Heard Pond - July 19, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 19 July 2023, Heard Pond

Ride leaders:  Linda & Barry Nelson

32 miles, 9:30 am start from Weston, MA

Riders (21):  Linda, Barry, Annemarie Altman, Aviram Cohen, Barry Kaditz, Dave Balaban, Don Buchholtz, Don Mannes, Gary Williams, Gerry Sheetoo, Jeff Wallen, Jim Whinfield, Joan Fenster, John Kitchen, Ken Hablow, Matt Osber, Molly Schaeffer, Renee Rees, Sandy Gotlib, Susan Sabin, and first-timer Charley Lax.

Several riders expressed their appreciation for the earlier and on-time start in the summer heat.  Of course, those who cannot tolerate a change from the usual 10:00 am start were not in attendance.  The ride itself was uneventful:  no missed arrows and no mechanical problems, other than one dropped chain.

Six riders had a post-ride lunch in Weston center.  Three chose Dumpling Daughter and three found sushi at Brothers Market.

Report by Barry Nelson.

For Sheldon 2023 - a ride from Wayland - July 12, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 12 July 2023, For Sheldon 2023 - a ride from Wayland 

Ride leader:  Harriet Fell, assisted by John Allen 

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

 

Riders (21):  Harriet, John, Allison Easton, Aviram Cohen, Barry Kaditz, Barry Nelson, Bill Perry, Craig Tulig, David Goldberg, Ed Hill, Frank Aronson, Frank Calabrese, Gary Anderson, Gary Williams, Gene Ho, Jamie King, Joel Bauman, John Ho, Linda Nelson, and Renee Rees, plus one rider who registered at the ride start and appears on the registration list as “Anonymus user.” 

 

This was a ride in memory of Sheldon Brown, who would have been 79 on July 14, 2023.  He died on February 4, 2008 and, for several years, we tried to run a ride in his memory close to February 4th, but the cancellation rate was high due to snowstorms or what they left behind on the roads.  This is the second time we have run this ride close to Sheldon’s birthday. 

 

Despite the 92F temperature, twenty-one WWs did the ride or some part of it.  Lindy King showed up with Jamie at the start, but didn't ride as she is recovering from a broken wrist.

Part of the route had to be changed as construction on Peakham Road started on July 11th.  Given the heat, I suggested that we just head west on Rte 20 for about two miles to Wayside Inn Road.  Some riders did not want to ride that far on Rte 20 and took a longer route to the south.  One rider ended up taking Peakham Road despite the construction.  Two riders headed home once we reached the rail trail in Weston. 

 

Jamie King did a shorter ride because he rode a Raleigh 3-speed in honor of Sheldon (who was very fond of Raleighs).  Raleigh built chrome-plated Raleigh Sports bicycles, like Jamie's, only in 1966 - not for sale, but to hang on display in dealers' front windows.  Extra-credit question:  where is there another chromed three-speed on display in the Boston area, what make and model is it, and who was its original owner? 

 

We made a short stop near the Grist Mill on Wayside Inn Road, but the groups didn’t coalesce until we arrived at the rail trail. 

 

Twelve of us had post-ride lunch together at The Local.  Several people at lunch talked about interactions with Sheldon or with his website.  A few people talked about cyclists out west who asked whether they knew Sheldon Brown as soon as they found out that the person they were speaking with came from Massachusetts. 

 

[Comments from John re. riding on Rte 20:  Preferred routes for CRW rides are on scenic, lightly-traveled rural roads, but almost every ride must include connecting segments on numbered highways.  As CRW's Safety Coordinator, I stress that riding these can be safe, if not necessarily pleasant.  Some safety tactics - like merging into line in congested traffic -- may seem counterintuitive. 

 

I am a CyclingSavvy instructor and recommend the free CyclingSavvy  Club Rider Essentials course, online.  It also covers in-group communication and protocol.  I have a workshop scheduled, with two or three options for a Zoom session, as well as on-bike sessions on September 23rd.  You may contact me, at johnsallen68@gmail.com or 781 856 4058, for further information.]

Report by Harriet Fell and John Allen.

 

+++++++++++++++++ 

 

Answer to extra-credit question:  Dr. Paul Dudley White's chrome-plated Schwinn Paramount (equipped to suit him, with a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub, North Road handlebars, and a kickstand) is on display at the Museum of Science. The bicycle was a gift to Dr. White from Schwinn in recognition of his support for bicycling. 

Ward's Berry Farm ride - July 5,, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 5 July 2023, Ward's Berry Farm ride

Ride Leader:  Ellen Dirgins

34.8 miles, 10:00 am start from Sharon, MA

Riders (19):  Ellen, Aviram Cohen, Barry Kaditz, Barry Nelson, Dave Balaban, David Goldberg, Frank Aronson, Frank Calabrese, Gary Braver, Gary Williams, Gene Ho, Gerry Sheetoo, John Ho, John Kitchen, Linda Nelson, Sue Amsel, Wing Chow, and first-timers Janusz Wicher and Karina Illescas.

