Rides from Sauta Field - May 16, 2018

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 16 May 2018, Rides from Sauta Field
Ride Leaders:  Mike Byrne & Susan Sabin
42 or 30 miles, 10:00 am start from Sauta Field, Hudson, MA

Riders – 42 mi (24):  Mike, Barry Nelson, Bernie Flynn, Bill Wachur, Bob Apsler, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Balaban, Dom Jorge, Everett Briggs, Francie Sparks, Frank Hubbard, Fred Vaughn, Gene Ho, Gerry Sheetoo, Kaz Zelny, Ken Hablow, Kevin Donnelly, Lindy King, Marc Baskin, Ray Komow, Rich Taylor, Richard Vignoni, Robin Frain, Russ Keene.
Riders – 30 mi (19):  Susan, Ann Northup, Barbara Martin, Barbara Pike, Bill Widnall, David Fay, Elsa Lawrence, Fred Newton, Ilkka Suvanto, Nancy Schlecht, Richard Fortier, Robert Wilson, Rochelle Holman, Roy Westerberg, Tom Lawrence, Veronica Vedensky, Winnie Parker, and first-timers Bette Simollardes and Sally Chapman.
Present at lunch (2):  Helen Greitzer and Sue Mann.

I agree with Susan that it was a fine day for a bike ride!  Both the short and long routes were new, and I designed them to have a start/finish close to the new Byrne/Mann residence.  I want to thank all forty-three riders for turning out, and I appreciate the favorable comments about both routes that were received from many. 

I apologize to riders on the Long Ride who expected the ride to follow the normal Wednesday Wheeler format, i.e., that I (the "leader") would lead from the front, human arrows would be used when appropriate and would stay in place until released by the sweep, regrouping stops would be made (as seen fit by the leader), and the ride would be swept.  That is the type of ride format I intended to lead, but failed to deliver.  This was the first time I had actually led a WW ride (two WW rides I previously scheduled to lead were cancelled by snow or rain), and I failed to emphasize, prior to the start, the aforementioned format points.  I assumed people coming to a WW ride would understand and plan on riding the WW format.

Instead, when I finished my pre-ride talk, I returned to my car to retrieve my bike and start my RWGPS app.  As I was turning around, I saw several of riders starting out of the parking lot, with most of the remaining riders following them.  I then had a problem with my RWGPS app not giving cues, and I stopped for a minute to try to resolve that, assuming the folks at the front of the pack would stop to let me catch up and lead.  That didn't happen until Rota Springs (half way through the ride), when they stopped for ice cream and porta potties.  Following Rota Springs, I started out in the lead group on Kendall Hill, but I was dropped on the hill and it was deja vu all over again.  I became concerned when I realized we no longer had a sweep, so I stopped and waited until I was sure there were no more riders behind me, and assumed the sweep position.

I wish to thank Francie and Barry for their company as we finished the ride together.  Special thanks to Susan for leading the Short Ride, to Everett for sweeping the first half of the ride, to Rich for attempting to resolve a situation (without a lot of cooperation), and to my partner, Sue, for hosting the end-of-ride lunch (mostly in my absence, until I arrived from bringing up the rear on the long ride).

NOTE TO SELF:  In future, when I lead a WW ride, I will be sure to emphasize that the Wednesday Wheeler ride format will be followed.

Report by Mike Byrne.

***********************************

What a beautiful day for a beautiful bike ride.  Thanks to Mike for creating such a gorgeous route.
 
But, for me, the leader of the shorter ride, it seemed the stars were somewhat crossed.  When I arrived at the start, I could no longer access the ridewithGPS route.  No how, no way.  (As it turns out three other GPS units, all on the longer ride, misbehaved exactly as mine did.)  Richard Vignoni gave me his phone and after a few fits and starts I got it to give me a map.  However, Richard had disabled an application that I generally rely on, so I made a record number of wrong turns, each quickly corrected, but after a while, whenever I turned, everyone hung back to see if I’d be making a U-turn.  Rochelle Holman, did yeoman’s duty, often acting as the leader of the leader, often taking arrows.  Without her, this ride could have ended up in Texas.
 
However, all were a terrific sports and everyone enjoyed the route and the company.  In all my irritation with the damned technology, I neglected to welcome our two new riders, Bette Simollardes and Sally Chapman.  Next time you see either of them, be sure to give them a big hello.
 
Thanks to Richard, Rochelle, and to Roy for sweeping.  Special thanks to Mike’s partner, Sue, who ordered and collected our lunch and welcomed us to their lovely home.

Report by Susan Sabin.