HISTORY

About 35 intrepid riders attended the first BTCNJ Century Ride in the fall of 1978. This was a part of "Century Month" sanctioned by the League of American Wheelman. Cyclists set out from the Fire House on Island Road in Ramsey, and registration cost a whopping $2.00. Riders wearing warm-up suits and shorts (not today's Lycra and Spandex) followed three routes described as "quiet country roads with minimum traffic".

BTCNJ has presented this cycling event every year since 1978, rain or shine, adopting the name Ramapo Rally. Over those years much has changed: the starting point and routes have been moved several times to accommodate the increasing ridership and facility needs; bicycles and cycling outfits have become much more sophisticated and high-tech; and the registration fee has gone up along with the costs of producing the event. The Rally has always been known for its hilly and challenging routes, but in the last several years we have also sought to accommodate more casual recreational riders, as well as families with children, by adding some easier routes. The current start site at the Campgaw Mountain Ski Area in Mahwah, NJ, has been in use since 2006.

Traditionally, a portion of the Rally proceeds have been donated to benefit local charities, and in 2007 the commitment was made to support Camp Sunshine, a facility for multiply-disabled children and young adults based in Ridgewood, New Jersey.