that none of the bikes could weigh less than 6.8 kilograms . This rule was executed to make sure that bicycle companies did not manufacture ultrafast bicycles at the cost of disregarding structural integrity. To ensure that the bicycles are engineered to not just win races but also to guarantee the safety of their riders. Thus, establishing a new standard weight limit which ensured protection for the riders and made their bikes less fragile. 

As for how the UCI came to the decision about the weight limit, the UCI has a notable Equipment Commission which consists of engineers and other bicycle specialists who have worked in the industry for many years and have a great experience. They have researched and reviewed numerous data on the reliability of bicycles. Then after careful consideration, they have collectively come to the decision of an international weight limit of 6.8 kilograms.

Rise of innovation

This weight limit forced bicycle manufacturers to make bicycles that satisfied UCI rules and also ensured speed for the racers. However, the birth of the use of carbon fiber technology in modern-day bicycles made this an even harder job for the manufacturers. Now, carbon materials are used on almost every component of the bicycle. Rims, bike seats, hubs, you name it, they all can be made from carbon. This led to Tour de France and other grand race contenders to take these superlight bicycles and add back-dated components such as alloy handlebars in order to meet the weight limit. 

➥ Related:  Best Carbon Wheelsets for the Money

When the weight limit was first set in 2000 , it received a lot of backlash from racers and the general public. Everyone thought professional bicycle racing was getting restricted. However, as time passed by we saw that it actually made way for innovation and ultimately transformation in the sports cycling arena. Manufacturers also met the weight level with the invention of electronic shifting. The electronic shifting got rid of traditional shifting which consisted of inconvenient cords. This new system moved the chain with a tiny motor powered by batteries. Another innovation due to the weight restriction is the shape of the bike as a whole. The bicycle industry focused more on making the bike and its components more aerodynamic in shape. Although the UCI has regulations in place to stop racers from making their bikes too aero in shape. Manufacturers have found ways to make racing cycles aerodynamic enough to both meet the regulations and also provide maximum speed and efficiency to the professional cyclists.

So how much do the Tour de France bikes actually weigh?

The governing body could not predict this rapid development in the bicycle industry. We can clearly see the result of such innovative thinking out there on the track today. Trek’s Edmonda 10 weighs just 4.6 kilograms (10.1 pounds ) which is exactly 2.2 kilograms below the weight limit. Not only that, but the 4.5 Merida Sculptura 9000 LTD is also known as one of the lightest bikes out there. With such advanced technology available today, bikes can be both super light and safe at the same time. Racers use such bikes by adding extra weight in order to get them approved for professional competitions under the UCI .

Here are some of the bikes and their weights, the Tour de France professionals have used:

Is it time for a change?

Yes, the weight makes every race a fair competition. Yes, it was made to ensure safety and it has given way to innovations such as electrical shifting and aerodynamics. But with the progress in technology, materials and engineering is it still necessary? Many racers and manufacturers of the cycling world don’t seem to think so. Engineers from Scott Sports have expressed that with modern technology at our fingertips, the weight limit does not ensure safety. According to them, a bike weighing above 7 kilograms can be more dangerous than a bike weighing below 6 kg made with the latest materials. And for some, the very fact that racers take bikes weighing less than 6.8 kilograms and add weights just to make them viable for the race track is absolutely irrational. The way science and technology are progressing every day, maybe it is time to revisit this topic.

In order for the UCI to change the existing weight rule, the Equipments Commission must find enough scientific proof that indeed altering or deleting the rule will not hamper the safety of bicycle racers around the world. No matter what the limit is set to, racers and companies will continue to push the boundaries of bicycle manufacturing and take them to the next level.

We hope that we have been able to provide you with the information that you were looking for. We have tried to include as much as we can about how much Tour de France bikes weigh, why they weigh that much, what is the current scenario, and what the future may look like. We tried to paint you a picture of both sides of the story on the UCI weight limit. Whether the rule should be altered or eliminated is up to you to judge and ultimately up to the Union Cycliste Internationale to decide. 

Whether the rule is here to stay or leave, it does not change the fact that we are producing the best cycles right now than ever before. The products out there today are absolutely incredible. And this was all possible because the weight limit coerced bicycle companies and its engineers to find new ways to enhance performance and speed.

Thus, driving the entire industry towards what it is today. So let us hope that this innovation continues and further develops the cycling world that we know today.

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My name is Dion Lewis.I’ve been cycling since my childhood. When I was in high school, I started racing in our local competitions.In my college life, I took a part-time job in a bicycle shop and I learned how to repair and maintain bicycles professionally.Though I love racing, mountain biking is another thing I do frequently. My friends, neighbors, and colleagues treat me as an avid rider and take my suggestions while they plan for a new bike or bike gear.

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Tour de France Bicycles, Historical Bike Weights & Technology

Author’s note: I first wrote this article in 2010, but I have updated it every year since.

After swapping my 1992 Cannondale 3.0 ‘s hodgepodge of Campagnolo components for Shimano Dura-Ace 7700, the bike weighs in at 19.0 pounds with pedals. In this day and age of ultra-light (and über-expensive) vélos bedecked with enough carbon fiber to embarrass a B2 Stealth Bomber, this seems a bit portly and admittedly, she could easily lose another 1.5 lbs. if I cared to spend a few hundred dollars for a lighter wheelset, saddle and handlebar.

But can you believe that my C’dale actually weighs less than the bicycles that Miguel Indurain, Jan Ullrich and Bjarne Riis rode to Tour de France victory in the mid- to late 90s? And every winning Tour bike before that!

Below are some of the bikes ridden to glory in the modern Tour de France era. Bike weights hovered between 18 and 22 pounds from 1968 to 1998, after which they plummeted especially with Lance Armstrong demanding every technological advantage. In the new millenium, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) imposed a minimum weight requirement of 15.0 pounds (6.8 kilograms) for bicycles raced in international events under their jurisdiction—including the Tour de France—so the lightest bike ever ridden to overall Tour victory may have been Armstrong’s 2003 Trek 5900 SL, rumored to be 14.5 pounds. (That win was later nullified.)

Some other observations are below. [ August 11, 2013 : Items below that are struck out are due to disqualifications of once-declared victors like Lance Armstrong implicated in doping scandals.]

• In the last 40 years, a handful of bicycle manufacturers have dominated the race for the yellow jersey: Pinarello ( 15 as of August 2020), Gitane (with 9 or 12 victories ), Peugeot (10), and Trek (10) . Read this post for a detailed analysis and controversies regarding which bike company has won the most.
• TVT (of France) claims to have at least 5 victories spanning from 1986-1991 . Their bikes were frequently rebadged as other marques.
• 1973 was the first time the Tour was won on a titanium bike. Luis Ocana was riding a Speedwell Titalite frameset, although it may have been badged as a Motobecane. (Thanks to Robert Child for this info.)
• Bernard Hinault was the first cyclist to the Tour win using clipless pedals, in 1985 . Stephen Roche was the last to win using toe clips and straps, in 1986.
• In 1999, Lance Armstrong’s time-trial bike was a Trek-badged titanium Litespeed Blade , which was another time a Tour de France victory (later nullified) was achieved using a titanium bicycle.
• 1994 was the last time the Tour was won a steel bike—a TIG-welded Pinarello-badged beauty ridden by Miguel Indurain.
• Indurain and Bjarne Riis rode TIG-welded metal-matrix frames to victory in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
• Aluminum bicycles were ridden to glory by Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani in 1997 and 1998, respectively.
• Ever since Lance Armstrong lead the Tour on a stock Trek OCLV in 1999, every winning bike has been made completely out of carbon fiber except for Oscar Pereiro’s Pinarello Dogma , which had main tubes made out of an AK61 magnesium alloy and rear triangle made out of carbon fiber.
• In 2000, the UCI instituted a minimum bicycle weight limit of 6.8 kilograms (15.0 pounds). However, James Huang of CyclingNews.com claimed (perhaps mistakenly?) that it only went into effect at the Tour de France in 2004.
• Nowadays (2020s) it is commonplace for TdF bicycle manufacturers to optimize frame aerodynamics even for non-TT stages. But Trek was doing this even in 2004 with its Madone 5.9, which reportedly saved 10 watts during wind-tunnel testing .
• Shimano finally had a win in the Tour starting in 1999 2007.
• For the climbing stages in all seven of Lance Armstrong’s TdF overall first-place finishes, he used a downtube front shift lever to save weight (about 2-3 ounces). Nowadays, combination brake/shift levers (such as SRAM Red) are just as light as a separate downtube and brake lever—and bicycle manufacturers don’t even put braze-ons for downtube levers on their frames anymore. Therefore, 2005 was the last year that downtube levers were used by someone who stepped on the top rung of the podium for the TdF general classification.
• Alberto Contador’s Trek Madone 5.2 in 2007 was the first* Tour-winning bike with a mountain bike-like sloping top tube. Now almost all modern race bikes have “compact” frames, with the main holdouts being Cannondale and Pinarello. *It has been claimed that Marco Pantani’s 1998 bikes had slightly sloping top tubes.
• SRAM had its first victory in 2009 with Alberto Contador. It won again in 2010 despite Andy Schleck’s infamous chain-drop incident . (He was awarded the TdF victory after Alberto Contador tested positive for clenbuterol.)
• Cadel Evan was the first TdF winner using electronic shifting (Shimano Di2 on a BMC Teammachine SLR01) in 2011.
• In the 2010s, two Tour de France winners used ovalized chainrings. Both Bradley Wiggins (2012) and his teammate Chris Froome (the victor in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017) employed parts by Osymetric. But while Chris Froome continues to use them in the 2020s, every participant of the 2023 Tour de France used round chainrings .
• By 2013, all teams were using 11-speed cassettes. Electronic shifting and disc brakes were adopted around this time too.
• In late 2016, the UCI scrapped its 3:1 rule governing tube shapes . This opened the door for more aerodynamic designs somewhat (it still specifies minimum and maximum tube dimensions).
• Around 2018, more and more bicycle manufacturers were designing their bicycles with “dropped” seatstays. Supposedly they are more aerodynamic and allow more compliance than traditional seatstays that meet at the junction of the top tube and seat tube.
• 2020 was when a 12-speed cassette (Campagnolo) was first successfully used for overall TdF victory. (Campagnolo debuted 12-speed in 2018, SRAM in 2019, and Shimano in 2021.)
• From the early 2000s to roughly 2020, most bicycles used were around the 6.8-kilogram (15.0-pound) UCI weight limit. But then bicycles got heavier due to an increased focus on aerodynamics. Also, most teams were using disc brakes, wider tires, electronic shifting, and power meters. The lightest bicycles were usually the ones reserved for super hilly climbing stages.
• Tadej Pogačar (2021) was the final overall Tour de France winner to use rim brakes . (The first time someone won a TdF stage using disc brakes was probably Stage 2 of the 2017 edition .)
• By 2023, most teams had ditched tubulars for tubeless tires . (This was nine years after I had done so myself .)
• In 2023, Jonas Vingegaard was the first TdF winner to use 1X shifting in select stages .

References:

• Les Velos Mythiques Vainquers du Tour de France by Yves Blanc and Bruno Bade, as described in the Starbike Weight Weenies Forum .
• Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France-winning machines , James Huang, CyclingNews.com, July 2007.
• The UCI minimum weight limit of 15.0 lbs. (6.8 kg) was instituted in 2000 . (Journalist James Huang, perhaps mistakenly, wrote that it came into effect at the Tour de France in 2004.) It still applies today and includes the weight of non-easily-removed accessories (e.g., pedals, water bottle cages, power meters) that bicycle manufacturers usually do not take into account when they advertise. ( Water bottles and cycle computers don’t count. ) It can be presumed that Tour de France teams aspire to use bicycles that weigh no more than the UCI limit , particularly for climbing stages. This was easily attainable until roughly 2020, when teams started to priortize aerodynamics, disc brakes, wider tires, tubeless tires, 12-speed cassettes, and electronic shifting, for example.
• Other components Armstrong used are described in Wired Magazine , July 2004.
• Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France Bikes , Chain Reaction Bicycles, 2001.
• From TVT’s letter . Thanks to James Greenlees for sending me it.

There are 16 comments.

never ceased to amaze me that armstrong demanded such attention to detail on the bike weight and then rode with a gold chain round his neck. ↩ Reply

Why cross out Armstrongs bikes? They didn't dope, he did. SMH ↩ Reply

I guess that could be added as another part to the list of controversies :)

https://felixwong.com/2017/07/which-bicycle-manufacturers-have-won-the-tour-de-france-the-most/ ↩ Reply

How things have come on since the early 00's.

Our first thoughts are probably related to frames but wheels, groupos and other detail parts must have come on strides; plenty of steel framed bikes out there now that are close to or even below the UCI limit... ↩ Reply

Love this info. I am working on a novel in which the 1974 Tour figures prominently. I notice that the year's 74 and 75 are missing from your chart. Why? And can you tell me what Merckx rode to the winner's podium in those years and also suggest what were the major bikes riders were on during those years? The details are important to me in the telling of my story. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you and keep up the great work. That's a beautiful Gitane up there. ↩ Reply

Hi nice web site.

What about TVT bikes?

eg: Lemond in 1990 used one.

Thanks. ↩ Reply

Luis Ocaña rode some stages on a Speedwell Titanium frame. I had one probably weighed about 18 LBS. Andy Gilmour ↩ Reply

"Ever since Lance Armstrong lead the Tour on a stock Trek OCLV in 1999, every winning bike has been made out of carbon fiber."

Oscar Pereiro 2006? ↩ Reply

Thanks for stopping by my website and for pointing out Oscar Pereiro's bike!

It appears his winning bike was made out of magnesium for the main tubes, and carbon fiber for the rear triangle and fork:

That certainly warrants a mention on the page. I've updated now. ↩ Reply

Thanks for putting this together - its an interesting read. However I999 wasn't the first time a titanium bike was ridden in the TDF, in fact Ocana won the 1973 tour on a titanium Speedwell frame, which was badged as a Motobecane. Ocana's winning bike wasn't made in France, but the manufacturing heartland of Great Britain - Birmingham !!!

Best wishes

Rob ↩ Reply

Thank you for the information, Rob! I have confirmed it and updated the page now. Happy cycling. ↩ Reply

The cost of a tour de France bike is highly dependent on the style, technology, and construction of the equipment. For professional bike pricing, UCI allows disc brakes to be used during the Tour de France. Now, a competition bike has at least one disc brake frame and one associated grouping unit. ↩ Reply

I'm glad I "lived" through what are now part of the halcyon/platinum years of the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's...... Before the sport was bastardized and lost its soul. For that matter its heart.

Today and for well into essentially 20 years it's clearly, increasingly become so plastic. So false as it were. Weight weenies/techno/"aero" twinks are now today's "cyclists" on their poofda plastic, Made In China rigs, spinning endlessly, crashing endlessly. It IS so sad. ↩ Reply

John, I have a late 1920's Alcyon (French) racing bicycle, similar to the the bikes ridden to TdF victories by Nicolas Frantz in 1927 and 1928. It weighs just under 26 pounds with all steel components (aluminum components were not available until the 1930's), except the wooden tubular rims. and leather saddle and toe straps. It has no derailleurs (they were banned from the TdF until 1937) but it has a 2 speed freewheel on one side of the rear hub and a fixed cog on the other. Gears were changed by removing the rear wheel with large brass wing nuts and moving the chain to another cog based on the grade, The fixed gear was larger, and used for climbing!

I started racing bicycles in 1974 when "steel was real" and there were no electronic devices, but there were hints of new technologies like the Teledyne Titan and Exxon Graftek bicycles in the mid 1970's, and the Polar heart rate monitor in 1978.

My point is that technology always marches on, unless rules are written to discourage it, like derailleurs before 1937, etc. ↩ Reply

First clipless pedal TDF win 1986, last toe clip win was 1987 ↩ Reply

That's a good one! Thanks for the input. I've added this along with a link that corroborates this fact. ↩ Reply

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Cycling Road

Understanding the Increase in Weight of Tour de France Bikes

The UCI, cycling’s international governing body, has a rule stating that bikes must weigh no less than 6.8kg to prevent teams and bike manufacturers from building bikes that are too light and fragile to withstand the rigors of professional racing.

There were once times when pro cycling teams mocked the rule as being outdated because, with our current technology, bike manufacturers can easily make carbon fiber bikes that weigh far less than 6.8kg while still meeting the EN ISO 4210-6 safety requirements.

In fact, pro teams used to artificially add extra weight to their bikes to meet the 6.8kg weight limit rule.

However, new generations of Tour de France bikes are now significantly heavier than they used to be. The average bike in the pro peloton today weighs around 7.2kg. Why?

In this article, we’ll discuss why road bikes are getting heavier and why that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

What Is The Average Tour de France Bike Weight?

Based on videos of GCN and CyclingTips who regularly weigh Tour de France bikes every year, aero bikes weigh upwards of 7.5kg. But most importantly, bikes that the Tour de France pros use in mountainous stages weigh from 7.0 to 7.3kg. This is far above the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg.

Looking back to 2015 and earlier, lightweight bikes are so much lighter. Trek Emonda , for example, which first launched in 2014 and weighs 4.6kg was the lightest production bike at the time. Then there are the first and second versions of Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod that weigh less than 6.8kg even without the highest-level components.

Of course, you can’t race them in UCI-sanctioned races, but these bikes were the norm. Even if you can’t race with them, everyone can buy these bikes.

Clearly, manufacturers know how to actually make lightweight bikes that are safe to use. At one time, they just decided not to.

Despite today’s weight inflation, though, apparently, Tour de France riders are getting faster than ever. So, what happened there? Why are lightweight bikes getting heavier and why are these new-gen heavy bikes faster than the old lightweight ones?

The Advantage of Aerodynamics

Because carbon fiber technology advanced so quickly and bikes were getting so light, the UCI did have a second look at their 6.8kg regulations a few years ago. Ultimately, they decided to keep the rule in place.

Because of that, pro teams artificially added extra weights to their bikes. This is often in the form of heavier components or leads taped to the frame or wheels. This brings the bike up to the minimum weight limit.

Later, companies realize that instead of adding dead weights, which gives pros no advantage during the race, they might as well add weights that do make them faster.

With the help of wind tunnel testing, bike companies have been able to design bikes that are more aerodynamic than ever before. Other than the thicker frame tubes, features such as integrated handlebars and stems, hidden cables, and deep-section wheels, all of this help reduce drag and make the bike faster.

Because of all these features, aero bikes are significantly heavier than lightweight bikes. And this is the first reason why we’re seeing the start of inflation in Tour de France bike weights.

The Rise of All-Arounder Bikes

But aero bikes aren’t new. For a while, pros have been switching between lightweight bikes for mountainous stages and aero bikes for flat/sprint stages.

They thought because aero bikes are heavier, they wouldn’t be able to climb as well as lightweight bikes. But as it turns out, that’s not always the case. As long as pros are able to ride above 30km/h, aero properties will always be more important than weight. Even on the longest and steepest mountain like the Alps the Huez, grand tour riders can still hold an average speed of 20km/h where some aerodynamic properties still matter.

So there’s a sweet spot between weight and aero, which gives birth to all-arounder bikes. They are essentially climbing bikes with some aero optimization, giving them a little bit of extra weight but can climb faster than pure climbing bikes on most hills because of the aero shapes.

The Specialized Tarmac is one example of an all-arounder bike. It’s not the lightest in the market, but with some aero features, it’s one of the fastest bikes you can buy.

Optimized for aero and equipped with deeper-section carbon wheels, most of these lightweight all-around bikes weigh from 6.8 to 7.5kg.

The Age of Disc Brakes

The final reason for the current state of Tour de France bikes is the rise of disc brakes. Disc brake bikes are heavier than their rim brake counterparts, but most top-level aero and all-arounder bikes come equipped with disc brakes now.

Not only the calipers and disc rotors themselves are heavier, but the fork, frame seat stay, chain stay, and wheels of a disc brake-compatible bike must also be reinforced and be made heavier than their rim brake counterparts to compensate for the higher stopping force.

All combined, a top-level disc brake road bike is said to weigh about 500g more than a rim brake bike of the same model.

But all these weights are not for nothing. Sure, rim brakes vs disc brakes preference is still a very controversial topic even today, but there are some clear advantages of disc brakes that make almost all pro teams ride exclusively disc brakes today.

With disc brakes, you can slow down from a high speed with better reliability, and as a result, pros are more confident in going on a higher-speed descent. Disc brakes also have better compatibility with tubeless tire setup, which has a lower rolling resistance compared to standard butyl or tubular setup.

The use of disc brakes also allows wider rims and tires, which can lower rolling resistance and add comfort. These will surely add weight, but looking at how pro peloton has been continuously increasing their tire width from 23mm to 28mm today, the swap must’ve been worth it.

Is Disc Brake the Biggest Contributor to Weight Inflation?

Aero and disc brakes are surely the main contributors to why Tour de France bikes are now heavier than 6.8kg. The disc brake has been blamed as the reason why bikes today are so much heavier than older rim brake bikes. But is that true?

To answer that, we need to look at road bike manufacturers who still give a choice to customers whether they want a rim brake or disc brake bike.

The best example of this is the Pinarello Dogma F since it’s one of the new-gen bikes that still have a rim brake option.

In a video on the YouTuber GC Performance’s channel, he weighed the Dogma F rim brake bike in size 53 with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS groupset and Princeton 4540 wheels with White Industries hubs. The total weight without pedals is 7.19kg.

In another of his video , he weighed the disc brake version of Pinarello Dogma F. Same paint job, same size, same groupset, but heavier wheels (Princeton 4550, slightly deeper than the 4550). The weight? Also 7.19kg.

What happened there? Why is the rim brake bike not lighter than the disc brake variation?

If we looked at CCache.cc’s road bike groupset weight comparison table , it turns out that there are only 107 grams of difference between Super Record EPS rim brake vs disc brake—without the brake fluid which can weigh from 50-100 grams per bike. So, in total, the difference between the disc brake and rim brake groupset is 200 grams or less.

This difference can easily be offset by the small weight variations that normally occur during the frame and components manufacturing process. So, maybe what we’re seeing is a disc brake frame and components that happened to be lighter than the rim brake. But, seeing that they have the exact same weight, the actual difference in weight between disc and rim brake bikes might not be that significant after all.

How Much Does “Aero” Add Weight?

So, now that we know disc brakes add more or less 200 grams to a bike, how much weight do aero profiles contribute to added weight?

The easiest way to find out is by measuring two bikes, one with aero profiles and one completely without. The two bikes must be of the same company and same generation so that we know they use the same carbon layup.

The two bikes that come to mind are the Specialized Tarmac SL7 and Aethos.

The Tarmac SL7 is the perfect example of an all-arounder bike. It eliminates the need for Specialized’s dedicated aero bike, Venge, from the market and pro peloton because the Tarmac SL7 is not far-worse in terms of aero, yet it is significantly lighter.

The Aethos, on the other hand, has absolutely zero aero optimization. The Aethos is made to be a lightweight frame, all the tubes are rounded without a single hint of aerofoil profile.

The Tarmac SL7 is no doubt the faster frame, but the Aethos is lighter. But by how much? If we compare frame weights, the Aethos is 570g and the Tarmac SL7 is 800g, both in size 56.

Right away, you can see that making a frame more aero adds 230g.

As a complete bike without pedals, the Tarmac SL7 is 6.9kg and Aethos is 6.2kg. The difference gets bigger because the Aethos is equipped with a lightweight integrated handlebar and stem, and a much shallower rim depth.

As you can see, aero profiles add 700 grams and disc brakes add up to 200 grams to the bike. There are also minor factors like wider rims and tires, threaded bottom brackets, and electronic groupsets. Combined, these are the reason why today’s road bikes can be more than 1 kilogram heavier than older ones.

How Much Does Weight Affect Speed Anyway?

Road cyclists are obsessed with weight, so you might be curious about Tour de France bike weight in the first place. But how much faster is a lighter bike?

Everything else being equal (they are usually not), a lighter bike is not measurably faster on a perfectly flat road. That’s because on a flat road, gravity doesn’t work for or against you and the bike weight only contributes to the small increase in rolling resistance. Considering the weight difference between the lightest and heaviest road bikes, which is not actually not that significant once we started adding the rider’s weight, this can’t practically be measured when you’re on a flat road.

Cycling uphill on steep gradients, though, you might be able to feel the difference.

On a 3% gradient, a 70kg rider with a 6kg bike will need to exert 193 watts of power to go at a speed of 20 km/h. If we increase the bike weight to 9kg, the rider will need 199 watts to go at the same speed.

A 6-watt of difference with 3kg of bike weight isn’t much for most people except people who compete at the highest level of competition like the Tour de France.

The power difference gets bigger the steeper the gradient is. For example, on a 7% gradient, the same rider with a 6kg bike will need to exert 368 watts of power to go at a speed of 20 km/h. If we increase the bike weight to 9kg, the rider will need 381 watts to go at the same speed.

So the difference is now 13 watts at a 7% gradient compared to 6 watts at 3%.

If you put a more comparable bike weight, for example, a 6.8kg UCI-limit bike vs a Tour de France bike’s average weight of 7.3kg. The difference going up a 7% gradient hill is only 2 watts at 20 km/h.

If you’re interested in experimenting with the numbers yourself, you can use this calculator .

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to check if the weight and aero tradeoff is worth it because you will need a wind tunnel to measure how much all the aero frame and components make you faster. The closest thing we can make a judgment on is by looking at Tour Mag’s aero test comparisons.

For example, Giant TCR Advanced 2019, a pure climbing bike with very minimal aero considerations, scored 227 watts at 45 km/h in a wind tunnel. On the other hand we have the Specialized Tarmac SL7, an all-arounder, scored 210 watts in the same setting. A 17-watt difference at 45 km/h, which is probably around 5-10 watts at 30 km/h.

So, realistically, the heavier aero/all-arounder bike can save you about 10 watts on a perfectly flat road but make you slower by 2 watts going on a very steep uphill. For people competing in the highest level of the sport, this tradeoff might be worth it.

Tour de France Bike Weight: What is UCI Weight Limit?

Typically, the lighter the bike, the faster it is. The lightest bikes climb faster, accelerate quicker, and are easier to cycle for a racer. As such, it’s not surprising that historically, the fastest bikes in the Tour de France have been some of the lightest in the race. In fact, between 2004 and 2022, the lightest bikes consistently won the race. However, there seems to be a general shift, with some racers now picking slightly heavier bikes. So, what is the current Tour de France bike weight? Keep reading to find out.

• The Weight of Tour De France Bicycles

A quick look at the Tour de France history is enough to show you how bike weights have evolved over the years. In 1962, for instance, the bike that won the race was a Helyett model that weighed 10.4kg with rider Jacques Anquetil holding the handlebars.

Eddy Merckx won the race in 1972 with a 9.6kg bike that his company built. This was followed by a general decline in bike weights over the next few years. However, one constant between 1990 and 2000 was that most of the bikes that won the race weighed well under 10kg.

At the start of the 21 st century, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world’s governing body for sports cycling, introduced a 6.8kg minimum weight limit. This would prevent manufacturers from compromising the structural integrity of the bikes while trying to make them lighter and faster.

This standard is held to date despite advances in frame-making technology that could allow for lighter bikes without making them more fragile.

Nevertheless, between 2004 and 2020, most bikes that won the Tour de France weighed in at 6.8kg though there may have been minor variations due to differences between the UCI’s and bike manufacturer’s weighing equipment.

Also, with the UCI technical regulations Trusted Source CLARIFICATION GUIDE OF THE UCI TECHNICAL REGULATION As the summit organization of world cycle sport, the International Cycling Union (UCI) is the guarantor of the proper application of ethical and sporting regulations. assets.ctfassets.net noting that bike weight cannot be under 6.8kg, bike manufacturers have had to look into alternative ways to make their bicycles faster. These include enhancing aerodynamics and reducing rolling resistance.

Consequently, the average weight of a Tour de France bike has started to change in the last few years. Now it’s not uncommon for some participating bikes to be slightly above the UCI weight limit, with some even being as heavy as 9kg or more.

• Weight Specification

So, how much does a Tour de France bike weigh? Before you can find out about the specifics, it’s worth noting that Tour de France road bike designs vary even for the same racer.

These bikes are designed to give you the greatest possible advantage in different race sections. A climbing bike, for instance, is designed with the sole purpose of getting through steep gradient areas as fast as possible.

Ultimately Tour de France bike variations include climbing and time-trial bikes, each with its strengths and weaknesses.

Below, you’ll see how much each of these Tour de France bicycle weighs. However, the tour de France bicycle weight limit remains at 6.8kg.

Furthermore, according to Marca Trusted Source Tour de France: Can riders change bikes during the stages? The Tour de France is one of the most demanding competitions in existence. www.marca.com , racers have their teams close by, so they can switch and continue the race if they damage their bike or it gets punctured. So, they might have at least two sets of each so they can always have a spare.

Tour De France Cycle Types

As for the Tour de France bicycle types, they are:

All bikes in the Tour de France are road bikes, and you can tell from the design. These bikes are typically designed for speed, especially on paved surfaces, which is why they’re called road bikes.

Unlike mountain bikes, these bikes don’t feature any sort of suspension, with most extras done away with to make the bike as light and aerodynamic as possible.

Naturally, this means they can be uncomfortable, especially if you typically encounter bumps on your route. As such, if you prefer a more comfortable riding experience, you should browse our list of the  best full-suspension bikes under $2000 to find something more suited to your needs.

Notably, in previous years road bike frames were made primarily of steel.

However, now you can find them in steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber variations. Steel, aluminum, and titanium road bikes are less common at most professional races, with steel seemingly being phased out of the bike market due to its higher weight.

Aluminum bikes are lighter, and for anyone looking for a regular commuter bike with a lightweight frame, reviewers overwhelmingly recommend the  Swagtron Swagcycle EB-12 . In addition to the lightweight design, it’s electric, so you won’t need to cycle as those in the Tour de France.

Given its rigidity and how lightweight the material is, most racing road bikes are made of carbon fiber, including the wheels used.

Also notable is that Tour de France racers can only use road bikes available to the public. These bikes often cost a lot of money, given the tech put into them. However, you can still get one in the $1000-$2000 with many of the perks of a competition-ready road bike.

The  SAVADECK Carbon Road Bike , for instance, comes highly recommended by buyers and, like most other Tour de France road bikes, has a carbon fiber frame. It also only weighs 21.6 lbs meaning it would have been good enough to win one of these races less than three decades ago.

As for design, you’ll likely notice a few differences depending on whether it’s a climbing or time trial bike.

• Climbing bike

Out of the two types of road bikes at the Tour de France and other road races, climbing bikes are more likely to be light.

As mentioned above, lighter bikes climb faster, and weight typically affects how well a racer does in a climb. As such, several common characteristics in climbing bikes are designed solely to shave as much weight from the cycle as possible. These include shallow-rimmed wheels, rim brakes instead of disk brakes, and rounded narrow tubes in the frame.

While these design choices make the bike a little less streamlined, weight is significantly more important in climbing than aerodynamics.

Also, while not as stiff as time trial bikes, climbing bikes need to be incredibly stiff so you don’t lose any power to the flexion of the frame. Overall, this combination of features makes climbing bikes faster when going uphill.

• Time Trial bike

Time trial bikes are also referred to as aero bikes or sprinting bikes. As implied by the name, these bikes are optimized for cutting swiftly through the air and finishing the race as fast as possible.

In the past, being lightweight and slightly streamlined may have been enough to compete. However, with modern bikes and races, it’s all about aerodynamics. The more aerodynamic the bike, the faster it can reach the finish line.

Weight also plays a role, but it’s not as important in TT bikes as in climbing bikes. Consequently, some bikes can be as heavy as 9kg/19.8 lbs. That said, the added speed due to better aerodynamics more than makes up for it.

Some common characteristics of these time trial bikes include a stiff frame and front fork, with the tubes on the frame being less rounded. Instead, they’re shaped to reduce drag forces on the bike.

The stem may also be longer and with a negative angle. This forces your body to be in the most aerodynamic position possible, where you’re stretched out on the bike with your body leaning low and forward.

Time trial bikes tend to come with deep-section carbon wheels, another measure meant to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. Finally, these bikes may even have larger gear ratios than most lightweight ones.

• Tour de France Bike Weight in 2022

According to the  Olympics Trusted Source Jonas Vingegaard wins 2022 Tour de France men's title as Jasper Philipsen claims final stage in Paris Denmark’s Vingegaard held a comfortable overall lead ahead of the ceremonial ride to Paris on Sunday remaining, as the women’s Tour also began on Sunday. olympics.com , Jonas Vingegaard took the 2022 men’s Tour de France title for the first time. As part of the Jumbo-Visma team, the Cervelo S5 was his time trial bike, although he could switch to the Cervelo R5 and Cervelo Caledonia 5 on the climbs.

The Cervelo S5 weighed about 17.7 lbs/ 8.03 kg, while the Cervelo R5 weighed roughly 16.6 lbs/7.6 kg. As for the Cervelo Caledonia 5, it weighed in at about 17.5 lbs/7.95 kg.

The Citroën Team used the BMC Timemachine Road and BMC Teammachine SLR01 Team, while the Astana Qazaqstan Team used the Wilier Filante SLR and Wilier Zero SLR. Other prominent aero/time trial bikes in the race included the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, Lapierre Aircode DRS 9.0, and Pinarello Dogma F.

As for lightweight bikes, the Factor O2 VAM, Ridley Helium SLX Disc, and Trek Emonda SLR are among those that made an appearance.

Overall, 2022 Tour de France bikes averaged 15.7 lbs/7.1 kgs. That said, the average for the aero bikes and their lightweight counterparts was 16 lbs/7.25 kg and 15.3 lbs/6.9 kg, respectively.

• Tour de France Bike Weight in 2021

In 2021 UAE Team Emirates youngster Tadej Pogačar won the Tour de France for the second year running. He currently holds the record for being the youngest cyclist to win the tour twice, and at the time, he, alongside his teammates, rode the Colnago Concept as the aero bike.

The team also used the Colnago V3Rs and Colnago C64 as its two lightweight bike options. The Colnago Concept weighed about 6.9 kg, including the pedals, which translates to 15.2 lbs.

Team Jumbo-Visma used the same equipment they ended up using in 2022, while some bikes were used by more than one team. For instance, the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 was used by BORA – Hansgrohe and the Deceuninck – Quick Step team.

Also, the Canyon Aeroad CFR Disc was used by Team Arkéa-Samsic (PT) and Team TotalEnergies (PT).

Ultimately, the average weight of a Tour de France bike for the 2021 race was 15.7 lbs or 7.1 kg, just like in 2022. As for the average weight of the aero bikes, it was just over 16 lbs or 7.27 kg. Lightweight bikes weighed an average of 15.4 lbs or 6.97 kg.

• Tour de France Bike Weight in 2020

As mentioned above, Tadej Pogačar also won the 2020 Tour de France with the same Colnago Concept aero bike he would use to win the following year. Other bikes that were part of the race included the Pinarello Dogma F12, Lapierre Aircode, Canyon Ultimate CF Disc, etc.

Also, with  Giant vs. Trek being one of the world’s biggest road bike manufacturer rivalries, bikes from the two manufacturers featured in the race. The CCC Team rode the Giant Propel Adv SL and Giant TCR Advanced SL. On the other hand, the Trek – Segafredo team rode the Trek Madone, Trek Domane, and Trek Emonda.

In 2020 the average bike weight was also slightly heavier than in the following two years at 7.22 kgs, with aero bikes averaging 7.41 kgs and lightweight bikes averaging 7.03 kgs.

• Are there gravel sections in the Tour de France?

The Tour de France typically has a few gravel sections each year. In 2022 the gravel sections included the Chemin blanc de Celles, Chemin blanc des Hautes Forêts, Chemin blanc de Vitry, and Chemin blanc du Plateau. These sections measured 2.3 km, 3.2 km, 3 km, and 4.4 km, respectively.

While gravel bikes would have been a great help in these sections, they don’t have the speed advantages of road bikes and hence weren’t used.

However, for recreational use, you don’t have to get a road bike depending on the terrain you typically ride. For instance, if there are multiple gravel trails you like to ride on, we’ve compiled the  best gravel bikes under $1500 with their pros and cons so you know which options best suit your budget and needs.

According to  Velonews Trusted Source www.velonews.com There’s always an interesting challenge for Tour de France officials every year – how do you spice up what’s a fairly tried-and-true blueprint of a three-week grand tour? www.velonews.com , both gravel and cobblestone patches are thrown into the Tour de France every year to spice up the race.

• What is the lightest Tour de France bike?

The lightest bike in the Tour de France history is Lance Armstrong’s 2003 Trek Madone 5.9, which weighed a reported 6.6 kg. At the time, he was widely considered one the greatest road racer of all time since he’d won five prior Tour de France races.

He later got caught up in a doping scandal and was stripped of his wins. However, the 6.6 kg bike he rode in 2003 remains the lightest in the competition’s history. It’s worth noting that in the same year, he rode the Trek Madone 5.9 as his aero bike, which weighed 7.2 kg.

• Are all Tour de France bikes 6.8 kg?

As mentioned above, the average weights of bikes at the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Tour de France races have all been above 7 kgs. This implies that some bikes weigh slightly more than the UCI bike weight limit. The Cervelo Caledonia 5 is one example with its 7.95 kg weight.

• How much did Lance Armstrong’s bike weigh?

Lance Armstrong’s bikes varied in weight from year to year. In 2000, for instance, the bike he used was the Trek 5900 SL which weighed in at about the 6.8 kg weight limit. In 2002, the Trek 5900 he used weighed 8.2 kg. In 2005 he won his last race with a 6.8 kg Trek Madonee SSLx.

By the time he retired in 2011, he was under investigation for doping, eventually being stripped of his nine wins in a row.

• Final Thoughts

Overall, the Tour de France bike weight has been capped at a lower limit of 6.8 kg, with most participating bikes ranging from 6.8 to 10 kg. Time trial bikes are often heavier, with the sacrifice made to make them more aerodynamic, which tends to make them faster. It’s also worth noting that while initially the 6.8 kg weight limit was supposed to ensure bike structural integrity, technological advancements would likely make going lower possible. However, the Union Cycliste International has refused to budge on the matter in recent years.

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How much do Tour de France bikes weigh?

