Metro Boston: Good ride today?

**mtalinm** · 03-07-12, 06:22 PM

had a pretty special experience this morning. a friend of mine works at one of the companies sponsoring Stephen Phillips in his attempt to break the around-the-world cycling record: http://www.globecycleracer.com/index.html

Stephen arrived in Boston last night, and so my friend invited me to join him and some co-workers to ride a 10 mile stretch with Stephen from Burlington to Concord center. (Stephen then did another 90 miles after that - it's roughly a century a day I think.)

What surprised me most was how "regular" his bike is. Nothing fancy, pretty much an MTB with an IGH and a disc brake in back (v-brakes up front). not even a belt drive, just a regular chain. cool thing was that he uses the same rims I do on my commuter (Sun Rhyno Lite).

who knows if he'll break the record or even finish, but it was pretty cool to rub shoulders with a potential record holder.

(and since you are wondering, we only averaged 12.3 during those 10 miles. he didn't seem to be in a rush)

**rholland1951** · 03-07-12, 06:31 PM

Rode out to Depot Park, Bedford, after work, starting a few minutes before sunset. Felt like early Spring more than late Winter, lots of folks out, most acting suitably frisky. Venus and Jupiter were peeping through the high overcast layer in the West, the Moon had it all lit up in the East. A jolly 20 miles.

rod

**jimmuller** · 03-07-12, 07:49 PM

I took a bit of time off from work this afternoon. Rode maybe 8 miles but it was into a hard wind up to the airport at the top of the hill behind work. Lots of sand on the road, had to take it easy to avoid skidding out on a corner or braking. But it wasn't exactly metro Boston, more like metro Boston Rhode Island Division.

**Jim from Boston** · 03-07-12, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by himespau

Anyone know if they're doing the Boston Marathon ride again this year (I assume so, just am sort of out of the loop so haven't heard anything about it)?

Here's the link for this year's ride:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze19fa1o/events.html#27th

**himespau** · 03-08-12, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Here's the link for this year's ride:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze19fa1o/events.html#27th

thanks, might try that this year.

**jimmuller** · 03-08-12, 09:04 AM

Has anyone seen or heard from sherbornpeddler recently? He used to be active in this thread, indeed he started it. He has been in absentia lately.

**ZIPP2001** · 03-08-12, 06:45 PM

Was able to get in a 20 mile ride after work before dust set in. Had a blast playing in the wind, can't wait to change the clocks this weekend and get longer ride in after work.

**cmolway** · 03-09-12, 07:41 AM

I can't believe that rode 1K miles in February and I am on track to do it again this month. Last year I might have logged 2-3 quality outside rides in the same time frame. Busted out a 54 mile ride Wednesday with as many hills as I could find on my way back home from work. Probably saw ten times the number of cyclists out on my route as I usually see. I think I saw 10 total Wednesday.

Even with the warmer temps yesterday, I think Wednesday was the pick of the week because of the wind. Yesterday was a short 23 mile loop home. I had the wind at my back for half of the loop and set multiple Strava PR's until I turned back into the wind and had to do my best to simply keep moving forward.

**rholland1951** · 03-10-12, 05:03 PM

Out to Depot Park, Bedford, and back, 20 miles, this time finishing at sunset. Odd to do it in daylight, made odder by a mass migration of semi-aware pedestrians, mostly in family groups arrayed vaguely across the path, young children or young dogs adding the spice of indeterminacy, used the bell a lot, thought about Fellini films and zombie flicks in turn. This was supposed to be a longer ride through Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln, but got distracted trouble-shooting what turned out to be a valve stem failure, ultimately swapping in a new tube, and had to be content with the red-wing blackbirds calling in Tophet Swamp.

rod

**sherbornpeddler** · 03-11-12, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by jimmuller

Has anyone seen or heard from sherbornpeddler recently? He used to be active in this thread, indeed he started it. He has been in absentia lately.

Jim,
I've been following in all respects. I didn't get on the bike much last year and am inspired by everyone's updates. I rode 37 miles yesterday on good old Strawberry-Pine-Claybrook cloverleaf route in Sherborn, Dover, Westwood and Medfield. Gosh it is beautiful out!

