Ride Page
Here You will find the reports of our exploits for the month May 2001 more or less as they happened. If you have a ride you want listed or want to submit a report of a ride you went on, please leave me a note. bikebob@crocker.com
Glossary of Names used in these reports: ME (MaryEllen) Ice Princess, IP (Lynn Black); Moose Boy, MB (Kris Black); Marcus P. Marcus, MPM (Marc Lombard); Black Beauty, BB (Marsha Martin); Timster, (Tim Fowler); Little Puke, LP (Matt Putnam); Jorge, (George Katzar); His Majesty Jack, HMJ (Jack Spanbauer); Queen Nancy, QN (Nancy Spanbauer); Donna the Hon, DTH (Donna Golec); Star, (Dave Walker); Crash Test Dummy, CTD (Ed Sokoloski); Georgie Boy. GB (George Bernegger); Little Bugger, LB (Casey Golec); 
JiT, Just-in-Time (Justin Golec); Homer (Michelle Hurley); Tywor (Tyler Golec); Service (Rod Perez); Rick² (Rick McCulloch and Manson)

Tuesday5/1:Tonight was the second of our beginner rides. I was not planning on going, but with the large turnout of 19 riders, I joined in for some fun. The routes that I planned are so that new riders can do them and that the more experienced riders who want an easy ride can join us. It was a very warm day today and there was a large turnout of 19 riders for our trip to Bernardston. We left the shop with me in the lead and we made our way over to Bernardston Road, where we began the climb up the first hill. I dropped back in the line to let the others set a pace that they would be comfortable with. The group did well on the first part of the hill, but soon the line began to separate, and I rode to the front of the second group to give them a pull up the hill. After everyone got over the top, I rode to the back of the group to see how everyone was doing. Mic was having a hard time with the speed, and he was falling off the pace pretty quickly, so when we got to Lorenz Honda I told Mic that he should just take it easy and ride back to the shop. After I left Mic, I rode ahead and caught Kathy Brault and Jo Cyr-Mutty, and we then pushed on until we caught up with the rest of the group. We rode together as a group until we made the right turn onto RT. 10 and then the group strung out a bit. We stayed just behind the leaders all the way to RT. 63 where we got strung out again. At this point I told MB and Todd to just ride on and that I would ride in with whoever wanted a slower pace. As MB and his bunch pulled away, I dropped back and rode with IP, Sheryl, Kathy, Jo and QN. We rode along RT. 63 at a pretty good clip, with Kathy hammering up every hill, leaving the rest of us in the dust. At the top of the hills, Kathy would slow up and we all would catch back on and ride down the hill together. This was OK for the most part, but Jo gave me a couple of scares when she would get too close to another rider and then have to brake to avoid a collision. We rode more or less in a group all the way to Millers Falls where once again Kathy hammered the steep hill out of town and soon left me, IP, Sheryl and Jo to try to catch up. We finally started to gain ground on them when Jo dropped her pump in the middle of the road. I stopped to pick it up and then chased back onto the group and then I pulled them along Millers Falls Road all the way to the Mini-Market. At that point I went to give Jo her pump back and she looked at me and said "Is that my pump? I wondered what it was that I dropped. I didn't even know I had a pump." I was at a loss for words, (imagine that) so I just kept the pump stuffed in my jersey and headed down the hill to Turners Falls. We all gathered at the traffic light and when it turned green we headed over the bridge to Greenfield Road. Kathy led the charge up the hill while I rode up at a slower pace. After we made it through the lights at French King Highway, we turned and rode back towards the shop. Kathy and Jo did a nice sprint to the parking lot, with Kathy coming in just ahead of Jo. It was a fun night and it was great to be out with such nice people.

Wednesday 5/3: Tonight we had another MTB ride on the Montague Plains. I drove over to the Book Mill parking lot with Gary and Chris M., and was met there by Penny, Homer, IP, Richard Rogers, Service, Mike S., and Rob Lapointe. We rode from the parking lot over to the Telephone Pole Trail and after we got to the top we headed out to the Toilet Bowl Trail. When we all got to the power lines I asked the group if they wanted to take the same trail that we did last week. I was able to duck all the thrown objects and then suggested that we take an alternative route, which was approved by everyone. We rode down the trail and then out to the road where we regrouped. I led the riders over to the Brook Trail, and we then took the Middle Trail up to the swamp. I was really trying to get to the top of the hill without dismounting, but I got stuck in some really deep mud in the swamp and I had to walk the rest of the way to the road. We all took a few minutes to refresh, before we headed over to Willis Hill Road. I took the riders over to Craggy Hill and then down the steep hill to the power lines again. After Homer and I got into the "Big Tree" thing again, we all headed through the woods to the Brush Trail, where we took a right and then we took the banked trails back over to the Telephone Pole trail. Since it was getting dark I turned on my headlamp and followed the group back to the parking lot. The weather has been so nice lately that I really did not want to stop, but alas we all have to go back to reality once and awhile.

