Ride Page

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

Sunday 11/4: It was a cool and blustery day and I showed up for the road ride at 12:30 to find that only one rider had showed up for my trip. Ron Johnson and I decided to do a 25 mile loop out through Montague. I rode in front of Ron as we made our way down to Sunderland and then back to Greenfield. We kept a 19 mph pace and although it was tough at times we had a good ride. 

Tuesday 11/6: It was a cool, crisp night with a brisk wind for our ride tonight, but we had an energetic group show up for the trip to the Coke Plant. Joining me was Joe, Liam, IP, Penny, Jack, and Mark Newton. We left for the coke Plant with IP leading and we all rode over to Gill Road and then crossed the highway to the trails. I rode along in the middle of the group to the truck turnout and then I took the lead as we headed into the trails. I took the group on a different route  through the trails which led through the swamp and out to Five Points, where we regrouped. It is neat to see the lights weaving in the forest as the riders make their way down the trail. After everyone got a little rest we set out for the Orchard Trail with Joe in the lead. We followed Joe on a track that led us over to Double Dip and then back to the Orchard Trail and when we got to the fire pit we stopped to plan out the next route. I thought that it would be fun to ride all the way up Red Rock Road  to the turnaround under the high tension tower. Penny said that she would ride up to the Crossover Trail and then meet us at the top of Luke. I told her that I would ride up with her, so the rest of the riders headed out with me and Penny following. Penny did very well on the climb and we made it over to Luke well before the rest of the group arrived. Our next route was for the boys to take the Secret Trail all the way to the bottom and then come back up Luke to the water tower. IP and Penny did not want to travel that far down the hill so I offered to take them over the shortcut to Luke, which cuts out about half of the descent as well as the rougher sections of the climb. The wind has blown most of the leaves off the trees and onto the trails and we found the traction to be less than great, so IP and Penny wanted to avoid any chance of crashing. I let the boys go out ahead and I followed Jack down the hill to the turnoff where I waited for the girls to catch up before heading across to Luke. I led Penny and IP back up Luke to the water tank where we waited until I saw the lights from the boys comming up the hill. I then sent Penny down Crossover and IP and I headed out to the power lines and then down to Red Rock. Now, I assumed that everyone was following the planned route, but somehow Jack missed the turn and when IP and I arrived at Red Rock, Mark came along and said that he had not seen Jack. I knew that there was not much point for us to go looking for him since he was familiar with the trails and I knew he would find his way out. When the rest of the riders got to our position we then headed down to do the Hill of Doom. I rode with Penny and IP down the road while the boys took the Chute. I rode over to the hill, but did not make it up due to the slippery leaves. Penny was waiting at the top of the hill and when the boys showed up we headed off to finish our loop. Mark rode with Penny and I, while Joe and Liam did a longer loop. We rode over to the Ridge trail and then back out through the swamp where we hooked up with Joe and Liam. We all rode out to the trails behind Lillian Street and then back to the shop. It was a cold night, but everyone had dressed properly, and we all enjoyed the ride. When we got back to the shop we found a water back that Jack had borrowed, so we knew that he made it back safely. It was a nice ride for all.

