Ride Page

Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month May 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
 

Thursday 5/2: We have not had such good luck this year with the rain. Tonight we got rained out again.

Sunday 5/5: It was a cool sunny day today and the shop was pretty busy, so I had to really hurry to get the shop closed and get over to Montague. Larry Sherman and Dave followed me over to Montague Center where we were met by Homer, Brian Pierce, Rich Flye and Jack. We left the center of town and headed up to the plains on the road and then the Telephone Pole Trail. We took the Toilet Bowl Trail out to the power lines where we rested for a few minutes. We then rode over to Plain Road where we took a right and followed that road all the way out to the other side of the plains. We re-grouped at the corner of the Water Tank Trail, before we continued on. I stayed in the middle of the riders and we headed up the trail to the hill. The trail has lots of trees that have fallen down across the path as well as some pretty low branches that will require you to hop a log and duck a branch at the same time. I led the way up the hill and then we rode over to the next climb, which is a swampy slope that leads to the water tanks. I rode up the hill to the tank and then waited for the rest of the group to arrive. After everyone got their breath back we headed across the grass to the trails and we followed the trail that took us up to Willis Hill. I was still feeling a little tired from all of the work that I had to do this week, so I dropped back and Brian led us up to the Swamp Trail and then over to Red Rock. The trails are a little muddy and there is a lot of trees that were blown down in the last wind storm. We stopped along the way and moved some of the larger branches from the path and I made a mental note of where the bigger trees are so that I can tell Paul Petruski. Paul will then come up with his chain saw and cut us a small path. He usually makes the path just wide enough so that bikes can fit, but not ATV's or four wheelers. After we got to Red Rock we headed down to the Brook Trail where we took a right and followed that out to the power lines. We rode straight back to the Toilet Bowl Trail and then we headed back to the center of town. Although it was a sunny day it was somewhat chilly, more like March than May.

Wednesday 5/8: Tonight we took a ride over to the Montague Plains. I arrived at the center of town and found a small group waiting for me. Along for the ride was Homer, GB, Mike Willard, Mark C., Kip, Jon and Jack. We rode over to the Telephone Pole Trail and then when we all got to the top of the hill we headed out to the power lines. At this point we decided to stay on the flatter sections for a while and so we took the Second First Left and rode the trails all the way out to the bottom of  Willis Hill. I wanted to try to ride up to the water tanks again and since no one else objected, that's what we did. I led the way at first but soon Jon and Mark passed me on the sandy trails. When we got to the climb, however, I got over a few of the logs first and soon was up the hill ahead of the group. GB joined me and the two of us headed onward to the tanks. I led the way across the brook and up the marshy hillside to the tanks, where I stopped to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. After a brief stop, I took the group on the trails to Willis Hill. We rode over to the bottom of the steep climb and then we decided to try to climb it. I followed Mark but he slipped off the trail at the bottom and I had to re-start. On the second try I managed to ride up to the top of the hill. I was the only rider to make it to the top on my bike tonight. Most of the rest of the group made it to the last steep section before dismounting. After everyone got up to the top of the hill we then headed through the woods past the old I-H wreck and over to Red Rock. We paused at the rock to watch the sun start to set before we headed down to the Brook Trail. We followed the Brook Trail out to the sandy section of the plains and from there we headed back to the Telephone Pole Trail. We took the usual route back to the center of town and then we all headed for home.

Thursday 5/9: Tonight's ride was scheduled for 30 miles up to Northfield and back. It was a cool blustery day today and when we left the shop the skies were threatening rain. I rode at the middle of the group of 29 riders as we headed up Bernardston Road and after the first few yards the group started to split up, so I dropped to the back so that I could ride sweep. I stayed with the field as Joe and a few other riders took off towards Bernardston. After Joe and his bunch got out of sight, I went back to the front and took the lead as we made the turn onto RT. 10. I led the bunch up the hill across RT. 91 and then onto the flats. We rode along at a good clip for most of the way into Northfield, but the group slowed a bit as we got hit with a rain shower just as we crossed the river. Curt and a few others complained that I did not have my usual control over the weather, but we pressed on after I promised a better road ahead. Sure enough, after we turned onto RT. 63 the skies cleared and the sun came out. I rode at the front of the group as we headed down towards Millers Falls and then up the hill to Millers Falls Road. At this point the group had split up and so I soft pedaled for a while until everyone got back on. We finished the ride up at a 19 mph average and I know that I was whipped from the effort.
 

