56 Miles in Dutchess County

 "I want to encourage you to bring your bike to NY. When you see those rolling hills and back roads you will be sad not to have it."  So said my wife in an IM a week before our trip to upstate New York for her college reunion.  She included a link to the Dutchess County tourism bike page: https://dutchesstourism.com/listings/biking 

I took a quick peek at that page, the forecast, and agreed; the bike was coming with us.

The bucolic roads of Dutchess County

We were staying at a lovely inn in Pine Plains and I wanted to check out the Harlem Valley Rail Trail.  Now, when you're in one place, and the place you're riding to is named "valley" you generally have to go over some hills (maybe mountains) to get down into the valley.  And, as it turns out, this was very true in this case.

Google Maps gave me a couple options.  Surely, the route that goes closer to the start of the path and isn't on a numbered route would be better. Note that it's shorter too!  As I popped out of the Inn's driveway Google Maps prompted to me to take a right, not a left. Oh, silly Google Maps, directing me down that longer/slower numbered route.  I took the left instead and I was off.

Uh, am I going the right way (as it turned out, no, I had to double back
 and take that right turn)?

The roads were beautiful and quiet.  I was only passed by a handful of cars.  Shout out to the upstate NY drivers.  Almost as rule they give you at least half a lane to safely pass.  Throughout the day a closer pass was almost always done by a car with non-NY plates.  I also saw a number of other (maybe more serious looking) road cyclists.  From time to time I had to stop to consult my phone and make sure I was on the correct route.  When I got to McGhee Hill Road a local cyclist saw me make the turn up it & said "that's a serious climb".

Yeah, truth in advertising.  McGhee Hill Road was a long very steep climb.  I've been dropping my extra pandemic pounds this year, but I'm not back to my BeforeTimes weight just yet.  And damn, I felt it.  The pitch of the climb increased until finally I'd had it.  I dismounted and started walking.  I haven't had to walk up a climb in I don't know how many years.  More than 20.  Sheesh.  Yeah, I haven't done my winter leg training in the gym since the pandemic started too.  Well, what can you do?

I was sweating buckets just walking up the hill.

Finally, I got to a spot where I thought it went from outrageously steep to normal steep and got back up on the bike.  It was a good call because, holy crap, the hill just kept on going up.  I passed a guy doing yard work and said "that's a heck of a hill you live on" and he assured me the worst was behind me.  Whew!

I got to the top of the climb and started the very long descent.  Like I mentioned, I was thoroughly sweat soaked.  It was a long descent.  Despite it being 87F (30C) and sunny, I started getting chilled as the sweat rapidly evaporated.  If I'd had my cycling vest with me, I would have put it on and zipped it up.  It was all worth it.  The scenery had just been spectacular so far.  Another cyclist zipped past me on the decent.  Not knowing what was ahead on the somewhat twisty roads, I had to feather my brakes a bit.

Am I going the right way?

Finally, I got to the rail trail.  It had only been about 11 miles, but wow, I felt those hills in my legs.  I had just about finished one bottle of water and started thinking about stopping for more water and maybe some coffee.  I rode south on the bike path to the end in Wassaic, but didn't see any stores adjacent to the path.  Other cyclists didn't know of anything close by.  So, I doubled back and rode north.

All along much of the bike path caterpillars were dropping from the trees on their silk.  It was pretty damn gross.  In a more interesting animal encounter I was almost hit by two deer crossing the bike path.  One went in front of me, the other made a quick turn and went behind me.  

I talked to another cyclist who said my best bet for a coffee would be in Millerton, a few miles up the path.  Sure enough I got there and it was a town of some size.  I rode up the hill and found "Irving Farm Coffee".  The kitchen was closed, so I couldn't get the egg sandwich, but I had good scone and an excellent cold brew coffee.  They also had a water dispenser, so I was able to fill my water bottles.  While I sat outside eating my scone & coffee I had a nice conversation with another cyclist I had leapfrogged a couple times.  Her daughter was getting married in Boston in June.  Then it turned out the guy on the bench next to me had lived just a few blocks from my home until recently.

