RIDE REPORT
Wednesday, 8 May 2019, Concord via Heard Pond & Marlborough
Ride Leaders: Barry Nelson & Mary Kernan
44 miles, 10:00 am start from Burchard Park, Weston, MA
Riders (30): Barry, Mary, Adena Schutzberg, Bob Wadsworth, Bruce Barnett, Bruce Lederer, Butch Pemstein, Chip Ziering, Francie Sparks, Gary Williams, Gerry Sheetoo, Herb Kavet, Jerry Skurla, Julia Zhogina, Kaz Zelny, Kevin Donnelly, Lindy King, Margaret Coughlin, Patty Grasso, Rick Lawrence, Robyn Maislin, Rochelle Holman, Roy Westerberg, Rudge McKenney, Selig Saltzman, Steve Bader, Steve Miller, Tom Wolf, Wing Chow, and first-timer Judi Donnelly.
Present at lunch (dined solo): Helen Greitzer.
Since the group was large, Mary volunteered to lead a 13+ mph group which was much more popular than my relaxed-pace group which had twelve people. Kaz did a fine job sweeping my group which stayed together, except on the three long climbs.
A small group had lunch at Dumpling Daughter and was looking forward to joining Helen there. Apparently the slow group was too slow, because we did not see Helen.
Are there any other WWs that have known each other for more than sixty years? Judi is the younger sister of my friend that attended my birthday party sixty-six years ago.
Report by Barry Nelson.
I remoted from home to the start of the ride, planning to peel off at the end and return to Bedford. Barry approached me and asked if I would lead the “fast” group. This is laughable, as Barry should know me well enough to realize that I’m not fast if I’m not sitting on Larry’s wheel. But he asked so nicely, how could I refuse? Linda, you are so blessed to have such a charming husband!
Barry said he would lead at a pace of 12–13 mph, so I offered up the blistering speed of 13+ mph and headed out, with Rick Lawrence offering to sweep. We turned up the hill towards the Campion Center and covered about eight miles with everyone staying fairly close together, lots of volunteers for arrows, and me in the lead. We stopped to regroup and I insisted that we separate into two groups to help space us out more on the narrow roads.
Several riders offered up compliments regarding the beautiful route. I couldn’t take credit for creating the route and had previously thought that Barry was incapable of creating a route that didn’t go past Blue Moon.
We continued in WW fashion until riders began to pull in front of me. Any semblance of a leader, arrows, and a sweep diminished quickly. There were a few half-hearted attempts to regroup, but there was no way to manage this from the middle of the pack.
Everyone did reconnect with a lunch and bio stop at Haskell Field in Sudbury. Several riders complained about confusion on the ride, as arrows weren’t being consistently placed and the sweep was well back, though none acknowledged their contribution to this problem when they pulled in front of the leader.
As I was departing the route early to head home, I took up the sweep position and encouraged the group to work together. They were all experienced WW riders and nearly everyone had navigation. I again split the group, but watched with dismay as they pulled out of the parking lot en masse. I could see from the rear that the size of the group was impeding traffic - numerous riders were two abreast, with no one heeding the call of “car back.” Not all in the group were behaving badly, but this was not a good example of safe cycling.
As a ride leader, there is a limit to how much I can do to get a group to ride safely, courteously, and lawfully. Riders need to take personal responsibility for themselves and the group, and there was little of it on display during this ride. It may be time to revisit the rules for WW rides, including group size, pace, and safety.
Report by Mary Kernan.
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