Ride Page
Here You will find the reports of our exploits for the month December 2000 more or less as they happened. If you have a ride you want listed or want to submit a report of a ride you went on, please leave me a note. bikebob@crocker.com
Glossary of Names used in these reports: ME (MaryEllen) Ice Princess, IP (Lynn Black); Moose Boy, MB (Kris Black); Marcus P. Marcus, MPM (Marc Lombard); Black Beauty, BB (Marsha Martin); Timster, (Tim Fowler); Little Puke, LP (Matt Putnam); Jorge, (George Katzar); His Majesty Jack, HMJ (Jack Spanbauer); Queen Nancy, QN (Nancy Spanbauer); Donna the Hon, DTH (Donna Golec); Star, (Dave Walker); Crash Test Dummy, CTD (Ed Sokoloski); Georgie Boy. GB (George Bernegger); Little Bugger, LB (Casey Golec); 
JiT, Just-in-Time (Justin Golec); Homer (Michelle Hurley); Tywor (Tyler Golec); Service (Rod Perez)

Saturday 12/2: It was only 32 degrees at the shop when three riders showed up for the road ride. Joining me was Big Al Ross, Jamie, and Shawn Manchester. We left the shop and headed out for Deerfield. I led the riders down to Main Street and then down Hope Street. Although I promised that we would ride at 15 mph for 15 miles, we had a average of 20 mph by the time we got to Old Deerfield, but everyone seemed OK with that. I had only a polypro jersey, a short sleeve jersey and my jacket on but that was more than enough to keep me warm. I did, however,  wear my MTB artic shoes with the neoprene socks to keep my tootsies warm. We kept the pace up until the first hill, where I slowed the speed down while we climbed to the top of the hill on Lee Road. Big Al got off a little bit here, but he quickly rejoined us and soon we were headed across RT. 116 to Sawmill River Road. We stayed on the same road all the way to Whatley center where we took a left onto Christian Lane.  When we got to the stop sign at RT. 5&10, I nearly got rear ended by Shawn and poor Jamie had to make a quick left turn or else he would have become a hood ornament on a Buick. Apparently Shawn dozed off for a moment and luckily Jamie acted quickly when he heard his cleats hit the road or else the ride would have ended here. After averting disaster, we rode down Christian Lane to Straights Road where we turned left and headed north. We at this point were hit with a very strong headwind and I had a hard time keeping a 17mph speed. We rolled on towards So. Deerfield, battling the winds all the way. After we crossed RT. 116 we headed onto South Main Street in South Deerfield. We rode to the stop sign in the center of town and then continued up North Main Street to RT 5&10. We crossed the road and headed back on Mill Village Road to Old Deerfield. We all worked together to fight the wind and after we turned onto RT. 5&10 we pushed into the wind back to Greenfield. We slowed the pace once we got to Hope Street and we spun back to the shop with a 16 mph average for 25 miles. When I got back to the shop I was not cold in any way, my hands and feet were warm and although my jacket was wet from perspiration, I was wasn't chilled. I thanked the riders for their efforts and soon they were on their way home.

