Sunday, July 5th rides

[evangundy]

We did the BOG ride today, had 21 riders. Ride started at 8am, we got back home a little after 9pm. 84 miles. Lots of climbing. Lots of regrouping points. Lots of food stops :-) One new-to-Portland rider got lost on the way back, that's why we were so late getting home, getting him back on route by cell phone, we waited to make sure he get back ok. I'm too tired to mess with my pictures tonight, but here is a link one of the faster riders posted just a few minutes ago. I think his pics might be better than mine anyway. http://gallery.me.com/captusn#100426

Even on hot days like today, this is still one of my very favorite rides.

Edna

[AnnieBikes]

I loved looking at the pictures. Only 3 weeks from tomorrow I will be in Oregon for the start of my 1500 mile ride. Maybe some of this route will be on my ride? It looks gorgeous. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

[Becky]

Rode the MTB on Sunday with a mix of friends: the very fast, the slow, and me in the middle I discovered that riding my usual trails slower than normal made them more difficult. I had to use handling skills and "body english" to navigate obstacles that I would normally steamroll. It was an unexpected benefit to being patient, something that I freely admit that I'm not very good at.

Planning to play hooky tomorrow for some more MTB time. I have some comp time that's set to expire soon

[Crankin]

Reesha, it's cool that there are so many trails where you are. As you know, nothing like that around here.
Mudmucker, I missed going to Fitchburg this year. I've only gone when I've had someone to cheer (or transport). It sounds like it was fun. I just read in the paper that one of the up and comers in the woman's field grew up in Acton. I am going to go look in my older son's yearbook, since it said she's the same age as he is.

I did a an 8 mile ride on the Jamis to pick up sandwiches and picnic by the Old North Bridge and back home...

[Reesha]

Actually have you been to the Nashua River rail trail? It goes through Ayer, Groton, Pepperell and Dunstable. It's only 11 miles long, but it's great for time trialing or leisurely flat rides. I often ride it with my uncle and his gf or my brother.

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/northeast/nash.htm

It would probably be a 20 minute drive to get there for you, but it's lovely and totally worth it!

[Crankin]

I have a few rides that cross the Nashua River Rail Trail on the road in several places... one that goes from Acton to Groton, through Lost Lake (hills??) and back and the other that goes up to Kimball's Fruit Farm in Hollis, NH and back here through Peperell, Tyngsborough, Dunstable, Littleton, etc.
I have been on it twice; once walking and the other last fall, when the last 8 miles of a group ride finished on the trail. Generally, I am not a trail rider, since they are filled with walkers, little kids, etc. that can be dangerous for cyclists. But, it was OK in the middle of the week, in October! I noticed in your pictures that those trails look a lot wider than the ones here.
I actually rode my Jamis Coda 50 miles on the Cape Cod Rail trail last June. Again, it was in the middle of the week, just before the real tourist season started.
It turns out that my son does know the woman who won the overall Longsjo 1st place, although not well. He said she was "very athletic" in high school and it would make sense.

[Reesha]

Alison Powers? Neat!

Yeah the trails in IL are superb-- apparently they converted them to trails to preserve them in case of light rail possibilities. Good idea! I wish they'd do that with the hundreds of miles of unused rail lines in New England!

[txred9876]

I went on the group mamma jamma training ride. I kind of had a difficult time on a mere 24 mile route! I have been riding that without much of an issue lately but I just had a hard time with all the hills on this particular ride (and this made up a total of 75 miles over three days)

Today I am taking off!

Tina