Charles River Wheelers

WheelPeople: Your Bike Club Newsletter

Stay up-to-date with the latest Charles River Wheelers news, events, and rides. Our WheelPeople newsletter is tailored for current and prospective members seeking bike-related updates, expert advice, and cycling inspiration.

WheelPeople offers club and member news as well as informational content from third parties. Views expressed in third-party content belong to the author(s) and not CRW. Consult a professional for advice on health, legal matters, or finance. CRW does not endorse linked content or products. Content published in WheelPeople is owned by Charles River Wheelers (CRW) unless otherwise stated. 

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  • 2024-11-03 3:20 PM | Randolph Williams Admin (Administrator)

    Dear CRW Members,

    As we enjoy the peak of our cycling season, we're excited to share the latest standings in our 2024 Ride Leader Incentive Program. Your enthusiasm and dedication continue to make our club vibrant and active!

    Reminder of Contest Categories:

    • Most Recurring rides led
    • Most Non-recurring rides led
    • Most Recurring rides co-led
    • Most Non-recurring rides co-led

    Top performers in each category will receive gift cards and free CRW memberships at the end of the season. Board Members are not eligible for gifts or free membership.

    Get Involved!

    There's still plenty of time to climb the leaderboard or start your journey as a ride leader. Every ride counts, whether it's your first or fiftieth! Check the CRW calendar for opportunities to lead or co-lead rides.

    Remember:

    • Rides must be listed on the CRW Ride Calendar to qualify
    • Only completed rides count
    • We appreciate leaders of all experience levels

    Thank you to all our ride leaders for your commitment to CRW. Your efforts make every ride special for our members.

    Happy cycling, and we'll see you on the roads!

  • 2024-11-02 6:06 PM | Randolph Williams Admin (Administrator)

    The CRW Board met on October 20th to discuss several important club initiatives and updates.

    Membership & Engagement

    Our membership remains strong at 1,886 members. The Integrated Operations Committee is exploring ways to attract younger riders in their 20s and 30s, analyzing ride participation trends, and developing strategies to engage new cyclists. Stay tuned for upcoming "bring a buddy" events!

    Celebrating Our Volunteers

    Mark your calendars! The annual Volunteer and Ride Leader Appreciation Party will be held Sunday, November 10th, from 5:30-8:00 PM at the Hearth in Needham. Ride leaders will receive special commemorative water bottles, and all volunteers will get CRW stickers. Ride leaders and co-leaders can bring a guest - registration opens October 21st.

    Fall Century Success

    The Cranberry Harvest Century drew 465 registrants, with 303 riders checking in on event day. This year's three centuries generated over $35,000 in revenue, with the Cranberry Harvest Century contributing $18,000. The Board extends special thanks to all volunteers who made these events possible.

    Winter Riding Program

    Get ready for winter cycling! From December through March, CRW will offer three exciting challenges focusing on time, distance, and elevation. Winners will be crowned in each category. The popular Hanson Ride will continue through winter, and we're hoping to see the return of seasonal favorites like the Snowflake, Turkey Burner, and Pancake rides.

    Looking Ahead

    The Board is working on improving the club's contact system and volunteer coordination. We're implementing new tools to make it easier for members to get involved and stay connected with club activities.

    The next Board meeting is scheduled for November 3rd, 2024. Members are always welcome to attend Board meetings - check the calendar for details.

  • 2024-10-31 5:21 PM | Wheel People (Administrator)

    By Norma Loehr

    Another successful CRW Cranberry Century ride is in the books! This year we had 464 registered riders and 8 led ride groups who refueled with 100 pizzas, 15 dozen bagels and many, many bananas.

    Thanks go to DCR staff, Friends of Myles Standish Forest,  East Over Reservation, and our wonderful network of volunteers. 



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  • 2024-10-28 4:12 PM | Wheel People (Administrator)

    by Randolph Williams
    President, Charles River Wheelers

    Attention CRW Members:

    Your skills and passion can help make our club even better! We're currently seeking volunteers for the following roles:

    VP of Rides

    • Oversee and coordinate our ride programs
    • Skills: Leadership, organization, cycling experience

    WheelPeople Editor

    • Compile and edit our monthly newsletter
    • Skills: Writing, editing, basic design

    Volunteer Coordinator

    • Recruit and manage volunteers for various club activities
    • Skills: Communication, organization, people management

    VP of Finance / Treasurer

    • Oversee club finances and budgeting
    • Skills: Financial management, budgeting, reporting

    Ready to hear more? Please access our Contact Us form, select Other, and tell us which role(s) you are interested in.

    Thank you for your support!

  • 2024-10-28 4:04 PM | Wheel People (Administrator)

    By Barbara Jacobs

    Every year CRW provides monetary donations to area Non-Profits. For 2024, three local organizations have each received $1,000.

