Ride Page
Here You will find the reports of our exploits for the month October 2000 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).

Sunday 10/01: Today was the date for our re-scheduled Five Hill Ride, and although I was somewhat skeptical of my ability to do such and arduous ride, I went to the shop prepared to ride. When I got to the shop it was cloudy, cool and a light mist was falling, so I was not surprised to see there was no waiting for me. I waited for a few minutes and then some of the hard core riders started to arrive. We ended up with 8 riders when we left the shop and they were: Ted Lapinski, Dan LaRoche, Bob Underhill, Steve Shriner, QN, Tom McDonald, Homer and me. We left the parking lot and headed for Turners Falls at a moderate pace. We rode through downtown Turners and up the hill to Scotty's, where we turned left and rode down Millers Falls Road to RT. 63. It was pretty damp and foggy all the way to the Millers River Bridge, but after we crossed the river and crested the hill on the other side, the sun started to poke through the clouds. I rode at the back of the group, partly because I knew if I tried to push the pace I would blow up, and partly to keep an eye on the riders ahead, some of whom had limited road bike experience. As we made our way past Northfield Mountain, Tom started to fall behind the group and I dropped back and rode with him. We were just a few yards off the back at the bottom of the hill, but by the time we crested the hill, the group was out of sight. I stayed with Tom all the way to the turn at South Mountain Road, where he really started to falter. I decided to ride up to the others, who were just in sight as they began the first climb of the day, and I told Tom to do as much as he could and I would see him back at the shop. I caught up with everyone except for Dan and Ted on the first part of the hill. Ted was way ahead of the rest of the group and I never saw him, but Dan turned around and rode back to us. As we got onto the steeper pitches of the climb some of the riders stopped and walked up the most difficult sections. I do have to mention that the road had just received a fresh coat of oil and stone and the surface traction was minimal in some spots. (We speculate that this was done by executive order of HMJ, who thought that the course might not be difficult enough for us.) As I got to the top of the last hill I rode ahead of the other riders so that I could act as a lookout for cars. It was a good thing that I did, because if anyone got going too fast, there was no way that they would be able to stop if there was a car comming. I waited until QN got to the turn and I followed her as we made our way up Gulf Road to the other riders. When I caught up to QN she had just made contact with Bob and Steve and we rode together to the crest of Gulf Road. As I got over the top of the hill I passed Bob, Steve and QN and headed down the hill at 50 mph. As I got to the intersection of Route 10, I could see Homer just ahead of me and I could also see Dan just ahead of her. I caught up with Homer and I told her to go on ahead and try to catch up with Dan and I would stay behind and wait for Bob, Steve and QN. When the trio got up to me QN said that she was going to head back to the shop and Bob said that he needed to stop to rest, so I said goodbye to QN and Bob, Steve and I stopped in front of the gas station to rest. After a few minutes the three of us set off toward the second hill. I rode with Bob, and Steve rode ahead of us, as we made our way up RT. 10 to the turn onto RT. 142. We rode at an easy pace up to Pond Road and after we made the turn we headed up the small hills that lead to Huckle Hill. At this point the clouds had lifted and the sun shone brightly on us as we turned onto Huckle Hill Road. Steve stopped at the bottom of the hill to take care of some little boy business, you know what I mean, and the two Bob's headed up the hill. At the half way point I passed the other Bob and headed to the top of the climb by myself. I rolled over the top and pedaled easily past the swamp and soon Bob and Steve caught up with me and we rode the rest of the way to the top of the hill together. Steve and I made the descent together and we waited at the bottom of the hill for Bob. After we made the turn onto RT 10, I took the lead and rode down to RT. 5 where I made the left turn. Steve then took the lead and rode ahead of the two Bob's. The Bob's took the turn together and we headed up the hill. I rode behind the other Bob all the way to the turn onto Frizzle Hill, where I sprinted up the last incline to the cheers of ME and IP, who had driven up with supplies for the riders. IP had baked her famous cookies and ME had gotten some oranges and banana's for us. All the remaining riders we waiting for us at the rest stop and when I got there I partook of the refreshments. After a ten minute rest Bob, Homer, Steve, Ted and Dan took off to finish the last two hills and cover the remaining 50 miles of the trip. I jumped in the van and drove ahead of the riders and directed them to the turns that lay ahead. I stayed with the group all the way out to RT. 2, where I headed back to the shop. Homer, also decided to return to the shop after completing four of the five hills. Bob, Ted, Dan and Steve went on to finish the entire 93 mile route, with the Bob and Steve arriving back to the shop at around 4:30.

