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masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 2
Contents4 President’s Message
A Bike with a Soul
6 Ride Captain’s CornerSometimes Cyclists Need to Prove Something
8 Gadgets and GearWhat Am I Going to Ride for the Fondo?
10 Photo Montage2014 BTCNJ Picnic a Sunny Success
12 In the CommunityThe Bergen Community College Foundation Awards Its BTCNJ Scholarships
13 ReviewsCycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrongby Juliet Macur
14 MembershipNew Member Dinner Held May 16th
15 Tour AnnouncementsNew Zealand’s South Island
This Month3 June Membership Meeting
Thursday, June 12, 2014, 7:30pm
6
14
10
On The Cover:Riders getting ready to build up an appetite before the BTCNJ Annual Picnic held on May 18, 2014.Photograph by Ralph Monti
June Membership Meeting:2nd Sort of AnnualBTCNJ Film Festival
Back by popular demand, on June12, 2014 for one night only, it’s the2nd Sort of Annual BTCNJ FilmFestival featuring cycling films fromaround the world. You’ll laugh,you’ll cry, you’ll yawn at the selection of video and movie clipsgathered at great expense fromfree websites all over the internet.
But there is still room for more. If you have a favorite video thatyou would like to share with themembers of the club, please submit them to the selection committee at [email protected] no later than midnight Thursday June 5. All submissions will be consideredas long as they are no longer than6 minutes in length.
Admission is free and the refreshments are provided at noadditional charge so bring a datealong and look like a big spender!
Free popcorn before the show andmore free food at the After Partycatered by Kathy Callahan.
P.S. Black Tie Optional
Showtime:Thursday June 12, 2014 7:30PM
Theater:Ridgewood Public Library125 North Maple AvenueRidgewood, NJ 07450Phone: 201-670-5600www.ridgewoodlibrary.org/directions.htm
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 3
PRESIDENTRalph Monti
VICE PRESIDENTAlan Scherl
SECRETARYRhonda Pekow
RIDES CAPTAINAndres [email protected]
WEBMASTERLarry [email protected]
SPCL. EVENTS/VOL. DEVELOPMENTLeslie Felsen
TREASURERFranklin Wimer
MEMBERSHIPHarold [email protected]
RALLY CHAIRPERSONStephen [email protected]
MASTERLINKMarc Soloff
PUBLICITYBarbara Augenblick
TOURSBill Telgheder
PAST PRESIDENTEthan Brook
MasterLink Submissions:Materials for 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 [email protected]. 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 MasterLink without written consent of the copyright holder.
Photos in MasterLink may not be reused or republished without prior permission.
Protection of the Intellectual Property of BTCNJ
We welcome your creative suggestions for promotional activities using the Club’s brands, however, the Club’s name, slogans, designs and logos are its intellectualproperty, which embody the “goodwill” of the Club as developed over the yearsthrough service to its members and the community, with thanks to the volunteer efforts of countless members. In order to preserve and protect our goodwill, it is critical that all use of the Club’s intellectual property be properly regulated. Please do not reproduce or simulate the Club logo, the names “BTCNJ” or “Bicycling Touring Club of North Jersey”, or any other brands such as “Ramapo Rally”and “MasterLink” on shirts, caps, jerseys, bottles, stickers, or any other merchandisewithout authorization from our Merchandise Chair, Harold Todman.
June 2014, Volume 37, Number 06. Circulation: approx. 1,500 via electronic download.MasterLink is published 12 times per year as the official publication of the
Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey,PO Box 853, Ridgewood NJ 07451. Our website is www.btcnj.com.
©2014 by the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, all rights reserved.“MasterLink”, “BTCNJ”, “BTCNJ.COM”, “Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey” (words and
logo), and “Ramapo Rally” are trademarks of the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey.
This morning I received a tele-phone call from my college-age son who lives in Brooklyn.
It was odd hearing from him so earlyin the morning, and so with sometrepidation I answered my cell. Myintuition was right. He was upset be-cause late last evening he discov-ered his bike was stolen. He wasvisiting a friend in Bushwick and lefthis bike firmly locked toa sign post. After a fewhours he returned andsoon experienced thatbewildered feeling ofhaving something of hisstolen off the street.
As one who has hadcars and bikes stolenfrom New York City (andNew Jersey) streets, Icould empathize withhis feelings. There’s anodd and surreal feelingof disorientation beforereality sets in and yourealize your car or bikehas been cruelly picked.Because the bike was hismain source of trans-portation, he was clearly bummedthat he was now a temporaryhostage to public transportation.Goodbye air-conditioned gypsy, asThe Who sang and hello Metrocard.Not the worst thing in the world, forsure, but clearly not as free as hav-ing your bike at the ready at anytime.
We talked for a while about his op-tions, and I resisted the urge ofbeing the pedantic parent by quash-ing the I-told-you-so lecture. The I-told-you-so-lecture would havebeen a follow-up to the heads up Ifirst gave him. It was when I firstdusted off one of my old mountainbikes and gave it to him to use as acommuter bike. I asked him to becareful where and when he left the
bike. If you really care about yourbike, I told him, take it inside asmuch as possible, and frequent es-tablishments that allow you to lockit up somewhere on their premises. Iknow these are all tall orders, but thereality is there’s a huge market inNYC for stolen bikes.
