January 2004 Ride Report Page    
Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month January 2004 more or less as they happened. I will publish any ride reports that I receive. Please send them to  bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web!

Thursday 1/1: Today I had a very early start after a long night getting the race entries ready. ME and I left for the race at 8:00 and we were working on the race until we left for the shop at 1:15 for the ride. When I got to the shop there was a group of people waiting for me so I had to hurry up to get ready for the ride. It was a cool, blustery day and I was surprised to see 9 people in the parking lot. Joining me was Curt, ME, Jeff VonDauber, Kristen, Will Kraham, Peter Truesdell, Chris Koh and Steph. I was a little tired but felt that I would be able to stay with the group, so when everyone was ready I led the riders out of the parking lot. We rode over to Wildwood Ave., where Jeff said that he was having trouble with his shifter and he would stay back with the slower riders. (In retrospect, maybe I should have as well!) I told Jeff to hang in for as long as he could and then drop back. I went to the front as we made the turn onto Bernardston Road and we headed north. I slowed a bit and let Will, who was spinning in his little ring, take the lead. This was a mistake! Will proceed to spin up the hill at 16 mph and we promptly dropped everyone except for Curt. We rode up to Bernardston behind Will and I began to think that I was going to die if I had to keep this up for very long. I was riding my 'Cross bike and I was really working hard just to keep up. I took the lead when we turned onto RT. 10 and headed over towards Northfield. I stayed on the front until we got to the golf course, but I was having a hard time keeping the 22 mph average going so I pulled off and got behind Curt. I was able to stay on the back along the flats but when we headed downhill, I soon got dropped. I was pedaling a fast as I could, but the most that I could get out of the bike was 25 mph while the other two were going at probably 32 mph or faster. Soon Curt and Will were way up the road and I struggled to catch up with them. When I finally caught up, I told them to go on ahead because I was not going to be able to keep that pace. They slowed up and said that they would wait for me if necessary so I gamely jumped back on. I basically followed Will and Curt all the way down RT. 63 to Montague where I briefly pulled down Leverett Road into Montague Center. After that I got behind those guys again and followed them back to the shop. It was a hard ride for me but I was glad that I had made the effort. (Submitted by BOB)

12:01 AM, January 1st 2003 (Submitted by Curt)
Tonight I performed my ritual 'resetting of the odometer'. I'm back to zero miles for the year. As I was doing so, I got an email from Bob about a ride tomorrow (today?). I hope the weather is good, but right now I'd be willing to ride in anything short of freezing rain. I'm already itching for Spring! This is the time of year where I've tended to put on 7-10 pounds in the past, so if I can really watch my weight over the next month and a half, I should be a lot better off at the start of the Summer season.

I'm really looking forward to the coming season. Looking over the ride logs from the past few years, I notice that I haven't really been riding too much (except for trainer) before mid-March, but this year I hope to be out on either the road bike or the mountain bike pretty much every week through the Winter if the weather cooperates. When I can't get out on the bike, I'll try to make up for it on the snowshoes or skis.

I haven't thought of a training 'strategy' for the year yet, but last year I think I really could have benefited by some more structured training goals. This year I should give some consideration to some kind of training program, or at least pay attention and work on some areas where I need some work (sprints, and of course climbing).

January 1 Distance - 33.2 Average - 18.7 Temp - ~35°  Ending Mileage - 33 (Submitted by Curt)

l headed down to Bob's today after getting an e-mail announcing a new years day ride. There was a pretty good turnout, considering the temperature and the fact that quite a few people were probably still recovering from parties the night before. We all hit the road a few minutes after 2:00, but the group split almost right away as we climbed up out of town on Rte 5 North. By the time we topped the climb, I was riding with Bob and Will Kraham. One other rider that we thought would be with us was having problems shifting, so ended up staying back with the other riders. We all took turns in the front until we were heading East on Rte 10 towards Northfield. When Will took his turn after we crossed over the highway, he ended up staying in front all the way to Millers Falls! Even though I was feeling much better than I had been on my last ride, the pace he was setting had me struggling to hang on to his wheel as we climbed the gentle incline from Bernardston to the intersection of 142. I thought we would get a nice break as we dropped down to 63, but Will never let up the pace and I had to spin as fast as I could in my big ring to keep up with him on the descent. By the time we hit the bottom, we noticed that Bob had dropped back. He was riding his cross bike and was really having to put out a lot of energy to keep up even on the downhill's. He suggested that he might drop back to the group behind, but we convinced him to stay with us. I promised that I would wait for him on the descents as long as he waited for ME on the top of the climbs. The climbs on 63 went by pretty quickly, since we didn't push too hard on them. As we passed South Mountain Rd, there was some discussion about just how many months it would be before we felt ready to tackle it. I figure I won't be ready for it until at least June, but we'll see how things go. Bob and I 'let' Will have the Erving town line sprint as his reward for pulling us for all these miles. Minutes later we were in Millers Falls and turned left out of town to continue South on 63. I was starting to feel pretty guilty about not doing 'my share' of the work, so when Will dropped back for a second to say something to Bob I took my place in the front. I stayed there until we hit Rte 47. I couldn't keep the pace as steady as Will had (15MPH on the climbs, 27 on the descents, up and down like a yo-yo) but nobody made much of a move to come by me, so I guess they were happy enough with what I was doing. Originally, the plan had been to take 47 South to Sunderland, but when we reached the turn the consensus was to head North since things were cooling down. Bob and I were also starting to feel pretty cooked, so wouldn't really miss the extra miles. I took another pull in this section, as did Bob, but by the time we went over the rail overpass by the entrance to the MTB trails Will was once again in front, where he stayed all the way into Turners Falls. By the time we were climbing the ridge over to Greenfield, I was ready for the ride to end. We pulled back into the shop just minutes behind the group that had cut over from Millers Falls. All in all, I'm pretty happy about how I feel after a ride at this pace this time of year. If I can hold onto this level of fitness, this Spring should be a LOT easier than last year's.

Tuesday 1/6: Tonight was another trip up to the Conway Clubhouse (AKA Walter's house). Due to an unfortunate mishap with the email, many of the riders were not notified of the event and I had to call as many as I could to tell them about the ride. ME and Penny left early to take "Bob's famous homemade spaghetti sauce" up to the CC. ME, Penny, Bill and Ceil were planning on hiking on the trails while the rest of us rode our bikes. I left the shop at 6:00 with Jack and Eric following me and we headed off to Conway. We pulled into the gas station in Deerfield to let Chris Koh follow us and then we headed up to the CC. When we arrived we got our gear together and got ready to head out. The temperature was about 10 degrees with a wind chill of -2 degrees, so we all dressed for the occasion. As per my winter riding tips I wore only a pair of tights, a poly-pro tee shirt, a long sleeve bike jersey and my Eurotherm jacket. When everyone was set we headed out for the trails. Jack had a bit of mechanical at the start so Eric and I helped him get going and soon we were chasing after the group. Our riders tonight were Curt, Cheetah, Steph, Chris K., Walters, Gary, Jack, Eric and me. We rode on a moderately hilly course which I found to be perfect for riding. After I caught up with the group I heard that some of the riders were having difficulty  with traction which was caused by too much air pressure and too high of a gear. I gave some pointers to the riders and soon we were under way again. Steph was a quick learner and she was able to ride up most of the hills and on all of the flat sections while some of the men had to walk. You go girl!! We rode around the south side of Walter's property and headed for the turn onto Eves Road. When we arrived at the turn to go back to the house, Steph or maybe Curt noticed how beautiful the full moon was as it shone through the ice covered branches of the trees. I concurred and then convinced Chris Koh that we should get a picture of that. Well ole Ansel Adams (Chris Koh) went to work on setting up the tripod whilst I commenced to find the perfect spot to take the shot from. I found a rock on a hillside and I helped Ansel get the right angle and we took a couple of pictures. Now all this time the rest of the group was standing on the trail, freezing their toes off, so when we were done with the photo's the group headed off. We were now at the high point of the ride and the rest of the way was mostly down hill. It was a lot of fun flying down the hills, although I nearly lost it a couple of times. We all managed to get to the field above Walter's house and we could see the that ME, Penny and company were already back in the warmth of the house, and probably eating all the food. The thought of no supper spurred the group to hustle back and stow the gear. While we were undressing, Eric and Gary came into the work shop and said that Ansel had not returned. I thought that they were kidding since he was with us at the field but no, it seemed that he had not made it back yet. Eric and Gary went out to look for him and soon returned to report that Ansel  had just stopped in the woods to take some more pictures and had ridden back just then. We then hurried up and headed for the house. Inside Katherine had already started the pasta and sauce and soon we were all feasting on pasta and garlic bread (made by Eric). After we had consumed the meal we jumped into the desserts that Jack had made. Jack brought his famous brownies as well as a cheese cake. Everything was delicious and after the food was gone we had a good time using the back massagers that Walter makes. As the evening wore on we ran out of food and refreshments, so we all went home, leaving Katherine and Walter the clean up again. Many thanks to Walter and Katherine for their hospitality, it is much appreciated by everyone. (Submitted by BOB)

