jimmuller 

Our tandem does indeed run by itself, almost. However we are just in hiding but there.


Rod, nice pics as usual.

The weather really is turning colder, innit? On Friday I must return to work The commute will be interesting.

Jim from Boston

Since jimmuller is such a frequent contributor to this MetroBoston thread, and describes his rides on so many different bikes, I would like to mention that he has posted a beautiful catalogue of his cycle stable on the General Cycling Forum…can’t tell the bikes without a program.

He got, and returned some good-natured ribbing from a yahoo outside of the Metroverse in subsequent posts.

jimmuller 

JFB, thank you for the very nice plug. That thread was titled "Why Did You Buy Your Bike?" It didn't say anything about plural bikes though. I just have fun putting them together and discovering how different they can be from each other. FWIW, that posting shows them in chronological order of my acquiring them.

Ah, I'd forgotten! It had to do with colors. Some people like 'em, some people don't! And the difference between a bus and a train. (Somehow that thread died quickly after that exchange.) In this case it was an MBTA commuter train so it is pertinent to a thread on cycling MetroBoston!

JFB, I am now back home from nearly 2 weeks in Maine, 10 days straight of either biking or hiking. Tomorrow I commute by bike again. I'll have to follow your lead on continuing the commute as the days grow short and the temperatures fall. I rode some pretty cold days when I was biking the commute from Attleboro to Lincoln, RI. It'll be just like that!

Panza

It's supposed to be our last "good weather" day with temperatures in the 80's. Planning on doing the last century of the season! I'm excited.

I must say, I've been lurking this thread since April and I don't post as much as I maybe should... I love all the beautiful shots everyone takes. What should I take pictures of when I ride?

rholland1951

Take pictures of what interests you, to the extent that there's time. You won't know till you see it. Use word-pictures for things you saw when you were too busy riding to fool with the camera.Sort it out when the ride's over. Have a great ride!

rod

Panza

Since I'm doing (most) of the century alone I'm sure I'll have some time to get some nice scenic pictures in. : ) I'll try to kick back and just ... enjoy it all : )!

sherbornpeddler

You have a great attitude so you will have great ride. Where abouts? Are you riding an organized ride and if so which one?

jimmuller 

That's exactly what I was wondering. Is this an organized century or just you riding? (I think I prefer just riding.)

As for pictures, I usually think of three things - a really lovely scene, or something that shows off the bike (if the bike is especially interesting, or something that tells a story or invites the viewer to enter that world. The lovely scenes are sort of overdone though. They are all over the place and require only that you get to a lovely place and take the time to notice. Telling a story is more interesting, requires more creativity. I'd be interested to see what you come up with. You need to post more often!

'Twas a cold ride in and back home today, but tolerable, tolerable. The ol' Peugeot UO8 was happy to be put to work. If it weren't for for its higher weight I could be quite happy riding it most of the time.

rholland1951

Night ride on the Minuteman, the customary 10-mile round trip from East Arlington to Lexington Center, dark and cool, temperatures down to the mid-40s in the cold spots in Lexington. This was football weather, and a rousing game between AHS and Medford was in progress, with the usual small knot of fans taking in the game from trailside. Arlington was leading 21-0, and just as I was pedaling away, intercepted a Medford pass, deep in Medford territory, which occasioned much hooting, hollering, and carrying on.


Beyond the circle of the game, however, the character of the ride changed; I had the Minuteman to myself from Fottler Avenue outbound to Fottler Avenue inbound, riding through the bright tunnel my headlights bored in the dark, joined only by the occasional bunny. When I crossed back into Arlington, the solitude ended, with the game either at half-time, or just completed but not yet dispersed.

rod

sherbornpeddler

maybe not quite a century but it is a great biking day here in Boston. Reporting live from the Mayor's Cup. Stay tuned for more excitement from City Hall tomorrow and the Hub on Wheels ride.

jimmuller 

From last week, a tape-delayed live report of the descent of Cadillac Mountain. 10min 19sec. A handlebar camera mount bounces around a lot. And my brakes were squeaking.

Enjoy!

This file is 70Mb so it takes a while to download.

https://world.std.com/~muller/pics/Acadia2014/Descent%20On%20Cadillac%20Mountain%20small.wmv

rholland1951

Wasn't able to get on the bike until the late afternoon, one of those Saturdays that got sliced up and passed around the table, settled for the variant of the North Bridge loop that takes the Reformatory Branch Trail outbound, Monument Street/River Road/Skelton Road/Route 225 inbound, and the Minuteman coming and going, 30 miles. Had a surprising amount of (bike) traffic on the Reformatory Branch, surprisingly little traffic of any sort on the Monument Street roller coaster (ok by me). Reached Depot Park at dusk, enjoyed the boisterous music of the bugs and frogs making the most of the warm tag-end of Summer.




















rod

rholland1951

Jim, bravo! A fine descent, and some fine picking to go with it! The down-hill was well worth the down-load...

rod

jimmuller 

Thanks!