Thursday, May 9
Distance - 27.67
Average - 19.9
Ending Mileage - 795.2

This ride was the regular Thursday night Bikes Unlimited ride. We had a good group going out, and the 6-8 of us rode together for the entire ride with the exception of the last 2 miles, where Andy Rome and I dropped off the back after pushing a little too hard to keep up for most of the night. We had both taken plenty of turns at the front throughout the evening, but we didn't quite have the reserves to keep up over the final few climbs back to Main Street in Greenfield. The rain that had been threatening us all evening held off until we were just a few miles from being back at the shop, so we got a little damp, but nothing really annoying. All in all it was a good ride, and I'm pleased with the average speed for this time of the year.

Tuesday 5/14: It was another cool cloudy day today with a rather brisk wind blowing from the west and we had a 25 mile ride down to Sunderland planned for the riders. I took the riders over to Turners Falls on Greenfield Road and we headed to Ave. A, where we took a right and rode down to Montague City Road. We turned onto Sherman Drive and then onto Greenfield Road (the other one) and headed up the hill to Montague Center. We rode over to the center of town and then we took Leverett Road to RT. 47. I started out on the front of the group as we started to climb the hill, but I soon cracked and was dangling off the back the whole way up the hill. I hammered as hard as I could all the way down the other side and I finally managed to catch back on as we entered Sunderland. After I caught the group I was just able to stay on the back and I rode with them over the bridge into Deerfield. I stayed on the bunch as we headed up the first hill on River Road, but I soon came off the back and I ended up riding the hills by myself. I caught sight of the group again near the Greenfield town line, but soon they were off again and I ended up riding back to the shop alone.

Wednesday 5/15: Tonight we had a good sized group for our ride out to the Coke Plant. I was another sunny but cool day today with a fairly brisk wind making it feel colder that the 50 degrees that it is. I brought along my camera so that I could take some photo's of the ride. I got some shots of the riders getting ready but majority of the rest of the photo's didn't come out too well. I left the shop and headed off towards the trails with a group of eight riders, while Joe took five riders up on the ridge. I followed Jack and Georgie Boy along the Gill road and then over to the highway. Tonight was the first time out on my new bike so I was being cautious. When we got to the stinkhole, I immediately jumped off the bike and waded across the muck with the bike held high, which earned a round of hoots from the following group. After I remounted I headed up to the truck turn out and then the group decided to that we would take the traditional route over to Five Points to start the climb. I rode at the front of the group and we all made our way up the hill to the water tank. The trail was a little muddy and I had to pick my line carefully and even though I did, I still had to get off in a couple of spots. After everyone got up to the top of the hill we decided to take the power lines down to Red Rock. Service was looking forward to doing the downhill on his new bike, so I let him take the lead. I rode behind the group to see what adjustments I might need to make on the suspension, since this was the first real downhill I have been on. I road at a steady speed and found that the bike handles quite well, but I still have to get used to the Rock Shox suspension. After I got to the rock the group rested for a couple of minutes before heading off down the Chute Trail. I followed Service and we rode down the hill to the road where we took the left down to Jack's Pond. When we got to the bottom of the hill we could see that the loggers have been in here and are now ripping the area apart. They destroyed most of the lower trails with their machines and I don't think that it will be long before they ruin the rest of the place. We rode down to the Hill of Doom and made the climb up to the top where we re-grouped again. At this point we decided to head over to the Orchard Trail and begin our trip back. After we got out to the road we were shocked to find that the loggers had cleared the entire forest and left in it's place a huge pile of wood chips. All that remains of the once beautiful woodland is this pile of chips. After a brief stop at the pile, we headed down the trail to Double Dip. We found the trails to be pretty chewed up and impassable in some places. PJW and Homer had to wade across the bottom of the hill because the mud was so deep that they could not ride across. We followed what was left of our old trails over to the Streambed Trail and we took that up to Deer Run. From Deer Run we rode back over to the Ridge Trail and then down to the Cellar Hole Trail. I hope that the loggers do not spend too much more time in the woods, so that we can get to work and salvage some of the trails. After we got to the Cellar Hole Trail, we were back in the woods again and we all seemed to recover from the shock of the last few miles of trail. We rode the usual route through the woods and then back out to the highway. I rode across the stinkhole, since my bike was now all muddy from the trails. We made our way back to the shop, where we waited for Joe's group return. After a few minutes, Joe came back and told me that he did not have such a good ride. It seems that his bike took a tumble off of a rock cliff and he broke the seatstay. He was bummed, but we can at least fix that! All in all it was a good ride.

