Conference noted::bicycle

2691.0. "Winter Road Companions - Maybe?" by STRATA::ASMITH () Tue Oct 12 1993 13:55

         I plan to ride on the roads through the winter and would like to 
    know if anyone in my living location is interested in joining.  I am
    a stickler about some things so I am guessing that the pool of riders
    willing to ride along will be fairly small, but we are all adults so
    we should clearly understand when something is not our cup of tea.
         I live in Marlborough, Mass. and plan to ride the Wachusetts loop plus 
    add in a section that can extend past Gardner and back to the loop. 
    The distance should work out to as much as 90 miles on the longest
    rides and around 30 miles on the shortest.  Saturday morning at 9am will 
    be the starting time but I also plan to ride on some Sundays at the
    same time.  The meeting place is the commuter parking lot at the Berlin
    exit off of 495.  The course will generally be hilly with a few hard
    climbs.
         Here are some conditions that I am placing on any riding
    companion, if they cannot be met then I am better off riding alone;
    
     1. MUST be safety concious, this means stopping properly for all
        traffic control devices when required.  Also MUST be concious 
        of and skilled at cornering under winter conditions.
    
     1 1/2. There should not be any flat-out descending, the ascent of
            climbs allows plenty of chances to prove one's stuff.
     
     2. Need to be able to maintain a speed of at least 18 MPH on flats,
        flat speeds probaly will not exceed 23 MPH.
    
     3. Must be prompt in arriving at the start location, it will be very
        cold on some days so waiting around should only happen when there
        is a equipment problem.
    
     4. Must be willing to ride single file at ALL times except when the
        road layout allows otherwise.
    
     5. Need to be able to ignore provocative behavior from motorists.
    
     6. Need to have good winter riding gear and be able to withstand
        swings in weather conditions during a given ride. 
    
    
         If interested then please send a mail message to Scoman::ASmith.
    
           Thanks;
             Abe
           

>     1 1/2. There should not be any flat-out descending, the ascent of
>            climbs allows plenty of chances to prove one's stuff.
     
	Remember, though, in the winter always pedal downhill. The
    increased windchill factor and idle legs don't do you much good. Even
    if you're only soft pedalling, don't let the legs stop.