u  Off Road! . . . . .1 issueissue 11 1 volumevolume 29 29 November,2009 2009

u Ride Along, Sing Along — a contest . . . . . 3

u Ed Marx tells how he joined the club . . . .4 The Shore The Jersey Shore Touring Society KEEPING BIKE RIDING FUN SINCE 1981 Thing Club Members Bill Anderson and Bryan Hrycyk share their enthusiasm for Mountain Biking Off the Roads and Into the Woods!

As the weather starts to get chilly and ing badly! The places we ride range from who attack difficult terrain, and others the days are shorter, road riding is more beautiful to spectacular, and riding after who value control over speed (clearly just of a challenge. By November, many of the occasional winter snow is a special an excuse for riding slowly?). Everyone us road riders are relegated to riding on treat. Check out these videos. would be welcome at a club ride no mat- the trainer, which has to be one of the ter what their ability level. When I first most boring things in life! Bryan Hrycyk The JSTS MTB group is quite diverse, started MTB riding, the more experienced finally convinced me to give mountain with some really good technical riders riders took time to show me the basics biking a try, and I’m glad he did. In this article, I’d like to try to convince some of you skeptical road riders that riding in the woods can be great fun, especially this time of year when road riding isn’t so much fun.

I’m still primarily a road rider, but as the weather gets colder and the days shorter, road riding is more challenging. Moun- tain biking, on the other hand, is best in colder weather. Trails become firmer and easier to ride when they freeze, the ticks don’t eat you alive, and the parks are less crowded than in warmer weather. Unlike road riding, a chilly winter wind doesn’t have much of an effect when you’re rid- ing in the woods, rain is less of an issue since there isn’t a loss of traction and vis- ibility, and there aren’t any cars to worry about. There are trees, of course, but you don’t have to worry about them behav- of riding in the woods. John Gillis took with colorful names like “Hog Bog” s m a r t e r even more time to show a couple of us and “Tiger Woods.” It’s easy to get lost Ri d i n g rank beginners how to negotiate logs and at Allaire, so riding with a group really roots. The club gives newcomers a great helps. Finally, the Queen park for MTB The Jersey place to come and learn the basics. is Hartshorne. This is the most techni- Shore Touring cal and most physically demanding park We’re blessed to have some really beauti- and deserves respect. There are many Society ful places to ride off-road. The JSTS obstacles, and the hilly sections are long MTB group rotates between four loca- and steep, challenging your stamina on tions, three Monmouth county parks and the way up and your brakes on the way one state park, and we travel to other down! Hartshorne offers superb views interesting places occasionally, such as over the Shrewsbury and Navesink Riv- Minnewaska in the Catskills. The four ers when the leaves are off the trees, and locations we ride regularly offer a variety we often see large flocks of waterfowl of terrain from easy to very challenging. wintering in the rivers. On the easy end, we have Tatum Park, The Jersey Shore Touring which as a combination of level mead- If you are interested in giving MTB a try, Society Inc. is a 501(c)(7) tax ows and hilly but nontechnical (meaning then your first obstacle is finding a bike. exempt organization. We are no significant obstacles) single-track. The variety of mountain bikes is even a club whose primary focus The hilly sections have some beauti- larger than for road bikes, but generally is on social, rather than com- ful mature stands they fall into two categories petitive bicycling. We have of chestnut oak, “I’d like to try to convince based on their suspension: “leader led” as well as “route and we often see some of you skeptical road front only (called a hardtail) sheet” rides. On a leader-led red-tail hawks and riders that riding in the woods or front and rear (called a ride, the group stays together, can be great fun” harriers out hunt- full suspension bike). Within going only as fast as its slow- ing for lunch. Only each category, higher prices est member unless there is an a bit more technical than Tatum Park is generally give longer suspension travel advertised minimum pace. On Clayton Park. Clayton is mostly hilly and lighter weight. A good place to start a route-sheet ride, riders can with easy single track through beautiful is with a hardtail, which is what I ride, proceed at their own pace, or forest and an occasional log to keep you and as your ability level improves, move ride along with others of the awake. One step more difficult is Allaire up to the more capable full suspension same ability. The route sheet Park, which has a wide variety of terrain. bike. If you have an old hybrid or moun- prevents getting lost in case Allaire’s main marked trails are fairly tain bike, then a good set of knobby tires of riders separating. easy, but Allaire has many challeng- would be enough to get you started at a JSTS welcomes newcomers ing unmarked sections of trail, in areas place like Tatum Park. to our club rides and requires that each rider wear a helmet If you want to ride in and complete a waiver avail- the winter but don’t get able at the pre-ride sign-in. a thrill out of ice on We have monthly meetings the highways or numb planned for the second Mon- fingers and toes, or if day of each month, and we you are bored with your publish a monthly newsletter trainer, come join us in viewable at our web site (www. the woods! jsts.us). If you like the club, please join by paying the an- ~ Bill Anderson and nual dues. Bryan Hrycyk

