October 2001

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

Monday 10/01: "Tom's Most Awesome Acorn Whistle Ride" Today I arrived at Hillside for the trip up to the ridge and although I had remembered most of the things I needed, I managed to forget Filler's bike, and he had to ride a borrowed Giant bike. Poor Filler! Well after we got Filler and his cohorts all set, they took off with Ian and Josh for a ride up to Birch Point. I then turned my attention to the remaining riders who were going to spend the afternoon riding with Homer, Hughes and myself. Along for the ride was Matt, Will, Sophia, Molly, Chas, Tom and Matt. We left Hillside and rode up to the reservoir where we stopped to re-group. After everyone was all set I took the lead as we headed up the snowmobile trail and when I got to a spot where there was a large oak tree, I stopped again. I scurried around the tree and picked up a handful of acorn caps and then passed the caps out to the riders. After everyone had their caps, I then instructed the riders on how to make a whistle with them. Most of the kids were able to do it after a fashion, but Hughes and Homer had a more difficult time with process. I did a little tune for the kids, but relented under a shower of acorns that were tossed from the direction of Mr. Pack. I took the hint and headed off towards the top of the hill where I again stopped to await the arrival of the kids. We paused for a few moments before heading down to Four Corners where we took a left onto the Yellow Trail. I led the troops up the hill on the Yellow Trail and although I was looking for a right turn onto the Blue Trail, I managed to miss it and I continued on to the top of the climb where I stopped again. When Hughes got up to my position, he said that he would take the lead on the trip down to the reservoir, so I let him lead on. I rode in the middle of the group and stopped at a couple of difficult sections to warn the riders of the hazard. Hughes rode on ahead and was going to wait at the moguls to warn the riders of the dangers. When I got to the moguls, I saw Hughes on the side of the trail with his bike inverted. He had suffered a mishap on the launch point and was trying to fix his bike. I stopped to lend a hand and we soon had his bike operational again and we headed off to catch up with Homer and the rest of the kids. We caught up to them as they waited at the reservoir and we decided to head back down the road to begin our return to Hillside. I followed Will and Tom and we had a great time ripping down the road. We came upon Sarah's cross country runners as we neared the second gate, and we showed them that we know how to have a good time, as we whooped it up as we passed them. After we got down to the hard top road I towed Will along while Sophia did some bicycle ballet as we cruised back to Hillside. It was a fun ride on a beautiful Fall day.

Tuesday 10/3: It was another beautiful night for a ride, with warm temperatures and a full moon, I was looking forward to a good workout. I started to get ready at 5:30 and was nearly all set when a customer came in to buy a bike and I had to help out. I got the person's bike for them but it took a little longer than I had thought, so I sent the group on out to the trails, and I finished up with the customer. I told the group that I would catch up with them somewhere at the Coke Plant. Along for the ride was Penny, IP, Chip, Mark Newton, Mark C., Liam, and MB. I rode over to the trails and managed to catch up with Liam and the girls at the truck turnout. We then rode over to the swamp and out to Five Points. I rode at the back until we as we headed up the Ridge Trail. Liam and IP pulled away from myself and Penny as we neared the top of the first hill and soon they were out of sight. I rode up Luke with Penny and she made it all the way to the top without stopping. When we got to the top of the hill we waited for a couple of minutes before the rest of the riders joined us. MB and Mark Newton had led the boys the long way around and they got up to us just as IP and Liam came back from a loop around the top of the hill. We all rested for a couple of minutes before heading out to the power lines. Chip was having a hard time keeping up with the boys, so he stayed behind and rode with Penny. I rode out to the power lines with IP and we headed down the hill for Red Rock together. When we got to the rock, MB took the boys down the Chute to the Messed Up Trail, while I led Chip and the girls down the road to Jack's Pond. After we got to Jack's Pond, Penny and Chip decided to skip the Hill of Doom and they went around to wait for us at the top of the hill. At this point it was dark and we had to turn on our lights so that we could see our way down the trail. After Penny and Chip left, IP and I rode over to the hill and then up to the top where the rest of the group was waiting. Mark then gave us a truck drivers version of a ride he went on, and although it took a while, he did manage to tone it down after a few words from IP. After Mark's story was finished, we then headed out to the Orchard Trails and up Double Dip. When everyone had arrived at the top of the Dip, we decided to take a ride up the Streambed trail to the top and then ride the Crossover Trail to the Secret Trail. Penny and Chip were getting a little tired and did not want to do much more climbing, so I offered to take them on a shorter route. I rode with Penny and Chip over to the Streambed Trail and then we turned onto Deer Run and followed that trail all the way back to the Ridge Trail where we waited for the boys to return. After all the riders were present we decided to go back through the swamp. MB took the lead for the boys and I took up the tail end of the group. When I got to Five Points I could see that IP had gotten behind me so I dropped off to wait for her. When she got down to Five Points, we headed off on the trail to try to catch up with the rest of the riders. We rode through the swamp with me in the lead and I made quick work of the route. As we neared the end of the swamp there is a tricky right turn and I was looking behind to see where IP was and I hit a root in the middle of the trail. Down I went!! I hit my elbow and got a little scraped up, but other than that I was OK, and we continued on. We caught up with the boys on the Lillian Street trails and we all rode back to the shop together. 10/9: Addendum: As it turns out I got a wicked bone bruise on my elbow and to make matters worse, I got some poison ivy or Sumac which has plagued me for the last week.