**himespau** · 03-11-12, 01:08 PM

Took the daughter out for our second try with the trailer today (just around the emerald necklace). Still getting the hang of it. I need to figure out where the wheels are for dodging the worst of the bumps. Guess that'll take some practice. Got most of the way done (maybe 2 miles from home) when she freaked out. Nothing to do but get home ASAP. Hope that doesn't start bad associations with the stroller.

**jimmuller** · 03-11-12, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by sherbornpeddler

Jim,
I've been following in all respects. I didn't get on the bike much last year and am inspired by everyone's updates. I rode 37 miles yesterday on good old Strawberry-Pine-Claybrook cloverleaf route in Sherborn, Dover, Westwood and Medfield. Gosh it is beautiful out!

Good to hear from you! Good you got out today. It was grand.

**jimmuller** · 03-11-12, 05:52 PM

Today we did 40.12 miles on the tandem. Nearly 60 degrees in New England on march 11? Let us hope the benevolent weather won't be so aggressively warm come July. But it was great for biking today!

Our band had a gig last night so we had a late start (and less energy that we might otherwise). Nevertheless, three of us band members, Rich (our banjo player and a cyclist from long ago) and Sharon (my sweetie from long ago and now) and myself, had planned to ride, so ride we did. Rich rode the Raleigh International he found in a dumpster many years ago. We rode the Peugeot tandem I rebuilt last winter. Part of the ride took us along Battlefield Road where the British column marched from Boston to Concord and then back to Boston, April 19, 1775, essentially the opening hostilities of the American Revolution.

We first stopped for a bite to eat in Lexington, not far from where the British column was first intercepted by the Lexington militia.

Here is a rest stop closer to Concord, where the British raided a few farms and then decided it might be prudent to head back to Boston.

And at the North Bridge park HQ, just to show off the bike:

**bikinggrrrl** · 03-11-12, 06:00 PM

Bike is clean and ready for the road and I successfully wore out my hip running too much this winter. I'll be looking for y'all out in the Concord/Carlisle/Bedford areas.

**jimmuller** · 03-12-12, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by bikinggrrrl

Bike is clean and ready for the road and I successfully wore out my hip running too much this winter. I'll be looking for y'all out in the Concord/Carlisle/Bedford areas.

Ooh, not good news about the hip. Let us hope it is only a temporary problem. (FWIW, I am a big fan of glucosamine and chondroitin for cartiledge health, though it's probably not an overnight remedy for anything.) Nevertheless, get out on the tandem! We'll keep an eye out for you.

**bikinggrrrl** · 03-12-12, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by himespau

Took the daughter out for our second try with the trailer today (just around the emerald necklace). Still getting the hang of it. I need to figure out where the wheels are for dodging the worst of the bumps. Guess that'll take some practice. Got most of the way done (maybe 2 miles from home) when she freaked out. Nothing to do but get home ASAP. Hope that doesn't start bad associations with the stroller.

Himespau, does she still take a mid-day nap? Would it be possible to go cycling right about when she is feeling a bit sleepy? I have found that the trailer lulls my kiddo to sleep, resulting in rest for him and an opportunity for a wine-free ride for me.

**himespau** · 03-12-12, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by bikinggrrrl

Himespau, does she still take a mid-day nap? Would it be possible to go cycling right about when she is feeling a bit sleepy? I have found that the trailer lulls my kiddo to sleep, resulting in rest for him and an opportunity for a wine-free ride for me.

She's just 13 months, so yeah she does the long mid-day nap. Might give that a try next weekend. She really didn't want to get in the trailer this morning (pulled her just 2 miles to her day care before commuting in), but she was happy enough once we got going.

**jimmuller** · 03-12-12, 09:01 PM

I did my first bike commute today, the usual 25 mile round trip from Attleboro, MA to work in Lincoln, RI. The weather was like May, except that the sunlight was more like March.

**rholland1951** · 03-13-12, 07:39 PM

Quick 10-mile ride to Lexington Center on the Minuteman this evening in the splendid, warm night air, wearing shorts and a light top. Jupiter was paying court to Venus in the West, Mars looking sullen and war-ominous in the East. The Night Chorous is getting more raucous and varied, but the best of that is yet to come.

rod

**bikinggrrrl** · 03-14-12, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by jimmuller

Ooh, not good news about the hip. Let us hope it is only a temporary problem. (FWIW, I am a big fan of glucosamine and chondroitin for cartiledge health, though it's probably not an overnight remedy for anything.) Nevertheless, get out on the tandem! We'll keep an eye out for you.

