berner

Nothing incites lust quite the same as a array of down-tube shifters.

guidoStow

It was so nice this morning I stole an hour for another loop of mixed dirt and pavement. Today's avian treat was a family of 4 Pileated Woodpeckers who were happily drumming and chattering among themselves in a couple of trees right over the road... Just too fast to photograph...

mr_bill

Spent the weeked biking to wonderful events in Davis and Harvard Square - HONK! 2015.

In Davis while I was about to lock up my bike I was asked if I knew how to fix brakes.
"Some of them I know how to fix, some of the time I can even fix them."

Locked up my rear wheel with the New York Fahgettaboudit, then took a look.

Aha! The quick release on the front V-Brake was open, so that was going to be quick to pop the noodle back on.
Oops, the cable also came off the cable hook on the brake handle too.
So, pop off the noodle again. Luckily, they had compatible reading glasses I borrowed so I could see while I fished out the nipple with my multitool and reattached the cable.
With their new found knowledge of noodles, they finished the job.
Gave a quick test, and all was well.

One of these days, I'll learn how to work on those new fangled disc brakes.

They walked away, and while I locked up the front wheel with the Evolution Mini-5, realized I still had their reading glasses on. Put their reading glasses on their helmet knowing they'd find them later on.

BTW, who knew the two level bike corrals in Davis are the world's coolest climbers? Half a dozen young kids were kept busy to the point of exhaustion on those things, taking only brief breaks to ask me what I was doing with the brakes.

Anyhow, spectacular weekend. Sometimes the best part of biking is the time you spend off the bike.


-mr. bill

jimmuller 

My ride today was not urban and not on the tandem. I rode from Waltham to Carlisle and back on the Masi. Passed Rod H on the return, exchanged a greeting as we passed like ships in the day. No pics today. It was no computer, no camera, just me and the bike and the road and two spare sew-ups.

rholland1951

Looked at the weather forecast, looked at my Monday agenda, and took Columbus Day off. Mr. Google informed me that the cranberry harvest was starting today in Carlisle, so off to the Bog I rode, passing Jim Muller on the Minuteman in Lexington--as always, he inbound, I outbound, his alarm clock definitely works better than mine does--and exchanged cheery greetings in the quarter-second available for such. Didn't have unlimited time, so kept what for me is a good pace, and took fewer than one photo per mile, a rare thing that definitely improves the pace of the ride; used the bell more often than the camera, lots of amiable congestion on the Minuteman. Enjoyed the beginnings of the harvest, looks like that will be worth visiting for the next week. Also enjoyed the numerous stretches of recently repaved road, including long bits of 225; as for the rest, the 52mm Compass Rat Trap Pass Extralights made light of it. 39 miles through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, and Carlisle.












rod

Jim from Boston

This weekend I did the Seventh Annual Fifty-Plus Ride, in the Mountains of Western Pennsylvania, the first mountains I have ridden on in decades, and I’ll post about it soon on the Ride thread. This was the capstone to the summer riding season of 2015, which I generically call “Leg Season.”

So I send best wishes to this Metro Boston thread as we leave Leg Season and embark on the nameless rest of the cycling year. That endpoint of Leg Season held yesterday has a custom that symbolizes the deterioration of the riding environment until the commencement of Leg Season next calendar year. I call it the ”Fashion Gradient.” The race starts at 12:00 Noon at Boston Common. As the race passes Comm and Mass Aves:

• 12:28 PM – Bare midriffs
  
  
  
• 12:33 PM – Tank tops
  
  
  
• 12:45 PM – Tee-shirts
  
  
  
• 12:58 PM – Knickers
  
  
  
• 1:10 PM – Sweat pants
  
  

rholland1951

Floated out to Lexington Center and back on the Rat Traps in the cool and dark. Coincidentally, saw a number of little ratty critters crossing the trail from time to time, let's be charitable and call them chipmunks, but at that hour, they were all Purina Owl Chow, whatever else they might be. The third ratty critter in my headlights turned out to be the gray soles of a pair of sneakers worn by a runner dressed up like a ninja, presumably in training for Halloween. These night rides are normally devoid of conversation, but I encountered a cyclist in Lexington who dolefully intoned, "Lots of leaves!" Sounded ominous...




rod

jimmuller 

Well, I rode my commute yesterday as I usually do. But it was an inadvertent adventure and my own fault. I rode the Gazelle, having restrung the damaged spokes from last week. The bike did great but I had a flat at about the midpoint of the return. A one inch long shard of metal had penetrated the tire almost completely. No problem, I sez to myself, except that I realized it didn't have the frame pump. A few days ago I'd moved the pump to the Motobecane since I couldn't ride the Gazelle, but then I rode the Peugeot the next day instead because of the threat of rain (which did materialize). When I grabbed the Gazelle yesterday morning I didn't think about the pump. How foolish of me.