Thursday 5/4: Thursday night has been the largest ride of the week for quite some time, and this week would prove to be the same. We had 41 people turn out for the ride which was scheduled to be the Whatley-Deerfield loop. I will soon have a ride turnout list posted on the home page so that you can keep track of your attendance this year. We left the shop and rode down to Deerfield all together. It was impressive to see all the people in the line behind me. I took the lead and headed down RT. 5&10 at a 17 mph pace which allowed everyone to stay with us. As I got to Old Main Street, I pulled over to get a double line going, and I drifted back down the line of riders. After making sure that the boys from Beermont were not causing any trouble, I headed to the front and joined up with Andy Rome to get the pace back up. We soon were riding down Mill Village Road at 20 mph and soon Andy and I pulled off to let the rest of the group pull through. Except for a miscommunication from me the maneuver went well, it seems that I forgot to tell Andy to go all the way to the back of the line, and he was left sort of "three up" in the middle of the pack. I tried to get Andy back into the line and get the double line going again. I went back to the front of the group to make sure that everyone made the turn onto Stillwater Road. After I made the turn, Doug Dale joined me at the front of the line and we headed for the hill. As always, the hill tends to string out the bunch and tonight was no exception. When I got to the top of the hill, I dropped back to pull a small group back onto the larger bunch. We caught up just before we got to the stop sign and when we made the turn onto RT. 116 the group totaled 20 riders. I led the charge down the hill and I made the turn onto So. Mill Village Road, followed by the rest of the crew. As we rolled down the road we were joined by my good friend Walter Goodridge who turned around and joined us for a while. I stayed in the middle of the group as we got to the town line, but I was too far back to make a run at the town line sprint. We took it easy as we climbed the next few hills and when we got down to the farms I noticed that some of the riders had fallen off the back so I dropped back to get Jorge and company going again. I thought that everyone understood the directions so I let the lead group head up the next hill with Richard and Doug in charge. Big Mistake!! As I crested the last hill I could see the lead group heading straight instead of taking a left. I hollered to them, but they were too far ahead. I knew that they would not get "lost" or anything (even though GB was with them) so I took my small group down the hill and across RT. 5&10. We rode along at a brisk pace as I led the bunch over to River Road. When we got to the intersection we slowed a bit before making the turn. As I made the turn I could see some riders coming down the hill and I knew that our group would be getting larger very soon. I headed north on River Road and made a right turn onto RT. 116 and then the quick left onto River Road again. The group was now back up to ten and we headed north at a pretty good clip. After we past the UMass agronomy barns, LP, Doug, and Richard came up from behind and brought several others with them. At this point the pace again increased and we all (except Jorge) hammered up the hills together. We made it to the bottom of the cemetery hill and when Doug and LP made a charge, I attacked, and caught everyone except LP, who finished just ahead of me. After I rolled over the top of the hill, I was whipped so I dialed it back down and rode slowly back to the shop with Homer, MB, Jorge and several others. It was a good effort and everyone seemed to have had a good time, or at least I hope so. After the ride I went out to dinner with Rick Manson and GB. I got to feast on some Goodies pizza and beer, courtesy of the above, and after we ate we headed for home. It don't get better that that!!

Sunday 5/6: It was another busy day at the shop and by the time the last customer left, I was late again. I had Gary and Jeremy in the van with me and I manager to get to Montage on time despite the late start. Waiting for me in Montague was Jim Humphries, IP, MB, Curt, DTH, and Homer. After everyone was ready, I introduced the new riders before we left the center of town and headed for the Telephone Pole Trail. I rode at the front of the group all the way to the turn onto the trails, then Curt took over and roared to the top of the hill. After all the riders made it to the fire pit, we then headed over to the Toilet Bowl Trail. I rode behind the group and I chatted with some of the riders as we made our way along the trails. It was nice to be out on such a beautiful day with the vegetation greening up, the Dogwood trees blossoming and the flowers starting to bloom. We rode the trails out to the power lines where we paused for a minute. At this point, Jeremy told me that he had left his water bottle in the van and he was getting thirsty, so I gave him a drink from my H2O carrier. After getting Jeremy squared away, the group split up, with Curt taking the faster riders up and over Red Rock while MB and I took the rest of the crew over to the Brook Trail. Our little group got split when MB forgot to make the left turn onto the Brook Trail and he along with three others had to turn around to catch up with us. After we were all back together, we headed over to Middle Road where we met up with Jon Parrott, who joined us for the ride up the hill to the swamp. I started at the front of the pack but when I got to the turn, I stopped to wait for the rest of the riders to get in sight before continuing on. I made it to the slippery rock before I had to stop in traffic. After last weeks experience in the mud, I decided to walk through the swamp instead of mucking through it. This  yielded a much cleaner bike and boy, and I was glad for having made that choice. We traveled over to the bottom of Willis Hill where we were greeted by Curt and his bunch as they were comming down the hill. MB then decided that he wanted to try to climb the hill and he challenged Gary and me to ride up the hill with him. Needless to say, the boy had a bigger appetite than ability and I was the only one to make it to the top of the climb. (In MB's defense, he did do a 40 mile road ride this morning.) After I got back to the bottom of the hill we decided to forgo the pond crossing for the swamp. MB took off to lead us through the woods, but as usual he took the long way around and I had to take the riders on the shorter path. I rode across the wet sections and then stopped to wait for the rest of the riders to get over to me, when I heard a splash coming from the behind. When I turned around I saw Homer getting up from one of the puddles and she was covered in muck. I asked her if she was OK and then I chuckled a little. Well that did it, she rode over and smeared some of the goo that she got all over her gloves, on me. After that I kept the "Mud Baby" far enough behind me to prevent her from getting any more of that stuff on me. After we all got out to the Willis Hill Road we rode to the bottom and re-grouped. We then took the trail across the bottom of the hill to the Brush Road. We followed that road back to the banked trails and then we followed Jon's route back to the power lines. It was getting late and I stayed near the back of the group to make sure that everyone got down the Telephone Pole Trail. After I got to the hardtop, I rode easily back to the cars and then I headed home.