Wednesday 10/4: Today was a joint ride with the kids from Bement, Eaglebrook and one boy from Deerfield joining the NMH contingent. I picked up the bikes from Bement and then headed up to Northfield with John Friends following me with the kids. After we arrived and got the bikes ready, we split the group of 40 kids into three packs of 15 or so riders, and then we headed out to the trails. I rode in the middle of the pack of kids with Homer following and Hughes leading. We headed up Cinder Road to the Blue Trail and from there we rode down to the junction of the Green Trail where we re-grouped. The next section of trail was mostly uphill and I rode in the middle of the bunch with Chas, Will, Sophia and Molly. We kept a pretty good pace for most of the way, but we had to stop several times to take care of various mechanical problems that occurred. It was pretty tough for some of the kids to ride up the hill and they were glad to get to the rest stop at the intersection with the Snowmobile Trail. When all the riders arrived, Molly was feeling like she had enough, so she rode back down the hill with Hughes while Homer and I continued up to Four Corners with the remaining kids. When we got to Four Corners we met up with Josh and his group as they were heading up the Yellow Trail. After they passed through, we continued on the Snowmobile Trail. Homer rode in the front and I brought up the rear. I was amazed at how well Deniz rode up the next hill. She kept her cadence up and scooted right up to the top. Sophia did not fare so well, as she hit a root and had to stop. She made me promise that the group would do this ride again so she could have another try at this section. After Sophia made it to the top we rode down the hill to the reservoir where the rest of the riders were waiting. After a brief rest I led the kids back down the hill to the Winchester Road and from there we headed back to Hillside. When all the kids got back we loaded the bikes and I headed back to Bement, it was a really nice ride on a beautiful Fall afternoon

Thursday 10/5: Tonight we did a ride over to the Montague Plains with Penny, Homer Jack, Ben L. Mark C. and Kip Dresser. We left the common in two groups, with Kip, Ben and Mark heading through the meadow over to the trails, while I led the rest of the riders on the usual route. I kept the pace mellow but steady and we rode to the top of the Telephone Pole Trail together. We then headed out onto the Toilet Bowl Trail to the power lines. I was a really nice evening and we all enjoyed the relatively warm temperatures, because we know that soon enough we will have to don the woolies, to do this trip. After we got to the Power lines we took the usual route over to the Brook Trail and then up the Middle road to the swamp. We expected to meet up with Kip and his crew, but after a few minutes wait, we decided to head over to Willis Hill. We rode down the hill to the bottom and then Jack wanted to take the sandy road back, so everyone followed me down the path to the dirt road. I do not find it terribly difficult to ride in sand, but Jack and the girls did! They slugged it out however, and soon we were back on firmer ground. We rode down a couple of jeep trails to the Banked Trail and from there we took Jon Parrot's route back to the Telephone Pole Trail. I rode at the back of our group as we headed down the trail to the main road and then back to the cars. Just as I was getting ready to go, Kip came back and said that they had a good ride. He said that even though they looked for us out there, they never even saw our lights.