So I was walking home when another cyclist came the other direction, a fellow commuter I've been waving to twice a day for several weeks now. He stopped and offered me his pump, a mini thingy with a Schrader head and which doesn't put out much air. It turns out he'd never seen Presta valves before. He did have a Presta adapter but didn't know how to use it. So I showed him how it worked and we talked while I swapped tubes. He also commented on how quickly I had removed the wheel. Apparently he'd never seen a road bike with QR skewers. He commented on the downtube shift levers. Apparently he'd never seen them either.

We managed to get only about 50psi into the 23mm Veloflex Master tire, but at least it supported my weight. I thanked him, we wished each other a safe trip and took off. Of course by then the sun was getting low. I had been running with a L&M Urban 650 but I'd turned it off when I stopped. Dang, it wouldn't turn back on. A week ago after that spell of totally saturated wet air it's charging or metering circuit had apparently taken on some moisture and misbehaved a little but had recovered. Now after cooling in the chill of the evening some condensation may have developed inside again.

So I had two issues, riding home gently lest I snake-bite the rear and riding home quickly enough to get home before dark. I thought about stopping at Ride Studio in Lexington or detouring through Arlington to either of two bike shops. But both options would make me later. So I continued on.

Long story, short conclusion. The rest of the ride was uneventful, though I had to removed my sunglasses to see. Later that evening the Gazelle was ready to go again, carrying its frame pump like it usually does.

So today I rode the Gazelle. The trip was uneventful. Woburn Center still has not been paved. That just makes it more fun.

Jim from Boston

Nicely told story, jmm. The only bright spot, as I see it is that it was a clear puncture with an identifiable shard, and you didn't have to hunt.

What??? No CO2 cartridge?

jimmuller 

Thanks.

Noop. I ride C&V bikes, remember? We don't need no stinkin' CO2 cartridge.

A few weeks ago I picked up a flat on my commute, patched it, pumped it with my frame pump and rode on. I was curious how much air I'd managed to put into the tire so when I got home I put my Silca floor pump w/gauge on it. I was astonished to see it had over 140psi. (Those tires are rated for 140 and that's where I usually run them.) Who needs CO2? The frame pump never runs out of air. But you do need to remember to carry it along.

Yesterday I exchanged waves again with my rescuer. I expect I'll see him again one or two times today.

guidoStow

Leaves dropping already in the low areas. I had to head up to find some color. Leaves from Littleton, Harvard and Stow.

jimmuller 

We did 51 2/3 miles on the tandem today. Yeah, it was windy and cool, very October.

rholland1951

Friday evening, I stopped by Paramount Bicycle Repair and picked up the Rawland Nordavinden, newly equipped with fenders, a front rack, and light mounts: Tyler and I formally declared the build over...


Today, took the Rawland out for 32 miles, the variation on the North Bridge loop that runs outbound on the Reformatory Branch and inbound on Monument Street and River Road. Sunny, chilly, windy, good day for a ride, but it did give me a refresher course in the value of a windblocking layer: refreshing indeed...





I paused to admire a raft of fallen leaves on Elm Brook, Bedford.


Reformatory Branch gave me a chance to exercise this bike on dirt, rocks, roots, sand. It passed.


Had the customary glimpse of Great Meadows NWR.


Fun with the multi-path path:


The Monument Street rollers had some leaf peeping to offer.




Rolled back to Depot Park and home.


rod

rholland1951

Seven cold, windy miles in street clothes, riding the old GT Karakoram to points up and down the Minuteman with a couple of ABAC folks, doing an informal evaluation of candidate sites for a historical marker. Riding that old bike in the cold reminds me that Winter's coming, and I'll have the studded tires on it soon enough...

rod

rholland1951

Took the Nordavinden out for a night ride in the mild air, chasing my headlights and racing my shadow up and down the Minuteman to Lexington Center and back. There's a graceful quality to this bike that I'm still getting used to, kind of a hoot to glide through the darkness.


Set up a light on one of the just-installed fork light mounts; it worked as well as I hoped.


rod

rholland1951

Short ride in street clothes on the old GT tonight, up to Arlington Center to attend an ABAC meeting, then home when it was done. Fun to scoot around a mostly-empty Mass. Ave. on that little bike.

rod

jimmuller 

Here's a pic from a few days ago. I've been commuting.

Yesterday's evening traffic was devoid of redeeming social value. Lots of impatience, especially by drivers of BMW's through Waverley Square. Really. Four of them.

Woburn has paved all of the ground-up pavement in Woburn Square!

Addendum:
Well, I made it to work safely again this morning, riding the Motobecane to try its sew-up tires on the new Woburn pavement. It's a nice ride too! But I'm starting to wonder if someone is putting stupid-driver formula in our water supply. A conspiracy is up to something, I just know it.

