The CRW club kit store [link] is now open! This year's store features two jersey/shorts designs:

• 60th Anniversary Edition – A timeless design celebrating 60 years of Charles River Wheelers, inspired by classic cycling jerseys.
• Throwback (2024) Edition –The 2024 design is available again this year.

We're offering a range of jersey styles, so you can choose the fit and fabric that work best for you. Not sure about jersey sizing? We'll have a selection of try-on samples available at upcoming club events to help you find the right fit before ordering. 

Also available this year is a range of accessories to match either kit design.

To celebrate the store opening, all club kit items are 20% off for the first two weeks. The introductory discount ends on [date], but the club store will remain open after that at regular prices.

Now's the perfect time to add some CRW kit to your cycling wardrobe.

By Ken Schwarz, CRW Century Coordinator

In Part 2 of this series of articles we talked about training your mule (namely, YOU!) to handle a 100-mile ride, this time we’ll focus on what we will ask that mule to carry. Naturally, this should be: “As little as possible, but no less.”

A checklist will help you plan ahead and reduce anxiety on the day of the event that you omitted something important. Exactly what you need will depend on the day’s conditions and how self-sufficient you really need to be. Let's look at three distinct scenarios that can help structure your approach:

• A supported daytime ride, such as the CRW Cranberry Century. You will be riding on a vetted route, in daylight, with other riders, with SAG support, and water/fuel stops along the way. You’ll need to dress for the forecast weather and range of anticipated temperatures.

• An unsupported daytime ride, perhaps with friends or solo. Now you need to be prepared for unexpected road conditions and mechanical problems and carry the food and water you’ll need between refill locations you must identify.

• An unsupported ride into darkness. The above plus lights, backup batteries, and the readiness for nighttime cold.

Category	Supported daytime	Unsupported daytime	Unsupported into darkness
Bike	Roadworthy bike; efficient road tires; daytime front and rear lights; navigation computer or phone; fenders if rain is likely	Same, with dependable navigation and batteries sufficient for the whole ride separate from phone. Lightweight cable/lock	Strong front headlight; daytime light or lower setting for conserving power; primary and backup rear lights; reflective elements; power bank for phone and navigation (10000mAh+ battery)
Food, water, sunscreen, and emergency information	Bottles and food sufficient to reach each rest stop; emergency snack; sunscreen; ID, emergency contact, phone, money or card	Enough food and water, or a confirmed resupply plan; electrolytes; emergency reserve; sunscreen; ID, emergency contact, phone, money or card	Same, with enough reserve for slower nighttime progress and fewer open stores
Tools, parts, and first aid	Tube, tire levers, inflation device, mini-tool, small knife with tweezers, tire boot; basic first aid, nitrile gloves	Two tubes, patches, pump or multiple CO2 cartridges, tire boot, quick link, derailleur hanger, chain tool, mini-tool, disposable gloves, first-aid supplies	Same
Clothing	Clothing appropriate for the forecast; removable layer; rain shell when needed; gloves or arm warmers for a cool start, microfiber towel	Same, with enough protection for weather changes and delays	Layers for the temperature after sunset; wind or rain shell; warmer gloves if needed; reflective clothing or accessories
Luggage	Jersey pockets and a saddle bag are usually enough	(Extendable) saddle bag plus top-tube, frame or handlebar storage as needed. Consider lightweight backpack.	Same

Bike

Inspect your bike closely a few days before the ride, leaving yourself enough time to make an emergency bike store purchase as needed. Check tires for cuts or sidewall damage and replace them if you find anything that compromises their integrity. Avoid using tires with knobby treads on paved centuries; smooth slicks put up much less rolling resistance. Fix brake rubbing or shifting issues, if any. Lube your chain lightly and wipe off excess. Dry lube works great and is less messy if you get it on your hands but easily washes away with rain. Use wet lube if you need it.

