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Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Old 06-05-20, 10:35 PM
  #8876  
rholland1951
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Got out for a mid-afternoon ride around the Battle Green and back, taking Mass. Ave. in both directions. I'd been off the bike for a couple of days, seemingly having pulled something in my left leg, but today everything worked and nothing hurt (nice when it goes that way).

There's something about sharing the road with Massachusetts drivers, even those in relatively good spirits like the ones I encountered today, that makes me appreciate a good boneyard.


Once upon a time... and at intervals thereafter.


I'm often struck by the gardens I ride past. I find it hard to do them justice in photos, and am certain I didn't really manage it this time, but please accept this as a token of this beautiful season.


rod
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Old 06-06-20, 03:05 AM
  #8877  
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Well instead of a sunny day on the CCRT it was wet and grimy. I got rained on almost the entire ride including a brief downpour to ensure I was completely soaked upon arriving at the parking lot in Dennis. I know I could have gone and Pahked in Yarmouth at one of the new lots but I’ve been going to the trail head in Dennis for 20 years. Plus Kreme and Kone is upnthe street.... I rode the entire CCRT and Old Colony trail for 73 wet miles.






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Old 06-06-20, 04:03 PM
  #8878  
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After yesterday’s ride I hosed down my 520 and the panniers in anticipation of today’s slow roll on the Vineyard. Like yesterday I carried snacks, a lock and extra water in 2 Camelbak collapsible bottles but today I added a windbreaker to help keep the early morning breeze at bay on the ferry. Eventually the sun came out and finished drying up all the damp roads leaving the second half of the ride sunny and summery in all the ways I wanted it to be. My hooves shod with Shimano SD66 sandals, lower legs and entire bike were far cleaner than yesterday. The Menemsha bike ferry isn’t running so I had to do a little backtracking and added a few new to me roads to the route for 65 slow miles. Upon returning to Vineyard Haven for the return ferry I passed about a dozen folks at an intersection holding signs clearly trying to do their part in making this world a better place where people are kinder to each other. Without a horn to show my support I smiled and waved hoping the diverse crowd sensed my support.





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Old 06-06-20, 10:44 PM
  #8879  
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As soon as the Saturday afternoon line storm blew on past, I took the Surly out for a quick ride up to Lexington Center and back. I had a hunch that the Minuteman would be relatively quiet for a while, and this was borne out during the ride. I had the place pretty much to myself outbound, not so much on the return, as pedestrian couples and cycling family groups came out to play in increasing numbers. I did notice that as the trail began to fill, it seemed that mask compliance was down somewhat compared to last Monday, but the numbers were such that something like social distancing was probably working. Oh well, Covid-19 Boredom Dissociative Syndrome is where you find it; the trick is not to let it find you.

East Arlington: Broadway, looking East, as the storm clouds blow out to sea.


East Arlington: Broadway, looking West as flights of angels usher in the return of Ra. I'll go that way!


Arlington: empty Minuteman at 5ish. When was the last time we saw that?


The Mile 4.0 Cairns are standing tall.


I stopped to admire the accidental proscenium arch at Arlington's Great Meadow, and through it, the Meadow itself. And to take a picture of the Surly, of course.


Made good time on this ride, and was reminded of the Minuteman's quiet virtues.

rod

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Old 06-08-20, 09:46 PM
  #8880  
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Rode the Rawland out Mass. Ave. to Lexington Center, then continued on past the North side of the Battle Green on Bedford Street, continuing to the aptly-named Hill Street. Took that past the Poor Farm and continued on the Paul Revere Road roller coaster to Mass. Ave., Eastbound this time, and cranked up the big hill to the Stone Store, after which I whizzed down the big hill and rocketed past the Battle Green again, on the South side this time, past 3 kids waving signs. Rolled on down the hill back to Arlington, through numerous mostly small demonstrations, and one respectably large one in Arlington Center. 16 miles of a hilly little ride through Arlington and Lexington.

Arlington Center: lengthening shadows, warm weather, moderate traffic. All the cool kids peeled off on the Minuteman.


