Ride Reports and News

It was another fantastic SMR, in this author's humble opinion.  The turnout for the 10AM start was a little thinner than I had hoped, but Shawn Lakota and Madelyn, the Cyborg, Nage were excellent company.  It was all business, however, as we headed out past NHS to Nonotuck and Spring Streets to Leeds.  There, we were treated to a large, majestic bald eagle soaring over the post office.  This sight seemingly gave us all inspiration to spread our own wings and soar over the hilly terrain to come.  

We went up River Rd. to Haydenville, then crossed Rte 9 and took Mountain St. up to Webber.  Madelyn dropped Shawn and I on the small hill by the Upper Northampton Reservoir,  but she waited patiently for us at the top.  That scenario was played on frequent repeat throughout the day.  The pace was solid all day, and we made it to Conway in no time flat.  We then went up Shelbourne Falls Rd and turned left on Wilder Hill Rd.  That entire road, including Baptist Corner Rd (which Wilder Hill Rd becomes) was beautiful, but a bit of an uphill grind.  I had planned to stop in Ashfield, but the village was mobbed with people attending the Ashfield Fall Festival- they certainly had perfect autumnal weather for it!  

We made use of a porta-potty there, and then continued, crossing Rte 112 onto Hawley Rd.  Then, up Bear Swamp Rd, which is lovely, and eventually to Spruce Corner Rd.  That road is a beautiful descent in this direction, but a lot of it had been recently chip-sealed and rolled, so not too bad.  

We then went a short way up Rte 9 in Goshen toward home, and turned onto Sears Rd., to try to minimize Rte 9 exposure.  That one might be new to me, and has 8/10ths of a mile of decent gravel.  Then, East St. in Goshen to Old Goshen Rd (also gravel), and Village Hill Rd to South St.  

So, it was essentially a metric century with 4,000 feet of elevation in just under four hours.  Could be one of the last good road rides for the season!

Hi, Folks,

Per usual, my apologies for the late notice.  The weather for this Saturday looks pretty good-sunny but a little cool.  I'm up for leading an SMR from Pulaski Park at 10AM.  I'll come up with a route, but I'm currently thinking of a ride up to Ashfield and through the Bear Swamp area.  (that is subject to change).  It'll likely be in the 50-70 mile range, and take 3.5-4.5 ish hours.  It will be a B paced ride- keeping together on the flatter roads, and separating and regrouping after the larger climbs.  The average speed for these rides is usually in the 16-18 mph range.  We can take a snack break at the Good Times Cafe.  Pulaski Park, Saturday at 10AM.  See you there.

Author's note- I may try to incorporate a mix of old timey expressions, as well as Gen Z slang into this report in order to demonstrate the breadth of my knowledge and lived experience. Apologies in advance if I offend...

I was totally chuffed by today's SMR! I was pumped that,by the time Tim C. had texted me about his lack of availability to lead a ride, I had already posted one! PSYCH! I scheduled the ride to start at 9AM, and end at 1 PM, and I rolled into my driveway at 12:59. I was so pleased that the first thing I did was stand on my head and spit nickels! (Anyone have change for a nickel, BTW?) I was a little worried about the route that I had planned because it looked a bit strange on paper, but it seemed to work out well.

A nice group assembled at Pulaski Park for the 9 AM start. Among the sufferfest participants were: John Marshall (who I usually call Boltcutter, but today he had a sweet, steel Indy Fab one-by with a dinner plate at the back), Madelyn Mad-dog Nagy (fresh from crushing Mt. Greylock one week ago), Brent the Music Man Auerbach, Zach the Ninja Judson, Jeff Silver Fox Barronn, and me. The biggest disappointment, and only real stain on an otherwise great day, was that Marco Panetonne was a no-show, even though he had texted me personally yesterday to say that he would be attending. It seems he was a little under the weather and couldn't get out of bed. Poor baby. We did catch a glimpse of him later, as we were finishing our ride.

It was chilly at the debut, and it didn't really warm up too much. Most of us were slightly under-dressed, except Johnny Cash wanna-be Zach. He was clad in black from head to toe, including a provocative black doo-rag. Dude was seriously Kitmaxxing! Bro is my Ride or Die, so I don't think he'll mind me ribbing him a little.

