November 2003 Ride Report Page    

Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month November 2003 more or less as they happened. I will publish any ride reports that I receive. Please send them to  bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web!

 

Monday 11/3: It was a great day for a ride, so when John Klem stopped by the shop and asked if anyone was riding, I decided to go out with him. We left the shop and headed for River Road at an easy pace. I was leading as we climbed the first few hills, but when we got to the larger climbs I fell off the pace. I managed to keep up with John, but this was not to be one of my stronger rides. When we got over the top of the third hill, I took the lead and we rode down to River Road in Whatley. It was pretty windy on the flat open sections of River Road and I struggled to keep up a 20mph average. We rode down to Bradstreet and then up the hill to Mountain Road. We took a right at the end of the road and then began the ride back to the shop. It was really warm and even with the wind I was very comfortable wearing shorts and short sleeved jersey. We kept a pretty even pace on the ride over to RT. 116 but it was a struggle in the wind. We rode up the hill and took a right onto Stillwater Road. We rode down the hill and took a left onto Mill Village Road. We headed through Old Deerfield and then out onto RT. 5&10. We rode into Greenfield and then we took Hope Street up to Main Street where we took a right and rode back to the shop. We ended the ride with a 17.5 mph average which was pretty good for how I was feeling at the start. 

Wednesday 11/5: Our scheduled ride got rained out again last night and it was still raining this afternoon. I had planned to go over to Montague with the kids from NMH and Eaglebrook Schools, but at the last minute Bart from Eaglebrook called to say that they would not be riding. The kids from NMH were ready to go and so I agreed to go over and ride. When I got to the parking spot I was met by Hughes, Homer and the kids from NMH. It wasn't raining as we got ready to go and I thought that we might get the ride in rain free. After the kids got their bikes ready I led the group over to the trails. Chaz was my bicycle buddy today and he accompanied me on the double track trial. I took a circuitous route on the flatter trails and the kids were able to keep up a good pace. I took the group down the sandy trail and over to Plains Road. This is a wide dirt road and Chaz was riding right next to me when we approached the pond that had formed at the brook crossing. I casually mentioned that Chaz should take the middle of the puddle as that was an easy way across. Well, he bit, and rode right into waist deep water and had to dismount. The rest of the kids thought that was pretty funny, but when Ryan followed him into the drink, the kids really got a laugh out of that. We stopped a couple of times to re-group on our way over to Willis Hill Road. As soon as we got to Willis Hill Road the rain started again. The rain really picked up as we made our way over to the Big Pine Tree Trail so we decided to ride up to Red Rock. There were several very large puddles on the trail and most of us were getting wet from both directions as we began the climb up the hill. I was the first over the top and I waited for the kids to catch up before heading down to the sand pit. When we got to the sand pit, it was really pouring, so we decided to head right back to the vans. The group stayed together and we pedaled back to the parking spot at a pretty good clip. Chaz challenged me to a race as we neared the vans so I obliged and soundly whipped the little lad. After we got to the van I got out some towels for the kids to dry off with and soon we were loaded up and heading for home. I did my usual burn out as I left the power line and then I headed back to the shop to finish the day.

Thursday, November 6th (submitted by Curt) Tonight's ride took us back to the plains. Pretty much because it was the only place rideable after all the rain we've gotten recently. We started off the ride with 11 riders, spending some time on the nice flat trails that wander between the power lines before starting in on some of the more difficult trails. Not long after we left the 'easy' trails, we were navigating wet muddy singletrack scattered with quite a few derailleur and spoke busting sized weapons of mass destruction. The wet leaves were hiding a host of fun things like slick rocks, slippery logs (at just the right angle to knock you off the bike) and bottomless mud pits. After the first few muddy sections, I basically gave up on my ideal of staying dry. It was easier to ride right through the middle of some of them (but not the ones that looked deeper than my seat post). Soon we are all wet with both mud and sweat. While stopping to regroup, I could see the steam rolling off our hot bodies. The group got pulled apart quite a few times, so we stopped a lot to let things come back together. One section, Bob had told us to wait for him at the top of Willis hill so he could bring up the rear. Most of us arrived there and waited... and waited... and waited. Now we were starting to get cold now that our bodies weren't pumping out all the heat. Finally Bob pulled up and told us that Chris had ripped his derailleur off and would be walking out to meet us at the power lines later. We went down Willis hill, my first time down this tricky slope hill with the new bike. I enjoyed it much more with the extra control I had with the full suspension bike, and can see actually enjoying this descent after I have a chance to pick my way down it a few more times to get familiar with it. Next we headed back into the woods, where Michelle decided to take a break and have a nice swim in the mud. We ended the night with a long fast ride out along the power lines, while Bob took another route out and pushed Chris back to the cars.

Thursday 11/6: It was a really nice warm day today, quite a contrast to what the weather man had predicted, which was cloudy and cold. When 6:00 arrived I was busy helping riders get their lights set up and loading 7 bikes into the van. When all the bikes were loaded, Curt and I headed over to Montague Center with several cars following us. When I got there we unloaded the bikes and got ready to ride. Joining Curt and I tonight was Mark Newton, Mark C., Sop, Stephanie, Chad, Homer, Chris Koh, Peter Truesdell and Jamie Laurin. Since we have had so much rain lately, we decided to skip the ride through the meadow as it would be very wet, and head up the road to the Telephone Pole Trail. I stayed at the back of the group until we got to the firepit where we re-grouped. Most of the riders had put on way too many layers of clothes and some of them were taking off jackets and windbreakers while we waited for everyone to arrive. After the riders were ready I led the group over to the Toilet Bowl Trail the riders kept a steady pace all the way out to the power lines. I suggested that we take the long loop over to Willis Hill as that would be the driest way. Everyone agreed and I took up the lead as we rode on the wide power lines trail. When we got to the turn to the singletrack, I stopped to let the riders pass and to make sure that they all were still with me. After the last rider passed me I headed into the woods only to find the group waiting for me. It seems that they lost their way on the leaf covered trail so I led them to the next trail. After everyone passed me I fell in behind Peter, who was doing really well for not having ridden for several months due to an injury. As we headed down the trail I saw the group ahead and so I passed Peter and headed to the next turn. As I began the climb I passed Chris Koh who was stopped beside the trail. I asked him if he was OK and he said that had to take off his jacket, but that he would be on his way soon. I headed up the hill to the left turn to the field and waited for the riders to get up to me. When Peter arrived I asked him if Chris was behind him and he was. I waited for a few minutes and when Chris did not show up I called out to him. He replied that his bike was broken, so I rode down the hill to help. He got a stick caught in his derailleur and was trying to fix it. I got him going after a few minutes of bending and fiddling and we headed off to catch up with the rest of the group. We rode up the hill and caught up with Peter who was waiting near the field. Soon the three of us were riding through the woods toward the field. I went ahead to lead the boys over to Willis Hill, but shortly after I got to the front I heard "Bob, I've got a problem", from Chris. I turned around and headed back to where he was and when I got there I could see that he was done. His derailleur was in pieces and his chain was ruined. At this point I sent Peter on ahead to tell everyone that I would be along shortly. I then helped Chris get the chain off his bike and then he set off to walk back to the end of the power lines. I rode up to the group at the top of Willis Hill and we all then headed down the steep hill. The trail is pretty washed out so most of us had to dab a couple of times on the way down. When we got to the bottom of the hill I took the lead and we headed through the swamp. After I got through the swamp, I rode down the hill to the drop off to keep the riders on the right side of the trail so we wouldn't have anyone doing a flip like Sop did a week ago. After I got to the bottom of the hill I followed the group down the BPT Trail. At this point Peter said that he was tired so I told Peter to follow us until we turn and that he was to ride over Red Rock to the sand pit and wait for us. I led the group over to Middle Road and turned onto the trail. I rode to the top of the hill and stopped at the swamp to wait for the rest of the riders to arrive. When everyone arrived we headed over to the sand pit where Peter was waiting. We then headed over to the power lines to continue the trip back to the cars. When we got to Old Northfield Road, Chris Koh was waiting for us. I sent most of the riders down the Telephone Pole Trail while I started to push Chris back on the road. Since Chris had no drive train he had to just sit while I did the locomotion for him. Peter and Mark C. rode with us and oddly enough I got back to the van before the rest of the group. All in all it was a nice ride. The trails are in pretty good shape, they are mostly dry, although there is still a lot of branches and twigs down.

