Are you one of the many MAFW members who believes there is some sort of MAFW magic?  Do you think that new ride routes are created by “ride wizards” and just appear on the club website?  Or that fried chicken, cold drinks and paper plates are delivered to the club picnics by a “picnic drone”?  Or that the newsletter, social media posts, and membership services just “happen”?  Well, you are WRONG!  All these functions that support the club are carried out by VOLUNTEER members, working “behind the scenes” to keep the club running smoothly.

We have had people ask questions like “why don’t we return to having free potluck holiday parties?”  Well guess what, they weren’t really “free”.  We had to rent a place to have the party (not a big expense), and then 8-10 MAFW volunteers did NOT get to enjoy the party as they were busy working (setting up the venue, setting out and replenishing food, cleaning up) while everyone else enjoyed the “free” party.  When we tried to move to a paid event so that everyone could enjoy it, MAFW members weren’t willing to pay for a party, and the club could not afford any event of the quality that we desired.  And there you have it, the reason we no longer have a holiday party…

Right now, we are at a critical time for the club, as many of these positions will be VACANT at the end of the year as the incumbents move on for various reasons.  Without NEW people willing to step up and fill some of these critical functions, the ability of MAFW to operate smoothly is in jeopardy.

At the end of 2022 the following MAFW positions will be VACANT:  President, Vice President, Membership Coordinator, and Social Coordinator.  Please consider whether YOU or someone you know would be interested and willing to serve in one of these positions.  If so, please contact one of the members of our Nominating Committee (headed by Mark Jay:  adventures@mafw.org and Drew Thraen:  safety@mafw.org).

Thanks to all our Ride Leaders and to everyone else who works hard (and often behind the scenes) to make MAFW run.  As our IT coordinator, Jon says, “no one notices when things work fine, but they complain when things don’t.”  We need people to fill these key positions to keep everything running well in the MAFW World.

Muriel Mota, a longtime member of MAFW, and avid cyclist, died on August 9th at the age of 94.  If you have memories and/or photos of Muriel that you would like to share with the club, please email to our Newsletter Editor, Pat Kipp (newsletter@mafw.org) prior to August 25th for inclusion in the next MAFW Newsletter.  

A link to Muriel’s obituary is here. You can also share memories of Muriel with her family via a link within the obituary. 

Services are as follows:

Crane’s Mill at Hinman Hall
459 Passaic Avenue
West Caldwell , NJ 07006
(973) 276-3021 | Map
Sunday 8/14, 4:00 pm

Memorial donations to The Raptor Trust, 1390 White Bridge Road, Millington, NJ 07946 (https://theraptortrust.org/) or the ASCPA, P. O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929 (www.aspca.org) would be greatly appreciated.

I remember Muriel as a MAFW Ride Leader while well into her 70’s.

Liz Jennison, MAFW President

Maybe you’ve been a member of MAFW for years and years, or perhaps you are a relatively new member.  Whichever designation applies to you, just HOW ENGAGED are you with YOUR bike club?

Do you join in on club rides as your schedule permits?  Attend our picnics or other social events (now that we’ve resumed these after the COVID hiatus)?  Or perhaps you are one of our dedicated ride leaders?  When you encounter cyclists who aren’t club members, do you tell them about our club and encourage them to join?

There are plenty of opportunities for becoming even more active within the club. We are always looking for more RIDE LEADERS, especially at some of the faster paces.  Lead the rides you want to ride!  And, new this year, as a ride leader, you can celebrate your birthday (or other special event), with your fellow club members, and be reimbursed for snacks/treats that you bring to share.  Join the ranks of the ride leaders by contacting our Ride Coordinator, Manny (ridecoordinator@mafw.org).

Want to stay “up to date” on scheduled rides and club events?  You can use your on the club website to indicate what email communications you want to receive from the club.  In the upper right hand corner of the home page, where you see your name, you can select and edit your .  On the page, you can indicate what pace rides you want to hear about (meaning you will receive an automatic email whenever a ride is scheduled at this pace).  And, if you happen to think you get TOO MUCH email from the club, you can tell us you don’t want ANY email from us at all.  Note that is you select the option of “Do not send me ANY email”, that truly means ANY email, including that on scheduled rides.  And while you are looking at the , make sure your emergency contact information, mobile number, and license plate information are correct.

