As of this morning, approximately 20 % of the active members have submitted their votes and you do not even have to go to a polling station. Your vote counts as we have multiple members running for several positions for the first time in club history. It’s not Trump vs Harris but its close.
Voting will close on midnight on Wednesday, November 6th and the results will be announced at the Annual Meeting on November 7th. You can click the link below or when you are signing up for a ride tomorrow click the link on the top of our web page.
Our annual meeting is being held on Thursday November 7th at 6:30 PM at the Morristown library. Besides the sharing of the election results we will have a couple of great speakers with a Health and Wellness Theme and the re-introduction of the ride planning committee.
Paul Coviello PT, DPT, OCS of Summit Physical Therapy will be discussing “How to reduce your injury risk on and off the bike”. Paul is a key sponsor of the Ramble and multiple members use his teams’ services for PT and other pain management services. He is an active bicyclist and understands the injuries we incur enjoying the sport of cycling. If you have a chance prior to the meeting check out his website and services. https://www.summitpt-nj.com/
Tim Sharpe one of our members with a specialty is sports nutrition. He will be discussing how to use nutrition to maximize your ride. Maybe he can provide me some pointers in how to lose weight. Tim Sharpe is an adjunct faculty member in the post-graduate Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine program at the University of Western States and has a doctorate in acupuncture and Chinese medicine and an MS in human nutrition and functional medicine. He currently serves as the head nutritionist at the Institute for Human Kinetics.
Jay Marowitz will follow up these sessions with a discussion on the planned restart of the Ride Planning Committee
Please join us for this session. Please click the link below to let us know you are attending.
REMINDER!
Remember the lunch and dinner MAFW Foundation benefit on Monday, October 21, 2024. It will be held at the Gourmet Cafe, 136 Baldwin Road, Parsippany. Ten percent of the day’s receipts will go to the Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation. This includes gift certificates, takeout, etc., as well as meals.
For 12:30 PM lunch reservations, contact Rob Greenberg, 973.557.3118/robdg01@aol.com. For dinner, you’re on your own, and reservations are advised. BYOB
If you can’t make the date, treat yourself at another time. You won’t be disappointed the food is great, as is the staff
There are more details in the September and October issues of the Freewheeler News and check out the gourmet Cafe’s website.
Just wanted you all to know that Rob Greenberg, our EMS squad coordinator for the Ramble, has arranged with the Parsippany Gourmet Cafe’s owner to donate 10% of his one-day receipts (for Oct 21) to the Foundation. It’s a highly rated restaurant and reasonably priced so join us for some good food and conversation. Several people are going from the club, including me. It’s open to anyone. If you’re interested, just let Rob know you are coming. Rob’s email and a link to the restaurant are attached below.
FYI the restaurant is near the Denville starting point if you want to get a ride in beforehand. Gourmet Café (gourmetcafenj.com)
Hope everyone had an opportunity to enjoy the weather this week,
The 9/14/22 Denville Bike, Pizza and Beer ride joint ride with BTCNJ was a great success. The weather was great, and we had approximately 65 riders roll out this morning. We provided multiple rides with various paces so everyone could participate. After the ride, we all met at the Diamond Spring Brewery in downtown Denville, and we utilized our ride leader celebration ride funding to purchase 18 pizzas for the hungry riders. Everyone hung out and had a great time. We also had some preliminary conversations, and we are looking to set up a similar event in October that will end at Burnt Mills Cider in Bedminster. Stay tuned for further details
Next week we have two great events for you but first an important announcement.
I have received a lot of comments lately on the need for our bike club to modernize a little. As to that matter, our existing bylaws do not specifically authorize voting using the Internet, and they also do not specifically authorize meetings using Zoom and similar computer applications. The Board believes that the bylaws should be amended to provide these authorizations, and we have prepared proposed bylaws amendments that would accomplish this. We will be presenting these amendments at the upcoming picnic on the 22nd and will be holding a vote on adopting them. If they are adopted, they will become effective immediately. A small change to bring is in alignment with corporate standards in a post covid world. To see the proposed changes please utilize the attached link. MAFW-2022-bylaws-with-proposed-changes-V.-2.0
The two events next week are as follows:
Semi-Annual Trek Inspection Ride – 9/21/24
The previously scheduled date was cancelled due to excessive heat. Many of you remember that last year we launched our first ever Trek Inspection Rides starting from Trek Stirling’s location. These events were very well received with all participants receiving Trek’s free safety inspection on their bikes. Trek will be offering a $50.00 discount on their level 2 service and $100 discount for Level 3 service, if needed. There will be refreshments, bagels, coffee and juices before and after the rides. Trek will also have Trek Fest specials inside their store for members to shop after the ride. We are staggering the start times of the rides, so that Trek can properly inspect and discuss their findings with our riders. Parking will be in the Trek lot, next door at the Day Care Center, and along Main Street in Stirling. Bathrooms are available in the store. Trek Service will be on duty at 8:00 am, so please arrive about 45 minutes to an hour before your ride starts. Rides are now available on our website.
