bikebob@crocker.com

Sunday 10/3: This morning I was greeted by a large group (by Sunday standards) for the road ride. Riders joining me were David C., Jack, Nancy, Lynn, Kris, Timster, and CTD. We headed out for a trip down the valley by riding down High Street and then out to RT. 5&10. Once everyone crossed onto RT. 5&10 we go into a nice pace line with me in the front. We rode down to Old Deerfield and turned onto Main St. and then onto Mill Village Road. Everyone got a chance to ride at the front as we rolled past the farm fields at a 15mph average. The group held together as we climbed the first hill of our trip and soon we were turning right onto RT. 5&10 again. We rode a double pace line as we passed through Beteville (a section of RT. 5&10 in So. Deerfield), and this caused Lynn to comment that it was just like going to work, but only more fun. We practiced making the transition from double to single pace line, and it really is almost like bicycle ballet, when it is done right. We took it easy as we made the turn onto Christian Lane and began the climbing portion of our trip. As we got half way up the hill, I crept up behind Timster, and applied the brakes to his seatpost, and telling him that he had a flat. (This is an old Bob trick usually performed on George) Tim reacted predictably, by slowing down and looking at his rear wheel, and only after I let him in on the ploy, did he return to his former pedaling effort. After a few chuckles, we made the turn onto Williamsburg Rd. and headed up the hill. I dropped back and rode with Lynn all the way to the turn at Conway Road, where the rest of the group waited. I directed everyone to take it easy on the road because the hill is long, although not too steep. ( I didn't, however, mention that the pavement ended about 1/3 of the way up, and that it was a dirt road all the way to the top.) The road surface did not deter our intrepid bunch from a little 'cross practice, and we soon found ourselves back on "hardtop" as we pedaled up Whately Road towards Conway. I again rode at the back with David and Lynn as we descended the hill towards Pumpkin Hollow, where we found Timster doing some shopping at a tag sale. After prying Tim from his diversion, we all headed for RT. 116 and the long downhill run to Stillwater Road. I raced to the front as we neared the top of Stillwater Hill, and I was nipped at the bottom by Kris, who flew by me as I neared the flats. After everyone was together again we all rolled back to the shop at an easy pace. It was a great ride on a chilly morning, but the Fall is a great time to ride.
    The family ride tonight was led by me and along for the trip was Donna "the Hon", Curt, Matt S., Jon O'Gara, Mick, Scotty, CTD, Cathy, Tommy, Ken, and Patrick. We left the center of town and headed up the Telephone Pole Trail and then we continued out to the power lines where we turned left and rode out to Northfield Road. At this point Curt, Patrick, Jon, Ken, Matt and I went off on our own trip up to Willis Hill, while CTD took the rest of the people on a different route to the hill. My bunch went out to the power lines on the banked trails. This is the usual route that we take during the late fall and winter, because of its flat profile, it is easy to traverse in rough weather and muddy conditions. We rode the trails out to the bottom of Three Hills Road which leads to Willis Hill. I rode up the road on the right with several others, while Ken took a few and rode up the left side. After arriving at the base of Willis Hill, I waited as some of the riders tried to climb hill and after a few minutes I got my chance. But I failed to make the hill, and as it turns out, so did most of the rest of the group due to recent rain caused washouts. After everyone got to the top we again split up with half of the group heading straight over to Red Rock and the rest of us rode down to the field and up through the swamp. Once we got onto the lower ridge trail I radioed CTD and we all met at the top of the ridge. From there our group rode down the muddy Middle Trail to the Red Rock Road. We continued on the Middle Trail until we intersected with East Hatchery Rd. At this point those of us with lights turned them on as the daylight started to dim with the setting sun. We rode out to the Toilet Bowl Trail, where Donna "the Hon" crashed into a downed tree and she did a cartwheel into the middle of the trail. She was shaken and bruised but otherwise unhurt and she was able to ride over to the Telephone Pole Tail with the group. After that incident I think that it would be wise for all of us to bring our lights, or if you don't have lights, team up with someone who does. We got back to the cars and soon we were enjoying our usual refreshments provided by CTD.

