March 2020 Braking News
from the Rockland Bicycling Club

1. Ride Leader Training at March 25 RBC Monthly Mtg: The spring cycling season is right around the corner. Have some routes, destinations and some starting times you'd like to lead in 2020? Join us at Wesley Hills Village Hall (432 NY-306, Monsey) at 7p on 3/25 to learn from League of American Bicyclists 2014 Educator of the Year and certified League Certified Instructor Jenni Laurita at our annual ride leader training. Please sign up at RocklandBicyclingClub.org for this event -- that way we can let you know if it has to be rescheduled.

2. Sponsorship opportunity for our New Look, New Jerseys! The 2020 Rockland Bicycling Club jersey will feature our new logo and a nifty new design. It will turn heads -- and we are inviting local businesses and cycling supporters to add their logo to our shoulders and back pockets to burnish their brand to the thousands of people we will pass this year! If you know a business who would like to sponsor the Rockland Bicycling Club, please contact Paul Kadin by March 31.

3. Ride 'Round Rockland Century: 9/27 -- Save The Date: The Rockland Bicycling Club's annual ride round the county, featuring multiple distances, returns on September 27. Thanks to the Rockland County Office of Tourism and Economic Development for their financial support of the 2020 RRR Century. 

• Stay tuned for the 2020 schedule for the RBC Tour de Rockland rides and two new series: Escape from Rockland and Historic Rockland
• Tour de Staten Island, 4/26
• TD 5 Boro Bike Tour, 5/3
• Gran Fondo NY, 5/17

4. Advocacy: 

• eBikes Without Borders in New York: A bill before the legislature in New York State would give a green light to eBikes in NYC but effectively pull the plug on their use anywhere else in the Empire State. S. 5294-A, which includes language that would allow municipalities to ban eBikes, needs to be amended.
  
  The Rockland Bicycling Club is opposed to any legislation that lets counties, towns, or villages ban eBikes. As it is currently written, these rules will effectively limit eBikes' usage as a green and healthy transportation alternative. Having a patchwork system of rules for each locality in a county, with some of them outlawing e-bikes completely, is unworkable, and likely unenforceable, too. Read our letter to the transportation chairmen of the NYS Assembly and Senate.

5. Look for the RBC Card in your fave bike and coffee shops: We're doing our part to get the word out about riding the roads in Rockland and beyond with the RBC. You'll find our new logo and a calling card display in many of the places folks with spokes hang out. Know somewhere else we should be? Contact Paul Kadin and we'll try to accommodate!

Help Wanted! The RBC is seeking volunteers to help us with this bicycle advocacy, producing this newsletter, and updating our website. Also, we are always looking for new ride leaders and new rides and routes, too!

Email RocklandBike@GMail.com to get involved. Until then, Ride Safe!

Mike Hays, President

Board members: Stephen Brehl, Ernie DiGiacomo,  Rita Joachim, Paul Kadin, Lynwood Law, Ed Molina, Lila Moreno, Roseanne Schwartz, Cynthia Turner, Dave Zornow.