Nice ride!!

Rod, that sure is a nice looking bike! Enjoy!

269 miles in roughly 21 hours over 3.5 days. Day 1 was liquid misery. 82 wet yet thankfully not cold miles ending at a soggy spot at Shawme Crowell State Forest. Day 2 was sunny and mid 60's. A perfect day for a long sleeve casual jersee. I started out with Breakfast at Cafe Chew in Sandwich followed by a ride to the local laundromat to dry my gear. After returning to camp to doff the panniers and stuff a few items into a mesh sack ontop of the rear rack I headed to Woods Hole. It was a 60 mile round trip. I locked up at a public bike rack, pulled out my Sea to Summit UltraSil daypack and filled it with a book, phone, etc and walked around. I had lunch then grabbed coffee and read for a bit overlooking the water at a park. Day 3 was again sunny but ended cloudy and cool. I rode from Shawme Crowell to Pleasant Lake General Store for breakfast, then headed back towords the CCRT rotary and rode the Old Colony trail. I eventually landed at Nickerson State Park where I set up camp, freshened up and headed into Orleans for the afternoon. I locked up at a rack and headed to the Sparrow for a cup of coffee and again read a bit. that was followed by dinner and a few cold beers at the Rock Harbor Bar and Grill. Monday morning i awoke early and broke camp by 5:00 AM and headed towords Provincetown to catch the 11:00 ferry to Long Wharf. More coffee and breakfast in Provincetown followed by an hour of teeth chattering freezing cold windy rainy misery. the ferry was full to capacity so it was standing room only. Shortly after disembarking at Long Wharf i started to warm up and eventually made it home. I learned a few lessons on this trip which was the longest bike ride thus far for me.

Lot of distance records broken this month!! Good job Ghaz!
Amen to riding in rain -- it's an accepted part of randonneuring -- but sometimes makes the rides miserable. I keep an ass-saver in my backpack for the long trip. It's the small things that keep you sane when you're biking in inclement weather.

Thanks. As I process and analyze my weekend experience, preparation, and level of readiness for different conditions I feel good in my approach. The weather had its bad moments, but I picked May after all. I played it safe by bringing my foul weather gear and am glad as I used it all. I purged my already packed panniers of "luxury items" like a lightweight chair, Crocs (the less fugly mesh topped offering), extra food, battery for charging phone. I picked up a Snow Peak UL stove and Ti cup totaling 6 oz and casted the JetBoil to family camping duty saving a pound in the process. I shaved 7 pounds in all. I plugged the phone in at coffee shops along the way and it worked. Sourcing food along the way was far more enjoyable than carrying and settling for freeze dried food but it had its drawbacks. I gave into temptation a few times and indulged in sugar coated cinnamon flavored sugar rolls a few times. Something I avoided before. I recently swapped in the Bontrager RXL carbon seatpost from my Madone which was 1.5lbs lighter. I'll be doing th exact same ride in late September again. Already I intend to be more conscientious of dining choices and plan to include sitting on the beach, as long as its not rainy!

From the looks of it... you bring more stuff than I did on my 500mi bike ride over 4 days... over packing Ghaz? Lol

Took the Ebisu out for a 20-mile spin before dinner, Depot Park and back. Believe I saw Jim Muller, or at least his beard, whiz by in the other direction in Arlington, didn't do the pattern matching until he was out of hailing range. Spent a certain amount of time adjusting the seat angle and seat height on the Ebisu, with good results for awhile, until the seat began to sink... Develops the binder bolt has been rounded just enough to make it hard to torque it adequately to hold the post in place; fortunately, I ordered a replacement yesterday, should be here in a day or two. I'm at least the 3rd owner of this frame, and while I'm sure I did my part, I'd like to think it was a team effort...:innocent:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FU...A=w359-h638-no

In any event, it was a nice ride, cool, but not rainy.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nD...Q=w359-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...w=w359-h638-no

I'm putting together a list of items to tinker with on the new bike, of course, so when it does rain, I'll be all set for indoor diversion.

rod

Hi Rod. It is quite possible, as I went through on my homeward commute, riding the black Bianchi.

Lots of nervous energy in thd car traffic. Lots of bike speed too though none ftom me 'cuz I was tired. Got passed five times before I even got on the MM. Usually I don't even see five bikes on the roads.