We had converted this old moun-tain bike, it was a 1989 Univega
Alpina Pro in great condition, into acommuter bike by taking off theFarmer John tires and putting on hy-brid tires. I also replaced the quickrelease seat stem with a bolt on seatstem, so that the saddle wouldn’t bestolen. Indeed, if they can’t stealyour bike, bike thieves will surelygrab your quick release saddle,wheels, etc., and leave the carcassand lock behind.As we continued our conversation,he said something that really hithome. “You know Dad”, he said, “Ifeel I really lost something very spe-cial. It’s like I lost a pet. That bike be-came part of me. I rode it in Chicagoand I fondly remember the manydays when I biked along the Lake-front there. And when I came to New
York, I got to know the city with thatbike. It was like a good friend and Ireally connected to it unlike otherthings I own.”
He then asked me if I had the samefeeling with my bikes and I replied Idid. You know what, I said gently butassuredly, I would rather have my carstolen than my bike. That’s how con-nected I am to my bikes, I told him.In fact, just recently someone askedme how many bikes I have. I an-swered six. They looked at me like Ihad three heads. I then explainedthat I have a hard time letting go ofbikes. Each one holds somethingspecial, unlike cars and other pos-
sessions which hold nospecial connection.
When my son and I hung up, I felt a mix of sympathetic emo-tions both for him and for the loss of thatbike. I distinctly remem-ber buying the AlpinaPro from a friend’s bikeshop in Westchester,New York. At the time Ibought it, it came withall the latest mountainbike technology includ-ing Deore componentsand ubrakes. It sported achrome alloy finish thatmade it look really cool.It would soon be sur-
passed by more innovative mountainbike technology, but to me that bikewas truly special. For sure, the bestrecollection I have about the Alpina
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
A Bike with a SoulBy Ralph Monti
PAGE 4
masterlink / JUNE 2014
Pro was a trail ride one New Year’sEve’s day in Tuxedo, New York. It was an absolutely perfect day, the sun was glistening, the air waswinter crisp and still, and therewasn’t a cloud that interrupted aperfect sky. I was riding with BillyMonaghan, the cheerful owner of theshop who sold me the Univega, andmy dear cousin Nick.
Sun rays were filtering through thetrees as we followed the trail deepinto the woods. It was absolutelysilent except for the sounds of ourtires and our shifting. I rememberthinking what a great way to end ayear, riding a bike in a very beautifulsetting. It was an experience thathas stayed with me till this day—more than twenty five years later.
So the question becomes, what isit with us and our bikes? What un-derlies the strong connection weform with our two-wheeled “pets?”How is it some of us value our bikesmore than many of our other pos-sessions?
They are, for sure, inanimate ob-jects constructed of steel or alu-minum or carbon, and nothing more.They have no heart or any other liv-ing organ. But let me get funky nowand ask this: Do our bikes have asoul? Can we feel their spirits? Justthink about the hours we spendholding onto them. The physical in-timacy we share as we straddlethem. The places they take us, thefeelings we experience when we’rewith them. I know I’m not the onlycyclist that after experiencing a fallthe first thing I check out is my bike,and not my own skin and bones. Hasthe bike suffered in some way?Whatever the underpinnings of allthese crazy emotions about bikesare, I feel lucky I have them.
So goodbye Alpina Pro. My sonand I will miss you. I hope that yougive others great fun the way yougave me such happiness that day onthe trail in Tuxedo. And thanks forgiving a younger Monti generationsuch joy too. You took my son onsome great journeys of his own inChicago and New York. You were in-deed a great ride.
The response has, as always, been terrific. However, we stillneed many volunteers. It takesabout 200 volunteers to have asuccessful Rally.
These are some of the volunteering opportunities thatwe need to fill. Please take advantage of this opportunity to give back to the club.
This is a great opportunity to give back to the club and have fun doing it.
For more information on what each team does, contact Leslie [email protected] or Steve Greenberg at [email protected].
PLEASE DO IT NOW!
-Leslie Felsen, Volunteer Development-Steve Greenberg, Ramapo Rally Coordinator
TEAM LEADERS:• Signage Placement
and pick-up
PRIOR TO RALLY DAYTEAM MEMBERS:• Arrow painting • Food pick-up• Friday water pick-up• Friday storage room
supply pick-up• Saturday site set up
DAY OF RALLYTEAM MEMBERS:• Manning rest stops• Leading rides• Assisting at start site• Breakfast• Lunch, clean up• Merchandise table• Signage placement and pick-up• Parking• Site clean up• SAG• Volunteer party• Marshals
PAGE 5
masterlink / JUNE 2014
Volunteering Opportunities:Ramapo Rally 2014
Sunday,August 17, 2014Campgaw Mountain County Park
Mahwah, NJ
RAMAPORALLY.COM
The Ramapo Rally registration is now open! You can register online via active.com or by mailing in the registration form. Register early for early-bird savings. This year’s rallywill feature six routes ranging from 12 miles for families and novices up to 125 miles for
fanatics. New to this year’s rally will be a hot lunch available at the finish of the ride. If you order your Ramapo Rally jersey by June 20th, you’ll have it in time to pick up at
the rally. Just login to www.ramaporally.com to register and to order your jersey!
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 6
“… (They) roll together once aweek, and you can feel the loveand class within this group. For
two-plus hours, no one disruptedthe flow of the group, no one hadanything to prove.” -Peter Flax, Bicy-cling Magazine.
A tiny sliver of fire pushes from thetop of a distant group of buildingsand the margins of the river startlosing their gray hues under the in-tense bath of golden light. Pedalingin silence, a sparse group of menand women move slowly on top ofthe bridge to meet their des-tiny and barely notice themagnificent transformationof colors happening overtheir right shoulder. They arejust moving with one goal intheir eyes: the eastern end ofthe bridge and the sharpturn that will take them tothe start of a journey that noone knows for sure what maybring.
