rumrunn6

thank you, yes I've heard of it & even used it off & on. started using it after reading one of our Presidents was using it. can't say I ever noticed any effect. I don't currently have joint pain other than occasional gout which I have prevention & treatment for. I think I still have some. maybe I'll start taking it again. thank you for the suggestion!

EVlove

Not going to bore you with more photos of the beach but I was back today, again on the Lotus, this time taking the indirect route NE and S from my house to the BFRT entrance at Stedman St/I-495, which is just over 7 miles. Same temperature as yesterday but without the clear skies, and still windy. The trail was a little more popular and there was a guy tossing a tennis ball into the pond for a very good black Lab.

The primary goal today was bragging rights with my buddies back home in Germany, as yesterday's ride left me less than a mile short of 100 km for the month. Which needed to be rectified Their winter has been much wetter than ours though, I don't blame them.

The return leg was an all-road affair on Hunt and Pine Hill, bringing the total to 11.0 miles and 437 feet.

rumrunn6

I forget when this is from but it was a nice day, for sure

rholland1951

Saturday afternoon I took the LHT and rode East.


This was the customary round of hills and traffic in Arlington, Medford, Malden, Melrose, and Stoneham, with an option on Winchester, Saugus, and Wakefield. I took the LHT, rather than the GT with the studded Nokians, in spite of an existence proof for ice found in a little frozen puddle in a shady part of my driveway.


That turned out to be a wise choice, because that was the last ice I saw, and I had a jolly time on the old Trucker with its fat, supple 44mm Compass Snoqualme Pass Extralight tires. It climbs avidly and descends with authority. Yippee!

Along the way, I took a short cut through a segment of the Northern Strand Community Path, in Malden, and encountered this Blue Bike that had apparently been, er, altered by some DIY enthusiast (read, "vandal"), and left in the middle of the trail, like a Lime Bike back before that bubble burst. I'm sure there's a story here, but I can't quite guess what it is. Is someone liberating Blue Bikes?


The cold temperatures put hill climbs, with their endothermic bonus, at a premium, and I sought them out.
Sunset found me cresting the hill on Fellsway East, feeling adequately toasty.


Night fell, and I encountered a long line of tail lights, cars stopped for a train at the West Medford crossing. I got in line and added my lumens to the common glow, then pedaled home when the traffic started to move again, while Old Lady Venus strutted on the Western horizon. Those with sharp eyes and a good display should be able to make out the linear constellation of a SpaceX Starlink satellite train, immediately above the tree, near the center of the image. I didn't notice it at the time; it's possible the new Pocket Devil's eyes are sharper than mine. That could become a theme...


rod

EVlove

I popped the 23mm Michelin Dynamics back on the Lotus in anticipation of an all-BFRT ride on the, now, dry asphalt. Yes, I should get another wheelset. And a pair of rims, in fact, since the brake track on these is pretty much worn down. Thankfully changing back and forth between the Michelins and the Schwalbe CX is quick and easy, no tire irons needed.

The plan was to drive to Chelmsford center to run a little errand and get a quick EV charge at the library while I take a spin to who knows, maybe all the way to the bridge. Finding both charging spots taken when I passed, I parked at the Center for the Arts instead and proceeded to mount front wheel, flashers, and toolbag. As if on cue, the wind piped up noticeably and I realized I was only wearing short sleeves under my quarter-zip. It couldn't be helped so off I set, uncomfortable even at modest speeds. But then modest speeds seemed to be all the Sunday afternoon BFRT traffic would allow, anyway. Walkers, joggers, cyclists of varying skill and attentiveness, not like in the summer of course, but it was enough to wish the NFL season hadn't ended. Even the dreaded social group ride or two. You know the type, we're having a good chat here, so we're entitled to the full width of the trail So my bell thumb got a workout, too.

Clear stretches could still be found in between, and I did warm up to some extent, but it became clear that I wasn't going to go even as far as NARA. I stopped at Route 27 and realized that I had left my water bottle back in the car, on top of it all, so it was time to head back. I considered grabbing the bottle back at the CCA and then adding the loop to the Lowell end, but eventually decided to leave the trail at High St and head uphill for some vertical footage. The road was in surprisingly poor condition, but just about empty, so I managed to steer my unforgiving rubber (90/100 psi front/rear) clear of the potholes. The climb was thermally welcome, and the descent slowed down enough not to chill me to the bone. Gave me time to appreciate the fine old homes, and notice the sap buckets on a number of maples. None of which I photographed, alas.