Day or night, ride with lights as a basic safety precaution. They need to be rated for 8-10 hours of continuous flashing, but aging batteries may not hold their rated charge so be willing to replace an old one now if needed. For night riding, carry two headlights and a spare flashing light for the rear. When your first light expires—and in my experience, anyway, it will—you can quickly swap to the backup and be on your way.

A dedicated navigation computer is not required if you have a phone with the equivalent app, but on an unsupported ride, a dedicated navigation computer reserves your phone in case the navigation computer fails or you need it as a phone.

If rain is forecast, fenders will help keep your butt dry and spare the rider behind you from mouthfuls of road grit.

Finally, a lightweight lock, while hardly enough to stop a determined thief, can reduce anxiety when making quick rest stops on an unsupported ride.

Food, water, sunscreen, and emergency information

In principle, on a supported ride you might not need to bring any food or electrolyte if you plan to “live off the land” with event-provisions. However, if you have trained your gut on particular favorites that you find easy to digest, bringing them with you reduces the risk of gastric distress after ingesting unfamiliar energy bars or  sports drinks. Large lunches, while tempting, should be avoided. Nausea, gas, diarrhea—these three are traveling companions you do not want.

On unsupported rides, identify stores, water fountains or other dependable stops in advance. You’ll need to carry full day’s nutrition, resupply along the way, or combine the two. Call targeted restaurants or stores a few days before to confirm that they are open. Especially in the off season, many are closed even when they are “supposed” to be open. 

Sunscreen, identification, emergency contact information, a charged phone, and money or a credit card are all essential. Emergency information should be accessible without requiring someone to unlock the phone.

Tools, parts, and first aid

Even on a short training ride, never mind a century, everyone should be prepared for the inevitable cycling gremlins, so always carry flat-repair kit with tire levers and a pump or CO2 cartridges. Even in a supported century, help may be several miles away, and volunteers or fellow riders should not be expected to solve every routine puncture. Tubeless riders should carry the appropriate plug tool and plugs but should still bring a spare tube for a puncture or tire failure that will not seal. Practice changing an inner tube at home (on the rear wheel, so you master the tricks of getting it back in) if you haven’t done this before. A razor-sharp mini Swiss Army Knife takes up practically no space but can be a lifesaver. Choose one with tweezers: you can use them for removing thorns from tires that fingernails can’t grip and can be incredibly valuable first aid tools as well. Carry a few pairs of nitrile gloves and you can keep your hands clean. (The recommended microfiber cloth also works wonders at getting black grease off of your fingers.)

For the unsupported rides, the kit becomes more complete: two tubes, patches, extra CO2 cartridges or a backup hand pump, a tire boot, a multi-tool that covers all of your bike’s fasteners, and the correct quick link for the chain. A small chain tool can turn a broken chain from a rescue call into a roadside repair. Everyone should have a spare derailleur hanger for their bike frame, but yours is no good at home; keep it in your saddlebag just in case. 

A compact first-aid kit might include adhesive bandages, a handful of alcohol wipes, and gauze—enough to clean up a scraped knee or elbow.

Clothing

The longer the ride, the more complicated the clothing can become. Be prepared for a wide range of temperatures, especially on autumn rides where frosty mornings give way to summer-like mid-day sun. Think gloves, hats, arm warmers, layers—they can all come off as the day wears on. A lightweight rain shell provides quite a bit of warmth on top of multiple layers.

Be cautious about nighttime temperatures as darkness can quickly turn a what was moments earlier a comfortable ride into a shivering nightmare since your body is wet with sweat and you start radiating heat instead of absorbing it from the sun. A hat and an extra long sleeve layer might be essential. Wear reflective bands on your ankles. You will soon forget they are there but they are amazingly visible to drivers approaching from behind.

Luggage

There are many options here, but beyond the usual saddlebag you can incrementally add space beyond your jersey pockets with a bag on your handlebars and a top tube bag. The handlebar bag might interfere with your headlamp, so this is a consideration. Extensible and potentially quite large saddlebags that stick out over the rear wheel can hold quite a bit and when cinched up tightly are secure and don’t interfere with bicycle balance or riding. 