Tuesday 10/5: Our night ride was somewhat in doubt, due to the rain that fell during the mid afternoon, but the skies cleared at 5:00 and we were off at 6:00 as planned. Along for the trip to the Coke Plant was Cathy, Tommy, Patrick, Scott, Matt C., and me. We rode out on the trails behind Stop&Shop and I once again managed to make the climb on the new trail. Once we were all together on the road, I followed Cathy and Tommy over to the Coke Plant where we entered the trails by the big logs. Tommy led the way as we headed for the Ridge Trail and then up Luke Skywalker. We rested for a minute at the water tank and then we headed for Red Rock via the power lines. We got to Red Rock and regrouped and went down to the Hill of Doom, where we all got a chance to ride the hill a couple of times each. After that we headed over to Double Death, but Cathy, Tommy and I did not climb it. We rode over to the downed tree and then we climbed the hill back to the Ridge Trail. We rode from there down to Five Points and then out through the swamp to the truck turnout. Cathy led the way as we rode down to RT. 2 and crossed over to Gill Road and headed for the shop.

Wednesday 10/6: I was joined for a ride to the Coke plant by Lynn, Alex, and Matt. I rode over to the trails on Gill Rd. with Lynn, while Alex and Matt went over on the trails behind Stop&Shop by themselves. Lynn and I rode across RT. 2 and then over to the Coke Plant. We rode up the Ridge Trail and then Luke Skywalker without stopping, and as soon as we got to the water tank, Lynn wanted to continue, so we did a loop around to the power lines and back to the tank. When we got there Alex and Matt were waiting for us and we all headed out to the power lines together. Lynn and I rode down the power lines at a slower pace than the boys did and when we got to Red Rock we told them to continue on and that we would meet them out on the trails somewhere. Lynn and I rode down Red Rock Rd. to the pond and then we pedaled over to the double dip. Lynn was really liking her new tires the Kris put on for her. She kept on saying how much better the traction was, but it was at the double dip that she saw how much better. It was this very hill that used to stymie her about half way up every time she tried it, but tonight she made it almost to the top. (She would have made it except that she hit the root at the top and that stopped her) She was very pleased and after a moment to savor her accomplishment, we headed down the hill and up the streambed. We took the left turn and continued across the middle of the hill and the back to the Ridge Trail. After a brief stop, to  see if the boys were coming along, we decided that they would find their own way, and we headed for the Lillian St. trails and then back to the shop. When we got back, the boys were already there and soon we all headed for our homes.

Thursday 10/7: I was so busy today that when the group arrived I sent them out ahead of me, so that I could finish up and not keep them waiting. The temperature was dropping quickly as the sun went down and the group decided to head out and let me catch them on the trail. Along for the ride was Lynn, Nancy, John Friends, and Kris, and as soon as they left I got going and finished up my chores. I was getting ready to head out about 30 minutes later, when the phone rang. It was John, and he said that Nancy had crashed pretty hard and she would need a ride. I hopped into the van and drove out to the Coke Plant where the group was waiting for me. Nancy looked shaken as she stood by the side of the road, but after a quick examination of her injuries, she seemed not too seriously hurt. After getting Nancy and her bike in the van, John, Kris and Lynn headed off to finish the ride, and I headed off to the ER to get Nancy checked out by someone other than DR. Bob. I called Jack at home and he came down to Greenfield to wait with Nancy and I closed the shop after the other riders returned. I have talked to Nancy and she is recovering from a separated shoulder at home. She saw an orthopedic specialist on 10/11 and he said that she will be OK. I will keep you posted.

Tuesday 10/12: Tonight's ride was attended by Kris, Lynn, Alex, Matt, Scotty (free lunch) LeClerc, Mick and myself. I sent the "boys" out on the trails behind Stop&Shop while Lynn and I rode across RT. 2 and onto the trails. Lynn and I set a steady pace as we rode up the Ridge Trail and then Luke Skywalker. We arrived at the water tank and since the "boys" hadn't arrived yet we decide to keep on riding. Lynn led the way as we made our way out to the power lines and then we took the right side trail and looped back to the water tank, only to find that the "boys" were still not there. Not wanting to hang around for those slackers, Lynn and I headed back out to the power lines and then down to Red Rock. We rode from there down the road to the pond and since the "boys" were still a no show, we did a couple of loops around the trails at the top of the Hill of Doom. After our second lap we finally caught up with the rest of the group as they took yet another "rest" at the top of the Hill of Doom. Lynn and I stopped briefly and told the nappers that we intended on continuing, and we would see them at Five points. Matt mentioned that Scotty had returned to the shop a while ago after depositing his lunch at the trailside. After that happy news, we all headed out, Lynn and I toward Five Points and the "boys" for Double Death. Lynn kept the pace up and we made good time over to Five Points. We waited briefly for the rest of the crew and as soon as we spotted their lights we headed out towards the swamp and then to the Lillian St. trails. Lynn led the way over to the RT. 2 crossing and then back to the shop along Gill Rd.

