May 2006

May 2006 Ride Report Page

Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month May 2006 more or less as they happened. Please note that the ride reports are the results experienced by the writer and not necessarily a reflection of all the rides that went out on that particular day. We have rides for all abilities but I only publish the reports that I receive. This means that if no one from the beginner rides send me a report, then you will not see that ride listed here. I will publish any ride reports or digital photos that I receive. Editors notes are in pink. Please send them to bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web! Go to the Ride Schedule link; You will find information about ride schedules and how the rides are run.

Monday 5/1: Today was a cool day with the temps in the 60's and a strong breeze coming from the southwest. It was a mostly sunny afternoon and we had a group of 16 riders for the trip tonight. MaryEllen led a group with Bad Bob and they did the Streeter's Store loop via Adams Road. Jeannie and Sue crabbed the whole way up the Adams Road hill, but after that they had a good ride. MaryEllen rode with Kate A., and Kathy J., for some of the way and then Bad Bob rode back with them.
I led a group that included Tom Ballard, Patrick J., Karen, Christina, Rod and Tom Graney and we headed down to River Road in Deerfield. We made it safely across the intersections at Deerfield Street and at River Road. Once on the hill, I dropped back to coach the riders on how to best get up a moderately steep hill. We worked on riding in a pace line and how to keep a group together on the flatter roads. We kept pretty much together until we got on the long climb up to Pine Nook Road, where Rod and Tom B., fell off the pace. I stayed with them and coached them up the hills while the rest of the group rode on. Tom G., and his bunch waited for us at the top of the last climb and after a brief rest we headed down the hill to ride over to RT. 116. When we got to 116 we decided to go all the way out to 5&10 rather than take Sugarloaf Street. Tom Ballard and Rod were having a hard time with the pace. Tom got a cramp and this was Rod's third ride of the year, so they decided to drop back and ride at a slower pace. The remaining riders then headed off towards the west. As we got near the industrial park, Tom Graney went flying by me to take the town line sprint. I never saw him coming, as the sun was right in my eyes and Tom came from the back of the group. Tom got the "Socks Award" and a lovely round of applause. After all that excitement, we rode to the traffic lights where we (barely) made the turn to head north. I took the lead into the wind and we cruised up the highway at a steady 17 mph pace. After we passed Channing Bete, Christina dropped off the back. I pulled over into a parking lot to wait for her while the Karen, Patrick and Tom G., went on ahead. Christina was a little tired so I blocked the wind for her as we pedaled past the butterfly museum. Christina and I managed to catch the group just as we passed Deerfield Academy. After that the group stayed together all the way back to the shop. We ended the ride with a 16.5 average for the 23 miles. Pretty good for a windy night on a hilly route.

Thursday 5/4: What a beautiful night for a ride!! It was really warm (83 degrees) and sunny with no wind when the riders started to assemble in the parking lot. It was super busy at the shop today so I had to keep focused in order to get ready for the ride. We had 48 riders show up for the trip to Frizzle Hill and I managed to get the ride going at 6:05. I led a very large group over to Turners Falls and we took the Seventh Street/L Street route up to the top of the hill. The pack stayed more or less together as we cruised down Montague Street to the Fire House. There was a little argy-bargy on the turn to Turnpike Road but everyone got across in good order. Once we got out onto Millers Falls Road, the pace went right up. Rob, Tom Martyn and several others pushed the pace up to 25 mph and the group got split in two. I dropped off the back of the lead group and managed to haul the second pack back up to the main group. The pack stayed together until we got onto the hill leading out of Millers Falls. As we made our way under RT. 2 the group split in two again and that was the last we saw of Four Sticks, Dougie, Curt and Jamie. As we crested the hill near the bowling center, I was gasping at the back of the group. I managed to hang on with a few others as we rode down the hills into Northfield. Rob Barnett did a solo flyer for the town line while the rest of us were content to ride tempo. The group was powered by Tom Terrific, Bob Croake, Bee Boy, Mark Newton and a few others. I along with Lloyd Crawford, Mike Davis and a couple others we just hanging on at the back of the pack. We rode over the next hill at a pretty good clip and I actually felt like I was recovering and I even gave thought to going up to the front to do a pull. Silly me!! As soon as we got down to Northfield Farms, Tom and Co., took the pace up to 28 mph and I was once again back in the red zone. This lasted for the entire was to the Rt. 10 turn. After a brief respite, due to the traffic and the left turn, Rob, Tom and Bob took the pace back up to 30 mph on the ride across the Bennett Meadow Bridge. At this point I thought that I would get dropped on the hill into Gill. As we began the climb the pace slowed to 18 mph and I was hanging onto the back of the pack. I kept thinking that one of the guys on the front of the group would put the hammer down and I was going to get spit out the back. But no, the pace stayed steady at 18 mph for the whole way up the hill and I was able to stay in the group pretty comfortably. The pace quickened again on the way into Bernardston center and a few gaps opened in the group of 10 riders that were left from the original group of 25. I was able to close down the gaps due to the fact that there wasn't any significant wind. After we got to Bernardston center we passed Bob Immler and a few riders who were waiting for Roger and Amber. We said hello as we headed for the climb of the day. I stayed safely in the back of the group as we hammered the last leg of flat roadway on this ride. After we made the turn onto West Mountain Road I knew that I would not be able to keep the pace with this group up the climb so I settled into an easy cadence in my 39x30 gear combination. I was able to keep the some of the riders in sight for the first part of the hill, but as I got onto the last section of the climb into Leyden, I could only see Mark Newton's jersey in the distance. I pedaled on up the hill and when I crested the steepest part of the hill on Frizzle Hill Road, I was glad to see the group waiting for me. I did not stop and soon we were heading down the other side of the hill at 50+ mph. We re-grouped at the turn onto Greenfield Road before heading back into Greenfield. It was a pretty energetic rip down the hill into town and we set a fairly robust pace down Leyden Road to Silver Street. The pace never slowed until we got back to the shop. I was pretty whipped when I finally got off my bike, but I was pretty satisfied with my results. It was a challenge to keep up, but I was glad that I made the effort. I ended the ride with a 20.5 mph pace for the 35 miles.