Thursday 11/8: I have been doing these rides now for 8 years and I am always amazed at how dynamic the group is. I have noticed that there are quite a few new "regular" riders and that some of the people who came in the past are not coming so frequently. This is what these rides are all about. We get people skilled at riding and then they can go confidently out on their own or they form their own groups. It is great to have new people as well as some of the "old timers" on our trips. 
    Enough of that! Tonight we had Jack, Penny, Homer, Joe, Kip, Mark (who got a late start and caught up with us on the trail) and me along for our ride in Montague. As is the custom, Joe took the trail through the meadow and I led the remaining riders on the road to the Telephone Pole Trail. My group made it up the hill to the fire pit in no time and we arrived there just ahead of Joe and Kip. After a brief discussion we decided to stick together and ride over to Willis Hill. I picked a route that took us out to the second-first-left and then out to Jon Parrott's favorite trail. Joe rode at the front of the group and I followed just enough behind him to holler out the turns that he should make and then I stopped to wait for the rest of the riders to get close enough to see my lights, before I continued on. This worked great, because everyone got to ride at their own pace and we stopped at frequent enough intervals so that the last riders to arrive got a chance to catch their breath before we continued. It was supposed to be a cloudy rainy night tonight, but when we got out onto the plains we had a crystal clear sky above us, and although it was pretty chilly, we had another great night for riding. We paused for a moment to take in the view before continuing on. My plan was to ride straight out to Willis Hill Road, but because it was so nice out, I took a little longer loop out in the open so we could enjoy the night sky. I kept the group moving along the trail until we got out to Wills Hill Road, where we stopped to rest before climbing the hill.  After the rest Joe, Kip and Jack took off ahead of me and they rode up the right side of the hill, while I and the rest of the group stayed on the left side, which is not as technical a climb. I rode up the hill to the rock drop-off, where I had to dismount due to the leaves and loose rock, but I managed to ride all of the other sections up to the last pitch where I stopped to wait for the rest of the bunch. When Joe arrived, he continued on, all the way to the top of the hill. Kip gave it a try, but he did not make it. Everyone else including me, decided to pass tonight. After Joe got back down to where we were, we then headed out to the swamp and then over to Red Rock. I led the group through the swamp and then over to the turn where I waited for everyone to pass before I continued on. I followed Homer up the hill and we were doing fine on the descent until Homer slipped on a log and fell pretty hard. She got up right away and wasn't hurt too badly and we soon got going down to where Penny was waiting. When I arrived at the rock, I could see the lights from Joe and the others as they made their way back up the hill, having ridden down the steep trail to do an additional loop. I took Penny and Homer over to where Joe was and he said that the boys were still on the other side of the hill and that they were waiting to see which way I was going to go. I asked Joe if he would be willing to go get the boys and bring them over to the brook crossing where I would be waiting. He agreed and soon we were all back together at the brook. At this point it was getting late so I headed the group back towards the power lines. Joe, Mark and Kip wanted to do a little longer ride, so they headed off on a different route, and I took Penny, Homer and Jack back down the Telephone Pole Trail to the road. We then headed back to our cars to load up for the ride back home.

Saturday 11/10: I had to work this afternoon and I did not get to go out for the ride. Penny, Diane, Phillip, and Rob went out for a 25 miler. I will publish a report if I can get Penny to submit one. We decided to do a nice, calm ride. We headed down High St and it didn't take Philip long to lose us. Rob led us down through Old Deerfield, through South Deerfield and out to Whately. I tried to take the lead occasionally to give Rob a break, but I guess he's just a stronger rider than I am. I would love to tell you the roads that we took, but haven't got a clue (you know, lack of any sense of direction and all). I know one of them was Mill Village Road. I had a little problem with low blood sugar here, but GU'd myself up and we continued on to South Deerfield where I stopped to get a candy bar, but because of the slight nippiness of the day we couldn't hang out too long. Diane did awesome. We all stayed together to make it a very pleasurable ride (we got to do some chatting with each other, and everyone knows how much I like to chat). Well, it wasn't a "Bob" report, but I guess it'll have to do. (SUBMITTED BY PENNY)

