Sherborn to Norfolk - July 24, 2019

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 24 July 2019, Sherborn to Norfolk
Ride Leader:  Alan Cantor
40 miles, 10:00 am start from Steve the Bike Guy Velo Studio, Sherborn, MA

Riders (21):  Alan, Beth Rosenzweig, Bruce Barnett, Chris Schuch, Chuck McWilliams, Dave Balaban, Dmitry Gorenburg, Doug Hobkirk, Ellen Dirgins, Emily McPhillips, Frank Hubbard, Ira Weinberg, Kathy Horvath, Kaz Zelny, Margaret Coughlin (started late, caught us with about five miles to go), Peter Megdal, Rich Taylor, Robin Frain,Rochelle Holman, Rudge McKenney, and  Veronica Vedensky.

A wonderful ride with great people on the coolest day of the week.  One rider shortened his route to 24 miles prior to the start; another left the ride early as he was not able to complete the distance.  Only mishap I am aware of is that a rider stopping to arrow did not unclip in time and went down; a bit of a bloody knee and red face, but no real damage.

Thanks to all the arrows and to Kaz for an excellent job as sweep.

Report by Alan Cantor.

Too cool for school - July 17, 2019

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 17 July 2019, Too Cool for School
Ride Leader:  Jack Donohue
31 miles, 10:00 am start from Bikeway Source, Bedford, MA

Riders (21):  Jack, Adena Schutzberg, Bill Widnall, Charlie Gordy, Chuck McWilliams, Cindy Chin, Dave Balaban, Doug Chin, Emily McPhillips, Gerry Sheetoo, Herb Kavet, Kaz Zelny(sweep), Marc Baskin, Margaret Coughlin, Mike Barry, Rich Taylor, Richard Fortier, Rochelle Holman, Sally Chapman, Will Umphrey, and Wing Chow.

The weather forecast was, to use a technical term, "iffy," so I was glad to see a goodly group show up at the ride start.  If I was going to get wet, I didn't want to be alone.  I fully well expected what usually happens - i.e., it starts raining just as you're at the farthest point from the start.

As it turned out, we got no precipitation at all.  I think I was responsible for this.  I eschewed my best carbon fiber bikes, which I try to keep rain free, and took my twenty year old Cannondale instead.  I encased my phone and wallet in plastic bags and packed rain gear - I was ready for a downpour.  I had learned my lesson from Climb to the Clouds, where I took my best bike and blithely opined at the rest stop, "Just a passing sprinkle."  Said sprinkle turned into a several hour, cold downpour.

I was wondering whom I could enlist to sweep, when Kaz showed up and volunteered for the position without being coerced.  Kaz has become my main man for sweep detail, replacing Butch who was my sweep extraordinaire for many years.

I was pleased that Bill Widnall was able to join us.  Bill had gone over to the dark side (running), but was back on the bike.  I took the opportunity to thank him for introducing the human arrow concept to CRW.  It's a brilliant concept that I've used successfully in the other bike groups that I lead.  Bill is also the founder of Wednesday Wheelers.

Mark Baskin, who had been recovering from a bad bike accident, also rode with us.  He doubled his mileage today by riding to and from the ride start, so I'd say he's back to his usual form.

The ride went very smoothly, it seemed like a well matched group, and most of the time all the riders were in sight of each other.  From my rear view mirror it looked like it mostly broke up into two smaller groups which was perfect for letting cars pass.

We did have a bit of dyslexia, with riders on the left instead of the right.  Straddling the centerline is not a good idea, period, but if you're going to do that you need to be doubly aware of overtaking traffic.

I hadn't planned a rest stop in advance, but the visitor's center off Keyes Road in Concord was perfect.  Indoor plumbing and water fountains helped maintain the correct water balance.  We had an opportunity to chat and have a photo op and then we were on the road again.

We passed the four advertised School Streets, though one was in fact a School Way.  Close enough.