Monday 5/7: Tonight we had a smaller group and only two women for our trip to the Coke Plant. It was another warm sunny day that almost made you forget that just a month ago we had two feet of snow on the ground. We left the shop and I took the boys on the trails behind Stop&Shop, while Homer and IP took Gill Road to the highway crossover. Riding with me was Jim Humphrey, Gary, Mike, and Chris Magoon. I led the boys up the first hill and down to the turn, but when I looked back Mike and Jim were not in sight so I sent Gary and Chris ahead and I waited for the others. After Mike and Jim made the turn I dropped back and rode with Mike, who was having a hard time keeping the pace of the rest of the riders. I told Gary to keep on the trails the usual way and that I would take Mike out to Canada Hill and wait for him. Well, Mike and I went down the hill and over to the trail's end and we waited for quite a while for Gary's bunch to come out of the woods. Just when I was about to go in searching for them, Gary came along the road and told me that Chris had a flat. I rode back into the woods and got Chris going and then we all headed over to the Coke Plant to find the girls. We rode over to Five Points and no girls, so we headed up the Ridge Trail to Luke, no girls. We then rode up Luke to the water tank and still no girls. Then as I waited near the top of the hill I heard Homer and IP yelling over to us. It seems that the dear girls had been doing laps around the top of the hill while they awaited our arrival; Nice!! After Mike got up to the group I sent Gary, Chris and Jim the long way around the power lines while Mike, Homer, IP and myself took the right side trail to Red Rock. The group split up at this point with Mike and the girls going down the road and Gary leading the rest of us down the Chute. After we made it down the Chute, we rode over to the Hill of Doom and then we all rode up the hill. After everyone got up to the top, Gary wanted to do an old trail that we used to do all the time, but haven't done in a while. We rode the trail and when we got to the bottom of the hill there was a couple of large trees that fell down and blocked the trail. All the men except for me stopped and walked over, and then Homer and IP came along and the boys got a lesson in log hopping, they both rode right over the logs. After the humble pie, we headed over to Red Rock Road and we took it to the top of the hill and made the left turn onto the Crossover Trail. IP and a couple of the other riders made it all the way to the top of the hill, where we rested for a couple of moments. When we got going again we headed for the Secret Trail and followed that back to Five Points. I then took the crew out through the swamp to the trails behind Lillian Street and then we headed back across the highway to Gill Road. It was still a warm evening and if I had the energy, I would have stayed out a little longer, but alas I was pooped and so we all headed back to the shop.

Tuesday 5/8: The road ride on Tuesday is getting quite popular and I am now finding that there are just as many of the regulars who want an easy pace as there are beginners. ME took her group of 9 riders out on a 12 mile trip while I took my bunch of 10 riders on a 26 mile trip. My trip took us over to Turners Falls and up the Third Street Hill where we turned left at the fork. We headed out Millers Falls Road with myself and Jazzy Jeff at the front. Jazzy and I kept the pace at a reasonable rate and the group held together pretty well. When we got to Lyman Street, I dropped back into the middle of the group to get some rest. We rode the short distance to RT. 63 and then we turned right and headed south. I rode in the middle of the line for a couple of miles, but I found myself in front again when we turned onto Center Street. When we got to the common, IP and MB headed back to the shop, while the rest of us continued south. We rode down RT. 47 to Sunderland and turned right onto RT. 116 which took us over the bridge into Deerfield. We decided to take Sugarloaf Street instead of River Road because the sun was setting and we did not want to be on the dark side of the mountain. We rode up No. Main Street and then took a right onto RT. 5&10 and headed back towards Greenfield. We rode up RT. 5&10 together until I got a little rude with Jazzy, which caused a little tension in the group, but he rode off and the rest off us headed onward back to the shop. I had planned a mellower ride than the 19 mph that we did, but such is the dynamics of a group. Rob Macks mentioned that this was the first time he had ever ridden at such a speed as well as being one of his first group rides. Chip Martin is going to be one of the stronger riders in the very near future. He just got his road bike a week ago and already he is right up there in the front.