Monday 10/8; Columbus Day: I had originally planned on doing the ride up to MT. Greylock, but due to the cold temperatures and the heavy wind, I decided to do a shorter route. Along for the ride was Homer, Joe, Matt Chickering and myself. The route that we decided on was the old Greenfield Road Race course, which is a 45 mile loop through the western hills of Franklin County. We left the shop and rode down to Deerfield on RT. 5&10 at a 16 mph pace. Matt was just getting used to his new bike and he struggled to keep up as the pace quickened to 19 mph. I rode at the front for the first few miles, but I dropped back when I noticed that Matt was having difficulties with his shifting. I rode with him until we got to the butterfly museum, where he decided to back off and ride back home. After Matt left I rode back up to Joe and Homer and we continued down towards So. Deerfield. We had a pretty brisk side wind as we rode south, but we really got hit when we turned onto RT. 116 and headed west. I took turns with Joe riding into the 40 mph headwind, and Homer stuck right with us as the road turned upward. If you haven't ridden up RT. 116 to Ashfield, it is a 12 mile uphill trek and with the wind it seemed like 120 miles. Joe rode at the front most of the way up and I stayed just in front of Homer as she pushed hard to keep up on the steeper sections. Joe and I pulled away from her on Bug Hill, but we waited up at the top of the hill and we all rode out to RT. 112 together. We took a right onto RT.112 and headed down Ashfield Mountain. I was amazed at how much the wind affected the speed of our descent. Normally I can go down that hill at 50 mph without pedaling, but today both Joe and I were hammering on the pedals and we could only manage 43 mph. After Joe and I got to the bottom of the hill we coasted for a little way to let Homer catch back on and then we continued on down RT. 112 to RT. 2 where we turned east and headed back towards Greenfield. After we made the turn onto RT. 2 we were treated to a nice tailwind that pushed the pace up considerably. We managed to keep a 22 mph average all the way to the hills and even then we kept up a 12 mph pace. The wind did help us the rest of the way back to the shop, although not as much as I would have liked, and we ended the ride with a 19 mph average. It was a little on the chilly side, but all in all, it was a nice ride.

Tuesday 10/09: Tonight we rode over to the Coke Plant with a group that included Joe, Matt C., Mark N., Vinnie, Jack, Homer and myself. We rode over to the trails in two groups and our plan was to meet up on the top of the hill near the water tank. I rode at the front of my trio and we made good time to the water tower where we waited for a couple of minutes for the group to arrive. After a few moments wait we all headed off towards the power lines where I took up the lead because I wanted to stop at a new hazard the motorcycles had dug into the trail. I rode down to the spot where the rut was dug and I waited there until all the riders had passed. I then headed down the hill to Red Rock where I re-joined the group. Homer and Jack took the road down to the Hill of Doom, while I followed the other riders on a rip down the Chute. I managed to stay on the bike the whole way down the hill and then rode over to the top of the Hill of Doom. We decided to then head over to do Double Dip and continue onto the Streambed Trail. I stayed in the middle of the bunch until we got to the Streambed Trail, where I dropped back to ride sweep. I followed Jack up the hill to where we took a left onto the Crossover Trail. After we got to the end of the Crossover Trail we met up with Joe and his bunch. Everyone took the Secret Trail down to the Ridge Trail where we stopped for a moment. Joe wanted to do the trails through the swamp so I took the lead and we did a nice loop out through the marshy trails. When we got to the end of the swamp we took the trails behind Lillian Street back to the highway and crossed over to Gill Road. After everyone made it over the highway we all rode easily back to the shop.

