December 2006 Ride Report Page          
Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month December 2006 more or less as they happened. Please note that the ride reports are the results experienced by the writer and not necessarily a reflection of all the rides that went out on that particular day. We have rides for all abilities but I only publish the reports that I receive. This means that if no one from the beginner rides send me a report, then you will not see that ride listed here. I will publish any ride reports or digital photos that I receive. Editors notes are in pink. Please send them to  bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web! Go to the Ride Schedule link; there you will find information about ride schedules and how the rides are run. A new feature has been added to these pages, "The Facebook Page" is a photo gallery of people who have been written up in the reports. Click on the above link to see a photo of the riders. Thanks to Karen Moore for the idea.

Sunday 12/31: It was another bright and unseasonably warm day today and a perfect day for a road ride. It was 41 degrees out when I got to the shop but there was still a little snow left on the sides of the road from Friday's flurries. Today's group included Jamie, Curt, Hammerhead and The Kid, Tom G., Karen D., David Cramer, Mike Sz., Michelle, Mark Newton, Mike Levin, Steve Power, Dougie, myself and Bob Shepherd. The plan was to do the MT Warner ride. We left the shop and headed for River Road via Deerfield Street with the "Old Man" in the lead. The traffic was light and we had no trouble getting across the Cheapside Bridge and making the left turn. Once on River Road I had the group set a fairly mellow pace over the first couple of hills. Once everyone had settled in I let the pace go up a bit. My goal today was to get everyone over the hills on River Road and down to 116, at which point I was sure that we would have a few riders do shorter loops on their own. We motored along down the hill by the Cemetery and got onto the flatter roads before the big hill. At this point The Kid was on the front and I was behind him. I had him set a 22 mph pace and we were nearly to the bottom of the climb when suddenly he pulled out and headed to the back. The next thing I heard was a call from behind for me to slow up. Well, it seems that the dear boy had not been wearing his glasses and one of his contact lenses fell out. After Hammerhead got him straightened out, they both caught back on to the back of the pack. The Kid, however, was done for the day. He would spend the rest of the ride to the bridge at the back of the pack. After we got going again we set a fairly reasonable pace over the next three hills. I dropped off the back to motor Curt back on after the last climb as he had fallen a few yards off the pace. When we were all together again we rode down to the bridge. At some point along the route we had lost Mike Sz., and Bob because they were not with us as we neared the bridge.  Karen and The Kid left us at the Blue Bridge, with The Kid heading for home and Karen going on her own route back. The rest of us took a left and headed off across the bridge into Sunderland. I led the peloton over to RT. 47 where we took a right to head south. There was not much of a wind so I stayed at the front until we got past the apartment complex. After that we headed for Hadley in a nice smooth paceline with everyone taking a turn on the front. At Plumtree Road, Tom and Dave took a left while the rest of us continued on RT. 47. We rode down to MT. Warner and after making the climb we headed for Maple Street. The group got pretty strung out on the hill but we came together at the stop sign for Maple Street. The pace was a bit uneven for the next few miles as we wound our way through the UMass campus. Traffic was pretty light and we had no trouble getting through, except for dodging the many potholes. After we rode through North Amherst we got back out onto 116 and headed north. After we got back into the paceline again, I pulled the group along until we got to Plumtree Road. I was pretty much cooked so I pulled off the front and I went to the back for a rest. We rode down to Silver Lane where we took the bypass around Sunderland Center. After we got out on RT. 47, Steve Power pulled us up to Falls Road where we began the return trip to the shop. The paceline got a little ragged at times and I found myself closing gaps a couple of times. At the end of Meadow road we turned right where we rode easily up the Ferry Road Hill. As we neared the top of the hill an old man walked slowly across the road. I called out "Don't run over Grandpa" and then some smart Alec in the back said: "We won't run you over Bob". Usually this gets me going and I ride off the front of the group, leaving the miscreant to suffer alone on the ride back. But I decided to have mercy on him so at the top of the hill we waited for everyone to arrive before the group headed off for Turners Falls. As we rode along Curt said to me that he was getting pretty tired. When we got onto the open road after the fish hatchery, the pace went up to 23 mph which shelled Curt and a couple of others. We slowed the pace a bit but when Curt got back on he said that he wanted to do a cool down from the fire house back to the shop. After leaving Curt a group of five formed and after stopping at the fire house stop sign we headed off for Third Street. Those that remained included me, Mark, Steve, Mike and Hammerhead. Our group headed down the Third Street Hill, through Turners and up the Esleeck Hill. After the top of the hill I did a cool down back to the shop. We ended the 43 mile ride with a 19.5 mph average.

December 31, 2006: I had a nice ride today with everyone.  There were quite a few people who showed up for the ride, I will let Bob name them all in his report.   I stayed towards the back because I knew with this group it would be a fast ride!  We went down High street to Deerfield Street to River road.  We went up River road and we were moving along pretty good, I was surprised that I was able to keep up with everyone even going up that one killer of a hill; of course my heart rate did go up to about 177 trying to keep up!!  But when we got to the blue bridge Bob and crew went left and headed to 47 and to Amherst, I knew I wouldn’t last long going that distance so I decided to leave the group and I did River Road to Christian lane and then came back on 5&10.  Tom offered to stay with me but I told him to go on with Bob.   I was surprised the traffic was as light as it was, which was a good thing since you couldn’t really ride in the break down lane with all the “gravel” and stuff in the road.  It was a sunny day although a bit on the cool side but I dressed warm enough, I was plenty warm by the time I finished!!  My total mileage for the year 2006 was 3503 miles.   Cool!

Wendell 12/28: Six of us met up at the Ranger Station this evening in Wendell. It was about 35 degrees and the half moon poked out from behind clouds once in a while to offer a little extra light. Liam, Jan (Ulrich), Matt, Steve, Harold and myself composed the group.

We decided to head across the street to do the ride that Jan, Eric and myself did last week. It was a little more muddy on the power lines tonight but nothing too sloppy. We banged up the opening climb and blasted down to the bottom of the old M&M off of Upham Road (I remembered the name.) without incident. As we turned out on to the power lines I heard a couple of "that was fun" comments regarding the zippy section of the M&M we had just cruised down. Then we started to climb. The power lines were a bit softer and less dry than last week but Liam and Steve hammered right up them while Matt and I were a bit behind them and I was not closing the gap. Harold and Jan had been dropped (with good reason as you will see) and by the time we got back to the turn to Upham Road, they were no where in sight. Liam eventually rode back down, then we all did as well only to find out that Jan had snapped her chain, twice, on the climb. Harold had done an initial repair but her chain was hurting. Here comes the Ulrich explanation) One can only assume that Jan was mashing a huge gear up the climb and overpowered the links of her chain. Between Liam's quick link and all of the mechanical skills I have acquired as apprentice of Grasshopper (there it is!) we got Jan rolling again in no time. Back to the peak of the power lines where Liam, most impressively, climbed 90% of the steep trail up to the lookout before succumbing to better judgment and hiking the next 20 feet to hit the other "Bob" trail in the area, the Robert Frost Trail. We bombed back down to Dry Hill and then out to Wendell Rd via the snowmobile trail that dumps just below the parking lot. Jan grabbed a fresh battery from Harold as we headed over toward the Ruggles Pond trail by way of the old XC ski trail. Jan's night was done shortly thereafter when her chain broke again. She headed back to the parking lot and the rest of us headed over to Ruggles. Liam led the way but was soon dabbing like one who dabs excessively and I managed to not dab through the rocky section at the beginning despite having to avoid his general trail cloggery. Then we ventured on to a new section of trail that Santa must have left for us. It rode pretty well although everyone agreed that it will be better once it gets broken in. Importantly, this section helps us avoid the ultra muddy and slick bridge section of the Ruggles Pond trail so that it won't get wrecked for hikers. No one cleared the rock garden at the end and we headed back around the Pond Trail to the beach before climbing up to the parking lot. Everyone agreed that the power line jaunt was a nice change of pace and now that more riders have been exposed to it, it should be a future option for Wendell rides.
J, disciple of Grasshopper
Note: At no point did Jan complain about her chain misfortunes.

