Around Boston - July 10, 2015

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, July 10, 2015, Around Boston
Ride Leaders:  Tom Allen and Dick Harter
32 & 41 miles, 10:00 am start from Larz Anderson Park, Brookline.

Riders - 32 mi (10):  Dick, Betty Hoffman, Nancy Smith, Brooke Stevens, Peggy Gelin, Jon Clardy, Paul Greco, Gary Smiley, Maurice King and David Wean.

Riders 41 mi (13): Tom, Don Buchholtz, Butch Pemstein (Great to see you again Butch!), Greg Stathis, Steve Robins, Elsa and Tom Lawrence, Barbara Martin, Elissa Brown, Jim Whinfield, Lei Wang, Alan Lazar, and Everett Briggs.

The "Around Boston" routes offered plenty of riding variety and some new scenery and experience to almost all of our riders. The 2 groups (longs and shorts - riding distance, not pant length) set off separately despite having the same routing for the first 7 miles. 12 riders followed the leader of the 41 mile ride out of the parking area at Larz Anderson and made their way to West Roxbury Parkway, which featured several large rotaries and climbed its way up Bellevue hill. This was just a preview of some more climbing to come.

From there it was an extended downhill as we breezed through the Stony Brook Reservation, a large semi-wild area in the middle of Boston. We then visited the Readville section of Hyde Park, the home of former Mayor Menino and the home of yours truly on his first relocation to Massachusetts back in 1967. Then more climbing as we entered the Blue Hills area. We rolled along very well and didn't bog down on the hills.

After a rest and bathroom stop at Houghton's Pond (where one rider expressed her disappointment that we hadn't planned for a dip – skinny or otherwise) we did a bit more climbing to reach the overlook which is capable of providing a spectacular view of the Boston skyline but was rather hazy when we got there. (Photos were taken.)

Then the descent into Quincy and Milton where we first encountered some significant traffic before finding some more residential roads. Then picking up the Neponset River trail we re-entered Boston city limits and made a pause in Dorchester where Everett pointed out the painted gas storage tank and explained that the blue stripe contained a profile of Ho Chi Minh as an anti war protest on the part of the artist.

After pedaling past U Mass and the JFK Library (where we were forced to detour around an interruption in the Harbor Walk that's been there for a year) we rode along the South Boston beach front and on to the "Innovation District". Another detour forced by the massive construction projects there. We did stop for more photos at the Federal Courthouse. We then tackled the streets of Boston following the harbor the best the streets would allow and crossed over to Charlestown where we passed under the Zakim bridge to loop back along the Charles and find the lunch stop.

Lunch was quite good, but several of us needed a McDonalds schedule more than a gourmet menu. (Especially the ride leader, who had a medical appointment to keep.) So, with several riders already planning to ride directly to their respective abodes, the leader bailed out and left finding the way back to cars to the resourcefulness of others. (Greg Stathis reports "The four riders made it back to the cars in good time under Jim’s competent guidance.")

Thanks to Everett for sweeping and to the numerous volunteer arrows who seldom needed to be asked (an were often unnecessary as we kept well together).

The RideWithGPS recording is here. Photos are embedded in it, so have a look.

Tom Allen

Boston Short Loop Report

Ten riders set out on the short loop, eliminating the 10-mile jaunt into the Blue Hills.  We enjoyed the Boston Parkway roads, the Neponset River Trail, the Harborwalk , and the Paul Dudley White trail along the Charles.   And we were, briefly, challenged by a traffic light that wouldn’t change, a road on the route with a fierce do not enter sign, the endless construction around UMass and the JFK library, and the gps that fell asleep after eating too much at Audubon Boston.  We managed to stay together through the ever-changing Seaport District and the tourist-filled Boston waterfront.  We gave thanks to Nancy Smith for sweeping and to David Wean for getting us from the Muddy River to Jamaica Pond while my gps was snoozing.  

