Desperate Wheelers/Helen Birthday Party - November 15, 2017

At the start

Regrouping

The guest of honor

Chowing down

Doug's Bonsai Ride - November 8, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 8 November 2017, Doug’s Bonsai Ride

Ride Leaders:  Doug Hobkirk & Clyde Kessel

34 or 40 miles, 10:00 am start from Bonsai West, Littleton, MA

Riders - 34 mi (6):  Doug, David Fay, David Wean, Jack Donohue, Peter Shaw, and Ron Beland.

Riders – 40 mi (16):  Clyde, Barbara Martin, Bill Lane, Bill Wachur, Bob Wadsworth, David Cooper, Gene Ho, James Hsia, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Lindy King, Ray Komow, Steve Carlson, Steve Delaney, Wing Chow, and first-timer Duncan Warden.

Boy, what a delightful ride!  Excellent weather, although it was chilly (gloves required).  The trees still had a lot more color than seemed reasonable for November.  With only six riders, we rode as a group and didn't use arrows.  Jack acted as a sort-of sweep, just to be certain that we didn’t lose anyone.  (Thanks, Jack.  I felt more comfortable knowing that you were helping.)

There were some traffic problems - we kept running into the "faster" (longer) ride group!  We passed the entire group on Martin Pond Road (possibly my favorite cycling road).   A short distance up the road, Jack stopped us for a photo, in front of a house with barn that houses a gifted teenage bagpiper whom I've heard practicing twice over the years. 

Wednesday Wheelers are quite wonderful!  All fourteen people who had ordered sandwiches were truly gracious about the ordering screw-up.  Most walked around in the courtyard, and I sent those who wanted to eat elsewhere a mile down the road to Crossroads Cafe (my favorite eatery in the area).  I drove down to join them after the last of the riders had left the courtyard.  Oops!! (Damn?)  Crossroads no longer does lunch during the week.  So this turned into a WW ride without lunch!  Ouch!  Sorry, and I won't allow that to happen again. 

Thanks to Clyde for his help before and at the start of the rides and, especially, for leading the longer ride option.  Great job!!

Report by Doug Hobkirk.

First, before I start ranting, thank you to Ray Komow for being a capable and competent sweep and to all the loyal arrows who remained at their posts.

Now, the rant.  Several arrows left their posts because they had waited ten minutes!  It was chilly, but not cold enough to leave your post.  Somehow, the arrows became convinced that the sweep had gone home or gotten lost.  He hadn’t; he'd been delayed, but he came along in due course.  I think the problem is that Trump is making everyone anxious and upset, and people are no longer able to relax and enjoy the roses.

Aside from that, it was a beautiful, if chilly, day on a beautiful route.

Report by Clyde Kessel.

Short ride riders

We had spectators

Magical Mystery Tours - November 1, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday, 1 November 2017, Magical Mystery Tours

Ride Leaders:  Kathy Horvath & Curt Dudley-Marling 

37 & 50 miles, 10:00 & 10:30 am starts from Bikeway Source parking lot, Bedford, MA

Riders – 37 mi (14): Kathy, Annemarie Altman, Bill Wachur, Bob Wadsworth, Jack Donohue, Jack Mroczkowski, Judith McMichael, Richard Fortier, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Tom Allen, first-timer Gerald Sheetoo, plus one unidentified individual (in red bike jacket) who may have been absent during the taking of attendance.

Riders – 50 mi (14):  Curt, Barbara Martin, Bernie Flynn, Butch Pemstein, Dave Balaban, Frank Hubbard, Gene Ho, Kevin Donnelly, Lindy King, Marc Baskin, Ray Komow, Rick Carlson, Sandy Gray, and Wing Chow. 

