Sunday, 10/4 rides!

[DebW]

I just moved a week ago, so today I took some time to explore and do errands by bike. First I rode a mile down the street and got on the Narrow Gage Rail Trail. Rode that through Bedford Center to the Billerica line, about 3 miles on dirt. Headed back to Bedford Center and stopped at a grocery store, drug store, auto parts store, and at Staples. Yeah, my new home is bike-commutable and bike-errandable!

[tulip]

Deb, nice to have a bike-errandable neighborhood! Mine is, too. The worst part is the parking lot of the shopping center, but once there, everything I need is within 4 miles of my house.

Today I went on a club ride and had a great time. I am lucky enough that this particular ride starts at a park that is a 6-mile ride from my house, so I didn't have to drive there. We rode all around the farmland down here and there was very little traffic. I was happy to get to the store stop, as I was getting hungry and was not looking forward to eating my emergency food (granola bar) that I had brought with me. It's truly emergency food, since I really do not like granola.

Then I was able to ride home on a quiet road, avoiding a big hill that I was dreading. Total was 40 miles. On the Bike Friday, which always invites comments.

[shootingstar]

Methinks I cycled only 24-30 kms. in total.
First third, was a partial route with dearie earlier in morning where we wanted to see some large public art scultpture installations. Local cycling advocacy group was holding a bike ride within city with route choices to coincide with the different outdoor art installation sites, for cyclists to stop and view the art along the way.

He took off with some groceries for home to do some work to meet an urgent deadline. Whereas I cycled to the start-point of today's outdoor art bike ride..got the route program and entry button. Didn't do whole route since I was volunteering for several hrs. later at coffee station.

So I cycled over to a major botanical garden that was free today just for registered cyclists to look at some sculptures. Was surprised there were alot of wonderful lush, rich colour floral and other garden displays. After shooting some photos, I cycled back to help out.

A number of cyclists rode with their children on bikes..there was a route choice that was off-road plus on-road with different distances and choice to climb some hills or avoid them.

Weather was beautifully sun and bright. Unfortunately this event ride was in competition with today's: annual breast cancer fundraising run, yoga convention, a 50-mile fundraiser ride elsewhere and a cyclecross competition that was happening next door to our start/finish staging area!

[katluvr]

We did the Withlochochee Trail ride. 6 years ago this was the first "organized" ride I did. It is a great Rails to Trail so we always do it. We needed a few "hills" in prep for the Moab trip, so we went off the trail and did a hilly loop. We did 70 miles. Longest rides since May when we did the MS Bike Rides. (Just haven't been putting in the miles). We were slower than we used to be, but my endurance was there. Beautiful day (until we stopped--got hot). Fall has barely touched us in FL, was 90 by a little after noon.

Went home and cleaned and packed bikes for the flight!

K