sherbornpeddler

Speaking of which, Thursday I rode solo up to Grafton, south to Blackstone and crossed between the two resevoirs on Diamond Hill in Cumberland RI to go home via Franklin. It was a nice ride even with a little traffic in Woonsocket but I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. I had a time limit and couldn't meander canals and historical sights, it was warm, I ran out of fig newtons and the Celts got beat up.

Today all the world seems in tune and I wish you a wicked good ride!

MacCruiskeen

I saw a tweed ride today, riding in the opposite direction along the Charles river on the Boston side. Mind you, I don't object if people want to dress up and ride as if they are landed gentry, but for me, at least, it's way too warm today for sweater vests and ties.

Yesterday Morning I saw turtles along the river in Watertown, on my way out to Russo's. Several big ones. I'd never seen them before.

sherbornpeddler

Hey! Our own Veloria was featured in the Globe story of classic bicycle based, interactive art. I like to think of myself as driven by functional rather than fashion but truth is I do have a preferred "kit". Judging by my PMC-MassBike jerseys, whatever I can find gloves and oh-so-fashionable white tube sox I'm no threat to Veloria's leadership in picturesque cruising.

MacC, unlike those special people who can be comfortable in formal attire even on warm days, I'm with you and the turtles. Speaking for myself, when it's warm I like to go out on the roads and hope I don't get squashed.

sherbornpeddler

Snuck out the last two mornings between boomers. I trimmed my temporary fenders extended with slices of plastic bottle and they worked pretty well in puddles and a few moments of elevated humidity (~1" in an hour, aka "buckets").

30 miles in I flatted on Claybrook Rd and, declined a kind offer of help and then discovered the CO2 cartridge for my pump was a dud. Did I use it a year or two ago and forget?). I called home but then was bailed out by alert, kind, thoughtful motorist Sean Brown of Hanover who opened up his brand new electric pump to save the day.

Sean turned his car around and interrupted my contemplation of which I preferred: 1. rain heavy enough to drive mosquitoes away or 2. mosquitoes thick enough to patiently wait their turn. In rain enough to get damp himself, Sean went to the back of his car and opened up his brand new electric pump and got me on my way. Nice guy.
How many motorists ask if we need help and how many stop, get out, in the rain and help?
I rode home a happy guy.

Timber_8

I got 70 miles in yesterday, left the house and road into Boston to the Gay pride parade and then back home in the rain. My ride from Boston to provincetown is next Saturday and I wanted to ride the beginning of the course coming out of the city. It was a great ride & I am sure I am ready for the 130 miles.

ZIPP2001

Timber_8 I give you a ton of props, I just wasn't in the mood to get wet so I was a couch potato. With the miles you've been putting in
I'm sure you'll have no problem with your ride Saturday. I hope the weather is good and you have a great ride.

sherbornpeddler

Well Done Timber!
Thank you for sharing your adventure and please be sure to tell us about your ride Saturday. I'm sure you'll enjoy your ride for many reasons; one being a celebration of all your hard work. Congratulations!

Timber_8

Well they are talking 90s for Saturday now. I think it will take a little longer to do the run than I originally anticipated. We should be on the cape before noon so with any luck it will be cooler down by the water

cmolway

Bit of an adventure on the commute in to Boston yesterday. I was cutting through a park (that I ride through every morning) when, at the crest of a hill I saw a big German Shephard standing in the middle of the road, with its owner trailing 30' behind with the leash in her hand. As I passed the dog I said something like "what the hell is wrong with you; put a leash on your dog" to the owner. At this point I heard her scream "ZACH, NOOOOO!!!!!!". Looking over my shoulder I see her dog launching itself at me.

My morning commute, usually a decently paced affair, became an all-out crit-sprint. I mashed on the pedals and launched down the road, heedless of the dangers of oncoming traffic at the approaching intersection. The dog was fast! I was sprinting at 28-30mph for about a half mile with the beast 20' off my wheel. Just as i was running out of gas, the dog gave up on the chase. I hope the owner spent the next hour looking for her dog.

bikinggrrrl

Good Golly! That is quite the adventure, cmolway. Nothing quite like that adrenaline rush first thing in the morning, eh? I only have to avoid potholes and the occasional chipmunk (although the last chippie didn't fare very well when my front wheel flung him over my head).
Only thing I hate more than poorly behaved dogs is irresponsible dog owners. Glad you are okay.

sherbornpeddler

Bruce Ingle, famed Brevet Bicyclist, said the two greatest inventions for bicycling in the last umpteen years has been LED lighting and the electric dog collars. Electric fence helps in the burbs but loose dogs on the streets and parks are torture.

I've been chased (in my case neither dog nor rider were up to C's sprint), nipped, scaired, driven into curbs, ditches and car traffic by dogs. Sitting here typing I can calmly observe dogs were instinctively barking at the spinning wheels and probably wouldn't have done anything if I stopped. Maybe. Only when cornered have I hopped off and used my bike as a shield against a barking, victorious assasin. In my case the owner came and all I wanted to do was escape or another time the dog just lost interest once I was dismounted and no longer interesting.

