Sad news – the passing on October 21, 2023 of longtime bike racer and adventurer Jack Brohal, beloved husband of Lili and a member of the Freewheelers since the early 1980’s. Look in our newspaper archive for some of the tales of his bicycling life. There are no services, but Lili will be sitting shiva at home, 19 Amackassin Road in Blairstown, NJ, Monday October 30 and Thursday November 2, both days 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Limited parking. If you are coming same time as friends, you can park at the Acme and carpool up.

I met Jack for the first time at one of our ride leader pizza parties.   He and Lili were full of life and had a pure love for riding their bikes.   You will be amazed to find out about Jack’s accomplishments and depth of knowledge.  He led an amazing life and lived it to the fullest.   The club lost a good one.

I encourage all of you to look back and take some time to read about this wonderful individual in our archives. The Jack Brohal newsletters are on our website in the newsletter archive directory.
You will immediately see that Jack was a very detail-oriented man!

The links to the newsletters are noted below:

• Special Edition Jack Brohal
• Special Edition Sea to Shining Sea Part 1
• Special Edition Sea to Shining Sea Part 2
• Special Edition Sea to Shining Sea Part 3

Regards
Joseph Reo
Club President

All

We are looking to finalize the headcount for the fall picnic on Sunday October 1st. 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), 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.
G-O	Please bring a Main Dish
P-Z	Please bring a Salad.

There is a full ride schedule for the day of the picnic, with rides at all paces.  There is also a ride on the Columbia Trail, but you have to drive to the start. 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.

Directions to Schooley’s Mtn. Park: From the traffic light in Long Valley, take Rt # 24 up the mountain towards Hackettstown, turn right on Camp Washington Road, then right on East Springtown Road to Schooley’s Mtn. Park on the right. Meet at rear parking area.

See you all on Sunday.

Regards

Joseph Reo

Sunday October 1st – Bring your climbing shoes as the Fall Picnic will be held at Schooley’s Mountain Park.  Rides for all levels and elevation profiles are now available.  We are looking for some ride leaders – Sorry folks but Jay Raju has already graciously accepted the role as the B ride leader.  I am sure you are all sorry that you missed that opportunity:).  There is 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. You can sign up for the picnic here.

For those that have not ridden out of the park before 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 an Appetizer.
G-O	Please bring a Main Dish
P-Z	Please bring a Salad.

Regards

Joseph Reo

President

A couple of key dates to place on your calendar.

Sunday October 1st – Bring your climbing shoes as the Fall Picnic will be held at Schooley’s Mountain Park.  Rides for all levels and elevation profiles will be available.  Details will be provided shortly.

Saturday October 7th – John Storey has set up another kayaking event since the first one was a splashing success.   Interested parties will be kayaking down the South Branch of the Raritan River from Clinton to Flemington.  Rentals will be available.

Thursday October 19th – Ride Leaders Pizza Party from 6-8 PM at the Village Tavern 342 Valley Road Gillette NJ.

Beach Day TBD – I received a lot of positive comments about a potential beach day, I have yet to pick a weekend in September – let’s see if the impacts of the potential hurricane cause any issues before adding a date.

Safety Message

Given the storms over the last several days and the potential winds from the hurricane next week.   Please keep an eye out for branches and other miscellaneous items on the shoulder.   Riders should call out and point to the obstruction if you feel comfortable enough to do so.

All

I hope you had an excellent summer on and off the bike.   The end of summer is near and the best season for bike riding is right around the corner.  Hopefully everyone had an opportunity to get away with and without your bike and are recharged for the fall season. In case you are wondering where I have been – I took a fall on a gravel ride and took the handlebars to my face and split my upper lip.   Like a good boxer, I got up finished the ride then got sent to the locker room for stitches.   I looked like the “Joker” for a couple of weeks but now all is well, and I am back on the bike and yes, the bike is fine.

Now a couple of serious items.

