Note that there are 12 candidates for 4 positions.

 

Ed Cheng

 

Doug Cornelius

I remember my first CRW Climb to the Clouds ride in 2005. I didn’t think I was going to make it. With the encouragement of CRW riders around me, I did finish. That was also the year of my first Pan Mass Challenge ride. I appreciate the long history of CRW and its great collection of regular rides and routes. I also really enjoy the new rides and programs which have helped me fill the void of not riding my regular bike commute during the pandemic. I’ve enjoyed meeting new friends and riding companions. I’d like to continue giving back to CRW.

 

I’m currently working with CRW’s century committee to help plan the Cranberry Harvest Century. Earlier this year, I worked with the board’s governance committee on its governance review. I’m also a ride leader and my most recent ride was the new “How About Them Apples”
route. I’ve been active with the Devo program and was the first winner of the highly coveted CRW-Devo polka-dot socks.

 

I’ve served on several non-profit boards and local government commissions, so I have a wealth of experience with governance and service. I’m currently on the board of MassBike. I’d like to find ways to harness the advocacy and education of MassBike with the recreational cycling of CRW to get more people cycling, make cycling safer, and have more people cycling with joy.

 

Erik D’Entremont 

I am Erik D’Entremont a CRW member since 2017 when I rode my first century with friends with the CRW to New Hampshire and back. Since then I have enjoyed the new friendships of  CRW members on great rides like the Climbs to the clouds, Harvest Century and many others. This year I became a ride lead for CRW, leading many rides including Hyannis to Provincetown 62 mile tour that started with a train ride and ended with a ferry back to Boston. I have enjoyed leading multiple rides with CRW and meeting new members each year. The CRW ride lead program has grown with so many great options and I look forward to more.

 

I also have participated in the PMC as a rider, and the MS CCG continue riding with CRW as an active triathlete Training for CT half Iron, Patriothalf, Lobsterman and Boston Tri, taking first place in men’s over all Agua Bike.

 

I would like to continue my passion with cycling on the encouragement of the current CRW president, Rami and many other CRW board and CRW members. As a board member I would contribute to the legacy of CRW with the traditions of CRW members, governance and momentum from the current board. I would also enjoy the contributing to expanding the ride offerings for all cycling enthusiasts. I would also advocate membership diversity and inclusion with membership growth and guided evolution of CRW. Please consider me as your next board member. Lets Ride!

 

 

Harriet Fell

 

 

 

 

 

 

André Gutiérrez Marty 

My name is André and I’m looking to support the club as a Board Director. I joined CRW in July 2020 and have since ridden about 3000 miles in great company. The club’s impact on me extends past the fantastic adventures on my bike to the lasting connections I’ve made off the saddle. I became inspired to give back to the membership by scheduling weekend rides, planning a multi-day adventure spanning Massachusetts, serving as a member of the rides committee, and leading the Hubs Program. I’m grateful that ~100 members have attended my rides and am optimistic that they’ve all formed meaningful connections like the ones that I treasure now. Having enjoyed rides as a member and planned rides as a ride leader, I now hope to support both members and ride leaders by serving on the board. 

 

My experience volunteering for the rides committee, leading rides, and now managing the club’s RidewGPS account shows my commitment to the club and will inform my strategy on the board. I look forward to advancing the club’s mission to connect cyclists of the greater Boston area through fun and recurring rides, unique adventures, and new initiatives. I’m excited to continue growing the Hubs program with the goal of reducing financial and logistical barriers to ride participation for Boston-based members, helping our club be a more inclusive community. As a Board Director I will invest in the club membership to increase spontaneous and meaningful connections that lead to great riding across New England.
 

 

Harold Hatch

I have been a member of CRW since I began cycling in 2015. Since then I’ve enjoyed all the club has to offer including century rides, adventure travel, and exploring local roads through CRW’s substantial route collection. In wanting to give back more to the club this year I started leading my own rides, which posed unique challenges in 2021. Early this year I joined the COVID-19 committee to help set club policy to keep our rides safe during the pandemic. More recently I also joined the Century Committee and have helped to plan the Cranberry Century, one of our major events this year. I’ve gotten to meet many new people who enjoy cycling as much as I do, and it’s been great to push each other to new limits in a fun and friendly atmosphere. While I’ve met many CRW members this year, I know it’s only a fraction of the 2,500+ club members. I hope to continue to get to know more of you, and to learn what you love about cycling. Cycling means many different things to different people and I want to hear from more members about what’s important to them. I would like to help members build programs based on their own interests, which may not be well represented currently. One area I’m particularly interested in working on this winter is expanding our virtual rides program. I hope to convince those skeptical that indoor riding can actually be fun, social, and good for fitness.