Thanks Jim. Seeing doc today. Ice, rest and advil help.

Tandem is ready to go but hasn't made its spring debut yet. I had a very laborious and short ride on Monday. Felt good to be out riding again but boy-oh-boy ... I'm outta cycing shape. The kid gained weight over the winter too. Good news though: I can only improve.

Anyone else notice the toilet seat leaning up against a tree on North Road (near Great Brook Farm in Carlisle)? Whats up with that? I have seen plenty of hubcaps over the years but never a toilet seat.

**jimmuller** · 03-14-12, 08:39 AM

Rode the Bianchi Brava to work this morning, about 12.5 miles one way. (So far I'm still at work, of course, but I expect to ride back this afternoon too.) Cool and pleasant. Foggy-yyyyyyy, so foggy my glasses would glaze over so eventually I removed them. Better to see not so well than see not at all.

Evening addition: I left the office a few minutes to 5 with the sky bright blue and the sun shining. Co-workers who had gone out running at lunch had told me it would be a great ride home. So I removed my fleece shirt before leaving. Ooh, there was a stiff cold wind out of the east, which meant a headwind. Within half a mile I'd stopped and put my fleece back on.

By the time I crossed the Blackstone River the sky was fully clouded over and every public building's flag was standing at attention in the wind. That wind was now both cold and damp, still a strong headwind. I was glad I'd left a bit earlier than necessary.

Hunger snuck up on me too, requiring a stop to eat a Larabar between the Attleboro water station and the I95 bridge. I pushed the gearing up and cranked hard for the last mile to the station just to generate some heat and of course to get out of the wind as soon as possible. The last few minutes waiting on the platform was a cold experience. You can't turn the collar up but so far on a cycle shirt. At least the train was warm. When I got into my car its thermometer read 42degF.

But the bike was great! Last night I'd replaced the 100mm stem with an 80mm one, and now it fits like a glove, very responsive and agile. Oh, joy!

**cmolway** · 03-14-12, 10:44 AM

Foggy and dark ride in this morning too. I don't know if it was taking a day off the bike or if I had a tailwind but I felt like I was flying all the way into Boston. Even with stopping for lights and slowing for pedestrians on a short stretch of sidewalk (unavoidable), I still managed to average 20mph (which meant my "rolling average" was closer to 25-27mph). Went for a 6 mile run around the Charles River immediately after getting to work and now my legs feel like sacks of sand. Planning on "extra miles" for the commute home to make up for the warm days I missed on the bike. I wish it was a little warmer though.

**thehum** · 03-14-12, 06:32 PM

Last night half of Boston lost power:

Police cruiser lights practically lit up the city:

biking outbound on Beacon St. felt like entering a very dark tunnel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh3G1YsL6aU

I work in Cambridge, so I didn't bike into Boston this morning, but it definitely wasn't as warm as yesterday.

more on my blog

**pocky** · 03-15-12, 07:47 PM

I bike-ran the dog to work four times in the past week (Mem drive path), after having only biked alone since the fall. He hadn't forgotten a thing! He was pretty fast on Friday afternoon, a little on the slow side Monday morning (perhaps daylight savings time took a toll on him?), and the fastest I've ever seen him yesterday evening. He usually more than doubles my commute from 25 minutes to an hour, but yesterday we managed to cut 10 minutes off and do it in around 50!

Originally Posted by jimmuller

We rode the Peugeot tandem I rebuilt last winter. Part of the ride took us along Battlefield Road where the British column marched from Boston to Concord and then back to Boston, April 19, 1775, essentially the opening hostilities of the American Revolution.

Jim, so awesome to see the tandem all restored! Congrats, it looks like a really sweet ride. (Now I see what you meant about the black rear rim!)

**jimmuller** · 03-18-12, 05:46 PM

We did 35.56 miles on the tandem today. What great weather, though a bit scary for mid-March in New England.

Our band played a late-night gig last night, then we rode all those miles, and now I'm drinking a great brew, Harpoon IPA. It's a deadly combination, when you get right down to it. It's a good thing I had a bit of chocolate earlier or I'd be drifting right off to sleeeeekr'relelr vrer

Thread: Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Posting Permissions