president`s message - the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey

FEBRUARY 2013
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President’s Message
Us and our funny costumes.
Them and their street clothes.
And all of us on the street.
Several years ago I was finishing up a phone
call with my friend Norma Jean, an exceptional commercial and fine artist. Like many
artists, she often views the world from a
different perspective. I was mentioning I had
just joined a bike club and was eager to get
back into cycling. Norma Jean’s response was
a sarcastic jibe: “So, will you be one of those
Ralph Monti
cyclists prancing around in one of those
funny costumes?” I laughed and said yes, and further confessed that
I had a closet full of “funny costumes.” Norma Jean, I should mention,
is a commuter cyclist preferring street clothes to a funny costume.
Until my Norma Jean moment I never thought of my bike wear as
“funny costumes.” A funny costume was something you wore on
Halloween, not something you put on to ride a bike. But through
Norma Jean’s perspective, and perhaps for people who casually ride
or don’t ride at all, I can see how our attire qualifies. Let’s face it, it’s
not unusual that when we parade into a store for a lunch or bathroom break, we often turn heads or elicit funny looks from the streetclothed populace. I do often wonder what these people are thinking:
The gall it takes for us to wear such clothing? The amusement some
people find in our garish and funny designs?
While we funny costume types presently dominate the bicycling
landscape, there are major plans in the works in towns and cities all
around the country to get people bicycling on the street. All of these
initiatives are aimed at people more like the street-clothed Norma
Jean. Now the smug among us may sneer that the last thing we need
are civilian-clothed commuters or cycling neophytes clogging up
our roads. But doesn’t this type of thinking put us in company with
the angry, horn-blowing motorist seething to get us off their road?
ing like wildflowers. Bicycling is part of these cities’ cultures. And
for those who pedal across the river, you know of all the bikes lanes
in New York City. While not yet a revolution, it certainly is an eyeopening evolution. And here’s another recent success story. Memphis was once ranked as one of worst places in the United States to
ride a bike. Today, it’s making national news as a city that’s enjoying
a bicycling renaissance. Memphis had a mile and a half of bike lanes
in 2008. Today there are approximately 50 miles of dedicated lanes,
and a total of 160 miles when trails and shared roads are counted.
Without question, the city is striving to make bicycling part of its
DNA, by promoting cycling as an alternative transportation option.
So what can we do to promote cycling in New Jersey towns and cities? A good first step is attending the 2013 New Jersey Bike and Walk
Summit on February 23. Organized by the New Jersey Bike and Walk
Coalition and held at Rutgers University, the Summit offers a variety
of seminars addressing how we can make NJ communities more
bike and walk friendly. There is a $50 fee, but the insights you’ll get
will be invaluable. Besides the seminars, the day also includes a light
breakfast and full lunch.
NJBWC is doing great stuff for New Jersey cycling. They recently led
a campaign around the state for cyclists and pedestrians. Through
their efforts they preserved roughly $16 million in federal dollars
for 2013 and 2014 for bike and pedestrian projects. They essentially
fought against these dollars being allocated and spent elsewhere
in transportation. It was a big win for NJBWC and a great win for
New Jersey cyclists. I’m proud to note that the executive director
of NJBWC is Cyndi Steiner, a long-time BTCNJ member. And I am
also enthused that our board of directors unanimously approved a
proposal that BTCNJ be one of the many sponsors of the Summit.
So if you have the time and wherewithal come to the Summit and
become a voice for the hobby you love.
- President, Ralph Monti
In truth, it’s really in our best interest to get more cyclists out on the
streets. Here’s why: With more people cycling on the streets, the
more leverage the cycling movement has to promote cycling as a
viable transportation alternative. And as studies show, when cycling
becomes part of the transportation culture, good things happen.
Motorists become more tolerant. Local, state and federal officials
build safer bike lanes. And best of all, as research shows, there are
less cycling accidents and fatalities in cities where cycling is big part
of the transportation culture.
Last November during a BTCNJ member meeting, our group
watched videos of people bicycling in the Netherlands and Denmark. In major cities across these countries, bicycling is the most
popular form of transportation. What was striking was that every
cyclist in these videos was wearing street clothes as they happily
pedaled along their city’s well-designed bike lanes and through safe
intersections. It was plain for everyone to see that bicycle commuting was a big part of the Dutch and Danish culture.
There are the naysayers who counter that a cycling culture can’t happen here. That America is too dependent on the automobile. That’s
simply not accurate. In cities, like Boulder, Colorado; Davis, California;
and Washington, D.C, bike lanes and commuter cyclists are sprout-
On the Cover:
Photo collage of BTCNJ’s 35th Anniversary Party held at the Indian
Hills Country Club last month. Photos were taken by Amado
Cabaero, Jr. and the cover was designed by Joel Ringer.