Dick Harter

Maine Seacoast Ride - Thursday July 2, 2015

RIDE REPORT

Thursday July 2, 2015, Maine Seacoast Ride (attendance below)

It was a great day for a  coastal ride in southern Maine.  The temperature was perfect with a steady breeze, shining sun and glistening seas.  Sixteen wheelers started from Joanne’s house in Portsmouth and headed out over the newly renovated Memorial Bridge.  We headed north on rt 103 with a quick stop at Fort McClary, active during WW2.  According to Wikipedia,  the fort is s a former defensive structure on the southern coast of Maine at Kittery Point. Built at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, it was used primarily throughout the 19th century to protect approaches to the harbor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and its U.S. naval shipyard.  We then continued up the north  for another brief stop at Hartely Mason Reserve which is a seaside park with amazing views of the ocean and York Harbor beach.  Hartley W. Mason donated this land to the Town of York specifying that the view be saved for all time.  Then onto Nubble Light http://nubblelight.org/ .  Here’s the wikipedia link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Neddick_Light.  The group then split in 2 with one group going onto Ogunquit, ME, led by Ken Hablow, and the other group heading back to Portmsouth, led by Joanne.  No mechanical issues or anything else for that matter.  I’d like to thank the sweep, Selig Saltzman.  After the ride we met back at Joanne’s for a backyard soiree.  The salad contributions were delicious as were all the other contributions (i.e. cheesecake)….  Thanks to Dale Fergusoh and Rich Taylor who helped figure out the regulator procedure for the grill…. 

By Joanne Samuels

After leaving Nubble Light with the main group eight of us headed north on Shore Road through York Cliffs and Cape Neddick to Ogunquit with a pass through Perkins Cove. The road closer to Ogunquit is a fun ride being windy and rolling. After a stop in Ogunquit to re-fuel we headed back down Shore Road and rejoined the short ride return route which took us inland and through York center. Since there was a south wind the inland route gave us more protection. We kept up a nice pace and all stayed together with no need for human arrows. We got back to Joanne’s house in plenty of time to enjoy the wonderful spread of salads provided by several of the riders and Joanne’s grill.

By Ken Hablow

You are invited to view Russ Keene's photo album: Joanne's WW'lrs July 2, 2015

Boondoggle Rides - June 24, 2015

Wednesday, June 24, 2015, Boondoggle rides

Ride Leaders:  Janet Miller & Patrick Ward
30 & 38 miles, 10:00 am start from Cousins Park, West Concord, MA.

Riders - 30 mi (19):  Janet, Aliza Edwards, Arthur Teepe, Barbara Pike, Chris Schuch, David Wean, Gary Smiley, Gene Konik, Jackie Maurer, James Hsia, Jim Cant, Joanne Samuels, Michael Levine, Mike Hanauer, Richard Fortier, Rini Kester, Tom Allen, Winslow Green, and first-timer Alan Lazar.

Riders - 38 mi (16):  Patrick, Annemarie Altman, Brian O'Connor, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Balaban, Dave Slade, Dmitry Gorenburg, Doug Hobkirk, Elissa Brown, George Stromberg, Herb Kavet, Kathy Horvath, Maurice King, Rick Lawrence, Susan Sabin, and first-timer Peter Sharman.

Present at ride start & lunch:  Helen Greitzer.

Present at ride start:  John Roberts.

There was a great turnout for some new rides, staring at a new location, Cousins Park, in West Concord, where Helen kindly took attendance and sandwich orders for lunch.  (My apologies for confusing some people by calling it Cousins Field, which is what I have heard my neighbors call it.)  The long distance riders set off first to begin the 38 mile route, led by Patrick Ward.  The short distance riders started a few minutes later on their 30 mile route.  The first stop was at the Fairbanks Fields in Sudbury, after about seven miles, where the short-route riders caught up with the longer ride group.  We managed to stay in our separate groups and headed off towards the Gristmill on Wayside Inn Road, where the shorter-route group stopped for a while.  After that we passed through a corner of Marlborough and into Hudson, past Boon Lake.

The climb up Barton Road, just after the lake, was the steepest of the day, but luckily it is short.  At the top, I had a call from Gene Konik to say that he had missed an arrow, but would find his own way back.  Up until that time, he had been doing sterling service as an arrow.  Our next stop was at a Dunkin Donuts on the corner of Hudson Road and Rte 117.