Put the Monster Trucker (Surly Trucker DeLuxe 26" touring bike with S and S couplers, shod with 53mm Compass Rat Trap Pass Extralight tires) on the road for the first time this season, for 20 miles on the Minuteman before dinner and before the promised thunderstorm.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u-...A=w359-h638-no

It took me about 2 minutes for my body to remember what that bike is all about, and I had a fine time of it, keeping a brisk pace and pulling some idiot on a CF bike up one of the long climbs (I've always thought drafting people you don't know, without discussion, was simply rude). With temperatures in the balmy 70s, it was a dandy ride.

The clouds stacked up to the West.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/C0...g=w359-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WG...w=w359-h638-no

rod

nice, got a cpl more pics of this rig?

1
 

Sure, here's one taken last year at the Fairhaven Bay overlook, in Concord.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zE...=w1135-h638-no

Here it is on the gravel section of the Northern Strand Community Trail that runs along the Saugus River, in Saugus.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wo...=w1135-h638-no

Estabrook Road, Concord: an abandoned carriage road.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/A6...w=w359-h638-no

Big feet... I run them at 30/35 PSI.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5l...=w1135-h638-no

Before I put the Rat Traps on, wearing (now-discontinued) Compass 1.75" tires, in the hills of Vermont.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ib...Q=w359-h638-no

There's a theme here. This bike is the most capable in my stable (+- my old GT Karakoram rigid mtb) for dirt, trails, abandoned carriage roads, gravel, etc., but it gives little or nothing up on pavement, so I can ride to all those things, rather than throwing it on the back of the car and driving somewhere to ride. All my bikes see some off-road use (I'm not running any tires smaller than 32mm on any of them), but this bike rolls cheerfully over the damnedest things, and there are places I ride with this (e.g., Dan Parker Road, in Groton) that I probably wouldn't attempt with the others. And since it's a touring bike, I could load it up a good deal more than I typically do; like the S and S couplers, that's a capability that I rarely use, but am glad to have. It's got the longest wheelbase of any of my bikes; between that and the pneumatic suspension of the Rat Traps, it's downright comfy.

The build includes Chris King hubs laced to Sun Rhyno Lite rims, Nitto Noodles, some old Dura Ace brake levers, NOS Sun Tour Power Ratchet friction shifters, Avid cantis, a Sugino triple crankset matched to a SRAM 9-speed cassette, Shimano XT front and rear derailleurs, MKS Lambda pedals, a WTB SST saddle, Planet Bike Cascadia ATB fenders, and the aforementioned Compass Rat Trap Pass Extralight tires.

rod

Spun up to Lexington Center and back on the Rawland before dinner, 10 miles. Solar dazzle figured in the outbound leg; some gentle, pastel sunset colors were developing towards the end. Those Minuteman users not loudly addressing disembodied interlocutors on their Bluetooth-equipped cell phones--seeming for all the world like so many chronic schizophrenics--enjoyed the peaceful charms of the Minuteman on a Spring evening.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vG...Q=w359-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ba...=w1135-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YD...=w1135-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Hn...=w1135-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/dw...w=w359-h638-no

rod

http://i.imgur.com/uufrJkWl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Whjo22Ml.jpg

5AM morning ride ... Discovered a new trail called "Haggetts Pond" in Andover MA. The road was sloshy and muddy so mid-way through the trail so I turned around and headed back. After we have some dry weather for a few days I'll have to check out the rest of the trail :)

We do seem to be having an extended Mud Season this year...

rod

When I got home from work, I found that Ben's Cycles had come through with the 19mm Sugino binder bolt I needed to get the Ebisu rolling again. I swapped that in, raised the seat, tightened it up, and took off on a before-dinner ride to Lexington. The saddle didn't sink, the seat height was about right, and it was a pleasant ride.

More solar dazzle, of course. There was a matrimonial flight of some sort of short-lived insect here that looked like flying sparks in the sunbeams, but the Pocket Devil's camera wasn't able to resolve that.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jl...g=w359-h638-no

The swans were out on Peepers Pond, as were a couple of bullfrogs, croaking like Earnest Tubb. One or another of these macrofauna may have eaten the peepers, which were not in evidence. The Ebisu was feeling a bit like a Swan Boat just then.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_y...g=w359-h638-no

Another lovely sunset display over Arlington's Great Meadow.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Uv...=w1135-h638-no

