August 2004 Ride Report Page            
Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month August 2004 more or less as they happened. I will publish any ride reports or digital photo's that I receive.  Please send them to  bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web! There are several links on the homepage that will give you information about ride schedules and how the rides are run.

Sunday 8/1: Today was the triathlon and I did not ride in the morning, but Jeff, Laurie, John G. as well as Kris and Lynn did a ride to Vermont and back. It was raining pretty hard at 5:00 so I did not do the MTB ride. Walter and several others did brave the deluge and I will post a report if I get one.

August 1 - Bow Road Race: Unlike yesterday's crit, I remembered this race all too well. It takes place on a 10.6 mile loop that we would do 4 times. The race starts at the bottom of a several mile long hill. At the top of the hill is a QOM sprint on all but the first lap. After reaching the top of the hill, you take a left turn and continue on for a roller coaster of a ride. There are no flat sections. You're either going up or you're going down. At the start line, Sandy gave us the opportunity to vote for either a 3 lap race or a 4 lap race due to the heat and humidity (it was about 90 degrees and the air was so thick you thought you'd drown if you inhaled too much). Most of us, including myself, said we didn't care but 4 laps won the vote. We headed up the hill on the first lap with most of the field (if not all of it) either staying together or coming back together on the first downhill. We rolled through the first lap and onto the second lap. Until about 200 meters from the QOM sprint I was thinking that this wasn't so bad. The second time up the hill was much easier even it was faster now that I was warmed up. Well, apparently it wasn't easy enough for me because a break of 5 got off the front and I wasn't in it. However, a teammate of mine was. So, now my role was becoming clear. I would sit in on the field and not do any of the work except for chasing down anyone trying to bridge the gap. By the time we went up the hill on the third lap I was kicking myself for not voting for 3 laps. It was so damn hot. I ended up on the front for most of the climb too. Not much happened in the third and fourth laps. We dropped a few people along the way and as we crossed the start/finish at the end of the third lap, Sandy told us that if we wanted to drop out, to just let her know. Not the most encouraging thing to hear but we later found out that she pulled everyone who was behind us. I hung on to the back for a good chunk of the last lap. I was trying to hydrate and eat which meant that a gap kept opening and I would have to chase back on. As we came around the last corner we began the final stretch that was a gradual uphill. I felt pretty good by now and was going up in my big ring. I had been telling myself that my victory for today would be in just actually finishing. But, as the road kicked up and the finish line came within sight, I found myself in third position and I pulled out to the left, put it into a slightly higher gear and pounded past the other two riders in front to take the field sprint for 6th place. Not too bad.

Monday 8/2: Tonight we had a large group for the beginner ride. It was warm evening with temps in the 80's and a little humidity but almost no wind. We split the group into tow rides with ME taking her group on a 15 mile loop while I took another group on a 20 or so mile loop. I rode with Debbies, Susan Pelis, BoBo Rigby, and Karen Levitt while ME rode with Jose Rigby, Deb Kopla, Regis Crosby, PJW, Paul Billings, Heather G., and Sue.  My group left the shop and headed down to Deerfield. I set a pretty mellow pace down to River Road and at that point I dropped to the back of the pack. After we got to the first hill the group split up with BoBo leading Debbies and Karen while I rode with Susan. As the others pulled out of sight, I coached Susan on the next few hills and we kept a pretty good pace all the way to the top of the last hill on River Road where the rest of our riders were waiting. BoBo headed off before we arrived for a little rest with the other two women. I gave the riders some of the energy tablets that I had and soon we were on our way. BoBo had turned around and was heading back towards us as we rode down to Hillside Road. He made the turn to rejoin us but spilled over in some sand. He was up and on his bike pretty quickly and soon was back in the group. We headed over to Hillside Road where BoBo took the lead on the hill. Susan did very well and we were just behind Debbies as we crested the climb. After the hill we all rode together down to RT. 5&10 where we took a right to head back to Greenfield. We stayed together to the hill near Richardson's where Susan and I got left behind by the faster riders. I paced Susan back to Greenfield and we finished the ride just a few minutes behind the others. It was a beautiful evening and a perfect night for a ride.

Tuesday 8/3: For tonight's ride I had planned to do the Wendell-Warwick loop because it is one of the longer rides and we are starting to loose daylight and I wanted everyone to have a chance to get back before dark. I had sent out a notice that if some of the riders wanted to do the longer loop and were not sure if they could get back in two hours, that they could start at 5:30. We had several riders who took that option and headed out with Roger to do the loop.
    I led a group of 13 riders over to Turners Falls. We all stayed together for the ride up the Third Street hill and soon we were on the top of the hill. I was feeling a little whipped from long days at the shop, so I dangled off the back of the bunch as we motored along at 27 mph. The gasping old man managed to stay with the group all the way to the turn onto Pleasant Street, where the terrain turns decidedly up hill. I wheezed up the first pitch with Jamie doing mercy pacing with myself, John, Jorge and Curt. There were several riders just up ahead of me but I was just trying to keep the pedals turning. I told Jamie not to worry if I keeled over, I would be OK as long as he dragged my carcass off to the side of the road. I struggled to the top of the hill, cheered on by Susan and Racin' Jason, who were sitting outside on their front stoop waving to us suffering fools. At the top of the hill our group was joined by Bruce and Michelle. At the top of the hill I passed out (nearly) some of the energy tablets and downed a water bottle of drink before heading down the hill. We whizzed down the hill at 45 mph and after a delightful descent we soon found ourselves at the next climb. I had recovered somewhat on the descent and started the hill in the front of the pack. This did not last long. I was soon at the tail of the bunch with my buddy Curt. We rode steady uphill and passed Chris D. at the side of the road reading a map. I hollered to Chris to join us but I did not stop because if I did I would be finishing the ride in the van. I hauled my sorry butt up the hill with Curt right behind me and we joined the others at the turn. We all headed down the hill on Northfield Road at a pretty brisk pace (I couldn't see how fast because it was getting dark) and we picked up Walters along the way. Walters had stopped at Craig's house to make a phone call to the shop because he thought that he was the last rider. At this point John G. had dropped off the back and he and Chris were behind us. We breezed past Craig's and Walters joined us on the rip downhill to Northfield. We all made the turn onto RT.63&10 and I took the lead. I pedaled all the way to Gill in the front of the group, but I had to pull off about three quarters of the way up the hill. At the top of the hill we soft pedaled briefly and soon we were all back together. We rode at a fairly brisk pace all the way back to the shop. I was certainly glad to be back as I was pretty beat. I am going to refer to this ride as the "Wendell-Warwick Whipping"!! After a few minutes back a the shop I was recovered and I felt lots better. After everyone had left I finished the day's work and headed home for some much needed rest.

Tuesday, August 3rd Distance 44.39 Average - 19.7

While the South Mountain ride may be the toughest ride I do all Summer, this ride certainly makes it into the 'top 5'. Two of the climbs we do as part of the evening ride schedule every Summer are up from Northfield to Warwick, and from Millers Falls up to Wendell. Tonight we combined both of these rides into a Wendell-Warwick route. The ride profile looks like a double-humped camel, the first 'hump' being the 6.5 mile Wendell climb followed by the 7.6 mile climb from Wendell Depot to Warwick. The 44 mile course includes 3,000 feet of climbing. To top it all off we had to get it done in as close as possible to two hours, since anything longer would mean we'd be finishing the ride in the dark.