Anyway, we went out the old TNR route, past NHS and down Nonotuck. Then, out to Leeds and past Musante Beach. The pace was solid as we took Montague Rd, North Rd, and Hathaway to get to Westhampton, and our first set of climbs on Resevoir Rd. There's a short, steep one followed by a longer, steep one, with gradients up to 18%. At the top, we took a detour down East Shore Rd, with a brief stop at my camp to drop my jacket and knee warmers, then over the dam, and out by Red Pick-up Truck Lady's house, to Northwest Rd. NW Rd climbs up to Chesterfield, and we continued our B+ pace to the CGS for refreshments. At this point, Jeff headed home, leaving five of us to tackle the remaining hills. We zoomed down 143 to the bottom of the Gorge, then up Ireland St, which is a tough climb, but which had all new pavement. Then, fast downhill to South Worthington and the junction of Rte 112. In a momentary fit of disorientation Brent thought that he was in Leverett. We pacelined down 112, which would have been more fun if the pavement had been better and if the cars had been going more slowly.

We finally arrived at the major impediment of the day- County Rd (that's in Huntington, Brent). It's a beast of a climb-long and steep. As usual Zach and Madelyn were out front, with you know who at the tail end. After conquering that one, we went down Rte 66 and turned left on North Rd, and into Westhampton Center. Then home on Chesterfield Rd and Kennedy. John took a group photo there, and I'm hoping that a tech wizard will find it and post it here (as well as the photo that I posted on my Strava feed). Back in Leeds, we took the Rail Trail to our respective destinations. I had 52.5 miles, 4,200 feet of elevation, and 3 hours and thirty minutes of ride time. I was just the right amount of tired/ clapped out at the end, and I had commented earlier that we are very lucky to be able to do these types of rides in such beautiful country! The route seemed good- I was as proud as a dog with two tails (that's a Beverly Hillbillies reference- womp, womp).

I just posted a ride for Saturday AM.  9 AM start at Pulaski Park.  Out to Westhampton again, to do the paved part of King's Highway/Resevoir Rd.  Possible gravel detour around Pine Island Lake, then Northwest Rd to Chesterfield.  Stop at Chesterfield General Store and down to the Gorge.  Up Ireland St to 112 south, then, back on COUNTY RD!  Yikes!  See you there.

And so another 25 weeks of the Tuesday time trial and hillclimb series comes to a beautiful end. Just think, only 27 more weeks until we do it all again. Almost half a year of weekly sufferfests! Thanks to all who came out (I'd look over the stats and see how many participants there were but am too tired right now).

We had superb conditons tonight, a mostly moderate tail wind, but had to contend with some off roading from mile 7 to mile 7.4 due to some asphalt milling by the town of Hatfield. Seems like everyone got through it safely.

I have had the pleasure to watch Ryan Davis (not his brother Nick like I called him this afternoon, for some reason thinking this might be funny - it wasn't) kill both the hillclimbs and now a time trial. I also got to watch his dominating performance in the men's 3/4 CX race at Hydra Cross on Saturday and that was very cool. He absolutely scorched us today.

There were two PRs today - Ryan by an impressive 1:30 and Brent by 0:09.

The final series results are:

Men's (and combined): TT Shawn with 60, Andy with 56 and Jonathan with 48 (not bad considering the number of TT's he missed). On the women's side: Madeline with 43, Melissa with 14 and (digging way down), Lauren with 1. For the overall: Andy with 129, Ryan with 127 and Jonathan with 112. For the women it was Madeline with 107, Melissa with 49 and I guess Lauren with 1. Come on women! We need more of you (that seems like a weird thing to say but is totally true on so many levels)!

Here are tonight's results:

1. Ryan Davis; Time: 18:31; 29.81 mph; 11 points

2. Scott Green; Time: 21:10; 26.08 mph; 10 points

3. Patrick Sullivan; Time: 21:38; 25.52 mph; 9 points

4. Frank Sleegers; Time: 22:39; 24.37 mph; 8 points

5. Joe Lellman; Time: 22:59; 24.02 mph; 7 points

6. Andy MacDonald; Time: 23:03; 23.95 mph; 6 points

7. Shawn Lakota; Time: 23:05; 23.91 mph; 5 points

8. Jonathan O'Keeffe; Time: 23:35; 23.41 mph; 4 points

9. Madeline Nagy; Time: 24:05; 22.92 mph; 3 points

10. David Goodwin; Time: 24:41; 22.36 mph; 2 points

11. Brent Auerbach; Time: 25:48; 21.4 mph; 1 points

Until next year ...

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: