Yet another submitted event, my inbox was so full of goodness today, thanks again Ron.

2009 Tour de Somerville: City of Seven (or More) Hills

Saturday October 17, 2009

We’ll meet at Seven Hills Park in Davis Square (behind the Holland Street Red Line entrance) at 10 am, leaving promptly at 10:15am. The rain date for this event will be Sunday, October 18, 2009.

This year’s theme will be “City of Seven (Or More) Hills”. The ride will visit each of Somerville’s hills, both those that still exist and those that have been removed.

Here is a list of the hills, based on the Boston Bikemap:

Clarendon Hill – back yards between Fairmount Ave and Ware St

Walnut (College) Hill – The actual summit is across the city line in
Medford

Quarry Hill – now Nathan Tufts (Powder House) Park

Winter Hill – Broadway at Adams St

Spring Hill – Somerville Hospital on Crown St, but we’ll probably stop at
Bailey Park instead

Central Hill – behind Masonic Hall @ 125 Highland Ave

Prospect Hill – Prospect Hill Tower

Winthrop Hill (Ten Hills) – Temple Road at Putnam Road

Mt. Benedict – mostly levelled; a small remnant is on Austin St at Benedict St

Cobble Hill – entirely levelled, now (very flat) Inner Belt Industrial Park

More details will be available 3 to 4 weeks before the event, at http://SomervilleBikes.org .

Another great event sent in by Ron!

Saturday, October 3: 7th Annual Middlesex Canal Historic Ride (2009), co-sponsored by the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, the Middlesex Canal Commission, and the Middlesex Canal Association.

Meet at Sullivan Square T station (to the right of the main entrance, by the historic canal plaque) at 9:00am.

We will follow the route of the old Middlesex Canal (1793-1853) to Lowell, with lots of stops along the way to see remnants of the canal, including some restored sections and the home of the canal’s designer, Loammi Baldwin).

We will get to Lowell in time to take the train back to Boston. 38 miles (but riders can also catch earlier trains at 20 miles in Wilmington or at 28 miles in North Billerica).

(info from http://middlesexcanal.org )

TOUR DE GRAVES, Saturday October 25, 2008 at 9:30AM – MassBike is organizing a ride to some of Boston’s famous and lesser-known graveyards in honor of Halloween. Trip leaves at 9:30am in order to avoid the majority of ghosts, and will be about 15 miles and take about 3 hours. We will start from the Central Burying Ground on the
Boston Common near the corner of Boylston and Charles. For more
information contact Dick Bauer (dick.bauer@alum.mit.edu)

Pretty awesome looking ride, be sure to check it out.

From the site

A very frightening tour of Boston, a 2 hour ride at a mild to moderate pace. Saturday October 25th starting at 4pm. Starting from 89 Brighton Ave Allston. This mellow ride will begin in Allston and roll through Cambridge and Boston. Following the ride until 8pm there will be a costume contest and refreshments at International Bicycle Center. Contest Prizes include a chrome bag and a niterider USB light.

Costumes encouraged. Riders of all abilities welcome, helmet and safety lights required.

Tour de Somerville: Saturday, October 18, 2008

Join the Somerville Bicycle Committee for the 16th Annual Tour de Somerville on Saturday, October 18th. We’ll meet at 10 am at Seven Hills Park, behind the Holland Street T entrance in Davis Square. From there, we’ll trace the entire boundary of our city, from leafy Alewife Brook and Tufts University to gritty Assembly Square, Inner Belt, and Boynton Yards. Occasionally, we’ll cross over into neighboring Cambridge, Arlington, Medford, and Charlestown, to see what the city limits look like from the other side.

The ride will be about 15 miles long, with a rest stop at the Somerville Boys and Girls Club’s Blessing of the Bay boathouse on the Mystic River. Redbones will provide refreshments at this stop.

A route map and cue sheet are posted at http://SomervilleBikes.org , In case of rain, we’ll postpone the ride to Sunday, October 19, same time and location (and we’ll announce that on the web site).

