Please join us at Pedal Power in Acton for a ~90 minute clinic on basic bike maintenance. We will be led through this workshop by shop owner Joyce Reischutz and her veteran mechanics. Topics will include: 

1. Pre-ride safety check 
   
2. Fixing a flat tire
3. Adjusting brakes
   
4. Basic drivetrain adjustment
   
5. Q&A Session!

Where: Pedal Power Bike Shop, 176 Great Rd Acton, MA 01720
When: 7:00 pm, Thursday June 11

Register HERE

Bring your own bike (optional). Event is free for CRW members. Space is limited to 10. 

Please reach out to John O'Dowd (bikejon@verizon.net) with any questions.

Directions:

• From RT 2, at Concord rotary take RT 2A west (Great Rd) for 1.5 miles. 
• From RT 495 take Littleton Common exit onto RT 2A east for 5.7 miles 

By John Allen, CRW Safety Coordinator

Safe and cooperative operation of a bicycle—or any vehicle—requires cooperation with other road users, making it possible for many vehicles at once to travel in reasonable safety, faster than walking speed. The traffic law is often the first and only thing people think of in this context—but the traffic law only codifies the rules of the road, and the rules of the road rest on the foundation of the more basic rules of movement, which are based on logic, the characteristics of vehicles, and human abilities.

Human abilities

We humans are social beings who can cooperate with one another. We have a fine ability to judge time and spatial relationships, but we have a perception and reaction time and eyes only in the front of our heads—looking forward is easier and more convenient than looking to the rear. 

Characteristics of vehicles

Vehicles move most easily in a straight line and have physical limitations on how sharply they can turn and on stopping distance. This leads to our first rule of movement:

First come, first served

The bumper sticker saying “I may be slow, but I'm ahead of you” puts it rather well. And in this context:

Safe following distance

Drivers must look ahead of themselves most of the time, to steer their course. The speed capabilities of vehicles differ greatly. A vehicle ahead may have to slow or stop suddenly to avoid a hazard. Vehicles can brake much more abruptly than they can accelerate. 

For all of these reasons, the driver of a following vehicle is held responsible for avoiding a collision with a leading one. Imagine the opposite: that the leading driver would be required to accelerate and increase the risks ahead to avoid one behind, if acceleration is even possible. No thanks! Overtaking is allowed only where safe. This also reflects the human abilities and limitations described earlier.

Driving on the right

To avoid colliding with traffic from the opposite direction, drivers keep right—or left, in some countries. This is the only rule of movement which is completely arbitrary. It can work either way, as long as everyone follows the same rule.  

For the remainder of this discussion, we will assume that vehicles keep right.

Speed positioning

On a two-way roadway, stopped traffic is at the edge, slow traffic closer to the center, and overtaking traffic may cross the centerline. On a one-way roadway, or one with more than one lane in a given direction, overtaking on either side may be permitted, but overtaking on the right is generally restricted in order to keep speeds more consistently slower at the right edge. 

Because attention is focused mostly ahead, the driver of the overtaking vehicle must take the initiative, must evaluate the situation and determine when it is safe. The driver who is being overtaken must not prevent safe overtaking by speeding up. If overtaking is not possible for a long time, the leading driver must pull aside when a safe opportunity arises.

Priority to through routes

Now we begin to address traffic that moves in different directions. 

For the sake of efficient traffic flow, a vehicle entering a roadway from a private driveway or parking spot must yield to traffic already on the roadway. Traffic on a minor road yields to traffic on a major road, as usually indicated with a stop sign or yield sign. Some other countries, notably France, use the priority for the vehicle on the right more broadly, even when it requires yielding to a vehicle on a minor road 

Changing lane position

Changing lane position may be necessary to change to overtake a slower vehicle, to prepare to turn, or because the usable roadway narrows—for example, when there is a double-parked car ahead.  

In all of these cases, a merge to the new lane position is carried out in advance of the need to be in the new lane, when it is safe to look to the rear for overtaking traffic, and as traffic permits –when another vehicle behind is not approaching in the new lane or lane position.

Turns are prepared with a merge to the right before turning right, and to the center (or the left side of a one-way roadway) before turning left. Once having reached the correct lane position for a turn, the driver can focus attention on traffic to the front, in the intersection, avoiding the need to look both backward and forward at the same time. 

Understanding lane positioning is especially important for the operator of a bicycle or motorcycle, who needs to choose not only a lane, but also a position within a lane.