Friday 11/7: I returned to the Montague Plains to ride with the kids from NMH at 3:00 on a much nicer day than Wednesday. I was met there by Hughes, Homer, Alex², Ryan, Chris and Moises. We rode a nice loop on the Telephone Pole Trail and then we rode over to the Toilet Bowl Trail. Ryan was having some directional challenges so I gave him the route to follow and I asked if he was up to it. He assured me that he was and so off he went to lead us to the power lines. Now the directions we fairly simple; stay on the trail until it ends and take a right. Pretty easy, eh? Well, we get to the end of the trail and sure enough, Ryan takes a left. I yelled over to him and then took the correct path out to the power lines. Moises rode with me as we headed out of the woods onto the power lines, with the rest of the riders not far behind. I led the group over to Willis Hill Road, where we re-grouped to decide the next route. I challenged the riders to ride up the hill to the top. I offered a pair of styling cycling socks for any rider who makes the hill. To start the challenge I rode up the sandy road to the hill and then rode to the top to await the rest of the riders. I was there for quite a while before the first of the kids came over the top. It seems that Chris had crashed on the hill and that caused a pileup behind him. When all was said and done, the kids were unhurt, but Chris's bike was done. He ripped the derailleur right around the cassette and the chain was twisted as well. I removed the chain and Chris was then told that he would have to hoof it. I led the kids through the swamp and up to Red Rock where I stopped to warn the riders of a potential hazard at the trails' end. When Chris arrived I followed him down to the bottom of the hill and then I pushed him over to the sand pit. Chris walked his bike out of the sand pit and then I got behind him and started to push him. I pushed the dear boy the mile and a half back to the vans and I can honestly say that I got one heck of a workout from that. Chris was very appreciative of my effort and when all the kids got back, they loaded their bikes into Homer's car and soon we headed off for home. It was a really nice ride and a great way to end the season.

Sunday, November 9, 2003.  Today was a crisp fall day with the sun shining nicely as we met at the shop to do a MTB ride and some trail maintenance at the Coke Plant.  It was barely 40 degrees, so I dressed in extra layers and my winter tights.  I drove up to the shop and met up with Bob, Eric, Curt, Michelle, Jack, and Lucas.  We put the bikes in the back of the van and the men loaded the power tools up for our clean-up effort.  We headed up to the plant, where Walter was waiting for us.  With two chain saws, two McLeod’s, a handsaw, a pair of loppers, and many hands, we headed out to do the maintenance first.  As someone wisely pointed out, better to do the work first, lest we tire ourselves out from riding too much.  And that way, we could enjoy the fruits of our labor once we finished.  This was my first time up to the Coke Plant, and I have to say that it reminded me a little of Batchelor Street (the jeep trails, at least).  We split into two groups (as I recall, it was a bit like picking kickball teams in gym class), and headed out.  Bob, Curt, Eric, and I headed for some low wetland areas while the other group…well, I’m not sure where they went, because I don’t know the trails!  But, our groups ended up crossing paths several times, and very often, we switched around at Bob’s request.  Curt and Walter took care of a lot of the chain sawing, while Bob pointed out some of the trees that needed to be cleared up.  I poked along, picking up derailleur-ripping-sticks and other similar types of debris.  The thick bed of leaves makes it hard to see such obstacles, so we probably saved someone from certain doom!  After over an hour and a half of clearing, Curt noted that it was already getting to be 3:30 and that the sun would soon be retreating.  We hiked back to the vehicles to start our ride.  While we changed up, Lucas and I scored some Cliff bars from Michelle, and I quickly gobbled it down (although I would later regret it, because of the cramp it gave me)!  Eric contemplated sucking down some Gu, but had the movie Van Wilder stuck in his mind, and so ended up passing on the slimy stuff.  We regrouped and went out for our ride, heading up until we were on top of the ridge.  (Sorry…I don’t know any trail names at this point)!  We did make our way up to the power lines, where the view was just outstanding, and there was actually ¼” thick ice on some of the large puddles!  Only a hint at what is to come, I guess.  Luckily, we all stayed dry and there were no puddle incidents reminiscent of Thursday’s ride.  At one point, we went down a pretty steep trail called the Chute, and I slowed up too much about 2/3 of the way down, catching leaves under my back wheel.  At the risk of losing it, I stopped and pulled off the trail.  This was the precursor to another very large and tricky climb, of which I tried twice, but both times, didn’t even come close to making it up.  Everyone gave it a good try, with a few people getting a significant distance up.  We started to make our way back, and Michelle had quite a tumble.  I didn’t see what happened, but we all stopped to make sure she was okay. She and Bob took a short cut back to the van while the rest of us concluded the ride.  We all headed back to the shop, where Eddie came to visit and brought libations with him.  We had some great conversation, and then all headed home in the dark!   (Submitted by Stephanie Castonguay)

Sunday, November 9th: Bob wanted to get some more trail maintenance done today. We all wanted to ride. So we compromised and planned on a short ride followed by some trail cleaning over at the Coke plant. Plans got altered a bit once we got to the shop when it was decided that we should work first, then ride. The theories as to why this was the better way of doing it were many. The debate was hot. Some of the salient arguing points being:

• We would have more energy for trail work BEFORE biking

• If we biked first, we would be sweaty and cold while working on the trails

• Anyone who biked first might just shrug off and go home instead of working. This could not be allowed!

• Bob is King

A vote was called. Bob, being the owner of the shop and the master ride leader, got one vote. We peons got nada. The motion was carried 1-0. Ah, democracy! Most of us just pulled our work clothes on over our biking duds that we already had on, then headed over to the plant in several cars. There were about 8 of us ready to get the trails back into something close to passable. We were armed with three chainsaws, a few bow saws, Bob's rake-thingies, and some loppers. Bob splits us up into smaller groups many times as we cut sections out of fallen trees, kicked tons of brush deadwood off the trails, and generally did whatever it took to re-open several miles of trail. We were trudging back out of the woods around 3:00. Things were already cooling down as the sun sank closer to the horizon, evidenced by the sheets of ice covering some of the shaded pools. It only took us 15 minutes back at the cars to pack away the tools, unload the bikes, grab a quick snack (Gu or Clif Bars...) and head back onto the trails we had just cleaned. I had already shot a good part of my energy allowance for the day earlier, so wasn't feeling very Herculean on the hills. As a matter of fact, there were a few on which I just gave up (before my heart did) and marched the bike to the top. We avoided the wettest of the trails as we made our way up to the water tank, down the power lines to Red Rock and down the chute. Of course, Bob took us to the newly re-opened 'Hill of Doom'. I made a half-hearted attempt at it, but slipped on one of the first roots and walked the rest of the way to the top. Several people dabbed for one reason or another before the top, so decided to ride around to the bottom again and try it a second time. The hill belonged to Eric today, who was the first one to power his way over the top. He was followed by Lucas who also make it over, while looking like he was on a Sunday stroll down a sidewalk. If he had to show us up so bad, he could at least LOOK like he had to work at it! Next we climbed back up to the water tank for a good fast run down 'Luke'. This is one of the trails that we hadn't worked on, so it was leaf-covered and a little tricky. I just had to hold my breath and hope that there were no large rocks waiting for me under the deep leaf cover. I strategically stayed towards the rear of the group, hoping that if there was anything really surprising hiding under the leaves, somebody ELSE would find it. Once again the suspension on the new bike really paid off. I was able to float over pretty much anything the trail threw at me, swooping from side to side to avoid the biggest rocks. At the bottom of the run, the trail took a sharp Left to climb up a short but very steep section. Several people were clustered here that had had to stop for some reason, but I managed to catch just the right gear and puff my way over the top, across a short rest, then up and over another short sharp climb. Now I was only three riders back from the front, but the trail was starting to open up and look a bit less hazardous. Just as I was starting to really let go, Michelle found a rock under the leaves. She let us know its exact position by tapping her helmet against it as she threw both wheels of her bike high in the air to catch our attention. When I rolled up to her a few seconds later, she was sitting with her legs pulled up taking an inventory of all of her body parts. She looked like she was in pain, but everything was still attached and pointing in the right direction. After a few moments, she told us that it was her head that had broken her fall, but she felt that she was going to be alright in a minute. After making sure that no blood was coming out of her ears and that she hadn't damaged her expensive helmet, Bob decided that it would be better for her to take it easy on the way out just in case things were worse than they looked now. He sent us on ahead on some more muddy singletrack as he took her out to the cars on an easier route. Once back at the shop, Bob paid us for our labors with beer as we began the task of spinning our exploits into tall tales for the other riders who couldn't make it today.