Sunday 5/7: It was a beautiful day for a ride with sunny skies and warm temps. I got to the shop a little early and did a little work before people started to arrive for the ride. I had a small group of 7 riders that included Chris Williams, Curt, Jamie, Steve P., Stan K, Michelle and me. We left the shop and I led the group down to Deerfield via the Hope Street route. After we crossed the Cheapside Bridge, I pulled off the front and Chris Williams took over the pace making. After the turn onto Old Main Street in Old Deerfield, Stan, Steve and Chris rode off the front the pack. I caught up with them and told them that I would stay with Curt, Jamie and Michelle, but they should continue on to Whatley center. I then dropped back to the trio behind and took up the pace at the front. We caught Stan just before Tom's house and he then got into our pack. We rode up the hill on Lee Road and took a left over to 116 where we crossed the highway to head down the hill to South Mill River Road. We only got a few yards onto the road when we saw Steve and Chris on the side of the road. Steve had a flat so I stopped to help him fix it. I sent the rest of the group on ahead. After the repair we headed off to catch up with the riders ahead of us. Michelle dropped back and joined us for the chase and we caught up with Jamie and Co. just before the hill into Whatley. After getting the group back together we turned onto Haydenville Road where we began the climb up the hill. I rode up with Jamie with the rest of the group just in front of us. The group was pretty strung out on the steep hill near Strippe Road and I waited at the top of the hill for Jamie. As Jamie and I road along, we noticed that Stan, Steve and Chris took the turn onto Strippe Road. Curt was nice enough to call out to them (I was going to wait until they got to the top of the hill!) as they headed up the hill and they turned around to re-join us. We rode over to Rt. 9 at a pretty good clip with a headwind for most of the way. I had taken a long pull on the way over to RT. 9 so I was content to let Steve, Stan and Chris do the work on the ride into Williamsburg. When we got to the center of town we took the right turn onto Williamsburg Road to begin the long climb up the hill to Ashfield. As we headed up the road, Chris had to use the little boys room so he sprinted off the front to look for a suitable spot in the woods. Well, as soon as he took off, Steve went flying off the front of the group to try to catch up with him. It seems Steve was unaware of the purpose of the "breakaway" and he wanted to chase down Chris. We all had a good laugh at that and soon after Steve caught up with Chris he realized what he was doing and he came sheepishly back into the group. As the climb steepened the pace picked up and soon it was me, Jamie and Curt plodding our way up the hill. I was doing the pace making for Jamie and Curt and we managed to keep a reasonable speed all the way to Chapel Falls. After we got to the top of the hill at Chapel Falls we headed down the steep hill. (Chapel Falls is in a gorge made by Chapel Brook and the road goes down one side of the gorge and up the other at a pretty steep pitch.) Anyway, I went flying past Curt at 38 mph and was heading up the other side of the gorge when I noticed that Jamie was right on my wheel. I shifted down and hammered up the other side at 27 mph and Jamie was right on my wheel. I pushed a little more and lucky for me, Jamie ran out of gas just before the top of the hill. After that we had one more hill to climb, which we took at a pretty easy pace. The rest of the group was waiting for us at the top and we all headed down the hill to RT. 116 where we made a right to head into Conway. There was construction on the bridge and the group got split up at the red light. Steve, Chris and I soft pedaled down the hill until the four riders behind caught back on. After everyone was back in the group, we rode down the hill into Conway and began the climb out of town. This is a rather tough hill after a long day of climbing and we plugged along at 10 mph to the top. The next two miles were a 30 mph rip to the bottom of the hill where Curt did his "Socks sprint" and was the first across the Deerfield town line. The remainder of the ride was a tempo pace back to the shop via Old Deerfield and Hope Street. We ended the ride with a 19.5 mph average for the 52 miles. After the ride Jamie, Curt, Michelle, Tom, Becky and Betsey all headed over to my house for a birthday party for Michelle. We feasted on lasagna and salad as well as a Birthday cake made by Betsey.