3
ride captain’s CORNER
By andres tiribocchi
New Year resolutions are a great tradition.
When it comes to cycling they come in different shapes. There’s
reaching higher mileages, changing lifestyles, developing healthier
eating habits, exercising more, etc. Now, after completing one
month of the year, how many of them are still standing?
Sometimes we try willfully to accomplish some of those goals born
in the middle of toasts between friends and family, just for the
single purpose of honoring tradition. Our proposal today is to aim
for something untraditional. Do one completely different cycling
activity, different from what you are acccustomed to doing over your
years of cycling.
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Learn simple fixes. Sooner or later everyone needs to change a
tire tube.
Give your bike a tune up. Your local shop needs your business
and we always need them.
Trying something new – at least once – is the stepping stone of
growing as a cyclist, and you should not get frustrated if at first
you cannot succeed. Winston Churchill once said that success is
the result of learning from a number of failures. If you want to keep
improving, try as many innovative things as you can, allow yourself
to make bearable mistakes, and finally learn from the errors and
embrace whatever makes you feel good on the bicycle (*).
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After a careful process of thinking, I have put together a few suggestions for attainable goals in the coming year:
Ride safe and have fun!
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Sign-up for a slower ride. Contemplate the scenery, smell the
flowers, enjoy the food.
Sign-up for a faster ride. Challenge yourself, smell victory, taste
defeat.
Ride in the city. Enjoy the unique experience of travelling on
bike lanes and dodging traffic sometimes.
Ride in the farmlands. Learn that the beauty of New Jersey´s
roads goes beyond Bergen County.
Climb that hill. Take a deep breath and conquer it yard by yard,
it will feel smaller from the top.
Compete. Cross the finish line (no matter the position) and your
life will never be the same.
Ride for a cause. Bicycling can also make a significant change on
the lives of others.
Ride off the road. Mountain biking is much, much more than
youngsters making impossible stunts or daredevils going
through a sea of rocks.
Ride on the road. Discover that great sceneries and people are
not just part of the Tour de France.
Sign-up for a bicycle tour. There are plenty of options here, but
hurry because they fill up quickly.
Take it more seriously. Start a training plan and watch your skills
and form improve.
Take it easy. Ride for the sheer pleasure of it and find life after
the King of the Mountain pin.
Give the gift of cycling. Donate that old bike no one wants to
enjoy, or just teach a kid how to ride a bike.
Bring friends to a club ride. Make them new members and they
will be grateful forever.
Volunteer for a club event. We need you, and it is a lot of fun.
Pick your favorite route and organize a ride there. If you have
doubts about how to lead a ride, e-mail ridescaptain@btcnj.com.
Challenging ourselves can make us better cyclists. It is not a matter
of abandoning tradition, it is just embarking on a path of discovery
of new pursuits that will become our new traditions to share and
enjoy.
(*) The steps mentioned are known as the Palchinky´s Principle.
SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR RIDE LEADERS:
At the next February Club Meeting, the new 2012 Ride Leader
Jersey will be available for size trial for those members that
qualified for the award.
Specialized Bicycle Recalls
Bicycles Due to Fall Hazard
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall of certain Specialized bicycles because the steerer tube in the front fork
can break, posing a fall hazard. The recall affects the Specialized
2012 and 2013 model road bicycles and framesets, including all
models of the 2012 Tarmac SL4, 2013 Tarmac SL4, 2013 Crux and
2013 Secteur Disc.
The model year and style names are on the sales documents.
Cyclists are urged by The Consumer Product Safety Commission
to stop using this product unless otherwise instructed. If you
think that your bicycle may be affected please stop using the
bicycle and take it to an authorized dealer for free inspection and,
if needed, a free repair.
For further information about this recall you can contact Specialized Bicycle Components toll-free at (877) 808-8154 from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or on their website at www.
specialized.com. Click on “Support” and then “Safety Notices”.
Photos are available at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/
prhtml13/13102.html
-Larry Schwartz
4
winter spinning
Despite what many cyclists might tell you, riding a bicycle outside
in the winter is often not fun. Cold weather and bicycling typically
do not mix well. I know this first-hand. I went to graduate school in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and being a poor student (financially speaking) I used my bike as my primary transportation….year ‘round. In
Milwaukee, October and April are winter months, and the traditional
winter months are SERIOUS winter. I’m talking cold with a capital C.
And snow. And ice. I rode through the winter but was rarely happy
about it.
Having been there and done that, I am now predisposed to NOT ride
my bicycle outdoors in the winter, even though by comparison with
Milwaukee, New Jersey might as well be Florida (and with global
warming advancing maybe in a few years it will be).
But, I am an avid cyclist and like to start my riding season as soon as
the weather breaks, usually in mid to late March. To get ready, I use
the winter months for training, with an emphasis on INDOOR cycling.
