mr_bill

Reminder. Move in days this weekend.

The bar for renting a U-Hall truck should be larger than don't go on Storrow.

Be careful out there.

-mr. bill

rholland1951

If U-Haul trucks are rented in a bar, that would explain a great deal...

rod

rumrunn6

great thread / sub-forum as always

rholland1951

Took the LHT and rode East.


Medford Square was jumping.




Northern Strand Community Trail, Malden: Passing left.


Malden: Dairy Delight.


Sunset ride through Malden and Medford.








rod

rumrunn6

the Budliner lives!? ... helping my Son move to Medford next Saturday. gonna have to brush up on my urban geography

rholland1951

That's West Medford, an at-grade crossing and stop on High Street, with a flagman.

rod

mr_bill

Gah!



-mr. bill

rholland1951

Yikes!

rod

rholland1951

Took the Trucker DeLuxe for a quick sprint to Lexington Center and back, on a cool afternoon that started gray and brightened considerably. Lots of kids of various ages were out riding, generally competently. For all that, the holiday weekend made for a relatively thin crowd, and I was able to make good time without undue hazard.




rod

mr_bill

Clearly I should just give up on Labor Day weekend.

RIP seat stay.

(No humans were harmed in the filming of this production.)



-mr. bill

rholland1951

Is this a CF story?

rod

rholland1951

Rode East on the LHT, aiming to get some hilly, urban, 3D pavement miles in before the heavy rains and noisy electrical storms started.


Did that, handily, the legs were willing and as always the 44mm Compass Snoq Extralights inspired confidence with the broken and whimsically deformed pavement produced by the never-ending utility work on Main Street, Malden. Only got a little moistened by a shower or two, but the noisy, heavy stuff held off until the bike and I were both put away.

Did get buzzed (prolonged horn blast, sub-six-inches pass) by a hostile driver on High Street, Medford, and reported that. This was the first time in a long time I've had that sort of encounter. Not what I've come to expect of Medford drivers, this was an outlier. Speculation as to motivation for this behavior seems futile.

As I neared home, I came upon the droll scene of a gaggle of Canada geese blocking both lanes of traffic on the Mystic Valley Parkway, Arlington. This photo shows the situation as the party was just breaking up.


rod

mr_bill

"There are some limits, though, especially when carbon dropouts are involved. Calfee doesn't touch carbon dropouts, but its crew can sometimes graft on new ones, along with stays from a compatible donor frame."

-mr. bill

rholland1951

It wasn't until the third reading that I read "compatible donor frame" rather than "compatible door frame". Time for more coffee, I think. Best of luck with the revivification (or reincarnation) of that bike.

mr_bill

A frame costs the same as a compatible donor frame. Less, since it doesn't have to be repaired.

Old frame is already stripped down. Pick up the new frame in a couple of days, hope to have Frankenbike back on the road by week's end.



-mr. bill

rumrunn6

rholland1951

Took the Trucker DeLuxe on a mid-afternoon ride out to Depot Park and back. Kept a brisk pace, enjoyed the people and dogs (including one combination I dubbed "Corgi and Bess").






Pro tip: to really endear yourself to your fellow trail users, blow by them on an e-bike with a bright, flashing headlight aimed at their eyes. A grim expression sets the tone.

rod

rumrunn6

I hear ya. got Wifey out on the Reformatory Branch from Concord to the MM to Lexington Monday to help distract ourselves from our Daughter moving out & my broken front tooth. that worked, but there was one rider, a big strong guy going top speed & what was really annoying was that he was riding just about on the dividing line, going the opposite direction from us. kinda like some motorcycles do. I don't know, as if to enforce the "stay-on-your-side" rule or something? but then after he turned around & passed us going our way, I saw him bumping out into the oncoming lane, back & forth so he could pass ppl. maybe he was doing the right thing? I just found it borderline aggressive & obnoxious, especially on a trail with a variety of riders & walkers who don't always go in a straight line. other than that, got a nice ride in before the rain started & lunched at Panera's in Lexington

E53 

I got out to Harvard today for a 53 mile round trip. This time I took Littleton County Road just for a change of scenery. After making my way to Carleson's Orchard to purchase a few apples and some honey as gifts, I went to visit a couple in Harvard that I know. They are in their late 80's and the husband still rides!



.
A rather neglected Farmall Cub. It looks like it's about the same year as the one I own, 1950.


I like creative mailbox posts.

rumrunn6

I'm jealous. my son is moving to Medford this weekend & he works in Lexington 6.7 miles from his new apt. most of which he can ride on the MM! he already had to rent a day-use bike one time for an assignment when he had car pooled that day. anyway, here's hoping he'll want to keep his bike at the apt & not my house!

rholland1951

Took the LHT for a ride up to Lexington on Minuteman before dinner, Thursday. It seemed routine enough: I was just one more herring in the shoal at the Mass & Mystic intersection in Arlington Center.


I took advantage of the bike racks at Brigham Square to run into Shattuck's and buy a pair of wirecutters, then rolled on to admire the Dancing Cairns at Mile 4.0.


I turned around at Woburn Street, as usual for this little ride, and made good time back down the hill to the Mill Street intersection. There, things took a turn for the weird, and I was involved in a bike-bike collision in a crowd at the Mill Street intersection, with a vivid memory of bouncing off the pavement, twice. Broke two fingers, lacerated one, and bent the Nitto Noodle into a novel custom handlebar (too bad about the metal fatigue).

The Mummy finger-puppets!


Nitto Asymmetric Noodle (rare).


Had a chat with the young man riding the other bicycle, and satisfied myself that he's unlikely to repeat that particular error in judgement; we all have a quota for those, after all. No rants from me, then or now, just a bit of sober reflection on the volumes of mixed-use we get on that lovely resource, and the on-going challenges that presents.

The docs at Mount Auburn seem to be doing a good job with my fingers, and I should be back on the bike in six weeks or so, unless I get impatient and decide if I can touch-type with splints, I can operate the left brake lever with funny fingers. I did ride home from the accident, after all... And I'll have to swap in a new Noodle.

rod

mr_bill

Literally, that hit’s too close to home.

Take good care, and if you haven’t already, please report the crash.

-mr. bill

Ghazmh

Hi Rod, I am sorry to read about this incident. Recover comfortably and I hope to see you out in the road soon.

rumrunn6

Yikes! Get well soon. Moved Sonny Boy to Medford and crossed a cpl sets of RR tracks also drove thru West Concord and saw ppl planting trees on the BFRT also drove thru Arlington and saw some sort of festivities in that little park corner of Mystic & Mass - w/ 2 adult kids moved out I shud b back on the bike again soon

jimmuller 

Sorry to read that.

I find the Mill St crossing to be hazardous, not because of the cars but because of the other cyclists. Lake St is stressful because of the cars. The entire MM from Lexington to Alewife can be tricky also because of the 'destrians mixed in with the bikes and e-bikes and e-scooters and dog walkers.