A group went to Ken's for lunch.

Report by Jack Donohue.

Through the Woods (along the bay) and Over the River - Blue Hills and Neponset - July 10 2019

RIDE REPORT

Through the Woods (along the bay) and Over the River - Blue Hills and Neponset - July 10 2019
Ride Leaders:  Ron Beland & David Wean
25 or 27 miles, 10:00 am start from Houghton's Pond, Canton, MA

Riders (25):  David, Ron, Aliza Edwards, Ann Northup, Bruce Barnett, Bruce Lederer, Butch Pemstein, Carol Hartigan, Catherine Schroeder, Dave Balaban, Ellen Dirgins, Emily McPhillips, Gary Smiley, Gary Williams, John Springfield, Randy Stern, Rich Taylor, Rochelle Holman, Steve O'Brien, Stuart Kaufman, and first-timers Allison Easton, Bob Persons, Charlie Gordy, Lisa Cole, and Taylor Best.  There was also a random guy on a mountain bike who was on his way to Castle Island for a hot dog and tagged along for half the ride.

We started from Houghton's Pond over freshly paved and shady, forested roads and, in two miles, reached the only significant hill on the main route.  We paused there briefly at the Chickatawbut observation point for a photo op, followed by a fast, smooth and long downhill.  After a short zigzag through suburban streets, we reached Quincy Shore Drive which afforded a view of Quincy Bay and the Harbor Islands.  A half-mile later, we turned into Marina Bay for a restroom break and view.

We then rode on back roads and a multi-use path along the river leading to the Neponset Bridge, and crossed via the wide sidewalk added in the 2012 bridge rebuild.  We connected to the Neponset Trail, meandering through Pope John Paul II Park, followed by the newest section (opened in 2017) of the trail leading to Mattapan Square.  From there, we breezed back to the Blue Hills via peaceful Blue Hills Parkway, avoiding much of Rte 138 via a downhill along bucolic Green Street.  A brief climb led to the Hillside Pub, for lunch, or the straight shot back to Houghton's Pond.  Two riders took an energetic side trip to the summit of Great Blue Hill before the Green Street section.  There was one flat toward the end of the ride, but otherwise no mishaps or breakdowns.

Report by David Wean.

Three Cemeteries and the tales they tell - July 3 ,2019

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 3 July 2019, Three Cemeteries - and the tales they tell
Ride Leader:  Susan Sabin
33 miles, 9:30 am start from 40 Seaver Street, Wellesley, MA

Riders (21):  Susan, Adena Schutzberg, Barry Nelson, Bill Lane, Bill Widnall, Butch Pemstein, Dave Balaban, David Fay, David Wean, Dmitry Gorenburg, Elsa Lawrence, Gary Williams,  Julia Zhogina, Kaz Zelny, Margaret Coughlin, Randy Stern, Rich Taylor, Rochelle Holman, Sally Chapman, Tom Lawrence, and first-timer Joan Fenster.
Present at ride start & lunch:  Helen Greitzer.

Twenty-one wheelers gathered for a ride that was also to be a historic tour:  Three cemeteries and the tales they tell.  We had a problem (besides the high temps) right at the get-go.  The street where I recommended parking was about to be repaired (no advance warnings), so people had to scramble for alternate parking).  That settled, we left only ten minutes late and, by then, Helen had all the lunch orders in hand (a big applause for Helen!).  Three riders missed the start because of this confusion, but caught up at cemetery # 1, just four miles from the ride start.  Thereafter, we stayed together, although the ride leader took a private rest stop on two subsequent hills, while most everyone else politely waited for her.

The most unusual thing that happened was a chance visit from the chair of the cemetery commission of Sherborn, as we were leaving cemetery #2 (cemetery of Sherborn Reformatory).  She contended, contrary to the information I had just delivered, that no doctor was buried in said cemetery.  So, I followed up and she and I have had a 'Very Interesting' exchange.  That gal sure knows how to do cemetery research and is wildly efficient.  Using info I provided, she found the doctor (whose name was disguised in the reference material that I had had).