Be it known from this day forward that Lynn Black, RW is not a Road Weenie. The RW stands for Road Warrior. How I missed the obvious is beyond me but having gone for what amounts to nothing more than a casual spin for her, I now know. 
 Including BikeBob, Steve, and I, the grand total # of participants for the Five Hills Ride was 8. I was wondering where everyone was yesterday morning and especially noticed the absence of old fat people but Lynn coyly sidestepped that issue. She also didn't volunteer that one of the other riders normally does a 130 mile ride on Saturdays and then 150 on  Sundays and that another rider had rode her bike from Seattle to Washington DC. Not that any of that knowledge would have sunk in, after all what's a 90 mile spin up the 5 biggest hills in the area and a total 14,350 vertical climb. These are public roads so how bad could they be  for a Mountain Biker? After all anything a road weenie can do a mountain biker can do better or so I thought. The three 15-20+ mile road bike spins I did (2 Lower Road/Upper Road and 1 perfectly flat ride to Hatfield) proved to be slightly less training than I needed to acclimatize to BikeBob's road bike that I borrowed. The oh shit what I have I gotten myself into thought didn't occur until the 1st hill, South Mountain Road in Northfield (newly tar and stoned for the occasion). As interesting as going uphill was on those stones, going downhill was more so. Reports were being made of heart rate monitors exceeding the maximums on the uphill. I was glad I don't have one as I don't need to know how close I'm coming to keeling over. The group lost 1 rider on South Mountain and then a 2nd after coming down it. My legs didn't start cramping until the 2nd hill, Huckle Hill in Vernon. The lungs tried joining the legs in revolt on the 3rd hill, Eden Trail/Frizzle Hill in Bernardston, at which point I thought maybe the smart thing to do would be to bail out after finishing that leg. However there was an official rest stop at the top of Frizzle Hill (the approximate halfway point) where Miss Lynn was waiting with chocolate chip cookies guaranteed to rejuvenate worn out bodies and souls. BikeBob called it quits at that point, leaving the 3 superheroes, Steve, and I to complete the ride. With only another 45+ miles to go and only 2 more of the big hills left, I decided what the heck, go for it. The 4th Hill, West Leyden Road in Colrain had my stamina running on low which left me only with perseverance to complete the final 30+ miles and 5th hill (RT 112 to Ashfield). It was just peddle peddle peddle by rote for the remainder of the ride with Steve and I rolling in to the bike shop just shy of 7 hours after we left. Long live perseverance. For the record, Steve performed admirably. He would have finished the route much quicker but he was kind enough to periodically slow up for me to catch up to him.  The real disappointment came at the end of the ride. After 7 hours on an uncomfortable bike for which my body is not contoured, LB, the Road Warrior was not there with cold beer waiting for us. She was in parts unknown, having long forgotten there were thirsty riders looking for a celebratory finish to this little jaunt. The end. (The above was submitted by Bad Bob Underhill)

Tuesday 10/3: It was a beautiful, warm summer like day today, so I expected to have a large group for tonight's ride. But when the 6:00 hour arrived I was surprised to find only four riders had come out for the trip. Along for tonight's ride was DTH, IP, Mark C., and Matt Chickering. I rode with IP and DTH and Mark and Matt rode together. IP led us over to the Coke Plant and we followed the usual route to Five Points. When we arrived at Five Points it was getting dark so we turned on our lights and headed up the Ridge Trail. We found that we needed the lights when we were in the shaded sections of the trail but we could do without them on the ridges. IP took us up the Secret Trail and when we got to the two logs across the path I encouraged IP to try to ride over them. She got her front wheel over, but then she stopped pedaling and dismounted. She walked over the next log and watched as DTH and I rode over the logs. At this point I told IP that she really could do this section, because she has all the skills, but that she needed to believe in her abilities. Well, she turned right around and with a little coaching from me, she rode right across those logs like she had been doing it all her life. After she got over the last log she let out a yell that could have been heard in downtown, and I could tell by the expression on her face that she was really pleased with her accomplishment. IP then led us on to the trail that connects with Luke and we rode to the water tank together. When we got to the water tank we took the trail over to the power lines and then we rode to Red Rock. We had just arrived at Red Rock when Matt and Mark caught up with us. Matt and Mark then took the Chute Trail to the Hill Of Doom while IP took DTH and me down the road. DTH was having a hard time on tonight's ride due to a painful infection in her left thumb, which made shifting up on the front ring, nearly impossible. She did a great job of using her gears and she only stopped when she had to make a shift. Our trio rode down the Hill of Doom and then we headed over to the new trail where we again encountered a large log across the trail. DTH made it across on her first try but IP stopped and was going to walk over when I reminded her that she should try to use her skills she got from riding over other logs to get her over this one. Well, she backed up and with me spotting her, she rode right over that log. I think she was surprised that she was able overcome her fear and using her skills, conquer an obstacle.  After that we headed over to Jack's pond and we rode up the hill to the Apple Orchard Trail. I followed DTH as we rode the trails over to Double Dip and we both watched as IP rode right up that hill. After she got to the top of the hill she let out a yell that could wake up half the town. DTH and I joined IP at the top of the hill and we then decided to head back over to the Streambed Trail. We rode to the top of the trail and then we took the Crossover Trail to the top of Luke Skywalker. It was such a nice night that we did not want to stop riding. We rode to the bottom of Luke and then we took a trail down to Ankle Breaker where we rode down to the Mud Road. IP led as we rode some new trails through the swamp and then out to the trails behind Lillian Street. We ended the ride by retracing our path back across RT.2 and then we rode to the shop on Gill Road. I hope that many of you will get out and enjoy the marvelous fall riding.

