ABC Ride: TUESDAY, May 12 at 11:00 a.m. from 49 Exchange St, Holliston

[Joel Arbeitman]

Hi everyone.

Our next Ashland Bike Club ride will be held TUESDAY, May 12 at 11:00 a.m.  The ride will start from the downtown Holliston parking lot opposite 49 Exchange St.

GPS Address:  49 Exchange St, Holliston, Ma

Route Name:  ABC – Nason Hill VII (get the right version)

Ride Rating:
Distance:   Easy (19.2)
Elevation:  Moderate (44)
Total Gain: 853 feet
Steepest:    6.0%

The Weather
The forecast for TUESDAY is calling for a beautiful day with mostly sunny skies and temps between 57 and 61.

The Ride
TUESDAY’s route offers ABC riders a little bit of bike path and a whole lot of great country scenery.  We’ll roll by the very scenic Millis Swamp and then past the farms on Ridge Road and Nason Hill Road in Sherborn before finishing the last mile or so on the Upper Charles Trail in Holliston.

Overall, this is a somewhat hilly route.  After the ride, lunch or ice cream is a possibility within walking distance of the starting location.

Speaking of lunch (or ice cream), we always encourage everyone to come out with the group whether there is an in-ride food stop or a post-ride food stop.  This is the best way to really get to know the other ABC riders.  Everyone is always welcome!

Here's a link to a map of TUESDAY’s route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46421806

To print a cue sheet, go to the link for the ride (see above) and choose “More”, then, from the menu, choose “Print Map & Cue PDF”, then click “Print Official”. 

Off the Route
Our “Off the Route” feature includes tidbits we’ve come across that we think are worth sharing.  Please let us know what you think.

Ashland Bike Club Radio
How about a few tunes from the Rolling Stones or members of the group?
Rolling Stones – Dead Flowers (possibly written by Townes Van Zandt?)

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards – Honky-Tonk Woman (acoustic version from 2016)
Ron Woods – Seven Days (written by Bob Dylan)
Rolling Stones – Sweet Virginia
Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter

And, as a special bonus track, I just came across this excellent cover of the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B”:

The Fendertones – Sloop John B

Charity Ride
Rider:   Michael Tobin
Event:  Tour de Cure 2026 (Diabetes)

Michael writes:

Several years ago, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. This came as a big surprise to me, but it should not have. The diagnosis was the result of my own lifestyle choices, including diet, weight management (or lack thereof), lack of meaningful exercise and a career that kept me at a desk for long hours, frequently in stressful situations.

In December of 2024, I retired and decided to make some significant changes in my life. Most notably diet and exercise. I learned how to cut out the most unhealthy aspects of my diet and eat things that I loved, but in sufficient moderation to have a positive impact on my health. Additionally, and most significantly, I took up bicycle riding and found that I absolutely loved it. By year end, I had achieved both of my goals…I rode more than 2,000 miles and lost a significant amount of weight (60 pounds).

The impact has been staggering, in addition to the weight loss, my diabetes has retreated not just to “pre-diabetes” status but my glucose levels are currently within the normal range!

The American Diabetes Association is dedicated to preventing and curing diabetes while improving the lives of all people affected by the disease, through research, advocacy and education.

Tour de Cure® is the ADA's premier cycling fundraising event that creates a sense of unity and shared purpose in the fight to end diabetes. The event increases awareness, connects communities, contributes to diabetes prevention and management, and supports the ADA’s vision of a life free of diabetes and all its burdens. 

I would appreciate your support in reaching my fundraising goal. Every dollar you donate will go directly toward funding critical research, diabetes prevention programs, and community outreach initiatives. Your contribution, no matter the size, will profoundly impact the lives of millions affected by diabetes. 

As I prepare myself both physically and mentally for Tour de Cure, I can't help but feel gratitude for the opportunity to make a difference.  

It's easy to have an impact on this important and universal cause. You can:
• Make a donation online: give directly through my fundraising or https://tour.diabetes.org/participants/Michael-Tobin

• Send in a check: Write a check payable to "American Diabetes Association with my name and New England Tour de Cure in the memo line and send it directly to:

American Diabetes Association
ATTN: Michael Tobin, Tour de Cure: New England
PO Box 7023
Merrifield, VA 22116

Thank you for supporting me!

Regards,
Michael Tobin

Batteries and tofu? Say what?
A new battery has been invented in China that can apparently last for 300 years and the electrolytes used in them are so safe they can be used as a tofu brine. No thanks!

If these can be mass produced, the impact on our energy infrastructure could be game-changing.

Read the details about China’s new “water battery”:  https://www.livescience.com/technology/engineering/new-water-battery-could-last-until-the-24th-century-and-it-can-be-safely-discarded-in-the-environment

New York is getting a 10-mile long “bicycle boulevard”
In Massachusetts, we speak of complete streets. We seem to put an emphasis on “walking and biking”. We like to be seen as a “bicycle friendly” state.

Sure, our multi-use path network is growing. But when we look at our cities and towns being strangled with traffic, can anyone honestly say we are making good progress, even a little progress, transitioning away from cars and towards more bicycling as a regular mode of transportation?

New York City’s new mayor, Mayor Mamdani, seems to be committed to making cycling safer. Toward that end, he is now calling for a cycling boulevard to be built on two key streets. The total run will reach about ten miles.

A bicycle boulevard is simply a road that is extremely bicycle friendly. In most cases cars, usually just local traffic, are allowed but their speeds are limited to roughly 20 to 25 miles an hour.

While there are a few somewhat friendly roads in the Boston area, we don’t really have anything like what New York is building. Why is that? If we’re serious about making a major shift in our transportation mix, we need this type of on-road design to encourage the transition.

Get off your butts out of your cars on your bikes, Massachusetts. Nothing will change if we don’t push for change.

Watch the short video:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Jjz4woh8lvI

To recap, TUESDAY’s ride will meet at the downtown parking lot in Holliston at 11:00 a.m.

 

As always, check your email after 9:30 a.m. on ride days to make sure we didn’t postpone or cancel the ride and … don’t forget those helmets!

 

See you soon.

 

Joel