Ride Reports and News

Wow!  I know that I'm biased, but I have to say that today's NCC SMR was supercala fragalistic, expialidocious!  The combination of gorgeous weather, beautiful roads and scenery, and a better than expected attendance resulted in a memorable day of cycling.  

I expected a low turnout, having posted the ride on Friday afternoon.  I flatter myself that I planned the route on Ride with GPS, figured out how to load it onto the NCC calendar, and even got it loaded onto my Wahoo, no small feat for a Boomer of such limited intellect.   Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?  Only three had signed up on the app in advance, so I was pleasantly surprised to have eight arrive to Pulaski Park for the 9AM start.   I had sent out some personal invitations via text, which I think helped.   The crew included (but was not limited to) a special guest appearance by Owen Wright, a bona fide professional who rides for the Mexican team Canel's-Java.  The slackers in attendance included yours truly, Juff Barron, Mig Hempstead, Timmy Pitken, Madelyn Nage, Conan Deady, and Andy MacDonald.  

We went out on Rte 9, then took Maynard to Federal to Nonotuck to avoid the heavy construction in front of the high school.  Up Spring and into Leeds, then past Musante Beach.  Right on Chesterfield Rd, to Montague Rd, into Westhampton.  Then, North Rd to Hathaway, and from there came the big challenge of the day.... King's Highway.  This is a steep climb with pitches in the teens, and which turns to gravel after a brief section of 22+ %.  After that, Northwest Rd is no picnic either, followed by the up and down of Damon Pond Rd, into Goshen.  Rte 112 to Steady Lane, Norris Hill and Rte 116 led us to a new refueling stop called the Laughing Crow.  It had been recommended to me by Pamela Blalock.  The scones were excellent, but the popovers that she endorsed were sold out.  Andy, Mig, Juff, and Owen went their separate ways at this point, leaving me, Madelyn, Conan and Tim to enjoy Baptist Corner and Shelbourne Falls Rd.  Fun roads, minimal vehicles, and excellent scenery!  We came home on Mountain St., and North Farms.  We were done by 1 PM.  I had 57 miles, 3:33, and 3,759 feet of elevation gained.  Fantastic day, IMO.  

P.S. There's a group photo on my Strava feed, but I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out how to upload it here.  Epic fail!  I guess I flew too close to the sun.  (photo added by someone near the moon).

All 8 of us got to witness a pretty convincing drubbing by Patrick Sullivan in tonight's time trial by a big margin. Damn, that guy just looks fast even standing still! Nice.

We had a very mild wind from the south, plenty of sunshine and only a few moist spots from a light rain a few hours before the start. 

We saw the return from the olden NCC days of Jeff (aka Juff) Barron who put in a decent effort after lounging on a fainting couch eating bon bons for more than a few years. We also saw a BIG effort by Joe L, slotting in at 5th place. I remember last year, after his bad accident, his kids Charlotte and Gus told me at a CX race that Joe's goal was to get back in good enough shape to beat me. At the time, I said that nothing would make me happier. I'm a happy happy guy tonight!

The TT series leader is Shawn with 55 points followed by Andy with 50. The Overall series lead sees Andy in a solid position with 123 points while Ryan is languishing in second with 116 points.

No PRs tonight.

Here are today's results:

1. Patrick Sullivan; Time: 30:56; 24.44 mph; 9 points

2. Shawn Lakota; Time: 32:53; 22.99 mph; 8 points

3. Andy MacDonald; Time: 33:39; 22.47 mph; 7 points

4. Madeline Nagy; Time: 34:26; 21.96 mph; 6 points

5. Joe Lellman; Time: 35:14; 21.46 mph; 5 points

6. David Goodwin; Time: 35:41; 21.19 mph; 4 points

7. Jeff Barron; Time: 36:09; 20.91 mph; 3 points

8. Melissa Warwick; Time: 36:18; 20.83 mph; 2 points

9. Tim Pitkin; Time: 37:11; 20.33 mph; 1 points

Next week is the last HC up Skinner (Mt. Holyoke).

None of the weather outlets could promise a dry day Saturday, and all were in disagreement on when and how much rain we might get. Despite many NCC members likely attending the D2R2, and the threat of rain, I posted an NCC SMR B ride anyway.

When I woke up Saturday morning, it was dark and gloomy. I stepped outdoors, and although it was not raining I decided I needed arm warmers. Mind you, we are still in August! Made one final check of the useless weather forecast and decided to carry on as planned.

I arrived at our starting point, Pulaski Park in downtown Northampton a little early, and…. yup, it started to drizzle. Luckily, that did not last long. Madeline, Melissa, Kevin, and Conan joined me. We headed out of town toward Williamsburg over the still milled pavement on Elm St (wonder if it will get paved before school starts, and why they did not do Nonatuck St. further?). It was said that I was a bit spunky on the pace starting out from the park.

