May 2004 Ride Report Page    
Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month May 2004 more or less as they happened. I will publish any ride reports or digital photo's that I receive.  Please send them to  bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web! There are several links on the homepage that will give you information about ride schedules and how the rides are run.

Saturday 5/1: I knew that this was going to be a difficult race. I was racing in the 1/2/3 field (because this race just wasn't hard enough already!) since that was the only option for cat 3s. So, looking at the prereg list, I saw that Sue Palmer Komar from Genesis Scuba was racing (she finished 2nd in Pomona and top 5 at Redlands) and there were several women who race for the Canadian National Team. There were some other big guns there as well. I was hoping to not be humiliated. :) The race was 2 laps of a 30 km loop. I stayed with the big kids for the entire first lap and even came up over the hill in the front half but I got dropped on the descent! Big bummer. I pedaled too much and didn't tuck enough. I needed to be closer to the front going into the climb so that I wouldn't have to weave in and out of people and to have better position going down. Alas, it was a good learning experience. I found myself alone chasing the main group as we rounded the corner. There was another group forming behind me, but they wouldn't catch me for another 20 minutes. I was moving right along, feeling pretty good actually, but the main field had turned on the gas and was gone. A group of ten eventually caught me and I hopped on for a bit of a rest and then we caught another group of 5 or 6 on the back side. We rode in together and on the hill I put out what I had left and was 2nd in our group to cross the line. I got whooped in the end. I think I finished 42nd out of 60? Anyway, it was a good learning experience. The 1/2/3 races are very different than the cat 4 races. The cat 4 races are races of attrition. Basically people just ride and those that can't keep up drop off and whoever has the most gas left at the end wins. There's not a whole lot of strategy involved. The 1/2/3 races are way more tactical.

It's cool. I like that, but I have much to learn. :) It's all good. It hasn't killed me yet, so it must be making me stronger. Next week is Sterling. Submitted by Michelle

Sunday 5/1 Early morning (5:40am) at Bachelor Street: With a warm sun just beginning to lighten the sky and an eager Mark C. waiting and raring to go, looks like this is going to be a great ride, but looks can be deceiving. As I get out of the car and prepare to ride I can't shake the feeling that I'm not up to riding today. My legs aren't sore and my lungs feels good but for some reason I'm feeling less than enthusiastic. Truth is I'm dog tired mentally (the fifth straight early morning exertion) and now I'm spent for the weekend, perhaps I'm going to hard... Anyway, no time to whine so I hike up my skirt and hit the trails. We ride up rollercoaster to "warm-up". When Chris Koh and I first figured out this trail system we always went this way, but I haven't ridden it in a year-it's a nice undulating climb with a series of fairly steep roller coaster dips...in the uphill direction they're more work than fun. I wanted to hit Jacob's Ladder (one of the widow maker trails) fresh...good idea, though my technique was awful I had enough early morning juice to muscle my way through it. After Jacob's Ladder it was all down hill (metaphorically!). We dropped down T-Rex were I banged into some roots and fell. Then we descended the IMBA access trail, rode back to the parking lot and up far east. Far east is a fairly challenging single track, but nothing to fancy, but I could barely keep my wheels upright. I just kept banging every root and rock with lackluster clumsiness...I couldn't focus or lock into the ride, Mark said he was experiencing a similar funk. We then opted to climb Missing Persons, a kick ass rocky technical thrill ride. By the end I was fatigued, discouraged and humbled. I waited for Mark at the trail head and when he arrived I told him I was only going up top twister and heading out to my car and leaving (I was really worried about getting hurt). I mean, instead of the usual rush I'd feel as I approached an obstacle or climb I was getting stabs of hesitancy and dread. Mark said he was on a time limit and didn't mind the early exit (though he still had a lot more gas in the tank). We descended Twister, which no matter how I'm feeling always lifts my spirits. Back at the car, I was thankful to have not gotten hurt. It was almost 8:00 and the crowds had not yet arrived. So, should I have taken a day off, made time for rest and recovery to enjoy better rides another day. Hell NO! I've got my eighties to take all the naps I want. Every ride teaches you something, even less than perfect ones, and learning to push through and focus when it's hard is good discipline in and out of biking. I'm just sorry I didn't get to ride on Sunday and Monday. Submitted by Liam

Sunday 5/2: I had scheduled a ride for 9:00 and not knowing who or how many people would show up and with the weather not all that predictable I waited to pick a route until today. It was warm and cloudy with a mist falling when I got to the shop. There were no cars in the lot and I then thought that everyone was going to stay at home, but as soon as I parked the van, people started to arrive. I had the usual last minute things to attend to and as I was getting ready to go we had quite a few people arrive. ME was riding with the Leisure Group while I was going to ride with the intermediates. Riding with us today was Chris Koh, Brenda Mangles, Rick McCullough, Tom Martyn, Ron Johnson, MB, IP, Michelle, David C., Jamie, Parrot and Nice Kate, Wendy King, Wayne Holden and Curt. I decided to try the Cave Hill 32 mile loop, in reverse of the usual course and then I added the option of going up to Wendell for those who wanted a little more distance. I led the riders down to the Deerfield town line and then Parrott sprinted to the line, which left him to lead us down to Old Deerfield. I stayed off the front as much as possible and took only short pulls. I was not feeling like doing a long hard ride as I knew that I was going to have a lot of work to do after the ride. I stayed with the group as we made our way through South Deerfield and out onto RT. 116 where Parrott and MB sprinted for the Sunderland town line. MB got that one! We rode through the center of town and then headed for Bull Hill with Jamie and myself doing the tow work. After the climb we rode over to Depot Street in Leverett and I demonstrated how well the Kestrel does in crash avoidance. I misjudged the corner and ended up in the left hand lane with a car coming right at me. I calmly went straight across the road and into the field and then back onto the road behind the car. No Problemo!! After that my heartrate was plenty high and I rode up the hill at the front of the group. After the hill I went to the back of the pack where I pretty much stayed all the way to Cave Hill. I started up the hill at the front of the group but I was nearly dead last at the top. I was tired and I did not have much gas left. I rode back into the group (they waited for me) and we headed down the hill to North Leverett Road. At the bottom of the hill the group made the mistake of asking directions. I told them to take a left and we all headed down the hill to Montague, avoiding another long climb. (Curt and his group were not so fortunate.) We rode through Montague and down Greenfield Road past the stink factory. We crossed the General Pierce Bridge and then headed up Mountain Road past Poet's Seat. I struggled on the climb and finished last over the top. I glided down the hill and then I rode easy back to the shop. It was a good ride and I was glad to be back.

Sunday, May 2nd
Distance - 42.94
Average - 15.5
Ending Mileage - 985.0

My legs were still feeling stiff and a bit sore this morning from yesterday's ride. I was hoping that they would feel better as soon as I warmed up, but it wasn't to be. Even on the flat warm-up South to Deerfield, I could feel that it was taking a significant amount of effort to stay with the group. I knew that I was going to get dropped as soon as we hit the first climb. The good news was that there was another group of riders behind us, so I would have someone to finish the ride with.

As we climbed up at the end of Mill Village Rd. to the intersection with Lee road, I let the group pull away. (I didn't have much choice in the matter. I told my legs to 'go', but they refused to comply.) I was feeling a bit too warm with my jacket on, so I pulled over to take it off. By the time I had it stuffed into the back of my shirt, a group of 4 riders was rolling up to me from behind. I joined Kate, Chris, Brenda and Rick M. for the rest of the ride.

It was hard for me to judge what kind of a pace to set with the group. I've never been good at setting the pace for a group with a mix of riders of different abilities. Brenda was fairly new to these rides, but did great hanging on. Every time I looked back she was right there, where a lot of people might have crashed and burned after some of the climbs we did.

We stopped to regroup at the top of Cave Hill. I mentioned that Bob's group was planning on turning Right toward Wendell when we hit the bottom of the descent (which is what I understood at the time, it later turned out that they turned Left for a shorter ride). Chris and I stated that we were up for the longer ride, but anyone who wasn't up for it could take a fairly flat ride back through Montague. Everyone decided to go for the Wendell option. The long slow climb up to Wendell center passed quickly. Chris stopped for water at the market at the top of the climb. Kate took that opportunity to use Brenda's phone to call the shop, just in case John was already looking for us. That is when we learned that that group was already back at the shop, and we still had 15 miles to go!

Brenda's legs had about reached their limits, so she was glad to hear that we were at the top of the climb and had some nice long descents coming up. I warned her about the one last sharp climb after turning toward Millers Falls, but forgot that there were also some gently climbs that broke up the descent. So I don't thing she'll ever trust me again after I made her the promise that it was 'all downhill from here' to Millers Falls.

Kate left us at the bottom of the hill to ride directly home while Chris, Rick, Brenda and I continued into Turners Falls then over the ridge to Greenfield. Not too long after we got packed up and headed home, the rain started. So at least for this week, doing the ride at 9:00 made the difference between getting a ride in and getting rained out.

Once again, my legs were sore after the ride. I don't understand this, since I've ridded MUCH harder and further without any soreness at all. Even now as I write this two days later I can still feel the soreness. All I can hope is that it won't effect my ride tonight.