Wednesday 5/10: It was a cloudy day with drizzle and rain for most of the day. It was not raining at 6:00 when Liam, Steve Power and Matt Ballard arrived at the shop so we went out for a MTB ride. My plan was to do the Coke Plant and then the short ridge loop. Liam suggested that we do the entire ridge and skip the Coke Plant. The other guys agreed, so that is what we did. We left the shop to ride over to the trailhead and soon we were riding up the steep trail that leads to the ridge. This is a very difficult way for me to start a ride because I usually need a good warm-up before I tackle a long steep climb, but I gave it my best. As soon as I got to the first section of the Chimney Trail I shifted my chain off the top of my cassette and I had to stop to pull the chain out of my spokes. This was my first ride on the Apache and I did not check out the gears before I left the shop and the rear derailleur was out of adjustment. I put the chain back on the cassette and then got back on my bike. I rode over to the last steep pitch on this section of trail and I only got about half way up the hill before I had to get off and walk the rest of the way to the top. I basically was in the red zone the entire way up the hill. After getting back on my bike at the top of the climb, I wheezed my way to the blue trail, where the rest of the crew were waiting. After a brief rest I was able to recover enough to continue on to Poet's Seat. I rode over to the rock climb and got about a third of the way up that hill before having to dismount; basically I walked up all the steep hills and my heartrate was red lined the entire way!! I took it a little easier on the final section of trail that leads to the tower. When I arrived at the end of the trail I could see the other riders waiting for me at the Yellow Dot Trail. Liam, who was leading this ride, (Mainly because none of us could go any faster than we were going.) took us down the Yellow Dot Trail to the White Dot Trail. We did the White Dot Trail all the way north to the Red Dot Trail which we then rode south on. I was able to keep up due mainly to the fact that this is a mostly downhill ride. When we got to the turn onto the climb to the park entrance, I along with Steve and Matt, had to walk up the steep pitch after the turn. at the top of the steep section I got back on my bike and rode up to the parking lot. The boys were waiting for me and as soon as I arrived we crossed the road to the Temple Woods trails. The Blue Dot Trail on this side is not as steep as the trails we were just on. This along with the fact that I was now fully warmed up (read: cooked), I was able to ride the entire way to the turn onto the Red Dot Trail. Not having my eyeballs rolled to the back of my head on this trail enabled me to evaluate the Apache's ride capabilities. I found that I was able to climb up all the rocky steep sections in the middle or small ring without any difficulties. I also noticed that the bike seemed to float over the rocks like they were not there. This trail is also strewn with lots of big rocks and roots and I had no trouble riding over any of it. The really rough downhill section of this trail was also no problem for the Apache. All in all the bike was just about perfect for me. When I got to the turn, Liam was waiting for me and we were soon joined by Matt and Steve. We rode down the hill to Bears Den Road and then dropped down to the power lines. I was able to ride up the hill on the power lines without gasping and met Liam at the top of the hill. We decided to skip Joe's Rock and instead we took the Green Dot Trail down past MPM's house. After riding (slowly, for me) up the hill and back to Bears Den Road, we split up. Liam and Matt rode up to Sachem's Head while Steve and I took the usual route back up to the Blue Dot Trail. The Apache enabled me to ride all the way to the top of the hill from Bears Den Road to the Blue Dot Trail where Steve and I waited for Liam and Matt. After they arrived we headed back down the Blue Dot Trail and back to the Poet's Seat parking lot. Liam picked the Red Dot trail and we headed down the hill to return to the starting point. I was running out of gas but I was able to ride the entire way back to the top of the ridge without going into cardiac arrest. We returned to the shop via the Chimney Trail and High Street. It was a great ride and we all enjoyed the rain free trip.

Thursday 5/11: It has been another cool cloudy day with some drizzle earlier in the day. But as the day wore on the was a little peek of sun and the roads were dry at 6:00. We had a nice crowd of 26 riders that split into three groups. Roger had 6 riders with him when he left at 5:30 for the Sunderland Sweep. Tom Graney took another 6 riders and they left for the same trip as Roger at 6:00 with my group of 14 leaving a few minutes later. I tried to get the group going at 6:00 but there were a few last minute arrivals that held up for about 5 minutes. Just before we left Nathan got a call from Bob Rigby who had a tire problem down on Hope Street. Nathan took the van an went out to see if he could help out. After everyone was all set, I led the group down High Street to begin the ride over to Cave Hill via River Road and Bull Hill. We made the rather uneventful trip to River Road and began to ride up the hill near the rock quarry. The group caught up with Tom Graney's group on the hill near the railroad yards and the pace was a pretty reasonable 22 mph for the next few miles. When we got to the climbs after McClelland Farms, things got a little strung out as the faster riders pushed the pace a little bit. I was near the front and noticed the gap that opened and I had the boys slow the pace a bit. It seemed to take forever for Curt, Tom Silko, Dougie, Paul and Socks to catch back on so I dropped back to help with the pace. As soon as I got the group on my wheel I brought the speed up to 25mph. I was closing in on the group ahead and I thought that we could get back on, but when I turned around I saw that I only had Curt and Dougie on my wheel. It seems that Tom, Socks and Paul were not able to keep up, so we slowed down to get them back with us. We rode at a steady pace and we actually caught up with the front pack at the turn onto RT. 116. Unfortunately that was the last we saw of them. As we headed into Sunderland Doug Dale, Mark Newton, Bob Croake, Steve Power and a few others picked up the pace and that split the group again. I told Mark and Steve to head onward and that I would ride with the group behind. We had the front pack in sight all the way to the turn onto Bull Hill. We climbed the hill at a reasonable pace but when we got to the top of the hill the lead pack was out of sight and we never saw them again. I rode at the front of our group as we headed over to RT. 63 to make the trip over to Cave Hill. After we crossed RT. 63 I began the climb up Depot Street at the front of the group. About half way up the hill Dougie and Tom rode off and I dropped back to ride with Paul and Curt. After a brief stop at the top of the hill for Curt, Tom and Paul to make a wardrobe change, we rode over to Cave Hill. I rode up the hill with Curt and when we got to the top of the climb our three companions were waiting for us. We rode down the other side of the hill and across RT. 63. After we got onto Leverett Road, I took the lead and hammered the pace up to 27mph. I cruised into town and took a brief rest before going back onto the front again. At this point, Paul was getting dropped at every hill and he eventually fell off before the fire house. Paul decided to ride back to the shop by himself so the rest of us continued on to finish the ride. We got back to the shop just before 8:00. We ended the ride with an 18.5 mph average for the 35 miles. It was a good ride on a less than ideal day.

