RIDE REPORT
Wednesday, 3 October 2018, Doug's Annual Bonsai Rides
Ride Leaders: Doug Hobkirk & Clyde Kessel
34 or 40 miles, 10:00 am starts from Bonsai West, Littleton, MA
Riders – 34 mi (4): Doug, Jimmy White, Ron Marland, and Roy Westerberg.
Riders - 40 mi (18): Clyde, Barry Nelson, Bernie Flynn, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dan Krechmer, Dave Balaban, Dmitry Gorenburg, Ellen Gugel, Gene Ho, Gerry Sheetoo, Herb Kavet, Joan Sarles, Julie Dodd, Kaz Zelny, Kevin Donnelly, Maria Noya, Rick Billings, and Sally Chapman.
There were several surprises for me at the beginning of the ride.
- The mist / drizzle was disappointing, but I it didn't affect the ride - I never saw a drop on my glasses, never felt a tire slip, nor had my skin feel damp. Now that I think about it, it made for a "mistical" experience . . . . .
- The mist, seemingly, did not limit the number of riders - the parking lot was jammed!
- There were so few short riders! With only four, we rode together, for 34 miles, with no arrows.
We had a relaxed, slow ride. One rider had not cycled for two months (healing from ankle surgery), and I had missed a couple of weeks due to heart issues. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for a bagel at mile 22.
I choose the date for the Bonsai ride to be near peak foliage, so we can experience spectacular trees during the ride, as well as after the ride. But there was very little color, except for a vibrant splash, at the swamp at mile 9, at the start of the "almost no car zone" (for thirteen miles, we were passed by a total of nine cars!). (What is "global warming"?)
Michael Levin, the owner of Bonsai West, was delighted to host the WWs. He and I ride together, occasionally, and he hopes to ride with us next year.
Thank you all for coming, and thanks to Clyde for leading the long ride option.
Report by Doug Hobkirk.
For once! Finally! At long last! Put this in the record books! Wednesday's ride actually went off without a hitch. In past years, we’ve had lost riders, hung arrows, and missing lunches. One year it got so bad we just gave up, turned around, and rode back to the start.
Apart from a little mist at the start, the weather was clement. I was feeling a little frisky, so we kept up a good pace and finished well before the short group.
We did have one mechanical problem, one of our riders had to go home because his new, new-fangled electronic shifters weren’t yet working right.
Report by Clyde Kessel.
Pictures by Barry on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WednesdayWheelers/posts/876139569241288
No comments:
Post a Comment