Sunday 12/3: It was another cold day today and I drove over to Montague Center to do a ride led by Ben Lechter. We were joined by IP, Penny, Parker, Homer, Paul, Brian Pierce and Erika Henyey for a trip up to Dry Hill in Montague. This is a ride that we had done several years ago, but it has been so long I forgot the route. It was bright sunny day when we left the center of town and rode across the conservation area to Swamp Road. We rode a short distance on the road to RT. 63 where we crossed and headed to the power lines. At this point we took a right turn and entered the trails which headed up towards Wendell. The boys rode on ahead and I rode sweep at the back of the group with the girls. We rode up the hill to the first turn in the trail, where Ben and the boys were waiting for us. After some discussion between Parker, Paul and Ben about which trail we should take, we all followed Ben on what he described as a "mellow" trail. All of these trials were basically ATV tracks through the woods. Most of the way we found the trails to be in good shape, although we had to go around a couple of large trees that had blown down across the path. After a short distance Penny and I came down a hill and found IP and Erika waiting at a big section of ice that we had to cross. I was a little unsure of how my new tires would work on the ice so I did a walk/ride across it. IP made a couple of runs at the section, but she and Erika made it most of the way, before putting a foot down. Penny on the other hand rode the whole way without a dab. She was stoked! At this point, Ben and the boys had ridden on ahead, but Ben stayed in contact with me by using the radio that I had given him before we started. Anyway, when Penny and I got up to the rest of the girls, we got a call on the radio from Ben, giving us directions to the next section of trail. Homer led us onto the next trail and we soon got strung out on the climbs. Penny and I came to a long downhill section and we were greeted by Homer and her bunch at the beginning of the "big climb". I decided to ride behind Homer and IP as we began the climb up to the ridge, to where Parker and his boys were waiting for us. I followed the "dynamic duo" as they rode up the rocky, wet, and sometimes icy hill, and when we got to a steep section on the route, I watched the girls make their climb. IP made it the first time while Homer slipped on some icy leaves. I walked up the hill and I had IP and Erika wait up for Penny. While we were waiting, Homer rode back down to re-try the hill, she rode right up it the second time. (I did not try again.) While we were waiting we got a call on the radio from Parker. He wondered where we were, and I told him we would be coming along soon. The next section of trail was very steep and rocky and I decided to stay with Penny and not even try to ride up it. As I was beginning the climb I turned around and I saw that Penny was looking a little tired, so I yelled up to the other girls, and I had them wait up for us. When Penny and I got to where IP and company were, IP suggested that Penny eat a GU packet and take some water before continuing on. I sent IP's trio on ahead while Penny and I made our way along the trails at a slower pace. It took us a while but we all made it to the top of the ridge where we re-joined the rest of the group. At this point it was getting later in the day and I wanted to get out of the woods as soon as possible, so I asked Brian for the fastest route out. Brian directed us on a nearby trail and then he and Ben took off on another route. Our group now included Parker  and we rode over some frosty sections of swamp and several frozen brooks as we headed for Dry Hill Road. I was amazed at how well Homer, IP and Penny did on the "black ice". They rode across it without any difficulty and they did not lose their balance either. After we got out of the swamp, we headed down a completely washed out section of road, to the blacktop road. We mostly had to walk over the washout as the leaves covered the ice and traction was difficult at best. I tried to ride down one section, but I found that the water had frozen on my rims and I had no brakes, so I dismounted and walked to the end of the wash. Once we were on the blacktop, we flew down the hill and when we got to RT. 63 we took Swamp Road back to the center of town. Brian had beaten us back to town and he had gone up the hill in his truck to see if anyone needed a ride back to the cars, but he must have missed us on the road, because he ended up waiting for 15 minutes on the hill. He drove back to town and saw that the cars were gone, so he knew we were all OK. I want to thank Brian for his help on the trails and his effort to find us afterward. There were some chilly toes and fingers today, but all in all, everyone managed to stay warm, including Parker!  

Tuesday 12/5: Three riders joined me at 6:00 for a trip to the ridge. Along for the ride tonight was Mark Newton, Mark Courtermarche, and Kurt Golec. We rode out of the parking lot on a cold, cloudy night and we headed up to the trails on Rocky Ridge. I was not feeling up to a hard ride tonight so I set a pretty mellow pace as we rode up the steep first hill. It was the first time on this trail for Kurt and Mark N. so they did not make the most difficult part of the climb. After we got to the top, we turned onto the white dot trail and headed for Poet's Seat. We rode at a steady pace and after we got to the parking lot we crossed over to Temple Woods. We rode down the blue trail to the turn near Sachem's Head and then we took the yellow trail to Bears Den Road. We stopped briefly before heading down the road to the power lines. I was starting to fade a bit so I had Mark N. and Kurt take the lead and we took off for Five Points. When we all arrived at Five Points we decided to try riding on the lower trails, even though we wondered if the trials might be a bit soggy after the last rains. Now, we haven't ridden out here in quite some time so we were not sure what we would find when we got to the bottom section of the trail. I rode at the back of the group and Mark C. led us down to the green trail. When we got to the bottom section of the green Trail, we found the area completely dry. After we rode over the "mud section", we headed up to the power lines again and then we rode down to Bears Den Road. At this point snow began to fall pretty heavily and Mark C's light started to fade so he headed for Mountain Road to get back to the shop. I led Mark N. and Kurt onto the red dot trail and we began our trip back. We rode along the side of the ridge and we made good time back to the parking lot at Poet's Seat. From the parking lot we continued to ride through the snow on the red dot trail. We made it back to the shop in an hour and fifteen minutes, start to finish. It was good to get out an push a little bit, but I was a little slow tonight. Maybe next time!