During our ride into Williamsburg I asked who had ridden up Petticoat Hill in the past. Turns out Conan and Kevin never have, and Melissa only once. Madeline knew what she was getting into, as did I (I’ve done it 7 times!). Petticoat cuts out about half of Rte 143 heading up to Chesterfield. It rises nearly 700 feet in 2.25 miles, and has upwards of a 22% in there. 

Once out to Rte 143, it seemed like easy pedaling climbing past the Chesterfield town line, and finally pretty much coasting until we turned up onto Sugar Hill Rd. Hmmm… me and my “hill” roads! We passed the old Boy Scout Reservation, which recently was purchased by the Ashmere Project. They already have done a huge amount of work rehabilitating the property, and as a former scout who spent time there, I think it is so wonderful for them!

We continued up Sugar Hill Rd past my childhood home, and by now I am sure everyone was tired of me telling stories about Chesterfield from my childhood and teenage years. As we turned onto Lake Damon Rd and passed the pond I also elaborated on the history of the pond an the former mill there.

We stopped at the Chesterfield General Store and voted to make it the coffee stop, since there were no better places to get sweets and good coffee later. As I continued to elaborate on where the gasoline pumps used to be at the store and how my Dad and I would go there and then sit in the back room and have breakfast- Melissa’s long time friend happened to be there and so they had a nice chat with all of us as well.

Before we headed down the hill to West Chesterfield, there was debate if the slog up Ireland St will be worse than Petticoat Hill. I went for a no, but Conan (ahem, whom lives on Ireland St) was leaning toward yes. I don’t know that we ever came to a verdict, but one thing we did agree on- it sure was nice to be able to literally take over the whole road while we took in the views- no vehicles for a long time. On the way up Ireland St, there was a lovely display of the minions, complete with (what I will call ) a banana in hand! (PC: Melissa Warwick)

As we approached Rte 112, I made sure everyone knew we were turning off to the Knightville Dam. And also to enjoy the fun because much more climbing ahead. The descent down Rte 112 into Huntington was fabulous. We even had a very polite driver keep back and not pass us until we turned off. That is rare, and appreciated.

Of course, it was up hill to the Knightville Dam. I explained to everyone the purpose of the dam, since not everyone had been here. And of course, for the the obligatory group photo I handed my phone to the person with the longest arms.

The break was nice. But we had work to do ahead to get back home. I am sure I have said this before, but there is no easy way to get back to Northampton from Huntington.

My choice was to climb into Montgomery center, up Montgomery Rd. While not as short and steep as our previous climbs today, it was the longest. Or at least seemed tat way. We regrouped at the town hall and talked about what conversations are had during Zwift rides as well as what tech all of us had on us today.

Soon, we were on our way down to “the Hamptons”, and without checking the map, I led us down the “fun” way. Melissa promptly checked in with me when her computer said off course. I assured her I knew how to get us home. So, the “fun” way is steeper and curvier, and less traveled, that is all.

At the bottom, everyone but me said they were lost. Not to worry as it is all in the area of my usual after work riding loops.

I had one last hill- Park Hill Rd, in my pocket. Luckily we were going up it, as it is in horrible shape. Nevertheless, still very pretty scenery across the orchard.

The way home was Rte 66, where a bear crossed our path for the last excitement of the day. Everyone peeled off at the bottom of Rte 66 in Northampton. For a “climb-y” SMR I had 53.7 miles, 4580′ and 14.6 MPH Average. I certainly am not going to complain, as some members did twice the climbing we did today at D2R2!

Another rare beautiful Tuesday so we had a good turnout of 11 riders at the start. We all quickly fell into our groups and there were some pretty decent attacks. Ryan, for once, didn't destroy the field as Patrick showed up to give him a good challenge.

Two PRs - Jake beat his previous best by a huge 2:58 while Sam did the same by 0:52.

The HC overall is a total runaway with Ryan with an impressive 116 points. Andy is a distant second with 73. In the overall TT/HC series, there is now a tie between Andy and Ryan with 116 points each. One HC and two TTs left.

