June Hates Me

It was getting late for a bike ride. After 1 PM and I wanted to do the 30 mile loop. But I really didn’t feel like it. Standing in my garage, dressed for a ride, staring at three bikes. I felt like one of those couples on the HGTV show House Hunters. I eliminated the touring bike by hanging it up for the winter. That left the road bike and the commuter. I finally grabbed the Felt road bike, put on the roadie shoes and off I went.

I met a regular young walker on the MUP stopped to say hello for a few seconds and began to ride away. He began to walk faster then jog to keep pace.

“Are you trying to keep up with me” I asked.

“As long as I can” was his response.

“Good luck with that” I quipped as I quickly accelerated to 19 MPH on this flat stretch of blacktop.

During the first part of the ride I couldn’t shake the desire to take one of the many bail out option on this route. Eventually I slipped into the riding zone and before I knew it passed the point of no return. Meaning there were no more side roads to shorten the route.

Because of the late start, I rode past one of the local high schools at dismissal time. I was also riding west into the low sun. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were lines of high school drivers texting while also being blinded by the low sun behind me. I found a place to get off the narrow country road to let the traffic settle down.

2-IMG_0153 — I sat in front of these two who were both born in the 1700’s as the high school traffic raced by.

The car traffic ended and the yellow buses began to make their way toward me from the school. I began riding thinking the school bus drivers would be a safe bet as they passed giving me plenty of room. Think again big guy. The buses were traveling faster than the kids in cars and the 50 something male drivers had fire in their eyes as they passed. A couple very close I might add. I again pulled off to the side to let the remaining buses go by.

From then on it was clear sailing to the country store. It’s a stop I always make if for no other reason, because it’s there. A woman inside asked if I was running when she saw my get up. “Riding a bike” I said. “Oh, that’s even colder”. It was chilly, which is different from cold. 45 degrees chilly. I mentioned I only had 8 or 9 miles to go and then she asked how many I had done. When I said around 20 her eyes bugged out. I used to think 30 miles was a massive amount to ride a bike in one day. Now, it’s a decent ride.

Near the end of the ride, I noticed a rider approaching. As the rider got close I realized it was one of our group riders, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. As we crossed paths I stopped and yelled “JUNE, howahyah”. I got a soft hi John back as she rode toward the setting sun. I think June hates me.

Just a couple of things to end this post. The road that had collapsed because of the water passing under through the pipe way that was built of brick and stone sometime in the 40’s, is almost complete. It looks like all that’s left is the blacktop.

Lastly. If your ankle strap that keeps your pants from getting caught in you chain come off on a country road some day and you turn back to retrieve it. Keep one thing in mind. When you unclip you right shoe, make sure you lean to the right when the bike stops rolling. Don’t lean left. OK. Now turn up the volume and put on your dancing shoes.

Vivid Imagination

Brand Island causeway

I did go for a ride today with the intention of supporting the coffeneuring challenge riders still at it. Today’s ride took me to Mattapoisett, on the southern coast of Massachusetts. When I got to the end of Brandt Island road, I began thinking about what fun we had here one day a long time ago. The story is later on in this post.

I made my way back to Fairhaven to do my daily shopping for tonight’s meal. Did I ever mention that I’m the cook. Well I am, and always buy food for cooking the same day. Especially the vegetables and breads. Speaking of cooking. My favorite food show is on PBS and it’s called, “I’ll have what Phil is having.” Watch one episode OnDemand and I’ll bet you too will put it one your favorites list.

During the ride I went off road with my pseudo off road bike. I have a 700×25 tire on the front and a 700×33 on the rear. You see, the bike is in transition to winter. I got home about the same time as wifey who you may know from yesterday’s post, is an extreme animal lover. She had forgotten to stop by and feed the feral cats and asked me to go back and do that. I was tired and almost drove the three mile round trip. I did come to my senses however, and rode there. They were waiting patiently and every now and then one would take a peek.

Transitioning to winter riding. I call her Caitlyn.

Brandt Island. The Story

Way way way back, around 1970 I learned about Brandt Island. It was abandoned, had a mansion that had been destroyed in the hurricane of 1938. The story was that none of the family members survived, nor were any of their bodies found. A few of us had visited this place once before after hearing “the stories”. One summer night, under the influence of some decent blunts, I’m sure, we decided to return to show one of our gang the place. On the way, this very dark, cloudy, windy night, I told the stories to the kid who had a vivid imagination and was making his first visit to Brandt Island.