Saturday 10/7: I led the first Saturday ride for this fall from the shop at 4:00 and I was joined by Jorge, Homer and Heidi for a 25 mile ride. I had sold my Kestrel today and so I was riding my Richard Sachs for this ride. I have a new Kestrel at the shop but I can't build it because the fork hasn't arrived. As I got ready for the ride I switched most of the things that I had on the Kestrel, but I didn't have time to put the computer or my Look pedals. The Sachs had a pair of SPD's on it so I just put on my MTB shoes and headed out the door. As we headed down High Street to Turners Falls Road, I discovered that the shoes had the wrong cleats on them and I could not click into the pedals. Since we were only going to do and easy ride, I decide to tough it out. We rode over to Turners Falls and then we headed down Ave A to Greenfield Road. We headed up the hill on Greenfield Road and after we got to the top we turned onto Hatchery Road. I had popped out of the pedals several times on the way over here and so I thought that I was dogging it, but when we got out onto Montague Street, Homer mentioned that I was going at 24 mph and that some folks might find that pace to be not so easy. I mentioned that I did not have a computer and that she should keep an eye on the speed and if I got over 19 mph she should let me know. I led our group as we headed to Montague and when we got to the Book Mill, we turned right and headed down Meadow Road. I kept the pace mellow and nearly scared the following trio a couple of times when I pulled out of the clips, but we made it to Sunderland center without mishap. I was cruising along and I knew that Homer was behind me, but when we got to the center of town, Heidi and Jorge were quite a ways behind. I slowed the pace and we rolled across the Sunderland Bridge and then up to Sugarloaf Street in So. Deerfield. I kept the pace at 16 mph and we rode into the center of town where we came upon Uncle Mic, who was heading to the bank. We said hello and continued on to North Main Street where we picked the pace up somewhat. We crossed RT. 5&10 onto Mill Village Road and headed back towards Greenfield. Heidi was planning to ride home by herself, but I decided to accompany her, so that she would not slack off on the Upper Road hill. Jorge and Homer we game, so we all turned onto Stillwater Road and then we turned onto Upper Road. Heidi groaned as we hit the bottom of the hill so I knew that I needed to give her an incentive if I was to get her to push it to the top. I thought for a moment and then I told Heidi that she would have to kiss the first person over the top, and at that point it looked like Jorge was going to be the one. Well that did it, Heidi took off on the middle of the hill and sprinted all the way to the top, just nipping Jorge at the top. Crisis averted!! We all sped along Upper Road and dropped Heidi at the end of her driveway. Jorge, Homer and I the took off for the shop. We had a lot of fun along the way and although it was a pretty chilly ride it was certainly worth it.

Sunday 10/8: After a busy day at the shop I got ready to head over to Montague for the ride. Joining me at the shop was Shawn and Chris Manchester, Robbie and Ken Heider. We drove over to the center of Montague and we were greeted by a large group of riders that included IP, MB, DTH, LB, Tywor, Just-in-Time, Cyrus and Ali Moshari, Curt, Roxanne, and Mark Courtermarche. It was a cool evening and we got going pretty quickly since most of the riders did not have lights and I did not want to get caught out in the dark. We rode single file to the Telephone Pole Trail and then we rode to the top of the hill where we re-grouped. I had Ken take the lead and we all set out for the Toilet Bowl Trail. The group got going and all went well until we got to the first section of singletrack. Someone at the front got tangled in some brush and the whole line just stopped in the middle of the woods. At the front was IP and I could hear her asking for directions. I told her to continue to the Toilet Bowl Trail and I would meet the group out on the power lines. Well, after the group got going I followed the last rider out to the main section of the trail and rode over to the intersection of the Toilet Bowl Trail. When I arrived, there were several riders waiting there for directions. It seems that  somehow the group got split up and some of the newer riders got lost. Also it was at this point that Roxanne, Just-in-Time, and Curt joined us so we had a big group with several beginners. I had Curt take some of the older riders with him down the TBT and I took JiT and some of the others with me and we continued out to the power lines where we hooked up with the rest of the group. At this point I asked IP to lead the group over to the Red Rock Trail and I was going to take Roxie and JiT on a flatter route to the brook. I rode with Roxie and JiT along the sandy road to the trail that leads to the brook. JiT did a great job riding through the sand on his 20" wheel bike. It is a lot of work for the little guy, but he keep plugging away at it. After we got back into the woods I had Roxie take the lead and I rode with JiT as we made our way to the rendezvous point. As we neared the brook, Roxie came upon MB doing his "little boy, bathroom thing", which opened the door to some good natured ribbing from me and the riders who were waiting for rest of the group. (After I made sure that everyone knew what happened.) As we waited for the rest of the group to come down from Red Rock, I could see Cyrus comming down the rocky slope of the hill with some other riders. Cyrus has had some trouble on this section and has fallen several times, so I was cheering him on when, about half way down, he took another spectacular spill. Cyrus got right up and continued down to where I was waiting and he seemed more embarrassed than hurt. I offered to rename the spot where he fell as Cyrus Rock in honor of his many close encounters with the ground, and this seemed to please him, so from now on, that spot will be know as Cyrus Rock. As all of this was going on, Curt rolled up and his front tire immediately popped while we were standing there. I helped Curt, who did not have any tube or pump with him, change the tube and then he and most of the crowd headed up the Middle Road to Willis Hill. I took most of the kids with me and Roxie and we all headed out to the bottom of the Willis Hill Road. After we rode from the open road into the woods we found that we needed to turn on the lights, so I had Roxie take the kids and start to head back. I rode out to the end of the trail to await Curt and his bunch to arrive. As the riders came down the hill I had them continue on and after everyone was past me I followed the last rider. I told everyone that passed me to keep on riding until we all were back to the cars and not to wait to re-group. This would ensure that we got most of the people back before it got too dark. As I was following Shawn he suddenly pulled over with a flat. I stopped and with the help of Mark and MB we soon had the tube changed and we were on our way. We caught up with Curt, DTH, Roxie and JiT as they made their way toward Curt's truck and we all rode back to the power lines together. When we got to the truck Curt and JiT got in and the rest of us headed out on the Telephone Pole Trail for the return trip to our cars. At this point we had to use our lights, so I had Roxie follow my light back down to the road. From there we rode back to the center of town where we got in our vehicles and headed for home. It was a cool but enjoyable ride on a beautiful evening.