Sunday 11/11: Yesterday a friend of MPM named Glen came into the shop and started to talk about some new trails that he and MPM had worked on up at Dubuque State Park.. As he was talking I thought that maybe we should take another trip up to Hawley and see what was going on, so I sent out an email and the ride was on. I arrived at the shop at 11:00 to get ready and after I got my bike together it was time to go. Glen had told us that there were a few unstable individuals up in the hill towns and they might not take a liking to the shop van being parked up there so I decided to carpool up to the start. Joining me for the trip was Jack, Rob and Kyle Lapointe, Homer, Rich Flye, Joe, Vern, Chris Koh Kip and Glen (Kip and Glen met us up there.) and after we loaded the bikes we were on the way. We drove to the Fire house where we  unloaded our bikes and started to get ready to ride. It was a clear but cold day with the temperature right at 32 degrees and the wind was blowing quite briskly. Everyone bundled up and we quickly got under way. We followed Glen and Joe down the usual route past the kiln and up the hill to the Notch Trail. We took the left turn instead of the right and rode down the hill on the trails that Glen and MPM had worked on. It was quite nice and we made good time down to South Road where we re-grouped and where some of the riders shed some of their heavy clothing . When everyone was ready, Glen took us down the Culvert Trail which loops back around to South Road again. Glen was really good about waiting for everyone to catch up, as the larger group meant that some folks we a goodly distance behind. I for one, found that if I got too close to the rider in front of me I often did not get a good look at the trail ahead and had to make sudden shifts or brake sharply, so I let a gap go between myself and the man in front. After we all got to the road, Glen told us about the Bridged Trail, and it sounded fun so we went off behind Glen to ride it. At the beginning of the trail there was a lot of the usual singletrack, but as we got deeper into the woods, we came upon a series of bridges across some marshy sections of trail. These were similar to the ones that are found along several trails up here, but the last one was a really nice elevated bridge that crossed a peat bog and was really a work of art. When we all arrived at the end of the trail we marveled at the work that has been done up here by IMBA and the Americorps volunteers as well as other users of the trails, they are all to be commended for their contribution to our sport. After the bridges trail we headed out for Wall Trail, which is a pretty technical loop that crosses a stone wall several times before bringing us back out to the road again. We paused at this point to let everyone catch their breath and as we were resting, Kip came down the road to join us. It seems he got a late start and he had been following our tracks when he happened upon some hikers who saw us go into the trail and he followed the road to where we came out. After a brief pause Glen took us out on Periwinkle and then down to the South Hawley Trail. I like this trail as it is a nice singletrack through some hardwood forest and then into a pine grove that reminds me of the trails in the Pacific Northwest. We rode to the end of this trail and over to Gould Meadow where Glen was to show us a new trail called Gravity Buster. This is a really steep drop that heads down a steep hill towards the washed out culvert and features a nasty little drop through a grooved rock at the start. I was not interested in testing Newton's law so I along with Homer and Jack took the alternative route around that trail. I have been on this trail several times and I find that it is one of the most beautiful little trails that I have seen in this area, so I had no trouble passing on the "thrill of descent"! When we got to the bottom of our trail we had to ride up a fairly steep hill to where the rest of the riders were waiting for us. after  brief pause we then took a really technical trail that leads us back out to Gould Road and then up to the meadow where we rested for a few minutes. At this point Glen wanted to take the Vietnam Trail back up to the start. It is a favorite of his and MPM's, but I thought that some of the riders were getting tired and they might be better off if I took them back on a shorter return route. We agreed to split up at the Middle Road/Hunt Road intersection. I took Kyle, Chris, Jack and Homer with me and we headed up the hill towards South Road, We met up with the hikers who had helped Kip find us but who themselves had gotten turned around and now need our help in getting back to their car. I gave them directions and we continued on our way. We rode at a steady pace out to South Road and then we headed out to Plainfield Road which led us back to the fire house and our cars. As soon as we got back to the parking area,  Homer fired up the 4 Runner and Jack and I got in to warm up. Kyle got into his dad's truck and passed out on the front seat. Chris Koh had to get going so he headed for home in his car. We waited for about 20 minutes before the rest of the crew arrived and as soon as the bikes were loaded we thanked Glen for his help and then we headed for home. It was a really spectacular ride on a beautiful fall afternoon. 

Tuesday 11/13: It was a crisp cool day and when the sun set it got downright cold, so I wasn't surprised when only three people showed up for the ride. Penny decided to bail when no other women showed up and then Joe volunteered to lead the ride so that I could go do some paper work. So, at 6;00 Joe, Liam and Mark Newton left to do a ride on the ridge. I will publish a report if anyone writes it. (Editor's note: It has been brought to my attention that Penny did not, in fact "bail" on the ride, she simply decided to let the boy's have an easy ride by themselves.)

