OK, so we haven’t had any questions yet, but we’ve thought up a few that might get asked. If your question is not answered here, feel free to contact ride organizers, Caren and Mike Bianco, at easterntandemrally@gmail.com.
When is the ETR?
August 2nd through the 4th, 2013.
How many teams are you going to accept at the ETR?
We will cap the ETR at 120 tandem teams.
Where is the ETR held?
In Warren, New Jersey. We have reserved rooms at two hotels, the Somerset Hills Hotel (200 Liberty Corner Road, Warren, NJ — 908-660-4506) and Hotel Indigo (80 Allen Road, Basking Ridge, NJ — 877-270-1392). The hotels are only one-half mile apart from each other. We have a block of 70 rooms reserved at the Somerset Hills Hotel and 40 rooms at the Hotel Indigo.
Is it better to stay at one hotel versus the other?
The hotels are both really close to each other. Both hotels are three star hotels. The Somerset Hills Hotel has an outdoor pool.
The mass starts on Saturday and Sunday will be from the Somerset Hills Hotel. In addition, the Ice Cream Social, Hospitality Room and swap meet will be from the Somerset Hills Hotel. Each hotel will have a room for bike storage.
Do I have to stay at one of the hotels?
Nope! If you live nearby or have someplace else that you would rather stay, then feel free. You will still need to register, sign a waiver and pay your $145 (Saturday and Sunday only) or $180 (Full ETR) per person registration fee.
How do the charges for this year’s ETR compare with prior years?
Even though New Jersey is a costly area, we were able to keep the per person charges the same as 2012. However, the hotel at $109/night is higher than last year’s hotel rate ($90/night). We are scheduling Friday’s ride later (11am compared with 8:30am last year) so that people can save money by coming on Friday instead of Thursday. You will be able to get the full ETR experience starting Friday. (Of course you are welcome to drive over on Thursday and we will be offering ride options for Thursday!)
I know that you said that the room rate includes two breakfasts each day. What if there are four of us staying in a room?
Breakfast is included double-occupancy only. If you plan on having breakfast at the hotel and have more than two people per room, the hotel rate will include an additional $10/person per day for breakfasts. The hotels will be providing breakfast tickets.
I have to work and cannot get to the rally until late Friday. Is that permitted?
We are sorry to miss you on the ride on Friday, but we understand that you may not be able to get Friday off of work. Feel free to join us on Friday for the Ice Cream Social and the activities on Saturday and Sunday. Your registration fee will be $145/person to reflect that you won’t be joining us at the winery.
Will routes be provided and if so, when?
GPX files and cue sheets of the routes are available on the Attendee Info page. Printed cue sheets will be included in your welcome packet when you register, so there is no need for you to print these. They are just there in case you want to look at them ahead of time.
Just how hilly is this ETR?
Northern New Jersey is not flat! We show the elevation changes on the Routes page. Given the choice between flat, busy roads and hillier, quiet roads, we will be routing the ETR through the quiet roads. We will avoid steep descents.
Eating outside means that you will have a lot of trash. Are you doing anything to minimize the carbon footprint of the rally?
We really care about the environment. We are specifically buying bio-degradable plates, cups and utensils made from potatoes. See earth-to-go.com for more info. To further help minimize our carbon footprint, we recommend that you carpool to dinner on Saturday night with some of the new friends that you will make at the rally.
Will there be SAG support?
We have lined up a team to provide SAG support! Thanks Trish and Ed Troike!
Do you have a Facebook page?
Yes! Like us on Facebook here. We will be sharing information both on this website and on Facebook.
What is your cancellation policy?
We understand that sometimes you need to cancel your reservation. We believe that the hotels have generous cancellation policies. You would need to cancel directly with the hotels.
For the ETR registration fees, the following schedule applies:
Full refund on the Registration Fee before July 1
Full refund less $50/person if between July 1 and July 25
We cannot guarantee any refunds after July 25 (one week before the rally); however, if there is money leftover from the rally, we will make partial refunds.
Note that there are no refunds on jersey orders. If you ordered a jersey and need to cancel, we will mail the jersey to you at no cost to you.
Who are the hosts for this year’s ETR?
The 2013 ETR is hosted by the Doubles of the Garden State tandem club or the DOGS as we are known. Caren and Mike Bianco are the organizers within the club, but have relied on many, many members of the club for help.
How do the ride organizers, Caren and Mike Bianco, maintain their youthful vigor and good looks?
Why thank you! Of course, tandeming keeps us young and vibrant. We hope to see you at the New Jersey ETR this August!
