cmolway

There were people of all abilities: from roadies to beach cruisers. Groups of different abilities formed (though there were plenty riding at their own pace). The big thing to keep in mind is that you have to do the turn around and make your return long before the wheelchair class starts at 9am. If you are pokey you will be pulled from the course by race officials. Getting back to Boston will be a PIA since many of the roads will be closed to thru traffic. If you can reasonably average 16-17mph, you should have no problems.

mtalinm

thanks cmolway, that's very helpful. I can probably keep 16-17, though not for 50 miles. maybe I had better get dropped off halfway to Hopkinton just to be on the safe side ... or start crazy early. Civil twilight is 5:30am

atom bomb

From the timing of this, I would think that the ride out to Hopkington is not closed to traffic quite yet, but then the ride back probably is. Does that sound right?

cmolway

yup. That about sums it up. Roads are open but since most people commute into Boston in the morning, the traffic was light heading out to Hopkington. Traffic was really, really light heading back in. Course was pretty much closed to traffic from about Wellesley to Boston on the way back. There were buses heading back and support vehicles on the road still but it was still an enjoyable ride on a bike.

luckynumber4

I'm just catching this thread - I'll be riding this year. Excited to finally be making it, as I've wanted to join for a few years now. As others have said, I figure if I am not fast enough I'll just drop off and get back into town via another route.

I didn't see anyone else mention the midnight ride... in case people would rather ride one way, here's another option for you: https://bostonbiker.org/2011/04/07/bo...midnight-ride/

himespau 

wow, that sounds like a great alternative. I was bummed to find out that my new job doesn't have tomorrow off, so it doesn't look like I get to participate this year (with a new baby, I'm getting little enough sleep as it is, so I don't think I'm going to htfu and pull an all nighter to join in). Hopefully I can get in on this next year.

ZIPP2001

I'll be there I told the boss Saturday I wouldn't be in Monday and with this Friday off nice short work week. That means I'll be getting up at 3:30am because I'm coming from out toward the western part of the state. Just look for the guy with the Pink/Black roadbikereview Lounge kit and say hi.

mtalinm

I did the midnight ride last year. It is fun to be riding with so many other people, though it is a younger crowd and at my age I felt out of place. Culd be different this year

Only downer was that the re wasn't marked off or anything, so it was sort of just like riding through random country at night. This year i am going to do my own thing starting with a friend in Wellesley and riding halfway back to hopkinton and then to Copley square.

Mr Sinister

I really wanted to do this, but right now with only riding for a few months, i really don't think I'm ready. I will make it next year. When I first saw this, I was thinking I had about a month or 2, but little did I know, I had less than 1 week, as I only saw it last week...

cmolway

i'll be the one on the white and red c'dal supersix. see you there!

atom bomb

Just got back from doing this solo on the 'bent. Thanks y'all for posting about this ride! The trip out was...meh..... a bit of climbing and head wind. But the ride BACK! SO much fun. If you time it so that you depart Hopkington around 8:15 or so... it's a traffic free pleasure cruise back to town. Oh, I only did Newton><Newton because that's where I live... so only 40, not the full 52 miles. Hope you all had as much fun as I did!

mtalinm

Well I missed out. Although I had.been planning on this for month and organized friends to ride with me, I took one for the team by driving my kids to six flags when my wife didn't want to.

My buddies said it was q fantastic ride, hope it was for hall as well.

JandersUF

I did the ride this AM, very fun. I suggest it to everyone next year.

The way out was a bit rough with a stiff headwind. My buddy and I took off with the lead group, but I got dropped on a big hill around halfway out. I then solo'd into the wind for almost 10 miles. Lame. Another group caught up and I wheel-sucked to the turn-around.

On the way back my buddy and I flew in, with a brisk tailwind and downhill speed. Great atmosphere!

dnuzzomueller

Great ride. This is the second year I have done it and it was definitely as much fun as last year. The ride really is for cyclists of all skill levels as long as you can stomach the mileage. Groups end up splintering, meeting up with other groups, reforming, etc. I personally stayed with the lead with cmolway, bunch of other guys and the crazy dude Lucas (For those of you who did the ride, he was the one who had the flags on his handlebars/ skitched back up with us after he stopped to greet a friend). On the way back the course was definitely not entirely closed to traffic.

One thing that definitely happens after the turn-around is that the groups splinter even further based on how quickly people eat, talk, and turn around. Nice thing is that the ride back has so much downhill that you just fly.

For those of you who were there I say my post-ride hellos to you, I was the young guy in the bright yellow jacket riding the Redline Conquest Pro (Black, White, Red with a rear fender on it). Dad was the guy who showed off his "Barracuda foot" at the YMCA afterwards. Much fun everyone, hopefully we will see a good turnout next year.