Thursday 11/15: It was a sunny warm 60 degree day here in Greenfield and for November in New England, we will take as many of these as we can get. I left the shop with Brett and Brad in the van and a caravan or three cars behind me. When we got to Montague we got the bikes unloaded and then got ready to go. Even though it was warm, all the riders had brought their warm duds, as the temperature tend to drop dramatically as soon as the sun sets. The riders for tonight's trip included Kip, Penny, Joe, Homer, Mark C., Rich Flye, Jack, Bret, Jamie and myself. Joe, Kip, Mark and Rich did a ride up to Wendell while I took the rest of the riders on a ride to the Plains. We followed our usual route up the Telephone Pole Trail all the way out to Northfield Road. I had Homer take the lead for the next leg which is the Second First Left out to Jon Parrott's Trail. We kept an even pace along this wooded single track trail and soon we were heading down the Banked Trail. I like to be either the first or last rider on the berms, so that I can set my own pace, and since Homer was in the lead I took up the last spot. I waited until everyone's lights were off in the distance and then I took a goo rip down the trail, catching the higher portions of the banks as I motored along. I arrived out on the power lines soon after Penny did and I had Homer take the lead again. We rode down the Jeep Trail to a trail that takes us out to Willis Hill Road. We paused for a moment in the woods before I took the lead and headed our troops up the hill. I rode at a steady pace and I did not make it over the rock section again this week. That makes two weeks in a row that I have not cleaned that section of the road going up the hill. Next week I will make it for sure! After I got over the rock, I got back on my bike and rode the rest of the way up the hill. I was having a hard time seeing the trail again this week due to the fact that I forgot to charge my battery for the helmet light and I had to rely on just the handle bar light to see the trail. When you don't have something that you are used to, like the light, it seems that you just don't do as well. Anyway, I got to the base of Willis Hill and waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. When Homer got up to where I was, she was having trouble with her eye. It seems that she got some mud kicked up and got a piece of it in her eye. I applied my first aid skills to the situation and using my water bag I managed to soak her shirt and the shock of that caused the offending mud to fly right out of her eye. A job well done, if I do say so myself. After the medical procedure was completed we all agreed to head up the Kiabuckus Trail. I did have some difficulty making out the trail due to the leaf cover and the aforementioned light situation, but I managed to find the turn and I began the climb. I rode up the hill without any hesitation and when I got to the top only Jack was with me, so we stopped at the end of the trail and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. At this point it was getting a little late so I decided to take the Mixing Bowl Trail down to the power lines. I was in the lead for a short distance, when I heard Jack say that someone had fallen, so I stopped to see if everyone was alright. When I turned around, whoever had fallen, had gotten up again so I started back down the hill. But before I could get going, Jack passed me and I took up the position behind him. We only went a short distance before Jack hit a log under the leaves and he fell off his bike. He did not get hurt and he got right back on his bike and heading down the hill in no time. I followed him down to the bottom of the hill to the left turn onto the trail that takes us out to the power lines. After we got over to the Toilet Bowl Trail, I took the lead again and everyone followed me out to the Telephone Pole Trail. I led the way back down the hill and to the hard top road where I stopped on the other side of the road to direct the riders across traffic. I then followed Brett back to the center of town. We all enjoyed the ride, which turned out to be a 90 minute loop, on a beautiful fall evening.

Saturday 11/17: It must be snowing in Beermont 'cause some of the snow bunnies came down to the tropical paradise of Greenfield for the road ride. It was a crisp 40 degrees under sunny skies with a light north wind when our group arrive at the shop. One of the first to show up was Tom Martyn and John Bentley. Tom came into the shop and was all excited about riding in the warmth of Massachusetts, (The state should figure out a way to charge them for using our warmth.) until he realized that in the excitement of the trip planning he forgot to pack his shoes. He was sort of bummed and he came into the shop to tell me of the dilemma and to ask if I had any shoes to loan him. Real fortunate for Tommy that he was smart enough to grow his feet to be the same size as mine, so that I could loan him my magic boots. I gave him a  pair of my special favorite boots to use and after a quick pedal change, he was all set to go. I went out to the parking lot to where the rest of the riders were waiting and I found that the crew today included QN, Homer, Penny, Steve Finer, Rick McCulloch, Malcolm Moore as well as the above mentioned duo of Tom and John. My plan was to do a 25 mile ride and I wanted to something that was not too hilly, so I came up with the Bull Hill ride as our trip for today. The Bull Hill Loop is actually 31 miles but I felt that we could do it, given the large number of riders to share the work. We left the shop and headed over to Montague and after we crossed the canal I turned right and rode over to Ave A. I looked at the temperature on the bank clock as I made the turn onto the avenue and we had a balmy 43 degrees as we headed south. The group stayed together for a short while but by the time we got to Sherman Drive we had lost Penny, Steve and Rick. After Sherman Drive we headed up Greenfield Road where we turned right and rode through Montague Center. I did a fair amount of the pulling up to this point but the boys from the north took over on the way through town and I got to draft off the large group all the way out to RT. 63. After we made the turn onto RT. 63, Homer took the lead and promptly dropped everyone. She steamed up the hill and put the hurt on us all. I chased up to her and had her slow down a bit until the rest of the group caught back on. As we rolled along I had to point out to Malcolm some of the modern features that we have down here in Massachusetts, like high tension power lines and street lights. He was impressed with our technology. We rode down RT. 63 at a brisk pace with everyone but me doing the work. I did manage to sprint up the hill to the railroad bridge ahead of everyone, but that was just my way of getting warmed up. After the hill I waited for all the riders to catch back on and we rode over to Bull Hill and took a right. We headed down to the Sunderland town line where Malcolm sprinted for the line ahead of me. After that we all headed down to RT. 116 where we took a right and rode to the center of Sunderland. I cautioned the group about the scarfed roadway ahead, and when we got to the lights I went ahead to ride the "pave" at a good speed. After we got to the bridge I again got snookered by Malcolm who took the Deerfield town line sprint. I rode up to that rascal and told him that I would have no more of that. We rode up to Sugarloaf Street and from there we headed to the center of South Deerfield. I took the lead as we turned up to North Main Street and I rode along at a 19 mph pace, but I got overtaken by Malcolm who came up the sidewalk and cut in front of me to take the lead, That boy was using every trick in the book to keep me down on the farm. At the end of North Main Street we crossed RT. 5&10 to Mill Village Road, which we followed all the way to Old Deerfield. We cruised through the village and then back out to RT. 5&10. John got the jump on the group crossing the highway and I then had to hammer pretty hard to catch up to him. I followed John up to Woolman Hill where Malcolm and Tommy took the shortcut over the hump and pulled in front of the group and promptly pulled away from us. As soon as I saw what was happening I took off and did a 28 mph pull to catch back up to them. Then, just as we go on the bridge I went again and sprinted to the town line in Greenfield. Tommy nipped me at the line but I was not going to let Malcolm take three sprints in a row from me. After we got onto Deerfield Street, Malcolm and Tommy pulled ahead again and they rode back to the shop together. After the daring duo left, I slowed down and rode back to the shop with QN. I had a great ride and it was nice to see so many people come out for a ride this late in the season. Has anyone seen Jorge?

