Ride Page

Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month June 2002 more or less as they happened. (Actually, I make all of this stuff up. We never do any rides and most of the people mentioned below are figments of my imagination) If you can make up better stories than me, please do so  bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web!
Glossary of Names used in these reports: ME (MaryEllen); Marcus P. Marcus, MPM (Marc Lombard); Black Beauty, BB (Marsha Martin);  Jorge, (George Katzar); His Majesty Jack, HMJ (Jack Spanbauer); Queen Nancy, QN (Nancy Spanbauer); Donna the Hon, DTH (Donna Golec); Star, (Dave Walker);  Georgie Boy. GB (George Bernegger); Homer (Michelle Hurley);  Service (Rod Perez); Ranger Rick; RR (Rick Manson); P. J. Wabbit; PJW (Penny Abbott) Ice Princess IP; (Lynn Black)  Mooseboy MB; Kris Black
 

Tuesday 6/4: Tonight we had 25 people show up for the road ride. This ride is supposed to be for beginners to intermediate level riders and that is what I expected. I planned a 35 mile loop that is mostly flat and I figured that it would take about 2 hours for the group to finish with a 17 mph average or so. I led the group out of the shop and over to Turners Falls at a pretty easy pace. When we got to Ave. A, I made the right and headed the group down towards the Farren Care Center. The wind was really blowing hard and I had to work to keep up a 19mph average on the flats. The entire group was together as we made the turn onto Sherman Drive. I kind of blew it at the next intersection because I waited too long before alerting the riders of the oncoming traffic. Some of the riders had to pull up short, but nobody crashed. After we got going again, I went to the back of the field and rode along with the flow. Baby Bell, Matt Hyde and several others took up the pace making and soon the group was down to about 15 riders following the leader down to Montague Center. I rode to the front before we got to Ferry Road so that everyone would make the turn. I led the group down the hill and then over to Meadow Road where I again relinquished the lead to the young Turks. This was a mistake, because they then took the pace up quite a bit, just before the Sunderland town line sprint. The pace was starting to get wicked at this point and I was beginning to fade some so I went to the back and hid for a little while. We made the turn onto RT. 47 and then Baby Bell took the lead and we ended up going along at 25 mph all the way to the traffic lights in the center of town. After the light turned green Chip Martin took the lead and we headed down towards Hadley. Chip took the first mile and then I took over and rode for another mile or so before I pulled off. When we got to the turn onto Plumtree Road I had the group slow up so that all the riders could get back on. After we got to the top of the hill, Matt Hyde, Baby Bell and Ron took the speed up to 26 mph and the group started to come apart, so we slowed up as we neared the stop at RT. 116. We all made the turn onto 116 and I found myself at the front, so I slowly took the speed up to 20 mph. I gradually increased the speed as we headed back to the center of Sunderland, and when we got to Bull Hill Road we were going 27 mph. I got the speed up to 28 mph as we neared the Seven O'S  and I held that pace all the way to the ice cream stand. After we got to the traffic lights we had slowed almost to a stop before the light turned green. As soon as the light turned green, Baby Bell took off drafting a car, and then he began the sprint for the town line. I was the last rider in the line and I was hoping that after the group got on River Road, the pace would come down some, but when I finally made the turn I had to sprint to catch up with Matt and Stuffy who were last in line. I hung on to Stuffy's wheel for a little while, but soon I found myself drifting off the back. I managed to keep a few hundred yards off the back of Stuffy and Mark Newton all the way to RT. 5&10, but as soon as I made the turn I slowed up a bit and then I rode back to the shop by myself. I was the last rider to get back and even though I did not stay on the group I still managed to average 21.8 mph for the 34 miles. Some of the other riders reported that they had a 23 mph average. It was an awesome ride, but I was whipped. It was really a much harder effort that I had planned on.