Despite a surprisingly chilly, overcast morning, where the temperature went down to 31 degrees, thirteen enthusiastic riders gathered at the start and Barbara soon joined the ride.  The group stayed together and the sweep duties were nominal, but appreciated nonetheless.  Passing the riders on the short route, near Silver Lake in Tewksbury, confirmed that the riders were in a smooth rhythm.  Fortunately, very little debris was encountered on the road, despite the recent rain and wind storm; a couple of tree removal crews posed little difficulty.  With a well-functioning GPS route, the long route riders finished earlier than the short route riders.  Feedback was positive - although the route is a bit more urban than most CRW rides, the roads were quite different and interesting in their own way, and the segment through Harold Parker State Park is always scenic.

A half hour later start made little difference in the temperature due to the overcast sky. Very light winds were a small relief to the chilly weather, and several riders added layers and borrowed gloves to be more comfortable. As Lemony Snicket would say, there were some “unfortunate events” but nothing that resulted in bodily harm, thankfully.  This second-time WW leader learned a valuable lesson - be sure to designate an arrow when turning in to a rest stop; not realizing that part of the group got caught back at a stop light, we were separated and the first group yelled to no avail as we watched the second group go sailing by the DD on Winn Street.  Fortunately, the Sweep checked his phone messages and stopped to get directions to back-track and they were awarded bonus miles for their effort. One rider decided to ride directly home from DD, and the remaining thurteen rejoined as one group for the last ten miles.  Three riders took the bike path option in Lexington and the rest attacked the hill at Grove Street.  Tom subsequently sent some very useful suggestions to modify the route for the future, which the leader will certainly investigate.

Special thanks to Curt for co-leading, to Jack Donohue for sweeping, and to all riders for their gracious good company.

Report by Kathy Horvath.

Over the river (Ipswich) and through the woods (Harold Parker State Forest, which was our one and only stop).  The ride was cold at the start, cold in the middle, and somewhat warmer at the end (mostly because of the hills leading to Lexington and Bedford).  Kevin Donnelly announced at the start that this was the first ride he’d done where the temperature was below 60 at the start.  Well, it was at least 20 degrees below 60 at the beginning of this ride.

We were expecting Barbara to join us at mile 1.5, but she wasn’t there when we made it to the designated coordinates at 10:15.  We waited for a whole minute before moving on (remember:  it was really cold).  About ten miles later Barbara managed to catch up with us, bringing peace, joy and arnica to the group.  Good news story: near the end of the ride Ray Komow discovered that his wallet had fallen out of his jacket pocket.  So, he turned his bike around and began the search for his wallet.  Lucky for him, he found the wallet where it had fallen, only 50 yards from where he had realized that it was missing.

It was my first time leading a Wednesday Wheeler ride and we returned to Bedford with nearly all the riders that we’d started with (Marc veered off to Lexington near the end of the ride in search of some finer dining opportunities and Lindy left us earlier to ride home).  Having me ride at the front also spared the group my “quirky” sense of humor - no eye rolling on this day.

All in all, ‘twas a very good ride.  Following the example of our chief executive, I give myself a 10 out of 10 (and Kathy a 20 out of 10 for her hard work creating this delightful ride).  Thanks to Butch for sweeping.

Report by Curt Dudley-Marling.

Group sans Susan

Group with Susan

Sherborn to Norfolk - October 18, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday 18 October 2017, Sherborn to Norfolk
Ride Leader:  Alan Cantor
35 miles, 10:00 am start from 25 North Main Street, Sherborn, MA


Riders (17):  Alan, Arthur Teepe, Barry Nelson, Bill Wachur, Chuck McWilliams, Dave Balaban, Francie Sparks, Herb Kavet, Kevin Donnelly, Marc Baskin, Nancy Cahn, Rochelle Holman, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Veronica Vedensky, Wing Chow, and first-timer Ellen Dirgins.

We had the rare concurrence of a perfect weather day, a beautiful route, miles of new pavement, and last, but of course not least, the best people to share all of this with.  A couple of chain drops, quickly recovered, were the only mechanical issues.  We welcomed a new rider, Ellen Dirgins, who quickly jumped in and arrowed a few turns.

Thanks to all who arrowed and, especially, to Barry who did a wonderful job as our sweep.