Wednesday 11/12: Today is Curt's birthday and to celebrate this, Betsey had a party planned for tonight at 7:00, she had dinner with cake and ice cream for the attendee's. Because we got rained out last night I wanted to get a ride in today to ease the pain of the excess that comes when I go to parties. It was a nice day today and at I went over to Jaybird's dry cleaning place to see if 'cross boy wanted to ride. As it turns out he was held up with some work but wanted to go out anyway so I got ready and we headed out at 2:00. I rode my Redline bike because I just sold my Kestrel, so I was not looking for a real speedy ride. Jayboy showed up on his 'cross bike and we left the shop to do 25 miles. We rode down to Deerfield on 5&10 and then took Main Street to Mill Village. We took turns at the front and we cruised down through So. Deerfield to Sugarloaf Street. The temperature was 52 degrees at the bank on Main Street and there was not any wind to speak of. We rode down to RT.116 where we turned left. We then took the next left onto River Road where we settled into nice rhythm on the ride up the hills. After we got back to the Cheapside Bridge we headed up Deerfield Street and finished up the ride on the usual route back to the shop. It was a nice 18 mph pace for 26 miles.

Thursday, November 13th

We're really starting to get into the 'off season' riding now. Tonight's weather was calling form a mixture of rain and snow, with high gusts of wind. On the way South to the shop, I drove through several heavy showers and one snow squall. Not the kind of night were you usually think to yourself 'What a nice night for a ride'! Walter had invited us all down to his house to explore some of the trails reached off the back of his property. We met at the shop and headed through the rain down to Rte 116, pulling quickly through the Mobil station on the way to add one more car to the caravan. When we pulled into Walter's driveway, we were one car short but it was only Eric that we were missing, so we didn't spend too much time looking for him. Everyone opted for 'full cover' biking gear tonight. Every square inch of our bodies was covered with synthetic material, making Sop look like some sort of high-tech ninja. Just as we started to get chilly from the lack of exercise, we were ready to head out. As we did, the light raindrops changed to snow. When I had asked Bob earlier to describe the trails in the area, the word he used most was 'up', followed by 'steep' with a sprinkling of 'very' thrown in for color. I don't recall the words 'easy', 'downhill', 'relaxing' or 'fun' being mentioned at all. Well, he was right. We started off going up, then went up an even steeper slope. After a short break on a hill that was only 'kind of' steep, we headed uphill again. Actually, they were very nice smooth trails, for the most part wide enough for a jeep to travel on. There were just enough logs and other obstacles to make things fun. About 20 minutes into the ride, Bob got a phone call. It was Eric who had finally figured out where we were. He was wondering if there was anywhere where we could drop out to the road and he could join us. Bob passed the phone to Walter who arranged a hookup. We dropped down a long descent to 116. After just a short wait, Eric showed up and was ready to ride within minutes. Next we had to make back all the altitude we had lost to get to the road, so we had a nice long (need I say 'steep'?) climb back up to the trails. These trails were a lot dryer than anything in the Greenfield area has been for the last few months. There were some muddy spots, but no standing water. I flipped my bike right over when one mud pit caught my front wheel, but I was able to walk right off the front of the bike as it flipped forward. I ended up on my feet as the bike tumbled down behind me. Sop was the only one behind me who caught my nice dismount, so now I'll have to convince him that I can do that ALL the time. :) A half mile later, Sop's luck ran out. He snagged a derailleur-mangling stick that wrapped his derailleur right around until it was pointing straight up. It was beyond saving or any hope of a temporary repair, so Walter volunteered to walk him out to the nearest road, where he called Katherine to come meet them with the truck. The rest of us continued on. Walter picked us up again further down the trails once Sop was safe and sound. Finally, all we had left ahead of us was a nice long descent back to the castle, where dinner, beer and Ben & Jerry's ice cream was waiting for us.