Intersection yielding rules

The fundamental rule for intersections is that turning vehicles yield to through traffic. Right-turning vehicles yield to traffic coming from the left. Left-turning vehicles yield to all other traffic, because they are not only turning, but also cutting across the path of through traffic. 

When two vehicles arrive at an uncontrolled intersection at right angles at approximately the same time, the one on the left is required to wait, as it has an extra half road-width in which to stop.

In rotary intersections, all traffic in the circular roadway comes from the left, and that rule for uncontrolled intersections applies. That s how rotaries can work without traffic signals.

A T intersections, a yield sign or stop sign is at least in theory not needed, as traffic entering from the “vertical” leg of the T can only turn right or left. 

Signaling

A turn signal may be a courtesy, a warning, or a request. Signaling a left turn informs another driver that it is unsafe to overtake on the left. Signaling a right turn informs a driver in the cross street to the right that it is OK to proceed. When a driver is intending to change lane position, a turn signal is a request to another driver to extend courtesy and make room. 

Brake lights or a slow signal made with the hand provide a warning that a vehicle is slow or stopping, Especially for bicyclists and other operators of slow vehicles, a slow signal may indicate that it is unsafe to overtake.  

Many signaling laws date back to before 1950 when motor vehicles did not yet have electrical turn signals, and all hand signals had to be made with the left hand extended out the driver’s window. Many jurisdictions now allow bicyclists to make a right-turn signal with the right hand. This makes a lot more sense, because the hand points point to where the cyclist is going. Massachusetts also allows the slow signal with the right, and that can work better too if the bicyclist is to the left.

Traffic controls

Signs, signals and markings may be needed to refine or even overturn the default rules when a street is wide, traffic is heavy or fast, or sight lines are short. A yield sign or “tiger tooth” pavement markings indicate that cross traffic has priority. A stop sign or flashing red light requires a yield, but also a stop, sometimes necessary for safety. Other signs indicate special rules such as speed limits, or warn of hazards. 

Traffic signals establish different times for different traffic movements. Lane markings may establish zones where overtaking is or is not permitted; designate lanes for different destinations; or restrict use to particular types of vehicles, but in the latter case should never overturn the obligation to merge to the lane appropriate for the destination. 

Yielding to pedestrians

Generally, drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, though traffic signals may establish a different priority. Drivers may or may not be required to yield between crosswalks, depending on applicable laws, and especially not close to a crosswalk.

Summary

To sum up:  vehicle operation can be described as a form of continually mutually-improvised group choreography based on the rules of movement, which reflect human abilities and characteristics of vehicles to optimize safety and efficiency of travel. The traffic law rests on that foundation, codifying the rules, setting qualifications for operation of vehicles, establishing penalties for violations, and determining fault in the case of a mishap. 

A Caveat

The traffic law does not teach skills needed for safe operation. Skills must be learned elsewhere, through instruction, practice, and experience.

By John Springfield

In April I was pouring over maps, looking for a long rail trail, preferably paved. Lo and behold, I discovered the Ohio-To-Erie Trail, a 300-mile abandoned railroad route going from Cincinnati to Cleveland, Ohio. Except for a 15-mile stretch south of Cleveland, the whole route was flat and paved.

Now, when to go?

In early April it was still snowing in parts of the Northeast. But the second week of April presented Ohio with an unusual warm spell. So, I rented a car and drove my bike to Cincinnati. I had to drive through snow squalls on the New York Thruway. 

Was this a mistake? Would the Ohio trail be covered with snow and ice?

Luckily, Cincinnati was snow free.  In fact it was quite warm (60s).

The Ohio-To-Erie trail incorporates a bunch of rail and community trails. I started on a riverfront trail in downtown Cincinnati and headed northeast. I linked up with the Little Miami Trail and stayed on it for two days. The Little Miami is a linear state park and well maintained. As advertised, it was flat, paved, and shaded by a tree covering for many miles.

The first few days i had perfect riding weather. I went through quaint towns, dined at local cafes, and enjoyed the car-free trail. Since this was a former train route, many towns had converted the train stations to visitor centers.  Some displayed old cabooses along the way.

As I approached downtown Columbus, the route took me along the Scioto River. Here is where the signage was a little confusing.  But after a few wrong turns I quickly returned to the quiet path. 

Northeast of Columbus the trail became the Heart of Ohio Trail. I particularly liked this area as I traveled through Westerville, Galena, Sunbury, and Centerburg. Going through these towns transported me back to the mid west of my youth.

As I biked through an Amish area I encountered a few buggies. (The buggies are permitted on the rail trail.) There were some areas where construction had me backtracking. But I guess they have to work on the trails sometime!

