What a pleasure to read and great perspective. I recall having two rides planned for two weekends in a row when the first was rescheduled to the day before the second ride. I felt good and figured I could manage both. The second ride was a classic bike ride and I prepared and test rode my 1980 Raleigh including recently acquired replacement sewup rims. It was all set.
The first ride was Free Friday and I rode up to West Natick, met a friend and we took the train to Grafton. We then biked over to Rt 122 and sailed down hill, down stream along the Blackstone River valley to Cumberland/Central Falls. We made diversions wiggles and stops including taking a tow path trail on the historic canal. We left Rt 122 in Northbridge on Quaker St and entered the trail off of Church St Ext. It started smooth then ran out of funding to the "I asked for it" un restored roots, rocks, ruts and erosion with plenty of role reversal where we carried the bikes. It was fascinating! Visited the on route museum in Uxbridge, returned to the road road at Rt16, lunched in Woonsocket and zigzagged up to S.Attlborough train station to Rt 128 station where we hitched a prearranged car ride. Great 40 mile trip. I did in my back and bailed on the Saturday ride.
I asked for it. I did get to admire the engineering marvel of the canal in the heart of the American industrial revolution and see portions of the stone canal lock that with new wooden doors would work well today. I didn't get to make the classic ride but I will be ready for next time.