Wednesday 12/27: Yet another birthday for the Bob. I am thankful for the fact that I am still collecting the annual milestones, but every year it gets harder and harder to pretend that I am still 25 years old. Anyway, I planned a ride for tonight to burn off all the calories that I packed on whilst eating the birthday cakes and assorted goodies that I got today. I want to say thanks to all of you for the many cards, gifts and well wishes that I received. I am truly blessed.
The ride tonight was a new route for the Greenfield Ridge. I am not as able (due to the aforementioned advancing elderly age) to start out at warp speed as some of the younger riders, so I planned a route that would allow for a reasonable warm-up before the hill climbing commences. Riding with me tonight was John Mundhall (the Giant Bicycle rep), Mark Newton, Jam, Mike Levin, Mark Courtemanche, Curt, and Eric. We rode down High Street and took a left onto Parkway and from there we rode through the park. After crossing Maple Street we got onto a trail that leads to Highland Park. Once in the park we rode over to Bears Den Road which we followed to the Green Dot Trail. Jam led the group down the hill past MPM's house. After that the hill climbing began in earnest. John and Eric then took the lead and the rest of us rode up the hill to Five Points behind them. After Five points we followed the power lines down the hill to the White Dot Trail that leads back up to Bears Den Road. I was able to ride up that hill just fine and waited on the road with John and Eric for the rest of the group to arrive. The trails tonight were somewhat slippery due to the rain and snow that we got earlier today, but up to this point it wasn't a problem. After everyone was ready we headed down the hill on Bears Den Road to the Yellow Dot Trail. This trail was not a problem for me but when I got onto the Red Dot Trail I spun out on a rock near the top of the climb and had to walk up the rest of the way. When everyone was ready we then headed up the hill to the Blue Dot Trail. Mark Newton waited at the turn while the rest of us continued on. I was in the lead on the run over to Poet's Seat which enabled me to ride a smooth line (I did dab a couple of times) all the way to the end of the trail where Eric and John were waiting. After we got across the road to the parking lot, Mark C, decided to do the Red Dot Trail while the rest of us headed up to the Blue Dot Trail. The ride down the Blue Dot Trail was pretty fast and everyone seemed to do this one without a hitch. The group wanted to do the Chimney Trail so I went along with that and pretty soon we were all down on French King Highway. Mark C. had to get going so he went back to the shop leaving the rest of us to do the Coke Plant. We rode over to Gill Road, which is now blocked off in preparation for the mayor to build a new outlet for cheap underwear. After we crossed the highway the group headed for the Stinkhole. I was following Mike as we wove our way through along the path to the Stinkhole. Mike was about to make the last turn before the bridge when suddenly his rear wheel slid on a root and he went down with a thud. Mark N. and Curt were already across the Stinkhole and they heard him hit, it was that hard. Mike got up pretty quickly but he was pretty sore. We got back on our bikes and headed off to catch up with the rest of the gang. When we caught up with Curt and Mark, they already knew what happened but we told the story to John, Eric and Jam anyway. After a brief rest we headed off for the Orchard Trail. Eric took the left instead of the right but we soon corralled him and the group rode over to Red Rock Road to begin the climb. I was behind John, Mark and Eric until I got to the first really steep section on this trail. I made it most of the way up the pitch, but frankly, I simply ran out of gas and had to hoof it the last few feet. After getting to the top of that rise, I was able to ride the rest of the way up the hill to the turn at the power lines. We regrouped at the turn and then took a vote on which trail to take down the hill. Most of us wanted to do Luke so that is what we did. We rode past the water tank and then headed down Luke to the Ridge Trail. I was behind Mark and John for the rip down Luke. When I got up to the top of the first hill on the Ridge Trail, I came upon John who had jammed his chain in between the little and middle chainrings. John and I worked at it for a few minutes and were able to get the chain free. After that we all got back on our bikes and rode down to Five Points where we jumped onto the Red Dot Trail. We rode out to Lillian Street and then took the hardtop roads back to the shop. After we got back a few of us decided to head over to Mesa Verde for a bite to eat. It was a nice ride and I hope that the route is agreeable to the group.

Christmas Day: It was another nice day when I got up to see what Santa brought me for Christmas. (Please note whose name is at the top of the above list, and no I did not do that myself!) After spending the morning opening gifts with MaryEllen we were joined for breakfast by Jenn. It was a nice leisurely morning and after resting a bit, I headed over to the shop to do my annual Christmas ride. There was no one at the shop so I just figured to do the ride by myself, but as I was getting ready Karen Moore and Mark Barry arrived to do the ride. The three of us headed out a little after 1:00 to do the Sunderland Sweep. I had Mark set the pace and Karen followed him down the Esleeck Hill and out onto Ave A. After we got to Greenfield Road Karen took the lead and rode up the hill to Hatchery Road. It was a nice day, although a little cooler than yesterday. There wasn't a strong wind to contend with so Karen and Mark did a lot of the pace setting. We rode down to the Book Mill and took a right and eventually we ended up out on Meadow Road. We rode at an 18 mph pace for most of the way down to Sunderland where we took a right onto RT. 116 and crossed the bridge into Deerfield. We rode through South Deerfield and Old Deerfield and after riding to the end of Old Main Street, we took a left to head north on RT. 5&10. Mark commented on the fact that we were the only vehicles on the road. We rode north to Greenfield and returned to the shop via the Hope Street route. We did 26 miles at a 16.5 mph average, a nice way to spend part of Christmas Day.

Sunday, Christmas Eve: Today I had planned a road ride for 2:00 in the afternoon. I had gone down to my brother's house in the Boston area this morning and I wanted to make sure that I would have enough time to make it back before the ride. I got over to the shop at 1:30 and got my bike ready to go. After a few minutes I was joined by Mike Levin, Mark Newton, Gary Cole, Steve Power, Don McCool, Bob Shepherd, Patrick and Kathy and Bad Bob. It was a very windy day but it was also very mild with temps in the upper 40's when we left the parking lot. Our route was to do a loop down to Amherst via So. Dee and return up 63 via Millers Falls. Patrick, Kathy and Bad Bob did the Sunderland Sweep. I led my group down to 5&10 via the Hope Street Route and after we got across the Cheapside Bridge I pulled off the lead. We rode down to Old Deerfield with a tailwind so our speed was in the middle twenties for the most part. After riding down Old Main Street we headed out onto Mill Village Road where we were hit with a significant cross/tail wind. The group kept a pretty steady pace on our way over to the hill where the pack got a little strung out on the climb. At the top of the hill we waited for Bob Shepherd who was a little behind and then we headed for So. Dee. After we crossed the highway, Bob decided to take a shorter loop so he dropped off the paceline. The remaining six of us then headed for Rt. 116. Once we got onto 116 the wind was again at our backs and the pace quickened to the mid twenties again. After we got through the center of Sunderland we were out on open roads which allowed the paceline to work pretty smoothly. Mike Levin was doing some pretty strong pulls and he was at the lead when we made the left turn to head towards North Amherst. This section of road is pretty rough so we usually take it pretty slowly through here. Mike was unaware of this so I had to holler up to him before he motored too far off the front. After we got out onto RT. 63 the wind was now blowing right at us. Mark Newton did a nice job of pulling us up Cherry Hill (a task I was not up to) and after Mark crested the hill, Mike got his "gift" of a town line sprint from Mark. After we got down the road a little ways, Steve took over the lead and he powered us all the way to the dry bridge. Gary led us down the hill and then he pulled off to leave Don on the front for the climb up the next hill. Don pulled up the hill and then dropped off at the top where I then took the lead to the top of the next hill. We continued this pattern for the rest of the way out to Millers Falls. It was tough going but with the group effort we managed to keep the pace at 20 or so mph for most of the way. After we made the turn onto Millers Falls Road we pushed the pace a little bit and soon we were on Esleeck Hill heading back to the shop. With the temps now in the lower 50's this seemed more like a ride we would be doing at Easter time. It was a lot of fun and our group ended the 35 mile ride with a 21.5 mph average, which is more like what we would be doing in June not in December.