Sunday 11/19: It was a little warmer than yesterday and I was expecting a good turnout for the ride. It is so nice out that I just couldn't imagine that people are not out enjoying the weather. I got ready at 1:00 and then went out to join the group that was waiting in the parking lot. Joining me was Paul Cyr-Mutty, Homer, Joe, and Chris Koh. It was a smaller group than I had thought, for such a nice day, but I guess that is to be expected this late in the year. It was pretty windy today, so I proposed that we do a flatter 31 mile loop down to Plum Tree Road in Sunderland. After giving the route directions, I led the group out of the parking lot and down High Street. As we just got past the hospital, asked Joe if he had locked the shop door when he left. He said that he didn't and offered to go back and do that. He said that he would catch up with us on RT 5&10, so he turned around and headed back to the shop. I continued on at a modest 18 mph pace down to Deerfield Street. We crossed the highway and headed south into a very brisk wind. I kept the pace at 19 mph for most of the way down to old Deerfield, where Paul took over the lead. Paul led us up the hill past the butterfly museum, where I again took the lead. It was really tough riding into the gale force wind and as I got down to Channing Bete I wondered if Joey was going to be able to catch us all by himself. I turned to Paul and said that maybe we should go back and get Joe and let Homer and Chris continue on by themselves. Paul agreed that we should go back, so we turned around and headed north. We rode back down to Mill Village Road before we saw Joe comming our way.  Paul and I turned in front of Joe and when he caught up to us, I picked up the pace to 22 mph and we set off to catch up with Homer and Chris. We rode down to Sunderland and took a right onto RT. 47 and headed into the headwind again. We all took turns riding at the front and we pushed as hard as we could and even with that we did not see Homer and Chris until we got to Plumtree Road. We caught up to them on the hill and soon we all were heading down to RT. 116 where we crossed and started to head north. We rode together down to N. Silver Lane where we turned right to bypass the construction in the center of town. We kept a good pace over the top of the hill and then down to RT. 47 where we turned right and headed towards Montague. I suggested that Joe, Paul and I take RT. 47 and that Homer and Chris take Falls Road, and everyone agreed to meet back at the shop. I followed Joe and Paul as we headed up the hill to Gunn Road and then Joe took over the lead and we were steaming along at a pretty good clip. When we got to the end of RT. 47 we turned onto RT. 63 and headed north to Millers Falls. I was getting a little tired at this point so I told Joe and Paul that I was taking the shortcut around the hill in Millers Falls. Paul said that he was joining me and we turned off and let Joe head on to do the hill by himself. Paul and I rode over to Millers Falls Road and then back to Turners Falls. We saw that slug Vern as we headed down to the lights in the center of town and he tooted as he passed us. I took it easy after we went over the canal to Esleeck Hill where I kept the pace at 13 mph all the way up the hill. Paul and I were the first to arrive back at the shop and it was a 37 mile ride at 20 mph average, a good effort given the conditions. Soon after we got back we were joined by Joe, Homer and Chris who finished from different directions. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the outing and I will continue until the snow falls.