Wednesday 5/9: It has been awhile since we have been able to get down to Deerfield, so tonight six intrepid cyclists and Guinness the dog headed south. We left the shop at six and traveled in three vehicles to the parking spot on Keets Road. Along for the ride was IP, John Carney, Guinness (who ran the whole way), Homer, Jim H., Dave LaValley and myself. After getting the bikes ready we rode across the field to the Mud Mile and began the ascent to the top of the hill. Everyone gave me a bad time about the lookout, which is known as red rock. It seems that every place we go has a "red rock". This is true because of the abundance of the red colored ledge that is around this area, but the riders had to get on me about that anyway. I had John take the lead with Dave and Jim while I followed the bunch into the trails. We found that the mud was not as bad as it was last year, but it was a pain. We rode the trail up to the Refrigerator Trail and then we re-grouped at the parking spot at the top of Pine Nook Road. After everyone arrived I directed John and the boys to ride up to Red Rock and that the girls and I would follow. My group followed the boys for a while but they soon were out of sight. We continued on the trail and then up the road. As we neared the top of the new ski lift we saw the boys and Guinness at the wheel house. We hollered to them as we passed them and then we continued on up the hill. As I neared the last section of the hill David caught up with me and we rode to the top together. We all gathered at red rock for a few minutes and then we headed off for the Pocumtuck Trail. I forgot to tell the boys about the barricaded section of the trail so the guys were waiting for us at the fence. I told the boys to continue ahead and that we would regroup at the water tank. I rode ahead of the girls as we made our way along the trail and I reached the tank well ahead of them. When we got to the paved area near the tank, John was trying to get Guinness to drink some water from his Camelbak, but I could see that the dog needed a lot more than he had so I went with him to a nearby house and asked the man who lived there for water. The man got a large bucket which John filled a couple of times for the dog. John also got the hose to wet down the dog's fur. We waited about 10 minutes for Guinness to get done drinking and when we got back to the rest of the riders, John decided that he should take the dog back on the trial we came out on. I asked the group if they wanted to go back with John or continue down the hill to the Stairmaster Trail. John said that he was OK riding back by himself, and the rest of the crew wanted to try the Stairmaster. I led the riders down the road to the trailhead and into the woods. We rode along a beautiful stretch of trail to the power lines and began the climb up the Stairmaster. I started out in the lead but I got passed by Jim who headed up the hill at a good clip. He stayed out of sight for a while, but we soon came upon him fixing a flat tire. I stopped to help while the rest of the riders continued on ahead. After we got the tire fixed we headed on up the hill. We all were pretty tired when we got to the top of the hill and with the sun setting we got going on the return to the starting point. We only rode a short way before Jim got another flat tire. I quickly replaced the tube and we headed on down the trail under light provided by our headlamps. We all made the trip down the hill in short order and when we got back to the parking spot, we were surprised to find that John had not returned. We were just about to go looking for him when he appeared from the woods. After loading the bikes in the van John gave Guinness another drink of water and then John headed home. The rest of us drove back to the shop. It was a very tiring ride but we all enjoyed the trip.

Thursday 5/10: Tonight's ride was the first "hilly" ride of the year and I had planned the Cave Hill route for the evening. We had another large turnout on a beautiful spring evening. We left the shop and headed north to Greenfield and we were riding along towards the top of the hill when I heard the sound of screeching tires just behind me. I immediately sped up and then looked around behind me to see what happened. It seems that some 19 year old moron was trying to pass the group and he went way over to the left of the line. The problem was that the is a large traffic island and the pimple faced idiot did not notice that until it was right in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and was nearly hit from behind by his boyfriend who was following. After he composed himself, he then proceeded to come flying past us at 60 mph with Eddie Haskell right behind him. As soon as they past us we continued on down the hill and over to the traffic lights at Ave. A, where we re-grouped. I stayed at the front as we made our way up the hill and soon there was a group of riders who pulled away from the pack. I stayed with the middle group and we headed down Montague Road to the fire station. When we stopped at the intersection of Turnpike Road there was about 18 people in the group. After we re-started, several riders rode off the front to try to catch up with the lead group. Among them was Wayne, Mark S., Doug Dale, Michael Doubleday and a couple others. I stayed back with the other riders and we rode along into a fairly brisk headwind as we entered Montague Center. I drifted back in the group and just rode along easily until we made the corner onto RT. 47. As we were turning onto RT 47 I noticed Doug on the side of the road with another flat tire. He was soon joined by Mark Stotz and they said that they were OK, so I went on ahead to catch up with my bunch. I followed the riders as we crossed RT. 63 and headed up the hill on N. Leverett Road. Sean Kelley was in the front pushing the pace and he seemed to be pulling away from the rest of the riders. Star was also in the bunch, causing trouble as usual, so I had to keep close by just in case he got out of hand. We rode up to the turn at Cave Hill and crossed the bridge onto the first climb. The group started to string out as the hill steepened so I moved to the front to keep an eye on things. As I rode by Star I couldn't let the opportunity to "pants" him pass so I did the deed and then sprinted up to MB and Todd. I rode up the hill with those two and when we neared the top, I got pipped by MB in the sprint. MB, Todd and I rode down the hill with a group of riders that included Homer, GB, and 6 others. We waited at the bottom of the hill for some of the other riders to catch up and then we headed off towards Leverett Center. I led the group down the road past the Leverett Pond and then down the hill to RT. 63 where we turned left to Bull Hill Road. After we got to RT. 116 I fell back into the group and we rode through center of Sunderland and into Deerfield where we turned onto River Road. I was pretty whipped and so I did not get too near the front and when we got to the hills I had all that I could do just to keep going. I was pretty nearly tapped out when MB and I raced to the top of the Cemetery Hill, so I backed it way down and rolled to the end of the road. I then road easily back to the shop with several of the group that remained. It was a hard ride for me, but I was glad I made the effort.