Report by Alan Cantor

Circling Wachusett rides - October 11, 2017

RIDE REPORTS

Wednesday 11 October 2017, Circling Wachusett rides
Ride Leaders:  Richard Vignoni (core ride) & Bob Apsler (remote start)
39 miles, 10:00 am start from West Sterling Athletic Field, Sterling, MA
62 miles, 8:50 am start from Forbush Mill Road Soccer Field, Bolton, MA

Riders - 39 mi (12):  Richard, Bill Lane, Don Buchholtz, Ellen Gugel, Francie Sparks, Judith McMichael, Julie Dodd, Kevin Donnelly, Ray Komow, Richard Lawrence, Rochelle Holman, and Winslow Green.
Riders - 62 mi (5):  Bob, Everett Briggs, David Cooper, Lindy King, and Rick Carlson.

Five remote riders arrived at the West Sterling Athletic field to join the group of core riders, with plenty of time to spare.  After explaining the various combinations of options, all seventeen riders headed out together under overcast skies, making a right  turn onto Holden Road for the first of many hills.

As the day progressed, the sun came out with the temperature reaching the mid-60s for near perfect cycling weather.  The foliage was running noticeably late, but the route still proved to be spectacular, with subdued colors, leaves on the sides of the roads, and nearly no car traffic for the first 30 miles.  The ride leader and sweep stopped to address a recurring mechanical problem which was diagnosed to be due to a non-fixable, faulty repair from a high end bike shop.  With many riders going ahead, there was some confusion as to who was with whom and one of the riders got in some extra miles before meeting the rest of the group at the ski area lunch stop.

After eating our BYO lunches and with the day getting late, the core group decided to take the quickest route back along Rte 140, skipping a few extra miles, a few extra climbs, and an exhilarating downhill.  Despite the confusion, it was a great day of cycling.
Thanks to Rick Carlson for sweeping the ride and to all those who arrowed and participated. 

Report by Richard Vignoni.

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The remote start began inauspiciously when the Ride Leader arrived twenty minutes before the start and found the parking lot empty.  I’ve never before been the first to arrive at a ride and assumed I was either an hour early or late, but three others arrived, and Everett caught up with us not much later.

The optional rides got messed up a bit.  Only a few of us stopped for lunch at the ski area, while maybe four rode directly up to the Visitor Center.  Two of the four climbed further to the summit, while Everett was prevented from doing so by a broken derailleur cable.  In the meantime, the Ride Leader enjoyed lunch, as planned, at the ski area.  Having no one to lead, he rode alone to the Visitor Center, where he met David Cooper.  Dave graciously gave the Ride Leader the opportunity of leading the final climb by riding a second time to the summit.  The two of us returned to the start of the Core ride, found that everyone else had departed, and rode back to the start of the remote. 

Report by Bob Apsler.

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Photo courtesy of Judith McMichael.

Breakheart Reservation - October 4, 2017

RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 4 October 2017, Breakheart Reservation
Ride Leader:  Tom Allen
30 miles, 10:00 am start from Sandy Beach parking area, Winchester, MA

Riders (21): Tom, Adele Ferreira, Adena Schutzberg, Alan Long, David Wean, Dmitry Gorenburg, Elsa Lawrence, Everett Briggs, Jeff Smith, Jim Cant, Jim Whinfield, Joseph Tavilla, Judith McMichael, Meng Wu, Peggy Gelin, Peter Shaw, Rochelle Holman, Selig Saltzman, Susan Sabin, Tom Lawrence, and Wing Chow.
(Remoting riders: Adena, David, Everett, Peggy, and Selig.)

Oh Frabjous Day!  Remarkable weather for October!  Perhaps a downside is that the great weather brought out a large number of pedestrians (walking their dogs and their iPhones) along with multiple road crews.