The MAFW election season is upon us, and our biennial (that’s every 2 years) membership meeting and election will be in November (date to be determined).  We have several club leadership positions that will be vacant at the end of this term.  Are you interested in helping plan and carry out club events?  Then become the next Social Coordinator.  How about ensuring there is a robust ride schedule?  Then take over for Manny who is stepping aside after many years as Ride Coordinator.  My term as President is ending, and there are other vacancies as well, including Membership (thanks to Marv for many years of service).  Mark Jay (adventures@mafw.org) and Drew Thraen (safety@mafw.org) are leading the Nominating Committee, and want to hear from YOU if you are interested in a role in club management.  Act NOW!  We need to have our candidate slate finalized by the end of August.

Keep cool for the remaining days of summer.  And remember that sunset is coming earlier each day.  Think about front and rear lights for your bike (a good idea ANY time) and shorten those evening rides as needed!

July, for cyclists, traditionally means the Tour de France.  And this year it also brings our own Revolutionary Ramble.  The Ramble organizers have been hard at work, and still need a few volunteers to help out, whether in the days leading up to the event, or on Ramble Day (July 24^th).  If you can share in the work, check out the Ramble website and select a volunteer spot:  https://rambleride.org/volunteer-signup/

Our MAF Team store is now open until July 23rd.  You have just a few more days to order MAF jerseys, shorts, jackets, and other items.  You can find the link to the MAF Store from the club homepage.  Look sharp in your MAF attire!

Two of our club members, Steve Davis and Joe Reo, took the initiative to contact the town of Bernardsville and get some large potholes patched on Hardscrabble Road.  Please follow their lead and contact the responsible community about road hazards.  This is especially effective if you live in the community in question; they try to keep the taxpayers happy!

As always, thanks to our ride leaders for keeping our ride schedule busy and varied.  Ride safely and wear your sunscreen!

Liz Jennison

MAF President

Greetings to all MAF members.  The light at the end of the tunnel was not a train after all!  On Monday the MAF Board met and decided that, in alignment with CDC and NJ guidelines, the club will eliminate the mandatory cap on riders on club rides.  Ride leaders will have the discretion of capping their ride (as at present) or allowing unlimited riders.  This will be easily visible on the website.  If a ride is capped, you must sign up in advance; no walk ins, no guests.  If a ride is not capped, you can walk in and guests will be allowed.

Thanks to all of the new ride leaders who stepped forward in the recent months.  We hope that you will continue to be a ride leader.  And thanks to all who chose new start locations and destinations.  We also hope that this will continue.  Please remember that our Ride Leaders are all VOLUNTEERS who have agreed to accept a level of responsibility for the MAF members on their ride.  Attend rides that are appropriate for your pace and ability.  And even if there is no rider limit, if you have signed up and do not plan to attend the ride, please remove yourself from the ride list.  And please do not come on a MAF ride if you are not feeling well.  COVID is still out there.  

While we are on the topic of volunteering, please consider volunteering for the Revolutionary Ramble, sponsored by our Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation.  The Ramble will be on Saturday, July 24th, and over 300 riders have registered already.  Volunteer positions range from route marking, sign making, rest stops, and others.   Here is the link to volunteer:  https://rambleride.org/volunteer-signup/

And last but not least, please be good stewards on the roads.  As summer traffic increases, we need to remember to ride single file (or single up immediately if you hear “car back”).  Jim Hunt, our Bicycle Advocacy leader, tells us that NJ is close to having a 4 Foot Safe Passing Rule, something that has been in the works for almost 12 years.  We need to do our share of “sharing the road”.

Ramble On…..

Liz Jennison

MAF President

At the April MAF Board of Director’s meeting, the Board voted to expand the number of riders allowed on MAF rides to 15, and to reduce the required gap between rides from the same start point to 15 minutes.  These decisions did not come easily for us, and Board member opinion was divided on all issues.  I expect that the diversity of Board opinion on the matter reflects that of the MAF membership at large.  Ride leaders and individual riders need to make good decisions about what they feel comfortable with for their personal situation AND make sure they are protecting other members as well.   

RIDE LEADERS:  While ride leaders may have up to 15 total participants on a ride, they still have the ability to cap the number of riders at a lower number.  This is the ride leader’s choice, please respect it. Ride leaders should continue to remind riders to practice social distancing (6 feet apart from others) and wear masks in the parking lots before and after rides and at rest stops.  We continue to require everyone to sign up for rides in advance, and no guests.