Sunday 5/13: Today's ride was a smaller group than usual due to the fact that it is Mothers Day. It was a very windy, cool day with the breeze blowing from the northwest. I was joined by an energetic group of riders that included IP, MB, Homer, Rob Lapointe, Mike Willard, Jamie, Todd Amato and Michael Doubleday. We left the shop and rode down to Deerfield on the usual route. After we crossed the Cheapside Bridge we turned left onto River Road where I slowed the pace on the hill to keep the group together. The wind was not much of a factor at first, but after we got to the flatter section of road, we were blown along at 20+ mph for most of the rest of the way to RT. 116. After we crossed the highway and got on River Road in Whately we found the wind accelerated our pace to 23 mph for a  short time. When we turned onto Christian Lane we instantly hit with a headwind which took the speed to 16 mph in a hurry. We rode up to the top of the hill and then we headed north and we really got hammered by the wind. I have taken a lot of abuse from MB due to my not challenging him in the sprints, so when we got to the campground, I took off and beat MB to the town line. I got so far ahead that I hopped off my bike and walked across the line ahead of him. After that, we rode to the end of So. Mill Village and crossed RT. 116, and we climbed the hill and rode to Lee Road. We headed to the end of Lee where we took a left and rode down the hill to Mill Village Road. We then were hit with an even stronger headwind and that caused the pace to slacken to about 15 mph. The group stayed together all the way through the village and out to RT. 5&10 where MB and Todd took the lead. They stayed at the front until I snuck up from behind them and took the town line sprint for the second time today. This put me and MB even in the competition for the sprinters jersey. We all rode easily back up Hope Street where we turned onto RT. 2A and headed back to the shop. Although it was a windy and cool ride everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Monday 5/14: Today was another busy day at the shop and it seems that I can never get done all that I want to before the 6:00 hour arrives. I closed up the shop just after 6:00 and went out for a ride to the Coke Plant with IP, Homer, Jim, Kip Dresser, Chris, Gary and Penny. We took the usual route to the trails and after we got across the highway we re-grouped at the truck turnout. We rode over to Five Points and then we took the Ridge Trail to Luke. We followed Luke to the top and then we made our way to the water tank. I sent the group out to the power lines and I followed at the back. Tonight we found the trails to be really dry and dusty, which makes breathing somewhat difficult for me, but I managed to do pretty well in spite of that. We rode down to Red Rock and re-grouped. After we rested for a few minutes we decided to split up, I led the boys down the Chute while Homer, IP and Gary took the road to the Hill of Doom. After riding down the Chute, I followed Jim over to the bottom of the Hill of Doom and then I rode up the hill behind him. When we got to the top of the hill we waited at the usual spot for everyone to arrive before we headed off to ride over to the Streambed Trail. We took the Streambed Trail up to Deer Run and then we made our way over to Double Death. I managed to make it up the hill on the third try as did Kip and Jim. We then rode down to the bottom of the Secret Trail where we met up with the girls. We took the Ridge Trail back to Five Points and then we rode through the swamp to the trails behind Lillian Street. We rode easily back to the shop, another great ride into the books.

Tuesday 5/15: It was another beautiful day today and I had 15 people show up for the ride. I had picked a 26 mile loop for the faster riders and a 15 mile loop for the beginners. Before we left the shop I told the riders that they could take a shorter loop with me if they wanted to and that they should wait for me at Streeters Store. After that I led the group from the shop and out to Bernardston Road where I relinquished the lead to Chip Martin. I then dropped back to ride sweep for the group. I rode along with Christina Kuralt and we had a nice time talking as we headed for Bernardston. As the trip wore on however, I noticed that Christina was getting tired and she was having a hard time with the headwind that was blowing at us. After we got into Bernardston I asked her if she was OK with taking a shortcut and she said that would be great. I directed her to take Cross Street over to Lampblack Road and I was going to go up to Streeters Store to get any other riders who might wanting to do the shorter trip. After she turned, I went on ahead and ended only catching Jeannie. There were no other riders at the store and so Jeannie and I went on to catch up with Christina. We rode along at a good clip, but when we got to Log Plain Road and no Christina I started to get worried, so I sent Jeannie on ahead and I went back to see if Christina was still behind. I rode all the way back to where Christina made the turn and she was not there, so I then knew that she was ahead and I rode back to the shop. Waiting for me was the two girls and they said that they had a good ride and that they would be back again. Soon after that the other riders came streaming back in and all seemed to have had a good time.

Wednesday 5/16: I scheduled a ride to Chandler hill for tonight's event. This ride is an out and back affair and we had a large group to give it a try. Some of the people met me at the shop and we car/van pooled up to the start since there is not a lot of parking at the starting point. Riding with us tonight was Curt, LP, Chris Dejoy, Mark Newton, Homer, IP, MB, Gary, Ed, Jim H., Chris M., Dave L., Service, Jack, and myself. When everyone was ready Mark took the lead and the riders followed him into the trail. I have been pretty tired lately and so I decide to hang at the back of the group. This ride is one of the prettiest trails that we have in this area and I was glad to be able to enjoy the views. After the main group was out of sight I rode along with Gary and Ed as we made our way up the first few climbs and we chatted as we rode along. I paced myself so as to not run out of gas before I got to the big climbs and when we got to the power lines, the rest of the riders were waiting for us. We paused briefly before heading on towards the "Three Sisters" climb. I was the last rider in the line as we passed through the apple orchard and when I got to the end of the orchard the group was waiting there. After another rest everyone took off to do the "Three Sisters" climb. Most of the riders ripped into the hill and I could hear the groans as they realized how long and steep the climb was. I took my time and I was able to ride the whole climb. I was not fast and it probably not the smoothest ride I ever did, but I managed to ride up the entire hill without stopping. After we got to the top we re-grouped again before we headed down to the four corners where we turned around and began the trip back. This ride is really fun because after you do all the work, you get this ripper ride back to the start. Everyone was flying as we headed back down the "Three Sisters" and onto the flatter section of the trail. When I got to the orchard, I found Chris Dejoy was stopped at the side of the trail with a broken derailleur. I helped him take his chain off and then I pushed him for a while and he ran up the hills. We did this for the next few miles until we got back to the start, where everyone was getting ready to head home. All the riders seemed to like the ride and when I got all the bikes loaded into the van, I headed back to the shop.

