Lesson 1 – never right an email after dinner on a Sunday evening – LOL

Somehow, I renamed Glora as Mary in the third sentence.  I have no answer as to how that happened – I blame the wine.

Casual Rides I wanted to give a shout out to Gloria Friedman.  Gloria reached out and wanted to reinstitute a casual ride for new riders and others that may not be ready to entertain a higher-level ride at this point in time.    Gloria had 10 riders participate last week.  If you are around on a Wednesday morning – please take some time to join Gloria and her team for a short ride out of Loantaka.  Remember new riders are the life blood of a healthy bike club.

Ramble – We still need some help (especially SAG riders).  If you can help out it will be appreciated.  Not sure how I forgot the Ramble.

2023

What	Available Spots
Safety Team Leader	#1: Joseph Reo <jreo@optonline.net>
Lost Rider Assistance/Co-Captain	#1: ____________________
Start Control	#1: ____________________ #2: ____________________
MAFW Club Ambassador	#1: Noreen Drucker <mretth@aol.com> #2: Tom Beringer <tomberinger195@gmail.com>
Ride Marshal/Sweep – 100 Mile	#1: alex sidd <theaxelman@hotmail.com> #2: Joseph Mundi <mavicrider@gmail.com> #3: ____________________
Ride Marshal/Sweep – 70 Mile	#1: Mike Rowley <Shelb234@optonline.net> #2: George Decker <touringeng@gmail.com> #3: Jay Raju <jsimharaju@hotmail.com> #4: Gaye Swanson <coolmother53@gmail.com>
Ride Marshal/Sweep – 45 Mile	#1: John Delaney <jdelaneyjr@aol.com> #2: Tara Ding <cliftondog1999@yahoo.com>
Ride Marshal/Sweep – 35 Mile	#1: Joseph De Cagna <jdecagna1@gmail.com> #2: Drew Thraen <drew.thraen@gmail.com>
Ride Marshal/Sweep – 25 Mile	#1: Arnie Cohen <arnie@teledge-usa.com> #2: Tony Fanelli <tjfanelli@yahoo.com> #3: Roy Fischman <royfischman@gmail.com>
Course Marshal – Lees Hill Rd.	#1: Betty Ann Kaltneckar <beaufortfalcon@msn.com>
Course Marshal – TBD	#1: ____________________
Course Marshal – Glenwild Rd & Loantaka Way	#1: Fred Bennett <starben62@yahoo.com>
Drew SAG Driver	#1: Michael Swearingen <rmswearingen@optonline.net>
Jockey Hollow SAG Driver	#1: CONRAD STEENECK <csteeneck@verizon.net>
Southard SAG Driver	#1: LOUIS BLANCO <loublanco@gmail.com>
Harry Dunham SAG Driver	#1: ____________________
Transport SAG Driver	#1: ____________________
Transport SAG Assistant	#1: ____________________
25 Mile SAG Driver	#1: ____________________
70 Mile SAG Driver	#1: Michael Cloidt <michaelcloidt@gmail.com>

Lynda Deluca

Lynda DeLuca does not have to bring a main dish as her desserts are delightful.  My bad.  LOL

What a beautiful weekend and I was glad to see that we had multiple rides on the docket for members of all abilities.

Picnic

The picnic will be on Saturday May 13th, at Colonial Park.  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), but please sign up so we know how many people to expect. The tradition continues, the club will provide fried chicken, but everyone is expected to bring a dish based on their last name to supplement the chicken. People whose last name starts with:

A-F	Please bring a Main Dish
G-O	Please bring an Salad
P-Z	Please bring a Appetizer

Manny and his fellow ride leaders put together a full ride schedule for the day of the picnic, with rides at all paces between Casual and B+.  FYI the B+ ride still needs a leader.  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.

Girls in Gear

Gabrielle Rossi has invited us to observe one or both of their Girls on Gear clinics on May 14th (10AM) for their 8-week program or June 4th (12PM) for the learn to ride clinic.  This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the social impact of our club and if we can potentially get a couple of the biker chicks in their gear to attend one of the two sessions as well would be awesome.  Both sessions are at Lewis Morris Park in the Sunrise Lake Parking Lot.  If you do not make one or both sessions, they will most likely have a table at the Ramble starting point so please stop by and introduce yourselves.

Casual Rides

I wanted to give a shout out to Gloria Friedman.  Gloria reached out and wanted to reinstitute a casual ride for new riders and others that may not be ready to entertain a higher-level ride at this point in time.    Mary had 10 riders participate last week.  If you are around on a Wednesday morning – please take some time to join Mary and her team for a short ride out of Loantaka.  Remember new riders are the life blood of a healthy bike club.

Wed	10:00am	CA/C/28/704	Loantaka-South St., Morris Twp.	Gloria Friedman	778 – Great Swamp Classic(18)	CUE MAP GPX TCX
Average Climb (ft/mile) 25 Leader Comments This is a regular weekly ride.  This week we will be riding 15 miles.  Last week we had 10 riders which is very exciting.  Hope some new people come too.  Please call me if you have any signing problems.  You can come to 1 ride without joining the club. Tour DescriptionA minimum hills ride in the Great Swamp area with two loops off of White Bridge Road. *No food stop since Meyersville Cafe closed*.