After touching land in theisland, a brief moment of dis-orientation invades somefaces. There are no signs orinstructions but a rumor of a closesea of more pedaling persons callsthem on the right direction. Sud-denly, bright lights on top of carsand waving flags greet them to theramp that will put them again on thebridge. On the never ending wait forclearing the security check point,they break the silence to greet eachother; nervous laughter and confi-dent shouts fill the cave between thelevels of the bridge. Some of themnotice that the golden light now illu-minates the high cliff on the westside of the river, and quickly ap-proach the bridge rail to take thefirst pictures of the day.
Moving further ahead the excite-ment starts to pile up. Loudspeakersburst in music and the announcercheers the thick crowd and remem-bers that there is less than an hourleft for the start of the event. Thou-sands of years after Greeks wroteabout the dark destiny of a group ofmen driven only by hubris, severalthousands of cyclists will forget thebeauty of riding with nothing toprove. In their carbon fiber chariotsand spandex armors, they will be thewarriors trying to get victory over a
mythical adversary.And there we are, at the center of
the wheeled centaurs tide, a smallgroup of seasoned BTCNJ memberstrying to encourage each other andforget the chilling breeze thatcrosses the Hudson River at sunrise.To the disbelief of our peers, insteadof preparing for a good ride withfriends and a hot burger at Camp-gaw, we are on the George Washing-ton Bridge shivering like birds in awinter storm, stubbornly decided tochallenge ourselves on a new editionof the Gran Fondo New York.
They look at me in doubt, my voicesounds like coming from a grave
covered by severe cold syrup and noone wants to get too close to an illfool that chooses to be here ratherthan staying warm in bed. But thatoption was discarded many hoursago after a mix of bravado, immatu-rity and peer pressure took over rea-son and put me in the wrong path toprove something that I probably donot need to. For a moment I havethe clarity to ask myself why humansare so inclined to challenge our-selves to do this kind of acts of in-sanity.
I do not need any additional nega-tive thoughts, and try to pay atten-tion to the cyclists around me; theirbicycles and clothing look flawlessand, as always, better than mine. Aquick calculation makes me realizethat considering the average cost ofthe cycling hardware and acces-sories around me, the total groupwaiting on the bridge spent around
twelve million dollars just tobe here. Not bad for an ama-teur niche pastime.
In the middle of thosepointless thoughts, the an-nouncement of the finalspeeches before the startbrings back the attention tothe main task of the day. Im-mediately after the Americannational anthem causes thatamazing respect and pro-found silence to an interna-tional crowd, they give theone minute signal.
Everyone is on theedge and the sound of feet clippingpedals reverberates in the cave;more anxious laughter fills the air,and for a moment I cannot help my-self remembering something writtenby Bike Magazine journalist SalRuibal: “No matter how many timesI peed before the race, I always feltthe need to whiz in that last minute.My bladder was more scared thanmy brain.” But there is no more time;loud sirens, people shouting, we aremoving, it is going, it is gone…
Everything happened fast (at leastin my head), and it is hard to trans-late all the emotions once the finishline became another good memory.
RIDES CAPTAIN’S CORNER:
Sometimes Cyclists Needto Prove SomethingBy Andres Tiribocchi
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 7
For that day, I felt part of the groupthat came, saw and conquered, andat the end of the journey I learned afew things:
• To really know how hard a Fondois, one has to ride it; suffering is mandatory, but thefeeling afterwards is big enoughreward to forget it.
• Coughing and sneezing does notmake many friends on a cycling event and no one wantsto ride in a paceline with you.
You can actually replace all thoseunspecified slimes, gels or bars andreplenish your energy levels withsomething as basic as vanilla cake.
Training is essential but you alsoneed a plan and stick to it; otherwise, the morning after you willregret not having done your best.Sometimes cyclists need to provesomething. If this is the case, my advice to you is to accept the challenge, pay the fee, strap a sensorto your bike and pin a number onyour jersey. Let it be on the record;you will be proud of your achieve-ment and earn the bragging rights.Or maybe you will be disappointedby your failure, and seek desperatelythe next chance to get even.
Otherwise, keep the beautiful tradition of riding with your BTCNJfriends. Sprints to the next town lineor surges to the top of the hill aresigns of our playful nature, but at theend of the day, we are just ladies andgentlemen cyclists sharing the loveand the class of a ride.
The First Annual BTCNJCycloFemme Ride
On Saturday May 10, 2014 the women of BTCNJ participated in theFirst Annual BTCNJ CycloFemme Ride in solidarity with the GlobalCycloFemme Movement. Despite the 40% + threat of rain and darkovercast skies, the dedicated leaders of all levels arrived at the Ramsey start site… and so did a fair number of enthusiastic riders.
Mother Nature (being a woman) was on our side and held back thetorrential rains until the completion of the rides and celebration!Great fun was had by all who attended.
The event began with the application of tattoos, followed by 5 levelsof rides with experienced and amazing ride leaders, and concludedwith drinks, delicious homemade treats & warm companionship!
-Barbara Augenblick, Leslie Felsen, Margaret Monti
Steve Jackson led a complementary “CycloDude Ride” for the guyson May 10th. Despite the wet roads in Franklin Lakes, they had a greatturn out and celebrated their awesomeness and male camaraderie!
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 8
The phone rang. On the linewas Dan, the service managerat the Montclair Bikery. It was
the Tuesday before the New YorkGran Fondo and my bike was sup-posed to be ready to pick up. But itwasn’t happening. “Your crank boltis stripped” he said, “but we shouldhave it ready on Thursday. OK, Imust have said before adding “aslong as it’s ready on Thursday. I havethe Gran Fondo this weekend.” Don’tworry, he replied, “We’ll have youready.”
