bikebob@crocker.com

Sunday 11/1: I was at the shop early today so that I would be ready for the road ride. As 1:00 came and went it was just myself, Irene, and Paul Cyr-Mutty who were set for a blustery ride. Today was a carbon copy of yesterday, with a brisk northwest wind and temps in the low 50's. I think that these are the days that differentiate the cyclist from the rider.
We set a course that started out into the wind. My plan was to ride up Rt.5&10 north to Rt. 10 and then over to Rt. 63 south. Then I was planning to ride Rt. 47 south to Rt. 116 north to Rt. 5&10 north and back to the shop. This is about a 40 mile loop and is a pretty good route because there are not any long or steep climbs, just a few rollers and a couple of short pips. I knew that Irene was interested in about a 25 miler at a 14 mph pace and my plan was to turn her early and get her back to the shop about the same time as Paul and I, but after about 10 miles Irene started to feel the strain of riding into the wind, and she headed down Adams Rd. for home. I hope that she was not intimidated by the fact that there were two men and her. After Irene left Paul and I ratcheted the pace up a bit and we soon were riding at a 24 mph pace. We rode together for most of the rest of the trip, but I couldn't keep it up and dropped off in So. Deerfield and rode back at about 18 mph. Boy was I whooped. I haven't been this trashed in quite a while, and when I was this trashed, it was usually after a tough win, not a training ride. Well, I guess I have my work cut out for me.

Tuesday 11/3: Election nite; Did you vote? I did, and I was back to the shop in time for the ride. It was a chilly nite with the temperatures in the high 30's. Along for the ride up the ridge was Alex, Matt C., Jesse K., Jeff R., Dave M., Doug H., and myself. We left the shop and rode at a moderate pace up the steep hill to the white dot trail and then to the parking lot at Poet's Seat Tower. From there we headed along the ridge to the blue dot trail. I then headed down the trail to Bear's Den Rd. where we encountered the work of the IMBA trail terrorists. It seems that John Dudek, in his infinite wisdom, decided to make "repairs" to the steep descent. What happened was he and his henchmen made a perfectly good trail impassable. He did not even bother to use the guidelines from IMBA to construct his waterbar. We quickly moved on and finished our loop without further mishap. The trip back along the red dot trail was brisk and somewhat chilly. We stopped and turned off our lights several times to take in the view provided by the full moon. It is really nice to be out in the woods on a night like this. The quiet and beauty of the scene can only be experienced in person, so come out next time there is a full moon. You will be hooked.

Thursday 11/5: There was three rides to choose from tonight. John Friends led a group of riders that included MPM, Lori, Jim, John Carney and several others on a trip up Pocumtuck Ridge. Doug Chiasson, Pete H., and Putnam went up on Rocky Ridge. I and CTD led the ride on the Montague Plains. We had Dave M., Steve D., Dave C., Matt C., Alex S., Cathy, Tommy, and Pat Heider and a friend of Tommy's whose name I have forgotten.
    I was in quite a rush tonight as I was planning to attend a wake for Paul Kawecki who passed away last night. Paul was a nice kid who rode his bike as transportation as well as recreation. I knew Paul as a customer and as the husband of Erin Wallenius, the daughter of a dear friend of mine. Paul leaves a daughter and many friends and relatives who miss him dearly.
   The ride left from the common in Montague Center at 6:30. Alex and Matt set a pretty brisk pace on a cold (35 degree)November night. We made our way up the telephone pole trail an turned into the woods when Matt stopped suddenly up ahead. When I arrived he showed me a broken seatpost and asked if I could help him fix it. Unfortunately, his post was broken in such a way that even my magical powers couldn't rescue him. He and Alex turned around and headed back to their car and the rest of our crew headed out for the Toilet Bowl Trail. We made good time with Dave and Steve leading and we were out to the Willis Hill climb in no time. CTD and his bunch were following and we could see their lights off in the distance as we made our way up the hill. Dave M. led us on a serpentine route to the top of the hill. We stopped there to let Dave C. warm his hands. It seems that he had underestimated the effects of the cold and wind on his hand and feet and was starting to get chilled. I should also mention that Dave C. was the only rider in shorts, burr! After Dave was warmed we  headed out to find CTD. We rode over to the red rock and it was there that we could see CTD and his bunch flashing their lights down on the power lines below us. We made our way down the hill to them and I said that I was going to have to rush back to the van at a pretty good clip to make Paul's wake. Dave C. and I said goodbye to the crew and we sped back to our cars. I was glad to make it tonight, I never like sad events and riding helps me put things in perspective.
    Thurs. night south ridge ride.  MPM, Lori, Jim, Brendan, Dave P, John C.,his friend Matt and (myself) John F. were alive an accountable, at the start.We left from the EBS pool lot, took refrigerator. up, across road to trail & fire road and up the Rock.  We rode down the ridge to Pocumtuck nature preserve.  Dave P. took the quick route home for pizza night leaving us at 7 total. Then went down CT. river side trails and looped back to north and stopped at Clapp pond.  After many bad MPM jokes we continued across stream (MPM rode across broken bridge that no one ever rides across) and down to the power lines.   We then did 20 minutes or so going up the "Stair Master" to arrive back at the top of the ridge.  Everyone faired reasonably well.  Matt had been running earlier in the day & Brendan had played 2 hrs of squash so their legs rebelled a bit on the climb up.  Lori almost ran right over them.  From top of power lines we went down the other side, and I foolishly tried to keep up with MPM only to put multiple holes in my clothes and
various raspberries all over.  Matt & Brendan made me feel better by also testing their lights in the upside down bouncing position.  We finally made it down the power lines and returned north on County Rd. and then back up the EBS hill to parking lot.
John Friends

