Metro Boston: Good ride today?
10-11-13, 05:09 AM
#3026
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100% agree on the blinding lights on the MM at night. I wish the word would get around. My current light is an "asymetrical" that focusses the light down on the ground. There are drawbacks; things higher than 4 feet can be in the dark (signs, tree branches), but it does the job and doesn't bother others.
10-11-13, 08:13 PM
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Out on the Minuteman again tonight, 10 miles. Tonight's football game was between the Arlington Catholic High School Cougars (who apparently share the AHS field) and the Archbishop Williams High School Bishops. This lured little groups of well-behaved teens, who wandered around benignly, like sheep. A bit beyond Fottler Ave., in Lexington, three or four cops were taking an apparently disoriented man into custody. At the Brown Homestead, a screech owl called three times.
rod
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 10-11-13 at 10:34 PM.
10-12-13, 09:16 AM
#3028
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Two great days recumbent riding 20 mile routes through Sherborn, Millis and Norfolk. Early leaves, pine needles and acorns blown to the side narrow the roads.
Last edited by sherbornpeddler; 10-16-13 at 12:32 PM. Reason: grammer
10-12-13, 07:29 PM
#3029
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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Metro Boston, Cape Cod Division:
49 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, round trip plus a run over to the Atlantic.
49 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, round trip plus a run over to the Atlantic.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
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jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
10-12-13, 09:21 PM
#3030
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Spent a couple of hours in the garage with unfinished busniness on the old GT Karakoram. Mounted a pump and a couple of bottle cages, removed an old U-lock bracket that I'm no longer using from the frame, added a saddlebag with a spare tube and a multitool, moved one of the rear lights. Here's the result:
Rode over to Ball Square, Somerville, to pick up a pair of tire levers from Paramount Bicycle Repair; that makes a dedicated kit for each of the three bikes, no more mad sorting before a ride. Told Tyler I intended to ride over to Estabrook Woods and bounce off rocks with this bike, to get an idea of what the tires (55mm Schwalbe Big Bens) were capable of, and he looked very serious and said, "Any bike can be ridden anywhere. It depends on the rider." With that wisdom to frame the ride, I took off in the general direction of Concord, taking Broadway back to Arlington, then picking up the Minuteman and riding to the end of that.
By the time I got to Depot Park, it was after 2, so I stopped for some lunch, one of the Freight House's excellent hot dogs. Moved on soon enough, out Railroad Avenue to the head of the Reformatory Branch Trail.
Rolled through the familiar Bedford section, noting that the Big Bens made short work of the occasional rocks, roots, and sand on that section of the trail, and rolled right over the low concrete barrier that crosses it at one point. That was a revelation. Crossed Route 62 and continued on the Concord section of the Reformatory Branch, something I usually avoid because it contains a couple of sucking mires. Today they weren't a problem, either because we've had relatively little rainfall lately, or because someone has dug some new drainage ditches, or both.
The trail continued alongside the Great Meadows National Wildlife Reservation...
However...
I briefly considered the opportunity to ride the bike along the Great Meadows trails, which would have been pleasant, but came to the conclusion that there were enough abusive, irresponsible jerks in the House of Representatives without adding another one on a bicycle, disturbing the ducks. Continued on the Reformatory Branch to Monument Road...
Crossed Monument and continued on the Reformatory Branch to Lowell Street, then took that to Liberty Street, following that to Estabrook Road.
To be continued...
rod
Rode over to Ball Square, Somerville, to pick up a pair of tire levers from Paramount Bicycle Repair; that makes a dedicated kit for each of the three bikes, no more mad sorting before a ride. Told Tyler I intended to ride over to Estabrook Woods and bounce off rocks with this bike, to get an idea of what the tires (55mm Schwalbe Big Bens) were capable of, and he looked very serious and said, "Any bike can be ridden anywhere. It depends on the rider." With that wisdom to frame the ride, I took off in the general direction of Concord, taking Broadway back to Arlington, then picking up the Minuteman and riding to the end of that.
By the time I got to Depot Park, it was after 2, so I stopped for some lunch, one of the Freight House's excellent hot dogs. Moved on soon enough, out Railroad Avenue to the head of the Reformatory Branch Trail.
Rolled through the familiar Bedford section, noting that the Big Bens made short work of the occasional rocks, roots, and sand on that section of the trail, and rolled right over the low concrete barrier that crosses it at one point. That was a revelation. Crossed Route 62 and continued on the Concord section of the Reformatory Branch, something I usually avoid because it contains a couple of sucking mires. Today they weren't a problem, either because we've had relatively little rainfall lately, or because someone has dug some new drainage ditches, or both.
The trail continued alongside the Great Meadows National Wildlife Reservation...
However...