Annual Fall Picnic – Schooley Mountain Park – 9/22/24
The MAFW Fall Picnic will be on Sunday September 22nd, at Schooley Mountain Park in Long Valley. For those that have not ridden out of the park it’s a beautiful location and the rides are fantastic as well. The picnic is free (and you can bring a guest). We are looking to finalize the headcount for the fall picnic on Sunday September 22nd. Weather looks to be perfect as of this evening (low 70’s and partially cloudy). The picnic is free (and you can bring a guest or potential new member), but please sign up using the form at the top of our web page so we know how many people to expect. People whose last name starts with:
A-F
Please bring an Appetizer/Salad.
G-O
Please bring a Main Dish
P-Z
Please bring a Dessert.
There is a full ride schedule for the day of the picnic, with rides at all paces. There should be a ride for anyone who is interested and remember to sign up for the ride you plan to do in addition to signing up for the picnic.
Hopefully everyone is enjoying the summer and looking forward to cooler weather and the fall foliage. We have a series of events coming up that I wanted to share with you. We hope you will join us for one, two or all the events we have planned over the next couple of months.
August 31st – Freewheelers post-ride paddleboat races, swimming, and picnic! Join us on Saturday August 31, 2024, at Sunrise Lake in Lewis Morris Park for a day of riding, getting wet (or not), and fun: ). Rides will start leaving the park at 9AM and upon returning we will have picnic tables by the beach with empanadas, cold flavored seltzers and dishes by members. In addition to bike rides, paddleboat races, swimming and food, Len Friedman will be leading a 4-mile hike in Lewis Morris Park starting from Sunrise Lake. Be sure to sign up on the Ride Schedule if you want to hike. There is no charge for a member and a guest. If you are not joining a ride, you should be there by 11:30AM.
End of Summer Celebration Ride – 9/14/24. The Denville/Parsippany MAFW members have completed two successful Denville – Bike, Pizza and Beer rides earlier this year and we thought we may try this on a grander scale. The rides will start and end at the Diamond Spring Brewery in downtown Denville (opens at 12 noon on Saturdays). We will have the rides posted shortly but, in the end, we would like the ride leaders to utilize their $50 Celebration ride event to fund the Pizza. We will start off with 3-4 rides and we will expand if necessary. The Celebration ride funding was available for the first time in 2024, and we did not see the benefit utilized enough for our liking. The costs of drinks (beer, water etc.) will be each participants responsibility. If this goes well, we may also consider an Angry Erics Brewery ride from Kittatinny state park or a Burnt Mills Cider ride from Bedminster in the Fall. Rides should be up on the website shortly.
Semi-Annual Trek Inspection Ride – 9/21/24
The previously scheduled date was cancelled due to excessive heat. Many of you remember that last year we launched our first ever Trek Inspection Rides starting from Trek Stirling’s location. These events were very well received with all participants receiving Trek’s free safety inspection on their bikes. Trek will be offering a $50.00 discount on their level 2 service and $100 discount for Level 3 service, if needed. There will be refreshments, bagels, coffee and juices before and after the rides. Trek will also have Trek Fest specials inside their store for members to shop after the ride. We are staggering the start times of the rides, so that Trek can properly inspect and discuss their findings with our riders. Parking will be in the Trek lot, next door at the Day Care Center, and along Main Street in Stirling. Bathrooms are available in the store. Trek Service will be on duty at 8:00 am, so please arrive about 45 minutes to an hour before your ride starts. Rides are now available on our website.
Fall Picnic – 9/22/24 – Schooley Mountain Park. The MAFW Fall Picnic will be on Sunday September 22nd, at Schooley Mountain Park in Long Valley. For those that have not ridden out of the park it’s a beautiful location and the rides are fantastic as well. The picnic is free (and you can bring a guest). Please keep an eye out for the sign up so we know how many people to expect. Rides are now available on our website.
Now for a couple of safety announcements.