Ride Leader and Volunteer Pizza Party – May 18th

Calling all Ride Leaders and Volunteers – I noticed that sign up page on our website looked a little light.  Please take the time to sign up and we look forward to celebrating your efforts.

Last but not least to all the mothers out there.  Please have a great Mother’s Day and may it be everything you hoped for and more.

See you soon on a Ride.

Joseph Reo

MAFW President

The Spring Kickoff meeting and after meeting rides are now up and running on our webpage.  Please click the link at the top of the page and let us know you will be joining us.  In addition, we use this as a gauge to determine how much food and drink is required for the meeting.

I am planning on leading the C+ ride.   Hope to see you all there.

Regards

Joseph Reo

Our first social event of the year is upon us.  Please join us all and enjoy some time with our members as well as some food on us. Please note that members and guests will have to purchase their own flights or other beverages.   Details and the link to sign up for the event are detailed below: Friday February 24, 6PM Glenbrook Brewery – 95 Morris Street Morristown Flights and Flats with Marty’s doing a bike cleaning clinic.   Signup page for this event on the website: https://mafw.org/events/flights-and-flats-with-martys-doing-a-bike-cleaning-clinic/   Regards Joseph Reo MAFW President  

Just a reminder that our Club Store (through Pactimo) closes on December 29th.  You can link to the club store from the club website, and this link should work as well:

https://teamstore.pactimo.com/stores/morris_area_freewheelers/show

In addition to the traditional jerseys, there are shorts and bibs, arm warmers, gloves, and even a ball cap!

Items will be shipped directly to your home, estimated arrival in mid-February.

New Year, New MAFW Bike Gear!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride a Stage of the Tour de France?  How about wondering what it would be like to ride every mile, every stage, one day ahead of the pros?  Well here is your chance to find out!  Basking Ridge resident Paul Harradine will share his experiences from the 2022 event with us at the MAFW Biennial meeting on November 2.

If you haven’t already done so, this would be a great time to register for the meeting (and our club election).  Here is the EventBrite link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mafw-biennial-meeting-and-election-tickets-432107223337

See you Wednesday!

Yesterday one of our MAFW members was chased and knocked down by two loose dogs.  The incident happened on Spring Valley Road, between Van Beuren and Blue Mill Rd.  Fortunately our club member was not seriously injured, but her bicycle and helmet were destroyed.  And the nearby cars (one behind her and one oncoming) reacted quickly and didn’t hit her as she fell in the middle of the road.

The dogs were described as brindle coat, either pit bull or boxer breeds. They came out from a property with a split rail fence and pine trees.  Unfortunately the dogs did a “hit and run”, so it isn’t clear who they belong to.

Please be alert while cycling on Spring Valley Road.  If you see loose dogs, take every action you can to avoid them.  And, as we advise with cars that are acting irresponsibly, get pictures or video if you can do so safely.

Since you have read this far, here is another reminder to register for the Biennial meeting:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mafw-biennial-meeting-and-election-tickets-432107223337

And, if you want to look at the bylaws with the proposed amendments, here’s a link:  https://mafw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/MAFW-bylaws-2022-Changes-Accepted-revision.pdf

Happy Halloween!

Next week we turn the calendar page to November.  Our MAFW Biennial meeting is November 2.  In addition to our election, we will be voting on Bylaws changes to streamline the governance of the club.

Please register for the meeting using EventBrite:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mafw-biennial-meeting-and-election-tickets-432107223337

What Changes are Proposed for the MAFW ByLaws and Why?

1. Allow voting to take place using any mechanism approved by the State of New Jersey for Organizations. Currently our bylaws REQUIRE in person voting at the biennial meeting.  The Board would like the flexibility to use electronic or other secure means of voting for MAFW elections, changes to bylaws, and any other issue that requires a vote of the general membership.
2. Eliminate the requirement for a Ride Planning Committee and a Social Committee. The Ride Planning Committee is no longer needed.  Historically, it selected the rides for the month, and then there was a search (yes, this used to be via pen and paper in parking lots after rides, and then later by an Excel spreadsheet emailed to all ride leaders) for ride leaders.  Now, ride leaders can select and schedule rides via the website, so the Ride Planning Committee is no longer needed.  The club continues to have social events, and there is a Social Coordinator, but we do not feel there is a requirement for a standing social committee.
3. Reduce the size of the nominating committee from 5 to 3 persons. The nominating committee works to identify candidates for elected positions of the club.  A 5 person committee has been a challenge, both in terms of finding 5 persons able to serve, and in terms of coordinating meetings between them.  We feel that 3 persons (at least one from the Board and at least one from the general membership) is sufficient and can work more efficiently.
4. Change the structure of the Board to reduce the number of elected positions. There are many functions that we all agree the club needs to have, but that don’t necessarily need to be elected positions.  Being in an elected position requires that the individual attend all Board meetings.  The current Board size (15) is large for the size and complexity of the organization.

