Posted by
Fearless Leader
on Tuesday, March 31, 2015
at 9:24 PM
Dear AdventuRiders,
First of all, many of the Recreation Departments don't have their Spring catalogs out yet. Don't worry about signing up (yet). Come ride with us!
As I am finding all my biking stuff again I made up a checklist for you.
- Find your bike and dust it off, defrost it or both.
- No, not your spouse's bike!
- Make sure it fits and works properly and hasn't been hit by a snowblower.
- Lubing the chain is always a good idea.
- PUMP UP YOUR TIRES. There is no way that the tires held enough air over the Winter. Riding on low tires is no fun. As a last resort, I will have a pump with me. You should get into the habit of pumping up your tires at least once a week.
- See #5 - This is important for your enjoyment of the ride. Please have me pump up your tires before we leave if necessary.
- See #5 - If you need to use Fearless Leader's pump, please get there 15 minutes early.
- You MUST have an ANSI approved bicycle helmet. I have one spare, first come first served.
- You will want a water bottle.
- You will want an assortment of layered clothing, gloves, perhaps a really thin hat. It's supposed to be just above freezing when we leave tomorrow.
- A signed Waiver of Liability, yes, initial all the yellow spaces too.
- I will have a few Waivers of Liability with me if you need one.
- A smile on your face, at least by the time we return.
Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole
Posted by
Fearless Leader
at 12:35 AM
Dear AdventuRiders,
Well, it looks like nice weather and better riding conditions will be here on Wednesday. The skies should be SUNNY, the air kind of chilly and a tailwind in the morning.
So, we are going to take the
Minuteman Bikeway from the Bedford Depot through Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge to Davis Square in Somerville for lunch. I've listed a couple of lunch options, but there are many more.
The Bikeway is plowed during the Winter and it is clear now. In case I forget to remind you, there could be ice on the trail from melted snow, and remember to watch for car doors when we are in Somerville.
Everyone is welcome! You
MUST have a helmet, and you should have some warm clothes. I will have Waiver of Liability documents for everyone to sign unless you want to
print out your own ahead of time.
On Wednesday, April 1st - Bedford Depot
Starting Point
- Name - Depot Park
- Address - 120 South Road
- Town - Bedford, MA, 01730
- Navigation - Google Maps
- Parking - By the old rail car.
- Facilities - Still closed for the season.
9:30 AM - The Fearless Leader's Choice Ride will leave.
- Route Map - Bedford - Somerville.
- Distance - 23 miles.
- Elevation Gain - 500 feet (easy)
- Unpaved - None
- AR Index - Roughly equal to 26 flat smooth miles.
11:30 AM - Lunch Time
2:30 PM - We are scheduled to be back.
Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole
Posted by
Fearless Leader
on Monday, March 30, 2015
at 7:17 AM
Posted by
Fearless Leader
on Sunday, March 29, 2015
at 9:17 PM
Dear AdventuRiders,
I LOVE my "job", except for the deciding when to GO and when to STOP.
Tomorrow falls into the category "um, maybeeeee...".
During my reconnaissance run today it occurred to me that while the calendar says "Spring", the reality is that it was 19 degrees this morning, the ponds are still frozen, the roads have pot-chasms, frost heaves, and general awfulness.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is not very encouraging either with wind chills below freezing in the morning and rain possible by noon :-(
Anyhow, now that I've bummed you out ...
The GOOD news is, ... If you have a smart phone, you should be able to click on the
Google navigation link below and get turn by turn verbal directions to the starting point.
On Monday, March 30th - East Pepperell Center
Starting Point
- Name - Rail Trail Parking
- Address - 56 Groton Street
- Town - Pepperell, MA, 01463
- Navigation - Google
- Parking - Gravel parking lot beside Kemp's Service Station.
- Facilities - NONE.
9:30 AM - The Morning Recreation Ride will leave.
- Route Map - East Pepperell - Hollis.
- Distance - 12 miles.
- Elevation Gain - 660 feet (moderate).
- Unpaved - A couple of miles (could be a bit muddy).
- AR Index - Roughly equal to 14 flat smooth miles.
11:30 AM - We are scheduled to be back.
11:30 AM - Lunch Time
12:30 PM - The Afternoon Fitness Ride will leave.
- Route Map - East Pepperell - Brookline
- Distance - 16.5 miles.
- Elevation Gain - 700 feet (moderate).
- Unpaved - None.
- AR Index - Roughly equal to 18 flat smooth miles.
2:30 PM - We are scheduled to be back.
Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole
PS. Please tell me what you think of the new format!
Posted by
Fearless Leader
at 3:03 PM
Dear AdventuRiders,
I hope you are out enjoying this glorious Winter / Spring day!
I have mapped out a couple of rides from East Pepperell Center that seem to have the fewest potholes and most scenery. The weather is not looking good with cloudy / windy / cold / rain / snow depending on which weatherman you believe.
I haven't completed the documentation for tomorrow, because I want to get back out side. I'll send out all the details this evening. As you can see below, I am working on a new template that is Starting Point Centric to make it easier to find us.
Gotta Go!
Bill
On Monday, March 30th Day - East Pepperell
Starting Point
9:30 AM - The Morning Recreation Ride will leave.
11:30 AM - Lunch Time
Breen's Diner is closed on Monday!!!
12:30 PM - The Afternoon Fitness Ride will leave.
- Route Map -
- Distance - 16 miles
- Elevation Gain -
- Unpaved -
- AR Index - Roughly equal to XX flat smooth miles.
2:30 PM - We are scheduled to be back.
Posted by
Fearless Leader
on Thursday, March 26, 2015
at 7:15 PM
Dear AdventuRiders,
I really hate to POSTPONE our first ride of the season, but now that poor weather is conspiring with poor road conditions, I guess postponing is the sensible thing to do.
Next week, I'm planning to return to our "historically correct" starting point in Pepperell on Monday and explore some non-Rail Trail quiet scenery along the Nissitissit River.
Wednesday will be our "historically correct" ride on the Minuteman Bikeway to Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville.
I haven't decided on Friday yet, we'll see what the road / trail conditions are like by then. If anybody has some "historically correct" ideas, let me know :-)
Bill and Carole
Posted by
Fearless Leader
on Sunday, March 22, 2015
at 8:14 PM
Dear AdventuRiders,
I'm looking out the window at a beautiful sunny day, the calendar says it's Spring and the AdventuRides Spring 2015 season starts this Friday, March 27th. I guess we were overly optimistic when we picked the dates a few months ago :-)
I was out doing some reconnaissance today hoping that things would be better along the coast. NOPE. Our regular riders will recognize this park in NewCastle, NH.
A little closer to home, I found that Devens has plowed their roads exceptionally well and if we get some decent weather I could figure out an interesting route. As we get closer to Friday, I'll let you know how things are looking.
In the mean time, if you want to sign up for AdventuRides Spring 2015 - Our 23rd Season - this is the only recreation department that has it's Spring catalog online yet.
Page 41
Bill and Carole
