Metro Boston: Good ride today?
03-17-18, 05:09 PM
#7076
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The banks of the River Charles
Posts: 2,029
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease, 2020 Seven Evergreen, 2019 Honey Allroads Ti, 2018 Seven Redsky XX, 2017 Trek Boon 7, 2014 Trek 520
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 696 Post(s)
Liked 910 Times
in
487 Posts
I went out late this afternoon for a rather unpleasant ride. It was so windy and the roads were cruddy. Narrow, wet, sandy road edge that coupled with the windy cold made for a shorter than preferred ride. I just couldn't bring myself to find a justification for going any longer. I had a good 3 week run in February but other than that this winter is wearing on me. Have I mentioned how much I'm looking forward to sunny and 75*.Perhaps next weekend I'll ferry the bike to Depot Park for a jaunt on the Minuteman.
03-17-18, 07:34 PM
#7077
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
hey at least you got out. I had errands so didn't get out till later when it warmed up. but still lots of snow in the western burbs
still have the barmitts on but only needed glove liners with them. I guess their days are numbered
still have the barmitts on but only needed glove liners with them. I guess their days are numbered
Last edited by rumrunn6; 03-17-18 at 07:47 PM.
03-18-18, 12:19 PM
#7078
Funky Chicken
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 131
Bikes: 2018 Giant Stance 1, 2017 Motobecane Lurch, 2002 Trek Multitrack 7100
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 56 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
I'm counting down the days to being able to wear less layers for sure now that spring is right around the corner even if the forecast doesn't seem to agree!
03-18-18, 04:33 PM
#7079
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
yup. thinking about bringing my bike to work & riding the plowed, paved trail after work. like I was doing in the fall
03-19-18, 05:29 PM
#7080
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,175
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 1,743 Times
in
890 Posts
Took the LHT for a little spin up to Lexington Center. Ice wasn't a factor (but I got off the road before sunset, and stayed out of Bedford), so I was perfectly happy on the Compass unstudded Snoqualmie Pass Extralights, and didn't feel like I was driving a tractor.
Temperatures were falling through the upper 30s, with a patriotic headwind that flew the flag and blew my nose.
Outbound, the sun squatted at about 11 o'clock, giving me stroboscopic solar glare as I rode through sharply-defined shadows, as if, like Gregor Samsa, I had awakened metamorphosed, but as a barcode reader, rather than as a cockroach (I'll take it).
On the return, the sun was at 5 o'clock, peeping over my right shoulder and glaring at the other guys, and that breeze became an accommodating tailwind.
Some willows assured me that the Vernal Equinox is coming Real Soon Now, and Spring is imminent. The red wing blackbirds newly arrived in the reeds around Peepers Pond sang to me, "The willows are right!"
rod
Temperatures were falling through the upper 30s, with a patriotic headwind that flew the flag and blew my nose.
Outbound, the sun squatted at about 11 o'clock, giving me stroboscopic solar glare as I rode through sharply-defined shadows, as if, like Gregor Samsa, I had awakened metamorphosed, but as a barcode reader, rather than as a cockroach (I'll take it).
On the return, the sun was at 5 o'clock, peeping over my right shoulder and glaring at the other guys, and that breeze became an accommodating tailwind.
Some willows assured me that the Vernal Equinox is coming Real Soon Now, and Spring is imminent. The red wing blackbirds newly arrived in the reeds around Peepers Pond sang to me, "The willows are right!"
rod
03-19-18, 05:37 PM
#7081
Funky Chicken
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 131
Bikes: 2018 Giant Stance 1, 2017 Motobecane Lurch, 2002 Trek Multitrack 7100
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 56 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
@rholland1951 nice report and ride by the looks of it, temperatures aside. I love the returning sounds of the red wing tipped blackbirds. Hoping that the reports of 6 to 10 inches on Wednesday are over exaggerated as I cant take anymore.
03-19-18, 05:49 PM
#7082
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,384
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 800 Post(s)
Liked 218 Times
in
171 Posts
@rholland1951 nice report and ride by the looks of it, temperatures aside. I love the returning sounds of the red wing tipped blackbirds. Hoping that the reports of 6 to 10 inches on Wednesday are over exaggerated as I cant take anymore.
in general I'm pro-bike lane, anti-sidewalk riding.
in practice I'll go whatever is safest. Like take the sidewalk on a 4 lane suburb rd that's posted 45 MPH, and go super-vigilant at the driveways... ugh.
below is an image of a bike lane on Trumbull Ave. in Detroit. I believe this really represents the worst of all worlds...
in practice I'll go whatever is safest. Like take the sidewalk on a 4 lane suburb rd that's posted 45 MPH, and go super-vigilant at the driveways... ugh.
below is an image of a bike lane on Trumbull Ave. in Detroit. I believe this really represents the worst of all worlds...