January 7 (Submitted by Curt)

A few days ago, Bob didn't know if he was going to arrange any kind of ride tonight since the trails have been so wet. But things cooled down, then we got a few inches of snow on top of the frozen ground so Walter offered his home as the base of operations for another ride. I showed up a bit early to help him install some mapping software for his GPS so he can start mapping some of the trails. Soon after 6:00, other riders started wandering in so we stopped our work on the computer and started getting ready for the ride. Walter has a nice heated shop out by the driveway, so we all had a nice area to use as a staging area to get ready for the ride. As I was rolling my bike into the shop, I noticed that the back wheel wasn't spinning. Something had frozen up on the ride South (I washed the bike a few days ago and must have gotten some water in the cables). I set the bike by the furnace and within minutes whatever had been frozen thawed out. It took 20 minutes or so to get the group all ready, but in time we were ready to roll. There were about 8 of us riding, plus 3-4 people going for a hike. No sooner had we left the driveway than Jack stopped with a mechanical problem. Bob went back to see if he could help and the rest of us, instead of standing still and getting colder, decided to continue on at an easy pace until they caught up. A half mile or so into the ride, Bob and Jack were back with us. I noticed the first time I had to get off and push the bike up a hill that my rear brake was frozen up again. I couldn't even turn it by hand. In order to continue on the ride, I backed off the disc brake pad so the wheel could spin again. This meant that I had to try to go through the rest of the ride using only my front brake, since every time I touched the rear it would grab again and not release. There had been a little bit of snowmobile traffic on the trails packing them a little, but things were still pretty soft and powdery for the most part. It was a real challenge to keep control of the bike in places as ruts in the soft snow tried to push the front wheel around at the same time that the rear wheel was sliding left and right. The pace was much slower than in a non-snow ride, with more concentration going toward balance than speed. We stopped a lot to catch our breath, and all ended up walking several of the steeper sections where the snow was just too powdery to maintain control. Every rider tonight had moments of greatness, and I think every rider had at least one spectacular fall. The nice thing was that the falls were soft so there was little worry about any lasting damage. At one stop I (Yes, *I* Stephanie, if you think differently you can write your OWN story) noticed a very nice scene of the full moon shining through the ice encrusted branches overhead. Bob wanted Chris to try to get a photo of it, so we all stood around getting colder and colder as Ansel Adams and his assistant lay stretched out in the snow next to the camera (which was attached to a mini-tripod) composing the shot. As soon as we decided that we were NOT going to wait any longer and were preparing to leave them behind, they magically decided that they had just taken the million dollar shot and hurried to pack up and join us. We headed home from here and were soon on the final downhill section to Walter's home. This is where I took my one and only spill of the night as my front wheel hit some loose snow at the bottom of a short drop. I landed in some soft powder on the side of the trail and was back on the bike in no time. Another great moment that would have looked great on the blooper reel if someone had been following me with a helmet cam. Back at the house, it took a few minutes to realize that Chris was nowhere to be seen. Walter checked the house, the shed, the driveway and everywhere else Chris may have been hiding, but no Chris! Just as he was about to send out a search party, Chris came rolling in. We finished up the evening with dinner at Walter and Katherine's, where Bob swears that he 'cooked' dinner, though I never saw him go near the kitchen except to get a fresh beer. We had Bob's special sauce over noodles and wonderful garlic bread with cheese a la Eric (he made a point of telling us that his girlfriend did NOT make it :). The meal ended up with some dessert that Jack brought. Stephanie tried to impress us all by only indulging in a small slice of each offering, but thought that we wouldn't notice that the small slice was followed by another... and another... and another.

Thursday 1/8: The coldest day of the year is upon us so how better to celebrate than to go out for a ride. I left the shop at 6:00 with Eric following me and when we got to the parking spot we were met there by Homer, Liam, Jack Sop, and Steph. We got ready to go and quickly left for the Plains. I led the riders up to the Telephone Pole Trail and we rode up to the firepit. The trails were perfect but my hands and feet were pretty cold so I changed gloves and that seemed to help. Chad and Steph were also glove challenged and they took out the gloves that they stowed in their jackets and put them on. We left the fire pit and rode over to the Toilet Bowl Trail.  The snow was pretty hard and we could ride on almost any trail without falling through. I had set my tire pressure at 15 psi just to see if I could do it and I had no trouble keeping the pace or slipping on the icy snow. I kept the pace pretty slow to keep the wind chill down, but even so I was a little chilly when I got out to the power lines. My fingers and toes were fine but the rest of me was cold. After we got to the power lines I asked the group how they were doing and most of them said that they were OK so I planned a loop that would take us out almost to Willis Hill. I rode at the front for most of the way and Liam helped out on the wider trails. When we got to Plains Road we turned right and headed down the trail. At first the riding was good, but about half way down we encountered a frozen brook and that caused several people to slip. I stayed on the side of the brook and was able to ride some of the way down to the pond. When we got to the pond we paused for a couple of minutes before heading out to a trail that takes us to the Banked Trail. As we rode along we encountered quite a bit of broken ice. This was large chunks of 6 inch ice that got broken by a large truck and it made the riding somewhat rough. After a short time we turned right and took a couple of short connector trails that took us out to the Second First Right. This is another trail that gets a lot of local idiots and their trucks that they use to chew up someone else's property. Anyway we rode down the bumpy trail to the Telephone Pole Trail. At this point everyone was getting cold so we pedaled down the hill and straight back to the parking lot where we quickly got our cars started. After I started the van I quickly took off my sweaty jacket and jersey and then I got my dry jacket on. After stowing Sop and my bikes in the back of the van, Sop and I headed back to the shop. This was a great ride even though it was really cold.  (Submitted by BOB)