Well the weather sure sucked this weekend, but we'd paid our money, so off we went. Johnny B and I headed to Sterling at the crack of dawn - why do they always start the old guys first? I guess they figure we're already up milking our prostates, so why not race? Works for me. the Cat5/35+ race was only 24 miles, so I was expecting a hammer to fall early. It didn't. Must have been the pouring rain - the pace was reasonable for the first lap, but I couldn't see a thing, which makes riding in a peloton interesting. The Sterling course is really more like a circuit race - 8 mile laps, each ending with a tough but short little climb. Only about 35 hardy souls at the start, down to about 23-24 at the end of the first lap. Over the top onto the second lap, John cracked off, down to around 21 riders. I was feeling strong, stayed near the front all the way around and up the climb onto the third lap. Finally, there started to be some serious surges - not sure they quite qualified as attacks, but it strung out the group and started to hurt. I got off the front with a group of five others, and when it was my turn to pull through I kept going hard, got a gap, stayed off the front for a minute, fantasizing about staying away to the finish. Silly me. Gruppo compato very shortly, around the turn onto RT. 12, still a group of 21 riders. Oops, make that 20 - a crash right in front of me which I avoided. Coming around the final turn onto the climb for the sprint to the finish, I was looking at maybe a top 10 finish - I know I was stronger than half the field. But suddenly the guy in front of me mis-shifted and almost stopped, and I had to unclip to stay up, and as I did, my calf cramped, plus I was in much too heavy a gear to start up on a steep climb. Race over. I got back going and rode a steady climb to the finish, but wasn't exactly racing - my place was certain - 20th out of the 20 who hit the finish together. Still, I was happy (and soggy and hypothermic) - I did a good ride, didn't crash, got in the action. But, in the words of Marlon Brando, "I coulda been a contender." On to Sunapee this weekend - high hopes and my first big objective of the season.

Monday 5/15: Today was the fifth cloudy, cool, and rainy day in a row so it was not any surprise that none of the beginners came for the ride. I decided to go home and get my foul weather riding buddy (Ok, only I get to ride, but who the hell cares if we both have a good time?) and go out for a rip. I left my house at 6:15 with Eddie and headed out for our five mile jaunt in the rain. As we passed the shop we got a honk and a wave from Christina "The Crab" as she drove by. Eddie and I did the rest of the run (for him) and then we headed back home for dinner. A good trip at an average of 10 mph.

Oh, What a great day I had, it was so beautiful, I was flying on my bike, that I LOVE, I was going about 17-18 mph and I was checking out the scenery on my route, the deer off in the distance and the birds flying over the field. Seemed like I rode forever, but…but what's going on?? Who woke me up from my nice dream!! How dare they bring me back to this RAIN!! I want to ride my BICYCLE!!

Karen

Thursday 5/18: It has been another rainy week. We got rained out on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so this is the first ride of the week. It actually was a nice day with some sunshine and some clouds. We had 35 riders show up for the trip up to Conway. Joining us tonight was Matt Putnam and Sarah Kittleson from Arizona. Matt used to work at the shop and is now a rep out in AZ. I loaned Matt my Kestrel Evoke for the trip and Sara got to use a Felt F4C. When everyone was ready we headed out of the parking lot at 6:00. I led a group of 15 riders down High Street to Hope Street. We took the usual route down to Old Deerfield and after getting ourselves onto Old Main Street we sorted out the peloton, with the faster riders going to the front. We rode down Mill Village Road to the hill where the group split in two. I went with the front group to the top of the climb, but when I made the turn onto Lee Road, I sat up and waited for the riders behind me to catch up. When I got the riders gathered up we had a group of 10 that did the climb up Lee Road to RT. 116. After getting out to 116 the front group was now out of sight and I led the boys onto the climb into Conway. When we rounded the corner near the town line, Socks went scooting off the front to take the sprint, solo. As expected, the bunch shattered just before Walters house and I ended up riding up the hill with the leaders. After cresting the steeper section of the hill (about three quarters of the way up), I told Mark, Matt Putnam, and Stan to soft pedal when they got to the top of the hill. I then rode back down the hill to get the rest of the group. Some of the guys turned with me and we all then headed for the top of the climb. As we neared the top, Tommy "Pee Pee" Silko, and Dougie "Dripper" Favreau, stopped to do their thing with their thingies. After we passed them Curt, Jamie and I rode over to Whatley Road where we began the climb. We rode at an easy tempo so that the "Boys of Bladderboro", who were behind us, could catch up. When we got near the top of the first hill on Whatley Road, I looked back and could see Dougie, Wilber and Georgie Boy coming up the hill. I turned around with Tommy and went back to ride Georgie Boy back into the group. We managed to get everyone "Grouppo Compacto" near the swamp and at that point we all headed for the next climb. As we rode on towards the reservoir a bunch of riders came out of the pack and sprinted from the back of the pack to contest the town line. Matt took the sprint. I heard some grumbling about sandbagging and I reminded the crew that the "Socks Rule" is not in effect if Socks is present in the group. (The Socks rule is the following: You are not allowed to sprint for a town line or a hilltop sprint if the group that you are sprinting against had to wait for you or you had someone go back and pull you back into the group.) Once that was cleared up, we were again a cheerful bunch heading for the last climb of the day. I made a mistake in giving directions for the turn onto Strippe Road and I had to go to the front to get things straightened out. We made the turn OK but we had a little argy bargy with some cars as we entered Williamsburg Road. (I should never have asked Socks to look for cars!) After everyone was safely across the road, we headed down the steep hill and onto the last climb of the day. Dougie decided to take a flyer off the front of the group and I quickly jumped from the middle of the pack to reel him in. We rode down the other side of the hill to the Whatley Inn where we re-grouped to head down the hill to 5&10. We crossed the highway and I noticed that some of the ladies from the Whatley Ballet were out in the parking lot (no doubt; discussing their dance routine) and I made a comment about being out of dollar bills. The ladies seemed a bit miffed about that, but then I said that I had some quarters and they seemed OK with that. I decided to continue with the ride instead of partaking of the cultural opportunities at the ballet, which worked out well for everyone. After passing the ballet, I rode to the front of the group and pulled the pack along at a fairly brisk pace. We breezed through the traffic lights near Yankee Candle and began the run for home. I took some long pulls on the front and we sped up to about 27 mph as we passed the butterfly museum. At this point Georgie Boy dropped off as the speed went up. The rest of us headed north at a pretty good clip. We managed to get to Greenfield with 8 riders and the sprint for the town line was won by Mark Newton. After we got onto Deerfield Street the pace mellowed and we then took the usual route back to the shop. It was a fun ride and we all had a great time.

