Conference noted::bicycle

    Actually, this happened last night.  While in the woods, without bug
    spray, I found exertion to be the bater part of valor over idling along
    enjoying the woodlands, playing good humor boy to the flies and
    skeeters... :-).  

    -1 need any plasma?  :-) 
    
    Seriously, one of the hardest things in the world for me to do is a 
    recovery ride let alone going out and smelling the flowers. Anything
    under 20mph is unacceptable...
    
    I am getting much better. Rainy days are often a blessing for because
    it forces me into the cellar on my trainer and usually just spin easy
    gears. But look out! Looks like 4 gorgeous days coming and I'm gonna 
    hit the mountain tonight! (Wachusett)
    
    
    Chip

i think there are basically two types of riders.....

   people like me - faster the better, pound pound pound pound
   people like my mom - oh look at the <tree|flower|bird|...>

i like to race, my mom is 'recreational'

(i was on wachusett last night, raining at the base, but cloud was low enough
there was only fog about 1/2 way up, pretty neat)

--roger

    when i feel like taking the scenery I ride on the bike paths which by
    their very nature require a more relaxed attitude, because of the
    roller bladers and walkers and joggers and moms with carriages and dogs
    off the leash and others out enjoying themselves. i get to feel a sence
    of community on the path and am respectful of others and they
    appreciate it and i feel good and the world is wonderful place.
    
    most of the time though I'm out on the road and out there I dare not
    take my senses for a joy ride. i use every bit of information i can
    gather to determine whether or not i will be alive in the next 30
    meters. too many times i find myself on a barren backroad taking it
    easy sniffing it all in then brrrrrroooooooom a car flies past me
    unnotticed. 
    
    my general rule is: if cars are allowed on it my life is in danger if
    cars are not allowed on it, heaven.

    -1 i'd give up the road if i felt like that everytime i went out.
    
       whaddya wanna do, live forever?
    
       Chip

    re .4
    
    I may be fooling myself but I feel reasonably safe on the roads here in
    central Mass. Of course, there is the car that turns left in front of
    you and the car (truck?) that comes up behind you quietly and suddenly
    blows a loud horn.  But these are relatively rare and while one must
    look out for them, one does not have to do it constantly since there is
    not that much traffic.
    
    BTW I rode with a pack on a ride from Rutland to the Quabban (sp?) and
    felt such a sense of freedom! (not to mention traveling faster than
    usual :-)
    
    Sorry, you feel so threatened.
    
    Rick

    RE:.6 did you do the quabbin century last weekend?  How did it go?

    I did the metric century.  It was great weather!  There were quite a
    few people doing the century but only about 8 doing the metric.  The
    courses are the same out to Quabban and on to Ware.  I rode with the
    lead pack out past Barre but had to drop back when we hit some hills
    since I am not that strong.  We went in gate 43 (I think) and the park
    and view at the end looking out across the resevoir was beautiful!
    
    On the way back out of Ware I was pretty much on my own enjoying the
    morning.  There was a 1.5 mile hill toward the end that was pretty
    steep at the beginning of it.  The ride organizers had written
    (dis)encouraging words on the road and I was thinking that I was glad I
    had opted for the metric because I would not have wanted to face that
    hill at the end of a century till I had done a lot more riding.  But by
    the time I got to the top of the hill I was thinking that it was a
    pretty good hill after all and I actually enjoyed it!
    
    The ride is organized by the Seven Hills Wheelmen and in addition to
    people from that club there appeared to be some unattached folks like
    me and lots of people from the Charles River club.
    
    The markings along the route and the cue sheet that they give you are
    very helpful!  I seldom needed to consult the cue sheet as the markings
    alone were usually sufficient.  If this is typical of the events run by
    the Seven Hills club I would definitely try out other events and
    recommend at least this ride to others.  I want to do the century next
    year!
    
    Rick
    

    This ride is the work of Dick "the King" Avery, he is about 60 years 
    old, but thinks he's 29.   So when you see a ride lead by him...watch
    out there are some hills!
    
    Steve  

The down-side of the Quabbin rides this year was the section of Rte 122 that was
recently scarified (scraped in preparation for re-paving).  There's a few miles
of it, and we rode downhill over it.  Coming back we missed most of it with the
detour to Oakham.

I believe that the (dis)couraging words on the climb to Oakham are there from
the previous year - road paint last pretty long when there isn't much traffic.

Most of the clubs rides are not arrowed, the Quabbin rides and the fall century
are the major exceptions.

Rich

    RE .5 
    
    In some other note you recounted the story of the person who pulled a
    unsignalled turn right in front of you and you swerved around the car
    barely missing the back bumper, yes? Well given my experience of such
    situations I think you could have made it safer for yourself, ie. you
    probably could tell just from watching the driver in the vehicle that
    it was going to turn. I've escaped being cut many times just because I
    have read the body language of drivers correctly. I will never give up
    the road because it is too exciting. 
    
    And if forever means to the end of my life then yes of course I would
    like to live forever.
    
    chris
    

    -1 generally, reading body language is out of the question for
       me since I can just usually see the tip of the driver's 
       shoulders and head...
    
       Seriously, I hear what you're saying, but you don't have that option
       everytime depending on how fast the vehicle is moving. I always try
       to "read" a driver that's passed me particularly when they are not
       going very fast.
    
       Oh yeah, and lighten up a little :-)
    
       Chip

    re: the base note concept, here.
    
    Sightseeing on your bike is an excellent way to hurt yourself. 
    Depending on the severity of pain you wish to endure, you may look away
    from or across traffic.  I find that a subtle crash can be had by
    letting your rim slip just off the edge of the pavement, causing you to
    fall to the left.  Less painful, but a good start for beginners is to
    ride directly into the ditch while watching cows.  Potholes are an
    excellent source for nasty bumps while you aren't watching what you're
    doing.  If you leave your hands loosly on the bar while daydreaming, a
    pothole (or drain grate) can send you right over the top...
    
    Off-road, of course, is much less subtle.  Gaze up at a bird and you
    can't go ten feet before you catch a branch under the chin or fold up
    the forks on something.  Not much of a challenge at all.
    
    Perhaps if one wishes to "observe nature" whilst riding a bike, one
    should get a tandem and get some poor sucker to steer.
    
    Personally, I wouldn't feel especially guilty if I caught myself paying
    attention to riding.
    
    Later,
    	   Mike

    Did you ever notice how much you see that you never saw before when you
    climb a hill from "the other side" for a change?
    
    ed