Coffee break in Millerton

Fully caffeinated I continued north on the path.  The path up until this point had been very nice.  There was a cool section where the original railroad had carved a path through some very rocky terrain, so you were biking through some high narrow rocks.  North of Millerton though it became incredible.  It went through some wetlands and the valley opened up so you could see the mountains on either side.  It was spectacular.  It made me want to bike forever.

Doesn't convey how neat this section was.

There were purple phlox in bloom all over the place

Unfortunately, it was getting kind of late in the day and I still had to ride back to Pine Plains.  I stopped to check what the route would be, but my phone didn't have any signal.  A group of four local cyclists stopped to help me, but in the end I just decided to ride back to where I initially joined the path and ride back from there.  I knew my phone had connectivity most of the time from there, plus I had some rough written notes about that route -- even if it meant going back up that leg breaking climb.

As it turned out, Google routed my via route 199, which was a heck of a lot easier than McGhee Hill Road (I did have an atypical unpleasant interaction with a group of motorcyclists).  So, I was able to get back to the inn, not negatively impact my family's dinner plans, and not be totally wasted from the day.  It was a fantastic ride and I'm just sorry I didn't have more time to explore the roads around there.

.

You Keep Rides Like That In Your Back Pocket

A friend posted about getting back on the bike after being away for a few years.  He rode about six hilly miles and suffered.  It seemed like he felt guilty about letting himself become so unfit and having such a tough time of it on the bike.  My reaction?  I told him that rides like that are ones you keep in your back pocket forever.

After an unforgettable 135 mile ride

Rides where you suffer and finish - or heck rides where you suffer and fail become your index rides.  Back in 1995 I did a five or six mile ride after taking some time away from the bike.  I couldn't get down in the drops in my bike because my gut got in the way.  Afterwards my back hurt for days!  I've done a lot of very tough rides since then.  Freezing cold, crazy hot, stupid far.  Each of them was a deposit in the bank of mental toughness that I can make a withdrawal on.  But that spin out to Newton from Allston in 1995? That's an index ride.  I can measure how far I've come and how little I'm suffering in comparison.

So, seek out and treasure those tough rides.  And for so many of us they start with that five mile ride that lays you out while a butterfly passes you as you creep up a steep climb.

30 miles is longer than 20.

 So, who knew? Trying to get out and ride 20 miles a day during the heart of the pandemic is not the same as a 30 mile round trip bike commute?

My commuting rig & drying kit

As we move into - what? the new normal? The next phase of the pandemic? Whatever this is.  My company has implemented a hybrid work scheme.  A couple days a week we're supposed to be in the office.  Covid-wise, I'm fine.  I've got my own office, a little HEPA filter and I mask up in common areas.  And I'm fully vaccinated/boosted to the extent allowable by law.  ;-)

Anyway, the cycling result of all this is I'm back doing my bike commute three days a week.  I've REALLY missed it.  But wow, it's a process building back up to doing 30 miles day after day.  I'm doing two days in a row, working from home, and then another day in the saddle.

What kind of sicko likes their commute? Cyclists.

From the Atlantic 
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/a-mystery-the-people-who-enjoy-commuting/474138/

I guess the takeaway is similar to the advice I give someone who's looking to start commuting by bike: take it easy! Get lots of sleep. You don't have do all five days/the whole thing from the get-go.  No matter what, you're probably going to sleep a lot better! 

2022 Midnight Marathon Ride!

OK, it's been far too long since I've posted anything here. I've been riding, I promise! Anyway, the same way doing the out and back kicks off my cycling event season, seems like writing up this year's experience might kick off writing a bit more about cycling again.

At the finish line

Whew! What a great time and a tough ride.  Tough because it was so cold.  Great because the road was filled with cyclists all night.

