Go Back  Bike Forums > Community Connections > Regional Discussions > Northeast
Reload this Page >

Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Notices
Northeast Connecticut | Maine | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New York |Rhode Island | Vermont |

Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Old 06-05-19, 11:17 AM
  #8176  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Originally Posted by autonomy
Thanks. I always thought of going that way but the traffic always made it seem like it wasn't worth it. I've also been by DeCordova a million times but never on the grounds.
The trick is to take Riverside Ave. East from Medford Square, then turn right onto Freedom Way to find the trailhead. Traffic by that route is urban but manageable, not the kamikaze mission getting there by Route 16 would be. There are other alternatives (e.g., Wellington Station).


rod

Last edited by rholland1951; 06-05-19 at 11:18 AM. Reason: Riverview->Riverside... doh!
rholland1951 is offline  
Old 06-05-19, 07:08 PM
  #8177  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Took the Rawland Nordavinden out to Depot Park on a warm, mid-afternoon ride, the putative thunderstorms still well over the horizon.

Anybody know if Ant Bicycles is still a going concern? Sure they have a web presence, but don't answer the phone. Sic transit gloria formici? A few of their bikes sit immobile in Arlington, aging gracelessly. My pet theory is that they are reaping the karmic penalty for poaching Mike Flanigan's trade name, but that's just me.


Encountered the suburban counterpart of cow-tipping in Lexington; irrational exuberance, middle-school division. Also encountered mr_bill, who helped me get the barrels upright again. We had a nice chat.


I asked this woman if I could take her pet's picture because I thought it was a cat; turns out it wasn't, quite.


Best creative re-use of vandalized signs, in recursive sort of way.


Good old Caleb Neelon. Glad these space critters are still bolted to the pole.




rod
rholland1951 is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 07:12 PM
  #8178  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Time was short for a ride before dinner, so I took the Rawland Nordavinden for a quick sprint on the Minuteman, turning around at Maple Street, 9 miles that whizzed right by. Spat a gnat.


rod
rholland1951 is offline  
Old 06-07-19, 10:22 AM
  #8179  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
lol would be fun to see an animated gif of you & Bill de-tipping the reflected urban cow ...
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-08-19, 11:04 AM
  #8180  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Rode East on Friday, pursued by a large red dump truck, among other things.


rod

Last edited by rholland1951; 06-08-19 at 12:36 PM.
rholland1951 is offline  
Old 06-08-19, 01:21 PM
  #8181  
jimmuller 
What??? Only 2 wheels?
 
jimmuller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,452

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
Good to see all of you kept riding while I was on vacation.

I managed about 46 miles today, Waltham to Carlisle and back. Arlington was a hoppin' place!

__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
jimmuller is offline  
Old 06-09-19, 04:14 PM
  #8182  
Trocadile
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Boston MA area
Posts: 153

Bikes: Reynolds 853 hardtail MTB; Titanium mini velo

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Liked 32 Times in 15 Posts
Was in Weston today and as promised in an earlier post, I again swung by the newly-paved MCRT Wayside to take some pictures:





Access road off Concord Rd.




Looks like you can get to the trail from either side of the Concord Rd. overpass.





Travelling east you can see why Conant Rd. is closed for a spell. I again failed to explore east of this point.





Not sure if this dirt at Plain Rd. in Wayland is intended for parking.





It's a jungle out there.






Right now the paved part ends at this parking lot at Wayland Library and Old Sudbury Rd./Concord Rd.





Perhaps as the MCRT develops, the Wayland Depot will become as familiar as the Bedford one.




Beyond the rainbow, the unpaved trail continuing west.

Last edited by Trocadile; 06-11-19 at 06:09 PM.
Trocadile is offline  
Likes For Trocadile:
Old 06-09-19, 04:46 PM
  #8183  
Ghazmh
Senior Member
 
Ghazmh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: The banks of the River Charles
Posts: 2,020

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: 693 Post(s)
Liked 903 Times in 486 Posts
I’ve been riding more than I’ve been posting about it lately. My 5-7 days a week of riding has burned me out physically and otherwise. Having been sidelined since Tuesday I rather marveled in the absolute joy of riding on a day like today. I think I’ll keep things to a more reasonable 3-4 days a week for the remainder of the year. Today and last Sunday I joined group rides out of RSC in Lexington. FWIW Thursday after work I rode my Kayak from the Woerd st dock out to Newton Lower Falls and back.
Ghazmh is offline  
Old 06-09-19, 06:11 PM
  #8184  
jimmuller 
What??? Only 2 wheels?
 
jimmuller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,452

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
Great pics, all!

We took our tandem out for 50.6 miles today. Weather was superb so there were lots of bikes out. As usual, my sweetie snapped a pic of me eating lunch.

__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
jimmuller is offline  
Likes For jimmuller:
Old 06-09-19, 06:29 PM
  #8185  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Took the LHT for a quick sprint up to Lexington Center before dinner. A lot of solar dazzle on the outbound leg.


Ra reminded me of something...


