ABC Ride: SUNDAY, May 31 at 11:00 a.m. from Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School
Joel Arbeitman
NOTE: This weekend’s ABC ride will be held on SUNDAY!!!
The Ashland Bike Club’s next ride, called Dreaming of Dover X, is scheduled for this SUNDAY. May 31 at 11:00 a.m. from the Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School parking lot.
GPS Address: 155 Farm St, Dover, Ma
Route Name: ABC – Dreaming of Dover X (get the right version)
Ride Rating:
Distance: Easy (20.8)
Elevation: Moderate (43)
Total Gain: 890 feet
Steepest: 8.2%
The Weather
SUNDAY’s forecast calls for a partly cloudy day
with temps ranging from
61 to 64 degrees. We’re
likely to see more clouds later in the ride but the rain should
hold off until after
5 pm and is unlikely to affect us.
The
Ride
When we created this route, we knew we had come up with a
winner. Even still, we
have been overwhelmed by the
feedback we’ve received from club members.
With this latest version, we’ve tweaked it a little more.
The main
change takes place in Dover Center where, instead of riding on
Walpole Street,
which can be very busy, we’re now using the full length of Pine
Street which is
very scenic.
The route meanders through Dover, South Natick, Wellesley, Needham, and Medfield before returning to Dover. Although almost every road on the route is great, some standouts include Claybrook Rd (both directions!), Elm Bank in S. Natick, and Pine St in Dover. The route is an embarrassment of riches with great scenery throughout the entire ride.
This version of our Dreaming of Dover route, now version X, is just 20.8 miles long and, although it constantly goes up and down, the hills really aren’t too bad. Well, except for one just before the ride ends.
Rest stops are planned at the 8.8-mile mark at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society in Elm Bank in South Natick and at roughly the 13.4-mile mark at Chickering Fields in Dover.
Here’s a link to a map of SUNDAY’s route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/55389732
You can print our “official cue sheet” by clicking the link above, then click “More”, then click “Print Map and Cue PDF”, and finally click “Print Official”.
Off the Route
Our
“Off the Route”
feature includes interesting tidbits we’ve come across that we
think are worth
sharing. Please let us
know what you
think.
Ashland
Bike Club Radio
We folkies are badly outnumbered.
They
don’t play our stuff on the radio or, really, anywhere. But a
few of us have
gone underground to keep the movement alive.
We won’t mention any names, but some of us are hiding
out right here in
the Ashland Bike Club. Please don’t tell anyone.
“me and one good wiper blade, up
against
the rain …”
Kim Richey - Those
Words
We Said
Kim Richey - So It
Goes
Kim Richey - The Way
It Never
Was
Kim Richey - Come
Around
(Trivia: What movie?)
Kim Richey - Cowards
in a
Brave New World
Kim Richey - Lay It
Down
Kim Richey - A Place
Called Home
Kim Richey - Every
River
Don’t
be messing with
women cyclists
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/d_fSo0JsyPs
Noggin
Nagging
Every now and again it seems like
a good
time to remind our ABC riders that the helmet you’ve been
using since the LBJ administration,
even though you swear it doesn’t have a scratch on it, should
probably be
replaced.
Bonus tune: Tom Paxton – Lyndon
Johnson Told the Nation
After some number of years, they just don’t provide the same degree of protection. This is often due to sunlight exposure and also to being left in broiling hot cars during the summer.
I usually go for a maximum of eight years. Some say ten; some say three. The experts are all over the place. None, though, would approve the one with the LBJ campaign sticker.
So, maybe it’s time to treat yourself to something new.
By the way, you e-bikers should be aware that standard helmet tests were never done on bikes moving at higher e-bike speeds or weighing in at higher e-bike weights. There’s a new helmet standard called NTA-8776 that might be worth looking into.
Check out this article on when to replace your helmet: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/products/when-to-replace-it-cycling-helmets
To recap this SUNDAY’s ride, we’ll meet at 11:00 a.m. at the Dover-Sherborn Regional Middle School parking lot at 155 Farm Street in Dover.
Remember to check your email after 9:30 a.m. on SUNDAY morning to make sure we didn't cancel or postpone the ride due to weather or for other reasons and ... don't forget those helmets!
See you soon.
Joel