Well Thursday arrived, and againthe phone rang mid-afternoon. “I’vegot good news and bad news,” Dansaid when I answered. Your bike’sstill not ready. But we have a loanerfor you. I actually had my choice ofa Specialized Roubaix with Ultegraor a Trek Domane 5.9 with electronicshifting (known by its moniker DI2).I’d just ridden both of these bikes re-cently. I had rented the Specialized
the weekend before in Salt Lake Cityand rode up Emigration Canyon, theroute the Mormon pioneers hadtaken into Utah. Great bike. But amonth ago I’d ridden the Domane atRide Camp in South Carolina (moreon that in next month’s column.). I’dbeen very happy with DI2 inGreenville and wanted to see whatthe bike would be like on more famil-iar roads. So I made arrangements topick up the bike that night; not at alldisappointed that my own bike wasstill in the shop.
Getting fit for the bike couldn’thave been easier. I already knew mybike dimensions, having been fittedrecently and having measured myown bike for Ride Camp. So I tookthe fit sheet with me to pick up thebike. The owner of the Bikery, Dave,transferred my saddle and made theadjustments. It was really only theseat height and handlebar angle;otherwise the bike fit me to a T.
Saturday morning I took the bikeout for a shakedown spin. First Iwent around the Nutley loop. I earned a Second Place medal onStrava for the Shut Up Legs segment on River Road. Not bad for my firsttime on the bike! Afterwards, I did afew loops around Branch Brook Parkand then headed to Montclair for
GADGETS AND GEAR:
What Am I Going to Ride for the Fondo?By Geoffrey Silverstein
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 9
some hills. I went up Normal andaround the reservoir easily, but no record time. Then I went up Bradford and earned a 3rd Place;again not bad for a new bike. WhenI got home, Amy wanted to go outfor a few miles as a tune-up beforethe picnic.
Another loop around Nutley andtwice around the park. All told, itwas 57 miles, but not too muchclimbing. Probably too many milesthe day before the Fondo, but Iwas having fun.
Sunday morning. Up at 4:30and off to Fort Lee. Had Idressed in enough layers? Did Ibring enough snacks? Do I needto bring ANY snacks? Where did Iput my Garmin? I thought I’d forgot-ten it, but somehow it was in mypocket at the police station when Itook my jacket off. Hard to get readyat 5:30 in the morning. Bye bye firstdozen miles on Strava. As most ofyou know, I’m a Strava addict; thisrealization was particularly painfulfor me.
So here I was at almost 7 AM sur-rounded by 5,000 passionate cy-clists. Some had traveled the worldto ride right here in our back yard.
First some announcements that Ican’t even remember. And thenwe’re off. And by “we” I mean theelite cyclists at the start of the pack.It took what seems like a good tenminutes for me to reach the startingline, and I was walking my bike for a
short while before I could take offand actually ride. It was fun startingon the George Washington Bridgethough, even if it didn’t yet feel likedawn on the lower level.
Finally, I was riding. Right off thebat, I have to say that I never felt likeI was riding a “new” bike, either inSouth Carolina or in New Jersey.Since the fit was identical, nothingfelt off or unfamiliar. At the sametime, everything felt new. The Do-
mane is much lighter than mySynapse, which after all is aluminum.And the responsiveness of the elec-tronic shifting is a dramatic changefrom mechanical. It doesn’t matter ifyou’re climbing or descending, thechain just flies into place with DI2with a confidence-inspiring whir.Most importantly, the Domanetracked straighter than the Synapse;I think due to the stiffness of the car-
bon. Whatever the reason, therewas very little learning curve inadapting to the bike. No soreneck or shoulders, no crampsand no pain anywhere. Nocramps until I got home and
relaxed that is; it’s not a Centurywithout a little pain, after all.
When I told my story of how my bike “wasn’t ready” many of myfriends assumed that the service delays were a clever ploy to get me on a new bike. And honestly, it would have worked. But it’s Monday evening and my bike stillisn’t ready. It seems that the problem was messier than any of us thought. But tomorrow is anotherday. And I’ve got my eyes on a newbike with DI2 as soon as the demosgo on sale this summer.
A startup from Kickstarter, Fly6, has come upwith an innovative product. A combination rearcamera and light, Fly6 doesn’t replace your rearview mirror (assuming you use one) or yourGoPro camera.
The device attaches to your rear seat post andrecords video for playback later. The concept isgood if you’re involved in an accident; you’ll havea video showing who hit whom and hopefully a license plate image.
But you can’t use the device as a live rearviewcamera like the OWL, and it’s probably a challenge to play back the video at the scene,unless someone has a laptop.
If you’re concerned about having a record of potential accidents, you may want to try Fly6.
Product Review: Fly6
Submit Your Photos forthe Year-in-Review
Don't wait until November or December to send your photos
in for the Year-in-Review. Send them in now while they're
still fresh and you rememberwhere you took them.
Remember to indicate your full name, name and date of
the ride and ride level if applicable.Send them
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 10
2014 BTCNJ Picnica Sunny Success
Thanks to sunny skies and moderatetemperatures, close to 100 BTCNJmembers signed up for a day of ridingand eating at BTCNJ,s Annual Picnic.Always a great way to kick off thespring/summer bicycling season, members brought mouth-watering appetizers, scrumptous entrees andyummy desserts. Manning the grillagain this year was BTCNJ,s barbecueking Mark Swanek, who cooked uplots of hamburgers and hot dogs forhungry members just back from theirrides. The day more than lived up toBTCNJ,s motto of “Ride to Eat” “Eat to Ride”.
Kathy Friedman andHelene Blaustein
Bette Bigonzi, Kathy Friedman,
Mark Swanek, and Claudia Dukeshire
Barbara Mallach and Aaron Winograd
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs!Mary Anne Brand
, Joel Ringer,
Steve Jackson, Carver Washburn
and Barbara Klein
Nancy Tammi and
Amy Rafferty
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 11
People gathered to meet and eat after
morning rides.