As an alternative to an extensible saddlebag, a small backpack, such as those made for ultra-endurance runners, are extremely lightweight and can be comfortable enough that you can forget you are wearing one and have convenient strap pockets for a phone and fuel. Many hold 1-2L bladders that you can fill with water, an electrolyte or a carb mix. 

Where are you from originally?
Needham

When did you start cycling, and what got you into it?
I started cycling when I got a running injury about two years ago.

When did you join CRW, and what brought you to the club?
I joined CRW very recently as I was looking for a community of bikers to help in training for triathlons. 

Do you volunteer for CRW, and if so, in what way(s)?
I don't volunteer as of yet...

What type of cycling do you enjoy the most?
Road!

What’s your favorite ride or route?
I love biking around Lexington and getting to see horses along the way. 

What has been your favorite moment or experience with CRW?
Getting to see horses!

What advice would you give a new CRW member?
Enjoy yourself, this community is very low stakes and welcoming.

What’s a fun fact about you (cycling or non-cycling)?
Me encanta mejorar mi Español y bailar la salsa. 

What do you enjoy most about being part of CRW?
I like having a group ride to look forward to, as I find it difficult to do long rides on my own.

Anything else you'd like the club to know?
Nada mas :) 

By John S. Allen, CRW Safety Coordinator

On the morning of July 10, 36-year-old bicyclist Louisa Gag died at the intersection of Tremont Street and Parker Street in Boston in a crash involving a semitrailer truck. The crash has drawn a very large amount of public attention, particularly because Gag served as an Active Transportation Planner for the City of Boston, and worked closely with Mayor Michelle Wu. Gag was dedicated to promoting bicycling and had many friends among bicyclists and advocates. 

Much response to the crash has been from bicyclists calling for safer streets, by which they largely mean infrastructure projects to erect barriers between bicyclists and motor traffic; banning large trucks from downtown streets; reducing car traffic with congestion pricing and other disincentives; improvements to public transportation. On the other hand, there have been calls from other quarters that bicycling is too dangerous, some even suggesting banning it. 

The Louisa Gag crash raises different issues for me. First, let’s look at the specifics.

Based on the limited evidence available as of this writing, it is most likely that Gag was on the right side of the truck approaching the intersection, and the truck swept over her while weaving past a vehicle waiting to turn left. How and why Gag got into trouble, and why she didn’t find a way to avoid or escape it, are still not publicly known. Perhaps surveillance video or eyewitness accounts, and eventually the crash report,  will provide answers. 

This street-safety advocate died in a bike lane, and that bears on the public discussion. Was this bike lane actually a safety improvement? Could any special infrastructure on this segment of Tremont Street affect one? 

In theory, barrier separation with a separate traffic signal phase for bicyclists passing on the right would eliminate the right hook crash and the blind swerve which apparently led to Gag’s death – but signals can be ignored, or confusing. Two Cambridge fatalities in 2024 occurred in barrier-separated lanes, one likely resulting from confusion over signals.  

Up the hill before the intersection on Tremont Street, the bike lane is in the door zone of parked cars. Doorings also have killed bicyclists. A dooring-safe buffered bike lane could not be installed without removing parking. That wouldn’t fly with residents, like it or not.

The overall situation is complicated and requires forward-looking thinking. Our motor-vehicle-dominated US society has marginalized bicycling (figuratively and literally), neglected it, and misunderstood it for nearly a century now. Major changes require cultural shifts, political support and funding, and take years, sometimes decades.  Meanwhile, traffic of all kinds continues to increase. E-bikes and other electrically-powered micromobility devices place new demands on bike lanes. Delivery drivers on gasoline-powered mopeds and motorcycles ride in them too, to get past traffic queues; yes, that’s illegal but the temptation is strong. 

