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A Hilly Sufferfest For Bob

Written by Bob Perry

Saturday, 31 July 2010

I had thought about doing a ride up to Shelburne via Greenfield Road earlier this year but hadn’t done it because Zera Fiske Road was torn up. So when I heard that the road had been repaired and re-paved I scheduled the ride for tonight. I was feeling a little harried as the ride time approached and I did not think I was going to be able to ride as I was helping a customer with a bike purchase. Lucky me…the deal got done at 5:50 and I was out the door at 6:00. I gave my short talk on the route dangers and then the group of thirty riders followed me out of the parking lot and down High Street.

We took the back streets of town to avoid the construction on Silver Street and when we did eventually get out onto Silver Street I was quick to give up the lead to Mark Newton and Chris Williams and then head to the middle of the pack. We rode down past the swimming area to Colrain Road at a pretty steady clip and after riding down to Shelburne Road we made the turn to head up the first climb of the day. The faster riders were already pulling away from me and I was settling into a nice rhythm for the long climb ahead when I heard a shout from behind me. At first I thought that it was a flat tire and I was going to just let the victim do the repair but then I heard it was a mechanical. I turned around and headed down the hill to find that Silko had broken a spoke and a group of riders were trying to assist him. I looked at the wheel and even with bending the spoke to allow the wheel to spin, it was apparent that Silko’s ride was over. We said goodbye to Silko and then our group of 15 riders began the climb up the hill. I again set a nice pace for me and again there were riders pulling away from me almost right from the start. I chugged along at a 7 mph pace (I remember yelling at Jamie for not keep an 8 mph pace on all the hills) and eventually got over the first pitch just off the back of the group. I was riding with Kenny and Al Mason and we kept a good pace going over the next couple of steep rises. We arrived at the turn onto Zera Fiske Road shortly after the main group and I rolled to the front to begin the descent with Coach and Walters. We rode out to Bardswell Ferry Road and began the descent down the hill to the bridge. I just hung out in the back of the group, not wanting to lead through the heavily potholed descent. I rode with Al and Kenny after we crossed the bridge to head up the very steep climb on Bardswell Ferry Road. Again I set a nice pace and was the last rider to crest the hill at the farmhouse where the group was waiting. We paused only briefly before setting out down the hill towards Shelburne Falls Road. I was hoping that the descent would allow me to recover but that was not to be. After coasting down the hill I struggled to keep pace with the group over the next rise. By the time we got to Shelburne Falls Road I pretty much knew that it was over for me. I rode along at the back of the pack until we got to RT. 116 but when we headed up the hill out of town I hit the wall. I felt I could have continued on with the group but I knew that I would have gotten dropped on all the hills and I would not have been able to keep the pace even on the flatter roads. This would have meant lengthy waiting for me and that the group would eventually have to leave me to finish in the daylight. So I decided to head back to the shop on 116 and let the group ride on at their own pace. Joining me for the return trip was Walters and Al Mason. We headed up the hill out of town and began the descent to Deerfield. Walters turned off at his house while Al and I rode down to Lee Road. We headed back to Greenfield via Old Deerfield and arrived at the shop to find Silko sitting at the picnic table waiting for Coach. I suffered quite a bit on this ride and I felt that even though I could have ‘toughed it out”; I made the right choice and came back early.

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Last Updated ( Saturday, 31 July 2010 )

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