Wednesday 6/5: Tonight we headed down to Deerfield to ride the ridge. It was a beautiful day today with warm temps, few clouds and low humidity. Joining me for the ride was PJW, Homer, Laura, Service, Mark, Liam, Joe, Brad, Jack and Rich Flye. Joe and Brad had actually rode from the shop and were going to join us along the way up the hill. After we all got ready the group decided to forgo the Crystal Cave Route and instead we all headed up the trail all together. I led the group up the jeep road to the Pool Road where I turned left. I then took the group down to the cross country race route. I stayed at the corner until all the riders had passed me and then I followed up the hill. Along the way I passed Penny and Service as I made my way up the hill to where the rest of the group was waiting. Most of the riders wanted to do a longer loop along some nice single track, but Homer and Penny did not, so I sent Liam and that group on ahead and Penny, Homer and I took the road up to Red Rock. When I got to the top I headed off to the lookout and soon thereafter Brad, Joe and several others came along. When all the riders got out to the lookout we rested for a few minutes before heading down the ridge trail. I rode at the back of the group and when we got to the barricades we turned around and headed back. I was stopped along the way by a couple of riders who were heading down the trail. One of the riders had hit a tree and it looked like he might have broken his arm. I let him use the cell phone to call for help. After the call I headed off to catch up with the group, but I was never able to find them until I got to the Refrigerator Trail and then I met some of the riders coming up the hill from the ski trail. I waited for a couple of minutes and then I headed for the Mud Mile. I rode by myself back to the cars where some of the riders were packing up. As I loaded my bike, the rest of the riders returned and soon everyone had their bikes loaded and we all left for home.

Sunday 6/9: I had a busy day at the shop and I was glad to get out into the fresh air on my bike. I left the shop at 5:00 and headed over to Montague Center where I was joined by Laura, Tracy, Jack, Kip, Mike W., Mark C., Penny and Don DeGroot. After I snapped a few photo's we left the center of town and headed for the trails. I rode with Tracy at the back of the group and we took it easy as we headed up the hill to the fire pit. Tracy has been riding for several years before her job and baby took president. After her baby was born she decided to ride again. She has been riding on her own for a while but now she wants to get out more with a group. Tracy and I headed up the hill and soon we were at the firepit with the rest of the group. After the picture taking we all headed off for the Toilet Bowl Trail. I rode with Tracy and we followed PJW and Laura out to the power lines. After we got out to the power lines the group split up with Mike and the rest of the boys heading off to ride up Willis Hill while Penny, Laura, Tracy and myself were going to ride over to Red Rock. My group rode along the power lines and then we turned to the Red Rock Trail. Penny and Laura took the Swamp Trail up to the base of Willis, while Tracy and I rode on Red Rock Road over to the BPT Trail where we waited for Penny and Laura to arrive. I took a couple of photo's when the riders came along and the shot at the right is Laura coming up to the tree. As we waited Mike, Don and Jack came along and they joined us for the trip back to the cars. We rode along the banked trails to Jon Parrott's trail, where the group spit up again. Tracy and I took the straighter and less challenging trails out to the power lines and then we headed for the Telephone Pole Trail. We rode at a steady pace all the way back to the cars where the rest of the riders were waiting for us. I enjoyed the ride today. It was nice to be out on a sunny afternoon with a nice group of people. After we got back to the center of town, Jon and Kate rode up on their road bikes. Kate was trying out her new shoes, which looked great on her.

Tuesday 6/11: It has been a really wet spring and today we were once again planning a ride with the threat of showers and thunderstorms in the forecast. I planned the ride to go up RT. 5&10 to Tyler Hill and then back down to RT. 142 where the group would head back for home. I had 10 people in my group while ME had 4 riders in her group that took a ride to Deerfield.  I led my group out of the shop and then over to Bernardston Road where I began the climb at 16 mph. This is a pace that everyone seems to be able to do and so I paced the group over the hill and onto the descent. I pulled over after the crest of the hill and fell in behind the group to let others set the pace. After we got to Bernardston the pace picked up a little and we all rolled into Vermont together. Just after we crossed the state line, Jaap dropped his water bottle and nearly took out Mark in the process. Jaap decided to turn around and pick up his water bottle. After that the group began to split up and soon I found myself with a group of 3 riders with the rest of the riders just ahead of us. I rode up towards Tyler Hill with Jorge, QN, and Jamie. When I got to the hill I sprinted up to the top and then I waited for the rest of the riders, before heading down the other side. When we got to RT. 142 I turned around and looked behind and I saw Curt and Jaap coming along, so I decided to wait up for them. After the everyone was back on, I took the lead and headed towards Northfield. I rode at a steady pace and then I got caught napping at the town line and we all got boosted when Curt came by and took the sprint. The next few miles I kept a good pace as we made our way toward Gill. As we neared the town line Curt took off and I fell in behind him and sprinted towards the line, but I missed the first of the two town lines and took the second. When everyone got to RT. 10, QN said that she wanted more action and so she asked that we take Gill Road so that we could ride up some more big hills. I obliged the royal request and we headed off up Gill Road. When we neared the town line in Gill (Yep, there are several Gill town lines on this ride!) I took the speed up to 25 mph and dropped the group then took the town line. After we regrouped we then all rode back to Turners Falls where we rode through the center of town, crossed the river and then climbed the Greenfield Road hill. I crested the hill with Jamie and we then rode back to the shop. It turned out to be a pretty good night for a ride, not too windy and no rain. We averaged 20mph for the 34 miles.