Here are tonight's results:

1. Ryan Davis; Time: 20:27; 16.99 mph; 11 points

2. Patrick Sullivan; Time: 20:46; 16.73 mph; 10 points

3. Sam Veggeberg; Time: 21:18; 16.31 mph; 9 points

4. Andy MacDonald; Time: 23:37; 14.71 mph; 8 points

5. Madeline Nagy; Time: 23:58; 14.5 mph; 7 points

6. Jake Poirier; Time: 24:23; 14.25 mph; 6 points

7. David Goodwin; Time: 24:40; 14.08 mph; 5 points

8. Shawn Lakota; Time: 25:25; 13.67 mph; 4 points

9. Melissa Warwick; Time: 26:27; 13.13 mph; 3 points

10. Tim Pitkin; Time: 27:57; 12.43 mph; 2 points

11. Joe Lellman; Time: 28:37; 12.14 mph; 1 points

Next Tuesday is the Deerfield TT.

Great weather tonight. Temps in the mid 80's and a gentle variable wind. We had a mere 4 riders at the 5:30 start. Madeline did the TT earlier and our old friend from a while ago, Scott Green (who was seen all decked out in his pro TT setup warming up as we started, thinking the TT started at 6 pm). came back to set down a blistering fast time.

The best news, at least to me, is that this is the last long TT of the series!! 

Here are the results:

Not an actual ride report, because I didn't actually ride. I brought home a broken collarbone as a souvenir from my RAGBRAI trip a couple weeks ago, and I still have a little bit more time before I can get back on the road. Fortunately, Ari has been doing a superb job filling in for me on the Monday night intro rides. Since this is his last week before he heads back to school, he wanted to celebrate by taking the crew out for ice cream, and he invited me to meet up with the group there.

Ari arranged a shorter route to account for the steadily-diminishing mid-August daylight and to allow some extra time for face-stuffing. He rode most of our Easthampton route in reverse, calling an audible early on to remove the Park Hill climb after Kavi got a flat early in the ride. He rolled into Mt. Tom Ice Cream at about 6:30 PM, with a group of eight or nine riders. It was great to see a bunch of familiar faces, and a couple of new ones as well. It was my first time at Mt. Tom, and I have to say the ice cream (Mexican Chocolate) was superb.

We all scarfed down some ice cream and chatted a bit before Ari and the rest of the riders hit the road for the return to NoHo, while I took the easy way home in my car. Not sure how the rest of their ride went, but I'm sure Ari did a great job guiding them home.

I told the group tonight that we had two more rides scheduled before the end of the season, but I mis-spoke -- we're actually on the calendar through the end of August, so three more rides, on the 17th, 24th, and 31st. I will miss next week again, but Adam has stepped up to lead that one. Hopefully I'll be back on the road after that to finish out the season. Hope to see you all then!

At the start, 8 AM (trying to avoid some heat of the day), we had four riders. Madeline, Mark D, John M, and myself. It was already quite warm and (self described) gross. We met up with Wendy K on Elm St. 

It was a rapid pace on River Rd all the way out to the East Deerfield bike path trailhead. Our strong two woman team took massive pulls. I am grateful! We paused at the bike path trailhead for a quick rest. I noted that the railroad depot here recently received upgrades to transfer goods from train to truck for “last mile” connections, improving access to intermodal rail services in the region and opening new economic opportunities.

The bike path took us along the always calm and interesting Turners Falls Canal. I did a quick hydration check, and we were good to climb up through Gill’s Main Rd all the way to the end where it meets Rte 10. Wendy set the mood wanting to try to blow up some segments. Madeline put in a massive effort to chase her, and us guys, well, we did our own thing. Main Rd through Gill is always scenic. It is mostly up, but there are some fun descents, and we pass the Northfield Mount Hermon School campus.

We turned off of Rte 10 to head to the main climb of the day, Gulf Rd. It hurt. It was hot. It seemed to never end.  At the top, we paused briefly to dump water on our heads and I learned there was a “who is out of water first” competition.

Luckily, it was mostly down hill (and an enjoyable one!) to our refueling station, at the end of the road where it meets Rte 2 in Erving. Well, we apparently had been riding too fast and the store, Fils Market, did not open until 11 AM. Those of us who needed immediate hydration were in luck because they had an outdoor faucet. We hung around 15 minutes or so to gain access to ice cold beverages and salty snacks. We learned that the owners had only planned to be there for five years, and it was past time to sell the business, partly because they work 80 hours a week and have young children. I do hope they stay open, as it is really only place for miles to fuel up.

Unfortunately the store lacks public bathrooms (also seemed to lack air conditioning), but someone recalled across the street, in the Erving Waterfront Park there was a porta-toilet. Indeed, there was, and not just that, but a very nice park, complete with a bike fix station. We hung around here, maybe too long, but it was surely an enjoyable place to rest.

And of course, we needed to document the group.

It was tough getting going again, especially since there was a small climb up Rte 2. My least loved section, as Rte 2 is so busy. Lucky, just over two miles, we turned on to Farley Rd. And…..