I started out from my home in Brookline around 9 PM.  I happened to catch a good sized pack of cyclists heading out to Hopkinton after just a couple miles.  From talking to them, I think most of the people in the group had never done the ride before.  One woman had only just found out about it and decided to join in.  Can you imagine, doing a 52 mile ride at the drop of a hat?  She's training for an Erie Canal tour, so she said she was ready.  

One of the riders we were with took a spill on the T tracks on Chestnut Hill Ave in Cleveland Circle. When you bike over train tracks you have to try crossing them as close to 90 degrees as you can.  This guy just tried to ride over them almost parallel and biffed at speed.  Fortunately, he rolled and didn't hurt anything.

I rode with this group until we somehow split up around Framingham. I had gradually migrated from the back of the pack to the front. Perhaps they couldn't keep the pace we had set.  Initially, we were going like gangbusters.  I'd get dropped on climbs, but catch up on the flats eventually.

The night started around 42F and gradually went down to 34F where it stayed.  So, yeah, it was cold.  From top to bottom I was wearing: helmet cover, helmet, fleece liner, thin gaiter, jersey, arm warmers, cycling jacket, shell, long finger gloves, shorts, thermal bib tights, woolie boolie socks, hand warmer in my shoes, shoes, booties.  

There was a mild headwind on the outbound leg.

Stopped in Ashland for a quick break

One guy from the group had stuck with me and we talked a bit.  We split up when I stopped to text my progress to my wife, grab some food (dates & almonds, kosher for Passover, kids), and let my friend Tyler know I was getting close to Hopkinton.  Tyler was planning on meeting me at the marathon start line with water.  He even planned to bring an electric tea kettle to make a hot beverage!

All sorts of people were out & about

One of the things I really like about the Midnight Marathon Ride is you don't have to do it at midnight.  You don't have to go out and back. Most people get a ride to Hopkinton and start from there.  Some people start in Hopkinton, ride to the finish, and then bike back to Hopkinton.  All night there are lots of cyclists on both sides of the road.  Lots of friendly yelling & bell ringing ensues.  You see all kinds of bikes.  road bikes, touring bikes, mountain bikes, hybrids, ebikes, BMX bikes.  There was even a group of people on rollerblades.  All night you see the rear red lights and white front lights of cyclists -- and the quiet compared to usual car traffic is so refreshing.

After the long climb up from Ashland I made it to the start line in Hopkinton and met up with my friend Tyler. The electric socket in the gazebo was off, so there was no tea.  It was a nice thought.  The important thing is I could drink some more water and ensure I had two full water bottles for the second leg of the ride.

Tyler!

I chatted with Tyler for a bit.  What can I say? Not only is the kind of friend who will just come out with water for you (and snacks in non-Passover years), he also kicked me out of the gazebo & back on the road before I got too chilled -- with a pleasant have a good ride and a fist bump.

Cyclists at the start. Maybe waiting for the people who came on the train?

So, with a quick thank you to the Hopkinton police officer who was there (this is not a paid detail, since this isn't an organized ride). I was off.  Whoosh, down the big hill toward Ashland feeling all the moisture evaporate and getting progressively colder.  I've never been so happy to hit the first climb of a ride.  Eventually, I warmed back up.  Well, to a point.  While my heart rate from Brookline to Hopkinton had the normal profile I'd see from a long ride, my heart never got back into the training zone in the ride back to Boston.  I am positive this was from the chilly weather -- I've experienced this before during my winter bike commutes.

Around Framingham I settled into riding with a loose group.  We didn't talk much, but it was nice to ride with other people.  Almost all the drivers we encountered were extra careful.  Here and there people came out of the their homes to cheer us on.  Earlier in the night I also saw some lawn parties with bonfires and such.

All night we had this fantastic waning gibbous moon in a really clear sky watching over us.

Have to shout out to the guy on a touring bike with the Showers Pass kit, loud sound system, and Ukrainian flag.  We played leapfrog for much of the night and it was fun riding with him. 