Thursday 5/17: We had 37 riders show up for tonight's first real test of climbing. The route was a 31 mile trip over Huckle Hill and it included quite a bit of smaller hills preceding the big climb. At 6:15 I led the riders out of the parking lot and over to Turners Falls. I rode easily down the hill and across the canal to the traffic light at Ave. A and the whole group was with me as the light changed and we turned left. I rode near the front with the Beermonters as we crossed RT. 2 and headed up the hill to West Gill Road, but when we made the turn onto West Gill Road, I drifted off the back of the group and waited for some of the riders who were just behind. I have been very tired lately and I really wasn't up for a long hard ride tonight, so I was content to take it a little easy. In the group behind was Lou Wittmer, Jamie, Todd, Rob Lapointe, and one other rider. I got in front of the bunch and we made our way along past the golf course with the big lead group in front of us. We rode steadily along about a quarter mile behind them as we headed into Northfield on RT. 142. I kept the pace pretty reasonable and we picked up Chris DeJoy when he came off the lead bunch. It was a nice warm evening and we all enjoyed the small group and the nice scenery as we rode into Beermont. After we got into the town of Vernon, Rob came to the front and gave me a rest before we hit the big hill. We kept the group together as we rode up Pond Road to the base of the hill. We rode easily after the turn to give Lou and Chris a chance to make a clothing change and when they rejoined us we headed up the climb. As we rode up the first steep section we were caught by Pat Bell and Brendan Creigh. Brendan had flatted early and Pat missed the start by 15 minutes. Both of those guys had put in an incredible chase and at the beginning of the hill they were going roughly twice as fast as I was. As that duo pulled away from me, I just concentrated on the climb. Our group now include Homer who had come off the front group a few miles earlier. She was riding along in our group and actually was the second over the top after a long ride up the hill. When we got to the top I rode at the back with Lou and Jamie as the rest of the bunch headed down the other side to RT. 10. After we got onto RT. 10 the lead group waited for us and we all rode to RT. 5 together. I led the riders down RT 5&10 and back to the shop. It was a hard ride but we all did very well and it always good to be out on a ride.

Below is a report written by Curt Bousquet.
 I showed up at 4:30 for the ride, because Bob said that there was a group that was going to get an early start... but nobody else showed up until 5:20, then when they found out what the ride was going to be they decided to take a shorter route anyway. So I ended up hanging around and leaving at 6:00 with the rest of the riders. The ride was up over to Turners falls, North to 10, Rt.142 to Pond Rd, then up Huckle Hill from the NORTH side, back to Bernardston, then to the shop via Rte 5. ~28 miles. Huckle Hill is a real killer from the North! I'd compare it to doing Middle road through Dummerston a few times in a row. The 'A' group did it the right way, as did the group of 6 riders I was in. Everyone else either did it from the South, or skipped it altogether and biked a shorter route. I think I did well on the ride, except for a problem at the beginning that added quite a bit of effort to the ride. I'd dropped back just enough on the first hill (after crossing Rte 2 North of Turners Falls) that I lost the wheel of the group I should have been with. I didn't feel warmed up yet, so was taking it easy up the hill. I caught them for a moment another mile down the road, but I had put enough effort into it that I didn't have anything left to hold on with, so dropped off again at a small hill. It was a bad move, as I spent the next *9 MILES* trying to get back into the group again. The 6 riders ahead of me were being pulled by a strong rider in the front (who later took off ahead by himself) at about 18MPH, and I was racing along about 150-200 yards behind them not making an inch of progress towards catching them. Finally, well into Vermont, I started putting everything I had into the short downhill's when they were just spinning. On every hill, I gained a few hundred feet on them until, with one final effort that had me seeing black spots, I caught them just short of the Pond road turnoff. We still had enough time before the hill that I was able to ride in the back of the group for a while to recover. I'm surprised after all the effort I put into catching them that I had any energy left for the hill, but I made it (with plenty of weaving from side to side to help with the steepest parts) We re-grouped at the top of the hill, and enjoyed the nice long downhill into Bernardston. The only downside being the large amount of sand and patched potholes in the road preventing a REALLY fast downhill. Once back on 5 in Bernardston we set up a paceline. It worked out well, as everyone finished one turn on the front just as we got to the last downhill glide into town. This pulled us back into Greenfield at a good high pace. I'm pretty pleased with the 16.7mph average I ended up with. 
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"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who will watch the watchers?"
-- Juvenal - (Roman rhetorician - c. 100 A.D.)