Thursday 10/14: The were only three of us for the ride tonight, due in some part to the cooler temps and wind, but we went out for a trip to the Coke Plant anyway. Along for the ride was Kris and Matt Chickering and we headed out under clear skies and 40 degree temperatures. We rode out over the trails behind Stop&Shop and after we got to Canada Hill, we headed down Gill Road to the RT. 2 crossing. We headed for the swamp and then to Five Points. I kept the group moving and soon we were up on the Ridge Trail and heading for Luke Skywalker. As we got onto Luke, Kris stopped for a breather, but I told him to keep on riding as this is the only way to learn to pace yourself. He groaned, but he pushed on, and soon we were at the water tank. From the water tank we headed out to the power lines and then down to Red Rock. As I rode up to the top of Red Rock, I had Matt take the Chute Trail, but I had him take the right trail instead of going down the chute itself. We rode down the Messed-Up Trail and then over to the Hill of Doom. We made a loop up to the Streambed Trail and we rode that all the way to the top and then across to the top of Luke Skywalker. We took the Secret Trail back down to Double Death and then down the Ankle Breaker to the Mud Road. We rode up to the Ridge Trail and back to Five Points where we then rode out to the Lillian Street trails and across RT. 2 to Gill Road. After we got to Gill Road I slowed thing down so that we would not get too chilled ridding back to the shop. I gave some tips on how to properly dress for cool and cold weather riding as we arrived back at the shop. After a few minutes at the shop we all headed for home.

Saturday 10/16: I went out for a road ride at 1:00 PM, with Uncle Mic, and Al Ladd. The weather is so nice that I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I will try to make this a regular event, depending on how busy the shop is. We left the shop and headed over to Turners Falls by crossing the White Bridge and then taking a right onto Seventh St. We rode up past Saint Anne's church and then we took a right up the hill to Montague St. We rode past the fire house and then out to Montague Center. I rode at the front as we were riding into a pretty stiff headwind. After we got to Leverett Rd, we decided to take RT. 47 down to Sunderland, as the wind would be considerably less than going down RT. 63. After we made a few lead changes going up the hill into Sunderland, I took up the lead position as we made our way into the center of town. After turning right onto RT. 116 we rode across the bridge into Deerfield where we made a right turn onto River Rd. As soon as we got onto River Road, Uncle Mic saw a ride up ahead and he decided to give chase. Since we had a wicked tail wind at this point, I fell to the back and let the other two catch the rider. As we got within a quarter mile of the rider, I recognized him as Tim Atherton. We finally caught up with Tim and rode for a while with him until he had to turn for home. I rode at the front as we hit the hill and as soon as I got near the top I drifted back to gave a few pointers on hill climbing to Al as he is new at road riding. We all rode together as we made our way back to RT. 5&10 and then we rolled back to the shop. It was such a beautiful fall day, it makes you very appreciative of where you live.