I frankly don’t expect the situation to improve any time in the near future. I do hold out some hope that motor vehicles with automated crash avoidance will greatly reduce some types of crashes, though at the expense of increased delay, 

In all of this turmoil, I have seen very little discussion about what we bicyclists can do for ourselves on a daily basis to improve our safety. A sense of helplessness prevails with many bicyclists -- so the world needs to change for our sake, and our mission is to campaign for that. Challenging that point of view with calls for better bicyclist skills and behavior brings on accusations of blaming the victim. Advocates fear that successful bicyclists destroy the incentive for infrastructure projects.

Is it a jungle out there? Not necessarily. Successful bicyclists know how make the most of any traffic situation and any infrastructure. An understanding of defensive driving techniques, hazards and common crash types can quickly reduce a bicyclist’s risk. 

It isn’t rocket science, though it’s a hard sell for bicyclists stuck with the sense of helplessness and with habits acquired in childhood. But consider: any motorist who can go more than a mile in the city without a crash has learned by trial and error, if not through instruction, to avoid driving into blindspots -- just to give one example. That is to say, training for traffic safety will work for the typical urban young adult or older bicyclist.

As a CyclingSavvy graduate and instructor, I take this knowledge onto the street every time I ride, and it has kept me safe. Sorry, I’m not going to ride in the door zone just to avoid upsetting people (motorists included too, of course). Is that selfish? My safety is more important. And really, the more success bicyclists have, the better that works for all of us.  Be safe out there!

-- Bernie Flynn

Former CRW president Bernie Flynn passed away peacefully in his home on June 15.

Born on July 15, 1949, Bernie worked as an auto mechanic and later a bookseller, first opening Northern Lights Book Shop and Cafe in Vermont before moving to Massachusetts in 1984 and opening Trident Booksellers and Cafe. Now run by his daughter and daughter-in-law, Trident Booksellers remains a beloved community hub over 40 years later.

With a lifelong passion for cycling, learning, and Shambhala Buddhism, Bernie was a mentor and friend to many in our community. He was always happy to share his wisdom, fix a flat, and find some new adventure out on the trails.

Bernie is survived by his wife, Gail; his son, Michael and daughter-in-law, Kim; his daughter, Courtney and son-in-law, Alex; and his grandkids, Harper, Taylor, Ciel, and Julien.

Here's Bernie speaking at CRW's 50th Anniversary Party. An album of photos compiled by Bob Wolf can be found HERE.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the Kingdom Trails in Vermont, a network of mountain biking trails that Bernie helped establish.

By Lorenz J. Finison

For CRW's 60th anniversary, WheelPeople and Club Historian Lorenz J. Finison are taking a look back through the club's history. This article is the second half of an article originally published in November 2016's issue of WheelPeople under the title "The Early Days of the Charles River Wheelmen: Part 3." The first half of the article can be found here.

Cyclists’ conflicts about cycleways trace to the late 1960s and early 1970s and were already on display at the Bicycles U.S.A. conference of 1973. While most of the presentations represented the bike-trails ideal, they were challenged forcefully by Bill Wilkinson, a young technician for the National Park Service, who had been assigned a presentation on ‘bicycle trails, their construction and use,’ but prefaced his remarks by stating that: “I strongly disagree with those who suggest that biking be limited to exclusive bike trails and bike lanes. So much more can be done for so many more bikers through the development of procedures for creating safe bike routes through urban streets. I think that trails should be provided under two conditions only: 1) as the only alternative for safe bicycling in an area either parallel to a major highway or connecting two or more major points; or, 2) to provide a unique recreational facility.”

The cycling opponents of bikeways were proponents of the “vehicular integration” of cycling, or, finally, “vehicular cycling,” and referred to cyclists as bicycle “drivers.” They represented a different slice of the cycling public: adult recreational and racing cyclists who were more suburban, and more concerned with bottlenecks that impeded easy transit into rural areas. They argued that it was not possible to take non-cyclists and make them cycling commuters. First, one must get people “hooked” on recreational cycling, and then let them find their own ways in the city streets. The best that cycling planners could do was to remove bottlenecks..

