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Metro Boston: Good ride today?

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Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Old 07-31-14, 07:02 PM
  #3851  
miss kenton
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Jim,
Thanks for posting this well written ride report! It looks like you had great weather for the ride. I am sorry we weren't able to join in this year. Your photos brought back fond memories of our ride on the Minuteman path, but I see, like the other 50+ rides in which I've participated, it wasn't without its challenges!
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Old 07-31-14, 08:20 PM
  #3852  
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Originally Posted by miss kenton
Jim,
Thanks for posting this well written ride report! It looks like you had great weather for the ride. I am sorry we weren't able to join in this year. Your photos brought back fond memories of our ride on the Minuteman path, but I see, like the other 50+ rides in which I've participated, it wasn't without its challenges!
Hey Miss Kenton,

So nice to hear from a fellow traveler on two of the previous Annual Rides, Finger Lakes in 2010 and Boston last year. I just edited my post preceding yours with a further reminiscence about last year's ride. I’m sure you remember rtool (and his Ohio compatriots) from the Finger Lakes.

I hope you recall the Charles River Bike Path, NARA Park, and the dinners at Legal Seafood and Villa Francesca from last year, as well as the Ride itself.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…The anticipation for each Ride is predicated on the preceding ones. The plans for Boston 2014 were similarly based on Boston 2013. The Ride however becomes a festive, weekend event by participants who attend, to set the stage for next year’s event(s).

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
…I would hope to recommend this Ride and Weekend next year…

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-01-14 at 03:25 AM.
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Old 07-31-14, 08:36 PM
  #3853  
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Took the Mooney out for a 62 mile ride in he hills on Tuesday night. Made a side trip int the deCordova sculpture park.













Out at Hutchins Field...
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Old 07-31-14, 09:02 PM
  #3854  
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Jim M and JFB, sorry I missed you guys on Saturday. Some other time...
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Old 07-31-14, 09:04 PM
  #3855  
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Quick blast from waverly Sq. to Conncord and back this morning. Nice to ride on freshly paved road!!!!!!! No more dodging potholes.
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Old 07-31-14, 09:43 PM
  #3856  
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Originally Posted by Bishbike
Took the Mooney out for a 62 mile ride in he hills on Tuesday night. Made a side trip int the deCordova sculpture park.













Out at Hutchins Field...
Bish, can you simply ride into the DeCordova campus these days and groove on the sculpture park? Or do you have to pay a troll?

rod
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Old 07-31-14, 09:51 PM
  #3857  
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No trolls involved, just ride on in and groove.
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Old 08-01-14, 07:37 AM
  #3858  
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I'm sitting in my office after a commute in which fortunately was uneventful. It had the nervous potential to be eventful several times. I don't know, maybe it's the weather, a warm, humid day and on a Friday no less.

I was waiting patiently for the traffic light to cross Trapelo in Waverley Sq, with cars coming out of the Star Market parking lots on a green light. On my left one lane inbound on Trapelo held stopped traffic waiting at their red. Some guy dressed in business clothes driving a big SUV came through the inbound right lane apparently having not seen his red light nor noticed that everyone else going that way was waiting. He nearly T-boned a car coming out of the lot. Fortunately his target hit the brakes and he noticed and swerved quickly enough to miss. I yelled as he went by. He pulled over and stopped for a few seconds, realized his mistake (I hope), and then after seeing no further ramifications continued on his way. I kind of hope his pulse is still at 180.

Fast-forward into Lexington. This time it was another cyclo-commuter. We were westbound on Lowell St approaching the Maple St light, I was trailing. The light turned green and we continued, only he slowed and pulled up onto the sidewalk to enter the intersection from its access ramp. I stayed in the street and kept moving with the traffic. By the time he was ready to re-enter the roadway I had pulled even with him, and I called out "Passing on your left!" It made no difference. He pulled out into the road on my right as a car was passing close on my left. Fortunately the car braked for me and I pulled away safely. When I got the chance I called back "Did you not hear me call out?" Silence. No answer, no apology, no "Oops." At the Woburn St light I turned right and he continued straight. It's the first time I've encountered a cyclist who was both deaf and blind, but that explains why he felt justified using the wheelchair ramps on the sidewalks. (Jerk. If you're going to ride a bicycle take the earbuds out of your ears, open your eyes, turn on your brain, and become engaged in the world around you. Or maybe that's too much to ask.)

The rest of the ride was less hazardous but I saw at least half a dozen other blatant driver errors, running red lights, poor timing judgment, discourtesy, and of course the obnoxious extended horn blasting at the Market Basket.