Yeah, that's it...

rod

Last edited by rholland1951; 06-10-19 at 12:54 PM.
rholland1951 is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 08:18 AM
  #8186  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
was nice to see more work being done on the Cochituate Rail Trail in Natick this weekend even if I was working, not riding. this is parallel to Speen St, just South of route 30 (aka Commonwealth Rd)





this thing would be wicked fun to drive


a cpl links

https://www.arrtinc.org/map/Index.cf...ect=Cochituate

https://www.traillink.com/trail-gall...te-rail-trail/

https://www.traillink.com/trail/cochituate-rail-trail/

Last edited by rumrunn6; 06-10-19 at 11:32 AM.
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 09:12 AM
  #8187  
NomarsGirl
Senior Member
 
NomarsGirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Easton, MA
Posts: 632

Bikes: Specialized Ruby Sport

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 318 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 165 Posts
Trip report! Took a long drive up to Vermont with the hubby and we rode the Island Line rail trail. He parked fairly close to the causeway do the ride was a little different than I had envisioned. I expected to mostly ride the nice flat trail, take the ferry across the gap, ride a couple miles on the island and go back. Since we cut out most of the trail, had to make up the miles on the island. Very hilly!

I will say the causeway is in poor condition. Loose gravel and sand. There are washouts where the path is really eroded. I was actually terrified and had to walk my bike through some areas. I had no traction and a fall anywhere the would have resulted in serious injury. I'm glad i did it but wouldn't go back.

My favorite part was lunch at a winery.
https://www.relive.cc/view/2438993849
NomarsGirl is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 11:30 AM
  #8188  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
Island Line rail trail
there's a thread for that. checked your link, what a fun way to share a ride! this spring has been exceptionally rainy forcing Lake Champlain above flood stage, combined with high winds causing coastal erosion & flooding. the trail is not normally like that
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 11:40 AM
  #8189  
NomarsGirl
Senior Member
 
NomarsGirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Easton, MA
Posts: 632

Bikes: Specialized Ruby Sport

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 318 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 165 Posts
Originally Posted by rumrunn6
there's a thread for that. checked your link, what a fun way to share a ride! this spring has been exceptionally rainy forcing Lake Champlain above flood stage, combined with high winds causing coastal erosion & flooding. the trail is not normally like that
It shouldn't be open in this condition. Dangerous. The ferry was fun though.
NomarsGirl is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 11:50 AM
  #8190  
DHPflaumer
Senior Member
 
DHPflaumer's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Somerville, MA
Posts: 106

Bikes: Norther Klickitat Pass, Masi Giramondo 27.5, Soma Grand Randonneur

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 39 Post(s)
Liked 59 Times in 26 Posts
You could say I had a good ride! 30ish miles, nothing crazy. Lots of trails in the woods, some in some grassland/swampy thing, some wildly overgrown. I'm bleeding in lots of places from thorns but I had an awesome time. I promise I don't ride with my bag open, I just had it that way to pull my camera out.


DHPflaumer is offline  
Likes For DHPflaumer:
Old 06-10-19, 11:53 AM
  #8191  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
It shouldn't be open in this condition. Dangerous. The ferry was fun though.
wow, I guess it was bad, & with kids riding it especially, I see the dangers of dropping a wheel in a washout/pothole & landing on the big granite boulders ... we stopped at the ferry, but it looked like fun. kinda thought we'd go back another time but our visits up there to see our Daughter were always filled with other activities & obligations. now that she graduated we're less likely to go back. I was soooo sad while driving away for the last time
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 12:46 PM
  #8192  
mr_bill
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4,529
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2111 Post(s)
Liked 663 Times in 443 Posts
So, no pics yet.

Saturday morning out on the Minuteman on the Kneerover Go when a friend comes riding up behind me bemoaning "Back on your scooter again, what happened?"

Nothing has happened, just delivering to another friend who broke their ankle.

Saturday afternoon was having a wonderful time visiting porches when the rear derailleur cable stop failed again in East Arlington. The permanent fix proved temporary. Sigh.

Rode to the LBS who were wonderful. Gave me a great deal on a "last year" Scott Addict RC with Ultegra DI2, plus a refund for the failed repair, plus some money for my "trade-in", so for not much more than the cost of just a new frameset I have a new bike.

Picked it up yesterday afternoon for a quick shakeout ride and then out on errands before dinner.

So sorry Scott 1.0, you were a delight. Long live Scott 2.0.

