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Originally Posted by autonomy
(Post 19592033)
...good thing it wasn't a snapper!
http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics/turtle.jpg On a homeward commute riding Concord Rd in Belmont through the flats below the radio towers and the steep hill I came up to a bunch of stopped cars. They were waiting for that beast to cross the road. One woman was out trying to encourage it into the marsh. I stopped and started helping too. Then another woman stopped, got out of the car and proceeded to pick it up and move it bodily. She explain she was a zoologist doing post-doc work with snappers, that she'd handled a bunch of them. The trick was to grab it by the tail raising its rear feet off the ground, then slip your hand underneath from behind. It looked easy, and she still had all her fingers! The turtle wasn't sure what to make of it but when placed into the marsh just sort of wandered off into cover. |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 19591060)
Yowza, today was warm...
I did help rescue a turtle trapped between traffic and a curb. A painted turtle, I believe it was. It's amazing how fast they can move when they ares cared to death. I'd seen another woman hop out of a car and move him/her/it out of traffic but unfortunately had to abandon it below the curb due to oncoming traffic. So I waited for an opportunity and move it to bushes on the other side of the sidewalk and Armco barrier.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
(Post 18188864)
One of my most heart-wrenching cycling experiences was when I saw a turtle in the road. I rode on by for several yards, not more than about 100, and decided to turn around and move it to the side of the road. Just then, a big tan SUV drove by and ran it over, smashing it to bits. I couldn’t be sure if it was deliberate, but the SUV tires went directly over the turtle.
I certainly learned the lesson, not to hesitate, or second-guess when thinking about a good deed (”We may never pass this way again”)
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
(Post 7413160)
…One morning while riding through a Boston suburb about 6:00 AM, I came upon a skunk with its head stuck in a Yoplait yogurt container, which is somewhat conical…with the opening at the narrower end. It was meandering sightless near the street and likely would have wandered into the path of a car and was a really pitiable sight.
Thinking of a local cynical (and anti-bicyclist) radio talk show host [Howie Carr], who comments, “No good deed goes unpunished,” I got off the bike, removed the container and quickly jumped back. Fortunately I didn't get sprayed. I found out about four years later that an employee where I work witnessed this event. He is a parking lot attendant, and on a rare occasion when I needed to drive from work, he reminded me of that event and waved me through for free. So take heart, Good Samaritans; “we pass this way only once."
Originally Posted by no motor?
(Post 16418785)
Did you see the video in this article? You're not the only one to pull a cup off the head of a skunk.
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^^^On a happier note:
Y’all come on down and see for yourself. |
Originally Posted by Ghazmh
(Post 19591030)
So far I got out yesterday morning and this morning for 30 mile sunrise rides. In fact it was rather majestic seeing the burning red sky over Codman farm. What a great way to start the day. This afternoon I took my fully loaded 520 for a 22 mile shakedown ride for next weeks 4 day 3 night Memorial Day weekend ride. Its tough to describe it any way other than heavy. Real heavy. I have Ortliebs on all 4 corners with lightweight camping gear and small ensemble of clothing and non perishable food including a few freeze dried meals. Before the trip I'll add rain gear into a small pack that clips on the side of the rear pannier and hope it doesn't rain.
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Ghaz, keep us informed of your tour!
I didn't even bother to ride to work today. The car thermometer hit 100F on the ride home this afternoon. |
Got out for a sunrise spin this morning with the R3. Tomorrow ill be heading to Sandwich for my first credit card weekend ride. I have the Smoothie loaded up, Medium Ortlieb handlebar bag with snacks, lock and 2 additional Camelbak collapsible water bottles. Small top tube pouch with a Gu flask. Out back I have my Ortlieb seatpost pack with my rain jacket, phone charger and the flat repair stuff. On top of that I have a dry bag with a shirt and sports powder for Sundays ride to Provincetown to take the ferry to Boston and ultimately home.
Next Friday ill be covering the same route on the 520 that i mentioned in earlier posts but thats got campgrounds and many miles of side rides on the docket. |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 19593706)
Ghaz, keep us informed of your tour!
I didn't even bother to ride to work today. The car thermometer hit 100F on the ride home this afternoon.