Tuesday 10/10: Tonight was the coldest night of the season so far and we had a group of 6 hardy riders show up for our trip to the Coke Plant. When IP arrived she found that she had forgotten her shoes, so I gave he a pair of ME's shoes to wear tonight. The fit was OK, but she did not have the same feel on the bike.  Matt Chickering, Jack, and MB went out to the trails behind Stop&Shop while I rode with Homer and IP on Gill Road to the RT. 2 crossover. After my group made it over the highway we headed for the truck turnout and then IP took us over to the swamp. Homer was having a much better time on the bike tonight than she has had in the past, at least she was not falling off anymore.  We rode over to Five Points and then up the Ridge Trail to the Secret Trail. This is IP's favorite route and she likes to take it up to the half way point and cross over to Luke. Homer made it over the logs on the trail tonight, but IP did not feel comfortable trying it without her shoes. After the logs we continued up to the water tank where MB and his bunch caught up with us. We all rode together over to the power lines and then down to Red Rock. It was getting pretty dark by this time and we were all using our lights to see the trail. After a few minutes rest we headed for the Hill of Doom in two groups. MB and his trio rode to the Messed-up Trail while I led my trio down the road. We all arrived at the hill together and after everyone got to the top we headed over to the Deer Run Trail. We rode back over to Jack's Pond and then IP took us through the apple orchard. We then took the usual route over to Double Dip where we rested for a couple of minutes. IP decided to ride to the top of the Streambed Trail and then take the Crossover Trail to the top of Luke again. We rode up the hill at a moderate pace and although neither of my trail mates made it up the last steep hill, they both made it up the long climb. We rode over to Luke Skywalker and from there we rode back down to the Ridge Trail. We took the Ridge Trail back to Five Points where I asked IP to lead us out the same way she did last week. We rode through the swamp and then out on the trails behind Lillian Street to the RT. 2 cross over. We rode slowly back to the shop and everyone was glad to get back into the shop to warm up. It was a chilly ride, but it wasn't unbearable.

Thursday 10/12: Tonight we waited for about 2 hours for Penny to show up before we headed out to the Coke Plant. Along for the ride was MB, IP, Jack, LP, Matt, Vinnie, Homer, Jorge, Rod and Myself. We all rode to the truck turnout after we crossed RT. 2 and then IP took us through the swamp to Five Points. Jorge, who usually is pretty crabby, was in his element tonight. He decided that he wasn't going to ride up the hills, but he was going to run up ala cyclecross, so he would be in good form for his race on Sunday. I kept on him about that as we rode past him on the climb up Luke Skywalker. He said that the terrain wasn't as good as his trials in Deerfield. MB, LP, Matt, Vinnie, Jack and I arrived together at the water tank and Jorge soon joined us. We did a couple of laps around the tank while we waited for IP and her bunch to arrive. When IP got to the tank we set out for the power lines to be there when the moon rose. We were treated to a gorgeous sight of the moon rising on a clear warm fall evening. We paused for a couple of moments before we headed down to Red Rock. The group split up with MB and myself taking the guys down the chute, while IP took some of the riders down the road. Jorge bailed about half way down the hill and I had to elbow my way past him as he complained that the trails were not groomed to his liking. When we got to the Hill of Doom the girls joined us just in time to see Jorge not make that climb as well. When we got to the top of the hill I took the girls over to the Streambed Trail while MB took the boys on a longer loop to the trail. I worked with Homer and IP in an effort to get them to make the entire hill as well as the last steep section. Although neither made it, both of the women did much better today than in the past. When we got over to the Crossover Trail we headed for Luke, where we joined with the rest of the riders and we  then rode down to the Ridge Trail. We took our time riding out through the swamp and when we got to the trails behind Lillian Street we were treated to a huge full moon directly in front of us. It was a beautiful sight and a fitting way to warm up for tomorrow's ride. we all rode back to the shop together and at this point Jorge quit his bitching. Amen!

Friday 10/13: Tonight was our first special ride for October. It was busy at the shop and 6:00 came up pretty quickly, so I found myself scrambling to get all of the people who needed loaner lights ready. I had to hook up lights for Bad Bob Underhill, as well as Kevin Gilbert, Penny. After that I had to hitch a ride with Bob, because ME had my car keys. When we arrived at the center of Montague we were greeted by MB, IP, Curt, DTH, Mark, Matt, Vinnie, Ken and Cathy, Penny, Kevin, Jack, Shawn Manchester, and Homer. We got ready to ride and we soon were on our way to the trails. Ken, Cathy and Penny rode out to the trails behind the rest of the group and we all headed for the top of the Telephone Pole Trail. When we got to the top we split up with Ken's group going on a flatter route while MB and I took the rest of the riders out to Red Rock. We rode through the twilight on trails that seemed to glow with the colors of the leaves and the fading sunlight. We made it up the hill to the rock and then we headed for Willis Hill. My plan was to take the Mud Mile out to the hill but some of the boys wanted to try to ride up the steep side of the ridge that leads to Willis Hill. When I got to the hill some of the riders had already made it to the top and I was going to be one of the last to give it a go. Bad Bob and Kevin had already tried and were walking up when I started my ascent. I rode up about half way and couldn't see a good line so I rode back down to where DTH and IP were cheering on the riders. I then rode up the hill without any trouble. It was as much the cheering from below as it was the fact that I wasn't going to be outdone by MB and the others. From that point the group then headed for the top of Willis Hill. Bad Bob and Kevin did very well on their first night ride of the season and we soon we were all on top of the hill in time to see the full moon rising. As we all took in the spectacular scenery from the top, the girls came out of the trails at the bottom of the hill. I yelled for them to come on up, but after a few minutes of waiting for that to happen, we decided to ride down to them. After everyone got to the bottom, Matt, Vinnie, MB, and Curt decided to ride back up. Now I wanted to ride up that hill about as much as I wanted a sharp stick in the eye, but if they did it then I was going to give it a shot. Needless to say I made it without any trouble and after all the "fools on the Hill" returned to the bottom, Ken, Cathy and Penny joined the group. At this point it was getting late so we all headed out to ride to the bottom of Willis Hill Road. When everyone got to the bottom of the hill we set out to return to the cars. We rode down the sandy trail on our trek back to town and both IP and I were impressed by Bad Bob's ability to ride through the deepest sections of sand. The group got stretched out as we made our way over to the Telephone Pole Trail for the ride back to the pavement that will take us back to town. This has to be one of the ten best night rides we have ever done, and to celebrate, I invited all the riders back to the shop for some pizza and refreshments. We ate and generally recanted the trips exploits for the next two hours and after the food was gone we all left for our homes.