A safety poster at the Arlington High School worksite.


Lexington Poor Farm: a little history with a dab of cognitive dissonance to go with it. The end of Hill Street, Paul Revere Road next.


Mass. Ave., Lexington: Eastbound, with hills both real and metaphorical to climb.


Up, up, to the top of the hill and Stone Store, then getting back all that potential energy as speed in a great rush. Good thing all the traffic was Westbound, in the other lane.


Lexington, the Battle Green: every once in a while I notice just how tall that flagpole is. Three kids with signs are a little farther along.


Mass. Ave., Arlington: all the kids with signs who weren't in Lexington apparently went to Arlington. At one point, as I was riding into Arlington Center, I rang my bell and received a startlingly loud cheer.


Time to put the Rawland away.


rod
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Old 06-09-20, 04:34 PM
  #8881  
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Snuck out for 28 miles on my Redsky this morning. I was pleased to see so many others out riding too. After the weekend rides on my heavy unfitted touring bike it was nice to be on a titanium dreambike.
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Old 06-09-20, 10:27 PM
  #8882  
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Took the Surly Trucker DeLuxe for a 34-mile ride through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, Carlisle, and Concord, one of the variations of the North Bridge loop that takes Monument Street outbound and Reformatory Branch inbound, with the Minuteman coming and going. Kept a relatively fast pace on this one, took fewer pictures in favor of more sustained pedaling. The only record of Monument Street, for example, is the smile on my face from riding those rolling hills.Still, did take a few photos at natural pause points.

Arlington Center: the road traffic does seem to be getting livelier.


The Minuteman, where the masked meet the bare-faced, was anthropologically interesting but permitted good time to be made.


At the Lexington-Arlington line, an anxious Arlington fish worries about the REQUIRED mask demanded by the Lexington sign. If he had a mask, how would he put it on without hands?


Depot Park, Bedford: uh, guys... ? Started looking for a discreet tree, can't say I ever found one.


Just before crossing the River into Carlisle on Rte 225, took a quick detour to the boat launch area.


Bedford, Route 225: Oh boy! It's a BMW Isetta! One of the post-war bubble cars! They don't make 'em like that anymore.


Perhaps they don't make 'em like that anymore for a reason; in this case, I think it's a misbehaving choke. Good thing it's easy to push.


Reformatory Branch, Concord: I've never seen more people on this trail, including families with little kids on bicycles, and one aggressive nitwit who buzzed two of us in rapid succession on a narrow part of the trail with no warning. That being said, there was serenity to be had if you knew where to look.


Reformatory Branch, Concord: the pinball segment of this trail never ceases to amuse.


Well, that felt good, as Krishna used to say. Here's some proof of safe arrival.


rod

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Old 06-10-20, 08:47 PM
  #8883  
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Took the Rawland for a quick ride up to Lexington and around the Battle Green in the late afternoon. Arlington Center was already hopping as I rolled out, folks forming up for the evening's solidarity demonstration.


Almost home again, I came across an unemployed Little Library, looking for a new gig.




rod
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Old 06-11-20, 10:44 AM
  #8884  
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Yesterday evening I headed out on my Redsky for 21 miles. It’s been so long since I went on an evening ride, at least since December. I took it easy knowing I’d be rolling out again this morning at 0530. Which is exactly what I did for 31 more.
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Old 06-12-20, 11:31 AM
  #8885  
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Took the Allroads out for 25 this morning. The fenders kept the wet road grime at bay.
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Old 06-12-20, 01:29 PM
  #8886  
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Rode into SOWA galleries, first day reopening.

Got to see great art and got a fantastic parking space:



Normalish.

-mr. bill

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Old 06-13-20, 08:08 AM
  #8887  
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This morning was the best in a few days now. Comfortable dryish air without the all to frequent foggy glasses. At 0600 I headed out on my Redsky for 43 miles through Weston, Lincoln, Concord, Carlisle, Acton and back in the same order but not necessarily the same roads. While riding by the Gropius house I was bummed to see the porta potty gone. Since it’s been closed for months now I knew this day would come eventually.