Sunday 10/17: This was my first ride that was scheduled at 11:00 am and I was greeted by a large group of riders eager to get a late season ride in. Along for the ride was Kris, Lynn, Timster, Jack, Bob Sagor, Todd Amato, Sandi Waldron, and me. We left the shop for the Cave Hill Road ride just as the clouds and mist of the morning started to lift and we rod down the hill under glorious sunshine. As we made our way down Greenfield Road, I commented that the great weather was arranged through my "special" contacts with the powers that be. We rode across the Green Bridge and into Turners Falls and made a right turn at the end of the canal bridge. We continued on Canal Street and then we took another right onto Ave. A. We rode single file down to Montague City Road and then we took a left onto Greenfield Road. After commenting on Tim's new cologne I headed to the front of the group where I directed Lynn and Sandi to take the lead. The reason to do this is that it is easier for the stronger riders to follow than for slower riders to try to catch up on a hill and we had the first of the many climbs ahead. We all rode up the hill and then out through Montague Center. As we got out on Leverett Rd., Lynn, Tim and Todd got ahead of the rest of the group and as we were about to turn left onto RT. 47 I drifted back to get the rest of the group. After we made the turn onto Rt. 47 Sandi and Jack wanted to take a less hilly route down RT. 63, but I convinced them to join us for the climb up Cave hill. I assured both of them that we would ride with them, waiting at the top of the hill or circling back, if necessary. After getting everyone across the highway, we all began the climb up North Leverett Road, with Todd and Kris leading the way. As I  turned onto Cave Hill Road I had all the riders in sight. Sandi and Jack were just behind me and the rest of the bunch was just ahead of me. I rode up the hill at a moderate pace and as I neared the top I passed Lynn, who was really stroking, and then as I neared the crest I turned and rode back down to finish up with Sandi, who wasn't that far behind. After we all got to the top I gave Sandi a GU package to eat, and we began the descent to Montague Road. We rode on towards Leverett Center where we did a couple of loops around the common and when the entire group was together we then headed for RT. 63. where we made a left turn. We rode down to Bull Hill Road and took a right. At this point I dropped back to Jack and Sandi, to tell them that the rest of us were going to ride at a higher pace back to the shop, and that we would see them back there. I then took off to catch the group, which I did just as they started down the hill to RT. 116, and we all made the right turn. We formed a double pace line and began the ride into Sunderland center. The wind was coming at us from the left and we all pushed hard as we cruised through town and across the bridge into Deerfield.  We turned right onto Sugarloaf Street and rode down to the center of town and then turned right onto North Main St. We kept the pace line going as we headed for Mill Village Road and after a brief stop to Cross RT. 5&10, we headed out toward Old Deerfield. Lynn took the lead as we picked up speed with the tailwind and soon we were flying down the hill and into the village. We rolled out to the end of Main St and then we got onto RT. 5&10 where I took the lead and then kicked up the speed to 25 mph. I figured that I would just sprint back to the shop and anyone who could; would just hang on for the tow. Well, when I got to the Washington St. turn, I was really surprised to see Todd, Kris, Lynn and Tim still with me. I slowed the pace and we all rode back to the shop where we regaled on our wonderful trip. It really was a fun ride.

Tuesday 10/19: A large group of people showed up for our ride tonight. It was a clear, crisp fall evening and we all agreed to take a trip over to the Coke Plant. The group included Kris, Todd, Lynn, Cathy, Alex "the dope", Jesse, Matt C., Scotty, Mick, Patrick, Matt P., Tommy and me. We split into two rides, with Lynn leading Cathy, Tommy and Jesse down Gill Rd. and across RT. 2, and Patrick took the rest of us on the trails behind Stop&Shop and then across RT. 2 to the trails. I had given instructions that everyone was to keep riding and that if you got to a point where you were ahead of the rest of the group, you should circle back, but you should not stop. After riding through the swamp we approached Five Points, where we passed Lynn's group, and continued on towards Luke Skywalker. I rode at the back of the group and after Scotty and Mick fell off, I rode to the water tank with Todd and Kris. When we got to the tank, there were no other riders, so we continued out to the power lines and then down to Red Rock, where Matt x 2, Patrick and Alex were waiting for us. We headed from there down the Chute Trail, and then over to the Messed Up Trail. We all rode over to the Hill of Doom but by the time I got to the top most of the rest of the group had continued on, so I headed out with Kris and Todd for Double Dip. We caught up with Matt and his bunch at the top of the dip and soon we were heading for the Streambed Trail. Matt C. stopped to remove a stick from his derailleur and I told him to hurry up as we were going on a different course. After we got to the Streambed Trail I told everyone that we were going to ride all the way up the hill and back out to the power lines. When we got to Red Rock, we again passed Lynn's group as we headed back up to the water tank.  When we got to the water tank we rode over to, and then back down Luke Skywalker, where I instructed the lead riders to take a left onto the Secret Trail. As I got to the entrance to the Secret Trail I saw that everyone ahead of me missed the turn, so I hollered to them , and turned back onto the trail. At this point we had everyone  with us, and we pressed on to the top of the hill. When I got to the top Alex was missing, so I assumed that he had turned back, and I had the group move on across the hill to the Red Rock Road. When we got to the road, we followed Matt P. as he headed down the Messed Up Trail and then out to the Double Dip Trail again. At the bottom of the dip we turned left and headed over to Five Points, where we joined up with the rest of the group. After a quick head count, Cathy mentioned that Patrick wasn't with us. I mentioned to her that we had fifty percent of her family and that she should be grateful for that, but she seemed unwilling to settle for less than what she came with. So, I headed up a search for Pat, with Todd, Kris and Matt P. joining me. The rest of the riders headed back to the shop with instructions that they should call me on my cell phone if they find Patrick there. The search group made a sweep of the trails and since we did not find the errant rider, we headed back to the shop. We arrived at the shop to find Patrick waiting for us. Lynn and her group had just arrived ahead of us. The rest of the riders that had been with Lynn, got lost on the trails and arrived a short time later. So in summary, 13 riders out and 13 riders came back equals a great ride.