Thursday 5/16: It was a bright sunny day today with the temperatures in the 70's for our ride over to Cave Hill in Leverett. We had a group of 25 riders for our trip tonight and we headed out of the parking lot and took a left to the hill down to the river. We rode over to the center of Turners Falls in one group and we then we started the climb up the Third Street Hill. I led the riders up the hill at a pretty good clip and this usually splits the group up. When I got to the top of the hill I pulled over and the faster riders pulled through. I then waited until the rest of the group arrived and then I fell in at the back. I rode along at the back as we headed towards Montague Center. The group formed a single line as we headed along Turners Falls Road and as soon as the traffic permitted I rode up to the front. I stayed near the front as we headed through Montague Center and as soon as we got out of town I then went to the back of the group. I rode along with QN and a few others as we took Leverett Road out to RT. 47 where we took a left. After the group got across RT. 63, I rode to the front to remind the newer riders that they had to watch for the turn. I then dropped back and rode the sweep until we got to the turn onto Cave Hill Road. After the turn I, headed to the front and rode most of the way up the hill with Mooseboy, but as we neared the top I started to run out of gas and Mooseboy and Homer finished the climb together. After the top of the hill Mooseboy doubled back and we regrouped with 12 or so riders and headed down the steep descent. When I got to the bottom of the hill ME was waiting for Lorraine to catch up and she waved to all the riders as we passed. After the whole group made it through the stop sign, Mooseboy took the lead and we headed off towards Leverett Center. I rode near the front and took a couple of pull's and as we passed the pond we passed Dusty King and his girlfriend, who were out on their own ride. After we passed them we took a right and rode down the hill to RT. 63 where we took a left and headed over to Bull Hill. I rode along with Mooseboy and just as we got near the town line, Jorge took a flyer for the sprint. (The fact that he was the only one sprinting did not faze him however.) After we got to the bottom of the hill we took a right and we formed a double pace line for the run into Sunderland Center. I rode at the front for most of the way and soon we were crossing the bridge into Deerfield. We rode up to Sugarloaf Street and then we took North Main Street over to Mill Village Road. The group got a little strung out on the run up to Old Deerfield but we regrouped on Main Street before heading out to RT. 5&10. After a quick ride back to the Cheapside Bridge we slowed the pace on the ride back to the shop.
 

Thursday, May 16
Distance - 32.86
Average - 20.0
Ending Mileage - 881.1

Today was shaping up to be a great day for a ride. Warm weather, sunny skies and I was feeling pretty good after yesterday's 20 mile ride. As I headed down to Greenfield, the sun went away and we got some pretty threatening overcast, but it never turned in to anything bad. The wind did pick up as well, but with the size of the group I ended up riding with, it never really bothered us. Before we headed out, I asked Bob to check out the new noise on my bike. He turned a few screws and waved his magic wrench and everything was fine again. Just before the start, I started getting a pretty severe headache, but if I start riding things like these usually go away on their own, as this did over the first several miles. I had been feeling really dry all day, so made sure to make and drink an extra bottle of Gatorade before the ride. I also drank almost all of my second bottle before the start but felt that now I had a good amount of water for my body to use during the ride. The group started together toward Turners Falls and didn't split until the first climb out of town. I was on the front of the rear pack at the top of the first hill, and pulled a ways before drifting to the back for a rest. All the way into Montague, we could see the faster riders ahead, not really pulling away. Once we crossed 63, the climbing started. The hill isn't really steep at all, but it is rather endless. The pace the group set was really good (15-17) so I didn't have to use all of my energy just to hold on. Once we turned right onto Cave Hill at the Mill, things got steeper and the line really strung out. Before long, I think I was pretty much in the rear of all the riders I could see. I later found out that there were quite a few more out of sight behind me. I also learned later that Jamie started cramping badly on the hill and dropped back, not to be seen again until the finish. Over the top of the climb, I enjoyed a nice long fast (49.3MPH) descent to Rt. 63. At the bottom of the hill I could just make out the back of the main group disappearing ahead of me. I thought I was in the very back, except for a few riders I had passed on the downhill, so put everything I had into catching the wheel of the main group. After a few minutes of going all out (27-30MPH) I finally coasted up onto the wheel of the group and enjoyed a nice easy ride for the next several miles down to 116. A few minutes later, we were caught by another group of stragglers from behind, bring our numbers up to about 15 total. On 116 we set up a double paceline, and didn't even feel like we were working as we rolled into Sunderland. We kept this pace up pretty much all the way into Old Deerfield, alternating between double and single pacelines. Finally, we were on the last little climbs back to Main Street in Greenfield. On the last stretch of road, the pace dropped as people started to spin down, but I didn't want to loose my 20MPH average, so I sprinted to the front from about the middle of the pack and brought the pace back up to 24MPH. Just as I was flagging, Bob sprinted by me and I used my last few ounces of energy to catch his wheel and ride it back to the shop. Roger and I hit 'Goodies' for food afterward, then a nice summer drive home in the Miata. Sigh. Great night.

