Cape Cod Caper

Distance 24.7 miles
Ave Speed 10.6 MPH
Max speed 24.3 mph
Time 2:19


Click Here for the Flickr photo stream of this ride

Click Here for the Garmin route


This is the description of the Narragansett Bay Wheelmen who arrowed this ride a couple of weeks ago. 

Explore the Cape on quiet back roads.Follow the Buzzard's Bay shore to Woods Hole, then on to Falmouth, heading back past ponds and pine woods, finishing with a run along the Cape Cod Canal. We schedule this ride to avoid heavy summer Cape traffic but still get some great fall riding weather. The long ride crosses railroad tracks several times - take care on the acute-angled crossings.

It's a 20 minute drive to the Bourne Bridge crossing the Cape Cod canal. The high school that is the starting point is just over the Bridge.  The arrows were still in good shape which made the route very easy to follow.  There was an option of riding 25, 41 or 62 miles.  I chose the 25 and that was enough for the windy fall afternoon.  One of the longer options is for another day.

Decision time and the number are wrong BTW

Sunday Morning Sights

Today was a short 20 mile ride around the town of Fairhaven, Ma, continuing into the Whaling City, New Bedford, MA.

I saw a really big yacht in dry dock and while investigating I found a few more big boats high and dry and also the Buzzards Bay Rowing Club giving an introductory lesson and row to perspective new members.

I have been experimenting lately with videos and am thinking of investing in a better system.  Something like "go pro".  I 'm still looking.   Actually I haven't started looking yet, but am thinking about it.  Same thing.  Almost.

Sunday Morning Sights from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Same Hike. Different Dog

During last week's hike I wondered out loud if my little dog Lucy could handle this trek. Wife and I set out today to answer that question. Little Lucy has been in training for over a year learning to obey verbal commands. She has come a long way and she not only passed the hiking test, but the command test as well. It was sunny but cool at the start and as the clouds accumulated the temperature dropped. We cut the hike down to three miles round trip because of the weather and vowed to return during next week to add another two miles to the hike.

 

Naturally I also took some video and produced a low quality movie. 

Lucy Hikes the Blue Hills (Enhanced) from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Hiking the Blue Hills Near Boston, MA.

For a change of pace we decide to hike the Blue Hills near Boston.  We took Brandon's new dog for her first challenge with the new owner.  She passed easily.  Kally is an Australian Shepherd who just turned 7 before being adopted out of the pound by Brandon. 

Blue Hills of Boston 2013 (Enhanced) from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Newport R.I. With The Locals

Only four of us showed on this nice fall day.  Two locals offered to show us some of their favorite routes and naturally we accepted.  It's always nice to ride with the locals because they show us their favorite places.  Today was no exception and I am looking forward to sharing these places with my biking friends.

The Garmin Route is HERE                                                                   
Newport R.I. Secret Places from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Balloonist Have Bucket Lists Also

It was a 4 AM wake up in order to drive to Albuquerque for the hot air balloon festival.  It's the largest hot air balloon gathering in the world and it's a bucket list must for balloonists.  There are 750 annual winners in the choice for who can participate and the chosen ones always put on a spectacular show.  The festival is a week long event but we were only able to attend the last day which proved to be spectacular.

It's not only a list item for balloonist but it should be a consideration for anyone's list of things to do.
See all the photos HERE

California to Key West

NYC and Red Bull v Revolution Match

A great NYC weekend.  Friday night we spend way too much time and got too friendly with the owner of O'Donnells Pub in Harrison NJ.  After trying a couple of pints I mentioned that I was really not a beer guy and preferred bourbon.  He gave the two of us a pop of his favorite and now my bourbon of choice, Basil Hayden. It's smooooooth and beats the shit out of Jim Beam Black.

amidnightrider in Harrison NJ

We took the train to Manhattan on Saturday morning and decide to walk around Greenwich Village.  We stopped at a small park for coffee and people watching.  I spotted a sign that said we were in the meat packing district of New York which explained a lot about the area.