Bruce Epperson has summarized the 1970s history of vehicular cycling on the national stage: “Opposition to urban bicycle facilities was articulated as early as November 1972 by Fred DeLong in Bicycling, December 1972 by Jim Konski at the first MAUDEP conference (reprinted in June 1973 in Bicycling), in February 1973 by John Forester in Bike World, and in May 1973 by Bill Wilkinson at the Bicycles USA conference. In June 1974, Morgan Groves, L.A.W. executive director, issued a policy statement in the L.A.W. Bulletin stating that it was League policy to support paths “only where no public road exists, on bridges, to [bypass freeways], or in special recreation and park areas.”

In early 1977, Bicycling’s Darryl Skrabak wrote that “the urban bikeway movement was effectively dead.” But there was still a bit of life left. At a 1977 MAUDEP conference, CRW founder and Metropolitan Planning Council President George Bailey described the Massachusetts experience with bike facilities. He commented on the confluence of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air pollution regulation and funding and the existence of a bicycle “sub-committee of the Environment Committee of the Boston Bar Association”; and following that, new EPA regulations and incentives for bicycle commuting and political support from the state legislature. Bailey summarized the situation thus: “EPA’s Region I was cooperative. The planning agencies, directed by and in cooperation with the Department of Public Works, are now clearly set on a course likely to produce useful plans. The legislature hears a broad call from not only the citizenry, but Washington as well. It should be a downhill run from here on.”

Not so fast! At the same MAUDEP conference, Forester derided bikeways as of no benefit to “competent” cyclists, and asserted that their main purpose was to kick cyclists off the road. Secondly, the problem of the many new and “incompetent” cyclists for whom bikeways were ostensibly designed would be solved [he thought] because a natural plateau of new cyclists would be reached and all cyclists on the road would, with proper instruction, become competent. Thirdly, he accused the motoring interests and the Bicycle Manufacturers Association (BMA) of being in cahoots to remove cyclists from the roads. This would achieve the purported BMA strategy of appeal to parents regarding safety for their cycling children, to boost juvenile sales, and appeal to the motoring interests’ desire to clear the roadways of any interference.

Forester’s solution was to design roads with a 14- to 16-foot outside through lane width rather than 11 or 12 feet. Finally, “This facility provides long-term benefits that are dependent on the total traffic volume on the roadway, instead of exclusively upon the number of new cyclists and the political uproar they cause.”

Despite Bailey’s bikeways optimism, the advocates’ energy – at least temporarily – veered away from bike paths and towards bicycle safety education only. In May 1977, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission sponsored a Bike-Ed 77 conference with the purpose of offering workshops on and drafting “a national strategy for bicycle safety education” Ohio Representative Ralph Regula’s luncheon address asked all in attendance to become lobbyists for bike trails. Forester arose from his lunch to thunder opposition: “The idea that bike trails are for the purposes of safety is simply wrong; they are for fun and those who are willing to take the increased risk of riding on them.”

Within a year L.A.W. promulgated a new “League Bikeways Platform” recommended by its facilities committee, which included a cyclists’ rights plank: “The L.A.W. opposes any bikeway development, plan, or policy which would deny bicyclists the full use of a public street, road, or highway.” In April 1978 the Bicycle Institute of America’s Boom in Bikeways provoked a great furor when it editorialized in “Bikeways – The Right Way” against the L.A.W. position: “Society must reserve the right to regulate public activity to promote the common welfare. Local jurisdictions must have the right to decide that Avenue X is patently unsafe for a 14-year old youngster to ride a bike. If a handful of truly competent ‘professional’ cyclists are inconvenienced by this, that inconvenience is a small price to pay for the saving in human suffering.” A storm of protest greeted the editorial over the next months, featuring an equally strident defense of the L.A.W. position of unfettered access to the roads by Hal Munn, the L.A.W. Bicycle Facilities Chairman, titled: “Bikeways – The Wrong Way.”

After 1979, the MAUDEP conferences were discontinued because there was so little interest among bicycle planners in bikeways development. Forester vaulted into the presidency of L.A.W., and the entire executive board turned over, amidst great dissension. The debate, at least in the pages of Boom in Bikeways, didn’t last much longer. The newsletter was discontinued in 1980. MAUDEP conferences were discontinued, too, because there was so little interest among bicycle planners in bikeways development.