Years ago a teen couple walked out to the island and disappeared. During the search of the island, the authorities sent a diver to look around. He never surfaced. More divers were sent into the bay and found nothing.

Police were stationed on the island overnight to guard the place. When the detectives returned the next morning. One officer was missing and the second was found sitting up against a tree. His hair had turned white as snow and he had gone completely insane doing nothing but stare into space wide eyed and mouth agape.

Over the years, it was said that people walking their dogs tried to lead them onto the island. The dog’s would cower, cry, yelp and refuse to step off the causeway onto the island.

Back then the causeway had been destroyed by at least two hurricanes and was never rebuilt. In order to get to the island, we had to make our way across the causeway over large rocks, and cement slabs that were once the road and now sat askew and at difficult climbing angles.

After hearing the stories on the drive to Brandt Island, the new kid did not want to leave the car and walk across the causeway. The four of us said, “that’s fine. Stay here by yourself”. We walked away and he figured that was worse so he began to make his way to the island well behind us. What he didn’t know that there were actually five of us making the trip with him. The four in the cab of the car, and one in the trunk, dressed all in black and wearing a long trench coat.

The kid thought he saw someone on the causeway behind us and began to get excited. He told us we were being followed and we laughed it off and assured him there was nothing to worry about. On the island, he saw the thing again and his excitement began turning to fear. He got loud and kept telling us we were being followed. That’s when we gathered in a circle and began a seance. We started chanting in ancient tongue and he began to panic. We tried to coerce him into joining the seance and he started yelling, “what’s wrong with you guys? Your all possessed”. We began chanting louder and calling the new kids name. Miiiiiike, Miiiiike. Our monster had made his way to the high ground about 30 feet away from and above us. He stood tall, opening his trench coat wide and began moaning.

The new kid was now in full panic and began running back to the car. The monster started to run after him while we chanted louder and louder, Miiiiike, Miiiiike. As he was running Mike tripped and fell forward, as he landed on his stomach, his feet were still running in the air above him. He was wearing boat shoes with white bottoms. When the monster saw this, he thought is was so funny and began laughing. When Mike heard the laugh he recognized it immediately. He jumped up, ran to the monster Ronnie, gave him a huge hug and said. “F*** , Dam, am I glad to see you.” The rest of us joined them and we all had a story to tell almost 50 years later.

Tennis and Biking.

My daily ride brings me all around the town of Fairhaven, MA as well as other towns. I noticed a lot of players on the courts at the middle school and as I rode up, it was obvious that these were very high class players. Even from a distance the loud thwack of their shots. Funny thing is that as I got closer, the players were shrinking. I had come upon the regional qualifying tennis tournament and these were 13 and 14 year old players shooting off cannons. I hung around for the last few matches on the four courts and have to say that these kids could really play.

Fairhaven’s local player Trevor Schwarzmann had lost only one match all year. Today he was beat 8-1 and had a very quick elimination from the playoffs.

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Bike Fall River will be riding the Blackstone River Bike Path

Sunday, August 9, 2015 – Meet-up is at 8:45am the Start Time for the ride is 9:00am

Blackstone River Bike Trail

The Blackstone River Bike is one of the most beautiful bike paths in the area. It follows along a rail line, the Blackstone River and an old canal system. There are several dams along the route. The path is relatively flat and is perfect for the beginner cyclist as well as the experienced cyclist. The total distance is 10 miles one way, 20 mile round trip for those who choose to ride the entire path.

Directions to the meet-up spot: Take 195 West toward Providence, take I 95 North to Route 146. Once on route 146 take the exit for Route 123, bear right onto 123 (Breakneck Hill Rd) continue for 2.8 miles – the road becomes Great Road, Front Street and finally John Street (all on Route 123). Once you see the old sign for the Lonsdale Drive-in Theater take a left into the parking lot. Helmets are highly recommended – bring water and a snack. As with all rides, this is weather permitting.