Mathew Mitchell

• Published on July 5, 2023
• in Men's Cycling

Tour de France, the globally renowned cycling competition, has witnessed numerous technological advancements over the years. This article focuses on one aspect that has seen significant changes – the weight of the bicycles used in the competition. From their early 20th-century beginnings to the ultralight designs of the 21st century, Tour de France bikes have come a long way.

Table of Contents

The weight of a bicycle can considerably impact a cyclist’s performance, particularly when the race involves steep gradients. Lighter bikes provide a competitive edge, particularly when climbing, making every effort to trim weight a worthwhile pursuit.

Modern UCI Bike Weight Limit Rule

In 2000, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the sport’s governing body, established a minimum weight limit for race bikes at 6.8 kilograms (roughly 15 pounds). This rule applies to all the bikes used in UCI races, including the Tour de France. The decision was made to ensure the safety of riders, as there was a growing concern that in pursuit of creating the lightest bike possible, manufacturers might compromise structural integrity, leading to accidents. It rules out bikes like the Tifosi Mons which is just 4.6kg .

A Look Back to the Early 20th Century

In the early years of the Tour de France, which began in 1903, bikes were a far cry from the featherlight models of today. At that time, they weighed approximately 18 kilograms (around 40 pounds). They were made primarily from steel, which although robust and durable, is much heavier than the materials used in contemporary bikes.

The Evolution Over the Years

As the years passed, the introduction of new materials and design principles led to a steady reduction in bike weight. In the mid-20th century, alloy materials like aluminium began to replace steel in many bike components, leading to significant weight savings.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a further step-change as carbon fibre composites became the material of choice. Carbon fibre is not only lightweight but also allows for more aerodynamic designs, providing both weight and wind resistance benefits.

Throughout this evolution, the weight of the Tour de France bikes steadily decreased, reaching close to the UCI’s minimum weight limit by the end of the 20th century.

Lightest Ever Tour de France Bicycle

Before the UCI weight limit rule, some bikes used in the Tour de France weighed significantly less than the current 6.8-kilogram limit. The lightest bike ever used was probably the Lotus 110, which Chris Boardman rode during the 1994 Tour de France. This carbon-fibre bike weighed an astonishingly low 6.4 kilograms (about 14 pounds).

What a Tour de France Bike Weighs in 2023

Due to the UCI’s weight limit rule, most bikes used in the 2023 Tour de France will hover around the 6.8-kilogram mark. While technological advancements could allow for even lighter designs, manufacturers must balance weight, strength, and safety to stay within the regulations.

To achieve this weight, bikes are crafted using carbon fibre and sometimes supplemented with other lightweight materials like titanium and aluminium. High-tech components, such as electronic gear shifting and carbon wheelsets, also contribute to this featherlight figure.

The weight of Tour de France bikes has seen a drastic decrease since the competition’s inception, thanks to technological advancements and innovative materials. With the present limit set by UCI, the focus of innovation has shifted from solely reducing weight to improving other performance factors, such as aerodynamics and power transfer efficiency. While the bikes of today are far lighter than their early 20th-century counterparts, they maintain the same spirit of relentless pursuit of speed and performance that has been a hallmark of the Tour de France since 1903.

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2023 tour de france bikes: a closer look at the peloton's speedsters.

Published on July 13, 2023

The bikes for the Tour de France 2023 are obviously the most powerful on the market. At this level, nothing can be left to chance, and it's only logical that the world's best cyclists should have state-of-the-art equipment at their disposal for the biggest race on the calendar. Every gram counts, so it's hardly surprising to find only carbon frames and  carbon wheels in the peloton. The International Cycling Union imposes a minimum weight of 6.8 kg to avoid overkill, which is detrimental to the solidity of the bikes, and therefore to the safety of the riders. The weight of Tour de France bikes is therefore close to this regulatory limit. Before we take a look at some of the bikes used in the Grande Boucle, let's see how much a Tour de France bike costs, and how you can ride a professional bike at a reduced price.

Tour de France 2023 racing bikes

The Tour de France is the most widely publicized cycling race, broadcast in almost every country in the world. It's a great showcase for brands, and they often go to great lengths to ensure that their new models are ready for the event. This year, there are 19 brands taking part in the race. The average cost of the jewels they offer riders is rather prohibitive: the price of a Tour de France bike varies between €9,000 and €18,000, depending on the team! When you consider that some 1,000 bicycles are present on the Grande Boucle... that's a lot of money criss-crossing France in July! Fortunately for them, the professional teams don't buy these bikes, or not at public price. Most of the time, the brands make the bikes available free of charge. Instead, they rely on the spin-offs for the general public who have seen them race.

Certified Pre-Owned Bikes: professional team equipment at reduced prices

As we've just seen, the cost of a bike for the Tour de France is very high... And it's even more exorbitant when you consider that it's possible to get ride a bike used by the professionals less than 5 years ago for a much lower price. Indeed, in such a short space of time, technology evolves very little. Buying a Certified Pre-Owned bike will give you the pleasure of riding a professional cyclist's bike at a reduced price. Among the selection of Certified Pre-Owned  road bikes from The Cyclist House, you'll find many of the peloton's stars of recent years. To ensure your satisfaction from the very first ride, our bikes are scrupulously checked and cleaned. All our bikes undergo a 114-point inspection by our mechanics. What's more, when you choose The Cyclist House for the purchase of your pre-owned bike, you benefit from a one-year warranty and a 30-day "money-back guarantee".

Ride the bike of a four-time Tour de France winner? It's possible, thanks to the magic of Certified Pre-Owned ! See the bike

⏩ Already own a bike you'd like to sell first? No problem, we'll buy it from you ! 💰

The bikes of the Tour's professional teams

With almost 56,000 meters of ascent and a passage through all of France's major mountain ranges, the Tour de France 2023 is particularly demanding. To adapt to this route, bikes are generally lighter. For some time now, handlebars have also been narrower (under 40 cm) to allow riders to adopt more aerodynamic positions. But these aren't the only changes we've seen in the peloton this year. Each brand took advantage of the event to introduce its latest innovations. The Cyclist House team presents you a small selection of the bikes of the peloton's stars and their main innovations.

The Cervélo R5 and S5 for Jumbo-Visma

You don't change a winning team... After winning 3 of the 4 distinctive jerseys last year, Jumbo is keeping the same Cervélo models this year: the R5 for the mountains and the S5 (with its pretty triangular stem!) for the faster stages, all now equipped by SRAM. On some stages, we saw title-holder Jonas Vingegaard and the redoubtable Wout Van Aert use a 1x groupset, a choice not yet widely available on the road. The advantages of this single-plate configuration are a slight aero gain and a lower risk of chain jump (given that there's one less derailleur...).

Colnago V4RS for UAE Team Emirates

The other big favorite, Tadej Pogacar, has opted for a Colnago V4RS, now equipped with Shimano's top-of-the-range Dura-Ace drivetrain. This model was already in use last year under the Prototipo name, which was, as we all know, a prototype. As a reminder, UCI regulations require teams to use bikes that are already on the market or will be within the next 12 months.

The new BMC Masterpiece and Teammachine SLR01 for AG2R Citroën Team

At AG2R, not everyone is in the same boat for this Tour de France 2023. Ben O'Connor and Benoit Cosnefroy are benefiting from BMC's prototype: the Masterpiece. A true masterpiece developed jointly by BMC and the Red Bull Formula 1 team. The two are also spoiled for choice when it comes to drivetrains, with the brand-new Campagnolo Super Record Wireless groupset. The rest of the team still uses the BMC Teammachine SLR01.

Canyon Aeroad CFR and Ultimate CFR for Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar

Both Jasper Philipsen's team and Spain's Movistar usually ride the Canyon Aeroad CFR with its sophisticated aerodynamics, but they prefer the Ultimate CFR for the mountains. When it comes to equipment, choices differ. Movistar opts for SRAM, while Alpecin opts for Shimano Dura-Ace. It's worth noting that Alpecin-Deceuninck's strongman, Mathieu Van der Poel, has a special livery.

Bora Hansgrohe / Soudal Quick-Step / Total Energies: full house for Specialized

By equipping three teams at the highest level, the American brand Specialized is the best represented brand in the Tour de France. Unsurprisingly, all three teams opted for the very best: the Tarmac SL7 . Indeed, even if there was some suspense about its appearance this July, the SL8 model isn't quite ready yet. However, there's a slight difference for Total Energies, which (due to a lack of resources comparable to the other 2?) is still using a Cassette with 11 speeds, not 12. With 24 professional riders out of 176 equipped, including Julian Alaphilippe and Fabio Jakobsen, Specialized had a strong chance of winning again at the 2023 Tour de France. In the end, it was Jay Hindley who was the first to raise his arms on his Tarmac.

Trek Madone for Lidl-Trek

Lidl-Trek boasts a state-of-the-art bike: the Madone SLR 9 AXS Gen 7. The great feature of this marvel is the cavity above the seat tube, called IsoFlow Technology, which accelerates the flow of air through the frame. This technical innovation, which gives the impression that the seatpost rests on nothing, is said to save one minute per hour compared with the old version! For the mountains, riders use the Trek Emonda SLR 9, less aero but lighter.

Look back on the Tour de France with Cofidis

French brand Look is back at the highest level, equipping the Cofidis men's and women's professional teams. The 795 Blade RS model has been chosen for the Tour de France. Look Combo handlebars Aero Handlebar is particularly well designed, with the possibility of easily changing the stem and the HandlebarIt's also possible to adjust the inclination. The whole unit is fitted with Shimano Dura-Ace, Corima wheels and pedals... from Look, of course!

Lapierre: French top-of-the-range for Groupama-FDJ

Thibaut Pinot, David Gaudu and their team-mates have the right to a rather special bike on the roads of the Grande Boucle. The Xelius SL 10.0 Symbiosis Edition has been designed by the French firm Lapierre, in partnership with the Obvious trio of artists who exploit artificial intelligence. The term is slightly overused these days, so make no mistake: the work of Lapierre and Obvious goes far beyond a simple ChatGPT invention! The idea was to combine creativity, technology and performance to create a unique bike, as beautiful as it is fast. And they succeeded! The frame features multiple references to science fiction, technical progress and dystopia. The gears refer to the bike, and the flowers to the rider who makes the most of it. In terms of performance, we're back to Lapierre's top-of-the-range quality, with a highly polished machine and an incredible weight of just 6.9 kg!

Ineos Grenadiers remains loyal to Pinarello

Winners of 7 of the last 12 Tour de France races, the Ineos-Grenadiers team continues to place its trust in the Italian brand Pinarello, its historic equipment supplier. Once again this year, former yellow jersey Egan Bernal and Tom Pidcock, among others, are riding the Dogma F12 model. Carbon fiber and nanoalloy make this bike one of the best in the peloton. Riders use it on every stage. Only the wheels sometimes change: in the mountains, the team prefers Princeton Carbon Works to Shimano.

German Cube bikes for Intermarché Circus Wanty

The Belgian team, which reached the top 10 of the overall classification for the first time last year thanks to Louis Mentjes, is once again using bikes from the German brand Cube. The models favored by the riders are the Litening Aero C:68 X for the flat and the lightweight Litening Air C:68X SLT for the mountains. The frame of this climber's bike weighs just 800 g! Fully assembled, it is within the 6.8 kg limit authorized by the UCI. That's enough to influence the famous watts/kg ratio!

Team Jayco Alula with Giant Propel Advanced SL

The Australian Jayco Alula team is equipped by one of the world's leading manufacturers: Giant. On this Tour de France, the Taiwanese firm is obviously providing their best bike, the Propel Advanced SL with its truncated ellipse-shaped tubes and D-shaped fork steerer tube... Very aerodynamic indeed! In the mountains, riders generally opt for the lighter TCR Advanced SL. Before finding all these marvels on our site very soon, don't hesitate to discover the previous versions of these models in our road selection. We can't guarantee that you'll knock off Strava's KOM/QOM, but you're sure to find something to please you! 😉

Florian Topin

A lifelong cycling enthusiast, Florian can't stop talking about it! As a web editor, he's free to write for hours about his favorite sport. From Lille, where he lives, he frequently crosses the Belgian border to tackle the Flemish mountains on his Giant TCR Advanced. Cobbled roads, wind, rain... Florian is used to difficult conditions, but he never really shines on the slopes of the dreaded Mount Kemmel. A convinced environmentalist, he is convinced that certified pre-owned bikes are the way of the future!

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Giant TCR Advanced Pro Disc 1 Ultegra - 2022, M/L

2.899€ 4.400€

BMC Roadmachine 01 ONE Dura-Ace Di2 - 2022, 56cm

5.499€ 11.500€

Pinarello Paris 501 Think 2 - 2014, 59,5cm

1.899€ 4.700€

Bianchi Aria Aero 105 Di2 - 2023, X-Large / 59cm

2.999€ 4.350€

Trek Domane SL 6 Gen 4 - 2023, 54cm

3.199€ 5.800€

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Orbea Orca M31eLTD PWR - 2023, 55cm

4.299€ 6.000€

Adris Asphalte - 2023, Large

1.099€ 1.400€

Specialized Turbo Creo SL Expert EVO - 2020, Large

4.099€ 8.500€

Ridley Fenix SLiC Ultegra - 2023, Small

2.699€ 3.950€

Scott Addict Team Issue Ultegra Di2 - 2016, 54cm

2.199€ 6.500€

Adris Asphalte - 2023, Medium

899€ 1.100€

Adris Airline - 2023, Medium

1.299€ 1.700€

Orbea Orca M21eLTD PWR Force eTap AXS - 2023, 51cm

5.299€ 8.000€

Orbea Orca M30iLTD PWR - 2023, 55cm

4.399€ 5.800€

Orbea Orca M21eLTD PWR Force eTap AXS - 2023, 53cm

Specialized roubaix sl4 expert - 2016, 54cm.

1.599€ 3.800€

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Tour de France bikes: who’s riding what in 2022?

Here are the bikes you’ll see in action at the 2022 Tour de France

Tour de France bikes: A team-by-team rundown

The Tour de France is the most prestigious race in the pro calendar and teams will have prepared their best riders to be at the peak of their fitness for the race’s grand départ . They’ll be riding their bike sponsors’ best bikes too, usually with spec upgrades on top, that up the price of a Tour bike to well over £10,000/$12,000.

The trend to total integration of cables and hoses continues, with proprietary bars, stems and seatposts on many bikes. Everything that can be reasonably made from carbon fibre will be, from the wheels down to parts of the derailleurs.

Aerodynamics plays a vital part in modern racing, so modern race bikes have aerodynamic tube profiles in place of the round tubes found on older bikes. Some bikes will be out-and-out aero models, but the last few years have seen the rise of the single race bike, one that is both light enough for the climbs and cheats the wind on the flat too, such as the new Specialized Tarmac SL7 . 

Every rider at the Tour de France will be on a bike kitted out with a top spec groupset with most now running 12 sprockets and electronic shifting too. While this doesn't necessarily give them a greater gear range it does create smaller jumps between the gears and allow that perfect cadence more often. Shimano Dura-Ace dominates the groupset choice, but there are also two teams equipped with SRAM Red eTap AXS and three teams on Campagnolo Super Record EPS.

The latter include the UAE Emirates team of Tadej Pogačar , the winner of the last two editions of the Tour, who'll be atop a Colnago bike again. While Colnago may be one of the most storied bike brands on the planet they're not in production at the same scale as the giants of Specialized, Trek and Giant, but that doesn't stop them, and other manufacturers too, supplying two or three road bikes and a similar number of time trial bikes to each rider their respective eight-man teams.

The Tour de France acts as a showcase for the best cycling tech and there is always a flurry of launches for new bikes and components ahead of the Tour. Here’s our pick of what’s new and trending at this year’s race.

New bike launches

The last couple of years have been a bit lean for bike launches, but this year we’ve seen a much larger crop of new bikes ahead of the Tour de France.

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The big-name bikes getting a makeover include the Trek Madone , with its radical redesign of the seat tube, which we spotted at the Critérium du Dauphiné. The design is also, according to Trek, 300g lighter and also faster than its predecessor. Also spotted at the Dauphiné were a new Canyon Ultimate and KTM Revelator.

The new Canyon Ultimate CFR comes with greater cockpit integration and a new seat tube design and D-shaped seatpost. With three teams at this year’s Tour riding Canyon bikes, it’s an important, if subtle, upgrade to a popular bike.

KTM’s new Revelator Alto will be ridden by the B&B Hotels-KTM team. It features a redesigned frame shape, one piece bar/stem, greater integration and aero profiling, bringing it more in line with the modern lightweight/aero trend than its predecessor.

Another important bike to break cover, not least because it’s in the quiver of the UAE Team Emirates squad of hot favourite for the overall win Tadej Pogačar , is the new Colnago Prototipo . The bike looks to update the aerodynamics of the team’s current V3Rs and balance stiffness and weight. There are five different prototype Prototipo frames with different carbon layups, with race testing planned to decide on which will go into production.

Yet another all-new bike is the new Scott Foil . Its predecessor had an impressive palmares and this new bike looks to build on that with a design that Scott says is more aero, lighter and more comfortable. There’s been a lot of work at the rear to produce a design that Scott found was most aerodynamically efficient when tested with a rider in a wind tunnel, while the seatpost includes a vibration-absorbing rear section.

There’s also what looks like a new Giant Propel that we’ve spotted on retired pro Tony Martin’s Instagram page. It seems to be going the lightweight-aero route, with slimmer tube profiles and redesigned seatmast. The cockpit remains integrated but is less proprietary than with the current Propel.

Finally (for now), although it’s going to be the first to see action, is the latest iteration of the Pinarello Bolide time trial bike. It's already seen action under Geraint Thomas, who rode the new bike to second place on the final stage time trial at the Tour de Suisse. It has now officially been announced and will be known as the Pinarello Bolide F. A total redesign sees a switch to disc brakes and tube profiles than mimic the Dogma F road bike. It’s a hot favourite for Ineos Grenadiers’ TT specialist Filippo Ganna to ride to the first yellow jersey of the Tour in Copenhagen.

Very marginal gains 

Time trials are at the sharp end of bike tech, thanks to their faster speeds than road stages and the absence of teammates to shield the GC riders from the wind. Among the go-faster tweaks for time trials, OSPW systems have taken off in a big way as a means for the pros to save a few watts. CeramicSpeed, who pioneered them, has its OSPWs mounted on the TT and road bikes of a number of teams at this year’s Tour. The combination of larger jockey wheels that turn more slowly on better bearings and the lower articulation angle between chain links are the main bearers of those gains.

But now CeramicSpeed has gone one better, adding aerodynamics to its marginal gains, with the latest OSPW Aero system. With a smooth profile and a design that shields the bottom jockey wheel, CeramicSpeed says that its design will save a rider 2.5 seconds over a 25km time trial ridden at 50km/h. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but expect to see the OSPW Aero system in evidence both in the Tour’s two time trials and the road stages.

Tubeless wheel tech takes off 

Tubeless clincher tyres have finally made it into the mainstream of pro bikes for the Tour, after years in the shadow of tubulars. Bahrain Victorious, for example, have now switched completely to tubeless tyres, its riders having been convinced of their efficacy by Sonny Colbrelli’s October 2021 win at Paris-Roubaix .

Both Specialized-sponsored teams, Bora-Hansgrohe and QuickStep Alpha Vinyl, are now on the latest tubeless version of the Roval Rapide wheels, which in their previous generation were only rated for use with inner tubes - an interesting story that you can read in our review of the Roval Rapide CLX II wheelset.

It’s difficult to tell how many teams have switched totally to tubeless without a very close look at their tyres or a chat with their mechanics. Tubs were always cited for the lower weight of the rims and their better ability to run flat. Disc brake tubeless wheels now are approaching weight parity with tubs of old, and so tubeless tech does seem to be winning over the notoriously conservative pros. It’s likely their mechanics are happy at the change too, not having to glue endless tyres onto rims before each race.

AG2R Citroën Team 

• Road bikes: BMC Teammachine SLR01, Timemachine Road
• Time trial bikes: BMC Timemachine
• Groupset: Campagnolo Super Record EPS
• Wheels: Campagnolo
• Clothing: Rosti
• Saddles: Fizik
• Finishing kit: BMC 
• Computers: Wahoo

Alpecin-Deceuninck 

• Road bikes: Canyon Aeroad CFR, Ultimate CF SLX 
• Time trial bikes: Canyon Speedmax CFR
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
• Wheels: Shimano
• Clothing: Kalas
• Saddles: Selle Italia
• Finishing kit: Canyon

Astana-Qazaqstan 

• Road bikes: Wilier Filante SLR, Zero SLR 
• Time trial bikes: Wilier Turbine
• Wheels: Corima
• Clothing: Giordana
• Saddles: Prologo
• Finishing kit: Wilier 
• Computers: Garmin

Bahrain Victorious 

• Road bikes: Merida Scultura Disc Team, Reacto Disc Team
• Time trial bikes: Merida Time Warp
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 
• Wheels: Vision Metron
• Clothing: Alé
• Finishing kit: FSA, Vision

Bora-Hansgrohe  

• Road bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7
• Time trial bikes: Specialized Shiv
• Wheels: Roval
• Clothing: Le Col
• Saddles: Specialized
• Finishing kit: PRO, Specialized

B&B Hotels-KTM 

• Road bikes: KTM Revelator Alto
• Time trial bikes: KTM Solus
• Wheels: DT Swiss
• Clothing: Noret
• Finishing kit: FSA

Cofidis  

• Road bikes: De Rosa Merak, Pininfarina SK
• Time trial bikes: De Rosa TT03
• Clothing: Van Rysel

EF Education-EasyPost  

• Road bikes: Cannondale SuperSix Evo, SystemSix 
• Time trial bikes: Cannondale SuperSlice
• Wheels: Vision 
• Clothing: Rapha

Groupama-FDJ 

• Road bikes: Lapierre Xelius SL3, Aircode DRS
• Time trial bikes: Lapierre Aérostorm DRS
• Finishing kit: Lapierre

Ineos-Grenadiers 

• Road bikes: Pinarello Dogma F
• Time trial bikes: Pinarello Bolide
• Wheels: Shimano, Princeton CarbonWorks
• Clothing: Bioracer
• Finishing kit: MOST

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux  

• Road bikes: Cube Litening C:68X 
• Time trial bikes: Cube Aerium C:68
• Wheels: Newmen
• Clothing: Nalini
• Finishing kit: Cube
• Computers: Bryton

Israel-Premier Tech  

• Road bikes: Factor Ostro VAM, O2 VAM, One Disc
• Time Trial bikes: Factor Hanzo
• Groupset: Rotor, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
• Wheels: Black Inc 
• Clothing: Jinga
• Finishing kit: Black Inc
• Computers: Hammerhead

Jumbo-Visma 

• Road bikes: Cervélo S5, R5
• Time trial bikes: Cervélo P5
• Clothing: Agu
• Finishing kit: Cervélo

Lotto-Soudal 

• Road bikes: Ridley Noah Fast, Helium SLX
• Time trial bikes: Ridley Dean Fast
• Clothing: Vermarc
• Finishing kit: Deda

Movistar Team 

• Groupset: SRAM Red eTap AXS
• Wheels: Zipp
• Clothing: La Passione

QuickStep Alpha Vinyl Team  

• Time trial bikes: Specialized S-Works Shiv
• Clothing: Castelli

Team Arkéa-Samsic 

• Road bikes: Canyon Ultimate CFR, Aeroad CFR 
• Clothing: Ekoi

Team BikeExchange-Jayco  

• Road bikes: Giant TCR Advanced SL, Propel Advanced
• Time trial bikes: Giant Trinity Advanced Pro
• Wheels: Cadex
• Saddles: Cadex
• Finishing kit: Giant
• Computers: Giant

Team DSM  

• Road bikes: Scott Addict RC, Foil RC
• Time trial bikes: Scott Plasma
• Saddles: PRO
• Finishing kit: Syncros

TotalEnergies 

• Clothing: Sportful
• Finishing kit: Specialized

Trek-Segafredo  

• Road bikes: Trek Madone, Émonda
• Time trial bikes: Trek Speed Concept
• Wheels: Bontrager
• Clothing: Santini
• Finishing kit: Bontrager

UAE Team Emirates  

• Road bikes: Colnago V3Rs, C64, Prototipo
• Time trial: Colnago K.One
• Clothing: Gobik
• Computers: SRM

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Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages. 

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The bikes and components making their debuts at the 2021 Tour de France

First Published Jun 25, 2021

For team sponsors, the Tour de France is the biggest shop window in cycling and there are loads of new bikes and products making their first appearances in the race this year – here are some of the most important ones. Some of these products have been around for a few months now and have seen action in other races, some have only just been released, and some are flying under the radar, yet to be launched…

Pinarello Dogma F14

Pinarello has just launched the Dogma F which takes over from the Dogma F12 as its top-level road bike. Ineos Grenadiers will be using the new model in this year’s Tour de France.

> Find out all about the Pinarello Dogma F here 

The headline news is that the Dogma F frame is said to be 9% lighter than that of the F12 and the fork is 16% lighter. Pinarello also says that the Dogma F has less drag – down 4.8% on the disc brake version and 3.2% on the rim brake model. Interestingly, Pinarello also says that the disc brake model has less drag than the rim brake; it’s 7.3% lower if you consider just the frame and fork. 

Pinarello says that the Dogma F benefits from a narrower seat tube (just 20mm wide at the top junction) and seatpost taking advantage of the UCI rules for 2021 reducing minimum tube width, and that new down tube cross-sections also improve aerodynamics.

Wilier Filante SLR

Both Astana-Premier Tech and Team TotalEnergies ride Wilier bikes and the Filante SLR, launched last November, will be making its Tour de France debut. 

> Find out all about the Wilier Filante SLR

Wilier says that the Filante SLR has been designed with “real-world aerodynamics” in mind. What does it mean by that? Wilier says that the airflow is very clean and consistent in the wind tunnel but that things are different when you get out into the big, wide world. The wind is constantly shifting and changing in intensity and there’s turbulence from other riders.

For these reasons, Wilier has altered the Filante SLR’s tube profiles from those of its Cento10Pro frame. 

“We still use NACA airfoils… but unlike previous frames, this cut [at the back of the tube] was softened… The design is much more rounded,” says Wilier’s R&D technical manager Claudio Salomoni.

“This is a great help in the real world because the boundary layer – the wind particles closest to the frame – adhere more to the profile than on the Cento10Pro. As we change the yaw angle, the frame maintains its good aerodynamic characteristics.”

The Filante SLR is a disc brake bike for electronic groupsets only, with the hoses and wires routed internally, and Wilier claims a frame weight of just 870g.

When we reviewed the Filante SLR here on road.cc we called in a “lightweight aero superbike that offers quick handling and an excellent ride quality”. 

> Read our review of the Wilier Filante SLR

Bianchi Specialissima CV Disc

Team BikeExchange race on Bianchi’s Specialissima CV which was launched last October. The Specialissima is the lightweight bike in Bianchi’s range, and disc brakes have now been added for the first time. Bianchi claims a 750g frame weight, (55cm, painted) and 370g for the full-carbon fork.

> Find out about the Bianchi Specialissima CV here 

Bianchi says the Specialissima CV Disc features aero improvements that have been carried over from its Oltre aero road bikes, including internal cable routing, an integrated seat clamp, and tubing that’s shaped to reduce drag. It takes tyres up to 28mm wide. 

The Specialissima uses FSA’s ACR (Aerodynamic Cable Routing) system, with all cables and hoses routed internally. 

Canyon Aeroad 

The updated Canyon Aeroad technically made its Tour de France debut last year when Warren Barguil rode one, but this year is the first time that it’ll be used widely across the brand’s sponsored teams: Movistar, Alpecin-Fenix, and Arkea-Samsic.

The latest Aeroad was officially unveiled last October with claims of improved aerodynamics and reduced weight. Canyon also said that the updated Aeroad offered sharper handling than previously and enhanced comfort.

Check out all the details on the Canyon Aeroad here 

We’ve didn’t have the chance to do a full review on road.cc but we did get two or three rides on one and absolutely loved it. Other riders who were able to spend more time on the bike had issues.

Some users experienced excessive wear to the seatpost  and Mathieu van der Poel broke an adjustable-width handlebar while racing. Canyon issued a notice telling owners not to use the new bars while it worked on developing a replacement while the pros used other bars and the Aeroad’s internal cables had to be run partially externally (pic above) as a temporary measure.

It looks like Canyon has equipped pro riders with new bars for the Tour de France, so the cables can now run internally again.

Merida Scultura 5

Merida’s Scultura 5 has been on the UCI’s List of Approved Models of Framesets  for months but it has yet to be released, so keep your eyes on the Bahrain Victorious team for a sneak peek.

The riders have been using the bike pictured above recently, which is likely to be the Scultura 5. Although it has dropped seatstays, this bike certainly isn't Merida's Reacto; the down tube isn't deep enough, the fork crown isn't integrated, the seatstays meet the seat tube at a different height, the seat tube isn't cut away around the rear wheel... It's just a totally different bike.

It's certainly not the existing Scultura either – that bike has a completely different silhouette. 

We guess that Merida is incorporating aero features into the updated design of its lightweight road bike. Many other lightweight bikes have been aero-ised in their latest revamps: Specialized Tarmac SL7, Trek Emonda, Bianchi Specialissima, and so on. 

We expect Merida to launch this new bike officially soon but with huge delivery issues in the cycling world right now we wouldn't like to put an exact timescale on it. 

Primo Roglic was spotted on a yet-to-be-released Cervelo as long ago as the Spring Classics .  It could be an update of the R5 – presumably called the R6 – although nothing has appeared on the UCI’s List of Approved Models of Framesets .

The new bike has a slim but much deeper head tube than the R5, with internal cable routing. It also has tiny seatstays, large chainstays, and plenty of space for wider tyres.

We will probably see the new bike being ridden by Jumbo-Visma in the Tour.

Lapierre Xelius SL 

Groupama-FDJ will be riding the Tour de France on a just-released Lapierre Xelius SL. Team rider David Gaudu has already raced on it at the Dauphiné.

Lapierre says the Xelius SL is “ultra-lightweight, with a more distinguished design thanks to its tighter lines and fully integrated cables to reduce the aerodynamic impact of the frame and gain speed when going downhill”. 

The new version also comes with a more aggressive geometry than previously. 

New Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset

It’s pretty well established that Shimano will launch a new 9200 version of its top-level Dura-Ace groupset this year. How can everyone be so sure? We’ve seen the patents , it has already been used by Team DSM, and it’s Shimano’s centenary so it makes sense that it’ll reveal something big.

Plus, according to Shimano’s regular launch cycle, a redesign is overdue, and there’s evidence from the likes of Liv which told us that its new Langma Advanced SL Disc won’t be available in a SRAM Red build in the UK, but that a different version is on the way later in the year. If this was anything other than Dura-Ace, they’d have revealed the details already.

The exact form Dura-Ace 9200 will take isn’t completely clear. We all but know from patents that it’s 12-speed and that the Di2 version is semi-wireless (the derailleurs are linked to one another and to a battery by wires, but the communication with the shifters is wireless). We don’t know for certain whether there will be a cable-operated (non-Di2) shift option.

As you’d expect, Team DSM has been using Dura-Ace 9200 in its Di2 and disc brake forms. It’ll be interesting to see whether other teams are equipped with the new components for the Tour de France – the race is cycling’s biggest shop window, after all. Seventeen of the 23 teams in this year’s Tour use Shimano Dura-Ace and we can’t see it being rolled out to all of them, so we’ll all just have to keep ’em peeled.

New Shimano wheels

Many riders on Shimano-sponsored teams have been using unbranded wheels over recent months, suggesting that the Japanese brand has new models on the way.

We saw Jumbo-Visma used unbranded wheels at the Tour de France last year to bring the weight of their Bianchi Oltre XR4s down towards the UCI’s 6.8kg minimum weight limit.

The wheels used by Team DSM (and others) recently look very similar. The Dura-Ace front wheels currently in Shimano’s range feature a conventional spoke pattern where the drive-side and non-drive-side patterns match.

The drive-side spokes on the unbranded wheels are still a straight pull design, but they are now radially laced. 

Shimano appears to be using a 2:1 spoke pattern here where there are twice as many spokes on the non-drive-side as there are on the drive-side. This could well be a weight/drag saving measure that Shimano believes will cope with the forces from the front brake.

At the rear, the non-drive-side seems to use radially laced straight-pull spokes while the drive-side has what looks to be at least a two-cross pattern.

It is tricky to tell if the rim has been made any wider than the old model, but this is certainly no skinny rim like the Lightweight wheels that Ineos Grenadiers are known to use.

We'd expect the new wheels to be launched at the same time as the Dura-Ace groupset .

Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO wheels

Campag unveiled its new Bora Ultra WTO wheels a couple of months ago, and 2020 Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar will be using them on his Colnago V3RS and C64 team bikes in this year’s race.

Find out all about the Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO wheels here

The disc-brake-only wheels are tubeless-ready, and Pogačar will be running them tubeless.

Campag claims that the C-Lux (Campagnolo-Luxury) “is so pristinely smooth that it doesn’t require lacquer”, and this allows it to save weight.

The Ultra WTO wheels come with a new set of disc-specific hubs, the front one of which has a body made from carbon fibre which saves more weight. Both hubs spin on Campagnolo’s CULT ceramic bearings.

Loads more wheels

Mads Pedersen rode them at Paris-Nice and Jasper Stuyven won Milan-San Remo while using the RSL75 rear wheel. Expect to see them all over Trek-Segafredo bikes at the Tour.

Movistar uses wheels from US brand Zipp which has updated its 353 NSW ,  454 NSW, and 858 NSW models recently. You’ll do well to spot the differences though because we’re talking about rim width, switching to a hookless design, and changes to the hubs.

> Find out about Zipp's 454 NSW and 858 NSW wheels here

And something that we won’t see…

We certainly won’t be seeing the Supersapiens glucose monitoring devices at the Tour de France because the UCI has introduced rule 1.3.006bis, banning the in-competition use of devices that capture information on metabolic values including, but not limited to glucose and lactate . 

Supersapiens has been rapidly expanding the number of professional cycling teams that it is working alongside, but the UCI’s ruling will mean that its product cannot be used within any sanctioned event, although riders are free to use it in training.

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Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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Same here Luca, I subscibed this morning but wonder whether the creaky website takes a while to update?

Castle Fields car park extension in Tonbridge abandoned but charges remain on Sundays and Martin Square in Larkfield and Bailey Bridge in Aylesford...

Having used them hundreds of times with only a couple of lost parcels, my experience is the opposite, and better than with Royal Mail and UPS....

It's not even being unaware of the consequences. You've the issue of Sheriffs handing out sentences at the lower threshold.  If word was out there...

In Merseyside that's just an everyday greeting 😉

That is one the reasons for using twitter as you find these sorts of statments all the time !

That's the beauty of proper critical thought though, it addresses the power imbalances in society and can be taught as a way of approaching...

It certainly appears to be a vote against safety.  And asthmatics...

did he try to use the vehicle a second time.? might have been more succesful.

I love the way the Post front page headline puts the focus on the bus driver losing his job rather than the scooter rider almost dying.

The Hottest Road and Gravel Bikes and Gear for Spring

Our test editors found the best new road and gravel bicycles, frames, and equipment from 20+ brands at Sea Otter Classic 2024.

For dropbar bikes, the overarching product themes of Sea Otter 2024 were road bikes with wider tire clearance and “Wait until July,” eluding to product releases around the time of the Tour de France and the Paris Olympic games. But while many big hitters—like Specialized, Trek, and SRAM—held their cards close on any new product launches, plenty of brands had new bikes, clothing, and gear for us to check out.

Sea Otter Mountain Bike Coverage

Highbar systems, koo eyewear, abbey bike tools, bearing removal set.

New to Abbey’s tool lineup is its bearing removal set. Coming in at $300, it is compatible with a wide range of bearing standards common to bicycles, from hubs to suspension linkage bearings. The bearing removal set/range is compatible with bearing inner diameters (ID) from 12-20 mm and bearing outer diameters (OD) of 24-37mm.

Unreleased Lightweight Bike

Earlier this year, Fezzari, the direct-to-consumer brand based out of Utah, rebranded as Ari. The brand was showing off a new ultralight road bike called the Suncrest. It features clearance for 35mm tires and, with a claimed frame weight of 670 grams, is aimed squarely at the Specialized Aethos customer.

And like the Aethos, the new bike uses a traditional 27.2mm seatpost.

Continuing the theme of “keeping it standard,” the Suncrest uses a 68mm threaded bottom bracket shell.

Unlike the Aethos, the Suncrest uses a UDH derailer hanger and features through the headset cable routing. The brand was tight-lipped on availability, but given that the bike looks very much like a finished product, we would expect to see it launch later this summer.

Updates to the Roadmachine

The new BMC Roadmachine looks like a road bike from the future—Something lightweight, integrated, with clearance for 40mm tires, and a more accessible geometry. But more importantly, it still features the very distinct Swiss industrial design look of BMC’s dedicated race bikes.

Convenient features such as an integrated rear light and downtube storage make the new Roadmachine an appealing alternative to the recently released Enve Fray . Stay tuned for a full review later this year.

New Ratchet System

DT Swiss was at Sea Otter showing off a third iteration of its ratchet rear hub. The new design, called Ratchet DEG, features an oversized ratchet that uses 90 teeth (up from 54) and now delivers 4º of engagement. The new design addresses riders’ demands for a faster-engaging DT Swiss mountain bike hub with the reliability the brand has always been known for.

The enlarged ratchet rings should also allow for much easier hub service. Basic maintenance is now completely tool-free, and due to the increase in space, the bearings only need basic tools for removal and installation.

Women’s Heart Rate Monitor

Garmin listened and created a gender-specific heart rate monitor to solve women athletes' needs and demands. Priced at $150, this strap does not extend the full circumference of the rider's body but is attached via two clips to any medium to firm-supported sports bra.

New Gravel Shoe

Giro had an unreleased off-road shoe in its booth. The new shoe looks like a long-awaited XC race shoe and is essentially an off-road version of the brand’s Imperial road shoe with updated BOA Li2 dials.

The tread looks pretty sparse and lightweight, but interestingly, it does not feature the Vibram soles that Giro has long used for its off-road shoes.

Giro had no details yet on price or availability, but we know it will also be available in green.

New Road and Gravel Bikes

If you rode a BMX bike as a kid (or ride one now) then the Haro name should be very familiar. This makes seeing two new drop bar bikes from Haro a pleasant surprise.

