Last week I posted,
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
… Last Tuesday (3/24) was the first ride on my carbon fiber bike since January 1, because I keep it pristine, only ridden on dry, salt and debris-free roads…
All in all, it might have been premature to ride that route on my CF bike, but it still was a pleasure….Anyways I considered the above ride a sign that this Historic Winter is over, but nonetheless a difficult ride due to the road damage by the severe weather…
On sunny, cloudless Saturday afternoon (4/4), I did the first true ride of spring, on the carbon fiber bike, from Norwood to Kenmore. First time this year with:
- no facemask, balaclava or goggles
- single pair of thin knit gloves
- overly warm with fleece, instead of winter jacket
- single pair of tights
- single pair of socks, no cycling boots.
- dry snow free-roads, and shoulders with wide swaths of debris-free pavement.
I did encounter a few shiny wet patches, and though it was likely in the 50’s, thoughts of black ice did recur.
My ride was one of the windiest I can recall in Boston with gusty pushing winds, as head-, tail- and cross-winds, with sporadic gusts strong enough to push me leftwards towards the traveling lanes. Another reason to have a rearview mirror, to monitor upcoming rearward traffic for those surprise deviations from the straight forward progression.
My ride included the previously described “Goddard Street Swoop" in Brookline,
Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
…
I want to also tout [the downhill run on] Goddard Street by Larz Anderson Park in Brookline. From the top it’s about 1.5 miles past Jamaica Pond to Boylston Street (Rte 9). So it’s very scenic with gentle curves, with low traffic, and notably only one cross street as I recall, on the uphill side, until the road starts to flatten out at the Pond…. Just past the crest is a turn-off, so you can allow any cars behind you to pass, and then cruise almost uninterrupted for nearly the entire length. Even after the single traffic light just past the Pond, it is still declining and one can easily (for me) pedal up to 20 mph.
Originally Posted by
sherbornpeddler
…Metro Bostonians have mastered a lot of the same roads.
We all have very individual, favorite routes. I bet we could compile a list of favorite sections of roads where the sun, shade, swoops and turns fly by just right.
with this further observation; the road surfaces were smooth asphalt with
no potholes until it started to level out in Boston at Jamaica Pond.