godshammgod

That sounds like my Saturday ride. It's always fun to suffer like that. Well, when it's over. On the other hand, I was an idiot and went and raced Sunday.

I'm quite excited to have Thursday/Friday off so I can head off on a long solo adventure. I need to bury myself in a hole since I'm heading out of town and will be off the bike for several days.

jimmuller 

Well I got out for about 7 miles around Newton and Watertown this afternoon. So there, nyah! My cold is going away but I'm tired.

I envy all of you your riding opportunities and I have a hard time believing that cmolway or godshammgod are ever hurtin'! SBP either. And ZIPP2001 too for that matter. Spin and climb to your hearts' content, gentlemen!

How do you find the time to ride centuries already? I feel lucky to have gotten out for even one or two weekend days and a bit of bike commuting this spring. Too much to do.

Saturday my band plays in Ashburnham. Details at https://www.SouthernRail.com if you're looking for a bike destination!

BikeNewEngland

I took a day off from cycling and posted more links to mountain bike and road bike rides north of Boston on my blog, cyclingnewengland.blogspot.com, which is over 350 posts now. I'll soon have to do another split in my Southern New England Google interactive RideMap, giving Massachusetts and Connecticut their own pages. But tomorrow-- I'll fight the blogging urge and ride from Ipswich to Newburyport.

godshammgod

Well, I've got my first century on May 12th so we'll see how that goes. It's all in preparation for B2B in June. I definitely find it hard to get out for more than one long (50/60/70 mile) ride a week. I work overnights and do most of my riding after work. But I can usually only go about 90 minutes before my body revolts. I can't imagine my bizarre sleep cycle helps my fitness.

Bike New England-- That Ipswich-Newburyport ride sounds beautiful. I grew up on the North Shore and love riding up there. One of my favorite routes takes me from Marblehead to Rockport via 127, before returning through Ipswich and Essex.

JandersUF

48 miles today, absolutely beautiful out. So beautiful I had to stop for ice cream.

bikinggrrrl

I squeezed 33 in and whole-heartedly agree ~ you just can't beat this weather. Skipped the ice cream though. I'm still packing a little extra (ok, a lot extra) from the winter.

jimmuller 

One day late reporting - I did ride yesterday, Friday. Repeated my commute thing, car/train/bike. The bike part is 13 1/2 miles one way. Awesome day for a ride. Too bad I had to squeeze work in the middle. I'm really liking the sense of freedom this biking part brings.

Jim from Boston

Hi Jim,

Nice to read about your multimodal commute though you have some complicated connections to make, i.e. catching the train to Attleboro, and in particular riding from Lincoln, RI back to Attleboro to catch the reverse train. I have a very easy bimodal commute: ride in the morning from Kenmore Square to work in Norwood (~14 miles, or more when in century training), then take the train back to Boston in the evening. And the train station is virtually two minutes, downhill, from where I work.

BTW, I had my eye on a Peugot UO8 back in 1972, but we went with Merciers instead that lasted until about 1992 for me, and my wife's is still roadworthy.

Finally, it's been nice to read about all the early spring riding out MetroWest. Tomorrow afternoon I plan my first "long distance" training ride of my ten-week Century training schedule, about 40 miles out Rte 16 to Rte 27, Rte 115, to Washington St in Norfolk, to Norwood to do some work, and evening train home. This is my first occasional post to this thread since around February, swapping stories with mtalinm about riding Centre St in blizzard conditions.

jimmuller 

Ooh, I wish my trip were that easy! I actually have two "issues" to deal with. One is making connections. If I miss the train home the next one doesn't come for 2 1/4 hours. That's a lot of time to bang around little ol' Attleboro. I guess I could go for a ride tho'. I've been allowing myself about 1hr20min, but it's been taking me less than an hour. On the other hand, if I get a flat that might give me time to fix it.

The second problem is the location. If it was Lincoln proper the trip would be easy. However my employer is in the southern angle between rts 146 and 295, way over on the western side. That means climbing up from the river. So far I've found no easy way to do it except grunt it out. Tried 123 all the way around yesterday but that's not a good road all the way and it gains then loses more elevation than necessary. Plus it has a killer hill.

Nice. I didn't even know Mercier (or a dozen other companies) existed until many years later. The only "high-end', i.e. modern, bike shop in Richmond at the time was Agee's and they carried Peugeot, Raleigh, Gitane, and Schwinn. I had no idea what I was getting but it seemed like the right choice at the time. It worked out okay!