Saturday 5/20 Sunapee Road Race: Just like last week, cold and rainy weather for the Lake Sunapee Race - there are still patches of snow on the slopes of the ski area where the race starts. Unlike Sterling, John and I got there in plenty of time, did a good warm-up, decided that it wasn't that cold after all, plus it wasn't raining yet, so I shed some layers, and off we went at 9:30. Like last year, the first lap wasn't too hard, although some riders started shedding off the back. Probably 35 of the starting 40 together onto the second lap. John and I worked hard to stay toward the front which worked until the steep climb out of Georges Mill, where we were both dangling off the back by the top. Reconsolidated as we approached the big climb - I started toward the front, but just like last year, couldn't quite hold the lead group over the top, and like last year a chase group reformed, but John made the chase this year. As we approached the finish climb, we could see that we were gaining on the leaders - I think they were slowing down and starting a little cat and mouse before the finish. John, another rider and I attacked the chase group as we approached the bottom of the climb, but got caught as we toiled our way home. I ended up 23rd, John 26th. I think the field was stronger than last year - pretty disappointed with my finish. At least I beat the guy I was tied with for #1 Cat5 old guy in the nation. And it didn't rain!

Saw Jeff Von Dauber there, but didn't see his name posted on the results - afraid he may have been eaten by a bear on the side of the road.

Tom Martyn

I got this email from Russ Loomis today 5/21. He did the ride yesterday 5/20:
Sorry but I will not be able to make the ride. I got back late last night from the Vermont s-n record attempt. I am tired but I might do a easy spin this afternoon.

I left Pownal, VT rte 7 at 6:30 AM and before Bennington it started with a light rain. The farther north the heavier the rain and it stayed in the low 50's all day. Above Middlebury the sun came out for an hour and by the time I got to Burlington the sky just plain opened up and it remained a very heavy rain the rest of the distance. The wind was strong off the lake and I was fighting strong cross winds. Thank god it was not a head wind!

I finished the 182 miles in 9:28 with a 19.2 total av. ! The standing record was 10:43 at 16.9 av.

Russ

Monday 5/22: It was a cold day for late May, more like March actually, but we had 11 riders show up for the beginner ride. It was sunny and 50 degrees with a stiff wind from the north when we got ready to ride. MaryEllen and Bad Bob took 4 riders with them for a 15 mile ride, while I went out with Christina, Patrick, Jan W., Tom G., and Brian for a 20 mile loop. Brian McCabe was our new rider and I loaned him a bike for the trip. I asked Tom to lead the group so that I could stay with Brian until he got familiar with our ride. We took the usual route down to the Cheapside Bridge and the group was pretty much together at that point. When we got down to the Wok, Brian fell off the pace and Tom's group got a big gap on Brian and myself. I coached Brian along but it soon became evident that he was not going to keep up with the group ahead of us. After we got out to Mill Village Road, I sprinted ahead to Tom and told him to continue on. I then went back to Brian. Brian and I then rode up to YCD and then took a left out onto RT. 5&10. We rode easily back to Greenfield and arrived at the shop just before Tom and his crew got in. MaryEllen had gotten back in just before us and told me that Bad Bob had fixed yet another flat tire out on the road. I guess that is the lot of the Bob's; we get to fix all the flats.

Tuesday 5/23: The "Curse of Guilford" returns. It was a sunny, cool (cold if you consider that it is the end of May) 50 degrees with a stiff wind blowing from the north when the riders started to arrive for our trip north. Twenty-one riders showed up for the ride to Guilford and back. I left the parking lot with 12 riders while the rest of the group went out on a shorter ride. We rode over to Adams Road and began the climb up the hill at a modest pace. "Big Al" and Adrianne drifted off the back near the power lines and Jamie and Curt got tailed off near the top of the hill. I went back to tow Jamie and Curt onto the back of the group and we all headed down the hill together. As we rode along we picked up Keith Streeter who had ridden down from his house to join us. The group stayed pretty much together all the way to Streeter's Store where we slowed a bit to let the pack come back together. Once we got out onto RT. 10 the pace went up and we formed a double pace line to keep out of the wind. We all made the turn onto RT. 142 and headed off towards Vermont. As we got onto the hilly section of this road the group split up with Jamie, Curt and Brett dropping off the pace. As we got to the bottom of the hill I turned around and saw that Jamie, Russ and Curt were just a little ways behind so I told the group that I would drop back and ride with them. It was way too windy to only have a small group to work with and I knew that my "team" would appreciate the help. Tom Martyn joined me and we slowed down to wait for that trio to catch us. Shea, Mark Newton, Steve Power, Brian Wadman and Brett went on ahead to finish the ride at their own pace. After Curt & Co. joined Tom and I, we headed north. We caught up with Brett, who got tailed off the lead group and he was soon in our pack. We rode along at a pretty good clip and had just gotten into Vermont when the "Curse of Guilford" returned. I was in the lead when I heard the "Bob is Fat" call coming from behind me. I turned around and rode back to where the group was waiting at the side of the road. Curt, who had just hit a pothole and pinched his tube, was busy at the repair when I arrived to assist. I helped him get the tire fixed and as we were about to head onward, Mark Newton came along. Mark told us that the group he was with did not follow him onto Pond Road and he ended up riding alone. So instead of continuing alone, he turned around and came back to join us. After all was set with the repair, I led the pack up the highway to Pond Road where I took a left. I was glad that Mark was with us because he was able to keep the pace at the front while I dropped back to lend a hand with whomever fell off the back of the pack. We all made the trip up to Tyler Hill Road together and began the climb. We got pretty strung out on the hill but the riders at the front of the group who got to the top of the hill first, turned around and went back down to pace the rest of the pack up to the top. Jamie was a little tired as he neared the top of the hill so I asked him if he was OK with going out to Guilford. He said that he would be fine and with that we all headed off to Guilford Center. The next few miles were a struggle for Jamie and Curt. Jamie had a hard time on the hills and Curt got tailed off when the pace went up after he did a pull on the front. The group had to slow down a few times after that when the hills started to really take their toll. As we neared the ice pond, I rode to the front of the group and told Mark and his bunch to not wait any longer. The last time we saw Mark & Co. was at the state line just before the next to last hill on this ride. After that group departed, Jamie, Curt and I made our way over the last few hills. We rode at a steady pace the rest of the way back to Greenfield and arrived back at the shop just at sunset. It was a really nice ride even with the cool temps and strong winds. We ended the ride with a 19 mph average, not too bad for a windy day!