-mr. bill

Last edited by mr_bill; 06-10-19 at 12:53 PM.
mr_bill is offline  
Likes For mr_bill:
Old 06-10-19, 12:59 PM
  #8193  
NomarsGirl
Senior Member
 
NomarsGirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Easton, MA
Posts: 632

Bikes: Specialized Ruby Sport

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 318 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 165 Posts
In all fairness, I'm a little skittish on sand after my wipeout last month. But on that fall, I just skinned my knee and elbow and cracked my helmet. A fall along that causeway could put you right on the rocks or into the water. Maybe I would have been more confident with different tires. Mine are wide enough (28 mm) but really smooth. My husband was nervous too on his hybrid and he has wider tires with good tread. He didn't get off and walk, but he was glad when it was over.
NomarsGirl is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 01:29 PM
  #8194  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
glad when it was over.
I found being surrounded by water a little unsettling. but I think if I grew up there, I'd be out on that thing an night during a winter storm testing my courage. I have a twisted side ...
rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-11-19, 05:09 AM
  #8195  
jimmuller 
What??? Only 2 wheels?
 
jimmuller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Boston-ish, MA
Posts: 13,452

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
Wow, some serious riding going on here. N'sG, we need a pic or two! (You know the rules, pics or it didn't happen. Yeah, I know, there is a video.)

I did my commute again yesterday, first day back after a vacation. Took the Masi. Glad the rain held out until night. The MM was curiously light traffic-wise. Riding the 2 mile downhill from Bow St to Mill St in Arlington I saw as almost no one. As a result I just powered along at a brisk steady cadence. Then I noticed someone slowly catching up with me. Another hotshot, I figured. They blow by me and everyone else by 10mph or more with no verbal warning. As he got closer I realized he wasn't pedaling. Ah, an electric bike. When we finally stopped at Mass Ave we spoke. He was an older gent, but from my perspective everybody seems younger. He said "You are a strong rider," I told him anyone can be fast going downhill. Still, he insisted that no one ever passes him. I hadn't actually passed him but I did keep him from passing me. I just said "Well, I ride a lot." He said his bike was so heavy that without the "assist" he couldn't do the 20-mile round trip to work. I told him if it gets him out then great. The light changed and we moved on.

A bit later I noticed another hunkered-down rider on my tail but when I waved for him to pass he said no. Okay. Then we came up on some pedestrians walking dogs, one on each side of the trail. I slowed, trying to decided what to do. As we were about 20ft from them the two dogs lunged at each other into the middle of the path. Yow! I hit the brakes hard. The guy following me did the same, probably saw what was developing, for which I am grateful.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller

Last edited by jimmuller; 06-11-19 at 05:13 AM.
jimmuller is offline  
Old 06-11-19, 07:59 AM
  #8196  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Mid-afternoon Monday, I headed up the Charles River as far as the Moody Street fish ladder, to see if the river herring were still running, and to see to it that I was riding. They weren't, I was, the weather was fine, and I renewed my acquaintance with a favorite route that I hadn't visited this year, 23 miles through Arlington, Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, and Belmont, on a gamut of surfaces ranging from pavement to stone dust to dirt to duck board.

Largest Braille text in Massachusetts.


The Watertown dam. No fish jumping here.


The shallows in front of the Watertown dam. During a herring run, this stretch of water should be mobbed by opportunistic gulls. One serene heron does not a herring run make.


Speaking of serenity...








Moody Street: lots of ladder, lots of river, no herring.




Exclamation point!


rod

Last edited by rholland1951; 06-12-19 at 08:34 AM.
rholland1951 is offline  
Likes For rholland1951:
Old 06-11-19, 08:55 AM
  #8197  
NomarsGirl
Senior Member
 
NomarsGirl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Easton, MA
Posts: 632

Bikes: Specialized Ruby Sport

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 318 Post(s)
Liked 314 Times in 165 Posts
The gifs show fine for me. There is one missing picture (Speaking of serenity ....) is followed by a blank space.
NomarsGirl is offline  
Old 06-11-19, 09:22 AM
  #8198  
rumrunn6
Senior Member
 
rumrunn6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 25 miles northwest of Boston
Posts: 29,528

Bikes: Bottecchia Sprint, GT Timberline 29r, Marin Muirwoods 29er, Trek FX Alpha 7.0

Mentioned: 112 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5219 Post(s)
Liked 3,564 Times in 2,331 Posts
took a ride on the MM last night. was interesting to watch one father/son team navigate a road crossing. basically needs to conquer starting from a stop. he'll get it but good thing it was a quiet night. a bit further away I passed a woman standing patiently by the side. I suspect it was Mom waiting for news of the ride. heartwarming

rumrunn6 is offline  
Old 06-11-19, 11:08 AM
  #8199  
rholland1951
Senior Member
 
rholland1951's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 3,157
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 532 Post(s)
Liked 1,696 Times in 872 Posts
Originally Posted by NomarsGirl
The gifs show fine for me. There is one missing picture (Speaking of serenity ....) is followed by a blank space.
Thanks! That one's a puzzler.

Test 1:

Test two.

Last edited by rholland1951; 06-12-19 at 08:32 AM.
rholland1951 is offline  
Likes For rholland1951:
Old 06-12-19, 10:42 AM
  #8200  
mr_bill
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 4,529
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2111 Post(s)
Liked 663 Times in 443 Posts
Originally Posted by mr_bill
Saturday

Metro Pedal Power-ing through Harvard Square:


....

-mr. bill
Just have to note that Metro Pedal Power has powered off. Sigh.

-mr. bill
mr_bill is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.