Striking, after all of the work by CSB and UBDC, is how little Boston was represented on the national bike facilities scene. It fielded no presentation at the 1973 Bicycles U.S.A. conference held in Cambridge (except for its Mayor, Barbara Ackermann, who got the largely honorific role of introducing the panel on “Bicycle Laws, Ordinances, and Enforcement; Theft and Registration”). And Bostonians did not present at MAUDEP conferences between 1972 and 1977,  except for Bailey and Eti Katoni who in 1977 repeated her paper from Cyclateral Thinking focused on the problems with the Martha's Vineyard bike paths. Massachusetts attendees did not present at the Bike-Ed 77 Conference.

CRW founder Ralph Galen, though, played a prominent role in national cycling circles and became a significant bike path skeptic, in line with the new national leadership of L.A.W. He was L.A.W. president in 1969-1971 and Northeast/New England representative to the L.A.W. board both before and after. Galen complained about bike paths in a 1976 interview with a Boston Globe reporter: “It’s impossible to ride around pedestrians, kids, baby carriages, and dogs,” Galen says. He and the Wheelmen are not opposed to the increase in bikepaths in state parks, or paralleling expressways and intersections of cities. They feel bikepaths are fine for the leisure cyclist, the noodler, the birdwatcher, but: “The bike is a vehicle and has a right to the road. We refuse to be legislated onto bikepaths,” says Galen staunchly. “As such a cyclist, a serious one, is bound to obey the same rules of the road as the motorist. He must obey the signals and ride right, or ride with the flow of traffic.”

Galen increased his bike path warnings in 1977, noting that he had used a bike path (instead of the road) just three times and each time was injured: once in a head-on collision with another cyclist, and another with three ‘inconsiderate’ and ‘hostile’ pedestrians who were walking three abreast and not getting out of the way fast enough, or not at all. Galen went on: “As a member of the Governor’s Highway Safety Committee, [part of Saltonstall’s legislation required the addition of a “recognized bicycle club” member to the Governor’s Safety Council.They got Ralph Galen.] and as an avid bicycle rider with few accidents to my record, I am of the opinion that bicycle paths should be restricted to bicycle riders, which is probably impossible, and should be wide enough to permit a median strip thus separating oncoming traffic which is probably also impossible to do. The alternative is unpleasantly obvious. Take your chances with the automobiles; bike on the roadway where it is safe.”

Galen repeated his message for national consumption in the January 1978 issue of the L.A.W. Bulletin. This one was titled “Bicycle Paths Can Be Dangerous to Your Health,” and Galen stated that the Myles Standish Bike Path in Plymouth and the Cape Cod National Seashore Park might be alright on weekdays but “disastrous” on a busy weekend or holiday.

Erving Pfau, CRW president in 1977, promoted bicycle commuting to work, in response to former President Jimmy Carter’s proclamation of war on high energy consumption. He lamented the lack of secure bike lockups at workplaces and urged members to “write to your legislators to consider the bicycle in any new construction enabling or funding legislation to provide for the cyclo-commuter.” Pfau left aside the question of bikeways.

Given CRW’s increasing suburbanization and its withdrawal from a broad range of urban cyclists’ demands for bike facilities, who would? Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but close on the heels of Galen’s and L.A.W.’s rejection of bike paths and lanes, a group of urban cyclists, including several CRW members, banded together to form the Boston Area Bicycle Coalition (BABC), a key advocacy group for new and commuting cyclists and a broad range of issues, including bike paths, safe bike parking, bikes on subways and trains, education, and enforcement. Founders included Jim White, Ed Gross, Lucy Bailey, Jonathon Fine, Cutler West, Susan Shepard, Cathy Buckley, John Hixson, and Anita Brewer, BABC’s first president. Several were CRW members and Pfau, CRW president, was a BABC incorporator. BABC had some rocky times, but in the early 1990s it re-formed as the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike), the statewide bicycle advocacy organization of today. It shares urban – and bikeways – advocacy with the new Boston Cyclists Union and multimodal organizations like Livable Streets. The bikeway, bike lane, and bike trails debates have continued beyond CRW’s first decade (1966-1977) up to the present day, but they have nevertheless been built – another story to be told.

