What’s more fun than a January century?! Come try out all of the awesome cold weather cycling gear Santa brought you for a relaxed pace ride through the South Shore. We will start in Hanover where the weekend coastal loops start, and make our way down to Marion for a stop at Uncle Johns 37 miles in. We will then loop through Rochester, Acushnet, Lakeville and Freetown before making our way back north through Middleborough and through East Bridgewater before heading back to the start.
This route hits many roads traveled on various club routes. This will be a relaxed pace, 16-17mph average at most.
We will stop at mile 37 at Uncle Johns (there is a convenience store around the corner) and we we will stop at mile 72 at a Cumbys.
Inspired by the challenge and the community spirt in Pittsburgh, I want to have us ride some hills in Boston. One of the best days during the year is often New Year’s Day. This features little traffic. Did you know that Boston has hills? There used to be three hills on a narrow peninusla jutting into the harbor. Those hills aren’t quite there, now. One remains. We will tackle the hill plus travel through the Dorchester Heights & West Roxbury, conquer Breed’s Hill, roll through the North End, and finish in South Boston.
This will be a change of pace and have some epic scenery. Some of the hills have gradients of 16%, but everything is short. Nothing is like Chris’s Logan Street or Canton Ave(37% with cobbles). We can do this.
We will ride in a neutral easy going pace. Perhaps I should say slower than normal. We want to watch for traffic. Everyone will stick together from hill to hill. When I blow the whistle the front group will charge up the hill. The following group will take their time up the hill. We will regroup at the top of each hill. The elevation profile of this ride is actually not much more gain than riding the Plymouth 50 mile route.
3 Points for the first person on any hill. 2 Points for the second person on any hill. 1 Point for the third person on any hill. Double your points if you KOM on Strava.
Pope John Paul II Park
We will start on the flat in the parking lot of Pope John Paul II Park. This is free parking and near the rail trail. We will ride the rail trail into the dense sections of the city. After climbing some hills in Dorchester, Roslindale, West Roxbury, and Jamacia Plain, then we will take another rail trail into town. We will climb Beacon Hill. We can stop for coffee on Tremont St and those that do not want to partake on each hill can stop at the coffee shop for a break. Next, we will head for Bunker Hill monunment. Afterwards, we will roll south through the North End, South Boston, and Dorchester to return to Pope John Paul II Park.
A Dozen Hills Walk Hill Cummins Highway Monterey Hill Bearberry Hill Bellevue Hill Bussey Hill Scarboro Hill Beacon Hill 3x Breeds Hill (Bunker Hill) Telegraph Hill Savin Hill
10/31 Halifax B 8:00 AM The Halifax ride (no-drop) will follow the Highland Route to the Uncle Jon’s in Marion. Avg pace is expected to be from 16 to 18.
10/31 Marsh 30 C 8:00 am **CANCELLED** The Last Ride of the year was cancelled due to the poor road conditions and hazards in place along the route in Marshfield and Pembroke.
The C group on Sunday has a great turn-out and is a good place to start riding. Ride Leader Jack runs this group. They make two stops and tour a flat route.
10/31 Halifax B 8:00 AM The Halifax ride (no-drop) will follow the Highland Route to the Uncle Jon’s in Marion. Avg pace is expected to be from 16 to 18.
10/31 Marsh 30 C 8:00 am The C group on Sunday has a great turn-out and is a good place to start riding. Ride Leader Jack runs this group. They make two stops and tour a flat route. This rolls at 8 AM from the Marshfield Town Hall. This is the last ride of the season!!
9/9 GZ 6:30 am
The Green Zone (Thursday morning) is a steady pace – keep the heart rates at 125bpm continously – for 30 miles. This is VP Hanover 50 A 7:30 AM
The faster drop ride will head for roll on the coastal look CCW and visit Hull.
9/10 Friendy Friday 7:00 AM A group 21 mph
9/11 Hanover 50 A/B 8:00 AM
The faster drop ride will head for roll on the coastal look CCW and visit Hull.
9/12 Hanover 37 B/C 8:00 AM
The Hanover ride (no-drop) will follow the coastal loop clockwise. Avg pace is expected to be 16 to 18
9/12 Marsh 30 C 8:00 am
The C group on Sunday has a great turn-out and is a good place to start riding. Ride Leader Jack runs this group. They make two stops and tour a flat route. This rolls at 8 AM from the Marshfield Town Hall.