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Old 06-13-20, 10:33 PM
  #8888  
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Put a little air in the big, soft Rat Trap Pass tires on the Surly Trucker DeLuxe and rode East.


East Arlington: here be dragons.


Malden: back on the Northern Strand again.




Revere, Northern Strand: the Route 1 cloisters.


Revere, Rumney Marsh: the Revere and Saugus sections of the Northern Strand offer a gravel surface and some estuarine beauty. When there's a sea breeze, they throw air conditioning into the deal.


Saugus Town Hall, looking trim for Flag Day.


Saugus war memorial, with topiary wayfinding aid.


Saugus Iron Works. Technically the park is closed, but passive use appears to be permitted, and a few families were wandering the grounds. Since the Northern Strand bridge across the Saugus River is closed at the moment, I thought the Iron Works would make a suitable alternative to the Lynn causeway as a destination for this ride. I've toured the forge and mill in less pestilent times, and was just happy to be there.


Returning on the Northern Strand, I found that Malden had a different approach to wayfinding.


27 miles of pavement and gravel, on and off road, up hill, down dale, and along the flats, through Arlington, Medford, Malden, Melrose, Revere, and Saugus, with weather that couldn't have been much better.

rod

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Old 06-14-20, 05:53 AM
  #8889  
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Got out for my longest ride of the year so far yesterday. Just about 11 miles. Out and back to the lake in Sharon.somehow, it is uphill both ways.
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Old 06-14-20, 11:54 AM
  #8890  
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Today I rolled out just before 0700 for 58.5 miles on my Redsky. It was an absolutely perfect Sunday ride in all the ways we want Sunday rides to be. My route brought me through in the following order Weston, Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Carlisle, Concord, Sudbury, Lincoln, and Weston. I briefly stopped at Ferns but without a mask I was limited to the dried fruit in my back pocket, which was fine.

I’ve been itching to grind some gravel lately. Perhaps that’s what I’ll do next.
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Old 06-14-20, 12:59 PM
  #8891  
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Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
Got out for my longest ride of the year so far yesterday. Just about 11 miles. Out and back to the lake in Sharon.somehow, it is uphill both ways.
Originally Posted by Ghazmh
Today I rolled out just before 0700 for 58.5 miles on my Redsky. It was an absolutely perfect Sunday ride in all the ways we want Sunday rides to be.

My route brought me through in the following order Weston, Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Carlisle, Concord, Sudbury, Lincoln, and Weston. I briefly stopped at Ferns but without a mask I was limited to the dried fruit in my back pocket, which was fine...
Nice hearing from you as a fellow cyclist in my stomping grounds, @NomarsGirl, diametrically opposite the usual Minuteman and Metrowest ride reports.
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
I commute via Rte 1A from Dedham to Norwood, and it's a nice route...Just to the east are also the pleasant suburbs of Canton, Sharon, Foxboro, and Easton. I have described these sectors in my informal Cycling Guide to Metro Boston:...
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
...Seeing that you post from Easton MA...
Originally Posted by Jim from Boston
...Rte 138 became more residential, and exurban, and I even passed a cornfield on the way to Easton.

I had ridden a bit in Easton before but this time I realized what a rustic gem it is; in my mind actually evocative of New Hampshire.

In the small virtual hamlet center of North Easton was a collection of some restored Romanesque buildings part of the restoration of the Ames Shovel Works (link).


Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
Nice pics of my hometown! I am very lucky to have scenic places to ride leaving from my driveway. If I head out towards Sharon, there's a loop ride around the lake and a good places for coffee or ice cream.

Lots of cyclists around here.

Last edited by Jim from Boston; 06-14-20 at 06:21 PM. Reason: added link to the Ames Shovel Works
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Old 06-16-20, 12:54 PM
  #8892  
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I banged out a quick 26 miles on my Redsky. It was in the low 50s when I started out at 0530. Cool enough that I wished I wore a long sleeve jersey but warm enough that I’m thankful it’s not February.
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Old 06-19-20, 11:27 AM
  #8893  
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Originally Posted by mr_bill
So no pics yet, but the Frankndale build is done.

