Intermezzo Hike- December 27.2017

HIKE REPORT

Wednesday, 27 December 2017, Intermezzo Hike
Hike Leaders:  Jack Donohue & Susan Grieb
~4 mi,10:00 am start from 26 Fox Run Road, Bedford, MA
Hikers (4): Jack & Susan, Gardner (Sandy) Gray, and Mike Hanauer

 So named since it's in the middle of the period between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  This turned out to be the last WW event of the year, as well as the smallest.  Maybe it was the last minute posting, the scary weather, or the scary hike leader, but we ended up with only four hikers.

 Two brave souls showed up to join Susan and me on what turned out to be a very pleasant hike.  Conditions were either bare pavement or several inches of snow, so traction devices were not required.  Temperatures rose to around 18 and, with no wind, it was practically balmy.  We had to break trail in some spots, but it was pretty easy with only a few inches of snow. The trees were still covered in ice which made for a dazzling effect in the sun.

 We walked around most of Fawn Lake then headed onto the road/trails at Middlesex Community College.  We exceeded the advertised three miles when Susan threw in a loop around yet another scenic pond.  She also took us to visit to a group of Stonehenge style obelisks which she identified as the stations of the cross.  Despite being brought up Catholic I had a hard time remembering exactly what they were about.

 We returned to Chez Donogrieb for a bit of warmth and a spot of tea.

If you're feeling pangs of regret at missing a fine winter outing, you can redeem yourself next week by joining Mike and Other Jack on their hike.

Report by Jack Donohue.

The Andovers and Harold Parker - December 20, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 20 December 2017, The Andovers and Harold Parker
Ride Leader:  Gardner (Sandy) Gray
26 miles, 10:00 am start from Andover Park and Ride, Andover, MA
Riders (8):  Gardner, Clyde Kessel, Dan Krechmer, David Fay, Gerry Sheetoo, Ron Cater, Selig Saltzman, and Tom Allen.

Due to mild temperatures and great weather, eight hardy souls were in great spirits for this winter ride.  We started on Dascomb Road, with busy traffic for the first quarter mile.  We were then able to leave most of the traffic behind and cruise the back roads of Andover and North Andover.  After a couple of short, steep hills and a few more miles, we came to a frozen Steams Pond in Harold Parker State Forest, where the compulsory group pictures were taken.

After returning to the parking lot, a few of us got together to enjoy a hot cup of tea and a great lunch at Origin Thai Bistro.

Report by Gardner Gray.

Photo by Tom Allen

Winter Walk & Hanukkah Party - December 13, 2017

WINTER WALK & PARTY REPORT

Wednesday, 13 December 2017, Winter Walk & Hanukkah Party
Walk Leader:  Marie Keutmann
Party Hosts:  Marie Keutmann and Richard Vignoni
~ 4 miles from Marie’s house, 68 Birchwood Lane, Lincoln, MA

Walkers (17 + one canine):  Marie & Zoe, Adena Schutzberg, Barbara Martin, Bob Anderson, Carol Anderson, Chris George, Ilkka Suvanto, Jack Mroczkowski, Janet Miller, Judith McMichael, Karen Saltus, Margie Lee, Richard Fortier, Roy Westerberg, Russ Keene, Sander Nydick, and Tony Lee.

Party Only (25):  Richard, Barbara Jacobs, Bob Wolf, Doug Hobkirk, Eli Post, Elizabeth Wicks, Francie Sparks, Gene Ho, Greg Stathis, Jack Mroczkowski, Joan Laxson, John Allen, Judi Burten, Julie Dodd, Ken Hablow, Mary Counihan, Mike Counihan, Patrick Ward, Richard Mandel, Robyn Maislin, Sandi Hartwell, Steve Maislin, Susan Sabin, Ted Nyder, and Winnie Parker.

Gene Ho bravely biked to the party - other adverbs might also be used.

With the forecast for cold, windy weather and less than ideal road conditions, the planned ride to be led by Ken Hablow was cancelled, but the walk and party were to take place, as scheduled.  Marie and her dog, Zoe, led sixteen hardy walkers on a trail skirting Farrar Pond.  The trail consisted of iced-up snow.  Most walkers took Marie's advice and used traction devices.

During the walk, the cooks were hard at work in the kitchen.  Richard cooked/overcooked a turkey on the grill.  A week before the party, Marie discovered that one of the heating elements in the oven was not working.  Barbara Jacobs and Ted Nyder came to the rescue.  They cooked a turkey and a kugel at their house and showed up at 10:00 am with food in hand, including dozens of latkes that they had prepared Monday afternoon (with Judi Burten).

Barbra and Ted pretty much took over the kitchen and food orchestration, including various WW food contributions.  This was a welcome relief because Richard, who was recovering from a knee replacement, started fading as the day progressed.  When the walkers returned, the turkeys, as well as the many contributions of salads, side dishes, and desserts, were on the tables and ready to go.   As a special treat, Roy Westerberg brought an assortment of his home brewed ale.  After eating, Sander recited a prayer and lit the menorah.  This was followed by the traditional Yankee Swap.

It was great seeing some of the "old" WW faces, including Chris George and Mike and Mary Counihan. Thank you to all those who participated with their food contributions, to those who stayed behind and helped clean up, and, especially, to Barbara and Ted who, in Richard’s mind, saved the day.

Russ Keene's photos HERE

Farm to Farm to Bogs - December 6, 2017

RIDE REPORT

 

Wednesday, 6 December 2017, Farm to Farm to Bogs

Ride Leader:  Doug Hobkirk

38 miles, 10:00 am start from Verrill Farm, Concord, MA

 

Riders (15):  Doug, Barry Nelson, Bob Wadsworth, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dan Krechmer, David Fay, Elizabeth Wicks, Francie Sparks, Jack Donohue, Julia Zhogina, Rich Taylor, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, and Wing Chow.

 

Fifteen intrepid riders showed up at the start - fifteen WWs who were willing to trust the weatherman that the deluge would end by 10:00 am.  We rode together through Concord center and re-grouped in the Monument parking lot.  We lost Elizabeth when she rode ahead rather than re-group on the bridge over the swamp on Maple.  When we left Great Brook, Curt and Bob wanted to ride ahead (the group was a tad slow).

 

Atop Curve Street we encountered a Subaru Sampar, a TINY van (200# lighter than a Smart car!) imported from Japan under special rules that apply to cars over 25 years old.  Julia and Rich were not interested, so they rode on, although we caught them fairly quickly. Then I stopped on Acton Road to explain that the green car in the first driveway was a 25-year-old Nisan Figaro, imported under the same special rules.

 

Barry and Rich needed more speed and announced they would ride ahead to the end.  On West Road, Roy and Julia split to take a slightly shorter route back to the start.  So our group of fifteen had now become a group of eight and we rode the rest of the route together.

 

Thanks to Dan for sweeping.  Lunch was had from the deli at Verrill Farm.

At the start

Regrouping

Bustin’ In - November 29, 2017

Ride Leaders: Roy Westerberg & Ken Hablow
Core Ride 29 miles, 10:00 am start from Stow Shopping Center
Remote Start, 47 miles, 9:15 am start from Verrill Farm

Riders - 29 mile relaxed-pace (9): Roy, Bob Wilson, Chuck McWilliams, David Fay, Doug Hobkirk, Richard Fortier, Selig Saltzman, Tom Allen, and Winslow Green.
Riders - 29 mi spirited-pace (8): Clyde Kessel, David Cooper, Dmitry Gorenburg, Duncan Warden, James Hsia, Julie Dodd, Rick Lawrence, and first-timer Glenn Pransky.
Riders – 47 mi (11): Ken, Barbara Martin, Bernie Flynn, Bill Wachur, Bob Wadsworth, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dom Jorge, Gerald Sheetoo, Marc Baskin, Ray Komow, and Wing Chow.

The weather was remarkably pleasant for late November, with temperatures in the 50s, bright and cheerful sunshine for most of the ride, and light winds.  The core riders had gathered and, at precisely 10:00 am, the remote riders, ably led by Ken, pulled into the parking lot.

The relaxed pace group set off a couple minutes after the spirited (and larger) group had left, only to catch up and pass them at about mile 5, where they had stopped.  Over the next several miles they all passed us in groups of ones, twos, or threes, but we still kept seeing them ahead until we stopped for a regroup and pit stop at about mile 12.

We mostly kept together and only occasionally left an arrow.  There were no mechanical problems.  There was an unpleasant moment on Arlington Street.  We had been stopped for several minutes by a policeman, at a construction site where only a single lane could sometimes pass.  After he waved us on, a man operating a Bobcat backed up abruptly, almost running into a couple of us.  Fortunately, there was no contact and we kept going without incident.

Thanks to all those who arrowed and to Tom Allen for sweeping the core ride.  Thanks to Ken Hablow for leading the remote start group and to Ray Komow for sweeping that group.

Put a Stamp on It - November 24, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Frriday, 24 November 2017, Put a Stamp on It (aka Day After Turkey Day)
Ride Leader:  John Allen
24 miles, 10:00 am start from Spellman Museum of Stamps & Postal History, Weston, MA

Riders (9):  John, Bill Wachur, Chuck McWilliams, David Fay, Don Buchholtz, Ellen Gugel, Francie Sparks, Wing Chow, and ?????.

The call to postpone the ride ‘til Friday may have reduced the number of participants, and this was not the only ride available, but those who did show up were in good spirits.  The day was sunny but chilly:
puddles from Wednesday's rain had left puddles here and there, with patches of black ice to avoid, in addition to the usual potholes.  The ride got off to a bit of a late (if slightly warmer) start:  your ride
leader had suffered a snakebite flat and arrived at the ride start walking his bicycle.  Thanks for the help with it!  [Memo to myself:  from now on, I will carry a spare inner tube, not only a patch kit and pump.]

Before the wheel was reinstalled, a leaderless group of five left to do the longer ride, thanks to the wonder of GPS.  The official WW ride got going a few minutes later and navigated the very scenic route.  We stayed together rather than using human arrows, as this was a small group - except that two of us chose the more scenic dirt road option, while the other two chose the paved option in Wayland and Lincoln.  All four conveniently arrived at the same time where the two options rejoined.

On return to Weston, Don and David left for home, while Chuck and I had lunch at Dumpling Daughter.  A tire lever that went missing during the morning's flat-tire fixing episode *was* found on return to the Spellman Museum!

Francie reports that she and Ellen had a fine time riding together on the long ride, while the three men on the long ride went off by themselves.

Report by John Allen

Desperate Wheelers/Helen Birthday Party - November 15, 2017

At the start

Regrouping

The guest of honor

Chowing down

Doug's Bonsai Ride - November 8, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 8 November 2017, Doug’s Bonsai Ride

Ride Leaders:  Doug Hobkirk & Clyde Kessel

34 or 40 miles, 10:00 am start from Bonsai West, Littleton, MA

Riders - 34 mi (6):  Doug, David Fay, David Wean, Jack Donohue, Peter Shaw, and Ron Beland.

Riders – 40 mi (16):  Clyde, Barbara Martin, Bill Lane, Bill Wachur, Bob Wadsworth, David Cooper, Gene Ho, James Hsia, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Lindy King, Ray Komow, Steve Carlson, Steve Delaney, Wing Chow, and first-timer Duncan Warden.

Boy, what a delightful ride!  Excellent weather, although it was chilly (gloves required).  The trees still had a lot more color than seemed reasonable for November.  With only six riders, we rode as a group and didn't use arrows.  Jack acted as a sort-of sweep, just to be certain that we didn’t lose anyone.  (Thanks, Jack.  I felt more comfortable knowing that you were helping.)

There were some traffic problems - we kept running into the "faster" (longer) ride group!  We passed the entire group on Martin Pond Road (possibly my favorite cycling road).   A short distance up the road, Jack stopped us for a photo, in front of a house with barn that houses a gifted teenage bagpiper whom I've heard practicing twice over the years. 

Wednesday Wheelers are quite wonderful!  All fourteen people who had ordered sandwiches were truly gracious about the ordering screw-up.  Most walked around in the courtyard, and I sent those who wanted to eat elsewhere a mile down the road to Crossroads Cafe (my favorite eatery in the area).  I drove down to join them after the last of the riders had left the courtyard.  Oops!! (Damn?)  Crossroads no longer does lunch during the week.  So this turned into a WW ride without lunch!  Ouch!  Sorry, and I won't allow that to happen again. 

Thanks to Clyde for his help before and at the start of the rides and, especially, for leading the longer ride option.  Great job!!

Report by Doug Hobkirk.

First, before I start ranting, thank you to Ray Komow for being a capable and competent sweep and to all the loyal arrows who remained at their posts.

Now, the rant.  Several arrows left their posts because they had waited ten minutes!  It was chilly, but not cold enough to leave your post.  Somehow, the arrows became convinced that the sweep had gone home or gotten lost.  He hadn’t; he'd been delayed, but he came along in due course.  I think the problem is that Trump is making everyone anxious and upset, and people are no longer able to relax and enjoy the roses.

Aside from that, it was a beautiful, if chilly, day on a beautiful route.

Report by Clyde Kessel.

Short ride riders

We had spectators

Magical Mystery Tours - November 1, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 1 November 2017, Magical Mystery Tours

Ride Leaders:  Kathy Horvath & Curt Dudley-Marling 

37 & 50 miles, 10:00 & 10:30 am starts from Bikeway Source parking lot, Bedford, MA

Riders – 37 mi (14): Kathy, Annemarie Altman, Bill Wachur, Bob Wadsworth, Jack Donohue, Jack Mroczkowski, Judith McMichael, Richard Fortier, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Tom Allen, first-timer Gerald Sheetoo, plus one unidentified individual (in red bike jacket) who may have been absent during the taking of attendance.

Riders – 50 mi (14):  Curt, Barbara Martin, Bernie Flynn, Butch Pemstein, Dave Balaban, Frank Hubbard, Gene Ho, Kevin Donnelly, Lindy King, Marc Baskin, Ray Komow, Rick Carlson, Sandy Gray, and Wing Chow. 

Despite a surprisingly chilly, overcast morning, where the temperature went down to 31 degrees, thirteen enthusiastic riders gathered at the start and Barbara soon joined the ride.  The group stayed together and the sweep duties were nominal, but appreciated nonetheless.  Passing the riders on the short route, near Silver Lake in Tewksbury, confirmed that the riders were in a smooth rhythm.  Fortunately, very little debris was encountered on the road, despite the recent rain and wind storm; a couple of tree removal crews posed little difficulty.  With a well-functioning GPS route, the long route riders finished earlier than the short route riders.  Feedback was positive - although the route is a bit more urban than most CRW rides, the roads were quite different and interesting in their own way, and the segment through Harold Parker State Park is always scenic.

A half hour later start made little difference in the temperature due to the overcast sky. Very light winds were a small relief to the chilly weather, and several riders added layers and borrowed gloves to be more comfortable. As Lemony Snicket would say, there were some “unfortunate events” but nothing that resulted in bodily harm, thankfully.  This second-time WW leader learned a valuable lesson - be sure to designate an arrow when turning in to a rest stop; not realizing that part of the group got caught back at a stop light, we were separated and the first group yelled to no avail as we watched the second group go sailing by the DD on Winn Street.  Fortunately, the Sweep checked his phone messages and stopped to get directions to back-track and they were awarded bonus miles for their effort. One rider decided to ride directly home from DD, and the remaining thurteen rejoined as one group for the last ten miles.  Three riders took the bike path option in Lexington and the rest attacked the hill at Grove Street.  Tom subsequently sent some very useful suggestions to modify the route for the future, which the leader will certainly investigate.

Special thanks to Curt for co-leading, to Jack Donohue for sweeping, and to all riders for their gracious good company.

Report by Kathy Horvath.

Over the river (Ipswich) and through the woods (Harold Parker State Forest, which was our one and only stop).  The ride was cold at the start, cold in the middle, and somewhat warmer at the end (mostly because of the hills leading to Lexington and Bedford).  Kevin Donnelly announced at the start that this was the first ride he’d done where the temperature was below 60 at the start.  Well, it was at least 20 degrees below 60 at the beginning of this ride.

We were expecting Barbara to join us at mile 1.5, but she wasn’t there when we made it to the designated coordinates at 10:15.  We waited for a whole minute before moving on (remember:  it was really cold).  About ten miles later Barbara managed to catch up with us, bringing peace, joy and arnica to the group.  Good news story: near the end of the ride Ray Komow discovered that his wallet had fallen out of his jacket pocket.  So, he turned his bike around and began the search for his wallet.  Lucky for him, he found the wallet where it had fallen, only 50 yards from where he had realized that it was missing.

It was my first time leading a Wednesday Wheeler ride and we returned to Bedford with nearly all the riders that we’d started with (Marc veered off to Lexington near the end of the ride in search of some finer dining opportunities and Lindy left us earlier to ride home).  Having me ride at the front also spared the group my “quirky” sense of humor - no eye rolling on this day.

All in all, ‘twas a very good ride.  Following the example of our chief executive, I give myself a 10 out of 10 (and Kathy a 20 out of 10 for her hard work creating this delightful ride).  Thanks to Butch for sweeping.

Report by Curt Dudley-Marling.

