11/30 Saturday Ride

Sorry so late folks... Sean and I got our signals crossed. But one thing is sure: it won't be 19* at 8:00 tomorrow, and we won't get past 25* until after 10:00; I'm guessing no one thinks that sounds like a better idea than enjoying hot coffee in a warm home (or just rolling over).

It looks like we have come to an unceremonious close to the SMR for 2013, but I look forward to seeing everyone at the Year End Party on December 13th. Enjoy the holiday weekend and be sure to have a look here if we have an unseasonably warm Saturday in the next few months... I'm sure we'd all love a nice spin with friends!

11/15 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the late post but hell, yeah, we're riding!

I kinda have a hankering for a westerly route, but will agree with the decision of the majority. If you have a favorite route (and, let's face it, this might be one of the last good days), bring it with you and let's enjoy the day! See you at 8:00.

11/9 Saturday Ride

It seems my broken finger can finally tolerate the road bike again, so I'll be riding tomorrow! It looks be a chilly start, so I'm a little conflicted: if we go to the coast (perhaps Prout's Neck?) we'll stay in the sun but catch the wind. If we go inland (Highland Cliff) we can hide from the wind but lose the sun. Maybe something in the middle.. perhaps Greely and Sligo? I am open to suggestions, so post them here or bring them with you. See you at 8:00!

11/2 Saturday Ride

It looks like things will be a bit warmer tomorrow despite the late sunrise and we have two ride options to choose from.

The first option is the annual Cranksgiving event, which starts at 9:30 in Woodfords and is a "race" to buy supplies for a good cause. There is no entry fee, just the cost of your list of goods. At the end, everything gets donated to a local food bank.

The second option will a less altruistic ride leaving the shop at 8:30 and heading out to do the Freeport loop (Ride route). It looks like temps will be about 50, but we'll start 30 minutes later than usual given the late sunrise.

10/26 Saturday Ride

These last few weeks before daylight savings time switches don't leave a lot of time for the sun to warm things up. With the possibility of frost tonight and a bit of a breeze in the morning, we are not going to plan on riding this week. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer next week.

If you want to head out despite the chill in the air, don't be afraid to use the comments section to drum up some riding buddies.

10/19 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the late post, but the ride will be heading out in the morning at 8:00, as usual. Since both Sean and I are unavailable, Eric will be your host. He's thinking anout following the Monday Night route unless he hears something better in the morning. Have a great ride!

10/4 Saturday Ride

First, let's mention a little detail about the Cadillac Century: the government shutdown has closed the park and forced an alteration of the route. It's 73 miles now, but it's still a beautiful ride!

For those of you not riding the Cadillac, how about a 34-mile spin out to the fairgrounds and then over to Mast? I'm afraid neither Sean nor I will be in town for this, so have a great ride!

9/28 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the late post; I think Sean and I got our signals crossed. I admit I'm a little worn out, so I wanted to offer a course that would give us a lot of distance options, on familiar ground, and away from the Not Dead Yet ride going on at Pinelands. We're going to point our wheels towards Brunswick and see where we end up. There's the typical Freeport distance (35), the Brunswick (45) or, with an added loop out to Rte 9, the option for 65 or more, so we can adapt the ride to whatever we're feeling. See you at 8:00.

9/21 Saturday Ride

It sounds like a bunch of people are planning on doing the Loon Echo ride this weekend. It should be great weather and it's a great ride, so make it if you can.

We will have a Saturday ride, with the route to be determined by the group. I expect there will be a longer route (50-60) and a shorter loop (35-40). We will leave the shop just after 8:00.

9/14 Saturday Ride

This week we will head out for a trip to the beach. Old Orchard Beach to be exact. The route is relatively flat, but there aren't many options to shorten things up. The longer ride will be a touch over 70 mile and will include both OOB and Prout's Neck (Ride route). The planned shorter loop will be closer to 50 miles and will head back through Westbrook (Ride route). However, depending on the group, we may go with a middle version for the shorter loop that tackles Mitchell Hill and then heads back to the shop via Highland (the way we head out).

We will plan to leave the shop at 8:00.

9/7 Saturday Ride

The Maine Lighthouse Ride and the New England Parkinson's Ride are both this weekend in the OOB/Saco area, so we are going to avoid these rides and head north toward Brunswick. The longer route will do the Flying Point/Pleasant Hill loop (Ride route). Anyone looking for something shorter can head back when we hit S. Freeport Road (Ride route).