Indoor cycling, often known as Spinning, can be a great way to get
cycling-specific training sessions without the difficulties of riding in
nasty weather. The key is to have a concept, or a game plan, for what
you want to accomplish with each ride.
I have been leading Spinning classes for over 10 years and have
found that structuring the workouts in an incremental pattern allows
riders to build endurance and strength and be fully prepared for outdoor riding. Sometimes referred to as “periodization training,” indoor
rides can be used to focus on road cycling skills that build one upon
another.
An elite athlete who might be structuring an annual work out calendar in such a fashion would normally use the winter months as a
resting period, characterized by light or low-intensity workouts, just
enough to elevate the heart rate into the lower ranges of the training zone, with very little intensity.
For the recreational athlete, the winter period can be designed
somewhat differently. I start in December with what is known as
“base building.” These workouts emphasize relatively comfortable
cruising speeds and incrementally longer time spent in the saddle.
This is the start of building an aerobic base, the capacity that allows
your blood to efficiently deliver oxygen to the muscles.
January brings endurance workouts. Just as it sounds, time in the
saddle is extended, and drills are introduced that begin to challenge the rider’s mind set. It can be mentally taxing to hold a strong
cadence for an extended period of time. Building this ability in small
increments conditions the brain to tolerate longer distances and
effort as much as the legs, butt, and other body parts. Visualization
exercises usually complement this type of training, such as imagining a flat road with a gentle breeze along a sea coast.
February emphasizes strength training. The resistance setting on a
typical spin bike can be used to simulate climbing a hill. This type
of workout builds leg strength and power. Short steep climbs, long
gradual climbs, staircase climbs, and accelerated climbs are some
of the drills I use to keep the workouts challenging and build leg
strength.
As the weather begins to break in March, I introduce interval training. An interval session is characterized by periods of high intensity
interrupted by periods of rest. After a proper warm up, we might
do a set of acceleration drills, followed by a 3 minute rest period of
light spinning for recovery. Then we amp it up again, maybe with
a 6- or 7- minute climb, followed by another rest period. This type
of workout trains the cardiovascular system to work hard, and to recover from hard work. It is the perfect way to transition from indoor
riding to outdoor riding. The cyclist is now better prepared to deal
with wind, real hills, and other conditions encountered outdoors
with confidence and skill derived from a winter of purposeful indoor
training.
“Indoor cycling, often known as
Spinning, can be a great way to get
cycling-specific training sessions without the difficulties of riding in nasty
weather.”
It is impossible to talk about Spinning classes without saying a word
or two about music selection. Every spin class I have ever participated in uses music that is intended to energize the workout, and in
most cases music can be selected to reinforce specific on-bike drills.
High energy songs with a strong beat are great for interval work or
acceleration drills; longer length songs with a slower beat are good
for endurance workouts, and among my circle of spin instructors
we have a saying which goes “You always climb the blues.” I like to
include a wide range of music in every workout, drawing from current/pop music, classic rock, hip hop, R&B, and even jazz (those who
know me as a jazz pianist can understand that motivation) so there’s
always something in the mix that will appeal to most people. And,
every once in a while I’ll “theme” a music program, such as using love
songs for a Valentines’ Day workout, or ghost and monster styled
music for Halloween, I’m a firm believer that we listen to music with
our bodies as much as with our ears, especially when the music is
correlated to an indoor cycling workout, and there’s no question
that a good marriage between music and energy output makes the
workout feel exciting and enjoyable, and keeps people coming back
for more.
All of us are different in terms of physical condition and it’s important to know where you’re starting from as well as where you want to
end up. Always consult our resident cardiologist and club member
Dan Goodman, or your primary care physician, before starting any
type of focused workout program.
- Alan J. Horwitz
Alan is a Certified Spinning Instructor and leads a regular indoor cycling class in Montclair. He has been a member of BTCNJ since 1986
and has participated in every type of bicycling experience, including
a solo self-contained expedition-style pannier tour from Oregon to
New Jersey in 1996. Contact Alan at ajh973@gmail.com
5
Club meeting News
Next Club Meeting Feb. 14th - BTCNJ Web Site Review
January Meeting Wrap-Up
Our next club meeting falls on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. It’s a
great time to come out, socialize and keep in touch with your BTCNJ
friends especially if you don’t ride in the winter (or even if you do.) If
you are new to the club it is also a great way to meet your fellow club
members and make new friends with the spring cycling season right
around the corner.
On January 10th over 100 BTCNJ members
gathered for the infamous Year in Review(YIR).