Now that I've tried everything once, I believe the rules allow for me to resume my ordinary biking routine.
 There were about 20 in the group, young & old, male & female, expert & not. This included Donna & Kurt, Lynn, & Kris, Mark Courtermarche from the DC, KG, and me. The ride started out on wide, straight, & relatively flat roadways with only the occasional sand trap and some rolling dips to keep it interesting. This was going to be easy. Then we added some winding single track in the woods. Now it was interesting. The lights were of little value going into curves but you couldn't slow down at the risk of being left behind in the woods to find your own way out. There were periodic stops at major intersections for the rest of the group to catch up but I noticed early on there weren't any head counts to see if we actually lost anybody. As an aside, the full moon proved to be a lovely object low on the horizon. Every now and then we were in a spot that you could see it. No sooner had I concluded that night rides weren't technical in nature than we started with ups & downs over rocks and roots, washouts & drop offs. That's where you had to decide where to point your light. I had a helmet light and KG had one on his handlebar. Lynn had lights everywhere with enough wattage to light up Fenway Park. If I lifted my head so as to see the trail up ahead, I couldn't see the ground right in front of me. If I pointed my head down to see in front of me, I couldn't see what was coming up. The end result was you just had to go on faith that you wouldn't ride over too big a drop off or an embankment somewhere. Probably good training for those amongst us who are overly cautious going downhill and around curves. The course had the obligatory water hazard to go through. I only observed one person not make it through but KG was none the worse for wear from it. Despite numerous opportunities for falls, I think there was only one. I got up quickly only moderately embarrassed. This ride elevated Lynn and Donna up another notch on the biking scale. They charged through the woods and up and over the rocks and roots with aplomb. It was just another night ride for them. KG proved himself the biking master that he is. Sometimes he even turned his light on like everyone else. The whole ride took about 2 hours and was concluded with pizza & beer at the bike shop. A suitable ending to an enjoyable evening. (The above was an e-mail from Bad Bob Underhill about the Friday the 13th ride)

Saturday 10/14: Our second Saturday road ride for the fall season was held today on a summer-like day. I was joined by QN, Christine Parham, Kerri, Chris DeJoy, MB, Jamie, Shawn Manchester, Rick McCullock, Doug Dale and LP. We left the shop and headed for Turners Falls with me leading the group on the maiden voyage of my new Kestrel. As I flew down Greenfield Road I could swear that I was coasting at 5 mph faster than I have ever done that hill in the past. After we got over the canal bridge we turned right and headed out to Avenue A. We road down the Ave. A to Greenfield road and we rode up the hill to Hatchery Road. I kept the pace at 18 to 20 mph as we headed to Montague Center. I mainly stayed at the front of the group as we passed through town. It was a very warm day for the middle of October and the group was really enjoying the summer like weather. I was getting used to my new ride and I really wasn't to concerned about how fast we were going or even what route we took, just as long as I was riding was good enough for me. We got out to RT. 63 and turned right and headed for Amherst. As we got going on the hill QN said that Kerri had fallen off, so I dropped back to help he out. She was pretty whipped when she got to me, so I told the rest of the riders to go on ahead. The group rode ahead and I dropped back to get Kerri. When she got up to QN and myself she seemed not to be able to stay with us for very long and soon QN and I were out of sight. We rode slowly to the intersection of Bull Hill Road where the rest of the riders had stopped to wait for us. When Kerri finally arrived I suggested that she stay behind and ride down Bull Hill Road with Chris, Rick McCullock and Christine, but she said that she wanted to continue with the main group. I told LP and Doug to head into N. Amherst and that I would stay behind with Kerri. As soon as we go going again Kerri got dropped and after a mile or so she was far behind. When we got to the turn onto Cowls Ave. I asked the group to slow up so that I could make sure that Kerri made the turn. When she finally arrived I sent everyone ahead and told them not to wait any more, that we would make it back on our own. QN offered to stay with us and so the three of us headed out for Sunderland. We rode at an easy pace, but even this was a struggle for Kerri, and soon she was off again. I did not see Kerri fall back and by the time I realized that she wasn't with us we had already made the turn onto Sugarloaf Street. QN and I continued on and we made the turn onto N. Main Street and then we crossed RT. 5&10 onto Mill Village Road. We rode through the back roads of Deerfield and then we re-entered RT. 5&10 at the end of Main Street. At this point we saw Kerri comming up behind us and we tried to get her to jump on the line, but she could not hang on so QN and I rode back to the shop together. It was a nice ride and I enjoyed the time with Nancy.

Sunday 10/15: As the daylight ends earlier every week, we are now into the night ride mode for the Sunday rides. Tonight we had DTH, Curt, Tywor, IP, Mark, Roxanne, LB, Penny, Rod, Homer, Matt, Vinnie and myself for our usual trip to the plains. We left the center of town and we made the trip to the top of the Telephone Pole Trail and then we re-grouped. Everyone stayed together as we made the trip to the power lines on the Toilet Bowl Trail. I rode with Roxanne and the LB and we kept the rest of the group in sight as we drifted off a little. We joined the rest of the group and after a short break we headed out for Red Rock. The group split into two with DTH, Penny and Roxanne taking the kids on a flatter route, while I led the charge up to the top of Red Rock. When we got to the top of the hill we took the right turn and then rode over the next hill to the swamp. From there we headed for Willis Hill where the rest of the riders joined us. At this point it was getting late so we all rode to the bottom of the hill and then we headed back to the Telephone Pole Trail on the banked trails. We took it easy as we rode back to the center of town and I think that everyone had a good time on the ride.