Hi @mrv (from a native Detroiter),
First of all, thanks for that photo, so evocative of summer riding. We are having an unusually prolonged winter here…17° F this morning with inches of frozen snow on the ground and more predicted this week...
First of all, thanks for that photo, so evocative of summer riding. We are having an unusually prolonged winter here…17° F this morning with inches of frozen snow on the ground and more predicted this week...
03-20-18, 03:57 PM
#7083
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,175
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 1,743 Times
in
890 Posts
Rolled up to Lexington Center again this afternoon, in honor of the Vernal Equinox. As First Days of Spring go, it was kind of funny looking, but temperatures were in the 40s (barely), as opposed to the 30s, so that's something...
The weather oracles say the Second Day of Spring is likely to be even funnier-looking than the First.
Can we call them vernal pools if they're full of ice water? Something is singing in the wetlands, can it possibly be frogs?
rod
The weather oracles say the Second Day of Spring is likely to be even funnier-looking than the First.
Can we call them vernal pools if they're full of ice water? Something is singing in the wetlands, can it possibly be frogs?
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 03-20-18 at 05:20 PM.
03-22-18, 09:39 PM
#7084
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,175
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 1,743 Times
in
890 Posts
After the snow shoveled itself off my driveway, I took the old GT Karakoram up to Lexington to see if it had shoveled itself off the Minuteman, too. It had.
An object lesson on display in Mal's lot: F=ma...
A little slush under the Maple Street overpass hadn't shoveled itself yet.
I began talking myself into the proposition that Spring is here.
Bike for sale.
rod
An object lesson on display in Mal's lot: F=ma...
A little slush under the Maple Street overpass hadn't shoveled itself yet.
I began talking myself into the proposition that Spring is here.
Bike for sale.
rod
Last edited by rholland1951; 03-22-18 at 09:46 PM.
03-23-18, 06:58 AM
#7085
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
03-24-18, 11:44 AM
#7086
Funky Chicken
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 131
Bikes: 2018 Giant Stance 1, 2017 Motobecane Lurch, 2002 Trek Multitrack 7100
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 56 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Biked in to Boston proper pre-Rally this morning, the weather held out, not too cold and no rain, even saw some sun. I got to see the early folks gathering, and to make it home in time to watch the parade arrive on the TV. It was only a slight detour to my usual weekend Charles River ride. ~20 miles on my 29+ wheels.
Everything on my route through Somerville, Arlington, Cambridge and Boston was clear accept pieces of the Alewife connector between Arlington/Cambridge which hadn't melted yet.
Everything on my route through Somerville, Arlington, Cambridge and Boston was clear accept pieces of the Alewife connector between Arlington/Cambridge which hadn't melted yet.
03-24-18, 05:06 PM
#7087
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
it was a good day to ride the Minuteman Bikeway round trip Bedford to Arlington & back. the cafe was packed. Lexington Visitors' Ctr was open but not the Bedford Station restrooms
lots of ppl were out
the HS kids were practicing their spring soccer
still some winter road hazards in the city
lots of ppl were out
the HS kids were practicing their spring soccer
still some winter road hazards in the city
Last edited by rumrunn6; 03-25-18 at 05:41 PM.
03-24-18, 05:22 PM
#7088
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Boston Roads
Posts: 975
Bikes: 2012 Canondale Synapse 105, 2017 REI Co-Op ADV 3.1
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 507 Post(s)
Liked 237 Times
in
133 Posts
Even though I'm not riding I will still echo everyone's sentiment that this weather needs to go away. I'll take even 60 and sunny!
My instagram feed has lots of pictures of people biking in California... not helping.
My instagram feed has lots of pictures of people biking in California... not helping.
03-24-18, 05:35 PM
#7090
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
03-26-18, 03:01 PM
#7091
Funky Chicken
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 131
Bikes: 2018 Giant Stance 1, 2017 Motobecane Lurch, 2002 Trek Multitrack 7100
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 56 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Managed to get out at lunch time today for a quick loop around Arlington and Medford. It is still freezing cold out there despite the spring sun rays, but the Arlington bike path is definitely more fun outside of the normal commuting hours, no one around but the occasional dog walker today.
Any snow that was around had melted off of the paved trails, even the connector was clear, spring is definitely, almost, here.
Any snow that was around had melted off of the paved trails, even the connector was clear, spring is definitely, almost, here.
