Boston trip: May 20-27

[weisan]

Looks like we are gonna have a Paceline Lobster PARTY !!!

Bruce pal, you are simply da-Best! I think I prefer to bring my bike along but if you can supply me with a 9-speed compatible shimano wheelset, that would make my life a WHOLE lot easier.

The rest of you pals, stay tune for more details as we get closer to the actual date but you can go ahead and block out Saturday May 27 on your calendar if you like because I am pretty sure we will be doing a group ride somewhere....right, Bruce?

[shovelhd]

That's the weekend of the Killington Stage Race. I worked it last year but don't care to this year. There's another race in CT on the 27th, and they may beg me to work it. If they don't, I'm in.

[Bruce K]

That means I have to start riding seriously again!

I'm sure we can find a wheel set if you bring a Shimano/SRAM cassette.

If you ride a 54 there is plenty of hardware and you could save the excess baggage fee

BK

[weisan]

My trip is coming up next Sat.!

I will be arriving at Logan around 1:30 pm Sat. May 20th on Southwest.

I am given two free luggage so plenty of room for the bike plus my personal items. I will do the same thing that I did when I went to Oakland last year, I will pack everything inside my Ritchey Breakaway softcase except the front wheel, that I will borrow from Bruce.

I haven't ridden since my "V-operation" on Monday and I am still going to take things easy next week. I am not too worried about my riding fitness, should be fine when I get there.

Other than my training/conference through the week Mon-Fri, I have reserved Sat, Sun (May 20/21) and Sat (May 27 6 pm flight out of logan)) to riding and meeting pals.
It would be slightly harder to peel away on the weekdays but I am still going to ride early in the morning before the conference. So, I will be doing a bit of exploring around the Essex area for a nice 1-1.5 hr loop.

[weisan]

The bike I will be bringing to Boston.

[Ti Designs]

Saturday the 20th is the tandem ride from Wheelworks. I'm working on the 21st, I don't start until noon, but it's almost 40 miles back from Essex and there's only so many days I can be totally useless at work... The other days I have free are the 23rd and 25th. I've been getting more and more into the idea of photography from the bike, which means leaving my house a few hours before sunrise on my cross bike with the camera equipment. I could be in essex (and done with shooting for the morning) long before your conference starts for the morning. This also depends on the weather...

[leftyfreak]

Originally Posted by Ti Designs

Saturday the 20th is the tandem ride from Wheelworks. I'm working on the 21st, I don't start until noon, but it's almost 40 miles back from Essex and there's only so many days I can be totally useless at work... The other days I have free are the 23rd and 25th. I've been getting more and more into the idea of photography from the bike, which means leaving my house a few hours before sunrise on my cross bike with the camera equipment. I could be in essex (and done with shooting for the morning) long before your conference starts for the morning. This also depends on the weather...

Wait, you're not free on the 25th, it's a Thursday! That being said, I'm potentially interested in arranging to go with Ti Designs up to Essex that morning to ride with Weisan till he needs to go to the conference, and then we could continue exploring. Let's discuss! Weisan, what are your time constraints on the 25th?

[xeladragon]

Sounds like weisan's conference is in Essex, but his rides don't necessarily need to start there on the weekend? Do I foresee another Next Tour ride?

[Bruce K]

Weisan arrives on Saturday and I am picking him up at Logan early/mid afternoon.

We are still working on bike details but he may have to assemble a bike after he gets settled here (I am trying to convince him to borrow one).

He needs to be in Essex late afternoon on Sunday.

I am out of pretty much any ride. Lack of serious riding for a while plus some other stuff makes it advisable for me to stay off the bike for now.

BK

[shovelhd]

I'm working on the 27th, but I'm open any of the other weekend days.

[weisan]

Thank you all for your kind response.

My focus really is on people for this trip. Would love to meet up, dine or ride with, shake hands, give hugs & kisses to some of my pals here on the forum...and I will do everything in my power to make it easy on you.

Bruce pal is absolutely the best, kind enough to host me and let me ride his bike. I am inclined to bring my own just because...I like to ride my own bike and I am used to the hassle of take down/set up. Plus, I will be there for more than a week and plan on riding during the weekdays when conference is going on, so as generous as Bruce certainly is, I hesitate to hold on to his bike for so long.

So here's how the conference works. It's a 5-day intensive boot camp for Agile practitioners. I am the leading advocate for Agile methodology at my workplace and I am there to meet up with like-minded individuals to share our experience and compare notes on how to further our cause and facilitate the change within our organization. We have sessions daily scheduled in the morning, afternoon and evening. They start around 9-9:30 in the morning, not sure how late it goes, but I will get a better idea once I am there. We will be bunking in together and focusing on each other for five straight days.

As much as I like people, I can only stand it so much...so the bike is my savior. I need to get out every now and then, sometimes it can be a spur of the moment thing, say we got an hour break, I will jump on it and go...the bike that I am bringing is versatile and at home with both paved and gravel roads, so there are no restrictions to where I can ride. I have never been to Essex, but looking at it on the web, it looks like a nice little town for riding.

Essentially my "free time" is the minute I touch down in Logan on Saturday at 1:30. I just need 30-45 mins to put my bike together and I am ready to go anywhere, do anything and meet anyone.

Sunday check-in at the retreat center is own time own target. I can do it anytime, we can drop off my stuff there and then be on our own for the rest of the day. If Bruce is busy, I can even just ride my bike over there.


Basically my point is...I am super flexible and relaxed about this whole thing. Whatever is fine with me.

[weisan]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

I'm working on the 27th, but I'm open any of the other weekend days.

shovel pal, are you working as a race official?

Where is the race? Is it close enough for us to ride our bikes over?

[Bruce K]

Weisan;

By the time you arrive, get your bags, and we get back to the house it is going to be around 3:00 at the earliest so you are looking at about 4:00 before you are ready to ride.

Borrowing a bike is no big deal, there are several between my son and me that will not be missed for a few days so let's talk today.

BK

[shovelhd]

Originally Posted by weisan

shovel pal, are you working as a race official?

Where is the race? Is it close enough for us to ride our bikes over?

Yes, and no. It's at the Stafford Motorsport Park in Stafford Springs, CT. With Killington going on the same day, we are short on officials so I can't get out of it. If we can't meet up this time, there will be a next time!

[Ti Designs]

Originally Posted by leftyfreak

Wait, you're not free on the 25th, it's a Thursday! That being said, I'm potentially interested in arranging to go with Ti Designs up to Essex that morning to ride with Weisan till he needs to go to the conference, and then we could continue exploring. Let's discuss! Weisan, what are your time constraints on the 25th?

Is there a map of where we can find baked goods on Cape Anne, early in the morning? Oh wait, last time I rode out to Essex to meet the group, Mark met me in the back of the parking lot of the Village Restaurant with a tray of fresh, hot corn bread...