The new road bike, the Rivette, seems to tick all the boxes riders seek in an all-around race bike. It has aero tube shapes, fully internal cable routing, and even a SRAM UDH. Tire clearance looks around 32mm, with the display bike shown with 30mm tires.

Interestingly, Haro is using a T47 version of Cervelo's BBright bottom bracket standard. The drive-side bearings are external to the frame, while the non-drive-side bearings are housed internally. Rivette pricing starts at $4,500 for a Shimano 105 Di2 build and goes up to $8,000 for a bike built with Dura-Ace Di2.

Haro's gravel bike is called the Buzzard, and it's meant to be versatile yet performance-centric. Pricing for the model here with SRAM Force XPLR and the Reverb AXS dropper post is $6,800, and availability for both bikes is slated for mid-May.

Rethinking the Helmet Strap

HighBar Systems began as an idea to improve helmet safety. Think of the HighBar like MIPS: a safety-focused system that helmet makers can add to existing helmets. And like MIPS, HighBar is available to manufacturers to license. The HighBar design seeks to improve helmet safety with a strap that prevents riders from incorrect helmet use.

The strap works by rotating around a pivot point near the helmet rim—Rotate the strap toward the shell to put the helmet on or remove it. Once on the head, swing the strap to the standard under the chin position and tighten the single dial to secure the helmet. The design eliminates the Y-strap that typically attaches the chin strap to helmet shells. This means there is less potential for someone to get it wrong by not fitting the Y correctly around the ears. Additionally, the hard plastic construction of the “strap” should prevent riders from wearing the helmet incorrectly as it can not be bent or flipped around.

HighBar’s engineers also discovered impressive benefits beyond creating an improved helmet retention system when they started testing. According to HighBar, the hard elements that drop from the helmet shell reduce wind noise and improve cooling. But incredibly, the system also claims an aerodynamic improvement of 3 watts at 25 mph over a traditional helmet strap. The benefit goes up to a massive 7-watt saving at 31 mph.

I am waiting to see the data backing up these claims, and I have yet to ride in the system. But, I tried on the helmet, and my initial impression: HighBar intrigues me. I'm looking forward to testing the system further.

Updated Hubs and Alloy Wheels

Following the release of its Sub50 wheelset , which introduced a new ratchet design to the brand’s hubs, Hunt has now updated all its existing wheelsets to the new ratchet design. The ratchet inside the new hub will look familiar to riders who have opened up DT Swiss hubs. And like DT Swiss, the Hunt hubs can be disassembled without tools. (Unfortunately, Hunt’s hubs are not cross-compatible with DT Swiss parts.)

The hubs also feature a clever design element that might not result in any performance gain but is a quality-of-life improvement. If you’ve ever pulled apart a DT Swiss hub, the first time you did both ratchets and some springs likely went flying. To solve this problem, Hunt put the ratchets and the spring on a small carrier that holds all three together as a single unit. It’s a small detail that many riders might not even notice. But it will be appreciated by your bike mechanic when the time comes to service the wheels.

The new ratchet system is featured on Hunt's J-bend hubs, as well, and will be used even on the company's affordable alloy wheelsets, the Gravel Race Disc ($700) and the 4 Season Pro ($650). Both wheels also received updated alloy wheels with the width of the 4 Season Pro getting bumped up to 22mm internal and the Gravel Race Disc going up to an internal width of 24mm.

Wheelset for Ultra-Endurance Racers

Hunt’s teased a mountain bike wheelset built at the request of its ultra-endurance mountain bike athletes. The Proven Dynamo wheelset packages the brand’s high-end Proven carbon racing rim with a Son dynamo front hub. At the rear is Hunt’s 90-Tooth RapidEngage hub with J-bend spoke flanges: a nod to the service needs of the ultra-endurance crowd. Price and on-sale information are still pending.

Updated Chain Guide

The K-Edge 1x Race Chain Guide has seen plenty of action amongst the World Tour pros this spring, particularly at races like Paris Roubaix, where many riders opted for a 1x setup. This updated guide is much slimmer than its previous version, but more importantly, it offers an impressive level of adjustment with variable height, inboard/outboard yaw, and width.

Sunglasses x Bora–Hansgrohe

Having recently collaborated with the professional team Bora-Hansgrohe, the Italian eyewear maker created three new colors exclusive to the team. The Spectro is priced at $215, the Demos is $195, and the Alibi is $250. With more models in its general range, this limited edition will surely turn heads.

Back in the USA

With little to no presence in the United States for the last few years, Mavic is back with full dealer and warranty support. Since the legendary French brand’s US headquarters is now in Vermont, Mavic collaborated with Massachusetts titanium builder Firefly to create a custom topo design of the surrounding landscapes and mountains where many Mavic USA employees ride.

McNally Collab Musette & UV Hoodie

The San Francisco, California-based OrNot released two new pieces in collaboration with McNally. The first is a sublimated packable, ripstop nylon musette. Priced at $31, these pocketable bags make the quick cafe stop on the way home easier (plus they are stylish). The second is a $68 UV Trail Hoodie. The collaboration between the artist and apparel brand continues by featuring the artist’s work on the inside back pocket. This understated piece is quick-drying and has UPF 30+ protection.

Launches a Genius Travel Accessory

These protectors are a simple solution to the problem of traveling with a disc brake bike. The plastic cover is fixed in place with a metal rod and threaded end cap. The whole thing has an impressively solid feel and should keep your rotors nice and straight while packed into a travel case. There are two versions, with the smaller one designed for 160-140 mm rotors, while the larger one fits up to 205 mm rotors.

New Look, New Tires, & Updated Sidewalls

New for 2024, Panaracer refreshed its GravelKing lineup.

While the SK, SS, EXT, and Slick have been around for a while the new X1 features a new tread pattern and sidewall design—each is tubeless compatible.

Panaracer offers these in a standard casing, a “Plus +” option for the burly gnarly gravel terrain, and an “R” race version featuring the brand’s lightest casing and is designed for going fast. The new tires save 100-gram (claimed) over the previous models.

New Handlebar Tape

Prologo was showing off an intriguing new handlebar tape that we first spotted being used during the classics by several teams. The design helps to improve rider comfort while reducing hand fatigue through increased grip provided by the unique 3D pattern. The price is around $50, with availability early this summer.

The brand also showed a new saddle designed specifically for XC racing named the Scratch NDR. The saddle isn’t quite as short as other stub nose saddles (like the popular Specialized Power), but it is shorter than traditional. It also features a very wide nose area. While it might have been designed for XC use, I suspect this saddle will also be popular among road riders, especially those who prefer to sit further forward.

Unreleased Frameset

Ritchey displayed an unreleased frame named the Montebello. The frame’s prototype was tested at the 2023 Paris-Brest-Paris, a 1200 km randonnée. The bike is a modern take on the classic randonneuring bike, with classic lines, plenty of tire clearance, mounts for fenders, and a front porter rack. And if that sounds like an all-road or endurance bike to you, it’s because everything old is new again.

Carbon Bikes and North American Distribution

If you have ever searched Amazon for carbon bikes, chances are you’ve come upon Sava before. The brand’s bikes seem well-equipped and offer tantalizingly low prices. But are they real or vaporware? We were surprised to see them at the expo so we stopped by the Sava tent for a look.

After chatting with a Sava brand representative we learned the company set up distribution for the US and Canada (based out of Ottawa, Ontario) and is building a dealer network. We checked out a few models and will get one for test riding and evaluation in the coming months.

Safa Brian x Ornamental Conifer Foil RC

While there isn’t new tech here with this Scott RC Foil (except the Syncros Capital SL Aero wheels), it does belong to descending madman Safa Brian who teamed up with Ornamental Conifer for this one-off paint job. Unfortunately, you can’t buy this color from your local dealer, but it is a stunner.

New Mid-Range Helmet and Lenses

The new Smith Triad is priced at $190 and is the brand's first new road or gravel helmet since 2021. It continues to use the Koroyd tech that the brand has been known for, it also features MIPS and an optional crash sensor integration from Aleck. The Triad uses 19 total vents and weighs in at 290 grams.

Smith also updated its photochromic lenses, which shift from clear to gray when exposed to sunlight, with its ChromaPop lens coating.

New to the 2024 line Smith’s “Motive” new shape uses a two-piece lens design around an adjustable nose bridge. The $175 sunglasses come with replacement lenses, a cloth bag, and a travel case.

A Wild Aero Bike

I can’t say I had ever heard of the Italian custom frame builder Titici before seeing this wild aero bike in the Prologo booth. The bike uses a very unusual seat cluster where the seat goes entirely past the seat tube and instead attaches to the top tube. This is said to provide an aerodynamics benefit and increase rider comfort.

The bike also features an incredibly thin top tube designed to flex like a leaf spring to further aid in rider comfort.

New Gravel Tires and Liners

Tire brand Vittoria always brings something hot and new to Sea Otter. Last year the brand launched the Corsa Pro tires (it went on to win all three men’s Grand Tours, World Champs, and a bunch of other races). This year the brand returned with refreshed gravel and XC mountain bike offerings.

Vittoria is making big investments in sustainable manufacturing and products, opening a new carbon-neutral factory, new processes that reduce energy use, and incorporating more natural and recycled materials. The first of its bold new direction is the Terreno Pro model. With its easy-to-spot natural color, the new Terreno Pros are made with natural rubber and use recycled fishnets and cotton for the casing. (Though the color is reminiscent of 1990s Tioga Pyschos, this material has no additives and will not be prone to cracks.) The new Pro T60 features a 10% (claimed) rolling performance improvement over the Terreno mix and better puncture protection.

The new Terreno Pro comes in two new tread patterns named T60 (above) and T50 (below). The new naming convention should help clear rider confusion about where and when to use Vittoria’s models since riders use existing Terreno Dry, Mix, and Wet tires in conditions of all sorts. Think of it as a sliding scale within a category or riding discipline (with 0 meaning as smooth as it gets and 100 as all-out gnarly). The new T60 and T50s will be available in the new Pro casing or a lower-cost Endurance version in late May.

Also new for gravel is an Air-Liner Light Gravel. These 45-gram (claimed) tire inserts fit tires 42 to 50mm wide and should be available around Unbound time.

New Super-9 Tubeless Disc

The newest Zipp disc wheel is the first disc featuring a hookless tire interface (that I'm aware of). It’s not really a surprise that Zipp would go this direction, given the brand's commitment to hookless with the rest of its high-performance wheel range.

The new disc also features an integrated TyreWiz 2.0 tire pressure sensor to help riders dial in pressure. It weighs 1,050 grams, features a 23mm internal rim width, and is optimized around 28mm tires (the recommended minimum size).

There is a 3D-printed cover that conceals the TyreWiz, and the wheel ships with a pump chuck adapter for inflation.

As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.  

Test Editor Dan Chabanov got his start in cycling as a New York City bike messenger but quickly found his way into road and cyclocross racing, competing in professional cyclocross races from 2009 to 2019 and winning a Master’s National Championship title in 2018. Prior to joining Bicycling in 2021, Dan worked as part of the race organization for the Red Hook Crit, as a coach with EnduranceWERX, as well as a freelance writer and photographer. 

A gear editor for his entire career, Matt’s journey to becoming a leading cycling tech journalist started in 1995, and he’s been at it ever since; likely riding more cycling equipment than anyone on the planet along the way. Previous to his time with Bicycling , Matt worked in bike shops as a service manager, mechanic, and sales person. Based in Durango, Colorado, he enjoys riding and testing any and all kinds of bikes, so you’re just as likely to see him on a road bike dressed in Lycra at a Tuesday night worlds ride as you are to find him dressed in a full face helmet and pads riding a bike park on an enduro bike. He doesn’t race often, but he’s game for anything; having entered road races, criteriums, trials competitions, dual slalom, downhill races, enduros, stage races, short track, time trials, and gran fondos. Next up on his to-do list: a multi day bikepacking trip, and an e-bike race. 

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Home Explore France Official Tourism Board Website

• Explore the map

Discovering France by bike: instructions for use

Inspiration

Cycling Tourism

Reading time: 0 min Published on 25 October 2023, updated on 17 April 2024

With 26,115 kilometres of cycle routes and greenways, France is the world's second most popular destination for cycle tourism. And the champion when it comes to inventing great escapes to discover nature, heritage and local delicacies. Climb the mountains of the Alps or the Pyrenees in the wake of the Tour de France, stroll along the banks of the Loire between châteaux and vineyards, pedal along the coast or explore towns and cities by bike... We explain how to organise your touring trip, cycle in town, and book suitable accommodation and services. Saddle up!

1. plan your cycling itinerary

Unless you want to pedal with your nose to the wind as and when you feel like it, it's best to organise your cycling trip in advance so that you can make the most of it. Whether it's a weekend, a day trip, a mountain bike tour, a route specially adapted for families or a long-distance tour, the France Vélo Tourisme website lists the various cycle routes available in France: Eurovélo routes, national cycle routes, greenways, cycle paths, etc. An interactive map and search engine enable you to find the route you're looking for. An interactive map and search engine allow you to choose your route (a loop or a one-way trip), depending on your technical level (beginner, family or experienced cyclist), duration or theme (châteaux and monuments, in the heart of vineyards, in the mountains or by the sea). The websites of the regional and departmental tourist boards are also full of information to help you plan your cycling trip!

Take your own bike or hire one locally?

Each solution has its advantages. Cycling with your own bike is reassuring for experienced cyclists, but it has to be transported. Hiring a bike is more suitable if you don't want to worry about transport or if this is your first experience of travelling by bike.

Travelling with a bike

By train The train is the most practical mode of transport for cycle tourists. Some TGV lines have spaces reserved for bicycles that have not been dismantled, as do "Ouigo classic trains" (€10 supplement) and Intercités trains (€5 to €10) and Intercités night trains (€10). Booking is compulsory on these lines. Reservations are not compulsory on most TER lines (with some exceptions). It is also possible to travel with a folded or dismantled bicycle on the TGV Inoui and Intercités lines (at no extra charge) and on the Ouigo Grande vitesse and Ouigo train classique lines (booking required, with an extra charge of €5). The bicycle must be placed in a cover measuring no more than 90 x 130 cm. Recumbents, tricycles, tandems and trailers are not permitted. During the summer (from June to September or in July/August), special services are available on trains to increase capacity for transporting bicycles. Travelling by train with a bicycle

By bus Some bus companies accept bicycles, such as Flixbus, on condition that they are packed or placed in covers (extra charge of 9 euros), or BlaBlaCar Bus (in a cover, with a maximum weight of 23 kg). It is generally possible to transport bicycles by air, although each airline has its own rules (weight, size, pricing, etc.). Travelling by Flixbus coach with your bike Travelling by BlaBlaCar bus with your bike

By boat You can also travel by boat, usually on ferries, but also in summer on boats or ferries between the mainland and the islands (check with the shipping companies beforehand). For a nice roaming tour, you can also opt to hire a barge, especially with your family. It's an ideal way of combining a soft mobility trip with cycling!

Hire a bike

You can book a "one way" hire (you hire the bike in one place and return it in another) from a number of hire companies, particularly on certain cycle routes.

• Good to know : whether you choose to travel with your own bike or hire one, you can use luggage transport services (Bicybags, La Malle Postale, BagaFrance, Loire Vélo Nature, Bag Transfert, DeliverBag, etc.).

if the sunny days are making your legs tingle, saddle up! In the land of the Tour de France, there is no shortage of beautiful escapes. With 22,800 km of cycle routes and greenways, 5,500km of regional tourist routes, 3,000 road and mountain bike circuits inviting you to enjoy gentle pedalling as a couple, with your family or with friends. In the countryside, along a canal, by the sea, in the vineyards or in the mountains, from Northern France to the Côte d'Azur and from Brittany to Alsace... here's a small selection of the most beautiful tours and detours and discover France by bike.

Book accommodation, restaurants and other dedicated services

To travel by bike in optimum conditions, cycle tourists can use service providers with the "Accueil Vélo" label, all of which are listed on the France Vélo Tourisme website . More than 7,000 are listed: accommodation, restaurants, cycle hire and repair services, tourist offices and tourist sites. These businesses make a number of commitments: they must be located less than 5 kilometres from a cycle route, have facilities for cyclists (secure bike shelter, repair kit, plug for recharging, etc.), provide dedicated services (luggage transfer, washing and drying of clothes, bike washing, etc.) and offer a personalised welcome to cyclists (advice, weather, itineraries, etc.). The accommodation listed includes campsites, guest houses, hotels, unusual accommodation, self-catering cottages, etc. A community platform offers (with a subscription fee for the first year) home-stay accommodation for cyclists, and the Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme also lists the best places to stay. Find a restaurant close to cycle routes Search for "cycle-friendly" accommodation near cycle routes

2. Cycle routes in France

In France, each region offers an infinite number of routes to explore by bike, mountain bike or electric bike, as well as long-distance routes combining véloroutes and "voies vertes" (greenways) to discover the natural riches and heritage of the region: The Loire à vélo, along the king of rivers and his châteaux, the ViaRhôna, from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, the Vélodyssée, from the Basque country to Brittany or the Vélomaritime from Hauts-de-France to Finistère... Depending on your state of fitness and your desires, you can cycle part or all of them, unless you want to emulate the Tour de France riders and embark on a grand loop! Gourmets can also take advantage of the cycling and cheese routes : over 8,000 kilometres of routes and 1,500 cheese-making sites to cycle and enjoy!

Some not-to-be-missed cycle routes : La Loire à Vélo en Val de Loire the ViaRhôna from the Alps to Provence the Vélodyssée from Brittany to the Basque Country the Vélomaritime from Hauts-de-France to Brittany via Normandy

In towns and cities, cycling is a great way to get from one tourist site to another and around the surrounding area. Numerous improvements have been made in recent years to make French towns and cities even more accessible to cycle tourists, and the network of dedicated lanes is constantly expanding. All the major cities and many medium-sized towns have public bicycles available for hire (including long-term hire) at stations, based on the Vélib' model installed in the Paris region (1,443 stations in Paris and the surrounding area) and in 61 communes, with a fleet of almost 20,000 bicycles, 40% of which are electric (€1 for the first 30 minutes, €2 for each additional 30 minutes). Apps such as Weelo or Lime can also be used to hire electrically-assisted bicycles based on location. As well as the themed cycle tours and other bike treasure hunts on offer in Paris and many other major French cities, there are also long-distance routes such as the véloroutes that criss-cross the cities: in Paris, for example, you can cycle the Scandibérique route linking Belgium to Spain!

• Self-service bike hire schemes in France's major cities: Vélib' in Paris Levélo in Marseille Vélo'V in Lyon VélôToulouse Vélobleu in Nice Bicloo in Nantes Vélhop in Strasbourg V3 in Bordeaux V'Lille Star - le vélo à Rennes

4. Learning the rules of road safety

Before taking your first turn on the pedal, it's vital to know the rules of road safety, especially in town where cyclists share space with pedestrians, motorised two-wheelers and cars. On the French road safety website , visitors can consult a few tips for good cycling behaviour and download a full information leaflet.

• Good to know : helmets must be worn by children under the age of 12, whether drivers or passengers, and the use of devices likely to emit sound (earphones, earpieces, headphones) is prohibited on pain of a fine of €135. It is advisable to wear light colours, a hazard marker to prevent motorists from approaching, rear-view mirrors and trouser clips. Outside built-up areas, cyclists and their passengers must wear a certified retro-reflective jacket at night and in poor visibility.

For further information, please contact

France Vélo Tourisme Vélo en France (Fédération française de cyclotourisme) Vélo et Territoires

Also worth reading:

• Getting around France by soft mobility
• Getting around by car: where to recharge your electric vehicle in France
• Our favourite routes for cycling around France
• Cycling and cheese: 7 gourmet cycling itineraries
• Gentle cycling, everything you need to know to make the most of it

By Redactie France.fr

The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…

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Tour de France

Tour de france stage 9: the gravel is strong with this one, a day on the white roads will test riders and machines alike..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Stage 9 — Sunday, July 7 Troyes-Troyes Distance: 199km (124 miles) Profile: Gravel stage

Stage 9: A day on the white roads will test rider and machines alike

Fans of Strade Bianche will have much to cheer about on this stage, with no less than 14 gravel sectors and four climbs awaiting the riders.

Starting and finishing in Troyes, the route will afford the riders just over 45km of normal roads before the first of those dirt road stretches. The first two are followed by 25km of standard surfaces before a cluster of six sectors crop up within 55km.

They will soften up the field considerably, and may well see crashes and mechanicals, with the remaining sectors playing out inside the final 34km.

Opinions of riders are very mixed about the stage, with a number of them questioning the logic of including gravel roads on a stage of the Tour. The sceptics include team bosses Richard Plugge (Visma Lease a Bike) and Patrick Lefevere (Soudal Quick-Step), while 2024 Strade Bianche winner Tadej Pogačar has said the inclusion of gravel is ‘pretty risky.’

Still, the stage will certainly be a dramatic one, which is what race organizers ASO are aiming for. Riders will likely empty the tank, knowing that the first rest day follows the stage.

The view of Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme: “The Tour’s first week concludes with a new feature: white roads, which are already an emblematic feature of Strade Bianche and Paris-Tours.

“The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift made the first passage across Champagne’s gravel roads close to Troyes in 2022. There will be 14 sectors, including six in the final part of the stage, extending to 32km in total, each sector pitching the riders onto the gravel and into the dust.”

• Class Notes

The Latest News from Your Classmates

May / June 2024

CHECK OUT OUR NEW SECTION: GROUP NOTES!

Scroll down for the debut of Group Notes, which comprises alumni news about members of Cornell groups—including campus activities, alumni organizations, and more—across generations. Want to see your group represented in future sections? Email us for information!

Welcome back, classmates! Read on for another excerpt from the essay I wrote about my time at Cornell, originally written for and published by my fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi, and featured in the last two Class Notes sections:

We had regular parties in the basement at Alpha Delta Phi, but there was little or no hard liquor. We drank beer from a keg, the tapping of which was a skill we all learned. I think it was mostly the local Stegmaier’s, which was not a particularly good beer, but it was cheaper. Singing was a big pastime, and knowing the words to all the songs was important to your standing with your brothers and your date.

One event I will never forget occurred during the spring of 1946, when we were sharing the house with Kappa Alpha. At a Saturday night party downstairs, the president of KA was sitting on a stool at the bar, surrounded by co-eds who were listening, I suppose, to his war stories. Suddenly, he grabbed an ice pick from behind the bar and drove it into his lower leg! There were shrieks and shocked looks from the co-eds. Then he pulled out the ice pick, pulled up his pant leg, and showed a wooden leg that he had acquired as a result of war injuries!

Thomas Wells ’43 , BArch ’50, proposed to the fraternity that he decorate the walls of the two rooms in the basement, which were our bar and party area. We said OK, and he arrived with two co-eds from architecture or fine arts. Over weeks, they covered the walls with the “figures” of Abner Dean, a very popular cartoonist/artist at that time. For a time, it became the talk of the campus, and we got a big kick out of it. You can even see pictures of it in the background of a 1948 Cornellian yearbook: a picture of a group singing at the usual table in the Alpha Delt bar (on page 364) and then one of me between two women (at right on page 385), both with the paintings in the background.

Late one night, [ Peg Wilharm Tuttle ’48 and I] drove out the east bank of Cayuga Lake to watch the sunrise—and when it came up behind us, I proposed, and she accepted. Ray Tuttle ’48

I married a Cornellian, Margaret (Wilharm) , Class of 1948. She was an Alpha Phi, and I never dated her at Cornell. That we ended up married was a real series of incidents. One day in my fifth and final year, I got on the bus outside Olin Hall to go downtown. I recognized and sat down beside a girl I remembered from a course I was taking in industrial and labor relations (ChemEs were required to take a liberal arts course in year five, and my choice was career-oriented, not culture-oriented, as the ChemE school might have intended). Peg always sat near the front of the classroom next to the same boy, whom I assumed was her boyfriend but later learned was a Chi Psi brother of her boyfriend keeping an eye on her. We talked on the way downtown on the bus and learned an odd coincidence: my family and I lived in Cleveland, and I had just taken a job in Pittsburgh after graduation, while she had lived all her life in Pittsburgh, but her dad’s company had just moved to Cleveland, where she would go after graduation. So we parted with no plans to ever meet again.

Working in Pittsburgh, I used to go back to see my folks in Cleveland occasionally. On one trip, I joined my parents in grocery shopping, because next door was a sporting-goods shop and I wanted to buy a new squash racquet. After shopping, I joined my parents in the grocery store, and there was a somewhat familiar face at the cheese counter: Peg Wilharm! She later told me she was with her parents only because they were going to shop for a new car, and she went along hoping to persuade them not to buy another black Buick.

I asked her out for a beer and supper and soon learned that the boyfriend was no longer—and we dated in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, where she visited an uncle there to see me. I asked her back to an Alpha Delt house-party weekend and, late one night, drove out the east bank of Cayuga Lake to watch the sunrise—and when it came up behind us, I proposed, and she accepted. So Cornell and Alpha Delt had important roles to play. ❖ Ray Tuttle ( email Ray ) | Alumni Directory .

I hope you all took the time to fill out and return the Share Your News form that was recently mailed to you. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late! Please do send us your news—via the hard-copy form or the online news form —so our future class columns can be full of news from all of you. Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear it! ❖ Class of 1949 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

In my previous two columns, I highlighted short bios of some of the accomplished women of our Class of the Century. In this issue I highlight classmate Marion Steinmann , author of the book Women at Work: Demolishing a Myth of the 1950s (2005, Xlibris). Marion modestly included as co-authors “The Women of the Cornell Class of 1950.” Also, her book’s dedication, “To the men we married who encouraged us to follow our dream,” is gracious because, unlike those about whom she wrote, Marion didn’t marry until age 50, had no children, and did not earn an advanced degree.

The women that Marion interviewed demolished the myth that, in the 1950s, women had little choice but to be housewives and not be employed outside the home. These courageous women earned a total of 134 advanced degrees including 22 PhDs and five MDs. Among the 134 were 13 college professors, 11 attorneys, one judge, and five engineers, as well as others.

An education in the Cornell College of Home Economics, while including studies in science and the liberal arts, was not designed for advanced degrees. It’s therefore remarkable that our intelligent, energetic, and forward-looking colleagues were able, with good humor and perseverance, to overcome family responsibilities, academic obstacles, and gender prejudices to move into advanced degree programs in law, medicine, education, business, and other professional fields.

Marion attended West High in Rochester, NY, where she excelled academically and was editor of the school newspaper. She came to Cornell with national and state scholarships to major in microbiology in the College of Agriculture. On campus she was a member of Octagon and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, was vice president of the Women’s Self-Governing Association, and with her intense interest in journalism served as news editor of the Cornell Daily Sun .

Remarkably, upon graduation, she (an Aggie, not a journalism major) was hired by the prestigious Life magazine. That speaks highly of a Cornell BS in agriculture and Marion’s high intellect and writing competence. At Life she was a reporter in the science department, writing on an amazing variety of subjects such as archeology, astronomy, genetics, moon exploration, lasers, holography, the first open-heart surgery, and bone transplants. Over her 22 years with Life , she was promoted from writer to assistant editor, and when the weekly Life ceased publication in 1972, she was the associate editor.

Henry Erle ’50 , MD ’54, lives in a high rise with views of the Robert F. Kennedy and George Washington bridges and the Weill Cornell college campus.

Thereafter she was a freelance author of books primarily in the field of medicine and healthcare, as well as articles for the New York Times Magazine , the Saturday Evening Post , Smithsonian Magazine , Cornell Alumni Magazine , and others. Her books included Island Life , Life and Health , The American Medical Association Book of Back Care , The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Parent’s Guide to Allergies and Asthma , and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Guide to Childhood Infections . In 1971 Marion received the American Medical Association’s award for an article, “Fighting the Genetic Odds.”

In 2000, accessing surplus class funds, our class approved publication of the history of our class with the title Curfews, Chaos and Champions , co-edited by Marion and classmate John Marcham . Because it was also a history of the tumultuous post-WWII times , it was subsequently republished under the title Postwar Cornell: How the Greatest Generation Transformed a University, 1944–1952 . The original book was also converted into an engaging film. At the 1965 class Reunion, copies of the film and original book were given to all attendees and later to those unable to attend.

For 10 years, Marion served with me as class co-correspondent, responsible for writing news of class members for the Class Notes section of each issue of the former Cornell Alumni Magazine . Our relationship was cordial and professional, but I learned little about her personal, non-work life. Her obituary was the lead in the obituary section of the April 20, 2020 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer , which mentioned that she had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. And after a late-in-life marriage to Charles Joiner, Temple University Chair of Political Science, they lived in Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, where she enjoyed cooking, gardening, and entertaining.

I received a nice note from Henry Erle , MD ’54 (New York, NY), Weill Cornell Medicine Roberts Family Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine. With his parents and younger brother, he escaped from Nuremberg, Germany, in 1939, where in 1938 his grandfather had been murdered during Kristallnacht. He attended Stuyvesant High School and came to Cornell on a Regents Scholarship. The highlight of his campus life was meeting Joan (Greenblatt) at Hillel House, whom he married in 1952 and, as he says, “made up for my lost childhood.” After Cornell med school, until retirement in 2007 at age 78, he practiced internal medicine at Cornell/New York Medical Center, now Weill Cornell Medicine.

Wife Joan earned an MD at New York University in 1954, did post-doc studies in psychiatry, and taught and did research at New York Psychoanalytic Institute. Joan died 10 years ago after a struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Henry has two physician sons, David and Steven , MD ’86 , and five grandkids. At the time of this writing, Henry was living on the 46th floor of a high rise with views of the Robert F. Kennedy (formerly Triborough) and George Washington bridges and the Weill Cornell college campus, studying a variety of contemporary topics, and planning a visit to his younger brother in Florida. ❖ Paul Joslin ( email Paul ) | 13731 Hickman Rd., #4207, Urbandale, IA 50323 | tel., (515) 278-0960 | Alumni Directory .

Frances Goldberg Myers writes, “The big event of the year was my 94th birthday. Living in an over-50 community, I am acknowledged mostly as a ‘role model’ by the newer, younger residents, since I speak up at meetings, participate in many community activities, and make new, younger friends as they buy into the community. With the death of Shelley Epstein Akabas in 2023, I have only one friend left who knew me when I was 17.

“My children, Ken ’77 (Yale PhD), Pam ’78 , and Nathaniel III ’82 , DVM ’87, are all active in their chosen careers and contributing to making the world a better place. Ken is the Gerson Curator of American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Pam is executive director of the prize-winning, nationally recognized Asheville Art Museum (NC); and Nathaniel, known as ‘Chip,’ is a doctor of internal medicine in his own veterinary practice. The following generation of Cornellians is Sarah ’13 , daughter of Ken, a silviculturist for the National Forest Service in Nebraska with a Penn State MA (yes there is a forest in Nebraska, the only planted forest in the U.S.; planted by the CCC in the 1930s). We are waiting to see if Benjamin, son of Chip, will join the Cornellian family.

Living in an over-50 community, I am acknowledged mostly as a ‘role model’ by the newer, younger residents. Frances Goldberg Myers ’51

“I’ve been a widow since 2004 but keep busy making new friends and participating in a variety of activities and wondering what has happened to America. Social media has certainly changed society. I was in Home Ec but took advantage of all the wonderful Cornell professors in government, labor relations, Asian policy, architecture, and literature to get an introduction to the wide world. But Home Ec provided me with entry into various jobs, from publishing to mental health rehabilitation, community organizing for people with disabilities at the county level and volunteer work in several areas.

“I now find new areas to learn about, so life is exciting. I am happy participating in the community around me. My neighbors feel that I provide historical context to people who think of the ’50s as ancient times. I never felt that we were the Silent Generation—we were active in our communities, active politically and socially, raising solid families, and trying to build a better society. Looking back, those years were hopeful and optimistic, in which we believed the world would be a better place for all after surviving the Depression, a world war, the Holocaust, and an atom bomb.

“I am grateful for my Cornell education—I learned much, but mostly I learned to love learning. But clearly my favorite memory is meeting Nat Myers ’49 , BA ’51, on the first day of classes in September 1949 at the Ivy Room in the Straight. Thank heavens my 10 o’clock class in the History of Labor Unions was dismissed because the professor had been delayed in returning to campus. I had never been to the Straight at 10 o’clock before, but when I went in, I saw a table with people I knew. As I sat down, I was introduced to Nat, who had returned from his Navy enlistment. At 11, he joined me on my walk across campus to Balch. We talked for more than an hour and listened to the noon Chimes. And that was the beginning of the rest of my life. We celebrated 55 years of being together until his death in 2004.”

Thank you for writing, Frances! We hope any classmates reading this will send us a letter. ❖ Class of 1951 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Joanne Holloway McPherson writes from Findlay, OH: “I recently moved to a new apartment, the second one since I sold the house I lived in for 29 years in 2019. With each move I downsized, but I still have too many possessions. I try to adjust to the new technology, which is supposed to make our lives easier but, at least in my case, makes it more difficult. The devices constantly need recharging. My solution is to take a nap and recharge myself.”

James Strub writes from Colorado Springs: “I gradually became a mountain hiking machine, and I reached all 54 of the Colorado 14ers and Mount Whitney in California by 1961, all by the grace of God—sometimes with more grace required than other times (e.g., little things like lightning). I’m regularly using a USFS-provided ponderosa pine pole for balance, everywhere I go.” James enjoys teaching the Bible to the Judeo-Christian residents at MacKenzie Place, a nearby retirement community—something he’s been doing for 12 years now.

I gradually became a mountain hiking machine, and I reached all 54 of the Colorado 14ers and Mount Whitney in California by 1961. James Strub ’52

James adds, “I’m also keeping in regular touch by phone or email with daughter Heidi and her husband, Charley, in St. Augustine, FL. They are planning to come out here in April for my 95th birthday. And I’m keeping in close touch with son Jordan ’81 and his very gifted and delightful wife, Michele, who made a very successful career as a principal manager for Progressive Insurance.” Some of his favorite memories of Cornell were “playing the carillon and playing the four-manual pipe organ we used to have on the Bailey Hall stage. I also enjoyed the architecture professors, especially John Tilton 1913 , MArch 1914, whose favorite teaching was: ‘Remember—there is a difference between a Venetian blind and a blind Venetian.’”

Bernard Patten writes: “I am a systems ecologist, long retired from University of Georgia but not retiring. I’m continuing my research on an environmental system theory, ‘Network Environ Analysis,’ and the proverbial magnum opus, ‘Holoecology.’” ❖ Thomas Cashel, LLB ’56 ( email Tom ) | Alumni Directory .

Alan Perlmutter writes from California that his son, Ben ’12 , is taking over the family business: Big Sur River Inn. “After many years as a consultant in organizational development and 36 years as the general partner of the Big Sur River Inn, I am happy to pass the reins to our son Ben, who is taking over as managing partner of the family business. Ben will continue to welcome Cornell alumni from all over the world as they visit the inn, which is Big Sur’s first restaurant and resort,” says Alan. He adds that Ben is still singing with the Hangovers and is well prepared for being the host of the popular and historic inn.

Have you ever had a broken leg? Bob Neff , JD ’56, can sympathize. He spent much of the first half of last year hopping around on one leg while healing broken bones in the other one. He then made up for that confinement—while escaping the chilly weather in North Carolina—as he enjoyed sailing in the South Pacific.

Hospitalization and healing similarly took up half of last year for Caroline Mulford Owens , former Class of ’53 president. She reports that she’s now back to normal with a daily visit to the gym and participation in several community organizations. “I’m fortunate to be living on a beautiful lake with a view of the sunset across the water,” she reports.

I’m fortunate to be living on a beautiful lake with a view of the sunset across the water. Caroline Mulford Owens ’53

Jack Brophy has documented his time in the U.S. Navy with photos and lots of stories. He found his Cornell experience useful when assigned to develop recreational activities for the crew of the USS White Marsh . “The captain authorized the crew to empty a large storage room in the bow and create a lounge and recreation room for the sailors off-duty. They were motivated to make something nice, and they did, with fresh paint and new furniture. For the opening, I decided to organize a talent show. We had a pedal pump organ used for religious services, and I found a fiddler from the South who was fantastic. As the ship rolled, he wrapped his bow arm around a Lally column and played on undaunted. The other acts were entertaining but not as memorable. I guess this qualified me as ‘Recreation Officer.’”

John Nixon sends special thanks to the 148 members of the Class of ’53 who donated nearly $5 million last year, setting a new donor record for any 70th Reunion in Cornell history. Our class also recently donated $10,000 to the Class of 1953 Tradition Fellowship, which provides an annual scholarship for an incoming student. Your generous donations serve many worthwhile causes.

Please share your current news. We’d love to hear from you! ❖ Caroline Mulford Owens ( email Caroline ) | Jack Brophy ( email Jack ) | John Nixon ( email John ) | Bob Neff , JD ’56 ( email Bob ) | Alumni Directory .

As you read this column, Dave , PhD ’60, and Mary Gentry Call report that more than 20 classmates have signed on to celebrate our 70th Reunion on campus. Hopefully a few latecomers will join them with a month to go and put us over 26 attendees. This would be a record for a 70th Reunion. Dave and Mary have planned a fun and informative program with easy transportation to and from all the events from our class headquarters at the Statler Hotel.

This has been a slow month for classmate news, but we did hear from two of you and we thank you. Barbara Jones Jenkins of Northfield, MN, writes that she spends much of her time reading and keeping her email inbox below the 300s. She also served as the financial director of the Cannon Valley Elder Collegium and took several of their courses. On a negative note, Barbara says that she has been trying to improve her tennis serve after 50 years but recently ruptured her right bicep reaching for a volley. Let’s hope Barbara will soon make a complete recovery and get back to working on her serve.

Allan Griff ’54 , who was in the Sage Chapel Choir and the a cappella Chorus, has written a song about Cornell.

