Conference noted::bicycle

    Ed

    This sounds like a really great idea.

    I'll be up there at 9am waiting. I'll be going with Alfonso Canella and
    Rob Beaulieu. Alfonso is a digital employee, Rob is not. 

    Keep me updated.

    Thanks
    Mike

    I mentioned I also plan to camp fro the weekend.  Here's some info for
    those who may also perfer to camp and avoid the long car ride up
    "earily" Saturday.
    
    I will be camping at Lafayette campground in Franconia Notch with my
    family (wife, 2 kids).  The campground is just a few exits north of the
    Lincoln exit where we will begin.  The campground has showers (feel
    real nice after 100mi) and for a tent site is $12 a night.  I'm not
    sure how fast it fills up now but in the middle of the summer it was
    full by 12:00 noon of Fridays.  Because of this I plan to take Friday,
    September 7 off work and head up there that morning.  My wife and kids
    will be coming after school's out.  
    
    I try and avoid long car rides before long bike rides.  If anyone else
    would like to camp as well, I could take a LIMITED number of tents with
    me and reserve a spot for you.  I don't plan to set up 10 sites but 4
    or 5 might be do'able.  In order to reserve a site a tent must be setup
    (I been told in the past).  For those who would like to gamble on
    getting a spot Friday night there are several others on the RT112 but
    the lack showers.
    
    Give me a ring if the camping interests you.
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    ...Ed

What a great ride!  The weather was perfect, absolutely clear, cool mid-60's
day.  Visibility was miles.  

4 of us got rolling @ 9:00 in Lincoln.  On the north end of the bike path 
through Franconia Notch we happen upon a small black bear on the path.  The 
cub quickly hi-tailed it into the woods as we all sprinted by (just incase 
mama bear was waiting there for us).  The ride down RT3/RT302 was great. At
Crawford Notch, 13% grade for 0.9 miles downhill (`: I beat my previous top
speed of 53 mph with an awesome 56 mph!  I may have be able to go faster but
I caught up to a van and was to nervous to pass him.  The Kanagamus was torture.
After putting in about 82 miles you hit the really steep part.  Seeing the
top never felt so good.  I'm sure glad I put a 13x26 on for this.  At the
start of the Kanagamus my average speed was 17.8 mph.  At the top we re-grouped
for the final descent into Lincoln.  My finishing stats were:

			Saddle Time:	5:58
			Average Speed:  16.7 mph 
			Max Speed:	56 mph
			Distance:	100.5 miles

I hope to do this ride one more time before the season's done.  I plan to pick
a weekend when the leaf peeking is at it's peek.  Any takers?


Cheers,

...Ed

    Ed,

    You summed it up pretty good. It was my best day on the bike. The weather
    was Great! 

    Let me know the date you pick for the foliage ride, we were talking all the
    way home (well almost) about doing it again. Maybe this time you can wait 
    for the rest of the riders. 8^) I didn't fear quite as good as you did, 
    but I did accomplish same personal goals! 

    I was just thinking, I have to do this again, you bet me by 2 mph going
    down Crawford Notch. 

    Mike

    Let's here from you Alfonso... Tell everybody how you waited 90 minutes
    for me on top of the Kanc. (Don't laugh Ed) 8^)

    Hey, Mike, if I'm gonna ride like Grandma Moses on the downhills (40
    mph top down Crawford Crotch; and I'll vouch for Ed's speed since he
    passed me as if I was going in reverse), I have to make it up on the
    uphills......
    
    For a while, though, I thought that you had stopped at Conway to do
    some shopping.  Then I thought that you must have taken one of those
    helicopters that passed overhead.  Then I thought that you got mugged
    by one of those bands of Harley motor heads that seemed to be cruising
    the Kanc.  Either way, I wasn't going to ride down to go get you since
    I still remembered having to trundle up the blasted hill on a 42x21 and
    I wasn't about to be that sort of hero.  
    
    Still, wait or no wait, it felt good to do the ride under such nice
    weather conditions.  At 5h18m for 101 miles, it's still my slowest
    century but, hey, I won't complain and you can sign me up for next year
    but not for the leaf turning ride (latinos don't ride unless the 
    temperature >50 deg.).
    
    Alfonso
    

    Soooo............tell me, is it as much fun riding with Alfonso
    through the mountains as it is riding with him up Green St.?????
    
    Sounds the same to me: 
    
    Alfonso: "Oh, by the way, Ric, we've got a small rise, 50 feet or
    so in length coming up, just enough to get your attention".
    
    3 minutes later after much zigzaging, the small rise is completed,
    with Alfonso of course riding back toward you or riding in circles
    at the top. 8^}
    
    ricb