Of all that the only personal threat to my safety was by the cyclist. However I am now safely at work.
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Old 08-01-14, 07:44 AM
  #3859  
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
... (Jerk. If you're going to ride a bicycle take the earbuds out of your ears, open your eyes, turn on your brain, and become engaged in the world around you. Or maybe that's too much to ask.) ...
Yikes, Jim! We're living in the Era of Smart Phones & Dumb Humans, it seems...

rod
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Old 08-01-14, 10:36 AM
  #3860  
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
I'm sitting in my office after a commute in which fortunately was uneventful. It had the nervous potential to be eventful several times…

The rest of the ride was less hazardous but I saw at least half a dozen other blatant driver errors, running red lights, poor timing judgment, discourtesy, and of course the obnoxious extended horn blasting at the Market Basket.

Of all that the only personal threat to my safety was by the cyclist. However I am now safely at work.
I have a few Cardinal Rules for (urban) cycling:

Make yourself as visible as possible, and assume no one sees you.

Like a gum, treat every parked car like it is loaded with an occupant ready to exit, on either side.

No matter how lightly traveled or well-paved the Road, a vehicle is likely to pass you on the left as you encounter an obstacle on the right (My rationale for rearview mirrors).

If you cannot directly see the Road surface (due to a reflecting puddle, a pile of leaves, or whatever), a pothole may lurk.


FWIW.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
… he revealed that he is a certified Cycling Instructor by the League of American Cyclists and taught safe, including urban, cycling to adults and children. As a decades-long, year-round urban cyclist, I proudly told him I learned by experience, and he replied, “It shows. You made some mistakes out there.”
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Old 08-01-14, 04:06 PM
  #3861  
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Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I have a few Cardinal Rules for (urban) cycling:
All quite sensible. FWIW, my godfather was an avid cyclist. He was in his 70's riding his bike when someone door'ed him and killed him. In the old days you could see if someone was in a parked car, but once big head restraints became ubiquitous (more or less required) that became impossible.

My ride home was serene but fast. Traffic was light. Maybe the incoming rain made everybody decide they weren't going to the beach tomorrow after all. Or maybe they all left work early. I had checked the weather radar and rode fast to outrun the incoming. Left work at 4:45, made the 16.3 miles in 1hr on the nose, which included some stoplights.

Accuweather's Minutecast always reminds us of the Star Trek episode The Corbomite Maneuver.

"Rain will commence in twenty five of your earth minutes."

That's pretty good incentive to keep pedaling.
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Old 08-03-14, 04:04 PM
  #3862  
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I connected a few previously ridden segments into a big circle around the North Shore today. Across the 1A bridge from Salem into Beverly, then a few new miles on 1A and 97, then 97 through Wenham into Topsfield center. Then, I circled back down on the Topsfield Linear Common and Danvers Rail Trail, all the way to the trailhead in Peabody. After that, the Independence Greenway, Lowell St and Boston St through the center of Peabody and back into Salem. After all was said and done, I rode a hair over 25 miles, just about the longest I've done in a single shot. Legs were still feeling okay at the end, too.
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Old 08-03-14, 04:09 PM
  #3863  
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Today's weather prediction was ambiguous. We hoped to take the tandem out for a few hours real early before the rain and regular Sunday traffic started. Instead it rained (sort of) during the early morning so we didn't get out until 11. Still got in 34 miles. Moving avg speed 13.7, a new high for us. Stopped for some pics in Concord Center, classic New England style.

First Parish, built four times, the 4th version being:


On the font lawn is this bell:


Inscription on the bell reads Cast by G H Holbrook, Medway, Mass, 1826:


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Old 08-04-14, 08:25 AM
  #3864  
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Originally Posted by DBrim
I connected a few previously ridden segments into a big circle around the North Shore today. Across the 1A bridge from Salem into Beverly, then a few new miles on 1A and 97, then 97 through Wenham into Topsfield center. Then, I circled back down on the Topsfield Linear Common and Danvers Rail Trail, all the way to the trailhead in Peabody. After that, the Independence Greenway, Lowell St and Boston St through the center of Peabody and back into Salem. After all was said and done, I rode a hair over 25 miles, just about the longest I've done in a single shot. Legs were still feeling okay at the end, too.
Pretty country! How did you like the Independence Greenway? How did you get from that to Salem?

rod
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Old 08-04-14, 08:34 AM
  #3865  
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
Instead it rained (sort of) during the early morning so we didn't get out until 11.
I got out with my SO. She isn't used to hills so we did the 5 mile loop around Great Brook Park (well she allowed that I could do the loop a second time ). Anyway the day turned out to be a great day for biking. Although it was such an odd day weather-wise that I am sure in matter quite a bit on where you were.
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Old 08-04-14, 09:55 AM
  #3866  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Pretty country! How did you like the Independence Greenway? How did you get from that to Salem?

rod
I only was on it for about a mile, where it parallels Lowell Street. I've been on that section before, it's nice, paved, smooth, low traffic. Not a destination, but nice that it's there. In order to get back to Salem for there, I took the lower section of Lowell St past where it crosses 128, then stayed on that street as it changes names through downtown Peabody (Lowell St to Main St to Boston St). It eventually becomes Rt 107 for a few blocks immediately after crossing into Salem before the road's terminus on Essex St. The road was pretty highly trafficked and relatively high speed until it hits the center of Peabody, but most of the time there's a healthy breakdown lane to ride in.

