Copies of all email correspondence since July 9th.

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July 25th – 

If you are receiving this email, it is because we are expecting you to check into the dorms this Friday.

From 9:30am – 3:00pm, we will be at the Great Western Winery Visitor Center in Hammondsport, NY (8260 Pleasant Valley Road, Hammondsport, NY). This is about an hour from the colleges. You can either drive there directly or, if you decide to start at Penn Yan, then you will get to the Visitor Center during the ride.

We will have your room keys. So if you pass through during the ride, feel free to pick up your room keys and you can pick up the rest of the stuff after 5pm when we move our registration back to the Colleges. This way you can have access to your rooms before 5pm.

Let us know if you don’t plan on passing through the Visitor Center and want your room keys before 5pm. We can work something out with you directly.

We are really looking forward to the rally!

-Caren and Mike

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July 22st – ETR – Important Note About Friday Routes

Before we get to the Friday routes info, we’ve been asked about attire for Saturday night’s dinner at Club 86.  It will be very casual.  Wear whatever you like.

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ETR’s Friday routes go around Keuka Lake – that’s the lake that is shaped like a Y.

We have two different start points available – Penn Yan or Hammondsport

• If you are driving up to the Finger Lakes on Thursday, you probably want to start at Penn Yan Central Schools, which is only a 20 minute drive from the college.
• If you are coming directly to the ride on Friday or you don’t want to ride all the way around the lake, you should probably start at Pleasant Valley Wine Company in Hammonsport, which is a 55 minute drive from the college.

We will have registration running in the parking lot at the winery from 9:30am to 3:00pm.  The registration tent will also be a rest stop for those teams starting in Penn Yan.

We are offering two different length rides – basically 49 or 61 miles.  We realize that even the shorter of these will be too long for some.  If you want to do a shorter ride, we suggest that you start at the winery, ride as far as you like, and then just turn around.  The road after the winery has the better views, is quieter, and it was just paved.  It’s the best part of the ride.

The difference between the 49 and 61 mile ride is whether or not you ride the interior of the Y of Keuka Lake.  The additional roads are very quiet, but there is also a really nice hill.

If you are starting in Penn Yan, make sure to register on Thursday or find us early on Friday morning to get the cue sheet.  Or, you can print the cue sheet from the ETR web site and then register at the college after the ride.  Registration will be open on Friday at the college from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

We are also offering a “Fish Hatchery Extension”.  This is a 4 mile out and back from Hammondsport that goes to a fish hatchery where you can see fish in all their stages of development and learn about how they stock the lakes.  The cue sheets indicate where to turn off from the regular route if you want to see this.

Note that the RideWithGPS routes and cue sheets are all up on the ETR web site.  We will also be providing paper copies of all the cue sheets at the rally.

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July 21st – ETR Registration Pick-up Times

ETR is just a week away!!!

Here is information on where you can pick up your registration materials.

Registration (and Dorm Room key pick-up)
Scandling Center on the Patio – Pulteney St at Hobart & William Smith Colleges 300 Pulteney St, Geneva, NY
	Thursday – 3 PM – 9 PM
	Friday – 5 PM – 9 PM
Great Western Winery Visitor Center (Pleasant Valley Wine Company) 8260 Pleasant Valley Road, Hammondsport, NY There will be more details on this in the upcoming Friday Routes email.
	Friday – 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM

If you cannot make it to register during one of these times, please contact Caren (862-812-8854).  If you are arriving after 9 PM and need your dorm room key, please see the security station at HBS Colleges. The Campus Safety Building is inside the Visitor Parking lot on the east side of Pulteney Street, near Routes 5 &20. You can then pick up the rest of your registration materials during the regular pick up times.

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July 20th – Route Information

All of the ETR routes are now finalized.  You can see all them are all here.  Each of the routes has

• a description
• a link to the RideWithGPS route where you can preview the route and download it to your GPS
• a link to the PDF for the cue sheet

You do not need to print the cue sheets as we will have them available for you at registration.