Wednesday 5/24: MT Toby MTB ride. It was a warmer day today and I was able to get most of my work done in time to get ready for the ride at 6:20. I was expecting a good sized group for this ride since Parrott and several others had asked me to do it. I got my gear loaded and was on the road at 6:00. I made my way to the parking spot where I was surprised to find only a few riders waiting for me. After parking the van, I got my gear on and hopped on the bike to warm up. After a couple of spins around the parking lot it was clear that our group would include Mark Newton, Chris "The Enforcer" Williams, Mark, Matt Ballard and me. With grandpa in tow Mark, Chris and Matt headed up the hill to the trailhead. As we neared the top of the hill, Chris got a call from Bee Boy, whose panties were all in a bunch from a long day of resting. It seems that the dear boy would not be joining us after all, but he wanted to make sure that Chris took good care of the "Old Man". After assuring Bee Boy that he would take it easy on me, we headed off on the trail. I managed to keep the Apache going up hill at a steady but slow pace and shortly after getting over the first little hill the group was out of sight. This was to be my fate for the rest of the ride. Mark, Chris and Matt would wait for me at all the turns but as soon as the terrain turned upward, I was on my own. I did pretty good on the climb up the Sugarhouse Trail and had Mark Newton in sight the whole way up the hill. I lost the group on the descent and re-joined them at the bottom of the fire road that leads to the top of the mountain. After a brief rest we set out to do the climb. This is a brute of a hill. It is a steep and steady climb for over a mile and a half. The road is not technical at all, just long. I rode up at my own pace and was able to keep the group in sight until about half way up. When the road started to twist and curve along the brook, I lost sight of Mark. At that point I just settled in to a nice pace that would get me up the hill on my bike and not walking. I putted to the top of the hill where the boys were waiting for me and after a brief stop we headed down the other side of the mountain. I was a little tired at this point so I took it easy on the really steep descent. I managed to get to the bottom of the hill without mishap and then headed off to catch up with the boys. I caught up with them at the power lines and we headed down the hill looking for the "second right" turn. Well, we missed it (or rather, they missed it) and we ended up at the bottom of the hill where we took the dirt road to a field. We rode across the field to Town Park which brought us back to the parking spot. We finished the ride just before 8:00, which was a pretty fast clip for me. All in all, I had a great ride and although I was tired, I was glad that I made the effort.

Thursday 5/25: I had a busy day at the shop but I was able to get things done in time to get out the door at 6:00 for the ride. Before we left the shop I told the group about Marty Stazny, who died yesterday morning at the age of 54, from a heart attack. We had a moment of silence for him before I gave the ride instructions. We had 40 riders show up for the trip down the valley on a sunny, warm (65 degrees) day. Roger Katz had taken a group of 6 riders on the Sunderland Sweep at 5:30 while MaryEllen had 9 riders in her 6:00 group. I led the remaining group of 25 riders down to River Road via the Hope Street route to begin our ride down the valley. As usual, I dropped off the front on the first climb and drifted to the back of the pack. I got settled in to the middle of the pack and rode along at 22 mph with the pack. I was doing pretty good, sitting in for the most part, when we got to the hills on River Road. I managed to stay with Tom M., Steve Power, and a few others over the climbs and we re-grouped at the bottom of the hill near the Goodyear Farm. When we got going again I noticed that Jamie, Curt, Michelle and a couple of others were not with us. We rode along at a pretty good clip and when I got to the UMass farm, I saw the group behind as we rounded the curve. At this point Tom Martyn and Terry McKeon had ridden off the front with Bob Croake and Bentley just behind them. I told Silko to slow it up a bit and we would wait for Jamie and his bunch at the bridge. I slowed up a bit and Jamie's group caught me just before the bridge. When I arrived at the stop sign Tommy "Pee-Pee" Silko was doing what he does in the bushes. The pack, which was now all together, rolled on through the intersection. We crossed the road and headed for the left turn onto River Road. Tommy caught up with us just before the Whatley town line, and he was an also ran for the sprint. Since we had Socks in the group, the "Socks Rule" was suspended and the dear boy went for the sprint but he got bested by Dougie. After that we settled in for the rip down to Hatfield. We had a pretty stiff headwind and the pace was in the lower twenties until we got past Christian Lane. At that point I took the lead from Russ Loomis and took the pace up to 24 mph. We caught up with Bentley and Bob Croake just after the school and they were quickly back into the pack. After the catch I rode along at 25 or so mph until we got near Nourse Farms where I pulled off the front. As I drifted to the back I noticed that there were some gaps opening in the line so I sprinted to the front to have the pace drop a little. Once we got past Depot Street, the pace went back up but we all managed to hang together into town. Once we got to Hatfield center we saw Jeffery and Allison Green playing volleyball on their lawn. I said hello to them as we passed their house and out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a bike rider on the sidewalk. When I looked closely, I recognized Matthew Green as the rider. He was riding his MTB along the sidewalk and was keeping pace with us at 25 mph. Matt jumped out ahead of us and was briefly in the lead until we passed him at the corner of Elm Street. After passing Matt I took the lead from Russ and rode over to the place where Marty had crashed last year. It was sad to remember him that way, but it was the last time I got to ride with him. We continued on to RT. 5&10 where we took a right to begin the trip back to Greenfield. The turn north had now given us a tailwind and we soon were breezing along at 26 mph. I ended up getting back on the front just before the FedEx place and with the sun going down and some of the riders getting a little tired, I decided to stay on 5&10. I held the lead until Bentley passed me before the 91 overpass. I drifted back a few riders and settled in for the rip northward. That was until I heard the "Bob is Fat" cry from behind. I was near the front so I told the group that I would go back and lend a hand. I turned around and saw Curt was on the side of the road fixing his flat. I along with a couple of others lent a hand and he was back underway in a couple of minutes. After getting going again I noticed that the group had shrunk by a few and we were now down to about 15 riders. This was still a substantial number and we had enough people to work at the front. We all took turns on the front and we pedaled hard all the way through South Deerfield. As we got past the butterfly museum the pace went way up and we were hammering along at a steady 28 mph for most of the way back to Old Deerfield. We passed Roger, John, Keith and Bob Immler as the came onto the highway at Old Main Street. Our group sailed back into town with Mark Newton taking the town line sprint in Greenfield. We took the Washington/Hope Street route back to the shop and finished the ride of 41 miles with a 22.4 mph average. Everyone seemed to have had a good ride and after all the riders returned, I headed for home while most of them headed for Mesa Verde for dinner.