I watched the weather forecasts as I headed north to Cleveland. Fortunately, all the rain came at night.  So far, I avoided daytime rain. However, a strong wind/rain band from the southwest was predicted, so I decided to take the fastest route to Cleveland by using roads instead of the trail.

After biking  the traffic-free bike trail for 7 days, using the roads took some adjustment. I ran into a series of rolling hills.  My cardio system was not pleased.

But once I spied the tall buildings of Cleveland, all was flat again. I located one of the "Cleveland Script" signs and took a picture. To get to my downtown hotel I biked the trails along Lake Erie. I passed by parks, a yacht club, and an industrial area. Then there was a series of bridges to get over to downtown.

After I checked into my hotel, I washed up and fell asleep for an afternoon nap. When I awoke I turned on the news. To my surprise I had just missed a major hail storm with golf-ball chunks of ice!

Anyway, this was one of the most enjoyable trips I have taken. The trail was flat and peaceful and the temperatures stayed in the 60-70s. And let's not forget the friendliness of the mid western diners.

For daily journal and photos:
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/OTE2026

Come help us make North to New Hampshire Spring Century (N2NH) a success!

Volunteer signup is open.

To volunteer, click on this web link: https://volunteersignup.org/TTWWC (or copy it into your web browser) to access the signup sheet, and follow the instructions on the page. Information on the 2026 century series plus the volunteer signup link is also available on the CRW website: Charles River Wheelers - Centuries.

CRW Member Benefit: Volunteer for N2NH and you ride N2NH OR another 2026 century free of charge! Here's how:

• Commit to a volunteer position by signing up.
• Contact Mark Nardone (mark.nardone@crw.org) for a volunteer registration code. For N2NH, you'll receive a N2NH volunteer registration code. If you want to apply this benefit to another 2026 CRW century, contact Mark before registering for that event.
• Attend a virtual volunteer meeting a week or so prior to the event (1 hour). Date and time are TBD.
• The benefit is not transferable to other riders.
• The benefit applies to 2026 centuries only.

We are looking for:

• 1 more volunteer at the American Legion Park waterstop in Georgetown, MA
• 2 volunteers to help with the after party
• Ride leaders, especially for the 50 mile route
• Ride sweeps for all distances.

For more information about the N2NH century, click HERE. Contact century@crw.org if you have further questions.

We're getting ready for a great event, and hope to see you there!

By Lorenz J. Finison, Club Historian

For CRW's 60th anniversary, WheelPeople and Club Historian Lorenz J. Finison are taking a look back through the club's history. This article was originally published in March 2016's issue of WheelPeople under the title "The Early Days of the Charles River Wheelmen: Part 1."

In 1965, George Bailey, an electrical engineer, train-cycle commuter, and Sharon planning board member, browsed the cheap book bin at a Boston used bookstore.He found a Scribner’s article about the Wheel Around the Hub (W.A.T.H.), of 1879, a great recreational tour organized by the Boston Bicycle Club. Wide publicity resulted in the 19th century explosion of bicycling - the Craze. Many years later, beyond the 1900-1960 bicycling Bust, and on the cusp of its Renaissance, Bailey organized a reenactment in honor of Sharon’s upcoming bicentenary. The ride was covered by WBZ-TV's 11 PM news, and other media. A dozen "rugged young people" including Bailey's son Duff and daughter Janet and Sharon classmates set out from Sharon on a rainy October 12, for a round trip to Roxbury. The rest of seventy participants, including Lucy Bailey and three-year old Tom, traveled by car and bus to the Eliot Church at the corner of Warren and Walnut streets, where its predecessor had left almost a hundred years before. Following that route, the cyclists rode past Jamaica Pond, then wound their way out to stop for a tip-of-the-hat to Cobb's Tavern, the Boston Bicycle Club's 19th Century cyclists' country clubhouse, and they pedaled on to banquet at the site of the W.A.T.H.’s overnight stay, now the Sharon Community Center, on Lake Massapoag.

W.A.T.H. Re-enactment. George Bailey on right. Note the lack of helmets and the "ordinary" clothing. (Source: Boston Record-American, October 13, 1965).

George's younger brother Bruce was an avid cyclist as a young boy growing up in Sharon, delivering papers and biking to lawn-mowing jobs. Years later he began to bicycle from his home in Milton Village to his mechanical engineering job at MIT. The commute along Dorchester Avenue was none too comfortable in the early 1960s and after a couple of near crashes he switched to a route around Jamaica Pond.