Thursday, November 13, 2003.  Tonight, with the wind whipping the trees and random precipitation falling from the sky, we all gathered at the shop in preparation for our trip to Conway for our MTB ride.  I arrived at the shop around 6 pm to get fitted with my new helmet light (thanks to Bob for the last few weeks of mooching)!  Once the troops were rallied, Bob, Sop, Jack, Michelle, Curt, Eric, and I all headed down I-91 toward Conway.  Rain was falling intermittently, and it gradually changed over to snow flurries as we exited the highway.  Eric had led the pack from the shop onto the highway, but once we exited 91 in Sunderland, he was nowhere to be seen (hint, hint:  foreshadowing of events to come!).  Our small caravan turned north onto route 116, stopping for a split second to pick up Mark, and then we were back on the road again.  The few locals who were out pumping gas had that “What the hell was that?” look on their faces, as we rolled through the gas station and then were gone as soon as we had gotten there.  Within a few minutes of climbing up the twisting turns of 116, we all made a left onto a dirt driveway…our destination was reached:  Walter’s house.  Walter and his wife Katherine were gracious enough to host a fun night of biking and supping at their gorgeous home in Conway for the motley crew, and the night that ensued was memorable to say the least.  Before I go any further, I must say a humongous THANK YOU and YOU RULE to the Goodridges' for going out of their ways to make us feel welcome and for being so darn cool!  Your hospitality is unparalleled!  Okay, so on with the tale…we pulled up to Walter’s house and those of us who had never been there were struck by how unique and beautiful it was, to say the least.  Gigantic stone steps, a bell tower, exposed post and beam construction…I could go on forever!  As we all got ready to begin our ride (which Bob assured would be “all uphill”), we realized that it was really cold, which took Curt and I back to our pre-ride discussion of the Degrees of Coldness Index…it was a “Really Freakin’ Cold” night, by our estimation.  We were all hoping that once we got moving, we would warm up and things would be okey-dokey.  As we turned out behind Walter’s house, we stopped to count the troops, and it was then that we realized…Eric was missing!  Apparently, he hadn’t made it up to Walter’s, and we theorized about where he had gone (and what would become of his dinner if he didn’t show up).  After a little bit of discussion, we figured we’d play it by ear if, perchance, he found his way.  So, we headed out for some wicked good riding…lots of smooth fire roads, with a LOT of climbing.  I have to say that I was very much humbled by these Conway trails…slow and steady uphills, which I am not used to at all.  Batchelor Street, where we ride most of the time, is a combination of primarily single track, technical and rocky trails.  I was out of my element, but glad at the chance to do something to challenge myself.  I was surprised at how smooth the ride was…we all seemed to go along without much of a problem.  At one point, I heard “On your left!” being yelled out to me, when to my surprise, Sop had actually flown up on my right, and we avoided riding into each other.  I think the fall on Halloween night in Montague has skewed his sense of direction!  After about 15 minutes of riding, the call came in…it was Eric, who, well, you know, I’m not sure EXACTLY what happened to him…hopefully one of the other riders will chronicle his misfortunes.  I DO know that we rode down a very large hill to meet him, and then we had to ride back UP it.  Poor Eric received a good round of ribbing from all of us for getting lost/held up, and we were on our way.  We climbed and climbed and climbed, and rode down a bit, then climbed some more.  The snow, which had persisted through the first 1/3 of our ride had stopped, and we were all doing great…until it happened.  “The stick”…more appropriately dubbed “the widow-maker” had its sights on Sop’s rear derailleur.  It was like the slow-motion sequence to a movie…we (Sop, Michelle, and I) were beginning to ascend a pretty tough climb…then the noise started…Michelle yelled out (in a valiant attempt, I might add) for Sop to stop…but all I heard was “Oh no!”  Yes, my friends, the stick had worked its way from Sop’s spokes up into his derailleur and then into his hangar.  Michelle yelled to me to have Bob and the boys to wait up.  Huffing and puffing, I made my way as far as possible on the bike, but the steepness of the hill was too much.  I hiked it up to the top, all the while sputtering out for them to wait and not continue on, that Sop’s bike had a problem.  I get to the top, and repeat the problem, and the next thing I knew, Bob was inspecting MY back wheel for damage, assuring me that I was fine.  “No, not ME!”, I said, “It’s Sop!”  Sure enough, not long after, Sop came up to the top of the hill with a bustified back derailleur/hangar.  That stick worked its way in there good, and the verdict was clear…Sop was done for the night.  With a quick call on the cell phone, Walter arranged for Katherine to pick up Sop on a nearby road, and so the pack split up.  We were sad to see him go, as he was having a great night up until that point.  Later on, at dinner, we all discussed how many derailleur's had bitten the dust during the season (well, okay, I listened while everyone else discussed)…Curt suggested Bob start selling insurance, Michelle came up with the idea of Bob selling derailleur's for twice the price on the trail when imminent danger strikes, etc.  Someone even suggested that Bob start memorializing all the broken derailleur's that passed through the door!  We finished the ride, looping up more hills and then coming back down.  At one point, Michelle alerted me to a stick getting oh-so-close to my gears, and I stopped just in time to save myself from going the route of Sop.  I started to whimper a bit as we climbed up yet more hills, but was glad to have folks in front of me…they all pushed me on, and I didn’t quit on the climbs for fear of disappointing myself.  I was happy that I made it.  After what seemed like a long while, we started our final descent, ending up in Walter’s backyard again.  We all high-tailed it inside, and most of us changed out of our wet, cold clothes.  Katherine had prepared a delicious dinner of tossed salad (or shrubbery as Bob called it), pasta with meat sauce, and the best garlic bread that I had ever tasted.  We all ate heartily, feeling content with our long ride.  We shared many great stories (the gypsies in the Vermont woods, nearly getting shot at by hunters, the guy who raised bear cubs, poor Siegfried and Roy), and the usual biking stories.  I was sorry that Chad couldn’t come (because he had to work so early on Friday morning…I think he was awake by 2 am), because it was really cool to spend the evening with such good company (and to know that we aren’t the only people with a slight biking obsession)!  We all dug in to pints of Ben and Jerry’s for dessert and talked some more.  Around 10 pm, with the wind really whipping up, we all said our goodbyes as we left Walter and Katherine’s abode to head home after a great night!  Thanks again!  (Submitted by Steph Castonguay)     

Sunday 11/16: After the wild weather that we have had this past week, today was relatively tranquil, if somewhat chilly. It was about 40 degrees at 1:00 when the group arrived. MaryEllen and I had gotten to the shop at 12:30 to get our bikes ready and soon there after we were joined by John Klem, Chris Dodson, Chris Koh, Curt, Homer, Margo Jones and Bad Bob Sagor. Everyone spent the next few minutes getting ready and selecting the right layers to wear. MaryEllen did not have anyone from her group show up so she decided to do a shorter loop down to Deerfield. After she left I led the riders out of the parking lot and then over to Turners Falls. I kept the pace pretty mellow as we rode down Ave. A to Sherman Street. After we all made the turn the group headed up Greenfield Road. I rode at the front with John right behind me and when we got to the top of the hill, looked behind to see that the group was pretty strung out. I then soft pedaled the rest of the way up the hill to the detour. The group was all together and as we rode along, Bad Bob asked about the bike I was riding. I told him that it was a Cyclocross bike and is used to race in the mud during the off season for road racing. At this point we were approaching the turn onto Turners Falls Road so I decided to give a Lance-like demonstration of the effectiveness of the bike by driving straight across a field. After the group made the turn I heard a few cat calls about my shortcut so I hid in the middle of the group for a while. As we neared the railroad bridge I could hear someone shouting from behind. I had my skullcap on under my helmet so it was somewhat muffled, but I thought I heard "Bob is fat!", which everyone knows means that someone got a flat tire. This was not however, the case. The voice I heard was Curt and he was calling for me to make a left turn onto the Montague Plains on our MTB route. But instead I motioned for everyone to stop at the roadside to see what was up. Myself, John and Bob stopped and at that point the rest of the group went sailing by. Ha Ha; My trio quickly got going again and soon we caught up with that jokester Curt. We rode through Montague Center and I once again took up the lead for the trip out to RT. 63. When I got to the highway crossing I could see that the pack was strung out a little bit so I soft pedaled for a little ways to let everyone catch on. When the group got together I sent John, Homer and Bob on ahead and I settled in for a slog up the hill. I rode at an even 17 mph pace up the to the town line and that effort left me in between the lead group and Curt's group that was following me. I rode up to the turn to Cave Hill about 100 yards behind the leaders and began the climb up Cave Hill. I managed to catch John at the Jackson Hill Road intersection and was able to close the gap on Homer and Bob, but I crested the hill behind them. I slowed a little at the top of the hill to cool down a bit before the 45 mph descent. (I didn't want to get chilled after the climb.) I coasted down the hill to where Homer and Bob were waiting and then I swung around and climbed back up the hill. When I saw Curt coming down the hill I turned and coasted back down again. When I got to the bottom of the hill I coasted through the intersection and then down Montague Road. Soon the rest of the group was behind me and we were riding along at a 19 mph clip. The group got strung out again so I let up on the hill into Leverett center we came back together again. At this point I could see that Margo was having some difficulty keeping the pace so I slowed the group a little on the way down to RT. 63. We crossed the highway and coasted a bit before making the turn onto Bull Hill Road. At this point I decided to switch places with Curt. Curt rode up with Margo and I had stayed with her while Curt went on to catch up with the pack. Margo and I kept a fairly good pace down the hill and onto RT. 116 and the group was still in front of us as we neared the center of Sunderland, but we got caught by a red light and when the light turned green again the group was out of sight. Margo and I had a nice ride back through South Deerfield and onto RT. 5&10. We rode together back to Greenfield and I rode with her back to her street where she turned to head home. I finished the ride back to the shop where the group was waiting. We hung around the shop for a little while but soon everyone headed out for their houses as it was starting to get a little chilly in the shop. It was a really nice ride on a great fall afternoon.  