Originally Posted by Ghazmh
(Post 19595119)
Got out for a sunrise spin this morning with the R3. Tomorrow ill be heading to Sandwich for my first credit card weekend ride. I have the Smoothie loaded up, Medium Ortlieb handlebar bag with snacks, lock and 2 additional Camelbak collapsible water bottles. Small top tube pouch with a Gu flask. Out back I have my Ortlieb seatpost pack with my rain jacket, phone charger and the flat repair stuff. On top of that I have a dry bag with a shirt and sports powder for Sundays ride to Provincetown to take the ferry to Boston and ultimately home.
Next Friday ill be covering the same route on the 520 that i mentioned in earlier posts but thats got campgrounds and many miles of side rides on the docket. |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 19593252)
Not this time but last year I posted a similar story about rescuing this snapper.
http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics/turtle.jpg On a homeward commute riding Concord Rd in Belmont through the flats below the radio towers and the steep hill I came up to a bunch of stopped cars. They were waiting for that beast to cross the road. One woman was out trying to encourage it into the marsh. I stopped and started helping too. Then another woman stopped, got out of the car and proceeded to pick it up and move it bodily. She explain she was a zoologist doing post-doc work with snappers, that she'd handled a bunch of them. The trick was to grab it by the tail raising its rear feet off the ground, then slip your hand underneath from behind. It looked easy, and she still had all her fingers! The turtle wasn't sure what to make of it but when placed into the marsh just sort of wandered off into cover. |
Got a ride in before dinner, but it was an exercise in Murphy's Law: I twisted my knee under load carrying groceries up the stairs before the ride, which lamed me; managed to forget my little rear-view mirror, a tactical disadvantage; lamed, I kept a slower pace than usual, and slower than I needed given time constraints, so turned around sooner than usual; on the return, found my usual sneaky crossing point for Mystic Street hopelessly gridlocked; walked up to Mass. Ave. and tried out the new bike box; didn't die. Nice ride, in any event. Heard ¨On your left" a bit more than usual, owing to the lame leg, and took to saying things like ¨No kidding?¨ when it was delivered with triumphalist prosodic cues.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QA...Q=w355-h630-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WV...g=w355-h630-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/au...=w1120-h630-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JJ...=w1120-h630-no https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/HE...w=w355-h630-no rod |
Originally Posted by rholland1951
(Post 19596565)
...tried out the new bike box; didn't die.
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 19596603)
I've used that bike box these past few days on my homeward commute. I must say it works quite well. A cyclist paying attention to the lights can jump faster than most cars up to maybe 5mph, and keep up with them up to 10mph. That bike box is so obviously meant for bikes that motorists can't get too upset, plus they are guaranteed to see you waiting there, and anyway you can jump ahead and over to the bike lane so quickly that it's all over before they have a chance to get impatient. It really does work quite well. Arlington did some nice thinkin' on that.
rod |
Greetings Kids,
I've been reluctant to post anything because I've been such an erratic a rider. I rode today so here goes. Rode a 29 mile loop from Sherborn into Dover nipping bits of Westwood and Medfield and back to Sherborn. A little bit of pavement near the Dedham Country Club is and always has been patchy but the rest is amazingly smooth. Nice ride. My wife and I rode over corduroy repair in Medway then celebrated our escape in one of the fine coffee shops in the center. Last week we rode over to the Upper Charles Trail at Central St in Holliston and pedaled west into Milford on perfect stone dust and north through to the Hopkinton line on good condition asphalt. We took all easy back roads though Holliston back to Sherborn. Tonight an easy ride on the flood plains of Wayland and Sudbury and next week I plan a long over due update on the Northern Strand Bike to the Sea. |
Day one was 85 miles and it took just under six hours on the saddle. Partway through the ride my Garman E Trex 20 decided that it no longer wants to recognize my course and tell me that it cannot navigate because the roads don't match the map or something like that. It then recalculated the route that I've used for the last two years and did cause a little concerned for me. I manually navigated to my waypoints to get back on course and then had to manually navigate from waypoint to waypoint. I used dead reckoning as much as I could but it's a long convoluted route and easy to deviate from. Assuming the GPS works the way it should, I can just create a new course with today's track to get back here next week. I rode along with Muddy river path and got to see Jim from Boston's art at about 9 AM. All in all it was a great days ride. I found that I was eating less and drinking less water and moving a lot faster than I normally do on the fully loaded 520.