A special thank you!!

Bob and I would like to thank everyone for a very special Christmas gift. On Saturday 12/23 I stopped by the shop right before closing and Karen Dowd (see Facebook) was there with a huge Christmas bag. She said "This is great, this gift was for you and Bob. I wasn't going to let him open it until you were together. Now that you are here, open it" So I immediately did. The gift was a beautiful quilt. The side of the quilt that I first saw was bicycles, and I thought "just perfect". I then turned the quilt over and I saw there were messages from our friends. I started to read one and then I started to tear up (actually I cried). Karen could tell you that story. Late on Christmas Eve, after the family gathering, we sat down and read all the messages. We are so fortunate and lucky to have such good friends. So thanks to all of you, especially Karen who made the quilt (where do you get that energy?). This was one of the best Christmas gifts ever. 
Bob, MaryEllen and (Eddie).
The quilt will be at the shop in mid February, for those of you who haven't seen it.
submitted by MaryEllen

Thursday 12/21: Tonight we headed up to Wendell for our ride. It was yet another unseasonably warm evening and when I got to the parking lot there was a large group waiting for me. The riders for tonight were Shane, Jam, Harold and Matthew Green, Liam, Racin J, Gary Cole, Mike Levin, Curt, Steve Power, Erik Malloy and myself. The plan was to do two different rides with Liam leading the faster paced ride while Harold led my group. We headed out from the parking lot to ride the X-C trail and I was at the back riding with Shane and a couple of others. We made our way over to the Brook Road where we caught up with the rest of the riders. After we re-grouped we headed over to the Carlton-Dirth Trail (after the missed turn by our leader Jam) and we pushed on through the muddy sections on this trail and we soon were out on Carlton Road. When everyone got out to Carlton Road, Jam took the lead and she hammered down the road well ahead of the rest of us. I was riding at the back of the group with Curt when we noticed that Jam and Harold's headlights were disappearing over the next hill. I shot off to try and catch up with them but they were gone. I waited at the end of the road and when everyone arrived, I led the boys over to Wickett Pond Trail where we met up with Jam and Harold. Harold led us down the trail to the pond but somehow he missed the turn onto his new re-route of the damaged part of the Wickett Pond Trail. Well anyway we did a hike through the woods for about 45 minutes or so and just when the boys were about to head off into the wilderness, I took over and led them in the other direction. At first the group was reluctant to follow me, but after I had gone twenty feet and found the trail, they agreed that maybe I was onto something. I was not too sure which way to go so I asked Harold and he had us take a left. Well we rode (actually Harold did a endo on a root) for a short way before we found ourselves at the starting point. We turned around and ended up out on the Brook Road. We rode down to Perry Farm Road where we headed onto the Nipmuck Trail. As we headed up the hill I found myself in the middle of the pack and I rode along for a while with Harold, Gary and Mark still in sight. When I got near the top of the hill, I heard Shane call out that he was off the trail. I called over to him and soon he caught up with me. I rode along behind Shane and he seemed to be doing OK until we got about half way down the hill. Shane came around a corner and hit a small log on the trail and he crashed. His derailleur hanger was bent but I got it straight enough to allow him to ride the rest of the way down the hill. When we got down to Baker Road Shane did not have much left in his battery so he rode behind me up the hill to where the rest of the group was waiting. When we got up to the group we all continued on up the hill together. I rode with Jam and Curt for a little ways but after we got to the steeper parts of the hill I rode ahead of them up to the top of the climb. When I got to the Bob is Fat Trailhead both ride groups were waiting at the entrance. After a brief discussion we decided to all head back to the ranger station. After everyone arrived we all shared some refreshments that were provided by Curt. It was a great ride and the warm temps made it seem more like an April ride than a December ride.

Wednesday 12/20/06: Wendell; Three of us met up for a Wednesday night ride this week up in Wendell. Jan, 29'er Eric and myself hooked up at the Ranger Station and decided to do something a little different. We crossed the street and headed down Chestnut Hill Road for a bit. We turned left onto Dry Hill Road and headed toward the power lines. Just as Dry Hill Road hit the power lines, we turned south and began the climb up to the peak of the power lines.

This was a pretty good warm up. The power lines were good and frozen and pretty smooth on this side and the climb had plenty of traction. Eric and I powered up it, plotting potential freeride lines for the big hit crew. At the top, we waited a sec for Jan and then started cruising down the other side toward Leverett. Eric and Jan had never been up here before, but I had and took advantage of having ridden here before to launch a few jumps as we dropped down a bit.

We veered left onto (I can't think of the name right now) Road and headed toward the old M&M trail. We all missed the new trailhead, but after a moment of disarray, we figured it out and continued our descent. I had no idea what to expect from this section as I hadn't been down it for months, but it was smooth, fast and mostly debris free. There are several sweet hits that I think we all took advantage of, causing me to ponder whether Jan has been shown the way by Grasshopper. (Would it really be one of my ride reports without the totally random mention of Grasshopper?). We all got to the bottom together and took the short turn to the power lines to begin the climb back.

So we climbed. And climbed. And climbed. This side had gotten a little more sun and the ground was not quite as frozen, causing that lovely riding with the brakes on sensation that we all love on climbs. We got back to the peak, eventually, and I led Jan and Eric up a little hike a bike to the Robert Frost trail. Again, I wasn't sure what we'd find, but the descent to Dry Hill Road was pretty sweet with very few sticks and just some packed down leaves that didn't really hinder the ride. Jan was pretty stoked at the bottom of the hill and wanted to ride up and do it again, but Eric and I were satisfied with the state of the ride as it was. Instead, I showed them the snowmobile trail that comes off of Dry Hill Road and dumps 100 feet down hill of the Wendell parking lot. This trail was a little bit less clear, but we made it without incident. (Note: a rake would make this an awesome downhill, similar to how fun it is when the snowmobile conditions are optimal).

Back at the parking lot Eric and I decided it was a good time to end the ride, despite Jan's enthusiasm for another hour or so of riding.

All in all, we felt like the loop we did tonight is an excellent option for fit riders that might want a fun blast instead of the rocks and roots of the trails in the state forest. It can be ridden in various ways to mix up the climbs and downhill's and during the daytime the Northfield Mt. reservoir and Mt. Monadnock are visible as were the lights of UMass tonight.

Hey Bob, where's my picture on the website?!