We made it through Heartbreak Hill.  It's not a legbreaker on a bike, but you could tell people got a little quieter as we rode it.  A few people on folding bikes had to walk it.  I chatted with another cyclist who had numb hands.  Probably not from the cold, but rather from not taking breaks and varying hand position on the bars.  Easy to do a ride like this.  My left foot was going a bit numb for similar reasons.  No pit stops, just grabbing dates from the snack box on my bike.  We commiserated about how tough it was to bike by your house on ride like this since we each live on the route.

Another rider took a spill on the T tracks by Cleveland Circle.  In almost the same spot as I had seen the earlier crash.  Same deal.  He took a roll and sprang up immediately.  "I'm OK!"

Rode through Brookline, Kenmore Square, and finally, the finish line! People were very happy, exchanging fist bumps all around.  There was also some almond-related violence here of which I shall not speak more.

Clean your lens or you get photos like this.

Well, after a couple photos, I was off riding home.  For the first few blocks I rode with three or four other cyclists.  Felt like the ride was still happening for me.  I talked with a woman who agreed that the atmosphere of so many cyclists out on the road is just so great.

In short order I was home.  I showered, ate a little something, and got under the blankets where it felt like it took forever to warm up.  Anyway, it was a great ride.  Lots of fun.  And now, with a couple 50-60 mile rides under my belt, I'm ready to start increasing my mileage and get that first century of the year into the books.

November Accidental Century

 November Accidental Century

With pandemic hitting its long-feared autumn/winter surge, we decided to rent a house on Cape Cod.  While I love living in a condo in town, the shared ill ventilated common spaces have been a source of anxiety.  I’ve got a couple neighbors who don’t wear masks -- and even if they did, aerosols from their apartments would clearly enter the common areas and then my place.  Additionally, my kids have some vacation time coming up and spending some time in a large house seemed like a great break.  Of course in the back of my mind I was thinking about bicycling from my home to the Cape.  I’m aware of all the privilege this represents.  We’ve still got our jobs, we can do them remotely, and so far we’ve all been healthy.

Anyway, my wife asked if I was thinking about riding to Brewster.  Hey, she knows me!  I set some weather related ground rules: the temperature had to be above 50F (10C) with no rain in the forecast.  I’ve been getting out to ride regularly, and cold wet rides are miserable enough for an hour or two.  Looking at the map I vaguely estimated the ride to be about 80 miles.  I had extended my weekend long ride up to 66 miles, so I figured I was good on that count.

The forecast was very good for mid November. Cloudy and almost 60F.  Since it was only going to be about 80 miles I didn’t set an alarm. I would wake up when I woke up and eventually get out the door.  It was nice to get a full night’s sleep before a big ride and to take my time with the final prep for getting out the door.  I had fully packed my touring bike for the ride.  In addition to food (clif bars, nut butter, PB&J sandwich, four water bottles, gatorade) I made sure to include warm weather gear in case the forecast was wrong.  I had heavy weight gloves, booties, a thick fleece gaiter, and a winter cycling jacket.  This made for a pretty heavy rig.

I got out the door on the late side, almost 8:30 AM.  But what was the big deal?  It was only going to be about 80 miles.

By the time I got to Dorchester I was overheating, so I stopped to remove my fleece helmet liner and swap out my long finger autumn weight gloves for short finger cycling gloves.  As I rode along it just kept getting warmer.  I removed my arm warmers and then finally my Pearlizumi jacket.  I was in shorts, jersey, and knee warmers on a 67F sunny autumn day.  I felt very very lucky that conditions were so good.  Even the wind was generally either a tailwind or non-existent. 

I tried to eat and drink by clock not due to hunger or thirst.  On a long ride you want to stay ahead of both.  The calories you take on board early in the ride are critical later in the day.  I had been doing a very bad job of this lately on my longer weekend rides, coming home thirsty & famished.