I briefly considered the opportunity to ride the bike along the Great Meadows trails, which would have been pleasant, but came to the conclusion that there were enough abusive, irresponsible jerks in the House of Representatives without adding another one on a bicycle, disturbing the ducks. Continued on the Reformatory Branch to Monument Road...
Crossed Monument and continued on the Reformatory Branch to Lowell Street, then took that to Liberty Street, following that to Estabrook Road.
To be continued...
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 10-15-13 at 09:59 PM.
10-12-13, 10:03 PM
#3031
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Estabrook Road in Concord starts as a beautiful, paved road bracketed by picturesque gentleman farms and estates.
Soon enough, the pavement ends; at first, there's a handsome, graded dirt road.
Shortly, a sign welcomes you to the Estabrook Woods, and tells you what's what. Note that among the list of prohibited activities is "marking of trails"; this turns out to be significant...
My goal today was to ride Estabrook Road, an abandoned carriage road running through Estabrook Woods, from the maintained section in Concord to the maintained section in Carlisle. I had done this once before, a couple of years ago, on my LHT, and recall some hard riding and a couple of pedal-strikes on stones. Thought I'd do better on the old mountain bike with the 55mm balloon tires. I was a half right.
A map of Estabrook Woods exists; I didn't use it. As it happens, I left Estabrook Road almost immediately, bearing right when I should have borne left. From then on, I was having an adventure. The trail I found myself on wound around the East side of Mink Pond, beautiful, but narrow, planted with rock gardens and carpeted with roots, with sharp up- and down-grades in rapid succession, too steep and too closely spaced to permit use of anything but the low range on my MTB triple, and punctuated with windfall trees, fordable brooks, and one sluice.
This was strenuous, and slow going. I clanked along, disturbing frogs and herons; this confirmed me in my decision not to invade Great Meadows NWR, where the critters have a reasonable expectation of not being clanked at. Eventually, my little trail came to a much broader one; this, as it turns out, was the missing Estabrook Road. Without consulting the GPS gods, I turned left when I should have turned right, and soon found myself back where I had started, on the edge of the Woods. Realized my error, but also realized that there was only an hour of daylight left, and headed home, noting as I did that the Congresscritters had also succeeded in closing the North Bridge park. Since our Congresscritters are generally well-behaved and not throwing bombs, writing them wouldn't help; perhaps writing somebody else's might... assuming they can read...
I did learn that the Big Bens can roll and bounce over many things that would cause a wreck with skinnier tires. I also learned that simply mounting 55mm tires on an old mountain bike does not magically endow me with technical riding skills that I never had. Damn. Tyler was right...
36 miles that felt like 50, through Arlington, Somerville, Lexington, Bedford, and Concord.
rod
Soon enough, the pavement ends; at first, there's a handsome, graded dirt road.
Shortly, a sign welcomes you to the Estabrook Woods, and tells you what's what. Note that among the list of prohibited activities is "marking of trails"; this turns out to be significant...
My goal today was to ride Estabrook Road, an abandoned carriage road running through Estabrook Woods, from the maintained section in Concord to the maintained section in Carlisle. I had done this once before, a couple of years ago, on my LHT, and recall some hard riding and a couple of pedal-strikes on stones. Thought I'd do better on the old mountain bike with the 55mm balloon tires. I was a half right.
A map of Estabrook Woods exists; I didn't use it. As it happens, I left Estabrook Road almost immediately, bearing right when I should have borne left. From then on, I was having an adventure. The trail I found myself on wound around the East side of Mink Pond, beautiful, but narrow, planted with rock gardens and carpeted with roots, with sharp up- and down-grades in rapid succession, too steep and too closely spaced to permit use of anything but the low range on my MTB triple, and punctuated with windfall trees, fordable brooks, and one sluice.
This was strenuous, and slow going. I clanked along, disturbing frogs and herons; this confirmed me in my decision not to invade Great Meadows NWR, where the critters have a reasonable expectation of not being clanked at. Eventually, my little trail came to a much broader one; this, as it turns out, was the missing Estabrook Road. Without consulting the GPS gods, I turned left when I should have turned right, and soon found myself back where I had started, on the edge of the Woods. Realized my error, but also realized that there was only an hour of daylight left, and headed home, noting as I did that the Congresscritters had also succeeded in closing the North Bridge park. Since our Congresscritters are generally well-behaved and not throwing bombs, writing them wouldn't help; perhaps writing somebody else's might... assuming they can read...
I did learn that the Big Bens can roll and bounce over many things that would cause a wreck with skinnier tires. I also learned that simply mounting 55mm tires on an old mountain bike does not magically endow me with technical riding skills that I never had. Damn. Tyler was right...
36 miles that felt like 50, through Arlington, Somerville, Lexington, Bedford, and Concord.
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 11-19-13 at 09:16 AM.