RIDERS:  If you feel uncomfortable with larger ride groups, do not sign up for a ride with a larger participant cap.  You can determine the ride cap by looking at the number of people already signed up and the number of spots remaining.  Make sure you maintain social distancing (6 feet away from others) and wear a mask at all times while not riding (or actively eating/drinking); this is especially important at rest stops and in the parking lots before and after rides.  And please sign up for rides of YOUR PACE.  Remember that no one rides alone, and that includes the ride leader.  When you sign up for a ride, it is assumed that YOU would be willing to ride with the ride leader, at their pace, if it appears the ride leader will be left alone. 

While we all would like to think that COVID is in the rearview mirror, that is not the case.  New Jersey has the second highest COVID cases rate in the country.  The level of cases is below the post-holiday peak experience in January, but is not declining, and may be on the rise again.  While vaccinations continue in the state, we are not anywhere near the point where the rate of vaccinations can impact the case rate. 

Allowing more riders and a shorter gap between rides from the same start point places more responsibility on ALL of us to maintain the proper precautions, even if we have been vaccinated.  And first, and foremost, do NOT come to a ride if you have been exposed to anyone who may have COVID in the past 2 weeks, or if you feel ill in any way.  We all need to look out for ourselves and each other. 

I hope that before too long we really can say that COVID is in our rearview mirror, and enjoy all of the club events and gatherings we miss so much.  In the meantime, ride safely!  

Happy Groundhog Day to all MAF members.  If you are like me, most of 2020 felt like a constant rerun, and the start of 2021 has been more of the same.  We continue to operate under our club COVID protocols and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.  Thanks to all club members and ride leaders for adhering to these protocols.

While on the subject of ride leaders, thanks to the 38 ride leaders who led enough rides in our abbreviated 2020 ride season to earn a ride leader award.  In addition to being generous with their time, 14 ride leaders chose to either donate their ride leader gift card back to the club or to support a club donation to our local chapter of NICA (a program that brings mountain biking to youth).  Without our ride leaders, this club would not be able to offer you a robust ride schedule each week.  We always need additional ride leaders; it’s not as hard or as timing consuming as you might think.  If you are interested in becoming a ride leader, please contact Manny Coelho, our ride coordinator. 

This winter has also brought some unpleasant encounters between drivers and MAF members.  On two occasions, riders were verbally harassed by a driver, had the driver make aggressive actions towards the cyclists while in the vehicle, and found themselves being threatened by a driver who got out of the vehicle.  Please remember, do not engage with drivers either verbally or with hand gestures.  Your safest action is to stop immediately.  Try to get a clear photo of the vehicle showing the license plates, and even video of the driver’s actions.  And call 911.  Both events this winter resulted in the police coming to the scene.  You can also file a complaint afterwards; just make sure you know the appropriate town or community where the event occurred.

While aggressive drivers are a problem, we must also remember that, as cyclists, we need to do our part in terms of “sharing the road”.  That means riding single file except on all but the quietest roads.  And, even on those quiet roads, if you hear “car back”, you need to single up immediately.  There are going to be times when it just isn’t safe to pass a slower cyclist in front of you, so don’t.  Yes, some drivers don’t like cyclists, but they may well be reacting to cyclist behavior, either past or present.

Finally, a plea to all to sign up for rides that are the pace you attend to ride.  For several years we have noted a tendency for faster riders to come to rides and “ride off the front”.  It has always been annoying, but this year, with the size of our rides limited due to COVID, it has become even more of a problem.  Riders from the “posted pace” have been shut out of the ride sign-up, and the ride leader has ridden alone.  Please attend rides of your own pace!  And if there aren’t any, become a ride leader and lead some.

Your MAF Board is looking forward to the rest of 2021, to resuming a more “normal” year, with social events, and less ride restrictions.  Until then, the Board continues to meet virtually, and we will likely use virtual platforms for our ride leaders’ kickoff and club spring kickoff. 

Liz Jennison

As some of you have heard by now, my wife and I are retiring from our careers of 42 years and plan to move out of state to be closer to family.  It feels like no time at all has passed since you allowed me to serve your interests as Vice President, Ride Coordinator, and now President of MAF.  I thank you all for that opportunity.