SSB runs different rides with the touring group and more structured rides from casual riding along the road to 8,000-mile-per-year riders that crave paceline riding.
Stay on the right side of the road way. If you see an upcoming obstacle slowly move to the left of the obstacle.
Keep your speed smooth and steady. Don’t jam on the brakes – feather them. Don’t coast – soft pedal. Be predictable in everything you do.
Stay about half a wheel back from the rider in front. If you don’t trust the rider in front – or yourself – increase the gap a bit.
Don’t overlap wheels. In other words, don’t let your front wheel be alongside another rider’s rear wheel. Stay behind their wheel. Don’t be off to the side.
Listen and watch for signals, especially in larger groups:
“Car up” means there’s a car ahead in the opposite lane; “car back” means one is about to overtake.
“Runner up” means there is someone running towards the paceline.
Left and right turns are indicated by the standard hand signals: left hand out for left turn, left hand up or right hand out for right turn. Stop or slowing are indicated by right hand down, palm back.
Pointing down means “road hazard”: a hole, storm drain, or whatever. Sand and glass usually elicit verbal comment. A rider to the left of the paceline pointing to a space between bikes is saying “Lemme in!”
If the situation does call for increasing speed, do it gradually. Speeding up quickly stretches out the line like a spring, stressing everybody as it comes back together.
Turn the pedals 30 times at the front. More is not necessary and perhaps counterproductive.
Stay out there too long and you’ll find that it’s the most common way to get dropped from your pack; you’ll be too tired to stay connected to the end of the train, and you’re history.
When you’re making your way back, stay close to the line – you’ll still get some benefit from the draft. Soft pedal. Keep pedaling but easy.
When you’re pulling off the front, do not slow or stop pedaling as you begin to pull off, lest the person behind you run into your wheel. Save enough energy to make sure you’re continuing to “pull” off the front of the line.
Finally, you made it to the back again. Time to sit in, eat and drink, shake out your hands.
The 2021 Racing Season is coming to end. The Last Wompatuck of the season was held on 8/31/21.
Mass Bay Road Club held the weekly training races (USAC sanctioned) within Wompatuck State Park on Tuesday nights. These are the closest sanctioned races that occur on a weekly basis.
The club’s annual ride to Provincetown. We ride through the Cape and the take ferry back to Plymouth. Parking is at the Jenny Grist Mill parking lot. This ride is for all abilities. You must be able to reach Provincetown by 4PM. We will ride in groups, together.
There will be a SAG.
Ride starts promptly at 7 AM. Please be in the parking lot by 6:45am. You need to have your bag in the SAG car. You will get your bag at the beach at the end of the ride. We ride past Ptown to the end of the land. We will reach the beach. The swim is worth it. Watch for sharks !!
There will be several different speed groups. You should be able to maintain a 16mph average in order to make this an enjoyable ride for you to experience. Slower riders will be in smaller groups. The ferry leaves later and allows you more time to complete the ride. We expect to have 2 major groups with rotating pacelines at 16 and 18 mph.
For our route we will use the service road to Hyannis. When we reach Rt 132, there is actually a grade separated path that we will take to the next traffic light. We will cross route 132 at the traffic light. We will travel on lightly traveled roads from this point to the extension of the Rail Trail. We will take the new extension to the rail trail. The GPS file will go to the end of the cape at Herring Cove beach. The annual tradition as started by the V is to make a swim in the water. There are free showers at the beach.
The SAG wagon will transport 1 SMALL bag for each rider. You can have a change of clothes and a towel. When we reach the beach, then you grab your bag, swim in the ocean, shower, and organize for the luncheon in Ptown. We will roll to the Lobster Pot Express in town prior to boarding the return ferry.
The return ferry is at McMillian Pier.
You must purchase your own ticket from Cap. John’s Boats for the return ferry trip. You must register for the event prior to the ride on the Strava page. Please use the link.
We are running the Coastal route (37 miles) in A and B groups for the next two weeks. Register on Strava and download the maps. Grist Mill 50 will be on Sunday(5/9)
Rides on 4/17 & 4/18 will start at 8 AM. Traffic has been high on River Street. We are moving to an earlier start as the weather warms. Please register for all rides on Strava. Strava serves as our ride registry.