J

Tuesday 12/19: Tonight we had a ride at Walters house. I left the shop at 6:00 with Gary Cole following me. When we drove past the Neighbors store on 116 we picked up Mike Levin who then followed us to Walters house. Joining me, Mike and Gary Cole tonight were Steve Power, Gary Fenton, Parrott, Jam, Curt, Mark Newton, Matt Ballard and of course, our host Walters. After getting our gear on and our lights set up we headed out of the driveway behind Walters. I rode in the middle of the pack as we headed up the hill to the southwest of Walters house. Our route tonight was to ride in a trail that Walters built over the last few days and then do a loop over Parson's Field. As we rode on towards the new trail, the trails got steeper and steeper and I slipped further and further from the front. I managed to ride up the really steep hill to the new trail, but when I arrived at the top, I was completely gassed. I thought about turning around and heading back down the hill to the house to eat all the food, but Jam was right behind me and she yelled " Get going or I will run you over". With a warning like that I decided that the prudent course would be to continue on. I struggled a bit getting going and Jam passed me and headed up the trail. When I got up to the gate at the end of the trail, the group was waiting to get underway again. The next few trails were not as steep and I was able to stay in my comfort zone on the way up to the next turn. We regrouped at the side of a trail before we continued on. Shortly after the leaders got going I saw that Mike had gotten some sticks caught up into his rear derailleur. Before either me or Jam could say anything, Mile had pedaled on and the chain got stuck in his spokes. When I looked at what happened I knew that there was not much I could do but to make his derailleur serviceable for the rest of the ride. Mike had twisted his derailleur hanger and bent the derailleur cage. I got him running again and we headed out to catch up with the group. Having already gotten into oxygen debt on the first climb, this was a real lung buster for me. I rode at a reasonable pace and caught up with the back of the pack (Gary Fentin had stayed at the turn) as they headed up yet another hill. Mike was right behind me and I had him pass me as we got to the Antes house. The group headed up their driveway hill to Roaring Brook Road where we made a right turn to head over to Ceil Antes house. This next hill is another killer but I was able to get into a rhythm that allowed me to ride at a steady pace up the hill. I got to the top of the hill where I was able to catch my breath while we waited for the last couple of riders to arrive. After the brief rest we headed down the hill to Parson's field. At this point Walters made a tactical navigational error and we ended up having to hop over the stone wall to get onto the trail. I rode with Gary F. and Jam onto the next hill, but Jam started to fade a bit so I continued on while Gary stayed behind. After everyone made it to the end of the trail we headed down the long hill to the beaver dam. After riding across the bridge we headed up the very steep hill and then down the other side to Roaring Brook Road. When I got to the road, the group was already heading up the hill. Although they were pedaling at a slow pace, Jam and Gary had not caught up yet. I caught up with the group and rode along with them for a while but I noticed that Jam was not with us so I slowed down to help her get back into the group. After briefly giving her the "Hand of Bob" push up the last hill we caught up with the group at Gary Fenton's driveway. From there the ride is mostly downhill and we all made the run back to Walters pretty quickly. After we got back, the group split up with some of the people heading home and some staying for the dinner that Walters and Katherine made. The group that remained enjoyed a feast of Chicken Tetrazini and salad that was followed by banana bread that Katherine had made. I showed my usual reserve at the dinner table. This left enough food for the rest of the group to qualify for a Weight Watchers gold medal meal.

Saturday 12/15: It was a mild (mid 40's) day today with bright sun and not much wind when the 1:00 ride time rolled around. I was pretty busy with last minute repairs so I almost missed going on the ride. But, with a little effort I was able to get everything done. We had a film maker at the shop filming a promotional video for the State Transportation Agency and she spent some time interviewing the riders which gave me time to get ready. At the start of the ride we all decided to head out on the same 35 mile route with those wanting a shorter loop heading back on their own. Joining me for the ride was Paul B., Kathy Jacques, Lauren Reid, Steve Power, Wilber, Bob Shepherd, Linda Chandler, Tom Graney and Stan Kolpa. We left the shop and headed over to Turners Falls via Esleeck Hill. When we got across the bridges we took a left and headed for the Third Street Hill. I dropped off to fix my computer but quickly rejoined the group when the strap broke on my watch. I followed Linda up the hill and soon we were riding in a single file down Millers Falls Road. At this point Paul and Kathy had dropped off and the rest of us pushed onward. Since I did not have a computer, I had no idea of the speed we were doing but Stan told me we were clipping along at 22 mph. After we got past Lake Pleasant Road, I took the lead and we rode out to RT. 63 where we took a right to head south. I stayed on the front for a mile or so before pulling off at the railroad bridge. The group motored along down 63 with everyone taking a pull. When we got to RT. 47 Bob Shepherd pulled out of the line to head for home. The rest of us continued on down 63 to Cowles Ave in Amherst where we turned right to begin the run back to Greenfield. It was getting a little windy when we turned onto RT. 116 and when my turn at the front came up as we passed Bub's, I was only able to stay on the front for a short way. I pulled off at Plumtree Road and I went to the back to rest up a bit. The group rode down to Sunderland Center and after we got through the traffic lights we headed onto the Sunderland Bridge. When we got onto the bridge we came upon Paul and Kathy who were themselves heading back to the shop. After passing Paul and Kathy, Steve made the executive decision to make a right onto River Road. The rest of us dutifully followed and soon we were riding up the hills. Lauren had really pushed herself on this ride and I thought she might crack on the hills, but she gamely rode over all the hills with the group. At the end of River Road we turned right and headed for Washington Street. We took the Hope Street route back to High Street and spun easily back to the shop. I think everyone enjoyed the trip and we ended the ride of 35 miles with a 19.3 mph average.

Thursday 12/14: It was a foggy and mild night when I left the shop for the ride down to Eaglebrook. The is the second Thursday in a row that we have had really warm temps for this time of year. Although it was warmer than normal I still wore a couple of long sleeved jerseys which along with my winter boots and tights seemed like the right combo for temps in the 40's. Tonight I was riding my Apache (The bike, not the Native American!) that was newly equipped with a Pike 454 shock absorber. I had taken it out earlier for a short run with Eddie, and it seemed like an awesome upgrade. (I will write a product review later.) The riders for tonight's trip on the Deerfield Ridge were El Presidenté, Mike Stamm, Mike Levin, Curt, Jam and Steve Power. As usual I was the last one to get ready so Curt and Mike said that they were going to get a head start on the steep hill out of the parking area. I got myself ready and along with Mike Stamm, we climbed up the hill past the swimming pool and joined Liam, Steve and Jam at the tennis courts. At this point Curt and Mike were nowhere in sight so we headed off to the trails. When we got to the Refrigerator Trail, Liam stopped and we discussed what to do. I had earlier told Curt that we would go straight down the trail to Crystal Caves and since Curt and Mike did not answer our calls, we headed down to that trail. I followed Liam and Steve to the turn onto the Crystal Cave Trail and then dropped to the back of the group. I followed Mike S down to the climb where I passed him (he spun out on a rock) and Jam on the steep climb to the ridge. Once on top of the ridge Mike passed me and I followed him all the way down the hill to Keats Road where we joined the rest of the group. Jam, who was a little behind me, joined us while we waited for Liam to tighten his bottle cage. After Liam was set to go we rode down to the Sandy Trail and took that out to the Pool Road. At this point we decided to make one last effort to try and catch up with Curt and Mike. We spit into two groups to search the two main trails leading to the Pocumtuck Ridge. Liam, Steve and Mike went down to the Over the River and Through the Woods Trail, while Jam and I headed up Bruiser. Jam and I arrived at the intersection of ORTW just as Liam and Co. came up the last of the climbs. At this point we decided that we were not going to find Curt and Mike so we then headed off to ride up to Red Rock. We took the Blue Dot Trail up to the gate where Liam, Steve and Mike took a right while Jam and I went left. Jam and I rode up the service road while Liam and Co took the ski trails up to the Rock. After we paused briefly at the rock all of us headed back down the hill to the Phillips/Friends Trail. After descending down the steep hill, we turned right onto the DA X-C and headed down to Pine Nook Road. I rode along with Jan and Mike S. for most of the way to the brook, but I passed Jan on one of the last steep hills and joined Mike and Steve for the ride down to the gate. When Jan arrived she said that she had to head back to her car because she had to get to work, so after we got going again we said goodbye to Jam and the remaining four of us headed over to the Phillips Trail. I rode behind Steve down this pretty sweet trial and when we got to the end of the trail we found Liam waiting for us on the Refrigerator Trail. At this point Liam had me lead down to the Pool Road and from there I took the boys down the Sandy Road to the Hump Trail. The Hump Trail goes from the Sandy Road over the "hump" to the Mud Mile. As we came down the hill I spotted Mike L. and Curt on their way up the Mud Mile. I followed Mike S. down to the turn onto the Mud Mile and then went into a "cool down" mode for the rest of the way back to the parking spot. Although I was pretty tired tonight, I stayed gamely in the ride. I thought that it was an excellent ride with a great group of friends.