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Friday Rides

Friday’s rides go around Keuka Lake – that one that is shaped like a Y.  On the west side of the lake you will get some beautiful views and some brand new pavement along a quieter road.  Along the east side, you will be alternating between a somewhat busy road with a really big shoulder and some super quiet residential lake shore streets as you hop in and out of neighborhoods along the lake.  You will also go through the towns of Penn Yan and Hammondsport.

If you have the time, the Glenn Curtiss Museum is a great place to visit.  If you do plan to stop there, bring a lock for your bike.

A special email will follow this in the next day or two with more details about the Friday rides.

Saturday Rides
On Saturday, we will have a group start at 8:30.  Three ride lengths are offered.  The rides will take you through the town of Geneva and then head toward Seneca Falls.  Shortly after leaving town, the route will take you on a 4 mile long rail trail (you can avoid this if you want – see the cue sheet).  This was recently resurfaced and was perfectly smooth crushed stone when we were there a few weeks ago.  The views along the canal are beautiful.  After that, you will go through the town of Seneca Falls and then to a rest stop at a set of canal locks.  After wandering through some beautiful farmlands, you will make your way back to Seneca State Park for lunch right on the lake.  Then it’s a 3 mile ride through town to get back to the colleges.

Sunday Rides
On Sunday, we will have a group start at 8:45. Three ride lengths are offered. The rides all head west toward Canandaigua through more beautiful farmland. The medium and long routes also run along Canandaigua Lake for a bit and have a rest stop at Finger Lakes Community College.

Extra Rides
For anyone who wants to do some extra riding, before, during or after the rally, these are the rides for you.  Take a look at the Wineries ride for something to keep you busy on Saturday after lunch.
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RideWithGPS
We set up a RideWithGPS “club” account this year.  The club page showing all of the routes is here.  For people with smart phones, you can use the RideWithGPS app to navigate the routes.  Using a Garmin or other GPS is probably better, but this is an alternative.

Please note that the following is only for people who want to try using a smart phone to navigate the routes.  You can ignore all of this if you are going to use your Garmin or similar GPS unit.  You do not need a RideWithGPS account or to join the ETR club to download the routes onto your Garmin.

If you don’t already have a RideWithGPS account, you will need an create one to use this feature.  You can just get the free “Starter” account. It’s easiest to create an account on your PC (rather than on your phone).

• Once you have an account, go to this page, and then click on the “Apply to join” link (right hand side, mid way down the page).
• I will then get a notice and have to approve your membership request, which I will do as soon as possible.
• In the meantime, you can download the app on your phone and log in with your account.
• Once I approve your club access request, you will be able to use your phone for navigation.  Unfortunately, RideWithGPS does not send you an email when I approve your account, so you will just have to check back in a day or so.  I will get to them as quickly as I can.
• The iPhone and Android version of the app work almost exactly the same and the following have been tried on both (thanks Bill).
• Go into the RideWithGPS app and make sure you are signed in.
• Touch the menu (3 bars, top left).
• Touch “Club Routes” and then “Eastern Tandem Rally”.
• You will then see a list all of the rally routes.  This will include older ETR/MATES rally routes also.  All of this year’s routes start with “E16”.
• Find the route you want to ride
• Touch on the 3 vertical dots on the right of the route
• Touch “Ride This”
• Touch the red dot in the circle to start.  It may just ask you if you want to start or give a message about GPS accuracy.
• Your phone will speak instructions telling you when to turn, with warnings ahead of time.  If you are going to rely on this, make sure you can actually hear your phone.  You can also use your screen to see navigation on a map, but if you try to leave your screen on for a whole ride, your battery won’t last very long.

We can’t offer much more in the way of support for this.  You can send us your questions and we’ll do our best, but we’re Garmin users.  We tried it a couple of times just to see what it’s like.

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July 19th – Swap Meet

Got an old bicycle you want to sell? Maybe a box of old parts that needs a new home? Dust it off, bring it out to ETR and maybe you can make some cash.

We’ll be running a swap meet on Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00. Bring anything bike related that you want to sell, swap or trade. Please bring a table or whatever you may need to display your stuff.

If you want to buy some new tandem gear, Mel and Barbara Kornbluh from TandemsEast / Evelyn Hill Cycling Apparel will be at the rally selling their wares and helping people out with bike issues. Caren and I have been to a few other rallies recently, and we really missed having someone like Mel and Barbara there.