Thursday 10/11: It was another beautiful, warm day today and I was greeted by a large group of riders when I arrived in Montague. Along for the ride tonight was Ben L., Penny, Homer, Vern, Joe, Jack, Dave, Matt C., and Vinnie. As we were getting our bikes ready to go, a woman drove by in her car and asked if she could join us. I said that she was certainly welcome to ride with us and that we would be leaving in ten minutes or so. She drove off in her car and after a few minutes she returned on her bike. She told us that her name was Emily and then I introduced her to the rest of the riders. After that we headed off for the trails. The group split up with Joe and Ben leading a group of the guys and I took a group that included Homer, Emily, Penny, and Jack and we headed for the trails. My group followed the usual route up the Telephone Pole Trail to the fire pit where we paused for a moment to re-group. It was here that I swapped helmets with Emily so that she could use my light. After getting Emily lighted, we headed out to the Toilet Bowl Trail, which we followed all the way out to the power lines. Since Emily was new to the area as well as to night riding, I decided to take a less technical route. We headed over to the Brook Trail and then we headed up the Middle Road to the swamp. I rode at the front of the group to lead the riders through the more difficult sections, and all the riders made it up to the swamp without difficulty. At that point I offered to take the group up the Kiabuckus, because everyone was doing so well, and all but Penny agreed to give it a try. Penny opted to take the road over to Willis Hill and wait at the bottom. After Penny got going we headed off to do the hill. I followed Jack up the climb with Emily and Homer hot on our heals and when we got to the top we took a right and rode up to the top of Willis Hill, where we expected to find Joe and his group. When we got to the clearing at the hill, Joe was nowhere to be found so we headed down the descent to where Penny was waiting. We waited for a couple of minutes to see if the rest of the riders would show up, but they never did, so we headed down to the bottom of the hill. I had waited at the back of the group so I could follow Emily down the steeper sections with my lights and when we got to the bottom, Jack was already down the road a bit so we all headed over to where he was. Now, not everybody enjoys riding in the sand, but I do and so I was perfectly content to ride the deep sand. Jack on the other hand, is definitely not fond of the loose terrain and he makes that clear every time we get into the sand. Penny took matters into hand and told Jack top stop whining and start riding. I should have know what was about to happen, but I was enjoying my ride and I did not see Penny get wound up. As soon as we hit the firmer ground, Penny took off and she ripped it up all the way down to the banked trails. and then we all had to chase her as she poured it on the entire rest of the ride. I rode in the back of the group as we followed the Telephone Pole Trail down to the hardtop road and from there we headed back to our cars. On the way back, I stopped at Emily's house and we swapped helmets again and I then rode off to catch up with Penny and the rest of the crew. I had a great ride and I hope that this will become a regular ride for us.

Sunday 10/14: I scheduled a ride up to Hawley State Forest for today at 11:00 and I went over to the shop at 10:00 to make sure that I had all my gear ready before I left. When I arrived at the shop no one else was there and so I went in and got my stuff and loaded the van. It was 10:45 before riders started to arrive, and soon there were several cars and a bunch of riders loading up. We carpooled several people into some of the cars and we put the bikes into the van. Just as I was getting ready to leave MPM stopped by and asked if he could get a ride up with me, since his car died earlier. I said I would, and after I gave directions to all the other people, I went over to his house and picked him up. MPM and I rode up to the Hawley fire house where we joined the rest of the group that was getting ready for the ride. Along for the trip today was Joe, MPM, Liam, Jack, Homer, Vinnie, Matt C., Ken Burdick, Vern and me. When everyone was ready we took off down the Kiln Road and to the start of the singletrack. We followed the usual trail down the hill on some of the best singletrack trail found anywhere in the area, to the first of the road crossings, where we re-grouped. It was a cool cloudy day and most of the people had on long sleeve shirts and tights that seemed to be working for them, but I was really getting warm, so I took off the long sleeve shirt and rode in my short sleeves. I ended up riding at the back of the group because I was still getting over my cold and I did not want to make it worse by riding to hard too early. After we got to the second road we stopped to discuss the next route. MPM suggested that we take the Culvert Trail and everyone agreed, so off we went. This trail is one that I have done many times in the last few years and I always enjoy it. I rode in the middle of the pack as we followed the path along an old ridgeline to a point where we crossed the road again and entered the Periwinkle Trail. This Trail has some very interesting and challenging terrain and the group took it a little easier (At least those of the group that I could still see!) and we made our way down the route to Hunt Road where we re-grouped to discuss our next trail. we decided to stay on the singletrack all the way to Gould Meadow. The trail is very tricky, with a lot of roots and rocks sticking up, and we had several people fall on the slippery sections. Homer fell and she got pretty banged up, but was able to get back on her bike after a few moments rest. She took it easy as she made her way down to where the rest of the group was waiting and we then headed right out to the meadow. When I arrived at the meadow, Vern and Vinnie were doing tricks on the lean-to and we were entertained with their antics. At this point I noticed that some of the people were getting tired and some wanted to head back home, so we decided to turn around and take the most direct route back to the cars. After we got going however, Vern, Joe, and MPM wanted to do another loop, so they headed off while I then took the lead and started the long climb out of the valley. I stayed at the front with Matt as we did the long climb to the turn off from Hunt Road. I gave directions to Matt, Vinnie and Jack at the turn and they then headed up the hill, while I waited for the rest of the group to pass me. After Ken passed me I took up the sweep position and we made our way to the next turn, where the rest of the group were waiting for us. We all made the turn onto Kiln road and headed up the hill towards the parking lot. I stayed behind to ride with Ken for a few minutes, but he said that he wanted to just take it easy and he would see me back at the car. I rode on ahead and caught up with Liam and Dave as they neared the Kiln and I took them over to see it. They were impressed, and after a few minutes we headed off to the parking lot where we loaded our bikes for the trip back home. Since I drove up with MPM, I waited after all the other riders had left, for him to return. It was only a few minutes before I could hear Joe and Vern coming down the trail, and then I could see MPM walking behind. The fact the he could walk was somewhat comforting, but the fact that he was carrying his bike, indicated that all did not go well on their loop. As it turns out, MPM was racing the other two down the last hill and he jumped over a log that lay across the road, but he missed the landing. Vern said that MPM was going 26 mph when he passed him and when MPM hit the ground, both he and Joe thought that he was not going to get up. But, he did and they found that MPM had sheared the weld off the rear swingarm of the bike, rendering it un-ridable. MPM was shaken, but not hurt, so they headed out of the trail on their own power. I loaded MPM's bike into the van and we headed out for the trip back to Greenfield. It was a great ride.

