D2R2 gossip?

[Rod Holland]

The eerie silence on this forum this year is a little unnerving. Is the conversation going on elsewhere (please don't say Facebook)? Or... 

In any case, D2R2 is looming. I'm having my usual bout of ambivalence (love of the routes, no particular love of riding in crowds). Anyone have thoughts about this year's event?

rod

[Jake Kassen]

> The eerie silence on this forum this year is a little unnerving. Is
> the conversation going on elsewhere (please don't say Facebook)? Or...
>

I was wondering the same thing. We've been talking about running a mostly dirt Brevet series for a while now. Lots of
interest in riders, it's just a matter of getting people to actually run the events.

> In any case, D2R2 is looming. I'm having my usual bout of ambivalence
> (love of the routes, no particular love of riding in crowds). Anyone
> have thoughts about this year's event?

NER's 300k (actually, 320k) is on the same date so that's where I'll be. No dirt, mostly flat -- about as far from D2R2 as you
can get. Still, it will be a nice ride down to Newport, Plymouth, and Wellesley.

I'm planning on riding some of the D2R2 routes in the fall. I love the routes and I love the cause. But after a few years ago
I gave up on D2R2 itself. I'm out to have a fun ride, not to race. Most of the people around me seemed to feel differently. It
wasn't fun. I've heard it's better now but might be a while before I try again.

Jake

[Pamela Blalock]

I live in D2R2 country and ride the roads used on various routes all the time... for free. Still I sign up for D2r2 every year. Why? To see old friends. To support an organization that makes Franklin County a magical place where I want to live. With the variety of routes, crowds are really not an issue. If you do the 160 or mystery rides, lunch will be very mellow. Routes that converge on the Green River bridge are likely to see bigger crowds there, but that’s also your chance to see old friends. The before and after parties are also great for socializing and bike gawking. All manner of bikes make there way to Deerfield each summer.

If you want to come out and ride the area at other times, please get in touch. I have loads of routes and even a bed or two.

I did some volunteer work for FLT last week and will do more this week. The work that goes into this event is phenomenal, prepping for over 10 rest stops, with all the supplies and food and tents. D2r2 is the largest fundraiser for them, but boy do they earn it.

Pamela

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Pamela Blalock
Greenfield, MA

http://blayleys.blogspot.com

[Andy Bailey Goodell]

D2R2 was a great ride for me, but it's one of the pricier ones and a bit farther of a drive so I hadn't been back. Also the camping was in a wet cornfield cut to about 8" so there wasn't much sleep to be had for me. I opted for the Kearsarge Klassic instead on another year and that was great too. A few miles in, a tandem caught me and I held on but gosh were those strong riders! :P

Raid Rockingham is one of the few that I'll keep coming back to each year, but it helps that I can ride to the start and it's only $50 for early registration. It's about 80 miles with start/end extras, so a bit more manageable for me on much less training these days.

I didn't start in the front on D2R2 or KK and had no trouble avoiding racers. They seemed to launch first thing, never to be seen again until the finish. I do start in the second wave (18-20mph) of Raid which starts speedy on the rail trail but calms down after the first rest stop.

I'd love a local dirt rando series! Rando price per mile is always enticing, the riders area great, and the bikes are fancy. I'm still in toddler land here, but hoping to get back into a few rides next year (especially if they are in the NH/ME corner of NE)!

Andy

[Brian Ogilvie]

Like Pamela, the D2R2 roads are local for me, but I've done the event every year since 2013, and am looking forward to it again in a couple weeks. I'm nowhere near fast enough to spend any time with the people who're trying to race it (though I admire their feats on Strava), so I end up hanging out with other folks who are also aiming to have a fun time on back roads in New England. I usually do the 100K or 115K routes, sometimes mixing and matching depending on what I feel like. Last year I did the inaugural Mystery Ride and had a ball, including a nice lunchtime chat with Sandy Whittlesey, the organizer.

This year I signed up for the mystery ride again, but I've got a nagging problem with one of my tendons, so I may just do the Green River tour instead. If you see a middle-aged guy on a sky-blue Boulder All Road with red tires, say hi! (There's another, younger, rider who often shows up with a very similar bike—I got a photo of us and our All Roads last year.)

Brian

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Brian W. Ogilvie <bwog...@gmail.com>
Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
http://www.pobox.com/~ogilvie

[Jeffrey Kane]

Brian (!) That's my nephew Steven Williams and his Boulder All Road you're describing (and a supremely nice guy at that) -- we rode the Mystery Route last year (with Pamela, btw) and a great Great GREAT group of others -- just so much fun. For anyone on the fence about the "crowds" or whatever I just don't think there's enough "bad" anything at the D2R2 to consider avoiding it -- though I don't mean to diminish anyone's personal experiences. From my perspective, if you're not a racer then you're simply bound to spend the majority of your day riding peacefully -- and often with hardly another rider in sight. Pamela nails the "good" parts of what that ride is all about above. Steve and I may not make it this year due to both having a tightly scheduled, super-intense year -- all pretty much good stuff -- but time consuming all the same. I'll be bummed to miss it but 100% will be back (!)

[Steve Park]

Franklin Land Trust does important conservation work, and I look forward to supporting them each year via a terrific ride and more.  

Lots of D2R2 talk at Paceline Forum and Velocipede Salon...seems to be where more conversation is happening. 

[Brian Ogilvie]

Jeffrey - here's the photo that my friend took last year:

https://brianogilvie.smugmug.com/Bikes-and-rides/D2R2-2017/i-sXq5K8S/A

Sorry I didn't meet you during the ride. I've assessed my current training and injury level, and I've decided that I'll ride from home to the start (about 15 mostly flat miles) and then, most likely, do the Green River Tour. This year's mystery ride is reported to have about 9,000 feet of climbing, and I'm not up for that with my Achilles. If I feel good Saturday I'll do the 100K route at least as far as the lunch stop. Regardless, if you make it in 2019, look me up!

Brian

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[Jeffrey Kane]

Hey Brian -- thanks for that -- I'll forward it to Seven. He's still on the fence for this year. I'll be back next year 100% though -- it's just too much fun to skip. Enjoy the ride -- post some pics, too!