Sunday, May 2, 2004.  13^th Annual Meadow Muffin Madness.  Quaker Hill, CT.  As usual, Jack and I met at Batchelor Street very early this morning for our now-traditional ride down into CT for the next race in the CT Point Series.  We had heard last week that the Meadow Muffin Madness (MMM) race course was not-so-great (meaning that it was a little too hard and not much fun), but we didn’t really know what to expect first-hand.  So, when we finally arrived after about 1.5 hours, we were pretty much game.  The morning was looking bad weather-wise:  on the way through CT, we hit several patches of steady rain and the skies were very overcast.  We arrived at the Waterford Country School and drove down a hill into the side of the “meadow” where we had to park in knee-deep grass.  I could picture ticks crawling all over me, but tried to put it out of my mind! 

We went up to register, and I saw a girl from the Hopbrook Race (she was way behind me and crashed hard and never finished).  By the time we all got into the full swing of things and got dressed, there were a lot of riders beginning to accumulate.  I opted for shorts and a short sleeve jersey as it was getting pretty muggy out, and the temperature was going up.  I must have had a memorable race last week, because a guy rolled by me and asked me if I got my chain all fixed up.  I nodded but told him about my broken fork, and he looked pretty surprised.  Surely, he said, you won’t have anything else happen to you…WRONG!  Anyways, we all lined up for the race and there were the usual familiar faces in the Beginner group with two more girls in the 0-18 to give Emily a run for her money.  We all took off from the start and had to round the field, which was soft and rutted, with tall grass.  I lined up to the inside of the first corner since I knew that it could get ugly as we all sprinted off the start.  Sure enough, my plan worked, and I cut off another girl but was second going out of the grassy field and onto the double track road.  From here, we looped around near the start line and climbed up to begin the single track.   

This race course had at least a half dozen, nearly impassable rock gardens that made last week’s race look like tiny pebbles strewn across a path.  Quickly, I learned that there was only ONE clean line out of them, and if I didn’t find the line, I was walking it, lest I completely bust up the bike.  Then, after a few of these rock gardens, we came to 3 or 4 extremely steep hills that (surprise, surprise) were composed of huge rocks.  Impassable.  Because these hills were right after substantially sized mud pits, there was no way to maintain momentum.  I seriously doubt that even the pros could make it up all the hills.  I (and the rest of my group) did a lot of walking.  Only one girl, Jennifer, was making some of the rock gardens look easy.  Turns out this was her home course, so she knew all the secrets.  Jennifer, Emily, and I all traded off for first place, and we were nearing the end of the first lap.  A few times I had been bounced off the bike, not real dingers, but enough to get a little rattled.  At one point, I banged into a rock and looked down to see some blood on my knee and lower arm.  We approached the final downhill and I hung to the left, which was a mistake.  I went over two stacked logs with a complete drop-off after them and my front wheel went down crooked.  And then, although I don’t clearly recall what happened, I bailed off the side of the bike and was on the ground.  I got back up right away and realized nothing hurt, so grabbed my bike and kept going.  Of course, this happened in front of a half dozen people!   

Once I got through the start gate (and was definitely in 3^rd place), I realized something was very wrong.  My rear tire was flat!  It could’ve happened on one of the rocks or when I dumped off the bike, but it didn’t really matter at that point…I was almost in disbelief of my continued string of bad luck!  I pulled off to the side in the field and was determined to change that sucker!  So, I ripped off my gloves, got the new tube in, and got the tire back on.  A lot of people offered their sympathy as they rolled by and one of my race-mates actually stopped to help me, which was really nice (although I insisted that she keep going).  But, I had a problem…I couldn’t get my pump to work, and once I conceded defeat and began to walk back to the start line, I noticed that my back wheel wasn’t rolling freely.  So, even if it did get pumped up, it was unrideable anyways.  I carried my bike back, and Emily’s parents were waiting at the finish line for her.  They saw me and let out one of those “Oh no’s” that only a parent could do.  That just about sent me into tears if I’m being perfectly honest, because I was very frustrated about having to DNF and about having another mechanical.  Turns out that my rear brake pads were crooked and not allowing the wheel to turn.  Emily won the race ahead of the first 19-34 woman, and there were two other flats besides mine in our group.  (So I didn’t feel AS bad). 

Tuesday, May 4th Distance - 27.91 Average - 19.9
The entire group of about 15 riders left the shop together on today's ride, but it didn't take too long for things to start to split up. The climb up Third ST.. did most of the damage. We lost several riders off the back, while Jeff and Baby Bell pulled away off the front of the group. We formed a group from the remaining riders and headed toward Millers Falls. At this point, Bell and Jeff were just hanging out only 100-150 yards or so ahead. I was very tempted to jump the gap but I knew that if I did I would be in for a much harder ride so decided to stay where I was.

We set up a double paceline for a while on the wide shoulders, then Bob showed us a short cutoff that saved us from having to drop down to 63 before climbing back out of town. 63 South was a bone-jarring ride as usual, with lots of badly patched pavement, cracks, potholes, narrow shoulders, broken glass and just about every other obstacle that makes Spring biking so fun (and keeps Bob busy truing wheels and selling tires). The riders toward the front took good long pulls, so most people got to rest at the back of the group until we got to the Rte. 47 intersection.

The remaining group split here. Five of us (Jamie, John G., Mooseboy, Wayne and I) pushed a bit harder up the hill, while Bob dropped back to set a slightly easier pace with the remaining riders. John tried to take MB at the first town line on 47, but MB shut him down. I challenged Mooseboy for the sprint in Sunderland, but he came by me to take it before we turned up River Rd. We made short work of the rolling hills back to Greenfield before hitting one last sprint at the Cheapside bridges (again, MB took it at the line). Mooseboy's dominance on these sprints MUST be challenged. I'll get to work on a 'secret strategy'.

Jamie doesn't get the concept of 'cooling down' at the end of a ride, so while everyone else started spinning back to the shop, he slowly ramped his speed up until he was rolling along at 23MPH. I couldn't let him just roll in alone, so I glued myself to his wheel and got a free ride back to the shop.

Tuesday 5/4: I was much cooler today than yesterday and when 6:00 arrived it was barely 50 degrees with a strong north wind. I picked a fairly flat 30 mile loop for the 15 riders that showed up at the shop for the ride. Before the ride left several riders came in to inspect the new jerseys that arrived today with some of them donning the newest shop jersey. I wore my new long sleeve jersey as it was pretty chilly. It was rather hectic as usual and I barely got out the door before I had to do a couple of last minute repairs to some of the bikes. After everyone was ready I led the riders out of the shop and over to Turners Falls. The group stayed pretty much together until the Third Street Hill which shelled Mike Sztegala, Chris Dodson, Sarah Weis, and Tom Ballard. That group rode together while the rest of us headed for Millers Falls. MB led us over to the airport where Stephanie C., and I took over. Steph and I led the double line to the turn onto Lyman Street. When we made the turn onto RT. 63 we formed a fairly long single line of 11 riders. As we neared Montague Center Jim H, said that he wasn't feeling well and he would be dropping off and heading for home. After Jim left I noticed that a large gap had formed between the three riders that were with me (Stephanie, Jorge, and Chris Koh) and the group ahead. I went to the front to try to pull the riders up but the gap was too much for them to close so I decided to keep the three of them with me and let the rest of the bunch go on ahead. My group kept a fairly respectable pace all the way from the turn onto RT. 47 into Sunderland. Chris Koh sprinted past me for the town line and "Orange Boy" was quite pleased with himself for catching me off guard. After everyone was back together I made OB take the lead and pull the group for a while. As we got near Falls Road, I took over the lead and pulled the group all the way to RT. 116. As I made the right turn onto 116, OB came flying past me once again and he took the town line into Deerfield. (Something he would later regret.) Once across the bridge we regrouped and headed for South Deerfield. I led the troops past Amish Man's house where we let out our usual vocal salute to him, and then we headed for North Main Street. As we rode past Frontier High School, a rider came out of the driveway and joined us for the ride. It was Curt Harris who rode with our group several years ago, as a teenager. He also raced BMX with Jorge's son, but Curt somehow did not recognize the grizzled old pedal pusher, and did not say hi to him. This led to a comment from Jorge about Curt not saying "Hi" to him. I pointed out that Curt only said "Hi" to the lead rider and that maybe next time he should be doing the pulling and maybe he would then get recognized. That comment and the fact that we were heading into a stiff wind quieted Jorge down and the group flew down Mill Village Road. Curt turned off at Lee Road to head home, and I took the lead and pulled the riders through Old Deerfield and back out onto RT. 5&10. Once out on 5&10 I picked the pace up a bit and we rode up to the town line in Greenfield. As we neared the Cheapside Bridge I picked the pace up a little more and waited until OB started to sprint. As he pulled near I increased the speed and held him off by a half a wheel. OB was mad that he missed that one but I was not going to be caught napping again tonight. Our group rode up Hope Street to Main Street and then we headed back to the shop on High Street. I had Stephanie in front of me and OB on my wheel as we neared the Farmers Exchange. I slowly increased the speed up to 31 mph and led the group back to the shop. OB was not going to get by me again! We finished the ride with a 19.5 mph average and I think that everyone had a great ride.