The WW ride was a success!  Even though we had a flat, thanks to Gene and others we were soon on our way again.  It was definitely a hot and humid ride - I personally was thankful for the shady parts along the roads.  We made a couple of stops along the way to make sure everyone was well-hydrated.

We cycled past Lake Massapoag in Sharon, traveled by farms in Easton, and rode on a short bike path in Mansfield.  Back in Sharon, we stopped for lunch at Ward’s Berry Farm, located about two miles from the finish line.

Thanks to all who participated, to the riders who arrowed, and especially to Gene for sweeping.

Report by Ellen Dirgins.

Circle the City and The Emerald Necklace - June 28, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 28 June 2023, Circle the City and The Emerald Necklace

Ride Leader:  Gary Williams

~35 miles, 10:00 am start from South Boston, MA

Riders (11):  Gary, Ann Whaley-Tobin, Craig Tulig, David Goldberg, Frank Aronson, Gene Ho, Zach Woods, and first-timers Jesse Metcalf, Lotika Paintal, and Ravjit Paintal (plus 1 unidentified, unregistered rider).

After pushing-back our start time to 11:00 am, owing to a steady rain earlier in the morning, we set off from Castle Island under overcast skies.  We rode through the Seaport and the North End before crossing over into Charlestown for two historic stops.

The first was atop Bunker Hill to view the monument.  We lucked out when a park ranger happened to walk by as we were stopped, and she was kind enough to give us a brief overview of the monument and statues honoring the American patriots that fought there.  We then descended to the Charlestown Navy Yard to view the USS Constitution, aka "Old Ironsides.”

We proceeded to Cambridge for a brief foray, passing the headquarters of EF Education First, the primary sponsor of one of the American professional cycling teams that will compete in the 2023 Tour de France.  After cycling along the Charles River on the Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path, we passed through Back Bay, along Beacon Street, to a point just north of Kenmore Square where we crossed into the Fenway neighborhood and entered the Emerald Necklace.  We rode along paved trails all the way to Jamaica Pond and through local neighborhoods to the Arnold Arboretum, where we paused for a restroom break.

We then rode through the arboretum, to a point just east of the Forest Hills T Station, and onto the Southwest Corridor Bike Path.  We climbed up to Franklin Park, passed White Stadium, and descended to the Arborway.  We took local streets through Mattapan before entering the Neponset River Trail eastward to Dorchester, and eventually arrived at the campus of UMASS and the JFK Museum.

We made one last stop by the museum for some group photos before heading out onto William J. Day Boulevard to the finish line back on Castle Island.  A small group of riders enjoyed a repast at Sullivan's. There were one or two light mists along the way but otherwise, the weather was comfortable.

Report by Gary Williams.

Nightmare on Elm Street - June 21, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 21 June 2023, Nightmare on Elm Street

Ride Leader:  Jack Donohue

33 or 42 miles, 10:00 am start from Bedford, MA

Bikers (21):  Jack, Aviram Cohen, Barry Kaditz, Barry Nelson, Bill Widnall, Butch Pemstein (sweep), Craig Tulig, Curt Dudley-Marling, Dave Pierson, David Goldberg, Ed Hill, Frank Aronson, Gary Williams, Gene Ho, Joel Bauman, John Kitchen, Sue Amsel, Susan Linz, and first-timers Bill Perry, Chris Harris, and Don Amsel.

Three riders opted to do the 42-mile route, bagging an additional Elm Street.

My main concern was maintaining the advertised pace.  When the Wednesday Wheelers started, it required an average pace of 13 mph to join the group.  In those days I thought this was a piece of cake, hardly worth mentioning.  Fast forward several decades and it presented more of a challenge.

I gave my speech about arrowing, stressing that each arrow must absolutely stay at their post until released by the sweep.  I enlisted Butch, who had been my sweep on many past rides.

We had yet another perfect day for cycling and a good group - what could go wrong?  Well, quite a lot actually.  It turned out the ride was aptly named, since everything that could go awry did.

We started out in classic WW mode, arrows coming forth at every turn.  We had an early breakaway, but all the faster riders had GPS navigation so I wasn't too worried about them.

There was some forward arrowing going on, riders going ahead of the leader and arrowing.  That worked well, until Butch went MIA and no one seemed to know if he was ahead or behind or in a parallel universe.

After we discovered that Butch was missing, confusion reigned.  The fast riders either went their own way or joined the long ride.  So we were left with a group of about eight riders that stayed together until the end, since the human arrow system had broken down and I didn't want to lose anyone else.  Lesson learned:  leader must absolutely, positively, have a visual of a stopped human arrow at each turn before proceeding.

We did pass the four advertised Elm Streets, or five if you were an overachiever.

Thanks to Butch for sweeping and all the human arrows along the way.

Report by Jack Donohue.

