Conference noted::bicycle

    	Most New England clubs have kept this weekend clear of major events
    because many serious riders will be at GEAR-Up (see note 1552). There
    are two centuries to choose from there. Come on down and join us!
    	- Chris

    I guessed that this might be the case.  Lots of people from my club,
    CRW, are going to GEAR.  I thought you had to preregister.
    
    -R 

    There is one in the North mass. It's called teh North Shore Cyclists
    Spring Ride on Sunday June 10. It's a 4 loop course.
    
       Start Times
    
    100 Miles -  7:30
     62 Miles -  9:30
     50 Miles - 10:30
     25 miles - 11:30
    
    
   Registration Begins at 6:30 AM
    
    Members - $8.00
    Non Member - $10:00
    
    Rides Start at the Masconomet School Exit 51 - Route 95
    
    For Info call Bob Hayes (508)363-5473 or Mike Whalen (508)927-2297
    
    There will be water stops - century patch - cue sheet - sag wagon 
    and after ride refreashments.

    Thanks for the info.  I think I'll try it.
    
    -R

      You have to pre-register for GEAR if you are staying OR eating there.
    One day attendence is allowed, I believe. If someone were not a LAW
    member, they probably would have to pay a temp. member fee or something
    in addition to registration, but all CRW members are LAW members, so
    that's not a problem for you. Workshops, Exhibits (3 to 10 PM), and
    such to keep you busy...  - Chris

    The GSW will have centuries Saturday and Sunday.  By prearrangement
    you can have whatever type of course you prefer.  There are no catered
    services and pampered riders.  There will not be a pack to suck wheels
    from or pass to boost your ego.  You might even be riding alone.
    
    ed

    Ed,
    
    Are these Granite State Wheelmen centuries at GEAR of in NH?
    
    How can I get more info.?
    
    -Robin

    The centuries to which I referred are at/near the Sheraton Tara off
    rt3 exit 1 in Nashua.  Take the very first right after the underpass
    and park in the lot on the left.  (If you go up to the light at Tara
    Blvd, you've gone too far -- the right I refer to is more of a
    driveway).  8 am.
    
    If it's raining at 8 tomorrow, I won't even go over without a
    compelling reason because most of the regulars who would ride in the
    rain would be at the 400km brevet anyway -- and the other one is
    laid up with a fractured pelvis :( .)

    So, if I were to show up Sunday, before 8:00, would there be anyone
    there?  Is this a club ride?  As long as I have arrows or directions,
    I'll ride.
    
    -R

    We provide cue sheets and a verbal description of the route.  I have
    about 12 routes, would you prefer urban, rural, hilly, flat?  I usually
    get there 7:45 to 8.  I am planning to ride on Sunday.
    
    ed

    Ed,
    
    If  you're still here, I prefer rural and hilly, but not so rural
    that I have to bring a filter to ensure water.
    
    See you Sunday.                  
    
    
    -Robin

�    If it's raining at 8 tomorrow, I won't even go over without a
�    compelling reason because most of the regulars who would ride in the
�    rain would be at the 400km brevet anyway -- and the other one is
�    laid up with a fractured pelvis :( .)

   The 400K started at Midnite and there was a good rider turnout.

   The new course (first time it's been run) really kicks butt!
   Out to the Berkshires and back.  There are probably riders out there
   as I type!  I've been back for a while - showered up and feeling human
   again :-)

   - Jim

    Midnight sounds like a good starting-time for a 400km.
    The BANC 400km started at 4am on a Saturday, which meant
    we got to enjoy Saturday-night merrymakers on the road
    (of which there were thankfully few).  (The fastest riders
    pulled in between 12am and 1am.)  This year's PBP 400km brevet
    out of Raleigh started at 7am (!!), I'm told, so the organizers
    would have time to inspect the bikes.
    
    More details on the Mass. 400km, please.  How soon did the
    front riders finish?  Were they in packs?  That sort of thing.
    
    -john

   <<< Note 1579.13 by SHALOT::ELLIS "John Lee Ellis - assembly required" >>>

�   Midnight sounds like a good starting-time for a 400km.

    Yes, else riders would have been coming in at all hours, in the
    dark when they're tired.

�   More details on the Mass. 400km, please.  How soon did the
�   front riders finish?  Were they in packs?  That sort of thing.

    Another rider and I were at the front, and I finished first
    but only because he (Alan DeKalb, I think) went off course
    near the end.  So did I, but I didn't lose as much time for it.
    He was riding very strongly at the end, and by rights was the
    real "winner".