Wednesday 5/5: No-Bob, it's a catchy biking Mag bullshit phrase to hype up modern suspension designs. Product gurus argue nothing's better than no-bob riding, nothings more efficient. Well, sometimes the no-Bob ride can be very inefficient, too. For instance, early Friday morning I met Mark C. at the parking field area off Keet's RD in old Deerfield-near Woolman Hill (btw there is a no trespassing sign there now, I hope they mean the high school drinkers and not us bikers!). The Deerfield Ridge, always one of my very favorite night rides. Mark and I eagerly unpacked our vans and set off up the rd to the Crystal cave Trail. But then it dawned on us, where the hell are we going? When you have the time, poking around and getting a little lost is ok, but these pre-work rides need to be the model of well-planned biking efficiency. We always road these trails with Bob at night, and many of the corners/trails look alike and are unmarked or named. No-bob meant a lot of trial and error in or pursuit of a fulfilling Deerfield loop. Well, we knew the beginning, up the rocky rooted and fairly steep Crystal Cave Trail (What the hell is crystal cave you ask? Good question, 'cause I've never seen it, but with Bob's guidance I've trudged my Connor up on this trail Three times with flash light in hand and have found no sign of this elusive Cave of Crystalline wonder. Though I have found the many totems and lean-to's of the local pagan-witch cult who have a big retreat at Woolman hill every summer. Yeah, it's a little creepy but that aside, I still have as of yet to find the Crystal Cave...can anyone help????) Anyway Mark and I plodded along basically taking wrong turns at every intersection, but managing to retrace or steps and continue on our Merry way. We eventually made it onto the over the river and thru the woods trail ·by the gravel road) which we hauled up to the ski area at Eaglebrook. Here Mark was inclined to turn back (in respect to the time constraints) but I managed to convince him that not making the climb all the way to the Cellular phone Towers would be a big mistake. he grudgingly agreed, but while taking in the view from the top he acknowledged that pushing through to the big climbs is the whole kit n caboodle of Mountain biking (no he didn't actually say kit n caboodle, he said something like F**king Awesome, I'm glad I did the climb). Anyway, we decided to head back down along the singletrack running off the ski area that parallels the fire road and from there we hopped on a really fantastic, though short newer single track trail that connects two of the other double track roads (see, evidence of No-bob I can't even accurately explain where we were!). Eventually we found the Blue trail and followed it back over and down crystal Cave (so-called) and then took the road back to our cars. Great ride, tons of climbing but if we had the trail wizard with us (Bob that is) we could have gone further and faster in the same amount of time. My advice to all you night riders...listen to Bob, remember the names of the trails (not just red rock), remember the routes and look for landmarks.

Liam Rise and Shine, Peoples

Wednesday 5/5: Greetings, Brethren,
Hey is that my rooster crowing? No it's only 4:40 and he's still sleeping. But not me, I get up, get dressed, step over my boy Connor who's sleeping on my floor while his room is getting painted. Cup of coffee and I'm out the door at 4:55 and at Bob's Shop at 5:10 were Harold and Mark are waiting. Well lets get rolling...dang, it's a cold morning. Usually, I'm the lightly dressed dude, but today I was feeling a little sissyish about the chills so I'm sporting the tights (yeah, you know you want it-but you can't have it 'cause it's too hot to handle, whoa!). The brief road ride over to the trail head to Poet's Seat only serves to further frost my fire, but the climb is immediately steep and protracted so I  warm up fairly quickly. We pushed up to the tower in good order and dropped down the white trail. I was feeling a little skittish but found my groove (how Liam got his groove back-I kicked Stella's ass and took hers.) by the bottom of the white trail. Again we were all feeling fine so we quickly trucked across the street and began plugging up the blue trail...ah, I love this trail and at 5:40am it'll either set you up for the rest of the day feeling sharp or it'll chew you up and wreck your day...I'm having a good day. We regrouped and dropped down to bears den road then down the white trail, up the power lines (not too much mud) up and over Joe's Hill (no, nobody made the climb) and then looped back down Bear's Den Rd, to the second left, up to the red trail and out the road. Here Harold left us and took the streets back to the shop. Mark and I lighted out down the white trail on the Poet's Seat side, this may be the best stretch of singletrack in the area, it's fast, on a cliff edge, twisty, some technical short ups, just great. Near the end of the trail I saw a lady walking her two (*UNLEASHED*) dogs. I didn't want to spook her (but since her back was to me I knew it was inevitable. I squealed my breaks, coughed loudly and came to a complete stop about 10 yards behind her but she had made no indication she knew I was there so I decided to speak, in my friendliest, non psycho murderer voice I said. "How are you, mind if I pass thru" She jumped like I'd stuck a hot poker in her dated panties. "Sorry, do you mind if you pass through". Well. she was pissed and after grousing went on about how her dogs don't like bicycles. (Editors note: This woman has been up there running her dogs for many years and she is unlikely to change. I would also note that she has end stage cancer which is probably the reason she drifts off and doesn't pay attention. Try to ignore her as best as you can.) So after she rounded up the mutts I pushed on wishing her a good morning and warning her that Mark was right behind me (he had a repeat experience. Now what cheeses me is that she was the only one breaking the law (bikes are allowed, but dogs required to be on a leash..and you know she wasn't picking up their trail muffins. Not that I care, I'm willing to share the trail with lawbreakers, even show deference to them in the name of good karma and good manners. But people like this lady are the ones who want the woods to themselves, think they are entitled to everything but give back nothing (when has she done trail work...spreading dog manure doesn't count). I didn't say anything to her of course, I was on a ride (what with my groove back and all) but I was still annoyed. Oh well, what can you do. All in all, it was a good ride and drier than I expected. Rise and shine Peoples! The Amish will be riding again on Friday morning. Check with me for the details. Liam

Thursday, May 6th
Distance - 41
Average - 21.9
Ending Mileage - x
Bicycles Unlimited - Mt Warner

This was quite a long loop to do in early May. I was wondering if we would have enough time to make it back before dark. It is also a fairly flat ride, so we should be able to maintain a high speed as long as nothing happened.

I brought my radios to the ride and gave one to Jamie. Michelle had hers and gave one to Jeff. They were fun to use on the ride, but it made me realize just how little breath I had left over for talking when rolling along at 25MPH.

Bob sent us off with the warning that anyone going for the long ride shouldn't waste any time. I knew that the Plumtree road loop was several miles shorter, so it would be easy enough to opt for a shorter ride if we got that far and were worried about finishing in time. I almost dropped off the back at the beginning of River Road, but the group came back together once we got to the top of the short hill. After that, the pace never let up. Of course, it was a bit of a struggle to stay with everyone on the two climbs in the middle of River road, but after that bit of effort I knew we were home free until Mt. Warner.

Michelle dropped off 4 miles short of 116 so she could save her energy for the races this weekend. Even as we waited for a chance to get across 116, I could still talk to her. I think the radios will be a lot of fun once I get used to them a bit more.

The group set up a fast paceline South of Sunderland on 47. You could tell when the stronger riders went to the front, since the pace would bump up another 2-3MPH. I was happy as long as I could hide myself somewhere in the back of the group.

When we got to Plumtree road, I was hoping that a few riders would take the turn, but only Jeff and I expressed any interest in turning. We both gave in to peer pressure and continued South.

I was a bit worried about Mt. Warner with this group. As it turns out, though things got strung out quite a bit I made it to the top in the middle of the group. After this climb, we had nice flat roads for the next 10 or more miles. As I took one of my pulls on 116 by "Bub's", I was motivated to ride even harder as Jamie started serenading me on the radio. No matter how hard I pushed, though, I couldn't outride the 5 mile range of the radios.

I was feeling toasted as we reached the top of Falls Road, but the entire group was starting to slow so I managed to hang on. Either way back from Montague involved a climb at the end, but I prefer the Poet's Seat route even if the climb is tougher. We raced down Hatchery road as the light began to fail us and before I knew it we were at the base of the final climb. I managed to stick to Tom Martyn's wheel for 1/3 of the climb, but no matter what I did I could keep him from inching away. Soon his group pulled away but Jamie, I and one other rider finished the climb together not too far behind.

We rolled into the shop just as the last of the light faded.