Left at Acton Rd and then left again, using the sidewalks for a minute to avoid the slingshot around the library, and so back to the BFRT at the Brickhouse, and finally the CCA. Only about 9.6 miles and 270 feet today.

rholland1951

Put the Sam Hillborne back in service, and took it out for a quick run on the Minuteman before dinner. A near miss at a minor road crossing put me in a reflective mood: time to revisit Normal Accident Theory. I did get a photograph of the bruised sunset colors.


rod

rholland1951

Again turned to the Sam Hillborne for a vigorous lunchtime ride on the Minuteman. I'm still getting to know this bike, and spent a certain amount of time fiddling with the saddle pitch, saddle height, and saddle rotation. It's getting there.


Temperatures were kissing 60, and there were a great number of people out riding, walking, scooting, skating, electric-unicycling, or just plain being dogs. Here are some.


At Peepers Pond, a group of little girls left a whole herd of purple and pink bikes and scooters while they went exploring on foot. My bike wanted to be photographed with them: next best thing to Ponyhenge.


After that I rolled off home, and was pleased at the pace the Sam maintained.

rod

rumrunn6

how do you like the seat post?

rholland1951

It's a single bolt design, easy to work with adjusting saddle pitch and setback. Saddle height and rotation are controlled via a binder bolt, that's given me no trouble so far.

rod

rumrunn6

metro west got 3"? of cement. not exactly cycling weather. not for me anyway

EVlove

I measured 4 inches on top of my trash can lid, and it's stickier than it should be at 25 degrees, so I didn't even try the snow blower. Which, granted, is a 2-stroke relic that may have had all of 3.5HP when it was new:

rumrunn6

well someone got out this morning!

EVlove

Not up here. I had to "see a man about a dog," as our Irish friends would say, and drove Route 27 to Acton, peeking into the BFRT at every crossing. Footprints, out and back from the same determined runner I would say, but no bike tracks. Nor ski tracks, for that matter. I wonder if Pedal Power made any sales on the ski side of the business today.

This is off-topic but while it was a man I was seeing, it wasn't about a dog, or at least I really hope it doesn't turn out to be one:

rholland1951

Nice looking dog! Looking forward to hearing more.

I engaged in my other Winter sport (snow shoveling) today, which gave me the opportunity to observe the behavior of the flightless flamingo in Winter.


I logged it with Mass. Audubon. Spring is coming.

rod

EVlove

It's part of my attempted low-budget track bike build for the Northeast Velodrome up in NH. I understand the track has rentals for only $10 a session, so more likely for single speed training runs on the BFRT and empty parking lots. Consider yourself warned

rumrunn6

tentative plan to ride after work last nite. got home, had dinner & caught up on a cpl movies I started. Wifey shows up just as I'm getting myself in gear & starts asking what chores I've done cycling saves me once again. um gotta go Honey, buh bye. a solid 2 hrs later, she's in bed & I snuck back in the house. just kidding, I do my fair share

tried some of the side trails near home

8:30pm, it's desolate in the forest

no snow on the trees so me & camera stayed dry & comfortable; 28 degrees. it's been a few days since it snowed, so many of the remote trails had signs of prior exploring. the surface was nice & firm so I didn't sink in too much. I'm sure the skiers won't mind

funny how low the back tire looks, that's deceptive. but it sure felt soft, riding the roads to get to the trails

when it was time for the roads back home about 10:40pm, tried to pump the rear w/ my bike pump but either there was something wrong with it or I forgot how to use it. just kept letting air out making it softer! had to resort to a co cartridge inflator which got me back up where I wanted to be. but these aggressive studded MTB tires are not road warriors, that's for sure

bike_tom

Cool pictures. Do you plant a selfie stick in the ground and then do a flyby to take shots like this?
Or maybe a mini-tripod?