Thursday, January 8, 2004.  Brrrr…the only way that one could describe tonight’s ride.  The Degrees of Coldness Index that we’ve so fondly referred to in the past unfortunately doesn’t go as low as the temperatures have been lately!  On Wednesday, during Bob’s bike clinic, Liam called the shop wondering if there would be a ride the next day.  Heartily, Bob yelled out “yes!”, and I sat there looking a little scared.  You see, the forecast was for temps in the single digits during the day, and near zero at night, with wind to factor in.  All in all, those of us who showed up for the ride estimated that with the wind, it was about –10 or lower.  I debated all Wednesday night and during the day on Thursday about whether or not to ride.  Chad was working the night shift, so he was out, and I had nobody to force my hand either way…it was up to me, and many of you know that I can be a pretty indecisive person at times.  You see, ever since I was a kid, my grandmother put the fear of God in me regarding cold weather.  She would nearly faint at the thought of wet hair on a cold day, and always made sure we were more than adequately dressed for the weather (think Michelin man or Ralphie’s little brother from The Christmas Story movie).  As a result, I’ve hated winter most of my life, and cold weather isn’t a friend of mine…in fact, I’m borderline afraid of the extreme cold, worried about frostbite, and the like.  Since we do live in New England (all that mental imagery of palm trees and stuff doesn’t work!) and since I want to be in shape for the spring/summer, I’ve decided that I must overcome this irrational fear I have of the cold.  And, what better way to get over it than follow Dr. Bob’s prescription…a long night bike ride in sub-zero weather.  I figured that if I could make it through tonight, I could make it through just about anything.  So, with that in mind, I set off for what would be a little bit of biking (and I learned a lot about myself and my limits).  I pulled into the Book Mill parking lot around 6:20, and Liam was already there waiting.  We joked about the weather, and how nobody else but our “group” of fellow riders can understand our rationale for riding in all sorts of conditions.  I was dressed pretty much the same as I have been, so I was concerned that my fingers/toes wouldn’t make it, but I had extra gloves & socks just in case.  It wasn’t long before we were joined by the rest of the group…there were 6 people riding tonight:  Liam, Bob, Michelle, Eric, Sop, and me.  It was cool to see Sop, since it’s been a while since he’s been on one of the shop rides.  He has clipless pedals now, so the rest of us:  WATCH OUT!  Sop was kickin’ ass with his flat pedals, so I think there’s absolutely nothing that’ll stop him now.  We were quickly off and going, and we pedaled slowly toward the Plains.  The wind was viciously cold, and by the time we got to the Telephone Pole trail, my fingers were on fire.  About ¾ of the way up, I stopped to ball up my fists, but that still didn’t work, so Eric graciously and kindly offered me his polypro liners…they worked like a charm and my fingers began to thaw.  The snow was hard packed…100 times better than the slushy mess we had the last time we visited the Plains.  We took a left onto the cut through to the road, and then onto the snowmobile trails.  I’m getting more familiar w/ the trails, and I think we were on the Toilet Bowl Trail.  It was great riding…smooth and hard packed, and we zipped along without much trouble.  I was just waiting for someone to have a mechanical, but it never happened.  Aside from Liam’s one minor tumble, there were no real worries.  Considering Liam hadn’t been out since the beginning of December, he seemed to be doing really well (better than I would’ve done if I hadn’t ridden in over a month!)  We took lots of trails, winding between the power lines and the side trails.  We did several checks to make sure all fingers and toes were okay, and everyone seemed to be fine.  My camelback froze before we even made it to the Plains entrance (I tried to put it on under my coat, but I couldn’t get my jacket zipped up because my pack is too big), so I had no water.  In a strange maternal turn of events, Bob let me share his water, which tasted like fabric softener (but hey, it was better than getting dehydrated!)  After over an hour of cavorting at the Plains, we decided to head back to the Telephone Pole trail, and back to the cars.  We stayed in the parking lot and talked for a few minutes, discussing how we were all glad that we rode.  I finally proved to myself that I could overcome my complex about the cold weather, and now I’m ready to ride in just about anything else that mother nature throws my way.  If anyone else wants to join the Below Zero Club, there are still spots open!! Submitted by Stephanie.

Sunday, January 11th (Submitted by Curt)

It was a pretty cold day for a ride on the plains. The conditions were mixed including powder, thin crust over powder, ice and powder packed by snowmobiles. As usual on days like today, I started off cold but was toasty warm by the time we got to the firepit. We all followed Bob on various trails out toward Willis Hill. On the way we had fun on a real skating rink of ice. It was a major challenge to stay on the bike on the flat glare crust of ice coating the trail. Eventually we started the climb up Willis Hill, following trails up frozen stream beds to the top. The steep descent down the other side, tricky even in the Summer, was kind of a white knuckle ride but we all made it with no major tumbles.

The trip back from Willis Hill was more of the same. Towards the very end of the ride, my toes were JUST beginning to feel cold, but I think it was more from the fast speed and wind-chill as we rolled back out the power lines and down the telephone pole trail.

As soon as I got back to the car, I stripped off all the cold wet layers I could and pulled on warm dry clothes from the car. It was damn cold standing in the parking lot with no shirt on for half a minute, but getting out of the wet things was well worth it.

Sunday, January 11, 2004.  Cheetah and I were all jazzed up about the ride today since Friday, since he didn’t have to work today, and we would be able to enjoy the day together.  Since I had survived the negative temperatures on Thursday, I was quite sure that today would feel “warm” in comparison.  We all planned to meet at the Book Mill parking lot around 1:30, but I was sure we were going to be late because upon doing some quick lubing to my bike, Cheetah discovered that my front derailleur wasn’t shifting to my smallest chain ring (Bob later adjusted the tension and I was back in business).  After some fiddling, it still wasn’t right, so we got ready to leave anyways, figuring that Bob could work his mojo magic on the bike once we arrived.  As it happened, we turned onto Rt. 47, and Chad spotted a car in front of us with a mountain bike on the back.  He asked if I thought it was someone from the shop, and I asked what he thought the odds were of someone non-shop-related going out in the middle of January and on a frigid Sunday afternoon and driving northward toward Montague??  The odds, we concluded, were very low, so we settled on our guess that it was Chris Koh (it was).  We pulled into the parking lot just at 1:30, and there were cars everywhere.  Many were from our group, but some were patrons of the Book Mill, looking at us with screwed up looks on their faces.  I can just imagine them saying to each other, “They do that…for fun???”  I counted ten people riding, including Bob, Cheetah, Curt, Jack, Michelle, Chris, Walter, me, and two others.  ME, Betsey, and Nice Kate were also there, planning to go for a walk/hike.  We headed out on our usual path toward the Telephone Pole Trail, and the air did not feel nearly as bitter as it did a few nights ago.  I wasn’t worried about my extremities, although Cheetah’s gloves were too constricting, he soon found out.  Bob kindly lent him a larger pair, and the blood was circulating soon afterward.  I must confess that I think I was wearing his gloves (which are a size larger)…the pairs are identical and we never found a way to tell them apart.  Nevertheless, we all zoomed up the trail, which was still hard packed and really nice to ride on.  Each time we do the Telephone Pole Trail, it seems shorter and shorter…which is definitely a good thing.  We took many of our usual trails, and were soon back at the power lines.  Bob decided we should head up toward Willis Hill, and to get to that area, we had to ride some very slick section at the power lines.  The snow did not look ice covered, but there was a very thin layer on top, and it wasn’t long before people were slipping all over the place.  I counted at least 4 people go down, and Michelle has it all captured on tape (she was wearing the helmet cam today!)  Later on, she thought it would be cool to set the footage to music, and I suggested the Blue Danube Waltz…very appropriate.  We’ll have to see what she selects!  Not long after this, Bob found the secret trail entrance that only he knows about.  Problem was that half the riders were already continuing on, whizzing across the ice (some had studded tires).  We all bellowed for them to stop, and although it took a while, they finally heard and turned around.  We bushwhacked our way across a short trail, sinking into the snow, and then made it out to the snowmobile trail.  Taking the lead, I turned on the hard right, and started to climb up a hill.  I soon found myself in an obviously frozen stream, and I had missed the short cut made by the snowmobiles.  Curt continued on, and I followed.  We all stopped shortly, where we saw the most beautiful cascade of frozen water (although once it thaws, it’ll be more like a cruddy mud pit).  We stopped and had our pictures taken.  Might I add that I’m glad people bring cameras (Chris, Walter).  It’s nice to remember where we’ve been and what we’ve done…Thanks!  We continued to climb up, stopping to cross the intermittent ice patches.  I also made it up one challenging climb without stopping, and was pretty surprised that all it took was sliding forward in the saddle.  Damn you, Isaac Newton…what goes up must come down.  By the time we climbed up Willis Hill, it became apparent that we were in fact going to have to come down….down the really big, really steep hill.  Michelle headed down on foot to capture the action on the helmet cam.  This way, if anyone got really hurt, we’d have it documented so we could show them once they regained consciousness!  We started down one by one, and the first rider made it.  Then, Cheetah went, and I reminded him that we have life insurance, so not to worry too much.  Of course, he made it.  I was honestly not looking forward to doing it, but I knew I couldn’t wuss out or else I’d never hear the end of it.  I took a deep breath and started the descent, leaning back off the seat.  I only unclipped and touched down once, if I remember right, to steer away from the side since it was rutted from the riders who went first.  Yet another thing that if you had asked me a year ago if I’d be doing it today, I would’ve said no.  Everyone made it down safely.  The rest of the ride went great, and at one point, Bob stopped his bike and exclaimed that he’d found his lost glove.  Well, after the photo was taken by Chris, Bob ripped the “glove” from under the ice, and realized it was just a dirt filled boot.  Sorry Bob…you’ll find it once everything thaws!  We eventually made our way back out onto the road, and back to the parking lot.  All in all it was a great ride, and good to see everyone out on such a great day.  Submitted by Stephanie.