My first contemporary frameset build. Internal electrical wires not hard to put together, though testing the pieces before the bottom bracket went in somewhat reminded me of Ripley’s final interrogation of Ash in Alien.

“You have my sympathies” sans flamethrower.
Thank you Sir Ian Holm.


(Worst edited cut ever btw. The subsequent acting best however.)

-mr. bill
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Old 06-19-20, 09:24 PM
  #8894  
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Took the Surly out on a warm Summer day for 20 miles on a route that combined the familiar trails along the Mystic River with unfamiliar trails along the tributary Malden River, with several hilly segments thrown in to keep the legs interested. A nice mix of cool breezes off the rivers with sweaty climbs followed by evaporative cooling on the hill descents. Much of the time was spent in Medford, but Malden and Melrose got visited as well. A minor segment involved the Northern Strand, but it would be easy to combine a ride on the whole Bike to the Sea route along with the ride along the rivers.

East Arlington: more dragons.


Medford: the trail system along the Mystic River is reached via a right turn from Riverside Avenue onto Freedom Way, and runs behind a series of schools and other Town buildings and the river. Lots of opportunities to peep through the leaves at the river at various spots. Sometimes the scene is peaceful, sometimes I-93 traffic roars across the river at you.


A memorial to Medford's days building clipper ships inspires thoughts about how the world came to be as it is. The great current of historical causality ran along this river bank for a few decades.


The paved bike path follows alongside busy Route 16 for a bit, and leads to the green expanse of Torbert MacDonald Park and the Mystic River State Reservation, with its familiar observation tower. This has a view that's worth the climb, but I let it be on this ride.


After crossing Fellsway at a cross-walk, I continued along the Mystic a little farther, past a marina, until the path followed alongside the Orange Line elevated roadbed, then hooked around at the mouth of the Malden River and ran North towards Wellington station.


Once at Wellington, I recalled what I had learned scrutinizing Google Maps, and successfully crossed Route 16 using River Edge Drive, picked up the beginning of the Malden River trail system, and discovered that a path loops under Route 16 and connects with the sidewalk on the South side of the Route 16 on-ramp from Wellington. Sounds hair-raising, but it could do the job of getting you safely across the road. That puzzle solved I rode North to get a sense of the Malden River trail. It's well-groomed and pretty, and seems to have an established, local group of users.






Eventually, the paved trail led me out to River Edge Drive, which turned to Commercial Street at the Malden line (the path itself is apparently entirely in Medford). I followed that North a short distance to Medford Street, Malden, a familiar route to the Northern Strand. I took that as far as Main Street, Malden, which I followed up the hill into Melrose, turning West onto West Wyoming Avenue, then taking a diagonal left onto Ravine Road, which gave me a short-cut to Fellsway East. Another left turn put me on that, and a series of climbs and descents took me through a section of the Middlesex Fells and ultimately down past Fellsmere Park, Malden. I paused there to get a picture of a jet d'eau, gleaming in the sun.


I turned right onto Route 60 (Pleasant Street in Malden, becoming Salem Street in Medford), took that as far as Sheridan Avenue, and then took that left and rode it for several blocks to Washington Street. A right turn and one short block brought me to the stupa in the back garden of the Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies. I stopped to pay my respects. This is normally my first milestone on a ride East; today it was my last.


A bit more pedaling on familiar Medford roads--most notably, High Street--got me back to East Arlington and home.

rod

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Old 06-20-20, 12:32 PM
  #8895  
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Originally Posted by mr_bill
Thank you Sir Ian Holm.

https://youtu.be/VA8jv1M6Y2g

(Worst edited cut ever btw. The subsequent acting best however.)

