Newport R.I. Bike Ride on Sunday Oct. 25.

About this Sunday’s Ride

NBW #064 Newport Island Circuit Tour
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Why this ride is special

This is a new route of an old favorite, updated by Pete Rice, which is designed to keep us off busy roads and is especially suited to late fall and early spring rides. The short ride travels the famous Ocean Drive with its majestic bay and ocean views, and then continues up Bellevue Avenue past the mansions.
The longer ride heads further up the island past Middletown’s farmlands and beaches.
Larry & Sue Rollins will lead a beginners/new riders group on the 18 mile loop.
Off Season – safer riding for cyclists

Towns & Villages we travel through

Newport – Middletown

Some of the landmarks we pass by

Fort Adams
Castle Hill
Ocean Drive
Bellevue Avenue
St Georges

Start:

10:00 AM Start
Fort Adams
The GPS address is 84 Fort Adams State Park, Newport, RI

GPS Files – RideWithGps format (free to use)

19 mile route with 800 feet of climbing
29 mile route with 1400 feet of climbing
GPS Instructions for Garmin Units at bottom of email in FAQ section

Road Ride

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It’s my second time on the road bike since May and it feels good. I’m glad I didn’t sell old Gertrude. A friend asked if I was going to blog today’s ride. I said no, I was going to ride hard and make it a fitness ride. A point and shoot camera was next to the Garmin and as I was leaving, I grabbed both. Today was the first day that the fall colors were noticeable. Funny how one day everything is green and two days later the colors have burst like a Hindi Festival of Color.

Today’s ride was 27 miles at a moderate speed with a couple of photo stops. I couldn’t help myself. Not much to say about the ride except the sights were pretty groovy.

Flower Girls Coffee Challenge

Week three part II of the Coffeeneuring Challenge. I decided to try a video of this solo ride around Fairhaven.

FLOWER GIRLS from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Saturday Ride on Cap Cod. The Shining Sea Bikeway

North Carolina couple visiting Cape Cod riding the Shining Sea Bikeway

Shining Sea Bikeway. Saturday morning. Meet at 8:30 at the head of the trail off rt 151. #16 on THIS MAP. 10.5 miles each way with a short tour of Wood’s Hole and a coffee stop.

Hanging Out With The Pros.

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CLICK HERE for all the flickr photos. Use any you want.
Thursday night is the Driveway criterium races in Austin. When I go away alone, I usually rent a bike in stead of a car and sometimes stumble into the local bike culture. In Austin that is very easy to do. Go to a bike/coffee shop or a hipster bar or two on your bike and, wah lah. Your a member.

A few of us met at Mellow Johnny’s (Armstrong’s bike and coffee shop). It was pretty neat riding my comfort bike and wearing my best hat with a few of the racers in their full kits for the six mile ride to the races.

It was very dark when we left the race (we all had lights), which made and equally neat ride to our dinner destination, East Side King, a food truck behind and attached to Liberty Bar.

We did get side tracked however on the easy spin to dinner, when we heard this loud commotion and yelling off to our left side as we were about to cross a busy intersection. A couple of dozen of the racers, who normally ride to and from the event, had stopped at a convenience store and bought a couple of cases of cheap beer, Miller High Life. They insisted we stop and join the party. Who are we to refuse? So we stopped.

Upcoming Ride. Cape Cod Canal. Both Sides Both Bridges. Sunday Sept. 20th

Meet Sunday Sept. 20 at 8:15 for an 8:30 start at the Buzzard Bay Parking lot adjacent to the RR Bridge.
Don’t miss this one. It’s a favorite of mine and a very cool ride. Be sure to bring your camera.

Directions:

Set your GPS to 61 Main St. Buzzards Bay.

We will cross both bridges and ride both sides of the canal, visiting Mashnee Island, the Sandwich Power Plant. Scussett Beach and the railroad bridge like you have never seen it. There are “secret” access points to both the Bourne and Sagamore bridges giving access to pedestrian and bicycle traffic. It’s safe and fun to cross these bridges.

