berner

I rode the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen's South Shore Century ride this past Sunday but I only rode the first 55 miles. Part of the route was through Duxbury Conservation Lands which consisted of many wooded and serene roads. I am continually surprised by how much fine riding there is within a short distance of Boston.

rholland1951

Thanks! Figuring out how to stitch together various riding territories separated by highways, rivers, bases, cities, and other barriers is an on-going challenge.

rod

jimmuller 

Today's report is brought to you through the kindness of a stranger.

I didn't quite make 20 of my usual 25 miles round trip. I had ridden the faithful Peugeot UO8 today because it has a rack for panniers and lights which might have been useful had the predicted 30% POP come to pass. That bike choice turned out to be pivotal.

I was tooling along this afternoon on the way back to the Attleboro train station when I heard a gunshot. Well, it wasn't really a gunshot, just my rear tire. I hopped off the bike, pulled off the wheel (working through the panniers), checked it over but found no puncture. Then I head a voice from across the road (Rt 123), "You okay over there?" I looked, saw the caller, and answered "I don't know yet." To which he answered "I'll be here if you need anything." Then I found the problem - the valve stem had, ah, exploded. Simple punctures don't usually sound like that anyway.

The reason the bike choice mattered is that it has Schrader valves, not Presta. When I had put the bike in the car last night I couldn't find a spare tube. I had grabbed tires irons and a patch kit and figured that would cover any normal flat. I have one around here somewhere because both it and the Gran Sport have Schrader valves. But it got moved when I transferred its handlebar bag over to the Bianchi. Memo to self: You have too many bikes.

So I walked across the street and the guy happily consented to throw the bike in the back of his pickup and drive me the rest of the way to the station. As he put it, the weeds in the lawn would keep and the steaks weren't going onto the grill until 6:30. We had a delightful conversation for the next 10 minutes or so. I told him how I'd written to the Attleboro newspaper last year about how courteous the drivers had been all year, and then thanked him for his consideration.

It was a good day. As he put it when we shook hands at the station "God bless America!" People are what make a society. We have some good ones.

sherbornpeddler

Ayup. Speen St. was re-done not too long ago but misplaced the construction plans for the tunnel, bridges and bike lanes across Rts. 135, 9, 30 and I-90. Never pass without insurance paid up and the comfort of having already lived a good, long life.

I cross under Rt. 9, over I-90 and sashay Rt.30 in Weston where the sight lines are good on my northerly section. It is trickier to cross Rt. 20 on Highland to Boston Post Rd as sight lines are poor looking west and it is a fairly wide road. I could take School St where there is a light but I like passing the historical plaque on Sanderson Hill.

Going south I cross Rt. 30 in Wayland on Rice Rd to Oak at a traffic light but there is a catch. The magnetic sensor at the end of Rice Rd. won't pick up a bicycle so wait for a car to join you or run the red light. A norther bound car on Oak won't do it. I don't stay on Oak to cross Rt. 9 even with a traffic light and new pavement because narrow, curving roads, speedy cars and a weird rotary kind of traffic at the intersection.

sherbornpeddler

"

Very well said. Thank you for relaying good news.

A few days ago I was passed by Tresca cement truck #125 who lightly tooted his horn then passed at moderate speed with reasonable distance. Another did the same later in the day. This morning I came upon two of their trucks stopped at a sandwich shop and paused to compliment them for their bicycle friendly attitude.

sherbornpeddler

37 miles on same old Dover Sherborn route and another 28 in Hopkinton and Ashland when a neighbor dropped by and challenged me (aka persuaded me to ride instead of doing a chore on the todo list). What great weather!

mtalinm

I made it up Mt. Washington last Saturday. If I can do it, anyone can! Full report here https://mtalinm.bostonbiker.org/2012/...mt-washington/ and ride transcript here https://connect.garmin.com/activity/212174506

jimmuller 

Today's ride was just the usual commute, on the Bianchi. But I carried a laptop in a small backpack. I really don't like riding with a backpack!