We will plan on the usual 8:00 departure from Back Bay Bikes.

8/31 Saturday Ride

For Labor Day weekend we are going to throw in a bunch of hills on our way out to Pineland (Ride route). While the route heads back to town from Pineland, I am actually heading out to meet someone in Poland, so I plan to continue out along the track of the Raymond hill route. Anyone who wants to add New Gloucester or even the Raymond hill route is free to join me.

I do not believe we have anyone to specifically lead a shorter ride, but if there is a contingent that wants to do fewer than 45 miles, there is always the option to skip Dutton Hill and head back to the shop via Blanchard (Ride route).

We will leave from the shop at 8:00.

8/24 Saturday Ride

It looks to be a near perfect day to ride tomorrow. The plan is to throw in some hills (Ride route). There isn't a specific short ride planned, but if you want (need) to do less than 45 miles there are several ways to shorten this route up (although most mean you miss Dutton Hill).

8/10 Saturday Ride

This Saturday is the BikeMS event, so I will be down at UNE pedaling for charity. It also looks like Sean may be tied up again, so Eric has agreed to step in for us. He's elected the Freeport loop for this week, and the weather, so far, looks to be cooperating

As an aside, I've started an open group on MapMyRide for the CCCP SMR, so we can collect all the routes we've done and give everyone a place to go find a ride or have some ideas to choose from when we ask for suggestions.

Ride safe, don't forget your ID, and be nice to Eric!

8/3 Saturday Ride

Maybe I'm riding too much (is that possible???), but I'm finding myself getting a little bored with our routes. We need something new. I'd love to get us out to Gorham or Saco, but that's tough without making some really long rides. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. In the meantime, let's try this for tomorrow: Route

7/25 Saturday Ride

It’s a pretty big weekend at CCCP, so get ready for some fun!

SAFETY FIRST 
Don’t forget your Road ID; if you don’t have one (or it’s out of date or the wristband is toxic or you want a new color to match the new bike), now’s your chance: we have a CCCP club discount that only lasts until Aug 6th, so send an email and you will get an automated response with the ordering details. 

SATURDAY 
We’re being taken over by the infamous B5 B-Ride: 

• BARISTA: 9:00 start at Tandem Coffee Roasters… tank up!
• BIKE: 47 miles over (Mitchell) hill, over (Westbrook) dale, as we hit the tarmac trail…
• BEER: Return to Rising Tide Brewing Co and celebrate the day
• BRUNCH: at the food truck of the week, Mainly Burgers, right outside the brewery (just stumble out the door)
• BINGHAM’S: lovely truffles at Dean's Sweets to close a fabulous morning of pedaling with pals

SUNDAY 

If you still feel you have some calories to burn, Sunday will feature CCCP's Annual Four Notches Ride. Meet  at 9am at the parking lot across the street from Attitash Mountain in Bartlett, New Hampshire. The route follows Bear Notch, Kancamangus, Franconia Notch, Crawford Notch and back to Attitash.  

FMI and to RSVP: Richard Hutchins rjhutch10@yahoo.com      c. 650-2292

7/20 Saturday Ride

It looks like the heat will be with us again tomorrow, so we are going to keep the ride relatively short and head up Mountain Rd. and then over to Cumberland (Ride route). We will leave the shop at 8:00.

Also keep in mind that next Saturday (7/27) Kris will be leading the Saturday ride as the Barista>Bike>Beer>Brunch>Binghams B-ride. If you missed Kris' email, the plan is to meet at 9:00 at Tandem Coffee (122 Anderson St) at 9:00, go for a 35-45 mile ride, return for tours and a food truck at Rising Tide Brewing Co., and for those still standing to grab some desserts at Dean's Sweets.

Finally, please keep in mind that RoadID is currently offering club members 20% off each order placed between now and August 6. You've read my pitch for RoadID before: I think it's one of the essential pieces of equipment for every rider. Whether you're in a group or riding solo, having ID that allows medical staff to quickly identify your emergency contacts is an important safety item. Any ID is better than none, but one suggestion have as a former EMT is that necklaces and bracelets are by far the most effective form of ID since those are the places where responders are trained to look. If you keep your ID on a shoe and you get a head injury in a crash it may be hours before anyone bothers to take a look at your ID (and don't get me started about keeping it on your bike). If you have a necklace or bracelet, it will be one of the first things examined. 