After that, the route was on roads that were familiar to most, through Harvard, Stow, and Acton, before heading back to Concord.  The only mechanical issue was towards the end of the ride, when I dropped a chain, which was fixed with help from my fellow riders.  Special thanks goes to Mike Hanauer, our sweep, and the many human arrows.

Most people came to my condominium for lunch after the ride, where Helen was waiting with the sandwiches and drinks she had picked up from the Nashoba Brook Bakery.  Thank you, Helen!!  Lots of people admired the lunch spot and were very complimentary about the routes.

Ride report by Janet Miller.

On a beautiful summer's day, the long riders demonstrated what a capable and experienced group they were.  Their arrowing was flawless and riders did a good job of riding in a group and looking out for one another.  To my knowledge, no one got lost, and there were no safety incidents.

Nor were there any mechanicals except my own flat, which occurred on Dutton Road near the Wayside Inn.  Herb and Peter volunteered to fix it, and did so quickly and efficiently, despite the troublesome short stem of the replacement tube.  Their work gave me a break and time to check that riders had all moved their bikes to the shoulder of the busy road.

The teamwork enabled everyone to focus on just enjoying riding on a beautiful mix of roads, which included fast, open cruising on tree-shaded roads, and a relaxed pace through the narrow residential roads on the shores of Lake Boon.  I heard several compliments on the route, which neatly brought us back to Janet's house for lunch.

Many thanks to Susan Sabin for sweeping, and to Ilkka Suvanto for taking over when Susan's cell phone battery ran low.  Thanks also to Brian O'Connor, arrow extraordinaire, who gave me a rest in leading the group before I took over again for the final stretch.

Ride report by Patrick Ward.

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Coordinator's comment:  After checking and double-checking that the sandwich order was correct, I still delivered four fewer sandwiches than had been ordered.   :(   Through sharing and good humor, all, save Brian O'Connor, were fed and seemed content.  Brian left without eating and in seemingly good humor.  Unfortunately for us, this was Brian's last ride with the WWs.

FYI - the money which NBB refunded (for the missing sandwiches) will be sent to the PMC.

Priscilla Beach Bash - June 17, 2015

Wednesday, June 17, 2015, Priscilla Beach Bash
Ride Leaders:  Bill Lane & Winslow Green
36 & 34 miles, 10:00 am start from Sea Pines, Plymouth (Manomet Beach) , MA.
Riders - 36 mi (7):  Bill, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Balaban, Dmitry Gorenburg, James Hsia, Mark Tisdale, and Steve Page.
Riders - 34 mi (15):  Winslow, Bob Wadsworth, Dave Slade, David Wean, Don Buchholtz, Elsa Lawrence, Joanne Samuels, Joe Tavilla, Joel Covitz, Kathy Horvath, Lou Outor, Maurice King, Rudge McKenney, Susan Sabin, and Tom Lawrence.
Present at lunch:  Helen Greitzer.

The first PBB was conducted in 2006 and has been much the same for ten years.  It evolved from an earlier series of Cranberry Cruises in the Plymouth and Duxbury area with extensions to the cranberry bog  areas to the west.  Each year’s ride was a little different and often included commentary by the ride leader at certain points of interest.  We visited the Winslow house in Marshfield, the Gurnet at the outer end of Duxbury Beach, Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower, and  the John Bradford house in Kingston.  Some of our riders will recall the year we visited my brother at Manomet and had rides in his 1924 REO Speedwagon school bus.  It has been a lot of fun to share these rides with all of you. 

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Coordinator's note:  Joanne Samuels would like everyone to know that the eight WWs, who did the 21 mile ride option last Wednesday, were not "weary" 'til the end of the ride.

