jimmuller 

We took the tandem out again today. Following my experience of last week we started early, about 10 after 8, okay it's early for us but maybe not for you. Rode straight through town into the more wooded 'burbs, ended up with 43.1 miles, Waltham to Carlisle.

Chapter 7 (or is it 8?) in the Every Day's an Adventure book, soon to be a major motion picture:
Had a close encounter with another cyclist's defective bike on the way back. We were nearing Arlington Center on the Minuteman Bikeway (because it lets us avoid Waltham Main St) when an older couple (not as old as me perhaps) started up on their solo bikes going the opposite direction. The guy swerved into our side of the path, I hit the brakes hard, he did a quick near fall swerving back onto his side. The he called out to his S.O. "Wait, I have a problem!" His stem had come completely loose on the steering column, flopping around with the front wheel not following. Yeesh! We could have plowed into him with twice his mass. Or he could have started up and lost his teeth when his bike suddenly took a turn he didn't expect. How can that happen?? Fortunately no one was hurt and they probably decided not to ride further until the problem was resolved.