I am really really really hoping Belmont stops piddling around and finishes paving Waverley Square. That project has been going on for well over a year. The traffic through there is getting worse and drivers are getting irritated. On the bright side, traffic through Arlington Center has been rather normal (but still violating the "don't enter an intersection until you have a way out" law), and through the parts of Lexington and Woburn I go through it is actually lighter and pleasant. I think it's because everyone is back there stuck in Belmont.

rholland1951

What a great night for a ride! 10 balmy miles out to Lexington Center and back on the Rawland, short of time so keeping a brisk pace, noticing tonight the butter-smooth friction shifting that seems to be one of the blessings of this build. Had an impromptu game of Drop the Pursuer on the return. Surprising how few folks were out, given the lovely conditions, but that did have the virtue that it left the field clear for some quick rolling.




rod

jimmuller 

Rod, nice pics of the dark.

I made it home safely yesterday and discovered that lo! Belmont had paved Waverley Square, all except the part of Lexington Street over the RR tracks south to Sycamore. Nice pavement. No paint on the new stuff yet though so the drivers have a sense of undisciplined freedom about where and how they run through. Ah, well, they never paid much attention to the lines anyway.

This morning's commute was YAA (Yet Another Adventure) through Belmont. In all their great wisdom they decided this morning would be perfect to finish the paving. So Lexington Street to W.Sq. was blocked off at Sycamore. Traffic was backed up for 16 zillion miles trying to get through/around/in-between/over/under/whatever. I knew a way around all the fuss, had to walk the bike for a short distance to avoid stalled traffic, made my way over to Belmont Center and back to rt60 and normality. Funny, there wasn't as much traffic running north to rt2 as usual. I wonder why?

rholland1951

Thanks! You see a lot of that, riding at night...

rod

mr_bill

The Paul D. White Bike Path (Boston Side) will have segments closed for reconstruction - starting Monday through Mid(ish)-December.

New road surfaces - paint in progress:

Mass Ave East Arlington, after this year's big reconstruction:


Beacon Street Somerville, before next year's big reconstruction:




-mr. bill

jimmuller 

Construction, harumph. Belmont is finally getting around to paving Waverley Square. They are doing it during morning rush hours. Okay, maybe they are finished by rush hour, since I do ride through there pretty early.

rholland1951

Between business travel, social obligations, the weather, and the cold that everyone has either already had, is currently having, or hasn't had yet (TCTEHEAHICHOHHY, for short), I realized it had been a week since I'd been on the bike, and today's compact Indian Summer was not going to linger, so I arranged to be home from work a little earlier than usual, and took the Rawland Nordavinden out for a spin in the warm but windy afternoon.


ABAC was looking for photos documenting the current state of the center line striping on the Minuteman, so I took a bunch. In places the stripe is in good shape...




In lots of other places, it's fading away, or completely gone... of course, the fallen leaves don't help...






In summary, extensive stretches of the Minuteman don't have a functional center line. People are maintaining the lane protocol pretty well, considering.

I cleared the Lexington line and took a few pictures of the sunset and autumn colors, just for variety.






Turned around at Woburn Street, and rode home in the dark.


rod

jimmuller 

ROd, nice pics and report on the MM. I rode my commute again every day except during the heavy rain. (Was the Wednesday or Tuesday?) I rode the next day and had a minor incident on the MM where it covered heavily with wet leaves. Somewhere west of Arlington my rear wheel suddenly slithered to the right and the bike tilted left. I reacted properly apparently and managed to get the bike going where I wanted it to go with no real theatrics. Another cyclist behind me commented "Nice recovery!" I said thanks and asked whether my wheels had slipped or I had ridden off the pavement. He said I rode off the pavement. Yow, the edge was completely hidden under the leaves and perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention. The other issue with that day's commute was the amount of debris. Twigs, branches, gravel, leaves, etc. Gotta' be careful out there!

Today I rode the Bianchi with a wheel I strung up a few days ago on a dynamo hub. It was pretty neat! Lots of light, and I could feel no effect fo the generator at all. Gotta' love technology!

rholland1951

Lucked into Friday off, and took the Rawland out to Depot Park, Bedford. Our one day of Indian Summer has gone elsewhere, and this was true October weather, cool and clear. The rays of the low sun turned the Minuteman pavement into one long run of barcode, and the strobe-blink in the left eye invited cyclists to interpret the scan.


No need to travel for peak foliage, it's here now.


















Jim, today I saw a rider slip right over the pavement edge just beyond Bedford Street in Lexington, on the newly repaved section. It rises several inches from the shoulder, an abrupt shelf. Fortunately, she stayed upright. That's a hazard that ought to be mitigated.

rod