Thursday 5/6: It was a very warm day today with a pretty good wind blowing from the south for most of the afternoon. It was pretty busy at the shop so I did not have a lot of time to get ready when the riders started to arrive. We had a few people in buying the new shop jerseys and while that was going on I got my gear together and inflated my tires. There were 31 riders for the trip tonight and I decided to have two routes for the Intermediate/Expert riders. The route for Jeff, Baby Bell, MB and their group would be the 40 mile MT. Warner ride; while I was going to take QN, IP, OB and that group on a 35 mile loop to Plumtree Road. Parrott called as I was getting ready and said that he was going to be late as usual so we waited for him and Nice Kate to arrive. We left the shop at 6:15 and I led all the riders down to River Road in Deerfield. At this point I mentioned to Jeff that he should get a group going if they were going to try to ride the route before dark. Jeff and Baby Bell took off and headed down river road with about 12 other riders. I stayed back with IP, QN, Ranger Rick, Andy Rome, and a few other riders to ride the 34 mile Plumtree Road loop. I organized the group into a line behind me and started to ride toward RT. 116. As we rode along we caught Mark Newton, Wayne Holden and Michelle before the bridge and we now had a group of 12 that headed across the Sunderland Bridge. There was a sprint for the town line that was taken by Michelle over OB and Mark Newton. After the sprint we headed for RT. 47 and got back into a long pace line. We all took turns at the front and we pedaled along toward Plumtree Road at 19 mph. Andy was at the front of the group when we made the turn and I quickly took over on the hill to pace the group over to RT. 116. I thought that we had everyone accounted for but somehow Andy got dropped off and he rode on behind us. We made the turn onto RT. 116 and I got the double pace line going for a while. We caught Mike Davis near Bull Hill and he was absorbed OB and were at the front when we headed over to Silver Lane. After the turn we sat up to get organized again and it was at this point that Ranger Rick came along to tell me that Andy had gotten dropped. He offered to go get him and I gave him directions before heading off at the helm of the peloton. I gave a lively commentary as the group breezed along on our way towards Falls Road. After the turn onto Falls Road we formed a double pace line with nearly everyone getting a turn on the front. We had a few close moments when Chris D., got to the front and then made a sharp turn while braking. He nearly collided with IP, but luckily she was able to get out of his way before anything happened.  I took over the lead as we neared the town line in Montague and I pushed the pace for as long as I could just to make sure that OB did not get a chance to steal another town line from me. When the sprint went I pushed as hard as I could but could not hold off Mark and Michelle who flew past me near the line. It took me a few feet to recover but soon I was back on the front of group with Mark. We took Ferry Road up the hill to Turners Falls Road to head back to the shop. After a brief rest at the back I found myself following IP at the front. After she pulled off I took the lead and pulled the bunch all the way to the cemetery hill where I drifted to the back. I rode with the front of the bunch through Turners Falls and followed IP as she hammered up Esleeck Hill and back to the shop. We rode past Erik Becker so he could take some photo's of the group, and then we turned around to ride back to the parking lot. We ended the ride with a 19.5 mph average and this was a PB for a few riders. It was a nice ride with a great group of riders!

Friday, May 7, 2004.  Mt. Toby.  Last night, Jack called me to see if I would be up for a ride on Friday, and I agreed.  This only makes my third day of riding this week, so I definitely had a lot of juice left.  On Tuesday, I did a 27-mile road ride with Bob, Chris Koh, and Jorge (reference Bob’s post), and Thursday I completed a much shorter 12-mile loop around South Hadley and Granby by myself.  It wasn’t the best ride, but the last time I did this loop I was on my mountain bike and it took me an hour.  Today, I managed to shave off about 20 minutes on my road bike.  Anyways, back to Toby.  Jack and I talked Friday afternoon and settled on Toby for our ride.  I’ve never ridden Toby before, but have heard stories about how good (but grueling) of a ride it is.  Aside from getting my landmarks mixed up (for future reference, there is more than one large horse farm with a right hand turn near it), I made it to the parking lot around 3. 

We quickly suited up and then we were off, pedaling easily up the gradual grade.  Very soon, we came to the first very large, steep hill, and my legs were screaming and burning with the lactic acid built up from the last two rides.  Nevertheless, I pushed up the hill, and we kept going up and up and up.  We passed the Telephone Pole Trail (I think EVERY ride we frequent has one of these…just like Red Rock), and decided that we’d conquer that on the way back.  I kept going, fearing hike-a-bike because when I’m off the bike, my legs feel like lead.  Up we went, and I was enjoying the great scenery…cascading brooks, gurgling and swirling, with emerald-green mossy covered rocks.  It was very beautiful.  At one point, I stopped because I was feeling a little dizzy…the warmth of today was not what we’ve been used to recently and the continual effort was a lot.  Within a minute or two, I got my breathing under control and kept going (I’ll spare you the…”and we climbed some more…).  We finally arrived at the top and got our handsome reward…the view!  We climbed up the tower and picked out our favorite riding spots…Batchelor St. to the south, the Deerfield Ridge to the west, Greenfield to the north.  The breeze felt like air conditioning and we soaked it up.  

Very soon, it was time to roll along, and so we descended down the Robert Frost Trail, which was a super-fun downhill and a welcomed chance to rest the muscles.  We turned right onto Upper Link trail, a fun little connector, until we hit the main jeep trail again.  We flew down, wet grit and mud everywhere, black flies in our eyes, feeling like we were flying (now I know why those down hillers love this stuff).  Of course, it was all over too soon, and we were facing our next climb…the Telephone Pole Trail.  We dabbed our way up here, walking a lot and swatting those nasty flies.  It is amazing how they sense your breath and are on you in seconds.  On the next section, we ripped along the trails, enjoying the singletrack.  Before we knew it, we were back at the parking lot, smiling and grinning from ear to ear.  What a great ride…tough, but rewarding…one of those that you grimace while you’re doing it, but when you’re done, you can’t imagine missing it for the world.  (Submitted by Steph)

Sunday, May 16th Average - 18.5

Bob is trying different times for the Sunday rides to find out what works best for most riders. Today's ride was scheduled for 5:00. Only Jamie, Bob, John Gustin and Ken were there for the ride, even though the weather was just about perfect.

I was having second thoughts about the ride, since I've had a problem with vertigo for the past few days (due to swelling in my inner ear). Bob almost backed out of the ride since he was fighting off some kind of bug. But when it turned out that the only riders to show up were up for a fairly mellow ride, Bob cut the route from the advertised 40 miles down to a 21 mile ride, just enough to get our legs working a bit. We did a small loop over Country Club rd, Barton rd, Rte 10 then back to the shop on Gill rd.

I had taken some drugs for the vertigo, but still had a strange feeling if I moved my head too quickly. I think in the future I'll avoid riding at all until I'm completely over it (this happens to me a few times a year and usually takes 2-3 days to go away). It is kind of scary to be riding along and all of a sudden have the world spin around on me!

We kept the ride laid back. John went out for a few town line sprints, but the rest of us were happy to roll along at an easy pace. We got back to the shop just about as I would normally be starting to feel warmed up and ready to ride, but I'm glad that the ride wasn't longer.

Sunday 5/16: The shop was open today and I was pretty busy for most of the afternoon. When 5:00 arrived I was not looking for too hard of a ride because I was coming down with a cold and I still am tired from a long week. It was somewhat fortuitous that Jamie, Curt, John Gustin and Ken were also wanting a mellow ride because that is all I had in me today. I led the group from the shop over to the stoplights at Silver and Federal Streets. These lights must have had a charm on the boys, because I crossed on the yellow and they sat frozen in fear until the light turned green. I rode on alone until the hill on Leyden Road where I slowed just about to a crawl and they caught up to me. We all rode from there to Bernardston where John took the town line sprint from me. At this point I let John take the lead for a short way, but soon I found myself at the front again. I pulled the group over to RT. 10 where Jamie took a pull from the golf course to the bridge. I led the boys down the hill to Main Road where Curt took over. The group strung out on the hills and Jamie, Curt and I road down to the Route 2 crossing together. While we waited at the stop light, John and Ken caught back on and we all rode back to the shop together. We finished the 21 miles at an 18.5 mph pace, which was plenty for me.

Monday 5/17: Another beautiful day here in paradise and the shop was really hopping again. I have a sore throat and I am really tired but the show must go on. I got up today at 5:00 to deliver some bikes to a customer in Plainfield and then I drove back to the shop for 9:00. After the last customer of the day had left the shop I went out to the parking lot to find a group of 10 riders waiting to head out for our beginners ride. Tonight we had Puddle Duck, Brandy, Paul B., Elizabeth O., Carol H., Bad Bob, Kelli, Joan P., Paul Teeling, Allison W., Kip, Stone and Sue Dresser. We left the shop and rode over to Silver Street on the sidewalk. After we crossed the street at Bad Bob's house we headed down Silver Street in a long single file line. The group stayed pretty much together for most of the way to Country Club Road but as soon as we made the turn onto Country Club Road the group got strung out pretty quickly. I rode from the front to the back of the group to give a hand with any issues that the riders had on the hill by the Country Club. Bad Bob was helping out by being the sweep for the ride and he gave a few tips to the riders near the back of the group. As we rode along I got into a sprint to Barton Road with Kip and Stone who were riding on a tandem. Stone did his best to keep me at bay and that team beat me to the line by just a whisker. After a brief rest we then headed out to finish the loop. I waited at the bottom of Barton Hill to make sure that the newer riders made the left turn onto Leyden Road. I then followed the group over to Wright's hill where I help coach a few of the riders on climbing techniques. As we were climbing the hill, Kelli had a problem with here front derailleur and we stopped by Leyden Woods to make a quick repair. After the adjustment I hopped back on my bike and headed for Silver Street. I caught up with Allison and I coached her up the Silver Street hill. After the hill, Allison and I rode together down Silver Street. As we neared the traffic light I said to Allison "we can make the light if we sprint". She was somewhat skeptical but she gamely gave it a try and sure enough we breezed though the light on the green. Allison was pretty tired after that and we took it easy on the short trip back to the shop. When we got back to the shop, I gave a little clinic on how to get a drink from your water bottle while riding a straight line. Everyone seemed to have a good time and we all left for home as the sun was setting.