Tuesday 10/16: We again had a small group for our ride out to the Coke Plant. Joe led the boys and I led the girls and Jack over to the trails. We did a couple of loops out to the power lines and after tow hours of fun we headed back to the shop. It was a nice ride on a cool fall evening.

Thursday 10/18: Tonight we took another ride over to the Plains. I rode over with Dave LaValley and we were joined over there by Penny, Homer, Emily, Matt, Jack, Joe, Ben, and Kip. Ben and Joe took the faster riders over to the trails through the meadow, while I took Emily, Matt, Jack, Homer and Penny on the rout to the Telephone Pole Trail. It rode with Matt for a while and I introduced him to our ride protocols. When we all got to the top of the Telephone Pole Trail, we re-grouped before heading out to the Toilet Bowl Trail. I rode sweep as we made our way over to the power lines where we again re-grouped. It was another cool evening, but the skies were clear and we were out on the trails, so it doesn't get any better than this. After a few moments to reflect on our good fortune, we headed on towards Willis Hill. I took a different route this week which led us up a more gradual ascent of the hill and we this helped the group stay together. I did not have a special plan for tonight's ride and we just took random trails as we came upon them. We had a good time getting up to the swamp, with everyone challenging themselves on the Middle Road climb. When we got to the swamp, we rode up the Kiabuckus Trail to the I-H wreck. Penny did an awesome job of climbing the hill and Matt and Emily did very well for people who have not ridden much at night and also not having been out on these trails before. When we got to the top of Willis Hill we rested for a few minutes before we made our way to the bottom. This week we did not have anyone fall on the descent which is good. Although the trail is soft it still hurts when you hit the ground. After everyone got down the hill we headed over to Craggy Hill. This is a hill that we have ridden on for years, but we haven't been here in a while, and the trail is covered in leaves and twigs. Everyone did well on the descent and we re-grouped at the Big Pine Tree, before heading out for the return trip. As is her habit lately, Penny took off at warp speed as soon as we got to the flat trails, and we soon found ourselves on the Telephone Pole Trail again. We rode down the trail to the hardtop road and then we headed back towards the starting point. Matt and Emily turned off at their house and we then continued on back to the center of town.

