rholland1951

It works for me. Sits me on my sits bone. I sit towards the back. At some point, years ago, I worked that out, and have been much more comfortable ever since. No more jokes about "is that a load-bearing member?"

rod

rumrunn6

not a bit of ice left! wow!

rholland1951

Took the Ebisu All Purpose Bicycle for a somewhat more ambitious shakedown ride, 31 miles through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, and Lincoln. This was an all-pavement variant of the North Bridge Loop, avoiding the Reformatory Branch because, hey, it's Mud Season. Lots of good hills though, and both the bike and my legs got a happy workout. On my way out the Minuteman, I stopped for a moment to put the bike's current happy condition in its proper context: thanks, Pete!


At Depot Park, nodded at the Buddliner, and then kept cranking.


Many decades ago, someone bought a big Jeep with the Time Machine option. It's been time-traveling on Route 225 ever since, in surroundings that are increasingly Gothic. Rip Van Winkle with 4-wheel drive...


Route 225, Bedford: first crossing of the Concord River. The Concord's backwaters appear to be in flood.


River Road, Carlisle. It seems to me that shotgun shells are the cluster munitions of bumpkins. Some fool appears to have used one to deface one of the most graceful and gentle artifacts on this route. May the Devil carry him off in a sack. Alternatively, may blue birds poop on his head.


Monument Street, Concord: this vista of the Hutchins Farm fields spreading down towards the Concord River marks what is perhaps the high point of the ride, Makes me want to sing.


Crossing the Concord River a second time, on the Monument Street bridge.


Elm Brook, seen from Virginia Road, Concord.


Ross Aviation, Hanscom Field, seen from Virginia Road. The most grueling climb of the ride begins in 20 seconds, but my inner nine-year-old is thrilled to see the planes.


Cambridge Reservoir, Lincoln: anybody got a drought here? No, guess not.


Good ride today, like the man said. And all these roads and their associated climbs and descents are well known, so a good way to gauge the bike's fitness, and the rider's. So far, so good.

rod

rumrunn6

or wood peckers?

rholland1951

Peckerwoods, perhaps.

autonomy

You just wait until it's July, then it'll all be mud and rocks around that island! :O

bike_tom

I took my vintage Fuji out for the first time in 2022 this afternoon. It was a fine ride out and back to the Bedford Depot on the MM.

Arlington Great Meadows has not woken up yet:



I can confirm that the restrooms are not yet open at the Bedford Depot. I hope the little store there opens this year.



This marks a full year since I changed from downtube shifters to bar-ends on the Fuji (period correct Barcons, of course.) I am sold - I would never go back to downtube.
Speaking of upgrades, I recently added daytime running lights, front and rear, to both the Fuji and the Cannondale. Modern USB rechargeable lights are very compact and lightweight.
I don't think it is my imagination that drivers are more aware of me. That's a good thing.

rholland1951

Fuji made some sweet bikes!

rod

rholland1951

Stopped in at Battle Road Bikes today, for a little adjustment of the Ebisu after yesterday's longer shakedown ride, and discovered that the Rivendell Rambouillet was ready to come home. I had found that bike at Bikes Not Bombs, and had been modifying it from the previous owner's build configuration. Naturally, I had the Battle Road Bikes folks finish that off, along with the rest of the backlog, when I found them. There was no time for much of a ride today, but I did take the Rambouillet for a quick spin around the block, by way of saying, "Welcome!" The Ram welcomed me in its turn.


rod

bike_tom

Yes they did. In 1983 Suntour was near it's peak and Fujis were made in Japan.

rholland1951

Brought another bike home from Battle Road Bikes: an Ocean Air Cycles Rambler, a low-trail, 700c bike designed and built in the USA, shod with 38mm Soma C-Line tires. More on this as I ride it.


The Bike Tinkering Backlog Reduction Program is nipping right along.

rod

rholland1951

Took the Ebisu All Purpose Bicycle and rode East in the lovely Spring-for-a-day weather.


Aside from a nice ride on a Spring day, this was intended to put the Ebisu through its paces climbing and descending, as well as to see how it handled in traffic and on uneven pavement. It climbs easily, descends like a thunderbolt, and nimbly dances through the traffic and over the pavement. It also trumpets like an elephant when braking at speed down some of the hills, so the cantilever brakes perhaps want a bit of adjusting. All in all, it acquitted itself well, and was a pleasure to ride.

Speaking of signs of Spring, here's one, the ragtop Time Machine parked off Central Avenue, Medford. It's getting on time to put its top down, and go for a drive. Then Spring will have truly arrived. In the Winter, it wears a cap of snow, but that's gone now. Good wishes to whoever keeps it.


rod

rholland1951

Rode the Ebisu to Watertown to look in on my son, Sam, and granddaughter, Ida.


