Conference noted::bicycle

1725.0. "Ride report - TAGRAM '90" by STARCH::WHALEN (Vague clouds of electrons tunneling through computer circuits an) Mon Sep 03 1990 21:09

    This past weekend I participated in TAGRAM '90 - the Worcester Telegram
    & Gazette's first annual Ride Around central Massachusetts.  Mechanical
    support was provided by a different Worcester area bicycle each day
    (O'Neils, Barney's, and Bicycle Alley).
    
    
    I started my ride from home, which is about 5 miles from the actual
    start at Worcester State College.  When I met up with another ride
    leader for the ride to the start she was changing a flat.  Luckily it
    was on the front as the rear would have been more inconvenient with
    panniers and a sleeping back strapped on the rack.  We got there around
    8am for a 8:45 start, and a good number of people had already arrived,
    including most of the other ride leaders.
    
    We started North and East from Worcester into Holden, then Boylston and
    by the Wachusett Reservior, then turned South into Northboro and
    Grafton, where we stopped at the Willard Clock Museum.  Since the tour
    took an hour and a half I decided to pass on it.  From there we
    proceeded to Millbury, Oxford and Dudley, with an optional loop through
    Purgatory Chasm which most riders did.  I ended up doing 77 miles that
    day, but you could have done it in as few as 54.  When we got to the
    high school there were showers and massages, and then a spaggetti
    dinner.
    
    Sunday breakfast consisted of oatmeal, pancakes and peaches, then we
    headed off to Charlton, Brookfield, (with an side trip to Brookfield
    Orchards for apple dumplings with ice cream), and in to Barre for where
    we would stay for the night.  This was the short day, with only 34
    miles on the cue sheet.  I and about 8 others (including a couple on a
    tandem) made a side trip through Barre Common, where we stopped to look
    at the burnned down Barre Hotel, then on to Petersham Common, where we
    got ice cream at the general store.  We went back to Barre on Rt 122,
    which was more downhill than up, and therefore relatively fast.  I did
    my best to draft the tandem, but it was more like playing tag.  I ended
    up with 55 miles for the day.  No massages this night, which dissappointed
    a few people, but we had another spaggetti dinner.
    
    Everyone seemed to think that Monday's breakfast of French Toast and
    scrambled eggs was the best meal so far.  The day's ride took us from
    Barre through Hubbardston, Westminster, Princeton, Holden, and back to
    Worcester.  There was an optional side trip to Barre Falls dam, which
    is a flood control project and wasn't very exciting because there was
    little to see in a non-flood condition, though the sluce cut between
    the rocks was impressive.  Shortly before Princeton Center we rode up
    Mile Hill Road to the vistor center at Mt Wachusett.  The ride to the
    summit (2006') was optional, and provided a view as far as Boston. 
    From there the ride was almost all downhill, but not so much that you
    could coast the entire distance.  We had a dinner of linguene and
    chicken where some awards were handed out for various (mis)adventures
    (longest detour, having traveled the furthest to the ride, etc..) and
    there was a drawing for a few other gifts.  After that I rode home and
    ended up with a total of 55 miles for the day.
    
    
    Rich

    
    "... the burned down Barre Hotel" ??  Can this be?
    
    I was going to include this in my write-up of BMB Day 4.
    It is a lovely (and very useful!) place, or was.  
    Did it just burn down?  
    Hope not.
    
    -john
    
    PS: Nice ride you did.

    Yes, the burned down Barre Hotel.  I'm not sure when the fire was, but
    I knew that it was within the past month.  Your mentioning that someone
    found it useful for BMB says that it was within the past three weeks;
    it may have been within the past week, as there was still a slight
    smell of burning wood around.  The police lines are still around it,
    the second and third floor were completely burnt, the first floor
    received less damage, but the large front loader sitting near-by
    implied to me that it will be demolished.
    
    I think that I forgot to mention the weather.  It was perfect, 70's &
    80's, sunny, some breezes, but not excessive.
    
    Rich

    
    
    I'll try this again - I kept getting errors on entering it
    yesterday morning.  Grrr!!
    
    My husband and I were on a bicycle ride through Barre on Sunday,
    August 26th and the hotel was still there.
    
    My husband heard that on Wednesday or Thursday (29th or 30th) of
    that week, it burned down.  Arson is strongly suspected as the
    Barre Hotel declared bankruptcy only a week prior to the fire.
    Also, antiques from the hotel were seen being loaded onto trucks
    a day or two before the fire.