Tuesday 11/20: Tonight I had the usual Coke Plant ride for our trip and we had a pretty good size crowd come out. It was a pretty warm day today but as soon as the sun went down it got really cold, really quickly. Joining me for the frosty affair tonight was Dylan Law, Chad, Mark Newton, Joe, Homer, Penny, Jack Rice, and Liam. We left the shop together and when we got to the traffic lights, Joe and Liam turned off to do the trails behind Stop&shop, while Mark led the rest of us over to Gill Road. We followed the usual route to the truck turnout. When we arrived at the turnout we decided to split up into two groups.  I took Penny and Homer up the Mud Road and Mark led the rest of the crew over to the swamp trails. We met up again at Five Points where we paused for a moment. I joined Marks bunch for the ride up the Ridge Trail to Luke, while Penny and Homer took the Mud Road over to Red Rock Road. We planned to meet up at Red Rock and hopefully we would have Joe and Liam with us by then. I followed Dylan and the rest of the riders up the hill to Luke where there was a slow down due to the slippery leaves covering the rocks. Everyone was having trouble with traction tonight, because the rain we got earlier today made the leaves slippery as well as the fact that we now had freezing temps which made the wet leaves icy as well! We headed up Luke to the water tower and then out to the Power Lines and from there we rode down to Red Rock where we were joined by Penny and Homer. At this point we still hadn't seen Joe and Liam, so I decided to take a different loop than we usually do, to see if we could find them out on the trails. We rode around for quite a while and never saw their lights, so we decided to head back out through the Orchard Trails. We rode over to Double Dip with myself in the lead and when I crested the second hill, I heard Joe call out. I yelled back to him and then we headed down the to Streambed Trail, where Joe and Liam re-joined the group. At this point we were getting a little tired so we took the Streambed Trail to Deer Run and then we climbed up Stinger to the Ridge Trail. I mentioned that we hadn't ridden out to the stone wall in a while and that we could avoid the fallen tree in the swamp if we took that route. Everyone agreed that was a good plan and we all headed off for that trail. On the way down the hill, Penny fell down pretty hard (I think she did a endo.) and so I waited up to see if she was alright. When she got down to me she said that she was fine and so I led her and Homer out onto the trail. Neither of them had ever been on this route and they really enjoyed the loop. The trail takes us out to the far edge of the conservation land and then back to the Lillian Street Trails. We rode the usual route back to the highway, well most of us did anyway. It seems that Joe missed the left turn that takes us back to RT. 2 and he as well as all the riders except Homer, Penny and myself we bushwhacking it through the woods. This misadventure eventually cost Mark a couple of spokes, as he caught a stick in his rear wheel and ripped out two spokes. He was able to ride the bike after securing the loose metal and the boys caught up with us just before the last turn. We all rode across the highway together and then we headed back to the shop. 

It was kind of a lean week for me as far as the rides went. I did not ride on Thanksgiving day due to my traveling to my sisters house. I was busy in the shop on Friday, so I missed that ride. (Which I really wanted to do.)  I wanted to ride on Saturday and Sunday, but it rained both days so I did not go out. I need to make a better plan. Some folks did manage to go out in the rain, an the report is below.