Sunday5/28: I got up today at 6:00 to get ready to go over to the Notch Visitor Center to do the NEMBA ride. I got my bike and headed over to the start where I was met by many of our riders. Among the riders were Liam, Shea, Harold, Matthew, Chris W., Mike Levin, and several more that I cannot remember because I am old. I left the parking area with Mike and Chris and we made our way over to the trails. We found the trail that was marked out and we began the ride loop. I was following Chris and Mike was behind me. We rode for about a mile with several stops to let Mike catch up. At one of the stops I told Chris that I would wait for Mike and that he should just go on with the ride without waiting for us. After Chris left us I slowed the pace and Mike was able to keep up. After a little while we came upon other riders who started ahead of us. One of the riders was Steve Campbell and he joined Mike and I. We rode for several miles before we joined up with Jason and Chris who were riding the loop for the first time. Out group of 5 stayed together for most of the rest of the ride. Near the end of the loop Jason decided to take one of the extra loops that were available and I rode with Mike, Steve and Chris. At some point I got separated from them and I ended up riding nearly all the rest of the loop by myself. I caught up with Jason about a mile from the finish and then we caught up with the other three riders near the end of the trail. It was a good ride for me, but I was really tired when I got back to the parking spot. I had done the "Earls Trails" loop and I found that although the trails were easier than the "Batchelor Street" trails, I had done a lot of work to keep up with Jason.
After I got back from the MTB ride I went home to get ready for the road ride at 2:00. The ride was for the beginners and joining MaryEllen and I was Patrick and Kathy Jacques, Christina, Deb Kolpa, Jen, Mike Szteliga, Bad Bob, and Jeannie. We left the shop just after 2:00 and headed for Turners Falls. We had just started down Esleeck Hill with Patrick in the lead. I was at the back of the pack and started to coast down the hill past the riders in front of me. As I caught up to Patrick on the front I heard his bike start to make a noise. At this point we were going about 25 mph so I told Patrick to pull over and let me take a look. The rest of the group kept on going as I pulled to the side of the road. Patrick pulled along behind me and we discovered that he had a flat. I made quick work of the repair and soon we were on our way to try to catch up with the pack. Patrick and I rode down to Ave. A and took a right turn. We rode down to Walnut Street and took a short cut over to Turnpike Road. As we headed up the hill we came upon Kathy who was getting a rest on the side of the road. She said she was OK, so Patrick and I rode on. We caught a glimpse of the group as we headed down Turners Falls Road but we finally caught up with them just before the Book Mill. Patrick and I rode with MaryEllen and Christina for a while until we caught up with Jeannie and Deb who were waiting for us at the Book Mill. We all then headed down to Meadow Road where Mike and Jenn were waiting. At this point we were all together except for Kathy. We rode down Meadow Road to RT. 47 where we made the turn to head for the center of town. We stopped at the Dairy Mart to get a drink and at this point Jenn said that she would wait for Kathy while the rest of us headed down to Whatley. MaryEllen led us over to River Road where, after a little argy bargy at the left turn, we all headed for Christian Lane. MaryEllen had us take a right turn onto Plain Road and we took that all the way to the end. After crossing 116 we turned right onto South Main Street and headed through So. Deerfield onto North Main Street. After getting through the stop sign in the center of town we headed north for Mill Village Road. At this point Bad Bob had dropped back and the rest of us continued on. When we got onto Mill Village Road we came upon Jenn and Kathy and they briefly joined our group. We rode down the hill on Mill Village Road which led us to the flatter roadway along the Deerfield River bank. At this point Kathy and Jen dropped back to ride with Bad Bob while the rest of us continued on back to the shop. It was a hard ride for some of the riders but we all ended up with a 17.5 mph average for the 31 miles.