1.  I have received a couple of complaints from solo bike riders and drivers.  The solo bike riders state that we are not providing clear warnings when we are coming up behind them.  Let’s make sure to announce that we are coming up on the left when we are passing of club members or solo riders to avoid startling them.  It’s the proper and courteous thing to do.   As for drivers, a couple of individuals felt obliged to complain about the club riding two three deep in the swamp.   I always assume it must be some other club, but let’s make sure we are riding single file when there is traffic.  Last thing we want is an overzealous driver trying to teach us a lesson which results in a terrible accident like we saw in Arizona last year.
2. Some of you may have heard that the club had a ride leader/ride participant issue in the second quarter.  Although we are a bike club, we are family and family have quarrels from time to time.  The Board takes safety seriously and we appointed a separate independent panel to evaluate the situation and provide a recommendation to the Board.  In the end, a formal warning was issued with the threat of a future suspension or being kicked out of the club if we continue to see such egregious behavior.   The Board is working on a Code of Conduct that we will share with you all later this year.  We have not determined how we role this out at this time but stay tuned.

Fun Stuff

Labor Day is around the corner.  Weather permitting, I am planning a Washington Crossing Ride for this glorious holiday.  I will put in a place holder a C ride, but we can break it up into different classifications if we get enough people.  If you are around and not traveling, please join us for this wonderful ride.  If we get enough people, we can have a pizza party or make Linda bake desserts for us all.  Only kidding on Linda but Pizza or something else is possible.

Fall Picnic.  We are currently looking for a location for the Fall picnic.  Once the location is locked down, I will send a note.

Good or Bad Idea – you decide.   I was down at the shore this weekend and while I was riding, I was thinking we should have a beach day in September once all the Bennies are gone (oh wait we are the Bennies).  For those who do not know what a “Bennie” means – it’s an affectionate term by the locals for individuals that come down and overwhelm their towns to benefit off their beaches.   September is the best time of year at the shore – don’t tell anyone.  You can get into restaurants and there is no traffic.  The beach is empty, and the water is at its warmest for the season.  My bike loop is about 20 miles and is relatively flat except for wind that can make it feel like you are riding uphill if it is strong enough.  Let me know your thoughts – individuals can do one, two or three loops to get in a metric century if they feel inclined to do so.   I had some head wind today and average 15.7 without much effort.  We can park outside the park and enter for free on our bikes or park in the park where there are bathrooms, showers etc.   If there is enough interest, we will look into it and set something up.  Feel free to respond back to this email with your thoughts.

Regards

Joseph Reo

MAFW President

Sorry about that the only reference to the name was in the email subject line.   Name added.

Al Mende’s Celebration of Life

My dad was a MAFWer for many years, riding in NJ and all over the world until his cardiologist said no more road cycling! He then took up spinning at the Y and was often the oldest spinner in the class. This got him lots of perks like a birthday party for his 88th birthday. He continued his spinning until covid hit in 2020–he was 90 by then. His best racing bike hung inside the front door of his condo waiting for a rider. In November 2022 Jack Brohal rebuilt it and Dad gave it to my son. Another generation rides.

My dad passed away on April 21, 2023. We are holding a Celebration of Life on September 9th 1-4 pm at Pickett’s Village Bar in Maplewood. We welcome riders who knew my dad to join us–please call me at 862-368-5233 for more details and to RSVP.

Thank you for sharing this with your members.

Kathleen Good

—

Kathleen Good

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

                                                              – Vincent Van Gogh

(862) 368-5233

FYI, I received this email earlier this week.  Hopefully some members can go to celebrate the life of this member.

My dad was a MAFWer for many years, riding in NJ and all over the world until his cardiologist said no more road cycling! He then took up spinning at the Y and was often the oldest spinner in the class. This got him lots of perks like a birthday party for his 88th birthday. He continued his spinning until covid hit in 2020–he was 90 by then. His best racing bike hung inside the front door of his condo waiting for a rider. In November 2022 Jack Brohal rebuilt it and Dad gave it to my son. Another generation rides.

My dad passed away on April 21, 2023. We are holding a Celebration of Life on September 9th 1-4 pm at Pickett’s Village Bar in Maplewood. We welcome riders who knew my dad to join us–please call me at 862-368-5233 for more details and to RSVP.

Thank you for sharing this with your members.