Tuesday 10/17: After yesterday's rain I wasn't sure if the ridge would be ridable so I asked the riders who assembled for the trip if it would be OK to go out to the Coke Plant. Jorge started to whine about how hard it was to ride there and that he wanted to do something more challenging. (The fact that he hasn't made it up any of the hills , notwithstanding, he felt that we should do a more difficult route.) After everyone hooted him down we decided to get going on our trip. For tonight's ride we had IP, MB, Jorge, Penny, Jack, Homer, and myself. We all headed out for Gill Road after enduring more of Jorge's complaining and soon we were across the highway and at the truck turnout. IP then led us over to Five Points where we paused briefly before heading up the Ridge Trail. I rode with the front group to the top of the hill where I stopped to wait for Penny. The rest of the group headed up the hill to the water tank and I followed with Penny. Penny and I took the Secret Trail up to the cross-over and then we rode up Luke to the top where we were greeted by MB, who had sent the rest of the group over to Red Rock. MB, Penny and I took the Cross-over Trail to Red Rock where we joined the rest of the riders who had arrived earlier. At this point we split the group up with Homer, IP, Penny and I taking the road while the rest of the riders went down the Chute to the Messed Up Trail. I led the girls down the road at a fairly slow pace so that they would be able to follow my line. IP was following me and the other two girls were right behind her. I gave instructions as to which line to follow as we headed down the hill and I thought that we were all doing well as we neared the bottom, but as I neared the last curve I heard a few expletives from behind me. I immediately stopped and turned around to head up the hill. I saw a light pointed to the ground and I knew that this was not a good sign. As I got to the middle of the hill I could see Penny sitting on the side of the trail, holding her elbow. It seems that she didn't see the line that I took and she hit a rock, which caused her to crash. Penny was OK, but she was having a hard time moving her arm, so I said that I would walk her out and take her back to the shop. I sent Homer on ahead and I walked with Penny down past Jack's Pond to the top of the Hill of Doom. At this point the rest of the riders came over the crest of the hill and I told them that I was taking Penny back. IP said that she was willing to do that for me and after some prodding I accepted her offer. I then hooked up with the group and we headed out to the Orchard Trail and then over to Double Dip. After DD we headed for the Streambed Trail and we rode all the way to the top. We then took the Cross-over Trail to Luke where we descended to the Ridge Trail. We took the ridge down to Five Points where we then took the trails through the swamp. It was fun to be able to ride with the main group tonight and when we got to the Lillian Street Trails, I wanted to turn around and do another lap, because it was so nice out. But it was getting late and the group wanted to head back, so we followed the trails to the highway crossing and then we took Gill Road back to the shop. I had fun riding tonight even though Jorge did bitch most of the way. It was nice to see Homer stay on her bike for 99% of the ride and lastly, it was just fun to be out on a ride.

Thursday 10/19: Rod, Matt C., IP, MB, Homer, Jorge, Georgie Boy, and myself left the shop at 6:15 for the night ride. Rod, IP and Homer went out Gill Road while Matt led the rest of us over to the trails behind Stop&Shop. I like riding the same trails because you can learn new skills and then practice those skills on familiar ground. Of course this is just a seg-way to my ride up the New Trail, where I was once again unable to climb over the short rocky hill near the end of the trail. Matt made it but no one else did, and this is the same trail we have ridden for 9 years, so much for practice. Well, we continued on over to the Coke Plant and we rode directly to Five Points and began the ascent of the hill. I rode in the middle of the group and we made our way up the Secret Trail to the cross over and then we continued up to the water tank. As we got to the top of the hill we caught up with IP and her group and we all rode out to the power lines  together. As we got to the top of the rock, I led the boys past IP and Homer and we headed down to Red Rock. When everyone got to the rock we split up again and I rode down the Chute with George Boy, so he would have a guide to help him on the more technical sections of the descent. Georgie got through all the rough sections and we both rode the Messed Up Trail over to Jack's Pond where we hooked up with the rest of the boys. We rode to the Hill of Doom and then we headed up to the top to await the arrival of IP's crew. Even though it was pretty slippery on the trail, both Georgie and I made it to the top, along with some of the others. We then split up, with IP leading her group back past Jack's Pond to the streambed, while MB took the rest of us over to DD and then up to the Streambed Trail. MB led us onto the lower slopes of the Streambed Trail and we all soon fell into a rhythm as we got onto the middle of the hill. We were about to start the second section of the hill when we heard a god awful cry up ahead. I quickened my pace until I got to the source of the baleful sounds, which was Rod. The dear boy was doubled over in pain having reduced the family jewels to a bag of powder on his top tube. I checked on him as I passed by, (Yep, I kept on going.) and I could see that his self inflected injury would not jeopardize his ability to ride. I continued up the hill with the rest of the boys and soon I was waiting at the top of Luke. After everyone got up to are spot, I mentioned that due to the slippery conditions, I would not be riding over to Double Death. MB, Matt, and Vinnie decided to give it a go, so they left for the rip over to the hill, while I took the rest of the bunch down Luke to the Deer Run Trail. We all ended up at the top of Double Death where we waited for the boys to arrive. I asked if any of them made it all the way up and all of them said no. We all then headed out for Five Points, and from there we headed out on the trails behind Lillian Street. We crossed RT. 2 and then we rode slowly back to the shop. It was another warm fall evening and we all wanted to ride forever, but wisdom and failing lights caused us to return to the shop. I wished that we could have this kind of night every night.

