Greetings, Friends.

By now you’ve received several calls to volunteer at the 2025 Revolutionary Ramble which will take place on June 7, 2025 at Raritan Valley Community College (www.rambleride.org). What you probably don’t know is that our Club receives $3000 from the Morris Area Freewheeler Foundation for the services that the club provides to the Ramble. This is the second largest source of revenue for the Club and is increasingly important to the financial solvency of the Club given the significant decline in Club membership.

Last year, the number of volunteer positions filled 4 weeks prior to the event was so low that the Freewheeler Foundation was concerned that the event would need to be cancelled. Fortunately, with an aggressive push by some key Club members, all of the necessary positions were filled. We do not want to be in that position this year so I urge you to look at the volunteer positions and sign up for 1 or more. And while you’re at it, have family members and friends join you in volunteering! Having held a number of Ramble volunteer positions over the years, I can assure you that it will be a gratifying and enjoyable experience that will only require a few hours of your time. If you are not available on the day of the Ramble, there are volunteer positions during the week prior to the Ramble. Volunteer positions can be found at www.ramblestuff.org or by clicking on the Volunteer link at www.rambleride.org.

This year, the Ramble will offer road rides of 25, 35, 50, 70, and 100 miles and gravel rides of 25 and 40 miles. Total elevation of the routes has been decreased from that of last year. And we are particularly excited that this year’s lunch caterer is Local Smoke BBQ. Lunch options will be pulled pork, pulled chicken, and pasta primavera for vegetarians and carb cravers. There will also be green salad, corn bread, and gluten free slider rolls. Jeff Sperling, myself, and our wives have sampled the food and we found it quite tasty!

Lastly, we are asking all Club members who work for a business or corporation to assist with identifying potential sponsors. If you work for a business or corporation that provides charitable donations, please obtain the name and contact information for the person responsible and provide it to me. I or one of the Freewheeler Foundation Board members will contact that person to discuss sponsorship opportunities. Obviously, the more sponsors the more proceeds will be available to be given to the causes supported by the Ramble.

Thank you, in advance, for volunteering a few hours of your time to the Revolutionary Ramble. I guarantee a money back refund if you don’t find it to be an enjoyable experience.

Best regards,

Michael Chenkin

Greetings, friends.

The Board is asking for suggestions for a topic and a speaker for the annual Kick-Off meeting.  Please send your ideas to me.

Trek Stirling is offering special savings on Level 2 and Level 3 service packages for MAFW members for a limited time.  Level 2 service is discounted by $100 and Level 3 service is discounted by $150.  You need to present your MAFW membership card to get these special discounts.  You can find a link to print your membership card under the “Membership Info” tab on the club’s website.  Have your bike serviced before the spring rush.

Stay safe and have fun.

Best regards,

Michael

 

 

 

Dear friends:

I just received sad news of the passing of long time MAFW member Van Connolly, wife of George Connolly.  Van was the club statistician for many years as well as an avid rider.  Her husband, George, was a club president and actively involved with the Revolutionary Ramble from it’s inception.  Here is information regarding services:

Bailey Funeral Home ‐ Mendham  8 Hilltop Rd.  Mendham, NJ  Thursday February 13  Visitation  3:00 pm ‐ 7:00 pm
Friday February 14  Celebrant Service  11:00 am ‐ 11:45 am
Friday February 14  Interment  12:00 pm ‐ 12:30 pm  Mendham Hilltop Cemetery  18 Hilltop Rd  Mendham, NJ   

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of a tribute gift in memory of Bernice Connolly to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org.

Here is the email that George sent to Pat Kipp:

Hi Pat,

I’m glad to see that you are still involved with the club newsletter.  I just wanted to let you know that my wife, Van Connolly, recently passed away after a long illness.  She was an active rider and the club statistician for many years.  The club was a special place for us since its where we met and enjoyed many years of participation.

https://baileyfuneral.com/tribute/details/3426/Bernice-Connolly/obituary.html#tribute-start

Please pass this along to other friends who are still active with the club.

Thanks,

George

 

Greetings, friends.

I hope to see you at the winter party this coming Saturday, February 1.  As I write this, there are 57 lovely people who have signed up and we’ll miss your smiling face if you’re not there.  We’ll be raffling a few nice prizes and our DJ, DJ minus D, is ready to rock.  Looking forward to seeing you there

Warm regards,

Michael

 

Greetings, Friends.

I’m pleased to announce that another MAFW exclusive event has been added to the website calendar. 

As we are all contending with the cold weather, let’s get ourselves ready for the springtime cycling season. We are pleased to announce a special lecture and presentation to our members, entitled “Strength Training for Cyclists”, presented by Paul Coviello, PT, DPT, owner of Summit Physical Therapy, a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and a committed cyclist as well. Many of you may remember that Paul gave a lecture at our annual November meeting, is a corporate sponsor of the Ramble, and has treated a number of MAFW members for their physical therapy needs.

Paul’s lecture and demonstration will be presented at his Summit location, 60 Morris Turnpike , Suite 2W, Summit, NJ 07901 ( entrance to parking lot is across the street from Benihana). The event will be on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 4:00 pm. Space is limited for this event, only 15 members can be accommodated. Please sign up on the calendar on the club website. Refreshments will be served.

Kudos to Jeff Sperling and Paul Coviello for making this event happen for the club!

Keep an eye on your email as we plan to add more educational events in the coming months and watch for the kick-off for our monthly “special treat” rides once the weather warms up.  And if you have suggestions for informational/educational presentations please email me.  Let’s all contribute to add more value and fun to club membership.

Stay safe and stay warm.