We headed north through Winchester to Horn Pond and its car-free paved and very scenic way, where we dodged small dogs and the occasional baby carriage.  Then back to streets through Woburn toward Wakefield.  We just nipped a bit of Stoneham, but that was the corner where road crews had seriously dug up the street forcing a couple of unfortunate detours.

In Wakefield we crossed a bikes-only bridge over RR tracks and made our way around Lake Quannapowitt.  The road gods redeemed themselves a bit with a freshly paved Valley Street (good for about a half mile).

We then entered the Breakheart reservation area and tackled its roller coaster-like paths.  These are paved paths which feature some short, but strenuous, uphills and exhilarating downhills, as well as lovely scenery.  We did two loops over different paths separated by a stop at the park headquarters facilities.

Leaving the Reservation, we followed the Lynn Fells Parkway toward the Fells, pedaled up Ravine Road, and took the narrow bike path along the side of Woodland Road.  Crossing I-93 at Roosevelt Circle, we encountered yet another road blockage which forced another detour (minor this time).

We split about 50-50 for lunch/no lunch.  Nine of us had a pleasant and leisurely meal at First House Pub in Winchester.

Thanks to Adena for sweeping and to Everett for assisting with mechanical issues involving a flat tire and loose cleat screw. (Different victims.)

The ride leader was gratified to hear praise for the route and for introducing folks to new experiences.

Report by Tom Allen

Mountain & road rides from Great Brook - September 27. 2017

RIDE REPORTS

 

Wednesday, 27 September 2017, Great Brook Farm State Park mountain bike rides & road ride

MTB Ride Leaders:  Tony & Margie Lee

Road Ride Leader:  Clyde Kessel

32 miles (road), 10:00 am start from Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle, MA

 

MTB Riders (13):   Margie, Tony, Bob, Larry, Aliza Edwards, Francie Sparks, Gene Ho, Joe Marcangelo, Julie Dodd, Patrick Ward, Rick Carlson, Tom Amiro, and first-timer Lorena Duquette.

Road Riders (23):  Clyde, Andrea Clardy, Barry Kaditz, Dan Krechmer, Dave Balaban, David Kobes, Jack Donohue, Jim Cant, Kathy Horvath, Kaz Zelny, Meng Wu, Neil Martin, Peter Shaw, Ray Komow, Richard Fortier, Rick Billings, Robyn Maislin, Rochelle Holman, Roy Westerberg, Selig Saltzman, Steve Bader, Veronica Vedensky, and Wing Chow.

Thirteen mountain bikers showed up and rode together on the Lantern Trail.  They then split into two groups, with Tony leading five in the advanced intermediate group and Margie, ably assisted by Bob Cheney and Larry Kornetsky, leading eight in the beginner/intermediate group.

 

Both groups crossed Concord Road and started riding in the Acorn section of the park.  We rode beautiful trails along cornfields, through forests, past cranberry bogs, over hill and dale, not to mention Otter Slide Creek.  After returning to “the other side,” some called it a day, while others continued exploring trails.

 

The weather was perfect and a few of us ate picnic lunches under the canopy. Great Brook is a great location for this mountain biking outing.  We basically ride the perimeter of the park and, when people have had enough or have a mechanical problem, getting back to the ride start (parking lot) is relatively easy.

 

Thanks to Bob Cheney and Larry Kornetsky for leading a group. And thanks to everyone for having great attitudes.

 

Report by Margie & Tony Lee.    

Road Ride on a hot and sunny day . . . . .   First of all, Ray and Roy - thanks to Ray for sweeping and kudos to Roy who designed the original route.  I adapted the route and renamed it “2PI/3 Phase Shift.”  Roy was the only one to figure out what the title means. 

We had two wildlife sightings worthy of note:  a milk snake, alive, in the roadway (I hope no one behind me ran it over), and a gentleman putting a ten pound Hen of the Woods into the back of his pickup. 

As far as I know, there were no mishaps.  However, Neil missed the rest stop and was temporarily lost, but someone reached him by phone and he was able to rejoin the group. 

Report by Clyde Kessel

Road riders

Mountain bikers