03-26-18, 05:32 PM
#7092
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,175
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 534 Post(s)
Liked 1,743 Times
in
890 Posts
Took a late afternoon spin up to Lexington Center on the Minuteman on the LHT as is often the case. Temperature at the start was 43, with a little breeze that seemed benign until the turnaround, at which point it became a modest headwind. The temperature had dropped a few degrees by then--rides at the end of the day are like that--and the balaclava I had left on the shelf in an access of vernal foolishness was sincerely regretted. But the light was beautiful, there was a calm spirit abroad, and a dove calling at Brown Homestead provided the proverbial voice of the turtle.
Shadow stripes and stroboscopic solar flicker outbound.
A little gibbous moon, a mere pale button in the sky, was snatched at by tree-tops.
Back in East Arlington, I picked my way through a debris field, leftovers from an accident. I thought to myself that if the LHT turned up with a flat the next time I reached for it, I'd know when the damage was done. As I was putting the bike away, I realized that the Zefal frame pump was missing. Looking at some old posts, I realized that the last day I am sure I had it on the bike was over a week ago. Puzzling...
rod
Shadow stripes and stroboscopic solar flicker outbound.
A little gibbous moon, a mere pale button in the sky, was snatched at by tree-tops.
Back in East Arlington, I picked my way through a debris field, leftovers from an accident. I thought to myself that if the LHT turned up with a flat the next time I reached for it, I'd know when the damage was done. As I was putting the bike away, I realized that the Zefal frame pump was missing. Looking at some old posts, I realized that the last day I am sure I had it on the bike was over a week ago. Puzzling...
rod
03-26-18, 05:57 PM
#7093
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The banks of the River Charles
Posts: 2,029
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease, 2020 Seven Evergreen, 2019 Honey Allroads Ti, 2018 Seven Redsky XX, 2017 Trek Boon 7, 2014 Trek 520
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 696 Post(s)
Liked 910 Times
in
487 Posts
Folks, I know some of you commute in and around Boston. A friend and ridding buddy of mine had his new (like 2 months old) 2017 Trek Crossrip stolen in Cambridge late January. Could you please keep an eye out for it. Its grey and has green fenders and green bar tape.
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bi...531820323.html
"$100 Reward.
This bike was stolen on Jan. 31 in Cambridge. It was last seen in March 6 in the South End (by a friend who did not know it was stolen at the time) locked to a pole under the I-93 bridge where Albany Street goes under I-93. The map attached to this Craigslist post shows the approximate location. It was seen at that same location a week or so before that.
The customized green fenders and green bar tape on the grey Trek make the bike highly recognizable (The bike comes plain from the factory with black bar tape and no fenders). If the thieves have not removed it, it may also have a bar-end mirror on the left and a bar-end bell on the right, another bell on the top, rear rack, etc.
If you see it, please call 781-392-4564. I will provide a $100 reward for anyone who can successfully help me get the bike back. There is a police report on file in Cambridge and the Boston PD near that location are aware the bike has been seen."
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bi...531820323.html
"$100 Reward.
This bike was stolen on Jan. 31 in Cambridge. It was last seen in March 6 in the South End (by a friend who did not know it was stolen at the time) locked to a pole under the I-93 bridge where Albany Street goes under I-93. The map attached to this Craigslist post shows the approximate location. It was seen at that same location a week or so before that.
The customized green fenders and green bar tape on the grey Trek make the bike highly recognizable (The bike comes plain from the factory with black bar tape and no fenders). If the thieves have not removed it, it may also have a bar-end mirror on the left and a bar-end bell on the right, another bell on the top, rear rack, etc.
If you see it, please call 781-392-4564. I will provide a $100 reward for anyone who can successfully help me get the bike back. There is a police report on file in Cambridge and the Boston PD near that location are aware the bike has been seen."
03-26-18, 06:14 PM
#7094
What??? Only 2 wheels?
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,434
Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10
Mentioned: 189 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1222 Post(s)
Liked 645 Times
in
232 Posts
I rode my commute today, only the third time I've managed in the last month. Chilly but oh so nice. I rode the Grandis.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
03-26-18, 06:33 PM
#7095
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,549
Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0
Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5224 Post(s)
Liked 3,581 Times
in
2,342 Posts
03-27-18, 05:00 AM
#7096
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The banks of the River Charles
Posts: 2,029
Bikes: 2022 Salsa Beargrease, 2020 Seven Evergreen, 2019 Honey Allroads Ti, 2018 Seven Redsky XX, 2017 Trek Boon 7, 2014 Trek 520
Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 696 Post(s)
Liked 910 Times
in
487 Posts