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We took our tandem out for 48.25 miles on Saturday. Spectacular weather, mid-60's, dry, a touch of breeze. Lots of bikes out. Apparently it was the day for quite a few town festivals too. We unexpected came upon four and of course we stopped.
Belmont Town Day http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...ontTownDay.jpg Carnival rides, just getting setup http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...17/Belmont.jpg Logs of great British cars (our bike drew lots of comments from the car owners) http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...ronBikeCar.jpg 193-something Packard http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...17/Packard.jpg And then Lexington's 7th (?) annual BBQ festival http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...tonBBQFest.jpg And then Bedford http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...17/Bedford.jpg And then Carlisle http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...2017/Ferns.jpg http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...017/Ferns2.jpg Of course we had to stop at a few farm stands http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...17/Rooster.jpg http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics.../FarmStand.jpg It was a good day to be out on a bike. |
Originally Posted by jimmuller
(Post 19596603)
I've used that bike box these past few days on my homeward commute. I must say it works quite well. A cyclist paying attention to the lights can jump faster than most cars up to maybe 5mph, and keep up with them up to 10mph. That bike box is so obviously meant for bikes that motorists can't get too upset, plus they are guaranteed to see you waiting there, and anyway you can jump ahead and over to the bike lane so quickly that it's all over before they have a chance to get impatient. It really does work quite well. Arlington did some nice thinkin' on that.
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From the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC) site:
Arlington Bicycling Social, Monday May 22nd, 2017 -- Celebrating the Minuteman Bikeway Join the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC) for their annual indoor Bicycling Social get-together on Monday evening, May 22, 6:30-9:00 p.m., at the Common Ground Bar & Grill in Arlington Center. During this year's Bicycling Social, we are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Minuteman Bikeway, which was opened and dedicated in 1992. Our featured guest and presenter will be Alan McClennen, Arlington's longtime planning and community development director from 1974-2003 (now retired). Alan was instrumental in getting the Minuteman Bikeway project approved, funded, and built. Since opening in 1992, the Minuteman Bikeway has become a treasured community asset and regional landmark. You are invited to attend and join the celebration of the Bikeway's 25th anniversary. (This event is part of Arlington's series of community events celebrating the bikeway's anniversary; watch for future event announcements.) ABAC's Annual Social will be held in the Common Ground Bar & Grill's Event Room, 319 Broadway, in Arlington Center. Ask for the Bicycling Social and the Event Room when you enter on Monday evening, May 22. A cash bar will be available. rod |
Originally Posted by eabeaj
(Post 19599692)
This is true, but I'm not sure I can say the same about the new green-painted path cutting across Mass Ave for those connecting up on the Minuteman westbound. Nobody, myself included, seems entirely sure who has the right of way there... hopefully the new lights will clarify when they're finally operational, but I'm not really holding my breath about that either.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_h...Q=w861-h589-no rod |
Originally Posted by Ghazmh
(Post 19598104)
Day one was 85 miles and it took just under six hours on the saddle...
We took the tandem out for another 30.2 miles today. http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...BikeAtRest.jpg |
The 'turn left' green box in Arlington Center is a good urban solution for placing bikes in front of cars and making them visible. Here, though - of course totally my biased opinion - it's not that useful. Reason #1 is that it's not aligned with the bike lane. If you're going straight and keeping with the cars, that's fine. But if your plan is to get back on the path or to go in the new bike lane, then you have to cut diagonally and now you need to watch out for what's on the right. Reason #2 is the late-yellow/red-light runners taking a left from Mass Ave to Rt. 60. When the light turns green, these guys are still in the intersection so it's not that easy to get a head start on the cars behind you. Personally, I queue up at the front of the the right turn lane and I see many other cyclists do the same (can't turn right on red here anyway). Thoughts?