Tuesday 1/13: OK, I thought that we had seen the coldest day of the year on the bikes last Thursday, but brother, I can tell you that it was much colder tonight. The air temp was 10 degrees, but with the wind it was more like -20 degrees. Eric and I left the shop at 6:00 and headed over to the Book Mill where we were met by Curt. It was so cold that we just got our gear out and soon we were on our way. The wind was howling as we headed over to the Telephone Pole Trail. This was no doubt the coldest start that I can remember. I rode at the front and took the brunt of the wind and I was really chilly when I began the climb up the hill to the firepit. I did not stop at the fire pit but just kept on going. I called back to Eric and Curt to make sure that they were doing OK and they said that they were doing fine. I pedaled along on the hard packed trails at a moderate speed and according to my GPS I was doing about a 7 mph average; this was just before the unit froze and stopped recording. We rode over to the Banked Trails and then took the power lines out to Willis Hill Road. The wind was blowing the snow so hard that I had a hard time seeing the trail at times. I led the boys over to the BPT trail and rode to the end where we stopped briefly at the Big Pine Tree. We decided to head over to Red Rock and then ride back to the cars. I led the boys on the ice strewn trail, that was obviously driven on by a Humvee or some other heavy, wide wheeled vehicle. The ice was pretty thick but was broken into huge chunks by whatever truck had driven over it. I rode over some of the ice and around some of it and after ducking and dodging my way to the bottom of the hill I began the climb. I did not get too far before I lost traction on the off camber trail. I pulled over to let the other two riders pass, but they too had to dismount on the slippery slope. At that point I suggested that we turn around and head down the Brook Trail where we could ride; rather that walk up the hill. Curt and Eric agreed and we rode down the Brook Trail and soon were at the sandpit. I was in the lead as we got out to the power lines and I was pleased to find that the wind was at my back as I rode down to the Toilet Bowl Trail. I rode along on the snow covered crust without any difficulty, but Curt had a harder time with that trail. The trail had not been used since the first snow and Curt fell through after I cracked the crust with my massive girth. After Curt stopped I continued along following the bunny tracks in the snow all the way down to the power lines where Eric and I stopped to wait for Curt. Curt was only a short distance behind and soon he joined us and we continued on. From the power lines we rode down  the Toilet Bowl Trail (My brain must have frozen at some point on this trail, because I had to make a couple of turn-arounds to finally find the left turn that we usually take.) and back over to the Telephone Pole Trail. We were all getting a little chilly so we slowly rode down the hill and out to the hardtop road. We got back to the parking lot where we started our cars and changed our wet clothes. There was no parking lot chit chat tonight; we loaded our bikes and soon we were headed for home. It was certainly a challenge to keep warm  but all in all it was a fun ride.

Tuesday, January 13th (Submitted by Curt)

"Severe cold", "Record-Breaking low temperatures", "Dangerous Wind chills", "Don't leave the house tonight if you don't have to!"... These were the words I heard on the radio over and over today. As it got closer to 5:00, the reports got more dire. "Even if you are driving a short distance, bring extra warm clothes in case you get stranded!" and other warnings that subtly implied that if you ventured out tonight you were asking for trouble.

So I threw my stuff into the truck and headed South for a bike ride.

Bob's email had given a time of 6:20 to meet at the Bookmill parking lot. At 6:15 I was the only one there. I was almost relieved, thinking that if nobody else showed up I would be able to get away without riding. I could even tell people that I had bravely gone out by myself. My cunning plan was dashed minutes later when Bob pulled into the parking lot, followed closely by Eric. We didn't waste much time getting ready, since every minute in the cold while not exercising was chilling us even more.

Soon we were on the road heading for the trails. We let Bob cut through the wind for us. I ducked in behind him and practiced my road bike drafting skills. The wind died just a bit once we got onto the telephone pole trail. There had been a few more inches of snow since our last ride on Sunday, so we were riding over fresh snow but could still feel that it was packed a bit under the new snowfall.

We continued straight through the firepit towards the power lines. As soon as we turned left at the power lines, the wind cut through us like a knife. The wind chill was at LEAST -20 but we were pumping out enough heat energy that I wasn't really getting cold. I can almost tell the temperature by the sound that the snow makes as you ride over it. Tonight, the snow was squealing and squeaking like a pig stuck with a cattle prod (yes, I HAVE heard that sound...)

We avoided Willis Hill or any other climbs tonight, but got enough of a workout on some of the trail sections that had not been ridden on yet. When we hit these sections, things slowed to a crawl as we used our bikes as ice-breakers to cut through the crust. The extra energy this required had me working close to my max heartrate in places just to maintain 7MPH on flat ground. I practiced the skill of following EXACTLY in Bob's tire tracks so I didn't have to fight the fresh trail myself, but my success was marginal.

Bob stayed in front for the entire ride tonight, with Eric and I trading 2nd and 3rd place. When he thought that we had had enough he started heading for home. We ended up on the Toilet Bowl trail on the way out. There was one section of this trail that gave me a hard time. The only traffic it had seen lately was a hikers, so the trail was very uneven as we had to ride down into and up out of each footprint. I think the powder was a little deeper here as well, and this is where Bob's lower tire pressure really helped. I was still running too much pressure and kept bogging down in the deep snow. I would fight and fight, putting every ounce of effort I could into making my cranks turn, but the bike would slowly come to a halt and I would end up doing a track stand in the middle of the trail. This happened four times within 100', after which I gave up and walked the rest of this section. Fortunately, it was only another 50' before we merged with more snowmobile trails and things were rideable again.

Before we knew it, we were speeding down the telephone pole trail and back to the cars. The coldest part of the ride was the paved road from the trails back to the cars. My face started to burn with the cold as the wind cut through us. Once back at the cars, we didn't waste any time in conversation. We just threw our gear back into the cars and headed back to our warm houses.

Epilogue: I was unloading the bike back at the house when my fingers got wet with melted snow. When I picked up my wheel with the wet fingers, my hand stuck to the wheel! I had to peel my fingers from the cold rim. Good thing I didn't stick my tongue on there!

Cyclists roll out in the cold

By DIANE BRONCACCIO
Recorder Staff

CONWAY - Bicyclist Liam O'Brien of South Deerfield has had some cool bike rides in his life, but none colder than one he took Thursday night with a group of mountain bike cyclists, ages 25 to 63, who have dubbed themselves "the polar bears."

The group of nine put pedal to the metal at about 7:20 p.m. in minus-14 degree weather, riding trails through the woods from about Matthews Road to Whately Glen and back. Walter Goodrich of Conway, one of the riders, had groomed snow trails on his property a few days earlier, when the weather was warmer. The cold snow had "a little tooth to it," recalled mountain-biker Bob Perry, which gave the mountain bikes some traction. The icy snow crunched and squealed beneath their low-pressure bike tires, the icy trees groaned and shimmered when caught by the bike headlights. The bikers occasionally stopped - but for no more than three to five minutes - to admire frozen water formations cascading over rocks.

With 25 mph winds, the wind-chill came close to 40-below. And because of the snow and ice, the 3.8-mile trek on dark, icy trails took between 1 to 1½ hours.

"It was wonderful," O'Brien enthused Friday afternoon. "It was really great. There was a little snow, to give it a challenge, which made it more aerobic. But let me tell you something," he added. "When it's a negative-10 degrees, you WANT aerobic."

"My experience, having come out on these (winter) rides, is it has improved my attitude about winter," said Goodrich, who has just started riding with the group this fall.

Perry, owner of Bicycles Unlimited in Greenfield, has been organizing mountain bike trips under all weather conditions, but he feels that winter biking gives people a way to enjoy winter.

"You can't be cavalier about (the cold weather), but on the other hand, you can't be afraid of the elements to the point of timidity. Because this is where we live."

Riding in such sub-zero temperatures, said Perry, not only gives the riders "an experience in our natural environment that you can't get at any other time ... Your motivation is to say we accomplished a difficult task and are out in the elements. We also want to experience the beauty of being out in the winter time: the crystal ice on the trees, the frozen water cascading over brooks, with the moonlight and starlight filtering through."

The Polar Bears had plenty of cold nights this winter to serve as "dress rehearsals" for venturing out on the coldest night of all. Group rides are planned for Tuesday and Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons.