Concord to the MASS PIKE - June 14, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 14 June 2023, Concord to the MASS PIKE

Ride Leader:  Gene Ho

~32 miles, 10:00 am start from Concord, MA

Bikers (26):  Gene, Barry Kaditz, Barry Nelson, Betsy Kimball, Butch Pemstein, Craig Tulig, Don Buchholtz, Ed Hill, Frank Aronson, Frank Calabrese, Gary Williams, Gerry Sheetoo, Joan Fenster, Marie Keutmann, Mike Hanauer, Roy Westerberg, Sue Amsel, Susan Broome, Susan Linz, Susan Sabin, Zach Woods, and first-timers Al Kumnick, Aviram Cohen, and David Goldberg - plus two unidentified. 

We had twenty-six riders - all those who registered (except Jimmy White), plus one or two who didn't. 

 

At the start I described Jimmy’s predicament and pleaded for someone to fill in as the ride leader.  I even volunteered the usual suspects present who had previously led rides.  In this task, I freely admit dismal failure.  As I had frequently been reminded back in my working days - if you can't stick it on someone else, you're the stuckee.  As such, I gave the route intro, proposed a few route tweaks, and designated a stop to re-group in Weston center. 

 

For some it was a rough start.  Gerry's inner tubes seem to have it in for him and ambushed his ride with yet another flat - three in as many weeks. 

 

When we arrived in Weston center, the riders had separated into the usual two clusters.  The first batch of arrivals were declared the "fast group," with Frank Aronson, the first of the first, anointed the ride leader.  Barry Kaditz, the last of the first, defaulted to sweep.  As they departed, the remaining riders filtered in to form the “slow group.”  After discussing a route change to avoid the steep hill on Radcliffe Road, our slow group set out.  When we arrived at the detour around the hill, we were surprised to find the fast group behind us.  Due to unexpected construction, they had had to find their own detour.  After some time, the two groups re-segregated.  One more rest stop at Nine Acre Corner, and we were soon at our finish in Concord center, where we chatted briefly and scattered for lunch. 

 

There were some old faces I hadn't seen in a few years.  Roy Westerberg complained that he couldn't keep up with the NVP folks anymore and was told that the WW folks were so slow he'd have no problem.  Since he stayed right behind me the whole ride, he must have been told the truth.  I asked if he had spoken recently to Kaz Zelny whom I had also not seen in several years.  "Nope, haven't heard a word from him, though I'm told he's still playing pickle ball" was Roy's response.  Just then, Roy’s phone rang - it was Kaz of all people.  He had called with the same complaint as Roy's.  I told Roy to tell Kaz that we can do diversity in all its forms, including speed.  As Woody Allen said – “Just show up.” 

Report by Gene Ho.

Alewife to Saugus Iron Works - June 7, 2023

 RIDE REPORT

Wednesday, 7 June 2023, Alewife to Saugus Iron Works

Ride Leader:  Gene Ho

36.5 miles, 10:00 am start from Cambridge, MA

Bikers (18):  Gene, Butch Pemstein, Craig Tulig, Dale Ferguson, Don Mannes, Donald Buchholtz, Francie Sparks, Frank Aronson, Frank Scibilia, Gary Williams, Julie Dodd, Ken Weber, Susan Broome, Susan Sabin, Tod Cochran, Tom Allen, Zach Woods, and first-timer Susan Linz.

If you're not familiar with the "last mile problem", the commute to the start is a good illustration.  Distance from my house to the Rte 2/Alewife rotary:  13.5 miles.  Time to travel:  16 minutes.  Distance from Alewife rotary to Danehy Park behind the Fresh Pond Mall:  1.5 miles.  Time to travel:  16 minutes.  The five or so riders who elected to bike to the start did not regret their decision.  Boo Hoo - a half hour commute.  So many in the world would gladly swap their travails for our first world problems.

The trip to Saugus Iron Works went as planned, with no riders lost on the Alewife bike path and lighter than expected traffic on the residential streets of Winchester, Stoneham, and Saugus.  Good ride discipline made for a tight group - less spread out than usual.   SIW was open, but not staffed.   Several of us checked out the 350-year-old equipment.  The return on the Northern Strand bike path was a great illustration of how the livability of some "industrial" neighborhoods can be positively transformed by what some might consider an economic frill.  

We all made it to Charlestown, surviving the dreaded Sullivan Square rotary.  With comfy temps and no rain, lunch was enthusiastically consumed outdoors.  The number of diners who can fit around a table designed for 2 is astonishing.

The final legs on the Paul Dudley White bike path and the Watertown Greenway allowed us to avoid almost all the streets in Cambridge.  This was judged by some to be a worthy goal.  Only one mechanical - a flat near the end on a somewhat unusual bike.  Luckily, another biker owned an identical bike and was able to assist in the fix.  The ride leader and other concerned parties assuaged their apprehension by downing a few brewskis at the Fresh Pond Beer Garden.  The beers were effective - the final riders appeared as we drank our last sips.

Report by Gene Ho.