Meeting Summary November 13, 2025
Attending: Hultgren, Waldburger, Clark, Thorne
The meeting began at approximately 7:10pm in the lobby of the Transportation Center in Downtown Storrs.
The list of current pilots (8) was reviewed, but since most of these are Bike Mansfield “regulars”, it was felt that additional pilots need to be contacted and trained – both as pilots and as people who could reach out to recruit additional pilots. Six people that fit this criteria were discussed and Hultgren will contact them to see if they can make a first pilot introduction and training program at the Trishaw’s garage on Saturday December 9th, from 10 to 12 AM. Clark and Hultgren are available to conduct this session, and Thorne said he could arrive about half-way through it. It was suggested to also contact Michele Puzzo from the Manchester CWA chapter to see if one or more of their pilots who live in or near Mansfield would be interested in joining our pilot’s list.
Winter storage of the two trishaw batteries was discussed, noting that batteries need to be kept warm (well above freezing) and stored long-term at a medium (not full) charge. Thorne said he would take the batteries to his home after the Dec 9th pilot session, and during the session the batteries will be used and not recharged so they can be stored for the winter.
Thorne asked about getting a CWA description and click-button to show interest in participating on the Bike Mansfield website. The following plan was adopted: Thorne will send some text taken from and edited from the recent membership description page (which he was given at the meeting). He will send this to Hultgren who will edit it and add pictures, both generic CWA photo(s) and one or two from Mansfield’s first ride this fall. Hultgren will then forward the piece to Clark for editing, and it will then be forwarded to Palmer for final editing and placement on the webpage with a button to click on to have people show an interest.
Saturday morning from 9 to 12 on April 18th was tentatively set to maintain the 4th grade student bikes at the Mansfield Elementary School. Hultgren will work with Storrs Center Cycle to set this up (as per this past Spring) with an SCC mechanic and several Bike Mansfield volunteers. He will also arrange payment to SCC prior to the 2nd CRCOG/DOT microgrant’s expiration date.
Hultgren reported that Ryan Cooper expressed interest in becoming an LCI, so he will contact Ryan to see if the April Safe Cycling Class and May LCI Seminar would fit his availability. If the 2nd microgrant funds are not spent by then, Bike Mansfield could help him with the tuitions for these classes.
A campaign to get Bike Mansfield’s business members to renew their memberships for 2026 should begin soon. Hultgren proposed visiting the businesses during the first week of December – Thorne, Gosselin, Palmer & England will be asked to accompany him on one or more days from Dec 1st to Dec 5th.
Unless required by urgent matters, the December Bike Mansfield meeting will be skipped, and the next regular meeting will be scheduled for January 8, 2026.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 pm.
Lon Hultgren, Sec-Treas
Bike Mansfield