O'Brien said he had never gone mountain biking in cold temperatures before Jan. 6. "I thought: Wow! This is really cold. But we did it. Then, last week, we rode in the Montague Plains. It was zero degrees, so then I thought: I guess I'll never ride anything colder than this."

"We made sure everybody came with fully charged batteries for their headlights and fully charged cell phones," said Perry, "because when we went out Tuesday night, everything froze up."

For maximum traction the big knobby tires are slightly deflated, and bikers made sure the bike is well lubricated, with brakes and gears in good working order.

"Everyone had their water systems under their jackets, to keep (the water packs) from freezing," Perry added. "You have to drink water. When it's very cold, the humidity is very low. In winter, you dehydrate quickly. So you carry your water packs under your jacket. Everyone carried at least two pairs of gloves and socks, so if you fell and got wet, you would immediately have a dry pair to put on."

The bikers had to dress warmly - but not too warm, because sweating could lead to hypothermia, according to Perry. "What a lot of people do, is they assume they have to wear two pair of tights, two pair of socks, but if you're wearing the proper material, you don't."

Perry, for instance, wore a pair of wool tights, a long-sleeved and a short-sleeved jersey, a windproof jacket and a polypropylene undershirt, which wicks moisture away from the skin.

No wool sweater? No down vest?

"Absolutely not," Perry replied. "You want to dress lightly enough so you don't perspire. If you start to sweat, you have to go back. Once you get wet, you cannot dry off and there's a real danger you can get hypothermia."

"When temperatures are minus-45 with the wind chill, you are cold," he stated. "No matter how much clothing you put on, you will be cold. But it's OK to feel cold. It's not something to be feared or avoided. Cold is just cold. Your body will adapt and become acclimated to the cold, as long as you know what the danger signs are. If you feel your fingers or toes going numb, you've got a problem. Not feeling is the problem," he said.

Perry said he monitors people throughout the ride, asking them if they can feel their fingers and toes, telling them to grab their earlobes, reminding them to stop and drink water, or not to keep their feet on the ground too long, where the cold can seep up into their feet. Some people on Thursday night's ride complained of cold heels, he said. "That's because your body weight causes your heels to sink deeper into the ground when you walk.

After the cold ride, the mountain-biking group returned to Goodrich's home for a potluck feast with several people who had gone hiking that evening instead of riding.

"Food and drink never tasted as good as it does after a ride like this," O'Brien remarked.

But the cold isn't the only extreme for this group of bikers. Many also join Perry for a ride on the hottest day of the year. "I call it the 150-degree club," Perry joked. "It's for the people who bike when the wind-chill is minus-45 and when the temperature is 105."

You can reach Diane Broncaccio at: dbronc@recorder.com or (413) 772-0261 Ext. 277.

Group likes the 'tour de freezing'   01/17/2004

GREENFIELD - Bundled at home, most people found little problem dealing with the below-zero temperatures and wind chills of about 40 below Thursday night.
    There is one group, however, that, by choice, met the cold, the wind and the dark head on, almost as a welcome ally in pursuit of winter activity.
    Members of this impromptu group took to the wilds of Conway that night on one of several trailed areas where elevation and snow add up to a good mountain bike experience, even in the dark.
    "When you live in New England you have to make that great decision of how you are going to live your life," said Liam O'Brien of Deerfield. He has decided, he said, that he will not let winter, with its short days and long, cold nights, get in the way of enjoying the environment. "The days are short in winter, so it is either do it in the dark when the workday is over, or do nothing," said O'Brien.
    Leader of the night bikers is Robert G. Perry, owner of Bicycles Unlimited on High Street, who has been making the hills a frequent winter nighttime haunt for more than 10 years. It was sometime in the mid-1980s that he did it for the first time. An amateur bike racer, he was looking for a way to keep biking in the winter, and found his racing bike couldn't handle wintered trails, so he took up mountain biking on snowmobile trails. "People think you are making it up" when he tells them he went out riding the night before, he said. "I have to show them photographic proof," he said. He and the other participants, a group that includes Chad and Stephanie Castonguay of South Hadley, Jack Rice of Erving, Walter Goodridge of Conway, Michelle Hurley of Northfield, Shawn LeBlanc of Petersham, and Curt Bousquet of Putney, Vt., along with O'Brien, use lights, proper garments and other equipment to deal with the cold and stay safe. "We are very well prepared," said Perry, who is known in the group as "Bicycle Bob." The equipment includes a global positioning system that uses satellites to be sure of location and avoid getting lost. Perry said participants can't expect, however, not to feel the temperatures. "No matter what you do, you are going to be cold," he said. That is nothing to be alarmed about, he contends, because it is little different than in summer when, no matter what you do when you go outside, "you're going to be hot." His cardinal rule is to "always feel your fingers, toes and ear lobes to make sure you always have sensation." The winter night bikers have become experienced in what to wear while out riding to avoid problem cold, and often, said O'Brien, the real problem is sweating. When you are sweating, and you stop biking, that is when you are the most cold, he said.
 

Thursday, January 15th (Submitted by Curt)

Everyone has done such a great job writing up this ride that I don't really feel that I have anything to add (Thanks to Bob, Stephanie and not one but TWO newspaper articles)! By the time Betsy and I got to Walter's house, it was feeling about as cold as it had been on Tuesday night, but the thermometer was telling us it was actually a few degrees colder. The only thing going for tonight is the fact that the trails would be a little more sheltered from the wind than the wide-open power line and telephone trails on the plains.

I couldn't put on more layers (I've a already been wearing everything I own on the last several rides) so my standard outfit would just have to be good enough. For the record, here is all it takes to stay fairly warm on a subzero ride as long as you stay active:

• Neoprene waterproof gloves
• Balaclava, helmet, clear glasses
• Long sleeve bike jersey
• Short sleeve bike jersey
• Polar fleece vest
• Nylon jacket (with little or no lining/insulation)
• Bike shorts
• Bike tights
• Wool socks
• Winter bike boots.

Even with these great boots I was a little worried about my feet. With the cold transmitting up from the concrete floor in Walter's shop, my feet were starting to feel a little cool even before I went outside! The only snag I ran into was that my headlight bulb got broken somewhere during the packing/unpacking process, I would have to make due with just the handlebar lights. I stuffed the batter pack in my jacket anyway, since in these temps. someone was sure to need a spare if we stayed out too long!

Once we were all ready, we took time out for a very chilly group photo before heading out. I'm starting to see it as a GOOD thing that all trails from Walter's start with a climb. There is no better way to get the blood pumping and your body heated up than the be hit with an immediate workout at 80% of your max heartrate!

Walter had gone out on his snowmobile to pack the trails a bit, but this snow didn't stick together too well. As soon as one rider passed over it, it was as loose as ever and ready to suck down the wheel of the next rider. We ended up hiking some of the climbs, since with the powdery snow (deeper in parts due to drifting) and chunks of crust it was just too hard to maintain tracking or directional control on the steep bits.

We lost one rider (Sean) almost right away. He was having freehub problems so Walter sent him back to the clubhouse to pick up a spare bike. We would be meeting him again as we passed the house for the second part of our trip.

The ride itself was great. Some tough climbs, some great descents and lots of fun on some sections that were less packed than others. We dropped back down to the house once to pick up Sean and switch over to another trail (planned so we never got too far away from the house, in case of emergencies). This meant another climb up to the trail system where we played for a while before heading one last time downhill to the base of operations. This was the only really cold part of the ride, since the wind had strengthened and we were now riding directly into a strong headwind of I would guess at least 15MPH. My cheeks were burning by the time we finally pulled into the driveway and dove for the cover of Walter's headed workshop to change into fresh warm clothes. We ended out the night with a great dinner (thanks to all who contributed!) and conversation in Walter and Katherine's living room.

Thursday, January 15, 2004.  Frozen eyelashes.  If you were on tonight’s memorable ride, you know exactly how that feels.  If you weren’t, then you definitely missed out on a great time.  Tonight, we tested our physical and mental limits as nine riders braved the record cold for a ride in Conway at Walter’s house.  Since Tuesday (when only Bob, Eric, and Curt were crazy, I mean, brave enough to ride at the Plains), we knew that there would be a ride on Thursday at Walter’s…of course, we also knew that this huge Siberian air mass was going to be parked over the Northeast, bringing forecasted wind chills into the –40^oF range (and an air temp into the negative single digits).  Cheetah and I hemmed and hawed during the day on Thursday about whether or not to ride…as it stood at about 2:30, the decision was still unclear.  Finally, around 4, we both looked at each other and said, “Eh, why not? What’s the worst that could happen?!” (as the newscast was rife with “wind chill warnings”).  “Any exposed skin will freeze in 15 minutes,” touted 22 News.  “Only go out if you absolutely have to,” said Channel 40.  Well, if you ask us, going for a ride tonight was an absolute must. 