As long as we're vaguely on the subject of 107 in Salem, I would recommend against riding it towards Lynn, for what it's worth.
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Old 08-04-14, 10:01 AM
  #3867  
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Originally Posted by DBrim
I only was on it for about a mile, where it parallels Lowell Street. I've been on that section before, it's nice, paved, smooth, low traffic. Not a destination, but nice that it's there. In order to get back to Salem for there, I took the lower section of Lowell St past where it crosses 128, then stayed on that street as it changes names through downtown Peabody (Lowell St to Main St to Boston St). It eventually becomes Rt 107 for a few blocks immediately after crossing into Salem before the road's terminus on Essex St. The road was pretty highly trafficked and relatively high speed until it hits the center of Peabody, but most of the time there's a healthy breakdown lane to ride in.

As long as we're vaguely on the subject of 107 in Salem, I would recommend against riding it towards Lynn, for what it's worth.
Here's a map, with my location of residence conveniently cut off.
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Old 08-05-14, 06:25 AM
  #3868  
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From Sunday morning, in the middle of a 37 mile early morning ride in the drizzle around the Cape, I heard some cheering off in the distance. Followed the cheering to across the street from Cape Code Sea Camps, where the campers (with homemade whale hats), lined Old Kings Highway (6A) in Brewster and cheered and cheered and cheered and cheered. Cowbells, Whistles, Clappers, even a few Vuvuzelas.

The smiles on the riders faces? Priceless.

(And, something completely different, across the pond, sheep. No, this is *NOT* me. Someone else who rides with a camera on who also got lucky and caught a magic moment.)

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Old 08-05-14, 10:37 AM
  #3869  
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
All quite sensible. FWIW, my godfather was an avid cyclist. He was in his 70's riding his bike when someone door'ed him and killed him. In the old days you could see if someone was in a parked car, but once big head restraints became ubiquitous (more or less required) that became impossible…
That’s an unfortunate story as are all cycling mortalities on these Forums. Besides my sympathies, and “there for the grace of God go I,” hopefully we learn from these events. My cycling door rule was partly prompted by two people I know being doored. My pothole rule was from a personal experience, as well as a newspaper article about a local cyclist fatality that I posted to A&S. For me, a rule converts the admonition into a routine behavior.

One of the best outlooks on the dangers of cycling IMO is this quote, initially in reference to cold-weather riding, ”When does Hardcore become Stupid”:

Originally Posted by StephenH
Hardcore becomes stupid when it becomes dangerous.

Hardcore becomes stupid when anything going wrong becomes a safety problem instead of an inconvenience…

Hardcore becomes stupid when minor errors in judgment become safety issues….

Hardcore has clearly become completely stupid when you lose any fingers or toes to frostbite.

In each case, it's not just the [strike]weather[/strike] traffic that makes it hardcore or stupid, it's the degree of preparation and knowledge used in dealing with the [strike]weather[/strike] traffic.
One other “tip” (not necessarily a rule), one of the best I learned on Bikeforums, from buzzman, is that when anticipating the movement of motor vehicle, don’t look at the hood or front end, look at the front tires.



Originally Posted by jimmuller
Accuweather's Minutecast always reminds us of the Star Trek episode The Corbomite Maneuver.

"Rain will commence in twenty five of your earth minutes."

That's pretty good incentive to keep pedaling.

Originally Posted by jimmuller
Obligatory response:

This is Captain James L Muller, captain of the tandem Enterprise. Captain to stoker. Come in, stoker.... We need more power!

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-05-14 at 10:53 AM.
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Old 08-05-14, 05:15 PM
  #3870  
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I've ridden into the office yesterday and today, that's two days out of two so far. Rode the Bianchi yesterday because of the threat of rain, but it didn't rain. Rode the Masi today, and it was nice. No flat tires!

Got a later start after a dentist appointment today, so it was well after rush hour. I think people drive even crazier later in the mroning than they do at rush hour. Light traffic, nutsy drivers. On the way home a woman pulled out in front of me from my left at an intersection I was going through. About halfway across the road she saw me and hit the brakes. Of course I'd hit them hard too so I would not have hit her, or her me. As I rode past her front bumper I saw her on her cell phone blabbing away. I yelled "Hang up the phone!" but I think she was so intent on her conversation that she didn't even notice me at that point. She just kept looking around and blabbing. At least she was stopped, and blocking the road for the people behind me.