 

Martin Hayes

Hi, I’m Martin Hayes and I am running for the board.  I began cycling in 2019 to prepare for the Pan-Mass Challenge and have been on my bike ever since. I was introduced to CRW as part of the DEVO climbing challenge this winter and within a couple of months, I was leading rides on hilly new routes like the Mirror Century and Century in the Shade.  Since the spring I’ve created a collection of 12 new routes out of Pepperell, adding many scenic rides extending into southern New Hampshire. 

As a member of the board, I would like to champion the growth of CRW’s presence on virtual cycling platforms such as Zwift, Sufferfest, and RGT.  I would probably not be a part of CRW had it not been for the virtual riding options offered last winter, so I appreciate the value of greater online visibility for recruiting new members and extending the camaraderie we all love about CRW throughout the year.   

This is a large and diverse club with a terrific history, and I’d like to help us continue growing as a club where members can share their passion for cycling year-round.  

 

 

 

 

 

Amy Juodawlkis

I started cycling in Atlanta in the 1990’s, where I learned to out-sprint porch dogs and got caught in thunderstorms of biblical proportions. Back in MA, my riding suffered due to family commitments and injury. I’ve gotten my cycling mojo back... and a gravel bike that is making my road bike jealous.

I joined CRW in 2020. My first ride was a women’s ride. I was thrilled to find it so welcoming and friendly. In June 2021, I became a ride leader. I currently lead two weekly rides (Praline Croissant and Battle Road Gravel). I am an active volunteer for the club as the Gravel Program Leader, as a member of the Women’s Program Committee, and for the October Century. I also manage the CRW sock and water bottle swag inventory.

I love that the social aspect of cycling is front-and-center in CRW, and I am gratified that the Battle Road ride is a favorite for midweek socializing. Going forward, I want to create and lead rides that encourage socializing on and off the bike, expand mixed-terrain options, and introduce ‘gritty city’ rides to the calendar.

For a club, communication is so important. If elected to the Board, I would work towards getting more members on Slack, because it has been invaluable to me as a new member . I would also work to bring in members of all riding levels, and to show them just how friendly a bike club can be.

PS : Juodawlkis is pronounced ja-DOLL-kiss

 

 

 

Larry Kernan

I’m very happy to run for the CRW Board once again.  I have been very involved with CRW activities and leadership for many years:

I look forward to continuing my involvement with CRW’s leadership.  My goal is to continue CRW’s great tradition of excellence as the premier road (and now, gravel) club in New England.  I want CRW to be welcoming to all riders and to make CRW events fun and exciting.

 

 

 

Richard Levine

I have been a CRW member for 20 years. I have been active in the club. In the past I’ve been a CRW board member, a member of the Finance Committee, and the VP of Finance. I am a regular on the weekend and many of the recurring rides. A goal of mine would be working with the Rides Committee to help revitalize the weekend ride program.  One thing I would bring to the CRW board would be an institutional knowledge of CRW’s history and how it should be run.

 

I get a lot out of being a CRW member and feel that volunteering my time will help the club continue to run well into the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eli Post 

I have been involved in managing the Club for many years. I am currently a board member, ran the ride program for several years, led multiple rides, was century chair, was a major contributor to WheelPeople and served as President. Most recently I am serving as Editor of WheelPeople.  I believe I’ve helped make rides a more satisfying experience and CRW a better club. I wish to continue my service if re-elected to the board. The Club faces several challenges in the years ahead as it transitions from the limitations imposed by Covid, and I feel my experience will help facilitate that transition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emily Vigeant

This time last year my longest ride was 16 miles. I started cycling during the pandemic on a borrowed mountain bike. No goals. No gear beyond a helmet and one water bottle. By the time I joined CRW, my longest ride was 50 miles, I’d completed a 270-mile solo tour, and I finally bought a road bike and basic gear. But CRW will always be where I really became a cyclist.