Sunday 11/08: Today's ride was hastily arranged yesterday. I have been busy with a number of projects last week and it was Saturday before I knew it. Steve Daby came in after the road ride and told me that he and Dave M, wanted to go to Pisgah State Park for a 20 miler. I called around and found out that most people were open to that, so it was set.
    I left the shop at 10:00 and headed for Northfield where I joined up with the crew that included Marte, Geoff, and Lyle Augusto, CTD and Maxine, Herbie, Peter C., and Dave M. We headed for the parking lot on Rt.119 where we got out bearings and set out for the trailhead. The first part of the ride is mostly fire road and some jeep trail, but it was a pretty mellow ride. When we got to the second turn, Dave suggested that we take a side trip around Fordam Pond. this was a pleasurable singletrack/road trail that brought us out to the road where CTD and Maxine were coming up. It was at this point that Maxine said "how nice it is to ride on nice roads". Dave then said that we should try the Dogwood Swamp Trail, since that would lead us right back to the parking lot. Well things started out pretty good, but the trail soon turned into a barely a foot path. We rode and walked about 5 miles and although I really enjoyed it, CTD and Maxine had a difficult time. The only saving grace for them on this ride was the fact that it was a beautiful day and the scenery was magnificent. We rode back to the parking lot where CTD had our usual refreshments for us to enjoy.

Tuesday 11/10: Today I rode with the kids at Bement and I was ready for an easy ride tonight. I was just getting ready to go out when the rains started about 5:00. It was a light rain and I would have gone but, as 6:00 came and went with no one else in sight, I went home.    

Thursday 11/12: Today was the last day of practice for Bement. I took the kids for a nice ride to the Montague Plains. We rode from the power lines to the Knarley Hill climb, which I did not make. (The hill was covered with wet leaves.) We rode over to the "mixing bowl" for some fun riding in the dirt bowl. After a run down the "Toilet Bowl Trail" we headed back to the van and then back to school.
    After a quick change of clothes, and a couple of chores at the shop, I got ready for tonight's ride. John Friends had wanted to do the North Sugarloaf ride. I haven't been on this route in quite a while so I was looking forward to it. I loaded the van with bikes belonging to me, Eric S., Alex, Matt C., Pat H., and Keith  Waiting for us on North Main St. was Dave M., Steve and Lori, MPM and John.  It was a brisk 35 degrees as we rode up Hillside Rd., but we were quickly warmed up as soon as we hit the hill.  I was hanging back and riding at a moderate pace because I knew what was coming and I wanted to ride to the top. We entered the park at the East Hillside Rd. gate. From there we headed straight up the mountain. We were forced to dismount to crawl under a huge tree that had blown down, but soon we were back on the trail and headed skyward. I started passing people as we got into the knarley stuff near the top, and I thought I was going to make it, but I started to cramp as the last rise was just in front of me. I was bummed!! I had forgotten that I had let a customer use my bike and I had lowered the saddle for him. It was just enough that I couldn't get full range of pedal stroke, and boy did I notice the difference. When I got to the top Pat let me use his Alien to raise my saddle and I was all set. We followed the trail down the East side of the mountain and we made good time doing so. There is really a beautiful view at night, so I paused at a couple of points to take advantage of it. I was near the back with Pat and Lori behind me when my helmet battery fell out of my pocket and I had to stop and fix that up. When Pat, Lori and I finally reached the rest of the group, MPM was saying how the rest of the ride was going to be an easy middle ring ride. Now I haven't been up here in a while, so I thought that maybe there was a new trail, because as far as I knew the trail went almost straight up. I was right, it was the famous log drop-off trail that Lori found just a couple of weeks earlier. The trail is very narrow and rocky with many slippery roots thrown in for fun. I was pretty pooped and only made it part way up the hill. I walked most of the rest of the way and even that was a chore. After we made it to the cut off trail we decided to head down to the water tank trail and then home. The ride down a hill is always a treat after all that work, but the cold made me take it a little slower than normal. We all arrived safely back at the cars and headed for home.