If you want to take advantage of the RoadID CCCP club discount, send an email and you will get an automated response with the ordering details.

7/13 Saturday Ride

We are a bit conflicted about a route for this week, so we will just plan to pick one at the shop tomorrow morning. It promises to be a great day to ride, so bring some ideas for a route. We will leave from the shop at 8:00.

To echo the recent newsletter from Kris, the Saturday ride will be leaving from Tandem Coffee Roasters on Saturday July 27. The route is TBD, but plan to make the ride and support some of the club sponsors.

7/6 Saturday Ride

It's a holiday weekend, so we are going to add a few hills. There will be three possible routes this week.

The shorter route for those who need to get back early will head out to Cumberland and then back in Sligo (Ride route).

The longer route will head on to Pineland and then back via Sligo and 88 (Ride route).

There will also be a slightly longer variant that will head out around New Gloucester Hill, adding a few extra climbs and a few extra miles. (Ride route).

Please make sure you review the map of the ride you plan to do and even consider bringing a map with you. With three rides, we can't have a leader on all of them without the help of volunteers.

We will leave the shop at 8:00.

6/29 Saturday Ride

I've been putting off this post hoping the weather would look better. Unfortunately, procrastination has failed me once again.

I am hoping that the heavy rain will stay away so we can get a few miles in tomorrow morning. I'll plan to be at the shop by 8:00 unless it is pouring or there is lightening in the area. I don't have a route planned, so bring your ideas.

6/22 Saturday Ride

Bron and I are both unavailable tomorrow morning, but it is supposed to be a nice day to ride, so hopefully folks will show up at the shop and head out for a ride at 8:00.

My suggestion for a route is the Freeport loop (Ride route) since it provides a relatively short loop with the options for riders to head up to Brunswick and get some additional miles.

6/15 Saturday Ride

Sorry for the late post. We'll ride tomorrow. Leave the shop at 8:00. 

The plan is to head to Cumberland. The short loop will come back on Sligo and 88. The longer route will continue to Pineland. 

6/1 Saturday Ride

It may be tempting fate, but after several weeks of washouts from rain, we will once again attempt to head out on our Freeport loop (Ride Route).

We will leave the shop at 8:00 so that we should be back in time for the Yoga for Cyclists class Kris highlighted in his recent club email.

Incredibly, this is likely to be the first warm day of the season for the Saturday ride, so don't forget to bring your fluids (and your emergency contact information).

5/25 Saturday Ride

50 degrees with a 100% chance of rain. Hmmm.

Against my better judgment I am going to post a route for tomorrow. We will plan to do our "Freeport" loop (Ride Route). If it's really raining I expect we won't ride.

On the bright side, it looks like the weather will be near-perfect for the Memorial Day Ride, with cool temps and sunshine. Check out the link for ride details and feel free to use the comments section here to carpool.

5/18 saturday Ride

Well, we have one last week before the CCCP Memorial Day ride. It's been a tough season so far due to the cold, wet weather, so instead of heading out for our usual Raymond Hill loop, we are going to do another variation on our Pineland route that adds Mountain Rd. and the New Gloucester hill (Ride Route). There will likely be a shorter loop of 30-40 miles that will break off somewhere in Cumberland. for those who don't want to do the full loop.

We will plan to leave the Back Bay Bikes at the usual 8:00 and remind you to please remember to bring your emergency contact information.

Finally, here's a link to a pretty decent youtube video about group riding tips.

5/11 saturday Ride

After some nice weather, Saturday looks to be on the wet side. For those planning to get some miles in advance of the Memorial Day ride, we will throw out the possibility of a 56-mile loop up toward Brunswick (Ride route).

For those who just want some miles and don't feel like such a long morning in the rain, we will also have a shorter loop that will turn around at S. Freeport Rd (Ride route).

If the forecast is to believed and we have "showers" on Saturday morning, I am planning to ride. However, if it "rains" or if the temps can't get out of the lower 40s, I'll likely stay home and watch stage 8 of the Giro and pretend that counts as riding.

5/4 Saturday Ride

It looks like another decent weekend to ride, so we will head out toward Pineland again, taking a slightly different route from last week (Ride Route). For those looking to add some distance and/or hills, you should feel free to head around Gloucester Hill after we stop at Pineland (Longer Ride Route). 

As always, please remember to bring some emergency contact information and enough to drink.