The swap meet and TandemsEast will be located on the grass by the Scandling Center patio.

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July 15th – Email to Gluten Free folks. Let us know if you are GF and did not receive this note.

If you are receiving this email, it is because you have elected a gluten-free meal.

Note that the Salmon and Chicken dinners on Saturday night are GF and DF.

Lunch on Sunday will be a boxed GF lunch. While it won’t have your name written on the box, you will be given a ticket that says GF with the type of sandwich that you ordered. (If you don’t remember what you ordered it is on your registration confirmation or you could ask me.) Those lunches will be separate from the rest. All of the things with the lunch, such as a brownie, should also be GF.

So that brings us to Saturday’s lunch at the park. Everyone else will have sandwiches from platters with some salads and watermelon. You are welcome to the watermelon. I will have some separate box lunches for you. If you do not respond to this email, then I will just order the same thing for you on Saturday as you already elected on Sunday. If you want some variety, though, feel free to review the Sunday lunch options (https://www.easterntandemrally.org/wp/2016-etr-rally-2/meals/) and email me what you would like. We will order you a GF version of that option.

We will also have a soft serve ice cream truck on Saturday at lunch. I know that a few of you are also dairy free. The ice cream truck should have ice pops that are GF and DF.

Our Rest Stop will be stocked with Honey Stinger chews and gels, along with waffles. The chews and gels are GF. In addition, we specifically ordered some GF waffles – Salted Caramel, Maple and CInnamon. Be sure to check the packages to make sure. (We have ordered regular Caramel waffles that are NOT GF.) There will be Honey Stinger energy bars that are NOT GF. We will also have bananas and grapes. Lastly, there will be some homemade goods. The Monster Cookies will be GF and DF. I have bought GF oats and DF chocolate chips. Mike will be baking them the few days before the rally. He is not baking anything else. Below is the recipe for them. My other bakers will NOT be making GF or DF baked goods.

Any questions, you know where to find me!

-Caren

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Monster Cookies:

1 stick margarine or 1/2 c. coconut oil
8 oz brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
12 oz smooth peanut butter
2 tsp baking soda
4.5 cups GF quick oats
8 oz GF and DF semi-sweet chocolate chips

Blend ingredients in order. Scoop big cookies (just under 1/4 cup each). I fit 6 cookies to a sheet. Makes about 25-30 cookies. I use parchment paper. 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool on racks.

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July 14th – Email to Townhouse participants:

If you are receiving this email, then we have you staying in the Odell Townhouse Dorms during the ETR weekend. Let us know if that is not the case.

Here is some information that you might find helpful.

• The townhouses have single bedrooms – three upstairs and one downstairs (except for four townhouses that have three bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs).
• The townhouses each have two bathrooms.
• You can move mattresses around, but you must put them back where you found them before you check out.
• The Colleges provide sheets, a towel and one wash cloth per person.
• The townhouses have kitchens with full size refrigerators and even dishwashers. However, the kitchens do not include any plates, utensils, sponges or food. There are no microwaves.
• There is a no alcohol policy on campus for this event.
• Bikes may be stored inside the townhouses, although the Rally and Colleges are not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
• We will provide your keys when you pick up your registration materials. You can see the times for registration on the website schedule:

https://www.easterntandemrally.org/wp/2016-etr-rally-2/schedule/

If you are getting in after 9pm, we will have your keys at Campus Security.

I have attached two maps to this note. One map is the map the Hobart & WIlliam Smith Colleges (HWS) provides, the other is a satellite view where we show all of the places on campus where we will be. Campus Security is marked on the satellite view map and is #48 on the HWS map.

If you are leaving on Sunday, then check out is any time. We will have a box available for you to return your keys when you pick up your lunch on Sunday. If you are leaving later than 1:30pm on Sunday, you will need to return your room keys to Campus Security. All keys must be returned by noon on Monday.

Now for a bit more color.

If you plan on eating in your townhouse, you really need to bring everything from the food, pots and pans, sponge, liquid soap, plates, utensils, dish towels … everything.