Tuesday May 18th. Walla Walla to Dayton, WA 35 miles.
    We did a short day because Jim's girlfriend is arriving tonight from Portland and he didn't want her to have to drive any farther than necessary. The day started out drizzling, but by the time we hit the roads they were only damp. We went to a bike shop. Liza was looking for a padded seat cover, but they didn't carry them. I got a new water bottle (to replace the VT Ped one I lost) and a t-shirt. But he didn't charge me for the bottle. Then I needed to make a stop at a Rite Aid and then we hit the road. We missed the correct turnoff. WE had a snack in the town of Dixie and then waited in line for a delay due to road construction. The "escort" pickup had us ride behind her. I'm sure the cars and trucks behind us were thrilled. We did a long climb then had the best downhill of the trip. We had lunch in Waitsburg at the Farmer Cafe then headed back on the actual Lewis and Clark route. We stopped at the Lewis and Clark state park and read some information about them. At Dayton we toured the old RR depot which is now a museum. They had two old pedal organs and I opened one to find it was an Estay from Brattleboro, VT. the docent was quite impressed. We took a tour by the bikes of some Victorian homes then went to our destination for the night the Victorian Weinhard Hotel.
From Andy Rome or Bob Immler

5/18 Rise and shine peoples, but first a word about NEMBA (no, not NAMBLA). I'm a NEMBA Member (again, not NAMBLA), I think it's a fine organization, a real positive force for mountain biking legitimacy and sustainability throughout southern NEW England. But they have a few weaknesses. The biggest one, I think, is the fact that they see only one approach to trail use/maintenance for all areas regardless of local culture and biking history. What am I talking about, well I'll tell you, dear reader, I would like the NEMBA busy-bodies to stay the ---- off the Greenfield ridge. (Please go to these pages and you will see that this has gone on for too long. Aug98 8-25 Nov98 11-3 ) As Mark C. and I gleefully zipped about the ridge during our 5 am ride, I noticed that something was missing...every log had been cut and removed!!! Now these weren't recently felled brambly trees, but time-honored, and beloved obstacles that enhanced the ridge riding experience (at least since I started riding here three years ago). What gives? I asked Mark-he said he had run into the local Franklin county NEMBA rep and some cronies "improving" the trails in accordance with NEMBA's ideas of improvement. Who asked them to do This??? 1. The Trails were (and are) in great shape, they always are. Local users (mountain and foot) constantly care for these trails as they are used. Without any oversight from NEMBA these trails have remained an unchanged Franklin County gem for years, why did they need "maintenance" anyway?

2. Who did they consult with? Tell you what, love him or not, Bob Perry is the unofficial Mountain biking steward of the trails in greater Greenfield, as a matter of courtesy, if not to get a better understanding of the style of user and expectations held for this trail system, local NEMBA do-gooders should have checked with Bob first!

3. Look, I love bachelor St, but that style of trail management and design works well with the riding culture there, as I have said before, things are different up here and multiple user groups in Franklin county have long ago, on their own, established a considerate multi-use policy and worked to build a recreational area that reflected their wants and desires--and everyone is happy.

So, if you should run into some NEMBA volunteers "improving" are trails, be sure to stop and say hello. Ask them about any legislative actions or critical use issues you as a concerned mountain biking voter should be aware of and offer your support. Tell them you appreciate their tireless dedication towards legitimate mountain biking in the state. Then ask them to get the ---- out of here and stop homogenizing our organically unique trails (you want manicured, go to a beauty parlor!).

Whew! As for the ride, a great morning jaunt. Mark and I pushed a little harder than usual and made it to the top of Poet's seat in no time. Then we dropped down the white trail to the singletrack descent all the way down to the red trail. Then we climbed up to the parking lot, crossed the road, ascended the blue trail and worked our way to the power lines, which, after eschewing Bob's short cut, we climbed from the bottom, up over Joe's rock, around and down bear's den rd to the second left, up to the red trail, across the road to the white trail (best trail in Franklin county...at least until NEMBA fixes it for our own good) and back to the shop. Only took an hour, I could have gone for another lap and so could've Mark. Hope to see more Amish morning milkers on the next one.
Liam
ginaliam@mac.com

Wednesday 5/20: 5am ride,

Today we planned a ride at the Deerfield Ridge, when I arrived at 5:05 oops.. 5 min late- don't tell Liam, I was amazed to find that Harold brought along his Mini-Me, his son Matthew. So off we went over the Crystal Cave and followed the blue dot trail out to the access road, left down the road and second right onto I'll name it "Bob's Road" considering I don't think it actually has a name. So up the muddy, wet climb to the blue dot trail and left out to the main road at the top of Eaglebrook, from there we went left down the hill to the second right through the gate and left up the hill onto the single track on the backside of the mountain all the way out to the cell tower road there we climbed to the ridge and enjoyed the view for a few moments and headed back down through the ski area onto the single track of the left of the beginning of the blue dot trail out to the opposite side of the blue trail and back over to Crystal Cave and out good ride and Harold's son did a great job at keeping a good Pace see ya next time. Mark.

Wednesday 5/19: Tonight we had a MTB ride in Montague. It was a beautiful night for a ride with warm temperatures and a cloudless sky above us. I drove over to the common with Andre and Stephanie and was met there by Craig, Jack, Snake Boy, Rachel and Oliver Koh. After we got our gear together we headed down to North Street and the Mill River park. Snake Boy led the group across the river and then I took over the lead. Everyone watched as Jack rode across the plank bridge over the brook and then the rest of us walked across. There are some huge trees that have fallen across the trail and we had to dismount to get over them. When everyone got up the hill we then road over to the Telephone Pole Trail. Jack and Stephanie led the charge up the hill and were waiting for me and the rest of the riders at the fire pit. When everyone had arrived we then headed out for the Toilet Bowl Trail. The group got pretty strung out and I ended up riding with Andre and Rachel over to the power lines. We decided to take a ride over Red Rock and then up the hill to the swamp at Willis Hill. Snake Boy and the kids decided to skip the swamp and instead the did the BPT Trail. I rode over the top of the hill with Jack and when we got to the turn, I stopped to make sure that all the riders made the turn. After we re-grouped at Willis Hill we headed down the trail to meet up with Snake Boy, Rachel and Oliver. Snake Boy took some photos of us as we headed down the hill. (Notice that I was going so fast that all he could get was the blur as I went by him!) We took the long loop around and headed back to the Second First Left. At this point Oliver was getting a little tired so I stayed back to ride with him while the rest of the group headed back down the Telephone Pole Trail. When we got to the road, Stephanie was waiting to give the "all clear " as we made the crossing. We rode back to the cars and then packed up the bikes for the trip home. It was a great ride on a very nice night.

Rise and Shine, Peoples.
The Road to El Dorado, mythical city of Gold hidden somewhere in the Florida swamps...or is it between the two Sugarloaf's? For years Chris Koh and I have searched for the elusive Northwest passage that connects Sugarloaf South to Sugarloaf North. Yeah, Yeah, there's the gravelly, rooted, slimy cliff trail, but most of that is not rideable (for us anyway) in either direction and kind of unpleasant to even hike. "It's there guys I tell You" Mark C has chided us for some time like the crazed prospector in Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Well, this morning, I put Mark up to it, show me the fabled, rideable connector between the two Mountains. (There is a trail, but it is well hidden and quite dangerous, you just have to know where to look. ed) We started from my driveway (Me, Mark and Harold) and scooted down Mountain Road, passed some roadies house, and popped into the woods and began climbing. Ride started out great, I had a lot of life in my legs and cleared the rocky climb to start, and then I cleared a hill I've never gotten up before (side note: I haven't ridden up these trails in two years). We dropped down a very steep trail (this is all the blue marked Pocumtuck trail) until we got to the dreaded blue marked cliff connector. This way? I asked Mark; No it's further down he said and we dropped down to the dead end at the edge of the UMASS Agriculture area. The Mark said we should go back to the cliff trail, so back up we climbed and then we got onto the cliff trail. The beginning is fine, little sketchy in terms of root, moisture, fallen trees and rock, but rideable, but about midway up we were forced to dismount and began the unpleasant 1/4 mile trudge up the loose, slimy (and always smelly!!!) cliff trail. We all groused a little (hey, it was 5:30am and we didn't want to hike) Mark admitted he couldn't remember if the trail connector existed at all...El Dorado would remain elusive. More on this at the end of the report. Once we cleared the cliff trail however, it was all gravy and we were the roast beef! We flew down towards the Hillside Road side and climbed up the fire trail on the far side all the way up to the lookouts (it's quite a climb!) and then we descended along the same trail back towards the cliff trail. Upon reaching the cliff trail we turned around a re-climbed the fantastic singletrack we had just descended (I think the other guys were getting a little annoyed at the climbing...personally, I've come to prefer ups to downs, I have a problem.). We worked our way back to another great singletrack descent off the top of Sugarloaf North, Mark C (the best Amish descender) took the lead and tore it up!! This trail is true singletrack, tight, twisty, a few obstacles and no more than 8 inches wide! It rips. We found ourselves at the basin of the mountain, and not wishing to descend the cliff trail we headed out for Hillside Rd and rode it back high speed to my house. All in all, a great ride with a lot of severe and sustained ups and downs. (and great views on a beautiful morning!). So here's the thing, we want to ride a true Franklin epic From Sugarloaf, to the Deerfield ridge, to the Greenfield ridge (it's all one trail system) to Montague and maybe even dry Hill one weekend this summer. But first, we need to build a Road to El Dorado and better connect the two Sugarloaf's. To this end, I'm proposing a trail building day in the upcoming weekend, I'm also volunteering Chris Koh's house for a post work barbecue party ('cause even though he's a roadie now, he lives right there, thanks Chris!). I'm serious about this, though so anyone who wants in contact me and we'll start scheduling this.
Ride on, everyone!
Liam

Thursday, May 20th Average - 17.5

Well, today's ride won't make it into any record books (at least not in any way I'll be proud of)! Before the ride, it was hard to tell if I was feeling good or not. Sometimes I don't know how a ride is going to feel until I am several miles into it and can feel how my body warms up.