Thursday 12/14: It was foggy and much warmer than we should be able to expect tonight as we got ready for our ride on the Deerfield ridge. As everybody got ready, Mike Levin and I decided to get an early start on the first climb so headed out at an easy pace. We passed the turn to Mud Mile then took a hard right that would start us on the long climb to the ledges. We paused a bit to make sure the rest of the group was behind us before continuing.

We saw the lights of the rest of the group not far behind and heard Bob's yell of 'RIGHT TURN' so figured we were going the right way. We took our time on this section of trail, but as soon as I hit the road I heard the unmistakable 'snap' of my chain breaking. I had a repair link and, with the help of Mike's chain tool, made short work of the repair.

As I was working, we were surprised that the rest of the group never came up to us, so Mike went back down the trail a bit to see if they were on their way.

Just as I was finishing my repair, Mike came back up the trail and said that there were no signs of the rest of the group. At this point, we had two options. We could retrace our steps and spend the rest of the evening trying to catch them, or we could just continue on and maybe meet up with them at some point. We decided that we would just have a nice ride and see what happened. Mike and I continued up the climb all the way to the ledges, then had a nice down the trails to the Crystal Cave trail and finally up Mud Mile. About 1/2 way up Mud Mile we saw the lights of the other riders off to our left. Eventually they started up the same trail we were on and overtook us right at the top just in time for the final stretch back to the parking lot.

I had a great ride with Mike. It was nice to explore the trails at a relaxed pace. We've only done this loop a few times (a long climb at the start followed by a lot of downhill trails for the rest of ride) and think that the reward of all the down hilling is worth the suffering of the initial climb.

Bob and I both had our GPSs along for the ride, so we should be able to start putting together a decent map of the Deerfield Ridge trail system.

Tuesday 12/12: It was a fairly mild day for this time of year with the temps in the middle thirties and very little wind. Riding with me tonight was Mark Newton, Gary Cole, Mike Levin, Steve Power, Shane, Jeremiah, Ed "Trail Chum" Hofmiester, and Curt. Joining us later was Liam, Eric and Shea. Our group left the shop and headed over to the RT. 2 crossover. We all managed to get across the Stinkhole and onto the trails without difficulty. Mark Newton was the leader again tonight (thanks Mark) and as we had discussed earlier, he led the group over to the truck turnout instead of doing the Lillian Street Trails. At some point I have to get over to Lillian Street and fix that rocky section that everyone (Ok, Hammerhead) seems to flat on. After we got to the truck turnout the group headed over to the swamp via the Fence Trail.  I rode as sweep through the swamp where most of the riders had to dismount and hike across the brook. After we got past the balustrade, the group headed over to Five Points. As I crossed the stone wall I came upon Mike, who had crashed and twisted his handlebars. I helped Mike with his bars and then he, I and the two boys headed on to Five Points. The group headed up the Ridge Trail to Luke and I was last in line as we began the climb. As we got onto the hill I passed Shane and Jeremiah and I headed up the hill behind Mike and Ed. As we got near the top, Mike pulled over to get a rest and then Ed did so as well. I quickly caught up to Curt and followed him to the top of the climb where the rest of group was waiting for us. I told Mark and the others to continue on to the power lines while I would wait for the other riders to catch up. I told them that we would meet at Red Rock. Soon after the crew left Mike and Ed came along with the boys not too far behind. Mike and Ed opted to take the crossover trail with me and the boys. Just before we were underway I noticed that Ed looked a little green around the gills and I asked him if he was OK. Well, instead of words, the next thing out of his mouth was a huge volume of "trail chum". Yep, good old Ed was over the bars with yet another impressive gushing of stomach content. As soon that happened the boys and Mike decided to head on over to Red Rock, leaving me to comfort Ed. After a few minutes Ed had recovered enough to continue and we soon re-joined the group. (Note to self: Take Ed on another route when we go to the Coke Plant!) After we all got to Red Rock the group headed down the Chute and over to the Hill of Doom. I did not make it down the Chute or up the Hill of Doom today but I gave it a good try. After we got to the top of the Hill of Doom, Mark led us through the Orchard Trails and over to Five Points. After we got to Five Points we took the Red Dot Trail to the Fence Line Trail and from there we headed back across RT. 2. After getting to Gill Road, Gary, Shane and Jeremiah headed back to the shop while the rest of us rode over to the trails behind Stop&Shop. I managed to ride up the big hill and followed Mike and Ed out to the end of the trail. We then headed over to the Blue Dot Trail on Rocky Ridge. We rode up the Blue Dot Trail to the White Dot Trail which we followed all the way to the parking lot at the entrance to Poet's Seat. When we got to the parking lot we came upon Liam, Eric and Shea who were in the middle of their run down the entire ridge. We chatted briefly before they headed off to the south while we rode up the hill to the north. We rode past the brilliantly lit Poet's Seat Tower and then we hopped onto the Blue Dot Trail. We took the Blue Dot all the way out to the Chimney Trail which led us back to the French King Highway. We returned to the shop via High Street and the ride ended with Curt and Mike sprinting for the parking lot. We all had a great time on the ride and except for a couple of minor mechanicals, the ride went pretty smoothly.

Sunday 12/10: What a beautiful 55 degree December day!   I went out with Tom, Bob S, Karen M. and Kathy.   We started out doing the Sunderland sweep, Karen M took it a little slow coming down the Esleeck Hill, we are going to work on that next year Karen!  We took a detour on the bike path in Turners to avoid the construction on Avenue A.  We headed down to Turnpike Road and headed up to the fire station.  Kathy was struggling a bit on the ride as she is still a little weak from her broken collar bone.  On a couple of the hills the Hand of Tom was there to help her out, Tom is such a nice guy.  We turned at the Fire station and continued on the sweep.  When we stopped in Sunderland in the store parking lot to decide our route, the other group that left before us from the shop (the faster group) was headed back and Bob S was ready to jump on their tail but instead of going over the bridge they turned and went back the way we had just come so he decided to stick with us.  Kathy decided that she would head back through South Deerfield and assured me that she would be fine going at her own pace.  The rest of us took the left down River Road to Depot Rd in Hatfield.  We continued down 5&10 to Mill Village.  I told Karen I wanted her to pedal her butt (maybe I said something else) off going down that hill.   I think Tom got up to 38, Bob and I did about 37 and Karen M said she did 31!  Good job!!  I did my Old Deerfield sprint and got up to about 27 not my best but was pretty cool then we had to slow way down for the cars that in our way!!  We then went back out on 5&10 and back to the shop.  We did about 35 miles.  It was such an awesome day for a ride.  I am smiling!!

