New Hampshire Seacoast ride - July 30. 2025

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 30 July 2025, New Hampshire Seacoast ride
Ride Leader:  Gene Ho
37 mi, 10:00 am start from Seabrook, NH

Riders (6):  Gene, Armen Kasparian, Francine Sparks, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, and Susan Broome.

 Some newish words for a tune familiar to those of us of a certain age:

Needing my thirst slaked.

Getting my face baked.

Legs feeling tired from all of the toil.

Got cramps in my hamstrings.

And itches from bug stings.

Let's get to lunch cause I'm beginning to boil.

Wastin away again on Hampton's cool sands.

Looking for any break from the heat.

Some people claim that global warming's to blame.

All I know is, it feels really hot.

Susan Broome, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, Armen Kasperian, and Francine Sparks shared the sentiments of the above, if not in those words, and joined me in my quest for seabreeze on a ride from Hampton Beach to Portsmouth.

ne point fog rolled in briefly as we approached the Wentworth hotel and it actually got chilly.

Lunch at Geno's, a restaurant new to most of us, was especially appealing with awning covered outdoor seating next to the Piscataqua river.

Such a seductive setting was a challenge from which to depart but more riding remained.

Comfortable temps notwithstanding, some us, attentive to our post ride rehydration obligations, elected to discharge these at Bernie's Beach Bar, a Hampton Beach landmark.

Tough duty but health needs must be met.

The beach below us, along which we rode for much of the trip, made for a constantly changing panorama.

Can't say that this was hard to take considering the temps back in Boston.

To the End of the World and Back - July 23, 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 23 July 2025, To the End of the World and Back
Ride Leaders:  David Wean & Ron Beland
27 mi, 10:00 am start from Hingham, MA

Riders (13):  David, Ron, Armen Kasparian, Barry Kaditz, Frank Aronson, Frank Calabrese, Gary Williams, Gene Ho,  Marie Keutmann, Sandy Gotlib, Steve Bogue, Susan Broome, and first-timer John Sarnosky.

After the first few miles on the road, we began our “tour de parks.”  We started with Weymouth's Osprey Overlook Park and then climbed through Great ("more than just pretty good") Esker Park, riding the paved knife-edge path and viewing the Back River estuary on one side and the roofs of nearby houses on the other.

 

We then meandered through Hingham's Bare Cove Park along the other side of the estuary which divides Hingham and Weymouth.  Continuing by road through downtown Hingham (passing through an unexpected mid-weekday local protest), we made our way to World's End (admission fee, but we had almost enough Trustees memberships between us) where we enjoyed the water views from this fantastic park.  The entire group chose to ride the couple of miles of gravel paths all around the two hummocks that make up the park, though some of the paths had been recently re-graveled, so some of us walked some of the stretches.

 

From there we cruised the smoother pavement on Jerusalem Road and Atlantic Avenue in Cohasset, passing lovely homes and enjoying some dramatic views.  In Cohasset center, we stopped for lunch at the picnic tables in the park, with sandwiches and salads from four of the available restaurant choices.

 

After a couple more road miles and one last hill, we rolled along the stone dust Whitney Spur Bikeway, which led us back into Wompatuck Park to finish the ride.  Low average speed, but high average enjoyment.  

 

Report by David Wean.

Cycle the City and The Emerald Necklace - July16, 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 16 July 2025, Cycle the City and The Emerald Necklace

Ride Leader:  Gary Williams

24 miles, 10:00 am start from South Boston, MA

 

Riders (13): Gary, Ann Whaley-Tobin, Bill Perry, David Wean, Frank Aronson, Gene Ho, Mike Barry, Rene Sokolow, and first-timers Arthur Gleiner, Christine Corr, Jeffrey Orlin, Marci Cohen, and Shawn Corr.

This was, by far, the largest group of riders we've had in the history of this urban WW ride.  Originally scheduled as a 32-miler, we elected to shorten it by approximately eight miles, due to the heat and humidity.  In hindsight, we probably should have started a little earlier.

Nevertheless, our intrepid crew headed out in an orderly fashion for a trek through many of Boston's neighborhoods, with historic stops along the way, including the sites of the Boston Tea Party and the infamous molasses flood of 1919, the Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution and, finally, the Arnold Arboretum at the rides' halfway point.  It was here that we learned that one of our riders was feeling the effects of the heat, so we took a vote and unanimously decided to cut out a section of Jamaica Plain, Franklin Park, Mattapan, the Neponset River Trail, and Dorchester.  Instead, we went from the Arboretum onto the Southeast Corridor Trail through JP, Roxbury, Mass Ave., and Andrews Square, before returning to Castle Island.

Many riders expressed enthusiasm for this ride and we all regretted that it had to be shortened.  I promised, therefore, to lead it again, perhaps in September.

Report by Gary Williams.