Saturday 11/14: Had to cut our usual 25 miler down to a 20 today due to some other commitments on the part of the leaders but never the less, we had a great ride.  Becky and I took off with a great group.  Corrine and Ron, Cathy B., Joe P., and Irene M., at 1:00pm.   Headed out at a nice leisurely place of about 13 mph west on Silver St which with a few turns took us past the Greenfield Swimming Pool, onto Plain Rd, and eventually to the covered bridge at the pumping station in North Greenfield.  Took Barton Rd into Bernardston made our way to Gill over some great back roads and back home through Turners.   The weather was great, a bit chilly but we all dressed for it.  No bad incidents, just a great ride. Hopefully we'll keep these going and expand our group each time out. All abilities are invited but we gear these rides to new people or those just out to burn a few calories and have a great time without having to bust butt.
On the road and loving it....Steve & Beck

Sunday 11/15: Today's ride was to be hosted by Jim Williams and Richard Gougeon and we planned to do the Hawley State Park ride.It was warm 55 degrees out and I really thought that this was going to be a big ride.  I left for the shop at 10:00 and after loading my bike in I was surprised that only Alex S. and Matt C. were waiting to get a ride up to Hawley. We left at 10:30, as planned and rode up to Hawley, where Jim and Richard were waiting. We got our bikes out and waited for a few minutes to see if anyone else was going to show up. Seeing no one else, we decided to head out and ride some of the trails that the West County Riders have been building for the last couple of years. This bunch which includes Doc Warner, Tom McCrumb, Jim, Richard, and many others whose names I haven't gotten yet, have been taking care of and building a really nice set of trails. They have put a lot of work into this project and they should be commended. The route we took today was a pretty basic dirt road that turned into some pretty sweet singletrack. The terrain was pretty easy with a few steep pitches here and there. There is some very difficult terrain nearby, but we stuck to the newest trails which are mainly near the top of the mountain. I found the trails to be well thought out and nicely groomed. There are lots of sections where their crew lined the trail with dead fall and rocks to keep you on track. The places where the trail passes through stone walls, the rocks were carefully removed and the wall shored up to prevent any damage. All the trails were done in such a way as to minimize any damage to the environment. I was particularly impressed with the bridge that they made to cross a small brook. It was done in such a way as to not interrupt the natural flow of water through the section. We rode for about three hours and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. After a brief stop at the beehive kiln, which is worth the trip by itself, we headed back to the cars, and then back to Greenfield.

Tuesday night's ride was canceled due to rain and the fact that I have a cold.

Wednesday 11/18: I went out for a road ride today. I left the shop at 2:00 on a loop through Montague down RT. 47 to Sunderland and then back to Greenfield through Deerfield. It was a nice sunny day with a gentle breeze and I had a great time spinning along at a 20 mph average. The route was 25 miles in total and although it got chilly as the sun went down, it was a very nice ride.

Thursday 11/19: I had planned to ride the North Sugarloaf ridge tonight, but no one wanted to go that far with rain in the forecast, so we decided to ride the Rocky Ridge in Greenfield. Along for the trip was Doug H., Dave M., Keith S., Pat H., Joe and me. We headed out from the shop under cloudy skies but no rain. As I made my way up the first climb Doug said he thought he had a flat. So as I got to the top of the hill I looked at his tire and saw he had a huge nail in it. Dave came over and we changed the tube. We were soon on our way and caught up with Keith, Pat and Joe at the parking lot at Poet's Seat. we all headed for the ridge in Temple Woods and followed that to the turn before Sachem's Head. We rode down the hill to Bear's Den Road  and then over to Joe's Rock. After we got down to the trail again it had started to rain. Dave and Doug decided to head back to the shop while the rest of us completed the loop down towards MPM's house. It was now raining steadily and we made our way back to the shop on the Red Dot Trail. Even though it was a chilly night, we had all dressed for it and no one suffered any ill or mishap. It was, all in all, a good ride.