Group sans Susan

Group with Susan

Sherborn to Norfolk - October 18, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday 18 October 2017, Sherborn to Norfolk
Ride Leader:  Alan Cantor
35 miles, 10:00 am start from 25 North Main Street, Sherborn, MA


Riders (17):  Alan, Arthur Teepe, Barry Nelson, Bill Wachur, Chuck McWilliams, Dave Balaban, Francie Sparks, Herb Kavet, Kevin Donnelly, Marc Baskin, Nancy Cahn, Rochelle Holman, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Veronica Vedensky, Wing Chow, and first-timer Ellen Dirgins.

We had the rare concurrence of a perfect weather day, a beautiful route, miles of new pavement, and last, but of course not least, the best people to share all of this with.  A couple of chain drops, quickly recovered, were the only mechanical issues.  We welcomed a new rider, Ellen Dirgins, who quickly jumped in and arrowed a few turns.

Thanks to all who arrowed and, especially, to Barry who did a wonderful job as our sweep.

Report by Alan Cantor

Circling Wachusett rides - October 11, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday 11 October 2017, Circling Wachusett rides
Ride Leaders:  Richard Vignoni (core ride) & Bob Apsler (remote start)
39 miles, 10:00 am start from West Sterling Athletic Field, Sterling, MA
62 miles, 8:50 am start from Forbush Mill Road Soccer Field, Bolton, MA

Riders - 39 mi (12):  Richard, Bill Lane, Don Buchholtz, Ellen Gugel, Francie Sparks, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Kevin Donnelly, Ray Komow, Richard Lawrence, Rochelle Holman, and Winslow Green.
Riders - 62 mi (5):  Bob, Everett Briggs, David Cooper, Lindy King, and Rick Carlson.

Five remote riders arrived at the West Sterling Athletic field to join the group of core riders, with plenty of time to spare.  After explaining the various combinations of options, all seventeen riders headed out together under overcast skies, making a right  turn onto Holden Road for the first of many hills.

As the day progressed, the sun came out with the temperature reaching the mid-60s for near perfect cycling weather.  The foliage was running noticeably late, but the route still proved to be spectacular, with subdued colors, leaves on the sides of the roads, and nearly no car traffic for the first 30 miles.  The ride leader and sweep stopped to address a recurring mechanical problem which was diagnosed to be due to a non-fixable, faulty repair from a high end bike shop.  With many riders going ahead, there was some confusion as to who was with whom and one of the riders got in some extra miles before meeting the rest of the group at the ski area lunch stop.

After eating our BYO lunches and with the day getting late, the core group decided to take the quickest route back along Rte 140, skipping a few extra miles, a few extra climbs, and an exhilarating downhill.  Despite the confusion, it was a great day of cycling.
Thanks to Rick Carlson for sweeping the ride and to all those who arrowed and participated. 

Report by Richard Vignoni.

---

The remote start began inauspiciously when the Ride Leader arrived twenty minutes before the start and found the parking lot empty.  I’ve never before been the first to arrive at a ride and assumed I was either an hour early or late, but three others arrived, and Everett caught up with us not much later.

The optional rides got messed up a bit.  Only a few of us stopped for lunch at the ski area, while maybe four rode directly up to the Visitor Center.  Two of the four climbed further to the summit, while Everett was prevented from doing so by a broken derailleur cable.  In the meantime, the Ride Leader enjoyed lunch, as planned, at the ski area.  Having no one to lead, he rode alone to the Visitor Center, where he met David Cooper.  Dave graciously gave the Ride Leader the opportunity of leading the final climb by riding a second time to the summit.  The two of us returned to the start of the Core ride, found that everyone else had departed, and rode back to the start of the remote. 

Report by Bob Apsler.

---

Photo courtesy of Judith McMichael.

Breakheart Reservation - October 4, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 4 October 2017, Breakheart Reservation
Ride Leader:  Tom Allen
30 miles, 10:00 am start from Sandy Beach parking area, Winchester, MA

Riders (21): Tom, Adele Ferreira, Adena Schutzberg, Alan Long, David Wean, Dmitry Gorenburg, Elsa Lawrence, Everett Briggs, Jeff Smith, Jim Cant, Jim Whinfield, Joseph Tavilla, Judith McMichael, Meng Wu, Peggy Gelin, Peter Shaw, Rochelle Holman, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Tom Lawrence, and Wing Chow.
(Remoting riders: Adena, David, Everett, Peggy, and Selig.)

Oh Frabjous Day!  Remarkable weather for October!  Perhaps a downside is that the great weather brought out a large number of pedestrians (walking their dogs and their iPhones) along with multiple road crews.

We headed north through Winchester to Horn Pond and its car-free paved and very scenic way, where we dodged small dogs and the occasional baby carriage.  Then back to streets through Woburn toward Wakefield.  We just nipped a bit of Stoneham, but that was the corner where road crews had seriously dug up the street forcing a couple of unfortunate detours.

In Wakefield we crossed a bikes-only bridge over RR tracks and made our way around Lake Quannapowitt.  The road gods redeemed themselves a bit with a freshly paved Valley Street (good for about a half mile).

We then entered the Breakheart reservation area and tackled its roller coaster-like paths.  These are paved paths which feature some short, but strenuous, uphills and exhilarating downhills, as well as lovely scenery.  We did two loops over different paths separated by a stop at the park headquarters facilities.

Leaving the Reservation, we followed the Lynn Fells Parkway toward the Fells, pedaled up Ravine Road, and took the narrow bike path along the side of Woodland Road.  Crossing I-93 at Roosevelt Circle, we encountered yet another road blockage which forced another detour (minor this time).

We split about 50-50 for lunch/no lunch.  Nine of us had a pleasant and leisurely meal at First House Pub in Winchester.

Thanks to Adena for sweeping and to Everett for assisting with mechanical issues involving a flat tire and loose cleat screw. (Different victims.)

The ride leader was gratified to hear praise for the route and for introducing folks to new experiences.

