Great Brook Farm State Park road ride - July 20. 2022

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 20 July 2022, Great Brook Farm State Park road ride

Ride Leader:  Clyde Kessel

31 miles, 9:00 am start from Carlisle, MA

Riders (12):  Clyde, Alex Nelson, Beth Rosenzweig, Curt Dudley-Marling, Ed Hill, Gary Williams, Gerry Sheetoo, Hugh Folsom, Jim Pearl, Rochelle Holman, Wing Chow, and first-timer Ken Weber.

Half of our group had cycled from home, so we didn’t take up much space in the parking lot.  Hardly anyone else was at the state park on such a hot day, so it didn’t matter anyway.  A couple of people encountered slow traffic (the early start did impinge on rush hour) and were a bit late, but we still got rolling by 9:15 am.  This ride leader doesn’t talk much at the ride start.

They say to make something happen, you have to visualize it.  Well, I visualized a relaxed ride at a pace slow enough so no one would get overheated.  I can tell you that the visualization stuff is a bunch of malarky.  The group took off like a rocket and, before long, the leader found himself riding with the sweep.  So, if you can’t beat them, join them.  I picked up my pace enough to (mostly) keep the front of the group in sight.  As it was, no one seemed to have much trouble with the heat, but folks did take advantage of the water bubbler at the Concord Visitor Center to cool down.

There were no notable wildlife sightings - I guess all sensible souls were chilling in the shade somewhere.

At Verrill Farm, a couple of riders split off to go for a swim at White Pond.  Others split off at various points to cycle back home (or in one case, to get some extra miles!).  At the end, we were down to six riders, three of whom went to the restaurant only to find it closed for vacation.  So much for lunch in air-conditioned comfort.

Thanks to Rochelle for sweeping and to the many faithful arrows.

Ride report by Clyde Kessel.

For Sheldon 2022 - a ride from Wayland - July 13 2022

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 13 July 2022, For Sheldon 2022 - a ride from Wayland

Ride Leaders:  Harriet Fell & John Allen

31 miles, 10:00 am start from Wayland, MA

Riders (17):  Harriet, John, Adam Walpert, Barry Nelson, Butch Pemstein, Cynthia Zabin, David Wean, Ed Hill, Gary Williams, Gerry Sheetoo, Glenn Pransky, Linda Nelson, Sandy Gotlib, Tami Kellogg, Terry Snyder, and first-timers Ernie Glickman and Henry Hamilton. 

This was a ride celebrating Sheldon Brown’s life.  His birthday was July 14th and he would have been 78 on that day this year. 

Our ride started off a few minutes after 10:00 am, with Harriet leading and John riding sweep.  We headed out of the Wayland Town Center parking area on Andrew Avenue and crossed Rte 20, to ride on the road through Russell's Garden Center, a little-known, ridable dirt road that crosses over to Pelham Island Road.  From there on we stuck to paved roads.

The temperature rose to the high 80s, but there was good shade cover on most of the route which made for comfortable riding, and the humidity was not high.  A few riders rode faster, especially on the hills, but we waited periodically so the group stayed pretty much together throughout the ride.  Three riders announced that they had to split off somewhere along the way and did so as planned.  

When most of the group was approaching the Wayside Inn, Harriet got a call from Ed Hill saying he had taken over someone’s position as an arrow and started out after no-one had passed for fifteen minutes.  He had lost the route and needed directions.  So we hung out for a while in front of the Wayside Inn, giving people a chance to use the facilities and/or refill their water bottles. This stop also provided a chance for those of us who knew about the Wayside Inn and nearby buildings to tell the others about it.  John recited the last verse of “Mary had a Little Lamb” which was written about an incident at a one-room schoolhouse that had been moved to the site.

Part of the return route was on Water Row, which Sheldon always claimed was his favorite road.  Toward the end of the ride, we rode on the Weston-Wayland stretch of the Mass Central Rail Trail, a route Sheldon never got to ride.  At the end of the paved path, some people continued on the pressed dirt stretch back to the start and others returned via Rte 126, Bow Road, Rte 27, and Andrew Avenue.

For lunch, seven of us shared an outdoor table at The Local and two others ate at a nearby table with friends they had arranged to meet. 

Ride report by Harriet Fell and John Allen.

Border Run Redux 2022 - July 6, 2022

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 6 July 2022, Border Run Redux 2022

Ride Leader:  Wes DeNering

~40 miles, 10:00 am start from Ashland, MA

Riders (9):  Wes, Alan Cantor, Gary Williams, Gerry Sheetoo, John Kitchen, Kim Wach, Pat Schindeler, Yuliya Zhogina, and first-timer Sharon Segal. 

While much of the rest of the country is baking in brutal heat, we continue to have just one gorgeous summer day after another.  The July 6th Wednesday Wheeler ride was no exception.  Temps in the low 80s and low humidity made for very comfortable riding. 

  

We got off to a slow start due to some late arrivals.  We also had a huge range in abilities, making it hard for human arrows to work well.  The route went mostly south towards Rhode Island, in a pocket of relatively undeveloped territory with lots of town forests and quiet back roads.  I think everyone still enjoyed the ride, but most chose not to stick around for the party due to the late return time.

Thanks to all that came to either!  And special thanks to Pat for sweeping.

Ride report by Wes DeNering.

Concord to the MASS PIKE - June 22, 2022

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 22 June 2022, Concord to the MASS PIKE

Ride Leader:  Jimmy White

31.7 miles, 10:00 am start from Concord, MA

Riders (15):  Jimmy, Adam Walpert, Barry Nelson, Bernie Mango, Betsy Harper, Bill Widnall, Cindy Chin, Dale Ferguson, Doug Chin, Gary Williams, Hugh Folsom, Joan Fenster, Mike Hanauer, Rich Taylor, and Rochelle Holman. 

On a stunning summer day, fifteen riders left the Concord Visitor Center without any ride start issue, other than the inability of a couple of riders to use their phones to register on the CRW website. It soon became clear that individual speeds varied a lot, so the group was spread out all the time, but we gathered as needed to keep us together.  The first rest stop in Weston center, at mile 9, demonstrated the camaraderie that makes WW so unique.  It was more of a party than a rest stop, and the leader had to mount and leave to coerce the group to depart. 

 

The ride went smoothly, as there were no flats, mechanicals, or rider issues.  The last 5.7 miles of the ride has no turns, so a group of us picked up the pace to have a spirited return. 

 

Most people opted out of lunch, but a group went to the Main Street Market & Café, a lively spot in Concord center, and sat at picnic tables under a canopy to enjoy lunch outside. 

Ride report by Jimmy White.