Fees
Freewheeler Members - $30 until May 29th, $40 thereafter
Non-Members - $35 until May 29th, $40 thereafter
No T-Shirts after 5/15/09
Registration Closing Date
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 @ 5:00 PM
Brief Description
Celebrate cycling and Revolutionary era history with 4 great routes (12,25,40,62 miles) through one of the most scenic and historic areas in the country. Rest stops, SAG support, great food, fun. Benefits local first aid squads.
More Information
Click here to view the event organizer's website
Full Description
Rides for all abilities. Scenic routes with “historic” surprises … rest stops and refreshments. Full lunch buffet in air-conditioned cafeteria after riding. A great chance to tour our area's incredible history … to show that bicycles belong— for recreation, transportation and health… and to raise money for the local Ambulance Squads vital to riders and our community.
Organized by the Morris Area Freewheelers, one of NJ’s largest adult bicycle touring clubs. Presented by Atlantic Health, a recognized leader in quality health care for New Jersey and nationwide.
Four fully marked rides, all with cue sheets:
12-milerFor newer cyclists, heads to Washington's HQ at the Ford Mansion in Morristown—partly on bike paths. Optional museum tour. Start 10:30 a.m.
25-milerOn flat to rolling terrain with a few hills through some of the most historic areas out New Vernon and Basking Ridge way. See the Great Swamp, Great Oak and enjoy a mid-tour rest stop. Start 10:00 a.m.
40-miler (start 9 a.m.) and 62-miler (start 8 a.m.) For more experienced riders, to Far Hills and beyond, with fast flats, scenic roads, some challenging hills and plenty of rest stops, including the Jockey Hollow area of the Morristown National Historical Park where the Continental Army spent the worst winter of the Revolution.
Before and after:Morning get-you-going refreshments. Post-ride: an all-you-can-eat buffet from 11-3. Showers if you need them. Bike expo, music, massage and entertainment.
Meet Us at: Drew University, Madison, NJ (www.drew.edumapsanddirections.aspx) Free parking if you drive. You can also hop a NJ Transit train to either Madison or Convent Station and cycle over to Drew.
Ramble Riders: Please Note
• Registration fee includes water, snacks, rest stops, lunch, entertainment, bike expo, give-aways and discount coupons, cue sheets and all support services (rest rooms or porta-johns, parking, on-call medical, clearly marked routes, SAG (on-road vehicle support), ride guides and more.)
• Ramble rides sun or showers! • Ride Limit: 500 participants. Register early. • Helmets a must. No headphones or cell phones while riding.• Each rider must register on separate form.
• All riders must be at least 12 years old. • Riders 12-17 must ride with parent or guardian.
• Riders or parent/guardian must sign the Release.
• The Tour is for cyclists only. For safety reasons, walkers or skaters may not participate.
• Check-in required Ride Day 6/13. • Check-in Open 7:30 – 11 a.m.
• Note recommended ride start times.
• Lunch included on Ride Day: 11am–3pm.
• All riders must finish by 4 pm.
Ramble through Pretty Historic Areas
Our longer rides feature a rest stop at Jockey Hollow, part of the Morristown National Historical Park
The Continental Army bivouacked here for two winters 1777 and 1779-80. This was strategically sound because the elevation of Jockey Hollow was several hundred feet above the British to the east. In the days of horsepower, this was considered an impregnable redoubt. The ’79-‘80 winter was the cruelest of the war, worse than the one at Valley Forge. Desertions and mutiny were commonplace. On May 25, 1780, Pennsylvania troops put down a mutiny. Two of the ringleaders were hanged. Fortunately, they are not still hanging around.
Stroll from the rest stop to the Wick House, quarters of Major Joseph Bloomfield of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment and the winter headquarters of General Arthur St. Clair in 1779-80. A myth was that Henry Wick's daughter, Tempe, in an attempt to hide her horse from the British, coaxed the horse up into the Wick House attic. Visit the Wick House at the Jockey Hollow rest stop and look up the attic stair to see if it could have been true.
Our shortest ride stops at The Ford Mansion, Washington's Headquarters, part of the Morristown National Historical Park
George and Martha stayed here while the troops were in Jockey Hollow. The Mansion is a restored Georgian style home built for Colonel Jacob Ford Jr. The home became Washington's Headquarters during the cruel winter of 1779-80. You can tour the Mansion and the Museum with its world-renowned collection of Revolutionary War objects, paintings and documents.
Our 25-miler explores The Great Swamp and The Great Oak
Bought for a barrel of rum, 15 kettles, 4 pistols, 4 cutlasses plus other goods, and 30 pounds cash, the current Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is all that remains of a 30,000-acre tract deeded by the Delaware Indians in 1708. By the Revolutionary War, settlements dotted the area and local settlers fashioned wagon wheel parts with wood cut from the Great Swamp woods. We enjoy it because the threat of building a jetport mobilized an army of volunteers in one of the first successful battles of the environmental revolution during the ‘50’s and ‘60’s.
Look for one of the oldest white oak trees in the Western Hemisphere and its 156-foot spread in Basking Ridge. By the time of the Revolutionary War the oak was already nearly 400 years old and George Washington was said to have picnicked in its shade along with Lafayette and other officers.
The Morris County Stronghold
Morris County was among the few Revolutionary strongholds in New Jersey. Morristown provided Washington with an important defensive advantage. The country lying behind Long Hill and the Watchung Mountains was protected from sudden attack by both those rugged heights and broad swamps. More importantly, the furnaces and forges that provided iron products for the army were located nearby. The army was able to subsist in the Morristown area without overburdening the local economy or depleting its food reserves. Morristown would be a great place for a visit or a meal after the Ramble.
Our Ride HQ: Drew and Bottle Hill
Today it’s called Madison, but when it was founded a half-century or more before the Revolutionary War, it was called Bottle Hill. Today, The New York Times says it has a downtown that looks like a movie set, great places to eat and the NJ Transit Station is about a mile from Ramble HQ at Drew. Drew, founded over 120 years ago, has a campus they call the Forest (you’ll see why) and top-notch liberal arts, graduate and theological schools.
Even more about historic highlights on the routes and links to historic organizations at:
http://rambleride.org/html/history.htmlAll our hills are downright historical!
Ramble Tips & Rules
Pre-Ramble
• Check the fit of your cycling helmet. They’re required.
• Check your emergency I.D. (Go to rambleride.org for a handy info card that will help.)
• Inflate your tires properly
• Wipe down your chain, lubricate, and wipe off the excess.
• Make sure you have a spare tube
• Plan to carry (but not use while on the bike) a cell phone.
• Plan to bring a full water bottle.
• Practice with and use a rear-view device, either bike mounted, helmet mounted or eyeglass mounted.
On the Ramble:
• Wear your helmet. It’s a must.
• Wear your wristband to show that you are a registered rider entitled to all Tour services, including rest areas.
• Skip the headphones or cell phones while riding.
• Move completely off the road and dismount when you stop to rest, repair your bike, or make a cell phone call.
• Carry photo identification (minors excluded) and keep it handy; you may need it.
• Exercise bicycle safety and respect other cyclists.
• Cycle defensively. Be prepared for moves by other cyclists and allow plenty of room, especially down hills.
• For more safe riding information, please go to rambleride.org