 Millennium Tower reaches into the clouds.

Handball in Greenwich Village

Citi Bike is everywhere and very popular

Pregame at O'Donnells in Harrison NJ

Bike parking at Red Bull Stadium in Harrison NJ.

In the evening we rode our bikes from the hotel to the stadium which at the end of the match, worked out for us in spades.  We got away from the stadium lickity split and made record time back to the hotel because we were on bikes and were the fasted mode of transportation in the area. But alas, it seems that I wasted my money on the new helmet. The bike lights were an attention getter from both the pedestrians but most importantly, the cagers.

Five Points area of Lower Manhattan

Till next time.

You Need and Salsa?

We are leaving for NYC soon on a dual trip.   The main reason is the Red Bull/ Revolution match on Saturday night at sold out Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.   The second is to ride our single speeds in New York City.   The festivities begin tonight in Brooklyn for the Rock The Pulaski Concert.

Because we are riding in the city and some of the boroughs I did something way out of character.  Yep,  I bought a helmet. I did this because we will be riding in unfamiliar territory and much of it will be at night.   I'm going to bring it, but wearing it is not yet a done deal.

 Even my dog will not look at it.

The green lights on the frame light up a bright neon that I can set to always on, slow blink or fast blink.  The bike on the front wheel is the monkey light 232.  I also have a good handle bar light and a red strobe that attaches to my seat bag.  Everyone will be able to see me but lets just hope they are look where they are driving.

Oh and by the way.  New York makes the best Salsa.

Providence To Bristol R.I. and Back.

Providence, R.I. Skyline

As always, click any photo for big.  Click again for bigger.

Distance: 26.14 mi

Time:	3:00:10
Moving Time:	2:19:45
Elapsed Time:	3:00:10

Avg Speed:	8.7 mph
Avg Moving Speed:	11.2 mph
Max Speed:	21.8 mph

I put some new tires on the touring bike last night and wanted to do a decent shakedown, mostly to make sure I put everything back together correctly.   The East Bay Bike Path, a 13.5 mile Rail to Trail route, is a good default ride.  It's kind of like when I used to go into a video store and couldn't decide and anything new,  I would very often default to The Big Labowski, which is probably why I can still say many of the lines from memory.  Today was a really really nice fall day where the air was still, the bay was like glass and the 75 degree temperature was comfortable. 

There were a few people on the path today but it wasn't overwhelmed with bikers as sometimes happens.   Today was more of a nature ride as the photos will show. 

I met this Welsh Terrier name Excelsior.  

A bit further along was this Egret lunching 

 

I suppose the word foul could describe this old timer fishing.  Ewww is a better term I think.

The sights I have seen many times took on a new look on this early fall day. 

I presume Thursday is bath day for ducks.

Squeaky clean.  

 I spent a bit of time at the Bristol end of the path having lunch and a coffee.  While there I began to watch the seagulls and how they all follow the same routine.  A gull would be swimming, lift itself around two feet into the air and nose dive into the bay.  It would surface with a clam and begin flying always turning to the right and skimming the water..  As the gull got near the rocky shore, it would suddenly rise and spread it's wings doing a hard break as it let go of the clam.  This would give the crustacean some speed as the gull let go to insure a cracked shell as it hit the rocks.  Some of the Alpha gulls would be watching for this and move in quickly to try and steal and easy meal.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes not.  Watching this was mesmerizing and the time passed a lot faster than I realized.

 Every great bike trails seems to have tunnels.

Pearsons Salt Marsh. 

 Del's Lemonade.  A Rhode Island classic.

 

This trail always has things to see and there are lots of outlets into the town that border the path. 

I stopped at Dari Bee for a soft serve ice cream with a blast.  Which is vanilla soft serve on a cone that has a swirl of your choice to add a flavor blast.  I chose raspberry and it really hit the spot.

The next two days we will be riding in NYC.  Stay tuned.