ABC Ride: Tuesday, March 11 at 10:30 a.m. from 214 Parkerville Rd, Southborough
Joel Arbeitman
Yikes!!! Our last ABC ride was November 20!! This winter was, well, uncooperative to say the least. There were very few days warm enough to ride and those that were either had rain or happened when there was ice and snow on the roads.
But it looks like Spring has sprung and it’s time for the 13th ABC riding season to begin.
We’re planning our first ride of 2025 for Tuesday, March 11 at 10:30 a.m. from Mooney Park (aka the Mary Finn School) opposite 214 Parkerville Rd in Southborough.
GPS address: across from 214 Parkerville Rd, Southborough, Ma
Route Name: ABC – Spring Warmup 2 (version III) (get the right version)
Ride
Rating:
Distance: Easy (13,7)
Elevation: Moderate (47)
Total Gain: 640 feet
Steepest: 4.2%
Tuesday’s
Weather
We
should
see temps ranging between 49 and 58
degrees under very
sunny skies but watch out for a steady
breeze.
Tuesday’s
Ride
As we kick off
our new riding
season, the first bunch of rides are called our “Spring Warmup
Series”. These rides are
much shorter than our
mid-season rides and are usually held at a much slower pace.
Tuesday’s route is a short 13.7 miles but it does include a few not-too-steep hills. The route meanders through some scenic wooded areas and also offers some really nice water views. The ride provides a perfect combination of distance and elevation to give us winter couch potatoes a chance to start getting back into riding shape.
On this version (version III) of the route, we’re trying something a little nutty and a little new. At the 6.4-mile mark, we’ll exit onto a natural surface walking trail along the Sudbury River. The trail runs a little less than ¼ mile before returning us to the roads. Some may prefer to walk their bikes; others may be comfortable riding. Do whatever works best for you.
Here’s a link to a
map of Tuesday’s
route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49913144
You can print our “official cue sheet” for the ride by clicking
the
link above, then click “More”, then click “Print Map and Cue
PDF”, and finally
click “Print Official”.
ABC 2025 Memberships
Please note that all
memberships from last year expired on January 31. Although our insurance
premium increased
again for 2025 (what else is new), we’re
going to keep the same $10 per year dues we’ve always had. Please remember that
riders who are or will
turn 80 years old this year ride for free!!
If you want to join the club for 2025, dues should be paid any time on or before your second ride of this season. Our insurance automatically covers all riders for their first ride with the club each year; you will not be covered for subsequent rides until you pay your dues. Memberships can only be paid for with cash; we have no way to accept checks or credit cards. We often are unable to make change; please try to pay with a $10 bill. Thanks!!
Emergency
Contact Form
Have you provided ABC with your emergency contact information
yet?
If you provided ABC with your Emergency Contact Information in the past, we still have your information on file unless it has changed. There’s no need to provide it again.
If you haven’t provided it, though, please follow the
instructions
below.
The Ashland Bike
Club has
created an “Emergency Contact Form” (see link below) that offers
our riders the
opportunity to provide us with their contact information and
also their
emergency contact information. Completion of the form is
optional
but recommended. If you would like us to be
able to contact
someone in case of emergency, this is the information we’ll
need.
We’ll try to bring an up-to-date list of everyone’s contact information on every ride.
The EMERGENCY CONTACT FORM can be reached by clicking here.
Off the
Route
Our “Off the Route” feature sometimes includes
interesting
bicycling topics and, at other times, includes non-cycling
tidbits we’ve come
across that we think are worth sharing.
Please let us know what you think.
In Memoriam – Eli Post
We really hate to start the year off with such sad
news but, as many
of you have already heard, our dear friend Eli Post recently
passed away.
Eli was a giant in Massachusetts cycling. In addition to his longtime membership in CRW and in the Ashland Bike Club, Eli was extremely active in promoting cycling. He was a major contributor to the CRW newsletter and was also a member of the Hopkinton Upper Charles Trail Committee whose job it was to design and build the Hopkinton section of the Upper Charles Trail. Eli loved that trail.
But, to me, Eli was also a close friend. He let me lean on him regularly for guidance in running the Ashland Bike Club and in the work I do with the Ashland Upper Charles Trail Committee. His knowledge and friendship can never be replaced. And I’ll certainly miss the almost infinite lunches I went to with Eli.
Here’s are a few lyrics from the song linked below. Please give it a listen.
Mary McCaslin – Old Friends
“But for the ones whose journeys ended
Though they started so much the same
In the hearts of those befriended
Burns a candle with a silver flame
Remember old friends we've made along the
way
The gifts they've given stay with us every day
Remember old friends we've made along the way
The gifts they've given stay with us every day”
How to Not Get Hit By Cars
Most club riders are good … we’re really good. But even the best of us
should start the year
with a quick review of the fundamentals.
The document below explains the safest way to handle a
variety of common
situations that arise on the roads.
Would you handle the recommendations the right way when you have to make a snap judgment to avoid getting hit?
Take five minutes and study the article and the diagrams. Reading this once a year is highly recommended.
How to Not Get Hit by Cars: https://www.bicyclesafe.com/
See you this Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. across from 214 Parkerville Rd in Southborough. Remember to check your email after 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday to make sure we didn’t postpone or cancel the ride due to weather or other reasons.
I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone! I hope you are, too.
And, as always … don’t forget those helmets!
Joel