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