Sunday 5/19: Today we had our usual ride to the Montague Plains at 5:20. I left the shop and headed over on a cool sunny day and I was met by a small group of riders on the common. Along for the trip was PJW, Mike W., Jon Parrott, Kate, Service, Mark  and myself. We left the center of town and headed off towards the Telephone Pole Trail. The group headed up the hill and when we got to the top we stopped to re-group. I took the time to take a photo. After a couple of minutes Service took the lead with Mike and we headed off to the Toilet Bowl Trail. We kept up a good pace and soon we were out on the power lines. Everyone wanted to head over to Red Rock so that's what we did. I headed up the hill behind Jon and when I got to the top I took some more shots of the group as they climbed the hill. After the climb we decided to take the Swamp Road over to Willis Hill. I rode with Jon and Mike all the way up to the top and then I decided to wait for the rest of the riders before heading down to the swamp. I am still trying to dial in the Psylo SL and I adjusted the travel just before I headed down the trail. I think that the longer travel of the fork is not the best for my style of riding, so a little later on I stopped and adjusted it again. After we all got to the swamp I suggested that we take the Kiabuckus Trail up to the top of Willis hill instead of just going straight over there. Everyone agreed to give it a try and so off we went to do the climb. Jon and I stopped a couple of times on the way over to the trail to move some trees that had fallen and then we headed up the hill. I stayed in my middle ring for the climb and found that it was just perfect for that hill. After we got to the top we waited for the rest of the riders and then we all decided to head over to Willis. I was going to take some photo's of the group from the top of the hill, but when I got there PJW and Jon were already heading down so I scrapped that idea and took some shots at the bottom of the hill. I had followed PJW and Jon down the hill and while I was waiting there I heard Mike coaching Kate on her way down the slope. It seems that Kate is a little uncomfortable with the steeper descents and she had not made it down this one before, but today she did a great job and the smile on her face is evidence of that. After a moments rest we continued on down the hill on the Swamp Road and then out to Willis Hill Road. Most of the rest of the descent is a rocky washed out jeep road and it can be a little unforgiving if you go too fast. Kate and Penny were the last ones down the hill but they did great and I got a shot of Kate as she whizzed by me. We rested for a couple of minutes at the bottom of the hill before PJW took off to do her favorite trail: The Big Pine Tree Trail. We all sped along the trail and soon we all were touching the tree for good luck as we passed by. At this point it was getting late so we decided to take the left side trail and head back to the Banked Trial. We rode along at a good pace and when we got to the end we took Parrott's Passage Trail off to the Northfield Road. As we made the right turn to head for the road, Kate fell hard onto the log across the trail and we stopped to make sure she was OK. After Kate got going again she was a little sore so she took it easy on the way out. We took a left onto the power lines and then rode the Telephone Pole Trail back to the tar road. I waited at the end of the trail to watch for cars while the riders crossed the road and then when all were safely across, we headed back to the cars. It was a great day for a ride.

