To all, CYCLING SEMINAR AT BERNARDS TOWNSHIP LIBRARY-Thanks to Chinmoy for sharing this.  There will be a talk on “The Golden Age of Bicycle Racing in New Jersey” at Bernards Township Library Tuesday Sept 20 7-8pm.  Check attached link for more info.  https://www.bernardslibrary.org/eventcalendar#/events/YDl3MlNwUg/instances/Bki22VdKuP/ SPELLBOUND CENTURY-This past Sat TNT Cycling Club held their annual Spellbound Century with ~1400 cyclists.  Well run and well organized with live music, all you eat pizza and beer (1 glass per rider) at end of the ride.  Event was from Mount Holly and benefited the local charities.  At least a dozen riders from MAFW attended and most of us did the metric century.  Congrats to Gaye and Mark who completed the full century.  It was Mark’s birthday ride but I think he overdid it on the number of miles.  He does not look 100.  Signup for Spellbound 2023 has started and if interested don’t wait until last minute. Spellbound 2022 sold out in March. https://www.spellboundcentury.org/ For other cycling events be sure to check out “Other Organization Events” on our website. Manny

As a ride leader if you would  like to celebrate a special event like a birthday ride, Memorial Day Ride, Tour de France, etc.  you can buy refreshments for post ride celebration.  Check with Tracy Brown before the event and then send your expenses up to $50 to Merritt Petersen. Thanks again for leading, Manny

I just want to share this message I received from another NJ cycling club.  Very applicable to MAFW and I ask all you to follow these suggestions: As we get deeper into the heat of Summer, I wanted to highlight a few housekeeping notes for all new and existing Club members alike: If you have signed-up for a ride and your plans change, please make sure you correctly sign out of the ride (“Not riding”). This acts as a courtesy to the Ride Leader and fellow members who may be waiting for you at the start. Additionally, if you begin a ride and need to drop-off (abandon the group for whatever reason), please make sure you communicate this to the Ride Leader. This is another courtesy to your fellow members – the group may be waiting for you without realizing you’re off the ride. Finally, please make sure your Contact Information is current and correct. At the very least, please add a cellphone number where you can be reached PLUS a reliable Emergency Contact person as well. GUESTS-Anyone can bring a guest to a ride.  Guests are allowed a couple of rides before they need to join.  Guests need to log into the website, select the ride they want to to do via Ride Sign-in and then fill out the form and sign the waiver.  Recommend ride leaders contact their guest to make sure they have a helmet, water, know to be 30 mins early and know they are signing up for the right pace. Thanks, Manny

UPDATE RIDE-When you log in select “RIDE LEADER” > “MY SCHEDULED RIDES”>”UPDATE RIDE”.   When you get to this location it gives you many options:

1. After you lead a ride, enter # of riders and it will change status of your ride from SCHEDULED to RIDDEN.  I noticed many rides are in SCHEDULED status and need to be updated.
2. If you decide to cancel a ride you can select Ride Cancelled.  It will be cancelled on the schedule.
3. If you want to make changes to your ride select Ride Changed and your ride will be highlighted as changed on the schedule.
4. This location allows you to send out email to your riders.

GUESTS-When guests decide to do your ride and try to sign in they will be asked to fill out a form.  At the ride have them sign in.  Recommend you call your guest and welcome to your ride.  Make sure they have a helmet,  water, know to be 30 mins early and know the pace they are signing up for. 

Manny    

To all MAF RIDERS,                                                        1/1/2021

Happy New Year to all MAF riders and their families and hope you all are well and staying safe.  Looking forward to a great 2021 riding season and so far we are off to a great start with 3 rides today and 9 rides tomorrow. 

As we start 2021 just a reminder that rider limit is 10 or less and rides at same starting point need to be spaced by at least 30 minutes.  Ride leaders can set their limit from 4 to 10 and space their rides by more than 30 mins.  These guidelines were put in place for the safety of our riders and their families. We are all ambassadors for MAF so please set the proper example by wearing your mask not only at rest stops but at the starting point and please social distance.

As riders when you sign up for a ride but change your mind please if possible do not wait until the morning of the ride to cancel.  This is not fair to riders on the waiting list or the ride leader.  Please be considerate. If you are on the waiting list please do not show up at a ride hoping there will be openings.  This may put the ride leader in a difficult position.  If there is a lot of riders on the waiting list of a ride I hope a ride leader will step up and put in a backup ride.

It has been brought to my attention that recently there has been several incidents where drivers have harassed riders.  When this happens do not engage the driver and I recommend taking a picture of the car’s license and if necessary, call 911.  Recommend you forward me any info on the incident.

