Hi, friends.

Reasons to attend the Kickoff Meeting on 4/6 at Brookside Community Center even if you don’t plan to ride:

Bagels, goodies, coffee, juice

50/50.  You could leave with lots of paper in your pocket!

Socialize with friends, both new and old

Hear exciting club updates

Presentation by special guest, Steve Vacarro , New York and New Jersey attorney, cyclist, cycling advocate, Revolutionary Ramble sponsor.   Featured by the New York Law Journal as “New York’s best-known lawyer advocate for bicyclist and pedestrian rights.” (https://vaccaro-law.com/).  I heard him present at the NJ Bike and Walk Coalition on March 29,, 2025 and he’s excellent!

Parking onsite or at the Firehouse/Town Hall complex across the street.

Register on the club website by clicking on “Calendar” at the bottom of the home screen by Wednesday 4/3 so we can make sure we have enough refreshments for all of you.

See you there!!

Best regards,

Michael

 

 

Greetings, friends!

One of the benefits of getting older is you get to see your physician for an annual physical. Your bike is no different. It has been at least 17 months since we hosted a Trek Inspection Ride, so we are long overdue to ensure that our bikes are in tip top shape for prime riding in the spring, summer and fall. We have scheduled the Trek Inspection Rides to take place on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at Trek Stirling.  We are adding the first of our monthly party rides to this event so that our members can enjoy food and refreshments pre and post ride. Plus, Trek has put together some special MAFW exclusive savings and opportunities for supplies, bikes, and service as part of our offering to our members.  Here are some bullet points to refresh your memory of this highly successful event:

1. The Inspection

Trek will inspect each member’s bike at no cost or obligation. You will receive a written evaluation detailing their analysis of your bike’s condition. In previous years, Trek discovered cracked wheels, broken derailleurs, and other issues unbeknownst to MAFW members. In some instances, Trek loaned members bikes so they could ride that day. For any bike inspected on April 12th, Trek has generously knocked $100 off their Level 2 tune ups, exclusive for MAFW.

2. The Rides

We have posted 4 rides for our members, C+, C, D+ and D. Those rides are posted on the website and begin at Trek Stirling. Since this is a club sponsored event, these will be the only rides officially scheduled on that day. Please arrive 30-45 minutes before your ride start so that Trek will have adequate time to complete your inspection. Please sign up as soon as you can so we get an adequate count for food purchases.

3. The Food and the Party Ride

Trek will have coffee, juices, bagels, cream cheese and energy bars pre ride. Post ride, we will be serving Jersey Mike’s Sub sandwiches, chips, Fritos, soft drinks and water for our members.  Please bring folding chairs for your comfort post ride in the Trek parking lot. This will be our first party ride for 2025.

4. Trek Fest for MAFW members, $100 off all bikes $500-$1000 MSRP

• New lower pricing on a range of models (2022-2024 closeouts). 
• New lower pricing on select Trek/Bontrager aftermarket products
• Free shipping on TrekBikes.com
• All Trek and Rapha apparel in-store on special MAFW pricing

$ 5, $10 and $20 bin parts sale with deep discounts.

5. Parking

Trek parking lot, nursery school next door, Main Street

6. Party Ride Future Events

We promised you more social events. Our Party Rides will be scheduled once a month from April to October, on alternate Saturdays or Sundays during prime riding weather, at different starting points in our club. We look forward to seeing you on these special food provided events. Come out and join us on April 12th for our first party ride of the year.

Have fun; stay safe!

MAFW Board

Greetings, family.

Get out the calendars and mark down 2 epic dates:

Sunday, April 6

Morris Area Freewheeler Kickoff Meeting at Brookside Community Center. Featuring refreshments, friendships, exciting club news including the monthly Party Rides beginning in April, and more.  Rides will take place after the meeting.  Watch the Club’s ride schedule for details!

Spring is coming.  Let’s ride!

Have fun; stay safe!

Michael

 

Saturday, April 12

Free bike inspection at Trek Stirling followed by Morris Area Freewheelers Party Rides 

Bring your bike for a free comprehensive inspection with rides of all paces to follow.  Trek will have TrekFest specials and MAF club member specials.  After the ride, relax and eat sub sandwiches with your fellow riders as we launch our maiden monthly Party Ride.  Watch the Club’s ride schedule for details!

 

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