Taking a break in Halifax, note those full panniers

It felt like really slow going on my touring bike.  You didn’t jam it up hills, you kind of urged it.  The roads were fairly quiet.  Blissfully so in many places.  I got to the bridge a little bit on the late side.  I got off the bike to enjoy my PB&J chased by my Gatorade.  It was about 2 PM and I was feeling the time pressure.  The sun would go down a little after 4PM.  As I was walking over the bridge I heard a car beeping.  It was my family!  What can I say, it was wonderful to see my youngest daughter smiling and waving to me.

On the bridge just before my family passed by

The narrow road through Sandwich center was dead quiet.  It was wonderful  And really almost everyone I interacted with all day (at a distance) was in a great mood.  It was a very different vibe than you get when you bike these same roads in the summer when they are packed with tourists, vacationers, and frustrated locals.

Somewhere along here I figured out there was no way my mileage estimate was accurate.  It could have been while riding on the service road and looking at a sign on the parallel highway, Route 6.  Well, there was nothing to do except forge ahead (OK, I could have called my wife to pick me up or even used the bike towing service I’ve got from the Better World Club, but nah).

As I passed the open market in Barnstable I made a quick inventory of my consumables. I still had a Clif bar, a packet of Skratch labs sports drink mix, an Rx Nut Butter packet, and one full bottle of water.  No need to stop.

This stretch of the route was terrible.  It was on 6A and there was a fair amount of traffic and too many of the drivers were not cutting me any slack.  It was past 3 PM and I just wanted to finish this segment before sunset.  Finally, I got to Setucket Road even as the sun was dipping into the horizon.  I felt immensely relieved to be off of Route 6A and on a very quiet tertiary road.  I pulled over to rotate that last full water bottle into my front bottle cage and text my family.

As I rode along I got to Slough Road and its intriguing sign -- pointing the way to the Cape Cod Rail Trail.  Normally, I would take Setucket to its end, hop back on 6A for a couple hundred yards, and then take Tubman up to the rail trail in Brewster.  I had experienced enough 6A for one day and narrow/hilly Tubman wasn’t too appealing.  So, I took that right on Slough.

The road was absolutely quiet and almost as good it was recently paved.  It felt good to sit up, pedal no handed for a bit, and stretch.  My shoulders were getting a bit achy and I kneaded them as best I could while riding.  As I rode past kettle ponds I thought to myself, this was a longer stretch than I had anticipated.  Finally after some friendly police & construction workers let me walk through a closed section road (it was being repaved and the heat from the new asphalt was delightful!), I got to the rail trail.  IN HARWICH.  So, yeah, I had just tacked a bunch of miles onto my day.  The tradeoff of riding on such quiet roads was probably worth it.

Finally on the rail trail. It got a lot darker. 

It got DARK on the rail trail.  I turned my headlight on high and pointed it up to try see more of the upcoming path.  Eventually, I crossed into Brewster.  And then I heard my name shouted from the side of the path! It was my wife!  There was a path through the woods to the road our rental was on!  She offered to drive me up the lengthy steep hill, but I declined.  And thankfully so -- my bike computer came out to just 0.05 miles over 100!  So, I completed my accidental century ride.  I felt alright. A bit sore here and there.  I did go to sleep a bit early (I got an excellent 11 hours) and I felt fantastic the next day.  

They say Sir Isaac Newton developed calculus while decamping from London during the plague. It's unlikely I will make any similar breakthrough, but it's wonderful to be here.

A few observations from the day I don’t want to forget:

Some new bike lanes popped up, Not yet contiguous, but a step in the right direction.

The pandemic is not a thing on the south shore. Full parking lots.

Many Trump voters are not shy. There were interesting pro Trump displays

One Trump voting pickup driver was careful & courteous. Shout out to you!

Trees w/no leaves let me see A LOT more kettle ponds than I knew were on the route.

Too many newbies on the rail trail had no lights. Or reflectors.

Woolie boolie socks are the best!

Paul McCartney's "Mull of Kintyre" coming on for the beautiful S turns before the bridge.