Best regards,

Michael 

Here’s some exciting news to help warm you during this cold spell!

1. The Morris Area Freewheelers Winter Party takes place on February 1, 2025 at Fairchild Fire Company, 2 Burnham Rd., Morris Township from 6-10 PM.  Come out and party with us.  And if you have a significant other, don’t let him/her miss out on the fun.  It’s BYOB and there will be music.  Sign up on the calendar page on the club website.

2.  Save the date and plan to attend POP’S WINTERFEST 2025 on Janurary 28, 2025 from 6-8:30 PM.  Prizes and giveaways!

Pop’s Bike Shop, 34 E. Main St., Somerville, will be hosting a rep night! Company representatives from Shimano, Lazer Helmets, Niterider lights, Kuat car racks, Garmin, Continental tires, Skratch Lab nutrition and more will be there as will company representatives from Giant, Haro, and Dahon bicycle companies!

Come by and meet their new in-house Chiropractor Kate Denker, as well as Zachy Christodoulou from Yoga Odyssey!

Pop’s will have product demos and tutorials, new product introductions, as well as prizes and giveaways. SUPER special POPS WINTERFEST event pricing on a large range of road, mountain, and hybrid bikes with savings of 20% to over 50% on select models!  POPS will be offering parts and accessories specials from 20%-90% on a huge range of products from presenters listed above, as well as Muc-Off, Pearl Izumi, Elite indoor trainers, Cannondale, Tifosi Optics, Wera tools, and many others!

Pop’s will be accepting donations of used bikes for Ridewise, its partner here in Somerset county, that helps local people in need of transportation alternatives. Drop off that old bike that you no longer need, and we will refurbish it to be given to a local person right here in our local community.

Also, a portion of the proceeds of this event will be donated to aid victims of the Los Angeles wild fires. We will also be accepting donations that will go directly to help those in the bicycling community in California that need our help.

RSVP by email at repair@popsbikeshop.com.

Stay safe and stay warm.

Michael

Greetings, all.

A few updates to share:

1. The Trek inspection scheduled for 1/18/2025 has been postponed due to lack of interest but will be rescheduled at a later date.
2. The Board has approved an incentive for club members who recruit new members.  Any club member that recruits 3 new members will receive either a MAF jersey or a $50 gift card.  Names of club members who recruit 1 or 2 new members will be entered into a drawing for a MAF jersey or a $50 gift card.  The club’s IT Coordinator will  add a question to the new member sign up to capture who was the referring member.  The program runs annually from October 1 through September 30 and is retroactive to October 1, 2024.
3.  Don’t forget to sign up for the club’s winter party that will take place on February 1, 2025.  If you didn’t receive the email invite, contact social@mafw.org.

Stay safe and have fun.

Best regards,

Michael

I am sad to say that I have just learned that longtime MAFW member Bill Zalan lost his battle with lymphoma on Thursday, January 9.  Bill took up cycling to complement his running and prepare him for triathlons.   He had great success as a runner and a cyclist, and enjoyed many days of riding with MAFW.  He enjoyed the company of MAFW members on the Bon Ton Roulet and Bike Virginia.  He joined a People Cycling trip, going most of the way across the US, and then paralleling the Rhine River from Switzerland to Amsterdam.   In addition, Bill tried his luck with triathlons, and competed up to the Ironman distance.  

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am on Saturday (January 18, 2025) , St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church..  213 Somerset St.  New Brunswick  NJ 08901
There will be a reception at the Hungarian American Athletic Club (233 Somerset St. New Brunswick NJ  08901) immediately following.

Bill was the longtime companion of former MAFW  President Liz Jennison.(drlizjen@gmail.com)

An informal gathering celebrating Bill’s sporting life (running, biking, hiking, skiing) will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2025 from 1-4 pm at the home of Mike Falcone (14 Southwood Dr. Morris Plains, NJ)

Greetings, all.

I must have been so excited about the bike inspections that I forgot to tell you to go to “Calendar” on the club website to sign up.

And I’m leaving now to wash the egg off of my face.

Best regards to all.

We are pleased to announce the return of our highly successful free Trek Bike Inspections at the Stirling location. Safety is the number one priority for our members. We urge you to take advantage of this vital free service exclusively for MAFW members. For most of you, your bikes have probably not been inspected by a professional in over 12 months. Trek Stirling will provide a free comprehensive, no obligation written assessment of your bike. The inspection includes tires, frame and fork, suspension, drivetrain, rider contact points, wheel system, and braking system. Members can make their own decisions regarding where or how their bike should be serviced.

Demonstrating their continued commitment to MAFW, Trek Stirling is offering exclusive service pricing not available to the general public. Level 2 service will be discounted by $100 and Level 3 service will be reduced by $150. Note that this savings is greater than the savings that Trek is currently promoting for those services to the general public. If you have friends or family who aren’t MAFW members and their bike(s) require service, they can join MAFW and wind up paying less for these services than they would if they weren’t club members!

This event is scheduled for January 18 if weather permits riding. D+, C, and C+/B rides will be offered. Rides will be approximately 20 miles in length. Otherwise, inspections will take place on January 25 regardless of weather. If the weather is bad on the 25th, rides will be cancelled. Please note that you are not obligated to sign up for a club ride in order to have your bike inspected. C+/B riders should plan to arrive no later than 9 AM; C riders at 9:30 AM; D+ riders at 10:15 AM, and those not riding at 11 AM. Refreshments will be provided by Trek.

Be sure to sign up so we can provide an accurate headcount to Trek even if you sign up for rides on that day.

Have fun; be safe.

Michael Chenkin