Tom

rumrunn6

haha yes! I saw ZIPP2001 doing ride-bys in his videos & I was like, what is that nut doing? crazy, like a fox. it's kind of labor intensive, especially on hills. I carry a travel pod w/ a quick release mount same as what I have on my helmet, bars & camera stick. you set it down, run or ride away, then ride back toward the camera. then ride back to the thing, turn it to face your direction of travel, ride away from where you started then ride toward the camera so it can capture you riding away. so you wind up w/ 2 clips 1) ride-by toward & 2) ride-by away. then you can capture frames from each video clip, &/or edit those clips into a longer video. bikerideusinteruptus for sure. but the result ca be fun to see or watch

at about 1:42 I used the travel pod attached to a tree

since my helmet has a camera mount & light, I sometimes take my helmet off, set it down on the ground, start the camera, then ride toward it


or away from it


this is what the pod looks like folded up strapped to a skinny tree


I also use a camera stick, with the same quick release camera mount. I just hold it off to the side, as I ride to get this kind of video clip


nighttime is trickier, so I add a small light to the end of the camera stick

bike_tom

Cool - thanks for the detailed explanation and sample photos and video.

The results are worth the effort, at least for those of us who get to view them.

I need to progress beyond snapshots with my phone.

Tom

rumrunn6

the options & possibilities are endless & mind boggling. when ppl used to ask me what camera they should buy I always said, it was the one they could figure out how to operate. it's gotta be easy to use. good luck on your quest!

rholland1951

Thanks to an annoying persistent upper respiratory infection (NOT Covid), I was off the bike for a bit more than a week before taking the LHT out on the Minuteman this afternoon. The idea was to get a ride on dry pavement before tonight's snow and whatever else messed things up. Arlington Center was bustling, and those on bikes waited patiently for the light to change. Amazing that works as well as it does.


Quiet late Winter day on the Minuteman. But when I got off my bike to take this photo, a pedestrian asked the helpful-silly question, "Are you all right?" I'm afraid I answered, "Yeah, are you?" I'm way over my quota for involuntary participation in that particular genre of fantasy play on the part of my fellow cyclists, and getting it from a pedestrian is simply goofy. Perhaps that was some obscure corollary of "Never get off the bike."


The Night Chorus was tuning up, all those little singers. Frogs at this time of year, at these temperatures? Bugs? Noooo. Birds, sure. Anyway they were tuning up, a couple of hours before sunset. The seams between the Upper, Middle, and Lower shamanic worlds were showing. Pedal rhythm is as good as a drum. Here we go...




rod

EVlove

Glad you're better, and grabbed the opportunity. I debated it but it was barely 40 degrees here, and the roads salted like a ham.

I think at 55 (and slim, still mostly dark, and exceedingly handsome, according to my wife who is never wrong) I'm a relative youngster in this thread, but it happens to me, too. The grouch in me does get annoyed but really, where's the harm? A fellow traveler looking out for me, whether reflexively or out of real (if unwarranted) concern, nothing wrong with that. I take it over the self-absorbed, ear-plugged road hazard type any day.

Might well be spring peepers! Now I'm jealous. We have vernal pools right behind the house but I haven't heard them yet.

rholland1951

One of the bits of good news about this ride is that the Arlington streets appeared to be salt-free, at least as late as I rode them. My old steel bike was grateful.

This behavior reminds me of the "Passing Left" hail, which almost inevitably encodes some affective message or other, be it concern, camaraderie, dominance, or what you will. Back when I was still in the IT research business, I thought it would be clever to collect a Passing Left corpus to train a system to recognize these various affective payloads. I suppose that's still a good idea, and it's as feasible today as it was then. One application would be an asshat detector....

Could be. Another pattern recognition problem..

Hurry, Spring!

rod

rumrunn6

always good to get big lungfuls of air on a bike ride. down at Mom's, just North of NYC, we only got wind & rain last night. back home near Stow, Wifey's hair appointment was canceled today. looking at my security camera it doesn't look deep, but I guess timing & precipitation type can be the deciding factors, eh?

harrier6

I read someone's recent post in the "Race Scene Boston" thread on the "Allis Loop." It looked like a fresh take on my normal Weston-Lincoln-Sudbury loops, so I decided to give it a shot this morning. Discovered some nice new roads, only bad point for me was crossing rt 128 at Winter St./Totten Pond Rd., though the long descent after the overpass exchange almost made up for it. No scenic photo today, just a muddy bike photo.
Felt F85 2012