I Have Moved

Looking for amidnightrider?    I'm HERE

BUT......If your looking for maps and write ups  of a plethora of bike rides near and far, go over to the right and check out the "Pages" menu.  There you will find lots of good information about rides I have done over the years.  Directions, photos, stories, GPS info and much much more. It's a work in progress that will be ready in time for the spring riding season. 

However, if your here simply perusing, drop down a bit on the right of this page  to the "blog archive" section. Pick a year and month to find the ride or story you want to check out. 

I had to add word verification to the comments to stop the large amount of spam I am getting.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Sights of Fairhaven, MA

It's called the 20/20 style of shooting video.  Shoot a short video, take 20 steps and shoot another one.  Do this 20 times.  I substituted the 20 steps by riding my bike for a minute between videos.  This one was done with a Cannon Power Shot 810 and a Nokia Luna 928 smart phone.  Neither are really good for shooting video but neither is that bad.

SIGHTS OF FAIRHAVEN from John Sullivan on Vimeo.

Riding New York City

I tossed it around for a while but took the plunge at the last minute to again ride the Five Boroughs of NYC in May. It's such a great ride and what better way to see New York city than by riding a bike on closed streets, roads, highways and bridges.

I have done this ride six times in the past.  I took two years off when the tour was having logistics problems.  Two years ago I saw that they fixed those kinks and because it was so organized last year, where I finished before noon even with two longish breaks, it was an easy decision to sign up again.    

Off The Beaten Path

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

Time:     2:35:07
Moving Time:     1:59:49
Elapsed Time:     2:35:07
Avg Speed:     7.8 mph
Avg Moving Speed:     10.1 mph
Max Speed:     20.7 mph


The East Bay Bike Path (EBBP), in Rhode Island has plenty of winter beauty.  Leaving the path and venturing into the quaint New England towns should be part of the day's ride.

Today was a break in the winter weather that had the temperature hovering around the 50 degree mark.  The wind was blowing pretty good, not bad, but good enough to make you work for your miles.  There were very few riders all decked out in their tour de France best, riding hell bent for glory.  This day it was the locals walking and riding leisurely.  Quite a few who were obvious commuters with the tell of backpacks, paniers and no helmets.  Very little traffic on the roads that crossed the MUP and there were times when it was just me and the low murmur of my tires rolling over the blacktop.

This is the main dining area for the local sea gulls. They drop the clams onto the bridge to crack them, then it's gull fine dining.

Deciding early on that this would not be and end to end ride, the path dropped me off in the town of Warren R.I.   My first stop was at the 2nd Story Theater company to get a schedule of plays.  This is a very professional local theater group that has captured the interest of the community.  The choices the director makes it what keeps people going back.  Many of the productions are controversial, dark at times,  and quite frankly, are sometimes right on the very edge.  They definitely have eliminated all the prudes and holy rollers but they are also always the hottest tickets around.

This Warren R.I. thespian group is the hottest ticket around.  Mostly due to their edgy productions.

Across the main road is the waterfront district. The East Bay where the aroma of fresh seafood fills the air. Clam shacks, lobster huts, seafood cafes are abundant in the center of Warren.  The city is also the winter home of a couple of island ferry operators, as well as the home of Blount Gourmet Foods.

 

Fresh Seafood Daily

 

The Maxwell House

Built in 1761

Clam Shack or Warren R.I.

 

Blount World Headquarters

By mid afternoon the sun was setting the the temperatures dropping signaling the time to ride the return to the head of the trail.   Rail to Trail conversions are always a nice way to spend a few hours on a bike, but there are also lots of thing to see and do when the rider gets off the beaten path.  Warren R.I. is one of those places.  

Grocery Run on the Pheonix MUP, Fairhaven, Ma.

While walking the dogs I came across a few bike riders on the MUP. I had decided to go for a 20ish mile spin but during the walk I changed my mind. I did take a short ride to the grocery store to pick up a few things. On the return ride I glanced toward the wind turbines and what I saw made me turn back to take a couple of photos. I liked what I saw and wanted to share this sight that people in cars will never see.

 The quiet marsh and the majestic turbines

  

 Panniers filled with groceries during a winter shopping jaunt.

Summer Bike Tour is Booked

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I did a bike tour with Rails to Trail a few years ago and didn't think much of it.  It's posted HERE.  The route was very blah and there was really nothing to see or do between the overnight stops.

This summer's tour is on a trail that I have been wanting to ride for years but always changed my mind and rode somewhere else.  I made the plunge and signed up with Rails to Trails for the mid June Sojourn.  It's three different trails in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The price was right and I booked a couple of B&B's to break up the 6 days of camping that were offered.

Continue on Great Allegheny Passage from Meyersdale to Cumberland, Md. - 32 miles          Meyersdale to Frostburg – 16 miles. Frostburg to Cumberland – 16 miles. Riders will purchase their own lunch in Frostburg or Cumberland. FINAL DAY! Pedal back to your vehicle at your own pace.

32 miles

- See more at: http://wilderness-voyageurs.com/2014-rails-to-trails-greenway-sojourn-itinerary.html#sthash.ixfy9tce.dpuf

The Dogs of Hamlet Homes

2014 Winter Storm Hurcules and the Dogs of Hamlet Homes from John Sullivan on Vimeo.