On the outbound leg, I encountered a gentleman on his bicycle, leaning against the rail that keeps us out of Mill Brook when we're riding under the Lowell Street Bridge, singing old folks songs (I didn't recognize them, but they sounded old) in a well-modulated baritone, evidently enjoying the bounce under the bridge. I encountered him again on the return, now pedaling, but still singing. A bit later, a thin, pale man with coal-black hair came pedaling along, cursing rhythmically. On the upside, I encountered nobody talking to their phone.

rod

I took the R3 out yesterday morning for a sunrise spin. I was feeling a little flat. Instead of having the power and energy I have developed I was out of gas. When I tried to lay on the throttle my legs felt like lead and I didn't have the energy to do it. I got out again this morning for a lovely 45 mile spin with the R3 again. I didn't feel as flat as I did yesterday, but not quite as energetic as a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if I have overdone it in the last couple weeks but in May I logged the most miles in one month, 872.

Rod, love the Minutemanhenge pic!

You haven't recovered yet from your Cape ride. I haven't had time before to comment so I will now. That sounds like it was simply spectacular!

I took the Gazelle out to Lexington and back today, about 25 miles.

Ride Studio's outdoor table array is set up!
http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...ideStudio1.jpg
http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...ideStudio2.jpg

I noticed these flyers in their window.
http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...entPosters.jpg
Wish I could make them. The overnight ride sound like a real adventure. Unfortunately we have a commitment.

This past week I've seen more stupid or selfish driving and biking moves than I usually see in a month. On my commute home yesterday as I was nearing Alewife on the MM I approached a woman walking my direction along the right side of the pavement. She stepped onto the grass on the right, slowed then suddenly walked to her left and crossed the path. All without looking over her shoulder. Fortunately I was paying more attention than she was. I called out and she apologized as if to say sorry she made me stop. I courteously pointed out her rather dangerous move and she apologized again. I told her it would have been her injury, not mine, she apologized again. Of course I can't be sure but it didn't seem as if she quite understood. Or maybe she did. By that time I'd had enough of the hotshot triathlon cyclist passing me by +15mph as I passed a pedestrian as cautiously and courteously as seemed appropriate. Or the cyclists riding 2-abreast as they rode between pedestrians exactly even with each other going opposite directions, while I waited for a safe opening. Or the motorists who pass another courteous motorists just to run up to an obviously red stoplight. What's going on out there? Is it just because someone insulted Pittsburgh a day or two ago?

Even so, it was a nice day to be riding.

Hi Jim! I was a bit surprised by the fatigue this week (I felt it while off the bike too). During the ride I felt energetic the whole time even on day 4, I felt like I had a runners high.

I pulled the Ortlieb front bag mount and seatpost pack off the Smoothie. I wanted to clean up the look. Ill be taking it out tomorrow between 10:00-11:00. I'll be doing my loop through Concord Center then heading over to the Minuteman and heading towards home through Belmont.

I'm not sure if it's on my mind more as I've read similar tales here the past few months, I've had a few uncomfortable calls that could have been ugly. I always remind myself of a saying that was engrained in my head in boot camp, stay alert stay alive. I assume that every car is out to get me and they all don't see me. Yesterday morning I was riding down a residential street near home. A car pulled out from an intersection right in front of me taking a right which was directly in my direction of travel. Blinking handlebar light had no effect on the driver. I saw him and kinda expecting that it could happen I had my hands on the levers ready to squeeze. Well, I needed to squeeze, enough so that I expanded my comfort level with how good carbon rims can brake when you need them to. I shared my thoughts of him with him with my outside voice. He sullenly apologized.

I've definitely seen it too, lately, with drivers, cyclists, walkers, skaters, I guess maybe the elliptigo pilots are still on their best behavior. Without getting overtly political, the news is not reassuring just at the moment, which is probably worth 5% of net attentive focus plus a little rush of adrenaline now and then. And, of course, we have noticeable weather most days lately, which is known to jangle local nerves and lead to bad driving and other modes of operation.