Each member of the Current Board was asked whether they felt their position should be ELECTED or APPOINTED, and their opinion on the overall structure of the Board.  After much discussion, the Board agreed that the following positions would move from being ELECTED (and involved in club governance) to APPOINTED (carrying out essential functions for the club, but no longer involved in club governance):

Social Coordinator, Marketing Coordinator, Bicycle Adventures Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Web Content Manager.

This change allows flexibility, in that one person can do more than one role, something that the current bylaws do not allow. In order to keep an odd number of voting positions on the Board, the role of At Large Member has been created.

All members who are candidates for these positions are aware that, if this bylaws change is accepted, their role will be an APPOINTED ROLE, and not a governance role.  If the bylaws change is not accepted, they will serve in an elected position.

As a reminder, here is the Candidate list:

Governance Positions:

President	Joe Reo
Vice President	Paul Malinowski
Secretary	Jessica Simpson
Treasurer	Merritt Peterson
Ride Coordinator	Manny Coelho
Membership	Betsy Eastwood
Safety	Drew Thraen
IT	Jon Eiseman
Past President	Liz Jennison
At Large	Mark Jay
Positions that will be Appointed
Social	John Storey
Marketing	Tracy Brown
Newsletter	Pat Kipp
Adventures	Roy Fischman
Web Content	Pete Nevins

It is Sunday evening, and your weekend is winding down.  Perhaps you got in a nice bike ride yesterday or today…  And perhaps you are thinking about a nice bike ride next Sunday…. And how hungry you will be after that ride…  And wouldn’t it be great if there just happened to be a picnic after that bike ride???  Well you are in luck.  With a few clicks of your mouse you can register for a MAFW ride next Sunday via the club website, and then hop on over to EventBrite to sign up for the picnic (Sunday October 23 at Pickell Park) :  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mafw-fall-picnic-rescheduled-tickets-431080803287

It would be really good idea to bring your bike, helmet, and other bike gear to the bike ride.  And a fantastic idea to bring a dish to share to the picnic. We also need a few volunteers to help with the set up for the picnic; especially someone who is not planning to ride and can keep hungry beasts away from our food while Drew, our Safety Coordinator, goes to pick up the Fried Chicken.  If you can help out, please drop Drew a line (Safety@mafw.org).

November means the end of evening rides, as our late day light fades (and then vanishes with the time change).  We can all commiserate about this over coffee and cookies at the MAFW Biennial meeting, November 2 at 7 pm (meeting room in the Hills, directions on the registration link).  To ensure we have enough cookies for all, please register for the event:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mafw-biennial-meeting-and-election-tickets-432107223337

Not only will the Biennial meeting feature cookies, but we will hold our MAFW Election.  And, we will have a special presentation by Basking Ridge resident Paul Harradine on “how I spent my summer vacation”.  Well Paul spent his summer vacation riding every mile of every stage of the Tour de France one day before the Tour pros!  And yes, Paul is a regular guy, with a normal family and a real job!

We round out the month of October with the annual Milestone party and lunch (October 26th) .  We have a new location Annabella Italian Ristorante, 144 Main Street, Whitehouse Station.  For this event, please register with Pat Kipp (newletter@mafw.org) by the 23rd.  If you are celebrating a milestone birthday (increments of 5 years, starting at age 50) your lunch is free.  Everyone else pays $20 cash at the event.

Since the Milestone party is near Pickell Park, the morning rides before will also be from Pickell Park.  RIDE LEADERS:  We need a few of you to schedule rides from Pickell Park for that morning.  Choose your distance and pace so that the rides will finish around 12 noon.  The lunch is at 12:30 pm.

See you at an upcoming MAFW Event!

Liz Jennison, MAFW President

Thanks to quick thinking on the part of our Social Coordinator, we have secured a new date for our MAFW Fall picnic.  The picnic will be on Sunday October 23rd, at Pickell Park.

Since we have created a new listing in EventBrite, you will need to sign up again, even if you had signed up for the rained out picnic scheduled for yesterday.  The picnic is free (and you can bring a guest), but please sign up so we know how many people to expect. You can register here.

As we had already planned, the club will provide fried chicken, but everyone is expected to bring a dish based on their last name.

People whose last name starts with:

A-F	Please bring a salad
G-O	Please bring an appetizer
P-Z	Please bring a main dish

Manny and his fellow ride leaders will put together a full ride schedule for the day of the picnic, with rides at all paces between Casual and B+ .  There should be a ride for anyone who is interested….

And for those celebrating milestone birthdays this year, the Milestone Party is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26th at Annabella Ristorante in Whitehouse Station.  The party is free for “milestoners” and $20 for all others.  Please RSVP to Pat Kipp by Friday, October 21st.  (freewheelpat@gmail.com)

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for good weather on October 23.  And remember to sign up for the ride you plan to do in addition to signing up for the picnic.

Liz Jennison, MAFW President