Picnic volunteers in the grill area.
From left: Bette Bigonzi, Kathy Fried-
man, Mark Swanek, and Claudia
Dukeshire
The dessert table
Burgers and franks fresh off the grill
Marc Soloff brought a deliciousmacaroni salad and his family
Special thanks go to Claudia Dukeshire,
who coordinated all the picnic
festivities, Kathy Friedman who helped
Mark on the grill and coordinated
on-site logistics, Leslie Felsen BTCNJ,s
Special Events Chair, Ken Stahl who
coordinated the site permit with
Campgaw, and to Harold Todman who
helped on site set-up and merchandise.
And thanks to all those volunteers
who helped tidy up the site after all
the festivities ended.
Doug Chucka and
Mark Swanek
Watermelon Cake
Claudia Dukeshire
Harold Todman
Bill Telgheder, Peter Cafa
ro
and Ralph Monti
The Dessert Table
masterlink / MAY 2014
PAGE 12
On April 22, The Bergen Community College Foundation staged its 14th Annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony at its Technology Education Center. BTCNJ board members Ralph Monti and Steve Greenberg and Bergen County Bicycle Tour organizerBill Mayser attended the ceremony and participated as Scholarship Presenters. They were there to awardtwo BCC students the Bicycle Touring Club of NorthJersey Scholarships. As BTCNJ members know, BCChas been the staging site for the annual BergenCounty Bicycle Tour. Half of the net proceeds of thatevent are donated to the BCC Scholarship Foundation. This year’s BTCNJ scholarship winners were Stephanie Garcia and Anthony Ricciardi.
Stephanie is a Communications-Public Relations majorwho plans to transfer to Seton Hall to finalize a degreein Journalism and Public Relations. Though she did getaccepted to Seton Hall coming out of high school, shewas not able to attend due to financial reasons. As shewrote in her thank you letter to BTCNJ:
“My aspirations have come from being brought up by a single mother. I have seen what success looks like first hand from her raising 3 children with only one income. One in the Navy, one a nurse, and with mydetermination I can only imagine how proud she willbe once I graduate. Though it is hard going to schooland working part-time to put myself though college financially, I know in the end it will be all worth it. This scholarship will help me tremendously in the coming fall and spring semesters. Words cannot evendescribe how grateful I am for your kindness. This is a true blessing. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart”.
While Anthony has yet to declare a major, his first loveis history, and is leaning towards possibly teaching history after earning a bachelor’s degree. For Anthony,life has not been easy, as he writes:
“It has been a long hard road for me. After losing myfather at thirteen and my mother going to work fulltime, leaving me in charge of my younger brother untilmy mother arrived home from work. It was a lot for ayoung man to deal with, but with my mother’s love, my brother’s companionship and the strong will my
father instilled in me, I’ve gotten though the trials and have become a stronger man. I wish to make myfamily and you, BTCNJ, my benefactors, proud of my accomplishments in my education. Again, I would liketo thank you for your very generous gift”.
Thanks also must go to those BTCNJ members whovolunteered their time and energy to help stage theBergen County Bicycle Tour. Whether it was workingat a rest stop, registering riders, painting arrows, handing out food and beverages, leading a ride or creating the promotions, every effort contributed toputting on a fine event. Special thanks go to Lou Wassong, who was not able to make the scholarshipceremony due to a travel conflict. Lou jumped in at the last minute to oversee the 2013 event.
And finally, a very special thank you must go to TedSemegran, the BTCNJ member who organized and coordinated the Bergen County Bicycle Tour for manyconsecutive years. Ted worked tirelessly year in andyear out to make the Bergen County Bicycle Tour a fun event for everyone of all ages, and riding abilities.Thank you, Ted, for all your efforts.
The Bergen Community CollegeFoundation Awards Its BTCNJScholarships
Ralph Monti, Stephanie Garcia, Anthony Ricciardi, Bill Mayserand Steve Greenberg
masterlink / APRIL 2014
PAGE 13
Juliet Macur is an award-winningreporter at the New York Timeswhose work has been antholo-
gized in the Best American SportsWriting series. She grew up in NewJersey, graduated from the Colum-bia Journalism School and now livesin Washington, D.C.
Because of the exceptional accessshe was granted by Lance Arm-strong and others in the pro cyclingworld, her long-awaited book, Cycleof Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrongwas anticipated to be the grand-daddy of all Lance books. While itoffers the reader some new andunique insights not found in anyother book, you get a strong sense,based on its pervasively scathingtone, that Macur very much dislikesthe subjects, Lance and pro cycling,she’s writing about. And that’s a bigobstacle to overcome for a readerwishing to embrace herbook. In lieu of simplyreporting on eventsthat took place, andfully compositingthe characters inthe story, thecaustic tenorMacur imbuesin the bookoverwhelmsits report-ing andsense ofbalance. It’sa toneyou’d ex-pect from adisgruntledHollywood in-sider lookingto settle scores,rather than froman award-winningreporter from the NewYork Times.
To be sure, you know what’s instore when you initially browsethrough the chapter headings on itstable of contents. Macur titles eachof her chapters with the word “Lies”.To wit, chapter 1 is “Lies of the Family”, with a chapter 2 title as“Lies of the Sport”, followed by “Lies of the Media”, then “Lies of theBrotherhood” and finally “Lies of theAmerican Hero.”
While each chapter title plays to the book title, you begin to wonder if Macur ever met anyoneshe liked during the time she covered pro cycling for the New York Times. And by the timeyou’re done with the book, you feelyou’ve just been dragged through afigurative cesspool of unrepentant,lying cheaters and charlatans all ofwhom have real evil at their core.
