Riding into the teeth of a breeze

Tuesday, April 24Rode 16.4 miles to Nahant and back.
 After taking Monday off trying to figure out the Sea Glass Ride, I rode to Nahant today in the teeth of a strong breeze. I rode my steel frame Allez just because I could, and I figured not only would it be more stable in the wind than the Trek, the heavier bike would give me a better workout.
With the wind in my face, the ride out was cold and felt like a climb. I couldn't get out of the small chain ring up front. Coming back was a different story. I was going 20 mph without pedaling, or at least it felt like it. I managed to cross Humphrey Street and ride to the Middle School to vote. As I headed toward the Middle School, a CCB rider was coming at me down the hill. As I always do when I see a CCB rider, I shout "CCB!" and as they always do when they hear this, they give a quick "hey," and pedal off as fast as they can.
Now it's off to work. And I'm again going to shamelessly plug my my big MS ride in the fall, especially in light of news this week that an MS drug, when taken early enough, can head off the worst symptoms of the disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. Check out my MS GLOBAl fundraising page or pass it along to someone, please. The ride is also looking for sponsors. For as little as $500, you can get your name on rider T-shirts!

Bike shop boot camp survival guide

Tuesday, April 17 Spin class swelter at the JCC, rode to class and back.
Thursday, April 19 Swam at 5:15 a.m. then went to spin class at the JCC
Saturday, April 21 Rode 24.8 miles to Beverly Airport, then Wenham, down Larch Row and onto Cedar Street, coming back via East Lothrop. 1:43:16, average 14.4 mph
Sunday, April 22 Swam at the JCC. 50 yards lap in 4:58
  Coming home from a lazy ride Saturday, four riders pace-lined past me on Lothrop Street, then slowed a few blocks after that. Then, for some unknown reason, they didn't turn off for the Beverly Bridge, but continued down to Water Street toward the marina and an uphill climb to the bridge. That allowed me to get over the bridge before all but one of them, after he dropped his buddies by, I'm guessing, running a red light. I didn't take the bypass, but instead cut left on the bridge to Bridge Street in Salem.
 Later, I took a short cut in back of the Peabody Essex Museum to get to Derby Street, then skipped onto Lafayette by using the pedestrian signal. I don't know if it's legal, but at least I know that there will be no cars. I held off the chase all the way down Lafayette Street, but let up heading toward the downhill.
  "Climb aboard!" one of the riders shouted as they passed me, so I did. Just as I expected, one of the riders in a red shirt sprinted up to the base of Lafayette Hill, and as gravity pulled him back, a guy in a yellow jersey and I shot around the other two and passed him.
  It was at that moment a little voice in my head said: "Don't pass him, you have to work at the bike shop, today ..."
  And wouldn't you know it, it was a busy day at the old Marblehead Cycle. There I was, standing by the register, Col. Muammar Raymond telling me I'm talking to much as I try to ring everyone in as fast as possible. Just when the math couldn't get more confusing, I start discovering screens on the register they haven't seen in 13 years. Just how do you ring in a debit card? What is the code for "nontax/labor" again? The thought of screwing up at this point was almost too much to bear, but this is what I enlisted for. Retail means lots of pressure. After it was after 5 p.m., the day ended, and Chris ran the tape. There were no more bikes to be squeezed upstairs. No more transactions to sweat over. I had a pretty good day, despite slamming my head against the staircase for the umpteenth time. The bike shop is not going to beat my brains out! (Don't tell that to the Colonel).
  Shameless plug I'm riding for MS in the fall. There's an old coffee jar on the counter of the bike shop. Please throw a buck or two in there if you get some air or flat fixed on the go. If you want to make a donation to a great cause that is helping to speed a cure for MS, please check out my FirstGiving page I'm still $2,896 short of my goal! Thanks!

Please pave Bridge Street in Salem, already!!