The Colleges do not provide any soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. in the bathrooms. Be sure to pack some!

The towel that HWS provides is a bit sparse – probably more suitable for a skinny, bald person. Those of us with big hair or big bodies may want to bring along an extra towel or two.

The rally will provide breakfast coupons for you for Friday, Saturday and Sunday breakfasts. The cafeteria will be closed on Monday, though. If you don’t plan on eating in the cafeteria, let us know and we can use the savings towards other rally enhancements.

Parking is right near the townhouses.

I know that there is a lot of information here. We will also be listing all communications between now and the rally on the rally website. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The rally is just two weeks away. We couldn’t be more excited!
-Caren and Mike Bianco

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July 14th – Email to Dorm Hall participants:

If you are receiving this email, then we have you staying in the Dorm Halls with the communal bathrooms (Caird or DeCordova) during the ETR weekend. Let us know if that is not the case.

Here is some information that you might find helpful.

• The dorms are air conditioned, four story buildings.
• Parking is not that close to the dorms, although you can drive up to do a drop off.
• Rooms are either singles or doubles.
• You can move mattresses around, but you must put them back where you found them before you check out.
• The Colleges provide sheets, a towel and one wash cloth per person.
• The dorms have one kitchen per building on the first floor. It is best to plan to eat in the cafeteria for breakfasts and other meals outside the dorm.
• There is a no alcohol policy on campus for this event.
• Bikes may be stored inside the halls, although the Rally and Colleges are not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
• We will provide your keys when you pick up your registration materials. You can see the times for registration on the website schedule:

https://www.easterntandemrally.org/wp/2016-etr-rally-2/schedule/

If you are getting in after 9pm, we will have your keys at Campus Security.

I have attached two maps to this note. One map is the map the Hobart & WIlliam Smith Colleges (HWS) provides, the other is a satellite view where we show all of the places on campus where we will be. Campus Security is marked on the satellite view map and is #48 on the HWS map.

If you are leaving on Sunday, then check out is any time. We will have a box available for you to return your keys when you pick up your lunch on Sunday. If you are leaving later than 1:30pm on Sunday, you will need to return your room keys to Campus Security. All keys must be returned by noon on Monday.

Now for a bit more color.

The Colleges do not provide any soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. in the bathrooms. Be sure to pack some!

The towel that HWS provides is a bit sparse – probably more suitable for a skinny, bald person. Those of us with big hair or big bodies may want to bring along an extra towel or two.

The rally will provide breakfast coupons for you for Friday, Saturday and Sunday breakfasts. The cafeteria will be closed on Monday, though. If you don’t plan on eating in the cafeteria, let us know and we can use the savings towards other rally enhancements.

Parking is right off of Pulteney St. If you need to drop off closer to the dorms, you can drive up to the building if you enter by the Barn on St Clair St. Both the drop off and parking are marked on the attached satellite view map.

I know that there is a lot of information here. We will also be listing all communications between now and the rally on the rally website. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The rally is just two weeks away. We couldn’t be more excited!

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July 12th: Communication to Hotel Stayers 

Hi Everyone!

I cannot believe that ETR is two weeks away! We are very excited and will soon be completely obsessed with tracking long term weather forecasts for Geneva, NY over July 29-31. Fingers and toes are crossed hoping for some sunny skies.

Expect to hear more from us over the next two weeks. Note that we will also post all communications on the ETR website.

Anyway…if you are receiving this message, it means that our records show you as staying off-campus. If you are planning on staying in the dorms, please let us know ASAP!

So, the rally includes breakfast on Saturday and Sunday at the Hobart & William Smith Colleges cafeteria from 6:30am to 8:30am. However, since you are staying off campus, I’m going to assume that you do not want breakfast at the colleges. So unless I hear otherwise, I’m going to use the money saved from the breakfasts to enhance the rally in other ways – better food at the rest stops, more door prizes, etc.

However, if you do want to have breakfast at the colleges, just provide your name on the attached form and we will give you meal tickets.

Email us at easterntandemrally@gmail.com if you are not staying in the dorms, but would like to eat breakfast at the campus.