Sunday 11/25: This is a ride report for Sunday, November 25^th.  It was a drizzly but warm day as we headed for the Notch for our hopefully Zen-like ritual of cardio-bombing leg-torture.  Wait, I really enjoy this stuff, almost as much as I enjoy creating hyphenated word combinations.  Along for the trip (now I’m starting to sound like Bob) were Joe, Mark C. and John…err..uh..Jim Humphrey, back from the wilderness around Kalamazoo, Mi. (Where the trails are flat and rimmed with really nice tree-stands…look out Bambi, here comes another hyphen!).  At the Notch visitors center we met up with Curt Golec and “The guy on the Litespeed” (please pardon my Reaganesque memory lapses with names, especially if you are  “The guy on the Litespeed”).  I should include here that if the guy leading your ride is “A guy on a Litespeed”, chances are pretty good that your sorry carcass is going to get worked all over the mountain.  (For the uninitiated a Litespeed is both light and speedy, light because its made of titanium and speedy because its really expensive and you’ll look like a total poseur if you own one and don’t carry ready-to-serve cans of whup-a*s in your Camelback.)  We started the ride by crossing over to the Notch side of the road and out to some singletrack, which was beautifully covered in wet leaves.  In my fervor to stay close to Litespeed, Joe and Curt, I enjoyed my first crash and burn episode of a sure to be action-packed afternoon.  Lucky for me, in the same way as an ant can fall out of a tree and not get hurt, I can usually fall off my bike and not get too damaged.  So its back on and bring up the rear, Kip.  We go over some up, some down, some roots, some turns, some slip…unghh..oh crap!…get back up Kip.  Try to catch up, try to catch my breath. Then we come to a fairly steep climb and I can see the riders in front of me, and hey, they’re not that far ahead of me.  Yeah right, only about 4 or 5 switchbacks ahead!  I catch up to Jim and Mark who have spun out on the leaves and are doing the smart thing and pushing their bikes till it gets a little flatter.  Feeling extra-manly I pass them and groan my way an extra 45 feet or so up the trail before spinning out myself.  Luckily the first three riders are stopped at the next intersection waiting for us.  We could tell them we were attacked by dingoes, but our overall lack of bite marks would give us away, so I just say “Whew! Some climb!”, while everyone else thinks to themselves “Yes, Kip, that’s why its called Mountain biking”. On we go up some more slippery slopes with Jim, Mark and myself trying to stay within a reasonable distance of the other three.  This means we try to arrive where they are waiting before they get worried and come looking for us.  Joe twists his “Northshore knee” on a log and we catch up again.  It is then decided that we should go over to the trails on the other side of the Visitors Center as they are less leaf-covered.  After I bounce off a large tree (oak, I think it was, by the bark imprint on my thigh) its out to the road via a long downhill loaded with great whoops.  Woo Hoo!  Little boys love to catch air, my wife says it’s a guy thing, but needless to say we were all smiling at the bottom of the hill. Out on the road we go, down toward Atkins Farm and I feel like Homer Simpson as I repeat “apple fritters” in a zombie-like voice.  We stop in the parking lot and see that Mr. Litespeed has a cut in his tire, and it is decided we will ride back up the road to the Notch, replace the tire and try the other trails.  Fifteen or so minutes later, we’re back at it, dropping down waterbars on a trail that’s probably for hikers only.  When the trail turns upwards, its hike-a-bike most of the way up, then on to some really twisty rooty singletrack that probably has a cool name like “Really Twisty Rooty Singletrack Trail” or something.  From there, we ride more singletrack through some darn nice looking woods, all the while hearing gunshots that seem to come from nearby, although we never find out where. The rest of the ride was still more singletrack, with some really cool rock gardens and some not-so-cool streambed hikes, a cool log-clearing double quadriceps cramp from Jim and a spectacular sounding (didn’t witness it) crash from Curt. Back at the parking lot, the most profound thing I could manage was ”Cool ride”. Someone made some comment about “let’s do another lap!” as I thought quietly to myself that I was probably the best guitar player on today’s ride…we must all take comfort in what we can do. 

Respectfully submitted by Kip Dresser

Monday 11/26: It was a beautiful day today and I decided that I was going to ride no matter what happened. I did my chores around the shop and at 2:00 I got onto my Kestrel and headed out the door. It was 63 degrees outside and I wore only shorts and a short sleeved shirt as I headed out of the parking lot and down High Street. It was marvelous to be out at the end of November, on the road bike, wearing my summer gear. I took the usual route down to RT. 5&10 and after crossing the Cheapside Bridge I took a left onto River Road. It was a little windy and I had to work pretty hard on the hills, but I was able to keep a 19.5 mph average all the way to the Sunderland Bridge. After I turned right onto RT. 116 I got the full force of the southwest wind and my pace slowed considerably. I tried to keep a good cadence up as I pushed into the wind, but I had to up-shift to keep the rpm's up. (No, I did not use the ornamental device on the inside of the crank arm.) I made the turn onto RT. 5&10 and got the benefit of a tailwind and my pace picked up noticeably. As I headed north my average speed kept going up and when I got to Old Deerfield, I had a 21 mph average. I kept the speed going all the way back to Greenfield where I slowed down a little. I rode up Deerfield Street to Washington Street where I turned right. When I made the turn onto Washington Street, I had a 20.5 mph average for the 23 miles that I did. After I climbed the hill to Russell Street and made the turn onto Hope Street, I caught up with Jaybird, who was just spinning back to his dry cleaning shop next door to the bike shop. We rode together and when we got back to Bicycles Unlimited, I showed him the proper way to make a left turn. (You can ask him about that one!)