Sunday 5/20: It was another beautiful day today with warm temperatures and bright sunshine. The shop was pretty busy and it was 5:00 before I knew it. I drove over to Montague Center with Jeremy and Gary and we were joined there by DTH, Curt, James Humphrey, Jack, IP, MB, Homer, Brian, Penny, Service, Ken Heider, along with his family which included Patrick, Cathy, and Tommy. I suggested that we split the group in two and I would lead the faster group on the trails that pass through the Sawmill River park. Ken Heider took Jeremy, Penny, Cathy, and Tommy and they went on the road to the Telephone Pole Trail. After Ken got going I led the group down North Street to the entrance to the park and after crossing the river I led the bunch across the field. I took the wrong turn and I had to back track to get across the other side of the river. I then followed Service as he took the lead and got us over to the Telephone Pole Trail. We rode up the hill and then headed out to the Toilet Bowl trail which was really dry and dusty. The dryness makes breathing hard for me because the dust really clogs my lungs. When we got out to the power lines we found Ken and his crew waiting for us. I sent Ken out to the Middle Road while I was going to lead the faster group over to Red Rock. Our plan was to meet at the bottom of Willis Hill. I rode at the back of the faster group as we made the trip over to Red Rock. When we got to the sand pit I asked the boys if they wanted to try a different trail up to the Swamp Road. They said that would be OK and so I led the boys over to the left, while Homer and IP and Penny took the right side of the road up to the Swamp Road. The trail that I picked has not been used for quite some time and it was covered in leaves, which hid the rocks and branches that lay underneath. MB and I made it the furthest up the hill before we had to dismount. We will have to use this route more often so that the path will get a little smoother. After everyone got to the top I then led the troops down to the Swamp Road where I caught up with the girls as they were heading down towards the swamp itself. After we rode through the swamp and out to Willis Hill, we found a Jeep Cherokee stuck in the middle of the mud hole. We also found the knucklehead Topher trying to get it out by pushing it. He knew enough not to bother to ask us to help and we all had quite a laugh at their predicament. After a few minutes we were joined by Ken and his crew and we all decided to bypass the mud and take the somewhat dryer route through the woods. This trail is not without its mud, but it is significantly less than the other alternative. I let some of the faster people pass me and I rode near the back as we made our way down the hill to the Cross Trail. I let the group go on ahead and I stayed at the back of the group as we did the Banked Trails. Tommy was getting a little tired and so I stayed with him while the others rode away from us. Tommy and I just took our time and we made our way down the Telephone Pole Trail and out to the road. We were the last to arrive back to the cars, but Tommy said that he had a great ride. I spoke with several other of the riders and they all said that they had a good time as well. I think that this format of every other week will work well for us.

Monday 5/21: Tonight we had a pretty good crowd for the trip to the Coke Plant. Along for the ride was Gary, IP, Jim, Dave LaValley, Penny, Mark, Jack, Homer, Parker and his friend Chris as well as myself. We rode over to the trails on Gill Road and crossed the highway. The stinkhole has dried up and was only slightly muddy. When we got to the trails I asked the group if they wanted to do a slightly different route. They all said that change was good so I decided to take the group on a more or less reverse loop of our usual course. I led the bunch up the Mud Road to Five Points where we split up. I sent Gary, Jim, Larry and Dave ahead so they could get more mileage in. I then followed with the rest of the riders as we headed over to the Streambed Trail and then up the climb to the place formally known as Red Rock. I will hence forth call the spot Blue Rock. Anyway we made the turn onto the Crossover Trail and when I got to the top I waited for everyone to make the hill. IP was again in form and she was the only woman to make the climb (she did it on the second try, but she made it). After we rested a few minutes we headed off for the Secret Trail. I started to wonder what had happened to the four other riders. I thought that we would have seen them by now, but we hadn't, so we rode on. I led the group down the Secret Trail to the turn at the fallen tree, and made sure that they all made the turn. At that point I was at the back and I followed the girls as they made the hop over the logs near the bottom. I can remember when the girls would have to stop and walk over them, but now they ride over them like they are not even there. When we got to the bottom of the trail we then turned right and then headed back up Luke to the water tank where we re-grouped again. It was a nice night and we all took a moment to enjoy the day before we headed out to the power lines. I hung back with Chris and Parker to make sure that they took a good line on the rough road ahead. We all made it down to the Blue Rock together and we rejoined the others who where waiting for us. At this point it was starting to get dark so I suggested that we do the Hill of Doom and then head back. We rode down to the bottom of Blue Rock Road and then up the Hill of Doom. IP made it most of the way up the hill and she was pleased with her effort as were the rest of the riders. After I made it to the group I then took the lead and we rode out to the orchard and back to Five Points. When we all arrived at Five Points and the four other riders were not there, I decided to take my bunch back to the shop, since the others are quite capable of getting back by themselves. I rode the trails behind Lillian Street back to the RT.2 crossover and then we all rode back to the shop. Soon after we got back the other riders returned as well, it was a good ride and a lot of fun for all.

The rides for the rest of this week were rained out. After two months of no rain we had a whole week of downpour's. The weather here is always a surprise.

Monday 5/28: Tonight's ride was a last minute thing and I was joined by Homer and Chris Magoon for a trip to the ridge. I led up the hill and although I did not make the it all the way I gave it a good shot. From that trail we rode on the White Dot Trail to the parking lot at Poets Seat. Homer will get the Julio Perez award for the most falls tonight as she slipped on several of the logs along the way. After we crossed the road to Temple Woods we rode the Red Dot Trail all the way to Sachem's Head and there we turned and headed back along the Blue Dot Trail. It was a nice ride on a cool spring evening and we made it back to the shop in about two hours.

Tuesday 5/29: I did not ride tonight because the shop was so busy that I did not have time to get ready before the ride left. I will publish the report if anyone writes one.

