Life is What Happens
By Lisa Segelman
After I featured “The Walking Women in Ventnor” here in my “Life is What Happens” column on March 28, they came zooming in seemingly out of nowhere on their bicycles.
Who are they? The Chain Gang, a group of fun-loving, boardwalk-bike-riding, breakfast-eating, dynamic dames ready to tell us how the boards and their bikes fit into their everyday lives.
The group is the bike seat and handlebars equivalent of the Walking Women in Ventnor, with their source of power being their wheels instead of their legs.
The Chain Gang was created in 2008 by three local women, Joy Cress of Atlantic City and Jean Antolini and Patty Friel of Ventnor. “We started biking together on Monday mornings in 2008,” says Jean Antolini, one of three founders of the group. ”After a few years, we decided we needed a name. We thought about calling ourselves The Pedal Pushers or the Ding-a-Links, but ultimately we liked the name ‘The Chain Gang’ because it made us sound bad-to-the bone. We wanted to feel that strength and power with every ride.”
Members of the group hail from Ventnor, Atlantic City, and some from the mainland. Weather-permitting they assemble at 9:30 a.m. on Monday mornings on the boardwalk at Albany Avenue right in front of Stockton College. Members are comfortable on a bike, but not competitive or long-distance riders, although skilled bikers join them occasionally.
“As long as you can get on your bike and keep your balance, you’re in,” says Antolini. “We don’t bike fast, and we don’t bike far. We traditionally go to Gardner’s Basin, or the end of the boardwalk in Atlantic City and back again.”
The group is about exercise, socializing and friendship. “Basically, we just like to laugh,” adds Andolini. “Our motto is ‘No one rides alone’”. The group attempt to ride all year but rain, cold and wind can make it difficult.
“I was born in Ventnor City and have always loved riding on the boards” says founder Patty Friel. “Jean, Joy and I have been friends for over 35 years and over the decades our gang of lifelong friends has grown. What I enjoy most is spending quality time outdoors in all four seasons with a wonderful group of ladies who are like sisters to me.”
Often sporting custom logo T-shirts with their motto or other clever phrases like “Life Behind Bars” on them, the group has enjoyed pedaling together for the last 16 years. They primarily communicate by text and everyone’s responsible for their own safety when it comes to speed, helmets, and the rules of the boards.
There are no specific levels. “If you show up, you’re welcome,” says Andolini. The number of riders each morning ranges from two to fifteen.
The Chain Gang doesn’t let itself fall into any kind of boring routine either. They look for any holiday or event to do a costumed ride and they go all out. Think Christmas, Easter, Halloween, you name it or like it, and they’ll make a costume out of it.
After every ride the group goes for breakfast together.
“The breakfast is the best part!” says Andolini. “We love Gilchrist Restaurant because they recognize us as locals, and they always have a seat for us. We’re the ones supporting them in January and February when no one else is there.”
The group also takes a photo after every ride, so their scrapbook from the last decade and a half is robust. “I say, ‘If we don’t take a photo, did it even happen?” says Andolini.
Even though the Chain Gang is hard-boiled and pride themselves on their grit, they’re a group with heart for local business and local people. Biking may be their main gig, but similar to the Walking Women in Ventnor, the group has expanded into activities that give back and support their members and the community in other ways.
During the pandemic the group frequented many restaurants to help keep them going. They sat outside in their masks and winter coats, ordered up some food, and did their best to support the owners at places like Velo, Water Dog, and Isabella’s in addition to Gilchrist.
The group has become a vehicle for the occasional biker who isn’t up to the ride. One member, Debbie Suppa benefited from their creative kindness.
When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and experienced the overwhelming decline and illness that is an inevitable part of the disease, the Chain Gang got in gear.
“She’d see our Facebook posts about our rides and wished she could be a part of it,” says Antolini. “That’s when we came up the idea of buying a tandem bike, (a bicycle built for two), so that Deb could ride on the back and the biker in the front could provide the strength she lacked.”
The Chain Gang took up a collection amongst themselves and extended the ask to other locals.
Before long they had enough money to buy a nice tandem bicycle.
“We would take Debbie out with us when she was up to it,” says Antolini. “When you’re out having fun, it’s easy to forget about people who can’t do what you’re able to do. We felt better knowing that we did something that enhanced whatever time our dear friend had left.”
When Deb sadly passed away in 2016, the bike was placed at the altar during the funeral in her memory. The front seat was empty, and the back seat was filled with flowers.
“Now, if one of our riders isn’t feeling well but still wants to ride, they get the back of the tandem.”
The Chain Gang may be bad-to-the-bone, but they’re good at heart. For more information about riding the boards and making friends, reach out to:
Jean Antolini – Nikkynine@comcast.net
Joy Cress – thehappytrailer@comcast.net
Patty Friel – pfriel3@comcast.net
Chain Gang members who opted for “the ball and chain” of marriage, go for a celebratory ride after the wedding.
Lisa is an advertising copywriter (think Madmen without the men), journalist columnist, and year ‘round Ventnor resident. Claim to local fame: Lou’s waitress for four summers. Contact Lisa at redshoeslzs@gmail.com with comments and ideas.