Thursday 10/21: Tonight I was joined by Donna "the Hon", Lynn and Kris Black for a night ride over to the Coke Plant. As we were getting ready to go both Donna and Lynn were asking about how warmly they needed to dress for this ride. I gave them some guidelines and I then I got Donna hooked up with some garb for tonight. I told them that we would check and see how everyone felt once we got onto the trails. Tonight was Donna's second night ride so Kris led and I followed and we tried to set a pretty mellow pace so that she could get used to riding after dark. We took the Gill Road to the RT. 2 cross over and after we got over to the trails Kris dropped back and Lynn was out in front leading us. Donna and I paced ourselves up Luke Skywalker and soon we joined Lynn and Kris, who arrived at the top several minutes ahead of us. Kris and Lynn did a lap around the tank at the top until Donna and I got there. After we were all together, I asked Donna if she was warm enough and she said that she was fine, so we joined Kris and Lynn as we made our way out to the power lines. I went to the front of the group to see if I could persuade Lynn to ride the tough right side of the trail, but she said that she wasn't ready for that yet and we headed for the descent. I dropped back and waited for everyone to pass and then rode behind and coached Donna and Lynn on the line to take for the ride down to Red Rock. After we got to Red Rock, Lynn led the way down to the Pond and after overshooting the turn, she took us over to the Hill of Doom. After we all were on the top of the hill I sent Donna and Lynn ahead and Kris and I followed over to Double Dip and then over to the Streambed Trail. We rode the Streambed Trail all the way to the top and took the trail across to the top of Luke. From there we rode down the Secret Trail and then over to Five Points. Once we were all at Five Points, we decided to ride out on the trails near Lillian Street. We took it easy and once we made it across RT. 2 we continued at a mellow pace back to the shop. Kris said that he was comfortably dressed for the most part but that he got a little chilly on the ride back. Lynn and Donna said that they were fine and looked forward to the next ride.

Sunday 10/24: Our road riders gathered at the shop at 11:00 for our Sunday ride. We had George, Jack, Todd, Bob and Deb Schilling, Timster, Wayne and me. We waited for Kris and Lynn to show up, but we saw them drive by so we figured that they might not be riding today. We headed out on a course designed by George (I should know better!), with him in the lead. We rode up to Upper Road in Deerfield, but Jack and Deb had fallen way off so Bob went back to ride with them, while the rest of us waited at the railroad bridge. After we were all back together Jack, Bob and Deb decided to go on a different route. That left the rest of us at the mercy of George. We took of in the general direction of South, but since the hammerhead George did not tell us how we were to go we had to wait until we got to a turn to find out which way we were going. We rode up RT. 116 to Whatley Road and from there we headed out to Haydenville Rd. We rode all the way out to Haydenville and then that idiot took us on some convoluted loop out through the hinterlands of Leeds. (I know that this is probably a criminal offence, but I will not seek prosecution, out of respect for the convicts, who would be forced to spend "time" with him) After making it through Florence, we turned left onto Chestnut St. and then we rode out to Route 5&10. We headed into a pretty stiff wind so I went to the front and pulled the bunch up to South Deerfield, where Wayne got a flat. I sent George, Todd and Tim back to the shop and I stayed to help Wayne, who did not have a pump. After we fixed the flat Wayne and I took of in pursuit of the other three. We hammered all the way back to Washington Street in Greenfield where I slowed the pace, and we started our cool down spin back to the shop, figuring that we wouldn't catch the others. Well as we got to the hospital, I couldn't believe my eyes, there was George right in front of me. Wayne and I picked up the pace and we all made it back to the shop together. It was a great day and although everyone but me was over dressed, we all had a good ride.