Some of George and Bruce's fellow cyclists, including Cambridge orthodontist Ralph Galen and ex-newspaperman and long-time American Youth Hostels (AYH) leader Fred Chaffee, began to band together in a new group, since the other major recreational club, the Cambridge Sports and Cycle Club, had by that time passed from the scene. According to legend, Galen supplied the "Charles River" and Chaffee the "Wheelmen" in the "Charles River Wheelmen."

Ralph Galen came late-in-life to bicycling. He jumped into it with great gusto. In the early 1960s he discarded a second family car and began to commute from his Lexington home to his orthodontic office in Cambridge. Ralph was an active AYH ride leader and in 1966 an AYH council member. The Bicycle Exchange in Harvard Square was a communications hub for cyclists to post ride notices in those days and the owner, Ben Olken, introduced him to Bruce Bailey. They ventured out, as a new circle of recreational riders began to coalesce.

Fred Chaffee had been a Worcester AYH leader for a dozen years before he moved to Cambridge in 1958 and joined the Boston Council, AYH. By 1965, more cyclists joined the cause, not yet a movement, and looked for longer rides. Fred led a group of four other century clubbers (lawyers Albert Margeson and Frank L. Jones, Paula Sommer, an instructor at Worcester State College, and Raytheon engineer Eliot Sommer), all AYH ride leaders, out on a precursor to CRW's founding ride.

In October, 1966, the Belmont Citizen announced that a new "adult cycle" club would sponsor a "First Bike Tour." The notice emphasized that the ride  and the new club were for those "interested in serious cycling." The organizers wanted to contrast what they proposed with AYH's focus on viewing nature, youth and family cycling, and its more leisurely pace.

The cyclists, mostly experienced AYH ride leaders, gathered at Ralph's office, 131 Mount Auburn Street, "on a bright and cheerful" October 16, 1966, and headed for an 83-mile round-trip ride and picnic to Ashland State Park. Bill Fripp, a freelance writer for the Boston Globe, was on hand to cover the event. Bruce Bailey volunteered as the ride leader.

"At Ashland Center, the sunny Sunday turned into a torrential rain storm. The intrepid twelve sought shelter under the eaves of a former train station. While waiting for the rain to abate, Ralph was elected President of the new club, Fred as Secretary, Bruce Bailey as Ride Leader, and his brother George as club Historian. Of the twelve present, eight decided to join the group as dues paying members. To build a treasury, the new club charged a dollar per ride."

Pictured are eight of the riders on CRW's founding ride, from left, Eliot and Paula Sommer, Framingham; Bruce Bailey, Milton; Paul Watson, Arlington; Albert Margeson, Melrose; Leon Leach, Lexington; Frederick Chaffee, Belmont; and Ralph Galen, Lexington. (Source: William Fripp, "Charles River Wheelmen Set Rugged Pace," Boston Globe, October 30, 1966).

With the return of balmy weather, the Ashland State Park picnic was a huge success, thanks to wives Ruth Galen and In-soon Ko Chaffee, soon-to-be owner of a popular Cambridge Korean-Japanese restaurant, Matsu-Ya, a frequent stopping place for tired riders. Neither Ruth nor In-soon was a cyclist, but supported the new club.

Fripp reported on CRW's physical fitness ethos: "'The code is Spartan on the Wheelmen's trips, and lollygagging is not tolerated. On the Ashland trip we had to leave the laggards behind,' Galen said, without much sympathy." And more: "Wheelmen must own a 'lightweight, multigeared cycle and be in good physical shape,' Fred Chaffee of Belmont, cofounder of the group, said. He said he doubted if any of the members smoked. Galen used to smoke heavily but gave it up when he found he couldn't make some of the big hills.

This being the big league of pedaling, the fast-riding Wheelmen equip themselves fittingly. English and Swiss imports cycles in the $115-250 bracket, special snug riding shorts lined with chamois, brightly striped shirts, cleated cycling shoes." And, "On the night before a trip members work over their cycles with the dedication of a sports car driver preparing his entry, and technical assistance on wheel balance and lubrication is invaluable."According to Galen, in contrast to groups like the AYH: "We were looking for long distances and adult companionship." At least in its early days, Galen might have added, adult largely male companionship. And, the CRW founders were almost all college-educated professionals.

Several more events put CRW in the cycling public's consciousness, including their participation in Expo '67. Galen and Dwight Doyle paired up to bicycle to Montreal. An electrician-in-training and son of a Boston physician, Doyle was another active AYH leader and a frequent single and double century rider.