Ida had a first encounter with her new balance bike, a second birthday present. So far, so good.


A short ride, but a hilly one.


rod

rholland1951

After some tinkering time in the basement, attaching lights and a saddlebag, I took the Ocean Air Cycles Rambler, inevitably, "the yellow bike", for a shakedown ride on the Minuteman. First I had to introduce it to Sam, who was confused and confusing in equal measures, and mostly wanted to talk about foreign policy, in particular the need to put a tariff on Canadian poutine. Sheesh. I tried to explain Low Trail bicycle geometry to him, which was a serious mistake.




Next came a stop at the Battle Road Bikes mural. They get local bragging rights for this bike, having put it together so nicely. The ultimate bragging rights go to Rob Perks, sole proprietor of Ocean Air Cycles, who designed both the Rambler and the Soma C-Line tires that it's shod with, and persevered in seeing both become reality. Thanks, Rob!


A photo of the bike at one of the beauty spots of Arlington's Great Meadow follows. There was a great deal of fast riding (good day for it), dancing with the gusty NW wind (better day for that), and some inconclusive tinkering with the 2-screw adjustment of the WTB SST mounted on the Paul Tall and Handsome seatpost. This bike is teaching me some new tricks.


It's fast, it's snaky-maneuverable, it makes me happy, and I'm still fiddling with it.

rod

bike_tom

I braved the high winds this afternoon and rode the MM out to Lexington. Quite a headwind outbound!

To try something different, I headed over to the Vine Brook Trail, which more or less parallels Grant St. I left the MM at Fletcher Ave (near Woburn St) and picked up the Vine Brook at Hayes Lane. There's a short dirt section of trail from there to Brookwood Rd, then the trail is paved from Fairfield Drive northeastward. Its quite bucolic, despite passing through a well-populated section of Lexington. I was able to ride the trail as far as North St near the intersection with Adams. This would be a good way to ride from Arlington to the Middlesex Commons shopping plaza, where Cycle Loft is located.

Here's a map posted by the town of Lexington: https://www.lexingtonma.gov/sites/g/...sumerfinal.pdf

A pic I took along the trail, the houses in the background are on Saddle Club Rd:



After exploring some of the spurs off the Vine Brook Trail, I hung out at the Lexington Visitors Center for awhile before cycling home to Arlington. With the wind at my back I was breaking 20mph on the MTB with little effort.

rholland1951

I took the Ocean Air Cycles Rambler in to Battle Road Bikes for some fit-specific adjustments to the saddle position (mysteries of 2-bolt seat posts) and the handlebar orientation. They were able to help me on the spot (thank you, Cammy!), and I got out on the windy Minuteman myself in the mid-afternoon. The adjustments seemed successful to me, and the bike was a pleasure to handle in the wind, be it head-, tail-, or cross-. I'm starting to get a feel for this one.


The Woodman has seen better days, certainly, but continues to fly the flag. He looks weary. After all, it's well known that a metaphor can be tired.


Another class of Trail user heard from.


Are you my lunch? Whose lunch are you?


Then he flew off. Lunch was elsewhere.

rod

mr_bill

Lots of medical appts.

Out to Lexington for blood tests on Friday. What a gorgeous day.

Some Zwifties emerged from their bike caves, riding in a small group and yacking. May they quickly learn to single up as they pass so they no longer pass parents pushing strollers along the far right edge of the path with 6” (not a typo) clearances. One had a jersey demanding that he be passed with 1.5 meter clearance. That’s what you call ironical.


And back to BIDMC yesterday. Checked the weather forecast, brisk, but near my t-shirt weather (still hot flashing), so went back on the bike. Should have checked the wind forecast.

But beautiful blue skies helped calm the soul on the way in and sooth the soul on the way home after a long hard appointment.

I’ll be back and forth getting scanned too many ways over the next month, and then probably will soon be back in treatment again. So more bike commuting to BIDMC in my near future. Sigh.

-mr. bill

rholland1951

All this and Zwifties too... Yikes!

Courage.

rod

rumrunn6

true that. just because someone is on a bike, doesn't mean they aren't a moron

rumrunn6

your nickname should be "Hawkeye" great pic!

rholland1951

;-) Thanks!

rod

rholland1951

Nice image enhancement!

rod

rholland1951

Busy day, but I found time for a quick ride in the late afternoon, and took the Rambler on a sprint up the Minuteman. That bike is eliciting physical output from me: I want to see what it can do, and it feels good to find out.


Mile 4.0 Cairn Builders: Exit, pursued by a snail.


rod

rumrunn6

sorry couldn't resist I have a weakness for trying to see into the shadows of photos

rholland1951

Lots of good stuff in those shadows.

rod