Monday 10/25: Today I took a trip up to NMH to ride with their mountain bike group. The leaders of the group are Craig Hefner, Josh Tower, and Hughes Pack and the invited me to join them for their ride. When I arrived at Craig's house on campus, I was met by Josh and a couple of boys. Soon thereafter, Craig drove up with a van load of kids and followed by Hughes and a couple more riders. After a few minor repairs the group took off across the campus trails as we headed for RT. 10. We all crossed the road and gathered on the other side for a head count. There were 14 boys and 4 "leaders" and as soon as everyone was ready, we headed off for the trailhead and the "Hell's Kitchen" section of Bernardston. This is a place that I know well, having ridden here for a number of years with our group. We headed onto the trails behind Craig and Josh, and soon we were climbing towards the old Boy Scout camp. The group was very well disciplined, and the boys did very well considering the diverse abilities. After we got to our first stopping point, we heard from the back that Hughes had stopped to help a kid with a flat tire, this caused Craig to head back to give a hand. He left Josh and I to carry on with the remaining 13 boys. We made the rest of the arduous climb to the top of the hill and then Josh took the lead for the descent. I took up the rear position and after a couple of boys crashed on the rocky trail, I found that the group had gotten out of sight. I took my two boys back out to Martindale Road and then back to campus, where Craig was waiting. Since Josh was not back at campus when I arrived,  Craig and I surmised that he did the longer loop with the rest of the boys. At this point it was near time for the boys to get back to the Northfield campus, so I took off in the van to look for the errant crew. As I neared Martindale Road, I saw some of the boys on RT. 10 and they said that Josh had a flat at the trail's end. I drove to the end of the road and picked up josh and brought him back to Craig's house. All the boys were back and soon we were joined by Hughes, who rode the remainder of the trip by himself. It was a fun ride on a delightful fall afternoon, and I hope to be invited back again.