The stay at Expo '67 included presentation of a CRW jersey, signed by sixteen cyclists, several of whom accompanied the pair as far north as Hudson, New Hampshire. The signers were: Bruce Bailey, Albert Margeson, Fred Chaffee, George Bailey, Charles A. "Chick" Mead, Raymond P. Bailey, Bill Springer, Bill Wade, David Wilson, Judy McSwain, Sumner Brown, Niall Doyle, and several others. The famed entertainer Maurice Chevalier was made an honorary member of the Charles River Wheelmen. CRW got a nice thank you note from the Canadian organizers, who appended this thought: "who knows one day we may see an endurance bicycle race between Boston and Montreal, thus strengthening the good relations that already exist between our two nations...."

On their way back, the Expo '67 pair did a Mount Washington climb along with Bruce Bailey and John Vanderpoel.

George Bailey organized two more W.A.T.H. reenactments. These tours were two day affairs, just as in 1879 and they offered an overnight stay in Bailey's barn. Bailey, and AYH ride leader Frank Jones led the October 22-23, 1966 tour. The October 1967 W.A.T.H. re-enactment included the "First Annual CRW Business Meeting."

"Bicycle Tour" flyer advertising "First Annual CRW Business meeting." (Source:  Ralph Galen Collection, University of Massachusetts-Boston Archives: Bicycle History Collections)

On the second day, the re-enactors stopped for lunch at Hugo's in Hingham (Kimball's in Cohasset was the traditional stop but destroyed long ago), and paid a visit to the Adams House in Quincy, thus completing the reenactment of the original W.A.T.H. route.  It is instructive that the W.A.T.H. events, with first-day routes from Roxbury to Sharon, went unnoticed in the Bay State Banner, a fledgling black newspaper in Boston. A clear difference in Banner priorities, CRW outreach, or both.

The "First Annual CRW Newsletter," reported a "wonderful" year. It applauded the Expo '67 venture, the Mount Washington climb, and the publicity in the cycling magazines and local newspapers. But Galen also noted some potentially troublesome problems. Among them was the small membership (35 and declining), some of whom were inactive. In addition, he reported that: "Considerable effort has been made to slow the fast riders down so that a ride is in effect a ride, and not ten or so independent riders going off on their own."Finally, Galen reported an overture from Dr. Eugene Gaston, a brain surgeon and head of the Northeast Bicycle Club (a racing club started in 1957), who proposed that the two clubs join together.  Galen reported that: "My first reaction was negative, as it is now. As I told Gene, I feel a little like the 'jealous wife' about the Charles River Wheelmen. On the other hand, what is best for the club should be the objective of each and every member. Should we join forces, form a cycling association with all of the area clubs, or go it alone?" CRW went on alone. Both inter-club and gender relations would prove challenging and CRW continued to struggle with the contradictions between being a club of "serious" but not racing cyclists, and the need to grow the membership to survive.  And, could it/would it grow beyond its roots in a cohort of doctors, lawyers, and engineers?

CRW's earliest banner headline was "Healthful Fellowship Through Cycling," and the message of personal health and cycling quickly got to the public. Galen was featured along with Maggie Lettvin, a local fitness guru, at a 1968 "anti-pot" [belly] rally on Boston Common.  He subbed for cardiologist Dr. Paul Dudley White, and "explained the importance of physical fitness and discussed bicycling as a means of retaining or gaining health." The play on the word "pot" was deliberate, as the Herald explained: "While some 200 spectators at the Parkman Bandstand were told by experts how to slim pot bellies, the hippie colony stayed on its own grass across the Common. "The rally was cosponsored by the Boston Physical Fitness Council and the Boston Junior Chamber of Commerce. Also instructive in this pre-Earth Day event was the use of the term public health, but shorn of any mention of a significant part of that field: environmental health. That was soon to change.

Galen's activism was rewarded with election as president of the resurrected League of American Wheelmen at the L.A.W. Rockport Roundup in 1969 - national cycling leadership had at least momentarily returned to its roots in Boston.  We will return to the Roundup and its importance in CRW's history in a following issue of Wheelpeople.

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The article is based on Finison’s book: Boston’s 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

Women's/Nonbinary Program Ride | May 9 | 9:30 AM

Spring is here, and there's no better way to open the 2026 riding season than on the historic roads of Lexington and Concord. Join us on Friday, May 9 for a 25-mile rolling ride starting at the Lexington Battle Green. We'll wrap up with a coffee stop at Tatte and the Women's/Nonbinary Program will treat you to your post-ride drink or snack!