REVIEWS:Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong
by Juliet MacurReviewed By Ralph Monti
Did YouKnow...
• That your club has an OUTREACH program?
• That there’s a dedicated group ofclub members who’ve offered tolend a hand, an ear, a shoulder, to visit or other assistance tomembers in need?
• That you can volunteer to join thisterrific group of people and feelreally good about doing so?
• That you too might be in need of OUTREACH one day?(We hope not, but you neverknow.)
• 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 anaccident or a death in the family,please let us know by getting intouch with our contact for themonth listed below.
If you would like to joinour Outreach committee, please contact:Barbara [email protected]
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The New Member Dinner was held Friday evening May 16 at the Darlington Ridge Clubhouse in Mahwah,and it was a great success.
13 new members were briefedby board members about the club, our extensive rideschedule, weekend tours, groupriding safety, our website, otheractivities and most importantlyabout the camaraderie and thefamilial atmosphere created byour club and its members. Thenew members also learned thatnone of the great attributes ofour club would be possible without volunteers.
Each member had the chance to tell us a little aboutthemselves, their riding experience and how theyheard about the club. There was also a brief Q&A session where many topics such as riding in groups,
ride captains, cue sheets and our ride classificationsystem were discussed.
All participants seemed to enjoythe food, the company and theinformation shared. Several ofthe attendees talked about howwelcomed the clubs made themfeel as new members. Of coursewe discussed the upcomingRamapo Rally and stressed thatall of our events are only madepossible through the hard workof our volunteers and we encouraged everyone to thinkabout volunteering.
I would like to thank Steve Greenberg, Leslie Felsenand Margaret Monti for their help in making theevening a success.
-Harold Todman, Membership Chair
New Member Dinner Held May 16th
Limited Edition Rally Jersey
For information about club merchandise, contact Harold Todman at [email protected].
Our distinctive “Limited Edition”Ramapo Rally Jersey is availablefor ordering.This is a unique jersey that you will really want for your jersey collection. Order your jersey by June 20 andpick it up the morning of the Rally.CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOURS TODAY!
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BTCNJ will cycle breathtaking New Zealand’s South Island from February 16 – 28, 2015 (see note below regarding tour dates) as a private tour through VBT.The tour includes airfare, eleven nights’ lodging, twonights’ post trip stay in Queenstown, bicycles, helmets,most meals, transfers, two VBT trip leaders and sagvan. Cultural highlights include a home-stay visit, exploring Queenstown, beauty of the Wild West Coast,scenic valleys below the peaks of the Southern Alps on a TranzAlpine train, stay at a wilderness lodge, and cycling through several micro-climates in thebreathtaking South Island. Average temperature in February is between 54-69 degrees.
VBT will handle all money transactions. The cost willbe approximately $5,500 - $6,000. VBT has the abilityto customize airfare if participants are interested in flying earlier or returning later. (Any rebates theBTCNJ tour coordinator receives based on participantnumbers would be distributed among the participantsupon the conclusion of the trip. This has potential toreduce the cost by approximately $500 each.) The deposit is $350 and final payment is due 90 daysprior to the trip.
Note: The 2015 tour dates will not be finalized until August 2014. Up until the point of confirmation ofdates and trip details, your deposit is refundable.You will be notified of exact trip dates and price
information prior to trip confirmation.
The preliminary itinerary can be viewed at:http://www.vbt.com/Tours/New-Zealand/Itinerary.The trip is recommended for C* and above riders because of eight consecutive riding days in a new environment.
This trip is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.To reserve a spot, please call VBT at 800-245-3868,speak with a Tour Consultant and reference the BTCNJNew Zealand Trip, Group Number: #22076, Tour: NewZealand, Preferred Date: February 16th, 2015. Pleasesend Harriet Einschlag at [email protected] anemail that you reserved a spot. A waiting list will bemaintained.
-Harriet Einschlag
New Zealand’s South IslandTentative: February 16-28, 2015
TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS
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PAGE 16
BTCNJ TOURS
Aug. 29-Sept 1
DATE
OpenVermont Ramapo Labor Day Bike Tour
Varied 20-40 Miles $110/person Rich [email protected]
Sept.12-14
OpenBike the Amish Country Rolling Varied $150/personbased on dbl occupancy
Alan [email protected]
June 27-July 13
ClosedFrance or Germany?Why Choose, Let’s Do Both!
Varied 500 Miles $2,900, including flights,lodging, some meals,based on dbl occupancy
Ethan Brook or Barbara [email protected]@gmail.com
July 20-26
OpenRAGBRAI Varied Across Iowa $500 plustransportation
Matt [email protected]
July 25-27
ClosedAvon, CTJoint with MAF
Varied 16-60 Miles $250/personbased on dbl occupancy
Harriet [email protected]
August 1-3
Wait ListOnly
Lake George, NY Varied 16-65 Miles $210/personbased on dbl occupancy
Barbara [email protected]
August22-24
OpenRhinebeck, NY Varied 30-55 Miles $190/personbased on dbl occupancy
Richard Fine or Amy [email protected]@amyhass.com
Sept.19-21
OpenAmagansett, NY Varied 12-107 Miles $225/personbased on dbl occupancy
June 7-8
OpenFrench Creek TourPhoenixville, PA
Varied 12-100 Miles Self Pay Cynthia MacVicker or Bill [email protected]@aol.com
Feb.16-28,2015
OpenNew Zealand’s South Island
Varied Varied $5,500 to $6,000
Harriet [email protected]
Sept.26-28
OpenSea Gull Century Flat toRolling
Varied Self Pay Helene [email protected]
CAPACITYTOUR TERRAIN DISTANCE PRICE CONTACT
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.