Saturday 12/9: Today I had Racin J and Grasshopper at the shop so I was able to get out for a ride. joining me for the trip was Jamie and Tom Graney. It was a cool (38 degrees) and blustery day with a stiff wind coming from the west. Tom led the way over to Turners Falls Road where we began the descent to Turners Falls. About half way down the hill I passed Tom and I led the boys over to Third Street. We rode up the hill with Tom in the lead. After we go to the Fire House I took over and we headed for Montague Center. I kept the pace at 21 mph for the most part but it was tough going with the wind coming right at me. When we got to the dry bridge, I had Jamie take the lead for the ride down the hill into Montague Center. After we got to the mini-market, I took the lead briefly and then Tom led us over to RT. 63. After we made the turn onto 63, Tom surged ahead, leaving Jamie and myself several yards behind. As we got further up the hill, Jamie pointed out that there was a town line coming up and that Tom was starting to pick up the pace. At that point I decided to close the gap and see if Tom was really trying to get a sprint out of me. Well, he was! As I neared his back wheel, Tom picked up the pace and I then pushed a little harder and cruised past him for the line. After the top of the hill Tom and I slowed up a bit and Jamie got back on. As I was waiting for Jamie to hook onto my wheel, Tom took off again, this time going for the Sunderland town line. I came up behind him and loudly dropped my chain onto the smallest cog and Tom then went into hyper-drive while I sat down and watched him solo to the line. After the town line sprint Tom slowed down so Jamie and I could get back on. I then took the lead and hauled our trio down to Bull Hill Road. As we got around the corner on Bull Hill, Jamie mentioned that there was another town line up ahead. I showed Tom where the line was and as soon as within 20 yards of it, Tom was off for the win. After the sprint Tom got in line behind me and Jamie and then we headed down the hill for RT. 116. After turning right on 116 I led the boys into Sunderland Center. As we neared the traffic light I picked up the pace a bit and I crossed into Deerfield ahead of the dynamic duo behind me. At this point the sprinters were tied and that left the last sprint to decide today's Green Jersey winner. After we crossed the Sunderland Bridge we rode up the hill and made a right onto Sugarloaf Street. I did a long-ish pull through So. Deerfield and after pulling off near Hardigg Industries, I followed Jamie and Tom over to Mill Village Road. Once onto Mill Village Road I found myself at the front and I held the lead all the way to Old Deerfield. After riding through the village we popped out onto RT. 5&10 and headed for Greenfield. I was on the front as we neared the Wok Restaurant when Tom suddenly jumped around me on the right. I left a gap and then I accelerated and caught up with the rascal about half way across the Cheapside Bridge. Tom had given up and I rolled into town ahead of him and Jamie. After a brief award ceremony (Ok, I just congratulated myself) the three of us headed back to the shop via the Hope Street/High Street route. It was a good ride and we ended the trip with an 18.1 mph average for the 31 miles.

Thursday 12/7: The weather for tonight was a mixed bag of maybe snow or maybe rain. It was sprinkling a little as the afternoon wore on but with temps in the middle forties and dry roads, I opted to ride. Gary Cole was the only rider at the shop at 6:00 and we then headed out for Montague. This roller coaster weather that we have had this last week makes it a challenge to properly select your wardrobe. On Tuesday we had temps in the twenties so I wore my heavy jacket, but with milder temps tonight I chose the red NRM jacket and a base layer with a long sleeve jersey over that. I also had my tights and winter boots on and since the temps were supposed to nosedive after 6:00 I thought I was properly dressed. The small group included Parrott (I forgot to bring a light for the dear boy and I was intensely chided for my lapse.) Gary, Steve Power and Matt Ballard who was riding his single speed. We left the common and rode over to the Telephone Pole Trail. I was not feeling all that chipper and tried to stay near the back of the group. But, as usual, Parrott did not get the hint and I found myself following him up the trail to the Firepit. After a brief stop, Parrott wanted us to do the new trail that Mark Courtemanche had made. This trail runs parallel to the Telephone pole trail and is bisected by the road that leads to the Banked Trails. I had talked to Mark the other day and I thought that he had said that the trail was finished, although not ridden in. Well as it turns out, the trail to the left side of the road is done and the trail to the right is not. Since I had persuaded the group to go right, it was my responsibility to lead them out of the woods when the trail abruptly stopped in the middle of nowhere. I did manage to get everyone out of the forest and we exited the woods about 50 yards from where we entered. After that I sheepishly went to the back of the group, vowing not to lead again tonight. We rode over to the Banked Trails and took the Toilet Bowl Trail over to Brushy Way. I once again found myself at the front of the group on the Toilet Bowl and even though I tried to duck to the back, Parrott made sure that I wound up in front. I led the group over to the power lines and from there I took the boys over to the Ice Flow Trail. It was here that I got put into some difficulty on the climb. At first I rode behind Gary but as we got to the mid point, I fell in behind Matt and then soon lost sight of him. I plugged up the hill by myself, confident that I would meet the group at Willis Hill as was the discussed plan. Well, when I finally got up the hill (I rode up it, just not that fast) I noticed Matt's red blinking light heading off to the right, which was away from Willis Hill. I followed Matt's light for a short way thinking that he had gone the wrong way and would soon turn around. He didn't, but I did. I then rode over to the top of Willis Hill only to discover that the group had likely led Matt (who was probably following the lights of the other riders) over to the I-H Trail. At this point I headed down the hill and made the right turn onto the Swamp Road and then rode over to the bottom of the Kiabuckus Trail to await the arrival of the group. I turned off my lights so that I would be able to spot the riders as they rode through the woods and shortly after I did I spied the group making their way down the Swamp Road towards me. When the group arrived I was again put in front and led the pack through the swamp (which was pretty dry) and over to the water tank. After Steve nearly biffed it on a jump over the crest of the hill to the tank, I led the group down the hill to the brook. Everyone but Steve walked across the bridge and after leaping over the silt barriers, we headed up the hill. I followed Steve down the other side of the hill and passed him near the bottom. With the group in tow, I led the pack over to the BPT Trail. After I got my helmet light snagged on a low branch, I stopped to adjust it. This made Parrott take the lead and he rode to the end of the trail and then up and over Red Rock. I actually rode up Red Rock with no trouble and followed Matt and Steve over to the descent. As Steve approached the last drop off, he realized that he was too far to the right and he stopped suddenly which caused Matt to crash into his rear wheel. They were OK, but I passed them on my way down the hill and headed off to catch up with Parrott. When the group was finally together, I led them back to the Telephone Pole Trail by retracing our earlier route out to the power lines. After we got to the end of the Telephone Pole Trail we rode back to the common on Turners Falls Road. At this point it was getting colder so everyone got their gear stowed and then we all headed for home. I thought that it was an excellent ride, my personal performance aside, and the conditions could not have been better.