We have leaders for the regrouping 15-16 mph average pace and the 10-12 mph no-drop group. Other pace groups are welcome and will self-lead.

This ride is part of CRW's Women's/Nonbinary Program, welcoming women, nonbinary, and female-identifying cyclists. Come ride with us!

Register HERE.

Questions? Contact Barb Taylor at barbtaylor02@gmail.com or Amy Juodawlkis at AJ@crw.org.

***SHARE YOUR RIDE PHOTOS WITH CRW!***
Email them to: media-share@crw.org

Thanks to Gene Ho for leading the Early Spring Ride - Concord to Boxboro!

By John Allen, CRW Safety Coordinator

There are several ways you can be better prepared in pothole season. 

It depends to some degree on your choice of a bicycle.

A pneumatic tire can be crushed just short of the rim and sustain no damage. The fabric of the tire flexes and the air inside compresses harmlessly, as this slo-mo video shows.

Fatter tires are more pothole-tolerant, and as recent research has shown, supple tires up to 47mm wide are no slower under real road conditions than skinny tires. Gravel bikes have this advantage. The trend in road bikes also has mercifully been away from ones where tires only up to 25mm wide fit under the fork crown – and the late Sheldon Brown suggested as an alternative replacing typical road wheels with the slightly smaller 650B wheels: the bottom bracket of many bicycles is higher than it has to be, so this is workable. With disk brakes, wheels of different sizes can fit without any other modifications. An older rigid-frame mountain bike can offer the advantage of wider tires at a lower price and a moderate cost in added weight. Good road tires are available in mountain-bike sizes too, and there’s nothing wrong with equipping a mountain bike with road handlebars. 

Vigilance and vision training

Keeping the eyes moving, and scanning the road surface every few seconds, is essential. It took a couple of years after I first took up cycling as an adult, before I got good at seeing potholes in time. I dinged up a few rims. 

With practice, it becomes possible to focus attention more broadly, observing the entire visual field consciously rather than peripheral vision’s only providing semi-conscious cues to look in one direction or another. I trained myself over a period of a couple years to focus my attention in one direction while my sharp central vision looked in another. A rear-view mirror, particularly a helmet mirror, avoids the need for full head turns, allowing more attention to the road surface. 

Seeing conditions matter. Dappled light or shade under a tree can be especially difficult. A good headlight with a flat-topped beam pattern casts a long, even beam of light onto the surface ahead. A headlight mounted lower down, at the fork crown, will reveal irregularities in the road surface better. Slow down if you aren’t sure that you can see well. 

Avoiding tight groups

You might consider avoiding drafting or any type of riding in a tight group. A large percentage of crashes on CRW rides occurs when a rider behind fails to notice a hazard, or touches wheels with the one ahead. The hazard also occurs when riding close behind a motor vehicle, even at low speed. My worst experience with a pothole occurred when I was close behind another cyclist on a group ride. It cost me a concussion – 15 minutes of my life when I appeared and acted normal, but which I do not remember, and the scary realization following this, that I didn’t remember my route home. Fortunately, I recovered within a couple hours. It could have been worse.

Give yourself room

Perhaps it’s obvious, but your options to avoid potholes are much improved if you are away from the edge of the road. Again, a rear-view mirror is helpful. A glance into the mirror will reveal whether there is any traffic (bicycle or motor-vehicle) behind you, and afford you the sense of security to use the space you need. If there is traffic behind, the mirror makes it much easier to negotiate using lane position and hand signals.  

The rock dodge maneuver

If you notice a pothole well ahead, you can steer around it normally, or slow and wait for an opportunity to divert and ride around it. Sometimes, though, you don’t see a pothole until it is right in front of you. CyclingSavvy and Smart Cycling teach the rock dodge maneuver – steering quickly to one side (usually the left) to avoid a pothole, then regaining balance by steering quickly the other way. This can be so quick that the bicycle just zigzags to one side, then the other under you, and you continue to ride in a straight line. It’s good to practice this in a parking lot, though the real experience is a bit hard to duplicate when you know in advance what you are going to do. Still, you can ride along and intentionally yank the handlebars to the left, then the right. Sooner or later, a pothole will give you some serious practice. 