-mr. bill
That's the best software debugging scene in film.

rod
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Old 06-21-20, 01:11 PM
  #8896  
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Took the Rawland on a little ride around the Battle Green this morning, before breakfast and before the heat settled on us like a brooding hen. The streets were pretty close to empty, of cars at least.


Of bikes, there were a few more. After I made one more saddle-height adjustment, a few of them stopped passing me.


Signs carried by marchers in yesterday's Activate Arlington demonstration wound up, by prior arrangement, on the fence in front of the Arlington High School construction site. The phrase "establish Justice" popped into my head as I rode past...


After that, everything I saw got tagged with one of the desiderata from the Preamble to the Constitution. I think this one got "ensure domestic Tranquility" at the time, but it might just as well be "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity" or "promote the general Welfare".


And, of course, there's always "provide for the common defence"; the framers didn't capitalize that one. I guess it wasn't an establishment yet.


It's been a long time since I've taken a morning ride. More of those to come, I think.

rod

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Old 06-22-20, 04:04 PM
  #8897  
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Took the Rawland for a Monday morning ride. Since the Mass. & Mystic intersection was devoid of bike shoals, I picked up the Minuteman and had a nice little ride up to Lexington Center and back, making good time and encountering relatively little traffic and no regrettable behavior.

Here I extended the traditional Uncle-Sam-sells-the-bike photo to include a banner that's either a souvenir of the weekend's Activity, or a harbinger of this afternoon's Activity. Guess somebody will straighten that out, and show up if there's a show to show up for. In either case, it has presumably run to completion by the time you read this. Things are moving fast, for Arlington.


rod
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Old 06-23-20, 12:50 PM
  #8898  
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Took the Rawland out for the third morning ride in a row, 16 miles of the Hill Street-Paul Revere Road-Mass. Ave. hill climb. Lots of huffing and puffing up hill, and wind rushing in the ears down hill, all before the real heat of the day developed. It was definitely a morning pick-me-up.

One of the things that I found myself noticing today were the work crews, out and doing in the cool of the morning. Took a few pictures, saw many more there for the taking, and mostly just pedaled on by. The fact that some of the crews were parked in the bike lane seemed less vexing than it sometimes does. I was also noticing just how many cyclists were rolling on the roads in the blessed interval of morning cool and quiet.


Hill Street, Lexington: ivy or some other creeper is making the Giant Finger a little less nakedly present, but it is still there for those who have eyes to see.


Stone Store, Mass. Ave., Lexington: the top of the hill. It's a long climb from either direction, but this guy who rode up West-bound definitely did it the harder, steeper way. I cheered him, before plummeting into the abyss, a.k.a. Worthen Road.


Back home in time for a shower and another cup of coffee before the day's frivolity commenced in earnest.

rod

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Old 06-23-20, 02:21 PM
  #8899  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Took the Rawland out for the third morning ride in a row, 16 miles of the Hill Street-Paul Revere Road-Mass. Ave. hill climb. Lots of huffing and puffing up hill, and wind rushing in the ears down hill, all before the real heat of the day developed. It was definitely a morning pick-me-up.

One of the things that I found myself noticing today were the work crews, out and doing in the cool of the morning. Took a few pictures, saw many more there for the taking, and mostly just pedaled on by. The fact that some of the crews were parked in the bike lane seemed less vexing than it sometimes does. I was also noticing just how many cyclists were rolling on the roads in the blessed interval of morning cool and quiet.


Hill Street, Lexington: ivy or some other creeper is making the Giant Finger a little less nakedly present, but it is still there for those who have eyes to see.


Stone Store, Mass. Ave., Lexington: the top of the hill. It's a long climb from either direction, but this guy who rode up West-bound definitely did it the harder, steeper way. I cheered him, before plummeting into the abyss, a.k.a. Worthen Road.


Back home in time for a shower and another cup of coffee before the day's frivolity commenced in earnest.

rod
Welcome to the morning club!
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Old 06-23-20, 02:25 PM
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rholland1951
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
Welcome to the morning club!
Thanks! Hooda thunk it?

rod
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