Morris County Dangerous Road Condition Reporting – At our spring kick-off there was a discussion about whether or not there is a website to report dangerous road conditions in Morris County. The good news is there is now a website to report such issues. Rebecca Feldman recently filed a dangerous condition report, and I encourage you all to do the same when an issue is identified. Rebecca’s email read as follows: “There is a dangerous condition on CR 646, Tempe Wick Road, both directions, in the vicinity of Primrose Brook. Repaving, or smooth edge-to-edge repair is needed – from the driveway of the Great Swamp Watershed Association to SR 202. Years of potholes and bumpy patching have made this section of winding road so rough that people on bicycles cannot stay out of the way of motorists. Drivers are speeding and blindly passing into oncoming traffic, while riders struggle to navigate a safe path between the patches. This busy rough section of Tempe Wick is now unsafe for everybody. When will Morris County make this section of Tempe Wick, a crucial east-west connector, safe? Rebecca P. Feldman Morristown”. Let’s keep our roads safe for all riders out there and feel free to use Rebecca’s email as inspiration.
Warning Aggressive Drivers – We have become aware of several reports from MAFW and BTCNJ club members having a few close-calls with cars driven by aggressive drivers. In fact, one MAFW member encountered two aggressive drivers in one week. While we can’t prevent people from driving stupidly, we can take several actions to help make ourselves safer when riding on the road. Although not required, here are some things to consider:
Always wear a proper fitting bicycle helmet, to help protect your noggin if you go down (this is required by club rules)
Wear a bright colored jersey and bright socks
Use bright LED lights to make you visible to distracted motorists
Be predictable when riding
Never overlap wheels with the cyclist in front of you
Use a radar detector (such as the Garmin Varia). Personally, I think this has been the greatest new tool available to bike riders over the last several years.
Consider using a video camera (such as Cycliq) – – although this won’t keep you safe, it will provide visual documentation in the event of a crash or incident (and it’s great at capturing license plate numbers). However, if you are using a video camera – please inform everyone on the ride during the safety talk that you are doing so. Some individuals are not happy being potentially recorded without their prior consent.
Good evening – Hopefully everyone is enjoying the heat.
Juneteenth – Hopefully everyone had an opportunity to celebrate Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day. This recent holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War. Although this date commemorates enslaved people learning of their freedom under the Emancipation Proclamation, this only applied to former Confederate states. There remained legally enslaved people in states that never seceded from the Union. These people did not gain their freedom until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 6, 1865.
If you have an opportunity to visit some of the local burial sites in the area it is worth it to learn about the history of the area as well as respect this new Federal holiday even more. The two main sites that I am aware of are as follows:
Lamington Black Cemetery – 19th century burial ground on the National Register of Historic Places. There are 97 identified graves here: 36 with names and 61 unknowns, including former slaves and free blacks who were members of the Lamington Presbyterian Church. Remains of 5 Civil War veterans who fought heroically for the Union are here. As you walk through the grounds, note the Bible passages on some of the markers and enjoy the feeling of peace. Several of our gravel rides pass this sacred location and on occasion we do stop by to pay respect.
African Burying Ground 1801: On June 22, 1801, three African Men – one free negro and two slaves – purchased on tenth of an acre of land from Aaron Melick for the sum of three dollars to establish a burying ground for the “Black people in this Neighborhood.” This is the earliest known purchase of land by slaves for burials in New Jersey. The free Negro’s name was Robert Aaron, a local beekeeper, and the two slaves were Aaron Melick’s Robert and Aaron Van Doren’s Yaff. The burying ground is one square chain (66′ x 66′) bounded on the west by the Hillside Avenue. In his 1889 book, “The Story of an Old Farm,” Andrew D. Melick, Jr. refers to the site as “God’s Acre.”
Now some upcoming events to bring to your attention:
Somerset Patriots Baseball game on 6/21
30+ people have signed up for this great event. A quick reminder that all individuals Ballpark BBQ Area with picnic tables and all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet with soft drinks (cash bar). The Somerset Patriots who are a NY Yankees AA minor league team will be playing the Erie SeaWolves @7:05 PM. The club subsidized the tickets, and we look forward to seeing you all in non-biking clothing. Hopefully we all recognize each other. LOL
Many of you remember that last year we launched our first ever Trek Inspection Rides starting from Trek Stirling’s location. These events were very well received with all participants receiving Trek’s free safety inspection on their bikes. Jeff Sperling and team have been working the phones and Trek has partnered once again with MAFW to offer our members another free inspection in conjunction with our rides emanating from the Trek Stirling parking lot on Sunday, July 14th, 2023. We will have rides posted shortly. Members will receive a no obligation written inspection scorecard assessment of their bike. Keep an eye out for additional details and the sign-ups on our website. We are also in conversations about a gravel inspection date as well. Stay tuned for additional details.