I’m not leaving yet!  I’ll be here for a few more months.  But it is that time again to pick a new slate of Officers and Directors.

MAF, like most non-profit organizations, is a strictly volunteer operation.  Without your participation our Club cannot function at the high level we have come to expect.  We need your help to keep improving the experience for us all.

What we are asking right now is who among you is ready to step forward and volunteer your time, your effort, and most particularly, your opinions to move our Club forward.

Except for the positions of President, Ride Coordinator, Treasurer, and Website Designer, most of the positions do not require an undue amount of time, just a passion to serve.  And, as I have learned, almost all of you have an opinion to offer and a passion for cycling.

While many of the Directors are willing to continue their service in their same capacity there will be some key vacancies, especially among the Officer positions.  These include Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.  The Director position of Safety Coordinator will also need to be filled.

A description of the Duties of the Officers and Directors can be found on pages 6 and 7 in our current Bylaws on the Club’s website.  Here is the link:

https://mafw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/BYLAWS-Nov-28-2018-FINAL-form-1.pdf

The nominating process:

Step 1 is to find who is interested in volunteering.

Step 2 is forming a Nominating Committee comprised of three individual Club members as well as two current board members.

Step 3 is the Nominating Committee will field a slate of candidates.

Step 4 is to hold the election in November, as per the Bylaws.

I have appointed the Club Treasurer, Michael Swearingen, as Chairman of the Nominating Committee. We are in the process of identifying the other required Committee members.  So please, if you have any interest in volunteering for the Club, you can email or text Michael as soon as possible.  We need your responses no later than Friday, September 4^th to give the Nominating Committee time to develop a complete slate of candidates.

Contact info for Michael is:         

Email:  treasurer@mafw.org     Mobile Phone:  201.400.1864

While I am excited for my move to South Carolina, I have enjoyed my time with MAF immensely.  I will miss you all, but I am sure you will be in good hands.  Many thanks to you all.

In the meantime, see you on the road.

Andrew Stroukoff

Members,

We will have a soft opening of our Ride Schedule on June 15th. 

Many of you will feel you need more time or information before you feel safe riding in a group.  Despite the Ride Schedule being open and active, if you are uncomfortable riding in a group under these conditions, don’t.  If you are uncomfortable leading a ride, don’t. 

Follow the 4 C’s

Avoid contact, confinement and crowds. And make realistic choices. 

For at least the first two weeks after opening the guidelines will be:

1. DO NOT RIDE IF YOU ARE SICK. Please report any contact with a COVID sufferer to Amy Horn, our Safety Coordinator.
2. Members must sign up ahead of time on the website. Do not just show up and expect to ride with the group.   You will have to sign up more than 30 minutes before the ride to allow the RL time to print the Sign In Sheet.  During this soft opening there will not be a ‘maybe’ option.  The RL will sign you in upon arrival. **You cannot bring guests to the ride**
3. RLs will have the discretion to limit the group size of their rides. No ride will have more than 10 riders.  This will be posted in the ride comments.
4. Ride distances should take into account the limited availability of rest rooms and food stops. 
5. Every rider should be prepared with sufficient fluid and food for the duration of the ride.
6. Every rider should bring a mask, bandana, or gaiter to be used pulled up pre- and post- rides and at all times when social distancing is impossible.  Try to leave a parking space between cars at the start points. You may wear your mask up when riding if you wish.  And, just like the new Major League Baseball rules – no spitting!  Bring tissue or a handkerchief and dispose of them properly.
7. Every rider should bring a small container of sanitizing fluid to be used when applicable.
8. Riders should maintain an appropriate distance while riding.  6 feet is too little, and 60 feet is probably excessive.  We should attempt to avoid bunching at intersections or when slowing for any reason. Use your good judgement.  We are all adults who have the best interest of our fellow club members at heart, as well as our own health and safety.
9. The foregoing may not be waived by individual leaders. Additional restrictions may be added by individual leaders with the same force and effect as the foregoing.
10. As always, ride leaders have the right to ask any rider to leave the ride when rules are not followed.

The Club may find it necessary to amend these guidelines based on experience or future announcements by local government authorities.  Please monitor the website.

We appreciate your cooperation!  After the first two weeks, who knows, we may be back in full swing.

Remember, we are all ambassadors.  Ride responsibly.