----------------------

The article is based on Finison’s book: Boston’s Twentieth-Century Bicycling Renaissance: Cultural and Political Change on Two Wheels. University of Massachusetts Press, 2019. The book is a follow-up to Boston's Cycling Craze 1880-1900: A Story of Race, Sport, and Society. University of Massachusetts Press, 2014. Many of the source materials are in the Bicycle History Archives at UMass-Boston Archives. A footnoted version of the article is available at: Bostonscyclingcraze.blogspot.com

By Ken Schwarz

On July 9, Louisa Gag, a 36-year-old Boston transportation planner, was killed by a truck while riding her bicycle on Tremont Street near Roxbury Crossing.

I did not know Louisa, and when I first heard about her death, I wasn’t aware of the work she had done. I subsequently learned that she had devoted much of her professional life to making Boston a better and safer place to get around. Before joining the Boston Transportation Department, where she worked on Bluebikes and other transportation programs, she worked for LivableStreets Alliance, a nonprofit devoted to safer streets and more livable communities.

Her obituary says that she loved raspberries and ice cream, leopard print and thrifting, sewing and Cribbage. She also loved camping and going swimming in Crystal Lake.

Louisa’s family has asked that those wishing to honor her memory make donations to LivableStreets Alliance. The CRW Board has therefore voted to contribute $500 to the organization in her memory. That represents one-sixth of the club’s annual budget for charitable giving. We wanted CRW members to know that we have made this gift to honor Louisa and to support the important work she did for our community.

Photo credit: Peter Cheung

When I became CRW President in January, I invited every member to find a way to get involved. As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, August is full of opportunities to do just that.

> Wear Your CRW Pride

Our CRW Club Store opens soon! This year's store will feature two versions of club kit in a selection of fits (relaxed to aero) and accessories.

Don't miss:

• 20% off during the first two weeks

• Kit try-on parties during the ordering window

• Opening date coming soon—watch your email!

> Climb to the Clouds — August 13

One of CRW's signature century rides is almost here.

Whether you're ready to tackle the climbs or would rather help behind the scenes, we'd love to have you involved.

 Register to ride—or sign up to volunteer.

> Celebrate 60 Years — August 30

Join us for our 60th Anniversary Ride and Celebration as we honor six decades of riding, friendship, and volunteer spirit.

Register today—or volunteer to help make this milestone event a success.

> Help Shape CRW's Future

Looking for another way to get involved? We're currently seeking volunteers for:

• WheelPeople Editor

• Events Promotion

• Ride Leaders

• Webmaster

• Board of Directors (elections in October; nomination information coming in September)

Email me at volunteering@crw.org to learn more.

__________________

You don't have to make a huge commitment to make a big difference. Many of our current volunteers and leaders started by simply saying "yes" to one opportunity. 

Thanks for helping make CRW the welcoming, vibrant club it has been for 60 years. I hope to see you at one—or all—of these August events!

Save Sunday, August 30th to gather with fellow CRW members for our 60th Anniversary rides and party at the Metrowest YMCA Outdoor Center in Hopkinton, MA. This full-day, rain or shine event offers something for every type of rider, and celebrates that at 60 years young, CRW isn’t over the hill but picking up speed!
Registration closes August 15. Register HERE! 

Celebration includes:

Ride

In the morning, club members can choose from 3 ride length options, and choose self-paced or leader-led speed groups.  Start times will be staggered for all distances.  