Also as cmolway mentioned post-ride: Next time we see guys in team kits puttering along at freaking 15-16 mph at the start lets put the hammer down.

cmolway

Fun ride. Launched off the front after tiring of the slow pace only to miss a turn (less than a mile before we realized our error) and spent the rest of the ride to Hopkington trading pulls with one guy as we caught back our rabbit group. Stiff, stiff headwind was a bear. I think between that, the hills and a pace-line of two we barely managed a 17mph average. Had a good pace-line of 5 or 6 and a stiff tailwind. Did the leg back in just over an hour (24mph average). Would have been faster if we didn't hit every freaking light on the way back (felt like we were doing sprint intervals).

Met a few BF'ers after the ride for coffee and carbs at the reception for the ride.

Lesson of the day learned: If you go through the trouble of lugging a backpack 52 miles so you can carry your helmet, do yourself a favor and carry it on your head instead. That way when the perfect stranger you are drafting (and half-wheeling) sits up, causing you two to touch wheels and you to hit the deck, the helmet will actually protect your noggin. Yes you looked very fashionable in your brand new CAAD10 and matching kit, but it looked decidedly un-pro to sheepishly pull the helmet from your bag and wear it AFTER YOU WRECKED.

JandersUF

LOL... I was afraid that was going to happen on the way out... guess I missed it on the way back in.

My friend and I were debating which was worse: wearing big bulky headphones on a group ride (like the huge ones you'd wear at a mixing board), or wearing a big plastic barrette instead of a helmet. Thankfully when you guys went to wrong way, the rest of the lead pack was able to turn up the heat and escape from the helmet-less and aero-bar-riding-in-the-middle-of-a-group hangers-on.

And the guy with the flags attached to his handlebars... I was a bit worried these could lead to some sketchy riding in the wind, but dude was strong.

Anyway I was in an El Cyclista Kit on a black carbon generico frame; my friend had the classic Hammer kit on. Sadly we had to turn to home immediately post-ride and couldn't make the party... stupid work responsibilities. Maybe we can find another excuse to have a Bforum Boston Ride?

Mr Sinister

Now I'm even more upset I wasn't ready to go...

I really need to do this next year, and I will. Unless I'm dead, even then I might crawl my ass out of the grave.

cmolway

Cool kit. Big fan of El Cyclista. Pretty sure I caught back up to you guys at the starting line. I was in the harpoon B2B kit riding a white Supersix. I waited around for a fast looking group to head back and ended riding in with a couple of MIT riders. It would be nice to get a decent group of fast riders together next year and avoid the slow, fredly roll-out.

I'd love any excuse to get a new ride in--where do you ride? I live north of Boston (Melrose) and work in Boston. I do a lot of rides around N. Reading, Topsfield, and Wakefield.

mtalinm

you can definitely do it! two friends of mine who hadn't been on bikes for several months pulled it off. I don't even think they walked up Heartbreak Hill

dnuzzomueller

I would love to get a fast group ride going like the ride on Monday. Being a younger student aswell I would love it even more if the start location was not too much more then 10 miles from Boston so I would be down for any type of Boston, group ride with other BFers

Heartbreak hill is actually quite tame compared to the hill to get to the start point of the marathon. That one is more of a long 2 mile uphill with a final higher grade section in the final 500 yards. Heart break hill feels like nuthin after that (especially consider the way back was nothing but a downhill it seemed). By that point your pretty good for heart break. The real test is getting out to Hopkington, if you can do that heart break hill is a piece O cake.

JandersUF

I live in Cambridge currently; I mostly ride out via Belmont to the West-North-West (say west concord, sudbury, etc)... sometimes I go outbound on the Minuteman trail to bedford and ride around there (on weekdays when I'm not working). I work odd shifts and days, so I ride a lot on weekdays.

I'm working down in Milton now, so i'm thinking of riding in the Blue Hills before work sometimes. Good challenging riding (I'm not a hill person... too big... but gotta work on it).

I'm only gunning do Wells Ave more... I think I can in 2 Sundays. I used to do the CRW Sat AM ride all the time, but haven't this year.

Are you doing Harpoon B2B this year? Thats my current training goal.

cmolway

No B2B anymore. Getting too rich for my (read: my wife's) blood. I ride a lot with the North Shore Cyclists (descent weeknight ride schedule for me). They do a nice 50 on Saturday out of Topsfield though I often opt for the Cycle Loft ride since it starts nice and early.

I am trying to pull together an early afternoon ride out of Boston tomorrow (2 or 3pm) if anyone is up for a ride or knows a good route that starts in Boston.

ETA: I'm thinking about doing a blue hills ride out of Boston https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/7796550. I haven't done it yet so it would be nice to ride with someone who has a decent route so I can focus on the ride and not a cue sheet.

JandersUF

I'm stuck with obligations tomorrow, but just tips for your route:

*The loop (sorta a figure 8) that you are doing in the blue hills is perfect, I've done it before.
*You are taking blue hill ave straight out to get there, which works but is a little busy. Its simple to navigate. I've linked a route my friends took me on to get out there, smaller streets a bit to the west (I don't suggest the part through longwood and brookline, we swung there to pick up some people)
* You have to climb great blue hill to the observatory. Its rough. On your route, its around mile 23. On the route i link, its the turn-around point. Its by far the hardest hill I've found near Boston... it feels like you are climbing a mountain when you are in the trees.

https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/29717390