Saturday 10/20: It was a really nice day today and we had a good group show up for the 25 mile road ride at 1:00. Along for the ride was Joyce Morris, Roger, QN and myself. Our route for today was the clockwise Sunderland 25-mile loop. I led the riders over to Turners Falls and then down Ave. A to Sherman Drive where we turned left. We rode at a 17mph pace down to Greenfield Road and then turned left. We continued on Greenfield Road at 19 mph until we got to the hill and Joyce suddenly pulled out of line and hammered up the hill. Naturally I jumped in behind her and we rode up the hill at 20 mph, leaving QN and Roger just behind us. When we got to the top of the hill QN caught back on, but Roger was still a ways behind so I dropped back and rode with him until we caught up with the girls. When we were all back together we headed down the hill on Ferry Road and just as we were about to make the turn at the bottom we came upon Anna Garbiel who was finishing her ride and we said hi as we passed her. I stayed at the back of the group until we got onto Meadow Road, where the wind was blowing straight at us. Roger and I let the girls go ahead so that they could have all the fun riding into the headwind. I managed to catch up with the girls just as we entered RT. 47 and I took the lead into the center of Sunderland. As we neared the roadway construction at RT. 116, I decided to take a route down the sidewalk to miss some of the dirt sections of road. When I got back onto the pavement, I was halfway to the bridge and the group was still in the dirt, so I waited up for them. We headed across the bridge into Deerfield and I got to race Joyce up the hill to the lights at Sugarloaf Street (Joyce let me win). We made the turn onto Sugarloaf Street and then the group headed north to Mill Village Road. We rode the rest of the way back to Greenfield at a good pace and we ended up the ride with a 19 mph average.

Sunday 10/21: Today we had scheduled the 50 mile road ride that had been postponed a couple of times. I arrived at the shop to find 5 people waiting to go. Joining me was Joe, Paul Cyr-Mutty (who is just back from the Ironman Tri), Wayne, Larry Sherman and Ian Grosse. The route we picked was decided because of the fierce wind blowing from the south. It was a very warm day and I wanted to do the whole 50, but the thought of having to do the last of the ride into a headwind was enough for me to change the course. We left the shop and headed south into Deerfield along the usual route. I led the group across the bridge and down to the turn into Old Deerfield. After we made the turn I dropped back and we all took a turn at the front. We tried to keep a 20 mph pace as we rode down past the farms, but it was a struggle. As we began the climb, Ian and Wayne dropped back a bit so I went back and rode with them until we caught up with the rest of the group. I went to the front as we headed down the hill on RT. 116 to So. Mill River Road, and after everyone made the turn I drifted to the back of the group and took a rest. We rode into the headwind along the back roads of Deerfield as we made our way to Whately center. We all took turns riding into the wind after we left the center and we then headed out onto RT. 5&10 to head towards Northampton. It was quite a struggle to keep up a good pace all the way down to the turn in Hatfield, but we all stayed together and we were soon on Elm Street which takes us to Main Street and then out to River Road. Once we got onto Main Street we got a nice tailwind and the speed picked up and we flew back up to So. Deerfield. We took a right onto RT. 116 and crossed the bridge into Sunderland where we took a left onto RT. 47. I took the lead and pulled the group up to Falls Road where Joe and Larry took up the lead. When I pulled off the front we were going along at 27 mph and I waited until the last rider pulled by me before slipping onto the back of the line. As soon as I got to the back of the bunch the pace seemed to pick and when I looked down at my computer I saw that we were going 32 mph. This did not last long. The group split into two groups with Joe and Larry going off the front and I stayed with the rest of the riders. We continued along Meadow Road to Greenfield road and then we took the Ferry Road Hill up to Turners Falls Road. The group was getting a little tired and we still had ten miles to go, so I decided to take the flatter route back. We rode down to the center of Turners Falls and took a left onto Ave A, which becomes Montague City Road, and then we rode across the bridge into Greenfield. We continued along Montague City Road to Deerfield Street. Paul was in the lead and I told him to set his own pace and I would see him back at the shop. Paul pulled away as he headed up Deerfield Street and we followed him up Washington Street where he then dropped us. I slowed the pace a bit and Ian, Wayne and myself took the Hope Street route back to the shop. We ended the ride with 48.5 miles covered on a beautiful day. We all hung around the shop for a bit enjoying the 70 degree sunshine, before everyone headed for home.

Tuesday 10/22: Coke Plant with Penny, Liam, Joe, Kip, Jack, Mark Newton and myself.