Thursday 12/7: Pearl Harbor Day! Remember those men and women who lost their lives on this date 59 years ago. It is important that we learn from their sacrifice. 
We went out tonight for our usual ride to the Coke Plant at 6:00 tonight and boy was it cold. Parker came in and told me that it was only 23 degrees; with the wind chill factored in, it was -1 degrees. Plenty cold, but the four hearty souls that joined me tonight didn't mind at all. We had Parker, Erika, Ben L., Homer and myself all bundled up for the foray into the cold night. Before we left I had to give Parker my favorite warm gloves so that he would not freeze his pinky's in the frosty winds of tonight. I then donned my Lobster Thermador gloves and I finished getting ready. After a quick check of my equipment, we were all set to roll. I led the group over to Gill Road and then across the highway. When we got to the stinkhole, I warned the group of the ice so we would not have any ice follies to deal with, and everyone made it across without mishap. I then took the group up the hill past the truck turnout to Five Points. I went into the trails on the race route, because I did not want to take a chance crossing the ice in the swamp. We rode to the top of the Ridge Trail where we regrouped before heading up the Secret Trail. When Parker got up to where I stopped, he told me that his fingers were cold. I could not believe it. My first inclination was to put him out of his misery and carry his bike out of the wood as salvage, but being that I have the holiday spirit, I gave him my Lobster gloves and I took back my favorite mitts. After the exchange, Homer led the group up the Secret Trail to Luke, where Parker took over and he led me all the way to the water tank. When Parker and I got to the tank we did a lap around it and then rejoined the group. While we were resting in the woods near the tank, Parker mentioned that he was glad that he had his down feather vest on, and how warm he was, now that he had my Lobster gloves on. I told Parker how happy I was for him and then I asked Homer to take the group out to the power lines. When we got to the top of the hill we stopped for a minute to look at the nearly full moon in the crystal clear skies above. We also noticed what I thought was the spacelab in the southern sky. After a minute or so we headed off for the descent. I warned the riders to be careful on the way down the hill, as there might be ice on the road ahead. We all made it to Red Rock safely and we then headed down the Chute Trail to Red Rock Road. After a run past Jacks Pond we headed to the Hill of Doom. Most of the riders did not make it up the hill, due to the slippery leaves and their unfamiliarity with the best line to take. When everyone was ready we rode over to Double Dip where we stopped at the top of the hill for a minute. At that point  I asked if everyone was warm enough. Homer said that her toes were getting cold and Parker mentioned that his down vest was really toasty. I told Birdie Boy, that we were pleased for him, and then we all rode off to the Streambed Trail. Birdie Boy took up the rear of the group as we made the trip over the Deer Run Trail back to the Ridge Trail, where we regrouped. We headed down the Ridge Trail to Five Points and then I led the group out through the swamp. We then took the trails behind Lillian Street back to the RT. 2 cross over and then we rode slowly back down Gill Road. Birdie Boy and Ben wanted to do a little more so they along with Erika took a trip up to the Rocky Ridge, while Homer and I rode back to the shop. It was definitely a cold night, but we did well because we rode at a reasonable pace, and we dressed appropriately for the chill.