Cheetah and I left for Walter’s with plenty of time to spare, as the last few times have left us tapping the brakes on the way up 91 with the ‘rush hour traffic’—that is, if W. Mass even has a rush hour.  We made it up to Walter’s by 6:10, and were the first to arrive.  My truck’s thermometer was reading –3^oF.  We unpacked our stuff and put it in the workroom (which has been a god-send…a warm place to get ready).  Walter had some maps of the night’s proposed route spread out on the table.  He reasoned, and wisely so, that we make a few shorter loops around the house, so that we could have some checkpoints built in to send people back if we needed to.  (As it happened, this only happened twice…Jack and Sean both had mechanicals during the ride, but made it a majority of the way).

            Cheetah, Walter, Katherine, and I chatted while we waited for the other riders to arrive, and they slowly trickled in.  We were all dressed in our warmest gear, and I even opted for an outer layer of canvas type pants over my tights to break the wind.  Let’s just say agility was not the main skill of the evening.  Everyone got psyched up for the ride, feeling like we were venturing into slightly uncharted territory, in terms of conditions…it would prove to be extreme, but we all succeeded.  Our riding group (now dubbed the “polar bears”) consisted of Bob, Michelle, Jack, Walter, Curt, Sean, Liam, Cheetah, and me.  Katherine also lead a smaller group out on a hike while we rode.  We finally pushed off after we posed for some photos, and it became clear that we were going to be in for some work…the loop may have been short, but the first one was full of hike-a-bike…lots of steep but short uphills and a lot of rutted snow.  Michelle and I ended up trailing the pack for a significant length of time, and we got the leftovers from everyone else.  We struggled at times to find a clean path, as the guys sank into the snow ahead of us.  It became easier to track to the side of the trail and glide across the top of the hard pack, and only occasionally did we break through.  We ended up out near Walter’s and did a checkpoint to see how everyone was doing.  We were all feeling good, and we picked up Sean (who had a mechanical but rode back to the workshop and borrowed Walter’s hard tail) and continued up a very long hill.  We didn’t get far before we realized we had to hike it up this hill too.  I was starting to tire from the hiking, and had a fleeting thought to turn back, but with Bob’s encouragement, I kept going, and in no time, we were riding again.  I don’t know what it is about hike-a-bike, but I feel like I am so out of shape when I have to do it.  Oh well, another goal for the new year!

            We continued up the rolling trail, and at one point, we stopped briefly.  My camelback had frozen long before, and I implored my loving husband for water.  He said, “What’s wrong with yours?”  Okay guys, when your significant other asks for water on a frigid night ride, don’t repeat this near fatal mistake!  I believe my response was, “Don’t give me shit, just give me water!” to which everyone gave Cheetah forty lashes with a wet noodle.  And Bob replied, “Ant Stephanie has spoken!” 

            We conquered some more hills, and then the trail to home was before us.  I was feeling “on” after the last long hike we had done and nailed all the hills from that point forward (that is of course, except for the one on which Michelle and I were cut off by a rogue ‘big cat’ who darted across the trail…hmmm).  Finally, we were zooming down the hill toward Walter’s, but it was here that we faced the strongest, coldest winds of the evening.  For most of the ride, the trees provided a nice block to the gusts, but this slope was different, and we were all glad it came on the way home, not the way out.  We all darted for the workroom and stripped off our sweaty under layers, changing into dry garments.  Then, of course, we knew were going to be fed, so we raced up to the house, lest Bob gobble down all the soup.

Tonight’s fare was THE MOST delicious minestrone soup a la Walter and Katherine, corn bread, salad, and many delicious desserts.  Curt gave Michelle and me a copy of the frozen stream picture from last Sunday at the Plains (Thank You!), and we all sat and had some great conversation.  We’ve even diversified our activities to include a friendly game of “When Mountain Bikers Match Wits”!  Before we knew it, it was getting late, and we had to leave the Conway Clubhouse.  Thank you to our hosts, the Goodridges and thanks to all the riders and hikers who made this a memorable night!  It was truly one for the record books!  (Submitted by Stephanie)

Sunday 1/18: It was snowing lightly outside at 10:00 as I got ready to go over to the shop to meet up with Curt who wanted to buy a lamp for his light. After I arrived at the shop Curt came in to buy some products and as we were getting ready to leave, Rick Trowell came in to buy a jacket and follow me over to Montague. It was fairly warm out when I left the shop so I was sure that we were going to have a great ride. When I got to the center of town the group was waiting for me, so we quickly got our gear out and rode over to the Telephone Pole Trail.  I had a commitment at 1:30 to do a indoor trainer ride at the Body Shoppe so I needed to keep the pace going pretty steadily. When we got to the trails, there was about 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground. This made the traction perfect on the rock hard ice underneath. We stopped at the fire pit, where Mark C., was waiting so I could get a picture. After that we headed out to ride Parrott's Passage (which will not get de-forested this year.) and then the Banked Trails. I rode at the front of the group so that I could stop and take some pictures of the riders as they came along. My camera got fogged up a bit so the photo of Rich looks like he was riding in fog, but really it was the lens. We regrouped out on the power lines before heading out to Willis Hill. It was pretty warm and I stuffed my gloves into my jacket and rode barehanded for rest of the ride. Homer had her helmet cam on and she was taking a video. I hope to be able to include a clip on this page as soon as she gets the editing done. After the photo (taken by Walters) we rode over to Willis Hill where we attempted to ride up. For the most part it was doable, but if you hit a slippery rock or (as was my fate) fell through the crust, you had to hike it up the hill. We rode over to the base of the steep climb and waited for some of the group to hike up and ride down. At this point I had to get going so I led the troupe down the Swamp Road to Red Rock. At Red Rock we stopped to let Homer go down the hill and set up her helmet cam to catch the riders as they rode down the hill. I told Homer to ride across the field and take a right and we would follow when she was ready. Dutifully she rode across the field and took a left. I guess that not everyone understands "Bobspeak". After a turnaround she got set and I headed off to finish my ride. After I passed Homer, I rode down to Plains Road and then back to my van on the hardtop road. The rest of the group headed back to the center of town on the trails. It was nice to be out on a balmy 25 degree day. (I thought about taking the group swimming in the river to cool off, but I did not have time. Maybe next trip!!) (Submitted by Bob)

Sunday, January 18th (Submitted by Curt)

Bob planned this ride early because of an afternoon commitment (though why would he leave these more-than-perfect outings to go do ROLLERS???). I headed south in balmy 25 degree temperatures to gather with the 'regulars' in Montague for a 10:00 ride. We hit the trails via the usual telephone pole entrance and rode up to the firepit on fresh snow over a base that is beginning to get nicely packed from all of our rides. We stopped at the firepit for a quick photo before Bob lead us off.

The trails were a mixed bag today. We rode on everything from hard packed snowmobile highways to unbroken trails of soft powder covered with a hard crust. By this time of year, we all had our Winter biking legs and could handle most of what this trail system could throw at us. The only show stopper for me today was the climb up to the (almost) top of Willis Hill along the power lines. The series of stepped climbs just kept going and going. I had the power and energy to build up momentum before the first few climbs, but after that was reduced to just pushing on the pedals to make it over the top of the remaining steps. This doesn't work when climbing in snow, as the torque of the powerful pushes on the pedal tends to break any traction your rear wheel has. Even so, I made the entire climb only needing to hike one small section where my heart and lungs just said 'enough' and needed a short break.

We stopped to play at Willis Hill for a while. Some riders hiked up to the top to try their hand at the descent while I was happy enough to watch. When we were done there, Bob took us over an unpacked trail (the swamp trail?) to Red Rock where we all got to try the descent in front of Michelle's helmet cam. I felt obligated to make it interesting for future viewers, so arranged to fall just as I passed her.