Sunday, Nov. 16 Distance - 33.48 Average - 17.0 Ending Mileage - 2730 Today was my first road bike ride in over a month. The number of miles I've been riding has really been dropping lately, so I was a little concerned about how much I may have lost since my 'peak' in late August. Luckily, everyone else was in the same boat so I didn't have to kill myself to maintain a 20mph+ speed. 8 riders met at Bob's at 12:30 for the 1:00 ride. There was a lot of discussion about just how many layers to wear. My philosophy was 'the more the better', since I could always strip things off if I got to warm. I was aware that even at the same temperatures, this would be colder than a mountain bike ride once you factor in the wind-chill from the speed on the open road. Soon we were all bundled up and ready to roll. As we left the parking lot, Bob asked me to ride sweep on this cave hill ride. That was great for me, since now I could ride cave hill as slow as I wanted to and have a good excuse for going over the top dead last! I was feeling a bit chilly South of Turners falls, but one I warmed up past the water treatment plant I was fine for the rest of the ride. The group tended to stretch apart on most of the hills, but Bob would always slow his riders and let us all come together on the flat sections. After seeing Bob's off-road adventure, I yelled forward that he should turn left onto the plains mountain bike trails, but my voice didn't carry very well and everyone in the front of the group pulled over to stop, thinking that I was yelling that I had a flat tire. Well, that is ONE way to get to the front of the group! Soon we were on the little section of road that ties rt. 47 to 63. I spotted a Saab with 2 bikes on top coming towards us on 47 at the turn and it turned out to be John & Kate, probably on their way home from the Cyclocross races in NoHo. They slowed to say 'Hi', but declined to get out and ride with us. As we started the long gentle climb up to Cave Hill, Bob drifted back to tell me that he was going to pull ahead with his group, but they would wait for us on the other side of the hill. I stayed in the back of my group of 4 riders until I saw what pace they were comfortable with (14-15mph) then went to the front to pull them at that speed. That was too fast on some steeper sections, when I would look around and realize I was alone, but we were all together on the turn to Cave Hill. It was suggested that we stop for a drink before starting the climb, so we pulled over for a quick break. A few riders were surprised when I mentioned that this was where the climb started. They thought that what we had already come up WAS the climb. :(  We took our time up the hill. I rode up with Margo and had a nice conversation on the way up, which really made things go fast. Before I knew it we were at the top where we all took another few seconds rest before dropping down the other side. Bob had climbed a half mile back up the hill to meet us, but he turned as we raced past him, as did the rest of the riders lower down who had started pedaling back up the hill. We all rolled through the stop and headed down to Leverett. Margo was really starting to tire at this point. We dropped quite a bit off the back of the group but could still see them on the longer stretches. Once we turned onto Bull Hill road, Bob drifted back and told me that he would ride with Margo and I should head up to join the front of the group. Once I joined them, we picked the pace up and headed for 116. Once heading West on 116, we set up a double paceline (kind of... it wasn't really disciplined). I rode in the middle for a few minutes before Michelle and I ended up in the front. We were chatting as we took the pace up to about 25mph before she happened to glance back and realize that we had dropped the rest of the group. Oops! We all regrouped at the Sunderland light. I was the first one through and wasn't sure if there were going to be any 'town line games' so kept glancing over my shoulder. As we got closer to the line, I caught a glimpse of yellow jacket coming up on the outside, so began to sprint for the line. I denied Chris Koh the win, then spent the next few hundred yards trying to catch my breath. The rest of the ride through Old Deerfield went quickly. We were setting a mellow pace so had plenty of time to chat and just generally take it easy. I set myself up for the Greenfield town line sprint and Michelle decided to challenge me for it, but her foot popped out of her cleat as she began her sprint. We both backed off and just rolled across the line. Minutes later we were back at the shop. Bob pulled in alone a few minutes later, having ridden Margo directly back to her house. I really started to chill down now that we were stopped (and the temperature in Bob's shop was somewhere around the freezing point). Betsy and I hit the road so I could race home for a long hot shower

Sunday, November 16, 2003.  On this chilly morning, I met Liam, Sop, and Mark at Batchelor Street at the bright and early hour of 8 a.m. for some great mountain-biking in Granby.  As I arrived in the parking lot, the sun was just beginning to look like it was fully up, and Mark’s was the only vehicle in the lot.  It was about 25 degrees out, but it felt great due to the fact that there was NO wind (for the first time in a few days)!  After a minute or so, Liam arrived, and then Sop, rounding out our group of four.  I was looking very much forward to our ride, since it would be my first on our “home turf” since I went riding with Liam and the gang two weeks ago.  We’ve been doing so much riding up in the Greenfield area with the shop that we haven’t had much time to go up to Batchelor.  Being on familiar trails was exhilarating, as I was able to fall into my old routine.  I have to say, though, that every time I go up to Batchelor, I get more and more accustomed to the trails.  With that said, there are still many challenges, but it felt great to get back into the groove and know how to pace myself.  As I told Liam, Sop, and Mark, one of the challenges of Thursday’s Conway ride was not knowing what lay around the next corner, so it was hard to know when to conserve energy, and when I could go “all-out”.  After some friendly banter and the inspection of Sop’s new derailleur, Liam and I were trying to decide where to lead the group.  It was Sop’s second or third time on these trails, and Mark’s first, so Liam and I were the vets.  We decided to start up with Legacy, a nice single track studded with tree roots.  We got so excited about our ride that we completely missed the fork onto Far East, and were headed for the infamous (very technical) Entrance Exam, so we doubled back to the bridge, still unable to see the trailhead.  Once we turned around, though, we were able to find the fork and proceeded on our way.  We were breathing hard those first several minutes due to the coldness of the air on our warm lungs.  It was hard to catch my breath, but after some minutes of acclimation, I felt okay.  My fingers and toes, despite bundling up, still felt a bit cold as we started, too, although that would soon give way to toasty warm digits as we proceeded along.  I was grateful for the warm-up on Far East, as it boosted my confidence a bit.  Starting out on Entrance Exam is always a bit of a blow to the ego (at least for me) because it is very difficult on its own, never mind early on in the ride.  As we continued down Far East, I was tracking right behind Liam when I rounded a corner and saw wheels flying up in the air.  He had caught his tire on a jagged rock, and unable to clip back in to control it, found himself tossed on the ground, landing right on his hip.  He hopped around, obviously in pain, as the hit was pretty hard, at least from my vantage point.  After a moment or two, we kept going, Liam assuring us he was okay, but very sore (I suggested some ibuprofen would help when he got home, to which he agreed).  The problems continued as it became apparent that Sop’s chain kept popping off—probably caused by some adjustment needed to his new derailleur.  With any tension brought about by climbing, the chain kept slipping, costing Sop his momentum.  Despite that, though, Sop was able to deal with it, and ended up having a great ride.  We exited Far East, did a quick jaunt on the fire road, and looped onto Lost & Found for some more single track.  I was actually feeling pretty gutsy and attempted a few moves I’d normally be more hesitant on.  Luckily, I was successful, and my confidence boosted up.  We went down Twister, where I got stuck right before the boulder field/slick rock section, causing Mark to track to the right of the trail.  Unfortunately, several large branches caught him up, sending him tumbling to his knees.  He shook it off, and we plodded carefully through the split of trees and down more rock.  Although I still shied away from the split, I jumped on right after it and made it down most of the rocky section (which I hadn’t been able to do in a while), stopping only at a very dangerous section with several thick, twisted roots.  I surprised myself again that I stuck it out through this section, but felt really great after I did.  My confidence is coming back on the bottom section of Twister.  (Liam and I discussed how one bad tumble can really throw you for a loop, and I heartily agreed).  After Twister, we climbed up Main Access to Technical Trail.  I’ve only completed Tech. (in its entirety) twice, so I was interested to see how I fared.  I did pretty good on the descents, although the very steep section of slick rock toward the bottom freaked me out (again).  I always set up to the left of that section (the VERY steep part) instead of to the right, which is more passable.  I was frustrated at my mistake and tried to back up and ride it again, but got scared.  Alas, it wasn’t meant to be this time, but in the future, I have learned my lesson.  We stopped for a break at the bottom of Tech, and then continued onto Raptor which, aside from one very steep, grinding section, went very well.  We hooked up to T-Rex, then Em’s Gem, and finally Upper Access.  I have to say that it was AWESOME having the trails finally dry and relatively firm…what a difference from the muddy, slippery mess we’ve had to deal with lately!  We decided that it was time to start heading back because we all had other things to do that afternoon, so we headed up to finish our ride on Rollercoaster—one of my favorite ways to end a ride at Batchelor.  We stopped at one point to debate moving a small tree from the trail—a victim of last week’s wind—but decided against it.  More of a challenge for those with dual suspension bikes, I said.  We rode back to the parking lot at about 10:15, and to our surprise, there were so many cars that folks had double parked in the lot!  It looked like Batchelor would be a hot spot for riding today.  Mark still had one numb/cold foot, while Sop was feeling some of the same.  I, Miss Cold Extremities, was actually nice and toasty for a change!  We chit-chatted a bit more, and then all headed home to continue the day after a morning of great riding to start us off right! (Submitted by Steph Castonguay)