The group split right out of the parking lot. Several riders who wanted a faster pace set out right away while the rest of us set an easier pace behind them. John Bentley got caught on the wrong side of the split and ended up getting stranded between the groups all the way down to Rte 5. Both groups got caught at traffic there anyway, so all the effort that John had put into the chase went for nothing.

As soon as we got rolling South on 5, the split happened again. but this time only 3 riders rode on ahead. There were several more behind me who would rather have been in the front group. John was, once again, one of the riders on the wrong side of the gap. He put out some effort to bridge up, then dropped back when he decided he couldn't do it alone.

I was feeling like having some fun, but certainly wasn't up for trying to keep up with the fast group all the way around. I called John up and told him that I would help him bridge up just for the fun of doing it, but then I would drop back to the slower group. When I sprinted off the front, John grabbed my wheel and I was surprised to see several other riders come with us. I ended up pulling several riders all the way across the gap, but it was the end of me. I struggled to stay on for a while, then gave up to drop back as we started the climb to Lee road. I rode with one other rider up to the four-way stop where lee road comes back to Stillwater road. We decided to way for another group there. Minutes later, the remainder of the riders came into view. We joined them as they rolled past.

The next several miles were fairly flat, but I didn't have anything left. I had thought that I would have recovered a bit better than this. The group was rolling along at an 'easy' 22MPH, but I could barely maintain contact with Jamie's wheel. A few miles North of Whately I dropped off but Jamie, Michelle and Chris (MB) were nice enough to drop back to check on me. I told them that I would me OK finishing the ride solo. Jamie offered to ride a shorter ride back to the shop with me, but I was fine doing the whole ride, just at my own pace.

The three of them jumped back to the main group, leaving me to set my own speed up the long slow climbs to Conway. I don't mind climbing at all when I don't have to push to keep up with a group, so I had a nice ride all the way around to 116, then back to Mill Village road. I could actually see the group ahead of me as I came into Deerfield (only, it turns out, because they had stopped for a flat) but they pulled away from me and out of site again. I finished up the ride just as things started to get grey (with the help of my sunglasses). My reward was the fact that there was plenty of cake and ice-cream from Ant Penny's B-day 'party' to replace the carbs I had burnt on the climbs.

Sunday 5-23: West Fairlee, Vt is another world...seriously, when I left there at 300pm on Sunday it  was drizzling, high 50 degree weather, everyone was wearing fleeces. But by the time I pulled into my South Deerfield driveway it was high 80's and sunny and sweaty. This was my first race, ever. about 100 miles north of here on I-91, on the edge of the green Mountains, sits a rather nice summer mountain bike camp...as I said a nice place, but also on of the muddiest I've ever been (welcome to Wales!). Saturday night they had an inch of rain (with several more inches falling during the week). Does anyone remember how muddy the Coke Plant got by the late fall last year? Well, this was notably muddier. I had to get some staffers to help push my Van out of the Mud and to higher/drier ground! Anyway, I was registered and ready to go by 9:30 with a looming 11:00am start time. I decided to race in the Sport division, yeah it's my first race but:
1. The Beginners only race 6 miles on a separate (read "wussy" ) course and I came a long way.
2. Come on, man, I might not be Tinker Juarez but I ain't no beginner neither!
    The Competition started rolling in and I got a chance to size everyone up, I picked out three guys who seemed to be the players in my group (Bob advised me to do this..wisely, it turns out). We chatted I got a feel of what to expect from them. Now with the beginner race already underway I couldn't pre-ride the course, but I did get a chance to feel out the beginning section. The way it was set up, they had you blast through a grassy field, get funneled over a one lane walk-bridge then up a wide grassy knoll to the first (and only) big climb-a wide double-track trail similar to the Park Rd entrance trail at Mt. Toby. At the top of this hill began the tight single track trails...the course was a good 90% technical (for racing) singletrack. My initial Strategy: Not to sweat the hole shot since it only led to this wide-climb, but rather make a move on the first hill and be among the first onto the singletrack where passing would be difficult. As for the second lap...I hadn't thought that far ahead (though, I should have). As we queued up, about thirty Sport Class riders, the organizers decided that we would all go off together (Yikes). Honestly, I felt so nervous I was sick. Ready, Set Go...almost everybody went full tilt for hole shot, except me, in fact I was among the last over the bridge but I began passing the mob almost as soon as we started climbing, by the time we reached the single track I was in third place. The guy in first was one of the guys I pegged as a serious rider, but the guy in front of me (riding a nice new Santa Cruz blur) was a surprise. Well, I was still a bundle of nerves as I started ripping down the trails. Mud was everywhere!!! Trails were really nice, lots of sharp, sudden, and unforeseen ups and downs. But at the Bottom of each trail segment was these helacious mud bogs that stopped you dead and sucked out your soul, my mistake was I kept trying to ride them only to wash out on the ensuing climb. In general I was riding rough and awkward. I was holding steady in third place when I goofed and rolled the bike head over heels! My crash blocked the trail and the rider behind me was forced to stop, he asked if I was ok, but I was already up and running, but I slowed down and said, jump in front of me, you've earned it". Thus began the chase, for the rest of the 6.5 mile loop I held his tail, losing ground on the flats and downs, catching him on the muddy uphills. Soon we both overtook the second place rider (so much for Santa Cruz) and never saw him again! Now the last mile of the lap was one of the most miserable stretches of trail I've ever encountered. In drier weather It would have been great, but today it was a long, steep, deeply mudded and rutted grassy climb. My main competitor was only a few yards ahead and pedaling furiously up the muddy trail, I though about running it but I figured if he can pedal it so can I. Well, it was a drag, mud and grass were combining to make adobe bricks on my drivetrain. My wheels slipped and spun and it took everything I've trained for since last November to get up that hill...but I did and in doing so had closed the gap between me in the leaders, but more importantly had totally dropped the rest of the field! The trail now passed the stands of spectator, then dropped back into the woods, cutting through some trees and over a few brooks (I hit a tree!) and looped around back to the starting area where the promoters called out to me saying I was in third place. Now the second lap, well, I was spent and already dreading the mud climb awaiting me at the end of this lap. Here I made a bad strategic decision. As I approached the big double track climb I opted to take it easy and save up for the finish, truthfully, I should have challenged the leaders on this hill (both were in sight) and beat them to the singletrack and try to win it. I wimped out and I played for third. Anyway, I hit the singletrack right behind them and held pretty close. I had found my sea legs the second time through and rode much smoother (dismounting and running at all the mud bogs). But about midway through my chain seized up and got stuck against the frame. Furiously I flipped my bike over and began tugging on the chain to dislodge it, after about a minute I got it free but the two leaders had disappeared. However, though I was sure that others would pass me, there was no one coming up the trail, I was still quite alone and I didn't even hear any bike sounds in the distance...we had really outpaced the rest of the group. remounting I took off and reached the bottom of the big muddy climb, near the top I could see my main competitor and he was running-I had him I thought, but the trail was so ripped up by now that riding it was impossible so I dismounted and ran 1/2 mile up the hill as I came to the main finishing area I remounted and pedaled as fast as I could. Soon I was right in front of the grandstand and the photographer was about to snap my picture so I (and I swear this is true) Popped a wheel and rode past the crowd (and got an enthusiastic applause from the spectators!). I finished up the final section with just enough gas in the tank to cross the line. You're third they called out. Cool. Third over all in the Sport class division (not counting single speeders). I got a medal, a T-shirt and some Lube. An one very muddy bike. The End.