Thanks for all the feedback on the ride. Bron and I are both planning to ride this weekend, so please continue to give us your thoughts.

4/27 Saturday Ride

We'll take advantage of the good forecast to head out to Pineland this weekend (Ride route). It looks to be pretty nice all day, so we will plan to leave the shop at 8:00am.

We are also looking for volunteers to help lead the ride on a regular basis. If you are interested, send me an email. We need folks ASAP, so don't be shy.

A quick safety tip for those of you with iPhones. Please create a contact titled "Emergency" in your phone. For most of you, this will allow the use of Siri to call numbers stored under that contact without having to unlock your phone. I assume Android phones have a similar feature. This doesn't replace the need for wearing some form of emergency contact information, but it does add another layer in the event something happens during the ride.

Finally, we would like to open a dialogue regarding the purpose and the future of the Saturday ride. Traditionally, this ride was the introductory ride, designed to provide a gateway into group riding. However, over the past few years, we have stretched that definition significantly. Last year I noticed that the tension seemed to be growing and the ride seemed to be polarizing a bit more than in the past. The current season is young, but there are signs that the gap is widening. Since the riders make the ride, we would appreciate your feedback on where we are, what we need to improve and what the goals of the ride should be. Please feel free to use the comments, email me, email Bron, or simply take a few minutes to give us your thoughts during the ride.

See you Saturday.

4/21 Sunday Ride

UPDATE:

We are moving the start time on Sunday to 9:00 to give the temps a chance to climb above 40°. 

See you at 9:00 at Back Bay Bikes.

_______________________

It's been a bad spring for Saturday rides and this week doesn't look to be much different. In an effort to actually get out and ride, we are moving the ride to SUNDAY. For now, we are going to shoot for an 8:00 9:00 departure since it doesn't appear that things will warm up all that much if we delay the start.

The plan is to do our route out toward Freeport (Ride Route) and anyone who wants can split off at South Freeport Road to head up toward Brunswick and get some extra miles in.

4/13 Saturday Ride -- Maybe?

I can't make the ride this week and I haven't received confirmation from Bron whether she can make it. So, if someone is willing to play the role of leader, feel free to step up. Use the comments (please do not post as "anonymous") to pick a time and a route. My suggestion is to meet at 9:00 so the clouds have a chance to burn off a bit.

4/6 Saturday Ride Cancelled

While the temps look like they will inch just high enough to justify a ride, the combination of strong winds from the northwest have convinced us to cancel the ride this week.

3/30 Saturday Ride

It looks like we should have a pretty nice morning this Saturday to start the season, but to give the clouds a chance to burn off and for the temps to inch up just a bit, We will plan on leaving the Back Bay Bikes shop at 9:00 am. 

Rather than navigate the construction for the first ride of the season, we will start out with the Prout's Neck loop (Route Map). Expect a pretty casual ride this week so we can all start to get our legs underneath us.

It's always a good idea to be thinking about safety, so please review the group riding guidelines and don't forget to bring emergency contact information. 

As always, please drop me an email if you have any questions. See you Saturday.

Spring?

There's close to a foot of fresh snow on the ground, but the first day of spring is the line in the sand for me. Winter be damned, it's time to start planning the biking season. 

Unfortunately, this Saturday doesn't look like the best week to start the ride up again. While the temps might inch up just over 40, the wind looks to be pretty brisk and there promises to be some ice on the shoulders for most of the morning. 

So, we'll keep our fingers crossed and plan on an Easter weekend start this year, with the first official ride heading out next Saturday, March 30. For now we'll leave the time up in the air, so check back by Thursday next week for a start time.

With the start of the season comes the opportunity to implement a few changes to the ride. Some will be forced—such as the detour around the back cove construction—but we're also toying with a few voluntary ones. One high tech change that we are planning to play around with this year is that I will be providing a link via twitter that will allow live access to our routes. The thinking is that this live look at our location will help: (1) riders who get lost and want to rejoin the group; (2) riders who want to meet up in the middle of the ride; (3) significant others who want a way to gauge when the ride will be over; and (4) stalkers who want to know where I am every Saturday morning. Once we get some kinks worked out, we'll post more information on how to view the live feed for the ride route.

We're open to other suggestion you may have, so please, if you have things that you would like to change, or even if there were things from last year that you really liked and want to make sure we continue, please drop me an email.

Finally, we've got a poll over on the right column. Please let us know what your threshold is for riding in the cold.

See you next weekend.