Unweighting and jumping

For a surface that is just bumpy, you can rise off the saddle; your arms and legs are a suspension system. After all, the bicycle is light – you are most of the weight. And jumping over a pothole or other surface hazard is often an option. Cyclists who use clipless pedals or toe clips and straps have an advantage, because it is possible to stand up, then pull up on the rear of the bicycle. A single jump works well if you are going fast. At slow speeds, you haul up on the handlebar and then lift the rear wheel. Timing is important, and it takes practice. Skillful mountain bikers accelerate to lift the front wheel, but you won’t need to do this when you are not riding over tall obstacles such as fallen logs.  

If you do damage a tire or rim

The classic example of pothole damage is the pinch flat, where the tire was crushed against the rim. It is also called the snake bite, because it leaves two holes in the inner tube. 

Tubeless tires are almost invulnerable to common punctures. Mountain bikers like them because they can run at low pressure without getting pinch flats. But on the other hand, you may be less aware of rim damage without a pinch flat to warn you. Tubeless tires can create a mess if they do let go; removing and replacing a tire is messy too. You need to carry an inner tube in case a tubeless tire does puncture. It’s your choice. 

It is possible to pull out an aluminum rim that has been slightly dented inward by a pothole impact, though that requires a special tool and wheelbuilding skill. Never just tighten the spokes where the rim is indented – that only indents it more. If the rim sidewalls have been spread apart, rim brakes lurch, and there’s no way the rim is going to get back to smooth braking, so it needs to be replaced. Fortunately, most aluminum rims these days have parallel sidewalls and usually do not spread when dinged.

A disk brake may offer a false sense of security when the rim is damaged, as rim damage also loosens spokes. It’s best to check, and err on the side of safety. Carbon-fiber rims and one-piece wheels generally need to be replaced if damaged.

It comes with the territory

Potholes are an unfortunate fact of life in springtime in New England and I hope that I have been able to offer some useful advice!

Marci Cohen, husband Jack Vinson, and their tandem bicycle.

1. Where are you from originally?

I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs. I went to college in Philly and lived there after college.

2. When did you start cycling, and what got you into it?

I didn't bike much as a kid; I wasn't into sports and I grew up in a hilly neighborhood. I discovered biking as an adult, initially for transportation when I lived in Center City Philadelphia. I got into biking for fun with my then boyfriend Jack Vinson. We bought a tandem and got married, in that order, including planning our honeymoon around riding our tandem to see the Tour de France.

3. When did you join CRW, and what brought you to the club?

I joined in 2021. Bikes clubs had been a big part of my cycling and social life during my 12 years in Chicago (1996-2008), but I didn't get back into organized riding until my kids were older. We heard about CRW from doing a ride with Pamela Blalock in '95 or '96; we were living in Western Mass, and Jack had connected with her via a tandem listserv. My neighbors Keren Hamel and Tsachi Avrahami were already doing rides with CRW when we started riding with the club.

4. Do you volunteer for CRW, and if so, in what way(s)?

No, I'm too busy doing library-related volunteer work.

5. What type of cycling do you enjoy the most?

Definitely a roadie; no gravel or mountain biking for me! Mostly for leisure but sometimes combined with transportation riding, such as the 13 miles round trip to a regular volunteer gig. And I'm not competitive, so I'm never striving to be the fastest, most hardcore hammerhead. However, I always appreciate new scenery.

6. What’s your favorite ride or route?

At the first sign of spring, I want to do a 30-mile loop from my house in Arlington past Ponyhenge in Lincoln. But I also enjoy longer rides that get away from traffic. We've been biking out and back to Worcester each fall to take our daughter at WPI out to brunch, about 92 hilly miles round trip.

7. What has been your favorite moment or experience with CRW?

Gene Ho led a ride around Gloucester on a sunny summer day than explored every beautiful nook and cranny of the coast. We had a leisurely outdoor lunch near the end.

8. What advice would you give a new CRW member?

The great thing about cycling is that you can enjoy it without being the best, fastest rider. Riding is always more fun that not riding, and riding with others on a club ride is more fun than riding alone.

9. What’s a fun fact about you (cycling or non-cycling)?

Cycling: There is terminology for tandems. Riding in the back, I'm the stoker. I've been the captain, riding in front when my kids were stokers.
Non-cycling: I'm an engaged retired music librarian. When I'm not riding, I'm often doing library-related volunteer work, writing about music, and going to see bands.

10. What do you enjoy most about being part of CRW?

Exploring new roads with other riders.

11. Anything else you'd like the club to know?

I'm not on Strava. I'm happy to not record and publicly report every ride.

By Jim Salvie, CRW Counsel

Spring is in the air! Birds are singing, the sun is shining, it’s getting warmer! So naturally, it’s time to think about... insurance?

