BtCnJ tOUrs - the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey

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2 Another unverified but plausible story. Bob, an avid cyclist, found himself standing at the registration desk in front of the Pearly Gates. He filled out his entry form, handed the completed document to the clerk, and waited patiently while the clerk checked his records. This was the conversation that followed. “Bob. I’m very sorry. You are not eligible to enter. Ethan Brook We have an overcrowding situation here, and we are only admitting people who have had at least one example of doing something that benefited his fellow man/woman. Your records do not indicate that you have fulfilled this requirement. Next!!“ Bob quickly replied. “That’s not true. I was out riding one day when I came across a group of cyclists that were being harassed by several people in a pick-up truck that apparently ran them off the road and then began threatening them with a tire iron. I jumped off my bike, grabbed my hand pump, stepped in front of the trucker and attempted to cool things down.” The clerk interrupted. “I’m sorry. I don’t see any of this in your records. When did this happen?” Bob. “Oh. About three minutes ago.” I know what you’re thinking. Did he get in? Is there a moral to this story? Of course there is. Safety. Spring is in the air. More of us will be out riding on roads that are badly in need of repair. Drivers and cyclists alike will be dodging potholes, skirting fallen tree limbs, making unexpected movements, avoiding loose gravel, and blaming each other for almost causing an accident. Many of us are just getting out after this very tough winter of zero riding. Our natural cycling skills are still being tested. Be extra vigilant. The odds of winning a road war with a car are slim to none. For those of you who are new members, please remember that there are many towns that we pass through that require that you ride single file. Those signs are not ornaments. They mean it. You can be ticketed or even have your bike confiscated. Those of you who ride in New York City, and Central Park in particular, should take very seriously the news that the police BTCNJ 2011 OFFICERS PRESIDENT • Ethan Brook ethanbrook@gmail.com VICE-PRESIDENT • Charles Cino charlescino@yahoo.com SECRETARY • Diane McNally dmmcnally@optonline.net RIDES CAPTAIN • Laura VanRiper ridechair@optonline.net MEMBERSHIP • Terry Griffin info@btcnj.com LEGISLATIVE ACTION • Ted Semegran ted_semegran@hotmail.com MASTERLINK • Larry Schwartz btcnj.masterlink@gmail.com WEBMASTER • Thomas Hobbick webmaster@btcnj.com TOURS • Barbara Augenblick beejayaug@gmail.com VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT Steve Greenberg steve551@optonline.net SPECIAL EVENTS • Linda Krauss krauski@gmail.com and Diana Shikiar dianashikiar@gmail.com PUBLICITY • Joel Ringer ringer@teammarketingsvc.com TREASURER • Joe Montigelli josephmonti@yahoo.com PAST PRESIDENT • Ken Stahl ksbike453@gmail.com President’s Message are ticketing cyclists who do not stop at red lights in the park, even on weekends that are car free. $240.00 fine for first time offenders. So what else is new? How about the Anniversary Party? Just as I suspected. It was great!! For those of you who were there, you know what I’m talking about. For those of you who missed the party of the year...wait until next year. A little tweak here, a little tweak there, and it will be bigger and better. A big thank you to all of the people who made this happen. The planners, the volunteers, the DJ, our dance coordinator, our cycling artist, the venue, and of course, the attendees. Other stuff. Our Begathon is now in full motion. No. Not money. People. BTCNJ runs on people, not fuel. We have several events that are coming up that require your help. We are already looking as far ahead as next January. Next January?? How could that be? I know it’s only April, but this is a year round club. So, when you see an article, an e-letter, or receive a phone call asking for your participation in a club activity, don’t be bashful and lend a hand. The Bergen County Bike Tour, our annual picnic, the Ramapo Rally, and the Year In Review are all in need of volunteers. Did you ever have a snack at one of our club meetings? How about volunteering to make sure that this tradition continues. If you have an idea for a special program at one of our monthly meetings, let us know. If you want to get involved in any of these or other areas that interest you, please contact Steve Greenberg at steve551@optonline.net. He is sitting at his computer right now waiting for your e mail. As far as Bob is concerned. I don’t know. Stay tuned. In the meantime, have a safe riding season. See you on the road. Ethan Brook, President 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, ideas, suggestions or comments to MasterLink, at our email address btcnj.masterlink@gmail.com. Materials may be edited by the MasterLink staff for length and clarity. All materials submitted for publication become the property of BTCNJ. Publication of materials submitted is at the discretion of the Editor. Issues related to MasterLink advertising should be addressed to the Advertising Coordinator. Please forward such material to our email address btcnj.masterlink@gmail.com. Rides are listed online only, and are not printed in the MasterLink. Due to copyright laws, articles, photos, cartoons, art, etc., that have appeared in other publications may not be published in the Master- Link without written consent of the copyright holder. Photos in the MasterLink may not be reused or republished. April 2011, Volume 34, Number 4. Circulation:1,300 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. On the Cover Cover photo by Larry Schwartz depicts Elliot Kalmus on his bike with trailer attached. He used this set up on his tour of California (page 7). ©2011 by the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, all rights reserved.
