The CRW Gravel Program ride leaders have put together the following intro to gravel/mixed-terrain riding. We hope to see you on a CRW Gravel ride soon!

What is gravel cycling?

• Better to call it “mixed-terrain”: we ride in the woods, on paved and unpaved paths, on single and double track trails, on fire roads and boardwalks, and on the street.
• Riding is usually not as gnarly as mountain biking; mostly steer around larger obstacles, not go over them.
• Routes are longer than MTB routes (hence the comfortable style of a gravel bike) and routes may be stitched together via street riding.
• At least 32 mm tires with some raised tread are recommended; route conditions may dictate wider and knobbier tires.
• You may need to walk your bike over obstacles occasionally.
• Gravel rides can be very FUN and SOCIAL! Slower pace and less traffic means riders are more able to chat. And watch out for beer stops!

Safety/courtesy (follow basic road riding rules, plus a few extra points to keep in mind):

• Follow rules of the road and rules of the trail system/park you are riding in.
• Use hand signals and call out / point out hazards (hole, slowing, car left, etc.).
• Ride single file except on wide dirt roads or double track.
• Very important on trails: give adequate space to the rider in front of you.
• No pacelines on trails.
• Pedestrians (and dogs) have the right of way: call out, give space, dismount if necessary, especially on narrow trails and boardwalks.
• CRW gravel rides are not races. Don’t pass another rider unless it’s very safe to do so; this usually means don’t pass on single track.
• Be smart out in the woods:
• • Always have navigation and cell phone.
  • Let people know your route/time expected in the woods.
  • Bring extra food and water.
  • It's a good idea to have a basic first aid kit; you may be FAR from medical assistance.
  • Know how to repair flats and other mechanical problems.
  • Watch the weather and turn back if necessary.
  • Don’t ride alone; use the buddy system.
• Be friendly out there; we are representing cyclists in general and CRW in particular.

Basic gravel pointers

• Allow extra time: pace is about 2-4 mph slower than on the road; 10 mph is a typical speed.
• Do not follow the rider in front too closely so that you can react to them slowing/stopping; look for what’s coming and choose your own line.
• You usually don’t need to push a big gear in the woods; if you run a 2X, you may find you ride mostly in the small ring.
• Shift EARLY and OFTEN; anticipate what’s coming and shift for what’s ahead.
• Downshift BEFORE you get to an incline, to get your pedals turning over fast enough to power up the hill.
• Adjust your weight a bit forward to get more traction on the uphill.
• Hover over the saddle when going over rocks/roots and use arms as shocks (decreases likelihood of pinch flatting).
• Run lower tire pressure for more grip.
• Steer around obstacles where there is room, rather than going over them
• Take your time on technical downhills, pick your line, shift your weight backwards (hover if necessary), hold your breaks steadily, and let the bike gently descend over roots/rocks.
• Look up and ahead; look at the line you want the bike to take; if you stare at on obstacle, you will likely steer right to it.
• Gravel roads are often steeper than paved roads. If you stand up, the rear wheel spins out. If you sit too far back, the front wheel pops off the trail. Balance your weight.
• You can't bomb the downhills like on a paved road. Control your speed so that you can always stop in the length of road you can see clearly. You can't see what's around that curve or over that lip. Be ready for loose gravel or washboard or a pothole or a car. You won't be able to stop or maneuver as aggressively as on pavement.
• On loose gravel or sand, you mostly need to ride steady. Aggressive braking or turning can cause the bike to wash out.
• Leaves can obscure holes, rocks, and sticks.
• Many puddles are easy and safe to ride through, but sometimes they are much deeper than expected or have hidden rocks or sticks that can send you flying.

Climb to the Clouds will test your biking abilities with lots of climbing and a climb up Mt. Wachusett.  This Devo semi-supported ride will have 2 beautiful rides, 100 miles and 63 miles.  The CTTC hilly rides will climb up Mt. Wachusett for those wanting a challenge. There will be 2 unsupported rest stops including  Berlin Orchards and Mt. Wachusett vistor center. Come climb Massachusetts iconic mountain with views of New England. Register Now!