Tuesday, June 11
Distance - 34.41
Average - 19.8
I've mostly been hitting the West Hill Tuesday night rides lately, but the weather going through the area looked like it would be a little less likely to rain in Greenfield than in this area, so Roger and I headed down to Bob's ride. He had billed it as a more relaxed pace ride, but most of the people that showed up were faster riders, so the pace wasn't quite as slow as it maybe would have been on a day with better weather. We started off on the Rte. 5/Tyler Hill/142/Turners Falls route at a good pace. Bob took us up the first hill at a nice 15MPH. As soon as he pulled off the front, the pace began to climb. First, into the high teens then into the 20s. We weren't even warmed up yet, so I was starting to get concerned about what this ride was turning into. Roger took a really long pull in the front, but ended up expending too much effort then couldn't hold on after he dropped to the back of the group. I was slowly working my way up to my turn in front, but every rider in front of me took the pace up a little more before pulling out. By the time I was in the front, I was already tired from just trying to hang on. I took a mile or so in the front, bringing the pace back down to a more reasonable 19-21mph on terrain that tended to be more 'up' than 'down'. As soon as I pulled off I knew I was in trouble. I had used up too much energy in front and was now having problems holding on to the wheel of the person in front of me. I dropped off 10-25 feet several times, but made myself push back on since I knew that if I ever lost contact I'd never catch back on and would end up riding solo for the rest of the trip. A bit later, Jaap lost his water bottle when the cage broke. He pulled off to go back for it. Just after that, I gave up and allowed myself to drop back. Less than a mile after I did so, I saw the group in front of me split, with 3 or 4 faster riders taking off leaving Bob, George, Nancy and Jamie to ride at a slower pace. I knew that if I could get back on I'd be all set, but just didn't have anything left in my legs. A few miles later, Jaap caught onto my wheel from behind. I pulled for a bit, but couldn't manage more than 14-15 mph. I finally let him come to the front and took a rest behind him. After a mile or so I was feeling much better and we started alternating turns in the front. We slowly ate away at the distance between us and the group ahead which had slowed a bit to give us a chance to catch up. Jaap and I climbed the short steep side of Tyler Hill together, then had a nice restful drop down the other side. Once on 142 we could see the group we were chasing only 100 yards ahead, so chased them down and got a good rest at the back of the group as we rolled through Vernon. We took 142 at a nice pace. A little bit of effort on the hills, but nice easy spinning on the long flat stretches. As we came up to the state line, George was just coming off the front and Jamie was going through. I wove between them to spring to the line undisputed. I was on the front for the next town line but kept a close eye to the rear to look for challengers for the print. Finally, pretty close to the line, I saw Bob pull out of the line and come forward. I stood up and pushed for the line and think I won it by less than a wheel. Bob kept going for the next town line only 50 yards down the road and Jamie took him up on the challenge. I don't know who won that one. (Bob did!!) Once over 142 heading South towards Turners, Bob went off the front again. I didn't realize there was a town line coming up, and by the time I caught on to what was happening it was too late. We took the final climb between Turners and Greenfield at about 15mph, which separated Bob, Jamie and I from the rest of the group behind us. I set a new maximum heartrate for the year (186) on this hill but didn't want to loose Bob's wheel. This ride as a little more of a struggle than I would have liked. I think I pushed hard enough that I didn't get any benefit from it. I spent a good part of the ride riding at over 80% of my max heart rate. I think that this ride could have been better, and maybe even faster, if we had spent a few more miles warming up before starting to notch the pace up. (Curt B.)