Memorial Day Ride: The ride was not as well advertised as the rides in years past, due mainly to my being busy at the shop. The days just slipped by and it was Memorial Day before I knew it. My plan was to do a 60 to 80 mile ride depending on how many people showed up. I got over to the shop at 1:00 and I have to admit that I was less enthused about doing this ride than I usually am. I have been putting in hero hours at the shop and I have not gotten as much rest as I need. I got my bike ready and as the appointed hour approached I was joined by Curt, Jamie and Michelle. Just before we were to leave, Jamie decided to do a check of his equipment. Well it turns out that after getting ridden off the road by Michelle and Curt last Thursday, Jamie had a large slice in his rear tire. This, of course, would require a tire change and delayed the start of the trip by 10 minutes. After the repair and with no one else showing up, the four of us headed out to do the ride. We rode from the shop down to 5&10 and began the trip south. There was a fairly brisk headwind and I pushed to keep a 20 mph pace. We rode down to Northampton and took the Bridge Street route over to RT. 9. Once on RT.9 we pedaled west towards Williamsburg. I rode at a steady pace taking long pulls at the front, but by the time we got to the center of Williamsburg, I was starting to fade. It was a pretty hot (94 degrees) day and I had already consumed most of my water by this point. We stopped in the center of town to discuss which route to take up the hill. Curt decided to continue on RT. 9 and soon we were under way again. As we climbed the hill, I started to wilt. I was barely hanging onto Jamie's wheel by the time we got to Goshen. I was almost out of water and was fading fast. We made the turn onto RT. 112 and started to climb up the hill to the DAR. I dangled off the back until we crested the hill and then struggled up the next few climbs. When we got to the grammar school I was out of water and I knew that I would need to stop to refill my bottles. When we passed the mini-mart near the center of Ashfield I nearly killed Jamie when I made the sudden right turn onto the sidewalk. I had spied a water hose and I made a beeline for it. I took a good long drink of fresh water before filling my bottles. After everyone else was refilled, we headed down the hill towards Conway. I rode in the group to the bottom of the climb out of Conway center, but soon I was at the back of the group. As the hill steepened I was sure that the grass was growing faster than I was moving up that hill. I eventually made it to the top and began the descent down to South Deerfield. I rode behind Curt and Jamie all the way down Lee Road where we made the turn onto Mill Village Road. I recovered a little bit and was able to do some of the work as we rode back to Greenfield. When we got to Washington Street I had no problem slowing down for the "cool down" portion of the ride. I think if I went any slower someone might have mistaken me for a red traffic cone. Well, after a fashion, I made it back to the shop and soon thereafter I was sitting on my back deck with Curt, Betsey and MaryEllen drinking a cool beverage and cooking some food on the grill. I was glad I made the effort and we ended the ride with an 18.0 mph average for the 60 odd miles that we did.

Tuesday 5/30: Tonight I planned to do the Wendell ride but with rain clouds on the horizon and dire predictions for thunderstorms, our team leader Jamie decided not to ride. A large group of Beermonters and Bladderboro boys along with a smattering of locals did go for a ride. The group actually got in a ride of 30 miles and made it back to the shop just before it started to pour. In the meantime, Jamie made me and MaryEllen come with him to Mesa Verde for dinner. He also made me pay.

Wednesday 5/31: Tonight we scheduled a ride at Wendell State Forest and when I arrived at the ranger station I was met there by 15 riders. After getting our bikes out and gear on I made everyone pose for the obligatory photo. After that the group headed out on a ride on the awesome trails that we have built and maintained here. (Most of the credit for the work goes out to Liam, Jason, Harold and the legion of helpers who toil on the trails.) I have been a little tired lately so I took up the sweep duties today. I rode behind Steve, MPM, Dave Minor, Miss Sherry, and Jim. We set a nice pace and we were soon out on the Brook Road. When I arrived, Grasshopper was there and he joined our group. I told the group that we might change the route since the rest of the riders were well gone down the trail. But after some disucssion I decided to keep with the plan just in case someone dropped off the front group and might be waiting for us. We took the Ruggles Pond loop which is a very challenging trail for most riders. Our group rode/walked for most of this loop and when we got to the end of the trail we were met there by Mark Newton who had dropped off from the lead group. Mark was actually looking for Hammerhead Harold who also had dropped off the front group and missed the turn onto the Pine Tree Trail. We waited for Harold for a couple of minutes and then we headed off to do our ride. The group rode out the Pine Tree Trail to Wickett Pond Road where they took a ride on the Maple Leaf Trail. I sprinted down the road and jumped into the woods with my camera to take some shots of the group as the rode along the trail. After the group passed me I then ran out to the road where I met up with the riders as they exited the trail. Grasshopper was having trouble with his newly installed cranks. It seems that they had come loose on the trail, so gave him my Alien Tool and he tightened the cranks. After the repair we headed for the Nipmuck Trail. I was at the back of the group and followed Steve-o Daby as he cleaned the first muddy sections of this trail. He did great!!. After getting through the tough stuff, he chocked his wheel on a rock and I passed him. I got to the first intersection where most of the crew was waiting. Grasshopper's crank had come loose again and I loaned him my tool to tighten it. After that I took off on the trail, ahead of the group, to get into position to take some more photos. After everyone had passed me I got onto my bike and followed the last rider down the hill. About half way down I spied Grasshopper on the side of the trail. It was his cranks again and at this point I knew what had happened. I had given him the wrong bottom bracket. I thought that I had grabbed the V1 bb, but I must have given him the V2 instead and I was sooo busy that I did not check it before he installed it. My bad!! Well the rest of the ride down the Nipmuck was spent with me riding with Grasshopper. He would ride a little ways and then stop and I would pull out the tool to retighten the crank. After we got to Baker Road, Grasshopper walked up the hill to the less steep section and I then tightened his crank and he rode to the top of the hill where everyone was waiting. We took the Maple Leaf Trail down to Wickett Pond Road where Grasshopper decided that he had enough of that and took the road back to the ranger station. I rode with the rest of the group and we took the Pine Tree Trail all the way back to Ruggles Pond. At that point I took some photos of MPM before riding back up the hill to the ranger station. Once back there I got some more shots of the group as the put their gear into the cars and soon we were all heading for home. It was a beautiful night for a ride and we had a great turnout.