Allan Griff of El Cerrito, CA, who did a lot of formal singing in his undergraduate days, including in the Sage Chapel Choir and the a cappella Chorus, has written a song about Cornell, the melody of which is an Irish traditional folk song, “Roddy McCorley.” It brings back memories of our days on the Hill. Called “Leaders of Us All,” here are the lyrics:

“All around the world Cornellians go to do what we do best. / We teach, we build, we serve, we fix, we earn our keep and rest. / We’ve caught the pass of knowledge, and we’re running with the ball. / And it can’t be denied, we’re our people’s pride, the leaders of us all. / Wherever we Cornellians meet, it brings a smile and tear. / We’ve got a bond of friendship that cannot disappear. / We tell of days and nights we shared when we were growing still, / And we feel a little warmer when we think of our days on the Hill. / We remember the Straight, the statues on the Quad, the gorges, and the lake. / Teagle, the Taylors, Sage and the Libe, all these our memories wake. / Engineers, Hotelies, Aggies, and Arts, HumEcs, ILRs, stand tall / ’cause it can’t be denied, we’re our people’s pride, / the leaders of us all.” ❖ Bill Waters , MBA ’55 ( email Bill ) | Ruth Carpenter Bailey ( email Ruth ) | Class website | Alumni Directory .

Frank Baldwin (Ithaca, NY) is planting trees and doing trail management in Pine Tree Wildlife Preserve on East Hill. He also attends a local folk song club on Sunday evenings. He recalls that “our group in Ithaca and Cornell induced the National Episcopal Church to support the treaty to abolish nuclear weapons.” ❖ Class of 1955 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

I hope you all took the time to fill out and return the Share Your News form that was recently mailed to you. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late! Please do send us your news—via the hard-copy form or the online news form —so our future class columns can be full of news from all of you. Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear it! ❖ Class of 1956 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

With our undergrad status of in loco parentis , one restriction denied freshmen the right to have an automobile on campus. Do you recall how one classmate protested that rule? In spring 1954, Edward Jay Epstein brought a horse and buggy to campus. Whether it was because of that infraction or something else, Ed was asked to leave Cornell. He later returned to earn his BA in 1965 and MA in 1966, both in government. His master’s thesis on the official government investigation into the Kennedy assassination became his first book, Inquest: The Warren Commission and the Establishment of Truth (1966).

Ed continued his graduate studies at Harvard, earning a PhD in 1973. His doctoral dissertation became the book News from Nowhere: Television and the News (1973). Ed taught at Harvard, MIT, and UCLA, and then decided to return to New York City and to focus on researching and writing books. Known for his keen, independent mind, Ed later investigated U.S. intelligence and counterintelligence, the international diamond trade, the business of Hollywood, and the data leak by NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Ed himself was the subject of the 2017 documentary Hall of Mirrors , which premiered at the 55th New York Film Festival. Of his many books and articles, his last book, Assume Nothing: Encounters with Assassins, Spies, Presidents, and Would-Be Masters of the Universe (2023), is considered this investigative journalist’s memoir. His recent passing in January 2024 was attributed to COVID. While he had no immediate survivors, he will be missed by all those friends who attended his many storied social gatherings at his Manhattan penthouse.

On the distaff side, we also note the passing of Ruby Tomberg Senie in September 2023. After earning her Cornell BS in 1957 and becoming mother to two sons, Ruby added a Cornell BSN in nursing (1975), an MA in teaching from Columbia University (1978), and a PhD from the Yale University Department of Epidemiology and Public Health (1984). She was an epidemiologist with the women’s health and fertility branch of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta when she was asked by then-Cornell President Frank H.T. Rhodes to be a panelist on the 1992 Reunion forum in Bailey Hall. The topic was “Ethical Issues in Healthcare: The Lessons of Tuskegee.” This coincided with our 35th Reunion, so likely some of us attended this discussion. (Special thank you to Cornell Archivist Evan Earle ’02 , MS ’14, for finding this information in an old Reunion booklet.)

In spring 1954, Edward Jay Epstein ’57 , BA ’65, MA ’66, brought a horse and buggy to campus.

Ruby also was on a 1996 panel at the Cornell Club in NYC. This forum, sponsored by the women of the Class of 1958, focused on lifelines submitted by hundreds of Cornell alumnae. Ruby was then a leading breast cancer researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. Ruby’s career continued and culminated as an associate professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

On a personal note, Ruby and I met about a decade ago. Her dear friend, classmate Beth Ames Swartz , had come to NYC for the opening of her new art series at a gallery in Manhattan. At a restaurant meal that followed for our classmates, Ruby and I sat next to one another. Our paths had never crossed on campus, but we soon were deep in conversation. She told me of her book Epidemiology of Women’s Health (2013), a more-than-500-page tome that explored the major health challenges and conditions specifically affecting women. Ruby included contributions from leading authorities in the field.

She and I saw each other only a few times over the years when she rented a summer cottage in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where she enjoyed the Tanglewood musical venue offerings. Through emails, we became fast friends. We last saw each other at our 65th Reunion. Ironically, it wasn’t breast cancer, but an undiagnosed tumor that, once discovered, gave her only a few more weeks of life. Ruby, a perpetual student, teacher, and author, had thoroughly enjoyed the rich culture of opera, museums, theater, and classical music so present in NYC. Earlier this month, Beth told me her new art series, Quantum Light, was inspired by Ruby. You can view her artwork here . Both Beth and I agree that it was our privilege to be close friends of such a remarkable woman.

On a lighter note, we saw Ron Dunbar and his spouse, Pru Dalrymple, at our 65th Reunion. Both having been widowed in the early 2000s, they found each other through Match.com and have been happily living together in Philadelphia for nearly six years. They are taking advantage of their good health to travel. Over a year ago, a Road Scholar trip had them island-hopping to see many ancient ruins in Greece. Last March they enjoyed a week in the Galápagos and then spent several days in a remote lodge in the upper Amazon watershed rain forest.

A more recent road trip included a visit with Bob and JoAnne Eastburn Cyprus , who have owned and lived for 30 years on a 60-acre farm near Nashville, TN. Ron and JoAnne had been high school classmates in Wellesley, MA. Ron and Pru fly to Seattle and Portland, OR, several times a year to visit Pru’s two sons and families. Ron’s Korean-born daughter and family live only 12 miles from Ron. After a long academic career, mostly in library science, Pru occasionally teaches online for Kent State University. Ron’s Cornell BEE degree remains in the background to the spreadsheet work he now does to help small nonprofits. ❖ Connie Santagato Hosterman ( email Connie ) | Alumni Directory .

Warren Wildes is living in St. Paul, MN, with his wife, Mary, spending three months of the year in California. He finds great satisfaction in working in the woodlands next door, raising wood ducks, and developing oak “nurseries” at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, where they have lived since 1977. This passion continues as he and Mary fund Northwestern’s environmental science program, which places emphasis on the woods and the two lakes with campus shorelines. He is also a dedicated supporter of the Cornell Sapsucker Woods Ornithology Lab and participates in the FeederWatch programs while in California each winter. Warren has continued to express his interest in music by leading the Centennial Stompers Dixieland Band with Mary as vocalist, which plays at senior homes, churches, and centers in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The band is in its 10th year with 18 performances in 2023, and excerpts can be found on YouTube .

Stefan Belman , DVM ’61, shares his favorite Cornell memory: “In Mann Library in 1959 I was seated in the informal reading room, and seated across from me was a most attractive blonde woman smoking. I walked over and bummed a smoke. A few minutes later I walked over to her again and invited her to walk with me to the pomology department and let me buy her an apple. Anita (Lesgold) ’60 , MS ’61, later returned to Sigma Delta Tau and told her roommate, Carrie Warnow Makover ’60 , about meeting this ‘interesting guy.’ Sixty-four years later, we have two children and four grandchildren.” Anita received her BS at Cornell, earned an MD from New York University’s medical school, then taught pediatric neurology there. Their son, Matt , DVM ’89 , practices in Salt Lake City and enjoys back country adventures. Grandchildren Ben ’19 , BA ’18, and Elisabeth ’18 graduated from Cornell with Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude recognition. Ben currently works for Amazon and attends Georgetown Law School. Elisabeth just graduated from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is training for surgery at Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard. Stefan and Anita move between Columbia Falls, MT, Huntington, NY, and New York City.

Arthur Shostak and his wife, Lynn Seng, moved nine years ago from Philadelphia to Alameda, CA, to escape winter and be closer to their grandchildren. Before retiring, Arthur was a sociology professor at Drexel University. Arthur published 34 books; his latest, published in 2017, is titled Stealth Altruism: Forbidden Care as Jewish Resistance in the Holocaust. After researching survivors’ memoirs and interviewing those living, he developed a strong “help” narrative, to be learned in the future alongside the “horror” narrative that now dominates. The book’s cover photograph illustrates his thesis: men in striped pajamas stand in rows, with two men in the front row surreptitiously supporting a collapsing man between them. Arthur indicates that altruism arises out of innate impulses in people, is supported by the tenets of Judaism, and was encouraged by rabbis who took on leadership roles. He is preparing two more books: a study of ways societies have of memorializing and a lengthy memoir. His favorite Cornell memory: earning the highest GPA in the ILR school, which leveraged a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for a PhD at Princeton.

Philip Getter ’58 is still producing shows, most recently Hadestown, winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical.

Philip Getter is still producing shows, most recently Hadestown, winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Musical, which has been on Broadway since April 2019. A touring company first presented Hadestown at the John F. Kennedy theater in Washington in October 2021 and is still touring the U.S. and Canada . A new company held a successful opening of Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End in February 2024. The CD of the original cast production won a Grammy. Philip also produced Once Upon A One More Time , featuring Britney Spears’s music, and was co-producer of A Christmas Carol starring Jefferson Mays, and Terrence McNally’s Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune starring Audra McDonald. Philip sits on several boards of corporations and foundations.

Philip’s wife, Elaine Sheinmel, passed two years ago. Elaine was his partner in Getter Entertainment, involved in producing Broadway shows. He is now a partner in Archer Entertainment Group with his stepdaughter, Courtney Sheinmel, who was a practicing attorney and wrote and published many young adult and children’s books. The partners are working on several future productions.

In February, Philip flew to London to see Hadestown, which was sold out and with such good prospects that the run was already extended. Courtney and her 4-year-old son, Archer, who loves musicals, accompanied him. Archer enjoyed his first airplane ride, double-decker bus rides, and packed performances of Hadestown . While in England, Philip spent a great deal of time with his oldest son, Douglas Getter, a London attorney, and his two granddaughters, Tesa, 17, and Sara, 20, both “brilliant, beautiful, and with great personalities.” He has two other children: Laura, who has three children, and Michael. ❖ Barbara Avery, MA ’59 ( email Barbara ) | Dick Haggard ( email Dick ) | Alumni Directory .

Linda Rogers Cohen sold her house in Great Neck—home for 56 years—and moved to the Upper West Side of NYC. “It’s an exciting change that eliminates worry about the roof when it rains and brings me practically next door to my daughter Carrie Cohen ’89 , her husband, Rick Lipsey ’89 , and their four children; brings me closer to the museums I love; and finds me surrounded by too many, too-tempting restaurants.”

Mary Gail Drake Korsmeyer also sold her house of 50+ years. She moved last November to Sherwood Oaks, a continuing care community in Cranberry Township, PA. “This community of some 300 residents is about 35 miles north of my old house and a short drive from my daughter’s residence. It has many active groups and services, including delicious meals, and is providing me with interesting new friends.” Mary Gail is retired from her partnership in the law firm of Peacock Keller in Washington, PA. Daughter Carol is a founding partner of Dupee Strengths-Based Consulting; son David is deputy director of the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA; and son Keith is a professor of marine science at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu. In addition to grandchildren, she has three great-granddaughters and one great-grandson. About once a month, Mary Gail participates in a Zoom gathering with a baker’s dozen of ’59, ’60, and ’61 grads, all friends since Cornell and members of Delta Delta Delta, including Susan Kunkle Bogar , Sallie Whitesell Phillips , Linda Johnson Kacser , and Erna Fritsch Johnson ’61 .

Linda Rogers Cohen ’59 moved to the Upper West Side, where she is ‘surrounded by too many, too-tempting restaurants.’

Another move after 50+ years: Hardy Eshbaugh and his wife, Barb. They have moved to the Knolls, a retirement community in Oxford, OH. “Our children helped us with the move, which was accomplished with a minimum of difficulty,” writes Hardy. “We had an advantage in that our old house did not have an attic, basement, or garage, which meant we had not accumulated a lifetime of stuff. But there was still lots to part with, especially boxes of books! We have more or less settled in and have made many new friends. Even Roxy, our dog, is adjusting. Now it’s on to the next phase of our lives.” Hardy is professor emeritus of botany at Miami University in Oxford, known primarily for his research on chili peppers and on the flora and biogeography of the Bahamas.

About five years ago, Kate Sickles Connolly moved to River Woods, a continuing care retirement community in Exeter, NH. Prior to that, the retired clinical electron microscopist “lived a wonderful familial, professional, and municipal inclusion life associated with Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH. I am enjoying an active life in both mind and body and hope to continue my Cornell connection virtually for years to come.”

A nominations committee is working on a slate of officers to serve our class for the five years following our Reunion on June 6–9. The final slate is expected to be completed in early May. Any classmate interested in serving as an officer is encouraged to contact our Reunion chair, Jerry Schultz ( email Jerry ). The list of nominees will be displayed at our Reunion headquarters in the Statler Hotel and presented at the class gathering on the morning of June 9.

Closing factoid: At the beginning of February, living ’59ers included 1,108 degreed and 460 non-degreed members—a total of 1,568 alumni. ❖ Jenny Tesar ( email Jenny ) | Alumni Directory .

Still living in North Falmouth on Cape Cod with his spouse, Patty, Leonard Johnson writes, “I was sorry to hear that Neil MacDougal had died. I first met Neil in seventh grade in Boynton Junior High in Ithaca. He was one of the good guys. Last fall I went back to Ithaca for the first time in 10 years. We had a great reunion with Carol Treman des Cognets and several of my other childhood pals. A highlight was lunch at the Inn at Aurora, a must-visit. My favorite memory is walking down through the Baker dorms and watching the sun set over West Hill. What brings him the most satisfaction? Says Leonard, “Patty and I are still cycling a lot—2,000 miles last year! I am still involved in the effort to preserve open spaces here on Cape Cod. I also really like negotiating complicated land deals.”

Edith Rogovin Frankel , who lives in Freehold, NJ, sadly shares, “I lost my husband over 15 years ago and my partner some three years ago, so life has taken a change. However, I’m fortunate to be in good health, I also have two daughters and seven delightful grandchildren ranging in age from 14 to 27. I’m also still doing research and teaching and will leave my New Jersey home to spend a month in Florida, where I’ll be giving courses at Florida Atlantic University and in both Boca Raton and Jupiter in February. This is an annual practice and preparing the lecture series (two different ones this year) is great fun.”

David Ahl , who lives with his wife, Betsy, in Morristown, NJ, reports, “With the pandemic behind us, my wife and I are spending more and more time on mission trips to Guatemala, Haiti, and Peru, helping to build small schools and homes. We have also been on cruises to the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iceland, Greenland, and Hammerfest, Norway, the northernmost town on the planet. We like the smaller ships of Regent, and Betsy especially enjoys Silversea’s expeditions, which we’ve recently taken to Antarctica, Zanzibar, South Africa, the Seychelles, and some smaller ports in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, excursions and construction work don’t agree with my advanced arthritis, so I’m looking at new hips and knees in 2024. My grandson Wyatt just started in the ECE College, so I’ll be visiting Ithaca more than in the past.”

Send your news to: ❖ Judy Bryant Wittenberg ( email Judy ) | Alumni Directory .

Guess what? Some of our classmates are going back to Cornell. It’s true. Read on to find out more!

First, we hear from classmate Gerold Yonas , who was interviewed for the Write on Four Corners podcast last August. A physicist and engineer, Gerold served as chief scientist for Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, or “Star Wars,” project, and worked as a vice president at the Los Alamos National Laboratory counterpart, Sandia Labs. You can listen to the episode here .

Ruth Schimel in Washington, DC, is writing her eighth book, Small Steps to Your Continuous Thriving, the Best is Yet to Be . “I have published monthly on YourTango about personal and professional development. Dipping into the arts, I’m showing collages at a neighborhood exhibit, and creating ways to include them in my career and life management consulting practice. I’m active and presenting for TTNWomen on finding meaning and purpose with one’s storytelling, for example. Happy to share my newsletter, launched last year, curated for recipients. I’d love to hear from you.”

From Cindy Johnson Pratt about going back to Cornell: “It was a great thrill to attend the Cornell graduation of my eldest granddaughter, Susie Foster ’23 (whose grandfather is the late Bert Foster ’60 ), in environmental engineering. I had graduated in February 1961 (in three and a half years), so I never had graduation pomp and circumstance. I borrowed my granddaughter’s cap and gown and had my picture taken in front of DG on Triphammer Rd. Now I’ve graduated properly! We just downsized and moved to a retirement community in independent living only a few miles from where I’ve lived for the last 50 years on Lake Minnetonka.”

Steven Stein sent a photo of his Cornell family, nine of whom are Cornell graduates. The impetus of the family gathering was to attend the graduation of his granddaughter, Mimi Stein ’23 , and to celebrate the family’s gift of a bench in memory of his late wife, Susan (Volpert) ’62 , and himself. “Three Generations of Stein Cornellians, 1961 to 2023.” Wow!

From Pat Laux Richards : “ Jack ’60 and I were thrilled to attend our granddaughter’s Cornell graduation last May. Anderson ‘Annie’ Rogers ’23 graduated from Bowers CIS.”

And, lastly, Marco Minasso writes, “I have great memories of Cornell. So it’s with great pleasure that my granddaughter, Sofia ’27 , is now attending Cornell. That makes five of us alumni in our Cornell extended family: my daughter, her husband, me, and two grandchildren! I’m still in Yonkers and after 60 years in the wine business I still drink wine!” Good for you and Sofia! ❖ Susan Williams Stevens ( email Susan ) | Doug Fuss ( email Doug ) | Alumni Directory .

The College of Veterinary Medicine has established the Stephen J. Ettinger 1962 , DVM 1964, Scholarship in honor of this outstanding veterinarian whose broad-reaching influence has impacted the college and the veterinary profession.

Stephen is considered a founder of specialization in veterinary medicine, having helped establish the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and serving as president of cardiology in that group—from which he received the inaugural lifetime specialty achievement award . He has authored hundreds of journal papers and key foundational textbooks, including Canine Cardiology (1970) and the Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine , the ninth edition of which published in January 2024. He has served on the Cornell University Board of Trustees, the Dean’s Leadership Council, and the Advisory Council and received a Daniel Elmer Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service in 2010.

From San Antonio, TX, John Graybill , MD ’66, sends word that he has retired as emeritus professor of medicine. “I was chief of my division of infectious diseases for six years at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and had about 250 peer-reviewed publications, mostly in medical mycology and with AIDS patients, and a lot of non-reviewed publications. I left all of that in 2008. My wife, Sue, and I continue to enjoy retirement. For 30 years we have done medical volunteer work in Mexico, Bogotá, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. We have aged out of the volunteer work but have bought a home in Guatemala and spend 3–5 months a year there. With the hot summers here in Texas, it is great to be in Guatemala at 5,300 feet in the mountains, with a climate like Denver. We love Latino culture. My addictive hobby in Guatemala is growing orchid species, and Guatemala is a great place for it. I tie them to tree branches and have a few on tables, a thousand in all. Up in Texas (not healthy for orchids), I have gotten into HO and N gauge model railroading. My N gauge is coffee-table sized and can go with us when we move sometime, if ever, to a retirement home. I am finally reaching the point of knowing how outdated I am in my profession of clinical academic medicine and am stopping medical journals, medical societies, and ultimately my medical license. Age will claim us all, but orchids and model railroading are good hobbies to have.”

John Abel retired from the Cornell civil engineering faculty in 2004 but continues to live in Ithaca on the west shore of Cayuga Lake. His wife, Lynne (Snyder) , died in 2006, and since 2010 his son Bill has lived with him. “Together we enjoy movies, TV series, travel, and Cornell sports events, as well as lakeside living. We spend holiday seasons with daughter Britt Abel ’91 and her family in the Twin Cities. After 12 years on the board of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network (mission: to advocate for the health of Cayuga Lake and its watershed in a changing world), I have decided to step aside this coming August. I served as treasurer during eight years of growth, but my proudest accomplishment was through working with three talented interns from Cornell, one each in three of the last four summers. I guided their creation, revision, and updating of two handbooks advising watershed residents how to help alleviate climate change while preserving the quality of the lake.

I am excited to have completed the conversion of our home to fully electric. John Abel ’62

“While writing about the effects of extreme weather on our lake and watershed, I decided to ‘walk the talk’ on climate change. I am excited to have completed the conversion of our home to fully electric using community-subscription solar power from a photovoltaic farm in nearby Newfield, NY. I installed deep geothermal heat pumps, discarded our gas furnace and water heater, upgraded our heating and electric infrastructure, and replaced our gas dryer with a ventless hybrid electric version and our stove with an induction stovetop. We were able to turn off our natural gas connection! I also drive a plug-in hybrid car since 2017.

“I remain active as former president and advisor for the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS), my professional association involving engineers, architects, and researchers. This coming year, after a pandemic hiatus of four years, I will resume international travel to annual IASS symposia, this year in Zurich and next year in Mexico City.

“Daughter Britt, on the faculty of Macalester College, will be teaching in Vienna again this spring semester (fourth time since 2009), and her husband, Scott Burglechner ’91 , is able to join her thanks to his remote work possibility for U.S. Bank. Grandson Will graduated from Colorado College in May and is starting his second social-service job in the Twin Cities while deciding about long-term plans. Granddaughter Natasha Burglechner ’25 will spend her junior spring semester at Cornell’s program in Seville, Spain.”

I’d be in denial if I didn’t admit that we are all beginning to wind down. Still, it is lovely to read the bits and pieces you send along detailing your lives and activities. Please keep them coming—until we can’t.

There’s a snowstorm raging outside my NYC window as I write this late spring column. To bridge this gap, I urge you to check out our class website , where you will find entries posted in a timely fashion in their entirety in our “Classmate News” section. We love to post your photos, so send them along too. ❖ Judy Prenske Rich ( email Judy ) | Alumni Directory .

I think my first sentence for the Class Notes column should be: Please send me news via email at this link ! I am running low on news. The news in this column comes from Christmas cards that I received from Cornell classmates.

Barbara Hartung Wade , MEd ’64, writes, “I was called out of retirement again, to teach two seventh-grade Spanish classes until the end of June 2023.” Even though she was employed, she and her daughter, Kimberly, went to Cancún in February, followed by a trip to Florida with Kimberly and her husband, Bernard. In September, Barbara and a friend had a good trip to Falcon’s Resort in Punta Cana for a week of sun, fun, and golf. In November the family went to their timeshare at the Westin Lagunamar in Cancún for a two-week getaway. “On the third evening there, it was dark and I tripped on an elevated round light in the cement that wasn’t lit and fell. With second-degree friction burns on arms, knees, and shoulder, I was hospitalized for 12 hours with painful surgery to close and clean the wounds.” Barbara had more to say about paying the hospital bill and then the scam involved when she had to change her flight home on Delta. “I’m recovering slowly but grateful it wasn’t worse. These bad experiences are what can happen at our age! We all learn lessons from them.”

Bill and Frankie Campbell Tutt live in Colorado Springs. Frankie writes: “We celebrated our 60th anniversary at our Ohio farm with the entire Campbell clan. We sold our home of 48 years and downsized to a gated community that we love. Going from 5,000 square feet to 3,400 square feet took some dumpsters, but we are in and can accommodate six guests.”

George Ehemann , ME ’66, and Diane Siegenthaler live in Lancaster, PA. “We enjoy visits from grandchildren including our engineering student enrolled at Cornell. We are active in church activities and German Club chorus. Our 60th wedding anniversary is coming up in the fall of 2024. My favorite memory of Cornell was the climb up the frozen gorge at Buttermilk.”

On the Parisian front, I’m teaching at Sorbonne University in the master’s program in orchestra management. Mary Falvey ’63

Mary Falvey splits her time between San Francisco and Paris, France. “On the Parisian front, I’m teaching at Sorbonne University in the master’s program in orchestra management. I gave a seminar there in 2019 and this year the professor asked if I would teach part of the course while he is on sabbatical. I’m giving six seminars together with colleagues of the San Francisco Symphony. I’m continuing as an entrepreneur-in-residence at INSEAD, a global business school in Fontainebleau. I also helped a French startup in the quantum dot space raise Series A financing. This fall I plan to rent a house in Brittany as a successor to my country home in Calistoga, which I sold in 2022, and to add to my three months a year in France. My oldest grandson, Colin, who holds a master’s in environmental engineering from Stanford, was married last year.”

We had dinner before Christmas with Jim , MD ’69, and Christine Newton Dauber . They are now living in a nice senior living facility. Jim writes: “After a 20-year hiatus, Chris and I returned in April to see Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Zion, and Bryce Canyon along with my older sister and her husband. We still spend part of the summer in our condo in Hillsboro, OR. Our Thanksgiving celebration was quiet but appreciated since Nancy Deeds Meister produced a traditional feast for us and her husband. We spent Christmas here in Tucson but traveled to Hillsboro for New Year’s Eve.”

Thanks to finding our home phone number through Mr. Google, we had a wonderful phone conversation with Tom Stirling , JD ’69, a week ago. Tom lives in Honolulu with his wife, Anita. Two recent milestones for Tom: “Upon my February 28 retirement as a Honolulu lawyer, Anita and I were off on a tour of Vietnam and Cambodia at considerably greater expense than my first tour (all paid for by the Army 57 years ago). Also, I just made my 200th blood donation (first time was at Cornell when I was told donors could get out of ROTC drill that day). Since each donation can be used for up to three recipients, I may have more than 500 blood relatives out there somewhere.” ❖ Nancy Bierds Icke ( email Nancy ) | 12350 E. Roger Rd., Tucson, AZ 85749 | Alumni Directory .

Welcome to my last column before our 60th Reunion—so I’m hoping if you have news for your classmates that you will see them at Reunion and regale them in person. Meantime, here’s the news I do have.

Wayne Mezitt , MBA ’66, who lives with wife Elizabeth (Pickering) ’65 in Hopkinton, MA, catches us up on a lot! He writes, “In July 2023, Beth and I published a book, For the Love of Gardening , which describes our family experiences as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of our family business, Weston Nurseries. I retired from full-time management of the nursery in 2007, and since then, our son Peter and his wife, Karen, have managed all operations of the business started by my grandfather and grandmother in 1923, where I still serve as board chairman. I also enjoy ‘playing’ at Hort-Sense, the tiny business I started in 2010 as a personalized horticultural production and advisory service.

“We’re justifiably proud that we’ve been successful in shepherding Weston Nurseries into our fourth generation of family ownership. Passing the business along to our fourth generation enables Beth and me to continue exploring our passions for horticulture, travel, and family/friend relationships.

“I am editor-in-chief for the Leaflet , Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s monthly member electronic newsletter. I also serve as chair of the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group, a voluntary collaborative representing organizations and professionals concerned with the conservation of the Massachusetts landscape. Beth manages all our family and social relationships and serves as chair of our Hopkinton Public Library friends organization.

“Our youngest son’s family lives near our ski house in Vermont, and our other three children live near us, enabling us to spend time with our nine grandchildren. In November Beth and I visited New Zealand, where Beth’s dad was born, reconnecting with relatives and enjoying their springtime, just as our Hopkinton winter was setting in. We’re now discussing the possibility for traveling to Latvia, the Mezitt family’s origin, in July, avoiding Hopkinton’s oppressive humidity and heat.

I’ve begun composing a new book about Rhododendron ‘PJM,’ a now well-known plant that my dad, Edmund Mezitt ’37 , BLA ’39, developed decades ago. Wayne Mezitt ’64, MBA ’66

“I’ve also begun composing a new book about Rhododendron ‘PJM,’ a now well-known plant that my dad, Edmund Mezitt ’37 , BLA ’39, developed decades ago at Weston Nurseries. Peter and Karen have just added another garden center operation to our Weston Nurseries ‘family,’ all in Massachusetts, to now include Lincoln, along with Chelmsford, Hingham, and Middleborough, complementing our main base in Hopkinton. We applaud their commitment and enthusiasm!

“We still maintain contact with a number of Wayne’s Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers and Beth’s Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sisters, although several have recently passed away. With all that keeping us busy, we’ve not paid much attention to most aspects of our Cornell experience, but we’ll welcome updates with any of our friends who have been out of touch.”

Next is David Evans , who with wife Sherry lives on St. Simons Island, GA. He writes, “I retired in 2019 after a career in project management services for large corporations providing governmental services to the U.S. government, while also spending 31 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard as a fighter pilot. Currently, Sherry and I are enjoying our retirement in the wonderful beach community, which is 80 miles south of Savannah, where my Welsh ancestors arrived in the 1650s. A shout-out to my freshman roommate Bill Lacy .”

In other news, Phyllis Rivkin Goldman , MS ’67, and Michael Troner are enjoying their retirements in Boston and Miami, respectively. They are co-chairs of the Class of ’64 Annual Fund and are busy planning to reach out to all of our classmates to support the Annual Fund and in particular our Class Legacy: the Class of 1964 JFK Award for Cornell seniors entering public service. They hope for a big turnout for our 60th Reunion and an even bigger response to their requests for support. Each of them has grandchildren at Cornell and the Troners especially look forward to the graduation in May of granddaughter Rachael Ricisak ’24 before our Reunion.

Lastly, a message from our class president, Ken Kupchak , JD ’71: “Sixty years ago this June we shed our obligatory bonds to Cornell. Celebrate we shall at Reunion. Our ‘modest’ footprint, however, continues and remains indelibly printed in Cornell’s story. This is especially true with respect to the then- and now-timely JFK Award. We have just transitioned this charge to a self-perpetuating board composed of our great awardees. This ensures that the Cornell Class of 1964’s influence will survive our playing time on Cornell’s fields. Hope to see you this June. If you ask nicely, I may save some healthy milk punch for you!”

That’s it for now. On behalf of our class officers, we hope to see you at our 60th Reunion on Cornell’s campus on June 6–9, 2024. As for your news, please keep it coming! Update me by email, regular mail, our class website , or our class Facebook page . ❖ Bev Johns Lamont ( email Bev ) | 720 Chestnut St., Deerfield, IL 60015 | Alumni Directory .

From Joan Hens Johnson : “There were 21 people attending the Cornell annual Florida luncheon arranged by Judy Kellner Rushmore in January. We all enjoyed sharing stories and congratulating the class gift committee on the success of the fall 2023 pilot project of our well-being coaching at the Skorton Health Center. This initiative, funded by the Class of 1965 student mental health fund, will continue because the program is so impactful. Jeff Kass , the leader of our gift committee, provided me with an excellent summary that I shared at the luncheon. He wrote, ‘All results thus far indicate our class gift is funding a program with real and positive impact on the lives of current and next-generation Cornellians.’ Students overwhelmingly supported these statements: ‘I am making progress toward my well-being goals’; ‘I am noticing positive changes in myself that are keeping me encouraged’; ‘I am substituting more healthy/helpful thoughts and behaviors for less healthy/helpful thoughts and behaviors.’ The news of the successful pilot program created a positive buzz among all those at the luncheon.”

Commenting on the highlights of the past year, Myron Jacobson spoke of the river cruise he and Michele took from Amsterdam to Budapest “even though the Danube dried up as we finished with a bus!”

Jim Bennett writes, “Failing any meaningful hobby, I’m looking for my fifth consecutive full-time role to give back to Northeast Ohio. It looks like it will be a major initiative funded by the City of Cleveland and private monies to assemble and remediate 1,000 acres of abandoned inner city properties, market individual sites to companies, and provide jobs for a number of economically disadvantaged residents along a five-mile inner city corridor.”

George , MD ’69, and Judy Arangio spent last October in the Italian regions of Piemonte and Tuscano, especially appreciating the Lucca symphony playing Mozart and Puccini operettas and the international truffle festival in Alba, as well as Barolo, Barbaresco, Moscato wine tasting, and visiting sites on Lake Como.

Dave Bridgeman relates, “Karen and I just celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. The last six years have been the best of our entire lives! The cruises and vacations are nice, but the best part is getting to be with each other in perfect love, peace, and harmony.”

After four years’ absence, Stephen Appell ’65 traveled to Ithaca via the Campus-to-Campus bus for a weekend of Cornell basketball.

Judy Rushmore and Dave Koval and Linda and Walt Gadkowski are moving to Vi at Bentley Village in Naples, FL, where Ashok , ME ’65 , and Fay Thomas Bakhru , MAT ’66 , are already in residence. Before moving, Judy and her family are touring South Africa.

After four years’ absence, Stephen Appell traveled to Ithaca via the Campus-to-Campus bus for a weekend of Cornell basketball—and this time, to root only for the women’s team. Having apprised the Statler staff of the purpose of his visit, they welcomed him with a goodie bag of Cornell souvenirs, including a basketball cap, and made him feel like a VIP. Steve watched the women players defeat Dartmouth the first night and give a good battle to a formidable Harvard team the next. He was gratified that the coaches and players expressed appreciation for his show of support. Steve also saw the women’s team play at Columbia earlier in the season, and on February 10 he traveled to New Haven to see the outstanding men’s team give Yale all it could handle before succumbing in the last four seconds, 80–78, in an epic battle of undefeated Ivy teams.

Steve Hand is another avid Cornell sports fan. He notes that he is a fixture in Ithaca at all Cornell women’s and men’s hockey games. “Steve Appell joined me last weekend for women’s basketball, hockey, Glenwood Pines, and Purity ice cream.” In January, Steve Hand went on a trip to Disney World with his wife, son, and two grandchildren and everyone had a fun time. Thanks to Steve for managing the Cornell Class of ’65 webpage, which has information about classmates and past Reunions and photos, and also the link to find the Cornell Class of 1965 Freshman Register.

The subject of health is important all through our lives, and Bud Suiter , MBA ’67, has just finished reading two books of interest: Young Forever by Dr. Mark Hyman ’82 and Drop Acid by Dr. David Perlmutter. He states: “The books summarize amazing research results, particularly recent stuff over the last five years.”

Applause to Alan Lockwood , MD ’69, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Physicians for Social Responsibility in 2023. Alan is a CAAAN volunteer and frequent contributor to the Lifelong Learning series at Kendal at Oberlin.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the column and please continue to forward your news to: ❖ Joan Hens Johnson ( email Joan ) | Stephen Appell ( email Stephen ) | Alumni Directory .

As we near two years to our 60th Reunion, our classmates continue to report on the various jobs, activities, and travels that make up their lives. Susan Porter Bass never imagined working in farming but reports working in a vineyard and winery. Dick Lockwood , MNS ’68, spent 20 years as a part-time faculty member at Brandeis University’s Heller School. He was a union organizer with classmate Larry Bailis at Brandeis for adjunct and non-tenured faculty.

Currently Dick is a member of the board of directors of the Bullough’s Pond Association, a neighborhood environmental defense organization to keep the pond from becoming a swamp. His current hobbies are ice skating and swimming. Dick visited Vietnam last year with his oldest son, Dan ’94 , to show him the village in the Mekong Delta on the Cambodian border where he lived from 1968–70 with the International Volunteer Organization. He reports that 58 years have changed the country for the better. The family travels to Brazil every year to visit his wife’s family in Salvador, Bahia.

John Cobey has been practicing law for 55 years. He is also chairperson of Neighborhood Health, a charity that provides medical services for the homeless. He also chairs the Hamilton County (OH) Law Library, is on the Art Academy board, is an officer of the Literary Club (the oldest one in America), and is on the Rockdale Temple board. In ’66 he never imagined that he would someday have a lawsuit about an outer space problem—the world has certainly changed. John and his wife have two successful and happy sons.

Ira Sadoff retired as Arthur Jeremiah Roberts Professor of Literature at Colby College in 2015. He remains an active and publishing poet. In 2020, his ninth collection of poems, Country, Living , was published by Alice James Books. This past December the Academy of American Poets published a new poem, “ Thank You .” Ira is passionate about classical music and jazz. He lives near Woodstock, NY, where there’s “good music galore.” He never imagined he would be spending his life as a professor teaching literature and poetry, and writing poetry and criticism, for 50 years. At Cornell, he describes himself as a “poor student” taking all the wrong courses with the wrong professors. At the end of his junior year, he finally had the courage to try writing poetry. He feels blessed to have this lifetime passion.

Dick Lockwood ’66 , MNS ’68, visited Vietnam last year with his oldest son, Dan ’94 , to show him the village where he lived from 1968–70.

After 36 years, Marty Skelly Remis retired from the CDC as a Public Health Advisor, Quarantine Division. She spent 33 years at the Chicago Quarantine Station and three years as Deputy Bureau Chief, Quarantine Branch, Atlanta, GA, retiring in 2008. Although she never imagined living in Florida, she is active in many activities in Sarasota. They include NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Meals on Wheels, All Faiths Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and Key Chorale. She now enjoys playing tennis and mahjong. She and her husband have time to travel. Trips included an Alaska cruise, a vegan Caribbean cruise, and driving 192,000 miles in their Class B RV after she retired. In the summer, they spend time on Tuscarora Lake in Erieville, NY, with the whole family. The family visits them in Florida in winter.

Nancy Decker Stephenson is a retired registered dietician and office manager for a veterinary practice. Her activities include volunteering with meals for the homeless and the DAR. Hobbies now include gardening, reading, classical piano, and travel. She never imagined going to Japan and China. Other countries visited include family visits in the Netherlands, plus trips to Norway, Switzerland, France, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Scotland, Israel, and Colombia. Family activities include annual reunions, vacations, and holiday/birthday get-togethers.

Donna Swarts Piver is a retired educator. She volunteers at a nursing home and critical care facility. She continues to recover from a massive stroke and is making great progress with bi-weekly physical therapy sessions. In mid-December, she traveled to New Jersey to visit Anne Evans Estabrook ’65 , MBA ’66, and other friends. Donna recently moved to the Glenridge, a continuing care complex in Sarasota, FL. She reports that she loves it and the people.

Debby Kirschner Wolf sadly informed us of the passing of her husband, Marty ’63 , DVM ’66. They met at Cornell and were married for 57 years. They were blessed with two children and six grandchildren. Leith Mullings passed away in December 2020. She was an authority on the foundations of racial and class oppression and the intersectionality of race, class, and gender.