Wednesday 5/30: The ride for this evening was in Jorge's backyard and we fully expected him to make a showing, but when I arrived at Keets Road field to start the trip, Jorge was not there. Our energetic group decided to carry on in spite of Jorge's absence. Along for the ride was Jim's Humphrey and Smith, Penny, Homer, Mark C., Jack, Gary and myself. Mark led a group that went up to the plank bridge, while I took the rest of the riders on a less challenging trip over to the Bruiser Trail, and we all met at the junction of the two trails. After a moments pause we then headed down the wet soggy trail and then we took a right onto the climb. The trail is a fairly wide and gentle at the bottom, but as the trail steepened it also got narrower and this make the stream crossings much harder to see. We all rode together going up and everyone did well until we got to a large puddle in the middle of the trail. Most of the riders drove right through the middle of the water, but Jack decided to try to stay dry and he stayed on the right side of the puddle. This was a mistake, because just as he got half way, his wheels slid out from underneath him and he fell flat on his back in the muddy water. We all got a laugh out of that.  I hung back and waited for Penny and Homer to get up to the spot to warn them of the correct line to take. Both of them rode straight through the water and onto the last section of the climb. At this point Jack and Gary were very content to stay back with Penny, Homer and myself, so I asked them to all stay together while I rode on ahead to let the others go on at a faster pace. I rode steadily up the hill and I caught up with Mark and the others at Pine Nook Road. I told them to head on down the road and take a little longer trail and meet us up on the ridge. I then waited for Jack and Gary to arrive with the girls. When they got up to the road we then continued onto the access road that leads to the antenna towers. We rode at an brisk pace and although Penny had to stop a couple of times, she managed to ride the entire distance to the top. As I got near the half way point, I could hear Mark and his crew comming up the trail. I yelled down to them and when they yelled back I assumed that they were on the right trail, since I couldn't really make out what they were saying. I then headed up the trail and re-joined the rest of the group as they finished the climb. When we got onto the top of the hill we rested a few minutes and waited for the rest of the riders to join us. Well, we waited about five minutes and when the boys still hadn't arrived, I knew that they had taken the wrong trail and instead of comming towards me, they were riding away from me. At this point it was getting late and rather than wait any longer for the boys (I knew that they would get out OK, since Mark knew most of the area pretty well.) I decided to head onward. Our group rode along the ridge all the way out to Stage Road and then we headed down the hill on the hard top road. When we got to the railroad tracks, I led the group out to the motor cross track where we paused briefly. When we got going again, I took the group on a trail that leads to a dirt road and eventually back to Pine Nook Road. Our group took it easy on the climb up Pine Nook Road to the tennis courts. Penny did a great job of climbing the hill, and she only stopped because she was in her middle ring and that was too much for her. Homer and Penny stayed together on the hill, while I rode on ahead with Gary and Jack, and once I got those two to make the turn I went back and finished with the girls. When everyone got to the top of the hill we all then rode back to the Mud Mile and down the hill to the field, where we got to see Jack do a spectacular endo near the edge of the road. Jack was OK because he landed in the grass, but it sure looked awesome when he was flying through the air. When we got back to the vehicles we found Rob waiting for us and he reported that everyone except for Jim H., had gone home. He said that Jim was doing another loop with Jim S., and that they didn't need us to wait for them. I loaded my bike into the van and headed off to Eaglebrook to deliver a helmet to Dave Phillips. After the delivery, I then headed back to the shop, where Jim H., was waiting for us. He said that he had a great ride and that he would see us again.

Thursday 5/31: Tonight we had 37 people show up for the ride to Conway. I had billed this to be a 38 and 31 mile ride, with ME leading an even shorter loop down through Whately. I left the shop and headed down High Street at 20 mph, which strung the group out for quite a distance. I hadn't intended to start that fast, but with a tailwind.... Anyway, the group came back together on Hope Street and we were all pretty much together after we crossed RT. 5&10 and headed south. Again the pace got a little higher than I had planned due to the wind and soon I was cruising down the road at 24 mph. After I got into Deerfield, I noticed Richard Rogers just ahead of us and we very quickly caught up with him. Richard rode in front of me until we turned onto Old Main Street, where I dropped back to get a idea of who we had in the group. I rode at the back of the bunch with GB and the some of the Beermont folks who were having a good time riding with us southerners. (Actually, we later talked about having Vermont annex Franklin County so that we could, among other things, take credit for Jim Jeffords political coup. But that is another story.) I rode at the back of the group to Mill Village Road where I sprinted to the front to make sure that everyone knew about the turn onto Stillwater Road. I rode near the middle of the group until we got to the hill and then I found myself at the front. I rode up the hill with LP and Doug Dale and when I crested the top, I slowed down and doubled back to see who was still with us. There was a group of about 12 people just behind me and another group of about six behind them and I decided to wait for the last group to arrive, before heading onward. I told the front group to keep going and that I would sweep the back. Once I got to the end of the line I began to organize the riders into a pace line and soon we caught up with the leaders. I went to the front of the group of 18 or so people and made the turn onto RT. 116. I began the climb with a long string of riders behind me. I kept the pace moderately high as we got to the steeper sections and this tended to cause some gaps to open up, so I pulled off and went to the back to ride with the fun folks. (Actually, the reason I went to the back was to watch GB suffer, but that is yet another story.) I took up the front of a group of six or so riders and began the last section of the hill with them. As we neared the top of the climb Tom Martyn, Bill Hamer and Malcolm took off, leaving me with GB, Homer and Rob. We made it to the top of the hill and I warned the riders about the descent and upcoming corner. I led the group around the corner and as I did I could see Tom, Bill and Malcolm comming back up the hill. It seems that they had missed the turn and were now faced with a steep climb back up as well as a chase to catch up with us. I rode easily with my trio and we climbed the hill past Uncle Ritchie's house to the top, where the rest of the bunch caught back on. We continued up Whatley Road for a few miles at a 20 mph pace and we caught sight of the lead group, just ahead of us. I then picked the pace up and pulled Malcolm, Tom and Bill to the reseviour and then I told them to catch up and I was going to turn around and wait for Homer and GB. When