Wednesday 5/22: The Catamount Trip: We had planned a trip up to the trails on Catamount for 6:30 and I was prepared for a large turnout. This is one of our favorite rides, but due to the time it takes to ride up the hill, we do not do it that often. At the shop we had a large group of riders and vehicles, so I asked people to carpool. I loaded the bikes into the van and then along with Laura and Brad I set out for the trailhead in a 8 car caravan. We drove up to Tom's cabin where we parked and began to unload the bikes. Waiting at the start was Kip, Brian Gilbert, and John. Everything went smoothly and the riders were pumped to do this trip. As I finished unloading the van, Homer came over and asked where her bike was. It was not there. In the confusion of getting ready, I forgot to load her bike in the van. She was a trooper about it and said that she would head back to the shop. At that point, PJW said that she too would return to the shop and they would ride over to the Coke Plant. I felt badly about the situation, but I had 15 other riders to lead on the ride, so I thanked Homer and PJW for being so understanding. After they left we all headed out for the ride. I followed the group out of the parking lot and down the hill to the access road, where we began the climb. I rode along at the back of the group and stopped to check on Mark C. who was being helped by Matt S. with a derailleur problem. Mark said that he would be OK, and I then continued on. I rode at the back of the group all the way up to the first turn off, where everyone was waiting. I was not doing all that well on the climb and so I took up the last position when the group took off for the run up to the lake. I managed to keep in contact with the group, I was in no way riding at my usual pace tonight. As I got up to the lake I could see a few riders ahead of me and there were several behind me, so I figured that I would at least be able to keep up. But then Rich Flye stopped a few feet in front of me and I pulled up to see what had happened. It seemed that Rich had snapped his real derailleur and hanger off his bike and was trying to figure out a repair. I told the riders that arrived that I would stay behind and help Rich, and that they should continue. I told them that we would catch up as soon as repairs were made. I took Rich's derailleur off his bike and shortened his chain so that he would have a small gear to do the climbs. Unfortunately Rich and I were unable to fix his bike well enough for him to continue. It seems that when Rich tried to do the climb, his chain would fall off and so he decided to head back to the cars. I decided to try to catch up with the rest of the group, so I headed off up the hill. I rode along for quite a while before I decided that I wasn't going to catch up. I then took a shortcut back over to the snowmobile trail, where I headed back down to the van to await the return of the group. I was met at the van by Tom and Rich (who arrived at the same time as I did). We chatted for quite a while and it was getting pretty dark when the group came screaming down the hill. We waited for all the riders to return before we loaded up the van and after hearing a few tales of the trip we were all glad that the ride went so well and no one got hurt. We then got into our vehicles and headed back home.

Thursday 5/23: Tonight we had a fairly large group for a grey cool evening. The route for tonight was the Bull Hill Ride for most of us and the faster group was going to do the Cave Hill Ride. I led the group out of the parking lot and over to Turners Falls. We all stayed together until we got to the Third Street Hill, where Baby Bell, Joe, Brad and a few others took off. I kept the remaining riders together as we made our way out to RT. 63. As we got to the fish hatchery we came upon Chris Koh, Roger Katz and their riders, who had left ahead of us for the shorter loop. As we passed them Ken Mullen and another rider dropped off into that bunch and we continued on through Montague Center. I rode near the front as we neared the turn onto RT. 47 where we took a left and rode out to RT. 63. After we made the turn onto 63, the tempo picked up a bit and some of the riders pulled away from the main bunch. The group really started to come apart on the second half of the climb when Homer and IP put the hammer down. Homer and IP along with several others opened up a gap and left about half the group several hundred yards behind, so I dropped back to pull everyone back up. Doug Pratt was having a hard time staying with the field, but he told me that he would be fine, so I went to the front of the trailing group and started to pull them back up to the leaders. It took me a while, but I eventually got everyone back together and then we started up the last hill on 63. I set the tempo and the group strung out along the hill for quite a ways. After Curt B. and I made it over the top I slowed the pace so that we could all make the turn onto Bull Hill together. When I had everyone together I made the turn onto Bull Hill and headed for RT. 116. ( I found out later that Doug Pratt got dropped on the last hill and when I checked to see if everyone was accounted for I must have missed him and we made the turn without him.) We headed down the hill to RT. 116 and then we rode a double pace line into Sunderland. I stayed at the front and help pull the group along until we got across the bridge. At that point I slowed the pace and the group made it up to Sugarloaf Street in a pack. We rode through the center of So, Deerfield and then made the turn for home. Brendan and Kyler did a lot of the work as we rode up North Street at a pretty good clip. I kept right near the front and took several pulls. We rode over to Mill Village Road and started down the hill towards Old Deerfield with Brendan and myself at the front of the group. We kept a pretty steady 26 mph pace all the way over to Main Street, where Brendan pulled off to head for his home. I kept the group going at a pretty good clip out to the highway, and after we made it across the road, I again brought the speed up to 23 mph. I kept the pace pretty high and we soon were pedaling up the hill onto Hope Street. The group then split up a bit when we got to High Street, but we all arrived pretty nearly at the same time back at the shop. We ended the night with a little better than 20mph average for the 33 miles. Not too bad for this time of the year. Soon after we arrived, Joe, Brad, Bell, Doug Dale and the rest of the Cave Hill riders pulled in. They had a good ride as well. Everyone was pleased on how well things went. That is until John Strong mentioned that Doug was not back yet. I got a little nervous at this point since it was getting dark and John said that he did not see Doug make the Bull Hill turn. John offered to go out and get Doug so I gave him my cell phone and he set off to fine Doug. John and Doug returned in just a few minutes. It seems that Doug did indeed miss the turn and rode all the way to Amherst and then back to Greenfield, where John picked him up an brought him back to the shop. I was quite relieved that everyone got back OK, another good outing.
 

