pastorbobnlnh 

After a long, cold, and snowy winter, BluesDaddy and I were able to meet for a ride around Newfound Lake in Bristol and Hebron, NH this afternoon. It was a balmy 38F when we started, the sun was shinning, and the wind was light!

But as you will see, there is still plenty of snow on the ground and ice on the lake.



I wore yellow and BD wore blue. BD spotted the mirror and suggested the above picture.

We stopped along the way for a scenic view of the lake and the mountains in the distance.





Eventually we finished up near the town beach and decided we would take a few more pictures out on the ice. But slush had developed and this was as far as we could venture out on the ice. BD even sunk in and soaked one foot in the icy water.

ScottRyder 

Great photos, looks like an awesome ride.

Scott

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

beware! the ides!! and the thin ice

looks cold.

nlerner

Great job, gents! We're pretty much snow free around here with temps predicted for the 50s and maybe 60s by the end of the week. Time to ride!

Neal

pastorbobnlnh 

Not cold at all. Didn't have to use hand or toe warmers. The ice is still probably 1.5-2 feet thick. Nothing to worry about, even with slush on the top.

Rub it in Neal! I still have about 2 feet on the ground in my yard.

It was a great ride. A couple of steep climbs, nice descents, and about 60% flatish. This was the first time on this loop for both of us.

I was able to stop at BluesDaddy house afterwards and meet his lovely wife, 2 of the 5 children, his pet goats, and chickens. Great bike shop as well.

knoregs

Same here. A little over a week ago we had our biggest storm of the season, 2 feet plus some monster drifts. When I opened my garage door the next morning I could hardly see any daylight. Must've been a five foot drift. Our plow guy couldn't handle our drive with his normal truck. He had to retrieve a tractor. Gotta love it.

Nice looking ride. I wish I would've done the same.

~kn

tugrul

Snow has almost been run out of town here in the seacoast region. It's firmly shorts weather

The melt seems to have caused more heaves than the freeze did.


I can't figure out what Joel is riding.


Hmm, I need to figure where y'all can park so we can do a ride down here. There is a dirt lot next to the Mexican place in Kittery, ME

Michael Angelo 

SNOW!!! One day I'll get to see it in person. Looks like you guys had a great time.



Mike

southpawboston

Sounds like a great ride for both of you! The snow is gone here, and riding season is back!

jimmuller 

What fun! Wish I could've joined you!

BluesDaddy

I was riding my Jamis Coda (touring hybrid). All my other road bikes are in various stages of winter overhaul, plus I wanted something with bigger tires for the badly frost-damaged pavement. The ride was an excellent opener to the season. Bright sun and mild temps (for us anyway). It was nice to crack off some climbs and find the legs are still there after the winter. Bob muscled his way up quite a steep grade with only the double on his ST400. I had the advantage of a triple with mtb-like gearing on my hybrid. Good job!! We also had a very nice mini swap meet wherein Bob gave me a couple pair SPDs, a Schwinn-Approved high flange hub and a Sturmey-Archer AW hub currently imprisoned in a 26" steel wheel. The hub is going into my "no-derailleurs 6-speed" project Peugeot UO-14.

pastorbobnlnh 

...and I came home with several HG cassettes in need of rehab or to salvage for spare parts, a Suntour freewheel that is ready for the Spa, and a set of drop bars for a future project.

This morning we awake to the latest "Wintery Mix." Snow, sleet, freezing rain, etc., etc. At the moment it sounds and looks as if it is doing all three.

Time to clean the grit off of the Cannondale after yesterday's ride!

If you schedule a visit about this time of year, there is a good chance you could ride a bike to the ski mountain, grab a few runs, ride home, strap on the snow shoes, work in a 2-3 mile hike to the middle of the lake, ice fish for dinner, and maybe sunbath on the deck, all in the same day.

sailorbenjamin

Hey, I used to eat there when I was living in South Berwick and working on the Gundalow. I got my favorite Raleigh out of the Kittery dump. Man, that was a great dump. Tidy well organized bike pile and a big row of refridgerators in front so you could get comfortable with your tools and strip things down right there.

sailorbenjamin

I just found out what an Ide was yesterday.

pastorbobnlnh 

Does it look like this?



...or like this?



...or possibly this?

ColonelJLloyd 

Whoa! Nice shots, Bob.

Michael Angelo 

I'm in, beware, I cry like a baby when it's 50 degrees outside.

pastorbobnlnh 

Don't worry Mike. If the temps in the mid 40sF, I'll dress you in about 5 layers, tuck hand warmers in your mittens, tape them on top of your boots, and install the motorcycle windshield (that I found at the stump dump) to the handlebars.

You will think you are at South Beach with all the babes and boys on a comfortable 80F day--- there just won't be as much skin showing!

pastorbobnlnh 

Don't worry Mike. If the temps are in the mid 40sF, I'll dress you in about 5 layers, tuck hand warmers in your mittens, tape them on top of your boots, and install the motorcycle windshield (that I found at the stump dump) to the handlebars.

You will think you are at South Beach with all the babes and boys on a comfortable 80F day--- there just won't be as much skin showing!

Thanks! Those were actually taken on a January ride.

pastorbobnlnh 

Yesterday we had 4 inches of slush fall out of the sky, today was beeeeeautifuuuuul! Hit the rode for the second time in three days. Simply amazing in the mountains of NH in the middle of March!

Here is what my driveway looks like and most of the town roads look like, slushy sand.



If you have never been in northern New England in the late winter it is hard to appreciate frost heaves. Here are some minor ones running down the middle of the lane.



Riders need to be careful, the cracks can swallow a rim and tire.



The guys who joined us in October for the ride might recognize this spot. Except there was water in the background and not ice and snow.

nlerner

Great shots, Bob. It was beautiful down south here today--low 60s and sunny by late in the day. I rode 45 miles in the late morning and didn't have to wear a wool hat with ear flaps!

Neal

pastorbobnlnh 

I forgot to mention it was 50F. Down right tropical!

pastorbobnlnh 

Well all good things come to an end, and March 2011 was my best March for riding since I was 13 or 14. I've ridden the past three days, and can claim I was able to ride a third of the days in the month. Unheard of here in the mountains. I took a few pictures.

Parked in front of my church trying to get some props in the C&V Photo Challenge;



Along Main Street looking 10 miles off to the local Ski mountain.



Zoomed in.

supton

PB you have some great photography skills.

I tried my hand, err, rump at riding today. Did like 7 miles total. Absolutely died on a hill and had to turn around. Which is funny--I was on my 27 speed Trek. Last weekend I was on my all-steel Raleigh and managed 13.5miles. Must be something in the steel... :whistle:

I really need to put batteries in my camera.

tugrul

Ugh, April fools snow tomorrow.

That Cannondale seems to have become your go to bike, PB.