10-13-13, 05:16 PM
#3032
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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I did 70.1 miles on the Masi today, had some interesting experiences. First, the only pic, showing the changing trees:
A little short of mile 20 I stopped at Great Brook Farm State Park and fell into a conversation with three cyclist ogling the Masi. That was fun.
Not so fun was about mile 35 when the chain broke. Actually the PowerLink seems to have separated. Not sure how. I found one piece still on the chain, the other lost forever. I spent 20 minutes looking up and down the road looking. So I decided to hoof it into my intended turnaround point a mile away where there was bike shop which might be open. Then I spotted a mailbox set up on an old Raleigh frame. We had noticed that mailbox before when we rode the tandem that way. Someone was on a riding mower across the road so I hailed him and asked if he was a cyclist. He said no, that was his neighbor's mailbox, a guy who rode a lot and had just returned so he should be home. So I walked up his driveway into the woods and rang the bell of the house in a clearing at the end of the driveway. An older fellow with longish gray hair answered the door and immediately said bring the bike around to the garage and we'd fix it. First he offered a PowerLink but his were for 10-speed chains, the pins too short for mine. Then he pulled out a well-used chaintool and I just popped the chain ends back together, two links smaller of course. During this time we kept up a continuing conversation about old bikes and new. He showed me his Bianchi track bike with chainring so worn that the teeth were just pointed spikes. I thanked him for the help, he said it was payback for all the people who'd helped him through the years.
Then on the return I stopped at Great Brook Farm again and was recognized by another BF member Rod Holland and his wife. We spent a few minutes talking then I begged off to head for home. I was already later than I wanted to be! When I got home my GPS read 70.1 miles, 13.9mph moving average. Not a bad day.
A little short of mile 20 I stopped at Great Brook Farm State Park and fell into a conversation with three cyclist ogling the Masi. That was fun.
Not so fun was about mile 35 when the chain broke. Actually the PowerLink seems to have separated. Not sure how. I found one piece still on the chain, the other lost forever. I spent 20 minutes looking up and down the road looking. So I decided to hoof it into my intended turnaround point a mile away where there was bike shop which might be open. Then I spotted a mailbox set up on an old Raleigh frame. We had noticed that mailbox before when we rode the tandem that way. Someone was on a riding mower across the road so I hailed him and asked if he was a cyclist. He said no, that was his neighbor's mailbox, a guy who rode a lot and had just returned so he should be home. So I walked up his driveway into the woods and rang the bell of the house in a clearing at the end of the driveway. An older fellow with longish gray hair answered the door and immediately said bring the bike around to the garage and we'd fix it. First he offered a PowerLink but his were for 10-speed chains, the pins too short for mine. Then he pulled out a well-used chaintool and I just popped the chain ends back together, two links smaller of course. During this time we kept up a continuing conversation about old bikes and new. He showed me his Bianchi track bike with chainring so worn that the teeth were just pointed spikes. I thanked him for the help, he said it was payback for all the people who'd helped him through the years.
Then on the return I stopped at Great Brook Farm again and was recognized by another BF member Rod Holland and his wife. We spent a few minutes talking then I begged off to head for home. I was already later than I wanted to be! When I got home my GPS read 70.1 miles, 13.9mph moving average. Not a bad day.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
10-13-13, 05:39 PM
#3033
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Then on the return I stopped at Great Brook Farm again and was recognized by another BF member Rod Holland and his wife. We spent a few minutes talking then I begged off to head for home. I was already later than I wanted to be! When I got home my GPS read 70.1 miles, 13.9mph moving average. Not a bad day.
rod
10-13-13, 05:44 PM
#3034
What??? Only 2 wheels?
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Oh dear, sorry to get it wrong. I wasn't running a strong program at that time, after about 55 miles and a broken chain. Meeting you and Ellen was indeed delightful, a pleasant re-entry into the earth's atmosphere.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Last edited by jimmuller; 10-13-13 at 09:14 PM. Reason: I can't count
10-13-13, 06:34 PM
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rod
10-14-13, 10:00 PM
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64 miles to Groton on Columbus Day. Ever since a (mis)adventure last year, in which I lost my way on the abandoned Dan Parker Road, I've wanted to have another try at doing that right. The shortening days at this season put a premium on getting things done NOW, so when Columbus Day more or less fell into my lap, unplanned, it seemed like the time for it. However, it was also the time to sleep in, so I didn't get on the road until a few minutes before noon. That ruled out a broad loop, and argued for a straight shot out Route 225, coming and going.
Route 225 is a direct and congenial NW vector; I've come to think of it as an extension of the Minuteman, with better hills, and cars substituted for in-line skaters and baby carriages ("good trade", as the old joke says). The scenery is familiar and at times gorgeous; long familiarity sensitizes one to seasonal and incidental variations. With Halloween coming, some of these ran to the Gothic.