My first CRW ride was a 30-miler last March. Since then, I’ve logged over 5,000 miles, ~80% of them with CRW. Before March, I only rode solo. I couldn’t imagine keeping up with real cyclists.

I’ve heard this fear countless times since joining CRW. Fortunately, our club has many members who go out of their way to help other riders. They provide opportunities, encouragement, advice, and connections that turn hesitant newbies into lifelong cyclists.

With CRW support, I completed my first of many metric and imperial centuries, participated in and led adventures and sufferfests across New England, started a series of 5 am rides for early risers, and began co-leading our adventure program. None of this was planned. It happened because of members who were inclusive, volunteering their time and knowledge to welcome me while also making me a better cyclist.

Not everyone wants to bikepack or ride sufferfests like me. But we’re all here looking for something we can’t provide ourselves.

 

I’d like to be elected to the board to help create and maintain opportunities for others to make the most of their riding, whatever that means for them.

 

 

 

We are recalling the CRW jersey. One of our members was attacked by a swarm of bees. He had an unknown allergy to them, and had to be hospitalized. He is now stable but the seriousness of his medical condition has prompted us to take heed and reluctantly recall all jerseys sold since 2016. This will be a major expense for the club but member safety is paramount and we are offering  a full return of the original payment. The Club has sold several hundred of the jerseys over the years, and this is no small task.

Bees and wasps see in a slightly different spectrum than humans, and instinctively perceive certain colors as a threat, but are drawn to other colors, particularly white or yellow. The current jersey design features yellow as a dominant color and the rider appears to be a big, attractive flower which the bee or wasp will come to pollinate.

It turns out that the color of clothing that one wears will directly influence an individual’s chances of getting stung by a bee or wasp. They also tend to associate various colors with their favorite foods. This is particularly true of bees when they see a color which reminds them of flowers. They might even head back to the hive to essentially rave about the amazing field of flowers they stumbled upon. They also ask why anyone would believe all this nonsense about a recall, when they could be out riding on scenic New England country roads.

 

 

 

By Coach John Hughes

Although you may be able hold off slowing down for years, at some point aging will catch up with you. Here are tips on ways both on and off the bike you can compensate for the physical loss.

 

Marginal gains. Sir David Brailsford is the general manager if the UCI World Team Ineos Grenadiers, formerly Team Sky.  The team was launched in 2010 with the goal of winning the Tour de France with a British rider within five years, a goal which was reached in just two years when Sir Bradley Wiggins won the 2012 Tour de France, becoming the first British winner in its history. His teammate Briton Chris Froome won the 2013 Tour de France, achieving the team’s primary goal twice within the five-year time period. Froome went on to win seven grand tours: four editions of the Tour de France, one Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España twice.

 

Brailsford recognized all the riders in the peloton were superbly fit and just training wouldn’t suffice to reach their goal. Brailsford came up with the concept of marginal gains. If they broke down everything they could think of that goes into racing success, and then improved each by 1%, they would get a significant increase in performance when they put them all together. In addition to training with power, scientific recovery, improved nutrition, and team tactics, Brailsford included teaching the riders how to wash their hands so there was less illness and even training with the riders’ personal pillows so they’d sleep better.

 

Marginal gains and you. I specialize in coaching older riders for several reasons. First, you are more interesting than riders in their 30s. In order to improve older riders need to do many different things, not just ride more. I apply the concept of marginal gains tailored to each client. By applying the concept of marginal gains to your riding you can improve your performance on the bike. Part 1 of this column has tips on training. Part 2 will have tips on all the other things that go into improving.

 

Goals. Brailsford set goals to define the program. If you have specific ways you want to improve or specific events you want to do, then setting goals is important. I wrote this column on Setting goals as you get older. If you want to stay healthy, slow aging and enjoy life then you don’t need specific goals.

 

Aging

I’ll start with the aging process generally.

 Cycling good for 50-year-olds. Responding to a reader’s question I wrote this column. Is cycling good for 50 year olds?

 

Retirement. Many RBR readers are still working.  Here’s a column on what to do before retirement to begin slowing the aging process.  What to do before retirement

Growing older in your 50s. This column Growing older in your 50s explains that physiological aging occurs in two ways:

• True aging – age-related changes that will happen to all of us inevitably.
• Pathological aging – a result of changes in the environment, genetic mutations, accidents or how we choose to live.