Ride With History

A small group rode a historical tour of the area. New Bedford and Fairhaven have a Revolutionary, Civil and WWII history that is unique to coastal areas . Today’s 17 mile ride brought the group to Fort Rodman, East and West Beaches, Palmers Island, the Harbor Walk and Fort Phoenix, that included a historical narrative of each location. Everyone’s favorite was the ride around the southern peninsular of New Bedford. The stories of quahogs, hamburgers, military, amusement parks, houses of ill repute and lighthouses are all part of the history of the point.

Fort To Fort Bike Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Fort to Fort Ride

The ride will take us around the point of New Bedford into Fort Rodman/Fort Taber.

Meet at 99 Restaurant for a 9 AM start.

Directions to ride start

The city of New Bedford was free city during the time of the slavery. They were welcome and protected from the slave hunters by local residents and it’s mayor Rodney French.

French was a Free-Soiler – a pre-Civil War political party that opposed slavery and the admission of slave states into the Union. His actual political affiliation is dubious. I have come across documents that state he was a Democrat and others that state he was a Republican. We do know that he was a delegate to Republican National

Convention from Massachusetts in 1856 and that he was considered a “Black” Republican because of his anti-slavery or abolitionist platform.

His anti-slavery stance did not make him very popular among his peers and the aristocrats of society. In fact, this put his career and life in harm’s way often. He lost many a business relationship and opportunity, surely including revenue, and especially in pro-slavery North Carolina.

We will be riding around the point of New Bedford on Rodney French Boulevard. Clarks Cove will be on our right at the beginning of the Blvd. At the end of the point we will enter Fort Rodman, whereon September 5th and 6th, 1778, the British

East Rodney French Blvd. Butler Flats Light house can be seen in the Acushnet River.

landed 4000 troops marching through and destroying much of New Bedford. The troops marched inland along the west shore of the Acushnet River to Acushnet, then came south through Fairhaven to Sconticut Neck.

At this time the British drove a group of 34 local militiamen under the command of Timothy Ingraham from Fort Phoenix, burned the barracks, broke up the gun platforms and smashed all but one of the cannons.

When the fort was rebuilt following the 1778 attack, it was named Fort Phoenix after the mythical bird which rose from its own ashes.

The original fort was built by Capt. Benjamin Dillingham and Eleazer Hathaway between 1775 and 1777. It was outfitted with eleven cannon, several of which had been captured in the Bahamas by John Paul Jones.

FORT PHOENIX

FORT RODMAN/FORT TABER

A Weekend In New York City

The Five Boroughs Bike Tour happens the first Sunday in May annually. This year saw temperatures in the low 70’s, no wind and 32,000 bikers, riding car free streets of Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Click the Vimeo at the bottom right of the video for better quality

A Weekend In NYC from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

NYC Five Boroughs Bike Ride

Sue and I are on our way to NYC for the Five Boroughs Bike Tour. The ride is Sunday but Saturday is just as big a day. After settling in at our airbnb.com host we will spend the day in Manhattan. Check in for the ride, lunch, beer. Sighsee, dinner, beer. Back to Staten Island, beer. Sleep. Planning a NYC visit is easy.

Big weekend coming up, folks. BIG. We were already champing at the bit for Sunday, when the world’s biggest charitable bike ride rolls through 40 miles of car-free NYC streets, and then we saw the forecast. Needless to say, the weekend can’t come soon enough.

Basically, if you like bikes (and/or beer), this is where you want to be this weekend. Go here to see everything we have planned.

Shining Sea Bike Path on Cape Cod

Cover Photo: Pie in the Sky Bakery in Woods Hole, MA.

The Shining Sea Bike Path is a 11 mile Rail to Trail conversion from Falmouth to Woods Hole, MA. This midweek, cool April day began with bright sunshine and very little wind, making it an easy ride from end to end.

The activity at the Steamship Authority is picking up as summer approaches. There was quite a line of cars waiting to board the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. All the seasonal restaurants are open and the tourists are returning. Only on the weekend for now but by Memorial Day things will change for sure and Woods Hole will be a beehive of activity.

