Membership Info

Membership is available to anyone who likes three speeds, anywhere in the world!

Welcome! Thank you for making it this far. This is where I “sell” you on the idea of becoming a member of Society of Three Speeds. But what exactly is this society? And why join? Most of you are not in Portland, Oregon, where I lead the rides, so you might not feel there’s a “point”. But here’s three salient points for joining, no matter where you are in the world:

  1. You like getting cool stuff in the mail. The big thing you get when you purchase a membership is a swell amount of swag. It includes a patch, buttons, some stickers, a postcard or two, an introductory guide, etc. Oh yeah, the membership card. Most people don’t get anything cool in the mail anymore. Joining the Society remedies this.
  2. You like joining a pseudo-serious “bike club” of like-minded individuals. The whole idea of this thing is to not be (insert your local road-racing club here.) There are no boring meetings, no “minutes recorded”, no in-fighting. Instead, you are “joining” a group of folks who share a common interest, and in the name of fun. Think of similar groups like the Tarik Saleh Bike Club or the League of Caffeinated Wheelers.*** What have you do to become a member of either? For TSBC it’s “ride bikes, try not to be an ass”. For LCW, it’s “ride bikes, like coffee”. Nothing more to that. Do you want to be in a club of folks who like three speeds?
  3. You are a fan of three speeds. I guess the best and easy way to describe SoTS is that it’s a fan club for three speeds. It’s a way to show to the world that three speeds are viable and valuable. Why did people join the David Cassidy Fan Club? Because they liked David Cassidy. Why do people join Society of Three Speeds? Because they like three speeds!

The package

All membership levels contain these items:

  • A membership card with your member number
  • A leaflet describing the club and its benefits.
  • One patch, expertly sewn by Falls Creek Outfitters.
  • One 1 1/4″ enamel pin, also made by Falls Creek Outfitters.
  • Three weather-resistant vinyl stickers, one of which is reflective!
  • A subscription to the electronic Society of Three Speeds/Urban Adventure League mailing list. Mailings once to twice a month, on average.
  • Plus some other special stuff thrown in!

Do you want to become a member? All you need is to pay the nominal membership fee and abide by the Three Rules of the Society of Three Speeds:

  1. I will endeavor to promote three speeds as a viable means of transportation.
  2. I will not denigrate three speed bicycles and will not allow others to disparage these humble bicycles.
  3. I will ride my three speed bicycle with pride and immense enjoyment. If I have not yet procured a three speed bicycle, I will do my best to obtain one posthaste.

Ordering

Online store. You do not need to ask “Do I qualify?” or write me a thirteen page poem declaring your fealty to three speeds, though if that’s how you do things, go for it. Instead, simply fire up your internet device of choice, and using your internet browser of choice, go to my Big Cartel Shop to order a membership kit. This is by far the fastest and easiest way to do so. I typically get my orders out in 3 business days or less!

Pay via Paypal. Having problems with the online stores? Don’t like online stores? You can request a membership and pay through PayPal. Please get in touch first, email me at urbanadventureleague@gmail.com with your request, and we can sort it out.

Order via Mail (Post). Don’t do the whole “ordering stuff online” thing? We can sell them “old school” too. You can send me money in the mail. This option is only available for U.S. Residents. The amount you need to pay is $41.00, which will cover postage.

As for payment via post, we only accept:

  • Domestic (US) Money Orders, made payable to “Shawn Granton”. (Money orders made to “Society of Three Speeds” or any other entity will be returned)
  • Cold hard American cash

We do not accept personal checks, cashiers checks, or any other form of payment. We do not accept money orders made out to “Society of Three Speeds.”

If you want to pay by mail, please include your full name and postal address inside the envelope, along with your payment. Please also include your email address if you want to get on the email newsletter. Send your envelop to:

SOCIETY OF THREE SPEEDS. PO BOX 14185, PORTLAND OR 97293-0185, USA

Please note that I only check my P.O. Box once a week on average, so if you want your membership fast, order via my Big Cartel Shop! I generally get my orders out within 72 hours.

Notes and Clarifications

Do you have more questions? Please check these first. If I didn’t answer your question regarding membership, email me.

  • If you are a member who joined before 2021 and want to get all the current goods, simply purchase a new Membership kit and indicate you’re an existing member. You will still retain your member number, you will not be a “new member” per se. (And no, you can’t get a new number if you are an existing member.)
  • We do sell individual patches and pins to members, but you must be an existing member to do this. We do not sell “a la carte” to non-members. You can buy them here. If you want to join and get extra pins or patches, you can do that all at the same time.
  • You can “gift” folks a membership. In the notes of the order, please indicate full name, mailing address, and email address of the giftee. If you want me to let them know who gifted them the kit, indicate that as well.
  • Membership to the Society of Three Speeds is available to everyone, anywhere in the world. You do not have to live in the Portland area, or in Oregon, or in the Pacific Northwest, or in the US, or North America, etc. (You should live on Earth, however.) While you won’t be able to go on the rides I put on in and around the Portland area, you will still be part of a larger global organization of three speed enthusiasts. We have members from all over the world!
  • The membership lasts for life. You do not need to renew yearly, nor are you going to get “kicked out” if you stop riding a three speed. You can read more about that here.
    • If you want so still support the Society after you get a membership, consider becoming a supporter on Patreon. If you support me at the $6 level, you’ll get my quarterly postcard mailing.
  • You should participate in one of my challenges if you can! I run the Three Speed October Challenges annually. You do not need to be a member to participate. But if you are not a member and finish a challenge you can qualify for a discounted membership. Note: I do not always offer this discount, check with the specific challenge’s rules.
  • Speaking of rides, yes, please do a Three Speed Ride in (insert your town here.) I can’t be everywhere, and while the idea of having a ride in Kansas City or Winnipeg is appealing, I’m not going to be the one to make it happen. But maybe you can? Let me know what you’re planning, and I can try to help. If possible I might even show up!
  • You don’t need to own a three speed…yet. You do not have to currently own a three speed bicycle when you join the club. But you should definitely be into the idea of them, and pursue getting one in the next year or three.
  • A note on membership numbers: Member numbers are given out in the order memberships are purchased. No special requests for a particular membership number, please. And no requests for me to let you know when “we get close to a specific number”, either. I’m not going to remember, nor are you. Don’t make an excuse to not get a membership. This is supposed to be fun. Relax.
  • A note on asking questions about whether you “qualify” for joining Society of Three Speeds: You’re already here, you got this far, you dig Three Speeds. You qualify. Don’t make this any more difficult for yourself or for me by asking silly questions whether you’re “right” for this or not. Don’t delay, act today!

Updated 6 September 2023