Stopped at a farm stand in Westford and bought a bottle of cider. Made peace, if not friends, with the Farmer's giant mastiff, good dog! The Farmer's Wife thought "Surly Trucker DeLuxe" was a funny name for a bicycle; I could only agree...
Left Route 225 at Forge Village, rolling up Abbot Street, Town Farm Road, E. Prescott Street, and West Street past the Westford Sportsman's Club and its posted "active firing range", over the Groton line on Graniteville Road. Jogged one block W on Route 40, and picked up Cow Pond Brook Road (jogging one block E would have got me to Haystack Observatory). After a block or two of housing developments, Cow Pond Brook Road began to give me the wooded peace and quiet I was riding for.
Picked up Hoyt's Wharf Road, developed by beavers...
... and Old Dunstable Road, with its old asphalt...
Turning onto Rocky Hill Road, well-graded gravel.
I followed Rocky Hill Road to the point at which it meets Martin's Pond Road. Here lies the Wharton Plantation (a tree farm), and the beginning of Dan Parker Road. Abandoned in 1932, Dan Parker Road runs through the Wharton Plantation, from Rocky Hill Road at the S end to Raddin Road at the N end. As such, it constitutes a potentially useful bypass of Groton Center. The part that I had ridden last year--before taking a wrong turn that ultimately connected with Blood Road--was quite rideable, and I wanted to explore the rest of it (good Columbus Day activity, after all).
To be continued...
rod
Route 225 is a direct and congenial NW vector; I've come to think of it as an extension of the Minuteman, with better hills, and cars substituted for in-line skaters and baby carriages ("good trade", as the old joke says). The scenery is familiar and at times gorgeous; long familiarity sensitizes one to seasonal and incidental variations. With Halloween coming, some of these ran to the Gothic.
Stopped at a farm stand in Westford and bought a bottle of cider. Made peace, if not friends, with the Farmer's giant mastiff, good dog! The Farmer's Wife thought "Surly Trucker DeLuxe" was a funny name for a bicycle; I could only agree...
Left Route 225 at Forge Village, rolling up Abbot Street, Town Farm Road, E. Prescott Street, and West Street past the Westford Sportsman's Club and its posted "active firing range", over the Groton line on Graniteville Road. Jogged one block W on Route 40, and picked up Cow Pond Brook Road (jogging one block E would have got me to Haystack Observatory). After a block or two of housing developments, Cow Pond Brook Road began to give me the wooded peace and quiet I was riding for.
Picked up Hoyt's Wharf Road, developed by beavers...
... and Old Dunstable Road, with its old asphalt...
Turning onto Rocky Hill Road, well-graded gravel.
I followed Rocky Hill Road to the point at which it meets Martin's Pond Road. Here lies the Wharton Plantation (a tree farm), and the beginning of Dan Parker Road. Abandoned in 1932, Dan Parker Road runs through the Wharton Plantation, from Rocky Hill Road at the S end to Raddin Road at the N end. As such, it constitutes a potentially useful bypass of Groton Center. The part that I had ridden last year--before taking a wrong turn that ultimately connected with Blood Road--was quite rideable, and I wanted to explore the rest of it (good Columbus Day activity, after all).
To be continued...
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 10-15-13 at 06:15 PM.
10-15-13, 09:50 AM
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Dan Parker Road starts benignly enough, as rideable as anything off-road ever is...
A series of forks in the road presents challenges for the traveller. The first fork (I bore right):
The second fork (I bore right again, despite the little stone cairn on the stump, beckoning left):
The third fork is almost a T-junction. This is where I went wrong the last time, haring off to the right; this time I bore left...
...and was rewarded with the True Dan Parker Road. What had been hard-packed trail with easy grades and a few stones and roots became an exemplary New England Abandoned Carriage Road, all up- and down-hill with big rocks, loose stones ranging from golf-ball to soft-ball size, and a generous load of sand spread over the last quarter-mile or so, sometimes overlaid with pine needles and big sticks that looked like they wanted to get to know my fenders better. It was a challenging ride, taught me a few tricks, and reminded me that there were tricks that I had never bothered to learn which would have come in handy just then. Where I couldn't make forward progress, wasn't having fun, or simply thought my skills weren't up to the challenge, I walked the bike. To be fair to the bike, the Trucker DeLuxe running Compass Bicycle 44mm tires at 50-ish psi handled everything I had the nerve to throw at it, and probably would have handled more. And the S&S couplers held the frame together nicely, in spite of a genuinely hard ride.
It is worth mentioning that Google Maps indicates Dan Parker Road as a bicycle path; trust but verify, as usual. I guess the Groton Town Fathers knew what they were doing when they abandoned this one. All good hilly, rocky, sandy things must come to an end, however, and Dan Parker Road spat me out onto Raddin Road.