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BTCNJ RIDE CATEGORIES
TERRAIN DESCRIPTIONSHilly: Numerous long and steep climbsModerately Hilly: Numerous climbs, with no “killer” hillsRolling: Some small hills, farmland ups and downsFlat: Minimal gear shifting required
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR LEADERSBring maps and/or cue sheets. Discourage riders with unsound bikes from joining the ride. Within thefirst few miles, urge riders who are unable to maintainthe advertised pace to leave the ride. Adhere to theadvertised speed of the ride. Advise riders exceedingyour intended pace that they will be considered to beon their own.
RIDE LEADERS MUST SUBMIT THEIR SIGN-IN SHEETSTO EARN RIDE LEADER POINTS.
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR RIDERSRiders must obey NJ motor vehicle laws. Bring tools:tire irons, pump, and spare tube. Bicycle must be ingood working order. Don’t ride in a category that istoo difficult for you. Advise leader if you are making anunscheduled stop or leaving the group. Rides will notgo in the following conditions (unless otherwise notedin the rides description): rain, snow, wet or icy roads,or temperatures under 32°. Rides will leave 15 minutesafter the published meeting time (unless otherwisenoted.) For rides longer than 15 miles, bring snacks, for rides over 30 miles, bring lunch (unless a deli stopis indicated). Note: anyone under 18 years of age mustbe accompanied by a parent or legal guardian on allrides. Every rider is required to wear a helmet thatmeets CPSC Performance Standards on all club rides.Headphones are not permitted on rides.
RIDE LEVEL DESCRIPTION
A Average speed 17+ mph - For strong/experienced cyclists. Stops every 30+ miles.
B* Average speed 15.0 - 16.9 mph - average speed on flats 17.0 - 18.0 mph. For strong cyclists. Stops every 20 - 25 miles
B Average speed 13.0 - 14.9 mph - average speed on flats 15.0 - 16.0 mph. For solid cyclists. Stops every 15 - 20 miles.
C* Average speed 11.0 - 12.9 mph - average speed on flats 13.0 - 14.0 mph. For solid cyclists. Stops every 15 - 20 miles.
C Average speed 9.0 - 10.9 mph - average speed on flats 11.0 - 12.0 mph. For average cyclists. Stops as needed.
D Average speed Under 9.0 mph - average speed on flats 10.0 mph. For new, inexperienced cyclists. Frequent stops.
F Family ride for families. Frequent stops, child friendly.
MTB-B Mountain Bike - Single track with challenging surfaces, rocks, roots, logs and technical terrain. Extended ascents and challenging descents.
MTB-C Mountain Bike - Single and double track trails with uneven surfaces and minimal obstacles. Gradual and moderate climbing and descents.
MTB-D Mountain Bike - Unpaved wide trails and fire roads with obstruction free riding surfaces. Small and gradual changes in elevation.
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 havingmechanical difficulty. MTB rides: the slowest participant dictates ride pace; no rider is ever left behind.
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 18
Allendale Bike Shop.........................Allendale 201-825-0952
D.J.s’ Cycles .............................................Belmar 732-681-8228
Brookdale Cycle .............................Bloomfield 973-338-8908
Get-a-way Cycle Center........Bloomingdale 973-291-4163
Bikeland..................................................Caldwell 973-403-3330
Bikeland II.............................................Chatham 973-635-8066
Closter Cycle...........................................Closter 201-768-3086
Congers Bike Shop ....................Congers, NY 845-268-3315
Steve’s Moped & Bicycle ..................Dumont 201-384-7777
Sam’s Bicycle Repair.............Elmwood Park 201-797-5819
Bike Master......................................Englewood 201-569-3773
Strictly Bicycles...................................Fort Lee 201-944-7074
Carrera Cycles ..................................Glen Rock 201-857-0106
Marty’s Reliable ........................Hackettstown 908-852-1650
Bike Pad ............................................Hawthorne 973-427-9400
Grove Street Bicycles ..................Jersey City 201-451-2453
James Vincent................................Jersey City 201-420-5151
Ramsey Outdoor..........................Ledgewood 973-584-7798
Bicycle Tech ..................................Lincoln Park 973-694-6775
D.J.’s Cycles..................................Long Branch 732-870-2277
Peddler ..........................................Long Branch 732-229-6623
Cycle Craft ......................................Long Valley 908-876-5600
Madison Bicycle Shop.......................Madison 973-377-6616
High Gear Cyclery ...............................Millburn 973-376-0001
Diamond Cycle...................................Montclair 973-509-0233
The Bikery............................................Montclair 973-744-7252
Marty’s Reliable .............................Morristown 973-538-7773
Cycle World.................................New City, NY 845-364-2384
James Vincent...........................North Bergen 201-869-1901
Chelsea Bikes.......................................NYC, NY 646-230-7715
Gotham Bike.........................................NYC, NY 212-732-2453
Toga Bike...............................................NYC, NY 212-759-0002
Nyack Bicycle Outfitters ..............Nyack, NY 845-353-0268
Pedal Sports .........................................Oakland 201-337-9380
CampMor...............................................Paramus 201-445-5000
The Bicycle II........................................Paramus 201-632-0200
Cycle Sport Cyclery......................Park Ridge 201-391-5269
Cycle Craft .......................................Parsippany 973-227-4462
Bicycle Depot..................................Pearl River 845-735-8686
Heino’s Ski and Cycle................Pequannock 973-696-3044
Piermont Bicycle.......................Piermont, NY 845-365-0900
Cycle Center...........................Pompton Lakes 973-835-6339
Bicycle Source.......................Pompton Plains 973-835-7595
Bike & Ski Shop ....................................Ramsey 201-327-9480
Ramsey Outdoor..................................Ramsey 201-327-8141
Marty’s Reliable ....................................Randolf 973-584-7773
Cosmic Wheel ........................Ridgefield Park 201-440-6655
Ridgewood Cycle .........................Ridgewood 201-444-2553
Bikeworks....................................Rochelle Park 201-843-6409
Original Bike Shop ...................Saddle Brook 973-478-6555
Valley Cycle .........................Spring Valley, NY 845-356-3179
High Gear Cyclery................................Stiriling 908-647-2010
Bicycle Workshop .................................Tenafly 201-568-9372
Toga Bike..............................Upper Nyack, NY 845-358-3455
Town Cycle............................West Milford, NJ 973-728-8878
Albert’s Westwood Cycle ...........Westwood 201-664-1688
Whippany Cycle ..............................Whippany 973-887-8150
Wyckoff Cycle......................................Wyckoff 201-891-5500
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 bicyclepros, 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.