Report by Tom Allen

Mountain & road rides from Great Brook - September 27. 2017

RIDE REPORTS

 

Wednesday, 27 September 2017, Great Brook Farm State Park mountain bike rides & road ride

MTB Ride Leaders:  Tony & Margie Lee

Road Ride Leader:  Clyde Kessel

32 miles (road), 10:00 am start from Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle, MA

 

MTB Riders (13):   Margie, Tony, Bob, Larry, Aliza Edwards, Francie Sparks, Gene Ho, Joe Marcangelo, Julie Dodd, Patrick Ward, Rick Carlson, Tom Amiro, and first-timer Lorena Duquette.

Road Riders (23):  Clyde, Andrea Clardy, Barry Kaditz, Dan Krechmer, Dave Balaban, David Kobes, Jack Donohue, Jim Cant, Kathy Horvath, Kaz Zelny, Meng Wu, Neil Martin, Peter Shaw, Ray Komow, Richard Fortier, Rick Billings, Robyn Maislin, Rochelle Holman, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Steve Bader, Veronica Vedensky, and Wing Chow.

Thirteen mountain bikers showed up and rode together on the Lantern Trail.  They then split into two groups, with Tony leading five in the advanced intermediate group and Margie, ably assisted by Bob Cheney and Larry Kornetsky, leading eight in the beginner/intermediate group.

 

Both groups crossed Concord Road and started riding in the Acorn section of the park.  We rode beautiful trails along cornfields, through forests, past cranberry bogs, over hill and dale, not to mention Otter Slide Creek.  After returning to “the other side,” some called it a day, while others continued exploring trails.

 

The weather was perfect and a few of us ate picnic lunches under the canopy. Great Brook is a great location for this mountain biking outing.  We basically ride the perimeter of the park and, when people have had enough or have a mechanical problem, getting back to the ride start (parking lot) is relatively easy.

 

Thanks to Bob Cheney and Larry Kornetsky for leading a group. And thanks to everyone for having great attitudes.

 

Report by Margie & Tony Lee.    

Road Ride on a hot and sunny day . . . . .   First of all, Ray and Roy - thanks to Ray for sweeping and kudos to Roy who designed the original route.  I adapted the route and renamed it “2PI/3 Phase Shift.”  Roy was the only one to figure out what the title means. 

We had two wildlife sightings worthy of note:  a milk snake, alive, in the roadway (I hope no one behind me ran it over), and a gentleman putting a ten pound Hen of the Woods into the back of his pickup. 

As far as I know, there were no mishaps.  However, Neil missed the rest stop and was temporarily lost, but someone reached him by phone and he was able to rejoin the group. 

Report by Clyde Kessel

Road riders

Mountain bikers

Great Brook Farm State Park mountain bike & road rides - September 27, 2017

 RIDE REPORTS

 

Wednesday, 27 September 2017, Great Brook Farm State Park mountain bike rides & road ride

MTB Ride Leaders:  Tony & Margie Lee

Road Ride Leader:  Clyde Kessel

32 miles (road), 10:00 am start from Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle, MA

 

MTB Riders (13):   Margie, Tony, Bob, Larry, Aliza Edwards, Francie Sparks, Gene Ho, Joe Marcangelo, Julie Dodd, Patrick Ward, Rick Carlson, Tom Amiro, and first-timer Lorena Duquette.

Road Riders (23):  Clyde, Andrea Clardy, Barry Kaditz, Dan Krechmer, Dave Balaban, David Kobes, Jack Donohue, Jim Cant, Kathy Horvath, Kaz Zelny, Meng Wu, Neil Martin, Peter Shaw, Ray Komow, Richard Fortier, Rick Billings, Robyn Maislin, Rochelle Holman, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Steve Bader, Veronica Vedensky, and Wing Chow.

Thirteen mountain bikers showed up and rode together on the Lantern Trail.  They then split into two groups, with Tony leading five in the advanced intermediate group and Margie, ably assisted by Bob Cheney and Larry Kornetsky, leading eight in the beginner/intermediate group.

 

Both groups crossed Concord Road and started riding in the Acorn section of the park.  We rode beautiful trails along cornfields, through forests, past cranberry bogs, over hill and dale, not to mention Otter Slide Creek.  After returning to “the other side,” some called it a day, while others continued exploring trails.

 

The weather was perfect and a few of us ate picnic lunches under the canopy. Great Brook is a great location for this mountain biking outing.  We basically ride the perimeter of the park and, when people have had enough or have a mechanical problem, getting back to the ride start (parking lot) is relatively easy.

 

Thanks to Bob Cheney and Larry Kornetsky for leading a group. And thanks to everyone for having great attitudes.

 

Report by Margie & Tony Lee.    

Road Ride on a hot and sunny day . . . . .   First of all, Ray and Roy - thanks to Ray for sweeping and kudos to Roy who designed the original route.  I adapted the route and renamed it “2PI/3 Phase Shift.”  Roy was the only one to figure out what the title means. 

We had two wildlife sightings worthy of note:  a milk snake, alive, in the roadway (I hope no one behind me ran it over), and a gentleman putting a ten pound Hen of the Woods into the back of his pickup. 

As far as I know, there were no mishaps.  However, Neil missed the rest stop and was temporarily lost, but someone reached him by phone and he was able to rejoin the group. 

Report by Clyde Kessel.

NH & ME Coastal Rides - September 13, 2017

RIDE REPORT

 

Wednesday, 13 September 2017, NH & ME Coastal Rides

Ride Leaders:  Ken Hablow & Jimmy White

57 or 38 miles, 10:30 am start from Odiorne Point (State Park) Boat Launch, Rye, NH

 

Riders - 57 mi (15):  Ken, Bernie Flynn, Bob Apsler, Dave Balaban, Francie Sparks, Frank Hubbard, Gene Ho, Julie Dodd, Kaz Zelny, Kevin Donnelly, Lindy King, Neil Martin, Ray Komow, Rich Taylor, and Rochelle Holman.