Tuesday 11/27: Penelope, Penelope, where fore art thou Penelope. This was the hue and cry from the gathered crowd at Bicycles Unlimited tonight. It seems that the star of the show was missing and the adoring masses were not to be consoled. I did my best at explaining that the diva was in fact ill and at home, but nothing seemed to quell the tumult. Words like "bailed", "wimp", "slacker" and the like where hurled from the masses, and it was only my ability to redirect the attention of the riders that got the cacophony quieted down and we were able to get going on our ride. Joining me tonight was Joe, Liam, Ruth (Penny's dearest friend, heartbroken because of her absence.) Homer, Jack, and Mark Newton. Our group split up with Joe leading Mark and Liam over to the Coke Plant trail and I took the rest of the crew with me. It was a warm night for this time of the year and we were able to wear just light jerseys and tights for the trip. We headed over to the trails on the usual route and when we got to the trails we headed through the swamp and then up the Ridge Trail to Luke. The recent rain had helped a little with the compacting of the leaves, but there were still plenty of slippery spots on the route. I stopped along the trail at one point to see how much of the rain had made it to the soil, and when I moved the leaves, I found that the ground was still pretty much dry. I rode up Luke at a good pace, and I found that the traction was pretty good although I found a couple of sections were a little dicey. After we got to the top of the hill we headed out to the power lines and then down to Red Rock. I stayed with Ruth to help her avoid some of the hazards along the route. (This would have been done by Penny, if she had not taken ill today.) When we got to Red Rock we paused to allow Homer to take off her jacket, and then we headed down to Jacks Pond. I rode in the back of the pack and Jack led down the hill. When I got to the dried up Jacks Pond, I saw that Jack had crashed in the mud and was just getting back on his feet as I passed. I guess that the name of that place is really appropriate! We all met at the top of the hill and then we headed through the orchard to Double Dip. At this point we still hadn't seen Joe or his group yet, so we headed over to the Streambed trail to see if we might catch them coming down that trail. As we got near the turn, I noticed some lights coming down the Red Rock Road and I hollered over. It was Joe. He turned and joined us for the ride up the Streambed Trail. I found that the trail was a little slippery in spots and I had to stop about half way up, when I slipped on a hidden log. I rode up to the top of the hill and then we all took the left onto the Crossover Trail which we followed to the top of the Secret Trail. When Joe and Liam arrived from their longer loop, we al headed down the hill to ride the Deer Run. I waited at the bottom of the Secret Trail to make sure that everyone made the turn and when all the riders were in sight I took off to head down to the Deer Run. I made it over the log and onto the trail, when I decided to look behind me to see if all the riders had made the last turn. When I looked back forward I was headed for a stick protruding from the leaves. You can guess the rest. The stick went right into my front wheel and I was on the ground faster than I could say OUCH! I did the check and was soon back on my bike and heading along the trail to where Joe was waiting. I did a shake out at the meeting point and all was well, so we continued on. I led the group over to Red Rock Road again and we did another trip over Double Dip to the Mud Road. We then rode over to Five Points where we re-grouped. Joe led us out to the old cellar hole and I followed Ruth along that path. Ruth did pretty well on this one although she fell several times. I asked her if she was OK, and she said that she was having a good time even though Penny wasn't here. I followed Ruth out to the foundation turn and then I took the lead and headed the group out of the swamp and onto the trails behind Lillian Street. We followed the usual route back across the highway and then back to the shop. It was a fun ride on a warm fall evening.

Wednesday 11/28: It was another 60 degree day here in sun valley, so I decided to go out for a little ride. I left the shop at noon dressed in shorts and a short sleeved jersey, and headed north to Bernardston on RT. 5&10. I rode into a headwind all the way to the center of Bernardston where I took a right onto RT. 10 and headed towards Northfield. There was a crosswind as I pedaled up to Gill Road and I had to work pretty hard to keep a 19 mph pace. When I made the turn onto Gill Road, I had a tailwind helping me as I climbed the hill on Main road and I soon was flying down the other side of hill towards Turners Falls. I rode across the Gill-Montague Bridge and then over to the Greenfield Road hill. I finished up the 19.5 mile in just one hour. I was glad that I had the chance to get out and enjoy the unusually warm weather.