Bob had to head out from here to get to his rollers class, so he darted off leaving us all to travel the full length of the power lines back to the telephone pole trail. I don't think I've traveled this whole section all at once before... it is a long way! Before we knew it, we were back at the cars packing up to head home. Walter supplied us with some leftover cookies from Thursday night as a snack, but after getting just two, the rest vanished somehow.

Tuesday 1/20: It was another cold night for riding with the start temperature at 14 degrees and a wind chill of zero. I left the shop a little after 6:00 and headed over to the Book Mill with Sop. We arrived at the parking lot and started to get ready to ride. The riders joining me were "Bicyclist" Liam, Sop, Steph, Cheetah, Homer, Eric, and Curt. After everyone got ready we headed out of the parking lot and rode over to the Telephone Pole Trail. The trail was in perfect condition and I led the riders up the hill and past the firepit. I kept the pace slow so that everyone would stay warm and the group would not get too strung out. It is important to keep the group together so that you do not have to wait a long time in the cold for everyone to catch up. If you have to stop too frequently at turns or intersections, the riders in front get cold waiting while the riders who are behind never get to catch their breath because when the last rider arrives, the first riders are ready to go.
    We rode along the power lines to the Second First Left and we followed that all the way out to the Banked Trail where we paused briefly to let the riders all get a drink of water. This was a challenge for some as their water systems had frozen. Wisely, Cheetah gave Steph a drink from his camelback and we were soon back underway. I took the group on some unused trails which were really not too bad to ride on. The snow that we got last week covered the icy spots so we were able to move right along. I took a circuitous loop over to Willis Hill Road where we stopped to decide which direction to take. The group thought that we should try to ride out to the water tank, so I led off in that direction. The trail was a little rough in spots and some of us had to hike up the hill, but for the most part we were able to ride. We stopped at the fence around the water tank to get another drink of water an then I led the riders across the parking lot, and then over to the trailhead. Liam and Cheetah took the lead up the hill until the trail got a little steep and their tires lost grip and then I hiked past them. At the top of the incline, I remounted and headed over to Willis Hill where I stopped briefly in the woods to let the rest of the crew catch up. When everyone was ready, I then led the riders along the Swamp Road to Red Rock, where I took a RIGHT and rode down to the sandpit. At the bottom of the hill, I dropped back to get a head count as the riders went past me and then I rode over to where the group was waiting. We had to cross a frozen stream to get back to the power lines and when we got to the power lines I led the group down to the Toilet Bowl Trail. The trail was again snow covered and I was able to ride the entire way without a dab. This section of trail is pretty tough as we ride it near the end of the trip and the riders are getting a little tired. After we made a right turn, the rest of the trail was hard packed by snowmobiles and Liam led the way until the last left turn where I did not slip on the corner and have to put a foot down. After the turn I led the group rode back over to the Telephone Pole Trail and then I stopped at the corner to let the riders pass. I waited until Sop arrived and then I headed down the hill behind him. Poor Sop had hit the wall and was getting pretty tired. Eric and I then rode with him back to the parking lot. I got the van running and then after a change of clothing I loaded the bikes up for the ride back to the shop. I was a great ride for mid winter and I have to say that the conditions were just about perfect. The loop we did was 11.5 miles in total and we averaged 6mph. At this time of year we do not have time to stand around and gab after the ride but I am sure that everyone had a good trip. (Submitted by Bob)

Tuesday, January 20th (Submitted by Curt)

We were at the plains again tonight, but the ride was more of a challenge due to the higher pace set by local legends Robert G. Perry, owner of Bicycles Unlimited and bicyclist Liam O'Brien of South Deerfield who took control of the front of the group.

We rode all of the same trails that we usually hit, but this time did so while pushing the pace up at least 30% over what we've been used to recently. This brought the difficulty level up just a bit as now we had to put out a lot more energy and still struggle to maintain balance in the snow and ice.

We skipped our usual regrouping stop at the firepit. This turned out to be a bad thing, since it gave my water time to freeze up before I even got a chance to take my first sip. Eric was nice enough throughout the rest of the ride to share his water with me so I didn't dehydrate.

The first third of the ride was on flat trails as we wound our way toward the water tank trail. Once we got onto that trail things became challenging as it had not been traveled much and was unpacked. Soon we were fighting the unbroken trail AND climbing as the trail reached the bottom of the hill and began to head upward. We were surprised to run across a logging operation around where the footbridge is, but the trail was still open (they had done a good job removing the brush, not just the trees). We had to walk a small section right before the bridge that had turned into a frozen pond, but once past that hazard we were back on the 'normal' trails. I had to walk some sections from here to the tank, since once I had to put a foot down the conditions were just too tough to get rolling again until I found a flat section.

We all took a short break leaning against the chain link fence around the tank before continuing on. Soon we were on some nice trail that took us to Red Rock. Sop was starting to get pretty toasted at this point, so we took a few breaks to let him recover but couldn't stop for long without the danger of cooling down too much.

I was completely lost after Red Rock (what else is new on the plains?) but we finally ended up on the Toilet Bowl trail and the section that gave me a hard time last Tuesday. The trail itself was no better tonight, but I knew what was coming and hit it in the right gear this time. It was a long and tough stretch of bumpy broken up trail covered with crust and scattered pockets of deep powder, but I managed to ride the entire section without dabbing. We took another break to regroup on the other side after which Robert G. Perry, owner of Bicycles Unlimited and bicyclist Liam O'Brien of South Deerfield lead the charge down the nicely packed snowmobile trails toward home.

In no time we were back at the firepit, ready to ride out to the cars. Sop was having a really tough time at this point and was being lead out by Eric. We'll probably never know what went wrong with him tonight, but it is a sure bet that he either got dehydrated, hadn't eaten right before the ride or got hypothermic. He also mentioned earlier that he was fighting a cold. Maybe that had weakened him just enough that the stress tonight finished him off. I remember that on the outing I had bonked on recently (the snowshoe trip at John and Kate's) I hadn't realized at the time that I was fighting the flu. The next day, it caught up to me. I hope Sop isn't in for the same fate!

Once back at the car, it was a bit chilly to do much more than change into some warmer clothes, pack up and head out with the car heater on '11' and the fan blasting at full power.

Bob's GPS reported that the ride had been over 10 miles (quite long for a cold Winter night ride) while Michelle's heartrate monitor told her that she had burnt more than 1200 calories. (Submitted by Curt)

Tuesday, January 22nd

Jack, Michelle and I were the one riders to show up tonight at the Book Mill parking lot for another cold ride on the plains. While the temps were somewhere in the teens, there was also a stiff wind that was making things feel quite a bit chillier.

After deciding that nobody else was going to show (maybe there was some confusion about the status of the ride, since Bob was out of town) we headed for the trail. As we reached the turn onto the trails, I mentioned to Jack that his rear tire was looking a little 'squishy'. He stopped and sure enough I could pinch the tire together between my fingers. We decided not to ride back to the cars for a pump, instead we used a C0₂ to bring it up to a more reasonable pressure.

The trails were in great shape, with a few more inches of soft powder on top of the nicely packed base. Michelle had a route in mind, so we let her take the lead onto the 'second first left' trail out to 'Parrott's Passage'.

At the next intersection, we weren't 100% sure which turn would bring us onto the banked trail so we turned Left... we should have gone straight. We wandered around a bit until we came out to the power lines, then headed toward Red Rock. The climb was tricky in the dark and things were cooling down quickly out in the open, but we all did a great job on this climb before heading Right on the swamp trail toward Willis Hill. I like this trail more and more every time I ride it (at least when it is frozen...) It was a bit of a workout since it tended to be mostly up a gentle incline, but before we knew it we were rolling out to the bottom of the steep section of Willis Hill where, after a quick break for a drink, we headed right.

The wind was very strong here, but at our backs so it pushed us up the few small rises before we got to enjoy the nice drop. At times, the wind was pushing sheets of drifting snow directly from behind us at twice to three times our speed. It was quite a pretty sight, but also a reminder of just how cold it really was out here tonight.

We turned onto the Pine Tree trail (Jack is in for some bad luck for forgetting to touch the tree) then started heading home, hitting the banked trail and several other fun trails on the way out. I was surprised that I did NOT fall on the telephone pole trail, since we were speeding along at a good clip and I was expecting something to grab my wheel and throw me off the bike at any second. But even at the speed I was traveling, Jack left me behind like I was standing still.