Riders - 38 mi (9):  Jimmy, Celia Donatio, David Fay, Ed Rumsey, Gardner Gray, Greg Tobin, Karen Saltus, Ron Marland, and Selig Saltzman.

Both routes started with a loop through New Castle Island, then across the bridge from Portsmouth into Kittery.  The routes continued up the coast, past York Beach, to Nubble Light and York Harbor.  At Nubble Light we ran into Pat Ward who was co-leading a multiday Maine coastal ride for Easy Riders Bicycle Tours.

The long ride continued up Shore Road to Ogunquit where we stopped for lunch.  We then headed inland and up Mountain Road to Mt. Agamenticus.  Several of us decided not to do the short but steep climb and waited at the base of the mountain for the climbers return.  Once reunited, we proceeded over some very nice back roads through York, Kittery, Portsmouth, and back to Rye.  In York, we took a detour through the Stonewall Kitchen parking lot to a very back road to avoid riding on Rte 1.

 

Thanks to Gene for sweeping.  We only used human arrows a few times.  It was more pleasant keeping the group together than getting far afield.

The Odiorne Point State Park Boat Launch in Rye NH proved to be a perfect start point. It is easy to get to, has a large lot with two porta-johns, and is right on the water.

The day was at least a 10.  There was wall to wall sunshine, very little wind, and comfortable temperatures that stayed in the mid 70s, although at one point it dipped to the high 60s.

 

Routes were courtesy of Karen Saltus (long) and Joanne Samuels (short).  I'm not sure whom I should thank for all of the new pavement.

Report by Ken Hablow.

Witches & Pitches - August 30, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Witches & Pitches Ride
Ride Leaders:  Lindy King & Sue Edwards
43 or 28 miles, 9:30 & 10:00 am starts from Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA

Riders - 43 mi (10):  Lindy, Bernie Flynn, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Balaban, Frank Hubbard, Judith McMichael, Kathy Horvath, Kevin Donnelly, Neil Martin, and Ray Komow.
Riders - 28 mi (13):  Sue, Bob Wilson, Ed Rumsey, Elissa Brown, Greg Tobin, Jack Mroczkowski, Kaz Zelny, Patrick Ward, Rich Taylor, Richard Fortier, Rochelle Holman, Ron Marland, and Roy Westerberg.

It was slightly drizzling as I rode to the start of the Witches & Pitches ride in Groton.  Fortunately, as I arrived, the clouds parted, the sun peeked through, and a group of WW riders were raring to go!  The early morning temperatures were still cool, so we had a mix of riders with jackets, vests, arm-warmers, long tights, etc.  Being a small and compatible bunch, we opted for riding as a group and using arrows only sparingly.  After a very spirited start, we regrouped to remove the extra layers and rode on to Monument Square in Hollis, NH.

We departed Hollis at a more sensible pace and made our way over to the very lovely Witches Spring Road.  Shortly thereafter, as I was looking forward to the lovely pitches on Ponemah Hill Road, we were stopped by the highway crew because the road was out – apparently had been for some weeks.  Although it was not as lovely a route as I had hoped for, we rode on 122 south, then picked up the short route and had a wonderful time riding around Rocky Pond Road and downhill into Brookline, NH.  We came upon Sue and Kaz (from the 28 mile route), fixing his flat, and then met up with the rest of that group a short distance later.  We stopped at the (now defunct) Brookline General Store for a snack, and then the ballfield @ Bohannon Bridge for a pit stop and photo op.  It was a lovely ride through the wilds of Pepperell back to Groton.

Report by Lindy King.

It was a very good day to be on a bicycle.  The cool, light breeze swept most of the grey away and our mostly lucky thirteen pedaled the shorter version of Witches and Pitches under bluebird skies and puffy white clouds.

Though it was our intention to have twenty-six fully inflated tires for the entire route, one fellow's fell flat, at the halfway point.  Though he begged and pleaded with us not to hover and wait, we hid around the corner, hovering and waiting.  Suddenly, the long route pedalers came whizzing by; we were caught in their spellbinding wake.  We handed Kaz, the guy with the flat, the cue sheet - as he had implored all along.  With his sworn avowal to text when he got going, we clipped in and spun on - up and down hills, past farms and ferns and fields, and a few, fluffy white hens.

With about ten mile to go, we began the human arrow system because our middle was spreading; throughout the ride, Greg arrowed (thank you!).  In the end, we were all in the right place, at the right time, at the start point, on our bikes on this glorious day.

Report by Sue Edwards.

Short Riders

Caz fixing his flat

Long Riders

Meanders from Concord - August 23, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 23 August 2017, Meanders from Concord

Ride Leaders:  Ken Hablow & Jack Donohue

46 or 25 miles, 10:00 am start from Alcott Elementary School, Concord, MA

 

Riders - 46 mi (10): Ken, Bill Lane, Bill Wachur, Dan Krechmer, Dave Balaban, Everett Briggs, Kaz Zelny, Stan Kay, Steve Kolek (a cameo appearance joining us along the route then leaving well before we returned), and first-timer Austin O'Malley.

Riders - 25 mi (12): Jack, Barry Kaditz, Bill Hanson, Ilkka Suvanto, Mike Hanauer, Nancy Schlecht, Pat Brennan, Richard Fortier, Robyn Maislin, Ron Marland, Roy Westerberg, and first-timer William Feiring.

 

The day started with high humidity and wet roads from the non-rain event the previous night.  By ride start time the sun was out and the roads mostly dry.  For the first hour we could feel the humidity dropping, until the temperature started to rise.  With a light northerly wind, it was a very comfortable and dry day.  Our group stayed together for the entire ride, although some felt we should arrow since, after all, it is a WW ride. 

The route was on some very quiet and pretty back roads through Chelmsford, Westford, and Tyngsboro.  We encountered some nice new pavement which was welcomed by all.  We made the obligatory stop at Great Brook Farm and a longer stop at the DD in Westford on Rte 40.  Our pace was a comfortable 14 mph average, until near the end when the route flattened out and we picked up a nice tail wind.