For more information, contact Ron Newman, rnewman@thecia.net, 617-628-8895.

See Brookline open spaces on a Brookline GreenSpace Alliance recreational bicycle tour which will follow the path of Brookline’s 10 hills. The moderate pace on the gentle to moderate hills will be led by Ron Brown, treasurer of the GreenSpace Alliance and 14 year participant in the 192-mile PanMass Challenge. The 16+ mile route will start at 10:00 am on Sunday, September 7, 2008 at Amory Park, intersection of Amory Street and Freeman Street by Hall’s Pond Sanctuary, and end in the same location at approximately Noon. Helmets are required. For more information, contact 617-277-4777 or email info@brooklinegreenspace.org. Or see this nice flier (pdf).

http://bicycling.511.org/

You are the most important part of your bicycle. Your bike should be sized to fit your body proportions and should match your style of riding, your skill level and where you plan to ride. The equipment you need depends on the type of riding you plan to do, but a safety-rated helmet and a strong lock are essential. Whether your bike is new or old, its gears, chain, brakes and tires must be in good working order.  Continues…http://bicycling.511.org/aboutyourbike.htm

http://www.sbbike.org/

Want to find out what’s happening on the Web for bicyclists? Here is our list of sites to check out, with an emphasis on California and regional resources. Clicking on any site will open it in a new browser window. Jump to the area that interests you most:

• Santa Barbara County bicycling
• California bicycling advocacy
• US bicycling advocacy
• International bicycling advocacy
• Bicycling standards & planning
• Sustainable transportation
• Online periodicals about bicycling
• Bicycle commuting

http://la-bike.org/

The following presents a few guidelines for safer riding for cyclists and motorists:

• Always wear a helmet.
• Always ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Be predictable and ride in a straight line. Do not weave in and out of parked cars
• If the lane is wide enough to safely share with cars, ride to the right side. Do not try to share the lane if it is too narrow. Do not ride in broken pavement or debris at the side of the street. Take the center of the lane if necessary.
• Ride far enough in the lane around parked cars so that you will not collide with opening car doors.
• When proceeding straight through an intersection with right-turn lanes, move to the lane going straight and allow vehicles to turn right on your right side.
• When making a left turn, move to the left before completing the turn, just like a motor vehicle. If you do not feel safe doing this, ride straight and cross the street you want to turn onto. At the other side of the street, dismount and turn your bike in your desired direction, then proceed when it is safe and legal to do so.
• When riding at night, always wear light colored or reflective clothes, and use both front and taillights, as well as reflectors.

http://www.bicyclesource.com/

Choosing Bike parts and gear:

Saddles: Is Softer Better
The first impulse a newbie rider who finds a saddle uncomfortable is to replace it with a softer one. Soft seats put the force of the rider’s weight in all the wrong places, rather than the sit-bones. Big springs may look plush, but they don’t work.
Bike Suspension

Suspension has been advancing rapidly mainly because of the spread of mountain biking. Whether it is front or rear, this article describes the advantages of each different type of suspension for your bike.
Sportswear Fabric Types and Attributes

What to wear on a ride? This article describes the differences between several different fabrics. GoreTex, Dacron, Lycra, Polypro: which material will give the best performance in a given condition?
What to Bring on a Ride

A comprehensive list of what to bring on bike rides, remember it’s always the tool you don’t have that your bicycle will need. How much food you will need and how to not get lost, be ready for anything….
Frame Construction

Learn about the different ways bike companies are manufacturing their frames. Strength, weight, durability of each construction technique.

What should your new bike have? Better find out…
Testing Brake Pads

Brake pads can make a significant difference in the stopping power of your bicycle, especially mountain bikes. This test shows which pad performs best in both wet and dry conditions… read on…
Brake Performance

A paper testing the temperature rise and performance on a steep descent from using two rim brakes, only the rear rim brake, and using a coaster brake. Lots of interesting information.
Bicycle Hardware Manufacturers on the Web

Links to scores of web sites of companies that makes bikes and components for both the road and trail. One of the best cycling company hyperlink lists on the World Wide Web.