Jim from Boston

Hi Jim,

Thanks for your reply. My commute does indeed seem “wimpy,” but my workday is such that I am particularly busy and productive in the early evening, and departing after 9 PM for the ride home, only to leave home about 6 AM the next morning, does not beckon to me to ride home at night. As I am sure you realize, riding the train in the reverse commuter direction is probably even better than a limousine ride (except for dealing with the schedule).

For your consideration, there is a commuter rail line to Franklin-Forge Park. Eyeballing MapQuest, if Attleboro is about 13 miles from Lincoln, Forge Park looks about 20 miles. However, there seems to be more frequent train service inbound in the late afternoon and early evening from Forge Park. From the schedule:

Forge Park: 02:05 04:00 05:36 07:40 08:50 10:15 11:50


Attleboro: 03:36 05:29 06:18 08:31 10:08

If you are out for miles, perhaps the extra distance would be worth it to go to Forge Park. On the Franklin Line-Forge Park Line, there are large parking lots at Dedham Corporate Center, Norwood Central, and a smaller one at Norwood Depot. The two Norwood lots are both about 4 miles from the Route 128 parking lot via a (secret ) mostly residential route if you wanted to utilize both lines. FWIW.

Jim

jimmuller 

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked the Franklin Line schedule The timing doesn't work out very well for a morning run from Franklin. The extra 7 miles would mean about another half hour when I'm already pushing to make a 10AM meeting. Which would be okay except that I'm already having to get up earlier than I'd like!

The 7:40 run home through Franklin is an option if I had to stay at work so late that I'd miss the 6:18 train. I've driven parts of those roads and would not relish the bits through Woonsocket. But the train leaves 1hr22min later and requires only half an hour more biking. Then I could doodle back to Rt128 to get my car. It's worth examining the route more closely. Thanks. (On the other hand, I've had offers of rides back to Attleboro. It all depends on the timing, dozzenit?)

+10 on the limo-ride. The train is so civilized. If my laptop was lighter I'd carry it just to use the free WiFi!

bikinggrrrl

Little mother's day gift to myself: sweet ride past all those apple orchards in and around Harvard. Boxboro Road has been resurfaced since last year

JandersUF

Got slaughtered in the Sterling Road Race on Saturday... but it was a fun ride, well organized, and great weather in the AM.

jimmuller 

Happy Mother's day, a day late. Your link doesn't work except for people listed in MMR as friends. Still, it must have been nice! We had a bit of rain in our canoe yesterday. Hope you didn't get too wet.

Ooh, ouch. (I'd get slaughtered in any race, I'm afraid. that's why I'm not interested in racin'.)

Did the tri-modal commute thing in to work this morning. Saw an oriole on the Blackstone Bikeway. If I'd been driving I wouldn't have seen anything near as pretty.

bikinggrrrl

oops. Fixed it. I think. How was your concert, Jim? I swear, I'm gonna make it to one of those.

jimmuller 

The concert was great, and thanks for asking!

Since I have to ride twice a day I get to post twice too. This afternoon's ride back to Attleboro was an adventure. First my boss wanted to ask the group about something and the discussion lasted until later than I would have liked. As I was leaving a co-worked said "Don't miss your train." (Thanks, Steve!) Then I found the wind had shifted during the day to become a stiff and slightly cold headwind out of the east. Okay... So I turned off of 116 onto Great Rd and realized I wasn't sure I'd recognize the left turn over to Old River Rd. Sure enough I rode past it but had to good fortune to see a resident getting out of a pickup so I asked. (See, guys can ask directions after all, especially if they are possibly late.)

So I flew down Cullen Hill Rd and onto the Blackstone Bikeway, then got passed by another rider on a Lemond doing a training run. When we stopped at a stoplight I complimented him. He said he was in a hurry, had to get it all in. I said I was in a hurry, had to catch a train.

All went well until I got a flat about halfway from the river to Attleboro. Dang. I always figured if I left enough time I could fix it and still catch the train, but today I was running late. Quick, pull the tube out, find the hole, search the inside of the tire for glass or a thorn. I could neither see nor feel anything at all, either inside or out. Quick stuff another tube and remount the tire. 75 hurried pump strokes, good enough for maybe 75lbs, pack up everything and hit the road. Check the watch, it's gonna' be close. I rode as hard as I could, cursed the headwind, and got to the station a few minutes before the train should have arrived. Nothing in sight. A few people waiting though. 5 minutes go by, another 5 minutes. Quick phone call to my sweetie to let her know that I might be 2 hrs late. Another 5 minutes...and a headlight appears down the track. The train finally arrives about 16 minutes late! I'm saved!