Is it better to stop than to sprint? Better to get the owner's name? Carry Mace? Jam a water bottle down a demon's throat? I contemplate these things 5 to 3 million minutes later after the adrenalin wears off. I've never gained any justice or cranked at crit speed.

The leash law seems a consistant problem but this year's over supply of chipmunks from last year's record crop of acorns is new nemesis.

sherbornpeddler

Two good rides this week.
Rode 100 miles from Durham, NH to Sherborn Thursday with only light showers and traffic. Exeter to Haverhill, Lawrence, Andover, Billerica to Bedford were fine. As the commuter traffic picked up I headed over to Carlisle and familiar back roads through Sudbury, Wayland and Wellesley. I was glad my Delotte tail light healed itself and worked the second 50 miles.

Today I joined an early morning ride through Hopkinton to Grafton, down to Mendon, Bellingham and back via Millis. Parts of Rt 140 south of Milford and Rt 126 towards Medway are repaired with bumpy, survivable patches but you'd better have enjoyed the earlier parts of the ride to say it was a great ride. It was a great ride. Good golly I'm glad I wasn't in the car with Mrs. SBP or we'd have stopped at a dozen flea, rummage and yard sales. I'm all in favor of recalibration of unused inventory to find a better match but one of the joys of cruising by bike is aI have better restraint in shopping for "stuff I really need". What a great day!

MacCruiskeen

I rode out through Belmont and Lincoln to torture myself on some hills, then on the way home, stopped at Harris in Newton to try out some new bikes.

sherbornpeddler

MacC,
Sounds like a great ride with hills and new bike smell. I think it is bike oil and new tires that are part of the magic of a great shop. What do you ride and what are your shopping for?

I tried one of those Rivendale related bikes. It was out of my price range but impressive. I went back and bought the fancy "Gran Dios" 35mm tires They are part of Harris' formula for a sweet ride.

jimmuller 

I'm curious what hills. And what route do you use to get there from Cambridge, or did you start further out?

sixtyone

I rode in the Bikes Not Bombs Bike-A-Thon today. 65 miles that started and ended in JP. First time I have done a ride of that distance and in the heat today, it was a little rough at times.

However I finished and feel pretty good now.

cmolway

Took the day off after a 50 mile hammerfest with some club guys up in Topsfield, MA on Saturday. I think the average speed at the end, climbs and all, was around 21.5mph. I didn't even want to look at my bike on Sunday.

Timber_8

Well I did my Boston to Ptown ride Saturday. I have to say it was very difficult in the heat. I did learn a lot from the experience though. I did come through it with very little pain other than fatigue. I think I am in the market for a road bike now.

sherbornpeddler

Woo Hoo!
Congratulations!

sherbornpeddler

C,
Amazing ride. Like Timber, an amazing effort. Was this part of a training plan towards a race or other goal?
How is the Topsfield area for riding?

MacCruiskeen

I usually ride out along the river into Watertown, partly to avoid Brattle St. (which is being repaved, yay!), then up Belmont street to Trapelo Rd. How far I go depends on how much time I have, and how early I managed to get out. Then I'll come back down 117 into Waltham. I've also gone up along Concord Ave, but the road condition is really bad.

cmolway

Nope. Just peddling with the A-group (read: trying to keep up). I belong to the North Shore Cyclists www.nscyc.org. The members range from a 8mph "slow and go" group to the pace-lining rabbits in the front who maintain a blistering pace. My goal is alway to start with the A-group and try to make it to the end. There's a B-group that rides in the 16-18mph range that is usually not too far behind if I get dropped early and want to finish with a group. Monday we had a pretty good pace line going which helped a lot. I usually get dropped from taking too many long pulls at the front early on and not saving enough in the tank for later. That being said, riding with the A-group has really helped; I am learing with every ride.

Topsfield is really nice. There are plenty of lightly traffic'd roads and tons of rollers. The nscyc rides out of there 4 times a week (3 from Topsfield and one from neighboring Boxford which shares many of the same stretches of road) so that's has to say something. All the routes (besides the roads in Boxford) are really well marked.

beat.tk

So cute

When they run in pairs you have a good chance of dinging one.
*not that I would do so on purpose! hehe

Yesterday's ride was swell... tering

saw at least 20 roadkills but no chipmunks

I planned to stop at the ride studio cafe in Lexington, but was too tired to get off the bike.

sherbornpeddler

So, chipmunks, roadkill and cafes! Ahh Metrowest riding.
I've not been to the Ride Studio but it looks very cool selling bikes and coffee. There is a bike shop in S. Maine that combines bikes and ice cream. I bet your Lexington shop has an easier job keeping bikes clean. There used to be the "Roadkill Cafe" in Greenville, ME that might consider selling bikes to appeal to a new market segment?

jimmuller 

22 miles, Waltham to Bedford and back. 88degF, dew point in the mid 60's, rather sultry day. A good day nevertheless.

Went through Lexington but I've never looked for the aforementioned Ride Studio. Where would it be?