Kathleen Good

—

Kathleen Good

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

                                                              – Vincent Van Gogh

(862) 368-5233

All,

I hope you had an excellent summer on and off the bike.   The end of summer is near and the best season for bike riding is right around the corner.  Hopefully everyone had an opportunity to get away with and without your bike and are recharged for the fall season. In case you are wondering where I have been – I took a fall on a gravel ride and took the handlebars to my face and split my upper lip.   Like a good boxer, I got up finished the ride then got sent to the locker room for stitches.   I looked like the “Joker” for a couple of weeks but now all is well, and I am back on the bike and yes, the bike is fine.

Now a couple of serious items.

1.  I have received a couple of complaints from solo bike riders and drivers.  The solo bike riders state that we are not providing clear warnings when we are coming up behind them.  Let’s make sure to announce that we are coming up on the left when we are passing of club members or solo riders to avoid startling them.  It’s the proper and courteous thing to do.   As for drivers, a couple of individuals felt obliged to complain about the club riding two three deep in the swamp.   I always assume it must be some other club, but let’s make sure we are riding single file when there is traffic.  Last thing we want is an overzealous driver trying to teach us a lesson which results in a terrible accident like we saw in Arizona last year.
2. Some of you may have heard that the club had a ride leader/ride participant issue in the second quarter.  Although we are a bike club, we are family and family have quarrels from time to time.  The Board takes safety seriously and we appointed a separate independent panel to evaluate the situation and provide a recommendation to the Board.  In the end, we provided a formal warning to all individuals involved with the threat of a future suspension or being kicked out of the club if we continue to see such egregious behavior.  Let’s make sure that any quarrel is not in the public domain as we have to protect the club brand.  In these situations, the parties should have a one-on-one conversation a day or two after the event that caused the issue.   I generally find a cooling off period is best for both parties otherwise emotions get in the way.   If the one-on-one conversation does not resolve the matter than bring it to my attention and I or my designee will work with the parties to resolve.  As in all bad things good things come from them.   We are working on a Ride Leader/Ride Participant Code of Conduct that we will share with you all later this year.  We have not determined how we role this out at this time but stay tuned.

Fun Stuff

Labor Day is around the corner.  Weather permitting, I am planning a Washington Crossing Ride for this glorious holiday.  I will put in a place holder a C ride, but we can break it up into different classifications if we get enough people.  If you are around and not traveling, please join us for this wonderful ride.  If we get enough people, we can have a pizza party or make Linda bake desserts for us all.  Only kidding on Linda but Pizza or something else is possible.

Fall Picnic.  We are currently looking for a location for the Fall picnic.  Once the location is locked down, I will send a note.

Good or Bad Idea – you decide.   I was down at the shore this weekend and while I was riding, I was thinking we should have a beach day in September once all the Bennies are gone (oh wait we are the Bennies).  For those who do not know what a “Bennie” means – it’s an affectionate term by the locals for individuals that come down and overwhelm their towns to benefit off their beaches.   September is the best time of year at the shore – don’t tell anyone.  You can get into restaurants and there is no traffic.  The beach is empty, and the water is at its warmest for the season.  My bike loop is about 20 miles and is relatively flat except for wind that can make it feel like you are riding uphill if it is strong enough.  Let me know your thoughts – individuals can do one, two or three loops to get in a metric century if they feel inclined to do so.   I had some head wind today and average 15.7 without much effort.  We can park outside the park and enter for free on our bikes or park in the park where there are bathrooms, showers etc.   If there is enough interest, we will look into it and set something up.  Feel free to respond back to this email with your thoughts.

Regards

Joseph Reo

MAFW President

Dear Morris Area Freewheelers Club Members,

The Revolutionary Ramble is run by the Morris Area Freewheelers Foundation, a 501c3 charity, which was split off from the bike club, a nonprofit (501c7), in 2010. In addition, the club is the main source of Ramble volunteers.

We just ran a successful Revolutionary Ramble XIV which generated proceeds that benefit local First Aid Squads, NICA, the Boys & Girls Club Bike Exchange, Girls in Gear, The New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition, and other bike-related charities. In short, the Foundation is a vehicle for the club, via its volunteers, to give back to the communities and the state through which we ride.

Our current board is composed of bike club members, non-members, and a bike store owner. Looking ahead to 2024, we have vacant board positions which we need to fill. The various board jobs involve providing infrastructure support for the Ramble, sponsor soliciting, proposing innovative changes to the Ramble and identifying recipients for donations.