Thursday, May 23
Distance - 28.86
Average - 20.5
Ending Mileage - 1000.1

Another great showing for a Thursday night ride, on the warmest day we've had for a few weeks. There were two ride options for the night. Roger and a group of about half a dozen went of the first (basically the Turners Falls/Sunderland/Deerfield loop) while by far the larger group went on a slightly longer ride (Turners Falls/rte63/Bull Hill rd/116/Old Deerfield). I told Bob that I was planning on taking it at a slightly more relaxed pace (18-19mph) and started asking around to see who was interested in riding with me. Before long, pretty much everyone signed on for this ride with the exception of about 8 riders who wanted to go out faster and ended up adding Cave Hill onto the route. The main group started out a few minutes after 6:00 with about 20 riders. The group contained a lot of the Thursday 'regulars', Bob, Nancy, Michelle, Rick McCollough(sp?), Carl, Rob and several more that I can never remember the names of. As usual, the first hill after going through Turners came too early, well before I had a chance to warm up properly. Once over the top past the market, we had several easy miles to warm up and enjoy riding in a big group. The first climb came once we turned onto 63. The hills on 63 don't look hard, but they really take it out of me for some reason. Probably because I try to maintain a higher pace than I should at that grade. The group pulled apart quite a bit over each of the rolling climbs, but always came back together down the other side. I would end up towards the front of the group after the downhill's, since I tend to go forward in the group if I don't ride my brakes to keep me back, So I took more than my share of 'front time' on this section of the ride. Soon we were at Bull Hill road and the drop down to 116. As Always, the ride up 116 to Sunderland was wonderful. With a double paceline, it doesn't even feel like you need to pedal more than a few times per minute even at a pace close to 25mph. We all grouped back up when we hit the traffic light in Sunderland. After we crossed the river, I was pleased to see everyone continue on 116 instead of turning up River Road as the cue sheet directed. Old Deerfield heading North is a much easier and faster ride, especially with a big group! In minutes we were dropping into the farmland just South of Old Deerfield. Bob and another rider pulled at the front of our double paceline all the way into Main St., then since we were all rested from the easy section we really blazed through town to where the road once again dumped us onto Rte 5. Route 5 has narrower shoulders, so we rode back into Greenfield in a single paceline. I was feeling so nice and rested once back to the side roads coming into town that I was really able to push quite a bit one the few final climbs back up to Main Street. On the final stretch, I noticed that Rick had caught his 2nd (3rd?) wind and was pulling away from the group. I accelerated onto his wheel for a nice ride back to the shop. Of course, we were passed in the last 1/10 of a mile by someone sprinting from behind. I'm really pleased with how this ride felt. I pushed quite a bit, took several long pulls on the front, and still felt good and rested as soon as we got back to the parking lot.

Monday 5/27: This year the Memorial Day ride was a smaller affair due to the rain that began at 9:00 in the morning.