Sunday 12/10: It was a cold cloudy day when Lenny Eastman arrived at the shop to follow me to Montague. We arrived in the center of town where IP, Homer, Penny, Mark, GB, and Scott LeClerc were getting ready to ride. The group was ready to roll in a few minutes and I took a couple of shots of the group before we left.                                (I will try to figure out how to get the &*^$%^$#@*& word wrap feature to work properly.) Anyway we soon left the center of town and headed for the meadows. After we crossed the river to the field, Mark somehow took a wrong turn and he was soon out of sight. I looked for him as we rode over to the other side of the field but he was gone. We rode across the conservation area and then out to Swamp Road where we took and left and headed for the Telephone Pole Trail. As we rode up the hill Lenny said that he saw Mark up ahead. Sure enough he was waiting for us at the bridge, and he re-joined the group as we made our way up the Telephone Pole Trail. When we got to the fire pit I told Mark and Lenny to ride on ahead and that the rest of us would catch up with them on Willis Hill. I rode at the front of the group as we took off towards the Toilet Bowl Trail, but I drifted to the back and rode with Penny, when she dropped off the pace a bit. I told IP to keep going on the TB trail all the way out to the power lines and that we would regroup out there. I rode with Penny and as soon as she got to the back of the line of riders, I passed everyone and went to the front. When everyone got up to the power lines, I told them that I would ride on ahead and take a few shots of them as they rode along. After I took photo's of the group, we headed out on a trail that we don't often use, that would ultimately take us back to the power lines. I rode with GB at the front and when I got to the turn, I sent GB on ahead and I waited for Penny to come along. Penny was right behind Scotty, but I could tell that she was not doing all that well. She said that the frost on the trail was tiring to ride through and that she was going to head back to her car. After Penny said goodbye to the group IP and I took the lead and we rode up to E. Hatchery Road. I knew that the frost would be heavy if we tried to ride up the backside of Wills Hill so I had the group turn right. We rode along the sandy road and as we did, GB started to show off his cycling skills, and in the process he nearly collided with IP. IP gave a yell and GB knew that she was not going to tolerate any erratic behavior, so he then dropped to the back with me. I had Homer take the lead and we headed out to the Brook Trail and when we got to the brook, we turned left and headed up to Red Rock. GB and I rode at the front of the group all the way to the top of the second hill, where we stopped and waited for everyone to arrive. I then rode on ahead and took these last shots of the group as they made their way up the final hill. I have more shots, but space on the server is limited so if you would like a copy of all the shots, I will e-mail them to you.
      After the pictures were taken we headed out on the Swamp Road for Willis Hill. I rode with GB and we climbed the hill to the top, but Scotty had dropped back a bit, so I sent GB on ahead and I waited for Scott. After Scott caught back up we rode on to the swamp, where the rest of the riders were just heading out for Willis Hill Road. When I arrived at the bottom of Willis Hill, I could see Lenny and mark up ahead. I hollered to them and they turned around and rode towards us. As they did so, we started across the ice, with me in the lead. We all made it just fine and we were about to meet up with Mark and Lenny when we saw Lenny do an endo on the next section of ice we were to cross. Needless to say the group was a little more cautious as we made our way over the ice. Homer was the last one to make the crossing and she made it most of the way, but she slipped near the end and she hit the ice pretty hard. Homer got up and I made sure that she was OK, before we headed off down the hill. When we got to the bottom of Willis Hill Road, we split up again and I led my group on the trails to the Banked Trail where we rode our usual route back to the center of town. It was a great ride and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Thursday 12/14: It was snowing and raining most of the day and when the storm ended we had about three inches of snow with a crust of ice on top. Most of the schools and some businesses in town were closed, but we at Bicycles Unlimited were not deterred. Three hardy souls showed up for the ride and we set out from the shop at 6:00, for a trip to the Coke Plant. I led Homer, Mark C., and Ben L. down High Street on the sidewalk. This got everyone used to riding through the crusty snow, and sort of prepared us for the trails. I told everyone to expect that there would be sections of the trail that would not be ridable, and that we would have to get off and walk. We made our way over to the RT.2 crossover and when we got to the stinkhole, it was very slippery and we had to walk over that section. I sent Ben and Mark ahead and I rode with Homer. Even though they went ahead, Homer and I were never very far behind them. We got to the truck turnout and then we rode the path beside the road to the trail near the guardrail where we then rode into the trails that took us to Five Points. It was pretty slow going, but if you kept your weight back and didn't get too heavy on the steering, it was not too bad. Homer and I caught up to Ben and Mark at Five Points and we decided to try to ride up the Ridge Trail to Luke Skywalker. Ben and Mark did OK on the climb to the Ridge Trail, but Homer was having a harder time, so she and I told Mark and Ben to continue and we would see them at Red Rock. Homer and I headed down the Mud Road toward the Streambed Trail. Homer did much better on the flatter terrain, and we rode most of the way without difficulty. After we got to the Streambed Trail the going got much tougher and I had to walk part of the way up to the turn. Homer and I made our way up the hill, walking together with our lights off, and we found that the light from the stars reflecting off the snow gave us enough light to see. (Eat your heart out, Jorge!) When we got near the top of the hill, I spotted Ben and Mark's lights coming towards us, so we waited for them to ride down to us. One interesting thing about the snow was, as we got deeper into the woods, there was less of a crust on top and the powder was really easy to ride through. When Ben and Mark got down to Homer and I, we all rode down the hill to the Mud Road. As it was getting late we all decided to head out so Ben and Mark took the lead and Homer and I followed them to the blacktop road. Homer and I then rode back over to Gill Road and then back to the shop. It was a good ride and although it was harder than riding on powder or on dirt, it was great to get out on our bikes.

