Whisky and Navigation
In the whisky wars of the late 19th century Canadien distiller Seagrams tried to skirt the prohibition on whisky imports by importing grain and distilling stateside. Not one to be duped, Hiram Walker found out about this and put an agent on the ship, the Forest City.
This agent had a magnet in his pocket and got on to the bridge next to the compass causing the ship to steer headlong through the fog into the rock cliff on an island in Lake Huron off Tobermory Ontario. A piece of that ship is still jammed into that cliff about 50’ up but most of it lies 100’+ under the waves and fog a monument to subterfuge, poor navigation security, hubris, leadership…and booze
I was reminded of that wreck this morning when I witnessed navigational confusion in the ranks at the fork in the road at the south end of Pine. More than half the group peeled off behind Eric, leaving him stranded out front like a centurion without a legion, possibly headed to their doom in the morning mist.
Who knows that fate awaited them? I can only attribute this age old act of sabotage to Willie’s limitless ability infect all the group’s Garmin computers. Heartwarming to know navigation continues to be a development oppy and that Steves bike has a reverse gear. I can only imaging what happened at the fork of Glen and Farm…must have been an audible of epic proportions
HPG Velo Early morning ride @6:20 and some important early season reminders
As you know, we’ve been riding at 6:20a M-F and will continue to do so until further notice 🙂
A few reminders for those getting back into group riding and plan to ride the bagel loop (or weekends) with us. For those of us that ride every day, we can’t hammer every ride so please try to go with the flow if you’re only joining once in a while.
Here’s the loop schedule that hasn’t changed since April 1962:
Monday- Powissett loop (easy- for real)
Tuesday- Farm bagel
Wednesday- Backwards bagel (everyone’s fav)
Thursday- regular Glen bagel
Friday- Social (the original social pace since Saturday is usually harder day- this is the goal unless I’m feeling good and change my mind)
Some reminders:
1. We ride early in the morning when most normal people are sleeping. Voices carry so please try to be considerate. I don’t mind being the jerk to remind you on the ride, so there’s that. Please pay special attention to the start of the ride on Dover and Livingston since it’s dense residential. The db level is limited to 50db and no more than 2500hz, so this rules out more than a whisper, high pitched voices, and squeaky shoes, poorly lubed chains, Jim’s brakes, and Matthias’ hips.
2. Just point out holes- you only need to PMC yell when it’s a monster or a rock the size of a small child that I missed and took down Audrey and that I’ll regret from then until eternity. Otherwise we ride this course everyday and know most of the holes. If you hit the sinkhole on Harding downhill to the right of the manhole, you’ll only do that once. A quiet point works for almost everything. Think of this as being a ride with clairvoyants- we just know what to do and what’s going to happen next. Be that rider that just knows.
3. Slowing and stopping- Since we ride the same course every single freaking day, we know where the stop signs and red lights are, and don’t need to yell it out. Unexpected slowdowns or deer crossings sure, go for it, but normal “of course we’re going to slow down instead of barreling onto a cross street,” save it for your other groups. Pay attention and know where we are.
4. We pull and rotate counter-clockwise. This is like clockwise, but the opposite. This is especially important on the Sunday ride when we motor down Rt 27 and Tom Snow, like clock work, yells “PACELINE!. The deal here is that we take short pulls, and pull over to the left just in front of the person who just pulled, unless of course if you’re Italian or live in Cambridge, then you’re allowed to pull off the front fun as long as your want, and accelerating wildly rocking side to side and totally destroy the paceline causing havoc in the back until Eric restores order and forms a new paceline behind you while Steve goes apoplectic.
5. Generally, when it’s your turn to pull, if you want to show you have more testosterone than the last person, please do so gradually.
6. Notwithstanding the foregoing, remember the person that just pulled up the hill, or took a monster pull, is usually toast. Out of pure human dignity and respect, please give them a few pedal strokes before you Froome them.
7. Please make sure your bike is in good working order. Loose stem nuts rattle (and for gods sake just because Landry’s puts them on, you don’t need them), properly stocked saddle bag is helpful so Eric can change your flat if you don’t know how, quiet chain, and quiet brakes. Yes, Jim, this means you. Toe those babies in or bring your bike over and I’ll work on your brakes.
8. Yellow line rule always except for me when its a quiet road and the right side is totally chopped up, like the decent after Nagog hill.
9. This year, let’s try to be extra cautious about spitting and farmers blows around other riders.
10. And last but not least, I have gotten better about letting people stop for more than 45 seconds (after at least 2.5 hrs of riding minimum), but please don’t push it. I could get cranky at any time without notice.
11. There’s always an eleven- It’s great to see and ride with friends again.
damonbates
HPG Bike Blog 