It was an interesting day.

JandersUF

It was such a pretty day, I decided to do a solo century. Too tired to type much now, but managed 102 miles without dying.

Got a flat at mile 15, but a nice guy got out of a car with a floor pump, which was awesome. 15 miles later I realized the new tube's valve wasn't fully tightened, and it had gotten a little soft... I pumped it back up. At that stop, i also realized my saddlebag had ripped open at the seam, and my double-back-up patch kit had fallen out.

Thankfully, the cycling gods let me finish the rest of the ride without further flats.

I think you can see the route here if you want... pretty nice route:
https://connect.garmin.com/activity/85373233

mtalinm

Harvard to Harvard, very nice!

jimmuller 

Nice ride!

"I assure you, Mrs. Lyons, that for some months you've been walking the edge of a precipice. You had him in your power and he knew it, and yet you're alive." - Sherlock Holmes in a BBC radio production of The Hound of the Baskervilles. The cycling gods were indeed looking out for you.

My rides today were simply the commute. No muss, no fuss, for which I am grateful.

sherbornpeddler

JandersUF,
Really impressive and ambitious route and congratulations for working through those obstacles!

We"ll use part of your route tomorrow, Sunday when we'll ride into the Boston Bikes Kickoff party.

Aside from food and drink, I particularly want to join in the 9 mile tour of Boston newest bike lanes at 2:45 PM.

Plan to leave from the Sherborn Sandwich Shop (next to Citgo) at 12:30PM. It is about 20 miles via Dover then in Beacon St, enjoy things, ride the 9 mile bike lane tour and depart at 4:00PM to get back here about 5:30PM...ish. The pace is conversational and I'll be the caboose with an orange vest. It is a fair amount of riding but spread out over the afternoon.

PM me if you want to join in on route (Starbucks in Wellesley Hills?); the more the merrier. If you like, you can register for free at Boston Bike Week. https://bostonbikeweek.kintera.org/fa...?ievent=462345

I plan to do something similar September 25th with a wee bit more of a ride, a tad earlier in the morning? Hub on Wheels. https://hubonwheels.kintera.org/faf/h...?ievent=436653 Your vote (and mine) might persuade a car pool then do the 50 mile tour.

sherbornpeddler

My rides today were simply the commute. No muss, no fuss, for which I am grateful.[/QUOTE]

Holmes, you ole hound you!
I rode 3 times this week. One nice 37 mile tralala over hill and dale and the others were 8 milers to local meetings and errands. I've not yet screwed up courage, logistics and courage to "drive up, bike home, bike up drive home" for my Hudson, NH commute. I had to tie my shoe, my dog ate my bike, my helmet needs to be clean, I ran out of chain oil.....

godshammgod

Anyone doing the CRW Spring Century tomorrow?

I was supposed to do it with a couple of friends as part of our B2B prep, but they've bailed due to threatening weather. Looks like I'll be doing a semi-solo century. Though I'm sure I'll have plenty of company.

As for today, 40ish miles of cloudy chilliness through Lexington and Concord. Rode a little harder than I wanted before a century. Oh well.

jimmuller 

Ah, that would possibly leave your car inaccessible for a night, wouldn't it? Unless you could train your dog to drive, or maybe if you got a spare shoelace. You have to go from Sherborn to Hudson? That's a haul.

I did ride today:
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/720922-Seacoast-NH-Ride-this-May-14th?p=12642577#post12642577
It was a nice 25 miles run along the NH coast. (Betcha', if you're not from around here, you didn't even know NH had any coast! They do. Not much though.) It was ridden at a sedate pace but scenery-dense.

Now I must mow the lawn.

sherbornpeddler

How'd everybody make out in the rain?
I went to the Boston Bikes Kick Off Party at the new Giant Store on Kilmarnock near Brookline St.
Jeff Lenosky, 2X National Trials Champion gave a huge stunt demonstration and made time to chat with each of his fans. He is a great spokesman for the bicycle community. Redbones had fantastic food and I joined the 9 mile tour of Boston Bike Lanes. It was a very nice ride with a great group of enthusiasts.

The answer to the question of the day; Commonwealth Avenue Boston Women's Memorial includes Abigail Adams, Lucy Stone and Phillis Wheatley.

JandersUF

I was stuck working all day Sunday... but I did see some groups of cyclists heading to the festivities.

With all the rain this week, I am considering pulling the trainer back out... heaven forbid!