Tuesday 10/26: This afternoon I took 8 kids from Bement School for a ride up on the ridge. It was a warm sunny day as we left from the shop for a run down to Sachem's Head. I led the group up the steep trail to Rocky Ridge, while John Friends followed the last kid to the top. We took the White Dot Trail all the way down to the parking lot at Poet's Seat and then we crossed the road to Temple Woods. Everyone did very well on the rough, rocky and root covered path, and we soon were all down on Bear's Den Road. We rode down to the power lines and then past Five Points to the lower Green Dot Trail. After we got to Bear's Den Road again I challenged the kids to ride up a particularly difficult section, with a power bar to those who made it. Sam and Mike made it, with everyone else giving an excellent effort. We rode back to the shop on the Base Trail, where I rewarded all the riders with a power bar, for a good job done.
    The night ride for today was our usual trip to the Coke Plant. Along for the rip was Lynn, Kris, Todd, Mick, CTD (Yep, he's back!), Doug Stephens, and me. I spent the first few minutes getting Lynn set up on a Razorback that she is thinking of buying. After getting Lynn ready and making a few last minute adjustments to my bike, we all (except Doug, who hadn't shown up yet) rode over to the trails together with Todd and Kris at the front and myself and CTD bringing up the rear. When we got to the turnout at the Coke Plant I noticed that CTD was getting a little winded, so after talking it over with him he decided to go at his own pace, by himself.  I told him to take it easy and that we would meet up with him at either the water tank or at Five Points. The rest of us took off for the swamp and after Kris made a wrong turn, we entered the Ridge Trail and began the trip up Luke Skywalker. I was still riding at the back and I found that Lynn was having some trouble with her bike. It seems that the tires on the "new" bike are not as good as the one's on her ZED, and she was having trouble on the rocks and roots. We rode together for a while and I tried to help her with some tips on getting through the mud, but she just couldn't get the tires to "hook up". When we got to the top of Luke, we found Mick doing a coughing jag, so I asked him to wait and ride with CTD. Mick said that would be OK with him, and Lynn and I rode up to the tank. Kris and Todd led the way as we headed out to the power lines and then down to Red Rock. From Red Rock we rode down to the Hill of Doom and then over to Double Dip. Kris Todd and I rode ahead of Lynn and when we got to the top of the dip, we took a left to circle around behind Lynn, but when we got back, she wasn't there. It seems that she just kept on riding, thinking that we were testing her trail guide skills. We weren't, and soon we took off on the trails looking for her. We caught up with her at the turn towards Double Death and we then followed her down to Ankle Breaker and finally out to the Mud Road. It was here that we met up with Doug, who got a late start. we rode back to Five Points looking for Mick and CTD, but when we got there we only found Mick. It seems that he never hooked up with CTD and so we decide to take another lap up to the tank and see if he was there. We rode all the way back up Luke (Lynn made it this time!) and then back down the Red Rock Road to the Mud Road. Lynn and I took the Mud Road and the others took a long loop around to search for "Our Hero". As Lynn and I approached Five Points we saw CTD Standing there and so I sent those  two on ahead and I waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. After all were accounted for, we took off to catch the other two, and ride back to the shop. We managed to catch Lynn and CTD as they were about to make the turn for the RT. 2 cross over. After we got to the other side of the highway, we all cruised back to the shop together. Another great ride for us!

Thursday 10/28: Our ride tonight included a large contingent of Bement School students. We all gathered at the shop at 6:00 for a trip over to the Coke Plant. We waited for CTD to show up, but after a while we headed out without him, maybe next week. We had Kris, Lynn, John Friends, Anton, Steven, Mickey, Ben, Sam, and me. We rode over to the trails in a group, but soon we got strung out as we started to climb the Ridge Trail. Most of the kids have never ridden at night and they had to adjust to the new environment. It was kind of fun to watch the kids as they flopped on the ground when they tried to turn on the slippery leaves. The speeds were slow and everyone had a grand time as we made our way up Luke Skywalker to the water tank. I sent the bulk of the group on to the power lines, while I took Anton and Steven across the top to Red Rock to await the arrival of the rest of our bunch. After everyone arrived, we decided to head down to the Messed Up Trail, because Anton likes that trail. Kris and Lynn were very helpful getting the kids down the trail and then over to the Hill of Doom. By this time some of the kids were getting tired so we headed over to Double Dip and then up the Streambed Trail. After we regrouped at the crossing we all headed over to Stinger Hill. Some of the kids made a try at the hill, but most of the riders went around it and then up to the Ridge Trail. We rode down to Five Points and then we rode out through the swamp to the RT. 2 crossing. After everyone got to Gill Road, we headed back to the shop, where the parents of the kids were arriving to pick them up. The kids seemed to really enjoy the evening and I want to thank Kris and Lynn for their help in making it an memorable event them. 