Click the Vimeo link at the bottom right of the video for better quality

Pro Tips For Midnight Marathon Ride

If you are confused about how this ride works let me try to clarify & offer up some pro-tips:

THE RIDE ITSELF:
– We all meet at Southborough Station at midnight on Sunday night (Monday morning). We roll out as soon as the midnight train arrives & is unloaded. Approx 12:15-ish and ride up to the Marathon starting line and then ride the Marathon Route into Boston. It’s amazing.

GETTING TO SOUTHBOROUGH STATION:
Option 1: Get dropped off by some sucker / friend / taxi / your mom.

Option 2: Drive yourself and get your car the next day. Don’t ask me where to park, you’ll have to figure that out yourself.

Option 3: Ride your bike to Southborough Station. There are several “packs” of riders doing the out & back ride. A big group from Ride Crazy Boston will be doing the out & back. They setup their own event page with detailed information here:https://www.facebook.com/events/721826097940836/

Option 4: Do the “Truck ‘N Train Combo”. We will transport your bike out to Southborough Station via moving truck, and then you take the normally scheduled commuter rail train to Southborough Station. Everything you need to know about the Truck ‘N Train combo can be found here:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midnight-marathon-truck-n-trai…

TIPS FOR THE RIDE:
– The ride is self supported, meaning: Be sure to bring a spare tube and a basic kit of tools in case you have a bike malfunction. If you don’t have a spare tube that fits your bike, go to your local bike shop and get one before the ride.
-If you haven’t ridden much this year, get your bike shop to give your bike a quick safety check if you. You can also do an ABC Quick Check like in this short video: https://vimeo.com/64578975
– If you don’t know how to fix basic bike problems, then ride with someone who does.
– LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS. The more the merrier, but be sure to at least have a front that is white and a rear that is red.
– Helmet… I’m not gonna get all preachy on this matter. I will be wearing mine because I think its a good idea. Use your own judgement, but consider that it will be dark outside, there will be train tracks to cross… and a bunch of other riders with varying levels of skill.
– Bring gloves, and wear layers so you can adjust your clothing to the desired warmth. You’ll be cold if you end up standing around, and warmer once your legs are pumping.
– Snacks are a good idea. I say bring some snacks. It’s a community event, so bring some extra snacks to share… with me.
– Hydration is a good idea. Bring something to drink. Your body will thank you later.
– It’s not a race, its a ride. I recommend riding at a pace where you can chill with some friends, chat up that good looking cyclist next to you, or get a group sing-a-long going. “Sweet Caroline” as we roll past Kenmore might be a good fit.
– Bring a map of the marathon route in case you get separated. A smart phone with a map app works pretty well too.

AFTER THE RIDE:
– Pancakes, Coffee, Muffins, Bacon etc. Boston Common Coffee Company on Washington Street in Downtown Crossing will be setting up a tent outside their store so you can stuff your face with early morning eats. It’s just under a mile from the finish line (map: https://goo.gl/maps/xp6DQ). We can’t hang out at the finish line for security reasons, so just pedal on a bit more and celebrate your achievement with delicious food. BCCC is donating all the proceeds of the pancake breakfast to The Home Away Fund which helps provide assistance to families dealing with epilepsy.

– BCCC is buying all the food tonight, so please get yourself a ticket NOW to ensure they get enough food:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-midnight-marathon-ride-pa…

It’s Starting

Bike riding season that is. After a long two months of frog snow, (knee deep), things are happening. It looks like the rain will be cleared out for the 10 AM East Bay Bike Path ride. Meet at Fort Hill for the 10 AM start. If your new, look for the older gentlemen sitting at the picnic table in the parking lot.

CAFE TOUR STARTING FROM FORT HILL SATURDAY 10AM

For directions to Fort Hill bike path access search for directions to intersection of Mercer Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway in East Providence through Google Maps or GPS. Parking is overlooking the river on the West side of the highway.

Sat weather forecast.

A chance of rain, mainly before 10am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 52. Southwest wind 13 to 17 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Sunday also looks to offer good weather for the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen ride

midnightmarathonstart — The start of the 2014 ride in Hopkinton

There is some news on the Midnight Marathon ride on April 20th. PANCAKES. If your doing the ride and want pancakes at 2:30 AM or so, you need to buy a ticket.

The details of the ride are forthcoming. Soon. I promise.

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Brandt Island. The Story

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CAFE TOUR STARTING FROM FORT HILL SATURDAY 10AM

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