Tuesday 11/18: Today was another warm (for this time of year) fall day and I headed out to the Coke Plant to place some reflective tacks along the trail to see how they would work for trail markers.  I took Eddie the wonder dog with me for protection and we headed out to walk the trails at 2 o'clock. I walked the lower section of trail and put in the tacks as well as removing a lot of branches from the path. We worked for 1-1/2 hours, although Eddie wasn't much help removing branches. He kept wanting to play catch with them, so we headed back to the shop at 3:30. I finished the day at six o'clock when the group arrived for the ride. Joining me tonight was Steph, Chad, Mark Newton, Walter, Kip, Liam, Curt and Chris Koh. We left the shop and headed over to the trails behind Stop&Shop. I rode near the front to make sure that we all stayed together, which we did until we got to the steep climb up the rocks. Somehow Curt rear wheel became dislodged and he was left behind to fix it. He was behind me so I had no idea that he had a problem until we were all at the stop sign at Canada Hill. It seems that the battery that we loaned to Chad was not working very well so I switched batteries with him. Chad's jacket had no zipper on the pocket, so Walter loaned him his windbreaker. It was pretty warm tonight and most people had more layers on than they needed, so Walter was fine without the coat. After we got Chad ready, I gave a quick head count and discovered that we were one short. Chris Koh went out to look for Curt and soon he came back and told us what happened. When everyone was ready, we then headed over to the Coke Plant. I rode near the back of the group as we made our way to the truck turnout and then took the lead into the trails. When we got near the trailhead, I had Liam take the lead with Kip to see if they could follow the trail markers. For the most part the trail was pretty visible and the markers helped somewhat, but overall they seemed less effective than I had hoped. Part of the problem was that they were too high and I will fix that soon and re-test next time we are out here. The trail through the woods got pretty muddy near the end and most of the riders had to dismount at least on some of it. When I got to the end of the trail I directed the group up the Ridge Trail to Luke. I followed Steph up the hill and as we neared the crest I came upon Kip and Liam on the side of the trail. It seems that Liam had pulled his brake wire through the pinch bolt and he had no front brake. I stopped to make a quick fix for him. WRONG!! It seems that the head of the bolt on the brake arm had sheared off, leaving the bolt sticking out. I then went into MacGyver mode. I first had Liam take a water bottle bolt off his bike. That proved to be too small, so I dove into my 55 lb hydration pack and pulled out a 5mm bolt that did the trick. After a few minutes we were on our way. We re-joined the group at the top of Luke and told them of our woe, before heading out to ride the power lines down to Red Rock. After everyone arrived at the rock we headed down the Chute Trail. I think that everybody made it down this time without any difficulty. It seems that our trail maintenance has paid off. We then headed over to the Hill of Doom and everyone took turns going up. I was the last rider to go and for the first time in a year or so I made it!! Yea!! At this point Mark had to head back so he could pick up his daughter. I led the group out to Jacks Pond and then gave Mark directions for the shortest route back. After Mark left Walter and I led the group over to the Streambed Trail and began the climb. I wasn't interested in racing to the top, just making it all the way without stopping, which I did. At this point it was getting late so I decided to continue over to the end of the Crossover Trail and wait there. When all the riders arrived we decided to go down the Secret Trail and then head back to the shop. I led the riders down the hill and then stopped at the turn so that no one would miss it and end up over on Deer Run. After everyone had passed me I followed Curt and Chris down the trail. We got almost to Double Death when I heard a female voice say something like "Oh, shucks!!". When I got up to the origin of the voice, it was Steph. It seemed that a nasty stick had bitten her derailleur and bent it backwards in a fashion unseen even in this year of derailleur shredding. Curt and Chris had stopped to see what was going on but I quickly determined that Steph was not going to ride out. I sent the boys on ahead to alert the group to our predicament and to send them on their way back to the shop. I removed Stephanie's chain and we headed down the hill. She was able to coast and get a push from me out to the roadway. Once on the blacktop, I pushed her along on the flatter sections of road, and she coasted down the hills. Steph's brakes were jammed so she couldn't coast all that fast and I really got a workout when I pushed her on the flats. Steph and I made it back to the shop in time to enjoy some refreshments before the group headed off to their homes. It was a really nice night for riding, with the warm temps and no wind, it felt more like spring than winter. 

Tuesday, November 18th: We all gathered tonight at the shop for a trip over to the Coke Plant. It was a surprisingly warm 45 degrees, so we were able to leave the cold weather gear behind. The nine riders took a route that was new to me over to the plant, riding a trail that followed the top of the ridge between 2a and Turners Falls. My bike was feeling a bit 'odd' tonight. I was never able to put my finger on what wasn't right, but all night I had the feeling that it was riding a bit squirrelly, darting back and forth on the trail pushed from side to side by every little obstacle. I was riding sweep (by choice... really!) on the top of the ridge just before the descent back to the roads when my rear wheel hit a rock and jumped right, banging hard into a tree. I came off the bike and lost half my light as my headlight battery unplugged. I didn't yell ahead for Stephanie to stop since I thought I would be rolling again in a second. I lifted the bike to spin the pedals by hand so the chain would pick back up only to notice that the rear wheel had fallen off!! Plus, the pedals wouldn't spin since the chain was wedged between the chainring and bottom bracket. It ended up taking a few minutes to plug the light back in, pull my chain out from where it was sucked in by the bottom bracket, then put my wheel back on. By the time I got back on the bike, the rest of the riders were long gone, having abandoned me in the wilderness to fend for myself. I lived there on that ridge for several years, feasting on small animals, whatever nuts and berries I could forage and Gu. I took shelter in a crude hut made out of grass and sticks. Loneliness set in, so I named my bike Nigel and passed many long winter nights in stimulating conversation with it. Sometime later, when I realized that rescue was not coming and that my friends had long given me up for dead, I began to make plans to fight my way back to civilization on my own. I headed North, navigating my the stars in the night sky and, after guessing at a turn, made my way down to the road and the group of riders who had just now noticed that I was missing. We made our way over the Coke Plant then turned into the trails, riding along a section that Bob had just marked with reflective trail markers. I think they worked out pretty well. We didn't really need them tonight with Bob yelling out directions from the back of the group, but they would have been very valuable to anyone trying to follow the trails who wasn't familiar with the system. We did a few sections of climbing that brought us to the bottom of Luke. Liam and Bob had fallen behind when Liam had a mechanical problem. We all waited at the bottom of the climb for a few minutes before deciding to get a head start to the top. It was a long but not too tough climb. I got to the top feeling pretty good. While we waited at the top, we tried each other's bikes a bit and spent the time chatting about tires, pedals and convincing Walters that he had to buy the K2 Razorback that he was test riding tonight. Eventually Liam and Bob joined us (Liam's front brakes had busted, but Bob had the bolt required to put things right). We rode over to the power lines (past Homer's Favorite Log, now missing since it was vandalized by some miscreants) to Red Rock where we all enjoyed the chute. Minutes later we were at the bottom of the Hill Of Doom, planning our attack. I was feeling ready to give it a good shot, but only made it about 1/4 of the way up before my bike steered itself off the trail and I had to stop. From there we had a long climb back up to the water tower, then started down the secret trail. This trail was a little indistinct, so it took a little effort to pick out just where to turn. This would be a good trail to mark sometime with some of Bob's reflectors. About halfway down the trail, the derailleur god demanded a sacrifice and Stephanie was offered up. We know it was a holy event since, search as we might, we saw no sign of the blessed stick that did the damage err... bestowed the blessing. Once the god was appeased, we all knew that we were safe from further harm. We honor Stephanie for her selfless act. Bob, the acolyte of the gods, performed his part of the ritual by pushing the now helpless Stephanie down the trails, out of the woods and all the way back to the shop. I wonder if this roadside assistance service is factored into the price of a new derailleur? Back at the shop, we wound down with beer and conversation sprinkled with tails of Arizona, Cacti and acts of Darwinism in the American Southwest.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003.  By now, I’m sure you’ve all figured out that when I write a ride report, it tends to be…well…for lack of a better term: long.  Today, I save your poor straining eyes by submitting this ride report.  Coke plant + hidden stick = broken derailleur + Bob’s taxi.  See ya’ll Thursday!  (Submitted by Steph)

