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Metro Boston: Good ride today?

Old 05-23-22, 08:03 AM
  #10026  
rholland1951
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Originally Posted by bike_tom
Wow. I've seen wild turkeys in the parks and fields in Arlington, but never in anyone's driveway!
We get them more or less yearly, in the Spring, typically for only one day. Amateur ornithological theory is that they are juveniles looking for a flock. They do look kind of clueless, so this theory may have merit.

rod
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Old 05-23-22, 08:41 AM
  #10027  
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Sunday afternoon, in the heat of the day, I took my somewhat under-utilized 1982 Specialized Sequoia born-again go-fast up the Mystic Valley Parkway to have a look at the Mystic Lakes scene in this first visitation of Summer heat.


Nothing under-utilized about the Mystic Lakes that day. Lots of creative parking, and lots of towing to keep the lots clear enough to permit folks to leave in the unlikely event that they wanted to leave. The tow trucks lined up. Cops directed traffic.


People thronged the Lakes, moving in and out of the water, happy to have some relief from the heat. Epidemiological precautions were conspicuous by their absence.




Thunderheads were already forming, but nothing was delivered.


Some people actually swam.


Others worked on their circus skills.


A cheerful good order prevailed. This way to Summer.

rod

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Old 05-23-22, 03:29 PM
  #10028  
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After running errands (by car) this morning, took a late afternoon ride up the MM to Bedford today. Wonderful weather after the weekend's heat (though it was not as hot as had been predicted).

The azaleas at the Lexington visitor center (and everywhere else) are in bloom:



There were enough people out to make the ride feel sociable, but not so many that the MM had that "OMG, this is crazy" feeling it has on the weekends.

Tom
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Old 05-23-22, 03:38 PM
  #10029  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Sunday afternoon, in the heat of the day, I took my somewhat under-utilized 1982 Specialized Sequoia born-again go-fast up the Mystic Valley Parkway to have a look at the Mystic Lakes scene in this first visitation of Summer heat.

I didn't realize Specialized was selling bikes that far back. A quick Google found this blog which shows a bike the same vintage as yours: The Retrogrouch: Old is Good: Specialized Sequoia

Looks like you are running a relatively modern (compared to 1982) drivetrain. I guess that is the "born-again go-fast" aspect.

Tom
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Old 05-23-22, 08:31 PM
  #10030  
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Grabbed the Rawland Nordavinden because I felt like riding it, took it on a quick sprint to Lexington Center on the Minuteman because that was all there was time for, both "quick" and "sprint" were somewhat truer than usual, which gets us back to why I felt like riding it in the first place.




Had recourse to the bell a little more often than usual. Sorry about the noise.

rod
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Old 05-23-22, 08:33 PM
  #10031  
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Originally Posted by bike_tom
I didn't realize Specialized was selling bikes that far back. A quick Google found this blog which shows a bike the same vintage as yours: The Retrogrouch: Old is Good: Specialized Sequoia

Looks like you are running a relatively modern (compared to 1982) drivetrain. I guess that is the "born-again go-fast" aspect.

Tom
Good framesets often find surprising uses. In this case, I got the benefit of the previous owner's go-fast conversion project.

rod
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Old 05-24-22, 10:34 PM
  #10032  
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Took the Surly Long Haul Trucker out for a ride on the Minuteman before dinner, enjoying its rock-steady stability, dialed-in comfort--after 13,000 miles and more, it should be dialed in--and delightfully familiar handling. This old touring bike makes me happy.


A man sleeping on the lawn of the small park that houses the statue of Uncle Sam gave me pause. Homeless? Intoxicated? Exhausted from long Town Meeting sessions? There's a story there, and I don't know what it is, but suspect that the real wonder is that we haven't had more people sleeping on the Town's lawns.


rod

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Old 05-25-22, 06:58 AM
  #10033  
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haven't fallen asleep on a outside on a lawn in a long time. I'd prefer not to be around traffic sounds tho. the sounds of birds & children playing would be far better
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Old 05-25-22, 07:14 AM
  #10034  
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Originally Posted by rumrunn6
haven't fallen asleep on a outside on a lawn in a long time. I'd prefer not to be around traffic sounds tho. the sounds of birds & children playing would be far better
Good day for it, anyhow.

rod
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Old 05-25-22, 07:57 AM
  #10035  
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Originally Posted by rholland1951
Good day for it, anyhow
oh man, if we could have THIS weather all summer long ...
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Old 05-25-22, 03:56 PM
  #10036  
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Took advantage of the fabulous weather this afternoon to ride the MM out to Bedford and then the Narrow Gauge Rail Trail up to Billerica. Yeah, count me in for having this kind of weather all summer. (of course, summer doesn't start for 4 weeks...)