The Jersey Shore Touring Society www.jsts.us Solve this Puzzle and win some real prizes! Ride Along, Sing Along — A Contest

When I’m riding through the country- go Over river and through the woods O Freunde, nicht diese Töne! side, I like to take in my surroundings. (#4 what kind of horse is pulling the Sondern laßt uns angenehmere an- Often this stimulates a recollection of sleigh?) stimmen, some song. I thought it would be fun to und freudenvollere. follow my wanderings and turn it into Freude! Freude! a little contest that can get you some fame and fortune. The fame is open to Fortunately for anyone that’s around anyone, but the fortune requires you I don’t sing and I certainly don’t sing to be a club member. There will be a or speak German. So here’s a rough grand prize of a $25 gift certificate to translation: one of our member bike shops for the person that has the most correct an- Oh friends, not these tones! swers. If there is a tie, then there would Rather, let us raise our voices in more be a random drawing. Non-winners pleasing would be entered into a drawing of all And more joyful sounds! other entries for one of 3 gift certifi- Joy! Joy! cates of $10 each to one of our mem- ber bike shops. One entry per person. (#8 Title of the complete work, two Entries via email to me ckirlew@att. possible answers. Be careful, the com- net by 12/10/2009. All entries will be mon name is just for part of it.) responded to as a form of receipt. The Since I seem to be on a weather theme, drawing will be held at the Holiday Of course near the end of a long ride, there was one winter ride where I came party on 12/12/2009. You don’t need to Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty onto this open field. The wind was be present to win, but you will lose out comes to mind. “Looking back at blowing hard and I really wanted some on some of the fame and fun. the years gone by like so many ____ protection. The song from the Rolling _____” (#9 fill in the blanks) Stones is really about war, but I still So, let’s get started on this sojourn. wanted that “protection”. (#5 song Hmmm, that just reminded me of a Finally, I debated about this one for title) group that had an album titled Seventh awhile because I think I’m going to get Sojourn. (#1 name the group). Well some grief about it. But, what the heck. Some of us ride through Asbury Park that seems appropriate, for all our rides When I’m anxious to get riding again on Tuesdays during the summer. How are a form of sojourn. On many of the after a rest stop, these words come to can I not think of a Springsteen song? rides, I look out into the fields and I’m me. The song is about motorcycles, One of them talks about someone that reminded of a Bob Dylan song, All the but the thought is there. “Get On Your gets busted by the cops. (#6 who gets tired ____ in the Sun, How’m I sup- Bikes and Ride!” (#10 Title of the busted and #7 why). posed to get any riding done? (#2 fill in song) the missing word). ~ Charlie Kirlew Then there are the times when I am riding on a gorgeous day, the road is As I’m writing this, it’s raining again. smooth, the sun is shining, there are no We had a lot of rain this year, especially cars, everything is perfect. This song in June. This one was in my head a lot pops into my head and I just want to and now that the seasons have changed, sing out loud! it’s there more than ever- I want to ride my bicycle. (#3 name the group) Since we’re changing seasons, the rides often