To be continued...
rod
A series of forks in the road presents challenges for the traveller. The first fork (I bore right):
The second fork (I bore right again, despite the little stone cairn on the stump, beckoning left):
The third fork is almost a T-junction. This is where I went wrong the last time, haring off to the right; this time I bore left...
...and was rewarded with the True Dan Parker Road. What had been hard-packed trail with easy grades and a few stones and roots became an exemplary New England Abandoned Carriage Road, all up- and down-hill with big rocks, loose stones ranging from golf-ball to soft-ball size, and a generous load of sand spread over the last quarter-mile or so, sometimes overlaid with pine needles and big sticks that looked like they wanted to get to know my fenders better. It was a challenging ride, taught me a few tricks, and reminded me that there were tricks that I had never bothered to learn which would have come in handy just then. Where I couldn't make forward progress, wasn't having fun, or simply thought my skills weren't up to the challenge, I walked the bike. To be fair to the bike, the Trucker DeLuxe running Compass Bicycle 44mm tires at 50-ish psi handled everything I had the nerve to throw at it, and probably would have handled more. And the S&S couplers held the frame together nicely, in spite of a genuinely hard ride.
It is worth mentioning that Google Maps indicates Dan Parker Road as a bicycle path; trust but verify, as usual. I guess the Groton Town Fathers knew what they were doing when they abandoned this one. All good hilly, rocky, sandy things must come to an end, however, and Dan Parker Road spat me out onto Raddin Road.
To be continued...
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 10-17-13 at 07:30 AM.
10-15-13, 10:07 AM
#3038
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Raddin Road starts as gravel crossing a power-line right-of-way, then continues as a paved residential street in the little-house-in-the-woods development idiom.
Raddin Road terminates at Chicopee Row, an exurban arterial with plenty of hills and an old one-room school house (Chicopee School #7 ) undergoing restoration.
Chicopee Row passes the Groton Cemetery, which has an hilarious sign that establishes an equivalence class consisting of dogs, horses, and bicycles, prohibiting them all. I skirted the cemetery on Jewel Lane, and picked up Martins Pond Road. I consider Martins Pond Road to be one of the prettiest rides in the region, as beautiful as Water Row, but with more variety of land-forms and architecture: fields, hill-meadows, forests, swamps, a couple of beautiful kettle-holes, old farms, fine old houses, fine new houses, and one tipi sided with clear polyethelene. By then, I was fretting about the time, and this photo will have to be the part that suggests a much richer whole.
Rode Martins Pond Road back to Rocky Hill Road, looking at the entrance to Dan Parker Road with new knowledge as I passed it. Then ran my route in reverse, back down to Forge Village, then E on Route 225 as efficiently as possible while the light lasted, through Westford and Carlisle. Amazing how you can cover ground if you don't stop to gawk and take pictures. The sun set as I was transiting Carlisle, washing the thin clouds with subtly-changing colors and transforming the fall foliage with new tints. I stopped near Curve Street to try to capture that.
After that, the colors faded, and darkness fell rapidly; by the time I was through Downtown Carlisle, it was full dark. I noticed that the batteries on both my headlights were fading, rare to have them go simultaneously, and changed them on the side of the road, then rode on through Carlisle and into Bedford, spitting lumens fore and aft. The drivers were all well-behaved, none of them squished me; I guess Columbus Day is not one of the alcohol-intensive holidays. Got to Depot Park at 7pm, and rode home on the Minuteman in the dark. Had the place pretty much to myself until Lexington Center. At Seasons Four, a Great Blue Heron lifted off ponderously from the parking lot, its under-plumage dyed orange by the sodium lights. Heard the Unitarians' bell toll eight as I transited Arlington Center.
rod
Raddin Road terminates at Chicopee Row, an exurban arterial with plenty of hills and an old one-room school house (Chicopee School #7 ) undergoing restoration.
Chicopee Row passes the Groton Cemetery, which has an hilarious sign that establishes an equivalence class consisting of dogs, horses, and bicycles, prohibiting them all. I skirted the cemetery on Jewel Lane, and picked up Martins Pond Road. I consider Martins Pond Road to be one of the prettiest rides in the region, as beautiful as Water Row, but with more variety of land-forms and architecture: fields, hill-meadows, forests, swamps, a couple of beautiful kettle-holes, old farms, fine old houses, fine new houses, and one tipi sided with clear polyethelene. By then, I was fretting about the time, and this photo will have to be the part that suggests a much richer whole.
Rode Martins Pond Road back to Rocky Hill Road, looking at the entrance to Dan Parker Road with new knowledge as I passed it. Then ran my route in reverse, back down to Forge Village, then E on Route 225 as efficiently as possible while the light lasted, through Westford and Carlisle. Amazing how you can cover ground if you don't stop to gawk and take pictures. The sun set as I was transiting Carlisle, washing the thin clouds with subtly-changing colors and transforming the fall foliage with new tints. I stopped near Curve Street to try to capture that.
