jimmuller 

I did the commute again today. Attleboro station to the intersection of Albion Rd and rt116 in Lincoln, RI. It was breeeeeeeezy this morning and cool both ways. Bright leaves on the trees too. A beautiful day. Like yesterday, today I rode the UO8, carrying lunch and other stuff in panniers. I flipped the lights for the last few miles.

JayBlurr

Hey everyone i started a local group trying to get it up and running just need some people to spread the word. Its for people like us that have facebook to post for sale items like, parts, frames, bikes. anything bike related with out getting spam'd through your email like its been happening on CL. Also share stories, ideas, and upcoming events. Tell your friends, just search "Mass-Cyclist Group" and add yourself, also add anyone else you think would like to join.

welshTerrier2

Hi all.

I did my Carlisle loop last Friday... what a beautiful day that was. Looks like it may take the entire winter to restock the larder with those.

Strange incident on my way back between Carlisle and Concord. I was riding South on Monument Street when I saw a guy starting to back out of a driveway (on my left). I was coming down a hill at between 25 and 30 mph. The guy made absolute eye contact with me... stopped... and then went. I'm not sure I could have stopped behind him. Because he was still backing into my lane (to go the same direction I was going), I thought it was way to dangerous too pass him on the right. What would you have done? There were no cars coming from the opposite direction so I went over the center-line into the oncoming lane and passed this guy while he continued in reverse. I said nothing to him and he said nothing to me.

Yesterday, on that really winnnnnnndy day, I went off to find the Milford Bike Path. A friend told me it was paved. RideWithGPS shows one end of the path in Holliston at Route 16. I found an unpaved trail that I think is a "planned" path but it is still badly overgrown. As best I can tell, it looks like only the Milford section is paved.

jimmuller 

Facebook? What's that?

rholland1951

It's a little like AOL, I think.

sherbornpeddler

WT2, The Upper Charles River Rail Trail is paved with asphalt in Milford and well used. There is one short section in the middle that a developer will finish in exchange for a change in their development restrictions. Holliston https://www.townofholliston.us/hollistontrails/ just acquired by purchase and lease the railbed and is in the process of clearing and "the ground work" to pave. They will pave with stone dust or like material as funding is available. They have some beautiful bridges and this arched tunnel (photo from last winter) to dress up as well. It already is used a fair amount for walking, comfort and mountain bike traffic. I saw a few horses struggle to cross the other day. Car drivers have more to learn about horse and bike traffic.

Sherborn acquired the available section from the Holliston line to Whitney Street and will hold a clearing party November 3rd. Paving is after conservation and funding issues are resolved but progress and Holliston has been quite good in the last 2 years compared to the preceding decade. Hopkinton has a resolute and progressive trail club making progress on a number of trails and have Upper Charles in their sights. Ashland is trickier with other good conservation projects occupying their current interests. MAPC trail map has the status in their map.https://trailmap.mapc.org/

sherbornpeddler

Frost on the pumpkin yesterday morning but a hasty ride up to the lighthouse at Watch Hill, RI got the appetite and ambition going. Six of us rode 40 miles very quiet roads around SW RI. Fancy, fancy homes, hedges and lawns then beaches then woods. Great area.https://www.dot.ri.gov/bikeri/

rholland1951

Got 10 miles in on the Minuteman after the rain and before the Pats game. 63 degF felt warmer than it did a few weeks ago. Tires went slishing through puddles and wet leaves, in counterpoint to a surprising volume of frog music. Good day for fenders.

rod

telkanuru

Psssh. The Black Stripe of Manliness is better than fenders.

My commute to day was very pleasant. Yesterday, I even had to break out a winter hat! Very much wanting it to be winter, now.

rholland1951

Reminds me that the best-looking dorsal stripe I ever saw was on a female roadie. You had to be there...

rod

Bishbike

Black Stripe of Manliness... I love it. This should have been my reply to my wife asked me "Why does the back of your jersey look like you got into a mud fight?" when
I walked in from the ride tonight.

Took the Minuteman out to Rt. 62 to Concord, then returned to Belmont via Hanscom, Shade St., and Concord Ave.