3 BEGINNEr’s CORNER By kevin gately Okay, the weather has broken and you're looking for club rides to go on, but first you need to know how to ride on a club ride. Being a good rider doesn't just mean you're fast. It also means you know how to conduct yourself on the road, and the most important part of that is knowing how to ride in a group. This will keep you safe both from accidents and from club members sticking pins in dolls with your name on them. There's a lot to know and I can't exhaust the subject here, but a few basics will get you started. A FEW BASIC POINTERS ABOUT GROUP RIDING First, the formation: As mentioned once before, the normal pattern for a club ride is single file on a busy road, no more than two abreast on a quiet road. There is no truth to the common perception that the right to ride double depends on how much you feel like talking. Single file has to be as far to the right as safely practical, which means as far right as the riders can ride a consistent straight line while maintaining a safe buffer zone to their right. (It is acceptable to take the lane in some situations). Even on quiet roads, be careful riding alongside another rider and do not hem him in so that he cannot react to obstacles. He would actually rather miss the parked car or gaping hole in front of him than hear what you have to say. Really. BIKES SHOULD BEHAVE LIKE CARS AT INTERSECTIONS When stopping at intersections, groups of bicycles should behave like cars as much as possible. This just means you collect at the stop line or behind the last car, like a vehicle, then proceed as a unit when it's your turn. Don't forget to signal. (There are times when it is okay to file past on the right, but we'll skip that for now.) BE READY TO GO WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGES When at the front waiting for a traffic light to change, be ready to go the moment you legally can. It's not time to change your jacket or check your e-mail unless your other hobby is antagonizing motorists. LEFT TURNS CAN BE CHALLENGING Making a right turn off a through street is easy – just signal and turn. Left turns are more challenging. When the leader signals a left and moves to the left side of the lane, the others should immediately check their rear and move decisively left as soon as they safely can. Sloppily drifting over while stretched out for a hundred yards looks bad and is dangerous, especially if you do it without looking. GET YOUR SIGNALS STRAIGHT While en route, be ready to give or relay caution signals: "Car back" means a car is overtaking or wanting to overtake. If doubled up, single up. Otherwise, be aware and do not move left until the car is safely by. (If you've held a line so far right that there is How to Be a Groupie! now a parked car racing at you, you have a problem. Good luck.) "Car up" means a car is coming from the opposite direction and is going to clobber the rider who is on or (good grief) across the center line. It can also be a panic signal for everyone if there is a "Car back" at the same time, as one car may try to pass while the other one is oncoming. Look out. "Car right/left" is not a political comment. It refers to any vehicle that looks as if it is threatening to cut across the path of the ride from a side street, a driveway - whatever. When you hear this, think of what you will do if the car pulls out. ("Get run over" is not a good answer.) POINT OUT HAZARDS Pointing out hazards on the road can be done by pointing, by calling out the hazard or by doing both. Try to stick to the ones that are really threats and don't wear everyone out. It is not necessary to accurately name every object you point out, such as "dead raccoon" or "empty pint of Smirnoff." No matter what it is, people aren't supposed to run over it. A simple "Look out!" or, in New Jersey, "Yo!" will suffice for most cases. When the leader calls out a hazard, it’s not just for your benefit. Repeat the caution, so it moves back down the line. THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT RULES Finally, we come to the two most important rules of group riding. Remember these if you forget everything else. The first is to maintain situational awareness. Know what is going on around you at all times, even if only in the background. I once yelled something three times to a rider who was so absorbed in conversation that he never heard. I finally decided he really didn't need the money he dropped. The most important rule of all, though, is this: You must always ride your own bike. "Follow-the-leader" does not mean "Simon says." You can't get out of a traffic violation or the emergency room by saying you were just doing what the rider in front of you did. Ride as if it's all up to you, because where the rubber (or your head) meets the road, it is. Kevin Gately is a 12-year member of BTCNJ who has led several hundred club rides, giving him lots of time to form his opinions about group riding, which are his own.
Page 4 and 5: 4 BTCNJ Tours In the table below is
Page 6 and 7: • Largest selection of Giant Bicy
Page 8 and 9: 8 California Here I come... continu
Page 10 and 11: 10 Spring Bicycle Maintenance - Com
Page 12 and 13: 12 Chris is another volunteer who h
Page 14 and 15: 14 BTCNJ AND THE BERGEN COUNTY BICY
Page 16: 16 Support Your Local Bike Shop The

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