Thursday 10/24: Montague with Penny, Homer, Emily, Jack, Joe, Kip, Ben Shear, Ben L., Mark, Dave, Ed Gibson and myself.

Sunday 10/28: A large group of riders arrived at the shop for the 1:00 MTB ride to Deerfield. Joining me was Liam, Margaret, Pete, Jack, Kip, Robbie, and Homer. We left the shop and headed down to Keats Road where we parked in the usual place. It was a sunny, cool afternoon and the group quickly got ready to ride. I followed the group as we left the parking lot and headed for the Crystal Cave Trail. As I began the first climb, Homer mentioned that my rear tire was soft, so I stopped and put air into it while everyone else headed up to the lookout. It only took me a minute to inflate the tire and soon I was on my way. I rode up the steep hill to the cave and then over to where the group was waiting for me. After a moment we headed out for the Pool Road where I took the lead and headed the group to the Collarbone Trail (so named for the number of them that have broken there). I waited at the turn and then followed the riders up the hill to Bruiser. I passed quite a few of the riders as I climbed the hill and I got to the road just behind Pete. The group then headed up the hill to Pine Nook Road where we took a right and followed the trail up to the access road. This road is the steep climb that leads to the Red Rock Ledge and the lookout. I rode up the hill with Margaret and Jack and we all waited at the top for everyone to arrive. We stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the views and then we headed down the trail to power lines. When we got to the power lines I went to the front to make sure everyone slowed down when we got to the water bar and fence at the end of the trail. When all the riders got to the water tank we headed off down the hill to ride the trails around Clapp's Pond. I gave instructions to the riders on which trails to take, but the riders missed a turn and I had to go up to the front to get them to turn around. Once we got everyone on the right trail we all rode out to the bottom of Stairmaster. I warned everyone about this climb and told the riders to pace themselves as it is a long steep climb. As I began to ride up the hill. Homer called up to me and said that Robin had a problem with his derailleur and was hiking his bike. I yelled down to Robin to walk back to the road and wait for me to pick him up. I then headed up the hill passing several of the riders as I did. I got to the top and waited for all the riders to arrive before heading the group back down the trail to Pine Nook Road. I then had the riders take the Refrigerator Trail back to the Mud Mile and eventually back to the cars. I loaded my bike into the van and went out to get Robin. It was a great ride and I had a nice time.

Tuesday 10/30: We had a large group of riders show up for the ride to the Coke Plant tonight. The riders included IP, MB, Service, Joe, Liam, Jack, Mark Newton, Robin, Scott Barlow, and Tim Welcome. Joe and Liam decided to take a ride up to the ridge while the rest of the riders headed over to the Coke Plant along the usual route. I swept the ride while MB took the lead as we crossed the highway and headed into the trails. I suggested that we try a different route this week and the group agreed. We started out going over to the Hill of Doom and riding down it and then taking a trail back to Jack's Pond. From Jack's Pond we rode over to Red Rock Road and began to climb up the hill. I stayed with Penny to about the half way point and when I was sure that she was OK, I rode on ahead to the top of the hill. I told Penny to take the Crossover Trail to the top of Luke and wait for us there. It was a pretty windy night and we were all chilled as we rode across the top of the power lines. After everyone got to the top, MB took the group back into the shelter of the woods and then we rode over to where Penny was waiting for us. The group decided to take the Secret Trail down to the bottom and then we rode Luke back to the Crossover Trail. We stopped to re-group at the top of Luke and after everyone got a rest we headed down the Crossover Trail. When we got to the road we headed back down the hill to the Hill of Doom. the wind has blown a lot of the leaves onto the trail and most of us did not make it up the hill due to the slippery conditions. Everyone waited at the top of the hill for the last few riders to get up the hill and then we headed out to the Orchard Trail. I led the group over to Double Dip and then we headed down the Mud Road to Ankle Breaker. We rode up Ankle Breaker to Deer Run and we all gave a try at Stinger Hill, but again, the leaves made the hill too slippery to ride up. At this point it was getting late so I took the lead and we all headed down to Five Points and then we took the long loop through the swamp and out to the trails behind Lillian Street. We took the usual route back across the highway and then we headed back to the shop. When we got back to the shop we went inside to get warm and then everyone headed for home.