The first group of riders took off at about 5:30 to make sure they would have enough time to finish the ride. The rest of us waited until just a few minutes after 6:00 when Bob closed up the shop and was ready to head out (for the record, this is probably the closest to the top of the hour that a '6:00 ride' has ever left the parking lot).

This was my very first ride after swapping my SPD pedals for Looks, so I had to give a little thought to clicking in, and gave myself extra time to unclip at stops just in case.

Fortunately, the pace up Third St. wasn't as fast as it could have been so I was able to make it over the top without blowing myself up. The air was hot enough and thick enough that I almost felt like I was swimming in it instead of biking through it, so I was going to have to be very careful to not overheat on the long climbs ahead.

The group came back together for the trip to Millers Falls. I loaded up on Gu and drink in anticipation of not having a lot of time to drink once we hit the climb. The steepest two sections of the Wendell climb are the first few hundred feet, and the final wall at the top. Sure enough, I hit the first part of the climb and was spit out the back of the group. By the time I fought my way back to Jamie, Bob and John Gustin, the rest of the group had vanished in the distance leaving only Michelle and Bruce still in sight a few hundred feet ahead. The four of us worked our way up the steepest parts of the climb, with me dropping back a bit on the steepest grades and catching back on every time things leveled off. I was feeling pretty good tonight, but just couldn't find the extra push that would let me hang on up the toughest sections.

As we hit the halfway point, the terrain was more to my liking, shallower climbs and long stretches of flat roads. By the time we hit the drop that brought us to the last sharp climb, I was feeling pretty recovered. I hit the wall in a big gear and tried to keep my momentum for as long as I could. It carried me over the hardest section, after which I had to crawl my way up the last 1/4 mile to the top.

Everybody took advantage of the opportunity to drink at the top, while Bob passed out some of his magic Power Pez. I'd climbed this next section several times, but never gone down it. It was a blast, ending in a steep twisting section of road that we took at 45mph+.

After crossing Rte 2, we started the longer but easier climb to Warwick. This climb was more to my liking. It was shallow enough that we were able to stay in a paceline and roll up it at 18mph or more (I don't know the exact speed, I had my computer on 'cadence' all night to make sure I kept spinning). About halfway up, we passed Chris who was on the side of the road consulting a map. I took a few turns on the front of the group, but Bob kept cautioning me to hold something in reserve for the climb ahead, so I dropped to the back. I've ridden down this hill but never climbed it, so couldn't quite picture how tough or long the climb ahead might be but I did remember that the ride profile showed a little sharp spike just before the top.

Finally, the road angled upward at a bit steeper grade. I thought it was going to get worse, so dropped off to set my own pace. As it turns out, it never really got any steeper and the hill was over soon so I could have held on if I had made a bit more of an effort. Next time I'll know.

I'd forgotten that there is one more long steady climb after turning West, but everybody had taken the pace down a bit by this point, so I made it over without a problem. Finally, we had the payoff; the 5.5 mile descent to Northfield. I let my superior body size pull me to the front of the group, where I traded places with Michelle as she alternatively pulled past me and I would once again roll by her.

After trading places in the front a half dozen times, she came past me faster she had in the past. She had her eye on the town line which I hadn't even seen. By the time I noticed the pavement change that reminded me that there was a town line nearby, it was too late to do anything about it.

We kept a fast pace all the way into Northfield, sweeping Walters up on the descent. We only had one more minor climb facing us, but it was something that was sure to cause pain after the two mountains already behind us. Bob and Michelle charged up Rte 10, while Jamie and I took up the rear. It was starting to get dark and oncoming cars had their headlights on as we rolled into Bernardston. I was really starting to get concerned about the light until I took off my sunglasses to realize that it was nowhere near as dark as I had thought it was! Now we had a little reprieve and another half-hour's light to make it back to the shop.

The rest of the ride was just a chance to spin down except for the little climb just as you exit the tunnel, which some riders insist on racing up. In no time we were back on Silver Street and spinning down over the final few miles back to the shop.

Wednesday 8/3: It was a beautiful day today with pleasant temperatures and low humidity and I had a nice ride to Deerfield planned for 6:00. I left the shop and headed down to Deerfield with 5 cars following me. We arrived at Pine Nook Road and started to get ready to ride. Joining me tonight was Mark Newton, John, Craig, Patrick, Bart, and Hammerhead Harold Green. After we got our gear together we left the parking area and headed for Mud Mile. I rode sweep while Harold and Mark rode at the front of the pack. We rode down Mud Mile which is being heavily logged out and although the road is passable, you really need to keep your eyes open for ruts and logs left by the loggers. At the end of the trail there was a huge pile of logs ready to go to market, which is why we cannot park there any more. We all rode out to the road and headed for Crystal Cave Trail. I was one of the last to start, but I plugged along and managed to make it all the way to the top without stopping. At the top the hill I rode over to the lookout and I took some photos of the riders. The photo's are up on the photo page, if you would like to take a look. After the photo's we headed down the trail and back out to the Pool Road. We took a left and then rode down to the Over the River Trail and began the ride up the mountain to the ridge. I rode at a steady pace and was able to ride all the way to Bruiser without having to dismount. Whew!! We rode up to Pine Nook Road where we all headed over to Deerfield XC trail. I was really impressed by how well Patrick and Craig did on such a warm night with all the climbing that we did. They both rode very hard and made it up most of the climbs. I managed to ride up the new trail to the Red Rock over look. I did have to stop for the log across the trail but I was able to make it all the way to the top on the bike. After a brief stop at the rock for some photo's we then headed down the trail towards the power lines. I led the way and when I got to the downhill turn I stopped and waited for everyone to arrive. I was one of the last to start and I followed Harold down. As we neared the bottom of the hill I could smell burning brake pads and I wondered who was cooking their brakes. When we got to the bottom of the hill, Craig was waiting with Mark, and they were pointing to the brakes on Craig's bike. They got so hot on the descent that they turned purple and were still smoking when I arrived. After a cool down we all headed down the dirt road to the hardtop and then we rode back to the start. It was a really nice ride and we had a lot of fun.

Thursday 8/5: It was a perfect day for a ride: There was little wind, temperatures in the 70's, and bright sunshine. We had 50 riders show up for our rip down to Hatfield and back. I was ready for the ride early but due to last minute repairs and adjustments for other riders, I was not able to get out on my bike until 10 after 6. Our route was a simple ride down the valley and this is about as flat a ride as we can do and I was expecting a speedy pace. Joining us tonight was Jorge the K2 rep as well the usual crew of cycling luminaries. We left the shop and headed down to Old Deerfield and I stayed near the front for most of the way (Parrott went for the Deerfield town line, so he got to lead for a while.) and after we got to the turn onto Old Main Street, I pulled off and headed for the middle of the pack. My plan tonight was to stay at or near the front to avoid getting the "accordion effect" that is common at the back of a large group of riders. The "accordion effect" is when the back of the group has to constantly brake and accelerate to keep in contact with the group. If I was a little stronger I might be able to do it but right now I need to conserve my energy. As we rode down Mill Village Road, the decision was made to ride up Lee Road instead of Stillwater Road. We all stayed more or less together on the way up the hill and although I had to admonish Socks about some sloppy riding the group worked well. We sped across RT. 116 and headed down to Whatley where the sprint for the town line went to Baby Bell, who launched his attack 15 miles before the line. After we re-grouped we rode down through Whatley and out to RT. 5&10 where we sped down the road to Northampton. We made the turn and I drifted back to the tail of the bunch to get some GU and water. I almost lost touch with the pack as the group sped up, but I was able to get back on the slight down hill run into the center of Hatfield. After we left town we roared up River Road at 28 mph and as we neared Depot Street we saw IP, Snake Boy and their group turn in front of us. We rode past them as the sprint for the Whatley town line began. The group got stung out for quite a way and only the slowing of the sprinters allowed me and several others to get back on. The whole bunch of us headed back towards Deerfield where another sprint got the speed back up. At this point I was riding on the rivet for most of the next few miles. I was barely hanging on when we hit the hills on River Road in Deerfield, but I was able to keep in contact and managed to stay with the group all the way to the Cheapside Bridge. At this point I sat up and cruised in behind the main field of riders. It was a fun ride and I was glad to be able to keep the pace. We ended the ride with a 23 mph pace. I was really tired, but glad to have ridden.

Sunday 8/8: I got up at 8:00 and headed over to the shop to get ready for the early ride. There were three rides planned today. Roger was doing a brunch ride to McCusker's while Jamie, MB, IP and a few others were going to do a 45 mile loop into the hills of Ashfield. My group was doing a 25 mile loop over to Montague. I left the shop at 9:15 with a group of 7 riders behind me and we headed down the hill to Turners Falls. We made the right turn onto Canal Street which we followed to Ave A where we made another right. This put us out onto Montague City Road where I drifted to the back of the group. Ken Heider was riding his new Felt bicycle for the first time and I helped him with some shifting issues as we rode along. We kept pace at 18 mph so that the group would stay together as we rode over to Ferry Road. I made a "Lance turn" onto Turners Falls Road and led the group to the turn onto Ferry road where we stopped to wait for HMJ. After Jack arrive we all set off to finish the ride. Jack said that he would be OK so we just set a pace that was comfortable for us. The group rode down to Sunderland behind me and we crossed the Sunderland Bridge together. We waved to the freewheelers as they passed us going the other way and then we headed for South Deerfield. The pace was brisk at times with Bob Schilling and Ken taking turns at the front, but for the most part everyone seemed to be doing well with the speed. I was leading the group back into Greenfield when Mike Sztegala went flying by me for the town line. I hopped on his wheel and nipped him at the line. We all had a chuckle over that after we got back to the shop. It was a perfect morning for a ride and we all had a good time. Deb Shilling said that although she was a little tired at the end she was surprise at her average speed of 18 mph. The group worked well together and we will do it again next week.
Sunday ride #2: After working at the shop from noon until 5:00, I donned my MTB gear and headed over to Montague for the ride. I had a group of 9 riders join me and we headed out from the center of town to the Telephone Pole Trail. The riders were Harold, Walters, Curt, Rod, Michelle, Jessie, Mark C., Ken and Patrick Heider. Curt was using his GPS to do some more trail mapping so we tried to do some trails that we haven't used in a while. We rode from the Fire Pit to the end of the Toilet Bowl where we re-grouped. We then took Laura's loop over to the Sand Pit Road where I stopped to wait for Jessie and Michelle. We all took an un-named trail over to Plains Road where it was decided that we would try to ride up Craggy Hill. I was in the middle of the group to make sure that everyone got onto the right trail. When everyone was heading the right way, I took off to make my try at the hill. I haven't been over on that trail in quite some time so I wasn't too sure what I would find. As I approached the bottom of the hill I saw Hammerhead Harold walking down and I thought that maybe the trail was not in good condition. I rode past Harold and made it up the hill on the first try. The trail is really rough, but it is doable if you pick the right line. After everyone was on top we split up with Michelle, Jessie and Ken heading over to Willis Hill and the rest of us riding over to Red Rock. I led the group down a fairly difficult section of trail and after a pretty sketchy turn we soon we onto the rock climb to the Swamp Road. I led the group up the hill and over to Willis where we re-grouped again. We decided to take a ride over to the water tank and see if the trail was rideable after the logging that was done recently. The trail was in good condition and although we had to dismount to cross the brook, we were able to ride the whole trail without difficulty. We rejoined with Michelle and her riders before heading over to the BPT Trail. I led the way across the sand and waited for the rest of the crew to come along before I headed over to the Big Pine Tree for the good luck touch. After that I led the main group over Red Rock and I was waiting at the bottom when Curt came along to tell me that Walters had gone over the bars and was just getting up. Walters was OK but bruised and a little bloody. He arrived at the sand pit a little worse for the wear but able to continue. We waited for a few minutes before Jessie, Michelle and Ken arrived. I led the troops over to Brushy Way and eventually back to the Toilet Bowl Trail. We rode back to the Telephone Pole Trail where I decided to try a different route back. We took the trail off the fire pit while Ken, Michelle and Jessie went back the usual route. Mark led us down a jeep road the ended and then became a steep single track trail. The trail was rideable but a little overgrown as we neared the train tracks, but we all made it safely. We crossed the train tracks and then headed for Swamp Road along a single track trail. After crossing Swamp Road we headed for the Sawmill Meadow's and then back to the parking spot. It was a nice ride and everyone seemed to enjoy the route, although I would not do the last section the same.

Monday 8/9: The shop was very busy this morning but things settled down in the afternoon and I was able to get my work done before the riders arrived for the trip tonight. At six o'clock a large group had assembled for our beginners ride. ME led a group that included Jose and Bob Rigby, Mary, Sarah, Don, Paul, Deb K., Regis and several others for a 10 mile loop while I led my group of 5 riders for a 12 mile ride. Joining me tonight was Studdly Muddly's wife Gina who had just bought her first new bike in quite some time. Gina along with another new rider Jen Bond joined Heather G, Jon Peck, Deb Gilbert and Eileen for our ride. I spent some time helping Gina and Jen learn how to shift properly as well as helping Eileen with her gear. The group got strung out several times but we managed to keep it together until we got to Barton Hill. At this point we got pretty strung out so Bob, Jen and Deb waited at the top of the hill for Gina, Eileen and myself to arrive. We all took a brief rest before heading off to do a loop out to Adams Road. At this point Jon, Heather and Eileen headed for Country Club Road to eliminate the big hill. My group headed out and we pedaled steadily over to Severance Street and up the hill to the stop sign at RT. 5&10 where we stopped to rest. At this point I gave the riders some magic pez and soon we were on our way to Adams Road. The riders did rode strongly on this very steep hill. I coached them up the hill and although Gina did it in a very large gear, she ploughed up the hill without too much difficulty. I waited for Jen to arrive before we all headed down the hill and back to the shop. It was a beautiful night and everyone seemed to enjoy the ride.