True physiological aging is not caused by any single factor but by an aggregate of causes. Fortunately, fitness helps to maintain peak performance and prevent premature aging.

 

What is aging? Chronological age? Do you really feel as old as your birthdays imply?  Prospective age and life expectancy? These are about your future; chronological age is about your past. Your physical and mental capacities are also quite relevant. This column explains more about How old are you really?

 

You’re only as old as you think! 83-year old Joe Shami, of Lafayette, CA climbed Mount Diablo in 2018 for the 500th consecutive week. The base of Diablo (3,849 ft.) is at sea level about 40 miles east of San Francisco, CA. Most of the 11-mile climb averages 8 percent. “The wall” the final stretch to the top is 17-19 percent. I wrote this column on 14 lessons we can learn from Shami. You’re only as old as you think. 

 

Loss of fitness. Responding to two readers’ questions I wrote these columns:

• Janet asked, “Is there a well-known relationship between how long it takes to build a level of cycling fitness vs. how long it takes to lose it?” I wrote this column How fast do you lose fitness in your 60s.
• Keith asked, “About five years ago I climbed back on a bike and, using Strava, I steadily improved but for the last couple of years I’ve pretty much plateaued – my Strava segment times reflect that. Where do I go from here? I feel if I don’t try and improve properly I will steadily decline.” I responded with this column A 73 year old asks is it all downhill from here?.

Training

Myths. Perceptions, preconceptions and myths about aging and exercise abound. Good news! Most of them aren’t true! This column debunks 7 training myths.

 

Exercise mistakes. I wrote these columns on 8 exercise mistakes older riders make and More on exercise mistakes older riders make

 

Training rules. Okay, there are myths and mistakes.  What should you do? Here are 14 Training rules for older cyclists.

 

How much training is too much? One training myth is exercising too much is unhealthy. Another myth is that more exercise is the key to improvement. Almost every new client rides too many miles when we start working together. I reduce the volume and mix in appropriate intensity rides and true recovery rides. Here are three columns:

• Can you exercise too much as you age?
• How much should you train to improve performance part 1.
• How much should you train to improve performance part 2.
•  

Base training. Base endurance training is the essential foundation of cycling. Unfortunately, many riders don’t get enough miles in their legs before trying more challenging rides. The results often are frustration, not finishing rides and even injuries. I’ve written two related columns:

• How many base miles before intensity training.
• Endurance training done correctly.
• A touch of intensity. As you age your muscles normally atrophy and your fast twitch muscles, which provide power, atrophy faster. Your heart and respiratory muscles also atrophy and lose elasticity. If you mostly ride at a conversational pace the muscles will atrophy in your legs, heart and respiratory system and you won’t have as much capacity when you ride harder, e.g., climbing a hard hill. Here are three related columns:
• Benefits of training with intensity as you age.
• 6 kinds of intensity – which one is right for you.
• Intensity training for maximum benefit.
•  

Train effectively. By training effectively you can slow (and even reverse in some cases) the effects of aging. You can train effectively if you follow nine training principles. Here are two columns on how to apply the training principles using 53-year-old and a 69-year-old as examples:

• Training in your 50s, 60s and beyond.
• Going the distance in your 50s.
•  

Training weeks. This column explains different training weeks based on how many years you’ve been riding, your annual volume and your longest rides. Optimal training weeks.

 

Resistance training. Resistance training will improve your performance on the bike and slow and even reverse the atrophy of your muscles.  Here are two columns:

 

• Bruce asks about resistance training in the off-season. This column explains why it’s important and gives you a dozen different leg exercises. Resistance training for older roadies.
• The American College of Sports Medicine recommends some year-round resistance training. I wrote this column on 4 essential resistance exercises, which you can do at home with minimal equipment.

 

Full body training. As we age endurance, power and strength start to decline; however, you can control the rate of decline as explained in the above columns. You also start to lose balance, flexibility and bone strength. This column explains what to do about those Full body workout for older riders.

Recovery

Inadequate recovery is one of the biggest mistakes riders make. As we grow older recovery becomes more important.

Ride less recover more. You don’t improve while you are training; you only improve if you give your body time to recover.  Here are three columns:

• Recovery tips for older riders
• 12 tips to avoid overtraining
• Recovery nutrition

Stress. Your body doesn’t differentiate between training stress and other kinds of stress: a challenging assignment at work, family issues, moving, illness, etc. Too much total stress isn’t healthy and it considerably reduces the effectiveness of training.  I wrote this column on Managing stress.