Fall Picnic – 9/22/24 – Schooley Mountain Park. The MAFW Fall Picnic will be on Sunday September 22nd, at Schooley Mountain Park in Long Valley. For those that have not ridden out of the park it’s a beautiful location and the rides are fantastic as well. The picnic is free (and you can bring a guest). Please keep an eye out for the sign up so we know how many people to expect.
Revolutionary Ramble – Last but not least, the Board wanted to thank all those that provided sponsorship money, donated personal time or participated in this great event and climbed until they cried uncle- LOL. The weather was perfect, and the rides went off without a hitch. All the profits are donated to the local EMS Squads, NICA and other bike related organizations. In addition, ride participants donated a significant number of bikes to the Boys and Girls Club for refurbishment. This event demonstrates what a great club we have and is a key component of our “brand.” To pull this off takes a lot of planning – more than I ever imagined and it would not be possible without our members. Please get involved and help us continue to grow this event to being one of the best and “biggest” events in NJ.
Revolutionary Ramble Volunteers Wanted – This Means You
The Rev Ramble is only (2) weeks away – – We have 20 spots remaining as of this morning
This is a key marketing event for the MAFW club – YOU can help make this a great success!
We all represent the MAFW club – – and your help is critical to the Ramble’s success. If you are not traveling or riding in the event it is strongly encouraged that you participate by assisting in this event.
We can definitely use some cargo truck drivers to help ensure the stop points are properly stocked with water and supplies throughout the day. The remaining spots are in the following areas:
RVCC Site (the Rev’s new home base)
Safety (includes SAG support)
Food Svcs (includes food distribution and delivery)
IF you’ve already signed up as a volunteer – THANK YOU.
Spring Picnic on May 11 – Duke Island Park. Looks like the weather is going to cooperate with no rain. Weather app is currently forecasting that we will be in the 50’s at the start and 60’s when we have lunch. As always, the picnic is free (and you can bring a guest and non-club members as well), but please sign up using the form at the top of our web page so we know how many people to expect. Consider using this event as a springboard to attract new members and grow the club. There is a full ride schedule for the day of the picnic, with rides at all paces. There should be a ride for anyone who is interested and remember to sign up for the ride in addition to signing up for the picnic.
One of the club members suggested that we set up a SWAP TABLE – The swappers just need to bring their unwanted gear to sell or exchange. The individual just needs to supply a note and $ wanted. Its spring – clean out your garage and give away, swap or sell your unwanted gear.
The Rev Ramble is only (4) weeks away – – We have made significant progress over the last week but there is still work to do. In addition, I can use someone to work with me at the start point – welcoming riders and kicking off the event – just saying.
This is a key marketing event for the MAFW club – YOU can help make this a great success!
We all represent the MAFW club – – and your help is critical to the Ramble’s success. If you are not traveling or riding in the event it is strongly encouraged that you participate by assisting in this event.
There are openings before, during and after the event and do not require a specific skill.
We can definitely use some truck drivers to pick up food on Friday as well as delivery and pick up services during and after the event.
As of today, we still have a lot of positions that need to be filled. The most urgent are in the following areas:
Rest Stops
RVCC Site (the Rev’s new home base)
Safety (includes SAG support)
Food Svcs (includes food distribution and delivery)
IF you’ve already signed up as a volunteer – THANK YOU.
Laurie Hagerich a club OG (Original Gangster) for over 35 years recently passed away after a very short illness. The viewing will be on May 10th at Dangler Funeral Home in Madison from 5-8PM. The funeral service will be at the Methodist Church in Madison on Saturday, May 11th at 11AM. If you want to send a card to the family her address is 19 Seven Oaks Drive, Madison, NJ 07040.
Pace & Terrain Definitions
Road Day & Evening
When choosing the pace you want to do, please consider:
if you are new to the club it is better to start with a slower pace and your work your way up to faster paces
choose the right pace for you on that day and don’t pigeon-hole yourself into a single pace classification. Factors impacting your pace include
terrain
how much you have been riding
who you are riding with
your conditioning
distance – note that you should increase the maximum length of your rides gradually. It is recommended that you do not attempt a ride any longer than 20% more than your longest ride of the season.
Pace classifications use average speed, which is the total distance divided by the moving time. This is the average speed reported by most by bicycle computers, although you might have to adjust the options to exclude time while not moving. It is critical to realize that your average speed is significantly less (typically 3/4 or less) than your “cruising” speed on flat terrain.
DAYTIME PACES (Updated: April 2015)
Pace
Minimum Average Speed
Description
A
18+ mph
Hard fast riding, few stops, slower riders will be dropped, frequent pace lines.