Do I Really Need Insurance to Ride My Bike?

Unlike auto insurance, there’s no legal requirement to purchase cycling liability insurance. But common sense tells us that it’s a good idea. Let’s face it: cycling has its risks. Among those risks is that you could get hurt, or conceivably that you could hurt others (a pedestrian, another cyclist), or you could damage something (another cyclist’s bike). All those annoying insurance company ads aren’t completely wrong: insurance really can mean peace of mind.

What Kind of Insurance Protects Me if I Get Hurt, or Damage my Bike?

Your health insurance is your primary protection in case you are injured on a ride. Virtually all health insurance plans include some form of hospitalization plan that will cover you in an emergency. Some people include the name of their insurance carrier and their plan ID number on their Road ID or other emergency identification, in addition to emergency contact information.

If you do not have health insurance through employment, you should contact the Massachusetts Health Connector at www.mahealthconnector.org. The Health Connector is the Massachusetts marketplace for insurance provided under the federal Affordable Care Act. If you have income limitations, the Health Connector may be able to help, as might the Massachusetts Medicaid plan, or MassHealth. You can contact MassHealth at www.mass.gov/orgs/masshealth.

If you’re over 65 and enrolled in Medicare, some of your hospitalization costs will be covered by Medicare Part A. To cover more costs, you must have a private “Medicare supplemental” policy or be enrolled in a Medicare Part C “Advantage” plan.

If you are injured on a ride due to the fault of someone else, such as a motorist or another cyclist, you may be entitled to reimbursement from that person’s auto insurance (if a motorist) or their cycling insurance (see below).

Your homeowners or renters insurance policy will offer some protection for the value of your bicycle if it is lost, stolen or damaged, under the “personal property” part of the policy. Be sure to keep the receipt from the purchase of your bike so you can prove when you bought it and its value: if you ever make a claim, you’ll have to provide information about the bike. These policies will usually have high deductibles, however, along the lines of $2,500 or $5,000.

To make this coverage worthwhile, particularly if you have a fancy, expensive bike, you might want to talk to your insurance agent about a special “rider” to cover your bike. (An insurance rider; not a bike rider!) Your insurance agent may call this “scheduled coverage.” Usually for a small fee, a “rider” can eliminate or greatly reduce those deductibles, and also make filing a claim a lot easier since you will specifically cover the bike for a certain value.

Fortunately, most homeowners and renters policies will pay replacement cost, for your bike, not fair market value, but be sure to review that with your agent.

What Kind of Insurance Protects Me if I Hurt Someone Else?

As cyclists, we view ourselves as vulnerable road users and are usually most concerned about all the things out there that can hurt us. But let’s face it, a bicycle traveling at 20 mph can do a fair bit of damage to another bicycle, a pedestrian, or even a stationary car (it happens).

Again, your homeowners or renters insurance policy will usually provide some coverage, though it’s a good idea to check with your insurance agent about how much and what kind of coverage. Typically, though not always, a homeowners or renters policy will provide some limited coverage for another person’s medical bills, personal injury, or damage to their property, as well as for your legal defense, but coverage limits may top out between $100,000 and $300,000 unless you pay more. That’s not much in a personal injury lawsuit. Check the personal liability section of your policy and the policy’s exclusions, and talk to your insurance agent.

Very often, damage caused by riding a motorized vehicle, including an e-bike, will be excluded from a homeowners or renters insurance policy. If you are a frequent cyclist, you should talk to your insurance agent about obtaining an umbrella insurance policy to increase those liability coverage limits. An “umbrella” policy is an add-on policy that provides additional coverage in $1 million increments, and it only kicks in when other insurance coverage is exhausted.

But Doesn’t the Club Have Insurance that Protects Me on Club Rides?

Yes and no. The club does have insurance, but it offers protection only for the club itself, or riders or other volunteers who are acting as agents for the club (such as ride leaders).

If Rider A is involved in an accident with a pedestrian while on a club ride, the club’s policy protects the club and the ride leader from liability, and provides for their legal defense, but Rider A must have their own liability insurance to get the same protection. From the insurance standpoint, it’s the same as though Rider A was on his or her own solo ride. Let’s hope Rider A talked to their insurance agent about that umbrella policy!

The exception, however, is that the club does have a supplemental medical insurance policy that may cover certain “gaps” in Rider A’s health insurance, such as deductibles or co-pays.

But most importantly, have fun out there, and let’s hope for a safe, fun and liability-free Spring!