    Congratulations to these very worthy organizations:


  • 2024-10-28 4:02 PM | Wheel People (Administrator)

    By John O'Dowd

    It’s getting to be that time of year; the leaves have changed, the days are shorter and colder. Soon we’ll hang up our cleats for the year and go into hibernation.

    Wrong! It’s time once again for the CRW winter challenge!

    This year we are competing in three categories: Distance, elevation, and time. The challenge will run December 1st through March 31st. Prizes will be awarded at an event at the Mighty Squirrel on Sunday, April 6th.

    Aside from the winner of each category, we will have two raffle winners in each of the three categories as well, so we will have a total of 9 winners (prizes TBD).

    To be entered into the raffle riders must reach minimums in any (or all) of the following categories:

    • Distance: 400 miles
    • Elevation: 15,000 feet
    • Time: 40 hours

    Riders can compete in as many of the categories as they wish, but they may only win one prize, either as the top rider of a category, or in a raffle.

    Time/distance/elevation is entered manually by riders in their profile on the club website.

    To enter your stats:

    1. Both real outdoor rides and virtual indoor rides are eligible to be counted.
    2. Log into the website.
    3. Click on your name at the top of the web page; this will open your profile. 
    4. Click on Edit Profile, and scroll down until you come to your Activity Tracker. 
    5. Enter your numbers here.
    6. Scroll down to the Save button and hit Save. 
    NOTE: Your totals will not update right away; give it a day or two.

    Participation is limited to CRW members only. You may enter your numbers daily, weekly, or monthly.  Monitor the leader board and see where you stand.

    Good luck and keep on riding!

  • 2024-10-28 3:56 PM | Wheel People (Administrator)

    By John Allen

    Be safe AND follow the law

    As days become shorter and daylight-saving time ends, it is important for cyclists to remain visible to motorists, other cyclists, and pedestrians. When riding in the dark or near-dark, cyclists need to run lights for safety, and to comply with Massachusetts law.

    The Commonwealth of Massachusetts stipulates that all cyclists must use a white headlight and red taillight if they are riding anytime from a half-hour after sunset until a half-hour before sunrise (MassBike).

    Massachusetts requires the following equipment/visibility specifications for night riding (as paraphrased by MassBike):

    • At night, the bike’s headlight must emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet. A generator-powered lamp that shines only when the bike is moving is okay.
    • At night, your bike’s taillight must be red and must be visible from a distance of at least 600 feet.
    • At night, your bike’s reflectors must be visible in the low beams of a car’s headlights from a distance of at least 600 feet. Reflectors and reflective material on your bike must be visible from the back and sides.

    Cycling-specific lights have come a long way

    In my early days as a cyclist, I had a few battery-powered lamps – but these would run down in a couple of hours. Rechargeable batteries appeared around 1980. These lights were bright enough for a taillight or a front-facing marker light when riding under streetlights, but were woefully inadequate for a headlight that would light the way on an unlit road. Tire-friction generators of the time produced somewhat more power, typically 3 watts (W) (typical automotive incandescent headlamp draws over 30 W).


    The author riding his first Raleigh Twenty utility bicycle with his first lights that had rechargeable batteries, 1980 -- Photo credit: Sheldon Brown.

    During the reign of the incandescent bulb, there were several initiatives to produce brighter bicycle lights, but the result was heavy, expensive, and/or finicky. A more detailed look into those issues may be found in an article on sheldonbrown.com.

    Early efforts to encourage cyclists to use lights

    Getting everyday utility bicyclists to use bicycle lights was an unwinnable battle for nearly a century. Street lighting and light pollution in urban areas could provide enough light so bicyclists could find their way, but not nearly enough to alert others to the presence of a cyclist, and especially not in the face of low-level glare from motor-vehicle headlamps and commercial lighting.  Use of lights was greater in countries where utility bicycling was popular, but a study in the United Kingdom, for example, showed that it was still only around 70%. In the US, it was far lower.

    U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission regulations required a front-facing retroreflector on new bicycles starting in the mid-1970s.  These regulations did little more than produce a false sense of security, reducing the incentive to use a headlight. Yet on the other hand, the law of every state required bicyclists to use a headlight (except for a few years, Massachusetts, but that’s another story). The law was not enforced. Crashes occurred that could have been avoided even with the weak headlights that were usual then.  But the burden of fault following a crash would be shifted to a bicyclist without proper lighting.

    LEDs become the new standard

    The situation began to change significantly with the advent of the red light-emitting diode in the 1990s. Why red? The energy level transition to produce red light is smaller than for other visible colors, and so red LEDs were available earlier. Now a red taillight was cheap and practical. It would attach to the same standard bracket that held a rear reflector, and would run for weeks on a pair of AA batteries.  It ran longer if it blinked. And so blinking taillights became very common.

    Unintended consequence: many bicyclists rode with a taillight, and no headlight. Fine when a motorist is overtaking, no better for anyone in front of the bicyclist.

    White LEDs eventually followed. Now a small and affordable bicycle headlamp can be just as bright as an automotive headlamp. It can be powered by internal batteries, or by a generator.