    I'd ridden the course out to the Connecticut river the previous
    week, so knew the way in the dark, and DeKalb and I hammered away
    from the pack - I did make a blunder at one point and we had to
    double back and pass the pack again about 20 miles out.  Very annoying.

    So I got in at about 5:35 or so, and a few others arrived a bit before
    6:00.  I would have done better if I'd ridden the whole course the
    previous week and dialed it in - that was a pisser of a hill at the
    very end.  Too many long hours in the office and not enough
    mid week riding lately.

    On the longer rides people come in as a Poisson distribution rather
    than in a pack it seems.

    Have you had the experience of a deer standing in the middle of the
    road squarely in your path at night?

    The worst part of the ride was making oneself show up at such a starting
    time - it would have been soo nice to just wimp out and get some sleep!

    - Jim

    
    I'd try to make myself take a nap around 5pm the previous 
    evening, but it would be hard.
    
    Looks like you were going at a good pace...

    The 600 K Brevet this weekend went from Newton to Troy and back.
    A few spots on that ride were a bit hellish - going into Adams
    we hit a blinding rainstorm.  I decided to try and ride thru
    because I wanted the experience of night riding (I'd like to
    do PBP next year...) and discovered that it's *very* hard to
    ride on back roads with no lines painted on them in the dark
    when it's foggy.  I felt fine energy-wise, but since I knew
    there were more unmarked back roads to come decided to wimp
    out and wait for some daylight in Amherst; I hung out on a
    bus stop bench near the common for about 5 hours, napping a bit here and
    there and then a little before 4 got rolling and finished the ride.

    I overslept the night before and started 20 minutes late (I hadn't mounted
    my lights!), and didn't eat or have time to pack food.  Then in Amherst this
    dumb restaurant took 40 minutes to serve me breakfast, and I wasted 2
    hours at the Troy turnaround point BS-ing and drying my clothing.  You've
    really got to keep moving and not waste good daylight hours like that.

    That nightime riding was not my idea of fun.

    Still, it was educational to do this - in France many of the roads
    are ummarked so it's best to get this stuff sorted out beforehand.

    - Jim

    Jim, you have many other things to look forward to in France.
    
    Pelotons of head lights and/or taillights is one of them.  Unless
    you're riding with Demunk and Dickson, you are likely to experience
    this a few times.  While it is possible to take a wrong turn this way,
    most of the riders in such groups are following the route from memory.
    
    Huge Arrows stuck on sidewalks, roads, buildings, different in each
    region.  (incidentally, in '87 each arrow had an IBM logo on it because
    IBM France was a sponsor.)  If you have trouble, it's �O� est la
    fl�che?� (where is the arrow?)  and don't forget "A droit" & "A gauche"
    
    Ah, les memoires,
    
    ed

    True, there were arrows but there were a lot of places where they
    were far from obvious.  In my last night of riding if I hadn't
    been in a group with guys who knew the course I'd have ended up in 
    Belgium.  The *best* times were going 30+ in a paceline in the
    pitch black with fog downhill with no yellow lines in the road.
    If I'd been awake it would have been a serious rush!
    
    Russ

    I've been warned about a number of things in PBP, and intend to
    ride my ass off the first few hundred miles to get ahead of most
    of the cyclists just to avoid long lines at the checkpoints.
    [I left 20 minutes late on the 600K and still passed everyone
    getting to the first checkpoint, so if I'm in shape next year
    it should be possible to avoid much of the pack in France...]

    It wasn't just night riding that was interesting on the 600K
    but the combination of that and going without sleep, though
    I did wimp out somewhat.  One thing that was a bit unnerving
    was seeing a black car parked on the side of the road loom
    out of the fog and swerving away from it.  If there were another
    rider along, I've had just gone thru.

    Oh well, no matter - there's BMB which Charlie is running Brevet style
    this year to try it on again.  [ There are going to be guys from
    Texas and some California doods this time, so we'll have to show
    them we know how to ride here on the least coast :-) ]

    Hey Russ, you missed some pisser rides this year - that New Boston
    brevet was great!  Good riders too, almost noone is dropping
    on the qualifiers now.

    - Jim

    Apropos nothing.  It's `Cycling Weekly's Centenary today.
    (thats a hundred years).
    
    I havent had a chance to read it yet but there are congratulatort
    quotes from all sort of people and a plethora of nostalgia bits...