The surface of the NGRT looked and felt like it has been graded since I rode it last month. I could see subtle grooves running parallel to the direction of travel, like from dragging a rake, and the deep ruts near the Bedford VA are gone. On the the other hand, the northern most half mile, past the gate at the Billerica line, still retained its loose rambunctious character.

Fawn Lake was bucolic as always:



Hoping for many more rides like this during the rest of the year.

Tom

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Old 05-25-22, 11:11 PM
  #10037  
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Towards the end of a hectic day, went for a ride before dinner, and before Town Meeting, to clear my head and oxygenate my blood. Never can tell when you're going to need a little oxygen.


Took the Surly Trucker DeLuxe, shod with Compass Rat Trap Pass Extralights. When these tires were more of a novelty, I used to refer to this bike as my "Monster Trucker"; it still answers to that name. Rolls over everything, at speed. Tyler Oulton built this up for me, and it's probably the bike that best reflects his approach to bicycle builds.


559-55 tires, 13EEEE shoes: end-to-end drive-train compatibility.


rod

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Old 05-26-22, 07:33 PM
  #10038  
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my new favorite riding temperature, is now the low 70s. what an afternoon

the MM had the typical traffic curiosity

good breeze blowing. wearing two short sleeve layers was good at 5pm
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Old 05-26-22, 08:57 PM
  #10039  
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Rode the Ebisu All Purpose Bicycle over to Watertown to visit my son, Sam, and his daughter--ipso facto, my granddaughter--Ida.






Good ride, good visit.

rod
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Old 05-28-22, 09:50 AM
  #10040  
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Friday was another little slice of Summer daze, and I took the opportunity to hop on the Ocean Air Cycles Rambler and ride East, another round of the hills-and-traffic drill on paved bits of the Fells Escarpment alternating with coastal plain flats, good for the heart, lungs, legs, and wits. The Rambler's low-trail geometry and Pasela-derived Soma C-lines danced lightly across the pavement.


Somebody in Medford really likes the Ford Thunderbird. Recent rides featured an apparent '57 T-bird; Friday's ride showed an early 2000's model, stream-lined rather than finned, parked in the same space. That's some serious attachment.


There was water coming and going: the Malden River, its banks leafed out in Summer dress, the beginning of a long, looping climb...


... and the jets d'eau at Fellsmere park, the end of the Fellsway East roller coaster.


And of course there was the Mystic, crossed twice, but no pictures of that.

rod
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Old 05-29-22, 05:27 PM
  #10041  
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I rode the 40-mile segment of the MassBike Charlie Proctor Memorial Ride. Charlie Proctor, of course, was killed by a driver at the notorious Appleton Street/Mass. Ave. intersection in Arlington. That's got a temporary fix now, with funding for a more permanent fix in the next Town budget, if I'm reading the runes correctly. Today's Memorial Ride was split into two elective segments: a 20-mile ride that simply proceeded out the Minuteman to Depot Park and back, and a 40-mile ride that unfurled a great clockwise loop from and to Depot Park, rolling through Bedford, Lincoln, and Concord. All rides began and ended at the Tufts Bacow Sailing Pavilion, on the Upper Mystic Lake, off Mystic Valley Parkway in Medford. From time to time, we'd encounter MassBike checkpoints. I rode to and from the Bacow Pavilion, so my total for the day was 45 miles through Arlington, Medford, Lexington, Bedford, Lincoln, and Concord.












I rode the Ocean Air Cycles Rambler for this event. As I expected, it went the distance with comfort, resilience, nimbleness, and speed, climbing hills at need, and inspiring confidence in the bike's stability during 30mph descents.




The ride finished at the Bacow Center, with a well-catered meal.


Meanwhile, on the lake, Summer had declared itself.


rod

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Old 05-30-22, 06:48 PM
  #10042  
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The other day, I took delivery from Battle Road Bikes of the old Rivendell Rambouillet (there are no NEW Rivendell Rambouillets). It had been in the shop for some tweaking of the front derailleur, downstream consequence of a bunch of custom work I asked them to do. Today, I took the Ram out for a spin on the Minuteman, and was charmed by its bicycleness. It rides like thought.


Those who need change to feed the parking meters should be advised that there is a hoard of silver (or zinc, or something) under the second bench, outbound, on the Minuteman. Arrrr...


The Mile 4.0 Cairn Builders are at it again, in their fine old dyadic discourse. I'd go visit them and find out what it was all about, but they might sacrifice me to the full moon or something. You never know...


rod
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Old 05-30-22, 06:53 PM
  #10043  
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got out w/ the girls today. they both said yes so off we went. good day for a shady trail

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Old 05-31-22, 02:58 PM
  #10044  
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Took a pleasant ride to the Bedford Depot this morning. The weathermen correctly predicted that the high for the day would happen at about 9am - the temperature dropped about 10 degrees over the course of the ride. Wore shorts and a long sleeve jersey, which I have decided is my favorite combo if the weather suits.

