sherbornpeddler

Where'd you ride today?
I slacked off this winter; went skiing, used my trainer and have been out only a little.
What a great weekend! 37 miles Friday, 30 Sat. and 65 miles today. Went Dover, Wellesley, Weston Observatory, Lincoln, Concord, Carlisle and back via Sudbury, Wayland, Natick and Wellesley.

I'm riding Fixed Gear with fenders and 35c tires as long as there is so much runoff, salt, sand and our version of California earthquakes (aka potholes). I came back sans blinky and water bottle.; still great ride.

You?

buzzman

I did a Southeastern MA ride today (Sunday) and ended up on the Cape. Great ride. On Tuesday I'll ride over to Providence, RI spend a day there then ride back to Boston (Newton, actually). I may do a longer loop out into western RI ( my old stomping grounds) and then back to Boston that way.

Lots of sand and salt and, yes, potholes. But all in all sure felt good to be out and on the bike again. Funny I say that because I commuted all winter but there's something different about a little road ride/tour.

ZIPP2001

Staurday I rode rte. 202 in New Hampshire (out and backk). Sunday I was down in Westminster, Leominster, Fitchburg, and headed home via rte. 12 to Winchendon. Great to be out on the road.

sherbornpeddler

Buzzman, that sounds like a "Spring has officially arrived" ride. A northern route, I like Blackstone on up to Grafton, later in the season (later in my leg fitness). Sitting the porch at Figgs in Carlisle with a cup of chili defines the season for me.

Zipp, Nice ride. How is 202 this Spring?

atom bomb

Sunday: truly a "return of Spring" day. But as we see ... it must actually be the beginning of Winter.
I managed to get my old bones on the road bike for the first time since October for a fast 25 miles out to Dover and back. Slept well last night.

ZIPP2001

Hey Sherbornpeddler I picked rte. 202 because on the wide breakdowm lane, and I didn't want to get super wet. It was great 99% of the ride was nice and dry.

sherbornpeddler

Zipp2001
My roads were uncomfortably narrowed by the sand and ice. Today is a snow day*.
As the roads clean up and potholes acquiesce, you must have great riding in your neck of the woods. I’m more familiar with roads further north and east Mason, Milford, Temple, New Ipswich, Peterborough.

I’ve ambition** to do a 200K starting east of Milford, MA looping around Peterborough.

* aka rest day after over doing "return of Spring"
** ambition: aka “chickened out so far”

buzzman

I'm full of good intentions this time of year. But it's tough to actually get the rides in. I planned the ride well in that the weather sucked for riding on the Cape today. But tomorrow I'm aiming for Providence by lunch time. Don't know how the weather will be. Supposed to be sunny but on the cool side.

For those of you who head north- do you ever do a ride we used to call the Jaffrey turnaround? It makes for a good 100 miles+ from Newton/Belmont. We used to ride there, strike a match (Jaffrey is the match capital of the world- or was) and ride home. It's a good shake out the cobwebs ride.

ZIPP2001

Sherbornpeddler

I'm planning to ride up over Temple Mtn. into Milford then over to 13 back into Mass. sometime early spring. I haven't biked that way in a few years, but time to start rolling that way. My father-in-law lives in Milford so I have done a bunch of roads out that way. Do you know of any time trials in Sourthern NH. ? The two I did in MA. stopped many years ago, and now that i'm back on the bike i'm looking for one to do. My zipp's aren't USCF approved, so I have to find a TT that is not USCF run.

sherbornpeddler

Buzzman, Let me know when you feel like cobwebbing. I hope you have a great lunch in Providence.

sherbornpeddler

Zipp
Hence the monicker! It was either that or a fan of the true genius in Doonesbury.

Sad it is that the World's greatest place to eat, the Wilton Diner on Main St, just off of 101 is gone; no longer providing swedish meatballs and blueberry creme pie.

The sum of my TT experience is the Dover TT, Dover MA. It is the best TT I've ever been to.....
7 miles, https://markdionne.com/tt.html

Great guys run it.

neuronal

Speaking of cape rides, does anyone have a decent (scenic) ride from boston to provincetown? I hear there's a popular bike trail once you get closer to the cape.

Jim from Boston

Nowhere; I had a big meeting (convention) in Boston. On Saturday, I did my 14 miles from Kenmore Square to Norwood and 14 miles back, with a tail wind. Not much, but I'm time-limited and most of my riding is in the early morning when it's still cold. You and Buzzman really get around though.