Saturday 10/30: I spent most of the afternoon getting things ready fro the Halloween party tonight. I had to move all of the BMX bikes out of the shop as well as get the tables set up for the food. While this in and of itself wasn't much of a task, it was the million other things that I had to do, just to get to the point where I could get that stuff done. I was pretty well set when the first riders started to arrive, and with the help of Kris, Lynn, Todd and some others, we got things under control pretty quickly. We had 35 riders show up for the trip over to the Coke Plant. We split the group up with the youngest riders getting a ride over in cars and the rest of us taking to the trails. I had CTD lead the group that included Nancy, Garson JR., Richard Sanders, Curt Golec and five of the younger kids, making it a group of ten riders in total. In that group we had a tandem of Curt and Justin Golec, with Curt pulling Justin on a Trail-A-Bike. I watched as the rode over the most amazing terrain without much trouble. They negotiated the tight single track with the other riders and were able to keep right up with the group. I rode over to the trails with the main group of 23 riders. We left the shop and headed down French King Highway for Gill Rd. in a line that stretched back for a long way. It was quite a sight to see, with all the lights bobbing along the sidewalk , as we made our way over to the trails. We crossed over RT.2 ( which must have been startling to some of the drivers who passed us) and headed up to the turnout where we hooked up with CTD and his group. After a quick head count, we all headed out for Five Points. I rode in between the two groups to make sure that everyone was doing OK, and I found myself sprinting from one group to the other. I got quite a workout as I sprinted up Luke  Skywalker to catch the main group of riders as they waited at the water tank. After everyone was accounted for we rode out to the power lines. I cut across the trail to make sure that all the riders made it safely down the Red Rock Road. We regrouped at Red Rock and some of the riders went down the Chute Trail, while I led the rest of the riders down the road to the Messed Up Trail. After the last rider past. (Skofield's volunteer Chris), I rode the rest of the way down to the Pond on the road to catch the front of the group and turn them onto the Hill of Doom Trail. All the riders made at least one try at the hill, while some of us had to do it twice. (Ken Cuddeback will have to return another day to "conquer" this one, having missed on two attempts.) From the top of the hill we headed for Double Dip and then onto the Streambed Trail. Chris and I followed the last riders as we made our way across the side of the hill and soon we were heading for Five Points again. When I got to the turn off for Five Points I found Cathy and Steven waiting to descend, so I sent Cathy ahead and I started down with Steven, but Steven crashed hard on the roots and smacked his elbow pretty good. After I got Steven going I rode with him back down to Five Points where the group was waiting for us. I sent everyone on ahead to ride the trails by Lillian St. and I took Steven back to the turnout where the younger kids were just getting back. I had Steven ride back with Nancy Fields while I headed out for the last turn before RT. 2 so I could get a count of the riders heading for the shop. After I made sure that everyone was accounted for I rode over to the shop to begin the feasting. We had 10 pizzas, Cookies made by Lynn, cupcakes made by Edie, a large amount of candy and soda as well as a cake. We all ate and generally partied for a while and then I began the door prize giveaway. This year we gave gift certificates as well as flashing tail light and a grand prize of a Turbocat light system, which was won by Nancy. It was a great ride and everyone seemed to have a good time at the party.

Sunday 10/31: I went over to the shop on a warm sunny morning that reminded me of a day in May more than the last day of October. When I arrived there wasn't any other cars in the lot so I began to think that I would be doing a solo ride. But soon afterward, Jack and Nancy as well Paul Cyr-Mutty showed up and we were set for the planned rip down the valley. The route was picked because of the very stiff wind coming from the south. Since Nancy is still recovering from her crash of three weeks ago on the mountain bike, she decide to take it easy for this ride.  We made our way down through Old Deerfield together, but after the hill on Mill Village Road, Paul and I were by ourselves. We rode into the wind all the way down RT. 116 to RT. 47 where we turned right. It was tough going as the wind blew rather briskly and we only could average 20 mph all the way to the turn onto Mt. Warner Road in Hadley. We climbed the hill rather gingerly due to Paul's rather badly warped wheel and I did not want to take a chance on it coming apart on us. We rode down to Maple St. and then out to North Amherst where we picked up RT. 63 and we headed North. The wind was now behind us as we rode up Cherry Hill and into Leverett and we made good time as we got up to the Quaker Meetinghouse, where we rejoined Jack and Nancy who were riding a shortened loop. As I came up behind Jack at the bottom of the hill I noticed that he had shifted his chain off onto the bottom bracket shell, so I gave him a push as I caught up with him, all the while, shouting instructions on how to re-rail his chain. All of my heroic efforts were for not, as my sudden approach nearly gave Jack a heart attack, and he nearly fell over onto the guardrail as he slowed to a stop. After getting him going again, we caught up with Paul and Nancy as we headed for Montague. We all rode through Montague Center and then down the Third St. hill into Turners Falls. We then rode across the White Bridge and up the hill on Greenfield Road and back to the shop. It was another better than we usually get days here in New England and I was happy to be able to ride in shorts and short sleeve jersey this late in the year.