Thursday, June 13
Distance - 37.0
Average - 19.4
We had a big group going out of the shop tonight. I rode about in the middle all the way to Stillwater hill, then slipped back a little on the climb. Things were pretty strung out over the top, but Bob did a good job of picking people up and then pulling the group back together. By the time we were on 116, we were riding in one group again. The pace up the bottom part of the hill was nice, from 15 to 20mph depending on the grade. Once the road widened and the slope got a bit steeper, the group started to pull apart again. I made it over the top in a group of 5-6 riders and made the turn to the South towards Conway. I didn't have it in me to race up the next long hill, so dropped off pretty quickly on the steepest section at the bottom. I then spent the next several miles trying to catch back on to the group ahead once the climb leveled out a bit. I could see them just ahead of me almost all the way to the reservoir, but I finally lost sight of them down the other side. Just short of Whately, I noticed another rider way behind me and decided to wait for him at the intersection so I wouldn't have to ride solo for the rest of the trip. After stopping for less than a minute in Whately, Jamie pulled up to me. He had been caught on the wrong side of a split on the 116 climb and had been trying to make up time ever since. We rode together the rest of the trip back. The group in front of us had taken River Road for the final leg, but we cut over to come up through Old Deerfield so ended up making it back to the shop just ahead of them. (Curt B.)

Thursday 6/13: We had a very large group for the ride tonight and it was really hectic trying to get everyone ready for the trip. Tonight is the third time in as many weeks that we have tried to do the Conway-Whatley ride, after two rainouts and one shortened ride, it looks like we will get it in. There was still a slight possibility for rain tonight and I did not want to wait for any late arrivals, so I headed out of the parking lot at 6:15 and headed down High Street. There were 20 riders behind me as we headed down to Deerfield Street, as well as the three who left a little early, and we soon were rolling down towards Old Deerfield. I tried to keep the group somewhat together although we lost Roger somewhere near Stillwater Road. As we were heading down Stillwater towards the hill we saw a couple of riders who were passing in the other direction. They turned and joined in the group and soon we were all heading up the climb. The group got a little splintered as we neared the half way point and I dropped back to give an assist to any of the riders coming back on the pack. I got Curt and several others together and we headed off to catch up with the main pack. We had them in sight for most of the way to the stop sign and when the pack slowed to make the turn onto Lee Road, we got back on. We rode easily out to RT. 116 and then we started the climb into Conway. The pace was pretty reasonable for most of the riders and we were all together until we got to the steeper pitch up to the grammar school. It was at that point that the group came unglued. There were riders strung out for quite a distance and I decided to try to get a second pack going. I got some of the riders to slow up to let some of the following riders to get up to us. When we got near the top of the hill we had about 8 riders in the group. After we started down the hill we saw John and Karen Gustin along with Irene as they were making the turn onto Whatley Road. After the turn I rode near the front of the group and headed for the next hill. The lead pack was just a few hundred feet in front of us, but I knew that they might as well have been a few hundred miles ahead, because when I pushed the pace, the group behind me fell off the pace. After that my group started up the hill, but the climb took care of any  thoughts that anyone had about catching the leaders. At the top of the hill we caught up with Richard Rogers and Kyler and we lost Jamie and Curt. Also in my pack was Tom Silko and Timmy Atherton. We rode along at a pretty steady pace up to the reservoir where we caught another glimpse of the leaders as they began the climb, but we never were able to close the distance, and we never got near them again. My group rode at a steady pace down the hill to Whatley Center where we turned left and rode down to River Road. I rode at the front from the turn onto River Road to the fork at Sugarloaf and everyone was surprised when Tommy took the town line sprint. Kyler and Richard kept the pace pretty high after we got onto River Road in Deerfield and when we got to the hills we all pretty much split up. Kyler rode on ahead of Tom, Tim and myself and that is the way we finished up. It was a great ride and we ended up with a 20.5 average for the 38.5 miles.

