Assabet River Bash - June 14, 2017

​​RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 14 June 2017, 2017 Assabet River Beach Bash

Ride Leaders:  Bill Lane & Tom Fortmann

After-ride Party Hosts:  Connie & Bill Lane

27 & 39 miles  - 10:00 am (27 mi) & 9:30 am (39 mi) starts from 71 Lowell Road, Concord, MA

Riders - 39 mi (19): Tom, Bob Apsler, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Balaban, Dimitry Gorenburg, Dom Jorge, Everett Briggs, Herb Kavet, Julie Dodd, Ken Hablow, Kimberly Wach, Larry Kernan, Mary Kernan, Ray Komow, Rich Taylor, Rick Lawrence, Steve Bader, Steve Kolek, and Tim Jacoby.

We set off in gorgeous weather, riding at a vigorous pace on familiar roads through Acton, to Weston and the foot of Millstone Hill.  We climbed the hill(s), observing various domes and antennae on the way to MIT's Haystack Observatory at the top.  After a restroom and waterbottle-filling stop inside the facility, we gathered on the steps for a guest lecture, by Prof. Steve Kolek, on the provenance and function of the various antennae.  After a thrilling descent, we returned through Westford and South Chelmsford.

The trip was marred by a crash, resulting from an encounter with a turtle, following a right turn onto Old Lowell Road.  Rich was duly taken by ambulance to Emerson Hospital, accompanied by Everett, while the rest of us sprinted for lunch.  Rich reported in later to say that he's banged and bruised, but not seriously injured. 

Thanks to all the arrows and especially to Mary, whose stellar sweeping skills kept the group together throughout the ride.

Report by Tom Fortmann.

Riders - 27 mi (29): Bill, Adena Schutzberg, Ann Northup, Bette Simollardes, Bill Widnall, Butch Pemstein, Clyde Kessel, David Fay, Donald Buchholtz, Elsa Lawrence, Gary Smiley, Ilkka Suvanto, Jack Donohue, Jack Mroczkowski, Janet Miller, Jimmy White, Judith McMichael, Kathy Horvath, Kaz Zelny, Margie Lee, Mike Hanauer, Paula Hobson, Robyn Maislin, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Stuart Kaufman, Tom Lawrence, Tony Lee, and Winslow Green.

An attempt to establish the world record for number of undesirable events occurring during a single, 30 mile or less, road ride, with three flats, a painful fail-to-clip-out fall, and word from the long ride of a rider down, was marred by beautiful cycling weather and a patio lunch.  We began auspiciously with a flat at the ride start.  Bill Widnall and Butch urged the large group to start without them and they would catch up (they did).

On Pope Road, on our way up Strawberry Hill, the clip-out fail occurred.  After assuring she was OK, we continued our ride.  (Ultimately, she decided to return home to attend to her road rash and since reported that she is doing fine.)  We continued along well-known roads through Acton and behind Nagog.

Not to be let off lightly, the day provided two more flats on the approach to the Nashoba area.  The main group proceeded to a rest stop beside the Bruce Freeman Trail until the flat-repair group and very patient arrows caught up.  Jack Donohue recorded the moment in a photo (attached), but could not record the odoriferous atmosphere coming off the pond.  Then, no sooner had we restarted than I received word from the long ride of Rich’s fall and trip to Emerson.

We continued home from Chelmsford, via Carlisle, where many enjoyed a wonderful patio lunch set out by my wife, Connie, whose mother had hosted this luncheon for ten years at her home in Plymouth.

Many thanks to Tom Fortmann for leading the long ride, for securing Rich’s and Everett’s bikes at a good soul’s house nearby the site of the accident, and for returning to retrieve them, rather than enjoying the bash.  A special thank you to Everett who accompanied Rich in the ambulance and stayed with him, at Emerson, ‘til all X-rays had been completed and Rich was given the thumbs-up.  Everett, Tom, Steve Kolek, and I continued the party after everyone had left (photo attached).  Lastly, Rich and his wife, Alix, came by late in the day to be reunited with his bike, now with a dent in its rear wheel that hurts more than Rich does.

Many thanks to all those who arrowed, and to Stuart for sweeping and keeping me up-to-date by phone throughout.  A special thank you to everyone’s generous lunch donations that will enable us to give $300 to our PMC riders this year.

Report by Bill Lane.

Coordinator’s note:  And from Rich Taylor, we have the following:

 

As Shakespeare once opined, “All's well that ends well!”  So All is well.  From Paul Harvey we get, "And now for the rest of the story!"

On the 2017 Assabet River Beach Bash significantly sprightly-paced 39 mile ride option, at about mile 29.5, going from Parkerville Road to Old Lowell Road, I attempted to rescue a turtle from the road way.   In turning around, I went down hard. I never lost consciousness, but was definitely sore in the right shoulder area, and had knee abrasions on the same side.  My helmet was cracked, but it did its job.  As far as we can tell, there was no concussion or loss of consciousness.  Everett Briggs and Mary Kernan were among the first to get to me, to stabilize my position, and to leave a preliminary message for Alix, my wife. [Side note:  this was the second time (first was 2009) that my wife heard a woman's voice when she answered a call from my cell phone.  That always attracts her attention!] 

Someone phoned 911 (thank you whoever) and the EMTs arrived pretty quickly.  Since there was no obvious bleeding or excruciating pain, they agreed to take me to Emerson Hospital.  Everett came along to keep me company and folks put our two bikes with a neighbor. (Later, Tom Fortmann retrieved the bikes and took them to Bill Lane's house.  Thanks, Tom.)

At Emerson they did a CT scan of the head and shoulder, and Xrays of prior accident sites - hip and femur (2008) and shoulder (2009) - all were clean.  I was released at 3:30 pm, a bit sore, but otherwise pretty functional.  A new rear wheel and the bike will be good to go - hopefully in time for P2P next Wednesday.

Thanks for all your expressions of concern and caring.  And, note that the white arm and leg warmers I've been using the past several years did an admirable job of keeping my skin from being shredded by the road.  That's why I wear them.

Short Riders at Heart Pond Beach