Led by Bill Lane, the seven faster riders set out first, at a brisk pace, over the same route that he devised ten years ago and which we have all come to love so much.  They rested at Long Pond and had one flat that was rapidly remedied.  The group largely stayed together and needed only a few arrows.  Winslow led the slower, 34 mile ride option which was on much the same route, but with a few shortcuts.  We passed through the pastoral precincts of Chiltonville and managed to climb the steep hill at Pine Hills before stopping for a rest at Winslowe’s View.  Our major rest stop was at the state park beach on Lower College Pond Road.  We enjoyed the pristine beauty of the Myles Standish State Forest and views of many of Plymouth’s 365 ponds.  The return was through the town of Plymouth and included another loop through Chiltonville.  We had several regroupings to accommodate slower riders and a little entertaining commentary along the way.  Thanks to Mark Tisdale and David Wean for sweeping the long and short rides. ,Our lunch, beautifully presented by Helen Greitzer and Connie Lane, was enjoyed by all.  Thanks to everyone for their generosity; a contribution of $150 was made to our riders in the 2015 Pan Mass Challenge.

This year’s ride was a bit nostalgic because it is to be the last.  Sea Pines, the lovely seaside home of Bill’s mother-in-law, Bojan Jennings, is a bit much for a 95 year old and she will be moving closer to Bill and Connie.  It was a pleasure to visit with Bojan again in her study and see that she is still her same alert and sprightly self.  Our thanks to her for graciously hosting us for all these years.  We wish her well as the next chapter of her life unfolds.  Thanks also to Bill for all his efforts to make these rides such a success, as well as for sharing Sea Pines with us all.

Ride report by Winslow Green.

Thanks to Dan Egan for forwarding the attached photos.

Haverhill Short - May 27, 2015

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, May 27, 2015, Haverhill Short

Ride Leader: Dick Harter

37 miles,10:00 am start from Ipswich River Park, North Reading, MA

Riders (28): Bob and Carol Anderson, Tom Allen, Dave Balaban, Elissa Brown, Don Buchholtz, Curt Dudley-Marling, Bernie Flynn, John Gilman, Paul Greco, Dmitri Gorenburg, Dick Harter,  Doug Hobkirk, Paula Hobson, Kathy Jonas, Kathy Horvath, Clyde Kessel, Maurice King, Gene Konig, Larry Kornetsky, Richard Mandel, Rudge McKenney, John Roberts, Dave Slade, Francie Sparks, Ilkka Suvanto, Tom Swanson and Bob Wolf.

Classic Wednesday Wheelers!  A beautiful day: hot but breezy.  A well-crafted route (courtesy of Tom Allen): plentiful shade; lovely ponds; some stretches with decent pavement; little traffic.  A thoughtful, helpful sweep – Clyde Kessel – who dealt with flats. And a ride leader who knew where he was going (almost all the time) and went there.  We began on rough pavement in North Reading, spent a good amount of time in Harold Parker State Forest, enjoyed better pavement in Boxford, stopped halfway at Ingaldsby’s to regroup and then finished up in Georgetown, more Boxford, Middleton and North Reading.  Some sprinted for their cars; the rest of us enjoyed a leisurely lunch at Ryer’s Store in North Reading.  Thanks to Clyde who, as noted, was the gracious and efficient sweep and to Tom who designed the route.  Rider courtesy/safety was high. Dick Harter

Holliston Halo rides - June 10, 2015

Wednesday, June 10, 2015, Holliston Halo rides
Ride Leaders:  Alan Cantor & A.J. Gemperline
40 & 21 miles, 10:00 am start from Grace Bicycles, Holliston, MA.

Riders - 40 mi (17):  Alan, Alan Schneyer, Barry Nelson, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dale Ferguson, Don Buchholtz, Ed Broderick, Elissa Brown, Herb Kavet, Jody Angevin, Judith McMichael, Kim Wach, Lory Broderick, Maurice King, Michael Diener, Russ Keene, and Sharon Hall
Riders - 21 mi (8):  A.J., Arthur Teepe, Chuck McWilliams, Dave Slade, Jan Herzog, Joanne Samuels, Kevin Donnelly, and Tami Kellogg
Present at lunch:  Helen Greitzer

40 mi - A beautiful, 80 degree day provided the perfect setting for a great ride.  We all enjoyed the wonderful descents, of course, set up by some long and steep climbs.  The group did a great job of staying pretty close together, revealing an overall amazing level of fitness.  We had a few regroups. The addition of the stop at the recently found port-a-potty at the Upton State Forest, at exactly half way through the ride, was welcome.   Gratefully, we only had one quick mechanical when my chain dropped on the last major climb.

