autonomy

May be getting one at Lake st.

Arlington eyes signal for Lake Street and Minuteman Bikeway - News - The Arlington Advocate - Arlington, MA

drewguy

1) Thanks to all the folks here who post pictures of places near where I grew up . . . brings back nice memories.

2) I can't stand HAWKs, which we have a lot of where I live now (Washington DC) - they confuse motorists, resulting in pedestrian caution, which slows everything down. What's remarkable is that Massachusetts has long had something similar, which seemed to work fine, which was a blinking green or yellow light at a crosswalk that could be activated by a pedestrian. Same exact idea - traffic can continue until a pedestrian requests to cross.

athrowawaynic

I'm probably just being persnickety, but... HE locks THAT bike LIKE THAT?

SysteX

I know I'm a little late on the reply but...

was this on a Tuesday morning around 5:30am (the group on Monument St.)?

mr_bill

I thought the same thing, but kept my thoughts to myself.

Counting on thieves not to carry a BTC spanner I suppose. (And he could see his bike from the bar.)

-mr. bill

Ghazmh

I can't recall what day it was. My 3 different morning routes all include Monumet st and I usually hit Concord Center at 5:30.

Looking for recruits?

autonomy

Wow, I just noticed the couplers too after your post. Ha, I doubt thieves would know what those are, let alone have the tool. Still.... that's a nice build, I'd be locking it with 3 locks.

SysteX

I might have been in that other group...

That's probably the Monster's Bullet Train ride. "A" group is typically 25+ for the ~28mi loop.

Ghazmh

That sounds about right, I see folks wearing the same jerseys almost every day and they are fast.

athrowawaynic

Oh. In front of Tryst. It's been a while since I've been in Arlington--and despite living there for years, I never went to Tryst.

I'd tow around its own shed to keep it in.

rholland1951

I wanted a ride before dinner, and the weather radar showed troops of thunderstorms moving West to East both North and South of the Minuteman, but a calm and dry corridor to Lexington Center and back, so I gave it a try. Made good time on the Ebisu, and, returning, got the first raindrops on my face a block from home. The real downpour started 15 minutes after I put the bike away.


rod

Ghazmh

it was a bit steamy this morning. My glasses were dripping with condensation and I had nothing dry to dry them off with. It was a toss between riding with water covered foggy glasses or precariously balancing them on my helmet for quick access. I feared that if I relegated them to a jersey pocket that would put an end to the option of putting them back on. All in all it was still a great way to start the day. This Friday will be the 10th day in a row of riding (assuming I follow through as planned). I am contemplating going casual and riding to Nashua and back on the Smoothis this Sunday morning, approx 75 limes. its a scenic route.

autonomy

Yah, quite wet and muggy in the past week. I had to shower at work no matter how slow I went. Which way do you go to Nashua? I've also stored my sunglasses hooked onto my jersey in the front, has worked fine.

Ghazmh

From Concord Center head up Lowell rd and take a left onto Barrets Mill rd. Right onto Strawberry Hill rd and follow it to 119 in Acton. Cross over 119 and over to 27 for a left and then a right onto Nagog Hill rd. Follow that through a few lefts and rights into Littleton and eventually to Ayer to get on the Nashua River Rail Trail. Another 11 miles to the end in Nashua.

autonomy

Thanks, some of those are familiar. Scenic indeed. The Nashua River Rail Trail is pretty awesome too!

Ghazmh

Ya, I scoped out the route last spring with the intention of making it the first leg of what would eventually be a multi day tour through New Hampshire. Perhaps next year. Last year and this year all my overnighter bike rides include the Cape instead of New Hampshire.

rholland1951

Gave the Ebisu a break this afternoon, and took the Rawland Nordavinden out for one of the standard before-dinner rides to Lexington, a pleasant change. Exchanged greetings with my colleague David (not to be confused with Uncle Sam) in Arlington Center.