SUPPORT YOURLOCAL BIKE SHOP
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.
masterlink / APRIL 2014
PAGE 19
Present: Ralph Monti, PresidentAlan Scherl, Vice PresidentHarold Todman, MembershipAndres Tiribocchi, Rides CaptainBarbara Augenblick, Public RelationsEthan Brook, Past President Bill Telgheder, ToursMarc Soloff, MasterlinkNot Present: Larry Schwartz, WebmasterRhonda Pekow, SecretarySteve Greenberg, Ramapo Rally
Call to OrderPresident Ralph Monti opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.
President:• Ralph introduced Marc Soloff to the board. Marc is the new Masterlink editor and a new board member.
All attending board members congratulated Marc for the great, new redesign of the Masterlink.• Ralph Monti discussed a BTCNJ pricing plan that will be reinstated. It includes a BTCNJ Single and
Family/Household membership. BTCNJ had this type of plan previously but after the club moved online, the web site wasn’t capable of two memberships. It is now. At present single members are subsidizing family/household memberships in terms of dues paid and insurance fees. By moving to a family/household,every member will pay their fair share per household. Ralph proposed a series of new pricing plans andboard members voted for one of them.
• Ralph also mentioned that he has discussed the open advocacy position with two members. Both expressedinterest and will advise him if they are interested soon.
• Ralph, Steve Greeberg and Bill Mayser attended the 2014 Bergen County Community College Scholarshipceremony. They met two BCCC students who were the recipients of the BTCNJ Scholarship monies donatedfrom the Bergen County Bicycle Tour. Ralph will write a short piece of the meeting in the June Masterlink.
• Ralph mentioned that David Pawlyk proposed doing a GPS navigation session for club members. The boardapproved moving forward with the session. Ralph will explore dates and the structure of the session withDave.
• Ralph discussed the new AAA bicycle program. Ralph wishes to explore ways there may be synergies between the AAA program and the mission of BTCNJ.
Vice President: • Alan Scherl reported that every 2014 member meeting is now covered n terms of speakers and topics.
He also reported that all sessions are covered for volunteers who will provide food and beverages.
Rides Captain:• Andres reported that the Ride Leader jerseys were scheduled to arrive from the BTCNJ vendor in time for
the May meeting.• Andres reported that all ride categories are covered for the BTCNJ picnic.
Membership/Merchandise:• Harold Todman announced that the new members’ dinner is scheduled for May 16, 2014.
BTCNJ EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
Executive Summary of Meeting MinutesMay 1, 2014
masterlink / JUNE 2014
PAGE 20
• Harold also discussed that promotion brochures are out to all bike shops in northern New Jersey.
Treasurer:• BTCNJ Treasurer Frank Wimer reviewed the operating statement of the club. He went over income and
expenses, and the club’s most recent year to date financials.• Frank also advised he would be doing a presentation at the next member meeting to review the financial
condition of the club for all members attending the May meeting.
Masterlink:• Masterlink editor Marc Soloff reviewed the new changes he’s made on the Masterlink. He also discussed
some things he would like to do to improve the Masterlink even more. These include the use of more photos and illustrations
Volunteer Development and Special Events: • The board discussed candidates for volunteer of the month.• Plans for the CycloFemme bike ride in honor of the global women’s biking movement have been finalized
by Margaret Monti, Barbara Augenblick and Leslie Felsen. The event will take place on Saturday, May 10th • The next new member bike ride is scheduled for June 7, 2014. • Leslie updated the board on the annual picnic, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 2014.
Past President:• Ethan Brook discussed meeting with the Continuing Ed Director of Bergen County Community college.
She is interested in hearing about Ethan’s idea of staging a family and kids learn-to-ride program at the college. Ethan is exploring dates to meet with her.
• Ethan also discussed the 2014 Year in Review. Ethan, Charles Cino and Marc Soloff will collaborate in gathering and editing member photos.
Public Relations:• Barbara Augenblick is preparing this month’s e-letter and is requesting topics from board members no later
than May 10th. The board discussed some of the topics discussed at this meeting that should be in the e-letter (i.e.; membership meeting speakers, Ramapo Rally, tours, etc.)
Tours:• Bill Telgheder updated the board and advised that there are two new tours that have been posted. One is in
Vermont over Labor Day weekend. The other tour is in New Zealand during the 2015 winter season. • Bill also reported that he is still searching for a recipient company that would be interested in taking the US
flag that was given to us by the Adopt-A-Soldier organization. The flag flew over a fort in Afghanistan andwas given to BTCNJ as a thank you for our donation to Adopt-A-Soldier.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ralph MontiRalph MontiBTCNJ President
