A、To save money on equipment. B、To help keep participants from getting lost. C、To instruct newcomers about bicycle maintenance.

Good evening! Welcome to the first meeting, of our spring cycling season. It’s a pleasure to see so many new faces here. I certainly hope that most of you will soon feel right at home with our group, and bicycling will become a regular hobby for you and a part of your physical fitness routine. Some of you may not realize that the state of New Jersey offers ample opportunities for bicyclists of all abilities. We have rolling countryside, miles of beaches, lovely hills and valleys and thousands of miles of little used roads. Beginners will find the shore and area south of Princeton suitable for their needs, while expert riders will discover that the steep trails of the region around High Point offer a challenge to their skill and stamina.
    In addition, New Jersey is rich in places of historical interest. The state abounds in colonial architecture, battle fields of the revolution and other historical sites important in the early history of this country. Most are carefully pre served, or have been meticulously restored. We organized tours to a variety of places nearly every weekend.
    Next Saturday’s tour will be a relatively easy one: from Rutgers University to the Gateway National Park. Interested cyclists should meet at 8:00 a.m. in the parking lot at the comer of Hamilton Street and College Avenue in New Brunswick. The minimum time for this tour is about six hours. We’ll use a buddy system throughout the ride. Each new rider should team up with a more experienced rider.
    If the buddies look after each other, we can be sure that no one will be left behind on the backroads. You can pick up a map of Saturday’s tour at the information table before you leave this evening.