 

I hope all of these tips help you to improve.  Don’t try to change everything at once. Pick the most important factor you can change and work on it for four to six weeks until it becomes a habit. Then continue factor by factor working on marginal gains with each factor. In part 2 I’ll write about non-training factors including equipment, nutrition, riding techniques, aches and pains on the bike, motivation and mental toughness.

 

Coach John Hughes earned coaching certifications from USA Cycling and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. John’s cycling career includes course records in the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200-km randonnée and the Furnace Creek 508, a Race Across AMerica (RAAM) qualifier. He has ridden solo RAAM twice and is a 5-time finisher of the 1200-km Paris-Brest-Paris. He has written nearly 30 eBooks and eArticles on cycling training and nutrition, available in RBR’s eBookstore at Coach John Hughes. Click to read John’s full bio

 

.

So, I saw this on the CRW Slack channel.

“Sign the petition for a protected bike lane on Charles St. A two-way, parking-protected bike lane on Charles Street in Beacon Hill would benefit everyone by making the street safer for all road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers), driving more patrons to local businesses, and reducing carbon emissions. It would also complete a vital link…"

I agree about the vital link. Charles Street is one-way from Charles Circle (at the Longfellow Bridge) to Beacon Street. In the other direction, cyclists could cross to the Esplanade and use the Paul Dudley White path, or take Storrow Drive – it has a sidewalk – or to go over Beacon Hill past the State House and down Bowdoin Street. All these options are long and inconvenient.

Delivery-truck double parking is common on Charles Street. Larger view from Google Maps, https://goo.gl/maps/mwxidmQ4t7WrtdjP9  . 

 

So, yes, there is a gaping gap in Boston’s bicycle route network. Not only that, Beacon Hill residents have cleverly arranged that streets are one-way toward Beacon Street, same as Charles Street. Nobody would prefer them over Charles Street, which is three lanes wide and table-flat.

But, what amounts to a good solution to this problem? As your Safety Coordinator I’ll ask, what would a two-way, “parking-protected” bikeway protect against, and what would it not protect against? I’m going to give a few examples so you can decide for yourselves.

American Cycletrack shows the intersection of  the separated bikeway on 15^th Street, Washington, DC with K Street NW in the evening rush hour. The first two videos on this playlist are of rides on the same cycle track. They illustrate some additional issues.

I shot video of my own ride on such a bikeway, on the Boulevard de Maisonneuve, Montreal, 2008. I had to cross the Boulevard to a temporary bikeway on the other side to pass a construction site. I nearly collided with a pedestrian and a turning car. The bikeway was too narrow for me to overtake slower bicyclists when there was oncoming traffic. My average speed was under 5 miles per hour.

A recent review of crashes on a two-way separated bikeway in Columbus, Ohio is rather alarming.

The official name for such a bikeway is “separated bikeway,” a descriptive term, unlike “cycle track” and which doesn’t leap to a conclusion about safety like "parking protected". Such bikeways do have their place if they can be wide enough and have few intersections.

While cyclists fear rear-end collisions, they are rare on Boston streets. Most urban bicycle crashes happen due to crossing and turning movements. These bikeways complicate them and require more of them. The bikeways in the videos are not really separated. They intersect with numerous streets.

The rationale for building such bikeways is generally to promote bicycle use. But understanding and accounting for how crashes happen is necessary to make this promotion reasonably safe,

There is also no substitute for bicyclist skill and situational awareness. When approaching an intersection on a two-way separated bikeway, you need to slow and look all around for conflicting traffic.

I would support a one-way contraflow bike lane on the uphill side of Charles Street, and traffic-calming measures to slow with-direction traffic. The street would then operate like a conventional two-way street, except that only bicycles could travel in one of the two directions. This is still going to be a hard sell. With the amount of delivery-truck double parking on Charles Street, it would be reduced to a single travel lane unless parking is removed from one side. And parking would have to be removed from one side so bicyclists and motorists aren’t hidden from one another approaching itnersections.

What do you think?

John S. Allen is CRW Safety Coordinator, a certified CyclingSavvy Instructor and League Cycling Instructor and author of Bicycling Street Smarts.