Thursday, November 20th:
am·phib·i·ous
Pronunciation: am-'fi-bE-&s
Etymology: Greek amphibious, literally, living a double life, from amphi- + bios mode of life
a : relating to or adapted for both land and water
b : able to live both on land and in water

Bob's route on the Deerfield ridge tonight was well planned. First, some running water down an old road, to get us over that initial fear of getting wet. Then, for the next few miles a series of small ponds running from edge to edge of the trail. Bob opted to ride right through the middle of these, so like a bunch of lemmings we followed happily along. At times, the water was so deep that our shoes were submerged at the bottom of each pedal stroke. After getting us used to this, we headed for the more serious hazards. Standing water filled with leaves, sticks and potholes to add a little adventure to the crossings. This is where I went from 'wet' to 'soaked' and learned that 6" waterproof socks are no good when you put your foot down in 14" of standing water. It felt strange biking with one foot warm and dry and the other foot pretty much in a water balloon, but I fixed that soon enough by putting my other foot in water almost up to my knee. We left the water for a bit to climb up to the overlook at the top of the ridge, but didn't stay long, since the wind against our wet biking clothes cut like a knife. I guess Bob had finally tired of getting us wet, so to keep things fun decided to end the ride with 'Mud Mile'. This trail really lived up to its name. Long stretches of squishy slippery mud hidden under a layer of wet leaves. We all pretty much managed to ride this section in style with one a few dabs of the foot when the ruts pulled us in the wrong direction. Back at the cars everyone had to head out pretty quickly. This was good for me, as I had left all my dry clothes in my bag back at the shop and was cooling down quickly now that I wasn't generating much heat

This is the photo that Katherine took today at Batchelor Street. There were 16 riders who showed up for a really nice ride on a beautiful fall day. After the ride we were treated to a feast at Ms. Castonguay's house. We also got to see some of the video that Homer shot on the trails.

Sunday 11/23: Today was my first trip to the fabled trails off Batchelor Street in Granby. We left the shop at 1:00 with Curt and I in the van and Michelle drove with Betsey and ME behind us. We arrived at the parking spot but it was full so we had to park on the street. After everyone arrived we gathered for the photo on the homepage before hitting the trail. It was quite a chore getting 16 riders ready and it was 1:25 before we actually began riding. Stephanie, Chad and Liam were the leaders and I dutifully took up sweep. We rode out of the parking lot along a jeep road which took us to the single track about a half a mile later. The pace was somewhat brisk for some of the riders but everyone seemed to do just fine. I rode with Sam for a little way and she seemed to do pretty well on the wooded trails but seemed to find the rocky sections more difficult. I rode along a little ways and soon I came upon the group at a turn. After everyone had arrived, Liam took us on some more fairly rocky trails. As I neared the turn onto a trail I heard a "Bob is Fat" coming from the woods ahead. Yep, there was a rider ahead standing aside the trail with the front wheel off the bike. It was Curt and as soon as I got up to his spot I hopped off the bike and helped him fix the flat. As soon as we got the tire re-installed, we headed up the hill to rejoin the group at the top. After a musical rejoinder to Liam, the group began the climb up the Technical Trail. This trail proved to be a real challenge to the majority of the riders. I managed to ride some sections, but I did a fair amount of hike-a-bike on the tougher sections. The riders got split up a couple of times, but we all managed to find our way back to the main group. I encountered a man that I have done quite a bit of road riding as we were waiting at a turn, he smiled and made a 250 lb comment, that I took to mean that he was less than pleased with the large group. After he passed, we headed down some really rocky trails that I was mostly able to ride, but I wisely dismounted on some of the sketcher sections. My only mishap was when I misjudged a narrow passage and wailed my shoulder into a tree. Eric was right behind me at the time and he had to dismount to get by me. After a three point check of the personal equipment I got back on the bike and headed off to finish the trail. As I neared a really rocky section, I heard an "Outta my way" from behind. It was Liam and he was trying to clean a favorite section. I obliged and he soon was down the hill and out of sight. I finished the trail, more or less, and made the reunion with the group a little later. At this point it was getting near "Beerthirty" and some members of the group were more interested in the upcoming fare at Steph's house than the next trail challenge. I think that Liam took the hint and soon we were wheeling down the trail and heading back to the parking lot to where ME, Katherine and Betsey were waiting. They had just gotten back themselves and it didn't take long before the riders loaded up their bikes and we all were on our way to Chad and Steph's house. All that is; except for Eric, it seems that he missed the caravan over to Chad's and Steph's house. After we arrived at their house, I got a call and it was Eric looking for directions. After Eric arrive we commenced to party on the wonderful food and refreshments that were provided for us. It was a really nice day, topped off by a great meal and deserts. (Harold makes a great apple pie, maybe he missed his calling.)

Sunday, November 23rd: Stephanie invited us all down to show us some of her favorite trails on Bachelor Street today. There was quite a turnout with 16 riders showing up for the ride. Betsy, Mary Ellen and Katherine came with us and took a nice hike while we were out on the trails. After a quick round of last-minute repairs, we hit the trails. This was a 'high tech' ride. I had my GPS with me to map the route, and this was the first trial of Michelle's new helmet cam. The first part of the ride was over smooth singletrack. The trails tended to go along the side of most of the hills, or take the easiest route to the tops, so our warm-up was nice and gentle. Just as I was starting to feel good, I hit a small stream crossing and managed to get a pinch flat. The cries of "Bob is Fat" echoed through the hills. The road riders knew just what had happened, while the mountain bikers were wondering if I had developed a sudden case of Tourette's Syndrome. Bob rolled up while I was taking the front wheel off and between the two of us we managed to change the tube in just a few minutes (though things did take longer due to the muddy slippery tire). The trail gradually became more challenging. At one point, I had to put my foot down but had a problem unclipping so ended up slamming my knee against a rock as I toppled over. I believe this was the only blood drawn on the ride. Just a bit later we were at the bottom of the technical trail. This climb was a series of rocky tricky sections that I found to be a nice walk. We were motivated to continue on lest we get caught by the siren song of Bob's singing from behind us. Going down the other side was the same. I was a little too tentative about riding some sections so ended up walking them. I KNOW that if I just let go of the brakes, I would have swept right through without a problem, but knowing it and being able to trust the bike and DO it are sometimes two different things. From here on, the ride became a series of technical sections tied together by smooth sweeping trails. This was some of the most technical trail I've ridden on for almost a decade (since I've been off the mountain bike for so long). I would have to ride trails like this quite a bit more before feeling confident on them. It looked like the last section out of the trails was going to be a nice easy ride, but the terrain gradually became more and more tricky until it ended up being one of the most difficult sections of the whole ride. At one point, I saw Walter's bike go bouncing down the trail in front of me. Later he showed us all his cracked helmet that had saved him from a trip to the hospital. My overactive imagination was showing me movies of me vanishing off some of the drops, not to be found for days, so I walked quite a bit of these narrow, twisting and rocky sections. After one last stop to regroup, we rode a nice easy trail back to the starting point. Most of us took Stephanie and Chad's offer to end the day at their house for some great food, beer and conversation while Michelle replayed some of the highlights of the ride on her camcorder and I mapped the ride from my GPS onto the laptop. Thank you Steph and Chad!