The meeting kicked off with Ralph Monti, our
new President, recognizing past President Ethan
Brook and presenting him with a plaque and
gift of gratitude for his hard work and dedication over the last three years. Ralph also formally
introduced the new board. Before the YIR show began, our Volunteer
of the Month (Amado Cabaero) and Volunteer of the Year (Charles
Cino) were recognized and honored.
On the agenda, Larry Schwartz, Webmaster, will be presenting a brief
overview and refresher of our BTCNJ website. Whether you log in to
our site regularly or just check it when you are looking for a ride, you
are bound to learn something new. Larry continues to polish and update the website and this is a great opportunity to hear more about
what changes are expected in the future, and to ask any questions or
give suggestions.
The YIR was indeed a multi-media extravaganza of music, photography and video capturing moments and memories of 2012 BTCNJ
events and member activities featuring plenty of cameo appearances
of our members. Included in the YIR presentation, dedicated to Barry
Want to lead a ride but aren’t quite sure how to post it? Unsure of
Wallach, were highlights of the year’s club rides and main events
how to communicate to individual BTCNJ members via our roster?
like the Bergen County Bike Tour and Ramapo Rally, weekend tours,
Where to find information about weekend tours or other non-BTCNJ and special events. It was a treat for all. Kudos goes out to Jeff Martz
cycling events? Learn this and more!
for his production talents and coordination and also to the entire
committee (Ethan Brook ,Amado Cabaero, Charles Cino, Linda Krauss,
After Larry’s presentation we will have some special Valentine’s Day
Jimmy Lee, Ray Nutkis, and Diana Shikiar) who contributed their time
treats and refreshments for you. Hope to see you there!
and energy to make this a top notch presentation that was enjoyed
-Terry Griffin by all!
SAVE THE DATE! May 11, 2013
Annual Picnic at Campgaw Mountain
Reservation: organized bike rides, food and
friends.
Volunteers needed for all categories!
For those members who may have missed this year’s event or those
who wish to have their own DVD, copies of the 2012 Year in Review
are still available for purchase for $5. They will be available at the
merchandise table at the February membership meeting.
Now get those cameras in gear and start snapping today because the
2013 Year in Review is less than a year away!
-Terry Griffin
Volunteer of the Month for January 2013 - Jeff Martz
Jeff joined BTCNJ in 2011 for the mountain biking, starting off with D rides and rail trails. Having purchased
a road bike last summer, he is now also an avid road rider and involved in competitive racing. In addition to
cycling, Jeff enjoys scuba diving vacations.
A club member discovered that Jeff worked as a camera operator for the FOX News Channel for the past 7 years.
This led to his involvement in the 2011 Year in Review where he organized pictures. For 2012, he undertook the
complexity of building and directing this amazing Year in Review show where a significant amount of video
footage was seen. When asked how he did it, Jeff was shyly and modestly overheard responding “I have a program”. We eagerly look forward to more of his masterful work in 2013.
Congratulations, Jeff, on being the January 2013 Volunteer of the Month!
-Leslie Felsen, Volunteer Development
6
BTCNJ Tours
In the table below is a summary of the upcoming tours hosted by BTCNJ. For a full description of the tours, please visit our website. You
must be a BTCNJ member to participate in a tour hosted by BTCNJ. If you are interested, don’t delay. Sign up today!
DATE
TOUR
April 6-12
2013
Jacksonville to
Melbourne, Florida
May 24-27
2013
June 21-23
2013
DISTANCE
PRICE
CONTACT
Flat
50 miles per day
Annual Memorial Day
Weekend in Southern,
VT at the Landgrove Inn
Varied
Gentle rolling
to hilly
Lake George
Varied
16-65 miles
per day
$210/per person
based on double
occupancy
500-600 miles
total
$2,900/person,
includes ground
transportation, air,
lodging and some
meals.
June 28 to
July 14
2013
Bavarian Bratwurst,
“Brezels,” and Beer
July 15 -22
2013
Finger Lakes, Seneca
Falls, NY
Sept. 27-29
2013
TERRAIN
Rhinebeck, NY Tour
Rolling
Varied
Varied
TBD
CAPACITY
Ted Semegran: 201.452.7264
Louis Wassong: 201-896-1956
Linda Krauss
krauski@gmail.com
$310 (3 nights,
2 dinners, breakfasts) Diana Shikiar
dianashikiar@gmail.com
30-42 miles
TBD
30-55 miles
$190/per person
based on double
occupancy
Barbara Mallach
mallachb@gmail.com
Ethan Brook
ethanbrook@gmail.com
Barbara Augenblick
beejayaug@gmail.com
Bill & Peggy Telgheder
telgheder@aol.com
peggytelgheder@aol.com
Richard Fine
richardfine42@hotmail.com
Amy Hass
amyhass@amyhass.com
Did You Know
Rhinebeck, NY Tour
• that your club has an OUTREACH program?
