A good year

The year ended with a total of approx 3000 miles for the year. Not many miles for some, others think its a lot of riding. It's a good year for me when I hit 3000 miles. My last ride in 2010 was in early November. We have been turning our decaying deck into a sun room. Even though I am not doing most of the work, it has kept me busy. And when the cooler weather comes, I get busy cutting and splitting wood for the next winter, along with getting ready for the coming winter. Not to mention the very short days and I don't feel comfortable riding at night on the roads in this area. So, the bike tends to get put aside.

Doesn't get much better

I missed riding much of the best couple of weeks we have here due to flu symptoms for two weeks. I've only ridden 40 or so miles in the past couple of weeks, and the fall foliage is a little past peak color right now. But today would've been perfect if it was peak color. The sun came out around noon and the temperature went up to 70 degrees. Just a great day to ride this time of year.

I didn't want the flu to come back so did an easy pace ride around the Brentwood loop.

Pumpkins for sale on Route 111

Maple on South Road

South Road

I'm not sure how Beech Hill Road got its name. I would've named it Maple Hill Road. It is always one of the prettiest roads around during peak color.

Top of Beech Hill

September's Gone By

I've been very lazy or maybe just busy enjoying riding my Aero. I started doing longer rides at the end of August and through September. On one ride I was at the 35 mile mark and just didn't feel like stopping. Seemed like 35 miles was getting to be a shorter ride.

I rode the Granite State Wheelmen's Seacoast Century. A very popular century that goes through three states. I hadn't done the full century for a few years now, but was in good shape and completed the entire 103 miles without feeling bad at all. After, a number of riders went over to Hoyts Lodges where John and Ann were gracious enough to let us invade their yard and have a Bar-B-Q. Rich Pinto of Bacchetta Bicycles and his wife Ann supplied the food and drink despite Rich  receiving a few insults during the day. Not from me, maybe one or two, because he didn't have a CA 2.0 Aero waiting for me at the start. He can design fantastic bicycles, but starting the grill required a little help! We had a bright, sunny day with temps in the low 80's. As the sun was setting in the West we were treated to a beautiful view of the light shining on the Isle of Shoals just off the coast in front of the lodges. Wish I had taken a picture.

Nubble Light in Maine

It did feel good to see the Van after 103 miles

Today, I went out for a lunchtime ride of approx 34 miles. It just felt good. There was a solid cloud cover of alto cumulus clouds, temperature in the upper 50's and a good wind. Felt like winter was not far away.

Exeter River on Linden Road

Dry Summer

After the heavy rain and floods early this spring, we've had a dry summer. I stopped by Packer's Falls on Friday and walked down to the river. I only had my cell phone camera to take a few pictures of the river in August.

Here are a couple I posted in February.

Friday was great day with deep blue skies and the trees seemed to have a dark green color.

Packer's Falls bridge looking towards Durham

Packer's Falls Road looking towards Newmarket

Didn't go as planned

Last Friday I decided to ride Bay Road to Durham and make my way back via Packers Falls Road. When I approached the light at Route 108, I noticed a couple on a tandem studying a map. I stopped and we talked for awhile. They were from Ontario, staying in Epping and on their way to Portsmouth. I helped them with directions and we went on our way, with me thinking, Argh! I should've taken a picture for the blog.

I get to the hill on Bay Road, just before Adams Point. I'm doing 35 to 40 mph down the hill and hit a bump on the bridge that goes over a stream entering the bay. I hear something sliding along the road and realize its my water bottle. I hit the brakes, turn around thinking how hard can it be to find a big water bottle. Of course, it was going 35 to 40 when it hit the road, slid a long ways and found a great hiding spot over the bank. It took me 10 to 15 minutes of hunting through the tall grass to find it.

So now, as I started climbing the hill away from the bridge, I'm 30 minutes behind schedule for my lunchtime ride with a water bottle whose mouthpiece is full of dirt. I decide it's best to head back. But since I'm at the entrance to Adam's Point, I decided to salvage something and take the short ride to the point. I hadn't been there for a few years.

Jackson Estuarine Laboratory

Great Bay near the boat launch

It was low tide, I crossed the road to take a few pictures and walked out onto the "sand" to get closer. It wasn't sand. The black areas are where my feet sunk down way over my ankles into smelly mud.

Wasn't Sand

Smelly Feet

I made back home without any further surprises, and got the hose out.

Chicago and Florida in a week

We took a one week trip to visit Amy and Elliott in Chicago, then onto see Ellen in Florida. While we didn't do any riding in Chicago, we did get to see the Lakefront bike path there. Lots of cyclists, walkers and rollerbladers were using the path. As well as swimmers, getting their workout by swimming parallel to the path. Here are a few pictures with the path in the background.

And the trail winds around to a park along the lake.

Park along the Lakefront Path

While we were in Orlando, we took a day and drove up to Winter Garden, where we rented some bikes and a trike. We rode a few miles west on the West Orange Trail. The salesman warned Brian that the trike (a Trailmate delta style trike) was slow, but he wanted a trike. Turned out that it wasn't as much fun riding that trike as he thought, and we switched off on all of the bikes. We had a single speed tandem as well. The temperature was in the upper 90's and it was humid, but there were many people using the trail.

West Orange Trail near Winter Garden

Dynamic Duo on the tandem

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The West Orange Trail is nice and I recommend it if you are in the area. But, it sure was nice to get back to 80 degree weather and ride the NH Seacoast roads again.

Ride to Chelmsford, Ma

I rode to Jane's 4th of July cookout in Chelmsford MA. About 54 miles total. The beginning of the ride was a nice cool temperature, but by the end I was hot and running out of fluid. Glad I brought that extra bottle of Gatorade, and especially glad that I had frozen it the night before. The drink in my water bottle (what was left ) had become pretty warm. I've done this ride at least once a year since 1997 when I got my first recumbent, a Rans Rocket. I have been changing the route over the years to find less traveled roads, and tried some different roads this time. They turned out to be less traveled, although it seemed like there were more hills. And I did get lost between Boxford and North Andover. There was junction with a couple of options and I had not printed out a map of that junction. I was just suppose to follow Great Pond Road to the end, but I couldn't figure out which was Great Pond Road. Of course, I picked the wrong one and ended up in an area not on any of my maps. I few minutes of riding in both directions (I picked right first, which turned out to be wrong ...... again), and I found North Andover commons. After that, I was in familiar territory and had no problems, other than hydration.


South Road in East Kingston, NH

The Merrimac River in Merrimac, MA and some welcome shande. You can see the bridge I use cross the river in the distance.

Sperrys Pond in Boxford, MA along Main Street.

Boxford, MA at the junction of Main Street and Route 133