by Tim_Cary » Sat Apr 09, 2016 2:26 pm
Another awesome turnout at the start (for such a chilly day)- I counted 18 or so, and a couple of new faces. On Bay Rd a bit of the pent up winter/spring energy gapped the paceline a bit, but not for too long. Gulf was tough as always, but I think a few of us managed PR’s. Back down into Packardville it was chilly, but not for long with the grueling, seemingly never ending climb up Buffam (along with an insane young motorist who almost took us all out!).
Up at the top in Shutesbury, we headed left and down another nice descent to Wyola, then down, down more to Rte 47, and Sunderland. We had a very nice paceline all the way down River Rd with everyone working together until we got around the corner in Hatfield, where a few decided to hammer it to the time trial finish line.
This is one of the few SMR’s that more than half the group stayed on for the whole ride- which I think is awesome. Many times people peel off due to time or training commitments. Also, at an average speed of 18.8 MPH, taking into consideration the elevation- has to be one of the fastest SMR’s I’ve been on. Not all SMR’s are like this, so people reading this should not be scared away. Just happen to have a group that kept this pace!
Couple of notes:
– Next weekend, we will take the SMR to ride the Quabbin race course. There will be an updated post soon about that. I am unsure if anyone will be at the Academy for a shorter/regular SMR.
– On a not so fun note, we all need to remember to follow the rules of the road, even when just pulling out at ride start time. A motorist posted a photo on our Facebook Page of us taking up two lanes at the intersection in Northampton. We love to be social, but we can’t take up two lanes doing that. We should also be riding single file at least until we get out of town- state law allows double riding, but only if not obstructing traffic. Please, listen to the ride leaders instructions.
We’ve got to work on this:
