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A Message From the President
Febrrrrrruary is almost over; thank goodness. I'm a little tired of shoveling and freezing. The good news is that March promises a decent warmup by the second week. I'm already checking out my forsaken bikes. They need a good dusting.
Our first club meeting will be on March 4th at the Harborfields Library at the usual 7:00 time. Pizza will be served as usual. In addition, we are hosting a swap meet. Bring your extra bike parts and accessories and be ready to bring home some gems. Please register for the swap meet if you plan to participate.
Rules for the Swap Meet 3/4/2026:
Choose a spot on one of the tables to set out your donations. When the session begins, members will survey the displayed items. Each participant may offer to swap one of their items for one they desire or buy or sell an item.
Please register for the swap meet if you are going to participate so that we can determine how to organize the room. This is a separate registration from the club meeting registration.
Some rules to follow:
- Swap or sell sell. Items may be exchanged or sold. Bring cash!
- Bring clean, working items. Everything should be clean, safe, and functional and tagged with the expected price.
- One-for-one is optional, value-for-value is the goal Swaps don’t have to be equal in number but should feel fair to both parties.
- All swaps are final. Once exchanged, items can’t be returned or re-swapped unless both parties agree.
- Honesty required. Be upfront about condition, age, brand, and any flaws.
- Label any items that are not obvious or need specs.
- First come, first agreed. An item goes to the first person who reaches a clear agreement—no swooping in mid-deal.
**Please be considerate of the library. Limit your donations to a reasonable amount and volume.
Make sure to leave the area as clean and neat as you found it.
March 12th is the date of our annual ride leader's meeting. If you are an active ride leader or wish to become one, please attend at the Harborfields Library at 7:00 PM. Please sign up on the website for this as well.
Can't wait to be at Smith Street or Breezy Park on my bike getting ready to ride with you. See you at the meeting!
Sal Levy,
President
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In the ongoing debate over tube tires versus tubeless, the following article appeared in the February edition of Bicycling Magazine:
Tubes Are Back (For Road Bikes)
By Dan Chabanov,
While I do think tubeless road tires are here to stay, in 2026, I’m predicting that high-end TPU and latex inner tubes will get the respect they deserve. Not because tubeless is broken, but because the trade-offs can outweigh the benefits for everyday riders.
The first problem is the maintenance. Tubeless is never really “set it and forget it.” Sealant dries out. Beads get stubborn. If you don’t ride regularly, your system can turn into a sticky project when you finally do. A tubed setup just needs air. Even after months off the bike, you pump it up and ride. That kind of simplicity is increasingly attractive to riders who don’t want to spend their weekend cleaning sealant out of rims.
Then there’s performance. Tubeless does offer lower rolling resistance than a standard butyl tube, but the gap narrows or disappears when compared to latex or TPU. High-quality latex can match or exceed tubeless in rolling efficiency, and TPU can get very close while being lighter. In real riding terms, the differences become hard to justify once you factor in the hassle.
Roadside repairs are another part of the story. If a tubeless tire doesn’t seal immediately, you’re either plugging it or swapping in a tube anyway. With latex or TPU, a flat is simple: swap the tube, pump, and go. No need to mess with a tire that’s full of sealant on the side of the road.
| Our club is continuing its support for the completion of the Long Island Greenway. It would benefit that effort to have individual members express their own support by writing the Governor's office as well as a key NYS assemblyman.
Please copy, paste and add your name to the attached support letter (feel free to personalize it) and send it to: ramosp@nyassembly.gov and thalia.olaya@ny.gov and copy to president.hbcli.org. Thank you for your assistance in making the Long Island Greenway a reality.
Dear Ms. Olaya and Assemblyman Ramos:
For me, the Long Island Greenway project starts with safety. On Long Island, car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children, and too many families feel they have no safe place for kids to bike or walk without being next to fast-moving traffic. We urgently need safe, off-road paths where children can ride a bike, families can walk together, and commuters can travel without putting their lives at risk.
The Long Island Greenway would provide a safe, trusted route for people commuting to work, a place where parents can teach their kids to ride a bike, and a space where communities across the Island can connect. It’s not just a trail—it’s infrastructure that saves lives, improves public health, and gives people real alternatives to driving.