    Generators in the front hub of bicycles are best – efficient, reliable, and quiet. They add so little drag that it is of no concern to anyone but a racer.  Newer ones weigh less and put out more power thanks to advances in magnetic materials. Generator-powered lights can also store energy to keep them shining for a few minutes while the bicyclist is stopped at a traffic light.

    A headlight for use at night should have a flat-topped beam pattern like an automotive headlamp. In the USA, there is an entirely other class of bicycle headlights sold for mountain bikers or as daytime running lights. These generally have a round beam pattern rather than a flat-topped one. I don’t recommend these for nighttime use, for the same reason you wouldn’t want to use the high-beam headlights of a car with oncoming traffic.  More about choosing bicycle headlights is here: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/LED-headlights.html.

    Reflectors are the law, too

    Recently updated Massachusetts law states:

    “During the period from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, the operator shall display on each pedal of his bicycle a reflector, or around each of his ankles reflective material visible from the front and rear for a distance of six hundred feet, and reflectors or reflective material, either on said bicycle or on the person of the operator, visible on each side for a distance of six hundred feet, when directly in front of lawful lower beams of headlamps of a motor vehicle.”

    A rear reflector works by shining light back in the direction it came from, and works quite well for the drivers of overtaking motor vehicles. A taillight can go out without your knowledge. Many small LED taillights these days do not include a retroreflector, so you will need a separate one. I prefer a large, amber, automotive one rather than the small red ones that come on new bicycles.


    The author riding another Raleigh Twenty in 2024 with an Ixon Core IQ2 USB rechargeable headlight. On the rear is a Chinese Vistalite"blinkie"  clone, which runs for weeks of nighttime utility trips on a pair of AA batteries and includes a retroreflector.

    Don’t skimp on safety

    This equipment comes at a price. And with lack of law enforcement, and nonchalance, many bicyclists still ride without lights. Notably, though, many e-bikes come with lights in the standard build.

    Of course, equipment is only part of the story of how to be safe, but it is an important part, so don’t skimp!

  • 2024-10-28 3:39 PM | Wheel People (Administrator)

    By Norma Loehr

    Town you live in?

    I live in East Boston; I  grew up in Manchester, NH.

    What led to you joining CRW and what do you enjoy most about being a member? 

    I joined CRW because I really enjoyed group rides and being able to socialize on and off the bike with folks who share the love of cycling. 

    What is your best advice for a new club member? 

    Don’t be intimidated by those who look and act like they are an advanced cyclist. One can learn from experienced riders but in the end we are all here for the same thing, and that is to ride.  

    When did you become a Ride Leader?

    2021 riding season.

    What led to you becoming a ride leader? 

    I think all cyclists, especially those new to the sport, need a welcoming smile from an experienced rider who has their safety in mind and can provide a well-thought out and fun route to ride. 

    What types of rides are you planning on leading? 

    I lead primarily gravel and as I age, not the soul crushing +10,000 feet of climbing rides. The sport is full of people looking to get to the finish first or get to the summit before everyone else. Life is short and we need to take the time to appreciate the landscape and each other's company. 

    How long have you been cycling, and what initially got you interested in the sport? 

    I got into cycling in my early 40’s after a few years of being a mid distance runner and enduring injury after injury. I started going to spin classes as physical therapy and fell in love with the motion and how it made my body feel.   

    What is your favorite thing about cycling? 

    I believe that cycling can be a great social equalizer and it allows people from all walks of life to participate and enjoy the comradery of the sport. I love that there are so many subcultures within the sport, that one will always find their niche. 

    How many miles a year do you typically ride? 

    Anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 miles.

    What is your greatest cycling accomplishment?

    I love urban riding and the fact that I have ridden all around Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Montreal is a great source of pride.    

    What is your favorite road or trail to ride on?

    This year I rode the Cross New Hampshire Rail Trail and I really enjoyed it! 

    What is your favorite route to ride? 

    CRW’s “Dirty” Battle Road Route. I have met some amazing people riding that route over the years.

    What is your favorite post-ride food or drink? 

    Beer that quenches your thirst…Nothing quite like drinking an ice cold Miller High Life after a long hot summer ride!

    You can read more about Hermin in his interview with Hanna Ali of the WBUR Weekender, Boston's Saturday Morning Newsletter.


  • 2024-10-21 8:31 PM | Amy Juodawlkis (Administrator)


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

    Chilly morning rides...and the rewards!




  • 2024-10-16 2:32 PM | Barbara Jacobs (Administrator)

    Following the completion of the voting process for the CRW Board, I have the honor of officially announcing the results. John O’Dowd earned a three-year seat on the board.

    Thanks to all CRW Members who voted in the election and giving John 168 votes.

    I extend my heartfelt congratulations to John and his continued presence on the CRW Board of Directors.

    Warm regards,

    Barbara Jacobs, Secretary, CRW


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