Only two ways to Carlisle

[dmaze]

At nuclearpolymer's suggestion I went to the Quad Cycles Fitness Ride starting in Arlington Heights. (Via means not totally understood by me I wound up abandoning everyone I might have known on the trip.) I'd describe it as a medium-core ride going to well-trod areas of Concord and Carlisle, with a couple of back-road connections I wasn't totally aware of plus a route back from Concord I hadn't found yet orbiting the back of Hanscom.

Did I say "medium-core"? I felt like the slow end of the group was maybe half a notch faster than I was; I could often keep up with the tail end of the half-dozen people I was following until I'd start falling behind, and I'd trickle last into the next rest stop. The group as a whole was large enough that there were lots of options, so if you wanted to go faster or slower or shorter or longer there were choices. (I think a very few people including myself took the longer option back from Carlisle through Concord, but it happened to include the group leader, so there was at least someone to escort me back.)

Shop-to-shop I rode 39 miles in almost exactly 3 hours, counting the short breaks, so a 13 mph average. Counting the ride to and from Arlington Heights, I got 49.07 miles...which isn't bad for aiming for 40, and especially isn't bad for March. The flip side of this is that my legs are sore and I'm awfully tired, but it's a good start. (Route map) It looks like they run the same ride Saturday and Sunday mornings, 10 AM tomorrow and next weekend and then starting at 9:30 and from their new store in April.

Comments

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sorry about not showing up. I was riding from David to Arlington with xela, and due to various bike malfunctions and other issues, it took us over an hour. But, I did get a lot of leaves raked and shredded, so it was a productive day, even if I didn't end up biking much.

[fredrickegerman.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I've ridden those back roads, but never in that order and never strung together like that. I found the stretch along Hanscom a bit depressing, actually. The little road that cuts under 128 into Lexington is kind of cool, though.