Thanks to Kaz for sweeping, even though the only time I lost sight of him was when he missed a turn.

 

Report by Ken Hablow.

There was a lot of angst leading up to the ride, since the weather was looking dubious days ahead.  I told Ken a five day forecast is pure fiction and that even the day before is too soon to call it.  We agreed to wait until the morning of the ride for a final decision, which turned out to be an excellent idea, since we woke to a totally changed forecast, and the day turned out to be absolutely perfect.

Many of the long ride regulars were away in Vermont and the short ride outnumbered the long ride.  With a dozen riders, I figured we could stay together and forgo the human arrows.  Roy volunteered to sweep and was wearing a jersey of many colors that was pretty easy to spot.

We had our obligatory photo op at Great Brook Farm.  As an added feature, we had the Best Beard competition.  I had recently been shorn and was, thus, not a contender, but I think Roy is the hands-down winner.

The ride was pretty uneventful (a good thing), except for being stopped by a tree trimming crew for a very long time.  They managed to block the road in both directions while they did their lumberjack stuff.  Not being the most patient person, I considered going overland cyclocross style, but I figured there was no point annoying the police force of yet another town.

We had several who rode to the start, and departed along the way, so I was not concerned by the diminishing numbers as we entered the home stretch.  No one elected to go to the advertised lunch at Trail's End.

Thanks to Roy for sweeping.

Report by Jack Donohue

Short Riders at Great Brook Farm

Best Beard Competition

Witches and Pitches - August 30, 2017

 RIDE REPORTS

 

Wednesday, 30 August 2017

Ride Leaders:  Lindy King & Sue Edwards

43 or 28 miles, 9:30 & 10:00 am starts from Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, MA

 

Riders - 43 mi (10):  Lindy, Bernie Flynn, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Balaban, Frank Hubbard, Judith McMichael, Kathy Horvath, Kevin Donnelly, Neil Martin, and Ray Komow.

Riders - 28 mi (13):  Sue, Bob Wilson, Ed Rumsey, Elissa Brown, Greg Tobin, Jack Mroczkowski, Kaz Zelny, Patrick Ward, Rich Taylor, Richard Fortier, Rochelle Holman, Ron Marland, and Roy Westerberg.

 

It was slightly drizzling as I rode to the start of the Witches & Pitches ride in Groton.  Fortunately, as I arrived, the clouds parted, the sun peeked through, and a group of WW riders were raring to go!  The early morning temperatures were still cool, so we had a mix of riders with jackets, vests, arm-warmers, long tights, etc.  Being a small and compatible bunch, we opted for riding as a group and using arrows only sparingly.  After a very spirited start, we regrouped to remove the extra layers and rode on to Monument Square in Hollis, NH.

 

We departed Hollis at a more sensible pace and made our way over to the very lovely Witches Spring Road.  Shortly thereafter, as I was looking forward to the lovely pitches on Ponemah Hill Road, we were stopped by the highway crew because the road was out – apparently had been for some weeks.  Although it was not as lovely a route as I had hoped for, we rode on 122 south, then picked up the short route and had a wonderful time riding around Rocky Pond Road and downhill into Brookline, NH.  We came upon Sue and Kaz (from the 28 mile route), fixing his flat, and then met up with the rest of that group a short distance later.  We stopped at the (now defunct) Brookline General Store for a snack, and then the ballfield @ Bohannon Bridge for a pit stop and photo op.  It was a lovely ride through the wilds of Pepperell back to Groton.

 

Report by Lindy King.

 

It was a very good day to be on a bicycle.  The cool, light breeze swept most of the grey away and our mostly lucky thirteen pedaled the shorter version of Witches and Pitches under bluebird skies and puffy white clouds.

 

Though it was our intention to have twenty-six fully inflated tires for the entire route, one fellow's fell flat, at the halfway point.  Though he begged and pleaded with us not to hover and wait, we hid around the corner, hovering and waiting.  Suddenly, the long route pedalers came whizzing by; we were caught in their spellbinding wake.  We handed Kaz, the guy with the flat, the cue sheet - as he had implored all along.  With his sworn avowal to text when he got going, we clipped in and spun on - up and down hills, past farms and ferns and fields, and a few, fluffy white hens.

 

With about ten mile to go, we began the human arrow system because our middle was spreading; throughout the ride, Greg arrowed (thank you!).  In the end, we were all in the right place, at the right time, at the start point, on our bikes on this glorious day.

 

Report by Sue Edwards.

Wachusett from the East and Lancaster Meander - August 16, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 16 August 2017, Wachusett from the East and Lancaster Meander
Ride Leaders:  Richard Vignoni & Butch Pemstein
39 or 18 miles, 10:00 & 10:30 am starts from Forbush Mill Soccer Field, Bolton, MA

Riders 39 mile (16): Richard, Bob Apsler, Elizabeth Wicks, Ellen Gugel, Everett Briggs, Francie Sparks, Frank Hubbard, Gene Ho, Judith McMichael, Kaz Zelny, Kevin Donnelly, Lindy King, Margie Lee, Ray Komow, Steve Carlson, and Tony Lee.
Riders 18 mile (12): Butch, Ann Northup, Barbara Jacobs, David Kobes, Don Buchholtz, Janet Miller, Jeff Smith, Judi Burten, Marie Keutmann, Rochelle Holman, Susan Sabin, and Ted Nyder.

Wachusett from the East (39 mi) - With nice weather, fifteen veteran WW riders headed out of the Forbush Mill Road parking lot, through the hills and climbs on their way to Mount Wachusett.  The 20 mile route to the mountain took some lesser known/used roads, arriving at the visitor center via Pine Hill.  Some of the riders chose to go to the summit, while a few of us stayed behind and hung out while waiting for the return of the summiteers.  Bob and Everett apparently didn’t have enough climbing so they went down and back up Mile Hill Road.  While the outbound route was almost all uphill, we were rewarded with a return that was almost all downhill.  The route lived up to its advertising, as being very hilly and very beautiful, and found the leader near the back of the pack on some of the climbs.  Lunch was at Meadowbrook Orchards, with a few riders heading back on their own due to time constraints.  Thanks to Everett for sweeping the group to the mountain and to Judith McMichael for sweeping the return.  Additional thanks to all those who arrowed and participated.