I promise that I do not plan rides with bridges out!  I apparently have a reputation on rides I have led- I always seem to “find” bridges out on the routes, and we have had various levels of “fun” hiking around or under them.

We carefully traversed the closed bridge. It has seen better days for sure. Most of us walked our bikes- the planks were very wobbly and there were exposed nails. The bridge was built in 1889, and sure seems like not much maintenance has been done on it. It was closed in the fall of 2025 and the two towns it connects – Erving and Wendell are looking for over $780k needed to repair it.

With that crossing complete, Farley Rd was a treat with fresh pavement. The climbing up into Wendell was not so much a treat. When it is hot and humid, that pavement so hot, every hill looks bigger.

We got some relief on the way down to Lake Wyola where it sure looked and smelled (the cookouts!) like a hot August day. I suddenly had a craving for a hot dog.

We continued to enjoy the speedy and cooling descent to Rte 63 and crossed over Rte 47. Instead of going directly down Rte 47, we navigated some shadier back roads, eventually dropping us out to the town line on Falls Rd.

We made a second stop at the Sunderland country store, which did have awesome air conditioning, and we drank gallons of water and soda and ate anything in sight that was salty. We were in no hurry to head back home into a headwind with no shade and 95 degrees.

As we set out, Mark informed us it was an 8 MPH headwind. We took turns pulling, and at one point when I was on the front, Mark told me that wind had picked up to 11 MPH. Lucky me! As they did all day, Wendy and Madeline were impressive, pulling the rest of us for long periods.

I was quite happy to see the bike path and relax a bit and get some shade. We all split off from there, and at that point I had 76.07 miles, averaging a very impressive 17.5 MPH and 3533′ of climbing (per Garmin). Whew!

I was too close to booking my first century this season so I ended up riding another hour or so, looping around close to home to grab the extra miles for a 100. Double whew!

We were treated to a great surprise today - a Tuesday afternoon without violent thunderstorms, locust or the plague. Because of this, the Pelham to Shutesbury hillclimb was held as planned.

With Jonathan OK out on the injured reserve list (maybe one too many pieces of pie during the RAGBRAI week that may or may not have resulted in a broken frame or a broken something else), it opened the door for a few contenders to close the points gap.

Here are today's results (everyone did the HC at the 5:30 start this time):

1. Ryan Davis; Time: 18:36; 19.03 mph; 10 points

2. Garret Theberg; Time: 19:27; 18.2 mph; 9 points

3. Carson Poe; Time: 19:38; 18.03 mph; 8 points

4. Andy Reagan; Time: 21:02; 16.83 mph; 7 points

5. Andy MacDonald; Time: 21:35; 16.4 mph; 6 points

6. Madeline Nagy; Time: 22:59; 15.4 mph; 5 points

7. David Goodwin; Time: 23:40; 14.96 mph; 4 points

8. Melissa Warwick; Time: 24:09; 14.66 mph; 3 points

9. Shawn Lakota; Time: 24:22; 14.53 mph; 2 points

10. Jake Poirier; Time: 24:24; 14.51 mph; 1 points

Quite a large group amassed at Pulaski Park for the 9 AM departure of the SMR.  I think we had a dozen at the start, and we picked up Wendy K. at NHS, for a baker's dozen.  We went out to Burgy using the old TNR loop route- Audobon to South St.  Then, up Ashfield Rd to Ludwig.  Several regroupings along the way to keep us all together as much as possible.  Muggy conditions and some damp roads, but no rain.  We zoomed down Brier Hill to Creamery, then a short jaunt on 112 to 116 (aka Spruce Corner Rd).  I think that we lost a couple of riders along this stretch (Tim Pitken, Big Mig Hempstead, and then, Tim Cary), and we turned left onto Pleasant, which was aptly named- a little climb, then a sweet descent.  

We detoured off piste to refuel at the Cummington Creamery, and we were both surprised and delighted to find Big Don W. Frank there!  He had started the ride with us, but took a more direct route to Cummington.  Next, we took Fairgrounds Rd, and we were treated to a pastoral view of a doe and her fawn crossing in front of us.  The descent from the Fairgrounds to the Chesterfield Gorge was fun, but the climb up to Chesterfield Center wasn't.  Then, a right on South St with a nice descent followed by a couple of painful hills.  Finally, down the lower part of Chesterfield Rd to Reservoir Rd to Leeds, to the Rail Trail.  Most of the group was flying on this final portion.  I had 53 miles, about 3:45:00, and about 3650 feet of elevation (I was having Wahoo issues, so the numbers are estimates.)  It was a solid ride.  A nice photo of the group which a nice woman kindly took for us when we were at the Creamery:

I want everyone to know that I will be away this weekend, so I won't be able to lead an SMR.  Joe L.