With respect to safety be careful of black ice on these cold days.  On today’s ride we witnessed a few areas of ice.  My recommendation is avoid the ice by walking around those icy areas. If you find yourself on black ice don’t panic and just unhook your shoes and coast thru the area without braking or pedaling.  Same precautions if you are skiing and you hit ice.  With these cold temperatures and wind chill be careful of frostbite on exposed areas of skin.  If you see any of your fellow riders with white spots on their face that is frostbite.  First aid is to hold your hand on the white spots but do not rub and get the affected person into a warm area.

Many of our rides from Bed 1 go on Station Rd and for months Station Rd has been closed due to work on 2 bridges. On a recent ride we saw that both bridges are nearly complete and you can actually ride over both bridges as long as there is no construction activity.  Finally, 2021 is looking up since the Burger King at Bed 1 is under contract.  Could BK be coming back???

Stay safe, ride safe and Happy New year,

Ride Coordinator

Manny

To all MAF RIDERS AND RIDE LEADERS,                       11/8/2020

The Board decided at my recommendation to lock the signup for a ride to 2 hours before a ride.  It had been 30 minutes.  As a ride leader it sometimes takes me at least an hour to get to the start point and then I have to be there 30 mins early.  I can’t wait to print out the signup sheet 30 mins before a ride.  If you are on the waiting list you do not want to get a notice 30 mins before a ride that you are on the ride.  Also the Board decided to maintain the current Covid restrictions of no more than 15 riders on a ride and 15 mins separation between rides from the same location. The Board will be reviewing these temporary ride guidelines at the next Board meeting. Thank you for your understanding during these difficult times.

Stay safe and ride safe,

Ride Coordinator

Manny

To all MAF RIDERS AND RIDE LEADERS,                       9/30/2020

-NEW COVID GUIDELINE- Starting Oct 1 we are increasing the rider limit to 15 but rides at same starting point need to be spaced by 15 minutes.  Ride leaders can still set their limit from 4 to 15.   These guidelines were put in for the safety of our riders and their families.  A few reminders and requests:

          -Bring a mask and hand sanitizer.

          -Don’t show up for a ride unless you have signed up.

         -If ride is full you will be put on a waiting list and will be notified if someone cancels.

         -If you sign up for a ride, if possible, please cancel the night before to allow someone a chance to sign up.  When changes are made at the last     minute this results in inaccurate signup sheets causing extra work for ride leaders.  Ride leaders need time to print out their signup sheets.

-COVID-19-Although we are increasing the rider limit to 15 as per the recent survey please continue to follow recommended Covid-19 guidelines covered in the “Temporary Ride Guidelines” on the MAF website.  Please social distance and wear masks at the starting points and rest stops.  With the upsurge in Covid cases in NJ now is not the time to relax.  We have had a great and safe cycling Summer so lets continue this into the Fall and Winter.

-ROUND ROCKLAND-Paul Kadin, a member of both MAF and Rockland Bicycling Club, helped us set up the recent Rockland ride and has invited us to participate in the “Round Rockland”.  See info below:

The Rockland Bicycling Club invites you to join the 2020 Ride ‘Round Rockland – in a safely distanced, COVID conscious way — on Sat Oct 3, 2020. 

The 40 mile, 65 mile & 100 mile routes will start/ /end at Rockland Lake State Park. The $25 non-member cost includes a one year membership in the RBC. THERE WILL BE NO ONSITE REGISTRATION, so please sign up before Friday 10/2. The 2020 RRR is limited to the first 75 registrants.

Click to join ( https://www.rocklandbicyclingclub.org/JoinRBC) the Rockland Bicycling Club for $25 to Ride ‘Round Rockland. Current members can log in and go directly to the Ride Schedule page and sign up for either the 40 mile, 65 mile and 100 mile routes on Oct 3.

Some route specifics:
100 miles (8137 ft. of climbing): Recommended start time is 7:00a.
65 miles (3553 ft. of climbing): Recommended start time is 7:30a.
40 miles (2000 ft. of climbing): Recommended start time is 8:00a.

For more information, visit 

https://www.rocklandbicyclingclub.org/News/Latest . Still have questions? Please email RocklandBike@GMail.com

-RECENT ROAD CLOSURES-

               DENVILLE RIDES- For those riding out of Denville note work is being done on Fayson Lakes Road and Kinnelon Rd.  Not sure of timetable. 

               STATION RD- For those riding out of Bed 1 note that Station Rd is still closed but there are easy detours unless you want to walk the flexing                    plank over the stream.

               CLOSURES- For more info on road closures check “Road Closures/Hazards” maintained by Tony Marchand under “Rides”. 