Paul Mlotok passed away in March 2021. He was an oil industry analyst who worked for various companies and was an advisor to the Department of State, the CIA, and various OPEC oil ministers. Anthony Rerecich passed away in June 2023. He was a computer programming professional who worked for various banks and computer companies. He was a veteran and accomplished runner, and he enjoyed sailing and genealogy. ❖ Susan Rockford Bittker ( email Susan ) | Pete Salinger , MBA ’68 ( email Pete ) | Alumni Directory .

Larry Dominessy , ME ’68 (Louisville, TN) reports: “I have been retired since my early 50s. I have remained active but have removed working for money from the equation. I have happened on some broad experiences in the military, Peace Corps, and Foreign Service, which built my confidence beyond the impression of a business teacher at Cornell.

“When I studied engineering at Cornell, as a fluke I took an elective in the business school. The teacher was a retired business executive. He had us write a paper and gave personal interviews to critique what we had written. I was in my fifth year at Cornell but basically, he called me an ignoramus with no ability to express myself. It shocked me but it was hard to argue with.

“I enjoy my informal study of recent history and wish I would have known what I am learning now earlier in life. All of the people whom I would like to ask questions of are dead. I guess I can’t blame myself because most of us are too busy with life to appreciate what is going on (good and bad) until it is too late.

“At Cornell, I got the distinct feeling I was in over my head, at least the first couple of years. Struggling with money certainly did not help. I took ROTC, which seemed to be a refuge from tough engineering courses. I did well the first year until I realized I just did not have the time to put in it, and ROTC did not count toward graduation anyhow. I finished second from the bottom of my ROTC class (the other person had a problem keeping in step!), but I still got a commission and a ticket to Vietnam. However, in the end I would not trade my experience of four years in the Army for anything.”

Peter Buchsbaum (Stockton, NJ) writes: “My wife, Elaine, and I, now married 56 years, are joining Dick and Eileen Barkas Hoffman ’69 for a cross-country rail trip in mid-May. Meanwhile, I’ve continued work with Jewish organizations, having been elected to the executive board of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, and I also joined the Commission on Social Action of the Union for Reform Judaism in the U.S.

We spend summers and parts of autumn at our island home near Acadia National Park in Maine. Peter Buchsbaum ’67

“We spend summers and parts of autumn at our island home near Acadia National Park in Maine and are completing 50 years of living in still semirural Hunterdon County, NJ. Our first grandchild is now a 1-year-old living in Rockville, MD. I’m somewhat creakier but still okay, which means I had to do some snow shoveling recently.”

Roger Abrams (University Park, FL), who was professor and dean emeritus of Northeastern University School of Law, previously dean at Rutgers University and Nova University law schools, and on the faculty at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, passed away last November 12. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Roger was an expert on sports and labor law and legal education. He served as a salary arbitrator for Major League Baseball and was a permanent arbitrator for the television, communications, electronics, and coal industries.

Roger practiced labor law, was a civil rights litigation attorney with Boston firm Foley, Hoag & Eliot, and wrote books on alternative dispute resolution, labor arbitration practice, and the business and history of sports, among other subjects. His Sports and the Law has been cited as the leading sports law casebook. A colleague, Libby Navarrete, recalled that Roger was the epitome of a great lawyer, dean, and arbitrator. “He was a very good listener, and always extremely careful and sound with his decisions. He handed out justice with precision.”

Lawrence McGuinn (Westfield, NY) died last November 20. “After graduation,” the Jamestown, NY, Post-Journal reported, “he took over the management of the Wilson Hill Farm and later expanded to establish Lin-Ary Vineyards. Larry enjoyed his lifetime career as a viticulturist. He served for a number of years as secretary and as president of the Westfield Maid Cooperative. Larry was a life member of the Sigma Pi fraternity. He was also a member of the Chautauqua County Cornell Cooperative Extension. Larry enjoyed his family, grape farming, sunsets over Lake Erie, photography, wildlife, the Buffalo Bills, and dogs.” ❖ Richard Hoffman ( email Richard ) | 2925 28th St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 | Alumni Directory .

With spring upon us and summer close by, I have more news from our classmates to share—but we’d like even more news, so please let us know where you are and what you are doing!

Corinne Dopslaff Smith has brought us up to date. She writes, “So very many decades have flown by since graduation that I don’t think I have submitted an update since serving as class correspondent way back in the ’70s.” Corinne remains active in our class and currently serves as our website community manager, a job that did not exist in the ’70s! She will be using this position to help connect classmates who want to reconnect with those they have lost contact with. Expect to hear from Corinne soon as she prepares to embark on this new initiative.

Corrine writes, “The first three decades of my working career—starting immediately after graduation—were spent at IBM, working both with clients internationally (favorite activity) and in internal marketing (not so favorite). About a month after full retirement in 1998, I was bored and initiated a new career, winding up at Milliman, an international actuarial firm. On the personal side, in 1971, I married Bob Smith, the most interesting private pilot/sailor/raconteur/fierce friend you would ever want to meet. No kids, but many, many wonderful doggies. Bob and I attended every Reunion but one, and he grew to love Cornell and all our dear Cornell friends and their spouses as much as I did. We loved living both down the shore in New Jersey and in our apartment near Lincoln Center in NYC. Bob sadly died last April. He is missed by all who knew him—most of all me. I continue to live down the shore (in Spring Lake) and in Manhattan.” Seven DG sisters from our class connect each month with Bernice “Neecy” Bradin as Zoom leader. The group includes Corinne, Neecy, Mary Sander Alden , Mary Jo Bastion Ashley , Beth Deabler Corwin , Susan Clark Norwood , and Janie Wallace Vanneman .

Jay Waks ’68 , JD ’71, his wife, Harriet, and classmate Joan Gottesman Wexler ’68 took to the sidewalks, logging nearly 2,300 miles through year-end 2023.

Susan Norwood writes that after a few years at Tulane University, where she received an MEd in counseling (1972) and served as the program director in the University Center, in 1973 she became the director of guidance and college counseling at an independent school in New Orleans. She was also active as a traveling ERB test consultant, a role she continued in for several years after leaving the independent school in 1995. “Even as I developed a practice as a family mediator, restorative practitioner, and trainer, working in juvenile and family courts, eventually I circled back into schools to apply mediation skills to practice restorative discipline—an alternative to suspension and expulsion. Now pretty much retired since 2016, my time is taken up volunteering for the New Orleans affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, serving on that board as well as conducting family education and support groups and Mental Health First Aid trainings.” Susan also serves on the board of the Center for Restorative Approaches, which provides training and tools for restorative approaches in schools, workplaces, and the criminal justice system. With all that she continues to do, Susan writes that she has the most fun on any given day playing pickleball!

Jay Waks , JD ’71, his wife, Harriet, and classmate Joan Gottesman Wexler turned pandemic isolation into outdoor social occasions by taking to the sidewalks and paths on a wide variety of routes in and around their Larchmont-Mamaroneck, NY, communities, logging, so they say, nearly 2,300 miles through year-end 2023. And Jay reports they are still at it!

Happy to report that Sharon Lawner Weinberg , PhD ’71, and I, Steve , MBA ’70, JD ’71, attended our fourth annual South Florida TEP reunion this past winter, with two other members of our class present, Jane Frommer Gertler (and husband David ’67 , ME ’68) and Gordon Silver . The event was hosted by Richard Marks ’67 , MBA ’68, and wife Carol. Also attending were Rick Bailyn ’67 , MD ’71, and his significant other, Margo Printz-Brandt, Ted Feldmeier ’67 , BS ’71, and wife Joan, Norm Stern ’66 and wife Jo, Norm Stokes ’66 , Lloyd Richard Dropkin ’66 , MD ’70, and wife Joan, Ralph Janis ’66 and wife Rhoda, Norm Meyer ’66 , Mike Caplan ’66 , and Myron Jacobson ’65 . A great time was had by all.

I look forward to receiving more news and updates from all of you! Please email me with news about you and your family that you want to share with our classmates. ❖ Steve Weinberg, MBA ’70, JD ’71 ( email Steve ) | Alumni Directory .

Our 55th Reunion: June 6–9, 2024! Our Reunion chairs, Cindy Nixon Dubose and Sally Knowlton , have been hard at work planning a great Reunion. Cindy writes: “We’ll celebrate our 55th Reunion on June 6–9, and we hope you’ll join us! It will be a great opportunity to enjoy our class events and gatherings, attend University lectures and forums, explore the beautiful campus, and, of course, reconnect with friends and make new ones! We hope you’ll stay in touch, encourage other classmates to attend, and plan to celebrate with us! The registration materials and schedule of events will be sent in April and will have all the details of our weekend. (By the time you read this, you may have already received the materials.) There is early-bird pricing for registration until May 15, so we hope you’ll register early.

“Our class headquarters will be in the brand new, fully air-conditioned Toni Morrison Hall. It has spacious common rooms for socializing and gathering, an incredible dining hall, and a very convenient location in the new North Campus area. For on-campus housing, the single and double rooms are arranged in suites, also with plenty of space and amenities. Our wonderful registration chairs, Larry and Nancy Jenkins Krablin , will be handling the room reservations and the accommodations.

“For those arriving Thursday, we’ll have a casual welcome dinner buffet in the HQ and a traditional ice cream social in the evening. We’ll join together for breakfast in the Morrison Dining Hall on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings. Everyone can attend and participate in our Friday morning class forum with Cornell historian Corey Earle ’07 . We’ll enjoy dinners (catered by the Heights Restaurant) on Friday and Saturday evenings, and a barbeque lunch with entertainment by the Sherwoods. In between our planned events during the weekend, there will be lots of time to explore campus, revisit familiar places, see new sights, and attend other engaging University events and programs. We hope to see you in June to celebrate our 55th together.”

Doug Mock ’69 is very talented with the guitar, harmonica, and kazoo, and if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see and hear him at our Reunion this June.

What a wonderful schedule that’s been planned by Cindy and Sally. If you’ve never been to a Class of 1969 Reunion, it’s never too late! We’re a welcoming group. It’s also worth coming to see all the new buildings and other changes on the Cornell campus.

Our presidents, Greg Baum and Robert Tallo , are asking everyone to consider being an officer for our next Reunion cycle—leading up to our 60th! We are looking for most positions, so feel free to nominate a classmate; we also accept self-nominations! We are definitely looking for a class correspondent.

We heard from our classmate Richard Hagelberg . He has been the CEO of Kidstuff Playsystems for the past 41 years. His wife thinks he should retire! Richard and his wife love to travel, especially on river cruises. His favorite Cornell memory: the camaraderie of the Big Red Band!

At our Zoom meeting this past January, we were entertained by classmate Doug Mock , who played folk songs from the ’60s and ’70s. He’s very talented with the guitar, harmonica, and kazoo, and if we’re lucky, we’ll get to see and hear him at our Reunion this June.

Lastly, fill in those forms and come to Reunion 2024! ❖ Ingrid Dieterle Tyler ( email Ingrid ) | Class website | Alumni Directory .

As I sit at my computer and assemble this column, the most amazing thing currently is that it is the beginning of February and the outdoor temperature here north of Chicago is above 50 °F, with absolutely no piles of dirty snow. It’s more like early spring than mid-winter here.

February is always time for the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference (CALC), a gathering of class officers and other alumni, this year in Baltimore. Although I won’t be attending, CALC also indicates some milestones for class events. It will be preceded this year by an online meeting of our class officers with one of the most significant items on the agenda being preparations for our 55th Reunion, June 5–8, 2025. Even though, as I write this, Reunion is more than a year away, preliminary planning has already begun. If you have any thoughts or ideas, and wish to be involved or to volunteer, contact Sally Anne Levine , our class president. Find her contact info (and others) through the Alumni Directory .

Ellen Celli Eichleay (Pittsburgh, PA) writes, “I still live in Pittsburgh, where I have always lived, and have a large contingent of friends and family. Since the age of 37, I have walked two miles a day so I am in a lot better shape than many of them—so I spend a lot of time cooking, driving, and helping where I can. With the sudden realization that my twin grandsons were now the age of my father and his brother when they came to the U.S. in 1913, last year I wrote a book for them about the brave journey my grandparents took to come to the U.S. At the age of 30, with two little boys and speaking no English, they started by oxcart, then train, and then to the sister ship of the Titanic , the Olympic . They left the beautiful Casentino valley in Tuscany behind and came to the dirty, gritty town of Monessen, PA, where the steel mills provided work and there was real education for their sons. My uncle and father both went to Carnegie Mellon and graduated first and second in their respective classes and lived the American Dream. So my twin grandsons now have the place, names, and dates correct for future reference.

“I volunteer as a narrator of books with some Western Pennsylvania connection for the Library of Accessible Media, a division of the Carnegie Library. My husband, John ’68 , and I like to travel and we have done a lot in 2023. I only have one child in Pittsburgh, so I also travel to see these twins in North Carolina and my much younger granddaughter in New Mexico. I am very grateful for the charmed life I have led, and I think it all goes back to that decision my grandparents made to leave Italy in 1913.”

I celebrated happily with Bridget Murphy ’70 our 75th birthdays in New York City last summer. Ellen Celli Eichleay ’70

Ellen adds, “I celebrated happily with Bridget Murphy our 75th birthdays in New York City last summer. Bill , ME ’71, and Gail Post Wallis we see with some regularity, and it is always a great time when it happens. We met them for a weekend in Montreal in late September. We were wandering through the museum there and at the end of a corridor was a very modern painting. I asked them if it looked like a hockey mask and when we got up close, its title was ‘Dryden’!”

Continuing the creative energy that seems to envelop our classmates, Larry Kraft (North Springfield, VT) has had his first stage play, a tragicomedy titled Waiting for a Eulogy , both published and performed. This full-length play, which includes references to campus life at Alpha Sigma Phi, is inspired by Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Larry’s play was scheduled to have its “world premiere” by the Springfield (VT) Community Players in April. It has also been accepted for publication by OPEN: Journal of Arts and Letters , which “offers a range of contemporary aesthetic experiences made available through its several media platforms.”

More creative energy is evidenced by Ellen Saltonstall (New York, NY) in the publishing of her fifth book, Empowered Aging: Everyday Yoga Practices for Bone Health, Strength, and Balance. From the press release: “Embrace the journey of remaining active while aging. This comprehensive guide by seasoned yoga therapist Ellen Saltonstall offers a fresh perspective on living with courage, vitality, and grace. Drawing from the wisdom of yoga, this book provides professional guidance, gentle adaptations, and compassionate support to improve your bone health, strength, and balance while enhancing your overall well-being so you can enjoy the fullness of life at any age.”

Yet another creative classmate many of us know is artist Andrea Strongwater (New York, NY). You may remember her as the creator of the Cornell puzzle that was a Reunion memento. Her creativity is now a part of an exhibit at Cornell’s Mann Library called “From Nabokov’s Net.” A noted writer and professor of Russian literature at Cornell from 1948–59, Vladimir Nabokov was also impassioned by butterflies. While in Ithaca, he collected hundreds of specimens from across the U.S., which he donated to the Cornell University Insect Collection. The exhibit, part of which is a selection from his collection, also includes artwork by Andrea, including a butterfly describing in Latin the classification of the butterfly named after Nabokov. This butterfly is also being made into a sticker to be given away and used as a part of the publicity. The exhibit runs through August, so attendees to this year’s Reunion will have the opportunity to see it.

As always, you may contact me directly (see below) or you may use the University’s online news form . ❖ John Cecilia, MBA ’79 ( email John ) | Alumni Directory .

For those of you not on Facebook, you missed splendid images taken by Gilda Klein Linden and her husband, Jeff Krawitz, from their long winter trip to Southeast Asia. I’m glad I don’t have to select a favorite among those from Hong Kong (Victoria Peak, variously shaped double-decker buses, and more neon lights than discos in the ’60s), Cát Bà Island (seafood and cruising), Ha Long Bay, Hue, Mekong River sites, and a Vespa tour of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon, per localspeak), and still more pix from Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Singapore. Actually, I would choose a favorite from Angkor Wat, the newly restored Hindu Buddhist temple near Siem Reap—if my top picks weren’t all of Gilda herself, a smile beaming in every shot she’s in.

During the pandemic, they traversed the U.S. and along the East Coast in their tow-behind camper trailer. They have now been to all 50 states. As soon as possible after COVID, the two were in the air to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia. That’s not all. In toto, they’ve cruised the Caribbean, a thousand miles up the Amazon, and from Seville to Lisbon. Some jaunts include family (Tanzania/Zanzibar and London/Cotswolds). More is scheduled this year. She’s been to all seven continents and swum in all seven seas. Considering all the time away, it’s notable that Gilda’s been an EMT with the local ambulance corps near home in Fair Lawn, NJ, for 32 years and also volunteered to give COVID vaccinations in the first 18 months that these were available to the Bergen County Medical Reserve Corps. She can easily see two of her boys: her middle son lives six miles away with his wife and family while the older one and partner have moved to eastern Pennsylvania. Seeing her youngest son and his husband requires flying to London … and we can imagine what a joy that is for this traveling classmate!

Robert Bloch tells us that over last November’s 20–22 weekend, 23 Psi U fraternity brothers, with some of their wives and girlfriends and “wannabe Psi Us from SAE” enjoyed an informal reunion. The death, earlier in 2023, of Barry Cermak prompted them to get together. Attendees from the Class of ’70 were Steve Hirst and Art Walsh . From our class, attendees were Tom and Amy Brereton , Warren and Donna Baker , Leo , ME ’72, and Laurie Bettan Reinsmith ’72 , Eddie Kosteva , MBA ’73, Gary Cokins , and Robert and Nancy Bloch. From the Class of ’72 were Ed and Tracy Marinaro , Mike Jones , Chris Hart , PhD ’83, Chuck Parr , Mike Kozel , David Commito , John Gollon (and his girlfriend, Jen), and Fred Hoefer . Brothers from ’73 were Ed Mace , Kellen Smith , Stu Millheiser , Pete Durkalski , Dick Bell , and Mike Dempster . Joining from SAE were John Morehouse ’72 and Steve Kramer ’72 . Happy stragglers streamed through the State Diner Sunday morning.

Gilda Klein Linden ’71 has been to all seven continents and swum in all seven seas.

A highlight of cocktails and dinner along Cayuga Inlet at the Boatyard Grill included a sampling of fine wine from brother Mike “Vittler” Jones ’72’s Lagunita Vineyard (Amador County, CA). They tailgated the next afternoon and had barbecue at the Antlers after a tour of the old Psi Upsilon house (now repurposed as a grad student residence and activity center). Brothers took side trips to Taughannock and other parks and wandered the campus. They saw much that had changed, yet a demonstration in front of the Straight suggested much had not!

Howard Rodman is still screenwriting (an adaptation of a novel for Amazon Studios), television writing (staffed on “The Idol” from HBO-MAX), novel writing (latest, The Great Eastern, “a sprawling, lavish, literary, 19-century, anti-colonial adventure novel from Melville House”), teaching (professor at USC), and cultural “bureaucrating” (VP of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). He had been named a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Republic of France and this year was promoted from Chevalier (Knight) to Officier.

Some have asked me to report on a Cornell’s Adult University’s January expedition to Antarctica. Ordinarily your correspondent has easy access to words … and words and words. But, in the case of the planet’s southernmost, least-populated, fifth-largest, and most arid continent, I still struggle to articulate the awe of what our merry band experienced aboard the SH Vega . The quiet. A wider range of blues and grays than you can imagine. Vast emptiness. More kinds of ice than you’ve heard of. Nearly no falling snow. Proximity to creatures of land, sea, and air—who were unconcerned as we walked nearby on ice or snow and cruised close on small Zodiacs or our 150-passenger ship. Superb Cornell teaching, exquisitely appointed ship, fine food and drink, and as companionable a group of Cornell alumni and friends as one might like. Because of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, ships operate within the Antarctic treaty system and aim to have minimal impact on the fragile environment. Thus, once we’d left Ushuaia, Argentina, we saw only one other boat as we plied the Beagle Channel and Drake Passage and meandered meaningfully among the icebergs, sea ice, and islands of the Antarctica Peninsula that’s closest to South America. Put this wondrous place on your list and until you get there, explore online. Ask me for the short film of our excursion if you wish. ❖ Elisabeth Kaplan Boas ( email Elisabeth ) | Cara Nash Iason ( email Cara ) | Alumni Directory .

I just returned from the Cornell Alumni Leadership Council (CALC) meeting in Baltimore—something new for me, but, as it turns out, an event that hundreds of alumni from all graduations have been attending repeatedly for years. It was great meeting up with classmates and meeting new friends. Cornellians came from all over the country and even abroad. Among the events I attended was an impressive lecture on leadership during challenging times by four-star general, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, and distinguished senior lecturer of leadership at the Johnson School, George W. Casey Jr., and an informative discussion of antisemitism and racism on the Cornell campus. A dinner in a nearby restaurant organized by our enthusiastic and energetic class president, Nancy Roistacher , was delicious, but more importantly lots of fun. For those of you in the Class of ’72 who may be interested in attending a future meeting, there is no need to be a class officer or in a leadership position to attend CALC—all Class of ’72 alumni are welcome.

News from our classmates continues to come in. Richard Joslyn , PhD ’77, writes in from Jenkintown, PA, that he retired in 2020 after a 44-year career at Temple University as a professor of political science, associate dean, vice provost, and dean of Temple’s campus in Japan. He recently published a book with Temple Press, called The History of Temple University Japan . Currently he and his wife, Kathleen, get the most satisfaction from taking care of their granddaughter, Anabel, age 13. His summers are spent at a cottage on Keuka Lake, one hour west of Ithaca, where he and Kathleen kayak, drink wine, and have a boat that goes 8 mph! Among his memories of Cornell are singing with the Glee Club and going to hockey games at Lynah Rink, becoming politically active, and standing outside Willard Straight when the students who had occupied it in protest of racism on campus came out bearing guns, thus witnessing, in real life and real time, the famous Newsweek magazine cover photo.

Richard Joslyn ’72 , PhD ’77, spends summers at a cottage on Keuka Lake, one hour west of Ithaca, where he and Kathleen kayak, drink wine, and have a boat that goes 8 mph!

Nancy Kollisch (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) is grateful that everyone in her family is doing well, and that she continues to walk and travel in her retirement. She fondly remembers having a great time at Cornell, despite, she claims, being a “nerd!”—which actually may have been a good thing, she says, for it kept her out of trouble. Clearly, she worked hard and accomplished great things.

Mark Schimelman writes that he retired 12 years ago and is enjoying the freedom and time with his family. He sadly recalls the passing 12 years ago of Joel Shapiro ’73 , his best friend in college (besides his wife, Shelley (Grumet) ’73 ).

Elias Savada , another attendee of CALC, writes in from Bethesda, MD, that after graduation he moved to the Washington, DC, area and settled into a career in film history and archiving, starting with the American Film Institute (then based at the Kennedy Center) and ultimately founding and (still) running the Motion Picture Information Service, which provides about 400 customized copyright research reports annually. He and his wife, Andrea, are still waiting for grandkids as his son, Daniel, and daughter, Shira, have other ideas. Back in 1995 Elias co-wrote Dark Carnival , a biography of film director Tod Browning ( Dracula , Freaks ) that was recently revised into a larger, limited-edition volume (with a paperback due later this year). He writes film reviews and also writes about craft beer.

Keep the news coming. We’re all interested! ❖ Susan Farber Straus ( email Susan ) | Frank Dawson ( email Frank ) | Alex Barna ( email Alex ) | Wes Schulz , ME ’73 ( email Wes ) | Alumni Directory .

By the time you read this, the election will have ended, but I’m hoping our long-serving class president, Paul Cashman , has been elected to the Board of Trustees. He is dedicated to Cornell and would serve everyone well. Go Paul!

Rich Saltz , MBA ’74, our current class co-president, and his spouse, Lynn (Rosenbluth) ’75 , attended the wedding of their daughter Marcy ’06 on Rich’s birthday in a restaurant in Greenwich Village. Marcy married Andrew Ogulnik. Adding to Rich and Lynn’s joy, their son Ted ’12 became engaged to Alyson Stein ’13 .

Vicki Simons writes that COVID helped her feel more attached to Cornell, following the wonderful online offerings. She especially enjoyed Corey Earle ’07 ’s class on “all things Cornell.” Attending the 50th Reunion was the icing on the cake. As an architect, she marveled at the new and exciting buildings on campus, “a literal Who’s Who in architecture.” Vicki has also been traveling since retirement. Her favorite trip was to South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe for a safari. She’s also enjoyed a Cornell trip with alumni to Northern Italy.

Steven Fruchtman , too, has recently returned from a trip to Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda. “Wonderful people and fabulous sights.” His three children still bring the most satisfaction these days, as he still works running a biotech company focused on drug discovery. His best memory of Cornell remains meeting his buddy Chuck Keibler .

Mary Gilliland , MAT ’80, has just published a new book of poetry, Ember Days . She is a senior lecturer emeritus at the Knight Institute for Writing. An award-winning poet, she has previously published The Devil’s Fools and The Ruined Walled Castle Garden . She has also received a Council of the Arts Faculty Grant from Cornell, where she created and taught seminars, such as “Ecosystems & Ego Systems” and “America Dreaming.”

It was great to hear Jody Gandolfi ’73 and Bill Cowdery ’73 play piano again after 50 years!

Bill Chamberlain echoed the fun had at the 50th Reunion. He was delighted to connect with friends from his time at Cornell. He heard the cool story of how Greg Kishel and his wife, Karin, met in the Peace Corps. He also caught up with Nancy Roistacher ’72 and Wayne Merkelson , JD ’75, Dave and Patty Miller Ross ’72 , Ed Cobb , Pam Meyers , Bill Welker , MBA ’75, Bill Cowdery , PhD ’89, and Bill Cagney . A special thanks to Nancy and Wayne for putting together a wonderful Risley reunion. It was great to hear Jody Gandolfi and Bill Cowdery play piano again after 50 years! Bill is currently acting in Tracy Letts’s The Minutes . Otherwise, he’s mostly retired and working remotely very part time as a pre-law advisor at Reed College in Oregon.

Laura Davis had the pleasure of screening her latest documentary, Virulent: The Vaccine War , at a recent Cornell Intercampus Vaccine Symposium. It was co-presented by Weill Cornell and the Veterinary College’s Department of Immunology. Virulent examines the consequences of vaccine hesitancy and denial. After it was first screened, the COVID pandemic hit and it “became a very different film, one about the national conversation about vaccine safety and mandates.” We hope to be able to see it soon.

Denise Meridith has been reappointed to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advisory Council. She’s also continuing her participation with the Cornell Technology Business Network and her long tenure with CAAAN in Arizona. Since retiring from the Bureau of Land Management, she has started two consulting companies.

Ann Prezyna and her spouse, Gordon Lewis, have been adapting their ranch in southeast Arizona as the climate becomes hotter and drier. They purchased a heat pump to replace their propane heat and AC unit and now have an electric bill below $25 a month. They power their EVs with solar panels. Their other home is a houseboat in Seattle. Ann is actively engaged in preserving our natural world. Her law firm, Animal and Earth Advocates, continues to pursue lawsuits to protect the land she loves. She misses the Vietnam War protests, when the community was actively engaged. Ann sees such activism as much needed now.

So be sure to keep us up to date on your life. ❖ Phyllis Haight Grummon ( email Phyllis ) | Dave Ross ( email Dave ) | Pam Meyers ( email Pam ) | Alumni Directory .

In case you’ve missed the emails, our 50th Reunion is this June. (What!) If you haven’t signed up yet and want to go, please do so now. I still remember when my mother, Ethel Potteiger Myers ’35 (who, BTW, knew Martha Van Rensselaer and was there when that hall opened), attended her own 50th in 1985. She was still talking about that when I accompanied her to her 75th in 2010, just a couple of months before our eldest daughter, Annalise ’14 , began her freshman year. So it’s a big deal, and if you haven’t attended Reunion in a while, or ever, please consider joining us. Hey, you don’t want to miss Larry Kleinman and me reliving our DJ days at WVBR when we go back on the air live from our class headquarters at RBG Hall Friday night! Make sure “your” song is included in the 50th Reunion playlist—send your favorite to John Foote ( email John here ).

If you are going, don’t forget to check out what your “Affinity Groups” (sports teams, Greek houses, residential halls, choral/instrumental groups, clubs, etc.) will be doing there. Go to this website and scroll down to “50th Reunion Affinity Outreach” for the complete list. (There are email links in the heading to Mary “Mi” O’Connell and Diane “Kope” Kopelman VerSchure .)

And, whether or not you can attend, don’t forget that this is a wonderful time to consider giving back. Our 50th Reunion campaign co-chairs, Jim Irish and Andrea Glanz , and participation chair David Miller are leading the effort to once again make our class truly notable.

Speaking of getting back together, a number of us “represented” at the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference (CALC) at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront the last weekend in February, including Beth Allen , former class president Dale Lazar , JD ’77, Ellen Perlmutter , Bill Quain , and me. Dale said afterward, “I enjoyed visiting with our classmates and all of my Cornell friends. It was a great turnout.” Steve Piekarec came up from Northern Virginia Friday night to host the Cornell classes of the ’70s reception at the Pratt Street Ale House (as he did previously), so ’74s were prominent there as well. Although I had attended parts of CALC in the past, when it was in D.C. or Baltimore, this was the first time that I had signed up for the full event (including staying at the Marriott Friday night). As an officer of the Cornell Club of Washington (DC) as well as our class itself, I found it very valuable. The schedule was pretty tight (15 minutes between sessions—like classes!) beginning Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. and all day Saturday, ending with a gathering with Alumni Affairs regional representatives at the hotel bar after CALC officially ended at 5:30 p.m. I recommend it and would go again.

You don’t want to miss Larry Kleinman ’74 and me reliving our DJ days at WVBR when we go back on the air live Friday night [of Reunion]! Jim Schoonmaker ’74

From the mailbox: David Hirschland writes, “I laughed when I saw that Nancy Dworkin Miller ’73 ’s favorite Cornell memory was hearing James Taylor. One of my favorites was Nancy, a percussionist, leading the way to the Big Red Pep Band in ‘Sweet Georgia Brown.’”

Esteban Rosas writes from Mexico, “I remember and miss the infamous ‘Baja Chemical Company’— Blaine Rhodes (‘Cisco’), Robert Hoff (‘the Fat One’), and me (‘Speedy’). We wrote a project for a course in chemical engineering 50 years ago, along with slides and cassettes (no iPhone then). We got a D, but we had so much fun—even the profs wanted a copy to show the new students. Hope we can meet again this coming summer.” Esteban adds, “Cornell has been part of my life, and when I have visited (last in 2017) it feels like taking a refreshing boost for the times to follow. I still work, and I think I will do it till the end. I had some years in recess but got bored and started again. I have a little consulting regional office, and I also participate as an advisor to the company in Washington, DC, of my former roommate from North Campus, Don Gross .”

As for his family, Esteban has one son, two daughters, and three fantastic grandsons; “my pride and joy—they play with me in a jazz band, the Stray Cats. My wife, Rosa, and I will complete 49 years of happy marriage just before our class’s 50th Reunion. Rosa and I are excited to attend Reunion. I will play my sax and acoustic guitar as part of a band on Saturday, June 8, in Klarman Hall. We will play ’70s music for your entertainment. All the class is invited.”

Perry Jacobs has forwarded several links he thought we might like to know about. “To receive the ‘Big Red Thread,’ the recently created newsletter from the Athletics Department covering all of Cornell’s teams, email scl-add@cornell.edu . The intro by Nicki Moore, the new Director of Athletics (and Cornell’s first female AD), is always a fun read.” (Editor’s note: She did a terrific job hosting a panel of Cornell alumni athletes at CALC.) Perry also recommends “Cornell Hockey 401: The History, Art, and Science of Ice Hockey at Cornell” (which you can livestream here ) and the recent Cornellians story about Mike Schafer ’86 , the longest tenured coach in Cornell men’s hockey history.

We thank all for their contributions and invite you to continue to send in your news. ❖ Jim Schoonmaker ( email Jim ) | Molly Miller Ettenger ( email Molly ) | Alumni Directory .

It is mid-February as I write, and I can’t wait until the clocks change so it will be light in the morning and early evening! I am also looking forward to June to go up to Ithaca for Reunion to scout out places and activities that we can use/copy for our 50th Reunion, June 5–8, 2025! Put the dates on your calendar, and get ready to see old friends and definitely new buildings on campus. If you want to get involved with the planning, have an idea for an event, or would like to volunteer for the next five years, please contact me ( Deb Gellman , email me here ) or our Reunion chair, Susan Fulton ( email Susan ).

Last fall, I went to a conference honoring former Cornell history professor Walter LaFeber at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island. A group of former students discussed many of his works and gave personal anecdotes about his impact on their lives, personally and professionally. One of the presenters was Andrew Rotter . Andy retired from the Colgate University Department of History, where, he says, for nearly 35 years he taught courses in U.S. foreign relations, in the spirit (but without the skill) of his Cornell mentor. He and his wife, Padma Kaimal (Swarthmore ’79), live in Hamilton, NY, where he spends his time writing, jogging, cross-country skiing, sitting on the village planning committee, and teaching in a medium-security prison. He has two adult daughters, a son-in-law and one daughter’s significant other, and two grandsons, ages 6 and 2, all living two hours away in Albany.

In the fall, I also traveled to Washington, DC, for a girls’ weekend with Steffi Feit Gould , Karen Lauterbach , and Ting Magill Kamon . Steffi and husband Perry ’74 had a busy 2023. Son Keith and his wife, Sophie, added daughter Violet to join big brother Miles in April; son Jason married Maddie in May; and they all (including son Andrew ’05 and wife SiChang) went to Portugal in September to help celebrate Steffi’s 70th! Karen and Mark Powers spent his 70th tucked away on a Nat Geo ship off the coast of Iceland. They saw a live volcano spewing lava, breaching whales, and puffins. Mark just published a short story, “Rabbits,” in the literary journal Does It Have Pockets . Ting and Mark Kamon spend lots of time visiting their sons Jake (and spouse Megan) and Mike (and spouse Lindsay), daughter Emily (and spouse Jason), all of their grandchildren, and Kappa and DU friends. Ting is an active member of the Chester River Chorale, which has numerous concerts during the year.

Mark Powers ’75 spent his 70th tucked away on a Nat Geo ship off the coast of Iceland.

I spent Christmas and New Year’s with Lynn Arrison Harrison , which coincided with her birthday. Her son Willie, daughter Katie, and grandson Dean came from Burlington, VT, and Naples, FL, respectively to help us celebrate her 71st! Her son Ridgley was at Disney World with his family but was with Lynn for her 70th. Lynn spends time gardening, kayaking, hiking, and doing various other outdoor activities in Saranac Lake, NY. Pam Hanna writes from Ithaca, NY: “I turned 70 last July. Surprisingly, it was a bit of an existential moment for me. Knowing that (for real!) most of my life is now in the past gave me great pause, more than I ever expected! Certainly more than turning all the other ‘milestones’—i.e., 21, 30, 40, 50, 60. BUT, I got celebrated in style, with a large family gathering including two of our three sons, their partners, and two of our grandkids. We enjoyed Stewart Park, Myers Park in Lansing, a lake cruise, dinner at the Boatyard, and so much more, with a whole crew. I loved every minute! Ithaca cooperated with fine summer weather. Here’s to more birthdays!” Elyse Byron had a party at her favorite bar in Illinois with a great dance band and about 50 friends and family for her 70th. In addition, she spoiled herself with a trip to Antarctica!

Bob Brennan , ME ’76, and wife Claire took the whole family on a vacation to Costa Rica. They took their four kids, the kids’ spouses, and their three grandchildren. They rented a villa for everyone in Tamarindo, on the west coast. They then all went to a resort in Monteverde in the Central Valley area. Sun and sand, then mountains and nature.

Rich Marin , MBA ’76, lives in San Diego, CA, with wife Kim. Even though the kids are in the East, and Kim and he get back east regularly and see lots of Cornell pals, they consider themselves Californians now. Rich spends his time doing lots of investment expert witness work, especially since ending his teaching career (Cornell for 10 years and University of San Diego for three years). “I’ve written several books and write a 1,500-word story for my blog every day.” He does heavy-duty hillside gardening, something he learned working at the Cornell Plantations, when it was called that. His other pastime is riding the hills and deserts on one of his BMW motorcycles. Kim is still singing cabaret both in California and in New York. Last year they traveled to Egypt and Jordan.

I know that many of you celebrated your 70th in grand style and we all would love to live vicariously through those adventures (I know I love to hear the stories). Please share them with your classmates and plan on joining us in Ithaca next year! If your email contact information is “dated,” please send me a note and I will have you updated in the University records, or send updates here . Most of our Reunion updates will be via email so we would love for your contact info to be up to date! ❖ Deb Gellman , MBA ’82 ( email Deb ) | Karen DeMarco Boroff ( email Karen ) | Mitch Frank ( email Mitch ) | Joan Pease ( email Joan ) | Alumni Directory .

Rich Gallagher was one of my first friends on campus, thanks to a pre-freshman-year Wilderness Reflections bike trip on Cape Cod, so it was a treat to hear from him recently. Rich wrote, “It’s been a good while since I sent any class news, so here’s what’s new with me. I discovered that retirement was overrated and am now back in practice part time as a psychotherapist, serving all of New York State via telehealth. Since going back into practice I’ve published a new self-help book ( The Anxiety Journal , Rockridge Press) and presented a new treatment protocol for obsessive-compulsive disorder at a major clinical conference.”

Rich has written many great books of practical psychology, on topics from customer service to improving your small talk to dealing with fears and phobias. You can learn more about him on his website !

Bruce Behounek and his spouse, Diane, live in Yardley, PA. Bruce continues to keep up with medicine, but his greatest satisfaction comes from family time, including with two grandchildren, Mason and Harper. His best memories of Cornell include football, hockey, and lacrosse games. In more news from Pennsylvania, Nancy Arnosti writes that she enjoys “spending time outdoors with people whom I love. I am preparing to retire from my executive compensation consulting practice serving life sciences companies in mid-2024. My children are thriving—both in the Bay Area. I only have to take one trip to visit both. My partner and I are enjoying our 12th year together while living 135 miles apart.” Nancy’s favorite Cornell memories are “ Uri Bronfenbrenner ’38 , Walter LaFeber, David Levitsky, and other inspiring professors—and having friends from all over the U.S.” Happy retirement to you, Nancy!