Wednesday 12-6 Wendell State Forest: Well I missed the Tuesday night ride and Thursday didn't look good for me either, so on a whim I rounded up Racing J and Eric Malloy and met them at the Wendell Ranger Station at 6:30. Tonight, although it was still cold and raw feeling outside, it was decidedly warmer than Tuesday night. So after some dickering Racin' J and I settled on pretty minimal weather protection (Eric went a little too cautious and suffered over-heating a bit during the ride; see Liam's .advice at the end). After we got going we noticed that hey, Wendell had some snow!!! There was about an inch of snow throughout the whole forest. It was my first winter ride of the season!! I actually love riding in this sort of condition. The trails were where the deepest snow lay and it made a very easy to follow white ribbon throughout the challenging trails of Wendell. We started out at a fairly moderate pace on the XC Trail. This sort of trail surface requires a little less muscle and a more supple surfing-like riding style than usual. But once you get into the flow, it's a lot of fun, although it's a little slower than on dry dirt trails. We than made the traditional run down Ruggles Pond Trail where the deep freezes and snow have done wonders on the muddy surfaces. The trail rode a little crunchy-soft but it rode really well! After the rock pile (which none of us cleared) we rolled right up to Laurel Road and from there we rode to the Maple Leaf Trail. We took the Maple Leaf Trail (again-I love the first and last parts of this trail) all the way to the Nipmuck. Yeah, it was slower going than what we have gotten used to and line choice was more important as well. But overall I thought it rode better than at the Wendell event ride a few weeks ago! The Nipmuck is everybody's favorite run!! With the beautiful strip of snow covered trail in front of me, navigating my steed down to the bottom of the hill at Baker Road was easier than I thought.  I really enjoyed the descent. Jason and Eric were less thrilled however, J didn't like the slower pace required to navigate the snow-laden trail and Eric, suffering from some tire issues had gotten a little gun-shy on the slick surfaces. None the less, after getting to the bottom of the Nipmuck, we all made good time up Baker Road and took the obligatory stop at the junction of the Upper and Lower Hannah. From here we opted to ride up Moose Trax and then down the Trail to the Lookouts. Eric NAILED the steep rock face on his Hybrid and was quite pleased having salvaged a slightly less confident ride with a real coup on a challenging feature (way to go Mr. Malloy!). When we got to Jerusalem Hill, Jason's headlight had gone dim so he high-tailed it back on the road while Eric and I tore down the lower Trail to the Lookout. We crossed the first stage of Jason's really excellent bridge (great work Jason!!). I miffed the climb on the new re-rout (which was still on the muddy side) but I aced the Porcupine Rock Spine Bridge (I'd chickened on that the last couple of times) and really enjoyed the rest of the trail. At the end-Eric and I took a leisurely leg-burner pace up the road to the cars. Jason was still there and we yakked about the ride and the good times and what a great riding year we all have had.
    Now the Advice: This has come up on a bunch of rides lately: How to dress in cold/ colder weather. Best advice I ever got came from our own sage Mark Lombard (Marcus P. Marcus to you old-timers). When suiting up at the start of a ride you should remember that you're not trying to be warm!!!! You should in fact feel mildly cold (though not shivering uncontrollably) and uncomfortable at the start. If you bundle up too much at the beginning (i.e. as you leave your car you feel comfortable) as soon as you hit the first climb you're going to over heat, and sweat profusely. You will then spend the rest of the ride adjusting your wardrobe malfunctions and stowing cumbersome clothing.
Anyway, remember at the start of a ride: stay cool.

Tuesday 12/5: Brrrr, it was a very cold day today and when ride time arrived the temps were in the lower 20's under a bright full moon. We had gotten some snow earlier this morning, though it did not accumulate to very much more than a coating on the ground. This however did contribute to lots of traffic accidents and (as I found out on my run with Eddie) somewhat slick trail conditions. When the crew arrived tonight we had Jam, Gary, Mark Newton, Curt, Mike and myself. I loaned out some gear to those who were in need and got Jam lit (so to speak). David Baker who showed up in jeans and a light jacket, saw the group in our winter gear and decided to forgo the frozen foray onto the Greenfield Ridge. After everyone was set, Jam led the group over to the trails. We took the trail that goes straight up the hill and onto the road because I knew that the other, steeper climb would not be doable. The group made its way up the hill and onto the snow covered roadway that leads to the trailhead. When we got to the first turn we made the left and rode down the hill on the Red Dot Trail. This was a good choice because it allowed most of the riders to get warmed up before we began to climb in earnest. The trail was snow and leaf covered for the most part but we kept the speed under control and no one had any difficulties on the off camber sections or the climbs for that matter. When we got to the turn to begin the last and steepest climb on this trail, I was the last to arrive. I have not been in the best of shape lately and with everyone stopped at the bottom of the climb, I decided to attack the hill first. I breezed by the group and started to climb. I only made it about 10 feet before I ran out of gas and my rear tire slid on the roots. The next rider onto the climb was Mark Newton and he rode right up the hill past me and onward to the parking lot at the base of Poet's Seat. After Mark went by I walked a couple of yards to the flatter section of trail and then rode up the hill to join Mark. When everyone else arrived we quickly got going again. Most of the riders were pretty warm at this point and I did not want them to stand around an get cold, so we headed off to ride Temple Woods. After crossing the road and getting onto the trails, we took the left turn onto the Red Dot Trail. This trail is much easier to ride in this direction (downhill) regardless of the conditions. We found the traction to be good in spite of the snow and ice on the leaves. I rode the entire way to the four way intersection without slipping once! After we made the left turn at the four way, we began the run down the hill to Bears Den Road. Once everyone was on the road we headed for the power lines. I was in the back of the group because I wanted to make it up the last steep hill on the X-C Trail. As we rode up the hill on Bears Den Road, I drifted to the back of the pack before we made the sharp turn that leads us to the power lines. I got to the bottom of the climb and felt pretty good but when I got to the middle of the hill, I just gave up and walked up the rest of the way with everyone else. I was pretty mad at myself for not giving it a little more, but when I got to the top of the hill, I forgave myself and merrily headed off with the rest of the group to ride over to Five Points. Jam, who was leading the group, made a right turn instead of going straight and we yelled to her as we continued on. Jam then went from first to last and she rode along behind me for a short way. Before we got to the turn onto the Green Dot Trail, Jam and Mike got in front of me to take advantage of my lights. We rode down the trail and across the NEMBA bridges and began the ride up the hill to Bears Den Road. I passed Mike and Jam before we got to the power lines because I wanted to have a clean shot at the last pitch uphill. I made it up the climb and joined the group out on Bears Den Road. After all had arrived we headed over to the left turn onto the Yellow Dot Trail. This trail is completely washed out and basically is un-rideable going up the hill due to the damage that John (The trail Nazi) did many years ago. After I got past the wash out, I followed Curt and Gary up the hill for a little ways before passing Curt just before the turn onto the Blue Dot Trail. When we all were together, Jam and Gary headed out down the hill ahead of me and behind Mark. At some point, Mark got ahead of Gary and he had to stop because he wasn't sure if he was going in the right directions. Somehow I ended up in the lead and I rode the rest of the way out of Temple Woods ahead of the group. I got over to Poet's Seat and joined Mark to await the rest of the group. They arrived shortly after I did and Jam led the way over to the White Dot Trail to begin the return trip. I rode at the back of the group and made all the climbs except for the very steep pitch in the middle of the trail which nobody made (and I doubt that many can, regardless of the trail conditions). After we got to the end of the White Dot Trail, I led the group down the hill and out onto the French King Highway. Curt and Gary did a sprint back to the shop and I rode in easily at the back with Mark. It was a great ride on a beautiful late fall evening. The full moon and clear skies made for a picture perfect setting.

Sunday 12/3 Batchelor Street: Man, oh man; I've had a really nice week of riding! A few jaunts on the steeps of Sugarloaf North, two great night rides, one at the Coke Plant and the other on the Deerfield Ridge. But today was really, really dynamite. I pulled in to the Bachelor Street parking lot at 12:45 (15 minutes ahead of time!) to find several of my fellow riders already suited up. We waited around for another 30 minutes for everyone to arrive-get set and go! Joining me today was Myself (El Presidenté), The Kid and his dad-Hammerhead Harold Green, Racin J and his good buddy Pete (styling his no-excuses necessary Sette Rekken $89.00 Single Speed!), Mike Levin, The Lovely Jan, Shea (the man formerly known as 'Billy!"), Eric Malloy on his Hybrid, and Anthony Berner, and finally, a friend of mine from Berkshire East Ski Patrol Dr. David "The Duke of" Earl. In spite of the cooler weather it was a great day. It was dry, sunny and truthfully I was stoked for this ride. I hadn't ridden Batchelor Street in 3-4 months and it really is the benchmark riding area in the valley (anyone who says otherwise is just jaded!). I started this ride with a bit of trepidation because there was a crew of 11 riders for whom I was assuming leadership responsibilities. Part of this trepidation was due to the fact that only a few knew the trails at all and the relative ability levels was somewhat broadly spaced. Also three of the riders joining us had never ridden Batchelor Street at all before and I didn't want to disappoint them with a sub-par ride. As most of you have found out from previous rides, I'm not the best ride leader. Sometimes in my enthusiasm, I sort of forget to tell everyone about sudden turns or we lose a few people along the way. I always go back and search diligently for the lost sheep (and usually-after a while find them) but still, Bob and Mark Newton have a real ability to work with a group of riders of different skills and they can lead quality rides. Anyway, I resolved to pull this off and get everyone back in one piece, together as a group. So, with that resolve in mind I led the eager peddlers up to the first trail to sample the bounty of Batchelor Street. Oh, one more thing!  When it comes to trail names, no where on earth has more stretches of trail with more names than Batchelor Street. I used to find this corny but as time as gone on I've learned to appreciate the nomenclature of this trail system. The names and knowing them really helps carve out a ride and conceptualize where you are, where you're going and the best way to get there. So please bear with the plethora of names to follow.