31.2 miles to Manchester and back. New personal record on the Ayube bypass, 1:42, average of 27.3 mph, 10th overall. Average ride speed, 15.1 mph, max, 30.4 mph off the bridge
  To the person in the black Mercedes SUV, thank you for eventually hitting your brakes while I took the corner from Beach to Union heading south. Seeing that big old grill coming toward me sure gave me a shot of adrenaline to tackle the Forster Road/Susan's hill climb. Note to all you people behind the wheel, pay attention!
  Happy Patriots Day. Rode to Manchester and have these observations:

• The Salem bike path ends at the Palmer Cove Park and Playground. There is no route marked back out to Congress Street and Hawthorne Boulevard that I could find. This is a huge mistake. The bike path would be used more if it was market to allow riders to bypass Lafayette Street, although every Cross street in the Point has an annoying STOP sign on it.
• PAVE BRIDGE STREET IN SALEM ALREADY!! editor's note. Crews have listened to me! On April 18, crews gouged out the pavement for what looks like more trench work. Way to go!
• Very few people ride their bikes on Marathon Monday.
• More people ride their cars on Marathon Monday and seem to be in a big hurry.
• I know the folks in the Beverly DPS do a great job, but do you think some of them could pave the pot holes on Route 127?
• Cross Lane, Foster Street and Common Lane in Beverly Farms may as well have cobblestones on them, which is good training should I ever race in Amersterdam
• Don't complain when you have an awesome ride!

Finding time to ride while working more

April 10: Swam at the JCC
April 11: Rode to spin class at the JCC with Margie
April 12: Rode to spin class a the JCC with Andrew
April 14: Rode 24.8 miles with the Cyclopaths up to Hamilton. Rode on Trek. Averaged 13.7 miles. Personal record on the Bypass TT of 1:49 on Strava
April 15: Happy Birthday, Dana. Rode 17.9 miles to Nahant with Dr. Freedman.

It's really getting hard to find the time to do all the miles I should be doing. I'm still haven't gone long this year. A further crunch on my time is I've taken a part time job at Marblehead Cycle on Saturdays, helping out. If I can ever get the register down, I think I'll do OK. It's a lot of work. The hardest part is carrying all these 30-pound beater bikes up to the second floor when they come in for repairs. Makes me appreciate my desk job more.

Passover ride passed over

27 miles to Manchester and back on Trek Madone. Average 16 mph

Don't believe the Strava when it says I only rode 13.5 miles today. As luck would have it, I turned it off when I got Manchester, and I either forgot to turn it back on or all the jostling in my jacket shut it off.

I was hoping to catch the tail end of the North Shore Cyclopaths Passover ride, but I was too late. I just could not get out the door on time. The benefit of all that dawdling around, blue skies and a tailwind on the way back. I even hit 28 mph on the flat for a spurt on the bypass, which I was happy about. Alas, the Strava will never know.

The Marblehead Race ... In Training

Sunday March 25 Swam at the JCC
Monday March 26 
Tuesday March 27 
Wednesday March 28 16.5 miles around Marblehead
Thursday March 29 Spin Class with Andrew at the JCC. Rode to class.
Friday March 30 Off
Saturday March 31 Rode 30.9 miles to Manchester. Cold weather
Sundy April 1 Rode 10 miles around Marblehead Neck. Watched the Michael Schott Memorial Circuit Race and Vito Visconte's race in the 4/5 category.
Monday April 2 Off day

Tuesday April 3 Spin class with Margie. Rode to class. Then rode 16.8 miles around Marblehead. Broke a spoke.
Wednesday April 4 Rode 19.9 miles around Nahant on Trek.

Marblehead Race

Michael Schott Memorial Circuit Race
Each year, I've watched like a doggie in the window the CCB circuit race around Marblehead Neck. A friend of mine, Bruce, used to race it. I would stand at the end of the causeway and watch the action. After attending MS GLOBAL last year, turns out I know the race director, GH! And, also this year, Vito, also from MS GLOBAL, was racing in the category 4/5s. For some reason, I couldn't sleep the night before, as if I were going to race. As if. But it turned out to be a beautiful day, though it was chilly at the start. It warmed during the race, and you could see some of the riders suffer as they had too much clothing on.
Vito did well. He hung up at the front of the pack until the end, before Dean Phillips of FitWerx2 in Peabody blew the doors off the pack in the last two laps. Geoff was busy pulling riders off the course to avoid them getting lapped. It got tense whenever SUVS full of "blue hairs" would meander through the course unaware there was a pack of bicycle racers about to sprint down upon them.
The way the course is set up, right up a steep climb near the finish, is pretty tough. That's where Vito hit the wall in the last stretch. Watching the race made me want to try and race, but it also made me realize that I would have probably been spit out the back and pulled off the course before the jig was up.

 

Race director Geoff gives the thumbs up on a perfect day  left
Dean Phillips, a co-owner of FitWerx2 in Peabody, easily wins the category 4/5 race. I think it's time he move up a notch, don't you!   bottom