To the End of the World and Back - July 23, 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 23 July 2025, To the End of the World and Back
Ride Leaders:  David Wean & Ron Beland
27 mi, 10:00 am start from Hingham, MA

Riders (13):  David, Ron, Armen Kasparian, Barry Kaditz, Frank Aronson, Frank Calabrese, Gary Williams, Gene Ho,  Marie Keutmann, Sandy Gotlib, Steve Bogue, Susan Broome, and first-timer John Sarnosky.

After the first few miles on the road, we began our “tour de parks.”  We started with Weymouth's Osprey Overlook Park and then climbed through Great ("more than just pretty good") Esker Park, riding the paved knife-edge path and viewing the Back River estuary on one side and the roofs of nearby houses on the other.

 

We then meandered through Hingham's Bare Cove Park along the other side of the estuary which divides Hingham and Weymouth.  Continuing by road through downtown Hingham (passing through an unexpected mid-weekday local protest), we made our way to World's End (admission fee, but we had almost enough Trustees memberships between us) where we enjoyed the water views from this fantastic park.  The entire group chose to ride the couple of miles of gravel paths all around the two hummocks that make up the park, though some of the paths had been recently re-graveled, so some of us walked some of the stretches.

 

From there we cruised the smoother pavement on Jerusalem Road and Atlantic Avenue in Cohasset, passing lovely homes and enjoying some dramatic views.  In Cohasset center, we stopped for lunch at the picnic tables in the park, with sandwiches and salads from four of the available restaurant choices.

 

After a couple more road miles and one last hill, we rolled along the stone dust Whitney Spur Bikeway, which led us back into Wompatuck Park to finish the ride.  Low average speed, but high average enjoyment.  

 

Report by David Wean.

Cycle the City and The Emerald Necklace - July16, 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 16 July 2025, Cycle the City and The Emerald Necklace

Ride Leader:  Gary Williams

24 miles, 10:00 am start from South Boston, MA

 

Riders (13): Gary, Ann Whaley-Tobin, Bill Perry, David Wean, Frank Aronson, Gene Ho, Mike Barry, Rene Sokolow, and first-timers Arthur Gleiner, Christine Corr, Jeffrey Orlin, Marci Cohen, and Shawn Corr.

This was, by far, the largest group of riders we've had in the history of this urban WW ride.  Originally scheduled as a 32-miler, we elected to shorten it by approximately eight miles, due to the heat and humidity.  In hindsight, we probably should have started a little earlier.

Nevertheless, our intrepid crew headed out in an orderly fashion for a trek through many of Boston's neighborhoods, with historic stops along the way, including the sites of the Boston Tea Party and the infamous molasses flood of 1919, the Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution and, finally, the Arnold Arboretum at the rides' halfway point.  It was here that we learned that one of our riders was feeling the effects of the heat, so we took a vote and unanimously decided to cut out a section of Jamaica Plain, Franklin Park, Mattapan, the Neponset River Trail, and Dorchester.  Instead, we went from the Arboretum onto the Southeast Corridor Trail through JP, Roxbury, Mass Ave., and Andrews Square, before returning to Castle Island.

Many riders expressed enthusiasm for this ride and we all regretted that it had to be shortened.  I promised, therefore, to lead it again, perhaps in September.

Report by Gary Williams.

Boxborough/Bolton/Harvard - July 2. 2025

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 2 July 2025, Boxborough/Bolton/Harvard

Ride Leader:  Todd Palmer

31.5 miles, 9:00 am start from Boxborough, MA

Riders (11):  Todd, Alan Cantor, Armen Kasparian, Betsy Kimball, Hugh Folsom, Phyllis Evan, Richard Shoenfeld, Simon Lingard, Wing Chow, and first-timers, Benson Marguilies and Stephen Karp.

The 9:00 am start time and the overnight rain helped hold the heat off, starting at a humid 74F.  We all agreed that human arrows were unnecessary with the small group size, GPS users, and hilly route.  We quickly learned that the climbs were going to string the group out and appointed Betsy as sweep.

We rolled by countless farms, horses, vegetable stands, and orchards (as promised) on the way south through Bolton and into Berlin.  The overcast skies kept us from overheating and did not spoil the scenery.  We re-grouped every seven miles or so, making sure to stay hydrated and fueled.  Our third regroup was at the Prospect Hill Road lookout, near the Fruitlands Museum - a very nice group photo was taken – by Todd and then by Stephen.

After the lookout, it was one more quick roll into Harvard, and then a nice descent north into Littleton before turning south back to the Craft Food Halls.

About half the group enjoyed lunch and good conversation before calling it a day - a fantastic Wednesday.

Report by Todd Palmer.