sherbornpeddler

Mtalinm,
Congratulations! 7.7 miles up! Your average heart rate shows a ton of work. I'm ignorant about how one can sign up for one of these rides, qualifications, training, courage and determination. Your 4710 ft elevation gain is 3 hours of weight lifting. Wow!

sherbornpeddler

See? Not too many bikes.
I use a back pack when I carry my laptop because I think it is better isolated from vibration compared to a pannier or front rack.

sherbornpeddler

OK, another early morning local loop and an errand. August is my highest mileage month ytd and it ain't over. Is it the weather or creeping fitness? I'm contemplating the Major Taylor Century on Sept. 30 and/or the Great River Ride Oct.7. I rode them both in 2010 and the Major Taylor is the hardest century I ever rode and the GRR is ridiculous, so much so that it is off scale. The GRR is gorgeous but there are at least 10 climbs that are so long and brutal that one believes the previous hill was so tortuous that the next one can't be as hard. Like Escher, even though it finishes at the start, there are way, way more up hills than down.

How cool is it that one is 40 min from middle Metrowest and the other 1 hour and 40 min?

mtalinm

I was at 90% of max most of the time, which sounds rough but isn't too bad. I used to hit max HR routinely when practicing on Great Blue Hill.

$350 will get you a spot among the 600 riders. no prequal required!

antimonysarah

Finally experimented with a packbasket for grocery shopping -- only 7 miles round-trip, but 3.5 of that was with forty pounds of produce and canned goods on my back. Which actually worked pretty well -- I had the basket completely filled, and I could still ride. The gal packing it at the supermarket couldn't lift it, but it was just fine, and much kinder for carrying fruit and eggs and bread than panniers.

And @jimmueller -- 27 is a nice cut across 9 & 90 through Natick, IMHO. Decent shoulders, good sightlines, no really hairy intersections, no 90 onramp so no hassle there. Then again, my standards may not match yours, as I ride on 9 fairly often.

jimmuller 

This sport of cycling sometimes requires one to be creative and knowledgeable, to improvise. We wanted to do maybe 50 miles on the tandem today, so we went west from Bedford into Westford, visited some friends briefly, went northward into West Chelmsford then into Chelmsford to pick up the BF. On the way south the front derailleur cable snapped. Dang.

So I adjusted the stop screw to set it on the middle ring, then took a route back to Bedford that didn't involve steep hills. High gears we can get, though we did spin out the small cog on one stretch. But a 38/32 combination just won't do for some of the short steep hills around here. We aren't that strong a team!

But we did end up with 39.25 miles, and I bought a new derailleur cable at the bike shop in Bedford.

A river/RR crossing at Westford Station, with a farm stand - signs of the coming harvest:


My sweetie at Heart Pond, Chelmsford:


An unexpected task, replacing a cable (which requires crawling under the bike):


The best way to work on a bike (but not to tpye acurrately):

jimmuller 

Thank you!

bikinggrrrl

WOW! What inspiration you are.

bikinggrrrl

Nice quick beautiful loop of Carlisle/Concord/Bedford today on the tandem pulling new Chariot. Our old carrier's canvas seat had stretched to the point where our 34# son's back was hitting a metal brace anytime we went over a bump of significance. Chariot replaced the entire carrier! Gotta love a company that stands behind their product and honors a lifetime warrantee.

sherbornpeddler

BG, seems you've gotten very good use indeed. Chariot is getting your influential commendation. Win Win. They should make you a spokesperson.

I have to say hearing about Mtalinm's "anyone can do it" Mt Washington, Rod's travels, Jim's adventures and on-route tandem repairs with chair and beer and so many other contributors are award category and outstanding. I look forward to everything they post. Your observations and tribal trailering easily wins the family achievement and are special. You have a real following. Thank you!

jimmuller 

mtalinm, bkg, Excellent for both of you!