Ghazmh, if more people had been through boot camp, we'd live in a more competent and courteous world.

rod

I feel like I've been here before, but that's true of probably most rides. As usual, this one was layer cake of the familiar and the novel, variations on a theme. For a start, the weather, once I finished up my Saturday morning dawdling (I envy you Dawn people), was uncertain. The weather radar looked ugly, but the actual weather was, at worst, mild drizzle. "It could always get worse," I told myself... "Yeah, so what, you want to fiddle with bicycle lists on the computer for two hours until it's sunny?" I replied. The consequence of this little interior colloquy was that I went out to the garage to fiddle with the saddle height and angle on the Ebisu, testing each candidate setting by riding around the block, because, after all, how drenched could I get a block from home, no matter what the weather did? Fortunately for me, that proposition wasn't put to the test, and after three trips around the block, with intervals of seat fiddling in between, I had set up the seat to my preliminary satisfaction, to be reconsidered when more data came to hand, and had experimentally determined that three trips around the block amounted to 1.19 miles. This sheds some light on the behavior of a neighbor, who systematically walks around the block many times a day. It's a little creepy, because he's ALWAYS THERE, but I guess if he does it 15 times, that's 5 miles, and it probably does him some good, so nothing to sneeze at. And I thought I was in a rut with the Minuteman... Fiddling with the seat is quite Familiar, but I usually do it by interrupting an actual ride, even if it's just to Lexington, so this riding around the block was Novel.

Anyhow, by then, the worst of the early weather radar threats had headed SouthEast and out to sea (or, at least, to Plymouth County, which amounts to practically the same thing), there was only one nasty bunch of stuff up in the White Mountains, which might as well be Tibet, I thought. Nevertheless, I resolved to consult the Pocket Devil from time to time, in case I were wrong about that.

That settled, grabbed a couple of water bottles and some snacks and took the Ebisu All Purpose Bicycle out for a longer ride than heretofore. I had a route in mind, but there were some decision points where I could consult the Pocket Devil, and bail for home if things looked unfavorable.

First, I had to get out of Arlington. This involved not colliding with any of the happy pedestrians (with a few cyclists interspersed) who were strolling (or rolling) about, taking in Arlington Porchfest. This is a jolly, annual event, and thus far I've ridden away from it.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RB...Q=w359-h638-no

The Uncle Sam statue is apparently considered a porch. I guess it's the Town's porch.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ev...=w1135-h638-no

Porchfest itself: Familiar; the specific acts I rolled by: Novel. Rolling by: Familar. Beyond Uncle Sam, there were 10 pleasantly congested miles of Familiar on the Minuteman. But first, there was Arlington High School graduation exercises, Novel in their particulars. A police car was parked on the Minuteman, just in case; that was Novel, too.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/x6...=w1135-h638-no

Having reached Depot Park (Familiar), I consulted the Pocket Devil, and observed that the storm had left the White Mountains, and was moving SouthEast. I resolved to keep an eye on that. Meanwhile, I rolled out 225 (Familiar), and paused to admire the Concord River (Familiar), which was running high (Familiar enough, though not its only trick). The main point of interest was the sky, which looked energetic enough to be Novel, or, at least, Modal.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Pr...=w1135-h638-no

Rode the rolling hills of River Road, Carlisle, and Monument Street, Concord, a Familiar pleasure. Observed how the Ebisu handled itself in those conditions (Novel), and was happy with what I saw. That bike climbs gamely, and descends like a demon. I'm learning its peculiar pedalstroke; I may want to raise the seat a few millimeters, or to figure out how to set the saddle back about a centimeter; just possibly, I might want to experiment with shorter crank arms. Or maybe I'll simply adapt to this new bike. We'll see. Lots of new sensations (Novel, by definition).

Monument Street was still somewhat chewed up from last Winter's freeze-thaw-plow cycle (Familiar), and the Ebisu's low-trail (barely) steering allowed me to miss most of the potholes at speed (Familiar behavior from the Rawland, but not a given with this bike, and so Novel, until I get used to it), and the 32mm Compass Stampede Pass Extralight tires and the steel frame and fork ate the vibrations from any rough stuff that I didn't avoid in a Familiar, but welcome, manner. I think the Stampede Pass Extralight tires are a noticeable improvement over the similarly sized Grand Bois Cypres Extra Leger that I'm running on the Rawland, so Novel.

I took a water/fuel/photo break at the top of the series of hills, overlooking Hutchins Farm (Familiar). Three (3) separate passing cyclists asked me if I were OK? This is DREARILY FAMILIAR, lately seems to happen the majority of times I pause a ride for whatever purpose, and generally comes from earnest youngsters who are several decades younger and several dozen pounds lighter than I am. I chalk it up to templated thinking, or maybe to a failure of imagination, or something. I suppose if I said that I were having chest pains, they'd stop and administer CPR. Feh! Pretty view, though, the fruit bar was tasty, and the water was wet (Familiar).
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/n0...Q=w359-h638-no