All too soon it was over. We were back at the cars after another ride I'm glad I didn't miss. (Submitted by Curt)

Friday 1-23: I arrived here in Florida last night and after a good night's rest at Paul and Joanne's house I awoke to 30 degree weather. Wait a minute here, did the plane take a wrong turn and land us in Canada? Nope, it was just mighty damn cold here in sunny Florida. MaryEllen and I slept in a little later than her sister and brother-in-law, and the plan was for us to meet them at the Bocce courts to watch them play. After breakfast we headed over to the courts where the "Bocce Boy Bob" got to try his hand at a new sport. It seems that the team that my in-laws were on was short a player so I volunteered to stand in. As you can see from the photo we were all dressed for a sunny, warm day at the courts, and after chiseling the balls off the frozen mats we played a dazzling meet. Being the polite guest that I am, I allowed the hosts to win by a convincing margin. After the grand meet we headed off for more warm fun in sunny, warm Florida. (Actually, it warmed up quite nicely in the afternoon and I was able to rent my bike and go out for a ride.) (Submitted by Bocce Bob)

Saturday 1-24: Today was the scheduled ride for bike club here at The Villages. I rode over to the start with ME and we introduced ourselves to the leader. After a while the group swelled to about 15 riders and the leader (whose name I forgot) spit the group into two rides. Usually there is a larger turnout for the ride, but it was another cold morning and many of the "regulars" did not show up. MaryEllen went out for a ride with the touring group of about 11 riders while I went out with the faster group. I rode with Paul Gurtin, Gunter Baatz and Enzo and we did a 40 or so mile ride out through the country to the south of the Villages. I had met Paul and Gunter many years ago through riding and racing and so it was good to re-connect. Although we had a small group we all stayed together for the entire ride. I was not at all sure of where we went, but we stopped at a BK and then headed back to the start. After we returned we headed over to the coffee shoe for some breakfast. It was a nice ride and I was plenty warmed up when I returned. I will also be very happy to get back onto my Kestrel when I get home.

Sunday 1-25: There wasn't a scheduled ride for today, but some of the guys showed up and we went out for a good rip. Below is a ride report sent to me by one of the riders. I had a great time on the ride and was so glad I got to meet all these nice people. (Submitted by Bocce Bob)

Hey Bob...greetings from The Villages, Fl

RIDE REPORT, 01-25-04 The Villages, Fl. Submitted by Bud Stout,

bikerbud@thevillages.net

Sunday, 9 am at the Santiago club. It's about 55 degrees F and going up to around 70. Very good day for a ride. We are about ready to start. Enzo was there, along with Bob Kraus, Paul Guertner, Efrain Lopez, Bill Graham, Jim Mount and myself. And, oh yes, a new guy. His name is Bob. Great, just what I need, another Bob. How will I keep all these Bob's straight? So, OK, I can figure this out. Hey, Bob, what are riding there? Oh, a rented Raleigh from Village cycle, $15 dollars a day. Ok Bob, now I know who you are, I have your number, $15 a day.

Well, it's time to go. OK Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day, let's see what ya got. We head out El Camino and turn north up Buena Vista. Hey, I yell, where are we going? Someone replies, to 42. Oh, OK, to 42. Then another reply, turn right on 42. Oh, OK turn right on 42. Then another reply, we are going to the Dam Diner. Oh no, not the Dam Diner. Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day, is in big trouble.

We are headed to the Dam Diner, cruising up Buena Vista. Bob Kraus is leading a pace line when Jim Mount pulls out and accelerates. Then someone jumps on my left chasing Jim. Who was that? I think it's Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day. That's OK, there's still a couple riders behind me and we can catch up. We are kinda scattered heading east on 42. I'm looking around wondering what's with all these motor cycles today. Then I get a break, the light catches the leaders at 27. Here is my big chance. These guys are in trouble now because I'm getting mad. And of course, as these guys have been resting at the light, I have been busting my cage to catch up. I thought maybe the guys would wait a minute while I catch my breath, sure, maybe next time.

We turn North at Harbor Hills Rd and are moving a good pace line. Then we hit a hill. I am puffing and just look down for a second. When I look back up, I'm dropped. I am just wanting to get to the top of the hill to see how bad it is. At the top, all I see is Efrain. Cruising along, doing his thing. I think he was whistling or singing something. So Efrain picks me up and pulls for a while. We catch Bill and pace on to the Dam Diner together. The diner is built beside the dam on the Oklawaha river. As we pull in there the other riders are not to be seen. They show up a short time later having taken a detour to Carney Island. So now we are all circled up at the Dam Diner. We occupy a picnic table on the river and take liquids. I enjoy a trail mix bar and Paul gets out his usual PB&J sandwich. We enjoy watching the sand hill cranes fishing the river near us. We are telling our stories, you know , bike stories and whatever. Someone asks Bob on the rented Raleigh, 15$ a day, something like, what about you? Bob on the rented Raleigh, 15$ a day, replies, well...this winter I rode with some guys and set the Guinness record or something like that for cold weather riding. The temp was -15F and the wind chill was -35F. About now I am wondering, who is this guy? That is just not fair for the new guy to have the topper story. We better get back on the bikes before it gets worse.

So we say goodbye to the Dam Diner and head back toward the Villages. It's a beautiful day. Jim is hanging back with me and pulling me along. Jim comments, boy the motorcycles are out today. They are everywhere, coming and going. What's the big hurry? Then I look down the road, that Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day; I think he is trying to draft behind a Harley. Who the heck is that guy?

So Jim and I roll back into the Villages and head down to Panera for fluids. No other riders were there. I figured they are whupped, off licking their wounds. Then pretty soon Paul rolls in with Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day. So we are sitting outside, kicked back telling some more stories when Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day comes out with four huge pastries. Two bear claw kind of things and two cran-nut muffins. Just who in the blazes is this guy? Well, Bob on the rented Raleigh, $15 a day, it's been fun, let's do it again sometime.

We covered about 45+ miles today. Bob Kraus later informed me that his average speed was 19.8MPH.

Well guys, this has been fun but I gotta run. I'm heading over to the village bike shop and rent me a Raleigh, $15 a day

Monday 1-26: I was able to get out and do a ride with Jim Long (Jimbo) today. Jim is one of the riders who rode yesterday and he was kind enough to take me on another ride. Jim met me at the traffic circle on Morse Blvd. and we then headed off to the west. Jim and I rode out on some county roads and highways that took us over to the BK again. Jim and I chatted about their club and a presentation that he is doing. He is trying to get the drivers in the area to understand the needs of cyclists and to help ease any tensions between drivers and cyclists. This is a very good idea.

 I noticed that we rode on some of the same roads that we took yesterday but we got there from a different direction. After yesterday's miscue on the turn, I decided not to take a chance and I stayed right behind or next to Jim, so that I would not miss any turns. It was quite warm today (80 degrees) and I really enjoyed riding in shorts and short sleeves. It was pretty windy as well so we had to fight the headwind for most of the way over to BK. After the stop at BK we headed back along a highway and eventually ended back up at the Villages. We had ridden along some different roads through the farm country that took us to the same entrance to The Villages that we had used yesterday. After the ride, I said goodbye to Jim at the traffic circle and headed back to my in-laws home. We had a great ride and although I did not have a computer, I would guess that we did somewhat near to the same distance that we did yesterday. After today it will be back to the frozen north!! Whoopee!! (Submitted by Bocce Bob)

Monday
No ticket, No shoes (No ride)!

I dropped my winter biking boots off at a cobbler's today to repair the side stitching that had already come loose. He initially told me that the turnaround time would be 2 weeks, but I started to cry so he backed down and told me I could pick them up on Friday.

So I'll be missing the Tuesday and Thursday rides (unless it is warm enough to ride with my summer MTB shoes)!

Wednesday

Snowshoeing at the Coke Plant. I tried out a smaller pair of shoes that probably were a little too small for me, but they worked out since the snow wasn't very deep. They DID, though, kick up a lot more snow onto the back of my pants. I was wearing regular cotton pants instead of biking tights, so once they got soaked with the melting snow I started to get pretty cold.