How to Stay Sane During a Pandemic: Ride the Bike

 How to Stay Sane During a Pandemic: Ride the Bike
Your Mileage May Vary

Global Pandemic: Plan An Alternate Rout(ine)!

Although it's been MONTHS since I updated this blog, I can report that I've been consistent in staying on my bike.  I've been working from home since March and I'm deeply grateful to still have a job and for my family's continued health during this very frightening time.

I've been careful to maintain whatever elements of routine & normality from the BeforeTimes that I can.  For instance, I don't wear t-shirts when I "go to work".  I've kept wearing collared polo shirts (hey, for an IT guy that's dressing up).  Most importantly, I have kept up with bicycling before work.  At first I would just ride for an hour or so, but I found the longer I went the better my mood through the day.  So, now I typically wake up early enough to ride for almost two hours before starting my work day.  This isn't too far off from the amount of time I would spend on my bike commute, so I guess it makes sense that it feels optimal to me.  On the weekends I go out for longer rides, typically on Sundays.  

I stretched out these longer rides to about 75 miles over the course of the summer.

Generally the weather was great this summer. There were some exceptions.

It was really nice getting out of town and away from people.  By all reports outdoor transmission of the virus is generally less common.  Nonetheless, I did the polite thing and put on a mask whenever I saw someone who was going to come within 20 feet of me.

Be considerate and careful! Doesn't cost nothing.

I also carry a real mask with me for use in stores.  Riding in general was a way to relieve stress and was a touchstone to normality. Also, it's just fun to get out on a nice sunny day.  Finally in August I did a real long ride -- from my home in Brookline out to Eastham on Cape Cod.  A ride of about 105 miles.

By habit and tradition I stopped where the Harbor to the Bay and Outriders have rest stops.  The green arrows on the ground had been almost entirely weathered away or paved over.  Fortunately, I know the route by heart.

Past Plymouth on my way to the Cape Cod Canal.

I packed a lot of food and fluids to reduce the number of times I'd have to stop en route. That's coffee in the bottle on the left.

Out of water I had to stop at a little market in Barnstable.  I shook the carbonation out of the coke to have the old classic cyclist's energy drink, flat coke.

A view of the marsh from the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Just gorgeous.

105 miles without putting on sunglasses makes for bloodshot eyes.

At the end of the ride I got to the place we're renting for three weeks.  I'll be working remotely from here.  Not from the hammock in the background of the photo though!  With the crisis the country is going through due to the mismanagement of the pandemic I am acutely aware of my good fortune and privilege.  I hope anyone reading this can find a way to get some respite from the stress and danger.  Take care of yourselves and the people around you as best you can. 

Everyone's Lost Season

Compared to so many I have so little to complain about.  So far my family is all healthy.  My wife and I still have our jobs and we're as busy as ever.  Having thrown out that important provisio I'd like to just whine a little bit about my lost cycling season.

The Midnight Marathon Ride was canceled.  So was the CRW's Spring Century.  And it's just made me sad.  I doubt that any large events will happen this summer and will it be wise to participate.

Who was that masked man?

I've been getting out and riding before work and on the weekends -- keeping as much distance between me & other people as possible.  I've also been covering my face.  At least that will reduce any droplets/aerosols coming off me in case I'm infected & asymptomatic.  I wash my face covering after every use.  And I've got a few to rotate through.  Still, they get kind of gross.


This weekend I rode a bit out to Sudbury where I saw a nice looking marsh along Water Row.  I also saw a couple snow people -- left over from what I hope is the last substantial snowfall for the year that we got on Friday.

Spring in eastern Massachusetts!

Do you want to build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman.

I also got to help another cyclist who had a puncture but no repair kit.  I carry a mini pump and glueless patches so I can help other people even if they've got different type tubes.  We kept our distance and I haven't touched my tool kit since then!  We were both wearing face coverings, so the whole thing had its surreal/funny side.

Anyway, thanks for letting me complain about my petty little problems.  Hope we get through this soon and anyone reading this is well.