Didn't see anything unusual during the ride, so here is the always good posing of the bike in front of Uncle Sam in Arlington Center:



Tom
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Old 05-31-22, 08:03 PM
  #10045  
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Took the Rambouillet out to Depot Park this afternoon, a gentle spin.


Is it the great gray-green, greasy Limpopo River, all set about with fever trees? Nope, it's just the Shawsheen.


rod

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Old 06-02-22, 01:11 PM
  #10046  
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Today's ride took me east from Arlington to see what was new on the paths in Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown and Belmont.

I rode to Davis Square via Alewife and picked up the Somerville Community Path. As of now you can still only ride as far as Lowell St. I was hoping to see one of the Green Line test trains that have been running on the Medford branch, but none came by while I was there. The signals were operational though.

Here's the current view looking down the Community Path extension:



Maybe open by Labor Day?

I headed back to Alewife and then to Fresh Pond via the sidewalk along Alewife Brook Parkway. It seems that the connection to the Watertown Cambridge Greenway (WCG) is now officially open. Gone are the "Path Closed" signs (that you could sneak around) at the Cambridge Water works and elsewhere. After riding to the end at School St Watertown I doubled back and checked out the spur that comes off near Best Buy and ends at Arsenal St across from the Arsenal Yards mall:



In theory, if you cross the street here and cut through the mall parking lot you can get to the Dr Paul Dudley White Bike Path along the Charles (feedback on that would be appreciated.) I decided to leave that exploration for another day, perhaps coming from the other direction when the Somerville extension is open. Lest you get the impression the WCG is all urban and shopping malls, here is a view looking south from Fresh Pond toward Huron Ave:




Not bad for Cambridge.

Finally I headed back to Alewife and checked out the Fitchburg Cutoff to Belmont:



(Yeah, I rode the MTB. The urban connections are just too rough for the 25mm tires on the Fuji.)

An interesting 15 miles.

Tom

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Old 06-02-22, 06:51 PM
  #10047  
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Originally Posted by bike_tom
Today's ride took me east from Arlington to see what was new on the paths in Cambridge, Somerville, Watertown and Belmont.

I rode to Davis Square via Alewife and picked up the Somerville Community Path. As of now you can still only ride as far as Lowell St. I was hoping to see one of the Green Line test trains that have been running on the Medford branch, but none came by while I was there. The signals were operational though.

Here's the current view looking down the Community Path extension:



Maybe open by Labor Day?

I headed back to Alewife and then to Fresh Pond via the sidewalk along Alewife Brook Parkway. It seems that the connection to the Watertown Cambridge Greenway (WCG) is now officially open. Gone are the "Path Closed" signs (that you could sneak around) at the Cambridge Water works and elsewhere. After riding to the end at School St Watertown I doubled back and checked out the spur that comes off near Best Buy and ends at Arsenal St across from the Arsenal Yards mall:



In theory, if you cross the street here and cut through the mall parking lot you can get to the Dr Paul Dudley White Bike Path along the Charles (feedback on that would be appreciated.) I decided to leave that exploration for another day, perhaps coming from the other direction when the Somerville extension is open. Lest you get the impression the WCG is all urban and shopping malls, here is a view looking south from Fresh Pond toward Huron Ave:




Not bad for Cambridge.

Finally I headed back to Alewife and checked out the Fitchburg Cutoff to Belmont:



(Yeah, I rode the MTB. The urban connections are just too rough for the 25mm tires on the Fuji.)

An interesting 15 miles.

Tom
Good things coming! Thanks for the update.

rod
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Old 06-02-22, 06:55 PM
  #10048  
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The Appaloosa was looking ignored in the garage, so I took it for a lazy spin on the Minuteman before dinner.


The Appaloosa is the real outlier in the stable, at least at the moment. Rebuild it? or come to terms with its quirks and virtues...


No rebuilding until November. In the meantime, I'm learning to enjoy the ride.

rod
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Old 06-03-22, 09:48 PM
  #10049  
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Friday, I took the Rawland Nordavinden for quick sprint up the Mystic Valley Parkway, to see what was shaking on the Mystic Lakes on the warming end of a cool afternoon..


There was a little boating.


There was a little fishing.


But mostly, there was peace and quiet.


I kept a fast pace on the Nordavinden, there and gone.

rod
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Old 06-04-22, 09:36 PM
  #10050  
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Took the Ocean Air Cycles Rambler and rode East.


The Rambler danced through traffic, climbs, and descents in what has become a weekly drill that my legs, lungs, and skills are the better for. The weather cooperated, and the pop-up showers that the weatherpersons had threatened apparently popped elsewhere, or didn't pop at all.


rod

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