I’m especially encouraged by the County’s leadership on this project and excited that the first phase of the Long Island Greenway is slated to begin construction this year. That progress shows what’s possible when the State, County, and local partners work together to deliver real, visible improvements for residents.
For me personally, the Greenway matters because [add one sentence here: where you live, how you’d use it, or who in your family would benefit].
More than 3 million New Yorkers live on Long Island. We deserve modern, safe, and accessible infrastructure that reflects how people actually want to live—healthier, more connected, and less dependent on dangerous roadways.
I urge you to continue supporting the Long Island Greenway and help ensure this project keeps moving forward.
Your Name
| Here's a ride that should prove interesting and help promote better road infrastructure. |  |  |  | New York’s streets are full of two-wheeled electric everything: pedal-assist Citi Bikes, throttle bikes, delivery rigs, and stealthy electric motorcycles that look like dirt bikes. But under New York law, an “e-bike” and “e-moto” (a term I dislike) are not the same. They are different vehicles with different legal consequences. "E-motos" continue to give e-bikes a bad name. To break this stigma, it's important for the public to know the difference.
E-bikes, although having their own definition in the VTL, are more akin to a bicycle; an e-moto is treated more like a motorcycle or moped. The latter, requires a VIN number, plates, registration, and insurance to operate legally on the street. As "e-motos" typically do not have VIN numbers, they will never be able to be registered with the New York DMV and will remain illegal to operate on NY Streets.
The quick way to tell the difference: if it has operable pedals, and looks like a bike, it is most likely an e-bike. If it’s built like a motorcycle, often lacking functional pedals, a heavier frame, motorcycle seat, and operates at high speeds, it is not an e-bike and should not be referred to as one.
Legal e-bikes, such as Citi-bikes, are and remain an asset to our community. They get people out of cars and on bikes, allow those with physical limitations to ride longer distances and honestly... they are just fun to ride! Don't be an e-bike hater by equating them with
"e-motos", they are not the same.
- Daniel Flanzig, President NY Bike Coalition
| | HBC is proud to sponsor Kenny Abbott's ride. Please consider making your own private donation. |  | Save the Date!
The 2026 Gold Coast East Ride is happening Sunday, July 12th!
Last year was a huge success—beautiful weather, no injuries, and over $6,000 donated to these amazing charities:
💙 Kids Need More
🥫 Long Island Food Bank
🚴 New York Bicycling Coalition
💉 American Diabetes Association
🧠 Dementia Society of America
- 214 lbs. of canned goods collected for the Long Island Food Bank pantry!
👏 Thank you to all our volunteers who made it possible.
We Need Volunteers—Starting Now!
Planning has already begun, and we need help with
• Sponsorship outreach
• Event promotion
Seeking Sponsors!
Know a bike shop, bakery, café, or any business that supports community events?
Send them our way—this is a great chance for them to get involved and give back.
Spread the Word
We also need help promoting the event now to ensure strong participation and another outstanding Gold Coast Ride.
Let’s make 2026 our best Gold Coast East Ride yet!
More details coming soon… 🚴✨ |  | | How many of these HBC legends can you name? | | Happy February and March Birthdays to our members! | | Don Forchelli
February 28
Sharon A Emmer
March 1
David Durso
March 3
Michelle Garnier Winkler
March 4
Cliff Montick
March 5
Eric Schnell
March 5
Yvon Jean
March 7
Leah Landro
March 7
Shane Miller
March 7
Angel A Perez
March 8
Fredric A Itkin
March 8
Tommy Vlahos-Kitas
March 9
| | Kyle E Drosdick
March 10
Penelope Home
March 11
Frank T VanBrunt
March 11
Tony Ciaccio
March 12
David Linden
March 13
Mark Mingelgreen
March 14
David Hirsch
March 14
Dan Panzenbeck
March 14
Bob Kauffman
March 22
Don Auriemma
March 24
Charles MacPherson
March 24
Sherri Panzenbeck
March 25
Steven M Labiner
March 25
| | | View this Newsletter on our website:
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