Martha Frucht Rives and husband Darden are enjoying small-town living in Exeter, NH. Martha writes, “I am making art in my studio, serving on the New Hampshire Art Educators’ Association board, and serving on the Scholastic Art Awards of New Hampshire board. I recently had a show of my artwork at the Levy Gallery in Portsmouth, NH. I am working on promoting my art and having more exhibitions.” (Editor’s note: You can view some of Martha’s stunning artwork here .) Other things that bring Martha satisfaction include her son, Greg, who “is happily living and working in New York City, and bowling, ice skating (yes, I still ice skate at almost 70—great exercise!), playing bridge, and traveling.” Her fond memories of Cornell include “working on the yearbook, taking photos of campus life, being outside on a beautiful day, and having breakfast with friends at the Green Dragon (glazed chocolate donuts—yummy!).” Can confirm—those donuts were great.

Jim Sollecito ’76 procured and donated 280 unique varieties of hydrangea to Cornell, totaling more than 810 plants on the campus.

Amy Lubow reports, “I’m a landlady in Brooklyn, NY. One of my sons also attended Cornell and is now an endocrinologist married to an emergency room doctor.” From Northport, MI, Philip Loud writes that he’s enjoying “projects and building things, from furniture to fences to outbuildings to Adirondack chairs. In retirement, I’m volunteering with our local schooner school-ship organization.” (Must break in again: see schoolship.org for more on this amazing Great Lakes program.) Philip adds, “I had a new titanium knee installed last February and probably will do the second next winter.” His favorite Cornell memories are “my time as a member of Phi Gamma Delta, walking around our beautiful campus … oh, and some classes. Ha.”

Barbara Saunders-Adams is taking satisfaction from writing, reading, tennis, hiking, and friends. She reports that she’s “writing a monthly magazine for the Pelham (NY) Jewish Center and editing, plus leading a monthly Jewish book discussion for the PJC. My son Aaron recently signed a recording contract and is going on tour around the country. My daughter Shira opened a gardening business in the Hudson Valley called Honeybee Horticulture. My husband, Sam, hikes daily on the New Paltz trails with our puppy, Finley.” Barbara’s best memory of Cornell is “hanging out with friends in the Straight, discussing everything.”

Congratulations to John Banner , who writes, “In March 2023, I ran the Tokyo Marathon, thus completing the ‘World Marathon Majors,’ starting with Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, and, lastly, Tokyo.” John is “project-developing a state-of-the-art energy plaza in Palm Springs, CA, offering green hydrogen for FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles) and H2ICEs (hydrogen internal combustion engines), DC fast charging for BEVs (battery electric vehicles), CNG (compressed natural gas), and conventional fuels, for commissioning in late 2025.” And, John adds, “Two movies written by my screenwriter daughter, Rebecca Banner, released in 2023: True Spirit (Netflix) and Space Oddity (Hulu).” Congrats to her, too!

And thank you to Jim Sollecito , who was an ornamental horticulture major at Cornell. He procured and donated 280 unique varieties of hydrangea to Cornell, totaling more than 810 plants on the campus. This is the largest singular planting of a species in the history of Cornell. Professor emerita Nina Bassuk ’74 and members of the Cornell wrestling team also helped to plant the campus hydrangea collection over the last eight years. (If you’d like to view the hydrangeas on campus, you can find maps and walks here .)

Learning a lot of science and living vicariously through your news this time, friends! Please let us know what you have been up to. ❖ Pat Relf Hanavan ( email Pat ) | Lisa Diamant ( email Lisa ) | Alumni Directory .

A few more of our classmates have joined the ranks of retirees and, as expected, continue to engage in a wide range of fun, purpose-filled, and exciting activities. Here’s what’s happening in their lives.

Bill Grant lives in Ponte Vedra, FL, with Cindy, his wife of 37 years. After a successful and varied professional career, Bill retired and in 2022 founded a company called Homes for Hometown Heroes , a real estate firm that “gives back to those who serve.” Bill and Cindy also created Grant Realty, a real estate investment and management company, to manage the goal of passing on their legacy to their four children and 11 grandchildren.

In addition to his real estate work, Bill is very active in Cornell and community volunteer activities. He enjoys meeting prospective Hotelies through his work with CAAAN and he serves on the board of the Cornell Club of Northern Florida. He also spends a lot of time coaching his granddaughters’ YMCA basketball team and enjoys mentoring teenagers to achieve their goals.

With all of that, Bill and Cindy somehow found time last year to take an “epic” 51-day cruise to the South Pacific and French Polynesia. Next up for them is a tour to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Bill’s favorite memories of Cornell include his graduation day, running into Statler Hall with his fellow graduates and trading his graduation cap for a chef’s hat. Thirty-three years later he proudly watched his son Daniel ’10 graduate from Cornell and receive his commission as the lone Marine Corps Second Lieutenant. Bill is most grateful for his Cornell education and all the amazing Hotelies and Cornellians he’s met along his journey.

Amy Birnbaum writes, “I retired from a long career at CBS News in February 2022. I am reconnecting with old friends and volunteering for political and academic projects. Life is sweet! My husband, Bernard Furnival, and I are traveling more. My daughter is on the West Coast and my son and his fiancée are on Manhattan’s West Side.”

After retiring from a career in biotechnology as a molecular biologist turned medical writer, Linda Gritz started writing Yiddish songs. (You can listen to her songs on YouTube !) This was doubly surprising since she is not fluent in Yiddish and has just a basic knowledge of music. So Linda was extra surprised when she won the People’s Choice Award for Best New Jewish Song at the international Bubbe Awards! This annual award is based on the Grammy awards, and “Grammy” was playfully translated into Yiddish as “Bubbe” (grandma). Linda also came in third in the juried award for Best New Jewish Song. Congratulations, Linda!

Linda Gritz ’77 won the People’s Choice Award for Best New Jewish Song at the international Bubbe Awards!

John Molinda has a lot going on in retirement. He primarily does volunteer work for the energy policy committees for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and American Nuclear Society. Otherwise, John stays involved in activities for Cornell and Carnegie Mellon. He is also active in sports including tennis, golf, skiing, mountain and road biking, and windsurfing and still likes to check out local rock bands.

Catching up with old friends and classmates brings John the most satisfaction these days, and he’s enjoyed a lot of it lately. He writes, “This year has been a 50th high school reunion year for most of us in the Cornell Class of ’77. Four of us from Mount Lebanon High School (Pittsburgh area) Class of ’73 went on to Cornell and three of us made it back for the 50th reunion—including Patty Cox Yeates , MBA ’78, who I had not seen since Cornell days, and Mark Halper , who traveled from his home in England, where he is a freelance journalist and a part-time leader of a band called Ghostweed.”

John also attended the 50th reunion for South Hills Catholic High School Class of ’73, where he spent two years, and caught up with Cornell ’77 classmate Don Lee , BS ’83. John adds, “I consider this 50th high school reunion year a kickoff for the countdown to our own 50th Reunion at Cornell.” I agree, John, and encourage all our classmates to start planning to come back to Ithaca, June 10–13, 2027, for our 50th Reunion!

Jone Sampson writes that she and her husband, Sam Weirich, finally retired in 2021 and built a small home in Bedford, WY. They are enjoying hiking and fishing in the summer and skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Jone and Sam also love visiting their three daughters, who are scattered across the country in San Francisco, CA, Boulder, CO, and Portland, OR.

In February, Cara Lebowitz Kagan , Karen Wellin , and I attended this year’s Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference, held in Baltimore, MD. It’s always great to connect with some of my fellow class officers, meet fellow alums, learn about what’s happening on campus, and explore a variety of leadership topics. Add to all that a large dose of Big Red spirit and it was a fun, educational, and inspirational weekend.

We enjoy hearing from you and having the opportunity to share your stories with our fellow classmates. Please keep all of your news and views coming in! ❖ Mary Flynn ( email Mary ) | Howie Eisen ( email Howie ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings, classmates! Thanks to my partner-in-posting, Ilene Shub Lefland , for handling the last two columns. The ’78 inbox wasn’t very full for this column. I tried turning over the laptop and shaking vigorously—no luck. I don’t recommend trying this strategy to find specific emails.

Mike Bernard (Albuquerque, NM) writes: “I took a U.S. Tennis Association seniors class over the summer and started playing tennis for the first time since college. I now walk two rounds of golf a week and play tennis for two hours twice a week and am still gaining weight!” Bruce Clements is also a tennis and golf buff. He’s lived in Saratoga Springs all but nine years of his life. He is inching closer to selling his independent insurance agency. His daughter and son both attended graduate school after Cornell. He has served in the Lions Club for over 40 years, and he continues to compete in golf and tennis.

On the legal front, Mark Green is the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the statewide intermediate appellate court in Massachusetts. Mark writes: “On December 5, 2023 (and again on December 12), I was joined on panel by two of my colleagues who are also Cornell alumni: Justice Eric Neyman ’90 and Justice John Englander ’80 . Though the three of us have served together on the Court since Justice Englander’s appointment in December 2017, this was the first occasion on which the three of us sat together on panel, for an ‘all Big Red’ sitting.”

I took a U.S. Tennis Association seniors class over the summer and started playing tennis for the first time since college. Mike Bernard ’78

On the travel front, Scott ’77 and Elaine Zajac Jackson started off 2024 with a Cornell Alumni Travel trip to Antarctica. They started in Buenos Aires and then embarked on the Antarctica cruise with two Cornell professors. They hoped for smooth sailing and lots of penguins and adventures. This is their second Cornell Alumni Travel trip. Their first was “Untamed Alaska” about five years ago. In August 2023, Julian Vrieslander , PhD ’81, and I went to the Netherlands for a reunion with some of his cousins, then went to Italy—and promptly caught COVID. This put a damper on the last leg of the trip in Venice. Fortunately, both of us recovered without any long-term issues.

On March 12, the classes of ’77 and ’78 cosponsored a webinar titled “Seasons of Perfection: Big Red Championship Lacrosse and Richie Moran.” The panel was moderated by our own David Bilmes , who was sports editor of the Cornell Daily Sun . Panelists were Dan Mackesey ’77 and fellow ’78ers Chris Kane and Tom Marino . The fourth panelist was Christian Swezey, author of We Showed Baltimore: The Lacrosse Revolution of the 1970s and Richie Moran’s Big Red (Cornell University Press). Many thanks to Kent Sheng , BA ’82, for helping pull this together.

Not only is Joe Holland , MA ’79, a best-selling author (his latest book is Make Your Own History ) and attorney, but he co-founded Beth-Hark Christian Counseling Center . It is still going strong after nearly 40 years and provides free mental health services, a soup kitchen, and a food pantry. February 23 marked the premiere of Harlem Grace , a short docudrama of his early years serving the neighborhood.

All for now. Stay well and see you in June! ❖ Cindy Fuller , PhD ’92 ( email Cindy ) | Ilene Shub Lefland ( email Ilene ) | Alumni Directory .

Brad Spencer writes, “I am living in D.C. Although I retired from law firm practice a few years back, I have recently become chairman of the board of Melwood Inc.—one of the nation’s largest AbilityOne Contractors with the federal government. Melwood secures employment of disabled individuals through federal contracts, as well as through employment in the private sector. In addition, I have been pleased to work with many dedicated individuals who seek to make affordable housing/independent living for disabled individuals a reality in the nation’s capital and beyond. In all, it is the culmination of this ILRie’s dream of working to create a more fully integrated and inclusive workforce.”

Brad adds, “As my primary hobby, I have been singing with other Washington Cornellians and former CU Glee Club director Scott Tucker in the Washington Men’s Camerata. My new grandson, Easton Yip, was born in Honolulu.” Of his time on the Hill, Brad fondly recalls singing with Jon Wardner , Steve Whitney , Steve Bronfenbrenner , MBA ’81, and Barry Jacobson ’70 , BA ’74, in the Glee Club!

Sharon Flank shares, “Though it’s not where I thought linguistics would take me, I am happily leading research efforts for two projects in personalized medicine using 3D printing—and just notched my 11th patent, this one joint with my younger daughter, Becky Maksimovic ’19 , ME ’20.”

Bill Gallagher writes, “I’m in my fifth year teaching, now at CEVRO Institute in Prague. The weather is very much like Ithaca. I have students from five different countries, so the school has a real international flavor. My American metaphors don’t have quite the same impact as they did back in the U.S., so we’re ‘growing into appreciating each other’ as the semester progresses. Very much a ‘beef and beer’ kind of town—like a big medieval village with a Chapter House every few blocks. I got to visit my first Prague Christmas markets. After the school year, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at Reunion!”

D. Dina “Debbie” Friedman , BA ’78’s new short-story collection, Immigrants , was published by Creators Press in November 2023. She also has a new poetry collection, Here in Sanctuary—Whirling , out in February 2024. (More info can be found at her website ). Happily retired after many years of teaching business communication at UMass, Amherst, Dina divides her time between writing, social activism, gardening, and caring for her toddler grandchild, Manu. Dina recently completed a memoir, Imperfect Pitch , about her complicated relationship with her musical family legacy, though her years as a Cornell chimesmaster remain a highlight of her time at the Big Red and in her musical life. (See her recent “Chime In” essay !). She also continues to explore how to live a creative life in a creatively challenged universe in her blog, “ Music and Musings .”

As always, everywhere I go I run into Cornell alums! This summer, I met a few on my travels! Leslie Lewit ’79

Leslie Lewit writes, “As always, everywhere I go I run into Cornell alums! This summer (a very busy one), I met a few on my travels! In October, my older sister and I took the Uniworld ‘Enchanted Danube’ River Cruise and the first new friends we met were Roland ’76 and Dona Young . We enjoyed their company and Roland had a lot of fun Cornell stories to share. My husband and I were away for two weeks in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Helsinki, and of course the small group we traveled with from our Temple Sinai of Roslyn (NY) had connections to Cornell too.

“During the year, I enjoy connecting with all the opportunities afforded to us alums via Zoom and in person, including lectures in politics, art, and travel. However, I especially enjoy Big Red Reads —the books and discussions online offer a lot of amazing info and stimulation. I also manage the Temple Sinai Reads program, and I’m a member of a Roslyn/Lloyd’s Neck Harbor women’s book group. I really enjoy walking miles for exercise while listening to books!

“This year, in a period of six months, we had three weddings! My stepdaughter Lindsay Milner (University of Michigan ’14), married Jesse Katz of Tenafly, NJ, on April 8 in Cancun. On July 22, my son, Jacob Lewit (University of Pittsburgh ’15), married Jenna Strauss of Westfield, NJ, at the Park Loft in Oceanport, NJ. Jenna and Jesse went to University of Maryland together and graduated in 2014! And on October 14, my middle stepdaughter, Mariel Milner (Wisconsin ’13), married Joe Spina of Levittown, PA (Penn State ’12) in Livingston Manor, NY. Guess what good and welfare news I may be sharing next year?!

“I am still dabbling in my interior design and space planning business, currently working with a client who’s building in the Hamptons, as well as a few clients in NYC and Roslyn. I have a consulting business reviewing architectural plans for clients who are in the process of renovating or building. My DEA and space planning experience ensure that the new spaces will have adequate traffic flow and space for the clients’ needs and furniture placement, as well as better aesthetics. I am also a LMSW (Adelphi ’02) and have renamed my business Absolute Heads & Homes—because if your head isn’t in the right place, how can you enjoy your home? If you ever want to connect or say hi, I’d love to hear from you. See you all soon!” ❖ Cynthia Ahlgren Shea ( email Cynthia ) | Danna Levy ( email Danna ) | Linda Moses ( email Linda ) | Alumni Directory .

Hail to thee, classmates. Paul Bechly ’s fondest memory of his years at Cornell is “graduating with a BS in chemical engineering. It was a lot of hard work that led to a lot of good outcomes.” One of those outcomes is that he was just elected as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemists. Congratulations!

Paul just completed 30 years working at Morgan Stanley and has no plans on retiring. When his nose is not on the grindstone, he and his wife, Beth Wells, “have been making an effort to travel the world. We have experienced 130 countries and visited all seven continents.” Unlike your indolent correspondent, he “wakes up every morning with a goal to make the day count for something good.”

Beth Rubin reports that it has been a big year for her family: “In May, our younger daughter married her beloved in the redwoods of California. Then I retired from my position as dean of adult and online education at Campbell University, after developing an associate’s and bachelor’s degree program for incarcerated men and women at two prisons in North Carolina. Our success rate was amazing (approximately 60% of those who started completed an associate’s degree, and 80% of those completed a bachelor’s degree); we had graduation for 17 people in the fall. And the State of North Carolina voted to provide $1,000,000 every year to help the program grow in new prisons, ensuring long-term viability and necessary student support.

“My hoped-for relaxing retirement was interrupted by family needs—a sister needing care after major surgery, a father-in-law who passed away suddenly from a heart attack, and a mother who was diagnosed with stage four cancer and died two months later, on Christmas Eve. So, a long year of joy and sadness ended for us. My mother’s funeral gave me the opportunity to reconnect with cousins who we’d long been out of touch with. My husband, Dane McGregor, is, thank heavens, healthy, and our two kids are working their way through graduate programs. I went on Medicare (like so many others) and hope to travel the world for the next 10 years!”

Paul Bechly ’80 was just elected as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemists.

Beth’s favorite memory from her time at Cornell was “being on the women’s ice hockey and rugby teams. Walking home after games, with my hair freezing (in winter); it was so still and beautiful.” Nowadays, she enjoys her body combat lessons at the local Y.

Steve Benjamin , ME ’81, MBA ’82, reports, “In May 2023, our daughter Megan ’10 had her fourth child. Sheri and I love being grandparents to all four of our grandkids. I’ve got the three older ones skiing. And every February for the past seven years, quite a few Fijis from my era meet up at Alta, UT, for some excellent skiing and camaraderie. The group typically includes Dave Ayers , Tom Croskey , Doug Henderson , MBA ’88, and Dave Phelps ’81 . Others have joined us over the years, and we plan to continue this annual tradition until we can’t. We hope the group will continue to grow.”

Brian Fristensky relates, “Love can be found any time in life. In December 2022, I was so happy to marry Teresa Mayer, also a U.S. expat living in Winnipeg. In attendance were both her and my grown children, and her mother in person, and friends and relatives from all over North America by teleconference. 2023 has been a year-long honeymoon of sorts, in France, Monaco, Hawaii, and elsewhere in the continental U.S.” Brian is a professor of genetics at the University of Manitoba, specializing in bioinformatics. His favorite memory from Cornell was “singing with the Glee Club in Sage Chapel … and at Johnny’s Big Red!” These days, he is making memories singing tenor with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir.

Please write to any of us with any news you’d like to share with the Class of ’80. ❖ David Durfee ( email David ) | Leona Barsky, MS ’81 ( email Leona ) | Dik Saalfeld ( email Dik ) | Chas Horvath, ME ’81 ( email Chas ) | Alumni Directory .

I just had my six-year work anniversary with Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. I’m very proud of the work that I do! Construction of the new Gandel Rehabilitation Center at Hadassah Hospital was rapidly accelerated in the wake of October 7. Originally it was going to be finished in the second or third quarter of 2024, but when the war broke out, it had to be finished yesterday. The first patients began receiving care in January, with plans to double capacity in the coming weeks. Since October 7, Hadassah has raised more than $16 million, with $5.5 million going specifically to expedite the work on the Gandel Center.

Near me in Fort Lauderdale is Steve Greenapple , JD ’84, an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) attorney at SES ESOP Strategies, Stevens & Lee. Steve loved the Chimes concerts on the Hill, the waterfalls (all of them, but most especially Taughannock), and mud-sliding down Libe Slope. He has four great kids, a beautiful marriage, and a career more satisfying than he ever imagined possible. He’s been traveling again—both personal and for business. If you find yourself here in paradise, he hopes you will give him a ring!

This year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Lecture on campus focused on the importance of understanding and addressing systems of oppression and their impact on multiple identities, including race and gender. Kimberlé Crenshaw , professor of law at the UCLA School of Law and at Columbia Law School, spoke at the event, “The Urgency of Intersectional Justice,” on February 19 in Sage Chapel. Kimberlé is a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory, race, racism, and the law. Her work has been foundational in critical race theory and in intersectionality, both terms she coined. She is also known for raising awareness about police violence against Black women through her work with the #SayHerName campaign.

Theresa Kronik Wrobel started an e-bike store with all proceeds going to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer and Warren counties in New Jersey. She found her passion for biking among the steep hills of her hometown, Ithaca, NY, during her teenage years. She continues now with rides in hilly northwest Mercer and western Hunterdon counties with the Princeton FreeWheelers, and she does mountain bike riding in Utah. In recent years she combined her love of biking with community involvement by volunteering with the Bike Exchange and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County. She is excited to continue these efforts at Princeton eBikes.

Bob Zeidman (Las Vegas, NV) recently published his firsthand account of the story of his debunking the 2020 election fraud “proof” presented by Mike Lindell and the subsequent arbitration that awarded Bob $5 million. The book is titled Election Hacks . Bob writes, “Lindell, the founder and CEO of MyPillow, publicly declared he had proof of voting machine tampering that threw the 2020 election. Having invented the field of software forensics, I was invited by Lindell in 2021 to examine and verify the alleged proof. What I found was bogus data, manipulated results, and dangerous conspiracy theories.”

Terry Steinberg recently earned her purple sash in kung fu and her green sash in kung fu sword. Kung fu is a great exercise, she says. Terry started out as a beginner, and the practice has improved her strength, flexibility, and balance. She lives in Silver Spring, MD.

Theresa Kronik Wrobel ’81 found her passion for biking among the steep hills of her hometown, Ithaca, NY, during her teenage years.

Peter Zenneck is happy in retirement, spending time in London and on the island of Mustique. Elise Kuebelbeck Johnson and her husband, Roderick, also live in London. Elise’s areas of expertise are healthcare, acupuncture, and shiatsu. To their delight, their five children are also in London.

Lisa Dietrich Zimmerman , DVM ’85, is still working as a part-time veterinarian in Nassau, NY, where she grew up. She does mostly ultrasound and surgery. She and her husband, Bill , DVM ’85 , ski all over the U.S. and participate in masters ski racing for fun. They live on a 300-acre farm and walk on it every day. President Rhodes was an inspiration to her, and she loved his speeches. Her favorite memories are of polo houses and roommates Celeste Starr Frohm ’80 , Julie Hansen ’80 , PhD ’89, Hal Schott ’80 , and Sue Seaman Knight . She also has many fond memories of OTS parties, dancing, partying, and surviving the rigors of vet school.

In New England, Sarah Garlan Johansen is an emergency physician at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, and faculty at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Living in Etna, NH, she shares that she’s blessed to have had three healthy children, an amazing husband, and a fulfilling emergency medicine career. She adds that she’s grateful for many things, including that she was able to perform for nine years in professional theater, live in a beautiful vacationland, spend a year in NYC with her son while on Broadway, have wonderful adventures like climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, cook many yummy things, and care for many medical students and residents.

Arjun Yodh (Merion Station, PA) tells us that after Cornell, he did his PhD at Harvard and a post-doc at AT&T Bell Labs. Then he joined the physics faculty at University of Pennsylvania, where he has been since 1988. He married Lai Yee Hom in 1986. They are still married and have three kids (grown-up now), Elliott, Jeremy, and Zach. Collectively, they like sports (especially baseball), music (piano), and traveling.

Clay Pittman (Bellbrook, OH) tells us he had two great roommates, Glenn Russo and Carlos Guevara , and really enjoyed their company. His ROTC classmates were great as well, and he really appreciated their friendship and support. After graduation he had a long career in the Air Force as an engineer and pilot. He met his wife at a squadron Christmas party, and he says they have been blessed with six children and a wonderful life together. He retired in 2015 and started a second career in academia. He is still working hard and enjoying the college faculty experience.

Lana Carlsson-Irwin (Wayland, MA) is the co-business owner at Irwin Engineers Inc. Of her time at Cornell, she says she loved summertime going to the reservoir; endless games of mau-mau in those Collegetown digs; the party she threw herself at 106 South Quarry— Mike Pliss ’80 brought his friend, Andy Irwin , ME ’82, who became her husband; playing frisbee on campus with Ellen Wolaner , Mark Amos , and others; and going to the waterfalls with the same gang. Andy and Lana got married graduation weekend. They moved to the Boston area, had three kids, and started their own business, which is now 25 years old. They recently had their first grandchild. They love to travel and continue to explore new places. Lana went to law school too, but she didn’t really like the practice at the major Boston firm and quit to have those kids.

Let us know what’s doing with you—we want to know what’s going on with you, your life, and your daily thoughts! ❖ Betsy Silverfine ( email Betsy ) | Alumni Directory .

Our online memory book has now closed to new entries. If you haven’t yet, or want to again, give it a look to read about old friends and learn more about the fascinating and diverse lives and memories of your classmates.

Manuel Choy of Saratoga Springs, NY, checks in to tell us that he owns a financial planning and investment firm and that his two adult children are now married and engaged, respectively. He enjoys his family, traveling, helping his clients, gardening, and playing basketball. As to his favorite memory from Cornell, his only comment was a big smiley face drawing. That tells it all for a lot of us!

From Corte Madera, CA, Nir Margalit writes to tell us that he is the chief legal officer of a family office investment business. He is one of our classmates who is in the “I still have young children” club, and his biggest satisfaction is his family of wife Jennifer and daughters aged 5 and 8. He enjoyed a “wonderful month in summer 2023 in Israel before the horrible attack.” His favorite memory of Cornell times is “my friendships”; again, heck yeah!

Jennifer Gardiner reports, “On a Christmas trip to visit my three grandchildren (ages 2, 1, and newborn), two of whom live in Virginia, I met up with Steve and Lisa Mummery Crump . They were visiting their daughter and grandson in D.C. We caught up on my life in Charlotte, NC, where I am in my 13th year as the full-time director of the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic at Legal Aid of Arkansas, and the Crumps’ exciting life in Switzerland. I also still play tennis or platform tennis daily, and Lisa still rides horses regularly. I would love to connect with Cornellians closer to home, like in Charlotte!”

The Memphis-based Blues Foundation has named Mark Stenzler ’82 as a recipient of the 2024 Keeping the Blues Alive Award.

Continuing the thread of classmates as authors from Doug Skalka ’s last column, we heard from Mary Ellen Plubell Miller , who lives in Johnson City, TN, with spouse Dan: “I wrote, published, and launched a book in 2023. Fill the Dam Thing Up! Building Connections: Communicating Throughout the Lifecycle of Infrastructure Projects is the story of my seven-year journey as lead communicator on a major ($400 million) infrastructure (dam) project in northeast Tennessee. It’s a communications playbook for project managers and communicators. Cornell gets several mentions! It is available on Amazon in paperback, e-book, and Audible formats.”

The Crumps are not the only classmates living in Switzerland. Mark Stenzler has been recognized for the 35+ years that he has dedicated to putting the blues out there on the airwaves from his base in Bern, Switzerland. The Memphis-based Blues Foundation has named him as a recipient of the 2024 Keeping the Blues Alive Award. This lifetime achievement award was presented to him in January during the 2024 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.

I can’t improve on the foundation’s announcement: “Mark Stenzler, a native New Yorker and former radio pirate with Radio Free Ithaca, has been a passionate radio broadcaster on both sides of the Atlantic since 1978. In the 1980s, he relocated to Switzerland, where he continued his career in radio. A true blues enthusiast and a staunch supporter of public radio, Stenzler is widely recognized as the host of ‘Blues Zeppelin,’ a program he initiated in 1989. Guided by the motto ‘Working hard to make reality a lot less painful,’ he has dedicated his time and talent to create a blues program that offers a blend of the finest blues music, news, and engaging interviews. The show can be heard on several radio stations, including Radio Bern (RaBe) in Berne, Switzerland; Radio LoRa in Zurich, Switzerland; Diis Radio in Canton Valais, Switzerland; WRFI Community Radio in Ithaca; and CJRO Community Radio in Carlsbad Springs, Ottawa, ON, Canada. Stenzler’s contributions extend beyond the airwaves, as he actively collaborates with numerous festival organizers, music promoters, venues, and blues artists at various stages of their careers. From providing first-time airplay to working with award recipients, including Blues Foundation BMA and KBA winners, Stenzler has played a pivotal role in supporting and nurturing the growth of blues musicians and bringing them to the attention of the global blues community.” ❖ Mark Fernau ( email Mark ) | Nina Kondo ( email Nina ) | Doug Skalka ( email Doug ) | Alumni Directory .

Sylvia Han , CFA, CFP, and CSRIC, our classmate and class council member, led a timely Zoom discussion for our class, “Top 10 Retirement Considerations,” on March 19. Sylvia, who works as a wealth management advisor at Merrill Lynch, notes that “a shift has occurred in retirement planning compared to previous generations.” She discussed important issues like defining a vision, financial planning, investment risks, income source planning, sustainable spending rates, Social Security maximization, healthcare costs, and more. For more information feel free to email your class correspondents below.

Anna Esaki-Smith writes, “I’m a very proud Class of ’83 graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences. I went to the 40th Reunion this past summer and had a great time, reconnecting with both the campus and old friends.” Kudos to Anna, who has written a terrific young adult nonfiction book, Make College Your Superpower: It’s Not Where You Go, It’s What You Know, that was published by Rowman & Littlefield in April 2024. Anna adds, “Most books for teenagers about college are full of tips on writing killer college essays or nailing those SATs. Mine gives students a bird’s-eye view on how a university education connects to a tech-disrupted workplace that values skills and creativity.” A wonderful addition to students’ college prep toolkits! Anna also recently penned a “Chime In” essay for Cornellians , which you can read here .

Congratulations to  Helen Schulman ’83 , whose latest book,  Lucky Dogs , was selected as one of Oprah’s ten Best Novels of 2023!

Congratulations to Helen Schulman , whose latest book, Lucky Dogs , was selected as one of Oprah’s ten Best Novels of 2023 ! Helen is presently the fiction chair of the Creative Writing Program at the New School in New York City, where she is a tenured professor. Helen is a New York Times best-selling author of seven novels, including Come with Me and This Beautiful Life . She has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, Sundance, Aspen Words, and Columbia University.

Neal Moran writes from New Brunswick, NJ. “I retired earlier this year after 36+ years in banking regulation. I’m keeping busy, including starting a blog called ‘ Upon Further Analysis .’ The blog focuses largely on banking, financial markets, and regulation, but also covers sports, culture, and current events.”

Dan Carlucci and wife Ellen write that they are keeping quite busy in medicine and more. Dan is chair of medical specialties at Reliant Medical Group, a division of OptumCare, and a clinical cardiologist. Reliant serves over 300,000 patients in eastern and central Massachusetts; Dan leads more than 100 specialty clinicians. Ellen is vice president, development, marketing, and communications at UMass Memorial Health–Marlborough Hospital. Dan and Ellen love their time in Northborough and Marion, where they can’t wait to re-start summer sailing adventures with their three adult children on the aptly named boat, No Agenda . Speaking of which, Dan is planning a September 2024 sequel to the original No Agenda weekend—look out for invites! ❖ Stewart Glickman ( email Stewart ) | Nancy Korn Freeman ( email Nancy ) | Alyssa Bickler ( email Alyssa ) | Jon Felice ( email Jon ) | Alumni Directory .

We have some great news to share! Deborah Dawson was recently surprised by Nancy Pistole , who flew from California to New York to join her along with Maurya Kilroy and Karen Kwik Kernan for a reunion. They all met freshman year in High Rise 5 and have been dear friends ever since.

Brad Will sends greetings from New York’s beautiful Mid-Hudson Valley! Over the past four years, his spouse, Sari, and he have been “transitioning” to the Finger Lakes region, his “home away from home” for five years in the early 1980s. They love spending time there, so much so that they have purchased land on which to one day build a “deep green” house and a small commercial property in the Village of Dryden, right up the street from Cornell. More recently, they bought a property that will eventually have several homes constructed. “My transition from architect to developer has begun!” he writes. It’s been an exciting phase, says Brad, and they have a two-bedroom apartment available for travelers to their old school at their “Little House on the Lot” in Dryden. At the time of this writing, Brad was looking forward to their annual BArch dinner in NYC and their trek to RPI to watch the amazing Cornell men’s hockey team take on the Engineers in early February 2024. Big Red almost always prevails! This year has been active and interesting, with projects advancing in both regions—houses, hotels, restaurants, and subdivisions. Seeing good friends is always a great treat, as they did in New Hampshire last summer and in Texas last fall. They look forward to an even more exciting year ahead, with many milestones pending. Is Brad retiring? “No, not yet—much to do!”

Timothy Brown ’84 , MBA ’92, set his first-ever novel at Cornell.

Timothy Brown , MBA ’92, has a very Big Red family! He is a dual-degree Cornellian himself (Arts ’84, MBA ’92), married to another, Nancy (Grambow) ’85 , PhD ’94. In fact, between his wife’s parents and sisters, his brothers, and their daughter, his family has a combined total of 13 degrees from Cornell! Further, his father-in-law, Richard Grambow ’55 , DVM ’57, received the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award and the Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service. Thus, it was only fitting that Timothy set his first-ever novel at Cornell. He initially self-published it as A Bolt from the Blue , but recently had it professionally edited and republished under a more distinct title, Cloning the King . It is a scientific/history thriller that explores the nexus of breakthrough cloning technology and medieval history.

Hope to see you at Reunion 2024 next month, June 6–9! And, don’t hesitate to write to your class correspondent: ❖ José Nieves ( email José ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, fellow 1985ers! Hope all are doing well. I do have a bunch of news from fellow alums, so here you go!

Amy Smith Linton wrote in that she has been busy promoting her first book , She Taught Me Everything . The most enjoyable part for her has been showing up as a guest at book clubs, either via phone or in person, to talk about her novel.

Richard Tuchman reports that he and his wife, Cynthia, retired last year in celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary. They are currently raising puppies in Connecticut. Rick retired from a career in philanthropy, which he describes as “doing well while doing good.”

Susan Stevens Gebo has recently married. She has written, under the pen name S.M. Stevens, a novelette called The Wallace House of Pain , which received a 2023 American Fiction Award. The same story was adapted into a stage script, published by Choeofpleirn Press in their autumn 2023 issue. The characters in the novelette are also featured in her forthcoming novel, Beautiful and Terrible Things (Black Rose Writing, July 2024).

Maria Gallo Ashbrook writes, “The Class of 2023 Commencement weekend was sublime … a string of rare sunny days when Cornell truly is the most beautiful campus on earth. My son, John ’23 , graduated as a government and China and Asia-Pacific studies major (yes, that Mandarin in seventh grade paid off!) and joins big brother Keenan ’20 in D.C. to begin his career. This, of course, warms my little Cornell-in-Washington (’84) heart. I’ve attended nine Cornell Commencements of family and friends, beginning in 1974. This graduation weekend was extra special because we returned to my hometown of Auburn, with festivities across Cayuga, Owasco, and Skaneateles lakes. I guess you can take the girl out of the Finger Lakes, but you can’t take the Finger Lakes out of the girl!”

Virginia Scarola , Maryellen Magee , and Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett had an impromptu reunion in Atlanta when the Cornell Big Red baseball team took on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Apparently, back in 1991, Cornell defeated second-ranked Georgia Tech, shocking the collegiate baseball world at the time. It took Tech 33 years to overcome the pain and invite the Big Red to Atlanta. Unfortunately, the Big Red lost the first game, though they had been dominating Tech for most of the game. They lost the second game, which we saw after a great pre-game tailgate catered by SmoQ’n Hot Grill owned by Hotelie David Smith ’81 . Nick Salpekar ’96 of Highland Fine Wine and Alan LeBlanc ’84 , who owns Bold Monk Brewing Company, provided wine and beer. Robert Mandelbam ’81 and Mike Fleury ’78 were great hosts for the event! Cornell did take the third game!

The Class of 2023 Commencement weekend was sublime … a string of rare sunny days when Cornell truly is the most beautiful campus on earth. Maria Gallo Ashbrook ’85

Erin O’Connor writes, “ Gail Fink is the CEMS Program Director at Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and she travels every December to participate in the graduation ceremonies of her students. CEMS is a global alliance of leading business schools, multinational companies, and NGOs that together offer the CEMS Master’s in International Management. Gail’s friends look forward to attaching their adventures to her travels. This year graduation was in London, so several of us made a trip to enjoy the Cotswolds together. Linda Kao , Susan Herlands Holland and husband Ron Preville, Jim , DVM ’90, and Cheryl Senecal Smith , and me and my partner, Brian Garrett , rented a fabulous Airbnb called the Scotland End Barn in the town of Banbury-Hook Norton for a few days of fun, togetherness, and exploration. Driving was a challenge: thanks to Jim and Ron especially for avoiding oncoming traffic in the wrong lane and near misses with wildlife.

“We visited several towns (and yes, tried to find where the Beckhams lived) with lovely names like Cheltenham, Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, and Chipping Norton. When in England, one must have Sunday roast, and we booked at the Horse and Groom in Bourton-on-the-Hill. Even though we first landed at two different places in the Cotswolds with the same name, we eventually all made it to the same pub and delighted in a very tasty, traditional meal.

“We took full advantage of leaving the car at the BnB and walking to the local venues in our base hometown, but the best had to be our trivia night at the Pear Tree Inn. Naming our team ‘The Yanks,’ we competed with four local teams. When we arrived, the very young bartender texted his mom to hurry and get there because ‘a lot of Americans just showed up.’ A wild time was spent trying to outguess our competitors and the game was tight. We were victorious and became the ‘Damn Yankees’!

“It was such a fabulous time—so wonderful to continue to connect with friends we made when we were so young and have continued to connect with over the years. We mean something to each other, all beginning with our landing in each other’s spheres at our beloved university. Turning 60 in 2023 turned out to be a fantastic celebration that lasted the whole year as we crossed this milestone together.”

Please be sure to send me your news and make a plan to come to Reunion next year! ❖ Joyce Zelkowitz Cornett ( email Joyce ) | Alumni Directory .

My mailbox brings but a few notes from classmates, but lucky for you I have had many Cornell interactions since the start of the New Year.

Our two classmates who wrote in likely had time because they both joined the ranks of the retirees! Elsa Waymer Dempsey retired from technology sales last year and continues to enjoy the good life in Florida. She has been in her husband’s hometown of Venice, FL, for the last 30 years. She and her husband enjoy tennis, gardening, and traveling with their twin daughters, Laura and Erica. Elsa has fond memories of her many friends from field hockey, lacrosse, Pi Phi, and even engineering classes.