• that there’s a dedicated group of club members who’ve offered
Come join us as we ride
through scenic Dutchess
County. Our base, Rhinebeck NY, is just two hours
from NYC. Rides will range
from 30-55 miles on varied
terrain at a C or C* pace.
Cost, based on double occupancy, will be $190.00 per
person. This includes two
nights lodging, Saturday dinner party, two continental breakfasts and more.
•
•
•
to lend a hand, an ear, a shoulder, to visit or other assistance to
members in need?
that you can volunteer to join this terrific group of people and feel
really good about doing so?
that you too might be in need of OUTREACH one day? (We hope
not, but you never know.)
that offering your services is as easy as contacting one of us below.
If you become aware of any members who are
ill, have had an accident or a death in the family, please let us know by getting in touch with
our contact for the month listed below:
If you would like to join our Outreach
committee, please contact
Barbara Infeld
binfeld@optonline.net
Open
Open
Open
Taking
names for
wait list
Open
Open
September 27-29, 2013
Contact trip leaders Richard Fine richardfine42@hotmail.com or
Amy Hass amyhass@amyhass.com for more information. To reserve
your spot, send $190.00 per person to either of us (we pool our tips).
Please include your phone, email, and postal address. Our address
can be found at www.btcnj.com under membership.
-Richard Fine and Amy Hass
7
Legislative Action: meeting to improve river road
Public Meeting to Discuss Final Proposals re: Improving River
Road from Fort Lee through Edgewater for Cyclists
and Pedestrians
On Thursday afternoon, January 17th a number of BTCNJ’ers went
to the 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM presentation of a final Phase 2 meeting to
discuss suggested approaches for improving (for cyclists and pedestrians) River Road from Fort Lee through Edgewater (to the border
of Hudson County). A second session was held from 6:30 to 8:00 PM
to address similar issues for a second group (I was told that a few
BTCNJ’ers were there as well).
The 4:00 PM audience at the Edgewater Community Center included
as many as 50 folks from Edgewater, Fort Lee and other areas of
Bergen County, plus representatives from Bergen County Planning,
consultants from RBA and the Berger Group and even a few newspaper reporters. The presentation included slides showing suggested
improvements and changes along the roadway as well as at least 40
to 50 feet of photographic maps of River Road from just below the
George Washington Bridge to the Southernmost part of Edgewater.
The photos showed condominiums, stores, schools, driveways, parking lots, etc. along the route.
The reason for holding the meeting was to get public comments
concerning the ways to improve the corridor as well as to allow the
public to express their concerns about such improvements or lack
thereof.
Among the most important improvements suggested by the consultants were the following:
(1) Need for “new” sidewalks for pedestrians;
(2) Bicycle paths and road shoulders as well as mixed use paths for
both cyclist and pedestrians; and
(3) The use of bus bumpouts, or cutout areas for picking up and
dropping off passengers (to minimize car traffic behind buses);
In order to make these changes, the widths of the car lanes would
likely be reduced a foot or two. That would likely force the speed of
cars on the road to be closer to actual limits
Also, in order to make the bike lanes and mixed use lanes safer, some
separation from the roadway would be implemented.
It is obvious that considerable effort is being made to improve River
Road and make it a much more pedestrian and bike friendly roadway. The consultants were also suggesting ways to improve traffic
flow. Note - a major requirement for the study was not to make any
major construction changes to minimize costs.
What is the next step?
A final presentation including all the public suggestions will likely
be held again in Edgewater in May 2013. At that time, it is up to all
of us living in Bergen County to talk to our political representatives
and ask them to initiate an engineering study and then implement
these plans to reality. No work can be done on the roadway without
an engineering study. The least costly and quickest work would be
painting road shoulder lines and sharrow markings and possibly put
in a few of the bus bumpouts areas.
What might be the best time to do such work?
Likely when River Road paving work is done as was done in Hudson
County this past summer. Hudson County now has about 0.75 miles
of 5-foot painted bike lanes on River Road.
To see a copy of some of the work suggested for the River Road
study go to http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/planning/RiverRoad2
-Ted Semegran, Legislative Action Officer
new or old accounts, participating. There is no down side. TD
Bank, a longtime sponsor of the Ramapo Rally, gets new accounts, and BTCNJ gets a welcome addition to our bottom line.
Support BTCNJ through the
TD Bank Membership Affinity Program
TD Bank has invited BTCNJ to participate in their Affinity Membership Program. The basic details are pretty straight forward.
TD Bank will make an annual contribution to BTCNJ based on the
average balance of our members who already have existing accounts with TD Bank and any members who open new accounts.
Eligible consumer and business accounts include checking,
savings, money market, certificates of deposit, and retirement accounts. BTCNJ will receive a ½ of 1% contribution on the annual
average balances of all participants with checking accounts, and
¼ of 1% on all other accounts. It does not include investments.