If you are interested in working with this highly motivated group, know someone who may be interested, or just want to know more about what is
involved without commitment, reach out to our recruitment committee to learn more:

Jay Marowitz (freewheeljay@gmail.com)
Manny Coelho (mannyt66@gmail.com)
Fran Caggiano-Swenson (owlcourt@msn.com)

Thank you,
Manny, Fran, Jay
MAFF Recruiting Committe

Summer has got the best of us all.  Please note that the next Trek/MAFW Gravel ride is on July 29th.   We will try to get it up on the website over the next day or two.  In the meantime, attached is the link to the Eventbrite link.    Regardless of signing up on our website you will need to also sign the waiver on the Eventbrite site.  If you would like to try gravel – give the shop a call and bikes may be available.

Garden State Gravel Series Tickets, Sat, Jul 29, 2023 at 9:00 AM | Eventbrite

About this event

Experience all the gravel NJ has to offer with different locations and routes each month including The Columbia Trail, Delaware & Raritan Canal Trail, Christie Hoffman Farm Park, and Bedminster. We’ve had great success with local gravel rides and want to expand to other areas of NJ. We appreciate our local riders and want to provide them with a blazing good time on NJ gravel! Will you #travelforgravel?

What to expect:

This ride is an opportunity for gravel-curious riders to experience the hype around this growing cycling movement. Routes will start at the beginner/intermediate level, with more challenging routes added in the following months to accommodate advanced riders and riders honing and improving skills. Rides will range from 20-40 miles and keep a comfortable/conversational pace, 13-16mph average (1000ft. Avg. Elevation gain). If paces differ, then we will split into two groups. This is a “no drop” ride, meaning we will have leaders and sweepers to ensure faster riders wait at the top of tough climbs for other riders in the group. No rider will be left behind.

Checkpoint Demo Details:

Don’t have a gravel bike? We got you covered with a handful of Trek Checkpoints to reserve for a demo! Contact Trek Stirling (908)-647-2010 for demo details and to reserve your Checkpoint!

Ride Details:

• Rides will be from 9:00am-12:00pm | Meet at 8:45am for check in
• Route on July 8th will be in Bedminster, NJ, starting at the Bank of America parking lot located at 2100 Burnt Mills Rd. Pluckemin, NJ 07978
• BEGINNER ROUTE 16 miles – 900ft. elevation
• INTERMEDIATE ROUTE 24 miles – 1325ft. elevation
• Recurring dates will be March 25th, April 29th, May 27th, June 24th, and July 29th w/routes and locations TBD. Stay tuned!

What you need:

• Helmet (required)
• Gravel Bike with 32c-47c tires (recommended)
• Taillight
• Flat Repair Kit & spare tube
• 1 water bottle (minimum)
• Appropriate clothing
• Positive Attitude

We can’t wait to ride with you! Come for the ride and stay after to enjoy refreshments, prizes and other surprises! Inclement weather will NOT cancel this ride…we GRIND ON!

For more information contact stirling@trekbikes.com or call (908) 647-2010

We are halfway through month of June and the amount of rides the leaders have been offering have something for everyone.  The rides have been diverse in milage, speeds and hills.  One trend that I keep seeing is that a B/C ride combo.   The B riders leave 15 mins earlier and execute a drop ride.   Strong C riders can participate and drop off and get picked up by the C group leaving shortly thereafter if they decide to drop.  It provides a great opportunity to test your skills without getting dropped and riding alone.  Let’s keep up the great work and continue to keep rolling.

Due to the success of our first venture with Trek Stirling I am excited to announce another event.  As you all may be aware, Gravel is one of the fastest growing segments in the biking industry and our club is centered right in the middle of some of the best gravel roads in the state.  However, before I bore you with the details a couple of items:

Father’s Day: Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there.  Hopefully your first wish was let me go for a ride:) There are several rides on the calendar if you are available.  Your family will understand.