Today was an adventure. We met sherbornpeddler and rode 54.06 miles, starting in
D
o
v
e
r,
MA (which I wrote that way because it is more vertical than horizontal), and looping down into northeastern Rhode Island. Along the way we learned a new definition of the word "gradual".

The day started with the tandem not going onto the granny chainring. Fortunately sbp realized very quickly that he didn't need his superbike to keep up with us and made a quick detour to his house so he could switch to his single-speed Raleigh Pro (at least I think it was a Pro). I took the opportunity to borrow a wrench and loosen the FD cable I'd installed last night. That did the trick, shifting-wise. And truth be told, we had trouble keeping up with sbp even after the bike switch!

Starting out from the
D
o
v
e
r
town hall:



After 2hrs of biking we stopped by a pond for lunch, lunch being the important part:



Hours later we stopped in Millis for another picnic. My sweetie and me:



Finally, back at the start hours later, tired but still standing:



Sbp gave us some options at the start, and we chose the 50+ mile run to Rhode Island. I have no idea where we went but it sure was fun. Some roads were busy but most were wonderfully quiet. And either uphill or fast downhill. Our top speed was 31mph, but I kept hitting the brakes because I wasn't sure of the road surface.

Sbp kept describing the roads as gradually going uphill. It's, ah, all a matter of perspective, isn't it? Then he would admit to misremembering it, misunderestimating either the steepness or the length. I figure we can tell ourselves congradualations for climbing all those steeeeep or looooong hills. Fortunately they usually weren't both. But I was really glad the 28T chainring was accessible again.

It was a great day! Thanks to sbp for putting up with us. I would have typed this sooner but I was having trouble lifting my fingers up off the keys.

sherbornpeddler

Great fun and guilty as charged for my poor estimations of distance and topography.
You are both tough, resolute riders and kept it all fun, at least as far as I could tell.
My green bike is a reproduction Raleigh "One Way"single speed with a comfy Brooks saddle and 35c tires for a softer ride. It also has cantilever brakes to follow just one of the many fashion statements made by your beautiful, restored tandem. You've skillfully built it up and maintained it for these gradual New England hills. I was also impressed with how well prepared you both were to refuel and take in the scenic views. You set a fine example on how to enjoy these roads. Thanks again.

jimmuller 

I was kidding, of course, about the misunderestimating. It's like the fisherman's story of how big was the one that got away. With cycling it's how big the hill - either very very big, or oh no, that was no trouble at all, we just breezed right up, never noticed it. It depends on whether you are the talker or the listener.

We thank you for the compliments. We did indeed have fun the whole way, only occasionally saying "Oh boy, another low-gear opportunity!" Although Sharon did admit that she fell asleep briefly once on the bike.

Scenic views? I don't recall any scenic views. I'll have to check with Sharon...

As for refueling, that's the whole point, isn't it? Have big panniers, will travel (and will eat).

But seriously, that was a great day over great roads, one of the more challenging day rides we've done. Your tolerance and hospitality was what made it so nice. Thanks for being our guide! (Oh, BTW, the light is re-attached and works fine.)

GeezerPete

82 miles roundtrip yesterday from Phillipston to Clinton via Princeton and the Wachusett Reservoir loop.
Not too shabby for a 61 year old geezer.

sherbornpeddler

Not shabby at all. Congratulations!
How were the roads?
As I recall there are a few hills in those parts! I recall getting to Princeton thinking I'd make a run up Mt. Wachusett. I took a short nap in the gazebo instead then coasted down hill a bajillion miles an hour. Yep, hills.

GeezerPete

Yep, pretty hilly country. The roads are in decent shape but 140 can be a less than enjoyable ride due to the lack of a shoulder and the steady traffic. If you can make up the hill to the center of Princeton, you might as well go on to the top of Mt. Wachusett. The auto road to the top of the moutain really isn't that bad and is beautifully paved. And yes the 3 mile decent from Princeton to 140 has to be one of the best in Massachusetts.

jimmuller 

That's what I was thinkin' when I first read your post. Well done, indeed.