All 3 routes are designed with a comfortable 45 ft of climbing per mile, so it’s easy to enjoy swapping stories about past exploits and collaborating on future plans:
    • A 21 mile loop southeast to Millis (954 ft vertical)
    • A 38 mile trek that continues to Norfolk & Walpole (1,734 ft vertical)
    • A 63 mile metric century to the northeast corner of Rhode Island (2,869 ft vertical)

Please note that on all 3 routes riders are responsible for their own navigation, safety, refreshments, and mechanical support.

Eat and drink

After returning to Hopkinton, riders can relax and refuel in a tented pavilion with a delicious catered lunch featuring:
    • traditional, vegan, and gluten free selections
    • family-friendly beverages
    • and, of course, desserts! 
    • pickle juice is not on the menu…

Activities

In the afternoon the fun continues with 3 special activities:

• Share your CRW photos, videos, club jerseys, and other memorabilia with everyone at the “So Many Memories” tables
• Show off your favorite, trusty two-wheeled steed from the 1960s, 70s, or 80s at the “Classic Bikes Corral” (no carbon-fiber please).  Prizes may be awarded in the following categories:

        ◦ Most Fashionable Paint
        ◦ Unique Water Bottle setups
        ◦ Memorable Friction Shifter systems

• Find FREE bargains and clean out your basement, shed or garage at the 5th Annual Swap Meet.  Bikes, parts, accessories, clothing, tools, and racks are all welcomed!  Any items that are unclaimed at the end of the day will be donated to The Bike Connector in Lowell, a nonprofit that gets bikes to people who need them.

More information

• Tickets $15 each. 
• This is a members only event. 
• Registration closes August 15. 
• Event volunteers and former CRW presidents attend for free!! 
• Due to venue regulations, attendance is capped at 200 people. 
• More information and registration HERE.

"Everyone is a potential volunteer. You just have to ask them."
– Eli Post

More than 50 members, family, and friends gathered on June 14 to celebrate the life and legacy of Eli Post with the dedication of a memorial bench along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail near Heart Pond in Chelmsford.

The memorial bench is located along the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail near Heart Pond, a place where cyclists and trail users can stop, rest, and remember a man who gave so much to the cycling community. The installation was made possible through the efforts of former CRW Board member Barbara Jacobs, who spearheaded the project, working with the Town of Chelmsford to secure approval and installation of the bench.

The event began with riders meeting at Byam Elementary School before making the short ride to the newly installed bench. Among those attending was Eli's son, Alex Post, who traveled from Washington, D.C., to join the celebration.

Eli was a cornerstone of Charles River Wheelers for many years. He served the club in numerous leadership roles, including President, Vice President of Rides, WheelPeople editor, and ride leader. Beyond those titles, he was a mentor, motivator, and tireless volunteer who encouraged others to become involved and help strengthen the club. His contributions ranged from organizing newcomer rides and improving club operations to ensuring WheelPeople had quality content and volunteering at club events.

During the dedication ceremony, members shared memories and stories that highlighted Eli's generosity, leadership, and passion for cycling and community. The gathering reflected the impact he had on generations of CRW members and the lasting friendships he built through the club.

Asked to comment on the event, John O'Dowd, CRW's VP of Rides said, "It was like Old Home Day: lots of members who hadn't seen each other in years, coming together to honor Eli. The sheer number of people there was a testament to how well he was liked and respected..I think at this time it's vital the club recognize Eli's spirit of volunteerism as our club could really use more of it."

Following the ceremony, participants continued on either a 24-mile or 44-mile ride through the roads of Chelmsford and Westford. It was a fitting tribute, as spending time together on a club ride reflected the very spirit that Eli brought to CRW throughout his years of service.

CRW is grateful to the Town of Chelmsford staff and Select Board for their support throughout the process. Special thanks also to Dave Boisvert, who attended the dedication on behalf of the town and helped represent the partnership that made the memorial possible.

The bench stands as a lasting reminder of Eli's dedication, friendship, and commitment to the club. His influence helped shape CRW into the organization it is today, and his legacy will continue to inspire members for years to come. Barbara Jacobs later noted, "Eli's Celebration of Life was a wonderful event...I am in awe as to what people said about Eli. He was the epitome of what a volunteer is."