Tuesday 8/10: It was a nice day today with warm temperatures and not much humidity. It was cloudy with a slight wind at 6:00. I planned to do a hilly ride tonight and because it gets dark earlier each day I have to make the route shorter so that all the riders can get back in daylight. The route I chose was the Conway Whatley ride because it offers a 30 and 38 mile option. We had about 25 riders show up to start the ride with about 10 of them leaving at 5:30 and the rest of us leaving at 6:00. I rode near the front for most of the way down to Deerfield, taking only short pulls a couple of times. I was feeling OK but I know how the hills can punish me these days so I wanted to save something for them. After we got onto Mill Village Road the pace went up and I was not going to get anywhere near the front of the pack at 25 mph. We made it to Stillwater Hill in a group, but I knew that group would split up on the climb. I rode near the front but a gap opened to Baby Bell and Jeff so I told them to keep on going and that I would ride with the second pack. Baby Bell and his crew blasted up the road, leaving me and 6 others to finish together. My group included Curt, Jamie, Harold, Michelle, Kris and Lynn Black. We rode over to the RT.116 climb and started up the hill. We stayed together for most of the way up the hill, with some of the riders getting a little strung out on the grammar school climb. After everyone made the turn onto Whatley Road we regrouped and headed up the hill. We rode a pretty good tempo up the hill, keeping it just fast enough to not drop anyone, but challenging enough for those in the front. We caught up with Socks on the Cricket Hill descent and he joined us for the ride up to the reservoir. I led down to the sprint which was won by Kris over the challenge from Jamie and Curt. We cruised up to the top of the hill and headed down the fast descent on the other side. Curt went blazing by me just before the bridge at the bottom of the hill and I hammered to get his wheel. I shot past Curt on the next hill and sprinted over the top. Just as I crested the hill I came upon a very large cow that had jumped the fence to eat the grass on the other side. I had to swerve to miss her rather large derrière. I called back to the riders to watch out for bossy and everyone made it past her without any problems. We continued on down the hill and I took the lead as we made the turn onto Strippe Road. I followed Curt down the hill past Conway Road and then I took the lead up the final climb on Williamsburg Road. I rode to the Whatley Inn and waited for the group to arrive before setting off down Christian Lane. We cruised down to River Road and then headed off towards MT Sugarloaf. I did some pacing on the front on the way before leading out Kris, Jamie and Socks for the town line sprint. After Kris won the sprint we eased up and regrouped before crossing RT. 116. We rode up River Road at a pretty good clip and the group stayed together for the most part on the hills. I led the group over to the cemetery climb where Michelle raced to the top ahead of all of us. We regrouped at the top of the hill and then headed for Greenfield. After turning onto Washington Street we eased the pace and spun back to the shop. We ended the ride with a 20 mph pace and I felt like I had pushed as hard as I could have on this day.

8-11: Mt. Toby evening ride: After a season of pretty much nothing but early morning rides, I was looking forward to rejoining the fold of waking hour riders for an early evening Bob ride. As the hour approached I got a call from Bob saying some worry-warts were phoning in calamitous weather forecasts (hail, wind, and I think brimstone) and,  understandably Bob did not want to drag a mixed group through torrential storms....so he was calling of the ride. I told him, I understood, but that I intended to ride anyway come hell or high-water (neither showed up by the way) and to tell others to join me if the wanted. Thankfully, Big Mac (now sporting very Amish facial hair...facial hair is big with the Amish club...however, top hair appears to be optional!)-grabbed my bike at Bob's before the ride, when I pulled up to the Mtn. Road entrance to Toby, I found only Hammerhead  Harold and Big Mac waiting to ride. Goddamn, I mean I finally show up for a night ride and only my stalwart early morning Amish compatriots are there to greet me...oh well, it's time to hammer. We started the speed grind up the longish mtn. Road and quickly dropped onto the sugarhouse trail-with nary a stop. We cruised comfortably along this trail, marveling at it's relatively dryish and good condition (it's still Toby so there was some mud!). We quickly regroups at the RF extension and dropped quickly to the Toby road climb and again with no breaks we pushed. pretty hard....up Toby road stopping only to regroup at the upper link trail. Again we pushed hard to the Telephone pole trail, and all made it down without spills and bruises (yeah, I'm still spooked by this trail...it's my Achilles heel). We jumped unto the RF connector, (noting a new trail running up the mountain...explore it next time!). Some hard to pass fallen trees in inopportune areas broke the rhythm a little on this trail...we need to address these as good trail stewards...but I'm thinking planks and bridges and not removal. WE all made good work of the short steep climb back up to the sugarhouse trail. We rode the trail in the reverse direction back to the mountain rd. Now usually, the descent back down Mountain rd is the glorious, rock hopping, high speed banking reward for a lot of climbing, however, only Big Mac ripped down this gem and reaped the benefits (with his usual thrill ride competency). Harold and I, had trouble (with our nerves) because of the darkness...yep, it's night light season already (where the summer go????). Next week, lights will be a must. All in all a great, quick ride with the crew. Good work as
always, gentlemen. Oh yeah, no rain (or hail, or hellfire) and even a little sun.
OK, mea culpa!! I was really tired and any excuse not to ride was good for me. I usually can ride to the occasion, but not today. I will make it next week.

Thursday 8/12: I was a little tired today and the shop was really busy. I was not too enthused about doing a hammer session tonight, but I was willing to do a ride. I wanted to do a good effort, but less than a maximal one. There was rain and thunderstorms all day and at 2:00 I was not sure if we were going to be doing a ride because it was raining pretty hard. But a couple of hours later the roads had dried up and we were set to go. The plan for tonight was to do the Cave Hill ride and if there was time add a loop over to Amherst that would put the total distance at 41 miles. I led the group from the shop under cloudy skies and warm, humid conditions. There wasn't any wind so we breezed over to Turners Falls with myself at the front of the pack. I kept the pace mellow all the way to the mini-mart and then Baby Bell and Jeff took the lead and the pace picked up considerably. I drifted to the middle of the pack and after a few minutes there was a clear break and I settled in to ride with the remaining riders. I ended up riding with Hammerhead Harold, Michael Beh, IP, Jamie, Curt, and Stan Kopla. We passed Roger and his group at the fire station and we headed off to Montague Center. We kept a steady pace all the way to the hill and after Curt pulled the first section of the hill, I rolled to the front and pulled all the way to Cave Hill. I rode tempo behind Hammerhead and I finished the hill at the back waiting for Michael with my "LT" Jamie. We then paced ourselves over the top and I rocketed down the hill, hitting 48 mph in the process. We took the left onto Montague Road and headed for Leverett Center. I set the pace with Jamie and Curt helping out on the way down to RT. 63. After turning onto Bull Hill Road, Jamie took the sprint from Curt at the Sunderland town line. We all then headed for RT. 116 where Jamie and I paced the group down to the traffic lights at 25mph. After the light turned green, Curt had the jump on us and he took the town line sprint in a photo finish with Jamie. When we all were back in the group we headed up Sugarloaf Street to Main Street. We rode north and took Mill Village Road back to RT. 5&10. I led the group to the Wok where the sprint went off and I just settled in to ride back to the shop. I took it easy after turning onto Washington Street and I ended the ride with a 20 mph average. It was a good ride but I was tired at the end.