Chris Arbogast wanted us to know that, since retiring from software engineering last summer, he has been spending his time sprucing up his home in Nevada.

For many of us, 2024 will bring the opportunity to celebrate an important birthday (if we have not celebrated it already). I wrote this column on February 29, having turned the big SIX-O yesterday. The celebration of Toby-Fest began last month when my husband, Robert Mandelbaum ’81 , and I celebrated our quasiquicentennial (125th) birthday together by hosting a dinner for our friends. We were joined by Steve Kirson from our class, as well as Lynn Mandelbaum ’77 , David Smith ’81 , Jack Chen ’84 , MD ’88, Kathryn Whitbourne ’85 , Frank Goldman ’87 , JD ’94, and Tim , MPS ’88 , and Karen Burkhart Dick , MBA ’13 . Two weeks later, we joined Lori Goldwasser Leiman and her husband, Jose, and Barry Greenblatt ’85 and his bride, Karen, on a brief but celebratory voyage to the Bahamas. Lori, Karen, and I have known each other for over 50 years and have birthdays within six weeks of one another. The winner of the year’s best Facebook birthday greeting was Mark Katz , who likes to remind me of the great fire in Low Rise 9 in December 1982. Mark wrote: “Happy milestone birthday, Toby! Whatever you do, don’t put the appropriate number of candles on a cake and leave the room unattended.” Don’t worry, Mark—there was but one candle on my ice cream scoop last night.

I was thrilled to meet former Big Red pitcher Rob Nelson ’71 , the creator of Big League Chew. Toby Goldsmith ’86

This past weekend, the Cornell Alumni Association of Atlanta hosted the Cornell baseball team when they played a three-game series against Georgia Tech. Families and alumni were treated to tasty tailgating events hosted by David Smith ’81 and Nick Salpekar ’96 . Our team ended on a high note, likely buoyed by the wonderful dinner hosted by Alan LeBlanc ’84 on Saturday night at his restaurant, Bold Monk Brewing Company. The dinner was attended by several members of the 1991 ball team who were the last to play against Georgia Tech. I was thrilled to meet former Big Red pitcher Rob Nelson ’71 , the creator of Big League Chew.

I am very lucky to live in a community with a very active Cornell Club with a variety of events being held throughout the year that offer the opportunity to build friendships with Cornellians from a variety of classes. I hope this column inspires you to write your class correspondents with tales of your 60th birthday bashes and Cornell events. ❖ Toby Goldsmith ( email Toby ) | Lori Spydell Wagner ( email Lori ) | Michael Wagner ( email Michael ) | Alumni Directory .

Welcome to another edition of “What are my classmates up to and why haven’t I sent an update to Whitney and Liz?” Just a reminder that our classmates want to know what you are doing—and a reminder that it doesn’t need to be a major life event! Here’s the latest from my inbox.

Jill Feasley wrote that she and Diane Hirschhorn recently completed RAGBRAI, a 500-plus-mile bike ride across the entire State of Iowa. “After graduation, we promised to visit each other in person at least once a year. For a long time, she would visit me in D.C., or I would visit her on the West Coast. When we turned 40, she suggested we could ‘go somewhere else.’ So, I came up with a 50-year plan to visit all 50 states alphabetically and this year we are up to Iowa. We hope to visit Wyoming when we are 90!”

Jeff Cohen just returned from his annual skip trip out west (Park City this year) with a whole bunch of Kappa Sigs. Those joining Jeff this year included Barry Silverman , Brian Kraff , Dave Alexander , Dave Price , David Andrade , Gabe Boyar , Greg Kennedy , Gregg Rockower , Joe Gottlieb , Randy Wolpert ’86 , Jay Goldstein ’86 , and Rick Bullotta ’84 , BS ’85. In Jeff’s own words, “It’s good to know that even while all of us have grown up, and life has steered us in different directions, we can all interact with each other as if we were all sophomores living in the house together. We just go to bed much earlier.”

Lisa Rathmann Stewart and husband Mike enjoyed catching up in person with several Tri Delta classmates during their 52-day national parks road trip in June/July 2023 from San Diego, CA, to Minneapolis, MN, in their Toyota Sienna “converted” minivan. Unbeknownst to them, Taylor Swift was in concert in Minneapolis the same weekend as Lisa’s Kiwanis Convention, which made walking the streets of Minneapolis a bit more colorful seeing the “Swifties” in costume. While in Minneapolis they enjoyed visiting with Kate St. Vincent Vogl and Debbie Brown ’88 and their spouses. Heading west, they stopped in Moscow, ID, for a visit with Lisa’s parents, Dan ’56 , BChemE ’57, and Pat Lasky Rathmann ’59 . Lisa and Mike ended their road trip with a visit with Tri Delta classmates Chris Neimeth Heijenga and Heidi Heasley Ford and their spouses in Mt. Hood, OR. In July 2024, the Stewarts are looking forward to their next road trip destination in Denver, CO, where they plan to connect with Karen McBride Cleary and Dianne DeMallie in Colorado Springs while exploring the national parks in Colorado. Lisa says, “It’s been so much fun to connect with Tri Deltas while on the road. I highly recommend this as a retirement activity!”

Jill Feasley ’87 and Diane Hirschhorn ’87 recently completed a 500-plus-mile bike ride across the entire State of Iowa.

Alexa Coin Florence shared that she continues to enjoy her staging and design work, including overseeing the design of their new brewery (Great River Brewery) in downtown Davenport, IA. This is a reboot after flooding forced them to close in 2019. “I did manage to perform in one show last February, Barefoot in the Park ; it was a blast and I hope to find (and get cast in) some other production this year. We spend a lot of time with and caring for our elderly parents. While difficult, we cherish this remaining time we have with them. We took two great family trips last year: spring break in New Orleans and in August, Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna. Scott ’88 and I also have tried to go on quarterly long-weekend getaways that have really helped us take a break from our daily responsibilities/concerns.” Their oldest child, Ben, lives in NYC and works for Broadbeam Media. He’s also founded a startup and his own marketing group. Alexa’s youngest, Gabe, is a sophomore at Iowa State University, studying culinary food science. Scott continues to work on growing their business—pizza and specialty baking lines—while they work on reopening their brewery.

Joanne Cappucci Penne , MBA ’93, has been enjoying her work as an independent strategy and innovation consultant for the last 10 years for the Innovation Umbrella . Her oldest, Matt, is a sophomore (engineer) at Vanderbilt, and her youngest, Grace, is a sophomore in high school (with a driver’s license, so out the door every day …). Their 2023 highlight is that they are now a TWO-dog family. Luna is a beautiful 3-year-old Lab, and Toaster is a scrappy, cute rescue. They are inseparable and adorable and provide ongoing entertainment!

Our class council continues to sponsor online webinars to keep us informed, connected, and involved. I hope you will join one in the future and spread the word to your classmates. Keep in touch and continue to share your news by emailing either of us: ❖ Whitney Weinstein Goodman ( email Whitney ) | Liz Brown, JD ’90 ( email Liz ) | Alumni Directory .

Greetings, Class of ’88! I want to start out this column by inviting you to join our Class of ’88 Facebook group . It is a great way to stay in touch with our class, reconnect with old friends, and be the first to hear about upcoming events.

Now, onto the latest news from both near and far. Cindy Bishop Christian and her husband, Joe, moved to Tucson, AZ, in November 2020 from Minneapolis, MN. They recently finished a kitchen renovation and are working on landscaping their surroundings, filled with beautiful cactus plants. They love biking, the Sonoran Desert, and beautiful sunsets. Cindy still works at her family business, Brick Meets Click. Her son, Sean, is an avid competitive cyclist, and he attends Arizona State University online so he can race in Europe with Aevolo and USA Cycling U23 teams. Her daughter, Anna, attends Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA, and also races on her university cycling team. Cindy joined the Cornell Club of Southern Arizona and invites any classmates living in the area to join.

Back on Cornell’s Ithaca campus, Beth Milles , associate professor of Performing and Media Arts, directed the production of Desdemona in the fall to celebrate the 30th anniversary of famed Cornellian Toni Morrison , MA ’55 ’s Nobel Prize. Beth is the founder of Banter Company, which adapts classical theater shows for the modern audience. She joined the Cornell faculty in 2001. During the span of her theatrical career, Beth has guest lectured at Harvard University, Brown University, the University of Texas, Austin, Southern Connecticut State University, and Loyola Marymount University. We look forward to hearing about more upcoming theatrical productions.

Harlan Protass writes in from New York City, where he is a criminal defense lawyer and runs his own firm. He is also an adjunct professor at Cardozo School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on federal sentencing guidelines. He has two kids, a daughter, 8, and a son, 10, with his wife who is a literature professor at the CUNY Graduate Center. Every January for the past dozen years, Harlan returns to Ithaca to attend a hockey game with his Alpha Sigma Phi (Rockledge) brothers. “We spend the weekend laughing.” Harlan also noted that “the level of development in Collegetown is a bit shocking. It’s virtually unrecognizable from the 1980s. And, sadly, none of our watering holes still exist.”

Andrew Turner ’88 , MPS ’93, has been appointed the director of Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Speaking of Cornell’s hockey team: Save the date for the next Frozen Apple hockey game on November 30, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It’s a wonderful event to get together with fellow Cornellians and cheer on our men’s hockey team. This year’s game was well attended by ’88s and Cornellians from other graduating years.

News flash from Ithaca: Andrew Turner , MPS ’93, has been appointed the director of Cornell Cooperative Extension and associate dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Human Ecology. He began his five-year term on December 1, 2023. In his new role, Andrew will oversee the development and setup of several programs including food systems, nutrition, and sustainable energy for Cornell Cooperative Extension, which has a presence in every county in the State of New York. For the past few years, he has worked with and led the New York State 4-H youth development programs. Good luck, Andrew, in your new position on Cornell’s Ithaca campus.

Traci Nagle earned her PhD in linguistics at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. After teaching for a couple of years, she realized “teaching was not my passion,” so she shifted to administration and now works in the research development office at Indiana University, where she works with faculty to get funding for their research. Recently, Traci was at a conference in Denver and she hung out with Larry Goldman at the beautiful botanical gardens. During Reunion weekend, she was thrilled to reconnect with her freshman roommate Sue Henry Muldoon . They laughed and danced the night away with Jake White and his wife, Sharon Rose. Last fall, Traci spent a weekend in New York City with Lori May and Gail Frieden Le Coz . Lori lives in Columbus, OH, and works as a business analyst for a corporate credit union. Meanwhile, Gail was visiting from her home in London. Together they enjoyed two Broadway shows and dined on New York style-bagels.

That’s all for now from Toronto, Canada, where the spring flowers are blooming. Please keep sending your news to me. I love hearing from our classmates both near and far. ❖ Pamela Darer Anderson ( email Pam ) | Alumni Directory .

As this issue of Cornellians is released, we are about one month away from Reunion 2024! Our indefatigable Reunion chairs— Shannon Gallivan Bol , Carol Borack Copenhaver , Debbie Schaffel , and Dave Scher —have been working for months already. Menus are planned, entertainment is scheduled, housing is being finalized. And the dust is about to be blown gently off the ancient tome containing the magic sunshine spell that is always cast immediately before the planes land and the cars pull into Ithaca. So check your calendar now. There’s just enough time. Come back and visit the Straight—the true home of facetime. “Test” the Suspension Bridge. Listen to the Chimes. (“Groovy Kind of Love” anyone? Maybe not …) Join the rest of us for what is sure to be an all-too-brief weekend of fun, relaxation, great memories, and old friends (plus plenty of new ones too because everyone has at least one very Big Red thing in common).

Now for a wee bit of news from our classmates. (At Reunion you get and share lots and lots of news, by the way.)

One of our illustrious Reunion chairs, Shannon Gallivan Bol (a woman with the heart of an explorer), writes, “I love when road trips take you to places where you have friends! I saw Carol Borack Copenhaver last fall and I also got to visit with Denise Host , who lives in Suwannee, GA. I recently relocated to New Jersey as the result of a new job. I’m excited to be living near many Cornell friends, including Karen Leshowitz Colonna and Michele Dowling Johnson . I started working for Prime Healthcare as regional vice president, managed care. I’m responsible for region two, which is basically the Northeast with hospitals in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.”

Another faithful attendee of Reunions past, Doug Merrill , ME ’90, MBA ’91, recently joined the University of Vermont as its regional innovation officer. In this role, Doug leads the GaN Semiconductor Tech Hub that was designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce in October 2023. Doug is looking forward to helping UVM integrate more fully with the technology and manufacturing firms in the region. Doug and Lisa (Peskin) ’90 have lived in Shelburne, VT, for 18 years. Older son Alex ’21 , ME ’21, just moved to Seattle to start a new job with SpaceX. Younger son Jack ’24 is in his senior year at Cornell, studying computer science. Doug and Lisa are fortunate to have Chris Ford and Emily and Bill Kallock ’90 living nearby and see them often in the Green Mountains or on Lake Champlain.

Lisa Spellman Porter ’89 has received numerous awards, including the National Science Foundation Career Award.

Lisa Spellman Porter has also shared that she has a new professional position—associate dean for faculty and graduate affairs for the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, where she has been on faculty since 1997. In this new role, Lisa provides strategic direction and manages matters related to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty in the college. Upon hearing this news, I let my fingers wander around the old Internet a bit and learned some things that the ever-modest and unassuming Lisa did not go out of her way to share. For instance, she has received numerous awards during her career, including the National Science Foundation Career Award, Visiting Professor for Women in the Engineering Sciences awarded by the Swedish Research Council, and the Carnegie Mellon Order of the May. According to Dean Bill Sanders, “Lisa is an exceptionally thoughtful and effective leader who has built strong working relationships across campus and has demonstrated exceptional commitment to Carnegie Mellon and the broader academic community.”

And lastly, Melinda Fellner took advantage of the online news form to share the following: “I am thrilled to announce my youngest son Simon’s acceptance to the College of Arts and Sciences for the Class of 2028! Simon follows his brother Miles ’25 and his brother Harry ’22 ! I am the chair of the tax department at Carter Ledyard and Milburn in New York City. Best to all in 2024!”

Thanks for the good wishes and for using the online news form , Melinda! We hope you all will spend a minute or two filling out the form to let us know what you’ve been up to (work, hobbies, day-to-day life, etc.), what’s giving you the most satisfaction lately, what some of your favorite Cornell memories are, and any other bits and pieces that fill us in on you. We’re eager to hear! ❖ Kris Borovicka Gerig ( email Kris ) | Anne Czaplinski Treadwell ( email Anne ) | Lauren Kidder McGarry ( email Lauren ) | Stephanie Bloom Avidon ( email Stephanie ) | Alumni Directory .

We start this column with a message from class president Caroline Misciagna Sussman : “Calling all classmates! Dust off your devices—it is time to start planning for our 35th Reunion—and we need you! Reunion 2025 will be a doubly significant one since we were unable to hold an in-person gathering in 2020. We are anticipating a huge turnout, and we want the event to be like no other!

“It will be 10 years since we have had the opportunity to come together as a class. With all that has changed in the world since 2015, we feel a heightened sense of urgency to make this Reunion truly exceptional from every angle, and we would greatly appreciate your help in doing so. The spectacular plan we had in place for 2020 will serve as a launching point for Reunion 2025. Mark your calendars, save the date: June 5–8, 2025, and help us create an unforgettable weekend of memory making!”

Our class council and Reunion chairs are gearing up for the Reunion planning kickoff meeting on October 5. We’ve got a lot to do before then, namely fundraising and building social media connections. If you would like to help with Reunion planning, please contact one of our Reunion chairs, Dave Coyne or Elinor Langfelder Schwind . If you have stayed well-connected and can help build our affinity group and class connections on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms, contact class correspondent Rose Tanasugarn or web community manager Kristyn Benzinger Whitney . If you can serve on the fundraising committee and contact classmates to encourage contributions to our class, please contact Cornell Annual Fund co-chair Karen Mitchell . They can all be reached at cornellclass90@gmail.com .

Last fall, Karen became chief human resources officer at Newmark, a NYC commercial real estate advisory firm. She and husband Rob Chodock ’89 plan to celebrate both their 25th anniversary and son Hudson’s bar mitzvah in southern Spain, where Rob spent a semester abroad. Karen regularly catches up with our Chi Omega sisters Maria Scaltro , MBA ’02, Kristen Alloway Sokol , Alisa “Gil” Gilhooley Brown , Marla Spindel , Jennifer Radner Elgin , and Tracy Dillmann Kulikowski at her house in Rhode Island or during their annual trip to Mexico.

In February, I caught up with Cornell Asian Alumni Association secretary Ivan Sim ’95 and vice president of community engagement Charles Wu ’91 at a rain-postponed Cornell Cares beach clean-up. About 20 Cornellians, family, and friends from the Cornell Club of Los Angeles gathered at Cabrillo Beach to help Heal the Bay, an environmental nonprofit organization that has been dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy, and clean since 1985.

Representing the U.S. at the 2013 and 2017 World Maccabiah Games in Israel, Monte Frank ’90 , JD ’93, won four silver medals and two bronze medals.

Angel Orengo and I belatedly celebrated our February birthdays over breakfast at Plateia on the UCLA campus. I met Angel’s lovely wife, Rocio Aquino, and although it was the first time I had met them, I felt an instant connection. It turns out that Angel and his family lived in Hong Kong for six years during his time with Sony Pictures. They occasionally visited Osaka and Kyoto, as Angel supervised a distribution sales team in Japan. They are the proud parents of incoming freshman Mia Orengo. Angel and Rocio co-authored a book called The Orchid: The Secret Code of Modern Goddesses , a unique work about emotional resilience, female solidarity, and the power of self-reflection, in that it also allows readers to become active participants in their own personal journeys in growth, home, and self-love. They look forward to meeting Cornellians across the country as they start their book tour to spread their message of positivity—“this or something better, for the highest good of all concerned,” she says, which closely echoes Ezra’s words and the theme of Cornell’s current fundraising campaign, “to do the greatest good.”

Jane Hyun has been on TV, on podcasts, and in print media, addressing the impact of anti-Asian violence and hate crimes affecting Asian Americans in the workplace and in their communities. In April, she launched Leadership Toolkit for Asians , a follow-up to her book Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling . In-person events will be taking place at the Cornell Club of New York and other Cornell clubs, so keep your eyes and ears open. Jane looks forward to helping Asian leaders build their capability to lead and influence by embracing their cultural strengths and mapping achievable career paths. Last year, she launched the “Culturally Fluent Leader Academy,” a virtual and in-person learning experience. Jane has also been an advisor to the diversity council for the American Heart Association.

Monte Frank , JD ’93, received the John Eldred Shields Professional Service Award from the Connecticut Bar Association in recognition of his many years of outstanding service for the benefit of the legal community and the community at large. Monte serves on the American Bar Association’s Advisory Commission to the Task Force for American Democracy and serves as a special advisor to the ABA’s committee on gun violence. An avid cyclist, Monte competes on the road and in mountain bike and cyclocross races throughout the Northeast and Canada. Representing the U.S. at the 2013 and 2017 World Maccabiah Games in Israel, he won four silver medals and two bronze medals. He founded and led Team 26 on the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington (2013–19).

In closing this column, a heartfelt congratulations to David Cohen for his successful re-election to District 4 of the San Jose City Council! You can learn about all the great things David is doing for his community here .

Please let us know how you’re doing the greatest good in your neighborhood! ❖ Rose Tanasugarn ( email Rose ) | Nancy Solomon Weiss ( email Nancy ) | Allan Rousselle ( email Allan ) | Class Facebook page | Alumni Directory .

Family and friends, turkey and football, and … Cornell Big Red hockey at NYC’s Madison Square Garden have become an annual tradition for many during Thanksgiving break. About 100 classmates, friends, and family members joined our class block of seats to re-live the Lynah Faithful traditions and see Cornell play the latest “Safe-ty school! Safe-ty school!”: Boston University.

I ( Joe Marraccino ) found myself there among the spirited sea of red, including friends Michael Clifford ’90 , BS ’91, Chris and Joyce Martir Dugan ’90 , Thomas Greenberg , Sanjeev Dhawan , Jeff Weintraub , MD ’95, Alix Mellis-Brown , John Martin , Andrew Stein ’90 , and Glenn Haber ’92 . I caught up with some of our other hockey enthusiast classmates too.

Eapen Chandy , MBA ’97, graduated with an electrical engineering degree followed by an MBA in ’97, and lives in South Glastonbury, CT, with his wife and four children, ages 20, 18, and 15-year-old twins. Eapen shared a picture taken more than 10 years ago of his uniformly smiling family in the stands. “I am passionate about sports, including Cornell hockey, and it has been an annual family tradition to see a game either in New Haven, CT, or at MSG!” Eapen also loves his music, mostly classic rock, and his career “has been spent largely in financial services. Currently I serve as the treasurer of Coalition Inc., a cyber insurance startup, which is exciting at this stage of my life.” Glad to see Eapen doing well; his life is anything but “Bor-ing! Bor-ing!”

Kulravee Puttharuksa Keegan is a self-proclaimed “suburban hockey mom.” She graduated from the College of Human Ecology with a major in human development and family studies, and currently lives in Eastchester, NY, where she is a practicing physician. Kulravee has been to a number of games throughout the years. “My son and his friends play youth hockey, so they enjoy going, and get a kick out of the cheers, taunts, and Big Red traditions!” The family’s favorite taunt? “It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!” Of course it is.

I am passionate about sports, including Cornell hockey, and it has been an annual family tradition to see a game either in New Haven, CT, or at MSG! Eapen Chandy ’91 , MBA ’97

Loretta Dougherty Gallo just attended her first Cornell hockey game at MSG, perhaps the start of an annual tradition! Loretta, an animal science major back on the Hill, shared, “I am originally from the Bronx and now live in Pelham, NY, with my husband, Fred ’90 , and our 10-year-old twins, Josh and Hannah. I am a veterinarian and in my (ha ha) free time I enjoy reading and attending my son’s hockey games and my daughter’s horseback riding lessons.” Loretta and family followed the game intently. “It was especially great to be able to share it with our kids, since our son is a goalie playing for Pelham Youth Hockey and Ian Shane ’25 played an amazing game in goal for the Big Red!”

I agree, Ian is no “Sieve! Sieve!” We may see him more regularly at MSG and other professional hockey arenas soon. Loretta and Fred are hoping to continue other Cornell traditions. “The joke in our house is that we won’t force Josh and Hannah to choose Cornell, but with seven undergraduate schools to choose from, why wouldn’t they!?”

The good news is that we all went home happy. “Warm up the bus! Warm up the bus!” Cornell won a thriller against BU. Whether you have attended this annual game in the past or are looking to start a new Thanksgiving tradition, hope to see you with the “Rocket’s ‘RED!’ Glare” next time around!

Got news to share? Use the online news form or feel free to contact one of us directly: ❖ Joe Marraccino ( email Joe ) | Evelyn Achuck Yue ( email Evelyn ) | Susie Curtis Schneider ( email Susie ) | Ruby Wang Pizzini ( email Ruby ) | Wendy Milks Coburn ( email Wendy ) | Alumni Directory .

Paul Sung Bang Yang , ME ’95, enjoys spending time with his family and close friends, as well as visiting and reconnecting with places where he has spent time over his lifetime. He is working in virtual reality, augmented reality, metaverse, and education. He started a global leadership program and is working with real estate developers and making films. His favorite memories of Cornell are spending time with friends, enjoying a good meal, collaborating on projects, watching movies, enjoying the campus, and getting to know some of the professors.

Melissa Ditmore ’90 , BA ’92, writes that the paperback edition of her book, Unbroken Chains: The Hidden Role of Human Trafficking in the American Economy , was released April 30.

Matt Hutcheson , MS ’95, invites you to join him, Jason Markel ’93 , and Doug McGhee online to play the multiplayer game Galactic Trader for free. Enjoy early ’90s Cornell nostalgia flying around the galactic universe, trading luxuries, and battling Thargoids!

John and Janine Blanchard Huber have relocated to Indianapolis, IN. John serves as head of school at Sycamore School, a PS-8 independent coed day school, serving the needs of academically gifted students. The family is planning a visit to Ithaca as the youngest considers college choices!

Brad Minnich has enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood. He specializes in visual effects (CGI), which has allowed him to work on recent films like Batman , Aquaman , Justice League , and many others. His career has taken him around the world to shoot many movies through Europe, Africa, and India. He and his wife, Kiesha, have celebrated 24 years together. They have two inspirational daughters, Laila, 17, and MiaSol, 15, who are leaders in their school and captains of the high school volleyball teams. He enjoys staying in contact with many Cornell alumni and remembers his days on the Hill often—especially being introduced to filmmaking, which help shaped his entire life!

Finally, Amy Frome Saperstein shares that the Cornell Class of ’92 officers organized a cocktail hour in NYC at Effy’s Café on the Upper East Side. About 30 alums gathered and reminisced about their days at Cornell. Most of the group lives in Manhattan but some came from Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Everyone agreed that more cocktail hours should be planned in the future! ❖ Sarah Ballow Clauss ( email Sarah ) | Wilma Ann Thomas Anderson ( email Wilma Ann ) | Jean Kintisch ( email Jean ) | Alumni Directory .

Classmates, how are you? No, really. I am writing this in February, hoping with every ounce of my being that when you are reading this in May, there is genuine peace in the world and on our campus, with open, constructive communication and support for outlets and oases of healthy socialization.

Our ’93 magician extraordinaire Steve Cohen is still bringing it in NYC at the Lotte New York Palace: you never know who you might sit next to at his show, “Chamber Magic”! Recent guests include actors Cate Blanchett and New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Steve’s new book, Confronting Magic , is now available. It has a sensational foreword by Academy Award-winning film director Guillermo del Toro, and according to the website, “If you’ve been to the show there’s a good chance your photo is included!” Explore his website for info on the book, tickets, and more.

Our class president, Mike McMahon , just returned from an epic trip to New Zealand: “Great trip, highly recommended!” He and our former ’93 president Earl Pinto organized social events for our class officers who reunited in Baltimore, MD, in February for the annual Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference. Please consider joining our class council; we would love to welcome more of you to the party and the planning!

Thank you to our council member Pamela Fabrizio Barry , who shared that she recently reunited with Yvette Politis to celebrate the anniversary of fellow Cornellian Amy Zura Neary ’95 . Tamar Dolgen connects with classmates Jackie Finkel Kauff and Tracy Newman Porosoff as they serve together on Cornell Hillel’s board.

Grateful to Tamar for sharing her recent life update: “After decades of working with startups, global brands, and nonprofits, I transitioned my marketing and communication expertise into college and career advising. I run my own firm, Go Future Advising, and work with the nonprofit Step Ahead Idaho.” Congratulations, Tamar!

Classmates, please connect to share your updates, reunions, or milestones, or for any reason at all (Big Red or not). Take care, and please share. ❖ Melissa Hart Moss, JD ’97 ( email Melissa ) | Mia Blackler ( email Mia ) | Theresa Flores ( email Theresa ) | Alumni Directory .

Happy spring/summer, everyone! I hope all of you plan on going to our Reunion, June 6–9! Thirty years is no joke!

One of our fellow classmates was planning on working in one of the tents on the Arts Quad for Reunion. Derek Edinger , ME ’95, writes, “My wife, Stacey (Girard) ’95 , and I quit our regular day jobs (aerospace and hotel, respectively) back in 2020 and opened Brewery Ardennes in Geneva, NY, in 2021. It’s never too late to make a crazy career change and pursue your passion.”

Paul Bamundo also has a new job update; he recently became CEO of the National Pickleball League (NPL). In this role, Paul will lead this premier league of Champions Division (age 50+) professional pickleball players in its second year in 2024. Paul notes: “It is nice to be the young person in the organization now that I am 50 years old myself! I look forward to seeing many of you as the NPL tours the country this year.” I am sure that many 1994 alums have tried pickleball already at some point!

Lastly, Jarrid Whitney shared some career news of his own. “This past fall, I started a new job at Dartmouth College as the inaugural assistant vice president of enrollment for access strategy. This is a ‘full-circle’ moment for me and my family as I started my admissions career there nearly 29 years ago being on the frontlines of diversity recruitment, met my future wife in that same office, and now have the privilege to be a thought-partner with the college’s leadership on issues of which I’m most passionate. But don’t worry, CU peeps—although I may now have more Green in my wardrobe, it’s all Red whenever CU competes against Dartmouth!”

Keep sending in those updates!  You can send news to me or the other correspondents via email, Facebook, or the online news form . Best wishes for a great summer! ❖ Jennifer Rabin Marchant ( email Jennifer ) | Dika Lam ( email Dika ) | Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik ( email Dineen ) | Alumni Directory .

More 50th birthday stories kick off this month’s column! Elizabeth Leff writes that in March 2023, she and Lauren Blick Rotko , Stephanie Cosner , Jennifer Damashek Strassler , Alyse Kramarow , Stacy Lalin Poritzky , MBA ’00, and Jennifer Stevens Dickson carried on their once-every-five-years girls’ weekend tradition, celebrating the big 50th birthdays in Palm Springs together, including amazing hikes in Joshua Tree National Park. She also had a big birthday bash in Brooklyn, NY, co-hosted by Holly White , with help from her sister, Bonnie Leff ’91 .

The year also saw some work-related changes for Elizabeth—including a new role in the U.N., where she has worked since 2005 (first at UNDP and then at the U.N. Secretariat), leading the team in the Under Secretary General’s office that helps improve how operational support is provided across the organization. In the fall, she also saw off her husband, whom she met at the U.N., on an assignment to Kyiv, Ukraine. Though his assignment in a country at war causes stress, at least it also provides opportunities to meet up in Europe during his R&R, which they already took advantage of—visiting 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe in a whirlwind trip over the holidays, bringing the number of countries she has visited to 109.

Stephanie Cosner sent in some exciting news of her own as well—she was recently appointed provost at Simmons University, following her role as dean for six years and, prior to that, her work as a tenured professor at Boston College.

Anne Catlin Johnson reports some big-time 50th birthday celebrations, starting in July of last year (her actual birthday was in December!). Writes Anne, “In thinking about how I wanted to celebrate, I realized that the people were more important than the activities or venues, and then went big on plans with great friends! I planned and executed a European adventure with five of my friends from grade school, starting with a glorious cava-soaked spin through Barcelona before proceeding to Geneva and finally Paris. Everyone had a blast, and the trip went off with nary a hitch, so now I am thinking about becoming a boutique travel guide as my next act—message me if you’re looking for an excellent tour leader! In August, we moved daughter Natalie to Colby College (Maine) via a Springsteen concert in Boston—after 40 years of fandom, I finally got to see the Boss! Somehow, I had never seen Billy Joel either, so I went to his show in Baltimore with Matt , ME ’96, and Alison Torrillo French in October, right after taking my dad out to the ballpark for the first game of the ALDS (O’s lost; still a good game).

“Just before Thanksgiving, we headed south to Margaritaville at Sea with another grade-school friend and her family—a short but very fun cruise! The almost-finale week started on December 6 with the musical SIX in Denver, a cooking class on December 7, and Las Vegas on December 8–9 to see U2 at the Sphere with Edie Marshall ’96 . On Sunday, I hiked the 50 Year Trail in Oro Valley, AZ, with my best friend from seventh grade, who is one day older than I am, before we headed to Miraval on my actual birthday for some spa/healing time. A crazy day trip to NYC to see Some Like it Hot before it closed happened on the 20th before we headed to Steamboat for skiing. The last hurrah was a Disney World weekend in mid-January with two more friends from way back. I’m still teaching engineering at the Air Force Academy as a reservist but am planning my winter home in Tucson since retirement and the empty nest are right around the corner!”

In August, we moved daughter Natalie to Colby College (Maine) via a Springsteen concert in Boston—after 40 years of fandom, I finally got to see the Boss! Anne Catlin Johnson ’95

Also stretching out the big 5-0 was Mindy Goodman Sickle , whose celebration started 50 days before her birthday in June. Writes Mindy, “My husband and kids gave me a small gift every day leading up to my birthday. My friends and family, including Sara Ende Masri ’96 , pitched in on certain days. I then had a few small celebrations with family and friends. The celebrations culminated in a trip to Curaçao with my husband and no kids. It was exactly what I wanted.” Mindy and her husband currently live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and have three kids: Preston, 19, a first-year student at Syracuse; Jordyn, 18, a senior in high school heading to Tufts next year; and Spencer, 15, a sophomore. “Raising kids here is challenging and rewarding,” she says. “My kids went to three different high schools in three different boroughs; they’ve been traveling around the city via public transportation since they were in sixth grade, and my two oldest got their driver’s licenses at 17 so they can be our ‘Uber’ driver home after a night out!”

Now for some non-birthday related arts and culture news! Brett Schwartz shared that on November 11, he was awarded an Emmy at the 65th Annual Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards presented by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He won the award for his film, Raised Up West Side, in the category of Outstanding Achievement for Documentary–Cultural.

Best-selling children’s author Michelle Knudsen released her new picture book, Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten , on March 5, 2024. It’s illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, who illustrated her book Library Lion , and she is very excited to share it with readers.

And, of course, we cannot let a column go by without a shout-out to another Cornell legacy! Melissa Biren Singer shared that she and husband Scott ’94 ’s younger daughter, Jordana, was accepted to the Cornell Class of ’28 (human development major in CHE). She will be joining her older sister, Kayla ’25 , who has been loving her Cornell experience. Writes Melissa, “We are looking forward to the girls having a year together on campus and will be visiting as much as they will let us!”

Stay connected and safe, classmates. ❖ Alison Torrillo French ( email Alison ) | Class website | Class Facebook page | Class Instagram page | Alumni Directory .

Registered dietitian nutritionist Frances Largeman-Roth has recently published a cookbook called Everyday Snack Tray , which, in the words of the subtitle, offers Easy Ideas and Recipes for Boards That Nourish for Moments Big and Small . There are tips for snack trays to suit a wide variety of occasions—including playdates, tailgates, romantic get-togethers, and various holidays—as well as guidelines on how to make them more nutritionally sound.

Frances is a contributor to several publications, including Today.com , Parents, Parade , and Shape , and has appeared on the “Today” show, the “Dr. Oz Show,” the “Rachael Ray Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Access Hollywood Live,” QVC, CNN, and more. She is a member of the James Beard Foundation and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Frances, her husband, and their three kids live north of Manhattan, in Dobbs Ferry, NY. To learn more, visit her website or follow her on Instagram . ❖ Janine Abrams Rethy ( email Janine ) | Marjorie Polycarpe Jean-Paul ( email Marjorie ) | Catherine Oh Bonita ( email Catherine ) | Alumni Directory .

Couples’ therapist Alison Bulman recently offered sage advice to Big Red alums in a Cornellians story about mindful communication. “The key is getting to a place of compassion toward your partner. And you do that by getting curious about what it’s like to be them, putting yourself in their shoes—in other words, empathy,” she says. “The idea is to approach each other with acceptance and talk about what it’s like between us right now . In our society, we talk way too much about things—work, the weather, surface stuff. We talk very little about our feelings. If we talk about what’s happening between us right now, we’re going to feel much closer to the other person, much more intimate.” Based in the New York metro area, Alison holds a master’s in social work from NYU and practices online therapy. She also hosts couples’ workshops and offers an online course designed to promote intimacy, among other offerings.

I hope you all took the time to fill out and return the Share Your News form that was recently mailed to you. If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late! Please do send us your news—via the hard-copy form or the online news form —so our future class columns can be full of news from all of you. Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear it! ❖ Sarah Deardorff Carter ( email Sarah ) | Erica Broennle Nelson ( email Erica ) | Alumni Directory .

Having celebrated our 25th Reunion on campus last June, many of us are celebrating our 30th high school reunion this year! Reunions, official or not, are always great opportunities to reconnect with friends, reflect on the lessons we have learned, and recommit to continued growth. The Class of 1998 has much to celebrate with family and friends, and this column is the place to share all the great and fun things we have accomplished.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brett Walker recently wrote an article featuring our classmate Jamie Critelli and his work as a U.S. Army Major of the 353rd Civil Affairs Command (CACOM). Here is a snippet: “Food supply chains and the associated effects on future military operations is one of the many nuanced civil-military fields in which the soldiers of the 353rd CACOM provide expertise to the U.S. military. Maj. Gustavo Ferreira and Maj. Jamie Critelli of the 353rd CACOM have published nine scholarly papers on the agriculture-related limits to proposed military actions across the globe. Critelli worked his way through the ranks, having joined the Army in 1998 through Cornell University’s ROTC program.”

Jamie learned of the Army’s 38G Civil Affairs program—which provides military leadership with subject-matter experts in 18 specific fields—from a civil affairs officer while they were deployed together in Iraq. “I was the first person in the unit to put together a 38G packet,” he said. “A few months later I came across Maj. Ferreira and helped him submit a packet. Since then, I’ve put together about 40 packets for 38G. I do about two per month.” Articles that these two co-authors have published include “Does China Have Enough Food to Go to War?” and “Taiwan’s Food Resiliency—or Not—in a Conflict with China.”

Starting a new adventure? Connected with an old friend? Share your latest news with us by filling out the online news form or you can always email me. ❖ Uthica Jinvit Utano ( email Uthica ) | Alumni Directory .

Adam Ross joined law firm Keane & Beane PC on January 1, in their Long Island office in Melville, NY. Adam represents public employers in a broad range of employment-related matters. For school districts and BOCES, he provides guidance on probationary periods, tenure, recall, and performance reviews. He previously served as general counsel to the United Federation of Teachers. Congrats, Adam!

Reunion 2024 in June will feature our very own Andrew Ross Sorkin as the esteemed Olin Lecturer! Andrew is an award-winning journalist and author, CNBC “Squawk Box” co-anchor, DealBook founder/editor, and co-creator of the Showtime series “Billions.”

What is something you’re doing now that you never thought you’d be doing? What is your fondest memory of your time at Cornell? What brings you the most satisfaction these days? No matter if your news is big or small, please take a moment to write to us and stay connected with our class. ❖ Class of 1999 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello out there! I hope this little note finds you in good health and spirits. I am enjoying the warmth of the season in a new home, and, as you can imagine, it’s a busy time. It was nice to receive news from fellow alumna Katie Dealy .