     Dr. Catharine W. (Cavannah) Castle
     Born January 1867 in England.
     Daughter of Edward and Zilphah Cavannah
     Immigrated 1886.
     Naturalized 1896.
     Married Sept. 19, 1896 in Boston, MA, to Henry C. Castle.
     Living in Boston, MA, June 4, 1900 -  "medical student."
     Graduated from BU as an MD in 1903.
     Divorced from Henry, who was in Westborough State Hospital during the 1910 census.
     Gave birth to one child, Elaine (Castle) Trombley, 1901-1933.
     Living at Reformatory in 1930 - "attendant in hospital."
     Living at Reformatory in 1935.
     Living at Reformatory in 1940 - "Reformatory Officer."
     NOT buried in Sherborn, MA!

FYI for those not on the tour:  said MD performed at least seven abortions.  She was jailed, one after the other, for each.  She was also an alcoholic - (so might I be, in her situation!).

Anyway, Susan, the cemetery chairwoman, is still on the case and looking for where Catherine IS buried.  Interesting, too, is that the (erroneous) burial info comes straight from the (non-fiction) book, "Maternal Justice," by Estelle Freedman (a former professor of history at Stanford), published by U. of Chicago Press.  So now, there are two experts:  Susan from Sherborn, who is researching primary data, and Freedman, with sterling credentials, saying opposite stuff.  Hmmm . . . . .

I know this info is more than most people want to read, so I apologize for the extra verbiage.  Am hoping that someone besides me finds this interesting!

Finally, thanks to Elsa for sweeping and to Rich for the photos.  I received a lot of positive comments about the ride and believe that most participants enjoyed having the variety of a historic tour in the mix of "normal" WW rides.

Report by Susan Sabin.

Not Quite Haverhill - June 26, 2019

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 26 June 2019, Not Quite Haverhill
Ride Leader:  Tom Allen
34 Miles from Ipswich River Park, North Reading, MA

Riders (20):  Tom, Adena Schutzberg, Aliza Edwards, Bruce Lederer, Carol Hartigan, Cindy Chin, Dave Balaban, Don Mannes, Doug Chin, Everett Briggs, Gary Williams, James Hsia, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Margaret Coughlin, Mike Barry, Randy Stern, Sally Chapman, Susan Sabin, and guest of the leader, Anita Paton.
Present at start:  Rochelle Holman.

On short notice I was able to offer a ride that is always a crowd pleaser:  thirty-four miles of very scenic and lightly trafficked roads through Harold Parker State Forest and on to North Andover.v We had warm and humid weather, but fortunately the sun remained hidden and we remained comfortable.

Crossing busy Rte 114 (Turnpike Street), we were able to take the officially closed and perpetually flooded (and aptly named) Brook Street to save several hundred yards of harrowing riding on Rte 114.  Arriving at the rest stop at Ingaldsby Farm, we enjoyed some of their fresh strawberries and other goodies, as well as their well-sequestered restroom.  From there, our rested legs tackled the 100 foot climb on Uptack Road and then quickly surrendered all that stored potential energy on the downhill side.  As we continued south the roads became, remarkably, even more scenic as we passed woods, ponds, and horse stables.

Wending our way back to North Reading we arrived at Ryers Store lunch stop at just about 1:00 pm.  About half of us stayed for lunch at Ryers and enjoyed their sandwiches and salad bar.

Rochelle Holman arrived hoping to ride, but experienced a flat just out of the gate and returned to her car.  Dave Balaban arrived at the start about a half hour after we all left. Following the posted route he managed to catch us up at about mile 20.  Way to push it, Dave!

Thank you to Susan for serving as sweep, and to the gang of enthusiastic arrows.

Report by Tom Allen (who's not in the photo).