jimmuller 

Second commute of the year, 25 mile round trip. Max speed 32.2mph coming down Cullen Hill Rd. I rode the UO8 today. I keep relearning why I've held onto that bike for 41 years. It's smooth as silk, rolls easily, handles a load with aplomb. Even loaded with work-related stuff it climbs easily. Yeah, okay, I have upgraded everything except the pedals and brakes.

Here's a pic from last year. Same route, same bike. This could have been today:

godshammgod

Is anyone interested in a Patriot's Day ride?

I know there are several "marathon" rides, but I'd rather not deal with those crowds, so I wanted to see if any forum folks wanted to try and meet up.

I was thinking we could map out a 40 or 50ish mile route through the western suburbs perhaps?

Just a thought...

rholland1951

Mental health ride at the end of the work day. Before I left the office, the weather radar suggested all the wet stuff was well to the West. By the time I had gotten home and done the half-hour or so of transitional nonsense that always delays an after-work ride, the weather radar showed some showers inside 495.


Seemed like a sporting proposition, so I got on the bike and started pedaling on my normal trajectory to Lexington. By the time I reached Arlington Center, there was barely-detectable drizzle. Into Arlington Heights, this had turned to a gentle shower. At Maple Street, Lexington, the drops were getting a lot bigger and falling a lot thicker, so I turned around. The pavement had that newly-wet smell, and the frogs in Arlington's Great Meadow sounded positively ecstatic. Rode out of the heavy stuff, and all was well until just about Brattle Street, when the rain started coming down in earnest: if not in buckets, then at least in beer steins. By then it was dark enough for headlights, and I enjoyed the wet little meteors shooting through my beam; the Pierce Field stadium lights gave a similar view on a much larger scale. The last two miles of the ride were frankly wet, and an extra ten degrees of temperature would have been welcome. By the time I reached home, the weather radar gave me this cheery view:


Another lesson in what rain storms are not--blimps with sprinklers. 9 soggy miles, pleasant for all that.

rod

jimmuller 

I'd love to but alas I must work.

godshammgod

Yeah, I figured some might have to work. This is the first time I've ever had Patriot's Day off so I'm trying to take advantage!

rholland1951

Rode out to Lexington Center and back on the Minuteman this evening, 10 miles, high 40s. The Night Chorus is coming along, tonight augmented by two police cars whooping North on Woburn Street, a fire truck wailing West on Mass. Ave., and a big jet doing the aeronautic equivalent of down-shifting on its approach to Hanscom, all in the space of two minutes.

rod

rholland1951

End-of-the-day ride on the Minuteman, out to Lexington as far as Bedford Street, where I turned around in sight of the big pine that had a family of great horned owls in residence a couple of years ago. Returned home in the twilight, dodging little herds of teenagers in Arlington. 14 miles, with temperatures falling through the 40s.

Did some maintenance on the bike before the ride, and am back to friction shifting and loving it.

rod

jimmuller 

A bunch of us from the C&V forum rode the CCRT end to end and back, plus a side trip over to the Atlantic. About 45 miles total. Sharon and I were on the tandem, of course.

At the start:


Facing the Atlantic:


Return trip, a stop at the Harwich Bike Rotary, 3 miles to go and the sun is out!

sherbornpeddler

"3 miles to go and the sun is out" Well said Jim! Nice looking ride.
Blimp buckets, Great Horned owl memories and mental health riding, Patriots Day and commuter rides. These are cool to read. I'm not up to G's marathon ride but will break out the 'bent for a bagel and coffee ride to Wellesley today.

jimmuller 

"Bagel and coffee ride", I like the sound of that. How come Sharon won't let me do a donut and coffee run?

We did another 33 on the tandem today. This being spring, that air was fresh and crisp, except through Great Brook Farm where it was pungent.

sherbornpeddler

I switched to back friendly and out of the wind recumbent for a noodle through Sherborn, Holliston, Medway and Millis. This is Boggastow Brook in Millis.
The potholes on backroads weren't bad but enough to finalize a decision to not join the midnight marathoners.

rholland1951

Sunset ride on the Minuteman, 10 miles, cool, clear, breezy. Cloudless sunset a peachy glow on the Western horizon, Jupiter and the crescent Moon keeping company.


rod

rholland1951

Got on the bike after work, riding out the Minuteman as far as Bedford Street, Lexington, before turning around, 14 miles. Cool and sunny, with a wind from the East, and a pretty sunset that I watched in my rear-view mirror as I got towards home. Beyond the usual reasons for a ride at the end of the day, I was looking for respite from the nasty incoherence of the Marathon bombing. I was apparently not the only one: a small girl on a small bike, out for a ride with her father, responded to a very loud emergency vehicle siren by screaming, "Shut up! Shut up!"