8/17 Wednesday Morning, 5am: My car is in the body shop so in order to meet fellow Amish ripper Big Mac, I have to ride the road (eek, I'm a roadie!) from my house to the trail head on Hillside road in S. Deerfield. Darkness has made its early morning return so lights are a must, actually I get a little spooked riding on the road in the dark (I fear cars more than drops). I arrive and find Mark ready to roll so we push hard and fast up to the Pocumtuck ridge. As we head up and up, the fog thickens, the dark and the fog make visibility the X factor on this morning's ride. We turn off onto Clapp's Pond trail and zip over to the bottom of Stairmaster. The Stairmaster is grassy and wet as ever, but a little more beaten down than usual (ATVs have returned???). I've ridden this hill since the Epic, but I feel great and I hammer the hill about as fast as I've ever done it...Mark did well, too. Pressed for time we decide to skip Sugarloaf North this morning and I road ride back to la mea casa and drink coffee. I knew we were riding Toby in the evening so the shortened morning ride was actually welcome

Rise and Shine, Peoples

8-18 Still without a vehicle, I bummed a ride to the trails with the irrepressible Mr. Koh (I believe some of you know him as Snakeboy). WE pulled all the way up to the Mountain Rd entrance of Toby finding only Big Mac (mark c) waiting for us. By 6:45pm we began to wonder if Bob had abandoned us, but then Mr. Koh got the idea that they might have parked back down the hill by the pond, so I (slim) rode down the road to find Bob, Moose Boy, Mark Newton, Patrick, Walter, two guys whose names I don't know (bob will edit here) and a plucky young guy who I think Bob called Rusty, or Reese or Chuck or something. I rounded up the lost tribe and lead them up to the others and on to the trail. We pushed up the mountain road and stopped at the big intersection near the power lines/ Robert frost. Chris Koh and Walter opted to keep pedaling up to the Sugarhouse trail and further, while the rest of us waiting for the gang to regroup. Bob, the marine drill sergeant, could be heard, shall we say 'gently', encouraging Rusty up the trail. Bob said he wanted to send the boy back to the cars, but Russ (or Reese, or Chuck) stated plainly that he wanted to push on. So we did-up to the Sugarhouse trail and then over to the Toby road connector (catching up with the plucky pair of Chris and Walter along the way). We Stopped at the top of the Sugarhouse trail again to wait for the riders to regroup. Again Walter and Chris decided to push on, descending down the trail and then up the Toby rd climb quite ahead of us. The rest of us waited for Bob whose "gentle encouragements" towards Rusty could be heard wafting through the woods. Upon reaching the group, Bob (or as Rusty calls him "Sir! Bob! Sir!") said he was breaking off to help the lad back to the car. Toby is a lot of climbing and we had a fairly fast group so Bob's decision was very prudent. So Sir! Bob! Sir! and his raw recruit split off towards the road while the rest of us dropped down the trail working our way over to the Toby rd climb...or so I thought. When Bob left we (ok, I) forgot to make someone who knew the route sweep the trails, so with giddy enthusiasm some of us blasted down to the Toby climb leaving some of the riders behind (one of whom evidently took a spill on a log...thankfully Chris Black hung back to help and lead the crew down and up the Toby rd climb. When I reached the Toby road (thinking the train was intact) I began climbing immediately. Big Mac came by me hard, so with the gauntlet thrown down I began racing him up the road-he dusted me in the flat, but the miller told a different tale when the hills started. NEWS ALERT: on the way up the hill there was a JACKelope Rice sitting. I saw him, like a lime green and blue shadow descending along the side of the trail- "hey what's up Liam?" was the mysterious utterance of the JACKelope Rice as he descended effortlessly into the night without pause. Though several riders also claimed to have seen the JACKelope Rice on their ascents, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Wow. I stopped at the Upperlink trail and waited for the others. Mr. Koh and Walter arrived first followed soon by big Mac and mark Newton. Walter and Chris again decided to push on, Walter was worried that without lights the impending darkness would really suck (and he was right as always) so off they went...we wouldn't see them again until we reached the cars. Big Mac, also fearing the darkness of a wife who had been denied an opportunity to go to the gym also bade me farewell and rode off into the woods. So I waited with backyard inventor Mark "MacGyver" Newton who fiddled with and set up his unique lighting system which uses a 16v cordless drill rechargeable battery...kinda cool, really. Chris Black showed up next, and let us know that we almost lost the back half of our group (who didn't know the trails). When everyone reached the Upperlink trail, we figured who had lights and who didn't and rode together to ensure the safety of everyone (it was getting pretty dark. We headed over to the telephone pole trail, which everyone then negotiated successfully down to the RF connector. From here we worked our way back up to the Sugarhouse trail, to Mountain road to the cars. The group got stretched a few times, back mark Newton pulls us back together (the lit and the unlit) so that everyone made it back in good order. Nice ride, Toby is good work and I always enjoy riding here.

Liam

Thursday 8/19: It was a fairly muggy evening with dark clouds hiding the sun from time to time. It was warm ( 80 degrees)  but not too hot. We had a fairly stiff wind blowing in from the south so this was going to be a tough ride. Since daylight is an issue these days we had Roger lead a group at 5:30 while I waited for the 6:00 crowd to arrive. It is pretty essential that we leave promptly at 6:00 if we are going to get a 40 mile ride in before 8:00, so I am not doing any last minute repairs or adjustments before the ride. You show up ready to go or wait at the shop for me to return. I cannot be delayed by late comers. Baby Bell led the group out of the parking lot at 6:00 sharp and we headed down to Deerfield. We made the turn onto River Road with 14 riders and headed south. Bell  kept the pace pretty reasonable as we climbed the first few hills, so the group did not get too strung out. I rode with Jeff to help him with his position on the bike. I made note that his cleats had him riding pigeon toed and that his saddle was too high. Jeff has been having some knee problems so he was just going to sit on the back of the pack for the ride down to Sunderland. After chatting with Jeff, I headed to the front of the group to set a mellow pace over the bigger hills on River Road. I wanted to keep the group pretty much together until we got to the flatter part of the course. I took a couple of pulls into the headwind on the way to the Sunderland Bridge. After we crossed the bridge we turned right onto RT.47 to head for MT. Warner. I pulled the bunch out onto the open road that runs through the farmlands south of town and I was hit with what seemed like a brick wall of wind. The wind was coming from the southwest and there was little shelter in the paceline. We all hung tough when Baby Bell went to the front and pushed the pace up to 26 mph and were relieved when mere mortals came to the lead and the pace dropped to a reasonable 22 mph. This Yo-Yo effect caused some of the riders to opt for the Plumtree Road cutoff, which winnowed our bunch down to 7 riders. In my group was Bell, Jamie, Jorge, Bob C., Stan K., Michelle and Socks. I along with several others took long pulls at the front but it was Baby Bell doing the lions share of the work. We made the turn onto Mt. Warner Road and began the climb. I rode up at an even tempo and tried to keep the group together, although Bell was already at the top when some of us were barely three quarters up the hill. We rolled over the top and I had Bell soft pedal for a while to get everyone back into the group. As we neared the last turn I asked Baby Bell to go back to retrieve the rest of the group and pace them up to us before the turn. We all made the turn onto Maple Street and headed for Rt. 116 at a pretty good clip. At this point I was taking frequent pulls at the front and usually right after Bell got off. This left me with little gas left in the tank and I was downing the Magic Pez as fast as I could. I led the group through the (green) traffic light and we made the left turn onto RT. 116 as a group. This only lasted for a mile or so as Baby Bell and a couple others went for a town line sprint back into Sunderland. I can honestly say that there was no sprint left in this boy and I just cruised in behind the sprinters after they sat up. We rode towards Sunderland center at 150 mph behind Bell and made the turn onto North Silver Lane just before my cork popped. We pedaled over to RT. 47 where I took the lead and pulled the bunch up to Falls Road at 22 mph. I pulled off and headed for the back of the group. I noticed that Jorge wasn't with us and Jamie told me that he had split off and went home on his own. We rode up Falls Road to the pond where Bell, Stan and Socks did the sprint thing again. I kept my pace steady and pulled the group back together just before the farms. We rode up Ferry Road to Turners Falls Road to head back to Greenfield. At this point we felt a few drops of rain and we could see some dark clouds ahead. After we got past Hatchery Road we got hit with a downpour. The group slogged through the brief but intense rain storm and we pushed the pace all the way back to Turners Falls. We were all soaked and I settled in to ride the rest of the way at my own pace. I followed Bell up Esleeck Hill for a little ways before he sped off for home. I led the group over the top of the hill and we made it back to the shop just a little before 8:00. We finished the ride with a 21 mph average, It was a great ride and we all enjoyed the varied weather that we  encountered along the route.