In order to qualify for the program we have at least 100 members,
How do you get started? Easy. If you want to open a new account, just go into any TD Bank branch. They seem to be on every
corner. Tell them that you are a member of the Bicycle Touring
Club of North Jersey and that we are participants in their Affinity
Membership Program. That’s it. Done. They’ll take care of the rest.
If you already have a TD Bank account? Even easier. They’ll look
up your account and assign our code number to the account.
Done. All the your information is kept strictly confidential and is
not available to BTCNJ.
If you need more information, you can contact Frances Montagnino from TD Bank at 201.864.1014. You can also reach her on
her cell phone at 201.218.6658. She is the Store Manager, Vice
President and has been very instrumental in getting TD Bank to
sponsor the Ramapo Rally.
-Barbara Augenblick
8
9
35th anniversary party
According to predictions, the Thirty Fifth Anniversary Party was a
blast! But you probably already know this if you were among the190
members and guests who attended this rocking event at the elegant
Indian Trails Country Club.
DJ’s Phil and Ian provided music that had everyone moving in their
seats. Sasha Valerie, our Latin Dance instructor, motivated all levels
of dancers to join her on the floor. The dance floor was overflowing!
Whether you participated in the dancing or watched and admired,
you were engaged in and entertained by the festivities.
The wide range of buffet style appetizers and main courses satisfied a
variety of taste buds. Then pulling out our ticket stubs, we all waited
patiently as Ralph Monti called out the numbers to see who would
win the cash, donated helmets, and Eat to Ride! Ride to Eat! original
BTCNJ Diner Jerseys.
The best part of the evening though, was the opportunity to reminisce, laugh and socialize with old and new club members and
friends. One thing was evident, we are all anticipating the warmer
weather when we can get out in groups and ride.
When the lights signaled that the party was over, it took the party
coordinator, Barbara Infeld, an additional half hour to convince a
good number of protesters, that we had to actually had to leave the
premises. Thank you, Barbara, for organizing another fun filled and
Special Event!
-Leslie Felsen, Special Events
Photos on this page by Amado Cabaero, Jr
10
Btcnj Ride Categories
RIDE CATEGORIES
Category
Average Speed
(mph)
Description
A
17+
B*
15 - 16.9
Average speed on flats 17.0 - 18.0 mph. For Strong cyclists.
Stops every 20 - 25 miles
B
13 - 14.9
Average speed on flats 15.0 - 16.0 mph. For solid cyclists.
Stops every 15 - 20 miles.
C*
11 - 12.9
Average speed on flats 13.0 - 14.0 mph. For solid cyclists.
Stops every 15 - 20 miles.
C
9 - 10.9
Average speed on flats 11.0 - 12.0 mph. For average cyclists.
Stops as needed.
D
Under 9
Average speed on flats 10.0 mph. For new, inexperienced cyclists.
Frequent stops.
F
Varies
For strong/experienced cyclists. Stops every 30+ miles.
For families, frequent stops, child friendly.
A, B*, B Categories: No obligation to wait for stragglers if advertised pace is kept and written
directions (cue sheets, maps) are issued. C*, C, D Categories: Group will wait for stragglers and
assist those having mechanical difficulty. MTB rides: the slowest participant dictates ride pace;
no rider is ever left behind.
MTB - B
Challenging, commonly rocky, trail surfaces. Primarily single track with many and varied
obstacles. Extended ascents/descents.
MTB - C
Uneven trail surface with minimal obstacles and gradual, moderate climbing. Some single
track.
MTB - D
Wide trails with a flat, obstruction-free riding surface and little change in elevation.
MasterLink Submissions
Materials for the MasterLink are due the 23rd of each month for
publication in the following month’s issue. Please send articles, photos, letters, or comments to MasterLink, at our email address btcnj.
masterlink@gmail.com. Materials may be edited by the MasterLink
staff for length and clarity. Publication of materials submitted is at
the discretion of the Editor. All materials submitted for publication
become the property of BTCNJ.
Due to copyright laws, any articles, photos, cartoons, art, etc., that
have appeared in other publications may not be published in the
MasterLink without written consent of the copyright holder. Photos
in the MasterLink may not be reused or republished without prior
permission.
TERRAIN DESCRIPTIONS
Hilly: Numerous long and steep climbs
Moderately Hilly: Numerous climbs, with no “killer” hills
Rolling: Some small hills, farmland ups and downs
Flat: Minimal gear shifting required
Responsibilities For Leaders
Bring maps and/or cue sheets. Discourage riders with unsound
bikes from joining the ride. Within the first few miles, urge riders
who are unable to maintain the advertised pace to leave the ride.