B+
17 mph
For very fit cyclists, slower riders will be dropped, leader rides at listed pace, occasional pace lines.
B
16 mph
For fit cyclists, terrain varies, up to 30 miles between rest stops. Leader sweeps no slower than 16 mph. BUT if there is a concurrent identical (same tour #, same start time) C+ ride, or the ride leader has posted “no sweep” in the ride comments, the leader rides a B pace and does not sweep.
C+
14.5 mph
For accomplished cyclists, terrain varies, up to 30 miles between rest stops, leader sweeps no slower than 14.5 mph. If there is a concurrent identical (same tour #, same start time) C ride, the Ride Leader may choose not to sweep and depend on the C ride to look after slower C+ riders.
C
13 mph
For accomplished cyclists, terrain varies, up to 30 miles between rest stops, leader sweeps no slower than 13 mph.
D+
11 mph
For experienced cyclists who want an easier pace, up to 20 miles between rest stops, leader sweeps no slower than 11 mph.
D
9 mph
Relaxed riding for experienced cyclists, easier terrain, up to 15 miles between rest stops, leader sweeps no slower than 9 mph (typically no longer than 35 miles and on terrain not more difficult than C+).
CA(Casual)
Casual
Relaxed riding, no steep hills, frequent stops, group stays together.
S (Special)
varies
Special ride. Click on ‘More’ (after login) to read special comments.
EVENING TRAINING RIDE PACES Paces for evening rides have a T prefix to indicate that they are “training” rides. Training means that the rides are typically shorter, do not have rest stops and riders generally ride at a faster average compared to day rides.
Pace
Average Speed
Description
TA
18+ mph
Hard fast riding, few stops, slower riders will be dropped, frequent pace lines.
TB
16.5+ mph
For very fit cyclists, slower riders will be dropped, leader rides at listed pace, occasional pace lines
TC
15+ mph
For accomplished cyclists, terrain varies, leader sweeps no slower than 15 mph.
TD
13+ mph
For experienced cyclists, leader sweeps no slower than 13 mph
TE
11+ mph
For any cyclists who can average 11 mph and ride the posted distance without a rest stop, leader sweeps no slower than 11 mph
Ride leaders on A, B+, B, TA and TB rides are not required to sweep, so riders on such rides should either be confident that they can keep up with the pace of the group or be comfortable riding independently.
Ride Leaders on C+, C, D+, D, TC, TD and TE pace rides are required to sweep. However, riders on those rides must be able to average at least that minimum speed, making only the scheduled rest stops, or they may be dropped.
TERRAIN RATINGS:
The terrain rating for a tour is determined by “average climb”. That is the total climb, as determined by ridewithgps.com as per the club’s map of the tour, divided by the length of the tour. Total climb is the total uphill climb ignoring the downhills. Note that the total climb as reported by ridewithgps.com is almost always lower than the climb reported by bike computers doing a route. That difference is “built into” the classifications below.
The ratings are:
Rating Average Climb (ft/mile)
A greater than 75
B 50 to 75
C+ 40 to 50
C 25 to 40
D less than 25
Two tours with the same terrain classification may have very different terrain profiles. For example one C+ terrain route may be relatively flat with one big climb, while another C+ terrain route may have lots of “rollers” but no big climbs. The best way to determine the type of terrain a route covers is to click the “MAP” link for the ride from the ride schedule and look at the terrain profile at the bottom of the ridewithGPS.com page for that tour.
Path & Trail Rides
ALL PATH AND TRAIL RIDES ARE SCHEDULED DURING FULL DAYLIGHT HOURS
PACE: Varies with type, terrain and group.
MB Mountain bike required (Bike with 26-inch or 29-inch knobby tires, flat bars)
HB For MB’s or Hybrids (road-sized frame with flat bars, wide tires, pedals that allow EZ off and on) Tires should be at least 28mm or 1 1/2 inches wide; some road bikes will accept 28mm tires, but road bikes not recommended.
TERRAIN:
For MB rides (Trail)
HT Highly technical – may include steep climbs/descents, very rocky, large intentional obstacles, drop-offs – for very experienced riders only
MT Moderately technical – may include some steep climbs/descents, water crossings, some rocks or roots – for lower intermediate riders and up
NT Not technical – relatively smooth hard pack with few or no steep hills or obstacles – riders of all abilities
For HB rides (Path)
NH Not technical for hybrid bikes. All HB rides will have an NH terrain rating. Trails are generally hard pack and may be partially paved – riders of all abilities. Road bikes with 28 mm tires OK, but hybrid still better.
Indoor Rides (e.g. Zwift)
Indoor rides will have the Pace set to “I” to indicate an indoor ride.