Tuesday 6/18: It has finally stopped raining and the temperatures are getting to be more like summer that spring. It was a beautiful evening, with sunny skies and 75 degrees you could not have asked for a better day for a ride. We had a large group of 30 riders for the trip up to Wendell.  A group of 7 rides left the shop 15 minutes ahead of the main group to do the 19 mile Millers Falls loop. The rest of us left shortly after 6:00 and headed over to Turners Falls. Erin Green was at the front pushing the pace down the hill to the canal and after we stopped briefly for the traffic light the group then headed up the Third Street hill. I rode near the front of the pack as we headed to the top and when the first riders had made the turn for Millers Falls, I dropped back to ride with the middle second pack. After a short time to organize, my group rode out past the airport and over to Millers Falls. We kept up a steady 19 mph average all the way to the turn off to Wendell, where the climbing began. Jim Roman dropped his chain at the bottom of the climb and although he got it back on again, he was never able to close the gap and get back up to the group. We hit the first steep section of the hill and Mooseboy, Chip, Mark and a few others pulled away from myself, QN, Jamie, John G., and Jaap. I struggled on the first few steep sections of the hill and was barley able to keep at the front of my group. Usually I can ride with the leaders, but not today! I kept a steady pace of 9 mph for most of the steeper sections, but I was really suffering. My group was able to stay just about a few hundred yards behind Mooseboy and his bunch, but we could not catch back on, even on the rolling sections near the state forest. As we neared the wicked descent before the final climb, I managed to get up to Mooseboy and I begged them to wait for us. They said something like, "We are already going slow, if we go any slower we will fall off our bikes". That put the spark into my bunch and we managed to catch up to them at the center of Wendell, where they were riding circles waiting for us. Also at the center of town was the remnants of Joe's group, who got dropped on the hill and waited for us because they did not know the route back. I rode up to the front of the pack of 15 riders and led the bunch down the first section to the turn at Lake Wyola. John Gustin joined us at this point. He took the shortcut across the top of the hill and popped out at the end of West Road. After the turn I went to the back of the pack to rest some and soon we were flying down the hill. I stayed at the back and rode with Nancy, Jaap and John for most of the way down the hill. But as we neared the bottom the pace got a little too fast and a gap opened. I rode at the front of our little group and we managed to catch back onto the main pack after we crossed RT.63. We hung on for a little ways, but soon the pace got right back up there and a gap opened. At this point we decided to ride at our own pace and the main group was soon out of sight. QN, John, Jaap and myself rode down Greenfield Road to the bottom of the hill, where John said that he was dropping off and would make his own way back. QN, Jaap and I then headed on towards the climb at Poet's Seat. We rode together up the hill with QN leading us over the top. Gravity decided the leaded going down and I rolled out to High Street ahead of my compatriots. We then rode back to the shop just a few minutes behind the pack. It was a hard ride for me, but it was great to be out on such a nice night. I finished the 30.7 miles with an 18.8 mph average and I hit a 47 mph max on the wicked descent near Wendell Center.

Wednesday 6/19: Boy, it's hard to believe, but we have had two beautiful days in a row. Tonight I went up to Chandler Hill to do a ride with 15 other riders. Along for the ride tonight was Kip, Liam, Matt, PJW, Joe, Rich F., Jack, Chris K., Nate, Erin, Ben L., Dave N., GB, Jim S., Mark C., and myself. We left the shop in a caravan and we got to the parking spot at 6:30. We then unloaded the van and soon were heading up the hill. I was still whipped from yesterday and so I decided to ride at the back of the group. Just as we were going into the woods I saw Dave N., drive up and Joe stayed back to help him get going. I rode along with GB and PJW for quite a while, but when we got to the first big climb PJW said that she needed to rest. I stopped to wait with her and just as I did Joe came along and said that Dave was right behind him. PJW said that she would be OK and she would ride at her own pace. I gave her the keys to the van in case she decided to head back before we returned. When Dave came along I followed him and we headed off towards the Three Sisters climb. We rode along the trails and then we began the climb. Dave missed the turn onto the hill and I passed him and started up the first hill. I was really at the limit as I neared the first crest and started the gradual hill to the second sister. As I started the hill I could see some of the riders ahead. Some were riding and some were walking. I kept my cadence steady and slowly I gained on the riders ahead and just before the last steep pitch I passed two riders before nearly having a heart attack at the top. When I recovered enough to talk, I asked the riders if they wanted to go out to the four corners, and all agreed to do that. I dropped to the back of the pack with GB and we headed down the hill towards four corners. When I arrived at the four corners the group was waiting for me and a few others. At this point several riders wanted to continue on and the rest of us turned around and headed back towards the parking lot. I had cautioned the group to use extreme care when riding down the Three Sisters as there are a couple of bad corners, and my group made it down without any difficulty. Nate was getting tired and he was taking it easy on the way back and I didn't need to have my arm twisted to stay back with him. I led Nate back down the hill from the power lines where we met up with Chris Koh and the three of us rode the rest of the way back to the cars together. After we got back we started to load the bikes into the van, when Joe and Erin came blasting down the trail and out into the parking lot. They were pumped! They had a good ride and they looked like they really enjoyed the trip. Soon after that, the rest of the riders returned and we loaded their bikes and then headed for the shop. It was a great ride.

