Ahhh, the life of the retiree.   We all got an e-mail last evening calling for a 9 AM bike ride on the East Bay Pike Path in R.I.    Five of us showed and what a day it turned out to be for a casual bike ride.  |

Next up is the Wednesday Night Casual ride in Fairhaven/New Bedford.

AARP Tuesday Morning Ramble, May 8, 2018 from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Wednesday Night Casual

Leave Staples in Fairhaven at 5:40 for the 15 mile ride.

Leave the YMCA in New Bedford at 6 PM for a 9 mile ride.

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Saturday

Saturday 05/12/18 – NBW Cafe Ride (weather permitting)

• East Bay Bike Path – from Fort Hill to Bristol Bagel and back (27 miles)
• Leaves Fort Hill Parking Lot at 9:00 AM
• Contact John Nery for more details
• __________________________________________________________________________

Bay State Bike Week Bike Ride
Saturday, May 12

COME RIDE ALONG THE SOUTH COAST BIKEWAY
AND CELEBRATE BAY STATE BIKE WEEK
Join us as we celebrate completed pathways
for bicyclists and pedestrians.

9:00 a.m. Registration @ FT Phoenix
9:30 a.m. Ride Start
You choose the best route for you!
8 mile Bike Path route
20 mile West Island /Bike Path route
40 mile Fort to Snipatuit Pond route
Return Bike Ride to start
For more information and pre registration
visit www.southcoastbikeway.com.
This family event is brought to you by the South Coast Bikeway
and the Fairhaven Bikeway Committee
along with the support of SRPEDD.
Bay State Bike Week is a partnership between
MassDOT, MassBike, and MassRIDES.
Helmets are required. Water and snack suggested. South Coast Bikeway Alliance representatives will ride with each group.

A good turnout for this Saturday morning bike ride.  We met a Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven and set off on a 19 mile ride to Ned’s Point Light and back.  There was a mix of fitness levels and everyone was happy with the pace of around 12.5 MPH, for this casual ride.

Some bike path, some country roads, some highway and one short unrideable area, gave us a good mix of terrain.

Up next is the Buzzards Bay Wednesday Night Casual ride leaving Staples in Fairhaven at 5:45, and the Y in New Bedford  at 6 PM.

2018 Cinco de Mayo Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Date:  Saturday, May 5th.

Place:  Meet at Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven, MA at 8:45.  Wheels down at 9 AM
Info:   A casual paced ride from the fort to Ned’s Point in Mattapoisett.

The ride is 19 miles of flat quiet country roads.  I have included a link to Ride With GPS. If you have a Garmin or other GPS unit such as your phone,  you can upload the route by clicking “Export” in the upper right of the ride with GPS page.

It’s early in the season and not many of us are in shape to ride in a peloton just yet.  With that in mind, the ride Saturday will be at a casual pace or around 10.5 mph from Fort Phoenix in Fairhaven to Ned’s Point in Mattapoisett.

CLICK HERE for the route map

70 degrees at wheels down on this Wednesday Night Casual Ride.  Eight riders showed up along with the wind.  The sustained winds were in our face for the East Beach section but we were rewarded at the turn around having the wind at our backs.  It’s so much better that way.

Wednesday Night Casual May 2, 2018 from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

It is day 1 of National Bike Month and also day 1 of the National Bike Challenge where I’m riding for my town of Fairhaven, MA team.  I did commit to 30 Days of biking but didn’t get anywhere near 30 rides.  More like 8 or 10 this year.  I had the flu for a good part of the challenge.  Oh well.

The morning was clear and cool for the early morning ride to the dentist in the city. I had plenty of time to ride slow and take in the sights.  We notice some pretty neat things on a bike that may just be a blur if we are driving.

City or country – moon or no moon – Jupiter is easily visible, and we’re now in the middle of the best time of year to see it. It’s now rising in the east as Venus is setting in the west … stand outside at nightfall, and see if you can catch the two planets at the same time, Jupiter ascending in the east and Venus sinking behind the sunset.

It was a relatively mild night when we set off on our monthly full moon ride in Warren, R.I. One of our group, Margret, suggested a couple of detours that took us off the bike path, giving us a nice change from the usual route.  The wind slowed us considerably as we pedaled toward Providence, R.I.

One of the highlights is crossing the Washington Bridge spanning the East Bay on RT 195.  When the bridge was redone a few years ago, a walking/biking path was added allowing a scenic, safe passage over the bay.  After riding through India Point Park, we crossed rt 195 and worked our way up the multiple switchbacks to the outskirts of downtown Providence.

With the wind at our backs, we made good time on the 10 mile return ride.  Because we were riding at such a quick pace, our lights were not adequate enough to warn us of the many pot holes and bumpy expansion joints on the blacktop in time to avoid the rattling of our bones as we smashed over them.  Nothing a couple of martinis and ibuprofen couldn’t solve.

https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js

2018 30 Days of Biking. Riding under the Full Pink Moon from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Today was a combination of the Herring Run Ride put on by the Buzzards Bay Coalition, and 30 Days of Biking, day 28.

It started out a bit cool and very foggy at the head of the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne, MA. A mile or two into the ride, the sun burned off the fog and it became a beautiful day for a bike ride.  We met up with an Army Corps Engineer, Sam who was a professional and knowledgeable ranger who gave a wonderful talk on the Herring Run.

Since the Coalition part was only 7 miles round trip, I decided to ride the rest of the canal. I wanted to do both sides by crossing the Sagamore Bridge, but the walkway was closed for construction.  I ended up at Scusset Beach located at the far end of the canal before returning to the other end at Bourne.

2018 Buzzards Bay Coalition Herring Run Ride from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

I was still feeling a little out of sorts, recovering from a two week long severe cold. Worrying about slowing down the others, I decided to take my electric assist bike. Things pretty much worked out in my favor on this hilly, bridge overdose ride.

2018 30 Days of Biking Day 23. The Bridges of R.I. from John Sullivan on Vimeo.