After that, the colors faded, and darkness fell rapidly; by the time I was through Downtown Carlisle, it was full dark. I noticed that the batteries on both my headlights were fading, rare to have them go simultaneously, and changed them on the side of the road, then rode on through Carlisle and into Bedford, spitting lumens fore and aft. The drivers were all well-behaved, none of them squished me; I guess Columbus Day is not one of the alcohol-intensive holidays. Got to Depot Park at 7pm, and rode home on the Minuteman in the dark. Had the place pretty much to myself until Lexington Center. At Seasons Four, a Great Blue Heron lifted off ponderously from the parking lot, its under-plumage dyed orange by the sodium lights. Heard the Unitarians' bell toll eight as I transited Arlington Center.
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 10-15-13 at 09:55 PM.
10-16-13, 01:30 PM
#3039
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Thread Starter
Gosh great rides!
It must be the moon, the weather, the weather that was or will be.
I decided to take the next day off but Monday's weather was so good a 20 mile ride just to hear the tires roll over the leaves seemed reasonable.
Forest St in Sherborn is paved silent smooth and in Dover the leaves made speed seem faster and easier. I decided to stretch it a little and look for a sandwich in Weston. Wellesley, past Rivers School and on up and over Sanderson Hill towards Weston Center then another change to check out the Observatory, Lincoln and Walden Pond. By the time I circled the circle in Concord Center I started to think about getting back before dark.
But why not go back by flood plain, belted cows and ribbon rolling roads through Sudbury and Wayland? Wasn't it Thoreau who said, "It is great art to saunter"?
I stopped to put on blinkies and finished the 55 mile saunter in Sherborn.
It must be the moon, the weather, the weather that was or will be.
I decided to take the next day off but Monday's weather was so good a 20 mile ride just to hear the tires roll over the leaves seemed reasonable.
Forest St in Sherborn is paved silent smooth and in Dover the leaves made speed seem faster and easier. I decided to stretch it a little and look for a sandwich in Weston. Wellesley, past Rivers School and on up and over Sanderson Hill towards Weston Center then another change to check out the Observatory, Lincoln and Walden Pond. By the time I circled the circle in Concord Center I started to think about getting back before dark.
But why not go back by flood plain, belted cows and ribbon rolling roads through Sudbury and Wayland? Wasn't it Thoreau who said, "It is great art to saunter"?
I stopped to put on blinkies and finished the 55 mile saunter in Sherborn.
10-17-13, 07:16 AM
#3040
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Gosh great rides!
It must be the moon, the weather, the weather that was or will be.
I decided to take the next day off but Monday's weather was so good a 20 mile ride just to hear the tires roll over the leaves seemed reasonable.
Forest St in Sherborn is paved silent smooth and in Dover the leaves made speed seem faster and easier. I decided to stretch it a little and look for a sandwich in Weston. Wellesley, past Rivers School and on up and over Sanderson Hill towards Weston Center then another change to check out the Observatory, Lincoln and Walden Pond. By the time I circled the circle in Concord Center I started to think about getting back before dark.
But why not go back by flood plain, belted cows and ribbon rolling roads through Sudbury and Wayland? Wasn't it Thoreau who said, "It is great art to saunter"?
I stopped to put on blinkies and finished the 55 mile saunter in Sherborn.
It must be the moon, the weather, the weather that was or will be.
I decided to take the next day off but Monday's weather was so good a 20 mile ride just to hear the tires roll over the leaves seemed reasonable.
Forest St in Sherborn is paved silent smooth and in Dover the leaves made speed seem faster and easier. I decided to stretch it a little and look for a sandwich in Weston. Wellesley, past Rivers School and on up and over Sanderson Hill towards Weston Center then another change to check out the Observatory, Lincoln and Walden Pond. By the time I circled the circle in Concord Center I started to think about getting back before dark.
But why not go back by flood plain, belted cows and ribbon rolling roads through Sudbury and Wayland? Wasn't it Thoreau who said, "It is great art to saunter"?
I stopped to put on blinkies and finished the 55 mile saunter in Sherborn.
rod
10-18-13, 07:16 PM
#3041
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10 miles on the Minuteman tonight; took the LHT for a change, and enjoyed rolling the 700c way. Big football game at AHS, Arlington vs Woburn, each 5-0 in the Middlesex League, lots of noise, reminded me of my South Georgia adolescence (although the phrase "Middlesex League" would have probably started fights in that milleu).