Adhere to the advertised speed of the ride. Advise riders exceeding
your intended pace that they will be considered to be on their
own. RIDE LEADERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR SIGN-IN SHEETS TO EARN
RIDE LEADER POINTS.
Responsibilities For Riders
Riders must obey NJ motor vehicle laws. Bring tools: tire irons,
pump, and spare tube. Bicycle must be in good working order.
Don’t ride in a category that is too difficult for you. Advise leader if
you are making an unscheduled stop or leaving the group. Rides
will not go in the following conditions (unless otherwise noted in
the rides description): rain, snow, wet or icy roads, or temperatures
under 32°. Rides will leave 15 minutes after the published meeting
time (unless otherwise noted.) For rides longer than 15 miles,
bring snacks, for rides over 30 miles, bring lunch (unless a deli
stop is indicated). Note: anyone under 18 years of age must be
accompanied by a parent or legal guardian on all rides.
Every rider is required to wear a helmet that meets CPSC
Performance Standards on all club rides. Headphones are not
permitted on rides.
BTCNJ 2013 OFFICERS
PRESIDENT • Ralph Monti ralphmonti@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT • Terry Griffin terry.griffin@nuance.com
TREASURER • Franklin Wimer FBWimerjr@gmail.com
SECRETARY • Kathryn Davenport kathrynd999@gmail.com
MEMBERSHIP • Harold Todman htodman@aol.com
RIDES CAPTAIN • Andres Tiribocchi andrestiri@yahoo.com
LEGISLATIVE ACTION • Ted Semegran ted_semegran@hotmail.com
MASTERLINK • Larry Schwartz larryjet@gmail.com
WEBMASTER • Larry Schwartz larryjet@gmail.com
PUBLICITY • Barbara Augenblick beejayaug@gmail.com
SPCL. EVENTS/VOL. DEVELOPMENT Leslie Felsen felsenleslie@yahoo.com
TOURS • Bill Telgheder telgheder@aol.com
PAST PRESIDENT • Ethan Brook ethanbrook@gmail.com
Classifieds Ads:
Indoor trainer, CycleOps Fluid2. It is like new; I paid $275, and
I would like to sell it for $200. I have the owner’s manual to go
with it.
Bill Mayser wgmjr2001@yahoo.com
11
2012 Member Miles
NAME
Cliff Mortensen
Ed Eagle
Ken Levins
Wade Wegner
Ray Morro
Carver Washburn
David Pawlyk
Jacob Metzger
Julie Kavadlo
Jeff Brand
Jim Kelly
Russ Lazzaro
Lou Wassong
Ed Howard
Ralph Pantuso
Maryanne Caruso
Mary Ann Brand
Fred Bennett
Joe Gambino
Dot Mortensen
Robert DeMair
Don Schaller
Tim Martyn Ed Wiest
Leonard Diamond
Jim Grady
Sal Rizzo
Gary Mass
Henry Gozdz
Steve Greenberg
Cyndi Steiner
Karl Sarkozi
Bill Semanczuk
Ethan Brook
Paul Sisko
Rhonda Pekow
Lorraine Henderson
Keith Schlanger
Mary Maki
Andrés Tiribocchi
Alan Scherl
Hariet Einschlag
Carl Flaum
Barbara Flaum
Ted Semegran
Richard Brookler
Sharon Carollo
Ralph Monti
Leslie Felsen
Laura Van Riper
Stuart Falls
Alan Felsen
Carmela Schaller
Bill Telgheder
Surajit (Mac) Mukherjee
Frank Wimer
Barbara Klein
Bob Palestine
Barbara Kauffman
Rita Tesar
MILES
15207
9943
8575
8325
8311
8197
7470
7303
6342
6081
6023
5601
5545
5427
5181
5130
5120
5022
4897
4762
4500
4337
4281
4206
4193
4159
4020
4006
4001
4000
3977
3941
3885
3816
3800
3712
3693
3268
3264
3214
3147
3136
3097
3097
3067
3049
3017
3012
2924
2890
2705
2624
2569
2330
2046
2020
2015
1900
1600
1444
COMMENTS
Man that was fun! "Some people just like to ride their bike" JD
Lifetime personal best
Hurricane Sandy and new job prevented reaching 8K but great year nonetheless!
Once again beat my previous year's mileage!
A personal best! A great year of bike riding and meeting new friends from the club.
I want to thank all those who shared the road with me last year.
With a smile on my face for almost all of them!
Personal best!
Includes 14 centuries and 2 double centuries
Plus 109 hours of mountain biking
A low year for me as I lost four months of riding to major surgery and a broken foot.
Thanks Bike Friends for the encouragement and fun
Best year ever
Without riding on January and December
Best year on the road
I didn't make my goal of 3500 but I did manage to ride every month of the year.
Had a great year of riding!