Meet Saturday Sept. 12 at 8:15 for an 8:30 start. This is a very easy 25 mile flat ride with a couple of stops for photos.

Click Here for everything you need to know about this ride. Directions, photos, etc.

New Bedford, MA

I took a ride into the city across the river. It’s one I do often and no matter how many times I do the same route, I find something different. I stopped for ice cream at the business I owned back in the mid 80s. Stopped and talked with the locked out United Steel Workers at their plant. Rode the elevated bike way along Buzzards Bay, and looked around the originals Berkshire Hathaway complex that once employed twelve thousand textile workers. The complex is gradually being demolished saving as much of the valuable brick and lumber as possible, for resale.

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GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA — The elevated bike and walkway

Railings have been installed and lights to follow

Security guard at the locked out Steel Plant.

Freighter at New Bedford's State Pier. — Freighter at New Bedford’s State Pier.

Europe

Tiny church in the Italian Alps. Non denominal — Tiny church in the Italian Alps

We are winding down our European vacation with a day at The Blue Lagoon in Iceland. Our trip began with the wedding of a young couple who spend a few months with us while they made seaworthy a derelict 29 foot sail boat they purchased. As destinations weddings tend to go, this was a week long affair in the Italian Alps. What made this so wonderful is that it is not a destination for Americans and we were able to immerse ourselves into the Italian culture.

Some on the Italian side spoke a little English but the American’s Italian was even more limited. By the end of the week however, both sides, were able to communicate with a mix of spoken and sign languages just fine.

Cialvrina Village made everyone feel welcome and made the week truly special for the over 100 wedding guests. We took over the whole hotel and the staff soon became not only our host but part of the wedding. For instance, on our last night at the bar, the bartenders were mingling onto the dance floor and partying like it was 1999 with us. Fortunately for us Yanks, the dress was casual because trying to out dress the Italians was futile.

A random photo of one of the Italian guests

We had a very busy time in Italy including a hike to the glacier in the Italian Alps. A bike tour of Milan, and a train ride from Milan to St Moritz through the Swiss Alps

Sue and I are ending our trip in Iceland by driving the Golden Circle and visiting the Blue Lagoon. I spent the last afternoon in Reykjavik taking random photos of people on bikes. It’s very hip to ride in work clothes using the streets that are only open to pedestrians and bikes.

The Miles Add Up Very Fast. (3307 Miles On The Bike)

I do group rides once or twice a week. They range from 25-40 miles and they are OK. Every day, including those weekend rides, I am on my bike pretty much all day. To the market, to the park, into the city, evening rides to the coffee shop. It’s very seldom less than 25 miles a day and those miles add up very quickly. Much quicker than I though.

Every once in a while I take my speed-o-meter mileage off my “commuter bike” and add them to my log. I don’t do this daily so my miles on one day may read a hundred miles or more. This is an accumulation of many days. I reset the gadget to zero, ride a few days and repeat. On the club rides, I’ll use my Garmin, which automatically posts that ride’s miles. Today I looked at the total and was shocked to see the number 3307. Three thousand three hundred and seven miles. That seems like a lot until I look at the miles on my car. In June, I had the oil changed and the miles are prominently displayed on the little sticker on the wind shield. A look at my odometer tells me that I have driven my car 183 miles since June 17th. Ironically, almost all of those miles are riding to the start of a group bike ride. Go figure.

You Like Historic Architecture? How About Scotch Bonnet Peppers?

Years ago I would find something funny or unusual on the web and conclude my weekday blog with Friday Funnies. This YouTube definitely makes the cut as a Friday Funny. These two at the end of this post are a riot.

For now though, from today’s bike ride, are some of the architecture of Old Fairhaven and the Whaling Historic National Park in New Bedford, MA.

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