The Minuteman delivered a measure of serenity, as it often does. A Chinese woman, out walking with her husband, was singing antiphonal responses to a songbird.






rod

David325

Hey all- just want to make sure all of us here from BF and their families were safe after the events at the marathon today. I was at the site of the explosion an hour before it happened. A very scary day for Boston and I hope that some answers about what happened today will be answered soon, and a speedy recovery to those currently hospitalized.

jimmuller 

Safe here.

I got out for a bit on the Blackstone Bikeway yesterday, explored down into Central Falls.

JandersUF

Intermittent thread participant here, safe. The wife baby and I were at Kenmore, which was a bit too close for comfort. Patriot's Day is such a wonderful local event, we just love it every year...

To get back to bikes. I did ride the Marathon route out and back (from the YMCA on Huntington, Hal's ride). Left there at 0600, got to the start line just before 0730 (they started closing roads then) turned around and came back. It was a little more congested than when I did it in 2011, but I saw HUNDREDS of cyclists out enjoying the route, and thousands of volunteers setting up.

Oh and I got a trailer to put the kiddo in. Took her out for her first ride last week on the MMT. Actually passed Jimmuller at one point (the beard, sir, it gives you away). I don't think we'll be going on road adventures soon, but she liked the trail for a bit.

rholland1951

Sunset ride out to Lexington Center on the Minuteman. The sunset was eye-catching.


On the dark ride back, a coyote crossed my path at the Brown Homestead, strong, lithe, and alert, nobody's dog. I asked him, "Are you a coyote?" He stood 50' off the trail checking me out, as if to say "What do you think?" This is the second coyote I've seen in Lexington this year, the first on the Minuteman.

rod

mtalinm

did my usual commute from Westwood to MIT. for whatever reason I was really fast today and did it in less than 50 minutes. tha's the happy part. the less happy part is the attached picture of Boylston St. being blocked off at Mass Ave (I come up from the other direction on Boylston St). chilling to see all the police out.

phulin

I live two blocks away from one of the blast sites, so it was definitely a little close for comfort. Hopefully I can squeeze in a long ride later this week to get some peace and quiet if work stops being so overwhelming.

godshammgod

One of my cycling friends lives a block away just about. His whole building shook, but he is fine.

On riding--

I finally did the "Crack O'Dawn" ride the past two mornings. Tuesday was a little bit faster, but both rides were great. Nice group of folks, good smooth riding, and good weather.

It's nice to be able to get 20ish miles in before 7:00 a.m.

jimmuller 

No riding except my commute, ~12.5 miles A'boro over to Albion Rd in Lincoln, RI. And back of course. What a pleasant day. Except for one idiot who couldn't wait to jump on the rt146 on-ramp. (I gave him, ah, a digit and then proceeded on my merry way.)

rholland1951

Sunset ride on the Minuteman out to Lexington, 10 miles. Balmy air and lots of company. Didn't have a lot of time, so focused on the ride and set a brisk (for me) pace. Thought I heard the coyote yip a greeting as I transited its territory, but that could just be my brain having fun.

rod

jimmuller 

I snuck in 40 miles this afternoon - Waltham, Lexington, Bedford, Concord, Carlisle, Bedford, Lexington, Waltham. It started sunny but turned cool and cloudy.

sherbornpeddler

Jim, I ride the Blackstone trail but have never made it to Central Falls by the trail. I did enjoy a visit touring an ambitious real estate project and enjoyed learning a bit about Central Falls. The city's financial work is a big task but the neighborhoods seem to be going about their business and doing all right. The view over looking the Blackstone River from the base of Cogswell Tower in Jenks Park is impressive and played a role in King Philips War. I understand there are a few occasions when the vault or cavern under the tower is opened.

I'll look for the route along the Blackstone Trail through Central Falls and on to Providence.

sherbornpeddler

I've been getting in a few rides this past difficult week.
My son and I rode from South Boston along Harbor Walk to the state Archives. This is such a great take and a great bicycle accessed treasure.
1. The Treasures Exhibit is better than anything possible in Washington DC
2. free
3. easily reached by a scenic, water's edge path
3a. may include a visit to the James Connolly triple jump statue
4. nicely balanced by Sullivan's hotdog across the bay at Fort Independence
5. also reached by bicycle.

Harborwalk

the first modern day Olympian grew up in South Boston

Hotdog