Sunday 11/22: Dear Bob,
Skipped your early Montague Plains ride; and slept in.  Nothing personal, getting up early for Hawley was hard enough..  Maybe next time. I did do North Sugarloaf, the trail is in great shape. I couldn't get under the Hemlock; or whatever that was, lying across the trail.  I think, if I got WAY back behind the seat and kept my head down looking at the ground, it's MAYBE just possible to squeak through there without a "dab".  But I wasn't interested in getting hurt, finding out. I got hung on the birch log after that. No excuses, should have made it.  keeping to the far left, I see that as challenging(for me) but make-able. Surprisingly, I only stopped once in the rocky "riverbed" section. The steep part, maybe halfway up, that usually kills me.  No exception this time.  But again to my surprise, I made the tougher, lower section.  There's just one last very steep little stretch with roots, and I just ran out of gas.  The roots would have killed my momentum and left my back tire spinning..  but it didn't have to. I was blown when I got to it. I took a few minutes, and caught my breath and restarted just above the roots; and went the rest of the way up non-stop. Yes, huffing and puffing like a Cho-Cho looking for a golden book...but I made it.  I like to ride past the overlook to the south "drop", and turn around and come back and stop at the overlook.  That's a tricky little piece of riding, too.  But today it went smoothly. The ride down was great, no stops except to squeeze under that hanging tree.  All in all, a challenging and satisfying ride.  I need to do it more.  Obviously I'm just not up to the physical/fitness level that makes this ride possible with no stops.  But I can see it's "possible". This was on the Raleigh, no front shocks, so my arms and shoulders got quite a workout on the way down.  Like a jackhammer. No rear suspension means more slipping and breaking free, too; going up.  But I'm not kidding myself.  What I need isn't just hardware.  It's time on the bike and hard rides.
Take care Bob.
I appreciate the email notices.  You know me, I like to ride alone a lot of the time.
(The above report was submitted by Uncle Mic.)
Sunday 11/22: I had originally planned a ride for Hawley State Forrest for today but my guides were not able to make it.   I re-scheduled the trip for later this year or early next year. Since the shop is open for the next four Sundays I decided to ride over on the Montague Plains. Along for the trip today was Carla Taft, CTD, Alex, Matt C., Eric S., Jessie K., and me. We rode at an easy pace up to the Telephone Pole trail on a crisp Fall morning. I waited for CTD and Carla at the top and they decided to take a run out to Northfield RD. I went with the kids out to the Toilet Bowl Trail. As we made our way to the trailhead we encountered a huge pine tree felled directly across the trail and a deep pit dug in front of it. We soon realized that this was done by the State DEM. to keep vehicles out of the area. It seems some of the locals use the area as their personal dumping grounds. The state has recently taken ownership of the entire 2000 acres of the plains as a wildlife refuse. Their plan is to kick out most of the motor vehicles and return this area to its natural condition. The state has moved huge piles of trash and junk auto's and they are doing a marvelous job of discouraging the drunken derelicts that habitually misuse the area. We saw a dozen of the four wheeling morons and their trucks parked outside of the barriers as we entered. They looked chagrinned, but they cracked a beer and headed down the road to pollute someone else's property. We had a nice ride over Willis Hill to Knarley Hill. I made it to the top of the hill on my third try and was cheered on by CTD and Carla. We all rode back down the hill and watched as each of us tried to climb Red Rock. None of us made it up the rock so we rode down to the sand pit and then back to the cars. CTD provided the usual refreshments and we headed home at 12:30.

Tuesday 11/24: Tonight's ride was to go off at 6:00 but I had to wait for MPM to arrive and pick up his wheel so I knew that I was going to be a little late. As it turned out only Matt and Alex showed up so the delay wasn't a problem. As I finished up MPM's wheel it started to rain and I started to think about not riding. But as luck would have it, the rain stopped and Matt, Alex and I went out for a quick rip over to the Coke Plant. We made a loop "backwards" around the race course. The ground was still dry as the shower barely made it through the forest canopy. We had no problems with the trail conditionds and after our loop the boy's headed for home and I went back to the shop.

Sunday 11/28: I was ready to ride tonight as it was a short day for me at the shop and I didn't get to ride yesterday. Alex, Matt, Eric, Ryan Conway and I went out to the Coke Plant for a ride around the race course. We went over to the trails by Rt. 2 and then up to the plant from the dirt road. We rode over to the "Hill of Doom" and then we took a lap over the water tower and ended up going up "Double Death". We followed the secret trail to the top where the boy's went over to Red Rock and  headed down towards home. Ryan and I headed down the Streambed Trail and then back to the shop. The weather was perfect for riding, not to cold and no snow. The crew for tonight's ride was pretty small compared to our usual Sunday rides. I have heard from a few riders that they are busy with the holidays. Some of the other people are riding during the day since the weather is so nice.