Thursday 6/20: It was another glorious day today, although it was quite warm the humidity was low which was perfect for out trip out to South Mountain. We had 35 riders show up tonight and there were many new faces in the crowd as well as a few riders from back in my racing days. Some of the riders left early to do the shorter loop and some others wanted to get a jump on the hill. This is a very tough ride and many people look forward to doing it so that they can get a perspective on what it might be like to get a root canal without anesthesia. Anyway, I was still reeling from last night's ride, so I knew that I was in for a tough outing. When everyone was ready I led the riders out of the parking lot and over to Turners Falls. From the center of town I rode near the front up to the Third Street Hill, where Joe, Brad, The Bell Brothers along with a few others took off. By the time I got to the mini-market the leaders we pulling away and I waited up for group to crest the hill. When the group got up to me we had 20 riders and I quickly went to the back of the line. I was really whipped and I felt I needed to stay off the front if I was to have any chance to make it up the hill. I rode near the back of the group with Jamie, QN, Tommy Silko, and a few of the newer faces. As we neared the town of Millers Falls,  I went to the front to make sure that everyone made the turn. After I crossed the river and began the climb, I faded to the middle of the group. As we caught up with some of the people who had left early, I began to drift off the back of the group. As we neared the top of the hill I had just managed to catch up to QN and I fell in at the back of the pack to ride down the hill. I was really thankful that there were a few riders willing to do the lion's share of the work, because tonight I was not going to be able to do much.. After the climb at Northfield Mountain it is only a short way to the hill so I made sure that the riders that did not want to do the hill we at the back when we made the turn. At this point QN made a comment about not taking the turn and I half jokingly said that that might not be such a bad thing. She laughed and said that I was such a kidder. Little did she know that I would have gone the other way given any excuse. I began the climb in the middle of the group and soon I was drifting off towards the back. I paced myself on the early part of the hill and soon after I passed Linden Hill School I began to catch up to some of the other riders. I went straight up the hill, not fast mind you, but straight. A lot of the other riders were weaving across the road and I noticed that some of them were soon dismounted and walking. I went past a few riders and when I got to the crest of the first hill there was a large group of riders waiting there. I did not stop, but rather, I rolled down the slight hill and waited until everyone caught up to me before we attacked the next part of the hill. I rode at an even cadence as the climb stiffened and I soon was passed by all of the riders who were stopped and a few of the people who were behind them. I was whipped for sure. I managed to struggle along behind QN and Jamie and I finished the climb with little energy to spare. As I got to the top of the hill I was greeted by the entire group of 18 riders who had stopped to wait for the old man. I once again rolled by them and went to the bottom of the steep descent. There is a very dangerous intersection at the bottom of the hill and I wanted to make sure that everyone made it through safely. I waited for the last of the riders to come through and then I headed off to catch up with the back of the group. Jessie Four Sticks drifted back to me to tell me how much he liked the new wheels that he just bought. He got Rolf wheels and he loves them. I had used them for many years (although I am now riding the Spinergy Xaero) and I will probably get another set sometime in the future. At this point I was the last rider in the line and I was struggling to keep up. I managed to make my way through the line and when we got to the top of Gulf Road I was near the middle of the group. The descent back to Northfield is one of the fastest around. I hit 56.8 mph on the way down and I caught up with the front of the pack and we all rolled to the stop sign at RT. 63. We met up with Chris Koh who was waiting for us at the stop sign and when all the riders arrived we headed off to RT. 10. I rode at the front of the pack to the bottom of the hill where some of the new riders took up the lead up the hill. I managed to hang on for the ride up the hill, but I was spent and soon I found myself off the back with QN, Jamie and Dangerous Dan Lass, I hollered up to Dan and Jamie to pick up the pace so that we could catch up with the pack just ahead of us. Jamie and Dan then offered me the lead and I then had to step it up and hammer us back onto the group. I worked as hard as I could, but I was only able to get within a few yards before I went boom. Jamie and Dan then took up the chase and we finally caught up with them at the center of Bernardston. We all made the turn onto RT. 5&10 and soon the pace was back up to 24 mph. I managed to hang on and made it back to the shop with the group. I was happy but really exhausted.