I received the following poem from an alert reader at Channing Bete.
From: Kevin Gilbert
 Last Ride of the Year

Tuesday 12/19: The weather forecast for tonight was for snow and sleet to begin in the late afternoon and continue into the evening, but by 6:00 the skies were barley overcast and the snow hadn't started yet. Jorge stopped by at 5:00 to begin a long list of excuses as to why he couldn't ride. Chief among them was the fact the he wanted to go to the mall, and if that didn't happen, he wanted to be rested up in case he had to shovel snow. I try as hard as I can to be prepared for his nonsense, but he will always have a new story to surprise me. As the time to ride approached, Homer arrived and she asked the CM (as he will now be known) to explain the absence of a bicycle on the roof of the hippymobile. CM went into another recanting of his current injuries and the rest of the excuses he keeps at the ready for just such occasions. Homer can only endure so much and soon she had to tell the dear boy to fish or cut bait. Needless to say, our boy was soon out the door and looking for the chum bucket. Homer, myself, Mark C., and Jack got ready to ride. Our group left the shop and headed down Gill Road to the RT. 2 crossover. I told everyone to be careful when we got to the stinkhole, because the water would likely be frozen over and I didn't want anyone to get hurt. After crossing the highway I was the first to get to the stinkhole, and when I started to cross, the ice gave way. I did a side step and managed to walk the rest of the way across. Everyone else walked across and then we headed up to the truck turnout. I led the group on the trails to Five Points and then we headed up to the Ridge Trail. Since we got the rain last Sunday, the trails were wet and covered with blown down limbs. We had to stop several times to clear some of the larger ones. I led the group up Luke, and I found that the trail was basically a brook and if you rode in the water you would do well, if you did not, you would likely have to walk. When I got to the water tank, I paused for a couple minutes to give the others a chance to catch up. As soon as Homer got up to us, she wanted to continue, so I led the group out to the power lines. There was a lot of ice on the power lines so we took it pretty slow and soon we were all at Red Rock. I then led the riders down the hill to Jacks Pond and through the Orchard Trail to Double Dip, where we again paused for a few minutes. It was getting late at this point so I took the riders up the Streambed Trail, which really was a steam today, and then onto the Deer Run Trail. I was pretty happy that everyone had done so well, so and I took the group down the hill towards Double Death. As I made the last turn before heading down the hill to Five Points, I heard one of the riders say "Oh S--T", so I turned around to see what happened. It seems that when Homer came down the last hill she misjudged the corner and hit the stump that is right on the apex, and she went over the bars. I asked her if she was alright and she said that she was. After that we all headed for the Ridge Trail and then we rode back to the truck turnout. As we were about to cross the stinkhole I cautioned the riders about the ice, and then proceeded to ride right across. Everyone else decided to not test the ice and they walked across. After we got back to Gill Road, Homer and I rode back to the shop and it was then that she showed me the tear in her jacket, that she got when she fell. I checked her over completely when we got back to the shop and I found that she was OK. It was another great ride.

Due to the weather and the holidays, we have canceled the last few rides. I will pick up again after Christmas.

Thursday 12/28: It was 15 degrees outside tonight and with the wind chill we had a temperature of minus 15 degrees. This did not deter a hardy trio of riders from joining me for a trip to the Coke Plant. Jorge, Homer, Mark C., and I left the shop and headed for Gill Road where we rode at an easy pace to the highway crossover. I always take it easy in the extreme cold because if you go to fast, you will overheat and then freeze when you slow down. I also tend to dress with the cold in mind, which means that I only wear a couple of jerse