Join the CRW North to New Hampshire Spring Century for a breathtaking adventure on some of New Hampshire's most scenic roads. Get ready for an unforgettable experience with our skilled ride leaders. Mechanical support will be provided by Trek Cambridge and Gunther at the ride start. This CRW favorite century event is back and better than ever with new 2023 special edition sprockets for all riders. After the ride, celebrate your achievement with a delicious post-ride pizza party at Hearth Pizzeria, which offers vegan and gluten-free options. Don't wait, join the CRW Century Series and register now for the North to New Hampshire Spring Century! Register for $45. But hurry, space is limited and there are NO day of registrations. The last day to register is Friday, May 12th. Click here to register

Can't ride on the day of the event, don't miss your chance to earn the N2NH sprocket for your collection by signing up for the virtual ride option and completing a 50, 63, or 100 mile ride before May 31st.

We were able to resolve the payment issues, so please try again your membership renewals and century registrations.  Thanks for your patience.

The CRW Board just unanimously approved John O'Dowd as the new VP of Rides for the club.  John is a long-time member of the club, one of our most active Ride Leaders, and former Board Member (and Secretary).  He knows how our rides should be run and how they have been run in the past.  The Board has tremendous confidence that John will be able to revive our weekend rides, now that COVID is finally in our rear mirror.   Please join the Board in supporting John and making 2023 the revival year for our weekend rides!

I would like to thank Martin Hayes for being our VP of Rides earlier this year, but he could not make it work with his obligations and he reluctantly tendered his resignation earlier this month.

Dear Charles River Wheelers members,

We're excited to share that CRW has partnered with RoadID, a company committed to ensuring the safety and identification of cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts. RoadID offers a great selection of wearable IDs and accessories, which can provide peace of mind in case of an emergency while you're out cycling.

What is RoadID?

RoadID is a brand focused on providing identification bracelets, shoe tags, watch bands, and other accessories that contain your critical information such as:

• Name
• Contact Information
• Medical Details
• Emergency Contact(s)

In the event of an accident, first responders can quickly gather essential details to ensure that you receive proper care without any delay. Additionally, your loved ones will be alerted so they can remain in the loop.

Exclusive 20% CRW Discount

We are proud to announce that all Charles River Wheelers members can benefit from an exclusive 20% discount on RoadID purchases! To access this offer, simply click on this link and your discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Enhanced Safety for Our Biking Community

This partnership between CRW and RoadID underscores our continued commitment to the safety of our members. We encourage everyone to utilize this excellent resource and take a proactive approach to ensuring their safety and the safety of our entire cycling community.

Together, we can enjoy our rides knowing that we have taken important steps to safeguard ourselves and our fellow riders. Don't miss this opportunity to upgrade your security gear with RoadID's top-notch products at a discounted price exclusive to CRW members!

Stay safe out there and happy cycling,

The Charles River Wheelers Team

#slack

In 2010, the small community of specialists who pay attention to US road safety statistics picked up on a troubling trend: more and more pedestrians and cyclists were being killed on American roads. In fact, pedestrian deaths have increased 51 percent since reaching their low point in 2009. In addition to the loss of human life, it is estimated that road injuries will cost the world economy $1.8 trillion from 2015–2030.

THE STREET PROJECT is the story about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer.

Digging deep into the root causes of traffic violence, the filmmakers engage a diverse array of experts including street historian Peter Norton, city planner Jeff Speck, and urban design expert Mikael Colville-Andersen. These expert interviews are interwoven with the stories of real people working to make their communities safer.

Expected to be in attendance at the festival: Director Jennifer Boyd and Producer Lindsay Thompson.

Revised Ride Template: Crucial Updates

Due to modifications in the CRW ticket category, some member groups might be unable to register for events generated using the ride template. We've introduced a new club membership class, and it's essential to update existing events to accommodate this membership type for proper registration.

How does this impact you?

Take the following steps to resolve this problem:

1. Edit the existing event and locate the CRW Member ticket within the event settings.
2. Modify the CRW Member ticket settings to allow registration by all member types in Wild Apricot.
3. For ongoing rides, cancel any events that have registrations and recreate them utilizing the recurring event feature, as explained in the provided documentation.