But it was a nice day for a ride!
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Old 08-05-14, 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
I've ridden into the office yesterday and today, that's two days out of two so far. Rode the Bianchi yesterday because of the threat of rain, but it didn't rain. Rode the Masi today, and it was nice. No flat tires!

Got a later start after a dentist appointment today, so it was well after rush hour. I think people drive even crazier later in the mroning than they do at rush hour. Light traffic, nutsy drivers. On the way home a woman pulled out in front of me from my left at an intersection I was going through. About halfway across the road she saw me and hit the brakes. Of course I'd hit them hard too so I would not have hit her, or her me. As I rode past her front bumper I saw her on her cell phone blabbing away. I yelled "Hang up the phone!" but I think she was so intent on her conversation that she didn't even notice me at that point. She just kept looking around and blabbing. At least she was stopped, and blocking the road for the people behind me.

But it was a nice day for a ride!
With luck Google will relieve her of the driving function soon, so she can concentrate on her phone.

rod
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Old 08-06-14, 08:56 PM
  #3872  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
With luck Google will relieve her of the driving function soon, so she can concentrate on her phone.

rod
JimM, I'm glad you are okay. Buzzman is right. I trust wheels, not the beasties directing them.

I suffered a non-bike related setback and my doc, who is passionate about getting active people back being active, said he sticks to single track off road riding because his roads are too dangerous. Having seen such huge improvement in cyclists, motor drivers and street design and being an optimist on continued progress, I'm, well, optimistic. Driverless cars really do seem another big opportunity for improvement. Being a traditionalist and stick in the mud I am not going for driverless bicycling.

I have tried using ear buds to listen to Google map directions and found them 20% helpful and wound up turning it off and packing the whole thing away. I think we are safe as far as I can see.
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Old 08-06-14, 10:03 PM
  #3873  
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Originally Posted by sherbornpeddler
JimM, I'm glad you are okay. Buzzman is right. I trust wheels, not the beasties directing them.

I suffered a non-bike related setback and my doc, who is passionate about getting active people back being active, said he sticks to single track off road riding because his roads are too dangerous. Having seen such huge improvement in cyclists, motor drivers and street design and being an optimist on continued progress, I'm, well, optimistic. Driverless cars really do seem another big opportunity for improvement. Being a traditionalist and stick in the mud I am not going for driverless bicycling.

I have tried using ear buds to listen to Google map directions and found them 20% helpful and wound up turning it off and packing the whole thing away. I think we are safe as far as I can see.
SBP, I expect you're right about driverless bicycles... although I believe we each have a list of folks we'd nominate for one... Perhaps that's what those spin trainers should be properly understood as being.

The "setback" reference deflected the uh-oh meter. Hope all is well, or gets that way pronto.

...

Had my first ride in over a week Wednesday evening, the customary 10 miles on the Minuteman to Lexington Center and back. As sometimes happens after some downtime, the legs were eager, the pace was quick. The egg still depends from its branch.

rod

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Old 08-07-14, 05:00 PM
  #3874  
sherbornpeddler
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
SBP, I expect you're right about driverless bicycles... although I believe we each have a list of folks we'd nominate for one... Perhaps that's what those spin trainers should be properly understood as being.

The "setback" reference deflected the uh-oh meter. Hope all is well, or gets that way pronto.

...

Had my first ride in over a week Wednesday evening, the customary 10 miles on the Minuteman to Lexington Center and back. As sometimes happens after some downtime, the legs were eager, the pace was quick. The egg still depends from its branch.

rod
Rod,
I'm looking forward to mimicking your return from downtime; in my case 2.5 weeks. Eager legs and quick pace sound very pleasant. A cycling buddy suggested a party at the end of my return from downtime ride. He does like parties and would call for one to celebrate a successful inner tube patch but still, I'm honored. I have to think of the right ride.
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Old 08-07-14, 06:09 PM
  #3875  
rholland1951
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Originally Posted by sherbornpeddler
Rod,
I'm looking forward to mimicking your return from downtime; in my case 2.5 weeks. Eager legs and quick pace sound very pleasant. A cycling buddy suggested a party at the end of my return from downtime ride. He does like parties and would call for one to celebrate a successful inner tube patch but still, I'm honored. I have to think of the right ride.
An occasion for a party, indeed!

Another quick 10 miles after work, playing tag with the thunderheads. They thundered a little, and sprinkled a little, but kept the bulk of their water and fire to themselves, well-behaved dragons.


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