I got mileage above 3000 again partly due to my "new" hip
My best ever!
Missed my goal of 3000 but best year yet - included 2 centuries
Another great year of cycling with my BTCNJ friends!
And 20 - 40 more miles on rented bikes with my wife
Why was the first ride of the year (St Mary's GA) so much easier than the last ride of
My goal for this year is 2015 miles. I better get busy riding
12
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17
Support Your Local Bike Shop
The owners of all these shops support BTCNJ. Please tell them you saw their shop in the MasterLink. Show them your BTCNJ membership
card for a 10% discount off accessories and parts. They are skilled bicycle pros, and we urge you to use their services. Please note that
the discount may not apply to sale items and may not allow credit card payment. Please note that the individual shop owners have sole
discretion over the definition of “accessories and parts” and of the items in their stock to which any BTCNJ-related discount applies.
Allendale Bike Shop
Allendale
201-825-0952
Toga Bike
NY, NY
212-759-0002
D.J.s' Cycles
Belmar
732-681-8228
Nyack Bicycle Outfitters
Nyack, NY
845-353-0268
Oakland
201-337-9380
Brookdale Cycle
Bloomfield
973-338-8908
Pedal Sports
Get-a-way Cycle Center
Bloomingdale
973-291-4163
CampMor
Paramus
201-445-5000
Bikeland
Caldwell
973-403-3330
Ramsey Outdoor
Paramus
201-261-5000
Bikeland II
Chatham
973-635-8066
The Bicycle II
Paramus
201-632-0200
The Bike Path
Clifton
973-574-9001
Cycle Sport Cyclery
Park Ridge
201-391-5269
All Body Training
Closter
201-768-3086
Cycle Craft
Parsippany
973-227-4462
Congers Bike Shop
Congers, NY
845-268-3315
Bicycle Depot
Pearl River
845-735-8686
Steve's Moped & Bicycle
Dumont
201-384-7777
Heino's Ski and Cycle
Pequannock
973-696-3044
Piermont, NY
845-365-0900
Sam's Bicycle Repair
Elmwood Park
201-797-5819
Piermont Bicycle
Bike Master
Englewood
201-569-3773
Cycle Center
Pompton Lakes
973-835-6339
Strictly Bicycles
Fort Lee
201-944-7074
Bicycle Source
Pompton Plains
973-835-7595
Carrera Cycles
Glen Rock
201-857-0106
Bike & Ski Shop
Ramsey
201-327-9480
Marty's Reliable
Hackettstown
908-852-1650
Ramsey Outdoor
Ramsey
201-327-8141
Bike Pad
Hawthorne
973-427-9400
Cury's Sport Shop
Ramsey
201-327-4561
James Vincent
Jersey City
201-420-5151
Marty's Reliable
Randolf
973-584-7773
Ramsey Outdoor
Ledgewood
973-584-7798
Cosmic Wheel
Ridgefield Park
201-440-6655
Ridgewood
201-444-2553
Bicycle Tech
Lincoln Park
973-694-6775
Ridgewood Cycle
D.J.'s Cycles
Long Branch
732-870-2277
Bikeworks
Rochelle Park
201-843-6409
Peddler
Long Branch
732-229-6623
The Bike Path
Rutherford
201-636-2355
Cycle Craft
Long Valley
908-876-5600
Original Bike Shop
Saddle Brook
973-478-6555
Madison Bicycle Shop
Madison
973-377-6616
Valley Cycle
Spring Valley, NY
845-356-3179
High Gear Cyclery
Millburn
973-376-0001
High Gear Cyclery
Stiriling
908-647-2010
Diamond Cycle
Montclair
973-509-0233
Bicycle Workshop
Tenafly
201-568-9372
The Bikery
Montclair
973-744-7252
Toga Bike
Upper Nyack, NY
845-358-3455
West Milford, NJ
973-728-8878
Marty's Reliable
Morristown
973-538-7773
Town Cycle
Cycle World
New City, NY
845-364-2384
Albert's Westwood Cycle
Westwood
201-664-1688
James Vincent
North Bergen
201-869-1901
Whippany Cycle
Whippany
973-887-8150
Chelsea Bikes
NY, NY
646-230-7715
Wyckoff Cycle
Wyckoff
201-891-5500
Gotham Bike
NY, NY
212-732-2453
As proof of BTCNJ membership, you will
need to print your membership card
through the BTCNJ website. Log onto the
site, select Membership Card under the
Membership tab. Printing instructions
are provided.
Feb 2013, Volume 36, Number 02. Circulation: approx. 1,500 via
electronic download. The MasterLink is published 12 times per year
as the official publication of the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey,
P.O. Box 839, Mahwah, NJ 07430. Our website is www.btcnj. com.
©2013 by the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, all rights reserved.