Sunday 10/22: The shop was closed today so I drove over to Montague Center at 5:00 to find a large group of riders waiting for me. I was greeted by Penny, Rod, IP, MB, Ken and Seth Cuddeback, Kyle and Rob Lapointe, Vinnie, Matt C., and QN. Soon after I arrived, I realized that there were several people who did not have lights, so I gave my helmet light to QN, and my other light to Penny. Matt and Vinnie gave up one of their lights each to Seth and Ken. After we got all the lights doled out, we headed out for the trails. I rode near the front and after a near pinch on MB, I ended up sprinting ahead to keep away from the ire of MB, who after all this time hasn't learned to watch out when I am behind him. Anyway, I ended up at the turn first, so I stopped to make sure that all the riders made the turn. After waiting for Ken, I headed up the hill, leaving Matt and Vinnie behind to make their own way to the rendezvous point. We re-grouped briefly and then we headed out for the Toilet Bowl Trail. I rode near the back of the group with MB and Penny, and when we got to the turn off, I told MB to turn and catch up with the rest of the group, while I rode with Penny out to the power lines. After we all arrived at the power lines I asked Matt to lead the group out to Red Rock. We all rode over to the bottom of the hill and some of the riders took the more difficult left side assault, while I rode with the majority on the right side. When we arrived at the top of the hill, the sun was just setting and the golden glow of the sun on the foliage was breathtaking, and I reminded the group that this is why we do these rides. Moments like this do not happen all that often and there is no way to experience it except to be there. We then rode up the Swamp Trail to the steep hill that leads to the top of the ridge. MB, Vinnie and Matt made it up the hill while I and Seth did not. While we were climbing the hillside, the rest of the riders followed the Swamp Trail and they were waiting at the bottom of Willis Hill for us when we finally go to the top of Willis. I did not wait long at the top, and led the group to the bottom where I was challenged to ride back up. Not having forgotten my recent failure, I took off for the ascent. Now, I did not want to seem like a show off, so I just took my time and as I neared the top I was assaulted by MB as he tried to muscle by me. He made some comment about the "old man" not moving quite fast enough as he rode along side of me. But he forgot who he was fooling with, and just as he pulled in front of me, I grabbed his seatpost and propelled myself ahead of him. I later reminded him that there were only two columns in the record books, a W and a L. There is no S column, for style and so my arrival at the top of Willis Hill, shenanigans notwithstanding, counted as a W. We all had a good laugh and then we headed for the bottom of the hill to re-join the rest of the group. At this point we were all using our lights and due to the fact that some of the people were without lights we decided to pair up the lightless riders with the lighted folks and head back for the cars. I rode at the back of the group to give some light to the riders ahead. We all headed out on the banked trails and then we returned to the hardtop on the Telephone Pole Trail. I think that everyone enjoyed the trip and I look forward to doing it again next week.

Tuesday 10/24: We were treated to another warm spring like day today and the evening ride was going to be another beauty. I had already ridden with the kids from Bement School this afternoon and I will have another ride tomorrow with the NMH kids, so I was not looking to rip it up. For the ride tonight we had MB, IP, Jorge, Homer, Matt, Penny and myself. We have been going over to the Coke Plant for the last few weeks, mainly because we want to ride on familiar trail, but also it is close enough to get back if someone has a problem. Anyway, I rode over to the truck turnout with the three girls and then we split up. IP and Homer rode through the swamp while I took Penny on the Meadow Trail to Five Points. Penny and I were half way up the Ridge Trail when Homer and IP passed us and continued to the Secret Trail. Penny and I took our time and although we were a little behind the other two, we could see their lights in the distance. I arrived at the double logs on the trail just in time to see Homer and IP ride over them. I remember that it wasn't all that long ago that IP would automatically stop and walk over those logs because she thought that she couldn't do it. It is amazing what you can do if you have encouragement and support. I rode over the logs and when Penny arrived we continued up the trail and over to Luke. Penny had been riding pretty hard to this point and I could tell that she was getting tired, so we stopped and waited for a couple of minutes. As we were standing on the trail, MB and his trio came up a parallel route and were at the top of Luke, when MB spied my flashing red light. He made some lurid remark about the fact that there was nothing but a red light on the trail, but both Penny and I sharply rebuked the piker and we then headed up to where he was waiting. After a couple of jabs from Jorge, which were smartly returned, Penny and I headed over to Red Rock on the Crossover trail while the boy's headed there on the power lines. Penny and I joined Homer and IP at the rock and then we headed down to the Hill of Doom on the road. IP expertly led the group down the hill and I brought up the rear. Penny had no trouble following the other girls and we all soon were at the turn to the Hill of Doom. I took Penny to the top of the hill and then rode around to the bottom to make a run up. As I neared the top I had to slow up a bit so that Jorge, who was walking, could get out of my path. I rode past the old fart and joined the group at the top. At this point I asked Jorge to take the girls up the Streambed Trail so that Penny and I could take a shorter route to the Ridge Trail. MB and Matt took the more difficult route to the Deer Run trail where Penny and I re-joined them. We all rode together to the bottom of Double Death where Penny rode straight across and MB, Matt and I rode up the hill. I did not make the climb, even after two tries so I gave up and headed to the top. MB and Matt then went on to find Jorge and his group while I headed out to catch up with Penny. When I caught up to Penny, she was almost to Five Points, so I had her fall in behind me, and we headed out to the highway crossing. After we got to Gill Road, we rode slowly back to the shop. It was still quite warm out and we both enjoyed the beautiful night vistas as we rolled along the road to the shop.