Note: While we work on enhancing our system, we advise against scheduling recurring events more than one or two months in advance.

#slack

Managing Privacy in WildApricot for Your Profile and Event Registrations

Dear Charles River Wheelers members, we understand the importance of privacy in our community. This step-by-step tutorial will guide you on how to manage your privacy settings in WildApricot, both for your profile and event registrations.

Adjusting Your Profile Privacy Settings

1. Login to your Charles River Wheelers account on the Charles River Wheelers website.
2. Navigate to the "View Profile" button located at the top-right corner of the webpage.
3. Click on the "Edit Profile" button to access your profile settings.
4. In the "Privacy" tab, you'll find a list of profile fields accompanied by checkboxes. These checkboxes let you control which information is visible to other club members and which is kept private.
5. Select or deselect the checkboxes according to your desired privacy settings. To keep a field private, make sure its corresponding checkbox is unchecked.
6. Save your changes by clicking the "Save" button at the bottom of the page.

Managing Privacy for Event Registrations

1. While registering for an event on our WildApricot site, look out for a section labeled "Who can see that I am registered?" under the "Event Registration Details."
2. Select one of the following options according to your preferred level of privacy:
   • All members: Choose this option if you would like all club members to be able to see that you are registered for an event.
   • Only me: Choose this option if you want to keep your event registration completely private. Only you and the event organizer will be able to see your registration.
3. Complete the registration process by filling in the required details and pressing "Confirm."

We hope that you find this tutorial helpful in managing your privacy within the Charles River Wheelers community. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at communications@charlesriverwheelers.org.

Happy riding!

#slack

CRW Century Rides 2023

Join us for three beautiful rides this year and collect a new CRW exclusive participants gear for each ride.

CRW North to New Hampshire Spring Century

• A spring flat century to get riders ready for all your summer century rides. We plan to run a fully-supported event with 3 beautiful rides, 100 miles, 62 miles and 50 miles. You will enjoy food and drink at rest stops along the route at American Legion Park Georgetown, Shanahan Park Groveland and Sawyer Park Kensington NH. There will be an After-Ride Party at Wakefield High School from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Don't miss it! Register Now
• DATE: May 13, 2023
• ·         Early Bird Registration Fee- $35
• ·         Wakefield HS. To NH and back.
• o   100 Mile Route
• o   63 Mile Route
• o   50 Mile Route

CRW Climb to the Clouds – A classic ride to Mt Wachusett 

Climb to the Clouds will test your biking abilities with lots of climbing and a climb up Mt. Wachusett.  This Devo semi-supported ride will have 2 beautiful rides, 100 miles and 63 miles.  The CTTC hilly rides will climb up Mt. Wachusett for those wanting a challenge. There will be 3 unsupported rest stops including Dexler Drumlin, Berlin Farms and Mt. Wachusett. Come climb Massachusetts iconic mountain with views of New England. Register Now!

• ·         DATE: June 10, 2023
• ·         Early Bird Registration Fee $25
• ·         Lincoln HS to Wachusett’s and back
• o   100 Mile Route
• o   80 Mile route

CRW Cranberry Century

Grand Depart: Myles Standish State Park at College Pond

Join us for our fall classic in Plymouth MA with beautiful routes passing cranberry bogs to Mattapoisett and back.

The Cranberry Century is a fall classic in Plymouth MA with beautiful routes passing cranberry bogs to Mattapoisett and back. Come join us for another fully-supported event with 4 beautiful rides, 100 miles, 62 miles and 53 miles and new 25 mile in park route. The CHC captures some of the most charming roads in New England. It is also relatively flat and very manageable for riders of all abilities. All rides start at Myles Standish State Park in Plymouth and travel through the cranberry bogs in Rochester, Wareham, Carver and Acushnet. Rides include rest stops at Eastover, Tamarak and on the beautiful wharf in Mattapoisett. You will enjoy food and drink at rest stops along the route and after party at College Pond at the finish. CRW Cranberry Century Registration

·         DATE: Oct 7, 2023

• ·         Early Registration Fee $35
• o   100 Mile Route
• o   62 Mile Route
• o   53 Mile Route
• o   New Piccolo 25 mile in park loop.