Rolled into Concord Center, my next decision point, and consulted the Devil of the Pocket. The storm had continued to move SE at a brisk pace, and was now well into Massachusetts. Looked like I was going to get wet. I MIGHT beat it if I beat it for home immediately, and I might miss it entirely if I continued S down to Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston (my original target route), but you never know with storms. I decided to bail (Familiar), and proceeded out Lexington Street to Old Bedford Road and Virginia Road (Familiar, Familiar, Familiar). Along the way, I decided that this little road-side (former) store was my favorite building in Concord, at least for today (Novel); it has oneiric properties, the sort of thing that might show up in a certain kind of comfortable dream (Familiar).
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9t...=w1135-h638-no

Virginia Road crosses Elm Brook in Concord, where it drains a beautiful meadow. It mirrored the sky. Redwing blackbirds flew about, perched, and sang. All that was FAMILIAR and DANDY.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WJ...=w1135-h638-no

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ny...A=w359-h638-no

Continued on Virginia Road, climbing up from Elm Brook past the This Old House HQ, then zipped down the descent into Lincoln and across the end of one of the Hanscom runways, then up the steepest grade of the ride (Familiar), to the intersection with Old Bedford Road (Lincoln). The Ebisu acquitted itself well during all this up-hill-and-down-dale stuff, and I was particularly pleased that shifts on the front (triple-crank) derailleur were smooth, accurate, and devoid of drama or noise (not quite as Familiar as it should be, so I'll call it Novel). I patted myself on the back for apparently setting it up correctly, beginner's luck. Anyway, the bike made it, I made it, and no CPR from Earnest Young People was required.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/d2...=w1135-h638-no

Rolled out Hanscom Drive to Route 2A (is it Marrett Road here? North Great Road? Dunno, and I think Mr. Google has changed his answer in recent years, he does that sometimes (TOO FAMILIAR)). That's where the first raindrops hit. Big, cold, fat ones, but not that many. Given that they were the first, they were ipso facto Novel. I continued to Mill Street, then took Lexington Street, Lincoln, and Lincoln Street, Lexington, along the Northern bank of the Cambridge Reservoir (Familiar). Stopped to admire the fully-charged reservoir (after last year's drought, Novel), which was holding a bowl-full of clouds (rarely-enough seen to be Novel), with a rainbow and its reflection at the S end (Novel, but couldn't manage to trick the Pocket Devil into photographing it). Raindrops were falling on the calm surface, but not too many.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u4...g=w359-h638-no

From there, rolled through Lexington and Arlington via Familiar routes. In Arlington Center, there were signs of wet pavement (Novel, for this ride), and the rain picked up. For a minute or two, I was entertaining the hypothesis, supported by the data, that raindrops only hit my right knee. Then one hit my left knee, and I added a symmetry principle to generalize the hypothesis. After a bit, a raindop hit my chin, and that was that. But, what the hey, three publications, not a total loss. Familiar. Pedaled home and put the bike away, while the rain picked up, just a bit. Familiar. 32 miles through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln. Familiar route, with some Novel bits along the way.

rod

Brain fart deleted the Porchfest footage.

However, Friday afternoon on Cambridge Street - heard some familiar notes and took a brief break.


-mr. bill

Today as planned I dressed in casual cycling attire and had on my Shimano SD66 SPD sandals. I left the GPS off the Smoothie so I could focus on the ride not the speed of it. Strava on the phone tracked my distance today. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly (I haven't decided yet) not one fellow cyclist waved as they usually do when I'm in Lycra. I rode to and through Concord Center and up Monument st, right onto 225 and landed at Depot Park. I lazily rode the Minuteman, that was a hoot. I heard "on your left" when I clearly shouldn't have. I could have made a public safety video on when is and when is not an appropriate time to pass. I love chasing Strava segments as much as the next guy but that is not the place do do it! Anyhow I pedaled through Belmont and took it home for a nice 38 mile Sunday ride.

I mounted an old unused seat pack on the Smoothie for the essentials. A Brooks Challenge tool bag would look right at home instead but I'm having a hard time justifying a hundred bucks. I'm lamenting going Di2 on the Roubaix or new groupset for the Montare instead.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5...DY5Ni1GTWhQX1U

So why didn't you run for President last year? Not kidding. No, really. Your observation is spot on.

I rode 30.8 miles on the definitely vintage Motobecane today. Stopped for one photo op, Peeper's Pond of which I have never until today taken a picture of for from to at.

http://www.theworld.com/~muller/pics...otoAndPond.jpg