Report By Richard Vignoni.

Lancaster Meander (18 mi) - We were almost always well spaced and there were an adequate number of regroups, ALL of which were well off the traveled way.  There was one terrific downhill, no particularly memorable uphills, and very little traffic.  Lunch was at Bolton Orchards.

Thanks to David for sweeping, accolades to Don for his reign as Arrow King, and a special tip of the hat to John Nilsson who designed the route.  It was a lovely day on the bike.  It was Truly Mellow.

Report By Butch Pemstein.

Long Riders

Down Brown & Crossing Cisco - August 9, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 9 August 2017, Down Brown & Crossing Cisco
Ride Leaders:  Bill Wachur & Patrick Ward
39 or 29 miles, 10:00 am start from Stow Shopping Center, Stow, MA

Riders - 39 mi (16):  Bill, Barry Kaditz, Bob Wadsworth, Dave Balaban, Dom Jorge, Don Buchholtz, Francie Sparks, Kathy Horvath, Kaz Zelny, Kevin Donnelly, Ray Komow, Richard Vignoni, Rick Lawrence, Tim Wilson, and first-timers Dan Krechmer and Sue Edwards.
Riders - 29 mi (15):  Patrick, Arthur Teepe, Butch Pemstein, David Kobes, Doug Hobkirk, Elsa Lawrence, Janet Miller, Jimmy White, Richard Fortier, Ron Marland, Susan Broome, Tom Lawrence, Winslow Green, and first-timers Mark Levine and Melissa Brown.

Many accolades for the new "Down Brown" route.  Some folks were grateful for all the shady country lanes, some loved the "dipsy doodle" of Old Littleton Road heading to the Harvard General Store, and some of us were just plain happy that there were more downhills than uphills.  And let's not forget the weather - it was spectacular!  Beaucoup thanks to Kevin Donnelly for sweeping and for all the like-minded riders that joined us today and made it one enjoyable ride.

One mechanical issue to report and it was mine (dropped chain).  We safely regrouped several times, including stops at the Harvard General Store and Bolton Orchards.  Some folks stopped for a congenial post-ride lunch at Emma's Café in the Stow Shopping Center.

Report by Bill Wachur.

"Mellow" was the advertised pace of the shorter ride and I tried to deliver, often cruising along flatter stretches at 13-14 mph.  The whole group easily handled this speed, so we kept together and made the sweep's work easy.  Riders handled the Stow Road climb well and loved the long downhill on Oak Hill Road.  After a relaxed pit stop, we cruised back through very quiet, tree-shaded roads in Harvard to the Stow Shopping Center.  Many of us tarried there to enjoy a social lunch at Emma's Café.

Many thanks to Jimmy for sweeping and for the many pro-active arrows.

We did have one safety incident in which a driver going down Oak Hill Road swerved wide to the left to avoid a rider, also going downhill.  (I think this was a judgement error on the driver's part.)  Another driver, coming uphill, swerved almost off the road in response.  The two drivers wound up cursing each other.

In the safety talk, Bill and I had both emphasized the importance of keeping to the right (if pavement conditions allow) when descending on these quiet roads, especially when the rider spots cars coming from opposite directions.  Keeping to the right is even more important when a rider going downhill can't see around corners because of trees and greenery.

Report by Patrick Ward.

To the End of the World and Back/To Hull in a Handbasket - August 2, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 2 August 2017, "To the End of the World and Back" / "To Hull in a Handbasket"
Ride Leaders:  David Wean, Bob Apsler
28 and 40 miles, 10:00 am start from Wompatuck State Park, Hingham, MA

Riders - 28 mi (9):  David, Barry Kaditz, David Kobes, Greg Tobin, Marie Keutmann, Nancy Cahn, Richard Vignoni, Ron Beland, and Susan Broome.
Riders - 40 mi (8):  Bob, Butch Pemstein, Dave Balaban, Dmitry Gorenburg, Francie Sparks, Herb Kavet, Kevin Donnelly, and Ray Komow.

We rode together for the first ten miles, through Great Esker and Bare Cove Parks, on either side of the Back River estuary that divides Weymouth and Hingham.

After the split, the longer riders took off for the tip of Hull, leaving no water unviewed, nor hill unclimbed.  Who knew that there would be 13% grades on a beach ride?  The beautiful day provided gorgeous views from many vantage points.

The shorter riders substituted three miles on the carriage paths of World's End, enjoying water views as well as the mirror labyrinth, "A New End" (photo attached).

Both groups continued along Jerusalem Road in Cohasset, passing "some ok houses," and about half of us ate sandwiches on the deck at Fresh Feast in Cohasset Center.  We returned via a couple of miles of paved roads through Wompatuck Park, with plenty of time to miss the afternoon thunderstorms.

Thanks to David Kobes, the (first time!) sweep for the short ride, to Butch for sweeping the long ride, which was managed without arrows, as well as to those who volunteered to arrow (on the short ride).  We'd be lost without you!

Safety notes - we successfully broke two of the three cardinal rules of Wednesday Wheelers, one on purpose and one inadvertently:  "Single file, single file, single file" (ask Butch) was suspended as we took one of the lanes of the Rte 3A bridge and, again, as we climbed Summer Street after Hingham Center (both are narrow-laned four lane roads without shoulders).  The second violation ("Regroup off the road") occurred when we regrouped on the path at the bottom of the Great Esker, not realizing that one of people coming our way was walking with a seeing eye dog.  Oops!

Report by David Wean and Bob Apsler.