Liam

Monday 5/24: It was a very stormy day today and I was not too sure that we would be able to ride. We had a thunderstorm in the morning and then the sun came out at noon. At about 2:00 or so there was another round of thunderstorms that lasted about an hour or so. The sun came back out and the road dried off and so when 6:00 came around there was a group of riders ready to head out and I got ready to join them. The group headed out with Peter Truesdell in the lead and Bad Bob as sweep. The other riders were Kelli, Paul B., Lori-Lee, John and me. After leaving the shop the group got split up at the traffic lights with Bad Bob and Lori-Lee missing the green light, while the rest of us continued on. As we got near the turn onto Country Club Road I could see that the clouds were building in the west so I kept the riders going at a fairly good clip. I coached some of the riders as we headed to Barton Road and by the time we got to the stop sign the storm appeared to be getting nearer so I suggested that we just keep on riding. The group agreed and we cruised across Barton Road and started down the hill towards Leyden Road. At the bottom of Barton Hill we take the first left onto Leyden Road but Peter missed the turn off for Leyden Road and Paul nearly ran off the road when he came around the corner too wide and a car was coming. Paul did great job of keeping his bike upright and on the pavement and he blew right past us and over to Leyden Road. There were a few rapid heart beats after that but we all recovered nicely and we soon were on our way down Leyden Road. As we neared the hill on Leyden Road it started to sprinkle and by the time we got to the top of the hill the group had split with Kelli, Peter and John heading on while I stayed back and rode with Paul. Paul and I pushed hard as the rain picked up and he turned onto Summer Street to head back to his house while I headed back to the shop. After I crossed Federal Street, I caught up with Kelli and we rode back to the shop together. We got back to the shop just as it began to pour rain. Just before the skies opened up, Bad Bob and Lori-Lee got back from their trip down Country Club Road. They had a great ride and they left for their homes just before the thunder and lightning started.

Saturday 5/22: Lake Sunapee Road Race. When I first described this race to MaryEllen, I think I said something like "one of the more miserable experiences I've had on two wheels." Well, now that some time has passed, my view has softened. It was grueling. It was cold, windy and rainy. I heard that the temp was 45 degrees and the rain was coming down hard for most of the first half of the race. The course is a 23 mile "rolling" loop. Translation: lots of hills. I liked the course, it was just extra challenging with the conditions. The women's 1/2/3 field did two laps with a finish climb to Sunapee Resort. At registration, I was looking at the list and feeling OK until I got about half way down the list and saw the names of two pros. Oh well. I ended staying with the lead group for about 16 miles. There were 8 of us, but one huge acceleration up a steep little incline and I got spit out the back. Oh well. Along came another woman who had been chasing and we worked well together for the next 15 or 16 miles until I just ran out of gas. I was hoping that my lungs wouldn't come up with all the coughing. :( Anyway, that left about 15 miles of lonely road. I really did not ride well for the first few solo miles, but then I removed my head from a place it didn't belong and decided to make sure that no one caught me from behind. So, I turned the gas back on and tried to ride a strong last 12 miles. I was successful and held everyone off. So, I felt good about that. Afterwards, I tried to spin the lactic acid out of my legs in the parking lot, but I was so cold and shivering so much that I couldn't keep my balance on the bike anymore so I went inside and got nice and toasty warm. A tough day, but a good day. It was the kind of day that really tests you. I think I can safely say now that I truly do love this sport (albeit in a sick, twisted masochistic sense).

Sunday 5/23: Downtown Claremont Crit. Technically, this was a race, but I don't know that I can in good conscience call what I did "racing." I rode my bike around a half mile circuit 24 times behind 5 or 6 other women at any particular time. The field was small and the promoter turned it into a points crit which basically meant lots of sprinting. As most folks know, sprinting is not my greatest strength (I'm not sure what is, but I know it is not sprinting) so I was a bit discouraged by this format.

There were a couple of very strong sprinters in the field and it basically came down to a duel of two teams. I basically left my head and any aggression at home. I rode my bike, I didn't race it. I don't even really recall feeling all that spent at the end. I'm disappointed with myself for not racing a smarter race, but, I did work on my cornering and I chased a few times. In the end the field finished together... all 7 of us. We started with 8, but I'm not sure the other person finished. So rather than beat myself up for a stupid race this past weekend, I am looking forward to racing this weekend with greater focus and determination. Next up: Wachusett on Saturday and Hartford Crit on Sunday.

Michelle

Tuesday, May 25th Distance - 35.23 Average - 17.2

Bicycles Unlimited - Frizzle Hill

Tonight was my first trip up Frizzle Hill this Summer. The group had done it last week, but I missed that ride. I haven't put many mile on in the past few weeks, so the push out of Turners Falls up Third street was a little tough, but once over the top we had several miles of fairly flat road on which to warm up. Jack and Stephanie got a little burnt on the climb, so soon dropped back to make their own ride.

After passing through Millers Falls, we headed North toward Northfield on 63. One of the riders in the group was having a pretty tough time hanging on, so the group dropped his ass almost right away. I don't want to say anything bad about Jamie, so won't go into the details, but I've got to say that I know just how it feels to get dropped on this section.

We all worked hard to get to Bernardston, where a rider flatted then blew another tube out before we got rolling again. After all this delay, Jamie was with the group as we started up again and hit the start of the Frizzle hill climb. I managed to ride only 5 riders back from the front of the group while Jamie lagged just one rider short of tailing off the back. Most of the group was waiting for him at the top before rolling down the other side.

The rest of the ride was fast as we dropped down some nice hills back to Greenfield. We picked up Jeff on the way, on the side of the road fixing his THIRD flat of the ride. The light was pretty much gone as we rolled back into the shop well after 8:00.

Thursday, May 27, 2004.  Tonight, a small group of us assembled up at the Batch for an early evening ride.  Rob (head mechanic at Highland Bike Shop in Holyoke), his friend Craig Woodard (bio professor at Mt Holyoke), and their friend Dave met up with me in the parking lot around 5 pm.  I had called Jack and thought he might make it, but he wasn’t able to.  Just being on the fringes of the woods, it was clear that it was going to be muggy and buggy.  Craig rode the day before up here, and said it was greasy (an understatement).  Just when you think you’re getting comfortable on a trail after having ridden it so many times, throw in some slimy conditions and really wake yourself up! 

We started off the usual route, heading up IMBA access.  Craig stopped at the gentle switchback descent, but we hollered to him that we usually stop further up by Em’s Gem.  (Side note:  Dave claims to have not ridden up here in 3 years and so had never done any of the new trails…but I’ll tell you, he looked like a master, cleaning all of the difficult sections).  I gave close chase to Craig and Dave, and it was fun because they were moving at a good pace, but nothing blistering…kind of my speed.  We held up to wait for Rob, and waited, and waited.  It became clear that he must’ve had a mechanical, so we headed back up the trail and then heard Rob yelling that he had broken something.  Turned out to be his FRAME…close to the bottom bracket.  It snapped like a twig!  So, he turned and rode back to the parking lot, making it a group of three to carry on.  Next, up to Jacob’s Ladder, which I like more and more every time I do it.  The dampness definitely put a spin on things…literally and figuratively.  There were so many roots that were slick like ice, but we tried to press on and stay upright.  Craig took up the lead, with Dave and I tagging along together.   

Up across Raptor, one of my favorite trails, and then it was time for the brand new trail, Lizard King.  What a great trail, but there is still a little polishing left to do.  Lots of great rock work and such!  I had to hike up several parts, but felt like I was learning as I went along, so it was okay.  Out to the double track South Side and then up towards Twister we went.  Not realizing it, I really put the hammer down and got to the cut off way before the guys did.  I led them up toward Lost and Found but had to dismount at a section which usually gets me every time.  Just when I thought I was going to own it today, I realized there was a huge branch of laurel twisted around my cassette and in my chain.  Near disaster!  But, I saved myself in time.  We went up and over Missing Persons, and then returned via Far East…another favorite of mine.  At one point, on an ascent, I got stuck off the trail in some brush and was literally perpendicular to the trail.  Somehow, I balanced, stayed upright, and then pedaled my way back on the trail without dabbing.  Cool…that doesn’t happen often!  All in all it was a fun 2-hour ride.  We were all drenched and muddy (and some of us who weren’t wise enough to wear bug repellant will be itching tomorrow)!  If you’re interested, we’re trying to ride Batch every Thursday around 5 or 6.  (Submitted by Steph)

Thursday, May 28th Distance - 36.86 Average - 20.1

Bicycles Unlimited - Mt Warner

We did this same ride earlier this month on the 6th. I was feeling pretty good at the start tonight, but there was a large fast group at the ride, so I didn't know how much luck I would have hanging on.

The group went right up to 20MPH+ out of the parking lot, so there wasn't much of a warm-up period before we hit the first little slope at the beginning of River Road. I think the herd got thinned a bit here, as we lost a few riders off the back. But the rest of us set up a fast paceline and headed for the more serious climbs a few miles further down the road. I've learned my lesson on these hills before. If I push too hard on them, I destroy my legs for the rest of the ride. I have better luck if I take it a bit easy on the climbs, then use my energy to catch back onto the group once over the top.

The main group topped the hill while I was still only halfway up the final climb. I passed three riders in the final few hundred feet, then started giving chase to the main group still in sight ahead. A few miles down the road, I could tell that I was making a little progress toward catching them, but I was starting to tire. I glanced back to see three riders who had come up from behind on my wheel, so I pulled out to give myself a chance to rest. We took turns over the final miles down to 116, managing to take back about 1/2 the remaining distance on the riders ahead (and sweeping up one more rider in the process). We got lucky at the intersection, as the main group got delayed by traffic while we had a clear shot and were able to roll right through without stopping.