-NEW START POINTS-In addition to new start points and rides at Lake George and now at Piermont in Rockland County I want to thank Roy Fischman and our MAFW Ride Library Team of Jan Gorban, Dave Hall and Bob Wszolek(hopefully I did not miss anyone) for 6 new rides out of Village Park, Cranbury.  Feel free to experience new territory.

Stay safe and ride safe,

Ride Coordinator

Manny

To all MAF RIDERS AND RIDE LEADERS,                       9/22/2020

If you sign up for a ride please cancel if you change your mind by 9pm the night before the ride and not the morning of the ride.  You know by then if you are doing the ride.  This gives enough time for someone else to sign up.  This is a courtesy for riders and ride leaders. 

Please be considerate and do not be a no-show!!!

Stay safe and ride safe,

Ride Coordinator

Manny

To all MAF RIDERS AND RIDE LEADERS,                       9/8/2020

On our website when you log in please review the “Temporary Ride Guidelines.”  We are still limiting rides to 10 riders and rides at same starting point need to be spaced by 15 minutes.  These guidelines were put in for the safety of our riders and their families.  A few reminders and requests:

• Don’t show up for a ride unless you have signed up.  No guests.
• If ride is full you will be put on a waiting list and will be notified if someone cancels.
• If you sign up for a ride please cancel if you change your mind and please cancel with enough time to give someone else a chance to sign up.  That means the night before a day ride. 
• If you sign up for a ride at a certain time please stay with that time and please don’t jump to another time.  This may result with rides over the 10 rider limit.
• Oldwick General Store (Gourmet Deli and Grill) is open.  They have tables outside and the usual outside sitting area for us. In addition to pastries, coffee, etc.  they now sell pizza, etc by the slice. It is pricey but they were pricey all along.  In the opinion of bikewithmario with the outside sitting area, rest rooms, cleanliness, quality of food, etc.  it is one of our best stopping places.  Check it out!!!
• Thanks to Glen and the MAF Cue Sheet Team we now have rides in our library for the Lake George area.  There are 5 starting points and all start with LG.
• Any questions on how to work the new website or on the temporary Covid guidelines check the website when you log in.  Always remember selecting the Freewheeler Logo top center brings you back to start of the website.
• Recently I received some information on chip sealing and other road hazards and closures. These include Long Hill in Great Swamp and Back Brook Rd. For a thorough list of road closures and hazards check out “Road Closures/Hazards” maintained by Tony Marchand under “Rides”.  Also if there is an * next to a rides name on the schedule that indicates a road closure.
• Finally, if you want to become a ride leader to help out the club please contact me.

Stay safe and ride safe,

Ride Coordinator

Manny

• Since reopening June 15 I am pleased to report that we have had over 346 rides compared to 287 rides for same time period last year and I want to thank the ride leaders who have led these rides.  Many of you have stepped up to be new ride leaders and if you want to become a ride leader let me know.  Please continue to follow the Covid guidelines outlined under “Temporary Ride Guidelines” on the website.
• A reminder again that if you sign up for a ride and decide you can’t make it please cancel yourself from the ride and please don’t wait 30 mins before a ride.  This allows others to join the ride.  Jon Eiseman has set up a waiting list if a ride is full.  If a ride is full and you cancel from that ride the first person on the waiting list gets to ride. 
• Please be sure to update your profile.  After logging in hover over “Logged in your name” and select ‘Edit My Profile’.  It is important we have emergency contact numbers as well as your personal cell phone.  If you don’t put that information in it forces the ride leader to ask for that info at the start of the ride.
• Any questions on how to work the new website or on the temporary Covid guidelines check the website when you log in.  Always remember selecting the Freewheeler logo top center brings you back to start of the website.
• Recently I received some information on chip sealing I want to share with you.  Usually after a road is chip sealed I was told it is OK to ride on after 3-4 days.  For a thorough list of road closures and hazards check out “Road Closures/Hazards” maintained by Tony Marchand under “Rides”.  Also if there is an * next to a rides name on the schedule that indicates a road closure.
  • Started 8/18 and may be OK now: Meyersville, Woodland, Miller between Green Village and Pleasantville, Blue Mill between Spring Valley and James St (affecting your section from Red Gate to Dickson’s Mill).
  • Starting 8/31 weather permitting: Please be advised that the Township of East Amwell will chip seal the following roads: • Back Brook Road • Boss Road • Garboski Road • Iron Horse Drive • Melbourne Lane
  • Station Road Bridge Construction North Branch: Do not attempt to cross this construction.  We tried yesterday and it is dangerous.  Use Readington Rd as a detour to Station Rd and then Miller.  Adds 3 miles.

Stay safe and ride safe,

Ride Coordinator

Manny