Revolutionary Ramble: I wanted to take the time to thank all the volunteers that helped or participated in the Revolutionary Ramble last week.  The weather was awesome, and we had a great turn out.  Approximately 800 riders participated in the event with about 50% of them riding the 70/100 miler.     Doug McMahon the Super Project Manager, George Ebel the creator of the routes, and Bendon Poh (Cycle Craft owner) added tons of insight and social media savvy and many others were critical to the success of the event, and we all thank you for your efforts.  Let’s not forget to thank our Sponsors such as Cycle Craft, Trek Stirling, REI and others that provided support throughout the day.

New Members:  Over the last several weeks we have picked up several new members, I rode with an individual that was participating on his third ride and continues to get better week to week.   If you have a new member on your ride introduce, them to the ride members, encourage them, provide guidance and help them grow to love the wonderful sport of biking.  Remember they are the future of the club.

Upcoming Events:

• Roy’s Annual Penn Dutch Ride June 23rd through June 26th.   Roy may still have a couple of open spots if you are available for this great trip.
• Lake George Getaway:  Friday September 8th through Monday September 11th
• BTCNJ Ramapo Rally on August 20th.  Lots of BTCNJ members participated in the Ramble and did a great job advertising for our event in thier monthly letter.   If you are available where your Jersey proudly and provide support for one of the other great bike clubs.

Last but not least the SPECIAL Event

SPECIAL EVENT – Trek Stirling MAFW Gravel Ride 6/24/23

If you were ever curious about what gravel riding is all about, have we got an opportunity for you!! In conjunction with our friends at Trek Stirling, we are listing two gravel rides on June 24, 2023, starting from Bedminster One.

• Ride 1342 will be a 16-mile introductory ride for new gravel riders (limit 20 riders)
• Ride 1343 will be a 24-mile gravel ride for intermediate riders (limit 20 riders)

Gravel riding requires a different skill set than road riding, the pace is slower, rides are shorter, but you get an excellent workout, and you get to travel on beautiful unpaved country roads.

What makes this Saturday’s gravel rides special is that Trek Stirling will be bringing up to eleven gravel bikes for members to ride. Checkpoint gravel bikes will be slotted for new gravel riders and Domane bikes will be assigned to intermediate level riders. This will give you the chance to try out a legitimate gravel bike and enjoy roads that you have gone by many times but never had the chance to ride them, until now.

Trek Stirling will provide guidance on the two rides, serve as leads and sweeps on each ride, as well as offer SAG support as necessary.  Trek Stirling will also be providing refreshments pre and post ride. Reservations for the loaner gravel bikes must be made prior to the ride.  Please call Trek Stirling 908-647-2010 for availability and sizes.  They will also ascertain your preference regarding pedals for the ride.

Mountain bikes, Fat Bikes and comfort bike owners are welcome to ride with their bikes as long as your tire size is 32mm or larger.

Because this is a joint Trek Stirling/MAFW, the following signups are required and mandatory for participants to ride on June 24, 2023

1. Sign up on the MAFW ride sheet for ride 1342 or 1343. (Rides should be posted shortly).  FYI Links to Ride with GPS files are also available on the Event Brite site below as well.
2. Sign up on the attached Event Brite reservation on form for Trek Stirling gravel ride.   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/garden-state-gravel-series-tickets-529693967917
3. Sign the Trek Stirling waiver.

If there are any questions, please call or text Jeff Sperling 908-451-6122 and we will endeavor to answer your inquiries.

Miscellaneous great deal that I found yesterday:

• Winter is coming and if you want to participate in the weekly club Zwift rides or are looking to benefit from some winter training.  REI (a Ramble Sponsor) has launched an incredible deal – the Wahoo KICKR CORE for a mere $449. That’s basically half the price of the normal $899 for the KICKR CORE, so I figured I’d look at how it compares to the $499 Zwift Hub. But make no mistake about it – the KICKR CORE at $449 is a better deal/buy than the Zwift Hub at $499, no matter how you slice it. And – just to be clear before we get distracted, the KICKR CORE at $449 is simply an incredible deal all around – arguably one of the best smart trainer deals we’ve seen in years. If you want to jump on that deal, hit the REI link here, and then add it to your cart (you have to add it to your cart to see the deal).  Read more about the deal here:  Wahoo KICKR CORE Smart Trainer Price In Half: Incredible Deal at $449 | DC Rainmaker

As always – Ride safely and make the club proud.

Regards

Joseph Reo

President