Saturday 8/21 - Saco Bay Criterium. As you know I love crits. Not. I especially love technical crits. (hah!) and my favorite of course is a technical crit in heavy rain. :) Six corners, lots of rain and very fast. It was a 1/2/3 field and I got shelled in the 3rd lap. The only good thing was that I was not the only one and had other people to ride with but despite our efforts, we were pulled with 3 laps to go. Not exactly heartbroken over this. It was good cornering practice for me and I was able to keep the rubber side down.

Sunday 8/22 - Southern Maine Cycling Club Road Race. I was looking forward to this race. I did it last year and remembered (correctly) that it wasn't overly difficult. We did 4 laps of a 13.7 mile loop. There is one steep climb about 2/3 of the way into each lap that hurts, but it's short. The first lap was basically a warm up much to the dismay of the officials who felt that they needed to remind us that it wasn't a Sunday stroll. The pace picked up in the 2nd lap but then faded in the third lap. We dropped one or two people on the hill in the third lap. I expected the 4th lap to be faster and that once we got up over the steep climb, the race would take off and splinter the group, but I was wrong.

Basically we all stayed together and it was a bunch sprint at the end. As was the case on Saturday, some of the best sprinters in New England were there and they duked it out for the prize. I came in pretty darned close to the back, but I wasn't last :)

Michelle

Sunday 8/22: I had scheduled a 63 mile ride for this morning as well as a shorter ride for those not wanting to slog over the mountains to the south. At 9:00 there were only two riders at the shop and one of them, Jamie, was getting what has to be the longest tire change in the world. Jamie and I struggled for twenty minutes to get tires onto his Rolf wheels, but we managed to get it done and we were ready to ride at 9:30. Since we had a small group we decided to do a smaller loop. I rode with Roger, Jamie, Stan and Timster over to Leverett Road in Montague and then turned around and headed back to the shop. The group wanted to do Cave Hill, but due to the late start I would not have been able to get back in time to open the shop at noon, so they headed off and I rode home. I did a total of 17 miles in the hour that I rode.
    At 5:00 I closed the shop and loaded Curt and my bikes into the van to head over to Montague Center. We were met over there by Steve Ellis, Flyin' Brian, Jack, and Jamie. Yes folks, the man himself showed up for a ride on dirt. After getting our gear together we left the common and headed off to the Sawmill Meadow and over the plank bridge to the Telephone Pole Trail. The group was pretty evenly matched so we kept a good pace on the ride up to the fire pit. I had put a little more air in my tires (30 psi) because I expected a lot more mud on the trails. We have had several days of torrential downpours and with nearly 4 inches of rain I thought that I would need to have more traction if there was a lot of mud. What we found however was a fairly dry trail with a few puddles here and there and pretty firm footing in the sand. I think a lot of this has to do with the industry at the Industrial Park drawing a million gallons of water a day. This depletes the aquifer and causes the land to be more arid.  After everyone got to the fire pit we rode over to the Toilet Bowl Trail and then down Brushy Way to the power lines. We stopped to discuss the route and I suggested that we try a new route over Red Rock. There is a trail that parallels Red Rock Road, which we haven't used in a while, so we gave it a try. This is a really challenging hill, with lots of loose rock and some leaves, but it is in great shape and with a little cleaning will be a nice alternative to Red Rock Road. I managed to ride up the hill with one dab along the way and waited with Jack and Brian at the top of Sock Hill. After everyone got to the top we then headed over to Willis Hill on the I-H Trail. We rode down the hill on the trail that parallels Willis Hill Road and then we headed over to the water tank. We really had a nice group that kept pretty much together so that there was not a lot of waiting around. Once we got to the water tank, I led the group down the hill from there and stopped just before the bridge across the brook. The bridge is in rough shape and I wanted to make sure that nobody missed the only spot that is ridable. Brian and everyone else rode across the bridge and then up the hill without any difficulty. From the end of the Water Tank Trail we rode over to Craggy Hill via the Big Pine Tree Trail. I managed to ride about three quarters of the way up Craggy Hill and then I thought that I would just show off my skills by riding up the slick rock to the top. NOT!! I hit the rock and immediately my rear tire spun out and I slid backwards down the rock and onto the dirt. I walked the rest of the way to the top. After a brief rest we headed down to Middle Road via some un-named trails and then headed up to the Swamp Road. We rode over to Red Rock and then down the hill to the power lines which we followed to the Banked Trails. At this point the sun was starting to go down and we decided to head back. We took the Banked Trails over to the Snowshoe Trail and from there we took the trail back to the Second First Left. After we got to Old Northfield Road we headed down the Telephone Pole Trail and back to the cars. This was a really nice ride and with perfect weather we all had a great time.

Monday 8/23: Tonight I did a beginner's ride with Crabby Evie, Jen Bond, Russell Cutler, Jorge and Gina O'Brien. We left the shop and headed south on High Street. I led the group on the usual route down to RT. 5&10 where we all made the highway crossing together. As we rode down to Deerfield I noticed that some of the girls were struggling to keep up. When I looked at their gear selection I found that they were using the little or middle chainrings so I instructed the girls to use their big chainrings and try to keep their cadence steady. We rode along at a 17 mph pace which worked out well with the new gearing that the riders were using. Most of us breezed along enjoying the ride and all we could hear was Evie talking to Jorge from the back of the line. I mean they were chatting along as if they were long lost buddies. When we got to Old Deerfield I put Chatty Cathy up front and she soon was quietly pedaling along at 18 mph. After we got to Mill Village Road I went to the front of the group to warn them of the hill ahead. We all paced ourselves on the approach but once we got to the hill itself, Racer Evie went blasting up the hill ahead of everyone. At the top of the hill we stopped briefly so that everyone could catch their breath and get a drink of water. We soon set off to ride over to Hillside Road. Jen was in front of me and I coached her over a small hill. She seems to think that every little rise in the pavement requires the middle ring. When we got to the turn onto Hillside Road I had the girls bunch up and we all made the left turn together. We then started the hill. Evie and Jorge blasted up the hill and were waiting at the top for the rest of us. We paused briefly before heading down to River Road. Once on River Road it was Racer Evie again on the hills. She blew by everyone on all the hills and we finally reigned her in on the last climb. Russell and I were amazed at how well she did in light of her saying how she might not be able to keep up when we started. We all finished the 19.5 miles just before dark and everyone had a good time. The group averaged 14.5 mph for the trip on a beautiful fall-like day.