A gaudy full moon peeped through the trees over my right shoulder on the outbound leg, more than once causing me to glance back to see the overtaking cyclist, then lit the trail on my return, and a good thing, this pair of headlights decided to go pale on me tonight. That'll teach me to carry spare batteries on short trips.
rod
A gaudy full moon peeped through the trees over my right shoulder on the outbound leg, more than once causing me to glance back to see the overtaking cyclist, then lit the trail on my return, and a good thing, this pair of headlights decided to go pale on me tonight. That'll teach me to carry spare batteries on short trips.
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 10-18-13 at 07:22 PM.
10-19-13, 05:03 PM
#3042
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
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We did another metrowest ride today, but we didn't exactly stay in metrowest. 63.5 miles, Bedford northwest to Pepperell, north on the NRRT to the NH state line. This was Sharon's birthday and she wanted a long ride. Started about 11AM, ended at 5:30. I'm starting to like following the GPS, especially when I've ridden those roads before so I know what to expect. Groton is hilly westbound, but not so much eastbound. Or maybe it's just tilted to the east.
Lunch at the Graniteville millpond. Graniteville is in the town of Westford. The road runs over the dam which once powered mills. You can see one old mill on the right, now occupied by a few business. The left bank of the dam also has a mill with a tall stack, but the building is in disrepair and vacant, part of the roof burned away.
At the crossing of rt11A and the NRRT in New Hampshire, just to prove we made it that far
.
Lunch at the Graniteville millpond. Graniteville is in the town of Westford. The road runs over the dam which once powered mills. You can see one old mill on the right, now occupied by a few business. The left bank of the dam also has a mill with a tall stack, but the building is in disrepair and vacant, part of the roof burned away.
At the crossing of rt11A and the NRRT in New Hampshire, just to prove we made it that far
.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Last edited by jimmuller; 10-20-13 at 04:17 PM.
10-19-13, 06:29 PM
#3043
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Rode the LHT over to Ball Square, Somerville to have Tyler at Paramount have a look at it (it's been a couple of thousand miles, I think; we've both been focusing on the new bike for the better part of a year). Chain is stretched, there may be more to do, e.g. swap the cassette--fair enough, after 8800 miles--and I need to give the bike a good bath before bringing it back for surgery--also fair enough. Took off out the Minuteman after that, out to Bedford and back. There's no denying that Summer is over now. Daylight Savings Time ends soon, then... lights out.
The Shawsheen River is low, its exposed mud flats carpeted with leaves.
rod
The Shawsheen River is low, its exposed mud flats carpeted with leaves.
rod
10-20-13, 07:59 PM
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Hoped to get a long ride today, but between one thing and another didn't get on the road until 1:30, and settled for a 40-mile loop through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, Billerica, Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln. To the extent that I had a theory for this one, it was to revisit the Cranberry Bog in Carlisle to see if the harvest was still in progress; a few weeks ago I had ridden around the place before the harvest had begun. Mostly, though, I was motivated by a simple desire to have a nice ride on a pleasant day at a time when the days are getting shorter and will soon enough be less pleasant.
First thing, I had to get through a block party in progress on my East Arlington street. The kids were enjoying themselves.
Rolled out the Minuteman to Revere Street, crossed Route 128 on Grove Street and climbed the hill, then zipped down the hill again on Page Road, Bedford, with a persistent, chilly headwind all the while. A falling oak leaf landed squarely on the left lens of my glasses, clinging until removed. Continued on Pine Hill Avenue to Route 4, and rode into Billerica and over the Concord River, getting a view of Jet Ski Heaven in the process.
Continued up to Treble Cove Road, connecting to West Street, Billerica/North Road, Carlisle, and on to Curve Street. Here and there, came upon stands of trees that had already lost their leaves: "bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang", even if the birds haven't all fled yet. Elsewhere, the display of fall foliage was proceeding apace, and here and there hadn't really started yet. The fields have been harvested, down to stubble and in various states of preparation for the coming Winter.
Reached the Cranberry Bog and was pleased to see that the harvest, while apparently in its last stages, was still in progress. The bog was flooded, and the conveyor apparatus and its booms were still deployed. Rafts of purple-red cranberries could be seen floating at the margins, and the wind was kicking up waves that weren't quite whitecaps.
Took a break at the Bog, had a light lunch, then got rolling again, returning by familiar roads and arriving home as night fell.
At the North end of the Cambridge Reservoir, watched an otter fish while a heron meditated.
rod
First thing, I had to get through a block party in progress on my East Arlington street. The kids were enjoying themselves.
Rolled out the Minuteman to Revere Street, crossed Route 128 on Grove Street and climbed the hill, then zipped down the hill again on Page Road, Bedford, with a persistent, chilly headwind all the while. A falling oak leaf landed squarely on the left lens of my glasses, clinging until removed. Continued on Pine Hill Avenue to Route 4, and rode into Billerica and over the Concord River, getting a view of Jet Ski Heaven in the process.