The Jersey Shore Touring Society www.jsts.us In this seventh article in the series, Ed Marx tells the story of how he joined the club JSTS Story Book I have always enjoyed bicycling. It etc.). Not having a tandem might have seemed the opposite when I bike I borrowed a car when bought my first 10-speed bike 36 years it was time for a date. ago and promptly gave it away. It had Much as I had enjoyed the advertised number of gears, but was cycling for the sense of exercise. weighted down with a hefty frame. I silent self-propulsion and the fun of it, In my second year with JSTS, after found something much closer to my other priorities turned my Raleigh into road riding all season, I went on my first vision of a proper bike by going to a a garage sculpture for far longer than club century ride. I had never really bike shop and buying a Raleigh Super it should have been (hindsight being thought about going that distance, so it Course fashioned out of Reynolds 531 exact). has been one of the transformative ef- alloy. That bike was fairly light for its Fast forwarding to 1998, I picked up fects – riding many miles beyond what time, and I enjoyed riding it except that a hybrid bike and regularly covered part I had imagined. Add to that a return to of the original section of the Henry the road-riding with which I really had Hudson Trail as a light cardio ride. lost my connection in the 30 years prior I also rode the D&R Canal Tow- to joining JSTS. path and some other rail trails for a Later that same year when the good while. weather cooled down, I quit the road, Three years ago I decided to borrowed a bike and went out with take my cycling to another level. the mountain bikers to try that style of I wanted to play harder, to burn cycling. It is like being a kid again, off some stress after work. I went and the parks are beautiful. There are looking for a local bicycle club, challenges in MTB riding that are well and with an internet search found worth the effort. Plus, for me it ex- the JSTS web site. I figured on tended bicycling to a year-round activ- joining an upcoming scheduled ity, eluding some of the winter winds by JSTS ride. In the run-up to that using the woods as cover. event I increased my regular ride I have now had many occasions to to 20+ miles a couple of times. All ride, chat, picnic and party with my the same I had an ambition to go JSTS friends. Numerous club members 35 miles on my first ride with the I have met and observed have taught club astride my hybrid (the Raleigh me a lot about cycling. When there needed work). are problems they are always generous On July 4th 2006 I showed up with their help and advice. As things the saddle was a chunk of narrow, hard for the club ride out of Monmouth have gone along I have involved myself leather, hurting the haunches with every Battlefield State Park (becoming a JSTS in club business as treasurer and web ride. member in the process) and made a go master. For the past 2 years that has en- When I went cycling on the road of it – until I hit a wall (or ‘the Wall’) at tailed handling the JSTS funds, as well back then I immediately got a taste of mile 30, and went into “struggle mode” as behind-the-scenes work like securing car hostility, with drivers blowing their from there. Near the end there was a the club’s IRS tax exempt status, filing horns for no apparent reason. It was mechanical on Wemrock Road where annual reports, swapping NJ registered either that, or they were trying to warn my chain came off. I got going again agents, co-managing a couple of picnics, me I was setting the pavement on fire. and finished the ride with some help and (in 2009) maintaining the JSTS web But seriously, I did not see how I repre- from Bob Spony. face. sented a threat to people in 2-ton rolling For the remainder of that season I I am still having a good ride of it. cocoons, and that is just as questionable continued to come back for more JSTS now. rides; got a new road bike and pushed ~ Ed Marx One season around that time I gave myself to go greater distances. Some- up automobiles altogether from April thing I liked to do casually now became to September, and bicycled everywhere more of a fitness regimen – possibly the (to work, to visit friends, for groceries, first time I really ever enjoyed doing The Jersey Shore Touring Society www.jsts.us