Tuesday 8/2: The South Mountain Flat Ride!! Tonight we were blessed with the presence of a local legend (and former employee of BU) Todd Roberts. The weather was perfect for one of the toughest rides we do. There was no wind or humidity and the temperature was in the middle seventies under bright sunny skies when the first group left at 5:30 with Roger in the lead. I left with Jorge, Curt, Jamie, and Socks at 6:00 while Jeff, Baby Bell, Todd, and Flyin' Brian waited to see if a friend of Todd's would show up. I led my group over to Turners and then up the Third Street Hill. At the top of the hill there was a pretty good gap between me and the group so I sat up and the guys were back on again. I pulled the group over to the ice cream stand and pulled off to get some rest at the back. Jamie was on the front and he pulled over and Curt took the lead. As we neared Lake Pleasant Road we heard "Bob is fat!!" from the rear and when I looked back I could see Jamie pulling off to the side of the road. I turned around and stopped to help Jamie with his flat. I dreaded this since the tire was really a bear to put on the first time, but I managed to get it off and back on with out any difficulty and just before we were done Baby Bell and his group came along. We waved them on and finished up the tire repair and soon we were under way. We all took turns at the front as we made our way through Millers Falls and up the hill to Northfield. I took some longer turns at the front but we all pitched in for the ride to South Mountain Road. When we made the turn I was pretty tired so I planned to just slog it out to the top. I did pretty well on the way up the first part of the hill, but I struggled on the steeper slope. Curt passed me on the steepest pitch near Four Mile Brook Road, and Socks was next to go by. I kept my pace and managed to keep just behind them for most of the way up to the top, but as we got onto the last pitch before Wendell Road, I slowed down a bit. I knew that Jorge was quite a way behind me and Jamie so I decided to take it easy for the rest of the way up and hope that Jorge would catch up and I would not have to stop and wait at the top. When Jamie and I neared the top I turned around and went back to ride up with Jorge. We all then headed down to Gulf Road where we made the left to head for the downhill. Just after the turn we heard the dreaded "Bob is fat!! once again. Yep! Jamie got another flat. We took his wheel off again and again we inspected the wheel and found no problem with the tire or rim strip so we pumped it up and got going again. At this point it was getting dark and so we had to hustle if we were to make it back during daylight. Jamie said that he had some misgivings about going downhill on a suspect front wheel. I told him "No worries mate, the tire will hold air as long as you are riding!" We rode down the hill at 57 mph and Jamie made it just fine, but as soon as we made the turn onto RT. 63 it happened again. Jamie's third flat of the day. I was out of tubes and at that point I told Jamie to stay put and we would come back and pick him up. I led Socks, Jorge and Curt across the Bennett Bridge and up the hill to Bernardston. I got a short rest and then took up the duties at the front to pull the guys to RT. 5&10 where we turned left to head back to Greenfield. With only a couple of rests at the back I pulled the boys back to Greenfield where Curt jumped into the party bus to go pick up Jamie. All in all it was a pretty hard ride for me and we ended the ride with a 17.5 mph average.

Wednesday 8/25: With all the rain we have had in the last few weeks these last four, rain free, days seemed somewhat of an abnormality. I planned to do a ride to Dry Hill today, but I am not quite sure of the route and the fellow that was going to help me is unavailable, so plan B; Deerfield Ridge. There were several riders waiting to follow me as I hurried to finish up the day. I got ready and Curt loaded my bike in the van along with his. Curt and I then headed out to Eaglebrook to meet up with the rest of the riders for tonight's trip. Joining me and Curt tonight was Michelle, Sop and Water, Walters, Patrick, Mark Newton, and Chris Williams. We got our gear together and headed out to the Mud Mile via the Pool Road. The trails were in better condition than the last time we traveled them because the loggers had finished up and most of the debris has been removed from the road/trail. The loggers have widened what was at one time a singletrack trail into a wide boulevard, which I hope does not lead to becoming a dumping and or party spot. At the end of the trail the road dumps out onto a field and from there we ride on the road to the plank bridge. After crossing the bridge we rode on the Crystal Cave Trail to the lookout where we re-grouped. I was able to ride up the steep climb all the way to the top in spite of a few riders dismounting in front of me. It is a very challenging trail, to say the least. After the brief rest,  I was encouraged to take the lead and so I headed off with the group right behind me. When we got to the Pool Road we turned left and I soft-pedaled for a short way to make sure that everyone made the turn. I led the troop down to the Over the River Trail and began the climb up to Pine Nook Road. I managed to ride up all the tricky, rocky hills that make this a hike-n-bike trail for most riders, especially first timers. I waited at the turn on Bruiser for everyone to arrive and then I headed up the hill to Pine Nook Road where the group was waiting. When all the riders arrived at the road we headed out behind Mark Newton for the DA cross-country trail. This is another boney trail that has a huge tree down at the top of one of the hills, which requires the riders to dismount and crawl under, before continuing. I was following Mark on the last rocky climb when I hit a rock pretty square. It made a loud cracking sound that everyone behind me heard. Soon after that I was on the next to last climb, when I could feel the rear tire going soft. I tried to ignore it but it was flat. I announced that "Bob is fat" to Curt and Walters, who were just behind me, and then dismounted to begin the repair. As I was working on the flat all the other riders passed me until Sop and Water came along. It seems that Water's handlebar had become loosened and he stopped to borrow a tool. After getting him squared away I finished up my repair and headed off to catch up with the group. When I arrived at the new trail, Sop and Water were waiting for me. They were not sure if we were supposed to climb the steep trail or not. I told them we were climbing and I headed up the hill. I did pretty well until the last really steep section, where I simply ran out of gas. I dismounted and hiked a few yards to where it was less steep and then got back on the bike to head up to Red Rock. At the rock, I stopped to check my rear wheel and get a drink, before leading the group across the ridge. I stayed in the front as I made my way down the darkened trail. The sun had just set and I was using the "Force" to guide me along the path. I could see that several riders had turned their lights on as their lights shone on the trees above me. When I got to the power lines I stopped to see if the riders wanted to do the steep descent or ride the road back to the start. Everyone wanted to ride down the trail so off we went. I turned on my lights as it was really dark in the woods at this point. I followed Hammerhead Harold through the wooded section of the trail and then down the hill to the power lines. I then got behind Curt and chased him down to the bottom of the hill. We paused briefly, before heading down the road back to the start. It was a really nice night with temperatures in the middle seventies, no clouds or wind. In short a perfect night to ride.

