Longest Ride Yet

The Club of Sevens has raised the ante after our picturesque 50 mile loop. The day, the ride, the weather, the group, simply could not have been better. In attendance were the regulars, Neil Doshi (still leading with a 100% attendance rate), Rob Vandermark, Jenna Weikerth, and Graham Dimmock. Keeping my goal alive we had not just one new addition but THREE.

Newcomer #1
Wayne Maceyka:



That’s Wayne on the right, clearly Wayne is pretending to hold a bowl of chips and salsa while Neil demonstrates how to eat them. Wayne is a good friend of mine and of Seven Cycles and it was a pleasure to have him along. He also likes to blog: http://www.renewacycle.com/ check it out.

Newcomer #2
Jake Bridge:



Jake showed up on his most recent build, a beautiful Axiom Steel fixie. Jake is our IT whiz and commutes to the office from Lowell. Could he keep up on a fixie? Turns out he had to back it off a bit. The leather fender flaps are surely mint to those who appreciate fenders, I wouldn’t understand. As a side note, Jake, like me, is a lover of tamarind.

Newcomer #3
Denise Caruso:



I knew Denise was going to tear it up long before she showed up for the ride, after all she is a born and raised a Nutmegger just like me. Hailing from the ‘Shire, she is no stranger to beautiful cycling roads. She was test riding an Axiom as she is in the shopping phase for her first Seven, a fine position to be in as far as I am concerned.

Newcomers, welcome to the club.

Eight strong, we headed out of the parking lot on the way to Concord. I’d guess it was 73 degrees, just enough to get a nice farmers tan base to build on for the rest of the year.

Here is the Nagog loop:


If you would prefer to call this loop the "Second grader's rendition of a withered old man with a large nose tripping over his tangled legs loop" that's fine, but I'll continue to call it the Nagog loop.

Heading out:



Every ride I say the same thing, “I’m going to wait and take pictures once we get to Concord or further where it’s more scenic.” However, I have been forgetting. This trip I did a little better, but still not great. What I like most about the pictures though, even when I do a poor job, is that in every case, people are smiling. See for yourself:



But the best smile? Your number one participant, Mr. Neil Doshi himself:



Priceless. Surely that smile has won some awards. Why wouldn't we be smiling? The sun was out and we were logging miles. Heading out of Concord we rode past Nagog Hill Orchard:



Then around Nagog Pond:



If only we were drinking egg nog, or near a bog, or saw a frog, or even listening to the Troggs,



then we really could have had some fun but unpredictable rhymes.

We headed back on 225 to Bedford, passing parades and patriotic folks all along the way. Once we got back to Belmont, we parted ways. When the smoke cleared we had done around 52 miles and averaged about fifteen and a half miles an hour.

The Club of Sevens is starting to take form, come join us:


See you soon.