A Nice Ride for a Wednesday - May 11, 2022

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 11 May 2022, A Nice Ride for a Wednesday

Ride Leader:   Lindy King

41 miles, 10:00 am start from Chelmsford, MA

Riders (18):  Lindy, Barbara Martin, Betsy Harper, Beth Rosenzweig, Clyde Kessel, Ed Hill, Garry Sheetoo, Jamie King, Joel Bauman, Julie Dodd, Maria Noya, Robert Rybarczyk, Rochelle Holman, Romaine Randall, Wing Chow, first-timers Lyda Budrys and Renee Rees (visiting from Baltimore), and a mystery rider.

It was a beautiful sunny morning for a ride and the winds had died down a little.  A congenial group of Wednesday Wheelers met at Heart Pond in Chelmsford for a 41 mile ride on a lovely day.  No arm-twisting was involved when Jamie King volunteered as sweep!  After initial announcements, we set off on a flat portion of the route before tackling the many hills before us - Heald Street in Carlisle and Nagog Hills in Acton among others.

As leader, I opted for periodic regrouping of riders so there wouldn’t be any long gaps between our human arrows.  That turned out to be wise, as it created may more opportunities for people to chat and get to know each other better.  I don’t think anyone minded.   :-)   After Rocky Hill Road in Groton we had a bit longer stop waiting for Jamie and Renee, as her rear brake spring had broken and she was only able to use her front brake.  Luckily we had a good climb before us as we ascended Graniteville Road up to Westford and our only store on the route.  Muffins on Main was a welcome sight after the most challenging hill of the ride!  Everyone had a chance for a restroom break, a snack, and conversations.  We then proceeded downhill and onto a flat course 'til ride’s end.

Many thanks to Jamie for volunteering as sweep and to Beth and Clyde for doing more than their share of “arrowing.”  Additional thanks to Maria and Barbara for the photos.

Report by Lindy King.