Thursday 10/26: Tonight's ride was our usual Thursday affair, but we also had three boys from the Bement School join us for the ride. We had IP, Homer, MB, GB, Jorge, Will, John Friends, Alex, Mike Currie, Alex S., Rod, Penny, Matt C. and me. We split up at the start with the boy's going over to the trails behind Stop&Shop while IP led Penny, Homer, Jorge, Alex and myself out to the RT. 2 crossover on Gill Road. As we were heading up the hill to the roadway, the most extraordinary thing happened. Jorge nudged Homer as he passed her and she toppled right over onto poor little Alex. Homer was left upside down for several seconds, until I managed to dislodge her shoe from her pedals. (If that wasn't enough, later on Homer found that the crash left a huge bruise on her thigh.) After getting Homer going again we headed across the road to the trails. I followed Penny to the truck turnout and at that point Penny, Alex and I took the shorter route to Five Points, while IP took Homer and Jorge out through the swamp. I led my duo on the trails to Five Points and just as we got to the bottom of the hill, IP came up from behind and I had Alex hook onto that group. That left Penny and myself to continue on up to the Ridge Trail at a more reasonable pace for Penny. When we got to the top of the Ridge Trail, MB's group came up the hill behind us, and after they passed us Rod dropped off and joined Penny and myself. After all the other riders had passed us we headed for the Secret Trail. I followed Rod up the trail and we then took the shortcut over to Luke, where we turned up the hill and rode to the top of Luke. When I got to the top of Luke I could see the lights from the other riders up at the water tank and I told them to continue on without Penny and myself. When Penny got to the top of Luke, I led her over to Red Rock on the Crossover Trail, where we awaited the arrival of the rest of the riders. After everyone got to the rock the group split up again, with Matt and MB going down the Chute, and the other half of the group rode down the road to Jack's Pond with me. Everyone then met at the top of the Hill of Doom and we rested there for a couple of minutes. The group then split into three, with MB leading one group, IP taking the middle bunch and myself taking the remaining riders over to the Streambed Trail. My group turned at the halfway point and we rode the Deer Run Trail over to the bottom of Double Death. My group continued past Double Death and we turned right at the end of the trail and rode back to the Ridge Trail where we awaited the return of the rest of the riders. We all enjoyed the warm weather as we watched the lights of the riders snake through the woods as the riders made their way towards us. When everyone arrived I asked IP to take the group out to the swamp past Five Points. Although she missed the first turn, IP did a remarkable job of leading a large group of riders on a difficult route. This is quite an achievement for a girl who just a year ago, had trouble getting around the trails by herself, and now she is leading the rides, Go Lynn!! We left the Coke Plant on the trails behind Lillian Street and returned to the shop where we enjoyed some pizza and refreshments. It was another beauty of a ride on a gorgeous fall evening.

Tuesday 10/31: Tonight's Halloween ride was held in Montague Center again this year, but unlike past year's, we returned to the shop for the festivities. Joining me tonight were Penny, Rod, IP, MB, Chris Haigh, Richard Rogers, Jorge, Homer, and Matt Chickering. We all met at the usual spot and after everyone was all set we headed out for the trails. I rode near the front of the group and after a brief stop to get Penny's light straightened out we headed up the Telephone Pole Trail. We rode to the top of the hill listening to Jorge crab and complain. He was riding with Homer at the back of the group and I could hear him as he and Homer came up the hill. We rode to the couches at the top of the hill and then we decided to take a new route to the trails. We rode straight out the Telephone Pole Trail to the power lines and then we took the second first left onto the trails. I asked Matt to lead us out on the trails and he then took off with the rest of us following. We all rode together and we headed down some of the lesser traveled trails and we eventually ended up out on the power lines again. As we got going again I had Penny join me at the front of the group and we headed out to Red Rock. I rode at the front and when I got to the top of the rock I started to look for the overgrown trail that hooks up with the Swamp Road. MB rode up to me and I asked him if he could see the trail, and he said that he thought that it was back down the hill a ways. I of course didn't believe him until he rode down and crossed over, and then I made a point to tell everyone that I knew that the trail was there, but I wanted MB to find it himself. After everyone got over to the Swamp Road, IP tried to goad MB and myself to try to climb the steep hill that is near the top of the climb. We were not going to bite tonight and soon the group took off for Willis Hill. Richard was doing very well on his new Sugar 3 bike that his was using for the first time and we all took turns looking out for him. I rode with Penny over to Willis Hill and when we arrived we got to watch Matt, MB and Rod ride up the hill and then back down. After that bit of heroics, I called in the pizza order and then we headed down the road to the intersection of the Horse Trail. We all were getting hungry so I had IP take the lead and get us back to the cars in a hurry. The group stayed together right up to the left turn that takes us out to the road. As Penny and I came to the turn we saw Jorge and Homer turn around. I asked Jorge what he was doing and he mumbled something about showing Homer a new trail or something. Whatever! Penny and I continued on to the rendezvous with the rest of the group. When we arrived, the group waited for a few minutes and then we headed down the Telephone Pole Trail to the sofas. We were waiting for Homer and Jorge for quite a while and there was some less than flattering suppositions as to what they might be doing as we milled about in the dark. At that point we saw a light up the trail and I suggested that we hide in the woods and scare the hell out of the errant duo as the passed us. But just as they neared our position, they turned around, and we did not want to fool around anymore so we turned our lights on and hollered to them. After they re-joined us we all headed for the cars. We drove back over to the shop where we enjoyed pizza and refreshments. We spent a great deal of time harassing Jorge as we consumed the pizza, and after an hour or so, we all headed home. It was a great ride and the weather was perfect.