All ways into Bachelor Street begin with a climb. I selected one of the most pleasant: the IMBA Access Trail, which is a nice sinuous, relatively smooth ribbon of a trail that climbs midway up to the center of the trail system. Along this trail is the beaver dams and the beautiful NEMBA built bridges and rock crossings. I followed this climb with a quick turn onto Serpentine and another quick left onto Viper. Viper is a slightly more challenging climbing single track although, by Batchelor Street standards, this trail is pretty tame and just a nice, if somewhat strenuous cruiser. My hope way to let some of the newer riders acclimate to the trail surfaces and feel of Batchelor Street before hitting the tougher stuff. At the top of Viper (which intersects with the West side of Technical trail) Jan asked if anyone minded if she stopped to take off her pants. No one objected, but before Jan could remove her tights, Harold had gone bare-chested (he didn't ask if we minded first--good thing, too!). Anyway, once everyone had their wardrobes in order, we turned left down the trail and made a quick right onto a little trail called call Lizard King. This is a very challenging, outrageously rocky climb up over a knob and down the other side, with plenty of rock structures to play (or merely to survive) on. I had some worries about the group at this point but everyone, with different amounts of walking, made it to the end of the trail. Jan declared as she rolled down the end of Lizard King " That trail makes Ruggles Pond look like the Sandbox!". Jason and I disagreed, but the point was well made. Jan had just soldiered through one of Bachelor Street's most technical trails. From there I headed the group over to the Upper access Trail. We rode up this fire road to the entrance of Twister. Ah Twister, one of the most delightful, technical downhill runs in the state. After the whole group was ready, we saddled up and had at it! The Kid was holding my tire like white on rice (the whipper-snapper!). We blitzkrieg'd the twists, turns, chutes and rocky fun of Twister. Again everyone did great and everyone was pretty smiley by the time they arrived at the bottom (which is good-because not everyone was quite so jolly at the end of Lizard King). I was pleasantly pleased with my trail selection thus far. At the bottom of Twister, we took a minute to regroup, talk some techie bike stuff and eat. Then we hit the trails again, this time heading down to the Far East. This is a great, mostly rocky, twisty climbing trail that crossed a few streams on it's way up the east side of Bachelor Street. At the top we watched the Kid clear a sizable sheer edged rock (Shea almost cleared it as well!). As the rest of the group ambled in, it was decision time for Liam. That last climb taxed some of the less seasoned riders of the group and the trail right in front of us was the vaunted Missing Persons. My favorite trail, but a real white knuckle leg/ lung burner in this direction. But with the voice of Mark Courtemanche echoing in my head, to never ride Missing Person's in the sissy (downhill) direction, I gritted my teeth and led the gang up the bony-big rocky features of Missing Persons. I did not lose anyone on this trail, as I made sure they didn't take any of the turn-offs. I love this trail!! I just turn off the old brain and use "The Force" as I navigate the trials and tribulations of this fantastic trail. Anyway, the group got pretty stretched out on this trail but when we finally all regrouped, some of us we're still eager to gobble up rock while others in the group were not so eager. A few people expressed a need to get back to their cars by a certain time. So we raced back down to the top of Far East (which we had climbed a little while ago). In my enthusiasm I over-shot the trailhead and ended up in some bizarre hunter's camp which I'd never seen before!!! Anyway, I realized my mistake and amidst a few groans, I led the crew back up the rather steep and nasty double track to the top of Far East. From here, The Kid and I launched down the trail with Mr. Malloy in tow and thoroughly enjoyed this mostly downhill romp. However, at the trails end we found ourselves quite alone for some time. Shea and Pete arrived saying they had errantly started down Entrance Exam (a real nasty gully shot trail) but turned around through the woods. Uh-oh; Had the rest of the gang followed them down this crusher trail but not turned around???? Yep. Thankfully, somehow, they found their way back to us (looking a little disgruntled). At this point, two of our group, Mike and Dave, left us for the parking lot. I made the executive decision to forgo any of the tougher rocky trails (Jacob's Ladder and Serpent God) and instead ran Serpentine all the way to the Pond Trail. After we got to the Pond Trail we rode that all the way to the new Roller Coaster Trail. While this route involved some climbing, it was a mostly smooth, sinuous singletrack and it seemed to revive some of the lagging spirits in the group. In fact by the time we got to the downhill portion of Roller Coaster, everyone was zipping along with refreshed legs and attitudes. I let The Kid have the lead (as a series of jumps were looming in the distance) and on the last stretch of trail let the group go a head while I hung back and rode out with Harold and Jan. Back at the Parking lot everyone was in high spirits and pretty stoked about the tenor of the ride in general. The group as a whole was now looking forward to next weekend's romp! All in all, I was pleasantly pleased with the gang and the ride. I was also pleased with my leadership role and the fact that we had no mechanicals, no flats, and no injuries. Another bonus was that no one was lost and everyone had fun...why, it was almost Bob-esque!

Saturday 12/2: I had expected to get at least a few of the hearty types out for today's road ride, but when 1:00 rolled around it was just Bob Shepherd and me. I was pretty set for the ride and the only thing that I did not have was my C02 inflator which was in the van. So, after a brief stop at the bus to get the inflator, Bob and I were off. I had told Robert Wilson that we would try to hook up with his group and that we would be going down River Road. Bob and I rode down to River Road via the Hope Street route and we headed for Sunderland. It was very windy but with the temperature at 45 degrees it was not too cold. Bob and I rode at a steady tempo down River Road to McClelland Farm Road where we met the NCC group heading north. We stopped on the side of the road and after a brief discussion we joined their group of 7 riders. We turned around and headed north on River Road with our new companions. We all made it across RT. 5&10 and then we headed south towards Old Deerfield. After riding down Main Street in Old Deerfield we headed onto Mill Village Road. At this point we were riding into a very stiff wind which dropped the pace a bit. I rode at the back of the group and gave the heads up to Amy and Elissa about the hills ahead. The group got a little strung out on the Mill Village climb and several riders missed the turn onto Lee Road. David decided to leave us to head for Amherst, while the two others who overshot the turn, returned to the group. After climbing Lee Road we had a little argy-bargy getting out onto 116 but we all got out there safely. We only rode a short distance before a stop at the mini-mart had me and several others turning around to see what was up. As we gathered in the parking lot, we were joined by Todd Roberts, Doug Chaission and another rider who chatted with us before the headed off on their ride. After everyone was ready to ride we headed off down the hill to South Mill Village Road. Bruce and I did the pull down this road to the top of the hill at Whately Glen Road. After getting to the top of the hill at Christian Lane, Bob and I headed off down the hill to RT. 5&10 while the NCC group headed south on Chestnut Plan Road. Bob and I made a left turn onto 5&10 and I led him north through South Deerfield until I got a piece of road shrapnel in my rear tire and I had to make a pit stop to repair it. While I was on the side of the road fixing the flat, Bill Hamer and a lady stopped by to offer assistance, which we thankfully declined. After the repair, Bob and I headed back to Greenfield. I did the majority of the leading into a very stiff headwind. When we got back to the shop we had done roughly 37 miles at a 17 mph average.