In her own words: “Since June 2022, I have served as the director of engagement in the Office of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Despite lots of travel, it has been a profound honor to serve in this role, with these colleagues and during this time, particularly as we have raised awareness around the youth mental health crisis and the epidemic of loneliness. For the last 12 years, my husband, Alan Polansky, and I have lived in Evanston, IL, with our three boys (ages 15, 12, and 8). When I am not at work, and not on the sidelines of a youth sporting event or theatrical production, I’m chairing the Cornell Class of ’64 JFK Award alumni board, and playing phone tag with dear friends from Cornell days.”

That sounds incredible; thanks for sharing, Katie. What are you up to in this great, big, wide world? I’d like to read about it, and I’m sure I’m not alone. So share your story with us through the Share Your News link below, or drop me a note! ❖ Denise Williams ( email Denise ) | Alumni Directory .

As I write this update, the Cornell Daily Sun (hope you all still read this from time to time!) just published a story about the Faculty Senate voting to discontinue median grade visibility on transcripts, a practice started 15 years ago. We can add this to the list of “glad we didn’t have to deal with that back in our day” (see also: Snapchat, doxxing), which feels like a good way to appreciate entering our midlife phase.

Speaking of now-defunct initiatives that started after our time on the Hill: would you like Cornell to bring back the New Student Summer Reading Project ? (I am still meaning to read Guns, Germs, and Steel , which had kicked things off after our graduation in Summer 2001 … maybe this time?) If so, here’s a contender: Hidden Hate: The Resilience of Xenophobia by Mathew Creighton . Once merely one of our classmates, Mathew is now an associate professor in the School of Sociology at University College Dublin, a national coordinator of the European Social Survey in Ireland, and the principal investigator of a Horizon Europe project, EqualStrength , which assesses prejudice in work, childcare, and housing throughout Europe.

Fun fact: Our class has 3,593 living alumni, plus 65 “non-degreed” classmates. If you’re one of them and you’ve read this far, go to our class Facebook group or Instagram page (or find me on Linkedin: I’m the only Nicole Neroulias Gupte ) and send a message that says “tower pumpkin.”

Spotted in person: my husband, Salil Gupte , and I ran into Erin Colling Cleofe at Seattle’s University Village Apple Store over winter break, and we also met up with neighbors Chisaki Muraki and Schaun Valdovinos . Everyone’s doing a pretty good job keeping up with their outdoorsy kids, PNW style. I hope to see them again—and any other classmates around?—next month when we’re back in town again from Delhi. (P.S., for more on me and Salil, check out the Cornell Daily Sun ’s column in the new Group Notes below!)

My husband, Salil Gupte ’01 , and I ran into Erin Colling Cleofe ’01 at Seattle’s University Village Apple Store over winter break. Nicole Neroulias Gupte ’01

Spotted on social media: Eddie Perez-Cortes caught up with Michael and Susan Mueller Hanson while in D.C. over New Year’s. “The kids had a great time visiting the monuments,” he writes. Nageeb and Fatema Gunja Sumar took their kids to the Harvard-Cornell game at “Lynah East” soon afterwards. Mike Kalogiannis started a new position as “field medical, vaccines” at Pfizer. Ali Solomon Mainhart was part of an exhibit, “From Lines to Laughs: Women+ on Men” at the Society of Illustrators, in New York City—then got to celebrate her wedding anniversary with a mid-February snow day. (The best gift for a coupla teachers, amirite?)

Speaking of gifts for teachers, did you ever take a class with Prof. Juris Hartmanis? He passed away in 2022, but I’ve just come across the tribute to him penned by Ryan Williams , ME ’02, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT. An excerpt: “I don’t know why Professor Hartmanis believed in me. During that period in my life, I felt like nobody else did, and it felt odd that the Turing Award winner was the one who believed the most.” I only took one engineering school class—CS 99, convinced by Jackie Sobota that we should try to get some entry-level knowledge while working the CIT Help Desk and supervising the Mann Library computer labs!—but I’m reminded of a few of my busy teachers in Ag and Arts who also found ways to encourage students at pivotal moments. We salute you, good teachers everywhere.

And lastly, Marisa Laks , one of our class officers and a Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Equity Fellow, will be speaking at the group’s annual conference in Las Vegas in July. Check out the article she wrote for the CSTA Voice on “ Creating a Sense of Belonging in the CS Classroom .”

Don’t forget to get in touch with your local Cornell alumni group to see if they’re planning a student send-off this summer! Those are great opportunities to answer questions from anxious parents (if not the kids themselves) and network with fellow alums.

Want to share an update or a memory, or get back in touch with classmates? Interested in proposing an event or helping out with our 25th Reunion planning? Please let us know by posting to our Cornell Class of 2001 Classmates Facebook group or sending an email to your friendly class correspondents. And, as always, visit our class website for more information and volunteer opportunities. ❖ Nicole Neroulias Gupte ( email Nicole ) | James Gutow ( email James ) | Alumni Directory .

What is something you’re doing now that you never thought you’d be doing? What is your fondest memory of your time at Cornell? What brings you the most satisfaction these days? No matter if your news is big or small, please take a moment to write to us and stay connected with our class. ❖ Class of 2002 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Adam Crouch recently became CEO of Redbubble, the largest marketplace for independent artists, whose designs get printed on graphic tees, stickers, and other items. Redbubble is based in San Francisco and Melbourne, and in the past year had 5 million customers buying 4.8 million different designs. Congratulations, Adam! ❖ Jon Schoenberg , ME ’03 , PhD ’11 ( email Jon ) | Candace Lee Chow , PhD ’14 ( email Candace ) | Alumni Directory .

There’s still time for you to make plans to join us on the Hill for our 20th Reunion, June 6–9! Reunion can be as short or as long as you want it to be—you can make it an all-inclusive weekend or a quick overnight trip, attend all the sponsored events or choose your own adventure. Come alone, bring a guest, or bring the whole family! There is something on the schedule for everyone, with dozens of events planned for the weekend, including performances, athletic events, Greek receptions, tent parties, lectures, tours, and meals.

Our class headquarters is Mary Donlon Hall on North Campus. Refreshments and activities will be available all weekend. Most of the meals are taken care of, but there is plenty of opportunity to hit your favorite spot. There will also be plenty of family-friendly activities available at HQ and throughout campus.

Class-specific events include: a wine tour, a tour of the Cornell Veterinary Biobank (where you can explore the world of scientific preservation), a cocktail hour and dinner at the Nevin Center welcome tent, and breakfast in the new Toni Morrison Hall on North Campus. And, of course, the Olin Lecture (featuring Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 , award-winning journalist and author), a Chorus and Glee Club concert, the Reunion 5K through the Botanic Gardens, Redstock (where Cornell musicians and bands unite for an epic alumni concert), Cornelliana Night, tent parties, and more can be enjoyed throughout the weekend.

It’s hard to believe 20 years have come and gone. Don’t miss this chance to come back to the Hill for a fun-filled and memorable weekend! ❖ Jessi Petrosino ( email Jessi ) | Alumni Directory .

Believe it or not, our 20th Reunion is only one year away—June 5–8, 2025—so be sure to mark your calendars! We have extra celebrating to do this time around, after our 15th Reunion was made virtual, so let’s make this one a weekend to remember. And if you don’t yet pay dues, now’s a great time to start! Help us support our class and our next reunion by signing up here —and submit an online news form so our future class columns can be full of news from all of you! ❖ Hilary Johnson King ( email Hilary ) | Jessica Rosenthal Chod ( email Jessica ) | Alumni Directory .

We don’t have any news to share from these classes this round. We hope you took the time to fill out and return the Share Your News form that was recently mailed to you! If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late! Please do send us your news—via the hard-copy form or the online news form —so our future class columns can be full of news from all of you. Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear it! ❖ Classes of 2006–2008 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

There’s still time for you to make plans to join us on the Hill for our 15th Reunion, June 6–9! Can you believe it’s been 15 years since we graduated from Cornell? So much has changed for us and for Cornell, but the sense of belonging to the Cornell family remains constant. Whether you’ve frequented campus since graduation or haven’t made the trip back yet, now is the perfect opportunity to explore all the changes, revisit your favorite spots, reconnect with old friends, and rediscover your love for Cornell. Start making plans to join your friends and classmates for an amazing weekend filled with class festivities and university events.

You can indulge in athletic activities, attend lectures, take tours, join Greek receptions, participate in college events, enjoy musical performances, attend tent parties, and more! Reunion can be as brief or as extended as you desire—an all-inclusive weekend vacation or a quick overnight trip. Our class has organized several special events for families and individual travelers alike. Attend an ice cream social on Saturday afternoon or choose to visit some beloved wineries along Cayuga Lake. Socialize with old friends at our class receptions and savor dinners by Cornell Catering. Family-friendly events, such as “Fun in the Sun,” are abundant, ensuring there’s something for everyone, whether you’re bringing the kids or attending solo.

Desiree Nattell writes, “I was named first on the 2023 Social Intelligence Insider 50 list. It’s an international who’s who in social media listening/insights/analytics and I was thrilled to be included!” Desiree is a senior analyst, strategy and insights, for Universal Parks & Resorts. “I studied sociocultural anthropology as an undergrad: how people and cultures grow and develop. Anyone in social intelligence can tell you that’s what we’re watching every day; social media just allows growth and development faster than we would have thought possible 20 years ago. My studies didn’t teach me what to think, but how .”

Matthew Gizzo shares, “I was just promoted to shareholder at Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC, a labor and employment law firm with more than 55 offices internationally and nearly 1,000 attorneys. I work out of the New York City and Dallas, TX, offices. In September 2023, my wife, Alycia, and I welcomed our first child, Brayden Paul.”

I was named first on the 2023 Social Intelligence Insider 50 list. Desiree Nattell ’09

Political consultant Iris Delgado writes, “I was just appointed to serve as a trustee to Middlesex College by the County Board of County Commissioners.” Iris fondly recalls the “Valentine’s Snowmageddon in 2007” on the Hill.

In 2024, Eva Kestner ’s original music was used by Cambridge International Curriculum in over 160 countries and 10,000 schools—and she was in the cover image of Harper Collins Publisher’s music textbook. From the blurb on her website : “Born in Tokyo, Japan, Eva was raised by a family of scholars and artists with mixed German and Japanese heritage. From a young age she learned how to play piano after her father introduced her to classical music, while she simultaneously learned Taiko (a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments) after her mother introduced her to the Japanese arts. After graduating from the International School of the Sacred Heart in Tokyo, Japan, she attended Cornell, where she earned a BA in philosophy. While there, she joined the Cornell Percussion Ensemble. The following year, she co-founded the Taiko drumming student organization called Yamatai Taiko and she was the lead drummer and musical director. After graduating, she returned to Japan and started performing professionally. She started her solo career a year later.

“Today, she brings Japanese Taiko drumming and song to a brand new context of pop music and also performs with many distinguished artists, musicians, dancers, and Taiko drummers across multiple genres. Eva does not only perform using Taiko—she also uses a number of other instruments that have a distinct flavor of the Japanese environment including koto (Japanese harp), voice, and piano. Eva also works in the field of education and teaches Taiko drumming workshops to both children and adults, and is also involved in humanitarian efforts such as raising awareness for the disabled.” ❖ Jason Georges ( email Jason ) | Alumni Directory .

Hi, Class of 2010! We have a couple of updates to share.

Ingrid Su has started a new multi-language greeting card business, YS Notes . She shares that the idea was first spawned 13 years ago when she sent herself an email to her Cornell inbox with website links on how to enter the greeting industry. Though it’s coming up on our 15th Reunion, it’s never too late to make a dream a reality!

James Hunsberger has been promoted to partner of Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider, effective the first of this year. He is based in Washington, DC, and focuses on antitrust matters. He has had extensive experience representing U.S. and foreign companies across various industries in high-stakes antitrust matters.

Congratulations to both of our classmates! Share your news at the link below. ❖ Michelle Sun ( email Michelle ) | Alumni Directory .

“I just won a Primetime Emmy for my work on FX/Hulu’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham,’” writes Miloš Balać ! “Having spent three years of my life working on the project in Wrexham, Wales, as the co-executive producer, it has been incredibly fun and satisfying to be recognized with the award for Best Unstructured Reality Program.”

“I first went to Wrexham in October 2020 as the supervising producer on season one, and officially wrapped on the project after three years in July 2023—I was promoted to co-executive producer for season two. As the main point of contact with the world of Wrexham, I cast and fostered relationships with the series’ primary subjects, including members of the Wrexham soccer team, the wider Wrexham community, and team owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. I developed season-long story arcs on the ground, produced and directed the majority of field shoots, wrote and conducted interviews, operated B cam, and set the series look in collaboration with the showrunner and director of photography. In post-production, I produced and oversaw story edits across multiple episodes and reviewed cuts for both seasons of the series.

“Living in Wrexham for the majority of the past three years was truly an incredible and fulfilling experience—Wrexham will be part of my life forever. However, after so long away from home, I decided to amicably step away from the project and return to New York in summer 2023. I’m currently working on a new project that has not yet been announced, so I unfortunately can’t say more!” ❖ Class of 2011 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Colleen Brill and Jake Rosen welcomed their son, Leo Michael, on December 16 at 5:22 a.m. Congratulations to you both, and welcome, baby Leo! ❖ Peggy Ramin ( email Peggy ) | Alumni Directory .

Andrew Boryga has released his debut novel, Victim , which, according to the publisher, is “about a hustler from the Bronx who sees through the veneer of diversity initiatives and decides to cash in on the odd currency of identity. This propulsive satire asks what real diversity looks like—and how far one man is willing to go to make his story exceptional.”

Erica Barnell writes, “I hold an MD/PhD from Washington University, and during my medical training I founded a healthcare company called Geneoscopy. Our company has recently successfully concluded an extensive prospective clinical trial involving 8,920 patients to evaluate the effectiveness of our leading diagnostic tool, ColoSense, in detecting colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas in average-risk individuals over the age of 45. In January 2023, we submitted these crucial findings to the FDA as part of our pre-market approval process. I am delighted to share that we have since completed all our FDA audits, including our 100-day meeting with the FDA. Furthermore, we’re thrilled to announce that our research and the associated data have been accepted for publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association .”

JC Tretter was recently inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame! Though his time as an athlete on the Hill was spent mostly as a backup tight end on the football team, JC went on to have a 9-year career as an NFL offensive lineman, playing for the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns. You can read more about him in this recent story . ❖ Rachael Schuman ( email Rachael ) | Alumni Directory .

Hello, Class of 2014! Two of our classmates, Dana Lerner and Katia Lin , were recently honored with the Robert S. Harrison ’76 Recent Alumni Volunteer Award. Dana has served as a Class of 2014 Annual Fund representative and Reunion campaign co-chair since graduation and has also volunteered as part of the Cornell Alumni Advisory Board and the Cornell University Council. Katia has volunteered as part of the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network since graduation and served as the VP of social programming for the Cornell Club UK since 2019. Congratulations, Dana and Katia!

With our 10th Reunion coming up in a few short weeks, I would love to hear about your Reunion experiences or any exciting life updates from the last five years to include in a future column. Please send me your stories! ❖ Samantha Lapehn Young ( email Samantha ) | Alumni Directory .

We have a lot of people starting new jobs—even careers—in this issue of Class Notes! We are so proud of our classmates for all their accomplishments.

Kwabena Nimo started Intelligenia, which he describes as a company that “focuses on creating sustainable, synergistic management solutions aimed at leveraging state-of-the-art business methodologies that interface AI and machine learning with consumer-driven data. At Intelligenia, we provide robust industrial and manufacturing techniques to keep pace with the ever-changing economic landscape, while focusing on delivering clinically proven products and results derived from Six Sigma best practices.”

Alana Harris left the world of law to become a teacher. You can learn more about her experience in this 2020 profile posted by the College of Human Ecology.

Carolyn Creneti got a new job as the neuromuscular lab lead at Children’s Wisconsin, and Elisa Raffa has started at CNN as a weather anchor and as a correspondent on all domestic and international platforms. Congratulations, everyone!

Do you have a new job, too? Some other milestone hit? Any other news you’d like to share? Email your class correspondents. ❖ Caroline Flax ( email Caroline ) | Mateo Acebedo ( email Mateo ) | Alumni Directory .

Misha Inniss-Thompson and her mom, Michelle Brown-Grant ’88 , were recently featured in a Cornellians story about their shared vocation: helping kids succeed, with a focus on the needs of Black girls and their communities.

Both mother and daughter majored in human development and minored in Africana studies on the Hill, and both pursued careers that have delved into education, childhood and adolescent development, and the building and sustaining of Black community. “Our work feeds off each other,” Misha observed. “In so many ways, the educator that I am today is largely informed by the ways that my mom interacts with her students, the ways that she prominently displays positive representations of Black people and folks of color more broadly.”

Siddhant Gokhale recently co-wrote a book, Scaling Up Development Impact . “While solutions to tackle some big development challenges (e.g., access to electricity, health, and literacy) already exist, few attain a scale that matches the magnitude of the problem, even though this is critical in meeting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This book offers concepts, questions, and tools to accompany the scaling process. Weaving together real organizational experiences, the book offers a unique perspective on development—one that puts people experiencing the problem at the center of co-creating solutions, one that emphasizes adaption and frequent iterative experimentation, and one that looks at scaling from the purview of navigating complex systems.” ❖ Class of 2016 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

We don’t have any news to share from these classes this round. We hope you took the time to fill out and return the Share Your News form that was recently mailed to you! If you haven’t yet, it’s not too late! Please do send us your news—via the hard-copy form or the online news form —so our future class columns can be full of news from all of you. Whether your news is ordinary or extraordinary, we want to hear it! ❖ Classes of 2017 & 2018 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

There’s still time for you to make plans to join us on the Hill for our 5th Reunion, June 6–9! We can’t wait to celebrate with you! The entire university opens its doors and rolls out the Big Red carpet with dozens of activities, lectures, tours, and meals. If you sign up by May 15, you can lock in the early bird rate.

Registration includes continental breakfast every day, our class dinner on Saturday night, late-night and daytime food, unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, a souvenir, and numerous 2019-exclusive and university-wide events.

Clara Dickson Hall will be our home base for the weekend. Breakfasts, late-night gatherings, and other activities will take place in and around Dickson. Saturday’s class dinner will be held under a tent on the new Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall plaza on North Campus. Housing is available to everyone who would like to stay on campus, as the dorms are transformed into hotels for the weekend. We’ll have rooms in Dickson (mostly singles) and Jameson Hall (mostly suite-style). You may request housing in quieter dorms, share a room with a friend or significant other, or reserve blocks of rooms near friends.

Class-specific events include: a Dairy Bar ice cream social, a wine tour, a lawn game tournament, and a tour of what’s new on campus. And, of course, the Olin Lecture (featuring Andrew Ross Sorkin ’99 , award-winning journalist and author), a Chorus and Glee Club concert, the Reunion 5K through the Botanic Gardens, Redstock (where Cornell musicians and bands unite for an epic alumni concert), Cornelliana Night, tent parties, and more can be enjoyed throughout the weekend.

To keep up to date with class-specific details, follow us on Instagram ( @cornell2019reunion ). We’re so excited to CU in June! ❖ Class of 2019 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

“I recently joined a cohort of hundreds of other artists whose artwork landed on the moon as part of the first official art collection there,” writes Sam Price . “This payload, aboard a nickel disk designed to last for a billion years, was part of the first landing from the U.S. in over half a century and the first landing ever by a private company. My artwork is part of a digital series raising money for wildlife conservation in Africa. You can read more here !”

Elisabeth Crotty was recently selected as a 2024 Design and Technology Fellow of Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). “Now in its 14th year of operation, FASPE annually grants 80–90 fellowships to graduate students and early-career professionals in the fields of business, design and technology, journalism, law, medicine, and seminary. Fellows participate in a two-week program in Germany and Poland, which uses the conduct of professionals in Nazi-occupied Europe as an initial framework for approaching ethical responsibility in the professions today. The FASPE curriculum takes advantage of the power of place with daily seminars and dialogue at sites of historic importance, often specific to their profession. By educating students about the causes of the Holocaust and the power of their chosen professions, FASPE seeks to instill a sense of professional responsibility for the ethical and moral choices that the fellows will make in their careers and in their professional relationships.”

I recently joined a cohort of hundreds of other artists whose artwork landed on the moon. Sam Price ’20

Elisabeth is a security technical program manager at Microsoft, working to protect the world with rapid and thorough response to security vulnerabilities. She studied information science, systems, and technology at Cornell, where she developed a passion for building technology in a way that is not only responsible but creates positive social impact. She says, “I was drawn to the FASPE program because I would love to be surrounded by others in design and technology who share a passion for understanding how the products we’re creating, and the way in which we create them, may impact our users and non-users alike. I want to be a part of this program to have a dedicated space to focus on ethical issues and develop strategies to initiate and approach these conversations across disciplines. I think this program will better prepare me to be a leader in this industry that is constantly changing and doesn’t always create space to reflect.” ❖ Class of 2020 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Brian Forness is a global banking and markets analyst at Goldman Sachs, where he recently teamed up with a group of fellow analysts, including Valentina Xu ’22 , to take part in the global Goldman Sachs Gives 2023 Analyst Impact Fund Award competition. Teams who enter must identify, study, and ultimately pitch the work of a chosen nonprofit organization to Goldman Sachs leadership; the grand prize is $250,000 donated to that organization.

Though more than 300 teams entered this year, Brian’s team made it to the final round and earned both second place and the “Fan Favorite” prize, which in total secured a grant of $125,000 for their chosen nonprofit, Trickle Up—which seeks to partner with women in extreme poverty and provide them with financial support, training, and mentoring to ensure they build sustainable livelihoods for themselves.

Brian’s volunteerism included co-founding and serving as president of Cayuga Capital, a Cornell student-run educational nonprofit focused on personal finance, taxes, and investing, and serving on the e-board for Cayuga’s Watchers, among many other activities related to his passion for finance and entrepreneurship.

Amanda Hernandez is the volunteer coach for the Cornell University Dance Team. The team placed eighth in the Universal Dance Association’s National College Dance Team National Championship in Orlando, FL—the most competitive collegiate dance competition in the U.S. Amanda writes, “We were one of 11 teams who advanced to the finals, and this was an astonishing achievement, given that our team has only attended the championship twice before and we were founded in 2017.” ❖ Class of 2021 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Andrew Lorenzen is among the 51 new Marshall Scholars announced today by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. Andrew majored in government and performing and media arts and minored in English. A published author, he is currently completing a master’s degree in creative writing at NYU. With the scholarship, Andrew will pursue a master’s in politics and communication at the London School of Economics, followed by a master’s in narrative futures at the University of Edinburgh.

In December 2023, our very own Emma Cameron , BS ’21, fulfilled a lifelong dream by winning the title of Miss Rodeo America! She’ll be spending 2024 representing the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, logging some 50,000 miles as she travels to a variety of events and appearances around the country—including performing at nearly 100 rodeos. You can read more about her in this recent Cornellians story .

Emma Cameron ’22 , BS ’21, fulfilled a lifelong dream by winning the title of Miss Rodeo America!

As Emma explains in the story, rodeo pageants resemble conventional ones, like Miss America, in a number of ways. For example, contestants have to demonstrate poise and stage presence, excel in interviews, perform in group numbers, and model stylish outfits. (Hers included a striking copper-colored metallic dress—which she helped design—for the competition’s “Western trendy” fashion show.)

“The big difference for us is that instead of singing or dancing, our talent is horsemanship,” she says. “We have a whole day dedicated to evaluating how well we can ride a horse, and we have interviews and a written test on equine science, veterinary knowledge, and the overall industry, to make sure we can represent it well.”

At the Miss Rodeo America competition—which has been held since 1956—Emma beat out 30 other young women for the crown and won several awards, including the one for horsemanship. Her prizes include scholarships as well as a large wardrobe of Western-style clothing, jewelry, and accessories, which she sports at her many appearances. The highlight, of course, is the elegant Miss Rodeo America crown. No ordinary tiara, it’s specially designed to slip onto the variously colored cowboy hats that coordinate with her outfits. ❖ Class of 2022 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Lorlei Boyd develops AI tools for Gray Decision Intelligence , a software company that provides platform evaluation software to colleges and universities. She first started at Gray DI as an analyst but quickly transitioned into a developer (she led the integration of generative AI into Gray’s interface). While grounded in critical thinking, she draws from her humanities background at Cornell to approach her work in shaping technology with a human element. ❖ Class of 2023 ( email c/o Alexandra Bond ’12 ) | Alumni Directory .

Agriculture and Life Sciences

Samson Hagos , MS ’04 , PhD ’07 , is an earth scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in southeast Washington State, where he models the lifecycles and variability of precipitation and extreme weather events across various regional and global scales. During his time on the Hill, Samson studied the causes of the decade of catastrophic droughts across the Sahel region in Africa. He co-authored a breakthrough paper about these causes and Sahel’s rebound to normal precipitation levels with his advisor and mentor at Cornell, climate scientist Kerry Cook. Samson grew up in drought-stricken East Africa in the 1980s. Despite this and the often-scarce availability of water throughout the world, Samson is optimistic: “We need to work together, wherever we happen to be geographically. We need to look out for the less fortunate. Collectively, we have the tools to solve our water problems. Humankind is a very resourceful and cooperative species.”

Architecture, Art, and Planning

Christine Song , MArch ’09 , is a senior associate at the architecture firm Elkus Manfredi in Boston. Christine currently has a leading role in major projects in Boston and Cambridge, including the redevelopment of the National Transportation Center facility in Kendall Square. In 2023 she was named to NEREJ ’s Rising Star List for her complex designs on high-rise buildings and her influence on the cityscapes of Boston and Cambridge.

Arts and Sciences

Photographer Julia Cumes , MFA ’98 , has been named the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s 2024 Artist of the Year. The award recognizes a Cape-based artist whose work shapes thought, inspires change, and creates a deeper sense of connection in the community. Her photography has taken her to India, Rwanda, Thailand, Lebanon, Tanzania, Cuba, Kenya, and more. She has photographed the aftermath of several of the world’s recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and the floods in Eastern Kentucky in 2022. Last year she launched Photo Artfolio , an online organization that serves as a resource center and gallery to support emerging and established photographers. “As a young photographer, I experienced firsthand the profound impact of having mentors in my photographic journey,” Julia says. “Their guidance, support, and insights were instrumental in shaping my skills and artistic vision. It is with this understanding of the value of mentorship and a strong photography community that the idea of Photo Artfolio was born.”

Nick Roth , MA ’11 , PhD ’14 , has a new project—a movie titled Hanky Panky that is written, co-directed, and co-starred in by Nick himself. The movie is about a man and his talking napkin best friend who must save the world from a killer, evil top hat in a cabin deep in the Utah mountains—all while also learning to love. It came out on April 19 and is available on Amazon, Apple, Google, and more.

Amarildo Gjondrekaj , MBA ’19 , is founder and CEO of Adro, a financial technology company that provides financial services for people who are moving to the U.S. from another country for school or work. Adro is launching this summer. Several classmates have joined his team, including Sara Schmitt , MBA ’19 , as COO, and Lalo Gonzalez , MBA ’19 , as a user experience/user interface designer.

Engineering

Eric Betzig , MS ’85 , PhD ’88 , has been announced as a 2024 inductee into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his co-invention of a super-resolution imaging technology called photoactivated localization microscopy. This allows scientists to distinguish individual molecules and study biological structures and processes with unprecedented resolution. Eric will be inducted on May 9, 2024 in Washington, DC, at the annual ceremony. This honor is also being awarded posthumously to another Cornellian, Alice Stoll , MS ’48 , for her invention of fire-resistant fibers and fabrics.

Alexander Boys , MS ’16 , PhD ’19 , recently started a position as an assistant professor in the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. He is researching the development of bioelectronic implants for applications in regenerative medicine and rehabilitation engineering. Alexander previously worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge for five years.

Industrial and Labor Relations

Cindy Vogel Ryan , MILR ’99 , was recently appointed as MassMutual’s head of human resources, where she’ll oversee the company’s HR organization and advance its people strategy. At MassMutual, a life insurance and financial services company, she will manage a range of areas including talent acquisition, employee relations, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Cindy has over two decades of HR leadership experience, including 25 years at Cigna, where she most recently served as chief human resources officer.

Veterinary Medicine

Charles Hjerpe , DVM ’58 , lives in Davis, CA, with his wife, Sue Davis Hjerpe ’58 , and enjoys following the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of their three children and six grandchildren who live throughout the country. Their grandson Cooper Austin Hjerpe was drafted with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and is now with the Peoria Chiefs on injured reserve following elbow surgery. Charles fondly remembers his days at Lambda Chi Alpha and “all the camaraderie that went with fraternity living. Studying with my wife-to-be in the evenings at Tri Delt on Beebe Lake during 1957–58 was also memorable.”

Welcome to our newest offering: Group Notes! Like Class Notes, these columns are written by alumni, but they comprise news about members of Cornell groups—including campus activities, alumni organizations, and more—across generations. If you would like to see your group represented here, email us for more information!

Cornell Daily Sun

Hello fellow Sunnies, and welcome to Group Notes! I’m excited to introduce this new column, which will highlight the achievements and celebrate the lives of Sun alumni. As one of Cornell’s oldest, most storied student organizations, the Cornell Daily Sun boasts a vast and accomplished alumni network. Sunnies make a significant impact in journalism, philanthropy, business, medicine, and many other fields. We create thought and inspire change. I’m proud to introduce you all and share your stories, both personal and professional.

If we haven’t met, I’m Vee Cipperman ’23 . Like many of you, the Sun formed the backbone of my college experience. I served consecutively as news editor, editor-in-chief, and senior editor (the paper’s best position!). Since my graduation in December, I’ve worked as a graduate fellow in Sun operations and alumni outreach. I enjoy cooking, running, and exploring Ithaca’s many natural gems, and I hope to pursue a long career in journalism and communications.

But enough about me. I’ve gathered plenty of exciting news about you and your fellow alumni. In the past few months, you’ve launched exciting projects, embarked on new careers, and expanded your families. 2024 is shaping up to be a busy year for Sun alums!

Following five years at the Wall Street Journal , Haley Velasco ’15 ( Sun editor-in-chief) started working at McClatchy in 2022. As an editor, she leads growth strategies for 30 papers including the Kansas City Star , the Miami Herald , and the Sacramento Bee . Haley writes, “This is also my second semester teaching a ‘Social Media in Journalism and PR’ undergraduate class at Seton Hall University, where I teach audience strategy, social media platforms, and work through brand analysis.”

Sun alumni continue to make waves as professional reporters. Jessica DiNapoli ’08 , BA ’07, (senior editor) writes that she recently returned to work at Reuters, “covering consumer products companies.” Justin Peters ’03 (columnist) will cover the 2024 Summer Olympics for Slate . He also co-owns Tampa-based comedy club the Commodore, “thus bringing me closer to achieving my lifelong dream of becoming ‘Florida Man.’” Carl Leubsdorf ’59 (associate editor) celebrated 44 years as a reporter at the Dallas Morning News and Tribune Content Agency last March. He writes, “My wife, fellow journalist Susan Page, will be releasing a biography on Barbara Walters in the spring.”

Sun alums have also launched exciting projects outside the journalism world. Phil Mazo ’03 (cartoonist) released a short comedy film called “I’m Phil,” which won the 2022 Coney Island Film Festival for Best Comedy Short. Ed Zuckerman ’70 (editor-in-chief) published Wealth Management , a thriller novel, in 2022. He writes, “One character in the book is a Cornell graduate, but she didn’t work on the Sun . Her loss.” This book is yet another twinkle in Ed’s star-studded career as a journalist, nonfiction author, and writer-producer on TV shows including “Law & Order.”

Many Sun alums have found their calling outside the media industry. Zachary Silver ’19 (sports editor) covered Major League Baseball for four years before pivoting to communications. He writes, “I have learned that even if I’m out of the field, it’s easy to stay connected.” He keeps up with the friends that he made in the press box, and he reports that he’s still cheering from the sidelines.

Phil Mazo ’03 won the 2022 Coney Island Film Festival for Best Comedy Short.

Chloe Gatta ’12 (business manager) lives in Manhattan and works in strategic communications at Hiltzik Strategies. Maryam Zafar ’21 (editor-in-chief) pursues research in environmental health epidemiology and writes for the Harvard Public Health Magazine . She reports that she will begin medical school in fall ’24.

Andy Guess ’05 (editor-in-chief) lives in New York City and works as an assistant professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University. He writes, “Remember, New Jersey and you, perfect together.” Rochelle Li ’21 (HR manager) works in healthcare management for global consulting firm ZS. She writes, “I currently live in New York City and spend my free time engaging in various cozy hobbies, including baking, embroidery, and houseplant growing.”

Several Sun alums stick close to home, pursuing careers here in Ithaca. Amanda Soule Shaw ’00 , MBA ’05 (business manager) serves as the associate dean for administration and finance for the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. She writes, “I live in Ithaca with my husband and two teenage sons, who regularly fight over wearing my Cornell Daily Sun sweatshirt to school and around town.” Kirkpatrick Sale ’58 (editor-in-chief) lives in the Ithaca area with his wife. He reads the Sun online each morning.

Other alumni, including Salil Gupte ’01 (managing editor) and Nicole Neroulias Gupte ’01 (features editor) make a big impact abroad. Salil serves as president of Boeing India, “opening a new 43-acre campus with India’s Prime Minister and launching a new training program for women pilots.” Nicole serves on the board of governors of Delhi’s American Embassy School. She is pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University.

They write, “Our two kids, R.J. and Katia, are also busy with school, Scouting, taekwondo, music programs, and being dragged around the world.” Nicole and Salil invite any Sunnies visiting Delhi (during the school year) or Seattle (over summer breaks) to reach out on LinkedIn.

To close our first Group Notes column, I’ll share some exciting news about Sun families. In 2023, Carl Leubsdorf celebrated the wedding of his son, Will. Jessica DiNapoli and her husband, Sachin Shah, welcomed their son, Michael, in August 2023.

That same month, Haley Velasco got engaged—she reports that she’s currently planning her wedding. Chloe Gatta got engaged in November 2023; she and her fiancé, Aayush Srivastava, plan to get married in Philadelphia.

It’s been great to hear all your fun stories. To my contributors, thank you for your time! If you’re interested in submitting an update for a future Cornellians column or the Sun alumni blog, please reach out to me . It’s always exciting to see where Sunnies end up in the world, and how you’re all working to change it for the better. Shine bright! ❖ Vee Cipperman ’23 ( email Vee ) | Alumni Directory .

University Chorus & Glee Club

Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome! To the brand spankin’ new Cornell Chorus and Glee Club (a.k.a. “Glorus,” according to the current students) Group Notes column! I am excited to be your correspondent and to share all of your updates.

A little bit about myself: I, Alison Torrillo French ’95 , graduated from Cornell in 1995, sang Alto 2 (woot!) in the Chorus all four years, and was a part of After Eight. Outside of singing, I majored in communications in CALS, wrote for the arts and entertainment section of the Daily Sun , and was president of Women in Communications. I now am a solopreneur, running my own consulting company, aptly named Alto Solutions ! I live outside Washington, DC—where I recently got to see many of you when the Glorus came down for winter break tour—with my husband (and classmate, but he was a Big Red Band geek), Matt French ’95 , ME ’96, and our two kids, Ray, 13, and Ben, 11 (who both adore visiting Cornell—in particular, the Dairy Bar!). I have sung with several a cappella groups and bands in the area and can often be found belting it out at karaoke night with friends.

Now let’s dive right into your updates, shall we? Also in the Washington, DC, area, where the spirit of Cornell music-making lives on, is Brad Spencer ’79 , who sings in the Washington Men’s Camerata along with fellow Glee Clubbers Robert Harris ’80 , Kenyon Erickson , MPS ’81 , Jason Rylander ’93 , Eugene Stromecki ’82 , Michael Schrier ’90 , and Shea Murphy ’20 —all under the direction of former CUGC director Scott Tucker and the first woman to serve as the Camerata’s associate director, Chorus alum Julie Huang Tucker ’05 . Writes Brad, “We have sung more than a half dozen times with the National Symphony Orchestra and recently made NFL history by singing on a state-of-the-art recording of the Washington Commanders’ new fight song.”

Yet another D.C.-area Glee Clubber who is continuing to sing is Bill Welker ’73 , MBA ’75. He has been a member of the Choral Arts Society, whose season started with the singing of Rachmaninov’s “Symphony of the Bells” (prepared by Scott Tucker) and then William Walton’s “Belshazzar’s Feast,” conducted by Marin Alsop, both performances at the Kennedy Center. Bill is looking forward to singing Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana in the spring.

We recently made NFL history by singing on a state-of-the-art recording of the Washington Commanders’ new fight song. Brad Spencer ’79

Living in Cincinnati, OH, Jessica Graus Woo ’93 —my co-president of the After Eight Alumni Council—writes that she recently got to catch up with Steve Merz ’91 at a grad school event. Steve lives in Maine and is running a behavioral healthcare organization. “It had probably been 25 years since we’d seen each other, but it was like no time had passed,” says Jess. As I write this in February, I am excited myself to catch up with Jess and others at the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference in Baltimore—I’m sure I’ll have some news to report afterward.

Jeanne Arnold ’78 is also keeping the music alive and is busy doing local theater on the East End of Long Island. She has done The Producers (ensemble), Cry-Baby (stage manager), Taming of The Shrew (Tranio), and Macbeth (Seyton and First Murderer). She is active in Corchaug Repertory Theatre, North Fork Community Theatre, and Northeast Stage. She also recently got together with friends to perform a Broadway tap dance number and has sung lead with some bands. Her favorite Chorus memories are Carnegie Hall with Michael Tilson Thomas in 1977 and our centennial Reunion in 2022.

Finally, TP Enders ’90 , ME ’96, shared an update from Robert Pierce ’61 , who, after having been widowed, reported re-finding joy through singing by joining the Encore East Side NYC Chorale. The group is run by Encore Creativity, a national choral organization for age 55+ adults. He invites NYC-area singing alumni to join him. The group does not hold auditions, rehearses weekly at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (E. 73 rd Street), and is in particular need of male voices. There’s more information on Encore’s website and Facebook page .

That’s it for the inaugural column. All of your updates are certainly music to my ears. Please keep them coming. Until we meet again … ❖ Alison Torrillo French ’95 ( email Alison ) | Alumni Directory .

Top image: Photo by Ryan Young / Cornell University

Published May 1, 2024