Boxborough/Bolton/Harvard - July 2. 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Boxborough/Bolton/Harvard

Ride Leader:  Todd Palmer

31.5 miles, 9:00 am start from Boxborough, MA

Riders (11):  Todd, Alan Cantor, Armen Kasparian, Betsy Kimball, Hugh Folsom, Phyllis Evan, Richard Shoenfeld, Simon Lingard, Wing Chow, and first-timers, Benson Marguilies and Stephen Karp.

The 9:00 am start time and the overnight rain helped hold the heat off, starting at a humid 74F.  We all agreed that human arrows were unnecessary with the small group size, GPS users, and hilly route.  We quickly learned that the climbs were going to string the group out and appointed Betsy as sweep.

We rolled by countless farms, horses, vegetable stands, and orchards (as promised) on the way south through Bolton and into Berlin.  The overcast skies kept us from overheating and did not spoil the scenery.  We re-grouped every seven miles or so, making sure to stay hydrated and fueled.  Our third regroup was at the Prospect Hill Road lookout, near the Fruitlands Museum - a very nice group photo was taken – by Todd and then by Stephen.

After the lookout, it was one more quick roll into Harvard, and then a nice descent north into Littleton before turning south back to the Craft Food Halls.

About half the group enjoyed lunch and good conversation before calling it a day - a fantastic Wednesday.

Report by Todd Palmer.

Harold Parker Reversed - June 18. 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 18 June 2025, Harold Parker Reversed

Ride Leader:  Tom Allen

31 miles, 10:30 am start from Ipswich River Park, North Reading, MA

 

Riders (3):  Tom, Frank Aronson, and first-timer Armen Kasparian.

The day started gray with some drizzle.  This reduced the attendance of an already thinly subscribed ride to a mere two riders plus the leader.  To mitigate the rain factor we started a half hour late, and that strategy worked.  Roads were clear and we remained dry - in fact, it was an ideal biking day.

With only three of us we agreed to simply stay together and did not designate a sweep.  Sounds simple and (almost) foolproof.  Anyway, we pedaled along some delightful roads with portions almost devoid of traffic.  A stop at Ingaldsby Farm in Boxford afforded us access to some tasty muffins and a restroom opportunity.

On the return leg of the trip the leader inserted a tiny wrinkle in the route that seemed to flummox one of the riders.  We saw him head off in the wrong direction, but we figured he would sort himself out and rejoin us.  That didn't happen and, after seeing him take the same wrong turn a second time, we set out to chase him down and bring him back into the fold.

We elected to skip lunch at Ryers Store, as time was getting a bit tight with the delayed start and the leisurely stop at the muffin shop.

Report by Tom Allen.

Sherborn to Norfolk - June 11, 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 11 June 2025, Sherborn to Norfolk
Ride Leader:  Alan Cantor

38 miles, 10:00 am start from Sherborn, MA

Riders (11):  Alan, Betsy Harper, Ellen Gugel, Frank Calabrese, Joel Bauman, Keren Hamel, Renee Rees, Todd Palmer, Veronica Vedensky, Wing Chow, and first timer Richard Levine.

We had a glorious early summer day to enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful route. Thanks to all who arrowed and, especially, to Todd for sweeping and giving the safety talk at the ride start.

 

Report by Alan Cantor.

Concord to Littleton - June 4, 2025

RIDE REPORT

 Wednesday, 4 June 2025, Concord to Littleton

Ride Leader:  Gene Ho

33.3 miles, 10:00 am start from Concord, MA

Riders (11):  Gene, Barry Nelson, Bruce Gore, Dmitry Gorenburg, Frank Calabrese, Joel Bauman, Keren Hamel, Marc Baskin, Renee Rees, Scott Mandell, and Wing Chow.

 

Wednesday was a workday.  Therefore, the weather was perfect for biking.  Eleven of the fifteen registered riders showed up, at the right parking lot even.

 

Although all present found the streets on the route to be familiar, there were challenges.  Not the hills though.  All but the leader were in shape and found that they added texture to an otherwise bland undertaking.  We did encounter a section of dirt road which I thought would arouse the usual paranoia amongst road riders, but all biked over it without dismounting.  If the crappy winter had any benefit, it was inuring us to potholes and bad pavement.  The dirt road seemed smooth in comparison.  

 

You can actually get lost on the Bruce Freeman trail.  It gets a bit convoluted around Nara Pond where it comingles with other trails, all of which look the same.  There's signage, but its utility presumes that one can read and bike at the same time.  That's harder in practice than in theory, as some found out.

Report by Gene Ho.

Some scenes en-route:

Re-grouping on the BFR in West Concord:  

An unsuccessful attempt to extract a poem from the poetry booth.

Lunch at the Littleton Sub shop.  They have a liquor license and a Guinness woulda gone down nicely but navigating around Nara pond would have been even harder (or maybe not).