As we turned South on 47, the gap was down to just a few hundred feet, but now we were working against a stiff headwind. We worked well as a group, but didn't manage to actually rejoin the front riders until we passed Plumtree Road. My legs were done by this time and needed a few miles to recover, but the group wasn't going to let that happen. The back of the line was doing the 'accordion' thing where we had to brake then accelerate to stay on over and over again. This wasn't what I needed after the long chase, so I decided that it was time to drop off and do my own thing.

John G. was also tailing off the back, so I suggested we join up and do our own ride. We turned Left on a road that brought us out to the lights on 116, then headed North back to Sunderland. We still had a 21.5MPH average as we turned North on 47, but we took it easy and had a nice ride up Falls road. Just North of Montague, we saw Bob's van pull into a driveway ahead of us where a few riders were stopped. Jorge had shredded a tire and called in for a taxi ride. John Parrot also stopped to get a ride home, since he was having wheel problems. Michelle joined us as we pulled through and took the lead for most of the ride down Hatchery road and to the base of the Poet's Seat climb. She and John pulled away from me on that final climb just before John left to ride home. Michelle and I pulled into the shop together. I managed to keep a 20.1MPH speed even after the final climb which had slowed me to 10MPH. I later heard that the faster group had finished with a 22+MPH average, which would have been a bit too fast for me on this ride, so I'm glad I left them when I did.

Saturday, May 29, 2004.  Back in Arizona!  This morning, I get dropped off at the airport and get on a plane to Phoenix for a really quick (all too fast-moving) weekend.   The flight is direct, so I arrive at 9:30 am local time, just enough to give us the day to go out for a MTB ride.  Cheetah picks me up and we promptly drive home, grab some grub, and are on our way to DNA Cycles in Mesa to pick up my rent-a-bike for the weekend.  Don at DNA hooks me up with a Stumpjumper Expert ’04 to ride, and after a seat post change-out (too big) we are on our way up the Bush Highway to Hawes Rd/Red Mountain.  It is 2 or 3 pm, and it’s definitely hot.  Not the 50 degrees I left 2600 miles behind.   

We head out to the trail, just deciding to take whatever might come, as it comes.  After the first five minutes, I feel terrible.  I am parched and we just started.  My mouth is dry as the Sahara, and I get that gummy-stuff-in-the-corner-of-the-mouth syndrome.  I am breathing so hard I have to stop.  “Oh my god, I’ll never make it,” is my first thought.  Cheetah laughs and gives me one of those “see what happens the first time you ride out here” looks.  He says he understands…hopefully!  The bike feels weird, too.  Full suspension.  I am a traitor to my poor Hoo Koo…my faithful hardtail.  With every pedal stroke, I feel like I’m riding deeper into a puddle of mud.  I knew all this would happen, but it’s still difficult to feel good at this moment.  We keep going over some really cool singletrack, across a few washes, and past lots and lots of cacti.  I am terrified of falling into one.  I’ve seen the pictures (a la Gary on the AZ trip…barrel cactus…ouch!), heard the stories.  Lord knows I am not a graceful rider in any sense.  Maybe someday that will come.   

More pedaling up and over quick little hills and around sandy corners, and then up what is known as Cardiac Hill.  You know why…it’s all in the name.  I’m getting really tired at this point.  It’s well over 95 degrees, and I’m still sucking wind.  We hike-a-bike for a bit, take in some scenery, and just talk.  It’s nice being out with Cheetah after more than 4 months (that’s how long it’s been since we’ve been on a ride together).  We reach more climbing, and then decide that it’s best to turn back.  I ask how long we’ve been riding.  An hour?  An hour and a half?  Nope…only about 35 minutes.  Yikes!  I forget what happens when I’m on a new trail…taking in every new sight, every new turn, every nuance.  It’s kind of like when you are traveling somewhere…it always seems to take longer on the way to your destination than on the way back home.  I take the lead and slowly proceed around the corners and down the hills.  I’ve heard about the sand…and as cautious as I am, danger is about to strike. 

I am seriously going slow, but not too slow.  I take a left hand corner and BOOM!  I’m down.  Please, please…no cacti!!  I get up, and take inventory.  Lucky…no cacti.  Just little tiny pickers dried out brush, and a rock.  The rock got the side of my arm. The brush gets stuck in my gloves.  Not too bad…I’ll just brush myself off and be on my way.  I’m not too thrown by the whole incident (no pun intended), but then I go to move my fingers…the left pinkie doesn’t want to bend and it really hurts…and it’s getting swollen up.  Turns out to be a hyperextension…nothing serious.  At this point, we ride it slowly out.  Nothing like getting your ass kicked on your first real Arizona ride.  I wouldn’t have had it any other way.  (Submitted by Steph)

DAR Forest ride 5/29: Below is the link to the photo's taken by Snake Boy at last weekend's ride . I will add the ride report when I get it.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1q6hl/dar/dar.htm
Ride Reports: May 29-30. The DAR

You know a few years ago, I drove out to Goshen to ride a place called the DAR (Daughter's of the American Revolution, ahem, which my blue-blooded mom is one of, I'm only half 10th avenue shanty Irish-the other half is Anglo-French slaveholding founders!) with a small group of riders. My bike acted up and I bailed in the middle of the ride,  but was told that there was not much else there and left not to return until this weekend some years later. I don't know if our guide was unaware of the biking possibilities available at the time or if a lot has evolved at the park in the last few years, but let me say that the DAR is one of the best places I've ridden, certainly one of the best in the region (easily standing shoulder to shoulder with Batchelor St. and Hawley. The Trails are extremely well-kept, very rocky (talking baby-head gardens here), but also very loamy-a real mix between Bachelor St's rock and Hawley's rich soils. Even with the man-created trails, the place has a real wildness to it, more rough and ready and less manicured than some of the other regional offerings. And there is good climbing, which I had somehow forgotten. In addition to the trails, it's a great place to camp (with two pretty lakes, nice, well furnished campsites and accessibility to everything), so my self, Curt, Snakeboy (but also, on this trip Orange boy), Ben, Harold (plus two little Harold's), Betsy, opted to stay the night in our tents. Walter and Gary came and joined us for the Saturday ride, Bob and Mary Ellen made special guests appearances Saturday evening to join us for food, drink and storytelling. And on Sunday I was joined by Mark C. and has family. Details of the camping portion will have to come from other ride reports.

We set out from the campsite on the handy Darling trail which dropped us off near the beginning of the Long trail. This trail meanders along the lake for about a mile then ducks into the park and works its way up to a park road (punctuated with some very steep, quick, technical climbs and rock gardens) for about another mile. Let me say that this trail, like many of the trails at the DAR, would be hard to enjoy without the hard work of the pioneer valley NEMBA. They've built a beautiful series of bridges and rock crossings through the nastiest stuff, kept the debris to a minimum yet preserved the rugged beauty of the ride...Really great stuff, now if only we can oust their present Franklin county representative (it's coming). The group started to thin out a bit on this first trail. Ben, Me Chris and Walter getting a head and the others following a little bit behind, in all fairness, the rockiness and toughness of the trail is a little unusual in the region and most of the group had little experience on this sort of trail. Fortunately, I learned to ride in New jersey, where there are few hills, but endless, I mean endless rock gardens. It was all coming back to me. When we all got to the road we decided to follow the pink arrows (placed by NEMBA in anticipation of the ensuing Harpoon fest ride). So we started down (and then up, then down, then up...etc.) the Black Bear trail. Another technical gem, but somehow (and the causes are still disputed among the group) we got separated. Myself, Ben, Chris and Walter found ourselves waiting at a very buggy intersection for the rest of the group. After about 20 minutes we doubled back retracing the trail to the beginning finding no sign of the other riders. We decided to ride the trail again forward (again carefully following the Arrows, being this was our third time through on this trail, we knew the way of the pink arrow). Anyway, when we got to the end of the trail, Chris ran up ahead to position himself for some action photos. Walter pulled up and asked Ben and I "Hey is my face all messed up?" We looked and saw a very bloody Walter..thankfully, it was a smallish cut on his upper lip, but at the time it looked serious. Walter seemed ok so we pushed on (again, the mosquitoes forestalling and chit chat). This was a great climb up a great trail called the NEMBA trail. From here we climbed to the fire tower and took a gander at the splendor of the region. Then we dropped back down and road down the catamount trail where we discovered the missing members of our party coming the other way....they looked whupped but happy. They said they were packing it in, but Chris, Ben and I kept riding, retracing there steps and adding some of out own. It was quite and epic day and pulling pack into the campsite about an hour later I was excited about the impending beer and hot dog feast. Yea! Great Day, Great evening, cold night, ....Next morning we awoke early enough that Ben, Chris, Me and Little Harold number 1 got a chance to explore some of the untapped trails for a few hours. Beautiful crisp sunny weather followed our sojourn around the DAR further cementing my appreciation for this! Later that day, I rode the Harpoon