Calling all Ride Leaders

MAFW ride leaders are the foundation of our club and we do have a great group of experienced ride leaders. 

If you lost your status as a ride leader due to inactivity and want to be reinstated just email me and I will immediately reinstate you.  I apologize for any misunderstanding.

If you never were a ride leader and want to become one please contact me about steps to become a ride leader.  Don’t worry if you don’t know how to change a flat.  We can teach you.  Many of us find being a ride leader very rewarding.

Stay safe,

Manny

identifying new members on rides

Hi Ride Leaders,

It’s important to treat new members well. I added a feature so that the new members will be identified with an  asterisk before their name in the attendee list.

Best Regards,

Jon

JUNE 21 SOCIAL RIDE

The June 21 social party rides have been set as proposed rides.  The rides are from Pluckemin and after the rides there will be watermelon and cookies.  The proposed rides need ride leaders to get them on the schedule.

Party! Party! Party!

Greetings, friends.

I’m excited to announce the first 2 scheduled party rides with treats courtesy of the club:

Saturday, June 21 rides from Pluckemin with watermelon and cookies at the end of the ride.

Sunday, July 13 from Pickell Park with a stop at Polar Cub shortly before the rides end.

Keep an eye on the club ride schedule for details to follow shortly.

Note: No other rides will be allowed to be scheduled from those start points less than 2 hours before or less than 3 hours after the party rides.  Based on feedback from club members, the Board has decided that all other rides on those dates will be allowed.

Stay safe and hydrated in the heat, monitor air quality, and hope that rain occurs at night only and doesn’t affect rides.

Best,

Michael

 

MAFW June 2025 Newsletter Available

Hi Freewheelers,

Watch the website to see information on upcoming events, communication from our club president and ride coordinator, and ride guidelines.

Our Social Coordinator, John Storey, is always in need of your help for a number of our activities. Please email if you are interested: social@mafw.org

MAFW has 2 main guidelines or mottos that riders and ride leaders should follow:

  1. Nobody rides alone including the ride leader
  2. Ride leader sweeps for all rides except B and faster

Just a reminder that the June 2025 edition of our NL is online. To read: click https://mafw.org/newsletter/

What’s in this issue:

  1. The Revolutionary Ramble Used Bike/Gear Collection For The Boys and Girls Club Bike Exchange
  2. Connect with the MAF Bike Club on Social Media! – Tracy Brown
  3. Message from the President
  4. Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation’s CPR & First Aid Course Update – Rob Greenberg
  5. 2025 Calendar
  6. Welcome new members
  7. Roy’s Penn Dutch Weekend September 19, 20 and 21, 2025
  8. Using Your Bike’s Barrel Adjusters – Tony Marchand
  9. My One-in-a-Million Day – Dave Hall
  10. Photo Gallery
  11. Nostalgia
  12. Inspiration
  13. Comics
  14. Bicycle Adventures 2025
  15. Cycling Guides – Mark Jay
  16. People Cycling
  17. Safety – Paul Malinowski
  18. Club Sponsors
  19. Club Officers

Enjoying your E-bike, trike, gravel bike? Let’s hear about your experience.

Folks, many of you have taken some interesting trips this year or in the past. So why not share your stories & photos with fellow club members?

We welcome any articles that you feel would be of interest. WHEN YOU HAVE A SPARE MOMENT, PLEASE SEND ME A STORY AND PICTURES OF YOUR BICYCLING ADVENTURES. Submit any information by the 24th of the preceding month at the following email address: newsletter@mafw.org

If you have any issues with your login credentials, please contact Membership Coordinator Lisa Gentile at the following email address: membership@mafw.org

Good Reading. Thanks,

Patricia Kipp Editor

Virtual Membership Meeting This Thursday

Greeting, friends.

The Board is hosting a virtual membership meeting this Thursday, 5/29, from 7PM-9PM.  This is your chance to dialog with your Board members about your ideas and concerns for the club.  The Zoom link for the meeting is:

https://zoom.us/j/98292310258?pwd=dEZhRHdmWFZKMVpwYTQyakFTVGFIdz09

I believe it will be helpful to hold these meetings on a regular basis so that the Board can better meet the needs and preferences of its membership.

It would be helpful to send comments and questions to president@mafw.org in advance of the meeting.  Hopefully, we can record the meeting and make it available to those unable to attend.

I hope to see as many there as possible.

Have fun; stay safe.

Best regards,

Michael

Tour of Somerville

Greetings, friends.

The 80th Tour of Somerville will be held on Memorial Day.  Check out the website: https://tourofsomerville.com/

It’s America’s longest running bike race.  Lots of fun stuff for kids and grown up kids.  Lots of good places to eat in Somerville and a local brewery as well.

Lots of fun to watch and also some volunteer slots that still need to be filled.

Info about volunteer slots is at https://buff.ly/udBy9jI,

I have signed up to volunteer and encourage others to do likewise.

MAFW will have a tent in front of Pop’s Bike Shop, 34 E. Main St., Somerville where we will be promoting the club and the Ramble.  Stop by and say hi.

Have fun; stay safe.

Michael

MAFW Ride Coordinator

Greetings, friends.

Many kudos to Manny Coehlo for being the club’s Ride Coordinator for many years.  It’s hard to express my gratitude for Manny’s outstanding management of this position and he has done an exemplary job.  To me, Manny represents the epitome of a ride leader.

That being said, the club is looking for someone to take Manny’s place as Ride Coordinator.  The tasks involved in this position include:

  1. Set example for ride leaders by leading rides and leading rides following MAFW rules.  Be an ambassador for the club when leading a ride.
  2. Support Board decisions.
  3. Encourage members to be ride leaders by occasionally sending out emails soliciting ride leaders.
  4. Help members become ride leaders once they decide to become a ride leader. Start by telling them how to post a ride and to read the ride leader handbook.
  5. When requested, put in new start points.
  6. For fall and spring picnics, milestone party, kickoff event and other special rides put in a schedule of rides from the library or create tours with the cue sheet committee.
  7. Occasionally deal with requests from ride leaders for changes in their ride with respect to pace, time and date.
  8. Support cue sheet committee to create new tours.
  9. Answer questions from members about MAFW.
  10. Promote non-MAFW cycle events by putting them on the MAFW calendar and sending out emails making members aware of these special rides.
  11. Make ride leaders aware of road closures when notified by members.
  12. Serve as a member of the MAFW Board and attend Board meetings.
  13. At end of year determine which ride leaders have earned ride leader award.  Buy the gift cards and distribute them.
  14. Occasionally remind ride leaders to close out their rides. Need to verify all rides are closed out at end of calendar year.
  15. Send out ride coordinator updates on a variety of topics to members or ride leaders. Topics can include when to switch from Colonial Park Lot C to Howe Athletic Field.  See “Read the Latest Announcements” for examples.
  16. Support the Revolutionary Ramble.

Manny will provide all of the necessary information and training needed by the new volunteer(s).

The Board is willing to consider having several members volunteer for this position and rotate among themselves on a periodic basis.  Interested parties can contact me at president@mafw.org.

Thanks for your attention.

Best, 

Michael

Spring Picnic Canceled

Greetings, friends.

Based on the weather forecast the spring picnic on 5/17 is canceled.  We don’t want to risk spending money on food that won’t be eaten.

Each ride leader will decide whether to cancel rides depending on the weather.  Keep an eye on the ride schedule for updates.

Have fun; stay safe!

Michael

 

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