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
(Post 19598104)
Day one was 85 miles and it took just under six hours on the saddle. Partway through the ride my Garman E Trex 20 decided that it no longer wants to recognize my course and tell me that it cannot navigate because the roads don't match the map or something like that. It then recalculated the route that I've used for the last two years and did cause a little concerned for me. I manually navigated to my waypoints to get back on course and then had to manually navigate from waypoint to waypoint. I used dead reckoning as much as I could but it's a long convoluted route and easy to deviate from. Assuming the GPS works the way it should, I can just create a new course with today's track to get back here next week. I rode along with Muddy river path and got to see Jim from Boston's art at about 9 AM. All in all it was a great days ride. I found that I was eating less and drinking less water and moving a lot faster than I normally do on the fully loaded 520.
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
(Post 19601353)
Day 2 was the best by far. I took a left onto 6A from the Country Acres Motel parking lot shortly after 7:00 AM. Cool enough to be happily comfortable in a long sleeve casual cycling shirt (Lycra was left at home) and an older North Face water resistant cycling shorts. Not long after i took a right onto Weir st in Dennis (or still Yarmouth) and followed it to Great Western rd and eventually 134. Much to my amazement I saw the bridge over 134 still under construction. I cant wait for the project to be completed. I stopped at Pleasant Lake General Store for breakfast and coffee. by this time the sun shine was in full effect and it was a gorgeous 65*. Eventually I rolled into Provincetown and headed over to the Provinceland path. at about 2:00 i headed into town and locked up the bike, went for lunch and a few Bloody Mary's to celebrate the weekends accomplishment. the ferry pulled into Long Wharf a little after 5:30 and I got home at 7:00. the Charles river path was a bloody nightmare, so much so that i would consider an alternate route next time. Too many people. It was the MUP equivalent of 128 on a Friday afternoon.
I almost got right-hooked today within seconds after leaving the house, and yes, the driver absolutely came up from behind so it's not like she did not see me. Good thing she used her signal - I saw her in my clip-on mirror and slowed down. 0.1 miles between me and the bike path... what's going on, this whole spring I've been feeling like playing Russian Roulette every time I get out for a ride or a walk (or even a drive - on Sunday my wife got almost run off the road while driving by some ****** in a truck who was too impatient to wait for her to pass a cyclist at a safe distance - and she was not going slow, 35 or so. Truck passed us on a windy double-yellow lane in Carlisle). Be safe out there... |
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yesterday, on Route 6A in Sandwich, 2 elderly women were struck & killed crossing 6A at the intersection of Route 6A & Merchants Road. I can't imagine riding 6A in that area, no shoulder ...
this photo is from near that intersection |
Had a good 500 mile ride from Nashua to Hartland Maine to Chesterville Maine back to Nashua.
Took a rest day yesterday but my legs are starting to feel restless again. : ) 1 hour till I get off work! Ahh! |
Originally Posted by autonomy
(Post 19604113)
Got any pictures of your setup or your route? Provincetown is really cool, especially the bike paths there. And having a meal/drinks with the view of the bay. :thumb:
I almost got right-hooked today within seconds after leaving the house, and yes, the driver absolutely came up from behind so it's not like she did not see me. Good thing she used her signal - I saw her in my clip-on mirror and slowed down. 0.1 miles between me and the bike path... what's going on, this whole spring I've been feeling like playing Russian Roulette every time I get out for a ride or a walk (or even a drive - on Sunday my wife got almost run off the road while driving by some ****** in a truck who was too impatient to wait for her to pass a cyclist at a safe distance - and she was not going slow, 35 or so. Truck passed us on a windy double-yellow lane in Carlisle). Be safe out there... [IMG]http://https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5OFU9P3GG6DcXRCcS https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...VBWZ2tpR0k4RU0 https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...Wc4bG9YQWRDM28 https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...W5uUXI2ZlVUQTA https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...Upnc2oxSmlZRGc https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...XRCcS1BR1hVdEU And the rigged up 520 for this weekend https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...kR1RFF0WFJPSUk https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...mNZUVJ4cGNzVUE |
Originally Posted by Panza
(Post 19604688)
Had a good 500 mile ride from Nashua to Hartland Maine to Chesterville Maine back to Nashua.
Took a rest day yesterday but my legs are starting to feel restless again. : ) 1 hour till I get off work! Ahh! |
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