Tuesday, November 25: OK, I guess I've got to admit that this was not my favorite ride of the season. The trails were new to me, and a bit too technical to have fun on when I didn't know them. Also, climbing is my weakness and this ride had a LOT of steep technical climbs on it. All in all, I was getting frustrated having to walk most of the climbs, then pick my way down the technical descents. Before the ride started, I wasn't feeling 100%. Even before I got to the top of the first climb up the ridge, I knew it was going to be a grind for me. After the first couple of falls, I lost all of my confidence and was tense for the rest of the ride just waiting for the next tumble. A lot of the flat sections were narrow and winding along the edge of sharp drops. Not the kind of place to really enjoy yourself if you are sure you're going to take a tumble at any moment!

Thursday, November 27 Distance - 33.02 Average - 18.6 Ending Mileage - 2763.6

Ten riders showed up for today's Thanksgiving Day ride. Nine of us started from the shop, then we met Walter on the road as he came towards us from his house. We kept the group together from the shop down to Old Deerfield, but then things started to pull apart after we did a little climbing South of town. By the time we got to Rte 116, the main group was down to 6 riders, with a few others still in sight behind us. Bob was looking like he expected a challenge for the town line on the East side of the bridge over the Ct. River and I didn't want to disappoint him so I pulled out to give him a run for his money. I timed it right and was able to pass him before the line, but paid the price for my sprint by being out of breath for the next few miles. The route was flat for the next several miles, so we set up a paceline and kept the speed high. Once we were on 47 heading North again, we caught up with Roger and a few other riders who had ridden this part of the loop backwards to meet up with us. I never looked back to see if they tried to catch our wheel as we went by, but several minutes later our group was still only six riders so they must have dropped off at some point. I was setting myself up for the next town line sprint, keeping an eye on Bob. It turned out that I was watching the wrong person. Mark pulled past me with enough speed that I didn't have much of a chance of catching him before the line. I gave it a shot anyway, but despite my best try he rolled across the line with plenty of room to spare. We kept the pace pretty high all the way back to Turners Falls, but a few of the riders in our group were starting to crack so we dropped the pace down just a bit as we came into town. Finally, we were on the last climb over the ridge between Turners and Greenfield. I started off on this climb at a nice easy 13MPH, but shifted down a few times as I got into the climb and soon was pushing pretty hard on the top part of the climb. As I came close to the top I heard Mark say something from behind about Bob closing the gap, so I knew that I had to defend my position. I shifted down again and really dug in as I saw Bob's wheel come up beside me. I managed to hold my own and we rolled over the top of the hill for a photo-finish at the crest.

Thanksgiving: We had our usual Thanksgiving day ride today and this year we were blessed with sunny skies and warm temperatures. (Unlike last year when we had 11 inches of snow on the day before Thanksgiving.) I arrived at the shop at 9:45 with ME and we were met there by Roger and Curt. The riders were unloading their bikes when we were joined by Chris Dodson, Mike S., Rick T., MPM, and Peter Truesdell. Before I left I called Walter and arranged for him to meet us in Deerfield. As people were getting ready I gave them the revised route, which was the Plumtree Road ride in reverse. At 10:00 I led the group down High Street at 15 mph. There was a very light wind from the west and soon the group made its way down to Deerfield. As we turned onto Main Street the group got strung out and ME dropped off the pace. We continued down Mill Village road and we picked up Walter who rode down from Conway. As we got to the hill Peter, Roger and Mike had dropped off and before we crossed the highway they were not in sight. I led the riders down North Main Street and onto Sugarloaf Street. I took the lead down Sugarloaf Street and at this point Chris dropped off the pace as well. When I made the turn onto RT. 116 I thought that I would try to sneak in a town line sprint, so I picked up the pace down the hill to the Sunderland Bridge. As I got to the bridge I looked behind and I saw that Curt had glued onto my rear wheel and when I ran out of gas half way across the bridge, Curt sprinted right by me to the town line. Curt continued ahead of me and he rode straight through the intersection. At this point I must have lost too much oxygen because I forgot that the plan was to continue on straight on RT. 116 instead of turning right onto RT.47 as usual. (Now along with "Bob is Fat" we will have "Bob is Stupid") After shouting "right turn" a couple of times, I regained my senses and realized that we were indeed to continue on through the light. When everyone got through the lights we formed a double pace line down to Plumtree Road. When we made the turn I took the lead from Rick and we sped down to RT. 47 where we turned right. We rode a short way when we came upon Roger, Peter, and Mike who had ridden south to join us. We rode only briefly with them as the pace was pretty high and they dropped back. The plan was to do the ride in two hours and at the pace we were going, that was going to be hard to do, so I picked up the pace after we rode back through the center of Sunderland. We kept the pace pretty high as we got to Falls Road where we picked up Chris Dodson as he was riding along ahead of us. I took the lead as we passed the pond and was looking at the scenery when Curt and MPM went out for the sprint. MPM took the sprint and soon we all were hustling to catch up. The pace went way up after the sprint and we all kept taking turns at the front as we made our way over to Ferry Road. I motored up the hill and when all the riders had made the turn we then set our sights on home. Everyone really was hammering as we pedaled towards Turners Falls and it was really an effort to keep it going. We took a little respite at the stop sign at the fire station, but we still had some more work to do to get back to the shop in time. Walter turned left at the fire station to head back home while the rest of us headed for downtown. At this point I was starting to feel a little punk from all the effort and I stayed in the middle of the group as we pushed the pace down the Third Street Hill to the traffic lights. After we got through the lights, we crossed the river and headed up Esleeck hill. I stayed right on Curt's wheel and we finished together at the top. We then headed back to the shop and we made it just at 12:00. Jamie and Curt and the rest of the crew headed for home and I waited for the remaining riders to return. After everyone arrived, I then headed for home and a nice dinner made by Helen, ME and Mic.

Sunday 11/30: Today I went up to Hawley to do a ride through the trails of the state forest. I rode up to the fire house with Chris Koh and we were met there by Walter, Gary Fenton and Mark Newton. It was pretty chilly when we arrived and there was a light dusting of snow on the ground. After we all got dressed we left the parking lot to head for the Snowshoe Trail. I led the way past the beaver pond and up the hill to the turn. The trails were pretty wet and there was a lot of mud as well. We rode all the way down to South Road where we regrouped. I did very well on these trails as I had 30 psi in my tires and there were not a lot of riders in front of me so I could keep a distance between me and the riders ahead. This allowed me to slow up if someone got off on the trail and I made it the whole way on my bike. After a brief pause we headed off to the Periwinkle Trail where Chris Koh took some photos that are on the photo page. I rode part way up the steep section but it was pretty slippery and I didn't have a chance. After the steep section, I was able to keep a good pace and ride the rest of the way down to Hunt Road. (I did not ride down the rock!) After getting to Hunt Road we rode down towards Moody Springs. Along the rode we met a couple of people trying to cut up a large tree that had fallen across the way. I offered to help and soon Mark and I were shoving the log out of the way. The couple were very appreciative of our efforts and soon we were on our way. After we made the turn onto the Chute Trail I followed Mark and Walter down the hill. As we neared the bottom, Chris came up behind me and I let him pass. I was following him down the rough section and where the trail narrowed I tried to follow him, but my handlebars were just a little wider than his and I clipped a tree. I was OK, but my left shifter is in need of repair. As I neared the bottom of the climb, I came upon Ed Ralicki and Ryan who were resting at a trail head. They come down the hill and we chatted for a few minutes before they headed off on another trail. We turned onto Middle Road and headed up the hill. This is a long climb and I was pretty cooked when I finally made it to the top of the Kiln Road. It was a nice ride on a great late fall day. After getting back to the parking lot we loaded the van and headed back to the shop.