Thursday 8/26: It was another perfect night to ride with the temperatures in the seventies and no humidity the gentle breezes were the only weather challenge that we faced at 6:00. We had a smaller group than usual and we had to get going right on time in order to get the riders back before dark. joining us again this week was George Frick and Tim Coleman as well as 14 of our regulars. We headed down to Deerfield and made the turn onto River Road and began the southward trek. The group worked well together and I was able to stay near the middle of the pack for the ride down to the hills. When we got to the first hill the group got pretty strung out but I managed to keep everyone in contact over the next two climbs. Baby Bell and Jeff slowed up just a bit on the descent of the last hill which kept the whole group together for the run down to the Sunderland Bridge. As we neared Hillside Road we came upon Marty Stasny who was riding alone. I said hello to him as I passed and continued on. We crossed the highway and I got the riders to slow up so the everyone who wanted to sprint for the town line would have an equal chance. After the sprint we re-grouped for the run to Hatfield. At this point the wind had picked up and we were riding into a pretty stiff breeze. Baby Bell, Jeff, George Frick, Bob Croake and a couple others did the lion's share of the work, keeping the speed at 25mph for the most part. I stayed near the middle of the group and took advantage of this to chat with the riders to see how things were going. As I drifted to the back I was surprised to see Marty was with us. He jumped on the back and was cruising along with the group. We hammered into Hatfield center and headed out of town on Elm Street. As we crested a small hill and rounded a curve there was a crash right in front of me. It seems that a careless contractor had dug up the street and left a huge hole a quarter of the way across the road. Most of the group made it around the ditch, but Tim Coleman and Marty hit it square on. Just seconds before that I had noticed that the group had pulled to the left, which indicated to me that there maybe a problem in the roadway, so I was drifting left. Tim hit the hole and flatted his tire, but poor Marty did not see the hole and slammed square into the manhole and was immediately thrown to the ground. He was badly injured and required a ride to the hospital where we later found out that he had broken his scapula, collar bone, several ribs and injured his back. After the crash I hollered to the group and everyone returned and helped out with Marty. A nice homeowner got some ice and Jamie rode down to the church (his wife just happened to be there) and got his van to transport Marty. As soon as we got Marty squared away, I got to the repair of Tim's tire. During all of this time, Socks kept asking if Marty was OK or if he needed help. I told Socks that if he asked me that one more time.... and then continued to repair the tire. With the whole group together I felt that we would be able to get everyone back home safely before dark, so as soon as the homeowner arrived with the ice for Marty we all headed out to begin the return trip home. We hammered back north at 26 mph and the group got split apart a couple of times. I stayed near the back and whenever a gap opened I would go to the front and close it. After a couple times closing the gaps in the group, I was getting whipped. After closing a gap near the Whatley Ballet, I rode to the front and I asked Baby Bell and Jeff to keep the pace steady so that we could all finish together. We rode hard all the way to the Cheapside bridge where we eased the pace a bit. After turning onto Washington Street we brought the pace down to an easy spin for the remainder of the ride. It was a very hard ride for me and although I enjoyed the effort, my thoughts were with Marty.    
    After the ride I was talking to several of the riders who said that they did not get enough notice of road hazards. I told them that one of the skills that I got from many years of racing was the ability to "read" the field. That means; I watch not only the men or women in front of me, but I am constantly scanning the whole group/pace line. This enables me to "see" a problem ahead and possibly avoid it. There is no guarantee that you will not ever be in a crash ( I have had more than my fair share) but by being constantly vigilant, you will reduce that risk considerably.

Sunday August 29th: Dial Self attempted Century

It was with some trepidation that I arrived at the Sanderson St. parking lot hoping to complete the grueling 100 mile Tour of Franklin County mapped out by Bob. The route included LOTS of hills with a killer last 30 miles and the day was to be exceptionally hot and humid, temps in the 80's and humidity at close to 100%. As it turned out my fear was realistic - attrition was the word of the day -the last 35 Bob mapped never got ridden by our group.

The first group of riders left the parking lot just a bit before 9:00, while Bob, Jamie and I waited to see if any last minute folks showed up. Sure enough Tom Kennedy arrived and the four of us left at 6 minutes after 9:00 - just on time by our standards. Bob set the pace up Federal St to Silver St. and out Country Club intent on catching the lead group before we hit the hills. This pace proved to be a bit too aggressive for Tom who got spit off the back, never to be seen again, just after we turned onto Barton Rd. The three of us remaining took turns pulling for a 20+ mph average when we caught the lead bunch at about 1/3 of the way up the Warwick climb.

We rolled as a group of 8 pretty easily up the rest of this first climb and kept a brisk pace across the top of Warwick and down Wendell Rd to Wendell Depot. The Wendell climb, a bit steeper and longer than up to Warwick spread us out a bit more and made most reach for the Gu or Power Pez by the midway point. Fortunately at the top was the first rest station, unfortunately however it was in the glaring sun, so despite the fruit, water and green Oreos, we departed Wendell pretty much over-heated, and glad for the long shady descent down Locke's Village Rd to North Leverett and on across Rt. 63 to Rt. 47. Our pace again crept up as we covered the rolling terrain skirting the base of Mt. Toby. Just at the start of the descent to Sunderland, Gary pulled up with a frozen front hub. Bob stopped to see if he could free things up and keep him rolling but to no avail. We were down 1 rider as Gary would need to catch the Sag Wagon.

We rolled into Sunderland Center and waited for Bob at the second rest station, again in the full sun and featuring semi-liquid snickers bars - yum. When Bob arrived he told us that he was calling it a day - down 2. With our group now reduced to 6, we headed up 116 to River Rd. and up Christian Lane. We turned onto North St, and found that the construction, pending all summer, had finally begun in earnest. We all wished we had our Mtn. Bikes for this stretch of bone rattling rough gravel. Once past the construction we tried to moderate the pace a bit to rest up for the Conway climb. What is it about most of us guys? We complain about the pace, wish it was more reasonable, but when we get to the front we hammer on... I'll never figure it out, and I am as guilty as anyone. Anyway, we hammered up 116 to Walters place where we were provided PB & J sandwiches and more water before continuing the ascent to Conway.

After this climb the temptation to let it rip into the center of Conway proved too much for Rol Hesselbart. As he flew down the hill he was carrying way too much speed to make the corner and crashed spectacularly into a fence vaulting over it leaving his bike suspended on the pickets. He was pretty badly banged up. We kept him as cool as possible, got him into the shade and waited until help arrived to transport him to the hospital for observation and probable X-Rays.

Now we were reduced to 5 riders and were much humbled by the weather, circumstances and to no small extent the amount of standing around waiting, giving the lactic acid a great opportunity to attack the legs. We decided in this heat and humidity, at this point in the day, that to attempt the last 40 scheduled miles would surely bring further disaster, so opted to take a quicker path back to Greenfield and try to call it a day at 75 miles. With that in mind we pulled out of Conway headed for Bardwell's Ferry, up the steep hill from the river to Zerah Fiske Rd, and over So. Shelburne Rd where Walter left us to head directly home along Upper Rd. From here the last 4 of us crossed Main St. headed down Newton St to Woodward Ave, up Colrain St to Nash's Mill and back Silver and Federal St., with a few round the block loops to get the mileage up to 75 exactly featuring just under 3000 ft of climbing.

Hoping Rol makes a speedy recovery and is rolling again soon. Harold
I got this email update from Rol today 9/1:

Monday 8/30: Tonight I was feeling a little under the weather from a cold but I thought  "what the heck, a ride will either kill me or cure me!" So when 6:00 arrived I got on my bike to do a 20 mile loop with the beginners. Joining me was Jeff and Laurie Von Dauber, Karen Levitt, Russ Cutler, Gina O'Brien, and Jorge. We left the shop and headed over to Federal Street where we headed south. Russ had a problem with his cleat and had to slow up. At some point he turned and we lost contact with him. We rode on down to Mill Street and then made the turn up the hill to Wisdom Way. I rode with Gina and helped her up the hill to the fairgrounds where we re-joined the rest of the group. We continued on down Wisdom Way with Jeff in the lead and we made a turn onto Upper Road. At this point it started to sprinkle a little and we could hear a rumble of thunder in the distance. I rode along with Karen, Jeff and Laurie while Jorge rode with Gina. We all road down to the Stillwater Bridge where we paused for a drink. At this point we headed up the Stillwater Hill and from there we planned to ride to RT. 116 and head back on RT. 5&10 to Greenfield. But as we rode along the thunder and lightning increased as well as the rain, so we turned onto Lee Road to begin the return trip to Greenfield. We rode along at a pretty steady pace and although it wasn't raining hard it was enough to get us soaked. We headed through Old Deerfield and then back to Greenfield where Gina won the town line sprint, by a whisker over Laurie and Jeff. After crossing into Greenfield the skies opened up and it started to pour. We picked up the pace and made it back to the shop just before dark, completely drenched. It was a great ride even though we had a tough ending to it.