I finally created a decent Youtube video:

rholland1951

The sunset display on this evening's ride on the Minuteman on Summer's ultimate day, warm and damp, was vivid, extensive, and varied.










Then it was over, and as the temperature fell, a thick fog overspread Arlington's Great Meadow.




All the night critters were singing in the warm and damp, last chance maybe. It ain't Fort Mudge, but it'll do for now.

rod

sherbornpeddler

That was a great video. My shoulders were tense and expected my hands would be sore because I would have been braking the whole way down. The music was perfect. Perfect timing for "Voices in the Wind". I wonder if I get play this on my trainer this winter if I resist leaning on the turns.

sherbornpeddler

Rod, You've done it again. I'll go to sleep tonight dreaming of the boisterous music of the bugs and frogs and visions of the tag end and Great Meadow fog. Thank you.

sherbornpeddler

Hub on Wheels was excellent. Weather was perfect and thousands of riders had great rides. Volunteers from college clubs jolts from all over MetroBoston pitched in and made it a great time. A father son team were just two of so many ride marshals that covered the route in support, patched tires and replaced chains. They picked this as one of their last moments together before the son is deployed to the mideast. I hope to see them both ride again next year. Another, much younger family rode the route just for fun and also had a great time together.

jimmuller 

Thanks! Braking on the way down? I was! When I don't ride a bike very often the rims sometimes build up a coating that makes them squeal. Those were squealing quite a bit. The camera's soundtrack had wind noise and lots of squealing. I left it quietly in the background and you can hear the brake squeal every so often. Considering that the front wheel of that bike is probably 42 years old and the rear probably 30, I figured caution was a good idea.

Rod, what he said. Nicely done. Hope you didn't get too wet though. You'd get wet just walking outside in this humidity.

Hope everyone participating in HOW didn't get wet either. It looks like fun.

Today we didn't ride. Had too many domestic chores to do. Plus I've been ignoring my upper body workouts at the gym, so today was gym day.

rholland1951

SBP, thanks. The sound of the night is one of the principal rewards of being out in it...

rod

rholland1951

Thanks, Jim. A bit wet, here, but mostly from unevaporated sweat. The air had a waiting list for absorbing additional water vapor. Good day to be a frog.

rod

Panza

Yesterday I went out on an 82.7km ride. Originally planned for a 110mi bike ride however weather conditions and too much faith in Google maps put a stopper in it. Started in Nashua, got around the Manchester area, then looped back.



Minus a few early rain showers the weather was decent. Once I wasn't wearing the rain jacket and got some air in, the ride was quite enjoyable.



Along the way I stopped into Clough Stage Park in NH, there was quite an impressive dam.



After this though, the rain continued to ensue, after some nice scenic farms the weather turned dark and cloudy and a colossal drenching downpour lasted near the rest of the ride. The poor map I wrote didn't last the rest of the ride.



I had rain jackets and plastic bags for my electronics for a little bit of downpour, but when it got bad I chose to stay under porches of misc. buildings until the rain let up. Maybe before snow settles in I'll have time for another planned century and I'll be able to tackle that darned Kearsarge Mountain category 1 climb.

jimmuller 

Today's commute was interesting and different. One thing about working for a company making things that operate in environments that can go boom is they can order a random drug test. I got such a summons. So not only did I get to ride my bike to and from the office, I got to do an additional 10 mile round trip from Woburn to Wilmington. Total of 40 miles today. On this vintage machine, 1972 Peugeot UO8 which I bought new and have upgraded quite a bit:



It was humid and moderately warm to start the day, By midday (actually 1PM) when I rode off to Wilmington the sun was bright, the air dry and cool, and the wind strong. Same for the commute home, except it was cooler, almost but not quite chilly.

I know, most of you aren't especially "into" vintage bikes but I think they are cool. The UO8 was extraordinarily good for an inexpensive bike-boom bike, and Peugeot sold a zillion of them. If I didn't have a bunch of other good bikes I could be perfectly happy riding this one all the time (though it would nt be by choice for a hilly century!) I could lighten this further by removing the rack, lights, and generator, but I keep the lights for just such a use as commuting when the sun is low. The old Pug is going to see a lot more use this fall.

Hugh Morris

Made my way out to the Minuteman and decided to do that north bridge loop referred to a few posts earlier. Great temp for riding today. Sunny. Bit windy.

49ish miles. First time I've ridden that far without serious breaks, if at all. Soon to tack on 10 more headed to and from a rehearsal.

No one on that Reformatory Branch Trail, which was quality. Patchy shadows and some rocks could've rocked the skinny tires supporting my fat ass if I wasn't paying attention, but a really nice escape from the city-- both in change of scenery and type of mental involvement.

Also, lot of manure in the air over there.

...hi guys.

jimmuller 

Welcome the the MetroBoston thread!

So what did you think of the roads around there? Pretty nice, eh? And what do you rehearse? Lots of musicians in the bike community.