Monday, May 27
Distance - 52.4
Average - 18.6
Ending Mileage - 1113.0

The weather looked pretty 'iffy' for Bob's Memorial Day ride. Though sunny up here in Putney, by the time I got down to Greenfield the roads were wet and the skies dark and threatening. We ended up heading out on wet roads, but the skies were beginning to clear. The route: Basically a combination of two standard 25 mile rides from the shop. First, the Turners Falls/Montague/Sunderland/Old Deerfield loop, then back over to Turners Falls and North to 142/Pond Road/Hackle Hill and finally 5&10 back to the shop. The group split almost right away on the first hill out of Turners Falls. We lost several riders off the back. The ones continuing on included Bob, Rick Manson, Michelle, Jamie and several others. By the time we got to Montague, the roads were dry and the skies were clearing even more. The pace was good and nobody was really rushing, with the exception of the town and state line sprints. (Bob promised me store credit if I reported that he won them all). Rick flatted just after we crossed Rte. 5 on the way back to Deerfield, but we were back on the road in no time after a quick break. After crossing Rte. 2, I had a problem, as usual, with the climb toward Gill and promptly fell off the back but caught back on by the golf course. The pace slowly climbed as we headed for 142. Just before crossing Rte 10, I had a Gu in anticipation of the Huckle Hill climb several miles ahead. As we rolled down 142, we lost Rick Manson off the back. I was riding back with Michelle and Jamie when I noticed the beginning of a split from the group ahead of us (already about 50 yards by the time I really paid attention). I took advantage of one downhill to jump about halfway across the gap, then took it easy for a mile or so riding solo in the middle. On the next hill, I finished catching up and recovered for a while riding at the back of the group. On Pond Road, we hit a little bit of a headwind. I started taking it easy to save my energy for the climb. Once the hill started, I lost sight of everyone for long periods of time but on the final grade I slowly made time back on a few people ahead (one who had gotten off to walk the final section). I could see Bob and one other ahead and Michelle and Jamie were still in sight climbing up behind me. Over the top, I recovered quickly and caught Bob on the first downhill, but he pulled away again on the final little climb. I spent the rest of the drop to Rte 10 giving chase, and finally caught him just as we hit 10. We rode together through Bernardston with him pulling me along, then I took my turn over the railroad overpass and past the Honda dealership. We took the final climb at a relaxed pace, then had a nice cool down back into Greenfield and the shop. The rain held off just enough. As I was packing up at the shop I felt some sprinkles, then on the drive home passed through several heavy storms.
Thursday, May 30
Distance - 29.96
Average - 19.4
Ending Mileage - 1171.5

Today's ride was almost a washout. Severe thunderstorms in Putney almost made me stay home, but the weather maps online showed no storms in Mass. so I decided to ride down and take a chance. The drive through Brattleboro was almost enough to make me turn around. Lots of close lightning strikes and rain heavy enough to make traffic pull over and stop on the interstate. Once over the state line, things started to calm down and South of Bernardston the roads were dry. At the shop, we had one eye on the sky as we got ready to ride. Some very dark clouds passed over to the North, but nothing that looked imminently threatening was on its way toward us. Bob decided to change the route to a shorter ride that didn't get quite as far away from the shop, and avoided the hills in case we got bad weather. We ended up riding South through Old Deerfield, up over Stillwater hill, down to Whatley, then back via River road. I spent the ride down to Stillwater in the back of the group warming up nice and slowly. Once on the hill, I rolled right up it easily. I was breathing hard, but didn't feel tired at all on the top. I rode with Michelle and Nancy for a few minutes, then pushed on the try to catch the faster riders ahead. I caught them just as they were turning off to take a longer route. At this time, a large group of riders also caught us from behind. The roll down to Whately was nice, with a few rolling hills I pushed over with little effort. Soon we were on the flat ride back to 116 and River road. On River road, things remained fairly fast. After a few miles, the group started to split, with 4 riders slowly pulling away off the front. We probably could have kept it together longer, but one rider in the middle didn't push to stay on the wheel of the group ahead so the split widened until it was too big for one rider to bridge alone. On the first climb, things stretched out quite a bit. Once over the top I pushed a bit to catch Jamie and Bob who had gained about 50 yards on me. I gained a little on the first descent, then caught them on the second downhill. The three of us pushed hard until we caught the final two riders ahead of us a mile or so short of the final climb. This is right about where the rain started. Within a mile or so, we were soaked to the skin. The choice was to ride in someone's slipstream and get soaked while getting an easier ride, or stay a bit drier but have to work harder. At least it was a warm rain! Jamie and I dropped off the back a bit on the final climb, but soon caught back up on the flat that followed. After that it was pretty much over. Soon we were on the final back roads to the shop and a warm dry change of clothes. My last three rides now have been on wet roads or in rain. My bike is a mess. I really need to take it apart and clean it one of these days!