Continued up to Treble Cove Road, connecting to West Street, Billerica/North Road, Carlisle, and on to Curve Street. Here and there, came upon stands of trees that had already lost their leaves: "bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang", even if the birds haven't all fled yet. Elsewhere, the display of fall foliage was proceeding apace, and here and there hadn't really started yet. The fields have been harvested, down to stubble and in various states of preparation for the coming Winter.
Reached the Cranberry Bog and was pleased to see that the harvest, while apparently in its last stages, was still in progress. The bog was flooded, and the conveyor apparatus and its booms were still deployed. Rafts of purple-red cranberries could be seen floating at the margins, and the wind was kicking up waves that weren't quite whitecaps.
Took a break at the Bog, had a light lunch, then got rolling again, returning by familiar roads and arriving home as night fell.
At the North end of the Cambridge Reservoir, watched an otter fish while a heron meditated.
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 11-04-13 at 02:01 PM.
10-20-13, 09:05 PM
#3045
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
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Rod, we may have crossed paths today. We did only 26.5 miles after yesterday's marathon, Bedford up to Heart Pond for lunch, a run east past the cranberry bog and Great Brook Farm, then over to rt4 for a short ways to a slow introspective run and a pic I always wanted.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
10-22-13, 09:01 PM
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After the rain blew out to sea, after the double rainbow and the surreal sunset, but before the moon rose and the cold front galloped through, I got a 14-mile ride on the Minuteman this evening. There was a pretty good breeze, met as a headwind on the outbound leg, that had the leaves dancing, skating on the pavement with a dry rattle or blazing through my headlights like meteors. Took the LHT, and was struck again with how nicely the 700c wheels roll with the 32mm GB Cypres EL tires. Didn't break any speed records, just floated along through the darkness. A little white cat, seated by the trailside in Arlington Heights, returned my headlights with its eyes. Some arboreal creature near the Brown Homestead did the same, vanishing before I could identify it.
rod
rod
10-25-13, 07:20 PM
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14 miles on the Minuteman tonight, temperatures dropping through the 40s. Wore some gear I hadn't needed since March, and finally retired my Summer shoes for the season. Got the layering right, had an energetic, quiet ride in the cool and dark.
rod
rod
10-25-13, 08:00 PM
#3049
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
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Did my usual commute today, metro Boston, Rhode Island division. Yeah, it was cool. We had our first frost in Waltham. When I left the house this morning the temp was about freezing and the windshield had a frosty covering. I wore fleece pants, a thermolactyl long-sleeve t-shirt, a fleece jacket, my usual platinum white bike jersey, wool socks, a balaclava, and full-fingered bike gloves. I wasn't too cold, was actually too warm when I got to work but the climb up from the Blackstone River will do that anyway.
The ride back to the Attleboro station was cooler than I expected but pleasant. I typically get to the station at about 6PM. It's starting to get dark by then so I've been running my generator lights and a battery-powered blinky. Mostly people are still quite courteous but the declining daylight must make people fidgety. The level of nervous energy, urgency, and angst on the road has been growing for the last few weeks. Today may be the last day I do the bike commute. That means I'll start getting more sleep, not a bad thing. I'll miss the biking though. It's the best part of my work day.
The ride back to the Attleboro station was cooler than I expected but pleasant. I typically get to the station at about 6PM. It's starting to get dark by then so I've been running my generator lights and a battery-powered blinky. Mostly people are still quite courteous but the declining daylight must make people fidgety. The level of nervous energy, urgency, and angst on the road has been growing for the last few weeks. Today may be the last day I do the bike commute. That means I'll start getting more sleep, not a bad thing. I'll miss the biking though. It's the best part of my work day.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
10-27-13, 10:35 AM
#3050
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Impossible to keep up with you big dogs but just barking along the Upper Charles Trail was great.
Combining errands with recreation I rode over to Central St. and Railroad in Holliston and howled clear to Milford. My ears would have been flapping if I weren't wearing my helmet. I'm not sure I'd be as comfortable spandexed up on a double butted, carbon fibered, 18 speed racing machine but the packed dirt, stone dust, recycled asphalt, leaf strewn trail was just right for a 3 speed 26 x1 3/8" Raleigh. The Holliston Trails folks are using what ever the town can manage and are making magic.
Combining errands with recreation I rode over to Central St. and Railroad in Holliston and howled clear to Milford. My ears would have been flapping if I weren't wearing my helmet. I'm not sure I'd be as comfortable spandexed up on a double butted, carbon fibered, 18 speed racing machine but the packed dirt, stone dust, recycled asphalt, leaf strewn trail was just right for a 3 speed 26 x1 3/8" Raleigh. The Holliston Trails folks are using what ever the town can manage and are making magic.