rod

Ghazmh

As planned I made it out for my 30 mile rides Thursday and today. Thursday was fairly routine and uneventful which really means another wonderful ride. Today I had some run ins with birds on Monument st. The first was just beyond Hitchins Farm as I was on a spirited downhill seated sprint. Suddenly a gaggle of delicious looking turkeys were spread across the road. The back end did some gentle fishtails as I took 1/8 of an inch from the face of my brake pads. Regaining my groove a few minutes later a blue bird flew into my shoulder spiking my heart rate to zone 5 until I digested what just happened. It may have been a Bluejay, too fast and blurry for me to figure out. The next memorable event came as I hooked a left onto Baker Bridge rd. Shortly after I turned my beak-like nose was bombarded with the scent of dill. Lots of dill. I spied a glance of a field of dill plants. As my thoughts turned to turkey kebabs with dill I was soon greeted by a field full of smiling sunflowers. A great end to a great multi day run of cycling.

No bike riding Saturday unless my son talks me into taking him to the Minuteman, which would be easy for him to do. Setting my sights on Sunday with the Smooth comfort of the steel Smoothie. I've worn Lycra enough this month to enjoy a casual Sunday ride!

rumrunn6

thanks for the chuckle & vicarious enjoyment. I can almost see the sunflowers! I've got a 400 mile roadtrip w my daughter tomorrow & work Sunday so I really enjoy reading about riding

mr_bill

The smells of herbs in the winds - ah.

Recently I came across a flock of Hens, Toms, Jennys and Jakes walking across the Barretts Mills Road chicane. While I waited, my mind did indeed drift to cooking....
(I make a damn good turkey leg osso bucco.)


Anyhow, hurrah day.


Since the Bike MS ride, I've been to Pittsburgh (no bikes, but lots of self-driving Ubers) where I managed to blow up my right quad (well, one quarter of it, the rectoris femoris, but three ice pick stabs, pop pop pop) in a classic middle age cliche - playing kick ball with kids. Off the bike, recovery was going well, but then I popped it again a week ago, luckily only once.

Today at lunch a flatish 10km errand felt WONDERFUL. Baby spins.

-mr. bill

jimmuller 

Wow, lots of unintended excitement going on, I read. @mr_bill, I hope your quad is okay or at least heals fast. @Ghazmh, I've had a few run-ins with birds though none of the collision variety. A squadron of goose-like dive bombers with very good aim hit me when we were on the tandem a few years ago. I've been hit by seagulls in Woods Hole too though that didn't involve bikes.

My unintended excitement this week involved a tire and a rock on my commute home. Just out of Belmont Center heading west on Pleasant St, just across from the police station, some evil, sharp-edged, purple stoned had washed out from a sloping driveway during last week's storm. One of them took out my front tire, a Vittoria sew-up which immediately surrendered. Fortunately it was already well-ridden and had been patched a few times.

rholland1951

Took the Rawland out for a quick spin to Lexington before dinner. Time was short, and I was focused on making time. The heat of the day was slipping away, a good evening.

rod

jimmuller 

I took the Grandis out for a spin as a way to get to work. The ride was uneventful until the flat. A fairly large glass splinter. Patched it, rode home, had a beer after a bunch of water.

Ghazmh

Hopefully the last flat for a while!!

jimmuller 

He! You see, I have this '87 Centurion Ironman with badly worn paint in the Miami Vice color scheme. Another BF member sold me the frame for peanuts so I built it up. With touchy handling and decent but not spectacular wheels it is not my favorite commuter. Mostly it has spent time in the garage awaiting its turn. A month ago I had pumped up the tires and then 15 minutes later one of the tires had blown up. Actually, it appears the bead separated from the sidewall. So I had put on fresh tubes and tires then let it resume its waiting.

In response to the recent commuting flats I decided last night to shuffle bikes around so as to ride something other than the spiffy Italians with high-performance (i.e. 'spensive) tires to work. When I retrieved it from the garage I found (surprise!) a flat rear tire. Brand new tire, un-ridden. Brand new tube, un-ridden. I pulled the tube, pumped it up a bit, stuck it under water. It had a slightly constricted portion. A minute bubble clung to one of the seams on the inner surface at that constriction. Lots of bubbles clung to the rubber but when I brushed this one away another formed. Aha! A manufacturing defect!

I patched it.