Had to hose down the bike when I got home.

sherbornpeddler

I like fenders.
I repaired my cousin's fender with a string just to get home....a year ago.

My Oneway fenders have never come off.

rholland1951

Night ride on the Minuteman to Lexington Center ahead of the storm front, 10 miles, windy and warm. The frogs were singing their little amphibian hearts out, leaves blew through the headlight cone like meteors. Most of the flying insects have taken a powder, and the pesky winter moths haven't come out to play yet.

rod

telkanuru

So several bike paths around, most noticeably the North Harvard St. one, have gotten a bunch of paint decals reading "NO EXCUSES WEAR A HELMET." New campaign?

Bishbike

This?

https://bostonbiker.org/2012/10/14/ne...sses-its-mark/

telkanuru

Yep. They're every 100 feet or so in some places.

Also, I've had that kind of damage done to my face WITH a helmet on. I think I put pics up at one point.

Leebo

Use of fenders is common sense, not everything wet and on the ground is water.

jimmuller 

We did 20 miles on the tandem this evening, Depot Park in Bedford all the way in to Alewife and back on the MM. It was quite dark by the time we returned, and of course we did the entire return run with lights aglow. Lights on approaching bikes look like something from an Edgar Allen Poe story...

antimonysarah

Finally feels like fall out there -- although I'm only doing the short-biking-version of my multi-modal commute (about 6 miles on the bike), it was nice to be out in the crisp air.

jimmuller 

I wanted to do my bike commute this morning but for several reasons opted to just drive all the way to work. Since the bike was in the car the alternative was to ride after work, which is exactly what I did. Only 13 miles on the Blackstone Bikeway from rt116 to Woonsocket and back. I did the return half with my generator lights aglow, burning a hole through the gathering darkness.

Breathe deep the gathering gloom.
Watch lights fade in every room.

It was marvelous.

sherbornpeddler

Bravo for getting in a ride and very clever to recall a great song and poem. Thanks!

I didn't ride yesterday but did haul boats from the pond.
Today Helios brought warm sunshine and none of the colors were faded; rode mid-day, saw cows in the fields, tons of black birds, a horseback rider and chatted with a pedestrian. None of them were moody or blue.

sherbornpeddler

Oh yeah!

Looking forward to some good riding!

sherbornpeddler

Today was a special day; warm, beautiful, roads were shiny with rain and colored with leaves, bustling with bicyclists and car bound leaf peepers, mild wind and released from weekday restraints.
Gosh.
Chores, this and that and I finally cast off just after 1PM and almost went right for a good ole tra-la-la but pulled left back to this morning's plan of a 100K loop through Weston, up to Carlisle and back via the Sudbury River flood plain (translation: its a pretty flat route).
I ended up with the perfect (ref. aforementioned conditions), nearly non-stop day where I hit intersections and lights just right. I ate raisins and drank water on Rt. 126 at Rt. 2, cruised right through Monument St. and Carlisle and refilled water and ate more raisins at THE water fountain (Concord Center) then politely, with a smile and tip of the helmet halted traffic for a grateful pedestrian (and got a welcome 20 sec. rest) before cranking on.
I kept thinking I'll keep pushing until I bonk and the bottom line is once rolling, I rode my best time of the last two years. Pretty durn sore after I finished and drank my wife's hot water, honey and vinegar concoction then hot shower and a short walk and I'm as good as ..... as one might expect. Wet leaves and warm weather make Fall MetroWest days special.

antimonysarah

That pretty much sums it up! We were on some of the same roads -- I rode out to Bolton and came back via Concord. There were tons of cyclists out enjoying the day. Put the first metric century on my new bike, too. Though rather slower than yours, but I'm still pleased with my time.

jimmuller 

Antimony, SbPeddler, I do envy your riding today. Our band played Applecrest Farm in Hampton Falls, NH today. Tomorrow we play the Beer & Bluegrass Festival at Nashoba Winery in Bolton, MA. As much as I like riding, I wouldn't trade it for tomorrow's show. There's only one of those per year but I can ride lots of other days.