I don't start distances until May. In my mind, I think of the pleasant weather riding from May to October as "leg season," when people wear shorts en masse. It begins on the first Sunday in May with the Walk for Hunger, and ends on Columbus Day Monday with the Tufts 10K Road Race ;-)

Suzie Green

I never cared for riding on Rt. 13. The section south of Brookline, through Townsend is just in terrible condition with no shoulder to ride on and kamikaze drivers (although those are everywhere). Can you come back via Rt. 31 instead, from Wilton NH down into the Willard Brook area east of Ashby? The road is a bit more biker friendly, especially in crummy springtime conditions.

I did get out Saturday too, riding down into the Holden and Rutland area.

sherbornpeddler

Seems like wise advice. Back roads are pretty hilly but less travelled through Temple, Greenville and Mason?

I'm trying to come up with a well spoken pun, "like Rt. 13, I crack up when I heave a sign of Spring but that is being narrow minded about the fast drivers".

sherbornpeddler

Methinks Buzzman is better. I'm feeling either age or jumping to bigger miles in too-eager rites of spring. Pretty sure it is the miles.

Winterwalk and then the Marathon signal the end of spring and the last Dover TT is the end of the season pour moi.

Here is hoping for a long short season.

sherbornpeddler

actually, taking the fenders off is the end of spring in Boston

Jim from Boston

What?!! In my mind the Marathon is the start of "not too much more winter left." ;-)

Suzie Green

On the same note, aren't we supposed to get "another inch or two of partly cloudy" weather tonite?

buzzman

ooooh, don't jinx me! I'm hanging in there but barely with the mileage increase.

I'm very slowly getting some miles in but not at too great a rate. Today was funny though. I'd ridden down to the cape on Sunday. Then spent the day yesterday in the rain/snow, reading and relaxing planning to ride over to Providence today. My wife was heading back to Boston in the car when I suddenly remembered I had a class to teach tonight in Boston (a reschedule). Threw the bike quickly on the back of the car and got back early enough to do a 25 mile loop out to Weston before hopping on the commuter for my usual 21 mile round trip. So I managed to get 46 miles in ( the ride to Providence would have been 53) so I'm not too disappointed.

ZIPP2001

Suzie Green

Thanks for the heads-up on rte. 13, (forgot how bad it was) maybe i'll hit rte. 124. I want to come out below Willard Brook, so I can ride thru it then follow rte. 119 back to rte. 202 in NH.


sherbornpeddler

Thanks for the lead on the Dover TT. I used to do the one in Gardner, and West Boylston and enjoyed them very much. I'm going to go do the Dover course in the next week of two, so I can get a lgood ook at the course. I haven't done a TT since 2001, and I really want to try it again.

It looks like some of us are within range of each other, what do you all think about doing a ride together ? I'm open for any distance, and don't mind driving somewhere to meet.

sherbornpeddler

Zipp, Good invitation.
As the snow melts and more bikes blossum, we might gather more.

Got ideas for where? I can offer my familiarity with my area up to Carlilse and down to Franklin, less so to Grafton and Blackstone. I'm interested in Worcester and as discussed on up to NH but am someplace between Winter brittle and Spring sapling in terms of long distance fitness.

ZIPP2001

You're Millford, Peterborough ride sounds good. I have a fun ride that I do quite often that involves Worcester, George Street, and Mt. Wachusett. When it gets nicer just yell and i'll ride.

buzzman

whew.

I'm back from my little "mid-winter tour". Managed to grind out 77 miles today on a semi-circular route from Providence RI back to Boston.

Headed west into a stiff, cold wind on 14W out of Providence across the Scituate Reservoir- still big chunks of ice but gorgeous on a cold sunny day. Then swung up 102 N to Woonsocket. Snaked through Woonsocket and zig zagged my way through Franklin and on up to Newton.

I was sooooooo slow. Part of it was the wind and my new front bag was giving me some grief. But 14 W actually has some tough climbs, as does 102. Lots of potholes, tons of sand and RI still has some of the most airhead of drivers, and I really wonder about how legitimate their car inspections are- so many cars with bad mufflers, non-working brake lights and body damaged.

Had some nice help for directions from some guys at a Sunoco in Woonsocket- one of the guys who worked there was a cyclist.

But it was tough- the daily commute keeps me fairly fit in comparison to the average person but I felt like a pretty out of shape cyclist today- the only thing impressive about today's ride was that I didn't wimp out and I got home in one piece.

sherbornpeddler

you da man! Wow!