Big thanks to the few who arrowed, including newcomer Ed Broderick who quickly learned the secret to riding the WW rides at his own pace. And a big shout out to Kim Wach who not only did a wonderful job as sweep, but also rode the route on a recon mission with me a few weeks ago.  All in all it was a wonderful day on the bike.

21 mi - Eight weary Wednesday Wheelers were led by their whacky leader.  It was a gorgeous ride.  We volunteered Chuck for sweep and exchanged phone numbers. 

With trepidation, we headed east on Rte 16 and then south on Rte 126, until we turned onto the back roads of Medway, Holliston, and Sherborn.  No llamas were spotted, but we did get to see a cow.  We only regrouped a couple of times, as this group was small.  We got lost once and it wasn't a biggie.  The ride leader just couldn't read his GPS in time to make the correct turn.  We all made it safely back, being thankful that we went down Nason Hill Road, instead of up.



Ride reports by Alan Cantor & A.J. Gemperline.

Gem in the Rough ride - June 3, 2015

RIDE REPORT

 
Wednesday, June 3, 2015, Gem in the Rough ride - Sharon to Diamond Hill, RI - & party

Ride Leaders:  Jean & Ken Zaniewski
44 & 25 miles, 10:00 am start from 244 Old Post Road, Sharon, MA.

Riders - 44 mi (14):  Ken, Annemarie Altman, Barry Nelson, Bob Apsler, Chuck McWilliams, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dmitry Gorenburg, Jody Angevin, Kim Wach, Rich Taylor, Veronica Vedensky, and first-timers Lory Broderick, Michael Diener, and Nancy Dragoon

Riders - 25 mi (15):  Jean, Andrea Clardy, Chris Schuch, Dave Slade, Don Buchholtz, Don Mannes, Donald O'Rourke, Gene Konik, Ilkka Suvanto, James Hsia, Kathy Jonas, Kevin Donnelly, Susan Sabin, Tami Kellogg, plus one whose name is illegible

Present at lunch (3):  Helen Greitzer, Tom Kinraide, and Forbesy Russell

Fourteen riders set out on the longer, 44 mile ride, led by Ken Zaniewski and swept by Barry Nelson.  They were followed five minutes later by fifteen riders on the shorter, 25 mile ride, led by Jean Zaniewski and swept by Kevin Donnelly.  The weather was a bit chilly and windy, though certainly warmer and less wet than the near freezing rain earlier in the week.  The only mechanical problem was one flat in the long group.  As this occurred only about six miles into the ride, and was a lengthy changing process, the short riders had the pleasure of overhauling the long group and then keeping the lead all the way through the Gilbert State Forest split.

The short riders enjoyed a Dunkin Donuts stop in Wrentham center, while the long riders made do with a lonely portapotty next to a baseball field in Cumberland, RI.

All riders made it back to Ken and Jean’s house in good cheer and with a good appetite.   Helen Greitzer, newly returned from Singapore, joined us for the after-ride party.  She was enthusiastically welcomed by all, and gladdened Jean’s heart by commenting that one might need to visit England to see gardens as lovely as hers.  Sharonites Forbesy Russell and Tom Kinraide, who have enjoyed WW hikes previously, also joined us at the after-ride party.

There were no safety problems and the pavement was mostly smooth.  Most of the roads were lightly traveled, with “a long distance between arrows,”  and the scenery was full of farms and forests, along with a penitentiary or two.  Jean did lead the short ride down a premature, wrong right turn, but was quickly corrected by the one rider with a GPS cue sheet up and running.  Otherwise we may have visited the Wrentham State School from a different direction, though our quick peek at the Lazy Looper model airplane field did make the wrong turn interesting.  All in all, a very successful day.

Ride report by Jean Zaniewski.